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| Unrest shakes Mandalay as violent mob mounts Posted: 01 Jul 2014 02:52 PM PDT Myanmar police fired warning shots after an angry mob attacked Muslim property in the central city of Mandalay on the night of June 1, in the latest eruption of religious unrest. |
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The Irrawaddy Magazine |
| Burma Election Commission Begins Compiling Voter Lists Posted: 01 Jul 2014 05:24 AM PDT  A man looks at election material posted outside a polling station in central Rangoon during the 2010 general elections which were widely condemned for vote-rigging. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — Burma's Union Election Commission (UEC) is taking steps to compile voter lists that will determine who is eligible to cast a ballot in the 2015 elections. Before creating a national list, the UEC is making lists of eligible voters in three townships in Rangoon Division, Kachin State and Chin State, as part of a pilot project that will end in August. The three townships were selected for their diversity, according to Thaung Hlaing, director of the UEC. While the first township, Rangoon's Ahlone Township, is highly populated, the second, Tiddim Township in Chin State, is remote. The third township, Myitkyina in Kachin State, is home to people who were displaced by fighting between the military and an ethnic armed group. "By doing the compilation ahead in these three townships with different situations, we can find out how to manage well in the nationwide compilation," Thaung Hlaing told The Irrawaddy. Twenty-five civil society groups are assisting with the compilations, including voter education and monitoring groups. District and township election commissions are also involved, along with ward administrations and the Ministry of Immigration and Population's National Registration Department. Thaung Hlaing said the voter lists would include any citizen at least 18 years of age whose name appears on ward-level population lists and household registration lists. He said members of the public could file an appeal if they believed they had been wrongfully excluded. "We will computerize the voters' information this year so the same person cannot be include twice on the list and it will be easier to find data," he added. "Later we will upload the information on a website and anyone can download the list of voters in each constituency." Nationwide compilation will likely start early next year, he said. "I am not sure how we will manage to compile voter lists in regions controlled by armed groups," he added, referring to ethnic armed groups that control vast territories across the country. "We have the election commission offices in states—at the district and township levels—but according to the election law, if a state is not at peace, if there is not security, or if there is an environmental disaster, the election will not be held there." Voter education and training will be offered to members of the public, including activists and leaders of civil society groups, to ensure that everyone understands how to file an appeal if their name does not appear on the list, according to Than Htay, director of The Serenity Initiative, a civil society group that is assisting with the pilot project. "When we distribute pamphlets in Tiddim Township in Chin State and Myitkyina in Kachin State, we will use their native languages," he told The Irrawaddy. "Inclusion on the list of voters is the most important for an election. If a person is not included, he or she cannot vote and unfair things can happen." The post Burma Election Commission Begins Compiling Voter Lists appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. | |
| Assessment Underway on Proposed Thilawa Second Phase Posted: 01 Jul 2014 04:51 AM PDT  Two environmental consultancies held a stakeholder meeting to discuss the second phase of the Thilawa SEZ project in Rangoon on Monday. (Photo: Yen Snaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Two companies have been hired to conduct an environmental assessment on the second phase of the Thilawa special economic zone located southeast of Rangoon, after the first stage of the project was beset by complaints about its social and environmental impacts. The Japanese firm Environmental Resources Management Japan, together with Burmese company EGuard Environmental Services, held their first stakeholder meeting on a planned Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) with villagers living in the 2,000-hectare plot designated for development. More than 100 people attended the meeting on Monday at the Thilawa SEZ's department of human settlement and housing development office in Rangoon Division's Thanlyin Township. "This is one of the stakeholder meetings that we are holding for the SEA, and from now on, in the next months, we will be conducting EIA [Environmental] Impact Assessments, so scoping stakeholder meetings," Kyle DuPont, a consultant from Environmental Resources Management Japan told The Irrawaddy after the meeting. "We definitely want everybody's input there. I think monitoring us through those stakeholders meeting will be a very important part of reassuring people of our work and of course, we have to publish the documents in a public manner. "The EIA is the forum for where the villagers need to really express their opinions, and we are probably going to have several of these scoping meetings," DuPont added. "I know it's very difficult to have a big group like this and very difficult to have your voice heard. So in the EIA process, not the SEA, we are planning to have smaller individual meetings around the individual villages themselves instead of having a big group meeting like this." Aye Thiha, managing director from EGuard Environmental Services, said the two consultancies hoped to finish the study by the end of the year. Despite the companies' assurances, local residents turned out on Monday to express concern about potential impacts of the 4,000 hectare, "Class B" development. Work on the Class A zone is ongoing, with that initial phase of the project covering 400 hectares. "We, the country folk, use the well, reservoir and ponds for drinking water. Due to waste from factories, our water resources could be affected and our health could be harmed. So, we want to know if there is any plan if our health is affected," said Aye Htay, a member of the Thilawa Social Development Group, which has fought for the rights of residents in the affected area. "Though we have heard lots of talk about natural preservation lately in Myanmar, can we really maintain it? Because we are really worried about the 2,000 hectares. We want to know if the talk will match up to practical implementation," Aye Htay said at the meeting. He added that Thilawa residents expected the project to comply with international standards—standards that many villagers displaced by the 400-hectare first phase of the project say were not met. An EIA was also conducted on the first phase of the Thilawa development. That assessment found that out of 28 social and environmental factors assessed, the vast majority of impacts due to the project would be negative or required further study. Despite the fact that only seven factors evaluated were considered to have a neutral or positive impact on the affected area, the project went ahead as planned. Aye Thiha of EGuard Environmental Services sought to assure Thilawa residents—some 4,500 of whom are expected to be displaced by the phase two development—that the evaluation was being carried out thoroughly. "We have taken water samples from groundwater, wells, ponds and streams," he said. "On our Thilawa SEZ Management Committee, we have academics to study the environment. If needed, we will also be hiring international consultants," said Than Than Thwe, joint secretary of the Thilawa SEZ Management Committee. "We will always monitor the environmental management plans at each of the factories. Later, we will see [construction of] a water purifying plant and wastewater filtration plant. Then, it will be discharged into the stream." Mya Hlaing, a member of the Thilawa Social Development Group, said they would welcome environmental assessments and monitoring throughout the project's implementation. The two companies together will be drawing up an Environmental Management Plan to assess impacts resulting from daily industrial activities in the SEZ, and measures that can be taken to mitigate negative effects. Each factory operating in the zone will be required to submit EMP reports on a monthly or quarterly basis to a yet-to-be-determined monitoring body, Aye Thiha said. Kyaw Myint, a resident of Rangoon who said he has taken a personal interest in the Thilawa project, told the audience that it would be important that equal, comprehendible and unfiltered information was made available to all parties once the environmental assessments were completed. "Will we get a revised edition of the report after the government has screened it? Will we get it explained to us in terms we ordinary citizen can understand?" he asked. "I will not be trading my reputation just to make money," Aye Thiha said. "We will be choosing 'option zero' in cases where we find that the project should not proceed. We will just suggest that it should not continue. Whether they [the Thilawa SEZ Management Committee] proceed or not is their call. "Once our draft report is done, we will accept public input for three months," Aye Thiha explained. We will finalize it after we get feedback from the public. Then, it will be submitted to the Environmental Conservation Department for approval." Since work began late last year on the first phase of the project, local resident displaced by the SEZ have lodged numerous complaints, ranging from inadequate compensation for seized land to contaminated water at relocation sites. Sixty-eight families were displaced by the first phase. The post Assessment Underway on Proposed Thilawa Second Phase appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. | |
| State Parliament Approves General as Arakan Chief Minister Posted: 01 Jul 2014 12:24 AM PDT  Gen. Maung Maung Ohn attends the opening ceremony of a high school in Myawaddy, Karen State, as deputy minister for border affairs in 2013. (Photo: Kyaw Kha / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The Arakan State parliament announced on Monday that Gen. Maung Maung Ohn has been confirmed as the state's chief minister, against the objection of some Arakanese lawmakers and community leaders who had urged the central government in Naypyidaw to appoint one of their ethnic Arakanese brethren to the post. Saw Nyein, a state parliamentarian, told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that "there was no one who proposed letters in parliament against him becoming chief minister" during the opening day of the latest parliamentary session on Monday. "Therefore, the chairman of parliament announced that he has become the chief minister, in accordance with the Constitution." Maung Maung Ohn was nominated by President Thein Sein last month following the former chief minister Hla Maung Tin's resignation on June 20. Arakan State leaders had asked the president to select an elected official, preferably one belonging to the state's majority ethnic Arakanese population. Lawmakers in the state parliament were given a June 27 deadline to submit any formal objection that they might have to Maung Maung Ohn's appointment as the region's chief minister. Saw Nyein said there were lawmakers who had expressed displeasure at Maung Maung Ohn's nomination, but no formal letters of objection were put forward. Despite his appointment as chief minister, Maung Maung Ohn appeared in the state parliament on Monday in full military uniform, and Arakan National Party state lawmaker Aung Mrya Kyaw told The Irrawaddy that general was not required to resign from military service in order to assume the post. "It is important that Gen. Maung Maung Ohn manages and protects the homes and property belonging to the ethnic Arakanese in the region, [as is] how he will resolve conflict in the region and how he will enforce the rule of law in order to prevent more conflict," said Saw Nyein, who also belongs to the the ANP. "Our region has many conflicts. Gen. Maung Maung Ohn should listen to our ethnic voices. If not, he will not be able to solve conflicts on the ground," he added. Religious strife in Arakan State between the Buddhist majority and minority Muslims has plagued the region since 2012. About 140,000 Rohingya were displaced that year and now live in crowded camps to which they are confined by state authorities. About 89,000 Rohingya are estimated to have fled by boats last year in a desperate attempt to reach Malaysia as conditions in Arakan State have deteriorated. The post State Parliament Approves General as Arakan Chief Minister appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. | |
