Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Democratic Voice of Burma

Democratic Voice of Burma

Unity staff divided as verdict nears

Posted: 27 May 2014 02:44 AM PDT

The trial of five Unity Weekly employees continued on Monday in Pakokku, Magwe Division. The defendants are now preparing additional witnesses and expect a verdict within one month.

The five were arrested after the Unity Weekly journal published a front-page exposé of an alleged chemical weapons facility in Magwe's Pauk Township, in central Burma. Four reporters and the publication's CEO were apprehended shortly after running the story in late January, and have since remained in custody.

All are defending charges of violating the colonial-era Official Secrets Act, which outlaws approach, inspection or entry of prohibited state properties for any purpose contradicting the interest of the state. A guilty verdict could result in up to 14 years in jail.

Unity CEO and Chief Editor Tint San testified that he was present outside of the facility, a military-owned factory that the government insists is used to produce standard ordnance, but denies that he ever entered the premises. Tint San's lawyer, Wah Win Maung, told DVB on Monday that his client was not there to report on the facility and had not violated the law by probing the property.

"Tint San admitted that he was outside of the facility but did not enter the premises, and he talked to locals," he said, "about confiscation of farmlands in the area. But he was not there to cover news about the facility."

The four detained reporters also disputed the charges against them, claiming that their editor should bear responsibility for the report. They said that Tint San instructed them to enter the premises, after which they submitted reporting and the editor wrote the controversial article, which was almost immediately pulled from shelves nationwide.

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Tint San gave the order, said Theingi Tun, the wife of reporter Yazar Oo, promising that "he'll take care of everything" if something were to go wrong.

"My husband said he'd rather stay [at home] but the editor insisted he go [to the site]," she said.

The Unity case has caused controversy on several fronts; it has become a frequently cited example of what some consider Burma's "backslide" on media freedom, while also calling unwanted attention to the country's lethargic efforts to ratify the UN Chemical Weapons Convention.

The government has denied that the facility in question is used for the manufacture of chemical weapons, but has not allowed access to the site and has kept the Unity staffers in detention since they made the allegations in late January.

Several other journalists have also faced intimidation for investigative reporting in Burma, particularly in Magwe. DVB video journalist Zaw Pe was recently handed a one-year sentence by the Magwe Township court, and several rounds of demonstrations against media suppression have met with heavy-handed responses from the government.

 

Suu Kyi rebuked for ‘challenge’ to military

Posted: 26 May 2014 11:52 PM PDT

As Aung San Suu Kyi continues her drive for constitutional amendment, the Union Election Commission [UEC] has warned the National League for Democracy (NLD) leader to abide by the Political Parties Registration Law as well as Burma's 2008 Constitution.

On 18 May, Suu Kyi addressed a crowd of thousands at a rally for charter reform in Mandalay. "I would like to urge the Tatmadaw [Burmese Army] representatives in parliament to prove that they are in politics not because they crave power – actually when I say 'urge' in a way I mean 'challenge'. I challenge them," the Burmese opposition leader told the crowd.

A letter sent to Suu Kyi by the UEC on 22May cited the remarks and reminded her that in submitting the NLD's party registration to the UEC, she, as party founder, had signed a mandatory agreement to abide by Article-6 of the Political Parties Registration Law. That article requires registered political parties to "safeguard the constitution".

The UEC warned Suu Kyi that she had also sworn to uphold the constitution as she was elected to parliament in a 2012 by-election.

"The remarks [by Suu Kyi] towards the Tatmadaw representatives in parliament, who were appointed in conformity with the Constitution, are out of the line provided by the constitution," the UEC letter reads.

The UEC noted that if Suu Kyi wanted to see an amendment to the Constitution, she could follow the proper procedure by proposing a bill to parliament.

Win Myint, NLD Central Executive Committee member, insisted Suu Kyi's remarks did not breach the Political Parties Registration Law or the constitution.

"We've consulted legal experts for the [charter reform campaign] and are undertaking change within the legal boundaries, in a manner ensuring tranquillity and peace in the country. We are not taking crowds to the streets," said Win Myint.

"Our rallies are conducted in conformity with existing laws, we submit the names of speakers [at rallies] for which we seek permission to host at designated locations. As we believe we are acting within the law, we will continue with our original plan."

While the UEC statement did not specify that any immediate action would be taken against the NLD, it cautioned that the commission may act on their mandate to "direct" them to follow necessary procedures.

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The UEC pointed out that the parliamentary Joint-Committee to Review the Constitution is reviewing the amendment process. The legislative body has also formed a Committee to Implement Constitutional Amendments, all in conformity with the 2008 national charter.

The NLD has partnered with the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society in their nationwide campaign for constitutional reform. Rallies were held this month in Rangoon, Mandalay and Henzada. The NLD has indicated that more rallies are to follow.

Burma’s police strive to be more people-friendly

Posted: 26 May 2014 08:29 PM PDT

In an effort to improve relations between the police and the public, the European Union (EU) will provide further training to the Myanmar [Burma] Police Force (MPF).

To showcase the police's commitment to engaging the public, an open day was launched in Rangoon's Mingalar Taungnyunt Township on Sunday. Members of the public could talk to police in each division and find out more about police operations in their area.

Rangoon Division's Police Superintendent, Police Major Myint Htwe, announced that more battalions across the country would be trained in crowd control measures by the EU.

"The EU has worked out schedules to provide crowd control training to police battalions in administrative regions across the country. Training for Rangoon Division Police will begin in June," he said.

Myint Htwe went on to say that more than 3,000 officers from the MPF have already completed training, which started in February.

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The next phase will be to set up community policing courses and give educational talks in schools on drug abuse and human trafficking,

As well as training courses, the EU is providing equipment such as bicycles, helmets and reflective gear.

