Tuesday, May 16, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Farmers Plan to Sue Govt Departments Over Event Cancellation

Posted: 16 May 2017 06:05 AM PDT

MANDALAY — Farmers set to discuss land rights at Pyin Oo Lwin City Hall today are planning to sue the township and divisional departments for what organizers said was canceling permission to use the city hall the night before the event.

About 1,000 farmers from Mandalay and Pyin Oo Lwin District were due to discuss issues including land grabs with Mandalay Divisional Farmers' affairs negotiation committee this morning at the hall.

But U Hla Myo, the general administration officer for Pyin Oo Lwin's municipal department, told the organizers last night they needed to apply for a permit for the gathering to go ahead.

"We feel that our rights have been abused," said U Sai Kyaw Aye, one of the organizers. "Since they've cancelled us in the last minutes, we've lost about 10 million kyats, which we deposited for food, accommodation and transportation.

"We do not want the money back; we just want our rights respected," he added.

The organizers said they would file lawsuits against the Mandalay City Development Committee (MCDC) and Pyin Oo Lwin Township municipal department.

"Since Pyin Oo Lwin City Hall is under the administration of the MCDC, we believe they are responsible, so we will sue them, too," added U Sai Kyaw Aye.

The organizers said they were briefly shown the cancellation letter at the township's municipal office. The general administration officer of Pyin Oo Lwin had signed the letter, they added.

As citizens, the farmers did not need to apply for a permit to use the city hall, argued the organizers. They planned to discuss land rights issues, which farmers in the area have endured for decades.

The township's general administration officer U Hla Myo said: "I just sent a notice saying they needed to apply for a permit in accordance with the law and not canceling the event. I do not have the authority to cancel such an event."

The post Farmers Plan to Sue Govt Departments Over Event Cancellation appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Arakan Commission Calls Meeting With Burma Army ‘Highly Productive’

Posted: 16 May 2017 05:57 AM PDT

RANGOON – Arakan State Advisory Commission member Al Haj U Aye Lwin said a meeting between Burma Army Chief of General Staff Lt-Gen Mya Tun Oo and the commission was "highly productive."

''The army promised that it would help in whatever the advisory commission needed. There were no objections or negative comments during the meeting," said U Aye Lwin.

Earlier this week, it was reported that the commission would meet with Burma Army chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, but the meeting was instead held with Lt-Gen Mya Tun Oo in Naypyidaw on Monday.

Commission member Dr. Tha Hla Shwe said the army gave its comments on the interim report, which was launched in March.

Al Haj U Aye Lwin told The Irrawaddy over the phone on Tuesday that the meeting took place in line with government protocol, but that the leaders of both sides have been in direct contact throughout the process.

Before the meeting with army generals, the commission also met with the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) on Sunday. But the party refused to make recommendations to the commission, still objecting to its formation and international involvement in internal affairs.

U Aye Lwin said the rejection was overstated and that despite a lack of official party response, the USDP chairman and central executive committee members shared their experience regarding the issues in Arakan State.

He added that the USDP has rejected the overall formation of the commission so was choosing not to release official party stances regarding a commission they do not recognize.

Al Haj U Aye Lwin said the army reiterated that the current ground situation in Arakan State was still unsafe, in reference to the continued limited access to humanitarian assistance groups and media.

The army general also claimed during the meeting that the army had halted counterinsurgency operations and handed security matters in Arakan State over to the home affairs ministry and local law enforcement.

According to commission members, he also discussed the controversial citizenship application process, which has left the Rohingya Muslims in the region stateless and in apartheid-like conditions.

The commission will submit a final report to the government in August.

The post Arakan Commission Calls Meeting With Burma Army 'Highly Productive' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Sources: UNFC to be Invited to Panglong as Observers

Posted: 16 May 2017 05:41 AM PDT

RANGOON — Ethnic armed groups forming the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) will only be invited to the upcoming Union Peace Conference as observers, two sources from within the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC) told The Irrawaddy.

The sources, who wished to remain anonymous, also confirmed that the government would not invite international observers to attend the conference, also known as the 21st Century Panglong peace conference, later this month.

The issue of invitations was discussed at a meeting of the Daw Aung San Suu Kyi-led UPDJC, which includes representatives from the Burma Army and eight ethnic armed organizations (EAOs), at a meeting in Naypyidaw last week.

Vice chairman of the UNFC Nai Hong Sar told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that the bloc's position had not changed and "if we are only to listen to the talks, we will not attend."

Nai Hong Sar said the UNFC—a group of six EAOs who laid out eight points agreed to by the government and military to signing the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA)—was yet to receive an invitation to the conference.

He said even if the government did invite UNFC members as delegates there was not ample time to conduct national-level consultations with civil society and other stakeholders within the EAOs' areas.

The upcoming Union Peace Conference, scheduled to begin on May 24, will differ from the previous edition in August and September last year as many EAOs have said they will not attend—including the Northern Alliance comprised of NCA non-signatories the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Arakan Army (AA).

The TNLA's Brig-Gen Tarr Jode Jarr told the Irrawaddy that the Northern Alliance members would not attend if they were invited as observers.

A spokesperson for the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), the political wing of the Shan State Army-South (SSA-S), Col Sai Hla said the RCSS and fellow NCA-signatory the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) were unhappy that they could not conduct consultations with local stakeholders—known as national level political dialogues—prior to the conference.

The dialogue collects public opinion on issues such as political rights, land disputes, and the environment. The dialogues—based on region, ethnicity and theme—are a mandatory step in the process laid out by the NCA.

The government, however, has not allowed the ALP to hold public consultations, citing the instability due to ongoing conflict in Arakan State and the Burma Army's reluctance to allow the RCSS to gather the public in the Shan State capital Taunggyi has delayed the group's attempt for ethnic-based dialogue.

In an interview with Shan Herald Agency for News, Col Sai Hla said he told UPDJC members at the meeting in Naypyidaw last week that he will only be able to bring views from the RCSS, not all of the Shan people.

Delegates to the Panglong conference will discuss issues relating to federalism based regional national level political dialogues conducted by the government, Karen National Union (KNU), the Pa-O National Liberation Organization (PNLO), the Chin National Front (CNF), and the All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF).

"[The conference] will not reflect the country if it is only based on limited regional talks," said Col Sai Hla.

Nai Hong Sar said the conference was useless if not all EAOs were invited to attend. He suggested the government had planned for a limited number of attendees to make it easier to agree on federal principals.

The post Sources: UNFC to be Invited to Panglong as Observers appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China’s Xi Offers Help for Burma Peace Process

Posted: 16 May 2017 04:52 AM PDT

BEIJING, China — Chinese President Xi Jinping told Burma leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday that China would continue to help the country achieve peace, and called for both sides to maintain stability on their shared border, state media said.

Fighting in March in Burma pushed thousands of people into China to seek refuge, prompting Beijing to call for a ceasefire between ethnic militias and the security forces there and carry out military drills along the border.

Xi met Nobel laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi—who serves as Burma's foreign minister while also being de facto head of its civilian government—following China's Belt and Road Forum on Sunday and Monday.

"China is willing to continue to provide necessary assistance for Burma's internal peace process," China's official Xinhua news agency cited Xi as saying.

"The two sides must jointly work to safeguard China-Burma border security and stability," Xi said.

The news agency did not elaborate on what assistance China would provide.

China has repeatedly expressed concern about fighting along the border that has occasionally spilled into its territory, for instance in 2015, when five people died in China.

Xi also said China would work to enhance cooperation with Burma on his Belt and Road development plan, which aims to bolster China's global leadership by expanding infrastructure between Asia, Africa, Europe and beyond.

The president promised $124 billion on Sunday to expand the reach of the initiative during the two day summit of world leaders in Beijing.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi told Xi that Burma was grateful for Chinese help and that it would work with China to safeguard stability in the border region, Xinhua said.

Beijing last month offered to mediate a diplomatic row over the flight of around 69,000 minority Rohingya Muslims to Bangladesh to escape violence in Buddhist-majority Burma, according to officials from Bangladesh.

Burma has been sharply criticized in the West over violence against the Rohingya.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is barred from the presidency under Burma's army-drafted constitution, but effectively leads the government through the specially created post of "state counselor".

The post China's Xi Offers Help for Burma Peace Process appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Taking Advantage of Open Data to Foster Innovation, Transparency and Civic Participation

Posted: 16 May 2017 03:02 AM PDT

In May 2015, I attended a talk given by a group of Indonesian technologists. They told the story of how President Joko Widodo won the 2014 elections with the help of hundreds of volunteers who, armed with mobile phones, fought against voter fraud. It was a crowdsourcing campaign that enabled anyone with an Internet connection to upload election results directly from polling stations. In a close election in which both Jokowi and his rival were declaring victory, citizens equipped with technology and data made a real difference. I was incredibly moved by that story, and thought about how amazing it would be if the same thing could happen in Myanmar. I quickly dismissed those thoughts as wishful thinking, only to find myself a few months later in the midst of a similar project that would help voters in Myanmar, through technology and data, as they took to the polls for the most important election the country has seen in decades.

