The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Burma Army Chief Backs Panglong Conference: Source
• Rights Group Pushes for Freedom of Speech in Burma
• Seizure of Large Quantities of Illegal Timber Continues
• Premier Coffee Sued for Breaking Labor Laws
• Thailand and Burma Restart Border Demarcation Talks
• Suu Kyi and Public Patience
• Burmese Court Lays New Charges Against Saffron Revolution Leader
• Sluggish Economy Casts Shadow Over Mongolian Elections
• Smiles and Selfies as Cambodia PM Tells Foreign Powers to Stop Interfering

Burma Army Chief Backs Panglong Conference: Source Posted: 29 Jun 2016 07:38 AM PDT Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing meets with a delegation of ethnic armed groups, the Peace Process Steering Team, in Naypyidaw on Wednesday. RANGOON — The Burma Army commander-in-chief, has reportedly told a delegation of ethnic armed organizations that he hopes the country's Union Peace Conference, also known as the "21st Century Panglong Conference," will be successful. Khun Myint Tun, chairman of the Pa-O National Liberation Organization (PNLO), attended a meeting in Naypyidaw on Wednesday with Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing. He told The Irrawaddy that, during this time, the army chief spent about two hours with the Peace Process Steering Team (PPST), a delegation made up of representatives from the eight armed groups which acted as signatories to the 2015 nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA). "[Min Aung Hlaing] said he wanted the 21st Century Panglong Conference to be successful. His desire is to move forward [with the peace process] in accordance with the NCA. He said the Panglong Conference must be successful so that there will be peace and stability in the country. Then the country will be able to develop," said Khun Myint Tun. According to Khun Myint Tun, Min Aung Hlaing also said he is open to talks with the ethnic armed organizations who have not signed the NCA. The PPST that met the Snr-Gen was made up of members of the Karen National Union (KNU), the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), the Chin National Front (CNF), the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) as well as the armed Burmese dissident organization, the All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF). Min Aung Hlaing did not specifically address the inclusion of the Arakan Army, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army or the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army—three groups that have drawn the ire of the Burma Army recently—but Khun Myint Tun said the Snr-Gen claimed he would welcome all NCA non-signatories. The army chief also said he was not opposed to the upcoming summit of ethnic armed organizations which is planned to be held in Mai Ja Yang, a conflict-torn region in Kachin State in mid-July. All ethnic armed groups will reportedly be invited to attend the pre-Panglong summit. Burmese army representatives including Vice Snr-Gen Soe Win and Lt-Gen Myat Htun Oo and top-ranked military officials also attended the meeting with the PPST. The PPST delegation submitted a plan on the Kachin State summit to State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi when they met her in Naypyidaw on Tuesday. Suu Kyi also said she did not oppose the summit, but asked the ethnic delegation to submit details of the agenda for the meeting. During the meeting with Suu Kyi on Tuesday, the NCA signatories' delegation also agreed to hold the 21st Century Panglong Conference by the last week in August. The post Burma Army Chief Backs Panglong Conference: Source appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rights Group Pushes for Freedom of Speech in Burma Posted: 29 Jun 2016 07:11 AM PDT Police beat a student protester who had attempted to turn himself in during a crackdown on activists in Letpadan, Pegu Division on March 10, 2015. (Photo: Sai Zaw / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Burma has undergone political reforms, but the government still needs to provide for more freedom of expression in order to bring true democracy and to protect human rights, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW), which held a press conference on Wednesday in Rangoon. HRW recommended that the National League for Democracy (NLD) government amend, repeal and abolish laws restricting freedom of expression. The rights group issued a report on Wednesday entitled "They Can Arrest You at Any Time: The Criminalization of Peaceful Expression in Burma," referring to the country's laws that are still used to punish activists or journalists who try to exercise their freedom of speech. Those laws need be further amended in order to meet international standards, said Linda Lakhdhir, a legal advisor at the Asia Division of HRW and a co-author of the new report. The report revealed that 150 people have been detained under Article 505(b) of Burma's penal code—which allows for the arrest of those who cause or intend to cause "fear or alarm" to the public—since the country's new elected lawmakers first took their oaths in Parliament in February of this year. Lakhdhir emphasized that while some charges have since been dropped and the government has granted amnesty to certain political prisoners, the oppressive laws still remain on the books. She added that since 505(b) has been used against students calling for the amendment of a controversial national education law, as well as to punish activists and journalists, HRW was recommending its repeal. The report also documented the use and abuse of other vaguely worded laws that criminalize peaceful expression, and includes debates on matters of public interest, as well as specific recommendations to revoke or amend the laws in question. HRW draws on interviews with individuals prosecuted under these laws, as well as journalists, civil society activists and lawyers. "We must recognize the previous government of U Thein Sein, and he did make some improvements in human rights conditions, like the open space for this meeting today," said David Mathieson, HRW's senior researcher on Burma. "The new government led by President U Htin Kyaw and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has further opened space for the promotion of human rights and has discussed freedom of expression in Myanmar. But, major problems and challenges remain throughout Myanmar. There are very serious human rights challenges." HRW called on the government to listen to the people of Burma and recommended that the authorities maintain transparency during the process of changing legal mechanisms. "Freedom of speech is important in a democracy because it leads to the protection of other rights," said Linda Lakhdhir. "We advise the government to protect the rights of people to speak freely, and criticize the government where that criticism is warranted, and do these things without fear of punishment." The post Rights Group Pushes for Freedom of Speech in Burma appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Seizure of Large Quantities of Illegal Timber Continues Posted: 29 Jun 2016 07:07 AM PDT An elephant labors at a teak logging camp in Pinlebu Township, Sagaing Division. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — With a crackdown announced on the illegal timber trade—and a proposed nationwide logging ban by the end of the fiscal year in March 2017—seizures of illegally cut logs have exceeded 10,000 tons in the first quarter from April to June. Myo Min, director of the Forestry Department in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, maintains, however, that trends are continuing to move in a positive direction. Based on the current figures, he expects seizure quantities for this fiscal year to be lower than the 46,153 tons seized during the 2015-16 fiscal year. From the beginning of April until June 23, 12,844 tons of timber were seized, according to the ministry's figures. The most commonly seized log varieties were teak, followed by other hardwoods. The largest hauls were in Sagaing Division, at nearly 3,450 tons, followed by over 2,178 tons in Karenni State and 1,406 tons in Pegu Division. "Along the Irrawaddy River, we have inspection teams checking for illegally cut logs and detaining culprits, and we are conducting ambushes in different states and divisions in cooperation with the forestry police. We're providing more security for every forest in the country," Myo Min said. The ministry said it has filed 614 criminal cases related to 2,545 interventions during this three-month period. During the entire 2015-16 fiscal year, 2,246 cases were filed out of 13,003 interventions. Burma lost an average of 1.7 percent of its forests annually from 2010-15, leaving total forest cover at 45 percent (around 29 million hectares), according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. Fifteen years before, this stood at 65 percent, the agency said. Government data for the fiscal year ending in March 2013, reported by Reuters, put Burma's total timber exports past 1.24 million cubic tons, generating more than US$1 billion, of which teak comprised $359 million. However, it is generally thought that this was far below the actual quantity of timber traded—and money made—on the black market. Since 2014, the legal logging sector—whose methods, under the state-owned Myanmar Timber Enterprise, have received a large part of the blame for Burma's deforestation—has been restricted according to an annual quota. Log exports were then suspended from April the same year. After the formation of the new government in April, Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation Ohn Win declared that a nationwide ban on logging would be imposed by the end of the current fiscal year in March 2017. This followed initial media reports in April that the ban would be be imposed immediately, due largely to a statement from Saw John Shwe Ba, managing director at the ministry, that the government had "decided to stop logging completely." Environmental groups blamed the uncertainty this caused for spurring a temporary flurry of logging activity in different parts of the country. Baba Cho, a consultant to the Myanmar Timber Merchants Association, said the government needed to enhance law enforcement to prevent illegal logging, which continues at significant rates across the country. "Last year, some forest police were murdered in this country. If law enforcement remains weak in certain areas, mafia-type logging networks will only go stronger," he said. "Some have blamed cronies [for deforestation] but, as can be easily seen, villagers around [logging] areas also participate because of poverty. We have to consider such things when trying to enforce a stop," he said. Baba Cho added that, for logging to be successfully curbed, the government cannot work alone but must also collaborate with locals and stakeholder organizations. The post Seizure of Large Quantities of Illegal Timber Continues appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Premier Coffee Sued for Breaking Labor Laws Posted: 29 Jun 2016 05:42 AM PDT Premier Coffee was sued by Myanmar's Ministry of Labor for breaking labor laws. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The Ministry of Labor, Immigration and Population filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against Premier Coffee for breaking labor laws and regulations. Nyunt Win, one of ministry's spokespersons and deputy director of the Factories and General Labor Laws Inspection Department under the ministry, told The Irrawaddy that they received complaints from about 300 workers from the Premier Coffee factory in Rangoon's Hlaing Tharyar Industrial Zone who claimed that the company failed to give days off or provide full payment for overtime hours worked. He said that under Burma's 1951 Leave and Holiday Act, employers must allow for at least one day off each week without cutting salaries. But, the company failed to provide time off or full payment for overtime in accordance with the law, which also states that overtime is to be paid at twice the standard rate. "As we found the complaints to be true, we filed the case against the company owner and HR manager of the factory at Hlaing Tharyar Township Court on Tuesday and the court accepted the case," the deputy director said. The popular local coffee is a brand of the Capital Diamond Star Group, a conglomerate owned by Burmese businessman Ko Ko Gyi. The firm runs many businesses including Grab and Go convenience stores, Capital Hypermarket and import and export businesses. Nyunt Win said that the Factories and General Labor Laws Inspection Department filed the suit because the company violated labor laws directly related to the department. He said that they receive the most complaints against garment factories; this is the first time they have heard complaints about Premier coffee. If the company is found guilty, the minimum punishment is three months imprisonment and a 2 million kyat fine (over US$1,600) under the 1951 Factories Act. The post Premier Coffee Sued for Breaking Labor Laws appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Thailand and Burma Restart Border Demarcation Talks Posted: 29 Jun 2016 03:25 AM PDT State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha meet at the Thai Foreign Ministry in Bangkok during her state visit on June 24, 2016. (Photo: Burma State Counselor's Office / Facebook) RANGOON — Thailand and Burma have agreed to renew negotiations over disputed border demarcations, which had stalled under Burma's previous government. The agreement was reached during State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi's recent visit to Thailand, according to Burma’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday stated that Burma would host a joint boundary committee to negotiate the renewal of the demarcation process. Burma shares its eastern and southeastern borders with Thailand, some of which territory is under the control of Burma's ethnic armed organizations. Ethnic Wa, Shan, Karen, Karenni and Mon each control land to which the Thai government has also staked its claims. Observers say that Thailand wants to solve the border disputes for business interests and security concerns. In early June, Thai authorities had proposed building a trading post and upgrading the border gate at Three Pagodas Pass in Thailand’s Sangkhlaburi Province to stimulate trade and development. However, the Burmese government rejected the proposal, according to the state-owned Global New Light of Myanmar. Non-state armed organizations—the Karen National Union (KNU) and the New Mon State Party (NMSP)—previously controlled areas around Three Pagodas Pass, but it is now partially controlled by the Burma Army. However, Thailand had already constructed buildings and a highway in what the Burmese government firmly considers its own territory. In late May, during a bilateral meeting on border security, Thai military officials asked their Burma Army counterparts to help convince the powerful ethnic Wa armed group, the United Wa State Army (UWSA), to withdraw its military bases on the Thai-Burma border in Thailand's northern provinces of Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Song, according to Thai military officials. More than a dozen