Tuesday, January 23, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

‘Mrauk-U Massacre’ Puts Govt in Precarious Position

Posted: 23 Jan 2018 04:38 AM PST

The death of seven people during a police crackdown in Mrauk-U in northern Rakhine State last week does not look good for the government. Making matters worse, it was the deadliest response by government security forces so far since the Daw Aung San Suu Kyi-led National League for Democracy government assumed power in March 2016. Local Arakanese (Rakhine) people were so frustrated that they dubbed the crackdown the 'Mrauk-U Massacre.'

Furthermore, the way security forces handled the situation on Tuesday night is very questionable.

On the afternoon of Jan. 16, hundreds of Mrauk-U residents took to the streets to protest the government's last-minute ban on marking the 233rd anniversary of the fall of the Rakhine Dynasty to the Bamar in the 18th century. The government said it banned the annual event because the venue was a former palace that has been listed as a national heritage site.

On the other hand, Mrauk-U people said the annual event had been permitted in the same place until last year. So, why not now?

The ban was probably because of ethno-nationalism and politically motivated comments—'now it's time for revolution to get free from Bamar's slavery' and 'Bamar take Arakanese as their slaves'—made by a local author and prominent Rakhine lawmaker Dr. Aye Maung at a literary talk one day prior to the event.

Add to the fear of authorities, the lawmaker was also scheduled to deliver a speech in Mrauk-U to mark the fall of Rakhine Dynasty. With the active and popular Rakhine rebel group, the Arakan Army (AA), warring against the Myanmar Army for federalism, and centuries-old anti-Bamar sentiment among the Arakanese, local authorities surely didn't want to see anyone who might promote nationalism in the special event that lamented the end of Rakhine Kingdom 233 years ago. So, they banned the event and all hell broke loose.

The result was that angry townsfolk rampaged the administrative office, clashed with security forces and seven people, most of them teenagers, were shot dead.

We have to ask why the local authorities were so naïve as to cancel the celebration at the last minute. Anyone with any sense could have speculated the consequences of banning a big public gathering such as this one. In the case of Mrauk-U, the event was quite significant as far as Arakanese history, pride and cultural identity. The venue was the site of the old palace, the powerhouse of the Kingdom of Mrauk-U, a Rakhine dynasty from the 15th to 18th centuries.  It is an event to remind the Arakanese that they were once independent until they ceded their sovereignty to the invading Bamar in 1785. It was no wonder that any attempt to interrupt this event faced serious backlash.

Another thing to note is crowd control by the security forces. The government said the protestors rampaged the administration office and destroyed office property. It has to be asked why security failed to prevent them from entering the building. The European Union spent €10 million to provide the Myanmar Police Force with crowd management training including how to settle confrontations with the public without resorting to violence. The death of seven people in Mrauk-U last week proved these trainings were fruitless.  The government has to answer whether security forces followed the proper procedures—by using tear gas, water or rubber bullets—to disperse the protestors who were barely armed, before opening fire, which should have been a last resort. Local police said they used rubber bullets. But witnesses and wounded people recalled differently.

In a larger context, in the eyes of the majority of Arakanese people, it was the Bamar government that killed seven Arakanese people. The history has been inked. The already fragile trust that the Arakanese had with the Bamar has been shattered now due to the government's mishandling of the Mrauk-U protest. Their mismanagement gives the whole ethnic Bamar population a bad name among other native ethnic people.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi reportedly said she was worried that the Mrauk-U case would have an impact on Rakhine State stability as there was talk of Bamar chauvinism and speeches that could potentially create a divide between Arakanese and Bamar people. Rather than being worried, she'd better send an independent investigation team as requested by people on the ground to find out and punish those who are behind those mishandlings. Make no mistake, how the Union government handles this case is now under the watchful eyes of other ethnic people who also feel a resentment of Bamar chauvinism as well.

The post 'Mrauk-U Massacre' Puts Govt in Precarious Position appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Robbers Hit KBZ Branch in Kachin, Still at Large

Posted: 23 Jan 2018 04:31 AM PST

YANGON — Four armed men robbed a small branch of one of Myanmar's leading banks, Kanbawza (KBZ), Tuesday afternoon in Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State.

According to a statement from the bank, the men threatened the branch employees with a gun and made away with more than 92 million kyats ($68,000).

U Nyo Myint, a senior managing director of KBZ Group, told The Irrawaddy that the four young men — one armed with a pistol and the others with iron rods and knives — entered the branch a few minutes past 3 p.m.

"They didn't wear any masks. They threatened the four employees there. Before they ran away with the money they smashed the CCTV of the bank," he said. "It all happened in 10 minutes."

The bank reported the case to police in Myitkyina, and U Nyo Myint said they have begun searching for the robbers.

"We have to tighten our security measures more than before. And we will raise the security awareness of our staff to not let that kind of incident happen," he added.

Last year, a KBZ branch in Myeik Township, in Tanintharyi Region, was robbed by a pistol-toting robber who ran off with 27 million kyats of customers' cash. The robber is still at large.

Established in 1994 and run by the Kanbawza Conglomerate, KBZ is one of Myanmar's biggest banks with 511 branches across the country. On Monday it was declared Myanmar's largest taxpayer for the sixth year running.

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Police Arrest 8 Men Hospitalized After Deadly Crackdown on Mrauk-U Protest

Posted: 23 Jan 2018 03:15 AM PST

SITTWE — Police on Tuesday arrested eight Arakanese youths who were being treated at Sittwe People's Hospital for injuries received during last week's crackdown on protesters in Mrauk-U.

Police are still investigating their role in the protest while they are housed in the hospital's ward for prisoners, the youths' parents said.

"Police said that they would move my son to the lower floor [of the hospital] and told us not to worry. But now he has been placed in detention," U Mya Aye, the father of Ko Che Maung, 18, told The Irrawaddy.

At least seven people were killed and dozens were injured during a police crackdown on Mrauk-U residents who took to the streets last Tuesday to protest the government's ban on celebrating the 233rd anniversary of the fall of the Rakhine Dynasty.

Eight people who suffered serious injuries were transferred from Mrauk-U Hospital to Sittwe Hospital the following day, while four others who received treatment at Mrauk-U People's Hospital were discharged on Monday.

U Ba Tha, the father of injured protester Ko Aung Htay, told The Irrawaddy, "My son has not yet recovered from injuries to his leg. He needed to have a metal rod put in his leg and can't even stand. [Police] took him, saying they were moving him to the lower floor."

Police officers guarding the hospital's prison ward declined to answer when asked the reason for the patients' detention. Family members of the detainees were still waiting outside the ward at the time of reporting.

The post Police Arrest 8 Men Hospitalized After Deadly Crackdown on Mrauk-U Protest appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Lawmakers Work to Amend the Suppression of Prostitution Act

Posted: 23 Jan 2018 12:57 AM PST

The Suppression of Prostitution Act, which is adapted from a colonial-era law, carries a jail term of up to three years for sex workers.

Under this law, police can prosecute anyone considered to be "loitering with intent to solicit" and there have been cases in which condoms were used as evidence to charge women with prostitution.

The Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement has been making efforts to amend the law in order to protect sex workers. Dr. Sitt Naing from Marie Stopes International, who is a specialist in combating HIV and also participating in amending the Suppression of Prostitution Act, recently talked to The Irrawaddy's Thazin Hlaing about the proposed amendments to the law.

What part are you playing in amending the law?

The law was enacted after independence, and it was then called the Elimination of Prostitution Law. It was wishful thinking to say it would ever be eliminated. Later, it was changed to the Suppression of Prostitution Law. Unfortunately, people are suppressed as the name suggests.

The law was promulgated with the goodwill to prevent [women] from entering the [sex] industry. In reality, the reverse has happened as this law has contributed to the spread of communicable diseases including HIV. This law has become harmful legislation for the people.

