Thursday, April 18, 2019

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Authorities Vow Probe as Ivory Coast Destroys ‘Unfit’ Myanmar Rice Shipment

Posted: 18 Apr 2019 06:29 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW—The country's rice industry received bad news this week when it came out that officials in Ivory Coast had destroyed 18,000 tons of rice from Myanmar on Wednesday. The Ministry of Commerce and the Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF) said they would investigate the incident and publicize the results soon.

On Wednesday, the African News republished a report by BBC Africa that quoted health officials in Ivory Coast as saying they had destroyed tons of rice that had been declared unfit for human consumption.

In the report, which included photos, they pointed out that the destroyed rice had come from Myanmar. In the photos, a truck can be seen dumping rice into a landfill.

According to the report, the rice shipment had been denied entry to other ports in West African countries including Ghana, Guinea and Togo due to quality issues.

Within hours of the report appearing, the destroyed rice issue had become the talk of the town in Myanmar. U Khin Maung Lwin, assistant permanent secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that the ministry will check with exporters, the MRF and third party inspection agencies about what happened prior to the shipment's departure for Africa in October last year.

"We received messages from that ship in March, before it took the rice to Ivory Coast, that it would return to Myanmar with some 18,000 tons of rice because it couldn't unload it in Togo. We had been asking them to return to Myanmar since March, but they dropped the shipment in Ivory Coast [despite saying they would return], and [this incident] happened," U Khin Maung Lwin said.

The shipment left Myanmar with 22,000 tons of rice in October 2018. After dropping 4,000 tons of rice in Togo, the crew was unable to offload the rest of the rice in other African countries as it had spoiled.

"Here rice exporters normally export rice using the FOB [Free on Board] system, which means that after sending the rice, they are not responsible; buyers are responsible for the issue. However, we will scrutinize what happened so it does not happen again," U Khin Maung Lwin said.

U Ye Min Aung, secretary general of the MRF, the country's largest rice association, posted on his Facebook account that the federation will scrutinize all the facts and data about what happened in Africa.

He wrote that the African market for rice is very competitive as many other countries such as India, Pakistan and Vietnam also ship rice there. The process of exporting Myanmar rice to Africa is somewhat complicated. Rice exporters normally make contracts under the FOB system with buyers outside Myanmar. When the buyers can't sell that rice on time to their target market, the rice can be in storage for a long time on the ship.

That can leave the rice unfit to consume. In this case, U Ye Min Aung posted that the fact that the shipment had been delayed and passed through four countries could be the major reason the rice was unfit to consume. He said that the buyer is responsible in most cases.

Soe Tun, a member of the MRF's Central Executive Committee and CEO of the Ayeyar Mittar Public Co., told The Irrawaddy that the long storage period was the major problem in this case and he didn't think the problem was connected to the use of chemicals.

"We have been exporting rice to Africa for a long time, but the rice exported there is low quality because of the low price. I think this has become an issue," he said.

He said he heard a ship had been facing problems for the past three months while stopping over in an African country as the rice weight had been reduced. He said it could be caused by a moisture problem.

"The MRF will be checking this issue and will make a public announcement soon. Yes, it is time to issue a caution on how to produce the best quality rice by using technology," he said.

According to Soe Tun, Myanmar exports rice to Benin, Cameroon, Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo in Africa. Of the total rice exports of 2 million tons this year, 700,000 tons went to Africa. Some 1 million tons was exported to China through border trade.

However, this is not the first time an African country has rejected and destroyed Myanmar rice. A similar problem was experienced five or six years ago, rice industry sources said. Due to the highly competitive situation, Myanmar could lose market share, they said.

"Some established international traders can easily push out new traders if they want to manipulate the market. However, we must be aware of this and control our quality as well," an experienced rice expert told The Irrawaddy.

The MRF said that it would first contact the BBC and African News to ask them how they received the information they reported.

The MRF said it is attempting to promote Myanmar rice as a good quality product among exporters and third party inspection agencies before exporting. It will also make an effort to contact end buyers apart from other traders.

Myanmar was once known as the "rice bowl of Asia" and was a major industry player until decades of economic mismanagement by successive military regimes sent exports tumbling.

Exports have been shipped to 64 countries including China and Japan, as well as other nations in Asean, Europe and Africa, since 2014.

In 2014, Myanmar experienced a similar issue when China officially banned rice imports from this country, demanding that a trade agreement be signed guaranteeing that most rice is milled and meets certain quality standards. China has long been one of Myanmar's biggest customers for rice, much of which is harvested in the Irrawaddy Delta and shipped over land borders in Shan and Kachin states.

The post Authorities Vow Probe as Ivory Coast Destroys 'Unfit' Myanmar Rice Shipment appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Journalists in Myanmar Still Under Threat Despite Latest Pulitzer Wins

Posted: 18 Apr 2019 05:57 AM PDT

YANGON — With two more of its reporters winning the Pulitzer Prize this week, Myanmar now has four awardees of the prestigious journalism honor.

Esther Htusan was a part of the Associated Press team to win the Pulitzer for public service in 2016 for uncovering a human trafficking operation in Southeast Asia, becoming the first person from Myanmar to win the prize in any category. Last year, Reuters' Soe Zeya Tun was among the agency's photographers to win the prize for feature photography for its coverage of the mass exodus of Rohingya from Myanmar to Bangladesh.

Two Reuters reporters, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, were the latest Myanmar journalists to win when the Pulitzer Center handed out an award for international reporting to Reuters staff on Monday for their investigation into the killing of 10 Rohingya men in northern Rakhine State as part of a military-led campaign that began in 2017. The pair led the investigation but they have been in jail for more than a year now after their arrest — and subsequent conviction — for exposing state secrets, which they deny.

On Tuesday, Reuters Editor-in-Chief Stephen Adler said that despite being thrilled that Wa Lone. Kyaw Soe Oo and their colleagues were recognized for their extraordinary, courageous coverage, he was also saddened.

“I remain deeply distressed…that our brave reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are still behind bars," he said.

Their arrest and conviction highlight the fact that Myanmar journalists face great risks in doing their jobs.

Myanmar climbed 20 places in Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index between 2013 and 2017 but has since slipped and is now ranked 138 out of 180 countries.

Journalists are still often prosecuted under Article 66 (d) of the Telecommunications Act, which criminalizes online defamation and hampers investigative reporting. Dozens of journalists have been subjected to criminal prosecution for their work by both the government and military. Among those charged by the military have been journalists from The Irrawaddy and The Voice. Last year, three journalists from Eleven Media were sued by the Yangon government for incitement.

According to Athan, a Yangon-based group that promotes freedom of expression, there have been 23 cases brought against the media under the Telecommunications Act and 31 journalists have been put on trial.

Shawn Crispin, of the Committee to Protect Journalists, told The Irrawaddy that Myanmar’s journalists face an array of threats, from spurious defamation lawsuits to physical assault to imprisonment, all of which impede their ability to freely report the news.

He said hopes that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi would usher in a new era of press freedom when her party took power in early 2016 after decades of military-imposed censorship have been dashed. If Myanmar wants to be seen internationally as a functioning democracy, Crispin added, it must stop jailing and threatening journalists and instead respect and protect the media’s role as a check on the government.

"Until that day dawns, Myanmar will be viewed from a press freedom perspective in the same dim light as it was under previous military dictatorships,” he said.

The post Journalists in Myanmar Still Under Threat Despite Latest Pulitzer Wins appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Political Prisoners Miss Out in President’s New Year Amnesty

Posted: 18 Apr 2019 04:47 AM PDT

YANGON—Despite the release of more than 9,500 inmates under the Presidential pardon for this New Year's holiday, many political prisoners remain behind bars, disappointing their families as well as observers.

On Wednesday, President U Win Myint pardoned 9,551 prisoners, including two political prisoners and 16 foreigners, under the New Year amnesty. He pardoned 8,541 prisoners last year, including 36 political prisoners and 51 foreigners.

