| Walking the Walk Posted: 28 Nov 2014 04:47 AM PST  Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, left, shakes hands with commander in chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, at 14-party talks in Naypyidaw on Oct. 31, 2014. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) Burma seriously needs talks, but talking for talking's sake is not enough. These must be substantive discussions that will eventually lead to solutions to the country's many problems, bringing about benefits for its diverse peoples. These days, many Burmese people are convinced that a dialogue is, now more than ever, essential to resolve longstanding grievances over the country's undemocratic Constitution. But the current stage of the constitutional amendment process is far from where we need to be. We are still talking about having talks. On Tuesday, Parliament unanimously endorsed six-party talks—to involve President Thein Sein, the speakers of both Houses of Parliament, opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, military commander in chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing and an ethnic representative—to address amending the 2008 Constitution, which was drafted by the former military regime. It was the first time ever that Burma's Parliament has endorsed such talks. More interestingly, the proposal was submitted by a parliamentarian from the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). Lawmakers seemed to endorse the meeting in hopes that it might help thaw Burma's currently frozen constitutional discussions, which have hit a snag after military representatives in Parliament came out against any change to the charter. The opposition and ethnic groups have not objected to the idea. Suu Kyi herself told reporters outside Parliament on Tuesday: "I do not oppose this proposal. This shows that the Parliament agrees that high-level leaders should have these discussions, and I consider this an improvement." On Thursday, Parliament moved quickly to choose an ethnic representative, voting for Arakanese lawmaker Aye Maung to represent them at the proposed sexpartite meeting. But the idea appears to have been met with the cold shoulder from Thein Sein. Presidential spokesman Ye Htut told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday that a six-party discussion would be "not pragmatic" and was unlikely to happen. The military seems to be of the same mind. Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing recently told Voice of America that four-party talks earlier proposed by Suu Kyi would be "narrow." Suu Kyi's sought-after four-party talks would involve Thein Sein, Union House Speaker Shwe Mann, the military chief Min Aung Hlaing and herself. In a separate VOA interview, the president matched the senior general's sentiment: "Discussion is the right way, but only four of us is not inclusive enough," he told the broadcaster in comments made before Parliament's endorsement of six-party talks. The president and the military chief are believed to want to stick to the format of a 14-party roundtable meeting held in late October.  Kyaw Zwa Moe is editor (English Edition) of
the Irrawaddy magazine. He can be reached at kyawzwa@irrawaddy.org. Unfortunately, that meeting didn't result in any progress on the pressing issues that the country faces. Many critics said the meeting was held as a political ploy, just prior to US President Barack Obama's visit to Burma in mid-November. Fourteen representatives from government, political parties and the military sat down in Naypyidaw, with participants including Thein Sein, Min Aung Hlaing, Shwe Mann and the opposition leader Suu Kyi. The latest developments in Burma's dynamic political arena appear to be splitting the country's leaders into two camps. On one side, there are those in support of a six-party dialogue: parliamentary members from both Suu Kyi's opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) and the ruling USDP, and Burma's ethnic political parties. Many of the country's most prominent voices outside Parliament, such as 88 Generation leaders, are also throwing their support behind a sexpartite outcome. On the other side: Thein Sein and the military establishment. Why is the president and military averse to sitting down with the four other representatives proposed by Parliament? They seem to think a larger dialogue bringing more voices—and potentially conflicting views—to the table will increase the likelihood that the political status quo prevails through the 2015 election. That status quo affords military representatives in Parliament a veto over most amendments to the charter, including the provision barring Suu Kyi from the presidency. A genuine dialogue is crucial not only to discuss amending the Constitution, but also to address Burma's various other problems, including a peace process with the country's ethnic minority groups that is foundering. Since Thein Sein took office in March 2011, the president and Suu Kyi have held bilateral meetings six times, though if those sit-downs included substantive discussions on issues like constitutional change, there's little to show for it today. And while talking about constitutional talks is progress when you consider where the country was three years ago, it's high time that those doing the talking move on to the arduous work of negotiation and compromise. Instead of talking the talk, it's time to walk the walk. | A Timeline of Suu Kyi's Many Meetings | | 1989 — Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi tries in vain to meet with then Snr-Gen Saw Maung in the aftermath of the 1988 pro-democracy uprising. Sept. 20, 1994 —Suu Kyi meets the chairman of State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), Gen. Than Shwe, and Secretary One, Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, at a governmental guesthouse. The meeting is the result of mediation by Dr. Rewata Dhamma, a Burmese Buddhist monk living in the United Kingdom. Oct. 28, 1994 — A second meeting between SLORC representatives—Khin Nyunt, Armed Forces Judge-Advocate Brig-Gen Than Oo and Armed Forces Inspector-General Brig-Gen Tin Aye—and Suu Kyi takes place at a governmental guesthouse. 