Another thing to note is the women affected by this law. They are forced into this industry either because they are poor or exploited.

But they have to adopt a 'let it be' attitude after getting into this industry, otherwise they will have to hang themselves. But seeing them happy, people jump to the wrong conclusion and think they get into the industry because they are naturally rotten.

This law threatens public health. Though its intention is to prevent and protect [sex workers], it in fact causes bigger problems and social injustices. So, lawmakers and scholars have worked to amend it.

This law is important for the prevention of communicable diseases. We are participating thanks to the invitation of legislative committees, commissions and government agencies.

What is your personal view of the 1949 Suppression of Prostitution Act?

The law carries penalties for both sex workers and pimps. It also allows the police to use a person's reputation as a sex worker to arrest her, even after she stops being a sex worker. There was no provision in this law, but for many years, condoms were used as an evidence of prostitution in [police] procedures.

Authorities have issued a formal order to change this procedure. And courts no longer consider condoms as evidence to convict. But not everyone in the street knows of the change. They only know that it is criminalized.

What is the impact of the law on sex workers?

As prostitution is criminalized, they have difficulty in getting blood tests, and receiving counseling and medical care.

What provisions do you think should be amended?

According to my knowledge about international practices, prostitution needs to be decriminalized, especially against women. We don't need to legalize the industry as some suggest. It is impossible in our country due to religious and cultural restrictions. But I'm afraid the law won't be changed that far.

So, what are the proposed changes?

The jail term and fine will be reduced. They get into this industry because of poverty, and it is hard for them to pay the heavy fine. They will only fall deeper into the spiral if they have to pay.

Other important amendments will criminalize the prostitution of women without their consent, and the prostitution of children with or without consent. Another one is in regards to human trafficking – transporting someone from one place to another and forcing them into a sex-related industry. We will also criminalize this.

How high is HIV prevalence among sex workers in Myanmar compared to other countries?

It is 5.4 percent, not very high nor low.

Does this percentage include only those who are receiving treatment? 

Illiterate and poor sex workers, as well as those who got into the sex industry because of debts, won't seek medical care. It is not convenient for them to go to NGOs and health departments. What's worse, some pimps bar them from going outside, and even when health officials come [to their brothels], they hide them, far from getting blood tests. This is the worst part of the problem. The illiterate, poor, and migrants are the most vulnerable groups.

Some voluntarily come and receive treatment [at health centers]. But mostly, we have to go to their places with the help of their peers. This is also the same for intravenous drug users. They get infected because they share needles in a group. So, we have to give medical treatment through their peers as they only trust each other.

Some believe that rape cases may decline if prostitution is legalized. What is your view on this?

Personally, I think this is not the case. But I'm happy that there is such a belief because it will relieve the burden on female sex workers.

What do you think of the cultural and religious points of view that there should be no prostitution?

It has nothing to do with religion. Every nation in the world has prostitution. There are religions that suppress prostitution more than we do. But in the case of our country, the way prostitution is banned is wrong. Debate on this from religious and cultural perspectives will never solve the problem. What is important is in any society, there should be no business that exploits the poor.

Translared from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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 NMSP, LDU Agree to Sign Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement

Posted: 23 Jan 2018 12:51 AM PST

The New Mon State Party (NMSP) and the Lahu Democratic Union (LDU) will sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) soon, they announced at a press briefing with State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in Naypyitaw on Tuesday afternoon.

The parties agreed to sign the pact after meeting with the State Counselor and the Army Chief in Naypyitaw, said NMSP representative Nai Aung Min, reading from a statement.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi offered thanks to her ethnic sisters and brothers for their decision to participate in the peaceful development of the country.

On Tuesday morning, Myanmar Army Chief Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing met NMSP chairman Nai Htaw Mon and other party leaders in Naypyitaw.

According to a statement on the Facebook page of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief, the senior-general and the party leaders discussed issues related to the signing of the NCA and future cooperation.

Two years into the National League for Democracy-led government's administration, the two parties are the first new signatories to the NCA since eight out of Myanmar's 21 recognized ethnic armed organizations signed in October 2015.

The NMSP and LDU are members of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), a bloc of ethnic groups. The other two UNFC members were not present at Tuesday's meetings, despite a UNFC delegation for political negotiation having asked to meet the State Counselor and the Army Chief in order to try and remove obstacles to signing the NCA.

Government spokesman U Zaw Htay told reporters in Naypyitaw that the administration would continue to negotiate with the remaining groups, including the Northern Alliance.

"The signing of the NCA will be conducted between the government and the NMSP, and the government and the LDU; it won’t be under the UNFC banner," he said.

The two groups and the government discussed how the process could move forward after they sign the NCA, including the convening of a national level political dialogue in Mon State, the spokesman added.

Htet Naing Zaw contributed to this report from Naypyitaw.

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Russia Agrees to Sell 6 Fighter Jets to Myanmar

Posted: 22 Jan 2018 11:22 PM PST

NAYPYITAW — Russia agreed to sell six Su-30 fighter jets to the Myanmar Army during Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu's visit to Myanmar this week.

"The planes will become the main fighter aircraft of Myanmar's air force to protect the country's territorial integrity and repel any terror threats," Russia's Deputy Defense Minister Lieutenant General Alexander Fomin was quoted as saying by the Russian news agency TASS.

The Russian defense minister paid an official visit to Myanmar from Jan. 20 to 22, and met Myanmar Army chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyitaw on Saturday.

According to the Facebook page of Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, the Russian defense minister said both countries would overcome any difficulties through mutual cooperation and that Russia would seek to boost military cooperation with Myanmar.

The army chief thanked Russia for its supportive stance on Myanmar's handling of militant attacks in Rakhine State, which has come under heavy criticism by much of the international community, including the UN and US. The Russian defense minister said the attacks were assumed to have political links.

The two discussed the potential for cooperation on military technology and training, the exchange of goodwill visits by their armed forces, and the strengthening of bilateral military relations.

According to Fomin, more than 600 of Myanmar's military personnel are studying at Russia's higher military education institutions.

Neither the Russian Defense Ministry nor the Myanmar Army has disclosed the price of the six fighter jets or when they will be delivered.

The Su-30 is a twin-engine, two-seat supermaneuverable fighter jet developed by Russia’s Sukhoi Aviation Corporation. The multirole fighters were used by Russia in Syria in 2015.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Govt Fears Recent Police Crackdown Will Sow Discord in Rakhine

Posted: 22 Jan 2018 11:18 PM PST

NAYPYITAW — Myanmar's State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is concerned that the stability of Rakhine State will be undermined by racial hate speech that could possibly sow discord between Arakanese and Bamar people following last week's police crackdown on Mrauk-U residents in which at least seven residents were killed and 30 more were injured, according to a statement put out by the government.

"In response to this, there was talk of Bamar chauvinism and speeches that could potentially create a divide between Arakanese and Bamar people. We don't want that to happen. The stability of Rakhine State depends on Arakanese people. We'd like to request people avoid saying anything involving racial prejudice," said U Zaw Htay, spokesperson of the Myanmar government.

On Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of Mrauk-U residents took to the streets to protest the government's ban on celebrating the 233rd anniversary of the fall of the Rakhine Dynasty. The government said it had banned the annual event because the venue was a former palace that has been listed as a national heritage site.

The government said on Wednesday that the actions of police during the riot would be investigated to determine whether they adhered to the established rules of engagement. In a statement, State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi expressed sympathy for those who were killed and injured.

Police have also detained Dr. Aye Maung, a prominent Arakan National Party (ANP) lawmaker, and author Wai Hin Aung, who also spoke at the event to mark the 233rd anniversary of the fall of the Rakhine Dynasty to the Bamar, on Oct. 15 in Rathedaung Township.

