The Irrawaddy Magazine |
- LGBT Activist in Spotlight at Human Rights Film Fest
- Private Health Insurance Gets Government Green Light
- Yangon Parliament Endorses Resurrected City Expansion Plan
- ‘Generals Don’t Go to War Without a Plan’
- India PM Modi’s Yoga Offensive Gets Muslims Stressed
- New Citizens Kept Grounded in Arakan State
- Burma’s State-Owned Airline to Service Singapore
- “Next Year, I’ll be Riding a Unicorn!”
- India Tries to Assuage Burma After Cross-Border Raid Boasts
- Police: Missing Malaysian Tanker Likely Hijacked by Pirates
- In Burma’s Election Year, Radical Buddhism Heightens Tension
- Calls Grow for Inquiry into Alleged Australian People Smuggler Payments
- Australian Firm Says Community Opposition Impeding Consultations on Controversial Dam
- Private Propertie Merges New Port of Call, Bar and Italian Eatery
- Villagers Urge Environmental Protections for Inle Lake
| LGBT Activist in Spotlight at Human Rights Film Fest Posted: 16 Jun 2015 05:59 AM PDT  Aung Myo Min with director Jeanne Marie Hallacy and women's rights activist May Sabe Phyu at the world premiere of "This Kind of Love" on June 15, 2015. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The third iteration of the Human Rights and Human Dignity International Film Festival (HRHDIFF) kicked off in Rangoon on Monday, featuring a long-awaited documentary about Burmese LGBT activist Aung Myo Min. "This Kind of Love," a 45-minute doc directed by Jeanne Marie Hallacy, made its world premiere on Monday at the Naypyidaw Cinema to a very receptive audience, many of whom already knew the subject well. The film tells the story of Aung Myo Min's struggles after the 1988 popular uprising, as a student activist and an openly gay man living in exile. Like many other dissidents of his generation, Aung Myo Min fled to the borderlands near Thailand to join an armed resistance to the military regime. The events of Burma's post-88 democracy movement are retold through moments in Aung Myo Min's life, offering a different perspective on life among the country's young dissidents. Unlike many of his peers, Aung Myo Min and his male partner were often ostracized, despite the movement's professed commitment to human rights and freedom. Many of those around him, mostly fellow members of the All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF), had trouble accepting his homosexuality. Eventually, Aung Myo Min left the group for Thailand, where he gave up armed struggle in favor of human rights awareness and advocacy. Aung Myo Min cautiously returned to Burma after political reforms began to kick in, and exiles were allowed back into the country for the first time in decades. He brought with him years of experience in human rights education and LGBT community activism. "'This Kind of Love' is not about one individual's love affair; a man's pride in his performance and struggle for his country is also a type of love," Aung Myo Min told the audience after the screening. "Please don't view this as one man's story." HRHDIFF will carry on through June 19, with screenings of short and feature films by artists from Burma and beyond. "This Kind of Love" will be shown again on Wednesday, June 17 at 12:45pm at the Waziya Cinema on Bogyoke Road, along with British filmmaker Tom Fawthrop's 2014 documentary "The Great Gamble on the Mekong." Trailers, descriptions and a schedule of the films can be found at the festival's website. The post LGBT Activist in Spotlight at Human Rights Film Fest appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Private Health Insurance Gets Government Green Light Posted: 16 Jun 2015 05:05 AM PDT  Nuns walk past IKBZ Insurance company's building in downtown Rangoon on June 6, 2013. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — Burma's premier insurance providers will begin offering health coverage on July 1, beginning a one-year pilot project approved by the Ministry of Finance. Eleven licensed private insurers will soon offer coverage at a standard rate of 50,000 kyat (US$45) per unit per year with a maximum of five units. All healthy citizens between the ages of 6 and 65 years will be eligible during the first year trial. "We will adjust the health insurance regulations during this first year," Deputy Finance Minister Maung Maung Thein told reporters on Monday. Initial policies contain some restrictions on eligibility and applicable services, the deputy minister said. Coverage will not extend to abortion, child delivery, dental, eye or cosmetic surgery, and treatment for mental illness and drug addiction will be exempt. Maximum yearly compensation will be standardized at 5 million kyat for individual subscribers. Customers will not be reimbursed for treatment in foreign hospitals, providers said. Insurers will be free to offer benefits to employers, such that they can purchase monthly plans with a maximum payout of 15,000 kyat per day for up to 30 days of treatment for employees. "Our customers have asked us about health insurance many times, especially companies, because they want insurance for their employees," Myo Min Thu, managing director of Ayeyar Myanmar Insurance, told The Irrawaddy, adding that insurers have been preparing to implement health plans for some time and do not anticipate any major setbacks. Since 2013, the Burmese government has licensed 11 private insurance companies, several of which are offshoots of the country's largest banking enterprises due to the large amount of capital required for registration. With the addition of new health services, private insurers will be authorized to sell a dozen types of assurance including fire, motor, life, cash in transit, cash in safe and fidelity bonds. The post Private Health Insurance Gets Government Green Light appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Yangon Parliament Endorses Resurrected City Expansion Plan Posted: 16 Jun 2015 05:01 AM PDT  A view of an industrial zone in Rangoon's north. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The Rangoon Division Parliament has voted to resurrect a shelved development project that will see the official city limits expand westward by some 20,000 acres. The new southwestern urban development, encompassing parts of Kyimyindaing, Twantay and Seikgyikanaungto Townships on the western side of the Hlaing River, was first mooted in August 2014 by Chief Minister Myint Swe and Mayor Hla Myint. It was shelved the following month, in anticipation of a new public tender, after allegations that the chiefs of developer Myanmar Saytanar Myothit were awarded the project based on their close ties to Myint Swe. The proposal was revived last week by Myint Lwin, a lawmaker representing Kyimyindaing Township, who tabled the plan according to what he said were the wishes of his constituents. Approved in a landslide, 100 MPs supported the proposal, with 10 voting against and four abstentions. Lawmaker Nyo Nyo Thin was the only person to speak out against the proposal, saying that Rangoon authorities should instead be channeling their efforts into developing the city's existing, sparsely populated satellite towns. "The project only talks about the number of households it can shelter and does not mention any detailed urban development plans for those households," she said on the parliament floor. Hla Myint said that the project would include allocations for villages, industrial zones, utilities such as sanitation, and a mix of commercial and low- and high-density residential areas. Speaking to the press on Monday, the mayor said that an open tender for the development was still on the agenda. "We still can't say when we will be able to start," he said. "It is not that we will award the license back to the previous developer. Anyone who is qualified can make a bid. We have yet to discuss whether to invite tenders from local companies or joint ventures." The southwestern urban development project has been given second priority in the Greater Yangon Strategic Development Plan. Tabled by Hla Myint on June 10, the plan eventually envisages the expansion of Rangoon's city limits by 119,000 acres to accommodate the city's burgeoning population, which is projected to hit 10 million by 2040. The post Yangon Parliament Endorses Resurrected City Expansion Plan appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| ‘Generals Don’t Go to War Without a Plan’ Posted: 16 Jun 2015 04:40 AM PDT  Thu Wai, chairman of the Democratic Party (Myanmar), discusses Burma's 2015 general election. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) With more than 80 political parties expected to compete in a general election due in November, The Irrawaddy is reaching out to the leadership of the major parties to find out how they plan to contest, what issues they will emphasize and which direction they predict the country's politics will take. This interview with Thu Wai, chairman of the Democratic Party (Myanmar), is the first installment of what will be a multi-part series. How many constituencies will your party contest and what preparations has the party made? We have not yet made specific preparations for the election and are just engaging in normal activities like recruiting new members, mobilizing support and holding discussions. So far, we have funds to field over 50 candidates for the election and are seeking funds to field more. Will you personally contest the election? Yes, I will. Our party secretary Daw Than Than Nu [daughter of former Prime Minister U Nu] said she would also contest. I will contest in constituencies in Yangon. How does the Democratic Party [Myanmar] get funds? How transparent is it? At present, I run the party with my own money and donations from friends. We put advertisements in our [party] newspapers for donations. And we also put online advertisements for donations. We have kept detailed accounts since the establishment of our party. This is the principle of our party. You can audit anytime. Again, we don't accept being bought off. If the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party [USDP] or National League for Democracy [NLD] proposes making an alliance with your party, would you consider it? Is that something you would want? I do want to work in unison. As of now, we don't have political relations with the big parties. We are a member of the Federal Democracy Alliance, which is an alliance of 11 political parties and we work in cooperation with fellow members. If big parties propose entering into alliance with us, we'll take the country's interests into consideration. I am willing to cooperate with any party across Myanmar as long as we have equality with them. Does your party have an election campaign slogan? Our main slogan is, 'To lead a decent human life is our cause.' We were born as humans and we should be able to lead a decent human life. By decent human life I mean a life in which individuals need not worry about food, shelter, clothing and health for them and their families. The key to this is the country must be peaceful, developed and there must be job opportunities. What is your assessment of the state of Burma's peace process? I don't think peace can be achieved before the election. Only the foundation [for peace] can be laid, at most [before the election]. Do you think the election, organized by the Union Election Commission [UEC] chairman and former Lt-Gen Tin Aye, will be free and fair? I don't think it will be free and fair. But I am sure the election will be held because it is foremost about the dignity of the government. It has to retain it. Again, chairman U Tin Aye is a former general and former USDP member. No matter how much he says the election will be free and fair, how can we trust him? But then, when we met, he said he would organize a free and fair election. I hope he will do so. Do you think the military will voluntarily reduce its role in the country's politics? That the military takes 25 percent of seats [in Parliament] works against democracy. They are not elected by the people. The military holds 25 percent of seats in the Parliament as a deterrent because it has held power for a long time and it feels unsafe releasing its grip on power. What are your thoughts on the role of Snr-Gen Than Shwe? Do you think he is still giving instructions from behind the scenes, like his predecessor U Ne Win reportedly did? The current democratic reforms were in fact put in place by Snr-Gen Than Shwe. Nothing can be done without his agreement. He gave assignments to initiate reforms. For example, he arranged for U Thein Sein to become president. … The current leaders still pay respect to him and seek his advice. So, he still has big influence. Since he is free now, he would have to be thinking about how to make his next move. U Than Shwe therefore will continue to have influence over the new government that is elected. He will try to win. I don't know what he will do or if he will play fairly or unfairly to win. But then again, things may not happen as he expects. It is, however, fair to say that he may continue to give instructions from behind the scenes like his mentor U Ne Win did. How do you view the NLD? Do you think the opposition party will win a landslide victory? Daw Aung San Suu Kyi still maintains considerable influence. She still has significant support from people. But the situation has changed. In the 1990 election, the NLD had to compete with the government-backed National Unity Party [NUP] alone. Now, it has a number of challengers, mostly ethnic parties. I think ethnic parties will win majorities in their regions. [Editor's Note: A total of 93 