Monday, February 18, 2019

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Lawyers Group Slams ‘Light’ Sentence for Ex-Officer Who Aided U Ko Ni Killers

Posted: 18 Feb 2019 06:51 AM PST

YANGON—The Independent Lawyers' Association of Myanmar (ILAM) has denounced a Yangon court's "light" treatment of a former military intelligence captain who had been accused of conspiring to kill prominent lawyer U Ko Ni, only to be sentenced on a lesser charge at the last minute.

Yangon Northern District Court on Friday sentenced Zeya Phyo to five years in prison with hard labor for destroying evidence in the case. Gunman Kyi Lin and conspirator Aung Win Zaw were sentenced to death for the lawyer's 2017 killing. Kyi Lin also received an additional 20-year prison term for killing taxi driver U Ne Win as he tried to apprehend the shooter. Aung Win Tun was given a three-year prison term for harboring one of the men.

The association said it would submit a legal report on the verdict, including its recommendations, to the President, State Counselor and parliamentary speakers in the coming weeks.

The alleged mastermind of the killing, former Lieutenant-Colonel Aung Win Khaing, remains at large after evading authorities. His last known whereabouts were in Naypyitaw.

In a statement released on Saturday, ILAM welcomed the death sentences handed to Kyi Lin and Aung Win Zaw. But the lawyers' group said a mere five-year sentence for someone involved in a "coordinated crime" that shocked and frightened the nation was "too light" in the public's view.

Zeya Phyo initially faced charges of premeditated murder and of aiding and abetting an offender by giving financial support to the conspirators to carry out the murder. He was first identified in connection with the case at a press conference given by the Home Affairs Ministry and police in February 2017.

Myanmar Police Chief Major-General Zaw Win said at the press conference that Aung Win Khaing asked Zeya Phyo for financial assistance to carry out the murder. Zeya Phyo handed over 100 million kyats to Aung Win Khaing in August 2016, Maj-Gen. Zaw Win said at the time.

In Friday's verdict, however, he was acquitted of the previous charges and sentenced for a different violation under the Penal Code's Article 201.

Lawyer U Thein Than Oo, a senior member of ILAM, told The Irrawaddy on Monday that the light sentence given to Zeya Phyo, who was identified as a main conspirator by police, is "totally unacceptable and not justified."

The 65-year-old lawyer said never in his career had he heard of a court reaching a decision that contradicted the findings of the police chief and the Home Affairs Ministry.

Even Article 201, he said, allows for a maximum penalty of seven years in prison, but the court only sentenced him to five.

ILAM also called for a separate investigation of U Ko Ni's killing under the Counter-Terrorism Law, saying the crime met the definition of terrorism under articles 13, 15, 16 and 17 of the law.

It said the four men should be investigated under the law for assassinating the lawyer in broad daylight outside Yangon International Airport on Jan. 29, 2017.

The plaintiff's lawyers also told the media after the verdict that they were not satisfied with the court's decision regarding Zeya Phyo and would appeal to a higher court.

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Indian Troops Seal Off India-Myanmar Border

Posted: 18 Feb 2019 04:47 AM PST

YANGON – At least two infantry companies from the Indian army have been deployed in Mizoram, a state located at the border with Myanmar's Paletwa Township in southern Chin State as fighting intensifies in the area between the Myanmar Military and the Arakan Army (AA).

The Assam Tribune reported on Sunday that the troops are stationed in Mizoram's southwestern Lawngtlai District. The troops are deployed with the intention of preventing AA fighters from entering Indian territory and to assist the villagers displaced from the conflict zones. It said AA rebels and government troops have been fighting along the Kaladan River in Myanmar's Paletwa Township since earlier this month.

The report says troops began arriving at the border on Saturday.

AA spokesperson U Khine Thukha confirmed to The Irrawaddy on Monday that they have learned the Indian military recently stationed more than 500 soldiers along the border between the Mizoram villages of Parva and Lungpuk, covering a distance of at least 22 kilometers.

U Khine Thukha remarked that this is the first time in recent years that such heavy military presence has been seen at the border. There are widely-held suspicions that the Indian army may be trying to work in cooperation with the Myanmar military against AA rebels.

"My message to the Indian government is that collaborating with ICC-wanted war criminals (Myanmar's military) is totally inappropriate. India should not cooperate with the ICC criminals," said U Khine Thukha, referring to accusations against the Myanmar military of committing war crimes against the Rohingya in Rakhine State in late 2017.

Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing with Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi during his trip to India in July. / Commander-in-Chief / Facebook

Over the weekend, unconfirmed claims that high-ranking Burmese military officers secretly met their Indian army counterparts were widely spread across social media. However, The Irrawaddy's calls to Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun, spokesperson for the Military's Office of the Commander-in-Chief, went unanswered on Monday.

Reports from Mizoram said that about 1,750 people from Chin State's Paletwa Township sought refuge in 2017 as a result of Myanmar military-led operations against the AA. As of September 2018, some 200 refugees were still sheltering in Mizoram, refusing to go return to their villages in Myanmar out of fear of the return of unpredictable armed clashes in the region.

Recent clashes between the AA and government troops forced a number of residents to flee from Paletwa across the border to Mizoram on Saturday, though the number of displaced has not been confirmed.

India's reinforcements along the Myanmar-India border come amid what many see as strengthening ties between the Myanmar and Indian militaries.  In late January, Myanmar's military seized the headquarters of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) in the Naga Self-Administered Zone of Sagaing Region without resistance from the Naga rebels.

A military announcement last week accused the NSCN-K of violating the bilateral ceasefire agreement by sheltering members of Indian militant groups from Assam and Manipur which are fighting against Indian government troops. It claimed they arrested six NSCN-K members and two Kathae rebels. The NSCN-K signed a regional-level ceasefire agreement with the military in 2012 and since then, no major armed clashes with government troops have occurred in the region. The leaders of NSCN-K denied the military's allegations.

On Monday afternoon, Myanmar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) issued a letter of condolence to the family members of those in the Indian army who were killed in Thursday's suicide bomb attack in Kashmir on Feb. 14.

The AA announced on its official website on Sunday that they had fought with military troops in Rathedaung Township's Yae Soe Chaung Village on Feb. 14, killing 10 government troops. They also announced that they had carried out a mine attack on a highway express coach carrying government soldiers in Ponnagyun Township on Feb. 17, leaving a number of troops wounded and seeking medical treatment in Sittwe. The AA denounced the military's attempt at disguising its troops as civilians by transporting them in private transport.

Locals relief groups have estimated that the armed violence in northern Rakhine State has displaced more than 6,000 residents while aid shipments from international relief agencies are being blocked by army officers on the ground, with the exception of those from the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

As of this week, about 40 locals are in detention in the area on accusations of having ties with the AA, which have been declared an unlawful association.

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Military, USDP, ANP Withhold Nominees For Constitution Amendment Committee

Posted: 18 Feb 2019 04:42 AM PST

NAYPYITAW — The Myanmar military and two political parties have not submitted lists of nominees for a pending committee to draft amendments to the Constitution, which the Union Parliament is due to form on Tuesday.

U Myat Nyana Soe, a lawmaker for the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD), said Parliament had yet to receive lists from the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), Arakan National Party (ANP) and the military, which is guaranteed 25 percent of national and local legislative seats by the Constitution.

"Twelve political parties and independent representatives have submitted lists of nominees. If those parties and that institution do not submit name lists, we can exclude them and share their quotas with the other parties to form the committee. But we won't do that," he told The Irrawaddy on Monday.

According to a draft plan distributed to lawmakers, the committee will comprise 44 members: 18 from the NLD, eight from the military, two from the USDP, one independent representative, and one each from ethnic minority parties.

USDP lawmaker U Thaung Aye told reporters on Monday that no decisions could be made at two preliminary meetings on how to form the committee and that the NLD was being arrogant in pushing ahead with it.

"The Tatmadaw [military] is also not happy with it, and the Tatmadaw representatives and I held talks with the speaker and deputy speaker this morning. The speaker said he is just implementing the proposal by taking everything into consideration," U Thaung Aye said.

Monday’s Lower House session was delayed about 20 minutes by the discussion.

U Thaung Aye said his party had yet to decide how to proceed.

U Myat Nyana Soe, who will serve as the committee’s secretary, said the body was being formed in line with parliamentary laws after legislators overwhelmingly approved a proposal to form the committee on Feb. 6.

"This is the proposal approved by the Union Parliament. As I've said, we can't switch into reverse gear. We have to implement the proposal. The other side says we are democratic dictators and that we bully democratically. It is not true," he told The Irrawaddy.

ANP lawmaker U Pe Than said his party did not submit a list of nominees because it was designated only one seat on the committee but wanted two.

"In general we decided to join the committee. But we are confused about the tasks of the committee. We are still discussing about its tasks,” he said.

U Pe Than cited a section of the Constitution that says amendments must be proposed to Parliament with the support of at least 20 percent of lawmakers. The military and USDP have cited it to object to the committee’s formation, but the NLD says the section has no bearing because the committee is only meant to draft amendments that would go into a formal proposal at a future date.

The NLD holds 59 percent of the seats in Parliament, ethnic parties hold 11 percent, the USDP holds 5 percent, and the military holds 25 percent.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Karenni Activists Threaten to Destroy Aung San Statue as Talks Collapse

Posted: 18 Feb 2019 04:31 AM PST

Karenni activists threatened to tear down a statue of General Aung San in Loikaw, Kayah State on Monday after negotiations with a committee overseeing the monument's construction broke down, according to local sources.

Six representatives of a group that has been protesting the placement of the statue of the independence hero in a park in the city met with members of the Gen. Aung San Bronze Statue Implementation Committee on Monday, but the meeting came to an abrupt halt at around 11.30 a.m. when members of the Implementation Committee walked out.

The meeting was supposed to find a compromise solution to the conflict over the statue, which many in the Karenni community see as a symbol of the central government's authority and an attempt to impose on them an official historical narrative. The Implementation Committee comprises members of local civil organizations that support the presence of a statue of Gen. Aung San in Loikaw.

Di Di, a spokesperson for the anti-statue group, said, "We discussed the background of the statue; we even told them why are protesting against it, but when we tried to discuss the future of the statue project, they left the meeting."

He added, "They told us at the meeting that their involvement [in the project] was limited to bringing the statue to the town, and putting it up. So, their job was done. [They said] if we want to remove the statue, we need to negotiate with the government."

According to a statement released by the activists, the meeting was canceled without any agreement being reached because the Implementation Committee did not want to take responsibility for the future of the statue, and its members walked out.

Implementation Committee member U Win Aung told The Irrawaddy on Monday that, "[The activists] focused their discussion solely on how they could remove the statue. For our part, we were the ones that built it. So, we could not accept their idea."

He added that the pro-statue side had many supporters, as well.

"We walked out of the meeting as we did not believe it could produce any positive results," he said.

U Win Aung said his team initially solicited donations to fund the project from local residents. The effort raised 20 million kyats (about US$13,000). However, this would not cover the cost of the statue, so the committee sought funding from the state government.

He said the state government donated 40 million kyats to the project.

"I wanted to tell to persons who oppose the project that Gen. Aung San was a respected leader both internationally and inside the country. Allowing the statue will be positive for our region," U Win Aung said.

I call on them to stop protesting against the project, he said.

In light of the protesters' threat, U Win Aung called on the state government to protect the statue, saying he and his committee had done what was asked of them by delivering the statue.

Saying negotiations had proved fruitless, local right activists vowed to launch another protest in the town soon. They renewed their call for the state government to remove the statue.