| Unity Journal Closes Rangoon Office Posted: 30 Jun 2014 11:15 PM PDT  A girl selling weekly journals waits for customers in Rangoon. (Photo: Reuters) MANDALAY — Unity journal has closed its office in Rangoon due to financial problems, as its chief executive and four other journalists continue to face charges after reporting on an alleged chemical weapons factory. "Since I was detained, my families and friends have struggled to run the journal. The management and finances simply became weak, so the producer decided to suspend it until I'm out from these miseries," the chief executive, Tint San, told The Irrawaddy on Monday. He and four other journalists have been jailed in Magwe Division since early February after Unity published an article about an alleged chemical weapons factory in Pauk Township. The article included photographs and claimed the factory had been built under the former military regime on more than 3,000 acres of land confiscated from farmers. The journalists were charged with violating the Official Secrets Act and trespassing in a restricted area. If convicted of the former charge, they could face 14 years in prison. Witnesses gave their final testimonies in court on Monday. A verdict is expected on July 10. Robert San Aung, the lawyer representing the defendants, said prosecutors rejected allegations that legal action was taken merely as a result of the controversial article. "An official from the President's Office said the accused were being sued because they trespassed on the factory compound. The consultant lawyer for the plaintiffs denied that the suit had been filed because they wrote an article about the factory," he said. Citing witness testimony, Robert San Aung noted that a signboard warning not to trespass was planted outside the factory only after the journalists were arrested. "We think our clients will not be convicted of trespassing," he said. "However, we have to wait and see what the court will decide." Meanwhile, the Unity journalists have been awarded with "honorary citizenship" by the mayor of a small town in northern Italy. In a letter sent to their family members, the Italian ambassador to Burma said the journalists would receive certificates and would be invited to visit Italy after their release from prison. Lwin Lwin Myint, wife of journalist Lu Maw Naing, recalled the letter. "It said they were doing their duty for freedom of expression, and that the honorary citizenship was to support them and promote press freedom in the country," she said. The post Unity Journal Closes Rangoon Office appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. | |
| Union Parliament Passed NGO Law Posted: 30 Jun 2014 10:34 PM PDT  Representatives from Karen civil society meet to discuss development and the peace process on May 27, 2013.(Photo: Pyi Daw Myint / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Burma's Union Parliament passed the Association Registration Law last week, a ruling party lawmaker said. The new law, which was drafted by civil society organizations and lawmakers in November last year, provides voluntary registration procedures for local and international NGOs and contains no restrictions or criminal punishments. The law forms a key piece of legislative reform for the development of Burma's civil society sector, which had remained stifled under the former military regime. "It was passed in Union Parliament on June 25. We sent it to President Thein Sein already and he will respond in two weeks," said Lower House Public Affair Committee Secretary Tin Maung Oo. "It was first discussed in the Lower House and then it was submitted to the Upper House with 28 amendments and the Upper House agreed to 25 amendments," said the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) MP. "Now, the most important part of the law is that there is no punishment, it's quite a contrast to the previous law. Because in the past the government didn't encourage civil society," he said. "We also had several public hearings with civil society. Even compared to some other ASEAN countries, it's more democratic." The new law will replace the Law Relating to Forming of OrganizationsNo. 6/88, which was enacted by the military regime shortly after it seized power through a coup in September 1988. The draconian law contained broad, vaguely-defined restrictions that effectively banned any civil society organization from registering unless it maintained close ties to the government. It carried prison sentences of up to three years for those who were members of an unregistered NGO. The post Union Parliament Passed NGO Law appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. | |
| Burmese Director Wins Prizes at European Film Festivals Posted: 30 Jun 2014 10:23 PM PDT  A scene from "Ice Poison," shot in Lashio. (Photo courtesy of Midi Z) RANGOON — A Burmese director has won an award for the best international film at the world's longest continually running film festival. Shan State native Midi Z, now based in Taiwan, claimed the prize at the 68th annual Edinburgh International Film Festival for his third feature film, "Ice Poison," set in his hometown, Lashio. The festival, which closed on Sunday, showed 122 new features from 47 countries. Ten other films were nominated for the best international film. "Ice Poison" tells the story of a young farmer who becomes involved in the drug trade after facing economic hardship in Shan State, which is notorious for the cultivation of opium poppy. Also last week, Midi Z was named best director for the same film at the Peace & Love Film Festival in Sweden. "Ice Poison" has not been officially released in Burma because the director did not have a permit to film in the country. "The filmmaking was very improvised, we hadn't planned in advance to shoot, so we didn't apply for permission. When a DVD is released, I will put the film online—I made it for everyone," he told The Irrawaddy in an earlier interview. The post Burmese Director Wins Prizes at European Film Festivals appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. | |
| In Karenni State, a Monastery Fit for a Prince Posted: 30 Jun 2014 05:00 PM PDT  The front entrance of the Kantarawadi Haw, formerly the royal residence of the saopha of Loikaw. (Photo: Sai Zaw / The Irrawaddy) LOIKAW, Karenni State — Standing amid a compound large enough to house a football pitch in downtown Loikaw, the palatial Kantarawadi Haw is perhaps the last surviving reminder of a bygone era in Karenni State. The two-story building, known locally as a "Haw," was originally constructed to house the local prince, known as a saopha, and his family. Eastern Burma was essentially divided into fiefdoms under the saopha system, which served the region well into the 20th century. Local legend has it that the structure was built in 1912 by the saopha of Loikaw, Sao Khun Li, and took four years to complete. The Haw survived World War II, while other Haws in the surrounding area were destroyed. Several rounds of preservation works, paid for by well-wishers seeking the showcase the Karenni people's cultural heritage, have allowed the building to maintain its dignity despite its age. But today the Haw is no longer a royal residence. The offspring of its last saopha donated the building to Loikaw's Buddhist clergy, who since 1994 have been running it as a monastery, now renamed Mingalar Haw Gyi Buddhist Teaching Center. More than 30 monks now study Buddhism at the formerly princely abode. The post In Karenni State, a Monastery Fit for a Prince appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. | |
| Suu Kyi Races to Change Constitution before 2015 Elections Posted: 30 Jun 2014 10:17 PM PDT  A demonstrator calls for the amendment of Article 436 of Burma's Constitution in Rangoon's Thanlyin Township. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — With elections looming next year, Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is stepping up efforts to change a constitution that bars her from the presidency and gives substantial political power to unelected military members of Parliament. Suu Kyi became an international icon after winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her pro-democracy efforts and spent most of the next two decades under house arrest where she continued to resist Burma's military rulers. She remains wildly popular at home, but is nonetheless unable to fulfil her wish to become president due to a constitutional clause written to exclude her from office. Now, she says, her priority is to change another clause that grants the military de-facto power over constitutional amendments. The constitution drafted under a former military regime sets aside 25 percent of parliamentary seats for the military and more than half of the rest are held by its allies in the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), many of them former officers. Section 436 requires 75 percent support for most amendments to the constitution, which would currently need the support of most USDP and military MPs, an unlikely achievement for any proposal aiming at undercutting the military's role in politics. "If we don't change 436, it means that the military has virtual veto power over what can or cannot be changed within the constitution," Suu Kyi told Reuters on Sunday. Suu Kyi has received a boost from a surprising source: a USDP-dominated parliamentary committee examining constitutional amendments. The panel voted to change the 75 percent majority required to a two-thirds majority, one member said on Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity as the committee's affairs are meant to be kept secret. That could make it easier for the NLD to push through further amendments, including eliminating the clause that prevents anyone with a child or spouse with foreign citizenship from being president. Most analysts believe this clause, 59 (f), was written into the military-drafted 2008 Constitution specifically to sideline Suu Kyi. Her late husband was British, as are her two sons. Broad Coalition By focusing on the majority required for constitutional change, Suu Kyi was able to appeal to a broader array of people, according to Andrew McLeod, who leads the Burma program at Oxford University's Faculty of Law. "She was always likely to be branded as debating in self-interest if she focused solely on 59 (f)," he said. Some sense a mood for change in the military. "Many of the constitutional questions are about civilian control of the military," said Tom Malinowsky, US assistant secretary for democracy, human rights and labor, who met military representatives in Burma last week. "My impression is that they are wrestling with that very question," he told a small group of journalists on Saturday. "We got questions about it from the younger officers … [who] asked us to talk about how quickly this change should take place." After almost half a century in power, the military stepped aside in 2011 following