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| Strength in Diversity: Towards Universal Education in Myanmar’s Ethnic Areas Posted: 17 Oct 2016 01:04 AM PDT By Kim Jolliffe and Emily Speers Mears |
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| The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (October 15) Posted: 14 Oct 2016 10:55 PM PDT  Oil tanks at China's pipeline project on Maday Island, Kyaukphyu Township, Arakan State, Oct. 7, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) Burma 'seeking extra tax payment' from PetroChina A Chinese oil refinery in Yunnan Province near the border with Burma is facing delays to starting operations after state-owned PetroChina has hesitated to pay an extra tax demanded by Burma for piping the crude oil through the country, according to Reuters. Early last year, PetroChina's parent China National Petroleum Company (CNPC) began trial operations of the 1,490-mile pipeline through Burma's Arakan State to Yunnan Province. PetroChina has built a 260,000 barrels per day (bpd) refinery at Anning in Yunnan to process the oil. It was expecting to start test operations on refining this month but is now facing delays, according to the report. "The Myanmar government is asking for an additional 5-percent tax for the crude oil, which is on top of an agreed transit fee and pipeline tariff," a Beijing-based industry official told Reuters. "It (the tax) is quite off the international norm. The refinery will certainly run into losses if this tax applies," the source added. A Naypyidaw-based senior official with Burma's Energy Ministry told Reuters that the two countries had agreed that the pipeline contract was subject to change if the Finance Ministry and other government agencies suggested it needed changing. "The respective Chinese company still needs to talk with the Ministry of Finance […] They have met twice but they haven't been able to sort it out," said the Naypyidaw official, who requested anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media. The pipeline starts at Maday Island in Arakan State and enters China at the Muse-Ruili border in northern Shan State. It is a joint venture by CNPC and Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise. Government to release details on economic policy The government will reveal more details on its economic policy at a business forum in Naypyidaw on Oct. 22, following the approval last month of the Myanmar Investment Law in the Upper and Lower houses of Parliament, an official said. The new policies are ready to be unveiled at the Myanmar Business Forum event to be hosted by the Directorate of Investment and Companies Administration (DICA) under the Ministry of National Planning and Finance, according to DICA's deputy director general U Than Aung Kyaw. "The policies will be [provided] following the approval of the current investment law, and will provide more details,'' he said. The event is slated to be held at the capital city's Myanmar International Convention Center 2. Pledged foreign direct investment to Burma from April to September this year was less than half the amount committed in the same period in 2015, as investors waited for clear policy signals from the government. The new law approved last month contains incentives for investments in various sectors and reduces the number of investments that will require approval by the Myanmar Investment Commission. Burma 'worst' for illicit trade Burma has scored lowest in a survey commissioned by the European Chamber of Commerce on how 17 countries in Asia tackle illicit trade. The report conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) evaluated countries on a 100-point index against 14 indicators that included customs, transparency and intellectual property. Burma received the lowest rank (10.8), below the other two worst offenders: Laos (12.9) and Cambodia (23.9). China had a score of 61.6 and Singapore scored 69.8, tying with Taiwan. The best performers were Australia (85.2), New Zealand (81.8) and Hong Kong (81.4). "Illicit trade is more than just counterfeit goods. Illicit trade includes guns, it includes endangered species and endangered wildlife. It includes human trafficking," report author Chris Clague of the EIU told The Associated Press. "A lot of these other forms of illicit trade […] follow the same channels that counterfeit goods do," he said. Burma has long had a reputation for illicit trade in drugs, timber, jade and wildlife, among other goods. The UK-based Environmental Investigation Agency said in 2015 that hundreds of millions of US dollars' worth of illegal timber was flowing into China. A report the same year from the UK's Global Witness estimated that the illicit jade trade amounted to some US$30 billion a year. Singapore's Group Lease to partner with Burma's AMK to provide financial services Group Lease Plc (GL) of Singapore is partnering with Burma's AMK Consortium headed by businessman U Aung Moe Kyaw to expand financial services in Burma, GL has announced in a press release. The joint venture will support the AMK-owned Century Finance Company to provide a range of financial services, focusing especially on rural markets, said Mitsuji Konoshita of GL Holdings in the report. Century Finance currently provides car leasing services and its offerings under the joint venture will expand to cover the leasing of motorcycles, agricultural machinery and solar panels and other forms of consumer finance credit. According to a filing by GL to the Stock Exchange of Thailand, AMK Consortium controls about 65 per cent of whisky distribution in Burma. It also manages more than 22,000 grocery shops, including 1,400 wholesale stores, some of which operate pawnshop services. Business 'failing to provide transparency' on environmental impacts Businesses in Burma are failing to provide the public with information related to the environmental impacts of their activities, according to the Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business. The center published an updated survey this week that found that very few companies in sectors such as mining, hydropower, power facilities, manufacturing and tourism were disclosing environmental impact assessments (EIA) or initial environmental examinations (IEE). Several hundred of such surveys are believed to have been undertaken and submitted to the government, the MCRB said. The MCRB report found that the overall level of disclosure was highest in the oil and