Monday, August 27, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

State Counselor Offers Reassurances Amid Economic Woes

Posted: 27 Aug 2018 07:21 AM PDT

YANGON—Myanmar's State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi offered words of reassurance to the business community regarding the current economic slowdown saying that her government is working to deal with some major complaints, though the progress will take time.

At a meeting with members of the business community in Naypyitaw on Monday, Myanmar's State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said, "We are working on the process of implementing advice from the business community, especially about the dollar exchange rate. Some work can be done during a short period. But some need to be worked on over a long-term period. We are working on it."

"We have discussed the advice [from the business community] in detail," she said.

The State Counselor said that the government's National Economic Coordination Committee (NECC) has been discussing issues such as the dollar exchange rate volatility, export-import policies and banking sector reforms as well as the relaxation of rules in the government tender process.

The meeting comes after the business community complained of chronic losses due to the instability of the exchange rate which made inflation rates rise at the fastest pace in recent years. This affected imports and also raised fuel and transportation costs and overall consumer costs in the country. A government report said that year-on-year inflation accelerated to a record 7.56 percent between May and July this year compared to 5.90 percent for the same period of 2017.

A recent survey by the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) said the overall economy has declined since 2016. The survey revealed, this year has been the worst across all sectors and that the most significant reasons are higher taxations and tariffs, restrictive rules in financing and banking, depreciation of the kyat, increasing costs and inflation, unstable rules and regulations and competition from foreign companies.

In 2016, Myanmar's State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi met business executives and development partners six months after the NLD government took office in Naypyitaw. She promised transparency and accountability in the country's economic system.

However, at Monday's meeting Daw Aung San Suu Kyi made another promise that her government is completing the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan which involves not only policies but also action plans for future economic reforms in Myanmar.

She said, the biggest deterrent for economic growth is weaknesses in collaborative relationships among the Union, regional governments and the business community. She also called for more unity among them.

In her opening speech, which lasted about 35 minutes, she asked the businesses people repeatedly to assist the government's reforms for economic growth.

"Some don't want to see our government achieve—don't act like that. If you make the government fail, you also make the country fail. Together, help this country to achieve [reform]," she stressed.

She emphasized that the NLD government needs the support of the business community in the ongoing peace and national reconciliation processes.

The government is trying to simplify the tender process which was the subject of many complaints especially over delays in the process, she said. She also added that business people need to report officials who they had to bribe for a speedy tender process.

"It is important to clear corruption in the business sector. If we clear corruption, international [businesses] will respect us, so they will want to invest in our country. For that reason, you all need to collaborate to fight corruption in the business community," she said.

She asked the attendees to collaborate on NECC activities for long-term economic growth and also to frankly give advice on the reform process.

Economic reforms are a key goal for Aung San Suu Kyi's government in order to complete Myanmar's democratic transition after almost six decades of isolation under military dictatorship. NLD lawmakers approved the Myanmar Companies Law in November 2017, which has been one of the major legislative achievements of the government. It took effect on August 1 this year, replacing the outdated Myanmar Companies Act of 1914. The law aims to favor foreign investment and make business regulations more efficient and effective, allowing local companies to accept foreign capital and expertise via joint-ventures.

The government also unveiled a 12-point policy plan in 2016 and enacted the Myanmar Investment Law to create more opportunities for foreign investment and to ensure transparency and a level playing field for all businesses.

However, according to the World Bank's 2018 report titled "Ease of Doing Business", Myanmar declined one place compared to 2017, ranking 171st of 190 countries while Cambodia ranked 141st, Laos 125th and Vietnam 68th.

Moreover, Chairman of Myanmar Investment Commission, U Thaung Tun said on Friday that foreign investments in Myanmar dropped by nearly $900 million during the 2017-2018 fiscal year compared to 2016-2017.

At the meeting, three people from the business sector advised the government to rein in the exchange rate instability, to implement some financial rules on trade, to relax taxation and import substitution which, they said, would advocate replacing foreign imports with domestic production.

The state counselor said, she could not promise to implement all the suggestions but that the government would work on the most important and practical reforms for the long-term economic growth of the country.

The post State Counselor Offers Reassurances Amid Economic Woes appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Bangladesh: UN Helping Assess Island Relocation Plan for Rohingya Refugees

Posted: 27 Aug 2018 06:26 AM PDT

COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh — The UN is helping Bangladesh assess the viability of a flood-prone island in the Bay of Bengal for the relocation of some of the 1 million Rohingya refugees currently sheltering in Cox’s Bazar, according to a government official.

A recent survey says most of the refugees don’t want to go.

The Prime Minister’s Office formed a 10-member committee earlier this year headed by Muhammad Mohsin, an additional secretary at the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, to decide if Bhasan Char island was suitable for relocation. The committee, comprised of five members each from the Bangladesh government and the UN, held its first meeting in June.

"The joint committee will inspect the island and will report to the government on whether it is habitable," Muhammad Habibul Kabir Chowdhury, head of refugee affairs at the Disaster Management Ministry, told The Irrawaddy last week.

He said the full committee has not yet held a second meeting because the chairman was abroad.

However, some Bangladeshi officials held a separate meeting with Nojibur Rahman, principal secretary to the prime minister, on Aug. 8 to review progress.

Habibul Kabir, who attended the meeting with Najibur, said refugees, journalists and others would be taken to visit the island before any relocations begin to show off the preparations being made to fortify the camp against cyclones.

The local UN office could not be reached for comment.

In November, the Bangladesh Navy floated tenders for the construction of a "rehabilitation center" on Bhasan Char for Rohingya refugees.

A senior official with the Cox’s Bazar Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commission said the new camp had not yet been tested in a real storm, so "we have to see how habitable it will be during and after it is hit by any cyclone."

"Rohingya leaders will be taken to the island to see whether or not it is habitable," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

In late June, the Special Branch of the Bangladesh police force prepared a report for the Prime Minister’s Office on the results of a survey on whether Rohingya refugees were willing to relocate to Bhasan Char.

"Out 100 Rohingya, hardly 13 percent are willing to be relocated to Bhasan Char, while the remaining 87 [percent] are willing to stay in Ukhiya and Tekhnaf in Cox's Bazar District," the report says.

The report, seen by The Irrawaddy, gives 10 reasons why the refugees do not want to move to the island. They include the site’s isolation, which they fear will limit their access to medicine and other relief supplies and separate them from relatives.

"Many Rohingya earn their living by catching fish and collecting crabs. They believe they will not have similar opportunities when they are relocated to the island," the report says.

It adds that many of the refugees in Ukhiya and Tekhnaf also have jobs through various UN agencies that won’t be available on Bhasan Char.

"There will be a cyclone center for them with every facility,” Habibul Kabir said. “They will be given better livelihoods there. In particular, they will be given access to the justice system."

Muhammad Ali, however, the head of one of the refugee camps in Ukhiya, said most of the refugees were opposed to the move.

"Most of us do not want to go to the island, considering the cyclones and other vulnerabilities," he said. "We prefer to go back to our country with dignity and citizenship rights."

Foreign Affairs Ministry officials say they are prioritizing repatriation over relocation or resettlement in third countries.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal visited the island with senior security officials on Sept. 28 to see “how the island looks.”

On Sept. 10, Disaster Management Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya said his ministry was still considering relocating refugees to Bhasan Char until they can be repatriated to Myanmar.

Authorities first proposed resettling Rohingya refugees on the island in 2015 to cope with a recent influx of arrivals at Cox’s Bazar.