"The EU is regularly providing courses and we are to collaborate with them for 18 months. Afterwards, we will continue the courses with those who completed the Training of Trainers [ToT] course," Myint Htwe said.

The training is part of an effort to re-shape the police's image and appear more people-friendly.

But recently, police have been involved in a series of incidents involving excessive force, including an alleged attack on protestors who were demonstrating against a land confiscation in Thegone village-tract, Pegu Division on 15 May. Two people were seriously injured.
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Monday, May 26, 2014

Democratic Voice of Burma

Democratic Voice of Burma

Mandalay miners sentenced to jail

Posted: 26 May 2014 04:42 AM PDT

Ten miners from Mandalay's Yamethin Township have been sentenced to one and a half years in prison following months of protest against privatisation of the Moehti Moemi gold mines.

Protests over the Moehti Moemi mines have been relentless since June 2013, shortly after a private company, Myanmar National Prosperity Co Ltd (NPPCL), reneged on a five-year agreement for joint-venture with local operators.

When NPPCL won a government tender for a 6,015-acre site, the company vowed to work with small-scale miners who had been working the mines independently for years. Locals say that the company neglected the agreement and left them severely disadvantaged among incoming large operators.

Making matters worse, a nationwide ban on small-scale mining left thousands of miners abruptly jobless. After being evicted from the mines in 2013, they found refuge in a nearby monastery, which also served as a protest site.

Hundreds of people were said to have occupied Shwemyintin Hill, on monastic grounds near the Moehti Moemi site, and more than 25 people have faced charges related to the ongoing protests. In March, 50 people were detained during an early morning raid on their protest camp, which they had been ordered to evacuate.

Sixteen people were originally sued by Yamethin's township administrator, arraigned on charges of inciting unrest, defamation of the state, disturbing civil servants and breaking curfew. Six of them have since accepted compensation from private stakeholders and ceased opposition to the project.

The remaining ten were sentenced on 21 May. Each received one year for violating Article 505(b), three months under Article 188 and three months under Article 143.

"I think the sentences are really unfair," one miner remarked to DVB, in tears outside the courthouse. "We aren't defying the authorities, it was just a dispute between an employer and their employees."

Another Moehti Moemi worker said sentencing is indicative of pressure being put on the miners to accept a settlement scheme from the company in exchange for amnesty. This agreement would also legally strip them of the right to bring any further complaints against the company regarding their lost homes and jobs.

"There were 16 of us detained on the same charges, but on 7 May they dropped charges on six [who accepted the scheme]. This led me to think the authorities, police and the court are in cahoots with cronies," he said.

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DVB Debate: Will the ASEAN chair boost Burma?

Posted: 26 May 2014 04:18 AM PDT

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, more commonly referred to as ASEAN, is a political and economic organisation of ten countries in Southeast Asia.

ASEAN was formed in 1967, but due to xenophobic economic policies under the former socialist regime, and concerns over the country's human rights abuses, Burma did not become a member until 1997. This year Burma has been awarded the chairmanship of ASEAN.

But, after so many years in the dark, is Burma is ready for the ASEAN chairmanship?

On the DVB Debate panel this week: Khin Ohmar from Burma Partnership, Kyaw Lynn Oo from Myanmar People's Forum; Kyaw Su Mon from Irrawaddy magazine; and Zeya Thu from The Voice Weekly.

"If we cannot see any development in people's daily lives, human rights development or healthcare development, then we can't say this chairmanship, or being a member of ASEAN, brings any benefit to us," said Khin Ohmar.

But Zeya Thu could see some advantages to chairing the economic bloc.

Cartoon: DVB Debate

"We can't always meet the heads of state of Russia and America individually, but if we are part of ASEAN then we can meet with them," he said, "Now is the time for the chairmanship and it is worthwhile if it allows us to move forward."

Lawyer and audience member Kyaw Naing Win said Burma must sort out its domestic problems before taking on the responsibility of hosting ASEAN.

“The internal situation in the country – for example, with civil wars and land confiscation cases – means the government is unable to handle all its problems. So this is not an appropriate time to take on the chairmanship of ASEAN," he said.

The studio disagreed over who actually benefits from the ASEAN community.

"Is ASEAN structured for the people or the government? At the moment I think it is not for the people, it is just for the government," said Thet Swe Win from the ASEAN Youth Forum.

But Kyaw Lynn Oo thinks the ASEAN approach will benefit the people.

"Nowadays, the leaders of ASEAN seem to have a people-centred mindset, whether it is practical or not," he said.

Khin Ohmar believed the public should be given more opportunity of becoming involved in the ASEAN community.

"In practice, if we don't have belief in our people and we don't give them opportunities to participate, then building up the community is quite challenging, not just for our country but for all the countries in the region," she said.

One of ASEAN's aims is to build a strong economic community that encompasses the whole region. The studio discussed how beneficial this economic alliance would be for Burma.

Kyaw Su Mon from Irrawaddy magazine said many businesses are looking forward to the prospect of a free trade arena. But Zeya Thu was conflicted about who will benefit.

"If these imported goods come here then some of the local businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, will face difficulties. But, at the same time, if we prevent them from entering the country for the sake of our domestic businesses, then what about our consumer? Do we let the general public buy cheaper poor-quality products, just like before?" he said.

Kyaw Su Mon said it was up to the government to ensure local businesses benefitted from the ASEAN market.

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"It is the responsibility of the government to bring benefits to the people and to promote local businesses so that they benefit from the opportunity," she said.

In 2006, Burma was given the chance to chair an ASEAN summit, but because of its poor human rights record chairmanship was denied to avoid a damaging Western boycott of the bloc’s meetings.

Panellists discussed how the ASEAN alliance could improve the human rights situation in Burma.

"Regarding benefits for the people, they [ASEAN leaders and policymakers] are improving economic affairs but they are not focusing on human rights," said Kyaw Su Mon.

