Wednesday, January 10, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Govt Hides Rohingya Landmine Incidents on Intl Stage, but Devices Continue to Be Used at Home 

Posted: 10 Jan 2018 07:09 AM PST

YANGON—Despite the Myanmar government's assurances to the international community that the country's military is forbidden to use landmines, a number of Rohingya people have been killed by mines produced by the Army in northern Rakhine State in recent months, according to a new report.

On Wednesday, Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan, Myanmar Research Coordinator for Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor, launched the group's 19th report at the Royal Rose restaurant in Yangon. The anti-personnel landmine watchdog compiled casualty figures from medical assistance groups and non-governmental organizations, as well as information obtained by its own local researcher during visits to refugee camps on the Bangladesh border.

A military crackdown against the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army in Maungdaw district in August 2017 caused around 660,000 Rohingya to flee to neighboring Bangladesh. Some of them walked into minefields while attempting to cross the border, according to the report.

Moser-Puangsuwan played video footage during his presentation showing what he said were Rohingya refugees using a shovel and bamboo sticks to unearth an M-14 landmine. This anti-personnel weapon is produced by the Army at the Kapasa factory, a state-owned enterprise based in Ngyaung Chay Dauk in western Bago Division. He was unable to provide a precise estimate of Rohingya casualties.

"You can see that one person is taking away the mine with a shovel, and eventually a person picks it up by the outside [edges of the device].  These mines were found on the Myanmar side of the border," he said.

He disclosed that Myanmar had abstained from voting in the UN General Assembly's December 2016 resolution in support of its existing global landmine ban, despite senior Myanmar Army (or Tatmadaw) officials having told the watchdog that it and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were "seriously reviewing landmine policy".

The watchdog coordinator added that the commander-in-chief of the Defense Services last month sent a letter to the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, an international anti-mine lobbying group, stating that "any use of landmines is forbidden." The same month, the government delivered the same message to the president of a meeting of state parties to the mine ban treaty.

Since December 2017, 162 countries — over 80 percent of all governments — have ratified the Mine Ban Treaty. Myanmar has refrained from doing so, however. According to the report, the group has also discovered aerial bombs in Kachin State and Abandoned Explosive Ordinance (AXO) in some ethnic regions.

The group estimates total landmine casualties in Myanmar from 1999 to 2016 at 4,000, including 488 fatalities, 3,385 injuries and 118 unknown outcomes. He said that 1,080 people had been affected by landmine incidents in the six years since peace talks began. The group says that the actual number of casualties is likely higher than the figures in its report indicate.

"Do we believe [that these figures represent a full accounting]? No. We get most of the information from medical assistance groups. Guess what. They don't give medical assistance to dead people," Moser-Puangsuwan said.

According to the report, 71 townships from 10 states and regions of Myanmar are affected by antipersonnel mines. Shan, Chin, Kachin, Karen, Mon and Rakhine states are the worst affected. It said both the government and ethnic armed groups plant landmines in the areas under their control, adding that the issue of mine clearance had not been seriously addressed at peace negotiations.

"We believe this is a humanitarian issue, not just a military one. And the landmines still in the ground today—even if you get a peace agreement tomorrow—will continue to produce war victims for many years," Moser-Puangsuwan said.

The timeline for mine clearance is still vague, as the signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement are as yet still unwilling to give up what they see as a key defensive weapon.

In terms of mine incidents in Maungdaw region, mine expert Moser-Puangsuwan explained that all of the devices confiscated by the Army are technically defined as remote-controlled bombs, which can be detonated by radio, among other means.

A total of nine landmine monitoring organizations have applied to conduct mine-risk education activities in Myanmar, but only three of these have been granted permission to begin surveying in high-danger mine areas in 2018. They are prohibited from putting up fences or signs in areas deemed to contain mines.

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Security Officials, Villagers Executed 10 ARSA-Linked Rohingya: Army

Posted: 10 Jan 2018 06:44 AM PST

YANGON—A Myanmar Army investigation panel has determined that villagers and security forces killed 10 Rohingya allegedly affiliated with Muslim militants who launched a series of attacks on security outposts in northern Maungdaw last year.

The Army investigation followed the discovery of 10 bodies near a graveyard in Inn Din village in southern Maungdaw Township, Rakhine State in December.

According to a press release issued by the panel on Wednesday afternoon, a five-member team led by Lieutenant-General Aye Win visited Inn Din village between Dec. 20 and Jan. 2 and interviewed 21 Army witnesses, three Border Police officers, 13 members of No. 8 Security Unit, six Inn Din villagers and six civil servants.

The 10 Rohingya were involved in attacks organized by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA)—a Muslim militant group denounced by the government as a "terrorist organization" after a series of attacks last year—and arrested on Sept. 1 during a clearance operation in Inn Din village.

"While they should have been handed over to the police station, the security forces at the time were too busy implementing security measures in the surrounding areas to do so. So it was decided that the Rohingya would be executed at the village graveyard," the statement reads.

The executions occurred on Sept. 2. They were carried out by three villagers using knives and four security force personnel armed with guns, according to the press release. Two of the villagers involved were taking revenge for the killing of their father at the hands of Rohingya militants, according to the statement.

"As the villagers and security troops confessed to the killings, they will be prosecuted according to the law," it reads.

The team determined that security officials involved in the incident did not report it to their superiors. Those officials found to be responsible will be punished and their actions made public, according to the statement.

Since the ARSA attacks in August last year, northern Rakhine State has been ravaged by clearance operations by Myanmar security forces, causing an exodus of more than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims to nearby Bangladesh. Some of the refugees have reported witnessing or being subjected to arbitrary killings, rapes and the torching of property by the security forces and local vigilantes.

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Detained Reuters Reporters Ask for Bail on “Trumped Up” Charge

Posted: 10 Jan 2018 05:26 AM PST

YANGON — "We were arrested on a trumped up charge so as to prevent [journalists] from reporting true news," said Ko Wa Lone, one of two detained Reuters reporters, during his appearance at the Yangon North District Court on Wednesday.

Ko Wa Lone and his colleague Ko Kyaw Soe Oo have been detained by police since Dec. 12 and are charged under Section 3 of the colonial-era Official Secrets Act for allegedly acquiring information from police officers about the violence in northern Rakhine State illegally.

Defense lawyer U Than Zaw Aung said the defense team asked for the reporters' release on bail and added that the next hearing was scheduled for Jan. 23.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Yu Naing, the plaintiff, did not show up on Wednesday. But 25 witnesses, including the two police officers who reportedly gave the reporters the documents, were presented to the court.

The Home Affairs Ministry has said it would take action against the two police officers —Captain Moe Yan Naing and Lance Corporal Khin Maung Linn — but has not yet made public whether it actually has.

The Information Ministry reported that the two reporters unlawfully obtained important documents related to the violence in Rakhine State with the intention of sharing them with foreign news agencies. But the families of the reporters claim they were arrested before even reading the records they were handed.

When the pair was escorted back to the prison van after the court hearing under a heavy police escort, Ko Kyaw Soe Oo’s cousin said in tears that she never expected to see her baby brother in handcuffs.

“Please support him and Wa Lone. Please set them free,” she said.

Ko Wa Lone’s wife, Ma Pan Ei Mon, said her husband was diagnosed with a hernia and back pain and that she submitted the doctor’s prescription to the police.

“I don’t know if he will get the treatment he needs,” she told The Irrawaddy.

Local and foreign media have called the Reuters reporters' arrest a threat to press freedom, and Western countries including the US, UK and Canada have urged the Myanmar government to release them.

"We are disappointed by today's decision to pursue charges against Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo under the Official Secrets Act. For democracy to succeed and flourish, journalists must be able to do their jobs. We call for their immediate release," the US Embassy said in a statement it released Wednesday.

"This charge is nothing to do with us," said Ko Kyaw Soe Oo, urging his fellow journalists to take care of their own security while uncovering the truth.

"I'd like to urge people to protect journalists. We will continue to uncover the truth," he added.

The Protection Committee for Myanmar Journalists campaigned for their release at Wednesday's hearing.