political parties participated in the 1990 election, compared with more than 80 parties expected to contest this year]. The ruling USDP has power and money. And they have prepared systematically; generals do not go to war without a plan. So, I don't think the NLD will win a landslide victory like it did before. What does the new post-2015 government look like in your mind? At present, the role of the military has grown significantly. It has greater influence, as far as I am concerned. Political parties do not have unity and are blaming and attacking each other. It is because of the political decoys of the government and the military. No party will win a landslide in the coming election. Therefore, there will be mergers, I think, and the military would be happy if it turns out like that. I don't think the military would seize power. It already has power. The new government will have to coordinate with it. The post 'Generals Don't Go to War Without a Plan' appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| India PM Modi’s Yoga Offensive Gets Muslims Stressed Posted: 16 Jun 2015 02:44 AM PDT  A young man performs Shalabhasana, a form of yoga which builds strength and flexibility in the back, in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh August 23, 2009. (Photo: Reuters) NEW DELHI — Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts to seize on yoga as India's signature cultural export have his Hindu nationalist allies swelling with pride, but are leaving minority religious groups feeling marginalized. An enthusiastic practitioner of the regimen himself, Modi set up a new ministry for yoga last year. He also persuaded the United Nations to declare June 21 International Day of Yoga—the first of which will be celebrated in New Delhi on Sunday with a mega yoga event, with schools encouraged to take part. "After the number zero this is India's biggest contribution to society," said Anil Ganeriwala, a joint secretary in the ministry. "It is a symbol of our cultural richness." The ministry says yoga is "widely considered as an 'immortal cultural outcome' of the Indus Saraswati valley civilizations," which date back to 2700 BC. Hindu nationalist groups, including Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), have said they want to resurrect India's past glory, a concept based on a mix of history and Hindu myth. "Yoga is part of ancient India's cultural heritage," said Manmohan Vaidya, an RSS spokesman. "By celebrating yoga on a mass scale we are validating our glorious past." The glory days, however, precede Islam and Christianity, and the yoga push comes at a time of heightened fears among religious minorities that the BJP and its right-wing allies are trying to change India from a secular nation to a Hindu country. Members of India's minority groups say the move to promote yoga is a ploy to whip up Hindu pride and marginalize the country's 175 million Muslims. India's main opposition Congress party has also attacked the yoga event as a political gimmick. "It is a campaign to enforce Hindu rituals on all non-Hindus," said Abdul Rahim Qureshi, the assistant general secretary of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board. Omitting 'Om' Every morning when at his official bungalow, Modi sits cross-legged on a cotton mat for yoga and meditation. He spends 20 minutes in a room overlooking manicured lawns and palm trees. "For several years it has been his way to streamline his thoughts ahead of a grueling schedule," an aide said. Some proponents of yoga argue that it is an exercise regimen that transcends religion, and so Muslims are wrong to oppose the government for encouraging it. Yogi Adityanath, a Hindu priest who is now a prominent BJP legislator, said last week minority groups that oppose yoga should either leave the country or drown themselves in the sea. The RSS last year passed a resolution calling for yoga to be made compulsory in schools and universities. Rafiq Ali, an administrator at the Fatehpuri Muslim senior secondary school in Delhi, said the school recently introduced yoga in its curriculum and at least 350 Muslim students take lessons every week. "We teach yoga but have excluded the prayers and Hindu chants," Ali said, referring to "Om," a Hindu chant evoked during yoga. "Why end the event with a Hindu prayer?" Ali said. "The government can end it with the national anthem if they believe yoga belongs to India." The post India PM Modi's Yoga Offensive Gets Muslims Stressed appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| New Citizens Kept Grounded in Arakan State Posted: 16 Jun 2015 02:29 AM PDT  Moe Rue Husom, who also goes by Min Aung, shows a green ID card he received in 2014, indicating that he is a naturalized citizen under Burma's 1982 Citizenship Law. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) The movement of about 500 people recently awarded citizenship remains restricted by authorities in restive Arakan State, according to the deputy minister of immigration, who was responding to questions on Monday from lawmakers taking a rare stand on behalf of persecuted Muslims in western Burma. Speaking before Parliament, the immigration official cited concerns over the affected population's safety as reason for the continued enforcement of a travel ban. Most if not all of those recently granted citizenship are believed to have identified as "Bengali," the term used by the government to refer to Rohingya Muslims. The government does not recognize the word "Rohingya," and refuses to allow anyone self-identifying by the term to apply for citizenship. Lower House lawmakers representing the Arakan National Party (ANP) raised two separate questions related to the newly minted Burmese nationals and the citizenship scrutinizing process of former holders of the temporary identity documents known as white cards. Pe Than, an Arakanese lawmaker from Myebon constituency, said he was not satisfied with Deputy Immigration Minister Win Myint's response to his question on freedom of movement for the new citizens. He told The Irrawaddy that about 500 Muslims residing in Myebon Township were recently granted citizenship, but they have not yet been afforded the right to freely travel in the country. The largest contingent of white card holders is Rohingya in Arakan State, where communal violence broke out between Buddhists and Muslims in June 2012 and again in October of that year. The rioting displaced about 140,000 people, most of them Rohingya who have been confined to squalid displacement camps ever since. Their movement is heavily restricted by local authorities. Issued beginning in the mid-1990s and invalidated on March 31 of this year, nearly 400,000 white cards have since been turned over to local officials, according to immigration figures, in line