Zeya Thu said human rights issues are pervasive in many ASEAN member states.

"Regarding the human rights concern, we can't say exactly. None of the ASEAN member states fulfill the basic standards of human rights. In many ASEAN states, such as Singapore, Vietnam, and Cambodia, human rights affairs are not popular subjects," he said.

 

You can join the debate or watch the full programme online at dvbdebate.com

Or share your views with us by commenting on our website below.

 

 

Wanbao to sue Latpadaung activists for kidnapping

Posted: 26 May 2014 04:13 AM PDT

Myanmar Wanbao Mining Copper Ltd has confirmed that it has pressed kidnapping charges against activists who detained two of its Chinese employees overnight while demanding that the mining project be closed down.

Speaking to DVB on Monday, Wanbao spokesman Dong Yunfei said that the firm had pressed charges of kidnapping at the police station in Monywa against whoever was responsible for detaining their staffers on 18 May.

"We cannot accept this kind of criminal action, whether it is against our Chinese or Myanmar employees," he said. "It is terrible."

He said that the two Chinese employees – Lu Yuanhao and Miu Jie, both 23 – had their hands bound with rope and held for more than 30 hours by local villagers. He told DVB that the men were not hurt or harmed during their detention, although an earlier press release stated that the men had been beaten and that death threats had been issued.

The Wanbao spokesman said that one of the detainees, Lu, was now suffering from mental trauma because of the ordeal. "He [Lu] wants to return to China for treatment, but we have requested that he stay here [in Burma] while legal proceedings take place," he said.

A third abductee, a 21-year-old Burmese driver for the company named Khin Aung Moe, was released by his captors shortly after the three had been taken to the village of Seté.

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Locals villagers from Latpadaung held a press conference on 22 May at the Myanmar Journalists Network office in Rangoon where they sought to clarify the abduction of the two Chinese nationals. A spokesman for the Latpadaung villagers insisted they did not kidnap the company staffs but only "detained" them for a short time while they stressed their demands regarding disputes over confiscated farmland.

Sanda Thiri, the abbot of a Buddhist monastery in neighbouring Zeetaw village who helped mediate the situation, said the villagers decided to detain the two Chinese as they were surveying the area to build fences on farmland for which the locals had not agreed to accept compensation.

"The villagers were disappointed with the company employees who continued fencing off their land even though compensation had not been agreed upon, despite repeated calls to desist sectioning off the disputed lands," said Sanda Thiri.

"The two Wanbao employees were handed over to the company in the late afternoon on 19 May in front of the district administrator and a police commander who witnessed and confirmed that they had sustained no injuries," he said. "This was neither an abduction nor a kidnapping."

Seté residents at the press conference said locals from 26 villages in the area agreed on 19 May to hand over the two Chinese at Wanbao's liaison office in Latpadaung after local district administrator Zaw Myo Nyunt pledged to prevent the company from building fences on local farmland, and to allow farmers to work on vacant land plots that are not being utilised in the mining project.

"I would like to make it clear that we did not kidnap the Chinese," said Mar Mar Shwe, a villager from Zeetaw.

"They even admitted to us that they came to lay markers on the land to build more fences, and we treated them well before we handed them back to officials after the negotiations."

Rangoon to host youth film festival

Posted: 26 May 2014 01:04 AM PDT

Rangoon will host the first Myanmar Youth Film Festival with selected Burmese films due to be screened publically on 7- 8 August.

The event is being organised by the Myanmar Youth Association (MYA), in collaboration with the publishing group House of Media and Entertainment, and is due to coincide with International Youth Day.

Amateur film-makers have been invited to submit entries before 21 July on any subject under three categories: Documentary Film; Short Film; and Animation.

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Zwe Yan Naing, chairman of the MYA, said the event will feature several well-known faces from the world of film and literature. Comedian and film director Zarganar and blogger Nay Phone Latt are founder-members of House of Media and Entertainment, though it is as yet unconfirmed whether they will appear at the festival.

"We are organising this film festival with the aim of promoting knowledge and creativity among Burma's youth," he said, "and to help portray their struggle and challenges through the medium of motion pictures.

"We are collaborating with professional artists for this event," the MYA chairman added. "This is the first time we have organised something like this, and we are excited to be judging the work of Burma's talented youths."

 

Constitutional reform rally held in Irrawaddy division

Posted: 25 May 2014 11:45 PM PDT

Continuing a tour to gather support for constitutional reform, the National League for Democracy (NLD) and the '88 Generation Peace and Open Society (88GPOS) rallied in Henzada, Irrawaddy Division on Friday.

Hundreds gathered to hear Tin Oo, Vice-Chairman of the NLD, as well as regional party official Myo Nyunt, and 88GPOS leaders Min Ko Naing and Ko Ko Gyi speak on the importance of constitutional amendment.

Speaking to the crowed gathered in a local hall, Ko Ko Gyi urged the Burmese armed forces [known as the Tatmadaw] to join amending the constitution.

"As the generations flow, we are now becoming older citizens and so are the servicemen in the Tatmadaw from our generation, Ko Ko Gyi said.

Ko Ko Gyi pointed out that many of those former servicemen are now military leaders, and can play a positive role in the construction of peace by relinquishing their hold over constitutional reform.

"They have a chance to take part in our country's reforms and by doing so, redeem its dignity and their own, and also to reconcile with the people by amending Article 436," said Ko Ko Gyi.

Article 436 of the 2008 Constitution introduces the need for a 75 percent parliamentary vote to change certain constitutional articles. As 25 percent of the Burmese legislature is appointed to the military, their support is almost certainly necessary for changes to go through.

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One of the articles that 436 affects is 59(f), which bars anyone with foreign relatives from the Burmese presidency.

The NLD and 88GPOS hold that this clause is solely intended to block NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi from the position.