Things move very quickly in today's Myanmar. Out of the many changes that are shifting the country's political, economic and social fabric, two particular transformations are important to highlight: First, the unprecedented pace of mobile phone and smartphone adoption that followed the liberalization of the telecoms market. Second, the reforms in the media sector that have significantly reduced the draconian limitations on press freedoms. In 2010, we were a country that read newspapers only for the obituaries because everything else in them was propaganda. Two years later, in 2012, truthful and honest journalism was suddenly no longer followed by a prison sentence (most of the time), and dozens of new, independent media outlets were established. Three years after that, in 2015, everyone was getting their news (both real and fake) on their smartphones from whatever was trending on Facebook. A public sphere, one that had not existed since our grandparents' time, seemed to have appeared overnight – and just as suddenly, it had leapfrogged into the Internet era.

What will it take to build resilient democratic institutions in this rapidly changing space? I believe that a citizenry equipped with technology and data is a crucial part of that answer. My work at Phandeeyar, an innovation lab in downtown Yangon, has given me the chance to observe some of these changes quite closely. The organization was founded in 2014, specifically to use information and communications technology to accelerate the change-agents that were driving the country forward – the entrepreneurs, technologists, civil society organizations, and independent media. The elections in 2015 were a great test case for using technology to foster social impact.

Alongside The Asia Foundation and many other groups, Phandeeyar was involved in organizing the Mae Pay Soh voter education project. It was an effort to collect, digitize and open up data about candidates and parties to the public, in conjunction with a competition for local technologists to develop apps and other digital tools to use that data to educate voters on issues ranging from voting procedures to profiles of candidates. About 137 participants formed 30 different teams to take part in the two-week competition. The winning team's mobile app, mVoter, was built by a team of young software developers who were in their early twenties. Their app was widely publicized prior to the elections and was downloaded more than a quarter of a million times. It provided valuable information for voters who accessed the database millions of times in the lead up to the elections. The Myanmar public was incredibly proud of the young technologists who took part in the competition and it demonstrated that there was plenty of homegrown talent who were eager to do their part in the country's transformation.

This was all possible, of course, because the government agreed to open up this data to the public. Even though the Union Election Commission had been very supportive of the project from the get go, it was still an arduous task to take what had been a thoroughly analog process and digitize it. The process illustrated the extent to which simple things that are taken for granted in other countries can be significant hurdles in Myanmar. Six thousand candidates registered for the elections, and did so by filling out paper registration forms in various towns across the country. They were then all faxed to the Election Commission's headquarters in Naypyitaw. These forms then needed to be sorted and categorized. Enter the Ministry of Education's "alphabetization experts," who were tasked with the esoteric job of sorting the forms of the candidates in alphabetical order. Sorting in Burmese is not something that a normal Burmese speaker can easily do since the script has 33 consonants, 11 medials, 32 finals, 4 tones, and many other nuances. On top of that, older dictionaries use a different sorting method from the more modern ones—hence the need for alphabetization experts. After the experts had sorted all the candidate registration forms, a cadre of typists painstakingly entered the information from the forms into a computer, where they encountered another choice between competing standards, between the infamous local Zawgyi encoding system and global standard Unicode encoding system (in addition to the other older Burmese fonts that the Union Election Commission continued to use). It took weeks of work to finally produce a database that had all the candidates' information and was accessible online by the public.

Open data is data that anyone can access, use or share. The simple definition belies the immense value that it can provide. Globally, it is estimated that business opportunities made possible through open data can create a market value of US$3 to 5 trillion a year. In terms of intangible benefits, it is one of the main pillars for ensuring transparency and accountability from governments and other institutions in today's complex world. In order to fully reap these benefits, opening up the data is only the first step. Technologists need to have civic values that induce them to use their skills for positive social impact, as well as have an understanding of the needs of users to create tools that make the data usable and understandable. Civil society and media also have to become skilled in using technology and data. Last but not least, governments must also commit to releasing data, and also to incorporate insights from data into their decision-making. On all these fronts, Myanmar has a long way to go. But, as the example above demonstrates, there are small, positive signs amid the drastic changes taking place in the country.

There are now a handful of organizations in Myanmar dedicated to promoting the use of open data. Phandeeyar's own open data portal called Open Development Myanmar, the Myanmar Information Management Unit, the Enlightened Myanmar Research Foundation, and the One Map Myanmar Project are all working towards greater accessibility of open data and also working to promote data literacy in civil society, government and media. Some civil society organizations specialize in collecting data related to a specific topic. For example, the Open Myanmar Initiative collects all available public data about the Myanmar parliament, such as questions, motions, and the passage of bills. Philanthropic and development assistance funds are also increasingly being directed at promoting the use of open data as a crucial part of improving transparency and accountability, and also at improving data driven decision-making within government.

Until recently, it was almost impossible to get formal training as a journalist in Myanmar. With the media landscape opening up over the past few years, many are now eager to join the profession. Formerly exiled media such as The Irrawaddy, DVB, and Mizzima have started operating within the country once again. New dailies and weeklies have emerged, joining the competition for readership and advertising. However, paid readership has decreased every year as the tradition of buying newspapers has rapidly been replaced by the consumption of free news via social media. The advertising market is still not a large enough revenue source in an emerging market like Myanmar. Amateur journalists, tough competition, and dwindling revenues do not make for a healthy market for independent media, and the alarming number of journalists recently being prosecuted under the much despised Article 66(d) defamation clause has not helped. And yet, despite all these difficulties, I believe it is crucial that journalists in Myanmar pick up some data literacy skills.

All over the world, in both developed and developing countries, independent media is facing similar sets of challenges to the ones described above (although Myanmar's challenges do seem more intractable than others'). Many newsrooms have taken on the task of reinventing themselves to innovate their way through the challenges. La Nación from Argentina and Indiaspend from India are examples of media that have focused on data journalism in order to set themselves apart from the competition, and this has made them leading news outlets in data journalism in South America and South Asia respectively. Small, dedicated teams of journalists can have a big impact if they have the skills to analyze government budgets, election results, census and municipal data to inform the public with evidence based reporting on issues such as corruption and effectiveness of policies. Journalists from La Nación, for example, worked together with technologists to create a database of leaked documents from 26,000 emails to report on corruption, and a similar tool to sieve through 90,000 poll worker reports to check for election irregularities.

But perhaps most importantly, the success of open data in Myanmar hinges on the government's attitude towards it. Open-washing is a phrase used to describe situations where institutions pay lip service to open data as a public relations move. This might involve releasing some datasets while restricting access to other crucial datasets that might be politically sensitive, or releasing data that is incomplete, inaccurate, too aggregated (i.e. summarized very broadly, without being broken down into finer details) or otherwise not useful; for example, when the 2014 Myanmar census data on religion was finally released in 2016 after being delayed for a year, it turned out that the data was only disaggregated to the state or region level, unlike the rest of the census data, which was available down to the level of townships, and in the case of population figures, even down to the village tract level. Without commitment from the highest levels of government and a true belief that transparency is beneficial for all, open-washing is a trap that many governments and organizations can easily step into.

On the bright side, there have been some high profile cases of various government organizations in Myanmar opening up their data. Releasing the data from most of the 2014 census, the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative for 2013-2014, the 2015 Myanmar Business Survey, the 2015 Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey, and the Yangon Region government's release of information for all the routes of the Yangon Bus Service in 2017 are recent examples of positive developments. This move to open bus route data has already yielded considerable benefits. Local developers have volunteered their time and skills to create a wide range of route finder apps, route maps, chat bots and an online complaint collection system that has been officially adopted by the Region Government. All of these products would have cost considerable amounts of money to develop if they were contracted out to private companies. On the other hand, Myanmar has yet to adopt a Freedom of Information law that mandates that all but the most sensitive data has to be provided to the public on request. If such a law could come about, it would be an invaluable tool for the opening up of government data.

Professor Mary Callahan wrote in a recent article that State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi's vision for civic engagement in Myanmar bears similarity to one of John F Kennedy's much quoted lines. She is noted to often say, "Think of what you can contribute for the development of your country, not what benefits you can have from your country." I believe that line underpins what is already happening in Myanmar, and resonates with the convictions of many passionate and dedicated individuals that I have had the pleasure and honor of meeting over the past few years: the civic minded software developer in Yangon, the budding journalist in Mandalay, the civil society leader in Tanintharyi, and the civil servant in Naypyitaw. They are already contributing much to the development of the country, and with access to more open data, they can contribute even more.

Yan Naung Oak is a Senior Advisor at Phandeeyar, an innovation lab in Yangon. He is a School of Data fellow for 2017 and also a freelance data visualization designer.

This article originally appeared in Tea Circle, a forum hosted at Oxford University for emerging research and perspectives on Burma/Myanmar.

The post Taking Advantage of Open Data to Foster Innovation, Transparency and Civic Participation appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Cash and Chemicals: for Laos, Chinese Banana Boom a Blessing and Curse

Posted: 16 May 2017 01:19 AM PDT

BOKEO, Laos — Kongkaew Vonusak smiles when he recalls the arrival of Chinese investors in his tranquil village in northern Laos in 2014. With them came easy money, he said.

