PHNOM PENH: Mohammed Ibrahim took time off selling warm roti on the crowded streets of the Cambodian capital to greet a fellow Rohingya man who was arriving in the country under Australia's controversial $55 million agreement to resettle refugees from Nauru.
Mr Ibrahim felt empathy for the single man in his early 20s who had decided to abandon hopes of reaching Australia to take a one-way ticket to one of the world's poorest nations.
"I want to help him . . . life is very difficult for us here," he said, as he waited at the gate of Phnom Penh's airport on a stifling hot morning in June.
But the man and three Iranian refugees - the first and only group so far to arrive from Nauru - were whisked past him in a van and taken to a luxury villa in a Phnom Penh suburb.
Over the following weeks 32-year-old Mr Ibrahim made repeated attempts to contact the newly arrived Rohingya, including asking the Australian embassy to arrange a meeting, but was blocked each time.
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November 26, 2015
In Burma, false claims of French rally 'to kick out Muslims'
In just 24 hours, this Facebook post in Burmese has been shared more than 5,000 times, and “liked” nearly as much. Two photos of massive protests are captioned “a hundred thousand French people protested on November 22 to kick Muslims out of France”. In Burma, where Islamophobia runs rampant, this seemed believable to many.
The post was spotted by Aung Aung, a Burmese Observer living in France. It was published by a popular Facebook page whose name translates to “Knowledge Digest”. Apparently aimed at young people, this page shares all types of news and opinion, including a lot of anti-Muslim and anti-Rohingya rhetoric. In the past few years, the rise of extremist Buddhist nationalists in Burma has led to growing Islamophobia and persecution of the Rohingyas, a Muslim ethnic minority.
Of course, anyone who pays attention to news from France knows that there have been no major anti-Muslim protests since the November 13 Paris attacks. A quick Google Images search shows that the two photos used in the post are not at all what the caption claims they are.
For more information - Visit here.
The post was spotted by Aung Aung, a Burmese Observer living in France. It was published by a popular Facebook page whose name translates to “Knowledge Digest”. Apparently aimed at young people, this page shares all types of news and opinion, including a lot of anti-Muslim and anti-Rohingya rhetoric. In the past few years, the rise of extremist Buddhist nationalists in Burma has led to growing Islamophobia and persecution of the Rohingyas, a Muslim ethnic minority.
Of course, anyone who pays attention to news from France knows that there have been no major anti-Muslim protests since the November 13 Paris attacks. A quick Google Images search shows that the two photos used in the post are not at all what the caption claims they are.
For more information - Visit here.
Myanmar Cannot Ignore China
Forecast
The next phase of Myanmar's political transition has been settled. The results of the country's Nov. 8 elections have confirmed that the opposition National League for Democracy now holds a healthy majority in parliament and can form a new government without the help of the formerly ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party. For the first time since Myanmar's 1962 coup, a fully civilian party will lead the government, although it will still have to vie for power with the country's military elite.
Meanwhile, China has been watching Myanmar's political transition with growing concern. Myanmar, which shares a 2,192-kilometer (1,362-mile) border with China that cuts across rugged highlands, represents access to trade routes in the Indian Ocean Basin and to overland commerce with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), now China's largest trading partner. However, the relationship between the National League for Democracy and Chinese leaders has been cool; Beijing conspicuously avoided congratulating party chief Aung San Suu Kyi on her victory. This track record would seem to suggest that she will lead her party — and her country — toward the West, in both diplomatic and economic terms. But Suu Kyi's actions and tactics will still be informed by Myanmar's geopolitical position, and regardless of the party in power in Naypyidaw, China will continue to play a massive role in the Myanmar capital.
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- China will remain a major source of foreign investment and trade for Myanmar, even as Naypyidaw diversifies its partners.
- Myanmar's new ruling party will need to compromise with the military establishment to be able to govern, especially on economic and ethnic militant issues.
- China will continue to leverage its influence over militant groups in the border region to exert pressure on Naypyidaw.
The next phase of Myanmar's political transition has been settled. The results of the country's Nov. 8 elections have confirmed that the opposition National League for Democracy now holds a healthy majority in parliament and can form a new government without the help of the formerly ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party. For the first time since Myanmar's 1962 coup, a fully civilian party will lead the government, although it will still have to vie for power with the country's military elite.