The Henzada rally is the third since the NLD and 88GPOS launched their constitutional reform campaign in Rangoon on 17 May. A rally has also been held in Mandalay. Petitions and surveys have circulated among supporters at the rallies, designed to assert the public's will for change.
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National News

National News

Committee agrees to amend section 436

Posted: 25 May 2014 04:12 PM PDT

A parliamentary committee has agreed in principle to amend the provision that stipulates that the approval of at least 75 percent of Hluttaw members is required for constitutional amendment.

Singapore Airlines plane veers off Yangon runway

Posted: 25 May 2014 03:40 PM PDT

A Singapore Airlines plane skidded off the runway on touching down during heavy rain at Myanmar's Yangon International Airport, but no injuries were reported, the carrier said on May 22.

Government moves to clarify media law

Posted: 25 May 2014 03:34 PM PDT

Publishers have welcomed efforts by the government to define hate speech and language detrimental to state security in an attempt to clarify the Printing and Publishing Enterprise Law passed last March.

Flood prevention measures cause traffic back-ups

Posted: 25 May 2014 03:14 PM PDT

A project to construct culverts, meant to help drain excess rain from roadways and sidewalks, is causing a traffic nightmare for residents in Dagon township who say the soil being excavated is blocking roads and causing flooding.

Government, NCCT okay second ceasefire draft

Posted: 25 May 2014 02:16 PM PDT

A second draft of a ceasefire text has been completed following three days of discussions between the government peace negotiation team and the representatives of armed ethic groups in Yangon.

Interfaith marriage law backers counter CSOs

Posted: 25 May 2014 02:14 PM PDT

The committee for the Protection of Nationality and Religion (Mabatha) has said that their records show that only 40 Buddhist women have ever changed their religion after getting married to men from other faiths.

Defence ministers honour Lao counterpart after crash

Posted: 25 May 2014 01:58 PM PDT

A plane crash in Laos that killed five senior government officials has overshadowed a regional meeting of defence ministers in Nay Pyi Taw.

Wundwin’s weaving industry in spotlight over pollution from dyes

Posted: 25 May 2014 01:56 PM PDT

The waters of Wundwin, the centre of Myanmar's traditional weaving industry, are to be cleansed.

Elephant caravan hopes to make a big impression

Posted: 25 May 2014 01:54 PM PDT

Organisers of a 300 kilometre elephant trek and festival planned for next year hope the events will bring greater attention to the animals.
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Sunday, May 25, 2014

National News

National News

Seven charged in mine kidnapping case

Posted: 22 May 2014 11:22 PM PDT

Two Chinese contractors abducted by activists at the controversial Letpadaung copper mine in Sagaing Region have been released after being held captive for more than a day.
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Saturday, May 24, 2014

Democratic Voice of Burma

Democratic Voice of Burma

Censorship in the days of shackles and fetters

Posted: 24 May 2014 12:55 AM PDT

In 2010, when the US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell visited Burma with Chargé d'Affaires Larry Dinger, all publications in the country were heavily censored and journalists were subject to arrest for any infraction. Censorship from the Press Scrutiny and Registration Division was so heavy that using Aung San Suu Kyi's name in print or showing her photograph publicly was forbidden. Doing so gratuitously was an act that could get a journalist a prison sentence of several years. The responsible publication would have been forced to close.

In May 2010, international onlookers saw a photograph of Suu Kyi with Campbell and Dinger that accompanied stories of the visit. In 2010 a new spotlight on The Lady was refreshing for the world to see and indeed the photograph displayed a feeling of hopefulness. Meanwhile, inside Burma's oppressed labyrinthine world of censorship and misinformation, The New Light of Myanmar published the same photo but without Suu Kyi. It showed Campbell and Dinger standing five feet apart looking inward while holding umbrellas over at a vacant space where Suu Kyi should have been.

At that time I was teaching a group of student journalists at the American Center in Rangoon. When the Burmese government version of the photo appeared, with Suu Kyi edited out, all of my students laughed at the calamity. However my journalism students also acted, deciding to publish the original photo of Suu Kyi, Campbell and Dinger in the inaugural issue of the American Centre student publication, Open Window Journal, in defiance of the censorship board.

The decision to print the photo wasn't one made casually. Several months earlier, aggressive undercover police threatened students at the corner teashop near the American Center. They were told not to get involved with journalism. Those students quickly left the American Center never to return, except for one who continued working with Open Window Journal. A new batch of students knew of this and yet unanimously voted to move forward.

Though new to journalism, the students were not new to politics. They fully understood the risks involved. One of the students on the journal had appeared in the movie Burma VJ as a protestor rushing the attacking line of police on the day of the 2007 Saffron Revolution in Rangoon. He later escaped Rangoon and spent a year up-country in a village home of a relative. Two others had a brother and a father who were political prisoners. Another had a brother who was marked for death after the Saffron Revolution, who had absconded to a refugee camp in Thailand and then asylum in a Western country.

We met several times a day over a month and discussed the consequences of each story. As the journal is published in English, we discussed how the stories translated into Burmese and would be read by censors. The student journalists made the calls on everything. I would take the blame if anything came up and if I got deported, so be it. If that were all that would have happened it would have been ok. I was actually afraid for my students since if arrested, there would be no one to help them.

Much of the entire first issue was considered controversial. There were stories of topics not usually printed or even discussed openly in public. One story was of a woman who contracted HIV; one on the persistent daily electricity shortages; one on the long-term drought's effects on the elderly and villagers, and the government inaction to alleviate their suffering; another on water donations made to them by students and activists; a subversive poem; and a second photograph of Aung San Suu Kyi.

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No one feared for their own safety as much as for the safety of their family members. The former military government was famous for punishing entire families for the political actions of one family member. It was a very effective way to keep youth out of political activism. Yet, the students made the decision to distribute. Later in the day the censorship board called the US Embassy.