The Chinese offered villagers up to US$720 per hectare to rent their land, much of it fallow for years, said Kongkaew, 59, the village chief. They wanted to grow bananas on it.

In impoverished Laos, the offer was generous. "They told us the price and asked us if we were happy. We said okay."

Kongkaew Vonusak, who rents his land to a Chinese banana company stands outside his house in the province of Bokeo in Laos on April 26, 2017. (Jorge Silva/ Reuters)

Elsewhere, riverside land with good access roads fetched at least double that sum.

Three years later, the Chinese-driven banana boom has left few locals untouched, but not everyone is smiling.

Experts say the Chinese have brought jobs and higher wages to northern Laos, but have also drenched plantations with pesticides and other chemicals.

Last year, the Lao government banned the opening of new banana plantations after a state-backed institute reported that the intensive use of chemicals had sickened workers and polluted water sources.

China has extolled the benefits of its vision of a modern-day "Silk Road" linking it to the rest of the world—it held a major summit in Beijing on May 14-15 to promote it.

The banana boom pre-dated the concept, which was announced in 2013, although China now regards agricultural developments in Laos as among the initiative's projects.

Under the "Belt and Road" plan, China has sought to persuade neighbors to open their markets to Chinese investors. For villagers like Kongkaew, that meant a trade-off.

"Chinese investment has given us a better quality of life. We eat better, we live better," Kongkaew said.

But neither he nor his neighbors will work on the plantations, or venture near them during spraying. They have stopped fishing in the nearby river, fearing it is polluted by chemical run-off from the nearby banana plantation.

Chinese Frustration

Several Chinese plantation owners and managers expressed frustration at the government ban, which forbids them from growing bananas after their leases expire.

They said the use of chemicals was necessary, and disagreed that workers were falling ill because of them.

"If you want to farm, you have to use fertilizers and pesticides," said Wu Yaqiang, a site manager at a plantation owned by Jiangong Agriculture, one of the largest Chinese banana growers in Laos.

"If we don't come here to develop, this place would just be bare mountains," he added, as he watched workers carrying 30-kilogram bunches of bananas up steep hillsides to a rudimentary packing station.

Zhang Jianjun, 40, co-owner of the Lei Lin banana plantation sits outside his house at a plantation in the province of Bokeo in Laos on April 24, 2017. (Jorge Silva/ Reuters)

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said he was not aware of the specific issues surrounding Chinese banana growers in Laos, and did not believe they should be linked directly to the Belt and Road initiative.

"In principle we always require Chinese companies, when investing and operating abroad, to comply with local laws and regulations, fulfill their social responsibility and protect the local environment," he told a regular briefing on Thursday.

Laos' Ministry of Agriculture did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment for this article.

China is the biggest foreign investor in Laos, a landlocked country of 6.5 million people, with over 760 projects valued at about $6.7 billion, according to Chinese state-run media.

This influence is not only keenly felt in the capital Vientiane, where Chinese build shopping complexes and run some of the city's fanciest hotels. It also extends deep into rural areas that have remained largely unchanged for decades.

Banana Rush

Lao people say Chinese banana investors began streaming across the border around 2010, driven by land shortages at home. Many headed to Bokeo, the country's smallest and least populous province.

In the ensuing years, Lao banana exports jumped ten-fold to become the country's largest export earner. Nearly all of the fruit is sent to China.

For ethnic Lao like Kongkaew, Chinese planters paid them more for the land than they could earn from farming it.

For impoverished, hill-dwelling minorities such as the Hmong or Khmu, the banana rush meant better wages.

On Keo Wa, 25, carries her 9-month-old baby while working at a banana plantation operated by a Chinese company in the province of Bokeo in Laos on April 24, 2017. (Photo: Jorge Silva/ Reuters)

At harvest time, they can earn the equivalent of at least $10 a day and sometimes double that, a princely sum in a country where the average annual income was $1,740 in 2015, according to the World Bank. They are also most exposed to the chemicals.

Most Chinese planters grow the Cavendish variety of banana, which is favored by consumers but susceptible to disease.

Hmong and Khmu workers douse the growing plants with pesticides and kill weeds with herbicides such as paraquat. Paraquat is banned by the European Union and other countries including Laos, and it has been phased out in China.

The bananas are also dunked in fungicides to preserve them for their journey to China.

Switching Crops

Some banana workers grow weak and thin or develop rashes, said Phonesai Manivongxai, director of the Community Association for Mobilizing Knowledge in Development (CAMKID), a non-profit group based in northern Laos.

Part of CAMKID's work includes educating workers about the dangers of chemical use. "All we can do is make them more aware," she said.

This is an uphill struggle. Most pesticides come from China or Thailand and bear instructions and warnings in those countries' languages, Reuters learned. Even if the labeling was Lao, some Hmong and Khmu are illiterate and can't understand it.

Another problem, said Phonesai, was that workers lived in close proximity to the chemicals, which contaminated the water they wash in or drink.

In a Lao market, Reuters found Thai-made paraquat openly on sale.

However, some workers Reuters spoke to said they accepted the trade-off. While they were concerned about chemicals, higher wages allowed them to send children to school or afford better food.

There is no guarantee the government's crackdown on pesticide use in banana production will lead to potentially harmful chemicals being phased out altogether.

As banana prices fell following a surge in output, some Chinese investors began to plant other crops on the land, including chemically intensive ones like watermelon.

Zhang Jianjun, 46, co-owner of the Lei Lin banana plantation, estimated that as much as 20 percent of Bokeo's banana plantations had been cleared, and said some of his competitors had decamped to Burma and Cambodia.

But he has no plans to leave. The environmental impact on Laos was a "road that every underdeveloped country must walk" and local people should thank the Chinese, he said.

"They don’t think, ‘Why have our lives improved?' They think it's something that heaven has given them, that life just naturally gets better.”

A worker pauses while harvesting bananas at a banana plantation operated by a Chinese company in the province of Bokeo in Laos on April 25, 2017. (Jorge Silva/ Reuters)

The post Cash and Chemicals: for Laos, Chinese Banana Boom a Blessing and Curse appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rangoon School Bus System to Launch in June

Posted: 16 May 2017 01:06 AM PDT

RANGOON —Yangon Region Transport Authority (YRTA) announced plans to introduce school buses for basic education schools in downtown Rangoon, in an effort to ease traffic in the commercial capital.

School buses will serve 22 of 26 government-run schools in the downtown area, according to lawmaker U Kyaw Kyaw Tun representing Hlaing Constituency (1) in Rangoon divisional parliament.

"[The school bus system] will be launched when the academic year starts [in June], but not for all schools," he said, adding they will first be introduced in places where traffic congestion is worst.

According to the city's traffic police, congestion is worst around Kamayut Township, TTC Yangon on Pyay Road, and Basic Education High School No. 1 in Dagon Township, where many parents use private cars to take their children to school.

Rangoon divisional government signed a deal to purchase 200 new school buses from Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) and Posco Daewoo Corporation on May 10, according to state media.

"It is not compulsory for school bus operators to buy those buses, it is up to them. But they are not allowed to operate with light trucks and Dyna trucks. We'll only allow buses and mini-buses," said the lawmaker.

The school bus system will be introduced in three phases—to cover 30 percent of students in June, another 30 percent in October, and the remainder in December.

Most of the vehicles now engaged in the school run are privately operated light trucks. But under the new system, they will be managed by concerned school authorities and YRTA.

The new school buses will be sold through a hire-purchase system and will be exempt from taxes, according to YRTA.

School buses were first suggested during a Nov. 2014 workshop on public transport in Rangoon and were initially implemented under the now-defunct Rangoon Motor Vehicles Supervisory Committee—known by its Burmese acronym Ma Hta Tha—in 2016 without success.

In late April, the divisional government and officials of 26 downtown schools met to discuss a standardized system of school buses for students.

"It is not compulsory for students to take school buses. But we want them to take school buses because they have a higher safety now. Maybe it will become compulsory next year," said U Kyaw Kyaw Tun.

YRTA said the move was to ensure the safety of children as well as reduce traffic congestion. But parents are still concerned about children's safety.

"I learned that there will be gathering points for students to take the buses. But some families don't even use the school ferries that come to the front door of their houses over safety concerns," said a mother from Hlaing Township.

"I don't think Rangoon is a safe place to just put children on a school bus," she said.

U Chit Zaw Hein, a school shuttle conductor, said: "We bring and drop the children in front of their houses. But, their parents still repeatedly ask us to take care of their children. Under the new system, we'll bring and drop students at a stop. And I'm afraid many parents will not accept it."

This article was translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Rangoon School Bus System to Launch in June appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Two More Buddhist Nationalists Arrested for Muslim Neighborhood Raid

Posted: 16 May 2017 12:56 AM PDT

RANGOON — Two people involved in last week's confrontation between Buddhist nationalists and Muslims in Rangoon's Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township handed themselves over to the township's police station on Monday.

Tin Lin Htike and Tin Htay Aung, who are among the seven nationalists and Buddhist monks charged with incitement to commit violence, were the second pair arrested for involvement in the incident.

Buddhist monks led nationalists into the Muslim neighborhood before midnight on May 9, claiming ethnic Muslim Rohingya were there "illegally," according to police and residents.