The President's amnesty order stated that they were given unconditional amnesty, "as a gesture for marking the Myanmar New Year, to ensure the peace of mind of the people and taking into consideration humanitarian concerns."

According to the president's order, "the remaining prisoners are also under consideration for further releases."

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), there are still 44 political prisoners serving time in prisons, 90 detainees facing trial and 228 who are on bail but are required to appear before the courts for their political activities.

Two political prisoners released were Maran Gun from Obo Prison and L Zau La from Myingyan Prison in Mandalay Region. Both had served 19 years of their life sentences, according to the AAPP. The two were both members of the Mongko Defense Army from Shan State's Special Region No. 1, a splinter group of Kokang's Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army. They were prosecuted in 2000 on narcotics charges.

AAPP secretary U Bo Kyi said, "Political prisoners are not those destroying society; they are the ones who are trying to build a better society. If [the government] wants genuine national reconciliation, all political prisoners should be released without conditions."

He told The Irrawaddy that the National League for Democracy (NLD) government "should learn the lessons of the past. The country is now at a turning point, as Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was also released from detention and cooperated. Thus, if the incumbent government released the political prisoners and worked with those relevant persons, better results would be achieved for national reconciliation."

Most of the prisoners released were serving long sentences on convictions related to illicit drugs, according to U Min Tun Soe, the deputy director and spokesman of the Myanmar Prisons Department under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Although there were 675 prisoners released from Yangon's Insein Prison, the two Reuters journalists Wa Lone (aka Thet Oo Maung) and Kyaw Soe Oo, who are serving seven-year prison terms under the Official Secrets Act, were not among them. The pair, who were arrested in December 2017 and convicted in September last year, were on Monday awarded the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting, one of the world's most prestigious journalism prizes.

In addition, U Zaw Zaw, the head of Insein Prison, told The Irrawaddy that the Rakhine political prisoner Dr. Aye Maung and author Ko Wai Hin Aung, who are serving 20-year prison terms; and the former child soldier Aung Ko Htwe, who is serving a two-and-a-half-year term, were not included on the pardon list.

U Myint Kyaw, the joint secretary of the Myanmar Press Council, said he was not surprised that Reuters journalists were not on the pardon list, although he believed charges not be brought against journalists who are doing their jobs.

He said that while the pair has been sentenced to many years behind bars, "It seems [the government] does not consider their cases as political. Perhaps they have not yet been released because their appeals are not yet exhausted."

Family members of political prisoners and other former political prisoners also expressed their frustration with the amnesty order, seeing it as oppression against journalists, politicians and the activists.

U Tin Maung Win, a Lower House lawmaker representing Rathaetaung constituency of Rakhine State and the son of U Aye Maung, said he did not expect a pardon "as it is questionable whether Dr. Aye Maung deserved to be prosecuted."

He added that the verdict was "unfair and the government can do anything, whether it's to arrest or to release them."

U Aye Maung and Ko Wai Hin Aung were each sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment for high treason and another two years for defamation, to be served concurrently, by Sittwe District Court on March. 19. They were both transferred to Insein Prison on April 6.

U Thein Win, the brother of Ko Wai Hin Aung, said his family did not expect his brother's release under the pardon, and thus would proceed with his appeal to the higher court this month.

Ma Nay Zar, the sister of ex-child soldier Aung Ko Htwe, said while waiting for any news about her brother in front of Insein Prison on Wednesday that she did not expect justice for him. Aung Ko Htwe was sentenced in March last year after the military charged him over a media interview in which he claimed he was abused by authorities during his first trial.

She said Aung Ko Htwe's term would end in December this year, but another inmate who was sentenced to a longer term than her brother had been released on April 12. "The law is different for each person; if we demand his release, we could also face some other charges," she said, referring to an earlier case in which two supporters of Aung Ko Htwe were sued and sentenced to a year in jail for incitement in September. We expected justice, but now we are experiencing unjust laws," she told The Irrawaddy.

Daw Lay Lay, who was repeatedly sentenced to prison for her political activities

under previous governments as well as the current government, said the government ignored political prisoners even though President U Win Myint himself was once one of them.

She questioned whether two different laws or two governments ruled Myanmar, asking, "Is the President exercising his authority, or is there any pressure [on him]?"

U Tin Maung Kyi, a member of the Movement for Democracy Current Force (MDCF) who was released from prison two weeks ago, said Myanmar should not have any political prisoners under the elected civilian government, and said the government was demonstrating its incompetence.

The post Political Prisoners Miss Out in President's New Year Amnesty appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Year-on-Year Thingyan Holiday Deaths Drop Dramatically

Posted: 18 Apr 2019 03:34 AM PDT

MANDALAY — A total 288 people died and more than 1,000 were injured across the country during the four days of this year’s Thingyan holiday, the Ministry of Information announced Wednesday, marking a significant decrease compared to the year before.

The ministry said 29 deaths and 130 injuries were directly related to festival events, including road accidents, fights, murder and drowning.

Road accidents and fights typically spike in the lead-up festivities to Burmese New Year’s Day as many travel to other parts of the country and celebrate by drinking heavily.

Unrelated to festival events, the ministry counted 115 deaths and 728 injuries from road accidents, 31 deaths from murder, 113 deaths from downing and other incidents, and 144 injuries from fighting.

The figures include the nine people who died when an overloaded ferry headed for a Thingyan event in Sagaing Region’s Monywa Township sank on the Chindwin River on the second day of the festival.

During the 2018 Thingyan, a total 642 people died, 106 of them in road accidents.

The Information Ministry also said that 2,700 people were arrested for drug and weapons possession during this year’s festival and that police were preparing charges against them.

The post Year-on-Year Thingyan Holiday Deaths Drop Dramatically appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Cardinal Charles Bo Asks Myanmar, Chinese Leaders to Scrap Myitsone Dam

Posted: 18 Apr 2019 02:51 AM PDT

YANGON—The Archbishop of Yangon, Cardinal Charles Bo, has called on Myanmar and Chinese leaders to permanently terminate the controversial Myitsone Dam project, saying they have a responsibility to protect the rights and lives of Myanmar citizens.

On Monday, Cardinal Charles Bo issued a statement on behalf of the people of Myanmar requesting that Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint, and military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, as well as Chinese President Xi Jinping, stop their efforts to revive the dam project.

The issue has caused alarm among Myanmar citizens, as China is pushing to restart the dam project, while the Myanmar government has not taken a clear stance.

The proposed US$3.6-billion (5.46 trillion kyats) dam on Myanmar's lifeline, the Irrawaddy River, in Kachin State was suspended in 2011 due to nationwide opposition amid warnings the project would disrupt the flow of sediment in the country's main waterway, harming agricultural livelihoods, and flood an area twice the size of Singapore, displacing thousands of people.

However, Beijing has recently stepped up its pressure on Kachin leaders, saying that Xi is a strong supporter of the Myitsone Dam project as it is needed to implement his ambitious Belt and Road Initiative. There were a series of protests against the project across the country after Chinese Ambassador Hong Liang claimed that the Kachin people were not opposed to its resumption at the end of December.

Prominent environmentalists, activist and writers formed a nationwide committee on April 1 to oppose the project and warned the government of more resistance if it were revived.

In a statement in the Jingpho (Kachin) language, Cardinal Charles Bo expressed his concern at the prospect of losing the most sacred symbol of the Kachin people due to the construction of the dam project.

Moreover, he stressed that as the Irrawaddy River is the lifeblood of the nation, all citizens who rely on it would face a catastrophe if the dam ever broke.

"Our hearts are burdened with the impending risk to millions," the cardinal said.

State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is scheduled to visit Beijing for the second Belt and Road Forum from April 25-27, where she is expected to discuss controversial Chinese projects in Myanmar including the Myitsone Dam. There is growing concern among people in Myanmar that China will pressure her into restarting work on the dam.

