Democratic Voice of Burma

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• KDB Daewoo has high hopes for Rangoon skyline
• Govt rejection of quadripartite meeting ‘unacceptable’: NLD
• Activists convicted under Article 18 in Rangoon, Pegu
• ITD still plans to bid on Dawei projects

KDB Daewoo has high hopes for Rangoon skyline Posted: 02 Dec 2013 04:04 AM PST South Korean KDB Daewoo Securities has announced that it will invest nearly US$200 million in construction in Burma's former capital Rangoon, Korean daily Maeil Business News reported on Monday. The project, which will include a 14-story luxury hotel and a serviced residential high-rise near Inya Lake, will be carried out by a consortium of Daewoo International, POSCO Engineering & Construction, and Korean luxury chain Lotte Hotels and Resorts, the report said. The project is estimated to cost US$220 million, about 190 million will be financed by the brokerage, and it is expected to be complete by late 2016. Maeil reported that the project was commissioned under a "Build-Operate-Transfer" agreement, which offers a 70-year land lease after which the property must be returned to the Burmese government. Daewoo Securities has long been the largest stock brokerage and investment banking firm in South Korea, with 124 branches worldwide. In the early 2000s it became a subsidiary of KBD Financial group, which in turn was parented by the Korea Development Bank. The Daewoo Corporation was originally, in the 1970s, better known as an industrial conglomerate with interests in auto-making, shipbuilding and steelworks. Related Stories ITD still plans to bid on Dawei projects Business Weekly Business Weekly As Burma's economy opens up after decades of isolation, South Korean companies have proven themselves to be serious contenders in many of the country's emerging industries; industrial zones in Rangoon and Kyaukphyu have both received Korean bids, and representatives of Hyundai Motor Co have said that they hope to open 14 new car dealerships in Burma by the end of next year. View the original article here.

Govt rejection of quadripartite meeting ‘unacceptable’: NLD Posted: 02 Dec 2013 02:47 AM PST The National League for Democracy (NLD) issued a public statement on Monday, 2 December, reiterating calls for a quadripartite conference on constitutional reform, calling the government's refusal to meet "unacceptable" and accusing the government of intentionally and indefinitely putting off discussions. "Postponing these discussions will not benefit the country's citizens and will only delay reform,” read the statement, which further claims that the government's unwillingness to meet with the opposition reveals reluctance for real reform. Last week the NLD, Burma's leading opposition party, requested a conference between the president, the parliament, the military and NLD party leaders aimed at preparing for amendments to Burma's heavily criticised 2008 Constitution. Presidential spokesman Ye Htut promptly responded that such discussions should be "all-inclusive" and should not give preference to the NLD. He also said that discussions should be held off until after a parliamentary Joint-Committee for Reviewing the Constitution has released its findings, expected by 31 December. Related Stories Govt rejects NLD proposal for quadripartite meeting Last of the 30 Comrades dies I'm a politician, not a saint, says Suu Kyi While this announcement does not preclude the meeting altogether, it does postpone discussions until January 2014 at the earliest, which NLD representatives argue is an unnecessary delay. Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Sunday called the government's refusal for quadripartite constitutional discussions "inconsistent" with reform, during an address to the Burmese community in Melbourne, Australia. "I have a duty to point out inconsistencies within the government," Suu Kyi said. In response to the government's position that the NLD should not be granted the special privilege of a quadripartite meeting, Suu Kyi said that, "We are generally accepted as the main opposition party. Democratic countries allow space and support for opposition parties. Our demand is not unreasonable. This is standard democratic procedure." Suu Kyi related that in 1988 and 1989, just before being placed under house arrest, she made several requests to meet with Snr-Gen Saw Maung, and was similarly denied the opportunity for a meeting, suggesting that the government is still systematically preventing discourse. NLD party members have been conducting polls in several parts of the country, including all major cities and some townships in ethnic states, to gauge public opinion on constitutional reform. NLD representatives claim that the vast majority of those surveyed would prefer amendment to a complete rewrite, and that opinion seems unanimous that Burma's highly controversial constitution must be changed. While the survey has already been held in several townships across Burma, polling was said to be disrupted in Naypyidaw and several villages in Mon State. The NLD was initially denied a permit to conduct polls in the capital city of Naypyidaw, after a similar event in Rangoon drew nearly 20,000 people who were overwhelmingly supportive of constitutional amendment. Among the major criticisms of Burma's 2008 constitution is a provision that guarantees 25 percent of parliamentary seats to the military, and a severely prohibitive amendment process that requires 75 percent parliamentary approval for all changes. Burma's current constitution also contains a clause that would prevent Suu Kyi from seeking the presidency in the upcoming 2015 elections, by virtue of having been married to a foreigner.

Activists convicted under Article 18 in Rangoon, Pegu Posted: 01 Dec 2013 10:53 PM PST At least six activists were convicted on Friday for violating Article 18 of Burma’s controversial Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Processions Law in Rangoon and Pegu Divisions. Htin Kyaw of Kyauktada and Win Cho of Pegu were sentenced to nine months and six months, respectively. Sentences for at least five others in Pegu are as yet unconfirmed. According to Thein Aung Myint, a fellow activist, Htin Kyaw was hit with charges for four separate offenses, three resulting in prosecution. "The first verdict was for attempting to file a lawsuit against Poe La Pyae, the grandson of retired junta chief Snr-Gen Than Shwe. He was also charged for protesting the arrest of land rights activist Sein Than and demonstrating against the Latpadaung copper mine project," said Thein Aung Myint. Htin Kyaw was previously incarcerated for participation in the fuel hike protests of 2007, but was released from prison in a January 2012 amnesty. Related Stories Tawwin factory workers convicted under Article 18 Peace Day activists fined for protesting without permission Political prisoners to be honoured post-mortem Win Cho, who received a six-month sentence, has been in custody since his arrest in August for participation in "plough protests" in Pegu. Robert San Aung, Win Cho's lawyer, told DVB on Friday that he and five others were sentenced under section 505 [b] of Burma's penal code, which applies to those accused of "intent to cause fear or alarm to the public or to any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the State or against public tranquility." In addition to the six-month sentence, Win Cho and the others were also fined up to 20,000 kyat for violating Article 18, according to Robert San Aung. ​Burma's Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Processions Law is a highly contested piece of legislation that has recently been denounced by several international human rights groups, who claim that the law is being used to target activists that oppose major development projects. President Thein Sein in July made a public commitment to release all political prisoners by the end of 2013, though rights groups claim that the legislation is simultaneously creating more prisoners of conscience. On Friday. six workers from Tawwin Wood Finished Products Factory who staged a protest demanding salary increases and labour rights in October 2012 were convicted by Sanchaung township court in Rangoon and ordered to either pay fines or serve one month in prison with labour. Also last week, two activists who staged a protest on International Peace Day calling for an end to the conflict in northern Burma were fined by a township court in Rangoon under the same charges: Article 18. And a larger number of activists and farmers have been detained and charged over the past year under the same legal clause with regard to demonstrations around the controversial Latpadaung copper mine. Rights groups and political prisoners organisations have slammed the government’s policy of using the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Processions Law to arrest, detain and intimidate protestors across the country who have staged demonstrations to call attention to land grab abuses and the exploitation of natural resources.

ITD still plans to bid on Dawei projects Posted: 01 Dec 2013 07:33 PM PST The Burmese government’s decision to take back the Dawei deep-sea port concession from Italian-Thai Development Pcl (ITD) may raise the eyebrows of some investors looking at the country, but negative repercussions on investment are unlikely, say analysts. Thailand and Burma late last month signed three memoranda of understanding (MoUs) on the Dawei project. One was to transfer the concession to Dawei SEZ Development Co (DSEZ), a new 50-50 special-purpose vehicle set up by the countries to run the project. In November 2010, Thailand’s third-largest contractor by market value was granted a 75-year, US$8.6-billion concession from Burma’s government to develop a special economic zone (SEZ) and deep-sea port in Dawei. ITD had hoped to find investors to join the project but did not succeed due to the enormous project size and required investment, prompting the two governments to intervene. The second MoU signed at the Thailand-Myanmar Joint Coordinating Committee in Bangkok revoked the concession. Related Stories KDB Daewoo has high hopes for Rangoon skyline Business Weekly Japan views cooperation on Burma's railways sector The third one obliges new investors to reimburse ITD for the money it has invested in building roads and other facilities. ITD can still bid for any of the three main development projects, something it plans to do. “I believe this is a very positive development. Investors will have more confidence dealing with DSEZ and be more positive about investing in the Dawei SEZ with DSEZ as the regulator,” Albert Chandler of Chandler and Thong-ek Law Offices Ltd in Bangkok told the Bangkok Post. His affiliate Myanmar Legal Services Ltd has offered legal advice in relation to local and international commercial transactions and aspects of doing business in the neighbouring country. “I believe there will be more foreign investor interest as a result of the bilateral approach to the Dawei framework between Thailand and Myanmar. The SEZ law and rules will provide many of the positive features of the Foreign Investment Law 1988 and new such law 2012,” said Mr Chandler. He said ITD is a major construction firm and will likely be engaged as a contractor by several projects in Dawei. ITD president Premchai Kanasutra said the contractor is committed to bidding for all its projects. About 6 billion baht (US$200 million) has been invested in the project. Thai Government participation makes Dawei viable, he said. John Fotiadis, senior member of Bangkok legal firm Atherton Co, said it seems ITD is negotiating agreeable terms with both governments. “Given so, we do not believe this will have negative repercussions for foreign investors considering future investment,” he said. “From what we’ve observed, it seems there are unique circumstances in this case due to the size of the project, changes in government, changes in international sanctions and internal factors, and they are not necessarily due to Myanmar rules and regulations.” Mr Chandler also said Burma has a good track record in dealing with oil and gas companies, with no reports of dispute settlement proceedings. “The Myanmar government is on the right track in dealing with the telecom sector. I believe you will find similar positive features in the emerging Dawei SEZ. The project offers good prospects for Myanmar and foreign investors, with upsides for communities in terms of environmental, social, education and health factors,” he said. But Worasete Phueksakon, executive director at Dharmniti Law Office Co, said some investors may be more cautious about investing in Burma after considering ITD’s experience with this project. “We understand that part of the reason why the Myanmar government decided to take back the concession from ITD was that ITD failed to attract sufficient investors and there were difficulties relating to finding a suitable power source,” he said. “We expect a number of bidders will be impacted by a range of factors including the details of the auction, cost of doing business in Myanmar, the stated time frames and specifications of the project.” If the current regulatory framework in Burma makes the project expensive, difficult or overly complicated to comply with, it will be more difficult for bidders, and some will decide to opt out, he said.