gas sectors. Of 20 oil and gas offshore blocks awarded since 2013, 14 (70 percent) had disclosed their IEE/EIA. This was up from 58 percent in March. For onshore blocks, the figure was 47 percent disclosure (7 out of 15), up from 26 percent in March. Without transparency on the part of business, communities and other stakeholders could not hold companies to account for their environmental and social performance, said Vicky Bowman, director of the responsible business center. "Almost none of the hundreds of EIAs and Environmental Management Plans completed over the last two or three years in other sectors have been disclosed on corporate websites," she added. Disclosure is now a legal requirement if a company wants to obtain an Environmental Compliance Certificate to allow its business to proceed, the report said. The post The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (October 15) appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Dateline Irrawaddy: ‘Only By Appointing Special Envoys Will Engagement With China Work’ Posted: 14 Oct 2016 06:17 PM PDT
As you know, gunfire has resurfaced in Kachin, northern Shan and Karen states. And most recently, border posts were attacked in Arakan State's Maungdaw. These renewed clashes and violence has raised question about national reconciliation and the internal peace efforts of the National League for Democracy (NLD) government. U Maung Maung Soe, you have compiled an analysis of the 21st Century Panglong Conference. Considering the continuing clashes, do you think the national reconciliation strategy and internal peace policy of the NLD-led government is working? Maung Maung Soe: The 21st Century Panglong made a good start. It included many [ethnic armed] groups except the Kokang, Palaung [Ta'ang] and Arakan groups. And every participating group could speak freely and present its views to the people, which is positive. But the problem is that the government, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, said that [the peace process] would be based on the NCA [nationwide ceasefire agreement]. There are 13 groups, including the Naga group, which opted out of signing the NCA. And only eight groups have signed it. So, it seemed that the government would have to focus on convincing non-signatories to sign NCA after the conference. But it failed to do so, and it will be problematic, I think. Around [September] 16 or 17, [the government] discussed the political framework but only with the eight NCA signatories. Again, on September 25 Saya Khu Oo Reh of UNFC [United Nationalities Federal Council—an ethnic alliance of NCA non-signatories] and U Aung Kyi from the Myanmar National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC) held talks in Chiang Mai. But they did not get an answer, and the problem escalated as a result. If the NLD government has decided to implement the peace process based on NCA, I think it needs to focus its efforts on dealing with NCA non-signatories including those in the UNFC. Again, both the KIA [Kachin Independence Army] and SSPP [Shan State Progress Party], which are clashing [with the Burmese military], in fact had already signed Union-level ceasefires in 2012 and 2013. If all of them would try to abide by the Union-level ceasefire agreement, there would be fewer clashes, even if NCA is not signed. Again, there have been renewed clashes with RCSS [Restoration Council of Shan State] which is one of the NCA signatories. So, I think they need to enforce the rules. The NLD-led government has kept silent about the clashes over the past month since the 21st Century Panglong Conference, which has frustrated many people. So, rather than concentrating on the framework for political dialogue, the NLD-government and NRPC should focus on this problem. YN: You mean the government should focus on ceasefire process rather than political dialogue? MMS: Yes. YN: Peace and national reconciliation is the top priority of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD government. As far as we are concerned, the difference between the NLD government and U Thein Sein's government is that the NLD has hired foreign consultants such as those from South Africa and England, and the prominent one: Kofi Annan for the Arakan State Advisory Commission. It will also undertake peacebuilding training in foreign countries. So there have been concerns and criticism as some argue that Burma's peace process is an internal issue to be solved by Burmese people only, and that Burmese people understand the problem better than foreigners, who should not be involved. U Aung Thu Nyein, what's your view on this? Aung Thu Nyein: In Burma, we have seen various conflicts between different groups. And it seems that it is a multi-layered conflict. I don't think we can copy from other countries to solve those problems. We are different in that there are fewer rebel groups in other countries, but we have many ethnic armed groups in Burma, so it is more difficult to handle. We need advice from foreign experts and international assistance in our peace process, but we should exercise caution. Under U Thein Sein's administration, the government peace negotiation team led by U Aung Min took a homegrown approach to peace-building to solve internal problems internally. There is another approach that we call a 'joint venture.' For example, if a meeting day was to be appointed, stakeholders such as the government, the military and ethnic armed groups met and made the decision together. And to me, it seems that the new government is not up for a homegrown approach. It should adopt a joint venture approach, making collective decisions. Regarding the 21st Century Panglong, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi appointed the date by herself and just asked the other stakeholders to come. I think it would be better to make a collective decision about the date and agenda. Again, the government has formed the Arakan State Commission led by Kofi Annan without holding negotiations with stakeholders in advance. I mean, the government should have consulted with Arakan parties and other stakeholders in advance in order to solve the Arakan issue. If it had done so, there would have been fewer problems. YN: As the international community is somehow involved in national reconciliation and Burma's peace process, I think China played a role, too. China invited and rolled out the red carpet for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi while she was still an opposition leader. And they invited her again after she took the office, rolling out red carpet along with the Guard of Honor. China officially stated that it supports Burma's peace process initiated by the government, and it also urged ethnic armed groups to support it. But then, renewed clashes have broken out with ethnic armed groups on the Burma-China border. So, U Maung Maung Soe, to what extent do you think China's influence will impact on Burma's peace process? MMS: China exerts its influence for its border stability and border security. It is not that China does not urge [the ethnic armed groups to participate]—it does urge the ethnic armed groups along the border to join the peace process. But the problem is that the other side [the government and military] still can't accept three groups, including the Kokang, in joining the peace process. This is the problem. Again, since China is a vast country, the central government and subnational administrations have some different views. Burma shares a border with Yunnan Province in terms of administrative regions. And in terms of military regions, it borders Chengdu Military Region. They have their own regional interests and they will act on those interests. So, it is not enough for Burma government to deal only with the Beijing government: it also has to deal with the Yunnan Province government. Yunnan is equal in size to our country while Chengdu Military Region is bigger than our military. So, we need to engage with Chengdu Military Region. It is not that we did not engage with them in previous times—we did. Shan State and Kachin State chief ministers have engaged with the Yunnan government and our military region engaged with theirs. But we could not deal with them effectively because they are much more powerful than us. So, while Burma's government should maintain its direct engagement with the Beijing government, it should also appoint a special envoy to deal with Yunnan's government. And Burma's military should also appoint a special envoy to engage with Chengdu Military Region. It is not just enough to let commanders and chief ministers—who have very limited authority and power—deal with them. Only by appointing special envoys, the engagement will work. On the other hand, Burma needs to understand well that China wants all of the ethnic armed groups along the border to be included in the peace process. YN: The peace building process today as far as we are concerned is not just the solving of problems between the pro-democracy forces and military regime or problems between the Burma Army and ethnic armed groups. But there have been tensions between ethnic armed groups themselves, for example tensions between the Shan and Palaung, the Kachin and Shanni and the Wa and Shan, and so on. So, my question is: can we still hope for peaceful and harmonious co-existence? ATN: Our country is faced with multiple and multi-layered conflicts. There are various conflicts in various forms at various levels. And I attended the 21st Century Panglong Conference and found that every participant spoke frankly there. The Burmese people have never heard of such frank speaking before. So, it is like opening dormant wounds, and many problems have come to their attention for the first time. These problems need to be handled promptly, I think. Some ethnic armed groups still can't lay down their arms because the designation of territories is not yet finished after the ceasefire is signed, and particular forces want to expand their territories and take advantage of this. Some forces still can't lay down their arms because of other forces. As you said, there are problems between the Shan and Palaung as well as between other groups. And I think the government's peace and national reconciliation efforts should not just focus on the negotiation table, but it should also work on many other things immediately, such as ceasefire monitoring on the ground. And the government should also adopt and implement an ethnic equality policy—there are international examples of this. It can implement that policy separately outside of the peace dialogue. It should do such things promptly. YN: Thank you for your contributions! The post Dateline Irrawaddy: 'Only By Appointing Special Envoys Will Engagement With China Work' appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
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| Commentary on A year on from the NCA: what hope for peace? Posted: 15 Oct 2016 05:06 AM PDT It is an illusion to speculate that the Tatmadaw might be split in trying to achieve peace within the country.  The military is "a state within a state" and it has always make its own policies and executed them the way it sees fit. And the offensives in Shan, Kachin and Karen states are coming from the military central command. The ethnic armies have made a point, when they said that they were not intruding into the Burmese heartland and that it is the Tatmadaw that is encroaching and occupying their homelands militarily, while they were just protecting their people and interest. If the military really has the "political will", it could easily declare unilateral ceasefire, drawback a few kilometers from the front-line, or better still, withdraw back its troops to the mother units. But what it is now doing is unleashing massive offensives to overrun the KIA positions either to have a strategic edge militarily or pressuring the Kachin to give up resistance and signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), which still needs to be amended to be comprehensive and fair according to the UNFC. KIO/KIA is a leading member of the UNFC, which is made up of 9 ethnic armies alliance. Until and unless the military is committed to become an equal negotiating partner like the rest of the stakeholders, and not posturing itself as a top-dog imposing its preconceived notion of "negotiated surrender" or "surrendered peace", at the expense of the ethnic armed organizations, there is little hope to end the conflict, much less a negotiated settlement. Link to the article: A year on from the NCA: what hope for peace? |