Last month, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi urged Myanmar citizens to think from a wider perspective about the Myitsone project. She said the final decision would have to be politically, socially, economically and environmentally sound and sustainable. Her comment sparked concern among the people that the Myanmar government would give in to Beijing on the dam project.

In the statement, Cardinal Charles Bo urged Myanmar citizens to pray that all those trying to restart the dam project understand the will of the people and not try to resist it.

It is the second time this year the cardinal has issued a statement on the issue. In January he said the dam project must be stopped to ensure a peaceful future for the country. He also warned that construction of the dam would be a "death sentence for the people of Myanmar". However, the statement did not name any government officials or leaders.

In February, during a meeting with Kachin religious leaders, Sen-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said it would be difficult to oppose the public's will regarding Myitsone Dam. He promised the Tatmadaw would do anything it can, but the final decision would be made by Parliament.

The post Cardinal Charles Bo Asks Myanmar, Chinese Leaders to Scrap Myitsone Dam appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

TikTok Vanishes From Google, Apple App Stores in India After Ban

Posted: 17 Apr 2019 10:06 PM PDT

NEW DELHI — The Chinese video app TikTok is no longer available in Google and Apple app stores in India after a state court prohibited its downloads, a setback for developer Bytedance Technology’s efforts to tap users in a key market.

TikTok, which allows users to create and share short videos with special effects, is hugely popular in India but some politicians say its content is inappropriate.

A court in southern Tamil Nadu State asked the federal government on April 3 to ban TikTok, saying it encouraged pornography and warning that sexual predators could target child users.

The federal government sent a letter requesting Apple and Google to abide by the state court’s order, according to an IT ministry official.

Google blocked access to TikTok in its Play store in India to comply with the court’s directive, a person with direct knowledge told Reuters on Tuesday. The app was not available in Apple’s app store on Wednesday.

Google said in a statement it does not comment on individual apps but adheres to local laws. Apple did not respond to requests for comment.

A spokesman for TikTok in India declined to comment on the app’s removal, saying the matter was still in the courts.

The company had faith in the judicial system and was “optimistic about an outcome that would be well received by” its millions of users in India, he added.

TikTok had been downloaded more than 240 million times in India, app analytics firm Sensor Tower said in February. More than 30 million users installed the app in January 2019, 12 times more than in the same month last year.

Jokes, clips and footage related to India’s thriving movie industry dominate the app’s platform, along with memes and videos in which youngsters, some scantily clad, lip-sync and dance to popular music.

Bytedance challenged the state court’s ban order in India’s Supreme Court last week, saying it went against freedom of speech rights in India.

The top court had referred the case back to the state court, where a judge on Tuesday rejected Bytedance’s request to put the ban order on hold, K. Neelamegam, a lawyer arguing against Bytedance in the case, said.

The state court has requested written submissions from Bytedance in the case and has scheduled its next hearing for April 24.

Salman Waris, a technology lawyer at TechLegis Advocates & Solicitors, said the legal action against Bytedance could set a precedent of Indian courts intervening to regulate content on social media and other digital platforms.

In its Supreme Court filing, Bytedance argued that a “very minuscule” proportion of TikTok content was considered inappropriate or obscene.

The company employs more than 250 people in India and had plans for more investment as it expands the business, it said.

The post TikTok Vanishes From Google, Apple App Stores in India After Ban appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Malaysia Begins Inquiry Into 2015 Discovery of Mass Graves, Human Trafficking Camps

Posted: 17 Apr 2019 09:55 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia began a public inquiry on Wednesday into the discovery of mass graves and suspected human trafficking camps in the jungles near its border with Thailand, which prompted a regional crisis in 2015, and accusations over obstruction of justice.

The dense jungles of southern Thailand and northern Malaysia have been a major stop-off point for smugglers bringing people to Southeast Asia by boat from Myanmar, most of them Rohingya Muslims who say they are fleeing persecution, and Bangladesh.

In January, the government had said it would set up a panel to inquire into claims that authorities mishandled an investigation into 139 mass graves and more than 12 campsites suspected to have been run by migrant-smuggling gangs.

Three police from a jungle infantry unit described finding the first of the campsites in January 2015, during a patrol in a heavily forested region on the Malaysian side of the border.

The officials found an area filled with tents and structures made of wooden sticks, some as high as two stories, said one of them, Mat Ten.

“These makeshift houses were surrounded by barbed wire and there were people living inside,” he told the panel.

The men’s testimony confirmed media reports and rights groups’ statements that authorities had known about the camps four months before going public in May 2015.

In a report last month, the Malaysian Human Rights Commission and rights group Fortify Rights said authorities had destroyed one of the camps a day after its discovery, wiping out evidence that could have aided police investigations.

The human rights commission was set up by Malaysia’s parliament but the government is not bound by its findings.

Mat Ten said he returned with a team of 10 police to survey the site the day after the first visit, but they were interrupted after a woman they believed to be acting as a lookout alerted others at the camp, who fled.

Six Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants who were left behind were detained and handed over to immigration authorities, said Mohamad Mossadique Azni, the officer who led the raiding team.

The discovery of similar camps and graves on the Thai side of the border triggered a regional crisis in 2015.

A Thai crackdown on the camps prompted traffickers to abandon thousands of migrants in overloaded boats in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea.

The hearings continue on Thursday.

The post Malaysia Begins Inquiry Into 2015 Discovery of Mass Graves, Human Trafficking Camps appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Jokowi 2.0 Could Open Indonesia’s Door to Foreign Investors

Posted: 17 Apr 2019 09:40 PM PDT

JAKARTA — Foreign investors desperate for more access to Indonesia’s huge market can take comfort from the re-election of Joko Widodo as president for a second and final term on Wednesday: according to government insiders he is poised for a splurge of reform.

On the list of areas he might tackle is sagging foreign investment, the troubled education system and restrictive labor rules.

“If the president’s victory ranges from 52-55 percent that would be the sweet spot,” said a senior government official who works closely with Widodo. “That would spur him to continue and maybe even accelerate economic reforms.”

Widodo — popularly known as Jokowi — looked set to hit that “sweet spot” as early election results came in, showing he was set to win the popular vote and come at least eight percentage points ahead of challenger Prabowo Subianto, who investors feared would be a champion of economic nationalism.

Unofficial counts also suggest Widodo’s coalition will increase its hold on the national legislature.

Still, some analysts doubt that Widodo will move much beyond the cautious reform agenda of his first five-year term.

That’s partly because of his own plodding style, but also because conservative Muslims and nativists will remain a potent political force that is hostile to foreign capital, especially from China.

While the contest between Widodo and his challenger, former special forces general Prabowo, was characterized by nationalist posturing on both sides, government officials and advisers say Widodo recognizes the need for more foreign investment to boost growth and raise productivity in Southeast Asia’s largest economy.

Citing internal government discussions, Mohamad Ikhsan, an economic adviser to outgoing Vice-President Jusuf Kalla, said Widodo was told that economic growth would likely slip below 5 percent without a more liberal approach to foreign investment.

“The president understands this very well. He also understands that it’s not only capital that must be injected, foreign capital … we need to upgrade our human resources,” Ikhsan said.

“He promised that will be in the second term.”

That assessment was backed by the senior government official, who said a big part of Jokowi’s second-term reform drive would be opening education — and particularly universities — to foreign players and making the sector a business. He declined to be identified to speak openly about policy plans.

Legacy

Some analysts suggested that Widodo’s margin of victory in the election, which looks likely to be less than his campaign had hoped for, might be a brake on reformist plans. His predecessor, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, took 61 percent of the vote when he won a second term and is widely thought to have squandered that chance to address systemic flaws in the economy.

