A Rakhine (Magh) Militant Outfit named Arakan Army (AA) threatened to attack on Thailand and its Economic Interests in Myanmar over the death sentences to the two Rakhine (Magh) Burmese by a Thai Court on December 24.
The Thai Court found two Rakhine Burmese migrant workers, Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun, guilty for the brutal murders of the two British nationals – Killing David Miller, 24, and Raping and then Murdering Hannah Witheridge, 23 — visiting Koh Tao Island in Thailand in September 2014. Miller’s family said after the verdict that they had initial doubts about the investigation but found the evidence against the accused to be “absolutely overwhelming” (AP News).
However, the defendants as well as various Rakhine political groups called it an unfair trial and the protests were held before Thai Embassy in Yangon with protesters chanting ‘we want justice’ and ‘shameless Thai government’ etc.
In a statement released on December 27 2015, the Arakan Army called it ‘Injustice’ and demanded the concerned authorities to appeal against the verdict of the death sentences in 60 days’ time. Else, they would have to use force and raid Thailand’s ‘Nakhon Si Thammarat’ Prison — where the two convicts are currently detained – to rescue the detainees. (Courtesy of Rohingya Vision TV)
December 31, 2015
Pheu Thai denies role in protests
The Pheu Thai Party has dismissed suggestions that it was behind the Myanmar protests against the Koh Tao murder case ruling.
The move came after Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said he believed the protests had been instigated by those who want to cause problems for the government.
While he did not name anyone in particular, Gen Prawit insisted those behind the protests intend to prevent the government from working smoothly.
Police are investigating who, particularly those in Thailand, might have been involved in instigating protests against the ruling, Gen Prawit said.
His comment came amid demonstrations in Myanmar against last Thursday's sentencing to death of Myanmar migrant workers Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, both 22, for the murders of British backpackers Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, on Koh Tao in Surat Thani province in September 2014. (Courtesy of Bangkok Post: News)
The move came after Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said he believed the protests had been instigated by those who want to cause problems for the government.
While he did not name anyone in particular, Gen Prawit insisted those behind the protests intend to prevent the government from working smoothly.
Police are investigating who, particularly those in Thailand, might have been involved in instigating protests against the ruling, Gen Prawit said.
His comment came amid demonstrations in Myanmar against last Thursday's sentencing to death of Myanmar migrant workers Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, both 22, for the murders of British backpackers Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, on Koh Tao in Surat Thani province in September 2014. (Courtesy of Bangkok Post: News)
Shoppers show low trust in online shopping services
Customer trust is a major challenge for online shopping businesses in Myanmar, despite their provision of door-to-door delivery services and acceptance of cash payment, according to industry insiders.
An official from Zawgyi Mart Online Shopping Services said: “There is no problem with the delivery services. Delivery service groups and organisations have emerged one after another. In the past, we had to provide the delivery services. Now, delivery services are being offered in cooperation with the Myanmar Post Office. Cash settlement systems are progressing more than before. Services like 2C2P and mobile money are available. Online shoppers can pay using 2C2P at ABC stores. Currently, the major challenge is customer trust. Online shopping has become popular. But five in ten persons said they are not ok with the online shopping. Another point is that customers can return unwanted items. We have a return policy and exchange unwanted materials during the designated period if customers can give a sound reason. It is crucial.” (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
An official from Zawgyi Mart Online Shopping Services said: “There is no problem with the delivery services. Delivery service groups and organisations have emerged one after another. In the past, we had to provide the delivery services. Now, delivery services are being offered in cooperation with the Myanmar Post Office. Cash settlement systems are progressing more than before. Services like 2C2P and mobile money are available. Online shoppers can pay using 2C2P at ABC stores. Currently, the major challenge is customer trust. Online shopping has become popular. But five in ten persons said they are not ok with the online shopping. Another point is that customers can return unwanted items. We have a return policy and exchange unwanted materials during the designated period if customers can give a sound reason. It is crucial.” (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
No plans to reduce or withdraw Yangon-Bangkok flights
YANGON—Myanmar Airways International (MAI) is now operating direct flight between Yangon and Bangkok twice per day, and there is no plan to reduce the number of flights or to withdraw the flight schedules, said Aye Marya Tha, assistant general manager of MAI.
“We can’t cancel the flight schedules because tickets were sold in advance. We make the trip twice a day from Yangon to Bangkok. We have no plan to stop our flights due to the Kho Tao murder verdict. As for MAI, there is no plan to reduce the number of flights and or withdraw the schedules,” said Aye Marya Tha.
In Myanmar, people in major cities, including Tachileik, near the border with Thailand, staged protests demanding the release of two Myanmar migrants who face the death penalty for killing two British tourists on Kao Tao.
Moreover, Myanmar citizens who are working in Japan and Malaysia have protested against the Kho Tao verdict.
On December 24, the Koh Samui District court had given the death sentence to two Myanmar migrants accused of murdering two British nationals on Koh Tao last year. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
“We can’t cancel the flight schedules because tickets were sold in advance. We make the trip twice a day from Yangon to Bangkok. We have no plan to stop our flights due to the Kho Tao murder verdict. As for MAI, there is no plan to reduce the number of flights and or withdraw the schedules,” said Aye Marya Tha.
In Myanmar, people in major cities, including Tachileik, near the border with Thailand, staged protests demanding the release of two Myanmar migrants who face the death penalty for killing two British tourists on Kao Tao.
Moreover, Myanmar citizens who are working in Japan and Malaysia have protested against the Kho Tao verdict.
On December 24, the Koh Samui District court had given the death sentence to two Myanmar migrants accused of murdering two British nationals on Koh Tao last year. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
Cabinet approves construction of 69 bridges in Myanmar
New Delhi : The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the construction of 69 bridges including approach roads on the Tamu-Kyigone-Kalewa (TKK) road section of the trilateral highway in Myanmar at a cost of Rs. 371.58 crore.
This will impart all weather usability to the TKK road section, which is also part of the route for the proposed Imphal-Mandalay bus service. It will improve connectivity between India and Myanmar and facilitate the movement of goods and traffic.
During the visit of then prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to Myanmar in May 2012, it was agreed, at the request of Government of Myanmar, to undertake construction of 71 bridges in the Tamu – Kyigone – Kalewa (TKK) road section of the Trilateral Highway. (Courtesy of Free Press Journal)
This will impart all weather usability to the TKK road section, which is also part of the route for the proposed Imphal-Mandalay bus service. It will improve connectivity between India and Myanmar and facilitate the movement of goods and traffic.
During the visit of then prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to Myanmar in May 2012, it was agreed, at the request of Government of Myanmar, to undertake construction of 71 bridges in the Tamu – Kyigone – Kalewa (TKK) road section of the Trilateral Highway. (Courtesy of Free Press Journal)
Vice President attends 16th Myanmar Traditional Medicine Practitioners’ Conference
With a key-note address from the Vice President Dr Sai Mauk Kham, the 16th Myanmar Traditional Medicine Practitioners’ Conference was opened in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday. Speaking on the occasion, he called on traditional medicine practitioners to conduct research on safety, quality and potency of the country’s indigenous medicines and to cooperate with pharmacologists, foresters, agriculturalists and medical experts to conduct scientific research.
The vice president also encouraged practitioners across the country to expose and preserve the potent herbs grown in Myanmar’s jungle and to reproduce, cultivate and produce them.
Vice President Dr Sai Mauk Kham also urged them to begin records of therapy, saying that it is a must for all the traditional medicine practitioners. The pros and cons of their therapies are to be put on record and these records need to be systematically compiled so as to disclose the findings with firm evi dences, he added. (Courtesy of Myanmar President Office)
The vice president also encouraged practitioners across the country to expose and preserve the potent herbs grown in Myanmar’s jungle and to reproduce, cultivate and produce them.
Vice President Dr Sai Mauk Kham also urged them to begin records of therapy, saying that it is a must for all the traditional medicine practitioners. The pros and cons of their therapies are to be put on record and these records need to be systematically compiled so as to disclose the findings with firm evi dences, he added. (Courtesy of Myanmar President Office)
'Policemen' nabbed for trying to rob Myanmar migrants
The police have arrested two men for allegedly impersonating as policemen and trying to rob two Myanmar nationals in Johor Baru yesterday.
