The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Ma Ba Tha Accuses NLD of Defamation, Demands Apology
• Military MP as Child Abuse Case Witness Awaits Burma Army Nod
• After a Long Wait, Commuter Tram May Finally Reach Rangoon
• Senior NLD Member Chides Reporter for Probing Party Plans
• Prominent Jailed Activist on Hunger Strike Over Presidential Protection Bill
• Palaung CSOs Allege Rights Abuses by Burma Army in N. Shan State
• New Parliament to Convene on Feb. 1
• Man Arrested After Botched KBZ Robbery Attempt
• The Big Bike Lovers of Mandalay
• Thai Police Websites Hacked with ‘Failed Law’ Message
• Chinese Parents Protest to Get Second Child Registered
• China Lodges Protest with Burma after Land Mine Injures One
• North Korea Says it Conducted Successful Hydrogen Bomb Test

Ma Ba Tha Accuses NLD of Defamation, Demands Apology Posted: 06 Jan 2016 04:34 AM PST About 10,000 monks, nuns and laypeople gathered at a Rangoon stadium for a Ma Ba Tha rally on Oct. 4, 2015. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Buddhist nationalist organization Ma Ba Tha has publicly solicited an apology from the National League for Democracy (NLD) over claims that two candidates defamed the group after a November election. Ma Ba Tha, an acronym for the Association for the Protection of Race and Religion, claimed that two candidates wrongfully accused the group of supporting the outgoing Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and influencing voters in Mandalay's Yamethin Township. In two letters dated Jan. 4, Ma Ba Tha's Yamethin chapter singled out Tun Tun Win and Aung Myo Oo, both of whom lost their races for the Lower House and regional parliament, respectively. Both NLD candidates subsequently filed formal objections with the Union Election Commission (UEC) against their opponents, claiming that they had attempted to use religion to sway voters during their campaigns. The letters from Ma Ba Tha accused the two candidates of linking the offense with the group, which in the lead-up to the election had held a number of public rallies nationwide to celebrate passage of four controversial "race and religion protection laws." The legislative package passed with the support of President Thein Sein, ushering in new restrictions on religious conversion, interfaith marriage, birth rates and monogamy. Critics argued the laws targeted minorities and undermined women's rights. Celebrations following the passage of the laws were broadly viewed as thinly veiled political rallies, and in some parts of the country complaints surfaced about rhetoric and materials that attempted to sway voters against political parties that would "destroy the race and religion" of the Burman majority. In both Yamethin cases, the NLD candidates have sought arbitration with their challengers, not with Ma Ba Tha. Tun Tun Win has filed an electoral objection against former Burma Army Maj. Ko Ko Naing, while Aung Myo Oo objected against Kyaw Myint, the divisional electricity minister. Both are under review by electoral tribunal. Despite the group's estrangement from the claims being investigated, Ma Ba Tha has demanded that the two NLD members apologize within 15 days of receiving their letters or risk possible defamation suits. When contacted by The Irrawaddy on Wednesday, Tun Tun Win dismissed the letter and its implicit ultimatum. "I do not plan to apologize to them," he said, "but I will inform the party headquarters about this." The post Ma Ba Tha Accuses NLD of Defamation, Demands Apology appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Military MP as Child Abuse Case Witness Awaits Burma Army Nod Posted: 06 Jan 2016 03:34 AM PST A photo that went viral on social media brought widespread attention to the child abuse case that reportedly played out at the Rangoon home of military lawmaker Maj. Kyaw Nu Maw. (Photo: Facebook) RANGOON — Police are awaiting approval from the Burma Army to bring a militarily appointed lawmaker to trial in connection with the alleged beating of a child at his Rangoon home. Kyaw Htut, the deputy police colonel of Rangoon's Western District, said authorities are waiting for the authorization of Maj. Kyaw Nu Maw's battalion before bringing the man, an unelected lawmaker in Parliament's Upper House, to court as a witness in the child abuse case, which reportedly played out at his home in Rangoon's Bahan Township. The 8-year-old victim was living in the house and the case gained widespread attention in November after a picture of her—kneeling naked with her hands tied behind her back by a woman said to be a housemaid—went viral on Facebook. Police pressed charges against Than Nwe, the housemaid, under Article 66(d) of the Child Law, pertaining to maltreatment of minors. "His mother battalion is in Myeik, and he will come for testimony only when his mother battalion approves of it. So far, we have not yet got that approval," said Kyaw Htut. "He is still at the battalion. There's talk that he has resigned, but it is not official. If he is officially allowed to resign, we don't need to seek any approval. We just can summon him for trial," he added. Kyaw Nu Maw's battalion in Tenasserim Division's Myeik Township is currently interrogating him, according to the deputy police colonel. Than Nwe's trial began on Dec. 7, and the fourth hearing is scheduled for Jan. 18 at the Bahan Township Court. The victim and her mother have been sent to a women's vocational training school in the commercial capital. Some local media reports have indicated that Kyaw Nu Maw was discharged from the military, but there has not yet been an official statement from the Burma Army and The Irrawaddy was unable to confirm those reports on Wednesday. The post Military MP as Child Abuse Case Witness Awaits Burma Army Nod appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