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Democratic Voice of Burma

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• Women get behind the wheel
• Crawling, walking, but not yet running – ATMs in Burma
• Burma ‘100 percent ready’ for SEA Games, says sports minister

Women get behind the wheel Posted: 01 Dec 2013 01:47 AM PST Since the Burmese government started allowing new cars to be imported in 2011, many more taxis can be found on the streets of Rangoon. Most of the taxi drivers are male; however there are about five female drivers to be found in the city. Htay Htay Win is one of them. "Before, I lent my car to another taxi driver. Everyday at 4 pm he came back and parked it in front of my house. I only used to drive the car near my home – people stopped me when they saw the taxi sign on my car, and if their destination was close I drove them. I was happy to have some extra income." Htay Htay Win decided on taxi-driving as a career. Ma Win is a widow and mother of two and used to work for the government, but started driving after she retired. Now Ma Win leaves her home around 7 each morning to drive customers to their destinations. According to others in the business, the cost for driving a taxi is 1,500 kyats – US$1.50 – per hour. "We have to work with the time. The drivers who drive dawn to dusk can make profits that exceed their costs. But in the current climate it's very hard to make 10 000 kyat profit every day because of the traffic jams." However, Htay Htay Win says she can earn 13,000 kyat for a half-day's work. "I really applaud you because you can earn nearly 15,000 kyat profit for a half day, even though your car is poor and it's using a lot of gasoline”. says a customer. Ma Win says her driving improves each day and she knows how to save on gas. Related Stories Classic car enthusiasts hit Burma roads Rohingya refugees – a woman’s perspective Burmese army to recruit females for first time in 50 years But it's not always easy being a female taxi driver in a male-dominated business. Win has had to face sarcasm and mockery from customers and fellow drivers. "Many taxi drivers raise their eyebrows when we meet at traffic lights. Some bus drivers tease me because I am a younger woman." At first their jibes upset her, but then she remembered that she was earning an honest living and she shouldn't care what others think. Some passengers think it's safer to ride with female drivers than with males, while others don't think it's important who drives the car as long as you reach your destination on time. "I would like more women taxi-drivers because it would be more convenient for women to hire taxis”, said the male customer. "From my point of view, women should earn their living as best as possible”, said another, female, customer. “Women are more stable and aware of the risks of driving, so I feel safer." Female taxi drivers are still very unusual in Burma, but as the country opens up and women gain more freedom and opportunities, the first steps for reaching a more equal society have been taken. And Htay Htay Win is happy to have a job she enjoys.

Crawling, walking, but not yet running – ATMs in Burma Posted: 01 Dec 2013 12:01 AM PST Just one year ago, Burma was a purely cash economy: there were no automated teller machines and international credit cards were not accepted, save for those of a few well-connected companies that routed payments to offshore companies. In September 2012, MasterCard became the first international payments network to issue a licence to a local bank. Two months later, the first ATM transaction took place at a Rangoon branch of Cooperative Bank (CB Bank). MasterCard has established partnerships with eight local banks and one financial institution, which include CB, KBZ, Myanmar Apex Bank (MAB), Myanmar Citizens Bank, Myanmar Oriental Bank, United Amara Bank (UAB), Ayeyarwady Bank and Asia Green Development Bank (AGD). According to the country's largest private bank, Kanbawza Bank (KBZ), there are now 2,500 credit card payment terminals across the country, with the majority in the commercial capital of Rangoon, officially known as Yangon. KBZ's General Manager Za Lin Htut said, "We are going to expand our ATM network to 250 to 300 over the next 12 months and also plan to roll out ATMs not only the major cities, but also in smaller ones." Related Stories Business Weekly Business Weekly Business Weekly "We are hopeful about partnering with more banks. Any bank that's interested can partner with us, so long as they comply with the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Asset Control [OFAC] requirements," said MasterCard's country manager for Myanmar and Thailand, Antonio Corro. Although the decision to exempt a bank from being blacklisted "has nothing to do with MasterCard, Mr Corro said, "We are a public US company and cannot make any compromises as to who we do business with." Part of OFAC's requirements include background checks regarding a bank's ownership, as some of Burma's banks are owned by individuals blacklisted by the US due to having strong ties to the former military regime. On February 22, OFAC removed four Burmese banks off the blacklist, even though at least two are controlled by people close to the former military regime and who remain on the Treasury Department's Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list. The reason given for the exemption was that increased access to Burmese banks by American companies would help promote social and economic development and serve as a model for responsible investment. "Things are evolving. Members of the US Treasury visited Rangoon recently to do some research, so I wouldn't be surprised if the US government makes further announcements in the next few months," Mr Corro said. He described the banks MasterCard is partnering with as "very serious, cooperative and sincere. They'd been isolated for so long and want to be part of the international banking and contribute to the local economy." Meanwhile, VISA has partnerships up and running with five banks – KBZ, Myanmar Oriental Bank, MAB and UAB. Three others, Myanmar Citizen Bank, AGD and Ayeyarwady Bank are in the "implementation stage," said Mr Somboon Krobteeranon, VISA's country manager for Burma and Thailand. Mr Somboon said that by the end of the year, VISA expects all eight banks to be connected with VISA, which now has more than 200 ATMs and 600 POS. Other payment machines in Burma accept locally issued debit cards as well as cards from the world's second-largest payment network after VISA, the Shanghai-based UnionPay, plus Japan Credit Bureau. Mr Somboon said, "When I look back over the past year I'm impressed by how hard all the related parties have been working. It's been very successful." Another major development occurred in the sector on October 8, when MasterCard and CB Bank jointly announced the introduction of a prepaid international travel card for Burmese citizens, which allows holders to deposit up to US$5,000. Mr Corro said, "My understanding there has been a lot of applications [for the prepaid travel card]." Burmese travellers can use the EASI Travel Master Card to withdraw money in more than 210 countries; however Burma isn't one of them. When asked why Burmese citizens cannot yet obtain a credit card, Mr Corro said, "It's a decision for the Central Bank of Myanmar. CB Bank was the first bank in Myanmar to be given permission to provide a card that can be used internationally, but part of the requirements was that it can only be used outside the country." He said he is unaware of any specific reason as to why, saying, "I think [the Central Bank] wants to make sure that everything moves forward in the right way. There's a lot happening right now, such as new laws being passed, banking policies being reviewed and so forth. We will have to wait and follow what they are doing." Mr Somboon said that it will take "some time for more sophisticated products such as VISA debit and VISA cards" to become available for locals. "There will also need to be a knowledge transfer to local bank staff to operate such technology," he said. He added that, "In the very near future, VISA will announce the launch of a strongly competitive product [for a prepaid card for Burmese travellers]." INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEMS Electricity shortages remain a burden on Burma's banking sector, with frequent power cuts disrupting electronic banking services. However both VISA and MasterCard said the problem is manageable. "Electricity shortages remain one of the greatest challenges [for banking], along with weak infrastructure. However ATMs are usually located in front of a bank branch, which has a power generator. So there's not much down time," Mr Corro said. "We definitely had our challenges in terms of infrastructure. But considering we started off [in December 2012] with nothing and that this time last year there were only about 30 ATMs, I'm really pleased by the speed of progress. We expect a growth rate of about 100 additional ATMs every year," Mr Somboon said, adding that "last year wasn't so good" in terms of the number of transactions successfully authorised. "But right now it's quite comparable to the system efficiency in neighbouring countries. However it remains a fact of life in Myanmar that there won't always be an electricity supply." Mr Corro believes that international travellers will now feel confident about banking services in Burma. "MasterCard holders usually check our website to see where we have a presence. We now have 500 merchants accepting MasterCard in Myanmar – mostly at hotels and elsewhere in the tourist industry. It's very encouraging to have 500 POS in the third quarter." However it seems that many international visitors remain unaware of the availability of credit card facilities. "Electricity shortages remain one of the greatest challenges [for banking], along with weak infrastructure. However ATMs are usually located in front of a bank branch, which has a power generator. So there's not much down time.” Although the technology to accept MasterCard and VISA was introduced at Mi Casa Tapas Restaurant in Bahan Township three months ago (via United Amara Bank), restaurant manager Jack said, "Ninety-nine percent of our foreign guests pay in cash." He also added that power shortages continue to affect the restaurant's ability to process credit cards. Some may also feel wary of making use of the new technology in Burma, and there seems to be some justification for this. French citizen Florian Guerithault said, "Many people have problems using credit cards in Myanmar, whether it's paying a $1,000 bill but being charged $10,000, or requesting a withdrawal of K200,000 at an ATM and getting K100,000. Once I tried to withdraw K100,000 and I never got the money, but it was deducted from my account. There's no security in banking here." Mr Guerithault said he was also disappointed when Siam Commercial Bank asked him to sign a statement saying that the Bangkok-based bank would take no responsibility for any loss of money during its transfer to his recently opened local bank account with KBZ. "I had to sign the statement in person and when I asked why they wouldn't take any responsibility for money transfers, I was told it's because there are still sanctions in place. But I think if [Siam Commercial Bank] is going to offer these services, they should do so properly." French citizen Natasha Schaffner, who owns Alamanda Inn and has lived in Rangoon for nine years, said, "I have no plans to open a local savings account, because I still don't trust Myanmar banks." However locals – of whom only a tiny minority now have access to banking services – appear more enthusiastic about moving cash savings into a bank. Htun Phu Nin Htay, 22, is currently saving up for a Master's degree. She said, "I opened a savings account with United Amara Bank three months ago. I used to give my salary to my parents and they kept it under their mattress at home, but I feel safer knowing that my money is in a bank." VISA's country manager Mr Somboon said that the cumulative figure for ATM withdrawals and POS transactions stands at $15 million. MasterCard does not make such figures publicly available. "It's quite a lot," Mr Somboon said, although the figure pales in comparison to neighbouring Thailand, where VISA process $2 billion a year. He is hoping that 300 ATMs will accept VISA within the next year. "Wherever the banks have a branch there will be an ATM," he said. "It's hard to predict what the figure could be by this time next year, but if travellers make use of the VISA card in Myanmar, I believe there will be an exponential increase."   Jessica Mudditt is a freelance journalist based in Rangoon [Yangon]. To read more from her, click here. The views expressed in this article are the author's and do not reflect DVB editorial policy. This article first appeared in the Bangkok Post on 4 November 2013.