Johor Baru Selatan police chief Sulaiman Salleh said they were arrested by five police motorcycle patrolmen at 8.15pm at a house in Jalan Sentosa, Larkin, as they were beating up the Myanmar nationals with a stick.
He said the two suspects had identified themselves as policemen to the Myanmar nationals by showing them certain red cards.
"They started beating their victims with a stick and ordered them to produce their passports," he said in a statement.
Sulaiman said the motorcycle patrolmen also seized a stick, a police authority card in the name of one of the suspects and a motorcycle. (Courtesy of Malaysiakini)
Johor Baru Selatan police chief Sulaiman Salleh said they were arrested by five police motorcycle patrolmen at 8.15pm at a house in Jalan Sentosa, Larkin, as they were beating up the Myanmar nationals with a stick.
He said the two suspects had identified themselves as policemen to the Myanmar nationals by showing them certain red cards.
"They started beating their victims with a stick and ordered them to produce their passports," he said in a statement.
Sulaiman said the motorcycle patrolmen also seized a stick, a police authority card in the name of one of the suspects and a motorcycle. (Courtesy of Malaysiakini)
18 Myanmar refugees held during search Operation
Hyderabad: Keeping in view of the arrest of three sympathisers of Islamic State from Hyderabad, ensuing New Year celebrations and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections, the South Zone police on Tuesday conducted a massive cordon and search operation in the Old City.
The operation was conducted in several colonies located in Bahadurpura police station limits by closing seven exit routes in the locality. During the operation, the police identified 18 Myanmar refugees among which six persons were staying illegally. As many as 68 bikes and 28 autos were detained for not having valid documents. (Courtesy of The Hans India)
The operation was conducted in several colonies located in Bahadurpura police station limits by closing seven exit routes in the locality. During the operation, the police identified 18 Myanmar refugees among which six persons were staying illegally. As many as 68 bikes and 28 autos were detained for not having valid documents. (Courtesy of The Hans India)
Thai, Myanmar Foreign Ministers call for calm
BANGKOK — With growing protests over the death sentences imposed by a Thai court on two Myanmar migrant workers for murdering a pair of British tourists, foreign ministers from both countries called for calm yesterday.
Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai told reporters that he had spoken via telephone with his Myanmese counterpart, Wunna Maung Lwin — with the latter expressing his understanding that the case was not final and would continue through the appeals process.
Both ministers also said that they did not want to see the demonstrations escalate to the point of affecting diplomatic relations.
Mr Don said that the ministry was preparing translated summaries of the court’s decision in Burmese and English and would furnish them to the Myanmar ministry to distribute to the public. (Courtesy of TDAYonline)
Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai told reporters that he had spoken via telephone with his Myanmese counterpart, Wunna Maung Lwin — with the latter expressing his understanding that the case was not final and would continue through the appeals process.
Both ministers also said that they did not want to see the demonstrations escalate to the point of affecting diplomatic relations.
Mr Don said that the ministry was preparing translated summaries of the court’s decision in Burmese and English and would furnish them to the Myanmar ministry to distribute to the public. (Courtesy of TDAYonline)
OJK Targets Bilateral Cooperations With Thailand, Myanmar in New Year
Jakarta. Indonesia's financial regulator, the Financial Services Authority, known as OJK, has set a target to seal bilateral cooperations with two Association of Southeast Asian Nations in the first quarter of the new year.
Thailand and Myanmar will be the first two nations in the Asean bloc to form such cooperations with Indonesia ahead of the 2020 target of wider banking sector liberalization as set out by the Asean Banking Integration Framework.
OJK Chairman Muliaman D. Hadad said Indonesia is committed to solidifying bilateral cooperations with all countries in the bloc, so Asean members can enjoy reciprocal interactions.
By the first quarter of next year only two nations — Thailand and Myanmar — can settle banking sector bilateral cooperations with Indonesia, while the remaining nations still needing further discussions.
"Currently, we are awaiting for answers from Malaysia. There are things cannot be settled right now about the payment system. Overthere, the payment system also involves the private sector," Muliaman said recently.
The bloc — with a combined population of 600 million and a total gross domestic product of around $3 trillion — will roll-out economic integration on Jan. 1, 2016. (Courtesy of Jakarta Globe)
Thailand and Myanmar will be the first two nations in the Asean bloc to form such cooperations with Indonesia ahead of the 2020 target of wider banking sector liberalization as set out by the Asean Banking Integration Framework.
OJK Chairman Muliaman D. Hadad said Indonesia is committed to solidifying bilateral cooperations with all countries in the bloc, so Asean members can enjoy reciprocal interactions.
By the first quarter of next year only two nations — Thailand and Myanmar — can settle banking sector bilateral cooperations with Indonesia, while the remaining nations still needing further discussions.
"Currently, we are awaiting for answers from Malaysia. There are things cannot be settled right now about the payment system. Overthere, the payment system also involves the private sector," Muliaman said recently.
The bloc — with a combined population of 600 million and a total gross domestic product of around $3 trillion — will roll-out economic integration on Jan. 1, 2016. (Courtesy of Jakarta Globe)
Unresponsive govt brings shame to parliament: Shwe Mann
Union parliament speaker Shwe Mann said the government implemented very few proposals approved by the parliament, leading the parliament to lose face.
The speaker made the comment following the explanation offered by the Ministry of Mines about the recently frequent landslides in Hpakant, Kachin State, where jade mining is accelerating with the use of heavy machinery and the responses of MPs during a parliamentary session in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday.
"Both important and ordinary proposals came to me. Some were verbal complaints. When it comes to the Hpakant issue, complaints come to the lower house or the Union parliament depending on the situation. If a proposal is important, the parliament must make a decision. The decision we made may be right or wrong because we have to do it promptly. I will send a message to the president. Then, we will listen to the clarification of a representative sent by the president before we give necessary advice," said Shwe Mann. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
The speaker made the comment following the explanation offered by the Ministry of Mines about the recently frequent landslides in Hpakant, Kachin State, where jade mining is accelerating with the use of heavy machinery and the responses of MPs during a parliamentary session in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday.
"Both important and ordinary proposals came to me. Some were verbal complaints. When it comes to the Hpakant issue, complaints come to the lower house or the Union parliament depending on the situation. If a proposal is important, the parliament must make a decision. The decision we made may be right or wrong because we have to do it promptly. I will send a message to the president. Then, we will listen to the clarification of a representative sent by the president before we give necessary advice," said Shwe Mann. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
Sagaing residents protest against squatting rapist
The residents of Khin-U Township, Sagaing Region, staged a protest against the failure of an ex-convict to adhere to the judgement of the court on Monday.
Three years ago, Judge Myint Chit Kyaw sentenced Kyaw Naing to one year in prison for violating Section 417 of the Penal Code by raping an underage girl who was deaf and mute. The court also ordered him to give a plot of land to the girl as compensation in a civil suit. Kyaw Naing has been squatting on the land he gave as compensation since he was released from prison.
Local residents incensed by his behaviour staged a protest and called for immediate justice for the violated party.
“We received a land plot as compensation by the court’s judgement. But Kyaw Naing has trespassed into it since he was released. We have filed a case against him. We want the land back,” said the mother of the girl. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
Three years ago, Judge Myint Chit Kyaw sentenced Kyaw Naing to one year in prison for violating Section 417 of the Penal Code by raping an underage girl who was deaf and mute. The court also ordered him to give a plot of land to the girl as compensation in a civil suit. Kyaw Naing has been squatting on the land he gave as compensation since he was released from prison.
Local residents incensed by his behaviour staged a protest and called for immediate justice for the violated party.
“We received a land plot as compensation by the court’s judgement. But Kyaw Naing has trespassed into it since he was released. We have filed a case against him. We want the land back,” said the mother of the girl. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
Chinese Ambassador meets SNLD leaders
YANGON—Hong Liang, the Chinese ambassador to Myanmar, discussed cooperation on regional development tasks in Shan State with the top leaders of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) at the house the party’s chairman, Khun Tun Oo, yesterday.