2000 — Suu Kyi meets then Sen-Gen Than Shwe. Details of the exact time and venue are unknown. January 2002 — Suu Kyi meets Than Shwe. Following the meeting, the junta steps up the release of political prisoners and her National League for Democracy (NLD) party is allowed to reopen 35 of its branches in Rangoon. October 2007 — Suu Kyi meets then Information Minister Aung Kyi, who was appointed by Burma's military junta as a liaison to hold talks with Suu Kyi. He meets with the opposition leader at least three times over the next four years. Aug. 19, 2011 — Aung San Suu Kyi meets President Thein Sein for the first time in Naypyidaw. The meeting lasts nearly an hour and is "significant," a government official says. The meeting is believed to have paved the way for the NLD to rejoin electoral politics and collaborate in promoting political reconciliation. April 12, 2012 — Suu Kyi meets Thein Sein again ahead of her historic entry into Parliament. NLD spokesman Nyan Win says that during the talks in the capital, Naypyidaw, the two discussed democratization and the peace process with ethnic rebels, as well as parliamentary affairs. Aug. 12, 2012 — Suu Kyi holds her first talks with Thein Sein since becoming a member of Parliament. The Burmese opposition leader and Thein Sein discuss a wide range of issues but details of the two-hour meeting are confidential, according to Col. Zaw Htay, director of the President's Office. The talks take place in the capital, Naypyidaw. In September, Thein Sein says in an interview with BBC that he could accept a Suu Kyi presidency. Sept. 25, 2012 — Suu Kyi and Thein Sein meet in New York. On Sept. 16, Suu Kyi began a 17-day visit to Washington, New York, Kentucky and the West Coast. Thein Sein arrived in New York on Sept. 25 for the UN General Assembly. Aug. 31, 2013 — Thein Sein and Suu Kyi meet in Naypyidaw and exchange views on the state of the country's political affairs. March 9, 2014 — Suu Kyi meets Thein Sein, their fourth sit-down since their historic first meeting in 2011. During the meeting, the two leaders may have discussed a four-party meeting that Suu Kyi had proposed to the president in November. The opposition leader has called for talks to be held involving herself, Thein Sein, the powerful Lower House Speaker Shwe Mann and the Burmese military's commander in chief, Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, to discuss amendments to Burma's Constitution. Oct. 31, 2014 — The first-ever high-level roundtable meeting is held in Naypyidaw with 14 participants in attendance: Thein Sein; Min Aung Hlaing; Suu Kyi; Deputy Commander-in-Chief Soe Win; Shwe Mann; Upper House Speaker Khin Aung Myint; Union Election Commission chairman Tin Aye; vice presidents Nyan Tun and Sai Mauk Kham; USDP Vice Chairman Htay Oo; National Unity Party representative Thein Tun; Nationalities Brotherhood Federation leader Sai Aik Pao; Federal Democratic Alliance leader Khin Maung Swe; and United Nationalities Alliance leader Khun Htun Oo. The meeting yields little against high expectations from political parties and the general public. Research by Thet Ko Ko and Wei Yan Aung. | The post Walking the Walk appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
| Questions Surround 4th Telecom License, After Military Firm Name Emerges Posted: 28 Nov 2014 04:35 AM PST  Workers construct a mobile phone antenna in Irrawaddy Division in early November. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — A Ministry of Communications and Information Technology official has denied a report that a military-owned conglomerate has been selected to become Burma's fourth telecom operator, after a state-owned newspaper this week announced that the conglomerate was awarded a mobile phone license. The Mirror, a Burmese-language government mouthpiece, mentioned in an article on Thursday that in the telecom sector "there will be four operators; with Ooredoo, Telenor and MPT currently operating, and the Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC) soon becoming the fourth operator." The paper ran a correction the next day denying that MEC had been awarded a telecom license. Myo Swe, chief engineer of Myanmar Post and Telecommunications (MPT), a majority state-owned firm under the ministry, told The Irrawaddy that the paper had make a mistake. "The minister has not said it will be MEC; we asked the newspaper to correct it," he said, adding, "The fourth operator has not yet been chosen. "The only sure thing is that we will not invite foreign companies again, since there are already two foreign operators. So we are going to choose a local operator," he said. The government has previously said it would open up Burma's underdeveloped telecom sector to two foreign and two local firms. It remains unclear which local company will become the fourth telecom operator. Minister of Communications and Information Technology Myat Hein was quoted in state media on Wednesday as saying, "The next local operator will soon be made public." Burma's telecom sector is rapidly growing and according to government figures, the number of mobile phone users jumped from 1.6 million in March 2011 to 11.6 million in September this year, with MPT dominating the market. In the past months, Myawaddy TV, which is owned by the military, ran advertisements saying MEC would soon sell SIM cards for mobile phones. MEC is one of two sprawling business conglomerates owned by the Burma Army, which also owns the Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings (UMEHL). The military, which ruled Burma with an iron fist for decades, has historically dominated lucrative and strategic industries in order to strengthen its capacity, finances and hold on the country. According to some telecom sector experts, either MEC or Yatanarpon Teleport will be awarded the fourth telecom license. "I heard that MEC and Yatanarpon Teleport are potential winners for local telecom operator license, but we still don't know exactly who will be the winner," said Lwin Naing Oo, the managing director of Shwe Pyi Takon, Telecommunication Company, a local private telecom firm in Rangoon. "We can't compete with them [for the license] as they are giants," said Lwin Naing Oo, whose firm gained public attention when it announced two years ago that it planned to launch 5,000 kyat ($5) SIM cards by 2013. Ye Myat Thu, an IT technician and an executive member of the Mandalay Computer Federation, said he had heard that Yatanarpon Teleport was awarded the fourth telecom license. "As far as I know Yatanarpon Teleport already got license, but now they are still [only] working as an internet service provider," he said. Myo Swe, of MPT, said Yatanarpon Teleport planned to become a public company and launch mobile services, adding, "But they have still not launched as a public company so it's unclear whether they will become a local telecom operator, or not." Yatanarpon Teleport and MEC could not be reached for comment. Burma's telecom sector was exclusively controlled by MPT until August when Qatar's Ooredoo and Norway's Telenor launched the first foreign-owned mobile services. MPT is a local operator and has announced it will be working with Japan's KDDI Corporation and Sumitomo Corporation to improve its service and compete with foreign firms. KDDI and Sumitomo said they would invest $2 billion in their cooperation with MPT. Yatanarpon Teleport, another majority state-owned telecom firm, currently provides internet services, but