Monday, October 16, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Thousands of new Refugees Flee Violence, Hunger in Myanmar to Bangladesh

Posted: 16 Oct 2017 07:56 AM PDT

COX'S BAZAR/YANGON — Hungry, destitute and scared, thousands of new self-identifying Rohingya refugees crossed the border into Bangladesh from Myanmar early on Monday, Reuters witnesses said, fleeing hunger and attacks by Buddhist mobs that the United Nations has called ethnic cleansing.

Wading through waist-deep water with children strapped to their sides, the refugees told Reuters they had walked through bushes and forded monsoon-swollen streams for days.

A seemingly never-ending flow entered Bangladesh near the village of Palongkhali. Many were injured, with the elderly carried on makeshift stretchers, while women balanced household items, such as pots, rice sacks and clothing, on their heads.

"We couldn't step out of the house for the last month because the military were looting people," said Mohammad Shoaib, 29, who wore a yellow vest and balanced jute bags of food and aluminum pots on a bamboo pole. "They started firing on the village. So we escaped into another.

"Day by day, things kept getting worse, so we started moving towards Bangladesh. Before we left, I went back near my village to see my house, and the entire village was burnt down," Shoaib added.

They joined about 536,000 self-identifying Rohingya Muslims who have fled Myanmar since Aug. 25, when coordinated Rohingya insurgent attacks sparked a ferocious military response, with the fleeing people accusing security forces of arson, killings and rape.

Myanmar rejects accusations of ethnic cleansing and has labeled the militants from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army who launched the attacks as terrorists, who have killed civilians and burnt villages.

Not everyone made it to Bangladesh alive on Monday.

Several kilometers to the south of Palongkhali, a boat carrying scores of refugees sank at dawn, killing at least 12 and leaving 35 missing.

There were 21 survivors, Bangladesh authorities said.

"So far 12 bodies, including six children and four women, have been recovered," said police official Moinuddin Khan.

Bangladesh border guards told Reuters the boat sank because it was overloaded with refugees, who pay exorbitant fees to cross the Naf River, which forms a natural border with Myanmar in the Cox's Bazar region of Bangladesh.

The sinking came about a week after another boat capsized in the estuary on the river, which has become a graveyard for dozens of Muslim refugees.

Food, Aid Restricted

Refugees who survived the perilous journey said they were driven out by hunger because food markets in Myanmar's western Rakhine State have been shut and aid deliveries restricted. They also reported attacks by the military and Rakhine Buddhist mobs.

The influx will worsen the unprecedented humanitarian emergency unfolding in Cox's Bazar, where aid workers are battling to provide refugees with food, clean water and shelter.

On Monday, the Red Cross opened a field hospital as big as two football fields, with 60 beds, three wards, an operating theatre, a delivery suite with maternity ward and a psychosocial support unit.

Hundreds of thousands of self-identifying Rohingya had already been in Bangladesh after fleeing previous spasms of violence in Myanmar, where they have long been denied citizenship and faced curbs on their movements and access to basic services.

The United States and the European Union are considering targeted sanctions against Myanmar's military leaders, officials have told Reuters.

EU foreign ministers will discuss Myanmar on Monday, and their draft joint statement said the bloc "will suspend invitations to the commander-in-chief of the Myanmar/Burma armed forces and other senior military officers."

The powerful army chief, Min Aung Hlaing, told the United States ambassador in Myanmar last week that the exodus of Rohingya, whom he called non-native "Bengalis," was exaggerated.

But despite Myanmar's denials and assurances that aid was on its way to the north of violence-torn Rakhine State, thousands more starving people were desperate to leave.

"We fled from our home because we had nothing to eat in my village," said Jarhni Ahlong, a 28-year-old Rohingya man from the southern region of Buthidaung, who had been stranded on the Myanmar side of the Naf for a week, waiting to cross.

From the thousands gathered there awaiting an opportunity to escape, about 400 paid roughly US$50 each to flee on nine or 10 boats on Monday morning, he added.

"I think if we go to Bangladesh we can get food," he said

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Military Warns State Counselor on Security After Weapons Haul

Posted: 16 Oct 2017 07:29 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW — The military leadership has warned State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi over her security arrangements and she has replied that she would take extra caution.

"As far as I'm concerned, the military has constantly warned about her security, and she has replied to the military that she would exercise caution," U Khin Maung Win, the chairman of the Lower House Judicial and Legal Affairs Committee told The Irrawaddy.

On Sunday evening, Phyo Ko Ko Tint San, ACE Company chairman and the son of sports minister under U Thein Sein's administration U Tint San, and two ACE employees were detained before boarding a Yangon-bound Myanmar National Airline flight for illegal possession of firearms and illicit drugs, leading to public concerns about the security of the country's political leaders.

Police found 12 WY tablets, 1.5 grams of methamphetamine, two pistols and 72 bullets in U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San's backpack, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Another five pistols and 804 bullets were found in U Phyo Ko Ko Tin San's room at Naypyitaw's ACE Hotel, and nine more pistols and 892 bullets were found in the room of one of the ACE staff members on Sunday evening.

"Tatmadaw also has the things [security apparatus] that we have. They have warned about her security. And Daw Suu also agrees to take caution with her movements," said U Khin Maung Win, who is also a lawmaker representing Yangon's Lanmadaw Township.

U Zaw Htay, the spokesperson of the government and closest government official of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said that security has been increasingly tightened for her since 2016 after her name appeared on a hit list sent by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militant group to police in Malaysia.

"We've arranged considerable security for her since that time. I can't tell you certain things, but there are also undercover officers," he told The Irrawaddy.

Police Colonel Zaw Khin Aung, the chief of Naypyitaw Police Force, believes that the seizure of firearms is not directly related to security of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

"There is nothing to worry about. We take full responsibility for her safety," he told the reporters in Naypyitaw on Monday.

Upper House MP U Thein Swe, who has served as a security officer for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for many years, is worried about her safety because the State Counselor cares about work much more than her safety.

"I'm concerned about her safety because of the arms seizure. So, I want concerned authorities to give greater attention to her security. And I also want to urge them to take harsh legal actions against keeping arms without security duty. Only then, the security of the country will be safe," said U Thein Swe.

Though Daw Aung San Suu Kyi uses bullet-proof cars provided by the government when she goes outside on official duty, she only uses her own private car in other times, said U Thein Swe, suggesting that she should take caution all the time.

"Whatever reason she goes outside for public duty, she is the most important person of the country. There should be full security since she is the leader of the country. There should be 24-hour security for her, and she should accept it," said U Thein Swe.

"The number of arms was not that large as in the previous cases of Aye Ne Win and Kyaw Ne Win," said U Khin Maung Win, referring to the case in 2002 when the grandsons of military dictator General Ne Win were arrested for allegedly plotting a coup.

"It is fair to say that [Phyo Ko Ko Tint San] has intentionally stockpiled firearms. I don't mean he would assassinate a certain person. But why he has kept so many arms must be investigated," he added.

U Tint San, the father of U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San, is currently on a trip in China. According to sources close to him, he is a firearm fanatic and frequently posts photos of his arms on Facebook.

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World Bank Withholds $200 Million Myanmar Loan

Posted: 16 Oct 2017 07:20 AM PDT

MANDALAY — The World Bank has delayed a US$200 million loan to Myanmar amid intensifying international pressure over the exodus of more than 500,000 self-identifying Rohingya from Rakhine State.

In a statement issued on Oct. 12, the World Bank said it was "deeply concerned by the violence, destruction and forced displacement of the Rohingya" and would withhold the loan until conditions improved.

Militant attacks on 30 police stations and an army base in northern Rakhine on Aug. 25 triggered an army crackdown that has caused the exodus. Meanwhile, about 30,000 Arakanese and Hindus were internally displaced by militant violence.

The World Bank stated it would continue "high-impact projects that support education, health services, electricity, rural roads and inclusion of all ethnic groups and religions, particularly in Rakhine state."

"We also assessed the conditions of our recently approved development policy loan and concluded that further progress is needed for the loan to be made effective," the statement added.

The loan is one of the 13 projects funded by the World Bank in Myanmar and was signed between the bank and the Myanmar government in August as direct financial support to the government's union budget to help address the macroeconomic stability and fiscal resilience.

The loan comes from the World Bank's fund for low-income countries, International Development Association (IDA). The loan includes a repayment period of 38 years, with a grace period of six years and a zero interest rate, according to the bank.

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Beijing Proudly Unveils Mega-Airport Due to Open in 2019

Posted: 16 Oct 2017 04:31 AM PDT

BEIJING — China's capital unveiled the "shining example" of its 80 billion yuan (US$12.14 billion) new airport on Monday, tipped to become one of the world's largest when it opens in October 2019 amid a massive infrastructure drive overseen by President Xi Jinping.

