Friday, May 19, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Yuzana Reps and Farmers Clash in Kachin State

Posted: 19 May 2017 08:57 AM PDT

Tension over contested land led to a confrontation between members of Yuzana Company Ltd and local farmers in a Kachin State village on May 17.

The village in question, Nawngme, is in the Hukawng Valley in Hpakant Township.

Locals told The Irrawaddy that around 60 people representing Yuzana came to the area with knives and sticks, telling 10 farmers: "We will take back our place. You need to go away from here." The farmers then reportedly called for assistance from other locals, and the confrontation eventually de-escalated.

One local man had a small wound on his neck, after a man allegedly affiliated with Yuzana put a knife to his throat and threatened to cut him, said land rights activist Sai Awng from Mungchying Rawt Jat (MRJ).

"We did not dare to respond to anything when they first came. But, when more and more of our farmers came to join, then they dared to fight us," he said.

U Ye Myint, a manager from Yuzana, said that members of his company had gone to plough the land but that it was they who had been attacked by local farmers.

"They brought other farmers from Nawngme and Nanmati. They confronted us, to attack us," he said.

The village head from Nawngme, the township authorities from Hpakant, and the Karmine police reportedly called U Ye Myint, asking him to resolve the dispute through the law, and to halt cultivation of the land in the meantime; he said he had complied.

Yuzana—which is involved in many industries, including agriculture, construction, and hospitality—now claims ownership of large amounts of forested land in Kachin State, where people have complained that up to 8,000 acres of land has been confiscated by the company.

The land was reportedly taken by Yuzana in 2007. Since last year, around 100 families have returned to 1,000 acres of the land to grow food, according to U Brang Seng, a local farmer from Nawngme.

The company did not complain after their return in 2016, but has reportedly began to grow hostile.

U Ye Myint said that an increasing number of farmers from Myitkyina and Nanmati townships have come to occupy land near the Yuzana compound since last year. But, even though the company has sent a letter of complaint, the regional government has not take action in response, he added.

When Yuzana got the land, U Ye Myint said that it "belonged to no one," and alleged that only after it had been cleared did locals claim it.

Both Yuzana and local farmers say that they have official documentation demonstrating that they own the land in question.

The post Yuzana Reps and Farmers Clash in Kachin State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

NLD Patron U Tin Oo Suffers Stroke, Remains in Critical Condition

Posted: 19 May 2017 07:32 AM PDT

RANGOON — National League for Democracy (NLD) patron U Tin Oo is receiving medical treatment at the intensive care unit in Rangoon General Hospital after falling in his bathroom and suffering a stroke, although his condition is improving, according to doctors at the hospital.

"His right side is paralyzed because of the stroke," said Dr. Win Min Thit, head of the hospital's neurological department, on Friday. "He still can't speak. But his left side can move well. We have to wait and see because his condition may change within a week."

The 91-year-old politician slipped in his bathroom on Wednesday evening and was rushed to Shwe Gon Dine Hospital before being transferred to Rangoon General Hospital at around 3 a.m. on Thursday.

He developed a small blood clot in one of the three cerebral arteries, which does not require an operation, said Dr. Myat Thu of the neurological department. According to the doctors, he has abnormally high blood pressure and a heart condition, but he did not break any bones in the fall.

The hospital formed a committee of medical experts led by its superintendent Dr. Aye Ko Ko to treat U Tin Oo in the intensive care unit, where he will remain for at least three weeks.

"His condition has improved compared to yesterday," said U Aye Ko Ko.

U Tin Oo served as the Burma Army's commander-in-chief and defense minister from 1974-1976. He was imprisoned for alleged involvement in an attempted coup in July 1976, and released in 1980 during an amnesty. Eight years later he co-founded the NLD, becoming its vice-chairman and chairman.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post NLD Patron U Tin Oo Suffers Stroke, Remains in Critical Condition appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Court Rejects New Arrest Warrant in U Ko Ni Murder Trial

Posted: 19 May 2017 07:24 AM PDT

RANGOON — The Rangoon Division High Court rejected a petition from a lawyer in the U Ko Ni murder trial requesting a new arrest warrant be issued in Naypyidaw for fugitive Aung Win Khaing on Friday.

Lawyer U Nay La—representing the family of the National League for Democracy's (NLD) assassinated legal adviser U Ko Ni—presented the criminal revision to the divisional court on April 28.

Aung Win Khaing is suspected of involvement in the murder but remains at large. He was last seen in Naypyidaw, according to CCTV footage.

Prominent Muslim lawyer U Ko Ni was shot by gunman Kyi Lin outside Yangon International Airport on the afternoon of Jan. 29. Police have put forward four suspects: gunman Kyi Lin, and alleged co-conspirators Zeya Phyo, Aung Win Zaw and Aung Win Tun.

Lawyer U Nay La initially requested that the northern district court issue the warrant in Naypyidaw in March, but the court ruled against the move.

Last month at the divisional court, he claimed that the district court has been handling the case "carelessly" and is "weak" in examining the case surrounding the fugitive in accordance with designated procedures.

"We still don't know the reason why the court rejected our request to issue a new arrest warrant," U Nay La told the media after the Friday's court hearing at the divisional court.

"There are different legal perspectives between our side and the court," he said. "We will consult with our legal team for the next move."

The next court hearing will be held at the northern district court on May 26.

According to U Nay La, a police order dated Feb. 15 calling for the arrest of Aung Win Khaing was sent to only six of the force's stations—in Dawbon, Thaketa, Bahan, Mingaladon, Gyobingauk, and Meiktila townships.

The first warrant issued by the district court on Mar. 3—before the trial—only covered Aung Win Khaing's home address in Rangoon's Dawbon Township.

He said that an arrest warrant that only allows for a fugitive to be apprehended at his permanent address is unfitting for the situation.

Referring to the police reports, he said that Aung Win Khaing had not passed through the country's border gates since the assassination and that a new arrest warrant covering where the fugitive was last seen should be issued.

Shooter Kyi Lin and three alleged co-perpetrators—Aung Win Zaw, Aung Win Khaing and Zeya Phyo—are being charged under Article 302 of Burma's Penal Code for murder.