With the arrival of another 700,000 Rohingya driven out of Myanmar by a military crackdown in northern Rakhine State since August 2017, bringing the total refugee population in Cox’z Bazar to about 1 million, Bangladesh has asked the UN to help fund the relocation plan.

Bhasan Char, located in the estuary of the Meghna River, is a one-hour boat ride from Sandwip, the nearest inhabited island, and two hours from Hatiya, one of Bangladesh’s largest islands.

"We are not allowing anyone to visit the camp right at this moment, but we will have official visits once it is ready for Rohingya," said Habibul Kabir.

The post Bangladesh: UN Helping Assess Island Relocation Plan for Rohingya Refugees appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Karen National Union Recommits to Peace Process at Meeting

Posted: 27 Aug 2018 05:04 AM PDT

Mon State — The Karen Nation Union (KNU) has decided to continue working toward a peace deal with the government after a three-week meeting to review the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), which it signed along with several other of the country’s ethnic armed groups in 2015.

Of the 55 members of the KNU’s central executive committee, 46 attended the meeting in Karen State from Aug. 6 to 24.

Committee member Padoh Saw Th’mein Tun told The Irrawaddy on Monday that the KNU decided to continue striving for a lasting peace with the government.

"Time will make a decision for the KNU. As long as the NCA exists, the KNU will continue to work on it," he said.

Padoh Saw Th’mein Tun said the KNU would engage with the government, as it has been doing, primarily through the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee and the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee.

The KNU, he added, would also encourage other ethnic armed groups — especially the seven members of the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee — to sign the NCA, which it considers the best way for ethnic minorities to work toward their political ambitions.

"We do not yet know what our efforts will achieve. When we reach the final chapters, we would know," Padoh Saw Th’mein Tun said.

He noted, however, that the KNU’s armed wing, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), would continue to defend the territory it currently holds and resist any attempt by the military to take it.

The KNLA fought with the military earlier this year when the military attempted to rehabilitate a road on land the KNLA claims without securing approval in advance. The military stopped working on the road after a meeting between KNU Chairman Padoh Saw Mutu Sae Poe and Myanmar military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in May, but it has not withdrawn its troops from the area.

After its three-week meeting this month, the KNU also released a statement announcing that it would be holding a public forum to gather feedback on the peace process from ethnic Karen, though it did not say where or when.

Before signed the NCA, the KNU struck a ceasefire deal with the government in 2012, after international aid groups started cutting off support to camps for people displaced by Myanmar’s civil war along the country’s border with Thailand.

The KNU said displaced people still sheltering along the border should not be pressured to return to their communities until they feel ready to do so safely and that it would be asking aid agencies to resume supporting them.

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John McCain Was an Outspoken Champion of Democracy in Myanmar

Posted: 27 Aug 2018 04:56 AM PDT

YANGON — US Senator John McCain, who died on Saturday, was no stranger to Myanmar. The 81-year-old was a consistent supporter of democratic change in the country and actively lobbied to impose sanctions against its former military rulers.

He first visited in 1996 and met with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the then opposition leader. He was subsequently banned by the military government for 15 years, not visiting Myanmar again until 2011.

"I acknowledge that this new government represents some change from the past, and one illustration of this change was their willingness to allow me to return to this country after 15 years' worth of attempts to do so on my part were rejected," he said during his second visit.

When Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was detained by the military regime following clashes between her supporters and pro-government demonstrators in northern Myanmar in 2003, the US lawmaker was furious. He took to the Senate floor to call on the US administration to take further steps to isolate the military government, calling on Congress to consider legislation banning Myanmar imports to the US and urging European parliaments to do likewise.

"The junta cannot oversee the reform and opening of Burma, for it remains the biggest obstacle to the freedom and prosperity of the Burmese people," he stressed. "Burma cannot change as long as the junta rules, without restraint or remorse."

Fast-forward to 2011, when, allowed back in the country, he held a series of meetings with officials of the then military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party-led government as well as with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

After the meetings, he told the media that the new government wanted a better relationship with the US, adding that the US would respond positively if Myanmar made progress through "tangible actions."

"But as I told the government leaders … any improvement in relations will need to be built not on warm words, but on concrete actions," he said.

Since then, Myanmar has begun a democratic transition that led to the 2015 general election, which paved the way for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy to become the country's ruling party. In 2016, the US ended its sanctions against Myanmar.

But when Myanmar security forces launched operations against the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army in late 2017, triggering the exodus of nearly 700,000 Rohingya to Bangladesh, McCain, speaking as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he would strip language from a bill authorizing defense spending that would have expanded US military cooperation with Myanmar.

He and a group of his colleagues introduced a resolution calling on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, now Myanmar's de facto leader, to intervene in the Rohingya issue.

"But there has been no action to date," McCain said in September last year.

More than a month before his death, he called for the release of two Reuters journalists arrested in Myanmar on suspicion of violating the Official Secrets Act. He described the charges against them as "outrageous and politically motivated."

"The bogus charges should be dropped, and these journalists should be released immediately," McCain said in a post on Twitter.

The verdict in the journalists' case was supposed to be delivered on Monday, but was postponed to next week as the judge was not well, according to a court announcement.

The post John McCain Was an Outspoken Champion of Democracy in Myanmar appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Myanmar Generals Had ‘Genocidal Intent’ Against Rohingya, UN Says

Posted: 27 Aug 2018 04:50 AM PDT

GENEVA — Myanmar's military carried out mass killings and gang rapes of Muslim Rohingya with "genocidal intent" and the commander-in-chief and five generals should be prosecuted for orchestrating the gravest crimes under law, UN investigators said on Monday.

The civilian government led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has allowed hate speech to thrive, destroyed documents and failed to protect minorities from crimes against humanity and war crimes by Myanmar's Army (or Tatmadaw) in Rakhine, Kachin and Shan states, they said in a report.

In doing so, it "contributed to the commission of atrocity crimes," the report said.

A year ago, government troops led a brutal crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine State in response to attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) on 30 Myanmar police posts and a military base.

Some 700,000 Rohingya fled the crackdown and most are now living in refugee camps in neighboring Bangladesh. The UN report said the military action, which included the torching of villages, was "grossly disproportionate to actual security threats."

The UN defines genocide as acts meant to destroy a national, ethnic, racial or religious group in whole or in part. Such a designation is rare under international law, but has been used in countries including Bosnia and Sudan and in the Islamic State campaign against the Yazidi communities in Iraq and Syria.

"The crimes in Rakhine State, and the manner in which they were perpetrated, are similar in nature, gravity and scope to those that have allowed genocidal intent to be established in other contexts," said the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar.

In the final 20-page report, it said: "There is sufficient information to warrant the investigation and prosecution of senior officials in the Tatmadaw (Army) chain of command, so that a competent court can determine their liability for genocide in relation to the situation in Rakhine State."

The Myanmar government, which was sent an advance copy of the UN report in line with standard practice, has not commented. Contacted by phone, Myanmar military spokesman Major-General Tun Tun Nyi said he could not immediately comment.

The UN panel, led by former Indonesian Attorney General Marzuki Darusman, named the Myanmar Army's commander-in-chief, Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing, and five other generals who should face justice.

They included Brigadier-General Aung Aung, commander of the 33rd Light Infantry Division, which oversaw operations in the coastal village of Inn Din where 10 Rohingya captive boys and men were killed.

Reuters was unable to contact Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing or Brig-Gen. Aung Aung on Monday.

The massacre was uncovered by two Reuters journalists, Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, who were arrested as a result last December and are being tried on charges of violating the country's Official Secrets Act. The court had been due to deliver its verdict on Monday, but at a brief hearing earlier the proceedings were postponed until Sept. 3.