Representatives showed off the sprawling skeleton of "Beijing New Airport," which is made up of 1.6 million cubic metres of concrete, 52,000 tons of steel and spans a total 47 square kilometers (18 square miles), including runways.

It is expected to serve an initial 45 million passengers a year with an eventual capacity of 100 million, putting it on par with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

"Lined up together there's roughly 5 kilometers of gates," said project spokesman Zhu Wenxin. "It's a shining example of China's national production capacity."

Updates on the airport come as the ruling Communist Party is set to open its 19th congress later this week, a twice-a-decade leadership event where Xi will consolidate power and emphasize successful projects and policy from his first five years.

The project, which broke ground in 2014, is one of the region's largest infrastructure investments under Xi's rule, which has been plagued by fears of slowing economic growth, offset slightly by a construction spree.

China has sought to boost its profile as both an aviation hub and a manufacturer in recent years. The country's first home-grown passenger jet, the C919, lifted off on its maiden flight in May, edging into a multibillion-dollar market currently dominated by Boeing Co and Airbus SE.

Situated 67 kilometers south of Beijing, the airport technically falls in neighboring Hebei province, though it will eventually constitute its own development zone.

It will relieve pressure on Beijing's existing international airport, to the northeast of Beijing and currently the world's second largest by passenger volume, which opened a new terminal worth $3.6 billion in 2008 ahead of the Beijing Summer Olympics.

The existing airport will continue to operate major international flights, though a third smaller domestic airport in the city's south will close in coming years.

Two of China's three major airlines, China Eastern Airlines Corp and China Southern Airlines Co, will relocate to the airport on completion, accounting for roughly four-fifths of the new airport's total traffic.

The airport will be connected to Beijing by a high speed train with a top speed of 350 kilometer an hour, as well as an inter-city train and a major expressway.

Original plans for the airport were made by French airports operator Aeroports de Paris, though third-party improvements to the original version make the final design "wholly domestic," said Zhu.

"It's like a large flower, but made of steel," said one construction worker on the site, who declined to share his name because he was not authorized to speak to press.

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Analysis: Why Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Shunned UN General Assembly 

Posted: 16 Oct 2017 04:19 AM PDT

When Aung San Suu Kyi decided to send her vice president U Henry Van Thio to deliver a speech at the UN in New York she was denounced for avoiding questions and criticism on the plight of self-identifying Rohingya and violence in Rakhine State.

Some insiders, however, say that the State Counselor had more pressing issues at home.

Since the crisis erupted, President U Htin Kyaw has been undergoing treatment in Bangkok. The generals wanted to declare a state of emergency in Rakhine State as clearance operations were launched.

If Daw Aung San Suu Kyi decided to go to New York while U Htin Kyaw was in a Bangkok hospital receiving treatment, U Myint Swe would be in charge and the army could declare a state of emergency in Rakhine State.

Since day one, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has objected to declaring a state of emergency in Rakhine State.

Vice president U Myint Swe is a former top general and served as Yangon chief minister under the U Thein Sein administration and was known as a military hardliner under the Snr-Gen Than Shwe regime.

After reading the precarious situation, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi decided not to go to New York and instead delivered a diplomatic briefing addressing Rakhine State in English. Simultaneously, rallies to support Daw Aung San Suu Kyi were held in some major cities to condemn mounting international pressure on the State Counselor.

U Htin Kyaw came back from medical treatment but Daw Aung San Suu Kyi cancelled her planned trip to Prague.

Instead, she went to Brunei to attend the Golden Jubilee gala of King Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah's succession to the throne. She was seen with several Asean leaders who have expressed concern on the situation in Rakhine State.

Malaysia decided to disassociate itself from a statement on Rakhine issued by the Filipino chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. It said that the statement misrepresents the reality of the situation and omits references to Rohingya Muslims.

In any case, under the 2008 Constitution, the army can declare a state of emergency. But there is process.

Only the President can declare a state of emergency after consulting and coordinating with the Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services and Home Affairs. This declaration must be submitted to the National Defense and Security Council (NDSC) for approval as soon as possible, according to the Constitution.

It should be noted that under the current administration, regular NDSC meetings do not take place.

The commander-in-chief would have sovereign power, but he would have to seek NDSC approval to extend the emergency period to six months or more.

He also has to report to an emergency session of the Union Parliament. This scenario is likely if the country is perceived as facing a serious emergency situation or a formidable threat to sovereignty.

Among diplomats and observers, there are still rumors of a coup.

China, India and other of Myanmar's close neighbors watch the ongoing power play in Naypyitaw knowing that relations between State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Snr Gen Min Aung Hlaing are at a low point.

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Businesses in Nine Sectors Must Submit Environmental Plans: Govt

Posted: 15 Oct 2017 11:38 PM PDT

MAWLAMYINE, Mon State — Businesses in nine sectors marked as potentially harmful to the environment will be asked to submit environmental management plans (EMP), according to the Mon State government.

The National-level Environmental Conservation and Climate Change Central Committee decided in June that all firms in food and beverage production, cement production, textile dying, foundry, leather processing, pulp and paper production, and sugar production must submit EMPs for approval.

But progress has been sluggish on the matter, with Mon State minister for resources and environmental conservation Dr. Min Kyi Win saying, "We have yet to inform the concerned businesspeople."

The Directorate of Industrial Supervision and Inspection under the industry ministry licenses factories and workshops. But there is little cooperation between the natural resources and environmental conversation ministry and the industry ministry, said Dr. Min Kyi, which breeds irresponsible business operations.

He cited the state government's recent surprise checks on some factories in Mawlamyine in which the majority of the operations were found to be violating guidelines.

The environmental conservation department has issued guidelines to factories regarding environmental conservation. It will shut down factories that fail to implement the guidelines, said the department's deputy director U Soe Naing.

The department will ask factories to make any necessary changes over "a certain period of time" in order to avoid damaging the environment, he said.

"If they fail to fix [the issues] beyond that period, we'll take legal actions," U Soe Naing told The Irrawaddy.

He added that the ministry is too under-resourced to detect all industrial pollution and supervise factories and workshops.

After lawmakers in the state parliament raised questions about strong-smelling rubber processing plants on the Mawlamyine-Mudon highway in September, the Mon State chief minister suspended the plants' production until they submit EMPs to the state government.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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China Expels Former Justice Minister From Party for Graft

Posted: 15 Oct 2017 10:00 PM PDT

BEIJING — A former Chinese justice minister has been expelled from the ruling Communist Party following an investigation by the anti-corruption watchdog, the first time the government has announced that she was in trouble.

Wu Aiying, 65, was justice minister from 2005 until February this year, according to her official resume, and one of only a handful of senior female officials in China.

In a statement released late on Saturday following a four-day meeting of the party's Central Committee, the largest of its elite ruling bodies, Wu's name was listed as one of a number of officials to have been expelled from the party for graft.

While the other names listed, including former Chongqing city party boss, Sun Zhengcai, had been announced earlier, Wu's name had not been mentioned by the party in connection with any investigation.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection found that Wu had "serious discipline problems," the communique said using a euphemism for corruption, but gave no other details.

It was not possible to reach Wu or a representative for comment.

Wu had spent most her career working in the eastern province of Shandong, where she rose to become a deputy provincial party chief, before moving to Beijing in late 2003 to work at the Justice Ministry.

China's legal authorities have been one of the focuses of President Xi Jinping's crackdown on deep-rooted corruption, with powerful former domestic security chief Zhou Yongkang, and many of his allies and former associates, jailed.

It is not clear if Wu had any direct connection with Zhou.

The WeChat account of the state-run Beijing News, Political Matters, said that Wu was known to be a no-nonsense straight talker, once shouting at an underling when a mobile phone rang in the middle of a meeting.

The announcement about Wu comes a few days before the party opens a key, once-in-five-years Congress on Wednesday, which will see Xi strengthen his power and promote key allies and aides.

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UPDATE: Son of Former Minister Arrested for Guns, Drugs in Naypyitaw

Posted: 15 Oct 2017 08:41 PM PDT

NAYPYITAW—Police arrested the son of a former minister and two other men for illegal possession of firearms and illegal drugs at Naypyitaw International Airport on Sunday afternoon.

U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San, ACE Company chairman and the son of sports minister under U Thein Sein's administration U Tint San, and two ACE employees were detained before boarding a a Yangon-bound Myanmar National Airline flight.

Police found 12 WY tablets, 1.5 grammes of methamphetamine, two pistols and 72 bullets in U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San's backpack, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The airport's X-ray machine revealed pistols and bullets in their luggage, according to the Naypyitaw Police Force.  Naypyitaw Police Chief Zaw Khin Aung confirmed the arrest.

"They were arrested as they didn't have permission to hold guns. The other two men arrested are connected to U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San. We have found no evidence related to terrorism," he told The Irrawaddy.