Meanwhile, China has been watching Myanmar's political transition with growing concern. Myanmar, which shares a 2,192-kilometer (1,362-mile) border with China that cuts across rugged highlands, represents access to trade routes in the Indian Ocean Basin and to overland commerce with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), now China's largest trading partner. However, the relationship between the National League for Democracy and Chinese leaders has been cool; Beijing conspicuously avoided congratulating party chief Aung San Suu Kyi on her victory. This track record would seem to suggest that she will lead her party — and her country — toward the West, in both diplomatic and economic terms. But Suu Kyi's actions and tactics will still be informed by Myanmar's geopolitical position, and regardless of the party in power in Naypyidaw, China will continue to play a massive role in the Myanmar capital.
For more information - Visit here.
Myanmar Aims to Leave LDC Status Behind by 2021
Myanmar should graduate from the United Nation-designated least developed country (LDC) status by 2021, at the earliest, a senior minister told Parliament on Tuesday.
Dr Kan Zaw, Union Minister for National Planning and Economic Development, told the 13th session of parliament that after joining the LDC grouping in 1987 Myanmar had already exceeded two out of three criteria for the UN ranking, and should shed the status by fiscal year ending March 31, 2021.
“We would be out of LDC only by (fiscal) 2020/21 at the earliest,” he said, responding to a question from Lower House Member of Parliament U Thein Aung, of the Union Solidarity and Development Party.
Myanmar applied for and was granted LDC status in 1987, a national humiliation that helped to spark the anti-military protests of 1988 that led to the resignation of former strongman U Ne Win and the abandonment of the socialist system.
LDC status allows countries to write off their debt to creditor governments and receive interest-free overseas aid in areas such as health, education, social welfare and development.
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Dr Kan Zaw, Union Minister for National Planning and Economic Development, told the 13th session of parliament that after joining the LDC grouping in 1987 Myanmar had already exceeded two out of three criteria for the UN ranking, and should shed the status by fiscal year ending March 31, 2021.
“We would be out of LDC only by (fiscal) 2020/21 at the earliest,” he said, responding to a question from Lower House Member of Parliament U Thein Aung, of the Union Solidarity and Development Party.
Myanmar applied for and was granted LDC status in 1987, a national humiliation that helped to spark the anti-military protests of 1988 that led to the resignation of former strongman U Ne Win and the abandonment of the socialist system.
LDC status allows countries to write off their debt to creditor governments and receive interest-free overseas aid in areas such as health, education, social welfare and development.
For more information - Visit here.
Hyderabad police detain 15 Myanmar nationals
The Hyderabad police early on Tuesday conducted a cordon and search operation in old city following a terror alert issued by the central intelligence agencies. The police detained 115 suspects from different areas in cluding 15 Myanmar nationals.
A 500-strong police contingent under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) V. Satyanarayana carried out door-to-door search in the areas of Noorinagar, Ghousenagar and Hafeezbabanagar near Chandrayangutta.
The police force descended on the thickly-populated area at around 5 a.m. and split into 30 teams. While many teams comprising armed policemen and women cops conducted door-to-door search, the remaining cordoned the entry and exit points to the colonies.
During the two-hour operation, the police seized 40 vehicles as the ‘owners’ failed to produced support documents. A scrapyard, a gutkha manufacturing unit and a meat processing unit being run illegally in Noorinagar area were also seized. Among those detained were 15 Myanmar nationals who were staying illegally at Hafeezbabanagar.
For more information - Visit here.
A 500-strong police contingent under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) V. Satyanarayana carried out door-to-door search in the areas of Noorinagar, Ghousenagar and Hafeezbabanagar near Chandrayangutta.
The police force descended on the thickly-populated area at around 5 a.m. and split into 30 teams. While many teams comprising armed policemen and women cops conducted door-to-door search, the remaining cordoned the entry and exit points to the colonies.
During the two-hour operation, the police seized 40 vehicles as the ‘owners’ failed to produced support documents. A scrapyard, a gutkha manufacturing unit and a meat processing unit being run illegally in Noorinagar area were also seized. Among those detained were 15 Myanmar nationals who were staying illegally at Hafeezbabanagar.
For more information - Visit here.
