The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Petition Launched Over Anti-Muslim Violence Against Vendors
• Pardon for Two Student Activists, Lawyer in Mandalay
• Restoration Work Resumes on Siamese King’s Tomb in Mandalay
• SSA-N: Burma Army Demands Withdrawal From Strategic Outposts
• Rangoon Housing Prices Drop, Signaling Market Shift
• Thai Court Sets Final Appeal Deadline for Koh Tao Murder Case
• A Look Inside Win Tin’s Home
• Heat Wave Kills More Than 160 in Southern, Eastern India
• Laos, One of Last Communist Nations, Elects New Leaders

Petition Launched Over Anti-Muslim Violence Against Vendors Posted: 21 Apr 2016 05:34 AM PDT A picture that was circulated online showing a Muslim vendor threatened by Buddhist monks. (Photo: Central Ma Ba Tha Online Media / Facebook) RANGOON — An online petition has been launched to push Rangoon's chief minister to take action against Buddhist monks who on Sunday threatened Muslim vendors not to sell items near Rangoon's Shwedagon Pagoda. The petition was created by a Burmese man who identifies as "Thet Swe Win," and it is addressed to Phyo Min Thein, Rangoon's new chief minister, urging him to respond lawfully to the Buddhist monks who mistreated Muslim vendors on Burma's New Year's Day. Thet Swe Win claimed in the petition that multiple Buddhist monks in the area around the pagoda seized goods from Muslim vendors and demanded letters from them to the police and local authorities stating that they would close shops around the pagoda in the future. These threats also included physical assaults, he added. "We demand [the authorities] take effective action, since this incident could lead to religious disputes and have a negative impact on [Burma's] democratic transition and on interfaith harmony in the country," Thet Swe Win said in the petition. He also said the monks' actions violated Article 370(a) of the Constitution, which states that every citizen has, in accordance with the law, the right to conduct business freely in the Union for national economic development. The petition gained more than 2,500 supporters within 24 hours after it was launched on change.org on Wednesday. The Irrawaddy was unable to reach Thet Swe Win for comment on Thursday. According to a report by Central Ma Ba Tha Online Media on Wednesday, U Thu Seikkta, secretary of the Patriotic Monks Union (in Rangoon) admitted to physically assaulting Muslim vendors but said that it was because the vendors were trying to escape. He added that the actions were not related to the nationalist monk association, Ma Ba Tha. "No one could have done anything if they had bombed the pagoda while wearing their burqas, in which case they would not have been able to be identified," the media outlet quoted U Thu Seikkta as saying in the report. "That's why we prevented them from selling goods around there," he said. "Our group is going to continue doing this for the sake of Shwedagon Pagoda." Thaung Htut, a National League for Democracy (NLD) lawmaker for Rangoon's Bahan Township and a member of Rangoon's Social Affairs Committee, told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that there would be a committee meeting on Friday, at which time he would attempt to put the incident on the table for wider discussion with other committee members. "It's an important issue, and we have to handle such a case fairly," he said. Since anti-Muslim riots broke out in Arakan State in 2012, relations between Muslim and Buddhist communities in Burma have deteriorated. Many political analysts believe that one of the biggest challenges for Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD government will be to generate stability in areas beleaguered by religious strife. The post Petition Launched Over Anti-Muslim Violence Against Vendors appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Pardon for Two Student Activists, Lawyer in Mandalay Posted: 21 Apr 2016 04:59 AM PDT Zaw Win, a lawyer and land-rights activist, was released from Mandalay's Oh-bo Prison on Thursday. (Photo: Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy) MANDALAY — A court in Myingyan Township, Mandalay Division, on Thursday released two student activists who had been facing trial for their involvement in education reform protests last year, part of an ongoing series of political prisoner pardons initiated by Burma's new National League for Democracy (NLD) government. Soe Hlaing, a Technological University student from Monywa, and Zin Ko Thant of Mandalay's Yadanapon University were accused of replacing Burma's national flag with a student union flag at Myingyan Degree College during a protest for education reform in January 2015. Their release is the latest in a string of amnesties that President Htin Kyaw has signed off on since taking office this month. Fellow students who were recently released from Tharyarwaddy Prison and also some others in Mandalay were present at the court to greet their friends and held a welcoming ceremony at Myingyan's Soon Loon Gu Monastery on Thursday. Elsewhere in Mandalay Division, lawyer Zaw Win, who has fought for victims of land confiscation, was released from one year and eight months' detainment from Mandalay's Oh-bo Prison. Zaw Win was on trial under Burma's Peaceful Assembly Law, as well as facing charges of incitement and showing disrespect to the court, for staging a protest at the Pyin Oo Lwin District Court. Inside Oh-bo prison, Myo Win, a fellow farmers' rights activist from Mandalay, Yaypu Sayardaw from Mogok, and interfaith activists Zaw Zaw Latt and Pwint Phyu Latt remain behind bars, but are believed to soon be released. The post Pardon for Two Student Activists, Lawyer in Mandalay appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Restoration Work Resumes on Siamese King’s Tomb in Mandalay Posted: 21 Apr 2016 04:44 AM PDT Siamese King Uthumphon's tomb on Linzin Hill in Mandalay Division. (Photo: Zaw Zaw/The Irrawaddy). Mandalay—Restoration work on Siamese King Uthumphon's tomb, located near U Bein bridge in Mandalay, will resume after a two-year hiatus. The work was stalled in March 2014 by an order from the Mandalay City Development Committee (MCDC), which had plans to transform the four-acre venue into a park. Mandalay's divisional government gave the green light for work to resume on Friday. Following pledged donations from influential abbot Sittagu Sayardaw, the ex-chief minister of Mandalay Ye Myint approved the work in March 2016, before handing over his duties to his successor. "We