Another five pistols and 804 bullets were found in U Phyo Ko Ko Tin San’s room at Naypyitaw's ACE Hotel on Sunday evening, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs. Another nine pistols and 892 bullets were found in the room of one of the ACE staff members.

U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San runs the ACE Construction Company owned by his father U Tint San, who was the sports minister from 2012 to 2016. The company constructed the parliament complex in Naypyitaw.

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Sunday, October 15, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Army Chief Urges Rebels to Sign Ceasefire on NCA Second Anniversary 

Posted: 15 Oct 2017 07:15 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW — Myanmar Army chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing urged all of the country's ethnic armed groups to sign the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) in a speech marking the second anniversary of several groups signing the pact on Sunday in Naypyitaw.

The commemoration saw speeches from the country's chief peace negotiators, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the Karen National Union (KNU) chairman Gen Saw Mutu Say Poe.

"I firmly ask you to sign the NCA," said the army chief. "No provision in this agreement limits or restricts the rights of people, but provides every possible right for them. It is therefore fair to assume that continued ignoring of this fact amounts to resisting the federal Union which people aspire to, opposing democracy, having desire for armed 'anarchy,' and disregarding the interests of the Union and its people."

The number of NCA signatories has not increased since an initial eight ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) signed the accord two years ago.

More than a dozen EAOs—some of whom helped draft the NCA—have shown little interest in signing the pact.

Sixteen EAOs under the banner Nationwide Ceasefire Coordinating Team and government peace negotiators under the previous administration drafted the NCA in late 2013.

But clashes continue in Myanmar's northeast involving the Ta'ang Nationalities Liberation Army, Arakan Army, and Kokang's Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army—all of whom the Tatmadaw refuses to accept as peace partners.

These three EAOs are allied with the militarily strong United Wa State Army (UWSA) and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) under new political alliance the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC).

The UWSA-led bloc has called for an alternative approach to the NCA. The government, though, has rejected negotiating with the FPNCC as a whole and insists on meeting each of its seven members separately.

Efforts of the government's Peace Commission to bring NCA non-signatories to sign the pact have been further hampered by a nine-point proposal from another ethnic bloc, the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC). The bloc of five members is waiting for the government to agree to the proposal before signing the NCA.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who heads the National Reconciliation and Peace Center among other state roles, said at Sunday's ceremony that the government was "ready to welcome" non-signatories to the NCA.

She invited them to collaborate with the government in implementing the basic principles needed for a federal state.

"Our government welcomes all non-signatory groups to participate in the process of formulating the principles towards a Democratic Federal Union in the future. In fact, the NCA is not an end in itself, but just the first step towards national reconciliation in the country," said the State Counselor.

"I would like to reiterate today that the NCA opens the door for political dialogues which will pave the way to the Union Peace Conference," she added.

In the second round of the Union Peace Conference in May, the delegates signed a part of the Union Accord, but it did not cover key federal principles regarding equality and self-determination.

Union peace conferences would be held biannually in accordance with the plan, said Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Almost five months after the second session of the Union Peace Conference, national-level political dialogues are yet to be held. In the dialogues, regional stakeholders discuss suggestions at large-scale public consultations, the results of which are shared at the conference.

Still, the State Counselor said the government would hold its third round of the Union Peace Conference later this year as planned and two more next year.

Members of the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC) and the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee (JMC) gave reports on their progress. The committees are the mechanisms to implement the NCA, established at a Joint Implementation Coordination Meeting (JICM) two years ago.

Gen Saw Mutu Say Poe said self-determination, autonomy and ethnic rights for ethnic nationalities are yet to be fully implemented despite an agreement between independence hero Gen Aung San and ethnic leaders of Shan, Chin, and Kachin states under the Panglong agreement signed in February 1947.

"Our aim is to build a union envisioned by the 1947 Panglong agreement, and to end an almost seven decades long civil war. To reach our goal, we have to implement the peace process through the roadmap drafted in the NCA and to hold political dialogue with all stakeholders," he told the ceremony.

On the same day the KNU released a statement urging the government and the Tatmadaw to compromise on policies regarding ethnic equality and the right to self-determination.

"The compromising of these policies could enable the remaining EAOs to sign the NCA, and reinforce the efforts for peace and the emergence of a federal democracy," read the statement.

Gen Saw Mutu Say Poe stressed in his speech the need to hold regular gatherings of the JICM, the highest authority in decision-making on NCA implementation.

But the government reportedly does not want to call JICMs unless there are disputes to resolve.

NCA signatories showed optimism that clashes between their groups and the army had significantly reduced since they signed the NCA.

Salai Lian Hmung Sakhong of the Chin National Front told reporters in Naypyitaw on Sunday, "It is a big success as we have seen that military engagement in the ceasefire territories have been reduced by 80 to 85 percent."

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi shared similar observations at the ceremony.

"Despite criticism of the NCA, there has been noticeable progress. We have successfully decreased conflicts in the regions of the ethnic armed organizations signatories and as a result, the socio-economic lives of the local people have significantly improved," she said.

"It has been two years since we signed the NCA. There is no reason to retreat. We only need to go forward and pave our way towards our desired goal," she added.

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Friday, October 13, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

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Myanmar Army to Release Probe into Alleged Atrocities in Rakhine

Posted: 13 Oct 2017 05:13 AM PDT

YANGON — The Myanmar Army has announced it will release the findings of an investigation into any misconduct by government forces in Rakhine State following accusations surrounding its clearance operations late last year and this year.

The Tatmadaw's True News Information Team said on Tuesday evening that an investigation team led by Inspector General Lt-Gen Aye Win was probing whether security forces followed their duties and regulations during the operations, which were intensified after militant attacks on Aug. 25.

"We will officially release the report upon [when] we have had comprehensive information," the statement said.

The announcement follows an exodus of more than 500,000 self-identifying Rohingya Muslims from northern Rakhine State for Bangladesh since the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) Aug. 25 offensive on 30 police and army outposts.

In what it called a hunt for the militants, the army's clearance operations drew international condemnation, with accusations of extrajudicial killings, rape, and the burning of Muslim villages.

The UN described the actions a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing" with the Myanmar Army purposely driving out the Muslim population and destroying their property to prevent them from returning.

The information team's announcement did not say when the investigation report would be released.

It would not be the first internal military investigation into alleged abuses. In February the military formed a five-member team led by Lt-Gen Aye Win in response to a UN report based on interviews in January with more than 200 self-identifying Rohingya refugees among some 70,000 who fled Myanmar for Bangladesh following militant attacks on police outposts in October.

The United Nation's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights report stated security forces committed mass killings and gang rapes of Muslims in a campaign that "very likely" amounted to crimes against humanity.

The state-run newspaper in May summarized the internal military inquiry, rejecting the allegations and saying the report was "based on lies and invented statements."

Military investigators, among others, interviewed nearly 3,000 villagers from 29 villages and "wrote down" testimony from 408 villagers, 184 military officers and troops, it said.

It added that three low-ranking soldiers were jailed for minor offences, such as stealing a motorbike or beating up villagers in one incident.

With the new investigation focusing on operations after Aug. 25, it was unclear whether the report would include retrospective findings from last year.

Military spokesperson Maj Gen. Aung Ye Win was not available for comment on Friday.

On Thursday, Myanmar Army chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing told the Japanese ambassador for Myanmar that the army has conducted an investigation into any misconduct by security forces occurring after the Aug 25 attacks.

"Now we are trying to have a factually comprehensive report," he said during the meeting with the ambassador in Naypyitaw, according to a report posted on the army's chief Facebook. It did not mention a release date for the findings.

The latest investigation revealed that the security forces' actions were within the legal framework, as they were strictly ordered to take action in accordance with law and used the lowest number of troops possible, according to the post.

In January, the government detained several police officers over a video showing policemen beating self-identifying Rohingya in November last year that went viral.

Three police officers were sentenced to two months detention in a jail for police over the video, according to AFP, with security forces saying those involved had "no intention" to cause harm.

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Female Participation in Peace Process Improving, But More to be Done

Posted: 13 Oct 2017 05:07 AM PDT

YANGON — Stakeholders and activists welcomed a slight increase in women involved in Myanmar's peace process but cautioned there were challenges to meet the target of 30 percent female participation.

Women's rights groups have been advocating for a minimum 30 percent female representatives of nationwide peace negotiations launched in 2011.

On Oct. 15, 2015, eight of Myanmar's 21 ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) signed landmark peace accord the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) which stated:  "We shall include a reasonable number of women representatives in the political dialogue process."

The country's framework for political dialogue later added an official commitment to "make efforts to achieve 30 percent female participation in all political dialogues."

Women were largely excluded from Union-level peace conferences held in January and August last year and May this year, however.

Only seven percent of the 700 attendees of the January 2016 Union Peace Conference were women.