They said they would issue another statement soon to inform the public of their plans regarding the statue.

"If the government refuses to remove the statue, we will do it ourselves," Di Di said.

"This is an important issue. The government needs to resolve it as soon as possible. But the government's recent actions show a lack of responsibility. We feel that by their actions they are ignoring our voice, and even insulting us," he said.

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Court Fines Weekly Journal Over Satirical Article

Posted: 18 Feb 2019 02:07 AM PST

YANGON — A court in Tanintharyi Region on Monday fined a local weekly 500,000 kyats ($327) for a satirical article it published more than a year ago that offended the region’s chief minister.

"It is not a fair decision," Tanintharyi Journal editor-in-chief U Myo Aung said of the Dawei Township Court’s decision, especially, he added, given the government’s efforts to establish a liberal democracy that respects the freedom of expression.

The journal was sued by the deputy director of the regional government office over a Nov. 20, 2017, article that referred to an unnamed female incumbent planning to contest a coming election for ward and village administrators. The complaint said the article was targeting the regional chief minister, Daw Lei Lei Maw, and damaged the government’s reputation.

In December 2017, the journal was charged under Article 25 (b) of the Media Law — which carries a maximum fine of 1 million kyats for news that “deliberately affects” the reputation of s specific person or organization.”

U Myo Aung, who has appeared before the court 36 times in the case, said he would consult with a lawyer before deciding whether to appeal.

U Myint Kyaw, a member of the Myanmar Press Council, said the court decision was unjust.

"It is like enforcing censorship of the media — to not write anything critical about the authorities, including the chief ministers," he said.

U Myint Kyaw noted that the article only raised the same complaints about local authorities that residents themselves voiced when State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi visited Tanintharyi Region last week.

Some residents had earlier handed the government a formal complaint accusing the chief minister — along with her brother-in-law U Aung Soe, a regional Lower House lawmakers, and regional Planning and Finance Minister U Phyo Min Tun — of awarding public contracts and a government job to relatives.

"The public's complaints and the public feeling toward her are more harsh than this satirical piece, so in reality the journal should not be found guilty, " U Myint Kyaw said.

The Irrawaddy’s ZUE ZUE contributes to this report. 

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Bodies of Three Murdered Ethnic Daingnet Found in Maungdaw

Posted: 18 Feb 2019 01:46 AM PST

SITTWE—Three missing members of the Daingnet ethnic community of Thinbaw Hla Village in Rakhine State's Maungdaw Township were found dead on Saturday according to the village administrator.

The three men were reported to have gone out crabbing on Friday, and their buried bodies were recovered the following day, said village administrator U Maung Sein Tun.

"They went to catch crabs and didn't come back, so we searched for them the following day and found an earth pile in the bush near the village of Kun Thee Pin. We dug the earth pile and found their bodies," he told The Irrawaddy.

Maungdaw Township administrator U Myint Khaing, who together with the township judge and a forensic doctor recovered the bodies, confirmed that the three victims had had their throats slit.

The three victims, aged 29, 30 and 40 respectively were cremated in Thinbaw Hla on Saturday evening.

These frequent killings of ethnic people in Maungdaw highlight the lack of rule of law and security here, said U Khin Maung Than, chairman of the Arakan National Party's Maungdaw Township chapter.

"[Government] leaders don't seem to be very interested in the problems facing ethnic people in Maungdaw. There is no rule of law and the culprits have never been arrested. I feel like [government leaders] don't care at all about the safety of locals," U Khin Maung Than told The Irrawaddy.

In October last year, a 14-year-old boy was killed while traveling from Kha Maung Seik Village to his home village of Aung Zan in northern Maungdaw Township.

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Military’s Parliamentary Quota Necessary as Country Not Yet Stable: Army Chief

Posted: 18 Feb 2019 01:40 AM PST

NAYPYITAW—Myanmar Army chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has defended the military's constitutionally guaranteed allotment of 25 percent of seats in the national legislature, saying it remains necessary to safeguard Myanmar's stable transition to multiparty democracy.

"We are still overcoming a lot of hardships. We need a stable march to multiparty democracy," Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said in an interview with Japanese news agency Asahi Shimbun on Feb. 14.

The current state of parliamentary debate, administrative affairs and public participation in politics, as well as the actions of ethnic armed groups, show that the country still lacks stability in the political and security sectors, he said.

"The Tatmadaw [Myanmar's military] has therefore taken those seats as a measure to ensure national stability. The situation will change if every sector is secured," the senior general said.

He denied that Section 59 (f) of the 2008 Constitution, which bars State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from the presidency because her late spouse was a foreigner, is targeted at a particular individual.

Myanmar suffered a lot under colonial rule, and the power to shape the future of the country must be in the hands of the Myanmar people, he said. Therefore, the Tatmadaw will continue to back the provision, he said.

The National League for Democracy-led government was able to create the position of State Counselor—technically the second highest position after the President—for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Meanwhile, Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing is ranked eighth, according to protocol.

The senior general reiterated his support for amending Section 261 of the Constitution to allow regional legislatures to elect their chief ministers.

On Wednesday, the Union Solidarity and Development Party put forward a bill to amend the article. Currently, chief ministers are appointed by the president. The party said it submitted the proposal in cooperation with the Army.

According to political analysts, as the Tatmadaw also holds 25 percent of seats in regional parliaments, the amendment if approved would actually give the military greater influence.

According to political analyst U Maung Maung Soe, "Besides Section 261, other provisions should also be amended [regarding] ethnicities. I think the NLD's move to amend the Constitution is intended to promote democracy. But the Tatmadaw won't make many compromises," he said.

Lower House lawmaker U Sai Kyaw Thiha said amending Section 261 alone will not guarantee ethnic rights, but added that "half a loaf was better than no bread at all".

Regarding the military's right to appoint 25 percent of lawmakers, U Sai Kyaw Thiha said, "The [Tatmadaw] should not think of itself as essential to state-building."

As any amendment to the Constitution requires the approval of more than 75 percent of lawmakers, no amendment can be made without the consent of the Army.

When asked about the NLD's recent move to amend the Constitution, the senior general said the Tatmadaw agreed in principle with amending the charter.

"We have never said no to constitutional amendment," he said, adding that he believed it would be more appropriate and effective to carry out any amendments in line with Chapter XII of the Constitution, which lays out the procedures for amendment.

U Maung Maung Soe said, "Only amendments agreed to by both sides can be made. Otherwise, it would be difficult to amend because the approval of more than 75 percent of lawmakers is required."

Former President U Thein Sein told reporters on Friday that amending the Constitution should not be done by lawmakers alone, adding that the groups that participated in the National Convention that drafted the 2008 Constitution, as well as signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement, should also be invited to take part.

"It is not that [the Constitution] emerged easily. Of course, amendments must be made to meet the requirements of the time. But it is important that it is not amended easily," he remarked.

Lawmakers met for a second time on Friday to try to form a committee to draft amendments to the Constitution. Military-appointed lawmaker Major-General Than Soe demanded that military lawmakers have 25 percent representation on the proposed committee.

The Tatmadaw had 25 percent representation on the 109-member constitutional review committee formed under the previous government, but the recently proposed 45-member committee would have only eight military-appointed lawmakers, or just 17 percent of the total.

"This ratio is not fair. We should have greater representation based on our number. So, I would like to request the inclusion of 11 or 12 [military appointees] on the committee," he said.

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Saudi Crown Prince Begins Asia Tour With $20B Pakistan Investment Pledge

Posted: 17 Feb 2019 08:37 PM PST

ISLAMABAD — Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday said Saudi Arabia has signed investment agreements worth $20 billion during his high-profile visit to Pakistan, where tensions were flaring up with nuclear-armed rival India.

Kicking off his tour of South Asia and China with a far higher Pakistan investment than expected, the crown prince said the $20 billion figure represents only the start of an economic tie-up that would bring the historic Muslim allies even closer.

“It's big for phase 1, and definitely it will grow every month and every year, and it will be beneficial to both countries,” said the crown prince.

“We have been a brotherly country, a friendly country to Pakistan. We've walked together in tough and good times, and we [will] continue.”

But Prince Mohammed’s visit is at risk of being overshadowed by Pakistan’s growing tensions with India. Earlier this week a suicide bomber killed 44 Indian paramilitary police in the disputed Kashmir region. New Delhi has accused Pakistan of having a hand in the bombing and vowed to punish Islamabad, which denies involvement.

Cash-strapped and in need of friends, Pakistan welcomed the crown prince with open arms and in grandiose fashion, including sending fighter jets to guide his incoming plane once it entered Pakistani airspace.

Prime Minister Imran Khan and Pakistan’s army chief, Qamar Javed Bajwa, greeted Prince Mohammed on the red carpet of a military airport in the garrison town of Rawalpindi, before Khan personally drove the crown prince to the capital Islamabad.

“Saudi Arabia has always been a friend in need, which is why we value it so much,” said Khan, while seated next to Prince Mohammed. “I want to thank you for the way you helped us when we were in bad situation.”

Saudi Arabia has in recent months helped keep Pakistan’s economy afloat by propping up its rapidly dwindling foreign exchange reserves with a $6 billion loan, giving Islamabad breathing room as it negotiates a bailout with the International Monetary Fund.

Islamabad has shown appreciation by treating Prince Mohammed’s trip as the biggest state visit since Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2015, soon after Beijing announced plans to invest tens of billions of dollars on infrastructure in Pakistan as part of China’s global Belt and Road initiative.

The tour is seen as an attempt by the crown prince to rebuild his reputation after the murder of Saudi critic and journalist Jamal Khashoggi, analysts say. Many in the West blamed Prince Mohammed for the killing, which triggered the kingdom’s biggest political crisis for a generation. He has denied being involved.

He had also planned to visit Indonesia and Malaysia during the tour, but those trips have been postponed, according to Malaysian and Indonesian officials.

In Pakistan, most of the agreements signed focused on energy projects, including a $10 billion refinery and petrochemicals complex in the coastal city of Gwadar, where China is building a port. Memorandums of understanding were also signed for investments in minerals and agriculture, Khan said.

The two nations’ relationship has in the past centered on oil-rich Saudi Arabia backing Pakistan’s economy during difficult periods, and in return Pakistan’s powerful army lending support to Saudi Arabia and its royal family.

As the guardians of most holy sites in the birthplace of Islam, the Saudi royal family carries vast religious clout in Pakistan, a staunchly conservative and mainly Muslim nation of 208 million people.

“What is happening in this relationship is a renewal of Pakistan’s commitment to help protect the royal family and the order as it exists in Saudi Arabia,” said Mosharraf Zaidi, Senior Fellow at Tabadlab, a Pakistani think tank focused on global and local public policy.

“On the flip side, there is reassurance that Saudi Arabia will not only continue to serve as a strategic friend who will help shore up Pakistan’s finances when needed, but it’s also going to become a participant in the wider investment in Pakistan.”

Prince Mohammed was also set to meet representatives of the Afghan Taliban militant group to discuss peace negotiations to end the 17-year civil war in Afghanistan, Pakistani government and militant sources said.

But that was unlikely after Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the group’s planned meetings with Khan and U.S. officials in Islamabad were called off.

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India Detains 23 Men with Suspected Links to Group Behind Deadly Kashmir Attack

Posted: 17 Feb 2019 08:21 PM PST

SRINAGAR, India—Indian forces have detained 23 men suspected of links to the Pakistan-based militant group that masterminded the bombing of an Indian security convoy that killed 44 paramilitary police, a top police official said on Sunday.

