The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Police Suspect Suicide after Monk Found Dead in Arakan State’s Mrauk-U
• In Israel and Elsewhere, Burma Army Sees Fruits of Reform
• $30m in Black Market Goods Seized Since 2012: Commerce Ministry
• Indian Widow Fights Modi in ‘Final’ Court Battle over Deadly Riots
• Four Thai Military Officers Sought in Alleged Human Trafficking
• China Military Hints at Opposition to Large-Scale Troop Cuts

Police Suspect Suicide after Monk Found Dead in Arakan State’s Mrauk-U Posted: 22 Sep 2015 05:07 AM PDT The sun sets behind Shittaung Temple in Arakan State's Mrauk-U Township, May 2013. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — A Buddhist monk found dead in Arakan State's Mrauk-U Township on Monday is believed to have committed suicide, local police said, although an investigation is ongoing. Ba San, a police officer in Mrauk-U, told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that the 67-year-old monk, who reportedly lived alone in a small monastery, had what appeared to be knife wounds to the neck. The deceased, Khanti Sara, had been a practicing monk for 14 years. "We have not seen anything yet indicating someone else killed him. The monk stayed alone at his monastery. For us, we believe that he committed suicide," Ba San said. The officer, who confirmed a police investigation was continuing, said the front gate leading to the monastery was usually closed and it was rare to see people heading in and out. Following the monk's death, some locals have raised concerns over the sensitive case in light of recent bouts of communal violence in Arakan State since mid-2012. Kyaw Kyaw, an Arakan National Party lawmaker for Mrauk-U—one of several townships rocked by a second major wave of sectarian violence in October 2012—said Buddhist monks had met in the town on Tuesday to discuss the investigation into the monk's death. "I feel very sad. I just heard about it yesterday after I came back from our election campaign," Kyaw Kyaw said, adding that he knew the monk who came to collect alms each morning by his house. Violence in the coastal state in 2012 between Buddhist and Muslim communities led to the displacement of some 140,000 people, the majority of whom were Muslim Rohingya, a stateless minority that has endured decades of discrimination.     The post Police Suspect Suicide after Monk Found Dead in Arakan State's Mrauk-U appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

In Israel and Elsewhere, Burma Army Sees Fruits of Reform Posted: 22 Sep 2015 04:37 AM PDT Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing meets with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Sept. 10, 2015. Talk of bringing an end to decades of internal conflict does not seem to have deterred Burma's army chief, Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, from continuing to seek weapons and military hardware from allies near and far, with the commander-in-chief most recently undertaking a goodwill visit to Israel with just such intentions. Following similar trips to Pakistan, India, Belarus and Ukraine in recent years, the Israel visit earlier this month was the first by a Burmese military leader since the late Gen. Ne Win made the journey in 1959. Observers say the army chief's jet-setting in recent years is clear indication of the reputational boost that the Burma Armed Forces have enjoyed since the semi-civilian government of President Thein Sein began initiating political and economic reforms in 2011. In its push to modernize its military arsenal, the Burma Army has arguably been one of the biggest beneficiaries of a reform program that has included greater media freedom and the release of hundreds of political prisoners. The army chief's visit to Israel also highlighted the decades-long military ties between the two countries, which for years were downplayed or denied altogether. "It is quite possible now that Burma has improved its relations with the Western world, that a company like Elbit can operate more openly without being scrutinized by, for instance, American policy makers. Elbit Systems is a big company which is active all over the world," said Bertil Lintner, a veteran Swedish journalist who has author several books on Burma. On his visit from Sept. 6-11, Min Aung Hlaing toured Elbit Systems, an Israel-based defense manufacturing company that, according to Jane's Intelligence Review, has done business with Burma in the past. A Jane's report from March 2000 said the company won a contract in 1997 to upgrade three squadrons of Chinese-supplied jetfighters in Burma. Elbit Systems has about 12,000 employees, and operates as a "high technology company" supplying "a broad portfolio of airborne, land and naval systems and products for defense, homeland security and commercial applications," according to the firm's website. The company was one at least three defense firms visited by Min Aung Hlaing, who also toured an Israeli naval base, the country's Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv and a memorial to fallen soldiers in the Gaza Strip. American Ally In visiting Israel, the Burma Army chief may have had his eye on a much bigger prize, according to Eitay Mack, a human rights lawyer in Jerusalem who is critical of Israeli arms exports to nations with checkered human rights records. The show of "goodwill" between Israel and Burma might speed along the day when Min Aung Hlaing heads a similar delegation to Washington, Mack told The Irrawaddy, noting the close US-Israel relationship. "I think that the military junta is using the transition to gain more legitimacy at the international level. They wanted to show that they are good friends of the United States' best ally [Israel]," said Mack, who added that in turn, the Israeli government may have hosted Min Aung Hlaing to position itself as a go-to arms supplier as shipping weapons and hardware to the once ostracized Burma Army becomes increasingly palatable among the international community. "I think that Israel is trying to put its feet in Burma," Mack said. "I think they are thinking about current and future military contracts, such as selling military equipment and technologies and security services. "They think the transition the Burmese government is making will succeed. That's why they want to put their feet there before the European Union and other countries," he added. While the United States and European Union lifted most economic sanctions on Burma in response to Thein Sein's reforms in 2012, both still maintain arms embargoes. Though no such prohibition is holding back Israel, Mack said forging closer ties with the Burma Army carried with it major risks, given the poor human rights record of the armed forces under the country's former military regime, and extant concerns about its present day conduct. Human rights advocates have criticized the military over ongoing hostilities between government troops and ethnic armed groups in the country's north and east, as well its treatment of the Rohingya Muslim minority in western Burma. A long-sought nationwide ceasefire between Naypyidaw and the country's ethnic armies remains elusive. "I think Israel is taking a big risk," said Mack. "Nobody knows now if the transition [in Burma] will succeed. Nobody knows for sure what will happen after the November election. Even now there are a lot of human rights violations by the Burmese government." While Burma struggles to rebuild after the most serious flooding in decades, Mack accused Min Aung Hlaing of focusing solely on courting defense firms, with no consideration for enlisting Israeli construction companies or other industries that might help flood victims recover. Haaretz, a leading Israel-based newspaper, reported that the Burma Army "is apparently purchasing Super Dvora patrol boats," based on a Facebook post from Min Aung Hlaing that appeared to indicate as much. The Israeli Embassy in Rangoon noted the army chief's visit on its website, saying the visit had "shown the strong ties of friendship and cooperation between the two armed forces and governments of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and the State of Israel." No details of military deals or the substance of discussions between officials from the two countries were disclosed. The Israeli Embassy did not respond to requests for comment made via email and over the phone on Friday. Israel was likely keeping tight-lipped about details of the visit because of lingering concerns about the optics of any dealings between the two militaries, according to Mack, who added that the Israeli public was aware of the history of human rights abuses perpetrated by the Burma Army. The Jane's report said military ties between Burma and Israel date back to the 1950s, with Israel over the years selling military hardware and providing technology and training to the Burma Army. After the Burmese government's crackdown on mass pro-democracy demonstrations in 1988, military-to-military ties were increasingly facilitated by Singapore, according to the report. Anthony Davis, a security analyst with Jane's, told The Irrawaddy via email that Min Aung Hlaing's visit to Israel underscored in a very public manner both countries' interest in expanding a defense relationship that in the past has tended to remain largely below the radar. "To that extent, it marks an important watershed," he said. "Significantly, it stands to offer the Tatmadaw [Burma Armed Forces] a range of battle-tested, state-of-the-art systems suitable for both conventional and counter-insurgency conflicts that for political reasons major Western arms manufacturers are still unable to offer to Myanmar," Davis added. Branching Out While military ties between Burma and Israel have the added benefit of the two countries' decades of diplomatic relations, Burma has not been shy about seeking out a wider array of arms suppliers. In recent years, Burma has bought weapons from a variety of sources, among them North Korea, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and, naturally, Singapore. Min Aung Hlaing also visited India in July, touring a combat helicopter production unit, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, in Bangalore. He also toured a shipyard and naval aviation facility, and a production line of the automobile manufacturer Tata Motors. Jane's reported on July 30 that border security concerns were likely raised in New Delhi while at the same time the Indian government actively seeks to assist the Burma Army with modernization of its military. "India is understood to be urging greater coordination of efforts to interdict cross-border movement by Assamese, Manipuri, and Naga rebels from the country's northeast," read the Jane's report. In his visit to Belarus in November 2014, Min Aung Hlaing reached a bilateral agreement establishing a committee to oversee military-technical cooperation between the two countries, Jane's reported. As has been interpreted regarding its geopolitical and economic outreach in recent years, analysts say Burma is similarly looking to expand its circle of friends in the military sphere. "It is clear that the Burmese military would want to diversify its procurement of weapons to lessen its dependence on China," said Lintner. The post In Israel and Elsewhere, Burma Army Sees Fruits of Reform appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

