Friday, July 14, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Experts Urge Govt to Embrace Renewable Energy

Posted: 14 Jul 2017 07:29 AM PDT

YANGON – Experts urged the government to consider including renewable energy sources in the national energy plan at a talk concerning a "clean energy vision for Myanmar" in Yangon on Thursday.

U Aung Myint, the director of Renewable Energy Association Myanmar (REAM) said that they had expected that the National League for Democracy government would implement a sustainable policy approach for the new energy sector. However, he noted that this has not been the case.

"The current circumstances show that Myanmar's energy sector is going against the direction widely accepted in the world," U Aung Myint said, referring to a focus on the greater use of renewable energy sources.

On Wednesday in Naypyitaw, civil society groups, members of the private sector and international lenders participated in a roundtable discussion with the Ministry of Electricity and Energy.

The coalition of energy experts said in a statement that since Myanmar is focusing largely on coal and large hydropower plants, it "is missing a major opportunity to develop its renewable energy potential."

"The coal plants and mega dams are 'dinosaur' technologies that have severe negative impacts on climate change, public health, biodiversity and local livelihoods," the statement said.

Renewable energy sources as such solar and wind power are the cleanest and cheapest options, said Hans-Josef Fell, a renewable energy expert from German Energy Watch. He is a former member of Parliament, representing his country's Green Party, and has advocated worldwide for a stronger embrace of renewable energy.

He shared experiences from Germany, as well as those of China and Bangladesh, concerning the uses and benefits of renewable energy.

Fell said that when Germany started the use of renewable energy 17 years ago, the situation was comparable to present-day Myanmar. They started with a target of six percent use in 2000, and have increased to 35 percent in 2017.

Solar and wind power generate an abundance of electricity and sell at cheaper prices than heavily financed coal plants, Fell explained, adding that Germany has a target of 100 percent use of renewable energy by 2030.

In order to maintain power plants, Myanmar would have to import coal, part of the previous U Thein Sein-led government's plan to achieve 33 percent electricity generation from such plants.

The chief ministers in Mon and Karen states have urged the establishment of coal plants as an immediate solution to meet the demand for electricity, despite civil society groups objecting to the energy source.

Earlier this week, on July 11, the Shan Human Rights Foundation said that residents of Nanma village in northern Shan State's Hsipaw Township, have been experiencing "health concerns" after inhaling dust from coal mines in the region.

U Aung Myint urged the National League for Democracy government to "act in accordance with its election manifesto and promote renewable energy as a matter of political and economic importance."

"If the government hopes to be 'together with the people' it needs to show that it is willing to listen to concerns about its energy development and grid extension plans before making decisions," he added.

Hans-Josef Fell echoed that "political will and support" would be key in succeeding in developing renewable energy sources and strengthening the stability of the electricity grid.

He also highlighted the cost-effective aspect of these provisions, and that it could create jobs.

Myanmar's recent energy master plan lacks an outline of renewable energy uses, including biomass energy that could be generated in the country, U Aung Myint said.

U Win Myo Thu, an environmentalist and the director of EcoDev, said much information is available to policymakers, but that the desire to create change would depend upon them.

He told The Irrawaddy that Myanmar "needs the political leadership to take a new path for the challenge, as people tend to be attached to the existing method, which does not need much effort."

The government needs to consult with the public in order to conduct hydropower plants, which are not mega dams, the environmentalist said, adding that the project could go ahead if the government acts transparently.

"If we are able to use efficient technology for small and medium hydropower plants for electricity generation, then we wouldn't have to use mega dams," U Win Myo Thu said.

The post Experts Urge Govt to Embrace Renewable Energy appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Lawmaker Criticizes Military Action in Illegal Mining Areas

Posted: 14 Jul 2017 04:36 AM PDT

YANGON — Lower House lawmaker representing Kachin's Tanai Township U Lin Lin Oo criticized a military crackdown on illegal gold and amber mines in the township during a parliamentary session on Thursday.

"The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation and the Kachin State government should take the lead in handling this problem. Military action is not at all the right approach," U Lin Lin Oo told Parliament.

The lawmaker submitted a proposal to the Lower House urging the ministry and state government to properly handle illegal gold and amber mines in Tanai and Hpakant townships.

He quoted Article 37 of the 2008 military-drafted Constitution, stating that the Union is the ultimate owner of all lands and all natural resources above and below the ground, above and beneath the water and in the atmosphere in the Union.

"There is a need for the Union government to exercise this executive power vested by the Constitution to adopt a policy to prevent the loss of the country's resources," said U Lin Lin Oo.

Citizens and ethnic people have suffered unnecessarily from the consequences of a military crackdown on illegal mining in the area, he criticized.

Hundreds of gold and amber miners have fled the area and sought shelter in Tanai since clashes broke out between the Myanmar Army and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in early June.

More than 100,000 people living in the area have also fled to Tanai, Hkamti in Sagaing Division, or to their hometowns.

Myanmar Army helicopters dropped leaflets in the second week of June, asking people in the mining areas to leave by June 15 or else be recognized as insurgents supporting the KIA. Then, it launched attacks. Military tensions between the two sides persist in the area.

U Tin Soe, Lower House lawmaker representing Hpakant Township, seconded U Lin Lin Oo, saying clashes have also affected Hpakant.

He said locals started mining illegally in the 2000s in Tanai and Hpakant, and since then, thousands of Kachin locals and other internal migrants have arrived to work in the area.

Besides miners, many people in the area earn their livelihoods through trading gold, driving taxis, and selling mining equipment, fuel, food, and consumer goods and more.

U Tin Soe said there were more than 500,000 people working in or near the amber mines in 2014.

In July of last year, the Myanmar Army conducted clearance operations in gold mines in two villages along Ledo Road in Hpakant Township, forcing workers to flee.

Parliament approved discussion of U Lin Lin Oo's proposal.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Govt Refuses to Deal With Wa-Led Alliance as Bloc

Posted: 14 Jul 2017 03:44 AM PDT

YANGON — The government has rejected the idea of holding peace talks with an alliance of seven ethnic armed groups based in northeast Myanmar as a single entity and will only negotiate with them separately, according to the government's peace commission.

"We don't accept the northern groups," said the commission's spokesperson U Aung Soe, referring to the alliance. "We have already made it clear that we don't accept it. We are ready to meet and negotiate with any of them separately anytime."

Led by the United Wa State Army (UWSA), the alliance also comprises the Arakan Army (AA), Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP), and National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA)

The alliance said it would only hold talks with the government as a coalition under its name the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC), which it formed in the third week of April.

TNLA spokesperson Brig-Gen Mai Bone Kyaw told The Irrawaddy that the FPNCC expected the government's refusal to deal with them as a single entity.

"We FPNCC members need to hold a meeting to decide if we can meet separately with the government," he told The Irrawaddy.

The National League for Democracy (NLD) government offered to hold talks with each member or the UWSA, SSPP and NDAA as one group, and the KIA, TNLA, MNDAA and AA as another group, via China's special envoy on Asian Affairs Sun Guoxiang in mid-June. But the FPNCC rejected the offer.

In an appearance brokered by the Chinese government, representatives of the seven ethnic armed groups attended the second session of the 21st Century Panglong conference in May and held private talks with State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi during the event.