The 23 men included members and sympathizers of Jaish-e-Mohammad, the militant group which has claimed responsibility for Thursday’s attack, the deadliest on Indian security forces in decades.

The attack has fueled tensions between India and Pakistan.

India has demanded Pakistan close down the Jaish and other Islamist militant groups that operate from its soil, while Islamabad has rejected suggestions it was linked to the attack.

Kashmir, a Muslim-majority region at the heart of decades of hostility, is claimed in its entirety by India and Pakistan, but is ruled in part by both south Asian countries.

Representatives of India’s National Investigating Agency (NIA) questioned the suspects about the bombing on Sunday, two security officials said.

“They are trying to reach out to the top commanders of Jaish-e-Mohammad, including its Kashmir Chief,” one of the sources said.

Mohammed Umair, the commander of the Jaish in Kashmir who is believed to have plotted the attack, is suspected to be hiding in the region where the attacks took place, the officials said.

The officials say Umair had “radicalized and motivated” the Kashmiri school dropout who rammed a car laden with explosives into the convoy on Thursday.

Umair is thought to have entered Indian Kashmir from Pakistan in September to head the Jaish in the region. Security forces suspect he is in hiding in southern Kashmir, according to the officials, who could not be named as a matter of policy.

Indian officials say Umair is a nephew of the chief of the Jaish, Masood Azhar, who is believed to be in Pakistan.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised a strong response to the attack and says he has given the military a free hand to tackle cross-border militancy.

The Jaish, considered to be one of the most lethal militant groups, has expanded its presence in Kashmir, the police officer said.

India has raided the houses of suspected militants across South Kashmir to find information on those who masterminded and executed the attack.

Muzaffar Ahmad Malik, whose brother declared himself a militant a year ago, told Reuters that his house was raided on Saturday by Indian troops.

“They were looking for militants, as they said that they had information about militants hiding in the house,” Malik said.

Investigators are now trying to figure out how a large quantity of explosives used in the attack was smuggled into Kashmir, the officials said.

A spokesman for the ministry of home affairs declined to comment.

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Europe’s Food Makers Find Green Palm Oil Hard to Stomach

Posted: 17 Feb 2019 08:13 PM PST

KUALA LUMPUR — Europe, the world’s second-biggest buyer of palm oil, is set to miss a 2020 target backed by about 10 countries, as well as big companies, to use 100-percent sustainable supplies of the edible oil in food ingredients, environmental experts warn.

A lack of public awareness and debate around the palm oil industry has left nations like Italy, Spain and Poland lagging behind their neighbors in green palm oil purchases, a January report by The Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) said.

“Countries in northwestern Europe are leading the pack,” said Daan Wensing, a director at IDH, a Netherlands-based nonprofit. “Other major destinations are just getting started.”

In addition to a lack of government action to force buyers to purchase sustainable palm oil, Wensing said European catering firms and animal feed companies are not coming under consumer pressure to source greener supplies.

“The industries that are consumer-facing have stepped up, but sectors like canteen catering services are not really playing ball yet,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

As the world’s most widely used edible oil, palm oil is found in everything from margarine to biscuits and soap to soups, as well as in biofuel.

But in recent years, the industry has come under close scrutiny from green activists and consumers, who have blamed it for clearing forests for plantations and causing fires, along with the exploitation of workers.

In response, about 10 European governments — including France, the Netherlands and Britain — and major corporate buyers of palm oil like Nestle, Mondelez, PepsiCo and Unilever pledged to purchase only sustainable palm oil by 2020.

The European Union has also approved a law to phase out palm oil-based biofuels by 2030, causing outrage in top producer nations Indonesia and Malaysia.

But with less than two years to go until the end of 2020, only 74 percent of palm oil bought by Europe’s food industry was certified as sustainable, the IDH report said.

“To meet the 100-percent target by 2020 is going to be very difficult because now we move into these markets where there is no consumer pressure or awareness,” said Wensing.

Cart before horse

Palm oil certified as sustainable by the global industry watchdog, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), accounts for about a fifth of global output, at an estimated 12.3 million tons per year.

It sells at a premium, but demand covers just half of supply.

Europe imported an estimated 7 million tons of palm oil in 2017, according to consultancy LMC International, with about 2.6 million tons of that used for food production.

Anne Rosenbarger, Southeast Asia commodities manager at the World Resources Institute Indonesia, said the debate around palm oil had often been politicized, further confusing consumers.

British supermarket chain Iceland, for example, said last year it would remove palm oil from its own-brand food by the end of 2018 as part of efforts to stem deforestation.

The retailer was then banned from showing a palm oil-themed Christmas advert on television because it was deemed to breach political advertising rules.

Such controversies around palm-oil boycotts are making major brands wary of using the RSPO logo on their products and drawing attention to their use of palm oil, said Rosenbarger.

Building greater awareness of sustainable palm oil and the RSPO among consumers would encourage more food makers to use the trademark on their products, she added.

Improving transparency around the way the RSPO applies its standards and handles complaints would also help convince more brands to use the logo, researchers said.

The RSPO is backed by major European buyers and has more than 4,000 members, including producers, traders, consumer goods firms and green groups.

Even if the “extremely ambitious” 2020 targets set by European buyers fall short, they were required to drive the transformation seen in companies over the last few years, said Rosenbarger, who is also co-chair of the RSPO.

“There was a little bit of cart before the horse, but that’s part of the growing pains of what needed to happen,” she said.

No deforestation

While many companies have put in place sustainable palm oil policies, action and implementation have often been lacking throughout supply chains, said Grant Rosoman, Asia-Pacific campaign advisor at Greenpeace International.

He said it was unlikely the 2020 goals would be met because “no deforestation” commitments take years to implement.

“A lot of the big traders and buyers just don’t want to pay enough for what it takes to do proper, responsibly produced palm oil,” he said.

European countries that have pledged to buy only sustainable palm oil should enforce those commitments even if they are just refining or taking port deliveries of palm oil to be delivered across Europe, said IDH’s Wensing.

He called on more European governments to make the 2020 pledge on sustainable palm oil, and for more awareness campaigns to change consumer attitudes and demand.

“Governments need to step up their game to make sure it (sustainable palm oil) is the norm in Europe,” he said.

Palm oil buyers should also get more involved on the ground to ensure that their supplies are not linked to deforestation or abuse of workers’ rights, he added.

If Europe leads the way in buying only green palm oil, it could set a precedent for other major consuming countries like Indonesia, China and India, said David Gaveau, a scientist at the Indonesia-based Center for International Forestry Research.

But much work remains to convince others outside Europe to put the environment ahead of price, said experts.

“Palm oil consumers are starting to care in the United States, and quite a bit of RSPO palm (oil) is now entering the U.S. markets,” Carl Bek-Nielsen, chief executive director at Malaysia’s United Plantations Berhad, said by email.

“In India and China, interest is slowly gaining momentum but there is still a fair way to go.”

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Saturday, February 16, 2019

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Environment in Focus at 11th Yangon Photo Festival

Posted: 15 Feb 2019 07:30 PM PST

YANGON—The annual Yangon Photo Festival will kick off its 11th edition on Monday, featuring more than 200 photos and short photo-documentaries by artists from Myanmar and overseas with a common interest in raising the alarm on the world's most urgent environmental threats.

Half of the works to be displayed are by artists from minority ethnic groups from Kayah, Chin and Rakhine states, reflecting the festival organizers' efforts to bring more diversity to Myanmar's photography scene.

"This year, we are focused on showing artworks that are related to environmental issues and climate change," said Ko Pyay Kyaw Myint, a programmer and trainer with the Yangon Photo Festival team.

He added that, "The whole world is facing the effects of climate change, and Myanmar is the third-most-vulnerable country in the world to the effects of climate change, particularly droughts, floods and cyclones. So, we hope more people will notice that fact through this event."

The festival was launched in 2009. Audiences have grown year by year and photographers from all over the region, as well as from around the world, are in Yangon to share their latest stories with the festival's large audience this month.

From 'The Last Elephants of Myanmar', an exhibition of photos by Ko Myo curated by Minzayar Oo. The exhibition will be shown in Maha Bandoola Park from Feb. 18 to March 4. / Yangon Photo Festival

Various events are being held in conjunction with the festival. "This year, we have different workshops, training sessions and activities like the Photobook Workshop by curator Lukas Birk," Ko Pyay Kyaw Myint said.

Participation in the five-day Photobook Workshop, which took place earlier this month, was fully booked. The photobooks produced at the workshop will be shown on Feb. 21 at the Goethe Institut and in Maha Bandoola Park as part of the festival.

During the workshop, each participant had an opportunity to present their project and the ideas behind it. They produced the work themselves with help from Birk.

The other special program this year is the Photo Village, where audiences can find short photo documentaries presented by Myanmar Stories magazine and the international agencies Getty Images, AFP and Panos Pictures.

And following the huge success of the "Burmese Photographers" photo exhibition at last year's YPS at the Secretariat, the Myanmar Photo Archive is setting up a digitization station on Feb. 22-24 at Maha Bandoola Park.

"Visitors can bring their old family photos to be digitized and can become a part of Myanmar's biggest photography collection, which Lukas Birk is still working on," Ko Pyay Kyaw Myint said.

From 'The Last Elephants of Myanmar', an exhibition of photos by Ko Myo curated by Minzayar Oo. The exhibition will be shown in Maha Bandoola Park from Feb. 18 to March 4. / Yangon Photo Festival

The festival will be held at three main venues: the French Institute, Maha Bandoola Park and Goethe Institut. The full schedule for the festival, which will run until March 4, is available on the Yangon Photo Festival Facebook page.

Photo exhibitions will be on display in Maha Bandoola Park from Feb. 18. Other activities, talks and screenings start Feb. 21.

The highlight of the YPF, the Yangon Photo Night award ceremony, will be held Feb. 24 at the French Institute, with a jury handing out prizes including Canon professional cameras, a residency at the famous 75 photography school in Brussels, and a trip to the World Press Photo Awards ceremony in Amsterdam.

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Getting to Grips with ‘Suukyinomics’

Posted: 15 Feb 2019 06:36 PM PST

Ye Ni: Welcome to Dateline Irrawaddy! We are going to discuss the economic policies of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, or "Suukyinomics". I have invited entrepreneur U Myint Zaw and business columnist Daw Yamin Myat Aye to our studio. I'm Ye Ni, senior editor of The Irrawaddy Burmese Edition.

First of all, I'll turn to U Myint Zaw. I think you may be aware that the term "Suukyinomics" was coined in an article in The Bangkok Post at the end of January. It adapts a general term used to refer to the economic policies of national leaders, like "Abenomics" and "Thaksinomics". It refers to the economic philosophy or policies of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The focus of the article is the creation of a free market economy by restricting cronyism and establishing rules-based free market competition. I would like U Myint Zaw to discuss the implications of "Suukyinomics".