no mobile phone services. In April, local media reported that it was in discussions with four foreign companies to set up a joint venture that would provide mobile services. Thailand's True Move and Malaysia's Aexiata were said to be among the foreign firms interested in the project. MEC's business activities are largely focused on securing access to products that are of strategic importance to the military, such as cement and rubber for army vehicles, according to some Burma experts. They have said MEC could be eyeing the creation of a military-owned telecom firm, a formula that has been successful in for example Vietnam, where army-owned Viettel is one of the largest telecom firms. In the months before foreign operators launched their services, MEC, which had no prior experience in mobile services, suddenly launched 1,500 kyat (US$1.50) SIM cards; distribution of the cards has since stopped. In 2013, MEC also announced it would be working with MPT to provide mobile services, but it's unclear if the conglomerate is doing so. Previously, it had been reported that MEC owns a stake in MPT, while there are also unconfirmed reports that it owns part of Yatanarpon Teleport. The post Questions Surround 4th Telecom License, After Military Firm Name Emerges appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
| Lawmakers Slam Hesitation on Six Party Talks Posted: 28 Nov 2014 04:00 AM PST  President Thein Sein greets opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Naypyidaw last month. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) MANDALAY — One day after a presidential spokesman derided a proposed roundtable meeting of Burma's top leaders as "impractical", lawmakers have slammed President Thein Sein's government for ignoring widespread support for constitutional amendments. Speaking to Radio Free Asia on Thursday, Information Minister Ye Htut told Radio Free Asia that a proposed six-party constitutional summit was unworkable, two days after the summit was unanimously endorsed by parliament. "This shows that they are still treating the opposition parties as the enemy," said Thein Nyunt, a lawmaker from the New National Democratic Party. "It shows that they still cannot face those with different opinions on how to build the future of the country." "They should have understood the importance of the meeting. Since they have refused it, this means they have no sincerity while ruling the country," he added. The roundtable was set to include President Thein Sein, National League for Democracy chairperson Aung San Suu Kyi, speakers of both houses of parliament, military leader Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, and a representative of an ethnic minority party. Politicians, activists, ethnic leaders and parliamentarians had welcomed the proposals and expressed new hope for the possibility of constitutional amendments. "We welcome the proposal and we support it, for such a meeting is an important step for the country," said Kyaw Min Yu, a student leader from the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society. "But I wonder why they would say the proposal is impractical. Everyone knows such a meeting is vital. To refuse is to run away from reform." On Wednesday, ethnic parties endorsed Arakan National Party lawmaker Dr. Aye Maung to represent their interests at the talks. Ye Htut told Radio Free Asia on Thursday that only having one representative for ethnic party parliamentarians at the summit would fail to account for the broad diversity of opinions and priorities among the parties. "The proposal from the Union Parliament is requested accordingly with the constitution," said Aye Maung. "Saying it is impractical is too early, I have to say. As for the issue of ethnic representation, this is just the first step. We can expand it later." Aye Maung noted that this occasion was the second time the government had rejected a proposal for high-level meetings, having earlier rebuffed a dialogue between Thein Sein, Suu Kyi, Min Aung Hlaing and lower house speaker Shwe Mann. "We have to question why they are not willing to do this meeting," he said. "What are they afraid of? We want to know why don't they believe in holding such a meeting for the sake of the country's transition." The post Lawmakers Slam Hesitation on Six Party Talks appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
| Information Access on Agenda as Media Prepare for Military Meeting Posted: 28 Nov 2014 03:20 AM PST  Photos of US President Barack Obama and opposition politician Aung San Suu Kyi are seen as a man arranges newspapers at a wholesale market in Rangoon on Nov. 14, 2014. (Photo: Reuters / Soe Zeya Tun) RANGOON — Burma's Interim Press Council held a meeting with journalists on Friday to decide the main topics to be discussed at a first-ever workshop between members of the media and military officers, which is expected to take place next month. The meeting was held at the council's office in Rangoon and was attended by representatives from more than 20 local media outlets. Myint Kyaw, founder of the Myanmar Journalists Network (MJN), told The Irrawaddy that participants discussed a range of topics and issues related to the relationship between Burma's media and the powerful military establishment. "We have four main topics, such as access to information, discussing difficulties that both sides have in understanding the other; writing a code of conduct for journalists that would apply to their reporting on military news," he said, adding that he could not recall what the fourth topic of discussion would be. The council's vice president, Pho Tauk Kyar, told The Irrawaddy that the press body would organize journalists into four groups of three members each to discuss the issues agreed to on Friday, with each of the groups assigned one of the issues. "We will view this opportunity [to meet with military officials] as a chance to build a better relationship between the military and journalists." The workshop will be hosted by the Defense Ministry's Department of Public Relations and Psychological Warfare. It is expected to be held in mid-December. On Nov. 23, members of the council met with Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing and other military officials for the second time in Naypyidaw. Min Aung Hlaing, Burma's commander in chief, told members of the council at the meeting that the military would hold the workshop as soon as possible, according to Myint Kyaw. The Interim Press Council has sought to step up engagement with senior government officials this year. Members of the council have met with President Thein Sein twice and in August reached an agreement to meet with Information Minister Ye Htut once a month. The press body was established by the government in 2012. For its part, the military has indicated that it would like to develop more effective communications with the press, announcing on Monday that it would set up an official email account to which journalists could direct inquiries. The military also pledged to update news on its website in a more timely manner. The Ministry of Defense's most recent posting to its website was made on Oct. 10. The post Information Access on Agenda as Media Prepare for Military Meeting appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
