The Irrawaddy Magazine |
- Govt Proposes 20% Budget Rise Boosting Education, Defense and Health
- Lawmakers Debate Religious Protection Bills
- Photo of the Week (30.1.2015)
- E-Payment Services to Come Online in February
- Hundreds Homeless After Late-Night Eviction in Rangoon
- Burma’s First Govt Bond Auction Sells Less Than Half of $49M Offering
- Thai Junta Blocks Discussion of Media Censorship
- Sri Lanka Says It Will Return Private Land in Civil War Area
- Thai Vigilantes Take up Fight Against Human Trafficking
- Myanmar Part of Brave New World in ‘Whiskey Tango Foxtrot’
| Govt Proposes 20% Budget Rise Boosting Education, Defense and Health Posted: 30 Jan 2015 04:37 AM PST  A shot of Parliament in Naypyidaw in 2011. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — President Thein Sein's cabinet this week asked Burma's Parliament to approve a sharp increase in government spending in 2015-2016, with an overall 20 percent raise in expenditures that would result in an approximately US$23.2 billion budget. In his last year in office before the elections, the president proposed a jump in education spending, significant increases in health and defense expenditures, and a raise in civil servant salaries. The Budget Bill for the fiscal year 2015-2016, which commences on April 1, would raise total government expenditures to 23,230 billion kyats, according to parliamentary documents released earlier this week. The proposal represents a 20.4 percent increase from last year when overall spending stood at 19,291 billion kyats. Government revenues are expected to slightly increase next year to 19,403 billion kyats, leaving the government with a deficit of around 3,827 billion kyats ($3.8 billion), according to the documents. Phyo Min Thein, a National League for Democracy member who is on the Lower House Public Accounts Committee, said the party was still studying the Budget Bill, adding, "We will surely have some reaction and criticism of the proposed National Budget." The Education Ministry would be the greatest beneficiary of the proposed spending increase, as its overall budget would grow to 1,409 billion kyats ($1.4 billion), representing a 21.6 percent increase from last year when the ministry received 1,158 billion kyats. Under Thein Sein's proposal, the Health Ministry's budget would grow to 757 billion kyats ($757 million) and Defense Ministry spending would expand to 2,750 billion kyats ($2.7 billion), a year-on-year increase of 6.8 percent and 5.2 percent, respectively. As a relative share of the overall budget, the Defense Ministry's share declined from 13.5 percent to 11.1 percent, the Health Ministry's share fell from 3.7 percent to 3.3 percent, while the Education Ministry's share grew marginally from 6.01 percent to 6.07 percent. Under Thein Sein's Budget Bill, the Border Affairs Ministry would receive 130 billion kyats next year and the Home Affairs Ministry 286 billion kyats, representing a 9 percent increase and 7.5 percent decline, respectively, for the two army-controlled ministries. Last year, Thein Sein's government already proposed raising salaries of civil servants, which remain paltry by any standards, but Parliament has yet to endorse the plans. Minister of Finance and Revenue Win Shein told Parliament that 2,901 billion kyats, or 12.5 percent of total budget, would be reserved for civil servant salaries next year, state-run newspaper Myana Ailin reported. Minister of Health Than Aung was quoted as saying that about two-thirds of his ministry's budget next year would go to "medical treatment for the public." Ngu Wah Win, a research associate with the Myanmar Development Resource Institute-Centre for Economic and Social Development (MDRI-CESD), said the government could afford to increase overall expenditure because of Burma's strong economic growth. Ngu Wah Win, whose institute advises the government, added, "Education expenditure increased since the whole budget also increased, but it is still very low compared to [rest of] the region." Burma's economy grew with 7.8 percent last year, according to the Asian Development Bank, and GDP stood at approximately $60 billion. Since taking office in 2011, Thein Sein's nominally-civilian government has expanded the government budget by floating the kyat's exchange rate and bringing Burma's revenues from natural gas export on the books. A growing economy and improved tax collection is raising government income, while the lifting of international sanctions has resulted in access to credit from international financial institutions and donor countries, such as the World Bank and Japan. Defense vs Social Spending The defense, education and health ministries have long been the focus for analysis of the government's priorities by the political opposition, social sector organizations and independent economists. They used to criticize the former junta over its ballooning defense budget and the small amount of funds allocated to education and health. Although military spending as a share of total budget has sharply fallen under Thein Sein compared to the days