According to witnesses, the nationalists turned hostile toward the Muslim residents when police found no Rohingya in the area.

Police arrested Ko Latt, also known as Tin Htut Zaw, who was involved in the confrontation, and his wife near Kandawgyi Lake on Thursday.

Two Buddhist monks—U Pyinnya Wuntha and U Thuseitta of the Patriotic Monks Union—and another layperson—Myat Phone Moh—are still at large.

The post Two More Buddhist Nationalists Arrested for Muslim Neighborhood Raid appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Locals Flee, Fearing Conscription in Southern Shan State

Posted: 16 May 2017 12:49 AM PDT

More than 170 locals from two villages in Mawkmai Township, southern Shan State have fled their homes, fearing conscription by an ethnic armed group.

Locals from Pone Sote and Me Ta Se villages are currently taking shelter at a monastery in the village of Na Hi, director Khun Nay Htoo of the Pa-Oh Health Working Committee (PHWC), which is providing healthcare to them, told The Irrawaddy.

"There are 104 villagers from Me Ta Se, and 74 from Pone Sote. Most of them are Pa-O or Karenni. They fled respectively on May 9 and 12," Khun Nay Htoo told The Irrawaddy.

According to Khun Nay Htoo, people who claimed to be commanders of the Shan State Restoration Council/Shan State Army-South (RCSS/SSA-S) arrived at the two villages during the first week of May and told locals in Shan language to enlist or they would be forced out of their villages.

Villagers told Khun Nay Htoo that they were unsuccessful in dissuading the commanders, so they fled with their families.

Lt-Col Sai Meung, an RCSS spokesperson, denied the conscription.

"This must be a misunderstanding. We have not conscripted anyone since we signed the NCA [nationwide ceasefire agreement]. I'm afraid this was someone else's handiwork," said Lt-Col Sai Meung.

The RCSS signed the NCA with former President U Thein Sein's administration in Oct. 2015. According to the NCA, signatories are not allowed to recruit new members.

"Villagers said they have faced conscription in the past. They fled this time because they were threatened," said Khun Nay Htoo.

Currently, only the monastery in Na Hi Village is providing them with food and shelter.

The Irrawaddy phoned a number of civil society organizations engaged in providing relief for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Shan State and all of them replied that they were unaware of the situation.

U Nay Lin, a volunteer helping IDPs said: "Villagers who live near armed groups always face this [conscription]. This news is not new in both northern and southern Shan State."

Last February, more than 100 locals fled their homes in Mongyang Township in eastern Shan State after rumors circulated that the United Wa State Army (UWSA) would conscript new members.

The UWSA also denied planned conscription and told The Irrawaddy that its troops were not stationed in that area.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Locals Flee, Fearing Conscription in Southern Shan State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ten Things to Do in Rangoon This Week

Posted: 15 May 2017 11:47 PM PDT

Zumba Festival for Charity | May 21

This charity festival features local and international Zumba instructors. Visitors can make donations at the event, which will be donated directly to internally displaced persons in Kachin State.

May 21, 5-7 p.m. People's Park. Free Entry. 

Ninja Show  | May 21

Real Ninjas from Japan will come to Rangoon for the first time to show their traditional Japanese Ninjutsu skills. Visitors can participate in a Ninja workshop.

May 21, 10:30 a.m. MICT Park, Universities Hlaing Campus, Thamine College St, Hlaing Tsp. Free Entry.

Jazz under the Stars | March 17

One of Rangoon's favorite blues and jazz groups—the Bamboo Trio—performs at Atlas Rooftop Bar. Reservations can be made by emailing info@atlas-myanmar.com.

March 17, 7 p.m. Atlas Rooftop Bar & Lounge, No. 84 Pan Hlaing Road, Sanchaung Tsp. Free admission.

Thitsarni Solo Poetry Day | May 20

Writer and poet Thitsarni has named his solo poetry event "Publicly Hiding." Ticket includes a cup of coffee, a poetry pamphlet and lucky draw for his three paintings.

May 20, 2 p.m. Yangon Book Plaza, 5th Floor, Thanzay Market, Lanmadaw Tsp. Tickets 5,000 kyats (limited seats).

Minn Lu Evening  | May 18

This event is for devoted fans of the late writer Minn Lu with special discount on his books. Some of his unpublished poems will also be recited.

May 18, 4 p.m. Yangon Book Plaza, 5th Floor, Thanzay Market, Lanmadaw Tsp.

Burmese Classical Music | May 19

More than a dozen classical singers will perform along with various Burmese traditional orchestral musicians in a ceremony to unveil the bronze statue of renowned orchestral musician Sein Bo Tint.

May 19, evening. Thakya Muni Pagoda, Kyaung Kyi Street, Kyimyindaing Tsp. 

Charity Auction | May 21

First-edition books, manuscripts and personal items of famous writers will be put up for auction. Proceeds will be donated to charities.

May 21, 1 p.m . Yangon Book Plaza, 5th Floor, Thanzay Market, Lanmadaw Tsp.

With You | May 17-19

This group art exhibition of a Japanese artist and four Myanmar artists will showcase over 50 paintings.

May 17-19. Yangon Gallery, People's Park, Dagon Tsp. Tel: 09-51370178

Dream Dimension | Ongoing

Artist Ko Thee will showcase over 10 acrylic works in his solo show.

May Nawady Tharlar Art Gallery, Room 304, Building 20B, 3rd Floor, Yaw Myin Gyi Road Dagon Tsp.

8 Watercolor | May 20-23

A group art exhibition of eight artists will feature 40 watercolor paintings.

May 20-23. 43 Art Gallery, 43rd Street, Botahtaung Tsp.

 

The post Ten Things to Do in Rangoon This Week appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Facebook Still Accessible in Thailand as Govt Deadline Passes

Posted: 15 May 2017 09:47 PM PDT

BANGKOK, Thailand — The Facebook social media site was still available in Thailand on Tuesday after concerns arose that authorities would shut it down if Facebook did not take down content deemed threatening to national security.

Thailand's telecoms regulator said last week it would give Facebook Thailand until Tuesday to take down 131 web addresses with content deemed threatening to security or which violated strict lese majeste laws.

The threat prompted a flurry of concern in the Southeast Asian country—one of the most Facebook-active countries in Asia—that Facebook would be blocked.

Morakot Kulthamyothin, president of the Thai Internet Service Provider Association (TISPA), which includes 19 landline and mobile ISPs, as well as major international internet gateway operators covering 90% of the country, said there was no plan to block access to Facebook in Thailand yet.

"We haven't discussed that action to shutdown Facebook," Morakot told reporters.

On Tuesday, Takorn Tantasith, secretary-general of the telecoms commission, went to the TISPA head office to inspect whether all 131 sites authorities had asked Facebook to remove had been taken down.

He is expected to speak to reporters later on Tuesday.

Days after a May 2014 coup by the military, Thailand's Information Communications Technology Ministry temporarily blocked access to Facebook saying it had received orders to do so by the military in order to suspend content critical of the military.

The junta denied it had ordered the action.

Thailand's military government has ramped up online censorship, particularly perceived insults to the monarchy, since seizing power in a 2014 coup.

Last month Thailand also banned its citizens from making any online contact with three vocal critics of the monarchy.

Last week the secretary-general of The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission of Thailand said the Ministry of Digital Economy would file a complaint with police this week to press charges against Facebook Thailand under the Computer Crime Act and commerce ministry regulations.

The post Facebook Still Accessible in Thailand as Govt Deadline Passes appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
Posted by at No comments:

National News

National News

Elephant deaths could be linked to poachers

Posted: 15 May 2017 01:37 PM PDT

Wild elephants inhabiting the forests near Thabeikkyin township in Pyin Oo Lwin district, Mandalay Region, are being killed.

Farmers protest distribution of old farmlands

Posted: 15 May 2017 01:33 PM PDT

Local farmers have protested against the distribution of old farmlands in the Ngamyar village of Ngazun township in Myingyan district, Mandalay Region.

Auction nets extra K140m from fishing license

Posted: 15 May 2017 01:28 PM PDT

Revenue from auctioning of pond fishing licences in Mandalay Region increased by K140 million over last year's figures, according to regional fisheries department staff officer, U Hla Win.

Bagan pagodas entrance fee to fund road repairs

Posted: 15 May 2017 01:27 PM PDT

Some four percent of the entrance fees, collected from foreigners visiting the Bagan archaeological zone, have been used to start repairs on pagoda roads, said Bagan Regional Development Association (BRDA) president U Khin Maug Nu yesterday.

Biggest flea market to be relocated to Strand Road

Posted: 15 May 2017 01:24 PM PDT

The Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) plans to move the Shwe Bon Thar flea market, the biggest market in Yangon, to the night market in Strand Road as part of the YCDC's night market second plan.

Myanmar’s participation at Doha Forum praised

Posted: 15 May 2017 01:19 PM PDT

Qatari Ambassador to Myanmar Hassan Bin Mohamed Rafei Al-Emadi has praised the Myanmar delegation that took part in the 17th Doha Forum held in Qatar on May 14-15 to discuss issues of development, stability and refugee crisis at the international and regional levels.