After a Long Wait, Commuter Tram May Finally Reach Rangoon Posted: 06 Jan 2016 03:08 AM PST A train idles at Rangoon Central Railway Station. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — An electric commuter tram is set to launch on Jan. 10, Myanmar Railways announced on Wednesday, after months of delays left passengers weary of waiting. The 150-passenger line, originally set to launch in October but set back by infrastructure delays, was envisioned by the company in a US$3.6 million collaboration with Japanese West Corporation as a way to ease traffic in the congested city center. Myanmar Railways said the project will be rolled out in three phases, beginning this month with a four-mile track along Strand Road spanning from Wardan to Linsadaung. General Manager Tun Aung Thin told The Irrawaddy that the route will be extended to a total of seven miles over the next fiscal year. The tram's five initial stations will service some of downtown's busiest townships, with stops at Wardan, Sintohedan, Pansodan, Botahtaung and Linsadaung. Trams will make 10 rounds daily from 7am to 3:15pm at a cost of 100 kyat (US$0.8) per passenger. "We decided to start with the Strand Road route because there's already a cargo rail there," Tun Aung Thin said on Wednesday. "If we're able to successfully run a tram on this route during the early phases, commuters will become familiar with the system." While the project's corporate backers are confident that the tram will help ease congestion in the bustling former capital, others are not so sure. Maung Aung, an economist working for the Ministry of Commerce and a consultant for the city's bus rapid transit system, said the new tram line could complicate matters. "Strand Road isn't a traffic hot spot," he said. "If people from the other side [of the Rangoon River] want to use the tram, we would need another water taxi." The post After a Long Wait, Commuter Tram May Finally Reach Rangoon appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Senior NLD Member Chides Reporter for Probing Party Plans Posted: 06 Jan 2016 02:48 AM PST NLD central committee member Win Htein. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Burma's incoming leadership has already made strides in alienating the fourth estate, drawing sharp criticism from journalists who claim Aung San Suu Kyi's winning party, the National League for Democracy (NLD) is too opaque with the country's ardent media. In the party's latest brush with the press, central committee member Win Htein lashed out at a reporter during an interview with Radio Free Asia that aired on Tuesday. At the tail end of the two-minute clip, as the reporter thanked the veteran party member for his participation, Win Htein barked with annoyance. "Don't thank me, think seriously before you ask me questions," he said, after an exchange focused largely on the NLD's reluctance to reveal its presidential picks. The party won a majority of both houses of Parliament in a historic November election, granting it the power to nominate two candidates—one will be elected as president while the other will share the vice presidency with a military-backed nominee. The party's chairwoman, Suu Kyi, is ineligible due to a clause disqualifying citizens with a foreign spouse or children. Suu Kyi has repeatedly stated that she will ultimately outrank whoever the party puts forth, but has as yet given no indication of who that might be. Incessant efforts by journalists to inform the public of who is being considered as head of state are "unnecessary," Win Htein said in defense of the party's secrecy. "We don't want to mess this up just for your five- or 10-minute media reports. It took 27 or 28 years and the sacrifice of many lives to have a government led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi," he said, explaining impatiently that the transition period will require secrecy so as not to alarm the outgoing military-backed party. The comments went viral on social media, prompting criticism of the NLD's respect for the press. Commentators chimed in that "there are no stupid questions in journalism." Htein Lin, an artist known for his work on political prisoners—himself formerly among them—wrote on his Facebook page that the incoming government's attitude toward the press was "alarming." "The media is just doing their job," he said, "He should not call this 'unnecessary,' it's just not the right time [to ask those questions]." Other users suggested that the party needed to professionalize its media relations. One commented that because politicians are judged by their public remarks, the NLD "urgently needs a proper PR person." The NLD, which has long been the opposition party in a country ruled by a brutal military regime and its civilianized successor, has enjoyed a relatively friendly relationship with the press for decades. As it prepares to assume power, however, that rapport has suffered. Since securing a major electoral victory late last year, the party and its leader have been tight-lipped about its plans and who its leadership has been meeting, leaving the press to rely on scant public statements instead of NLD officials. MP-elects have also been advised not to engage the media to avoid making comments that could be misconstrued, Win Htein said during Tuesday's interview, reminding listeners of an incident following the NLD's first landslide victory in a 1990 election, later nullified by the generals. Kyi Maung, then-vice chairman of the party, was asked whether the NLD government would prosecute generals who had been accused of war crimes and other offenses. His answer—while not exactly forthright—was perceived as a threat by Maj-Gen Khin Nyunt, then a powerful intelligence agent who would later become prime minister before eventually falling out of favor. Shortly after Kyi Maung's comments, Khin Nyunt ordered the arrest of an estimated 200 NLD members. The transfer of power never took place. Recalling the ill-fated episode, Win Htein sent a warning to the media, telling RFA that, "we have suffered enough." Some of Burma's most seasoned journalists offered a nuanced approach to today's predicament of balancing caution with transparency. Thiha Saw, executive director of the Myanmar Journalism Institute and one of the most prolific figures in the country's print media, said the party should cultivate a more respectful rapport with the press, despite the need for secrecy. "I think they're being too sensitive right now, as this is the transition period; they probably don't want to make any mistakes that would affect the transfer of power," he told The Irrawaddy. "Everyone has the right to answer a question or not, but [Win Htein's remarks] make it seem as though journalists are not rational thinkers." Additional reporting contributed by Kyaw Hsu Mon. The post Senior NLD Member Chides Reporter for Probing Party Plans appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Prominent Jailed Activist on Hunger Strike Over Presidential Protection Bill Posted: 06 Jan 2016 02:41 AM PST Activist Naw Ohn Hla is pictured at her home in Rangoon in November 2013. (Photo: Sai Zaw / The Irrawaddy) Political prisoner Naw Ohn Hla began a prison hunger strike on Tuesday to protest proposed legislation that would grant wide-ranging legal immunity for ex-presidents' conduct in office. The 53-year-old democracy activist has been frequently imprisoned for her advocacy of causes ranging from peace and justice to the release of political prisoners in Burma over the past two decades. She is currently serving time for a Dec. 29, 2014 protest in front of the Chinese Embassy in Rangoon following the death of a woman in Letpadaung about one week earlier. She was sentenced last year to six years and two months' imprisonment for that protest, on charges including Article 18 of the Peaceful Assembly Law and Article 505(b) of the Burmese Penal Code. She and several fellow protesters had urged the government to carry out an investigation into the killing of Khin Win, who was shot dead on Dec. 22, 2014, by police at the Chinese-back Letpadaung copper mine in Monywa, Sagaing Division. Other protesters were also sentenced to between three and five years in prison, while one participant, Myat Nu Khaing, is still standing trial and ran unsuccessfully for a seat in Parliament in Burma's Nov. 8 general election. Naw Ohn Hla heads up the Democracy and Peace Women Network, which she cofounded in 2011. Min Nay Htoo, a spokesperson for the network, told The Irrawaddy that he had received a message from her through other labor rights activists who are standing trial and appeared at a court hearing he attended on Wednesday. "She has refused to eat the food given to her since Jan. 5, as she opposes the Former President's Protection Bill," the spokesperson said. Min Nay Htoo, who regularly pays visits to political prisoners like Naw Ohn Hla, said officials at Rangoon's Insein Prison were continuing to feed the activist, but she refuses to eat the food provided. "I was told that the prison officials told her to follow the prison procedures by submitting a letter for hunger strikes," he said, referring to existing administrative paperwork for carrying out a hunger strike while imprisoned. Naw Ohn Hla is a former member of the National League for Democracy (NLD) who has been a leading voice of Burma's pro-democracy movement since 1988. She was dismissed from the party, which won the November election, for not abiding by its disciplinary code as she led a protest and prayer service at Shwedagon Pagoda in 2005 that called for the release of political prisoners jailed by the ruling junta of the time. Critics say the "Former President's Protection Bill," put forward by the administration of President Thein Sein last month, would effectively allow the outgoing chief executive and his successors to act during their term of office without accountability or fear of legal repercussions, with Article 10 of the legislation stating that ex-presidents are "to be immune from any prosecution for his actions during his term." The bulk of the bill's other articles relate to the provision of a bodyguard for life to protect former presidents. The post Prominent Jailed Activist on Hunger Strike Over Presidential Protection Bill appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Palaung CSOs Allege Rights Abuses by Burma Army in N. Shan State Posted: 06 Jan 2016 12:44 AM PST A village in Namkham Township, northern Shan State. (Photo: Facebook / Ta'ang Youth Organization) RANGOON — The Ta'ang Women's Organization (TWO) and Ta'ang Students and Youth Organization (TSYU) have claimed that the Burma Army arrested dozens of civilians in northern Shan State over the course of a single day last month, with 11 people "brutally tortured" in a military sweep of four Namkham Township villages. The TWO and TSYU held a press conference on Tuesday in Rangoon, releasing a joint statement alleging that 81 people from the villages of Say Khin, Man Puu, Pan Yok and Man Pann were arrested by soldiers from Light Infantry Battalion No. 324 on Dec. 23. The ethnic Palaung (also known as Ta'ang) civil society groups said government troops carried out their sweep of the villages with cooperation from the Pansay militia, a pro-government armed group allegedly involved in the illicit narcotics trade in Shan State. The detained villages were released the following morning, according to the joint statement. Mai Myat Aung, who said he was assaulted by more than 10 government troops on Dec. 23 in front of his home in Pan Yok village, went on to tell of how his wife and younger brother begged the soldiers to spare him the harsh physical treatment that was ultimately meted out. "They asked me where I came from and I answered honestly, but even without exchanging any argumentative words, they knocked me out," Mai Myat Aung said at Tuesday's press conference. Mai Nyi Puu, a Say Khin village resident who speaks little Burmese, also attended the press conference and through a translator recounted his experience at the hands of the Burma Army on Dec. 23, when he returned from a funeral at a nearby village to find soldiers posted at the entrance to Say Khin. "Burma soldiers asked the children, 'Is that a rebel village?' [and said that] if it was true, they would burn the village to the ground," said Mai Nyi Puu. Lway Amm Khae, a preschool teacher in Say Khin village, recalled a similar encounter. "They made threats to the children, that they would burn the whole village, slaughter everyone and eat the flesh of the Ta'ang," she said, adding that some villagers' property was looted by soldiers, who at one point forced her to hold a grenade. Lway Poe Ngeal, secretary of the TWO, put a question to the Burmese government on Tuesday: "Is being born ethnic Palaung a sin?" Aung Myo Min, executive director of Equality Myanmar who helped coordinate the press conference, told reporters that the villagers were targeted as suspected violators of Burma's Unlawful Association Law, accusing them of supporting the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA). TWO and TSYU representatives told The Irrawaddy at Tuesday's press conference that they would submit a filing to the Myanmar Human Rights Commission by the end of January concerning the alleged human right violations in areas inhabited predominantly by ethnic Palaung, with the two groups still compiling a case list. "At least 30 cases involving human rights violations in Ta'ang areas" occur each month, said Lway Poe Ngea, TWO's secretary. The Burma Army and TNLA have exchanged hostilities repeatedly over the last few years, the latter being one of a handful of ethnic armed organizations engaged in ongoing conflict with the government. The post Palaung CSOs Allege Rights Abuses by Burma Army in N. Shan State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

New Parliament to Convene on Feb. 1 Posted: 05 Jan 2016 11:55 PM PST Shwe Mann (L), speaker of Burma's Lower House of Parliament, greets National League for Democracy (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Naypyidaw, Nov. 19, 2015.  (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — Burma's newly elected Parliament, dominated by the National League for Democracy (NLD), will convene earlier than expected on Feb. 1, according the Speaker of the Lower House. The second session of the year will see the induction of many new faces in the national legislature, after the NLD secured a landslide victory over the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) in a November vote. Lower House Speaker Shwe Mann made the announcement on Facebook on Wednesday, stating that the session, which begins just one day after the current assembly closes on Jan. 31, will commence promptly at 10 am. Incoming lawmakers have been invited by post and must confirm their attendance no earlier than Jan. 25 and no later than Jan. 26, the announcement said. Ma Thandar, a Lower House MP-elect for the NLD, said the session is beginning earlier than expected but rookie lawmakers will do their best to prepare. "We expected it to begin the first week of February; I think the first session only ends on Jan. 31. We'll have to start preparations right away," she said. New NLD lawmakers will attend a three-day training session from Jan. 14 to 16, sponsored by the party, Ma Thandar said. The NLD, led by chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi, won nearly 80 percent of elected seats in both houses of Parliaments. Twenty-five percent of seats are reserved for military representatives. The post New Parliament to Convene on Feb. 1 appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Man Arrested After Botched KBZ Robbery Attempt Posted: 05 Jan 2016 09:51 PM PST Myo Satt being taken into custody by police in Magwe Division after allegedly attempting to rob a bank. (Photo: Htto Tin Win / Facebook) A man suspected of attempting to rob a Kanbawza (KBZ) Bank branch in Magwe Division on Tuesday has been arrested. Burma's state-run newspaper reported that Myo Satt, who allegedly tried to take cash from the bank after he started a fire inside a toilet in the building at around 1pm, was apprehended by local police after a review of CCTV recordings. A bank staffer told The Irrawaddy that a man had started the fire in an effort drum up chaos just before attempting to take money from one of the bank counters. "He doesn't look as if he's from this area, and it seems as if he planned this in advance. Bank employees caught him before he was able to run away with a bag of cash," the employee said. The post Man Arrested After Botched KBZ Robbery Attempt appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

