Tuesday, February 6, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Govt Preps Policy to Cope with Falling Population Growth

Posted: 06 Feb 2018 04:56 AM PST

YANGON — Myanmar will develop and implement a national population policy in a bid to manage the country's aging populace and declining growth rate, Minister of Labor, Immigration and Population U Thein Swe said on Monday.

The minister said the country needed a plan to prepare for the consequences of the demographic changes. He was replying to a question from Lower House lawmaker U San Shwe Win, Irrawaddy Region (Yegyi Township), about whether the government had plans to adopt a population policy.

U San Shwe Win said Myanmar's population will eventually start shrinking according to the results of the last national census in 2014, the country's first since 1983.

Until preliminary results from the 2014 census were released that August, the country's official population had long stood at about 60 million. However, the census put the number at just 51.4 million, nearly 17 percent less.

According to successive reports the ministry has released based on the 2014 census, the country's population growth rate has been declining steadily in recent years and is now among the lowest in Southeast Asia. They say a falling crude birth rate, measuring live births, was the main reason for the decline and predict a population of 65 million by 2050.

Yet Myanmar still maintains a relatively high fertility rate of 2.5 births per woman compared to its neighbors in the region.

U Thein Swe said the ministry would use the reports to draft the national population policy, taking into consideration the country's population growth rate, life expectancy, birth rate, mortality rate and population distribution.

He added that the ministry would also consider the country's optimum population size based on its natural resources, economy, geography, culture and military needs.

The first step will be to form a National Population and Development Commission.

"We have already asked the union government, and if it is allowed to be formed the commission will lead the process of drafting the population policy in collaboration with other ministries," U Thein Swe said.

According to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), which provided technical and financial support for the 2014 census project, many countries are moving away from general population policies because the demographic data a national census provides is so vast and broad. It says sector-specific policies are proving more useful.

The UNFPA country office said the 2014 census results highlighted many of the priorities the government should be addressing to improve people's quality of life including inequalities in education and access to health care, high levels of childhood and maternal mortality, access to safe water and sanitation, and the need for more housing. It stressed the value of developing sector-specific plans to tackle them.

For example, according to the census reports, 2,800 women die each year from mostly preventable causes related to childbirth and pregnancy; the number of people 60 and older will almost triple in the next 30 years; and half a million young people cannot read or write primarily because of low school attendance rates.

"Young people represent a huge source of potential for Myanmar's development. Government policy needs to focus on improving the standard of education, as well as on increasing school attendance and youth literacy," said UNFPA country representative Janet Jackson.

At the same time, she urged the government to pay attention to the country's growing elderly population and its needs.

She said Myanmar could also significantly bring down its maternal mortality rate if women were given the choice to give birth to fewer children with the help of better family planning.

The post Govt Preps Policy to Cope with Falling Population Growth appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

KIA Attacks Tatmadaw Outposts in Mogaung, Myitkyina

Posted: 06 Feb 2018 04:43 AM PST

The Kachin Independence Army has launched attacks on Myanmar Army (Tatmadaw) outposts in Mogaung and Myitkyina townships in Kachin State in an operation aimed at disrupting the latter's ongoing offensive against it, a spokesman for the armed group said.

"They attacked the headquarters of [KIA] Battalion 11, so we have launched counterattacks to slow their operation. They are conducting an offensive, so we have had to take up defensive positions," KIA spokesman Colonel Naw Bu told The Irrawaddy.

In a statement on Feb. 3, the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services accused the KIA of abandoning peace efforts by attacking Tatmadaw headquarters, posts and patrols in Myitkyina and Mogaung townships with heavy and light weapons on Jan. 31 and Feb. 3.

The KIA said it had attacked minor Tatmadaw outposts in an attempt to reduce the intensity of the Tatmadaw's offensives against it. The armed group denied attacking Tatmadaw command centers.

"We did not attack Mogaung and Myitkyina headquarters. We attacked only frontline posts in areas controlled by [the Tatmadaw] in the two townships," Col. Naw Bu said.

Fighting broke out between the Tatmadaw and the KIA in Sumprabum and Tanai townships in January. A number of local residents were killed or injured and many were forced to flee their homes.

"Clashes will continue to erupt until [a lasting] peace cannot be restored in the state," Kachin State Chief Minister Dr. Khet Aung said.

The fighting in Tanai trapped about 2,000 local residents in the conflict zone. More than 700 people in Sumprabum have been forced to take refuge in the jungle, according to a rescue committee for internally displaced persons.

The post KIA Attacks Tatmadaw Outposts in Mogaung, Myitkyina appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Unchecked Conflict Could Lead to Disintegration of Rakhine State, Lawmaker Warns 

Posted: 06 Feb 2018 04:07 AM PST

NAYPYITAW — Violent conflicts stemming from racial and religious prejudice in northern Rakhine could result in the disintegration of the western state, U Tin Aye, a Lower House lawmaker from the Union Solidarity and Development Party, warned the Lower House on Monday.

"Violent conflicts stemming from racial and religious prejudice have been going on in Rakhine State for a long time. If the terrorist acts of Bengalis — or self-identifying Rohingyas — in Rakhine cannot be checked in their early stages and are allowed to spread like a cancer, Rakhine State could disintegrate,” said U Tin Aye, a former major-general.

The previous U Thein Sein government used the term 'Bengali' to refer to the Rohingya, as does military chief Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing.

U Tin Aye made the remarks while asking the government to clarify how it planned to communicate to the people of Myanmar and the international community that there is no such ethnic group as the Rohingya in Myanmar.

"This could lead to disintegration or even result in a failed state. If they dominate our country, we would be forced to leave. I raise the question because I am worried about this," the Lower House representative from Matman Township in Shan State told reporters after the session.

U Tin Aye retired from the army with the rank of major-general in 2015. In the general election that year he ran successfully as an independent candidate for the Lower House seat representing Matman Township near the Wa Self-administered Zone in Shan State (East). He later joined the USDP.

He said the incumbent government had been silent on the existence of the Rohingya as an ethnic group in Myanmar, despite frequent statements from former President U Thein Sein and Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the Defense Services, that there had never been such an ethnic group as Rohingya in Myanmar. He said it was unacceptable to create a new ethnic group for political reasons.

"Without an explicit denial of the existence of the Rohingya as an ethnic group in Myanmar, it would be very difficult for our country to resist the pressure of powerful organizations like the UN and the OIC [Organization of Islamic Cooperation], as silence is an act of complicity," he told the Lower House session.

Union Minister for Labor, Immigration and Population U Thein Swe replied that the government was handling the issue of Rakhine State in the long-term interests of all ethnic groups in Myanmar through farsightedness and correct measures.

"The government, with an emphasis on wisdom and rationality, has been handling the situation in accordance with laws, rules and regulations in a dignified manner without resorting to emotion," U Thein Swe said.