The number slightly improved to 13 percent of 663 attendees in the August conference last year and 17 percent of 910 attendees in May this year.

Myanmar's failure to reach the 30 percent target was discussed at an international seminar on the roles of women in Myanmar's peace process held by Ar Yone Oo's Social Development Association and the Peace Research Institute Oslo in Yangon on Monday.

Naw Susana Hla Hla Soe, a prominent women's rights activist who is now an Upper House lawmaker, said representation of more than half of Myanmar's population in the peace process was very low, particularly at national-level peace dialogues and among decision-making bodies.

She said she was only ever permitted involvement in social affairs discussions at political dialogues in Karen State, despite wanting to join political discussions.

"There is an idea that women are only concerned with social affairs," she said, adding it is important to include women's voices in the planning and implementation of all parts of the peace process.

Daw Thandar Oo, founder of Women and Peace Action Network of Shan State (WPAN), echoed Naw Susuan Hla Hla Soe's comments and said female participation in political and security affairs was lacking.

"Excluding women's voices is to ignore the majority of voices," she said, adding that without including or taking consideration of women's experiences and opinions in all sectors, it will be impossible to implement peace.

Zaceu Lian, liaison officer of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, said when each group select delegates for their quota to attend the peace talks, they experienced difficulties finding representatives as they chose experts on the issue who can debate well with the military.

"[Peace negotiations] are not a place to train [women], but a place to debate with the military and other groups. When they see a woman they think they are not ready, which is why no women were included in discussions on security," he said.

Chin Chin, a technical adviser to the Chin National Front, argued that the 23 political parties with parliamentary seats are only allowed to send about five people each to peace talks and therefore usually choose party's chairman or secretary general.

"In this case, we need to reconsider the structure of political parties which are dominated by men at the top levels," said Chin Chin.

Daw Thandar Oo of WPAN, who attended the three previous Union peace conferences said: "There has always been a question of how much women know and how skillful they are in being involved in peace dialogues."

"Where does skill come from," she asked. "It comes from our experience, that's why we need to open more spaces for women."

Hkun Okker, a leading patron of the Pa-Oh National Liberation Organization (PNLO), said: "We have agreed to include at least 30 percent. The groups which attend peace conferences need to try to meet that in choosing representatives. They have a responsibility for that," adding that he hopes the number will be met in the upcoming peace conference which is expected to be held in December.

State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who is chairperson of Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee, has also called greater female participation in the country's peace process.

"There are ongoing movements calling for 30 percent participation in the peace process. I want more than that; I want 50 percent," she said at an International Women's Day celebration in Naypyitaw in March, adding that participation did not just mean sitting in on the conference.

The post Female Participation in Peace Process Improving, But More to be Done appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Artist Depicts Love for Traditional Myanmar Life

Posted: 13 Oct 2017 04:34 AM PDT

What are the typical customs and ways of life of the Myanmar people? Traditionally, Myanmar people work on farms, go to pagodas and monasteries, enjoy festivals, and hold maternal love in high esteem.

Yangon-based painter Nay Tun is inspired by traditional Myanmar life.

All these aspects are on display at Nay Tun's seventh solo exhibition at OK Gallery from Oct. 14 to 18.

Nay Tun came to fame for expressing his profound love for Myanmar tradition and customs, which he has dedicated his artistry to since his first solo show in 2009.

Yangon-based painter Nay Tun is inspired by traditional Myanmar life.

Born in 1955 in Yangon, he went to State School of Fine Art, and has participated in more than 100 group shows so over the course of his career.

The artist said: "I really love what late artists U Kin Maung (Bank), Baji Aung Soe, U Aung Khin, and Rahula have said. They said that regardless of techniques, what you draw about Myanmar tradition should be distinctive to viewers. I love Myanmar tradition also and have therefore created these paintings."

Yangon-based painter Nay Tun is inspired by traditional Myanmar life.

His paintings depict monks collecting alms, a horse and cart rolling through Bagan, women growing rice on farm, Mingun Bell, the second largest bell in the world, hanging in grandeur.

There will be 40 paintings on show at OK Gallery in Aung San Stadium (North Wing) in Yangon, each priced US$300.

Yangon-based painter Nay Tun is inspired by traditional Myanmar life.

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Non-Signatories Forgo Sending Delegation to NCA Anniversary

Posted: 13 Oct 2017 03:38 AM PDT

YANGON — Non-signatories of the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) will not attend an event in Naypyitaw on Sunday to mark the two-year anniversary of the signing of the accord.

Ethnic bloc United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) stated it would not attend because it had little time to prepare for the event.

The government accepted on Tuesday the request of eight NCA signatories to allow NCA non-signatories to join the event—just four days before the event scheduled on Sunday.

The UNFC comprises the New Mon State Party (NMSP), Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), Lahu Democratic Union (LDU) and Arakan National Council (ANC).

NMSP is considering signing the NCA before the third session of the 21st Century Panglong, which is expected to take place in November.

Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC)—a United Wa State Army (UWSA)-led group of seven ethnic armed groups based in northern Myanmar—will not attend the event because the government only invited some of the group's members and not the entire bloc.

FPNCC comprises the UWSA, Kachin Independence Army (KIA), National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP), Myanmar Nationalities Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), and Arakan Army (AA).

The Myanmar Army has repeatedly said it would not hold peace talks with the MNDAA, TNLA and AA because they came to existence only after the emergence of a democratic government, in contrast to other long-established ethnic armed groups.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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The EU-Myanmar IPA Threatens Emerging Democracy

Posted: 13 Oct 2017 01:52 AM PDT

Recently, the press had a field day with the leaked footage of British foreign minister Boris Johnson attempting to recite Rudyard Kipling's colonial-era Road To Mandalay in the grounds of Shwedagon Paya (it could have been worse). While such gaffes that call to mind the bad old days of colonialism are in bad taste, more pertinent stories about the West and its neo-colonial endeavors in Myanmar are going largely unreported. Since the so-called transition to democracy— a transition often misunderstood and much exaggerated— Myanmar has been the center of a "gold rush", as businesses from Asia and the West hope to make money from what has been called "Asia's last economic frontier".

The EU accounts for about 10 percent of foreign direct investment in Myanmar and is keen to raise that number with its planned Investment Protection Agreement (IPA), a wide-ranging agreement on trade that has been in-negotiation in recent years. Yet, it has raised considerable concerns from civil society groups about the lack of transparency in these negotiations, and the potential negative impacts of the treaty. In 2016, more than 500 CSOs jointly wrote to the EU commissioner, Cecilia Malmström, expressing their frustration with a "consultation process" run by consulting agency "Development Solutions"— one that amounted to little more than a few "workshops" in Yangon and a scant questionnaire. "…[O]ne key question is missing: the question whether we at all want an IPA," the letter states.

A key part of the IPA is that it would bring the Myanmar government under an Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) regime in regards to its dealings with EU companies. ISDS is a mechanism which allows investors to sue governments in independent arbitration courts, and its inclusion in recent multilateral treaties such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership have opened up a public debate about both its effectiveness and fairness towards developing countries.

In theory, an ISDS helps give confidence to foreign investors by protecting them against unstable governments that might renege on investment agreements. However, in practice, the mechanism has often been used to punish governments seeking to regulate industries, even if the regulation is in the interests of public safety. In 1997, over concerns about public health, the Canadian government effectively banned the chemical MMT. Following this, they were challenged by Ethyl, a US corporation that manufactured MMT in Canada. Ethyl argued that banning MMT violated the terms of the NAFTA agreement. Rather than go to an international tribunal, the Canadian government ended up repealing the ban and paying US$13 million to Ethyl in a settlement.

In 2016, the Ukrainian government was sued for $820 million by the US pharmaceutical company, Gilead. This was made possible by a 1994 US-Ukraine bilateral treaty which included an ISDS. Gilead, which was selling the anti-hepatitis C drug, Sofosbuvir, in the country was angered by the introduction of cheaper generic versions of the drug and wanted Ukraine to preserve its monopoly within the country. In early 2017, Gilead withdrew the threat and came to an agreement with Ukraine: They would lower their price, but competitors offering lower prices would be banned.

ISDS, once in place, effectively acts to put companies above the law, and this has chilling effects on democracy and on the ability of countries to legislate against and reform damaging corporate behavior. In Indonesia, following the dictatorial reign of Suharto, the government enacted laws against open-pit mining. A recent investigation by Buzzfeed News found that an Australian mining company, Newcrest, made veiled threats to the Indonesian government, stating that unless they were able to continue mining, they would bring in international tribunals. This wasn't an empty threat as the country had already suffered a $261 million loss at one of these tribunals, when Indonesia was forced to pay a US energy company, Karaha Bodas, for loss of potential future profits after the government closed down a power plant project due to lack of funds.

