The Irrawaddy Magazine |
- Trade Volume Below Govt Forecasts Despite Increase in Border Commerce
- Renewed Flooding Hits Burma’s Kachin State
- Mon Business Plans on the up and up
- About 70 Flee After Stray Fire Near Kachin IDP Camp
- A Night of Shakespeare at the Strand
- Phuketwan Journalists Acquitted of Defaming Thai Navy
- Thousands Sign Petition to Stop Rape of Low-Caste Indian Sisters
- Thai Police Award Themselves $84k for Arrest of Bomb Suspect
- Indian Scholar Who Criticized Idol Worship Murdered at Home
| Trade Volume Below Govt Forecasts Despite Increase in Border Commerce Posted: 01 Sep 2015 05:42 AM PDT  Cargo containers at a port terminal in Rangoon. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Trade volume in Burma has risen only slightly since the same time last year, with total imports and exports looking set to fall below an optimistic government forecast for the financial year, according to figures from the Ministry of Commerce. Total imports and exports for the first five months of the 2015-16 fiscal year were US$11.19 billion, a modest rise of $860 million from September 2014 but trending below government's $30 billion full-year forecast. Sea trading fell slightly to $8.4 billion, while border trade rose from $1.8 billion to $2.69 billion compared to the first five months of the 2014-15 fiscal year. Widespread farmland and paddy field damage from August's floods is further expected to dent the government's $2.9 billion forecast for full-year agricultural exports. Commerce Ministry officials are optimistic that the construction of a second, cargo-priority bridge over the river separating the Karen town of Myawaddy with the Thai border town of Mae Sot, will boost trade between Burma and its eastern neighbor at a time when construction is ramping up on the Mae Sot Special Economic Zone. "Border trade is increasing, and after the new bridge is finished between Myawaddy and Mae Sot, we expect an even bigger rise," said Than Win, deputy director of the Ministry of Commerce. Cross-border trade to and from Thailand along the recently opened Asia Highway 1 has been hampered by territorial disputes between the Burmese government and rival Karen ethnic armed groups. Truck drivers have resorted to using the old road connecting Mae Sot to Rangoon to avoid paying prohibitive tolls to various factions to have staked out control over stretches of the highway near Myawaddy. The border crossing between Muse and China's Yunnan province remains the Burma's most active trade route, accounting for around 80 percent of total border trade at $2 billion for the first five months of the fiscal year, with the Thai border accounting for most other overland trade at $690 million. The country's trade deficit showed no signs of abating, with exports outstripping imports by nearly US$2 billion between April and the end of August on the back of a number of local infrastructure projects. Burma's international trade totaled $28 billion over the 2014-15 fiscal year, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
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| Renewed Flooding Hits Burma’s Kachin State Posted: 01 Sep 2015 05:29 AM PDT  A panoramic view of Hpakant, Kachin State, in March 2014. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) Heavy rain over the past few days has inundated parts of Kachin State, including in the jade-rich region of Hpakant, as well as Mogaung and Mohnyin townships, with water levels rising several feet high and flooding homes since Saturday evening. Affected communities were still grappling with the impact of flooding which began in early July and has affected swathes of the country. Bauk Ja, Kachin State minister for Social Welfare, told The Irrawaddy that downtown communities in Hpakant were badly affected but any casualties were not yet known. Flooded communities were being supported by the state government and members of the Myanmar Red Cross, she said. "When heavy rain comes, huge piles of waste block the nearby Uyu tributary [off the Chindwin River] which causes inundation," Bauk Ja said. "But the water level went down a little on Tuesday." Than Zaw Oo, a second-lieutenant in the Hpakant police force, said relief camps for those displaced from four communities in Hpakant Township had been set up in the Myoma quarter, including in a monastery. Last year, more than three dozen homes were damaged due to flooding in Hpakant, a jade mining hub in the northern state. Landslides in the area—some due to mining and others blamed on heavy rains—have killed scores of people over the last several years. Prominent Burmese meteorologist Dr Tun Lwin warned in a Facebook post on Tuesday of further possible floods and landslides in Kachin State and Sagaing Division due to continuous heavy rainfall over recent days. Government weather forecasts have also predicted continuous rainfall in northern Burma in the days to come. Bauk Ja, an activist and member of the National Democratic Force who is currently facing trial for helping farmers protest land confiscation, told The Irrawaddy that the road from Mogaung to Hpakant had been rendered unusable following heavy rains. "I had to turn back on the road to Hpakant from Mogaung on Saturday as bridges on the way were damaged