Clashes are ongoing between the Myanmar Army and the KIA and TNLA in Shan and Kachin states.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Karen State Chief Minister Injured in Car Accident

Posted: 14 Jul 2017 12:31 AM PDT

MOULMEIN, Mon State — Karen State Chief Minister Daw Nan Khin Htwe Myint broke her left leg and dislocated her wrist in a car accident in state capital Hpa-An on Friday morning, said Saw Poe Kwar, a personal staff officer of the deputy parliamentary speaker of Karen State.

"Her injuries were not serious. She is receiving treatment at Karen State Hospital and does not need to go to Yangon for treatment," Saw Poe Kwar told The Irrawaddy.

The chief minister was on her way to attend the birthday celebration of renowned Buddhist monk Taunggalay Sayadaw and the opening of Parami Bridge when the accident happened near the Hpa-An golf course.

"The tie rod stopped working. The car didn't flip over. It just skidded sideways," he said.

The car did not hit other vehicles or people, but skidded and hit a teak plant, injuring the chief minister, he added.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Murders, Masked men Spook Rohingya in Bangladesh Camps

Posted: 13 Jul 2017 10:30 PM PDT

KUTUPALONG MAKESHIFT CAMP, Bangladesh — As fellow Muslims were celebrating the end of Ramadan late in June, Noor Ankis and her neighbors buried her husband at the refugee camp in Bangladesh where he had lived for years.

Mohammed Ayub's body—his throat slit and hands tied behind his back—had been found dumped in a desolate corner of the camp for Rohingya Muslims who have fled neighboring Myanmar.

Thirty-year-old Ayub was one of three Rohingya men whose bodies were found over the past few weeks. Aid workers and long-time residents say the incidents, along with the stabbing of a community leader, amount to the worst violence in the camps since the Rohingya began fleeing Buddhist-majority Myanmar more than a quarter of a century ago.

Refugees, whose numbers have swelled since fighting late last year in Myanmar's Rakhine State, also report masked men roaming the dark streets of the two camps in Kutupalong at night.

Bangladesh police and aid workers say a struggle for control of supplies to the camps is behind the violence.

"They beat me and my sister and dragged him out of the house," Ankis told Reuters, as her 7- and 3-year-old children slept by her on the newly cemented floor.

"The kidnappers called me from his number and threatened to kill me too. I’m also getting threats in the name of al-Yaqin."

She was referring to the militant group Harakah al-Yaqin, or "Faith Movement," whose attacks on Myanmar border police posts in October prompted a security crackdown in which troops have been accused of murder and rape of Rohingya civilians.

Police say it is unclear whether the insurgent group, which now wants to be known as the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, was involved in the violence in the camps or whether others were using its name to intimidate refugees.

The group, whose leader spoke to Reuters in an interview in March, did not respond to an email seeking comment.

Resource Gap

More than 75,000 Rohingya have fled northwestern Rakhine State to Bangladesh over recent months, joining tens of thousands already there. Myanmar's military and government have denied almost all allegations of atrocities by security forces.

While the government announced the end of its counterinsurgency operation in February, tensions in Myanmar have risen again in recent days after village administrators were murdered and troops killed three people while clearing a Rohingya militant camp.

The population of the official and makeshift camps in Kutupalong, around 400 kilometers (250 miles) southeast of Dhaka, has swelled to around 86,000, from 49,000, since the October exodus, according to a Bangladeshi government document seen by Reuters.

While the nearly 14,000 refugees in the registered camp receive medical care and food from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the majority living in plastic-and-mud huts of the cramped makeshift camp are largely left to fend for themselves.

"There's always that resources gap and that's the reason there is always tension between the registered refugees and those outside," said Sanjukta Sahany, a senior official with the International Organization for Migration in Bangladesh that is charged with coordinating relief efforts by various UN agencies.

"Post-influx the security situation has deteriorated."

A recent cyclone and floods that put added strain on limited aid supplies have also made things worse, aid workers said.

Shinji Kubo, UNHCR's Bangladesh boss, said he was pressing the local government to let his agency expand its role beyond the two registered camps in the country.

Masked Men

Ayub's wife, Ankis, said her husband had been involved in an ongoing dispute with drug users in the makeshift camp in Kutupalong, according to a police report seen by Reuters.

He was kidnapped by a group of 20-25 machete-wielding men who barged into their shack on the night of June 14, she said.

Reuters reported in February that Bangladesh blames the Rohingya influx for the soaring use of methamphetamine drug in the country.

Ayub's body was recovered from a muddy wasteland between two hillocks in Kutupalong on June 25. The body of another man, Mohammed Selim, who was also abducted on June, had been found in a similar state at the same place a week earlier.

Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the kidnapping and killing of Ayub, though the motive remained unclear, senior police officer Afruzul Haque Tutul said.

In the camps, refugees remain fearful of the mysterious masked men who continue to be reported moving around at night.

"I was sleeping with my two children and my wife when they called my name," said a 30-year-old registered refugee, who was twice approached by groups of 10-12 men, though he did not open his door.

"The one hour they waited outside my home was the longest one hour of my life."

 

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Obituary: Nobel-winning Chinese Dissident’s Life-long Advocacy

Posted: 13 Jul 2017 10:22 PM PDT

BEIJING — During a hunger strike days before the Chinese army crushed the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy movement on June 4, 1989, the man who would become China’s best known dissident, Liu Xiaobo, declared: "We have no enemies."

When being tried in 2009 on charges of inciting subversion of state power for helping write Charter 08 – a pro-democracy manifesto calling for an end to one-party rule – Liu reaffirmed: "I have no enemies and no hatred."

He was sentenced to 11 years in prison that same year, drawing protests from the United States, many European governments and rights groups, which condemned the stiff sentence and called for his early release.

Liu won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010.

Liu, 61, died on Thursday of multiple organ failure, the government of the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang said. He was being treated in a hospital there, having been admitted in June after being diagnosed with late-stage liver cancer.

His wife, Liu Xia, had told Reuters previously that her husband wanted to dedicate the Nobel prize to those who died in the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown.

"He said this prize should go to all the victims of June 4," Liu Xia said, after she was allowed to visit him in jail following the announcement of the prize.

"He felt sad, quite upset. He cried. He felt it was hard to deal with."

Liu Xia had been living under house arrest since her husband won the Nobel prize, but had been allowed to visit him in prison about once a month. She suffers from depression.

She was allowed to be with him in the hospital where he spent his last days.

Charter 8

Liu had been a thorn in Beijing’s side since 1989, when he helped negotiate a deal to allow protesters to leave Tiananmen Square before troops and tanks rolled in.

"Using the law to promote rights can only have a limited impact when the judiciary is not independent," Liu told Reuters in 2006, when he was under house arrest, in comments typical of those that have angered the government.

Charter 08 alarmed the Communist Party more for the 350 signatures – dignitaries from all walks of life – he collected than its content, political analysts said.

The manifesto was modeled on the Charter 77 petition that became a rallying call for the human rights movement in communist Czechoslovakia in 1977.

Liu had ceaselessly campaigned for the rights of the Tiananmen Mothers and victims of the crackdown.

He was much better known abroad than at home due to a government ban on internet and state media discussion of the Tiananmen protests, and of him, aside from the odd editorial condemning him.

Liu was considered a moderate by fellow dissidents and international rights groups. But they say the Communist Party is insecure and paranoid, fearing anyone or anything it perceives as a threat to stability.