elections in November 2010. The quasi-civilian government of President Thein Sein, himself a former junta member, surprised the world by ushering in reforms such as the release of political prisoners. In response, the United States suspended most sanctions and promised to ease them further if there were more reforms, including the withdrawal of the military from politics. Suu Kyi's allies in the fight for constitutional reform include members of the ’88 Generation, made up of veterans of the 1988 student protests against the military regime that thrust Suu Kyi into the political spotlight. They are working alongside her National League for Democracy (NLD) party on a petition to change the constitution, which the NLD says has already garnered 2.5 million signatures. The military put Suu Kyi under house arrest in 1989 after suppressing the pro-democracy protests. The NLD swept a 1990 election for members of a body to draft a new constitution, but the junta ignored the result and kept Suu Kyi under house arrest for 15 of the next 20 years. She was freed in November 2010, a week after the general election—boycotted by the NLD and widely regarded as rigged—that swept the USDP to power. The parliamentary committee looking at the constitution is due to submit its proposals in February 2015. Even if it recommends amending clause 436, that change itself would have to be supported by 75 percent of parliament. It would then have to be put to a nationwide referendum and win at least 50 percent approval. It will be a massive challenge to Suu Kyi and her allies to push that through before a general election scheduled for late 2015. And the task gets even harder if they want a further change dropping the clause that stops her becoming president. Suu Kyi says she's not daunted by the tight time frame. "I don’t think in terms of optimism," Suu Kyi told Reuters. "I always think in terms of how hard we can work to achieve what we're trying to achieve, and I think we are capable of a lot of hard work." Additional reporting by Aung Hla Tun. The post Suu Kyi Races to Change Constitution before 2015 Elections appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. | |
| Thailand Revokes Passports of 2 Anti-coup Leaders Posted: 30 Jun 2014 10:05 PM PDT  Policemen arrive to remove a banner with a drawing of the army chief and coup leader General Prayuth Chan-ocha left by anti-coup protesters at a shopping mall in Bangkok on June 1, 2014. (Photo: Reuters / Damir Sagolj) BANGKOK — Thai authorities said on Monday they have revoked the passports of six people wanted on arrest warrants, including two who founded an anti-coup movement in exile, as the military junta continues to promote obeisance to its rule. Since taking power by coup in May, the junta has summoned hundreds of people for discussion, interrogation and detention—usually for a maximum of a week. The six are among a handful who defied the summons. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs cancelled the Thai passports of ex-Interior Minister Charupong Reuangsuwan and Jakrapob Penkair, once a government spokesman, who formed an opposition group last week, said the ministry's Permanent Secretary Sihasak Phuangketkeow. The pair set up the Organization of Free Thais for Human Rights and Democracy on June 24,the anniversary of the revolution in 1932 that changed Thailand from an absolute monarchy into a constitutional one. The group's potential to get public support is limited as Thailand remains under martial law and acts of dissent are increasingly rare. The others whose passports were revoked are two suspects in alleged anti-monarchy defamation cases, an ex-lawmaker from the former ruling party and a Red Shirt political group member. The arrest warrant for Charupong and the former parliamentarian also cites their defiance of the summons to meet with the junta. The suspect in one defamation case lives in the UK, and the others are presumed to have fled Thailand and are living overseas. Sihasak said the authorities were also seeking options to have Jakrapob sent back to Thailand from Hong Kong, where he is reportedly residing, because the two countries do not have an extradition treaty. Jakrapob was accused of defaming the country's monarch, a crime also known as lèse-majesté, which carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison, and faced fresh charges over the weekend of illegal possession of war weapons, an accusation he denied immediately. Charupong led the Pheu Thai Party that won the 2011 election and served under Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. After aggressive street protests were launched against her government last year, the army took power in May 22, saying the coup was necessary to end violence and political chaos. The post Thailand Revokes Passports of 2 Anti-coup Leaders appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. | |
| Japan Poised to Ease Constitution’s Limits on Military in Landmark Shift Posted: 30 Jun 2014 10:00 PM PDT  Protesters holding placards shout slogans at a rally against Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's push to expand Japan's military role in front of Abe's official residence in Tokyo on June 30, 2014. (Photo: Reuters / Yuya Shino) TOKYO — Japan's cabinet is expected on Tuesday to end a ban that has kept the military from fighting abroad since World War Two, a major shift away from post-war pacifism and a political victory for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who has pursued the change despite some public opposition. The move, seen by some as the biggest shift in defense policy since Japan set up its post-war armed forces in 1954, would end a ban on exercising "collective self-defense," or aiding a friendly country under attack. It would also relax limits on activities in UN-led peacekeeping operations and "grey zone" incidents that fall short of full-scale war, according to a draft cabinet resolution. Long constrained by the pacifist post-war constitution, Japan's military would be more closely aligned with other advanced nations' armed forces in terms of its options to act, though the government would likely remain wary of putting boots on the ground in multilateral operations such as the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq. "It's a dimensional change," said former Japanese diplomat Kunihiko Miyake. "We have lived in the world of the second dimension, now we are entering a third dimension—which is the global standard." Abe has pushed for the change since taking office 18 months ago despite wariness among many Japanese voters worried about entanglement in foreign wars and angry at what some see as a gutting of the constitution's war-renouncing Article 9. A group of several thousand protesters, including students and pensioners, marched in front of the prime minister's office on Monday carrying banners and shouting, "I don’t want to see our children and soldiers die" and "protect the constitution." A day earlier, a man set himself on fire near a busy Tokyo intersection—a rare form of protest in Japan—after speaking out against Abe's reinterpretation of Article 9. The change will also likely rile an increasingly assertive China, whose ties with Japan have frayed due to a maritime row, mistrust and the legacy of Japan's past military aggression. It will, however, be welcomed by Washington, which has long urged Tokyo to become a more equal partner in their alliance. Officials in Abe's ruling coalition parties agreed on Tuesday morning to the proposed lifting of the ban on collective self-defense, a lawmaker told reporters, paving the way for cabinet later in the day to adopt a resolution revising a long-standing interpretation of the US-drafted constitution. Legal revisions to implement the change must be approved by parliament and restrictions could be imposed in the process. Since its defeat in 1945, Japan's military has not engaged in combat. While successive governments have stretched the limits of the pacifist charter to develop a military now on par with that of France and to permit non-combat missions abroad, its armed forces remain far more constrained legally than those of other nations. 'Normal Nation' Conservatives say the constitution's Article 9 has excessively restricted Japan's ability to defend itself and that a changing regional power balance, including a rising China, means Japan's security policies must be more flexible. The policy shift is seen by many experts as the latest step by Japan toward becoming a "normal nation" with its military less circumscribed by its pacifist constitution. "Conservative Japanese governments have pushed the envelope hard and often to get the public to agree to a more elastic interpretation of Article 9. Abe is taking a bigger leap and getting away with it thanks to China," said Columbia University professor Gerry Curtis. "Article 9 is not dead. There is still a lot of [public] resistance to being more 'normal.'" China, however, will likely argue Japan is raising regional tensions and support its case by pointing to Abe's efforts to cast Tokyo's wartime past with a less apologetic tone. Some experts agree Abe's revisionist image makes him vulnerable to suspicions that he has a deeper nationalist agenda. "It makes it easier for competitors to paint Japan as a wolf in sheep's clothing," said Richard Samuels, director of the Center for International Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Just because Japan is strong does not mean that it will be aggressive," he added. According to a draft cabinet resolution made public last week, Japan could exercise force to the minimum degree necessary in cases where a country with which it has close ties is attacked and the following conditions are met: there is a threat to the existence of the Japanese state, there is a clear danger that the people's right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness could be subverted, and there is no appropriate alternative. Precisely how the change might work in practice remains unclear. Junior coalition partner New Komeito is stressing that the scope of revision is limited, and Japanese voters are still wary of entanglements in conflicts far from home. "I only see this happening in areas near Japan. I don't see Japan deploying far-away forces in the context where they end up in the front-lines," said Brad Glosserman, executive director of the Honolulu-based Pacific Forum CSIS. Additional reporting by Nobuhiro Kubo. The post Japan Poised to Ease Constitution's Limits on Military in Landmark Shift appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. | |