UWSA bases are in southern Shan State, on or over the Thai border. According to the Ministry of Commerce, Burma currently has 16 border trading posts, four of which border Thailand. The post Thailand and Burma Restart Border Demarcation Talks appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Suu Kyi and Public Patience Posted: 29 Jun 2016 03:16 AM PDT A woman of many jobs: Aung San Suu Kyi (center) is Burma's State Counselor, Foreign Minister and President's Office Minister. (Photo: Htet Naing Zaw/The Irrawaddy) "We need to stay patient and tolerant, and let her get on with it, since she is new and inexperienced." Such are the words uttered by many in Burma who were happy to see the veteran pro-democracy campaigner Aung San Suu Kyi assume de facto leadership of the new government at the end of March. This is the first properly civilian government—baring the military's continued control of three key ministries and a 25 per cent chunk of all parliaments—for over 50 years. Weaknesses have emerged, and the challenges are great after so many decades of misrule. Right after the transfer of power, the new government enacted a 5 percent tax on mobile phone usage. Many in the country, including myself, were unhappy with this move, but most stood by the prevailing sentiment of tolerance because they wanted to see a strong civilian government. The previous government of President Thein Sein had tried to impose such a tax in June last year, but a public outcry prompted them to postpone implementation till after the end of the fiscal year on March 31—precisely coinciding with the entry of the new government. That the Burmese people have now accepted the tax with few audible complaints seems attributable to the vastly greater popularity of Aung San Suu Kyi—with whom the new government is so closely associated—compared to Thein Sein and his colleagues from the military. Lawi Weng is a Senior Reporter for The Irrawaddy English edition. Also notable was the rather muted response of the public to extended power cuts in Rangoon and elsewhere during this year's hot season (March-May). Less frequent outages had caused uproar during Thein Sein's tenure. How fair are such reactions? Thein Sein, whatever his baggage as a former regime loyalist, laid out a path for peace with Burma's various ethnic armed groups that Suu Kyi and the new government has largely chosen to follow, for better or worse. The new government inherited the assets of the Myanmar Peace Center, formed under the government of Thein Sein to facilitate peace negotiations, and has effectively rebranded it as the "National Reconciliation and Peace Center," hiring several of the same advisors used by the previous government. The structure for negotiations with ethnic armed groups laid out in the nationwide ceasefire accord (NCA), signed in October last year, has also been adopted by Suu Kyi. The Union Peace Conference envisaged in the NCA has been smartly re-labeled the "21st Century Panglong Conference," to echo the Panglong Agreement reached between her father, independence hero Aung San, and the leaders of some of Burma's ethnic minority groups in 1947. "Political dialogue"—one of the keystones of the NCA, in which a settlement on federalism and ethnic rights would be discussed—has not yet undergone re-branding. In all this, the approach of Suu Kyi and her colleagues owes much to the military-backed government of Thein Sein. Ethnic armed group leaders have largely adopted a wait-and-see approach to the peace process in recent months, yet many of them have been willing to support the new government's initiative—verbally at least—out of concern for a future resurfacing of military power. However, Suu Kyi has yet to gain full support from Burma's military on the peace talks, with the military insisting that armed groups such as the Arakan Army, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army and the Myanmar Nationalities Democratic Alliance Army fully disarm before taking part. Suu Kyi has been pushing a more inclusive line, inviting all groups to the table. In her reform efforts, Suu Kyi has to be constantly mindful of the military. She would not make any dramatic moves without their consent. But she should also be mindful of the international community, which may not maintain its current overall tolerance regarding the failure to address ongoing human rights abuses by the military and branches of the government. Discrimination towards, and the denial of citizenship to, the Rohingya in particular will continue to perpetuate a bad image of the country and the government to the outside world. In other news, the US State Department has decided to downgrade Burma in its annual Trafficking in Persons report, placing it among the worst offenders in human trafficking—due largely to its failure to curb forced labor practices and the recruitment of child soldiers. Many in Burma may downplay these issues—particularly the Rohingya—citing the peace process with ethnic armed groups as far more urgent. But the new government must take comprehensive action against all human rights violations in Burma, if the tolerance of both the public and the international community are to be truly earned. Otherwise, tolerance may go to the wind, and the country may be vulnerable to new forms of authoritarianism. The post Suu Kyi and Public Patience appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Burmese Court Lays New Charges Against Saffron Revolution Leader Posted: 29 Jun 2016 12:12 AM PDT Former Buddhist monk Gambira was recently moved to Yangon's Insein prison to face additional criminal charges. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — A Burmese court laid additional charges against a former monk and leader of the 2007 "Saffron Revolution" anti-junta uprising on Tuesday, accusing him of trespass and "mischief" committed four years ago. Nyi Nyi Lwin, better known as Gambira, was arrested in January for illegally entering Burma from neighboring Thailand. The new charges relate to the reopening of monasteries that were sealed off after the monk-led protests. The alleged violations took place in 2012, after Gambira’s release from prison where he had served time for his involvement in the demonstrations. "Gambira force-opened the gates of three monasteries in Rangoon, which were sealed off by the military in the crackdown on the protests, since the activist monks couldn’t find anywhere to live after their release in the amnesty in 2012," said Gambira’s lawyer, Robert San Aung. The charges were laid days before he was about to be released from prison, where he has been serving time for allegedly crossing the Thai-Burma border without an official visa. He has now been moved to Rangoon's notorious Insein Prison from Mandalay to face the new charges. The fact that a high-profile political prisoner is moved around the country and charged for seemingly minor offences committed years ago shows democratic reforms in Burma under Aung San Suu Kyi’s leadership are still in their early stages, as many junta-era institutions, mechanisms and laws remain unchanged. "He was due to be freed on July 1, but the authorities seem afraid of him and don’t want to let him out," said Robert San Aung. The government cracked down harshly on the 2007 demonstrations, opening fire on protesters and sweeping up those who took part. At least 31 people were killed by security forces and thousands arrested, according to the United Nations. Gambira was freed from prison during a 2012 general amnesty, a year after the junta handed power to a semi-civilian government, following 49 years of direct rule of the Southeast Asian nation. Since his release, he has divided his time between Burma and Thailand, but Burmese authorities have re-arrested him several times in what rights groups have described as continued harassment for his criticism of the previous military-backed government. "It just shows things still remain as bad as they were under the former regime," political analyst Yan Myo Thein told Reuters. "They always find some pretext whenever they don’t want to free a prominent politician or an activist." The post Burmese Court Lays New Charges Against Saffron Revolution Leader appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Sluggish Economy Casts Shadow Over Mongolian Elections Posted: 28 Jun 2016 10:48 PM PDT Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj walks towards the media after casting his vote for the parliamentary elections at a polling station in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, June 29, 2016. (Photo: Jason Lee / Reuters) ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia — Mongolians vote in parliamentary elections Wednesday with sentiment weighed by a sharp downturn in the landlocked Asian nation’s crucial mining sector, rising unemployment and political disillusionment. The Democratic Party could lose its majority in parliament, known as the State Great Khural, to the opposition Mongolian People’s Party a year ahead of the 2017 presidential election. But with no major policy offerings on the table and an economy pummeled by the global slump in commodity prices, it’s unclear what options Mongolia has for reviving its fortunes. The parliamentary elections are the seventh since the country made a peaceful transition to democracy in 1990. Yet disillusionment with the political process in the country — recently dubbed "an oasis of democracy" by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry — is growing among younger voters, whose turnout has steadily declined in recent years. Amgalan Sukh-Ochir, 30, who works in marketing, said he plans to boycott the elections. "In the last elections when the DP made all these great promises for prospering, I decided to support them, but look where we are now. I don’t think they’ve achieved much," he said. Mongolia’s mining- and animal herding-dependent economy has been dragged down by weak domestic demand and a sharp decline in exports, impoverishing thousands of former herders who had moved to its few cities looking for jobs. Economic growth has slipped from 17.5 percent in 2011 to just 2.3 percent last year in the resource-rich nation of 3 million people, one-fifth of whom live in poverty. Both the ruling Democratic Party and its main rival have campaigned on the promise of more jobs. "The main issue is, No. 1, to revive the economy," said Bulgantuya Khurelbaatar, secretary of the opposition Mongolian People’s Party. She said the party aims to build 100 factories in 21 provinces that would create about 40,000 new jobs, though she didn’t say how. It’s unclear what measures or resources are available to stimulate the flagging economy. Coal, copper and other mineral resources make up 94 percent of Mongolia’s exports. But with demand in China weakening as its economy cools, Mongolia’s own growth is forecast to fall below 1 percent this year. Foreign investment in the country has slowed to a trickle, though mining giant Rio Tinto announced in May the launch of the next stage of a multibillion-dollar gold and copper mine. Still, critics of government agreements with mining companies complain that too little of Mongolia’s mineral wealth benefits the general public. Some observers see recent changes to the electoral process as handicapping smaller parties and female candidates. "They have closed some space for smaller political parties, as majoritarian systems do tend to benefit two main political parties," said Ashleigh Whelan, country director for the International Republican Institute, a U.S.-based group with the stated aim of promoting democracy globally. "This can reduce the opportunity for lesser-known candidates, new candidates, youth, women and those candidates who may not be a guarantee in terms of winning," Whelan said. Her organization does not expect either party to secure an overwhelming majority. In its latest National Human Development Report, the United Nations Development Program found that only about 45 percent of Mongolians aged 18-34 have voted in recent elections, compared to an overall turnout of 65 percent in 2012. Skepticism has grown after the ruling party recently offered citizens 300,000 tugriks ($155) to sell 30 percent of their promised shares in the state-owned coal mine, Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi. So far 1.2 million of 1.65 million shareholders have applied to sell their shares to the government. "I think it’s illegal to tell you the truth," said Khurelbaatar of the opposition party. "This is right before elections. It seems to all political parties that they’re actually trying to buy off votes." The Democratic Party did not respond to requests for comment. The post Sluggish Economy Casts Shadow Over Mongolian Elections appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Smiles and Selfies as Cambodia PM Tells Foreign Powers to Stop Interfering Posted: 28 Jun 2016 09:45 PM PDT A Cambodian Muslim supporter takes a selfie with President of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party and Prime Minister Hun Sen (C), after a ceremony in Phnom Penh on June 28, 2016. (Photo: Samrang Pring / Reuters) PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — International powers should keep out of Cambodian domestic politics, Prime Minister Hun Sen warned on Tuesday, as he posed for selfies with supporters and played down tension between his ruling party and the opposition. An opposition win in an election due in 2018 could tip the country back into civil war, the quixotic Cambodian strongman has warned. Foreign governments have accused him of intimidating his political opponents ahead of the vote. Those who portrayed the country as experiencing a political crisis were guilty of a "dishonest trick to deceive public opinion," Hun Sen said in the capital, Phnom Penh. "They must not misconstrue individual mistakes as political issues and put pressure on the courts," he added, in a reference to foreign governments and international institutions. "That is an insult to people, state institutions and a dangerous adventure for the nation." Last month, the European parliament threatened to review nearly half a billion dollars of aid to Cambodia if Hun Sen’s government continued to harass political opponents. The United Nations and the United States have called for dialogue between the two sides. Tension has risen in Cambodia as opposition leaders Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha face legal charges they say have been trumped up by a judiciary in thrall to Hun Sen. The Cambodian prime minister says if they have committed crimes, they must face the legal consequences. The opposition says the prime minister has started a campaign against it early, to weaken its campaigning ahead of the election. At the last vote in 2013, a strong performance by the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) nearly cost Hun Sen the premiership. Sokha has spent one month in hiding inside the CNRP headquarters as he seeks to evade arrest, while Rainsy is in self-imposed exile to avoid arrest on charges for which he had previously received a royal pardon. The post Smiles and Selfies as Cambodia PM Tells Foreign Powers to Stop Interfering appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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National News