He said the term 'Rohingya' was not found in any population census, adding that it was well known that heads of state had refrained from using it. Myanmar diplomats around the world had also avoided using such terminology and had even protested when representatives from the international community used the word at official meetings, he said.

The government currently recognizes 135 ethnic groups, but discussions are under way to expand this list to reflect the population census conducted in 2014.

U Maung Maung Soe, an observer of Rakhine issues, said the state's problems could not be solved simply by issuing a statement, adding they should be handled in a way acceptable to the international community based on the assessments of experts. Although the government was considering granting citizenship to 'Bengalis' to solve the Rakhine issue, he said, the Rohingya were demanding recognition and full rights as an ethnic group. He pointed out that it was first necessary to properly address the problem.

Making "forceful demands on Rakhine issues will lead to crises in the future," U Maung Maung Soe said. "If they say they belong to the place and they have the right to live there and the international community thinks this is true, there will be an enormous crisis in Rakhine State," he said.

Lawmaker U Tin Aye pointed out during the Lower House session that UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights Yanghee Lee said in 2016 that Rohingya had the right to self-identification in accordance with the International Human Rights Law approved by the international community. She urged Myanmar to recognize them as an ethnic group.

"It cannot be denied that international pressure cannot be ignored in solving the issues in Rakhine State, but [the government] should be careful not to make the mistake of paying too much attention to this pressure. The situation is very sensitive and will be aggravated if it is not handled properly, due to its sensitivity," he said.

According to international organizations and news reports, more than 600,000 refugees have crossed the border into Bangladesh since violent attacks by Arakan Rohingya State Army militants against security officials on Aug. 25 prompted a military crackdown. Myanmar is preparing to repatriate the refugees, but none has returned so far.

The post Unchecked Conflict Could Lead to Disintegration of Rakhine State, Lawmaker Warns  appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

KIO Marks Kachin Revolution Day

Posted: 06 Feb 2018 03:54 AM PST

The current Panglong peace conference caters to the Myanmar Army and not ethnic people's wishes, said the new chairman of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO).

Gen N'Ban La, the KIO chairman, spoke at the 58th anniversary of Kachin Revolution Day on Monday to more than 1,000 ceremony attendees.

"Our elders were involved in writing the Panglong Agreement. But this agreement has been forgotten. We need to be careful how we handle this going forward," said Gen N'Ban La.

The current Panglong conference is not how ethnic people want it to be, he added.

The KIO mark their revolution day on Feb. 5, the day that they began a rebellion against the Myanmar government in 1961. During the ceremony, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) honored men who had served in the military for more than 10 years with certificates and medals.

Kachin State is rich with natural resources including jade, gold and amber. But there has been unrest in the region since a 17-year ceasefire agreement broke down in 2011. The Myanmar Army has carried out ongoing attacks in the area and seized land.

Fighting recently escalated when the Myanmar Army launched military offensives in the mining areas in Tanai and other KIA-controlled areas.  Thousands of people have been blocked from leaving the area, pending military checks.

Gen N'Ban La said in his speech that the KIO has tried to solve political conflict through peaceful dialogue. The organization does not believe the conflict can be solved through fighting, he added.

The KIA does not hate Bamar people; but it attacks a group of people who want to tighten their grip on power in the country, he said.

Ethnic Kachin people need to cooperate with Bamar people in order to create a federal system. They also need to respect other ethnicities that live in Kachin, he added.

The Myanmar government planned to hold the third Panglong peace conference this month in Naypyitaw, but the date has not yet been set after being pushed back.

The KIO will attend the conference when it is based on a federal principle that allows all ethnic people and political parties to participate, he said.

The KIO is a member of the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC), which has not signed the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA). The KIO says that it will join when all members of the FPNCC can participate in political dialogue. For now, the Myanmar Army has not agreed to let the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, Arakan Army and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army to participate in the peace conference.

The post KIO Marks Kachin Revolution Day appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Swiss Punk Band Brings the Noise to Yangon at JAM It

Posted: 06 Feb 2018 01:07 AM PST

Swiss Punk Band Überyou played Myanmar for the first time on Saturday on their Southeast Asian tour in collaboration with JAM it, a regular concert series featuring local punk, indie rock and hip-hop artists.

The concert was supported by the Embassy of Switzerland in Myanmar and held at Pouk Kan Food Court in the People's Park compound.

"I liked every band tonight. They nailed it," said audience member Banyar Wunna Zaw, 25.

The show started at 7 p.m., two hours later than announced, but the young audience didn't seem to mind.

Many in the audience sported all black, and there were plenty of mohawks in the crowd. Some wore Thanakha, because the local Rebel Riots punk band wears it while they perform.

The opening band was Mooni, an indie/pop rock band with a female vocalist. The music didn't mobilize the crowd but they performed full out.

Tu & The Loft band performed last Saturday night at JAM it. / Chanson

They were followed by indie rock band Tu & the Loft. Tu's vocals filled the area in front of the stage and the crowd started to follow along with her melodies. The group performed a few songs including a tribute to Dolores O'Riordan, the lead singer of The Cranberries who recently died.

After that, The Reasonabilists performed and the crowd got livelier. They performed their tune Flowerbed and then a Burmese song called Sway.

Vocal and guitarist Kyaw Kyaw from Rebel Riots. / Chanson

Well-known band General Tiger Gun was the last indie rock band to perform for the night, and some in the audience were waiting for them to play. Many in the audience sang along to their lyrics, which are easy to remember.

As it got dark, it was time to make some noise. The audience was ready to headbang and Rebel Riots took the stage with loud drums and fast guitar riffs. The crowd formed mosh pits and lead vocalist Kyaw Kyaw pulled off a stage dive.

Stage dive during the Rebel Riots performance. / Chanson

No U Turn took the stage and the energy at the concert reached a peak, while a small altercation broke out in the crowd, but was quickly resolved by security.

Swiss Punk Band Überyou onstage./Chan Son/ The Irrawaddy

This was followed by Wareru, a well-known hip-hop artist and the only one to perform at this show.

Unfortunately, Never Reverse didn't appear, despite being scheduled. Überyou was the last to take the stage, in a strong performance in front of an unfamiliar audience. They performed five songs and finished the concert around 10 p.m. Myanmar was the first stop on their tour, which will continue in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

It was a night of great acts. Audiences were engaged despite some unknown acts and a mediocre sound system. This was the first JAM it of 2018, with another show scheduled Feb. 10 in Mandalay. All of the shows in the series can be found on the Facebook page JAM it.

The post Swiss Punk Band Brings the Noise to Yangon at JAM It appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Police Accuse Arakan Army of Murder of Former Mrauk-U Official

Posted: 05 Feb 2018 11:20 PM PST

YANGON — The Ministry of Home Affairs yesterday accused the Arakan Army (AA) of the Jan. 30 murder of a former township official in Rakhine State in retaliation for his role in blocking events to mark the anniversary of the fall of the Arakan kingdom some 200 years ago.