with a government order that the documents be returned by May 31. "He [the deputy minister] said those who obtain citizenship after returning their temporary identity documents are still not allowed to travel freely due to security reasons," Pe Than said. "His answer also shows that there is instability and no rule of law yet in the [Arakan] State." "The government should listen to its citizens, and respect their right to movement," he added. "We would help them travel safely if they need to travel outside of Arakan State [for better job opportunities]." Khin Soe, director of the Arakan State Immigration Department, told The Irrawaddy last week that those individuals returning white cards would be issued green-colored documents valid for two years, during which time they would have the opportunity to apply for citizenship. An official with the Union-level Immigration and National Registration Department had previously told The Irrawaddy that the cards would be "blue-green" in color. Myebon Township was selected for a pilot of the so-called citizenship scrutinizing process, which is based on Burma's 1982 Citizenship Law and requires applicants to prove ancestry in Burma. A successful screening sees the applicant granted one of three citizenship statuses: full, naturalized or associate. There are an estimated one million Muslims who either had white cards or another form of identity document, according to Shwe Maung, a Rohingya lawmaker from the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). "There are reports that those who lost their white cards were not able to return the documents and thus they are not being counted in the figure," he told The Irrawaddy. He said questions remain on the new policy, including whether it is in line with the 1982 Citizenship Law and related legislation. The Rohingya community had hoped that they would be issued citizenship identity cards when they returned their temporary documents, according to Shwe Maung, but those hopes were not realized. Those handing over their white cards were instead given a receipt. On Monday another Arakanese lawmaker, Ba Shein, also raised the issue of freedom of movement for Rohingya Muslims who are being held in the camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Arakan State. Ba Shein told The Irrawaddy that the deputy minister also did not answer his inquiry about which laws gave the government the authority to confine IDPs to the camps. The lawmaker also asked whether the deputy minister considered the IDPs to be suffering from human rights abuses. "The deputy minister excused it [limitation of movement] by saying it is due to the impacts of communal conflicts following the Kyauk Ni Maw [rape case] in 2012," he said, referring to an incident that sparked the unrest three years ago. "My question was to find out in what ways the government is working to improve their rights. But there was no answer." He urged the government to take seriously the "longstanding" issue of citizenship verification, which he said was rife with corrupt practices. "It requires courage from the government to deal with it," he said. The ANP lawmakers' questions in defense of human rights for the Rohingya are not typical. The party, which counts ethnic Arakanese Buddhists as its major base of support, has rarely taken such a public stand and its chairman Aye Maung has consistently spoken out against granting the Muslim minority political rights before their claims to citizenship had been assessed. Mutual distrust between the communities makes perceived support for the Rohingya a politically risky position, with the state's majority Arakanese largely considering the minority Muslims to be illegal interlopers from neighboring Bangladesh. Shwe Maung told The Irrawaddy that he welcomed the substance of the lawmakers questions, but had doubts about their intent. "I welcome those questions as they are the right issue to ask about, but the motives behind the questions is unknown; whether they want the freedom of travel for Rohingya Muslims or they want them [Rohingya] to move from the region forever," he said. Khin Oo Tha contributed to this report. The post New Citizens Kept Grounded in Arakan State appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Burma’s State-Owned Airline to Service Singapore Posted: 16 Jun 2015 01:21 AM PDT  Airplanes taxi at Changi Airport in Singapore on Dec. 29, 2014. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — Burma's state-owned flag carrier announced on Monday that it will offer direct flights from Rangoon to Singapore beginning in August. Four other cities in the Asia Pacific region will join Myanmar National Airlines (MNA) international network in early 2016, the company said in a press statement. Coinciding with this week's induction of one of 10 new aircraft into its fleet, MNA said the new planes will link the company's 26 domestic destinations with an expanding international network. "With these beautiful, leading-edge aircraft we will create a premier airline that is the undisputed leader in the country, the rival of others in the region and that shares the spirit of Myanmar with the world," MNA CEO Than Tun said in the statement. Last year the company secured six Boeing 737-800s and four 737 Max aircraft in a US$960 million deal with GE Civil Aviation Services, the largest commercial deal between the United States and Burma in decades. MNA, formerly called Myanma Airways, was incorporated in 2014 as Burma's sole flag carrier and was authorized to operate both domestic and international routes. The airline currently has the largest domestic network in Burma. The new international route will bring MNA into competition with two other local carriers serving Singapore. Myanmar Airways International (MAI), owned by KBZ Chairman Aung Ko Win, offers seven international destinations including Singapore. Golden Myanmar Airlines, owned by CB Bank Chairman Khin Maung Aye, serves Singapore and Thailand. Aye Mra Tha, a senior executive at MAI, told The Irrawaddy that the airline will focus on safety and service to keep up in the market as it becomes more saturated. "We're now competing with other regional airlines, so the challenges are already there," she said, adding that as passengers become increasingly concerned with air travel safety, an airline's track record "will decide the market from now on." Myanmar National Airlines was founded under the name of Union of Burma Airways in 1948. Initially offering only domestic routes, it later expanded to service Bangladesh, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Thailand and Singapore, but those routes were suspended in the early 1990s. The post Burma's State-Owned Airline to Service Singapore appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| “Next Year, I’ll