| A Broader Vision of Education for Burma Posted: 30 Jun 2014 05:30 PM PDT  A teacher works with her students at a private school in Rangoon. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) One of my relatives recently held a couple of grand celebrations to congratulate her daughter for obtaining all distinctions in her matriculation exam this year. Hundreds of guests were invited, and events were held at a well-known restaurant in Rangoon. In addition, she honored all her daughter's teachers with gifts. Since her daughter started going to school, her main concern has always been that her daughter remains among the top three students on every exam. In order to achieve this goal, she filled her daughter's days with tutoring sessions after school hours. To her, the quality of her daughter's education could be judged by what was written on report cards. Many parents in Burma tend to fret about how well their children score on exams; it is a reason for them to boast or to feel ashamed. Rather than giving their children a chance to express their personal interests, many parents push them along paths which they feel are best. However, what parents feel is best may not always be so for their children. Many parents want their children to become doctors or engineers, which are considered top professions in Burma, without giving much thought about whether their children are really interested in these fields. It makes me wonder how parents measure the success of their children's education. What do they think is the purpose of education? Since becoming an educator, I have always been interested in how people perceive the purpose of education. Now, as Burma struggles to reform a school system that deteriorated over decades of military rule, almost everyone is talking about the importance of education. But only by knowing the purpose of education can we ascertain the level of its importance. It is time for stakeholders—parents, teachers, students and policy makers—to seriously consider the answer to that question. Randall V. Bass, the assistant professor of educational leadership at the University of Mississippi, once wrote that "any system of education, if it is to fulfill its purpose, clearly has two functions: to preserve and to provide for change." We definitely need an education system that preserves our traditions, culture and sense of identity in order to continue our society and to withstand the effects of globalization. On the other hand, we must be ready to embrace change, especially when it comes to the ways in which we educate future generations. In Burma, exam scores should not be seen as the be-all and end-all of schooling. As the country embarks on a path for change, it is essential that we all contribute, especially the younger generations who will eventually become leaders in politics, business and civil society. And for that, it is important that we teach our students to be knowledgeable and critical thinkers, and to possess an open worldview. I currently teach a class of students who are attending an international program at the college level, and I always encourage them to enjoy the learning process and to try their best, rather than worrying about how well they will score. I encourage them to assert their ideas and reflect on their responsibilities. The aim is to make them see that there is more to education than grades. I want them to see that their voices matter, and I want them to develop into independent and responsible adults. When they first joined the program, whenever a question was raised in the classroom, many of them kept quiet—a result of having been through many years of Burmese public schools, where only the teacher speaks while the students listen. But after a couple weeks, more hands shot up in the air during discussions. Even after 11 years in the traditional learning system, they were able to change with enough encouragement and a conducive learning environment. In Singapore, where I used to work as a lecturer at a polytechnic, youths have always been given the opportunity to participate in discussions at the national level, concerning topics such as politics, social issues, education and health. That's why I am happy to read in the Burmese media about an upcoming youth conference organized by the main opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD). The conference, scheduled for later this month, has been organized for youth members of the NLD, but I think it would be great if we could also organize a nationwide conference welcoming youths from all walks of life. You will be surprised what today's youths have to say if given a chance. Burma's education system has been based on "parrot learning," focused on the ability to reproduce facts that have been taught. Students are not encouraged to read non-academic but related materials. Instead, they are told to spend time memorizing exactly what is stated in textbooks. But we don't need students who can simply reproduce. We need students who can think, reflect and apply; who can be lifelong and self-directed learners; who have confidence in their own work; and who know what they want in life. Thus, it is important for them to gain not only subject knowledge, but also general knowledge that will widen their worldview and turn them into critical thinkers. Many people may believe that education only occurs in schools. In reality, schooling is just a subset of education; we all learn from the moment we are born until the day we die. We learn from all sources, including our surroundings, our parents and our peers. We learn by observing others, listening to teachers, reading books and discussing with others. As such, adults are especially important role models for youths and need to be mindful of their actions. In Burma, one common problem that I always see is the habit of people cutting in line without any misgivings. What kind of educational message are those people giving to their children? That it is acceptable to "cheat" to get ahead of others? It is time for everyone to realize that education is broader in nature and happens throughout life, not only in schools. My relative and many other parents like her may only wish to see their children become doctors or engineers. However, regardless of profession, people will excel if they are passionate and interested in what they are doing. Any society needs all kinds of professionals, not only doctors or engineers. The essence of education is to nurture new generations who will contribute to the good of the country by playing their respective roles well. And in order for them to do that, we need to trust our youths and give them their due respect and opportunities. Khin Hnin Soe is the principal of the Myanmar Metropolitan College. She can be reached at khsoesoe@gmail.com . The post A Broader Vision of Education for Burma appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
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| Tada-U farmers win back half their land, vow to fight on Posted: 01 Jul 2014 05:13 AM PDT Burmese authorities have returned some 5,000 acres (20 sq.km) of farmland to residents of four villages in the district of Tada-U in Mandalay Division. The lands were part of a larger parcel of property that had originally been seized and confiscated by the military government in the early 1990s to make way for construction of Mandalay International Airport. That airport opened in 2000, but some 9,000 acres of land remains unused. On 28 June, an official ceremony was held to mark the return of the land. Mandalay Division Chief Minister Ye Myint presided over the event, attended by around 500 residents of villages in the area. However, farmers from the four villages say the land returned is a little over half of the plot they originally owned and cultivated, and they insist the rest is handed back too. They say some 4,000 acres of unused land in Tada-U remains in government hands. Burma's presidential-appointed Land Grab Investigation Commission has called on all fallow or undeveloped lands which were seized by the military to be returned this year or for adequate compensation to be offered to the original owners. That parliamentary commission has outlined a precise timeframe for the land grab cases to be settled. That deadline is September. Khin Thandar, a local member for the National League for Democracy, questioned the government's decision to retain the large portion of confiscated land. "We would like to know if the government has a plan to return the remainder of the land in September," she said. "We want to know if there is a specific order on this." However Chief Minister Ye Myint claimed that the Tada-U farmers were not entitled to the return of all their previously held property. "A total of 9,055 acres of land was disputed and the information was submitted to the government," he said. "They made the decision. A road divides the land. The plots to the west of the road are not to be returned," he said. The Tada-U villagers say they are determined to press home their claim for the return of the remaining land. At this stage, Khin Thandar says, they still have nothing to be grateful for. |
| Posted: 01 Jul 2014 05:06 AM PDT Today’s stories for Tuesday 1 July Two hundred protesters march through the streets of Pathein, Irrawaddy division, demanding information surrounding the case of deposed religious affairs minister Hsan Hsint. The government has returned 5,000 acres of land to residents in Mandalay's Tada-U, which was confiscated in 1993 to make way for an airport. The Interim Press Council is calling on police to stop their inquest into the finances of local media outlets. Mayanchaung village in Rangoon's Hlegu Township is home to 200 leprosy sufferers who live an isolated existence with their families.
Watch today’s episode on DVB TV after the 7 o’clock news. |
| DVB Debate: Why are drug abuse and production flourishing in Burma? Posted: 01 Jul 2014 01:32 AM PDT Burma is currently one of the world's main sources of opiates and methamphetamines, and the world's second largest poppy grower after Afghanistan. Production fuels rampant addiction in the country and the drug problem shows no signs of improvement. Panellists on DVB Debate discussed the drugs industry and question how known drug lords have been able to operate in Burma without arrest or impediment. "In the past, drug tycoons like Khun Sa and Lo Hsing Han were never arrested and became the owners of large successful businesses in Burma like Asia World," said freelance journalist Aung Kyi Soe Myint. "This is because of money laundering. People like Khun Sa had been doing this for a long time and become rich," said Hla Htay, a psychiatrist for the Drug Dependency Treatment and Research Unit.  Cartoon: DVB Debate Police Maj. Khin Maung Thein from the Police Drug Enforcement Division noted that drug dealers can afford to pay bribes in exchange for impunity. "Because they are rich, they can pay off the authorities, even the judges," he said. "This is not an issue that can be solved outright and immediately. Maybe that's why certain people decide that because we cannot solve it, it is better to accept bribes." In the late 1990s, opium production in Burma began to decline after efforts by the UN and the government to eradicate poppy cultivation. However, crop replacement schemes were ultimately unsuccessful, and drug syndicates began focusing on manufacturing methamphetamines instead of opium. "Fighting drug abuse is like squeezing a balloon. If you squeeze one side, then, the other side becomes inflated," said Hla Htay. The general-secretary of the Myanmar Red Cross, Aung Kyaw Htut, said, "We know that drugs are used here [in Burma] and are exported to other countries. Amphetamines are manufactured in this country – millions of dollars' worth have been seized." In the border areas of Shan and Kachin states, with a perfect mountainous climate, an abundance of opium poppies can grow. However, poor infrastructure and decades of civil war mean these areas have long been difficult to access. With the election of a new government in 2011 came a slew of reforms. But the benefits of transition also helped the drugs trade. "Since the new government came in, travel has become easier. Unlike in the past, people can travel without showing identification, and there are not so many checkpoints, so it is very convenient and much faster," said Pol Maj Khin Maung Thein. "But as travelling has become easier so has the transportation of drugs." Young people and university students in ethnic areas are particularly affected by addiction, and authorities in these areas do little to prevent it. Audience members say drug addiction in these ethnic regions feel like an unofficial government policy. "There is no rule of law in our area. Have we been left out because we are on the border, or because it is too late for us?" asks Tawng Ra, a Kantkaw Education Centre student. Kachin student, B. Esther Ze Naw feels the government have purposely withheld support for drug addiction in ethnic areas. "Why is the support so weak? Are they neglecting it on purpose? Or more importantly – is this a form of ethnic cleansing?" The studio generally agreed that the authorities need to crack down strongly on corruption, and that more support needs to be given to people already affected by addiction.