In April, seven soldiers were sentenced to 10 years in prison with hard labor for participating in the massacre.

The report said Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, "has not used her de facto position as head of government, nor her moral authority, to stem or prevent the unfolding events, or seek alternative avenues to meet a responsibility to protect the civilian population."

Suu Kyi's spokesman, Zaw Htay, could not immediately be reached for comment on Monday.

The top UN human rights official, Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, has called the crackdown against the Rohingya a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing."

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's government has rejected most allegations of atrocities made against the security forces by refugees. It has built transit centers to receive Rohingya returnees to western Rakhine state, but UN aid agencies say that it is not yet safe for them to return.

The UN Security Council should ensure all perpetrators are held to account, preferably by referring Myanmar to the International Criminal Court (ICC) or by creating an ad hoc tribunal, the investigators said.

The Security Council should "adopt targeted individual sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes, against those who appear most responsible for serious crimes under international law" and impose an arms embargo on Myanmar, they said.

The four other generals the UN panel said should be prosecuted were named as the army deputy commander-in-chief, Vice Senior-General Soe Win; the commander of the Bureau of Special Operations-3, Lieutenant-General Aung Kyaw Zaw; the commander of Western Regional Military Command, Major-General Maung Maung Soe; and the commander of 99th Light Infantry Division, Brigadier-General Than Oo.

Reuters was not able to contact those four generals on Monday.

The panel, set up last year, interviewed 875 victims and witnesses in Bangladesh and other countries, and analyzed documents, videos, photographs and satellite images.

Decades of state-sponsored stigmatization against Rohingya had resulted in "institutionalized oppression from birth to death," the report said.

The Rohingya, who regard themselves as native to Rakhine State, are widely considered as interlopers by Myanmar's Buddhist majority and are denied citizenship.

"The Tatmadaw acts with complete impunity and has never been held accountable. Its standard response is to deny, dismiss and obstruct," the UN report said.

The report also criticized Facebook's response to allegations, including by members of the same UN panel in March, that the social media giant had been used to incite violence and hatred against the Rohingyas.

"Although improved in recent months, Facebook's response has been slow and ineffective. The extent to which Facebook posts and messages have led to real-world discrimination and violence must be independently and thoroughly examined," it said.

Facebook declined to comment in an emailed statement, saying it had not yet seen the report.

Facebook said in a statement issued 10 days ago following a Reuters investigative report into its failure to combat hate speech against the Rohingya and other Muslims that it had been "too slow" to address the problem in Myanmar and was acting to remedy the situation by hiring more Burmese speakers and investing in technology to identify problematic content.

International courts have a mixed record on prosecutions for genocide.

In 2008, a UN court sentenced former army colonel Theoneste Bagosora, accused of masterminding the slaughter of 800,000 people in Rwanda in 1994, to life in prison on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity. His sentence was later cut to 35 years on appeal.

In 2016, former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic was convicted by UN judges of genocide for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre. He is appealing the conviction.

The ICC issued arrest warrants for Sudan President Omar al-Bashir in 2009 and 2010 over his alleged role in war crimes including genocide in Sudan's breakaway Darfur province in 2003. He remains in office.

The post Myanmar Generals Had 'Genocidal Intent' Against Rohingya, UN Says appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ex-Generals Apply to Form New Political Party

Posted: 27 Aug 2018 04:41 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW — Ex-ministers U Soe Maung and U Lun Maung have applied to the Union Election Commission to form a political party.

"They submitted the applications a couple of days ago. [According to election law], there must be at least 15 members [in a political party]. I don't remember other names. We are scrutinizing according to procedure," spokesperson of the UEC U Myint Naing told The Irrawaddy.

Their party is named the "National Political Party," he said.

Both of them are ex-generals. U Soe Maung served as the minister of the President's Office under former President U Thein Sein's government. He lost the general election in 2015.

U Lun Maung served as the auditor-general under the military regime and U Thein Sein's quasi-civilian government until he was allowed to take a rest from his duties in 2012. He has since run a restaurant in Mon State's Bilin Township.

Former chairman of the Union Civil Service Board U Kyaw Thu is also among the applicants, said ex-general U Ko Ko Naing.

"I also heard that the party is led by ex-President's Office minister U Soe Maung," he said.

U Soe Maung declined to comment on the policies of his party while the UEC has not yet made a decision regarding the proposal. "It is too early to talk about our party. We'll make arrangements," he told The Irrawaddy.

The Irrawaddy was unable to contact U Lun Maung.

U Kyaw Thu did not confirm or deny reports that he is a member of U Soe Maung's party.

"Some friends of mine who are planning to establish a political party have asked me to join them. I have personal ties to Ko Soe Maung. We have known each other for a long time. You will know when the time is appropriate," said U Kyaw Thu.

An official of the opposition Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), who does not want to be named, suggested that the party might be a preparation for ex-general U Shwe Mann to contest the 2020 general election. But it is quite unlikely if U Lun Maung is also included, he said.

U Shwe Mann was purged from the USDP in August 2015 in what was believed to be a power struggle between him and former President U Thein Sein. U Shwe Mann now serves as the chairman of the Legal Affairs and Special Cases Assessment Commission of Myanmar's Parliament thanks to his close ties with State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

U Ko Ko Naing, who is also a member of the U Shwe Mann's commission, dismissed the suggestion.

"It is not like that. The party may be led only by U Soe Maung. He may not partner with others except his close friends," said U Ko Ko Naing.

Many in the political circle believe that U Lun Maung was forced to retire under U Thein Sein's government because of U Shwe Mann, who was then the speaker of the Lower House.

According to the UEC, Myanmar now has 110 political parties including the latest, the People's Party, led by 1988 pro-democracy activist U Ko Ko Gyi.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Press Freedom Faces Serious Setbacks in Myanmar

Posted: 27 Aug 2018 04:16 AM PDT

The verdict in the case of two Reuters reporters accused of breaching the Official Secrets Act was on Monday postponed until Sept. 3 because the judge overseeing the case was sick, a court official said.

But we must be loud and clear in sending a message that truth and justice cannot be postponed. In searching for the truth, the two reporters, Ko Wa Lone and Ko Kyaw Soe Oo, were just doing their job and did not commit any crime.

After the brief hearing, diplomats and journalists who had gathered at the court to hear the verdict were gratified when Ko Wa Lone told them: "We are not afraid or shaken. The truth is on our side. Whatever the situation is, we will not be shaken. They cannot make us weak."

He is right.

Many have been disappointed by the poor treatment of the press by the elected government of the de facto national leader, State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The administration has kept local and independent media at arm's length, choosing to speak only to international news outlets on occasion. President U Win Myint has yet to hold a press briefing or meet with any media outlets in Myanmar.

Last year, much to the chagrin of her own supporters, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi told Japanese broadcaster NHK that the two reporters "were arrested because they broke the Official Secrets Act."

She added, "We cannot say now whether they were guilty or not. That will be up to the judiciary."

The state counselor was herself locked up several times following unlawful trials staged by kangaroo courts – some sentences and extensions of her house arrest were simply meted out in her own lakeside residence, where she herself was held prisoner for decades. If she believes Myanmar's judiciary is independent and should be transparent and accountable, the two reporters should be released immediately.

It is being said with increasing frequency that Myanmar, after making a promising start at change, is now going back to the bad old days and that we are living in challenging times for journalists. As in earlier times, a climate of fear is spreading among the press. It should be said, however, that we are aware we have not yet returned to the conditions seen under Senior General Than Shwe or spymaster General Khin Nyunt.