The Big Bike Lovers of Mandalay Posted: 05 Jan 2016 09:31 PM PST Motorcycles parked on the roadside in Mandalay, Dec. 19, 2015. (Photo: Teza Hlaing / The Irrawaddy) MANDALAY — The area near Mandalay's old moat bustles in the twilight, with visitors soaking in enchanting views of the ancient royal palace and Mandalay Hill. Sprawled across a corner of the scene are about 20 large motorcycles, representing brands from Ducati to Harley Davidson. Beside the bikes are chattering men, adorned in the seemingly requisite uniform of leather boots, jeans, and Harley jackets. They hail from Burmese Python, one of Mandalay's clubs for big bike lovers, and they have caught the crowd's eyes, especially those of other motorcycle enthusiasts. Mandalay was once a bicycle city, but since Burma's 2010 general election, the number of motorcycles in the historic capital of the last independent Burmese kingdom has grown dramatically, effectively turning it into a city distinguished by the presence of big bikes. "In 1982, we only had Harleys, and they were so expensive that only a few people had them," said Soe Lay, a Harley Davidson buff. "They're still expensive today, of course, but the country's economy has opened up and gotten better since then, so more people can buy them now." A Harley Davidson bike in Burma can carry a price tag of anywhere from 10-70 million kyats (US$7,650-53,500). "I've been in love with big bikes since childhood, especially the Harley Davidson ones that used to come into my grandpa's motorbike shop. It took me years to save enough money, but in 2010 my dream came true and I finally bought one," Soe Lay said, showing off his 12 million kyat ($9,100) hog. These days Soe Lay rides his Harley with his friends around Mandalay, and he has also taken over his family's motorbike shop, mostly to sate his love for big bikes. Despite the increasing number of big bike owners in the city, however, maintaining one remains a steep hurdle, given that Burma does not yet have a service center. "If a bike breaks, we have to order spare parts from Thailand, which is costly. Sometimes we even have to send them to Thailand for repair. So in some more minor cases, we build the spare parts locally, using old parts from cars or other bikes," said Soe Lay. Harley Davidson Electra Glide, Super Glide and sport are Burma riders' favorite styles, though Ducati and BMW brands can also be found among bike collections. According to enthusiasts, there were only 47 Harley Davidson bikes in Mandalay in 2008. Today that number hovers around 100. There has been a similar growth in the number of riding clubs. Burmese Python and Mandalay Knights are just a few of the dozens of these sorts of groups. In December riding clubs came together to hold a social gathering in Mandalay to christen the opening of yet another club, Perfect Riders. Throngs of riders from Mandalay, Monywa, Tachilek and Rangoon could be spotted with their bikes, swapping information about their rides. Most of Mandalay's big bike lovers are young, and this demographic pattern, they say, brands them as outlaws in the eyes of some older residents. "Due to cultural differences, people sometimes see us as rebels, moving around the city in groups with our noisy bikes," said Thet Oo, 25, of the Burmese Python club. Yet these young riders contend that they are more than their bikes. Thet Oo said that his club collects funds to aid disaster victims and that members regularly help out at charities. "We love riding around with friends, and we love helping people in need. We have strict [club] rules to follow traffic laws and not to disturb the public. Most Mandalay residents love us and welcome us whenever they see us," Thet Oo said. Despite the hefty price attached to motorcycles, riders hope that the gradual opening of Burma's economy to the international market will bring in showrooms and service centers. Aung Aung, manager of Mandalay Free Rider (MFR), an amateur association of bicycle and motorcycle riders in Mandalay, echoed criticisms of Burma's current motorbike situation, adding, "If we could buy bikes from showrooms in our own country [rather than import them, mostly from Thailand], it would be easier for big bike lovers. I also suspect that the [Burma] government would reduce some taxes to a reasonable rate." Biking aficionados such as Aung Aung mostly ride around the city, sometimes making it as far as Bagan or even Tachilek in Shan State. But he said that as Burma continues on its slow path to change, hopes are high that the country's motorcycle riders will soon be able to cross borders as their foreign counterparts already do. "One of the dreams of every rider is to get easier access to visas—that way, we can travel abroad with our beloved big bikes." The post The Big Bike Lovers of Mandalay appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Thai Police Websites Hacked with ‘Failed Law’ Message Posted: 05 Jan 2016 09:15 PM PST Demonstrators gather outside the Thai Embassy in Rangoon in opposition to the sentencing of two migrant workers from Burma for the murder of two British tourists in Thailand, Dec. 25, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) BANGKOK — Hackers took over several police websites in Thailand, replacing the home pages with a message reading: "Failed Law. We want Justice!" Police on Tuesday said they were investigating whether the hack was in response to a Thai court decision that has been widely protested in neighboring Burma. The Dec. 24 ruling resulted in death sentences for two migrant workers from Burma convicted of murdering two British backpackers on the popular holiday island Koh Tao. Protesters believe the men were scapegoats and have threatened to boycott Thai goods after a trial that raised many unanswered questions about police and judicial conduct in Thailand. Several police websites were either offline or still displayed the hackers' message Tuesday evening, hours after the online attack was staged late Monday. A black screen showed a white mask and blanked-out eyes, with the message #BoycottThailand. The hacked pages also mentioned a group calling itself the "Blink Hacker Group" and made reference to Burma with a line in tiny print that said, "Greetz Myanmar Black Hats." Thai police spokesman Dejnarong Suthicharnbuncha said about "two or three" websites were affected but Thai media listed more than 12. "I received an initial report that the hackers are from another country," Dejnarong said. When asked if he meant they were from Burma and whether the hack was in response to the Koh Tao verdict, he said, "It's possible. We are investigating." Protesters have rallied in Rangoon outside the Thai embassy and at border crossings demanding a review of the evidence in the case. The men, Win Zaw Htun and Zaw Lin, were convicted of murdering David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, whose bodies were found on the island of Koh Tao on Sept. 14, 2014. Witheridge had also been raped. Police rushed to solve the crime, under intense pressure to limit negative publicity to the tourism industry, but the investigation and trial drew widespread criticism. Police were criticized for not properly securing the crime scene, conducting more than 200 random DNA tests, releasing names and pictures of suspects who turned out to be innocent, mishandling crucial DNA evidence from the victims and allegedly torturing their prime suspects. The post Thai Police Websites Hacked with 'Failed Law' Message appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Chinese Parents Protest to Get Second Child Registered Posted: 05 Jan 2016 09:14 PM PST Twin boys Sun Qiyu and Sun Qichun hold China’s national flags on the Tiananmen Gate in Beijing November 2, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) BEIJING — Chinese parents who had children outside the country's one-child policy protested outside the family planning commission on Tuesday in an attempt to have their fines canceled now that all couples are allowed to have two kids. For decades, China's family planning policy limited most urban couples to one child and rural couples to two if their first was a girl. Couples who exceeded the limits were ordered to pay a social compensation fee. To pressure them into paying, some local authorities refused to register the child if their parents didn't pay up, which limited the child's access to education, health care and other benefits. Some parents of unregistered children stood in a line outside the gates of the national family planning offices on Tuesday, holding banners with slogans including: "They are all our motherland's flowers and should not be treated differently." One protester, Wan Changru, said the roughly 20 people included parents and grandparents of unregistered children and that they wanted family planning officials to cancel their fines. Starting this year, all Chinese couples are allowed to have two children following an announced change to the 35-year-old policy in October. "Now that every couple can have two children, all kids should be treated equally, no matter whether they were born before or after the policy change," said Wan, who is also taking family planning officials to court to try to get her 6-year-old daughter registered. Wan and others have protested at local and national family planning commissions several times previously, but this was the first since the policy was relaxed. On Tuesday, she said the security guard called police but no police came. "This is totally different to what happened before, as dozens of police would come to stop us in the past," she said. The national family planning commission said in December that it had repeatedly ordered its local offices not to withhold registrations, and had carried out inspections to this end. The post Chinese Parents Protest to Get Second Child Registered appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China Lodges Protest with Burma after Land Mine Injures One Posted: 05 Jan 2016 09:07 PM PST Rebel soldiers of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) examine weapons and ammunition at a military base in Kokang region, March 10, 2015.  (Photo: Reuters) BEIJING — China said on Tuesday it had lodged a protest with Burma after a land mine injured a Chinese person on their common border, the latest incident of cross-border conflict to strain ties between the two neighbors. China has repeatedly demanded effective action from Burma to contain fighting along the border between the Burma Army and ethnic minority rebels. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the person was injured by a land mine on Sunday but she did not say exactly where the explosion happened. "This situation is under further investigation," Hua said at a daily news briefing. "We express serious concern over this." "The Chinese side has already made solemn representations to Myanmar [Burma] and demanded that Myanmar take effective measures to avoid the future occurrence of a similar situation and prevent the conflict in north Myanmar from endangering the security of Chinese people's lives and property." The Burma military has been battling several rebel groups including at least two that operate near Burma's border with China, in Burma's Shan and Kachin states. Thousands of Burmese civilians have sought safety on the Chinese side of the border over the past few years because of the fighting. Hua urged Burma to work with China to "safeguard the peace and stability of the China-Myanmar border region." When contacted by Reuters, Ye Htut, Burma's minister of information and spokesman for the president's office, declined to comment. Last March, China was infuriated when five people were killed by stray bombs falling on its territory in Yunnan province during fighting in Burma. China and Burma share a 2,000-kilometer (1,250-mile) border, much of it remote and hard to access. Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi said on Monday the peace process would be the first priority of her new government that will take power later this year, following a landslide victory in a November election. The post China Lodges Protest with Burma after Land Mine Injures One appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