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| 49 Kachin Detained by Burma Army, Accused of KIA Links Posted: 14 Oct 2016 09:39 AM PDT  Ethnic Kachin detained by the Burma Army in Bhamo (Photo: Myawaddy News / Facebook) Forty-nine Kachin locals have been detained by the Burma Army since Tuesday, when they were accused of attending a Kachin Independence Army (KIA) militia training. The individuals, members of the Rawang and Lisu sub-ethnic groups, come from Putao, in northern Kachin State. They were arrested at the Sein Lone military checkpoint, and are being held in Kachin State's Bhamo prison and are facing two charges under the Unlawful Association Act for communicating with an "unlawful association" and possessing weapons with the group. "Since their arrest, they have been put in the Bhamo central prison," said U Aung Thein, Bhamo's Lower House lawmaker from the ruling National League for Democracy, who is trying to get in contact with the group. "I was told by the district administrator that all of the accused had admitted that they received weapons training at the KIA's Mai Ja Yang camp, although they were told that they would be given training related to agriculture," the lawmaker told The Irrawaddy on Friday. "But I have not seen them in person yet," he added, "As of now, charges are filed against them. They will have to appear before the court. We hope to meet them when they come for the hearing and learn what happened." As the case is related to the military, the lawmaker said that they have less power to directly intervene, due to the volatile situation in the area, which is a conflict zone. Quoting the Bhamo district administrator, U Aung Thein added that the accused are aged 20 to 40 years, and amongst them, four are women. On Friday morning, the military-owned Myawaddy newspaper posted on their Facebook page that on Oct. 11 they "had arrested 49 people returning from getting militia training with the KIA," as well as an additional eight people who were driving the trucks. All of the detainees will be transferred to the Moe Mauk police station, and security will be tightened in the area, they added. After armed conflict between the government forces and the KIA renewed after the disintegration of a ceasefire in 2011, schools in the conflict zone were forced to shut down, leading youth to seek out new opportunities for vocational development. Local sources say there are hundreds of students pursuing their education in learning centers in Mai Ja Yang—a KIA stronghold on the China border—who are now in danger in the area, due to the reoccurrence of a recent military offensive against the KIA. According to Dau Kha, a spokesperson from the advisory team of the Kachin Independence Organization—the political wing of the KIA—they provide trainings in education, health care, agriculture and livelihood development. He added that the KIA does not provide military training at its headquarters. The post 49 Kachin Detained by Burma Army, Accused of KIA Links appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| President’s Office Vows to ‘Counter’ Arakan Attacks; Locals Call for an End to Violence Posted: 14 Oct 2016 09:15 AM PDT  People seek refuge at Thabyae Gone monastery in Maungdaw Township after fighting between the Burma Army and militant broke out nearby villages. (Photo: Rakhine Gazette / Facebook) SITTWE, Arakan State — Four suspects have reportedly confessed to taking part in and planning attacks on border guard posts in northern Arakan State's Maungdaw Township with the financial backing of outside terrorist organizations, according to a President's Office statement released on Friday. Two of the men were transferred from Bangladeshi authorities to Burma and two were captured in Maungdaw Township. The statement said that the four men confessed to authorities—which were unspecified—to taking part in an attack on border posts on Sunday with the aim of occupying Maungdaw Township, led by a group they identified as Aqa Mul Mujahidin, which the President's Office described as being affiliated with the Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO), last known to be active in the 1980s and 1990s. The statement also said an investigation had revealed that the group allegedly receives financial backing from Islamic terror networks and is led by a 45-year-old living in Kyauk Pyin Seik village of Maungdaw Township who attended six months of training in Pakistan. "We will effectively counterattack any terror attack or attempted terror attack," the President's Office statement said. "We will also investigate, identify and take harsh actions against those behind the terrorists, those who support them secretly, and organizations and individuals that aid and abet terrorism." The group was allegedly planning to attack six border posts with 400 armed men last Sunday, but, armed with machetes, instead attacked a border patrol police headquarters and two outposts in Maungdaw and Rathedaung townships, killing nine policemen and looting firearms. According to state-run media, the Tatmadaw arrested another man in Maungdaw Township's Warpaik Village on Wednesday and reportedly confiscated a MA-11 gun, 11 cartridges, 1,510 rounds of ammunition and flags and badges connected to the RSO. The man is the fifth suspect to have been detained in the area since Sunday. Military-controlled Myawaddy media said on Thursday that while Burma Army troops carried out a manhunt for the suspects Wednesday in Kyet Yoe Pin Village of Maungdaw Township, ten suspected militants were killed and one gun was seized in clashes. Five Burma Army soldiers have been killed in the manhunt, and 15 men—suspected militants—have been killed by government forces. Military Operation Areas Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung townships in northern Arakan State are designated as military operation areas until firearms looted from border police force are recovered, ministers told reporters at a press conference in the state capital of Sittwe on Friday. On Thursday, Arakan State Chief Minister Nyi Pu summoned NGOs and INGOs to the state government office to update them on the situation in Maungdaw Township. He told relief organizations that to work in areas of military operations they must apply for permission from the government and follow rules and regulations, according to his official Facebook page. Nyi Pu said that "Although the neighboring town of Buthidaung has returned to normal and shops have opened, the market is closed in Maungdaw. Unless the government can recover the firearms, armed clashes could happen at any time." He mentioned that some attackers are from "outside," referring to Bangladesh, and alleged that they had links to Maungdaw Muslim residents. Brig-Gen Thura Sun Lwin of the border police told international