and the road partly destroyed," she said. In Mogaung, a child had died due to the flooding, said Bauk Ja, the Kachin State minister who has the same name as the aforementioned activist. Over 3,000 acres of farmland near the biggest local reservoir, Indawgyi Lake, has been destroyed in recent weeks, she said, and the local government was assisting affected farmers. Mar Khar, a resident of Myitkyina, said the Irrawaddy River's water levels had continued rising in the past week and he feared flooding in the Kachin State capital if rains continued. Severe flooding occurs in the town around every seven to 10 years, Mar Khar said, adding that as the last serious flood was over a decade ago, residents are wary of a similar inundation in 2015. The state-level minister Bauk Ja said authorities were carefully monitoring the water level of the Irrawaddy River but that it had "not yet reached the high water mark." In Chin State, one of the states hardest hit by recent flooding, at least 20 people from Tuikhing Zang (Hakha Lay) village in Tonzang Township remain unaccounted for after a mudslide in the area on Friday, according to Chin State forestry minister Kyaw Nyein. Around 180 houses in the village were destroyed by the mudslide, the minister said. As of late August, the government estimated that over 1.6 million people were affected by floods and landslides across Burma since July, with over 384,000 households displaced and 1.4 million acres of farmland inundated. Nang Seng Nom & Salai Thant Zin contributed reporting.
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| Mon Business Plans on the up and up Posted: 01 Sep 2015 05:20 AM PDT  Min Banyar San hopes business expansion in Mon State can help improve the quality of life. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) Myanmar's recent census results revealed a population in Mon State of 2.054 million; four percent of the country's 51.4 million total population. More than 425,000 Mon are living abroad, according to the census, including more than 385,000 in Thailand. Prominent Mon businessman Min Banyar San is among those seeking to encourage migrant workers to return. The 46-year-old is a major shareholder of Tala Mon Company which is involved in bus lines, hotels, construction and food manufacturing. The firm is also behind the planned development of the historic Thai-Myanmar "Death Railway" site in Thanbyuzayat Township. Min Banyar San spoke to The Irrawaddy's Kyaw Hsu Mon about plans for the site and on promoting business ventures in his native state. When was Tala Mon Company established? We started the business in 2010-11. At that time, Mon elders decided to set up their own businesses in Mon State by sharing capital. I was the only young businessman among them, and I was really happy to be working with them. The first business was a bus company. Before 2010, it was difficult for people to travel to Mon State and other southern areas. It was really difficult to get a bus operating license before the country began changing. In 2010, we received the license. At that time, I was only the director of the business. After one year, we opened a restaurant in Mon State and two years later, I became company president. Last year, the Mon State government allowed Tala Mon to develop a museum at the site of the Death Railway in Thanbyuzayat Township. I also have my own business, KHG holdings, of which I am vice president. We're involved in construction, soft drink production, mobile phone sim card sales, LPG gas distribution and hotel projects. Hintha Holdings Ltd in Mon State is also a family business. What's behind the increase in Mon-run businesses? As far back as 10 years ago, some Mon elders wanted to help establish Mon-owned businesses to run as public companies. We wanted to further state development since we don't have a budget from the government for some projects. For example, we do not have enough funding for Mon language schools, to hold Mon National Day or to promote Mon culture. We usually collect donations to hold these events each year and we couldn't run them efficiently. That's why we thought we needed to build up businesses owned by ethnic Mon. Tala Mon decided to donate 10 to 15 percent of profits to Mon society. Then we would expand our businesses, as well as support some Mon businesspersons who didn't know how to make money. We also decided to support Mon students to study abroad. Because many young Mon are migrant workers in Thailand, if we want to welcome them back, this is the [ideal] chance. Many people were interested in investing in our company from the beginning. At first, about 380 shareholders expressed interest. We have 1 billion kyat [US$891,000] in capital right now. As we're still expanding the businesses, capital is still required. Do you think you can encourage Mon migrant workers in Thailand to return? Mon State is actually better placed than some other regions of the country, not because the state economy is good but because Mon people are working abroad and sending money home to support their families. We practically have no workforce in the state. But if we welcome them back, how can they survive? The government needs to create more jobs. But we can't wait for the government. If we can work with foreign