of military rule—when it would cover about a fifth of all spending—the absolute budget allocated to Defense Ministry has remained stable or increased slightly, as it would again under the proposed Budget Bill. Under the 2015-2016 budget, which is up for discussion and a vote in Parliament in the coming weeks, military spending still outstrips the combined spending on both social sectors by some 584 billion kyats (about $584 million). By comparison, Thailand's military junta last year proposed allocating 19.5 percent of the country's $81.08 billion budget for education, while defense received 7.5 percent, Reuters reported. The powerful Burma Army is also known to have other revenues sources that are kept off the books, such as income generated from secretive military-owned conglomerates Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd and Myanmar Economic Corporation. Under the Constitution, the army also under certain circumstances has powers to allocate more defense funds. Minister of Defense Lt-Gen. Wai Lwin was quoted by local media as telling Parliament earlier this week that about 51 percent of his expanded budget was earmarked for salaries and allowances, while about 29 percent was reserved for military hardware such as vehicles, warships and weaponry. Thein Sein's reformist government has repeatedly pledged to increase social spending, but this year's proposed increase in education marks the greatest jump yet. The Myanmar Times quoted Minister of Finance Win Shein as telling Parliament that some of the extra education funding would go towards hiring 50,000 additional teachers at 16,800 primary schools, 30,000 middle schools and 10,000 high schools. Min Khin, an advisor to the NLD's Economic and Social Committee, said the party advocates for a greater increase in social spending than has been proposed by Thein Sein. "Education and health budgets have increased, but it should increase more than now. And what more important is that [the funds] are used in a valuable way—so far we haven't seen it, mostly funds are being used to upgrade [school and hospital] buildings that are of low quality," he said. Min Khin added that the NLD would like to have more public discussion on the government budget. Wunna Htun, governance program coordinator at international NGO Action Aid, said he welcomed the proposed jump in education spending, but said it would not necessarily result in great improvement of the education system as some 80 percent of the ministry's budget is spent on teachers' salaries. "Only the remaining 20 percent is used to develop the classroom, like repairing classrooms. So, even if the proposed budget is increased, it will still be not enough" to improve education standards, said Wunna Htun, whose organization advocates for increased social spending in Burma. He added that it was important that the additional funds are spent effectively. Additional reporting by Paul Vrieze. The post Govt Proposes 20% Budget Rise Boosting Education, Defense and Health appeared first on The Irrawaddy. | |
| Lawmakers Debate Religious Protection Bills Posted: 30 Jan 2015 04:31 AM PST  Lawmakers attend a parliamentary meeting at the Lower House of Parliament in Naypyidaw. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — Parliament turned its attention this week to two bills in a package of controversial legislation that aims to "protect race and religion" in Burma. Lawmakers in the Upper House discussed the Religious Conversion Bill on Tuesday and Wednesday, with five parliamentarians taking to the floor in support and four lawmakers speaking against it. The proposed legislation would mandate a number of administrative hurdles for religious converts, including having to interview before a government panel tasked with ruling on whether the applicant is genuine in his or her desire to change faiths. On Thursday, seven lawmakers discussed the Population Bill. Four parliamentarians including a Burma Army representative supported the bill, and three opposed. The proposed legislation would grant state and regional governments the power to restrict birthrates on health grounds, a lawmaker told The Irrawaddy last week. Deliberation of the Population Bill will continue next week and Parliament is expected to take up the remaining two so-called protection bills in the days ahead: one restricting interfaith marriage and the other banning polygamy. Speaking on the Upper House floor on Thursday, Khin Maung Latt from the Arakan National Party (ANP) said the population legislation was designed to preserve the religious identity of majority-Buddhist Burma. "We are trying to protect our religion because we are worried that other religions will influence our religion. There are some countries in the world that have been wholly converted to another religion. We need to pay heed to this. This law would not hurt anyone." Khin Maung Latt said the legislation would not need to be applied nationwide, saying only areas of instability such as his native Arakan State required the Population Bill's restrictions. The lawmaker cited a frequent