“We expect Jokowi’s victory, especially as it was not emphatic, to only result in modest economic reform,” said Peter Mumford of the Eurasia Group, a risk consultancy. “(It) will be insufficient to break him free of the constraints of coalition partners and vested interests — elite political, military, religious and state-owned enterprise leaders.”

Australian National University analyst Greg Fealy said Widodo was committed to leaving his mark.

“He’s determined to make the biggest impact on national life that he can. He wants more development. He wants more infrastructure. He wants greater prosperity. He wants that legacy.”

Fealy said Indonesia’s recently negotiated free trade deal with Australia, which includes zero-tariff access on many goods and services and provisions for Australian universities to set up campuses in Indonesia, reflected the free market instincts of Widodo, a former furniture entrepreneur and big exporter.

The first president from outside Indonesia’s political, business and military elites, Widodo prioritized infrastructure development in his first term, building roads, railways, ports and airports across the archipelago of thousands of islands.

His building program has gone some way to address a major deficiency in the Indonesian economy, where logistics costs make many of its exports uncompetitive.

Ikhsan said more foreign capital would be needed to continue the program, and budget-sapping subsidies of petrol and food staples would have to be trimmed.

Human resources

In his final campaign speech at Jakarta’s main stadium, Widodo said the next five years would bring a focus on developing “quality human resources.”

Indonesia’s education system has long been identified as substandard and a drag on development. Although 20 percent of the government budget is allocated to education, international surveys show math, reading and science skills among secondary students badly lag those of the country’s neighbors.

Business leaders say poor schooling and a weak tertiary education sector also deter investment, as do the country’s restrictive labor laws.

According to the senior government official, labor market reform “is something the president is very passionate about.”

“It’s very difficult to terminate or lay off people, therefore people are reluctant to hire. It’s pushed employment dramatically towards informal employment.”

Even so, “it would be the mother of all dogfights in parliament” to get labor reforms passed, he said.

Education reforms are no fait accompli either.

Many academics, nationalists and some Islamic bodies are opposed to liberalizing the university sector and bristle at suggestions that a modern curriculum might be imposed on pesantrens, the network of religious schools.

The post Jokowi 2.0 Could Open Indonesia's Door to Foreign Investors appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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Wednesday, April 17, 2019

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UWSA Leader Repeats Demands for Autonomous Wa State on 30th Anniversary

Posted: 17 Apr 2019 05:25 AM PDT

PANGHSANG, Wa Self-Administered Zone—Wa leader Bao Youxiang demanded autonomy for his region at a celebration of the United Wa State Army (UWSA)'s 30th anniversary on Wednesday, vowing that ethnic Wa "will fight for their lives" to make it happen.

During his speech at a military parade to mark the anniversary in the Wa capital of Panghsang, on northern Shan State's border with China, the chairman of the Wa State People's Government and UWSA commander-in-chief also told 7,600 troops and more than 3,000 guests that Wa state is an inalienable part of the Union of Myanmar, and solemnly promised not to split from it or seek independence.

"What we need is ethnic equality, ethnic dignity, ethnic autonomy, and we ask the government to give the Wa an autonomous ethnic state; then we will fight for our lives," the Wa leader was quoted as saying in an English translation of his speech provided by the UWSA.

"Until our political demands are realized, we will hold high the banner of peace and democracy on one hand, and armed self-defense on the other, and maintain the status quo," he added.

Founded on April 17, 1989, the UWSA signed a ceasefire with Myanmar's then military government—the State Law and Order Restoration Council—in the same year after splitting from the Communist Party of Burma. It also founded the United Wa State Party and the Wa State People's Government. Since then the UWSA has quietly grown into the largest, best-equipped ethnic armed group in Myanmar with an estimated 30,000 troops and 10,000 auxiliary members, according to Myanmar Peace Monitor.

Since the ceasefire deal in 1989, there have been no clashes between the UWSA and the Myanmar military (or Tatmadaw). The Wa army has demanded autonomy, like other ethnic armed groups in Myanmar. Myanmar's 2008 Constitution acknowledges the Wa areas in Shan State as a self-administered region.

Bao Youxiang inspects UWSA troops on Wednesday. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy

The UWSA has not yet signed the government's Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA). The group serves as the chair of the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC) alliance, some of whose members are still fighting the Myanmar Army.

The government has pressured the UWSA to sign the NCA, but it and other members of the FPNCC want the government to amend some parts of the agreement first.

On Wednesday the UWSA celebrated on a grand scale in Panghsang's People's Square. Bao Youxiang waved while inspecting his troops from the back of a jeep, à la Chinese President Xi Jinping. In front of the visitors, who included representatives of the Myanmar government, Wa troops showed off some of their military hardware including drones and anti-aircraft missiles. But some Wa sources and military analysts with knowledge of the Wa's weaponry said that despite earlier speculation that it would use the occasion for a grand display of its arsenal, the UWSA appeared to have decided to tone things down this time, perhaps to avoid embarrassing the Myanmar military. The Wa apparently chose not to show off the weapons and missiles it is known to have bought from China recently, possibly so as not to give the Tatmadaw too accurate a picture of its strength. Observers and journalists are forbidden to visit Wa troop encampments and military bases where the group's latest shopping items are stored.

Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was absent from the ceremony, but sent a message to the event. In it, she urged the Wa to join the NCA, saying the agreement is just a threshold to pass though on the way to a democratic federal union that grants equality and self-determination for all ethnic people.

"I solemnly remind you that if there are other issues not covered in the NCA, you could deal with the government after signing the agreement," she said.

The Wa leadership did not officially comment on the State Counselor's message, but some high-ranking UWSA officials expressed a desire to see a tripartite meeting on the issue between Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar military chief Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing and Wa leader Bao Youxiang.

Wa leaders were disappointed that the State Counselor did not attend the event. They quietly complained to ethnic delegates that the government sent only mid-ranking officials—despite the presence of U Thein Zaw, vice chair of the government's Peace Commission and U Thein Swe, the Union minister for Labor, Immigration and Population—and that the Myanmar Army was only represented by officers at the rank of colonel. U Thein Zaw and U Thein Swe are also both members of the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee.

UWSA troops on parade on Wednesday / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy

Chinese Special Envoy for Asian Affairs Sun Guoxiang, who attended the anniversary celebration, did not make any comment at the event. It is believed that during Sen-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing's recent visit to Beijing, China asked him to extend the Tatmadaw's unilateral four-month ceasefire period. The military announced the ceasefire in December. During the senior general's visit, the two sides discussed several issues including the peace process in northern Myanmar and the crisis in Rakhine State.

Among those who declined personal invitations to attend the UWSA celebration was former Myanmar military spy chief General Khin Nyunt. Dubbed the "Prince of Evil" for his atrocities against democracy and student activists after the '88 Popular Uprising, the former Military Intelligence chief masterminded the ceasefire deal between the then military regime and the Wa in August 1989. Despite being ousted from his position in 2004, U Khin Nyunt made a lasting impression on the Wa. When an ethnic festival was held in Yangon in January this year, Wa representatives paid him a visit, relaying a message from their leaders that he was missed by them, and taking pictures with him.

In a message to the UWSA event on Wednesday, the former general said he was proud to have received an official, verbal invitation and apologized for his absence, which he attributed to various reasons that prevented him from attending, despite his willingness. He said that while he hadn't made it to the Wa region since 2004, he was very glad to learn that development had progressed in the area.

"I will never forget what U Bao Youxiang said about non-secession from the Union, his standing with the military government on political issues, and his collaborations for regional development, anti-narcotics campaigns and border stability," U Khin Nyunt said.

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Tuesday, April 16, 2019

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

State Counselor, Military Chief to Skip Wa’s 30th Anniversary Celebration

Posted: 16 Apr 2019 12:03 AM PDT

PANGHSANG, Wa Self-Administered Zone—Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and military chief Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing will not attend the United Wa State Army's 30th anniversary celebrations despite having received invitations from Myanmar's largest ethnic armed group.