| ICRC Sets Record $30m Budget For Burma Posted: 28 Nov 2014 03:16 AM PST  Rohingya IDPs at a camp in Sittwe, capital of Arakan State, in 2012. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Thursday announced a record US$30 million budget for work in Burma over the coming year, as the organization plans to spend a full 25 percent more worldwide than it did last year to meet "vastly expanding needs." The ICRC told reporters in Rangoon this week that the funds will largely be allocated to projects in Arakan, Kachin and Shan states, where armed and communal conflicts have displaced enormous numbers of civilians in recent years. "We will focus on conducting humanitarian activities and development of refugee camps in Rakhine [Arakan], Kachin and Shan states in the coming year," said Moe Myint Aung, a senior public relations officer for the ICRC. He added that the ICRC 2014 budget in Burma was just over $24 million. The new budget will accommodate several projects including the upgrading medical equipment, streamlining hospitals and increasing access to healthcare in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the three states. "We will use some of the budget for other conflict [affected] areas if necessary, and we plan to act jointly with all stakeholders of the conflicts," Moe Myint Aung said. The ICRC was recently granted permission from the Burmese government to establish sub-offices in Myitkyina, that capital of Kachin State, and Kengtung in eastern Shan State. The office in Myitkyina opened in March 2014, while the new facility in Kengtung is set to open in January 2015. Michael O'Brien, an ICRC spokesperson, said the ICRC will work closely with the Ministry of Health and the Myanmar Red Cross Society, which already has an established nationwide network. "We work very closely with the Ministry of Health and the Myanmar Red Cross Society. They have branches all over the country, so we do a lot of our activities through them," he said. There are six ICRC offices operating in Burma, located in Hpa-an, Mandalay, Mrauk U, Myitkyina, Sittwe and Rangoon. The ICRC in Burma has a staff of about 300. An independent association based in Geneva, Switzerland, the ICRC carries out humanitarian assistance in conflict-affected areas worldwide. The overall 2015 budget for ICRC operations worldwide is $1.8 billion. The ICRC has been present in Burma since 1986, conducting activities including IDP assistance and detainee welfare, though access to Burma's prisons is still highly restricted since visits resumed in 2013 after a long hiatus. The ICRC was among the organizations affected by mob violence in Arakan State earlier this year, when local communities accused foreign aid workers of favoring Muslim communities in the predominantly Buddhist state. All foreign aid workers were temporarily evacuated when locals attacked their offices and warehouses. Some services have returned to the area—which was devastated by communal violence between Arakanese Buddhists an Rohingya Muslims that began in mid-2012—but only a fraction of former aid to the region has yet been restored. The post ICRC Sets Record $30m Budget For Burma appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
| ADB to Loan $80M for Upgrade of Irrawaddy Delta Road Posted: 28 Nov 2014 02:01 AM PST  The Irrawaddy Delta is Burma's main agricultural area and home to 8 million people. The region faces challenges such as salt water intrusion, pollution, declining fish stocks due to overfishing, and growing flood risks. (Photo: Hein Thet /The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Thursday announced it will provide the Burma government with an US$80 million loan for the upgrade of a road that is a key transport link in and out of the Irrawaddy Delta, the country's most important rice-growing area and home to millions of farmers. The ADB said it would fund upgrading the 54-kilometer road link between Pyapon, a town located close to the mouth of the Delta, and Maubin, located some 60 kilometer west of Rangoon. "Upgrading the Maubin-Pyapon road which traverses the southeast of the Delta will dramatically improve connectivity, cut travel times, reduce transport costs, and support economic development and livelihood opportunities for many poor communities," Jamie Leather, principal transport specialist in ADB's Southeast Asia Department, said in a statement. The bank said the region is Burma's agricultural heart and has potential for large-scale agribusiness and seafood industries, but the road network is in "poor condition, due to years of neglect and the impact of Cyclone Nargis in 2008", adding that this "deters enterprises like cash crops and high-value seafood products which require decent roads to get goods to market on time and in good condition." "Climate-resilient features have been incorporated in the project design, including an increase in the height of parts of the road to improve clearance during seasonal floods and to cope with any climate-related storm surges," the ADB release said, adding that road safety measures and connections to local waterways would also be included. It said the project could help reduce travel times in and out of the southeastern part of the Delta by 20 percent; the bank expects the road upgrade to be completed by September 2018. The post ADB to Loan $80M for Upgrade of Irrawaddy Delta Road appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
| Money, Jewelry Pilfered From Famed Inle Lake Pagoda Posted: 28 Nov 2014 01:09 AM PST  Devotees offer gold foils at Inle Lake's Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda last September. The pagoda was robbed on Wednesday. (Photo: Thaw Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — More than 10 million kyats (US$9670) worth of money and jewelry has been stolen the famous Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda at the Inle Lake township of Nyaung Shwe on Wednesday, according to the building's custodians. The pagoda, home to an internationally famous two-week boat racing festival to mark the end of Buddhist Lent, is a popular destination for Burmese travellers and foreign tourists. Officials noticed the theft after unlocking a cabinet to store the day's donations. "When I unlocked the steel cabinet to put the money in, the key did not go into the lock," Sai Aung Kyaw Tun, a member of the pagoda's board of trustees, told The Irrawaddy. "I pulled the doors and it opened. I found the cabinet empty. The loss is estimated at more than 10 million kyats." "We reported the theft to the police and they looked for clues at the pagoda yesterday," said Khin Zaw Oo, administrator of the Tha Lay village tract, on Friday. "The person responsible for looking after the gold foil donation counter is on a trip and the case will be opened when he returns." Police corporal Khin Maung Si, from Nyaung Shwe's Nan Pan Police Station, told The Irrawaddy that actions had been taken based on information gathered by the police investigation. Despite the theft, the pagoda remains open to the public for visitation and prayer. The post Money, Jewelry Pilfered From Famed Inle Lake Pagoda appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