Zeya Phyo, a former military intelligence officer, is also charged under Article 67 of the Telecommunications Law for the possession of restricted telecommunications equipment and Article 468 of the Penal Code for the forgery of national identity cards.

Two of the suspects—gunman Kyi Lin and alleged co-conspirator Aung Win Zaw—are being charged under Article 19(d) and (f) of the country's 1878 Arms Act for illegal arms possession and transportation, in addition to the murder charge.

The post Court Rejects New Arrest Warrant in U Ko Ni Murder Trial appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

KIA Reports Clashes with Burma Army

Posted: 19 May 2017 05:49 AM PDT

Kachin Independence Army (KIA) troops clashed with the Burma Army in Hpakant Township of Kachin State, according to Lt-Col Tang Seng of KIA Battalion 6.

"We are closely watching the [Burma Army] troops after they entered areas under our control," he told The Irrawaddy on Friday. "We have had only small clashes so far, but we are expecting a big fight."

He estimated that at least five battalions from the Burma Army, also known as the Tatmadaw, entered KIA-controlled areas.

"We did not negotiate with them, they would not accept that even if we tried, as we have no ceasefire agreement," he said.

The KIA's bilateral ceasefire with the government broke down in 2011.

The Irrawaddy was unable to reach the Burma Army or speak to people on the ground to confirm the KIA's reports.

Clashes between the KIA and the Tatmadaw had simmered down after government troops launched a large-scale offensive in December last year and seized the strategically important KIA base Gideon and two other mountain posts.

The National League for Democracy-led government will hold the second round of its Union Peace Conference, also known as the 21st Century Panglong peace conference, next week.

Although State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said that all ethnic armed groups would be invited attend, it is unclear in what capacity.

The KIA had previously suggested that if the organization was invited as an "observer" to the peace conference it would not attend.

The post KIA Reports Clashes with Burma Army appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ministry Apologizes After Posting Burma Army Chief Photo Alongside Elephant Story

Posted: 19 May 2017 05:43 AM PDT

RANGOON — The official Facebook page for Burma's Ministry of Information (MOI) has apologized to the army's Commander-in-Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing after posting his picture alongside a story about a wounded elephant on Thursday morning.

The photo showed Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing and the Philippines' armed forces chief Gen Eduardo Ano at the ASEAN Chiefs of Defense Forces Informal Meeting (ACDFIM) in Manila, with an article titled 'A Wounded Wild Elephant was Found and Treated.'

In the story, the forestry department and police found a wounded elephant in the forest near a village in Thabeikkyin Township of Pyin Oo Lwin, Mandalay Division. The team treated the elephant's injuries, including a wound from a poisoned arrow, and returned the animal to the forest.

The unfortunate juxtaposition was shared by social media users and prompted the MOI to apologize that night. Its website and newspapers released the correct pictures for both stories.

"We mistakenly published the commander-in-chief of the military's photo in the news titled 'A Wounded Wild Elephant was Found and Treated' around 8 a.m. on May 18 on the MOI Webportal Myanmar Facebook page. We seriously apologize to the commander-in-chief for the mistake," the apology read.

On May 11, the Facebook page published a photo-shopped photograph of US President Donald Trump holding an executive order imprinted with the words 'James Comey You're Fired!'

The post Ministry Apologizes After Posting Burma Army Chief Photo Alongside Elephant Story appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Nationalists Prepare for Protest Against Religious Affairs Minister

Posted: 19 May 2017 05:29 AM PDT

MANDALAY — Nationalists claiming Burma's government is failing to support Buddhism began traveling to the country's capital of Naypyidaw on Friday to voice their anger against the religious minister.

Organizers said about 30,000 people, including monks and nationalists from Mandalay, Rangoon, and Irrawaddy divisions, will join the protest on Shwe Nantha field in Ottara Thiri Township against the Union Minister for Religious Affairs and Culture, U Aung Ko.

Naypyidaw's general administration office stated, however, that the organizers have requested a protest of up to 15,000, and the authorities have allowed only 300.

"Buddhism is the major religion of the country and the religious affairs ministry must protect, support and encourage the Sasana [Buddhist mission]. It was clearly stated in the Constitution," said U Eain Daw Bar Tha, one of the leaders of the Nationalist Buddhist Monks Organization in Mandalay.

"However, Thura U Aung Ko fails to do this and repeatedly upsets the Buddhists of the country. That's why we're going to express our dislike of the minister," he added.

The monk cited Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's speech marking the one-year anniversary of the National League for Democracy (NLD) government in which she said the party would be "ready to step aside" if people are dissatisfied with the leadership.

"We believe the government will keep their promises after seeing our objection to Thura U Aung Ko," said U Eain Daw Bar Tha. "After the protest, we will wait and see the government's reaction. It is too early to say what we will do next."

U Aye Thaung, officer of Ottara district, told The Irrawaddy that local authorities would take legal action against the organizers if the protest exceeded more than 300 people.

'The local authorities will stop them in accordance with the Peaceful Assembly Act if they do not follow the permitted numbers," said the officer.

The planned protest follows an arrest warrant for seven nationalists and Buddhist monks last week who were involved in a recent confrontation between Buddhists and Muslims in Rangoon's Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township. They have been charged with incitement to commit violence.

The post Nationalists Prepare for Protest Against Religious Affairs Minister appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Mandalay Division Govt Takes Tough Line on Illegal Logging

Posted: 19 May 2017 04:20 AM PDT

MANDALAY — Mandalay Division government will crack down on illegal logging in the area, said division minister for planning and finance U Myat Thu.

The divisional government is planning to punish smugglers under the Public Property Protection Law and the Public Utilities Protection Law, both enacted in 1947, rather than the Forest Law, as is the current case.

The divisional government had not been able to effectively punish smugglers of smaller quantities of logs and looked at other ways to fight smugglers, said minister U Myat Thu.

"Previously, if we seized less than one ton of logs, we had to hand over the case to the Forestry Department," explained the minister. "According to the law, smugglers could pay a fine and the logs were returned—some smugglers even handed themselves in to authorities to legitimize the logs."

Under the new punishment system, the divisional government will levy penalties according to type and amount of timber seized.