The censorship office declared the Open Window Journal must limit distribution to 150 copies. They could only be distributed to American Center students and library patrons; however the students were told they would not be held accountable for the journal being found outside of the American Center.

Nevertheless, the backlash from the censorship office was unnerving to the students and they kept a low profile, stayed home or visited relatives. While in the following weeks there was some minor harassment by undercover police, Special Branch police and Military Intelligence operatives, we were most agitated by some of the American Center students rumored to be working for the police as informants. The American Center in 2010 was a hot zone for spies who were paid money to report information on people and activities there. The local Burmese administrative workers tipped us off to them, but there were certainly others who were more discrete and unknown. Yet, the student journalist and other activists refused to live with fear.

When in June 2013 Burma decreed an end to press censorship, its leading proponent Tint Swe said, "There will be no going back to the past." Yet there is no unhindered freedom of the press as was promised. The press freedom allowed today is merely half-measures designed to placate international opinion of the so-called reforms underway in Burma. The jailing of Zaw Pe, a journalist for the DVB, and the imprisonment of several journalists from Unity journal is a typical example of government doubletalk on press freedom and political reforms. This is the real nature of the still military controlled "civilian" government. It fears transparency.

Burma today is as far from being a democracy as it was in 2010. Its leaders are backsliding, imprisoning journalists again, imprisoning land rights activists, instigating land seizures, still waging wars in ethnic regions, and letting ethnic division in Arakan State slip dangerously close to a preventable genocide of Rohingya people. Many of Burma's government cronies and politicians say they want to enforce "disciplined democracy."

Adding to the problems facing Burma today is the unwillingness of Burma's military elite to allow Suu Kyi to campaign outside of her own district in support of her fellow National League for Democracy candidates in the upcoming 2015 elections. They have also begun a campaign to resist the very public campaign being waged by Suu Kyi to repeal an article in Burma's Constitution that prohibits her from running for president. The military leaders and parliamentarians opposing Suu Kyi claim that crowds of NLD supporters gathering in the last election reminded them of the 1988 uprising. They claimed that the people who rallied by the hundreds of thousands to see Aung San Suu Kyi were "too free".

There are far too many people in Burma who have nothing to lose; who eat small bowls of rice; who can't afford the low cost of sending their children to public schools; who can't pay a doctor with cash when they're sick. Freedom from shackles and fetters is not the only freedom tens of thousands of Burma's ex-political prisoners were seeking when released from prison. Time is no longer on the side of the military government. Burmese people are tired of the past, tired of the abuse, of the lack of electricity, of the neglected infrastructure and they are tired of discipline.

In spite of all of the talk about Burma having turned a corner towards openness, it's highly probable that national elections scheduled for 2015 will get postponed to a later date to ensure further rule by the military if pressure for real reforms becomes threatening to the military rulers. Too many people assume things in Burma are going well, when in fact all past indicators point to political and social upheaval leading toward a relapse into disciplinarianism.

Which way will Burma turn? The current parliamentarians and military leaders who last year were scared by memories of 500,000 "too free" people in the streets supporting Aung San Suu Kyi as seen in 1988 could be in for a shock if they don't stop their double-talk and capitulating on political progress and fundamental reforms. They may see two million "too free" people in the streets next year.

One way or another, in 2015 there will be change in Burma. By imprisoning journalists the current government has plainly demonstrated they have limits to how much freedom they're willing to tolerate.

However there will be no going back to the days of shackles and fetters for tens of thousands of democracy activists.

 

Daniel Opacki is an educator, consultant and writer. He was an English Language Fellow grantee in Burma from 2010 – 12. For over five years in Burma, he has taught journalism, mentored democracy activists and ex-political prisoners, and worked on human rights issues and educational initiatives. He is currently completing a collection of true stories about his time in Burma titled Five Years in Burma: Stories from the Eye of the Storm.

The comments and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s and do not reflect DVB editorial policy.

 

Burmese border situation undisturbed by Thai coup

Posted: 24 May 2014 12:22 AM PDT

Burma's border crossings to Thailand remain open; meanwhile aid workers do not envisage any disruption to the delivery of supplies to refugees along the Thai-Burmese border.

The Friendship Bridge, the main trading post between Thailand's Mae Sot and Burma's Myawaddy, was closed temporarily after the announcement of a military coup d'état in Bangkok on Thursday, but reopened on Friday.

Thailand's military chief Prayuth Chan-ocha originally declared martial law on May 20 after a seemingly endless spat of anti-government campaigning in the Thai capital and no end in sight to the political impasse.

Thai border guards confirmed the road bridge was open, but that boat crossings on the Moei River separating the two countries had been suspended.

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Further north near the Golden Triangle, the border crossing between Thailand's Mae Sai and Tachileik in eastern Shan State stayed open although local sources noted a marked decrease in the number of people and traders crossing the bridge.

Sally Thompson, executive director of The Border Consortium (TBC), which coordinates aid and supplies to some 120,000 refugees from Burma, mostly ethnic Karens, at 10 camps along the border, said that TBC does not anticipate any disruptions to the delivery of supplies to the refugees.

"We continue to coordinate with Thai authorities," she told DVB on Friday. "Meanwhile, we do not anticipate any disruption to the delivery of supplies to the camps."

TBC said that about half the camps had already received advanced rations of supplies such as rice, chilies and cooking oil in anticipation of the rainy season which begins soon.

NCCT, govt agree ‘second draft’ at peace talks

Posted: 23 May 2014 10:20 PM PDT

The latest round of negotiations between the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) ethnic alliance and the Burmese government's Union Peace-making Work Committee (UPWC) was characterized as "open and friendly" in a joint statement released as the summit concluded on Friday in Rangoon.