North Korea Says it Conducted Successful Hydrogen Bomb Test Posted: 05 Jan 2016 08:41 PM PST Japan Meteorological Agency's earthquake and tsunami observations division director Yohei Hasegawa points at a location on a map after an "earthquake" around North Korea was said to be triggered by unnatural causes, January 6, 2016. (Photo: Reuters) SEOUL — North Korea said Wednesday it had conducted a hydrogen bomb test, a defiant and surprising move that, if confirmed, would put Pyongyang a big step closer toward improving its still-limited nuclear arsenal. A television anchor read a typically propaganda-heavy statement on state TV that said North Korea had tested a "miniaturized" hydrogen bomb, elevating the country's "nuclear might to the next level" and providing it with a weapon to defend against the United States and its other enemies. The statement said the test was a "perfect success." The test, if confirmed by outside experts, will lead to a strong push for new, tougher sanctions at the United Nations and further worsen already abysmal relations between Pyongyang and its neighbors. North Korean nuclear tests worry Washington and others because each new blast is seen as pushing North Korea's scientists and engineers closer to their goal of an arsenal of nuclear-tipped missiles that can reach the United States. While a hydrogen bomb is much more powerful than an atomic bomb, it is also much harder to make. In a hydrogen bomb, radiation from a nuclear fission explosion sets off a fusion reaction responsible for a powerful blast and radioactivity. North Korea is thought to have a handful of rudimentary nuclear bombs and has spent decades trying to perfect a multistage, long-range missile to eventually carry smaller versions of those bombs. After several failures, it put its first satellite into space with a long-range rocket launched in December 2012. Experts say that ballistic missiles and rockets in satellite launches share similar bodies, engines and other technology. The United Nations called the 2012 launch a banned test of ballistic missile technology. Some analysts say the North hasn't likely achieved the technology needed to manufacture a miniaturized warhead that could fit on a long-range missile capable of hitting the United States, but there is a growing debate on just how far the North has advanced in its secretive nuclear and missile programs. In the first indication of a possible test, the US Geological Survey measured an earthquake Wednesday morning with a magnitude of 5.1. An official from the Korea Metrological Administration, South Korea's weather agency, said the agency believed the earthquake was caused artificially based on an analysis of the seismic waves and because it originated 49 kilometers (30 miles) north of Kilju, the northeastern area where North Korea's main nuclear test site is located. The country conducted all three previous atomic detonations there. The test is a surprise, both in its purported type and its timing. North Korea hadn't conducted an atomic explosion since early 2013, and leader Kim Jong Un did not mention the country's nuclear weapons in his New Year's speech. Outside analysts speculated that Kim was worried about deteriorating ties with China, the North's last major ally, which has shown signs of greater frustration at provocations and a possible willingness to allow strong UN sanctions. The size of Wednesday's quake is bigger than seismic activity reported in previous atomic bomb tests. Yonhap news agency reported that quake monitoring agencies detected magnitudes of seismic activity of 3.7 in 2006; 4.5 in 2009 and 4.9 in 2013. After the North's third atomic test, in February 2013, Pyongyang launched a campaign of bellicose rhetoric that included threats to launch a nuclear attack on the United States and Seoul. North Korea claimed in 2013 that it had scrapped the 1953 armistice that ended fighting in the Korean War. Pyongyang has also restarted a plutonium nuclear reactor shuttered after a 2007 nuclear deal that later fell apart. Since the elevation of young leader Kim Jong Un in 2011, North Korea has ramped up angry rhetoric against the leaders of allies Washington and Seoul and the US-South Korean annual military drills it considers invasion preparation. The post North Korea Says it Conducted Successful Hydrogen Bomb Test appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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National News

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• Palaung groups accuse military, militia of abuses
• China protests after landmine injures official
• Man lights fire in bank robbery attempt
• USDP leadership dispute disrupts conference plans
• No time to consider defence council bill: Speaker
• Masked man at Koh Tao rally demands meet with Interpol
• Authorities move to clear squatters from town water supply
• NLD pledges no more political prisoners
• Reggae singer takes out peace prize
• CSOs call for political dialogue halt

Palaung groups accuse military, militia of abuses Posted: 05 Jan 2016 02:30 PM PST Palaung activists are accusing armed militias and the Tatmadaw of torturing civilians in northern Shan State in a recent raid, fuelling a racial conflict.

China protests after landmine injures official Posted: 05 Jan 2016 02:30 PM PST China said yesterday it had lodged a protest with Myanmar after one of its border officials was blown up by a landmine after going to investigate an earlier explosion close to the frontier with the Kokang region of Shan State.

Man lights fire in bank robbery attempt Posted: 05 Jan 2016 02:30 PM PST A man has been arrested for allegedly trying to swipe cash from a bank in Pakokku, Magwe Region, after lighting a fire in a toilet to create a diversion.

USDP leadership dispute disrupts conference plans Posted: 05 Jan 2016 02:30 PM PST Plans to relaunch the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) this month following its crushing election defeat appear to have been put on hold because of unresolved leadership issues, according to former senior members.

No time to consider defence council bill: Speaker Posted: 05 Jan 2016 02:30 PM PST Upper house Speaker U Khin Aung Myint has ruled out approving a controversial bill that would give the military stronger powers over the civilian administration on security affairs. However, he also defended the draft law, describing it as both necessary and reasonable.

Masked man at Koh Tao rally demands meet with Interpol Posted: 05 Jan 2016 02:30 PM PST A masked vigilante yesterday stood up in a swell of protesters and said he has evidence that can prove the innocence of two Myanmar men sentenced to death in Thailand.

Authorities move to clear squatters from town water supply Posted: 05 Jan 2016 02:30 PM PST Pyin Oo Lwin officials are cracking down on forest dwellers squatting near a road construction site alongside the city's only water supply.

NLD pledges no more political prisoners Posted: 05 Jan 2016 02:30 PM PST A senior official says the incoming administration will respond to rights groups' lobbying and formally define the term "political prisoner", while also refraining from arresting anyone for political activities.

Reggae singer takes out peace prize Posted: 05 Jan 2016 02:30 PM PST The K2 million Lawka Tharra peace award for 2015 has been awarded to reggae singer Saw Phoe Khwar for his contribution to harmony in inter-communal relations. The award was presented by the Asia Light Foundation and Green Pyin Oo Lwin on December 31.

CSOs call for political dialogue halt Posted: 05 Jan 2016 02:30 PM PST Civil society groups have come out swinging against next week's political dialogue meeting, warning of "bad consequences" if negotiations begin without all armed ethnic groups and calling for talks to be halted.

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The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Proposed Vehicle Import Limits Dropped After Industry Outcry
• Heritage Group Calls For Alterations to New Building in Downtown Rangoon
• Arakan State Civilians Shelter at Monasteries Following Fighting
• El Niño Could Deal Severe Heat and Drought, Meteorologist Warns
• Concerns for Consumers after Disbanding of Anti-Smuggling Teams
• Shan Ceasefire Signatory Seeks Answers After Burma Army Attack
• Jade Equipment Probe Continues, Details Sparse
• Suu Kyi Sounds Warning to Overzealous NLD MPs
• Domestic Energy Firm Unearths Major Gas Find
• Army Chief Defends Civil Conflict as a ‘Just War’
• Suu Kyi Tipped to Meet Army Chief in Coming Weeks
• 2 Suspected Elephant Poachers Arrested in Irrawaddy, 3 Others at Large
• Official Vows to Suspend Plans for Controversial Power Plant in Mon State
• Japan’s Abe Seeks to Burnish Legacy ahead of Election
• S. China Sea Tensions Surge as China Lands Plane on Artificial Island
• Missed Clues and Lax Security in Run-Up to Indian Air Base Attack