Khun Tun Oo, party vice chairman Sai Saw Aung, general secretary Sai Nyunt Lwin and technical supports officer Sai Kyaw Nyunt attended the meeting with the ambassador.
“The Chinese ambassador remarked that Myanmar and China have enjoyed close relations for a long times. He said he would like to provide regional development tasks to Shan State in cooperation with the SNLD because the Shan State borders China,” said Sai Saw Aung, the vice chairman of the SNLD. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
Khun Tun Oo, party vice chairman Sai Saw Aung, general secretary Sai Nyunt Lwin and technical supports officer Sai Kyaw Nyunt attended the meeting with the ambassador.
“The Chinese ambassador remarked that Myanmar and China have enjoyed close relations for a long times. He said he would like to provide regional development tasks to Shan State in cooperation with the SNLD because the Shan State borders China,” said Sai Saw Aung, the vice chairman of the SNLD. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
December 30, 2015
Rohingya Religious Scholar in Critical Condition due to Tortures in Prison
Buthidaung, Arakan State (Rohingya Vision) – An (imprisoned) Rohingya religious scholar has been in critical condition in Buthidaung Prison for almost two weeks due to severe tortures by the Burmese (Myanmar) jail authorities, the reliable sources say.
The victim was innocent but arrested by the Border Guard Police (BGP) and sent to the prison in 2014 under the arbitrary charge of getting married to a woman without their (the BGP’s) permission. He is identified to be Mv Arafat Ahmed hails from Quarter 9 of ‘Punnya Lake’ village tract, Buthidaung Township.
An eyewitness who went to see his relative in the prison on the condition of anonymity said “he has been severely tortured. The jail authorities — Police Captain Myo Hein; and his subordinates, U Zaw Win and U Thet Naing – brutally beat him on December 14 and December 15 respectively.
His health has become critical since then. He can’t eat, get up, walk and even talk due to the tortures. He has been being fed through Tubes/Pipes since then. (Courtesy of Rohingya Vision TV)
The victim was innocent but arrested by the Border Guard Police (BGP) and sent to the prison in 2014 under the arbitrary charge of getting married to a woman without their (the BGP’s) permission. He is identified to be Mv Arafat Ahmed hails from Quarter 9 of ‘Punnya Lake’ village tract, Buthidaung Township.
An eyewitness who went to see his relative in the prison on the condition of anonymity said “he has been severely tortured. The jail authorities — Police Captain Myo Hein; and his subordinates, U Zaw Win and U Thet Naing – brutally beat him on December 14 and December 15 respectively.
His health has become critical since then. He can’t eat, get up, walk and even talk due to the tortures. He has been being fed through Tubes/Pipes since then. (Courtesy of Rohingya Vision TV)
Security Forces Beat Up and Rob Displaced Rohingyas
Minbya, Arakan state (Rohingya Vision) – The Burmese (Myanmar) Security Force locally known as ‘Hlun Htein’ severely beat up and robbed four internally displaced Rohingyas in Mrauk-U Township last Saturday, according to the reliable sources.
The internally displaced people (IDP) are currently living in ‘Thayet Oak’ IDP Camps in Minbya Township and the Security Forces belong to ‘Parin Gone’ Village Camp in Mrauk-U (Fatthar Killa) Township.
It has been reported that the Security Forces beat them up and robbed the four people while they were on their way back after buying food stuffs and other goods from ‘Pon Dauk’ village in Mrauk-U. (Courtesy of Rohingya Vision TV)
The internally displaced people (IDP) are currently living in ‘Thayet Oak’ IDP Camps in Minbya Township and the Security Forces belong to ‘Parin Gone’ Village Camp in Mrauk-U (Fatthar Killa) Township.
It has been reported that the Security Forces beat them up and robbed the four people while they were on their way back after buying food stuffs and other goods from ‘Pon Dauk’ village in Mrauk-U. (Courtesy of Rohingya Vision TV)
Thirty days to shore up Thai justice after conviction of Myanmar workers: The Nation
The appeal period for the Myanmar accused in the Koh Tao case affords a chance to overcome public suspicion.
Myanmar commander in chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has taken the unusual step of asking Thai authorities to re-examine the case against two Myanmar nationals convicted of rape and murder on Koh Tao, in what amounts to another blow to international confidence in the Thai justice system. It also provides a test for relations between these two countries, at a time when both are engaged in a process of democratic reform.
It is rare for leaders in Naypyitaw to express concern over the fate of citizens who find themselves in trouble abroad. Thailand is home to about three million workers from Myanmar, many of them undocumented migrants, but little attention has been paid to their plight at the hands of our justice system. (Courtesy of The Straits Times)
Myanmar commander in chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has taken the unusual step of asking Thai authorities to re-examine the case against two Myanmar nationals convicted of rape and murder on Koh Tao, in what amounts to another blow to international confidence in the Thai justice system. It also provides a test for relations between these two countries, at a time when both are engaged in a process of democratic reform.
It is rare for leaders in Naypyitaw to express concern over the fate of citizens who find themselves in trouble abroad. Thailand is home to about three million workers from Myanmar, many of them undocumented migrants, but little attention has been paid to their plight at the hands of our justice system. (Courtesy of The Straits Times)
World's other refugee crisis is about to begin, again
BANGKOK, Thailand — Southeast Asia is bracing for a new “sailing season.” It’s a benign-sounding expression for one of the region’s most perilous annual events.
Starting late in the year, when monsoons recede and seas grow calmer, tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar make a grim decision. They choose to sail eastward on creaky boats run by callous smuggling syndicates. Their goal: securing underground work in Thailand or Malaysia, even though both nations warn them to stay away.
Many die at sea. Those who do not are often swept into mafia-run human trafficking rings infamous for rape, extortion and burying those who can’t pay ransoms in jungle graves.
But the risk is deemed worth it among many Rohingya who, in recent years, have decided the danger is preferable to remaining in their homeland. (Courtesy of usatoday.com)
Starting late in the year, when monsoons recede and seas grow calmer, tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar make a grim decision. They choose to sail eastward on creaky boats run by callous smuggling syndicates. Their goal: securing underground work in Thailand or Malaysia, even though both nations warn them to stay away.
Many die at sea. Those who do not are often swept into mafia-run human trafficking rings infamous for rape, extortion and burying those who can’t pay ransoms in jungle graves.
But the risk is deemed worth it among many Rohingya who, in recent years, have decided the danger is preferable to remaining in their homeland. (Courtesy of usatoday.com)
Kedah immigration arrest 48 illegals from Myanmar and Indonesia
ALOR SETAR, Dec 29 ― The Kedah Immigration Department detained 48 illegal immigrants who were Myanmar and Indonesian nationals in an “Ops Sapu” conducted around Alor Setar, early this morning.
Its director, Mohamad Yusri Hashim said in the operations at 2am, checks were conducted on a workers' hostel and rental premises in Alor Setar.
“The checks were conducted at the Mergong and Jalan Telok Wanjah Industrial Areas, resulting in 48 illegal immigrants comprising 39 Myanmar men and nine Indonesian men aged between 23 and 50 years being detained. (Courtesy of Malay Mail Online)
Its director, Mohamad Yusri Hashim said in the operations at 2am, checks were conducted on a workers' hostel and rental premises in Alor Setar.
“The checks were conducted at the Mergong and Jalan Telok Wanjah Industrial Areas, resulting in 48 illegal immigrants comprising 39 Myanmar men and nine Indonesian men aged between 23 and 50 years being detained. (Courtesy of Malay Mail Online)
Get a taste of Myanmar at Dilli Haat
As the 30th edition of its annual crafts festival is set to ring in the New Year at Dilli Haat, the highlight of the festival would be artworks from Myanmar along with works of 170 craftspeople from villages, and cities across India.
Held by Dastkari Haat Samiti, the mela will see shell craft, basketry, mat weaving, handloom textile weaving, hyacinth grass weaving and jewellery by craftswomen from Myanmar. It will be bringing together exciting crafts talent and traditions in never-seen-before avatars, a rare demo.
The women will exhibit the world famous Pathein umbrellas, puppets, velvet slippers, lacquer work and jade items. The ferstival is supported by the external affairs ministry, the Indian embassy in Myanmar, Corriandar Leaf, Yangon and Air India. Myanmar artists will also be joining hands for a crafts and skill development workshop too.
