Friday, May 3, 2019

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Military Releases 126 Detainees in N. Rakhine

Posted: 03 May 2019 06:24 AM PDT

The Myanmar military, or Tatmadaw, on Friday said they have released 126 innocent civilians out of 275 villagers from Rathedaung Township in northern Rakhine State whom they have held in detention for three days on suspicion of having ties with the Arakan Army (AA). The military also reiterated that it would take action against those who they claim are either AA members or have affiliations with the group.

Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun, spokesperson of the Military's True News Information Team which held a press conference in Naypyitaw on Friday said, "regarding the [Rathedaung Township's] Kyauktan Village case, we were investigating 275 people, but we found that 126 people have no ties to the AA and thus they were freed this morning."

Six of the detainees were shot dead during detention and eight others were injured in a case in which the military claims they opened fire on the captive villagers who tried to snatch guns from the soldiers, an account which differs to that shared by those at the scene.

All eight wounded detainees are undergoing treatment at the Sittwe General Hospital in the Rakhine State capital. The military said four others are missing.

The brigadier general reiterated that when the military overtook some AA camps on April 28 and 29 near Buthidaung Township, they were informed that some escaped AA members were taking shelter in Kyauktan Village, thus the police and the military forces raided the village and interrogated the villagers on April 30.

"There were cases of deaths on early Thursday morning and our troops on the ground and from the Western Command have returned the bodies to the families and helped with the burials and funeral services on Friday," he said regarding the bodies of the six who were killed on Thursday.

The remaining detainees are, the spokesman claimed, AA members and those affiliated with the armed group according to their initial investigations.

"We will open cases against them at the police station and legal action will follow. If we find out that more people are innocent, we will release them in accordance with the procedures," he said.

In a separate case in Mrauk U, three detainees died during the military interrogation last week. They were among 27 people of Mrauk U's Let Kar Village who were accused of being AA members or affiliates are held captive by the military since April 10.

The brigadier general said 18 of the detainees from Let Kar Village are AA members who participated in the attack on police outposts in Mrauk U on the previous day. He added that five of them are strong supporters of the AA and four of them were suspected to be AA members.

He said the detainees have been transferred to the police station in Sittwe and that cases would be opened against them and legal action taken.

Intensified fighting between the military and the AA in the region had displaced more than 32,000 local residents as of April. Twelve civilians were killed during the fighting from January to March according to government figures and in April alone, nine civilians were killed by the military during interrogations.

The post Military Releases 126 Detainees in N. Rakhine appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Council, Diplomats, Journalists Voice Concerns over Media Crackdown on Press Freedom Day

Posted: 03 May 2019 05:53 AM PDT

YANGON—On the occasion of International Press Freedom Day, the Myanmar Press Council, international diplomats and journalists said Friday that Myanmar is facing challenges in terms of press freedom, and urged the government to allow journalists more access to information and greater freedom to operate.

In a statement released on Friday, the country's independent body for settling press disputes, overseeing journalistic ethics and protecting media members denounced prosecutions of journalists under criminal charges rather than the country's Media Law.

A number of journalists in Myanmar have been sued under the Unlawful Association Act, Telecommunications Act, State Defamation Act and Official Secrets Act. They have been subjected to criminal prosecution for their work by both the government and military. Two local journalists from Reuters are now serving seven-year prison sentences for their investigation into the killing of 10 Rohingya men in northern Rakhine State as part of a military-led campaign that began in 2017. The military also recently sued The Irrawaddy under Article 66(d) of the Telecommunications Act for its coverage of fighting between government troops and the Arakan Army. And last year, three journalists from Eleven Media were sued by the Yangon government for incitement.

According to Athan, a Yangon-based group that promotes freedom of expression, there have been 23 cases brought against the media under the Telecommunications Act and 31 journalists have been put on trial.

Myanmar climbed 20 places in Reporters Without Borders' World Press Freedom Index between 2013 and 2017 but has since slipped and is now ranked 138 out of 180 countries.

The Press Council warned that restrictions on press freedom could lead to a decline in democracy in the country.

"Charging journalists under the Unlawful Association Act, Telecommunications Act, State Defamation and Official Secrets Act at will to sue, detain and sentence is not appropriate for a democracy," the Press Council said in its statement.

"The government needs to create more access to information and freedom of expression for the media to [raise] the country's press freedom index," it added.

European Union Ambassador Kristian Schmidt told The Irrawaddy that it in the EU's view it appears that the courts are being used to intimidate journalists from reporting the truth—something he said was incompatible with the rule of law and the transition to democracy.

"The European Union is concerned about a worrying trend of freedom of expression and freedom of the media in Myanmar, and therefore we join others—and I would say, this is not the foreigners pointing fingers. We are repeating messages that have been conveyed by Myanmar civil society itself, so we simply add our voice of support to those voices of concern," he said.

Netherlands Ambassador Wouter Jurgens said he sees a worrying trend around the world where there is more limited space for freedom of expression for journalists and the media, and this was evident in Myanmar. He called on the NLD government to change the laws—including the Unlawful Association Act, Telecommunications Act, State Defamation and Official Secrets Act—under which journalists have been sued and under which many of the party's leaders themselves suffered for years.

The ambassador also encouraged the military to live up to the promise to transition to democracy that it made years ago by allowing for space for the population, including for journalists.

"They have said time and time again [they plan] to normalize, to be part of a family of states, not to depend on one or two countries but to be a respected partner in the international community. So this is their opportunity to show that what they've said is also what they want, to live up to their own promises that they made to their own population," he said.

Journalists also agreed that the imprisonment and lawsuits against the media simply reflect the true situation of press freedom in the country.

"It's disappointing to see something unfit for a democracy," said Daw Aye Aye Win, a former Associated Press journalist.

"Jailing journalists and intimidating them are threats to a free press. The ruling government doesn't seem to encourage [a free press]," she said.

On Friday, President U Win Myint and State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi sent messages to the Press Council in commemoration of International Press Freedom Day.

The president said that fake and biased news, hate speech and coverage of sensitive conflicts needed to be controlled according to the journalistic code of conduct and ethics because they had the potential to affect the processes of national development and democratic transition.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said freedoms should not be abused in a transitional democracy like Myanmar, lest the country face conflict and instability.

"I solemnly urge all media people to work for the gradual disappearance of dogmatic beliefs and biased views in Myanmar society and for the flourishing [of] habits to promote objectives and logical thinking; furthermore to work for the emergence of peaceful and just societies where everyone has the right to participate in equality."

The post Council, Diplomats, Journalists Voice Concerns over Media Crackdown on Press Freedom Day appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Alleged Official Statement on Aung San Statue Spreads on Facebook

Posted: 03 May 2019 05:15 AM PDT

The chief minister of Kayah State has handed power to state authorities to "protect" a controversial statue of General Aung San, according to a leaked statement spread on Facebook. The statue holds contested meanings among some Burmese and some minority rights activist groups.

The statement, dated April 30, declares Gen. Aung San a national hero, an architect of the country's independence and the father of the Myanmar military, and says that the people of the country built the statue to recognize his struggle for independence. It then delegates responsibility for protecting the statue to state authorities. It was allegedly written by Kayah State Chief Minister L Phaung Sho, and was signed by the General Secretary of Kayah State U Nyi Nyi Min.

Activists in the region, while not necessarily contesting Gen. Aung San's role in Myanmar history, have seen the statue as a symbol of the dominant roles the interests and identity of the Burmese majority plays in the country, to the disadvantage of ethnic minorities. To them, it's also a symbol of what they see as yet-unfulfilled promises made by the assassinated general and the Panglong Agreement of 1947.

The statement was leaked just four days before a second meeting is to be held between local rights activists and the National Reconciliation and Peace Centre (NRPC) over the resettlement of a similar statue in Loikaw, the state's capital. Those negotiations are scheduled for May 7.

Right activists in Loikaw saw the chief minister's statements online but have not yet received any official statement from the government.

Myo Hlaing Win, a leading member of the activist group, told The Irrawaddy his group will bring the leaked statement up for discussion at the upcoming meeting.

"We will respond strongly regarding his statement. He kicked the ball down the road. He did not want to take responsibility and accountability for [building the statue]," said Myo Hlaing Win, adding that the statement could block future negotiations.

The activists condemned L Phaung Sho and his government for the building of the statue, but the state government denies involvement, saying the statue was built by an independent group.

The rights group will hold a meeting in Loikaw on Saturday to discuss future negotiations with the NRPC and how best to respond to the leaked statement.

"We will know tomorrow how we will respond to his statement after our meeting. We really believe that the statement was issued by his government," Myo Hlaing Win said.

Kayah State Minister of Planning and Finance U Maw Maw told The Irrawaddy his government did not issue the statement officially yet. He refused to discuss how the statement, allegedly from his chief minister, spread online.

People in Kayah State held large protest in February asking for the statue to be taken down but the state government refused, offering instead to broker negotiations between rights activists and a pro-statue group. When those negotiations broke down, the NRPC became involved. The NRPC first met with the activists in March, but was unable to bring the two sides to an agreement.

The post Alleged Official Statement on Aung San Statue Spreads on Facebook appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Robbery Victims in N. Shan Claim Perpetrators TNLA Members

Posted: 03 May 2019 03:23 AM PDT

YANGON—A group of armed men on Wednesday robbed a house in Namhkam, in the Muse District of northern Shan State, according to CCTV footage and relatives of the victims, who claim the alleged thieves belong to the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA).

A group of six men in plainclothes came by motorbike to U Soe Thu's home in No. 14 Ward of Namhkam on Wednesday afternoon.

"They handcuffed the two men in the house" U Soe Thu's sister told The Irrawaddy. "We had five or six toddlers and children at the time in the house. Three or four women were hiding on the upper floor. The robbers took money and gold."

Robbers took two gold necklaces, 6.5 million kyats, 2,000 yuan and a mobile phone, said U Soe Thu, who says he was not at home when the robbery began.