It will charge culprits under the 1992 Forest Law for seizures of up to one ton of teak, or up to three tons of other hardwood. Under the Forest Law, the penalty is a fine of 10,000 kyats plus double the value of seized timber. The timber will also be confiscated.

The government will charge under the Public Property Protection Law for seizure of between one to three tons of teak, or between three and five tons of other hardwood.

It will charge under Public Utilities Protection Law for seizure of above three tons of teak, and above five tons of other hardwood.

Both Public Property Protection Law and Public Utilities Protection Law grant no bail and prescribe sentences of up to seven years in prison.

The divisional government announced the laws under which actions are to be taken against illegal logging on April 24, and informed the Mandalay Division Advocate-General Office, and the division's police force, forestry department, parliament, security and border affairs ministry and general administration departments.

Police Col Tin Zaw Htun of Mandalay Division said: "Under the new system, those who smuggle in large quantities will get harsher penalties—this will effectively deter them."

Smuggled timber, mainly teak, tamalan and padauk, are mostly seized at three checkpoints in Mandalay Division—16th Mile, Shwekyin and New Sagaing Bridge—as they are smuggled to China through Mandalay, according to Mandalay Division government.

Union minister for Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation U Ohn Win said at the Union Parliament in March that the government seized over 40,000 tons of smuggled timber and took actions against over 7,000 smugglers including 11 foreigners in the 2016-17 fiscal year.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko

The post Mandalay Division Govt Takes Tough Line on Illegal Logging appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

World Bank Arm Considering Support for Businessman Linked to Blacklisted Bank

Posted: 19 May 2017 03:54 AM PDT

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private-sector lending arm of the World Bank, is considering providing funding for a cement factory project in Mandalay Division’s Thazi District led by a division of the Shwe Taung Group, a conglomerate whose majority stake is held by the family of the company’s chairman, Aik Htun.

The US government previously alleged that Aik Htun had "connections with the narcotics trade" while running a now-defunct bank more than a decade ago that was also alleged to be involved in money laundering. These accusations were dismissed by the Sino-Burmese entrepreneur as falsehoods driven by petty jealousy.

The IFC posted details of its proposed involvement in the cement project last month on its website in line with the Washington-based group's disclosure policy. The IFC plans to invest up to US$15 million in the project and provide a loan of up to US$20 million; the project’s total cost is estimated to be US$110 million.

According to details disclosed by the IFC, the project—if it goes ahead—will involve the expansion of an existing cement factory run by Shwe Taung Cement in Pyi Nyaung Village. In addition to expanding the factory’s cement production capacity, it will also involve the construction of a Waste Heat Recovery System (WHRS) and an "improvement in emission control systems." The IFC will be playing a key role in supporting the project. In addition to providing the aforementioned funding, the IFC says it is also looking to "mobilize up to US$20 million through syndication of Parallel Loans and up to US$20 million investment in common equity from IFC AMC Emerging Asia Fund (EAF)."

The Shwe Taung Cement group also operates an open pit coal mine in Sagaing Division that exclusively supplies the factory. According to the IFC's outline of the project review, mining operations at this site will more than double from current levels of 60,000 tons of coal mined per year to an estimated 150,000 tons of coal per year. The IFC summary of the project acknowledged that a visit to the coal mining site by the IFC team in September 2016 during the project review process was not possible due "to access constraints" associated with the rainy season. The mine is some 4.6 km west of the Maharmyaing Wildlife Sanctuary, described by the IFC as an important bird area.

A native of Shan State, Aik Htun was a co-founder of the Asia Wealth Bank, of which he served as vice chairman. The bank was targeted for sanctions in Nov. 2003 by the Bush Administration who labeled it a "Financial Institutions of Primary Money Laundering Concern" using a provision granted under the 2001 Patriot Act. A summary in the US Federal Register accompanying the announcement of the proposed action against the bank described Aik Htun as having been "specifically identified as having connections with Burma's narcotics trade." The announcement also claimed that the bank was "affiliated with prominent organizations and figures in the drug trade, including members of the Kokang ethnic group headed by notorious drug lord Peng Chia-Sheng." The latter is a reference to former the Burmese Communist Party rebel commander and long-time leader of the MNDAA Peng Jiasheng, who at the time was on good terms with the Burmese military regime.

A follow-up announcement issued in March 2004 announcing that the sanctions had been put into effect, declared that both the Asian Wealth Bank and Myanmar Mayflower Bank, another Burmese bank targeted by the US Treasury Department, were being used by their owners to launder the proceeds of drug trafficking. "Individuals owning and controlling both banks are linked to drug trafficking and money laundering, including using the banks for such purposes."

In less than a decade since its founding in 1995, AWB had become Burma's largest bank. A financial crisis in the country's banking industry that culminated in a massive run on the bank in early 2003 untimely led to the demise of AWB, which eventually had its license withdrawn by government authorities in 2005. A move that the State Department described as being done in response to information passed on by the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the Australian Federal Police (AFP).

According to a New York Times article from 2015, "After the United States imposed sanctions on Asia Wealth Bank and the Burmese authorities withdrew its license, Mr. Aik Htun changed the name of his corporate holdings, which were part of the same group as Asia Wealth Bank, to the Shwe Taung Group."

Despite the obvious commercial setback associated with the fall out from AWB, Aik Htun's other business interests in construction and real estate, including such high-profile projects as the building and operating of several malls including Rangoon’s Junction Square, appeared to do very well in the years that followed the bank’s demise.

A US diplomatic cable disclosed by Wikileaks, penned following a meeting between the businessman and diplomats in 2007 when Burma was still ruled by a military regime noted that "Aik Htun enjoys the regime’s confidence, and benefits handsomely from its business." The cable went on to note Aik Htun's annoyance at being subject to US restrictions on visa issuance before adding that "he seeks every opportunity to profess his innocence to Embassy employees."

Aik Htun has also on at least one occasion publicly denied the claims about him and his now defunct bank, chalking up the allegations to rumor mongering by those envious of his success. "In Myanmar at that time the government was not transparent. There were so many rumors; [there was] so much jealousy," he told the Financial Times in Nov. 2015.