Three days of talks at the Myanmar Peace Centre between an alliance of 17 ethnic armed groups, headed on this occasion by Pado Saw Kwe Htoo Win of the Karen National Union, and a government delegation led by chief negotiator Minister Aung Min saw further discussion on the specific points of a single-text agreement established at the previous meeting held in April. According to the joint-statement on Friday, that text has been solidified into a second draft.

"We would like to announce that representatives from both sides are continuing to work with the aim of signing a nationwide ceasefire agreement as soon as possible, and to work towards political dialogue," the statement reads.

The groups have agreed to meet again in June.

As the eight-member ethnic delegation sat down with the nine-member government team on Wednesday, a joint statement by 79 Burmese civil society organisations called on both parties to replicate their peace-parlance in their actions.

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Groups including the Kachin Peace Network, Karen Human Rights Group and the Women's League of Burma criticised the Burmese army in the statement, accusing them of using the peace talks as a "decoy" to divert attention from recent aggression in Kachin and northern Shan states.

Khon Ja, liaison officer of the Kachin Peace Network, said ceasefire talks without the halting of clashes on the ground will always be fruitless.

"We are seeing persistent clashes on the ground while at the same time ceasefire talks are facilitated, she said.

"We are also witnessing attacks on civilians and IDPs, and also arbitrary detention and blackmailing – as long as these continue, the talks will never bear fruit.

"We are not calling for signing of the ceasefire agreement, but the actual end of gunfire on the ground," Khon Ja asserted.

The presence of government combat units in the immediate vicinity of camps for internally displaced persons remains a key sticking point for ethnic civil society organisations (CSOs), as does a perceived lack of transparency and accountability in the actions of government troops operating in ethnic areas.

Recent clashes have seen persistent human rights violations by government troops while the Kachin rebels have been accused of abducting and forcibly recruiting villagers.

In Wednesday's statement, the CSOs called on the government to permit civil society actors to access the conflict "black zones" in order to provide assistance to displaced and affected people.

Four thousand people have been displaced due to fighting in Kachin State and northern Shan State as a result of fighting since April, according to a statement issued in conjunction with a separate Kachin peace-working conference held 20-22 May.
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Friday, May 23, 2014

Democratic Voice of Burma

Democratic Voice of Burma

ABFSU rallies in support of Thegon farmers

Posted: 23 May 2014 04:02 AM PDT

Members of the All-Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU) gathered in Prome, Pegu Division, on 22 May to demand amnesty for a member who was beaten and charged for participating in an unauthorised protest.

On 14 May, Kaung Htet Kyaw and a group of villagers protested in Thegon's Aungon village to demand the return of confiscated farmlands. After the rally, the group alleges to have been assaulted by more than 60 police officers and about 100 plain-clothed thugs.

The mid-May incident was one of a long list of attempts by the villagers to reclaim 1,100 acres of land they say were confiscated by the Burmese military in 1997. After a previous event, five demonstrators were charged for defamation of the state after invoking a curse on the Burmese government.

At least four others face charges for violating Burma's controversial Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Processions Act.

"We demand the release of the farmers who are in detention, and that all charges against them and our member, Kaung Htet Kyaw, be dropped," said Min Thwe Thit, secretary of the ABSFU's central committee.

He said that the group also demanded a full investigation into the events of 14 May, and the immediate return of all wrongly acquired lands.

More than 100 people, including ABFSU members from Pegu, Irrawaddy, Sagaing, Mandalay and Rangoon divisions, joined locals in Prome for the march from the town's landmark statue of General Aung San to the regional government's office.

A solidarity march took place in Thegon on Thursday.

Kaung Htet Kyaw has been in hiding since police tried to arrest him in May. A local abbot negotiated his release with arresting officers and he was charged in absentia. His current whereabouts are unknown.

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Detained Shan leader charged with unlawful association

Posted: 23 May 2014 03:47 AM PDT

A leader of a major political party in Burma's eastern Shan State has been charged under the Unlawful Associations Act, the party says.

Sai Jan, a regional chairman for the Shan National League for Democracy (SNLD), was arrested without warrant at his home on 5 May.

The chairman of the Nam Lin Mai branch office, in Kengtung, has been accused of associating with the Shan State Army-South (SSA-S), an ethnic armed group that has been under a ceasefire agreement with the central government since 2011.

The SSA-S and its political wing, Restoration Council of Shan State, are not, however, members of the ethnic National Ceasefire Coordination Team.

One day after Sai Jan's arrest, Burmese police and military officials allegedly raided a liaison office of the SSA-S, also in Kengtung.

According to Sai Lon, the eastern-Salween regional chairman of the SNLD, Sai Jan was taken to Kentung Township Court on 22 May and formally charged under article 17/1 of the Unlawful Association Act, which prohibits contact with an illegal organisation.

The article carries a minimum prison sentence of two years, with a maximum sentence of three.

Sai Jan "was brought to the court [on Thursday] morning and the hearing began around 2pm," said Sai Lon, adding that SNLD members and locals from Kengtung, Tachilek, Mongphyat and Talay came to show their support at the court.

The next court hearing for the case is set for 2 June.

Sai Lon said that Sai Jan has been suffering from fatigue and severe headaches while in detention. SNLD representatives plan to negotiate with Kengtung prison officials to provide medical assistance.

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The SNLD released a statement on 15 May alleging that local police had forced a confession from Sai Jan.

Sai Lek, an SNLD spokesperson, took issue with the government's deignation of the SSA-S as an unlawful association, fearing that the attitude could damage the peace process.

"Technically, the [SSA-S] are deemed an unlawful association and we are concerned that this may be detrimental to ceasefire and peace building work with the group. It could even have an impact on other ethnic armed organisations," he said.