be Riding a Unicorn!” Posted: 16 Jun 2015 12:51 AM PDT  “Next Year, I’ll be Riding a Unicorn!” The post “Next Year, I’ll be Riding a Unicorn!” appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| India Tries to Assuage Burma After Cross-Border Raid Boasts Posted: 15 Jun 2015 10:29 PM PDT  India's National Security Advisor Ajit Kumar Doval, left, talks to Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung at the Government Office in Hanoi on April 3, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) NEW DELHI — India is sending its national security adviser to Burma to calm tempers over a rare cross-raid against insurgents that it trumpeted as a warning to countries harboring anti-India militants. Days after Indian Special Forces crossed into Burma from two northeastern states to hunt down militants who had killed 18 soldiers in an ambush, it turns out that the operation was minor and only low-level rebels were targeted. But Indian ministers portrayed the military action—which was meant to be covert—as a major success and a declaration that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was ready to carry out surgical strikes against militants beyond India's borders. Burma broke its silence over the operation after the chest-thumping, saying no fighting had taken place on its soil and military experts in New Delhi said it would be harder to get Burma's support for further counter-insurgency actions. National Security Adviser Ajit Kumar Doval, who was a key player in the June 9 operation against two rebel camps in Burma, will meet government leaders in Burma during a two-day trip starting on Tuesday, officials said. "Damage limitation will be an overwhelming component of this visit after the embarrassment that has been caused to Myanmar by the intemperate statements from our ministers," said Ajai Sahni, executive director of the Institute of Conflict Management that tracks militant activity across South Asia. India's mountainous northeast, bounded by China, Burma, Bangladesh and Bhutan, is home to dozens of insurgent groups, some fighting for greater autonomy and others for secession. India's army said it inflicted significant casualties during the pre-dawn raid last week. But intelligence assessments have since revealed that one of the camps was empty when the commandos struck. Only seven bodies had been recovered, the Indian Express said, quoting assessments conducted by the army with the intelligence services. Wireless intercepts suggested fewer than a dozen rebels were wounded. "This was a relatively minor operation and will have only transient tactical and psychological significance. Operationally and logistically, the Myanmar attack was unexceptional," Sahni said. But junior information and broadcasting minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said the attack was a message to arch foe Pakistan that New Delhi would go after militants beyond its borders, a thinly veiled reference to Kashmir where India blames Pakistan for fomenting a militant rebellion. Former Indian Ambassador to Burma Preet Malik told The Wire website that advertising the covert strike was uncalled for and had put a strain on relations with Burma, which had cooperated with India on security issues. The post India Tries to Assuage Burma After Cross-Border Raid Boasts appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Police: Missing Malaysian Tanker Likely Hijacked by Pirates Posted: 15 Jun 2015 09:51 PM PDT  Tankers travel through the Singapore Strait July 6, 2014. (Photo: Reuters) KUALA LUMPUR — A Malaysian oil tanker that went missing last week carrying fuel worth 21 million ringgit (US$5.6 million) and 22 crew members is believed to have been hijacked by pirates, marine police said on Monday. MT Orkim Harmony, loaded with 7.5 million liters (2 million gallons) of gasoline belonging to national oil company Petronas, was headed to northern Kuantan when communications with it were lost late on Thursday near Singapore. It was the second tanker believed to have been hijacked this month in the same area. Ahmad Puzi Abdul Kahar, deputy director-general of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, said there was a "high probability" that the tanker was taken by pirates, although no ransom demands have been received. The crew consists of 16 Malaysians, five Indonesians and a Burmese national. He said the vessel didn't issue any distress call and all communications and tracking systems could have been turned off. Another Malaysian tanker carrying diesel fuel was hijacked June 4 in the same area. The vessel was released after the fuel was siphoned off. Ahmad Puzi said it will be more difficult to steal the gasoline because it is highly flammable and requires special safety equipment. He said the nearest such facilities are in Thailand, Brunei and Vietnam. The agency is in touch with its regional counterparts to track the vessel, he added. The International Maritime Bureau said attacks against small tankers off Southeast Asia's coasts have been rising since last year. Gangs of armed thieves usually target small tankers in the region for their cargo, looking specifically for marine diesel and oil to steal and then sell, it says. Pirates have been particularly active near Indonesia's Bintan island and in the South China Sea, where 11 vessels were hijacked last year, the bureau said. The post Police: Missing Malaysian Tanker Likely Hijacked by Pirates appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| In Burma’s Election Year, Radical Buddhism Heightens Tension Posted: 15 Jun 2015 09:45 PM PDT  A house that was burnt in 2013 during anti-Muslim violence and unrest is seen in Meiktila, May 14, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) MEIKTILA, Mandalay Division — When religious violence erupted in Meiktila in central Burma two years ago, local politician Win Htein spoke up for the minority Muslims who bore its deadly brunt. Many of his fellow Buddhists have never forgiven him. At least 44 people were killed in March 2013 after a rampage by Buddhist mobs that Win Htein, a lawmaker for the National League for Democracy (NLD), tried to stop. Led by Aung San Suu Kyi, the NLD will soon contest a general election, and Win Htein admits that memories of his actions then could lose the party votes among Burma's Buddhist majority. "I was accused of bias against Buddhists," he told Reuters. "I have never regretted my decision to protect a minority." For parties contesting the election, likely to be held in November, race and religion are both central and incendiary. They pose a special challenge for Nobel peace laureate Suu Kyi, who has been criticized overseas for not speaking up for Muslims and other minorities. Religious tensions simmered in Burma for almost half a century of military