can only resume work now; we had to do a lot of preparation involving technicians from Thailand," said Win Maung, an author and architect who will lead an excavation team to conserve King Uthumphon's tomb. According to the team, which consists of Burmese and Thai archeologists, historians and experts, it is financially backed by the Thai Royal Treasury and has been provided an initial budget of 40 million baht (over US$1.1 million), and a projected six-month timeline. Previously, the excavation team had requested that authorities grant the four-acre Linzin Hill, which houses the tomb, for the creation of a historic park. After being halted in 2014, the area was fenced by MCDC for their proposed recreational park projects. Some parts of the 150-foot ancient brick road, which connected the tomb, the monastery and the palace of Amarapura, had been destroyed. The area was enclosed with brick walls, and Linzin Hill was deserted among bushes and trash, which the excavation team now has to clear. "Although some parts of the ancient brick road and buildings were destroyed, we will do our best to make this a historic area and to preserve the tomb and the pagodas without affecting their original structure," said Win Maung. "We also need to clean all the trash, which makes this a nasty place." According to Burmese history, King Uthumphon was captured by the Burmese King Hsinbyushin [1763–1776] during the invasion of Thailand's ancient capital of Ayutthaya in 1767, and brought to Mandalay from Thailand as a prisoner of war. He later died in monkhood during his captivity and was buried at Linzin Hill. Linzin Hill, the tomb ruins, and nearby pagodas on the edge of Taungthaman Lake in Mandalay Division's Amarapura Township, are all tourist attractions, especially for Thai visitors. "If this project is finished and the historic park becomes neat and tidy, I believe it will be more convenient for tourists and strengthen the relationship between Thailand and Burma as well," said Win Maung. The post Restoration Work Resumes on Siamese King's Tomb in Mandalay appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

SSA-N: Burma Army Demands Withdrawal From Strategic Outposts Posted: 21 Apr 2016 04:12 AM PDT A Shan State Army-North base in Mong Ark village, near the group's headquarters at Wan Hai in Shan State. (Photo: Lawi Weng / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The Burma Army has threatened renewed military offensives if the Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army-North (SSPP/SSA-N) refuses to withdraw from two mountain posts bordering ethnic Wa territory, according to local sources. A sergeant from the SSA-N told The Irrawaddy on the condition of anonymity that his armed group would not abandon these northern Shan State posts and that they would defend their territory in the event of a strike by government forces. "We have two brigades there," the officer said. "We have no conditions under which we would withdraw from our posts because this was our area and we have been based here for a long time. We are prepared to fight if they take action." The warning to withdraw came in the form of a letter from the Burma Army's Northeastern Command in Shan State's northern city of Lashio, just before the annual water festival last week, the sergeant said. He expressed concern that the Burma Army might be planning an operation on a larger scale. "We are even worried about whether they will attack our other bases, not only these two mountain posts," he added. The two small bases in question straddle territory controlled by the United Wa State Army (UWSA), and are located in the Loi Lan and Loi Say hills near the Salween River in Tanyang Township. The location is a half-day's travel from the SSPP/SSA-N headquarters in central Shan State's Wan Hai, and has been scouted as a potential location for a larger Shan base. The area is strategic for both the SSA-N—thought to be an ally of the Wa army—and the Burma Army, who, some speculate, would prefer to defeat the UWSA, Burma's largest ethnic armed organization. It is not the first time that the Burma Army has demanded that the SSPP/SSA-N withdraw from their posts or face an offensive from government forces. The last attack against the Shan armed group began under similar circumstances just two days after the nationwide election held in November 2015, when the military called for a retreat of the SSA-N from posts outside of Wan Hai. Fighting continued for months, displacing thousands of villagers in central Shan State. Citing a lack of inclusivity, the SSPP/SSA-N opted out of becoming a signatory to Burma's so-called nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA), signed by the previous government and eight of the country's more than 20 ethnic armed groups last October. As a new National League for Democracy-led (NLD) administration finds its bearings, ethnic armed leaders expect that a new round of peace talks will begin soon. "We are waiting to see how much the military will cooperate with the new government while the new government is calling for peace and reconciliation," the SSPP/SSA-N's Col Pein Pa told The Irrawaddy earlier this month. The Burma Army has continued to fight other NCA non-signatory groups, including the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) near Laiza in nearby Kachin State, allegedly seizing three of the KIA's mountain posts, according to recent reports by the local Kachin News Group. Another large offensive has been launched in Shan State by government forces against the ethnic Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA). Since March, clashes have occurred in Namkham, Namhsan, Kutkai and Kyaukme townships. Ethnic Palaung (Ta'ang) rights groups have reported arbitrary detainment of locals, as well as torture and forced portering in areas where the Burma Army is active. According to a statement issued by the TNLA, four Burma Army infantry divisions withdrew from the region before the mid-April water festival. The post SSA-N: Burma Army Demands Withdrawal From Strategic Outposts appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rangoon Housing Prices Drop, Signaling Market Shift Posted: 21 Apr 2016 04:06 AM PDT People walk by a construction site of new apartment buildings in Rangoon on Nov. 4, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — Real estate prices in Rangoon have fallen as much as 25 percent in recent months, a sign that a larger market correction may be on the horizon, reversing a