claim of ethnic Arakanese Buddhists, who say an influx of illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh weighs down Arakan State's economy. He added that Burma's geographic location made the country especially vulnerable. "Forty percent of the world's population comes from India, China and Bangladesh. These countries surround our country," he said. "We should not allow the illegal population to grow in our country. We need to control it." Maj. Ye Wint Soe, an army representative in the Upper House, echoed Khin Maung Latt's support for the law on economic grounds. "In order to escape from poverty, this law should be passed in Parliament," he said. However, Aung Kyi Nyunt from the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) rejected the legislation on human rights grounds. "Our country signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but our country is trying to implement this law. This would violate UN law," he said. Upper House parliamentarian Zone Hlyal Htan said Burma, which in August learned that it had 9 million fewer people than was widely believed, said the country could afford a growing population. "Our people … can decide whether they want to have children or not. We should not force them by law. This law could hurt our country's reforms," the Chin lawmaker said. "I feel this law could violate human rights and it would offer no advantage to our country." Khin Waing Kyi, the sponsor of the legislation package, told Parliament on Thursday that she was surprised to see opposition to the proposals. "I just intend for this proposal to help development in our country," said the National Democratic Force (NDF) party lawmaker. "If we have this law, our government may find it easier to manage population and even easier to develop the country. I do not think that this law would violate human rights." A coalition of 180 groups in Burma thinks otherwise, coming out against the legislative package on Wednesday for restrictions that signatories said would violate multiple international and domestic commitments to human rights, including the country's Constitution. Than Lwin, a member of a parliamentary commission on rule of law that analyzed the bills, told The Irrawaddy that lawmakers should drop the legislation, saying "the dignity of Parliament will be hurt" if not. The bills were first proposed by the Association for the Protection of Race and Religion (known in Burmese as Ma Ba Tha), a group led by ultranationalist monk U Wirathu that collected more than 100,000 signatures in support of the bills. The draft law has been controversial from the outset, however, fielding criticism from women's rights advocates and several of Burma's ethnic and religious minorities. Critics argue that enacting the bills would deal a blow to religious freedom, and that the laws would undermine women's ability to make independent choices about their faith, partner and family. The post Lawmakers Debate Religious Protection Bills appeared first on The Irrawaddy. | |
| Posted: 30 Jan 2015 03:41 AM PST
The post Photo of the Week (30.1.2015) appeared first on The Irrawaddy. | |
| E-Payment Services to Come Online in February Posted: 30 Jan 2015 02:32 AM PST  Burma's sole domestic card-based payment system, Myanmar Payment Union, will offer online services beginning in early February 2015. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Burma's sole domestic card-based payment system, Myanmar Payment Union (MPU), will offer online services beginning in early February, according to an executive. Chief Executive Officer of MPU, Zaw Lin Htut, told The Irrawaddy that local cardholders will soon be able to make online purchases after companies enroll with one of the firm's 20 local banking partners. Businesses can enroll at their local branch, and a service network will be developed among local businesses. Zaw Lin Htut said that businesses will have to bank with one of its 20 partners to be eligible for e-commerce, and member banks will provide technical support and consultation as businesses establish online shopping systems. "[Businesses] will first have to build websites before they can offer online shopping and sales services, so we will support this," he said, explaining that once the systems are in place customers will be able to make secure, PIN code-protected online payments. According to company data, there are currently more than 850,000 MPU cardholders nationwide. Debit cards were first introduced in Burma in 2011, after the MPU was formed among existing banks. Three of MPU's 20 member banks are state-owned. United Amara, CB and military-backed Myawaddy are among the Union's member banks that have already enrolled to develop e-commerce services. Zeyar Aung, head of the card department at CB Bank, said that service testing is already underway and the bank is currently negotiating with several companies that wish to enlist the service, including several travel and tour agencies. Online payment could be particularly useful for the tourism industry, he said, because many users prefer to book travel tickets