Burma ‘100 percent ready’ for SEA Games, says sports minister Posted: 30 Nov 2013 11:22 PM PST In a major test of Burma’s infrastructure and organisation, thousands of athletes, officials, media and visitors will descend for the 22-day multi-sport event starting on Sunday. “We are 100 percent ready to hold the SEA Games,” sports ministry director Htay Aung told AFP. “We are ready now. We held the final rehearsal of opening ceremony yesterday [Thursday],” he added. Htay Aung said 6,000 athletes and 3,000 journalists are due for the Games, which begin in low-key fashion with football preliminaries and floorball demonstration events on Sunday. The event comes just two years after the former pariah state started making wide-ranging reforms in a sudden and unexpected opening-up to the outside world. It does not formally get underway until the opening ceremony on Dec 11 at the 30,000-seat Wunna Theikdi Stadium in the newly built capital, Naypyidaw. Related Stories Burma aims to whitewash rivals at Wushu Burma's judo team expect six golds DVB Debate: How prepared is Burma for the SEA Games? Nine thousand athletes and journalists alone are expected and “hundreds of thousands” of local fans will attend, Htay Aung said. Vice President Nyan Tun has urged athletes to “strive for a golden age of Myanmar sports… improving the reputation of the country and making history to be regarded as sporting heroes,” according to a government release. However, privately some officials are concerned about the preparations and potential problems, especially the number of hotel rooms to accommodate all the visitors. “There are many things to be done even though many ministries are involved. Hotel rooms cannot be enough because many foreigners and many visitors will come,” a government official, who did not want to be named, told AFP. “Ten of thousands of people will join the events. Hopefully everything can be done smoothly. Cooperation between ministries is very weak,” he confided. A senior police official admitted: “Thousands of athletes and officials and also thousands of fans will come. Although we tried our best for security with enough numbers, I’m a little bit nervous.” The SEA Games are not unfamiliar with problems. The last edition in Indonesia was hit by corruption and delays in construction, and a deadly stadium stampede at the men’s football final. Burma is currently battling religious and ethnic tensions with unrest and bomb blasts in parts of the country in recent weeks. Some 1,380 medals will be handed out in events ranging from mainstream sports such as athletics to the traditional but obscure Burmese pursuit of chinlone.

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Democratic Voice of Burma

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• Incorporate child soldiers issue into ceasefire agreement
• EU-led project seeks to promote police accountability in Burma
• Business Weekly

Incorporate child soldiers issue into ceasefire agreement Posted: 29 Nov 2013 10:07 PM PST Nearly 18 months back, the Myanmar [Burmese] government made a commitment to the international community and its own people. Through a Joint Action Plan signed with the UN last June, it pledged to end the recruitment and use of children into its armed forces, the Tatmadaw Kyi, and the Border Guard Forces (BGFs). It also promised to take steps to ensure that children would be protected from recruitment in the future. Some tangible measures have been taken; however children continue to be recruited into the Myanmar military and non-state armed groups. On 30 November 2013, the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, established under a 2005 Security Council resolution and consisting of all its members, begins a mission to Myanmar. It will meet with representatives from the Myanmar government and other actors to offer advice and support towards ending child recruitment and other grave violations against children in Myanmar. The visit by the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict signals the continued engagement by the international community at the very highest level on this issue and will contribute to ensuring that the issue of children affected by situations of armed conflict in Myanmar remains prominent on the national agenda. Related Stories More than 2,000 flee as hostilities reignite in Kachin state Kachins flee to displacement camps following military clashes in Bhamo Burmese army to recruit females for first time in 50 years More importantly it offers an opportunity for a renewed commitment to end and prevent child soldiers in Myanmar. For instance, support to ensure that all children are registered at birth and all children possess an identity document which lays out clearly their ages, is a tangible way of providing protection to children against unlawful recruitment. Similarly, support to the Myanmar military to ensure that it professionalises recruitment in its armed forces, implements effective age verification measures which are monitored and holds violations accountable, is yet another way to effect positive change. Research conducted by Child Soldiers International shows that the commitment by the Myanmar government to end underage recruitment and use has led to some changes on the ground. Access by the UN Country Task Force to military sites has improved; release of some children from the army, though a small number, has taken place and some measures are being taken to improve recruitment practices. However, there is no process yet to verify and release children from the BGFs, which are under the remit of the Joint Action Plan; children who escape from the Tatmadaw Kyi continue to be detained and treated as adult deserters; and accountability measures have so far failed to deter ongoing underage recruitment despite the fact that it is against the law. Of particular concern to Child Soldiers International, the reasons which drove underage recruitment in the past have not been addressed: the Myanmar military continues to face pressures to increase troop numbers and a system of an incentive-based quota drives demand for fresh recruitment. This puts children at particular risk. The practice of falsification of age documents, including National Registration Cards and family lists, continues unchecked and no measures have been taken to establish accountability for this practice. Armed opposition groups active in various regions of Myanmar have also been known to recruit children and use them in hostilities and they have been listed for several years in the UN Secretary-General's annual reports because of these practices. The current efforts to resolve the armed conflicts in Myanmar constitute an important opportunity to offer children protection and remedy. Child soldiers' issues should be fully incorporated throughout the peace process and in the mechanisms aimed at monitoring their implementation, including by establishing a mechanism to verify and release child soldiers and ensuring that the recruitment and use of children is considered a violation of ceasefire agreements. By agreeing to incorporate these measures, the Myanmar government will take another essential step towards protecting children. Charu Lata Hogg is the Asia Program Manager for Child Soldiers International To see Charu Lata Hogg interviewed by DVB, click here The views expressed in this articles are the author’s and do not reflect DVB editorial policy.

EU-led project seeks to promote police accountability in Burma Posted: 29 Nov 2013 09:19 PM PST Officials in charge of implementing a €10 million police reform project in Burma reached out to local media in Rangoon on Friday in an attempt to explain some of the project's aims. The 18-month-long pilot project, which got underway around two months ago, will provide some 4,000 police in Burma with training in community policing and crowd management best practices, and to promote police accountability by engaging civil society and parliament, EU Ambassador Roland Kobia said. "The main objective of this project is actually to bring the Myanmar Police Force closer to the people, to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms of the people," he said. The EU launched the project following a request from the President's Office, based on recommendations made by the Latpadaung Commission Report chaired by Aung San Suu Kyi. A brutal crackdown exactly one year ago to the day on protestors at the Chinese-backed copper mine left dozens with severe burns from phosphorous bombs fired by riot police. "The reform process will take many months and years. So while we are hopeful that we can learn quickly, we also know that it will take time, and a step-by-step approach." Critics of the program have claimed that the EU's provision of riot gear might be in violation of a longstanding EU arms embargo. "The equipment the EU will be providing to the police is only purely defensive," Kobia claimed, "not something that can be used [offensively]… nothing of a repressive nature." EU trainers will coach Burmese police officers on "how to secure and protect the democratic rights of citizens to gather and demonstrate, and at the same time stop communal, inter-religious and protest-related violence by using as little force as possible," according to a statement. Under Section 18 of the Peaceful Protest and Assembly Act, Burmese citizens require prior authorisation from local police before they are allowed to stage a public protest. If demonstrators fail to receive permission, they can be arrested and face fines and imprisonment of up to one year. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners in Burma, 57 individuals have been incarcerated under Section 18 since December 2011. "The reform process will take many months and years," said Gen. Thura Bo Ni of the Myanmar Police Force. "So while we are hopeful that we can learn quickly, we also know that it will take time, and a step-by-step approach." Rangoon's Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township has been chosen as the pilot site for the community policing project, which will be led by David Hamilton, a veteran of policing in Northern Ireland during years of sectarian violence and tensions. "We would like Myanmar police officers to know who their community are, and vice versa, we would like the local community to know who their local police officers are," he said. "People expect the police to deal with their crimes. They expect them to quickly respond to their calls for assistance, and of course, when they respond to their calls, citizens expect them to be sympathetic, impartial, and professional." Mingalar Taung Nyunt is Rangoon's only Muslim-majority township. Following an anti-Muslim massacre in the central city of Meiktila in late March and a deepening mistrust of the police, Muslim residents took security into their own hands and established a volunteer "night patrol" to police the neighbourhood, setting up barricades and checkpoints to screen outsiders. Related Stories Latpadaung committee pledges US$1.68 million for local development Copper mine protestors given one-month sentences in Rangoon Burma calls on UN to respect its sovereignty "We wanted an area that was diverse in population, we wanted it to have a business district, schools, sports and recreation, a densely populated area, both rich and poor," Hamilton said. "And I have to say, to the credit of the Myanmar police, that was the township we came up with together as being a good pilot area to deliver the community policing model." In anti-Muslim attacks around the country, the police have been criticised for their inaction, standing by as mobs commit murder and ransack homes and businesses. Kobia claimed these sorts of incidents underscored the need for proper training. "The whole idea, of this reform of police… is to train the police to react in a proper way to incidents," he said. "This is what training is all about. It's not only to give competence, but it's also to do a mind-shift, to change mentalities when the police is confronted by an incident." On 10 October, an umbrella group of 15 European NGOs known as the European Burma Network released a statement raising concern that the Burmese government has not met its obligations with regard to governance and human rights protection. It called on the EU to ensure that a list of demands is included in the UN General Assembly resolution on Burma. It said that the Burmese government has not addressed reports of human rights abuses by authorities, and said no comprehensive investigation has been carried out regarding human rights violations committed by police, security forces, the army, state and national government officials or prison authorities. While the UN resolution on 19 November did not specifically target police compliance in inter-religious tensions or other violations, it urged the Burmese government "to accelerate efforts to address the discrimination, violence, displacement and economic deprivation affecting various ethnic and religious minorities, including the Rohingya minority in Rakhine [Arakan] State."