three-year-long trend of soaring prices. Many new apartment buildings have been built in the last two decades and vacancy rates remain high, several real estate agents told The Irrawaddy. This has recently led to apartment owners and real estate developers selling below market price. "Particularly in outlying townships, like Thingangyun, Hlaing, Insein, South and North Okkalapa, the prices of some older apartments have fallen up to 10 percent," said Zaw Zaw, a senior manager at Unity Real Estate Agency. "For example, a low-story apartment in Sanchaung [Township] that would have previously gone for 60 million kyats [US$50,000] is now selling for 50 million kyats." While prime real estate in downtown Rangoon has not experienced a similarly precipitous fall, prices have still dropped 5 to 10 percent, according to the real estate agents. "In Thingangyun Township [northeastern Rangoon], a brand new, 800-square-foot, sixth-floor apartment that has had no previous tenants, has dropped from 25 million kyats to 22 million kyats," Zaw Zaw said. "So you can see the size of the drop depends on location." Demand for high-end property has cooled off in recent years, although prices have remained stubbornly high, with some apartments costing as much as $1,500 per square foot. Many Burmese are uncertain about the country's future during this time of political transition, and therefore buyers and sellers have tended to take a wait-and-see attitude. This has suppressed transaction volumes more than would be expected in a more mature market. "Developers working in the suburbs are in need of capital to keep their construction projects going, and they have cut their prices up to 25 percent to address these cash flow issues," said Than Oo, managing director of Mandine Real Estate Agency. In the past, developers would normally raise capital in advance by selling apartments before the construction even began. But this practice is changing, and developers now try to sell as many apartments as quickly as possible once a building is completed. This has induced them to lower their prices in order to boost sales. "This is a sign that demand is remaining low while supply is increasing, and people are waiting to see what happens with the political transition," Mandine's Than Oo said. And now real estate is no longer the only show in town. "Much investment went to the stock market since it launched earlier this year, so that's impacting the real estate market now," Than Oo said. Falling land prices due to shifting government policies will also affect apartment prices in Rangoon, according to The Su Mon, manager of Vantage Tower, which is run by developer Myint & Associates. "If the government policies on land and apartments improve, it will be a lot easier for the middle class to realize their dream of owning their own apartments," The Su Mon said. The post Rangoon Housing Prices Drop, Signaling Market Shift appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Thai Court Sets Final Appeal Deadline for Koh Tao Murder Case Posted: 21 Apr 2016 02:45 AM PDT Win Zaw Htun and Zaw Lin, two Burmese migrants workers accused in the murder of two British backpackers in September 2014. (Photo: Reuters) CHIANG MAI, Thailand — A Thai court has accepted the final possible request to extend the appeal deadline for two Burmese migrant workers sentenced to death for the murder of a pair of British backpackers on Thailand's Koh Tao island in 2014. The court accepted the request from the Lawyers Council of Thailand on Tuesday, moving the deadline to May 23, said Aung Myo Thant, a lawyer for an investigation team formed by the Burmese Embassy in Bangkok. "We have requested an extension for the appeal deadline because we have not yet finished gathering all the information we need for the case. We will continue gathering information since the request has now been accepted. But the court has warned that this is the last time [that such a request would be granted]," Aung Myo Thant told The Irrawaddy. This is the fourth time the lawyers, acting on behalf of the convicted Burmese migrant workers, have requested an extension since the initial one-month deadline to appeal their verdict, which expired on Jan. 24. On March 25, members of the Lawyers Council of Thailand and the Burmese Embassy investigation team went to the prison where Win Zaw Htun and Zaw Lin are being held to collect information, but the interpreter was denied access to the prison, thereby delaying the process and prompting lawyers to request an extension for the appeal deadline. "Lawyers were allowed to see the two men, but the interpreter was not," said Aung Myo Thant, adding that this was "legally wrong." "The defendants are Burmese, and the members of the Lawyers Council of Thailand are unable to communicate with them directly without an interpreter," Aung Myo Thant said, while noting that the two appellants appeared to be in good health. A court in Koh Samui sentenced Win Zaw Htun and Zaw Lin, both 22, to death on Dec. 24, 2015, for allegedly killing two British backpackers, David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, on the island of Koh Tao. The murder occurred in September 2014. The subsequent investigation by Thai authorities has been plagued by claims of malfeasance, including evidentiary irregularities and claims by the defendants that they were tortured while in detention. The post Thai Court Sets Final Appeal Deadline for Koh Tao Murder Case appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

A Look Inside Win Tin’s Home Posted: 20 Apr 2016 11:20 PM PDT The revered journalist and pro-democracy champion Win Tin passed away two years ago today, April 21, 2014, at the age of 84. In this story from The Irrawaddy archive, published less than a week after his death, our photographer Hein Htet describes a post-mortem visit to the once home of the man. Unlike my last visit months ago, the shack at No. 10 Ariaya Maggin Street is locked when I arrive. Outside the door, a plastic flowerpot hangs from the gutter, as it did before. Two purple orchids are in full bloom. "They were his favorite," says Ohn Than, the owner of the two-room shack in Rangoon, while unlocking the door for me. Inside, the living room is silent. The man who once lived here—a man with wavy white hair and a blue shirt, a man known for greeting all visitors and inviting them to sit down—is no longer around. I am standing alone, camera in hand, in the former home of the veteran journalist who became one of Burma's most