Proposed Vehicle Import Limits Dropped After Industry Outcry Posted: 05 Jan 2016 05:18 AM PST Vehicles are seen travelling through the Shwegonedine junction in central Rangoon in 2010. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — After fielding numerous complaints from industry stakeholders in recent weeks, the government has made a policy about-face, backing down on most of its plans to restrict Burma's vehicle imports beginning this year. The Ministry of Commerce last month made a controversial announcement detailing plans to tighten controls on the imported automobiles market, stating on Dec. 15 that importers would only be allowed to bring in private passenger vehicles manufactured in 2006 or later. In addition, buses, trucks and other vehicles were to be manufactured only between 2014 and 2016 to gain import approval. The announcement prompted backlash from local vehicle importers who said the proposed restrictions would harm their business prospects, prompting the government to reconsider the plan. At a meeting with automobile dealers and Ministry of Commerce officials on Tuesday, the two sides reached an agreement that will see the proposed import ban on private cars manufactured before 2006 dropped, as well as the limits on other vehicles like buses. A ban on importing automobiles manufactured in 2015 or 2016 with right-side steering columns will be enforced, however. Myat Tun Kyaw, director of the Ministry of Commerce, said Tuesday's discussion had proved fruitful. "I heard after meeting with car dealers and officials, the dealers' proposal was successful," he said, declining to reveal more details about the agreement reached. Soe Tun, chairman of the Myanmar Automobile Dealers Association, confirmed that Commerce Ministry officials had agreed to drop the most far-reaching aspects of the tightened car import policy at Tuesday's meeting in Naypyidaw. "They will allow importers to import all model cars, except 2015 and 2016 models that are not left-hand [steering columns]," Soe Tun said. "The Transportation Department will also issue licenses for cars imported during 2015 as well," he said, referring to an initial reluctance to give these vehicles the necessary permits, which prompted industry complaints last month. The outcome of Tuesday's meeting will mean that, with the steering column exception, imports of personal or commercial vehicles will again be unrestricted in 2016, according to Soe Tun. "Everything is back to the normal situation," he said. Since Burma's quasi-civilian government came to power in 2011, car import policies have been changed some 10 times, causing ongoing adjustment issues for many imported car showrooms, individual import dealers and other related businesses. South Korean, Japanese, American, German and Chinese car dealers have all opened showrooms in the commercial capital Rangoon in recent years, as the city's streets have become increasingly congested. Vehicle imports were long kept tightly restricted by Burma's former military regime. The post Proposed Vehicle Import Limits Dropped After Industry Outcry appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Heritage Group Calls For Alterations to New Building in Downtown Rangoon Posted: 05 Jan 2016 05:08 AM PST A photo of the new building on the corner of Merchant Street and Pansodan Road, built by Shwe Than Lwin company, which a local heritage group has said is not suitable for the surrounding environs, with an inset image of the old Whiteaway and Laidlaw Co. building on the same corner, built in the late 19th century. (Photos: JPaing / The Irrawaddy, and courtesy of the Yangon Heritage Trust) RANGOON — A heritage conservation group has proposed an alteration to the exterior design of a newly completed building in downtown Rangoon, as the structure detracts from the surrounding colonial-era architecture. Located at the corner of Merchant Street and Pansodan Road, the more than six-storey building was redeveloped by Shwe Than Lwin company, a business conglomerate founded by Kyaw Win which owns Sky Net broadcasting service, among multiple other business interests. The site was formerly occupied by Whiteaway and Laidlaw Co, the biggest department store in Rangoon, famous for its large portico supported by more than 20 columns and dating back to the late 19th century. A photograph of the old Whiteaway and Laidlaw Co building on the corner of Merchant Street and Pansodan Road, built in the late 19th Century. (Courtesy: Yangon Heritage Trust) After Burmese independence in 1948, the store was nationalized to be used as a government office and host to the "State Agriculture Marketing Board" until it was damaged in a blaze in the early 2000s and subsequently demolished. The site was then opened to private investors for development. Thant Myint-U, the founder of Yangon Heritage Trust (YHT), told The Irrawaddy that the group had reached out to Kyaw Win in October to propose some alterations to the structure that would be more sympathetic to the surrounding area, where several century-old buildings remain. "YHT have been very concerned with the building as it is right in the middle of the downtown conservation area," Thant Myint-U said. The historian explained that the intersection of Merchant Street and Pansodan is probably the most important single heritage area in downtown Rangoon. "Other than this one building, it's one of the last completely intact early 20th century streetscapes left in all of Asia," he said. The proposed alterations were, "not a perfect solution, but I think a reasonable compromise," Thant Myint-U said, adding that he hoped to meet the developers this week. Kyaw Win was not available for comment on Tuesday. The Yangon Heritage Trust has proposed alterations to the exterior of a newly constructed building on the corner of Merchant Street and Pansodan Road [pictured], built by Shwe Than Lwin company in an area of colonial-era buildings in Rangoon. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) In 2013, the YHT also slammed the planned construction of a US$100 million high-rise office tower directly next to a century-old heritage building in the heart of the commercial capital. After the objection, the government opted not to allow the project on the grounds that nothing should be built that might harm the surrounding heritage environment. "We are not against modern buildings. But they have to be sympathetic to the surrounding area," said Moe Moe Lwin, the director and vice-chairman of YHT. She said for the building that has now been completed, the only viable option was to undertake some exterior alterations. "The current design is not quite suitable for the surrounds. If the owner agrees to make changes in design, it would be their contribution to the preservation of the downtown heritage center," she said. The post Heritage Group Calls For Alterations to New Building in Downtown Rangoon appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Arakan State Civilians Shelter at Monasteries Following Fighting Posted: 05 Jan 2016 04:39 AM PST Arakan Army troops are pictured at Laiza, the headquarters of Kachin Independence Organization in Kachin State, in 2015. (Photo: Thaw Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — More than 100 villagers have reportedly fled to monasteries since fighting between the Arakan Army and government troops in Arakan State's Kyauktaw Township flared up on Dec. 27. Tun Tha Sein, from Taungoo village in Arakan State, said the displaced civilians in Arakan State had taken shelter in monasteries in the villages of Kyiya Pyin and Zaytitaung, Mrauk-U Township, where local civil society organizations are providing them with food and blankets. "Villagers said to me that they feared for their safety and left their houses after they heard a huge explosion near their village. As far as I know, more than 130 people are spread among monasteries in the two villages," Tun Tha Sein told The Irrawaddy. He added that fighting had also erupted in areas between Mrauk-U and Kyauktaw townships, but that not all people from affected villages, including Thantatar and Ba Ei, were receiving aid. Hla May, founder of the Kyauktaw Women's Network, said she did not believe that there were any war victims in Kyauktaw Township, but that she had heard that in addition to Mrauk-U Township, people had also fled to neighboring Paletwa Township in Chin State. In late December, Maung Than Sein, a local of Thapyuchaung village, sustained a bullet wound to the arm and was taken to Sittwe Hospital for medical treatment. News of his injury was accompanied by allegations that he was acting as a porter for the Burma Army when he was shot. Last month's fighting is only the latest in a series of clashes between the Burma and Arakan armies. Forces from both sides have exchanged fire with some regularity since fighting first erupted late last March. At the same time, at least 20 people have been detained under Burma's controversial Unlawful Association Act for alleged links to the Arakan Army. Kyauktaw Township authority Khin Maung said 18 Arakan Army soldiers were arrested following the fighting last year. Nyo Twan Awng, a colonel in the Arakan Army, claimed that at least 20 people have died and that more than 50 more have been injured by government troops in recent weeks. These claims, however, have not been verified by the government. The post Arakan State Civilians Shelter at Monasteries Following Fighting appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