relief organizations, including United Nations (UN) organizations and partners, that foreigners are currently prohibited from entering Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung townships. Displaced Persons and Reports of Abuse A joint statement released on Monday by 14 Rohingya organizations in exile accused government soldiers of killing seven unarmed men in the village of Myothugyi; the Burma Army described the casualties of being those of suspected militants. The groups called on international organizations and governments to pressure the ruling National League for Democracy government to halt such actions, and end persecution against Muslims in the region. Since then, further accusations of abuses—detainments, and the burning of houses—have surfaced. Arakan State Chief Minister U Nyi Pu sought to quell rumors of abuse with a statement on Facebook saying that news from the government should be regarded as true. "The Union government is trying to decrease the worries of the two communities and we [the state government] are also carrying out on-the-ground information for law enforcement and stability in this region," his post said. In Maungdaw Township, local sources say that ethnic Mro and Thet villagers—fearing the unrest—have been seeking safety in monasteries in Buthidaung. Arakan National Party (ANP) secretary U Tha Htun Hla visited Maungdaw yesterday to support the displaced villagers. According to him, about 300 people were sheltering at Buddhist monasteries. The Arakan State government office secretary U Tin Maung Swe said that local Arakanese from the area concerned for their safety would need to be relocated. The Burma Army has also airlifted 90 school teachers from areas of Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships, according to the state government. Meanwhile on Friday, residents of two villages in rural areas of Maungdaw Township were taking refuge in Sittwe, saying they were too frightened to remain at their homes following Sunday's attacks. A total of 36 people from the villages were staying at a Buddhist monastery in the state capital. Four women from the group met a delegation from the World Food Programme (WFP) headed by Stephen O'Brien, United Nations' Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. "My child and I are safe here, but my husband is at home and we don't yet know how safe he is," villager Daw Thein Shwe told the UN delegation, through tears. Rumors and the deaths of policemen in Sunday's attacks had triggered the decision to leave Myaing Tha Ya and Aung Mingalar villages, she said. A total of 60 more people from the area were expected to arrive in Sittwe later on Friday, the delegation heard. A WFP representative told the villagers that it would work with the state government to provide assistance. Meanwhile, U Hla Shwe, a community leader from the Rohingya Muslim community in Sittwe worried that the violence would spread. "We condemn those acting with violence," he said, adding that his community loved peace, and wished to live in peace. Ko Wai Hun Aung, an Arakanese social activist, said that using force may not be the best way to find suspects and that authorities should instead work with local religious leaders. The post President's Office Vows to 'Counter' Arakan Attacks; Locals Call for an End to Violence appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Over 100 Teachers Evacuated From Border Town in Northern Arakan State Posted: 14 Oct 2016 05:37 AM PDT  Burma Army airlifts teachers and locals from an area close to the Bangladesh border in Maungdaw Township of northern Arakan State on Thursday. (Photo: Office of the Defense Services Commander-in-Chief) More than 100 teachers in government schools have been evacuated via Burma Army helicopter from the small settlement of Taungpyoletwea by the Bangladesh border, in Maungdaw Township of northern Arakan State, with just over 20 remaining to be airlifted. These evacuations, with the teachers flown in to neighboring Buthidaung Township, are taking place after fatal attacks on border guard police posts on Sunday, followed by a manhunt focused on Maungdaw Township, has led to several dozen deaths among police, Burma Army soldiers and suspected militants. Most of the estimated 250 assailants who attacked the police posts remain at large, according to state media. At least six suspects have been arrested. "[The attackers] have done nothing to teachers. No [teacher] has suffered injury so far," said Maungdaw Township education officer U Khin Aung, who added that the Burma Army was preparing to evacuate the remaining 20 teachers in Taungpyoletwea. Alongside the 114 teachers that have been airlifted since Thursday, the Burma Army has evacuated 50 government officers, one monk, and 16 local residents, according to the office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Services. An unverified number of residents of rural villages in Maungdaw Township have reportedly fled to Maungdaw town, with monasteries providing shelter. U Tun Hla Sein, a state lawmaker representing Maungdaw Township, said, "Locals have fled for the town for fear of food shortages. Most vendors [in their villagers] are Muslim, and have closed their shops." Schools have been closed in Maungdaw and neighboring Buthidaung townships since the beginning of the week due to security concerns. Education officer U Khin Aung said whether schools would re-open after the Thadingyut festival, which lasts for the duration of next week, would hinge on an improvement in the security situation. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko The post Over 100 Teachers Evacuated From Border Town in Northern Arakan State appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Arakan State Unrest Heightens Political Concerns Posted: 14 Oct 2016 05:32 AM PDT  Entrance to Maungdaw Township, Arakan State. (Photo: Narinjara) NAYPYIDAW—Recent attacks on border police posts in Arakan State have heightened public concern over the democratization process and civil-military relations, members of the political community told The Irrawaddy. Lower House lawmaker U Lwin Ko Latt, of Thanlyin Township, told The Irrawaddy that he is worried about the situation following the deaths of nine policemen, five soldiers, and fifteen other men. "The military intelligence should have known about [the attacks] before they happened. The Defense Ministry is responsible for that. And under the circumstances, we want [the Burmese military] to only work within the legal framework. I don't want them to seek political gain out of this," he said. "The event is a cause for concern for security. I am also worried if concerned governments will be able to handle this effectively," said U Lwin Ko Latt. As the conflict could hamper democratization in Burma, it was important that the government proceed with caution in line with the rule of law, said U Nay Myo Htun, a Lower House lawmaker representing Htantabin Township. U Ye Htun, a political analyst, said State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi seemed to be exercising caution in handling the issues in Arakan State. "The military has violated laws in our [Shan] state. I think [the State Counselor] has sent the information minister to Arakan State to gather information on the ground so that she can make a judgment," said U Ye Htun. He also suggested sending the Arakan State Advisory Commission led by former UN general secretary Kofi Annan to Arakan State. Though the ministries of defense, home affairs and border affairs—which are addressing the unrest—fall under military rather than civilian leadership according to the 2008 Constitution, responses are being made under the guidance of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, National League for Democracy spokesperson U Win Htein told The Irrawaddy. "All the information about the Arakan issue reaches her. Though Defense and Home Affairs ministries are under the [army] commander-in-chief according to the Constitution, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi gets on well with them. She has taken the overall responsibility to handle it," said U Win Htein. State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has told the media that the government is doing their best to solve the conflict following the attacks on border posts, and will handle them impartially under the rule of law. "The Defense Ministry has to take responsibility to handle this transparently. The whole incident must be presented to the public in a transparent manner, otherwise public concern will remain high, because there have been many rumors including those on Facebook," said U Lwin Ko Latt. The Irrawaddy contacted the President's Office, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Border Affairs several times to ask about video files circulated on social media and for the government's responses to the Arakan issue, but was not able to obtain a comment. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko The post Arakan State Unrest Heightens Political Concerns appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Will the First Group of Refugee Returns Take Place This Month? Posted: 14 Oct 2016 04:01 AM PDT  A refugee family hold numbered placards as they pose for a photo during a census conducted by Thai authorities at Mae La refugee camp in July 2014. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — The first round of Burmese refugee returns is reportedly taking place later this month from Nu Po refugee camp on the Thai-Burma border, with no exact date yet set. The return has been arranged by the UN refugee agency, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), according to sources from the Karen Refugee Committee (KRC), a community-based organization that facilitates services on refugee matters in Thailand. When asked, KRC spokesperson Naw Blooming Night Zar told The Irrawaddy that she is not aware of the details of the return plan, as it was directly arranged by the UHNCR. "We are not aware of the process. As far as we know, it is organized by the UNHCR. They [UNHCR] didn’t let us know. Based on their policy, refugees can independently decide by their own [whether or not to return], so they deal directly with individual refugees," said Naw Blooming Night Zar. When The Irrawaddy contacted the UNHCR, Iain Hall, a senior field coordinator for the UNHCR said "there is no date yet communicated on the return of the group from Nu Po" refugee camp. He added, however, that all refugee returns must be voluntary. He said that the UNHCR had not yet received information from the Burmese and Thai governments on a return date. "When UNHCR receives information from the Myanmar and Thai governments to confirm the return of the Nu Po group, including the date, then we would be very happy to provide more information," said Hall. According to a report by Voice of America quoting Chief Minister of Karen State, Nang Khin Htwe Myint, the first group of returning refugees would include some 56 people take place after October 25. She said the return was voluntary, and that the Karen State government would provide food, health care and guarantee safety for the returnees. The UNHCR also will provide other required assistance, she added. The Irrawaddy could not reach Nang Khin Htwe Myint at the time of reporting. There are more than 120,000 Burmese refugees in nine camps on the Thai border, most of whom are ethnic Karen who fled their homes due to civil war. Many have been in Thailand for more than two decades.
The post Will the First Group of Refugee Returns Take Place This Month? appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Tourism Industry Urges Govt to Issue Arakan State Travel Advice Posted: 14 Oct 2016 03:44 AM PDT  Ngapali Beach is a quiet and peaceful getaway far from conflicts in Northern Arakan State. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Members of Burma's tourism industry have urged the government to provide international tourists with detailed travel advice about the conflict in Arakan State. International media have been covering ongoing security operations in Arakan State, also known as Rakhine State, since last Sunday when armed men attacked a border patrol police headquarters and two outposts in Maungdaw and Rathedaung townships, killing nine policemen and looting firearms. Foreign visitors have been making enquiries with tour companies and in some cases postponing or cancelling trips, industry observers said. Tourist destinations in Arakan State—including state capital Sittwe, Ngapali Beach, Mrauk-U and Kyauktaw—are far from the conflict in Maungdaw and Rathedaung townships "Foreign visitors have asked if Arakan State is safe or not as they have seen many pictures of recent clashes in the media," said Daw Sabei Aung, managing director of Nature Dream Travel & Tours. She told The Irrawaddy that the government needs to provide information for visitors to Arakan State