partners, we can create jobs as well. For example, while we're building the museum, we have vacancies. Experienced workers are a priority. Those who can't come back to the country can still invest in our project, like opening shops around the museum. We will reach our goal one day. Do you feel ethnic Mon have equal opportunities to start their own businesses? Actually, there is no discrimination. The main thing is you have to work closely with the government. Many people talk about the crony economy in Myanmar and there are also some ethnic cronies in business. But the weakness is that we have little capital. Establishing relationships with foreigners is also a weak point as well as low education and a lack of experience. That's why the number of ethnic nationality-run businesses is still low. I also wonder why some businesspersons are hesitant to publicize their ethnicity. I am a Mon until the end of my life. I can't change. There are many challenges in doing business in Myanmar, whether one is from an ethnic minority group or not. Why is most FDI directed to the major centers and not to ethnic areas? A lot of FDI is going to the cities because there is better infrastructure. Yangon and Mandalay have the biggest industrial centers and better transport. In Mon State, we lack good infrastructure and regular electricity, there are no seaports and poor transport. Investors need incentives. They will see the deficiencies and won't invest. That's why most FDI will go to cities first and very little business may come to us. We need to prepare things before they come. Meanwhile we can create our own projects ourselves if we can work together. For example, we have rubber plantations in Mon State. Can you tell me more about your company's plans for the museum in Thanbyuzayat Township? We expect the Death Railway Memorial Museum will open by the end of the year. The Death Railway was an infamous project during the Second World War. The rail line was built by the Japanese using British and other Allied soldiers, as well as many Mon. The British and Allied soldiers have a very good cemetery honoring them. But the more than 60,000 ethnic Mon and other ethnic nationalities who died working on the railway aren't recognized. The Japanese have still not paid compensation for this; some of their compensation has gone to the government, not to people in Mon State and others. I would say the Japanese government has some responsibility to help develop the state. That's why I am building this museum. At least we can honor our people and they can recall the period. It will become a tourist attraction very soon. There will be entertainment programs, a hotel, restaurants and shops around the museum. We are targeting Thai tourists as there are many ways to visit Mon State from Thailand. I am expecting that there will be even more developments within two or three years.
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| About 70 Flee After Stray Fire Near Kachin IDP Camp Posted: 01 Sep 2015 05:00 AM PDT  Internally displaced persons had to relocate to a different camp after stray fire lands near their shelter site, aid workers said. (Photo: Jade Land Kachin / Facebook) RANGOON — Stray fire near a displacement camp in Kachin State has caused about 70 people to flee to another shelter, according to a local religious charity providing aid for conflict-affected civilians. A communications officer for the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC) told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that the internally displaced persons (IDPs) had all been moved to the Jara Yang camp in the jungles of Sumprabum Township from one of the area's two other displacement sites as a result of recent fighting between the government troops and ethnic rebels. "[The Burma Army] stay some distance from the IDPs, but they shot into the area near the IDPs from a distance," said KBC's Lama Yaw, who said he believed the munitions were artillery rounds. "We had to relocate them because they were not safe there." Lama Yaw said the group is still concerned that aid delivery could be obstructed by the conflict, as has happened in the recent past, but that the relocation was successful and "they are all safe at the moment." The Burma Army could not be immediately reached for comment, despite a pledge to make military communications officers available for press inquiries. The resource-rich northern state has been the site of some of Burma's most severe civil conflict since the breakdown of a 17-year ceasefire between the Burma Army and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in 2011. The KIA, which currently does not have a bilateral accord with the government, is party to negotiations geared toward a nationwide peace deal that the current administration would like to see signed before a landmark election to be held on Nov. 8. Fighting escalated last week in Suprabum and northern Shan State, despite a forthcoming meeting between ethnic representatives, President Thein Sein and Commander-in-Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing. The Kachin Independence Organization, the political wing of the KIA, is among five ethnic armed groups to be represented at the discussion to be held on Sept. 9 in Naypyidaw.