Although he was previously on the European Union sanctions list, Aik Htun was noticeably absent from the US government's Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, which was expanded to include the names of prominent Burmese businessman in 2008, several years after his bank had already become defunct. An attempt by the Washington-based campaign group US Campaign for Burma to have Aik Htun and his son, Aung Zaw Naing, who serves as CEO for the Shwe Taung Group, added to the SDN list in 2011 was unsuccessful.

Aik Htun has claimed to have come from modest origins and through hard work has become the successful businessman that he is today, a narrative that has been called into question by some, including Australian economist Sean Turnell in his book on Burma’s banking crisis Fiery Dragons. According to Turnell, "Aik Htun maintained an elaborately constructed public image that belied the stories of his links to narcotics, and in numerous public appearances and press profiles, he affected a 'rags to riches' story that chronicled his rise from being the son of a small farmer from Mong Kung in Shan State. The narrative even included the vignette that he "walked two miles to school each day, after which he completed his chores on the farm."

While it remains to be seen if the IFC's board of directors will give the green light to Shwe Taung's cement project at their meeting next month, the IFC's involvement with Shwe Taung, is in many ways a test case for possible future involvement with other firms and individuals who were previously targeted by the US government for alleged connections to previous military regime and the drug trade, such as Asia World.

The IFC, whose primary focus is giving financial assistance and other support to businesses that invest in developing countries was, along with its parent the World Bank, largely absent from Burma until the lifting of most sanctions in 2012. Since the sanctions were lifted, the IFC has become involved in a number of Burmese projects including backing the expansion of Rangoon's Shangri La hotel and a high-end apartment complex also operated by Shangri La, a firm controlled by Malaysian billionaire Robert Kuok.

The IFC is also currently assisting Burma's government to

carry out a Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Hydropower Sector, an effort criticized by environmentalists in Kachin State opposed to further dam projects.

The IFC has also come under heavy criticism for its connection to a controversial coal mining project in Tenasserim Division, near the Thai border, that is run by a Thai mining firm whose bank shareholders the IFC has equity investments in.

The post World Bank Arm Considering Support for Businessman Linked to Blacklisted Bank appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Report: Burma Rapidly Losing Forest Cover

Posted: 19 May 2017 03:05 AM PDT

RANGOON — Satellite imagery indicates that intact forest cover in Burma has declined rapidly over the last decade, according to a study.

A countrywide analysis of Landsat data for the period 1990–2000 showed that Burma had retained much of its original forest cover during that time, stretching across 65 percent of the country's land.

More than a decade later in 2014, more than 63 percent of Burma remained forested, but intact forest had declined by 11 percent, or by more than 2 million hectares, with an annual loss of 0.94 percent.

The total intact forest, which is vital for biodiversity and conservation, was just 38 percent in 2014, according to the study in the journal PLOS ONE.

The reduction of armed conflict in some areas and the expansion of commercial agriculture, including plantations, were identified as key contributing factors to forest loss.

The report identifies nine township "hotspots" of deforestation.

The areas around Homalin Township in Sagaing Division, Bokpyin Township in Tenasserim Division and Hpakant Township in Kachin State lost the most intact forest between 2002 and 2014. Other areas most affected included land around Myitkyina and Tanai townships in Kachin State and mangrove forests in the Irrawaddy Delta.

The authors found a large area of some 6.3 million hectares of intact forest in northern Burma. The Southern Forest Complex in Tenasserim still jointly covers around 1.7 million hectares of intact forest, the study found.

Burma is "at a crossroads," according to the authors. "Protection of remaining intact forests, and restoration of degraded forest are critical to ensuring the long-term future of the country's forests," they said.

The post Report: Burma Rapidly Losing Forest Cover appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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National News

National News

73 Myanmar deaths in Malaysian custody: Media

Posted: 18 May 2017 02:09 PM PDT

More than half of the foreigners who died at Malaysian immigration detention camps over the past two years are Myanmar citizens, according to a report by the Malaysian National Human Rights Commission Human Rights, Suhakam, the Malay acronym.

Elderly social pension for 2017/18 to be allocated in June

Posted: 18 May 2017 02:01 PM PDT

The government has allocated a budget of K420 million for social pensions for the elderly for the 2017-2018 fiscal year budget. The cash will be handed out to senior citizens within the last two weeks of June, according to the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement.

Myanmar included in assessment on emergency disaster response

Posted: 18 May 2017 01:56 PM PDT

A baseline assessment on emergency disaster response will be done by Asia Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) in six countries, including Myanmar, in the last week of May and lasting for about a month.

City hall officials face suit for canceling event

Posted: 18 May 2017 01:53 PM PDT

Farmers from the Mandalay Region's Pyin Oo Lwin township said they will sue the township development committee for failing to host an event at City Hall despite being paid rent for the premises.

Myanmar Liver Foundation to be formed

Posted: 18 May 2017 01:50 PM PDT

The Myanmar Liver Foundation will be formed in Mandalay city to help patients with liver diseases.

Myanmar needs to change with the times: Speaker

Posted: 18 May 2017 01:47 PM PDT

Myanmar's national interests are now its main priority as policies and processes are transforming the nation in the context of international changes.

350 garment workers go on strike

Posted: 18 May 2017 01:45 PM PDT

Over 350 garment workers from the Join-Profit garment factory Industrial Zone (3) of Hlaing Tharyar, launched a strike on May 17, asking for labour rights as factory officials had committed violations, say strike workers.

NLD patron in critical condition

Posted: 18 May 2017 01:35 PM PDT

NLD  patron U Tin Oo has been hospitalised since May 17 after slipping in the bathroom of his house. He is currently in critical condition at the Intensive Care Unit of Yangon General Hospital.

Why the five ethnic armed organisations should sign NCA

Posted: 18 May 2017 01:30 PM PDT

The meeting between the government and five non-signatory ethnic armed groups in Chiang Mai, Thailand on April 28 was a big disappointment after it failed to secure promises from the EAOs that they would sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement.

Chinese war ships weigh anchor at Yangon

Posted: 18 May 2017 01:11 PM PDT

A Chinese destroyer and frigate have docked in Yangon, and will stay for four days, in a show of diplomatic goodwill between Myanmar and China.
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Thursday, May 18, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Election Commission: NLD Did Not Violate Regulations in By-Election

Posted: 18 May 2017 07:38 AM PDT

RANGOON – The Union Election Commission (UEC) announced in a statement on Thursday that they would not take action against the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party, after 13 rival political parties accused the NLD of violating election rules and regulations during Burma's by-elections in April.