Nonetheless, the image of the government has been seriously tarnished on many fronts, including maintaining law and order and stability, and keeping its promises of change and allowing the fourth estate to flourish.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was once known for standing up to the repressive military regime of the past; many had hoped that a government under her leadership would allow greater press freedom in Myanmar, but in reality the opposite has occurred.

Myanmar's reformist former President U Thein Sein eased media restrictions, scrapped the censorship board and lifted bans on exiled media and websites, including The Irrawaddy. We were allowed to operate inside the country from 2012; alarmingly, the media space we were granted then has been curtailed and press freedom has since deteriorated.

Self-censorship has replaced the notorious press censorship that was active under the military regime. We also face a serious challenge from the Ministry of Home Affairs, which is under the direct control of the armed forces and is not media friendly. To the contrary, it takes a hard line against journalists and the media.

On Sept. 3 we hope the judge will attend the session and end this drama by reading out a verdict that frees the two reporters. They deserve an official apology.

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Myanmar Military Chief’s Facebook Page Deleted

Posted: 27 Aug 2018 04:01 AM PDT

YANGON — In a statement published on Facebook's official Newsroom website on Monday afternoon, it was announced that the social media giant had closed accounts and banned a total of 20 individuals and organizations who "committed or enabled serious human rights abuses in the country" including Myanmar military chief Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing.

The move also targeted Myanmar military television network Myawady and Myanmar Daily Star, a mouthpiece for military propaganda, among others. The Facebook page of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief was also shut down which, along with Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing's page and the page of the Myawady television network, had a combined total of more than 6 million subscribers.

The statement says Facebook is acting on a recent report by the UNHRC's Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar that found the Facebook accounts and pages of these individuals and organizations to have directly or indirectly contributed to human rights abuses.

The UN report, published on the official UNHRC website earlier on Monday, stated:

"Myanmar's top military generals, including Commander-in-Chief Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing, must be investigated and prosecuted for genocide in the north of Rakhine State, as well as for crimes against humanity and war crimes in Rakhine, Kachin and Shan States, a report by the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar* today urged."

More than 60 other Facebook pages and accounts said to be spreading military viewpoints and untrue information without support of proper, independent research have also been shut down.

"During a recent investigation, we discovered that they used seemingly independent news and opinion Pages to covertly push the messages of the Myanmar military. This type of behavior is banned on Facebook because we want people to be able to trust the connections they make," read the statement.

The statement, which features a number of screenshots of incriminating posts from the respective Facebook pages, also admits company has been "too slow to act" on the long-reported hate- and violence-inciting accounts, adding that efforts are underway to improve technology for reporting hate speech and content review.

Meanwhile, the official Facebook pages of Myanmar's air force and navy remain live online. The Irrawaddy was not able to contact army spokesman General Tun Tun Nyi for comment today.

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‘Thamee, I Will Be Home Very Soon’: Detained Reuters Reporter Comforts his Daughter

Posted: 27 Aug 2018 02:54 AM PDT

YANGON — Yangon’s Northern District court postponed making a final decision on the case regarding two detained Reuters reporters Ko Wa Lone and Ko Kyaw Soe Oo this morning, rescheduling announcement of the verdict for next Monday, as the associate judge U Ye Lwin has been on sick leave since August 24.

The journalists were detained on Dec. 12 last year and have been facing an ongoing trial while incarcerated at Insein Prison since then. Their arrest came within half an hour of receiving a set of documents from police officers in Htauk Kyant on the outskirts of Yangon. A number of the officers had recently been transferred from northern Rakhine’s strife-torn Maungdaw Township to Myanmar's commercial capital Yangon.

The journalists were accused of possessing classified documents and charged under the colonial-era Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.

Dozens of journalists from both local and international news outlets arrived at the court around two hours in advance along with some diplomats including US Ambassador Scot Marciel and EU Ambassador Kristian Schmidt as well as other representatives from international organizations.

The small courtroom space with around 70 seats was crowded with journalists and diplomats. Additionally, dozens of journalists and observers were waiting outside the courtroom expecting the final decision to be made today. Some wore white T-shirts sporting the slogan “Journalism is not a crime.”

Ko Wa Lone and Ko Kyaw Soe Oo were brought in handcuffs to the courtroom at 9:40 a.m. Ko Kyaw Soe Oo’s young daughter cried when she saw her father in handcuffs. He calmly comforted his beloved daughter saying, “Thamee, I will be home very soon.”

The wife (left) and daughter of Ko Kyaw Soe Oo at Monday’s court hearing. (Photo : Htet Wai/ The Irrawaddy)

Soon after their arrival, a new male judge came into courtroom on behalf of associate judge U Ye Lwin and quickly announced that U Ye Lwin had been on sick leave since Aug. 24 and that the hearing is to be rescheduled for next Monday.

"How can we know if the judge is really sick or not? On a positive note, he will have more time to consider the judgment he is going to make, said U Than Zaw Aung, one of the defense lawyers for the journalists.

Regarding the verdict postponement, Human Rights Watch’s Asia Division, issued an urgent statement on Monday.

HRW Asia’s Deputy Director Phil Robertson wrote in that statement, "Sending these two Reuters reporters back to jail for another week just because someone else can't read an already written verdict shows again how both common sense and justice is failing in Myanmar’s judicial system.“

Before the surprise arrest last December, the reporters were investigating a massacre, which took place in the Rakhine village of Inn Din where villagers, police and army soldiers executed 10 Rohingya men. In April, the army officially announced that seven soldiers had been sentenced to 10 years in prison with hard labor in a remote area of Myanmar for participating in the mass killing.

The killings took place during the military's crackdown on Rakhine State's Rohingya communities following militant attacks on security outposts. The United Nations says the military crackdown has sent nearly 700,000 people fleeing to Bangladesh.

The journalists' defense lawyers say their clients were "trapped" by police in an effort to interfere with their reporting of a massacre of Rohingya Muslims.  Moreover, a police captain Moe Yan Naing, who met with Ko Wa Lone and Ko Kyaw Soe Oo at Htauk Kyant on the night of their arrest, was initially listed as a key witness of the prosecutor but during the court hearing claimed that they had “set up” two reporters on the instructions of his superiors.

The prosecutor announced Police Captain Moe Yan Naing a hostile witness and later the home affairs ministry announced he had violated police discipline and was dismissed from his position, receiving a one-year prison sentence.

Although the government prosecutor claimed documents found in the reporters' mobile phones were top-secret documents, defense lawyer U Than Zaw Aung pointed out that contents of the documents had been publicly announced in government newspapers previously.

The hearings have been taking place since January. In total, 22 out of an initial 25 witnesses testified; three were removed from the list of witnesses, including Police Sergeant Khin Maung Lin, who was fired by the police and whose whereabouts have been unknown since May.

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Dozens of Myanmar Nationals Deported from US Arrive in Yangon

Posted: 27 Aug 2018 01:39 AM PDT

YANGON — The US has deported nearly 30 Myanmar nationals convicted of crimes, and more are expected to follow, Dr. Ro Dinga, president of the Burmese American Community Institute (BACI), told The Irrawaddy.

The US government sent a list of 47 Myanmar nationals slated for deportation to the Myanmar Embassy in Washington two months ago. Of these, 27 were deported on Aug. 22, according to the BACI.

"The government didn't want to take them back. So the US government put a visa embargo on officials at the level of director-general and above at the Home Affairs Ministry and the Immigration Department. The Myanmar government then relented and said it would take them back, and 27 Myanmar nationals were deported to Yangon," Dr. Ro Dinga said.

The US government flew the 27 back to Myanmar on a chartered flight. They arrived in Yangon on Aug. 22. Seven of them are ethnic Chin, six are Bamar and the rest are Karen.

