The Irrawaddy Magazine |
- Tatmadaw Agrees to Halt Contentious Road Project in Karen State
- The Art of Lacquerware
- Shwedagon Pagoda Earns Nearly $65 Million in Fiscal 2016-17
- Government to Help Rohingya Seek Justice for Rights Abuses
- Govt to Help Factories Lift Saudi Ban on Myanmar Seafood, Minister Says
- Educators Push for Govt Support of Multilingual Education
- Court Allows U Wirathu Supporter’s Video Evidence Against Editor
- Myanmar’s Failing Peace
- Parliament Waits to Approve Projects as Lawmakers Call for Transparency
- Malaysian Police Search Five Places Linked to Ousted PM Najib
- In Bangladesh, Some 60 Babies a Day Born in Rohingya Camps: UN
- Myanmar Policeman Denies Planting Documents on Reuters Reporters
| Tatmadaw Agrees to Halt Contentious Road Project in Karen State Posted: 17 May 2018 09:02 AM PDT CHIANG MAI, Thailand – The Myanmar military, or Tatmadaw, agreed to postpone the rebuilding of an old road and to halt military deployments in the Ler Mu Plaw area of Papun district, Karen State, following a meeting between the Army chief and Karen National Union leaders in Yangon on Thursday. Army chief Sen. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing met a KNU delegation led by its chairman, Padoh Saw Mutu Sae Poe, who was accompanied by commander-in-chief General Saw Jonny, political and military affair adviser Colonel Saw Htoo Htoo Lay and other senior leaders. The agreement came more than two months after Tatmadaw troop movements in the area caused an escalation of tensions and the displacement of more than 2,400 villagers in Ler Mu Plaw in Luthaw Township. "During our meeting, we discussed further plans for the peace process," read the post on the Facebook page of Sen. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing on Thursday afternoon. "The Tatmadaw will temporarily postpone the reconstruction of the Khay Pu to Ler Mu Plaw Road, in response to the KNU's concerns. And the locals in the area can stay in their homes without having to worry and can move freely." KNU vice-chairman Padoh Saw Kwe Htoo Win told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that as the Tatmadaw's troop deployments were for road construction, and the road plan had been postponed, the troops must return to their original posts. The meeting with the Army chief was held "to resolve the current armed conflict" between the army and the KNU's armed wing, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), which has resulted in villagers being displaced, the vice-chairman said. The KNU has repeatedly expressed its opposition to the road rebuilding and numerous clashes have happened between the KNLA's Brigade 5, which controls the area, and Myanmar army troops since it began on Mar. 4. Fearing more troop deployments, many locals have fled their homes. Apart from the current violence, the KNU said the road project had undermined trust-building between the two sides. Despite the Tatmadaw's labeling of the agreement as a "temporary postponement," Padoh Kwe Htoo Win said "We both agreed that the Tatmadaw's road works could not proceed until the KNU agreed to the plan and locals gave their consent." Thursday's meeting did not cover the killing of a civilian, Saw O Moo, who was shot dead on suspicion of being a KNLA soldier in April 5. But the KNU vice-chairman said that "this case would have to be solved step by step." He added the two sides would continue to hold talks at the state/regional level between the KNU's military affairs negotiation team and the head of the Southern Command "for detailed discussions on the military affairs." The post Tatmadaw Agrees to Halt Contentious Road Project in Karen State appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Posted: 17 May 2018 08:10 AM PDT BAGAN — Traditional Myanmar lacquerware, or Yun De, is one of the country’s most famous handicrafts. The tradition is believed to have started in Bagan in the 12th or 13th century and the region remains the national epicenter of the industry today, home to several large workshops.  But local interest in the practice is slowly fading. Usually applied to wood or molded bamboo strips, the work is difficult and time-consuming, involving teamwork and many steps. First, the craftsmen must split the bamboo and mold the strips into the desired shapes.  Then they polish the shapes with a black sap from the Thit-Si tree and let it dry for about a week. They then apply a few more coats, each time adding sawdust, cotton fibers or crushed animal bones to the sap and waiting for another week. Once all the coats have been applied and allowed to dry, artists draw floral designs by hand using needles in a practice called Pan Yun. Then come the colors.  Traditional Myanmar lacquerware typically employs only three colors — red, blue and green — though some shops also use gold paint, raising the price of the final product. And when applying the colors, only one can be added at a time. Lacquerware can be applied to anything from bracelets, rings and necklaces to boxes, trays and furniture. The process involves seven steps in all and at its best can take up to six months to a year for a single item, earning its price tag.  I learned about the process at the Bagan House lacquerware workshop and would encourage any visitor to Bagan to stop by this or any of the area’s other workshops for a lesson on one of Myanmar’s best-known handicrafts. It’s worth it.  