In a modest dormitory in Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw, novice MP Tin Thit recites a poem he has penned called "No Retreat", steeling himself to enter Myanmar's parliament carrying the dreams of a nation left traumatised by army rule.
A poet, editor, activist -- and now newly elected MP -- he is among hundreds of political newcomers poised to take their seats Monday in the country’s most democratic legislature in generations, following the huge November landslide win by Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD).
"This is our era," the newly minted NLD lawmaker told AFP on Saturday as he prepared for a last-ditch round of parliamentary training organised by his party, brushing off concerns about his and his colleagues' lack of experience. (Courtesy of Daily Mail Online)
January 31, 2016
Transforming the Tatmadaw
The visit last week by Karen National Union chairman General Saw Mutu Say Poe to the Defence Services Academy at Pyin Oo Lwin was a significant development in Myanmar’s history.
It was the first time since Independence in 1948 that the leader of an armed ethnic group had visited the DSA, the most prestigious of the Tatmadaw’s officer training schools. That the visit involved the leader of the group that had launched its rebellion on January 31, 1949, one year after Independence, and been involved in the world’s longest civil conflict until it signed a ceasefire in January 2012, added to its significance.
At the Union Peace Conference that began in Nay Pyi Taw last week, Tatmadaw Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said the military was being transformed into a “standard army” that armed ethnic groups were welcome to join if they wished to serve the country under the Tatmadaw. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
It was the first time since Independence in 1948 that the leader of an armed ethnic group had visited the DSA, the most prestigious of the Tatmadaw’s officer training schools. That the visit involved the leader of the group that had launched its rebellion on January 31, 1949, one year after Independence, and been involved in the world’s longest civil conflict until it signed a ceasefire in January 2012, added to its significance.
At the Union Peace Conference that began in Nay Pyi Taw last week, Tatmadaw Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said the military was being transformed into a “standard army” that armed ethnic groups were welcome to join if they wished to serve the country under the Tatmadaw. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
Restive border town of Muse to be recast as commercial center
The winding road from Lashio to Muse, the main trade route from northeast Myanmar into China, was rendered almost impassable for two days in mid-January when a truck dropped its cargo of iron bars. Traders sat with armed police on top of the hazy hills drinking whisky and playing music on their mobile phones as they gazed down at hundreds of stranded lorries below.
The two-lane road is dangerous -- 22-wheeler trucks skid along hairpin turns through clouds of dust. With no streetlights, vehicles often come off the road, occasionally over the edge of the sheer mountain path. An overturned truck or spilled cargo can block this critical trade route for hours or even days. (Courtesy of Nikkei Asian Review)
The two-lane road is dangerous -- 22-wheeler trucks skid along hairpin turns through clouds of dust. With no streetlights, vehicles often come off the road, occasionally over the edge of the sheer mountain path. An overturned truck or spilled cargo can block this critical trade route for hours or even days. (Courtesy of Nikkei Asian Review)
Former top generals serenade lawmakers
Belting out the lyrics "dreams may come true" in a jaunty a cappella, a former top general serenaded lawmakers yesterday as Myanmar's long-dominant military elite marked their exit from Parliament with song and dance.
Parliament welcomed the historic handover of power in the country with a party yesterday afternoon, complete with a karaoke session, sing-a-long and energetic dance routines by ethnic- minority MPs.
"May you be healthy/May you be strong/ May you be joyful all your life long," crooned Parliament Speaker Shwe Mann, the junta's former No. 3, who has become an unlikely ally of Nobel Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi in the legislature despite his erstwhile position as leader of the rival ruling party. (Courtesy of The Straits Times)
Parliament welcomed the historic handover of power in the country with a party yesterday afternoon, complete with a karaoke session, sing-a-long and energetic dance routines by ethnic- minority MPs.
"May you be healthy/May you be strong/ May you be joyful all your life long," crooned Parliament Speaker Shwe Mann, the junta's former No. 3, who has become an unlikely ally of Nobel Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi in the legislature despite his erstwhile position as leader of the rival ruling party. (Courtesy of The Straits Times)
Heath ministry issues Zika warning
The Zika virus may be transmitted to countries where dengue fever exists and preparatory measures needed to be taken, according to Ministry of Health.
“Mosquitoes that carry dengue fever and the Zika virus are the same and so we need to take precautions across the country. People are used to dengue and they aren’t afraid of it. But another virus might come. We need to promote the importance of cleanliness in our surroundings. Pregnant woman can give birth to babies with a small brain or no brain at all. We have to take preparatory measures,” said Dr Khin Nan Lone of the Department of Health. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
“Mosquitoes that carry dengue fever and the Zika virus are the same and so we need to take precautions across the country. People are used to dengue and they aren’t afraid of it. But another virus might come. We need to promote the importance of cleanliness in our surroundings. Pregnant woman can give birth to babies with a small brain or no brain at all. We have to take preparatory measures,” said Dr Khin Nan Lone of the Department of Health. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
January 30, 2016
Hard-line Buddhists call for political control in Rakhine
A hard-line Buddhist party in Myanmar is demanding that one of its members be appointed as chief minister of religiously and racially divided Rakhine state when the national election winning National League for Democracy picks the country's new president.
The Arakan National Party (ANP) is opposing a plan by the NLD to have its own ethnic minority members appointed as state chief ministers, including Rakhine state.
After winning an overwhelming majority party in the national parliament the NLD will get to pick Myanmar's next president — almost certainly from within its own ranks — who in turn will pick the chief minister for each of the country's 14 states.
The ANP, which represents Rakhine state's ethnic and mostly Buddhist majority, said it won a majority 22 seats in the state parliament following Nov. 8 local and national elections, which gave it the right to have one of their members as chief minister and to form a state government. The NLD only won nine seats in the poll. (Courtesy of ucanews.com)
The Arakan National Party (ANP) is opposing a plan by the NLD to have its own ethnic minority members appointed as state chief ministers, including Rakhine state.
After winning an overwhelming majority party in the national parliament the NLD will get to pick Myanmar's next president — almost certainly from within its own ranks — who in turn will pick the chief minister for each of the country's 14 states.
The ANP, which represents Rakhine state's ethnic and mostly Buddhist majority, said it won a majority 22 seats in the state parliament following Nov. 8 local and national elections, which gave it the right to have one of their members as chief minister and to form a state government. The NLD only won nine seats in the poll. (Courtesy of ucanews.com)
Laughter marks Myanmar MPs' departure as country awaits Suu Kyi's new government
With jokes and hugs, karaoke and congratulations across Myanmar's often bitter divides, lawmakers yesterday marked the last day of Parliament, as the country eagerly awaits a new Parliament led by the National League for Democracy (NLD).
It was a historic day for Myanmar, which emerged from decades of stifling military rule only five years ago in a calibrated transition that retains wide powers for the military and is beset by scepticism.
Monday's convening of the new Parliament will be even more significant, pulling off a key ingredient of a democracy - peaceful transfer of power following a general election.
The mood among the outgoing lawmakers was jovial and sentimental in the chambers of the Hluttaw - the Houses of Parliament in the sprawling, opulent government quarters of Naypyitaw, the capital built under the now-retired dictator, Senior General Than Shwe. (Courtesy of The Star Online)
It was a historic day for Myanmar, which emerged from decades of stifling military rule only five years ago in a calibrated transition that retains wide powers for the military and is beset by scepticism.
Monday's convening of the new Parliament will be even more significant, pulling off a key ingredient of a democracy - peaceful transfer of power following a general election.
The mood among the outgoing lawmakers was jovial and sentimental in the chambers of the Hluttaw - the Houses of Parliament in the sprawling, opulent government quarters of Naypyitaw, the capital built under the now-retired dictator, Senior General Than Shwe. (Courtesy of The Star Online)
Myanmar's Rohingya minority sceptical about Suu Kyi, new government
A new opposition-led government augurs hope for many in Myanmar after decades of military dictatorship, but a stateless ethnic minority has seen no signs of change in their situation.
Sittwe, Myanmar (dpa) - Adu Lakim says he has nothing to do these days but to while away the time sitting outside his shack in an internment camp Myanmar's Rakhine state.
The recent national elections meant nothing to 61-year-old member of the stateless Rohingya ethnic minority, who has been denied citizenship and confined to the camp after his house was torched during sectarian violence between Buddhists and Muslims in 2012.
"We don't know about the NLD or other parties, because we don't believe in them," said Lakim, referring to the National League for Democracy led by Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi that won November's national elections by a landslide. (Courtesy of dpa-international.com)
Sittwe, Myanmar (dpa) - Adu Lakim says he has nothing to do these days but to while away the time sitting outside his shack in an internment camp Myanmar's Rakhine state.
The recent national elections meant nothing to 61-year-old member of the stateless Rohingya ethnic minority, who has been denied citizenship and confined to the camp after his house was torched during sectarian violence between Buddhists and Muslims in 2012.
"We don't know about the NLD or other parties, because we don't believe in them," said Lakim, referring to the National League for Democracy led by Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi that won November's national elections by a landslide. (Courtesy of dpa-international.com)
Controversial ex-presidential security bill approved
MPs have approved the controversial Former Presidents' Security Bill days before the Parliament is disbanded.
The Joint Bill Committee yesterday submitted a report to Parliament about disagreements between the Lower and Upper houses over the bill. Parliament approved all 11 points of disagreement between the two houses.
The Ministry of Home Affairs is to take responsibility for ex-presidential security. The original text of the bill said this duty would be shared with the Ministry of Defence. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
The Joint Bill Committee yesterday submitted a report to Parliament about disagreements between the Lower and Upper houses over the bill. Parliament approved all 11 points of disagreement between the two houses.
The Ministry of Home Affairs is to take responsibility for ex-presidential security. The original text of the bill said this duty would be shared with the Ministry of Defence. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
Aung San Suu Kyi applauds military MPs as Myanmar's parliament ends on celebratory note
The members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party will take their seats for the first time on Monday.
In an address to parliament on Friday, Ms Suu Kyi congratulated her political opponents on "opening the road" for her party, which won a landslide in November elections.
"I believe we can all cooperate for our country and people, whether it is outside or inside the parliament," said Ms Suu Kyi, who was held captive for more than 15 years by the army.
Celebrating the transition and the end of the first term of parliament, the outgoing and incoming politicians from all parties, as well as a military bloc, performed traditional dances, shared food and took pictures in an emotional ceremony in the capital, Naypyidaw. (Courtesy of ABC News)
In an address to parliament on Friday, Ms Suu Kyi congratulated her political opponents on "opening the road" for her party, which won a landslide in November elections.
"I believe we can all cooperate for our country and people, whether it is outside or inside the parliament," said Ms Suu Kyi, who was held captive for more than 15 years by the army.
Celebrating the transition and the end of the first term of parliament, the outgoing and incoming politicians from all parties, as well as a military bloc, performed traditional dances, shared food and took pictures in an emotional ceremony in the capital, Naypyidaw. (Courtesy of ABC News)
Myanmar's army-led Parliament calls it a day
With jokes and hugs, karaoke and congratulations across Myanmar's often bitter divides, lawmakers yesterday marked the last day of Parliament, as the country eagerly awaits a new Parliament led by the National League for Democracy (NLD).
It was a historic day for Myanmar, which emerged from decades of stifling military rule only five years ago in a calibrated transition that retains wide powers for the military and is beset by scepticism.
Monday's convening of the new Parliament will be even more significant, pulling off a key ingredient of a democracy - peaceful transfer of power following a general election. (Courtesy of The Straits Times)
It was a historic day for Myanmar, which emerged from decades of stifling military rule only five years ago in a calibrated transition that retains wide powers for the military and is beset by scepticism.
Monday's convening of the new Parliament will be even more significant, pulling off a key ingredient of a democracy - peaceful transfer of power following a general election. (Courtesy of The Straits Times)
Myanmar’s Suu Kyi readies for power as her party comes to parliament
They are doctors, poets, teachers, farmers, fishermen. Many are new to politics, and had to receive intensive instruction in law and constitutional matters at the request of democracy champion and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. This has been a historic day for the new Burmese MPs – a day the National League for Democracy has been waiting 25 years for.
On Thursday, President Thein Sein, elected five years ago in an contest branded a “farce” by the opposition and the West, said goodbye to the deputies but he’ll remain in office until March.
Although he was appointed by the now dissolved military junta, President Thein Sein, semi-civilian government was the opening of the country. A change that allowed the holding of the historic elections in November last year, the first free elections in the country after half a century of dictatorship. (Courtesy of Euro News)
On Thursday, President Thein Sein, elected five years ago in an contest branded a “farce” by the opposition and the West, said goodbye to the deputies but he’ll remain in office until March.
Although he was appointed by the now dissolved military junta, President Thein Sein, semi-civilian government was the opening of the country. A change that allowed the holding of the historic elections in November last year, the first free elections in the country after half a century of dictatorship. (Courtesy of Euro News)
The Military Readies for Burma’s New Politics
The tenor of President Thein Sein’s farewell speech to the nation did not come as a big surprise.
As expected, the outgoing head of state took credit for setting the country’s democratic transition in motion, for building peace with ethnic armed groups and, of course, for the violence-free and credible general election last November.
The speech appeared to be well-received by the public. Indeed, to many, the sight of the country’s president signing off was a relief; further proof that the transfer of power to an elected National League for Democracy (NLD)-led government remained on track.
The former general who is in his early 70s continues to lead the defeated Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), but he won’t stay long. By all reports, he is looking forward to spending more time with his family. (Courtesy of Irrawaddy)
As expected, the outgoing head of state took credit for setting the country’s democratic transition in motion, for building peace with ethnic armed groups and, of course, for the violence-free and credible general election last November.
The speech appeared to be well-received by the public. Indeed, to many, the sight of the country’s president signing off was a relief; further proof that the transfer of power to an elected National League for Democracy (NLD)-led government remained on track.
The former general who is in his early 70s continues to lead the defeated Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), but he won’t stay long. By all reports, he is looking forward to spending more time with his family. (Courtesy of Irrawaddy)
January 29, 2016
BGB arrest 32 Rohingya on Bangladesh-Burma border
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) arrested thirty-two Rohingya and one Bangladeshi human trafficker while trying to enter Bangladesh through the entry point of Shapuridip on January 27 early morning, Sayed Hossain, a local from Teknaf said.
They crossed Bangladesh-Burma border by an engine boat to visit their relatives, Syed Hussain added.
On being tipped off, a team of BGB led by Company Commander Gulam Rabbani of Shappuridip BGB-outpost under the Teknaf Battalion No. 2, arrested the Burmese National (Rohingya) after conducting operation at border areas, according to BGB officials.
There were twelve children, six females, eight males and six crews in the boat, the officials more added.
Among the arrestees, six crews and Bangladeshi trafficker were handed over to Teknaf police station for further investigation, according to Lt. Col. Md. Abuzar Al Jahid from Teknaf Battalion No. 2. (Courtesy of Rohingya Vision TV)
They crossed Bangladesh-Burma border by an engine boat to visit their relatives, Syed Hussain added.