The police crackdown has incited Arakanese people to harbor grudges against the government, said U Aung Thaung Shwe, an ANP lawmaker representing Buthidaung Township. The government must release the detainees to ease grudges against Bamar chauvinism.

"Protesters were only demanding equality, not autonomy. They feel like Rakhine State is not free if even a literature talk cannot be held. The government must give them chances so that they don't feel that way," said U Aung Thaung Shwe.

He also demanded that the government sends apologies to the families of victims, and an independent investigation committee be formed to probe the case.

Dr. Aye Maung spoke as a politician at the literature talk, said Daw Khin Saw, a central executive committee member of the ANP. He used to openly criticize the government, the Tatmadaw and the peace process, but he was not arrested because he was the ANP chairman at that time. He was only arrested now as he had stepped down as the party chairman, she said.

"People are asking us if we are not responding to the arrest of Dr. Aye Maung. We will take action according to the law when he appears at court on Jan. 31. We will respond as necessary when we know under which charge he is being prosecuted," said Daw Khin Saw Wai.

The President's Office said there are 65 policemen in the Mrauk-U district police force and that 60 of them, including the head of the district police force, are Arakanese people.

"We don't want to see another tragic incident like the Mrauk-U case. Youth who are politically naïve were talked into this. And it was Araknese people who clashed with Arakanese police," said government spokesman U Zaw Htay.

Dr. Aye Maung is likely to be prosecuted under serious charges, and the President's Office has granted the Rakhine State government authority for this, according to the President's Office.

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Bangladesh Says Start of Rohingya Return to Myanmar Delayed

Posted: 22 Jan 2018 10:04 PM PST

PALONG KHALI, Bangladesh — Bangladesh has delayed the repatriation of Rohingya Muslim refugees to Myanmar, set to start on Tuesday, because the process of compiling and verifying the list of people to be sent back is incomplete, a senior Bangladesh official said.

The decision comes as tensions have risen in camps holding hundreds of thousands of refugees, some of whom are opposing their transfer back to Myanmar because of what they say is a lack of guarantees of their security.

Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed earlier this month to complete the voluntary repatriation of the refugees within two years, starting on Tuesday. Myanmar says it has set up two reception centers and a temporary camp near the border to receive the first arrivals.

But Abul Kalam, Bangladesh's refugee relief and rehabilitation commissioner, said on Monday the return would have to be delayed.

"There are many things remaining," he told Reuters by phone. "The list of people to be sent back is yet to be prepared, their verification and setting up of transit camps is remaining."

A Bangladesh Border Guard official said it could be months before the transfers begin.

The International Organization for Migration says the number of Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh since late August now stands at 688,000. The exodus began when the Myanmar military launched a crackdown following insurgent raids on security forces on Aug. 25.

The head of the UNHCR, the United Nations’ refugee agency, said more time was needed to prepare the return of the Rohingya refugees to Rakhine, and urged the two governments to involve it in their efforts to resolve the refugee crisis.

"In order for the repatriation to be right, sustainable, actually viable, you need to really to address a number of issues that for the time being we have heard nothing about, including the citizenship issue, the rights of the Rohingya in Rakhine State, meaning freedom of movement, access to services, to livelihoods," Filippo Grandi told Reuters.

The UNHCR, which is helping to administer the refugee camps, is not involved in the repatriation process.

Grandi said it was especially important to set up a monitoring mechanism in northern Rakhine for the returning people.

The Rohingya have long been denied citizenship by Myanmar, where many in the Buddhist majority country regard them as interlopers from Bangladesh.

Guarantees

Myanmar said on Monday it was ready to take back the returning Rohingya.

"We are ready to accept them once they come back. On our part, the preparation is ready," Ko Ko Naing, director general of Myanmar's Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, told Reuters by phone.

He declined to comment on whether Bangladesh had informed Myanmar about the delay.

At the Palong Khali refugee camp, near the Naf River that marks the border between the two countries, a group of Rohingya leaders gathered early on Monday morning with a loudspeaker and a banner listing a set of demands for their return to Myanmar.

These include security guarantees, the granting of citizenship and the group’s recognition as one of Myanmar’s official ethnic minorities. The Rohingya are also asking that homes, mosques and schools that were burned down or damaged in the military operation be rebuilt.

Bangladesh army troops arrived at the camp and dispersed a crowd of at least 300 people who had gathered to listen to the leaders, according to witnesses who said they saw the army take away one of the Rohingya leaders.

Bangladesh army spokesman Rashedul Hasan said he had not received any information about protests in refugee camps on Monday.

A Bangladesh Border Guard official said there would be no forced repatriation of the refugees to Myanmar and denied they would lose their food ration cards if they remained in the camps.

"This is out of the question. It will be voluntary. But this is not going to be an easy task to send them back as they are reluctant," the official in the border district of Cox's Bazaar told Reuters.

Myanmar has said it would build a transit camp that can house 30,000 returnees before they are allowed to return to their "place of origin" or somewhere "nearest to their place of origin."

The country's state media reported over the weekend that authorities in Rakhine were making final preparations to take back the first batch of refugees.

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‘Fake News’ Crutch Used by SE Asian Leaders to Control Media, Critics Charge

Posted: 22 Jan 2018 08:59 PM PST

MANILA/BANGKOK — Governments across Southeast Asia have a history of using laws and the judiciary to curb press freedoms. Now, they have found a handy crutch to lean on as they intensify clampdowns: US President Donald Trump's "fake news" mantra.

Most worrying to media rights advocates is that several countries are promoting new legislation or expanding existing regulations to make publishing fake news an offense. The fear is that, rather than focusing on false stories published on social media, authoritarian leaders will use the new laws to target legitimate news outlets that are critical of them.

"When the leadership of the United States consistently targets legitimate media reporting as fake, it opens the way for leaders the world over to do the same," said Shawn Crispin, who represents the Committee to Protect Journalists in the region. "It's a dangerous trend that is giving authoritarian and democratic regimes alike justification for targeting or shutting down reporting they don’t like."

The term "fake news" has entered the lexicon of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), whose leaders commended the work done by their governments in countering its spread in a statement issued at the end of a November summit.

Like everywhere else, Southeast Asia does sometimes have a problem with information on social media that is intentionally false. But there is little sign that the problem has been anywhere as bad as it was, for example, in the run-up to the November 2016 US presidential election.

Last week, after the Philippines' corporate regulator revoked the operating license of Rappler, a news site whose scrutiny of President Rodrigo Duterte's deadly war on drugs has been a thorn in his side, Duterte told reporters it was "a fake news outlet" that had been "throwing trash and shit all along."

Duterte denied influencing the regulator's decision, which was followed by the justice minister ordering an investigation into Rappler for possible criminal liability and the National Bureau of Investigation summoning its CEO to answer a complaint related to cyber-crime.

John Nery, associate editor and a columnist at the Philippine Daily Inquirer, which has also come under attack from the government, said "fake news" is now glibly used by people who don't like what they hear.

"Unfortunately for us, those parties include the government of the Philippines. So it is used to intimidate," he said.

Anti-fake news legislation, which would impose fines and prison terms of up to 20 years for spreading false information, is under consideration in the Philippines.

Philippines presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the legislation was being promoted by two senators, not the Duterte administration.

Asked if the government felt the need to regulate fake news, Roque said: "We believe in free market place of ideas."

"Like Poison or a Gun"

Strongman Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen regularly accuses critical media outlets of spreading "fake news."

In his latest attack on Saturday, he backed Trump for announcing "fake news" awards. "I think President Donald Trump has correctly created an award that he just announced in recent days, the Fake News Award," he said. "And in Cambodia there is also this type of media."

Huy Vannak, undersecretary of state at Cambodia's Interior Ministry, told Reuters: "Everyone, including ordinary citizens, has to fight against fake news because fake news is like poison or a gun and it can kill our beautiful society."