online. "We're testing the service now," he told The Irrawaddy. "It is only for local users. We will provide technical support, collect service fees, explain how to connect and help solve problems if merchants have difficulties." As Burma becomes more connected to the Internet, online shopping is increasingly popular on social networks based in Rangoon and Mandalay, but the lack of any online payment system currently limits sellers to cash-on-delivery sales. Banking partners anticipate that the service might take some time to catch on, but will become exponentially useful as consumers familiarize themselves with electronic sales. "Users might worry that their payments won't reach the sellers, so for now it's about awareness. The Internet is almost everywhere now, and we expect that [online finance] will soon succeed," he said. Burma operated on a cash economy until 2011, the start of political and economic reforms under President Thein Sein's government. Since that time, two foreign telecoms operators have entered the market, rapidly expanding mobile and Internet access. Currently the only card provider in Burma, MPU established the country's first ATM card system. Decades of military rule and resultant isolation crippled the country's economy and stalled financial sector development. In February, MUP plans to further expand its services by signing a bilateral agreement with China Union Pay that would allow MPU to produce debit cards that can be used internationally. The number of MPU cardholders has risen rapidly over the past year, from about 200,000 in early 2014 to about 850,000 at present, and more than 1,000 ATM machines have been installed in Rangoon, Mandalay and Naypyidaw since cards were introduced. MasterCard became the first international electronic payment system to be used in Burma as of November 2012, followed by Visa in December of the same year. The post E-Payment Services to Come Online in February appeared first on The Irrawaddy. | |
| Hundreds Homeless After Late-Night Eviction in Rangoon Posted: 30 Jan 2015 12:36 AM PST  More than 100 homes are demolished on the grounds that residents are illegal squatters in the outskirts of Rangoon on Friday, Jan. 30, 2015. (Photo: Sai Zaw / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — More than 100 homes were demolished in a corner of Rangoon's Dagon Seikkan Township in the early hours of Friday morning, weeks after local authorities ordered residents to vacate on the grounds that they were illegal squatters. The township has seen a number of similar forced evictions since early 2014, when plans to build a low-income housing complex, a project overseen by Burma's Ministry of Construction, were revealed in an impromptu town meeting. Residents of the township's 168th ward described the demolition with flustered anxiety. "When they destroyed my house, I felt unwell," said Khin Mar Ye, a 66-year-old resident, in tears. She said that at around 2am, hundreds of police and more than 1,000 plainclothes hired hands assembled in the ward's function hall. Township police confirmed that officers and others were present at the eviction, but did not provide a numerical estimate or confirm that civilians had been paid to participate, though two other witnesses corroborated Khin Mar Ye's account. Witnesses said that around 4am, the crowd moved toward the homes in scores of large vehicles, including two backhoes. Police secured nearby roads while others announced via loudspeaker that the residents had 15 minutes to collect their belongings and leave the premises, witnesses said. Two residents told The Irrawaddy that during the announcement, they were warned by police that they would face 3 months to 3 years in prison if they attempted to prevent the eviction by violence or other means. Between 4 and 7am, locals said, about 140 homes were destroyed, each with an average of four household members. Crowds of hired men descended upon each house, they said, pushing down the thin bamboo walls and breaking them with hand-held tools. The residents said materials were so badly damaged that nothing could be salvaged for rebuilding. Those who lost their houses scattered about the township, sheltering in the homes of friends or relatives. Ward 168 is one of many vulnerable settlements in Dagon Seikkan slated for developments in the rapidly industrializing outskirts of Rangoon. The township is believed to be home to thousands of at risk people, with various claims of tenure. The municipal government views many of the township's residents as illegal squatters. While some claim hereditary rights to the land, which is located along the bank of the Bago River, other settlers trickled into the area over the course of the last decade, claiming that they had unwittingly purchased plots from local authorities who had no right to deal the property. The Irrawaddy visited Dagon Seikkan as recently as Jan. 26, finding several acres of cleared riverside property occupied by locals eager to tell the stories of how they'd been similarly evicted from the township's 67th ward in late May, 