The Irrawaddy Magazine |
- Political Parties Sign Election Code of Conduct
- At Least One Dead as Southern Burma Lashed by Heavy Rains, Flooding
- Civil Society Reps Blast Burma’s Opaque Extractive Industries
- Charter Reform Vote Ripples Through Ethnic Leadership, Further Damaging Trust
- Suffrage for Squatters Poses Pre-Poll Challenge
- At Least 4 Killed in Hpakant Landslide
- ‘I Will Dare to Criticize Anyone for Anything That is Against the Law’
- Burma Frees Bangladeshi Soldier After Ministry Protest
- Rejection of Charter Reform Bill ‘Deeply Troubling’: US Lawmakers
- Scientists Crack Gene Secret That Lets Poppies Make Morphine
- Thailand to Teach Journalists How to Ask Inoffensive Questions
- Nauru President Says Opposition and Foreign Media Tried to Topple Government
| Political Parties Sign Election Code of Conduct Posted: 26 Jun 2015 07:56 AM PDT  Political party leaders signed a Code of Conduct on Friday in Rangoon, committing their members to guidelines aimed at fostering ethical electioneering on Election Day. (Photo: Tin Htet Paing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Representatives from nearly 70 of Burma's political parties gathered here on Friday to sign an election Code of Conduct (CoC), committing their members to guidelines aimed at ensuring ethical electioneering on polling day and in the lead up to the historic vote later this year. Chairpersons and other senior leaders from the political parties joined delegates from civil society organizations, foreign embassies, parliamentary committees and international nongovernmental organizations in a signing ceremony presided over by Burma's Union Election Commission (UEC). Sixty-seven of about 80 officially registered political parties signed onto the document, and more parties and independent candidates are expected to add their signatures in the weeks to come. The CoC is described as a "voluntary instrument," and violations of its provisions are not subject to legal penalties, in contrast to Burma's election laws. "We, the UEC, already have laws pertaining to the elections. This is the moral rules that are agreed among political parties. … They negotiated and drew up [the code] themselves, reached agreement and now, today, they are signing on to follow those rules," UEC chairman Tin Aye told reporters following the ceremony. The CoC was drafted by a working committee formed of representatives from six parties and party alliances, including the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and Burma's largest opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD). The mandate of the working committee, which in total represented more than 40 political parties, was informed by a set of principles agreed upon by all of the country's registered political parties in October 2014. A draft was presented to political parties in March of this year and the UEC reviewed the document the following month, with Friday's signatories accepting the CoC on May 15. "If the parties can't solve [problems] using the CoC or any controversial issues arise, I need only to solve them using the existing law," Tin Aye said. The CoC's provisions are broadly intended to foster a civil and open debate as the parties vie for voters' favor in the months to come. Article 4.2 of the code, for example, states: "Criticism of any party or a candidate shall be confined only to the policies and programs of such party or candidate and his/her past performance. … No incorrect or false criticism regarding personal matters unrelated to political responsibilities shall be made of political party leaders, activists and candidates." Attendees of Friday's ceremony welcomed the conduct guidelines. "I like this CoC," said Ba Lwin from the Phlone-Sqaw Democratic Party, a Karen party. "There was no such kind of CoC in previous elections and these kinds of commitments are needed. There were some controversies in previous elections. Some candidates and parties made [unethical] criticisms against other parties in the election campaign." Nay Min Kyaw, secretary of the National Democratic Force (NDF), said all of the signatories would have input in the formation of a central committee and subcommittees in states and divisions to monitor signatories' adherence to the CoC. "After the election date is announced, the central committee, including the parties that signed the CoC, will be formed to monitor and also subcommissions," he said, adding that all of Burma's registered political parties had indicated their intention to sign the CoC, though some could not attend Friday's signing ceremony. Absent parties can sign at a later date at the Embassy of Switzerland in Rangoon or the UEC branch office in the city, which jointly organized the signing ceremony, he added. "It is like speed bump on roads," Nay Min Kyaw said of the CoC. "The speed bumps can reduce accidents. And also now, since we have a CoC, we don't need to solve everything with the election law. We can solve with the understanding and belief between candidates and parties. But if we can't solve with that, we just need to resort to the law." Ko Ko Gyi, a prominent leader of the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society, told The Irrawaddy that civil society groups, media and party signatories would be responsible for bringing CoC violations to the attention of the public, since the agreement contains no enforceable legal mechanism. "The law is binding. [You] must follow it and if not, there will be legal action like a fine, prison terms, or party deregistration, but even the laws are not effective and we didn't see legal action against those who broke them [in the past]," he said. "They signed [the