prominent democracy activists, Win Tin. This is where he lived until March 12, when he was admitted to a hospital for health problems. Six weeks later, on Monday this week, he was pronounced dead due to multiple organ failure. He was 84 years old. I have come to take photographs of the place where he once spent his days. Win Tin first moved into this wooden shack in 2008, after he was released from his 19-year prison term. In 1989, when he was first thrown behind bars due to his opposition to the military regime, the government confiscated his room in a government housing facility near Rangoon General Hospital. When he was finally freed, he had nowhere to live, so he moved into a shack in the garden of his lifelong friend Ohn Tun's home. In the shack, Win Tin's belongings appear to have been left alone since he was admitted to the hospital. At the basin in the far corner of the living room, a toothbrush and tube of toothpaste are covered with dust. So, too, are his walking sticks. His study table is partially covered with local weeklies and writing papers. His dark blue vests, which he wore over his blue shirt, hang on clothes hangers. The television set that he regularly used to watch late-night Champions League football matches is turned off. Shelves are lined with books, despite his generosity to allow friends to take any titles they wanted to read. While taking photographs, I cannot help but imagine how Win Tin may have passed his days here. I can picture him reading books and receiving guests, from diplomats to journalists and activists, and always speaking out with sharp criticism. "I don't trust this government at all," he would say. Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who co-founded the National League for Democracy (NLD) party with Win Tin under the military regime, also came to this shack on Tuesday. After her 45-minute visit, she told Ohn Tun and his family members to keep Win Tin's belongings as they were. "Please make sure no one takes anything," she said. "She said, 'I wish I could take away the whole shack,'" Ohn Tun recounts. Perhaps she meant that she would like to convert it into Win Tin's memorial museum. Additional reporting by Kyaw Phyo Tha. The post A Look Inside Win Tin's Home appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Heat Wave Kills More Than 160 in Southern, Eastern India Posted: 20 Apr 2016 11:06 PM PDT Vehicles driving along a road are seen through heat haze in Chandigarh, India, April 20, 2016.  (Photo: Ajay Verma / Reuters) HYDERABAD, India — Weeks of sweltering temperatures have caused more than 160 deaths in southern and eastern India, officials said Tuesday, warning that any relief from monsoon rains was still likely weeks away. Most of the heat-wave victims were laborers and farmers in the states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa, though temperatures elsewhere in India have also hit 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit). Schools were closed last week in Orissa until at least April 26. Officials in Andhra Pradesh were giving out free water and buttermilk to help people stay hydrated. And everywhere, people have been urged to stay indoors during the hottest hours of the day. Y.K. Reddy, a state meteorological official, said the temperatures were about 4-5 degrees Celsius (8-10 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than normal for April. "Normally such high temperatures are recorded in the month of May," he said. Police have reported 55 heat-related deaths in Orissa and at least 45 in Andhra Pradesh. Sixty-six were reported in Telangana, though the state's deputy chief minister, Mohammed Mahmood Ali, said the causes of death were still being verified. Meanwhile, a 12-year-old girl in the drought-stricken western state of Maharashtra died from the heat while fetching water, Indian broadcaster NDTV said Wednesday. Making matters worse, India is grappling with severe water shortages and drought affecting more than 300 million people—a quarter of the country's population. Thousands of distressed farmers have committed suicide, tens of thousands of farm animals have died, and crops have perished, with rivers, lakes and ponds drying up and groundwater tables sinking. Scrambling to deal with the crisis, officials have sent tankers of water to parched farming communities in Maharashtra, banning people from drilling deep wells and ordering farmers to shift away from growing water-guzzling sugarcane crops. The heat wave in India coincides with record-high temperatures across the globe. On Tuesday, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said March's average global temperature of 12.7 degrees Celsius (54.9 degrees Fahrenheit) was not only the hottest March, but continues a record 11-month streak that started last May. For southern India, this is the second consecutive year marred by a deadly heat wave. Last year, around 2,500 people died in scorching temperatures before the monsoon rains began in the Indian subcontinent in early June. But while heat waves are relatively common during Indian summers, authorities have done little to ensure water security or prepare urban populations for the risks. This year, Orissa's capital of Bhubaneshwar and Maharashtra's city of Nagpur joined Gujarat's Ahmedabad in launching a heat wave program to educate people on how to stay cool, provide shelters and train medical workers on dealing with heat-related illnesses like sun stroke and dehydration. The post Heat Wave Kills More Than 160 in Southern, Eastern India appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Laos, One of Last Communist Nations, Elects New Leaders Posted: 20 Apr 2016 11:00 PM PDT Former Foreign Minister Thongloun Sisoulith (R), now Prime Minister of Laos, attends the plenary session of the 48th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) foreign ministers meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, August 4, 2015.  (Photo: Olivia Harris / Reuters) VIENTIANE, Laos — Laos, one of the world's last communist nations, elected its top government leaders Wednesday at a meeting of its newly seated National Assembly. State-run news agency KPL reported that the 149-member assembly voted to endorse the selections made by the ruling Communist Party at its Congress in January, where then-Vice President Bounnhang Vorachit was selected as its new secretary general. The 78-year-old Bounnhang was elected president of the single-party state, while 70-year-old former Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Thongloun Sisoulith was made prime minister. Thongloun also appointed 18 Cabinet ministers. Elections are held every five years. Laos, a poor, landlocked country with a population of just 7 million, will have a higher-than-usual profile this year as it has its turn holding the annual chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as the organization grapples with territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea. The US State Department and independent agencies criticize the secretive regime for its poor human rights record. "The most significant human rights problem continued to be that the government denied citizens the ability to choose their government," said the State Department's recently released annual report on human rights practices. "Other human rights problems continued to include: abusive prison conditions; lack of due process, including arbitrary arrest and detention; government infringements on freedoms of speech, press, assembly, and association, as well as on the right to privacy; government restrictions on academic freedom; local restrictions on religious freedom; trafficking in persons; societal discrimination based on sexual orientation and against persons with HIV/AIDS; and restrictions on workers' rights." The post Laos, One of Last Communist Nations, Elects New Leaders appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• President’s Office Calls Out Media Company For Alleged Govt Bribe
• Tens of Displaced People Dead Or Missing After Boat Accident
• UNFC Makes Plans To Hold Peace Talks With New Govt
• Popular Messaging Service Viber To Strengthen Privacy Features
• The Art of Making Thanakha
• Suu Kyi Talks ‘Peace’ On Burmese New Year; Ethnic Leaders Respond
• Japan PM Abe Unlikely to Call Snap Election Due to Quakes
• Malaysia Faces Bailout Question After US$1 Billion Spat

President’s Office Calls Out Media Company For Alleged Govt Bribe Posted: 20 Apr 2016 06:43 AM PDT SkyNet Pavilion in Naypyidaw during the Thingyan New Year water festival in mid-April 2016. (Photo: Htet Naing Zaw / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Burma's President's Office sent a warning on Wednesday to a media company who they allege gave a large monetary gift to a government official during Burma's Thingyan festival last week. The statement released by the office reported that a media company took part in the annual Thingyan New Year water festival in Naypyidaw by staging a pavilion and inviting ministerial officials to the performances that followed. The announcement did not mention the media company's name. "Among them was a personal assistant of a 'VIP' who was given a package filled with five million kyats as present [by the media company]," the statement said. It added that the individual later found the money upon inspection and complained about it to his senior officer. President's Office Minister Aung San Suu Kyi released guidelines on gifts for civil servants on April 4, barring any government employee from accepting anything worth more than 25,000 kyats, or just over US$20, in an attempt to fight against rampant corruption in the country. "What the media company gave exceeded the amount mentioned in the guidelines. We have informed the media company not to violate the guidelines when giving gifts in the future," said the statement. It also mentioned that the President's Office "would not take action this time" and would instead treat the incident as "an educational moment." When asked to name the company, President's Office spokesperson Zaw Htay told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday afternoon that they had refrained from identifying the business, as they did not want to cause a "frenzy," and that they have not yet received a response from the group in question. "If you read the statement thoroughly, you will know," he suggested. Although they are not explicitly named, at the time of reporting, it appeared that the private TV operator SkyNet was the sole media company to stage a pavilion in Naypyidaw during the 2016 Thingyan celebrations. Soon after the statement was posted on the President's Office Facebook page, users also openly speculated that the unnamed company was, in fact, SkyNet. "SkyNet, you should stop this lowly way of thinking that money can bring you everything," one commenter wrote. SkyNet is part of Shwe Than Lwin Media Co. Ltd. and is chaired by Kyaw Win, who is believed to have close business ties with the former government and the ex-military regime. The company was not available for immediate comment on Wednesday. The President's Office statement said that the five million kyats (US$4,250) given to the official will be donated to the Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Ministry to contribute to water projects being implemented in drought-hit areas this summer. The post President's Office Calls Out Media Company For Alleged Govt Bribe appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Tens of Displaced People Dead Or Missing After Boat Accident Posted: 20 Apr 2016 04:46 AM PDT Villagers watch a rescue mission near Thae Chaung IDP camp in Arakan State after a boat capsized off the coast there on Tuesday. (Photo: Jack Sadak / Facebook) RANGOON – Police officers have confirmed that a boat which capsized on Tuesday off the coast of Thae Chaung village, near the Arakan State capital of Sittwe, has left 18 dead and 19 survivors. Aye Khin Maung, a police officer in Sittwe, told The Irrawaddy that the boat had departed from Sintatmaw, an internally displaced people's (IDP) camp in Pauktaw Township. It was headed toward Sittwe, where those on board had hoped to purchase commodities before the rainy season, when travel becomes more difficult. He described the passengers as "Bengali," a term frequently used by local and government officials to label Arakan State's Rohingya minority, who are denied Burmese citizenship. According to Aye Khin Maung, the known casualties of the accident—caused by unexpectedly large waves—included 10 children, seven women and one man. Local authorities are still attempting to locate missing people; he said that the boat held a total of 49 passengers, 12 of whom remain unaccounted for. There have been discrepancies between the reports made by local authorities and the information given by residents of the area, leading to conflicting details about who was on board. Hla Win, 54, an ethnic Kaman Muslim in the Thae Chaung camp, told The Irrawaddy that as of Wednesday, 