Ko Wa Lone and Ko Kyaw Soe Oo were questioned at the Aung Tha Pyay police interrogation center in Yangon Region's Mayangone Township for 15 days before appearing at the Mingalardon Township Court for the first time on Dec. 27.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Named ‘World’s Biggest Backslider in Press Freedom’: CPJ

Posted: 10 Jan 2018 04:10 AM PST

YANGON — The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) named Myanmar's State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to the "press oppressor awards" along with other world leaders including US President Donald Trump, Turkish President Erdogan and Xi Jinping of China.

CPJ said in a statement that in response to President Trump's announcement via twitter of his planned "The Most Dishonest & Corrupt Media Awards of the Year," it is recognizing world leaders who have gone out of their way to attack the press and undermine the norms that support freedom of the media.

The New York-based advocacy group announced the winners and runners-up in five categories: Most Thin-skinned, Most Outrageous Use of Terror Laws against the Press, Tightest Grip on Media, Biggest Backslider in Press Freedom and Overall Achievement in Undermining Global Press Freedom.

Myanmar's de facto leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was named the winner of the "Biggest Backslider in Press Freedom" category. President Andrzej Duda of Poland was named the runner-up of the same category.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who was barred from becoming president under the military-drafted 2008 Constitution, has come under strong international censure for failing to criticize the military's actions against the Rohingya and address accusations of ethnic cleansing in Rakhine State.

CPJ said as the Myanmar government granted a presidential pardon soon after it took power to five journalists who had been serving lengthy sentences, hopes for media freedom were high, but most of the legal structure that has long restricted the press remains in place and journalists continue to be imprisoned.

"Security officials obstruct and harass journalists trying to cover what the UN has termed 'a textbook example of ethnic cleansing' by authorities in the country's northern Rakhine state," CPJ said, citing the recent arrest of two Reuters journalists covering the crisis—Ko Wa Lone and Ko Kyaw Soe Oo.

Including the two Reuters journalists, at least 12 journalists including two foreigners were brought to court last year in Myanmar under various repressive laws, with most cases filed by the country's military.

Despite a civilian government assuming power in Myanmar, the military retains a powerful influence under the Constitution. The army chief appoints three key ministers: Defense, Border Affairs and Home Affairs—which oversees the country's police and prisons.

Among the 12 journalists who were brought to the court, five were sued by the military, one by a nationalist, one by the chief minister of Tanintharyi region, and the remaining five others by the police.

President Trump won the "Overall Achievement in Undermining Global Press Freedom" award and was also named the runner-up for "Most Thin-skinned" in response to his regular attacks of outlets and individual journalists on Twitter and in speeches.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan won two categories, "Most Thin-skinned" and "Most Outrageous Use of Terror Laws against the Press" with 46,193 cases of insulting the president or insulting the country, parliament, government or institutions of the judiciary over the course of 2016 against journalists, news outlets and social media users.

China's President Xi Jinping won the "Tightest Grip on Media," as China was the second worst jailer of the press globally in 2017, with at least 41 journalists in prison and the use of a combination of traditional censorship and Internet controls to keep the news media in line, CPJ said.

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Irrawaddy Regional Parliament to Appoint New Chief Minister

Posted: 10 Jan 2018 02:48 AM PST

PATHEIN — The Irrawaddy Regional Parliament will convene an emergency meeting on Jan. 15 to appoint a new chief minister following the resignation of Mahn Johnny from the post.

In separate announcements dated Jan. 9, the President's Office approved the resignations of Irrawaddy Region Chief Minister Mahn Johnny and Agriculture, Livestock, Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation Minister U Ba Hein.

"We have arranged an emergency meeting on Jan. 15 in accordance with parliamentary by-law Section 32," U San Min Aung, the regional parliament's deputy speaker, told The Irrawaddy.

At the meeting, regional lawmakers will be asked to approve a candidate for chief minister nominated by the president.

Mahn Johnny will continue to serve as a lawmaker representing Kyonepyaw Township in the regional parliament.

"He is 77 years old. Everyone knows he is not very fit because of his age. I was told that he submitted his resignation on grounds of ill health, and that the President's Office approved it," U San Min Aung said.

Mahn Johnny, a former political prisoner and long-serving member of the National League for Democracy (NLD), was elected in the 1990 election, the results of which were rejected by the military.

He contested the 2012 by-election and was elected as a lawmaker representing Irrawaddy Region's Myaungmya Township in the Lower House of the Union Parliament during U Thein Sein's administration. He served as chief minister of Irrawaddy Region from April 1, 2016 to Jan. 8 of this year.

Under parliamentary law, President U Htin Kyaw must nominate a lawmaker serving in the Irrawaddy Regional Parliament to take over the chief minister's post.

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Journalists Barred from Court in High-profile Firearms Case

Posted: 10 Jan 2018 01:43 AM PST

YANGON — Journalists were restricted from covering the trial of U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San, who has been detained for illegal possession of firearms since October, at Thaketa Township Court in Yangon.

Four suspects in the case including U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San, the chairman of ACE Co and son of the sports minister during U Thein Sein's administration, reportedly appeared at the court on Tuesday.

The handbook for media access to the courts published by the Supreme Court acknowledges that the Media Law provides journalists with access to courts in line with existing laws.

However, in the case of U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San, journalists were shut out of the court compound though they had registered to cover the trial and were given admission cards.

Police did not even confirm the trial until 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

In other high-profile cases like the abuse of housemaids by the Ava tailoring factory owners, the detention of The Irrawaddy and Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) reporters and the latest one, the detention of two Reuters reporters, media access to the courts was granted.

U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San was detained along with his two ACE employees after police found them with pistols, bullets and illicit drugs at the Naypyitaw Airport on Oct. 15.

Around 30 firearms, bullets and drugs were then discovered at the ACE hotel, company property, and U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San's houses in Naypyitaw and Yangon.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has since taken over the case and has charged 15 suspects including U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San for illegal possession of firearms and illicit drugs as well as under the Telecommunications Law for keeping walkie-talkies, the Export/Import Law for keeping drones and the State Secrets Act for the unauthorized use of the National Security Council (NSC) logo.

A suspect identified as Kyaw Chan Nyein is still at large. "We're seeking him as a fugitive," said a police officer of Thaketa Township Police Station.

According to the police, the next trial is scheduled for Jan. 12.

U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San and seven accomplices were brought to trial on Jan. 3 for the first time in a Naypyitaw court since their detention.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Five Civilians Injured in Shan State Landmine Blasts

Posted: 09 Jan 2018 11:30 PM PST

YANGON — Five men were seriously injured after two of them stepped on landmines on Monday morning while collecting firewood in northern Shan State, according to a local priest.

The victims include four ethnic Kachin and a Chinese man, all in their 50s. They are receiving treatment at a local hospital in the border town of Mansi, said Zau Ra, a priest with the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC) in the town of Mong Ko, in Muse District.

Two of the victims stepped on two separate landmines while collecting firewood near a village about two miles from Mong Ko.

"They went to the old Man Jub village to chop firewood. The village was empty, but government troops are deployed there. The soldiers told them not to go beyond the village. But they thought it would be fine, and unfortunately the mines exploded," Zau Ra told The Irrawaddy.

Three of the five men were injured in the first blast. The other two were injured by the second mine while going to their aid.

Wayawng Zau Kaung, one of the Kachin victims, had both of his legs amputated at the knees. The other four were injured in their legs and abdomens.

All five of the victims had been staying with relatives after their houses were destroyed during armed clashes in 2016. The KBC is covering their medical expenses.

"Most of the locals still can't go back to their houses because of landmines. Man Jub is a big village. But nobody dares to live there since the clashes. Villagers lost their livelihoods, so they went to the town," said Zau Ra.

Mong Ko was hit hard when fighting broke out in northern Shan State in November 2016 between the Myanmar Army and an alliance of ethnic armed groups including the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, Arakan Army, Ta'ang National Liberation Army and the Kachin Independence Army.

The Myanmar Army claims that more than 100 police, soldiers and allied militia members were killed during the fighting in Mong Ko in November and December of 2016.