“The Samiti has constantly worked towards expanding opportunities for craftspeople as conservationists of Indian heritage. The Samiti’s artisan-members have travelled all over and collaborated with local artisans in other developing nations to create utility-based and market-friendly products. We aim similar participation for the Myanmar crafts as well,” said Dastkari Haat Samiti founder Jaya Jaitly. (Courtesy of thestatesman.com)
Held by Dastkari Haat Samiti, the mela will see shell craft, basketry, mat weaving, handloom textile weaving, hyacinth grass weaving and jewellery by craftswomen from Myanmar. It will be bringing together exciting crafts talent and traditions in never-seen-before avatars, a rare demo.
The women will exhibit the world famous Pathein umbrellas, puppets, velvet slippers, lacquer work and jade items. The ferstival is supported by the external affairs ministry, the Indian embassy in Myanmar, Corriandar Leaf, Yangon and Air India. Myanmar artists will also be joining hands for a crafts and skill development workshop too.
“The Samiti has constantly worked towards expanding opportunities for craftspeople as conservationists of Indian heritage. The Samiti’s artisan-members have travelled all over and collaborated with local artisans in other developing nations to create utility-based and market-friendly products. We aim similar participation for the Myanmar crafts as well,” said Dastkari Haat Samiti founder Jaya Jaitly. (Courtesy of thestatesman.com)
Min Aung Hlaing wades into ruling controversy
Gen Min Aung Hlaing, commander-in-chief of the Myanmar armed forces, has stepped into the public eye in regard to Thai-Myanmar relations following the Koh Tao verdict.
He has asked Thailand for a "review of the evidence" against the two convicted men, the state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported.
Regarding the verdict, we believe and hope that Thai authorities will proceed fairly with the case in accordance with the law," the Irrawaddy quoted in a message from the commander-in-chief's official Facebook page.
Here is a brief look at Gen Min Aung Hlaing's contacts in the context of Thai politics. (Courtesy of Bangkok Post: News)
He has asked Thailand for a "review of the evidence" against the two convicted men, the state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported.
Regarding the verdict, we believe and hope that Thai authorities will proceed fairly with the case in accordance with the law," the Irrawaddy quoted in a message from the commander-in-chief's official Facebook page.
Here is a brief look at Gen Min Aung Hlaing's contacts in the context of Thai politics. (Courtesy of Bangkok Post: News)
Two Myanmar nationals found dead
Two Myanmar nationals were found dead with stab wounds at one of the street stalls in Jalan 5/62 A, Bandar Manjalara here, early this morning.
The bodies were found on the ground with stab wounds at about 6.30am.
Sentul district police chief ACP R. Munusamy said the two victims were identified as 34-year-old Kumar and 42-year-old Saw, believed to be the owner of the stall and a customer respectively.
According to him, Kumar had 12 stab wounds while Saw had 18.
“Police did not find any weapon at the scene and the bodies were sent to Kuala Lumpur Hospital for post-mortem,” he said.
He, however, refused to reveal the motive for the killing and said that the investigation was ongoing. (Courtesy of The Rakyat Post)
The bodies were found on the ground with stab wounds at about 6.30am.
Sentul district police chief ACP R. Munusamy said the two victims were identified as 34-year-old Kumar and 42-year-old Saw, believed to be the owner of the stall and a customer respectively.
According to him, Kumar had 12 stab wounds while Saw had 18.
“Police did not find any weapon at the scene and the bodies were sent to Kuala Lumpur Hospital for post-mortem,” he said.
He, however, refused to reveal the motive for the killing and said that the investigation was ongoing. (Courtesy of The Rakyat Post)
Where are the women in Myanmar’s peace process?
Women have been consistently excluded from Myanmar’s peace negotiations and their continued absence could undermine the success of the talks aimed at ending long-running ethnic conflicts that have displaced more than half a million people, women’s rights activists say.
The exclusion at talks of representatives of more than half of Myanmar’s population is particularly egregious given that women have suffered disproportionately in the wars that have raged in the country’s borderlands for more than half a century.
Rape and sexual violence, especially of ethnic women and girls, are rampant and well-documented, and human rights groups have accused the Myanmar army of committing abuses with impunity in conflict zones.
“The long-term impact of conflicts are on women,” Nang Raw Zakhung, a female activist from conflict-torn Kachin state told Myanmar Now.
“Even if it is the men who die or are wounded in the conflict, it’s the women - wives and mothers - who have to look after the rest of the family,” added Zakhung, assistant director of Shalom (Nyein) Foundation and one of the few women who have been involved in the peace process in her role as technical advisor to the coordinating team set up by ethnic armed groups.
The nationwide peace process, underway since 2011, has been wholly male-dominated with women barely visible, despite a rhetoric of inclusiveness. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
December 29, 2015
Military Arrest Rohingyas and Ban their Access to Livelihood
Rathedaung, Arakan State (Rohingya Vision) – The Burmese (Myanmar) Military have recently arrested a number of Rohingya farmers and banned their access to farming/harvesting in Rathedaung Township, the local sources report.
It has been learnt that the military at ‘551 Battalion’ in ‘Ku Taung’ village arrested 10 poor and young Rohingya villagers hail from ‘Anauk Pyin’ accusing them of stealing paddy/rice from a farm belong to a Rakhine on December 15. They were tortured for the whole night.
The next day, Captain Saing Aung Kyaw, the commander of the battalion, released them after extorting Kyat 30,000 from each of them.
On the same day (i.e. December 16), the Military Captain issued an order banning all the Rohingyas in ‘Anauk Pyin’ village from their access to farming/harvesting/livelihoods. (Courtesy of Rohingya Vision TV)
It has been learnt that the military at ‘551 Battalion’ in ‘Ku Taung’ village arrested 10 poor and young Rohingya villagers hail from ‘Anauk Pyin’ accusing them of stealing paddy/rice from a farm belong to a Rakhine on December 15. They were tortured for the whole night.
The next day, Captain Saing Aung Kyaw, the commander of the battalion, released them after extorting Kyat 30,000 from each of them.
On the same day (i.e. December 16), the Military Captain issued an order banning all the Rohingyas in ‘Anauk Pyin’ village from their access to farming/harvesting/livelihoods. (Courtesy of Rohingya Vision TV)
Fighting Flares Between Arakan Army and Govt Troops
RANGOON — Fighting broke out on Sunday between the Arakan Army (AA) and government troops in Kyauktaw Township of northern Arakan State, according to the ethnic armed group, which released information on the skirmish on Monday.
The fighting took place near the Sittwe-Rangoon highway in Kyauktaw Township, around 6 km from the Mahamuni Pagoda, and continued on Monday morning when government troops called in reinforcements.
The Arakan Army claimed several Burma Army troops were wounded but said it was still assessing casualties.
Hla May, founder of the Kyauktaw Women’s Network, confirmed that fighting had broken out in a sparsely populated area near Ram Chaung tributary.
“Residents are worried about the conflict because in previous fighting, some villagers were detained and interrogated on accusations of being connected with an unlawful association,” Hla May said.
Burma Army troops clashed several times with Arakan Army forces in a number of areas in the western state beginning in late March. Following the fighting, at least 20 people were detained under Burma’s Unlawful Association Law for their alleged links to the armed faction.
According to Kyauktaw Township authorities, at least 18 Arakan Army soldiers were arrested following the fighting earlier this year. (Courtesy of Irrawaddy)
The fighting took place near the Sittwe-Rangoon highway in Kyauktaw Township, around 6 km from the Mahamuni Pagoda, and continued on Monday morning when government troops called in reinforcements.
The Arakan Army claimed several Burma Army troops were wounded but said it was still assessing casualties.
Hla May, founder of the Kyauktaw Women’s Network, confirmed that fighting had broken out in a sparsely populated area near Ram Chaung tributary.
“Residents are worried about the conflict because in previous fighting, some villagers were detained and interrogated on accusations of being connected with an unlawful association,” Hla May said.