In Malaysia, Prime Minister Najib Razak has accused opponents of using the media to spread fake news on a scandal over state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

1MDB is being investigated in at least six countries for money laundering and misappropriation of funds, including an alleged $681 million transfer into Najib’s personal account. The US Department of Justice filed several lawsuits last year to seize more than $1.7 billion in assets believed to have been stolen from the sovereign fund that was set up by Najib.

The prime minister denies any wrongdoing.

Najib's government has suspended media and blocked websites that hounded him over 1MDB, and — with elections looming — he recently launched a website to counter "fake news."

The government of Singapore, where curbs on free speech have often been criticized by human rights advocates, is planning legislation to tackle fake online information it says could threaten national security.

Singapore's Straits Times newspaper this month cited seven cases of "fake news" that came up in a parliament discussion: three were about other countries and one was about an image of 'halal pork' allegedly being sold in supermarkets that went viral in 2007.

Law and Home Affairs Minister Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam told lawmakers that combating falsehoods is not contrary to the exercise of freedom of speech but, rather, it "enables freedom of speech to be meaningfully exercised."

A Singapore government spokesperson, asked to comment, referred Reuters to Shanmugam’s speech and to a paper presented to parliament that said "the dissemination of deliberate falsehoods…attacks the very heart of democracy" and, if unchecked, undermines faith in the country and its institutions.

Locking up Reporters

Thailand already has a cyber-security law under which the spread of false information carries a jail sentence of up to seven years, and the military government strictly enforces lese majeste laws that shield the royal family from insult.

Still, junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha has warned that tough action will be taken to enforce laws against "fake news and hate speech."

Myanmar has assailed foreign news organizations for "fake news" about a military crackdown in Rakhine State that triggered the exodus of more than 650,000 Rohingya Muslims to Bangladesh.

It has detained at least 29 journalists since Nobel peace laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi came to power in 2016. Among them are two Reuters reporters who had covered the crisis in Rakhine and are being investigated for alleged breaches of the Official Secrets Act.

Philip Bowring, a former editor of the news magazine Far Eastern Economic Review, which closed in 2009, said "fake news" is "a convenient phrase" for governments that would in any case find ways to crimp press freedom. He sees the mantra as "just a new gimmick" that allows governments to justify their behavior.

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China Invites Latin America to Take Part in One Belt, One Road

Posted: 22 Jan 2018 08:35 PM PST

SANTIAGO — China invited Latin American and Caribbean countries to join its "One Belt, One Road" initiative on Monday, as part of an agreement to deepen economic and political cooperation in a region where US influence is historically strong.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the region was a natural fit for the initiative, which China has leveraged to deepen economic and financial cooperation with developing nations.

"China will always stay committed to the path of peaceful development and the win-win strategy of opening up and stands ready to share development dividends with all countries," Wang said at a meeting between China and 33 members of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).

Representatives from China and CELAC signed a broad agreement to expand ties in the second time China has met with CELAC – a bloc formed in Venezuela in 2011 that does not include the United States or Canada.

Though it had few specific details, the agreement is part of an evolving and more aggressive Chinese foreign policy in Latin America as the United States, under President Donald Trump, has taken a more protectionist stance.

The "One Belt, One Road" initiative, proposed in 2013 by Chinese President Xi Jinping, promotes expanding links between Asia, Africa and Europe, with billions of dollars in infrastructure investment.

Wang emphasized projects to improve connectivity between land and sea, and cited the need to jointly build "logistic, electricity and information pathways."

The so-called Santiago declaration, signed by China and CELAC delegates, also calls for bolstering trade and taking action on climate change.

Chile Foreign Minister Heraldo Munoz, who has criticized Trump in the past, said the agreement marked an "historic" new era of dialogue between the region and China.

"China said something that is very important, that it wants to be our must trustworthy partner in Latin America and the Caribbean and we greatly value that," said Munoz. "This meeting represents a categoric repudiation of protectionism and unilateralism."

China has sought a bigger role overseas since Trump was elected, presenting its Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership trade agreement as an alternative to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which the United States has abandoned.

The country is already testing US dominance in Latin America, offering the region $250 billion in investment over the next decade. It is the top trading partner of many countries in the region, including Brazil, Chile and Argentina.

Still, Wang played down the idea of a race for influence.

"It has nothing to do with geopolitical competition. It follows the principle of achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration," Wang said in his remarks. "It is nothing like a zero sum game."

In recent years, Chinese companies have moved away from merely buying Latin American raw materials and are diversifying into sectors such as auto manufacturing, e-commerce and even technology businesses such as car-hailing services.

"Our relations with China are very broad, this (CELAC) is one more pathway for Brazil to work with China. Together we identified more areas of cooperation," said Brazil’s Vice Foreign Minister Marcos Galvao.

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Malaysia Arrests Two Men Linked to Islamic State Over Planned Attacks

Posted: 22 Jan 2018 08:22 PM PST

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia has arrested two men believed to have links with militant group Islamic State, including one who allegedly walked around its capital armed with a knife aiming to kill Buddhist monks, police said on Monday.

The Muslim-majority Southeast Asian nation has been on high alert since gunmen linked to Islamic State (IS) launched several attacks in Jakarta, the capital of neighboring Indonesia, in January 2016.

The two suspects were arrested in two separate raids in December and January, on suspicion of planning to carry out acts of violence and promoting IS ideology.

One of them, an Indonesian who was arrested last week, had allegedly scoured a busy district of the capital, Kuala Lumpur, in November, seeking Buddhist monks to kill, in retaliation for violence suffered by Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

"The attempt failed, and police managed to confiscate a knife during the raid," Mohamad Fuzi Harun, the inspector-general of police, said in a statement.

He added that the suspect had also allegedly communicated with a senior IS leader over WhatsApp, had sought to recruit several other Indonesians and put up an IS flag at the building site where he worked.

The other suspect, a Malaysian teacher at a private religious school, was detained in December on suspicion of planning an attack on entertainment outlets and to rob, kidnap or kill non-Muslims.

The suspect, who had been previously jailed under Malaysia's anti-terror law, had also maintained contact with former members of known terror groups and promoted IS ideology on his Facebook account to recruit new members, police said.

Malaysia has arrested hundreds of people over the past few years for suspected links to militant groups.

A grenade attack on a bar on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur in June 2016 wounded eight people. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, the first such incident on Malaysian soil.

The post Malaysia Arrests Two Men Linked to Islamic State Over Planned Attacks appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ten Things to Do in Yangon This Week

Posted: 22 Jan 2018 06:30 PM PST

21st Century Panglong Football Friendly | Jan. 27

Politicians, artists and footballers will play in a friendly soccer match to support the 21st Century Panglong peace conference along with a performance by singers.

Jan. 27, 2 p.m. Thuwunna Stadium.

BarCamp Yangon 2018 | Jan. 27-28

More than 5,000 BarCampers are set to participate in this technology event. Registration here.

Jan. 27-28, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MICT Park, Hlaing University Campus.

Duwun Food Carnival | Jan. 27-28

There will be more than 100 food stalls of various foods and snacks plus a performance by singers.

Jan. 27-28, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. People's Park.

 

 

Elephant Poaching Awareness Graffiti | Until Jan. 31

Graffiti artist Arkar Kyaw has created artwork to raise public awareness of elephant poaching in Myanmar.

Until Jan. 31, Junction City, Bogyoke Aung San Road.

Overload EDM Festival | Jan. 28

Foreign musicians will perform at this electronic dance music festival.

Jan. 28, 7 p.m. Fuse Bar & Music Lounge, Myanmar Plaza, Tickets 15,000 kyats at 09-254999254.

& Proud Festival | Jan. 27-28

This event features films, dances, games, and music with Phyu Phyu Kyaw Thein taking the stage at 5 p.m. on Saturday, and Mary and Wun Zai Yan performing from 7 p.m. on Sunday.