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| Karens hold funeral for ‘strong and fearless leader’ Gen. Tamla Baw Posted: 01 Jul 2014 01:10 AM PDT The funeral of Gen. Saw Tamla Baw, a highly respected Karen leader and elder statesmen of the independence movement, was held on Monday and attended by more than 1,000 people from the Karen National Union (KNU) and various ethnic armed groups. Tamla Baw, 94, passed away on 26 June. A well-respected revolutionary, he was the former leader of the KNU before he retired in 2012 after leading an armed struggle against the Burmese military government since 1949. Sasha Htoo Waw, joint chief of staff of the KNU's military wing, said that the funeral began at 9:30am at its Thay Bay Hta military headquarters. Karen refugees from camps in Thailand along the Karen State border were in attendance, as well as representatives from ethnic armed groups, including the Shan State Army South, the Arakan Liberation Party, and the United Nationalities Alliance, an armed group coalition. "First, the KNU leaders read out an obituary and honorary statements about the deceased, and then funeral rites were heard. Then his body was carried to the gravesite in a military procession," Sasha Htoo Waw said. He added that the legendary revolutionary will be remembered for his role in uniting various ethnic armed groups in their resistance against the Burmese military rulers. "He will be remember for his work to bring about unity among various armed groups and the KNU," Sasha Htoo Waw told DVB. "For example, he defused tensions with the [All Burma Students' Democratic Front] when they first joined the revolution." "For the new generation, there is a lot to learn from him." The Burmese government's chief negotiator during peace talks, Aung Min, sent a letter of condolences to Zipporah Sein, daughter of Tamla Baw, on behalf of the government on Friday. "We are saddened to hear that your father, General Saw Tamla Baw, passed away on 26 June, 2014," a letter signed by Aung Min said. "The passing for General Saw Tamla Baw, who solemnly served his duties as the Karen National Union chairman and commander-in-chief of the Karen National Liberation Army, was not only a huge loss for the family, but also for the KNU." The European Karen Network – an organisation that brings together Karen people and refugees in Europe — also sent their condolences to the KNU and the general's friends and families. "The passing of General Saw Tamla Baw is a great loss for the Karen people and the whole of Burma," a statement from the Network said. "He was a strong and fearless leader who dedicated his life to the struggle for self-determination, democracy and freedom, not just for the Karen, but all the people in Burma." "General Saw Tamla Baw did not live to see peace and freedom for his people. But his spirit of hope and peace will remain with us, and the struggle for self-determination, freedom, equalities and democracy will continue," it said. |
| CPI cut our rice ration, say anti-dam activists Posted: 01 Jul 2014 12:27 AM PDT Two local Kachin women, who have been involved in anti-Myitsone dam activities, say they have had their rice rations cut by China Power Investment Corporation (CPI), the Chinese backers of the Irrawaddy River hydropower project. Daw Jah Khawng and Daw Lu Rah, originally from Myitsone but who were relocated to Aung Myin Thar model village to make way for the mega-project, said last week that they and their families have been told by the local rice distributor that they had been struck from the list of recipients for monthly rice rations. As part of a compensation package, displaced Myitsone villagers were reportedly pledged a rice ration of seven and a half viss (12.25 kg) of rice per head each month. According to Daw Jah Khawng, the rice distributor informed them one day before ration day that the pair and their families were no longer on the list to receive sacks of rice, the main staple for the more than 2,000 displaced villagers at Aung Myin Thar. "A clerk came and told us that CPI had cut our rice ration on the evening of 24 June," she told DVB on Friday. "She said the instruction had been passed down by her superiors." Daw Jah Khawng and Daw Lu Rah said that, between them, they have more than 20 family members including grandchildren who depend on rice rations, because the model town has no land to grow crops. Though the staff of CPI did not notify them why their rations were being refused, the women said they believe that it is due to their involvement in activities calling for the complete cancellation of the dam project. More than 300 families from Maliyan, Tang Hpre and Myitsone villages were relocated to the purpose-built village of Aung Myin Thar beginning in 2009. But according to a local Kachin NGO, Mungchying Rawt Jat, which was founded in September 2012 by farmers directly affected by government development projects in Kachin State, the houses in the model village are substandard, and many residents are suffering from ill health. "The housing at Aung Myin Thar was built by CPI and Asia World Company," Mungchying Rawt Jat reported. "Although they told the villagers they would build them better houses than before, the new houses are poor quality. The roofs have blown off and leak during rain; houses are tilting, and the floors have been flooded during the past two years. There is no land for local people to sustain a livelihood. People are suffering from diarrhea, malaria, influenza, paralysis, and mental problems in the camp, and their health condition is getting worse." CPI did not respond to DVB's request for comment on the case of Daw Jah Khawng and Daw Lu Rah. The Myitsone Dam project, or Seven Dams project, was contracted between 2001 and 2016 to Burmese conglomerate Asia World and Chinese state energy firm CPI to construct a 3,600 to 6,000 MW hydropower project, which would mostly produce electricity for China. It was beset by protests, both locally and across Burma, as many feared the dams would adversely affect the Irrawaddy, Burma's main waterway, which millions rely upon for livelihoods, transport and water. In September 2011, Burmese President Thein Sein announced the project would be suspended during his tenure. But although construction has halted and Chinese workers repatriated, CPI and Asia World have said they remain confident the project will recommence once this presidential term ends in 2015. |
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| Activist highlight ‘unfair’ trespassing charges against farmers Posted: 30 Jun 2014 07:35 PM PDT Activists in Mandalay have highlighted the growing number of farmers who have been "unfairly" charged with trespassing and mischief as a result of disputes over land ownership. |
| Ethnic armed groups, opposition parties to meet in Mae Sot Posted: 30 Jun 2014 07:33 PM PDT Prominent opposition political leaders will travel to Thailand later this week for talks with armed ethnic groups on the peace process and political liberalisation, 88 Generation leader Min Ko Naing says. |
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| Revenue Dept to Improve Tax Collection from Soaring Rent Rates Posted: 30 Jun 2014 06:27 AM PDT  The gate of Unicef's office in Golden Valley, in Rangoon's Bahan Township, which costs $87,000 per month to rent. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The Department of Internal Revenue announced Monday that it would improve tax collection on income earned from rent rates across Burma and warned property owners to submit their earnings from rent soon. The announcement comes at a time of skyrocketing rent rates in the country's commercial capital Rangoon, which has seen companies and UN aid agencies pay up to $1 million per year to the owners of offices and villas. Local revenue department officials said they were taking steps to address tax evasion by landlords, which has been commonplace in Burma, but they offered few details on how the tougher approach was going to work or whether harsher punishments would be enforced for those found evading taxes. Monday's announcement in state-run media said the department would inform property owners of the need to submit their income from rent, adding that the department will subsequently work with the Yangon City Development Committee and the police to catch those evading taxes. "This project is aimed at more strictly levying taxes … First, [landlords] are warned by the government to provide their income tax information, then we will assess taxes, and after that we will check who are evading taxes township by township," said anofficer of the Rangoon Division Internal Revenue Department. The officer, who asked not be named as he was not authorized to speak to the media, said that "more than 80 percent" of property owners in Rangoon have been evading taxes on income earned from rent for many years, including those who own villas and luxury residences in the upmarket neighborhoods in Bahan, Mayagone and Kamaryut townships. "Most of them are evading income tax, that's why we're going to strictly assess their income tax," he said, adding that income gained from renting out land, real estate, factories, condominiums and other property would be taxed. According to the Revenue Law, tax rates vary from 5 percent for landlords earning between US$2,000 and $5,000 per year, to 25 percent tax for those earning more than $30,000 in annual rent. Rangoon's property market has boomed since President Thein Sein's nominally-civilian government announced political and economic reforms in 2011. Rent rates in the city, where high-quality housing and office space remain scarce, have soared and foreign companies and UN aid agencies are paying exorbitant rates for their offices. The Irrawaddy revealed in May that Unicef paid $87,000 per month for a compounded villa in Golden Valley, one of Rangoon's most expensive neighborhoods, a property owned by a former military regime general. The World Health Organization said it paid $79,000 per month for its office on Pyay Road in Mayangone Township. The rates caused a public backlash—in particular as some of the properties are owned by business cronies and former junta members—and there were calls for improving the tax collection on the properties in order to ensure that public revenues are gained from the booming property market. Internal Revenue Department officials said they were aware of the media attention on the high rent rates, but said it had not informed their decision to improve tax collection on rents. In Bahan Township, the site of Golden Valley, some 200 property owners had recently submitted their income from rent, a local township revenue department officer told The Irrawaddy. "As far as I know, the owner of the Unicef office has already submitted their income information, but I can't go into more detail," said the officer, who declined to be named. Kyee Myint of the Myanmar Lawyers' Network said it remains to be seen whether the department's new approach will reduce rampant tax evasion on income earned from property, as punishments for evasion are light. "They only have to pay a fine that represents 10 percent of their total taxes," he said, adding that the department should be open about whether it is successful or not in improving tax collection. "The department of internal revenue has a responsibility to show to the public how much tax they collect… If they really collect [more tax] it could go to education and health care," Kyee Myint said. The post Revenue Dept to Improve Tax Collection from Soaring Rent Rates appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. | |
| Photo of the Week (30 June, 2014) Posted: 30 Jun 2014 05:25 AM PDT
The post Photo of the Week (30 June, 2014) appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. | |
| NLD: Over 3 Million People Join Petition to Amend Charter Posted: 30 Jun 2014 05:07 AM PDT  People sign petitions at the NLD’s head office in Rangoon in May. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) MANDALAY — Burma's biggest opposition party announced on Monday that more than 3.3 million people have signed a campaign to change a constitutional article that gives the military a veto over amendments. "As of today, the campaign has been going for one month, and we have received more than 3.3 million signatures nationwide," said Tun Tun Hein, a central executive committee member of the National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Aung San Suu Kyi. The signature campaign, organized in collaboration with the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society, started on May 27 and will run through July 19. Tun Tun Hein said all signatures would be submitted to Parliament. "We believe the support of the people will push forward the amendment of Article 436," he said. Article 436 says constitutional reform can only take place with the support of more than 75 percent of lawmakers. This gives effective veto power to the unelected military lawmakers who control 25 percent of seats in the legislature. Suu Kyi and 88 Generation leaders are touring the country's biggest cities to encourage amendments. Suu Kyi plans to go to Pakokku, a city in Magwe Division, for constitutional talks on July 12. The post NLD: Over 3 Million People Join Petition to Amend Charter appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. | |