Myanmar hopes to boost South Korea trade ties
Fresh from their second outing in Seoul, Myanmar producers are looking forward to enhanced trade with South Korea, particularly in value-added products. The experience will also be useful in the ASEAN economic community that is due to come into effect next month, they said.
Nine Myanmar companies took part in the “ASEAN Fair 2015: Touch and Taste ASEAN” from November 18 to 21, along with about 100 companies from other countries across the regional bloc.
The event was organised by the ASEAN-Korea Centre as its yearly flagship program showcasing food, beverages, culture and tourism in the 10 ASEAN countries.
Participants from Myanmar included Ah Yee Taung tea leaf company, cashew nuts from Cheen Cheen, traditional htoe mout from Myint Myint Khin, green tea from Power Maw Shan, dried mango from Tha Zin New Family Trading, coffee from Ywar Ngan, and companies Golden Horse, Kaung Ko Group and Myanmar Phoenix Manufacturing.
Daw Mya Mya Sein, deputy director of the Myanmar Trade Centre under the Ministry of Commerce, said in Seoul last week that it was Myanmar’s second trip to the Korean trade show.
“This year, we showed dried mango, as well as noting the high demand for roast beans and white cow peas in Korea,” she said.
For more information - Visit here.
Nine Myanmar companies took part in the “ASEAN Fair 2015: Touch and Taste ASEAN” from November 18 to 21, along with about 100 companies from other countries across the regional bloc.
The event was organised by the ASEAN-Korea Centre as its yearly flagship program showcasing food, beverages, culture and tourism in the 10 ASEAN countries.
Participants from Myanmar included Ah Yee Taung tea leaf company, cashew nuts from Cheen Cheen, traditional htoe mout from Myint Myint Khin, green tea from Power Maw Shan, dried mango from Tha Zin New Family Trading, coffee from Ywar Ngan, and companies Golden Horse, Kaung Ko Group and Myanmar Phoenix Manufacturing.
Daw Mya Mya Sein, deputy director of the Myanmar Trade Centre under the Ministry of Commerce, said in Seoul last week that it was Myanmar’s second trip to the Korean trade show.
“This year, we showed dried mango, as well as noting the high demand for roast beans and white cow peas in Korea,” she said.
For more information - Visit here.
Need people's support in Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar corridor: MEA official
KOLKATA: Seeking people's support to build Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) economic corridor, a Ministry of External Affairs official today said it is for the benefit of the local populace.
"The corridor is for the benefit of the people who live in the region. We need the support of people in this," MEA Director (investment and technology promotion division) K Nagaraj Naidu said at the 11th K2K (Kolkata to Kunming) forum here.
Stressing that economic development can be the anchor of peace and development, he said North-Eastern states of India would be at the heart of this process.
The government has already announced that all North-East state capitals will be connected with rail network by 2020.
He said West Bengal has a very large role to play in the corridor because of its size and geographical location.
The state government has already announced that 'Biswa Bangla' store, under which the State's handloom and handicraft products are promoted, would soon be set up at Kunming, Yunnan Province of China.
For more information - Visit here.
"The corridor is for the benefit of the people who live in the region. We need the support of people in this," MEA Director (investment and technology promotion division) K Nagaraj Naidu said at the 11th K2K (Kolkata to Kunming) forum here.
Stressing that economic development can be the anchor of peace and development, he said North-Eastern states of India would be at the heart of this process.
The government has already announced that all North-East state capitals will be connected with rail network by 2020.
He said West Bengal has a very large role to play in the corridor because of its size and geographical location.
The state government has already announced that 'Biswa Bangla' store, under which the State's handloom and handicraft products are promoted, would soon be set up at Kunming, Yunnan Province of China.
For more information - Visit here.
Myanmar's army chief says 'no limits' in talks with Aung San Suu Kyi
Myanmar’s powerful commander-in-chief has said he will meet with Aung San Suu Kyi in December for a “no limits” discussion on the transfer of power following her sweeping win in elections this month.
“I am prepared to talk and answer and discuss. No limits. She can have any topics and I will answer,” Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said, adding that the discussions will take place in December “when the electoral process is finished”.
In the wake of Aung San Suu Kyi’s victory, the 70-year-old Nobel peace prize winner asked Min Aung Hlaing and current president Thein Sein to discuss a national reconciliation government she intends to form, key talks that she hopes will further reduce a half-a-century military grip on power.