Jan. 27-28, 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thakhin Mya Garden. Free Admission.

Party on the Train | Jan. 27

The first ever party on the train from Yangon to Bago and back to Yangon to the accompaniment of house, techno and psytrance music.

Jan. 27, 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Yangon Central Railway Station. Tickets 20,000 kyats at 09-451010789.

Thittsar Mitta Shwe Mann Thabin | Jan. 27-31

This Anyeint troupe will perform at Kyaikkasan Pagoda Festival.

Jan. 27-31. Kyaikkasan Pagoda, Thingangyun Township. Tickets at 09-420073137, 09-795138200.

I Am Min Thar Gyi | Jan. 27-31

Min Thar Gyi will showcase his acrylic creations at his second solo show.

Jan. 27-31, 43 Art Gallery, 43rd Street, Botahtaung Tsp.

Paper Works by Min Zaw | Jan. 20-27

This exhibition features paper collages created by Min Zaw.

Jan. 20-27, Studio Square Art Gallery, Maha Bandoola Garden Street.

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

New Pyin Oo Lwin Elephant Camp Opens to the Public

Posted: 22 Jan 2018 05:23 PM PST

MANDALAY — Seeing colorful balloons and dozens of people at her new home is exciting Nyein Nang Moe, a 9-year-old female elephant.

Although she is obedient to her trainer, she is curious and tries to touch visitors with her trunk

"She is hungry but not eating because she is excited and wants to play," said her keeper, as Nyein Nang Moe attempted to touch the mobile phone of one guest.

"She knows how to touch the touch screen of a mobile phone. She plays with it," he added.

Nyein Nang Moe is one of the elephants that was transferred from the timber camps in Thabeikkyin Township, Mandalay Region, to the new elephant camp called Dee Doke, located in Pyin Oo Lwin Township, which opened to the public last week.

She and five other the elephants who became unemployed due to the declining use of elephants in timber log production, will spend their lives in this new sanctuary where they will be visited by nature lovers.

"Since we are not going to use them for work, we have to think of their livelihoods. Creating natural sanctuaries for them is better than keeping them in a zoo," said U Nanda Soe, the assistant general manager of Mandalay Region's Myanma Timber Enterprise, under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation.

This new safe haven, located 25 miles east of Mandalay, is surrounded by two waterfalls, Wat Kar and Dee Doke. The Dee Doke blue lagoon is also nearby.

"The sanctuary is offering short and long trips, traveling on the backs of the elephants. Visitors can walk through the forest too. We are hoping to promote eco-tourism in the region while taking care of these elephants," explained U Nanda Soe.

According to the Myanma Timber Enterprise, it is establishing more sanctuaries in Shan and Karen states and Bago Region, which could keep their elephants close to nature. Company statistics report 2940 elephants owned by the government and working around the country and under the care of the enterprise.

A new sanctuary in Pyay was also recently opened to attract travellers.

The enterprise already operated 17 elephant camps, including camps for retired elephants and camps where visitors can explore timber harvesting with elephants. An elephant hospital was also opened in Bago. In the near future, another sanctuary will open in Kalaw.

In the future, where there is no use for elephants in timber harvesting, these sanctuaries will become their homes where they will become promoters of eco-tourism, earning visitors' interest and love.

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Monday, January 22, 2018

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Camps Ready But Bangladesh Delays Repatriation of Refugees

Posted: 22 Jan 2018 04:35 AM PST

NAYPYITAW — Although Myanmar is ready to start repatriating Muslim refugees as of Wednesday, the Bangladeshi government has yet to complete a list of the refugees who will return as agreed under a bilateral agreement.

Abul Kalam, Bangladesh's refugee relief and rehabilitation commissioner, said on Monday that the return would have to be delayed. He did not immediately give a new date for the repatriations to begin.

"There are many things remaining," he told Reuters by phone. "The list of people to be sent back is yet to be prepared, their verification and setting up of transit camps is remaining."

In late November, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and agreed to form a joint working committees within three weeks to work on repatriating the more than 620,000 Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh after a military crackdown triggered by Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army attacks on security posts in northern Rakhine State in late August.

Tents, buses, food and water supply and food have been prepared for the refugees at repatriation camps in Taungpyoletwe and Nga Khu Ya in Maungdaw, said Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Minister Dr. Win Myat Aye.

"According to the agreement, repatriation is set to begin on Jan. 23. So, we have made preparations. If we get the list, we can start tomorrow. But we have not yet received it," the minister told reporters at parliament on Monday.

By the second week of January, the Myanmar government had verified over 1,200 refugees—750 Muslims and more than 500 Hindus—as refugees entitled to return. Under the MoU, the Bangladeshi government was to ask them if they were willing to return, and send the list of returnees prior to the repatriation.

According to the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar, returnees will be accommodated at a camp in Hla Po Khaung in northern Rakhine State, while their houses burned in clashes are rebuilt.

The decision from Bangladesh to delay the start of repatriation comes as tensions have risen in the camps holding the refugees, some of whom are opposing their transfer back to Myanmar because of lack of security guarantees.

In Naypyitaw, Lower House lawmaker U Aung Thaung Shwe of Buthidaung Township said the returnees would not be welcomed back in Rakhine State.

"We have not been informed by the government about what it is doing in the repatriation process. The Arakanese community doesn't want them back as they believe that problems will flare again if they come back," he said.

At the Palongkhali refugee camp, near the Naf River that marks the border between the two countries, a group of Rohingya leaders gathered early on Monday morning with a loudspeaker and a banner listing a set of demands for their return to Myanmar, Reuters reported.

These include security guarantees, the granting of citizenship and the group's recognition in Myanmar's list of ethnic minorities. The Rohingya are also asking that homes, mosques and schools that were burned down or damaged in the military operation be rebuilt.

Bangladesh army officials arrived at the protest and dispersed the crowd of 300. Witnesses said they saw the army take away one of the Rohingya leaders who was holding a banner.

Dr. Win Myat Aye, who is also vice-chairman of Union Enterprise for Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement and Development in Rakhine (UEHRD), and Rakhine State Chief Minister U Nyi Pu inspected accommodations for returnees at repatriation centers on Jan. 15.

Additional reporting by Reuters.

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French-Myanmar Joint Venture To Install 500 ‘Smart’ Bus Stops in Yangon

Posted: 22 Jan 2018 04:29 AM PST

YANGON — A French-Myanmar joint venture has won an exclusive 20-year contract to sell advertising on street furniture in the commercial capital Yangon, including the installation of 500 hi-tech bus stops.

FMIDecaux—a joint venture between First Myanmar Investment Company (FMI) and JCDecaux, a worldwide outdoor advertising company based in France—signed the contract with the Yangon City Development Committee on Saturday.

JCDecaux is also a partner in a flyover art project involving the reconfiguring and redesigning of six flyovers in Yangon.

In a press release Monday, JCDecaux announced that under the new contract, the joint venture will design and install 500 new bus stops featuring advertising displays and city information panels (CIPs). The bus stops will be equipped with USB ports. LED screens on the roof will show buses' estimated time of arrival. Each of the 500 CIPs will comprise one advertising panel and one panel reserved for displaying official city information, according to a press release issued on Monday.

Some CIPs will be equipped with battery recycling receptacles and drinking fountains, it said.

The YCDC estimated that 300 existing bus stops will be replaced with new ones within 18 months from June, starting with those on the main bus routes such as Pyay and Kabar Aye Pagoda roads. All 500 new bus stops will be finished in three years.

The request for tenders for the project was made on Jan. 3, 2017. About five companies tendered bids. FMIDecaux's winning bid proposes total investment of US$13 million in the project, including operation and maintenance of new bus stops and CIPs.

FMI Company official U Tun Tun told local media at the contract-signing ceremony that 3 to 15 percent of the profit from advertising sales will go to the government.