rule, before boiling over in 2012, just a year after a semi-civilian government took power. Hundreds died in clashes between Rohingya Muslims and ethnic Arakanese Buddhists that year, which led to the organized expulsion of Rohingya by Arakanese mobs. Some 140,000 Rohingya now live in squalid internment camps, while thousands more have fled by boat for nearby countries, sparking a regional migration crisis. Anti-Muslim unrest later spread to central Burma. It was fuelled by monks who claimed Islam was eclipsing Buddhism and urged a boycott of Muslim businesses and interfaith marriages. The violent combustion of Buddhist nationalism and anti-Muslim sentiment "could happen again in the politically charged context of an election," the Brussels-based International Crisis Group said in April. Suu Kyi's Silence Win Htein, 74, a Suu Kyi confidant and former political prisoner, defends his party leader's apparent reluctance to speak up for Muslims. "If she speaks in favor of Rohingya, she'll be accused of being a Muslim lover," he said. "If she speaks for the [Arakanese] people, she'll be accused of being a nationalist and a racist. That's why she has stayed quiet." Meanwhile, Buddhist nationalist groups such as the Committee for the Protection of Nationality and Religion, led by monks and known by its acronym Ma Ba Tha, grow increasingly vocal. In May, President Thein Sein signed into law a population control bill that Human Rights Watch warned could be used "to repress religious and ethnic minorities." The law, which would require some women to wait at least three years between pregnancies, was one of four "Race and Religion Protection Laws" introduced to parliament with Ma Ba Tha backing. The NLD opposes them. Burma's reforms have brought new freedom of expression, but criticizing Buddhism remains perilous. On June 2, a court jailed Htin Lin Oo, a writer and NLD member, for two years for "insulting religion" in a speech promoting religious tolerance. 'Ashamed' of Meiktila The 2013 bloodshed in Meiktila started with an argument involving a Buddhist at a Muslim-run gold shop. Buddhist mobs, monks among them, were soon attacking Muslims and their properties. Further incensed by a deadly assault by Muslims on a monk during the ensuing violence, they massacred at least 20 students of an Islamic school. When Win Htein later declared he was "ashamed" to come from Meiktila, a group of constituents petitioned for his removal as their member of Parliament. The NLD is expected to do well nationally in the election, but local party member Khin May Si said some Meiktila Buddhists were now "totally against" the party and supported Ma Ba Tha. Baddanta Ottara, a monk and Ma Ba Tha's deputy chairman in Meiktila, said the violence had united Buddhists. He said Win Htein's stance was an "insult" to Buddhism, and characterized Muslims as aloof, furtive and menacing. "Not every Muslim is an extremist, but most extremists are Muslims," he said. Muslims told Reuters they felt besieged and fearful. Thae Thae Mar, 53, lives in a shack in a community destroyed by mobs in 2013. Many Muslims had since returned to build simple homes amid the ruins, but she still feels vulnerable. The authorities have shut down the local mosque. Thae Thae Mar said dogs got inside and barked from the minarets. "It makes me want to cry," she said. "We're not even allowed to go in and chase them away." The post In Burma's Election Year, Radical Buddhism Heightens Tension appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Calls Grow for Inquiry into Alleged Australian People Smuggler Payments Posted: 15 Jun 2015 09:39 PM PDT  A woman reads a newspaper containing an advertisement publicising the Australian government’s policy on asylum seekers arriving by boat. (Photo: David Gray / Reuters) SYDNEY — Calls grew on Monday for an inquiry into reports that Australian officials paid people-smugglers bound for Australia thousands of dollars to turn their boat back to Indonesia, with Jakarta and the United Nations also expressing serious concern. Australia has vowed to stop asylum-seekers reaching its shores, turning boats back to Indonesia when it can and sending asylum-seekers for long-term detention in camps in impoverished South Pacific nations Papua New Guinea and Nauru. A boat captain and two crew members arrested on suspicion of human trafficking told Indonesian police Australian authorities had paid each of them AU$5,000 (US$3,860) to turn back their vessel with 65 migrants on board. The passengers, including children and a pregnant woman, were from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Immigration Minister Peter Dutton last week denied reports of payment to the smugglers but both declined to repeat the denials during a heated parliamentary debate on Monday. Prime Minister Tony Abbott has declined to comment, citing operational security. A growing chorus of opposition politicians wants the government to explain. Opposition Labor Party leader Bill Shorten said the refusal to dispel the reports would entice people smugglers. “By failing to deny reports that criminal people smugglers could be paid $30,000 if they make it to an Australian vessel, isn’t the government providing a cash incentive for these dangerous voyages to take place?” Shorten asked Abbott. Greens Party Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said she had asked the Australian Federal Police to investigate. Labor has sought an inquiry from the country’s auditor-general. There are signs the allegations are already straining ties between uneasy neighbours Australia and Indonesia, which are only just beginning to improve after Indonesia’s execution of two Australians on drugs charges this year. On Saturday, Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman Armanatha Nasir said Australia would have stooped to a “new low” if the reports were true. Indonesia has yet to receive a clarification from Australia on the circumstances surrounding the push-back, deputy foreign minister A.M. Fachir told reporters on Monday. Bishop lashed out at Jakarta in an interview with The Australian newspaper published on Monday, blaming Indonesia for what she called lax border controls. “The best way for Indonesia to resolve any concerns it has…is for Indonesia to enforce sovereignty over its borders,” she said. In a brewing spat, Indonesian officials responded that the country is firm in protecting its sovereignty and territory. The United Nations and human rights groups have criticised Australia over its tough asylum-seeker policy. Payments to criminals were unacceptable, said United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres. “We need to crack down on smuggling and trafficking, not paying them, but putting them in jail whenever possible, or prosecuting them,” he told the