Bo Bo Min Theik, a former official of Mrauk-U Township, was stabbed to death in Rakhine's Ponnagyun Township while returning to the state capital Sittwe from Mrauk-U, where he had been summoned for questioning over a police crackdown on a Jan. 16 protest there that left seven civilians dead. He was serving in Mrauk-U at the time of the protest, which was sparked by the government's decision to block the anniversary events, but transferred to Sittwe a few days later over concern for his safety.

On Jan. 31, police arrested four suspect — U Kyaw Myint and his son Ko Min Than Htay, wife Daw Kyi Kyi Win, and daughter-in-law Ma Khin Zar Hlaing — in Yangon and opened a case against them for homicide, abetting and causing grievous harm.

Police were led to the family by the number plate on the car in which Bo Bo Min Theik's body was found. They say the plate had previously been on a car belonging to U Kyaw Myint, a former administrator of Rakhine State's Tain Nyo village. Two vehicles belonging to the family and 75 million kyats ($56,476) were also confiscated.

In a statement released late Monday, the Home Affairs Ministry said U Kyaw Myint had confessed to conspiring in the official's murder. It said he had discussed plans to kill Bo Bo Min Theik with AA recruiter Ko Latt and three others — Sapaing, Zaw Myo Aung and Myo Chit Aung — on Jan. 25 in retaliation for the blocked anniversary events.

The next day, U Kyaw Myint called Bo Bo Min Theik, whom he had known for many years, to offer him a ride from Mrauk-U back to Sittwe. Bo Bo Min Theik accepted. On Jan. 27, however, U Kyaw Myint called him back to say he would be travelling to Yangon the next day and that Myo Chit Aung would drive him to Sittwe instead. Sapaing and Zaw Myo would join them to help carry his belongings, including his luggage and documents.

While U Kyaw Myint was driving to Yangon with his wife, Ko Latt reportedly called to tell him the car they would be using had no number plate. U Kyaw Myint suggested they use the plate on an unregistered car he owned in Tain Nyo village, which they did.

On Jan. 30, as Bo Bo Min Theik was heading back to Sittwe with the three men, they tried to seize his mobile phone and the vehicle overturned in the ensuing struggle. According to the ministry statement, Sapaing and Zaw Myo Aung then stabbed Bo Bo Min Theik to death.

The three men remain at large.

The statement also said that U Kyaw Myint and his son had been moving illicit drugs from Shan State to Rakhine for several years. It said they smuggled 4.4 million methamphetamine pills into Rakhine's Maungdaw District in 2016 and 2017 at a profit of almost 400 million kyats ($299,000) and confessed to buying M-16 assault rifle and pistols and several magazines and rounds to supply the AA. It added that U Kyaw Myint had kept one of the pistols.

When The Irrawaddy visited the police station Monday evening in Thanlyin Township, where U Kyaw Myint and his wife and daughter-in-law were arrested at a local Arakanese Buddhist nunnery, a police constable confirmed that a case had been opened against the father and son for the unlawful possession of a handgun.

A 9mm pistol seized by police at a Yangon nunnery on Wednesday. / Soe Naing Oo / Facebook

The constable, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the case had not yet reached court, said police found the Italian-made 9mm pistol on Feb. 1 at the nunnery, where the suspects said they had hidden it. He said the wife and daughter-in-law had been released.

Residents of the nunnery, on the outskirts of Thamalone village, told The Irrawaddy that authorities had instructed them not to speak to journalists. One of the nuns, who asked to remain anonymous, said U Kyaw Myint arrived at the nunnery on Jan. 30 with his wife and daughter-in-law at about 3 p.m. and that several dozen police raided the facility a few hours later.

"We were very scared of them because we had never experienced something like that before," she said.

On Friday, Rakhine State Secretary U Tin Maung Swe said the government provides civil servants with a car but Bo Bo Min Theik had decided to accept a ride from his friend.

"Mrauk-U is not a war-torn zone like Maungdaw region and it was his personal choice to take the ride," he said.

AA officials could not be reached for comment on the group's alleged involvement in the murder.

Following the police crackdown in Mrauk-U, the AA issued a statement threatening to take "serious retaliatory measures against the culprits" including Rakhine State government officials and members of the security forces involved in the killings.

The post Police Accuse Arakan Army of Murder of Former Mrauk-U Official appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ten Things to Do in Yangon This Week

Posted: 05 Feb 2018 08:33 PM PST

Myanmar National Symphony Orchestra | Feb. 9

The Myanmar National Symphony Orchestra, as part of its Concerts 2018 program, will perform accompanied by Japanese musicians.

Feb. 9, 6.30 p.m. National Theatre, Myoma Kyaung Street. Free admission.

Yangon Waterboom Night Market Show | Feb. 10-14

Celebrated vocalists and dance troupes will perform songs and Chinese dragon dances.

Feb. 10-14. Yangon Waterboom Night Market, Yamona Road, Dawbon Tsp.

Inspiring Myanmar Arts & Crafts Show | Feb. 11-13

This show organized by Myanmar Cultural Heritage Trust will feature exhibition booths set up by ethnic groups, performances of traditional dances, and traditional handicrafts and food.

Feb. 11-13. Seinn Lann So Pyay Garden, Inya Road. Free admission.

Benefit for Blind Violin Students | Feb. 8

The Concert in Aid of the Violin Study Program for Blind Children will support music education for blind children from the poorest sectors of society who attend the Kyeemindine School for the Blind in Yangon. The program uses music to offer educational opportunities to children, and as a tool for building their skills and confidence, and to create profile-raising opportunities for the children and the school.

Feb. 8, 7 p.m. Yangon Gallery, People's Park.

Myanmar International Furniture Expo | Feb. 8-11

Furniture will be sold at discounted prices through a lucky draw system.

Feb. 8-11. Tatmadaw Hall, U Wisara Road.

Guitar Solo Contest | Feb. 12

Visitors will have a chance to enjoy the contestants' original music.

Feb. 12. Hledan Centre, Pyay Road.

Water Color 2018 Art Exhibition | Feb. 10-14

Works by six foreign and local water-color artists will be on display.

Feb. 10-14. Gallery 65, Yawmingyi Street

Night Memo Art Exhibition | Feb. 9-11

Artist Lu Maw Han's night-themed paintings will be on display.

Feb. 9-11. Studio Square, Naha Bandoola Park Road, Kyaiktada Tsp.

Beauty of Myanmar Art Exhibition | Feb. 6-10

Artist Lapyae's works draw on Myanmar traditions and culture.

Feb. 6-10. Tawwin Gallery, Bogyoke Market.

The Third Arrow Art Exhibition | Feb. 10-14

Paintings in various media by a number of artists will be on display at this show organized by Art Hobbyists Community.

Feb. 10-14. Moon Art Gallery, 35th Street, Kyauktada Tsp.