$30m in Black Market Goods Seized Since 2012: Commerce Ministry Posted: 21 Sep 2015 11:56 PM PDT Chinese nationals convicted for illegal logging arrive at a court in Myitkyina in July. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — Roving anti-smuggling teams have seized more than 50 billion kyats (US$30 million) worth of smuggled goods in border areas over the last three years, according to the Ministry of Commerce. Since late 2012, the cross-departmental mobile teams have intercepted a number of black market shipments, primarily in Muse on the border of China's Yunnan province and the Karen town of Myawaddy on the Thai border. Minister of Commerce Win Myint told a meeting of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) earlier this month that officials had stopped the unlawful export of jade, timber, unlicensed automobiles, livestock and electronic goods. Formed as a collaborative effort between the country's police force, Customs Department and the Ministry of Commerce, the anti-smuggling teams had been subjected to attacks and ambushes by smuggling gangs seeking retribution for confiscated goods, according to Commerce Ministry director-general Nyunt Aung. "They've ambushed team members in some of the most severe cases we've seen," he said. Than Win, a ministry director, said that the teams had intercepted more than 500 trucks carrying illegal logs since the operation began, seizing timber worth at least 9 billion kyats (US$6.9 billion) worth of timber over the three year period. "Most these logs were seized at the Chinese border," he said, adding that a Commerce Ministry employee was killed during one altercation with smugglers in the area. "Some others were seriously injured. These traders don't like what we are doing." According to figures from the ministry, 57 tonnes of jade worth 5 billion kyats had been seized by the taskforce, along with vehicles worth 4 billion kyats. Win Myint told The Irrawaddy that black market transactions and the importation of untaxed consumer goods was a lingering problem in Burma. "Comparing the trade figures of our trade partners, ours are smaller," he said. "Ours are [significantly] smaller than China and Thailand's. It is clear we don't have accurate figures." China accounted for around 87 percent of border trade in the last fiscal year, followed by Thailand at 12 percent, according to the Commerce Ministry.     The post $30m in Black Market Goods Seized Since 2012: Commerce Ministry appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Indian Widow Fights Modi in ‘Final’ Court Battle over Deadly Riots Posted: 21 Sep 2015 08:57 PM PDT Zakia Jafri, whose late husband, a lawmaker for the Congress party which now sits in opposition, was hacked to death by a Hindu mob in riots, poses as she walks in a lawn with a security guard provided by the government at her son's house in Surat, India, September 15, 2015. (Photo: Amit Dave / Reuters) AHMEDABAD, INDIA — Zakia Jafri, a frail 76-year-old, has begun what may be the last legal battle to pin blame on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for deadly riots that shook the state of Gujarat when he was chief minister, and claimed her husband's life. Modi denies any involvement in the 2002 unrest, one of the worst outbreaks of religious violence in independent India. In 2013, a panel appointed by the Supreme Court said there was insufficient evidence to prosecute him. It was the third investigation to come to the same conclusion. Since then, the prime minister has shed his international image as a hardline Hindu nationalist, adopted the mantle of progressive economic reformer, won a landslide election in 2014 and earned a place at the high table of global leaders. His government has also cracked down on NGOs and rights workers, including activist Teesta Setalvad, who has been helping Jafri gather evidence to overturn previous court rulings in Modi's favor and bring him to trial. At around the time the Gujarat High Court agreed to hear the case last month, federal police investigating alleged fraud raided the home and offices of Setalvad, who has represented dozens of victims of the riots and won several convictions. None of that deterred Jafri, whose late husband, a lawmaker for the Congress party now in opposition, was hacked to death by a Hindu mob in riots that killed at least 1,000 people, most from India's sizeable Muslim minority. "My case is not just against the foot soldiers," said Jafri, worn down by 13 years of campaigning, including her failed Supreme Court bid to prosecute Modi two years ago. Hers is the last case still in the court system filed after the riots that tries to implicate Modi. "It is against those who allowed the foot soldiers to operate," she told Reuters in an interview in Ahmedabad, commercial capital of Gujarat where her husband was slain. "It is against those who created the situation for the foot soldiers to get provoked and enabled them to operate. It is against Modi." Chain of Command Setalvad is trying to show Modi turned a blind eye to the violence. "We are trying to establish a chain of command responsibility. Our task is to show that an individual in the position of power could be administratively or criminally culpable," said Setalvad. The Prime Minister's Office declined to comment on the challenge, because the case is underway. Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also declined comment. Setalvad said she pored over testimonies of victims, policemen, bureaucrats, politicians and members of hardline Hindu organizations to piece together Modi's role in the riots. She examined Modi's phone records and police intelligence reports as well as evidence from policeman Sanjiv Bhatt. Bhatt was a state intelligence officer during the riots and has previously given testimony claiming Modi told officials to allow Hindus to vent their anger for the deaths of 59 Hindu pilgrims in a fire on a train in the Gujarat town of Godhra, after clashes between Muslims and Hindus at the station. Last month the federal government expelled Bhatt from the police force. He is challenging the move in court. Interior Ministry officials in New Delhi said the decision to probe Setalvad's bank transactions and sack Bhatt were not related to the case against Modi. "It is a coincidence that our orders came at the exact same time when the court case started in Gujarat. They are using the victim tag to hide their mistake," said a senior bureaucrat at the ministry. For her part, Setalvad denies accusations by the Gujarat government that she and her husband used money from victims of the riots to enrich themselves. Grim Memories The Gujarat High Court began hearing Jafri's petition, which names Modi as the prime accused, this month. She is seeking a criminal trial against him and 58 others for the month-long bloodshed. For more than a decade the riots tainted Modi's international reputation. The United States revoked his visa in 2005 over the violence and he only travelled there again after last year's election. Later this week he embarks on his second U.S. trip since taking office. Lawyers involved in Jafri's case said it would take months for the proceedings to conclude, and that it could eventually reach the Supreme Court. Modi may not be losing sleep yet, although he did inquire who would be presiding over the case, one official in his office said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Sonia Gokani, the veteran judge in charge, has handled scores of cases related to the riots, handing down several convictions. For Jafri, what could be her last battle against Modi will bring back painful memories. She saw her husband, Ehsaan, making desperate calls to the police before being dragged out of his ancestral home by sword-wielding men. Within minutes he was stripped and killed. "This case is not just about my husband, it is the final attempt to seek justice for thousands of Muslims who expected Modi to save them." The post Indian Widow Fights Modi in 'Final' Court Battle over Deadly Riots appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Four Thai Military Officers Sought in Alleged Human Trafficking Posted: 21 Sep 2015 08:49 PM PDT Rohingya Muslims walk on a river bank in Buthidaung Township on June 7, 2015. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters) HAT YAI, Thailand — A court in southern Thailand has issued arrest warrants for four military officers in connection with the trafficking of ethnic Rohingya migrants, police said Monday. Police Lt. Gen. Paveen Pongsirin, the chief investigator for the case, said warrants have now been issued for 153 people, 90 of whom have turned themselves in or been detained. The authorities began their crackdown in May after discovering more than 100 bodies buried in squalid camps built to hide the migrants along the Malaysian border. Ethnic Rohingya continue to flee Myanmar to escape discrimination and seek better economic opportunities. 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. The new suspects for whom warrants were issued in Songkhla province on Sunday are a colonel and two captains in the army who belong to the Internal Security Operations Command, a counterinsurgency agency, and a navy commander. An army major general was arrested in June for alleged involvement in human trafficking. Earlier this month, an Australian journalist and his Thai colleague were acquitted in a criminal defamation lawsuit filed by an officer on behalf of the navy over their online news report about the trafficking of people from Myanmar. The story they published on the news website "Phuketwan," excerpted from a longer report by the Reuters news agency, alleged that Thai military forces accepted money to assist or turn a blind eye to the trafficking of people from Myanmar by sea. Human rights activists and foreign governments have long accused Thai authorities of collusion in human trafficking, but police, military and government officials deny the allegations. The U.S. State Department in July said it was keeping Thailand on its human trafficking blacklist and retained Thailand's Tier 3 ranking, the lowest level 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. The post Four Thai Military Officers Sought in Alleged Human Trafficking appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China Military Hints at Opposition to Large-Scale Troop Cuts Posted: 21 Sep 2015 08:41 PM PDT Students practice during a military training, in Kunming, Yunnan province, China, September 17, 2015. (Photo: Wong Campion / Reuters) BEIJING — Bitterness is growing within China's armed forces to President Xi Jinping's decision to cut troop numbers by 300,000 and considerable effort will be needed to overcome opposition to the order, according to a source and commentaries in the military's newspaper. Xi made the unexpected announcement on Sept. 3 at a military parade in Beijing marking 70 years since the end of World War Two in Asia. The move would reduce by 13 percent one of the world's biggest militaries, currently 2.3-million strong. One government official, who meets regularly with senior officers, said some inside the People's Liberation Army (PLA) felt the announcement had been rushed and taken by Xi with little consultation outside the Central Military Commission. Xi heads the commission, which has overall command of the military. "It's been too sudden," the source told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. "People are very worried. A lot of good officers will lose their jobs and livelihoods. It's going to be tough for soldiers." China's Defense Ministry, in a statement sent to Reuters, said the "broad mass" of officers and soldiers "resolutely endorsed the important decision of the (Communist) Party center and Central Military Commission and obey orders." It has said the cuts, the fourth since the 1980s, would be mostly completed by the end of 2017. Experts say the move is likely part of long-mooted rationalization plans, which have included changing the PLA command structure so it less resembles a Soviet-era model and spending more money on the navy and air force as Beijing asserts its territorial claims in the disputed South and East China Seas. Soon after Xi's announcement, the official Xinhua news agency published a long article quoted soldiers as supporting the decision. Each branch of the armed forces believed the cuts would raise quality standards, Xinhua said. Commentaries in the PLA Daily newspaper have since warned that the reductions would be hard to carry out. Chinese state media often run commentaries that reflect the official line of the institution publishing the newspaper. 'Unprecedented' Challenge  The cuts come at a time of heightened economic uncertainty in China as growth slows, its stock markets tumble and the leadership grapples with painful but needed economic reforms. China has previously faced protests from demobilized soldiers, who have complained about a lack of support finding new jobs or help with financial problems. A protest by thousands of former soldiers over pensions was reported in June, although the Defense Ministry denied any knowledge of the incident. The PLA is already reeling from Xi's crackdown on deep-seated corruption in China, which has seen dozens of officers investigated, including two former vice chairmen of the Central Military Commission. Barely a week after the Beijing parade, the PLA newspaper said the troop cuts and other military reforms Xi wished to undertake would require "an assault on fortified positions" to change mindsets and root out vested interests, and that the difficulties expected would be "unprecedented." If these reforms failed, measures still to come would be "nothing more than an empty sheet of paper," it said. It did not give details on the planned reforms. But state media has said they will likely involve better integration of all PLA branches. As part of this move, China's seven military regions, which have separate command structures that tend to focus on ground-based operations, are expected to be reduced. There had been no previous suggestion big troop cuts were planned. Troop Entertainers to go Another commentary in the PLA Daily published a week later detailed the kind of opposition Xi faced. "Some units suffer from inertia and think everything's already great. Some are scared of hardships, blame everyone and everything but themselves … They shirk work and find ways of avoiding difficulty," the commentary said. A second government source, who is close to the PLA, said military song and dance assemblies, which traditionally entertain troops, would be the first to go. "The defense budget will not be cut. It will continue to gradually increase," the source added. China's military budget for this year rose 10.1 percent to 886.9 billion yuan ($139.39 billion), the second largest in the world after the United States. Some retired Chinese generals have supported the troop cuts. "A bloated military can only cause ineffectual expenditure and forfeited battles," retired Major-General Luo Yuan, a prominent Chinese military figure, wrote in the Global Times newspaper three days after Xi's announcement. Xu Guangyu, a retired major general and now a senior army arms control advisor said: "Our country's military needs to take the path of modernization … These force reductions are an effort to stay on this path and increase quality not numbers."   The post China Military Hints at Opposition to Large-Scale Troop Cuts appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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National News