The post The Art of Lacquerware appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Shwedagon Pagoda Earns Nearly $65 Million in Fiscal 2016-17 Posted: 17 May 2018 06:58 AM PDT YANGON – Yangon's Shwedagon Pagoda earned 67 billion kyats plus USD15.2 million (20.5 billion kyats) in tourist receipts in fiscal 2016-17, while the regional government's interest income on pagoda-related deposits at state-owned Myanmar Economic Bank totaled 476.4 million kyats in the period, regional cabinet member U Naing Ngan Lin told the Yangon Parliament on Wednesday. The comments were made during a regular session of the regional Parliament in reply to questioning by National League for Democracy lawmaker U Kyaw Zeya about the earnings of well-known Yangon pagodas such as Shwedagon, Sule, Kabaraye, Botahtaung and Swedaw. All of the sites are popular destinations for both foreign tourists and local residents. U Kyaw Zeya noted that no accounting of the pagodas' income had ever been made public or reported to Parliament. The money came from various sources, including donations from devotees, income from tendering contracts for related businesses such as pagoda parking lots, and even gold found during panning around the pagoda compounds. The lawmaker asked a range of questions, including whether the pagodas' trustee boards had deposited the money in bank accounts in line with budget principles; the total amounts deposited in each bank; and details of the selection process for trustee board members, pointing out that appointees should be persons of good character who dutifully maintained the pagodas. Yangon Region Social Welfare Minister U Naing Ngan Lin explained that candidates for the pagoda trustee boards were jointly screened by religious affairs and divisional government officials, before the selection board examined their qualifications. All appointees must be approved by the Sangha, the nation's highest religious authority, the minister said. In fiscal 2016-17, Sule Pagoda earned 16 million kyats, Kabar Aye Pagoda earned 89 million kyats, Botahtaung Pagoda earned 14.5 million kyats and USD15.2 million, and Swedaw Pagoda earned 15.8 million kyats, the minister said. The pagodas' trustee boards follow the same financial calendar and accounting procedures as ministries, he said, adding that their expenditure reports are reviewed annually by the general auditor's office. He promised to submit the audit reports to Parliament in future years. Outspoken parliamentarian Daw Kyi Pyar of Kyauktada constituency told The Irrawaddy that ordinary residents have no idea about famous pagodas' income, as it is not publicly disclosed. She said even she was shocked at the amount when the regional government minister officially answered questions in Parliament. "It's a huge, unbelievable amount of money," she said. She believed the funds should be distributed to poor monasteries that teach Buddhist scripture to monks and nuns across the state, and to help pay for maintenance of monastery yards and structures. Daw Kyi Pyar said that even in Yangon and Bago regions it was easy to see that many monasteries are unable to afford painting and fencing. She said it was unclear whether the Religious Affairs Ministry has specific rules and conditions that restrict a pagoda to spending money on its own needs. "I don't think they could spend all the money in Shwedagon pagoda alone, and a pile of money is sleeping in the bank," she said. Despite being listed as one of the world's poorest countries and among the most vulnerable to natural disasters, Myanmar topped the World Giving Index 2016, a survey of donation activities conducted by the Charities Aid Foundation. The ranking is based on the proportion of the population that regularly donates to strangers and charity groups, not the amount of money given. The post Shwedagon Pagoda Earns Nearly $65 Million in Fiscal 2016-17 appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Government to Help Rohingya Seek Justice for Rights Abuses Posted: 17 May 2018 05:20 AM PDT NAYPYITAW — Myanmar's government will help Muslim refugees who have fled to Bangladesh from northern Rakhine State file grievances in cases of alleged human rights abuses, according to the Union minister for social welfare, relief and resettlement. Dr. Win Myat Aye announced the policy during an assessment of his ministry's record over the past year at a press conference in Naypyitaw on Thursday. Establishing such a process has become a priority for the government as it faces serious allegations of human rights abuses from the international community. While only some individuals are responsible for the human rights abuses, the organizations they belong to have had to shoulder all the blame, the minister said. "There are various allegations. There are allegations against organizations, for example the Tatmadaw [Myanmar's military], rather than the individuals who actually committed the crimes. This mars the image of the organizations. The individual perpetrators should face punishment, not their organizations," he said. Those wishing to file grievances can do so from their current locations but will have to attend a trial in Myanmar. The state will bear the costs of bringing the witnesses to the court, according to the minister. "We have announced that those who fled to Bangladesh now have the right to file complaints. And the Myanmar government will assist them in doing so," Dr. Win Myat Aye said. The move aims to address the widespread allegations in a transparent manner, he added. During visits to Maungdaw in Rakhine State, The Irrawaddy received reports of rapes and other human rights violations by security forces. Their allegations were found not to be true when checked by forensic pathologists, however. The government initiated the grievance process after the international community, including the United Nations, put pressure on Myanmar to make sure the Tatmadaw acts in a responsible manner and shows accountability in its handling of the Rakhine issue. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. The post Government to Help Rohingya Seek Justice for Rights Abuses appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Govt to Help Factories Lift Saudi Ban on Myanmar Seafood, Minister Says Posted: 17 May 2018 05:07 AM PDT NAYPYITAW — The Myanmar government will work with private seafood factories to resume fish and prawn exports to Saudi Arabia, which banned their import in April, said Deputy Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Minister U Hla Kyaw. The deputy minister was responding to a question from lawmaker U Aung Kyi Nyunt during an Upper House session on Thursday about the government’s efforts to overturn bans on seafood imports from Myanmar in Saudi Arabia, the US and the EU and on its plans to find new markets. The US imposed a ban on imports of prawns from Myanmar because Myanmar’s fishing boats and nets do not use turtle excluder devices. On Jan. 30 the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) announced a temporary suspension of fish and prawn imports from Myanmar, Vietnam, Bangladesh and India, effective as of April 1. "Our ministry will help local fish factories to meet the regulations of the SFDA so that we can continue our export of aquaculture products to Saudi Arabia," U Hla Kyaw said. The ban was based on the World Organization for Animal Health’s Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Report covering the Asia-Pacific region for April, May and June of 2017. According to the SFDA, it shows that white tail disease is present in some parts of Myanmar. "There are international-standard fish processing factories in Myanmar. They can stand inspection. But if you'd check the breeding part, breeders usually feed fish together with poultry and swine, so it will fail the inspection," said U Toe Nandar Tin, vice president of the Myanmar Fisheries Federation. Myanmar earns between $20 million and $35 million annually from fish and prawn exports to Saudi Arabia, according to the deputy minister. The Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Ministry expects to earn $700 million from seafood exports globally in the 2017-2018 fiscal year and has earned $663 million as of March 11. Myanmar’s seafood exports head mainly to China, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Bangladesh, Australia and to countries in the Middle East and Europe. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. The post Govt to Help Factories Lift Saudi Ban on Myanmar Seafood, Minister Says appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Educators Push for Govt Support of Multilingual Education Posted: 17 May 2018 04:50 AM PDT CHIANG MAI, Thailand — Ethnic educators try to find means to gain access to support and recognition from government education ministries for unofficial (ethnic national) schools, where many minority children are learning in their ethnic languages. Educators gathered at the Ethnic Education Forum held in Moulmein, Mon State, this week and shared their challenges in maintaining ethnic education, said U Thein Naing, an ethnic education consultant. "We discussed how we approach both the state and Union governments, as well as the parliaments … to explain the issue and to seek acknowledgment. We hope the Union education ministry will recognize and provide support to these schools, " he said. There are more than 2,000 ethnic national schools, at which an estimated 100,000 children are educated in their mother tongues. These schools are outside of the government-supported system. They are run individually through the support of the communities within the ethnic states of Karen, Karenni, Mon, Shan, Kachin and in the refugee camps along the Thailand-Myanmar border. Some are under the control of ethnic armed organizations. Organized by the Mon National Education Committee, nearly 90 education experts and teachers representing 13 different ethnic education departments, civil society groups and international partners gathered at the forum from May 15-16. They discussed the challenges facing and the need to promote ethnic education, mother tongue based-multilingual education (MTB-MLE), federal education, a community school bill and bylaws, and educational research priorities. U Thein Naing added that although there has been some collaboration between the ethnic national schools and the township, districts and state level governments, more recognition and support is needed. He said monetary support for teacher salaries is still needed, even though many ethnic national schoolteachers attend trainings alongside government schoolteachers in the summer. But government recognition of a mother tongue based curriculum or