Friday, June 16, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


Satirist Released But Detention of Chief Editor Continues in Article 66(d) Case

Posted: 16 Jun 2017 08:22 AM PDT

RANGOON – The Voice Daily's satirical columnist Ko Kyaw Zwa Naing has been officially absolved from defamation charges under Myanmar's controversial Article 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law, but the publication's chief editor U Kyaw Min Swe was denied bail by a Bahan Township judge on Friday morning.

An army official brought charges against the pair for publishing an article in March that satirized the country's armed struggle and peace process. Both journalists were detained by Yangon's Bahan Township police on June 2, with trial proceedings being initiated the following day.

U Kyaw Min Swe and Ko Kyaw Zwa Naing—also known by his pen name British Ko Ko Maung—pledged to meet bail in line with Section 497(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which states that any person arrested without a warrant or summoned to the court can request temporary release with the permission of a judge. The attempt was dismissed by judge Daw Thara Phi Aung, who stated that the two journalists had failed to provide in a timely manner a medical recommendation that would justify the granting of bail.

During Friday's court hearing, lawyer U Myo Thein presented evidence of similar cases from other regions in Myanmar in which bail was granted, which he said set a precedent for the release of U Kyaw Min Swe.

Moreover, U Kyaw Min Swe's legal team stated that the editor has required prescriptions for stomach ulcers and liver issues while in Yangon's Insein prison. Lawyer and legal adviser U Khin Maung Myint requested a document stating as much from an Insein cell official, but he told the court that the individual reportedly would not cooperate.

Lawyer U Myo Thein relayed a contact number for Insein Prison to the judge at the court hearing, recommending that she call and confirm U Kyaw Min Swe's health condition. This Irrawaddy reporter was present at the court and noted that Judge Thara Phi Aung did not appear to make a phone call before declining bail to the defendant.

The judge emphasized that Article 66(d) does not require that bail be granted to the accused.

Ko Kyaw Zwa Naing is pictured after his release from detention on Friday. (Photo: Thet Htun Naing / The Irrawaddy)

Ko Kyaw Zwa Naing, who was released, spoke to reporters near the entrance of the court after having his handcuffs removed. He stated that police had reportedly requested the opinion of the ministry of transport and communications concerning whether his prosecution was necessary.

Because the article was published in print—rather than online—a decision was reportedly made that defamation charges under the Telecommunications Law were unfitting. Yet, as the individual responsible for The Voice Daily as a media outlet, he said it was also determined that the prosecution of U Kyaw Min Swe would proceed.

"I was put in jail almost 14 or 15 days before the court decided whether the trial would continue…Although there has not been a conviction by a court in this case, [U Kyaw Min Swe] has had to spend time in jail. I am really sorry for Ko Kyaw Min Swe and I will stand with him," Ko Kyaw Zwa Naing told reporters.

Nearly 100 journalists came to Friday's court hearing for U Kyaw Min Swe, wearing white armbands embossed with the phrase "Freedom of Press." The Committee for the Protection of Myanmar Journalists also distributed flyers to the public in downtown Yangon, outlining their position on Article 66(d), and its implications for netizens.

The Committee for the Protection of Myanmar Journalists holds a public awareness campaign near City Hall in Yangon on Friday. (Photo: Thet Htun Naing / The Irrawaddy)

Since the Telecommunication Law was enacted in 2013, nearly 70 defamation cases have been filed under the statute, according to a local research group led by Maung Saung Kha, a poet who was jailed under the same charge in 2016.

On Thursday, three Magwe-based journalists were charged with violating Article 66(d) by a village administrator for a social media post which accused a village of building huge brick kilns, raising environmental and legal concerns.

The post Satirist Released But Detention of Chief Editor Continues in Article 66(d) Case appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Norwegian Firm Wins Contract for Dam Impact Assessment

Posted: 16 Jun 2017 08:10 AM PDT

Norwegian engineering consultancy Multiconsult has been appointed by Norway's state-owned SN Power to carry out an environmental and social impact assessment for the Middle Yeywa dam in upper Myanmar.

The dam is slated for a section of the Myitnge River, also known as the Namtu River, some 50 miles east of Mandalay.

SN Power signed a memorandum of understanding with Myanmar's previous government in 2014 to develop the dam and began a feasibility study the following year.

Multiconsult project manager Jens Laugen said in a company statement this week, "Our first job will be to check the quality of past environmental studies and ensure that the project can be executed responsibly and sustainably. It will be important to build on the dialogue that SN Power has had to date with the local people."

SN Power is considering various possible development options for a 43-mile stretch of the waterway between two other hydropower projects on the same river system, the statement said.

"The impact assessment involves assessing the various options and proposing a solution that safeguards the needs of the environment and local communities," it added.

The Middle Yeywa dam would generate an estimate of up to 690 megawatts of electricity, equivalent to 15 percent of the country's installed capacity, according to the statement.

The Namtu River is a major tributary of the Irrawaddy River and a number of dams have been proposed or built along its course.

The Upper Yeywa dam, slated for the Kyaukme area of northern Shan State, has aroused considerable local opposition amid a backdrop of conflict, displacement and fighting in the project area.

Multiconsult's past contracts include impact assessments for the controversial Nam Theun 1, Nam Thuen 2 and Theun Hinboun dams in Laos.

The company employs 2,300 staff and announced a 16 percent rise in revenue to US$350 million in its latest annual report. It is aiming to "double in size" by 2020, according to the report.

In Myanmar, the firm is also advising the energy ministry in relation to the development of the Tha-Htay and Upper Kengtung hydropower stations, according to its statement.

This year SN Power entered into an agreement with AboitizPower of the Philippines to jointly develop potential hydro power plants in Myanmar and Indonesia, according to other reports.

The post Norwegian Firm Wins Contract for Dam Impact Assessment appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Policeman in Bogale Township Charged Under Monogamy Law

Posted: 16 Jun 2017 05:03 AM PDT

PATHEIN, Irrawaddy Division — A police sub-lieutenant in Bogale Township was detained on Tuesday after his second wife filed a complaint under the Monogamy Law.