El Niño Could Deal Severe Heat and Drought, Meteorologist Warns Posted: 05 Jan 2016 04:05 AM PST The bank of the Irrawaddy River, pictured in 2014. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Severe heat and drought may strike Burma during the current El Niño weather pattern, a leading meteorologist has warned, predicting that the first six months of the current year could be the most extreme of the 12 to 18 month cycle. Tun Lwin, Burma's foremost weather expert, said the forthcoming effects of the oscillation are likely to be worse than they were in the previous year, according to statements published in state media on Tuesday. The heightened severity could be attributable to a rise in coal-fired power and deforestation, Tun Lwin told Burmese daily The Mirror, urging the government to revise regulations that allow those industries to grow rapidly. When contacted by The Irrawaddy on Tuesday, Tun Lwin said the government needs to make environmental protection and disaster preparedness urgent priorities in the months to come. "The government must prepare sufficient water supply in case of a drought, and healthcare for those who may suffer from the severe heat," he said. "Relevant ministries must prepare on their own initiative for the sake of the public and the farmers." Those living in central Burma should take extra precaution, he advised, as the central plain was already devastated by severe floods last year. Tun Lwin served in Burma's Ministry of Meteorology and Hydrology for more than 30 years, including as its director general. Even after his retirement, he has remained Burma's most trusted weather forecaster. In 2009, Tun Lwin founded the non-governmental organization Myanmar Climate Change Watch. The post El Niño Could Deal Severe Heat and Drought, Meteorologist Warns appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Concerns for Consumers after Disbanding of Anti-Smuggling Teams Posted: 05 Jan 2016 03:34 AM PST Asia World port terminal in Rangoon, December 8, 2015. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters) RANGOON — Observers have expressed concern over a potential uptick in illegal imports, including low-quality food and drugs, after Burma's commerce ministry announced the disbanding of anti-smuggling teams last week. On Dec. 30, the ministry announced that the government's mobile task force teams, which aimed to clamp down on the country's thriving illegal border trade, would be abolished. Since late 2012, the cross-departmental teams, including representatives of the commerce ministry, customs and police, worked to intercept illegal overland trade, primarily in Shan State's Muse on the border with China and in Myawaddy, Karen State, on the Thai-Burma border. Min Ko Oo, secretary of the Myanmar Pulses, Beans and Sesame Seeds Merchants Association (MPBSSMA), said he was concerned that government efforts to enforce controls on illegal overland imports entering the local market may be weakened. "For example, frozen meats and foods—most of it is coming from China. The government needs to monitor these foods for local consumers," he said. "Fake drugs, low-quality foods and other consumer products should be checked seriously." "The government should take care of this issue beyond the mobile team," he added. Over the past three years, the over 600-member task force seized more than 50 billion kyats (US$38.2 million) worth of smuggled goods in border areas, according to the commerce ministry, including jade, timber, foods and electronics. Economist Aung Ko Ko said that the commencement of the ASEAN Economic Community and the attendant lowering or abolishment of trade barriers may have influenced the government's decision. "When the mobile teams were stopped, they should have formed another controlling team [to safeguard] consumers' rights. It will harm people if there is no action," he said. "A lot of low quality food and drugs are coming onto the local market. The government should not only take action after products have entered. There should be proper action to stop [illegal products] coming in." Former members of the mobile anti-smuggling units are now back in their previous roles, Soe Win, deputy director general of the commerce ministry, told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday. "The customs department will keep working on their processes and other members are back in their workplaces," he said. "There is nothing special to explain why these teams stopped working. They stopped because of a government order." The illegal trade in cheap food, medicine and other products has particularly flourished in Sino-Burma border areas. "Traders can carry these products through border points… this is a national health issue," Aung Ko Ko said. The post Concerns for Consumers after Disbanding of Anti-Smuggling Teams appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Shan Ceasefire Signatory Seeks Answers After Burma Army Attack Posted: 05 Jan 2016 03:10 AM PST Shan commandos on parade at Shan State National Day on Feb. 7, 2014, in Loi Tai Leng, the headquarters of the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army. (Photo: Kyaw Kha /The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — A spokesman for the Shan State Army-South (SSA-S) has said there may be "something wrong" with the nationwide ceasefire agreement inked in October if his group, one of the pact's signatories, does not receive an explanation after coming under attack by the Burma Army on New Year's Eve. Col. Sai Hla, who represents the SSA-S as well as speaking on behalf its political wing, the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), said his group had sent letters to President's Office Minister Aung Min and the commander of the Burma Army's Eastern Command, informing them of the attack in Shan State's Mongping Township on Thursday. The letters sought an explanation for the Burma Army assault, in which one SSA-S soldier was killed and another wounded. "They knew our ground forces are active in the area. Fighting has even broken out in the past there. After we signed the NCA [nationwide ceasefire agreement], we set up our base there as we intended to allow all our troops to be stationed together. But the Burma Army came to attack our base as they know we are based there," Sai Hla told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday. A meeting at the Eastern Command's headquarters in Taunggyi is scheduled for Jan. 9-10, according to Sai Hla, who said leaders from both the SSA-S and Burma Army were expected to discuss last week's altercation. "They may tell us [the reason for the attack] at the meeting at Eastern Command. If not, there is something wrong with the NCA, wherein we signed it already, but they still came to attack us," the SSA-S spokesman said. Along with the government and Burma Army, the SSA-S is one of eight non-state armed groups that signed the so-called nationwide ceasefire agreement on Oct. 15 in Naypyidaw. The group is active primarily in eastern and southern Shan State. The clash on Dec. 31 is the first time that fighting has broken out between government troops and one of the ceasefire signatories. About a dozen other ethnic armed groups, including some of the nation's largest, have abstained from signing or have otherwise been denied the chance to join the peace accord. Non-signatories including the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Kachin Independence Army (KIA), as well as the fellow Shan rebel group known as the Shan State Army-North (SSA-N), have clashed with government troops multiple times since the ceasefire signing. The post Shan Ceasefire Signatory Seeks Answers After Burma Army Attack appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Jade Equipment Probe Continues, Details Sparse Posted: 05 Jan 2016 03:02 AM PST Miners search for jade stones at a mine dump at a Hpakant jade mine in Kachin State, Nov. 25, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) Two weeks after the government launched an investigation into illegal vehicle imports related to the jade trade in northern Burma's Kachin State, authorities have yet to disclose any firm details about their findings. Last week the government-led investigation team, spearheaded by Minister for Environmental Conservation and Forestry Win Tun, launched a probe into the involvement of several Kachin State government officials including the state's chief minister and two members of his cabinet. Rumors abounded in local media that Kachin State Chief Minister Lajon Ngan Hsai had been sacked after his interrogation by the investigation team, though Zaw Htay, director of the President's Office, has yet to provide further insight into the matter. "The case is still under investigation, and we can't yet say anything for certain," Zaw Htay told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday. Naung Tain, assistant to the chief minister, denied that Lajon Ngan Hsai had been fired, stating that he was still at work in his office in the state capital of Myitkyina. The staffer declined to comment further on the ongoing investigation. State media reported in December that the Ministry of Commerce had seized some 700 illegally imported trucks in Kachin State and had suspended use of the Kan Pai Tee border checkpoint where trucks had supposedly entered the country. Hpakant locals, spurred by an increase in the number of dump trucks in the area, protested what they described as intensified government-backed jade mining efforts before President Thein Sein leaves office in a few months. The investigation follows a devastating November landslide that shook Hpakant and claimed the lives of at least 114 prospectors searching for jade residue at a mine site. A smaller landslide left dozens of others believed to be dead on Dec. 25 at a nearby mining site. A toxic triumvirate of deadly landslides, environmentally damaging extraction and the illegal import of machinery has sparked public outrage and calls to ramp-up safety measures. The post Jade Equipment Probe Continues, Details Sparse appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Suu Kyi Sounds Warning to Overzealous NLD MPs Posted: 05 Jan 2016 02:03 AM PST Aung San Suu Kyi speaks during an event to mark Independence Day in Rangoon on Monday. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — National League for Democracy (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi warned newly elected lawmakers on Monday she would "take action" against those who request ministerial positions in the incoming government. "I don't very much like those who want to be ministers. The ministerial posts are to be taken only when assigned. I will take action against those who request ministerial posts by letter in the future according to [party] rules and regulations," Suu Kyi said in a speech to mark the country's 68th Independence Day at the NLD's headquarters in Rangoon. It was not the first time the 70-year-old NLD chairwoman has publically admonished MP-elects for making overtures to the party's leadership over prospective positions in the executive. In a meeting with trishaw drivers in Rangoon last month, Suu Kyi compared the drivers' support for the party, which she said came without the expectation of anything in return, to those who coveted sought-after positions in government. "Ministerial posts will be given to capable persons, those who can serve the interests of the country," Suu Kyi said on Monday. "I want you to understand that I will not appoint you to a minister's post just because you are a NLD member." The NLD secured majorities in both houses of Parliament in the Nov. 8 general election, enabling the party to select Burma's next president. However, the military retains a strong political foothold, with a quarter of parliamentary seats and the power to put forward ministers for the home affairs, defense and border affairs portfolios. A cross-party committee, comprised of members of President Thein Sein's outgoing administration and senior NLD figures, has been formed to oversee the transition. The post Suu Kyi Sounds Warning to Overzealous NLD MPs appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Domestic Energy Firm Unearths Major Gas Find Posted: 05 Jan 2016 01:35 AM PST Boys play soccer on a beach as ships involved in the construction of the Yadana – Yangon underwater gas pipeline project are moored in the background, outside Pyar Pon Township May 3, 2010. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — A joint venture that includes local oil and gas extraction company MPRL E&P, led by business tycoon Michael Moe Myint, has discovered a new gas field in late November, the firm revealed in an announcement on Monday. Located at the Shwe Yee Htun-1 exploration well in offshore block A-6, the field is believed to reach a depth of 17,408 feet, including some 6,670 feet of water. The announcement also said that a gas column of 129 meters was found, consisting of an estimated 15 meters of net gas pay. Additional data is still being evaluated. Moe Myint said that he is "pleased and proud that MPRL, as a company with limited resources in a difficult environment, succeeded in unraveling a new petroleum area in a frontier basin." "Our efforts are of interest to international oil companies. We've finally been able to contribute to a project that could be a world-class discovery," Moe Myint said in the company's statement. The latest find is part of the company's exploration of block A-6, an endeavor initially put in motion in 2007. MPRL carried out 2-D and 3-D surveys of the site in 2009 and 2010. MPRL holds a 20-percent interest in block A-6. Woodside Petroleum, an Australian gas exploration and production company, and Total, another firm, each hold a 40-percent interest. "MPRL is looking forward to evaluating this discovery with the help of Woodside and Total, with the aim of proving commerciality for all stakeholders," Moe Myint said. The post Domestic Energy Firm Unearths Major Gas Find appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Army Chief Defends Civil Conflict as a ‘Just War’ Posted: 05 Jan 2016 01:09 AM PST Commander-in-Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing speaking in Naypyidaw on Jan.4, 2015. (Photo: Office of the Commander-in-Chief / Facebook) RANGOON & CHIANG MAI, Thailand — The commander-in-chief of the Burma Army on Monday defended the nation's ongoing civil conflict as a "just war" geared toward stability of the nation, remarks made on the same day the incoming leadership vowed to make peace its top priority. Speaking at a ceremony honoring soldiers for their service on Burma's Independence Day, Jan. 4, Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing said the country's ongoing civil war was for the benefit of the nation's citizens. "All military personnel, including the commander-in-chief of the Defense Services, solemnly pledge that any war we are engaged in is for the justice and well-being of the State, the people and the Tatmadaw," Min Aung Hlaing said in the capital Naypyidaw, referring to the armed forces by their Burmese name. The commander's remarks were published on an official Facebook page of the office of the army chief on Monday, shortly after the ceremony. "By looking at the past events thoroughly and optimistically, one can see that the Tatmadaw is not just engaging in those military operations because it is willing to wage war," his comments continued, adding that those who most deeply despise conflict are the servicemen who are willing to sacrifice their lives for their country. Burma is home to one of the world's longest-running civil wars, which began shortly after the country gained independence in 1948. A multilateral peace process between the government and several mostly ethnic armed groups began in 2011, following the onset of a political reform agenda geared toward transitioning from military to civilian rule. The protracted peace process resulted in the signing of a "nationwide ceasefire agreement last October, though the pact was signed by less than half of the country's non-state armed groups. A political dialogue is set to begin in mid-January to seek solutions to the conflict, which is expected to be attended by about 700 delegates. A number of ethnic minorities will not be represented in the dialogue, however, as they are still at war with the central government. Among them are some of the most powerful non-state actors, including the Kachin and Shan armed groups from the country's north and northeast. Addressing the ongoing clashes, the commander-in-chief said that some ongoing conflict was to be expected and reiterated that the current clashes were in the interest of the population at large. "Our fellows, including myself, can vow that we are fighting a just war for our citizens and the Tatmadaw," he said. "It is the duty of every citizen to safeguard our country's ground, airspace and territorial waters and [protect] the life and property of our people." Commending the military for its role in bringing about Burma's recent transition to a more democratic form of governance, Min Aung Hlaing said the armed forces have historically played a unique and central role in modern politics and national identity. "The Tatmadaw also took the lead in marching toward the multi-party democratic system that the citizens have aspired to," Min Aung Hlaing said. Also on Monday, Aung San Suu Kyi, whose party won a landslide victory in a November election and is set to take power early this year, told her supporters that her administration will make peace-building its top priority. "The first responsibility of the next government is to build peace. We will organize an effective peace conference to improve the recent ceasefire agreement and we will urge widespread participation," Suu Kyi said at the headquarters of her party, the National League for Democracy. The post Army Chief Defends Civil Conflict as a 'Just War' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Suu Kyi Tipped to Meet Army Chief in Coming Weeks Posted: 05 Jan 2016 12:06 AM PST Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma Army chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing shake hands for the waiting media in Naypyidaw, Dec. 2, 2015. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) National League for Democracy (NLD) chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi is tipped to meet Burma Army chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing in the coming weeks, sources close to the government and opposition suggest, the pair's second dialogue since the Nov. 8 general election. The peace process will reportedly be high on the agenda, with political dialogue, set to be attended by some 700 delegates, to begin on Jan. 12. "The peace process is the first thing the new government will work on. We will try for the all-inclusive ceasefire agreement," Suu Kyi said in a speech to mark Independence Day in Rangoon on Monday, as quoted by Reuters. "We can do nothing without peace in our country." The 70-year-old NLD leader held separate dialogues with President Thein Sein and Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyidaw on Dec. 2, with all parties pledging to cooperate to ensure a smooth transition. While the content of either discussion was not revealed, observers saw the twin meetings, which had been requested by Suu Kyi shortly after the NLD's resounding election victory, as a positive sign. Min Aung Hlaing, 10 years Suu Kyi's junior, greeted the opposition leader warmly in front of the cameras. But their one-hour confab, the pair's first bilateral sit-down since the commander-in-chief took up the post in 2011, was not thought to have touched on sensitive topics To the surprise of many, Suu Kyi also met with retired senior general and head of the previous military junta Than Shwe at his residence in Naypyidaw on Dec. 4. Again, few concrete details of the discussion—which sources suggest lasted two hours—have emerged. Than Shwe's grandson, who also met with the NLD leader in November, quoted the former junta chief as referring to Suu Kyi as the country's "future leader" whom he would support "with all my effort." Suu Kyi was reportedly diplomatic and pledged a consultative approach under an NLD-led government, informed sources said—an approach that was deemed to have worked well. But it was not known whether the unlikely interlocutors discussed the military-drafted 2008 Constitution and, more specifically, Article 59(f) which effectively bars Suu Kyi from assuming the presidency. According to the clause, the president "shall he himself, one of the parents, the spouse, one of the legitimate children or their spouses not owe allegiance to a foreign power, not be subject of a foreign power or citizen of a foreign country." Suu Kyi's two children are British nationals, as was her late husband. In December, Thura Aung Ko, a senior lawmaker with the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) told the BBC's Burmese service that Article 59(f) could be suspended with the support of a majority of lawmakers, allowing Suu Kyi to formally assume the country's top post. While some observers have played down that prospect, Suu Kyi herself has repeatedly said that regardless of her formal position in government, as the head of Burma's ascendant political party, she will lead the country. Well-placed sources told The Irrawaddy that Suu Kyi was likely to raise the issue of amending the Constitution during her second meeting with Min Aung Hlaing. With the army in control of a quarter of parliamentary seats and an effective veto over charter change, the support of military lawmakers is crucial. Further dialogue between Suu Kyi and the army chief could therefore be integral to defining the political landscape in 2016 and beyond. The post Suu Kyi Tipped to Meet Army Chief in Coming Weeks appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