Concerns over ISDS were a focal point of an open letter in 2016 from almost 200 local CSOs in Myanmar calling for a suspension of the EU-Myanmar IPA: "Inclusion of an investor-state dispute settlement mechanism in the EU-Myanmar IPA will seriously hamper any initiatives for equitable and sustainable development by laying Myanmar wide open to multimillion dollar law suits by foreign investors should the governments introduce new and tighter regulation to protect public health, access to water, access to public services, degradation of the environment and regulation supporting a sustainable peace in Myanmar."

Yet, the EU seems determined to push through the law. In an interview earlier this year, the eagerness of resident EU Ambassador, Roland Kobia, to see the deal through seemed to be almost tangible as he warned that "Myanmar needs to get its act together" or investors would go elsewhere. Would they really though? There's no real evidence that such agreements have any effect on the number of investments at all. Even business-centric publications such as the Financial Times have begun to question the usefulness of ISDS in bilateral treaties.

In September, a consortium of Myanmar and international NGOs jointly launched a report "Myths and risks of the EU-Myanmar Investment Protection Agreement." Among other valuable insights, the report showed how the idea that the treaty would encourage investment was without solid grounding in evidence and how claims that it would help workers rights were mere aspirations. In fact, the opposite could be true, as there is already a precedent for companies suing governments for increasing the minimum wage, for example. It also outlined the potential chilling effects of the agreement on democratic and judicial reform, and the peace process, as well as the continued concerns about a lack of transparency.

Myanmar knows what it's like to have corporations play the bully. The British invasion of Mandalay in 1885, that deposed Thibaw, was kick-started by the actions of the Bombay Burmah Company, which misled the Burmese government about how much teak it was extracting and underpaid its employees. When the Burmese sanctioned them for this, the British suggested arbitration (run by the British, of course), a proto-ISDS, if you will. The arbitration never happened and the rest is history. It was a convenient excuse for the British to invade, yet while the West isn't going to march armies up the Irrawaddy anymore, it still pays to be cautious when foreign investors come knocking.

Back to the current day, on October 2 it was reported that the IPA had been suspended, due to the ongoing unrest in Rakhine State. While the reprieve is welcomed, the cynical will see it as merely optics rather than principles. When the EU inevitably resumes work on the IPA, will it finally listen to civil society?

Ewan Cameron is a teacher and writer living in Myanmar. He currently works for the Kachinland School of Arts and Sciences, part of the Humanity Institute.

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

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Govt Aims to Provide Electricity for Troubled Rakhine Townships in 2018

Posted: 13 Oct 2017 01:42 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW — The government has earmarked US$5.75 billion to provide electricity next year to more than 40 villages in the troubled northern Rakhine State townships of Buthidaung, Maungdaw and Rathedaung.

More than 500,000 self-identifying Rohingya Muslims have fled the region since militant attacks on police and army outposts mostly concentrated in Maungdaw triggered an army crackdown that has involved extrajudicial killings, rape, and the burning of Muslim villages, according to refugees in Bangladesh and satellite imagery.

Access to the area is heavily restricted, but a UN Human Rights Office report released on Oct. 11 based on 65 interviews conducted in Bangladesh with individuals and groups stated the security operations began before the militant attacks, with the intent not only to drive out the population but also prevent them from returning to their homes.

Some 30,000 ethnic Arakanese, Mro, Daignet and Hindus were also displaced by militant violence, according to the government, which denies international claims of ethnic cleansing.

The Myanmar Army chief has said the number fleeing to Bangladesh has been "exaggerated" and denies accusations of abuse by its  troops.

Deputy director-general of the electricity and energy ministry U Ye Toe Thwin told a press conference on Friday that Rakhine townships Ponnagyun and Sittwe have already been connected to the national power grid.

"We have started work to deliver electricity from Ponnagyun to Rathedaung, Buthidaung, and Maungdaw," he said. "According to the plan, we'll be able to provide electricity to Rathedaung in March 2018, and Buthidaung in June 2018, and Maungdaw by the end of 2018."

Tender has been invited for electrification of 18 villages in Rathedaung, 11 in Buthidaung and 15 in Maungdaw, according to the ministry.

"I had a question about electricity supply [for Rakhine State] from the national grid, and [the electricity ministry] promised to implement it in 2018," U Aung Thaung Shwe, a Lower House lawmaker in Rakhine State, told The Irrawaddy.

"I heard tender has been invited for it, but I don't see any work on the ground. I doubt if all the works could be implemented within a year," he said.

He explained that Maungdaw, Buthitaung and Rathedaung townships used to have electricity 3.5 hr to 5 hr a day, and  only around ten percent of the whole Rakhine State has electricity.

Maungdaw has a community-based electricity supply committee that buys electricity from local private suppliers.

In Buthidaung, the government currently provides electricity with two generators. It previously provided electricity for five hours a day. After the outbreak of violence in the area, electricity—at 35 kyats per unit—is being supplied from 6.30 p.m. to 4.30 a.m. daily, according to Buthidaung local Ko Aung.

Only 38 percent of the country's population is connected to the national grid, leaving 62 percent of the population, most of them in rural areas, without access to government-supplied electricity, deputy electricity minister Dr. Tun Lwin told Parliament in June.

The production cost of electricity by state-owned and private power plants is around 92 kyats per unit, but the price sold to users is 69 kyats on average. The government had to subsidize the gap, which created a loss of 337 billion kyats during the 2016-17 fiscal year, said the deputy minister.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Thousands Evacuated in Vietnam as Floods, Landslides Kill 46

Posted: 12 Oct 2017 10:39 PM PDT

HANOI, Vietnam — Heavy rain in northern and central Vietnam triggered floods and landslides that killed 46 people and 33 people were missing in the worst such disaster in years, the search and rescue committee said on Thursday.

Vietnam often suffers destructive storms and floods due to its long coastline. More than 200 people were killed in storms last year.

“In the past 10 years, we haven’t suffered from such severe and intense floods,” state-run Vietnam Television quoted agriculture minister Nguyen Xuan Cuong as saying.

A typhoon tore a destructive path across central Vietnam just last month, flooding and damaging homes and knocking out power lines.

The latest floods hit Vietnam on Monday.

“Our entire village has had sleepless nights…it’s impossible to fight against this water, it’s the strongest in years,” a resident in northwestern Hoa Binh province was quoted by VTV as saying.

Vietnam’s Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control said authorities were discharging water from dams to control water levels.

Some 317 homes had collapsed, while more than 34,000 other houses were submerged or had been damaged.

Earlier reports said more than 8,000 hectares (19,800 acres) of rice had been damaged and around 40,000 animals were killed or washed away.

Hoa Binh province in the northwest declared a state of emergency and opened eight gates to discharge water at Hoa Binh dam, Vietnam’s largest hydroelectric dam, the first time it has done so in years, VTV reported.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited northern Ninh Binh province where water levels in the Hoang Long river are their highest since 1985.

Rising sea levels are also threatening Vietnam’s more than 3,260 km (2,000 mile) coastline, resulting in increased flooding of low lying coastal regions, erosion and salt water intrusion.

Floods have also affected seven of 77 provinces in Thailand, Vietnam’s neighbour to the west, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said on Thursday. More than 480,000 hectares (1.2 million acres) of agricultural land have been hit, the department said.

Thailand is the world’s second-biggest exporter of rice.

“It is still too soon to tell whether there will be damage to rice crops because most of the rice has already been harvested,” Charoen Laothamatas, president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, told Reuters.

In 2011, Thailand was hit by its worst flooding in half a century. The floods killed hundreds and crippled industry, including the country’s key automotive sector.

The post Thousands Evacuated in Vietnam as Floods, Landslides Kill 46 appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

State Counselor Forms Enterprise on Rakhine State, Calls for ‘Unity’

Posted: 12 Oct 2017 10:14 PM PDT

State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will lead the newly-formed Union Enterprise for Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement and Development in Rakhine, a mechanism to bring stakeholders, the Union government, and local and international aid organizations together to tackle the humanitarian and human rights crisis in Rakhine State.

She announced the new enterprise during a public address on Thursday evening, the second speech she has delivered since dawn attacks on police and military outposts by Muslims militants the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) in northern Rakhine State on Aug. 25 killed 12 and plunged the region into violence.

On Sept. 19, she held a diplomatic briefing in Naypyitaw and explained her government's efforts on Rakhine State affairs with regard to national reconciliation and peace.

In the past seven weeks, more than 500,000 self-identifying Rohingya Muslims have fled northern Rakhine State in what the UN has described as a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing" with the Myanmar Army purposely driving out the Muslim population and destroying their property to prevent them from returning.

There have also been widespread allegations of rape, torture, extrajudicial killings committed by Myanmar security forces.

Some 30,000 ethnic Arakanese, Mro, Daignet, and Hindus were also displaced by ARSA violence, and more than a hundred civilians were killed by militants, according to the government.