The UWSA is gearing up to celebrate the event on a grand scale on Wednesday in Panghsang, the Wa capital on the Chinese border in northern Shan State. The Wa army will mark its 30th anniversary with a military parade of 7,600 troops before more than 3,000 visitors, including leaders of other ethnic armed groups, Beijing's Special Envoy for Asian Affairs Sun Guoxiang, and officials from China's Yunnan province across the border.

Founded on April 17, 1989, the UWSA signed a ceasefire with Myanmar's then military government—the State Law and Order Restoration Council—in May of the same year after splitting from the Communist Party of Burma (CPB). Since then it has quietly grown into the largest, best-equipped ethnic armed group in Myanmar with an estimated 30,000 troops and 10,000 auxiliary members, according to Myanmar Peace Monitor.

The UWSA has not yet signed the government's Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA). It serves as the chair of the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC) alliance, some of whose members are still fighting the Myanmar Army.

The government has pressured the UWSA to sign the NCA, but it and other members of the FPNCC want the government to amend some parts of the agreement first.

According to UWSA liaison officer U Nyi Rang, the government will be represented at Wednesday's event by eight officials including Union Minister for Labor, Immigration and Population U Thein Swe, Peace Commission Vice Chair U Thein Zaw and President Office's spokesperson U Zaw Htay.

UWSA troops prepare on Sunday for a military parade to celebrate the armed group's 30th anniversary on Wednesday. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy

Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun of the Myanmar military's information team told The Irrawaddy that Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing would not attend the celebration.

"We are not sure if we will send any representative," he said.

However, U Nyi Rang said Shan State Minister for Security and Border Affairs Colonel Hla Oo would join the UWSA's celebration.

Government and top military leaders rarely accept invitations to attend commemorative events held by ethnic armed groups, especially those that have yet to ink peace deals such as the NCA with them.

Their decision not to attend, especially Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's, has disappointed the UWSA leadership, according to some Wa officials. Given the State Counselor's tours to other ethnic regions, they said, they had hoped she would attend their commemorative event and had even prepared special accommodations for her.

While many were invited, foreign ambassadors and representatives of international NGOs will not be making the trip either, as the Wa Self-Administered Zone is officially off-limits to foreigners.

Myanmar's 2008 Constitution acknowledges Wa areas in Shan State as self-administered, but Wa leaders have been lobbying the government to recognize their region as a state like other ethnic regions in the country.

The post State Counselor, Military Chief to Skip Wa's 30th Anniversary Celebration appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Daw Khin Kyi—Wife and Mother of National Leaders—Was Born 107 Years Ago Today

Posted: 15 Apr 2019 07:20 PM PDT

Today would be the 107 birthday of Daw Khin Kyi, the widow of Myanmar's national hero General Aung San and mother of Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Born in Irrawaddy Region's Myaungmya, she married Gen. Aung San, who was three years her junior, while working as a nurse at the Burma Defense Army (BDA) Hospital during Japanese rule.

She went through thick and thin with her husband on his tough political path during Japanese rule and after World War II. Less than five years into their marriage, she became a widow with two children when Gen. Aung San was assassinated.

U Thant meets Daw Khin Kyi at New Delhi's Palam Airport in 1965.

After the death of her husband, she took an active part in the political, social and health sectors of Myanmar. When the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League established by her late husband split into two, she supported the Clean Faction led by U Nu.

In May 1960, Daw Khin Kyi was appointed ambassador to India, becoming the country’s first woman to serve as the head of a diplomatic mission. She later concurrently served as ambassador to Nepal.

She retired as an ambassador in 1967 and refused to accept a pension, as the country was facing economic hardship. She died in December 1988 at the age of 76 after suffering a severe stroke. She was entombed beside Supayalat, the chief queen of Myanmar's last monarch King Thibaw; Thakhin Kodaw Hmaing, the father of Myanmar's nationalist and peace movements; and U Thant, who served as the third United Nations secretary general, on Shwedagon Pagoda Road in Yangon.

At the centenary of Daw Khin Kyi's birth in 2012, her daughter Daw Aung San Suu Kyi established the Daw Khin Kyi Foundation, which provides assistance to the social and health care services of Myanmar.

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Friday, April 12, 2019

The Irrawaddy Magazine

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Amnesty for Political Prisoners Eagerly Anticipated as Myanmar Ushers in New Year

Posted: 12 Apr 2019 05:49 AM PDT

YANGON—To mark the traditional New Year, which falls in mid-April, Myanmar people free birds and fish to make merit. For the government, releasing prisoners in the New Year period is customary.

Last year, President U Win Myint pardoned 8,541 prisoners in the New Year amnesty, including 36 political prisoners and 51 foreigners.

His predecessor as president, U Htin Kyaw, acquitted student protesters facing political charges and pardoned 83 prisoners in the 2016 New Year amnesty. Dozens of political prisoners were among those released.

How about this year? Will President U Win Myint pardon all political prisoners?

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), there are currently 45 political prisoners behind bars, while more than 300 individuals are facing trial inside and outside prison.

Myanmar will celebrate the New Year festival starting Saturday, and usher in the New Year on April 17. As the festival draws near, the families of detainees and political activists are hoping for good news.

Ma Pan Ei Mon, the wife of the jailed Reuters journalist Ko Wa Lone, said on Thursday that she is hoping her husband and his colleague Ko Kyaw Soe Oo will be released.

The two journalists have spent more than 15 months in detention since they were arrested in December 2017 while investigating a massacre of Rohingya Muslim civilians involving Myanmar soldiers in Inn Din village in Rakhine State's Maungdaw Township. The pair were sentenced to seven years' imprisonment in September under the Official State Secrets Act. The verdict drew an international outcry and strong condemnation.

Aside from Ko Wa Lone and Ko Kyaw Soe Oo, there are many other political prisoners who were arrested and jailed because of a miscarriage of justice and they should all be released, Ko Aung Myo Kyaw of the AAPP said.

"We hope for the release of all political prisoners. And that's what we have been demanding," he said.

Among the political prisoners are former child soldier Aung Ko Htwe, who was jailed in connection with a media interview he gave; Arakanese politician Dr. Aye Maung and author Wai Hin Aung, who were sentenced to 20 years in prison in March over speeches they made at a literary discussion; and two peaceful protesters, Lum Zawng and Zau Jat.

Nang Pu, Lum Zawng and Zau Jat of the Kachin National Social Development Association were sentenced to six months in December and fined 500,000 kyats ($333) for defaming the Myanmar military. They participated in protests demanding the government help trapped villagers amid fighting between the Kachin Independence Army and the military. Nang Pu was released from prison on April 5 because of her deteriorating health, but the other two remain behind bars.

Many of the other political prisoners were sentenced under the Unlawful Associations Act and the Telecommunications Law—two controversial laws that rights activists have demanded be repealed.

Ruling party lawmaker Ma Zin Mar Aung, who is also a former political prisoner, said that in prison the Myanmar New Year is one of those special occasions that every prisoner looks forward to with high hopes.

"Daw Aung San Suu Kyi once said that even one political prisoner is too many. We don't want to see political prisoners in this transition anymore," she said.

Under the previous military regime, thousands of political activists and politicians were sentenced to lengthy prison terms for their anti-government activities.

Thousands of political prisoners were released conditionally under former President U Thein Sein, meaning they faced having to serve the remainder of their initial sentences were they ever to be arrested again. In the 2018 amnesty, however, President U Win Myint issued a decree nullifying the "conditional" status of their release for those convicted on political charges by the previous governments.

Ko Aung Myo Kyaw of the AAPP said he hopes the political prisoners will be pardoned, as he had heard there could be a presidential amnesty on April 17. He added that those who are facing political charges should also be acquitted.

Last year, almost all political prisoners on the AAPP's list were released under the presidential amnesty.