NLD chairperson and State Counselor Daw Aung San Su Kyi, NLD patron U Tin Oo and central committee member U Win Htein addressed the country in a televised speech on April 1, the day of the by-elections. Members of 13 other political parties pointed out that the NLD leadership referenced their party's new campaign slogan, "Together With the People," during the speech, thereby breaching UEC rules.

In Thursday's statement, the UEC said that, according to their assessment, the NLD party leaders had not reached beyond the code of conduct, as the speeches mainly served to explain government activities to the public.

"Hence, the UEC announces, no action will be taken [against the NLD] regarding the complaint letters," the statement read.

Dr. Nanda Hla Myint, a spokesperson for the Union Solidarity and Development Party—which had initially complained to the UEC—told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that the electoral commission's decision was "unfair" and criticized the UEC's statement as being too broad.

He added that the parties in question had presented the complaint in accordance with party registration law, electoral law and laws laid out in the Constitution.

"We will consult with others to continue the objections, but I can't provide details right now as I am not a professional lawyer," said Dr. Nanda Hla Myint.

The NLD's by-election campaign slogan was made official after it was posted on the official Facebook page of the State Counselor's Office on March 30.

The post Election Commission: NLD Did Not Violate Regulations in By-Election appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

ANP Chairman: NLD Should Build Trust With Military, Amend the Constitution

Posted: 18 May 2017 05:43 AM PDT

NAYPYIDAW — Arakan National Party (ANP) chairman Dr. Aye Maung has urged the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) to build trust with the Burma Army, with an eye to amending the military-drafted 2008 Constitution through Parliament.

"Wouldn't a constitutional amendment benefit the peace process? If the NLD thinks so, there must be a channel to amend the Constitution—and that would be amending it in Parliament," U Aye Maung, who is also the lawmaker for Ann Township, told reporters in Naypyidaw.

While in opposition, the NLD held nationwide campaigns with the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society to amend Section 436, which restricts further amendments to the Constitution.

The section requires that at least 75 percent of lawmakers approve proposed amendments to much of the Constitution, a difficult feat in a Parliament that guarantees 25 percent of seats to the military.

"Constitutional amendments will mean a positive turn in civil-military relations. There must be negotiations and compromises between the forces," said U Aye Maung.

"The Parliament under the previous government had tried to amend it but it didn't happen. Shouldn't the current Parliament give it a try?" he added, referring to parliamentary votes proposed by an NLD lawmaker in June 2015.

The votes posited to trim the share of ballots required to amend the Constitution to 70 percent and amend a constitutional clause that bars anyone whose spouse or children are from foreign countries from becoming president or vice president. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's late husband and two sons are British citizens. Both votes were rejected.

U Aye Maung said the Constitution cannot guarantee self-determination and equality for Burma's ethnicities.

"We have to try to amend the 2008 Constitution if we want to establish a genuine Union," he said.

"Our party has a policy to try to amend the Constitution within the legal framework within five years," Dr. Soe Win Oo, vice chairman of the NLD Rangoon Division chapter, told The Irrawaddy. "Given the situation of the country, we have to take careful steps, taking everything into account."

NLD chairperson and State Counselor. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, has also suggested amending the Constitution within the legal framework in a way that least impacts "national reconciliation."

The country has had three Constitutions: the first was drafted in 1947 and used from Burma's independence in 1948 to 1962, when the regime under dictator Ne Win suspended it.

Ne Win became president at the time the second Constitution was introduced in 1974. The military-based State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) suspended the 1974 Constitution in 1988 and Burma remained without a Constitution until 2008. The 2008 Constitution has been widely criticized for being undemocratic.

Lower House speaker U Win Myint told reporters last year that the Constitution could be amended only after peace is achieved in the country.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post ANP Chairman: NLD Should Build Trust With Military, Amend the Constitution appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Northern Alliance Plans to Send Committee to Panglong

Posted: 18 May 2017 05:34 AM PDT

RANGOON — The Northern Alliance urged that all ethnic armed groups and political parties be invited to attend the upcoming 21st Century Panglong conference without restriction, in a statement issued by the group.

The statement added that it would send a committee—known as the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee—to the peace conference if other groups were not left out.

Northern Alliance members—the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Arakan Army (AA), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA)—recently met with the United Wa State Army (UWSA), Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) and National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA) in Panghsang, the capital of the Wa Self-Administered Zone.

Representatives from each group agreed that if the government did not invite all of the groups, then none of them would attend.

The groups also asked the Burma Army to cease offensives in ethnic areas and to meet with their committee soon.

Sources from the government's Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC) said Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) non-signatories would be invited to join the Panglong conference as observers, and only after they signed a deed of commitment (DoC). Under this status, they would be unable to participate in discussions during the conference.

The Northern Alliance statement did not comment on whether it would join if it were invited under observer status.

Brig-Gen Tar Phone Kyaw, General Secretary of the TNLA and a member of the Northern Alliance, told The Irrawaddy: "If we do not have equal rights, we [the TNLA] will not attend."

"If Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's government and the Tatmadaw [Burma Army] want peace in the country, they should have courage and let all ethnic armed groups attend the conference. There should be no restrictions. Otherwise, it will be difficult to build a Union," he said.

The post Northern Alliance Plans to Send Committee to Panglong appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Family of Three Dies After Eating Toxic Puffer Fish in Arakan State

Posted: 18 May 2017 05:28 AM PDT

RANGOON – A family from southern Arakan State's Gwa Township died after eating a lunch of puffer fish curry late Wednesday morning, according to local police.

The puffer fish is recognized as a potentially toxic delicacy among Gwa residents, but some consume the tender flesh by removing the thorny skin, as well as the stomach, intestines and liver. These parts contain tetrodotoxin, a neurotoxin that causes rapid paralysis, leading to respiratory failure.

A Gwa police officer said that fisherman Ko Toe Myint Swe, of Shweya Chai village in Ma Kyi Ngu village tract, brought home a puffer fish and cooked it without properly removing the intestines or liver.