Business Weekly Posted: 29 Nov 2013 08:18 PM PST   Illegal imports down, official trade up Burma's foreign trade has increased this fiscal year by almost US$3.5 billion on the same period in 2012-13 with a total trading value of $14.829 billion, according to Nyunt Aung, the deputy-director of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, who concluded that one major reason for the official increase was a successful crackdown on illegal imports.   India dreams of pan-Asian gas grid India is keen to build a 15,000-km gas grid across Asia to connect producers such as Iran, Burma, Bangladesh and central Asian nations with large consumers including itself, China and Pakistan, according to a 25 November report by Economic Times of India citing government officials. The proposal, which revives prospects of India importing gas from Iran and seeks to extend the proposed pipeline from Turkmenistan, has the backing of India's oil minister Veerappa Moily, the report said, adding that the matter was scheduled to be discussed at the SAARC Energy Ministers Meet in early December but was postponed as some ministers were unavailable.   MRTV invite tenders for new media centre Burmese government broadcaster Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV) is inviting tender bids for the construction of a media complex to accommodate the state-run station's new digital broadcasting system in the MRTV compound in Rangoon. MRTV director-general Myint Aung said at a press conference in Rangoon on 24 November that either domestic or foreign bidders will vie to lease two acres of land owned by MRTV to work on the project. Currently, the Forever Group and Skynet have contracts to use the state-run TV facilitates.   Mercedes-Benz revs up for Burma Burma's first ever auto show by Mercedes-Benz will be held in Rangoon's Mayangon township on the evening of 29 November, according to John Lwin, managing director of the Stars and Models Int'l, hired to host the show. He said the event, which will cost around 600 million kyat (over $600,000), will be "as grand as international auto events".   IMF's Christine Lagarde to visit Burma Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), will visit Naypyidaw and Rangoon on 6- 7 December when she will meet senior government officials, including Vice-President Nyan Tun, Minister of Finance and Revenue Win Shein and Central Bank of Myanmar Governor Kyaw Kyaw Maung, as well as a meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi, the IMF announced on Tuesday. French-born Lagarde is also scheduled to pay visits to Phnom Penh and Seoul. "I am very much looking forward to my first trip to Cambodia, Korea and Myanmar as Managing Director of the IMF," she said, adding that Burma was "undergoing a great awakening to countless possibilities."   Municipality objects to Rangoon boardwalk plans A proposal to build high-rise condominiums and shops along Rangoon's landmark Strand Road has met with objections from the Yangon City Development Committee who say that the project falls within Rangoon's cultural heritage zone where buildings higher than 160 feet are prohibited, according to the Minister of Transport Nyan Tun Aung. Speaking at a press conference at the Myanmar Port Authority office on Strand Road on 25 November, the minister complained that the municipal office did not raise any objections to the port development project when an invitation for tender bidding was announced last year. Known as the Nan Thidar Project, the development would include a 20-story condominium, a 16-story luxury hotel, a shopping mall, recreation centres, shops, a marina and a pier.   Mitsubishi poised to build power plant at Dawei Mitsubishi is to team up with two Thai firms – the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) and Italian-Thai pcl – to construct a large fossil fuel-based power plant at Dawei Special Economic Zone in southern Burma, Thai newspaper The Nation reported this week. The project could begin as early as next year and may involve an outlay of some US$10 billion. To help recover investment, the plant will supply 3 million kilowatts within the economic zone and sell the rest to Thailand, the report said. The announcement comes just days after Italian-Thai was relieved of its position as majority shareholder in the SEZ with Japan tipped to take over.   An end to under-the-shelves booze? An official at the Ministry of Trade and Commerce said a ban on the import of foreign alcohol brands will likely be lifted before the end of the 2013-14 fiscal year. Liquor shops and department stores recently rushed to clear bottles of foreign spirits from their shelves after the government's so-called Mobile Team pledged to crack down on contraband liquor.   Chevrolet gears up US-based General Mortars are set to open a Chevrolet showroom in Rangoon in December, according to AA Medical Products, which holds a joint-venture agreement with the automaker. The car showroom will be located inside what is presently the SSS Car Showroom at the intersection of Dhammazedi Rd and Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd in Bahan township. An official from AA Medical Products said the company is also looking to open service centres and auto parts shops. Chevrolet joins an increasingly competitive market with rivals Mercedes, Toyota and Nissan already on the market.   Naypyidaw hotels get ready to roll out the red carpet Eleven new hotels were opened in Naypyidaw on 26- 27 November in anticipation of the upcoming SEA Games which kicks off on 11 December. The 11 hotels were named as: Mya Nan Yang, ACE, Thurizza, Jade Royal, Aye Chan Thar, Pearl Thiri, Excel Capital, Mahn Myanmar, Mingalar Thiri, New Ayar and Jade City. The Ministry of Hotels and Tourism recently confirmed that a sufficient number of accommodations had been built to cope with visiting athletes, tourists and guests at the SEA Games.   Japan, Burma sign rubber MoU Burma and Japan have signed a memorandum of understanding on the manufacture and export of rubber, according to industry source Investvine. Citing the Myanmar Rubber Planters and Producers Association (MRPPA), the report said the MRPPA signed a four-point agreement with the Japan Rubber Manufacturers Association and the Rubber Trade Association of Japan last Monday at the head office of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Rangoon. The Japanese associations reportedly agreed to help Burma in manufacturing high-quality rubber; in return, Burma is to export the rubber to Japan, said MRPPA secretary Khine Myint.   Burma looks to regain 'Rice Bowl of Asia' status Burma plans to more than double rice shipments by 2020, according to Toe Aung Myint, the director-general of the Department of Trade Promotion at the Ministry of Commerce. Shipments may increase to 2.5 million metric tonnes in 2014 and 2015 from an estimated 1.8 million tonnes in the year that started April 1, he said in an interview with Bloomberg in Hong Kong this week, adding that exports are targeted to increase to 4.8 million tonnes in 2019 and 2020.