| Signs of Life: An Emerging Talent Pool Posted: 30 Jun 2014 04:52 AM PDT  A scene from "Ice Poison," which was shot in Lashio, Shan State. (Photo courtesy of Midi) The mainstream movie business may be in the doldrums right now, but history says that there is always a market for good stories that are well told. It's likely just a matter of time in Myanmar before ways are found to get quality productions made that match rising audience expectations. Signs of fresh energy to make films offering substantial fare are already emerging aplenty. So far, perhaps unsurprisingly, many of the most interesting ideas appear to be coming from outside the mainstream. Just one recent example is Myanmar-born director Midi, who has generated international attention with his 2014 movie "Ice Poison," about a young farmer in Shan State who becomes involved in drugs. The film has shown in at least eight festivals internationally since it was made, but will reportedly only be seen in this country on DVD or online, as the director did not have a permit to shoot it. Taiwan-based Midi plans to follow it up next year with a love story, "The Road to Mandalay," which will be shot in a border refugee camp and Bangkok. Another director tackling substantive themes is Aung Ko Latt, who garnered attention last year for his movie "Kayan Beauties," which also explores vulnerable lives in Myanmar's ethnic areas. "Kayan Beauties" won a Special Jury Award at the Asean International Film Festival in Malaysia last year, and is still gaining new audiences; this May, it showed at the Soho International Festival in New York City. "For 27 years I've been trying to show off our Burmese films and movies to the world. Now, that dream has come true. I'll try my best to produce more Burmese films and movies reflecting the beauty of our country, traditions and cultures," the director told The Irrawaddy last year. Documentary-making in particular is experiencing a resurgence in the post-censorship era, boosted in part by events like the Wathann annual film festival in Yangon, which started in 2011. And documentary-makers too are increasingly reaching audiences abroad as well as at home. In May, for example, the Yangon Film School announced that U Aung Nwai Htway's personal, behind-the-scenes story of his famous movie-star parents, "Behind the Screen," will show at the International Documentary Film Festival in Hanoi this month. The film won Best Asean Documentary at the Salaya International Documentary Film Festival in Salaya, Thailand, in March. Also in May, a selection of films from last year's Wathann festival showed in Shanghai, China. Perhaps, after years of repression, Myanmar's creative film-makers are just starting to hit their stride again; if so, that happy ending for the country's long love affair with movies may be within reach. This article was first published alongside the cover story in the June 2014 print issue of The Irrawaddy magazine. The post Signs of Life: An Emerging Talent Pool appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. | |
| US Military Officer Gives Speech at Burma Defense College Posted: 30 Jun 2014 04:09 AM PDT  Burma's army chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing inspects troops during a parade to mark the 67th anniversary of Armed Forces Day in Naypyidaw on March 27, 2012. (Photo: Reuters / Soe Zeya Tun) RANGOON — For the first time since the United States began its limited re-engagement with the Burmese army, a US military officer has addressed his Burmese counterparts at the Myanmar National Defense College in Naypyidaw. Lt-Gen Anthony Crutchfield, deputy commander of the US Pacific Command, emphasized human rights and the need for civilian control during a speech at the college, which trains colonels and other high-ranking military officers. "My presence here is indicative of the new chapter in our countries' relationship," Crutchfield told more than 100 military officers, instructors and college staff during his address last week, according to a transcript published by the US Embassy in Rangoon. Citing the US armed forces as an example of a professional military, he urged strict adherence to ethical conduct and rule of law, as well as acceptance of diversity. He said respect for human rights was not only a matter of following international laws such as the Geneva Conventions. "It is also an operational necessity," he said. "When we commit abuses against the civilian population, we lose their support, and our adversaries gain popular support. This makes it harder for us to prevail, and ultimately places our troops in greater danger." Burma's military was implicated in widespread rights abuses during decades of dictatorship, as it waged wars on multiple fronts against ethnic armed groups across the country. In addition to committing arbitrary arrests and extrajudicial killings, the military regularly forced civilians to serve as porters and committed sexual assault against women and girls. Allegations of war crimes have persisted since a quasi-civilian government took office in 2011, as the military continues to fight against two ethnic armed groups in northern Burma. Accountability Amid ongoing calls for justice, Crutchfield focused on the importance of accountability for rights abuses. "Sometimes I hear the concern that prosecuting soldiers who commit such offenses hurts morale in the force. We have found in the US military that the opposite is true. Without real accountability to deal with these cases quickly and transparently, discipline breaks down, command and control suffers, and the mission can fail," he said. He added that the US military did not have a perfect record, particularly in the Middle East. "We are an organization made up of individuals who sometimes make wrong choices," he said. "At the start of our war in Iraq, we had a problem with abuse of civilians. …It damaged the international reputation of the US military, giving our enemies an advantage." In 2003 and 2004, reports emerged that US military personnel were committing torture and abuse of Iraqi inmates at Abu Ghraib Prison. The reports sparked international outrage and a few low-ranking officers were imprisoned, but higher level officers only received reprimands and demotions. In Naypyidaw, Crutchfield said one of the key factors to creating a professional military was control by a civilian government. "Simply put, militaries possess capabilities that are too powerful to be placed at the discretion of just a few people. Rather, they must be at the service of all people and used in accordance with the democratic will of the people," he said. Crutchfield's address at the military college last Wednesday coincided with a visit to Burma by Tom Malinowski, the US assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor. Malinowski met with the commander-in-chief of Burma's military, Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, as well as opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other officials. In recognition of President Thein Sein's political reforms, the US government has initiated limited military engagement with Burma and has suspended most economic sanctions against the country. However, critics have accused the United States of moving too quickly to resume ties, amid reports of ongoing rights violations by the military. US Ambassador to Burma Derek Mitchell emphasized that US-Burma military engagement did not involve the training of combat forces or the exchange of weaponry systems, but was limited to trainings on disaster response, human rights and rule of law. "Those are the steps that we think we can take initially," he told reporters in Rangoon on Saturday. "What steps we take after that of course will be completely up to the government and how fast the reform moves, and once that's done, through consultations with the US government and the office of the secretary of defense, we will decide what further military-to-military steps we take." In February, a senior US State Department official was quoted as saying that Washington would consider future arms sales to Burma if the country's human rights situation improved. The United Kingdom has also re-engaged with Burma's military since 2011, including by appointing a permanent military attaché at its Rangoon embassy last year. In January this year, the UK government funded a course for dozens of Burmese military officers about human rights, accountability mechanisms and professionalism. With reporting by May Sitt Paing. The post US Military Officer Gives Speech at Burma Defense College appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. | |
| Canada Says Burma Invited Controversial Tycoon on Trade Tour Posted: 30 Jun 2014 03:01 AM PDT  Burma's minister for national planning and economic development, Kan Zaw, addresses an Asean luncheon at the Royal Park Hotel in Toronto on June 5, 2014. (Photo: Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada) Canada's government says it is not responsible for a decision by the Burmese government to include controversial Burmese tycoon Steven Law in a high-level Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) trade mission to Vancouver and Toronto earlier this month. As The Irrawaddy first reported last week, Law accompanied Burma's minister for national planning and economic development, Kan Zaw, and three other businessmen as part of the Burmese delegation. Law, who continues to be blacklisted by US authorities due to what the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) claims is his long-standing involvement in the drug trade, was in Canada June 1-5 for the Asean Economic Ministers Roadshow. A spokesperson for International Trade Minister Ed Fast, Shannon Gutoskie, responded to questions regarding Law's appearance in Canada by emphasizing that he was in the country because the Burmese government had invited him. "The individual in question was part of the Government of Burma's private sector delegation to accompany the Burmese Minister," Gutoskie told The Irrawaddy via email. "The Government of Canada had no role in the selection of the private sector delegates." Gutoskie suggested that ultimately Canadian immigration officials bear responsibility for allowing Law onto Canadian soil. "The fact that this individual entered Canada concerns us. Clearly, Canadian immigration officials failed to do their job properly screening this individual under our immigration laws," he said. Law participated in the delegation under his Chinese name, Lo Ping Zhong, and was listed as the managing director of a previously unheard of firm, Yadanar Taung Tann Gems Co., Ltd., rather than his better known role as head of Asia World, a Burmese conglomerate that is involved in everything from hydroelectric power to grocery stores and hotels. Law is also known by his Burmese name, Tun Myint Naing. Mark Farmaner, director of the Burma Campaign UK, a London-based advocacy group that continues to be one of the Thein Sein’s government's harshest critics, said he found it inconceivable that Canadian diplomats based at the newly opened embassy in Rangoon didn’t recognize the controversial tycoon in the delegation even if he was going under a less well-known name. "It is hard to believe that Canadian officials did not know who Steven Law is. He is notorious and was on visa ban lists in many countries. If officials decided to let him in rather than risk offending the Burmese government and damaging business opportunities, then this is a real disgrace," Farmaner told The Irrawaddy. "Inviting Stephen Law to take part in an official trade delegation exposes the continuing close relationship between Burma's drug lords and the government of Burma," Farmaner added. According to leaked US diplomatic cables, these ties really blossomed after Law's late father Lo Hsing Han played a key role in brokering a ceasefire agreement for the military regime, for which he received a concession for heroin production. Despite the fact that Canadian authorities are unlikely to let Steven Law return to their country anytime soon, there appear to be no Canadian rules in effect that would prevent Canadian firms or Canadian individuals from doing business with Law or his Asia World conglomerate. This is because Law remains conspicuously absent from a list of 38 designated individuals affiliated with the previous regime that the Canadian government continues to target after it lifted its comprehensive sanctions policy in early 2012. Tay Za, Burma's other most famous tycoon, is on the list along with such notables as former strongman Than Shwe. Although Canadian businessmen who met with Law at the various Asean roadshow-related events, including a business roundtable breakfast in Toronto, would not be violating any Canadian rules if they did business with Law or received funds from Asia World, they could run into to trouble with US authorities, who continue to target Law. According to sources in Rangoon, Asia World recently acquired the services of a Western public relations firm in order to improve his poor reputation. Whether Law and well-paid image-laundering experts are able to have him removed from the OFAC list remains to be seen. Tom Malinowski, the US assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor, told the Wall Street Journal during a visit to Burma last week that individuals and firms seeking to get off the list "have to demonstrate to [the US] that they are engaging in responsible business practices." This may prove difficult for Asia World, as the firm's ongoing involvement in the Kunlong dam project in northern Shan state on the upper Salween River has, according to human rights activists, displaced large numbers of people and led to armed clashes in the area. Law's Meeting with BC Minister 'Possible' After The Irrawaddy broke the story of Law’s visit to Canada, the Vancouver-based newspaper The Province reported last Thursday that Teresa Wat, the international trade minister for the province of British Columbia, attended a luncheon that was also attended by Law. According to Province columnist Michael Smyth, "Although Law did not sit at the same table with Wat, a government official said it was possible she briefly met him at the event." The BC government's statement to The Province also indicated that Premier Christy Clark did not meet with Steven Law—a claim that appears to contradict what the BC Ministry of International Trade's press department told The Irrawaddy earlier in response to written questions about which Burmese business representatives met with Clark and Wat. The ministry's communications office has yet to respond to The Irrawaddy's follow-up questions regarding Law’s time in the province. As The Irrawaddy previously reported, during his stay in Vancouver, Law attended a meeting between Canadian International Trade Minister Ed Fast and the Burmese delegation where trade between the two nations was discussed. According to an article published in April of this year by Burma’s ambassador to Canada, Hau Do Suan, 16 Canadian firms have invested US$46.07 million in Burma since sanctions were listed in 2012. It remains unclear, however, if any of this investment was made in cooperation with Law or Asia World. The post Canada Says Burma Invited Controversial Tycoon on Trade Tour appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. | |
