Local MP David Anderson is in Myanmar from August 16th until the 20th.
Anderson is traveling as part of an international delegation which will address threats to the right of freedom of religion in the country.
The trip is based around a report of a Muslim minority group in Myanmar being persecuted.
The Member of Parliament says reports of witnesses calling the persecution a "Genocide" and "Ethnic Cleansing" is a very serious matter to address. (Courtesy of swiftcurrentonline.com)
August 17, 2016
Sittwe included in ‘ambitious’ Indian pipelines plan
India is planning to lay nearly 7,000 kilometres of gas pipelines linking West Bengal and many of its northeastern states with Bangladesh and Myanmar, media reports said last week.
The “ambitious” plan was outlined by the executive director of India’s state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, Mr S.C. Soni, during a visit to the Tripura capital, Agartala, on August 13, the Hindustan Times reported.
He told reporters up to 6,900 km of pipelines would link Siliguri and Durgapur in West Bengal, most northeastern states, Sittwe in Rakhine State and the Bangladesh port of Chittagong.
The pipelines project was part of India’s Hydrocarbon Vision 2030 policy to double oil and natural gas production in the northeastern states and make more effective use of the energy.
Large quantities of gas at fields in the energy-rich northeast were being burned off because it could not be piped to consumers, Soni said. (Courtesy of frontiermyanmar.net)
The “ambitious” plan was outlined by the executive director of India’s state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, Mr S.C. Soni, during a visit to the Tripura capital, Agartala, on August 13, the Hindustan Times reported.
He told reporters up to 6,900 km of pipelines would link Siliguri and Durgapur in West Bengal, most northeastern states, Sittwe in Rakhine State and the Bangladesh port of Chittagong.
The pipelines project was part of India’s Hydrocarbon Vision 2030 policy to double oil and natural gas production in the northeastern states and make more effective use of the energy.
Large quantities of gas at fields in the energy-rich northeast were being burned off because it could not be piped to consumers, Soni said. (Courtesy of frontiermyanmar.net)
Myanmar to complete demarcation of its borders
Diplomatic negotiations are under way to finalise demarcation and posting of Myanmar's borders with Thailand and India, vice minister for Foreign Affairs U Kyaw Tin told the lower house on Monday.
“In order to leave a good legacy for the next generation, we have been trying to start defining the border as fast as we can,” he said. An agreement had been reached to reboot border-defining efforts in the south, as a result of Aung San Suu Kyi’s recent visit to Thailand as Union minister for foreign affairs. (Courtesy of bangkokpost.com)
“In order to leave a good legacy for the next generation, we have been trying to start defining the border as fast as we can,” he said. An agreement had been reached to reboot border-defining efforts in the south, as a result of Aung San Suu Kyi’s recent visit to Thailand as Union minister for foreign affairs. (Courtesy of bangkokpost.com)
Myanmar joins global payment network
Another step in the effort to better connect Myanmar to the global financial system has been taken, with AYA Bank becoming the first lender to offer bank cards with a stamp from global payment network provider JCB.
The bank is issuing debit and credit cards with a joint stamp from Japan’s JCB and Myanmar Payment Union (MPU), meaning it can be used in Myanmar and across a JCB network spanning some 31 million merchants in 190 countries and territories.
“It’s a move that will connect Myanmar’s card system with [those in] other countries,” said U Zaw Lin Htut, CEO of MPU, at a signing ceremony between AYA Bank, MPU and JCB yesterday.
U Zaw Zaw, founder and chair of AYA Bank, noted that an earlier lack of infrastructure and resources had held Myanmar’s banking system back from being able to join worldwide payment networks like JCB’s. (Courtesy of mmtimes.com)
The bank is issuing debit and credit cards with a joint stamp from Japan’s JCB and Myanmar Payment Union (MPU), meaning it can be used in Myanmar and across a JCB network spanning some 31 million merchants in 190 countries and territories.
“It’s a move that will connect Myanmar’s card system with [those in] other countries,” said U Zaw Lin Htut, CEO of MPU, at a signing ceremony between AYA Bank, MPU and JCB yesterday.
U Zaw Zaw, founder and chair of AYA Bank, noted that an earlier lack of infrastructure and resources had held Myanmar’s banking system back from being able to join worldwide payment networks like JCB’s. (Courtesy of mmtimes.com)
Myanmar Authorities Close Hundreds of Cases Against Activists
Authorities in Myanmar have closed more than 450 cases against activists following requests from the nation’s top two leaders, Tin Myint, permanent secretary of the Home Affairs Ministry, said Tuesday.
“We have closed 457 cases against activists because of requests from [State Counselor] Aung San Suu Kyi and President Htin Kyaw,” he said at a press conference in the capital Naypyidaw, where representatives from four ministries discussed what they had accomplished during the new civilian-led government’s “100-day” reform plan.
Other permanent secretaries from the home affairs, construction, transportation and communication, and social welfare, relief and resettlement ministries were also on hand.
“These cases are different from those of the activists freed during the presidential amnesty,” he said, in a reference to the civilian-led government’s release of up to 200 political prisoners, including political activists and students facing trials for their involvement in a protest against the National Education Law. (Courtesy of rfa.org)
“We have closed 457 cases against activists because of requests from [State Counselor] Aung San Suu Kyi and President Htin Kyaw,” he said at a press conference in the capital Naypyidaw, where representatives from four ministries discussed what they had accomplished during the new civilian-led government’s “100-day” reform plan.
