The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• New Chief Ministers Will Be NLD Candidates, Party Official Says
• Govt Vows to Continue Support for Convicted Koh Tao Duo
• Special Goods Tax Debate Flags Booze, Tobacco Price Hike
• Released Graffiti Students Barred From University Reenrollment
• Suu Kyi Tells Govt Peace Body: Reach Out to Non-Signatory Armed Groups
• Burma Through the Lens in 2015
• Kachin IDPs Resigned to Another Subdued Christmas Away From Home
• Burma Air Force Orders Rangoon Villagers to Vacate Homes
• Two Burmese Men Found Guilty, Receive Death Penalty in Koh Tao Case
• Cambodia PM Stands by Hydropower, Dismisses Critics as ‘Extremists’
• Thai Junta Says 99% of People Happy with Its Rule
• Thai High Court Upholds Conviction for Webmaster
• USDP Looks to Regroup after Bruising Election Defeat

New Chief Ministers Will Be NLD Candidates, Party Official Says Posted: 24 Dec 2015 03:20 AM PST Supporters look on as Aung San Suu Kyi gives a speech during a campaign rally ahead of the upcoming general election in Toungup, Arakan State, October 16, 2015. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters) RANGOON — A senior member of the National League for Democracy (NLD) said on Thursday the party planned to appoint NLD lawmakers to chief minister posts across Burma's regional parliaments, dashing the hopes of at least one major ethnic political party that had publically coveted such a position. Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Thursday, NLD central committee member Nan Khin Htwe Myint said chief ministers of Burma's state parliaments would be ethnic NLD candidates, as selected by the country's new president according to the 2008 Constitution. The Arakan National Party (ANP), which won 23 of 47 Arakan State parliament seats in last month's election and emerged as one of the country's strongest ethnic political parties, had expressed hope the new state chief would be drawn from within its ranks. Nan Khin Htwe Myint put paid to that prospect on Thursday. "Maybe the ANP can obtain the regional parliament chairman post but the state chief minister will be from the NLD," she said. "Even if we had only secured two or three [local Arakan State parliament] seats in the election, we could select an NLD ethnic candidate for the post." Aye Thar Aung, a spokesperson for the ANP, claimed lawmakers could object to the presidential appointee, but conceded the military-drafter charter put the matter in the hands of the president. "We must amend the Constitution. If we don't, this will happen again and again," he said. Aye Thar Aung said that an NLD candidate from Gwa Township, Nyi Pu, was being touted for the post. This week, an alliance of over 100 Arakanese civil society organizations called for the NLD, which won a landslide victory in the Nov. 8 poll, to select a chief minister from within the ANP. Prior to the election, ANP chairman Aye Maung had been put forward as a possible candidate for the role, however, he became ineligible after losing his state seat of Manaung on Nov. 8. The post New Chief Ministers Will Be NLD Candidates, Party Official Says appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Govt Vows to Continue Support for Convicted Koh Tao Duo Posted: 24 Dec 2015 03:14 AM PST Wai Phyo sits in a prison truck as he arrives at the Koh Samui Provincial Court on July 22. (Photo: Chaiwat Subprasom / Reuters) The Burmese government has vowed to continue assisting two migrant workers accused of murdering British tourists David Miller and Hannah Witheridge in Thailand, after the pair were sentenced to death by the Koh Samui provincial court on Thursday. Hours after the verdict, President's Office director Zaw Htay wrote on Facebook that the government would support Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo, both 22, during their expected appeals. "The Burmese government will continue to help through diplomatic channels without damaging Thailand's sovereignty, its independent court ruling and bilateral relations between Burma and Thailand," he said, adding that if needed the government would appeal to the Thai Privy Council for a reduction in the sentences. There are an estimated 3 million Burmese migrants working in Thailand, only around 1.7 million of whom are officially registered with the Thai government. Win Maung, Burma's ambassador to Thailand, told The Irrawaddy that his embassy dealt with reports of serious assaults involving Burmese migrant workers on an average of twice per week. His office has been following the case against Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo since their arrest last year. Speaking to The Irrawaddy during a brief phone interview on Thursday, Win Maung said the embassy would continue to offer assistance to the pair in accordance with Thai law. How will the embassy continue to support the defendants after they were sentenced to death. We will continue our assistance through our legal support team. We have prepared for the verdict and planned for an appeal if the verdict declared them guilty. Was the verdict too harsh for the accused? It is within their law. We talked about it constantly with Thailand's government whenever we could—not only me, but also our President [Thein Sein] and the Commander-in-Chief [Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing] when they visited. Regarding this case, it might related to the political situation, I think. We will just go along with the legal procedure. It might change at the appeal. We don't know yet, but we will keep offering support through legal channels. Are you going to meet with any Thai officials to discuss the case? We will sort it out through the legal procedures. Also our leaders raised the case in their talks during their official state visits. We will appeal step by step and will also appeal through our diplomatic channels, as we have been doing as usual. What can the embassy do to assist migrants in similar situations that arise in the future? We have the embassy-led migrant workers' protection team in 40 of Thailand's 77 provinces. But do not have enough labor attaches and officials to support all the migrants. (Editor's note: there are currently two Burmese labor attaches working out of the embassy in Thailand.) I would urge them to say home at midnight, as majority of the cases that reach us us occur at that time. It was easy for others to blame migrants outside at night for any crimes that occurred. Our migrant workers' protection team can only protect them half the time and they have to take care of themselves for the other half. The post Govt Vows to Continue Support for Convicted Koh Tao Duo appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Special Goods Tax Debate Flags Booze, Tobacco Price Hike Posted: 24 Dec 2015 03:07 AM PST The price of cheroots is set to rise by 60 percent under the proposed tax. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Parliamentarians are debating whether to approve measures which will significantly raise the cost of alcohol and tobacco from the beginning of the next fiscal year in April. The special goods tax rate bill includes commercial taxes and provisions for other goods, but most of the draft text outlines specific rates for tobacco and alcohol products as high as 60 percent for many products. Khine Maung Yi, an outgoing Lower House lawmaker, said the Bill Draft Committee had received numerous complaints about the draft law from local manufacturers concerned about the impact of new taxes on their sales. "They also said that export tax rate should be reduced as they are looking for foreign markets," he said. "Lawmakers are still discussing these suggestions at the moment." A number of specific taxes are outlined in the bill. A minimum tax of 60 kyats will be levied on a pack of 20 cigarettes with a current retail price of 300 kyats, while 120 percent of the price will be levied on a 20-pack selling for above 3,000 kyats. A flat 60 percent tax will be levied on tobacco leaves, cheroots, cigars, loose leaf tobacco and betel nut ingredients. Alcohol taxes will be levied at a staggered rate for alcohol products, beginning at 197 kyats per liter of liquor sold between 501 and 1,000 kyats, and rising to 60 percent of the retail price for products selling for above 10,000 kyats. For imported products, a 60 percent tax on the cost, insurance and freight (CIF) price will be taken on beer and spirits, while a 50 percent CIF tax will apply for wine. Most imported alcohol is currently prohibited, though its sale is common in some supermarkets and upscale bars catering to foreigners in Burma's larger cities. Restrictions around the importation of wine were relaxed earlier this year after a temporary crackdown by authorities. Myo Min Aung, vice chairman of the Myanmar Retailers Association said that he was concerned the new measures would expand the market for smuggled imports of alcohol and tobacco products. "There are many smuggled products already established in the market. The government is always investigating supermarkets but they should know other local shops and small-scale stores are selling these products," he said. "We need better law enforcement too if tax rates are to be higher." The law, which is expected to be enacted during the current parliamentary session, is expected to begin operating on Apr. 1, according to state-run newspapers on Wednesday. Khine Maung Yi said that lawmakers had framed the bill with the intention of reducing alcohol and tobacco consumption. "It's good to know the rate with exact amount in the bill, the law has intended higher prices and less customers for tobacco and alcohol. We agree on that," he said. The post Special Goods Tax Debate Flags Booze, Tobacco Price Hike appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Released Graffiti Students Barred From University Reenrollment Posted: 24 Dec 2015 02:13 AM PST The four students who were sentenced to several months in prison for spray-painting anti-government slogans at their university, October 9, 2015. (Photo: Teza Hlaing / The Irrawaddy) MANDALAY — Three students released from Mandalay's Obo Prison on Tuesday morning, after serving several months in jail for spraying anti-government slogans, have been barred from reenrolling at their university on account of their actions. Naing Ye Wai, Aung San Oo, Jit Tu and Nyan Lin Htet, all four students of Mandalay's Yadanabon University, were arrested in July after spray-painting messages calling on the government to resign and demanding the release of students and their supporters detained during the nationwide demonstrations against the National Education Law earlier this year. The four were found guilty of unlawful assembly and incitement charges and sentenced to six