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| A Night of Shakespeare at the Strand Posted: 01 Sep 2015 02:10 AM PDT  The two-year "Globe to Globe Hamlet" tour, which will see performances of the play in every country of the world if all goes to plan, made it Rangoon-stop on Monday evening. (Photo Courtesy: Shakespeare's Globe) RANGOON — Around 200 people gathered in Rangoon's Strand Hotel on Monday evening for a theater performance by renowned London-based company Shakespeare's Globe. The performance of Shakespeare's longest play, Hamlet, in Rangoon was part of the Globe's world tour begun in April last year to mark the 450th anniversary of the playwright's birth. The Rangoon-stop was facilitated by Shakespeare Schools, a Burma-based charity that aims to foster awareness of theater and performance throughout the region. Most audience members on the night were drawn from the former capital's expat community, as ticket prices were steep at US$50 per head. The two-year "Globe to Globe Hamlet" tour will see performances of the play in every country of the world if all goes to plan. "Globe to Globe Hamlet was created with the aim of performing Hamlet to as many people as possible, in as diverse a range of places as possible," Dominic Dromgoole, Globe's artistic director and the director of Hamlet, said in the venture's mission statement. Khin Maung Htwe, part-owner of Rangoon marionette troupe Htwe Oo Myanmar, said he enjoyed the show for its simplicity, as performers took to the stage without microphones or makeup. "Their original voices, art and performance was really enjoyable for us. We can learn a lot from them," he said. Ladi Emeruwa, who plays Hamlet in the production, told The Irrawaddy that he hoped many people enjoyed the performance. Globe to Globe Hamlet has been performed in more than 100 countries across the Americas, Europe and Africa to around 90,000 people so far, the group states on their website. UNESCO has supported the tour since October last year, in recognition of its engagement with local communities and promotion of cultural education.
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| Phuketwan Journalists Acquitted of Defaming Thai Navy Posted: 31 Aug 2015 10:28 PM PDT  Alan Morison and Chutima Sidasathian of the Phuketwan news website speak to media as they arrive at a Phuket court in April 2014. (Photo: Reuters) PHUKET, Thailand — An Australian journalist and his Thai colleague were acquitted Tuesday in a criminal defamation lawsuit filed by Thailand’s navy over an online news report about the trafficking of refugees from Burma. Human Rights groups immediately welcomed the acquittal but said the case should never have been brought in the first place. Alan Morison and Chutima Sidasathian were facing up to seven years in prison over a report in their online news website “Phuketwan” saying military forces accepted money to assist or turn a blind eye to the trafficking of refugees from Burma by sea. They were charged with criminal defamation and offences under the draconian Computer Crimes Act. “This is a fantastic day for us, to be free of the weight of this charge,” Morison said outside the court, on the island of Phuket. “I think it’s an important result for Thai media and for the media in general.” The contested report on the Phuketwan website was excerpted from an extensive story published by the Reuters news agency in July 2013. The Reuters story was part of a series that won the news agency the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting. The case had drawn widespread criticism from human rights and press freedom groups around the world. “The acquittal of these two journalists is a positive decision, but the fact is that they should never have had to stand trial in the first place,” said Josef Benedict, the regional representative for Amnesty International. “Thai authorities have again shown their disregard for freedom of expression by pursuing this case.” The case came to trial following the discovery in May of dozens of bodies buried at several jungle camps on the Thai-Malaysian border where traffickers held migrants as prisoners. Many of the migrants are ethnic Rohingya from Burma who face persecution at home. In many cases, the migrants pay to be smuggled by ship, but are then detained by traffickers in Thailand who hold them until their families pay ransoms. Human rights activists and foreign governments have long accused Thai authorities of collusion in the trafficking industry, but police, military and government officials deny the allegations. However, the recent publicity about the camps prompted a Thai government crackdown on trafficking, and several dozen people were arrested, including a Thai army general and local officials. The US State Department in July said it was keeping Thailand on its human trafficking blacklist and retained Thailand’s Tier 3 ranking, the lowest ranking in its annual Trafficking in Persons report. The ranking designates Thailand as a country that has not made sufficient progress in tackling human trafficking. It cited persistent forced labor and sex trafficking and recommended that Thailand stop bringing criminal defamation cases against researchers or journalists who report on human trafficking.