In 2003, Liu wrote an essay, calling for the embalmed corpse of Chairman Mao Zedong to be removed from a mausoleum on Tiananmen Square. Mao is still a demigod to many in China.

Over the years, Liu won numerous human rights and free speech awards from organisations including Reporters Without Borders, Human Rights Watch and Hong Kong’s Human Rights Press Awards.

His books have been published in Germany, Japan, the United States, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Hero to Some, Traitor to Others

A hero to many in the West, Liu was branded a traitor by Chinese nationalists.

He had come under fire from nationalists for his comments in a 2006 interview with Hong Kong’s now-defunct Open magazine in which he said China would "need 300 years of colonisation for it to become like what Hong Kong is today."

The government considered him a criminal.

"For Liu Xiaobo, whatever the United States says or does is right, and whatever the Communist Party says or does is wrong," a source with ties to the leadership said.

"It’s too absolute," said the source, who declined to be identified.

Liu’s critics were suspicious of the motives of the Nobel Peace Prize committee, noting that Liupraised the U.S. invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.

He had also been taken to task domestically because non-government organisations he headed received funding from the U.S. National Endowment for Democracy.

The third of five boys, Liu was born in Changchun, capital of the northeastern province of Jilin, on Dec. 28, 1955.

His father, Liu Ling, taught Chinese literature at Northeast Normal University. His mother worked at a kindergarten affiliated with the university.

In 1970, at age 15, Liu was with his parents when they were sent to a labour camp in the region of Inner Mongolia at the height of the Cultural Revolution.

Liu worked briefly as a plasterer at a state-owned construction company in Changchun in 1976. After the Cultural Revolution, China resumed national university entrance examinations whichLiu passed.

He earned his bachelor's degree in Chinese literature from Jilin University and obtained his master's and doctorate degrees from Beijing Normal University.

Past Incarcerations

Liu had been in and out of prison and labor camps four times, excluding brief periods of house arrest ahead of politically sensitive anniversaries.

His first brush with incarceration came after the Tiananmen crackdown in 1989, when he spent 18 months at the notorious Qincheng penitentiary for political prisoners.

Liu was charged with counter-revolutionary propaganda and incitement, but a Beijing court exempted him from criminal action because he had negotiated with martial-law troops for student protesters to leave the square before tanks rolled in.

Police held him without charge on the outskirts of Beijing between May 1995 and January 1996, for drafting and circulating a petition calling for democracy and rule of law in the run-up to the sixth anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown.

Liu Xiaobo married Liu Xia in 1997, during his three years of "re-education" at a labor camp in the northeastern city of Dalian. China abolished the extrajudicial administrative form of punishment in 2013.

The post Obituary: Nobel-winning Chinese Dissident's Life-long Advocacy appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Yangon Furniture Store Promotes Local Craftsmanship

Posted: 13 Jul 2017 08:12 PM PDT

There is no material preference at Sirboni Furnishings. As the company's co-founder Ko Lin Tin Htun Ni puts it, "We use metal, bamboo, wood or rattan, based on design requirements and always considering comfort."

The products at his showroom—located in a bamboo garden in Yangon's Insein Township—are a testament to this: wood combined with leather cushions results in a folding stool much different than those available at other furniture stores, and a coffee table made with three distressed planks and a circular glass top showcases his retro, rustic style.

Folding stool with leather seat. (Photo: Chanson / The Irrawaddy)
Wooden table with glass top. (Photo: Supplied)

Founded in 1995, Sirboni Furnishings was started by his father as a family-run furniture workshop to satisfy his desire for craftsmanship rather than profit.

In 2012, aiming to boost sales in the local market, the family chose the brand name Sirboni and began designing new pieces. Ko Lin Tin Htun Ni explained the story behind the name: "Our grandfather's name was U Bo Ni. We added 'Sir' in front to honor the foundation he laid for the family.”

Earlier this month, The Irrawaddy talked to Sirboni's co-founder and his 25-year-old son Ko Lin Tin Htun Ni—who returned from the United States last year with the mission of making his family firm a nationwide retailer—and discussed inspiration, manufacturing, struggles and favorite designs.

How did you become a furniture designer?

I graduated with a mechanical engineering degree from the Florida Institute of Technology in the United States. I have been asked frequently how mechanical engineering relates to making furniture. Making furniture is a form of construction. Building safe and sturdy pieces from wood, bamboo or metal—and understanding the nature of the material—is the most important aspect of designing furniture. It's also how we ensure customer safety. I studied design and furnishings by myself, and the rest I learned in university.

What are your inspirations?

I look for inspiration all over, whether in fashion, graphic design or painting. I have teachers everywhere.

What makes Sirboni different from other furniture manufacturers?

Sirboni is different in how we focus on design, sustainability and materials. So as not to conceal the true nature of wood or bamboo, we coat the pieces as little as possible. People know the material when they see it, no disguises. We use honest designs and traditional construction methods.

A table and chairs. (Photo: Supplied)

What are Sirboni's characteristic designs?

In terms of design and aesthetics, we are a little bit rustic and vintage but also keep need and exquisiteness of craft in mind. Our designs are sustainable. We try to give users a unique experience and furniture that seamlessly integrates into their homes in a positive way.

How is your work sustainable?

Sustainability starts with durability. We are all busy and when something breaks, it's time-consuming and difficult to repair. Sustainability starts with thinking about how to build durable pieces.

It's also about material choice and maximizing each material's durability. Also, sourcing materials. Wood must be legally extracted; bamboo comes from plantations. Unsustainable practices will appear in businesses at times, but it's important to reduce these as much as possible. There is massive deforestation in Myanmar and sustainability is crucial.

How is local demand?

Local demand is slow but growing. There are no major difficulties. We also have foreign demand but we want to focus on the local market. We believe there is room for growth with well-designed furniture.

How do you balance design and profit?

Product development requires time and money. If we want to make a new design, we could come up with a safe design that would sell well. But we need to balance customer tastes with our vision. We try to innovate while balancing the two.

Desk and chair. (Photo: Supplied)

How do you choose your materials? Are there preferences?

We don't have specific material preferences because we are a design-oriented company. We use metal, bamboo, wood or rattan based on design requirements.

How do you plan to expand in the local market?

We are going to focus on branding. Branding and marketing are weak in our industry. I can't speak for whole industry but as far as I know, there is so little creativity in marketing. Businesses can't get consumers to care about their products.

Consumption here is based on utility and price. If consumers think something is useful to them, they check the price. If the price is cheap, they buy the product. People rarely buy products based on emotions. We want to start a trend with products that may not be the cheapest but that customers truly like. To do this, we are marketing our brand through social media storytelling. We hope our brand expands by sharing what we represent, what we want to be and what we contribute to.

What is the struggle for these value-added products in Myanmar?

Mainly, we struggle with the manufacturing process and with lack of government support. Consumption is increasing and foreign brands are entering the market. But money from foreign companies doesn't circulate within the country. Production needs to outpace consumption. But manufacturers are facing a shortage of skilled laborers. Also, electricity. Infrastructure is essential to manufacturing products at lower costs. Next, craftsmanship. It is easy for craftsmanship to disappear in developed countries. The private sector alone cannot preserve it; it needs the support of the government.

What is the most important element in a piece of furniture?

Every element is vital. But, among these vital elements, comfort is fundamental. Furniture is made for people, and if it isn't comfortable, then we are wasting materials. Also, durability. Those are the two most important things in my opinion.