months' imprisonment. The three students released on Tuesday had their sentences reduced by a week for good behavior. Naing Ye Wai, president of the Yadanabon University Student Union, is serving an additional three months and remains in prison. Aung San Oo, Jit Tu and Nyan Lin Htet went to their university on Thursday to reenroll and continue the courses that had been interrupted by their jailing. However, they were advised they could not do so but could only pursue avenues of appeal. "The registrar said we needed to submit an appeal and would have to humbly ask permission to attend the school again, which we didn't agree to," Aung San Oo, a final year physics student of Yadanabon University, told The Irrawaddy. He said their prison sentences had been served and they had the right to continue their education. "We told them we will not submit an appeal and it is not needed. If we do not receive a response from the university by Monday, we will do whatever we can for our right to education," he said. The students' parents have also expressed dissatisfaction over the university's stance. "In other countries, even inmates have the right to enter university exams with distance learning. But in this country, all our rights and those of our children are abused," said the father of Aung San Oo. The post Released Graffiti Students Barred From University Reenrollment appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Suu Kyi Tells Govt Peace Body: Reach Out to Non-Signatory Armed Groups Posted: 24 Dec 2015 02:00 AM PST Aung San Suu Kyi meets with representatives of the Myanmar Peace Center in Naypyidaw on Wednesday. (Photo: NLD Chairperson / Facebook) RANGOON — National League for Democracy (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi told representatives of the government-backed Myanmar Peace Center on Wednesday to meet with ethnic armed groups that did not sign a "nationwide" ceasefire agreement inked in mid-October. While eight armed groups signed the much-touted peace pact, over a dozen groups withheld their support until all ethnic armed groups were welcomed as signatories. A long-awaited political dialogue is set to convene on Jan. 12 involving more than 700 stakeholders, with non-signatories offered the opportunity to attend with "observer" status, according to the Myanmar Peace Center (MPC). "[Suu Kyi] told us that we should meet other ethnic armed groups that did not sign the NCA yet," Hla Maung Shwe, a senior advisor for the MPC, told The Irrawaddy on Thursday. Among non-signatory groups are several powerful ethnic armies, including the United Wa State Army and the Kachin Independence Army. Win Htein, a spokesperson for the NLD who participated in the meeting with MPC representatives, including the group's chair Aung Min, in Naypyidaw, has stated repeatedly that Suu Kyi would take a lead role in peace negotiations. However, the NLD chairwoman's exact role in the ongoing process was not specified at Wednesday's dialogue, according to Hla Maung Shwe. "Of course, she could lead our MPC because her party will become the government," he said. It is an open secret that some ethnic leaders have little trust in the MPC, viewing it as merely an extension of government. Some local political observers have speculated as to whether the peace body should be abolished when the NLD takes power in 2016. Suu Kyi acknowledged the work of the MPC on Wednesday, according to Hla Maung Shwe, without elaborating on the group's future. Meanwhile, a representative of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) said on Thursday that the ethnic alliance had formed a committee to lead dialogue with Naypyidaw. "We are ready for negotiations with the current government or the new government for future peace talks. We have already formed a committee to lead negotiations and this committee will deal with the government in the future," said Htun Zaw, UNFC joint-secretary. "The people elected a new government. Their policy is also based on negotiation. We expect the situation with the new government will be better than the current government." Htun Zaw said the country's prospects for peace hinged to a significant extent on the NLD's relationship with the Burma Army, and whether ongoing conflict could be decisively halted. The post Suu Kyi Tells Govt Peace Body: Reach Out to Non-Signatory Armed Groups appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Burma Through the Lens in 2015 Posted: 24 Dec 2015 01:47 AM PST Click to view slideshow. Nationwide floods, continuing ethnic conflict in Shan and Kachin states and the NLD's landslide election victory: The Irrawaddy's photographic retrospective of a momentous year in Burma's history. The post Burma Through the Lens in 2015 appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Kachin IDPs Resigned to Another Subdued Christmas Away From Home Posted: 24 Dec 2015 12:40 AM PST Click to view slideshow. BHAMO, Kachin State — "I want a school bag," said nine-year-old Naw Mai with a shy smile when asked what he wanted from Santa Claus this year. Alongside more than 3,000 other internally displaced persons (IDPs), Naw Mai will pass another Christmas in Bhamo Township's Robert Church compound in southern Kachin State. "He always says he wants a Kachin bag because he feels ashamed to go to school with the backpack that UNICEF gave him," explained his mother Htam Hkawn, pointing to an old blue-colored backpack emblazoned with the UN Children Fund's logo. "But we can't afford to buy him a new bag," she added. The Irrawaddy visited the church compound this week which began hosting IDPs since a 17-year ceasefire between the government and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) broke down in mid-2011. Since February this year, the church was forced to stop accepting newly displaced persons as it was stretched to capacity. Christmas has been a subdued affair for thousands of displaced families—Naw Mai's family among them—in Kachin State over the past four years, with many separated from their loved ones and unable to return home. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), around 100,000 people remain displaced in Kachin and northern Shan states. The UN body said 1 million people are in need of humanitarian aid throughout the country and cited a significant shortfall in aid funding for 2015. Around 1,000 children aged between 3 to 12 years old live in the Robert Church compound, according to camp manager Aung Mai. Some of them go to a school set up in the camp, at high-school and pre-school levels, run by volunteer teachers. Since the camp was opened, teachers have made an effort to mark Dec. 25 in some way each year. "We celebrate Christmas just as a symbol now because we feel guilty to be happy," said Nang Zing La Ja, a program officer with Zinlum, a sub-committee of the Bhamo District Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC). The Zinlum committee has been working together with INGOs and UN organizations to provide humanitarian aid to IDP camps in remote areas of Kachin State. "However, after Christmas day passes, they feel the burden of daily living and [the struggles] of their families again," he said. "When we put ourselves in their shoes, we can feel that they are not happy. Not at all." Nang Zing La Ja said he wanted to celebrate Christmas this year, especially for the children—to ease their worries if only for a short while. But there were little funds to hold a special event, he added, as donors only prioritized supplies for daily living. "Now Christmas has become meaningless for them," he said. Htan Ra, a 36-year-old volunteer pre-school teacher in the camp, and an IDP herself, told The Irrawaddy that a small celebration for displaced children was held on Dec. 21, with teachers providing presents with their own money. At this time of year, she said, she missed her old friends. "I feel sad. It's not our home so we can't meet our old friends like we used to. Even if we can celebrate Christmas here, we have our own sufferings. Happiness lasts only one day," she said. "I wish for no more conflict and wars in the coming 2016 so that we can go back home. We are really hungry for peace now. This is the present we all want most for Christmas," she said. Htam Hkawn, the 48-year-old mother of Naw Mai, said it was difficult to be excited for another Christmas spent away from home. "Our whole village used to celebrate it together. I miss it so much that I don't even want to talk about it," she said. When The Irrawaddy left the camp on Wednesday, it was around 3 pm, the time when school classes finish. Children flooded out of classrooms, sporting blue-colored UNICEF backpacks or other school bags; some wearing school uniforms, others not. Some children clutched colorful balloons in their hands that their teachers had given them in an attempt at Christmas cheer. For 14-year-old N'Hkum Hkawn Shawng, Christmas is just a normal day. Like Htam Hkawn, her Christmas wish is full of nostalgic longing. "I want to study with my childhood friends in my native place again," she said. The post Kachin IDPs Resigned to Another Subdued Christmas Away From Home appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Burma Air Force Orders Rangoon Villagers to Vacate Homes Posted: 24 Dec 2015 12:19 AM PST A signboard reading "Military Land, No Trespassing" in Rangoon. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The Mingaladon Air Base Headquarters has ordered over 200 households across four villages in the outer northern Rangoon township of Hmawbi to vacate their homes, telling the families they are squatting on military land. Residents of Myaungdaga, Wapataw, Kalagon and Shwepyi villages, all four of which are close to the Shwepyi Air and Ground Shooting Range, told The Irrawaddy that they had been ordered to leave by Dec. 29. "That place was confiscated by the military some 30 years ago. But, we have lived there at least 26 years. There are lots of vegetable gardens and plants, and locals also raise livestock," said Wapataw local Zaw Moe. "Land prices are so high now. Where are we supposed to live after we move?" The notice from the headquarters, dated Dec. 11, warned that the military would take legal action against the villagers if they stayed. "As the military officers came and told us, we dare not negotiate," said a Kalagon village local, who requested anonymity. "We don't have money. We are in trouble, being asked to move unexpectedly like this." According to an investigatory committee in the Union Parliament, the vast majority of land disputes in the last five years occurred in Rangoon Division, with 1,738 complaints lodged to March this year. The divisional government has yet to settle over 900 complaints. The post Burma Air Force Orders Rangoon Villagers to Vacate Homes appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Two Burmese Men Found Guilty, Receive Death Penalty in Koh Tao Case Posted: 23 Dec 2015 09:27 PM PST Burmese migrant Wai Phyo arrives at the Koh Samui Provincial Court, in Koh Samui, Thailand, July 22, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) CHIANG MAI, Thailand — A Koh Samui Court sentenced two Burmese men to death on Thursday over the killing of two British backpackers on a Thai resort island last year. "The court said they were guilty and sentenced them to the death penalty," British labor rights activist Andy Hall, who has been working with the defense team, told The Irrawaddy. Burmese migrants Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo were on trial for the murder of David Miller and the rape and murder of Hannah Witheridge on Koh Tao in September last year. The handling of the case by Thai police has been the subject of significant controversy and the two Burmese defendants alleged they were tortured into a confession. Some rights activists contended during the course of the trial that the two accused were made scapegoats for the brutal murders. "We visited them [the accused] yesterday in prison. They were confident," Hall said before the verdict was delivered on Thursday morning. Min Oo of the Foundation for Education and Development, also working with the defense team, said they would appeal Thursday's verdict within seven days. "The court charged them on seven cases. Other charges included on illegal status, murder and rape," he said. "We already expected this kind of verdict. It is not finished yet. We are discussing with defense lawyers how we will make another appeal to the court within seven days. Our defense team are not happy with the result. But we will try to help however we can." The post Two Burmese Men Found Guilty, Receive Death Penalty in Koh Tao Case appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Cambodia PM Stands by Hydropower, Dismisses Critics as ‘Extremists’ Posted: 23 Dec 2015 09:17 PM PST Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen arrives at the National Assembly in Phnom Penh, Oct. 30. (Photo: Samrang Pring / Reuters) PHNOM PENH — Cambodia’s prime minister defended his government’s energy policy on Wednesday and hit back at environmentalists opposed to hydropower plants by suggesting their electricity be cut off and they should use resin torches instead. Cambodia depends heavily on imported fuel and power to meet its rising energy demand, with costs per unit among the most expensive in Southeast Asia and a common source of complaint from foreign investors. Construction of Chinese-funded hydropower projects, which first started a decade ago in Cambodia, have raised alarm about the impact on endangered species, fish stocks and the communities that live off the rivers. Inaugurating a $540 million, 246-megawatt hydropower dam in Koh Kong province on Wednesday, Prime Minister Hun Sen acknowledged some of the concerns, like flooding of forested land, but said Cambodia had no choice. “We have to pay the price,” Hun Sen said in a speech, adding the government was seeking more Chinese loans to expand power grids. Cambodia plans to build 14 hydro dams to be operational by 2020. An environmental group, NGO Forum on Cambodia, in a report said those already built had caused deforestation and hit water resources such as fisheries. Hun Sen said six of seven hydro dams built so far were operational and were benefiting tens of thousands of households. He dismissed critics as “extremists” who were opposed to anything. “We can make resin torches for environmental extremists to use and cut off electricity from their homes,” he said. Russia and Cambodia signed an energy cooperation agreement last month during a visit by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in which Moscow will provide expertise, research and training on nuclear power. The post Cambodia PM Stands by Hydropower, Dismisses Critics as 'Extremists' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Thai Junta Says 99% of People Happy with Its Rule Posted: 23 Dec 2015 09:10 PM PST Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha speaks in Bangkok on Wednesday. (Photo: Jorge Silva / Reuters) BANGKOK — It’s the kind of poll result you’d see in a North Korean election or Saddam Hussein’s Iraq: Thailand’s military-ruled government says 99 percent of the country’s people are happy with its performance since it took power in a coup last year. The junta has relentlessly pursued critics, jailing them for attempting to stage protests, lighting candles or even hitting the “like” button on Facebook, yet says the poll released Tuesday shows an astonishing majority of Thais are satisfied with its performance. The survey conducted by the government-run National Statistical Organization found that 98.9 percent of respondents were satisfied and confident in the government’s performance, said government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd. He did not disclose the format or margin of error of the survey, but said 2,700 people nationwide were polled from Nov. 27 to Dec. 4. However, the number of respondents and dates they were polled varied depending on the government source. Deputy government spokesman Werachon Sukondhapatipak said over 7,000 people were polled earlier in December. The statistics office that conducted the poll said 3,900 people were surveyed from Nov. 2 to 10—and that 98.6 percent of them expressed satisfaction with the government. There was no immediate explanation for the confusion over the sample size and results. The Southeast Asian country has been deeply divided along political lines for a decade, and there is little sign those wounds have healed significantly since army Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha took power from an elected government in May 2014 following months of protests. Despite the government’s claims of popularity, Prayuth acknowledged that the divide remains in a speech Tuesday summing up his administration’s accomplishments in 2015. “It’s hard to give a speech, to create understanding, hard to send messages to people nationwide because we have differences,” he said. “In the past, we haven’t understood one another and it led to disputes. Now we have to think about how to move this country forward.” The junta has been criticized for taking Thailand, once a beacon of democracy and freedom in Southeast Asia, backward. According to Human Rights Watch, the junta’s rule has sent “Thailand’s human rights situation into free fall.” The junta has limited freedom of expression and assembly and curbed dissent by detaining hundreds of academics, politicians, journalists and others viewed as critics. They are sent to military bases for what it calls “attitude adjustment” and only released after signing a contract not to voice dissent. Meanwhile, the junta has launched a campaign to boost its popularity and “return happiness” to Thailand. As a New Year’s gift to the people, the junta chief wrote a song that was released Tuesday called, “Because You Are Thailand.” It was Prayuth’s second such morale-boosting effort since seizing power. Shortly after the coup, he penned the lyrics to a tune called, “Returning Happiness to the People,” which is often played on state-controlled radio and TV stations. In his speech Wednesday, Prayuth indicated that the junta was sticking to its latest plan to hold elections in mid-2017. “We have one year and six months, if we start counting from January 2016 until (July) 2017,” Prayuth said, adding later, “I don’t want to hold on to power.” The post Thai Junta Says 99% of People Happy with Its Rule appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Thai High Court Upholds Conviction for Webmaster Posted: 23 Dec 2015 09:00 PM PST Chiranuch Premchaiporn, director of the Prachatai news website, in Bangkok in 2012. (Photo: Sukree Sukplang / Reuters) BANGKOK — Thailand’s Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the 2012 conviction of a webmaster for not acting quickly enough to delete online comments deemed insulting to the country’s monarchy, a decision decried by rights advocates as another blow to freedom of expression. The court affirmed the eight-month prison term—suspended for a year—and 20,000 baht ($555) fine given Chiranuch Premchaiporn, a director of the news website Prachatai, on whose web board the offending comments were posted by outside parties in 2008. The court’s decision “sets an appalling precedent for freedom of expression—particularly online—in a climate where official contempt for free speech has hit new lows,” the human rights group Amnesty International said. “Today’s Supreme Court decision highlights how the Thai authorities are using and abusing a range of laws to enforce direct censorship and impose a climate of self-censorship,” it said. Chiranuch had faced up to 20 years in prison under Thailand’s broadly defined Computer Crime Act for failing to quickly remove 10 reader comments posted on the web board. She was convicted over one comment that remained online for 20 days. Because of the legal vulnerability of being held responsible for third-person postings, Prachatai closed the web board after Chiranuch was charged, although its main news site is still in operation. While much of the 2007 Computer Crime Act covers offenses associated with hacking, several provisions have been applied to expression of political opinions that are deemed “likely to damage the country’s security or cause a public panic.” Postings on social media that are prosecuted under a separate lese majeste law, which prohibits defamation of the monarchy, almost automatically fall into this category. The provision holding intermediaries responsible, such as in Chiranuch’s case, is particularly controversial. The watchdog group iLaw, which monitors political cases, said Wednesday’s ruling was the first time the Supreme Court has upheld the provision holding intermediaries responsible for failing to quickly remove illegal content uploaded by outside parties. “This standard affirms the atmosphere of fear in Thai Internet society,” said iLaw’s Yingcheep Atchanont. “This Supreme Court verdict sends a message to all webmasters or content providers that they have to monitor their computer system more closely. The atmosphere of self-censorship by intermediaries will remain very strict.” Prachatai was founded by several respected journalists, senators and press freedom activists to be an independent, nonprofit, daily Internet newspaper. It has attracted an audience of critics of the status quo, especially on its now-defunct web board. The post Thai High Court Upholds Conviction for Webmaster appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