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

Court Hands Vietnam Oil Official Another Life Sentence for Corruption

Posted: 05 Feb 2018 08:15 PM PST

HANOI — A high-profile former Vietnamese oil executive was sentenced to life in jail for embezzlement on Monday, two weeks after was also imprisoned for life on similar charges in a separate case, state media reported.

Trinh Xuan Thanh, a former official whom Germany said was kidnapped by Vietnamese agents in a Berlin park in scenes reminiscent of the Cold War, was jailed for life for embezzling assets form Petroleum Power Property JSC (PV Power Land), the state-run Voice of Vietnam news website reported.

Thanh was a former chairman of PetroVietnam Construction. Both companies are units of Vietnam's state oil and gas group PetroVietnam, among the biggest firms in the Southeast Asian nation.

PetroVietnam is at the heart of Vietnam's widespread corruption crackdown initiated by the ruling Communist Party.

Thanh was also sentenced to life in prison two weeks ago for violating state regulations and embezzlement in another corruption case that also involved Dinh La Thang, Vietnam’s highest-ranking politician charged in decades and also a former PetroVietnam chairman. Thang was jailed for 13 years.

Judges in the Hanoi court also sentenced another energy official, Dinh Manh Thang, to nine years in jail for embezzlement. He is Dinh La Thang’s brother.

Six others were also sentenced to jail terms of between 10 years and life, Voice of Vietnam reported.

The post Court Hands Vietnam Oil Official Another Life Sentence for Corruption appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Tick, Tock; Calls Grow for Thai Deputy PM to Quit Over Watch Scandal

Posted: 05 Feb 2018 08:05 PM PST

BANGKOK — A petition calling for the resignation of Thailand's deputy prime minister attracted thousands of signatures on Monday, heaping pressure on the junta's second-in-command to step aside amid a scandal over a luxury watch and undeclared assets.

The scandal has revealed growing signs of disgruntlement among the Thai public, and added to uncertainty over whether the junta will call an election later this year that is supposed to move the Southeast Asian nation back toward democracy.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) placed Prawit Wongsuwan, 72, a former army chief who is also defense minister, under investigation after his appearance in a photograph of the cabinet wearing a diamond ring and a luxury watch in December sparked an avalanche of criticism on social media.

Thai netizens have since identified 25 expensive luxury watches that the former general has worn but not declared to the anti-graft body.

Prawit has said that he borrowed the timepieces from friends, but would resign if that was the public’s wish.

According to Thailand's anti-corruption act, all political office holders must fully disclose all of their assets.

On Monday, a Change.org petition calling for Prawit's resignation had more than 61,200 signatures.

The minister was attending a defense conference in Singapore on Monday, and a spokesman said he was in "good health," without specifically addressing the watch issue.

"I would like to confirm that General Prawit Wongsuwan, deputy prime minister and defense minister … is in good health and is ready to dedicate himself to looking after the country's security," Defense Ministry spokesman Kongcheep Tantrawanich, told reporters.

The scandal is a sore point for the junta, whose promise to rid Thailand’s politics of corruption was central to its premise for staging a 2014 coup.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who has said a general election will take place in November, last week asked for more time in office to prepare the country for the vote.

Signs of growing impatience with the junta has been manifest in a steady stream of protests calling for a quick return to democracy and in defiance of a junta crackdown on freedom of assembly.

On Saturday, students at a football match wheeled out parade floats poking fun at Prawit while a Bangkok street artist who depicted Prawit's face in an alarm clock said in a Facebook post that he was facing police intimidation.

Reuters was unable to immediately contact police for comment.

The NACC has said it will conclude its probe this month.

The post Tick, Tock; Calls Grow for Thai Deputy PM to Quit Over Watch Scandal appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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Monday, February 5, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

5,000 Rally in Myitkyina to Call For Pause In Fighting

Posted: 05 Feb 2018 07:00 AM PST

YANGON – Some 5,000 people, including members of civil society organizations, religious organizations and town elders, staged a protest in the Kachin capital of Myitkyina on Monday to call for a halt to a Tatmadaw offensive in the state, to allow villagers stranded in the nearby town of Tanai to seek refuge.

The fighting between the Tatmadaw and Kachin Independence Army (KIA) has intensified since Jan. 22, causing more than 750 people to flee into the jungle in Sumprabum Township, while more than 2,000 are trapped in Nam Gun, the battle zone near Tanai township amid cold winter weather. Three civilians were killed and five severely injured due to aerial bombardments and artillery barrages on Jan. 26, said a statement from the local Emergency Relief Committee for the Displaced.

The protesters on Monday gathered at Manau Park in Myitkyina and marched to the local government offices.

The aim of the demonstration was "to find a way that people from other parts of Kachin State can contribute in helping those trapped to escape the conflict areas and to provide shelter for them before they can go back to their homes," said U Zau Jat from the Emergency Relief Committee for the Displaced.

"There is no adequate support (for the trapped villagers) with only a few relief workers in Tanai," he said, referring to the assistance provided by local relief workers and the Catholic church and the Kachin Baptist Convention.

The local Emergency Relief Committee urged the NLD government to allow them to provide more help to the displaced and trapped civilians and for the Tatmadaw not to bar relief workers from providing such assistance. The Committee's statement released on Monday condemned the Tatmadaw's aerial bombing of civilians, putting civilians in hostage situations and for using them as human shields. It said the trapped civilians must be allowed safe transit back to their homes.

The Committee said that the NLD's silence on the issue was encouraging the intensification of the civil war.

Last week, the Committee requested a meeting with the Kachin State government and the head of the Northern Command to discuss assisting those caught up in the fighting, but there had been no response, U Zau Jat said.

Dr. Khet Aung, the chief minister of Kachin State, told The Irrawaddy on Monday that the government response team – comprised of police, immigration officials and Tanai administrators – had rescued over 700 of the 2,000 trapped villagers since last week. The villagers, however, must pass through a military checkpoint before they can get help, he said.

"There are troops deep inside the jungle. The trapped villagers are inside the fighting zone and the civil servants cannot even enter. There are only soldiers there. We sent the Tanai township administrator, police and immigration officials to go as far as they could to rescue the civilians."

Dr. Khet Aung urged the displaced persons not to flee into the jungle, but instead to try to come to the town to take shelter.

Fighting between the KIA's Battalion 11 and Tatmadaw troops has continued near Tanai's amber mine, but the fighting has temporarily ceased in Sumprabum and Mansi townships, U Zau Jat said.

The post 5,000 Rally in Myitkyina to Call For Pause In Fighting appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Truck Carrying 21 Rohingya Intercepted in Nyaungdon

Posted: 05 Feb 2018 05:41 AM PST

Yangon – A truck carrying 21 Rohingya from camps in Rakhine State was intercepted by police at Sarmalauk in Nyaungdon Township in Ayeyawaddy Region yesterday afternoon.

According to the initial investigation, the drivers of the six-wheel truck, Tin Tun Aung and Tun Tun Naing, were taking the Rohingya to Yangon, Myanmar's commercial center, when they were stopped by police just before entering the capital.