Police sub-lieutenant Nyi Nyi Aung dated a government teacher in the township. The two later eloped, after which she discovered he was already married and had children.

Police Capt. Ngwe Soe confirmed the detention at the township police station.

The teacher moved in with her parents after discovering her husband was already married. Nyi Nyi Aung continually showed up at her home and school, disturbing her and leading her to file the complaint, according to her neighbors.

"As soon as she found out he had a wife and kids, she moved in with her parents. But he would not accept the separation," a neighbor told The Irrawaddy, on the condition of anonymity.

An investigation is ongoing. If the sub-lieutenant is found guilty, he will be punished according to the police code of conduct and be brought to court.

Designed and endorsed by nationalist monk group formerly known as the Association for Protection of Race and Religion or Ma Ba Tha—now called the Buddha Dhamma Charity Foundation—the legislative package known as the race and religion protection laws, which included the monogamy law, was approved by the Union Parliament on Aug. 31, 2015 under U Thein Sein's administration.

The law targeted Muslim men as Ma Ba Tha falsely attributed Muslim polygamy to an increasing Muslim population in the country. In practice, the law has been applied to Buddhist men who are unfaithful to their wives.

The law allows a third party to file complaints against extramarital affairs and prescribes an imprisonment of up to seven years and/or a fine.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Policeman in Bogale Township Charged Under Monogamy Law appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Coal-Powered Cement Plant Starts Production Despite Local Opposition

Posted: 16 Jun 2017 04:57 AM PDT

MOULMEIN, Mon State — A 500-ton cement factory has started commercial operations in Kyaikmayaw Township, Mon State, despite opposition from locals over the coal-fired plant that will fuel it.

Mon State Chief Minister Dr. Aye Zan confirmed on Thursday the US$400 million project, run by Mawlamyine Cement Limited (MCL)—a joint venture between Thai firm Siam Cement Group (SCG) and Pacific Link Cement Industries—will be fueled by a coal-fired power plant built within the compound.

According to officials of Mon State's Myanmar Port Authority, nearly 200,000 tons of coal has been shipped from Moulmein Port to the plant along the Attaran River. Locals fear the plant will pollute the area and have protested about a lack of consultation.

Mon State Parliament Deputy Speaker Dr. Aung Naing Oo has called for new environmental and social impact assessments (EIA/SIA) in accordance with the environmental conservation regulations introduced by the government in 2015, but the state Chief Minister U Aye Zan said the EIA/SIA report published in 2014 was still valid.

"The government introduced environmental conservation regulations in 2015, which specified more details. But they conducted the EIA/SIA report at that time, so it is valid," U Aye Zan told reporters after the state Parliament session on Thursday.

On Feb. 18, about 7,000 locals from seven villages near the factory staged a protest against the coal-fired power plant. In April last year, locals sent a petition with 3,780 signatures to the President's Office, demanding the termination of the coal-fired power plant project.

Lawmaker Min Aung Mun of Kyaikmayaw Township (2) asked about the contribution of profits from MCL cement factory to regional development funds during a state Parliament session on June 15.

In the contract signed with the previous government, the company agreed to donate 2 percent of its profits one year after it had broken even, said the lawmaker.

But Min Htan Aung Han, the state minister for electricity, energy, and industry, replied that the plant started production on April 1 but had not yet profited, meaning contributions toward regional development had not been made.

Lawmakers have complained the contract does not specify how long it would take for the company to break even.

Mon State Chief Minister Dr. Aye Zan said he would review the contract and coordinate with the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) to amend it if necessary.

"I think [lawmakers] misinterpret the contract. Perhaps it means 2 percent of annual profits will be contributed," he told the press.

According to minister Min Htan Aung Han, MCL spent 62 million kyats in 2014, 1.6 billion kyats in 2015, 323 million kyats in 2016 and 338 million kyats in 2017 on corporate social responsibility works since it started the project in 2014.

Raw materials for the cement factory come from Mt. Pyataung in Kyaikmayaw Township.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Coal-Powered Cement Plant Starts Production Despite Local Opposition appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

A Frontline Dispatch From the Tanai Conflict

Posted: 16 Jun 2017 02:18 AM PDT

Under the heavy rain, I boarded a boat with a group of fellow reporters and made my way to a patch of Kachin Independence Army (KIA) territory threatened by the Myanmar Army about an hour from Tanai town.

Thousands of locals and migrants working the area's gold and amber mines have fled the surrounding villages of Tanai in Kachin State since fighting broke out between the KIA and the Myanmar Army, also known as the Tatmadaw, on June 6. Many of the internally displaced people (IDPs) have sought shelter in Tanai town.

But as we stepped off the boat, four KIA mining officers awaited us, looking pleased to have the company. They had not yet received orders to leave, although the other mining workers had left, and so these were our guardians for the trip.

One of the men, Myit Aung, an acting officer appointed in January, told us to sit in a small shop for a while before going to the mines, which are based on land controlled by Battalion No. 14 under KIA Brigade No. 2. On June 15, shop owners were packing up and closing their businesses. They would leave from the same modest dock where we had arrived, but a few shops remained open.

An ethnic Kachin food vendor coerced her dog onto the boat, but the stubborn pet refused to budge. "Ah, the dog does not want to become an IDP," one of our company reflected.

Myit Aung then offered us some beer, with the assurance that it "was a type of medicine to make you feel brave on the way to the front line."

We used it to wash down our meals, and climbed into a car, listening to music with the KIA security as we drove to the mines. The rebel land we passed felt safer than the government-controlled areas.

KIA prepare for conflict with the Myanmar Army. (Photo: Lawi Weng/The Irrawaddy)

Myit Aung said we would have no problems traveling in the KIA-controlled parts, but later he pointed toward a Tatmadaw base about two miles away. In the amber-rich land of Noi Je Bum Patserm Maw, which has seven mining areas, officer Nan Nan Aung told us they had killed a pig for lunch. At 2 p.m. KIA soldiers brought us plates of meat.