On being tipped off, a team of BGB led by Company Commander Gulam Rabbani of Shappuridip BGB-outpost under the Teknaf Battalion No. 2, arrested the Burmese National (Rohingya) after conducting operation at border areas, according to BGB officials.
There were twelve children, six females, eight males and six crews in the boat, the officials more added.
Among the arrestees, six crews and Bangladeshi trafficker were handed over to Teknaf police station for further investigation, according to Lt. Col. Md. Abuzar Al Jahid from Teknaf Battalion No. 2. (Courtesy of Rohingya Vision TV)
Reduced Rakhine State budget under fire
The incoming Rakhine State parliament will have only half the funds it needs to develop the state, a local MP has complained. The state parliament adopted the 2016-17 budget on January 25, days before it rose to give way to the new parliament elected last November.
But independent MP U Aung Mra Kyaw said the K145 billion budget the outgoing members passed would cripple the state’s attempts at development. MPs had voted down proposals for a K300 billion budget.
At the same time, he said, members had voted nearly K10 million for improvements to the residences of the chief minister and chair of the state parliament and other ministers.
MPs supporting the budget said the cuts were justified because of inflation and the need to balance expenditure and income. (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
But independent MP U Aung Mra Kyaw said the K145 billion budget the outgoing members passed would cripple the state’s attempts at development. MPs had voted down proposals for a K300 billion budget.
At the same time, he said, members had voted nearly K10 million for improvements to the residences of the chief minister and chair of the state parliament and other ministers.
MPs supporting the budget said the cuts were justified because of inflation and the need to balance expenditure and income. (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
High level officers threaten Rohingya villagers in Maungdaw
High level officers led by Maungdaw deputy township administration officer – U Myint Thein and other five department officers threaten Rohingya villagers in a meeting held in Maungnama village tract on January 23 at 11:00 AM, said Mer Ali from the village said.
The officers invited all the villagers under the Maungnama village tract to join the meeting held in the affiliated middle school of village, Mer Ali more said.
In the meeting, U Myint Thein, the deputy Maungdaw township administration officer, Naing Win Thein, officer of fishery department, Hla Htun Pryu, Township land survey officer, U Shwe Zan, township planning officer, U Tin Oo, Municipal officer and fire bridge officer, said an officer from Maungdaw who denied to be named.
The deputy township administration officer said at the meeting, anyone who built their home without permission from township administration office, planning office and Municipal office, must report to the concerned offices. Otherwise, they will be find and send to jail, the officer more added. (Courtesy of Rohingya Vision TV)
The officers invited all the villagers under the Maungnama village tract to join the meeting held in the affiliated middle school of village, Mer Ali more said.
In the meeting, U Myint Thein, the deputy Maungdaw township administration officer, Naing Win Thein, officer of fishery department, Hla Htun Pryu, Township land survey officer, U Shwe Zan, township planning officer, U Tin Oo, Municipal officer and fire bridge officer, said an officer from Maungdaw who denied to be named.
The deputy township administration officer said at the meeting, anyone who built their home without permission from township administration office, planning office and Municipal office, must report to the concerned offices. Otherwise, they will be find and send to jail, the officer more added. (Courtesy of Rohingya Vision TV)
Myanmar urged to focus on human resources
Myanmar’s public and private sectors have been urged to put greater focus on the quality of university and vocational education to address the acute shortage of qualified workers faced by both local and foreign companies.
At a seminar on human resources last week, Oliver Massmann, general director of law firm Duane Morris Vietnam, said Myanmar's new government should focus on both university and vocational training.
He added that the implementation of vocational training projects was a priority.
He also urged the government to undertake awareness-raising activities as soon as possible, a process he said took about 10 years in Vietnam. The lawyer underscored the importance of women's empowerment in the nation's growth. (Courtesy of The Nation)
At a seminar on human resources last week, Oliver Massmann, general director of law firm Duane Morris Vietnam, said Myanmar's new government should focus on both university and vocational training.
He added that the implementation of vocational training projects was a priority.
He also urged the government to undertake awareness-raising activities as soon as possible, a process he said took about 10 years in Vietnam. The lawyer underscored the importance of women's empowerment in the nation's growth. (Courtesy of The Nation)
Senate panel approves Myanmar nominee
A U.S. Senate committee approved President Barack Obama's nominee to be ambassador to Myanmar on Thursday, after the administration assured panel members it would not quickly change sanctions policy as the country moves from decades of military rule.
Republican Senator Cory Gardner said he had been concerned that the Obama administration would move too quickly to ease sanctions on Myanmar before it had made the transition to democratic government.
But Gardner said during Thursday's Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting he had been assured that the sanctions policy had not changed, and that Congress would be "fully consulted" about any shift. (Courtesy of wifc.com)
Republican Senator Cory Gardner said he had been concerned that the Obama administration would move too quickly to ease sanctions on Myanmar before it had made the transition to democratic government.
But Gardner said during Thursday's Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting he had been assured that the sanctions policy had not changed, and that Congress would be "fully consulted" about any shift. (Courtesy of wifc.com)
Malnutrition spikes in Myanmar’s Rakhine
The number of severely malnourished children has spiked in northern Rakhine state in Myanmar, a European Union agency said, after floods six months ago dealt a new blow to an area home to a persecuted population with little access to basic services.
About 90 percent of the people in northern Rakhine state are Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority that faces discrimination and violence in mostly Buddhist Myanmar. The government does not recognize them as citizens, and many Rohingya are excluded from health care, education and employment.
Widespread floods across Myanmar six months ago — caused by torrential rains and Cyclone Komen — destroyed crops, damaged rice paddies and contaminated water sources, worsening food insecurity.
The number of severely malnourished children under the age of five newly admitted to a European Commission-backed feeding program in Maungdaw district shot up after the floods to more than 1,500 in October, from 1,200 new admittances in August and 500 in July, a regional official of an EU agency said. (Courtesy of Arab News)
About 90 percent of the people in northern Rakhine state are Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority that faces discrimination and violence in mostly Buddhist Myanmar. The government does not recognize them as citizens, and many Rohingya are excluded from health care, education and employment.
Widespread floods across Myanmar six months ago — caused by torrential rains and Cyclone Komen — destroyed crops, damaged rice paddies and contaminated water sources, worsening food insecurity.
The number of severely malnourished children under the age of five newly admitted to a European Commission-backed feeding program in Maungdaw district shot up after the floods to more than 1,500 in October, from 1,200 new admittances in August and 500 in July, a regional official of an EU agency said. (Courtesy of Arab News)
Myanmar’s Rohingya Genocide Is Aided By Friends In High Places
In 2012, after centuries of tension, Myanmar’s Buddhist majority began oppressing the nation’s Muslim minority, forcing them into concentration camps and carrying out widespread murder and genocidal acts.
But more than racism and bigotry have inflamed tensions in this South Asian country, as the United States and its allies like Saudi Arabia and Israel enable the atrocities through their foreign aid and military power.
In June, The Economist called the Rohingya “the most persecuted people on earth,” noting that their suffering has intensified since 2012. That year, “140,000 Rohingyas were forced into squalid refugee camps after the local Buddhists turned on them,” and since then, “their situation has been especially dire.” (Courtesy of mintpressnews.com)
But more than racism and bigotry have inflamed tensions in this South Asian country, as the United States and its allies like Saudi Arabia and Israel enable the atrocities through their foreign aid and military power.
In June, The Economist called the Rohingya “the most persecuted people on earth,” noting that their suffering has intensified since 2012. That year, “140,000 Rohingyas were forced into squalid refugee camps after the local Buddhists turned on them,” and since then, “their situation has been especially dire.” (Courtesy of mintpressnews.com)
Q&A: Myanmar’s New Parliament with Suu Kyi Party Majority
Myanmar’s transition to representative democracy reaches another milestone on Feb. 1: A new parliament begins work with a majority of its members for the first time belonging to the National League for Democracy (NLD), the party led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Priscilla Clapp, a former American diplomat in Myanmar and U.S. Institute of Peace specialist on the country, discusses the next steps and the likely effect of the change on Myanmar’s political, economic and societal transformation.
The NLD won its majority in largely peaceful elections on Nov. 8, replacing a legislative body that has been dominated by the military-inspired Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). Aung San Suu Kyi, released from detention in 2010, first joined the parliament in 2012, when her NLD party took 43 seats. Despite the overwhelming NLD majority now, the constitution requires that uniformed military officers retain 25 percent of the seats.
The new parliament will have to select a new president and two vice presidents by March 31 when the current chief executive, Thein Sein, steps down. Under what Suu Kyi believes is a constitutional provision drafted specifically to target her, she’s ineligible for the presidency because no one with children owing allegiance to a foreign government can hold the highest office, and her sons are British citizens. (Courtesy of usip.org)
The NLD won its majority in largely peaceful elections on Nov. 8, replacing a legislative body that has been dominated by the military-inspired Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). Aung San Suu Kyi, released from detention in 2010, first joined the parliament in 2012, when her NLD party took 43 seats. Despite the overwhelming NLD majority now, the constitution requires that uniformed military officers retain 25 percent of the seats.
The new parliament will have to select a new president and two vice presidents by March 31 when the current chief executive, Thein Sein, steps down. Under what Suu Kyi believes is a constitutional provision drafted specifically to target her, she’s ineligible for the presidency because no one with children owing allegiance to a foreign government can hold the highest office, and her sons are British citizens. (Courtesy of usip.org)
Suu Kyi's Party Names Choices to Lead Myanmar Parliament
The pro-democracy party in Myanmar led by Aung San Suu Kyi announced ethnically diverse choices Thursday for leadership of the legislature as it prepares to take over the government from a military-backed party after parliament convenes Monday.
National League for Democracy executive Win Thein told reporters that it will nominate a member of the Burman ethnic majority, Win Myint, for lower house speaker and an ethnic Kachin, Ti Khun Myat, for his deputy. It will propose a Karen, Win Khaing Than, for speaker of the upper house, and an Arakanese, Aye Thar Aung, for his deputy.
In what is seen as another gesture toward unity and reconciliation, the proposed deputies come from other parties. Ti Khun Myat is a member of the Union Solidarity and Development Party, the outgoing ruling party, and Aye Thar Aung is from the Arakan National Party, one of the better-performing ethnic parties in the election representing a politically volatile area.
Ethnic conflict has bedeviled Myanmar for decades, with minority groups fielding guerrilla armies in a bid for greater autonomy. (Courtesy of ABC News)
National League for Democracy executive Win Thein told reporters that it will nominate a member of the Burman ethnic majority, Win Myint, for lower house speaker and an ethnic Kachin, Ti Khun Myat, for his deputy. It will propose a Karen, Win Khaing Than, for speaker of the upper house, and an Arakanese, Aye Thar Aung, for his deputy.
In what is seen as another gesture toward unity and reconciliation, the proposed deputies come from other parties. Ti Khun Myat is a member of the Union Solidarity and Development Party, the outgoing ruling party, and Aye Thar Aung is from the Arakan National Party, one of the better-performing ethnic parties in the election representing a politically volatile area.
Ethnic conflict has bedeviled Myanmar for decades, with minority groups fielding guerrilla armies in a bid for greater autonomy. (Courtesy of ABC News)
Ranong: Two Myanmar migrant workers arrested with explosives in possession
A sea patrol unit today arrested two Myanmar migrant workers aboard a fishing boat off Ranong coast after they were found to have power gel explosives and igniting fuses in possession.
Identified only as Ao and Sumya, they were later today handed over to the special action force of the 25th infantry regiment based in Ranong province for questioning. (Courtesy of news.thaivisa.com)
Identified only as Ao and Sumya, they were later today handed over to the special action force of the 25th infantry regiment based in Ranong province for questioning. (Courtesy of news.thaivisa.com)
Peace and Ethnic Disunity
The inaugural Union Peace Conference wrapped up in Nay Pyi Taw on January 16 with all the usual fanfare. President U Thein Sein launched the peace process in August 2011 and has never resiled from making it a central plank of his administration: Even the modest achievements of the ceasefire negotiations have been feted and trumpeted with vigour by the government and the state-run media. Analyst Bertil Lintner derisively dubbed the process as the “peace-industrial complex”.
A case in point was the official revelry that accompanied the signing last March of a draft text for a national ceasefire agreement. Ethnic armed groups withheld their final assent until after convening two summits, first in the Wa stronghold of Panghsang and then at the Karen National Union headquarters at Law Khee Lar. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
A case in point was the official revelry that accompanied the signing last March of a draft text for a national ceasefire agreement. Ethnic armed groups withheld their final assent until after convening two summits, first in the Wa stronghold of Panghsang and then at the Karen National Union headquarters at Law Khee Lar. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
Myanmar president reiterate promise for systematic power transfer
Myanmar President U Thein Sein on Thursday reiterated the promise he made before the country's general election to carry out systematic power transfer in accordance with the existing laws and by-laws.
Addressing the final session of the current Union Parliament, U Thein Sein said no matter which party takes office, it is to continue to implement systematic power transfer to ensure national development.
The outgoing government will cooperate with the incoming government for the implementation, he added.
According to the president the outgoing parliament will also cooperate with the freshers for political stability and national development. (Courtesy of Xinhua)
Addressing the final session of the current Union Parliament, U Thein Sein said no matter which party takes office, it is to continue to implement systematic power transfer to ensure national development.
The outgoing government will cooperate with the incoming government for the implementation, he added.
According to the president the outgoing parliament will also cooperate with the freshers for political stability and national development. (Courtesy of Xinhua)
Alleged Militia Leader Among NLD Speaker Picks
The National League for Democracy on Thursday morning announced its nominations for the speakers of the next term of Union Parliament, including a returned Union Solidarity and Development Party lawmaker alleged to have led a private militia force in northern Shan State.
U T. Khun Myat, the USDP MP for Shan State’s Kutkai Township and currently the chairman of the Lower House Bill Committee, will be put forward as deputy speaker, according to Thursday’s announcement by NLD spokesman U Win Htein.
In 2011, the Shan Herald Agency for News published an investigative series into members of the Union Parliament with alleged ties to the drug trade, which claimed the ethnic Kachin U T. Khun Myat was a key leader of the 600-strong Kutkai militia, based around 25 kilometres north of Lashio. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
U T. Khun Myat, the USDP MP for Shan State’s Kutkai Township and currently the chairman of the Lower House Bill Committee, will be put forward as deputy speaker, according to Thursday’s announcement by NLD spokesman U Win Htein.
In 2011, the Shan Herald Agency for News published an investigative series into members of the Union Parliament with alleged ties to the drug trade, which claimed the ethnic Kachin U T. Khun Myat was a key leader of the 600-strong Kutkai militia, based around 25 kilometres north of Lashio. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
Myanmar ranked 147 on Corruption Perceptions Index
Myanmar has been ranked 147 out of 168 countries in the 2015 edition of Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index. The country shares joint position with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Chad.