Twenty others will also be deported but the date is not yet known, Dr. Ro Dinga said.

"I read that they were deported because they committed crimes. I don't know exactly what happened," said Ngai Sek, chairman of the Chin National League for Democracy.

The Irrawaddy was not able to obtain a comment from Immigration Department officials about the deportations.

According to BACI, some of the deported individuals committed domestic violence offenses, some overstayed their visas, some forged passports and some violated other immigration laws.

"I'm sorry for that," said Dr. Ro Dinga. "The [US] government has tightened restrictions."

The deportation was carried out by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. The agency recently deported nearly 500 Cambodian nationals.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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FDI Drops $900M in 2017-18 Fiscal Year

Posted: 27 Aug 2018 01:11 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW — Foreign direct investment (FDI) into Myanmar declined by nearly US$900 million in the 2017-18 fiscal year compared to the previous fiscal year, according to chairman of the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) U Thaung Tun.

"Despite the drop in investment volume, the number of foreign investors and invested businesses increased," U Thaung Tun said as he explained the MIC for 2017-18 fiscal year report on Friday in Parliament.

The chairman did not provide details about the reasons behind the decline or which sectors were hit the hardest.

In the 2016-17 fiscal year, Myanmar received US$6.649 billion from 25 countries in 138 businesses belonging to seven sectors.

Twenty-eight countries invested in the country in the 2017-18 fiscal year, and China, the Netherlands, Japan, Korea, Britain and the United States of America were the top investors.

When foreign investment was allowed for the first time in 1988 to date, China, Singapore and Thailand have been the major investors in Myanmar, according to the MIC report.

The manufacturing sector attracted a large proportion of foreign investment, accounting for 30.94 percent of total investment. This was followed by real estate development and the service sector.

Last year, US investment in developing countries around the world totaled nearly US$1.2 trillion and Myanmar received US$5 billion. Meanwhile, potential US investors retreated after the country changed its economic policies, said Lower House lawmaker U Aung Hlaing Win of Mingaladon Township.

"In the past, we received certain levels of investment because it is normal [for investors] to reap around 10 percent profit [on investments] in developing countries. And they usually get 30 percent profit in the oil and gas sector," he said.

"But these days, taxes are levied strictly and there are also industrial disputes," he added.

There have been weaknesses in implementing economic policies under successive governments, said U Aung Hlaing Win, adding that inflation, land disputes and exorbitant land prices also hinder investors.

"Lately, an investor came and said that he needed about 50 acres of land. It is not yet clear if he has to buy the land or if the government will lease it," said U Aung Hlaing Win.

"In our country, it seems that the MIC approves business proposals only when an investor has land, capital and technology.  It is impossible for investors to fulfill all those requirements. The government should help fulfill them. But it can't," he added.

The government should ease its restrictions on land utilization, for example, allowing the use of farmland for other purposes.

"If there is improved access to electricity, better transportation and political stability, things will get better," said U Kyaw Myo, general manager of CP Co.

"Investors have no confidence and dare not take risks. As there is no mass production in the country and we have to rely on imports, this allows manipulation of the cost of a dollar. There must be circulation of money in an economy. But some who seek to exploit the situation have held money in order to manipulate the price. So, there are few exports and this leads to economic decline," he said.

In the 2017-18 fiscal year, Myanmar received US$5.718 billion in 222 businesses in nine sectors. Meanwhile, the investment of citizen investors totaled almost 4 trillion kyats (US$2.6 billion).

"Foreign investors will come only when they can make a profit. Economic prospects are not very encouraging next year," U Aung Hlaing Win told reporters.

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Half the World’s Schools Lack Clean Water, Toilets and Handwashing

Posted: 26 Aug 2018 10:13 PM PDT

LONDON — Nearly half the world’s schools lack clean drinking water, toilets and handwashing facilities, putting millions of children at risk of disease, experts warned on Monday.

Almost 900 million children have to contend with a lack of basic hygiene facilities during their education, putting their health at risk and meaning some have to miss school.

“You can’t have a quality learning environment without these basics,” said Dr. Rick Johnston of the World Health Organization (WHO), a lead researcher on the project.

“Children may not come to school at all if there’s no toilets … Then, when they are at school, they are not going to [be] at their very best if they [are] not able to use a decent toilet or if they are not properly hydrated.”

World leaders have signed up to global pledges to provide safe water and hygiene facilities for all and ensure every child gets a comprehensive education by 2030 under the UN’s sustainable development goals.

A lack of safe water and sanitation facilities can cause dehydration, illness and even death.

But many children are forced to risk their health to take part in classes, according to the report produced jointly by the United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF and the WHO, the first to look specifically at provision in schools.

It found nearly a third of primary and secondary schools lacked a safe and reliable drinking water supply, affecting nearly 570 million children. Nearly 20 percent of schools had no safe drinking water at all.

Just over a third of schools lacked adequate toilet facilities, affecting more than 620 million children. Almost one in five primary schools and one in eight secondary schools were considered to have no sanitation.

Nearly half lacked proper handwashing facilities, essential for helping prevent the spread of infections and disease. Nearly 900 million children were affected, the report found.

Sub-Saharan Africa, East and Southeast Asia had some of the worst facilities.

“It’s deeply shocking,” Tim Wainwright, the chief executive of charity WaterAid, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

“The consequences are very broad in terms of children’s access to education, general health and state of nutrition.”

Adolescent girls in particular are often forced to miss classes when they are on their periods if there are no proper cleaning and sanitation facilities, he said.

More than a third of girls in South Asia miss school during their periods, often because they lack access to toilets or pads, according to a WaterAid and UNICEF study earlier this year.

The World Bank last year warned countries needed to quadruple spending to $150 billion a year to deliver universal safe water and sanitation.

However, experts say they are optimistic the situation can be quickly improved if leaders treat water, sanitation and hygiene as a priority.

“With political will, it really is possible to deliver good quality services,” said Johnston.

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North Korea to Expel Detained Japanese Tourist

Posted: 26 Aug 2018 09:31 PM PDT

TOKYO/SEOUL — North Korea has detained a Japanese tourist accused of breaking the law during a visit to the country and he will be expelled, the North’s official news agency has said.

Tomoyuki Sugimoto, believed to be a videographer from Shiga prefecture in central Japan, was apparently caught filming a military facility in Nampo city, Kyodo news agency and other Japanese media reported on Monday.

The North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency said on the weekend the Japanese tourist was detained and investigated for an unspecified crime.

“The relevant institution of the DPRK decided to leniently condone him and expel him from the DPRK on the principle of humanitarianism,” the news agency said, referring to the North by its official name.

It was not clear if Sugimoto had left the country.

Japan’s government said on Monday it was aware of the KCNA report.

“The government is putting in all its effort, but we refrain from commenting on details due to the nature of the issue,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference.

Japanese media reported in early August that a Japanese man had been detained in North Korea, and government officials were trying to gather information on him.

Japan, in addition to demanding that North Korea abandon its nuclear weapons and missile programs, has also sought the return of abductees kidnapped during the 1970s and 1980s.

It has said it will not provide any economic aid to Pyongyang until that issue is resolved and normal diplomatic relations have been established.

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Sunday, August 26, 2018

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U.S. Senator John McCain, Ex-POW and Political Maverick, Dies

Posted: 25 Aug 2018 10:38 PM PDT

WASHINGTON— U.S. Senator John McCain, a former prisoner of war in Vietnam who ran unsuccessfully for president as a self-styled maverick Republican in 2008 and became a prominent critic of President Donald Trump, died on Saturday, his office said. He was 81.