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• Protest planned over preferred Rakhine State terminology
• Sectarian tensions linger in the wake of mob attack
• State counsellor: ‘No hidden agenda’ in peace talks
• ILO to research migrant workers’ challenges, assets
• Lawsuit against local media outlet continues, despite report
• London Sayadaw’s case under review
• Protesters demand waterways be unblocked
• Pyinmana farmers given cash for confiscated land
• Govt returns seized lands in delta region
• Magwe distillery to be shut down over stench complaints

Protest planned over preferred Rakhine State terminology Posted: 28 Jun 2016 02:30 PM PDT Local Buddhist residents of Rakhine State are preparing to launch a statewide protest campaign on July 3 in rejection of the government's terminology for those self-identifying as Rohingya, demanding that they be called Bengalis instead of the administration's preferred "Muslims from Rakhine State".

Sectarian tensions linger in the wake of mob attack Posted: 28 Jun 2016 02:30 PM PDT One week after a violent mob ransacked a Muslim villager's home, destroyed a mosque and physically assaulted a man, police have made no arrests and identified no suspects. Officials in Waw township, Bago Region, where the attack occurred, admitted to The Myanmar Times that an investigation has not yet been launched, the inaction seemingly a direct order from higher-level authorities.

State counsellor: ‘No hidden agenda’ in peace talks Posted: 28 Jun 2016 02:30 PM PDT State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi promised ethnic armed groups yesterday that her government has no hidden agenda for the peace process.

ILO to research migrant workers’ challenges, assets Posted: 28 Jun 2016 02:30 PM PDT The International Labour Organization will conduct research into the experiences that Myanmar migrant workers have faced abroad and how the country benefits after they return home, according to the UN agency.

Lawsuit against local media outlet continues, despite report Posted: 28 Jun 2016 02:30 PM PDT After a report suggested a lawsuit against a local news outlet has been retracted, Yangon police told The Myanmar Times that the case would have to proceed to court as a matter of procedure.

London Sayadaw’s case under review Posted: 28 Jun 2016 02:30 PM PDT In a legal move that could lead to the reopening of a tangled lawsuit involving a high-profile monk, Yangon Region Court is now reviewing the case against London Sayadaw. Trespassing charges against the monk, also known as U Ottara, were thrown out last December after the persistent failure of the plaintiff to appear in court.

Protesters demand waterways be unblocked Posted: 28 Jun 2016 02:30 PM PDT A group of seven gathered on the Yangon-Mandalay highway with signs yesterday, protesting projects that are blocking lakes, ponds, rivers and creeks in Amarapura township, Mandalay Region.

Pyinmana farmers given cash for confiscated land Posted: 28 Jun 2016 02:30 PM PDT Land seized to build a road in Nay Pyi Taw's Pyinmana township was retroactively purchased from farmers by the Ministry of Construction yesterday.

Govt returns seized lands in delta region Posted: 28 Jun 2016 02:30 PM PDT In a pilot project overseen by Vice President Henry Van Thio, more than 6000 acres in Ayeyarwady Region were returned to farmers who were occupying the land when it was grabbed in the 1980s.