"We would like to upgrade the bus stops in Yangon to the level of other 'smart' cities in accordance with international standards. But the 500 new bus stops will not be enough; Yangon has over 2,000 bus stops," Yangon Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein said at the ceremony.

Upgrading bus stops is part of the Yangon regional government's plan to improve public transportation.

The chief minister said the remaining existing bus stops would be upgraded by the YCDC.

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Military Court Gives Soldiers 10 Years for Murder of 3 Kachin

Posted: 22 Jan 2018 03:12 AM PST

MANDALAY — A military court in Mansi Township, Kachin State, sentenced six soldiers to 10 years in prison on Friday for the killing of three Kachin men in May, according to a relative of one of the victims.

"Chief of Staff Major Zeyar Oo, Captain Luan Moe Aung, Captain Kyaw Zin Myint, Lieutenant Myo Thu Zaw, Lance Corporal Shine Htet Aung and Private Phyo Ko were found guilty and they were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment with hard labor," said Daw Laphai Nanba, the mother of Maran Brang Seng, one of the dead men.

Relatives of the victims and a few local civil society representatives were invited to the military court for the sentencing, the first time civilians have been invited to observe a military court session.

"We only know they were sentenced like that. We are glad that the guilty are being punished; they deserved it. However, the army should give us compensation as well because our family members were the ones who looked after us," Maran Brang Seng said.

The relatives and civil society representatives said they wanted to know which prison the soldiers will be sent to so that they can make sure they are serving their sentences.

"Although it is fair enough and the military court was more transparent with this case, we also want to know at which prison they will have to serve their prison terms," said a civil society representative who asked to remain anonymous because the army told him not to speak to the media.

"We want to make sure they really serve the prison terms according to the law," he said. "We also hope that the army will stop its brutal actions in the future to avoid such sad and cruel incidents."

Nhkum Gam Awng, 31, Maran Brang Seng, 22, and Labya Naw Hkum, 27, from the Maihkawng camp for internally displaced people in Mansi, were arrested by Battalion 319 on May 25.

Their bodies were found on May 28. Within days, the office of the military's commander-in-chief announced that it was launching an investigation into the deaths.

The post Military Court Gives Soldiers 10 Years for Murder of 3 Kachin appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Can Another Asian Fill U Thant’s Shoes?

Posted: 21 Jan 2018 11:34 PM PST

During his 10 years as UN secretary general, the late U Thant proved a straight-talking, self-assured and effective diplomat. Decades after his death, The Irrawaddy's Aung Zaw opined that the current crop of Asian leaders would be hard pressed to match his legacy in the post. On U Thant's 109th birthday, The Irrawaddy revisits this article from its September 2006 edition.

If the job goes to Asia for the first time in 35 years, the late Burmese diplomat will be a hard act to follow

Will an Asian succeed UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan when he ends his final five-year term in December?

Although there is no strict geographical rotation system for the job, many feel that it is time it went to an Asian again—for the first time since Burma's U Thant completed a double stint in 1971. US President George W Bush recently indicated that Washington will support an Asian candidate, and despite the increasing difficulties of holding the top job there is no shortage of aspirants in Asia.

They include Surakiart Sathirathai, one of Thailand's deputy prime ministers, India's Shashi Tharoor, currently the UN's under secretary-general for communications and public information, South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon, and Sri Lankan Jayantha Dhanapala, a former UN under secretary-general for disarmament.

The first UN secretary-general, Trygve Lie, once described the UN post as the most impossible job on earth. But that won't deter Asian candidates who sometimes audaciously lobby for the job. One of them is Surakiat Sathirathai, a former foreign minister who has backing from Asean and reportedly also from the Chinese. But he faces political troubles at home, especially from human rights groups, and where he has a reputation for confronting opponents by issuing libel actions against them.

In a late attempt to curry favor, Surakiart told Asean he would push for democratic reforms in Burma if he is chosen to replace Annan. Many Burmese would say this will not be an easy task.

Burma and the UN have had an uneasy relationship in recent years as the junta came under strong criticism, if little action, from the New York body. But 40 or so years ago, Burma's image at the UN was much brighter—thanks to the decade-long reign of U Thant as UN chief from 1961.

U Thant (left) takes the oath of office on Nov. 3, 1961, during a plenary meeting of the General Assembly, which unanimously appointed him acting secretary-general of the UN for a term lasting until April 10, 1963. / UN

U Thant started out as Burma's permanent representative at the UN before becoming acting secretary-general after incumbent Dag Hammarskjold died in a plane crash. U Thant, 52, subsequently held the job until 1971.

Colleagues at the UN said that Hammarskjold and U Thant came from two different worlds: one, a Swedish aristocrat, reserved and aloof; the other modest, down to earth and outspoken. Those who knew them well dubbed Hammarskjold the "eastern mystic," while U Thant was judged "direct, almost Western."

U Thant's press secretary, Rames Nassif, recalled in his book "U Thant in New York, 1961-1971," that his boss had a straight-talking but also humorous manner. For example, there was a rumor at UN Headquarters that the French disdained U Thant for being "too short" and not speaking French. U Thant heard the rumor and told his friends that he was taller than Napoleon, who did not speak English.

U Thant quickly proved to be a fine and self-composed diplomat who could easily mingle with the world's most powerful leaders — from Moscow's Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, with whom he swam in the Black Sea, to Pope Paul VI.

Former UN under secretary-general Brian Urquhart once recalled: "In a series of critical situations, U Thant used his limited constitutional authority to the utmost to pre-empt or to curtail disaster."

President Suharto of the Republic of Indonesia paid an official visit to United Nations Headquarters on 28 May 1970. In the foreground are Aye Aye Myint U (U Thant’s Daughter) and Mrs. Suharto.

Indeed, several conflicts were waiting to test his skills and ability. U Thant was involved in the Cuban missile crisis, the Vietnam War, and conflict between India and Pakistan in 1965. Colleagues who traveled with him to crisis zones recalled that on many occasions U Thant made bold and single-minded attempts to restore peace.

But he was blamed for failing to solve the Middle East conflict in the 1960s, although well defended by Urquhart: "U Thant proved a useful scapegoat for the Middle East War of 1967, but it is less often recalled that he was the only world statesman who went to Cairo before that war to reason with President Nasser."

U Thant was also instrumental in securing China, emerging from world isolation, a seat in the UN. And he was media savvy and friendly to the press.

Nassif recalls: "For U Thant, the press conference was a pleasant experience. He had natural warmth towards journalists and was comfortable with them. He enjoyed thinking of himself as a former journalist, and often mentioned this. He was keenly aware that an enlightened information program was essential for the success of the United Nations."

Kofi Annan agrees.

The post Can Another Asian Fill U Thant's Shoes? appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Mrauk-U UNESCO Coordination Meeting Postponed After Recent Protest

Posted: 21 Jan 2018 11:34 PM PST

YANGON — A work coordination meeting on the nomination of Mrauk-U to the UNESCO World Heritage List scheduled to be held from Jan. 26–27 was postponed following last week's protest in the old Arakanese capital.

On Tuesday, hundreds of Mrauk-U residents took to the streets to protest the government's ban on celebrating the 233rd anniversary of the fall of the Rakhine Dynasty. The government said it had banned the annual event because the venue was a former palace that had been listed as a national heritage site.

Seven residents were killed and 12 others were injured during the police crackdown on protestors.

"We sent invitations to the meeting. But, it is now difficult to come to the town because of security concerns. The meeting will likely be held in Yangon instead, but that has not yet been officially confirmed," said Daw Khin Than, chairwoman of the Mrauk-U cultural heritage conservation group.

The Union culture minister, the Chinese and Italian ambassadors to Myanmar, Arakanese historians, and members of UNESCO were set to attend the meeting to discuss the progress of preparations and future plans for nomination.