Myint Zaw: First of all, I would like to talk about the terminology. Frankly speaking, the public is not interested in "Suukyi-nomization" or anything else. I prefer perfect policies to wordplay. It has become common to choose beautiful terms for propaganda. To be honest, the public cannot understand it. Although I am a knowledgeable entrepreneur, I can't understand it either. Even though I can't fully understand this term, I can guess what's in it. I can generally understand that it is a policy for political, social and economic development of the country. As you just said, other countries like Japan have coined words like "Abenomics". I think [The Bangkok Post] chose "Suukyinomics" because it's catchy. However, the substance is more important. The political landscape is slowly changing. We had the tenure of the first democratic government, and we are now undergoing that of the second one. We expected much more from the NLD government. So we will have to look into its policies. The government will try to reconcile with cronies and make them tycoons. First of all, I would like to point out that tangible policies are very important. No country can be built on a single policy. What's needed is a range of policies that are linked, connected and harmonized. Will the government move forward with only one policy or "Suukyi-nomization"? When we talked about development of ethnic regions recently, there arose an issue. It was said that Kayah State had received no foreign investment. There are states and regions that have received no foreign investment during nearly 10 years of two democratic governments. Five years from now, if there are still states and regions that have received no foreign investment under whatever policy, playing with words is an issue we have to deal with. I am just stating the obvious. Aside from states and regions, there are issues like survival of factories and the minimum wage in the Hlaingtharyar Industrial Zone. When we are talking about an economic policy, we need to think about its coverage. Does it cover the daily wages of ordinary people? How does it treat migrant workers, let alone rural people? What I always want to highlight is that wages are not sufficient in the private sector. When it comes to raising incomes, the theory that higher skills will bring higher incomes has never been applied. Spending on education and health is completely insufficient. I don't want to touch upon grand policies of the state. The issue of enhancing workers' skills is neglected and workers are still laboring as bricklayers and tailors. I don’t know what "Suukyinomics" contains. What I would like to point out is two things. The first one is concerned with tangible policies. Policies must be linked with one another and be practically workable. The second is the inclusion of the entire population. Are people allowed to participate for political support and votes? Is the entire population of over 50 million people covered by "Suukyi-nomization"?  When we talk about "Suukyi-nomization", we need to ask if it covers the approximately 3 to 5 million people who are working in Thailand and people working in Malaysia. Are there any pragmatic incentives that encourage them to return to their country of their own accord in the policy?

YN: However, "Suukyinomics" emphasizes reliance on China rather than what you talked about. Myanmar has to rely on China for its main needs, like infrastructure such as the Kumming-Mandalay railroad, which is under way, and the Kyaukphyu deep seaport. They will build the Kyaukphyu railroad and finally they are even trying to implement the New Yangon City Project. Do we still need to rely on China as usual? As there are also concerns about the Chinese debt trap, what do you think of the situation as a business columnist, Ma Yamin?

Yamin Myat Aye: We had to rely on China in the past during the terms of previous governments, and we still have to rely on it. First of all there is the debt issue. The largest portion of our debt is held by China and its interest rates are very high. It amounts to as much as US$4 billion. We don't have enough money to pay it back if they asked for it. The Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) has just enough reserves to cover four months of imports, according to Vice Governor U Bo Bo Nge. As one month of imports for Myanmar stands at US$1.5 billion, it can be assumed that they have US$6 billion worth of reserves. However, they cannot spend all of it and must keep reserves equivalent to at least three months worth of imports, in accordance with the regulations of the IMF. As a result, we have to continue to rely on China. However, concerns about the Myitsone Dam Project have been raised recently, amid "Suukyinomics". China has invested not only in Myitsone but also in Kyaukphyu and others places. The investment and size of the Kyaukphyu project has been reduced. As for Myitsone, the public will never accept the project. We still don't know whether we will have to compensate for it or not, or how the government will negotiate with China. Actually, we would be liable for about US$800 million in compensation. Another factor is that China is implementing the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor. An MoU was signed for it in September 2018. According to information from the government, the project will be implemented by China before 2020. One of the indicators is that the Tatmadaw [Myanmar's military] announced a unilateral ceasefire on Dec. 21 in regions of the corridor. As a result, there are assumptions that China is pressuring them behind the scenes. At any rate, we cannot shift away from China. We will have to deal with it. Will we always have to depend on China alone? Daw Aung San Suu Kyi may know [the answer], but it is very difficult, because we cannot take a step back. However, when we think about continued dependence on China, its policy toward Myanmar is always ambiguous and it applies double standards whether we depend on it or not. That is why the CBM [Central Bank of Myanmar] adopted a policy permitting trade in yuan and yen. Instead of entirely relying on China, the CBM is adopting a policy shift toward Japan and South Korea. However, we cannot stand without some dependence on China. Therefore it is important for policymakers to shift toward Japan and South Korea cleverly, as we don't want suffer like Pakistan.

YN: As you were saying this, it occurred to me that since the eruption of the northern Rakhine issue, foreign investment and tourist arrivals have dropped and the government has been forced to adopt a "Look East" policy. As it doesn’t want to rely only on China, it has to diversify its reliance on other countries like Japan and Korea in accordance with this policy. U Myint Zaw, I would like to ask whether you expect the economy will grow under "Suukyinomics" and if there will be job opportunities for Myanmar if investment from China, Japan and Korea come in?

MZ: As I just said, I always remind organizations about tangible policies. The term "tangible policy" is very important. We have been adopting a new policy when the previous one is not successful. "Suukyinomics" is an economic term. As Ma Yamin said, there are separate policies for issues like ethnic groups, neighboring countries and the international community and foreign investment. I would like to advise that we must consider all measurable policies at the same time. And each policy must interact with the others. What's important is something in engineering we call the "time dimension". Policies adopted in 2018-19 may not apply in 2020-22. If we are thinking in terms of 30 years, a constant policy may not work. Policies will have to be adjusted over time. As you said, dependence on China is not good. However, we cannot change the situation immediately. We must adopt a policy that can allow us not to rely on China in the mid- to long term, although we cannot [avoid such reliance] in the short term. What policy shall we adopt? Relying on Japan because we don't want to rely on China is not good. For example, even among siblings, the younger brother is not born for the elder brother and vice visa. They are born for themselves. Therefore, China is for China and Japan is for Japan. Japan is not for Myanmar. A policy of dependence on Japan because we don't want to rely on China may work, but only in the short term. If a country does not want to rely on its own people, whom can it rely on? I haven't seen any policy that relies on Myanmar citizens yet. Even if there is no policy that relies on Myanmar people in the short term, will there be such policies in the mid- and long terms? Does "Myanmar people" mean cronies, or people from the NLD, or people close to the government? What I would like to ask is whether the policy is inclusive and comprehensive. Is inclusiveness of people just for political support? When it comes to development, does the government work only with people close to them? Some policies are confidential and some are inclusive, but I doubt whether they have conducted the required public consultations before adopting the important policies that are steering reform. I am not interested in policies as they are tabled, but in how they are developed and how [leaders] have brainstormed for it. That's more important. Since I returned to Myanmar in 1996, I have noticed that there are very few inclusive practices like brainstorming. They adopt policies only in consultation with their confidants and people close to them. For example, before "Suukyinomics", there was a book titled "30-Year Plan of the Military Regime". It may be referred to as "Aungthaungnomics", because it was written by U Aung Thaung. There are unbelievable, surprising and inappropriate ideas in that book. As I am from the electronics sector, I would like to point out an example from that sector. It stated that the country would produce parts before manufacturing electronic devices like cameras, computers and phones. However, parts manufacturers produce parts only and device manufacturers produce devices in other countries. The ideas in that book were very childish. It is very unfortunate. They have published many books and adopted many policies. Before that there was "Newinomics"—the Burmese way to socialism. We had to chant their socialist slogans. During the time of the military regime, we no longer needed to chant slogans, but we had to work under one command. We generally support "Suukyinomics" in principle, as a country must reform itself based on a firm economic policy, but it needs to be comprehensive, as it is important. A policy must be developed from various points of view, including China and peace issues. Another thing is that China will not sit idly by while Myanmar people are trying to be proficient. They will also continue to change their policies, like us. As long as the world exists, China will adopt policies that influence Myanmar. They won’t wait for us if we say we are not ready or we haven’t finished negotiations. Every second matters to them. To sum up, the military regime said the strength of the country lies within. The NLD government also invited public participation but I don't think so. I would like to point that out.

YN: What would you like to add, Ma Yamin?

YMA: What Ko Myint Zaw said is informative. When the NLD government took office, it formed a cabinet. As a business columnist, I looked at who the cabinet members are, how many people in it are academics and how many of them are aware of the issues on the ground. I studied the ministries related to the economy like I studied the ministries related to the economy like the Ministry of Planning and Finance and the Ministry of Commerce. I don’t think it worked. For example, the CBM permitted trade in yuan and yen recently. There were complaints. Although the currencies are allowed for use in trade, exports from Myanmar to China in goods like rice, corn and sesame are legal only in Myanmar, but China doesn't permit them legally. So we are smuggling them into China. But with payments for illegal trade being legalized, how do we proceed? This has been discussed since Brigadier-General Tin Naing Thein was the minister of commerce in the military regime. I am not sure. On this issue, it was necessary to conduct G2G [government to government] negotiations to ask China to permit legal trade in these items. The Commerce Ministry may be working on it, I don’t know, but China often freezes the bank accounts of Myanmar merchants in China because it is illegal trade. Businessmen have requested that the Ministry of Commerce adopt a G2G approach, but nothing has materialized. The Myanmar Rice Federation requested that the government, including the president, adopt a G2G approach with China recently, but the Ministry of Commerce thinks Myanmar merchants will be hit with taxes by China and has not done so. As a result, border trade remains illegal and there are losses. Now it seems that the Commerce Ministry is legalizing this illegal trade. So it is necessary to adopt a G2G approach. When a minister is appointed to a political position by the NLD, it is just a leadership change. Inside the ministry, there are many processes. It is usually said in a crisis that it is important to check that the system and structure are in line. Is the system working? Is the structure suitable for the system? Are there institutions supporting the system and the structure? It concerns policy and prioritization, and proper implementation. I haven’t seen any sign of these so far.

YN: Thanks for your comments at a time when we are seeing both discouragement and expectation.

The post Getting to Grips with 'Suukyinomics' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

This Week in Parliament

Posted: 15 Feb 2019 06:26 PM PST

Monday (Feb. 11)

During debate on a report by the Joint Public Accounts Committee on the 2017-18 fiscal year Union Parliament development funds, Chin State lawmaker U Hui Ten proposed that a greater share of the pot go to less developed states with large ethnic minority populations. While the Union Parliament grants each township 100 million kyats ($65,401) for infrastructural projects, he said there remain huge gaps between regions such as Yangon and Mandalay and states such as Chin and Rakhine.

Tuesday (Feb. 12)

Parliament did not convene in observance of Union Day.

Wednesday (Feb. 13)

During debate on a proposal from lawmaker U Sein Mya Aye that the government promote youth sports to combat drug use, military-appointed lawmakers suggested the government adopt a national sports law. They said that promoting sports could save the public health system millions by cutting down on the need for treatment.

Thursday (Feb. 14)

The Union Solidarity and Development Party put forward a bill to amend Article 261 of the Constitution that would, if approved, see regional chief ministers elected by local legislatures rather than appointed by the president.

Upper House lawmaker U Tun Tun Oo complained about the conditions of prisons in Myanmar, saying that inmates were losing their rights because of overcrowding and that correctional authorities were too overstretched to regulate the prisons properly. Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Maj. Gen. Aung Thu replied that the ministry has been building new cells, wards and prisons.

Friday (Feb. 15)

The Lower House approved amendments to the Myanmar Engineering Council Law. The council is a regulatory body for engineering professionals in Myanmar.

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Friday, February 15, 2019

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Seven University Students Jailed in Connection with Effigy Burnings

Posted: 15 Feb 2019 05:22 AM PST

MANDALAY—The Amarapura Court in Mandalay Region on Wednesday sentenced seven Yadanabon University students to three months in prison for burning ministers in effigy during a protest to demand better security on campus.