Back in the car, we drove another two hours to Chyasam Hka—the last KIA post on the frontline. The area was dense with rebel soldiers, who planned to fight in bunkers drenched by the seasonal rains, though it did not seem to deter them. A KIA colonel pointed toward Inn Kar Kar village, saying it was about 10 minutes away. "You will see the Myanmar Army there," he said.

The colonel did not stay at the post for long, as they feared an imminent attack. Both sides had troops monitoring the other side's movements.

At 4 p.m. we traveled to Nam Kham village, where we met Dashi Naw Tawng, the head of the village. Nam Kham's 300 or so houses had mostly been abandoned—Dashi Naw Tawng's own family had left for Kachin state capital Myitkyina—but he was

adamant not to leave his house. He was "not afraid of fighting."

"I know how to get out of here if I have to leave," he added.

He gave us dinner at his house, encouraging us to drink as much beer as we wanted, as the drinks would probably have to be abandoned with the rest of his shop.

We spent the night back in the mining area, once a bustling community of thousands, where the Myanmar Army used the power of paper instead of arms to force out the residents. They dropped leaflets from helicopters – warning people they would attack and accusing the KIA of destroying the environment with mines.

"In my eyes, they tried to block the income of the KIA by stopping the mining," said Myit Aung. Judging by the ghost town, the strategy was a success.

"They are not attacking on the basis that the mining is damaging the environment," he added. "We did not have a big mining project here; only mobile mining, that's all. They should stop mining in Hpakant first if they care about the environment."

A gold mine under KIA control in Kachin State. (Photo: Lawi Weng/The Irrawaddy)

The post A Frontline Dispatch From the Tanai Conflict appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

The Failed UN Mission in Myanmar

Posted: 16 Jun 2017 02:10 AM PDT

This week we saw two news headlines related to a failed UN mission in Myanmar.

The first read that Renata Lok-Dessallien, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, would be leaving her post prematurely, before the end of the typical five-year term.

Internal UN documents prepared for the new UN Secretary-General described the Myanmar office as "glaringly dysfunctional" with "strong tensions" between different parts of the UN system, BBC News reported earlier this week.

Reliable news sources reported that Lok-Dessallien had been criticized for not doing enough regarding human rights abuses in Myanmar. In fact, this is not the only issue. It is just tip of the iceberg.

The UN in Myanmar is not only dysfunctional. It also faces structural problems and lacks a core strategy or a coherent policy for how to counter the challenges that Myanmar faces.

Yangon-based diplomatic sources also say the chain of command between the UN office in Myanmar and the UN headquarters is unclear.

If the UN cannot fix these existing issues and reposition itself to engage in Myanmar, there is a huge risk that it will become more and more irrelevant in the country, which needs outside assistance. Watching this saga play out, some have said it is time to 'shake the coconut trees.'

The other UN news story was in regards to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's visit to Sweden and her comments that a UN probe into alleged human rights abuses by Myanmar's military against the Rohingya people last year would inflame ethnic tensions. The State Counselor said she would only accept recommendations from a separate commission led by former UN chief Kofi Annan.

There has been international pressure to look into abuses in Rakhine State, but why does the UN not also send a fact-finding mission to the areas of conflict in northern Myanmar? To be effective, it must be sensitive to local issues and take them into account.

This is not the first time we have encountered uneasy relations between the UN and Myanmar. The former repressive regimes had many issues with the UN body.

In the past, several UN human rights special rapporteurs and special envoys were appointed to visit Myanmar but later denied visas to enter the country.

Appointed UN special envoys such as Razali Ismail and Ibrahim Gambari faced heavy criticism and media exposure regarding alleged biases and business involvements as they had tried in vain to negotiate between ruling generals and then opposition party leaders led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. They landed in rough waters.

Special envoy Razali Ismail, for instance, was dogged by controversy stemming from his 30 percent stake in a Malaysian firm that had a contract with the regime to make electronic passports.

He left the job unfinished and Gambari took over.

The former Nigerian diplomat replaced Razali as special envoy but he was no more successful than his predecessor. He was ridiculed for taking part in a government-organized rally and activists and opposition members accused him of accepting lavish gifts from generals – an allegation that could not be confirmed but nonetheless, damaged his credibility early on.

His role as an "impartial adviser" was called into question by both sides, and Western influence was prevalent at the time. Indeed, the US was more important than the UN, as Washington threw its support behind the opposition, pressuring the regime and calling for the country to open.

The UN's lack of success in the past can be seen in the statements they issued at the time, rife with platitudes such as: "It is a source of disappointment that these visits did not yield tangible outcomes."

Similarly criticized was UN special envoy Vijay Nambiar who was appointed under Ban Ki-moon.

Embedded with former President Thein Sein and his peace team, Vijay Nambiar was seen in conferences but left many wondering what his purpose was. What were his mandates? What was the UN mission?

Not surprisingly, Nambiar's final departure did not end well.

In December last year, Vijay Nambiar said State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi should listen to her "inner voice" and ask the people of Myanmar "to rise above their ethnic, religious and other differences and to advance human dignity, harmony and mutual cooperation between all communities." This followed well-organized militant attacks on security forces on Oct. 9, 2016.

Nambiar appealed to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to visit Maungdaw and Buthidaung, where the majority of the Rohingya Muslim population lives.

The Myanmar President's Office spokesperson fired back, saying his statement ignored what had happened on the ground – the killing of nine policemen and looted ammunition.

The spokesman said that urging a country's leader to do something was an act of interference. Nambiar left, but diplomatic sources believed that the appointment of Nambiar and his contribution in Myanmar were nearly catastrophic (to put it mildly).

Asking Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to visit the strife-torn area was insensitive and Nambiar showed how out of touch he was despite five years spent going in and out of the country.

Myanmar's troubled relations with the UN are ironic considering that the country produced a top UN diplomat in the 1960-70s, when U Thant was the first non-European to serve as UN Secretary-General. He played a part in helping to resolve several international issues including the Cuban missile crisis and the war in the Congo.