When he returned home, he noticed a gunman keeping guard for his accomplices. U Soe Thu then contacted the police and people's militia.

The arrival of the people's militia prompted an exchange of fire before the suspects fled.

"The militia could not shoot freely because we were inside the house, but the robbers shot around seven or eight times," U Soe Thu's sister said.

The victims say the suspects spoke Palaung, the Burmese word for Ta'ang, and claim they were the same persons who abducted one of their relatives about 10 days ago. They accused the group of being TNLA members.

Brigadier-General Tar Bone Kyaw, general secretary of the TNLA, told The Irrawaddy he is starting an investigation in response to the allegation.

"There are many armed groups as well as militia groups at the Namhkam-Muse border [area], and many Ta'ang people are in those groups," he said in response to the claim that the suspects spoke Palaung.

The TNLA is a non-signatory to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) and currently clashes with the the Myanmar Army, or Tatmadaw.

"They were in plain clothes, so it is difficult to identify them, but we are also making an investigation to see if it was done by our members or not," he added.

The victims have opened a robbery case with the Namhkam police.

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The Role of Fake News in Politics, Stability and Elections

Posted: 03 May 2019 02:49 AM PDT

Legislation is being introduced across Southeast Asia to combat fake news in the name of preserving social harmony. In practice, however, it is too often used by long-sitting regimes as a tool to discredit political opponents ahead of critical events such as elections and referendums. As a result, democratic values like freedom of expression and press freedom are directly impacted by legal retaliation to what governments call "fake news" written by their critics.

At the heart of this problem is the issue of trust around governmental transparency, according to James Gomez, director of the Asia Centre, an organization which works to create positive social impact in the region.

A communications and human rights specialist, Gomez explained that there is a lack of trust between long-standing regimes and those who want regime change, better governmental transparency and access to information. Hence, both sitting governments and their critics do not trust each other.

"There is a need to bridge the trust gap in Southeast Asia. Instead of looking for opportunities to build trust, fake news legislation is being used. However, this does not address the root problem of governmental transparency or the lack of access to information," he said.

Today, as mobile penetration rates increase and more people are getting connected via social media, Myanmar is not a stranger to religious or political fake news. Ahead of next year's general election, The Irrawaddy interviewed James Gomez to gain a better insight into the nature of fake news, its political impact and other governments' attempts at reining it in.

How many kinds of fake news have you identified?

Three. First, there is the everyday, non-political fake news, intended to create traffic on the internet or social media through sensationalism. For example, in April 2018 in Malaysia, hundreds of people gathered in front of a local supermarket after receiving messages on WhatsApp that Johor Bahru's crown prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim was coming over to pay for his groceries.

The second type is related to religious and ethnic issues which are often [more] pronounced in multi-ethnic, multi-religious societies. In Malaysia, in November 2018, fake news stirred up racial hatred and riots over the supposed relocation of a local Hindu temple in Subang Jaya. It resulted in two days of unrest, extensive damage to the office of the developer who owns the land where the temple is located, and the death of a Malay firefighter who was lynched by an angry Indian mob.

Third, there is fake news used as political criticism against competing political contenders. In Thailand, a week before the general election in March 2019, a pro-military junta news agency, Nation TV aired a dubious recorded telephone conversation claiming to be a deal-making between Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the leader of progressive anti-military Future Forward Party (FFP), and the fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Understandably, the broadcast is aimed at swaying voters away from the FFP, exploiting the deep-seated fear and hatred against the former prime minister. However, it backfired as Thanathorn himself challenged the authenticity of the clip and the viewers were not convinced and even criticized the news agency for reporting "fake news" that favored the military junta and the pro-military parties.

The use of fake news as a political tool by authoritarian governments against its critics is the largest form of fake news in the region.

Apart from Southeast Asia, how has fake news differed from region to region, i.e. in North America and Europe?

In North America, in the United States specifically, the instances of fake news are related to dubious content produced by foreign sources about candidates' qualifications and political ideology on social media advertisements during the presidential election.

Meanwhile, in Europe, apart from foreign elements meddling in domestic decision-making processes such as Brexit, fake news is disguised as hate speech targeting minority groups and championing the causes of recently resurgent right-wing populism.

In East Asia, fake news concerns China's sophisticated efforts to undermine democracies in the region via disinformation campaigns. In November 2018, ahead of the local mid-term election, Taiwan became a testing ground for China's orchestrated disinformation trying to sway voters from the Democratic Progressive Party which has an anti-China stance and persuading them to lean towards candidates who are more sympathetic to Beijing.

How have the governments there tackled the problem? Do you see any effectiveness in their actions?

Mostly governments deal with the fake news problem through enacting news legislation, but there are differences depending on the national context of each country.

In France, the law is aimed at preventing foreign influence in domestic elections, so it applies to the election period only. During the run-up period, the judiciary can order technological companies to remove "incorrect or misleading allegations or accusations" that are likely to influence voters in the local election. On top of that, these platforms are required to provide full information regarding advertisers promoting content relating to matters of public debate during the election season.

In Germany, the focus is on hate speech distributed via social media. The law targets only social networks that have more than 2 million registered users in the country. It gives service providers a 24-hour period to act after they are informed of "obviously law-breaking material" and, for the more ambiguous cases, this period extends to seven days. The targeted content is child pornography, threats, incitement to crime and incitement to racial hatred, and includes violations of Germany’s strict laws against Nazi symbols and genocide denial.

Recently, there were elections in the Southeast Asian region. Did fake news pose any threats to the polls there?

In Thailand, during the run-up to the elections, most—if not all—instances of fake news took the form of character assassination and overt disinformation directed against the newly-formed Future Forward Party (FFP) and its key leadership, particularly the head of the party Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit. The FFP represents the youth and those who are against the military junta, so it has been subject to a myriad of disinformation campaigns seemingly coming from the military and the conservative right-wing factions. Ironically, the main legislation that deals with the fake news problem is the vaguely-worded Computer Crime Act (CCA), which the military regime has employed to press charges against Thanathorn and other FFP leaders both during and after the election period. In short, in Thailand, the State itself is the purveyor of fake news.

In Indonesia, weeks before the 2019 general election in April, there was a sharp increase in fake news and disinformation. The Ministry for Communication and Information Technology of Indonesia revealed more than 700 election-related hoaxes in March 2019. Still, the post-election period remains a battle over truth as the official results will only be announced on May 22. Even though the incumbent President Joko Widodo emerged victorious in the first count, his contender former General Prabowo Subianto declined to accept the results. Prabowo threatened to mobilize his supporters and form a fact-checking team to prove what was alleged to be a "structured, systematic and massive network of fraud" in the recent election. In the country where trust in traditional media is low, and the military has historically and traditionally enjoyed popular support, Prabowo's refusal to use proper, available-at-hand legal mechanisms, instead projecting his views of electoral fraud, could prove to be fatal to the social cohesion.

Myanmar has been faced with fake news, especially on religion, race and politics. How is it different from other regional countries?

Myanmar is one of three countries in ASEAN—the two others being Indonesia and Malaysia—where fake news or hate speech related to ethnicity and religion is prevalent and high. In all three countries, the common thread is that there is a major dominant religion and hardliners, through an appeal to nationalism, spread hatred via social media against minorities. However, in Myanmar, this phenomenon is connected historically to the state of fake news against minorities which is well entrenched before the arrival of the internet and social media. For a long time, Myanmar has been under the yoke of fake news, propaganda and unverified information about its minority communities that has been spread through state-controlled media, faith-based teachings, trainings for all government officials as well as through educational institutions which parents then pass onto their children.

During this pre-internet period, minorities faced everyday structural discrimination within the state system. This misinformation has now spilled over onto social media. Even before the wider adoption of Facebook, inappropriate remarks against minorities were being circulated via Viber during its early use. The challenge that social media poses is that hate speech becomes viral and rises into a frenzy. As a result, this shifts the impact on minority communities from structural discrimination to a risk of experiencing physical violence.

Myanmar will also have an election next year. Based on what you have seen in other countries, what are your predictions on the impact of fake news on the country's election? 

For Myanmar, there is a two-part timeline that observers need to note.

The first part is the next 18 months in the run-up to the elections. During this period internet penetration will likely cross 50% (39% as of now) and most users will be on social media such as Facebook with an increasing uptake of WhatsApp. Those without internet or social media access will be able to get information from these platforms by word of mouth from family members and friends. Independent media is likely to come under further attack with journalists and media owners being penalized leading to either self-censorship, journalists changing vocation or media companies shutting down. Like elsewhere in the region, legislation in the name of promoting harmony will be rolled out to deal with fake news that spreads hatred. However, indictments will largely be aimed at critics of the State including independent media as well as international NGOs and the UN. Fake news will be used by all sides to bolster their political position, even if it means some quarters will try to garner support from religious hardliners. In short, the next 18 months will see an evolution in the media landscape making the Myanmar elections also a media election. The face of Myanmar media is likely to be very different after the elections.

We also need to factor in a second timeline of at least six months after the elections. Again, as elsewhere in the region, results may be contested and this will lead to political uncertainty and disquiet. During this time, we can also expect governmental fake news to spike as the immediate past administration will try to explain the situation. If there is a regime change, the loser might also mount a post-election campaign using fake news. We could also see the disqualification of candidates, the overturning of election results and dissolution of political parties as has happened elsewhere in the region.

What is the role of independent media in the fight against fake news? Is it the most effective tool or are there any better alternatives?

Independent media alone cannot fight fake news. Different stakeholders need to develop a broad-based coalition that goes beyond the electoral timeline. It needs to include stakeholders involved in fact-checking, media literacy, the promotion of quality journalism, technology companies and government. There should also be legislation on access to information. If efforts are singular and sectoral and limited to an election cycle, such measures will not be holistic nor effective.

The key issue is to bridge the trust gap between the existing regimes and those who want regime change to introduce governmental transparency or access to information. Presently there is a stalemate. This is the challenge for Myanmar.