USDP Looks to Regroup after Bruising Election Defeat Posted: 23 Dec 2015 08:17 PM PST Supporters sing a campaign song during a Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) campaign rally in Rangoon. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters) RANGOON — Stretching back in his chair at his party office in Thaketa Township in eastern Rangoon, Nyunt Pe looks at ease, despite losing his seat in the divisional parliament in last month's elections. "I played the role of a villain for the past five years," he said. The 65-year-old former military officer remembers how he often voted down the proposals of opposition MPs in parliament as a lawmaker for the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). For example, in the Rangoon Division parliament, his party rejected a proposal by an opposition MP to give nutritious food to all primary school children in the entire Rangoon Division, at a cost he estimated of US$150,000 a day. "Those who proposed things like this were hailed as heroes. But we had no choice but to reject them," he said, arguing that many of the opposition's ideas were simply too expensive. But the voters' verdict on the USDP's performance in government was clear. The ruling party, led by former army generals who took power through the flawed 2010 elections, suffered a drubbing in the Nov. 8 elections at the hands of the NLD. Political observers now question how and whether the once-mighty party will be able to regroup, and what it will look like as an opposition force. Myanmar Now's interviews with several USDP members show the party is looking to come back with a new, leaner line-up, although the exact details are scarce. Officials say their first task is to identify activists from the grassroots to senior levels, and start to reorganize the party from bottom to top. "The party will remain active both within the Parliament and in society," said Thar Win, secretary of the USDP's Rangoon branch, declining to elaborate further. Mass Movement The party was formed just before the 2010 elections and absorbed all the assets and infrastructure of its precursor the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), a mass social and political movement formed by the then-ruling junta. Nyunt Pe never intended to become a legislator. He suffered gunshots in both of his legs during the battles with Karen rebels in the early 1990s and was appointed as a senior official in Rangoon's municipality after his retirement from the army. In 2010 when he reached 60, the official retirement age for all government employees, he bought a two-acre plot of land in the remote capital Naypyidaw and built a house where he planned to live out his days. But as a dutiful public servant, when he was asked by the USDP to contest the elections he accepted the offer and became an MP in the regional parliament. Flipping through a bulky file, he talked about how many roads, bridges and water wells were built in his constituency, Thaketa, after he was elected in 2010. But five years later, like most of his fellow USDP lawmakers, he lost his seat. He describes his loss with an air of resignation: "The public wants something better than what we can offer them," he said. While some USDP officials regard the party's defeat as simply a reflection of the public's desire for change, others also attributed it to the party's ugly purge which saw the ouster of about a dozen senior party members, including Parliament Speaker Shwe Mann. The USDP won just 41 seats in the combined Houses of Union Parliament, while the opposition NLD secured a comfortable majority with 390 seats. Reorganizing After the elections, some party officials have called for major reforms within the party. In preparation, the USDP has started collecting a list of party loyalists who worked hard during the election campaign, according to officials. Party co-chair Htay Oo, who also lost his seat in the elections, recently told the Myanmar Times that the USDP would reform from the ground up—though he did not disclose any details. Thar Win said township party officials have been assigned to compile the list of party loyalists, but detailed plans for the party's reorganization would not be ready before the expiry of the term of current parliament at the end of January. Maung Maung Than, an official at the USDP office in Rangoon's Dawbon Township, said the party needed a revamp to replace complacent officials with grassroots party activists who campaigned enthusiastically ahead of the election. "That's why we are now collecting the list of party's hardcore cadres from different wards. The party members have to tell us whether they can work just part-time or full-time for the party," he said. He added that some party officials slacking in their duties were those who were installed by the USDP leadership, businessmen with close ties to the army, or even secret supporters of the NLD. "Such people are like the watermelons. They are green outside but red inside," he said, referring to the green of the USDP and the red party color of the NLD. The party also needs to bring up its younger generation, and promote some of them to the party leadership, officials said. "We are looking for those young people who can succeed us. It is no easy task," said Soe Win, a USDP lawmaker from Rangoon's Kyauktada Township who lost to his NLD rival. It is not clear if the outgoing President Thein Sein—the official party chief but constitutionally barred from engaging in party activities—will steer the party again. Pike Htwe, a former deputy minister for information who joined the party's central executive committee in a reshuffle in August, told Myanmar Now in a telephone interview that talks were still going on among party leaders about how the party should be reorganized. Army's Ally  Though it has lost most of its seats, the USDP will remain a significant political player, given that it enjoys the strong backing of the army, which constitutionally controls 25 percent of seats in Parliament and three key government ministries relating to security. Nyunt Tin, a former ambassador and a USDP Upper House MP, described the party as "the army's ally" and said the party would act as a counterbalancing force to the NLD by working together with the military MPs. "This does not necessarily mean we will play an obstructive role, but we can't just let the dominant party do whatever it wants. We will definitely work with everyone for the good of the country," said Nyunt Tin, who, at 73, did not defend his seat, but will continue working in an advisory role. Igor Blazevic, a human rights worker and the director of Rangoon-based Educational Initiatives, which has been training political activists in Burma, said the USDP would remain a strong force given the material resources and infrastructure the party still has at its disposal. "It is very probable that USDP will keep its links with at least some segments of Burma’s military and with some business groups," he said, adding that the USDP may also benefit when the public, which has high hopes for what the NLD can deliver, eventually becomes disillusioned. He pointed to losing parties in other countries undergoing democratic transitions—such as Golkar in Indonesia, as well as social democratic parties in Slovenia and Hungary—as examples of parties voted out of government that have managed to survive and stay relevant. For some outgoing USDP lawmakers, such as Nyunt Pe, a fightback is not on the cards. Instead, political defeat heralds a quiet retirement. When the current term of Parliament expires at the end of January, he will go back to his house in a rural district of Naypyidaw and spend time with his family. "I am going to be liberated from official responsibilities," he said. "Enough is enough." This article was originally published at Myanmar Now.         The post USDP Looks to Regroup after Bruising Election Defeat appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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National News