Myanmar is going through a critical and fragile political transition. But capable and knowledgeable people with institutional memory are not being appointed to the country.

Myanmar faces not only challenging political issues and crises but also humanitarian crises where the UN has failed. Today, many Myanmar people view the UN as irrelevant and hardly capable of addressing the country's existing issues.

As the US under President Trump loses its focus on Asia and Myanmar (one of Obama's foreign policy success stories), it is time for the UN to do some soul searching and look to Myanmar with a fresh perspective and new energy, if the political will is there.

There is no question that Myanmar has both potential and challenges, and it is time for the UN to engage with a more comprehensive Myanmar policy.

There are many areas the UN can help with including raising economic, social, cultural and human rights standards, as well as increasing access to health, education and political rights. Furthermore, the UN can engage in issues such as climate change, peace building and sustainable development.

Myanmar could be a UN success story if the organization appointed an effective coordinator – with extensive knowledge of the country; experience dealing with a powerful army, ethnic leaders, government officials and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi; and an understanding of the nuanced and complex situation on the ground.

It is time to shake up the coconut trees.

The post The Failed UN Mission in Myanmar appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Three Magwe-based Journalists Charged Under Article 66(d)

Posted: 16 Jun 2017 02:00 AM PDT

YANGON — Three reporters based in Magwe Township were charged by a village-tract administrator under Article 66(d) of Myanmar's Telecommunications Act.

U Htay Lwin, administrator of Mel Hla Taung village-tract filed a complaint with Magwe Township No. 2 Police Station against U Tin Shwe, editor-in-charge of local media outlet MGY News and Yatha Sone Journal, and reporters Ma Pu Pwint Nay Chi and Ma Zar Za San of the same outlet.

Police Sub-Lt Zaw Min Oo confirmed the complaint: "We have contacted [the journalists] to make an investigation," he said.

U Tin Shwe said he wrote a post about brick kilns in a village in Mel Hla Taung village-tract on his Facebook page on May 28, questioning their legality as the Magwe divisional government restricts brick kilns due to environmental concerns.

U Htay Lwin, administrator of Mel Hla Taung village-tract, accused U Tin Shwe of publishing misinformation as he mentioned the wrong village in his Facebook post, according to the police.

He said U Tin Shwe wrongly named the village where brick kilns were found as Myin Kin village, when it in fact was Thinbaw Seik village, damaging the reputation of Myin Kin village.

"I heard that I have been charged, but police have not yet informed me. Ma Zar Zar San was charged because she wrote a comment under my post. But, I don't know why Ma Pu Pwint Nay Chi was charged," U Tin Shwe told The Irrawaddy.

Ma Zar Zar San commented under U Tin Shwe's post that the violation of the ban on brick kilns was "unacceptable."

Since the enactment of the Telecommunications Act in 2013, there have been around 70 cases filed under Article 66(d)—seven under the previous government and more than 60 under the new government—according to a local research group led by former prisoner Maung Saung Kha, a poet who jailed under the same charge in 2016.

The post Three Magwe-based Journalists Charged Under Article 66(d) appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Tail of Crashed Military Aircraft Found

Posted: 15 Jun 2017 11:58 PM PDT

YANGON— After more than a week of search operations, part of the tail of a crashed Y-8 military aircraft was found in the sea on Thursday morning.

According to a Facebook statement issued by the Burma Army, plane debris was stuck in the net of a local fishing trawler that had joined the search along with other local fishers and Navy vessels. It was found seven and a half miles away from Dawei's Myinkhwa Bay.

Military ships used sonar to confirm that there was debris underwater, some of it 35 meters below.

It turned out to be a piece of the tail from the Y-8-200F transport plane that went missing after it crashed into the Andaman Sea last week, with Flight No. 5820 emblazoned on it.

Only a plane wheel had been recovered prior, while the fuselage still remains missing.

The Y-8 plane was carrying 122 soldiers, family members and crew on a weekly flight from Tanintharyi Division's Myeik to commercial capital Yangon. A total of 90 bodies have been recovered, so far.

Burma Army Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing told reporters at a ceremony to accept donations for victims of the tragedy on Sunday at Naypyidaw Command that it is the most serious accident that the military has faced.

"I feel deeply sorry about this incident. [Such an accident] never happened in the history of the military. It is a serious loss. I never expected it, never dreamed this could happen. It makes me very sad," he said.

The cause of the crashed plane is still unknown, although the military is cooperating in an investigation with the Chinese manufacturer of the plane.

The search for victims and debris continues.

The post Tail of Crashed Military Aircraft Found appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

UN Rights Expert Urges Myanmar to Protect Detained Rohingya Children

Posted: 15 Jun 2017 09:19 PM PDT

Myanmar should guarantee the rights and medical care of children from the Rohingya Muslim minority detained in an army crackdown launched in October, a UN human rights investigator said on Thursday.

Children as young as 10 were among hundreds of men detained on charges of consorting with Rohingya insurgents, Reuters revealed in March, citing a previously unreleased police document.

Thirteen juveniles were among more than 400 arrested since Oct. 9, when insurgents attacked police posts in northwestern Rakhine State, near the border with Bangladesh, according to the police document, dated March 7.

The insurgent attacks led to the biggest crisis of leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's first year in power, prompting some 75,000 Rohingya to flee the subsequent army crackdown to Bangladesh.

Speaking at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Yanghee Lee, the organization's special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, said children should not be "arbitrarily deprived of their liberty" and the government should guarantee their right to timely proceedings.

"I remind the government that children should be detained strictly as a last resort, for the shortest appropriate period of time, and must be treated with humanity and respect in a manner which takes into account their age," said Lee.

She also urged the government to investigate the death of a child who, according to the government, died because of ill health in February. The government did not report the death until last week, she said.

In April, a deputy executive director of the UN children's fund (UNICEF), Justin Forsyth, sought the release of the children while on a visit to Myanmar.

The United Nations, in report based on interviews with Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, said Myanmar's security forces had committed mass killings and gang rapes against Rohingya during their campaign, which could amount to crimes against humanity.