Items at the Sirboni showroom. (Photo: Chanson / The Irrawaddy)

What does making furniture mean to you?

There are two aspects to furniture; design and construction. Design is artistic work while construction is technical. It's about balancing the two.

Which piece of work is your favorite among your designs?

The library chair. During my stay in the US, there was a chair at a library that I always used. With that in mind, I improved on the design and called that design "Library Chair." I really like that chair.

"The Library Chair," with a leather seat and metal armrests. (Photo: Chanson / The Irrawaddy)

When did you create it?

Last year, in 2016.

What piece of furniture can you not live without? And why?

A chair. While I was in the United States as a college student, I had to move a lot over the years. Whenever I moved into a new place, I didn't have anything to sit on. It would drive me crazy. People use chairs often, and it is critical that they are comfortable. For me, it is the most important piece of furniture.

Bamboo chair. (Photo: Chanson / The Irrawaddy)

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National News

National News

India, Myanmar boost cooperation in many areas: ambassador

Posted: 13 Jul 2017 01:30 PM PDT

With strong historical links, India and Myanmar have built long-lasting bilateral relations both in terms of trade and diplomacy, but more needs to be done.

Mandalay Ma Ba Tha considers sending request to keep its name

Posted: 13 Jul 2017 01:27 PM PDT

The Patriotic Association of Myanmar (Ma Ba Tha) of Mandalay said it had received a suggestion to submit a letter to the State Sangha Maha Nayaka (Ma Ha Na) about the use of its name at a special meeting on July 12.

Hundreds of evacuees remain in Namtu camps

Posted: 13 Jul 2017 01:26 PM PDT

More than 500 evacuees remain in 5 refugee camps in Namtu in the northern Shan State for fear of being caught in the clashes between the military and ethnic armed groups, a senior border affairs official said.

Govt makes K5.3 billion from sale of seized timber in 2016-17

Posted: 13 Jul 2017 01:23 PM PDT

The Government earned more than K5.3 billion from selling seized timber at auction in fiscal year 2016-17, U Ohn Win, minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, told the Pyithu Hluttaw on Thursday.

FDA crackdown on formalin-laced food in Yangon

Posted: 13 Jul 2017 01:21 PM PDT

During a surprise check, officials from the Food and Drug Administration discovered several shops in Yangon selling food that contained illegal chemicals.

Amyotha Hluttaw to discuss amendment of Section 66(d)

Posted: 13 Jul 2017 01:10 PM PDT

The amendment of Section 66(d) of the 2013 Telecommunications Law will be discussed in the Amyotha Hluttaw.

Young Myanmar heart patient thanks Beijing

Posted: 13 Jul 2017 01:06 PM PDT

A Myanmar girl who previously suffered from congenital heart disease has sent a letter of thanks to Chinese president after she underwent a successful surgery in Beijing making possible the recovery of her health status.

22 groups launch online drive against Section 66(d)

Posted: 13 Jul 2017 01:02 PM PDT

A Coalition of 22 civil society groups launched an online campaign on Thursday to abolish Section 66(d) of the 2013 Telecommunications Law.

Media freedom discussed with visiting UN special rapporteur

Posted: 13 Jul 2017 01:00 PM PDT

UN Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee heard about media issues in Myanmar when she met with members of the Myanmar Press Council (MPC) Thursday in Yangon after returning from a visit to Rakhine State.

MP wants authorities to monitor illegal gold and amber mines in Tanai, Hpakant

Posted: 13 Jul 2017 12:55 PM PDT

A lawmaker has urged the Union government and state government to monitor illegal gold and amber mines in Tanai and Hpakant townships in Kachin State.
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Shan Herald Agency for News

Shan Herald Agency for News

Concerns on Burma's Current Political Situation and Peace Process

Posted: 14 Jul 2017 01:44 AM PDT

The current peace process of Myanmar/Burma is in great terror even as it has seen that the process keep going on and there will be the next 21st Century (Union Peace Conference ) will come soon.

1. The greatest challenge for the NLD-led government and the Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) is the Myanmar Tatmadaw (Myanmar military). The Myanmar military has always used divide-and-rule tactics to keep their grip on power. The exclusion of the 6 Ethnic Armed Organizations' participation in the signing of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) has weaken  the unity of the Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) and created misunderstanding among them and even led to armed conflicts  among each other. It is clear that the Myanmar Tamadaw was the driving force behind these hostilities.

2. The Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) and the people of Burma have supported the NLD and have high expectations from the NLD-led government. They expect the NLD-led government to transform the  country into a genuine democratic federal union, based on equal rights and the right to self-determination for all ethnic nationalities but up until now, the NLD-led government has not been so successful in leading the peace process because 2008 Constitution deprives the government of the power to do and gives the Myanmar military the leading role.

3. The government does not receive full support from the Myanmar military. In fact, the military undermines the government by creating different forms of conflict and episodes of violence in certain places in order to advance its grip on power, region by region. More over, the military and the USDP have placed some of their proxies within the NLD-led government to oppose the government's plans and activities.

4. The military has not fully committed to democratization process and establishment of a democratic federal union. In fact, it still has a strong determination to maintain its grip on power to oppress the ethnic populations.

5. It executed major offensives in Kachin and Shan states, with military aircrafts and tanks in order to take control of the areas. These major military operations were directed against not only the KIO/KIA and its allies but also the NLD-led government. The Myanmar military's strategy is to weaken and destroy the ruling NLD-led government gradually and legally by fomenting more conflicts and continuing fighting in Kachin and Shan States so that they can easily take control of the areas.

The future and secret plan of the Burmese military

1. The Burmese military has its strategic plan to create more different forms of conflict around the country in order to wrestle power from the NLD government. It will not stage coup d'etats, like in the past in 1962 and 1988. It is because the international community closely monitors the reform process in the country, the NLD-led government is recognized as a civilian- led government, and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi receives the support of international community. The military will create conflicts here and there throughout the country, which will decrease security for the people and the country. As a consequence, it will be difficult for the NLD-led government  to administer the country. When the country becomes embroiled in  conflict, the military will take control of the entire country legally under the pretext of the security and protection of the people. It is expected that there will be more conflicts in 2017.

2. Another possible form of conflict is religious one. The military will create conflicts  between  different  religious   communities  (e.g.  Christians     and

Buddhists, Buddhist and Muslims, and Muslims and Christians), and such conflicts can be between different ethnic communities as well as within the same ethnic communities. In fact, after the KNU singed cease-fire agreements in 2012, the military created conflicts at the end of 2014 and in 2015, in Karen State. Karen monk U Thuzana built pagodas in Christian church compounds and in the street next to a Muslim mosque. The KNU, the Karen Baptist Convention (KBC), and Religious Alliance in Burma  brought the issue to the attention of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, at both the state and union levels. But no one took action because they all were aware that this kind of incidents was not normal and believed that there was someone behind all these incidents. The Christian community tried to show tolerance and humbleness in accordance with their religion teachings and refrained from reciprocating wrongs. It was how the Karen churches resolved the problem. But I am not sure how long they will be  able to remain patient if this kind of unjust events happens again and again. The strategy of the military seems to be working well. Even if there is no fighting in Karen State, other forms of conflict can still happen. If they happen, the military can use its power to take control of the state.