The post The Role of Fake News in Politics, Stability and Elections appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Makers Market Focuses on Handmade Goods from Local Artisans

Posted: 03 May 2019 01:13 AM PDT

Held on the first Sunday evening of every month, the Makers Market brings together the finest local brands including handmade arts and crafts, food vendors, designer fashion brands, hands-on craft activities, music and nightlife.

The market offers a great opportunity to discover outstanding locally made products in one place and a chance to meet with artists, designers and craftspeople in person.

Among the interesting products to be found at the Makers Market are rattan baskets and boxes, cotton blouses, coconut shell crafts, handmade bamboo mugs and many others.

Goods crafted from coconut shell are for sale at the Makers Market, which is held on the first Sunday of every month.

"The main purpose is to promote local products and help the local artisan community. And the event is plastic-free, because we want to create awareness among the public of the need to avoid plastic," said Ma Kye Mon Lwin, one of the organizers of the Makers Market and founder of Organic Valley.

The market is restricted to locally made products. So, rule number one for those wishing to participate is that all products must be locally made, she said.

"Number two is that it's a plastic-free event, so vendors must prepare non-plastic packaging, or visitors can bring their own shopping bags. And the products must be the artisans' own creations, and unique," she added.

Artisans D’Inle, handmade arts and crafts

This means no handmade or mass-produced goods are accepted; this is one of the main draws of the market.

The market opens in the evening and includes several small bars. Ma Kye Mon Lwin said, "Promoting local products is the main purpose, but we also want to create an event that will become a popular spot for a night out. That's why it includes a few bars."

Prior to establishing the Makers Market, Ma Kye Mon Lwin was a volunteer organizer at the Yangon Farmers' Market (YFM), which sells organic and naturally made products.

Bamboo mugs, containers and other products are sold at the market.

"I was selling my products from Organic Valley at YFM, and then I became part of the team. I met two other friends from Kokkoya Organic Farm who have the same mindset and goals as me. The three of us started planning to make the Makers Market happen," she said.

YFM is mainly focused on organic and naturally made foods and vegetables. After eight months, the three women discovered that there were a lot of handmade arts, crafts, fashion brands and many other things produced locally.

"So, we wanted to create a market where all these could be found under one roof; we launched the Makers Market and this coming May 5 will be the fifth time [it has been held]," she said.

Rattan baskets and tissue boxes are displayed at the market.

Initially, she connected with other brands to become part of the market, which started with about 60 vendors, and they got a lot of attention from many local small businesses.

"I'm didn't sell my products at the market at first. Then, I met with the owner of the Inle Princess Hotel. They have artisan village projects that sell handmade arts and crafts produced by people from Inle. So I want to help those artists and started discussing ideas with them about new things they could make, and so on. Now, I help and collaborate with them and bring handmade products from Inle to the Makers Market."

She discovered that unfortunately many local artisans are still relying on foreigners because they don't have a lot of knowledge of how markets work or have creative ideas for marketing their products.

The fourth Makers Market is busy with visitors at the Karaweik Garden.

However, she added that, "Most of the foreigners helping local artists are from NGOs. So that's good and I hope local people can learn many things from them."

Before launching the market, the organizing team posted criteria for participating, along with invitations to vendors to submit applications, on the Makers Market Facebook page.

"Our criteria are simple. We don't choose many similar products. For example, the number of clothing designers might be limited to two or three," Ma Kye Mon Lwin said.

Handmade necklaces and accessories

She added, "The shops are not the same every month. It's always changing."

So, if you are a lover of handmade arts and crafts or interested in locally made products, the fifth Makers Market will be held on May 5 on Kantawgyi Myawsin Island in Yangon's Karaweik Garden.

The Makers Market is open from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., so you can catch the amazing sunset while browsing a fine selection of locally made products.

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Central Bank Cautions Public on Digital Currencies

Posted: 02 May 2019 11:40 PM PDT

YANGON—The Central Bank of Myanmar warned against the use and trade of digital currencies and cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, saying the buying, selling or exchange of digital currency can lead to losses on the consumer’s side.

On Friday, the Central Bank released a statement saying it is the sole issuer and supervisor of the domestic currency after a series of scams targeted people who lack experience and understanding of cryptocurrencies.

Digital currencies, including cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC), Litecoin (LTC), Ethereum (ETH) and Perfect Money (PM), are being traded on personal Facebook accounts and websites and used as payments for individual use or services, the Central Bank said.

The Central Bank have not authorized the use of digital currencies, nor do they allow any organization to the trade in cryptocurrencies or digital currencies in Myanmar.

Cryptocurrencies are virtual currencies that do not exist in a physical form. They are not backed or regulated by any central bank. The decentralized control of each cryptocurrency relies on distributed ledger technology, typically a blockchain, that serves as a public financial transaction database.

Myanmar has no specific mechanism or legal framework to regulate cryptocurrencies. However, the coins' promoters have introduced various ways to invest in them.

U Than Lwin, senior advisor to Kanbawza Bank Ltd (KBZ) and former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Myanmar, told The Irrawaddy there are three main reason why investing in cryptocurrencies should be avoided—the volatility of crypto markets, the difficulty in taking legal action in cases involving the currencies and the lack of consumer protection.

"The price is unstable all the time. Trading cryptocurrencies could result in losing everything you invested in them. It's like gambling," said U Than Lwin.

"Since it is a digital currency without physical form, there are many limits to imposing regulations on it. You won't get help through legal action. People should be very careful before investing in it." he added.

Last year, the Ministry of Home Affairs also warned against trading in cryptocurrencies, including in Bitcoin, after a wave of scams in Myanmar. The ministry warned that the coin promoters targeted people in rural areas who are uninformed about the market. It said cryptocurrencies are "unstable" and require careful study. It advised against investing in such currencies.

Cryptocurrencies came to popular attention with the inception of Bitcoin in 2009. The lack of regulation in cryptocurrency networks has been criticized as enabling criminals who seek to evade taxes and launder money. Transactions involving such cryptocurrencies are independent from formal banking systems, making tax evasion simpler.

Bitcoin itself is often targeted by cyber hackings and thefts, which cost billions of dollars a year. In 2014, the world's then-largest Bitcoin exchange, Mt. Gox, declared bankruptcy after losing US$473 million (720 billion kyats) of customers' bitcoins to cyber theft. In January and June 2018, Tokyo-based Coincheck and the Korean exchange Coinrail were hacked and lost $400 million and $37 million worth of cryptocurrency respectively. The thefts triggered falls in the values of all major cryptocurrencies.

The post Central Bank Cautions Public on Digital Currencies appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Sermon Canceled Over Concern Nationalist Monk Could Stir Trouble

Posted: 02 May 2019 11:31 PM PDT

CHIANG MAI—Thai authorities in Phuket, in the far south of the country, have banned a sermon by the ultranationalist monk U Wirathu, scheduled to be held this Friday evening.

Myanmar migrant worker communities in Phuket usually organize the Dhamma sermons with Buddhist monks from Myanmar; this is the first time such an event has been prohibited, according to migrant worker advocacy groups.

When an invitation for the sermon went viral on Facebook, both supporters and opponents of the event were active in the comments sections, raising eyebrows among Thai security officials in Phuket, said U Htoo Chit, director of the Phang-nga-based Foundation for Education Development, in southern Thailand.

U Wirathu is widely known for promulgating hate speech targeting non-Buddhist religions as the leader of the 969 movement—a Burmese nationalist campaign targeting Muslims and Muslim-owned businesses in Myanmar. Many Myanmar migrant workers have voiced concern that his talk could incite tensions among different religious groups, especially between Buddhists and Muslims.

U Htoo Chit reached out to Thai religious and national security officials about the matter, who told him on Thursday that authorities had decided not to allow the sermon, he said.

"The Thai security committee (in Phuket) said they banned the sermon as U Wirathu is a monk who could be a problem. They said they would allow any other monks who are not as problematic as him," said U Htoo Chit.

Opinon in Phuket's Myanmar migrant communities remain divided.

"Some [migrant workers] groups…are concerned for any trouble that could follow his talk, as Phuket hosts many Thai Muslims and many Myanmar Muslims workers," U Htoo Chit said. "If anything happens, the migrant workers from Myanmar would be the ones to suffer."

But Ko Hein Thu, who helps arrange the regular Dhamma talks, said the service was canceled not because of Thai authorities but because of strong opposition to U Wirathu there.

"It is not because of the Thai authorities. There are people who like the Sayadaw (senior monk, U Wirathu), and those who don't. We told his followers that the service was canceled if many people do not want (him speaking here)," he said.

Ko Hein Thu said organizers hold the religious talks almost every month and do not restrict any particular monk.

"We could not say what would possibly happen, but we were planning to request the Sayadaw not focus on politics, and focus on the Dhamma talk only,” said Ko Hein Thu.

But Myanmar community groups are worried that the mere arrival of U Wirathu, notorious for stirring up anti-Muslim sentiments in Myanmar, might be asking for trouble, especially in Phuket, where there are more than 200,000 registered Myanmar migrant workers, both Muslims and Buddhists.

"When we saw the invitation on Facebook, we were also asked by Phuket security personnel about the monk. His photo and background are easy to find on Google, many of which are not good," said U Aung Naing, the director of the Andaman Friendship Association, a migrant rights group based in Phuket. "For me, I think this religious talk should not happen, because he is a problematic monk. If something happened, we, the migrant workers, would have to face the consequences. Thus, we object; we do not want any trouble for respectful monks at these events in the future."

Myanmar migrant workers should follow any Thai rules and regulations and should cooperate with local authorities if they have plans to hold religious talks, urged U Htoo Chit, who said Thai authorities say they are not prohibiting the normal religious talk in the future, just this one involving a preacher who may bring trouble.