The military has denied the accusations, saying it was engaged in a legitimate counterinsurgency operation.

Myanmar's ambassador in Geneva, U Htin Lynn, did not directly address the issue of the detained children, limiting his remarks to say that the Convention of the Rights of the Child applied "equally to all children in Myanmar."

Lee also called on Myanmar to "fully cooperate" with a recently established UN fact-finding mission to investigate the alleged human rights violations by the military.

Suu Kyi has opposed the mission, saying this week it would create "greater hostility between the different communities."

On Thursday, ambassador U Htin Lynn echoed her comments:

"It will not help solve the problems Myanmar is facing in Rakhine State … We are ready to work with the international community on any advice or arrangements should they constitute part of the solution, not part of the problem."

The post UN Rights Expert Urges Myanmar to Protect Detained Rohingya Children appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

National News

National News


MP wants consumer education in syllabus

Posted: 15 Jun 2017 02:59 PM PDT

A motion urging the Union Government to include consumer education in the syllabus of the 6th, 7th and 8th grades was recorded at the Pyithu Hluttaw session held on Wednesday (June 14).

50 Bagan pagodas to be restored this year

Posted: 15 Jun 2017 02:53 PM PDT

The Department of Archaeology, National Museum and Library (Bagan) has identified 50 pagodas that are need of immediate restoration and restoration after carrying out a survey and classification based on the severity of damage on pagodas in the Bagan area.

New bill on vocational training in the works

Posted: 15 Jun 2017 02:44 PM PDT

The Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Bill, which is being drafted by the Ministry of Education, will be submitted to parliament soon, said Dr Aye Myint, director general of the Department of Technical and Vocational Education.

More missing piece from crashed aircraft located

Posted: 15 Jun 2017 02:40 PM PDT

The Aung Thu Kha fishing boat, which had been on a search and rescue mission for the Y-8F 200 Tatmadaw transport plane, reported yesterday that it had found something entangled in the underwater nets at about 8.15pm, according to the Commander-in-Chief's office.

Entrepreneurs vie for chance to go to Israel

Posted: 15 Jun 2017 02:22 PM PDT

Israel has invited Myanmar young entrepreneurs to compete for a trip to Israel at the famous Digital Life Design (DLD) 2017 summit, one of the greatest innovation festivals for entrepreneurs from all over the world.

Government urged to boost SMEs to create more jobs

Posted: 15 Jun 2017 02:18 PM PDT

Myanmar needs to maximise its agricultural, industrial and service sectors to push the country's economic growth and create more jobs.

Got a consumer complaint? There is an app for that

Posted: 15 Jun 2017 02:16 PM PDT

The Myanmar Consumers Union (MCU) launched an online consumer complaint system via a web online website and mobile application to protect consumer rights in Yangon.

Govt to acquire more snakes for anti-venom serum

Posted: 15 Jun 2017 02:13 PM PDT

The Myanmar Pharmaceuticals Factory, Insein, will buy 60 per cent more snakes for venom extraction in the 2017-18 fiscal year, said Daw Moe Moe Hlaing, its deputy factory manager.

100-million-year-old baby bird fossil preserved in amber found in Tanai

Posted: 15 Jun 2017 02:04 PM PDT

A baby bird fossil preserved in amber that is thought to be about 100 million years old has been found in Tanai township, Kachin State, according to a paper published recently in an international science journal.

Myeik Archipelago villagers help conserve coral reef

Posted: 15 Jun 2017 01:57 PM PDT

The first Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMA) in Myanmar have been identified and designated as fish conservation zones.

Thursday, June 15, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


Rakhine Protesters Demand UN Protect Buddhist Chakma in Bangladesh

Posted: 15 Jun 2017 07:55 AM PDT

YANGON – The Arakan National Party (ANP) led 300 people, including Buddhist monks and local Arakanese, in a protest outside the UN offices in Maungdaw Township, Rakhine State on Wednesday, urging the agency to protect the Buddhist minority Chakma in Bangladesh.

Police Maj Kyaw Mya Win confirmed that the demonstration was granted permission by the authorities to proceed and that the rally participants went to the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), located on the outskirts of Maungdaw Township, which shares a border with Bangladesh.

The demonstrators held signs written in English, stating: "We want justice! Where is the UN? Where is the human right? What is UN doing?"

The Chakma are locally known in Myanmar as ethnic Thet, a Rakhine sub-ethnicity also recognized as an indigenous tribe in Bangladesh.

Police Maj Kyaw Mya Win told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that hundreds of Chakma homes in Rangamati Langadu in the Chittagong hill tracts were set on fire on June 2 by a mob made up of members of the Bengali majority. One 75-year-old woman was killed, 300 houses destroyed, and hundreds of people from three villages were displaced.

The arson followed the June 1 murder of Bengali motorcycle taxi driver Nurul Islam Noyon, who was also reportedly an activist, according to the Dhaka Tribune. Rumors immediately circulated that Chakma men were responsible for Noyon's death, erupting in the burning of the homes of ethnic Chakma in the area. Locals described the mob violence as "communal," but noted that it had appeared law enforcement did little to halt it.

Buddhist Arakanese from Maungdaw now say that the Bangladesh-based branch of the UNHCR should encourage authorities to prevent further violence against the Chakma, and protect them within existing legal frameworks.

Last week, Myanmar's Union Solidarity and Development Party and 16 Rakhine civil society organizations released a joint statement demanding that the UN provide mediation to prevent attacks on the Chakma in Bangladesh, and to urge authorities to take action against the perpetrators.

In response to the conflict, the Bangladeshi police have prohibited large gatherings in the region and have arrested seven individuals in connection with the acts of arson; 400 have been reportedly charged, and a three-member team has been formed to probe the incident.

Atul P. Chakma, a resident from Arunacha town, near Rangamati, told The Irrawaddy that several Chakma civil society organizations will continue to protest against the authorities, demanding that they take action against the attackers.