Burma Army troops clashed several times with Arakan Army forces in a number of areas in the western state beginning in late March. Following the fighting, at least 20 people were detained under Burma’s Unlawful Association Law for their alleged links to the armed faction.
According to Kyauktaw Township authorities, at least 18 Arakan Army soldiers were arrested following the fighting earlier this year. (Courtesy of Irrawaddy)
Informal education prepares Rohingya chidren for resettlement
Nur Kaidah, whose parents are Rohingya refugees who had fled Myanmar with their family to escape the persecution and strife they faced in their homeland, said she has been dreaming of having her own bakery ever since she tasted a piece of chocolate cake given to her by a friend.
"I know I have to do well in school first, then learn to make cakes and open a shop. Then, I can eat all the cake I want and earn some money for my family," said the bright-eyed teen, who was born in Malaysia.
Nur Kaidah is a student at the Muslim Aid Knowledge Centre (Pima), a school specially set up for Rohingya children in Kampung Ampang Tambahan in Ampang, and run by the Muslim Aid Malaysia Humanitarian Foundation.
Nur Kaidah, who has nine other siblings aged between three and 24, used to live in Terengganu before her family moved to Kuala Lumpur in search of a better life and education for the children.
Her classmate Amin Sharif Hasan Sharif, 12, is a big fan of Malaysian astronaut Datuk Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor and intends to follow in his footsteps.
"I will study hard so that I too can become a national astronaut," said the youngster, who considers himself a Malaysian. (Courtesy of The Malaysian Insider)
"I know I have to do well in school first, then learn to make cakes and open a shop. Then, I can eat all the cake I want and earn some money for my family," said the bright-eyed teen, who was born in Malaysia.
Nur Kaidah is a student at the Muslim Aid Knowledge Centre (Pima), a school specially set up for Rohingya children in Kampung Ampang Tambahan in Ampang, and run by the Muslim Aid Malaysia Humanitarian Foundation.
Nur Kaidah, who has nine other siblings aged between three and 24, used to live in Terengganu before her family moved to Kuala Lumpur in search of a better life and education for the children.
Her classmate Amin Sharif Hasan Sharif, 12, is a big fan of Malaysian astronaut Datuk Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor and intends to follow in his footsteps.
"I will study hard so that I too can become a national astronaut," said the youngster, who considers himself a Malaysian. (Courtesy of The Malaysian Insider)
Myanmar and California quake threats similar
The earthquake threat in California is little different from that posed by the Sagaing fault line that slices north to south through the middle of Myanmar.
Earthquakes hit California and Myanmar every day, but while most do not cause damage or loss of life, experts say the day will come when big quakes will cause major disasters and loss of life.
Governments must prepare for that day now.
The key to surviving an earthquake and reducing the risk of death or injury lies in identifying potential quake areas, establishing proper building code and putting in place comprehensive disaster response plans that involve families, schools, government agencies and the police and military.
Myanmar is well on its way to understanding the threat of earthquakes and preparing the people and the government to respond appropriately.
During a major earthquake, you may hear a roaring or rumbling sound that gradually grows louder. You may feel a rolling sensation that starts out gently and, within a few seconds, grows violent, or you may first be jarred by a violent jolt. A second or two later, you may feel shaking and find it difficult to stand up or move from one room to another. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
Earthquakes hit California and Myanmar every day, but while most do not cause damage or loss of life, experts say the day will come when big quakes will cause major disasters and loss of life.
Governments must prepare for that day now.
The key to surviving an earthquake and reducing the risk of death or injury lies in identifying potential quake areas, establishing proper building code and putting in place comprehensive disaster response plans that involve families, schools, government agencies and the police and military.
Myanmar is well on its way to understanding the threat of earthquakes and preparing the people and the government to respond appropriately.
During a major earthquake, you may hear a roaring or rumbling sound that gradually grows louder. You may feel a rolling sensation that starts out gently and, within a few seconds, grows violent, or you may first be jarred by a violent jolt. A second or two later, you may feel shaking and find it difficult to stand up or move from one room to another. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
Strongmen strike back in Myanmar, Venezuela
A quarter-century ago, Poland’s communist government supposed that it could allow a free election while rigging the legal structure around it, so that it would remain in power even if it lost. It was a fatal miscalculation. The subsequent vote for the opposition Solidarity movement was so overwhelming that it forced the regime to cede power despite the rules it had established. Poland had demonstrated the raw power of a decisive popular vote — and defined a conundrum that autocratic governments have struggled with ever since.
Two particularly noxious regimes now are confronted with what might be called the Polish communists’ dilemma. The military regime of Myanmar, the nation formerly known as Burma, and the self-styled “Bolivarian socialists” of Venezuela each staged elections this fall on the expectation that, even if they lost, the constitutional and political structures they created to guarantee their power would save them. Myanmar’s generals wrote constitutional provisions granting themselves a quarter of the parliament’s seats, as well as control of powerful ministries, regardless of the election results. In Caracas, the Chavista regime of Nicolas Maduro told itself that it would still have the presidency, the military and the courts on its side even if it lost its majority in the National Assembly. (Courtesy of Stripes.com)
Two particularly noxious regimes now are confronted with what might be called the Polish communists’ dilemma. The military regime of Myanmar, the nation formerly known as Burma, and the self-styled “Bolivarian socialists” of Venezuela each staged elections this fall on the expectation that, even if they lost, the constitutional and political structures they created to guarantee their power would save them. Myanmar’s generals wrote constitutional provisions granting themselves a quarter of the parliament’s seats, as well as control of powerful ministries, regardless of the election results. In Caracas, the Chavista regime of Nicolas Maduro told itself that it would still have the presidency, the military and the courts on its side even if it lost its majority in the National Assembly. (Courtesy of Stripes.com)
Hopeful Signs of Reconciliation in Myanmar’s Troubled Rakhine State
BANGKOK— In Myanmar’s western Rakhine state, inter-communal violence in 2012 caused a surge of killings, arson attacks and mob violence that led tens of thousands of mostly Muslim Rohingya to seek refuge in camps or flee the country by boat. Since then, the violence has ebbed, but thousands remain in squalid camps. There are now signs of hope that the community is starting to reconcile.
For three years, Rakhine has been synonymous with violence and human misery. Violence between communities largely broke down along sectarian and ethnic lines, with Buddhist villagers facing off against mostly Muslim ethnic Rohingya. It led around 140,000 people to flee their homes for government controlled areas and camps backed by nongovernment organizations. (Courtesy of VOA News)
For three years, Rakhine has been synonymous with violence and human misery. Violence between communities largely broke down along sectarian and ethnic lines, with Buddhist villagers facing off against mostly Muslim ethnic Rohingya. It led around 140,000 people to flee their homes for government controlled areas and camps backed by nongovernment organizations. (Courtesy of VOA News)
Anti-Thailand protests in Yangon enter fourth day
Several protests against the death sentence handed down by a Thai court to two Myanmar youths for murdering the two British backpackers on Koh Tao, Thailand, have been held in Yangon for the last four days.
The protest staged near the Thai embassy in Yangon entered its fourth day on December 27. More protesters have joined each day. Some 500 demonstrators joined the embassy protest at the junction of Pyay Road and Manawhari Road in Yangon, chanting ‘We want justice’ and ‘Save our brothers’. Security personnel blocked the road with barbed wire at the entrance of Manawhari Road. The demonstrators began arriving at the embassy at 9am on December 27.
The protesters demanded the immediate release of Zaw Lin (21) and Win Zaw Tun (23), who were controversially convicted of the murder and sentenced to death.
“We don’t want injustice. We want justice. We will continue staging protests until the two Myanmar youths have been released,” said one Rakhine protester.
Htet Htet, one of the protesters, wrote phrases with her blood demanding ‘Save the two Myanmar youth’ and ‘We plead with the Thai king to save the two Myanmar youths’.
“I illegally worked in Malaysia. I feel considerate toward the two Myanmar youths. Myanmar workers overseas have very little security. I have shown my blood by piercing my hand to demand the release of the two Myanmar youths,” Htet Htet said. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
The protest staged near the Thai embassy in Yangon entered its fourth day on December 27. More protesters have joined each day. Some 500 demonstrators joined the embassy protest at the junction of Pyay Road and Manawhari Road in Yangon, chanting ‘We want justice’ and ‘Save our brothers’. Security personnel blocked the road with barbed wire at the entrance of Manawhari Road. The demonstrators began arriving at the embassy at 9am on December 27.