| UK MPs Group Urges Return of Burma Sanctions if Abuses Don’t Stop Posted: 27 Nov 2014 11:15 PM PST  Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron greets Burma's President Thein Sein at 10 Downing Street in London on July 15, 2013. (Photo: Reuters) An influential British parliamentary committee has told the UK government it should press for a re-imposition of European economic sanctions on Burma if there is no improvement in the country's human rights situation over the next 12 months. "We recommend that the government reiterate to the government of Burma that the current situation is still highly unsatisfactory, and that the UK will strongly advocate the re-imposition of sanctions by the EU if there is no progress over the next 12 months," a report by the British parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee said this week. The recommendation follows a review of the British Foreign Office's work on human rights in Burma and other countries. The review heard submissions from several Burma-focused human rights NGOs, which have complained that the British government has put too much emphasis on promoting British business links. London and the European Union must in particular press for the unconditional release of all political prisoners and an improvement in the condition of Burma's Rohingya Muslim community, the committee said. The report coincides with a new "doing business in Burma" guide by the British Chambers of Commerce, which the NGO Burma Campaign UK said makes no reference to human rights abuses or the continuing land theft by the Burma Army and other powerful forces for commercial benefit. "To produce a report on the trade outlook in Burma without mentioning human rights violations or responsible investment demonstrates the Chamber's lack of genuine interest in these issues," campaign director Mark Farmaner told The Irrawaddy. "The British government funds the British Chambers of Commerce in Burma and this is an insight into their real priorities. They talk up trade opportunities and play down human rights abuses." EU economic sanctions, with the exception of weapons sales, were lifted unconditionally in April 2013 after previously being subject to annual re-assessment. Britain adhered to these sanctions along with the other 27 member countries of the union. "Burma Campaign UK believes that European Union sanctions on Burma were lifted prematurely, without the EU's own human rights benchmarks being met. The slowdown and then reversal of the reform process since sanctions were lifted is evidence that too much was given away too soon and the premature lifting of sanctions undermined, rather than reinforced, the reform process," the NGO said in a statement following the British Foreign Affairs Committee report. "Now that EU economic and diplomatic sanctions have been lifted by the EU, re-imposition of sanctions would be very difficult. To be applied most effectively, sanctions should also be applied in coordination with other countries, and in support of diplomatic initiatives to promote genuine reforms," Burma Campaign UK said. The Foreign Affairs Committee report voiced concerns about the general attitude to human rights by the British Foreign Office. There was an "inherent conflict that exists between promoting UK trade and investment and human rights at the same time. The government should recognize that this conflict exists, rather than maintaining that human rights and business interests go hand in hand." Burma Campaign UK alleged that the British Foreign Office has "dropped human rights as their priority and instead prioritized trade. There is a clear conflict of interest in challenging human rights abuses by the Burmese government at the same time as trying to win business contracts from that same government." "This report demonstrates how international patience with the government of Burma is now running out," said Anna Roberts, the executive director of Burma Campaign UK. "The Foreign Affairs Committee has taken a much stronger stance on human rights in Burma than the British government. There is a growing recognition of the many problems with Burma's reform process and of the huge scale of ongoing human rights abuses." In a general review on doing business abroad, the British Chambers of Commerce omits any reference to human rights issues in Burma and how they might impinge on foreign investors, but it does note that the country "still suffers from pervasive government controls, inefficient economic policies, corruption, and rural poverty. "[Burma] is the poorest country in Southeast Asia; approximately 32 percent of the population lives in poverty. [It] has all the elements required to create another Asian economic miracle," the Chambers of Commerce said. "Its strategic position located between China and India could turn [Burma] into a prime location for tapping into the growth of those two Asian giants." The Foreign Affairs Committee assessment also coincides with the spotlight being turned back on the controversial Letpadaung copper mine in Sagaing Division, run by Chinese company Wanbao Mining and the Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings (UMEHL), a business arm of the Burma military. Amnesty International said there was a serious risk of further human rights abuses around the mine because of the way it is still being developed. "Construction is proceeding without resolving ongoing environmental and human rights concerns. Thousands of farmers remain under the threat of forced evictions since their lands were acquired for the mine in a flawed process characterized by misinformation," Amnesty said in a Nov. 27 statement. "Two years after police used incendiary weapons against monks and villagers protesting [the] mining project, no one has been held accountable. No police officer or official who was involved in the attack has been investigated, prosecuted or sanctioned, while the government has failed to provide victims with effective remedies and adequate reparation." The post UK MPs Group Urges Return of Burma Sanctions if Abuses Don't Stop appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