The enterprise will tackle three main tasks: Repatriating and providing aid for those who have fled to Bangladesh, the resettlement and rehabilitation of returnees regardless of their race and religion, and establishing peace and bringing development to the region.

The vice chairman of the enterprise is Dr. Win Myat Aye, the union minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, who is also the chairman of the implementation committee for the recommendations of Dr. Kofi Annan's Advisory Commission on Rakhine State.

Myanmar needs to continue doing the things that needs to be done, and "should be done correctly, bravely and effectively," the state counselor emphasized.

"Rather than rebutting criticism and allegations with words, we will show the world by our actions and our deeds," she said in reference to myriad reports of human rights abuses and criticism of the Myanmar government on the world stage.

She said: "We need to understand international opinion. However, just as no one can fully understand the situation of our country the way we do, no one can desire peace and development for our country more than us. That is why we need to tackle these problems based on the strength of our unity."

As the Rakhine State affair is "a matter of national importance," Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said, government would take a leading role at both Union and state level and give "serious consideration the sincere offers of cooperation made at home and from abroad."

She invited non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations and business leaders as well as the international partners, UN agencies, financial institutions like the World Bank and ADB, INGOs like the Japan's Nippon Foundation and friendly countries, to join hands and cooperate with the government.

In her nine-minute long speech titled "Report to the People," Daw Aung San Sui Kyi said, she places "great hope in our Union's nationals" living within the country and abroad, and calling "all the sons and daughters of our Union" to give a helping a hand in resolving the Rakhine State issue.

She repeatedly emphasized, as in her previous speeches, the need to overcome the challenges with the power of people and extended her thanks to the public for the support they have been shown these days.

"There is no power which can compare with the support of the people, trust of the people and the unity of the people. I believe that no matter whatever difficulties we face, we can overcome, with the unity of our people," she said.

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Thursday, October 12, 2017

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Wirathu to Visit Conflict-Torn Northern Rakhine

Posted: 12 Oct 2017 05:26 AM PDT

YANGON – Amid the ongoing self-identifying Rohingya crisis in northern Rakhine State, notorious inflammatory firebrand Buddhist monk Wirathu landed in state capital Sittwe on Wednesday and is scheduled to travel to conflict-riven Maungdaw Township.

Ethnic Arakanese Ko Phoe Thar who is assisting the relief efforts of Alodaw Pyae monastery and and assisting the visit of Wirathu told The Irrawaddy that the monk has already requested permission from local authorities to visit conflict-torn Maungdaw district and is waiting the government's response.

"We can't say exactly his schedule. Maybe he will contribute cash to displaced ethnic Arakanese people via Sittwe or maybe he will directly meet with villagers in Maungdaw. It's up to the decision of the authorities," said Ko Phoe Thar.

Sittwe residents posted on Facebook that Wirathu and local monks donated 1.8 million kyats to displaced people from Maungdaw who have sought refuge in some monasteries.

Tin Maung Swe, secretary of Rakhine State government office, said: "[Wirathu] went [to Maungdaw] previously and this time we will also allow. What else?"

The region has been locked down, with journalists and international aid agencies prohibited from entering the area, since militant attacks on Aug. 25.

The government has conducted a number of guided tours for diplomats, journalists, and UN officials while the UN and NGOs call for unfettered access to deliver life-saving aid to vulnerable communities.

A few Arakanese civil society groups publically criticized the visit of Wirathu, including coordinator of Kyaukphyu Rural Development Association (KRDA) U Tun Kyi, who pointed out that Mandalay Region, where Wirathu is based, has a number of problems with Chinese immigration and investment including the Letpadaung Copper Mine.

"Why did he deliberately pick up Rakhine to voice out nationalism, rather than Mandalay?" said U Tun Kyi.

He explained that Wirathu has visited Rakhine in the past, but did not improve the situation on the ground in Rakhine State.

U Tun Kyi said he was concerned that the current problem in Rakhine is one of nationality, but it could easily be changed into an issue of race and religion.

"Politics and religious should not be mixed. I don't like it indeed," said Tun Kyi.

Meanwhile, ethnic affairs expert U Maung Maung Soe urged the government to establish a coordination team which contains representatives of the Muslim community in Rakhine State in order to control administration works in border towns.

Self-identifying Rohingya Muslim Kyaw Hla Aung told The Irrawaddy over the phone on Thursday that the cabinet members of Rakhine State did not come to meet the Muslim community in Sittwe and they have no idea how to consult for the National League for Democracy (NLD) government regarding the Rohingya crisis in Maungdaw.

"We are not even allowed to leave the camp and know nothing about Maungdaw at this moment. So how can we make a suggestion to authorities?" said U Kyaw Hla Aung.

The interaction between the NLD-led Rakhine State government and the Muslim community is weak, he said.

"Even when they did show up here, we don't know the right person to share our ideas with. I assume they don't actually want to listen to our opinions", said U Kyaw Hla Aung.

U Kyaw Hla Aung remarked that Wirathu is travelling with his own plan to lend a hand for the Buddhist community while the Muslim community is contained in a camp.

According to UN estimations, more than half a million Muslims fled neighboring Bangladesh and are sheltering in makeshift camps. Both Myanmar and Bangladesh authorities have formed joint-committee for repatriation process but have not yet announced a precise timeframe for the implementation.

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ALP Member Jailed for Defaming Myanmar Army

Posted: 12 Oct 2017 05:17 AM PDT

SITTWE, Rakhine State — A Rakhine court sentenced a member of the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) to 18 months in prison on Thursday for allegedly defaming the Myanmar Army.

"My imprisonment is the imprisonment of the NCA [nationwide ceasefire agreement]," said Ko Khaing Myo Tun, deputy information officer of the ALP, who was found guilty of two defamation charges under the Article 505(b) and (c) of the Penal Code at Sittwe Township Court.

This broadly defined charge punishes those who spread or make statements that can "alarm the public" or "whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the state." The charge was widely used to crush dissent under the former military regime.

"Because the whole country is moving forward to 21st Century Panglong with the NCA. The jailing of a representative like me who is moving forward with the NCA and 21st Century Panglong is like jailing the NCA," added Ko Khaing Myo Tun.

He was prosecuted by the military after the ALP's information department issued a statement on April 24, 2016 covering the clashes between the Arakan Army (AA) and the military on April 16 in Rakhine State.

The statement accused the military of torturing Rakhine locals and forcing them in to labor.  Tatmadaw troops also killed and ate poultry raised by locals, according to the statement.

General Staff Officer (Grade-1) Lt-Col Tint Naing Tun of Sittwe Regional Operations Command then filed a lawsuit with Sittwe Township Court against Ko Khaing Myo Tun, saying the statement was misleading and damaging to the military's reputation. He also said the statement was liable of spreading misinformation to cause public panic.

There were more than 40 court hearings for the case. Ko Khaing Myo Tun spent 14 months in detention facing trial. As the detention period is deducted from his jail term, he will be released in four months.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Funding Cuts Threaten Mae Tao Clinic

Posted: 12 Oct 2017 04:28 AM PDT

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — Mae Tao Clinic (MTC) launched a fundraising campaign to help continue its services to some 250,000 people along the Thailand-Myanmar border who are at risk of losing access to essential healthcare and education because of funding cuts to organizations in the area.

The clinic has been providing free healthcare to the displaced and vulnerable people of Myanmar, including refugees and migrants along the border, for the last three decades since its inception in 1989.

Dr. Cynthia Maung, an ethnic Karen woman and the founder of the clinic, said, "Until there is an established health system in Burma, we need to protect and care for our communities, especially women and children. Even today, half of our patients come to Thailand for accessing health and protection services. They rely on us to help them. We cannot let them down."

A drop in funding available in the area came after political changes over the past five years in Myanmar.

"Our services programs are not yet completely shut down, but we have been reducing our costs and referring the emergency operations cases as much as we can," said Naw Annie Po Moo, the deputy director for the community operations of MTC.

Due to funding needs, she said, MTC's almost 500 staff salaries would be reduced by 20 percent starting October.

International governments and foundations as well as individual donors have supported the clinic. According to its 2016 annual report, the clinic received support from almost four dozen aid organisations and foundations, including The Global Fund (to fight aids, tuberculosis and malaria), USAID, UKaid, International Rescue Committee and Open Society Foundations.

The fundraising campaign aims to raise funds for its 2018 operational costs, to help continue running their programs: primary healthcare, education to children and child protection and training the medics to help the communities, including those internally displaced people.

"The targeted fund is not for all running costs, but it would help to keep some of our services," said Naw Annie Po Moo.

The MTC provide treatment to an average of 420 patients per day and annually they treat more than 110,000 outpatients—a tenth of them inpatients—and deliver more than 2,500 babies.