State Counsellor invites UN Secretary-General to attend 21CPC

Posted: 15 May 2017 12:53 PM PDT

State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has invited United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to attend the second round of 21st-Century Panglong Conference (21CPC), scheduled to start on May 24.

Former ambassador provides aid for the elderly

Posted: 15 May 2017 12:48 PM PDT

Former ambassador Dr Hla Maung, who is chair of the Pyinmana Township Association (Yangon) in Nay Pyi Taw, has made cash donations to 125 elderly people and honoured 42 students who passed the 2015-16 matriculation examination with flying colours.

Heavy rains, strong winds expected across the country, especially on coast

Posted: 15 May 2017 12:43 PM PDT

Heavy rain and strong winds are expected across the whole country, especially in the delta area, and the Mon-Tanintharyi coastal areas.

Cheaper MPT calls to Malaysia, Thailand

Posted: 15 May 2017 12:37 PM PDT

Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) launched a new package which allows customers to make phone calls to Malaysia and Thailand at K50 per minute from May 9.
Posted by at No comments:

Shan Herald Agency for News

Shan Herald Agency for News

300 villagers displaced as Burmese army, TNLA clash in Namtu

Posted: 16 May 2017 01:41 AM PDT

A series of clashes between Burmese government forces and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) have compelled some 300 villagers in Namtu Township, northern Shan State, to flee their homes.

Photo by Tai Tiger- Villagers were fleeing their homes to Namtu town on May 11.
"Our people had to abandon their homes because of the fighting," said Nang Jarm Hom, an MP from the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) representing Namtu Township Constituency No. 2. "Around 300 fled to Namtu town on May 11 from Zaikhao tract."
They are now staying at Shwe Minta Temple, she added.

"The only thing we can do now is use the food that was previously donated to take care of them," Nang Jarm Hom told Shan Herald. "But we need humanitarian support because the villagers who fled fighting in Mantong Township last year are still here. Now more refugees are pouring in. They need help. They need supplies."

The TNLA recently posted on its News and Information Department website that fighting broke out in Namtu, Mongmit, Kutkai and Mantong Township between its troops, the Burmese army and the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA).

The TNLA, also known as the Palaung Army, was among six armed groups – alongside the Myanmar Nationalities Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA); Arakan Army (AA); Lahu Democratic Union (LDU); Arakan National Congress (ANC); and Wa National Organization (WNO) - that was excluded from signing the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement in 2015 with the then ruling government led by President Thein Sein.

According to Myanmar Peace Monitor, in 2016 a total of 309 clashes broke out between the Burmese armed forces and TNLA troops in northern Shan State.

On April 10, Shan Herald reported that three villagers were reportedly killedamid fighting between the TNLA and government forces in Kyaukme Township. And earlier this month, an old woman was shot dead and three others injured in Namkham Township. Both incidents occurred in northern Shan State.

"We can't do anything with this fighting going on," said Shan lawmaker Nang Jarm Hom. "We are helping the villagers as much as we can. But what we really need is an end to these hostilities."

By Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN)
Posted by at No comments:

Monday, May 15, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Rangoon Survey Reveals Nearly 6,000 Heritage Buildings

Posted: 15 May 2017 06:13 AM PDT

RANGOON—An on-going survey conducted by Yangon Heritage Trust has revealed that the former capital has nearly 6,000 heritage buildings across the city.

The non-governmental organization advocating for heritage protection in the city has been carrying out the Urban Heritage Inventory since it was founded in 2012. So far it has logged nearly 6,000 heritage buildings—some dating back to British colonial times—in nine townships in the downtown area and its surroundings.

According to the trust's director and vice chairperson, Daw Moe Moe Lwin, the number will soon be higher as the survey is expanding to other townships that have old buildings.

"We documented every old building that is architecturally and historically significant—from religious buildings to government buildings to private residences," she said, explaining that the survey was done by photographic observation of the exterior of the constructions and their whereabouts.

"The survey can help you understand what kind of urban heritage Rangoon has. It can help in many ways… in city planning, mapping and tourism. Of course, it can make officials be more considerate when it comes to development, too," she added.

It is the first comprehensive survey to cover the citywide urban heritage. Yangon City Development Committee has also listed places reflecting the city's heritage, but it focuses solely on landmark religious and British colonial era buildings, and excludes private mansions built during and after the colonial era.

The survey comes at a time when Rangoon's heritage buildings are threatened by development. Some heritage buildings have been torn down in the past to make way for modern buildings.

The post Rangoon Survey Reveals Nearly 6,000 Heritage Buildings appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Five Bodies Found in Buthidaung

Posted: 15 May 2017 06:07 AM PDT

RANGOON — Border police unearthed five bodies in Tin May village tract of Buthidaung Township, Arakan State on Saturday afternoon.

The five men were allegedly killed in an accident with an improvised explosive device near Thae Ne village on May 3, police official Ko Kyaw Kyaw of nearby Kyi Kan Pyin border post told The Irrawaddy on Monday.

The bodies were discovered after police launched an investigation in the area on May 5 and found materials that could be used in manufacturing explosives, the police officer said.

One body was found on May 7 with the help of local residents and village administrators, he said.

According to the police officer, local villagers testified to border police that two of the deceased were Pakistanis providing militant training in the area.

Police did not obtain any official identification to verify the men's nationalities.

A resident of Buthidaung Township who works at a government school told The Irrawaddy over the phone on Monday that local sources had reported that the deceased were all from the village and surrounding area, and were not foreigners.

Authorities transferred the bodies to Buthidaung general hospital for medical examination on Sunday.

A State Counselor's Office statement on Monday stated that five bodies had been found and police were investigating.

The post Five Bodies Found in Buthidaung appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

More Than 200 Civilians Flee Villages Amid Rising Tensions in Northern Shan State

Posted: 15 May 2017 05:42 AM PDT

RANGOON — More than 200 internally displaced persons (IDPs) including ethnic Shan and Palaung (Ta'ang) civilians have arrived in Namtu Township, northern Shan State, since last week, pressuring the town's dwindling IDP camp food supplies, according to community leaders.

The new civilians fled Sai Kaung, Paung Ngu, Nat Myit Choung and Har Lin villages, said IDP camp leaders, after heightening tensions flared between the Burma Army, the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA).

U Aung San Myint, a community leader of Namtu who helps settle and feed IDPs, said about 260 people have arrived since May 11; 30 Palaung and the rest Shan.

"There has been no fighting yet," he said from Shwe Pyi Thar, a Buddhist monastery near Namtu where the Shan IDPs are staying. "But they are worried that there will be fighting soon, so they fled their villages.

"We managed to provide them with food that was donated to us. They have enough for only a few days."

Myanmar Relief and Resettlement Department members gave each new IDP two longyis, a towel, a mosquito net, soap, and 2,500 kyats today, added U Aung San Myint.

More than 500 IDPs including Shan, Palaung, Kachin, and Lisu, stay in separate camps in Namtu, according to Sai Ba Nyan, the volunteer vice chairman of the IDP camps. He said they could only provide the town's IDPs with rice and cooking oil.

"We gave the new IDPs food that was donated. We even asked for help from authorities and civil society groups," he said.

Many of the IDPs fled their villages over the past few years, he added, and some look outside the camps for work, as they do not have enough food. Camp leaders said many IDPs rely on local donations for food.

The Burma Army, the RCSS, the TNLA, and the Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) are based in Namtu. Fighting often breaks out in the surrounding areas.

The Burma Army and the RCSS have reportedly stopped fighting, as the RCSS signed the nationwide ceasefire agreement. Most of the fighting occurs between the Burma Army and the TNLA, or the RCSS and the TNLA.

The post More Than 200 Civilians Flee Villages Amid Rising Tensions in Northern Shan State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

USDP Refuses to Make Recommendations to Arakan State Advisory Commission

Posted: 15 May 2017 05:24 AM PDT

RANGOON— Burma's main opposition and former ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) refused to make recommendations to the Arakan State Advisory Commission in a meeting on Sunday.

Members of the Kofi Annan-led Arakan State Advisory Commission met with USDP chairman U Than Htay and the party's central executive committee members on Sunday. They previously met with the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party's central executive committee members in Rangoon on Friday to discuss their upcoming final report.

"The commission explained what they had done and asked for comments on their interim report [launched in March] and recommendations for their final report," Dr. Nanda Hla Myint, a USDP spokesperson who was in the meeting, told The Irrawaddy.

The commission will submit a final report to the government in August.

"Since its formation, we have announced that we don't recognize the commission. So, as a party, we refused to comment," Nanda Hla Myint said.

The USDP objected to the formation of the commission, stating that the government was allowing foreign interference in internal affairs.

State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi founded the commission in August last year as an impartial body to recommend "lasting solutions to complex and delicate issues" in Arakan State. It is composed of six locals and three international experts, and is chaired by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

"Though we didn't make any recommendations, our chairman and party's CEC members – who have served as Union foreign, border and immigration affairs ministers and handled Arakan State issues in the past – shared their personal experience on the issues," said Nanda Hla Myint.