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• NLD leader powers through nationwide campaign schedule
• Moustache Brothers use jokes to help nab votes
• The Lady offers the Tatmadaw an olive branch
• NLD details laundry list of complaints against UEC
• Lack of interest plagues voter lists
• Concerns for election turnout along remote Myeik coast
• ‘Race and religion’ law revellers hit Mandalay
• Bus drivers back on the road again, despite fines
• Health groups call for higher tobacco tax
• MCDC cracking down on sidewalk vendors

NLD leader powers through nationwide campaign schedule Posted: 21 Sep 2015 02:30 PM PDT Criss-crossing the country, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is clocking up the miles as the only party leader with nationwide status drawing the crowds ahead of the November elections.

Moustache Brothers use jokes to help nab votes Posted: 21 Sep 2015 02:30 PM PDT Famed satirists the Moustache Brothers are leveraging their jokes and notoriety to support the National League for Democracy.

The Lady offers the Tatmadaw an olive branch Posted: 21 Sep 2015 02:30 PM PDT Daw Aung San Suu Kyi last night invited the military to join her in a cooperative effort to establish a federal democratic state after the November 8 elections.

NLD details laundry list of complaints against UEC Posted: 21 Sep 2015 02:30 PM PDT Senior officials from the National League for Democracy have expressed displeasure with the Union Election Commission's approach to resolving disputes, which they say could adversely impact their party's election campaign.

Lack of interest plagues voter lists Posted: 21 Sep 2015 02:30 PM PDT Names aren't the only thing missing from electoral rolls out for a second display. According to an election observing group, the voters themselves have been largely absent from the process.

Concerns for election turnout along remote Myeik coast Posted: 21 Sep 2015 02:30 PM PDT It's not looking good for the government. But then it's not looking too good for the opposition either. Down in the Myeik Archipelago, many voters seem not to be very enthusiastic about any of the parties – or about elections, or voting.

‘Race and religion’ law revellers hit Mandalay Posted: 21 Sep 2015 02:30 PM PDT Influential nationalist group Ma Ba Tha celebrated in Mandalay Region yesterday, with tens of thousands of monks and laypeople convening to celebrate the passage of its controversial package of so-called Protection of Race and Religion laws.

Bus drivers back on the road again, despite fines Posted: 21 Sep 2015 02:30 PM PDT Bus routes in Yangon have mostly resumed as normal after being hit by wildcat strikes and driver walk-offs in response to a huge hike in traffic violation fines.

Health groups call for higher tobacco tax Posted: 21 Sep 2015 02:30 PM PDT Raising taxes on tobacco products is one of the most effective ways to reduce consumption and save lives, but even though taxes in Myanmar are relatively high, the lack of enforcement and low costs of local production mean business is booming.

MCDC cracking down on sidewalk vendors Posted: 21 Sep 2015 02:30 PM PDT The ubiquitous food stalls lining the streets and sidewalks of Mandalay have been told to clean up their act and quit blocking pedestrians, according to Mandalay City Development Committee.