Overall, two-thirds of the 168 countries on the 2015 index scored below 50, on a scale from 0 (perceived to be highly corrupt) to 100 (perceived to be very clean). Myanmar had a score of 22 a slight increase from 21 the previous year.
“The 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index clearly shows that corruption remains a blight around the world. But 2015 was also a year when people again took to the streets to protest corruption. People across the globe sent a strong signal to those in power: it is time to tackle grand corruption,” said José Ugaz, Chair of Transparency International. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
Overall, two-thirds of the 168 countries on the 2015 index scored below 50, on a scale from 0 (perceived to be highly corrupt) to 100 (perceived to be very clean). Myanmar had a score of 22 a slight increase from 21 the previous year.
“The 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index clearly shows that corruption remains a blight around the world. But 2015 was also a year when people again took to the streets to protest corruption. People across the globe sent a strong signal to those in power: it is time to tackle grand corruption,” said José Ugaz, Chair of Transparency International. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
Myanmar president hails 'triumph' of democratic transition
President Thein Sein hailed the "triumph" of Myanmar's transition of power Thursday, addressing a military-dominated parliament for the final time before a handover to Aung San Suu Kyi's pro-democracy movement.
The Southeast Asian nation, choked for decades under junta rule, is on the cusp of a remarkable political transition after Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) thundered to victory in November elections.
Myanmar's people are hoping her government can reboot a country eviscerated by half a century of army rule that battered the economy and repressed dissent.
"Even though there were difficulties and challenges, we were able to bring a democratic transformation eventually," Thein Sein said addressing the military-stacked legislature for the last time. (Courtesy of Channel NewsAsia)
The Southeast Asian nation, choked for decades under junta rule, is on the cusp of a remarkable political transition after Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) thundered to victory in November elections.
Myanmar's people are hoping her government can reboot a country eviscerated by half a century of army rule that battered the economy and repressed dissent.
"Even though there were difficulties and challenges, we were able to bring a democratic transformation eventually," Thein Sein said addressing the military-stacked legislature for the last time. (Courtesy of Channel NewsAsia)
India-Myanmar border trade slumps
On December 1, India ended long-standing rules allowing border trade to be settled by an exchange of goods up to the value of US$20,000, including beans and pulses, spices, bamboo, forest products excluding teak, tobacco, and other commodities.
The move has had the effect of choking off trade, said an official of the Tamu Border Trade Chamber of Commerce yesterday.
Though November trade exceeded the target by 120 percent, December trade reached only 70pc of the target and so far in January the figure is only 35pc. One dealer said, “Since the change, official trades have become rare.” (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
The move has had the effect of choking off trade, said an official of the Tamu Border Trade Chamber of Commerce yesterday.
Though November trade exceeded the target by 120 percent, December trade reached only 70pc of the target and so far in January the figure is only 35pc. One dealer said, “Since the change, official trades have become rare.” (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
January 28, 2016
NLD forms team to streamline parliamentary business
The National League for Democracy has formed a so-called Parliamentary Affairs Leading Committee, led by Win Myint, a central executive committee member, in an attempt to coordinate work.
The five-member committee will also include Lower House MPs Khin San Hlaing and Aung Soe and the Upper House's Mahn Win Khaing Than and Min Oo.
The committee is designed to coordinate with parliamentary leaders and officials, draft parliamentary schedules, invite guests and allow visitors and the media to sessions. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
The five-member committee will also include Lower House MPs Khin San Hlaing and Aung Soe and the Upper House's Mahn Win Khaing Than and Min Oo.
The committee is designed to coordinate with parliamentary leaders and officials, draft parliamentary schedules, invite guests and allow visitors and the media to sessions. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
Unease stirs as Myanmar's Suu Kyi reaches out to former foes
When leaders of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy huddled this month to discuss the transfer of power in Myanmar, they quickly reached decisions on who from the party should take the key posts in the next parliament.
But as attention turned to a candidate from the junta-linked Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), a heated argument erupted over his track record and suitability for office, a senior NLD official who was present at the meeting said.
The issue of how far to go in reaching out to former foes from nearly half a century of military rule may prove one of the first faultines to emerge within the NLD, with the potential to threaten or even derail Suu Kyi's ambitious agenda.
"Some rank-and-file members are worried and not happy about the NLD working closely with the military. They never kept their promises so they don't trust the army," said Aung Myo, a mid-ranking NLD member.(Courtesy of Reuters)
But as attention turned to a candidate from the junta-linked Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), a heated argument erupted over his track record and suitability for office, a senior NLD official who was present at the meeting said.
The issue of how far to go in reaching out to former foes from nearly half a century of military rule may prove one of the first faultines to emerge within the NLD, with the potential to threaten or even derail Suu Kyi's ambitious agenda.
"Some rank-and-file members are worried and not happy about the NLD working closely with the military. They never kept their promises so they don't trust the army," said Aung Myo, a mid-ranking NLD member.(Courtesy of Reuters)
Rule of law depends on reform of Union Attorney General’s Office
The attorney general is Myanmar’s most powerful legal officer: As a member of the executive, the AG provides legal advice to the President and the hluttaw, analyses international treaties, drafts and amends laws, and represents the government in judicial proceedings. The attorney general also directs the prosecutors’ office and ensures that cabinet actions are legally valid, in line with the constitution and international human rights law.
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), international donors and development partners discussed the attorney general’s powerful role on the sidelines of the launch for the Union Attorney General Office’s (UAGO) Strategic Plan 2015-19 in Nay Pyi Taw last week. All expressed hope that the incoming National League for Democracy (NLD) government will appoint an attorney general committed to reform, the rule of law and human rights, in line with their election manifesto promise to ensure that executive and judicial systems support the rule of law. (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), international donors and development partners discussed the attorney general’s powerful role on the sidelines of the launch for the Union Attorney General Office’s (UAGO) Strategic Plan 2015-19 in Nay Pyi Taw last week. All expressed hope that the incoming National League for Democracy (NLD) government will appoint an attorney general committed to reform, the rule of law and human rights, in line with their election manifesto promise to ensure that executive and judicial systems support the rule of law. (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
How Europe Can Help the Rohingya
When the dry season brings calmer seas to Southeast Asia, scores of Rohingya Muslims are likely to take to rickety boats to flee oppression in their homelands. As this sailing season looms again in the region, so does a refugee crisis that follows with equally seasonal regularity.
The Rohingya are a distinct, Muslim minority in Southeast Asia, whose presence in the region stretches back some 1,000 years. Since 2012, over 100,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar due to religious discrimination, typically fueled by Buddhist agitators. Many have been shut out of nearby countries where they sought shelter. Today, there are sizeable Rohingya communities in Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. Despite their historical roots in the region, the Rohingya are largely viewed as foreigners and denied basic rights. (Courtesy of Foreign Policy)
The Rohingya are a distinct, Muslim minority in Southeast Asia, whose presence in the region stretches back some 1,000 years. Since 2012, over 100,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar due to religious discrimination, typically fueled by Buddhist agitators. Many have been shut out of nearby countries where they sought shelter. Today, there are sizeable Rohingya communities in Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. Despite their historical roots in the region, the Rohingya are largely viewed as foreigners and denied basic rights. (Courtesy of Foreign Policy)
Myanmar president pushes to expand army-run ministry
Myanmar's outgoing army-backed president asked parliament Tuesday to extend the powers of the military-controlled home affairs ministry by giving it control over immigration, officials said.
The surprise move comes just days before the incumbent military-dominated parliament hands over to a legislature led by Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party, as the balance of power begins to tilt partially away from the army for the first time in generations.
President's Office director Zaw Htay told AFP that Thein Sein had decided "to combine the ministry of immigration and population and ministry of home affairs" and had written to parliament asking for its approval.
It is expected to be discussed in the legislature on Wednesday. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
The surprise move comes just days before the incumbent military-dominated parliament hands over to a legislature led by Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party, as the balance of power begins to tilt partially away from the army for the first time in generations.
President's Office director Zaw Htay told AFP that Thein Sein had decided "to combine the ministry of immigration and population and ministry of home affairs" and had written to parliament asking for its approval.
It is expected to be discussed in the legislature on Wednesday. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
Japan vows support for new Myanmar government
Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida conveyed Wednesday to senior officials of Myanmar's National League for Democracy Tokyo's support for the Southeast Asian country's incoming government to be led by the party following its landslide victory in last November's general election.
TOKYO — Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida conveyed Wednesday to senior officials of Myanmar's National League for Democracy Tokyo's support for the Southeast Asian country's incoming government to be led by the party following its landslide victory in last November's general election.
"Japan will further accelerate official development assistance and private investment to support the new government," Kishida said in his meeting in Tokyo with Myo Myint, a brain of the NLD's economic policies, and other members of the party economic committee, which is preparing economic policies for the new government. The NLD is led by Aung San Suu Kyi. (Courtesy of Bangkok Post: News)
TOKYO — Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida conveyed Wednesday to senior officials of Myanmar's National League for Democracy Tokyo's support for the Southeast Asian country's incoming government to be led by the party following its landslide victory in last November's general election.
"Japan will further accelerate official development assistance and private investment to support the new government," Kishida said in his meeting in Tokyo with Myo Myint, a brain of the NLD's economic policies, and other members of the party economic committee, which is preparing economic policies for the new government. The NLD is led by Aung San Suu Kyi. (Courtesy of Bangkok Post: News)
Report on Women in Conflict and Peace launched in Myitkyina
What is women’s role in conflict, peacebuilding and democratization? What are the consequences of women’s inclusion and exclusion from the peace process? These are some of the questions explored in Women in Conflict and Peace, International IDEA’s publication was launched on 26 January in Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State the organisation said in a press release.
Drawing on four case studies from Myanmar, Afghanistan, Rwanda and the Philippines, Women in Conflict and Peace analyses the impact of women on conflict and peacebuilding, concluding with recommendations that international and local actors can implement to increase the participation of marginalized women in peace- and democracy-building initiatives. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
Drawing on four case studies from Myanmar, Afghanistan, Rwanda and the Philippines, Women in Conflict and Peace analyses the impact of women on conflict and peacebuilding, concluding with recommendations that international and local actors can implement to increase the participation of marginalized women in peace- and democracy-building initiatives. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
Opinion: Why U.S. should back change in Myanmar
After holding historic elections in November, Myanmar, also known as Burma, is undergoing a remarkable transition to constitutional democratic governance. I recently led a congressional delegation to the country to evaluate this sweeping change firsthand and gauge how the United States can continue to support Myanmar's movement toward the free world.
The National League for Democracy, the opposition party led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, swept the elections, winning 77% of contested parliamentary seats. This victory was many painful decades in the making. Suu Kyi's father, Gen. Aung San, was assassinated in 1947 while he led the transitional government as Myanmar gained its independence from Great Britain. (Courtesy of WPTZ Home)
The National League for Democracy, the opposition party led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, swept the elections, winning 77% of contested parliamentary seats. This victory was many painful decades in the making. Suu Kyi's father, Gen. Aung San, was assassinated in 1947 while he led the transitional government as Myanmar gained its independence from Great Britain. (Courtesy of WPTZ Home)
Suu Kyi's novice MPs learn ropes in outgoing Myanmar parliament
Hundreds of newly-elected Myanmar MPs from Aung San Suu Kyi's party took lessons in lawmaking from the outgoing army-dominated parliament Wednesday, January 27, days before taking their seats in the most democratic legislature for decades.
A landslide victory for Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) in November polls will give the politicians their first taste of power when the new parliament convenes on February 1, a historical turning point for a nation long stifled by military rule.
The new MPs include democracy activists from all walks of life and dozens of former political prisoners, but few have any background in lawmaking. The country was ruled by an oppressive military junta for nearly 50 years, from 1962-2011. (Courtesy of rappler.com)
A landslide victory for Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) in November polls will give the politicians their first taste of power when the new parliament convenes on February 1, a historical turning point for a nation long stifled by military rule.
The new MPs include democracy activists from all walks of life and dozens of former political prisoners, but few have any background in lawmaking. The country was ruled by an oppressive military junta for nearly 50 years, from 1962-2011. (Courtesy of rappler.com)
At Least 6 Confirmed Dead in Landslide at Myanmar Jade Mine
A landslide of mining waste killed at least six people in the sixth deadly such accident in northern Myanmar's jade mining region since a November disaster left more than 100 dead.
Hpakant Baptist Church deacon Dut La, who is organizing funerals for the victims, said six bodies were in the morgue but more than a dozen may still lie under the waste from the slide that occurred Monday afternoon in Kachin state's Hpakant mining region.
"We are going to bury them today. Some family members showed up but some didn't and we cannot wait for them anymore," Dut La said Wednesday. "There are a dozen more possibly buried under the debris but it's quite difficult to take the bodies out because it's too dangerous."
Hpakant, 950 kilometers (600 miles) northeast of Myanmar's biggest city, Yangon, is the epicenter of the lucrative jade mining industry. Jade is mined with heavy equipment that leaves behind small pieces in the waste soil that is piled into huge mounds. At risk when landslides occur are usually people who settle near the mounds to scavenge through precariously high piles. (Courtesy of ABC News)
Hpakant Baptist Church deacon Dut La, who is organizing funerals for the victims, said six bodies were in the morgue but more than a dozen may still lie under the waste from the slide that occurred Monday afternoon in Kachin state's Hpakant mining region.
"We are going to bury them today. Some family members showed up but some didn't and we cannot wait for them anymore," Dut La said Wednesday. "There are a dozen more possibly buried under the debris but it's quite difficult to take the bodies out because it's too dangerous."
Hpakant, 950 kilometers (600 miles) northeast of Myanmar's biggest city, Yangon, is the epicenter of the lucrative jade mining industry. Jade is mined with heavy equipment that leaves behind small pieces in the waste soil that is piled into huge mounds. At risk when landslides occur are usually people who settle near the mounds to scavenge through precariously high piles. (Courtesy of ABC News)
600 unregistered homes bulldozed in Yangon
Several hundred squatter huts were bulldozed with the help of heavy machinery early yesterday morning at the Myaemyan Aung and Yezarni plantations in Santhamardi Ward in Pyinmapin Village, Mingaladon Township, Yangon Region.
Around 600 huts housing 2,500 people were built in the plantations about 15 years ago.
Among the residents were many school-age children who are now preparing to take their final exams. The authorities demolished their huts while it was raining.
While the houses were being demolished, a woman who had recently given birth collapsed in a state of shock. The state of her health is not yet known.
“After receiving warning letters [about their eviction] in recent days, three women gave birth to babies. Now, the [women] are very frightened. We heard a woman died in childbirth,” said a resident of Santhamardi Ward.
However, this account was denied by the authorities. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
Around 600 huts housing 2,500 people were built in the plantations about 15 years ago.
Among the residents were many school-age children who are now preparing to take their final exams. The authorities demolished their huts while it was raining.