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Irrawaddy Business Roundup (November 30, 2013) Posted: 29 Nov 2013 06:36 PM PST Bangkok Street Protests 'Could Boost Burma's 2013 Tourism Tally' Civil unrest in Bangkok and other Thai cities could give Burma's 2013 tourism a spurt to boost the year's tally to around 2 million, industry observers said. Continuing anti-government mass protests will lead to holiday cancellations, said the trade newspaper TTR Weekly, and travelers could look to Burma. "Travel industry leaders have voiced deep concern over the current political unrest, pointing out that if it continues another week the trade should brace for cancellations and a loss of confidence in Thailand," said TTR Weekly. Burma already clocked more than 1.5 million visitors this year up to the end of October and the final 2013 tally could reach 1.9 million or even 2 million, said the paper quoting figures from Naypyidaw's Ministry of Hotels and Tourism. "More airlines are due to fly to tourist destinations in [Burma] and more overland checkpoints will be upgraded to allow international visitors to enter the country," said TTR Weekly, quoting a ministry official. "Thailand is [Burma's] leading travel supplier, followed by Japan, China, South Korea, and Malaysia. Most tourists visiting from Europe come from France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland," said the paper. "Thais travel to [Burma] for both business and leisure. Buddhist pilgrimage visits are popular." Unilever Aims to Double Food Business in Burma Every Two Years The food ingredients producer and supplier Unilever Food Solutions intends to double its business in Burma every two years, the company's Bangkok-based Southeast Asia managing director said. From a start-up in 2010 delivering foodstuffs such as sauces to 200 Burmese restaurants, the firm now serves 1,000 restaurants in the country, Prasith Preechachalieo told The Nation newspaper. In association with the Myanmar Restaurant Association, Unilever is one of the sponsors of the SEA Games to be held in Burma Dec. 11-22 and is helping train staff to cook for the expected 4,000 athletes. "Thailand is still our [ingredients] production base for Indochina including [Burma], Laos and Cambodia in the business-to-business market, but when the market grows the company may set up a new plant in [Burma] in the future," Prasith said. Unilever Food Solutions is part of the giant British-Dutch food, beverages and hygiene products group Unilever based in London and Amsterdam. Rice Export Slump Leaves Burma Far Short of 3 Million Tons Target Burma has been able to export just under 413,000 tons of rice in the current financial year to date— only half the volume exported in the same period of 2012, government and industry leaders said. The low volume of overseas sales means the rice industry will fall far short of an ambitious target of 3 million tons for the 2013-2014 financial year proposed earlier by the Ministry of Commerce. With just over four months left of the financial year, Burma had exported 412,740 tons between April 1 and November 15, Eleven Media quoted the ministry as saying. Myanmar Rice Federation Secretary-General Soe Tun blamed the export decline on several problems, including a surfeit of rice on the international market and a drop on domestic production caused by higher costs and weather-affected smaller harvest. Neighbor Bangladesh Edges Closer to Being a Burma Gas Importer Bangladesh could soon be in the market to buy natural gas from Burma. The Dhaka government has approved plans for a US $200 million offshore floating terminal to process imported liquid natural gas (LNG) in a bid to ease Bangladesh's acute gas shortage. The terminal, easier to assemble than a land-based one, is to be located near Cox's Bazar close to the Burmese border on the Bay of Bengal to relieve energy shortages suffered by Bangladesh's main port city of Chittagong, the gas industry website Energybangla said. US firms Astra Oil and Excelerate Energy have been named as the preferred bidders for a contract from the Bangladesh government to build the LNG terminal, said Dhaka's New Age newspaper. Excelerate Energy of Texas is a specialist firm in building floating LNG terminals. Scores of factories have had to be closed in Chittagong because of the lack of gas to fuel electricity generation in the city. The industrial city gets less natural gas now than five years ago, the Financial Express reported recently. In 2008, Chittagong received 6.8 million cubic meters per day. Today it has on average only 5.2 million cm, the Express said. LNG is normal natural gas chilled into liquid form so it can be transported easily in sea tankers. New Non-State Newspapers Struggle to Survive in Marketplace Publishers of new non-government daily newspapers are struggling to survive financially as they face a shortage of advertising revenue and distribution cost problems, the New York Times reported. Twelve dailies were established six months ago following the end of state control of the industry, but they have to compete with government newspapers which still monopolize advertising revenue. Three of the 12 have already been forced to close due to financial losses, said the paper's reporter Thomas Fuller. "Distribution in big cities is still unreliable for the private papers, especially during the rainy season, and nearly non-existent in the countryside. And a typical cover price of 20 [US] cents a copy for the private papers is too high for many readers, publishers say," the paper said. "The state publications sell for a fraction of the price and have plentiful advertising, a legacy of military rule when they were the only dailies in the country." The post Irrawaddy Business Roundup (November 30, 2013) appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

‘They Shouldn’t Be Ill-Treated for Their Occupation’ Posted: 29 Nov 2013 06:00 PM PST Dr. Sid Naing, the Burma country director of Marie Stopes International (MSI), speaks to The Irrawaddy in Rangoon. (Photo: Sai Zaw / The Irrawaddy) The question of how to handle the sex industry in Burma was raised in Parliament earlier this year, with a proposal to legalize and regulate the trade ultimately rejected by lawmakers. The issue is a controversial one in Burma, pitting those who adhere to what they call "traditional Burmese cultural values" against those who approach the subject from a public health perspective, arguing that it is better to bring prostitution out of the shadows. According to data collected by the United Nations and Burmese government, an estimated 0.45 percent of women in the country aged 15-49, or between 40,000-80,000 people, are sex workers. The Irrawaddy recently interviewed Dr. Sid Naing, the Burma country director for Marie Stopes International (MSI), a London-based NGO that provides sexual and reproductive health care to millions of under-served women around the world. The doctor discussed whether the country's sex industry should be officially sanctioned, and described how Burmese culture has at times been an obstacle to the implementation of sex education programs in the country. Question: In our country, parents generally don't talk about sex education or share related experiences with their children. Prostitution is a crime and promiscuity is considered social deviance. What is your read of the situation? Answer: Prostitution is seen as a crime because the law says so. Whether it should be that way or not has to be debated among the general public, legal experts and concerned individuals in order to find a solution. However, the thing is that parents don't want to talk about sex with their children at all. Neither do the teachers because they think talking about it would bring disrespect upon them. What we suggest is asking a third party, which both parents and children trust, to talk about sex. Children do need to know about it. If they grow up without that knowledge, by the time they find out, they might have already had intercourse without any protection. Difficulties arise when it is termed 'sex education' at schools. It is not teaching about how to make love. In fact, it is educating children to make them aware of the good and bad, cause and consequences, of sex, as well as its dangers and how to deal with them. In some schools, we were asked not to talk about it with children who had already passed eighth grade. We were told that we could talk about anything but condoms. The bad does not wait for children. Who will protect them? Do we have a responsibility to let them know as much we can about how to protect themselves? The danger does not come with an age specification. Q: In our country, some doctors are pushing for proactive programs on contraception and sexually transmitted disease protection. Others say such efforts should be prevented because they encourage sexual promiscuity. What do you think? A: These two lines of thinking will exist. We will continue to argue for how to contain the bad and how to bring more positive outcomes based on the current situation. What we are being attacked for the most now is related to emergency contraception pills. Many people do not see the lives of women who were saved by these pills. We can't amend the law or change the culture so we will have to do what we can. There are those who are grateful for us but don't dare say so because of shame. Those who are not grateful for us speak out loudly. Q: In some foreign countries, prostitution is legal, licensed and regulated. Proponents of this approach say it helps reduce transmission of sex-related diseases and crime rates to a certain extent. How come Burma only has a law to penalize sex workers and no legislation to protect them? A: Like drugs, the prostitution business will never disappear completely. So, what should we do with something that will always exist? We can control it by granting official licenses and applying various strategies to prevent people from being harmed. Consequently, we can reduce social problems and crime. Q: Do sex workers come to MSI regularly for medical check-ups? A: Yes. We tried quite hard to reach that point because we had to come up with a special arrangement for sex workers to regularly receive medical check-ups on their free time. Some women cannot move around freely as their movement is restricted by pimps or others who manage their lives. In terms of medical check-ups, even those who have regular incomes and live in urban areas do not prioritize it, so you can imagine the situation for those who do not have proper jobs, are poor or live in the country's remote areas. Also, many people with official positions and military backgrounds do not think that health is something that they need to care about. Q: I asked a number of women from karaoke and massage parlors, and 'call girls,' whether they received regular medical check-ups, and they said they had never done so. A: We find it difficult still. When we tell those girls to keep condoms with them, they think we are accusing them of being sex workers. Even when we ask hotels to make condoms available inside, they respond that they are not prostitution-related establishments. Likewise, when we tell sex workers to take blood tests, they refused to do so, saying others will then know that they are involved in sex work. We still need to deal with these issues properly. Q: What kind of attitude do you think communities and authorities should have toward sex workers in Burma? A: As one of my teachers has said, 'I just want them to enjoy the same rights as others and have an opportunity to live like human beings. That's all.' I am not trying to encourage this business, but I do not think they should be ill-treated for their occupation. It seems to me that whenever an arrest order comes, it only targets those who are poor and cannot protect themselves. Efforts to stop this business appear to have suppressed poor people in it. This is not the way it should be. The post 'They Shouldn't Be Ill-Treated for Their Occupation' appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

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• LGBT Groups Call for Burma’s Penal Code to Be Amended
• The Mobile Peace Prize
• Photo of the week 008
• The Political Prisoners Were Guilty: Khin Nyunt
• Burma Expert Doubtful That Current Talks Will Bring Peace
• Primped, Pruned and Peaceful in the Heart of Rangoon
• Rapid Plantation Expansion Fuels Deforestation in Ethnic Regions
• In Vietnam, Weary Apparatchiks Launch Quiet Revolution
• Protesters Target Thai PM’s Party, Govt Seeks to Avoid Violent Confrontation
• China Sends Warplanes Into Air Defense Zone

LGBT Groups Call for Burma’s Penal Code to Be Amended Posted: 29 Nov 2013 04:17 AM PST A campaign poster from the Human Rights Education Institute of Burma says, "Same-sex relationships are not a disease. Hating same-sex relationships is a disease." (Photo: HREIB) RANGOON — A lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender (LGBT) rights group is calling for the Burma government to abolish an article in its 19th century penal code that outlaws same-sex relationships, activists said. The penal code, which was first brought in under British colonial rule, still includes Article 377, under which "intercourse against the order of nature" carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years. The article is used to punish same-sex couples and effectively rules out same-sex couples living openly in Burma. The Rangoon-based LBGT Rights Network—an alliance of 19 civil society organizations—said it is going to lobby the government to scrap the article, which it says is discriminatory. "We do not have equal rights here. We need it," said Tin Ko Ko, a member of the LGBT Rights Network. Aung Myo Min, an activist from the Human Rights Education Institute of Burma (HREIB), argued that sex between two people was not unnatural, and rejected gay sex being grouped with acts like people having sex with animals. "All people have their own rights. They have right to get married to whoever they want," he said. "Men can marry men, women can marry women. This is their private right." Research by HREIB, published in January, found that LGBT people living in Burma are regularly victimized by authorities or discriminated against by officials or other members of the public. Following a police crackdown on LGBT people in Mandalay in July, some of the 12 detained alleged that they were subjected to humiliating sexual abuse at the police station. Although the law in Burma does not allow people to marry others of the same sex, a man and a transgender woman in Moulmein, Mon State, held a marriage ceremony on Nov. 18, according to a report in the Burmese-language Myanmar Post this week. But the act drew harsh criticism and threats in the local community and even from authorities. A statement issued by the LGBT Rights Network last week condemned police in Moulmein for infringing on the couple's rights, pointing to Article 347 of Burma 2008 Constitution, which guarantees that all citizens' security is protected. Parliamentarian Thein Nyunt, from the New National Democracy Party, said same-sex marriage was not acceptable to Burmese culture. "To talk about human rights, it's OK to have these rights. But, for me, I do not support having same-sex marriage, because it is not suitable of our Burmese culture." Despite the threat of the law, and conservative attitudes among many in Burma, the gay community has started edging toward visibility since Burma began opening up after political and economic reforms beginning two years ago. In 2011, the previously Thailand-based TV show, "Colours Rainbow TV"—which airs once a month online and focuses on LGBT issues—moved its production to Rangoon. The post LGBT Groups Call for Burma's Penal Code to Be Amended appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