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The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• At Rangoon Art Show, Obese Nudes Read the News
• Scores Displaced Following Fighting in Kachin State’s Mansi Township
• Thousands of Monks Attend Merit-Making Ceremony in Mandalay
• Vietnam Free High-Profile Blogger, US Calls for More Releases
• UK Eyes Greater Yuan Role, More Chinese Nuclear Investment
• Thaksin Tells Thailand’s Red Shirt Opposition: “Play dead”… For Now

At Rangoon Art Show, Obese Nudes Read the News Posted: 21 Sep 2015 07:29 AM PDT Click to view slideshow. RANGOON — A Rubenesque ode to full-figured nude women and state media is on offer this week in downtown Rangoon, where the Burmese artist Sandar Khaing's exhibition "The Naked Truth" opened to the public on Saturday. The largest of these unconventional paintings depicts a woman with tree-trunk thighs seated naked on a toilet, with a copy of The Mirror—one of Burma's three government-run daily newspapers—going some way toward censoring her bare bosom. Other works are far less discreet portraits of the female form. The jarring imagery on display at the Cloud 31 art gallery is centered on the same overarching theme: All 34 paintings show a woman, sans clothes, reading a copy of The Mirror state mouthpiece. For some of these paintings, Sandar Khaing has pasted copies of real editions of the daily onto the canvas, making for a provocative ensemble of official state media in the hands of the obese nudes for which she has become well-known. The exhibit is a bold foray into the risqué, even by the standards of an increasingly liberal new age of art in Burma, which has seen previously draconian censorship against the arts lifted starting in 2012. In a particularly audacious stroke, the aforementioned woman on the toilet is reading a copy of The Mirror's coverage of government security forces' violent crackdown on peaceful student protestors in Letpadan, Pegu Division, in March of this year. Hundreds of student protestors demanding changes to the country's education system were on a march from Mandalay to Rangoon when they faced the violent crackdown by baton-wielding police some 80 miles northwest of the commercial capital. Dozens of participants were injured and more than 100 students and their supporters were detained. To date, 80 of them are still facing charges that could see them serve several years in prison. The student protestors hit a nerve within a quasi-civilian government whose predecessors saw their dictatorial hold on power challenged multiple times over the last 50 years by pro-democracy movements that were fueled by activists on campuses across the country. Sandar Khaing, in her early 40s, recalled the grief she felt in the aftermath of the March 10 crackdown. "Everyone was talking about that news, inside my own home too. I feel that all of us—young, middle-aged and old—tend to plunge ourselves into the news and information every day," said the artist. "And when we read newspapers and other publications, we tend to read them by sitting in different places, such as a chair, sofa, bed or even on the toilet, in different postures," she added, referring to the array of poses in which her nudes are depicted in the paintings. "This exhibition is all of that, and I would like to send that message—that in daily life, we are immersed in the age of news." But the artist pointed out that not all reports in newspapers and other media outlets are reliable, a particular concern when it comes to Burma's state-owned publications. "In my home," she said, "we buy various newspapers and publications every day. But I just try to absorb the news after subjecting it to my own scrutiny. The Mirror is one of them, but that newspaper is one of the least trusted and most unreliable." The Mirror is one of Burma's three state-run newspapers, along with Myanmar Alin and the English-language Global New Light of Myanmar. Another prominent player in Burma's daily news cycle is Myawaddy Daily, a newspaper owned by the country's powerful military. All of them are widely regarded as tentacles of the state's still potent propaganda machine, stubborn vestiges of an era under Burma's former military regime of strict censorship, and the broadcasting and publication of a torrent of pro-government exhortations. Publication of private dailies only resumed on April 1, 2013, ending a 50-year ban on such enterprises. But Sandar Khaing is trailblazing not only in her willingness to direct criticism at the government. Her penchant for painting nudes also runs against the grain of mainstream sensibilities in Burma's socially conservative society. Only in recent years has a ban on her works being displayed in the country been lifted. Her first solo show on a similar theme, titled "Nude With a Camera," was exhibited for the first time in 2014, and marked perhaps a first of its kind for Rangoon audiences. Prior to that, her paintings were shown only outside the country. "The Naked Truth" is open to the public through Friday. Cloud 31 is open from 9 am to 5 pm daily, at No. 49/51, first floor, on 31st Street, between Merchant and Maha Bandoola streets. Typical asking price for one of the artist's smaller works starts at US$300. The post At Rangoon Art Show, Obese Nudes Read the News appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Scores Displaced Following Fighting in Kachin State’s Mansi Township Posted: 21 Sep 2015 06:54 AM PDT The Nam Lim Pa IDP camp in Mansi Township, Kachin State, March 2014. (Photo: Sai Zaw / The Irrawaddy) As people around the world, including in Burma's commercial heart Rangoon, marked the annual International Day of Peace on Monday, conflict continued in the country's north, leaving scores of newly displaced villagers in its wake. Fighting between government troops and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in Kachin State's Mansi Township began on Friday and continued over the weekend, with over 180 villagers from Laika Zupja forced to flee their homes. Local relief group, the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC), assisted the villagers in relocating to relief camps in nearby Mai Hkawng village in Mansi Township. Rev. Hkalam Sam Sun, a spokesperson with KBC, told The Irrawaddy on Monday that the fighting was less than a mile from the displaced villagers' current location. "We worry about the villagers' safety if the fighting continues. We have plans to send food assistance to Mai Hkawng," he said. Fighting continued on Monday morning, with Mai Hkawng villagers reporting the sound of artillery. Since June 2011, when a 17-year ceasefire between the government and the KIA broke down, over 120,000 people in Kachin and northern Shan states have been displaced, forced to take shelter in IDP camps in both government- and rebel-controlled areas. Hkalam Sam Sun told The Irrawaddy that some 200 villagers had also fled to the Chinese border after fighting between allied troops from the KIA and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and government soldiers in Muse Township's Mong Paw in northern Shan State. "Clashes have been frequent over the last few days and have caused people to flee," Gen. Gun Maw, the KIA's deputy chief-of-staff, told The Irrawaddy on Monday. He said the KIA was helping IDPs to reach safe territory held by the armed group, but he could not confirm how many people were displaced due to the recent fighting. In Shan State, Burma Army troops have recently engaged with TNLA soldiers in Kyaukme, Mongmit and Kutkai townships; with the RCSS in the Kho Lan area of Loilen district; and with the KIA in Pangsai, Muse Township. Col. Sai La, spokesperson for the RCSS, told The Irrawaddy on Monday that despite informing the government's chief peace negotiator Aung Min of recent fighting, tensions on the ground have failed to dissipate. Last week, the Shan armed group released a statement calling on political parties campaigning ahead of Burma's Nov. 8 general election to postpone their activities in over a dozen townships in Shan State until hostilities had ceased. Representatives from both the TNLA and RCSS told The Irrawaddy that sporadic fighting was recurring due to government troops entering territory claimed by the respective ethnic armed groups. The RCSS indicated last month that it intended to sign a long awaited nationwide ceasefire agreement that the government is desperate to formalize ahead of the country's general election. Sai La said the group maintained that view, but that "the offensives must stop for it to be a meaningful peace pact." Mai Phone Kyaw, spokesperson for the TNLA, said the Ta'ang group upheld its support for an all-inclusive pact. The TNLA is one of three major ethnic armed groups that Burma's government has shunned as an initial signatory to the ceasefire agreement. Nang Seng Nom and Kyaw Kha contributed reporting.     The post Scores Displaced Following Fighting in Kachin State's Mansi Township appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Thousands of Monks Attend Merit-Making Ceremony in Mandalay Posted: 21 Sep 2015 03:37 AM PDT Click to view slideshow. MANDALAY — The usually quiet northeast corner of Mandalay's ancient moat was alive with activity early on Sunday as youth and laymen prepared for a donation ceremony for some 10,000 monks from Burma and Thailand. As dawn broke, empty seats were quickly filled with thousands of monks in their distinctive saffron or orange colored robes. A giant statue of the Buddha looked on from a stage among a sea of flowers and plastic white and red sheets were spread from the old moat's corner along the main roads heading north and east. The alms giving ceremony was organized in cooperation with the abbot of Thailand's Dhammakaya monastery, Luang Por Dhammajayo, and Mya Kyauk Sayadaw Baddanda Khaymarsara of Mandalay. Of the thousands of monks in attendance, around 100 were from Thailand. "The idea of the ceremony is to unite Buddhists and to promote Buddhism," said Pharamaha Nopporn Boonyadhamma, a spokesperson from Dhammakaya monastery. "Mandalay is a center for Buddhism in the country, with many Buddhist monks and monasteries, which is why our honorable abbot wanted to make this happen." "The event intends to strengthen Buddhism, to conserve the Buddhist tradition and to strengthen ties between the two countries as well," he added. Mandalay Division Chief Minister Ye Myint also attended the ceremony along with the divisional minister of religious affairs and other Burmese government officials. After monks from both countries chanted Buddhist prayers, they walked through the long lines of alms givers to collect contributions. "I'm so happy to participate in such a mass donation," said San San Maw, a local donor. Burma has hosted mass donation ceremonies for monks in the past but Sunday's event was unique for its inclusion of monks from Burma's eastern neighbor. The post Thousands of Monks Attend Merit-Making Ceremony in Mandalay appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Vietnam Free High-Profile Blogger, US Calls for More Releases Posted: 21 Sep 2015 12:56 AM PDT HANOI, Vietnam — Vietnam has freed a high-profile blogger who has traveled to the United States, which is pressing for more such dissidents to be released. "We welcome the decision by Vietnamese authorities to release Ta Phong Tan who decided to travel to the United States after her release from prison," said Terry White, a US Embassy public affairs officer. "We remain deeply concerned for all persons imprisoned in Vietnam for exercising their human rights and fundamental freedoms and call on the government to release unconditionally all these prisoners and allow all Vietnamese to express their political views without fear of retribution," he said. Tan, 47, a former policewoman, was arrested in 2011 for writing about human rights and corruption on her blog and sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of spreading anti-state propaganda in a trial that also convicted fellow blogger Nguyen Van Hai, better known as Dieu Cay. Over the past two years, several high-profile dissidents have been released and sent into exile in the United States, including Dieu Cay, who was released last October. His case had been mentioned by President Barack Obama. Human Rights Watch welcomed Tan's release, but said no one should have been jailed for peacefully expressing their views. "This release continues Vietnam's cynical practice of releasing high-profile dissidents from prison directly into forced exile, with immediate departure from the country being the price of their freedom," Phil Robertson, Asia deputy director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. US officials have said that Vietnam needs to improve its human rights record if it wants to expand economic, trade and military ties with the United States. Hanoi says that no one is imprisoned in Vietnam for expressing their views, and that only law breakers are punished. The post Vietnam Free High-Profile Blogger, US Calls for More Releases appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