The draft nomination to include Mrauk-U as a World Heritage Site is set to be submitted in September with the final submission to be delivered by January 2019, according to Daw Khin Than.

The archaeology department under the culture ministry has formed 14 sub-committees to help prepare the nomination.

"I personally feel that the image of Mrauk-U is severely damaged [by the incident]. We have been trying to enhance its image to get UNESCO's recognition. While we are trying every means to make the world know Mrauk-U and there is certain progress toward this end, this incident has exerted serious impact," she said.

She believes that the inscription of Mrauk-U on the UNESCO World Heritage List will help solve the sectarian divide in Rakhine State to a certain extent.

UNESCO officials started their survey of the old Arakanese capital in February last year.

Mrauk-U is located on the Kaladan River in northern Rakhine State, some 60 kilometers inland from the state capital Sittwe.

From the 15th century to the late 1800s, Mrauk-U was the seat of Arakanese kings, who at the height of their power controlled an area covering large parts of eastern Bengal, modern-day Rakhine State and the western part of Lower Myanmar.

Much of the city's remains are well preserved and some 380 historic temples are scattered between the lush hills of northern Rakhine. Internal violence between Arakanese Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims that erupted in mid-2012 has driven down tourist numbers to the area.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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A Peacemaker’s Life in Pictures

Posted: 21 Jan 2018 09:37 PM PST

U Thant, the former secretary-general of the United Nations, would have turned 109 today. During his 10-year-and-one-month tenure at the UN, U Thant criticized both West and East for actions and attitudes that he considered threatening to world peace. He helped defuse the Cuban missile crisis, which had brought the United States and the Soviet Union to the brink of nuclear war. He also helped end a civil war in Congo, among other achievements. The former secretary-general died of cancer in 1974 at the age of 65. The Irrawaddy commemorates U Thant's 109th birthday with some rare pictures of his time at the UN, with his family and with international dignitaries.

The post A Peacemaker's Life in Pictures appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

While Political Prisoners Released, Myanmar’s Judicial Reforms Stall

Posted: 21 Jan 2018 08:29 PM PST

YANGON — Hundreds of political prisoners have been released from Myanmar's jails in amnesties in recent years, including dozens freed in January 2016, days before democracy champion Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's party took power for the first time.

Former President Barack Obama announced the lifting of US sanctions in October 2016, citing the release of political prisoners and improved human rights as well as the elections that brought Daw Suu Kyi to power. Suu Kyi herself had been under house arrest for 15 years before being released in 2010.

Prison reform, however, has been put on the back burner under the new government.

A new prison law was discussed in parliament in 2015, but was not passed. It has not been taken up since then by a new set of lawmakers – most of them from Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) – who took their seats in early 2016.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a Myanmar group formed by former detainees, says prison reform should include repealing a law that gives police broad powers of arrest and pre-trial detention.

The AAPP advocates overhauling vague or outdated rules in the Jail Manual and Penal Code, much of it written during British colonial rule.

But the AAPP and rights groups caution that any new legislation on prison reform would not stop politically motivated prosecutions, which would need to be addressed with specific judicial and legal reforms.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's government pardoned, released or dropped charges against hundreds of political prisoners in the month after it took office. But today, 46 people are serving prison sentences for political activities, and another 52 political prisoners are in jail awaiting trial, the AAPP says.

Other Priorities

NLD Party spokesman Aung Shin told Reuters prison reform was not yet on the legislative agenda because of other priorities.

"There are so many things to do as MPs, it may be a part of the reasons for not including prison reform in the parliament discussions," Aung Shin said.

He also said, however, prisons should be part of a broader examination of legal and judicial reform that the party and legislature was planning. He did not give a time frame for any contemplated legislation.

AAPP says that 120 former political prisoners from the NLD party are members of the national parliament or regional assemblies.

"There are so many former political prisoners in the NLD party, and even in the current Parliament," said Aung Myo Kyaw, head of AAPP's Yangon office. "It's sad they aren't considering this issue."

The military did not respond to requests for comment.

The home affairs ministry says it has improved prison conditions across the country. A ministry report in March said the Correctional Department had relaxed rules on family visits and improved education programs.

Rule of Law

Many of the political prisoners, including some today, were jailed in Insein, a 19th-century prison in the north of Yangon that had a notorious reputation for torture, hunger strikes and rioting over inhumane conditions until Myanmar began transitioning to civilian rule in 2011.

For decades, Insein prison, which has held politicians and poets alongside murderers, thieves and drug dealers, was emblematic of oppressive junta rule and Myanmar's poor record when it came to the rule of law.

Some prisoners were kept isolated or were physically and mentally abused while in jail, former inmates say. Amnesty International said misbehaving prisoners, including political prisoners on hunger strike, were still kept shackled in filth in kennels meant for dogs as recently as 2011.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi herself was briefly held in a hut in the prison compound between spells of house arrest. Leaders of the NLD spent time there before Myanmar’s military rulers started a transition to democracy in 2011 that brought both the release of hundreds of political prisoners and an improvement to prison conditions.

Insein is where Reuters journalists Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27 have been detained as they face an investigation into whether they breached Myanmar's Official Secrets Act after the two were detained on Dec. 12.

Built during British colonial rule in the 19th century, Insein covers about 200,000 square meters – larger than New York's Grand Central station.

By some accounts, conditions there have gotten a lot better.

Kyaw Zwa Naing, detained in Insein for two weeks in June after writing a satirical article mocking the military, said "the prison officers treated us well."

"We could access food supply without limitation. No one threatened us," he said.

Overcrowded

After an inspection in March, the government-backed Myanmar National Human Rights Commission identified overcrowding as a problem and recommended building new dormitories.

"The unlucky ones have to sleep right next to the toilet. In Myanmar, we can't provide international standard cells for inmates," Commissioner Yu Lwin Aung told Reuters.

Political prisoners and those accused of other non-violent offences are housed with inmates both accused and convicted of violent crimes, according to the AAPP, which regularly interviews recent inmates.

Family members say the Reuters reporters each have their own cell and sleep on mats on raised platforms. However, they say the two are fearful because they are being held in the same block as both suspected and convicted criminals.

Min Tun Soe, a deputy director and spokesperson for the Prison Department said overcrowding was no longer a concern – the prison now houses 12,000 inmates after increasing its capacity to 10,000.

"There's lots of reform going on in the prisons, such as new budgets for food supplies, healthcare and education opportunities for inmates, and also reforming the moral behavior of inmates," he said.

"The situation is different than it was before," he said.

The post While Political Prisoners Released, Myanmar's Judicial Reforms Stall appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Scandal-hit Thai Temple Helps to Stage Mass Buddhist Event in Myanmar

Posted: 21 Jan 2018 08:19 PM PST

MANDALAY — Thousands of Buddhist monks gathered in Myanmar's second largest city on Sunday for an event partly organized by a scandal-hit Thai temple whose abbot is wanted for questioning on money-laundering allegations.

The Dhammakaya temple's foundation helped organize the mass alms-giving for an estimated 20,000 monks on the runway of an abandoned airport in central Mandalay.

Thailand's largest and wealthiest temple, Dhammakaya has staged similar spectacles at its vast complex north of Bangkok, which police besieged last year in a fruitless search for its fugitive abbot.

The Mandalay event aimed to "tighten the relationship between both Myanmar and Thailand [and] unite the Theravada monkhood" in the region, according to a Dhammakaya Foundation press release.

Myanmar, Thailand and Sri Lanka are predominantly Buddhist countries that follow the religion's Theravada branch.

In Mandalay, a center for Buddhist learning crowded with temples and monasteries, monks in burgundy or orange began filing barefoot into the old airport before dawn.

Almost all the monks at the ceremony were from Myanmar and there were also thousands of local lay people attending along with about 100 monks and other Buddhists from Thailand and Sri Lanka, according to Dhammakaya temple.