The Mobile Peace Prize Posted: 29 Nov 2013 04:07 AM PST The Mobile Peace Prize The post The Mobile Peace Prize appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Photo of the week 008 Posted: 29 Nov 2013 03:59 AM PST a The post Photo of the week 008 appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

The Political Prisoners Were Guilty: Khin Nyunt Posted: 29 Nov 2013 03:47 AM PST Khin Nyunt, the former chief of Burma's military intelligence unit, speaks during a book launch in Rangoon on Thursday. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The ex-chief of Burma's feared military intelligence unit says political activists imprisoned under the former military regime were criminals who broke laws. Speaking at an event in Rangoon on Thursday, Khin Nyunt rejected claims by former political prisoners that they had been arbitrarily detained. "They are looking out for their own interests by saying they were imprisoned without reason. … Of course they broke the law, and they are guilty," he said. In addition to leading Burma's powerful spy apparatus under military rule, Khin Nyunt was appointed as prime minister in 2003. He was purged from the government one year later, allegedly at the request of then-junta chief Than Shwe, and sentenced to 44 years in prison for corruption and insubordination. He served eight years under house arrest before being released in an amnesty for political prisoners in 2012, after a quasi-civilian government took power in 2011. "Even I had to face 44 years of imprisonment because the government thought I was breaking the law," he said. "I had to follow their decision. Determining whether a person is guilty depends on the rules and regulations of the government at the time. If the government assumes you broke the law and sues you, then you are guilty. There's no reason to argue about this." The statements on Thursday came during a book launch event, in response to questions by reporters. The book by local journalist Myat Khine is a compilation of exclusive interviews with the former spy chief. Khin Nyunt is said to have been among the key government players in a military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 1988, leading to the deaths of thousands of people. Members of his military intelligence unit were accused of torturing and jailing activists from across the country. Hundreds of political prisoners have been released since 2012, and President Thein Sein's administration has pledged to free the rest before the end of this year. The most recent amnesty of 69 prisoners earlier this month nearly cut in half the number of political prisoners who were believed to be behind bars according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a Bangkok-based activist group. Emboldened by recent reforms, former political prisoners have publicly blamed the military intelligence unit for arbitrary detention and torture. Calls for an apology have come from veteran politician and journalist Win Tin, co-founder of the main opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD). In an interview last month, Win Tin told The Irrawaddy that he believed junta leaders should apologize for the deaths of those who were killed in the 1988 crackdown, and for the mistreatment of detainees in prisons. On Thursday, when asked by The Irrawaddy to comment on these demands, Khin Nyunt responded with a question of his own. "To whom should I apologize?" he said, refusing further comment. Min Zayar, an activist from the 88 Generation Students group and a former political prisoner, called on government leaders to take responsibility for rights abuses. "An apology must be made to all citizens," he said. "Of course they would say we were guilty—we were always against the junta. But he [Khin Nyunt] and the military leaders must know that our freedom of expression and right to protest was barred terribly under their rule. "We were tortured physically and mentally during interrogations and in prison. Our families also suffered. Everyone was afraid of those generals and their people. Demanding an apology and an admission of wrongdoing does not mean we want revenge, but we want them to learn from the past so they do not walk the same path in the present or future." Ye Aung, a member of the Rangoon-based Former Political Prisoners (FPP) group, an NGO offering assistance to released prisoners, said he doubted the government would free all political prisoners. Despite reform, he said, activists calling for basic rights for farmers and laborers were continuing to face detention, trials and prison sentences. "There will always be political prisoners because they have not given us freedom of expression," he said. "Khin Nyunt keeps boasting that there is more transparency than before, but we can clearly see from this recent book of his interviews and from statements by other generals that there is still a lack of transparency—they dare not speak openly yet. They are always trying to cover up the past." The post The Political Prisoners Were Guilty: Khin Nyunt appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Burma Expert Doubtful That Current Talks Will Bring Peace Posted: 29 Nov 2013 02:39 AM PST Veteran journalist BertilLintner on a visit to The Irrawaddy's office in Rangoon on Nov. 28. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Despite President Thein Sein's government pushing for a nationwide ceasefire agreement, peace negotiators from Naypyidaw and the leaders of Burma's ethnic armed groups have "incompatible" demands going into further talks, according to a Burma specialist who has studied the country's ethnic conflicts. The latest round of negotiations between rebel leaders and the government is scheduled for next month in the Karen State capital of Pa-an, but the expected date of a nationwide ceasefire deal has already been repeatedly put back. During a visit to The Irrawaddy's office in Rangoon on Thursday, Swedish journalist Bertil Lintner said that despite high-profile political and economic reforms since the nominally civilian government took power in 2011, the ethnic conflict was "still the most important issue for the future [of Burma], as I see it." "Since independence in 1948, the most important issue that has been tearing this country apart has been the question of national identity and ethnicity. The longest lasting civil war in world history has been fought in this country," said Lintner, who first visited Burma in 1977. The veteran journalist, who lives in Chiang Mai, Thailand, has published many books and articles on Burma and the region, the majority focusing on Burma and its armed rebels. Among numerous forays into rebel-held territory inside Burma, Lintner spent almost two years in the 1980s in areas under the control of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the now-defunct Communist Party of Burma. Fighting between the Burma Army and the KIA broke out in 2011 after a 17-year ceasefire. Earlier this month, the government army was continuing to launch operations that displaced thousands of civilians in Kachin's Bhamo Township just as the latest ceasefire talks were getting underway in the state capital of Myitkyina. At the talks, which concluded on Nov. 5, the government and the majority of ethnic groups exchanged their respective draft proposals for what a ceasefire agreement might look like. "Right now, you have what people call a peace process. I don't really quite see it as a process that can lead to peace," said Lintner. "The only positive thing that's come out so far is both sides have put their papers on the table—and you can see that they are incompatible." Most major ethnic armed groups in Burma have already negotiated individual ceasefire agreements, but ahead of the planned nationwide ceasefire conference they are generally united in demanding a federal Burma, an army that includes all its constituent groups, and recognition of the 1947 Panglong Agreement, which set out a recipe for autonomy of ethnic groups within aunited Burma. "Of course the military cannot accept this," said Lintner. "Their idea about the future of this country is entirely different. They want the non-[Burman] ethnic groups to accept the 2008 Constitution, to obey laws imposed by the state, and not to be a burden on the local people—which means no recruitment or tax collection.  And that is, of course, unacceptable for the other side. "I cannot see how these two sides can meet unless they find some kind of common ground. And, so far, I cannot see any common ground at all." The ethnic armed groups want a federal army that brings together all of Burma's ethnic groups—a key sticking point in negotiations. Beginning in 2009, the government attempted to incorporate ethnic armies into the state, through the so-called Border Guard Force. The move backfired as most of the strongest groups refused to sign up, and fighting broke out again in a number of areas that had seen years of peace. Lintner said the government's approach was "the wrong idea because, in a federalist structure, border security is a federal issue, not a state issue. You cannot have local armies controlling borders. That will end in chaos and smuggling and all sorts of things." However, he also said the rebel demand for a "federal army" was unrealistic. Instead, he proposed a system similar to India, where states have a locally controlled armed police force and borders are controlled by central government. "So if you take Kachin, for instance, the KIA theoretically could become the Kachin State armed police, controlled by the Kachin State government and answerable to the Kachin State government," he said. "They would be responsible for protecting the people in Kachin State. Whereas, border security would be controlled by Naypyidaw." As the government has attempted to bring armed groups on its side, it has awarded controversial car import licenses to some ethnic leaders, raising fears that personally lucrative deals may be reached at the top level that do not benefit the majority of people in Burma's frontier areas. Lintner warned that such "selling out" by ethnic leaders would be dangerous. "It would cause a lot of resentment among the ordinary people," he said. "There would be a backlash, which would make the situation even more complicated." The post Burma Expert Doubtful That Current Talks Will Bring Peace appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Primped, Pruned and Peaceful in the Heart of Rangoon Posted: 29 Nov 2013 01:33 AM PST The newest addition to the park is a modern playground for children. (Photo: Steve Ticker / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Maha Bandoola Garden in downtown Rangoon sits opposite the well-known Sule Pagoda and has recently been renovated to provide a tranquil, shady oasis for visitors during the upcoming Southeast Asian Games, which Burma will host in December for the first time in 44 years. Since its re-opening last month, the park has already become a popular venue for local residents to escape the commercial capital's growing hustle and bustle. Its dominant centerpiece is a 150-feet-tall obelisk commemorating independence from British rule in 1948. The obelisk replaced a large statue of Queen Victoria that took pride of place when the park was known as Fytche Square and the country was ruled by Britain. The garden itself is named after Gen Maha Bandoola, who led Burma against the British in the First Anglo-Burmese War. The obelisk is surrounded by eight statues of mythical lion creatures known as "chinthe." These creatures also appear on the local currency and are a familiar figure in Burmese culture, frequently seen guarding the gates and entrances to the nation's pagodas and temples. Since the renovation, the space now features wide, well-manicured lawns and gardens, and a modern children's playground. The post Primped, Pruned and Peaceful in the Heart of Rangoon appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Rapid Plantation Expansion Fuels Deforestation in Ethnic Regions Posted: 29 Nov 2013 12:10 AM PST Piles of logged trees await transport at a lumber yard in Thandwe, Arakan State. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Plantation farming is expanding rapidly in Burma and is emerging as the main driver of deforestation, according to a new report released on Thursday. It said that politically connected businessmen are receiving government licenses to log swathes of natural forest in ethnic minority regions, ostensibly to plant rubber and oil palm. The report by US-based research center Forest Trends highlighted problems with plantation expansion and other forms of logging, and raised concerns over the legality, environmental sustainability and land rights impacts of Burma's current timber extraction policy. The group warned Western nations not to resume timber imports from Burma until the government has addressed these issues. Forest Trends found that by mid-2013, the government had given firms a total of 2.1 million hectares (5.2 million acres) in plantation concessions, up from 1.3 million hectares and 0.9 million hectares in 2012 and 2011, respectively. More than 60 percent of the concessions were granted in Kachin State and Tenasserim Division, two of the country's most densely forested regions. Many of the concessions are allocated in natural forests and allow firms to log and sell old-growth trees in order to clear the area for rubber or oil palm plantations. Although exact government data on this type of forest loss is unavailable, researchers believe that plantation expansion "is likely the largest single source of timber in [Burma], especially for non-teak high value timber." After clearing the forest, many firms fail to actually plant their concessions and almost two-thirds of the areas remain fallow, according to the report. Big companies—such as Tay Za's Htoo Trading, Htay Myint's Yuzana Company, Zaw Zaw's Max Myanmar, Win Aung's Dagon Company and Steven Law's Asia World—are being granted plantation concessions "predominately in resource-rich ethnic conflict areas," the report said, adding that this policy was "part of the government's attempt at gaining greater state territorial control and access to natural resources." In southern Burma's Tenasserim Division, more than 10 well-connected companies received large oil palm concessions "in an area that holds the Mekong region's last large expanse of lowland Dipterocarp rainforest," the report said. "The result so far has been more logging than actual planting of palm oil seedlings." The expansion of Burma's rubber and oil plantations is part of a wider regional trend, largely aimed at supplying China's growing industries, that has threatened forests and community land rights across Southeast Asia. Other major sources of timber in Burma are the state-managed teak forests in the central region and the logging and harvesting of old-growth forest in ethnic conflict areas, according to Forest Trends. The latter logging concessions are allocated in forests under control of the government or armed ethnic rebel groups and "involve Burmese military and state officials and local ethnic leaders," Forest Trends said, while large "crony" companies are also increasingly granted such concessions. Armed rebel groups, the report added, were taxing much of the timber trade through their areas of control. Forest Trends said there is little government oversight on the ground to ensure that timber extraction is legal, conducted in an environmentally sustainable way and without impacting local communities' livelihoods and land rights. The state-owned Myanmar Timber Enterprise, which regulates Burma's timber trade, does little to track how private firms extract timber, the report said, adding that it provides permits to most firms as long as they export timber through Rangoon Port. Burma's neighbors India, China and Thailand are the biggest buyers of its timber, which was estimated to total 2.6 billion cubic meters in 2012, worth US$1.2 billion, according to customs data of importing countries that was aggregated by Forest Trends. A significant share of the wood is also transported overland to these countries, according to the foreign customs data, even though this is illegal under Burmese law, which requires that all timber is exported through Rangoon Port. The illicit overland transport of timber from conflict-torn Kachin State to southern China is particularly large, with an estimated value of $225 million in 2012, according estimates by Forest Trends. A researcher from the group visited the Chinese border town of Nangdao in April 2013 and "witnessed hundreds of Chinese timber trucks crossing the Burma border with very large old-growth hardwood logs from Burma." It remains unclear how much public revenue the government collects from timber exports. Ministry of Commerce data indicate that in 2011-12, Burma exported $283 million worth of teak logs and $282 million worth of hardwood logs, making timber the third biggest export product that year after natural gas and jade. Burma is historically one of Asia's biggest timber producers and was renowned for its teak forests in central Burma and densely forested border regions. During the country's long-running ethnic conflicts, both government and ethnic rebels heavily logged the forests, yet Burma remains one of Asia's most forested countries. Forest Trends said the lack of government oversight on how timber is sourced, lax export regulations and the extraction of timber in ethnic conflict areas should be a concern for the European Union and the United States, both of which are keen to resume Burmese timber imports after years of international sanctions that targeted the former military regime. "The first step to tackle this paramount issue on the future for [Burma]'s forestry sector is for the government, private sector, and donor community to frankly discuss the complexity of the verification of legal origin" of timber, the report said. Burma's government has expressed interest in reforming its timber supply chain and it held a dialogue in July with the European Union on the joint implementation of a Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) action plan, according to the EU Office in Burma. "The government is consulting internally on the next steps to take," an EU spokesman told The Irrawaddy in a recent statement. The voluntary FLEGT plan, which could take several years to implement, would help Burma verify the legality and sustainability of its timber products—a key requirement for gaining access to highly regulated EU and US markets. In an effort to reduce deforestation and the outflow of unprocessed timber, Naypyidaw announced earlier this year that it will ban the export of raw logs by April 2014, after which only sawn wood is allowed to be exported. Burma is one of the few countries in the world that still allows for the export of unprocessed logs, and raw timber makes up the majority of its exports. Forest Trends said consequently Burma had failed to build up a wood-processing industry that could add value to the vast quantity of timber that the country produces. "[M]any are wondering how the domestic industry will be able to respond to demands for even rudimentarily processed sawn logs" after the April 2014 log export ban comes into effect, the report said. The post Rapid Plantation Expansion Fuels Deforestation in Ethnic Regions appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