McCain, a U.S. senator from Arizona for over three decades, had been battling glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer, discovered by his doctors in July 2017, and had not been at the U.S. Capitol in 2018. He also had surgery for an intestinal infection in April of this year.

His family had announced on Friday that McCain was discontinuing further cancer treatment.

A statement from his office on Saturday said: “Senator John Sidney McCain III died at 4:28 p.m. on August 25, 2018. With the senator when he passed were his wife Cindy and their family. At his death, he had served the United States of America faithfully for sixty years.”

No further details were immediately provided.

“My heart is broken. I am so lucky to have lived the adventure of loving this incredible man for 38 years,” Cindy McCain wrote on Twitter. “He passed the way he lived, on his own terms, surrounded by the people he loved, in the place he loved best.”

The vacancy created by McCain’s death narrowed the Republican majority in the U.S. Senate to 50 seats in the 100-member upper chamber, with Democrats controlling 49 seats. But Republican Arizona Governor Doug Ducey is expected to appoint a member of his own party to succeed McCain.

That could also give Republicans a slight edge in the battle to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court in the weeks ahead, as McCain had been too ill to cast any votes this year.

Alternatively affable and cantankerous, McCain had been in the public eye since the 1960s, when as a naval aviator he was shot down during the Vietnam War and tortured by his North Vietnamese communist captors during 5-1/2 years as a prisoner.

He was edged out by George W. Bush for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000, but became his party’s White House candidate eight years later. After gambling on political neophyte Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate, McCain lost in 2008 to Democrat Barack Obama, who became the first black U.S. president.

Paying tribute to his onetime election opponent, Obama said in a statement that he and McCain, despite their “completely different backgrounds,” and political differences, shared “a fidelity to something higher – the ideals for which generations of Americans and immigrants alike have fought, marched and sacrificed.”

“We saw our political battles, even, as a privilege, something noble, an opportunity to serve as stewards of those high ideals at home, and to advance them around the world,” Obama wrote.

Defense Secretary James Mattis saluted McCain as a figure who “always put service to the nation before self,” and “represented what he believed, that ‘a shared purpose does not claim our identity – on the contrary – it enlarges your sense of self.'”

McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, remained prominent during and after the last White House race as both a frequent critic and target of his fellow Republican, Trump, who was elected president in November 2016.

McCain denounced Trump for among other things his praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin and other leaders the senator described as foreign “tyrants.”

“Flattery secures his friendship, criticism his enmity,” McCain said of Trump in his memoir, “The Restless Wave,” which was released in May.

McCain in July had castigated Trump for his summit with Putin, issuing a statement that called their joint news conference in Helsinki “one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory.” He said Trump was “not only unable but unwilling to stand up to Putin.”

Sources close to McCain have said Trump would not be invited to the funeral.

Shortly after McCain’s death was announced, Trump tweeted: My deepest sympathies and respect go out to the family of Senator John McCain.”

McCain, a foreign policy hawk with a traditional Republican view of world affairs, was admired in both parties for championing civility and compromise during an era of acrid partisanship in U.S. politics. But he also had a famous temper and rarely shied away from a fight. He had several with Trump.

THUMBS-DOWN

He was the central figure in one of the most dramatic moments in Congress of Trump’s presidency when he returned to Washington shortly after his brain cancer diagnosis for a middle-of-the-night Senate vote in July 2017.

Still bearing a black eye and scar from surgery, McCain gave a thumbs-down signal in a vote to scuttle a Trump-backed bill that would have repealed the Obamacare healthcare law and increased the number of Americans without health insurance by millions.

Trump was furious about McCain’s vote and frequently referred to it at rallies, but without mentioning McCain by name.

After Trump in 2015 launched his presidential campaign, McCain condemned his hard-line rhetoric on illegal immigration and said Trump had “fired up the crazies.” Trump retorted that McCain was “not a war hero,” adding: “I like people who weren’t captured.”

After Trump became president, McCain blasted what he called the president’s attempts to undermine the free press and rule of law, and lamented the “half-baked, spurious nationalism” of the Trump era.

McCain denounced Trump’s performance at a summit meeting with Putin in July as “a tragic mistake,” adding, “The damage inflicted by President Trump's naivete, egotism, false equivalence, and sympathy for autocrats is difficult to calculate.”

MCCAIN VS OBAMA

McCain, the son and grandson of U.S. Navy admirals, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona in 1982 after more than two decades of Navy service.

He served four years in the House before Arizona voters elected him to the Senate in 1986 to replace Barry Goldwater, the 1964 Republican presidential nominee revered by conservatives.

In running for president in 2008, McCain tried to succeed an unpopular fellow Republican in Bush, who was leaving office with the country mired in wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and stuck in a financial crisis.

It was a stark contrast between McCain, then a 72-year-old veteran of the Washington establishment, and the 47-year-old Obama, who was offering a “Yes, we can” message of change.

McCain tried to inject some youth and enthusiasm into his campaign with his selection of Palin, Alaska’s governor, as his running mate. But the choice backfired as her political inexperience and shaky performances in media interviews raised concerns about her qualifications.

In his new book, McCain voiced regret for not choosing then-Senator Joe Lieberman, a Democrat turned independent, as his running mate.

McCain wrote that he had originally settled on Lieberman, Democrat Al Gore’s running mate in the 2000 election, but was warned by Republican leaders that Lieberman’s views on social issues, including support for abortion rights, would “fatally divide” the party.

“It was sound advice that I could reason for myself,” McCain wrote. “But my gut told me to ignore it and I wish I had.”

Obama won 53 percent of the vote to McCain’s 45.6 percent.

WAR INJURIES

During the Vietnam War, McCain flew attack planes off aircraft carriers. He was preparing for a bombing run in 1967 when a missile inadvertently fired from another plane hit his fuel tanks, triggering a fatal explosion and fire. He suffered shrapnel wounds.

A few months later on Oct. 26, 1967, McCain’s A-4 Skyhawk was shot down on a bombing mission over North Vietnam’s capital and he suffered two broken arms and a broken leg in the crash. A mob then dragged him from a lake, broke his shoulder and stabbed him.

Held at the notorious “Hanoi Hilton” prison and other sites, McCain was beaten and tortured, suffering broken bones and dysentery. He was released on March 14, 1973, but was left with permanent infirmities.

In Congress, McCain built a generally conservative record, opposing abortion and advocating higher defense spending. He supported Bush’s 2003 invasion of Iraq and criticized Obama for not doing more to intervene in Syria’s civil war.

Still, he prided himself on his reputation as a maverick and had a history of working across party lines on immigration, climate change and campaign finance reform.

He also spoke out against the Bush administration’s use of waterboarding, a torture technique that simulates drowning, and other harsh interrogation tactics on detainees in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

He urged the closure of the prison for foreign terrorism suspects at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and also sponsored an anti-torture measure that passed Congress in 2005.

In a 2002 memoir, McCain wrote, “I’m an independent-minded, well-informed public servant to some. And to others, I’m a self-styled, self-righteous maverick pain in the ass.”

McCain was born on Aug. 29, 1936, at an American naval installation in the Panama Canal Zone – U.S. territory at the time – when his father was stationed there.

He conceded he was a “smart ass” during his years at the U.S. Naval Academy and graduated fifth from the bottom of his class.

McCain divorced his wife Carol after 15 years of marriage in 1980 and weeks later married the former Cindy Henley, daughter of a wealthy beer distributor in Arizona.

A dark period for McCain came as one of the “Keating Five” group of senators accused of improperly intervening with federal regulators to help political contributor and bank executive Charles Keating, whose Lincoln Savings and Loan failed in 1989 at a cost to taxpayers of $3.4 billion.