The students were each sentenced to three months' imprisonment under Article 435 of the Penal Code, which prohibits "mischief by fire", and two months' imprisonment under Article 19 of the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law. The court ordered that the sentences be served concurrently.

On Dec. 28, 2018, three student protesters led by Yadanabon University Students' Union (YUSU) chair Ko Kyaw Thiha Ye Kyaw staged a demonstration to demand better security measures on their campus, citing the case of a student who was killed during a robbery on Dec. 25, as well as a rash of motorcycle thefts.

During the protest, they burned effigies of Mandalay Chief Minister Dr. Zaw Myint Maung; Regional Minister of Electricity and Transport U Zar Ni Aung; Regional Minister of Border Affairs and Security Colonel Kyaw Kyaw Min; Union Deputy Home Affairs Minister Lieutenant-General Kyaw Swe; and the rector of Yadanabon University, Dr. Maung Maung Naing. They were arrested on the same day over the burnings.

Five days later on Jan. 2, four other students were arrested while demanding the release of the student union leaders.

All seven students—Ko Kyaw Thiha Ye Kyaw, Ko Ye Min Tun, Ko Ye Myo Swe, Ko Phone Myint Kyaw, Ko Myo Chit Aung (aka) Ba Chit, Ko Nay Win Kyaw and Ko Ye Lin Aung—initially had lawsuits opened against them on four charges and were brought before the township court on Jan. 11.

Ko Ye Myo Swe, a YUSU organizer, said after the verdict, before being taken to prison, that the seven would "continue our demands when we are out of prison."

Amarapura Township police acted as plaintiff in the case and sued the students under Article 19 of the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law.

The deputy chief of the Amarapua Township General Administration Department also acted as plaintiff and sued them under articles 435, 505 (b) of the Penal Code, which relate to "intent to cause public fear or alarm" and Article 114, which relates to "abetting".

The official later dropped the last two charges, "as he cares for the education of those students and thus the judge delivered a verdict on the two charges [Article 435 of the Penal Code and Article 19 of the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law]," said Police Lieutenant-Colonel Myo Aung, the head of the Mandalay District Police Force.

Other student union members also met with Mandalay Region government officials on Jan. 24 and demanded the release of the student leaders, and the regional government promised to reduce the charges.

Yadanabon University has an enrollment of some 20,000 students in variety of subjects. Students have asked that the school provide them with better security and cleaner restrooms, but the rector has said there is no budget for that.

The post Seven University Students Jailed in Connection with Effigy Burnings appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rakhine State Lawmaker Suggests Union Govt Talk to AA to End Fighting

Posted: 15 Feb 2019 04:33 AM PST

YANGON — The Rakhine State legislature on Thursday agreed to schedule a debate on a proposal to call on the Union Parliament  to urge the national government to find a way to end the ongoing fighting between the Myanmar military and Arakan Army (AA) in the north of the state.

Rakhine State lawmaker U Than Naing, of Rathedaung Constituency (1), submitted the urgent proposal Thursday, noting that the fighting has forced more than 6,000 people to flee their homes over the past two months.

"I would like to encourage the Union government via the state government to halt the armed conflict in Rakhine as soon as possible to show empathy for the lives of ethnic [minority] people who live in contested areas," he said.

He also cited a controversial press conferences in Naypyitaw during which a military spokesman said that State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi had in private directed the armed forces to crush the AA soon after the ethnic armed group staged a deadly attack on a police post in Rakhine’s Maungdaw Township.

"Because she gave instructions for the fighting, I believe she can also order a truce,” said U Than Naing, a member of the Arakan National Party (ANP), which dominates the state legislature.

He suggested the Union government hold negotiations with the AA to bring the fighting to an end and forge a lasting peace.

Spokesmen for the Office of the President and the Office of the Commander-in-Chief could not be reached for comment.

Rakhine State ANP lawmaker U Tun Thar Sein, of Mrauk-U Constituency (1), said the state ministers had already endorsed the proposal and that the local legislature’s military-appointed lawmakers were also on board. But he said most of the ministers were not on hand for Thursday or Friday’s parliamentary sessions to answer questions, including chief minister U Nyi Pu.

The chief minister was appointed to the post by the ruling National League for Democracy, with whom the ANP has a contentious relationship.

On Friday, U Tun Thar Sein also submitted an urgent proposal for humanitarian assistance for the thousands of people displaced by the fighting, now relying mostly on donations from non-government aid groups. The state government has distributed aid to the displaced only once and blocked most international aid agencies from making aid deliveries of their own.

U Tun Thar Sein said the state government had a disaster management budget, approved by Parliament last year, that stood at about 30 billion kyats ($19.62 million) and could potentially be used to help the displaced families.

But the local lawmakers expressed doubts about the likelihood of negotiations, as the Union government labeled the AA a terrorist organization for killing 13 security force members in recent attacks and seized more than a dozen assault rifles and over 10,000 rounds of ammunition.

U Tun Thar Sein said the state’s ethnic Arakanese lawmakers had previously urged the Union government to take action on a number of other issues in Rakhine but to no avail.

"I would like to say that they should pay a little attention on the Rakhine Parliament," he said.

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Two Sentenced to Death for Killing NLD Lawyer U Ko Ni

Posted: 15 Feb 2019 02:08 AM PST

YANGON—Just over two years after the assassination of prominent lawyer U Ko Ni, a Yangon court on Friday sentenced two men to death and jailed two others for the killing.

Delivering its long-awaited verdict, the court sentenced hired gunman Kyi Lin—who shot the lawyer dead in broad daylight on Jan. 29, 2017 outside Yangon International Airport and then killed taxi driver U Ne Win as he tried to apprehend the shooter—to death plus an additional 20 years' imprisonment for the killings.

Former Lieutenant Aung Win Zaw, an accomplice of Kyi Lin, was also sentenced to death after he was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder. Zeya Phyo, a former captain with the Military Intelligence unit, was sentenced to five years in prison with hard labor for causing the disappearance of evidence of an offense. Aung Win Tun was sentenced to a three-year prison term for harboring one of the men.

Aung Win Zaw, who received the death penalty for his role as an accomplice to U Ko Ni's assassin Kyi Lin, leaves the Yangon Northern District Court on Feb. 15, 2019 after the verdict was announced. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy

The alleged mastermind of the killing, former Lieutenant-Colonel Aung Win Khaing, remains at large after fleeing, at least initially, to Naypyitaw, which has Myanmar's most extensive surveillance network. According to CCTV footage, he was last seen near the city's National Herbal Park in the first week of February 2017. The Home Affairs Ministry said a warrant has been issued for Aung Win Khaing's arrest and that his picture has been sent to Interpol and police forces across Southeast Asia.

While leaving the Yangon Northern District Court after the verdict was announced, one of the convicted assassins shouted, "They don't do anything to those in Naypyitaw. But I have been handed a prison sentence." It was not clear whom he meant by "those in Naypyitaw".

U Khin Aung Htay, a plaintiff lawyer, told the media after the verdict that he was not satisfied with the verdict against Zeya Phyo, who previously faced charges of premeditated murder as well as aiding and abetting an offender. He said he would appeal to a higher court.

Zeya Phyo, a convicted conspirator in the murder of U Ko Ni, leaves the Yangon Northern District Court on Feb. 15, 2019 after the verdict was announced. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy

The verdict followed a trial that included more than 100 court hearings. The court heard from 72 plaintiff witnesses and 40 defense witnesses.

In an interview with The Irrawaddy last month, prosecution lawyer U Nay La said justice would not be served unless and until all the masterminds are identified.

"The mastermind must be unveiled sometime in the future for the sake of justice. This is what I believe," he said.

Many have speculated that U Ko Ni was targeted because of his strong criticism of the military-drafted 2008 Constitution. The constitutional expert and legal adviser to State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) had long advocated for constitutional reforms to reduce the military's dominant political role. He is also believed to have played a key role in advising the NLD to create the position of state counselor for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi after the party's landslide victory in the 2015 elections.

Deputy Director of Yangon High Court U Ye Lwin told the media that carrying out the executions would be the responsibility of the Prisons Department, after the Supreme Court of Myanmar approves the sentences.

Aung Win Tun appears at Yangon's Northern District Court in February 2018. He was sentenced to a three-year prison term on Feb. 15, 2019 for harboring one of the other men convicted of playing a key role in lawyer U Ko Ni's killing. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy

No death sentences have been carried out in Myanmar since 1988. Currently, there are over 100 people awaiting execution.

U Nay La said in his interview with The Irrawaddy that those who are sentenced to death typically have their sentences commuted to an indefinite jail sentence, then, when another amnesty is granted, their sentence is commuted to 20 years in prison, which is considered life imprisonment in Myanmar. Then, in labor camps, their sentence is reduced again through the parole process, he said.

For this reason, he said, those who are sentenced to death don't really fear execution "and can eat well and stay at ease in prison as the maximum jail sentence the convicts on death row face is just 10 to 15 years".

The post Two Sentenced to Death for Killing NLD Lawyer U Ko Ni appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Latest Refugees From Myanmar Stranded in Bangladesh, Volunteer Group Says

Posted: 15 Feb 2019 01:47 AM PST

YANGON — More than 200 refugees who have fled the fighting in Chin State between the Myanmar military and Arakan Army (AA) and taken shelter in Bangladesh are receiving no government support and being ordered to leave, according to a volunteer aid group.

The ethnic Chin, Khami, Mro and Arakanese left their homes in the villages of Kin Ta Lin and Kha Maung Wa, in Chin State's Paletwa Township, on Feb. 3.

"Border Guard Bangladesh said it would not allow anyone, Buddhist or Muslim, to enter Bangladesh. It asked the displaced people to go back to Myanmar or some other place within three days," said U Win Thein, who leads a Bangladesh-based volunteer group that helps displaced people.

He said officials in Bangladesh’s Bandarban District issued the order during a press conference there on Tuesday. The same day, he added, eight households from among the refugees left for the Indian border and 40 headed back toward Myanmar.

"There is a town called Pi on the Bangladeshi border, and there is a big mountain nearby. Displaced people are staying there, and nearby Mro and Chin villages are supplying them with food. We deliver food to them secretly because we do not have official permission to help them," said U Win Thein.

Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Minister Abdul Momen told local reporters that his government closed the border gates on Feb. 7 so that no more displaced people could enter the country from Myanmar.

The Times of India reported that Border Guard Bangladesh has also deployed more troops along the border with Myanmar.

AA spokesman U Khaing Thukha said his group had found more than 100 people who had fled Paletwa Township and guided them to Bangladesh, hoping the Bangladeshi government would provide them with humanitarian assistance.

On Feb. 8, however, state-run newspapers reported that the AA had taken more than 200 Paletwa residents to Bangladesh, including 38 primary school students, after abducting them.

U Win Thein said the refugees had planned to find shelter elsewhere in Paletwa or neighboring Kyauktaw Township but thought it too dangerous and finally headed for Bangladesh.

"The UNHCR [the U.N.’s refugee agency] went there to help them, but the Bangladeshi government didn't let them. The Red Cross also sent three trucks [with relief supplies], but the Bangladeshi government didn't let them, either," he said.

"I am afraid we will only be able to provide relief supplies one more time. The problem is that we can't go to that area. We are not allowed to go there," he added.

Chin State Social Affairs Minister Pau Lun Min Thang said he had little information about the refugees’ current situation.