While the houses were being demolished, a woman who had recently given birth collapsed in a state of shock. The state of her health is not yet known.
“After receiving warning letters [about their eviction] in recent days, three women gave birth to babies. Now, the [women] are very frightened. We heard a woman died in childbirth,” said a resident of Santhamardi Ward.
However, this account was denied by the authorities. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
Inter-religious harmony faces serious challenges in Myanmar
For decades, Myint Soe's family has been able to practice freedom of religion in Myanmar, with neighbors reveling in the family's “half-Muslim, half-Buddhist” status.
But Myint, 58 years old, admits that when he married his Buddhist wife 33 years ago, some of his family did raise objection.
“Some, especially my grandparents, strongly criticized me,” he tells Anadolu Agency from his small house in Yangon’s central rail station compound.
“It was because I didn’t ask my wife to convert to Islam,” the government worker recalls. "But why would I? Even though I'm from a poor and uneducated background, I believe someone’s faith should not be controlled.”
Myint's wife, 58-year-old Khin Shwe, tells Anadolu Agency that she had doubts about her husband at first as her parents warned her that she would be forced to convert to Islam soon after the marriage. (Courtesy of Anadolu Agency)
But Myint, 58 years old, admits that when he married his Buddhist wife 33 years ago, some of his family did raise objection.
“Some, especially my grandparents, strongly criticized me,” he tells Anadolu Agency from his small house in Yangon’s central rail station compound.
“It was because I didn’t ask my wife to convert to Islam,” the government worker recalls. "But why would I? Even though I'm from a poor and uneducated background, I believe someone’s faith should not be controlled.”
Myint's wife, 58-year-old Khin Shwe, tells Anadolu Agency that she had doubts about her husband at first as her parents warned her that she would be forced to convert to Islam soon after the marriage. (Courtesy of Anadolu Agency)
Buddhist monks hope for peace in Myanmar
After once trudging through war-torn Sri Lanka, their first outside India, Buddhist monks of the prominent Drukpa Lineage are now undertaking a similar foot journey for peace in Myanmar, which has witnessed decades of ethnic turbulence. The Drukpa monks are mainly based in India's Ladakh region in Jammu and Kashmir and have a long history of promoting inter-faith peace and celebrating diversity.
The country's former military government is on the cusp of a major transition to a pro-democracy setup under Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy last November won the first openly-contested elections in 25 years.
"This 'padyatra' or foot journey encompasses the message of peace and harmony. Our yatras or marches spread consciousness about the importance of harmony and reconciliation," Drukpa Thuksey Rinpoche told IANS here as the journey began.
Drukpa Thuksey Rinpoche, who is leading the journey, is the spiritual regent to the Gyalwang Drukpa, the spiritual head of the Drukpa Order with over 1,000 monasteries across the Himalayas. (Courtesy of thehansindia.com)
The country's former military government is on the cusp of a major transition to a pro-democracy setup under Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy last November won the first openly-contested elections in 25 years.
"This 'padyatra' or foot journey encompasses the message of peace and harmony. Our yatras or marches spread consciousness about the importance of harmony and reconciliation," Drukpa Thuksey Rinpoche told IANS here as the journey began.
Drukpa Thuksey Rinpoche, who is leading the journey, is the spiritual regent to the Gyalwang Drukpa, the spiritual head of the Drukpa Order with over 1,000 monasteries across the Himalayas. (Courtesy of thehansindia.com)
Myanmar is still the third-most malnourished country in Southeast Asia
The United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) in Myanmar is facing a funding shortfall of $51 million to meet all the needs till the end of 2016. The organisation, which has a 250-strong staff in the country, says it provided food and cash assistance to 1.2 million people in 2015. This includes emergency food assistance to half a million victims of disasters and conflict.
Myanmar Now chief correspondent Thin Lei Win spoke to Dom Scalpelli, WFP country director in Myanmar, about what the shortfall means, why Myanmar is still food insecure, and what eradicating hunger and malnutrition would mean to the country.
Question: How concerned are you about the funding shortfall? Or is this part of a long-standing problem?
Answer: The funding shortfalls are a common part of our business, unfortunately. It’s like running a fire department without having the money for the trucks or the petrol in the trucks. Imagine, each time there’s a fire, you need to quickly run around the city and ask for money. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
Myanmar Now chief correspondent Thin Lei Win spoke to Dom Scalpelli, WFP country director in Myanmar, about what the shortfall means, why Myanmar is still food insecure, and what eradicating hunger and malnutrition would mean to the country.
Question: How concerned are you about the funding shortfall? Or is this part of a long-standing problem?
Answer: The funding shortfalls are a common part of our business, unfortunately. It’s like running a fire department without having the money for the trucks or the petrol in the trucks. Imagine, each time there’s a fire, you need to quickly run around the city and ask for money. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
California's Burmese Newspaper Finds a New Voice
California is home to an estimated 30,000 Burmese, the largest concentration of the Myanmar diaspora in the United States. Although many have resettled in the US to escape the political situation at home, the Californian Burmese are not known for their activism. This was evident in 2007 during a campaign outside Los Angeles City Hall to gather signatures for the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who was under house arrest, and other political prisoners.
“At that time, even though there are about 10,000 Burmese in Los Angeles how many do you think came to the demonstration? Only about 20 people,” recalled Ma Swe Swe, 38, editor of Myanmar Gazette, a Burmese-language monthly newspaper published in Los Angeles.
Ma Swe Swe, a medical graduate and part-time journalist who used the pen name Nyo Khet Kyaw when she was writing for publications in Myanmar, arrived in Los Angeles in 2005 to help care for her aunt. She soon married another Myanmar journalist, U Gyi Soe, and together with a financial backer they launched the Mandalay Gazette in July 2006. It was renamed the Myanmar Gazette in October 2013, when their former backer pulled out. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
“At that time, even though there are about 10,000 Burmese in Los Angeles how many do you think came to the demonstration? Only about 20 people,” recalled Ma Swe Swe, 38, editor of Myanmar Gazette, a Burmese-language monthly newspaper published in Los Angeles.
Ma Swe Swe, a medical graduate and part-time journalist who used the pen name Nyo Khet Kyaw when she was writing for publications in Myanmar, arrived in Los Angeles in 2005 to help care for her aunt. She soon married another Myanmar journalist, U Gyi Soe, and together with a financial backer they launched the Mandalay Gazette in July 2006. It was renamed the Myanmar Gazette in October 2013, when their former backer pulled out. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
Myanmar market holds potential for Vietnamese goods
Pham Thiet Hia, the centre’s director, said that Myanmar, with its population of 55 million, has high demand for many kinds of products that Vietnamese companies manufacture at a high standard.
"Myanmar people favour Vietnamese goods," he said.
They include electric and electronic equipment, construction materials, information and technology, food, confectionary and agricultural materials and production technologies.
Le Tan Minh, deputy head of the centre’s Trade Promotion Division, said voltage regulators were in demand in Myanmar as its electricity grid was being improved. (Courtesy of The Nation)
"Myanmar people favour Vietnamese goods," he said.
They include electric and electronic equipment, construction materials, information and technology, food, confectionary and agricultural materials and production technologies.
Le Tan Minh, deputy head of the centre’s Trade Promotion Division, said voltage regulators were in demand in Myanmar as its electricity grid was being improved. (Courtesy of The Nation)
Anti-Human Trafficking Police Threaten Boat-Victims for Ransom
The Myanmar (Burmese) anti-human trafficking police has been threatening the Rohingya boat-victims in Maungdaw Township for ransom for a few months.
The victims now released by the authorities and the Maungdaw court were arrested after their boat was captured by the Myanmar Navy in Bay of Bengal off Myanmar coast in May 2015.
On 21st May 2015, the Navy captured their boat with more than 200 people on board trying to flee to Malaysia. After capturing the boat, the navy informed the Maungdaw authorities and handed the people over to them.
The authorities took the boat-people on the land via the ‘Ang Ngu Maw’ jetty in southern-most Maungdaw on May 22. Of them, the authorities took away a few people (who were also Rohingyas) along with them secretly from public eyes and left 228 people behind.
From 228 people, 20 people were again separately sent to Maungdaw Police station. Of the 20 people, 8 were boat-workers from ‘Irrawaddy’ division who were later imprisoned to 8 years each for people smuggling.
From the remaining 208 people, 8 were the local Rohingyas of Kyauktaw Township and hence sent to their native township. (Courtesy of Rohingya Vision TV)
The victims now released by the authorities and the Maungdaw court were arrested after their boat was captured by the Myanmar Navy in Bay of Bengal off Myanmar coast in May 2015.
On 21st May 2015, the Navy captured their boat with more than 200 people on board trying to flee to Malaysia. After capturing the boat, the navy informed the Maungdaw authorities and handed the people over to them.
The authorities took the boat-people on the land via the ‘Ang Ngu Maw’ jetty in southern-most Maungdaw on May 22. Of them, the authorities took away a few people (who were also Rohingyas) along with them secretly from public eyes and left 228 people behind.
From 228 people, 20 people were again separately sent to Maungdaw Police station. Of the 20 people, 8 were boat-workers from ‘Irrawaddy’ division who were later imprisoned to 8 years each for people smuggling.
From the remaining 208 people, 8 were the local Rohingyas of Kyauktaw Township and hence sent to their native township. (Courtesy of Rohingya Vision TV)
January 27, 2016
Murderers, rapists among freed Myanmar prisoners: minister
Among 11,574 prisoners freed during the President Thein Sein’s government included 2,374 murderers and 1726 rapists, says deputy minister Kyaw Kyaw Tun for Ministry of Home Affairs.
Responding to a question raised by MP Phone Myint Aung during a parliamentary discussion yesterday, he said that other prisoners included 97 who were jailed for defamation, 5,064 robbers, 334 who were convicted of vandalising, and 1,979 who were convicted of physical assaults.
He added that the number of prisoners on death row is 181 during the current government and 33 of them were freed under amnesties in 2012 and 71 freed in 2014. He added that there has been no execution since 1988. (Courtesy of The Nation)
Responding to a question raised by MP Phone Myint Aung during a parliamentary discussion yesterday, he said that other prisoners included 97 who were jailed for defamation, 5,064 robbers, 334 who were convicted of vandalising, and 1,979 who were convicted of physical assaults.
He added that the number of prisoners on death row is 181 during the current government and 33 of them were freed under amnesties in 2012 and 71 freed in 2014. He added that there has been no execution since 1988. (Courtesy of The Nation)
Indian ambassador talks trade, connectivity, and the ‘dignity’ of the Myanmar election
26 January, is the 67th Republic Day of India. H.E. Mr. Gautam Mukhopadhaya, Ambassador of India to Myanmar, talked to Mizzima Editor-in-Chief Soe Myint about a range of issues including Indian-Myanmar relations, the Act East Policy, the potential for improved trade and investment between the two countries and his positive view of the Myanmar elections.
Mizzima: I would like to start with a question about PM Narendra Modi’s Act East Policy. What does this mean for India’s neighbours, particularly Myanmar?
The foundations for Look East and Act East are the same, in the sense of the priority and importance that we give to our relations with East Asia, including Southeast Asia, in terms of culture and economy, and other related areas. But the primary difference between the two, is one of action and implementation. It is about implementation of projects which we have already committed to in an efficient manner. And secondly, in terms of energy. Prime Minister Modi has displayed an extraordinary energy in conducting his Act East Policy. During the last one and a half years, we have seen visits, high level visits, state-level visits, between China and Japan, and the Prime Minister has visited Mongolia, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, two East Asia-ASEAN summits including one in Myanmar and one recently in Kuala Lumpur. And, at another level, interactions within ASEAN mechanisms as a dialogue partner have been going on. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
Mizzima: I would like to start with a question about PM Narendra Modi’s Act East Policy. What does this mean for India’s neighbours, particularly Myanmar?
The foundations for Look East and Act East are the same, in the sense of the priority and importance that we give to our relations with East Asia, including Southeast Asia, in terms of culture and economy, and other related areas. But the primary difference between the two, is one of action and implementation. It is about implementation of projects which we have already committed to in an efficient manner. And secondly, in terms of energy. Prime Minister Modi has displayed an extraordinary energy in conducting his Act East Policy. During the last one and a half years, we have seen visits, high level visits, state-level visits, between China and Japan, and the Prime Minister has visited Mongolia, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, two East Asia-ASEAN summits including one in Myanmar and one recently in Kuala Lumpur. And, at another level, interactions within ASEAN mechanisms as a dialogue partner have been going on. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
Risks loom for Myanmar’s Kyaukphyu Economic Zone
The end of 2015 saw a series of major announcements and decisions regarding Myanmar’s latest special economic zone (SEZ) in Kyaukphyu township of Rakhine State. In late December, Myanmar’s government approved the demarcation of land for the SEZ and awarded tenders to develop the SEZ to a CITIC Group-led consortium.
The Kyaukphyu SEZ is a key part of Myanmar’s drive to attract foreign direct investment. It is one of three such zones set up since the military-backed USDP took over power from the Tatmadaw military junta via elections in 2011. Kyaukphyu’s SEZ includes three projects: a deep-sea port, an industrial park, and a housing project. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
The Kyaukphyu SEZ is a key part of Myanmar’s drive to attract foreign direct investment. It is one of three such zones set up since the military-backed USDP took over power from the Tatmadaw military junta via elections in 2011. Kyaukphyu’s SEZ includes three projects: a deep-sea port, an industrial park, and a housing project. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
January 26, 2016
Aung San Suu Kyi’s Role Causes Friction With Myanmar’s Army
Myanmar— Aung San Suu Kyi’s pledge to place herself “above the president” in this nation’s future government is causing friction with the army, which will still have significant control after the handover of power.
Insiders in the incoming government say that choosing a figurehead president to front for Ms. Suu Kyi makes perfect sense. The Nobel Peace Prize winner and former political prisoner is barred by law from becoming president because she was married to a British national. Her children are British too.
What else is she to do after her party won last year’s national elections, they say. But such a move would likely complicate a drawn-out negotiation with the army over who really governs the country. (Courtesy of WSJ)
Insiders in the incoming government say that choosing a figurehead president to front for Ms. Suu Kyi makes perfect sense. The Nobel Peace Prize winner and former political prisoner is barred by law from becoming president because she was married to a British national. Her children are British too.
What else is she to do after her party won last year’s national elections, they say. But such a move would likely complicate a drawn-out negotiation with the army over who really governs the country. (Courtesy of WSJ)
Seven foreign firms keen on Myanmar licence
Seven foreign companies have expressed interest in Myanmar's fourth mobile licence, it emerged on Monday.
This is according to a report by Reuters, which cited Chit Wai, deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT). The identity of the firms has not been disclosed, but they have all submitted expressions of interest (EOIs).
Now it is up to the MCIT to select a preferred bidder and apply to the Posts and Telecommunications Department (PTD) for a licence, which will be valid for 15 years. (Courtesy of totaltele.com)
This is according to a report by Reuters, which cited Chit Wai, deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT). The identity of the firms has not been disclosed, but they have all submitted expressions of interest (EOIs).