McCain was cleared of wrongdoing in 1991, but the Senate Ethics Committee rebuked him for poor judgment.

On July 25, 2017, McCain delivered a Senate floor speech not long after his cancer diagnosis that was widely seen as his farewell address. It included a call to fellow Republicans to stand up to Trump and for all lawmakers to work together to keep America as a “beacon of liberty” in the world.

“That is the cause that binds us and is so much more powerful and worthy than the small differences that divide us,” McCain said.

 

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Saturday, August 25, 2018

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This Week in Parliament

Posted: 25 Aug 2018 03:03 AM PDT

Monday (Aug. 20)

In the  Union Parliament, Deputy Construction Minister U Kyaw Lin said his ministry would take action against private companies that fail to meet government standards when building schools.

Nearly 40 lawmakers joined the second week of debate on the Joint Public Accounts Committee's report on construction works for the Basic Education Department in the 2017-18 fiscal year. Many accused the Construction Ministry of poor oversight of private construction companies.

Tuesday (Aug. 21)

A bill to replace the 1986 Gambling Law was introduced in the Lower House by the Public Affairs Committee. The bill would make casinos legal but place them off-limits to Myanmar citizens.

Wednesday (Aug. 22)

There was no parliamentary session.

Thursday (Aug. 23)

In the Upper House, military representative Lieutenant Colonel Aung Tun Lin objected to the use of the word "dictatorship" by lawmaker U Khin Maung Latt to describe the past military government while discussing the use of farmland.

Friday (Aug. 24)

The Myanmar Investment Commission submitted its report on Myanmar's investment flows in the 2017-18 fiscal year.

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Myanmar’s Print Media Struggles to Survive

Posted: 24 Aug 2018 11:21 PM PDT

Ko Ye Ni: Welcome to Dateline Irrawaddy. We are going to

talk about the dwindling numbers of newspapers and journals at newsstands during the National League for Democracy-led government term. I have invited U Ko Ko (RIT) of Democracy Today and the Yangon Times, and Ko Zaw Thet Htwe of Tomorrow and the Healthcare Journals. I am Ye Ni, the editor of the Irrawaddy Burmese edition.

Ko Ye Ni: When we look at the current situation, the People’s Cause Journal formerly published by Union Minister U Pe Myint stopped printing recently. And the latest newspaper that disappeared from newsstands was Thandawsint. I would like to ask why are these newspapers vanishing one by one? I'll ask Saya U Ko Ko first. Is this because of social media or is it market competition or something else?

U Ko Ko: Is it because of the popularity of social media like Facebook? I would have to say both yes and no. Yes because online media does play a part in the decline of print media but it cannot be blamed entirely on that. There are many reasons that print media suffers. As you just said, it faces fierce competition from other media.

It also has to do with Myanmar's current economic situation. The survival of print media depends largely on advertising. When the economy is good, businessmen can spend more on ads. The number of advertisements has fallen sharply. The number of ads in print media has fallen about 15 percent this year, according to advertising agencies. Although that goes for the entire industry, it is estimated that the print media private sector lost 50 to 60 percent of its advertisements this year. The private sector cannot compete with state-run media in terms of price and market. We also cannot blame businessmen who advertise in state media because they have to take circulation and distribution into consideration. So, both social media and the economy are contributing to the gradual decline of private newspapers.

Ko Ye Ni: As U Ko Ko just said, print media has to compete with state media for market share. As they complete in terms of advertising, prices and logistics, they are not on a level playing field. Has this been discussed with the minister of information? As far as we know, State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi plans to discuss the economic situation with businesspeople. But it is unclear if anyone from the media industry will participate. How should the government help the print media industry?

Zaw Thet Htwe: We have learned that the state counselor will meet with businesspeople on Aug. 26 and 27, but we don't know if anyone from the media will be there. In my opinion, they should be. We need to ask what the government's attitude toward private media in the democratic transition

We have three questions. Will the government allow print media to survive or will it kill it? Will it leave it in place as is to save face with the international community? And what path should we take?

We are in a crisis because the US dollar has appreciated and the price of paper is rising. Printing costs have gone up and businesses can no longer afford to advertise. Our advertising income has fallen. We have had to reduce our workforce, lower our paper grade and reduce the number of pages. If the government continues to neglect the problem, they are in essence killing private media. If they desire to help us survive, we could discuss methods at the upcoming meeting.

Ko Ye Ni: Saya U Ko Ko, as you just said, when a country's economy declines, as does advertising revenue.

However, The Irrawaddy, despite being online media, also relies on advertisements, which we have gotten less of than expected. Income from advertising is falling. The problem is not just limited to print media. Is television suffering the same fate or are they profitable at this time?

U Ko Ko: Every sector of the media industry is doing poorly, but to a different extent. Print media was in the intensive care unit and it was an emergency. It has been given oxygen, but its charts rise and fall unpredictably. Everyone worries that it will stop breathing.

Broadcast media is being treated at an outpatient center. Doctors are examining it but we aren't yet sure if a remedy will be prescribed or if it will also be sent to the hospital.

This is an allegory but broadcast media does have to go to the doctor, because it also relies on advertising revenue. Broadcast media has to spend more money than both print and online media. The problem facing this industry is that advertisers tend to choose which channels to use based on content but not by brand. If a program has a large audience, advertisers put all of their money there. When that program ends, the money follows the audience. The difference is that advertisers choose broadcast media based and content but print and online media based on brand.

The problem is, which comes first, the chicken or the egg?

Without money, we resort to producing low-cost programs. It is unlikely that people will be interested in these programs, making it unlikely that we will have a large audience or receive advertisements. As a result, we don't have the money to produce quality programs.

Ko Ye Ni: Do businesses solely advertise in entertainment, as opposed to education or news programs?

U Ko Ko: No. But this is the case in programs that discuss politics because people are afraid to advertise during these programs and worry that they could become scapegoats.

They shun these programs that they see as critical or attacking and they invest in entertainment in all of the media sectors.

The problem is that content covered by the Fourth Estate does not receive funding. This funding is in crisis.

Ko Ye Ni: What would be the worst-case scenario if independent private media withered away?

Zaw Thet Htwe: It is the government that won the hearts and minds of the people. We thought that we would be able to enjoy more independence, freedom, transparency and prosperity. With a better economy, we would be better informed regarding international media also. We expected so much and we have been wrong so far.

Part of this has to do with the government's attitude toward private media. At times, it has made them tense and they have even taken legal action and detained journalists. We understand that we cannot criticize the Tatmadaw because it is dangerous but we are concerned that we are unable to criticize the civilian government as well. With the economy declining and the US dollar appreciating, our chance of survival decreases even more – with Rays of Light and Thandatsint being just some of the victims.

U Ko Ko: I also had to shut down Flower News.

Zaw Thet Htwe: So, journals that had been in existence for about two decades have. Doors to freedom of expression have been closed one after another. Even as we discuss this, more will close.

Will this continue? Are we not raising such issues because we are losing interest? No. In a democratic transition, it is necessary that freedom of experience be allowed, with the government and Parliament promoting this expression. If they respond by reverting to survival of the fittest, the transition will backslide and we will remain in conflict as usual.

Ko Ye Ni: Can we find a solution to the problem?

U Ko Ko: We are looking for ways and means to overcome this. When we hold meetings, some people think we are launching attacks on state-run media or the Ministry of Information. But we are not asking them to shut down state-run media; we want to survive together. We are seeking a win-win situation and we want to work on ways to cooperate in order to resuscitate print media.