Magwe distillery to be shut down over stench complaints Posted: 28 Jun 2016 02:30 PM PDT A Magwe Region minister said last week that a local distillery in Aunglan township has been ordered to shut down, in response to persistent demands for its closure from local residents who say the operation stinks.

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Shan Herald Agency for News

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• UN Envoy blocked from visiting conflict area in Shan State
• Burma Army attacks RCSS/SSA in northern Shan State
• How Kokang became a separate state

UN Envoy blocked from visiting conflict area in Shan State Posted: 29 Jun 2016 04:11 AM PDT During her visit to Shan State last week, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar, Yanghee Lee, was prevented from traveling to areas in the state where rights violations are thought to have taken place for what officials claimed were "security reasons". Photo by UN: UN Envoy Yanghee Lee visiting IDP in Kachin State last week Yanghee Lee, a South Korean academic, had originally planned to visit conflict and war-affected areas in both Kachin State and the northern Shan State during her 12-day visit to Burma but she was prevented from doing this in both states. "She wants to go to areas like Kyaukme and Kutkai that have many war refugees. The government said this morning that she can't go due to security reasons," a person who met with Yanghee Lee said on June 21 when he was contacted by S.H.A.N. Heavy clashes have taken place between the Burma Army and ethnic armed groups in Shan State in May in the areas Yanghee Lee wanted to visit. Charred human remains have been found in many of these areas. Man Pain village, a Kachin village in the Mong Koe area located east of Kutkai, was also set on fire. Although she has been restricted from visiting much of northern Shan State, during her visit to Lashio she promised civil society organizations that she would thoroughly study the record of human rights violations submitted by these groups and submit a report to the UN, according to civil society organizations that have met with Yanghee Lee. "Besides the human rights situation, we also submitted [information] on the situation of education and health," said Yein Han Pha from the Shan Women's Action Network (SWAN). The Shan Youth Network was included among the organizations that met the UN Special Rapporteur and it submitted information about conflicts in the Shan State, the vandalism of signboards that have been written in the Shan language and how human rights violations still exist after the new government took office, explained Sai Aung Myint Oo from the Shan Youth Network Yangon. The UN Special Rapporteur began her trip on June 20th and will depart on July 1st.   BY: Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN)

Burma Army attacks RCSS/SSA in northern Shan State Posted: 29 Jun 2016 01:23 AM PDT Burmese government forces on Monday attacked the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA), according to an official from the RCSS/SSA. An RCSS/SSA official who requested anonymity told Shan Herald that a unit under Division 33 of the Tatmadaw [Burma Army] launched an offensive on RCSS/SSA forces in the Namtu sub-township areas of Mong Tat and Mong Maw in northern Shan State's Kyaukme Township. He said that the offensive led to casualties on both sides. "The Tatmadaw knew that the RCSS/SSA troops were in the area," a source close to the RCSS/SSA said on condition of anonymity. "The RCSS troops were unaware that the government unit would attack them, so there were a few casualties on their side." He added: "Fighting lasted a while before both groups reached a compromise." On the same day, the RCSS/SSA also clashed in a nearby area with the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), an ethnic armed group who were denied status to sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement by the government in October last year. The RCSS/SSA is a signatory to the NCA, and was the first ethnic armed group to sign a bilateral truce with the government, in November 2011. Fighting between TNLA and RCSS/SSA first broke out in November last year, only a month after the signing of the so-called NCA between eight ethnic armed groups and the government led by President Thein Sein. The Burmese military has announced that the TNLA must disarm before joining the peace process. BY: Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN)

How Kokang became a separate state Posted: 28 Jun 2016 08:36 PM PDT When outsiders ask, "How many principalities were these in the Federated Shan States (1922-1947)?" elderly people would answer differently: some "33" and others "34". Both were right and wrong answers. Because while the FSS started with 33 principalities, it ended with 34. The following memorandum explains how the Kokang State came into being. —Editor GOVERNMENT OF BURMA FRONTIER AREAS ADMINISTRATION RANGOON Dated the 25thAugust 1947. Memorandum for the Executive Council. Subject: - Kokang State Hon'ble Ministers are probably aware that the question of Kokang has been figuring prominently since the return of the British forces. The origin of this State is obscure but from the information received from the Sawbwagyi of North Hsenwi of which for the present Kokang State forms a sub-state, Chinese levies who took part in the siege of Ayudhiya did not return to China but sought permission to take up their residence in Kokang. This sub-state borders onto China and the population is 90 percent Chinese: In the past it probably accepted direct administration from North Hsenwi but for some time past the State has been more or less staying aloof although it regularly submitted its contribution towards revenue collection to North Hsenwi. It appeared however that for some time past Kokang had not made it possible for administrators of North Hsenwi State to enter the territory and up to very recent times British Assistant Superintendents were specifically told not to enter Kokang. In 1942 with the Japanese invasion the people of Kokang took up resistance and harassed the Japanese. At that stage the present Sawbwagyi of North Hsenwi was told by the Japanese to stay out, on the ground that he had been an officer in the British Army and it appears that a brother of his, Sao Yape Hpa, was put in by the Japanese as Administrator of the State. Throughout the Japanese occupation North Hsenwi was not considered part of the Federated Shan States and was administered directly by the Japanese Army. In 1943 with Sao Yape Hpa the Japanese took out an ex-peditionary forced and entered Kokang with the result that the Myosa of Kokang and his family had to run away to China where they were made much of by the Chinese and by Marshal Chiang Kai-Sheik. From China they were flown into India and apparently extracted promise from the British authorities. With the liberation the Sawbwagyi of North Hsenwi was called in by Major-General Pearce and was told that he would have to give up Kokang. He was ordered not to make representations either to Government or to Lord Louis Mountbatten. The Burma Military Administration treated Kokang as a separate State and this position has prevailed up to the present date although legally the secession was not affected. Edward Yang aka Yang Zhencai (Yang Chi Sai) (Photo: royalark.net) In giving evidence before the Frontier Areas Committee of Enquiry, Yang Chi Sai, son of the Kokang Myosa, made it clear that the wanted to be free from North Hsenwi but the unanimous report regarding this particular question was that Kokang should remain a sub-state of North Hsenwi. As a result of this decision that position between Kokang and North Hsenwi became rather strained and a with a view to settling the matter, a meeting was arranged between the Sawbwagyi of North Hsenwi and Yang Kyi Sai. They had preliminary talks among themselves and at the meeting before me a full discussion took place and I append below a memorandum recorded at the meeting. The position in short is that the Sawbwagyi of North Hsenwi taking into account all the facts prevailing in this case has agreed that Kokang should form a separate state, the only condition being that the Kunlong ferry be maintained by the Kokang state and that it should be auctioned in the presence of officials from both North Hsenwi and Kokang. The profits of the ferry will be shared equally by the two states. Point for decision. Should Kokang be permitted to form a State separate from North Hsenwi and to be an individual state in the Shan State? Recommendations:- Everybody who knows the Shan States feel that a dissatisfied Kokang would indeed be a very vulnerable spot along the Chinese border. As pointed out 90 percent are Chinese and what they really  want is not amalgamation with China but to remain in the Shan States Federation as a unit independent from North Hsenwi. I have consulted various people who know the situation and also my brother chiefs and the unanimous opinion is that recognition be accorded to Kokang as a separate state within the Shan States Federation. With the exception of Mongpai whose position has not yet been clarified I can think of no other territory which can have similar claims for secession from a State. Kokang's position is unique in that the people are not Shans but Chinese. (Sao Khun Hkio) Hon'ble Counselor, Frontier Areas Administration GOVERNMENT OF BURMA FRONTIER AREAS ADMINISTRATION RANGOON. Date the 25thAugust 1947 MEMORANDUM The question of instituting a separate Kokang State was discussed in the presence of the Hon' ble Counselor by the Sawbwa of North Hsenwi (Sao Hom Hpa) and Yang Kyi Sai, son of the Myosa of Kokang. The Tawngpeng Sawbwa, Thamakan Sawbwa, U Tun Myint, U Tun Ohn, U Kya Bu, U Kyaw Dun, Sao Boon Waat and U Myint Thein were present. It is agreed that Kokang has a population of 90 percent Chinese and the Sawbwagyi taking into consideration all the circumstances prevailing in the case has no objection to the secession of Kokang from the State of North Hsenwi. Two proposals are put up by him:- (1)    That Kokang remains within the North Hsenwi/State as a sub-state with full powers of governing itself. (2)    That Kokang surrenders the three areas circles west of the Salween and that it becomes a separate state independent of North Hsenwi in respect of the areas east of the Salween. The condition however is that the Kunlong ferry be maintained by the Kokang State but that is should be auctioned in the presence of one official from North Hsenwi and one official from Kokang. The Kokang State will be responsible for the maintenance of the ferry, the proceeds to be shared equally by the two States. The second proposal is accepted by Yang Kyi Sai. The Sawbwa further mentions that he should be compensated for the loss of his territory which involves revenue and his suggestion is that a portion of the Wa States be added on to Monglun and that the western portion of Monglun should be ceded to South Hsenwi and that the Northern portion of South Hsenwi be ceded to North Hsenwi. Alternatively the Sawbwagyi would like to be considered for financial compensation. But bearing in mind the prevailing circumstances the Sawbwagyi, although he would like to be compensated, does not insist upon such compensation but merely wishes to point out that he deserves compensation. He does not wish to stand in the way of the desire of the people of Kokang to set up an independent state as the population as already stated above is 90 percent Chinese. He would like to avoid any international complications and if the situation could be saved by acceding to the wishes of the Kokang people he is prepared to do so. And further the Sawbwagyi would like to have it recorded that if the Kokang State should at any time desire to give up their right of administering their State he would welcome them back. Note: Minutes as recorded above read out and acknowledged as correct by those present.