Now it is up to the MCIT to select a preferred bidder and apply to the Posts and Telecommunications Department (PTD) for a licence, which will be valid for 15 years. (Courtesy of totaltele.com)
Aung San Suu Kyi meets Myanmar army chief as power transition looms
Aung San Suu Kyi and Myanmar's powerful army chief held fresh talks on Monday (Jan 25) on the country's dramatic political transition, days before a military-dominated legislature hands over to the most democratic parliament in generations.
The discussions are the latest effort to smooth the transfer of power following a landslide victory for Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy in November elections, which is set to transform the once-cloistered nation after decades under military rule.
The meeting saw "friendly and open discussions about the formation of a new government, the transition, post-election peace and stability, the parliament and peace process", according to a statement posted on the NLD's official Facebook page late on Monday. (Courtesy of The Straits Times)
The discussions are the latest effort to smooth the transfer of power following a landslide victory for Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy in November elections, which is set to transform the once-cloistered nation after decades under military rule.
The meeting saw "friendly and open discussions about the formation of a new government, the transition, post-election peace and stability, the parliament and peace process", according to a statement posted on the NLD's official Facebook page late on Monday. (Courtesy of The Straits Times)
Dawei SEZ project sparks hopes and worries
There is a small hut with a thatched roof overlooking the Andaman Sea in Dawei, Tanintharyi Region. Near the hut, there is a milestone engraved with the letters KM 0+000 denoting the beginning of the road.
At present, there is only a wide road and vast fields but the area will soon be a flourishing major economic hub for neighbouring countries including Thailand and Myanmar. It is the site of the Dawei deep-sea port, the largest in the country, with a project area spanning thousands of square kilometres.
Currently, only a few people come to the area and it is just a seaside village. These people take photos to remember their trip and they return to where they came from. It is hard to say how much this area will change over the next five years. But local people and businessmen have high hopes for the mega deep-sea port project which initially took shape as a plan by the Thai and Myanmar governments in 2008. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
At present, there is only a wide road and vast fields but the area will soon be a flourishing major economic hub for neighbouring countries including Thailand and Myanmar. It is the site of the Dawei deep-sea port, the largest in the country, with a project area spanning thousands of square kilometres.
Currently, only a few people come to the area and it is just a seaside village. These people take photos to remember their trip and they return to where they came from. It is hard to say how much this area will change over the next five years. But local people and businessmen have high hopes for the mega deep-sea port project which initially took shape as a plan by the Thai and Myanmar governments in 2008. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
On the road with the women building Myanmar
In the mountain village of Kalaw, Myanmar, women in bamboo hats are busy laying the foundations of a road. They woke at dawn, ate mohinga fish soup for breakfast and then joined other female colleagues in the boiling sun. Surrounded by red soil and gravel, the five-month baby of 21-year-old Cho Mi Ko is also on the roadside. He is sleeping under a makeshift shelter, oblivious to his mother’s hard labour.
The sight of women building roads is common in Myanmar. From the rural areas of Rakhine state to touristic Bagan, fuming tarmac and piles of debris are mostly handled by female workers, wearing an extra layer of the traditional yellow plant extract tanaka to protect their faces from the sun. (Courtesy of The Guardian)
The sight of women building roads is common in Myanmar. From the rural areas of Rakhine state to touristic Bagan, fuming tarmac and piles of debris are mostly handled by female workers, wearing an extra layer of the traditional yellow plant extract tanaka to protect their faces from the sun. (Courtesy of The Guardian)
Rohingya census to be completed by this year
Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque has briefed foreign diplomats and representatives of UN and other international organisations about undocumented Myanmar nationals residing in Bangladesh.
“I briefed them about a project on undocumented Myanmar nationals and census,” the foreign secretary told the Dhaka Tribune.
The government with its own fund has taken the initiative to conduct a census on them to get a clear picture of how many undocumented Myanmar nationals are living in the country.
“We expect to get the final report by this year,” he said.
He said Bangladesh wants them to go back to Myanmar and Dhaka is engaged with Myanmar government in this regard.
“But, we don’t have any intention to force them to go back to Myanmar,” he added.
With limited resources, Bangladesh is trying to meet the basic needs of the Myanmar nationals but the government wants them to go back, the foreign secretary said.
The census will be conducted in Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban, Patuakhali, Chittagong Hill Tracts, Khagrachari and Chittagong.
The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics completed its field test in November and going to start zonal operation by this month.
It will conduct household survey and final survey in March. (Courtesy of Dhaka Tribune)
“I briefed them about a project on undocumented Myanmar nationals and census,” the foreign secretary told the Dhaka Tribune.
The government with its own fund has taken the initiative to conduct a census on them to get a clear picture of how many undocumented Myanmar nationals are living in the country.
“We expect to get the final report by this year,” he said.
He said Bangladesh wants them to go back to Myanmar and Dhaka is engaged with Myanmar government in this regard.
“But, we don’t have any intention to force them to go back to Myanmar,” he added.
With limited resources, Bangladesh is trying to meet the basic needs of the Myanmar nationals but the government wants them to go back, the foreign secretary said.
The census will be conducted in Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban, Patuakhali, Chittagong Hill Tracts, Khagrachari and Chittagong.
The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics completed its field test in November and going to start zonal operation by this month.
It will conduct household survey and final survey in March. (Courtesy of Dhaka Tribune)
January 25, 2016
NLD insists it will choose Rakhine State chief minister
The National League for Democracy insists it will appoint the chief minister and government for Rakhine despite protests by the Arakan National Party which won a majority of the state’s elected seats in last November’s elections.
However the NLD will consult with all “ethnic” parties and will not discriminate against any of them, NLD central committee member U Nyi Pu said, noting that this policy of exercising the president’s right to appoint chief ministers extended to all of Myanmar’s 14 states and regions.
The ANP, which largely defends the interests of the state’s Rakhine Buddhist majority, says it should be given the right to form the state government. On January 19 it warned that it was ready to position itself in opposition “for the interests of the Arakan people”.
Rakhine was the only state or region where the NLD was beaten into second place in the general elections. But because of the 25 percent of seats allocated to the military, the ANP fell just short of winning an overall majority in the state government. (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
However the NLD will consult with all “ethnic” parties and will not discriminate against any of them, NLD central committee member U Nyi Pu said, noting that this policy of exercising the president’s right to appoint chief ministers extended to all of Myanmar’s 14 states and regions.
The ANP, which largely defends the interests of the state’s Rakhine Buddhist majority, says it should be given the right to form the state government. On January 19 it warned that it was ready to position itself in opposition “for the interests of the Arakan people”.
Rakhine was the only state or region where the NLD was beaten into second place in the general elections. But because of the 25 percent of seats allocated to the military, the ANP fell just short of winning an overall majority in the state government. (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
January 24, 2016
Asean should stop human trafficking – Simon Tay, Aaron Choo and Shangari Kiruppalini
One test for this dream of Community is whether the lives of ordinary citizens will improve and one hard issue will be the ongoing tragedy of trafficking in people.
Last year, mass graves were discovered along the border of Thailand and Malaysia, containing the remains of more than 200 people.
The cases are still under investigation, but most fear the victims were from the Rakhine State in Myanmar – called the Rohingya by some – and had been kidnapped or illegally trafficked before being abandoned and killed. (Courtesy of The Malaysian Insider)
Last year, mass graves were discovered along the border of Thailand and Malaysia, containing the remains of more than 200 people.
The cases are still under investigation, but most fear the victims were from the Rakhine State in Myanmar – called the Rohingya by some – and had been kidnapped or illegally trafficked before being abandoned and killed. (Courtesy of The Malaysian Insider)
Myanmar’s Annual Rohingya Exodus Placed on Hold
It is “sailing season” in Myanmar, a time when thousands of persecuted Rohingya Muslims have typically taken to the seas in pursuit of better lives abroad.
But this year is different. Government crackdowns on human traffickers and a historic election have many people cautiously optimistic that the situation for the Rohingya may finally improve.
In recent years, thousands of ostracized Rohingya Muslims have fled from beaches at Sittwe, capital of Myanmar's Rakhine state, on dangerous trips abroad. Some have fallen prey to traffickers.
Despite the risks, many have chosen to flee rather than endure life in Myanmar, in restrictive camps, with little education, substandard medical care and mass unemployment. Many are despondent. (Courtesy of VOA)
But this year is different. Government crackdowns on human traffickers and a historic election have many people cautiously optimistic that the situation for the Rohingya may finally improve.
In recent years, thousands of ostracized Rohingya Muslims have fled from beaches at Sittwe, capital of Myanmar's Rakhine state, on dangerous trips abroad. Some have fallen prey to traffickers.
Despite the risks, many have chosen to flee rather than endure life in Myanmar, in restrictive camps, with little education, substandard medical care and mass unemployment. Many are despondent. (Courtesy of VOA)
Suu Kyi's party stays mum on choice for president
The son-in-law of former Myanmar strongman Than Shwe is among the military appointees named to state legislatures and the country's new Parliament, which will convene on Feb 1. Brigadier-General Thein Naing has been appointed to the Yangon legislature.
Under Myanmar's junta-era 2008 Constitution, 25 per cent of seats in both Houses of Parliament and state and regional legislatures are reserved for the military - a footprint that in effect allows it to veto any amendment to the Constitution.
But with a Nov 8 landslide electoral win, the National League for Democracy (NLD) controls both Houses - and now all eyes are on who will be the country's next president. (Courtesy of The Straits Times)
Under Myanmar's junta-era 2008 Constitution, 25 per cent of seats in both Houses of Parliament and state and regional legislatures are reserved for the military - a footprint that in effect allows it to veto any amendment to the Constitution.
But with a Nov 8 landslide electoral win, the National League for Democracy (NLD) controls both Houses - and now all eyes are on who will be the country's next president. (Courtesy of The Straits Times)
Prisoner amnesty: too little, too late
The outgoing government has released 102 prisoners across the country, announced Zaw Htay, director of the President's Office, on Facebook. The list does not include students who are still on trial after their arrest around March 10 last year.
The students were not prisoners but were under investigation in the courts and they were engaged in the legal process, he said.
Under the leadership of the All Burma Federation Student Unions, the students demanded reform of the National Education Law.
In Letpadan, Bago Region, there was a large crackdown on them and Phyoe Phyoe Aung, Nanda Sit Aung, Min Thway Thit and other supporters were detained at Thayawady Prison. Their trials continue. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
The students were not prisoners but were under investigation in the courts and they were engaged in the legal process, he said.
Under the leadership of the All Burma Federation Student Unions, the students demanded reform of the National Education Law.
In Letpadan, Bago Region, there was a large crackdown on them and Phyoe Phyoe Aung, Nanda Sit Aung, Min Thway Thit and other supporters were detained at Thayawady Prison. Their trials continue. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
Rights groups upset over jailing of activist for Facebook post
A prisoner amnesty in Myanmar on Friday does not go nearly far enough as scores of peaceful activists remain behind bars, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said.
The government announced on January 22 the release of 102 prisoners, including at least 16 prisoners of conscience who Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch had campaigned for.
Those released include three convicted of religious defamation in late 2014 for allegedly insulting an image of a Buddha in a bar advertisement. New Zealand citizen Philip Blackwood and his Myanmar business partners Ko Tun Thurein and Ko Htut Ko Ko Lwin were sentenced to two and half years hard labour. Other political prisoners released include land rights activists involved in protests at the Letpadaung copper mine and in Yangon. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
The government announced on January 22 the release of 102 prisoners, including at least 16 prisoners of conscience who Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch had campaigned for.
Those released include three convicted of religious defamation in late 2014 for allegedly insulting an image of a Buddha in a bar advertisement. New Zealand citizen Philip Blackwood and his Myanmar business partners Ko Tun Thurein and Ko Htut Ko Ko Lwin were sentenced to two and half years hard labour. Other political prisoners released include land rights activists involved in protests at the Letpadaung copper mine and in Yangon. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
Cops step up ops over market shootings
The police have stepped up their operation over the Selayang market incident, with 53 more suspects rounded up.
This brings to 176 the total number of suspects nabbed since the incident, in which a two-year-old boy was shot and wounded.
Police have enlisted the help of City Hall, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), Immigration Department, Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD), National Anti-drugs Agency (AADK) and JPJ in their all out “war” against those involved. (Courtesy of The Star Online)
Foreigners allowed to purchase condominium apartment in Myanmar
Foreigners have been allowed to purchase not over 40 percent of condominium apartment in Myanmar in accordance with the approved Condominium Law beginning this year, official sources said Saturday.
The Condominium Law is applied to high-rise residential building having minimum six floors and it should be built on an area of 20,000 square feet or over. (Courtesy of Shanghai Daily)
The Condominium Law is applied to high-rise residential building having minimum six floors and it should be built on an area of 20,000 square feet or over. (Courtesy of Shanghai Daily)
Numerous AA suspects arrested
The security agency known as the Sa Ya Pha has reportedly detained three young militants in Rakhine State.
The three were apparently arrested at their homes in Leikamaw village, Kyaukpyu Township, for possible connection with the Arakan Army (AA).
“They have been detained as they’re suspected of links with the AA. But I’m not sure about that. My brother Maung Aye was taken by force from his home on January 21. There is growing concern about them among their families and other villagers. Such an aggressive act shouldn’t have happened in this democratic era,” said Maung Daung, brother of Maung Aye.
The other two detained were named as Thar Tun Phyu and Zaw Win Maung. (Courtesy of Eleven Media)
The three were apparently arrested at their homes in Leikamaw village, Kyaukpyu Township, for possible connection with the Arakan Army (AA).
“They have been detained as they’re suspected of links with the AA. But I’m not sure about that. My brother Maung Aye was taken by force from his home on January 21. There is growing concern about them among their families and other villagers. Such an aggressive act shouldn’t have happened in this democratic era,” said Maung Daung, brother of Maung Aye.
The other two detained were named as Thar Tun Phyu and Zaw Win Maung. (Courtesy of Eleven Media)
Govt must realise that it needs the media
The media should play the role of watchdog but it can also be manipulated to reflect the agenda of a powerful owner. The authorities need to be proactive, strategic and professional in their relationship with the news media. Willingly or not, it has long been recognised that the police and media can become locked into a complex loop of interdependence.
The media depends on the police for the constant release of “crime and crash” information as the lifeblood of their news stories and the police depend on media coverage for help in crime prevention and detection, and also in the promotion of a positive image for policing work.
The effective management and use of information has an important role to play in crime prevention, reduction and investigation strategies, and the amount of information that police officers encounter in the course of their work is considerable.
Depending on how transparent a news article is, one can determine its reliability and make assumptions or draw one’s own conclusions from the findings. Media transparency brings up issues concerning freedom of speech since governments may censor what information is conveyed in order to sway public opinion. Corruption has been a major issue in areas of the world where there is a lack of media transparency. (Courtesy of Eleven Media)
The media depends on the police for the constant release of “crime and crash” information as the lifeblood of their news stories and the police depend on media coverage for help in crime prevention and detection, and also in the promotion of a positive image for policing work.