integration of it into a nationwide program "is still weak," U Thein Naing said, adding that this means that children who can only access these ethnic national schools are lacking protection under the law. "We want to help a democratic government recognize the civil rights of children, as well as their right to education. These children need to be recognized under the law as well, as well as receive educational support." This month, a study on MTB-MLE by the Ethnic Nationalities Affairs Center (ENAC) suggested the government consider adopting multilingual education in government schools, as well as recognize the indigenous national schools. In Mon State, there are ethnic national schools and mixed-schools, and they are run in collaboration with the government to some extent. However, in other ethnic states, these schools are run independently without adequate educational materials. In Karenni State, there are more than 1,000 students learning at more than 39 unofficial schools with 120 teachers. These schools are not supported by the government, said Elizabeth Mimar, a spokesperson for the Karenni Education Committee. Educators put their efforts into overcoming these hurdles. U Thein Naing told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that the drafting of the Community School bylaws is in progress. If Myanmar rules to adopt a community school bill in the works, there is a chance that these ethnic national schools will receive recognition and support," said the consultant. The drafting process started about six months ago, after the secretary of the [government] National Education Policy Commission Dr. Khaing Myae encouraged ethnic school educators to draft one, he said. The government had allowed the teaching of ethnic languages at public schools since 2012, however, the classes are outside of school hours and the teachers are paid less. Furthermore, the ethnic language teaching is merely a translated version of Bamar texts and teachers have been urging for a mother tongue based curriculum that would allow for a multilingual approach. The post Educators Push for Govt Support of Multilingual Education appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Court Allows U Wirathu Supporter’s Video Evidence Against Editor Posted: 17 May 2018 04:27 AM PDT MANDALAY – A court in Mandalay's Maha Aung Myay Township on Thursday rejected a bid by the editor of Myanmar Now to have video evidence submitted against him by a supporter of an ultranationalist monk ruled inadmissible. U Kyaw Myo Shwe, a supporter of U Wirathu, sued Myanmar Now chief editor Ko Swe Win in March 2017 under Article 66 (d) of the Telecommunications Law on grounds that he insulted the monk. Ko Swe Win was arrested and released on bail in July last year. The plaintiff submitted a video clip of an interview Ko Swe Win gave to Radio Free Asia's Burmese-language service. "The judge said the evidence submitted by the plaintiff did not play a vital role in the lawsuit, so she rejected the complaint," said U Myo Min Zaw, a lawyer for Ko Swe Win, after the court session. Ko Swe Win initially submitted the complaint to a higher court, the Mandalay District Court, in early May. The court decided to accept the evidence submitted by the plaintiff and said it would respect the decision of the lower court. Ko Swe Win and his lawyers allege that the video clip submitted by the plaintiff was edited in order to incriminate the defendant, and want it ruled inadmissible as evidence. "Although the court decided to accept the evidence, we will have another chance to challenge it when we make our arguments before the court," the lawyer said. Ko Kyaw Myo Shwe insisted the evidence submitted to the court was genuine and had not been edited. "Ko Swe Win said my evidence was not reliable. However, those are things which he posted on Facebook, and was quoted as saying by the media; I'm not fabricating them," he told journalists after Thursday's court session. "I would like to urge Ko Swe Win not to be afraid… If he does not wish to continue with the trial, he can simply apologize to Sayardaw U Wirathu and I will withdraw the lawsuit immediately," he added. Maha Aung Myay Township Court heard from the plaintiff on Thursday and will continue to hear from him at the next hearing, which is scheduled for May 31. The post Court Allows U Wirathu Supporter's Video Evidence Against Editor appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Posted: 17 May 2018 04:04 AM PDT Myanmar's prospects for peace are fading as fighting escalates in the north, in Karen State in the south and to the west in Rakhine State. China, the US and the EU have issued statements expressing "concern" and asking all sides to exercise restraint and arrange an immediate ceasefire. As a result of the outbreak of renewed fighting between the armed forces and police on one side and ethnic armed groups on the other in Muse Township, Shan State, the Chinese Embassy issued a statement noting that some Myanmar residents along the border have fled to China and that some stray bullets have landed in Chinese territory. The irony is that China promised to help broker peace between Myanmar’s government and military and its ethnic armed groups. But no one seems to be listening. Beijing appointed Sun Guoxiang, its special envoy for Asian affairs, to assist in facilitating discussions. But his approach so far