The police official said Ko Toe Myint Swe, his wife Ma Nwe Nwe Hlaing and six-year-old daughter Ma Lin Latt Wai were unconscious within moments of having lunch.

Locals transported the victims to Gwa hospital, arriving at around 11:30 a.m.

"As the patients reached the hospital, Ko Toe Myint Swe died within a couple of minutes. Then, his daughter passed away. Ma Nwe Nwe Hlaing was able to explain the troubles to doctors for a few minutes and then her soul left her body," the police said.

A local free funeral service volunteer Ko Kyaw Myint Maung, who helped bring the victims to Gwa general hospital on Wednesday, said that villagers from the region typically know that the bile in the gallbladder of the puffer fish can be life threatening, and noted that hunters use it as poison to kill wild animals.

"Every fisherman knows that eating meat of the blowfish is okay, but having the liver and intestines can be life threatening," Ko Kyaw Myint Maung said, speculating that the victims may not have fully removed the bile.

Police said that the medical report listed the cause of death as food poisoning. The Irrawaddy was not able to obtain comments from Gwa general hospital at the time of reporting on Thursday.

The post Family of Three Dies After Eating Toxic Puffer Fish in Arakan State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Govt Details $460 Million Plan to Combat HIV/AIDS

Posted: 18 May 2017 04:21 AM PDT

RANGOON — The Union minister for Health and Sports Dr. Myint Htwe announced details of a US$460 million plan to combat HIV/AIDS in Burma at an event in Naypyidaw on Wednesday.

The Burmese government will contribute 18 percent of the budget with the rest funded by international organizations and NGOs—including the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Three Millennium Development Goals Fund, and UN agencies, according to the Myanmar National Strategic Plan on HIV/AIDS (2016-2020).

Savings of $100 million compared to the previous five-year plan were outlined by a stringent review of costs, with a reduced number of organizations and agencies implementing services to reduce overheads—a crucial move as global funding to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Burma wanes.

According to the Myanmar Medical Association, there are around 200,000 people living with HIV in Burma, with an estimated 115,000 receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART).

The plan commits Burma to achieving UNAIDS' "five 90s" by 2020: 90 percent of priority populations having access to HIV combination prevention services, 90 percent of people living with HIV knowing their status, 90 percent of people living with HIV and knowing their status receiving treatment and having repressed viral loads, and 90 percent of people affected by HIV reporting no discrimination.

The plan promises further decentralization of HIV/AIDS treatment away from major cities—a process which began in 2013 and has expanded to 140 townships—as well as a shift as to who provides treatment, from NGOs to government hospitals and clinics.

Independent consultant on HIV Dr. Jamie Uhrig, who has worked in Burma, said transferring care for patients who previously received HIV treatment from nongovernmental organizations to government facilities was a "major undertaking."

"Global Fund financial resources for HIV treatment have been limited so there is a risk of a return to longer waiting periods before people living with HIV can start treatment," he told The Irrawaddy.

UNAIDS Country Director for Myanmar Mr. Eamonn Murphy noted that some NGOs would need to continue to provide treatment as the services are taken over by the government closer to 2020, but welcomed the plan for identifying and prioritizing the most effective ways of responding to the epidemic.

"It is a plan to be used, not to just [stay]sit on the shelf," he told The Irrawaddy on Thursday.

Mr. Murphy also praised geographic prioritization which categorizes townships based on HIV epidemic burden and risk of new infections and awards resources accordingly. The plan also allocates different approaches to reach different priority populations—including sex workers, men who have sex with men, and people who inject drugs—and improve their access to services.

The government's move to integrate prevention and treatment was a crucial step in ending the epidemic, he said, and applauded Dr. Myint Htwe's pledge to improve "health literacy" which will help to combat social stigma around HIV/AIDS.

Dr. Myint Htwe explained that "expanding health services for HIV/AIDS is good, but the real success is to bring down the number of new infections," and encouraged the prioritizing of an HIV awareness campaign, according to the health ministry's website.

Despite the government's commitment to HIV treatment, a black market for ART in Burma remains.

A doctor from Waibagi Communicable Disease Hospital in Rangoon's North Okkalapa Township who asked not to be named said: "Some HIV patients or those who work at organizations that supply ART sell it on the black market to HIV patients who are too afraid to take the medicine at hospitals."

The first five-year strategic plan was introduced in 2005 under Burma's military regime, and a second plan was finished in 2015. The National League for Democracy (NLD)-led government, after reviewing the new strategic plan, gave it the green light.

Since 2010, new infections in the country have fallen by 24 percent, and AIDS-related deaths have decreased by 40 percent, according to UNAIDS figures.

The post Govt Details $460 Million Plan to Combat HIV/AIDS appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Civil Society Forum Calls for End to Forced Conscription

Posted: 18 May 2017 02:49 AM PDT

RANGOON — The 16th session of the Civil Society Forum on Peace (CSFOP) has called for a countrywide halt to forced conscription.

Militia forces under the Burma Army and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) have been conscripting locals in Kachin and Shan states, according to the CSFOP, a quarterly gathering of more than 70 civil society organizations (CSOs) and networks, held at The Orchid Hotel in Rangoon on May 15-16.

U Tin Oo, a CSFOP delegate and secretary of the Shan State Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC-S), said: "All the armed groups in northern Shan State are recruiting the locals without their consent."

He said militia under the Burma Army based in the Kaung Kha area had been recruiting one person per household in the region's Kutkai Township.

U Tin Oo also urged both sides to deescalate military tensions and refrain from planting mines in places accessible to civilians.

Daw Esther of the CSFOP claimed militias under the Burma Army and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) were forcibility conscripting in Kachin State.

"There is always recruitment when clashes are fierce," said Mi Kun Chan Nom, a CSFOP delegate and spokesperson for Mon Women's Organization. "But we call for a stop to forced recruitment. We urge both sides not to conscript."

More than 170 locals fled their homes in Mawkmai Township, southern Shan State, for fear of conscription in the second week of May. According to the national ceasefire agreement, signatories are not allowed to recruit new members.

In an open letter of recommendations for the peace process, the CSFOP has asked the government, the Burma Army, and EAOs to stop conscription.