The protesters demanded the immediate release of Zaw Lin (21) and Win Zaw Tun (23), who were controversially convicted of the murder and sentenced to death.
“We don’t want injustice. We want justice. We will continue staging protests until the two Myanmar youths have been released,” said one Rakhine protester.
Htet Htet, one of the protesters, wrote phrases with her blood demanding ‘Save the two Myanmar youth’ and ‘We plead with the Thai king to save the two Myanmar youths’.
“I illegally worked in Malaysia. I feel considerate toward the two Myanmar youths. Myanmar workers overseas have very little security. I have shown my blood by piercing my hand to demand the release of the two Myanmar youths,” Htet Htet said. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
In Myanmar, a young Rohingya dreams of leaving despite foiled boat journey
He was small for his age — still a boy, really, with spiked hair and pimples speckled across his cheeks. He looked even smaller in a pair of oversize flip-flops, curling his toes so they didn't slip off.
School was never his thing. Back before his home was bulldozed and he was displaced in his own country, Mohammed Ayuf spent most of his time in the market where his family owned a grocery, frying up samosas to sell for pennies apiece.
At this camp, his days assumed a routine: wake up, pray at the mosque, return to his family's hut. Most nights he slept outdoors on the hard earth, swatting hopelessly at flies.
The 16-year-old began talking about leaving, like his older brother two years before and tens of thousands of other ethnic Rohingya Muslims who have braved a perilous sea crossing to escape crushing oppression in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar.
In phone conversations from Malaysia, his brother admonished Ayuf not to try to join him. (Courtesy of LA Times)
School was never his thing. Back before his home was bulldozed and he was displaced in his own country, Mohammed Ayuf spent most of his time in the market where his family owned a grocery, frying up samosas to sell for pennies apiece.
At this camp, his days assumed a routine: wake up, pray at the mosque, return to his family's hut. Most nights he slept outdoors on the hard earth, swatting hopelessly at flies.
The 16-year-old began talking about leaving, like his older brother two years before and tens of thousands of other ethnic Rohingya Muslims who have braved a perilous sea crossing to escape crushing oppression in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar.
In phone conversations from Malaysia, his brother admonished Ayuf not to try to join him. (Courtesy of LA Times)
Thailand asks Myanmar to contain protests
The Foreign Ministry has asked the Myanmar government to contain protests against the death sentence in the Koh Tao murder trial as demonstrators again gathered at a border crossing into Kanchanaburi province on Monday.
The ministry sent the request through the Myanmar ambassador to Thailand and the Myanmar foreign ministry, asking Myanmar to contain protests which were spreading beyond Yangon, Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said on Monday morning.
Asked to comment on the request by Myanmar's army chief Min Aung Hlaing that Thailand review the death sentence passed on two Myanmar citizens, Mr Don said it would have no effect. No country would halt the justice process midway through.
The case could still go to the appellate court, the foreign minister said.
Mr Don also said that with large numbers of people now demonstrating, it was impossible to identify the intentions of all of them. However, some demonstrations appeared to be unusually organised.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha also said on Monday an appeal was possible.
Thailand had its laws and Myanmar had asked that the case to be handled strictly in accordance with the justice system, he said. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
The ministry sent the request through the Myanmar ambassador to Thailand and the Myanmar foreign ministry, asking Myanmar to contain protests which were spreading beyond Yangon, Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said on Monday morning.
Asked to comment on the request by Myanmar's army chief Min Aung Hlaing that Thailand review the death sentence passed on two Myanmar citizens, Mr Don said it would have no effect. No country would halt the justice process midway through.
The case could still go to the appellate court, the foreign minister said.
Mr Don also said that with large numbers of people now demonstrating, it was impossible to identify the intentions of all of them. However, some demonstrations appeared to be unusually organised.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha also said on Monday an appeal was possible.
Thailand had its laws and Myanmar had asked that the case to be handled strictly in accordance with the justice system, he said. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
How will Myanmar’s airlines prepare for competition in the ASEAN market?
Q: The ASEAN economic community will be implemented next year and there will be many investors coming to Myanmar, what is Air Kanbawza doing to compete in the ASEAN market?
A: We are closely monitoring the number of passengers and we will increase our fleet to meet the demands of the market. We are engaged in capacity building of our staff and are constantly giving them training. We are giving training to all of our staff at the airline - pilot training, aircraft maintenance training, ground crew training, cabin crew training, admin, marketing, and logistics support staff training etc. So these are our preparations for competing in the ASEAN economic community.
Q: As you know, in our country, economists say staff generally in Myanmar badly need capacity building. So what preparations are needed for those who are seeking jobs in your airline and how do you select and recruit staff for your airline and with what criteria?
A: The main thing is English language. We recruit and select them based on their language skills and educational qualifications such as graduation etc. And then we also look at their motivation and interests. These are important in our business as it needs teamwork. This job is exhausting and demanding. They also must be interested, otherwise they will not be happy in this work. So we recruit and select them based on language skills, hobbies, interests, and motivation. After recruiting them, we train them to suit our needs. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
A: We are closely monitoring the number of passengers and we will increase our fleet to meet the demands of the market. We are engaged in capacity building of our staff and are constantly giving them training. We are giving training to all of our staff at the airline - pilot training, aircraft maintenance training, ground crew training, cabin crew training, admin, marketing, and logistics support staff training etc. So these are our preparations for competing in the ASEAN economic community.
Q: As you know, in our country, economists say staff generally in Myanmar badly need capacity building. So what preparations are needed for those who are seeking jobs in your airline and how do you select and recruit staff for your airline and with what criteria?
A: The main thing is English language. We recruit and select them based on their language skills and educational qualifications such as graduation etc. And then we also look at their motivation and interests. These are important in our business as it needs teamwork. This job is exhausting and demanding. They also must be interested, otherwise they will not be happy in this work. So we recruit and select them based on language skills, hobbies, interests, and motivation. After recruiting them, we train them to suit our needs. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
Human trafficking suspect handed over to Myanmar
Thailand on Monday handed over to Myanmar a Myanmar national wanted in his home country for alleged involvement in human trafficking.
Ranong Governor Suriyan Kanjanasil presided over the hand over. Myanmar was represented by immigration officials of Koh Song province opposite Ranong.
The suspect was identified only as Zhi who the governor said was a prime suspect and wanted in Myanmar, where he was accused of being a front man in a forced labour racket in the fishery industry.
Some 300 Myanmar citizens filed complaints with Myanmar authorities, saying that they paid fees to Zhi who promised them construction and general work only to be forced to work in fishing vessels. (Courtesy of The Nation)
Ranong Governor Suriyan Kanjanasil presided over the hand over. Myanmar was represented by immigration officials of Koh Song province opposite Ranong.
The suspect was identified only as Zhi who the governor said was a prime suspect and wanted in Myanmar, where he was accused of being a front man in a forced labour racket in the fishery industry.
Some 300 Myanmar citizens filed complaints with Myanmar authorities, saying that they paid fees to Zhi who promised them construction and general work only to be forced to work in fishing vessels. (Courtesy of The Nation)
Prayut lashes out at Myanmar Koh Tao protestors
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha lashed out on Monday at protesters who took to the streets of Yangon on the weekend after the Koh Samui Court sentenced two Myanmar migrant workers to death for murdering two British tourists.
Gen Prayut said critics should respect the verdict and that Thailand's justice system would not bow to public pressure.
"They have the right to appeal, right? Laws all over the world have this. Or should Thai law not have this? Is it the case that we should release all people when pressured?," a visibly angry general told reporters before boarding a plane to Surat Thani province.
Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, both 22, were found guilty on Thursday of killing Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, whose battered bodies were found on a beach on the southern holiday island of Koh Tao in 2014.
The verdicts sparked anger in Myanmar where thousands have held daily protests outside the Thai embassy in Yangon, Myanmar's biggest city, calling for the two to be released. (Courtesy of Bangkokpost Post: News)
Gen Prayut said critics should respect the verdict and that Thailand's justice system would not bow to public pressure.