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• Thai court hands Myanmar men death penalty for British tourist murders
• Budget discussion cancelled as inflation concerns grow
• Tatmadaw blocks Shan IDPs from returning home
• Released students facing expulsion
• New bill would strengthen military hold over powerful security council
• Cardinal calls for healing of ‘wounded’ nation
• Labour firms reject report on migrant debt bondage
• 2015: year in review
• Verdict looms in Koh Tao murder trial
• Myanmar maids in Singapore up against tough choice to fight abusive employers

Thai court hands Myanmar men death penalty for British tourist murders Posted: 24 Dec 2015 02:44 AM PST Two Myanmar migrants were sentenced to death Thursday for murdering a pair of British holidaymakers on a Thai island, in a case that sullied the kingdom's reputation as a tourist haven and raised questions over its justice system.

Budget discussion cancelled as inflation concerns grow Posted: 23 Dec 2015 02:30 PM PST Individual ministries will not be called to parliament to explain their budget requests for 2016-17 until debate begins in January in an effort to speed up the approval process, MPs were told yesterday.

Tatmadaw blocks Shan IDPs from returning home Posted: 23 Dec 2015 02:30 PM PST Government authorities in parts of northern and central Shan State are preventing civilians displaced by recent fighting from returning to their homes, despite a peace deal reached in Nay Pyi Taw two weeks ago.

Released students facing expulsion Posted: 23 Dec 2015 02:30 PM PST Students released from prison on December 22 found, on trying to return to their studies, that they had been suspended, and could face expulsion. The three students, who were freed from Mandalay's Ohbo Prison after serving three months for staging an unlawful protest, rioting and related offences, say they will take their demand for reinstatement to the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission.

New bill would strengthen military hold over powerful security council Posted: 23 Dec 2015 02:30 PM PST In a move that has taken the National League for Democracy by surprise, the outgoing military-backed government has circulated a bill in parliament that could swing the balance of power in the crucial National Defence and Security Council further in favour of the Tatmadaw.

Cardinal calls for healing of ‘wounded’ nation Posted: 23 Dec 2015 02:30 PM PST Calling Myanmar a "wounded" nation, Cardinal Charles Maung Bo has issued a Christmas message congratulating the people on launching a "silent revolution" through the ballot box while also commending the president and the military for accepting the results of the November 8 election.

Labour firms reject report on migrant debt bondage Posted: 23 Dec 2015 02:30 PM PST Recruitment agencies have hit back at an investigation from labour watchdog groups that accused them of flouting industry guidelines and forcing migrant workers into debt bondage.

2015: year in review Posted: 23 Dec 2015 02:30 PM PST Elections There were the main events of 2015, and then there was the election. The November 8 vote cast a long shadow over the entire year, with even investment and consumer spending affected as locals and foreigners held their breath for the outcome, adopting a "wait-and-see" approach. In the end, and despite widespread fears of dirty tricks being employed to keep the Union Solidarity and Development Party in power, more than 23 million people voted in a remarkably peaceful and incident-free example of democracy.

Verdict looms in Koh Tao murder trial Posted: 23 Dec 2015 02:30 PM PST Two Myanmar migrant workers could face the death penalty if convicted today of murdering a pair of British backpackers on a Thai island, in a grim case that stained the kingdom's reputation as a tourist haven.

Myanmar maids in Singapore up against tough choice to fight abusive employers Posted: 23 Dec 2015 02:30 PM PST After facing abuse and battery at the hands of their employer, Myanmar domestic workers in Singapore are confronted with a difficult choice: stay and press charges, in often lengthy investigations that rehash their pain, or return home and relinquish any opportunity for recompense.

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The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Toxic Levels of Lead, Arsenic Found in Drinking Water, Industrial Waste
• Jade Mine Protesters Freed After Alleged KIA Detention
• $3bn Deficit Forecast for 2016-17 Budget
• Finally? Kyaukphyu SEZ Tender Due Next Week, Official Claims
• Government Invites Wa, Mongla Groups to Peace Dialogue
• Memorial Held for Slain Letpadaung Protester in Sagaing
• Chinese Lawyer Gets Suspended Sentence in Online Speech Case
• Indonesia Hunts Militant Leaders After Foot Soldiers Arrested
• Junta Leader Writes New Song, Leaving Thais to Face the Music
• Women in Burma Conflict Zones Face Rape, Lack of Healthcare—UN

Toxic Levels of Lead, Arsenic Found in Drinking Water, Industrial Waste Posted: 23 Dec 2015 04:08 AM PST A stream flowing into the Pun Hlaing River at Hlaing Tharyar, Rangoon. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Commonly used sources of drinking water around Inle Lake contain dangerous levels of lead and other contaminants, according to test results by a leading local environmental group. Advancing Life And Regenerating Motherland (ALARM) has examined water quality in Rangoon's Hlaing Tharyar and Shwepyithar industrial zones, as well as water inflows into Mandalay's Taungthaman Lake and drinking water sources such as wells in villages near Inle Lake in Shan State. Each study showed dangerous levels of pollution posing substantial threats to human health. According to laboratory testing, traces of lead, iron and cadmium in drinking water samples, taken from around Inle Lake in November, were well above safety standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Union. The amount of lead in the samples was 60-110 times higher than the WHO maximum of 0.01mg per liter. "Drinking lead could lead to stillbirths, inhibited body growth and hypertension," said ALARM director Win Myo Thu. "There are a higher number of hypertension cases around Inle. It is hard to say that this is the reason…but we can certainly say that lead is harming people's health." No data on the health consequences for local communities has been collected. Win Myo Thu said that byproducts from the nearby Te Gyit coal-fired power station were a possible culprit for the contamination. Tests conducted at Taungthaman Lake between September and December show dangerously high levels of biochemical oxygen demand, a measure of water pollution. Lead contamination in the lake was recorded at 50-60 times the WHO standard in November at all three test sites. Three instances of mass-death of marine life in Taungthaman have been recorded since April. Win Myo Thu said that the lead contamination could pass into the food chain from the lake's fish stocks. "We have to look whether there is an effect from blacksmithing, dyeing and printing businesses," he added. "There are also distilleries which could be discharging waste products that absorb the lake's oxygen. If the level of oxygen in the lake declines too much, this could kill fish and plant life." Drainage water tests in Rangoon's industrial zones have shown that water quality in Shwepyithar is substantially worse than Hlaing Tharyar, with higher arsenic, lead and cadmium levels. All three chemicals are extremely toxic. Between them, chronic exposure at unsafe levels can cause cancer, respiratory illnesses, kidney and liver failure, heart disease and brain damage, amongst a litany of other diseases. In Shwepyithar, two water samples show arsenic concentrations 100 times above the UN Food and Argiculture Organization's standards, while two other samples showed lead 60 times above the WHO's safety limits. "Some of this water, in some manner, will inevitably reach drinking wells, lakes and rivers," Win Myo Thu said. ALARM, under its subsidiary Eco-Dev, reported abnormally high levels of arsenic in the groundwater at Hlaing Tharyar in June, based on two years worth of test results. Waste water from factories in the Hlaing Tharyar Industrial Zone is being discharged into the Pun Hlaing River, a tributary of the Rangoon River. He added that the testing highlighted the urgent need for the development of waste water treatment systems in Burma. "There needs to be water treatment systems for individual factories and across industrial zones," he said. "If water continues to discharge into nature [untreated], there will be severe impacts in the long term." The post Toxic Levels of Lead, Arsenic Found in Drinking Water, Industrial Waste appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Jade Mine Protesters Freed After Alleged KIA Detention Posted: 23 Dec 2015 03:17 AM PST Miners search for jade stones at a Hpakant jade mine in Kachin State, November 28, 2015. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters) MANDALAY — Seven locals of Kachin State's Hpakant, who were allegedly taken from their homes by members of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) last week, were freed on Wednesday, one of the detained told The Irrawaddy. Five men and two women who blocked trucks from dumping jade mine waste near their homes in Hpakant were allegedly apprehended by members of the Kachin armed group on Dec. 14. The detained group included members of a local social organization and hailed from Seng La, Mazut Pyan, Aung Larang and Seng Khar villages in the Hpakant region. "We don't know where the place [of detention] was, but they said it was the KIA's battalion number six," said Naw Lun, who was among the apprehended group. "They urged us not to [cause unrest] as the country is in a time of transition and to cooperate with them [the KIA] first." Hpakant locals had staged a roadblock from Dec. 10 to halt dozens of trucks planning to dump mine waste in nearby villages. The blockade was formed in response to what locals said was a spike in recent mining activity in the jade-rich region, which was hit by a deadly landslide in November that claimed the lives of over 100 prospectors. Despite the release of all seven villagers, Naw Lun said locals still worried about their security. "They didn't threaten us but the way they took us to their place without explanation saddened us," he said. "We feel that we have no one on our side to protect us, stand before us and speak for us." Unchecked mining in the region has prompted concerns among Hpakant residents over negative social and environmental impacts. According to figures from local jade merchants, more than 500 jade mining companies are now working in the area since mining resumed in late 2014. "We are going to hold a meeting very soon and will invite opinions from locals and the authorities on how we can cooperate to take care of our region," said Naw Lun. The post Jade Mine Protesters Freed After Alleged KIA Detention appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