The letter urges the government to inform concerned signatories of the NCA two weeks in advance before holding national-level political dialogues in ethnic states so that they can properly prepare.

The letter also presses the government to clear mines, educate locals about the danger of mines, and not to block humanitarian aid for displaced people, but instead ensure aid for them in cooperation with CSOs.

It tells the government not to take action against CSOs under section 17(1) of the Unlawful Associations Act, introduced during the colonial era in 1908. Anyone who "aids and abets members of an unlawful association" can face two to three years in jail and a fine under the act. Most EAOs that have not signed the NCA are considered illegal organizations under the law.

In the letter, CSOs also urged the government to allow NCA non-signatories to participate in the discussion at the second round of the 21st Century Panglong peace conference, to begin on May 24.

Dated May 17, the letter was sent to State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma Army chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee chairman Saw Kwe Htoo Win, and the Delegation for Political Negotiation of the United Nationalities Federal Council leader Khu Oo Reh.

Launched in August 2012, the CSFOP is held to represent and address the needs of people in the country's peace process. In the 16th session of the CSFOP, 175 delegates were in attendance.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

 

The post Civil Society Forum Calls for End to Forced Conscription appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

KNPP: We Will Not Attend Panglong Peace Conference

Posted: 17 May 2017 09:30 PM PDT

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — The Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) confirmed it will not join the upcoming Union Peace Conference next week nor sign the government-proposed deed of commitment (DoC) at a central committee meeting on Wednesday.

Khu Plu Reh, a KNPP secretary and spokesperson, told The Irrawaddy the KNPP would not join the upcoming peace conference—also known as the 21st Panglong peace conference—if it was invited as an "observer."
It would not sign the DoC as that was a pledge to pursue the government's path of the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA), he said.

"We stick to the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC)'s eight points until they are negotiated," he said, as the UNFC's delegation for political negotiation has been in talks with the government's Peace Commission for them to sign the NCA if their proposed terms are agreed.

"The government obstinately moves forward with the NCA roadmap, but they do it without finishing one step before another," Khu Plu Reh added, referring to the fact that national level dialogues—ethnic stakeholder consultations that are a key step in signing the NCA—had not been conducted by all groups.

At the peace conference, which begins May 24, delegates would sign a Union accord on five key sectors, despite many groups not being represented, he said.

KNPP appointed new central committee members on Wednesday, including the vice chairman and secretariat team, from its leading 33 committee members elected at their 13th congress last week.

Khu Oo Reh, former vice chairman, was reappointed into the same position and Shwe Myo Thant, Khu Plu Reh and Khu Daniel were appointed as secretariats.

The New Mon State Party, also a UNFC member, said they would not attend the upcoming conference as an observer.

The KNPP representatives joined the first round of the peace conference in August and September 2016, together with its bloc the UNFC and shared their position with the conference.

The government said they would invite NCA non-signatory ethnic armed groups with delegate status if they agreed to sign the DoC.

Although the government's peace commission led by Dr. Tin Myo Win and the UNFC's delegation for political negotiation, led by Khu Oo Reh, agreed at their last meeting on April 28 that they would meet again prior to the second round of Panglong, the UNFC has reportedly been unavailable to meet.

The post KNPP: We Will Not Attend Panglong Peace Conference appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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National News

National News

Smoke-free zones to be designated in public areas

Posted: 17 May 2017 01:30 PM PDT

Public areas in cities across six regions and states will be designated smoke-free zones this year.

National-level certificates to be issued to skilled workers

Posted: 17 May 2017 01:27 PM PDT

As Myanmar progresses, the need for skilled workers in all sectors becomes critical for development and the Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population is taking steps to ensure that 5000 workers are issued with National-level certificates.

Illegal shops, drains cause of flooding

Posted: 17 May 2017 01:23 PM PDT

The Cleaning and Motor Transport departments under the Mandalay City Development Committee (MCDC) are taking proactive steps to prevent flooding during the rainy season.

Farmers to use better seed production technology

Posted: 17 May 2017 01:21 PM PDT

Good seed production technology will be taught to local farmers and families in Kayin State to boost paddy yield for agricultural development, according to Kayin State Department of Agriculture.

Spot checks by FDA to ensure safe products

Posted: 17 May 2017 01:17 PM PDT

The Department of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is making spot checks in the markets and retail shops around the Yangon Region to ensure products sold are safe and comply with regulations.

UPNC calls for talks with Govt

Posted: 17 May 2017 01:12 PM PDT

The newly formed Wa-led committee of Union Political Negotiation has called on the government and Tatmadaw to have talks before the upcoming second round of the 21st-Century Panglong Conference.

The Voice Daily chief editor, writer face defamation suit

Posted: 17 May 2017 01:05 PM PDT

A report under Section 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law has been filed by the military against the editor and writer of an article appearing in the The Voice Daily.

No plan for 6-day school week yet: MOE

Posted: 17 May 2017 12:50 PM PDT

The Ministry of Education has denied rumours that schools will have six-day week instead of the present five.

U Wirathu’s action does not damage our image: Ma Ba Tha

Posted: 17 May 2017 12:45 PM PDT

Controversial public Dhamma lectures by U Wirathu, a leading monk from the Association for Protection of Nationality and Religion (in Myanmar acronym, Ma Ba Tha) has had no impact on its image, Ma Ba Tha spokesperson Dr Ashin Thawparka said.
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Shan Herald Agency for News

Shan Herald Agency for News

Adopting ethnic state constitution and the issue of secession

Posted: 18 May 2017 12:08 AM PDT

Within these few days a lot of political maneuvering have been going on, like Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), Wa National Organization (WNO) resignation from United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC); Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), New Mon State Party (NMSP) and Arakan National Congress (ANC) confirmation to stick to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA)-based peace negotiation process, provided their nine-point alteration proposal of the NCA is accommodated; China's Special Envoy on Asian Affairs Sun Guoxiang meeting with the NCA-non-signatory five Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) in Kunming; Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing receiving a delegation led by Jonathan Powell from Inter Mediate group, who is said to be an adviser to State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi on peace process; and Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC) making public that the ethnic states and regions would now be able to individually draw their own constitution, which has to be in line with the 2008, Military or Tatmadaw-drafted constitution.