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The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Second ‘Panglong’ Conference to be Held in August
• Shake-Up Hits Pagodas’ Administration Committees
• State Counselor’s Office Behind Govt’s Agenda: Minister
• Observers Urge Govt To Create New Export Markets, Boost Trade Volume
• Ten Things to Do in Rangoon This Week (June 28)
• Drug Bust in Sittwe Sparks Speculation of Rangoon Ring
• Military, 7 Day Daily Settle Libel Case
• Govt to Ban Renewal of Expired Jade Mining Licenses
• Nationwide Drug-Control Requires Peace, Say Police
• US to Downgrade Burma in Annual Human Trafficking Report: Sources
• Book Review: General Ne Win: A Political Biography by Robert H. Taylor

Second ‘Panglong’ Conference to be Held in August Posted: 28 Jun 2016 08:14 AM PDT State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi in Naypyidaw on Tuesday, meeting with the eight ethnic armed groups that signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement. (Photo: Htet Naing Zaw / The Irrawaddy) NAYPYIDAW & RANGOON — Ethnic armed group leaders and government peace negotiators have decided to hold the union peace conference—now branded the "21st Panglong Conference"—in last week of August, according to sources in Naypyidaw. President's Office spokesman Zaw Htay told media in Naypyidaw that the decision was reached on Tuesday in a meeting between State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and the Peace Process Steering Team, a delegation drawn from eight ethnic armed groups that signed Burma's nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) in October last year. "They decided to hold the 21st Century Panglong Conference no later than the last week of August," said Zaw Htay. Ethnic armed group leaders told Suu Kyi of their policy to include all ethnic armed organizations in the union peace conference—the majority of whom refused to sign or were excluded from the NCA—to which Suu Kyi agreed, according to Hla Maung Shwe, a member of the government's Panglong Preparatory Sub-Committee 2. "For Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the key is to include all concerned parties and establish a federal nation. She was satisfied [with the meeting] because it was a frank discussion," said Hla Maung Shwe. The meeting on Tuesday, at Naypyidaw's Horizon Lake View Resort, also included members of the government's National Reconciliation and Peace Center and the Joint Monitoring Committee-Technical Secretariat Center. Suu Kyi said to those assembled, "For the next generation, peace is the best legacy to pass on. Our country will develop only if it has peace. Development is impossible in a country without peace. And it will be peaceful only when there is unity." "There will be difficulties. But […] we can achieve it if we are committed in our efforts and in our cooperation," said Suu Kyi. She also urged all parties to "help build a genuine federal democratic union that grants safety and freedom. This can't be achieved by one side alone." However, she cautioned that building a genuine union would take time, noting that it had been almost seventy years since Burma gained its independence from the British. Suu Kyi also invited members of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), an alliance of nine ethnic armed organizations who did not sign the NCA, to participate in the Panglong conference. Their participation, which remains in some doubt, would be crucial to the legitimacy of the peace process now led by Suu Kyi, since the absence of several of Burma's most powerful ethnic armed groups was widely perceived to have undermined the credibility of the NCA signed under the previous government. A delegation from the UNFC is due to visit Naypyidaw this week, and will meet with Suu Kyi in the first week of July, government sources say. A preparatory meeting for the 21st century Panglong Conference will be held on July 3 in Naypyidaw. The eight ethnic armed groups that signed the NCA will hold a meeting with the Panglong Conference preparatory sub-committees on July 4. Preparatory sub-committees 1 and 2 will then hold a meeting with Suu Kyi. The post Second 'Panglong' Conference to be Held in August appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Shake-Up Hits Pagodas’ Administration Committees Posted: 28 Jun 2016 08:06 AM PDT Devotees throng Shwedagon Pagoda during last year’s Full Moon Day of Tabaung, a Buddhist holiday. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The boards of trustees for Burma's three most famous pagodas—Rangoon's Shwedagon, Mon State's Golden Rock and Mandalay's Mahamuni—will be reformed, according to the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture. Minister Aung Ko ordered the review of existing regulations of the boards and, if necessary, will require a redrafting in line with democratic policies at the suggestions from the ministry and the office of the Union Attorney-General. Director Myint Zaw Win of the Religious Affairs and Culture Ministry, informed The Irrawaddy of the plan on Tuesday. "The ministry is responsible for addressing the weaknesses and flaws of the trustee boards [which have been] highlighted by the public," he said. "Most of the [boards'] regulations have become out of date now." "Concerns about donations and sanitary issues are among the most received complaints," Myint Zaw Win said. Although the three pagodas are prized by the public, reforming trustee boards was not a usual procedure under the previous government, he added. The board of trustees for Shwedagon Pagoda held a meeting on Saturday and formed a temporary board with 15 members—six more members were appointed by the Union minister in addition to the current nine—to review regulations, Htun Aung Ngwe of the office for the trustee board told The Irrawaddy. "The temporary board of trustees is now working on redrafting the regulations and policies so that the new board can be formed in line with appropriate rules," Htun Aung Ngwe said. Shwedagon Pagoda is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Burma and has received an average of around 500 million kyats (US$426,000) in entrance fees every month from foreign visitors, according to the Jan-Mar 2016 figures on the pagoda's official website. The board reportedly employs around 850 staff and has an association with about 70 volunteer groups that assist in the daily maintenance of the pagoda. Shwedagon's board of trustees is known to be authoritative and controversial. Its current chairperson, Sein Win Aung—a retired ambassador—served as a member of the religious affairs advisory team in ex-president Thein Sein's administration. He is also an in-law of Thein Sein and allegedly has close ties with the former military-backed leader. The trustee board of Golden Rock Pagoda, located in Mon State's Kyaikto Township, also formed a 15-member temporary board on Monday, which decided to regulate hotels and guesthouses in the pagoda compound area. Only 135 hotel rooms were given permission to be built in the compound by the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism but an extra 106 rooms were found to have been constructed against the rules, the Religious Affairs and Culture Ministry's Myint Zaw Win said. No details on the new board for Mandalay's Mahamuni Pagoda were provided by the Ministry, but Myint Zaw Win told The Irrawaddy that it had already been reformed in the same vein as the other two pagodas. There are serious public concerns about the transparency and accountability of the trustee boards of the pagodas regarding monetary donations; in early April, there was an open letter from a tour guide to the minister of Religious Affairs and Culture demanding reform of the such boards throughout the country within the government's the 100-day plan. The post Shake-Up Hits Pagodas' Administration Committees appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