The effective management and use of information has an important role to play in crime prevention, reduction and investigation strategies, and the amount of information that police officers encounter in the course of their work is considerable.
Depending on how transparent a news article is, one can determine its reliability and make assumptions or draw one’s own conclusions from the findings. Media transparency brings up issues concerning freedom of speech since governments may censor what information is conveyed in order to sway public opinion. Corruption has been a major issue in areas of the world where there is a lack of media transparency. (Courtesy of Eleven Media)
Challenges Abound for Suu Kyi and Peace Process
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, told an Independence Day event at NLD headquarters on January 4 that the first priority of an NLD government would be building internal peace.
She will lead the peace process launched by President U Thein Sein’s administration after her government takes office on April 1. I would like to discuss the challenges the NLD government may face in achieving peace.
The former military government made no attempt to hold a political dialogue with armed ethnic groups and even though it reached bilateral ceasefire agreements with many of them, it stopped short of discussing a national truce. It also tried to coerce armed ethnic groups into forming border guard forces that would be under Tatmadaw command. Resistance to forming the BGFs lead to tension and fighting erupted with some armed ethnic groups. After President U Thein Sein’s government took office in 2011, peace talks began as part of a concerted attempt to reach a ceasefire accord. Months of negotiations resulted in an agreement being reached on a draft text for a national ceasefire agreement on March 31, 2015. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
She will lead the peace process launched by President U Thein Sein’s administration after her government takes office on April 1. I would like to discuss the challenges the NLD government may face in achieving peace.
The former military government made no attempt to hold a political dialogue with armed ethnic groups and even though it reached bilateral ceasefire agreements with many of them, it stopped short of discussing a national truce. It also tried to coerce armed ethnic groups into forming border guard forces that would be under Tatmadaw command. Resistance to forming the BGFs lead to tension and fighting erupted with some armed ethnic groups. After President U Thein Sein’s government took office in 2011, peace talks began as part of a concerted attempt to reach a ceasefire accord. Months of negotiations resulted in an agreement being reached on a draft text for a national ceasefire agreement on March 31, 2015. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
Myanmar frees prisoners before change of govt
Myanmar began releasing the first of about 100 prisoners yesterday, government officials said, days before a Parliament dominated by democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi's party sits for the first time after an election victory in November.
The freeing of prisoners by the outgoing administration of President Thein Sein comes after US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Myanmar to release all political prisoners during a visit on Monday. (Courtesy of The Traits Times)
The freeing of prisoners by the outgoing administration of President Thein Sein comes after US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Myanmar to release all political prisoners during a visit on Monday. (Courtesy of The Traits Times)
Matthews Asia: Myanmar, The Last Frontier
For me, Myanmar is the last of Asia’s frontier countries, and it represents an enormous investment opportunity. I first visited Yangon, one of Myanmar’s largest cities, with my colleague in June 2013 when global consumer companies were racing to set up there before their competitors arrived. I remember seeing Coca Cola’s CEO at the airport celebrating with his employees after the firm resumed bottling operations in the country for the first time in six decades. Obtaining a hotel reservation in Myanmar those days was difficult. Even as the country was beginning to open up to foreign investment, some essential infrastructure, like banking and modern telecommunications, was totally absent.
Development in the country was notoriously stifled for some 50 years under the thumb of socialist and military dictatorship until 2011. Today, Myanmar’s economy is still based on agriculture, just as it was decades ago, and the country is one of the poorest in the world. In fact, agriculture’s share of GDP rose to 44% in 2010 from 35% in 1965—quite unique in Asia where the average share of agriculture to GDP was 12% in 2010, according to a McKinsey study. Myanmar’s GDP last year was just US$64 billion—even less than that of Sri Lanka despite having double the population size. (Courtesy of valuewalk.com)
Development in the country was notoriously stifled for some 50 years under the thumb of socialist and military dictatorship until 2011. Today, Myanmar’s economy is still based on agriculture, just as it was decades ago, and the country is one of the poorest in the world. In fact, agriculture’s share of GDP rose to 44% in 2010 from 35% in 1965—quite unique in Asia where the average share of agriculture to GDP was 12% in 2010, according to a McKinsey study. Myanmar’s GDP last year was just US$64 billion—even less than that of Sri Lanka despite having double the population size. (Courtesy of valuewalk.com)
Can Suu Kyi Break Myanmar’s Ceasefire Deadlock?
Last week, Aung San Suu Kyi, whose party will control Myanmar’s next parliament, participated for the first time in the government’s ongoing peace negotiations with ethnic minority insurgencies. As the Associated Press reported, Suu Kyi declared that she would push for a complete peace accord, one that includes the insurgent groups that did not sign an initial peace framework last autumn.
The National League for Democracy (NLD)’s leader’s participation in the peace negotiations has raised hopes that the government can reach a final, permanent resolution with the holdout militias. Some of the holdout insurgent groups may trust Suu Kyi and the NLD more than the previous government, which was dominated by former military men, including some who had led firefights against the ethnic armies. (Courtesy of The Diplomat)
The National League for Democracy (NLD)’s leader’s participation in the peace negotiations has raised hopes that the government can reach a final, permanent resolution with the holdout militias. Some of the holdout insurgent groups may trust Suu Kyi and the NLD more than the previous government, which was dominated by former military men, including some who had led firefights against the ethnic armies. (Courtesy of The Diplomat)
January 23, 2016
Refugees’ tales translated into Myanmar
He was strolling alone on a school holiday in his native Rakhine State in 2007 when he was caught by three drunken soldiers.
They took him to their battalion headquarters, where he was tortured into agreeing to join the army. When darkness fell, he managed to escape from an unlocked hut and ran home in fear to his parents.
They sent him to Thailand, where he found work at a prawn farm. After a few months, he moved to Malaysia, where he was twice arrested. He lived and studied in a refugee camp run for Rakhine people by the Arakan Refugee Relief Committee based in Kuala Lumpur, hoping to return home.
His story was unearthed by writers Maggie Lemere and Zoe West, who interviewed refugees in Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh and the United States during 2009 and 2010. (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
They took him to their battalion headquarters, where he was tortured into agreeing to join the army. When darkness fell, he managed to escape from an unlocked hut and ran home in fear to his parents.
They sent him to Thailand, where he found work at a prawn farm. After a few months, he moved to Malaysia, where he was twice arrested. He lived and studied in a refugee camp run for Rakhine people by the Arakan Refugee Relief Committee based in Kuala Lumpur, hoping to return home.
His story was unearthed by writers Maggie Lemere and Zoe West, who interviewed refugees in Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh and the United States during 2009 and 2010. (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
Myanmar ponders potential radicalization of Rohingyas
In the courtyard of Myanmar's Islamic University in Thetkaypyin village, half a dozen teachers sit around the courtyard while classes change.
It's the worst of times for the Buddhist-majority country's leading madrassa, now surrounded by refugee camps and villages that have been under prison-like conditions for three years.
At present 400 students are attending the university, the largest school in Rakhine State. Founded in 1951, some of the college's graduates go on to serve as imams or go abroad for further studies, says Kyaw Zaw La, university professor.
Observers suggest that the abysmal living conditions in the refugee camps and the abject poverty of its residents are ripe for radicalization. Rohingyas, who lack basic rights in Myanmar, are denied citizenship, stripped of voting rights and denied access to adequate health care and education.
The Jan. 14 attacks on the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, have amplified fears of recruitment by radicalized elements.
Aung Win, a Rohingya community leader in the district raised concerns that Myanmar could be a target of the so-called Islamic State by recruiting young, unemployed Muslims. (Courtesy of ucanews.com)
It's the worst of times for the Buddhist-majority country's leading madrassa, now surrounded by refugee camps and villages that have been under prison-like conditions for three years.
At present 400 students are attending the university, the largest school in Rakhine State. Founded in 1951, some of the college's graduates go on to serve as imams or go abroad for further studies, says Kyaw Zaw La, university professor.
Observers suggest that the abysmal living conditions in the refugee camps and the abject poverty of its residents are ripe for radicalization. Rohingyas, who lack basic rights in Myanmar, are denied citizenship, stripped of voting rights and denied access to adequate health care and education.
The Jan. 14 attacks on the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, have amplified fears of recruitment by radicalized elements.
Aung Win, a Rohingya community leader in the district raised concerns that Myanmar could be a target of the so-called Islamic State by recruiting young, unemployed Muslims. (Courtesy of ucanews.com)
Only Suu Kyi speaks for party: NLD
The National League for Democracy said only Aung San Suu Kyi could make announcements on policy and transitional affairs.
Its statement stressed the delicate nature of transitional politics and said Suu Kyi was handing the process with great care.
During the week, Nyan Win, an executive committee member, told the AFP news agency that MP Win Myint had been chosen as the Lower House Speaker and Kayin national MP Marn Win Khaing Than would be the Upper House Speaker. Kachin and Arakan nationals would be the two vice-Speakers, he said.
Subsequently Suu Kyi on January 21 refused to answer questions on the appointments. (Courtesy of Eleven Media)
Its statement stressed the delicate nature of transitional politics and said Suu Kyi was handing the process with great care.
During the week, Nyan Win, an executive committee member, told the AFP news agency that MP Win Myint had been chosen as the Lower House Speaker and Kayin national MP Marn Win Khaing Than would be the Upper House Speaker. Kachin and Arakan nationals would be the two vice-Speakers, he said.
Subsequently Suu Kyi on January 21 refused to answer questions on the appointments. (Courtesy of Eleven Media)
NLD Issues Apparent Online Rebuke Over Spokesman's Loose Lips
The National League for Democracy issued an official statement on Friday claiming that party leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is the sole official spokesperson on matters of party policy and the political transition to the next government.
Issued at 4pm on Friday, the brief notice, posted on the NLD’s official Facebook page appeared to offer a rebuke to those who had been making announcements on the party’s behalf, without explicit reference to any individual.
“This is the time that NLD is taking carefully in transition period,” it read. “So the NLD would like to announce that there is no person can speak about NLD policy and transitional affairs except the chairperson of the NLD, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.'
The edict comes two days after NLD spokesman and central executive committee member U Nyan Win told AFP the party had finalised its choice of speakers to preside over the next Union Parliament in Nay Pyi Taw, when new lawmakers take their seats on February 1. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
Issued at 4pm on Friday, the brief notice, posted on the NLD’s official Facebook page appeared to offer a rebuke to those who had been making announcements on the party’s behalf, without explicit reference to any individual.
“This is the time that NLD is taking carefully in transition period,” it read. “So the NLD would like to announce that there is no person can speak about NLD policy and transitional affairs except the chairperson of the NLD, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.'
The edict comes two days after NLD spokesman and central executive committee member U Nyan Win told AFP the party had finalised its choice of speakers to preside over the next Union Parliament in Nay Pyi Taw, when new lawmakers take their seats on February 1. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
January 22, 2016
The Rohingya ordeal: a maritime ping-pong
This is the ordeal for thousands of Rohingya Muslims who made an unsuccessful bid to reach foreign shores. Many like the Haryot’s, to make a trip, sold everything including camp food rations and house and, are left with nothing at their disposal.
Carrying the burden of debt, Mohammad still wants to go to Malaysia as there are no means of livelihood for Rohingyas in the Rakhine capital, Sittwe. Rohingya Muslims are a minority group living in the Rakhine state of Myanmar bordering Bangladesh. Myanmar has denied them citizenship under the 1982 Citizenship Act.
Military operations under the alibi of flushing out Mujahideen rebels, a separatist Muslim outfit fighting a war against the government, forced thousands of Rohingyas to move to neighbouring Bangladesh. Those living within Myanmar have been internally displaced and forced into camps run by aid agencies, due to a series of anti-Rohingya riots in 2012. Forced into living a life of dependency that hardly takes care of their basic needs, they are taking perilous journeys, both by land and sea in search of shelter and livelihood opportunities. (Courtesy of CADTM)
Carrying the burden of debt, Mohammad still wants to go to Malaysia as there are no means of livelihood for Rohingyas in the Rakhine capital, Sittwe. Rohingya Muslims are a minority group living in the Rakhine state of Myanmar bordering Bangladesh. Myanmar has denied them citizenship under the 1982 Citizenship Act.
Military operations under the alibi of flushing out Mujahideen rebels, a separatist Muslim outfit fighting a war against the government, forced thousands of Rohingyas to move to neighbouring Bangladesh. Those living within Myanmar have been internally displaced and forced into camps run by aid agencies, due to a series of anti-Rohingya riots in 2012. Forced into living a life of dependency that hardly takes care of their basic needs, they are taking perilous journeys, both by land and sea in search of shelter and livelihood opportunities. (Courtesy of CADTM)
New Zealander jailed in Burma to be released Friday
Phil Blackwood, a New Zealand national incarcerated in Rangoon’s Insein Prison since December 2014, will be released on Friday.
A spokesperson for New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed the pending release.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is pleased to confirm Mr Blackwood is on the Myanmar Presidential Amnesty list which will allow him to be released from detention. This is understandably of significant relief to his family. MFAT, through the New Zealand Embassy and consular staff, has been providing consular assistance to Mr Blackwood and his family since his first arrest and detention. The New Zealand Embassy in Myanmar is liaising with the relevant authorities over the amnesty release arrangements and will advise the family,” the spokesperson wrote in an email to DVB on Friday.
The Assistance Association for of Political Prisoners-Burma (AAPP-B) confirmed that 101 prisoners were released on Friday. Around 50 political prisoners were among the group, according to AAPP-B. (Courtesy of DVB)
A spokesperson for New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed the pending release.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is pleased to confirm Mr Blackwood is on the Myanmar Presidential Amnesty list which will allow him to be released from detention. This is understandably of significant relief to his family. MFAT, through the New Zealand Embassy and consular staff, has been providing consular assistance to Mr Blackwood and his family since his first arrest and detention. The New Zealand Embassy in Myanmar is liaising with the relevant authorities over the amnesty release arrangements and will advise the family,” the spokesperson wrote in an email to DVB on Friday.
The Assistance Association for of Political Prisoners-Burma (AAPP-B) confirmed that 101 prisoners were released on Friday. Around 50 political prisoners were among the group, according to AAPP-B. (Courtesy of DVB)
Tourist arrivals for 2015 reached 4.68m in Myanmar
Myanmar welcomed 4.68 million tourists in 2015, according to figures from the Hotels and Tourism Ministry, another sizeable annual uptick representing a 52% increase on the previous year.
Tourist arrivals have surged since a quasi-civilian government took power under President Thein Sein, with the number of arrivals climbing from 800,000 in 2011 to 3.08 million in 2014, the Irrawaddy reported on Wednesday, citing official statistics.