Local sources say more than 40 civilians also died in the fighting and that thousands have fled to China.

"We want to go back home, but we dare not because of mines. I have children and I'm really afraid of mines," said Nang Kham Lao, who fled Mong Ko for another part of Muse after the clashes in 2016.

The government and Myanmar Army reportedly resettled local residents after the fighting subsided in December that year, but locals say it is safe to live in town only because of the persistent danger of landmines and that houses have not yet been rebuilt in surrounding villages.

According to Mong Ko authorities, the town had more than 8,000 residents before the fighting in 2016. Its current population is not known.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Japanese Astronaut Apologizes for ‘Fake News’ of Height Increase

Posted: 09 Jan 2018 08:46 PM PST

TOKYO — Japanese astronaut Norishige Kanai, on a mission to the International Space Station, apologized on Wednesday for saying he had grown 9 cm (3.5 inches) while in space and expressing concern about whether he'd be safe on his return to Earth.

Most astronauts "grow" during protracted space missions because their spines extend in the absence of gravity, but the gains are usually limited to a couple of centimeters maximum and disappear once they are back on the ground.

The 41-year-old Kanai, who went to space last month for a nearly six-month mission, posted on Twitter on Monday that he had "a big announcement."

"My height's been measured here in space and somehow, somehow, I've grown 9 cm! In only three weeks I've really shot up, something I haven't seen since high school," he tweeted.

"This makes me a little worried that I might not be able to fit in the Soyuz seats for our return."

But a bit over a day later — and in the wake of a flurry of news stories — he apologized, saying that he'd measured himself after his captain raised questions about the apparent growth and he had stretched only 2 cm from his Earth-bound height.

"This mismeasurement appears to have become a big deal, so I must apologize for this terrible fake news," he tweeted, without explaining how the original miscalculation had occurred.

"It appears I can fit on the Soyuz, so I’m relieved."

The post Japanese Astronaut Apologizes for 'Fake News' of Height Increase appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Philippines to Protest to China Over Apparent Airbase on Manmade Island

Posted: 09 Jan 2018 08:40 PM PST

MANILA — The Philippines will make a diplomatic protest to China, which it described as reneging on a promise not to militarize artificial islands in the busy South China Sea waterway, the Southeast Asian nation's defense minister said on Monday.

The United States has criticized China's build-up of military facilities on the artificial islands and is concerned they could be used to restrict free movement through the key trade route.

Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana's comment followed a Dec. 30 broadcast of aerial footage by the official China Central Television (CCTV) showing Fiery Cross Reef, which appeared to have been transformed into an airbase.

"The Chinese government said some time ago that they were not going to militarize those reclaimed islands," Lorenzana told reporters, adding that the protest would be made through the foreign ministry.

"If it is true and we can prove that they have been putting soldiers and even weapons systems, that will be a violation of what they said."

There was no immediate comment from Chinese officials.

China and the Philippines have long sparred over the South China Sea, but relations have improved considerably under President Rodrigo Duterte, who has been courting Beijing in hopes of winning business and investment.

China has assured the Philippines it will not occupy new features or territory in the South China Sea, under a new "status quo" brokered by Manila as both sides try to strengthen their relations.

Reports about China militarizing reclaimed islands were not new, presidential spokesman Harry Roque told a regular news briefing.

"We have always been against the militarization of the area," he added. "It is certainly not OK, because it constitutes a further threat to peace and security in area."

China is holding to a commitment not to reclaim more islands, Roque added, however.

"There is still no breach of the good faith obligation for as long as China has not embarked on new reclamation," he said, when asked about the situation on the reef.

China has denied US charges that it is militarizing the South China Sea, which also is claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

The reef has a hospital with more than 50 doctors, high-speed mobile connections and an airport with a runway of 3,160 meters (3,456 yards) to serve what Beijing calls a "weather station" equipped with radar, Chinese state media say.

In the last 27 years, China's navy has sent more than 1,000 soldiers to guard the reef, state media have said.

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Feeding the Fashionistas: Gucci Turns to Fine Dining

Posted: 09 Jan 2018 08:34 PM PST

FLORENCE, Italy — It's all a matter of taste.

Luxury labels are accustomed to tempting fashionistas, and now they're stretching from haute couture to haute cuisine.
Gucci opened a 50-seat restaurant, Gucci Osteria, in Florence on Tuesday where three-Michelin-star chef Massimo Bottura will serve up high-end dishes.

The Italian fashion house, owned by Kering, is not the only luxury company to foray into food; LVMH announced late last year it would open a second branch of its gourmet grocer La Grande Epicerie in Paris, days before Tiffany's & Co opened its Blue Box Cafe in New York.

"The big brands are following where their high-spending clients' cash is going," said Fabrizio Pini, professor and joint director of the International Master in Luxury Management of Milan's MIP Politecnico business school.

Gucci and its rivals do not expect these investments to yield significant financial returns, for now, but they are seen as a way of enhancing their global brands. In some cases, eateries can also be a way to make the most out of large, city-center store sites as customers increasingly shop online.

The Gucci restaurant is sited behind the walls of the 14-century Palazzo della Mercanzia building, overlooking the city’s most famous square, Piazza della Signoria. Visitors can treat themselves to the likes of Parmigiano Reggiano tortellini, Peruvian-inspired tostadas, pork belly buns and mushroom risotto for 20–3 0 euros per dish.

Few strategies come without an element of risk, however.

Bernstein analyst Mario Ortelli said that if luxury companies did not provide a gastronomic experience that matched their other goods, it could dilute their brands. "The experience has to be luxurious and recognizable," he said.

While labels are looking to these investments for marketing rather than profits, a presence in food could offer some financial returns in the long run.

With a global luxury market estimated to be worth 1.2 trillion euros in 2017, sales of luxury wines and spirits and food, together worth just under 120 billions, last year grew 6 percent, more than personal luxury goods such as bags, shoes and clothing, according to Bain & Co's yearly report on the sector.

"Food is luxury as much as fashion," said Stefano Cantino, strategic marketing director at Prada, which owns exclusive Milan patisserie Marchesi.

"Barriers have been broken."

The Gucci Osteria restaurant is part of "Gucci Garden," which includes an exhibition area, a bazaar-like boutique and a cinema room. "Haute couture and haute cuisine are a recipe made in heaven," Bottura told reporters.

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Tuesday, January 9, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Govt Shakeup Coming to Some States, Regions

Posted: 09 Jan 2018 05:28 AM PST

YANGON — NLD sources said the government was likely to replace some of its state and region ministers and chief ministers starting as soon as next week in what would be the largest shakeup of its kind since the party took power almost two years ago.

Monywa Aung Shin, secretary of the NLD's Central Information Committee, said on Monday that the local ministers and chief ministers would be replaced during the coming session of Parliament, which will reconvene next Monday after a two-month break.

"We heard that about five or six ministers will be replaced at state and region level, as well as chief ministers," he said.

The Irrawaddy Region's minister for natural resources, environment, agriculture and livestock, U Ba Hein, has submitted his resignation already, also for health reasons.

Local media has reported that Magwe Region's minister for labor, immigration and population, U Nay Myo Kyaw, and its minister for agriculture, livestock and irrigation, U Soe Myint, have tendered their resignations as well.

They reported that U Nay Myo Kyaw was the subject of an internal party investigation over an alleged extramarital affair and that U Soe Myint was resigning on health grounds.

Last week, the Rakhine State Parliament voted to strip Municipal Affairs Minister U Min Aung of his duties after being accused of failing to hold consultations on the state budget.

News of the pending replacements follows closely on the NLD's announcement last week of coming structural reforms within the party ahead of the 2020 elections. It also comes amid mounting calls from pundits that its government replace key posts in order to improve its performance.

The NLD lawmakers who spoke on condition of anonymity said the government was also likely to replace some Union ministers who have been criticized for their performance over the past two years.

NLD spokesperson U Nyan Win would neither confirm nor deny the reported changes.

"I couldn't say that is not true. It will depend on the decision of the government. As a party, we don't decide on that," he said.

U Nyan Win told The Irrawaddy last week that the NLD would carry out reforms based on the lessons it has learned from its mistakes over the past two years.