The post Sermon Canceled Over Concern Nationalist Monk Could Stir Trouble appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Malaysia Frees Vietnamese Woman Accused of Killing N. Korean Leader’s Half-Brother

Posted: 02 May 2019 10:08 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR—A Vietnamese woman who spent more than two years in a Malaysian prison on suspicion of killing the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was freed on Friday, her lawyer said.

Doan Thi Huong, 30, was charged along with an Indonesian woman with poisoning Kim Jong Nam by smearing his face with liquid VX, a banned chemical weapon, at Kuala Lumpur airport in February 2017.

Malaysian prosecutors dropped a murder charge against Huong last month after she pleaded guilty to an alternate charge of causing harm. Huong will return to Vietnam later on Friday, her lawyer, Hisyam Teh, told Reuters.

Huong was taken into immigration custody immediately after her release from prison and will remain there before boarding a flight to Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital.

Teh said his client may speak at a brief news conference before boarding her flight.

“In the event she is unable to talk to media I will read out a statement from her,” he said.

Huong’s co-accused, Siti Aisyah, was freed in March after prosecutors also dropped a murder charge against her.

South Korean and U.S. officials have said the North Korean regime had ordered the assassination of Kim Jong Nam, who had been critical of his family’s dynastic rule. Pyongyang has denied the allegation.

Defense lawyers have maintained the women were pawns in an assassination orchestrated by North Korean agents. The women said they thought they were part of a reality prank show and did not know they were poisoning Kim.

Four North Korean men were also charged but they left Malaysia hours after the murder and remain at large.

Malaysia came under criticism for charging the two women with murder—which carries a mandatory death penalty in the Southeast Asian country—when the key perpetrators were still being sought.

The post Malaysia Frees Vietnamese Woman Accused of Killing N. Korean Leader’s Half-Brother appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

From Beans to Gooseberry, Rice-Mad Myanmar Eyes Healthier Diet

Posted: 02 May 2019 09:50 PM PDT

THAR YAR SU, Myanmar—Opening the lid of her rice cooker, a luxury bought when power finally came to their village in central Myanmar three years ago, Tin Aye scooped out two fat ladles for breakfast.

“I cannot go without eating rice. Since the start of the day, all my stomach asks for is rice,” said the 52-year-old mother of three, laughing.

Myanmar is a nation obsessed with rice.

Its people eat an average of 155 kilos a year, according to a 2016 survey by the country’s rice federation and Yezin Agricultural University, ensuring Myanmar has one of the world’s highest rates of rice consumption.

For half a century, successive leaders anchored agriculture policies on rice. The government used loans, infrastructure, and services to farmers to push them to grow it and people to eat it, so rice is now woven into the fabric of daily life.

In place of “hello,” people greet each other by asking, “Have you had rice?”

It wasn’t always this way in Myanmar, where diets were once seasonal, diverse—and much healthier.

But a rice-centric policy that began in the 1960s during the socialist era led people to grow and consume more, said Tin Htut Oo, who has worked in the agricultural ministry and chaired an advisory body to the government.

“Our diets, especially in urban areas, are getting like Western diets. It has become more monotonous,” he said.

Rice—a starchy, high-calorie grain—accounted for at least a third of cultivated land in 2017/18 and nearly two-thirds of diets, government data shows.

But faced with malnutrition and worsening obesity and dietary-related diseases, the Southeast Asian nation of 54 million people is trying to diversify what it grows and eats.

Smart future

The problem is not Myanmar’s alone.

Experts say if the world is to fight a growing malnutrition crisis, agriculture must shift from producing calories, through staples such as rice, to growing nutrients, such as fruits, nuts, vegetables and pulses.

Poor diet has overtaken smoking as the world’s biggest killer, according to the latest Global Burden of Disease study, causing 20 percent of deaths globally in 2017.

Myanmar has embarked on a five-year nutrition plan to alter the nation’s eating habits, which includes the need to diversify the nation’s agriculture so consumers can access a varied food basket and farmers can increase their incomes.

This includes growing pulses, vegetables and fruits, using better fertilizer and improving livestock production, Kyaw Swe Lin, director-general at the agricultural ministry’s planning department, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

It would also increase incomes in a country where two-thirds of households work in agriculture and are struggling to get by.

Decades of isolation and economic sanctions have affected food quality, safety and nutrition—and reversing this requires outside help, said Kyaw Swe Lin.

In February, Myanmar’s government signed an agreement with the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), with agricultural diversification as a major goal.

Myanmar observers—from aid workers to economists—said poor infrastructure, resistance to change, laws that encourage rice production and insecure land tenure all pose challenges.

But Kyaw Swe Lin said there was no other choice.

“If we don’t tackle this now, the impact is going to be very big and very negative.”

Government support

Myanmar’s emergence from nearly half a century of iron-fisted military rule less than a decade ago brought glitzy malls, smart phones, fast food and Western hotel chains.

Yet for the country’s women and children, particularly in ethnic and border areas, malnutrition persists.

One in four children under five and one in four adolescent girls are stunted due to chronic undernutrition, according to a government survey.

One in three adolescent girls are anemic, mainly due to iron deficiency, while more than one in five women are overweight, said the report, published in February.

All of this “poses severe risks to diabetes, hypertension and overall health,” said Anna-Lisa Noack, FAO’s food security and nutrition policy specialist in Myanmar.

A lack of diversified diets is a significant factor.

Emerging evidence suggests more than half the population cannot afford nutrient-rich foods, while consumption of oil, sugar and processed foods is increasing, she said.

In Myanmar, many of the 18,000 plant species so far recorded could be highly nutritious but are neglected, Min San Thein, deputy director at the agricultural ministry, wrote in a report.

One of them is zee phyu thee—Burmese gooseberry—which grows wild in the forests and is rich in vitamin C but is not cultivated, he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

“Nowadays, if you go to villages, you won’t see these trees anymore,” said Min San Thein, who heads the Myanmar Seed Bank.

There are now plans to breed and distribute them in villages, but much more needs to be done to conserve, use and raise awareness of such species to fight malnutrition, he said.

The Seed Bank is also working to expand its conservation work to reflect Myanmar’s rich biodiversity, he added. Currently, more than half of the 13,000 seeds stored are rice.

Education and innovation, including new ways of consuming protein-laden beans and pulses, are key, said Tin Htut Oo, who now heads the agriculture group in Myanmar’s Singapore-listed conglomerate Yoma Strategic Holdings.

Farmers, however, have voiced reluctance to grow other crops, citing government support for rice.

“We get loans of 150,000 kyats (US$99) per acre for rice. We don’t get it for other crops,” said Kyaw Lin, Tin Aye’s husband.

Another barrier to growing nutrient-rich but perishable fruits and vegetables is the lack of infrastructure such as refrigeration and transport networks, said Debbie Aung Din, whose company Proximity Designs make low-cost farm products.

Tin Aye, the farmer in Thar Yar Su, has no intention of cutting her rice intake but said many villagers, herself included, have started to eat more vegetables after reading warnings about bad diets on social media on their smart phones.

“There is more knowledge and awareness now,” she said.

The post From Beans to Gooseberry, Rice-Mad Myanmar Eyes Healthier Diet appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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Thursday, May 2, 2019

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Army Says 6 Villagers Shot Dead in Detention in N. Rakhine

Posted: 02 May 2019 08:01 AM PDT

YANGON—Six villagers from northern Rakhine State's Rathedaung Township were shot dead while in Army detention at around 2.00 a.m. on Thursday, while eight others were wounded and four were missing, according to the Myanmar Army.

The shooting took place in Kyauk Tan village, situated 17 km north of the Ratheadung urban area.

Those killed and wounded were among 275 people temporarily held by the Army at a government school in the village since Tuesday. The Office of the Commander-in-Chief announced the detention on the same day, saying that men aged between 15 and 50 in Kyauktan village were held on suspicion of having ties with the Arakan Army (AA).

Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun from the Tatmadaw (Military) Information Team confirmed the deaths of six villagers and injuries to eight others to The Irrawaddy on Thursday. He said the Army had no choice but to open fire on the detainees as they tried to snatch guns from the soldiers.

On Thursday evening, the military information team released another announcement on the incident, mostly identical to what Brig-Gen. Zaw Min Tun told The Irrawaddy but with the addition that four people were missing.

"Around 1 a.m., some [detainees] started to get wild, shouting at the security forces and attempting to attack them. We issued some warnings, including firing some warning shots. But it was in vain. They even tried to snatch the security forces' weapons. So, the security forces finally opened fire," he said.

The brigadier general said the Army overtook some AA camps on April 28 and 30 near Buthidaung Township. He added the Army was informed that some escaped AA members were taking shelter at Kyauktan village, and interrogated 275 men, assuring them that if they had no ties with the AA they would be released.

As of Thursday afternoon, all eight wounded had been taken to the General Hospital in Sittwe, Rakhine State's capital. But the bodies of those killed were still in the village and villagers were under interrogation, according to some locals.

A schoolteacher from Kyauk Tan village said dozens of soldiers came into the village at around 10 a.m. on Tuesday and then ordered a village official to publicly announce that the Army would be questioning residents.

The village official announced that those aged over 15 must come to the school and if they failed to follow the order, the military would not be responsible for the consequences if someone hid or was found during household inspections by soldiers and border police. Then, about 400 men were assembled at the village school.

Later on, some 100 people aged under 15 and above 60 were released.  Until evening, the situation was calm but at around 2.00 a.m., the villagers were awoken by gunshots and some artillery explosions.

A schoolteacher said, "We clearly heard about 20 gunshots in the school at night and some very loud screaming of villagers was heard from there."

At 11 a.m. Thursday morning, the Army allowed wounded persons to be transported for medical treatment. At around 12 a.m., patients were transported by boat to Zay Di Pyin model village's hospital for emergency care. They were expected to be brought to Sittwe Hospital in the afternoon.

Zay Di Pyin villager Zaw Myo Tun helped the wounded patients at his village and live-streamed the situation.