UK Eyes Greater Yuan Role, More Chinese Nuclear Investment Posted: 21 Sep 2015 12:51 AM PDT Chinese Vice Premier Ma Kai (R) shakes hands with Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne (L) before the start of the 7th China-UK strategic economic dialogue at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, in Beijing, China, September 21, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) BEIJING — British finance minister George Osborne said on Monday Britain would like to continue helping the gradual internationalization of the yuan and that it welcomed the potential for majority Chinese investment in future nuclear projects. Speaking at the start of an annual economic and financial dialogue, Osborne said that there was probably no country in the West that was more open to Chinese investment than Britain. Britain will also provide 2 billion pounds ($3.1 billion) of initial support for a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point in southwest England, a project China is backing, the finance ministry added. The guarantee will pave the way for French utility EDF, and financial partners China General Nuclear Corp and China National Nuclear Corp, to give the go-ahead to the 16 billion-pound scheme later this year, the government said. "We very much welcome Chinese investment not just in that project but the potential for majority Chinese investment in future nuclear projects in the United Kingdom," Osborne said. "There is another opportunity for Chinese investment, in high speed rail, in the north of England," he added, without elaborating. Despite disagreements over human rights and the former British colony of Hong Kong, China values Britain's staunch defense of free trade and lack of obstacles to investing in Britain. Chinese President Xi Jinping visits Britain next month. London has been especially keen to attract Chinese banks and encourage offshore trade in the yuan to bolster its position as the world's main center for foreign exchange trading. "We want to continue to play our role as the world's leading financial center in helping with the gradual internationalization of the renminbi, and I hope we can take further steps today to strengthen cooperation between our financial markets," Osborne said.   The post UK Eyes Greater Yuan Role, More Chinese Nuclear Investment appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Thaksin Tells Thailand’s Red Shirt Opposition: “Play dead”… For Now Posted: 21 Sep 2015 12:21 AM PDT Red shirt movement leader Kwanchai Praipana poses with a photo of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra at his office in Udon Thani, Thailand, September 15, 2015. (Jorge Silva / Reuters) UDON THANI, Thailand — From self-imposed exile, the influential leader of Thailand's rural "red shirt" opposition movement has delivered a simple message to followers chafing at the military junta's iron rule: lay low for now, don't panic, "play dead." Billionaire former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, long-time political leader of the north's disenfranchised electorate, is watching events at home closely and urging patience from those who want to see his allies return to power. "When I spoke to Thaksin, he told me to pretend to be dead a little longer," red shirt leader Kwanchai Praipana, a popular pro-Thaksin leader in the northeastern province of Udon Thani, told Reuters. "He told me to… wait until the next election. That will be the moment that we will win. The only question is whether an election will ever take place." Kwanchai said he spoke to Thaksin a month ago, though he did not specify how they communicated. Thaksin, who lives abroad to avoid a jail sentence for graft, was ousted in a coup in 2006, but remains a major figure in Thai politics. While the military has kept a firm grip on power since it felled the remnants of the government of Thaksin's sister Yingluck in another coup last year, he and his allies have won every election since 2001 and anger is mounting among farmers and political opponents. The military government has slashed rural subsidies and coup leader and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said this month the next election would not be held until "around" July, 2017, the latest delay to Thailand's return to democracy. Drive-by Shooting The reference to playing dead resonated with Kwanchai, who rolled up his sleeve to show a scar the length of his upper arm from a drive-by shooting at his rural home when Bangkok was paralysed by protests that preceded the coup. Prayuth's ban on political activity has severely curtailed the red shirt movement and his junta has quashed any sign of open dissent. "They have bullied us too much," said Kwanchai, adding that he has to report his movements to the military every day. Prayuth staged the coup and banned political activity after months of sometimes deadly street clashes, saying he had to reconcile a dangerously divided society. Many Thais, especially Bangkok's middle class and urban elite, backed the intervention. But sharp divisions remain and the Shinawatras retain their popularity in northern strongholds. A draft constitution that critics said was an attempt by Prayuth to prevent a comeback by the Shinawatras was rejected by a military-appointed reform council rather than taken to a national referendum that may have become a public test of the junta's popularity. "At first we thought the drafting of the constitution, had it been passed, would have been the time to protest," said Sabina Shah, a red shirt leader and radio DJ in the northeastern city of Khon Kaen. The radio station was shut down after the coup and remains off air. "People want to protest. But they are afraid, despite facing difficulties and hardship… The economy's been going backwards." Hundreds of activists on Saturday defied a ban on protests and marched in Bangkok in a rare rally against the military to mark the ninth anniversary of the coup against Thaksin. Lines of police stood by as crowds of people chanting "no dictatorship" and carrying anti-junta banners marched to the city's Democracy Monument. 'Almost Dying' Compared with the Shinawatra clan, Prayuth has done little for Thailand's farmers. He ended subsidy schemes that funneled billions of dollars to agricultural communities. The populist schemes were fiercely criticized as vote buying by opponents of the Shinawatras. Without the subsidies, rice farmers have seen their income per kilogram of rice fall by about a third and are struggling to pay down debt they took on when times were good. "I'm not that happy at the moment because agricultural prices for us have not been good at all," said farmer Samrong Pongthai in lush rice fields outside Udon Thani. "The government won't increase the price. It's been a struggle really. You make a loss if you sell it these days." Despite his distaste for populism, Prayuth has turned to one of the architects of Thaksin's economic policies in an attempt to revive Thailand's stumbling economy. But farmers say the soft loans and spending on small projects announced so far are not enough. "This government tells us to stop making demands, and to live sustainably," said Samai Sribang, who owns a rubber plantation in Nong Khai province near the border with Laos. "But how can it be sustainable if we can't sell our goods? If Thaksin can hear us, tell him we are almost dying." Prayuth's government is considering asking farmers to not plant an off-season crop next year after drought left many reservoirs low. It has also tried to encourage rubber farmers to cut down trees to reduce oversupply. Both measures will only add to farmers' resentment, said Teerasak Teecayuphan, the mayor of Khon Kaen. "If that is all the government can come up with there is little hope of restoring political faith," Teerasak said. "Sooner or later this pot will boil over. You can't suppress it for long if you don't solve the problems."     The post Thaksin Tells Thailand's Red Shirt Opposition: "Play dead"… For Now appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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National News