Asked during an interview with the Washington Post if he could work with Aung San Suu Kyi – a woman his predecessors placed under house arrest for much of the past two decades after she demanded democratic reforms – he replied: “Why not?”
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“I am prepared to talk and answer and discuss. No limits. She can have any topics and I will answer,” Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said, adding that the discussions will take place in December “when the electoral process is finished”.
In the wake of Aung San Suu Kyi’s victory, the 70-year-old Nobel peace prize winner asked Min Aung Hlaing and current president Thein Sein to discuss a national reconciliation government she intends to form, key talks that she hopes will further reduce a half-a-century military grip on power.
Asked during an interview with the Washington Post if he could work with Aung San Suu Kyi – a woman his predecessors placed under house arrest for much of the past two decades after she demanded democratic reforms – he replied: “Why not?”
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Police: Search for victims of Myanmar jade mining landslide called off
HPAKANT, Myanmar (AP) — Police in northern Myanmar said Wednesday they have ended efforts to find bodies in a jade mining landslide that killed more than 100 people and highlighted the perilous conditions created by a breakneck effort to dig up the world's richest deposits of the green gem.
Separately, the government of Kachin state in the country's far north has offered compensation of 600,000 kyats ($550) to families of identified victims. The desultory sum reflects the limited resources of a state that is largely locked out of a mining bonanza worth billions.
The collapse early Saturday of a 60 meter (200-foot) mountain of dirt and debris created by industrial jade mining in Hpakant enveloped 70 makeshift huts and killed at least 113 people. Officials have said as many as 100 people are still missing. Many of the dead were itinerant jade pickers and their families who made a living scavenging for scraps of jade in the debris left behind by mining companies.
Hpakant police officer Naing Win said search operations ended on Wednesday morning.
The landslide was the area's worst such disaster in recent memory, but dozens of other people have been killed or maimed in the past year. In January, a landslide of unstable waste earth killed at least 30 jade pickers.
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Separately, the government of Kachin state in the country's far north has offered compensation of 600,000 kyats ($550) to families of identified victims. The desultory sum reflects the limited resources of a state that is largely locked out of a mining bonanza worth billions.
The collapse early Saturday of a 60 meter (200-foot) mountain of dirt and debris created by industrial jade mining in Hpakant enveloped 70 makeshift huts and killed at least 113 people. Officials have said as many as 100 people are still missing. Many of the dead were itinerant jade pickers and their families who made a living scavenging for scraps of jade in the debris left behind by mining companies.
Hpakant police officer Naing Win said search operations ended on Wednesday morning.
The landslide was the area's worst such disaster in recent memory, but dozens of other people have been killed or maimed in the past year. In January, a landslide of unstable waste earth killed at least 30 jade pickers.
For more information - Visit here.
OIC Supports Democratic Transition in Myanmar, Urges Rights of the Rohingya to be Restored
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation has noted the completion of voting in the general elections in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and the landslide majority achieved by the National League for Democracy under the leadership of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
The OIC Secretary General Mr. Iyad Ameen Madani has conveyed a message to the Chairperson of the NLD on the occasion of her party’s electoral victory in which he expressed the hope that “the new government would actively support the process of reconciliation and transformation for all ethnic minorities in Myanmar, including the Rohingya”.
The Secretary General also noted that “the Rohingya have been denied their rights in the name of certain arbitrary laws” and he called for “an inclusive and constructive approach that would ensure their rightful recognition and status in light of the new democratic environment in Myanmar.”
The OIC reaffirms its commitment to support the people of Myanmar in the ongoing process of achieving a democratic society with equality and justice for all.
For more information - Visit here.
The OIC Secretary General Mr. Iyad Ameen Madani has conveyed a message to the Chairperson of the NLD on the occasion of her party’s electoral victory in which he expressed the hope that “the new government would actively support the process of reconciliation and transformation for all ethnic minorities in Myanmar, including the Rohingya”.
The Secretary General also noted that “the Rohingya have been denied their rights in the name of certain arbitrary laws” and he called for “an inclusive and constructive approach that would ensure their rightful recognition and status in light of the new democratic environment in Myanmar.”
The OIC reaffirms its commitment to support the people of Myanmar in the ongoing process of achieving a democratic society with equality and justice for all.