Additionally reporting by Htet Naing Zaw from Naypyitaw.

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Peace Process Hits Another Hurdle

Posted: 09 Jan 2018 04:09 AM PST

YANGON — The government and ethnic leaders postponed a Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC) meeting this month, where stakeholders would discuss setting a date for the upcoming session of the Union Peace Conference (UPC), in part because of the suspension of the Shan national-level political dialogue.

With the UPDJC talk postponed, the peace process is stalled and whether the UPC will be convened later this month as previously planned is uncertain.

"All meetings have been postponed," said U Myo Win, a secretary of the UPDJC who represents the ethnic armed organization (EAO) side. The UPDJC has 48 members and EAOs, the government and political parties have 16 representatives, respectively.

"We are not ready to meet again, partly because the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) suspended the Shan national-level political dialogue," he said, referring to the Tatamdaw's obstruction of prior consultations held in Shan State in December.

It seems that the peace process has reached a stalemate yet again for the government, the Tatmadaw (Myanmar Army) and signatories of the nationwide ceasefire agreement. But stakeholders say they are optimistic that further negotiations will propel the process forward.

The Peace Process Steering Team of the eight NCA signatories, led by Karen National Union (KNU) chairman Gen Saw Mutu Say Poe, will discuss a way to overcome this hurdle on Thursday.

"If the RCSS completed its Shan national-level political dialogue, the process could move forward," said U Myo Win, but the UPC would still be postponed.

Dr. Manam Tu Ja, the chairman of the Kachin State Democracy Party, echoed that a stalled UPDJC meeting does not mean that the peace process had stopped.

He also speculated that the stalemate could be the result of hopes of additional NCA signatories following peace talk efforts between the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) and the government.

The UNFC requested a meeting with State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Commander-in-chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing to discuss the issue.

The New Mon State Party (NMSP), a member of the UNFC bloc, expressed a desire to sign the NCA soon, after its executive committee meeting in December. However, the stance of UNFC member the Karenni National Progressive Party remains uncertain, as three KNPP soldiers were recently killed by the Tatmadaw in Loikaw.

In the meantime, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), the armed wing of the KNU, urged for a postponement of the UPC, as the military-drafted 2008 Constitution remains in place, and little has been accomplished under this framework in prior peace conferences.

Since ceasefire negotiations began, the Tatmadaw wanted the EAOs to disarm and take part in politics under the 2008 Constitution. But EAOs consistently raise concerns regarding reform of the security sector, as agreed to in the NCA. There is an ongoing dispute as to whether disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) or security sector reform (SSR) comes first.

KNLA commanders reaffirmed that they would not give up their arms until genuine peace prevails in the country.

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KNLA Says It Won’t Attend Third Session of Panglong Peace Conference

Posted: 09 Jan 2018 01:22 AM PST

YANGON — Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) commanders have decided not to attend the third session of the Union Peace Conference—21st Century Panglong—slated for the last week of January, saying peace negotiations have gone nowhere under the military-drafted 2008 Constitution.

KNLA commanders reviewed the results of the second session of the peace conference at a meeting on Jan. 5.

"Our leaders attended the previous session of the Panglong Conference. Upon reviewing it, we found that the conference made no progress from the 2008 Constitution. We are concerned that the next session will be the same," Brigadier-General Sha Htu Waw, the joint deputy adjutant general of the KNLA, told The Irrawaddy.

"The current peace process is not in line with our aims. Therefore, we don't have any trust in it," he said, adding that the third session should be suspended.

The meeting also discussed the DDR (disarmament, demobilization and reintegration) and security sector reform processes.

DDR is one of the key demands of the Myanmar Army, or Tatmadaw, with respect to ethnic armed groups' full participation in the peace talks.

The army insists there is only one armed force in the country, while ethnic armed groups have demanded security sector reforms including the formation of a federal army that would incorporate ethnic armed groups.

"We have also decided that we won't accept DDR unless the country achieves peace," he said.

The government's Peace Commission declined to comment on the KNLA's decision. "Everyone knows who drafted the 2008 Constitution. Even the National League for Democracy [NLD] came to power according to the 2008 Constitution and has to work within that framework," said U Aung Soe, a member of the commission.

The post KNLA Says It Won't Attend Third Session of Panglong Peace Conference appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ten Things to Do in Yangon This Week

Posted: 08 Jan 2018 10:36 PM PST

112 Years Yangon Zoo Donation Fair | Jan. 13-14

Singers will perform at this fundraising event and proceeds will be donated to orphanages.

Jan. 13-14. Yangon Zoo.

 

Charity Show | Jan. 12

Singers will perform and taekwondo will be demonstrated at this event.

Jan. 12, 6 pm. Kandawgyi Hmaw Sin Kyun.  Tickets are 5,000 to 20,000 kyats at City Mart Supermarkets.

 

 Lin Lun Khin Book Sale | Jan. 8-17

Lin Lun Khin Publishing will celebrate its 11th anniversary with discounts on its books.

Jan. 8-17. Leik Kan Street, Pazundaung Tsp.

 

Smart City & Future Yangon | Jan. 13

The Yangon Region Computer Industry Association will give talks on what a smart city is and the challenges facing Yangon in the future.

Jan. 13, 2 pm to 5 pm. Myanmar ICT Park, Hlaing University.

 

Musical Night | Jan. 14

Chart-topping singers will perform at this event.

Jan. 14, 7 pm. Shwe Htut Tin Grounds. Tamwe Tsp. Tickets 20,000 to 40,000 kyats at 09-977009157, 09-455573442.

 

Yar Pyae Book Sale | Jan. 8-14

Yar Pyae Publishing House will offer up to 20 percent discounts on its publications.

Jan. 8-14, Hledan & Pansodan.

 

Watercolor Art Exhibition | Jan. 13-16

A group art exhibition of nine artists will feature watercolor paintings on various subjects.

Jan. 13-16, 43 Art Gallery, 43rd Street, Botahtaung Tsp.

 

The Value | Jan. 13-17

Nyan Ye Naing's solo art exhibition 'The Value' highlights the importance of shoes to humans.

Jan. 13-17, Bo Aung Kyaw Art Gallery, Bo Aung Kyaw Street.

 

Khin Maung San Solo | Jan. 13-15

Khin Maung San (Magwe) will show his modernist paintings.

Jan. 13-15. Moon Art Gallery, 35th Street, Kyauktada Township.

 

Stains and Me | Jan. 13-19

This is a modernist art exhibition by artist Aung Zaw.

Jan. 13-19. Nawaday Tharlar Art Gallery, Yaw Min Gyi Street.

The post Ten Things to Do in Yangon This Week appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Saint Laurent Ventures Online in China as Luxury Portals Take Off

Posted: 08 Jan 2018 09:20 PM PST

PARIS — French fashion label Saint Laurent, part of Kering, will start selling online in China through a JD.com portal, joining shopping players like Alibaba in trying to tap strong luxury goods demand from Chinese consumers.

The French brand, created in 1961 by its late founder Yves Saint Laurent, said on Monday it was partnering with Toplife, a platform launched last October by JD.com that aims to woo luxury buyers with same-day deliveries and premium services.

It rivals Luxury Pavilion, a similar portal launched in August that is backed by Alibaba’s Tmall platform and features products from fashion groups such as Burberry.

Chinese shoppers made up 32 percent of the worldwide luxury market in 2017, more than any other nationality, consultancy Bain & Co said, making it a crucial market for fashion brands.

KPMG has projected, meanwhile, that half of China’s domestic luxury consumption could come from web sales by 2020.

Online shopping has proved a potent earnings driver for fashion brands even if many were initially reluctant to distribute their wares too widely.

Top labels such as Kering's Gucci or LVMH's Louis Vuitton recently started marketing directly to Chinese buyers with their own websites in the country.

High-end fashion houses are still wary of alliances with mass-market platforms such as Amazon, however, fearful they will lose control of their image.

JD.com and Alibaba's specialist luxury platforms have already lured several other brands, touting themselves as more exclusive, selective sites.