is believed to be under review and facing some resistance from powerful Chinese army generals who oversee their country’s border with Myanmar. Indeed, China's economic and political interests in this troubled country should be under review. Members of the Northern Alliance bloc of ethnic armed groups are believed to be under the influence of China. But considering the renewed clashes in Myanmar, China's promise to assist with the peace process is now in question. Northern Alliance members include the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and Arakan Army (AA). Western powers that were active in the "peace process" under the previous government of former President Thein Sein have not sat idly by. The US Embassy and EU mission in Yangon issued statements expressing concern and calling on the government and military to protect civilian populations and let in humanitarian assistance. “The US Embassy is deeply concerned about intensified fighting in Kachin State, which has forced thousands of people to flee their homes,” the US said. “We are also deeply troubled by recent fighting in Shan State and [Karen] State that has also displaced thousands of people. We urge all parties to cease fighting. We call upon the government, including the military, to protect civilian populations and allow humanitarian assistance to be delivered to those affected by the conflicts.” The Myanmar Army used air strikes against Kachin rebels — members of the Northern Alliance — in Hpakant Township on Tuesday, and KIA fighters were injured. Some newly bought jet fighters, including JF-17s from Pakistan, are reportedly being deployed from the Myitkyina Airbase to attack the rebels. As a result of the fighting, thousands of innocent civilians are suffering. In Yangon, Mandalay, Myitkyina and other major cities, activists have gathered to call for an end to the fighting. A peaceful anti-war protest in Yangon on Saturday was disrupted when civilians allied with the police started attacking participants. Eight people were detained and sued for violating the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law before being released on bail the following day. Witnesses and reporters who have covered such events for the past four or five years say the aggressive civilians were known supporters of the Association for the Protection of Race and Religion, commonly known as Ma Ba Tha, and the army. The EU statement called on Myanmar to ensure that peaceful protesters could exercise the freedom of expression and assembly. The demand for peace is gaining momentum. On April 30 more than 3,000 Kachin residents staged a protest march against the ongoing clashes between the Myanmar Army and KIA and to call for the rescue of thousands of displaced people trapped by the fighting. The Northern Command of the Myanmar Army has sued three Kachin youths who led a sit-in protest against the fighting in their state for defamation. A lasting peace in Myanmar is far away. More importantly, the recent clashes demonstrate that ethnic groups are losing faith in the current peace process and in negotiations with the military and government. The silence of Myanmar’s de facto leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and other top leaders is also alarming and surprising — a sign that they are admitting defeat in the quest for peace? The post Myanmar's Failing Peace appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Parliament Waits to Approve Projects as Lawmakers Call for Transparency Posted: 17 May 2018 12:41 AM PDT YANGON — The Yangon Parliament has not yet approved the regional government's urban development proposal regarding infrastructure, transportation, housing and economic development projects in the commercial capital totaling more than 1.3 trillion kyats as lawmakers call for more transparency. The Yangon government submitted a report about 12 projects funded by local and international investment from 2018-21 to the regional Parliament early this month. Since the submission, 14 lawmakers have debated the report, complained that they had little or no idea about the projects and criticized the government's lack of transparency. Lawmakers said the report that the government submitted to Parliament only included titles of projects and general information, making it difficult for them to give their approval. "If we approve, it is nothing more than signing a blank paper and then Parliament is responsible for the consequences caused by those projects," said U Nay Phone Latt, a National League for Democracy (NLD) lawmaker, in Parliament during a debate early this week. Constitutionally, projects to be carried out by regional or state governments have to be approved by the relevant Parliament. On Wednesday, the Yangon government's Minister of Electricity, Industry, Transport and Communication Daw Nilar Kyaw gave a lengthy explanation of the projects to the regional Parliament. "We will implement the projects upon the approval of the Parliament," she said. The Parliament on Wednesday did not give the projects the green light. Instead, the speaker sought consensus from the lawmakers to keep their discussion and the minister's explanation as a "record." NLD lawmaker U Kyaw Zeya said the projects have not been approved by the Parliament thus far. "It is only documented that the issue was discussed in Parliament and that it will be