The post Rakhine Protesters Demand UN Protect Buddhist Chakma in Bangladesh appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Minister: Mon State Police Have No Budget to Fight Drugs

Posted: 15 Jun 2017 05:43 AM PDT

MOULMEIN — The Mon State police force has no government allocated budget to combat drug distribution in the state, Col Win Naing Oo, Mon State's security and border affairs minister, told state lawmakers during the parliamentary session on Thursday.

"We don't have any budget allocated by either the Union government or the state government. We have to carry out [anti-drug activities] on our own," said the minister. This has led police to limit the crackdown on narcotics to what is possible with contributions from donors, he added.

"We need a budget to address the drug problem on a wider scale," Col Win Naing Oo said, who added that last year Mon State also lacked an anti-narcotics budget. It is not clear if there such budgets were in place under the former U Thein Sein-led government.

In 2016, a total of 283 drug cases were exposed and actions were taken against 425 individuals in connection with drug cases in Mon State, according to the minister.

From Jan 1 to May 31, a total of 114 drug cases came to light and 81,358 methamphetamine tablets were seized, Col Win Naing Oo added.

The minister said that arresting drug dealers is a risky business as police must obtain physical evidence, and, while working under cover, they often are asked to use the drugs they buy from dealers.

"We have to arrest them while they are selling [the drugs]. Dealers never sell to you right away. They ask you to use it, or inhale it. Only when the buyer uses it, do they believe the seller is a drug addict and will sell to them. So, it is risky," the minister explained.

He highlighted how the Mon State government runs free rehabilitation centers to address drug addiction, sponsors education campaigns for the public, and imposes harsh penalties on dealers.

On Thursday, the Mon State parliament approved the proposal of U Aung Kyaw Thu from Thaton Constituency (2), which urged the state government to adopt more effective approaches in curbing drug abuse among students.

His proposal was seconded by military representative Maj Thein Zaw, who said "not only students, but also people of all ages are abusing drugs in the state, which is a real cause for concern."

After the parliamentary session, Mon State chief minister Dr. Aye Zan told reporters that he would make sure there was an anti-narcotics budget in place for the state in the next fiscal year, but that it would be impossible to procure such funds for the current fiscal year.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Pathein Students Accused of Defamation Face Trial at District Court

Posted: 15 Jun 2017 02:14 AM PDT

PATHEIN, Irrawaddy Division — Pathein University students faced defamation charges at Pathein District Court on Wednesday after the military appealed last month's acquittal by the township court.

The Tatmadaw sued nine students of Pathein University for defamation under Section 500 of the Penal Code after they staged a drama critical of military clashes with ethnic armed groups during a peace event in Pathein on Jan. 9

The township court acquitted seven of the students on May 12, but the plaintiff, Lt-Col Aung Myo Khaing of the Tatmadaw's South Western Command, appealed to the district court.

"As the army was not satisfied with the township court's acquittal of the seven students, it appealed to the district court," Ko Min Min, one of the seven prosecuted students, told The Irrawaddy.

"But the township court did not send the dossier, so the trial will continue next week," he added.

Two other students—Ko Aung Khant Zaw and Ko Myat Thu Htet—are still facing trial at the township court. The court hearing for the two will be held on June 28.

"The township court has already acquitted [seven of the students], but the army appealed to the district court, so, I feel like the army is keen to put us behind bars," said Ko Aung Kaung Myat.

The students performed a satirical comedy in which a news agency interviewed supporters of conflict in Burma.

U Tun Tun Oo, leader of the Human Rights Activists Association in Pathein, is also facing trial at Pathein Township Court under Article 66 (d) of the Telecommunications Law for streaming the drama on Facebook.

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KIO Sentences Poppy Grower to Death for Killing Anti-drug Activist

Posted: 15 Jun 2017 12:55 AM PDT

YANGON — A tribunal of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) sentenced a poppy grower to death and another to seven years in jail for fatally shooting a member of an ethnic Kachin movement against opium.

Lahtaw Tu Sai, 19, a member of Pat Jasan – an anti-narcotics coalition of church and community activists – was reportedly killed, as poppy growers Nsan Naw Mai and Diapha Gam shot at Pat Jasan members who tried to destroy poppy fields in Tanai Township, Kachin State, on Jan. 15, 2016.

The tribunal sentenced Nsan Naw Mai to death and Diapha Gam to seven years imprisonment. Both men are from Tayawn village in Tanai Township. It is unclear whether the two men were detained throughout the trial process and when that process began.

Netizens shared reports of the ruling along with photos of the trial on June 13.

KIO information officer Lt-Col Naw Bu confirmed the news, but said he had not received an official letter from the ethnic armed group's leadership informing him of the verdict.

"As far as I can remember, the KIO tribunal hardly ever gives death sentences. But there were cases in which death sentences were commuted after an appeal," said Lt-Col Naw Bu.

Lt-Col Naw Bu said the KIO has implemented an anti-narcotics policy since 1963. The KIO has assigned staff to combat opium and drug production as well as drug deals in the state, he said. The group also punishes citizens and KIO staff involved in drug cases, he added.

Naw Tawn, a Pat Jasan leader in Tanai Township, told The Irrawaddy that he heard the KIO investigated the two poppy growers after the incident, but he was not aware of the details of the case or the workings of KIO's judicial system.

"I saw a post about the trial on Facebook, but we didn't receive an official letter informing us about it. I don't know exactly how the hearing took place," he said.

Pat Jasan was formed in April 2014 in reaction to the state's growing drug problem. Thousands of volunteers joined the movement, motivated by leaders of the Kachin Baptist Church (KBC).

The group runs awareness and education campaigns and rehabilitation centers. Its vigilante element arrests and prosecutes drug users and dealers, and destroys poppy fields.

Pat Jasan's activities came under the spotlight after 30 people were injured in a clash between poppy growers, a militia and Pat Jasan in February 2016. Since then, the group's vigilante activities have quieted.