2014. Some of the displaced accepted relocation deals while others rebuilt modest thatch-roofed huts in other parts of the township, where they live in anxiety over another eviction. Those who rebuilt, sheltering in what they refer to as "a refugee camp," claimed that they were offered either no compensation or inadequate payment for their losses. Others who lived in various wards told The Irrawaddy that though they had not been offered compensation, they had received as many as three eviction notices, ordering them to move before Jan. 16. One woman said that she and her family "haven't slept for a week" because they feared a late-night raid. "I was afraid they would come," said Khin Mar Ye, speaking to The Irrawaddy on Friday morning after watching her house collapse, "but I didn't expect that they would destroy my house with such rude behavior. I was surprised." She and several of her neighbors said that they will try to rebuild nearby. "I will rebuild my home," she said, "and I will live there because I have nowhere to go." The post Hundreds Homeless After Late-Night Eviction in Rangoon appeared first on The Irrawaddy. | |
| Burma’s First Govt Bond Auction Sells Less Than Half of $49M Offering Posted: 29 Jan 2015 09:31 PM PST  Piles of kyat banknotes are pictured at a private bank in Rangoon. (Photo: Reuters / Soe Zeya Tun) RANGOON — Burma's Central Bank sold less than half the 50 billion kyats (US$48.83 million) worth of treasury bonds on offer in its first auction, which aimed to reform the fledgling economy and boost overstretched coffers, the bank said in a statement on Thursday. The sale of government debt at auction is the latest of a series of economic reforms by the semi-civilian government that took power in 2011 after 49 years of military rule, which crippled Burma's economy. Just five of about 40 licensed financial institutions, including 23 private banks, participated in the bid, a Central Bank official told Reuters. "We understand the results of the first auction may not be very satisfactory, but it's an important step in the financial reforms," said the official, who asked not to be identified, as he was not authorized to speak to the media. "I think things will improve in the next auctions." The Central Bank started issuing three-year and five-year bonds through state-owned banks in 1993, with the aim of promoting public savings. Two-year bonds were launched in 2010. Thursday's auction was the first time the Central Bank sold treasury bonds through a public bidding system. The bonds sold this week will yield 8 percent interest a year, the bank said in its statement. "This is a positive step forward in the financial reforms in the country," said U Htwe, a senior official at a private institution, United Amara Bank. "We welcome it but have to wait and see how it will come off." The post Burma's First Govt Bond Auction Sells Less Than Half of $49M Offering appeared first on The Irrawaddy. | |
| Thai Junta Blocks Discussion of Media Censorship Posted: 29 Jan 2015 09:08 PM PST  Soldiers guard outside Parliament in Bangkok as National Legislative Assembly members vote during an impeachment hearing for ousted former PM Yingluck Shinawatra on Jan. 23. (Photo: Chaiwat Subprasom / Reuters) BANGKOK — Thailand’s junta has forced a German foundation to cancel a prominent forum on media restrictions imposed since the military toppled an elected government last May. The move is the latest sign of defensiveness by the army, which installed an interim civilian Cabinet but reserves ultimate power for itself. On Wednesday, a foreign ministry spokesman complained that a visiting US State Department envoy had hurt the country’s pride by calling for an end to martial law. Germany’s Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, a foundation promoting social democracy worldwide, said on its Facebook page that it would comply with a request from the junta to postpone Friday’s presentation of a study on media freedom in Thailand. Requests from the junta are tantamount to orders. The junta, officially called the National Council for Peace and Order, threatens critics with arrest under martial law. It is seeking to strengthen already harsh laws governing communication on the Internet and comments on the country’s monarchy. Manop Thip-osod, a spokesman for the Thai Journalists Association, said the group was sorry to see Friday’s event postponed and was concerned about freedom of expression in the country. The association was a co-sponsor of the event, which was to have included a panel discussion. "This is the launch of an academic work on the media that the NCPO should think about and check carefully, because to block such an event does not bode well for the country’s image, which is being monitored by the international community," Manop said. Junta spokesman Col. Winthai Suvaree said the event organizers should have provided the authorities with information about the event in advance, but because they didn’t they were asked to postpone it because "we are still in a sensitive time." The German foundation declined to