CoC] in front of the public, committing to follow it. Although there is no legal consequence if they don't follow it and break their own promise, the voters [can respond] by not voting for them. So we need to expose [CoC violations] to let the voters know," he said. The CoC signing ceremony came just a day after proponents of constitutional reform, including the NLD and many of the ethnic political parties in attendance on Friday, were stymied in their push to change the charter, with Parliament's military MPs stonewalling what reformers had hoped would be a historic vote. NLD lawmakers had said on the floor of Parliament in deliberations over the proposed amendments that failure to change certain constitutional provisions would damage the credibility of the 2015 election. NLD central committee member Tun Tun Hein, who signed the CoC for the party, told The Irrawaddy on Friday that the previous day's parliamentary defeat had no bearing on whether the NLD committed to the CoC. The post Political Parties Sign Election Code of Conduct appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| At Least One Dead as Southern Burma Lashed by Heavy Rains, Flooding Posted: 26 Jun 2015 06:53 AM PDT  Flooding inundates homes at a village in Kyauktaw Township, Arakan State on Thursday. (Photo: Tun Tun Naing / Facebook) RANGOON — Heavy rains and flooding hit Burma's south on Thursday, with at least one dead in Dawei and damage to roads and paddy fields elsewhere, according to locals. Thet Pai Soe, a Dawei resident, told The Irrawaddy that one man had been electrocuted by power lines after flooding in the area, adding that some local NGOs were organizing food and clothing donations for those affected by the rains. In Arakan State, there has been flooding in Taungup, Minbyar, Thandwe, Kyauktaw and Mrauk-U Townships, according to Khine Pyi Soe, vice president of the Arakan National Party's Sittwe branch. Kyauktaw Township police captain Khin Maung told The Irrawaddy on Friday that the district health department, local police and civil society organizations were preparing for makeshift road repairs and were attempting to reach Sabar Site village, which had been inundated by the flooding. Kyaukphyu local Ko Tun Tun Naing told The Irrawaddy that some bridges had been damaged by the flooding near Ann Township, where many paddy fields had been ruined and where local villagers were waiting for aid. The Irrawaddy was unable to make contact with the Arakan State government on Friday, as officials were busy with engagements relating to World Anti-Narcotics Day. On Wednesday, former government forecaster Tun Lwin warned the public via Facebook that coastal regions such as Arakan State and Tenasserim Division would face flooding as a result of the landfall of Typhoon Kujira, which made its way through the South China Sea this week. The post At Least One Dead as Southern Burma Lashed by Heavy Rains, Flooding appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Civil Society Reps Blast Burma’s Opaque Extractive Industries Posted: 26 Jun 2015 06:34 AM PDT
 Workers at the Chinese-backed Letpadaung copper mining project in Sagaing Division install a pipeline for waste on October 1, 2013. (Photo: Zarni Mann / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — A group of civil society stakeholders called on the government on Friday to halt all extractive projects in ethnic areas until a ceasefire is brokered between Naypyidaw and ethnic armed groups. At a press conference held in Rangoon, the Myanmar Alliance for Transparency and Accountability (MATA) issued a statement criticizing Burma's extractive industries for a lack of transparency and accountability and called for public participation in the decision making process regarding large-scale projects. MATA representatives from various states and divisions detailed the secretive practices behind resource extraction projects in their regions and the negative social and environmental effects. In some cases, MATA said, natural resources were being extracted unofficially during the implementation stage of projects. K Zaw Lun, a MATA representative from Kachin State, said soil dug during initial construction efforts on the now suspended Myitsone Dam was transported to China. Tin Ko Ko Oo from Tenasserim Division claimed dredging in the species-rich Myeik area, involving a Singapore registered company and the military-owned Myawaddy Trading company, had damaged coral reefs and caused soil erosion which threatened the region's marine life. Naw Thapi Thar described the opaque development of a tin and ore extraction project in Pegu Division which the government had licensed to two companies. When locals sought to question authorities over the project and its potential impacts, they were met with silence. "We formed a group to stop the project and inspected roads constructed in the name of community development. But the roads are not for local development, but constructed for the company to use," she said. Tint Aung Soe, a representative from Sagaing, said land issues related to the Letpadaung copper mine, the nearby copper extraction site on Sabe mountain and the Kyay Sin Taung copper mine site remained unresolved. "If the [Letpadaung] project is to be continued, there is an investigation report and an implementation committee. Locals, the government and the company should meet and try to solve the issues. The Letpadaung project should continue only after problems are solved," he said. In Shan State, various extractive projects from gold mining to silicon mining, hydropower and coal are underway, according to MATA representative Zaw Tun. "We have seen that the state government lacks accountability and [won't accept] responsibility for solving these problems in Shan State," he said. In July 2014, Burma was accepted as a candidate for the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), a voluntary reporting protocol promoting the transparent and responsible management of natural resources. As an initial requirement, Burma will have to file its first EITI report in early 2016. The post Civil Society Reps Blast Burma's Opaque Extractive Industries appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Charter Reform Vote Ripples Through Ethnic Leadership, Further Damaging Trust Posted: 26 Jun 2015 06:25 AM PDT  Ethnic MPs stand on the steps of Burma's Lower House of Parliament on July 17, 2012. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — In the aftermath of Thursday's constitutional reform battle, in which the legislature voted against major changes to the charter, a number of Burma's ethnic armed groups predicted that the decision could drive an even deeper wedge into the country's peace efforts. Constitutional amendment has been central to peace talks between the government and ethnic rebels, and—in a response much like that of the country's leading opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD)—ethnic leaders believe the "no" vote will hurt public support for the ruling party and the military from which it sprung. Some pointed out, however, that it won't actually matter; while the military has shown its true colors, it has still successfully held onto its power through the mechanisms it has created. The major fallout, it seems, could play out in ongoing peace discussions, rather than in the voting booth. Nai Hong Sar, who leads ethnic peace negotiations as vice chairman of the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) and head of a new similar bloc, said the veto has caused further damage to the already weak trust between stakeholders. Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Friday, Nai Hong Sar said the Burma Army is bound to "lose support from their people, and even lose trust in the peace process because they blocked this amendment." About two thirds of Burma's Union legislature voted in favor of amending the nation's charter, which was drafted by the military in 2008, but that wasn't enough to exceed the 75-plus percent required to approve certain amendments. One of the amendments included in the bill, ironically, was reducing that requirement to 70 percent, which would do away with what is effectively a military veto over amendments. The country's many ethnic armed groups, which have at various times been warring with government for more than half a decade, are unanimous in their desire to change the charter, some warning that they will not sign onto a nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) until it is reformed. Charter change is central to achieving the peace accord—if achieved before elections set for November—would be the crown jewel of President Thein Sein's administration. That's because ethnic groups will now allow it, in its current form, to underpin political dialogue that will commence within 60 days of signing a ceasefire. Ethnic leaders worry that if the military won't back changes now, they won't back them later, either. "If we look at the current situation of blocking the amendments now, they may disagree on amending it when we have the political dialogue," Nai Hong Sar said, warning that "if they don't, there will be no more peace." Other voices were less forceful on the issue, betraying that they had already become a bit more cynical about the military's commitment to peace and reform. Sai Hla, secretary general of the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS-SSA-S), said he wasn't at all surprised by Thursday's vote. "We do not have high expectations about amending the Constitution, because we know that [the Burma Army] wrote it so we couldn't change it," said Sai Hla, whose group is one of only a handful of non-state armies that are not involved in Union-level ceasefire talks. "But it's good to see the Tatmadaw [Burma Armed Forces] showing very clearly that they do not want reform. We cannot fight within the rule of law no matter how many ethnic lawmakers we have in Parliament," he added. A patron of the Pa-O National Liberation Organization (PNLO) and member of the NCCT, Khun Okkar took a similar stance. He said that while many people once believed that constitutional reform would be possible if ethnic parties had a foothold in the legislature, his group has always been skeptical. "Many, including [opposition leader Aung San] Suu Kyi, thought the Constitution could be changed by Parliament," he said, "but for us, we already know that it would not work. Now this proves they cannot do it." The post Charter Reform Vote Ripples Through Ethnic Leadership, Further Damaging Trust appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Suffrage for Squatters Poses Pre-Poll Challenge Posted: 26 Jun 2015 05:17 AM PDT  A man pushes a cart of jerry cans past a row of squatter homes in Rangoon's Hlaing Tharyar Township. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Tens of thousands of squatters in Rangoon are vexing efforts to compile an accurate roster of eligible voters in the commercial capital, according to the regional electoral subcommission chairman, who said an "invasion" of migrants in recent years is proving a logistical challenge ahead of Burma's general election. These populations are particularly dense in industrial zones such as Rangoon's Hlaing Tharyar Township, where many have taken up residence after moving to the city in search of work. A lack of household registration certificates, combined with the fact that many of these migrants also don't hold national identity cards, is presenting a "headache" for local election officials, Ko Ko told The Irrawaddy on Thursday. The subcommission chairman said no up-to-date list of squatter populations in Rangoon exists, but he estimated that a township like Hlaing Tharyar had an unregistered migrant population of at least 30,000. In Rangoon Division, which the 2014 census found to have a population of nearly 7.4 million, Ko Ko said the total squatter population was likely more than 100,000 people. The Irrawaddy attempted to meet with an officer of the Rangoon Division Population and Immigration Department to obtain a more precise headcount of the division's squatter population, but the official was not available on Thursday. Ko Ko said election officials were open to granting squatters suffrage, and to that end an exception would be made for squatters who are citizens but lack the otherwise required documents to vote, if they can provide letters of support from their employer and quarter administrator. "The people who are going through the country like gypsies weren't included in the voter list. This long-term invasion is a kind of headache for me. If these people are left off the list, many people will spit on our efforts and the UEC." With the clock winding down on an election slated for early November, the UEC is working to establish a timeframe for the enfranchisement of these populations, he said. For migrants who have not lived in Rangoon for at least six months, their only shot at suffrage is to return to the place where they have been registered as a resident, either on Election Day or ahead of the poll through advanced voting procedures. Either way, Ko Ko is urging all migrants to return to the township in which they are enumerated on household registration certificates in order to check that they are correctly listed ahead of the vote. Migrants who have lived in Rangoon for more than six months and want to vote in the commercial capital are also being asked to travel to their former place of residence in order to have their name removed from that list. But Mya Nandar, a member of the board of directors of the New Myanmar Foundation, said migrants without identity documents or the requisite household registration certificate should be given leeway, so long as they are citizens. She told The Irrawaddy that for many, the UEC's expectation that migrants will travel, in some cases hundreds of miles, to check that their names are correctly enumerated cannot be reconciled with the financial constraints of an often hand-to-mouth existence. For them, putting food on the table takes precedence over placing a ballot in a box. "A huge internal migrant worker [population] can't afford to go back to their place to check the voter list," said Mya Nandar, whose New Myanmar Foundation is carrying out voter education initiatives. "If the UEC is unwilling to resolve the problem, lots of ballot paper will be wasted, political parties will be frustrated and voters will be disenfranchised. That should not be, it's unacceptable." She suggested providing squatters with a form of temporary household registration status. Hlaing Tharyar election subcommission chairman Thein Soe said Thursday that the most recent count of squatters, from 2014, put the figure at about 40,000 people. Local authorities are trying to compile an updated list and that process is expected to conclude by the end of June, but the Thein Soe said the transient nature of some populations made ascertaining an accurate picture difficult. Many workers move to Hlaing Tharyar in the summertime and return to Irrawaddy Division for the rice harvest, he explained. Despite more than 30 civil society organizations participating in voter education efforts, Myo Min Htun, president of the Public Contribute Students Democracy Party, said that knowledge about the election among squatters was low. Soe Kyi, who has lived as a squatter on Kan Pat Street in Hlaing Tharyar Township for more than three years, is a case in point. "No one has come to collect the squatter households list in our quarter. And we don't know the meaning of voter education," he told The Irrawaddy this week. A fourth round of voter lists is due to be displayed next month for the remaining townships across Burma, before a final nationwide display is carried out following announcement of the election date. The process has been subject to criticism from civil society groups and political parties, who complain that the lists are riddled with errors. The post Suffrage for Squatters Poses Pre-Poll Challenge appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| At Least 4 Killed in Hpakant Landslide Posted: 26 Jun 2015 04:19 AM PDT  Small-scale miners at work in Hpakant. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) At least 20 people remained trapped on Friday after a landslide at a jade mine near Lone Khin village, around 15 km north of Hpakant in Kachin State. According to local officials, the bodies of four men were retrieved from the rubble while five injured men were taken to Lone Khin and Hpakant hospitals for treatment after the landslide at the site of the Moepin jade mine on Thursday. "Rescuers are still searching for victims. We have only received four dead bodies and five injured men so far," a duty officer from Lone Khin police station told The Irrawaddy. The officer described the victims as small-scale miners who were searching for gemstones on a mountainside. "We don't know how many people were buried under the soil or what caused the landslide yet. More than 20 people were believed to be in the area