2 Suspected Elephant Poachers Arrested in Irrawaddy, 3 Others at Large Posted: 04 Jan 2016 10:10 PM PST A wild elephant killed by poachers in the Chaungtha Forest Reserve in Irrawaddy Division. (Photo: Ministry of Information) PATHEIN, Irrawaddy Division — Police in Irrawaddy Division have arrested two suspected members of an elephant poaching ring and are still searching for three others, including the gang's leader. "They are [part of] a five-member gang; we have arrested two, three others are on the loose with a percussion lock firearm and we are combing the forest for them," police officer Win Htut of Tha Let Kwar Police Station in the divisional capital, Pathein, told The Irrawaddy on Monday. On Jan. 1, police detained Maung Poe and Maung Chauk after they were sighted in the Chaungtha Forest Reserve. Their arrests led to the seizure of one Dayun motorbike, 66 pieces of elephant trunks and tails, dried elephant hide and a 13-inch butcher's knife from suspect Maung Poe. "As we interrogated Maung Poe, another one got away by motorbike," said officer Win Htut. "We combed the forest and found a suspicious man wandering around near the ranger's office in the forest at around 8:30pm. We interrogated him and found that he was also part of the gang." Police searched the area after the arrests and discovered a skinned elephant in a nearby creek, as well as a structure erected to cure the animal's hide. The 32-year-old male elephant was eight feet, six inches tall, 12 feet long with a girth of 14 feet. Additional elephant tails, poison and a syringe were also seized from the second suspect, Maung Chauk, upon his arrest. All five suspects are residents of Ngape Township, Magwe Division, and the two men currently in custody will face charges under Burma's Forest Law, police said. The post 2 Suspected Elephant Poachers Arrested in Irrawaddy, 3 Others at Large appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Official Vows to Suspend Plans for Controversial Power Plant in Mon State Posted: 04 Jan 2016 09:54 PM PST Locals protest the planned construction of a 1280-megawatt coal-fired power plant at Inn Din village in Ye Township, Mon State, on May 5, 2015. (Photo: Tin Htet Paing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Ministry of Electric Power Deputy Minister Aung Than Oo told lawmakers last week that all works related to a planned coal-fired power plant in Mon State's Inn Din Village would be suspended until the consent of locals could be obtained. The Toyo-Thai company has been seeking to develop a 1280 MW coal plant in the village in Ye Township, expected to cost upwards of US$2.8 billion. A 30-year construction and operating agreement was signed between Toyo-Thai and the Ministry of Electric Power in April 2015. The deputy minister was responding to a question from ethnic Mon MP Mi Myint Than in the Parliament on Dec. 30 on whether the plant, which has been subject to sustained local opposition, would proceed. The lawmaker also asked the official about plans to expand the national power grid to include Ye Township, where local residents are forced to access electricity from private generators at a cost of between 500-1,000 kyat (US$0.38-$0.76) per unit. Under the government's ambitious National Electrification Plan, developed with assistance from the World Bank, the government has targeted ensuring nationwide access to electricity by 2030. Currently, only around 30 percent of the population nationwide has access to the electricity grid. In Burma's 2014 census, only 32.4 percent of respondents cited electricity as their main source of energy for lighting. Almost 70 percent of respondents said firewood was their primary source of energy for cooking, well ahead of electricity, at 16.4 percent. Aung Than Oo said the ministry had begun the tender process for development of power supply between Mon State's Moulmein and Ye townships and Dawei in Tenasserim Division, with environmental and social impact assessments planned for the 2016-17 fiscal year. On the proposed power plant in Inn Din, the deputy minister said all preparatory work on the project, including impact assessments, would be suspended amid ongoing local opposition. He referred to past consultations on the project, including a study tour of coal-fired power plants in Thailand and Japan sponsored by Toyo-Thai last year. The latter trip was criticized by local residents for lacking transparency, with many viewing the trip as an attempt to win the support of participants. According to a National Electricity Master Plan drafted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and a Japanese consultancy, the suggested mix for the 23,594 MW of generating capacity that Burma is forecast to require in 2030-31 is 38 percent from hydropower, 33 percent from coal, 20 percent from natural gas and 9 percent from renewable energy sources. The deputy minister talked up the benefits of coal on Wednesday, putting the cost of coal-produced electricity at around 100 kyat per unit. "Hydropower takes longer in construction time, is costly, and care needs to be taken so as not to harm the environment," Aung Than Oo said. "Domestic investors are invited to produce electricity from small and medium hydro-power which, however, would not fulfill increasing demand." The post Official Vows to Suspend Plans for Controversial Power Plant in Mon State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Japan’s Abe Seeks to Burnish Legacy ahead of Election Posted: 04 Jan 2016 09:18 PM PST Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe addresses reporters on the first official business day of the New Year during a news conference at his official residence in Tokyo, Japan, January 4, 2016. (Photo: Toru Hanai / Reuters) TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, stymied by a still sputtering economy, is seeking to burnish his legacy and shore up support ahead of an election in the summer. "Challenges, challenges and still more challenges," Abe said in summing up the coming year in a nationally televised news conference Monday. Abe said he expects to make progress on sweeping reforms he has promised, likening himself to the 18th-century "Abarenbo Shogun," or "Rogue General" Tokugawa Yoshimune, a national leader renowned for his efforts to reduce waste, clean up corruption and instill samurai values of discipline and leadership. Until July, Abe's focus is bound to be on ensuring victory in the election for the Upper House of parliament in July, said Michael Cucek, an expert on Japanese politics who teaches at Tokyo's Waseda University. Abe's position is strong, with backing by the coalition partner Komeito, and the opposition has failed to regain much traction after a resounding loss of power to Abe's conservative Liberal Democrats in December 2012. But local political superstition holds that every nine years a setback in Upper House elections forces the prime minister to step down. "Observers will be watching closely to see whether he is able to break the jinx," the Jiji news agency said in a commentary Monday. Given the slow pace of the economic recovery so far, with inflation still nowhere near the government's 2 percent goal and wages and spending still in the doldrums, Abe has been highlighting more obvious progress on the diplomatic front. Three years of relentless overseas travel have helped restore some of the stature Japan ceded during the past two decades of economic malaise, winning Abe widespread respect at home. In an address to parliament's opening session on Monday, Abe pointed to concrete results from those travels, including the recent sale of Japanese high-speed train technology to India. Last week, the government reached an agreement with neighboring South Korea on the issue of women forced into sexual slavery for Japanese troops during World War II. Abe also said on Monday that he hoped for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on a territorial dispute that, 70 years after the war's end, is still preventing Tokyo and Moscow from signing a peace treaty. Abe said he hoped Japan's hosting in May of the summit of the Group of Seven industrial nations in Ise, scenic islands in central Japan, would prove a turning point for the global economy. Abe acknowledged that his efforts to get the economy fully into recovery mode were only "halfway there." The good news: Share prices are up nearly 77 percent from early 2013, with a 9.1 percent gain for 2015. At about 120 yen per US dollar, the currency remains favorably weak for exporters, the jobless rate is near 3 percent and corporate profits have been surging to new highs. But Japan narrowly avoided a recession in 2015 and the latest vital signs were weak: Factory output fell in November, as did household spending and incomes. The year started on a sour note, as the Nikkei dropped nearly 3 percent in its 2016 opening session. The prime minister's evolving pre-election strategy spans both short-term populist priorities and broader, longer-term aims meant to counter angst over Japan's aging and shrinking population. On top of his earlier "Abenomics" policies of lavish monetary easing and reforms meant to improve productivity and competitiveness, Abe has promised a rise in the minimum wage and one-time stipends of 30,000 yen (about US$250) each for low-income pensioners and the disabled—constituencies that barely have benefited from the Abenomics-related run-up in stock prices. The Liberal Democrats and Komeito recently agreed to exempt most food items from a planned sales tax hike in 2017—a concession bound to win favor with pensioners and young families that are just scraping by. More ambitiously, Abe has pledged to help the economy expand to 600 trillion yen ($5 trillion) by 2020, an increase of about 14 percent from 2014. He also wants to raise Japan's birth rate to 1.8 children per woman from the current level of about 1.4, and to ensure workers will not have to leave their jobs to care for their parents—a growing concern in a country where more than a third of the population is over the age of 65. Many in Tokyo's political world are speculating that Abe is worried enough about the economy to postpone, once again, next year's hike in the sales tax to 10 percent from the current 8 percent. He earlier delayed it by a year and a half, to April 2017. Another postponement would be a gamble: Japan's gross national debt is highest relative to its GDP among major industrial nations, at more than twice the size of the economy. But with tax revenues projected to hit a 25-year peak in 2015, he may be betting that option would be less risky than a repeat of the battering the economy took after the last sales tax hike, in April 2014. The post Japan's Abe Seeks to Burnish Legacy ahead of Election appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