"So far we have not received any update about them, and we don't know if they went to Bangladesh by themselves or if they were brought there by the AA," he told The Irrawaddy.

He said the Myanmar military had increased security in Kin Ta Lin and Kha Maung Wa villages and that the state government was taking care of more than 3,000 displaced people taking shelter at camps in Paletwa.

"All the state government can do is help the people who are in trouble. The lives of many young people have been ruined by the fighting. I am sorry for that. We can do nothing so long as there is fighting. I hope peace talks are held as soon as possible," the minister said.

Myanmar's Foreign Affairs Ministry could not be reached for a comment.

Fighting between the Myanmar military and AA has forced more than 1,000 people from their homes in Rathaedang, Buthidaung, Kyauktaw and Ponnagyun townships over recent months.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Latest Refugees From Myanmar Stranded in Bangladesh, Volunteer Group Says appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Slow Progress on Access to Sex Education Frustrates Experts

Posted: 15 Feb 2019 12:31 AM PST

CHIANG MAI, Thailand—It remains a common view in Myanmar society that promoting access to safe-sex resources—by, for example, making condoms available—is a source of shame, and criticism of those who use such resources makes it hard to raise awareness of safe-sex practices, according to public health experts.

Despite being aware that practicing safe sex can prevent sexually transmitted diseases and reduce unwanted pregnancies, many people fail to do so.

The country has seen a limited amount of progress; reproductive and adolescent health awareness programs have become more available as civil society groups, health departments and international organizations including UN agencies are conducting awareness-raising activities.

However, questions remain over the extent to which people, in both urban and remote rural areas, receive such information.

While some people may be familiar with the use of condoms—the best single method for preventing infection and pregnancy—stigmatization and other forms of criticism keep some people from using them, according to Dr. Yadanar, a public health expert and program analyst at the UN Population Fund (UNFPA)'s Adolescent and Youth Program.

"[People] know that using a condom is a good form of protection, but they are reluctant to buy them, as they are shy. Someone might have the information and knowledge, but they dare not use it as there is an environment of blame and criticism toward those who are seen buying one," Dr. Yadanar said.

Thus, greater awareness is needed in regards to safe sex practices, Dr. Yadanar said. She reminded people that trusting a sex partner whose history one doesn't know, and failing to use protective measures, can have serious consequences.

"In Myanmar, people mostly use condoms, but sexually active youth tend to use emergency contraceptive pills. But condoms are the only method that provides protection against both infection by sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy. Some may use the method of external ejaculation, but this still carries a risk of pregnancy. There are still too few people, especially youth, getting access to this sort of information," she said.

Dr. Yadanar, a public health expert and program analyst at the UN Population Fund's Adolescent and Youth Program / Supplied

In 2015-16, Myanmar Demographics and Health Survey conducted a poll of sexually active adolescents aged 13 and above, but concerns about the general willingness of people in Myanmar to openly share information about sexual behavior has led some experts to believe that aspects of the sexual activity covered in the report were underreported.

During awareness education sessions, young people in Myanmar learn about sexualities and sexual behavior—topics that for many are strange and new. But some adults and elderly people fear that educating teens about sex will simply encourage them to become sexually active.

Dr. Yadanar said adults must accept that comprehensive sexuality education is based on a human rights approach, and that learning about sexuality, including the related anatomy and bodily functions, enhances mutual respect.

Additionally, more information needs to be made available to youth outside of the classroom, she said, so that they become aware of the importance of prevention. Dr. Yadanar said this would delay their initiation into sexual activity and lead to a reduction in risky sexual behavior.

According to a 2016 report on maternal mortality, which was based on the 2014 Myanmar population and housing census, there are about 2,800 maternal deaths annually in the country, resulting in an MMR (maternal mortality ratio—the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births) of 282. It is the second-highest MMR among ASEAN nations, and more than double the Southeast Asian average of 140. Unwanted pregnancy is the third-largest contributing factor to maternal deaths in Myanmar.

Myanmar's MMR fell from 580 in 2009 to 200 in 2013, according to UN data cited in the 2013 Maternal Death Review in Myanmar issued by the Maternal and Reproductive Health Division of the Department of Health.

To promote comprehensive sexuality education, UNFPA together with the government launched the Love Question: Life Answer mobile application in late 2017. The app contains information about sexualities, safe sex and contraception, early marriage and unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections and HIV, puberty and menstruation, gender and body dilemmas, drug abuse and alcohol problems, and love and relationships.

More than 40,000 people have been using the app for over a year, Dr. Yadanar said. Among them, youth aged 18-24 comprise the biggest users. This group is generally the most interested in viewing information about sexual behaviors and sexualities, Dr. Yadanar said.

"But when compared to the total youth population, the number of users of the app is still very small, so too few people are accessing the information," she said. There are 23.4 million young people in Myanmar, according to the 2014 census, accounting for 46.5 percent of the total population.

As part of the campaign to raise awareness of the need for sex education, UNFPA also has a campaign titled, "If you don't want to — say no to sex."

"Just say no, if you are not ready or comfortable about having sex," Dr. Yadanar advised youth, adding that forcing someone to have sex without their consent is a violation of their rights and a crime.

She reminded youth that the decision must be their own, and not a result of peer pressure or threats.

"Even if the sex is consensual, they must be aware of the consequences," she said. "To prevent unwanted consequences, do not forget to use a condom to prevent diseases and unwanted pregnancy."

The post Slow Progress on Access to Sex Education Frustrates Experts appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

E.U. Honors Myanmar Rights Defenders, Including Jailed Peace Activist

Posted: 14 Feb 2019 08:53 PM PST

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — The European Union honored three Myanmar peace and human rights advocates, including jailed Kachin community leader Daw Nang Pu, with its 2019 Schuman Awards in Yangon on Thursday.

The other two recipients were peace advocate U Aung Kyaw Moe, who provided humanitarian aid to thousands of families after the 2017 Rakhine crisis, and lawyer U Robert Sann Aung, who often represents victims of human rights abuses.

Daw Nang Pu — a well known advocate for displaced people, gender equality and peace in Kachin State — is director of the Htoi Gender and Development Foundation and founder of the Kachin State Women’s Network.

"She has dedicated her life to helping some of the most marginalized members of the conflict-affected communities in Kachin," said Denmark Ambassador John Nielsen at the awards ceremony.

"Her foundation has rescued, counseled and defended the survivors of sexual violence in conflicts. Through her work, women who lost family members due to decades-long conflicts in Kachin have been empowered to rebuild their lives and livelihood," he added.

Nang Pu was sentenced to six months in prison in December along with two other ethnic Kachin for leading a peaceful protest calling for the rescue of thousands of civilians trapped by fighting between the Myanmar military and Kachin Independence Army. The Kachin communities also honored the trio with Kachin human rights awards this week.

"Nang Pu should be here today to accept this award," said her sister-in-law Nang Bawk, who accepted the award on her behalf.

"She can’t, because she is in prison,” she said. “But Nang Pu shared her words. She thanks the E.U. for this honor even though she thinks she does not deserve such an award. She added that she will keep working for peace in Kachin State whether she is honored with such an award or not."

The Schuman Award — named after former French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman, one of the founding fathers of the European Union — was established in 2017 to recognize Myanmar citizens who foster positive change in their communities and promote democracy, rule of law, peace and human rights.

"The Schuman Award is given every year as recognition of those who dare carry the flame for others," E.U. Ambassador Kristian Schmidt said.

He said the three winners “have decided to speak up for those who have no voice, those who are vulnerable, those demanding respect for basic human rights, not for themselves but for their fellow human beings,"

In 2017 the inaugural awards went to U Aung Myo Min of Equality Myanmar, Janan Lahtaw of the Nyein (Shalom) Foundation, and U Ko Ni, the slain lawyer and adviser to the ruling National League for Democracy.

Last year’s recipients were Ko Swe Win, chief editor of Myanmar Now, human rights activist Cheery Zahau, and women’s rights activist Daw Khin Than Htwe.

The post E.U. Honors Myanmar Rights Defenders, Including Jailed Peace Activist appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

The Healing Power of Painting

Posted: 14 Feb 2019 08:35 PM PST

YANGON—Not many people in Myanmar would swap a stethoscope for a brush. But Daw Khin May Kyi did just that, happily leaving behind a much-respected and well-paid career in the medical profession to become a full-time artist.

"If I had been close to the art sphere, I would have become an artist much earlier—in my youth. Only pencils and paintbrushes can give me pleasure now; I let go of the stethoscope. I served as a doctor for more than 40 years, and I loved that profession too," said the doctor-turned-artist.

One of the works on show at 'Beyond the Red Earth', an exhibition of Daw Khin May Kyi's paintings and drawings at Gallery 65 in Yangon that opens this week. / Supplied

At an exhibition later this month, the 66-year-old will showcase scenes of natural beauty she captured during her visit to see her children in Australia and on her travels across Myanmar.

Entitled "Beyond the Red Earth", her fourth exhibition will open at Gallery 65 on Yaw Min Gyi Road in Yangon's Dagon Township from Feb. 16-18.

One of the works on show at 'Beyond the Red Earth', an exhibition of Daw Khin May Kyi's paintings and drawings at Gallery 65 in Yangon that opens this week. / Supplied

"I'd like to share my experiences about the places I've visited, and I'd like to highlight through paintings how developed Australia is," the artist said.

Her paintings feature the grandeur of ancient churches and urban buildings, as well as peaceful rural scenes in Australia.

One of the works on show at 'Beyond the Red Earth', an exhibition of Daw Khin May Kyi's paintings and drawings at Gallery 65 in Yangon that opens this week. / Supplied

Her brushwork also shines through her depictions of the Bagan and Mandalay cultural zones, rural landscapes and colonial-era buildings in Myanmar.

One of the works on show at 'Beyond the Red Earth', an exhibition of Daw Khin May Kyi's paintings and drawings at Gallery 65 in Yangon that opens this week. / Supplied

 

"[In Australia] most of the heritage buildings can be preserved. Such buildings are hardly ever demolished [to build commercial structures]. And [Australian people] conserve the environment. I wish Myanmar was the same. There are many beautiful places in Myanmar. There are many beautiful places that are not yet known to outsiders," she said.

 

One of the works on show at 'Beyond the Red Earth', an exhibition of Daw Khin May Kyi's paintings and drawings at Gallery 65 in Yangon that opens this week. / Supplied

Over 30 watercolor and oil paints will be showcased at the exhibition, and can be purchased for between $80 and $600.

Daw Khin May Kyi previously held solo exhibitions in 2010, 2012 and 2015, and has also participated in group art exhibitions.

One of the works on show at 'Beyond the Red Earth', an exhibition of Daw Khin May Kyi's paintings and drawings at Gallery 65 in Yangon that opens this week. / Supplied

Her paintings reflect her love of nature and Myanmar culture and traditions, and her rejoicing at others' success and prosperity.

The post The Healing Power of Painting appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Infographic: The Suu Kyi Government’s Performance in Numbers

Posted: 14 Feb 2019 05:58 PM PST

YANGON — Nearly three years after taking office, the National League for Democracy (NLD) has garnered mixed reviews for its efforts to transform the country into a democracy.

While campaigning for the 2015 elections that swept it to power, the NLD published a 20-page manifesto outlining its plans for economic development, constitutional reform and peace.

The administration’s record on economic reform has been mixed. The government has had some big successes, including the release of the overarching Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan, a new Companies Law and some financial and banking sector regulation reforms. However, reform efforts have also been slowed down by some major setbacks, from a weakening currency to high inflation, armed conflict and shifting policies.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) declined significantly following news of the 2017 Rohingya crisis, which badly tarnished the country's image. Western investors have grown increasingly cautious of Myanmar.