State Counselor’s Office Behind Govt’s Agenda: Minister Posted: 28 Jun 2016 06:35 AM PDT State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi walks out of a peace conference preparatory meeting on Tuesday in Naypyidaw. (Photo: Htet Naing Zaw / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The State Counselor's Office has been behind some of the government's most important initiatives—from prisoner releases to peace in Arakan State, according to an interview on Monday with Minister Kyaw Tint Swe. The State Counselor position was created in early April to give National League for Democracy party leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is barred from the presidency, greater political influence. In mid-May, Kyaw Tint Swe was appointed the head of the State Counselor's Office, a Union-level ministry with a staff of 200. In an interview Monday with the state-run Myanmar News Agency, Kyaw Tint Swe revealed that his ministry is behind the release of political prisoners and student activists and the President's Office reform. It also played a role in transforming the Myanmar Peace Center into the National Reconciliation and Peace Center, as well as the formation of the Implementation Committee for Peace, Stability and Development of Arakan State and the organizing of the 21st Century Panglong Conference, a peace summit with ethnic armed groups set for late August. "These are the things we have done or are doing for the 100-day plan," the minister said. "Apart from carrying out [this] plan, we have to implement what the State Counselor Law states as long term." The law says that the office must aim to achieve the following goals: the flourishing of a multi-party democratic system in Burma, the emergence of the market economy, the establishment of a federal Union and the peace and development of the country. Kyaw Tint Swe said the ministry has helped release 453 political prisoners, political activists and student activists by dropping their ongoing cases in keeping with Suu Kyi's policy of "no political prisoners under the democratic government." He also said that the ministry had helped grant a presidential pardon to another 83 political prisoners who had been sentenced. On the ongoing ethnoreligious conflict in Arakan State, Suu Kyi led the Implementation Committee for Peace, Stability and Development of Arakan State. "It doesn't mean that other areas are not as important as Arakan State. But the situation out there could result in a state of emergency at any moment. That's why we are giving [this state] special attention," he explained. "At the moment, we are prioritizing stability and issuing National Verification Cards there. Then it will be followed by a citizenship verification process according to the 1982 Citizenship Law. Next, [there will be] infrastructure development and promoting investment and job opportunities in the area," he said. With national reconciliation in mind, Suu Kyi transformed the Myanmar Peace Center into the National Reconciliation and Peace Center not only to promote internal peace, but to include everyone in the peace process, Kyaw Tint Swe said. He explained that was the reason that the Panglong Conference Preparatory Sub-Committee 1 is reaching out to armed groups that did not sign last year's nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA), while also discussing the terms of the peace talks with NCA signatories. "If the non-NCA signatories could be able to join the conference, the 21st Century Panglong Conference will be a huge step for the peace that we all have been longing for," he said. The post State Counselor's Office Behind Govt's Agenda: Minister appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Observers Urge Govt To Create New Export Markets, Boost Trade Volume Posted: 28 Jun 2016 05:48 AM PDT People rest by bags of rice that are waiting to be transported from a local mill in Kyaiklat town, Irrawaddy Division, May 24, 2012. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — A recent World Bank report says that trade growth in Burma could reduce poverty and boost prosperity, but local observers say in order for that to happen the government must implement economic policies that increase export markets. The Myanmar Diagnostic Trade Integration Study released last week by the World Bank said the keys to success are further reforms to encourage more open trade—a shift away from over-dependence on natural resources and the development of soft infrastructure. The statement continued that Burma's trade volume is increasing quickly and there is enormous potential for future growth. But, since the new government assumed power in April, clear economic policies have yet to be announced. Many international organizations, including the World Bank, have taken an active interest in working with Burma's government to develop its economic prospects. Minister of Commerce Than Myint said the government would use the World Bank's report as a blueprint to develop Burma's trade program, and the minister invited both technical and financial partners to collaborate. "The country has a comparative advantage in its significant natural and agricultural resources, untapped labor and a location that shares borders with markets accounting for 40 percent of the world's population," said Abdoulaye Seck, World Bank country manager for Burma. He added that Burma's reintegration into the global economy presented the country with a unique opportunity to translate trade growth into more job opportunities, income gains and prosperity, as well as decreased poverty. Soe Tun, vice chairman of the Myanmar Rice Federation said he was not satisfied with the recent trade volume, as many exporters were waiting to see what policies the new National League for Democracy-led government would enact. "By the numbers, export volume has declined, especially for rice and agricultural products. We do not have an African market now, and the Chinese market is declining. We need government support for this industry," he said. "International organizations have a positive point of view, but in reality, the trade situation here is getting worse," Soe Tun added. He explained that rice export expectations for this fiscal year are expected to decline from last year's 1.8 million tons. "It may be less than 1.5 million tons this year," the vice chairman said. "That's why the government needs to have better strategies." Maung Maung Lay, vice chairman of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI), said that the World Bank report had a positive tone but he does not expect much as long as the government still needs to help the private sector. The government needs to provide a one township-one product strategy and support small and medium enterprises in order to boost trade volume, he added. "One township, one product" projects—in which the government encourages diversification and commercialization by considering each township's existing local resources as viable exports—have had success in neighboring countries, but fizzled in Burma under previous governments. Burma imported some US$16 billion in goods in the 2014-15 fiscal year, and exports totaled more than $11 billion, leaving a deficit of $4.9 billion, according to ministry estimates. The World Bank stated that a boom in trade and investment has boosted average economic growth by more than 7 percent per year. The report also emphasized that trade-related reforms and programs could help reduce poverty and support the peace process. The World Bank recommended that Burma address skills shortages, improve access to finance, develop the tourism sector, and connect lagging regions to markets through better infrastructure. The post Observers Urge Govt To Create New Export Markets, Boost Trade Volume appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ten Things to Do in Rangoon This Week (June 28) Posted: 28 Jun 2016 05:31 AM PDT The Irrawaddy picks 10 interesting events happening in Rangoon this week. 'Beautiful Room' Art Exhibition Lokanat Gallery will showcase 33 paintings from artist Nay Tun. Prices for the work range from $150 to $450. Where: No.62, First Floor, Pansodan Street, Kyauktada Tsp. When: Saturday, July 2 to Thursday, July 7 Artists and Artisans Exhibition Various artists from South Okkalapa Township will hold a group exhibition at Bogyoke Market's Myanmar Artists and Artisans Association. Prices for the art range from $50 to $2500. Where: Myanmar Artists and Artisans Association (Central), Bogyoke Market When: Wednesday, June 29 to Sunday, July 3 'The Beauty from Inside' Exhibition Artist Kaung Khant Kyaw will hold an art exhibition at Cloud 31, where 38 paintings will be on display with prices ranging from $100 to $650. Where: Cloud 31 Art Gallery, No. 49/51, first floor, 31st Street (Middle Block) When: Sunday, July 3 to Thursday, July 7 Think Gallery Show Seven artists display their work in an exhibition entitled 'Think to Think.' The group will showcase about 35 paintings with prices between $150 and $7,500. Where: Think Art Gallery, No. 23, Nawady Street, Dagon Tsp. Tel: 095143266 When: Saturday, July 2 to Sunday, July 10 'The Damage Done' | Photographs by Pailin Wedel and Hkun Lat An exhibition featuring photography by Pailin Wedel and Hkun Lat, among others, looks at the scourge of drugs in Myanmar and how people are struggling to deal with it. The exhibition was facilitated by the Drugs Policy Advocacy Group (DPAG) Myanmar. Where: Myanmar Deitta, 3rd floor, No.49, 44th Street When: Sunday, June 26 to Saturday, July 2 Open-Mic Storytelling Night – Theme: Family Yangon Speaks and Yangon Toastmasters present an open-mic storytelling night. Have a story about your family that is too good not to share? Anyone and everyone is welcome to tell a family tale at this event. If you have a story to share, prepare your 5-8 minute story and let us know at the door that you'd like a chance to speak. Just want to listen? That's ok too. When: Wednesday, June 29, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm Where: Pansuriya Gallery – No 100, Bogalayzay street, Botahtaung Tsp. Black Orchid Red Line The black orchid is a rare, local species that grows in the northern part of Kachin State. Multiple factors threaten its existence, including deforestation and illegal trade. During the last century, the black orchid has been labeled extinct several times. Through images, sounds, sculptural installations and archival material, get an impression of the elusive