Ma Pan Ei Mon said, "For me, if he is released, I will be as happy as if I had won the lottery."

The post Amnesty for Political Prisoners Eagerly Anticipated as Myanmar Ushers in New Year appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Two ABSDF Members Jailed for 2 Years for Unlawful Association

Posted: 12 Apr 2019 03:37 AM PDT

A court in Mohnyin Township, Kachin State sentenced two members of the All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF) to two years in prison yesterday, the leader of the group said.

ABSDF chairman U Than Khe told The Irrawaddy on Friday, "The verdict was unfair. We strongly condemn it."

U Aung Swe Oo and U Maung Oo were arrested in December last year and charged under the Unlawful Association Act's Article 17(1) after traveling to a conflict zone in Mohnyin Township to attend the funeral of a member of their organization. It is customary for senior members of the group to attend the funeral of a member who dies, in order to show support for the family.

At the time of their arrest, both men were carrying documents showing they were legally allowed to travel, U Than Khe said.

The ABSDF is an armed group. It signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) with the Myanmar government in 2015. U Than Khe said his organization's members were free to travel under the terms of the agreement.

The organization also signed a state government-level ceasefire in 2013. This agreement also entitles all members of the group to travel freely in the country, he said.

The ABSDF formed in 1988 after the nationwide uprising that year. Its members are based in different ethnic areas, U Than Khe said, adding that the government had violated its agreement to allow them freedom of travel.

"The agreement made it very clear that all members of our organization could travel freely," he said.

"We have found that there is no responsibility or accountability for [enforcing the] agreement; it is very weak. They [the government) should show accountability for our two colleagues based on our agreement. They should release them," he said.

He said the actions of the government and the Myanmar Army in this case would raise many questions for other ethnic armed organizations that are negotiating peace deals with the government.

This is the second time members of the ABSDF have been sentenced in prison. U Min Htay was jailed in 2017, also after being arrested in Kachin State.

U Than Khe said many members of the ABSDF were disappointed in the actions of the Myanmar Army, believing it demonstrated that the Army did not respect the peace agreement. Some of the members said it would be hard for them to trust the military in future peace negotiations.

"We are an organization who worked for peace with them. But still they treat us badly. So I'm really worried their actions will reduce people's trust in peace negotiations," he said.

The post Two ABSDF Members Jailed for 2 Years for Unlawful Association appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Naga Rebels Say Peace Talks May Suffer if Military Does Not Free Leaders

Posted: 12 Apr 2019 03:28 AM PDT

YANGON — The National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) says it will struggle to keep up peace talks with the Myanmar military if it does not release all members of the armed rebel group it has detained, including those on its negotiating team.

In early March, more than a month after taking control of the NSCN-K’s headquarters in Sagaing Region, the military arrested 10 of the group’s political leaders and six fighters, including captains.

Five of the detainees were released on April 5, leaving the fighters and the five leaders charged under the Unlawful Associations Act in custody, NSCN-K liaison officer Jüvlengthong (or Cue Hlaing Thong) told the Irrawaddy.

He said the six fighters were being held by the military and the leaders by the Khamti district police.

The five released were Eno Ngaitum, Eno Manglwan, Eno Athrom and Eno Longsa — the NSCN-K’s ministers for health, education and legal affair and deputy minister for agriculture, respectively — and Eno Tomthong, a member of the group’s central committee.

Jüvlengthong said "further peace negotiations would be difficult as both Chairman U An Kam and Vice Chairman U Kyaw Wan Sein, who lead the NSCN-K peace committee, as well as our home affair minister are among the detainees."

Colonel Than Naing, spokesman for the military's Northwestern Command, confirmed that the military released five of the detainees "because, according to our initial investigation, they were not directly involved in the matter even though they are with the NSCN-K."

In late March, President’s Office spokesman U Zaw Htay said the office was reviewing whether the charges against the five NSCN-K leaders still in custody were appropriate.

The military accuses the NSCN-K of supporting ethnic Assam and Manipur — also known as Kathae — rebel groups in eastern India. Though the NSCN-K denies the claim, the military says it took control of the group’s training schools and arrested 36 people in ethnic Naga areas between January and March.

Jüvlengthong said the group has written to the government’s National Reconciliation and Peace Center, led by the State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and the Office of the Commander-in-Chief asking them to intervene but have yet to hear back.

He said the NSCN-K entered into a bilateral ceasefire with the government and military in 2012 because it trusted them and withdrew from its headquarters peacefully when the military came to seize it in January, and so where “very upset” by the military’s latest moves.

A Naga affairs analyst who asked to speak anonymously said the military had invited the Manipur into Sagaing in the first place.

"The Tatmadaw [military] tends to change its positions depending on the political landscape,” the analyst told The Irrawaddy. “If they want to blame, they can do so any time. So now they accuse the Naga armed group for political reasons."

Whether the NSCN-K leaders can legitimately be charged for supporting a group that is not officially designated an insurgent organization also remains an open question.

“It is unclear how the government considers the Assam and Kathae rebels unlawful groups under Myanmar law," the analyst said.

U Aung Htut, chairman of Naga Tradition, Literate and Culture (Central), a non-government group, said the five NSCN-K leaders are due to appear in court on April 19.

He said his group has sent letters requesting their release to the President's Office, state counselor, military chief and ethnic affair minister but received to replies.

"The five NSCN-K leaders can only be freed when the Tatmadaw drops the charges against them for the sake of peace and stability in the region," he said.

"We raised the issues to respective authorities because we want stability in the Naga region and we hope for the best solution," he added. "We just don't want any further instability because of this incident."

U Aung Htut said the fighters should not have been detained either because they only stayed behind at the group’s headquarters when it was abandoned to the military in case the military needed their help.

Local sources say the military has imposed restrictions on movement in the area since taking over the base.

"People do not dare to go to their farms, and roads between their villages and markets are closed, which makes it hard for them to buy basic food items such as rice, oil and salt. They cannot enjoy freedom to movement. It is a violation of their basic rights," the Naga affairs analyst said.

The Naga were granted a self-administered region under the military-drafted 2008 Constitution and run it out of Lahe Township. And while the NSCN-K signed a bilateral ceasefire deal in 2012, it has no interest in joining the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement. The armed group wants to bring the Naga on either side of the Myanmar-India border under one rule and has asked for tri-partite negotiations between it and both governments.

The Irrawaddy’s Chit Min Tun contributed reporting to this story.

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Filmmaker Accused of Insulting Army Is Denied Bail, Sent to Prison

Posted: 12 Apr 2019 12:48 AM PDT

YANGON—Prominent filmmaker and human rights activist Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi, who was sued by a military officer for insulting and defaming the Army, was denied bail and sent to Insein Prison on Friday morning.

His lawyer U Robert San Aung told The Irrawaddy that U Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi had requested bail for health reasons. The filmmaker had part of his liver removed just three months ago to treat liver cancer.

The judge rejected the request, however, and U Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi was sent directly to Insein Prison from Insein Township Court.

Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi, who founded the Human Rights, Human Dignity International Film Festival, has been a strong critic of the Myanmar military. He posted series of Facebook posts criticizing the undemocratic military-drafted 2008 Constitution and the political role that it grants to the Army.

Lieutenant-Colonel Lin Htun of Yangon Region Command opened a defamation case against the filmmaker at the end of March under Article 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law. Just days later, the officer opened a second case against Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi under non-bailable Article 505(a) of the Myanmar Penal code.

Both charges carry a maximum two-year prison sentence.

The lawyer said that while Article 505(a) is a non-bailable offence, the judge could use his discretion in this case.

"His health condition is really worrisome," he said.

The next court hearing will be on April 25.

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At The Pansodan, Sublime Flavors in an Architectural Gem

Posted: 11 Apr 2019 10:30 PM PDT

YANGON—Passersby had been watching a chrysalis of a handsome colonial-era two-story red brick building with tall arched windows, decorative columns and wrought iron awning on Pansodan Street for months.