| Letpadaung Mine Development Risks Further Abuses: Amnesty Posted: 27 Nov 2014 10:42 PM PST  Protestors at the Letpadaung copper mine project blockade trucks in 2013. (Photo: Han Win Aung) RANGOON — Plans for the development of the Letpadaung copper mine in Sagaing Region pose a serious threat of human rights abuses and environmental risk, Amnesty International said in a statement on Thursday. Ahead of the two-year anniversary of a violent attack on protestors, Amnesty drew also attention to the fact that no one has been brought to account for the incident. At least 99 monks and nine other protestors were injured in the attack, with many suffering permanent scarring and injuries from white phosphorous burns, the use of which is prohibited by international weapons conventions. "Two years after this brutal attack, it is completely unacceptable that the scores of people injured while protesting are still waiting for justice and reparations," said Audrey Gaughran, Amnesty International's director of global issues. Four villages are being completely cleared for the mine, with 245 households moved to resettlement sites and a further 196 currently refusing to leave their homes. Land around 26 other farming villages, home to more than 25,000 people, is also being acquired by the project. Amnesty said that villagers have been misinformed about their land acquisitions, with authorities allegedly using a promise to compensate farmers for crop damage as cover to acquire land. "The authorities should urgently set up a genuine consultation with the affected villages on the land acquisition and proposed evictions," said Gaughran. "They must guarantee that no one will be forcibly evicted." An environmental and social impact assessment commissioned by one of the mine's operators fails to detail plans for waste storage and other environmental safeguards, according to Amnesty. The organization also expressed concerns about the close proximity of the 26 villages to mine sites and a factory that supplies Letpadaung with sulphuric acid. Operations at Letpadaung were suspended for nearly a year after police attacked a peaceful protest in November 2012. When the project resumed, a new contract allocated a 51 percent stake to the Burmese government. The original partners, Chinese mining company Wanbao Mining Ltd and the military-backed Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd, retaining a 49 percent share. Protests at the site have been widespread, including an incident in May where three contractors were kidnapped and held hostage by student activists and monks. Last year, Thant Shin, a minister from the President's Office, blamed local criticism of the project on activists who opposed the project for political reasons. The post Letpadaung Mine Development Risks Further Abuses: Amnesty appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
| North Korea’s ‘Princess’ Moves Closer to Center of Power Posted: 27 Nov 2014 09:04 PM PST  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (C) visits the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun to mark the 61st anniversary of the victory of the Korean people in the Fatherland Liberation War, in this photo released by KCNA in Pyongyang July 27, 2014. (Photo: Reuters) SEOUL — In her slim-fitting trouser suits and black-heeled shoes, Kim Yo Jong cuts a contrasting figure to her pudgy older brother, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. On Thursday, state media said the younger Kim, 27, had taken a senior position in the ruling Workers’ Party, confirming speculation she had moved closer to the center of power in the secretive state. It named her as a vice director alongside the head of the Propaganda and Agitation Department, which handles ideological messaging through the media, arts and culture. Kim Yo Jong’s title supports earlier reports from a North Korean defector group which said she may have taken a high-level role when Kim Jong Un recently disappeared from public view for more than a month, prompting speculation about his grip on power. South Korea’s intelligence agency later said Kim, 31, was likely to have had surgery on his left ankle. Kim has since reappeared, walking with a limp. Kim Yo Jong’s power has been likened to that of a prime minister, an unnamed South Korean intelligence source told the Seoul-based JoongAng Ilbo newspaper in April, even before her brother’s injury. "All roads lead to Comrade Yo Jong," the source said. Kim Yo Jong has featured in state propaganda since her brother took over the nuclear-capable country upon the death of their father, Kim Jong Il, in late 2011. In 2012, as state TV showed Kim Jong Un arriving at the opening of an amusement park in Pyongyang, Kim Yo Jong ran from one position to another between ranks of applauding party cadres and generals as if she was orchestrating the event for the new North Korean dictator. Since then, the smartly-dressed Kim, her hair usually pulled back in a ponytail, has made several appearances with her brother, giggling at state concerts, presenting awards to fighter pilots or riding a white horse. Women in patriarchal North Korea rarely become high-ranking officials or military commanders. They do, however, receive military training. They are also vital to North Korea’s moribund economy. With many men engaged in state-appointed jobs in factories and bureaucratic departments, it is often women who turn to black market trading to earn the income most families need to survive. But for Kim Yo Jong, it is her family name and proximity to Kim Jong Un that supersedes any cultural norms. "People who are nominally her superiors most likely defer to her," said Michael Madden, an expert on the North Korean leadership. A North Korean Princess When Kim Jong Il ruled North Korea, his sister Kim Kyong Hui took a powerful role as a personal assistant with high-ranking military and party jobs. She has not been seen since her husband, Jang Song Thaek, once regarded as the No.2 leader in Pyongyang, was purged and executed late last year. Writing in his 2003 memoir about his 13 years as Kim Jong Il’s sushi chef, Kenji Fujimoto said the late dictator had a trusting relationship with Ko Yong Hui, his fourth partner, with whom he had three children: Kim Jong Un, Kim Yo Jong, and their elder brother Kim Jong Chol. "Ko said she had travelled to Disneyland in Europe and Tokyo with her kids," Fujimoto wrote. Not much is known about the elder Kim, who was once photographed at the Swiss boarding school all three children reportedly attended in a replica of Dennis Rodman’s NBA basketball jersey. Even at dinner, Fujimoto said, Kim Jong Il kept his eldest son at arm’s length, preferring to place future leader Kim Jong Un and his sister, beside himself and their mother whom he called 'madam'. "Kim Jong Il sits in the middle, and to his left, sits his madam," wrote Fujimoto. "Prince Jong Un sits to the left of the madam, and the princess sits to the right of Kim Jong Il." The post North Korea’s 'Princess' Moves Closer to Center of Power appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