Out of all the issues, the UPDJC's decision that ethnic states being allowed to draft their constitutions is worth emphasizing, as the crux of the whole peace process dwells on the ability of whether or not a genuine federal union constitution is going to be formulated and agreed upon. In other words, the constitutional crisis that has plagued the country since independence from the British in 1948 would now be addressed, in a serious manner, which has been the cause of ongoing ethic conflict and shelved for more than five decades.

While the move is hailed by Zaw Htay, the director-general of the State Counselor's Office, including Hkun Okker of Pa-O National Liberation Organization (PNLO) and Kwe Htoo Win of Karen National Union (KNU), as a breakthrough, some are skeptical if this is going to be really beneficial to the ethnic states and their people.

"All are based on federal principles. It is an agreement that has never been made in our country. We will allow adoption of constitution in states and regions and all has agreed. That is why the forthcoming convention will be a historical milestone for Burma," said Zaw Htay, according to the recent Irrawaddy report.

However, a condition that the ethnic states would not seek to secede from  Burma was attached, which was said to be the guarantee the Military has asked for, in drafting the ethnic states constitutions. Furthermore, a federal right to adopt their own constitutions should not contradict the 2008, Military-drafted constitution, as it would take precedence in any possible disputes.

"Due to our [Burma's] geopolitical status, it is strategically imperative that we do not break into pieces," said Zaw Htay.  "We reached a consensus with ethnic delegations that they will be granted the right to draft their own constitutions, provided unity is maintained," according to the DVB report of May 15.

Some members of the tripartite UPDJC, that includes representatives of the government (including the Tatmadaw), political parties and eight signatory armed groups to the NCA, said the agreement to let the ethnic states adopt their own constitution is "extraordinary", and hoped that the conference which will commence on May 24 would produce good results, according to the Myanmar Times recent report.

But against such optimism, there were reservation from some quarters, involving experts and ethnic politicians.

Than Soe Naing, a political analyst, pointed out that in addition to granting states and regions a chance to draw their own charters, stakeholders should come up with a plan to make changes to the 2008 constitution, according to Myanmar Times.

"It seems that the Tatmadaw is changing its stance by allowing these matters to a certain extent. However, the truth is that the military wants the least amount of constitutional changes as possible. We cannot have a functional federalism unless we have effective power sharing. This is different from just letting the states or regions write their own charters," he said.

In the same vein, Sai Nyunt Lwin secretary general of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy said such an important agreement, which in effect would encompass the whole country, needs a wider range of participants.

"What if the other groups are not involved in UPDJC's meeting, like the non-signatory groups or those that have not yet held national-level dialogues, then it would be a problem at a later time," he said.

But a more precise argument comes from Twan Zaw joint-secretary general of the UNFC, in an interview with the Radio Free Asia on May 14.

Regarding the question on what he thought of the UPDJC's endorsement of the ethnic states adopting their own constitution, he said: "This opportunity to draft its own constitution would not make much of a difference. The main point is that if this country is to be built as a federal union, there has to be a federal constitution and the ethnic states would need to have constitutions that cater to it accordingly."

He said that the Military had maintained that its 2008 self-drawn constitution has federal characteristics, but everyone knows that it is not the case. And if the ethnic constitutions were to be drawn under this prevailing condition, it wouldn't make much difference.

"During Thein Sein's government tenure, there were well publicized claims that `federalism is being accepted´, but it still hasn't been turn into reality. Likewise, the allowance of `ethnic states adopting their own individual constitution´ would be just a meaningless thing on the paper, if real norms of federalism wouldn't be included and materialized," he said.

Concerning the non-secession demand of the Military, he said that it was like shadowy ghost haunting, as far as the Military is concerned.

The Military staged a coup in 1962 with the pretext that the ethnic nationalities' Federal Amendment proposal would tear the country apart and labeled that it would lead to disintegration. This wrong indoctrination is still very much alive and he said this false thinking need to be corrected, as federalism  depicted unity or fusion and not disintegration, adding secession issue didn't even need to be discussed.

However, Dr Tu Ja, a Kachin leader who took part in the recent UPDJC meeting seems to be quite optimistic, as he said that although under the 2008 constitution equal ethnic state constitutions would not be able to be drawn, according to the seven-stage peace road-map of NCA, the stage four, Union Peace Conference, could be used to amend the constitution.

"And if the stage five of "Union (Pyidaungsu) Accord" would take the form of federal, the 2008 constitution must be amended. After that a new federal constitution would have to be promulgated by the parliament," Tu Ja said, according to the Irrawaddy recent report.

To sum up, the move to let the ethnic states have their own constitution is, no doubt, a positive move. But as mentioned by observers and ethnic leaders, first of all the federal constitution at union level needs to be agreed upon, after which ethnic states' constitutions could be drafted, with proper power-sharing between federal and state governments.

Regarding the demand of the non-secession from the Military, it is better to be left untouched, as the ethnic nationalities' political-historical legacy of "1947 Panglong Agreement; 1948 Union of Burma Constitution; and 1961 Ethnic Federal Amendment Proposal" are all intertwined and cannot be separated or nullified. The first two are legal bonds between the Bamar State and the ethnic states, and the third one, the only legal approach that would have resolved the ethnic conflict in 1962.*

The termination of the parliamentary, national conference on Federal Amendment Proposal by the Military coup in 1962 has pushed us further into a more deeply divided society, which we are still witnessing after more than five decades.

Apart from the fact that the issue of secession is the sole responsibility of the individual ethnic people concerned, in short, securing non-secession promise or signature won't be doing the trick to live together, which the dominant ethnic group sees – in this case the Bamar majority - it as a lost of territory, but more sincerity and trust-building will definitely do.

As the late General Aung San said, "The right of secession must be given, but it is our duty to work and show (our sincerity) so that they don't wish to leave". It is Burma's, or shall we say the government and Tatmadaw,  responsibility to prove their sincerity so the states do not wish to secede.

*For detailed explanation on ethnic nationalities' historical-political legacies please read "Jump-starting the stalled peace process - Is Revitalization of the 1961 Federal Amendment Proposal the Way to Go?", in Transnational Institute.

Link: https://www.tni.org/en/article/jump-starting-the-stalled-peace-process
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