Overall trade volume has increased under the NLD—exports especially—though the current account deficit has hardly budged.

Meanwhile, the peace process is faltering and efforts at constitutional reform are just beginning.

Myanmar has also seen improvements in international measures of corruption, civil liberties and political rights, but the arrests of several journalists have sent its press freedom ranking tumbling.

Here, The Irrawaddy illustrates the fluctuations in the country’s GDP, FDI, current account, trade volume, inflation and measures of civil liberty, political freedom and press freedom from the previous administration to the present.

The NLD's economic team, its policies and strategies

The team is playing a major role in the economic policies, strategies and actions of the current government.

The post Infographic: The Suu Kyi Government's Performance in Numbers appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Kashmir Car Bomb Kills 44; India Demands Pakistan Act Against Militants

Posted: 14 Feb 2019 05:44 PM PST

SRINAGAR, India — A suicide bomber rammed a car into a bus carrying Indian paramilitary police in Kashmir on Thursday, killing 44 of them in the deadliest attack in decades on security forces in the disputed region, raising tensions with arch foe Pakistan.

The Pakistan-based Islamist militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) claimed responsibility for the attack. The Indian government accused Pakistan of letting militant groups operate from its soil and called on it to take action.

Islamabad said it rejected the suggestion it was linked to the attack.

Kashmir is a Muslim-majority region at the heart of decades of hostility between India and Pakistan. The neighbors both rule parts of the region while claiming the entire territory as theirs.

The explosion targeting a convoy of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was heard from several miles away, according to witnesses. Mohammad Yunis, a journalist who reached the site minutes later, told Reuters he saw blood and body parts scattered along a 100-meter stretch of the main highway running through the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.

“We demand that Pakistan stop supporting terrorists and terror groups operating from their territory and dismantle the infrastructure operated by terrorist outfits to launch attacks in other countries,” the Indian foreign ministry said in a statement hours after the attack.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the attack a matter of “grave concern.” But in a brief statement early on Friday it added, “We strongly reject any insinuation by elements in the Indian government and media circles that seek to link the attack to the State of Pakistan without investigations.”

Islamabad has previously denied New Delhi’s accusations that it gives material help to the militants fighting Indian rule in Muslim-majority Kashmir. It says it gives only moral and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people in their struggle for self-determination.

The White House urged Pakistan in a statement “to end immediately the support and safe haven provided to all terrorist groups operating on its soil.” It said the attack strengthens U.S. resolve to step up counter-terrorism cooperation with India.

Television images showed a mangled car amid rubble and snow around the site. Reuters photos showed tens of policemen surveying damaged vehicles and one policeman was seen carrying a plastic cover with guns inside.

The death toll stood at 44, a senior police official said.

The Central Reserve Force Police is a paramilitary organization that is working with the Indian military to quell the 30-year insurgency in Kashmir.

“I strongly condemn this dastardly attack. The sacrifices of our brave security personnel shall not go in vain,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet.

Indian forces have sporadically battled Islamist militants in mountainous Kashmir since an armed revolt in 1989 in which tens of thousands were killed, but car bombings are rare.

A video circulating on social media on Thursday purportedly featured the suicide bomber, and showed a young man holding a gun and threatening more attacks. Reuters was not able to independently verify the authenticity of the video.

The Indian foreign ministry accused the Pakistani government of giving the militant group Jaish a free run in Pakistan, saying it has allowed the group’s leader, Masood Azhar, “to operate and expand his terror infrastructure in territories under the control of Pakistan and to carry out attacks in India and elsewhere with impunity.”

The last major attack in Kashmir was in 2016 when militants raided an Indian army camp in Uri, killing 20 soldiers.

Tension with Pakistan rose after that incident when New Delhi said the attackers had come from Pakistan to stage the assault. Pakistan denied any involvement.

Modi under pressure

The attack could put Modi, who faces a general election due by May, under political pressure to act against the militants and Pakistan.

Randeep Singh Surjewala, a spokesman for the main opposition Congress party, accused Modi of compromising on security.

“Zero political action & Zero policy to tackle terror has led to an alarming security situation,” Surjewala said in one of a series of tweets.

Kanwal Sibal, a former top diplomat, said a diplomatic response from India would not be enough.

“They will have to do something, otherwise I think it will be very difficult for government to absorb this blow and [it will] be seen to be doing nothing,” Sibal told Reuters.

The Jaish-e-Mohammad group is one of the most powerful militant groups operating in Kashmir. It was blamed for a 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament that led to India deploying its military on the border with Pakistan.

In a statement carried by the GNS news agency, a spokesman for the group said dozens of security force vehicles were destroyed in the attack.

Arun Jaitley, a senior minister in Modi’s cabinet, said India would retaliate, tweeting that “terrorists will be given unforgettable lesson for their heinous act.”

On Wednesday, an explosion at a school in Kashmir wounded a dozen students. The cause of the blast remains unclear.

The post Kashmir Car Bomb Kills 44; India Demands Pakistan Act Against Militants appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in Tanintharyi to ‘Discipline’ Local Officials

Posted: 14 Feb 2019 05:08 AM PST

YANGON — State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi warned that her government would take “decisive action” against officials who harm the public interest during a trip Wednesday to Tanintharyi Region, where a crowd urged her to sack the local chief minister.

Speaking at a ceremony in Myeik Township marking the birthday of her late father, independence hero Gen. Aung San, she reminded government officials that they work for the benefit of the people and must carry out their duties "truthfully and transparently."

Afterward, dozens of locals waited for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi outside the Pale Yadanar Hall, where she met with local government officials, lawmakers and some residents. Some held signs urging her to replace Tanintharyi’s chief minister, Daw Lei Lei Maw, and planning and finance minister, U Phyo Win Tun, as well as U Aung Soe, who chairs her party’s regional committee.

Those who attended the meeting also complained that the regional government was inefficient, being mismanaged and losing public support. Daw Lei Lei Maw and the other regional ministers were present.

State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi attends a meeting with local residents in Myeik Township, Tanintharyi Region, on Wednesday. / State Counselor’s Office

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said that she came to Tanintharyi because she had heard of the complaints and promised to resolve them.

"I have come here to discipline the regional government," she told the crowd to loud applause.

In a letter to the central executive committee of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD), more than 100 residents of Myeik and Dawei townships accused Daw Lei Lei Maw and U Aung Soe, who are related, of awarding business contracts and giving a paid government job to relatives.

The regional Parliament also sent a report on public complaints to President U Win Myint and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi last month. The report was signed by 14 regional lawmakers including the Parliament speaker.

The Anti-Corruption Commission has since started looking into the complaints. According to one regional lawmaker, commission members visited Tanintharyi earlier this month and met with both legislators and those who submitted the complaints.

On Wednesday, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said she visited Myanmar’s states and regions to find out what was happening first hand, what problems locals were facing, what the government could do better to help them, and whether officials were doing a good job.

Tanintharyi is the fourth region or state she has visited this year. Since January she has also visited Chin, Kachin and Shan states. While in Tanintharyi, she will also visit Kawthaung and Dawei townships on Thursday and Friday and meet with local residents.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said some parts of the country were developing while others were not, and that she has heard from many people about their needs for better health care, education, water supplies, transportation and electricity and for the return of seized land. She said the government could not solve all their problems overnight but was working hard to address them.

"We have made promises to the public since we were founded,” she said of the NLD. “I’m not sure if the public has forgotten them, but we never forget them. The first promise is national reconciliation and peace and the rule of law."

The state counselor said her administration has also taken the first tentative steps toward fulfilling another key promise — amending the Constitution to create a federal and more democratic government.

"We never make a promise that we can't keep," she said.

The post Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in Tanintharyi to ‘Discipline’ Local Officials appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Gen. Aung San Statues Are Costing NLD Political Support in Ethnic States

Posted: 14 Feb 2019 04:26 AM PST

Disenchantment with the National League for Democracy (NLD) is growing over ongoing efforts to put up statues of General Aung San in the ethnic states—a campaign many accuse the ruling party of supporting. The pushback has been especially strong in Kayah State. Gen. Aung San is a hero to ethnic Bamar, but minority ethnic communities have their own heroes. Ethnic rights activists continue to protest the statues, seeing them as an attempt to destroy their account of local history.

Khun Be Du, a rights activist who led a protest against the Gen. Aung San statue in Loikaw, the capital of Kayah, accused the NLD of exploiting the independence hero.

"Gen. Aung San was a hero, so the NLD is building a statue to appear heroic by association," he said.

However, the party does not respect Gen. Aung San's historic political agreement with leaders of the country's ethnic groups, he said.

"[The agreement] is part of history, so they don't care about it. Today is their era, so they are confident they have done nothing wrong," he said.

Khun Be Du said the NLD's action was unfortunate, as it gained the party nothing while costing them the trust of other ethnic groups.

By continuing to implement the statue plan over the objections of local people, the NLD is generating tremendous ill will among a growing number of people, he said.

Senior NLD leaders have denied that the placement of statues reflects a party policy, or that the central leadership ordered representatives on the ground to implement it. Khun Be Du dismissed this denial. It is the party's policy, he said, adding that the statue campaign is part of a political game by the NLD.

So far, statues of Gen. Aung San have been put up in ethnic states including Mon, Kachin, Chin and Kayah. The result has been to whip up greater nationalist feeling among the ethnic communities. Anti-statue activity, which began in Mon State, is getting more vigorous.

The recent protests in Loikaw resemble those that took place two years ago in Mon State, which drew thousands of people.

Nai Wona, a Mon rights activist, said the anti-statue rallies were a relatively new experience for the Mon, who were not used to protesting. In contrast, he said the protests in Kayah State had a particularly strong nationalist flavor, and warned that they could lead to serious violence.

In Mon State, sensitivity over the public invocation of Gen. Aung San began when the NLD government named a new bridge after him over the opposition of local ethnic Mon. Later, a statue of Gen. Aung San was built in Mudon Township even after Mon community leaders including Buddhist monks came out against it.

The NLD government ignored the voices of the ethnic Mon, and the protest in Mon State in 2017 was not successful. However, Min Latt, another rights activist form Mon State, said the Mon was the first group to show ethnic groups how to fight the NLD government on the issue.

The international community and the majority of the people in the country have a lot of respect for State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her party, the NLD. So, many people in the country did not dare to stand up against her government. However, the ethnic Mon were willing to do it first, Min Latt said.

The Mon's stand against the NLD wasn't successful, but it inspired other groups who wish to oppose the NLD, Min Latt said.

Fond memories of the NLD

Khun Be Du, the activist who led an anti-statue protest in Loikaw, said that when he was living in exile in Thailand he worked with many NLD members and admired them.

"We asked the military regime to release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi together, with one voice," he said.

Khun Be Du is ethnic Kayan (a Karenni subgroup), and chairman of the Kayan National Party. He spent four years in prison after being arrested by the military regime in 2008 for organizing a campaign in his region against the 2008 Constitution.

He said that in 2004 he believed that the country would change politically if Daw Aung San Suu Kyi were in charge.

"We believed she would be able to lay a good foundation for democracy and federalism in our country, which is what we ethnic people need," he said.

However, he lost trust when Daw Aung San Suu Kyi asked ethnic political party leaders to make room for her party's candidates in ethnic constituencies, as she was worried her party would not win the 2015 election.