black orchid and its natural habitat in the northernmost part of Myanmar. Where: Goethe Villa Yangon – No.8, Koh Min Koh Chin Road, Bahan Tsp. (Next to Golden Butterfly Hotel) When: Saturday, June 25 to Monday, July 4 Global Education Interact’16 In collaboration with prestigious multinational universities and colleges, Smart Resources is hosting Global Education Interact'16. To those who are interested in pursuing a degree abroad, we are pleased to offer over 150 universities and colleges and over 200 programs of study in the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, Singapore, and Thailand to help you choose a program or degree based on your interests. Where: Novotel Yangon Max, Pathein Room When: Saturday, July 2, 1pm to 4pm YOGA Friday’s Master Instructor Thiha teaches a 1.5-hour class every Friday. Yoga mats are provided, and class costs 7,000 kyats. Where: Friday, July 1, 6:30pm to 8pm When: Infinity Fitness, 33A Baho Road, Sanchaung Tsp. Glow Party Glow Party features an unforgettable LED experience like never before along with live DJ's. The admission fee is 15,000 kyats. Where: Sky Bar, Yangon International Hotel, Pyay Road, Ahlone Tsp. When: Saturday, July 2, 9pm to 2am The post Ten Things to Do in Rangoon This Week (June 28) appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Drug Bust in Sittwe Sparks Speculation of Rangoon Ring Posted: 28 Jun 2016 04:44 AM PDT Suspected drug trafficker Kyaw Thu Lin at a Sittwe police station on Monday. (Photo: Tayzar / Facebook) RANGOON — Police seized nearly 800,000 methamphetamine and stimulant pills from suspected drug trafficker Kyaw Thu Lin at the Sakrokyeya Jetty in the Arakan State capital of Sittwe on Monday. Aung Myint Oo, the head of Sittwe's No. 2 Police Station, confirmed the seizure and said they had launched an investigation into the origin of the drugs. The police's report said the suspect was planning to deliver the shipment, which came from North Dagon, Rangoon, to a monk near Burma's border with Bangladesh. Police estimate the drugs are worth more than 2.3 billion kyats (US$1.95 million). According to Aung Myint Oo, this is the second largest drug confiscation in Arakan State this year. A representative from the Buthidaung police confirmed to The Irrawaddy that over 1 million pills were seized in Buthidaung Township at the end of December 2015. "Kyaw Thu Lin is just a transporter," said Aung Myint Oo. "The [drugs] came from Rangoon and now we are trying to trace their route." Speculation on social media was widespread that this seizure was linked to the largest drug confiscation in Burmese history, which was worth 133 billion kyats (nearly US$113 million) and seized in Rangoon in July 2015. The police chief declined to provide details on a possible Rangoon connection. "We cannot provide some information to the media yet because we are still in the process of verification," he said. The post Drug Bust in Sittwe Sparks Speculation of Rangoon Ring appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Military, 7 Day Daily Settle Libel Case Posted: 28 Jun 2016 02:42 AM PDT 7 Day Daily cover page. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The Burma Army settled a libel lawsuit that it brought against local media outlet 7 Day Daily for publishing a story that it claimed could "destroy the unity of the military." The military filed the case against 7 Day Daily, a Burmese newspaper based in Rangoon, on Saturday for a news story published on April 24, which included former general Shwe Mann's message to graduates of the Defense Services Academy urging them to work with the country's newly-elected democratic government. The case was filed under Section 131 of Burma's colonial-era Penal Code which punishes anyone who "abets mutiny or attempts to seduce an officer from his allegiance or duty," a crime which carries up to ten years in prison. The 7 Day Daily newspaper printed notifications on Tuesday, saying they published the story with no intention of instigating disloyalty to the State or the military or encouraging soldiers not to perform their duties. "We are very sorry that the story has caused misunderstanding which led to the current situation. We 7 Day Daily would like to inform the Tatmadaw [the Burma Army] and fellow citizens with respect that we had no intention of harming anyone in our publishing of the story and we just published it honestly," the statement read. Burma's Press Council released a statement on Monday stating that it wanted the case to be settled through negotiations. "The source is not a fake account. 7 Day reported what Shwe Mann said on his Facebook page and they also cited that," Kyi Min from the Myanmar Press Council said. "That's why we thought the case should be settled out of court." The post Military, 7 Day Daily Settle Libel Case appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Govt to Ban Renewal of Expired Jade Mining Licenses Posted: 28 Jun 2016 02:22 AM PDT Buyers examining a jade lot. (Photo: Htet Naing Zaw / The Irrawaddy) NAYPYIDAW — Burma's government will not allow jade miners to renew their licenses when they expire in an effort to reduce raw production and promote more profitable high-end jade products, said Win Htein, director general of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation. "We will not reduce the number of mining fields, but we will ban the renewal of expired mining licenses. We will draw up a management plan that meets international norms and we will allow jade miners to resume their operations only when we can be sure that mining does not cause environmental deterioration," Win Htein told reporters in Naypyidaw. The ministry has decided to ban jade production in all mining areas including Hpakant, Lone Khin, Mohnyin and Hkamti once current licenses expire. The director general said that the ministry also plans to reduce jade sales, in an effort to stem the flow of raw jade out of the country in favor of encouraging local entrepreneurs to purchase the stones with value-added intentions. Up to 10,000 lots of raw jade were sold at Naypyidaw's jade and gems emporium in previous years; but, at this year's emporium, the ministry promoted polished jade products and only offered about 6,000 jade lots for sale. "Even if jade is sold on a small scale, the market will remain. The reduction in production will have some impact on our jade exports to China, but we'll reduce raw jade production and try to promote value-added products so that future generations can benefit from jade resources as well," Win Htein said. Over 6,000 jade lots, 300 pearl lots and 600 gems lots are for sale at the 53rd emporium, which continues through the first week in July. The event has sold over US$3 million worth of gems so far, according to a press release from the emporium. The post Govt to Ban Renewal of Expired Jade Mining Licenses appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Nationwide Drug-Control Requires Peace, Say Police Posted: 28 Jun 2016 01:14 AM PDT The Rangoon divisional government oversaw the destruction of over US$19.7 million worth of seized narcotic drugs to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on Sunday. (Photos: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy) NAYPYIDAW — The production and trafficking of narcotic drugs can be controlled nationwide only after peace, stability and the rule of law have been restored in Burma's ethnic minority borderlands, said Police Col Zaw Lin Tun, head of planning at the Burma Police's anti-drug squad. He was quoted at the press briefing after a ceremony marking the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Trafficking held at the Myanmar International Convention Center-2 in the capital Naypyidaw on Sunday. "The 21st Century Panglong Conference could contribute a lot to drug control. If peace were restored, we would be able to investigate drug trafficking more deeply. Drug control and peace are interrelated," the police colonel said. The "Panglong" peace conference has been planned for July, with the aim of securing peace between the government and Burma's various ethnic armed groups, who have controlled large swathes of the borderlands for decades. According to statements made at the Naypyidaw press briefing, the police have been applying two primary methods in drug control—searching vehicles that ply known trafficking routes, and employing informers to expose trafficking rings. Those arrested for drug-related offenses are mostly drug abusers or retail traffickers. Police claim they are unable to get at wholesale traffickers and ringleaders because they reside in "ethnic areas" which are not yet at peace. Zaw Lin Tun said, "Most drug-related cases have been uncovered along trafficking routes. We get the drivers and, after investigating, the distributors who act as middlemen. Taking further steps is very difficult because the main culprits reside in border areas beyond the reach of the rule of law. So, we have had to give up our attempts." Burma's police claim that the cultivation of opium and drug trafficking are common in the borderlands and that ethnic armed groups, even if not directly involved in drug production or trafficking, allow traffickers to set up factories in areas of their control, extracting money from them in exchange for protection. The police failed to arrest the ringleaders, or those higher up the criminal chain, in the five largest drug hauls over the last year, including 2.1 million amphetamine tablets seized in Muse, on the Chinese border in northern Shan State, and 26.7 million stimulant tablets confiscated in Mingaladon Township in Rangoon in July 2015. Although special anti-drug operations have been carried out in Rangoon and Mandalay—alongside efforts in other divisions and states, under a "100-day plan"—difficulties persist. Vice President Myint Swe, an old regime hardliner who was elected to his post by the military, told the attendees at the Naypyidaw ceremony that the government was "cooperating" with the eight ethnic armed groups that singed the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) last year to eradicate poppy cultivation and drug trafficking in their respective areas. "It is necessary to make continued efforts to dramatically reduce the drug problem in the country through the peace process," Myint Swe said. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. The post Nationwide Drug-Control Requires Peace, Say Police appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