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| Thousands Sign Petition to Stop Rape of Low-Caste Indian Sisters Posted: 31 Aug 2015 09:45 PM PDT  A woman walks through a wheat field in Amroha district in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh April 17, 2014. (Photo: Reuters) NEW DELHI — An online petition seeking protection and justice for two low-caste Indian sisters allegedly threatened with rape by a village council has gathered over 175,000 signatures in a week, Amnesty International India said on Monday. The human rights group began the petition last week after 23-year-old Meenakshi Kumari, her 15-year-old sister and their family were forced to flee their northern India village in May after their brother eloped with a higher caste, married woman. An un-elected village council, dominated by upper caste "Jat" men, in Uttar Pradesh state on July 30 allegedly ordered the two "Dalit" sisters be raped and paraded naked with their faces blackened as punishment for their brother's actions. Himanshi Matta from Amnesty International India said the petition called on the government to take all steps to ensure the safety of the family so they can return home and for an investigation into the rape order and prosecution if necessary. "The family is currently seeking shelter with their elder son who is a police constable in Delhi. They are too afraid to go back to their village home as they have received threats and their home has been ransacked," Matta told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The petition to Uttar Pradesh's Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has so far attracted the attention of over 176,000 people, mostly on its British website since it was launched on Aug 24. Only 17 people had signed Amnesty's India site, said Matta, attributing this to the family getting more international media attention than local media coverage. Diktats issued by such kangaroo courts are not uncommon in rural regions and caste-discrimination remains widespread, despite being illegal. In northern parts of India, these village councils known as "Khap Panchayats" act as de-facto courts settling rural disputes on everything from land and cattle to matrimony and murder. But they are coming under growing scrutiny as their punitive edicts grow more regressive, ranging from banning girls wearing jeans and using mobile phones to supporting child marriage and sanctioning the lynching of couples in "honor killings". One of the village council leaders Chaudhary Surendra Singh told the local newspaper Mail Today no such diktat was issued. "Khap panchayats don't issue such orders. We are supposed to protect the honor of women. We don't know if some village rogues have taken such a decision," Singh was quoted as saying. Police in Baghpat district also dismissed the case, saying there was no evidence of the order being passed. But family members claim they are being influenced by the council members, whose caste wields considerable political and economic power in the region. Officials from Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's office were not immediately available for comment. The family has also petitioned India's Supreme Court seeking protection to return their village. The court has ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to reply by Sept 15.
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| Thai Police Award Themselves $84k for Arrest of Bomb Suspect Posted: 31 Aug 2015 09:34 PM PDT  Thai national police chief Somyot Pumpanmuang speaks to media at the site where a suspect of the recent Bangkok blast was arrested, in Bangkok on Aug. 29, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) BANGKOK — With much fanfare, Thai police had offered a US$84,000 reward for tips leading to arrests in the Bangkok bombing. On Monday, they handed out the cash—to themselves. They arrested a suspect Saturday, though the man has not been charged, let alone convicted. He may not even be the prime suspect in the Aug. 17 bombing at Bangkok's Erawan Shrine, which killed 20 people and injured more than 120. That was enough for national police chief Somyot Poompanmoung: He said he was taking the unusual step of redirecting a 3 million baht reward to highlight that Thailand's police are good at their jobs. Somyot made the announcement at a news conference Monday, saying he had "good news." "Give me the bag," he said, turning to an aide who rushed over with stacks of cash that Somyot placed on the podium before him. "This is real money," the police chief said with a smile. He went on to say that Saturday's arrest was thanks to "good police work" and had not come from any outside tips. "It is the ability of Thai officials that led to the arrest," he said. "This money should be given to officials who did their job." The decision quickly added to criticism on social media over police handling of the bombing investigation. Many Thais have expressed doubt that the bombing will be solved, citing a reputation Thai police have for corruption and forcing confessions. Within days of the blast, Somyot said he