In addition, MTC provides social support and protection to more than 2,400 children living in its boarding houses. The clinic is raising funds to secure an initial US$300,000 for some of its operational costs.

Visit MTC's website or contact the clinic via its email info@maetaoclinic.org to contribute.

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UN Political Affairs Chief to Visit Myanmar

Posted: 12 Oct 2017 02:04 AM PDT

The UN's Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman will make an urgent five-day visit to Myanmar on Friday to address the humanitarian crisis in Rakhine State, the UN announced on Wednesday.

"Following the Secretary-General's repeated calls for an end to the military operations and violence in northern Rakhine state; unfettered access for humanitarian support; and the safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable return of refugees to their areas of origin, Mr. Feltman will be undertaking consultations with a view to addressing these urgent issues in close cooperation with Myanmar," said the announcement.

A UN spokesperson told The Irrawaddy that details of his visit and meetings were yet to be announced but it is understood discussions will focus on the cooperation of the Myanmar government.

His visit coincides with the recall of UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Renata Lok-Dessallien to the UN in New York. It was announced on Wednesday that she would end her duties in Myanmar by the end of October.

"The Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator will use her remaining time until the end of the month to further the UN system's efforts to promote peace and security, human rights, as well as humanitarian and development assistance for all people in Myanmar," said the announcement.

The news of Lok-Dessallien's possible removal from her role first surfaced in June.

According to a BBC news report, she was being criticized internally and being accused of the suppressing internal discussion on the self-identifying Rohingya issue.

However, the spokesperson of the UN office in Myanmar refused to give comment on her recall.

The Canadian citizen began the job in January 2014 and was the first woman to take up the role. She previously worked as resident and humanitarian coordinator in Bhutan, Bangladesh, and China.

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Myanmar Army Chief Denies Military Abuses in Rakhine

Posted: 12 Oct 2017 01:48 AM PDT

YANGON — The Myanmar Army chief rejected accusations of abuses by his troops during operations in northern Rakhine State in a meeting with the US ambassador on Wednesday, saying "no action goes beyond the legal framework."

Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing told US ambassador Scot Marciel in Yangon "unlawful acts are not allowed" in response to the ambassador raising concerns over the exodus of more than 500,000 people to Bangladesh and reports of excessive use of force and genocide by the security forces in Rakhine, according to a briefing posted on the army chief's Facebook page.

Most of those who have fled since militants attacked police outposts on Aug. 25 are self-identifying Rohingya Muslims. Reports they have brought of killings, rape, and arson by security forces have stoked claims of ethnic cleansing in the international community.

"The task of shouldering the duty shall be within the framework of rules, laws and other directives issued by the state. No action goes beyond the legal framework," said the Myanmar Army commander-in-chief.

Despite the army's denial of crimes, the UN human rights office said on Wednesday that Myanmar security forces began its "clearance operations" before the Aug. 25 militant attacks, brutally driving out self-identifying Rohingya Muslims from the region, torching their homes, crops and villages to prevent them from returning, according to Reuters.

In a report based on 65 interviews with refugees who have arrived in Bangladesh in the past month, the UN human rights office said that the destruction by security forces, often joined by mobs of armed Arakanese Buddhists, of houses, fields, food stocks, crops, and livestock made the possibility of the self-identifying Rohingya returning to normal lives in northern Rakhine "almost impossible."

"Credible information indicates that the Myanmar security forces purposely destroyed the property of the Rohingyas, scorched their dwellings and entire villages in northern Rakhine State, not only to drive the population out in droves but also to prevent the fleeing Rohingya victims from returning to their homes," the report said.

During the Wednesday meeting, the ambassador said the US wants to make a constructive approach in order to reduce (international) pressure on Myanmar, according to the account of the meeting posted on Thursday.

"Local Bengalis were involved in the attacks under the leadership of ARSA [Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army]," said Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, using a term for the self-identifying Rohingya to imply they are interlopers from Bangladesh. "That is why they might have fled as they feel insecure."

"The native place of Bengalis is really Bengal. Therefore, they might have fled to the other country with the same language, race and culture as theirs by assuming that they would be safer there," the army chief said.

On Tuesday, nearly 2,000 self-identifying Rohingya from Buthidaung Township, an area relatively peaceful, gathered at the shores of the Bay of Bengal at A Lel Than Kyaw and Gawdu Thara villages to board ferries for Bangladesh despite the authorities' requests for them to return home and assurances for the provision of food and their safety.

The Muslims wanted to leave because of food shortages and the fact they could no longer make a living in the area, according to one of the crowd, Mahmoud Shobi. They were afraid to leave their villages in case of attacks by security forces and Arakanese, he said.

"We have been here for eight days. Some have already gone [to Bangladesh]. We can't farm and fish in our area. That's why we left," he told The Irrawaddy.

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Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement is a Forlorn Hope

Posted: 11 Oct 2017 10:41 PM PDT

The government plans to hold a ceremony to mark the two-year anniversary of landmark peace accord the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) in Myanmar's capital Naypyitaw on Sunday.

Three leaders—State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar Army Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, and leader of the Karen National Union (KNU) Gen. Saw Mutu Sae Poe—will deliver the opening speeches.

For Khun Okka of the Pa-O National Liberation Organisation (PNLO), the anniversary celebration is an attempt to awaken a stalling and faltering peace process. The NCA has brought no quantifiable results, some like Khun Okka argue, only a complex stalemate. Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC) member Sai Kyaw Nyunt has complained that the NCA has become even more complex and convoluted in the two years since groups first signed.

Only eight out of Myanmar's 21 ethnic armed groups signed the accord at its inception. We must ask the question: Why has the NCA failed to include all ethnic armed groups and why are they refusing to sign it?

The success of the NCA can be seen to hinge on four groups: The Myanmar Army, the civilian government, NCA-signatory ethnic armed groups, and non NCA-signatory armed groups.

The Myanmar Army (The Tatmadaw)

The Tatmadaw is the major linchpin in the peace process. Peace or conflict depends on how it reacts to the demands of ethnic groups.

The 2008 Constitution is heavily loaded in favor of the Tatmadaw by granting its members 25 percent of seats in the Union and state parliaments and leaving the military in charge of three key ministries.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi herself admitted she cannot control the Tatmadaw under the military-drafted 2008 Constitution when she met the New Mon State Party (NMSP) in early September.

The National Defense and Security Council (NDSC) is the country's most powerful body and is comprised of eleven members: From the military, the commander-in-chief, the deputy commander-in-chief, one vice-president, the defense minister, the home minister, the border affairs minister and from the civilian government, the president, the second vice president, the speakers of both houses of the Union parliament, and the foreign minister (Daw Aung San Suu Kyi).

With six members from the military against five from the civilian government, voting power remains with the Tatmadaw.

The Tatmadaw's blatant power hangs over Myanmar's peace process and unless it is willing to cease conflicts and expedite negotiations, the NCA will go nowhere and bring no benefits.

An example is the case of three armed groups—the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), the Arakan Army (AA), and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA)—who are excluded from the peace process by the Tatmadaw.

The Civilian Government

The government acts as negotiator between the Tatmadaw and ethnic armed groups. Under the tenure of U Thein Sein's government, numerous negotiations took place but no quantifiable results were seen, except perhaps the, now stalling, NCA.

The process has now been taken over by the new government led by Nobel Laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi who has convened two conferences dubbed the 21st Century Panglong Union Peace Conference. Despite the State Counselor's stated conviction to inclusiveness, a number of ethnic armed groups have been excluded from participating in the conferences.

The first session of her 21st Century Panglong peace conference ended with the United Wa State Army walking out on the second day of talks, claiming they had not been given permission to address the conference.

The second session of the conference ended without agreement on the contentious issue of non-secession from the Union, which participants claimed was contrary to the spirit of the 1947 Panglong Agreement and the promises made by Gen. Aung San.

The conference reached agreements on 37 points, 12 of which concerned politics.

The government declared these agreements a historic breakthrough, but there is still no clear timeline to fulfill agreements made at the conference.

NCA Signatories

The culmination of negotiations under former president U Thein Sein saw eight ethnic armed groups signing the NCA on 15 Oct, 2015.

The eight ethnic armed groups that signed the NCA are: the KNU, the PNLO, the Chin National Front (CNF), the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP), the All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF), the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army (Peace Council) (KNU/KNLA PC), the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA).

After signing the NCA, these groups were allowed to fully participate in both the first and second sessions of the Panglong conferences. They have attempted to expedite the peace process by active participation in the conferences and other dialogues with the government.

NCA Non-Signatories

Most ethnic armed organizations—including powerful outfits the UWSA and the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO)—refused to sign the NCA. According to Maj-Gen Gun Maw of the KIO, the reasons were threefold:

Firstly, the Tatmadaw set a precondition for three smaller ethnic armed organizations—the TNLA, the AA, and the MNDAA—to disarm before entering the talks. The KIO is alligned particularly with the TNLA and two of KIO's brigades—four and six—are stationed next to TNLA and MNDAA troops. The groups share territory and conduct joint operations against the Myanmar Army.