USDP chairman U Than Htay said the party's objection to the commission still holds. He also said the citizenship verification process in Arakan State has been delayed as changing race and ethnicity classifications has been prioritized over gaining citizenship – referring to the Rohingya Muslims, who have long been stateless and kept in apartheid-like conditions in Burma, which does not recognize them as citizens but instead as interlopers from Bangladesh.

The members of the commission also met with the Burma Army chief Snr-Gen Min Aung on Monday.

The Irrawaddy was unable to reach commission members for comment at the time of publication.

The post USDP Refuses to Make Recommendations to Arakan State Advisory Commission appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

KBZ Employee Arrested for Forging Banknotes

Posted: 15 May 2017 05:15 AM PDT

RANGOON and MOULMEIN – A junior clerk from a branch of Burma's largest private bank, KBZ, in Karen State's Hpa-An Township was arrested for possession of forged bank notes in Thaton Township of Mon State on Friday, according to Thaton Township police.

Police arrested the 22-year-old junior clerk Chit Ko Ko Lin in a guesthouse in Thaton and discovered a bag with 48 forged bank notes as well as templates and printing machines. He remains in police custody.

The senior managing director of KBZ U Nyo Myint confirmed that the staff member, who very recently joined the Hpa-an branch, had been arrested.

He claimed that as the incident happened outside of office hours and in a neighboring township, KBZ had no responsibility or connection to the issue.

He acknowledged that police opened the case against Chit Ko Ko Lin under Articles 105 and 106 of the Central Bank of Myanmar Law—enacted during former president Thein Sein's administration.

The company would not file a separate lawsuit as Chit Ko Ko Lin had already been expelled for misconduct, he added.

Article 105 states that those using counterfeit currency can be imprisoned for a maximum of three years, or a fine, or both. Article 106 issues a punishment of between 10 and 20 years in prison for issuing counterfeit currency.

U Nyo Myint said it was the first such arrest of staff in decades.

He was a little concerned that the case would damage KBZ's reputation and reiterated that the crime could not have been committed at the bank as they use counterfeit currency detecting machines.

"There is certainly no reason this should damage our image," he said, adding, "I would like to encourage our customers to absolutely believe us and move forward as normal."

The post KBZ Employee Arrested for Forging Banknotes appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Heavy Wind Kills Two and Injures Six in Sagaing

Posted: 15 May 2017 04:05 AM PDT

MANDALAY — Heavy wind killed two people, injured six, and destroyed dozens of homes in Kani Township, Sagaing Division, as strong winds hit the region for the second time this month.

A woman in her 50s and her 20-year-old son died when their home collapsed as the winds hit Quarter No. 3.

"Quarter No. 3 suffered the most damage. Almost all of the homes in the quarter were destroyed," said U Tun Tun Naing, a Sagaing divisional lawmaker from Kani Township.

Six other people were injured and are currently hospitalized at Kani General Hospital, while some 100 homes, and government and office buildings, were destroyed.

The lawmaker said the town needs aid to rebuild, as this is the second incident this month.

"Some of the homes were just renovated when the wind struck again. Without aid, reconstruction will be difficult," he said.

Heavy winds on May 6 destroyed some 600 homes in the region.

Sagaing Division Chief Minister U Myint Naing visited the area on Monday and said the divisional government was planning to give financial support to the families who suffered fatalities, injuries and loss of property.

Strong winds and heavy rains, signs of the upcoming monsoon season, hit upper Burma on Sunday, primarily in Sagaing and Mandalay.

Meteorologist U Tun Lwin forecasted that from Monday, monsoons would bring greetings of heavy wind, rain, hail and thunder to many regions of the country.

The post Heavy Wind Kills Two and Injures Six in Sagaing appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

The Entrepreneur Bringing Virtual Reality to Burma’s Classrooms

Posted: 15 May 2017 03:12 AM PDT

RANGOON — How can teachers embrace children's enthusiasm for technology, often used for entertainment and communication, to engage their students in learning and become better educators themselves in this technology-rich era?

Ma Hla Hla Win, a former educator and cofounder of non-profit education technology social enterprise 360°ed, believes that the latest virtual reality (VR) technology can help teachers in Burma learn from world-class teachers from around the globe how to connect with students and improve the country's antiquated teaching methods.

The Irrawaddy sat down with Ma Hla Hla Win to talk about how 360ed, cofounded with another educator and a Finnish tech expert late last year, aims to improve education through VR technology, and her dedication to the country's educational reform.

Could you tell us the background of 360ed and how it was initiated?

When I was at Harvard University taking a graduate course, I met a lot of graduate students from the education school and I visited a lot of schools in the Cambridge area. I wished I could bring [500,000] teachers from Myanmar [Burma] along with me to those classrooms. The classrooms were all 21st century learning classrooms preparing young learners to face 21st century challenges. I really wanted to share this experience with my Myanmar teachers. I really wanted to contribute to Myanmar's education reform.

On a visit to innovative schools in Silicon Valley, I was inspired, but also scared, by the pace of change and the way they were preparing young people. I am a mother, and I don't want my daughter to be replaced by a robot and artificial intelligence (AI). If we are training our children to just memorize what teachers teach them—without creativity or analytical skills or evaluation—our children will be replaced totally by robots and AI. We really need to change the system. But how do we do that? With the help of technology. I knew somehow that I needed to leverage technology. But I didn't know which tools to use.

I applied for a program called Global Solution Program at Singularity University—a Google think-tank on the NASA Research Campus. At the end of this program, we have to incubate an idea to impact 1 billion people in 10 years. I chose virtual reality technology and education: the intersection of education as a challenge and virtual reality as a tool.

Ma Hla Hla Win, cofounder of 360°ed photographed at her office space in Rangoon's Tamwe Plaza. (Photo: Tin Htet Paing/ The Irrawaddy)

How would classrooms change through your initiative?

Classrooms have two stakeholders; teachers and students. For the students, we have augmented reality (AR) interactive learning through textbooks. Every student has a textbook and parents have a phone. If parents can tutor their children with our app, they'll benefit students outside of the classroom. For teachers, we are helping them with professional development on a day-to-day basis. Any teacher in Myanmar will be able to teleport into any classroom around the world through VR technology to see how other teachers are teaching. It's never been possible before.

Some of the VR footage we are creating is also for students. For geography learning, we can now bring students to the locations that they are learning about. For example, to Kachin State or Hpa-an or Monywa. These places don't have to just be a spot on a map or a drawing in a book. Our apps are in two languages—both English and Myanmar.

What challenges are you facing?

Every day, we are hitting walls. First, this technology is very new so we don't have a person we can run to with all of our questions. The second barrier is the cost. This technology is expensive. The third problem is talent. There are only a few people in Myanmar who have technical knowledge about AR and VR. We really need corporate funding so that we can hire talented people to come and work with us. The more people we have, the faster we can grow. Right now we have 11 people, both part-time and fulltime.

Ma Hla Hla Win, cofounder of 360°ed photographed at her office space in Rangoon's Tamwe Plaza. (Photo: Tin Htet Paing/ The Irrawaddy)

Can Myanmar afford to equip its classrooms with this technology?

Yes, some VR headsets are expensive but one made out of cardboard is only 5,000 kyats. A lot of people already have smart phones, which are good enough to use VR and AR educational learning programs. Right now on YouTube, there is a lot of 360 degree footage and if you have a cardboard headset, it's liberation. You can visit anywhere in the world.

What content have you created so far?

Right now, we have partner schools. One of my cofounders is from Finland. He is filming the classrooms in Finland and other friends film their classrooms as well. We are filming classrooms here locally and talking with champion teachers to volunteer to film their classrooms. In 3-5 minute clips we edit the learnable moments and with narration, teachers can really understand what is going on. We ask them: What would you do in this situation? How would you respond differently? We are creating an interactive learning platform.

How many schools or teachers have worked with this technology?

The first beta test was in Mandalay with 128 private schools. The second one was the Children's Literature Festival, where we had about 10,000 attendees over a three-day period. The third one was at the Moulmein Children's Literature Festival with 3,000-4,000 attendees. The fourth test was at the InspireMe Festival at Myanmar Plaza in Rangoon.

Can you talk about your goal to impact 1 billion people?

That is the goal of the Singularity University scheme; it inspires us to impact 1 billion people in 10 years. But for me, I am starting with Myanmar. Next, I will expand next door to China and India. We already have some partners in China and are talking with some potential partners in India as well.

A virtual reality cardboard headset. (Photo: Tin Htet Paing/ The Irrawaddy)

What challenges will there be for classrooms to adopt this technology?

It needs a lot of first-time or early adopters who are willing to try it out. Not everybody will love it, I know. We need new and young teachers who are willing to learn and willing to change. I need this message to get to them that I need their help. I want them to try and learn with us and then they will help make a difference in every single child's life.

What are your targets beyond classrooms?

There is a UN channel that is using VR as an empathy machine to bridge between policymakers and people on the ground. People on the ground will be able to explain what they want to tell policymakers and we will give them the tools and training. They have stories in their head and they can capture that. Then we will create footage for policymakers to watch. We will let them feel what people on the ground are feeling. Later, we want to create a channel for policymakers with VR. But we need people who believe in the potential of this technology. We can train locals, give them skills, equip them with technology so they can be empowered and connected to the world.