was offering a 1 million baht ($28,000) reward to help find the perpetrators. The sum quickly tripled after he said two of his friends who wished to remain nameless had chipped in 2 million baht ($56,000) more. Police made a potential breakthrough Saturday when they arrested a man in the outskirts of Bangkok and found bomb-making material including detonators, ball bearings and a metal pipe at his apartment. But many questions remain. Police say they are certain the man was part of a network that planned the attack but they have not revealed his name, nationality, motive or his suspected relationship to the bombing network. Police have responded equivocally when asked whether the man is the main bombing suspect, who was seen on security video leaving a backpack at the shrine shortly before the explosion. "He is a man in the network," Somyot said. Somyot said the man is in military custody for initial interrogation and will later be turned over to police to be charged. The military has controlled Thailand since a May 2014 coup. Police said they found more bomb-making materials Sunday in a raid on another apartment in a nearby neighborhood, and on Monday released images of two more suspects: a photo of a Thai woman identified as 26-year-old Wanna Suansun and a sketch of a foreign man of unknown nationality. Somyot said he also hoped that turning the reward over to police would help motivate them and show "that higher ranking officers actually give them money." Police in Thailand are notoriously underpaid and it is common knowledge that low-ranking officers collect bribes to pay-up to senior officers. It was not immediately clear how the reward money would be distributed to police officers.
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| Indian Scholar Who Criticized Idol Worship Murdered at Home Posted: 31 Aug 2015 09:23 PM PDT  Devotees pray in front of an idol of the Hindu monkey god Hanuman on the banks of India's Godavari River. (Photo: Danish Siddiqui / Reuters) NEW DELHI — Following a knock at his front door, an Indian scholar greeted two unidentified visitors and was shot in the head and the chest, becoming the third critic of religious superstition to be killed in the country in three years. The attack on Malleshappa M. Kalburgi sent a chill through Indian civil society, stoking worries about religious extremism and intolerance and prompting an outpouring of condemnation as the 77-year-old author and academic was cremated Monday in his hometown of Dharwad, in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. “This incident should not have happened. It is highly condemnable,” Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told reporters. Authorities are searching for two men who according to Kalburgi’s daughter arrived on a motorcycle at their home Sunday, knocked on the door and fired two shots that killed her father, Inspector S.S. Hiremath said. He declined to give further details about the attack. Police are investigating whether Kalburgi’s murder is connected to death threats he received last year from angry right-wing Hindu groups after he criticized idol worship and superstitious beliefs by Hindus. He was provided police security after the threats but it was removed about two weeks ago at the scholar’s request, police said. The attack was widely condemned. “Everyone has the right to express his opinion,” actor and director Girish Karnad said. “If this grows in Karnataka, we are in trouble.” Columnist Nitin Pai, who founded a think tank in the southern city of Bangalore, said on Twitter that he was “Shocked at the murder of M.M. Kalburgi. Disgusted that his killers have apologists among us.” India has long held secularism to be a keystone of its constitution—and a necessity for keeping the peace among its cacophony of cultures defined by caste, clan, tribe or religion, including Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism. Earlier this year, unknown attackers gunned down another anti-superstition crusader, Indian writer and communist politician Govind Pansare, as he and his wife were taking a walk in western Maharashtra state. In another daytime attack in 2013, two assailants gunned down Narendra Dabholkar, a 68-year-old doctor-turned-activist, while he was out for a walk in the Maharashtra city of Pune, near Mumbai. Police have arrested two suspects in Dabholkar’s murder. He had received years of death threats and demands that he stop giving lectures in villages across Maharashtra state promoting rationalist thought and discouraging superstitions, religious extremism, black magic and animal or human sacrifice. Maharashtra’s government later passed long-stalled legislation that Dabholkar had worked on banning religious exploitation and fraudulent medical workers. Activists have said the legislation does not go far enough since it only allows complaints from victims and their families, not from third parties, which they say limits the law’s effectiveness because most victims are invested in superstitious beliefs and are not likely to complain.
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