"They have the right to appeal, right? Laws all over the world have this. Or should Thai law not have this? Is it the case that we should release all people when pressured?," a visibly angry general told reporters before boarding a plane to Surat Thani province.
Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, both 22, were found guilty on Thursday of killing Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, whose battered bodies were found on a beach on the southern holiday island of Koh Tao in 2014.
The verdicts sparked anger in Myanmar where thousands have held daily protests outside the Thai embassy in Yangon, Myanmar's biggest city, calling for the two to be released. (Courtesy of Bangkokpost Post: News)
December 28, 2015
Tin Maung Thann, Special Advisor Myanmar Peace Center
He is the President of Myanmar Egress, the Vice President of the Myanmar Fisheries Federation, and a former member of the National Economic Advisor Council, that advises the Government on economic policy. But U Tin Maung Thann is probably best known for being one of the driving forces behind the Myanmar Peace Center, an organization setup to facilitate and mediate in the peace process. As a member of the Union Political Dialogue Joint Committee U Tin Maung Thann will sit at the negotiation table when the peace process enters the political dialogue phase next month. Frontier discussed issues ranging from inclusiveness to the NLD government and the soon to be operational joint peace fund.
Let’s start with the nationwide ceasefire, that has been signed two months ago. Some say 8 signatories out of 16 participating ethnic armed organizations in the peace talks is not a resounding success.
Well, eight groups doesn’t mean it’s half. We silenced the guns in two thirds of the conflict areas. By strength of forces of the 8 signatories, it’s like 80 per cent of the ethnic armed forces.
What motivates the non-signatories? Is it because the States bordering on China are rich on resources and they have more to gain economically from the current status quo?
The groups down south also have resources, but they border with Thailand. The Thai are neutral and very supportive. That decomplicates the political decisions along the Thai border. It’s a different story in the States that border with China. Political Chinese influence is not that significant, but vested personal business interests on both sides of the border are. That is the non political part of the factors affecting decision making.
Psychological factors play a role as well. At the very leadership level of for example the KNPP or the NMSP the leaders are old, their worldviews are very limited, and it’s a struggle to get them to come forward and sign. Psychologically they’re not secure. So we have to give them time. Or the changing political situation could influence the dynamic. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
Let’s start with the nationwide ceasefire, that has been signed two months ago. Some say 8 signatories out of 16 participating ethnic armed organizations in the peace talks is not a resounding success.
Well, eight groups doesn’t mean it’s half. We silenced the guns in two thirds of the conflict areas. By strength of forces of the 8 signatories, it’s like 80 per cent of the ethnic armed forces.
What motivates the non-signatories? Is it because the States bordering on China are rich on resources and they have more to gain economically from the current status quo?
The groups down south also have resources, but they border with Thailand. The Thai are neutral and very supportive. That decomplicates the political decisions along the Thai border. It’s a different story in the States that border with China. Political Chinese influence is not that significant, but vested personal business interests on both sides of the border are. That is the non political part of the factors affecting decision making.
Psychological factors play a role as well. At the very leadership level of for example the KNPP or the NMSP the leaders are old, their worldviews are very limited, and it’s a struggle to get them to come forward and sign. Psychologically they’re not secure. So we have to give them time. Or the changing political situation could influence the dynamic. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
French NGO worker arrested in Bangladesh while working with Rohingya
A French national working with an Islamic NGO has been arrested in Bangladesh, reportedly accused of "suspicious activities" that could mean up to 10 years in jail. He was working with the Rohingya minority, Muslims who have fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar.
Puemo Tchantchuing, who prefers to be known as Moussa Ibn Yacoub since his conversion to Islam, was arrested on Tuesday 22 December and has been detained since then.
As well as being accused of "suspicious activities", punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment, he may be charged with using a false identity, because the name he uses is not the one on his passport and identity card, according to lawyer Samim Bolaky.
He was working for the French-based NGO Baraka City, which says he was stopped at a checkpoint while going to schools and orphanages in the south of the country where the Rohingya camps are situated.
"He is being kept in catastrophic conditions in cells that contain more than 40 prisoners," Bolaky said. (Courtesy of english.rfi.fr)
Puemo Tchantchuing, who prefers to be known as Moussa Ibn Yacoub since his conversion to Islam, was arrested on Tuesday 22 December and has been detained since then.
As well as being accused of "suspicious activities", punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment, he may be charged with using a false identity, because the name he uses is not the one on his passport and identity card, according to lawyer Samim Bolaky.
He was working for the French-based NGO Baraka City, which says he was stopped at a checkpoint while going to schools and orphanages in the south of the country where the Rohingya camps are situated.
"He is being kept in catastrophic conditions in cells that contain more than 40 prisoners," Bolaky said. (Courtesy of english.rfi.fr)
Death sentence for Myanmar men will not affect Thai-Myanmar ties: ambassador
Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo were sentenced to death for the rape and murder of 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge from Norfolk, and the murder of 24-year-old David Miller from Jersey.
They attended the opening of the trial in July when they said they ‘simply want to see justice done fairly and openly‘. The two migrants denied the accusations. The police said Witheridge had been raped, and that DNA evidence from semen retrieved from her body was at the heart of the prosecution’s case. “We believe the correct verdict has been reached”.
Burmese migrants Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo, also known as Win Zaw Htun, initially confessed to the killings but later retracted their statements – claiming they had been tortured by police.
Results from the investigation would appear to show that semen of both men was found inside the British Witheridge, the court said in its ruling the evidence from the crime scene and the witnesses “confirmed without any doubt” what Htun and Lin had done. (Courtesy of tvnewsroom.org)
They attended the opening of the trial in July when they said they ‘simply want to see justice done fairly and openly‘. The two migrants denied the accusations. The police said Witheridge had been raped, and that DNA evidence from semen retrieved from her body was at the heart of the prosecution’s case. “We believe the correct verdict has been reached”.
Burmese migrants Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo, also known as Win Zaw Htun, initially confessed to the killings but later retracted their statements – claiming they had been tortured by police.
Results from the investigation would appear to show that semen of both men was found inside the British Witheridge, the court said in its ruling the evidence from the crime scene and the witnesses “confirmed without any doubt” what Htun and Lin had done. (Courtesy of tvnewsroom.org)
South Korea Welcomes First 22 Refugees From Myanmar For The Country’s Three-Year Pilot Resettlement Programme Led By UNHCR
A group of 22 refugees from Myanmar arrived at the Incheon International Airport on Wednesday for the kick-off of South Korea's three-year pilot resettlement programme led by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
43-year-old Ku Htoo, along with his family, landed in the country after decades of living in a refugee camp, as reported by Korea Joongang Daily Thursday.
"I feel alive. I deeply thank Korea for inviting us, and for embracing us," Ku Htoo said.
He added, "It was too dangerous to live in Myanmar. There was too much war. I had no other choice but to leave and reach the refugee camp. Life at the camp was difficult. I couldn't freely leave the grounds."
Ku Htoo and the rest of the refugees will be under the care of Korea Immigration Service within six to 12 months. The first batch of refugees will be given job training and will take up Korean-language courses.
"I haven't put much thought into my future yet. I'm first planning to fit in here, and then I'll gradually ponder how I'll make a living," Ku Htoo said.
Through the initiative of UNHCR, South Korea becomes the 29th country in the world and second in Asia to allow refugees for resettlement through the Refugee Act. (Courtesy of en.koreaportal.com)
43-year-old Ku Htoo, along with his family, landed in the country after decades of living in a refugee camp, as reported by Korea Joongang Daily Thursday.
"I feel alive. I deeply thank Korea for inviting us, and for embracing us," Ku Htoo said.
He added, "It was too dangerous to live in Myanmar. There was too much war. I had no other choice but to leave and reach the refugee camp. Life at the camp was difficult. I couldn't freely leave the grounds."
Ku Htoo and the rest of the refugees will be under the care of Korea Immigration Service within six to 12 months. The first batch of refugees will be given job training and will take up Korean-language courses.
"I haven't put much thought into my future yet. I'm first planning to fit in here, and then I'll gradually ponder how I'll make a living," Ku Htoo said.