Ko Ye Ni: What do you think?

ZTH: As Saya Ko Ko said, we will not cling to print media. We will move to digital media as soon as possible like the international community and neighboring countries. But we had to have independent media as soon as the transition began. At that time, we weren't prepared to go digital. Human and financial resources were not strong enough. We needed a transition period and we were simply trying to survive.

But how can we survive? We discussed this at one time with the former information minister. He stated that all state media would be public service media and would not go commercial in the future. Public service media is nonprofit. This would help strengthen private media that does rely on profits. However, the current government has not adopted this position. At that time, we did not approve the idea of public service media because there was still a lot that needed to be discussed. So, we continue on in the ways of the past.

As a result, newspapers that are being published with public funds at a loss have big circulations, wide distribution and trust. We are struggling and publishing in a limited area. Our logistics are weak. We do not have the ability to compete. How can we solve the problem? Should we meet with the government? They will say they cannot provide funds for us, as they are the government. We are not asking them for money. There are many ways they could do us a favor. They could lower the taxes on paper that we import for the public. In addition, private businesses can advertise anywhere – Myanmar Times, Democracy Today. This is their choice and we do not blame them. But more than 30 government ministries issue public notifications such as announcements of gem emporiums, trade fairs and tender invitations. They could place these in both state media and private media that meets their criteria. Then we could survive. This would be one solution.

Ko Ye Ni: Thank you for your contributions.

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Do Modern Food Trends Pose Risks to our Health?

Posted: 24 Aug 2018 06:54 PM PDT

YANGON—When American fast food giant KFC arrived in Myanmar in 2015 there was a storm of excitement. Falling in the same year as Myanmar's first free and fair election in decades, which saw Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD come to power, the opening day had people queuing down the street and around the corner to get their piece of fried chicken. This was confirmation that Myanmar was opening up; food trends from the modern world had arrive on the doorstep. Today there are 23 KFC outlets in the country.

Several more international chains of fast food have set up in Myanmar since then including Pizza Hut and Burger King. But what effects does the modern fast food trend have on our health? Will the swap of htamin phyu for French fries mean the expansion of our waistlines and longer queues at the doctor? Should we strictly stick to traditional food for the sake of our health? The good news is that it is as easy as ever to eat a healthy, balanced diet—and that doesn't mean a total boycott of popular food trends.

Back to basics

Breanna Baildon is a nutrition councelor from the US living in Yangon since 2017. (Photo: Supplied)

Breanna Baildon is a nutrition counselor with a degree in nutrition dietetics and a certificate in diabetes education and has been practicing in Yangon since 2017.  She says that at its core, Myanmar food is very healthy because it usually follows recipes which use fresh, local produce and a range of herbs and spices that are endlessly good for our health. She says it is easy to avoid unhealthy elements of food and still enjoy the eclectic and tantalizing Burmese cuisine.

"At its core, when you break down [Myanmar] food to how it's traditionally prepared, it is very healthy. But you have to notice when it crosses the line between healthy and unhealthy," said Baildon.

Taking the breakfast favourite mohinga for example: the fish soup is made from a broth which contains plenty of vitamins and minerals derived from the fish bones. Baildon says the trick to keeping it healthy is to reduce the amount of noodles added and to choose the boiled egg option over the fried toppings like bean fritter or battered gourd.

Mohinga: with slight adjustments to your order, the dish can be very healthy.(Photo: Aung Kyaw Htet/The Irrawaddy)

Meanwhile the typical lunch of rice and curry can be very good for your health too. Curries that don't have much oil are full of nutrients and beneficial to health. Baildon says that as they are made of fairly simple mixes of meat, herbs, onions, garlic, water and a little oil, they can be a very good option for lunch.

Myanmar's traditional salads containing vegetables are loaded with fiber and antioxidants. Disease-fighting compounds exist in the herbs and spices of a salad and sesame seeds and peanuts have healthy fats and fiber.

But that doesn't mean farewell to fried chicken: Baildon says that rather than totally cutting out a certain dish or type of food, making a habit of eating the good things more often and reducing how often you eat the unhealthy is better. Eating at the likes of KFC and Pizza Hut is not bad for your health as long as you don't make it a regular habit.

"Fast foods have empty calories, meaning they give us some energy, but none of the vitamins, minerals, or fiber that our bodies need to survive. They also tend to be high in processed carbohydrates and to have the unhealthy fats, which are components of food that have been associated with an increased risk of weight gain and chronic diseases," said Baildon.

Fast food lacks the vitamins, minerals and fiber our bodies need to function.(Photo: Aung Kyaw Htet/The Irrawaddy)

However, as young food photographer Ko Aung Myin Thu says, fast food fits in with an increasingly fast pace of life many people are now living:

"If I'm on my way home from a tiring day I would stop by a fast food outlet because they are located everywhere which saves my time and energy."

But like many young people, he is also aware of the health risks presented by this wave of unhealthy fried menus.

"I only eat at fast food outlets one to three times per month. Fast food is typically high in saturated and trans fat which increases the chances of heart diseases and stroke. These effects are why I would often choose a healthier option," he said.

BBQ is OK

Processed meats contain unknown, potentially dangerous additives and preservatives.(Photo: Aung Kyaw Htet/ The Irrawaddy)

The good news is that the barbecue culture here can be healthy too. At barbecue restaurants, choosing from the wide range of fresh vegetables to be grilled is perfect for getting the vitamins you need, and if you order grilled or steamed fish to go with that, it's a healthy, balanced meal. Of course, the meat and vegetables are seasoned, dipped in sauce and probably include MSG, but as Baildon says, MSG has not been proven to be unhealthy if used in moderate amounts.

"MSG has not been proven to be bad. There's nothing bad about it except that some people don't tolerate it very well. It's actually a compound that's naturally found in all protein foods. When it's been isolated and added in extreme amounts, some people don't tolerate it well and it might cause the migraines or swellings."

Choose vegetable and fish at the barbecue restaurant.(Photo: Aung Kyaw Htet/ The Irrawaddy)

Choosing meat skewers from the display however, does present higher chances of catching food-borne illnesses.

 Processed meat a dangerous trend

One growing food trend here is putting people—especially children—at higher risk of heart disease other health issues in the future. Processed meats, which are often skewered and deep fried, are sold at a rising number of mobile food stalls in urban areas and near schools. What seems like simply a cheap and tasty fried snack probably has long list of unknown additives and preservatives, high salt content and a low quality of the meat which could be detrimental to health if eaten in large quantities, especially during childhood. As Myanmar is still catching up with other countries in terms of food regulations and labelling, we often have no idea about the amount or quality of the additives, flavorings and preservatives included in these.

Positive food trends

There are positive food trends too: many supermarkets here now have a section for organic produce and recently a small number of chicken farms like Shwe Taung Nyo Gyi have begun supplying the market with organic eggs and chicken. Moreover, the regular popup 'Yangon Farmers' Market' has sparked the growth of a community of sellers and buyers who focus especially on locally produced healthy, natural foods.

"I think it's a good sign because people are questioning more the sources of their food," said Baildon.

The local love of hotpot meals is another positive trend: dropping fresh vegetables and lean meats in your pot and drinking the soup keeps nutrients and vitamins within your dish. To keep it healthy, avoid ingredients like fish balls which have little nutritional value, fatty meats like pork neck and go easy on the seasoning.

It can be perfectly healthy to seize the modern food trend of the day. With a little more thought to our meal choices and by limiting how often we treat ourselves to our favourite fast foods, we can have a perfectly healthy diet that increases our chances of a long and wholesome life.

The post Do Modern Food Trends Pose Risks to our Health? appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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