When The Pansodan opened on March 18 it was subject to a flurry of online hype. When I found the restaurant didn't have an official Facebook page yet I was even more intrigued and knew I had to go there to experience it for myself.

Burmese pâté, served with pickles and black pepper crisps at The Pansodan. / Marie Starr / The Irrawaddy

When I stepped into the self-described Burmese brasserie from the blazing April heat for a midweek lunch recently the place was buzzing. With few free tables downstairs, I went through the wood-panel stairwell to a table on the quiet mezzanine and lounged in a soft, oversized chair to watch the comings and goings of Yangon's hottest new restaurant. A group of trendy millennials were catching up over lunch, a business lunch meeting with video chat was ongoing and a table of colleagues in matching shirts chatted and laughed.

With one of The Pansodan's four investors being a famous local interior designer, and another the director of Pun + Projects, which operates a number of modern dining and drinking outlets around Yangon, it's no wonder the design chosen for this space is classy and comfortable. There's a wonderfully smart art deco theme running throughout. The double-height main floor is bright and airy with a mirrored bar, marble tabletops, wood-panel walls and stand-out symmetric floor tiles.

The exterior of The Pansodan. / Marie Starr / The Irrawaddy

I was handed the menu, which features all the key dishes at the soul of Myanmar culture. Mohinga, coconut noodles and Shan noodles were listed alongside favorites adopted from our neighbors—pork bao, samosa, keema paratha and biryani. The sirloin beefsteak comes with a pickled tea leaf chimichurri sauce. (To save you googling it, that's an uncooked, garlicky sauce of South American origin.) The prices, on the other hand, are decidedly un-local, at 12,000 kyats for a prawn curry and a whopping 5,000 kyats for a tea leaf salad.

I asked the very attentive member of staff which dishes have been the most popular so far and ordered an appetizer of Burmese pâté, the grilled chili chicken for the entrée and a lime soda to wash it down. Having read rave reviews of the dish on the Instagram accounts of Yangon's most famous foodies who were first in the door during the restaurant's soft opening, I couldn't resist ordering the beef bone marrow too.

Beef bone marrow is a hit at The Pansodan. / Marie Starr / The Irrawaddy

I enjoyed the lime soda, which was refreshingly tart and served with a bamboo straw. Then came the Burmese pâté, which is chicken liver pâté on a dash of balsamic vinegar reduction, topped with fried shallots and served with pickles and black pepper "crisps". The pâté was moist and flavorful and the pickles were an excellent pairing. The black pepper crisps were more like crackers and, unfortunately, too brittle to scoop up the pâté, instead falling apart in my fingers.

The grilled chili chicken was an aromatic and generously sized portion of "Myanmar chicken", which means it's not from a battery farm and, similar to free-range poultry, there's less meat on the bone but much, much more flavor. The meat was wonderfully seasoned and moist and chili-lovers will be glad to hear it is hot, hot, hot!

The refreshing Irrawaddy Fizz cocktail at The Pansodan. / Marie Starr / The Irrawaddy

Then came the beef bone marrow. I was a little intimidated when confronted with a halved chunk of beef bone on my plate but digging in, I found the jelly-like marrow to be packed with deep, rich flavors and the gloopy texture was counteracted nicely by the topping of crispy dried shrimp and toasted breadcrumbs.

Grilled chili chicken entrée at The Pansodan. / Marie Starr / The Irrawaddy

Later, I was glad to have another occasion to meet a friend for after-work cocktails at the small but glamorous-looking bar in The Pansodan. The cocktail menu was not exhaustive but exciting, with innovative concoctions like the very refreshing Irrawaddy Fizz (Blanco vermouth, fresh watermelon juice, tonic, lime and yathabo) as well as some great twists on classic cocktails, like the Daiquiri Vert, which has absinthe and lime leaf. The signature drink, The Pansodan, was the most delicious by far: the vodka, lemongrass, lime and pineapple with a hint of fresh basil combined to make a light, multi-level flavor experience that I would come back for again and again. Apart from cocktails, the drinks menu has a good selection of favorite whiskey blends and bottles of wine priced upwards of 38,000 kyats.

The entrance to The Pansodan. / Marie Starr / The Irrawaddy

Overall, I was glad to find The Pansodan lived up to the hype surrounding it—especially on the design and fantastic renovation work. With so much beautiful old architecture in downtown Yangon crumbling for a lack of funding for renovations, I'm glad this gem on Pansodan Street will be preserved and loved by diners and snap-happy Instagrammers alike, all the while serving unfailingly delicious local cuisine and fantastic cocktails.

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A Lotus Fabric Business Takes Root on Inle Lake

Posted: 11 Apr 2019 08:47 PM PDT

When Ko Myint Thein Htun went into the family cotton weaving and clothing retail business from the shores of Shan State’s Inle Lake, he did not think he would be doing the same thing some two decades on and helping his village develop along the way.

By using some of the same cotton and silk weaving practices, Ko Myint Thein Htun, known locally as Ko Nge, believed he could also make a successful business of weaving scarves out of lotus fiber threads.

The lotus flower is a powerful symbol in Buddhism; its threads have traditionally been used to weave only monks’ robes or cloth for draping Buddha images. The practice was started some 150 years ago by Daw Sa Oo in Kyaingkhan Village. She would strip the lotus fibers to make the threads and spend the next year weaving them into a robe for an abbot she revered. The threads came from a sacred lotus — Nelumbium speciosum, or Padonma Kyar in Burmese — that grows on Inle Lake.

Tourists visit a lotus garden on Inle Lake. / Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy

It is believed that lotus fabrics help keep the wearer warm in the winter and cool in the summer. They are also said to bring good luck, absorb negative energy and dissipate body odor.

A woman strips fiber from a lotus stem. / Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy

The whole process — from picking the lotus plants to stripping the fiber from the stems to the weaving — is all done by hand and is environmentally friendly. Because of their delicacy and uniqueness and the time it takes to make them, lotus fabrics are expensive. It takes 8,000 stems and 20 days to make a single square meter, said Ko Myint Thein Htun.

Even so, his lotus and lotus-silk scarves have attracted ever more buyers among the growing number of tourists visiting Inle Lake since Myanmar opened its doors to vacationers in the 1990s.

"They want something small, a souvenir that they can use or give as a gift," Ko Myint Thein Htun said, recalling how the idea of making scarves instead of the much larger monks’ robes came to him.

Becoming an entrepreneur 

Many of the traditions of Inle Lake’s Intha, from their floating markets to their unique way of rowing their boats with their legs, have been fading away over recent decades, a trend only amplified by the new jobs on offer in the area’s ever-expanding tourism industry.

Their weaving goes back a century.

Ko Myint Thein Htun’s great grandfather, U Han, started weaving in 1910. He was one of two men who learned how to weave the ikat design in Thailand in the 1930s and taught it to his neighbors back home. The Inle ikat, or Inle Zinmae, longyi has since become popular across Myanmar.

Ko Myint Thein Htun is proud to carry on the family’s weaving tradition.

People visit a shop selling lotus fiber products on Inle Lake. / Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy

When Myanmar’s universities were shut down in 1996 because of a wave of student protests, the fledgling tourism sector helped Ko Myint Thein Htun, a student at the Mandalay Arts and Sciences University, set a new course.

At first, back home in Inpawkhon Village, he believed the universities would reopen soon and that he could continue to pursue his studies.

But the universities stayed close for the next three years and eight months, during which time he entered the family business, making cotton bags and clothes and selling them in Yangon, Mandalay and elsewhere.

He soon ventured into lotus fiber and in 2000 opened a souvenir shop, Khit Sunn Yin, with a loom to show tourists how the fabrics were made.