"They were transporting 21 Rohingya hidden under a tarpaulin. We have detained the drivers as well as the Rohingya at the police station. The drivers said they picked them up in Gwa, but some of the Rohingya who can speak Burmese said they were from camps in Kyaukphyu. Investigations are still underway," a duty officer at the police station said.

The Rohingya included 12 men, six women, one boy and two girls. The police also seized the truck.

The case is still under investigation and legal action will be taken against the suspects in line with the law, the police said.

On Oct. 18 last year, police intercepted a truck leaving Minbya in Rakhine State at the Oakpon Check-point in Kyangin Township and found seven Rohingya hidden among paddy bags. The drivers and the Rohingya in that instance were also prosecuted.

The post Truck Carrying 21 Rohingya Intercepted in Nyaungdon appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Military Blocks 2nd Attempt to Erect Statue of Late Karen Leader

Posted: 05 Feb 2018 05:14 AM PST

YANGON — The Myanmar army has blocked a second attempt by the Karen National Union (KNU) to erect a statue of its late founder and leader Saw Ba U Gyi at its liaison office in Kyar Inn Seik Gyi Township's Win Yaw town, in southern Karen State, according to a KNU member.

The KNU transported the statue from the town of Three Pagodas Pass, where government soldiers blocked the group's first attempt to set it up in December, to its liaison office on Saturday, only to have soldiers stop it again.

"The army blocked us from erecting it. They should not do that because they often say they want to have unity with ethnic people, to have harmony with ethnic people. But look at their bad actions." Win Yaw town chairman Saw Maung Shwe, a KNU member, told The Irrawaddy on Monday.

Many ethnic Karen followed the statue's journey to the office and performed traditional dances at a ceremony to celebrate its arrival but were left disappointed by the military's refusal to let them erect it.

In a video posted to the Karen Land Facebook page of a meeting on Saturday between KNU leaders and General Tun Tun San, tactical commander of the Myanmar army's Southeast Regional Command, the general says the KNU needs to negotiate with the government before erecting the statue, as per the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement it signed in 2015.

Saw Maung Shwe said the KNU has to store the statue in the jungle and out of sight for the time being.

"This is the history and heritage of the ethnic Karen people, but they do not let us express it. How can they build unity with the country's ethnic people by acting this way?" he said.

The Myanmar army first prevented the KNU from erecting the statue of Saw Ba U Gyi, who died in 1950, in Three Pagodas Pass as part of the group's plans to mark Karen New Year on Dec. 19.

In November the online Karen News wrote that the Myanmar army was opposed to the statue's creation out of concern that it would inspire Karen youth to oppose the government.

Mann Aung Pyi Soe, vice chairman of the Phalon-Sawow Democratic Party, disagreed.

"This status is not to stage a revolution in the country. It is just for the Karen so they can pay respect to their national leader. They should not stop the Karen from doing it," he said.

While the national government has branded Saw Ba U Gyi an enemy of the state, he added, to his people "he was a revolutionary who fought for equal rights for the ethnic Karen."

Saw Closay, an ethnic Karen, said his people remember Saw Ba U Gyi as an intelligent and honest leader who sacrificed for the Karen's ongoing struggle for self-determination. He said sidelining his statue would not extinguish his vision.

"Saw Ba U Gyi is our national hero as much as General Aung San is a national hero to Myanmar," he said. "I have known about him since I was 10 years old. Most young Karen and well-read Kayin recognize him as a visionary leader."

The post Military Blocks 2nd Attempt to Erect Statue of Late Karen Leader appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Pro-Military Rally Denounces Peace Performance, Mocks Student Leader

Posted: 05 Feb 2018 04:56 AM PST

YANGON — Former ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party members, veterans and nationalists joined a rally in support of the military in Yangon on Sunday.

They denounced a former student leader who recently drew the ire of the Tatmadaw, Myanmar's military, over the depiction of the institution in a "peace-building" performance he organized.

Officially billed as the "Rally Against Those Sowing Discord Between the Military and the People," the event drew several thousand people. Among them were Buddhist nationalists, including monks who are the subject of arrest warrants for their participation in communal rioting last year as well as for staging an anti-government sit-in in Yangon. Former dictator Ne Win's grandson Aye Ne Win, former USDP lawmaker U Hla Swe and other nationalists also attended.

An organizer told the media the event was intended to show solidarity with the military after the recent peace-building performance, which critics felt damaged the military's image. He was referring to an activity late last month intended to foster support for the government-sponsored 21st-Century Panglong Peace Conference.

During the event, to call attention to the lack of peace in the country, performers

wearing fatigues pointed guns at people dressed as civilians while children begged the soldiers for mercy.

Addressing the rally on Sunday, former USDP lawmaker U Hla Swe mocked Ko Min Ko Naing's personal appearance and his reported academic failures as a youth, calling the leader of the 88 Generation Students Group "a buck-toothed illiterate."

"He once denied that it was the military that won Myanmar's independence. This buck-toothed dimwit is an illiterate. Someone told me he failed the eighth grade twice before finally getting through," he told the crowd. Ko Min Ko Naing once said in a lecture that Aung San, viewed as the father of Myanmar's independence, went to England in January 1947 as a civilian, not as a general, to sign an agreement with British Prime Minister Clement Atlee declaring that Burma would be independent within a year.

Ko Min Ko Naing was not available for comment.

The military condemned the performance and demanded an apology. The student leader has taken full responsibility for the performance. He has not apologized.

 

 

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Rakhine Govt to Sue AP over Report of Mass Graves in Buthidaung

Posted: 05 Feb 2018 04:08 AM PST

The Rakhine State Government plans to sue The Associated Press for falsely reporting the existence of mass graves near Gutar Pyin Village in Buthidaung Township, northern Rakhine State.

The state government is discussing with the attorney general of Rakhine State, U Kyaw Hla Tun, the possibility of a lawsuit against the news agency, according to Colonel Phone Tint, the state minister for security and border affairs.

"We have instructed the chief law officer to look at ways to sue the news agency," Col Phone Tint said.

He said the laws under which the agency would be sued would be made known to the public soon.

The AP did not reply to The Irrawaddy's request for a comment on Monday.

On Feb. 1, the AP reported that hundreds of bodies had been found in five mass graves near Gutar Pyin Village in Buthidaung, Rakhine State. It said the bodies had been burned with acid in an apparent attempt to destroy them.

The Union government ordered the Rakhine State government to investigate the claims.

The state government sent an investigation team led by the Buthidaung Township administrator to the site, but the team found the claims to be untrue, according to a statement released by the Union government on the evening of Feb. 2.

On Aug. 28 last year, Gutar Pyin Village was the scene of fighting between security forces and ARSA militant terrorists, one of a series of clashes in Buthidaung, Maungtaw and Yathedaung in northern Rakhine State, the statement said.