$3bn Deficit Forecast for 2016-17 Budget Posted: 23 Dec 2015 02:51 AM PST Stacks of Burmese kyat are seen on the counter of a bank in Rangoon, Oct. 19. (Photo: Minzayar / Reuters) RANGOON — Observers say the next government will face a massive challenge in overhauling public spending when it takes office at the end of March, after the Finance Ministry submitted a budget proposal forecasting another rise in the Union government's deficit. During a Lower House session on Tuesday, lawmakers considered a 21 trillion kyat (US$16.1 billion) spending bill for the 2016-17 fiscal year, which begins on Apr. 1, after its submission by Union Finance Minister Win Shein. The bill estimates a 3.9 trillion kyat ($3 billion) deficit for the period, an 8 percent rise on the current forecast budget deficit of 3.6 trillion kyats ($2.8 billion) for 2015-16. In previous years, the budget bill was debated by the Union Parliament in February. The 2016-17 budget has been brought forward due to the transfer of power to the new government after the Nov. 8, resoundingly won by the National League for Democracy (NLD). New lawmakers will take their seats in Naypyidaw at the end of January. The budget was proposed according to the current structure of Burma's bureaucracy and includes funds allocated to state and divisional governments, according to the bill's explanatory notes. The NLD has pledged to reduce the overall number of ministries currently in operation, but at a recent Naypyidaw meeting with selected civil servants, party leader Aung San Suu Kyi said that there would be no job cuts in the public sector. Phyo Min Thein, an NLD lawmaker member of the Lower House Finance and Development Committee, said that the government's consistent deficits since the transfer to quasi-civilian rule in 2011 had taken a toll on Burma's economic prospects. "Every budget needs more money every year, that's the big barrier for the country's economic development," he said. "If country continues down the path of budget deficits it faces a dangerous situation. It is a big challenge for the new government. Our inflation rate has risen from 8 to more than 11 percent. The government has said they will try to lower it to 5 percent, but at present it's impossible." Burma's current gross domestic product is around $64 billion on current exchange rates, according to Ministry of Finance Figures, with the 2016-17 budget proposal forecasting a deficit to GDP ratio of 4.66 percent. Offsetting expenditure is 350 billion kyats ($268 million) of direct aid from international agencies for the next fiscal year. Nyo Nyo Thin, an outgoing independent lawmaker in the Rangoon Division Parliament, said that efforts to restrain government expenditure at a regional level had failed. "The current government is not leaving a healthy inheritance for the new government," she said. "Every year we have fought in parliament to solve the budget deficit, but we always lost. For as long as the current government couldn't take action on it, it will be a challenge for the next government too." In October, the World Bank forecast economic growth to reach 8.5 percent in 2014-15 before dropping back to 6.5 percent in the following fiscal year. The post $3bn Deficit Forecast for 2016-17 Budget appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Finally? Kyaukphyu SEZ Tender Due Next Week, Official Claims Posted: 23 Dec 2015 02:35 AM PST Oil tanks are seen at the oil pipeline project on Madae Island, Kyaukphyu Township, Arakan State, October 7, 2015. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters) RANGOON — Successful bidders for development of the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ) will finally be announced next week, an official has claimed, after an opaque and long-winded tender process beset by delays.  After bidding for the project, slated to include an industrial zone, a housing estate and two deep sea ports on Ramree and Maday islands in western Arakan State, closed in November 2014, the announcement of successful proposals was originally expected the following January.  Aung Kyaw Than, joint secretary of the Kyaukphyu SEZ bid evaluation committee, told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that winning bids would be revealed before the end of the year, with the body considering seven proposals.  His comments follow a directive from the president on Monday, as reported in the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar, that the tender results be swiftly announced "so that the next government can continue to implement the project."  Thein Sein supports the systematic implementation of the zone, Aung Kyaw Than said, after he met with the president, alongside two other SEZ committee members, in Naypyidaw on Monday.  Local media have speculated for months that Chinese companies are among the successful project developers, a projection Aung Kyaw Than declined to confirm on Tuesday, citing confidentiality concerns.  "What I can say is that one Burmese company is in a consortium with a foreign company," Aung Kyaw Than said, without revealing the prospects of that joint-bid. As the president sought to push the project along on Monday, over 100 local civil society groups called for development of the SEZ to be suspended until the new National League for Democracy (NLD)-led government takes power in 2016. The groups cited concerns over the project's societal impacts, particularly for farmers, with the SEZ slated to be set up on over 4,000 acres of land. Local groups that convened the All Arakan Civil Society Organization Forum (AACSOF) on Dec. 18-20 to discuss the project claimed that existing infrastructure, such as the completed oil and gas dual pipeline project, led to issues such as land confiscation and inadequate compensation that remain unresolved. "When the next project starts again, people will worry about it. We demand a temporary halt to the project and are willing to discuss it with the new government," said Tun Kyi, a forum participant on behalf of the Kyaukphyu Rural Development Association. Aung Kyaw Than said he was aware of such criticism over past development, but stressed the Kyaukphyu SEZ heralded a new approach. "What they mention is true, people suffered a lot, especially over land compensation and resettlement plans that were not properly implemented. We have heard about that whenever we go on field trips. [But] they have to know very clearly, the SEZ is a different project and a different approach," he said. The project will implement a resettlement plan according to World Bank guidelines, Aung Kyaw Than said, with successful companies also required to pay relocation fees and ensure sustainable livelihoods and suitable living conditions in relocation areas. However, while noting civil society concerns, Aung Kyaw Than speculated as to whether "cronies" were partly behind community opposition to the economic zone. "Crony groups would like to manipulate the [tender] process; they have been trying from the very beginning, which is why we are standing very firm," he said. "I think they are trying to use CSOs and other peoples. In fact, [opposition] is not the voice of residents, it is the voice of a group of business cronies." The Kyaukphyu SEZ would cover 4,289 acres of land, with an industrial zone scheduled to be built across five village tracts in the first phase of the project next year. Singapore's CPG Corporation was awarded the US$2.5 million consulting contract for the project in March 2014. The post Finally? Kyaukphyu SEZ Tender Due Next Week, Official Claims appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Government Invites Wa, Mongla Groups to Peace Dialogue Posted: 23 Dec 2015 12:44 AM PST Burma government peace negotiators hold talks with United Wa State Army (UWSA) leaders in Panghsang, Shan State, on Dec. 19. (Photo: Ministry of Information) RANGOON — The government has invited leaders of the Wa and Mongla special regions to attend the Union Peace Conference scheduled to convene on Jan. 12, an invitation that de facto applies to the United Wa State Army (UWSA), Burma's largest ethnic armed group, and the National Democratic Alliance Army. Thein Zaw, vice chairman of the government's Union Peacemaking Working Committee (UPWC), urged leaders of the Wa to take part in Burma's peace process as government negotiators met with them in Pangsang, the Shan State headquarters of the UWSA, on Saturday. "We'd like to invite Wa ethnic leaders to take part in the peace process of the Union. The door to the Union Peace Conference and NCA [nationwide ceasefire agreement] is always kept open," government newspapers quoted Thein Zaw as saying in state-run newspapers on Tuesday. The UWSA is a non-signatory to Burma's so-called nationwide ceasefire agreement, which