Other permanent secretaries from the home affairs, construction, transportation and communication, and social welfare, relief and resettlement ministries were also on hand.
“These cases are different from those of the activists freed during the presidential amnesty,” he said, in a reference to the civilian-led government’s release of up to 200 political prisoners, including political activists and students facing trials for their involvement in a protest against the National Education Law. (Courtesy of rfa.org)
No debate, decisions at Panglong conference
No decisions will be made at the 21st Century Panglong conference, negotiators said on Monday, after they conceded that there was not enough time to make the necessary changes to the political dialogue framework.
Members of the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee agreed at a meeting in Nay Pyi Taw on August 15 that the meeting would be all-inclusive, with all ethnic armed groups allowed to attend. Participants will focus on presenting their respective policies, UPDJC members told Frontier.
“It will be held according to the principle of all-inclusiveness. Each party can present its own policy but there won’t be any discussion or decisions made,” said Pado Saw Kwe Htoo Win, a deputy chairman of the UPDJC representing ethnic armed groups. (Courtesy of frontiermyanmar.net)
Members of the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee agreed at a meeting in Nay Pyi Taw on August 15 that the meeting would be all-inclusive, with all ethnic armed groups allowed to attend. Participants will focus on presenting their respective policies, UPDJC members told Frontier.
“It will be held according to the principle of all-inclusiveness. Each party can present its own policy but there won’t be any discussion or decisions made,” said Pado Saw Kwe Htoo Win, a deputy chairman of the UPDJC representing ethnic armed groups. (Courtesy of frontiermyanmar.net)
ANP to present framework at peace conference
The Arakan National Party is preparing a framework to be submitted at the Union Peace Conference, also known as the 21st Century Panglong Conference, which is scheduled for August 31, the party’s general-secretary Tun Aung Kyaw told the Daily Eleven yesterday.
The framework provides for discussions on political affairs, the people’s basic needs and economic rights. The ANP formed a seven-member committee of lawmakers at its sixth central executive committee meeting in order to prepare the framework.
“The committee is tasked with drafting a political framework. We will seek approval from the CEC one week ahead of the peace conference. The framework will also include the Kyaukphu Special Economic Zone project, ethnic affairs and Union affairs,” he added. (Courtesy of elevenmyanmar.com)
The framework provides for discussions on political affairs, the people’s basic needs and economic rights. The ANP formed a seven-member committee of lawmakers at its sixth central executive committee meeting in order to prepare the framework.
“The committee is tasked with drafting a political framework. We will seek approval from the CEC one week ahead of the peace conference. The framework will also include the Kyaukphu Special Economic Zone project, ethnic affairs and Union affairs,” he added. (Courtesy of elevenmyanmar.com)
No sustainable economy without peace: Suu Kyi
State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi gave the opening speech at yesterday’s UPDJC meeting in Nay Pyi Taw, saying Myanmar’s economy cannot be sustained without peace in the long term.
“This meeting is very important for all of us. Only peace can make our people harmonious and progressive. If there is no peace, any economy would collapse, no matter how highly developed it is. No economy can be sustained if there is no peace in the long term. That’s why peace is very important for us. However, we will not disregard social and economic sectors because of the peace process. We will handle them concurrently,” she said.
“We want to build a strong and genuine Union. For that, support from all ethnic people is the key,” Suu Kyi said. (Courtesy of elevenmyanmar.com)
“This meeting is very important for all of us. Only peace can make our people harmonious and progressive. If there is no peace, any economy would collapse, no matter how highly developed it is. No economy can be sustained if there is no peace in the long term. That’s why peace is very important for us. However, we will not disregard social and economic sectors because of the peace process. We will handle them concurrently,” she said.
“We want to build a strong and genuine Union. For that, support from all ethnic people is the key,” Suu Kyi said. (Courtesy of elevenmyanmar.com)
Challenge of criminalising hate speech
Since the government was installed earlier this year, the Ministry of Information (MOI) website has made clear that there is no place for hate speech in Myanmar society. MOI website statements have also urged all Myanmar people to avoid hate speech and to “live in unity within diversity”. The Ministry has called for “retributive action” against those who “make” hate speech.
U Aung Ko, the Minister of Culture and Religious Affairs, recently referred to plans for a new Hate Speech Law – which would criminalise verbal attacks on other religions besides Buddhism – being developed in consultation with “interfaith groups” comprising members of Myanmar’s various religious communities. Such a law, whose precise contents are not yet known to the public, would empower ordinary citizens to report discriminatory speech.
Article 364 of Myanmar’s 2008 constitution prohibits the “abuse of religion for political purposes” and “any act which is intended or is likely to promote feelings of hatred, enmity or discord between racial or religious communities or sects”. It allows for the “promulgation of laws to punish such activity”. (Courtesy of mmtimes.com)
U Aung Ko, the Minister of Culture and Religious Affairs, recently referred to plans for a new Hate Speech Law – which would criminalise verbal attacks on other religions besides Buddhism – being developed in consultation with “interfaith groups” comprising members of Myanmar’s various religious communities. Such a law, whose precise contents are not yet known to the public, would empower ordinary citizens to report discriminatory speech.
Article 364 of Myanmar’s 2008 constitution prohibits the “abuse of religion for political purposes” and “any act which is intended or is likely to promote feelings of hatred, enmity or discord between racial or religious communities or sects”. It allows for the “promulgation of laws to punish such activity”. (Courtesy of mmtimes.com)
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