BURMA BUSINESS WEEKLY

Posted: 23 May 2014 03:11 AM PDT

 

Ups and Downs

The Burmese currency remains stable, finishing with a buying rate of 963 kyat to the US dollar, compared to 959 last week. The selling rate remains at 966. The price of gold has stabilised in recent weeks and is currently valued at 662,700 kyat per tical. Fuel prices remain unchanged: petrol is 820 kyat per litre; diesel 950 kyat; and octane 920 kyat a litre. Rice also remains constant: high-quality Pawhsanmwe rice is selling at 1,300-1,600 kyat per basket while low-quality Manawthukha retails at 900 kyat per basket in most Rangoon marketplaces.

 

Sale of Thilawa leasehold rights begins

Leasehold rights for operations in Thilawa Special Economic Zone (SEZ) went on sale on Monday, available in 50-year terms with an optional extension of 25 years. Myanmar Japan Thilawa Development Ltd (MJTD), a joint venture made up of Myanmar Thilawa SEZ Holding Corporation and a consortium of Japanese corporations, namely Mitsubishi, Marubeni and Sumimoto is responsible for the sale. The Japanese firms are also responsible for business support and infrastructure provision and maintenance at Thilawa— including port services and power generation. The MJTD is supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

 

Telenor reaffirms Burma link with executive appointment

In a restructuring of its business executive, Norwegian telecommunications company Telenor have appointed former Norwegian ambassador to Burma, Katja Nordgaard, as head of their corporate affairs division. The move will strengthen the link between Telenor and Burma, where the company has pledged to invest US$1billion into telecommunications infrastructure. In 2013, Telenor won one of two highly sought-after licenses to provide telecommunications services in Burma. Ms Nordgaard served as Norwegian Ambassador to Burma between 2010 and 2013.

 

Kyaukphyu SEZ master plan near completion

The master plan for Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ) will be presented to the public next month, Myanmar Business Today has reported. The plan is currently being drafted by Creative Professional Groups, a Singaporean consortium that is providing a consultancy service for the Arakanese SEZ project. The release of the plan, which will set out operations at Kyaukphyu until 2050, will pave the way for an invitation for construction tenders for the zone. Garment factories, fishery productions and other small enterprises will reportedly be housed within the SEZ once completed.

 

Rangoon hotel market to continue record growth

2014 will be another record year for growth in the Rangoon hotel market, according to property research firm Jones Lang LaSalle. Rangoon's hoteliers were boosted by a 46 percent increase in international customers in 2013, up on 2012 figures. Jones Lang LaSalle expects that expansion to Rangoon's existing airport, as well as the construction of Hantharwaddy International Airport will again lift the figures as the tourism market is lifted in general. In their report, Jones Lang LaSalle noted that 4,518 rooms are expected to enter the market in the next five years.

 

Government seek international partner in jet fuel distribution

Myanma Petroleum Product Enterprise (MPPE) is looking for an international partner to join a joint-venture project to improve the delivery of jet fuel in Burma, Reuters has reported. Government-run newspapers ran an advertisement by the state-owned company on Sunday, appealing for partners in a scheme set to improve a distribution system which at this stage accounts for 127 million litres of fuel each year. MPPE currently operates at 11 national airports, including Rangoon, Mandalay and Naypyidaw. The appeal comes as a host of international airlines have opened routes to Burma.

 

Staff shortage setback for Burma Stock Exchange

The Ministry of Finance is struggling to recruit suitable staff for the soon to be launched Burmese stock exchange, Kyoto News reported this week, citing an unwillingness for public sector employees to give up entitlements to join a private concern. The Burmese government had intended to create a securities and exchange commission in 2014 in the lead up to next year's stock exchange opening; however that plan has been derailed by the lack of suitable personnel.

Public ‘misinterpreted’ poverty statement, says Ye Htut

Posted: 23 May 2014 02:09 AM PDT

Burma's netizens went wild on Tuesday after Vice-President Nyan Tun was quoted in local media remarking that 2,000 kyat (US$2) per day was a liveable wage. The president's spokesperson, Ye Htut, quickly tried to fix the situation, suggesting that Nyan Tun's words were "misinterpreted".

"This is just people, as usual," Ye Htut told DVB by phone on Thursday, "misinterpreting the true meaning. The vice-president was actually referring to the poverty-line."

Nyan Tun, addressing a group of rickshaw drivers in Rangoon's Thuwanna Stadium on Monday, reportedly said that "Earning more than 2,000 kyat per day should be enough to survive, and a little bit more than that would be convenient."

The spokesperson explained that he didn't mean to imply that 2,000 kyat was enough income, but rather that it would put a worker above the international poverty line, which is $1.25 per day. This number, an estimate determined by the World Bank, reflects extreme poverty. Those who earn more than $2 per day are considered moderately impoverished.

Accurate and up-to-date statistics are not available, but an estimated 32 percent of Burma's estimated 60 million people live in poverty.

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The vice-president's comment, delivered during a meeting with attendees of a seminar promoting socio-economic development in rural areas, was published in a weekly Rangoon journal called People's Image. It instantly went viral on social media and became a popular target for comics and memes.

Ye Htut's personal Facebook page was shortly bombarded by angry insults.

The spokesperson, who is also the deputy-minister of information, has not had an easy week. He came under criticism on Tuesday for making inflammatory remarks about Burma's opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, during an interview with the BBC.

Suu Kyi, who has been rallying the nation to support constitutional change, has publicly stated a belief that Burmese President Thein Sein does not support amendment.

Without clarifying the president's position on this issue, Ye Htut told the BBC: "I'm afraid to say her remarks are just like angry words from a sulking child."

Thai military seizes power in bloodless coup

Posted: 22 May 2014 08:25 PM PDT

The [Thai] military seized power, dissolving the caretaker government, suspending the Constitution and ordering protesters to return home in a bloodless coup Thursday.

The power seizure took place after talks between the pro- and anti-government camps failed for a second day Thursday.

The army brought them together for talks to settle the country’s protracted political conflict, without success.