comment beyond its Facebook statement. However, Manop said that according to the foundation, the military authorities said the event could cause damage and be very sensitive. While the junta has indicated that it considers almost any criticism of its actions to be potentially destabilizing, such language usually refers to cases of criticism of the monarchy. Criticism of the monarchy is punishable by three to 15 years in prison under Thailand’s longstanding lese majeste law. After last May’s coup, the junta began prosecuting such cases in military courts, with no avenue of appeal. The growing number of such cases, frequently involving Internet postings, has drawn great concern from local and international rights defenders. In other junta actions Thursday, members of the ousted government who criticized recent actions against former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra—barring her from political office for five years and threatening her with criminal prosecution for a rice subsidy policy—were told to report to military authorities for an "attitude adjustment." They were not detained. Members of the interim Cabinet installed by the junta have said elections are not expected until 2016, drawing further concern from rights advocates and governments such as the United States. In an annual report this week by US-based democracy watchdog Freedom House, Thailand was judged to have fallen into the category of "Not Free" from a designation of "Partly Free" a year earlier. The group said Thailand was especially weak in political rights and civil liberties. Thai officials regularly shrug off such criticism, saying foreigners do not understand Thailand and strong measures are needed to eliminate corruption from politics in order to strengthen democracy. The junta’s critics believe it is acting mostly to eliminate the powerful political machine of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was deposed by a military coup in 2006 after being accused of abuse of power and disrespect for the monarchy. Thaksin remains widely popular in Thailand’s north and northeast. The post Thai Junta Blocks Discussion of Media Censorship appeared first on The Irrawaddy. | |
| Sri Lanka Says It Will Return Private Land in Civil War Area Posted: 29 Jan 2015 09:02 PM PST  In this photo taken on May 18, 2010, ethnic Tamil women pray during religious rituals at a Hindu temple in Batticaloa, about 260 kilometers (163 miles) east of Colombo, Sri Lanka. (Photo: AP) COLOMBO — Sri Lanka’s new government plans to return private land seized by the military in the civil war-ravaged north and release several hundred detainees, a minister said, in an apparent move toward reconciliation with ethnic minority Tamils. Cabinet Spokesman Rajitha Senaratne told reporters late Wednesday that the government of new President Maithripala Sirisena will ease its military presence, and that unlike the previous administration that was defeated in the Jan. 8 election, does not believe military action alone can prevent a resurgence of the rebels. "Especially for the north, we don’t think we need all that security. Our entire concept will be different," he said. "About the lands in the north … we have already decided whatever acquired for business purposes, other than the security purposes, to give back to the owners." He said the administration of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, which defeated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in the civil war, was always concerned about a resurgence of the group. "We don’t think you can stop an LTTE resurrection (just) with an army," he said. "So spending on security will be very moderate." Government forces crushed the ethnic Tamil rebels in 2009. Since then Tamils have complained that they have been further isolated by policies of the Sinhala-dominated government. Tamils say the military continues to hold private land which it occupied during wartime, and has also acquired more land since the fighting ended, ostensibly for security purposes. They accuse the military of cultivating the land and running hotels and other businesses, including a golf course. Senaratne told reporters that the government is reviewing the cases of 275 Tamils detained for long periods on suspicion of rebel involvement. He said most were detained on mere suspicion and for minor offenses. He said the government will launch a domestic inquiry into allegations of war crimes by both government troops and the rebels during the war. The rebels used child soldiers and were accused of other atrocities during more than two decades of fighting for a separate state, while government troops were accused of random violence, especially in the last few months of the war when they overran rebel positions. The U.N. Human Rights Council is already investigating the allegations and a report is scheduled to be released in March. However, the new government has said it will not allow an international investigation to be conducted in Sri Lanka because the nation has not signed the relevant conventions. On Thursday, Senaratne said the government has ordered an investigation into allegations that some soldiers were planning to inflame ethnic tensions in an attempt to oust the new government. He said a group of officers who back Rajapaksa were collecting and training a group of 400-500 soldiers to attack army camps in the north posing as Tamil civilians, with the intent of creating a backlash in the ethnic Sinhala-majority south. The post Sri Lanka Says It Will Return Private Land in Civil War Area appeared first on The Irrawaddy. | |