US to Downgrade Burma in Annual Human Trafficking Report: Sources Posted: 27 Jun 2016 11:23 PM PDT Samboo, a 12-year-old soldier in the Karen rebel army, poses with a gun in a jungle camp near the Thai border in January 2000. (Photo: Reuters) WASHINGTON/YANGON — The United States has decided to placeBurma on its global list of worst offenders in human trafficking, officials said, a move aimed at prodding the country’s new democratically elected government and its still-powerful military to do more to curb the use of child soldiers and forced labor. The reprimand of Burma comes despite US efforts to court the strategically important country to help counteract China’s rise in the region and build a Southeast Asian bulwark against Beijing’s territorial assertiveness in the South China Sea. Burma’s demotion, part of the State Department’s closely watched annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report due to be released on Thursday, also appears intended to send a message of US concern about continued widespread persecution of the Rohingya Muslim minority in the Buddhist-majority nation. The country’s new leader, democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, has been criticized internationally for neglecting the Rohingya issue since her administration took office this year. Washington has faced a complex balancing act over Burma, a former military dictatorship that has emerged from decades of international isolation since launching sweeping political changes in 2011. President Barack Obama’s diplomatic opening to Burma is widely seen as a key foreign policy achievement as he enters his final seven months in office, but even as he has eased some sanctions he has kept others in place to maintain leverage for further reforms. At the same time, Washington wants to keep Burma from slipping back into China’s orbit at a time when US officials are trying to forge a unified regional front. The US decision to drop Burma to “Tier 3,” the lowest grade, putting it alongside countries like Iran, North Korea and Syria, was confirmed by a US official in Washington and a Bangkok-based official from an international organization informed of the move. Another person familiar with the matter said: “I’m not going to turn you away from this conclusion.” All spoke on condition of anonymity. A Tier 3 rating can trigger sanctions limiting access to US and international aid. But US presidents frequently waive such action. The decision was one of the most hotly contested in this year’s report, and followed concerns that some assessments in last year’s human trafficking report were watered down for political reasons. There was intense internal debate between senior US diplomats who wanted to rewardBurma for progress on political reforms and US human rights experts who argued that not enough was being done to curb human trafficking, the US official said. A Reuters investigation published last August found that senior diplomats repeatedly overruled the State Department’s anti-trafficking unit and inflated the grades of 14 strategically important countries. The State Department denied any political considerations but US lawmakers called for reforms in the decision-making process. This year’s decision on Burma marked a win for the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, which was set up to independently grade countries’ efforts to prevent modern slavery, such as the illegal trade in humans for forced labor or prostitution. Because Burma had been on the so-called “Tier 2 Watch List” for the maximum four years permitted by law, the State Department either had to justify an upgrade or else automatically downgrade it. A Tier 3 ranking means that anti-trafficking efforts do not meet “minimum standards” and it is “not making significant efforts to do so.” State Department spokesman John Kirby said: “We will not comment on the contents of this year’s report until after the report is released.” CHILD SOLDIERS Deliberations on Burma’s record focused heavily on efforts to halt the military’s recruitment and use of child soldiers as well as forced labor, especially the coercion of local villagers to perform some work. Such practices have been documented by international human rights groups and are also outlined in last year’s State Department report. A key issue that the U.S. administration considered before Burma’s downgrade was alleged government complicity in human trafficking, including its failure to prosecute any civilian officials for their involvement in it, according to the person familiar with the situation. While the Burma military is credited with significant progress toward curbing the use of child soldiers, such as allowing international inspections of military bases, there was no indication the problem had been completely eradicated as the U.S. anti-trafficking office had urged, the source said. Human rights groups had lobbied U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry against upgradingBurma, saying it would be unearned. The diplomatic blow to Burma’s government could be softened by the fact that the TIP report covered efforts during the year ending in March, under the previous administration of former junta general Thein Sein. Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace laureate, assumed her government role in April, after her party won the country’s first democratic elections in five decades. But with the generals still controlling three security ministries and holding a lock on 25 percent of seats in parliament, US officials grappled with whether a downgrade could undermine cooperation from the military against human trafficking. For her part, Suu Kyi has recently unsettled US officials by calling on them not to use the term “Rohingya” to refer to the Muslim minority in the country’s north. Many in Burma refer to them as “Bengalis,” insinuating that they are stateless illegal immigrants. The United States has urged Burma to treat them as citizens. The 2015 TIP report highlighted that the government’s denial of citizenship to an estimated 800,000 men, women and children in Burma — the majority of them ethnic Rohingya — “significantly increased this population’s vulnerability to trafficking”. “The chronic, chronic abuse of the Rohingya has not been dealt with at all,” a U.S. congressional aide said, suggesting support on Capitol Hill for a downgrade this year. The post US to Downgrade Burma in Annual Human Trafficking Report: Sources appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Book Review: General Ne Win: A Political Biography by Robert H. Taylor Posted: 27 Jun 2016 06:30 PM PDT Robert Taylor's biography of General Ne Win. "As for the control of civil disturbances, I have to inform the people throughout the country that when the army shoots, it shoots to hit; it does not fire into the air to scare," said Burma's dictator Ne Win when he announced his resignation as chairman of the then-ruling Burma Socialist Programme Party at its extraordinary congress on July 23, 1988. Anti-government demonstrations had begun in the old capital Rangoon and other cities, and, on August 8, 1988, millions of people across the country took to the streets to vent their frustrations with 26 years of dictatorial rule and disastrous economic policies which had turned what once had been one of Asia's most prosperous countries into one of the poorest. And then, as Ne Win had pledged, the military did not "fire in the air to scare"—thousands of people were gunned down when soldiers fired their automatic weapons into crowds of unarmed demonstrators. It was a massacre even bloodier than what happened in China a year later, when its pro-democracy movement was crushed by military might. However, Robert Taylor, a prolific writer on Burmese affairs, seems to believe that such a horrific event in Burma's modern history is worth no more than two peculiarly worded sentences: "It was impossible for him [Ne Win] to sleep, as the noise of the demonstrators was quite loud and could easily be heard on Ady Road [Ne Win's residence]. Once, when shots were heard, Ne Win indicated that they were probably fired by monks." (p. 529) Taylor's voluminous, 620-page biography of the general who turned Burma into a political and economic wreck, and who ruled with an iron fist for more than two decades, must go down in the history of literature as one of the most sycophantic portraits of a ruthless dictator ever written by a Western academic. Events after Ne Win's coup d'état on March 2, 1963, when he overthrew Burma's democratically elected government, are described in this manner: "Despite the unfortunate events that marked the first months of the Revolutionary government, including the death of Sao Shwe Thaike's son, and the students' demonstrations at the university, and the unwillingness of political party leaders to accept Ne Win's socialist vision, there were still events to sheer Ne Win and assure him that he was undertaking the right way to unify Myanmar's fractious politics." (p. 267) Any other historian would have written that the "unfortunate" death of the 17-year-old son of Burma's first president Sao Shwe Thaik happened when soldiers stormed into his family home in Rangoon during the night of the coup and gunned down the young boy in cold blood. The ex-President and then Speaker of the Upper House of the Burmese Parliament was led away and died, most likely extra-judicially executed, in military custody a few months—no one knows exactly when—after his detention. The other "unfortunate event"—student demonstrations against the coup—was, in fact, the first massacre carried out by the new military government. On July 7, soldiers armed with newly issued German G-3 assault rifles, surrounded the campus at Rangoon University—and opened fire. Officially, 15 students and lecturers were killed and 27 wounded. But both neutral observers and students who were present during the shooting assert that the university looked like a slaughterhouse where not 15 but hundreds potential leaders of society in many fields lay sprawled in death. Sai Tzang, another of Sao Shwe Thaik's sons, wrote after the event: "It was clear that the soldiers were firing not merely to disperse the crowds, but were under orders to shoot to kill." During the night after the massacre, the military dynamited the historic Rangoon University Students' Union building, reducing it to rubble. As for the troublesome leaders of Burma's political parties, who were opposed to Ne Win's pseudo-socialist ideas, they were arrested. Taylor also makes the extraordinary claim that the military seized power in 1962 partly because the Shan princes, or sawbwas, "were beginning to organize armed opposition to the government." (pp. 255-256) It is correct that a Shan rebellion broke out in 1958, but the sawbwas had nothing to do with it. It was organized by university students, a former officer of the Union Military Police, and local nationalists. The sawbwas, led by Sao Shwe Thaik, were opposed to armed struggle and presented their demands for a new federal structure at a seminar that the Prime Minister at the time, U Nu, had convened in Rangoon just before the coup. Needless to say, all the participants in the seminar were arrested too. Apart from Sao Shwe Thaik, another Shan sawbwa, Sao Kya Hseng of Hsipaw, was also arrested and murdered in custody. The story and fate of Sao Kya Hseng and his Austrian wife Inge is the theme of a recent movie, Twilight Over Burma, which could not be shown at this year's Human Rights Human Dignity International Film Festival in Rangoon. According to the BBC: "The invited audience in Rangoon was told censors thought it damaged the army’s image and national reconciliation." As for eliminating threats to national unity, British Burma specialist Martin Smith wrote in his obituary of Ne Win for the Guardian on December 6, 2002: "Far from quelling opposition, Ne Win's tactics created a new cycle of insurgencies. At one stage, the deposed prime minister U Nu also took up arms with Karens and Mons in the Thai borderlands, while Beijing lent military backing to the Communist Party of Burma in the mountainous northeast." In the same vein—blaming non-Burman and other rebels for the country's woes—Taylor claims that, during the August-September 1988 pro-democracy uprising, "insurgent groups along the border were taking advantage of the chaos to attempt to enhance their own positions." (p. 530). In fact, one of the most remarkable features of the events of 1988 was that the ethnic rebels and the insurgent Communist Party of Burma, did nothing at all to "take advantage" of the situation, or to link up with the urban movement. Instead there were clashes between Karen and Mon rebels at Three Pagodas Pass over claims to territory. It was only after the military had stepped in on September 18—not to seize power, which it already had, but to shore up a regime overwhelmed by popular protest—that the ethnic rebels joined hands with pro-democracy activists who had fled to the border in the wake of a second massacre in Rangoon and other cities and towns. It would be tedious to list all other inaccuracies and distortions of history that Taylor's book contains. But it is worth noting that Taylor is not an outcast among Burma watchers. He is closely affiliated with the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, a supposedly serious academic institution based in Singapore, and his comments on contemporary Burmese politics have appeared in the Nikkei Asian Review, a not particularly successful attempt to emulate the old and well-respected Hong Kong weekly Far Eastern Economic Review, which folded in 1994. More importantly, Taylor's account of the life and rule of what Smith refers to as the "last great Asian despot" is an insult to the people of Burma and all those who lost loved ones in massacres carried out by the military in urban as well as frontier areas where the non-Burman nationalities live. They deserve better—and so does Burma, which has been misruled and terrorized by successive military-dominated regimes since 1962. Whether the situation will improve under the present government remains to be seen. But, against the backdrop of repression and tyranny that Ne Win left behind, it would be an almost insurmountable task for any civilian government to achieve national reconciliation and restore economic prosperity. That is the tragic legacy of the Ne Win era. Bertil Lintner is a former correspondent with the Far Eastern Economic Review and author of several books on Burma. The post Book Review: General Ne Win: A Political Biography by Robert H. Taylor appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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