The post Saint Laurent Ventures Online in China as Luxury Portals Take Off appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Thai King Orders Festival Paying Homage to Past Monarchs

Posted: 08 Jan 2018 08:59 PM PST

BANGKOK — Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn has ordered a history-themed festival for the public, a government spokesman said on Monday, as the Southeast Asian nation emerges from a year of mourning for his revered father.

The king's father, the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, whose reign spanned seven decades, was cremated in Bangkok in October.

The late king, who died in October 2016, commanded the devotion of millions and helped shape Thailand for decades after World War II. King Vajiralongkorn does not attract the same level of devotion.

The festival, which will take place at the Royal Plaza, a public square in Bangkok, from Feb. 8 to March 11, will feature exhibitions showcasing the life and work of his late father King Bhumibol and his great grandfather, King Chulalongkorn, who reigned from 1868 to 1910.

The festival will include gardens, fountains and historic-looking structures.

"The king wants Thai people to be happy by reminiscing about the past, that's why the festival has a historical theme," government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd told Reuters on Monday.

He added that the public will be encouraged to wear traditional Thai clothes and 19th century Thai fashions.

King Vajiralongkorn, who ascended the throne after his father's death, quickly asserted his authority by requiring changes to a new constitution to make his powers clear and he also set about reorganizing the palace.

He has issued a number of royal decrees in recent months pertaining to the promotion and dismissal of palace officials.

He has also been given full control of the agency that manages the multi-billion dollar holdings of the monarchy.

Outside of the palace, the king has ordered the organization of public events such as weekend music concerts aimed at "bringing happiness to the people."

King Vajiralongkorn's formal coronation is expected to take place later this year and could signal the start of politics following a year of mourning and the late king's funeral.

Thai laws protecting members of the royal family from insult limit what all news organizations, including Reuters, can report from Thailand.

The post Thai King Orders Festival Paying Homage to Past Monarchs appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China Says 27 of 31 Regions Met 2016 Low Carbon Targets

Posted: 08 Jan 2018 08:24 PM PST

SHANGHAI — China said 27 of its 31 regions met their greenhouse gas reduction targets aimed at combating global warming in 2016, the country's climate change regulator said in a notice on Monday.

China is the world's biggest source of greenhouse gases and in 2016 published a plan for its 31 regions to accelerate the development of non-fossil fuel energy, tackle greenhouse gases in the agricultural sector and boost forest coverage.

China has pledged to cut carbon dioxide produced per unit of GDP growth by 18 percent over 2016-2020 and to cap total energy consumption at 5 billion tons of standard coal equivalent by the end of the decade, up from 4.3 billion tons in 2015.

Among the regions rated as "excellent" were the cities of Beijing and Shanghai and the major manufacturing provinces of Zhejiang in east China and Guangdong on the southeast coast.

But the remote western regions of Tibet and Qinghai, the rural southwestern region of Guangxi and the northeast rustbelt province of Liaoning all "failed" to implement their targets, said the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

The assessment covered only 2016 and the NDRC did not provide any details.

Beijing has pledged to bring greenhouse gas emissions to a peak by "around 2030" as part of a commitment to the Paris climate change agreement. While it has promised to reduce carbon intensity over 2016-2020, total emissions are still expected to rise over the period.

China last month launched its long-awaited nationwide emissions trading system, which will cover the power sector in the first phase, and is aimed at reducing carbon emissions.

The post China Says 27 of 31 Regions Met 2016 Low Carbon Targets appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Myanmar Journalists Ask Govt for Details of Reuters Reporters’ Case

Posted: 08 Jan 2018 08:18 PM PST

YANGON — A group of Myanmar reporters asked the government on Monday for details about the arrest of two Reuters journalists last month, arguing that the case could have implications for the ability of journalists to do their jobs, two members of the group said.

The two Reuters journalists, Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, are being investigated on suspicion of breaching the Official Secrets Act, a little-used law that has been on the books from the days of British colonial rule.

They had worked on Reuters coverage of a crisis in the western state of Rakhine, where an estimated 655,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled from a military crackdown that followed militant attacks on security forces.

The two are due to appear in court on Wednesday. It will be their second appearance in court and the prosecutor could request that charges are filed against them.

Twelve reporters based in Myanmar's capital, Naypyitaw, said they had made their request to the interior ministry for more information about the case in accordance with the media law.

"The government hasn't given a proper enough explanation to the country," Nyan Hlaing Lynn, Naypyitaw bureau chief for Frontier magazine, told Reuters.

"We're worried that this will set a bad example of what happens when someone gives information to the media."

Calls for Their Release

The two Reuters reporters were arrested on Dec. 12, after they were invited to meet police for dinner in Yangon.

The Ministry of Information has cited the police as saying the two journalists were "arrested for possessing important and secret government documents related to Rakhine State and security forces." It said they had "illegally acquired information with the intention to share it with foreign media."

Government officials from some of the world's major nations, including the United States, Britain and Canada, as well as top UN officials, have called for the release of the journalists.

Reuters President and Editor-In-Chief Stephen J. Adler has called for the immediate release of the two.

"As they near their hearing date, it remains entirely clear that they are innocent of any wrongdoing," Adler said in a statement on Monday.

Aung Myo Min, reporter for Mizzima, said he and the others who wrote the letter were concerned about the implications for their work.

"We hope they'll give reasonable answers to our questions. We feel it could happen to us," Aung Myo Min told Reuters. "This case is a threat to the security of us journalists."

The 12 journalists had tried to present their written request to the Ministry of Home Affairs but officials there had told them to send it through the post, they said. They also published a copy online.

Authorities have blocked most media access to the north of Rakhine State, where Rohingya militant attacks on the security forces on Aug. 25 sparked the military crackdown.

The United Nations has condemned the Myanmar military campaign as ethnic cleansing. Buddhist-majority Myanmar has rejected that.

The US and British embassies condemned on Monday a rare attack by Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army insurgents on Myanmar security forces last week in which several members of the armed forces were wounded.

"This act of violence only serves to further undermine peace and security," the US embassy said.

The US and British missions both called for all sides to work to ensure safe conditions for the refugees to return home.

The post Myanmar Journalists Ask Govt for Details of Reuters Reporters' Case appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rival Karen Armed Groups Continue Latest Round of Fighting

Posted: 08 Jan 2018 08:02 PM PST

YANGON — Fresh fighting broke out in a remote part of Karen State on Monday between two ethnic armed groups, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) and Karen National Union (KNU), with alleged involvement of the Myanmar Army, or Tatmadaw.

The DKBA claims that its Battalion 905 has been under attack by an alliance of troops from the Tatmadaw, the government-back Border Guard Force and KNU since Oct. 16 and that the fighting escalated on Jan. 1.

Battalion 905 Caption Hla San told The Irrawaddy that the Tatmadaw and KNU on Monday attacked his camp, located in a remote area between Mae Tha Waw village and Myaing Gyi Ngu, in Hlaing Bwe Township.

"It happened today around 11 a.m., and they have been firing artillery since the weekend," he said.

"The KNU, in coalition with the Tatmadaw, blocked our food transport routes. They destroyed the rice field," added the DKBA's Colonel Saw San Aung.

Members of the DKBA, including the colonel, strongly oppose the military-drafted 2008 Constitution and are active supporters of the Northern Alliance, a group of seven armed group that have not signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).

Col. Saw San Aung said the latest skirmishes took various forms, including landmine attacks, arms fire and guerilla tactics.

He said the Tatmadaw encourages the KNU to fight the DKBA because its territory is near the planned construction site of Hat Gyi hydropower dam.

"They have this dam project and the site has been prepared for construction, especially the clearing of the route for the Mae Tha Waw road. There is no way they would give up on it. But to implement it, they need to get rid of us, so they help the Karen armed groups to fight us," the colonel said.

Brigadier General Sha Du Wawh, of the Karen National Liberation Army, the armed wing of the KNU, would neither confirm nor deny an attack on the DKBA on Monday. But he rejected as rumor the claim that the KNU was working with the Tatmadaw.

"We protected our territory so that we could avoid further confrontation with the Tatmadaw," he told the Irrawaddy.