Mandalay is home to the monk Wirathu, the self-styled "Buddhist bin Laden" famous for his anti-Islamic sermons, but there was no sign that he attended the mass alms-giving.

"It's such a wonderful ceremony. I live in Mandalay, and it's never happened like this before," said Ven Ya Ma, 40, who led a group of about 30 monks from the city's Ma Soe Yein monastery.

Ven Ya Ma opposed the actions of the Thai police against the Dhammakaya temple, which he said was only promoting Buddhism worldwide.

"People are worried that Buddhism is in danger," he said.

In March, Thai police abandoned a three-week siege of the Dhammakaya temple's complex, which is nearly 10 times the area of the Vatican City and centers around a giant, UFO-shaped golden stupa.

Police wanted to question the abbot, Phra Dhammachayo, about alleged money-laundering and building violations, but gave up after protests by monks and meditating devotees. His whereabouts are unknown.

Dhammakaya claims millions of followers in Thailand and around the world, and in recent years has forged closer ties with Myanmar's Buddhists.

Wirathu is a leading light in Ma Ba Tha, a religious group accused of whipping up anti-Muslim sentiment in Myanmar.

A brutal military crackdown in Rakhine State, in western Myanmar, has driven about 650,000 Rohingya Muslims over the border into Bangladesh since August.

The post Scandal-hit Thai Temple Helps to Stage Mass Buddhist Event in Myanmar appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rohingya Repatriation Futile Without a Strong Security Shield

Posted: 21 Jan 2018 06:34 PM PST

Even as the focus seems to have momentarily shifted to the repatriation of the Rohingya refugees, all is certainly not well in the Rohingya camps in the Cox's Bazar district of Bangladesh. While relief agencies and "camp-in-charge," the camps' administrators, report a growing number of disappearances of Rohingya elders and youths, another disturbing trend that has come to the fore is that of Rohingya youths being picked up without prior notice — allegedly by the Detective Branch of Bangladesh — for interrogation on suspicion of having links to the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA).

The disappearance of two siblings — Nur Kamal, 26, and Nur Kodor, 15 — from their camp in Uthiya Upazila on Dec. 14 is a case in point. According to sources, the two were returned to their camp a few days ago. No one is yet sure what could have led to their disappearance or detention for more than a month by the Detective Branch or by any other group. Just about everyone is tight-lipped about the incident, leaving it shrouded in mystery.

Missing persons cases like this one and more than a dozen others over the past five months have had the grapevine working overtime. Of the many theories making the rounds in Cox's Bazar, the two about possible links to ARSA and a growing human trafficking network have set alarm bells ringing among authorities.

The identity card of a Rohingya man who went missing at a refugee camp in Bangladesh in December. / Supplied

Could it be that the district administration of Cox’s Bazar is in possession of some solid evidence that has prompted the Detective Branch to conduct surprise raids and pick up Rohingya youths from their camps? Thus far no one is speaking up. The district authorities have refused to share information.

If there is any truth to ARSA connections either to the arbitrary arrests or to the missing persons cases, then surely it would have to do with the agreement Bangladesh and Myanmar reached recently to share intelligence on any activity related to the Jihadi militant outfit. Last year the Myanmar government is said to have provided Bangladesh with a list of 1,300 people with ARSA links. Sources working for relief agencies said camp-in-charge, magistrates and police in the Balukhali area of Uthiya Upazila have specific information on the storage of camouflage uniforms and small arms in certain huts that has led the Detective Branch to carry out surprise raids. However, this information could not be independently verified because of a lack of access to the intelligence agencies.

And so it remains extremely difficult to settle on a reason for such incidents. But what is worrying is that there has been a steady rise in the number of disappearances.

The case of Nur Alam and Nur Kodor could remain a mystery until authorities come clean. The only thing that is known is that soon after the two disappeared their parents lodged a complaint with the police and with Balukhali 1 Block B (32) camp-in-charge Mohammad Talut. They also asked for the help of international relief agencies that may have put pressure on police to track down the two young men and ensure their safe return.

Meanwhile, the other growing threats that cannot be ignored are an expanding human trafficking network and the lure of working as drug mules.  The ugly face of human trafficking is rearing its head in Cox’s Bazar, making the environment even more hazardous and unsafe for the vulnerable Rohingya refugees.

The identity card of a Rohingya man who went missing at a refugee camp in Bangladesh in December. / Supplied

This is perhaps just the beginning of what's to come. Such stories could become a fixture of the camps in Rakhine State as well when the Rohingya return from Bangladesh. A source working on the relief and rehabilitation of the Rohingya aptly summed it up like so: "The traffickers don't care where the Rohingya are as long as they can take them and sell them and get their money and they are present on both sides of the border."

Cases like that of Nur Kamal and Nur Kodor have thrown up many unanswered questions and most of them point to a growing trafficking network of drug smugglers working in collusion with Muslim fundamentalist groups such as ARSA. What is even more worrying is that Rohingya youths willing to learn and engage with international organizations on relief work and community service are being targeted by radical groups in the name of freedom and a better life.

Such incidents have been reported before. The media in Bangladesh and India have been reporting regularly on the growing menace of the trafficking of Rohingya in both Bangladesh and Myanmar. News stories about the human trafficking networks growing in tandem with the smuggling of drugs — mostly yaba, or methamphetamines — from Myanmar to Bangladesh and of drug cartels operating in these areas are not new.

Teknaf and Uthiya share a land border with Myanmar that is a known yaba smuggling corridor. A relief agency worker speaking on condition of anonymity said "it would not be surprising if most people who have disappeared have been taken through these routes as the security presence seems to be more concentrated on the riverine bordering areas and roads going out towards the rest of Bangladesh."

Groups documenting and fighting the drug- and human-trafficking trades say the problem has thrown open a Pandora's Box, corroborating reports of a nexus between the two and of Rohingya youths falling prey to the menace. It is not difficult to see the web. Those who have spent the past four months in the Rohingya camps either as relief workers or aid monitors say they fear the worst. "Vulnerable Rohingya youths and men are being used as shields for traffickers who have crossed over from Myanmar posing as refugees and have gotten mixed up with the community and live among them with absolute impunity," one of them said.

The Bangladesh media are also awash with reports on a drug cartel thriving off its connections to politicians and other high-ups in Chittagong. The role of Teknaf Upzila Chairman Jafor Alam and ruling Awami League lawmaker Abdul Rahman Bodi in the yaba trade has frequently surfaced in media reports. On Dec. 6 The Dhaka Tribune of Bangladesh reported that Jafor Alam's house was raided by a narcotics joint task force on Oct. 18 and that 31 Rohingya who had allegedly smuggled yaba across the border were detained.

More than 200 people have been arrested by security agencies in Bangladesh, most of them Rohingya men. If what the Bangladesh media have reported is to be believed, more than 500,000 yaba tablets have been seized since Aug. 25.

Law enforcement agencies have also revealed recently that more than 500 yaba smugglers have entered Bangladesh from Myanmar since Aug. 25 by posing as Rohingya refugees. The agencies also suspect that an additional 1,000 yaba mules have slipped into the country in the past three months by other means.

According to a recent report published by the Association for the Prevention of Drug Abuse, about 90 percent of yaba tablets enter Bangladesh via the Naf River. According to Arup Chowdhury, the association's founding president, "yaba is being smuggled through 43 points of the Bangladesh-Myanmar border."

So even as law enforcement agencies continue trying to solve the mystery of the missing persons and determine their fates, the governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar must ponder this growing menace as it could easily become a thorn in the side of both countries and impact the repatriation process in more ways than one.

The author is a former senior journalist who has worked for national and international news media in India and elsewhere. Currently he is a contributing editor for The Irrawaddy.

The post Rohingya Repatriation Futile Without a Strong Security Shield appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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