| Thai Vigilantes Take up Fight Against Human Trafficking Posted: 29 Jan 2015 08:49 PM PST  Detained trafficking victims sleep on the floor of a detention center in Thailand's Phang Nga province. (Photo: Htoo Chit) BAN BANG YAI, Thailand — Bullet-proof vest, shotgun, sunglasses: Kompat Sompaorat could be mistaken for a member of a SWAT team. He actually belongs to a motley group of Thai civilians who, frustrated by their government's lackluster response to human trafficking, have taken up arms to patrol one of Asia's busiest smuggling routes. For three months now, scores of volunteers have patrolled the estuaries and jungles of Phang Nga province, a popular tourist destination in southern Thailand a short drive from the famous resort island of Phuket. They are motivated by humanitarian concerns, they say, but also worry that the presence of armed smugglers and impoverished refugees in the vicinity could lead to an increase in crime and scare away tourists. "There are big, big guys behind this trade—so big we can't do anything about it. We can't touch them," said Kompat, as the volunteers arrive at an abandoned smuggling camp near the village of Ban Bang Yai strewn with children's shoes, women's camisoles and trash. "We can only try to save their victims," he said. Despite pledges by Thailand's military junta to combat human trafficking, the volunteers say the influx of illegal migrants is growing, many of them Rohingya Muslims from western Burma, and little is being done to stop the gangs that transport and abuse them. Every year, thousands of Rohingya and Bangladeshi boat people arrive in Thailand, brought by the smugglers. They are then taken by road to desolate camps, where traffickers demand a ransom to smuggle them south across the border to Malaysia. Last year Thailand was downgraded to the lowest tier on the US State Department's influential Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, which annually ranks countries by their counter-trafficking efforts. The Thai government, installed after a military coup last May, has vowed to improve its record, and is to submit a report to the State Department detailing its progress. Sek Wannamethee, spokesman for Thailand's foreign affairs ministry, said locals in southern Thailand were being encouraged to be the "eyes and ears" of the local government. "Fostering partnership, especially with the locals, has proved to help detecting illegal activities and can greatly aid the investigation," said Sek. "But of course, law enforcement and administration still remains the responsibility of the law enforcement officials and local authorities." The Bangkok-based Fortify Rights group said it was "very concerning" that armed volunteers were taking on the traffickers. "Clearly it's an indication that authorities are not fulfilling their duty to combat trafficking," Matthew Smith, the group's executive director, said in an interview. Well-Oiled Networks Reuters reporters joined the volunteers—mainly fishermen and other villagers—on one of their near-daily patrols for boat people who might be hiding along the coast. The group has limited funds and poor equipment compared to the wealthy and well-oiled smuggling networks, said Jessada Thattan, another volunteer. "Mostly we are slower than them. They use better boats than us," said Jessada. The volunteers are partly funded by Takua Pa district, but some costs, particularly gasoline, come from their own pockets. Volunteers said they had yet to catch any smugglers or traffickers. But they have discovered more than 220 Rohingya Muslims and Bangladeshis over the past three months and handed them over to immigration police. Additionally, more than 130 suspected trafficking victims, mostly Bangladeshis, were found dumped by traffickers in a remote coastal area of Phang Nga. Many of them had been abducted or tricked onto prison ships in the Bay of Bengal where conditions resembled the horrors of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, Reuters reported in October. One group was sick, half-starved and dehydrated by the time volunteers found them. Smugglers, the volunteers said, once hid groups of 300 to 500 Rohingya on the islands that dot the district, but have now grown more cautious. "The smugglers' tactics are changing," said Jessada. "Before we would find groups of 100 together on an island. Now, the smugglers break them up into groups of 10 or 20 to make it easier to hide and transport them." Local people were slowly coming on board to help establish a network of anti-smuggling informants, said Jessada. "Almost 100 percent of the fishermen in the area are on our side now," he said. "They let us know if there are suspicious activities on the islands or if someone is making a large delivery of food to a remote area." Despite the enormity of the task, the volunteers said they were being spurred on by the disconnect between government policy and practice. "The government can announce as many anti-trafficking policies it wants," said Cherdchai Papattamayutanon, a village chief in Takua Pa who helped form the group. "The truth is, we're at the frontline here and we're alone." The post Thai Vigilantes Take up Fight Against Human Trafficking appeared first on The Irrawaddy. | |