searching for gemstones," he said. The mine is operated by Yadanar Yaung Chi, according to police in Lone Khin, and work was suspended at the site around one month ago for the monsoon season. It is not believed that any of the victims of Thursday's landslide were company employees. Local miner La Thaung described witnessing the moment the mountain slope gave way. "There were more than 20 small-scale miners who were searching for jade in piles of waste soil on the mountainside. The soil suddenly slid down and buried almost everyone under the debris," said La Thaung, adding that heavy rain had fallen in the area in recent days. Landslides at jade mine sites in and around Hpakant in northern Burma are common, due in part to the unregulated use of explosives and poor safety regulations. Independent small-scale miners face additional risks working by hand on often unstable land to pick through the detritus left by mining companies for valuable pieces of jade. In late March, a rockslide at a jade mine near Hpakant killed at least nine miners and a similar incident killed two people in January. The post At Least 4 Killed in Hpakant Landslide appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| ‘I Will Dare to Criticize Anyone for Anything That is Against the Law’ Posted: 26 Jun 2015 12:44 AM PDT  The Irrawaddy speaks with Tin Aye, chairman of the Union Election Commission, in the first instalment of a two part interview. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) On this week's edition of Dateline Irrawaddy, Union Election Commission chairman Tin Aye discusses preparations for the landmark general election to be held later this year, political pressure from his former party to bend the rules in their favor, and efforts to ensure the poll is free, fair and credible. Kyaw Zwa Moe: Welcome to our weekly Dateline Irrawaddy program. This week, I have invited U Tin Aye, chairman of the Union Election Commission (UEC). He will discuss whether the forthcoming election will be credible and whether or not he will take sides as his former party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), seeks his favor. I am editor of The Irrawaddy's English edition, Kyaw Zwa Moe. Mr Chairman, looking at the elections after 1988, it's fair to say that most of them were not trusted. For example, the results of the 1990 election were not recognized. The 2010 election were deemed to be flawed by voting irregularities. But then, the 2012 by-election you organized was given a certain degree of credit from voters at home and abroad, although the number of constituencies was small. What will you do to make sure the forthcoming 2015 election receives the same degree of credit and recognition that the 2012 by-election was given? And what are your challenges as chairman? Tin Aye: Myanmar has a very limited knowledge and experience of election. There were only four elections—in 1952, 1956, 1960 and 1990—before the 2010 election. The 2010 election is the fifth election and took place 20 years after the fourth one. To judge the previous elections with my personal norms for an ideal election, they are not ones that elected outstanding and morally good people to represent the people. The first three elections took place in periods of anarchism. In the 1990 election, people cast their votes for a party because they did not like the other. And in the 2010 election, there was essentially only one party. It was backed by the previous government and therefore it has lots of handicaps. To put an example using golf terms, while those people [minor opposition parties] have zero handicap; the ruling party's handicap was even more than 24—it is 36. But, I was also a member of the ruling party then. I will tell you about this later. You asked me how I as the chairman better organized the 2012 by-election based on past experiences. To answer your question, I reviewed the mistakes—there were both right and wrong things—I will correct the mistakes and keep, doing more to make sure the right things are better and more relevant. KZM: So, Mr Chairman, do you hope the forthcoming 2015 election will as credible or even more credible than the 2012 by-election? TA: Sure, it must be. Where the 2012 by-election was different from 2010 election was widespread advanced voting [in 2010]. Some did not know what it was. Some knew it was against the law, but even so they did it to win the election. I have records in my hands about how many individuals from which parties won the election with how many advance votes there were. Some won the election because they got more than 10,000 advance votes. They would not have won if they only got several thousands of advance votes. I have the records in my hands. KZM: The [2010] election got a bad reputation for advance votes at home and abroad. TA: Yes, it did. KZM: How will you prevent such things in 2015? TA: I have prevented it since the 2012 by-election. Speaking of advance votes, I should really thank my seniors. I would say they are far-sighted because advance voting makes sure voters do not lose their rights. There are two kinds of advance votes. One is for constituents in a constituency. It can be given by those who will be traveling on voting day and the elderly and ill persons who cannot go to polling stations to cast vote. The ward-level chapters of UEC go to their places, even if they are behind bars or in hospitals, and take their ballots in envelopes. This is how advance votes are cast in constituencies. They use advance voting. When we get those advance votes in our hands, we have to make a list of those who cast advance votes. We have a form to record those who cast advance votes. Then we have to hand