The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, which has not signed the NCA, is a splinter group of the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army, which has.

Chit Min Tun contributed to this report.

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Monday, January 8, 2018

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Netizen Sued After Criticizing Mon State Chief Minister on Facebook

Posted: 08 Jan 2018 04:08 AM PST

THATON, Mon State — A netizen was sued by a member of the Mon State ethnic affairs committee on Saturday after posting several posts critical of the Mon State chief minister.

U Aung Ko Ko Lwin, a Thaton local who uses the Facebook account Aung Ko Ko Lwin, posted a video clip of Mon State Chief Minister Dr. Aye Zaw's controversial remark last week urging the residents of Thaton Township to "eat only a dish of curry" at mealtime in order to bring down food prices.

"I don't know exactly what I was sued for, the video or other posts," U Aung Ko Ko Lwin told The Irrawaddy.

His other posts claimed that the chief minister turned a deaf ear to his demands during the Mon State authorities' meeting with Thaton residents last week as he asked the chief minister to install a transformer for the town's central market and LED signals at a railway crossing on the Yangon-Mawlamyine motor road where traffic accidents frequently occur.

"He didn't bother to reply. He was not dutiful," U Aung Ko Ko Lwin wrote.

He was sued by U Saw Kyaw Moe under Article 8(f) of a law protecting the privacy and personal security of citizens, new legislation that was enacted late last year.

No one shall unlawfully interfere with a citizen's personal or family matters or act in any way to slander or harm their reputation, states Article 8(f).

Violation of the law is punishable by up to three year's imprisonment plus a maximum fine of 1,500,000 kyats (US$1,100).

U Saw Kyaw Moe said he filed the complaint as a community elder of the town but not on behalf of the state government.

"They can talk freely on Facebook. We have always engaged in democratic causes. But his post is the negative use of freedom of expression. And other youths from our town have followed his footsteps and written similar posts," said U Saw Kyaw Moe.

"His negative criticism spoils the image of the town," he added.

In another post, U Aung Ko Ko Lwin complained about the irregular electricity supply to Thaton Market along with a photo of the Mon State chief minister and lawmakers having meals at a donation ceremony.

"You may be able to walk with your head held high during this term in Thaton, but if you go against the wishes of people, how can you greet them after this term expires?" he wrote.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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RCSS Postpones Shan National-level Political Dialogue

Posted: 08 Jan 2018 03:36 AM PST

YANGON – The Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), a signatory to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), on Monday postponed the Shan national-level political dialogue, which had been scheduled for Jan. 12-14 in Langkho (Lin Khay/Langkhur).

In a statement, the RCSS said, "The prior public consultation meetings that had been held had been faced with various persecutions by the Tatmadaw [Myanmar's military], making it impossible for the people to freely and democratically express their will and fully discuss their opinions."

Public consultations were held in 14 of 55 townships in Shan State on Dec. 17-25, led by the Committee for Shan State Unity (CSSU), which is chaired by the RCSS. However, the meeting in Panglong on Dec. 17 was prevented from going ahead by the Tatmadaw, as was a later meeting in Tachileik Township. The Tatmadaw issued a letter prohibiting any meetings from being held on Dec. 19. Three days later, on Dec. 22, the Shan State Government revoked the instructions it had issued to district authorities to permit public consultation meetings. Consultations were canceled in Taunggyi, Kali, Kyaukme in Shan State and Mandalay.

In Panglong, according to the RCSS, "as the people were preparing to hold the public consultation, the Tatmadaw came in and blocked the meeting, fully armed with war weapons as if to seize an enemy stronghold – an incident that has left a permanent black mark in the history of the Union."

As a result of the Tatmadaw's actions, which included blocking the last prior public consultation meeting at Taunggyi on Jan 7-9, the RCSS/SSA-S (Shan State Army-South) "has decided to temporarily postpone" the proposed National Political Dialogue of Shan Nationalities said, Lt-Col Sai Oo, a spokesman for the RCSS.

Not holding the Shan national-level dialogue in Langkho means the group won't be able to raise its recommendations at the upcoming Union Peace Conference – 21st–Century Panglong (UPC), the spokesman told The Irrawaddy.

"As we have been unable to hear all of the public's views, we will not compile recommendations for the UPC," he said, adding that the group would hold further internal discussion on whether to join the UPC.

The RCSS claimed consultations both inside and outside of Shan State were "held with the approval of the Government and in line with the Union-level Bilateral Agreement," which it signed on Jan. 2012.

In accordance with the implementation process of the national level political dialogue, it is necessary to hold prior public consultation meetings with all the Shan communities living in various parts of the Union, the RCSS said.

"The holding of the public consultation meeting, prior to the National Political Dialogue of Shan Nationalities, at Taunggyi, which is the capital of Shan State, is very important in terms of the historical traditions of the entire Shan nation; in terms of political dignity, national equality, legitimacy of national political dialogues and trust building," it said.

Despite being an NCA signatory, the RCSS has been involved in at least 25 armed clashes with the Tatmadaw since signing the agreement on Oct. 2015.

"Military tensions have also been high in Shan State's RCSS-controlled territories since our preparations began for the ND [national level dialogue]. Fighting has been frequent from last month through Monday," said the spokesman, though the clashes have been in remote areas. Two clashes were reported on Saturday morning in Mai Buu Gyi village in Mongpyin, near Keng Tung.

In the first week of January, RCSS troops were attacked by Tatmadaw soldiers in Loi Len and Mong Pyin townships in southeastern Shan State, said Lt-Col Sai Oo. He said about 80 troops from two Tatmadaw battalions attacked four RCSS soldiers in Naung Lai village tract in Loi Len on Jan.3.

Clashes over territory in Mongpyin were reported in May 2017, and there were interventions from the Joint-Ceasefire Monitoring Committee last year.

The post RCSS Postpones Shan National-level Political Dialogue appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

What is the NLD Doing for Political Prisoners?

Posted: 08 Jan 2018 02:26 AM PST

It was Jan. 4, 2018. As it was also the 70th anniversary of Myanmar's independence, I could not help thinking about my days in prison. Independence Day is one of the special occasions each and every prisoner looks forward to with high hopes.

That is because of a custom of granting amnesty to prisoners and reducing jail sentences on every anniversary.

Everyone who has had to spend part of his or her life in prison knows how it feels. Prisoners cannot help feeling grateful to the government when they see some of their fellow inmates walk out of prison on such occasions, even if they themselves are not released. It is a fine practice among prisoners, despite being anti-government activists, to praise and thank the government for granting them amnesty.

Such days give hope to all types of prisoners. It is also a common practice among prisoners as these days approach to ask prison authorities for any unusual news from the outside.

All inmates look forward to these days because death sentences can be commuted, long sentences can be reduced and those about to complete their terms may be released.

I had not heard of anyone being released from prison under a general amnesty as I was writing this piece on Jan. 5. When I asked the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) about it, they said they had not heard of any releases either.

I could not help but empathize with the political prisoners in jails across Myanmar. They were surely extremely disappointed as their hopes were dashed. They have pinned all their hopes on such occasions.

When I saw that the government was organizing a grand New Year's alms-offering ceremony and Dhamma talks attracting more than 100,000 devotees, I was confident there would be something for prisoners. I later came to learn that I had been completely wrong.

Back when the government's ranks had no ex-political prisoners, amnesties and commuted sentences came every year. Former political prisoners were even allowed to form a committee to identify current political prisoners with the aim of getting them released.

A lot of political prisoners were freed this way. It has also become the norm for other inmates to be released alongside the political prisoners.

That is why I was confident that a government led by a party of former political prisoners would release the political prisoners left.

My expectations have proven to be wrong. It has been a long time since I last heard anything about political prisoners being identified. There are still about 100 political prisoners left in Myanmar, according to organizations of former political prisoners such as the AAPP.

The AAPP has even gone to the trouble of tracking down the original dossiers of the accused to identify people as political prisoners before adding them to its list. It found many cases in which what happened had nothing to do with the laws under which the victims were charged. The charges were fabricated intentionally to put the dissidents in prison, making it impossible to know if they are guilty or innocent based on the charges. The AAPP has carried out a thorough investigation to come up with a detailed list.