| Myanmar Part of Brave New World in ‘Whiskey Tango Foxtrot’ Posted: 29 Jan 2015 04:00 PM PST  "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot," by David Shafer, is published by Mulholland Books. A clever social-satire and cyber-thriller, David Shafer's "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" begins its interwoven narrative in Mandalay. It's a bit harder to locate in time than in place, but the story about three young adults grappling against an international cabal on the verge of privatizing all information, looks like it was set in a time before 2010, when it became easier to be an INGO in Myanmar. Officials in the military are making life difficult for Leila Majnoun, a Persian-American experienced in arranging medical assistance for various trouble zones. Leila's zeal for "global improvement" encounters a different type of obstacle when a rural health worker, Ma Thiri, turns down her offer of an overseas scholarship. Ma Thiri points out that she is needed in her Kachin State town and can't be tempted by subsidized travel to the United States. The incident is a parable about the kind of top-down funding that serves the agenda of development INGOs without paying attention to actual local needs. Leila's steely resolve is put to a new test when some roadblock-running reveals a strange installation with foreign security and tech support near Myanmar's border with China. Her choice to "crowd source" an inquiry about it, complete with GPS coordinates, to various journalistic and intelligence contacts, sets in motion connections to the two other main characters: a pair of substance-abusing Harvard classmates. Leo is prone to "swamps of gloom" and paranoid blogging; Mark is the self-loathing author of a vapid self-help book. While Leo ends up in rehab, Mark is increasingly corrupted by the manipulative CEO of the very Google-like SineCo. When Mark encounters Leila in a Heathrow Airport bar, his brain is so vodka-compromised that he has to ask for her help with a simple Jumble puzzle in the newspaper. The Jumble, in which a series of rearranged words provide clues for solving a riddle, echoes the structure of "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot:" the knowledge and skill sets of Leila, Leo and Mark are not enough on their own, but once the trio works together they can begin to unravel the cyber-conspiracies that ensnare them. They are well-formed, flawed yet sympathetic characters, evolving right up to the very end of this wide-ranging tale. A first-time novelist, Mr. Shafer provides brightly polished prose, with something of Evelyn Waugh's arch, sardonic tone. Quirky turns of phrase abound, including nouns like "trebuchet" (a medieval catapult) used as verbs. He gets the ambiance of Myanmar and Portland, Oregon right enough, although this reviewer can't attest to the veracity of his other locales, including a Dublin horse market and a massive freighter in the South China Sea. Unfortunately, at some point between the horse market and the freighter, a reasonably plausible plot line—huge corporation ruthlessly seeks complete domination of online information—becomes rather a jumble, with "truth holes," a secret farm with fields of "biocomputers" and even a rogue agent "parachuted out of a drone." If capable of the suspension of disbelief required for all that, readers who like speculative cyber-craziness should greatly enjoy "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot." The book, which is a surprise hit in the United States, ventures even farther into viral fantasy than Dave Eggar's "The Circle" and has more interesting people in its brave new world. Mr. Shafer's message throughout is that information has become a commodity that can and will be controlled, whether by "corruptocrats" of Myanmar or the sophisticated "Ruiners" of SineCo and their ilk. But he also shows how such control can be undermined by the unpredictable few who unite to resist. Edith Mirante is the author of "The Wind in the Bamboo" and founder of Project Maje. "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot," by David Shafer, is published by Mulholland Books. This story first appeared in the January 2015 print edition of The Irrawaddy magazine. The post Myanmar Part of Brave New World in 'Whiskey Tango Foxtrot' appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
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