For more information - Visit here.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s Greatest Failure – The Plight of the Rohingya People
Aung San Suu Kyi became a symbol of hope to those that lived in desperate situations without the protection of democratic rights. She stood in opposition to the Myanmar military dictatorship and was considered a threat, as exemplified by the fact that between the periods of 1989 to 2010 she was condemned to house arrest. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 and in 2011 stood for a candidacy in a by-election. However, her greatest legacy, a supporter of the oppressed, could become her greatest failure.
The Rohingya people, a Muslim ethnic group of approximately 1.3 million, face severe persecution. They are not recognized as citizens (due to the highly discriminatory 1982 citizenship law) of Myanmar and as a result they lack access to education, healthcare and basic human rights. They are persistently viewed as outsiders and illegitimate ‘Bengali citizens’ by the Buddhist majority and have been attacked by some extremist Buddhist monks. The politicians, including Ms Suu Kyi, remain reluctant to address their plight and raise the debate of granting them equal citizenship.
The main issue is that supporting the Rohingya people remains politically unpopular, therefore, for the democratic process to continue Ms Suu Kyi must be rational and proceed to support policies which are popular.
For more information - Visit here.
The Rohingya people, a Muslim ethnic group of approximately 1.3 million, face severe persecution. They are not recognized as citizens (due to the highly discriminatory 1982 citizenship law) of Myanmar and as a result they lack access to education, healthcare and basic human rights. They are persistently viewed as outsiders and illegitimate ‘Bengali citizens’ by the Buddhist majority and have been attacked by some extremist Buddhist monks. The politicians, including Ms Suu Kyi, remain reluctant to address their plight and raise the debate of granting them equal citizenship.
The main issue is that supporting the Rohingya people remains politically unpopular, therefore, for the democratic process to continue Ms Suu Kyi must be rational and proceed to support policies which are popular.
For more information - Visit here.
Myanmar Still Has a Long Way To Go
The new government has its hands full in bringing a more inclusive and genuine democratic system to Myanmar.
By most accounts, November 8 marked a watershed moment in Myanmar’s struggle for democracy. For a country with a long history of military rule, there are plenty of reasons for pro-democracy forces to celebrate.
With an estimated 80% voter turnout, most electoral observers declared the voting process to be largely smooth and peaceful. Despite structural disadvantages and credible reports of some electoral irregularities both before and during the election, Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) was able to repeat a landslide victory, reminiscent of the party’s 1990 electoral success.
Most importantly, the military leadership, as well as the ruling Union Solidarity Development Party (USDP), indicated that they would accept the results. Unlike the ill-fated 1990 elections, the NLD will finally be able to form a new government.
The Military’s Democracy
Despite this positive outlook for the NLD, the real fight over the political direction of the country is only just beginning. Critically, since reforms began in 2011, Myanmar has not been transitioning to what would commonly be considered a genuine “democracy.” Rather, it has been undergoing a carefully controlled transformation toward the military’s version of a “disciplined multi-party democratic system.”
For more information - Visit here.
By most accounts, November 8 marked a watershed moment in Myanmar’s struggle for democracy. For a country with a long history of military rule, there are plenty of reasons for pro-democracy forces to celebrate.
With an estimated 80% voter turnout, most electoral observers declared the voting process to be largely smooth and peaceful. Despite structural disadvantages and credible reports of some electoral irregularities both before and during the election, Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) was able to repeat a landslide victory, reminiscent of the party’s 1990 electoral success.
Most importantly, the military leadership, as well as the ruling Union Solidarity Development Party (USDP), indicated that they would accept the results. Unlike the ill-fated 1990 elections, the NLD will finally be able to form a new government.
The Military’s Democracy
Despite this positive outlook for the NLD, the real fight over the political direction of the country is only just beginning. Critically, since reforms began in 2011, Myanmar has not been transitioning to what would commonly be considered a genuine “democracy.” Rather, it has been undergoing a carefully controlled transformation toward the military’s version of a “disciplined multi-party democratic system.”
For more information - Visit here.
Myanmar rejects campaign to strip Muslims of citizenship
One million more Rohingya remain largely stateless, with pathway to citizenship requiring them to deny their identity
By Joshua Carroll
YANGON, Myanmar – Myanmar’s deputy immigration minister has rejected an appeal by nationalists to strip hundreds of Muslims of citizenship, local media reported Wednesday, marking a rare show of government defiance of Buddhist hardliners.