It added that during the fighting in Gutar Pyin, about 500 villagers joined a raid by ARSA militants on security forces, and that in the resulting fighting, a member of the security forces was injured and 19 militants were killed. According to the statement, the 19 bodies were properly buried and Case No. 5/2017 was filed under Section 50 (i) of the Counter-terrorism Law at Nyaung Chaung Police Station, the statement said.

The press release stated that the government was not necessarily denying the allegations and would investigate further if reliable new information comes to light. If any rights violations were found to have occurred, action would be taken against the perpetrators in line with existing laws, it said.

The Rakhine State government said it is investigating whether similar incidents took place in surrounding villages and that plans are in place to carry our further investigations when more information and evidence becomes available.

The post Rakhine Govt to Sue AP over Report of Mass Graves in Buthidaung appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Legal Groups Fear Intimidation at U Ko Ni Trial

Posted: 05 Feb 2018 03:03 AM PST

Mandalay – Lawyers organizations demanded action be taken against a group of people wearing T-shirts printed with the slogan "Eat well (before you die)" at the court hearing for slain lawyer U Ko Ni.

Before the hearing in early February, a small group of nationalists appeared at the court in the T-shirts to show their support for four men accused of involvement in the murder of U Ko Ni. The phrase in Burmese is considered a threat to show one's anger and to warn of impending revenge.

The lawyers strongly condemned the act, which, they said, undermined the rule of law, the country's judicial system and national stability.

"This happened inside the court compound, not on the road or some other part of the city. Their action is an insult to the whole judicial system and a threat not only to the reporters, but to the lawyers and the judge," said lawyer U Aung Soe, president of the Myanmar Lawyers Association for Media, during a press conference in Yangon on Sunday.

A supporter of alleged gunman Kyi Lin wears an "Eat Well (before you die)" t-shirt, at last week's court hearing. (Photo: Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy)

A statement condemning the behavior of the nationalists and urging the government take action was signed by representatives of the Myanmar Lawyers Network, the Myanmar Lawyers Association, the Yangon Lawyers Association and the Myanmar Lawyers Association for Media.

"Their action is also a threat to the court and disturbed the hearings in the murder cases of U Ko Ni and the taxi driver U Nay Win," said the statement. "We urge the authorities to take legal action against the (individuals who wore the T-shirts)."

The defendants also allegedly shouted the phrase "Eat well (before you die)" at reporters and the plaintiff's lawyers outside the court during a hearing in January.

The phrase was used by the nationalists in an apparent show of support for the defendants Kyi Lin, Zeya Phyo, Aung Win Zaw and Aung Win Tun.

"Since we are lawyers, we will continue to urge the government to act in a way that is in accordance with the law, to take legal action against those people, for they are intentionally threatening the stability of peace in the country," said lawyer U Thein Than Oo, from the Myanmar Lawyers Network.

The lawyers said they were also collecting signatures over the matter and would submit a petition demanding action be taken, to the chief minister of Yangon, the State Counsellor, the president and the commander in chief.

"We think there is someone behind this trying to create unrest. So, we will send a letter to the government to push them to investigate and take action," U Thein Than Oo said.

"If the authorities fail to bring them to court, we will have to question them and do it on our own way, according to the law," he added.

In the meantime, the activist lawyer U Robert San Aung sent a letter to the offices of the President, State Counsellor, High Court and Ministry of Home Affairs to ask that the case be transferred from the current northern district court to a safer place.

"Nobody can tell what will happen next, since these people have no respect for the court. A lawyer, a judge or a reporter may be their target one day," said U Robert San Aung.

"The authorities need to think about the safety and national stability, and to keep away these people who are threatening everyone and every institution," he said.

The post Legal Groups Fear Intimidation at U Ko Ni Trial appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Wary of China’s Foothold, Japan Urges India to Help Myanmar

Posted: 05 Feb 2018 12:57 AM PST

Japan's special envoy to Myanmar urged New Delhi to play an active role in protecting the troubled country before it falls back into China's orbit.

"India, with her old relationship, should play a more proactive role in Myanmar," Yohei Sasakawa was quoted as saying in the Times of India.

Myanmar faces mounting international pressure over the Rohingya crisis, including the threat of US sanctions. At the same time, the special envoy said, China has been taking a greater interest in the conflict.

He warned of security problems for Japan and India as China grows more assertive in regaining its foothold in Myanmar by, for instance, taking a more active role in the country's peace process.

China is establishing a foothold in Rakhine State with its promise to develop a deep-water port at Kyaukphyu at a cost of about $7.3 billion, a very big investment for Myanmar. But Yohei Sasakawa said there was little coordination between Japan and India on Myanmar, a surprise given how close the countries have become on the security front.

According to the Times, the special envoy was also critical of the administration of US President Donald Trump for, as he saw it, lacking clarity in its approach to Myanmar.

Also according to the Times, he said the Myanmar government and military were wary of moving further into China's sphere of influence despite sharing an old and deep relationship with the Asian superpower but may have no choice if the West turns its back on Myanmar.

"The Japanese government is supporting the Myanmar government. We would like India to do more. Because of the US attitude, India must step up," Yohei Sasakawa said.

In November, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited both Bangladesh and Myanmar and urged the neighbors to hold bilateral talks. China has also backed Myanmar at the UN Security Council.

In January, Taro Kono, Japan's foreign minister, went to Rakhine State, becoming the first minister of a foreign country to visit the region since the latest outbreak of violence there in late August.

"Japan is willing to help [the Myanmar government] make the country a place where communities from different faiths can live together peacefully," Kono said to a village chief.

The post Wary of China's Foothold, Japan Urges India to Help Myanmar appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Shan State Coalition Names New Chair

Posted: 04 Feb 2018 11:51 PM PST

YANGON — The Committee for Shan State Unity named the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP) its new chair at its annual meeting last week in Shan State's Mong Pan Township.

It takes over the role from the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), one of the state's ethnic armed groups.

The committee — a coalition of Shan political parties, armed groups and civil society organizations — formed in 2013 to work toward achieving peace in Shan State. Its chairmanship rotates annually.

SNDP Chairman Sai Aik Pao, a former Shan State chief minister, was not able to attend the Feb.1-2 meeting for health reasons.

SNDP General Secretary Sai Boe Aung, the committee's new spokesman, said the alliance will continue to try to achieve unity among Shan State's many ethnic groups and to focus on building peace and a federal union.

He told The Irrawaddy that residents of the state have become more politically aware as a result of the committee's work.

"The people in our state are collaborating more because they are taking part in the peace process of the country more. So it is a good sign that we, the indigenous people of Shan State, will be more involved in Shan State affairs," he said.

The committee has repeatedly urged the two Shan political parties, the SNDP and Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, to merge.  Though divergent policies continue to keep them apart, Sai Boe Aung said they would try to work together on the goals they share.

The group usually meets in Yangon or Chiang Mai, Thailand, but has been obstructed by the Myanmar military in both locations over the past two years. This year's annual meeting was its first in Shan State.