| Can Man-of-the-People Widodo Micromanage 240 Million Indonesians? Posted: 27 Nov 2014 08:58 PM PST  Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his wife Iriana (in red) take a selfie with their son Kaesang Pangarep and classmates after his graduation ceremony in Singapore on Nov. 21, 2014. (Photo: Reuters) JAKARTA — From flying economy class to making surprise visits to street markets and poor neighborhoods, the leadership style of new Indonesian President Joko Widodo is proving very different to his predecessors, who were often seen as stiff and aloof. On a recent visit to cocoa plantations in eastern Sulawesi, Widodo squatted on the ground to chat with farmers about boosting their output. Excited onlookers scrambled up trees to get a better look at the president in his casual clothes and sneakers. Widodo's down-to-earth manner, cultivated as a small-city mayor and then as governor of Jakarta, has won him many admirers in Indonesia, even if his bodyguards appear flustered when he breaks away and starts talking to ordinary people. His mantra of "getting down to work" could also be what is needed to tackle bureaucratic inertia and endemic corruption in Southeast Asia's biggest economy, although some experts believe the 53-year-old former furniture businessman is still enjoying a honeymoon after only five weeks in office. "He received so much positive feedback, but this will not last forever," said Shinta Widjaja Kamdani of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce. "People will look for results." Widodo has already tackled some sensitive policies. Last week he raised subsidized fuel prices by more than 30 percent, a move expected to save the government more than US$8 billion next year. He also plans to tighten control over a potentially unruly cabinet stacked with political appointees, there to appease the parties in his coalition, with the creation of a "kitchen cabinet" of trusted aides to help him push through reforms. Widodo's initial decisions have impressed investors at a time when Indonesia's economy is growing at its slowest pace in five years. "The early signs are that he is bringing a new philosophy into the government of Indonesia," Richard Adkerson, chief executive of miner and oil producer Freeport-McMoRan, a major investor in Indonesia, told a conference in New York last week. As he did when Jakarta governor, Widodo has made clear he is not afraid to ruffle feathers. "I told my ministers that if they fail to reach their targets, then sorry, but there are thousands queuing up to replace them," Widodo said this month at a business forum, according to local media. Widodo is also taking a no-nonsense approach to spending. This week he slashed the government's travel budget by over a third to free up funds. His ministers have similarly barred staff from holding meetings in expensive hotels. Leading by example, Widodo did not take the presidential plane to attend his son's university graduation ceremony in Singapore last Friday. Instead, he flew economy class on national carrier Garuda Airlines, winning praise on social media for his "humility." Widodo also took a slimmed-down entourage to international summits this month, said cabinet secretary and close presidential adviser Andi Widjajanto. He added that Widodo had not appointed a spokesman, and didn't plan to do so, because "he wants to talk to his people directly." The president also frequently appears before the media after cabinet meetings or conferences. Widjajanto said Widodo had urged his ministers to follow his lead and "make field visits instead of just sitting in their offices." All this is very different to previous administrations, where presidents were usually unapproachable, delegating most public interactions to aides. But as the leader of 240 million people, some urge Widodo not to be a micromanager. "It's great to check periodically on how things are going, but at some point he has to also think of the big picture," Stuart Dean, the CEO of General Electric's operations in Southeast Asia, told Reuters on the sidelines of a conference in Jakarta this week. The post Can Man-of-the-People Widodo Micromanage 240 Million Indonesians? appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
| Girls Died by Suicide, Not Slain by Rapists: India Posted: 27 Nov 2014 08:54 PM PST  Demonstrators at a protest against sexual assault in the southern Indian city of Bangalore. (Photo: Reuters) NEW DELHI — India’s top investigative agency said Thursday that two teenage girls believed to have been raped and hanged by attackers in a north Indian village actually committed suicide because of shame over a relationship with a boyfriend. An earlier probe by local police and post-mortem reports were incorrect, and five innocent men were arrested, said Kanchan Prasad, spokeswoman for the Central Bureau of Investigation. Six months ago, images of the girls’ bodies hanging from a tree in their village of Katra in Uttar Pradesh state shocked the country, long inured to violence against women. Local police said the girls were gang-raped and murdered. The five men were arrested and later released on bail. The federal agency took over the probe following public outrage over the deaths of the two cousins, who were about 14 years of age. They were the daughters of two brothers. "The CBI has come to the conclusion that the allegations of sexual assault and murder were false. It was a case of suicide," Prasad said. She said medical reports ruled out any sexual assault, and the parents of the girls had filed a false police report of rape and murder. "There were no marks of violence or injuries on the bodies of the two girls, except for the ligature marks on their necks. Also, nobody heard any cries for help though there were houses around the spot where the bodies were found hanging," she said. Prasad said the older of the girls had a relationship with one of the suspects which she hid from her family. The night the girls died, the younger girl had called her cousin’s boyfriend and suggested they go to a local fair. The three left their homes after dinner, Prasad said. Later, the older girl and her boyfriend were caught by one of her relatives as they were about to have sex in a nearby field, she said. The girls apparently committed suicide because they were afraid of the reaction of their families and the stigma attached to what they had done, the spokeswoman said. Indian villages are extremely conservative and such a scandal would be difficult for a family to bear. The CBI will hand over its findings to a court, which will decide whether to prosecute the families of the girls for filing a false police complaint, she said. The post Girls Died by Suicide, Not Slain by Rapists: India appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