22 bodies had been discovered since the boating accident. He confirmed that the victims were mostly women and children, but estimated that the boat had held not 49 passengers, but up to 75 people. Of these, he said half are still missing. For those confirmed dead, Hla Win laments some of the deaths as preventable, had there been a better health care infrastructure in the area. "Some people died on the way to the hospital because we had to ride almost one hour from Thae Chaung to Sittwe," Hla Win said. "If we'd had emergency nursing care, we could have saved their lives." Police officer Aye Khin Maung added that there were reportedly no life jackets on the boat, which may have contributed to the high casualty rate. Hla Win also claimed that the passengers were ethnic Kaman, rather than Rohingya, a statement which police officer Aye Khin Maung denied. "As far as I know, there were no Kaman on the boat," he said. While both the Kaman and the Rohingya are Muslim minorities were displaced by ethno-religious violence which broke out in Arakan State in 2012, the Kaman are designated as one of the national, indigenous groups of Burma; the Rohingya are denied any documentation in the country. In Arakan State, displaced people generally live under police surveillance and must seek official permission from the authorities to travel outside of the camps. In this case, Aye Khin Maung declined to comment on whether the passengers on the boat had received permission to leave the camp and go to the Sittwe market. At the time of reporting, The Irrawaddy could not reach the camp's security guards for further information on the issue. The post Tens of Displaced People Dead Or Missing After Boat Accident appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

UNFC Makes Plans To Hold Peace Talks With New Govt Posted: 20 Apr 2016 04:19 AM PDT UNFC meeting in Chiang Mai, Thailand. (Photo: Kyaw Kha / The Irrawaddy) The United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), an alliance of nine ethnic armed groups, is taking steps toward holding peace talks with President Htin Kyaw's government. The meeting of current UNFC members, who opted out of the so-called Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) with the previous government in October 2015, began Tuesday in Chiang Mai and focused on future plans, including negotiations with the new government. "We've heard somewhat about the standpoint of the new government. So we guess there will be a political dialogue soon. We are preparing, through this meeting, for additional discussion of a nationwide ceasefire," UNFC vice chairperson Nai Hong Sar told journalists. The three-day meeting will reportedly focus on the latest actions of a negotiation group that was formed by the UNFC in an attempt to quell conflict between the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army-South (RCSS/SSA-S) and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army/Palaung State Liberation Front (TNLA/PSLF). Thousands of internally displaced persons in Shan State, particularly in Kyaukme Township, have fled recent fighting between the two sides, who split over the signing of the agreement; the RCSS is a signatory, while the TNLA is not. Clashes between the two groups first erupted in late November and have persisted in the months since. Additionally, the meeting will focus on progress in the merger between the United League for Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA) as well as the political framework drafted by the former President Thein Sein's government and the eight ethnic armed groups that signed the NCA. UNFC members welcomed Aung San Suu Kyi's speech delivered on the occasion of the Burmese New Year, in which she promised to build a genuine, democratic federal union, seeing it as an auspicious sign for peace talks. Translated by Thet Ko Ko. The post UNFC Makes Plans To Hold Peace Talks With New Govt appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Popular Messaging Service Viber To Strengthen Privacy Features Posted: 20 Apr 2016 04:12 AM PDT Workers use their mobile phone in a vehicle on their way home in Rangoon on January 18, 2013. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters) The popular messaging service Viber announced the launch of new features that will offer strengthened security and privacy control to its users. One of the most widespread mobile communication applications in Burma, the number of Viber users in Burma reached 18 million in December of 2015—up from five million in July of the previous year. In the coming weeks, Viber said they would offer end-to-end encryption, which will advance security and privacy by encrypting messages, photos, videos and voice recordings while these communications are sent from one device to the intended recipient. The new feature will also introduce "Hidden Chats" allowing users to conceal specific chats from the main screen. "We take our users' security and privacy very seriously, and it's critical to us that they feel confident and protected when using Viber," said Michael Shmilov, Viber's Chief Operating Officer, quoted in the press release. In Burma's commercial capital, Rangoon traffic police also use Viber to take immediate action against the drivers who break traffic rules, by accepting complaints from users via message, photo and video. The post Popular Messaging Service Viber To Strengthen Privacy Features appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

The Art of Making Thanakha Posted: 20 Apr 2016 02:26 AM PDT Thanakha is a fragrant paste traditionally used by Burmese for cosmetic and medicinal purposes. It is made by grinding the bark or root of a Thanakha tree (typically, a Limonia acidissima tree) on a flat, circular stone known as kyauk pyin, designed specifically for this purpose. Indeed, Thanakha is nothing without a kyauk pyin. Lying next to the stretch of the Mandalay-Myitkyina railway line that passes through Sagaing Division's Kantbalu Township is Ko Taung Bo village, one of Burma's main suppliers of kyauk pyin. Most of the villagers make a living by extracting stone slabs, often in very simple ways, from a mountain approximately 2.5 miles from the village. Upon extraction, they either refine the stones into kyauk pyin to sell at the Ko Thaung Bo railway station or they send the slabs to other areas across Burma for refinement and, eventually, distribution. The post The Art of Making Thanakha appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Suu Kyi Talks ‘Peace’ On Burmese New Year; Ethnic Leaders Respond Posted: 20 Apr 2016 01:55 AM PDT Nai Hong Sar of the NMSP, Bawmwang Laraw of the KNO and Khu Oo Reh of the KNPP. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) Aung San Suu Kyi, the de facto leader of Burma, highlighted internal peace and constitutional change in her speech to the people on the Burmese New Year. In reference to the 2015 nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA), she said she appreciated the initiative undertaken by the previous government and that she would strive to include in the accord the organizations that her National League for Democracy-led (NLD) government deem appropriate for inclusion. Under the former administration, only eight—out of the country's more than 20 non-state armed groups—signed the NCA; some organizations were excluded outright from becoming signatories. Through peace conferences, Suu Kyi said her government would strive to build a "genuine federal democratic union" and that the military-drafted 2008 Constitution needs to be amended for this to be achieved. This process of constitutional change would not adversely affect Burma's people, she promised. The Irrawaddy's Kyaw Kha spoke with three leaders belonging to ethnic nationalities or organizations that opted out of signing the NCA for its lack of inclusivity. In the commentary below, they explain their reactions to Suu Kyi's speech and their expectations for renewing Burma's peace process under an NLD administration. Nai Hong Sar, vice-chairman of the New Mon State Party. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) Nai Hong Sar, Vice-Chairman of the New Mon State Party (NMSP) We share almost the same view. Therefore I guess there will be progress [in the peace process]. Again, we found that [the NLD's] standpoint is to push wherever possible, for example, with the release of political prisoners. Political prisoners were released with a presidential pardon. [The new government] was brave to exercise their mandate to do what they felt they should do and we view it as a positive sign. Again, [Suu Kyi] pointed out an inclusive ceasefire and the inclusion of all ethnic armed groups in a political dialogue. This is critically important. And it is strongly in agreement with our standpoint. How much can they exert influence over the military to push for [a ceasefire]? For us, we really want [a ceasefire]—we've been demanding it. If they [the NLD government] could convince the military, I believe [a ceasefire] would be done at the soonest. Bawmwang Laraw, chairman of the Kachin National Organization. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) Bawmwang Laraw, Chairman of the Kachin National Organization (KNO) I welcome Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's speech. I share her view: nationwide peace must be built. Regarding the constitutional amendments, I think we need to sign a new ceasefire accord because the previous peace accord did not include provisions that provide changes to the 2008 Constitution. Therefore provisions that allow constitutional changes must be discussed and included in the peace pact. This is the way peace process should be implemented. We need to make sure it is all-inclusive if we are to create a nationwide ceasefire. [The NLD government] needs to seek guarantees for peace in implementing its nation-building policies. It is the right path for the new government, led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, to strive for a ceasefire and to amend the constitution, because the 2008 Constitution is an obstacle to a federal union. To put it in a nutshell, I support and welcome [Suu Kyi 's plan to] build peace through a ceasefire and to talk with ethnic armed groups. I am very glad that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has announced that she will amend the constitution through such talks and build our country into a federal union. Khu Oo Reh, vice-chairman of the Karenni National Progressive Party. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) Khu Oo Reh, Vice-Chairman of the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) This is what everyone is expecting, I think. We've been working for national reconciliation and peace since the time of the previous government. And we are glad that the NLD government is giving top priority to national reconciliation and peace. We hope that they will implement it as quickly as they can. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said that reconciliation needs to be built among all groups, as well as between people and the military. So, I think her view is not so different from ours. For example, [reconciliation] can be between political parties, as well as between the military and ethnic armed groups or between ethnic armed groups themselves. It also can be reconciliation between ethnicities. In our country, groups and parties are divided in different ways, so I accept reconciliation under such circumstances and consider it necessary. Public trust [in the government] has declined steadily since the military staged a coup. People have always been oppressed and therefore feel bitter. So, reconciliation is really needed between the military and the people. I think it is a dire need. Only after reconciliation is built between different groups and parties will we be able to proceed with the peace process that we want. Trust is at the core of building reconciliation. Trust needs to be built first. Only when there is trust between each individual and each group, can the negotiation process of how to build peace together be smooth, I think. It is crucial. I view what the State Counselor said about the peace process in her speech as a clear message to us. At the same time, it is informing the entire public. In my understanding, she has said that each citizen is responsible for taking part actively in national reconciliation and the peace process. Translated by Thet Ko Ko. The post Suu Kyi Talks 'Peace' On Burmese New Year; Ethnic Leaders Respond appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Japan PM Abe Unlikely to Call Snap Election Due to Quakes Posted: 19 Apr 2016 10:40 PM PDT Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (center) speaks to reporters after a meeting of the earthquake emergency disaster response team in Tokyo, Japan, April 15, 2016. (Photo: Kyodo / Reuters) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is unlikely to call a snap election after deadly earthquakes on the southern Kyushu