One patient whose abdomen was wrapped in a bandage said that while detainees were sleeping in the middle of the school sports pitch, a detainee who had been scared by the detention jumped over the fence and escaped. Soldiers fired at the man and more than 200 detainees stood up to see what was happening. Unexpectedly, soldiers surrounded them from both sides and fired into the crowd.

The Irrawaddy was unable to reach any eyewitnesses by phone on Thursday.

The schoolteacher said that as of 10 a.m. this morning, dozens of soldiers were stationed in the village. Emergency rescue teams, including members of the International Red Cross (ICRC) as well as lawmakers, have been banned from entering the village to pick up the bodies or patients.

Schoolteachers and multiple sources from the village identified the dead villagers as Zaw Latt, Maung Win, La Phyu Thee, Than Khae Aung, Maung Than Oo, Aung Zaw Linn and Kha Mwee Chay.

In April, apart from Kayuktan village, several clashes happened between the AA and Army troops in Rathedaung Township.

The post Army Says 6 Villagers Shot Dead in Detention in N. Rakhine appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Yangon Timeout

Posted: 02 May 2019 06:12 AM PDT

Silence is Golden Vol. 2 Launch

Silence is Golden is a DVD-magazine about contemporary art in Myanmar since the political changes of 2015 – 2019. Created by curator and artist Aung Myat Htay, the content features video interviews with some of Myanmar's most prominent contemporary artists including Htein Lin, Maung Di, Zun Ei Phyu, Sow Yu Nwe, Maung Day and more. The launch event will give attendees the opportunity to meet some of the featured artists and drinks and snacks will be provided.

May 3 | 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. | The Japan Foundation | No.70 Nat Mauk Lane 1, Bahan Township

Yangon ICT Fair

The biggest companies and players in Myanmar's ICT industry will come together for a three-day fair held this weekend at Tatmadaw Hall. Meet representatives of Nippon, Prolink, Technoland, Vanguard Business Solutions and many more. Companies will offer special promotions on products throughout the event.

May 3 to 5 | 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Tatmadaw Hall | U Wisara Road, Dagon Township

Back to the 90s Party

Dance back to your youth at this 90s-themed party where DJ Eric will be playing the unmistakably cheesy top tunes from the 90s. Bicycle shorts, dungarees and other 90s attire are optional.

May 3 | 7 p.m. | The Penthouse | 8th Floor, Parkside One Building, 271-273 Bagayar Street, Sanchaung Township

Attachment — Art Exhibition by Ma Charm

Artist Ma Charm paints colorful abstract portraits featuring Myanmar women and the theme for this latest exhibition is attachment. Her paintings show attachment in various forms, be it to a pet, possession or person. This is her third solo exhibition and will run over three days this weekend.

May 3 to 5 | Gallery 65 | No. 65, Yaw Min Gyi Road, Dagon Township

Open Workshop at Turquoise Mountain

Witness the Turquoise Mountain artisans create handmade jewelry inspired by Myanmar's rich heritage. This event also sees the launch of a new line of Pippa Small-designed jewelry produced in collaboration with Turquoise Mountain, a non-profit organization which works in a number of countries and focuses on heritage restoration, traditional crafts and related skills and jobs.

May 4 | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Turquoise Mountain Myanmar | 14-16, 21st Street (Lower Block), Latha Township

May the 4th Be With You

This is a quirky Star Wars-themed open house day at Climb O' Clock climbing center. Anyone who comes to climb dressed in Star Wars-themed clothing gets to climb for free all day on Saturday!

May 4 | 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. | Climb O' Clock | 861 Zagar Street, South Okkalapa Township

Together Festival

This is said to be one of the biggest EDM festivals in Southeast Asia and now it's coming back to Yangon for a fifth year. DJs performing on the day include Jauz, Skimm, R3hab, Alison Wonderland and many other popular international acts. Tickets cost upwards of 35,000 kyats (general admission).

May 4 | 4 p.m. to 12 p.m. | Thuwannabhumi Event Park | Thanthuma Road, Thingangyun Township

Makers Market

This is the fifth Makers Market, a popular afternoon/evening event where you will find an exciting range of the finest locally made and handmade arts and crafts, clothing, food and food vendors and get the chance to meet the makers, designers and artists behind the products. Some interesting new vendors at this edition include Studio Art Face Myanmar, Apyone Myanmar Textiles and Moo Chuu Footwear.

May 5 | 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. | Karaweik Gardens | Kandawgyi Nature Park, Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township

Cinco de Mayo Festival at Yangon Yangon

Cinco de Mayo is a major festival which celebrates Mexico's victory over the French empire in the 1860s. Today a bigger event in the United States that at home, this festival is more of a celebration of Mexican culture and is marked with colorful parades, parties and plenty of drinking. In honor of the day, Yangon Yangon has an event with three hours of free-flow Mexican beer, tacos and nachos. Tickets 30,000 kyats (early bird) and 35,000 kyats (at the door).

May 5 | 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. | Yangon Yangon | Sakura Tower, Bogyoke Aung San Street, Kyauktada Township

G Talk Yangon: Touching on Equality 

At this sixth G Talk event, Little Dragons organizers Bradley Edwards and Josh Peck will talk about how their organization works in Yangon to empower youth and promote gender equality, education and youth development through sport.

May 6 | 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. | Hotel G | 5 Alan Pya Pagoda Street, Dagon Township

Standup Asia Live Comedy

Andrew Netto is one of Malaysia's biggest comedians and a famous emcee who is headlining this next comedy event by Standup Asia at Park Royal Hotel this Wednesday. He will be supported by Canadian Brian Aylward and Malaysian Prakash Daniel for a night of giggles. Tickets $8.

May 8 | 7:30 p.m. | Club 5 | Park Royal Yangon, Alan Pya Pagoda Street, Dagon Township

The post Yangon Timeout appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Tensions High Following Mon-Karen Clash at Three Pagodas Pass

Posted: 02 May 2019 06:02 AM PDT

Military tensions have heightened between Mon and Karen rebels over a territorial dispute in the strategic area of Three Pagodas Pass in Karen State near the Thailand-Myanmar border following a skirmish on Monday, according to local sources.

The Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), the armed wing of the Karen National Union (KNU), blocked all roads into Tha Dein Village where the Mon National Liberation Army (MNLA) troops have a military base causing tensions to rise. Both sides have been closely watching the other's movements, with the KNLA calling in additional troops yesterday in preparation for an attack on the Mon group's base.

The New Mon State Party (NMSP) informed the Myanmar military, or Tatmadaw, on Wednesday about the KNLA blocking roads in the area, confining locals to the village, including ill persons requiring treatment at hospitals outside.

According to the NMSP, following their complaint, the KNLA reopened one road.

"They opened one road only for civilians to use but they continue to block other roads in order to stop our troops' movements," Nai Oung Thein, the NMSP's deputy liaison officer, told The Irrawaddy on Thursday.

If the KNLA come inside the village, he said, his army will fight.

"We will not go [out] to attack them, but if they come into our area, we are prepared to fight them back."

A small clash broke out on Monday between the KNLA and the MNLA in a disputed territory where NMSP staff are carrying out a logging project. When KNLA troops came in to stop the logging, the skirmish broke out.

"The main problem is that they accused us of cutting timber in an area where they control. But this is not true—that area is under our control," he said.

In explaining the details on Monday's clash, he said the KNLA offered to negotiate via a local who came to the logging project area. But as soon as he left, the KNLA began firing at the NMSP soldiers anyway.

"They fired shots first and the shells fell near our troops. Fortunately, none of us were hurt," said Nai Oung Thein.

The fighting continued for thirty minutes before the KNLA troops left the area, according to the NMSP. Neither party has reported any casualties following the clash.

Regarding the suggested negotiations on the territorial dispute Nai Oung Thein said he did not know yet whether his party's top level would agree to meet with the KNU.

The NMSP liaison office has attempted to arrange a negotiation session with their opponent's liason office, but invites to the KNU side have gone unanswered.

When The Irrawaddy tried to contact the KNU liaison office at Three Pagodas Pass for comment, the relevant persons were unavailable.

The disputed area been seen peace since the NMSP signed a ceasefire with the Myanmar government in 1995. Both the KNU and the NMSP later made verbal agreements to work towards local development and economic improvement, especially in that area of forestry.

When the NMSP carried out a logging project there in the past, they agreed to give the KNU 400 Thai baht for every ton of timber they harvested. But this time, the KNU did not accept the payment, and instead insisted the area belongs to them only.

The post Tensions High Following Mon-Karen Clash at Three Pagodas Pass appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

With the Bear and the Dragon, Myanmar Military Plays Safe

Posted: 02 May 2019 05:43 AM PDT

Military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing's high-level visits to China and Russia in April demonstrated that Myanmar's once isolated military continues to diversify while keeping its traditional allies happy.

During his visit to China, the message from the commander-in-chief in Myanmar was loud and clear: "Myanmar regards China as an eternal friend and a strategic partnercountry," reads a press release issued by Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing's office as he was meeting with top civilian and military officials in Beijing.

The visit came ahead of State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's visit to China to attend the 2nd Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) forum and, more importantly, send a message toWa rebels as they were holding their 30th anniversary celebrations.

Myanmar needs China's support and understanding more than ever.

More than 700,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar to neighboring Bangladesh since August 2017 to escape a military crackdown triggered by coordinated attacks on security posts in Rakhine State by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army. The UN called the military's actions a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing."

Last year, China voted against the UN Human Rights Council's move to establish a body to investigate possible genocide in Myanmar.

"Myanmar is thankful for China as a good neighbor for its correct stance and standing against the international community over the Rakhine State issue," the commander-in-chief said. Sen-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing also told Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing that Myanmar's military was ready to cooperate on implementing China's ambitious BRI, which he said includes a host of projects that could benefit Myanmar. This statement should appease the Chinese.

But behind the handshakes and smiles between the two leaders, there is uneasiness. (The most recent visit was Sen-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing's fifth. His first overseas visit as commander-in-chief of military forces was to Vietnam in 2011—a move seen by observers as snubbing "big brother" China.)