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• Ethnic Mon left off electoral rolls
• Candidate touts largesse as election battle heats up
• Voter list errors and omissions pile up on the UEC
• Police crowd-sourcing traffic complaints via Viber
• Domestic pilgrims tipped to hit 5 million: industry body
• Lightning triggers another blackout
• Car import business marred by fraudulent dealings

Ethnic Mon left off electoral rolls Posted: 20 Sep 2015 02:30 PM PDT More than 20,000 voters, mostly ethnic Mon, have lost their right to vote in a single township in Kayin State following a controversial decision that triggered accusations of political bias.

Candidate touts largesse as election battle heats up Posted: 20 Sep 2015 02:30 PM PDT K82.5 billion (US$64.3 million) – that's how much one independent candidate claims to have spent on his constituents.

Voter list errors and omissions pile up on the UEC Posted: 20 Sep 2015 02:30 PM PDT As electoral officials continue their nationwide effort to complete an accurate voters list in advance of the November election, thousands of errors and omitted names continue to riddle the publicly posted inventories.

Police crowd-sourcing traffic complaints via Viber Posted: 20 Sep 2015 02:30 PM PDT Yangon police are accepting traffic complaints via the popular smart-phone app Viber, and it seems everyone has something to share about the city's calamitous congestion.

Domestic pilgrims tipped to hit 5 million: industry body Posted: 20 Sep 2015 02:30 PM PDT The number of internal pilgrims continues to grow, with up to 5 million people this year expected to travel to the country's prime religious and historical sites.

Lightning triggers another blackout Posted: 20 Sep 2015 02:30 PM PDT Electrical engineers blamed lightning for the nearly citywide blackouts in Yangon on September 17, and dismissed social media rumours suggesting election-related manipulation.

Car import business marred by fraudulent dealings Posted: 20 Sep 2015 02:30 PM PDT Widespread and systematic cheating has undermined government attempts to control the import of new cars, a watchdog body has revealed. The Yangon Regional government car parking analysis group said that 95 percent of applications for a new vehicle were fake.