"We always wanted to hold such talks in our own state, but for many reasons we could not do so," Sai Boe Aung said.

The committee had to cancel public consultations on the peace process in December, in part because the Myanmar military objected to the participation of the Shan State Progressive Party/Shan State Army North, a committee member. Sai Boe Aung said the committee would continue trying to hold the consultations, which are meant to inform their national-level dialogues on the peace process.

The post Shan State Coalition Names New Chair appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Singapore Worries, and Prepares, for Militant Attack

Posted: 04 Feb 2018 09:06 PM PST

SINGAPORE — Armed officers patrol a train station where television screens and giant posters warn of the threat from militants. Nearby, fake gunmen storm a shopping mall in one of many recent terror attack simulations.

But this is not some war-ravaged country. It is one of the safest in the world — Singapore.

The wealthy island-state has a near-perfect record of keeping its shores free from terror, but as it prepares to host defense ministers from around Southeast Asia this week, it appears to have good reason to have prioritized stopping the spread of militancy in the region.

The cosmopolitan financial hub, which was second only to Tokyo in The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Safe Cities Index in 2017, says it has been the target of militant plots for years, some stemming from its Muslim-majority neighbors, and that it’s a matter of "when" and not "if" militants will strike.

“Singapore continues to face a serious security threat from both homegrown radicalized individuals and foreign terrorists who continue to see Singapore as a prized target,” Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in response to e-mailed questions from Reuters.

Singapore authorities say they have been a target of Islamic extremism since the 1990s, but efforts to deter terrorism have stepped up markedly in recent years with more frequent attacks on Western countries and after Islamic State (IS) militants briefly took over a town in the southern Philippines last year.

Raising further concerns about the threat to the island, a Singaporean soldier has featured on a number of Islamic State promotional videos, most recently in December when he was filmed executing men alongside other militants.

In its inaugural Terrorism Threat Assessment Report released last year, the MHA said Islamic State has demonstrated that Singapore is “very much on its radar” and that the threat to the country remains “the highest in recent years” — claims that are backed up by security experts.

“Singapore, being known as safe and secure, makes it such a risk target,” said Dan Bould, Asia director of crisis management at professional services firm Aon and a former captain in the British army.

“If there’s an attack in the Philippines, it may get half an hour in a 24-hour news cycle. An attack in Singapore with all the multicultural individuals operating here, will be within the narrative for a few days at least.”

In early 2017, Aon lifted Singapore in the terrorism and political violence category of its annual risk map from negligible to low risk.

Mobile App

The reality is that Singapore has so far escaped the attacks seen in other major world cities like New York, London and Berlin in recent years. That’s why it is at the bottom of the 2017 Global Terror Index, with no reported terror-related attacks post 9/11.

But 3 in 4 Singaporeans believe that it’s only a matter of time before the country experiences a terror attack, a poll by the local newspaper Sunday Times last year showed.

Singapore authorities certainly do not want their citizens to be complacent. Everyone, including school children, is encouraged to download a mobile app that alerts them to emergency situations and allows them to send in videos and photos of suspicious events.

The MHA said that as of the end of last year, more than 1.3 million devices were equipped with the SGSecure app, a large chunk of the population of around 5.6 million.

Simulations of terror attacks — including one just over a week ago where masked gunman stormed a children’s activity center on the resort island of Sentosa — are regular. Last month, Singapore’s military undertook its biggest mobilization exercise in more than three decades, including an inter-agency response to the simulation of a gunman at its national stadium.

Authorities said last year there was reliable information that IS militants were considering carrying out an attack in Singapore in the first half of 2016, a threat which they said was countered.

In August 2016, neighboring Indonesia, which has the world’s largest Muslim population, arrested six suspects with links to IS who were accused of plotting rocket attacks on Singapore’s iconic Marina Bay Sands hotel.

Indonesia and Malaysia, Singapore’s northern neighbor, which also has a Muslim majority, say thousands of their citizens sympathize with IS and hundreds are believed to have travelled to Syria to join the group. Regional security officials say many are returning home after reverses in the Middle East.

Hardline Approach

Singapore takes a hardline approach to suspected radicals and Bilveer Singh, an adjunct senior fellow at the Rajaratnam School of International Studies, says it is one of the reasons behind its success so far.

The most controversial measure at its disposal is its colonial-era Internal Security Act (ISA), which allows for suspects to be held for lengthy periods without trial.

The MHA said it currently has 20 people detained under the act for “terrorism-related” activities, and since 2002 has held close to 90 for such activities.

“ISA is a fantastic deterrent, and so far it has worked,” Singh said.

Authorities have also deported scores of foreigners for suspected radicalism in recent years, and in October banned two popular Muslim preachers from Zimbabwe and Malaysia from entering the city-state, saying their views bred intolerance and were a risk to its social harmony.

The post Singapore Worries, and Prepares, for Militant Attack appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China to Make More Polluted Land Safe for Agriculture by 2020

Posted: 04 Feb 2018 08:25 PM PST

SHANGHAI — China will try to make around 90 percent of its contaminated farmland safe for crops by the end of 2020, and will also restrict development on a quarter of the country’s territory, Environment Minister Li Ganjie said.

Li said China would conduct a detailed investigation into soil pollution and launch pilot zones that would be used to test soil pollution prevention and treatment technologies, according to an account of a weekend meeting published by the Ministry of Environmental Protection on its official website (http://www.mep.gov.cn).

A 2013 survey showed about 3.33 million hectares (8 million acres) of China’s farmland -— an area the size of Belgium — was deemed too polluted to grow crops, with estimated cleanup costs amounting to 1 trillion yuan ($159 billion).

China declared war on pollution in 2014, trying to head off public discontent and reverse the damage done to its skies, rivers and soil by more than three decades of breakneck growth.

Li said China would also aim to cut the amount of “below grade V” water — water unfit even for industrial use or irrigation — to less than 5 percent by the end of 2020. The figure stood at 8.8 percent in the first half of 2017.

Improving the quality of drinking water is also one of the major priorities in coming years, and China would ensure that more than 80 percent of its water is grade III or better — and fit for human consumption — by the end of the decade.

A groundbreaking five-year action plan against smog was completed at the end of last year and Chinese environmental officials confirmed last week they were now drawing up targets for 2018-2020.

As part of the new three-year plan, China would aim to raise the proportion of “good air days” to 80 percent in 338 major cities, Minister Li said on Saturday. Other cities would also be under pressure to cut 2015 rates of PM2.5, a key smog indicator, by 18 percent by the end of the decade.

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Saturday, February 3, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

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No Mass Graves Found During Official Inspection of Gutar Pyin, Government Says

Posted: 02 Feb 2018 08:39 PM PST

YANGON – No mass graves were found in Gutar Pyin village of Buthidaung Township in northern Rakhine State during an inspection of the area on Friday by officials and Muslim community leaders, the government's Information Committee said.