But, she was not thinking about the ethnic parties' concerns; this is why he stopped trusting her, he said.

When the NLD gained political power, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi showed little tolerance for criticism of herself or her party, Khun Be Du said. For example, Dr. Aye Maung was detained under the NLD government despite being a respected Arakanese ethnic leader.

When the NLD formed a government, it appointed ethnic ministers, but those ministers have no power, he said, adding that they were there merely for show. The NLD has done no work on behalf of ethnic groups since coming to power, he said.

The NLD's current actions do nothing to advance the country's political transition, something they said they would do with the cooperation of ethnic groups, Khun Be Du said. As a result, it is losing the political support of these groups, he said.

Khun Be Du said the ethnic Karenni have no choice but to fight against the NLD. "We have to confront them; this is our only option," he said.  The NLD has the mindset of all majority groups, he said; they do not care about minority groups.

The post Gen. Aung San Statues Are Costing NLD Political Support in Ethnic States appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Military Recovers ‘Important’ Equipment Seized by Shan Rebel Group

Posted: 14 Feb 2019 03:39 AM PST

YANGON — The Myanmar military says it has recovered equipment recently seized by the Restoration Council of Shan State (RSCC) in eastern Shan State.

"They are restricted military equipment — in other words, important equipment for the military. We have got them back," military spokesman Brig. Gen. Zaw Min Tun told The Irrawaddy.

On Tuesday evening, about 50 RCSS members collecting money from motorists on the highway between Mong Ping and Kengtung stopped a vehicle ferrying two military commanders and seized the military equipment on board with them, the military’s True News Information Team said in a statement on Wednesday.

The statement said the ethnic armed group’s seizure of equipment it knew belonged to the military posed a major challenge to creating a lasting peace, adding that the military would take unspecified action if it was not returned immediately.

Brig. Gen. Zaw Min Tun said the RCSS returned the equipment on Wednesday evening.

"Relations will return to normal because we are also working toward peace," he added.

The RCSS could not be reached for comment.

On the Taifreedom website, the RCSS said the military had fired artillery at one of its posts near its headquarters in the town of Loi Tai Leng on Wednesday at noon, and at another of its posts in Mong Tong Township along the Thai-Myanmar border that evening.

The RCSS is a signatory to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement but has not engaged in official peace talks with the government since October.

In December the military declared a unilateral four-month ceasefire effective through April in active conflict areas in north and northeast Myanmar.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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More Than 1,000 Flee Latest Fighting Between Rival Armed Groups in Shan State

Posted: 14 Feb 2019 02:53 AM PST

KYAUKMAE, Shan State — More than 1,000 residents of northern Shan State’s Kyaukme Township fled their homes between Saturday and Tuesday to escape fighting between two rival armed groups, the Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) and Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS).

The families, mostly ethnic Bamar and Ta'ang, fled three villages and are taking shelter at monasteries in the urban center of the township. Most are women and children, as many of the men stayed behind to guard their properties.

"Because I fled my village in a hurry, I could not bring any belongings with me. I grow corn and paddy and I left behind my corn harvest and also my buffalos," said Ma Nan Hla Han, from Pan Lawk Village.

The families said there had been no fighting near their villages before.

Ko Thar Zaw, a Kyaukme resident assisting the families, said people continued to flee Lwei Sa Village on Wednesday.

"Only one-fourth of the people who have fled here are men; the rest are women and children," he said.

"I don't want to see fighting. I want to live a peaceful life. I am not afraid of soldiers, but I am afraid of guns," said Daw Khin Mar Swe, the headmistress of Nanpyin Village.

The Myanmar Red Cross Society, the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, non-governmental organizations and regional lawmakers have distributed relief supplies to the families, but many still do not have enough food.

"We want peace. The places that are suffering [from fighting] want peace the most. Because there is no peace, people are struggling just to survive, not to mention to secure their livelihoods," said U Tin Maung Oo, a trustee of a community-based committee that helps displaced people in Kyaukme.

While the RCSS is a signatory to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement, the SSPP is not.

The two armed groups have clashed repeatedly in Hsipaw, Kyaukme and Namtu townships in northern Shan State since November 2015. The Ta'ang National Liberation Army, another armed group, is backing the SSPP.

According to the groups themselves, the RCSS and TNLA fought about 40 battles in 2018 alone.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post More Than 1,000 Flee Latest Fighting Between Rival Armed Groups in Shan State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Yangon Timeout

Posted: 14 Feb 2019 01:59 AM PST

Amcham February Social Networking Night

This is a useful event for those in and around the Amcham networking circle and those looking to get involved. Make new connections and useful contacts as well as keeping up to date with like-minded attendees.

Feb. 15 | 7 p.m. | Sedona Hotel Yangon | Kabar Aye Pagoda Road | Tickets 20,000 kyats (Amcham members), 25,000 kyats (non-members)

Homage to Nature: Solo Exhibition by Kyaw Nyo

Artist Kyaw Nyo's first solo exhibition will be launched with an opening reception at the gallery on Saturday Feb. 15 at 2 p.m. This body of work is an intricate study of the details and landscapes of nature and Myanmar's native trees using his signature abstract style. The opening will include a demonstration by the artist and children are invited to join in.

Feb. 16 to 19 | River Gallery | 33/35, 37th& 38th Streets, Kyauktada Township

WHO I AM: Identity and Belonging in Myanmar

What does the word identity mean to people in Myanmar? How do they see themselves and their place in society? How do they want to be seen by others? This photography exhibition is the result of a photography workshop for youth organized by The Heinrich Boell Foundation and lead by photographer Yu Yu Myint Than. The images are presented in addition to twelve collaborative portraits shot by French portrait photographer Nico Djavanshir. Opening event on Saturday Feb. 16 at 3 p.m.

Feb. 16 to 26 | Pansuriya Gallery | 100 Bogalayzay Street, Botahtaung Township

Creative Platform Series: Formulating our Future

In this event of the Creative Platform art talk series hosted by The Japan Foundation and Myanm/art, hear a talk by Thai artist and researcher Henry Tan. The artist likes to focus his work on the erosion of individual beliefs and culturally grounded understanding with regard to contemporary technologies of communication and control.

Feb. 16 | 6 p.m. | Myanm/art | 3FL, 98 Bogalayzay Street, Botahtaung Township

YouthSpeak Forum: Women Empowerment Towards Economic Growth

YouthSpeak Forum is a series of events that connects today’s youth leaders with business professionals to have meaningful conversations about pressing global issues. This edition will focus on Sustainable Development Goal 5 which is to ensure women's full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life as well as to give women equal rights to economic resources.

Feb. 16 | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | National Management Degree College | Botahtaung Pagoda Road

The Reasonibilists Live

The Reasonibilists are an up-and-coming young Myanmar band whose music fuses many different elements, with influences including The Smiths and The National. Their upbeat and catchy riffs, combined with a mix of melancholic lyrical themes brings out a unique vibe.

Feb. 16 | 7:30 p.m. | Union Bar & Grill | 42 Strand Road, Botahtaung Township

Trashion to Passion Art Installation 

Organized by Thant Myanmar in association with those behind art gallery Wired on 39 Street, this is a public, interactive art installation raising awareness about plastic pollution in our oceans.

Feb. 16 | 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. | Mahabandoola Park | Kyauktada Township

Maker's Market

By the second edition of this monthly market event, it had already become a sensation. On this third Marker's Market, spend an afternoon or evening with the family or friends in the outdoors and peruse top homegrown locally-sourced crafts, arts, food and fashion. Alala, Swap Up Yangon, Lilla, Nicco, Chin Chilli, Wolf Kitchen, Jamunmai and Sunflower Organic Dye Textile are just a few fantastic local brands that will be there this weekend.

Feb. 17 | 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. | Karaweik Gardens | Kandawgyi Nature Park, Yangon, Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township

Myanmar Entrepreneurs Monthly Meetup

This month's theme focuses on Lifestyle and attendees will have a chance to meet and chat with special guest Lynn Yang Wolf, founder and director of Wolf Kitchen. MMEN is a platform for entrepreneurs and investors to gather, share ideas on doing business in Myanmar, learn from each other on key areas or even form partnerships.

Feb. 18 | 8:30 p.m. | Signature Fine Dining & Garden Bistro | Corner of Kabar Aye Pagoda Street and Kan Yeik Thar Street

World Press Photo 6×6 Global Talent Exhibition

A special exhibition of the World Press Photo Foundation's 6×6 Global Talent Program will showcase stories by each of the six talents from Southeast Asia and Oceania, Africa, South America, Europe and North and Central America in the outdoors for all members of the public to see. World Press Photo encourages diverse accounts of the world that present stories from different perspectives.

Feb. 18 to March 5 | Mahabandoola Park | Kyauktada Township

Four Hands Art Exhibition

This is a duet exhibition by artists Christine Fayon and Htoo Aung Kyaw. The artists use different mediums and though they are not from the same cultural or religious background nor do they have the same way of living or thinking, they have exactly the same aim: to show that art is universal.

Feb. 20 to 24 | OK Art Gallery | North Side of Aung San Stadium, Gyoe Phyu Road

The post Yangon Timeout appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

USDP Proposes Single Amendment to Constitution

Posted: 14 Feb 2019 12:55 AM PST

MAYPYITAW — The Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) has put forward a bill to amend Article 261 of the Constitution that would, if approved, see regional chief ministers elected by local legislatures rather than appointed by the president.

Lower House USDP lawmaker U Thaung Aye, who submitted the proposal, said the change would benefit ethnic minorities.

"This will contribute to national unity, ethnic rights and to freedom and justice," he told reporters in Naypyitaw on Wednesday.

The ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) submitted an urgent proposal to the Union Parliament to form a committee to draft amendments to the military-drafter Constitution on Feb 8. Despite opposition from military-appointed lawmakers and the military-backed USDP, Parliament approved it decisively.

While the NLD is likely to propose a raft of changes to the charter — which grants the military special powers and privileges — the USDP is suggesting just one.

According to Chapter 12 of the Constitution, a bill to amend the charter must be submitted by at least 20 percent of lawmakers in Parliament. Since the USDP lacks the numbers, it collaborated with the military and some ethnic minority parties to submit its proposal.

The NLD constitutes 59 percent of Parliament, ethnic minority parties 11 percent, the USDP 5 percent, and the military — as guaranteed by the Constitution — 25 percent. U Thaung Aye, an ex-general, declined to comment on which ethnic minority parties the USDP cooperated with.

Brig. Gen. Maung Maung, who leads military-appointed lawmakers in Parliament, said he did not know the details of the bill.

Lawmaker Daw Khin Saw Wai, of the Arakan National Party, suggested that her party did not cooperated with the USDP to submit the bill but said it has wanted to change Article 261 for a long time.

"I think the time is right. As the USDP cooperated with the Tatmadaw [military], the proposed amendment should be a success," she told The Irrawaddy.

Article 261 (d) states that the person appointed by the president as the chief minister of a region or state shall not be refused by the region or state parliament unless it can clearly prove that the person does not meet the qualifications for the post.

"Our policy is to change what needs to be changed, and we have begun with what is needed most for the people and our ethnic brethren," said U Thaung Aye.

At an event in October to mark the third anniversary of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement, Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services Snr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing spoke in favor of local legislatures electing chief ministers.

A meeting to form the committee to draft the constitutional amendments on Friday was postponed when the military and USDP objected to appointing its members based on how many seats each party holds in the Union Parliament. They want an equal numbers of seats on the committee for each party.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post USDP Proposes Single Amendment to Constitution appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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