on which areas are safe and which are not. "Tourists put safety first," she said, urging the government to release information related to travel safety in the region. Daw Hnin Pwint Phyu, managing director of Nan Myint Ma Har Travels & Tours, also said that official government information is required. "Our visitors' safety is a big responsibility," she said. "At the moment, we're relying on our partners in Arakan State for information." Myanmar Tourism Marketing Committee sent a letter to tour companies this week on how to respond to enquiries from visitors, without official government information. The committee told tour companies that attacks in northern Arakan State near the Bangladesh border are far from famous travel sites. "Travel companies have their own monitoring group to get the latest information from their sources, even though there has been no official information," U Phyo Wai Yar Zar, a former chairman of the committee, told The Irrawaddy. U Myo Win Nyunt, director of Ministry of Hotel and Tourism said that no instructions or warnings had been issued about Arakan State. "So far, we have not provided tour companies with 'dos and don'ts,'" he said. Tourism advice from an Australian Government website for Arakan State "except Sittwe and resort areas at Ngapali Beach" is to "think seriously about whether you need to travel here due to the high level of risk." Border trade gates with Bangladesh have been closed indefinitely and navy ships are monitoring the coastline. All of Maungdaw's 400 schools were ordered to close on Monday. The post Tourism Industry Urges Govt to Issue Arakan State Travel Advice appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Thailand Wakes to Uncertainty, Grief Without King Bhumipol Posted: 13 Oct 2016 11:47 PM PDT  People weep after an announcement that Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej has died, at the Siriraj hospital in Bangkok, Oct. 13, 2016. (Photo: Chaiwat Subprasom / REUTERS) BANGKOK, Thailand — Thailand's people woke up on Friday to the first day in 70 years without King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a king worshipped as a father-figure who guided the nation through decades of change and turmoil. The king, the world's longest-reigning monarch, died in a Bangkok hospital on Thursday. He was 88. He had been in poor health for several years but his death has shocked the Southeast Asian nation of 67 million people and plunged it into grief. The streets of Bangkok were busy as usual on Friday morning, 12 hours after news of the king's death was announced. Most people in the capital and in towns across the country dressed in black but shops opened for business. The cabinet declared a government holiday for mourning but the Stock Exchange of Thailand and other financial institutions opened as normal. The stock market's benchmark index rose at the open and was up 4 percent by late morning while the baht currency strengthened about 1.3 percent against the dollar, on hopes that there would be an orderly succession. Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn is expected to be the new king but he does not command the same adoration that his father earned over a lifetime on the throne. At Bangkok's Grand Palace, thousands of mourners, some sobbing, lined up to kneel before a portrait of the king, and make a ritual pouring of water as part of royal funeral rites. "I still feel like I'm dreaming. I can't believe it happened," said Supawan Wongsawas, 64, a retired civil servant. Suthad Kongyeam, 53, a civil official, said it felt like losing a father. "He was the heart of the whole country," said Suthad. "Everything is shaken. There is nothing to hold on to anymore." Thailand has endured bomb attacks and economic worries recently while rivalry simmers between the military-led establishment and populist political forces after a decade of turmoil including two coups and deadly protests. The king stepped in to calm crises on several occasions during his reign and many Thais worry about a future without him. The military has for decades invoked its duty to defend the monarchy to justify its intervention in politics. Military government leader Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Thursday the country was in "immeasurable grief … profound sorrow and bereavement". He said security was his top priority and called for businesses to stay active and stock investors not to dump shares. 'DON'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK' Thursday's crush of mourners in the grounds of Siriraj Hospital, where the king died, had gone by Friday morning, but about 100 people, most dressed in black, prayed there before a statue of the king's late mother. "I'm scared and don't know what to think. If I go home I can't think," said Jirawat Wayaphan, 64. The hospital was open and busy, but all visitors froze and stood at attention as the national anthem was played over loudspeakers as usual at 8 a.m. Later on Friday, the king's body will be taken in procession from the hospital to the Grand Palace. Authorities have not issued plans for a funeral but a traditional royal cremation will take months to prepare. By mid-morning, hundreds of mourners had packed the narrow, sun-seared pavements along the route. Many people sheltered beneath umbrellas or cooled themselves with fans. Paramedics with a wheelchair plucked one woman from the crowd who was suffering in the heat. Security was tight in the city's old quarter of palaces, temples and ministries with soldiers at checkpoints, government offices and intersections. Black-and-white footage of the king playing jazz on the saxophone has replaced regular transmissions on television channels since shortly after the king's death was announced. Prayuth said Prince Vajiralongkorn wanted to grieve with the people and leave the formal succession until later, when the parliament will invite him to ascend the throne. "Long live His Majesty the new king," Prayuth said. Thailand's strict lese-majeste laws have left little room for public discussion about the succession. The junta has promised an election next year and pushed through a constitution to ensure its oversight of civilian governments. It looks firmly in control for a royal transition. Foreign embassies in Thailand advised tourists to respect the feelings of the Thai people at their time of grief. Tropical Thailand, with its beaches, Buddhist temples and infamous night life, expects a record 33 million