| Suu Kyi Launches ‘Overwhelming’ Report on Tropics Posted: 30 Jun 2014 12:32 AM PDT  Aung San Suu Kyi gives a keynote address at the launch of the State of the Tropics report in Rangoon on Sunday. (Photo: Nyein Nyein / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Sunday launched an historic and in-depth look at the tropics, making public an unprecedented three-year evaluation of the social, economic and environmental issues at play in the 134 countries that straddle the equator. The State of the Tropics report offers information on a vast array of factors affecting a region that by 2050 will be home to 67 percent of the global population under 15 years of age, from the tropics' biodiversity and crime rates to governance and gender equality. Burma is spotlighted as "among the world's 'hottest hotspots' for species diversity" across some of Asia's last intact—but increasingly threatened—forests. The tropics as a whole are home to 80 percent of global biodiversity. The report paints a picture of the tropics as a region improved in most socioeconomic indicators since 1980. Overall poverty is down, agricultural productivity has risen and inhabitants of the tropics increasingly enjoy the benefits of access to mobile phones and the Internet. But many problems persist and some have become more acute since 1980, according to the report. Fish stocks in the tropics are rapidly being exhausted and rising emissions from industrialization are contributing to a worldwide rise in the greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. In many development indicators, tropical countries notably lag nations outside of the belt that spans the latitudinal lines known as the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. Though only 40 percent of the world's population lives in the tropics, the region is home to two-thirds of the world's extremely impoverished. The 462-page analysis, which Suu Kyi called "a most impressive and overwhelming report on our part of the world," was the product of collaboration among 12 universities and research institutions specializing in the tropics. "I would like to ask a very simple question of those who have put together this report, and all those who make use of this report: How is the information that has been made available to us going to help us to enhance the lives of the peoples of this globe," Suu Kyi said in her keynote address at the launch event in Rangoon. Though Burma's geographic range includes a "dry zone" that sees limited annual rainfall and snow-capped mountains in northern Kachin State, more than 90 percent of the population lives in the tropics. The report makes note of the unique challenges presented to Burma's forests in light of major political and economic reforms introduced by President Thein Sein over the last three years. Reforms that have offered opportunities for conservation via international engagement with the country, the report said, but have also hastened deforestation as foreign investment pours into the once closed country. At particular risk are Burma's mangrove forests, which are spread across more than 1,200 miles of coastline from the Bay of Bengal to the Andaman Sea, and inland waterways such as the Irrawaddy Delta. "The mangrove forests of the Ayeryarwady Delta have experienced the highest rate of deforestation in the country with an estimated loss in area of 64% between 1978 and 2011. … At current rates they could be lost entirely in the next two decades," the report said, adding that the trees were often victims of agricultural conversion encouraged by government policy. The prospect of mangroves' extinction has implications for more than just the country's biodiversity. Mangroves are recognized for the valuable protection they provide to coastal lands and their inhabitants, with some researchers claiming that if the nation's mangrove forests had been less degraded when Cyclone Nargis devastated the delta region in 2008, fewer casualties and damage would have resulted as the storm made landfall. "The unprecedented and profound social, political and economic changes that are rapidly taking place in Burma/Myanmar are likely to determine the future of one of the most important and intact forest regions in the Tropics," the report concluded. Also analyzed in the report were the challenges presented by tropical diseases such as malaria and dengue fever, both of which continue to burden the health systems of Burma and the wider Southeast Asian region. In 2010, Southeast Asia was second only to the Caribbean in dengue incidence rates, and a 2013 report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies warned of a growing strain of drug resistant malaria in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Burma. Burma accounts for about 50 percent of malaria-related deaths in Southeast Asia. Nonetheless, the Southeast Asian region as a whole was deemed one of the tropics' success stories, boasting some of the highest growth rates in the world from 1980-2010. Over that period, life expectancy rose by 26 years, and nearly 175 million fewer people were living in poverty by 2010. With the economic growth, however, have come new challenges, including rising carbon dioxide emissions, higher pollution discharge into rivers and streams, and land conflicts resulting from conversion of forests to farmland. Suu Kyi, who said that she could add little of substance to the exhaustive report, called for the information contained in the document to be used to inspire "a more caring world." "And there is so much that we can learn from this report, to make us better carers," she said. "To care for our environment, to care for one another, to care for those who are different from us." Professor Sandra Harding, vice chancellor and president of James Cook University, one of the institutions that contributed to the report, said the tropics—which are expanding by 138-277 kilometers every 25 years as global temperatures rise—was a region that "features some of the most pressing issues of our time." "The aim of the report is to answer a very simple question: Is life in the tropics getting better? More subtly, the aim of the report is geopolitical," she said in introductory remarks on Sunday. "It is to change the way the world views itself." The post Suu Kyi Launches 'Overwhelming' Report on Tropics appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. | |
| Posted: 29 Jun 2014 05:30 PM PDT  Scenes from southern Magway's oil rush, where the work is hard and rewards are uncertain. Click on the box below to see more images. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) MINHLA TOWNSHIP, Magway Region — It's been more than a year since the farmers of Htankai and Dahatpin, two villages in southern Magway Region, regained control of land that was taken away from them nearly two decades ago, but so far, their fields are still far from green. In April of last year, in a rare reversal of the rampant land-grabbing that marked Myanmar's era of military rule, the government instructed the state-owned Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) to return land that it had seized in 1996 to form a joint venture with private firms. Since then, however, the only thing that has been growing in the affected 25-mile (40-km) wide tract of land is the number of oil wells run by small-scale operators looking to soak up some of the black gold that MOGE left behind. "There were two oil fields, Htankai and Dahatpin, under our supervision, but now the joint venture is gone and we're not working there anymore," said an MOGE engineer who asked not to be identified. "Now it's being explored illegally." By some counts, there are now more than 55,000 wells covering the bleak, blackened stretch of ground that the government wants turned back into productive farmland. Of those, more than 20,000 appeared after the MOGE decided last June to abandon its efforts to enforce an end to drilling in the area—one of the conditions under which it agreed to return the land. Although many farmers said they intended to honor their promise to bring the land back under cultivation, the influx of outsiders who came to exploit the region's resources made it difficult for them to grow their crops. "When the farms were given back to us, we weren't allowed to drill and we didn't receive any money from the other oil drillers. As they continued drilling, we couldn't grow any crops and life got much harder for us," said U Aung Moe Hein, a resident of Htankai. "To be frank, if other people are taking crude oil, we'd like to do it too," he added. What most local landowners are doing, however, is charging for the right to sink small wells on their land, for a fee of anywhere from 100,000 kyat to 1.5 million kyat (US $100-1,500) per well, depending on the yield. While this has brought some welcome income into the region, it has also come with a serious drawback: a dramatic rise in crime, as unregulated drilling and a push for quick profits at all costs breed a general climate of lawlessness. With yields varying from three gallons to 25 barrels per day, the competition for the best wells is fierce. Add to this the fuel of alcohol, illegal drugs and prostitution, and relations among drillers soon turn truly combustible. "There are lots of problems here. When tensions arise between rivals, they often lead to knife fights," said U Thaw Zin, an oil driller in Htankai. "But if you mind your own business, it's not so bad." For most, in fact, the money to be made here is not worth fighting over. "Drillers like us only make an average of 10,000 kyat [$10] a day. The only ones who are getting really rich from this business are the owners of the buying centers," said U Min Latt, a driller from neighboring Mandalay Region. With a daily output of at least 100 barrels, there certainly is money to be made by those who trade in the contraband crude, which is shipped by highway or waterway to the refineries of Monywa, Sagaing Region. Fortunately for the petrol smugglers, there doesn't seem to be much interest in cracking down on their activities. Trucks carrying oil drive right past the MOGE office in Htankai en route to Monywa, but are rarely if ever stopped. "We see them every day, but we don't have the right to arrest them. That's the job of law enforcement," said one MOGE official in Htankai, speaking on condition of anonymity. The drillers, however, have not been so lucky in their dealings with the authorities. "About 70 policemen came and shouted at us to get out of the field," said U Aye Chan, an oil driller, recalling a recent incident. "They said we face up to five years in prison if we don't stop. But we have invested a lot to do this—some of us have even sold our farms and houses so we could do business here. Our lives would be ruined if we couldn't work here." Although appeals to higher authorities, including the president and the chief minister of Magway Region, have enabled the drillers to continue, the precariousness of the situation—and diminishing yields—have convinced many that they're better off elsewhere. "Oil production has significantly dropped, so some drillers are now leaving the area," confirmed U Htun Myint, a resident of Htankai. Meanwhile, just a few dozen miles away, the MOGE has licensed a private company to explore another oilfield where the long-term outlook is very different. Drillers who want to work the Ya Naung Mone field can do so by making a deal with the landowners, and the oil company buys the crude at close to market value. According to one trader, this arrangement works far better than the free-for-all at Htankai, even if it does mean that drillers and traders have to pay taxes. "To be honest, we'd rather pay taxes than give bribes all the time," he said. "It's better to drill legally than to keep wasting money on corruption." This article first appeared in the June 2014 issue of The Irrawaddy magazine. The post Black Gold Rush appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. | |