In Vietnam, Weary Apparatchiks Launch Quiet Revolution Posted: 28 Nov 2013 10:26 PM PST Vietnam's National Assembly's deputies press voting buttons to pass the new constitution during a meeting in Hanoi on Nov. 28, 2013. (Photo: Reuters) HANOI — The Vietnam of today wasn't what Le Hieu Dang had hoped for when he joined the Communist Party 40 years ago to liberate and rebuild a country reeling from decades of war and French and US occupation. The socialist system of the late revolutionary Ho Chi Minh has been corrupted, he says, by a shift to a market economy tightly controlled by one political party that has given rise to a culture of graft and vested interests. "I fought in the war for a better society, a fair life for people. But after the war, the country has worsened, the workers are poor, the farmers have lost their land," Dang told Reuters. "It's unacceptable. We have a political monopoly and a dictatorship running this country." Opinions like this might be normal in many countries. But in Vietnam, where politics is taboo, free speech is stifled and the image of unity in the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) sacrosanct, analysts say the significance of comrades speaking out publicly cannot be understated. The CPV-dominated National Assembly on Thursday approved amendments to a 1992 constitution that, despite a public consultation campaign, entrench the party's grip on power at a time when discontent simmers over its handling of land disputes, corruption and an economy suffocated by toxic debt amassed by state-run firms. Dang is vehemently against the amendments, and not alone in his views, which are of the kind that have landed dozens of people in jail as part of a crackdown that's intensified as dissent has risen and Internet usage soared to a third of the 90 million population. Draconian cyber laws were tightened further on Wednesday, when the government announced a 100 million dong (US$4,740) fine for anyone who criticizes it on social media. But what has jolted the party is that the loudest voices calling for a more pluralist system are coming not from the general public, but from within its own ranks, an open act of mutiny not seen since the CPV took power of a reunified Vietnam in 1975, after the communists' triumph over US forces. "Vietnam has entered a new phase. The existence of rivalries within the party is already known, but it's now more transparent in a way never seen in the past," said Jonathan London, a Vietnam expert at City University in Hong Kong. "The rise of this group and its advice will influence the tenor of party discussion. What's clear is this is a period of uncertainty and competition." Crisis and Deadlock This year, Dang and 71 others, among them intellectuals, bloggers and current and former CPV apparatchiks, drafted their own version of the constitution, in response to a routine public feedback campaign ostensibly aimed at placating people and boosting the party's dwindling legitimacy. Their draft was posted online and 15,000 people signed an accompanying petition calling for the scrapping of Article 4, which enshrines the CPV's political monopoly. But lawmakers did the opposite and redrafted the article to expand the CPV's leadership role and the military's duty to protect it. In a summary of 26 million public opinions on the draft, a commission of the National Assembly said the majority of Vietnamese supported one-party rule. "Theoretically, democracy is not synonymous with pluralism," the commission said in a report in May. "No one can affirm that multiple political parties are better than one party." On Thursday, not a single lawmaker rejected the new draft, which expanded Article 4 to state the party is "the vanguard of the Vietnamese workers, people and nation." A draft of the amendments, published weeks ago, outraged opponents. The initial 72 democracy advocates were joined by others and 165 of them, including retired government officials, published a statement on the Internet two weeks ago warning lawmakers to reject the amendments. They said if National Assembly members passed the amendments, they would be complicit in a "crime against the country and its people" and would "only push the country deeper into crisis and deadlock." Many of the party's open critics took part in the wars to liberate Vietnam from Western powers in the 1950s, '60s and '70s and have become new revolutionaries of sorts, confronting issues that most Vietnamese are afraid to discuss. Nguyen Quang A was once part of an advisory think-tank which disbanded itself after the government introduced laws that limited the scope of its work five years ago. It included former CPV members, diplomats, businessmen and academics. But they stay in touch at monthly meetings to debate social, economic and political issues, some of which they address in commentaries posted online. "We want to create an environment to facilitate the emergence of other political forces and put forward a process to transition from dictatorship to democracy," he told Reuters. "We hope some of our members can play a bridging role to make the party listen to us. It takes time, but we have to pressure them to change and convince people not to be afraid." Dang and his CPV allies are going a step further. They plan to remain in the party so they can drum up support from disenchanted members to set up an opposition party to scrutinize the CPV's policies and keep it in check. Despite their fierce rhetoric, they insist the plan to set up the Social Democratic Party is not an attempt to overthrow the ruling party but an attempt to create a more liberal coexistence between parties that would benefit the country. Ho Ngoc Nhuan, vice chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City branch of the Fatherland Front, the CPV's umbrella group that manages big organizations under Marxist-Leninist principles, said the feedback campaign and constitution amendments were a "tragic comedy" that showed the party was out of touch with the people. It was time, he said, to shake up Vietnamese politics. "We face many problems in Vietnam, big crises, so how can we solve it with one all-powerful party? We have to get their attention, so we're calling comrades in the party to join us so we can break this chain," Nhuan said, admitting that it was proving difficult to convince them. "The new generation can't explain socialism to us anymore. They're called the Communist Party, but they no longer believe in their own ideology." The post In Vietnam, Weary Apparatchiks Launch Quiet Revolution appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Protesters Target Thai PM’s Party, Govt Seeks to Avoid Violent Confrontation Posted: 28 Nov 2013 09:25 PM PST Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra speaks during a news conference at the Government House in Bangkok on Nov. 28, 2013. (Photo: Reuters / Chaiwat Subprasom) BANGKOK — Anti-government demonstrators plan to march toward the headquarters of Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's ruling party on Friday, forging ahead with a campaign to overthrow her after rejecting her call for dialogue. Yingluck breezed through a parliamentary no-confidence vote on Thursday but that failed to pacify protesters who accuse her of abusing her party's majority to push through laws that strengthen the behind-the-scenes power of self-exiled brother and former premier, Thaksin Shinawatra. Though the number of protesters appear to be dwindling since the start of the week, a hard-core remain determined to target symbols of the "Thaksin regime" to weaken a leader they call a puppet, and government they say has lost its mandate to rule. The protest leader, Suthep Thaugsuban, a deputy prime minister in the previous government, rejected Yingluck's televised plea for talks. Yingluck has ruled out resigning or dissolving parliament. As the rallies drag on, questions are being raised about what lies ahead in a conflict that broadly pits urban middle classes against the mostly rural supporters of Thaksin, a divisive tycoon ousted in a 2006 military coup and central to Thailand's eight years of on-off turmoil. Before thousands of supporters occupying a state office complex in a Bangkok suburb, Suthep vowed firm action, but was unwilling to say what that would be. "The end game will happen in the next day or two. All will be revealed tomorrow night," he said late on Thursday. His rhetoric may not rattle a government asserting its legitimacy and intent on riding out the storm. As tensions mount, it has urged police and its supporters to avoid confronting demonstrators it says are running out of steam. "The government will not instigate a violent situation because that is exactly what Suthep wants," said Udomdet Rattanasatein, a lawmaker from Yingluck's Puea Thai party. "We will not be provoked." Yingluck had governed for two years without a major challenge until last month, when Puea Thai tried to ram through an amnesty bill that would have expunged Thaksin's 2008 graft conviction and cleared the way for his political comeback. The Senate rejected it, Yingluck shelved it, but the protests escalated, switching overnight from anti-amnesty to anti-government. Thaksin's working-class support has ensured parties led by himself, his brother-in-law and now his sister have won a decade of elections, but none without overthrow attempts by extra-parliamentary groups who say he politicized and bought-off the poor with cheap credit, health care for a dollar and cash-hemorrhaging state subsidies. Among the key protagonists in Thailand's dysfunctional democracy are those who revile Thaksin's authoritarianism—conservative generals, aristocrats, big businessmen and royal advisors—whose accusations of graft and disloyalty to the monarchy have mobilized Bangkok's middle classes. Thaksin refutes their claims. The demonstrators have a presence at five locations in Bangkok, three in its historic heart, one in the city's northern fringe and another at the Finance Ministry they have occupied since Monday. The Civil Movement for Democracy, as the demonstrators are known, has garnered support from white collar workers and 45 unions with a combined 200,000 members. The union of Thai Airways International, 51 percent owned by the Finance Ministry, on Thursday threatened to go on strike and ground the flag carrier's entire fleet if any demonstrators were harmed. "If the government uses force … we will increase the pressure by stopping the plane wheels from turning," said the union's president, Damrong Waikanee The post Protesters Target Thai PM's Party, Govt Seeks to Avoid Violent Confrontation appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