Members of Pat Jasan asked the government to provide security in their plans to destroy poppy plantations in February this year, but the government did not respond, according to Naw Tawn, so it abandoned its plans. He said, however, it still runs education campaigns and rehabilitation centers for drug addicts.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Nowhere to Go For Yangon Squatters Driven Out for New ‘Eco Green City’

Posted: 14 Jun 2017 10:04 PM PDT

RANGOON – A mother of two small children, Daw Tin Mar Win gazed on as a group of men demolished her bamboo thatched house with chainsaws, and cut down the mango trees that had surrounded it.

On Monday, nearly 400 tenants saw their shelters destroyed by authorities who deemed them "landlord squatters"—local property owners who unlawfully—and often unknowingly—purchase and then live on, government land. The destruction occurred in Kyauk Aing village of Hlegu Township, located near the Yangon-Naypyitaw highway.

Although Daw Tin Mar Win's family has been living for almost two decades near Kyauk Aing, her house was labeled as a "new arrival." She was allowed little time to pack her household goods before the house was taken down.

Her family begged the police officer overseeing the operations to spare the home, but the police carried out what they said was an order from the government.

"My child will return home from school in the next few hours. Where should we sleep, when the rain is coming?" she said, looking up at the clouds gathering in the sky.

Eco Green City Project

This removal is not the squatters' first such experience. In 2015, Yangon's then chief minister U Myint Swe bulldozed the entire slum, but as a long-term resident, Daw Tin Mar Win's house was allowed to remain. Thousands of dwellers fled to neighboring villages. But the problems persisted, as vacant land in Hlegu filled with new arrivals.

When the National League for Democracy (NLD) government took office in April 2016, newly appointed Yangon Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein vowed to relocate the squatters to appropriate places elsewhere in Yangon after completing the documentation of a "real squatter" list. The government promised to take action against those who were occupying the land "dishonestly."

In 2016, the regional government sent warning letters to Hlegu squatters asking them to leave state-owned land to make room for new buildings. The squatters' location on more than 1,450 acres of land has been designated for the development of the "Eco Green City" project by the Alliance Stars Group of Companies.

The Ministry of Construction and the private developer signed a profit-sharing contract in 2016 lasting eight years, laying out plans for an affordable housing project, an international school, hospital, and golf resort as well as a rest area, according to a director within the construction ministry, who asked to remain anonymous.

Village resident Daw Tin Mar Win lived in Kyauk Aing village for almost 20 years. (Photo: Moe Myint / The Irrawaddy)

According to him, the company will set up 4,000 units of housing, but the government and the company have reportedly not yet discussed shareholding arrangements.

U Yu Khine, director general of the housing department in Yangon Division, said that the project is likely to begin after the squatters have been removed from a designated two-mile area.

"Most of the people living here are landlord squatters," he said. The process of "landlord squatting" can involve local property owners leasing government land to new arrivals in the area who are homeless.

The regional government deployed nearly 200 police and hired more than 1,000 people from various villages in Hlegu in order to demolish the homes of 4,000 unlawful residents on the land on Monday.

Some villagers said that they were offered 100,000 kyats per day to assist the police in tearing down the squatters' homes. The police allowed the use of machetes, axes and crowbars, as well chainsaws, in the demolition.

The Irrawaddy learned that some tenants' houses were empty when forces came in to tear them down. Villagers from Kyauk Aing also acknowledged that many people bought the land at a low price and built up huts in fields, without living in them full-time.

Police Brig-Gen Mya Win supervised the crackdown and ordered the police to open fire if the squatters responded aggressively to the destruction efforts. In the afternoon, four men and one woman were detained by police for obstructing the clearance of homes.

U Aung Tun, a villager who accompanied the authorities to remove squatter huts, told The Irrawaddy, "we are commanded to carry this out by the government. So we have to follow orders."

Some police officers said that they were upset by the removal of houses of "real" squatters, referring to those families who had been living for decades on the outskirts areas of Kyauk Aing village.

VIDEO: Police and Hired Heavies Clear Squatters in Yangon's Hlegu Township

Posted by The Irrawaddy – English Edition on Sunday, June 11, 2017

'A Cruel Crackdown'

Daw Khine Su Yin—mother to a one-year-old child—displayed a document stating that she had bought a plot of land for 1.2 million kyats from a Kyauk Aing villager three months ago, issued by a Kyauk Aing administrative official. She has since heard that the land is owned by the government. She constructed a house on the plot with bamboo poles and roofed it with thatched sheets.

"I did not think such a cruel crackdown would happen in Mother Suu's administration," she said, referring to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's de-facto leader.

Daw Khine Su Yin is originally from Karenni State. She came to Yangon to find a job and later got married. In past years, they lived in the Hlaing Tharyar industrial zone, but monthly rental fees increased significantly in recent years, leading them to purchase cheap land near Hlegu in order to save money.

Daw Khine Su Yin's situation is unfortunately not unique. Stories of resellers "cheating" the poor through the false sale of government land is frequent along the highway, where tens of thousands of houses have been built, making up such villages as Yadana Aung, Aung Yadana, Sein Lan, Gant Gaw Kyun and Aung Thu Kha.

Two months ago, this The Irrawaddy reporter met with the head of the village development committee in Yadana Aung, U Pyone Cho, who was issuing land ownership documents to new arrivals. He admitted that they are trespassing on government property, but said that they were providing land for homeless people at affordable prices.

According to him, the buyers need to bring a recommendation letter from the quarter's administrative official to be granted land.  The committee sold a 40-by-60-foot plot for between 100,000 and 500,000 kyats in early 2017.

"We are helping those who really need space to live," said U Pyone Cho.

At the time of The Irrawaddy's visit, some squatters had been building a steel structure market and preparing to build a school. Hundreds of houses were empty during the daytime hours. The committee has requested several times that the Union government allow them to establish a new village on vacant land.

U Pyone Cho said, "Actually, this is vacant land and the government has developed nothing, but, when the place is little bit good to live on, then the authorities force us to leave. It has happened twice in past."