over the boxes of advance ballots before 6 am when polling stations are opened. Advance votes that are handed in after 6 am are invalid. I have instructed that when the polling stations are closed in the evening, the advance votes must be counted first and the list must be hung in the wall of the polling station because I fear that there will be voting irregularities taking advantage of advance votes. For example, there are 100 advance votes and the list of how many votes go to who is hung in the wall and therefore there can't be cheating. KZM: You said they manipulated advance voting. You mean the Union Solidarity and Development Party manipulated advance voting. TA: Mostly. KZM: Mr Chairman, you were elected to the parliament for the USDP. Is the party happy with your actions at this time? TA: It is a matter for them. Allow me to blow my own trumpet a little bit. If those in power complain me on such cases [regarding advance voting], I will call them and discuss it in line with the truth and the law. I won't make any compromises with anyone over anything that is supposed to discourage a free and fair election. I will dare to criticize anyone for anything that is against the law. If I did something wrong, I would not be hesitant to apologize and I would not be hesitant to be punished. If I did something wrong, just box my ears. I don't mind. So they don't like me. They do want me to favor them. They don't like me as I'm not biased. You would ask me what I would do if somebody in power put pressure on returning officers. I have issued an instruction. I have told them that advance votes that arrive at polling stations later than 6 am are invalid and I would imprison them if they accept the advance votes that arrive after 6 am. So, I have issued a notice that they would be put behind bars if they accept such advance votes. KZM: So, this relationship is one of the challenges? TA: In the past, they might have had some pressure. But now they do not need to fear anything. I have given them books on election law and bylaws and asked them to read them. I will conduct training soon and there I will carefully teach them about the must knows, dos and don'ts. I will tell them they must do what they have to do and if they don't, they will be imprisoned. KZM: But then, people remain doubtful that the election will be free and fair. Frankly speaking, you are an ex-army man and you have a military background. And there are errors on voter lists [which have been made public for the coming election]. There are doubts as to whether the election will be held in unstable ethnic regions. Generally speaking, the majority of voters and people doubt that the election will be free and fair. This doubt is considerable. Through this interview, what guarantee would you like to give to dispel their doubts? TA: I served as a Lt-Gen in the military. I was also a member of Union Solidarity and Development Party. I served as a patron of Union Solidarity and Development Association (former USDP). It was established in 1993 and I was not a member then because I was just a tactical commander with the military at that time. After two years I became a division commander, and I became a patron of USDA when I became a commander in 1997. As a patron, I did not need to engage actively in its activities. Those activities were organized by the central executive committee of the association and we had to help those activities be successful. Then, the association transformed itself into a [political] party. I became a member after August 2010 after the election was announced. I joined the party [on my superiors' orders] for election as I was due to retire from the military. Then I had to quit from the party [to chair the UEC] in March 2011, so I was in the party for just eight months. Ok, just leave it. People may doubt the credibility of coming election because I am an ex-army man. I don't want to say they should or should not doubt me. The winner will say the election is fair and the loser will say it is not. So, taking this into consideration, I invited civil society organizations, thinking that it would be better if there are witnesses. KZM: Mr Chairman, you know better than me that globally, it can't be said an election is free and fair just because it is free on election day alone. In our country, we have to take rules and regulations, laws and even the constitution into account. Looking at the constitution, certain provisions do not meet democratic norms. Can the election be fair under such a constitution even if it is free on election day? TA: You are right if you measure it with true democratic norms. I share your view. I entered a fierce war of words with [the late founder of the National League of Democracy] U Win Tin on publications regarding instructions on the election campaign which I issued in 2014. He said the rules and regulations of electoral campaigning are too restrictive. I denied it, citing specific provisions in existing laws and constitutions. You may think the UEC is too restrictive. So opposition parties are not happy. But then, I did this in line with the law, I would say. KZM: We will return next week with Dateline Irrawaddy, during which we'll discuss why U Tin Aye has said the military may stage a coup, how much he is still attached to his old party, the USDP, and his hopes for the party in the forthcoming election. The post 'I Will Dare to Criticize Anyone for Anything That is Against the Law' appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Burma Frees Bangladeshi Soldier After Ministry Protest Posted: 26 Jun 2015 12:25 AM PDT  A portion of the Burma-Bangladesh border fence is seen near Arakan State's Maungdaw Township, near where a Bangladeshi paramilitary soldier was captured earlier this month. (Photo: Lawi Weng / The Irrawaddy) DHAKA — Burma on Thursday freed a Bangladeshi paramilitary soldier whose capture this month had become a diplomatic sore point between the two countries, a Bangladesh border guard official said. Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry summoned the Burmese ambassador in Dhaka on June 18, the day after Abdur Razzak was seized, and lodged a strong protest asking for his immediate release. Razzak, from the Border Guard Bangladesh, was returned back at Teknaf, in southern Bangladesh, on Thursday evening after a battalion commander level flag meeting between the two sides, the official said. Razzak was seized and another Bangladeshi guard was wounded by Burmese forces on June 17 after the two sides exchanged gunfire while chasing drug smugglers on the Naff River separating the countries. Bangladesh shares about 270 km (170 miles) of border with Burma. The post Burma Frees Bangladeshi Soldier After Ministry Protest appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Rejection of Charter Reform Bill ‘Deeply Troubling’: US Lawmakers Posted: 26 Jun 2015 12:16 AM PDT  Military representatives attend a session in of the Union Parliament in Naypyidaw, which on Thursday voted down proposed amendments to Burma’s Constitution. (JPaing / The Irrawaddy) Two US lawmakers released a joint-statement on Thursday criticizing the military bloc within Burma's Union Parliament for voting down proposed amendments to the country's constitution. "Today's move by the Burmese military in the parliament only solidifies concerns that the country's upcoming elections cannot be free, fair, or credible. While the results may not be surprising, they are deeply troubling," said Democratic Rep. Joe Crowley and Republican Rep. Steve Chabot in the statement. "Without needed changes, Burma's constitution, written under military rule and adopted through a farcical vote, continues to give major powers to the military instead of the people. Further, the government continues to maintain a narrowly crafted, arbitrary constitutional provision specifically designed to prevent opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi from serving as president," the statement said. In a secret ballot attended by 583 MPs on Thursday, 67 percent voted in favor, just short of the 75-plus minimum required for passage. The bill recommended amendments to several controversial clauses in the constitution, including reducing—from 75 to 70 percent—the number of votes required to amend most parts of the charter. Following the vote, Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi turned her focus to the upcoming election later this year and called on her supporters to remain upbeat. "The public will clearly understand who wants change and it will help the public to clearly decide who they should vote for in the election," she told reporters according to the Associated Press. The post Rejection of Charter Reform Bill 'Deeply Troubling': US Lawmakers appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Scientists Crack Gene Secret That Lets Poppies Make Morphine Posted: 26 Jun 2015 12:14 AM PDT  A policeman holds poppy plants after a field was destroyed above the village of Tar-Pu, in the mountains of Shan State, in January. (Photo: Reuters) LONDON — Scientists have identified a key gene used by poppies to make morphine, paving the way for better methods of producing the medically important drug, potentially without the need for cultivating poppy fields. The latest finding follows recent success in engineering brewer's yeast to synthesize opiates such as morphine and codeine from a common sugar, boosting the prospect of "home-brew" drug supply. But whether making morphine in bubbling vats of yeast will be commercially viable—either for drug companies or criminal gangs—is far from certain, since poppies are very efficient natural factories. "Poppies are not going to be displaced overnight by any stretch of the imagination," said Ian Graham, a professor at the University of York, who worked on the latest gene discovery. While extracting opiates from genetically engineered yeast is now a real possibility, he sees more immediate benefits from applying the latest knowledge to developing better poppy plants. "Having our hands on this gene allows us to develop molecular breeding approaches to creating bespoke poppy varieties that make different compounds," he told Reuters. That could lead to agricultural production of drugs such as noscapine, a cough-suppressant that may also fight cancer, as well as improved plant strains with higher yields of morphine. The University of York team worked on the project with scientists from GlaxoSmithKline. The drugmaker has long been a major supplier of opiates but agreed in March to sell its Australian-based business to India's Sun Pharmaceutical Industries. $12 Billion in Sales For centuries, opiates have been the go-to drugs for pain relief and they remain the most potent treatments for severe pain, generating global prescription sales of around $12 billion annually. Morphine and codeine are used directly as painkillers while a third compound, thebaine, is a starting-point for semi-synthetic opiates, including oxycodone and hydrocodone. The molecular structure of these drugs is so complex that chemists have never been able to produce them from off-the-shelf components. But understanding the genetics means it is now possible to engineer a microbe-like yeast to do the job. The discovery of the so-called STORR gene by Graham and colleagues, reported in the journal Science on Thursday, provides