BBC. The post Calls Grow for Inquiry into Alleged Australian People Smuggler Payments appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Australian Firm Says Community Opposition Impeding Consultations on Controversial Dam Posted: 15 Jun 2015 09:19 PM PDT  The site of a tunnel which the Shan Human Rights Foundation says is part of construction efforts on the Mongton dam. (Courtesy Shan Human Rights Foundation) CHIANG MAI, Thailand — An Australian company contracted to assess the potential environmental and social impact of the planned Mongton dam has responded to recent criticism of the consultation process, saying that interference with its data collection efforts could lead to "suboptimal outcomes for the affected communities." The Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation (SMEC) has faced significant local opposition since holding its first public consultations on the project on March 10 in Taunggyi, Shan State. It cancelled a planned public meeting on April 30 in Shan State's Kunhing—a township in the path of the proposed dam's massive reservoir—where hundreds of locals had gathered to protest the project. SMEC was appointed to conduct the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Social Impact Assessment (SIA) for the hydropower project which is backed by three Chinese companies, China Three Gorges Corporation, China Southern Power Grid and Sinohydro; the state-owned Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT); and local conglomerate the International Group of Entrepreneurs, owned by the sons of Union Solidarity and Development Party lawmaker Aung Thaung, who was placed on a US Treasury blacklist last October. In a statement sent to The Irrawaddy, SMEC acknowledged opposition to the Mongton project and the notion of hydropower on the Salween River in general, but stressed that EIA/SIA meetings were "forums for the exchange of technical information" and not "platforms for political lobbying and demonstration." The firm warned that "important future decisions may be based on poor or incomplete data" if the EIA/SIA process was disrupted. "Disruption of technical meetings by organised groups and demonstrations, often by people from outside the area, does have the potential to impede the information gathering process and ultimately is a disservice to the communities and stakeholders that may be directly impacted by the project," SMEC said. At 241 meters in height, the 7,000 megawatt-capacity hydropower dam is the largest of six controversial dams planned along Burma's stretch of the Salween River. Most of the electricity generated by the hydropower project, which Burma's government has admitted would flood an estimated 676 square km area of farmland and forest, is expected to be sold to Thailand and China. On June 9, a coalition of 16 Shan civil society organizations derided SMEC's community consultations as merely a "rubber stamp" and alleged that SMEC field surveyors in Mongton angered local villagers "by only explaining the positive impacts of the dam, giving them 'gifts' which they saw as bribes, and persuading them to sign documents they didn't understand." SMEC told The Irrawaddy that it was working to implement a "participative, inclusive and transparent" consultative process and that it had "tried to engage with civil society organizations on numerous occasions with limited success." The firm also emphasized that it would not be making a recommendation as to whether the project should or should not proceed but that this decision rested solely with Burma's government. Over the three months of consultations thus far, activist and community groups have consistently expressed concern that the opinions of affected persons were being sidelined. "The EIA process has not been inclusive nor transparent enough to ensure that voices and concerns of those whose lives are at risk are included in decision-making," said Pianporn Deetes of the environmental NGO International Rivers in an email to The Irrawaddy. The Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF) has been monitoring the Mongton project and was one of the groups that signed on to the June 9 statement. When the Australian company's response was put to SHRF on Monday, the organization refuted suggestions that protesters were often from "outside the area." "About 150 Mongton local people protested against SMEC on April 6, 2015 and over 300 Kunhing local people, including local Kunhing MP Nang Wah Nu, from the Shan Nationalities Development Party, planned the protest against the SMEC public consultation on April 30, 2015," said SHRF spokesperson Sai Hor Hseng. "They are native local people. They love their natural resources and they want to protect their natural resources. They are not people from outside the area." While SMEC's ongoing EIA/SIA is promoted as a means to help the government decide whether the project should proceed, locals living near the proposed dam site have reported that a level of activity is already underway. Shan community organizations have said that over 60 Chinese engineers have been based at the dam site since the start of the year and the SHRF provided photos to The Irrawaddy which it said showed a large tunnel, blasted and drilled using heavy equipment. "We believe this is preparation for actual construction of the dam, as they plan to build several diversion tunnels as part of the dam," Sai Hor Hseng said. In its previous incarnation, the Mongton dam was known as the Tasang dam, which was slated for development at a site 10 km further downstream from the current project's location. The project was linked to human rights violations including forced relocation from the mid-1990s, according to Salween Watch and International Rivers. SMEC has operated in Burma's energy sector since 1969, according to the company's website, and was involved in the original Tasang hydropower project, including various feasibility and operative studies as well as on the design of the proposed site's power station. The project's current developers inked the contract to develop the Mongton dam, set to be the tallest dam in Southeast Asia if developed, with the former military junta in 2010 and initial work began at the new site in 2012. The post Australian Firm Says Community Opposition Impeding Consultations on Controversial Dam appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Private Propertie Merges New Port of Call, Bar and Italian Eatery Posted: 15 Jun 2015 05:30 PM PDT Click to view slideshow. Even though he's opened two eateries in the past eight months, sit chef Kevin Ching down, ask him what he'd like to do next, and marvel at the way he spouts restaurant ideas with the same sizzle as the decadent porchetta bits bursting through his tacos. He'd love to open a hipster Korean barbecue