Military sources said the negotiations were brought to an end after the government insisted on holding on to power.

Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha, who chaired the talks, left the Army Auditorium, the venue of the talks, as soldiers moved in to detain all negotiators and whisked them away in passenger vans.

Representatives of the Senate and the Election Commission were later allowed to go free.

Radio and television stations were ordered to suspend their normal broadcasts. A curfew between 10pm– 5am was imposed and gatherings of more than five people banned.

All schools nationwide were ordered closed from Friday until Sunday.

In its first coup statement, the military cited the eruption of violence in Bangkok and other provinces which resulted in many deaths and injuries in the past months as the reasons behind the power seizure.

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Appearing on all television channels along with other armed forces leaders and the national police chief about 4.30pm, Gen Prayuth read the statement.

He said the violence in the country had been escalating to such an extent that it stood to undermine national security and public safety.

The coup would help restore normalcy and national unity, ensure reform of political, economic and social institutions, and ensure legitimacy to all sides, he added.

The National Peace and Order Maintaining Council (NPOMC), which comprises the armed forces and the Royal Thai Police, took control of national administration as of 4.30pm Thursday.

Gen Prayuth called on the public to remain calm and to carry on with their everyday lives, and for civil servants at all ministries and government agencies to continue with their normal duties.

As for military personnel, police, volunteers and state authorities who carry weapons, they must not move any personnel or weapons anywhere unless they receive an order allowing them to do so from the head of the NPOMC.

The council said Thailand’s relations with other countries and international organisations would remain intact.

The council would also remain steadfast in its allegiance to the royal institution.

The council later issued a second announcement imposing martial law nationwide.

A third announcement was issued imposing a nationwide curfew between 10pm and 5am, effective as of last night.

Citing sections 10 and 11 of the Martial Law Act, the council issued a fourth announcement ordering all state and private radio and television stations to halt broadcasts of their normal programmes and to relay broadcasts from the army’s radio station.

The council also issued an announcement suspending enforcement of the current Constitution temporarily, while keeping the Constitution’s chapters relating to the monarchy intact.

With the enforcement of the charter suspended, the caretaker cabinet vacates office while the Senate, the courts of justice and independent organisations under the Constitution continue to function normally, according to the announcement.

The council also issued an announcement appointing army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha as the chief of the NPOMC and appointing four deputies – Supreme Commander Gen Tanasak Patimapragorn, navy chief Adm Narong Pipattanasa, air force chief ACM Prajin Janthong, and national police chief Pol Gen Adul Saengsingkaew.

Deputy army chief Gen Udomdej Seetabutr was appointed as the council’s secretary-general.

Citing sections 8 and 11 of the Martial Law Act, the council also imposed a ban on political gatherings of more than five people.

The penalty for violating the order is a jail term of up to one year and/or a fine of up to 20,000 baht.

All 18 former members of the caretaker cabinet were also ordered to report to the NPOMC at the 1st Infantry Regiment immediately.

They include acting caretaker prime minister Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan and other caretaker ministers Phongthep Thepkanchana, Chaturon Chaisaeng, Charupong Ruangsuwan, Pongsak Raktapongpaisal and Yanyong Phuangrach.

Acting Senator Speaker Surachai Liangboonlertchai said the Senate no longer has the authority to appoint a prime minister.

Apart from those detained by the NPOMC, the whereabouts of most of the members of the now-defunct caretaker cabinet were not known.

Mr Niwattumrong was last seen leaving the Commerce Ministry about 4.10pm.

A source close to him said Mr Niwattumrong may have known about the coup and then rushed to a safe house.

After the meeting ended inconclusively, United Front for Defence of Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) co-leaders were reportedly whisked away in a van with soldiers carrying arms escorting them inside the vehicle

Meanwhile, People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban and other co-leaders such as Sathit Wongnongtoey and Akanat Promphan were also taken in another van with armed soldiers guarding them inside the vehicle.

They were reportedly taken to the 1st Infantry Regiment (King’s Guard) on Soi Phahon Yothin 8 in Phaya Thai district of Bangkok.

As the meeting began at 2pm, Gen Prayuth told participants in stern tones that he could not afford to let the political crisis plaguing the country drag on without a solution.

“I am ready to take responsibility, no matter whether it is right or wrong,” Gen Prayuth said, adding that he hoped all stakeholders will help the army improve the political situation.

The army chief said he was aware that many people had been worried about the declaration of martial law.

Mr Niwattumrong did not attend the meeting as he had other engagements.

Caretaker Justice Minister Chaikasem Nitisiri led other caretaker cabinet ministers to the meeting on Mr Niwattumrong’s behalf.

He said the government could have been accused of dereliction of duty if it had resigned.

His position was reaffirmed by the government’s representatives at the military-brokered meeting, prompting Gen Prayuth to order leaders of both the pro- and anti-government sides into a private room for a further meeting, said the source.

Gen Prayuth mediated the meeting in the beginning but later asked them to continue their talks on their own until they could come up with an agreement.

“If you cannot finish your talks, you can’t go home,” Gen Prayuth was quoted as telling both sides.

No one in the main meeting room could leave, while a large number of armed soldiers was standing guard, said the source.

The mobile phone signals of participants were jammed and all headsets banned from being brought into meeting rooms, said the source.

After about 45 minutes of meeting in the private room, the participants were led back to the main meeting room, said the source.

After that Gen Prayuth invited UDD chairman Jatuporn Prompan and Suthep Thaugsuban, secretary-general of PDRC, to another private meeting for about one minute.

After that Gen Prayuth returned to ask Mr Chaikasem who represented the caretaker government one last time whether the caretaker cabinet would resign and Mr Chaikasem’s answer was “no”.

“As such, from now on I decide to seize power,” Gen Prayuth was quoted as saying.

 

This article was originally published in the Bangkok Post on 23 May 2014.
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