open to further debate," he said. Another NLD lawmaker Daw Sandar Min said: "If the government resubmits the proposal with more details and amendments, we will discuss it again." Daw Nilar Kyaw on Wednesday said out of 12 proposed projects, feasibility studies have been carried out for some but are still ongoing for others. The minister was not available for immediate comment on Thursday when the government will resubmit the proposal with amendments. The post Parliament Waits to Approve Projects as Lawmakers Call for Transparency appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Malaysian Police Search Five Places Linked to Ousted PM Najib Posted: 16 May 2018 10:15 PM PDT KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysian police conducted searches through the night and into Thursday morning at five places linked to ousted Prime Minister Najib Razak, including the family home where he stays, a senior police officer said. A lawyer for Najib, who was ousted from office in last week’s general election, said police seized handbags and a few other personal items from Najib’s home in connection with a money laundering probe. A multibillion-dollar scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), which was founded by Najib, is being investigated by police in at least six countries, including the United States. Najib denies any wrongdoing. Amar Singh, the director of police commercial crime investigations, told Reuters that five places linked to Najib were being searched, including the family home in an upmarket Kuala Lumpur district. Singh gave no other details, but the Star newspaper said searches were also conducted at the prime minister’s office, the official residence and two places linked to Najib’s family in a luxury Kuala Lumpur condominium. The search at the family home was continuing at 10 a.m., nearly 12 hours after a dozen armed policemen first entered the premises. The police started the search after Najib returned home from prayers at a mosque to mark the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. “The search is supposed to be under the money laundering act … they found nothing incriminating,” Najib’s lawyer Harpal Singh Grewal told reporters who were camped outside the house. He said police took away some personal possessions including a couple of handbags. “Nothing serious. About two, three boxes” of them, Grewal said. When asked whether Najib would be arrested, he said: “There is no indication that they [the police] will do it.” He said Najib and his family were cooperative with police. “They [the police] also acted professionally,” he said. Najib’s long-ruling political coalition was defeated in a May 9 general election. Just days later, new Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad barred Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, from leaving the country. Najib was once Mahathir’s protégé. Mahathir, 92, has said there is sufficient evidence to investigate the scandal at 1MDB. Mahathir has replaced the country’s attorney-general and officials at the anti-graft agency, in what appears to be a purge of people seen as close to the former premier. On Wednesday, jailed reformist Anwar Ibrahim was granted a full pardon and freed, underlining the dramatic political changes in the Southeast Asian country in the last seven days. Anwar teamed up with Mahathir, his ally-turned-foe-turned-ally, to oust Najib. The relationship between the two remains volatile, however, and will likely determine what course Malaysia will chart in the coming months. The post Malaysian Police Search Five Places Linked to Ousted PM Najib appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| In Bangladesh, Some 60 Babies a Day Born in Rohingya Camps: UN Posted: 16 May 2018 09:50 PM PDT UNITED NATIONS — Around 60 babies a day are being born in vast refugee camps in Bangladesh, sheltering hundreds of thousands of mainly Rohingya Muslims who have fled Myanmar, the United Nations children’s agency UNICEF said on Wednesday. Nearly 700,000 Rohingya fled to Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh in the past nine months after a Myanmar military crackdown that the United Nations, United States and Britain have denounced as ethnic cleansing. Myanmar has denied that any ethnic cleansing occurred. UNICEF said in a statement that since the crisis began more than 16,000 babies had been born in the camps, of which only about 3,000 were delivered in health facilities. “Around 60 babies a day are taking their first breath in appalling conditions, away from home, to mothers who have survived displacement, violence, trauma and, at times, rape,” said Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF’s Representative in Bangladesh. UN Security Council envoys visited the refugee camps in April. “It is impossible to know the true number of babies who have been or will be born as a result of sexual violence,” Beigbeder said. “It is vital that each and every new and expectant mother and every new-born receive all the help and support they need.” Rohingya insurgent attacks on security posts in Myanmar’s Rakhine State last August sparked a military operation that Myanmar has said was legitimate. Last November, Myanmar’s military released a report in which it denied all accusations of rape by security forces. A senior Bangladesh health ministry official, who declined to be