island and may postpone ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement until the next session of parliament, the Sankei newspaper reported Wednesday. Speculation had grown that Abe may dissolve parliament's lower house and call an election on the same day as an upper house poll is due in July. But Sankei said a double election would put a burden on quake-hit local municipals as they seek to reconstruct their economies and put the lives of victims back in order. A series of Japanese quakes measuring up to 7.3 hit Kyushu last week killing 44 people. More than 94,000 people remained in evacuation centers, cut off from the world by destroyed roads. Because of the quakes, the government's ruling coalition was expected to postpone ratification of the TPP trade agreement in the current parliament which ends June 1, the report said. The TPP was not expected to be ratified soon. Abe is expected to announce a final decision on a sales tax hike planned next April around the time of a May 26-27 Group of Seven summit that he will host. The premier was already expected to delay the tax increase even before the deadly quakes, which some private economists said now make the postponement even more likely. Abe said this week that he would stick to the tax plan, barring a financial crisis or a major natural disaster. Separately, Tomomi Inada, the policy chief of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party said that the government could consider raising the sales tax one percentage point at a time if the economy was not strong enough to endure a bigger rise, the Nikkei business daily reported. The post Japan PM Abe Unlikely to Call Snap Election Due to Quakes appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Malaysia Faces Bailout Question After US$1 Billion Spat Posted: 19 Apr 2016 10:19 PM PDT A man walks past a 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) billboard at the funds flagship Tun Razak Exchange development in Kuala Lumpur, March 1, 2015. (Photo: Olivia Harris / Reuters) The Malaysian government on Tuesday was facing the prospect of having to bail out the scandal-tainted state fund 1MDB, after a US$4.6 billion debt deal with an Abu Dhabi sovereign fund collapsed this week. The International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) said on Monday that 1Malaysia Development Berhad's (1MDB) had failed to make a $1.1 billion payment, and so was terminating last June's debt deal. "The government wouldn't want to risk having a default on its books, so if it came down to it, they would want to keep a clean record," said Krystal Tan, a Singapore-based economist at research firm Capital Economics, talking about risk of a bailout for 1MDB. Any government intervention would pile more pressure on Prime Minister Najib Razak, who founded 1MDB and is on its advisory board. He has faced calls to step down over allegations of graft and mismanagement at the fund. "Its [agreement with IPIC] failure not only now places 1MDB itself at risk, but now involves a bailout by the Ministry of Finance," opposition leader Tony Pua said in a statement. The Malaysian finance ministry is the sole shareholder of 1MDB. "He [Najib] must explain how is 1MDB going to fund the immediate repayment of $1.1 billion demanded by IPIC." The credit market is pricing in the uncertainty. Malaysia's Credit Default Swaps, the cost of insuring against default, has been underperforming the broad market since Monday. The 5-year contract jumped by 10 basis points on Tuesday and has risen about 15 basis points since IPIC's announcement. Cross-Default Fears The Malaysian government will have to come to 1MDB's aid, said a senior politician with the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), who did not want to be identified. The UAE's termination of the $4.6 billion deal with 1MDB "poses an issue of cross-default," he said. Cross-default is a provision in a bond or loan agreement that puts borrowers in default if they default on another obligation. Malaysia has total overseas debts of $98 billion, of which $47 billion is held by the central bank and the government, according to Thomson Reuters data. The Malaysian government is currently in the midst of raising a $1.2 billion sovereign Islamic bond. The ministry of finance said in a statement it would "continue to honor all of its outstanding commitments". One of 1MDB's last major outstanding liabilities is a $3 billion bond, arranged by Goldman Sachs, which carries a letter of support from the federal government. The fund, launched by Prime Minister Najib Razak in 2009, amassed over 50 billion ringgit in debt buying energy and real estate assets through projects with companies in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other Gulf countries. It sold off most of these assets to state-owned Chinese companies late last year. "It is difficult to accurately ascertain the exact level of debt that 1MDB has now following the successful sale of various assets," said Chia Shuhui, Asia Analyst for BMI Research. Regardless of the amount, a government bailout of the fund "will have a negative impact on the government's fiscal position", he said. Oil exporter Malaysia is aiming to keep its fiscal deficit, already under pressure from slower growth and lower crude prices, at 3.1 percent of gross domestic product. Offshore Accounts 1MDB is at the center of money-laundering and criminal investigations in the United States, Switzerland, Singapore and Luxembourg. A Malaysian parliament inquiry found that billions of dollars had been sent to offshore accounts without the approval of its board. One of those offshore accounts was for a company called Aabar Investments PJS Ltd in the British Virgin Islands, which received payments of $3.5 billion from 1MDB that were meant for IPIC. The Abu Dhabi fund said Aabar Invesments did not belong to it. Najib has been under pressure to step down after reports claimed that $681 million, deposited into his personal bank account, came from 1MDB. A government-appointed Attorney General cleared Najib of any criminal offence or corruption, and said the money was a donation from the Saudi royal family. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said last week the funds wired into Najib's personal bank account were a "genuine" donation originating from Saudi Arabia. The post Malaysia Faces Bailout Question After US$1 Billion Spat appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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