An SU-30 fighter jet / Scramble Magazine

'External Destructive Elements'

Diplomatic relations between Myanmar and the People’s Republic of China were established in 1950. They remain complicated due to China's economic and geopolitical interest in the country, unresolved border issues and Beijing's backing of ethnic insurgents in Myanmar along the Chinese border.

Underneath the rhetoric during his visit, the really pressing issue between China and Myanmar (which share a border that is more than 2,000 km long) is the powerful ethnic armies stationed along China's border with Myanmar. These groups, known collectively as the "Northern Alliance", are well funded, well armed, resourceful and backed by China.

During the visit, China requested that Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing extend the military's unilateral ceasefire. On Tuesday, the Army announced that the ceasefire has been extended until June.

In a limited edition, 99-page paper released in 2016, the Myanmar military specifically mentioned the military build-up of neighboring countries, and in particular China's involvement with ethnic armed groups along the border, though the paper also lauded China's emergence as a 21st-century power.

In the paper it mentioned "external and internal destructive elements who oppose national reconciliation and the development of border areas."

Sen-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing is no stranger to Chinese and ethnic insurgents along the shared border.

In August 2009, then General Min Aung Hlaing, who was at that time chief of Special Operations 2, led an offensive against one of the ethnic groups in the region, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), forcing over 30,000 refugees to flee to the Chinese side.

The surprise offensive undoubtedly strained relations between the two countries, particularly as the Kokang are ethnically Chinese.

Beijing warned the junta at the time to "properly handle domestic problems and maintain stability on the China-Myanmar border." A headline in The New York Times bore the bold headline: "Myanmar Army Routs Ethnic Chinese Rebels in the North."

Chinese President Xi Jinping receives Sen-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 10. / Commander-in-Chief's Office website

The Kokang are a Han Chinese group, and generally speak Mandarin. The MNDAA is led by Peng Jiasheng, who is believed to be hiding in China or in nearby Wa territory.

The conflict erupted again 2015 when the Kokang rebels launched an offensive to retake their former headquarters, Laukkai.

The Myanmar Army mobilized troops and employed air power to quell the offensive, prompting the Chinese to ask the two sides to resolve the dispute peacefully so that refugees who had fled across the border could return home.

Then-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing claimed he would defend Myanmar's sovereignty by driving out foreign ethnic nationals, specifically the ethnic Kokang Chinese. This no doubt upset the Chinese.

Myanmar's generals have always been cautious in their dealings with China, and Beijing has long been suspected of supporting certain armed ethnic groups in northern Myanmar, particularly the United Wa State Army and the Kokang.

Therefore, the issue of stability along the border with China was discussed during the recent visit. Myanmar promised to ensure stability in border areas and Beijing repeated its commitment to support peace and national reconciliation in Myanmar. But in reality, this is going to be difficult. Ethnic rebels based along the China-Myanmar border have developed not only lucrative trade ties but also patron-client relations with China. The Myanmar military's containment strategy over ethnic armed groups along the border definitely needs to be defined and reviewed.

Toys for Boys in Russia

After his China visit, Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing went to Russia in the same month to attend the 8th Moscow Conference on International Security. Myanmar shares no border with Russia and there are no proxy armies in Russia's pocket fighting against Myanmar; this means the two sides can get straight down to business.

Like China, Russia is not interested in issues of democracy, human rights and press freedom in Myanmar. It is a relationship of convenience between the two.

A rebel soldier of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army places an ammunition belt around the neck of another soldier at a military base in Kokang region on March 10, 2015. / Reuters

During the visit, Sen-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing's delegation visited several military facilities. Russia is currently assembling six Sukhoi SU-30SM fighter jets for Myanmarunder a contract worth about US$204 million (310.66 billion kyats) signed between the two nations last year. Previously, Myanmar bought MiG29B fighter jets and Yak-130 trainer aircraft from Russia. Myanmar also operates Mi-17, Mi-24 and Mi-35 combat helicopters.

At a press conference, Sen-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing praised Russia's military hardware, saying it was "very useful" for the Tatmadaw in key locations in Myanmar.

Upon meeting Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, Russian Defense Minister General Sergey Shoigu said, "I have learned that the Myanmar delegation visited Russian arms manufacturing enterprises and examined their production and manufacturing capacity. Now you have an independent opinion of our capabilities."

Interestingly, Shoigu said Russia considers Myanmar to be a reliable ally and strategic partner in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific.

Russia and Myanmar established ties in 1948, and three years later opened embassies in each other's countries. Like China, Russia also voted at the U.N Security Council to block a resolution on Myanmar over the Rohingya crisis.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Myanmar was the fifth-biggest importer of Russian weapons and aircraft in 2014, spending $20.4 million on Russian weapons in that year. Additionally, Myanmar sends officers to Russian military academies for training. (The Tatmadaw also sends officers to India, China, Japan and Israel.)

China is one of Myanmar's biggest trading partners but trade between Myanmar and Russia is very modest. Russia has invested in the energy sector but Russian businessmen still see Myanmar as a risky market.

However, Myanmar imports machinery, industrial equipment and vehicles, chemical products and metals from Russia and exports rice and textiles to the country.

Myanmar military troops take part in an exercise in the Irrawaddy Delta region on Feb. 3, 2018. / REUTERS

But defense ties between the two are strong, as Myanmar military leaders look beyond China to search for advanced and reliable weapons.

Moreover, Myanmar also sees Russia as a helpful "big brother" to counterbalance the influence of China, India and Western powers. Some observers see Myanmar as a strategic market for Russia, which is eyeing increased arms sales in the region.

Submarines Next?

Interestingly, Myanmar's military delegation paid a visit to St. Petersburg's Admiralteyskie Verfy Shipyard, one of the largest in Russia. There, the senior general and his team studied the manufacture, repair and maintenance of submarines.

It is an open secret that Myanmar's leaders want to acquire submarines, as the country has recently built up its naval capabilities. Over the past decade, Myanmar naval officers have undergone technical training in Russia, India and Pakistan. It is believed that Myanmar generals have been looking at several types of submarines, with diesel-powered models being the most likely option, as they are the best fit for Myanmar's waters.

When the military conducted its Combined Fleet Exercise-Sea Shield 2019 in the Bay of Bengal, Commodore Moe Aung, Navy chief of staff, told the press that Myanmar was planning to buy submarines.

The Royal Thai Navy signed a contract with China to buy a diesel-electric submarine in May 2017. The vessel is expected to be delivered by 2023.

In 2017, the Bangladesh Navy also bought two refurbished Type 035G (Ming class) submarines from China.

Over the past decade, the Myanmar Navy has upgraded its frigates, corvettes and missile boats, and improved its domestic shipyards with help from foreign countries, especially China and Russia. Looking at Thailand and Bangladesh, the Myanmar Navy wants to safeguard its long coastline and foreign and maritime security threats, as well as tackle human trafficking, arms smuggling, terrorism and drug trafficking.

Sen-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing and his delegation view the manufacture, repair and maintenance of submarines the Admiralteyskie Verfy Shipyard in St. Petersburg, Russia on April 16. / Commander-in-Chief Office's website

In 2008, Myanmar and Bangladesh sent warships into the Bay of Bengal amid escalating tensions over a vast disputed gas find. And with growing unresolved migration issues along the border, Myanmar military leaders no doubt see Bangladesh as a threat.

In 2001-02, Myanmar engaged in serious military skirmishes with Thailand on the northern border in Mae Sai-Tachilek.

Thailand scrambled F-16 jet fighters in the border region and successfully disrupted communications between commanders and frontline troops. Myanmar's generals were humiliated and subsequently bought Russian-made MiG-29 jet fighters and missiles, and even sent secret military delegations to North Korea to buy more weapons.

'Guardian of the State'

According to the 2016 defense strategy paper, in which the military outlined its strategies and policies, one of its key goals is to build a strong, competent and modern patriotic force to serve as the guardian of the state. The military has also improved relations with neighbors including Thailand, Vietnam, China, India, Japan and Russia.

The immediate concern Myanmar and the military face is continuing pressure from the West, including sanctions.

This week, the European Union extended an arms embargo and placed sanctions on 14 top military and border officials. Military spokesperson Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun told the media that most of the military's weaponry systems come not from the EU, "but from Russia and China, so Myanmar will not be affected very much."

With Western sanctions on Myanmar remaining in place, Myanmar generals will have zero chance to forge military relations with the U.S., the E.U. and others in the West.

It is true that Myanmar's generals will have to contend with regional and traditional allies. The military is accused of human rights violations while wanting to retain its national political role. It is impossible that the generals will get a welcome reception in the West.

When it comes to the Bear and the Dragon, history teaches Myanmar's military leaders that their best bet is to play safe.

Aung Zaw is founding editor-in-chief of The Irrawaddy.

The post With the Bear and the Dragon, Myanmar Military Plays Safe appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

The Struggle Continues for Myanmar Migrants in Thailand

Posted: 02 May 2019 05:20 AM PDT

CHIANG MAI, Thailand—Myanmar migrant workers and advocacy groups in Thailand have called for their rights to minimum wages, safety at work, better accesses to social security and smoother work permit and visa extension application processes on International Labor Day, or May Day.

While many migrant workers participated in the May Day march in Phang-nga, southern Thailand, dozens more gathered for a discussion event on Wednesday in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai, alongside migrant rights advocates and experts, to share their experiences with the Thai government authorities.

Nang Mya, a Myanmar housemaid working in Chiang Mai, said she doesn't get paid a full minimum wage despite working for eight hours a day.

"I want to earn the daily minimum wage (320 Thai baht in Chiang Mai), but I get 300 baht per day. When I asked my employer [about it], they said they could only give that amount," she said, adding that even though her pay doesn't meet the minimum, her job here earns her more than she earned in Myanmar.

Ko Latt, who works at a shop which sells Buddhist shrines said that even though he earns above the minimum wage, he doesn't receive payment for overtime.