the missing piece in the biosynthesis puzzle. The gene plays a vital role in the back-to-back steps in the plants' morphine-producing pathway by converting a compound known as (S)-reticuline into a variation called (R)-reticuline. The post Scientists Crack Gene Secret That Lets Poppies Make Morphine appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Thailand to Teach Journalists How to Ask Inoffensive Questions Posted: 25 Jun 2015 11:15 PM PDT  Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha poses for a picture with an employee of the Stock Exchange of Thailand in Bangkok on Feb. 26, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) BANGKOK — Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Thursday he was not afraid of the press, days before the government is to hold a meeting to teach journalists how to ask questions that won't offend him. Gaffe-prone Prayuth has had a love-hate relationship with the media during the year since he seized power, at one point saying he would probably "just execute" journalists that "did not report the truth." His office later said the comment was made in jest. Affectionately called "Uncle Prayuth" by his admirers, he has overseen a period of relative stability but has been criticized by rights groups for using heavy-handed handed tactics against detractors. Prayuth said he has never tried to censor the media. "I'm not afraid of the press but I ask for fairness because I have never told the press not to speak or write anything. I am friendly with the media," Prayuth told reporters. "I do not have control over the media, nor do they have power over me." Winthai Suvaree, a spokesman for the junta, or National Council for Peace and Order, said the government would hold a meeting next week for 200 local and foreign journalists to "create understanding" and teach them how to ask questions that will not offend Prayuth. The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand in a message to members of the foreign press this week said it had been alerted to reports of journalists encountering difficulties when trying to start, renew or change their media accreditation. Winthai said there was no policy to stop foreign journalists from renewing their visas or applying to work in Thailand. "Absolutely not. There is no policy to stop foreign journalists from working in the kingdom," he told Reuters. Prayuth toppled the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in a May 2014 coup, putting an end to months of street demonstrations. The post Thailand to Teach Journalists How to Ask Inoffensive Questions appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Nauru President Says Opposition and Foreign Media Tried to Topple Government Posted: 25 Jun 2015 10:34 PM PDT  Baron Divavesi Waqa, President of the Republic of Nauru, addresses the 69th United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York September 25, 2014. (Photo: Reuters) SYDNEY — The president of the South Pacific island nation of Nauru on Friday said opposition lawmakers and foreign media had attempted to overthrow his government and that three arrested MPs face criminal charges over a protest outside parliament. President Baron Waqa made the claim amid mounting international criticism for banning Facebook, limiting political speech and assembly and the suspension from parliament of several popular opposition lawmakers. Nauru has come under fire in recent years over allegations of corruption and human rights abuses and is key to Australia's controversial immigration policy, with Canberra funding a US$1.54 billion detention center on the island. Waqa said the newly arrested lawmakers—former president Sprent Dabwido, Mathew Batsuia and Squire Jeremiah—sparked a riot last week outside of parliament with the aim of disrupting and ultimately toppling the government. "The organizers were not fighting for freedom of speech. They were trying to topple a democratically elected government in order to further their thirst for political power," Waqa said in a statement. "The foreign media appear blinded by this, and continue to support the criminal actions of these MPs, who were thrown out of office by the people of Nauru for corruption." Video of the alleged riot posted by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), however, appears to only show several hundred fairly well behaved people milling outside of parliament. Nauru is a speck in the Pacific about 4,500 kilometers (2,800 miles) northeast of Australia with 10,000 citizens and little economy since the depletion of its rich phosphate mines in the 1980s. Last year Nauru instituted a non-refundable $7,000 visa fee for journalists wishing to visit the country, making it all but impossible to independently verify facts on the ground. Nauru, which has little income beyond the detention center, has long been dogged by allegations of corruption throughout its government. The Australian Federal Police told Reuters last week that they were investigating Australian miner Getax, following an ABC report that it may have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to Waqa and Justice Minister David Adeang. Last year Nauru became embroiled in a constitutional crisis following the deportation of the nation's Chief Justice and Solicitor General, leading nearly the entire remaining judiciary to resign in solidarity. Waqa told Reuters at the time that criticism of the deportations were an attack on the former Australian colony's sovereignty. The post Nauru President Says Opposition and Foreign Media Tried to Topple Government appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
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