3. Creating conflicts between civilians through organizing demonstrations.  Last year in December 19, the military organized a demonstration  consisting of approximately 1,000 people wearing national costumes of Kachin, Chin, Shan, Karen , Arakanese, Karenni, Mon, and other ethnic nationalities, and Buddhist monks. The demonstration was orchestrated to show support for the Myanmar Tamadaw and its offensive against the Northern Ethnic Alliance in the Northern and Northeastern parts of the country. Demonstrators carried pictures of Snr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, showing their support for the military and its offensive operations. But the demonstration was not a genuine one because the demonstrators were not from ethnic communities. In fact, they made the demonstrators wear  ethnic national costumes to give the impression that the Myanmar military received  support  from  ethnic  communities  for  their  offensive.  That was

what they did in order to deceive the international community to believe them. They were dishonest and used the mass media to tell lies to the world. That was unacceptable. The international community should learn their deceit and be careful of this sort of lies. Again in January 13, 2017, there was another protest supporting military's offensive against the Ethnic nationalities in Kachin and Shan States and after it there were some followed protest the same message in other regions as well. The followed protest can happen more and more from the pro- military until the conflict happens within the civilians of pro and anti – military.

4. The military will persuade the 8 NCA signatories and the NLD-led government to follow their plan and desire, regarding the peace process. If the NLD-led government and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi refuse to, they will use their power to take over the peace process. The peace process is now in danger, and the security of Aung San Suu Kyi and some of the NLD leaders , the ethnic leaders, including EAO leaders, are also in danger.

Concerns about the future peace process of Burma/Myanmar

1. If the offensive continues and becomes bigger and widespread, the NCA  will collapse, and the peace process will reach a deadlock and then go into reverse.

2. The Myanmar Tatmadaw has used the same strategy against the KIO/KIA that they used against the KNU. In other words, while the military had a cease-fire with the KIO/KIA from 1994 to 2011, they launched major offensives against the KNU. Now, as they have a cease-fire with the KNU, they carries out a military campaign against the KIO/KIA. Like the current offensive against the KIO/KIA, their offensive against the KNU included, but not limited to, the use of military aircrafts and heavy weapons, creating a lot of Karen refugees and IDPs. This shows the military's true attitude towards the EAOs. Trust between the military and the EAOs have decreased and can gradually reach the lowest level. When it reaches the lowest level, it will be very difficult to restore it.

Appeal/request to the international community

1. We really need your urgent help to discuss the future of Burma with the NLD government / Aung San Su Kyi and find ways to address the problem before it goes into reverse.

2. It is very important to find ways to talk to Snr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing into renouncing his destructive strategy of divide and rule and accepting the path of peaceful reform by all inclusive and through dialogue. The military  is the main key driver.

3. Encourage Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the president to raise their concerns, concerning the ongoing offensive in Kachin and Shan States, and declare a nationwide ceasefire immediately before the next 21st Century Panglon Conference to continue the political dialogue.

4. Please be ready to support Myanmar/Burma in case of the worst situation any time and think of ways to restrict the power of the military.

5. We really need your help, and it is very urgent.

January 15, 2017

Is it time to revive the ‘Dirty List’ of companies helping Burma's military?

Posted: 14 Jul 2017 01:26 AM PDT

Dear friend

Is it time to revive the 'Dirty List' of companies helping Burma's military?

In 2002, Burma Campaign UK published the first 'Dirty List' of companies directly or indirectly helping the military dictatorship in Burma, or which were linked to human rights violations. The 'Dirty List' was a tactic to pressure companies to stop funding the military dictatorship, and to draw attention to the links between the UK and Burma. The campaign for sanctions and company campaigns, including the 'Dirty List', was stopped when Aung San Suu Kyi dropped her support for them, and other parts of the democracy movement followed her lead.

However, as sanctions against the military have been lifted and as offers of training and co-operation come piling in from several countries, the human rights violations they have been committing have reached such a serious scale that the United Nations have begun an investigation into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Burmese Army in Rakhine, Kachin and Shan States. Min Aung Hlaing is also blocking constitutional reform to make Burma more democratic. The military are reaping huge benefits from the new system they have introduced, while life for ordinary people has improved little or not at all. To date, the military appear to be one of the main economic beneficiaries of the lifting of sanctions.

Instead of companies seeing Min Aung Hlaing as the criminal he is, instead of treating him as a pariah, they wine and dine him trying to sell him military equipment. They go into business with military owned companies, providing the military with more revenue, more money to conduct the military operations where they rape and kill and where they violate international law.

Burma Campaign UK has been asked why we are not targeting the companies supplying the Burmese military. We have been asked why we are not targeting companies doing business with the military. It has been suggested to us that we should revive the 'Dirty List' to target such companies.

This briefing explores the pros and cons of a campaign to renew economic pressure on the military in Burma.

It's also available on our website here.

Thank you

Anna Roberts
Burma Campaign UK

Senior monk killed in Mong Nai

Posted: 13 Jul 2017 09:44 PM PDT

A Buddhist abbot was killed by an unknown culprit or culprits on Wednesday in the southern Shan State township of Mong Nai, according to local sources.


Venerable Sao Kaelasa, the head of Wat Oot temple in Mong Nai, was reportedly on his way by motorbike to pick up a Buddhist novice in the village of Wan Loi at about 5pm when he was attacked and left for dead at the roadside. His motorbike was taken.

"U Sao Kaelasa went to look for the novice monk as it was getting dark. There where he was attacked." said Sai Tun Hla, the head of an aid group in Mong Nai Township. "When the novice returned he found the abbot had been stabbed in the heart with a metal stick. He must have died at the scene of the crime.

"The police and some villagers brought his body back to the temple for funeral rites," he added.

Police say they are investigating but at the moment there does not appear to be any motif of conflict or of a personal nature.

Sao Kaelasa's grieving mother said that some locals are speculating that he was killed by drug users because there are many addicts in the area.

"[Abbot] Sao Khu had wanted to be a monk ever since he was a boy," she told Shan Herald. "He was ordained as a novice when he was only 10 year old. He was a good son. He always practiced the Buddha's teachings."

Some 90 percent of the Burmese population is Buddhist, and monks and abbots are highly respected across the society. They act as spiritual leaders within their communities and also perform important duties at weddings and funerals.

"If this happened because of his karma, so be it," said his mother.

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

Thursday, July 13, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Saving Cultures in Karenni

Posted: 13 Jul 2017 09:25 AM PDT

DEMOSO TOWNSHIP, Karenni State — Mou Mi, 53, is one of roughly 70 Kayan women known as the "long-necked people" who wear bronze neck rings, a disappearing tradition among the ethnic group in Karenni State.

The way of life for people in her village and nearby Kayan villages in Demoso Township has been the same for generations: farming, breeding animals, hand-weaving clothes, and crafting bamboo household wares. In the last two years, however, their village has become more known to outsiders, since the introduction of community-based tourism.

With distinctive cultures and untouched scenery, Karenni State has attracted thousands of foreign tourists and even more domestic visitors since the previous government opened access to the area in 2013. The decision came months after its biggest ethnic armed group, the Karenni National Progressive Party, signed a ceasefire agreement with the government.

Over the last three decades, many residents of Karenni—the smallest state in Myanmar, with a population of about 290,000, according to the 2014 census, but also host to at least eight ethnic armed groups—fled for the Thai border because of fighting between the Myanmar Army and ethnic armed groups.