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The Irrawaddy Magazine

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The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (Sept. 19, 2015) Posted: 18 Sep 2015 07:36 PM PDT A cargo ship waits to be loaded with shipping containers at a port in Qingdao, Shandong province, China, on September 1, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) Analyst Warns of China Fallout for Burma's Economy With China's economic slowdown causing concern in markets around the world, an analyst has warned that impacts are already being felt in Burma's economy. Doubts that China will not meet a 7 percent growth target this year mean that the economic woes of Burma's giant neighbor—which has seen Chinese equity markets fall by some 40 percent since mid-June, according to Reuters—may still have some way to go. Despite the arrival of Western investors in Burma in recent years, China remains the country's largest trading partner, with investments including large mining projects and hydropower dams. Paul Shortell, a scholar working in Burma for the New York-based Natural Resource Governance Institute, published an article this week in the World Politics Review arguing that Burma faces "risks and uncertainties" from the problems in the Chinese economy. "Some impacts of China's slowdown are already evident in the energy and mining sectors," Shortell wrote. "Falling energy prices, attributed in part to softening demand in China, have curbed Myanmar's earnings on natural gas exports despite robust production. The annual Jade and Gem Emporium, which grossed 2.5 billion euros in sales in 2014, saw a sharp decline in participation by Chinese merchants this year. "Flagging factory output and construction could also depress exports of tin, which China began purchasing from Myanmar in significant quantities in 2013." According to Burmese government figures, China has been the largest source of pledged foreign direct investment in since 1988, despite an influx in FDI from other places since the West removed sanctions. But Shortell suggests that conditions inside China could be threatening a vital source of capital into Burma. "And some analysts fear that stress on China's financial system from stalling output, stock market losses, and a property bubble in China's southwestern provinces might curtail future lending," he wrote. Shell Set to Begin Exploration as It Steps Into Dawei Fray Oil and gas giant Royal Dutch Shell is set to begin offshore exploration before the end of 2015, the company confirmed shortly after announcing that it would throw its weight into a troubled economic hub project in southern Burma. The UK and Netherlands-based company is leading a consortium that also includes Japan's Mitsui Corporation, which was awarded three of 10 deep-water oil and gas exploration blocks in a competitive tender that concluded in March 2014. In February this year, the companies announced that they had signed a production sharing contract with the state-owned Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) to explore the blocks AD-9 and AD-11 off Arakan State and MD-5 off Tenasserim Division. Responding to a query about a Myanmar Times report this month that exploration would begin in October, Shell told The Irrawaddy that exploration was expected to begin between the start of next month and the end of 2015. "Shell is expecting to start seismic operations in Myanmar in Q4 2015," said Graeme Smith, vice president of exploration, Asia and Australia, for Royal Dutch Shell, in emailed comments. "Frontier exploration is a part of a long-term commitment which starts with data acquisition; geoscientific studies and the gathering of seismic, gravity, and magnetic data to determine possible prospects," Smith added. "This may take 2-4 years. If the results of the studies identify feasible prospects, then we could decide to drill." Dubai-based company Polarcus has announced that it has been awarded the deal to conduct the seismic exploration in Shell's blocks. Shell is also set to further its involvement in Burma, in a move that will be a major boost to the Dawei Special Economic Zone project on the coast of southern Burma's Tenasserim Division, which is reportedly under development once again after years of delays apparently due to financing difficulties. A new road link from the Andaman coast to Thailand is planned for the area, as well as a factory zone and power-generation projects. It is hoped new infrastructure will attract other investors to create an economic hub close to the sleepy port town of Dawei. Shell signed an agreement last month to cooperate on the development of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Dawei. The agreement with Thailand's Italian-Thai Development will see the two companies jointly develop a receiving and re-gasification terminal, which will serve the long-awaited Dawei SEZ, according to a statement. "Under the agreement, Shell will provide technical expertise on the development of the LNG terminal. It will also have access to terminal capacity and supply LNG to DSEZ customers," the Shell statement said. Swedish Firm to Build 'Data Center' for Thilawa Zone Sweden's Flexenclosure AB says will install a data center inside the Thilawa Special Economic Zone near Rangoon. The company specializes in setting up such facilities, which are used to house computer and telecommunications systems and usually provide backup power supplies. The company announced this week that it had received a "multi-million dollar" order for a data center from Burst Networks, a company that provides broadband Internet services. It said Flexenclosure would build the center at its factory in Vara, Sweden, before shipping it to Burma. "When commissioned and licensed to operate, the teleport will provide a robust, scalable, state-of-the-art nationwide network offering broadband services to enterprise, SME and third-party provider clients such as data connectivity, VPN, VoIP, video conferencing, network redundancy, data storage & recovery, colocation and hosting services," the statement said. Japanese Farm Machinery Maker Establishes Burma Company Japan's Kubota Corporation, which manufactures tractors and other agricultural machinery, has established a company in Burma with the aim of expanding its reach into the country as more farms look to mechanize production. The company said in a statement on Wednesday that while it has already been distributing Kubota machinery in Burma through a Thai subsidiary, it was looking to reach more of the country's farmers. "The total population and rice production volume of Myanmar are almost the same as those of Thailand; however, most of the farm work relies on human power and work cattle," the statement said. "In the future, mechanization of farm work will make progress." The company was established this month with capital of $23.8 million, and will be based in the Thilawa SEZ. The Singapore-listed conglomerate owned by local tycoon Serge Pun, Yoma Strategic Holdings, announced recently that its own venture into the tractor business was seeing some success. The group's business selling Case New Holland machinery brought in revenue of more than $5 million in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, according to a company filing. British Insurer Moves to Burma British company Jardine Lloyd Thompson (JLT) has reportedly set up an office in Burma, as international firms continue to see potential in the local insurance market. The website Insurance Asia News reported that the company has opened a representative office in Rangoon. Given restrictions still in place on the insurance sector, the local office "will be limited to sharing its knowledge and expertise with Myanmar insurance companies and local businesses, though it will not be allowed to provide services directly," the report said. The restricted environment—private firms can only offer a handful of policies while the state-run Myanma Insurance is able to offer more than 40—has meant that the presence of foreign firms in the sector has so far been limited. However, a report from the Wall Street Journal earlier this month said that the Burmese government was "weighing a plan to allow foreign insurers to partner with local ones and open local branch offices," citing Maung Maung Thein, a deputy director at Burma's Ministry of Finance. "The government will 'wait and see,' he said, before making final decisions on when and how foreign players can enter the wider market," the Journal reported. The post The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (Sept. 19, 2015) appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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