We will be organizing many hack-a-thons in Myanmar free of charge. Over the period of two days, participants will pick up a new skill and create new products. I want Myanmar people to become creators again. We will be running a series of hack-a-thons, not just for VR but also for AR and all the new technologies that young people can benefit from. I want young people to join us.

This interview was edited for brevity and clarity.

The post The Entrepreneur Bringing Virtual Reality to Burma's Classrooms appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

NCA Signatories’ Team Urges Govt to Allow for Dialogue

Posted: 15 May 2017 02:35 AM PDT

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — A team providing leadership in the peace talks for eight signatories of the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) has urged the government to let two of its members hold national level dialogue before the second round of the 21st Century Panglong peace conference.

The Peace Process Steering Team (PPST), led by the Karen National Union (KNU) chairman Saw Mutu Say Poe, met in Chiang Mai, Thailand, over the weekend to discuss the prevention of the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) and the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) from conducting ethnic-based national-level political dialogues.

The dialogue collects public opinion on issues such as political rights, land disputes, and the environment, which will be shared by representatives at the Panglong conference—also known as the Union Peace Conference (UPC)—to begin on May 24.

The dialogues—based on region, ethnicity and theme—are a mandatory step in the process laid out by the NCA. The government, however, has not allowed the ALP to hold public consultations, citing the instability due to ongoing conflict in Arakan State.

The Burma Army's reluctance to allow the RCSS to gather the public in the Shan State capital Taunggyi has delayed the group's attempt for ethnic-based dialogue.

ALP vice chairman Khaing Soe Naing Aung said the PPST would send a letter to State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma Army commander-in-chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing asking for permission to allow his group to conduct national dialogue at a suitable place.

"The ALP is ready to conduct our dialogue, and we think it would just take a day to do so," he told The Irrawaddy on Sunday.

The ALP has formed a committee comprising its members, the Arakan National Party, and civil society members for the dialogue, said Khaing Soe Naing Aung, adding that they just need the government's permission to proceed.

"Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said Rakhine is a sensitive place to conduct national level dialogue at the moment," he said. "But we have other places that are not very sensitive, like Yangon, [southern Arakan townships] Thandwe or Kyaukphyu, which are not in northern Rakhine State. Our request has been repeatedly rejected."

The State Counselor turned down the ALP's request on April 24 to hold ethnic-based national level dialogue.

The situation in Arakan State has remained volatile since the Burma Army began "clearance operations" after militants attacked border police outposts there on Oct. 9; a Rohingya group calling itself Harakah al-Yaqin claimed responsibility for the attacks.

During the operations by security forces that followed, hundreds of Rohingya Muslims were reportedly killed and about 75,000 fled to Bangladesh, according to the United Nations.

U Khaing Soe Naing Aung said participants of the ethnic-based national-level dialogue would be of "Rakhine ethnicity and its sub-tribes," and there would be no representatives from the Rohingya community, a majority in northern Arakan but a minority in the state as a whole.

On Friday, the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC), led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, discussed recommendations collected at government-led events and from public consultations at national-level dialogues of the KNU, the Pa-O National Liberation Organization (PNLO), the Chin National Front (CNF), and the All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF).

The recommendations, categorized as political, economic, social, security, and land and environment, will be negotiated at the Union Peace Conference and, once they are agreed upon, signed as Union accords.

The RCSS has stated concerns that the views of people who live in its territory will not be heard at the Union Peace Conference.

"We do not want that to become an obstacle for the peace process, so we shared our concerns with the PPST and requested some time for us to find a way to overcome it," said Sai Laeng, a leading member of the RCSS's peace implementation committee.

Both the ALP and RCSS have stated that they will not skip the upcoming Union Peace Conference, regardless of whether they can hold national level dialogues before the conference.

Sai Laeng said the RCSS would consult with the Committee for Shan State Unity this week to find a way "to reflect the Shan State people's wishes in the peace process."

The post NCA Signatories' Team Urges Govt to Allow for Dialogue appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Refugees Asked To Visit Repatriation Center For Interviews  

Posted: 15 May 2017 02:25 AM PDT

MAE LA OON, Thailand — The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has invited refugees to discuss a voluntary repatriation plan in Mae La Oon camp, one of nine refugee camps in Thailand along the Thai-Burma border.

According to sources in the camp, the UNHCR invited refugees who expressed interest in returning to Burma to visit the volunteer repatriation center (VRC) office, which would facilitate return arrangements for the refugees.

However, The Irrawaddy reporter also found some people who were invited for interviews despite not wanting to return.

A refugee housewife, Ger Tha Moe (nickname) told The Irrawaddy in Mae La Oon camp: "I don't want to return home and I didn't contact them [VRC]. I don't know why they asked me to come in for an interview."

The invitation letter read: "the following persons are kindly requested to be at the place mentioned here below in the camp for the interview. Please take your UN Households registration with you."

Ger Tha Moe was requested at the VRC office on Tuesday.

"I will go and ask them [the UNHCR] if they can ask the Burma Army to withdraw its troops from my village. I want to know why they asked us to go home," added Ger Tha Moe.

Ger Tha Moe and her family have lived in several refugee camps in Thailand for more than two decades since fleeing northern Karen State, which is a Karen National Union's Brigade 5 controlled area.

Although the Burma Army and the KNU signed a ceasefire agreement, there are still Burma Army troops near many villages and some civilians do not feel safe returning home at this point.

"We dare not go home because there are Burma Army troops and landmines near our village. If they'll withdraw their troops, we'll go home right away on our own," said Ger Tha Moe.

She had previously applied for resettlement in the United States but her application is pending as she was told her husband did not qualify for the resettlement program because he did not live in a camp. Ger Tha Moe said he does live in a camp and has a UN registration card.

Vivian Tan, the spokesperson for the UNHCR in Asia, told The Irrawaddy in an email that she was not aware of this particular case and would have to look into it further.

"Refugees who are interested in voluntary repatriation can approach us at the VRC for more information," she said, adding, "If it was a misunderstanding, we will need to check with colleagues on the ground."

Sources in Mae La Oon refugee camp also told The Irrawaddy that several woman and families had been requested to visit the VRC office in the past month, many of whom were not interested in returning and had not contacted the VRC.

There are VRC offices in all nine refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border. They discuss safety and support for those who want to be repatriated.

As the peace process is underway and financial support has been declining along the border, the Thai and Burmese governments, as well as international non-governmental organizations, have been preparing for refugee repatriation in recent years.

There are more than 90,000 refugees living in the nine camps along the border.

Last month, international humanitarian agency The Border Consortium (TBC) also reduced a stipend given to about 10,000 community workers in the camps due to declining funding.

The post Refugees Asked To Visit Repatriation Center For Interviews   appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

All Ethnic Armed Groups Will Be Invited to Union Peace Conference

Posted: 15 May 2017 12:28 AM PDT

NAYPYIDAW — The Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC) decided at a meeting in Naypyidaw on Friday to invite all ethnic armed groups to the second Union Peace Conference.

"We will invite all groups, including NCA [nationwide ceasefire agreement] non-signatories and blocs such as the Northern Alliance as special guests. Despite their status, if groups sign a deed of commitment with the government in the run-up, they will be allowed to participate in discussions at the conference," said U Zaw Htay, director-general of the State Counselor's Office.

Although NCA non-signatories will be allowed to attend the peace conference, decision-making power will be still be vested in the UPDJC. It remains unclear if special guest status is equivalent to observer status, with groups being left on the sidelines if they choose not to sign the deed of commitment.

The peace conference will convene on May 24 and around 700 delegates from respective stakeholder groups will attend under the framework for political dialogue, according to the UPDJC.

"We don't allow foreign observers and we limit the number of local observers," he added.

The UPDJC meeting discussed six topics related to the political sector to be negotiated during this round of the conference: sovereignty, the practice of sovereignty, equality, self-determination, federal Union principles, and a multi-party democratic system.

The meeting reached an agreement on 21 political points, 10 economic points, four social issue points, and six points regarding land, resources and the environment, according to U Zaw Htay.

"All are federal principles. We've never had such agreements in our country before. All of the participants agreed that divisions and states should have their own constitutions for self-determination. The upcoming conference will be a milestone in the history of Myanmar," said U Zaw Htay.

While the right to draft individual constitutions is a breakthrough in the right for self-determination, the groups agreed that the 2008 military-drafted Constitution would still take precedence.

It is necessary to amend the 2008 Constitution to adopt constitutions for states that ensure equality, said Kachin ethnic leader Dr. Tu Ja, who attended the UPDJC meeting.

"If the Union Peace Conference agrees to adopt federalism, the [2008] Constitution must be changed and the Union Parliament must approve a new federal Constitution," he added.

The coming Union Peace Conference will hold group-based and sector-based discussions and make decisions through voting, according to U Zaw Htay.

Agreements made at each conference will be signed and become parts of a Union Accord. After all of the discussions are over, the complete and final Union Accord will emerge, he said.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post All Ethnic Armed Groups Will Be Invited to Union Peace Conference appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Businesses in Asia Disrupted by Cyber Attack

Posted: 14 May 2017 11:10 PM PDT

Asian governments and businesses reported some disruptions from the WannaCry ransomware worm on Monday but cybersecurity experts warned of a wider impact as more employees turned on their computers and checked e-mails.