It was also revealed that there are about 120 lawmakers in the Union Parliament who were once political prisoners. There is no doubt that former political prisoners can empathize with their peers still behind bars. However, the question is why the representatives have not been able to help them. Why have they not tried to help them?

When I attended a ceremony to mark Independence Day at the headquarters of the NLD about 10 years ago, I was offered a badge with the name of a political prisoner on the back. When I asked about this, the party said it had chosen by lot a political prisoner for me to help.

The back of my badge said “Ma Khin Htar in Dawei Prison.” I was not able to help her because I myself soon became a political prisoner.

However, about two years after I was sent to prison a lady approached my family offering to help me because I had been chosen by lot for her. After consulting with my family, she sent me books to read in prison.

Such help can be of great benefit to a person in prison. It can give an inmate hope and strength. I later learned that the lady, Daw Sabel, had taught my son and daughter-in-law, and she has felt like a member of the family ever since.

I am deeply sad that the help and assistance the NLD offered when it was an opposition party disappeared after it came to power. I am just sad because I have not been able to find out why that has been so.

I believe the government has complete authority to release political prisoners. I am confident that no one can prevent it from, and interfere with it in, exercising that authority. It would be very ugly to write a history that says that about 120 former political prisoners were not able to come to the rescue of about 100 political prisoners behind bars.

What has been happening? Could you please help me find the answer?

 Sai Nyunt Lwin is the secretary general of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy.

The post What is the NLD Doing for Political Prisoners? appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Anti-Corruption Commission Encourages Public to File Complaints

Posted: 08 Jan 2018 01:57 AM PST

NAYPYITAW — Members of the public can complain, but with clear evidence, about civil servants who are wealthier than their pay scale would warrant, said Anti-Corruption Commission spokesperson U Han Nyunt.

The spokesperson urged the public to file complaints, but reminded them that adequate evidence was needed for action to be taken against corrupt officials and also to protect plaintiffs from a countersuit.

"If directors-general and directors take bribes, concerned ministers can take action against them. If ministers are corrupt, the president can directly take action," U Han Nyunt told reporters during the commission's press conference in Naypyitaw last week.

"If a director-general has become extremely rich, the minister must take action. If the minister doesn't take action, a complaint can be filed. But the complaint can't be sent anonymously," he added.

Under the current Anti-Corruption Law, the commission tasked with fighting graft is not authorized to take action against corrupt officials unless someone files a complaint. The commission will propose that Parliament amend the law so that it can use its discretion to punish corrupt officials.

U Aung Kyi, the ex-general and information minister in U Thein Sein's administration, is taking charge of the anti-corruption commission, which was reconstituted in November by the National League for Democracy (NLD)-led government.

The Orchid Hotel in Yangon filed a complaint with the former commission led by U Mya Win against a department head of the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism for demanding 10 million kyats (US$7,500) grease money from the hotel, but to no avail, said hotel owner U Htay Aung.

"We were told that our evidence was not adequate and the investigation has been delayed. And we are being troubled by that official. So, we plan to file a complaint again," U Htay Aung told The Irrawaddy.

Director-general of the Anti-Corruption Commission U Htin Kyaw said that dozens of corrupt directors-general, rectors, directors and police officers were punished under the 2013 Anti-Corruption Law since the commission was formed in 2014.

He also admitted that the commission failed to properly inform the public regarding punishment of corrupt officials.

Ranks below permanent secretaries in ministries including directors-general are not required by law to disclose their possessions, but ministers, deputy ministers and similar ranks have to disclose their possessions to the President's Office, said U Han Nyunt.

"I had to disclose my possessions after I became a member of the Anti-Corruption Commission. Even the [former president] had to disclose his possessions to parliamentary speakers in a sealed letter," he said.

Former lawmaker U Ye Htun stressed the importance of providing compelling evidence in filing complaints as plaintiffs can be counter-accused of defamation if evidence is inadequate.

The commission currently has 392 complaints to handle including complaints against judges, said U Han Nyunt. Complaints primarily involve corruption and land disputes.

"We have also tried to take action against corrupt judges. But there are many cases in which they fled just before we investigated them," he said.

As its first step to root out bribery and corruption in the country, the commission will cooperate with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to organize a paper reading session on fighting corruption in Yangon from Jan. 22-23.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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ARSA Claims Recent Attack in Northern Rakhine

Posted: 08 Jan 2018 12:33 AM PST

YANGON — The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, a Muslim militant group behind a series of attacks on government security outposts in northern Rakhine State in August, claimed responsibility for an ambush that injured six government troops last week in the restive area.

In the latest attack since a unilateral ceasefire in October, a civilian vehicle carrying six soldiers and an army officer were blasted by what was thought to be a remote-controlled landmine in northern Maungdaw Township on Friday morning.

The explosion was reportedly followed by an ambush carried out by gunmen apparently positioned on a nearby hill. The attack injured six soldiers and a civilian driver.

On Sunday, ARSA released a statement on Twitter, saying it was behind the attack.

"The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) hereby declares that we carried out an ambush against the Burmese terrorist army in Turaing Village, San Kar Pin Yin Village Tract, Northern Maungdaw Township, Arakan State at around 10:00 AM on 05 January 2018," said the statement.

After the attacks in August, the Myanmar government denounced the militant group as a terrorist organization. The government army then launched clearance operations in the area, leading to the exodus of more than 650,000 Rohingya Muslims to nearby Bangladesh.

Internationally, the army was accused of ethnic cleansing and arbitrary killings, rape and arson. Myanmar Military Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing denied these allegations.

In the Sunday tweet, ARSA said "the Burmese terrorist government and the Burmese terrorist army have never stopped committing acts of Terrorism, War Crimes, Genocide and Crimes against Humanity against innocent Rohingya Indigenous native ethnic community of Arakan State."

The Rohingya are not listed in Myanmar's 135 official ethnic groups, and the majority of the country believes they are 'Bengali,' illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Calling the clearance operations "state-sponsored terrorism," ARSA said it is left with no choice but to fight back to defend the Rohingya.

"Last but not least, it is extremely pertinent to note that Rohingya people must be consulted in all decision-making that affects their humanitarian needs and political future."

U Maung Maung Soe, a Yangon-based political analyst, told The Irrawaddy that ARSA seemed to derail the repatriation process between Myanmar and Bangladesh that was scheduled for later this month.

"It's likely that the attack may pose an intimidation for those who want to come back," he said.

ARSA previously said that it was open to a ceasefire. This was dismissed by both the government and the army.

Government spokesperson Zaw Htay previously stated: "We have no policy to negotiate with terrorists" while defense minister Lt-Gen Sein Win said, "No government negotiates with terrorist groups. We dismiss them [ARSA]."

U Zaw Htay told The Irrawaddy on Monday that the government has found out that the attack was aimed to jeopardize the repatriation process, and terrorists will be responded to as they are.

"We have ordered that they be responded to in line with the law. If they launch further attacks, they will face what they deserve," he said.

He also urged the international community to see ARSA as a terrorist organization and to neither support it politically nor financially.

"The government is trying to solve the problem out there. If you support ARSA, our effort there will be hindered," he said.

The post ARSA Claims Recent Attack in Northern Rakhine appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Head of New Crisis Panel Urges Access to Rakhine State

Posted: 07 Jan 2018 11:53 PM PST

BANGKOK—Humanitarian workers and journalists should be given free access to Rakhine State, where violence has prompted some 650,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh, the head of a new international advisory panel on the crisis said.

Surakiart Sathirathai, a former Thai foreign minister, also expressed concern at the arrest of two Reuters reporters last month and said he hoped the case did not lead to broader restrictions on the international media.

"I think press and humanitarian access to Rakhine are important issues as well as free access to other stakeholders," said Surakiart in an interview in Bangkok. "Legitimate press coverage is something that should be enhanced."

Myanmar has severely curtailed access to Rakhine, where an army operation in response to attacks by Rohingya insurgents has been condemned by the United Nations as ethnic cleansing—an accusation rejected by the Buddhist majority country.