The ministry had previously stated a goal of between 4.5 to 5 million tourists in 2015.
However, industry observers have routinely questioned the government’s figures, which tally arrivals of all foreign passport holders at land and air entry points. The majority of travellers to Myanmar cross overland from Thailand through checkpoints in Tachileik, Shan state and Karen state’s Myawaddy, many on business. (Courtesy of Bangkok Post: News)
Tourist arrivals have surged since a quasi-civilian government took power under President Thein Sein, with the number of arrivals climbing from 800,000 in 2011 to 3.08 million in 2014, the Irrawaddy reported on Wednesday, citing official statistics.
The ministry had previously stated a goal of between 4.5 to 5 million tourists in 2015.
However, industry observers have routinely questioned the government’s figures, which tally arrivals of all foreign passport holders at land and air entry points. The majority of travellers to Myanmar cross overland from Thailand through checkpoints in Tachileik, Shan state and Karen state’s Myawaddy, many on business. (Courtesy of Bangkok Post: News)
Myanmar garment sector gets €2.8 mn EU boost
Small and medium enterprises in Myanmar's garment sector are set to get a 2.8 million euros boost from the European Union. The cash infusion will support the second phase of a development initiative that aims to make the “Made in Myanmar” industry more competitive by building environmental awareness, sustainability and social protections for the workers.
The next phase of the EU-funded SMEs for environmental Accountability, Responsibility and Transparency (SMART) project will start next week, Project Director Simone Lehmann said at a press conference in Yangon.
She said the programme will provide “technical support and capacity building” through workshops engaging dozens of factory employers.
“We will not be focusing on labour disputes in the garment sector but we will only focus on developing the sector and providing professional support for MGMA (the Myanmar Garment Manufactures Association),” she said. (Courtesy of Apparel News Myanmar)
The next phase of the EU-funded SMEs for environmental Accountability, Responsibility and Transparency (SMART) project will start next week, Project Director Simone Lehmann said at a press conference in Yangon.
She said the programme will provide “technical support and capacity building” through workshops engaging dozens of factory employers.
“We will not be focusing on labour disputes in the garment sector but we will only focus on developing the sector and providing professional support for MGMA (the Myanmar Garment Manufactures Association),” she said. (Courtesy of Apparel News Myanmar)
Rakhine ethnic party aims to rule troubled Myanmar state
A powerful ethnic party in Myanmar’s troubled western Rakhine state has threatened to boycott the new government unless election victor Aung San Suu Kyi appoints a local politician as chief minister.
Arakan National Party (ANP) chief Oo Hla Saw told Anadolu Agency on Thursday that they had been waiting to negotiate with the National League for Democracy (NLD), the Suu Kyi-led opposition party, since the official results of the November election were announced.
“But no word from NLD yet,” he said by phone.
The ANP, which won the majority of seats in Rakhine, issued a statement Wednesday demanding that the NLD grant an exemption allowing the ethnic party to form its own government.
“Otherwise we won’t join any government organization, but will stand as an opposition party for the interests of Rakhine people,” ANP said in the statement. (Courtesy of news.videonews.us)
Arakan National Party (ANP) chief Oo Hla Saw told Anadolu Agency on Thursday that they had been waiting to negotiate with the National League for Democracy (NLD), the Suu Kyi-led opposition party, since the official results of the November election were announced.
“But no word from NLD yet,” he said by phone.
The ANP, which won the majority of seats in Rakhine, issued a statement Wednesday demanding that the NLD grant an exemption allowing the ethnic party to form its own government.
“Otherwise we won’t join any government organization, but will stand as an opposition party for the interests of Rakhine people,” ANP said in the statement. (Courtesy of news.videonews.us)
SMART Myanmar launches 2nd phase of European Union funded project
SMART Myanmar held a kick-off launch event on 19 January at the UMFCCI with approximately 200 guests from factories, embassies and other stakeholders, according to a press release on the 20 January.
More than 200 guests gathered at the UMFCCI on Tuesday to listen to speeches by the Ambassador of the European Union, Mr. Roland Kobia and Director General U Win Shein from the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security’s Factory Inspections Department, as well as several of the partners of the SMART Myanmar project.
SMART Myanmar is an EU-funded SWITCH Asia project focused on making social and environmental improvements in Myanmar’s garment industry. From 2013-2015 the project engaged with dozens of local garment factories on social & environmental compliance issues, providing technical support and capacity building. As well, the project assisted in boosting the capacity of business associations, helping the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association (MGMA) develop its staff capacity and draft a first-ever Code of Conduct for its members, as well as providing professional support for both the MGMA and the UMFCCI. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
More than 200 guests gathered at the UMFCCI on Tuesday to listen to speeches by the Ambassador of the European Union, Mr. Roland Kobia and Director General U Win Shein from the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security’s Factory Inspections Department, as well as several of the partners of the SMART Myanmar project.
SMART Myanmar is an EU-funded SWITCH Asia project focused on making social and environmental improvements in Myanmar’s garment industry. From 2013-2015 the project engaged with dozens of local garment factories on social & environmental compliance issues, providing technical support and capacity building. As well, the project assisted in boosting the capacity of business associations, helping the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association (MGMA) develop its staff capacity and draft a first-ever Code of Conduct for its members, as well as providing professional support for both the MGMA and the UMFCCI. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
Emigrants in Singapore's 'little Myanmar' eye their homeland
It was no more than a glance, but Aye Aye Win's respectful mid-sentence nod toward her 83-year-old father said as much as anything else about why she wants to remain in Singapore after three decades in the city-state, away from her family in Myanmar.
The old man, Maung Htay, had been in Singapore "for a few weeks" to get medical treatment that Aye Aye Win said was out of his reach at home -- a legacy of decades of meager health spending by Myanmar's long-ruling military junta.
She runs a small shop in Peninsula Plaza, a vibrant commercial complex that is the center of Myanmar life in Singapore. Women, their cheeks painted with cream-colored thanaka -- a Myanmar cosmetic made from tree bark -- perch on high stools behind shop counters selling cellphones. Other shops selling longyi -- a Myanmar version of the sarong -- sit alongside restaurants dishing up Myanmar staples such as tea-leaf salad and mohinga, a popular curried fish and noodle soup. (Courtesy of Nikkei Asian Review)
The old man, Maung Htay, had been in Singapore "for a few weeks" to get medical treatment that Aye Aye Win said was out of his reach at home -- a legacy of decades of meager health spending by Myanmar's long-ruling military junta.
She runs a small shop in Peninsula Plaza, a vibrant commercial complex that is the center of Myanmar life in Singapore. Women, their cheeks painted with cream-colored thanaka -- a Myanmar cosmetic made from tree bark -- perch on high stools behind shop counters selling cellphones. Other shops selling longyi -- a Myanmar version of the sarong -- sit alongside restaurants dishing up Myanmar staples such as tea-leaf salad and mohinga, a popular curried fish and noodle soup. (Courtesy of Nikkei Asian Review)
Student demonstrators mark anniversary
One year on, students demanding an independent union, a democratic education system and the release of political prisoners have returned to the fray. The All Myanmar Student Union (Upper Myanmar) organised a demonstration marching to Mandalay University yesterday to mark the protest launched 12 months ago.
The movement seemed to founder after the violent police attack on student marchers at Letpadan, 140 kilometres (87 miles) north of Yangon, when 127 students, journalists and bystanders were arrested.
“It’s a year since that demonstration march began at Eain Taw Yar Pagoda. We are now commemorating that event, under the leadership of the executive members of all universities and colleges in Upper Myanmar,” said student union chair Ko Nyan Lin Htet.
The demonstrators renewed their call on the government to respond to the 16 demands students had made previously, he said. The student march was initially launched last year against a new education bill perceived as restricting academic freedoms. Seeking to overhaul the bill, campaigners paraded from Mandalay, intending to descend on Yangon picking up more student activists along the way. A revised National Education Law was passed in June after the word “union” was removed from the text, against the wishes of students. (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
The movement seemed to founder after the violent police attack on student marchers at Letpadan, 140 kilometres (87 miles) north of Yangon, when 127 students, journalists and bystanders were arrested.
“It’s a year since that demonstration march began at Eain Taw Yar Pagoda. We are now commemorating that event, under the leadership of the executive members of all universities and colleges in Upper Myanmar,” said student union chair Ko Nyan Lin Htet.
The demonstrators renewed their call on the government to respond to the 16 demands students had made previously, he said. The student march was initially launched last year against a new education bill perceived as restricting academic freedoms. Seeking to overhaul the bill, campaigners paraded from Mandalay, intending to descend on Yangon picking up more student activists along the way. A revised National Education Law was passed in June after the word “union” was removed from the text, against the wishes of students. (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
NLD Nominates Speakers, Including Minority MPs
The National League for Democracy (NLD) has revealed four nominees for speakers of the new Parliament that will convene on Feb 1, including three representatives of ethnic minorities.
NLD spokesperson Nyan Win told AFP on Wednesday that the party has nominated Win Myint and ethnic Karen Win Khaing Than, both NLD members, for the Lower and Upper House, respectively.
An ethnic Arakanese lawmaker from the Arakan National Party (ANP) and an ethnic Kachin member of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) have been nominated as deputy speakers, according to AFP. (Courtesy of Irrawaddy)
NLD spokesperson Nyan Win told AFP on Wednesday that the party has nominated Win Myint and ethnic Karen Win Khaing Than, both NLD members, for the Lower and Upper House, respectively.
An ethnic Arakanese lawmaker from the Arakan National Party (ANP) and an ethnic Kachin member of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) have been nominated as deputy speakers, according to AFP. (Courtesy of Irrawaddy)
Seized Stimulants from Myanmar: Bangladesh Police
Authorities in Bangladesh have made a record seizure of methamphetamine tablets that they say were made in Myanmar, AFP news agency reported.
The 2.8 million tablets, worth an estimated US$10.5 million were seized in police raids at a railway station in Dhaka and in the port city of Chittagong, police said on January 18.
“This is the biggest seizure of yaba tablets in Bangladesh,” said police Rapid Action Battalion spokesperson, Major Rumman Mahmud, using the Thai word for methamphetamine.
Three suspected traffickers were arrested, he said, adding that the drugs were made in Myanmar.
Methamphetamine has become popular among young people in Bangladesh, which has a population of 160 million, AFP said. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
The 2.8 million tablets, worth an estimated US$10.5 million were seized in police raids at a railway station in Dhaka and in the port city of Chittagong, police said on January 18.
“This is the biggest seizure of yaba tablets in Bangladesh,” said police Rapid Action Battalion spokesperson, Major Rumman Mahmud, using the Thai word for methamphetamine.
Three suspected traffickers were arrested, he said, adding that the drugs were made in Myanmar.
Methamphetamine has become popular among young people in Bangladesh, which has a population of 160 million, AFP said. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
13 'illegal' Myanmar nationals arrested
In the wake of an intelligence alert about Bangladesh-based groups planning a terror strike in India, south zone (SZ) cops on Wednesday conducted searches at Asad Baba Nagar and apprehended 13 Myanmar nationals. Cops were now contemplating deporting these 13 foreigners staying illegally in the city.
The IB had issued an alert to all the states three days ago, stating that Bangla terror groups might strike at 23 places in India. As Hyderabad happens to be on the radar of these outfits, the Special Branch sleuths of Hyderabad cops along with SZ cops conducted search at Asad Baba Nagar to weed out foreigners staying illegally there. Though they could not trace any Bangladeshis, cops found 38 Myanmar nationals. They found 13 without UNHCR id cards. "One of the Myanmar nationals obtained a voter id and Aadhaar card. We have registered a case against him. The official who helped him obtain id cards will also be booked," DCP, SZ, V Satyanarayana said. (Courtesy of Times of India)
The IB had issued an alert to all the states three days ago, stating that Bangla terror groups might strike at 23 places in India. As Hyderabad happens to be on the radar of these outfits, the Special Branch sleuths of Hyderabad cops along with SZ cops conducted search at Asad Baba Nagar to weed out foreigners staying illegally there. Though they could not trace any Bangladeshis, cops found 38 Myanmar nationals. They found 13 without UNHCR id cards. "One of the Myanmar nationals obtained a voter id and Aadhaar card. We have registered a case against him. The official who helped him obtain id cards will also be booked," DCP, SZ, V Satyanarayana said. (Courtesy of Times of India)
Independent bar association aims to usher in new era
Myanmar's legal profession is aiming to come clean. Lawyers have launched the industry’s first independent, national bar association in Myanmar with the help of a London-based human rights training group and the rule of law committee.
The Independent Lawyers’ Association of Myanmar was launched in Nay Pyi Taw on January 19 with 5000 inaugural members. The association aims to promote access to justice and battle a long-entrenched culture of bribery and corruption. The judiciary has long been perceived as one of the most debauched pillars of governance in the country. The World Justice Project rated Myanmar 91st-worst out of 102 countries in its annual Rule of Law Index last year.
At the bar’s launch ceremony, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, chair of the Hluttaw’s Rule of Law and Stability Committee, called improved rule of law a “pressing need”. (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
The Independent Lawyers’ Association of Myanmar was launched in Nay Pyi Taw on January 19 with 5000 inaugural members. The association aims to promote access to justice and battle a long-entrenched culture of bribery and corruption. The judiciary has long been perceived as one of the most debauched pillars of governance in the country. The World Justice Project rated Myanmar 91st-worst out of 102 countries in its annual Rule of Law Index last year.
At the bar’s launch ceremony, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, chair of the Hluttaw’s Rule of Law and Stability Committee, called improved rule of law a “pressing need”. (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
Transition in translation, Chilean president visits Myanmar
Ricardo Lagos, former president of Chile, yesterday recalled asking Augusto Pinochet, then still commander-in-chief after 17 years as military dictator, about the fate of some 200 missing people.
“In the ocean,” General Pinochet was said to have replied. “Bodies.”
Mr Lagos, 77, said it was a chilling moment in a tense meeting.
Visiting Myanmar to share his experiences of making the transition from military rule to civilian democracy, Mr Lagos said that, despite the horror of those years under Pinochet’s grip, it had been crucial to Chile’s success to work together with, and not against, the former dictator during the 1990s transition.
He recommended a similar partnership for Myanmar. (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
“In the ocean,” General Pinochet was said to have replied. “Bodies.”
Mr Lagos, 77, said it was a chilling moment in a tense meeting.
Visiting Myanmar to share his experiences of making the transition from military rule to civilian democracy, Mr Lagos said that, despite the horror of those years under Pinochet’s grip, it had been crucial to Chile’s success to work together with, and not against, the former dictator during the 1990s transition.
He recommended a similar partnership for Myanmar. (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
January 21, 2016
Former Political Prisoner Wai Wai Nu on Discrimination, the Rohingya People, and the Future of Myanmar
Wai Wai Nu didn’t know she was being arrested when she was being arrested. She was an 18-year-old studying law, and in her mind she thought authorities were taking her, her mom, and her sister to a private place where authorities could question them about the activities of her father Kyaw Min, who they had taken to jail two months prior.