named due to sensitivity of the matter, said last week that so far 18,300 pregnant women had been identified in the camps and the rough total estimate was around 25,000. In March the United Nations launched an appeal for $951 million to help the Rohingya refugees for the rest of the year, but it is less than 20 percent funded. The post In Bangladesh, Some 60 Babies a Day Born in Rohingya Camps: UN appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Myanmar Policeman Denies Planting Documents on Reuters Reporters Posted: 16 May 2018 09:46 PM PDT YANGON — A Myanmar policeman told a court on Wednesday he met two Reuters reporters on the night of their arrest in December, but denied giving them secret documents to incriminate them. His testimony contradicted a previous witness who last week said police had “set up” the pair. “During my meeting with Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, I didn’t take anything from them and I didn’t give anything to them,” Police Lance Corporal Naing Lin told Judge Ye Lwin, overseeing the hearing at a court in Yangon. “I went and met with Wa Lone because he called me and requested a meeting. I didn’t call Wa Lone and ask him to come meet me,” said Naing Lin, who said he met the Reuters reporters over dinner and was not accompanied by any other policeman. A previous witness, Police Captain Moe Yan Naing, has told the court a police chief ordered Naing Lin and another policeman to give “secret” documents to Wa Lone in an operation to entrap him. The court in Yangon has been holding hearings since January to decide whether Wa Lone 32, and his Reuters colleague Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, will be charged under the colonial-era Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison, for allegedly obtaining confidential documents. At the time of their arrest, the reporters had been working on an investigation into the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys in a village in western Myanmar’s Rakhine State. The killings took place during an army crackdown that United Nations agencies say sent nearly 700,000 people fleeing to Bangladesh. The reporters have told relatives they were arrested almost immediately after being handed some rolled up papers at a restaurant in northern Yangon by two policemen they had not met before, having been invited to meet the officers for dinner. Naing Lin said Wa Lone called him in December and introduced himself as a Reuters reporter, requesting an interview about his experiences in Rakhine, where Naing Lin’s Police Security Battalion 8 was stationed between April and November last year. During the dinner, Wa Lone asked Naing Lin about the 10 murdered Rohingya, Naing Lin said. During cross-examination, defense lawyer Than Zaw Aung said phone records show Naing Lin calling Wa Lone three times in the afternoon and the evening of Dec. 12, the day the pair were arrested. Naing Lin said several times he did not call Wa Lone, and insisted it was the reporter who called and initiated the meeting. Lead prosecutor Kyaw Min Aung declined to comment after the hearing. Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay was not immediately available for comment. After last week’s hearing he said that the courts were independent, and the case would be conducted according to the law. Police Witness Fired The previous witness, Captain Moe Yan Naing, has told the court that hours before the reporters were arrested, he was taken to the Battalion 8 compound with five other officers who had previously been contacted by Wa Lone, where they were interrogated by the police Special Branch. When the officer in charge, Brigadier General Tin Ko Ko, found out that one of the six, Naing Lin, had been in contact with Wa Lone but had not met him in person, he ordered Naing Lin to use his phone to arrange a meeting with Wa Lone that evening, according to Moe Yan Naing. He said Tin Ko Ko instructed Naing Lin to give Wa Lone documents related to Battalion 8 activities in Rakhine “in order to have him arrested." Since first giving testimony in April, Moe Yan Naing, 47, has been sentenced to a year in jail for violating police discipline. Police have said the sentence was not related to the account he gave in court. At a news conference on Tuesday, Police Director General Aung Win Oo dismissed Moe Yan Naing’s testimony, saying Tin Ko Ko did not know the two reporters and that he did not order them to be set up. Reuters has been unable to contact Tin Ko Ko for comment. At the end of Wednesday’s hearing Police Captain Myo Lwin, the officer in charge of escorting witnesses in custody to court, said Sergeant Khin Maung Lin, who was due to testify next week, had been fired from the police and his whereabouts were unknown. He did not elaborate further. Both Moe Yan Naing and Naing Lin said Khin Maung Lin was among the six policemen who had had contact with Wa Lone before the arrest. The Ministry of Information said in December, after the journalists were detained, that Moe Yan Naing and Khin Maung Lin had also been arrested under the Official Secrets Act. No further information on the proceedings against Khin Maung Lin had been released since then. The post Myanmar Policeman Denies Planting Documents on Reuters Reporters appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
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