S. China Sea Tensions Surge as China Lands Plane on Artificial Island Posted: 04 Jan 2016 09:11 PM PST Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan (4th R) claps next to his counterparts from Asean during the China-Asean Defense Ministers' Informal Meeting in Beijing, China, October 16, 2015.  (Photo: Reuters) HONG KONG / BEIJING — China's first landing of a plane on one of its new island runways in the South China Sea shows Beijing's facilities in the disputed region are being completed on schedule and military flights will inevitably follow, foreign officials and analysts said. China's increasing military presence in the disputed sea could effectively lead to a Beijing-controlled air defense zone, they said, ratcheting up tensions with other claimants and with the United States in one of the world's most volatile areas. Chinese foreign ministry officials confirmed on Saturday that a test flight by a civilian plane landed on an artificial island built in the Spratlys, the first time Beijing has used a runway in the area. Vietnam launched a formal diplomatic protest while Philippines Foreign Ministry spokesman Charles Jose said Manila was planning to do the same. Both have claims to the area that overlap with China. "That's the fear, that China will be able take control of the South China Sea and it will affect the freedom of navigation and freedom of overflight," Jose told reporters. In Washington, State Department spokesman John Kirby said China's landing of the plane "raises tensions and threatens regional stability." Senator John McCain, the chairman of the influential US Senate Armed Services Committee, criticized the Obama administration for delaying further "freedom of navigation" patrols within 12 nautical miles of the islands built by China. China has been building runways on the artificial islands for more than a year, and the plane's landing was not a surprise. The runway at the Fiery Cross Reef is 3,000 meters (10,000 feet) long and is one of three China was constructing on artificial islands built up from seven reefs and atolls in the Spratlys archipelago. The runways would be long enough to handle long-range bombers and transport craft as well as China's best jet fighters, giving them a presence deep into the maritime heart of Southeast Asia that they have lacked until now. Chinese officials have repeatedly stressed that the new islands would be mostly for civilian use, such as coast guard activity and fishing research. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at the weekend that the test flight was intended to check whether the runway met civilian aviation standards and fell "completely within China's sovereignty." However, military landings on the islands were now "inevitable," said Leszek Buszynski, a visiting fellow at the Australian National University's Strategic and Defense Studies Center. An air defense zone, while unlikely soon, was feasible and possible in future once China has built up its air strength, he said. "The next step will be, once they've tested it with several flights, they will bring down some of their fighter air power—SU-27s and SU-33s—and they will station them there permanently. That's what they're likely to do." De Facto Defense Zone Ian Storey, a South China Sea expert at Singapore's ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, said he expected tensions to worsen as China used its new facilities to project power deeper into the South China Sea. Even if China stopped short of formally declaring an Air Defense Identification Zone, known as an ADIZ, Beijing's need to protect its new airstrips and other facilities could see it effectively operating one. Work is well underway to complete a range of port, storage and personnel facilities on the new islands, US and regional officials have said. Fiery Cross is also expected to house advanced early warning radars and military communications facilities, they said. "As these facilities become operational, Chinese warnings to both military and civilian aircraft will become routine," Storey said. "These events are a precursor to an ADIZ, or an undeclared but de facto ADIZ, and one has to expect tensions to rise." China sparked condemnation from the United States and Japan in late 2013 when it declared an ADIZ over the East China Sea, covering uninhabited islands disputed with Tokyo. Hua, the Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman, said on Monday that there were no immediate plans for an ADIZ in the South China Sea. "The decision will be based on our judgment of the situation and our needs," she said, adding that Beijing respected other nations' rights to international freedoms of navigation and overflight. However, regional military officials say they are logging increased warnings to aircraft from Chinese radio operators, including some from ground stations on Fiery Cross reef. China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than US$5 trillion of world trade ships every year. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan have rival claims. The United States has no claim in the South China Sea, but has been highly critical of China's assertiveness and says it will protect freedom of navigation. In Washington, McCain said that the lack of US action after a navy patrol near the islands in October was allowing China to continue to "pursue its territorial ambitions" in the region. US officials remain committed to carrying out further "freedom of navigation" patrols near the disputed islands, but are still debating the timing of another patrol, said one US defense official, who was not authorized to speak publicly. The post S. China Sea Tensions Surge as China Lands Plane on Artificial Island appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Missed Clues and Lax Security in Run-Up to Indian Air Base Attack Posted: 04 Jan 2016 09:04 PM PST Indian army soldiers sit in a truck as they head towards the Indian Air Force base at Pathankot in Punjab, India, January 3, 2016.  (Photo: Reuters) NEW DELHI — The hijacking of an Indian police officer's car by gunmen disguised in uniform should have set off alarm bells and helped prevent a deadly weekend attack on a military air base, officials and security experts said. His colleagues' slowness to react was one of several security lapses in the buildup to the pre-dawn raid, blamed by India on Pakistani militants and a blow to the recent improvement in ties between the nuclear-armed neighbors. Three days on from an assault that killed seven military personnel and wounded 22, five attackers have also been eliminated, but an operation was still under way to secure the sprawling compound in northwestern Punjab state that lies 25 kilometers (16 miles) from the border with Pakistan. Police Superintendent Salwinder Singh's call to a colleague in the early hours of Friday morning, after his car was hijacked, was at first treated as a case of armed robbery, the officer who answered the phone said. "The truth is that we did not take Singh's complaint seriously, because his record has not been clean," a second senior officer in the Punjab police told Reuters, on condition of anonymity. The police sources said Singh had just been transferred after a woman constable filed a sexual harassment case against him. Singh, who was interrogated on Monday for six hours by federal investigators, could not be reached for comment. Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi has said the location of the attackers was only pinpointed as Pathankot on Friday afternoon. That was at least 12 hours after the seizure of Singh's unmarked vehicle, in which he was traveling with two other men following a visit to a shrine near the border with Pakistan. "Too much time was wasted," said A.S. Dulat, a former head of the Research & Analysis Wing, India's main foreign intelligence agency. "How did they infiltrate to where they did? How were they allowed to roam around for 24 hours?" Civilian and military officials say a security alert was circulated quickly enough to prevent the assailants from damaging fighter jets and helicopters at the base. Nevertheless, a lack of inter-agency cooperation may have hobbled the security response, with another local police chief calling the air base a "fortress" that senior colleagues cannot enter without a written request. "It always operated like a self-sufficient township but had no interaction with the city police or local administration," Manoj Kumar, Pathankot's deputy superintendent of police, told Reuters. Dumped by the Roadside Singh's cook, Madan Gopal, said he was dumped by the roadside with his employer after a long drive during which their eyes were taped shut. The gunmen took fellow passenger Rajesh Verma, a jeweler, with them. "We both walked for an hour to reach a nearby police outpost," Gopal, 61, told Reuters. "Singh got in touch with his superiors but they told him to go home and come to the office the next day." Verma survived and testified to police that the attackers had used his phone, possibly to call their handlers, according to the Indian Express. One local report said the assailants dumped Singh's car 500 meters from the base. How they got into the compound is still unclear. Once inside, they burst into a guards' mess and fired indiscriminately. One guard tackled and killed an attacker, only to die from another gunman's bullet, said Air Commodore J.S. Dhamoon, commander of the base. Three more suspected militants were killed later on Saturday after running through the compound, firing into windows. The guard who died was a member of India's Defense Security Corps (DSC), a unit made up of veterans who guard military facilities. Five of the seven military personnel to die served in the DSC, some of them in their fifties. Some observers said the DSC should not guard high-value military assets. "They were not up to speed," said Nitin Gokhale, a security analyst who edits a defense portal. Yet the greater weakness at the base, with a 24-kilometer (15-mile) perimeter and a 3-meter (10-foot) wall topped by barbed wire, may have been a lack of adequate surveillance. "You can have a wall, but a wall can be scaled and, probably, a surveillance system such as CCTV was lacking," said Govind Sisodia, a former senior commander of India's National Security Guard counter-terrorism unit. There have been conflicting reports of how many attackers were involved in the raid, since claimed by the United Jihad Council, an alliance of more than a dozen pro-Pakistan militant groups based in Pakistan-run Kashmir. India and Pakistan have fought two wars since independence in 1947 over Kashmir, both claiming the region in full but ruling it in part. Tight security along the frontier there has pushed militant attacks south to Punjab. Analysts and officials said the attackers may have worked in groups, with the carjackers acting together and two others believed to have entered the air base separately, possibly before the main attack. One remains unaccounted for. Home Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted his congratulations on Saturday evening to India's security forces on "successfully neutralizing all the five terrorists in 'Pathankot Operation'". At the time, the official body count was four. Singh's tweet was later deleted. The post Missed Clues and Lax Security in Run-Up to Indian Air Base Attack appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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