joint, or maybe a Vietnamese Pho garden; but then again, there's the potential for well-done Burmese food to really take off. It's refreshing to have someone look at Rangoon's culinary scene and, rather than moan in disdain, jump up and down with excitement. "This is a great place to write your story if you're a young chef," Ching adds to that effect. Though their original intention was never to be evicted from TS1, late 2014 saw pop-up culinary experiment Port Autonomy move from Lanthit Jetty downtown to the sprawling, geese-inhabited gardens that once housed Le Planteur. The new venue is a little more tiki bar than the industrial-retro feel of their jetty digs, but the softshell crab melt is still on the menu and it's as tender as ever in its creamy mixture of salsa verde and generous crab chunks, which come encased in crunchy ciabatta bread. What's more, tacos have been added to the menu, spurred on by the fact that Ye Htut Win of Sharky's fame recently decoded the secrets of the corn tortilla. The original kitsch of the TS1 location has been turned up a notch, though the chef admits that Port Autonomy has always been "the original hipster restaurant." Well, now it hosts beer pong tournaments and, in an ode to the Ching's stint in Thailand, serves up perilous "dragon bowls"—the upscale Rangoon equivalent of the bucket of booze too many of us have consumed one lost night or another. Port Autonomy, however, is only one-third of the trifecta making up Private Propertie, the newly named residence that also hosts The New Boris and La Carovana. The New Boris is a small bar located on the ground floor of Private Propertie, but there's nothing tiki about it. The striking array of brightly colored walls and rattan furniture lend it the feel of a Barneys catalogue—it's too easy to picture an array of models lounging casually under the artsy chandelier. The room is so beautiful it's a little intimidating; "Am I dressed up enough to be here?" It's not a reaction many places in Rangoon elicit. La Carovana, in a similar vein, is looking to serve up contemporary Italian fare that's of the highest standards. It's also proof that Kevin Ching is, if not the best, then at least the most innovative chef working in Rangoon right now. Dishes are exquisitely balanced, but they're also inventive enough to surprise. The Manila clams were fresh and delightfully seasoned, and my mouth still waters at the memory of the risotto: Served with perfectly crisped cauliflower florets and touches of roe, the rice dish is topped with a delicate portion of Hamachi belly that's served raw and cooks slowly as the dish steams. My only reservation, aside from limitations imposed by my food reviewer's wages, has to do with the marketing. The enterprise is unashamedly elitist—it's named and spelled Private Propertie, after all—but the ambience at La Carovana does feel a little stuffy. This is surprising, given that Port Autonomy prides itself on being so fun, and begs the question: What would turn La Carovana into a fine dining experience that's both delicious and inviting? It's hard to fight the impression that owner Ivan Pun has handed over the keys for Private Propertie to Ching and allowed him to make the place his own personal culinary playground. Luckily, Ching is tireless and gifted, offering up everything from a take on the oxtail soup that was his favorite as a child, to a variation on the porchetta that he perfected during his stint at Appia in Bangkok. One thing is certain about this choose-your-own-adventure culinary experience: It will only get more interesting as Ching continues his near-manic exploration of food. I, for one, can't wait to see what he comes up with next. Private Propertie is located at 22 Kabar Aye Pagoda Road. The post Private Propertie Merges New Port of Call, Bar and Italian Eatery appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Villagers Urge Environmental Protections for Inle Lake Posted: 15 Jun 2015 05:00 PM PDT  Boats in a canal to Inle Lake in April. In recent years, the lake has been affected by a dramatic drop in water levels and unprecedented levels of pollution as a result of nearby developments. (Photo: Teza Hlaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Over 100 local communities in Shan State banded together on Monday to demand a stop to the deterioration of Inle Lake, which has suffered a dramatic drop in water levels and quality as a result of nearby development. An event in Nyaung Shwe Township organized by Senior Women of Shan State, which included public talks and discussions with local villagers, kicked off a signature campaign to petition the government for environmental safeguards to protect the lake from further degradation. "Changes in the past decades are threatening the health of the lake," read a statement released by the group on Monday. "If it continues like this, the lake could dry up in the near future and local livelihoods would be ruined. We are concerned enough that locals from Inle, local monks and village elders have joined together to start a movement to conserve the lake, in order to prevent damage and ensure sustainable development." Inle Lake is the second largest body of fresh water in Burma. For years, it has suffered from a range of environmental problems such as drought, deforestation and pollution, and concerns over its health have accelerated with the construction of new hotel developments to accommodate the burgeoning tourist trade. Khin Nyunt, a 51-year-old villager from Mine Thout, told The Irrawaddy that water levels had recently shrunk dramatically across the lake. "The lake is our second city," she said. "In the past, there was no chopping down trees, not many hotels and no destruction of floating gardens. But now, since conditions are worsening, we have become very worried." A photo exhibition documenting the lake's current condition, pollution emanating from hotel developments on the eastern side of the lake and damage to the area's famed floating gardens was also unveiled at Monday's event. "We cannot have another hotel zone and more new buildings," Sao Haymer Thaike, a member of SWSS, told The Irrawaddy. "We need to raise community awareness to conserve the lake and stop polluting the surroundings." The UN cultural agency, Unesco, last week added Inle Lake to its list of 651 biosphere reserves, becoming the first location in Burma to join the list. Locals hope the designation will bring international help to arrest the lake's decline. The SWSS will collect signatures until World Rivers Day on Sept. 27, and will present its petition to Union, state and local authorities. The post Villagers Urge Environmental Protections for Inle Lake appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
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