"I have been working in Thailand for six years and I do not get days off for public holidays. If I take leave on those days, I do not get paid. And there is no payment for extra hours after eight hours a day. There is no lunch break either. The accommodation is bad too. If I get sick, the employer would not care and there are no labor rights," he told The Irrawaddy.

Other difficulties faced by migrant workers from Myanmar are higher costs for visa extensions, for obtaining official documents and social security issues, said Pi Thong Khan, adviser in migrant affairs at the Migrant Assistant Program (MAP) based in Chiang Mai.

"They (migrant workers) are worried about what to do when their visas expire next year," she said, saying the window during which migrants must renew their visas is between just 20 and 30 days. Additionally, an inadequate number of one-stop government service centers has led to the centers being packed with thousands of migrants which created more opportunities for brokers to exploit migrants.

To tackle illegal migration and to reduce issues with undocumented migrants, the Thai and Myanmar governments signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in 2009 and since then have introduced a number of schemes to improve the documentation process for those working in Thailand unofficially.

Many Myanmar migrants who had been working in Thailand for decades were unable to travel from one province to another until the government began issuing temporary Myanmar passports in 2009. Then, in 2013, there was a renewed push for migrants in Thailand to apply for regular passports which are valid for five years. To obtain these passports, however, all have to go through a national verification process to prove that they are Myanmar citizens, and to do this they must have national identification cards and household registration documents. And these are hard to come by.

"The passport should be one that migrants can use for a long time, and the cost should be reduced," Pi Thong Khan said, referring to the additional broker fees which migrant workers often have to pay in order to get the help of agents to overcome the complicated application processes.

"We don't want to have to go through brokers, as [we] have to pay them more fees than the normal costs," she added.

Despite these difficulties, as of September 2018 there are over 2.2 million people  Myanmar workers officially registered in Thailand. Myanmar workers make up the highest number of foreign workers followed at some distance by Cambodia (more than 820,000 workers) and Laos (nearly 300,000) who are registered.

Among the 2.2 million workers, those with certificates of identification make up more than one million. Those whose visas will expire in March 2020 are more than 777,000.

Labor rights groups estimate there could be tens of thousands more undocumented, particularly in the agriculture sector, construction and seasonal industries.

Jai Han, a construction worker who has been working in Thailand for 10 years said it would be good if "the Myanmar government could help migrant workers who hold certificates of identity to get official passports with the help of the embassy instead of [them having to go] back to Myanmar."

He also requested for the Thai government "to help migrants access safe working environments, to allow visa extensions for their dependents and to give migrant better work opportunities and not restrict them."

Although there are demands from migrant workers for better labor rights and from labor advocates for better government policies, the visa and passport processes are the same as ever, according to U Htoo Chit, director of the Foundation for Education Development, based in Phang-nga, southern Thailand.

He said he has seen many more Thai employers encourage their employees to obtain the official documents compared to previous decades, but that the government has not yet provided policies to smoothen processes for migrant workers.

Since the 2009 MOU process was introduced, many more in the fishery sector—considered the most exploited sector employing migrants—have become legal. There are now more than 20,000 official laborers working in Thai waters, he added. Last year, the Thai and Myanmar governments agreed to increase employment efforts aiming to hire more than 42,000 workers.

"We explained to the workers that having certificates of identity and going through national verification is good for them, but many of them could not afford the high cost [compared to their wages]," he said.

He added that for those who have had to leave their homes in Myanmar due to civil war and those who are not members of the indigenous ethnic groups, like Gurkhas and Muslims, the troublesome verification processes continue to hamper their efforts in obtaining the necessary official documents.

The post The Struggle Continues for Myanmar Migrants in Thailand appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

11 Years after Cyclone Nargis, Many Are Still Feeling Its Effects

Posted: 02 May 2019 04:50 AM PDT

Eleven years ago today, Myanmar experienced the worst natural disaster in its recorded history as Cyclone Nargis, generating winds of over 200 kph and torrential rainfall, took the lives of some 130,000 people.

The military government of the time declared Irrawaddy, Yangon and Bago regions, along with Mon and Karen states, as disaster areas. The Irrawaddy Delta bore the brunt of the disaster, with over 2 million people affected, including more than 100,000 fatalities.

While the cyclone caused catastrophic destruction, the situation was worsened by the government's failure to undertake real-time search and rescue operations, and its decision to restrict international aid.

While rehabilitation programs were launched, many Irrawaddy Delta residents left their hometowns to make a living in other parts of the country, as the industry that provided their major livelihood, fishing, was destroyed by the cyclone. More than a decade on, many families are still struggling to put the nightmare behind them.

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Township Lawmaker Accuses Hotels of Spoiling Ngapali’s Natural Beauty

Posted: 02 May 2019 04:25 AM PDT

SITTWE—A proposal was submitted on Monday to take legal action against hotels encroaching on Ngapali Beach, in the Thandwe region of southern Rakhine State.

Thandwe Township lawmaker Nai Kyue Aye submitted the proposal, saying that nine beachfront hotels—Aureum Palace Hotel, Jasmine Hotel, Amazing Hotel, Ngapali Paradise Hotel, Hilton Hotel, PVI Hotel, BT Bay Hotel, Memento Hotel and Jade Marina Hotel—have encroached on the sand area on the ocean side of their properties.

Those hotels, he said, have spoiled the natural beauty of the beach by constructing swimming pools, retaining walls, restaurants and security guard posts on the beach next to their hotels detracting from the beach's beauty.

In 2016, Ngapali was voted the top beach destination in Asia in TripAdvisor's Traveler's Choice Awards. Now, it is not even in TripAdvisor's list of top 25 beaches in the world.

According to the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism guidelines on coastal beach resort areas, construction sites must be 50 meters back from the high-tide mark, must avoid building walls or fences that block views of the beach and must not use beach sand.

Of the nine hotels that have encroached on the beach, the Thandwe Township municipality has filed a lawsuit only against the Aureum Hotel, said the lawmaker.

The Rakhine State parliament has approved discussing Nai Kyue Aye's proposal. Rakhine State minister for planning and finance U Kyaw Aye Thein said he would make a field inspection this week.

Rakhine State Parliament Speaker U San Kyaw Hla called for a speedy investigation into the case.

According to the Thandwe branch of the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, Ngapali has 35 licensed hotels and guesthouses providing at least 1,300 rooms to tourists. There are also dozens of unlicensed hotels.

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Thai King Surprises with Royal Wedding Ahead of Coronation

Posted: 02 May 2019 02:00 AM PDT

BANGKOK—Just days before his official coronation, Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn on Wednesday married the deputy head of his personal guard force and gave her the title Queen Suthida.

The surprise announcement was carried in the Royal Gazette, and footage from Wednesday’s wedding ceremony was later shown on the nightly Royal News segment aired on all Thai television channels.

Vajiralongkorn, 66, also known by the title King Rama X, became constitutional monarch after the death of his revered father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, in October 2016 after 70 years on the throne.

He is due to be officially crowned in elaborate Buddhist and Brahmin ceremonies on Saturday, followed by a procession through Bangkok the next day.

In 2014, Vajiralongkorn appointed Suthida Tidjai, a former flight attendant for Thai Airways, as a deputy commander of his bodyguard unit.

Some royal observers and foreign media had linked Suthida romantically with the king, but the palace had previously never acknowledged a relationship between them.

The king made Suthida a full general in the Royal Thai Army in December 2016, and the deputy commander of the king’s personal guard in 2017. He also made her a Thanpuying, a royal title meaning Lady.

Among the dignitaries at the wedding were Prayuth Chan-ocha, the leader of the military junta that has run Thailand since a 2014 army coup, as well as other members of the royal family and palace advisers, the wedding footage showed.

Vajiralongkorn has previously been married and divorced three times and has seven children.

While the king took the throne after the death of his father, his formal coronation follows a mourning period for King Bhumibol, whose royal cremation was held a year after his death.

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President’s €35.7M Hydropower Loan Plan Presented to Union Parliament

Posted: 02 May 2019 01:49 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW—Deputy Minister for Electricity and Energy U Tun Naing presented President U Win Myint's proposal to obtain €35.7 million (60 billion kyats) in loans from the French Agence Française de Développement (AFD), to be used for major repairs on five hydropower plants throughout Myanmar, to the Union Parliament on Tuesday.

The ministry said that hydropower plants, the main source of power production in Myanmar, are short of water due to rising temperatures across the country. The proposal comes at a time when the commercial capital Yangon and other major cities are experiencing frequent blackouts.

"After repairs, those plants will be able to produce an additional 81 million kilowatts in total per year," said the deputy minister.

According to the ministry, the five hydropower plants to be repaired are the Ye Nwe and Zaung Tu power plants in Bago Region, the Mone Chaung power plant in Magwe Region, the Kin Tar power plant in Mandalay and the Thapan Seik power plant in Sagaing Region.

The renovations will be phased over five years and scheduled to be completed in 2024. The loan will have to be repaid in 20 years at an interest rate of 0.68 percent.

Hydropower plants need major repairs every 10 years, according to the deputy minister. However, these five hydropower plants have not been repaired in between 10 and 30 years, and thus cannot operate at full capacity.

Those plants can currently generate a combined 565 million kilowatts per year, but they lose 246 kilowatts per year due to emergency shutdowns forced by mechanical breakdowns, the deputy minister told the Parliament.

Once repaired, the plants will be able to produce 646 million kilowatts in total, he said.

In the past, some repairs required were beyond the former government's budget, said Lower House lawmaker U Thant Zin Tun.

"These works must be done as the NLD (National League for Democracy) government fulfills the electricity demands as [ably] as it can," he told The Irrawaddy.

The proposal earmarks €5.4 million for repair of the Ye Nwe power plant, €3.3 million for the Mone Chaung power plant, €16.4 million for the Zaung Tu power plant, €2.4 million for the Kin Tar power plant, €6.5 million for the Thapan Seik power plant and €1.7 million for the hiring of a consultancy firm for the projects.