| Posted: 29 Jun 2014 05:00 PM PDT  A photograph from Zarni Phyo's "People of the River," a photo story on display at Witness Yangon Documentary Arts Space until July 18. Photographers from Burma, Norway and Bangladesh came together recently for a reporting workshop in Yangon. The workshop was organized by Myanmar Deitta, an NGO focused on documentary photography, in collaboration with universities from Norway and Bangladesh, and each participant completed a photo story. Zarni Phyo, 26, one of five Burmese photographers who received a scholarship to attend the workshop, focused on telling the story of people who live alongside the Rangoon River in Dala Township. His photo story, "People of the River," is now on display at Witness Yangon Documentary Arts Space until July 18. The Irrawaddy spoke with him about his experience capturing the images for his project. Question: Why were you interested in the daily lives of people along the river? Answer: Honestly, when I started this project I had only a vague idea about these people and their lifestyle, but I was fascinated by the divers. However, as I continued with the project, I developed a sense of admiration for and interest in not only the divers, but also the whole culture and society that these people have carved out of their difficult circumstances, and the advantageous benefits of living on a river bank. There are a lot of dangers about their way of life, but they continue anyway because, for some, this is the life they were born in and they can't think of any other prospects. For example, there's always a chance that when aboard a ship or boat something can happen. Divers also have to go underwater with just a rudimentary breathing apparatus, without all the necessary diving equipment. Q: What was one of the most memorable experiences you had in the process of taking these photographs? A: There was an incident on one of the days I went to the Yangon [Rangoon] River to do some shooting. The boat that I was on sank. It wasn't a dramatic sinking, like the events they portray in movies, where the boat gets entirely submerged and swallowed by the water. We were very lucky—at the time, the tide was receding, meaning the water level was relatively low, so only part of our boat was underwater. We made it safely back to shore when some fishermen came by and gave us a ride. Q: Why did you choose to make your photos black and white? A: Personally, I prefer it. I think that by making my photos black and white, the audience can focus entirely on the subject of the photos and really understand what it is I want to show without focus being partially shared with the colors. Another reason is that it helps me achieve a rather dramatic effect. Q: What is the main message you want to convey through your photographs? A: My main aim is to capture the plight of these people, and to show the stark contrast between Dala and Yangon, even though the two are separated by only a river. The post 'Separated by Only a River' appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. | |
| China Fetes Burma, India, Says Beijing Poses No Threat Posted: 29 Jun 2014 09:55 PM PDT  China's President Xi Jinping, left, Premier Li Keqiang, Burma's President Thein Sein, right, and India's Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari, center, arrive for a conference marking the 60th anniversary of the "Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence" at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on June 28, 2014. (Photo: Reuters / Jason Lee) BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping feted neighbors Burma and India on Saturday, dusting off the 60th anniversary of a now rather obscure agreement signed in the early days of the Cold War to pledge a rising China's commitment to peace. In 1954, China, Burma and India signed the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, promising mutual non-aggression and non-interference in internal affairs, ideals then incorporated into the Non-Aligned Movement of countries who did not wish to choose between the United States and the Soviet Union. However, China's ties with both Burma and India soured in the 1960s, as China and India fought a border war and Burma's military rulers oversaw torrid anti-Chinese riots, events that mar relations to this day. More recently, China's growing diplomatic and military clout has rattled nerves around the region, especially with Beijing's increasingly strident moves to assert itself in territorial disputes in the East China Sea with Japan and in the South China Sea with countries such as Vietnam and the Philippines. Xi, speaking to some 700 people in Beijing's cavernous Great Hall of the People, including Burmese President Thein Sein and Indian Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari, said China would never try to impose its will no matter how strong it becomes. "China does not subscribe to the notion that a country is bound to seek hegemony when it grows in strength. Hegemony or militarism is not in the genes of the Chinese. China will unswervingly pursue peaceful development because it is good for China, good for Asia and good for the world," Xi said. "The notion of dominating international affairs belongs to a different age, and such attempts are doomed to failure," Xi added, in a speech strong on broad, vague statements about peace though short on detail. "Flexing military muscles only reveals a lack of moral ground or vision, rather than reflecting one's strength. Security can be solid and enduring only if it is based on moral high ground and vision," he said. Frontier Defense Yet comments on border defense reported by the official Xinhua news agency late on Friday suggest that Xi will have his work cut out for him in trying to convince Asia that China's intentions are really peaceful. "Talking about frontier defense, one cannot help thinking about China's modern history when the country was so weak and destitute that it was for everyone to bully," Xinhua cited Xi as saying. "Foreign aggressors broke China's land and sea defenses hundreds of times, plunging the Chinese nation into the abysm of calamity," Xi added, calling on people not to forget the "history of humiliation" and strengthen the borders, especially at sea. Still, Xi was warm in his praise for India, whose new Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking to strengthen India's armed forces and economy, in part to enable him to react more decisively in foreign relations than his predecessor, the mild-mannered Manmohan Singh. "In one of his poems, Rabindranath Tagore, the great Indian poet, wrote that if you think friendship can be won through war, spring will fade away before your eyes," he said, referring to the Bengali Nobel Literature laureate. Xi noted that Burma, whose president has irritated China by suspending a major Chinese-invested dam project and seeking closer ties with the United States, was the first country to sign a border agreement with China, in 1960. "The people of India, Myanmar and other Asian countries also cherish the values of love, kindness and peace," he said. The post China Fetes Burma, India, Says Beijing Poses No Threat appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. | |
| Junta Expects Next Thai Elections in October 2015 Posted: 29 Jun 2014 09:48 PM PDT  A Thai soldier stands guard outside the Royal Thai Army Headquarters in Bangkok on June 18, 2014. (Photo: Reuters / Chaiwat Subprasom) BANGKOK — Thailand's military junta will install an interim constitution next month, and elections will be held around October 2015, its leader announced Friday. Army commander Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, who seized power in a coup last month, said the temporary constitution will allow an interim legislature and Cabinet to begin governing the country in September. He said an appointed reform council and constitution-drafting committee will then work on a long-term charter to take effect July 2015. Prayuth said in televised speech that a general election would be held around three months after the adoption of the constitution. He made no mention of a public referendum on the new charter, as was held in 2007 after an earlier coup against an elected government. The army seized power May 22 in a bloodless coup, overthrowing a government elected by a majority of voters three years ago. Prayuth has said the coup was necessary to restore order after half a year of anti-government protests and political turmoil that left at least 28 people dead and the government paralyzed. But since taking power, the army appears to be carrying on the fight of the anti-government protesters by mapping out a similar agenda to rewrite the constitution and institute political reforms before elections. It has quashed most dissent, threatening or arresting critics of the coup. Prayuth said the national reform council will consider political, economic, social, environmental, judicial and other matters and give its recommendations to the constitution-drafting committee. He said the ruling junta "wants to see an election that will take place under the new constitution … that will be free and fair, so that it can become a solid foundation for a complete Thai democracy." It wants a political system that will bring development to the country, and not conflicts as in the past, he said. Critics charge that the army plans to make the constitution less democratic by reducing the power of elected politicians and increasing the number of appointed legislators, with the goal of allowing the traditional, conservative royalist ruling elite to retain power. Prayuth also spoke about international criticism of the coup, particularly from the European Union and the United States, which have cut back on aid and political cooperation and called for early elections. "Today, if we go ahead and hold a general election, it will lead to a situation that creates conflict and the country will return to the old cycle of conflict, violence, corruption by influential groups in politics, terrorism and the use of war weapons. We cannot let that happen," Prayuth said. "I truly hope that the EU and the US will understand the situation the same way the majority of Thais do and I hope they will be satisfied with our solutions right now," he said. Thailand has been deeply divided since 2006, when former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was toppled by a military coup after being accused of corruption, abuse of power and disrespect for King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Thaksin, a former telecommunications billionaire, remains highly popular among the poor in Thailand's north and northeast, and parties controlled by him have won every national election since 2001. The anti-government protesters, backed by the country's traditional elites, bitterly opposed him and sought to remove all traces of his political machine from politics. The post Junta Expects Next Thai Elections in October 2015 appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. | |
| Big Turnout in HK Democracy Vote as Beijing Fumes Posted: 29 Jun 2014 09:41 PM PDT  People vote at a polling station during a civil referendum held by Occupy Central in Hong Kong on June 29, 2014. (Photo: Reuters / Tyrone Siu) HONG KONG — An informal referendum aimed at bolstering support for greater democracy in Hong Kong wound down Sunday after drawing nearly 800,000 votes and the ire of Beijing, which denounced it as a political farce. Hong Kongers used the straw poll to express their desire for greater say in choosing their leader. The vote is part of a campaign by activists in the southern Chinese city to ratchet up the pressure on authorities for democratic reform that could ultimately lead to a mass protest paralyzing the city's financial district. Hong Kong, a freewheeling capitalist enclave of 7.2 million, passed from British to Chinese control in 1997 with the promise that it could retain a high degree of control over its own affairs under the principle of "one country, two systems." Beijing has pledged to allow Hong Kongers to elect their next leader in 2017, but is balking at letting them nominate candidates. China's communist leaders instead insist all candidates must be vetted by a Beijing-friendly committee, like the one that has handpicked the city's leaders since British rule ended. Beijing has slammed the poll by organizers of the Occupy Central with Love and Peace movement as illegal, and the state-run Global Times newspaper blasted it as "mincing ludicrousness." Organizers said after voting ended Sunday evening that after excluding duplicate votes, some 787,767 ballots were cast over 10 days. Voters, who were required to submit their identity card numbers, cast ballots online, through a smartphone app or at polling stations. The government of Hong Kong, which has 3.5 million registered voters, said in a statement that the unofficial referendum has "no legal effect." Voters had a choice of three proposals on democratic reform, all of which included so-called public nomination. Occupy Central organizers have vowed to rally 10,000 people in a mass protest aimed at crippling the central business district if the government fails to come up with satisfactory reform proposals. In a separate motion on the ballot, an overwhelming majority chose to back a call for the legislature to veto any government proposal that doesn't meet international standards. Rising public discontent over mainland China's increasing influence has fuelled yearning for full democracy in Hong Kong, where residents can only vote for 40 of 70 lawmakers as well as local councilors. In what was seen as a thinly veiled threat, Beijing released a policy document earlier this month that said, among other things, that Hong Kong's autonomy comes at the discretion of the central government. The paper sparked a backlash, with more than 800 lawyers protesting Friday over a requirement for judges to be patriotic to China. The post Big Turnout in HK Democracy Vote as Beijing Fumes appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
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