Secondly, the UNFC presented a nine-point proposal to the government while meeting at the National Reconciliation and Peace Centre in Yangon on March 3, 2017 which would need to be fulfilled before signing the NCA. The government and the bloc have so far agreed on half of the bloc's nine-point proposal, but the Tatmadaw has not agreed on UNFC concerns regarding ceasefire monitoring, a military code of conduct, demarcation, and troop relocation.

Thirdly, some EAOs, including the KIO, have said they expect a certain level of agreement with the government. They proposed a joint committee of the government, political parties, ethnic armed groups, and the military to oversee the peace process framework. The government and military rejected this request.

In an Aug. 24 statement, the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC) emphasized adherence to its policy that any political negotiations with the government and the Tatmadaw must involve the FPNCC as a bloc, rather than separate talks with the seven groups. The government Peace Commission is planning to meet the UWSA and NDAA, without the rest of the bloc, soon.

The third session of the 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference will be held soon, but it is still not clear who will be included.

Hopefully, the anniversary will remind all groups to evaluate the stalled NCA process and move forward. The country needs to stabilize conflicts and expedite the peace process as the image of the country is stained by the Rakhine State crisis.

Thus, these four major actors—the Tatmadaw, the Government, NCA signatories and Non-NCA signatories—must put concerted efforts to accelerate the momentum of the peace process. Absent of such efforts, the success of the NCA seems a forlorn hope and gaining peace in Myanmar will be elusive.

Joe Kumbun is the pseudonym of a Kachin State-based analyst.

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Thailand Prepares to bid Farewell to ‘the People’s King’

Posted: 11 Oct 2017 10:31 PM PDT

BANGKOK — Thailand is putting the finishing touches this month to a lavish five-day funeral ceremony in a final goodbye to its late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who helped shape the Southeast Asian nation for decades after World War Two.

Many of the hundreds of thousands of black-clad mourners are expected to camp for days near Bangkok's Grand Palace to capture a good view of the ceremonies, which will be guarded by 78,000 police officers and culminate in the cremation on Oct. 26.

"October is a sad period," Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who announced plans for a national election next year, told reporters in the capital on Tuesday. "I ask that politicians and political parties be peaceful and orderly."

Artisans have worked for ten months in Bangkok's ancient quarter to build an elaborate cremation site fashioned after a vision of heaven, where Thais believe dead royals return to live above Mount Meru, a golden mountain in Hindu mythology.

The funeral of King Bhumibol, who died on Oct. 13 last year after seven decades on the throne, is also a time of uncertainty for some Thais, said a Thailand-based analyst, who declined to be identified because of sensitivities around the monarchy.

"In many ways the king was Thailand and his death has left a huge vacuum in the Thai psyche," said the analyst, pointing to social and political upheavals in recent decades.

"What happens after his funeral? Where will Thailand head next? These are profound questions that must be answered."

Ancient Traditions

The late king was succeeded by his son, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, or Rama X, who has overseen sweeping changes to the royal household, including the running of palace finances.

Though steeped in ancient traditions, the funeral of King Bhumibol will permit more public participation than those of previous kings, said Thai monarchy expert Tongthong Chandransu.

"A strong bond has been formed between the people and the monarchy—the strongest compared to past reigns," Tongthong told Reuters. "So we can see more people participation in the royal funeral of this king."

Among the many royal objects restored for the funeral is a golden chariot that will carry the king's body in a giant ornate urn to the cremation site.

The urn will move to the Royal Crematorium before the cremation on the night of Oct. 26, which has been declared a national holiday.

More than 3,000 performers will join in a nightlong final tribute of music and puppet shows to end a year of mourning.

Thais devoted to the memory of the king have folded paper flowers for his cremation, making 10 million in Bangkok alone, city authorities said.

"This is our 'Mandela,' or our 'Princess Diana,' moment," said graphic designer and self-proclaimed royalist Apichai Klapiput.

"What the world will see is rivers of tears that show how much Thais love King Bhumibol Adulyadej. He was the people's king."

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Myanmar Rallies to State Counselor’s Defense Amid Award Stripping

Posted: 11 Oct 2017 07:31 PM PDT

YANGON —Myanmar's State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi does not find it surprising to be stripped of awards honoring her struggle to achieve democracy in the country over the past decades.

She told the Nikkei Asian Review in a recent interview: "Actually, nothing is surprising, because opinions change and world opinions change like any other opinion," considering reactions from western countries on her stance amid the Rakhine crisis.

But the majority of those in Myanmar who supported and believed in her—including members of parliament—see the wave of condemnation as humiliating to the leader they elected.

The 72-year-old Myanmar's de-facto leader who is barred from running for president under the military-drafted Constitution, is now under strong international censure for failing to criticize the military's actions against the self-identifying Rohingya and address accusations of ethnic cleansing in the conflict-marred state.

Amid mounting criticism on the issue, Britain has seemed to be the most active among many other countries. One of Britain's largest trade unions Unison has suspended an award given to her when she was placed under house arrest, while the London School of Economics' students union said it would be stripping her of her honorary presidency.

St Hugh's College of Oxford University, where she studied politics, philosophy and economics between 1964 and 1967, removed the painting of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, as the college received the gift of a new painting. The portrait had been there since 1999.

Daw Zin Mar Aung with the Daw Aung San Suu Kyi portrait at Oxford University. (Photo: Zin Mar Aung/ Facebook)

Oxford City Council voted unanimously last week to strip her of the Freedom of the City award, as it was "no longer appropriate" for her to hold it.

A number of other British institutions also say they are reviewing whether to revoke honors bestowed upon her.

British Ambassador to Myanmar Andrew Patrick told The Irrawaddy via email, "The UK government is not involved in decisions taken by independent institutions, such as Oxford University and its colleges."

"She is our country's leader and people will feel bad about those acts. As a citizen, I feel bad too. But we need not to focus on that much and instead on what we can do for our democratic transition," Lower House lawmaker Daw Zin Mar Aung said.

She said the international community need to be mindful when making decisions on Myanmar based on wrong and incomplete information because it is not helpful for the country's fragile democratic transition.

"They need to know Myanmar is still in the young democratic transition which they have praised. But what the international governments and experts are forgetting is that they are pressuring Myanmar as if it is an established democratic country."

Yangon regional lawmaker Nay Phone Latt also agreed.

"Politically, it is really a difficult situation. The civilian government itself doesn't have full executive power under the current Constitution. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is also severely restricted under the circumstances. For us, we can understand her. But some international organizations seemingly don't really understand the conditions," he said.

"If they decide without getting enough information, it is unfair. If that is the case, the college's image would be harmed [in the future]," he added, referring to the removal of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's portrait at St Hugh's College of Oxford University.

Many Myanmar citizens changed their Facebook profiles to a picture of the removed portrait and photos of the State Counselor to show their support, writing "the pictures of the State Counselor in their heart couldn't be taken down'."

In response to international pressure, thousands have gathered in Myanmar's major cities to proclaim, "We stand with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi" in recent weeks.

People gather in downtown Yangon on Sept. 19 to show their solidarity with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as she makes a diplomatic address on Rakhine State. / Thet Htun Naing / The Irrawaddy

 Artist MPP Ye Myint who showcased paintings of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in Yangon and Mandalay, saw the acts of stripping the leader of her awards as "childish."

"I admired her since 1988 when she gave her public speech for the first time near Shwedagon Pagoda. The admiration never changed and kept growing," he said.

Hkun Okker, leading patron of the Pa-O National Liberation Organization, said some countries are stripping her of awards to protect their own interests, worrying about their own business activities with Muslim nations.

"It is their decision. Because they took back awards, it doesn't mean the State Counselor is wrong," he said.

Christian leader Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, who is Myanmar's first ever cardinal and archbishop of Yangon, said at a mass interfaith event in Yangon on Tuesday the country trusts in the leadership of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi who has made many sacrifices for the country and democracy.

"It is not that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has begged for the Nobel Prize, but it is only international organizations that followed around Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and gave her awards. They can take all their awards back. And we'd rather like to return those awards with an extra refund," the cardinal said.

"But, there is something that they can't take away—the love of citizens toward Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. No one can grab their reliance on her. She has the hopes of millions of people in her hands…There is a need for the international community to understand and help this government. Condemning and blaming is meaningless."

Ethnic Karen Naw Susana Hla Hla Soe, a prominent women's rights activist who is now an Upper House lawmaker, echoed similar sentiments, saying no one asked for the prizes, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi herself.

"They gave their own and have now taken them back. It is too sloppy. But Aunty Suu won't respond to those. She will only be serious for the country," she said.

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