About half of Karenni State's ethnicities, including Kayah, Kayaw, Kayan, and Manu Manaw, are staying in Thailand's refugee camps. Mou Mi said some of her friends went to the camps, but she remained in her village. The oldest ethnic villagers hold on to their traditional way of life.

Losing Traditions

Like every girl in Banzan village of Pan Pet village tract, Mou Mi began wearing four bronze coils on her neck when she was little. Even though it was initially painful, "it was shameful at that time if we didn't wear them," she said through a translator, as she spun yarn.

Mou Mi spins yarn to make a cotton scarf. (Photo: Thet Tun Naing / The Irrawaddy)

But she does not force her daughters to wear the neck rings as her mother did to her."My daughters don't want to put these on all the time, so I don't make them," said the mother of eight children.

Those accustomed to the heavy neck rings understand how burdensome they would be to wear—one of the reasons why the custom has faded among the younger generation that has not embraced the custom. Traditional attire of other ethnicities such as the Kayah and Kayaw in Karenni has also faded.

Only a handful of young women don the bronze coils now. One of them, a 20-year-old clothes peddler named Mou Tar who returned from Thailand to live with her family three months ago, sells hand-woven scarves as souvenirs at her home-cum-shop.

Mou Tar, one of the few young women who dons the traditional bronze neck rings. (Photo: Thet Tun Naing / The Irrawaddy)

Mou Thu, 47, returned from Thailand in April 2016 and also began selling scarves from her home. Visitors can also preorder local food and enjoy the music of her family band.

She lived in Thailand's Kayan villages for nine years after leaving on the advice that she could earn more money there.

Kayan villages receive support in Thailand, with residents given a regular salary and taught vocational skills, but Myanmar offers no such support—not even an awareness drive in order to preserve the traditions. The villages in Thailand, however, are often referred to as "human zoos," as visitors pay an entrance fee to see the Kayan people.

"For our people, the ethnic Kayan, survival matters more than being labeled as a human zoo," said Khun Lakwui, a community guide who was in a Thai refugee camp for almost a decade, then resettled in the United States for five years before returning to the village of his childhood last year.

"I want the Myanmar government to put effort in to bringing back the ethnic Kayan, or 'long-necked people,' from Thailand," said Khun Lakwui.

An estimated 11,000 Karenni refugees live in at least two camps in Thailand's Mae Hong Song district since fleeing their homes because of conflict between ethnic armed groups and the Myanmar Army in 1989. About 12,000 Karenni have resettled to third countries, mainly to the United States.

Community Fund

Tourists who want to explore the traditional ways of life of Karenni State's various communities can contact the area's community-based tourism coordinators.

Launched in early 2016 and supported by The Netherlands Trust Fund, the tourism project creates job opportunities and income for locals, according to the tour guides based in the state capital Loikaw. The fund provided trainings to the local community on how to prepare food for the foreigners and on basic hygiene, but the project ended in June this year, according to U Htay Aung, the chairman of the state's tour guide association.

The guides introduce the visitors to community elders, translating the language from the local dialects and vice versa. The guides also contribute 10 percent of their fees to the village funds, which are used for the development of the community.

"Our villagers, especially young people, have gotten jobs because of the project. In 2016 we got many visitors," said Khu Tee Reh, the village elder from Tanelale village, where many Kayah live, and the patron of the tourism project.

"They can also earn income from cooking traditional food," he added, explaining that the visitors can sample the local dishes.

It encourages locals to promote their traditions, he said, as foreigners want to learn about their culture.

Mou Thu prepares food for visitors. (Photo: Thet Tun Naing / The Irrawaddy)

Khun Lakwui said using community guides is the best way to contribute to the villages.

"Before there was a rule that visitors must hire community guides, but now some people hire them and some don't, because some regional guides or national guides know the places and they just bring the visitors to the community for show," he said.

Myanmar's government must support the communities, he said, to help them not only survive but also preserve their traditions.

"They do not earn any income by living here, but they could have incomes while staying in Thai villages, so it must be hard for them to decide [to stay]. They need the government's support to be able to come back," he said.

There is no entrance fee for the Kayan villages in Myanmar. The community-based tour guides said their approach is needed for development.

Mou Mi, pictured with children (Photo: Thet Tun Naing / The Irrawaddy)

"We want sustainable tourism. If many visitors arrive, we are afraid that it might damage the community," said U Htay Aung, the chairman of the Karenni State tour guides association. "We, the guides, the hoteliers, and the villagers all have to work together to preserve this tradition, which would support sustainable tourism," he said.

Challenges in Protecting Culture

The bid to preserve the cultures of Karenni's ethnicities has had a modest start, according to Khu Peh Nyoe Reh, the secretary of the Kayah National Literature and Culture Committee (KNLCC) in Loikaw.

"In this changing era, our traditions are becoming extinct as many tend not to wear the traditional dress. But we are trying to preserve it, especially the old styles, which use hand-woven clothes."

Traditional craftsmen in Loikaw who make pieces such as silver earrings, decorated silver swords, and necklaces all used as accessories in the traditional dress are also dwindling, he said.

"In ancient clothing, we have lacquered cotton leg rings, the turbans, and earrings in addition to clothes, but now these accessories are becoming rare and we have lost the experts who craft these," Khu Peh Nyoe Reh added.

Resource Shortages

Locals not only face the loss of crafting skills, but also a shrinking market for raw cotton to use for hand-woven cloth and bamboo household items.

A Kayan woman, pictured through colorful cotton fringe, plays a guitar. (Photo: Thet Tun Naing / The Irrawaddy)

"We have neither the market, the technology nor the higher quality cotton product," the KNLCC secretary said, adding there are few small-scale cotton plantations in the region compared to the past.

Kyar La Pya, the husband of the scarf seller, Mou Mi, grows some cotton plants in their field to use for clothes and scarves at home. He is also one of the village's last makers of lacquered bamboo kitchenware, which includes baskets, cups and circular trays used to serve meals.

The cups are used for drinking khawn—local millet wine—and the trays—daunglan in Myanmar and deeyapwelone in Karenni—were once a common sight in households.

The villages also lack access to underground water and households must save rainwater in large bowls for annual use.

"We have to be thrifty using water and when it runs out in the summer, we have to go to further to fetch it," said one woman in the Pan Pet village tract. The locals added that they got access to electricity for the first time a month ago and that a new road leads to the community.

"From March to May, we have a shortage of water—especially when we have visitors who want to enjoy the local food," said Khu Tee Reh from Tanelale village.


A woman and child sit at a traditional Kayan home. (Photo: Thet Tun Naing / The Irrawaddy)

The post Saving Cultures in Karenni appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Yangon Chief Minister’s Comments ‘Cause Misunderstanding’

Posted: 13 Jul 2017 08:04 AM PDT

NAYPYIDAW — The Myanmar government spokesperson has said that the Yangon Chief Minister's remarks on the army chief's position do not reflect the government's stance and had "caused misunderstandings between the government and the military."

U Zaw Htay told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that the President's Office had replied to the Office of the Commander-in-Chief regarding the army's complaints concerning the chief minister U Phyo Min Thein that day.

"Those comments caused misunderstandings between the government and the military. As the chief minister is responsible [for what he said], we have instructed him to do what he needs to do," he said. When pressed for further detail, the spokesperson said: "We can only share that so far."