On Feb. 1, The Associated Press published an article stating that mass graves had been found in Gutar Pyin. The report was based on video footage provided by Rohingya refugees now living in a refugee camp in Bangladesh. The AP said it had interviewed at least two dozen refugees.

The following day, the Union government ordered the Rakhine State government to investigate the claims. It immediately established a 17-member team comprising border police officers, township administrative officials, a deputy superintendent of Buthidaung Hospital, immigration officials, township police and legal officials, fire service department members and five community leaders.

While it stopped short of issuing a blanket denial of the existence of mass graves, the Information Committee said in a statement that the team had inspected locations identified in the AP report but found nothing. The community leaders and local residents said there had been no mass killings, but reported that heavy clashes had erupted between government security forces and the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) militants in Gutar Pyin on Aug. 28.

Military offensives in the area have driven out at least 650,000 Rohingya since late last year in an operation the United Nations has described as a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing". The Bangladesh and Myanmar governments agreed in January to start voluntary refugee repatriation but that has been delayed until Friday.

According to the government's statement, 19 ARSA militants were killed in fighting after about 500 militants attacked security officials with firearms, knives, slingshots, and darts. Officials buried the bodies of the dead militants systematically and opened a criminal case under counter-terrorism Article 50 (i) at Nyaung Chaung police station. The statement did not elaborate on whether security forces buried the ARSA casualties in the Gutar Pyin graveyard or in other locations.

The press released stated that the government was not necessarily denying the allegations and would investigate further if reliable new information comes to light. If any rights violations were found to have occurred, action would be taken against the perpetrators in line with existing laws, it said.

However, Rakhine State government secretary U Tin Maung Swe insisted that "Muslim community leaders say there was no mass killing in Gutar Pyin village as has been reported by media outlets. It's all based on groundless information."
The state secretary accused the AP of deliberately publishing a report based on hearsay and rumors in order to pressure Myanmar into allowing an international fact-finding mission in northern Rakhine's Maungdaw district.

He said seven Muslim men from Gutar Pyin village assisted government officials in Friday's inspection.

No journalists from independent media were invited to join Friday's trip, though employees of state-owned newspapers and a member of the Press Council participated.

At least one local resident said he had heard stories similar to those reported by AP, however. Muslim civil servant U Tun Thar (name changed to protect his safety), who lives in Rathaedaung Township, said Gutar Pyin village is located a 15-minute drive from the downtown area. Approximately 3,000 people lived there before government security forces launched clearance operations against ARSA after it ambushed police border outposts in Maungdaw district in late 2017.

Locals described Gutar Pyin as a tract comprising three villages — Muslim, Daingnet and Arakanese — but said the vast majority of the population had been Muslim. However, the Muslim part of the village had since been reduced to ashes while the two Arakanese villages remain intact following the security forces' operations, he said.

According to U Thun Thar, one-third of Gutar Pyin's former Muslim population has been sheltering in neighboring villages or with relatives in Buthidaung Region, while the rest fled to Bangladesh by boat. He said he had also heard about several burial sites having been found in Gutar Pyin village recently but Muslim residents had not been able to produce the actual bodies as they were not allowed to enter the area, which is restricted. Residents speculate that around 400 Muslims were butchered at Gutar Pyin.

"No one [among the Muslim population] dares to visit the burned villages; only the Rakhine residents, because only the two Rakhine villages are left," he said.

Rakhine government secretary U Tin Maung Swe acknowledged that the village was previously dominated by Muslims, adding that some are currently still living in the village. Asked about claims of arson, he said some parts of Gutar Pyin village were set alight by ARSA militants. He declined to provide specific information about the remaining Muslim homes in Gutar Pyin.

The post No Mass Graves Found During Official Inspection of Gutar Pyin, Government Says appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

This Week in Parliament (Jan. 29-Feb. 2)

Posted: 02 Feb 2018 07:26 PM PST

NAYPYITAW — Lower House Speaker U Win Myint rebuked the Construction Ministry for what he said was its poor oversight of construction companies that win tenders for state-funded road projects, claiming that "public funds are being wasted" as a result.

In the Upper House, U Kyaw Ni Naing of Shan State Constituency (11) asked the government whether it planned to designate a Kokang National Day for ethnic Kokang people in the Kokang Self-Administered Zone. Union Ethnic Affairs Minister Nai Thet Lwin replied that ethnic Kokang people in Myanmar and elsewhere can agree to designate such a day themselves, adding that this doesn't require designation by the government.

U Ye Htut of Sagaing Constituency (5) proposed that the Information Ministry grant tax-exempt status for the book publishing industry's supply chain, ranging from printing and publishing to importing and distribution of books and publications. Deputy Information Minister U Aung Hla Tun said he agreed with the idea of reducing taxes on book publishing, but added that his ministry had no authority over taxation issues. He urged lawmakers to participate when the Parliament debates tax law this year.

Tuesday (Jan. 30)

The Lower House recorded a proposal from Oktwin Township lawmaker Daw Cho Cho urging the government to do more to attract foreign investment and spur development of labor-intensive industries in Myanmar.

Wednesday (Jan. 31)

The Union Parliament discussed the government's annual debt report for fiscal 2016-17. Lower House lawmaker Daw Thet Thet Khaing of Dagon Township asked the Central Bank of Myanmar to reduce its interest rate on deposits from 8 percent to 7 percent and the rate on credit from 13 percent to 11 percent. The lawmaker argued that the current rates had caused the interest rate on government bonds to rise from 9 percent to 9.2 percent, which had in turn increased the government's debt burden.

The vice governor of the Central Bank of Myanmar agreed that reducing interest rates would be friendly to businessmen, but around 80 percent of savers at private banks are grassroots and middle-class families and pensioners, who do not own businesses.

However, the lawmaker urged the government to consider whether it is better to cater to the large pool of savers who do not engage in business activity, or encourage more people to invest their savings in enterprises.

Thursday (Feb. 1)

State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi addressed the national legislature on the second anniversary of its election, urging the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government to work together with a sense of comradeship.

The Upper House expressed condolences on the passing of Daw Sheila Nang Tawng, 64, chairperson of the Upper House Ethnic Affairs Committee and National League for Democracy (NLD) lawmaker from Kachin State Constituency (2), who died on Jan. 31. Lawmakers also agreed to contribute from their daily allowances to assist families when a lawmaker dies.

In the Lower House, lawmaker U Min Thein of Taungdwingyi Township asked whether the Health Ministry would recruit more psychiatrists to district-level government hospitals. Health Minister Dr. Myint Htwe replied that his ministry is taking steps to fill the shortages, but added that the number of people suffering from psychiatric disorders remained high in Myanmar.

Friday (Feb. 2)

In the Upper House, U Aung Kyi Nyunt of Magwe Region (4) asked what actions the government planned to take against selling foods prohibited by and not registered with the Food and Drug Administration. Health Minister Dr. Myint Htwe replied that his ministry would make the issue its top priority in 2018.

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