As one of the few shops still weaving by hand, its fabrics have also become popular with local actors and singers and other well-to-do domestic customers. Myanmar’s lotus fabrics have also been used by international clothing brands Loro Piano and Muller and Sohn.

Ko Myint Thein Htun holds up a silk longyi at his shop. / Nyein Nyein / The Irrawaddy

But Ko Myint Thein Htun’s business has seen both ups and downs, all in tune with Myanmar’s political and environmental fortunes. Business dipped along with tourist arrivals after 2007’s so-called saffron revolution and Cyclone Nargis the next year but bounced back in 2010 and has remained stable since.

Community jobs

When demand for his products eventually outstripped his ability to meet it, Ko Myint Thein Htun encouraged his fellow villagers to start weaving as well and offered to help them sell what they made.

"But many of my fellow villagers said they couldn’t because they no longer had their looms or other capital," he said, "I felt sorry, so I thought, what if I provided them with loans so that they can buy looms and raw materials and start weaving."

And so he did, handing out loans of 740,000 kyats (about $491 at today’s rate) per family in 2016 to set up and repay him with finished textiles, creating about 200 jobs in the process, mostly for women.

Scarves and other products made from lotus fiber are displayed at Ko Myint Thein Htun’s shop. / Nyein Nyein / The Irrawaddy

He also runs dozens of looms of his own now in a workshop next to his clothing store and employs more than 120 people directly. In the workshop, the older women mostly turn the lotus threads into yarn or weave while the younger women prefer to fashion the woven fabrics into clothes.

"Many people, including the older ones in their 70s and 80s, can still earn their living because they can work either as lotus-plant pickers and gatherers, strip lotus stems for thread, weft the silk yarn and weave at home," said U Aung Kyi Win, an ethnic Intha elder and former state lawmaker for Nyaung Shwe Township.

A woman weaves with lotus thread. / Nyein Nyein / The Irrawaddy

And as the product has become more popular, the supply chain has grown longer, he added, with lotus stems now also coming from as far as Bago and Mandalay regions and Kayah State.

Empowering the youth 

Through his community development and social support, Ko Myint Thein Htun urges young people to learn traditional handicrafts.

He has started offering 1,000-kyat bonuses on top of the daily wages at his shop to encourage the next generation of weavers, including young women and mothers with babies. More than 20 young men and women showed up last year, but the number has fluctuated with time. While the numbers may be low, the effort is helping to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining traditions and spreading his believe that the handicraft industry is good for the community.

"Inle has many handicrafts jobs,” he said. “The young people should follow our traditions, and not only learn about the weaving industry but also about others handicrafts so that we can contribute to our community and maintain our traditions."

He is currently promoting another local custom to outsiders — the floating Thingyan. Most people in Myanmar celebrate the annual water festival on land. But given the large lake at and under their feet, the residents of Inle celebrate on the water itself.

When the festival kicks off this weekend, the Inlay Cultural Heritage Trust Complex in Nam Pan Village will host a floating Thingyan for the first time thanks to Ko Myint Thein Htun’s efforts. Anyone visiting the village by boat will get to splash fellow visitors on other boats.

His Miss Inlay Organization will also be running a beauty pageant to draw in yet more crowds and raising awareness about the importance of saving Inle Lake from rising pollution levels.

Ko Myint Thein Htun believes his weaving business is beneficial not only to him but to the whole community around the lake and to the country for helping preserve traditional handicrafts.

"It offers people jobs. It earns foreign currency for the country. It keeps our traditions alive. That's why I stick to it even if there is something better for me,” he said.

The post A Lotus Fabric Business Takes Root on Inle Lake appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Is Bangladesh Really Interested in Justice on Rakhine Issue?

Posted: 11 Apr 2019 07:13 PM PDT

Bangladesh has finally allowed the Independent Commission of Enquiry (ICOE) to visit the country. According to a press release on the ICOE's website, the Bangladeshi foreign minister has agreed in principle to meet with the commission next month. What is unclear—and frankly, this must be the crux of the issue—is whether Bangladeshi authorities will allow the ICOE to conduct evidence gathering in Cox's Bazar. No information on this is available on the ICOE's website.

However, informed diplomatic sources say that Bangladesh has not yet given the ICOE's Evidence Collection and Verification Team (ECVT) the green light to visit Cox's Bazar to collect evidence and data. This is a great disappointment to those seeking information on what really prompted the massive displacement of people from Myanmar to Bangladesh in the wake of clearance operations by the Myanmar military in northern Rakhine starting in late 2017 following a series of attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) on security outposts.

It also reflects poorly on Bangladesh, which has in the past given access to the UN Fact Finding Mission, U.S. State Department Documentation Team and international NGOs to tour Cox's Bazar collecting evidence, statements, interviews and pictures, etc. If Bangladesh does not allow the ICOE to conduct its own investigation in Cox's Bazar, it could be seen as acting in "bad faith". The natural question would be: Does Bangladesh have something to hide?

The ICOE was established just under a year ago by the Union President's Office. In a press release dated July 30, 2018, it stated that the ICOE was established as part of its national initiative to address reconciliation, peace, stability and development in Rakhine. The ICOE is made up of international and national members. "The ICOE will investigate allegations of human rights violations and related issues, following the terrorist attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA)," the statement reads. According to the terms published on its website, the ICOE is supposed to submit reports with recommendations to the Union President. The use of the plural "reports" indicates that ICOE may be preparing more than one submission to the President.

The world has only read reports documenting alleged atrocities that have purportedly taken place in Myanmar, by such organizations as Amnesty International, Fortify Rights, the UN Fact Finding Mission and others. It is resoundingly clear that those reports are based on narratives of people living in Cox's Bazar. The ICOE provides an opportunity to inform the world of the facts based on evidence. They should be allowed into Bangladesh to take evidence and do the necessary cross-verification and seek corroboration of the facts back in Myanmar. The ICOE's report should differ from other international organizations' reports, which are based on people's narratives in one country. It should be evidence-based, and that evidence should be verified. A one-sided, narrative-based report will do nothing to achieve the accountability and justice the world seeks.

Nyein Maung is a freelance researcher on Rakhine issues. The views and opinions expressed here are the author's alone.

The post Is Bangladesh Really Interested in Justice on Rakhine Issue? appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Myanmar’s First Christian Missionary Dies at Sea

Posted: 11 Apr 2019 06:53 PM PDT

Adoniram Judson, the American missionary who first promoted Christianity in Myanmar, died 169 years ago today. Affectionately known as Saya Judson, he is remembered as Myanmar's most significant missionary.

He arrived in Myanmar in 1813 at the age of 25 and spent years learning Burmese before beginning his preaching on Baptism.

He baptized his first Burmese convert, Maung Naw in 1819. Two years later, he baptized his first female Burmese convert, Ma Min Hla.

Judson is also remembered for compiling the first Burmese-English dictionary, English-Burmese dictionary, and the first Burmese grammar book. He translated the Bible into Burmese and also established a number of Baptist churches in Myanmar.

He faced many challenges in Myanmar and came under pressure from the authorities who were unhappy with his work in converting people to Christianity. He was regarded as a spy during the First Anglo-Burmese War, and was imprisoned at Inwa, then called Ava, for over a year.

Judson translated the Treaty of Yandabo, the peace treaty credited with ending the First Anglo-Burmese War.

He dedicated his life to his missionary work and eventually developed eyesight problems and headaches. He was advised by doctors to take a sea voyage, and on April 12, 1850, at the age of 61, he died onboard a ship bound for America. He was buried at sea in the Bay of Bengal.

The Judson College, the forerunner of the Yangon University, was named after him and the university campus is still home to Judson Church.

Judson was regarded as a Burmese man of letter by the local literati. A church which is still in use in Lanmadaw Township, Yangon, was named in honor of Maung Naw, his first convert.

The post Myanmar's First Christian Missionary Dies at Sea appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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