Village resident Daw Khine Su Yin looks on as police and hired heavies dismantle homes and other structures. (Photo: Moe Myint / The Irrawaddy)

Plans for Resettlement

During a press conference on Tuesday marking achievements of the first year of the NLD administration, Yangon Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein told reporters that they had heard that some people were selling government property rights beside the main entrances roads in the commercial capital. Some assumed, he said, that the land would become developed, like a city

"I would like to say that that will never happen," U Phyo Min Thein said.

He added that the establishment of a new city could only occur in line with existing laws, and that his government would take action against those illegally selling state assets. From May 2016 to June 2017, the regional government has surveyed 423 places in 19 townships. According to U Phyo Min Thein, the authorities have been documenting the total squatter population and estimate that there are around 400,000 such individuals in Yangon.

The divisional government plans to spend 64 billion kyats on resettlement projects. A securitization body will examine the background of applicants for new housing, to determine whether they are "real" squatters. UN agencies will also reportedly provide assistance in the relocation process.

It remains unclear whether some squatters from Hlegu—who have lived this way for decades—would also be recognized in the scheme. U Phyo Min Thein made a promise in last year’s press conference that squatters who trespassed on government land or in company compounds after May 25 would not be eligible for resettlement.

The houses of some such squatters were removed on Monday. At the time of publication, The Irrawaddy was not able to make contact with cabinet members regarding the demolitions.

Squatter village, located next to the Yangon-Naypyitaw highway in Hlegu Township. (Photo: Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy)

Practical Solutions

Former deputy director of the Department of Human Settlement and Housing Development, U Myint Mo Swe suggested that in order to prevent similar problems in future, the government should publicly declare its land as state property and punish brokers who cheat vulnerable people by selling it off illegally.

Bringing the squatters to a new area, or forcing them to all live together would not work, he speculated, pointing out that they have settled on land near factories and their places of employment.

U Myint Mo Swe compared the problem to one experienced by neighboring Thailand, whose government constructed buildings for squatters and offered apartments with zero-deposit long-term leases, and eliminated banks' interest rates on the project. Another option would be to lease roadside land to squatters with an agreement.

He recommended that the Yangon regional government categorize the types of squatters, and prioritize the projects accordingly. He added that the government should decrease bank interest rates for squatters if housing is provided, in order to ease barriers. Currently, government and private banks add 13 percent interest housing loans.

"That would be a big burden for poor people," U Myint Mo Swe said.

Moreover, even profit sharing projects of the government are selling low-cost apartments with a down payment 30 percent of the property's total value, placing such purchases out of reach for squatters. The monthly payments, he said, should consider the family's earning potential, which is around 200,000 kyats per month.

To fully resolve the issue of squatting, the Union government, U Myint Mo Swe added, should increase state capital in a long-term investment in low-cost housing, as neighboring countries have done.

For now, at least, the problem of squatting is going to continue in Yangon. Recently-displaced Kyauk Aing villagers like Daw Khine Su Yin were forced look for unoccupied land nearby.

"I don't know what to do now. I have nowhere to go. [The authorities] should punish the sellers who did this to us…I will collect things to rebuild my house for a temporary living arrangement," she said.

The post Nowhere to Go For Yangon Squatters Driven Out for New 'Eco Green City’ appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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FDA conducts survey and tests on food at Mandalay market

Posted: 14 Jun 2017 01:48 PM PDT

A food survey, advocacy meeting and testing by a mobile laboratory van were conducted at Yadanarpon market in Chan Mya Tharsi township by the Food and Drug Administration in Mandalay on Monday.

Bagan World Heritage zone to be extended

Posted: 14 Jun 2017 01:45 PM PDT

Efforts to list Bagan as a UNESCO World Heritage site are underway and an application could be made by September, U Aung Aung Kyaw, director of the Department of Archaeology and National Museum in Bagan, has told The Myanmar Times.

Reproductive health motion recorded in Amyotha Hluttaw

Posted: 14 Jun 2017 01:42 PM PDT

A motion urging the Union Government to include reproductive health, civics and democracy on the syllabi of colleges, high schools and middle schools has been entered into the record by Amyotha Hluttaw Speaker Mann Win Khaing Than.

Journalists protest against law prosecuting their colleagues

Posted: 14 Jun 2017 01:41 PM PDT

Journalists from Mandalay have released a statement protesting against Section 66 (D) of the Telecommunications Law and the prosecution of journalists for praying at the corner of Maha Muni Pagoda and for giving out pamphlets.

Rescue work continues in military plane crash

Posted: 14 Jun 2017 01:37 PM PDT

Search and rescue operations for the missing Tatmadaw transport plane will go on, said the Tatmadaw Commander-in-Chief's office in a statement Wednesday.

Biggest Bogyoke statue to be unveiled Saturday

Posted: 14 Jun 2017 01:32 PM PDT

Myanmar's biggest Bogyoke statue will be unveiled at Mandalar Tagun Park in Mandalay on Saturday, according to U Min Htet Nyein Chan, a member of the Bogyoke Aung San Centenary Statue and Square organising team.

Squatters to be evicted from monasteries

Posted: 14 Jun 2017 01:29 PM PDT

Lay people who have been living with their families in Mandalay's monasteries will be evicted in accordance with the law.

N’gaga villagers hope for end of fighting and return home

Posted: 14 Jun 2017 01:24 PM PDT

Families from N'gaga village who fled the increasing military tension in Tanai's resource-rich mines and nearby villages say they want end of fighting between Tatamadaw and ethnic Kachin armed group to return home as hundreds of workers and residents from gold and amber mines and at least four villages are temporarily being given shelter in Tanai.

Myanmar disabled to get more jobs, protection law soon

Posted: 14 Jun 2017 01:18 PM PDT

Disabled people can look forward to more job openings and other opportunities, Dr Win Myat Aye, minister of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, said.

Feedback needed on new power policy

Posted: 14 Jun 2017 01:15 PM PDT

Feedback and comments are being sought from relevant ministries and State/Regional governments in order to formulate a policy combining the electricity and energy sectors at the earliest possible date, said deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of Electricity and Energy (MOEE), U Htay Aung.