The army released a statement on Tuesday explaining that they told the National League for Democracy (NLD) government to "take necessary actions" against U Phyo Min Thein on Tuesday for comments he made at a workshop in Yangon over the weekend. He had said that there were "no civil-military relations in the democratic era" and compared the military's commander-in-chief as being in position the same as the level of director-general, "according to the [state] protocol."

In a following statement made on Wednesday, the army described Yangon's chief minister as unsuitable for "constructive, long-term relations" with the military and called his comments about the military chief an "insult."

The post Yangon Chief Minister's Comments 'Cause Misunderstanding' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Detained Journalists’ Trial Moved to Hsipaw

Posted: 13 Jul 2017 07:10 AM PDT

YANGON — The charges facing three detained journalists will be examined at the Hsipaw Township court on July 21 because of logistical complications and security concerns in Namhsan Township, where the trio was originally arrested, said one of the defendants' lawyers on Thursday.

The Irrawaddy's Lawi Weng, also known as U Thein Zaw, and U Aye Nai and Pyae Bone Aung from the Democratic Voice of Burma, were arrested on June 26 in Namhsan Township on their way back from covering a drug-burning ceremony held by ethnic armed group the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) to mark the United Nations' International Day Against Drug Abuse.

The three journalists—and three men who drove them through the area—were charged under Article 17(1) of the colonial-era Unlawful Associations Act for contacting the TNLA and were placed in detention in Hsipaw prison. They had their first court appearance in Hsipaw's court last Friday to extend their remand and were granted the judge's permission for their trial to begin on July 21 in Namhsan, where it was originally determined on July 4 that proceedings would be held.

Given difficulties regarding transportation to the hill town of Namhsan—which could cause inconveniences to the defendants and their family members—lawyer Daw Khin Mi Mi, who represents Lawi Weng, appealed to the Kyaukme District judge earlier this week for the case to be examined in Hsipaw Township instead.

The defense lawyer told The Irrawaddy that district judge Daw Mie Mie Win Shwe permitted the appeal on Wednesday, considering the security concerns in Namhsan region and the obstacles in traveling between the two towns.

Three defense lawyers have visited the trio in Hsipaw prison to discuss their case.

International and local press members, civil society organizations and right groups have condemned the arrest of journalists under the colonial-era statute, saying that it points to a worrying trend against media freedom in Myanmar.

The post Detained Journalists' Trial Moved to Hsipaw appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Draft Amendments to Telecoms Law Submitted to Parliament

Posted: 13 Jul 2017 05:26 AM PDT

YANGON — The Ministry of Transport and Communications submitted a draft bill to amend Myanmar's 2013 Telecommunications Law to the Upper House of the Parliament on Thursday.

The controversial statute enacted under the country's former quasi-civilian government has been responsible for a worrying trend regarding freedom of expression in recent years. Its Article 66(d) has been used to charge more than 70 people with "online defamation," including more than a dozen members of the media who have been detained and jailed.

Deputy minister for transport and communications U Kyaw Myo, who submitted the draft to Parliament, told the media after the legislative session that the law was originally enacted with the objective of protecting telecommunications service providers. However, as defamation charges under 66(d) have been steadily increasing against individuals, amendments were needed, he added.

Free speech advocates slammed the government's draft bill after it was publicly released on Friday, pointing out that their recommendations had been neglected and claiming that in some ways, it had made the statute worse.

The draft included three significant changes to the Telecommunications Law. It states that the accused who are charged under articles 65 and 66(a), (b), and (d) may be granted bail, and that third parties would be banned from opening cases unless they are affected directly by the action or are acting on an affected individual's behalf. Finally, charges filed under articles 66(c), (d), and 68(a) of the law would not require permission from the Ministry of Transport and Communication to proceed.

In Parliament on Thursday the Upper House Bill Committee praised the draft for facilitating bail options and thereby giving those accused under the law more opportunities to defend themselves, as well as for stopping third parties from opening cases without being granted the authority to do so from the complainant. They also commended the elimination of delays along with the requirement for cases to be approved by the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

The Bill Committee suggested that bail not be granted to those charged under Article 65, which states that those who provide telecommunications services without a license be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years, and asked to pay a fine.

The bill will be discussed in upcoming parliamentary sessions.

Additional reporting by Pe Thet Htet Khin in Naypyidaw.

The post Draft Amendments to Telecoms Law Submitted to Parliament appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Mandalay Ma Ba Tha Appeals Ban on Name

Posted: 13 Jul 2017 05:19 AM PDT

MANDALAY — Nationalists of a sub-chapter of the Association for the Protection of Race and Religion are urging the State Buddhist Sangha authority to reconsider a ban on their group's name—otherwise known by its Myanmar acronym Ma Ba Tha.

The spokesperson of Ma Ba Tha's Mandalay chapter told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that it is preparing an appeal to the State Buddhist authority—known by its Myanmar acronym Ma Ha Na—which banned the group's name in May and ordered all signboards to be removed by July 15.

"We will send this appeal to the Ma Ha Na office in Yangon tomorrow requesting the senior abbots to reconsider the ban and the removal of the signboards," said U Yatha, the spokesperson.

The sub-chapter announced on Monday that it would continue to use the name and would not remove the signboards in defiance of the Ma Ha Na orders.

"Since our association [Ma Ba Tha] is not illegal and did nothing that is outlawed, we request the senior Sayadaw to let us continue with [the name]. If the Sayadaw decide to go on with their decision to abolish Ma Ba Tha, we will have to listen and follow them," said U Yatha.

The spokesperson said they would request a delay of a month or two on the order so that they could still use the signboards during the reconsideration period.

Commenting on reports that the group's members in Mandalay were planning to resist local authorities and senior monks if they attempted to remove the signboards, U Yatha added, "These are just rumors. We have no plan to act against the decision of the senior monks. If the senior abbots of Ma Ha Na decide we are outlawed, and if they want to arrest us, we have no choice but to respect and follow their decision," said U Yatha.

After a two-day meeting with members from across the country in late May, the association released an announcement that it would "no longer use [the name] Ma Ba Tha, but would go by the Buddha Dhamma Charity Foundation," rebranding itself as a charity group.

The post Mandalay Ma Ba Tha Appeals Ban on Name appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Child Killed by Artillery Fire in Kachin’s Tanai

Posted: 13 Jul 2017 04:25 AM PDT

YANGON — A 2-year-old child was killed by artillery fire in clashes between the Myanmar Army and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in Kachin State's Tanai Township on Sunday, according to a statement from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief.

The parents of the child are also receiving treatment for injuries, as the family was hit while inside a hut on their farm in Tein Kauk village, said the statement shared on the Facebook page of the commander-in-chief's office, blaming the KIA for the death and injuries.

KIA spokesperson Lt-Col Naw Bu denied the army's allegation, placing the blame on the army.

"It is not only Tein Kauk village that was hit by artillery fire. Other villages were also hit. We know where civilians are living, and we don't target them. It is not good that the army always puts the blame on ethnic armed groups in the case of casualties," he told The Irrawaddy.

Though the Myanmar Army and the KIA have not clashed seriously recently, there have been frequent skirmishes near gold and amber mines in the area, said the KIA spokesperson.

Locals and workers of gold and amber mines fled the mines to seek shelter in Tanai since clashes broke out on June 6.

Currently, four churches in Tanai are providing shelter for the displaced persons, Naw Ta, a member of Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC) told The Irrawaddy.

"For the time being, there are more than 900 people at four camps. Social organizations have provided food for them, but now we only have one month of rations remaining," he said.