Just over 200 Muslims in conflict-hit Rakhine state were granted citizenship as part of a government verification process that started in mid-2014.
In late October, campaigners submitted a petition to parliament signed by over 1,100 people objecting to the decision and claiming that the Muslims had been granted citizenship using defunct laws.
The Myanmar Times reported Wednesday that deputy immigration minister Win Myint had rejected the petition, telling members of parliament that the signatories had misunderstood the law.
Rakhine is home to roughly one million Rohingya Muslims, who are officially regarded as outsiders and are largely stateless — government officials insist they are illegal immigrants and refer to them as “Bengalis”.
For more information - Visit here.
By Joshua Carroll
YANGON, Myanmar – Myanmar’s deputy immigration minister has rejected an appeal by nationalists to strip hundreds of Muslims of citizenship, local media reported Wednesday, marking a rare show of government defiance of Buddhist hardliners.
Just over 200 Muslims in conflict-hit Rakhine state were granted citizenship as part of a government verification process that started in mid-2014.
In late October, campaigners submitted a petition to parliament signed by over 1,100 people objecting to the decision and claiming that the Muslims had been granted citizenship using defunct laws.
The Myanmar Times reported Wednesday that deputy immigration minister Win Myint had rejected the petition, telling members of parliament that the signatories had misunderstood the law.
Rakhine is home to roughly one million Rohingya Muslims, who are officially regarded as outsiders and are largely stateless — government officials insist they are illegal immigrants and refer to them as “Bengalis”.
For more information - Visit here.
Myanmar Rohingya calendar men jailed on new charges: police
Five Myanmar men fined for publishing a calendar that described the country's persecuted Muslim Rohingya as a recognised ethnic minority have been rearrested and jailed on fresh charges, police said Wednesday.
The men were initially taken into custody over the weekend in Yangon and fined $800 each on Monday after pleading guilty to a publishing law offence.
But they have now been rearrested and jailed on separate charges of inciting alarm or panic, a charge that carries up to two years jail.
For more information - Visit here.
The men were initially taken into custody over the weekend in Yangon and fined $800 each on Monday after pleading guilty to a publishing law offence.
But they have now been rearrested and jailed on separate charges of inciting alarm or panic, a charge that carries up to two years jail.
For more information - Visit here.
Publisher, four others jailed over calendar
A Muslim publisher and four others have been detained in Insein Prison for attempting to produce a calendar containing quotes from government officials in the 1950s and 1960s using the term “Rohingya”.
The calendar contains quotes from speeches by former prime minister U Nu and other major post-independence figures describing the Rohingya as a distinct ethnic group. It also quotes a 1946 speech by Bogyoke Aung San in which he invites Muslims to live in peace with the Buddhist majority.
The current government – and many people in Myanmar – insist that Rohingya is a confected identity and that those who call themselves by this name are instead Bengali.
The publisher, U Kyaw Kyaw Wai, and four associates have also been fined K1 million for offences under the Printing and Publishing Law, and police have sealed a print shop that is storing copies of the calendar.
U Kyaw Kyaw Wai and his associates were fined on November 23 at Pazundaung Township Court in Yangon after their arrest on November 21.
Immediately afterward, the police arrested the five again and detained them under the criminal code for allegedly intending to cause “fear or alarm to the public”.
For more information - Visit here.
The calendar contains quotes from speeches by former prime minister U Nu and other major post-independence figures describing the Rohingya as a distinct ethnic group. It also quotes a 1946 speech by Bogyoke Aung San in which he invites Muslims to live in peace with the Buddhist majority.
The current government – and many people in Myanmar – insist that Rohingya is a confected identity and that those who call themselves by this name are instead Bengali.
The publisher, U Kyaw Kyaw Wai, and four associates have also been fined K1 million for offences under the Printing and Publishing Law, and police have sealed a print shop that is storing copies of the calendar.
U Kyaw Kyaw Wai and his associates were fined on November 23 at Pazundaung Township Court in Yangon after their arrest on November 21.
Immediately afterward, the police arrested the five again and detained them under the criminal code for allegedly intending to cause “fear or alarm to the public”.
For more information - Visit here.
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