Earlier this year the United Nations published a report ‘Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar’, which concluded that human rights violations against us could amount to crimes against humanity.
The report also stated that the government of Burma needed to take urgent action to end the anti-Rohingya policies of past governments. The response of the NLD led government and rest of the international community was silence. Once again, evidence of violations of international law have been provided, and once again no action has been taken. Our suffering goes on.
Worse, the day after the UN report was published, European Union diplomats based in Burma announced that in response to a demand by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to avoid using the word Rohingya, they would also not use the word Rohingya when talking about Rohingya people. (Courtesy of huffingtonpost.co.uk)
August 11, 2016
Walton, Schissler and Phyu Phyu Thi -- Behind Myanmar's religious tensions
July 2016 brought a remarkable fall from grace for Ma Ba Tha, the Buddhist "race and religion protection" organization that has become internationally infamous for promoting anti-Muslim sentiment in Myanmar.
Members of Myanmar's National League for Democracy government have led the charge, followed by religious leaders, social activists and ordinary people across the country. Behind this remarkable rush of sentiment, we believe an examination of the dynamics preceding these events can both help to explain them and underscore concerns for the future.
Despite the pushback against Ma Ba Tha, anti-Muslim sentiment remains prevalent in Myanmar and more consistent action on the part of the state will be required to reverse the permissive environment for inter-religious violence that took root under the previous regime. (Courtesy of asia.nikkei.com)
Members of Myanmar's National League for Democracy government have led the charge, followed by religious leaders, social activists and ordinary people across the country. Behind this remarkable rush of sentiment, we believe an examination of the dynamics preceding these events can both help to explain them and underscore concerns for the future.
Despite the pushback against Ma Ba Tha, anti-Muslim sentiment remains prevalent in Myanmar and more consistent action on the part of the state will be required to reverse the permissive environment for inter-religious violence that took root under the previous regime. (Courtesy of asia.nikkei.com)
New Open Hluttaw website aims to help voters engage with parliamentarians
“Hluttaw represents the people,” and, “You can communicate directly with parliamentarians who represent your constituency or township,” says the new Open Hluttaw website, OpenHluttaw.com.
The website, initiated by Myanma Fifth Estate and the Open Myanmar Initiative, went online August 6. It aims to foster easy communication between MPs and the people, and to collect data and information about the parliament.
“It is not enough for the government just to release more information [through press releases],” said Ko Htin Aye, co-founder of Open Hluttaw. “The information needs to be distributed and made available in different ways – in the way that people receive information and can use it without any [practical] limitations.”
Currently, the website has profiles of MPs with their phone numbers, email addresses, Facebook profiles, and details about their involvement in committees. The goal is to progressively add more information about the day-to-day activity in parliament, according to a statement on the website. (Courtesy of mmtimes.com)
The website, initiated by Myanma Fifth Estate and the Open Myanmar Initiative, went online August 6. It aims to foster easy communication between MPs and the people, and to collect data and information about the parliament.
“It is not enough for the government just to release more information [through press releases],” said Ko Htin Aye, co-founder of Open Hluttaw. “The information needs to be distributed and made available in different ways – in the way that people receive information and can use it without any [practical] limitations.”
Currently, the website has profiles of MPs with their phone numbers, email addresses, Facebook profiles, and details about their involvement in committees. The goal is to progressively add more information about the day-to-day activity in parliament, according to a statement on the website. (Courtesy of mmtimes.com)
Former Speaker, ethnic MPs push solidarity through literacy
Particular attention should be paid to the country’s more remote regions, using internet to overcome transportation difficulties, he said.
U Khin Aung Myint (USDP; Mandalay 8) told the Amyotha Hluttaw on August 5 that the government should “consider a special project to reduce illiteracy, [so that students can] access higher education, and to develop ethnic literature for all ethnic races.”
The former Speaker stressed the need to improve opportunities for hill communities, long considered to face restricted opportunities because of their remoteness. Information and communications are now advanced to the point where these problems can be overcome, he said. (Courtesy of mmtimes.com)
U Khin Aung Myint (USDP; Mandalay 8) told the Amyotha Hluttaw on August 5 that the government should “consider a special project to reduce illiteracy, [so that students can] access higher education, and to develop ethnic literature for all ethnic races.”
The former Speaker stressed the need to improve opportunities for hill communities, long considered to face restricted opportunities because of their remoteness. Information and communications are now advanced to the point where these problems can be overcome, he said. (Courtesy of mmtimes.com)
Suddenly, there was an explosion
IN 2001, Ko Aung and two farmer friends were walking home after a day in the fields near a village in Bago Region’s Phyu Township.
“Suddenly, there was an explosion,” said Aung. He did not immediately realise he had trodden on a landmine. “My friend told me, ‘Don’t look down.’ But when I looked down I saw that I did not have a right foot anymore. It was severed at the ankle.”
Aung was unable to work as a farmer after losing his foot and moved to Yangon to make a living as a beggar. He spends most of time on Pansodan Road, near Yangon Central Railway Station, a prosthetic limb by his side.
The blast shattered the bone to the knee and Aung had to have the lower part of his right leg amputated. After the incident, while he was still in Bago, Aung said an organisation that he did not know the name of provided him with the prosthesis and covered the cost of travelling to and from hospital. (Courtesy of frontiermyanmar.net)
“Suddenly, there was an explosion,” said Aung. He did not immediately realise he had trodden on a landmine. “My friend told me, ‘Don’t look down.’ But when I looked down I saw that I did not have a right foot anymore. It was severed at the ankle.”
Aung was unable to work as a farmer after losing his foot and moved to Yangon to make a living as a beggar. He spends most of time on Pansodan Road, near Yangon Central Railway Station, a prosthetic limb by his side.
The blast shattered the bone to the knee and Aung had to have the lower part of his right leg amputated. After the incident, while he was still in Bago, Aung said an organisation that he did not know the name of provided him with the prosthesis and covered the cost of travelling to and from hospital. (Courtesy of frontiermyanmar.net)
Myanmar begins repatriation of 2,000 migrants from Malaysia
Beginning this week, the Myanmar government will be beginning the process of taking home some 2,000 of its people who have been detained for months in Malaysia, Myanmar Times reported today.
The whole process could take up to a month with at least 10 chartered flights, each carrying 130 migrants on board, according to the report.
“We have plans go through this repatriation process more than 10 times, chartering flights with more than 130 on board each time,” Myanmar’s labour and immigration ministry permanent secretary U Myo Aung was quoted saying.
Migrant workers from Myanmar were detained by Malaysian authorities, reportedly for various offences, including expiration of their visas.
However, the newspaper also reported criticisms against the Myanmar embassy for allegedly taking too long to approve visa extensions for the migrant workers, which led to their detention by authorities here. As such, they were unable to return even after their citizenship had been confirmed. (Courtesy of themalaymailonline.com)
The whole process could take up to a month with at least 10 chartered flights, each carrying 130 migrants on board, according to the report.
“We have plans go through this repatriation process more than 10 times, chartering flights with more than 130 on board each time,” Myanmar’s labour and immigration ministry permanent secretary U Myo Aung was quoted saying.
Migrant workers from Myanmar were detained by Malaysian authorities, reportedly for various offences, including expiration of their visas.
However, the newspaper also reported criticisms against the Myanmar embassy for allegedly taking too long to approve visa extensions for the migrant workers, which led to their detention by authorities here. As such, they were unable to return even after their citizenship had been confirmed. (Courtesy of themalaymailonline.com)
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