"Those plants are like old buildings. Inferior [equipment] was bought [by the previous government] as there was no money," said U Myat Thin Aung, chairperson of Hlaingtharyar Industrial Zone. "The government will earn more [from electricity bills] if electricity can be supplied round the clock. I support repairing with loans."

Lawmakers wishing to debate the proposal are to register by May 3.

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Leave My Country Alone, Sri Lanka President Tells Islamic State

Posted: 01 May 2019 09:46 PM PDT

COLOMBO—Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said a foreign mastermind may have planned the Easter Sunday bombings, claimed by Islamic State, telling the militant group to “leave my country alone.”

Sirisena also warned it may be possible Islamic State had launched a “new strategy” by targeting smaller countries, Sky New said on Wednesday.

A government source told Reuters on Tuesday police and other security forces across the Buddhist-majority country had been ordered to remain on high alert because the militants were expected to try to strike again, before the holy month of Ramadan which starts on Monday.

Sirisena said authorities were aware of “a small group” of Sri Lankans who had travelled abroad to receive training from Islamic State over the past decade.

Investigations revealed the bombs used in the Easter attacks were made locally, the president said in the interview.

The suicide bombings on hotels and churches killed more than 250 people, including 40 foreign nationals.

Police suspect members of two previously little-known groups—National Thawheedh Jamaath and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim—of carrying out the attacks.

On Monday, Islamic State's media network published a video message purporting to come from its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, which would be his first appearance since declaring the jihadists' now-defunct "caliphate" five years ago.

In the video, a bearded man with Baghdadi's appearance says the Sri Lanka bombings were Islamic State’s response to losses in its last territorial stronghold of Baghouz in Syria.

In the Sky News interview, Sirisena said he had a message for Islamic State: “Leave my country alone.”

Sri Lankan authorities have previously said that they suspect the attackers had international links, although the precise nature of those connections aren’t known. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and Interpol, as well as other undisclosed foreign agencies, are helping Sri Lanka with the probe.

Local intelligence officials believe that Zahran Hashim, a Tamil-speaking preacher from the east of the Indian Ocean island country, may have been a key player in plotting the Easter bombings. Officials believe he was one of nine suicide bombers.

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K-Pop Stardom Lures Japanese Youth to Korea Despite Diplomatic Chill

Posted: 01 May 2019 09:39 PM PDT

SEOUL—Yuuka Hasumi put high school in Japan on hold and flew to South Korea in February to try her chances at becoming a K-pop star, even if that means long hours of vocal and dance training, no privacy, no boyfriend, and even no phone.

Hasumi, 17, joined Acopia School in Seoul, a prep school offering young Japanese a shot at K-pop stardom, teaching them the dance moves, the songs and also the language.

She is one of an estimated one million other K-pop star wannabes, from South Korea and abroad, hoping to get a shot at super competitive auditions by major talent agencies that will take on just a select few as “trainees.”

“It is tough,” Hasumi said in Japanese, drenched in sweat from a dance lesson she attended with 15-year-old friend Yuho Wakamatsu, also from Japan.

“Going through a strict training and taking my skill to a higher level to a perfect stage, I think that’s when it is good to make a debut,” she said.

Hasumi is one of 500 or so young Japanese who join Acopia each year, paying up to $3,000 a month for training and board.

The school also fixes auditions for its candidates with talent management companies that have been the driving force behind the “Korean-wave” pop culture that exploded onto the world stage in the past decade with acts such as global chart topping boy band BTS.

The influx of Japanese talent that is reshaping the K-pop industry comes at a time of increasingly bitter political acrimony between the two countries that has damaged diplomatic ties.

That the tension has done little to dent the K-pop craze among Japanese youth, and the willingness by Korean agencies to take on Japanese talent, speak to the strength of the ties between their people, according to one long-time observer.

“They’re nuts about BTS over there in Japan,” said Lee Soo-chul, board member of Seoul-Tokyo Forum, a private foundation with members of diplomats and business executives from both countries.

K-pop groups, and veteran Korean musicians, are selling out concert halls throughout Japan, said Lee, a former head of Samsung Group’s Japanese operations. “There is no Korea-Japan animosity there.”

Deep freeze

Tensions rooted in Japan’s 1910-1945 colonization of Korea have risen after South Korean court rulings against Japanese firms for forced labor, and amid a perception in Korea that Japan’s leadership has not adequately atoned for its colonial past.

But the popularity of Korean culture and K-pop music is on the rise in Japan, with many fans and artists saying they are not bothered by the diplomatic tension.

"I might get criticized for being Japanese, but I want to stand on a stage and make [South Koreans] know Japanese can be this cool," said Rikuya Kawasaki, a 16-year-old Japanese K-pop star hopeful who auditioned unsuccessfully in Tokyo for Acopia School.

For schools and agencies, Japan’s music market—the second largest after the United States and bigger than China—is a big prize and many have been on a campaign to recruit Japanese talent.

“It will be good if Japan and South Korea will get along through music,” Hasumi told Reuters during a break from her Korean language class.

Some Japanese transplants have already made it big. The three Japanese members of the girl band Twice helped make the group the second most popular act in Japan, after BTS.

Their success has prompted JYP Entertainment, the South Korean agency backing Twice, to plan the launch of an idol group comprising only Japanese girls.

JYP declined to comment for this story.

Agency officials are reluctant to discuss their success in Japan and the infusion of Japanese talent, wary of fueling a politically charged backlash, industry sources said.

Hard road to stardom

There’s no shortage of Japanese hopefuls willing to train under talent agencies’ watchful eye, some having left successful careers back home in search of K-pop fame.

“I've heard stories about no free time or not being able to do what I want. But, I think all of K-pop stars who are now performing have gone down the same road,” said Nao Niitsu, a 19-year-old college freshman from Tokyo.

During a visit to Seoul paid for by her mother, herself a die-hard BTS fan, Niitsu auditioned for 10 agencies and was accepted by five.

Debut is elusive, unlike in Japan where it is easier for idols to get a start and then can hone their skills and work on their appeal with the fans.

Miyu Takeuchi said it wasn’t a difficult decision to leave a 10-year career with a top idol band AKB48 back home in Japan to sign with the K-pop agency Mystic Entertainment in March as a trainee.

Even with her experience, she has seven hours of vocal training a day and two-hour dance lessons twice a week, plus early morning Korean lessons.

She is not allowed to have a boyfriend but she says she has no regrets, despite the fact there is no guarantee she will make it.

“I don’t know how long my training period will be, but it has to reach a point where my coaches and management company say ‘Miyu, you are a professional!'”

The post K-Pop Stardom Lures Japanese Youth to Korea Despite Diplomatic Chill appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Thai King’s Elaborate Coronation by Numbers

Posted: 01 May 2019 09:16 PM PDT

BANGKOK—Thailand’s coronation ceremonies for King Maha Vajiralongkorn on May 4-6 will be the first the Southeast Asian nation has seen in 69 years, when the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej was crowned in 1950.

A monarch’s coronation is given the utmost priority in Thailand, where kings have traditionally long held a divine status, and that is reflected in some astounding numbers.

– 1,000,000,000 — Total cost in Thai baht of the coronation ceremonies, equal to about US$31.2 million.

– 69 — Years since Thailand’s last coronation, in 1950.

– 12 — The 12th coronation for kings of the reigning Chakri dynasty.

– Up to 200,000 — The number of citizens expected to line streets in Bangkok to view the ceremony. Millions will watch on television.

– 40,000 — Security personnel deployed during the ceremonies.

– 41,000 — Temples nationwide where monks will pray simultaneously and bless the king as he receives a golden plaque with his official name and title.

– 17,568 — Number of royal volunteers in Bangkok across the three days of the coronation.

– 795 — Number of “salute” gunpowder pellets fired by the armed forces—including army, navy, and air force—separately over three days of the ceremonies.

– 1,000,000 — value in baht (about $31,340) of one limited-edition platinum coin to mark the coronation. More than 200 orders have been made.

May 4: Bathing and crowning

– 10:09 — The time in the morning when coronation ceremonies officially begin on Saturday with purification rites. Nine is an especially auspicious number in Thai culture.

– 117 — Sources of water from around the country that have been brought to Bangkok to be blessed by Buddhist monks before being combined for the royal purification rituals on May 4. The sources include five major rivers, four sacred pools, across 77 provinces.

– 8 — Sides of the wood-carved throne on which the king will sit to receive the waters of purification. The eight sides represent cardinal and ordinal directions on a compass. The number eight is also auspicious.

– 1,000 — Streams of water that will from the canopied fountain that showers the king’s head in the ablution ceremony.

– 7.3 — Weight in kilograms, equal to 16 pounds, of the intricate gold-and-gem-inlaid crown that will be placed on the king’s head in the ceremony. The multi-tiered crown is 66 centimeters (26 inches) tall.

– 9 — Tiers of the royal umbrella under which the king will officially ascend to become a living god according to Thai beliefs.

– 4 — Ancient cannons from the 19th century, used specifically for the coronation, which will fire 10 volleys each.

– 343 — Personnel physically carrying the king in a royal palanquin from the Grand Palace to the Temple of the Emerald Buddha to proclaim himself the Royal Patron of Buddhism, ending the first day of the ceremony.

May 5: Procession

– More than 1,300 — Number of personnel and officials in the Royal Procession, including the prime minister, members of the cabinet, a cavalry, and a marching band.

– 7 — Distance in kilometers the royal procession will cover on foot, from the Grand Palace to three temples and back, walking at about 75 steps per minute.

– 16 — Personnel carrying the royal palanquin, changing every 500 meters.

– 500 — Length of the royal procession of more than 1,300 personnel, in meters.

– 6 — Royal songs composed by late King Bhumibol that will be played by the marching band in the royal procession.

The post Thai King’s Elaborate Coronation by Numbers appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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