| Burma Constitution Summit ‘Impractical’: Presidential Spokesman Posted: 27 Nov 2014 08:19 PM PST  Burma's Information Minister Ye Htut. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — A summit of political leaders proposed by Burma's parliament to debate constitutional change is "impractical" and unlikely to happen, the president's spokesman said in a further setback to hopes for full democracy after 49 years of military rule. A semi-civilian government took office in 2011 and undertook a rapid series of reforms but the pace of change has slowed, raising international concern that the military is not yet ready to submit to the authority of a parliamentary democracy. The military holds 25 percent of the seats in parliament, a barrier to the more than 75 percent vote margin required for constitutional amendments. The current Constitution bars opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi from becoming president. On Tuesday, parliament unanimously endorsed constitutional talks involving Suu Kyi, President Thein Sein, the speakers of the two houses of the assembly, military chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, and a member of a party representing an ethnic minority. "This six-party summit is rather impractical," presidential spokesman Ye Htut told the Burmese-language service of Radio Free Asia on Thursday. "I don't think it can happen at the moment." Public debate on the Constitution came to the fore around the Nov. 12-14 visit of President Barack Obama to Burma. Obama said it made little sense for the Constitution to freeze out Suu Kyi from becoming president. Lower house speaker Shwe Mann said last week that the Constitution could not be changed before a general election in 2015. Ye Htut spoke after military MPs turned down an invitation from Suu Kyi for a first meeting over dinner on Thursday as she sought to build ties with representatives of Burma's most powerful institution ahead of the proposed summit. The military bloc sent a letter to Suu Kyi to apologise for being unable to make the dinner in the capital of Naypyitaw due to a prior engagement, said Nyan Win, a spokesman for Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy Party (NLD). The invitation was received at short notice for military lawmakers to change a scheduled meeting, one military parliamentarian told Reuters. Suu Kyi, who was kept under house arrest for more than 15 years by the ruling military junta, has endorsed reforms by Thein Sein's government. But she has criticized its hesitation on further reforms and her party has gathered about 5 million signatures in support of a petition to amend the Constitution. The post Burma Constitution Summit 'Impractical': Presidential Spokesman appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
| ‘Tastes Have Changed a Lot’ Posted: 27 Nov 2014 04:00 PM PST  Classic singer Mon Aung's voice will return to Burma, even if he can't. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) Burmese music lovers recall the songs of Mon Aung with particular fondness; several of the artist's hits are now considered classics. Many will also recall his story, how he rose to national celebrity in the late 1980s before leaving the country in the aftermath of a crackdown on Burma's pro-democracy movement. Mon Aung currently resides in Norway. Mon Aung's latest album, "Peace Raindrops," was recorded in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai, which has long been home to many migrants and exiles from Burma. He planned to also release the album in Burma, bringing the music back to a faithful audience he left 26 years ago. His plans were thwarted earlier this week when the Burmese Embassy in Thailand denied him an entry visa to the country of his birth. The Irrawaddy's Ye Ni sat down with the legendary singer to talk about his return to a changing musical scene in Burma. Question: What was the inspiration for your new album? Answer: I've wanted to make this album for nearly 15 years. Some of the songs have been in my head since 1999, 2000. For various reasons, I wasn't able to make it. There were some financial and production problems. I had some new songs, and I got the chance to record this year. There are 12 songs on the album, and I decided to call it "Peace Raindrops." Q: In the past, you've recorded with the Mizzima Hline Band, performing songs written by Ko Ne Win, Ko Ye Lwin and Ko Maung Maung. Did they also write songs for your new album? A: Yes they did. Six songs were written by Ko Ne Win, five by Ko Ye Lwin, Ko Aung Win and D Chit Myo, and one by me. So, most of the songs were written by the Mizzima Hline Band. Q: What's different about singing their songs this time around? A: When I worked with them before, I was young and had little experience. I just sang songs as a hobby, I wasn't trained. I was a student at that time, and my voice had the emotion of a youth. Now I'm over 50 years old, and my mind is much more stable than it was at 25. My voice is firm now. When I was young, I sang songs with force. When I listened to those same songs later, I'm not satisfied with some parts. I thought I should and could have done better. I didn't sing again for almost 15 years, and it was quite difficult to take up singing again. I couldn't control my voice. One of my friends taught me some singing techniques, just before we recorded. It was difficult to follow at first, but then I got the hang of it and was able to record the album as I wished. Q: So your vocal techniques have become more professional. What about the music? Has the musical style of the band changed much, or is it the same? A: Except for Ko Tut Ki, all of the players are new. They are all professional musicians in Burma. I haven't worked with most members of the band before, but [songwriters] Ko Ye Lwin and Ko Ne Win came to assist with recording. They helped to coordinate with the players and get the style and musical patterns right, so it doesn't sound much different. We noticed that tastes have changed a lot. When we finished the initial recording, we thought about adding some musical seasoning. We listened to the songs again and again, for almost three months. A Norwegian—he's not a musician but he understands music—helped me improve some of the songs. I came back to Chiang Mai and tried using a few other instruments. For example, we used a guitar or a fiddle instead of a keyboard, playing the same melodies. The post 'Tastes Have Changed a Lot' appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