It was 2005, a full 15 years since the 1990 elections when her father was elected to be a member of parliament. The results of those elections, successfully led by Aung San Suu Kyi of the National League for Democracy, were ignored by the military that ruled Myanmar. Shortly thereafter, Min faced harassment so fierce it forced him to move his family from their home in Western Myanmar’s Rakhine State to Yangon, the former capital and the country’s largest city.
During those first days at Insein Prison, a facility notorious for repressing political dissidents and for its terrible conditions, Wai Wai was filled with equal parts confusion and hope. Because she knew her family hadn’t committed any crimes, there was a constant belief that what was right and just would prevail. That belief began to waver as days became weeks and weeks became months, and her family’s appeals were rejected at every stage. (Courtesy of WNN Interviews Global)
It was 2005, a full 15 years since the 1990 elections when her father was elected to be a member of parliament. The results of those elections, successfully led by Aung San Suu Kyi of the National League for Democracy, were ignored by the military that ruled Myanmar. Shortly thereafter, Min faced harassment so fierce it forced him to move his family from their home in Western Myanmar’s Rakhine State to Yangon, the former capital and the country’s largest city.
During those first days at Insein Prison, a facility notorious for repressing political dissidents and for its terrible conditions, Wai Wai was filled with equal parts confusion and hope. Because she knew her family hadn’t committed any crimes, there was a constant belief that what was right and just would prevail. That belief began to waver as days became weeks and weeks became months, and her family’s appeals were rejected at every stage. (Courtesy of WNN Interviews Global)
Myanmar-Netherlands Water Challenge 2016 launched
Under the theme ’Smart Delta’, the program will engage university students across Myanmar with the challenges of sustainable delta development. Student teams will be encouraged to apply their own, original thinking to develop ideas and solutions for the Ayeyarwady Delta, supported by professional experts from Royal HaskoningDHV, Van Oord, Deltares, Arcadis and the Netherlands Embassy in Yangon.
The Myanmar-Netherlands Water Challenge 2016 was officially launched during a celebratory event at Yangon Technological University. Marten Hillen attended the event of behalf of Royal HaskoningDHV: “We are pleased to work with Myanmar’s highly motivated students to work on the country’s water challenges. This Water Challenge is a great opportunity to show students how exciting it is to work in the water sector. We look forward to growing our team of water professionals in Yangon.” (Courtesy of royalhaskoningdhv.com)
The Myanmar-Netherlands Water Challenge 2016 was officially launched during a celebratory event at Yangon Technological University. Marten Hillen attended the event of behalf of Royal HaskoningDHV: “We are pleased to work with Myanmar’s highly motivated students to work on the country’s water challenges. This Water Challenge is a great opportunity to show students how exciting it is to work in the water sector. We look forward to growing our team of water professionals in Yangon.” (Courtesy of royalhaskoningdhv.com)
As Myanmar enters a new era, Washington and Beijing vie for influence
Myanmar is a country rapidly moving toward uncharted political terrain. By March 2016, the National League for Democracy (NLD) will take power for the first time in history, bringing an end to five decades of rule by the military establishment. Once suppressed by the military junta, the NLD – led by longtime dissident and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi – has secured an indisputable victory during the country’s November 2015 elections, winning a majority in both houses of Parliament.
The ascent of the NLD comes at a time when Myanmar finds itself at a new strategic crossroads, pulled toward the geopolitical orbit of major powers: the United States and China, as well as India. Since the outgoing military-backed government opened the country to Western investment in 2011, the US has prioritised its relationship with Myanmar as part of its strategy to reassert influence in the Asia-Pacific region. The country has received numerous visits by US high-ranking leaders, including President Obama on two occasions. (Courtesy of Just International)
The ascent of the NLD comes at a time when Myanmar finds itself at a new strategic crossroads, pulled toward the geopolitical orbit of major powers: the United States and China, as well as India. Since the outgoing military-backed government opened the country to Western investment in 2011, the US has prioritised its relationship with Myanmar as part of its strategy to reassert influence in the Asia-Pacific region. The country has received numerous visits by US high-ranking leaders, including President Obama on two occasions. (Courtesy of Just International)
Leader of Myanmar's Saffron Revolution Jailed
A former Buddhist monk who helped lead the 2007 Saffron Revolution is scheduled to appear in court today to answer an illegal border crossing charge following his arrest on Tuesday.
U Gambira, also known as Nyi Nyi Lwin, and his wife Australian citizen Marie Siochana were apprehended by police in Mandalay where they traveled to apply for a passport, family members told RFA’s Myanmar Service. Since Gambira was released from prison in a 2012 amnesty arrangement he has primarily lived in Thailand.
“We don’t know anything yet,” his mother Daw Yay told RFA. “They took away both. Last night they released his wife, but they kept him there.” (Courtesy of RFA)
U Gambira, also known as Nyi Nyi Lwin, and his wife Australian citizen Marie Siochana were apprehended by police in Mandalay where they traveled to apply for a passport, family members told RFA’s Myanmar Service. Since Gambira was released from prison in a 2012 amnesty arrangement he has primarily lived in Thailand.
“We don’t know anything yet,” his mother Daw Yay told RFA. “They took away both. Last night they released his wife, but they kept him there.” (Courtesy of RFA)
King Power keen to grow within Asia
King Power Group, the country's sole duty-free operator, plans to spend more than 8 billion baht on its first business expansion abroad.
It will initially invest in two Asian countries: Japan, where most of the 8 billion baht will be spent, and Myanmar, for which it has a 100-million-baht budget, chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha said.
The two international duty-free shops are expected to open next year.
"The number of international flights and the number of foreign tourist arrivals are key factors for King Power to make an investment decision outside Thailand," he said.
Japan is a popular destination for both Thai and Chinese tourists. (Courtesy of Bangkok Post)
It will initially invest in two Asian countries: Japan, where most of the 8 billion baht will be spent, and Myanmar, for which it has a 100-million-baht budget, chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha said.
The two international duty-free shops are expected to open next year.
"The number of international flights and the number of foreign tourist arrivals are key factors for King Power to make an investment decision outside Thailand," he said.
Japan is a popular destination for both Thai and Chinese tourists. (Courtesy of Bangkok Post)
Myanmar ethnic minority MPs receive Suu Kyi boost
Aung San Suu Kyi's party nominated four MPs for speaker positions in the two parliamentary houses that will convene next month, NLD spokesperson Nyan Win told AFP, including three ethnic minority MPs.
Aung San Suu Kyi's victorious opposition party nominated three ethnic minority politicians on Wednesday (Jan 20) for prominent roles in the country's new parliament, a boost to a demographic who have long complained of exclusion.
Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) swept up nearly 80 per cent of the seats in elections last November, beating out many ethnic minority parties who had been expected to do well on their home turf in the country's restive border regions.
But on Wednesday her party nominated four MPs for speaker positions in the two parliamentary houses that will convene next month, NLD spokesperson Nyan Win told AFP, including three ethnic minority MPs. (Courtesy of ChannelNewsAsia)
Aung San Suu Kyi's victorious opposition party nominated three ethnic minority politicians on Wednesday (Jan 20) for prominent roles in the country's new parliament, a boost to a demographic who have long complained of exclusion.
Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) swept up nearly 80 per cent of the seats in elections last November, beating out many ethnic minority parties who had been expected to do well on their home turf in the country's restive border regions.
But on Wednesday her party nominated four MPs for speaker positions in the two parliamentary houses that will convene next month, NLD spokesperson Nyan Win told AFP, including three ethnic minority MPs. (Courtesy of ChannelNewsAsia)
January 20, 2016
The Fight Against Sexism
“I was born feminist,” insisted Daw Pyo Let Han, 35, sitting in her small office on the second floor of a narrow building in downtown Yangon. “I always questioned traditional norms, like that women’s longyis are dirty. Most people think women are equal to men in our country, but I never thought that was true because in the religion and the culture women are always subordinate to men.”
Last year, Daw Pyo Let Han launched Myanmar’s first feminist magazine, Rainfall, with three other women activists. She is also the author of three novels about women’s experiences in Myanmar.
“I like to break out of the traditions and the cultural and social norms. I make women think about their social status as second class citizens,” she said, describing her novels as “shock therapy”. “I think I wrote the first book in Myanmar about the love between two women,” she said.
Daw Pyo Let Han is part of burgeoning feminist movement in Myanmar, an organic strand of women’s activism that is thriving outside party politics. The movement is creative and thoroughly modern, clever, adaptive and diverse, and explicitly intersectional. Slowly but surely it is gaining traction and helping to change the restrictive gender norms that have a quiet grip on Myanmar’s women, and are all the more insidious for their subtlety. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
Last year, Daw Pyo Let Han launched Myanmar’s first feminist magazine, Rainfall, with three other women activists. She is also the author of three novels about women’s experiences in Myanmar.
“I like to break out of the traditions and the cultural and social norms. I make women think about their social status as second class citizens,” she said, describing her novels as “shock therapy”. “I think I wrote the first book in Myanmar about the love between two women,” she said.
Daw Pyo Let Han is part of burgeoning feminist movement in Myanmar, an organic strand of women’s activism that is thriving outside party politics. The movement is creative and thoroughly modern, clever, adaptive and diverse, and explicitly intersectional. Slowly but surely it is gaining traction and helping to change the restrictive gender norms that have a quiet grip on Myanmar’s women, and are all the more insidious for their subtlety. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
Police investigating ‘uranium’ seizure
An informant tipped off the anti-narcotics unit to check the City Grand Hotel on January 12. Responding to the call, the officers found two metals sealed in a lead box marked “uranium”, according to Mandalay District director Police Lieutenant Colonel Sein Tun.
The two bits of metal weigh 2 kilograms, he said.
To confirm if the seized metals are actually uranium, they have been sent for analysis to the Department of Atomic Energy in Yangon’s Bahan township.
Uranium is a naturally occurring radioactive element, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. It is weakly radioactive and contributes to low levels of natural background radiation in the environment, but can be used to create enormous amounts of energy when fissioned.
“We haven’t heard any response about the tests so far,” said Pol Lt Col Sein Tun. (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
The two bits of metal weigh 2 kilograms, he said.
To confirm if the seized metals are actually uranium, they have been sent for analysis to the Department of Atomic Energy in Yangon’s Bahan township.
Uranium is a naturally occurring radioactive element, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. It is weakly radioactive and contributes to low levels of natural background radiation in the environment, but can be used to create enormous amounts of energy when fissioned.
“We haven’t heard any response about the tests so far,” said Pol Lt Col Sein Tun. (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
Myanmar current gov't allows 38 offshore blocks for gas exploration tender
Myanmar's current term of government has allowed 38 offshore blocks for tender for gas exploration, leaving 13 blocks for further undertaking, an official report said Wednesday.
There have been a total of 51 offshore blocks reserved for gas exploration tender.
In addition, there are also 53 onshore blocks designated for such undertaking.
According to the report, 17 companies are currently performing offshore natural gas drilling, while 19 other companies have been permitted to carry out similar activities on onshore blocks. (Courtesy of Shanghai Daily)
There have been a total of 51 offshore blocks reserved for gas exploration tender.
In addition, there are also 53 onshore blocks designated for such undertaking.
According to the report, 17 companies are currently performing offshore natural gas drilling, while 19 other companies have been permitted to carry out similar activities on onshore blocks. (Courtesy of Shanghai Daily)
Myanmar journalist wins international journalism award
Myanmar journalist Htet Khaung Lin has been awarded the prestigious Lorenzo Natali Prize in Brussels for a story on clandestine sex workers.
The article, published in Myanmar Now, focused on the life of a 16-year-old girl whose mother had agreed to sell her daughter’s virginity to a businessman for $3,000.
“This piece demonstrates how the power of journalism can help a country that only recently came back into the global community to move forward and confront its problems,” said Eric Chinje, one of the judges.
Since beginning his career in 2007, Htet has since worked for several media outlets including Ecovision, the Messenger Weekly, the Myanmar Post Journal, and the Myanmar Now News Agency.
Htet has also participated in news journalism training at the American Center Yangon and with ActionAid Myanmar. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
The article, published in Myanmar Now, focused on the life of a 16-year-old girl whose mother had agreed to sell her daughter’s virginity to a businessman for $3,000.
“This piece demonstrates how the power of journalism can help a country that only recently came back into the global community to move forward and confront its problems,” said Eric Chinje, one of the judges.
Since beginning his career in 2007, Htet has since worked for several media outlets including Ecovision, the Messenger Weekly, the Myanmar Post Journal, and the Myanmar Now News Agency.
Htet has also participated in news journalism training at the American Center Yangon and with ActionAid Myanmar. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
US Official: Washington Stands With People of Myanmar
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States will work closely with the new government of Myanmar, saying it is committed to standing with the people in their pursuit of democracy, development and national reconciliation.
Speaking at a news conference in Myanmar's capital, Naypitaw, Monday, Blinken, who is the first U.S. envoy to visit since last year's landmark polls, urged the existing government to complete the transitional process and to release all the political prisoners.
"One of the great legacies of this government is the work that it has done and reform broadly and releasing the political prisoners in particular," said Blinken. "And it would be a fitting completion of that legacy to release all political prisoners so that by the time the transition is complete and new government takes office no one is in jail because of their political views." (Courtesy of VOA News)
Speaking at a news conference in Myanmar's capital, Naypitaw, Monday, Blinken, who is the first U.S. envoy to visit since last year's landmark polls, urged the existing government to complete the transitional process and to release all the political prisoners.
"One of the great legacies of this government is the work that it has done and reform broadly and releasing the political prisoners in particular," said Blinken. "And it would be a fitting completion of that legacy to release all political prisoners so that by the time the transition is complete and new government takes office no one is in jail because of their political views." (Courtesy of VOA News)
Myanmar Feeds China’s Pangolin Appetite
Myanmar and pangolins. Not words I normally think of together. That’s why the recent report by TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade monitoring NGO, on pangolin trafficking in Myanmar took me by surprise. While I’ve followed the patterns of pangolin smuggling over the years, Myanmar is rarely highlighted. Until now.
TRAFFIC’s study, published in the journal Global Ecology and Conservation, exposes how the country is both a significant source and a transit hub.
Pangolins may be the most trafficked mammal in the world, with more than a million of them traded illegally during the past decade. These scaly anteaters get it from all sides—their habitat is disappearing, and they’re pursued by poachers for their meat, skin, and scales. (Courtesy of news.nationalgeographic.com)
TRAFFIC’s study, published in the journal Global Ecology and Conservation, exposes how the country is both a significant source and a transit hub.
Pangolins may be the most trafficked mammal in the world, with more than a million of them traded illegally during the past decade. These scaly anteaters get it from all sides—their habitat is disappearing, and they’re pursued by poachers for their meat, skin, and scales. (Courtesy of news.nationalgeographic.com)
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