tourists this year. Most Thais have known no other monarch and King Bhumibol's picture is hung in almost every house, school and office. Until his later years, he was featured on television almost every evening, often trudging through rain, map in hand and camera around his neck, visiting a rural development project. His wife, Queen Sirikit, 84, has also been in poor health over recent years. The Thai community in California, the largest in the world outside of Thailand, was also in mourning. "I just know that I loved my king, he is the king that helped everybody, helping the poor, everything," Stella Boonyawan, a Thai expatriate, said outside the Buddhist Wat Thai Temple in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley. In Bangkok, Prayuth warned against anyone taking advantage of the situation to cause trouble. Politicians from all sides will be in mourning. Given a smooth transition, major economic disruptions are not expected, analysts and diplomats said. The post Thailand Wakes to Uncertainty, Grief Without King Bhumipol appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
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National News |
| Death toll tops 40 in Rakhine border raid aftermath as skirmishes continue Posted: 14 Oct 2016 12:48 AM PDT The death toll in northern Rakhine State has risen to more than 40 as security forces and unidentified insurgents continue to clash in the aftermath of a brazen October 9 assault on border security posts in Maungdaw and Rathedaung townships. |
| Oppression’s spawn plagues Rakhine State with death and dread Posted: 14 Oct 2016 12:21 AM PDT A nightmare has become reality in this country: A Chimera has been born out of oppression, fear, deliberate provocation and complicit silence whose gestation has been surprisingly long but, having materialised, has already claimed dozens of lives. |
| In wake of MPs’ legal issues, Right to Recall law discussed Posted: 13 Oct 2016 11:46 PM PDT As two National League for Democracy MPs sorted out sticky legal issues this month, some want to see the passage of a long-discussed law allowing the public to recall elected officials. |
| Media group threatens libel suit after former employees of closed newspaper demand back pay Posted: 13 Oct 2016 11:31 PM PDT A Fierce row over claims for millions in compensation following the sudden closure of a Mandalay newspaper has intensified, as the publisher concerned has threatened critics with a libel suit. |
| UNFC to meet with govt peace commission Posted: 13 Oct 2016 11:30 PM PDT The Delegation for Political Negotiation is meeting in Nay Pyi Taw tomorrow with the government's peace commission, a member of the commission said yesterday. |
| FREDA plans Yangon tree project Posted: 13 Oct 2016 11:27 PM PDT Yangon's streets will again be lined with trees, as they were 30 years and more ago, city officials and conservationists say. Planting is to begin before the end of the year. Many of the trees that used to line the streets have been cut down because of road widening or to make way for light poles. |
| Mandalay to crack down on child beggars Posted: 13 Oct 2016 11:23 PM PDT "Fagins " who train children to beg from passers-by will face a government crackdown as part of the drive to take homeless youngsters off the streets and protect them from a life of crime. |
| YCDC aims to wean off ground- water Posted: 13 Oct 2016 11:14 PM PDT Yangon City Development Committee hopes to cut its reliance on groundwater by 2025, Water and Sanitation Department deputy head U Myo Thein told The Myanmar Times. |
| Ministry pushes to reduce chemical use in crops Posted: 13 Oct 2016 11:13 PM PDT In a move toward the eventual introduction of organic agriculture and away from the overuse of harmful chemicals, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation is taking steps to protect rice and other crops meant for domestic consumption and export from hazardous chemicals. |
| Jade curse tests post-sanctions Myanmar Posted: 13 Oct 2016 11:09 PM PDT
A well-managed extractive industries sector would attract responsible domestic and overseas investors who employed well-paid workers protected by robust safety standards, producing rare and valued assets that would help fill the nation's tax coffers and pay for its public services. |
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Shan Herald Agency for News |
| Commentary on UNFC to Meet Govt in Naypyidaw on Saturday Posted: 14 Oct 2016 01:23 AM PDT  For the UNFC, while it is correct to be still involve in the negotiation process, it has to also draw a line and consolidate its political positions. As Nai Han Tha spelled out, the UNFC would need to strive for a tripartite dialogue or equitable participation, all-inclusiveness of all armed groups and most of all, the unilateral or bilateral nationwide ceasefire has to be in place. And to do this, the Burma Army must be accommodating and not just looking at a short term territorial gain and clean itself from "self-employed national savior or protector." The Burma Army insistence that protection of the country's "sovereignty" and "national unity" to be its sole responsibility is a twisted logic. Because if the ethnic resistance groups would agree with the Burma Army notion, they won't have to fight for a shared-sovereignty, which in the first place is all about going to war to realize their political conviction and aspirations that they consider to have a fair say and cut, which have been robbed by the Burma Army from them. As for the national unity, the ethnic nationalities think that they are still in the making, perhaps through this ongoing peace process, as there is still no agreed common national identity as yet. If said two conditions of unilateral or bilateral ceasefire and Burma Army cleans itself from self-employed national savior rhetoric are met, the peace process could at least go ahead. Otherwise, the talking and fighting vicious circle will only continue, at the expense of the continued people's sufferings. It is as simple as that. Link to the article: UNFC to Meet Govt in Naypyidaw on Saturday |
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Ye Ni: Welcome to Dateline Irrawaddy. This week, we'll discuss the resurgence of gunfire and the future of 21st Century Panglong Conference. Ethnic affairs analyst U Maung Maung Soe, and U Aung Thu Nyein from Institute for Strategy and Policy Myanmar will join me for the discussion. I'm Irrawaddy Burmese editor Ye Ni.