China Sends Warplanes Into Air Defense Zone Posted: 28 Nov 2013 09:12 PM PST A helicopter of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force lifts off from the aircraft carrier USS George Washington during Annual Exercise 2013, at sea in this Nov. 27, 2013 handout provided by the US Navy. This was taken in the general vicinity, though not within, the new airspace defense zone which China newly established last week. (Photo: Reuters) BEIJING — China said it sent warplanes into its newly declared maritime air defense zone days after the United States, South Korea and Japan all sent flights through the airspace in defiance of rules Beijing says it has imposed in the East China Sea. China's air force on Thursday sent several fighter jets and an early warning aircraft on normal air patrols in the zone, the Xinhua agency reported, citing air force spokesman Shen Jinke. The report did not specify exactly when the flights were sent or whether they had encountered foreign aircraft. The United States, Japan and South Korea have said they have sent flights through the zone without encountering any Chinese response since Beijing announced the creation of the zone last week. Shen described Thursday's flights as "a defensive measure and in line with international common practices." He said China's air force would remain on high alert and will take measures to protect the country's airspace. While China's surprise announcement last week to create the zone initially raised some tensions in the region, analysts say Beijing's motive is not to trigger an aerial confrontation but is a more long-term strategy to solidify claims to disputed territory by simply marking the area as its own. China's lack of efforts to stop the foreign flights—including two US B-52s that flew through the zone on Tuesday—has been an embarrassment for Beijing. Even some Chinese state media outlets suggested Thursday that Beijing may have mishandled the episodes. "Beijing needs to reform its information release mechanism to win the psychological battles waged by Washington and Tokyo," the Global Times, a nationalist tabloid published by the Communist Party's flagship People's Daily, said in an editorial. Without prior notice, Beijing began demanding Saturday that passing aircraft identify themselves and accept Chinese instructions or face consequences in an East China Sea zone that overlaps a similar air defense identification zone overseen by Japan since 1969 and initially part of one set up by the US military. But when tested just days later by US B-52 flights—with Washington saying it made no effort to comply with China's rules, and would not do so in the future—Beijing merely noted, belatedly, that it had seen the flights and taken no further action. South Korea's military said Thursday its planes flew through the zone this week without informing China and with no apparent interference. Japan also said its planes have been continuing to fly through it after the Chinese announcement, while the Philippines, locked in an increasingly bitter dispute with Beijing over South China Sea islands, said it also was rejecting China's declaration. Analysts question China's technical ability to enforce the zone due to a shortage of early warning radar aircraft and in-flight refueling capability. However, many believe that China has a long-term plan to win recognition for the zone with a gradual ratcheting-up of warnings and possibly also eventual enforcement action. "With regard to activity within the zone, nothing will happen—for a while," said June Teufel Dreyer, a China expert at the University of Miami. "Then the zone will become gradually enforced more strictly. The Japanese will continue to protest, but not much more, to challenge it." That may wear down Japan and effectively change the status quo, she said. The zone is seen primarily as China's latest bid to bolster its claim over a string of uninhabited Japanese-controlled islands in the East China Sea—known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. Beijing has been ratcheting up its sovereignty claims since Tokyo's nationalization of the islands last year. But the most immediate spark for the zone likely was Japan's threat last month to shoot down drones that China says it will send to the islands for mapping expeditions, said Dennis Blasko, an Asia analyst at think tank CNA's China Security Affairs Group and a former Army attaché in Beijing. The zone comes an awkward time. Although Beijing's ties with Tokyo are at rock bottom, it was building good will and mutual trust with Washington following a pair of successful meetings between President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping. However, the zone feud now threatens to overshadow both the visit by Vice President Joe Biden to Beijing next week and one by Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop expected before the end of the year. China's defense and foreign ministries offered no additional clarification Thursday as to why Beijing failed to respond to the US Air Force flights. Alliance partners the US and Japan together have hundreds of military aircraft in the immediate vicinity. China on Saturday issued a list of requirements for all foreign aircraft passing through the area, regardless of whether they were headed into Chinese airspace, and said its armed forces would adopt "defensive emergency measures" against aircraft that don't comply. Beijing said the notifications are needed to help maintain air safety in the zone. However, the fact that China said it had identified and monitored the two US bombers during their Tuesday flight seems to discredit that justification for the zone, said Rory Medcalf, director of the international security program at Australia's Lowy Institute "This suggests the zone is principally a political move," Medcalf said. "It signals a kind of creeping extension of authority." Along with concerns about confrontations or accidents involving Chinese fighters and foreign aircraft, the zone's establishment fuels fears of further aggressive moves to assert China's territorial claims—especially in the hotly disputed South China Sea, which Beijing says belongs entirely to it. Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun confirmed those concerns on Saturday by saying China would establish additional air defense identification zones "at an appropriate time." For now, however, China's regional strategy is focused mostly on Japan and the island dispute, according to government-backed Chinese scholars. China will continue piling the pressure on Tokyo until it reverses the decision to nationalize the islands, concedes they are in dispute, and opens up negotiations with Beijing, said Shen Dingli, a regional security expert and director of the Center for American Studies at Shanghai's Fudan University. "China has no choice but to take counter measures," Shen said. "If Japan continues to reject admitting the disputes, it's most likely that China will take further measures." The post China Sends Warplanes Into Air Defense Zone appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

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