was signed by the government and eight non-state armed groups on Oct. 15. Lt-Gen Yar Pyae of the Burma Army accompanied the government negotiators and stressed the need for national reconciliation and national reconsolidation on the occasion, echoing Thein Zaw's comments about an open door for the Wa. Though state media reports indicated that it was the leadership of the Wa and Mongla special regions that were invited, the overture applies also to the two regions' ruling ethnic armed groups, which share the same leadership. The President's Office announced on Dec. 18 that the Union Peace Conference next month would be held with a view to finding peaceful solutions through political means for national reconciliation. Ending armed conflict and resolving points of contention would be based on the framework for political dialogue adopted on Dec. 15, the announcement said. Government peace negotiators also met leaders of the Mongla Special Region, led by its chairman Sai Lin, on Sunday, inviting the latter to attend the Union Peace Conference as a special guest, state media reported on Wednesday. Thein Zaw told the Mongla leaders on the occasion that the government would not leave behind any group in the peace process, a statement that would appear at odds with the continued exclusion of some ethnic armed groups from the January dialogue. The National Democratic Alliance Army is also a non-signatory to the nationwide peace accord. UWSA spokesperson Zhao Xiaofu told The Irrawaddy that leaders of the Wa group had not yet decided whether or not they would attend the Union Peace Conference. Government-run newspapers reported that leaders of both the UWSA and Mongla groups said they "welcome and support the peace efforts of the president and the progress [made]," and "would not secede from the country." UWSA vice chairman Xiao Minliang also reportedly said the UWSA would like to cooperate and enhance trust with the Burma Army. Khu Oo Reh, general secretary of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), an alliance of ethnic armed groups, told The Irrawaddy that the UNFC also had not yet decided whether or not to attend the Union Peace Conference. None of the active members of the UNFC has signed the nationwide ceasefire agreement. Non-signatories have been offered the opportunity to attend with "observer" status, a senior member of the government-affiliated Myanmar Peace Center (MPC) told The Irrawaddy this week. "We've not yet discussed with them [the government]. So it is too early to say whether or not we'll attend," Khu Oo Reh said. The powerful UWSA is believed to have more than 20,000 troops. It has been 26 years since the UWSA agreed to a ceasefire with the government, and the group has said that it need not sign on to the nationwide ceasefire agreement as its bilateral truce remains intact. The post Government Invites Wa, Mongla Groups to Peace Dialogue appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Memorial Held for Slain Letpadaung Protester in Sagaing Posted: 22 Dec 2015 09:01 PM PST Grief-stricken family and friends gather outside a mortuary in Salingyi Township, where a post-mortem was conducted on the body of Khin Win in December 2014. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The first anniversary of the death of Khin Win, a woman shot down by police while protesting a land seizure near the Letpadaung copper mine, was commemorated by the victim's family on Wednesday. On Dec 22 last year, Khin Win joined around 60 other residents of Sagaing Division's Moe Gyo Pyin village who were attempting to obstruct contractors fencing off farmlands on behalf of Chinese company Wanbao. Police opened fire after villagers threw stones and fired slingshots at the authorities. Khin Win, 56, was struck in the head and died at the scene. Locals said that at least 10 other villagers were injured during the fateful confrontation. Win Khaing, the deceased's daughter, told the Irrawaddy that over 100 people attended Wednesday's memorial at Moe Gyo Pyin. She added that the criminal investigation into the circumstances around Khin Win's death had stalled since her family filed the case at the Salingyi Township police station. "They confirmed my mother was shot dead by a bullet. But there is still no justice for her as we haven't got any response from the court," she said. "We will keep pushing for justice when the new government comes to power." The Salingyi police station unavailable for comment on Wednesday morning. The Letpadaung copper mine is a joint venture between China's Wanbao mining company—itself a subsidiary of weapons manufacturer Norinco—and Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited, a conglomerate owned by the Burmese. Khin Win's death triggered riotous protests outside the Chinese Embassy in Rangoon last December. Several participants were subsequently jailed on unlawful assembly and incitement charges. The Letpadaung project, based primarily in the Sagaing township of Monywa, has been no stranger to controversy. In November 2012, during an early morning raid, police fired on protesters using white phosphorous rounds, the use of which against civilians is prohibited under international law. Most of the more than 100 people injured in the assault were Buddhist monks protesting the encroachment of the project on a nearby monastery. The post Memorial Held for Slain Letpadaung Protester in Sagaing appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Chinese Lawyer Gets Suspended Sentence in Online Speech Case Posted: 22 Dec 2015 08:56 PM PST  Chinese rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang speaks at a court session in Beijing in this still image from a December 14, 2015 video. (Reuters) BEIJING — After months behind bars, one of China's most prominent human rights lawyers left a detention center Tuesday after receiving a suspended prison sentence in a case involving online comments critical of the ruling Communist Party. The court convicted Pu Zhiqiang on charges of disturbing public order and inciting ethnic hatred, and sentenced him to three years in prison but said the sentence will be suspended for three years. Six hours after the hearing, Pu was driven out of Beijing No. 1 Detention Center in the company of his wife and police officers. From the car, Pu said he was "safe and sound" in a text message sent to The Associated Press. His wife, Meng Qun, wrote: "He's well and still under residential surveillance. His health needs to recover, he needs some calm and adjusting time." The United States and human rights groups welcomed Pu's release, but said the conviction was unjust and should be overturned. Lawyer Shang Baojun said the verdict wouldn't take effect for 10 days, during which Pu can appeal, and he can be kept in detention or under residential surveillance, which may be at a place which isn't his home. The guilty verdict disqualifies Pu from practicing law, and he must comply with certain restrictions and not commit crimes during the three-year period or risk being jailed. Since coming to power in 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping has spearheaded crackdowns on civil activists, rights lawyers and online freedom of expression, in moves aimed at snuffing out any potential threats to the Communist Party's grip on power. Pu was detained shortly after attending a May 2014 meeting to discuss commemorating 25 years since the Tiananmen Square massacre. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of protesters were killed in the crackdown, and the topic remains taboo in China. After a prolonged investigation, Pu stood trial on Dec. 14—after more than 19 months in detention—for several online comments that questioned Beijing's ethnic policies and poked fun at some political figures. Pu's supporters believe the case was politically driven to punish the outspoken lawyer, who has become a leading figure among China's human rights lawyers. Pu was active in defending free speech and represented artist Ai Weiwei in a tax evasion case that Ai's supporters said was politically motivated. He also was instrumental in pushing for the eventual abolishment of China's labor camp system, which allowed police to lock up people for up to four years without a trial. "Pu Zhiqiang is a courageous defense attorney recognized around the world for his work to strengthen the rule of law in China. Civil society leaders such as Mr Pu should be allowed to contribute to the building of a prosperous and stable China," State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement Tuesday. "He is no criminal and this guilty verdict effectively shackles one of China's bravest champions of human rights from practicing law," William Nee, China researcher for human rights group Amnesty International said in