Myanmar Army helicopters dropped leaflets in the second week of June, asking the people in the mining areas to leave by June 15 or else be recognized as insurgents. Most of the mine workers then left the mines, said locals.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Child Killed by Artillery Fire in Kachin's Tanai appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Eight Elephants Poached in Six Months in Irrawaddy Division

Posted: 13 Jul 2017 01:16 AM PDT

PATHEIN, Irrawaddy Division — Eight wild elephants were killed by poachers in six months from January to the end of June in Irrawaddy Division, according to the divisional police force.

"Poachers used to kill elephants with percussion-lock firearms. But we found that they are now using an old method that utilizes crossbows and poisoned bolts," police lieutenant colonel Kin Maung Latt of the Irrawaddy Division Police Force told The Irrawaddy.

Of the eight cases, police arrested the poachers in four of them, are still investigating three cases, and closed one due to lack of evidence.

Forest reserves in Pathein, Ngapudaw and Thabaung townships in Pathein District are home to wild elephants.

Poachers take the tusks, hide, flesh, and tails from hunted elephants and sell them to smugglers along the Pathein-Mawtin road. From there, smugglers take the items via the Pathein-Monywa road to Mandalay Division, where they smuggle them into China via the Mandalay-Muse road.

In the past, the majority of the elephant poachers were from Minbu, Ngape, and Sidoktaya townships in Magwe Division. But some of the Irrawaddy residents who had accompanied elephant poachers in the past are now hunting as well, according to the Irrawaddy Division Police Force.

"Some locals have learned how to hunt elephants after accompanying poachers. But they still don't know how to make the poison. So, they take the poison from elephant poachers in Magwe," said police lieutenant colonel Khin Maung Latt.

"It is a real cause for concern that locals are involved in poaching wild elephants. It has become more difficult for police to arrest the hunters," he added.

Though the Forestry Department deployed forestry security police in Pathein and Thabaung townships last year to prevent the hunting of wild elephants and illegal logging, elephant poaching persists.

"I think there should be routine security patrols around the forest reserves to prevent elephant poaching. Only when security forces can chase and forcibly arrest the poachers like soldiers, can poaching be prevented. But now, migrant workers who have links with poachers tip them off about police, and they just run when police come," said Ko Tun Lay, administrator of Tin Chaung village tract in Ngapudaw Township, who is also a private elephant breeder.

Ko Tun Lay, an ex-mahout suggested establishing inspection gates on major roads and smuggling routes to prevent the smuggling of elephant parts.

Last year, poachers killed 13 wild elephants in the region and police arrested hunters in four of the cases. They are still investigating six cases and closed three cases, as they could not identify the poachers.

The post Eight Elephants Poached in Six Months in Irrawaddy Division appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Minister’s Comments ‘Insult’ Myanmar Army

Posted: 12 Jul 2017 11:18 PM PDT

YANGON — The Myanmar Army said Yangon's chief minister is not suitable for "constructive, long-term relations" with the army and called his comments about the military chief an "insult" on Wednesday following its first complaint to the government since it took office.

The army told the National League for Democracy (NLD) government to "take necessary actions" against Yangon Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein on Tuesday because of his recent comments about the head of the military, according to a statement released by the Office of the Commander-in-Chief on Tuesday night.

The statement, quoting news reports which have gone viral on Facebook, explained that during a workshop on Sunday in Yangon, the chief minister reportedly said "there are no civil-military relations in the democratic era" and that "the military's commander-in-chief position is the same as the level of director-general, according to the [state] protocol."

The complaint comes at a time when Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD government has been coaxing the country's powerful military to participate in the peace process and amend the controversial military-drafted 2008 Constitution that was drafted by the military.

On Wednesday, the army released a statement explaining the complaint, saying "the military takes the remarks as a direct insult to the military chief and the armed forces."

"Yangon Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein's reckless and confrontational comments could damage the national reconciliation. He can be reviewed as someone who could cause difficulties for the long-term process that has to be built continuously among the government, people and military for better relations," the statement read.

"Civil-military relations are more important in our multi-party democracy where armed conflicts are still ongoing. U Phyo Min Thein's remarks show how he is less learned, and it can be concluded that he is more confrontational," it added.

Myanmar's armed forces chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing is currently in India for a goodwill visit.

The post Minister's Comments 'Insult' Myanmar Army appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Myanmar Escorts Media to Rakhine, Vows ‘No Restrictions’

Posted: 12 Jul 2017 10:35 PM PDT

SITTWE, Rakhine State — Myanmar pledged on Wednesday "no restrictions" on journalists visiting the troubled state of Rakhine this week, in the first official trip to include foreign reporters to mostly Rohingya Muslim villages affected by violence since October.

Eighteen Myanmar nationals and foreigners representing international media, including Reuters, arrived in the state capital of Sittwe on Wednesday ahead of a government-escorted visit to the northern areas of Buthidaung and Maungdaw, where most residents are stateless Rohingyas.

"There are no restrictions regarding the areas that you can report from," said Thet Swe, a director at the Ministry of Information's News and Periodicals Enterprise.

"We didn't arrange any 'for show' places for news reporting," he said.

Last year, the Myanmar Army unleashed a crackdown in the area after Rohingya militants attacked posts near the Bangladesh border, killing nine police officers.

Some 75,000 people fled across the nearby border to Bangladesh, according to the United Nations, which has documented allegations of gang rape, torture, arson and killings by security forces.

Myanmar's government, led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has denied most of the allegations, and has denied entry to a UN fact-finding mission tasked with looking into the allegations.

The government has blocked independent journalists and human rights monitors from going to the area in the far north of the state for the past nine months.

Suu Kyi has said a UN fact-finding mission would only heighten tension in the region. Many in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, see the Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Myanmar officials say a domestic investigation, led by Vice President Myint Swe—a former lieutenant general in the army—and a commission headed for former UN chief Kofi Annan—which is not mandated to investigate human rights abuses—are the appropriate ways to address problems in Rakhine State.

 Security Concerns

Annan recommended in March that authorities "provide full and regular access for domestic and international media to all areas affected by recent violence."

Reporters on the visit to the northern areas would be provided security by Myanmar's paramilitary Border Guard Police force, Thet Swe said.

Although access would not be restricted, he said, reporters should stay close to officials during visits to villages for their own security.

A detailed itinerary for the five-day trip was provided to reporters on Wednesday.

The itinerary does not include visits to the villages at the center of a two-week offensive in mid-November, in which Reuters has documented numerous allegations of abuses by troops following a clash with Rohingya militants.

However, Thet Swe said, the plan was "not fixed" and would be subject to changes due to the weather and security concerns. He invited reporters to suggest additional places they want to visit.

Reporters would be taken to the village of Tin May, where security forces killed two suspected militants and arrested one after they detonated a bomb on Sunday, according to an announcement from Suu Kyi's office.

While Myanmar has denied entry to a UN fact-finding mission, a UN special rapporteur on human rights, Yanghee Lee, is visiting Rakhine State this week.

Although she is not expected to visit the northern areas near the border with Bangladesh, she is due to meet some of the people displaced in violence since 2012.

About 120,000 Rohingya have lived in "internally displaced persons" camps in Rakhine State, dependent of international aid, since communal widespread violence that year.

The post Myanmar Escorts Media to Rakhine, Vows 'No Restrictions' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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