Surakiart, 59, was chosen last year by State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to head a 10-member board that will advise on how to implement the recommendations of an earlier commission headed by former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan.

Allowing free media coverage was one of the specific recommendations in the 63-page report from Annan's commission, which was appointed by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in 2016 to investigate how to solve Rakhine's long-standing ethnic and religious tensions.

Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who had worked on coverage of the crisis, were arrested in Yangon on Dec. 12 on suspicion of violating the Official Secrets Act.

Surakiart said he had raised concerns about their case with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's national security adviser Thaung Tun. He said he had asked for the case to be dealt with transparently and been assured that proper legal procedures would be followed.

"I hope that this would not snowball in adverse directions for both the international press and the Myanmar government," Surakiart added. "I hope the case will not lead to the Myanmar government not welcoming the international press. I want this to be a specific case and hope for a quick resolution to it."

Bridging the Gap

The Annan-led panel delivered its recommendations—which also included a review of a law that links citizenship and ethnicity and leaves most Rohingya stateless—just before insurgent attacks on security posts on Aug. 25 triggered the latest crisis.

Surakiart said there were concerns over the repatriation of those who had since fled to Bangladesh and that the advisory board would need to find an approach to ensure people could return without fear, even if they were not recognized by existing law as Myanmar citizens.

The State Counselor has faced international criticism for perceived inaction over the crisis in Rakhine, but Surakiart said she was constrained by domestic politics.

Buddhist nationalism has surged in Myanmar in recent years, and the army campaign has wide support.

"Aung San Suu Kyi tried to address the issue by trying to build consensus from within rather than finger-pointing," said Surakiart.

"There is a big gap between domestic and international interpretations of the situation in Rakhine. If we can't bridge this gap then it will be an obstacle for all of us who want to improve the situation."

The former Thai foreign minister also said his advisory board would seek to engage with all groups in Rakhine, including the military.

"The advisory board is not a mouthpiece to anyone," Surakiart said. "We are not a spokesperson for Myanmar or the international community."

The board, which is made up of five members from Myanmar and five international appointees including veteran former US politician and diplomat Bill Richardson, will meet the Myanmar government on Jan. 22 in the capital Naypyitaw before making its first trip to Rakhine on Jan. 24.

"I do not want the advisory board to be just a talking shop," Surakiart said. "We want to help bring about tangible progress."

The post Head of New Crisis Panel Urges Access to Rakhine State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Iranian Oil Tanker Still Ablaze as Rescuers Search for Missing Mariners

Posted: 07 Jan 2018 08:42 PM PST

BEIJING/SEOUL — A tanker carrying Iranian oil that collided with a Chinese freight ship in the East China Sea on Saturday was still ablaze on Monday morning, a South Korean coast guard official said, as emergency rescue teams continued to search for the missing crew.

The US Navy sent a military aircraft to assist with the search, which spanned an area of about 3,600 square nautical miles (12,350 sq kms), but said in a statement it did not locate any of the tanker’s 32 missing crew members.

The Sanchi tanker, run by Iran’s top oil shipping operator, collided with the CF Crystal about 160 nautical miles off China’s coast near Shanghai and the mouth of the Yangtze River Delta on Saturday evening.

Chinese state media CCTV showed pictures on Sunday of the tanker ablaze and billowing plumes of thick dark smoke. China sent four rescue ships and three cleaning boats to the site, while South Korea dispatched a ship and a helicopter.

The Panama-registered tanker was sailing from Iran to South Korea, carrying 136,000 tons of condensate, an ultra light crude. That is equivalent to just under 1 million barrels, worth about $60 million, based on global crude oil prices.

The freight ship, which was carrying US grain, suffered limited damage and the 21 crew members, all Chinese nationals, were rescued.

The extent of the environmental harm and size of the spill were not yet known. But based on the tonnage the tanker was carrying it has the potential to be the worst since 1991, when 260,000 tons of oil leaked off the Angolan coast.

Hanwha Total Petrochemical Co Ltd in South Korea was due to receive the cargo and was looking at ways to replace the lost barrels, a spokesman said.

The company may use its own stock, ask Iran for another cargo or seek alternative condensate supplies from Qatar, he said. The accident was not affecting its operations on Monday, he said.

Colorless, Odorless and Harmless

Bad weather on Sunday night made it hard for the rescue crews to get access to the tanker.

Trying to contain a spill of condensate, which is extremely low in density, highly toxic and much more explosive than normal crude, may also be difficult.

It is only liquid in certain pressure and temperature conditions and often evaporates into air or dilutes into water when exposed to the atmosphere or spills uncontrolled.

When liquid, condensate is colorless and virtually odorless. Surface spills of condensate are therefore difficult to detect visually, making them hard to manage and contain.

Tankers also carry shipping fuel, known as bunker, which is extremely heavy and toxic when spilled, though much less explosive.

Shanghai Maritime Bureau’s navigation department said the collision did not affect traffic in and out of Shanghai, one of the world’s busiest and biggest ports, or ports along the Yangtze river.

The post Iranian Oil Tanker Still Ablaze as Rescuers Search for Missing Mariners appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

BBC Editor Quits China Post Over Pay Discrimination

Posted: 07 Jan 2018 08:12 PM PST

BEIJING — Carrie Gracie, the China editor for Britain's public broadcaster the BBC, has resigned from her post in Beijing due to pay disparities with her male colleagues, according to an open letter she wrote.

The BBC has come under fire recently for paying male employees more and has pledged to close the gender gap by 2020.

In July, it revealed as part of a funding settlement with the government that it paid its then top male star five times more than its best-paid female presenter, and that two-thirds of on-air employees earning at least 150,000 pounds ($203,500) were men.

In a letter published on her personal blog on Sunday, Gracie said there was a "crisis of trust" at the broadcaster, where she has worked for 30 years, and that it was "breaking equality law and resisting pressure for a fair and transparent pay structure."

The BBC had four international editors, two men and two women, of which she was one, she said.

When the BBC revealed top salaries as part of last year's settlement, Gracie said she learned that the two men made at least 50 percent more money than the women in those roles.

She said she had since been offered a pay increase that remained "far short of equality" and left her post in Beijing last week, returning to her former job in the BBC TV newsroom.

"The BBC must admit the problem, apologize and set in place an equal, fair and transparent pay structure," she said, calling for an independent arbitration to settle individual cases at the broadcaster.

The BBC cited a BBC spokeswoman as saying that "fairness in pay" at the corporation is "vital," and that an audit of pay for rank and file staff led by an independent judge found there was "no systemic discrimination against women."

The post BBC Editor Quits China Post Over Pay Discrimination appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Friends of Detained Reuters Reporter Pray for His Release

Posted: 07 Jan 2018 08:07 PM PST

YANGON — Friends of Reuters reporter Wa Lone gathered on Sunday at one of the main Buddhist pagodas in Myanmar's commercial capital Yangon to pray for his release from prison, where he has been held with a colleague on suspicion of violating the Official Secrets Act.

Journalists Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, were detained on Dec. 12. They had worked on Reuters coverage of a crisis in the western state of Rakhine, where an estimated 655,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled from a fierce military crackdown on militants.

The two are due to appear in court on Wednesday. It will be their second appearance in court and the prosecutor could request that charges are filed against them.

"We miss him and want him to be free," said Thant Zin Soe, among a group of about a dozen of Wa Lone's friends who knelt beneath the Sule Pagoda's towering golden stupa, hands clasped before them, to chant a special Buddhist mantra.

"We believe that this mantra will set them free, that's why we're reciting it."

In Myanmar, which is still in transition after almost half a century of strict military rule, shows of support for journalists and others who run afoul of the authorities are not common.

Last week, a government spokesman, when asked about a campaign of support for the two reporters on social media, said people should not undertake such efforts while a case was being heard in court.

Thant Zin Soe said he did not want to comment on the circumstances of the reporters' arrest, except to say: "It's not a good thing to hear that a reporter got arrested when he was doing his job."

"We’re marching towards democracy, it's not a good thing for the democratization process."

The post Friends of Detained Reuters Reporter Pray for His Release appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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