The ransomware that has locked up hundreds of thousands of computers in more than 150 countries has been mainly spread by e-mail, hitting factories, hospitals, shops and schools worldwide.

While the effect on Asian entities appeared to be contained on Monday, industry professionals flagged potential risks as more systems came online across the region. Companies that were hit by the worm may be wary of making it public, they added.

"We're looking at our victims' profiles, we're still seeing a lot of victims in the Asia-Pacific region. But it is a global campaign, it's not targeted," said Tim Wellsmore, Director of Threat Intelligence, Asia Pacific at cybersecurity firm FireEye Inc.

"But I don't think we can say it hasn't impacted this region to the extent it has some other regions."

Michael Gazeley, managing director of Network Box, a Hong Kong-based cybersecurity firm, said there were still "many 'landmines' waiting in people's in-boxes" in the region, with most of the attacks having arrived via e-mail.

In China, the world's second-largest economy, energy giant PetroChina said payment systems at some of its petrol stations were hit, although it had been able to restore most of the systems. Several Chinese government bodies, including police and traffic authorities, reported they had been impacted by the hack, according to posts on official microblogs.

Japan's National Police Agency reported two breaches of computers in the country on Sunday – one at a hospital and the other case involving a private person – but no loss of funds.

Industrial conglomerate Hitachi Ltd. said the attack had affected its systems at some point over the weekend, leaving them unable to receive and send e-mails or open attachments in some cases. The problem is still ongoing, the company said.

Financial markets in Asia were unfazed on Monday by news of the cyberattack, with stocks mostly up across the region.

A spokesman for the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, one of the region's biggest bourses, said all systems were so far working normally. "We remain highly vigilant," he said.

A cybersecurity researcher in Asia who declined to be named said that while most banks globally had escaped damage, not all had installed patches in time.

The result was that some phishing e-mails slipped through and were activated by users, but were caught by other security systems in place.

At Indonesia's biggest cancer hospital, Dharmais Hospital in Jakarta, around 100-200 people packed waiting rooms after the institution was hit by cyber attacks affecting scores of computers. By late morning, some people were still filling out forms manually, but the hospital said 70 percent of systems were back online now.

Users Warned

Elsewhere in the region, companies warned users and staff not to click on attachments or links. One school in South Korea barred its pupils from using the internet. Taiwan's government appeared to have escaped major infection, possibly because regulations there require all departments to install software updates as soon as they are available.

South Korea's presidential Blue House office said nine cases of ransomware were found in the country, but did not provide details on where the cyber attacks were discovered.

In Australia, Dan Tehan, the government minister responsible for cybersecurity, said just three businesses had been hit by the bug, despite worries of widespread infection. There were no reported cases in New Zealand.

Cyber security experts said the spread of the ransomware had slowed since its appearance on Friday but that the respite might only be brief.

For one thing, the attackers or copycat attackers may have developed new versions of the worm, although a British-based security researcher who thwarted an earlier version of the worm told Reuters most of these reports had been proven false.

In Hong Kong, Gazeley said his team had found a new version of the worm that didn't use e-mail to lure victims.

Instead, it loaded scripts onto hacked websites where users who clicked on a malicious link would be infected directly. He said it was too early to tell how many websites had been affected.

Gazeley added that several major companies in Asia had been hit by the ransomware, but "the last thing they want to do is come out in public and admit it." He declined to elaborate.

In a blog post on Sunday, Microsoft President Brad Smith appeared to tacitly acknowledge what researchers had already widely concluded: The ransomware attack leveraged a hacking tool built by the US National Security Agency that leaked online in April.

The non-profit U.S. Cyber Consequences Unit research institute estimated that total losses would range in the hundreds of millions of dollars, but not exceed $1 billion.

Most victims were quickly able to recover infected systems with backups, said the group's chief economist, Scott Borg.

Infected computers appear to largely be out-of-date devices that organizations deemed not worth the price of upgrading or, in some cases, machines involved in manufacturing or hospital functions that proved too difficult to patch without possibly disrupting crucial operations, security experts said.

Microsoft released patches last month and on Friday to fix a vulnerability that allowed the worm to spread across networks.

 

The post Businesses in Asia Disrupted by Cyber Attack appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China Pledges $124 Billion for New Silk Road

Posted: 14 May 2017 09:53 PM PDT

BEIJING, China — Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged US$124 billion on Sunday for his new Silk Road plan to forge a path of peace, inclusiveness and free trade, and called for the abandonment of old models based on rivalry and diplomatic power games.

Xi used a summit on the initiative, attended by leaders and top officials from around the world, to bolster China's global leadership ambitions as U.S. President Donald Trump promotes "America First" and questions existing global free trade deals.

"We should build an open platform of cooperation and uphold and grow an open world economy," Xi told the opening of the two-day gathering in Beijing.

China has touted what it formally calls the Belt and Road initiative as a new way to boost global development since Xi unveiled the plan in 2013, aiming to expand links between Asia, Africa, Europe and beyond underpinned by billions of dollars in infrastructure investment.

Xi said the world must create conditions that promote open development and encourage the building of systems of "fair, reasonable and transparent global trade and investment rules".

Hours before the summit opened, North Korea launched another ballistic missile, further testing the patience of China, its chief ally. The United States had complained to China on Friday over the inclusion of a North Korean delegation at the event.

Massive Funding Boost

Xi pledged a major funding boost to the new Silk Road, including an extra 100 billion yuan ($14.50 billion) into the existing Silk Road Fund, 380 billion yuan in loans from two policy banks and 60 billion yuan in aid to developing countries and international bodies in countries along the new trade routes.

In addition, Xi said China would encourage financial institutions to expand their overseas yuan fund businesses to the tune of 300 billion yuan.

Xi did not give a time frame for the new loans, aid and funding pledged on Sunday.

Leaders from 29 countries attended the forum, as well as the heads of the United Nations, International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

Britain's finance minister told the summit his country was a "natural partner" in the new Silk Road, while the prime minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif, a close Chinese ally, praised China's "vision and ingenuity".

"Such a broad sweep and scale of interlocking economic partnerships and investments is unprecedented in history," Sharif said.

White House adviser Matt Pottinger said the United States welcomed efforts by China to promote infrastructure connectivity as part of its Belt and Road initiative, and US companies could offer top value services.

India refused to send an official delegation to Beijing, reflecting displeasure with China for developing a $57 billion trade corridor through Pakistan that also crosses the disputed territory of Kashmir.

"No country can accept a project that ignores its core concerns on sovereignty and territorial integrity," said Indian foreign ministry spokesman Gopal Baglay, adding that there were concerns about host countries taking on "unsustainable debt."

China plans to import $2 trillion of products from countries participating in its Belt and Road initiative over the next five years, Commerce Minister Zhong Shan said.

Unease Over Summit

But some Western diplomats have expressed unease about both the summit and the plan as a whole, seeing it as an attempt to promote Chinese influence globally. They are also concerned about transparency and access for foreign firms to the scheme.

Australian Trade Minister Steven Ciobo said Canberra was receptive to exploring commercial opportunities China's new Silk Road presented, but any decisions would remain incumbent on national interest.

"China is willing to share its development experience with all countries," Xi said. "We will not interfere in other countries' internal affairs. We will not export our system of society and development model, and even more will not impose our views on others."

"In advancing the Belt and Road, we will not re-tread the old path of games between foes. Instead we will create a new model of cooperation and mutual benefit," Xi said.

North Korea, which considers China its sole major diplomatic ally and economic benefactor, raised eyebrows when it decided to send a delegation to the summit.

The North Korean delegation largely kept a low profile at the summit, and there was no evidence that its presence had affected participation despite U.S. misgivings.

Financial Inclusiveness

Xi said the new Silk Road would be open to all, including Africa and the Americas, which are not situated on the traditional Silk Road.

"No matter if they are from Asia and Europe, or Africa or the Americas, they are all cooperative partners in building the Belt and Road."

The idea of cooperation and inclusiveness extends to funding projects and investments along the new trade routes, which are being developed both on land and at sea.

"We need joint effort among Belt and Road countries to boost financing cooperation," Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of China's central bank, said.

To sustain the projects, Belt and Road nations should allow companies to play a key role, as government resources are limited, Zhou said.

The active use of local currencies will also help to mobilise local savings, lower remittance and exchange costs, and safeguard financial stability, he said

At the forum, finance ministries from 27 countries, including China, approved a set of principles that will guide project financing along the new Silk Road.

Germany, which was not among the countries that approved the financing guidelines, said its firms were willing to support the Belt and Road initiative, but more transparency was needed.

Some of China's close allies and partners were at the forum, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

There were also several European leaders attending, including the prime ministers of Spain, Italy, Greece and Hungary.

Chinese state-run media has spared no effort in its coverage of the summit, including broadcasting an awkwardly-named English-language music video "The Belt and Road is How" sung by children from countries on the new Silk Road.

The post China Pledges $124 Billion for New Silk Road appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)