a statement. The verdict also stirred mixed feelings from Pu's supporters, who celebrated his release but also said it was an injustice to find him guilty. "After all, an innocent man has been locked up for 19 months. Under the suspended sentence, he finally can get out," said supporter Ren Jianyu. "It's good news but with a feeling of helplessness." In one of his online comments, Pu urged Beijing not to treat the ethnic region of Xinjiang as a colony and act as a conqueror and looter. In another, Pu questioned why there were bloody incidents involving the Muslim minority of Uighurs when Beijing keeps touting how great its ethnic policies are. He also derided a veteran delegate to the national congress known for her six decades of never casting a dissenting vote. Pu said she was either truly dumb or played dumb. "How can you convict someone because of words?" Pu supporter Guan Jing said near the court. "Which words are wrong, or which are the ones that we can use and the ones that we cannot? Is there a legal basis to regulate what a person can say or not say?" The official Xinhua News Agency said the court believed Pu's comments on ethnic issues were provocative, effectively fanning ethnic hatred, and that his remarks on public figures were so vulgar and malicious they disturbed the public order. Xinhua said Pu admitted to the actions and repented in court, but his lawyers said Pu only apologized for being impolite and insisted that he broke no law. On Tuesday, hundreds of police barred foreign journalists from approaching the court. About a dozen diplomats who attempted to watch the verdict said they were turned away on the ground the courtroom was full. At least one supporter who rallied outside the court was hauled away by police. The post Chinese Lawyer Gets Suspended Sentence in Online Speech Case appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Indonesia Hunts Militant Leaders After Foot Soldiers Arrested Posted: 22 Dec 2015 08:49 PM PST Indonesian Navy special forces take part in an anti-terror drill in Jakarta on Dec. 20, 2015, in this photo taken by Antara Foto. (Photo: Reuters / Antara Foto) JAKARTA — Counterterrorism forces are searching for the leaders of an estimated 1,000 Islamic State sympathizers across Indonesia after a string of raids that led to the arrest of several men suspected of planning bomb attacks, police said on Tuesday. Nine people were arrested and bomb-making equipment was seized from towns across the island of Java over the weekend, heightening fears of militant attacks by radicalized Indonesians returning from fighting with Islamic State in Syria. National Police spokesman Anton Charliyan said authorities were aware of plans to attack officials—including President Joko Widodo—government offices and public landmarks. The weekend sweep, which was reportedly prompted by intelligence shared by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Australian Federal Police, had captured "only subordinates" from a network of Islamic State supporters. "We are searching for the leaders of this group," he said, adding that the group was based in Solo, a Central Java city. "This group has a leadership that is regarded as a representative of ISIS in Indonesia," he said, using a common acronym for Islamic State. He said officials believe there are over 1,000 supporters of Islamic State in Indonesia, a nation of more than 250 million. The country is home to the world's largest Muslim population, the vast majority of whom practice a moderate form of Islam. Indonesia saw a spate of attacks in the 2000s, the deadliest of which was a nightclub bombing on the holiday island of Bali that killed 202 people, most of them tourists. Police have been largely successful in destroying domestic militant cells since then, but they now worry that the influence of Islamic State could pitch the country back into violence. The post Indonesia Hunts Militant Leaders After Foot Soldiers Arrested appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Junta Leader Writes New Song, Leaving Thais to Face the Music Posted: 22 Dec 2015 08:42 PM PST Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha gestures after presiding over a corporate event at the Government House in Bangkok on Sept. 9, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) BANGKOK — Thailand's junta leader released the lyrics to a new patriotic ballad on Tuesday, the second song he has written since seizing power in 2014. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who as army chief led the May 2014 coup, first wrote the song "Return Happiness to Thailand," which is played constantly on television and radio stations as part of a public relations campaign by the junta to win over Thais. The tune has racked up more than 1 million views on YouTube but has been mocked by critics of the junta. His second song, "Because You Are Thailand," includes lyrics like "If we join hands … the day we hope for is not far away" and "Because you are Thailand, you will not let anyone destroy you." Prayuth told reporters the song was his New Year present to the Thai people. The junta, or National Council for Peace and Order, overthrew an elected government, putting an end to months of protests in Bangkok led by the middle class and elite who wanted to get rid of the civilian government of populist Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. A military government installed after the coup has largely stifled dissent and has gone hard after critics of the junta and monarchy by using a harsh royal insult law to detain dozens of people, prompting stern criticism from rights groups, the United Nations and some Western governments. The junta has repeatedly delayed planned elections, claiming the country is not yet stable enough to hold a poll. Prayuth comes from a musical family. His daughters enjoyed brief fame in Thailand as a pop duo called BADZ. The post Junta Leader Writes New Song, Leaving Thais to Face the Music appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Women in Burma Conflict Zones Face Rape, Lack of Healthcare—UN Posted: 22 Dec 2015 08:19 PM PST A woman stands at the door of her bamboo shack on the outskirts of Rangoon, November 4, 2015. (Photo: Jorge Silva / Reuters) BANGKOK — Women and girls uprooted by fighting in Burma risk sexual violence and lack access to reproductive healthcare, said the UN Population Fund, which is launching a health project for women and girls in conflict-hit areas. Communal violence in Arakan State in the west and fighting between government troops and ethnic rebels in Kachin and Shan states in the north have caused massive displacement in Burma, where as many as 645,000 people are displaced, the highest number in Southeast Asia. "While on the run or while living in shelters, [women] often lack access to basic sexual and reproductive health support," the UNFPA said in a statement. "Without assistance by midwives or provision of contraceptives, women and girls are at increased risk of unsafe sex, unwanted pregnancy and unsafe delivery." The UNFPA's $11.8 million, three-year programme will provide healthcare for expectant and new mothers and emergency care for women who have suffered violence, such as post-rape treatment and counseling, in Arakan, Kachin and northern Shan states. In Arakan, ethnic Rohingya Muslims face persecution and live in apartheid-like conditions, confined to camps and townships with restrictions on movement and deprivation of food and medical care. "Imagine women there who want to deliver a baby, and they don't have means of transport, or they do not have proper documents to move within their areas: These are factors that contribute to maternal death," said Stenly Sajow, humanitarian affairs specialist for UNFPA. "They do not go to school, they are illiterate, they have their own language, and unfortunately there is very little information available to make them understand the importance of health especially during pregnancy," he said from Yangon. The health programme, supported by Finland and Sweden, will set up mobile clinics, equip health facilities to perform safe deliveries and give clean delivery kits to women in their last trimester of pregnancy. "One item [in the kit] is a sterile blade that will be used to cut the umbilical cord. In most of the places, they use bamboo or whatever will cut," Stenly said. Burma's maternal mortality rate is 200 per 100,000 live births, compared to the Southeast Asia average of 140, and only four in Finland and Sweden, UNFPA said in a statement, adding that higher rates have been documented in conflict areas. The post Women in Burma Conflict Zones Face Rape, Lack of Healthcare—UN appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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