Through the initiative of UNHCR, South Korea becomes the 29th country in the world and second in Asia to allow refugees for resettlement through the Refugee Act. (Courtesy of en.koreaportal.com)
Myanmar jails activist for satirizing military on social media
Yangon - A court in Myanmar has sentenced an opposition activist to six months in jail for posting a satire of the powerful military on Facebook, the defendant's lawyer said Monday.
The court in Maubin township of the Ayeyawdayy delta region, imprisoned Chaw Sandi Tun, 25, who was arrested and charged in October under the Telecommunications Law.
She is a member of opposition National League for Democracy (NLD),which won recent elections but which has not yet taken power. The defendant was accused of posting a picture of two senior military officers and NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi, comparing the new mint-green uniforms with her traditional sarong wrap of the same colour, defence lawyer Robert San Aung told dpa.The caption read: "If you love Mother Suu so much, why don’t you wrap her sarong around your head?"
The court decided was insulting to the military and army chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. In Myanmar’s conservative society, the idea of a man wearing women’s clothing on his head or upper parts of the body is deemed by some people to be offensive."Although we complained the photo was not posted by the accused, the court made the decision based on the evidence provided by the police and telecommunication ministry," the lawyer said. (Courtesy of The Nation)
The court in Maubin township of the Ayeyawdayy delta region, imprisoned Chaw Sandi Tun, 25, who was arrested and charged in October under the Telecommunications Law.
She is a member of opposition National League for Democracy (NLD),which won recent elections but which has not yet taken power. The defendant was accused of posting a picture of two senior military officers and NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi, comparing the new mint-green uniforms with her traditional sarong wrap of the same colour, defence lawyer Robert San Aung told dpa.The caption read: "If you love Mother Suu so much, why don’t you wrap her sarong around your head?"
The court decided was insulting to the military and army chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. In Myanmar’s conservative society, the idea of a man wearing women’s clothing on his head or upper parts of the body is deemed by some people to be offensive."Although we complained the photo was not posted by the accused, the court made the decision based on the evidence provided by the police and telecommunication ministry," the lawyer said. (Courtesy of The Nation)
Myanmar army chief asks Thailand for death sentence review
YANGON - Myanmar's army chief has called on Thailand to review the sentencing of two countrymen to death for murdering a pair of British backpackers after a controversial trial that sparked protests.
General Min Aung Hlaing, head of the country’s influential military, has asked Thailand for a "review of the evidence" against the two men, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported on Sunday.
Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun were found guilty on Thursday of killing David Miller, 24, and the rape and murder of Hannah Witheridge, 23, whose battered bodies were found on a beach in the southern Thai diving resort of Koh Tao in September last year.
The grim killings have sullied Thailand’s reputation as a tourist haven and raised questions over its justice system after the defence accused the police of bungling their investigation and using the men as scapegoats -- a charge authorities deny.
The verdicts have sparked anger in Myanmar with daily protests held outside the Thai embassy in Yangon and at border crossings with the country’s eastern neighbour.
The Global New Light of Myanmar said General Hlaing expressed his concerns about the verdict in a New Year message to senior Thai junta leaders, including Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan. (Courtesy of The Nation)
General Min Aung Hlaing, head of the country’s influential military, has asked Thailand for a "review of the evidence" against the two men, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported on Sunday.
Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun were found guilty on Thursday of killing David Miller, 24, and the rape and murder of Hannah Witheridge, 23, whose battered bodies were found on a beach in the southern Thai diving resort of Koh Tao in September last year.
The grim killings have sullied Thailand’s reputation as a tourist haven and raised questions over its justice system after the defence accused the police of bungling their investigation and using the men as scapegoats -- a charge authorities deny.
The verdicts have sparked anger in Myanmar with daily protests held outside the Thai embassy in Yangon and at border crossings with the country’s eastern neighbour.
The Global New Light of Myanmar said General Hlaing expressed his concerns about the verdict in a New Year message to senior Thai junta leaders, including Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan. (Courtesy of The Nation)
Three missing in Myanmar jade mine landslide: officials
Rescuers in northern Myanmar on Sunday said they were confident only a handful of people are missing in a jade mine landslide, refuting local reports that as many as 50 might have been buried.
A wall of rocks, mud and debris careered down a hillside on Friday afternoon in Hpakant, Kachin State, the war-torn area that is the epicentre of Myanmar's secretive billion dollar jade industry.
More than 100 people were killed in the same area in a landslide last month and locals feared dozens of workers might be buried in the latest accident.
But officials involved in the rescue said they had only been notified of a handful of missing people and have yet to recover any bodies.
"Three men have been reported to us as missing," a duty police officer in Hpakant told AFP, asking not to be named.
"We are not sure whether they were buried in the dump because we haven't found any dead bodies yet."
The state run Global New Light of Myanmar Sunday reported the same figures.
"Relatives of the three people informed us that three people have not yet returned home since the accident happened," the paper quoted Tin Swe Myint, head of the Hpakant Township Administration Office, as saying.
He added that the landslide took place after most workers had finished work and unlike last month's tragedy had not engulfed a row of shanty houses. (Courtesy of Thanh Nien News Daily)
A wall of rocks, mud and debris careered down a hillside on Friday afternoon in Hpakant, Kachin State, the war-torn area that is the epicentre of Myanmar's secretive billion dollar jade industry.
More than 100 people were killed in the same area in a landslide last month and locals feared dozens of workers might be buried in the latest accident.
But officials involved in the rescue said they had only been notified of a handful of missing people and have yet to recover any bodies.
"Three men have been reported to us as missing," a duty police officer in Hpakant told AFP, asking not to be named.
"We are not sure whether they were buried in the dump because we haven't found any dead bodies yet."
The state run Global New Light of Myanmar Sunday reported the same figures.
"Relatives of the three people informed us that three people have not yet returned home since the accident happened," the paper quoted Tin Swe Myint, head of the Hpakant Township Administration Office, as saying.
He added that the landslide took place after most workers had finished work and unlike last month's tragedy had not engulfed a row of shanty houses. (Courtesy of Thanh Nien News Daily)
December 27, 2015
Persecuted Myanmarese in Assam to seek refugee status
GUWAHATI, Dec 26 - As many as 28 persecuted Myanmarese nationals (Rohingya Muslims), who are presently in Assam, including those languishing in detention camps, have decided to formally seek asylum in India through the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
These persecuted Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar, who were apprehended in the State in the last few years for illegally entering the country following persecution, include women and children, official sources confirmed.
The UNHCR is now working on the legal nitty-gritty so that the ‘victims’ are interviewed and granted refugee status.
Sources at Dispur informed this newspaper that the UNHCR has already engaged its legal partner, Human Rights Law Network (HRLN), to study the merits of the case and act accordingly.
As per the information gathered by the HRLN, they have come across 28 such nationals from Myanmar, including 22 of those languishing in detention camps in Golapara, Kokrajhar, Jorhat, Silchar, Dibrugarh and Tezpur.
“The other six are at different stages of legal process,” sources divulged. (Courtesy of The Assam Tribune Online)
These persecuted Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar, who were apprehended in the State in the last few years for illegally entering the country following persecution, include women and children, official sources confirmed.
The UNHCR is now working on the legal nitty-gritty so that the ‘victims’ are interviewed and granted refugee status.
Sources at Dispur informed this newspaper that the UNHCR has already engaged its legal partner, Human Rights Law Network (HRLN), to study the merits of the case and act accordingly.
As per the information gathered by the HRLN, they have come across 28 such nationals from Myanmar, including 22 of those languishing in detention camps in Golapara, Kokrajhar, Jorhat, Silchar, Dibrugarh and Tezpur.
“The other six are at different stages of legal process,” sources divulged. (Courtesy of The Assam Tribune Online)
December 26, 2015
Born in Malaysia, yet Rohingya have no right to schooling, work
At a time when Malaysia is giving special treatment to Syrian refugees, a Rohingya family tell of how they have been here for three generations yet are still denied the right to earn a living.
All six of Banu Hassan’s children were born in Malaysia and the 60-year-old has four grandchildren. But none has permanent residency, much less citizenship.
All they want is the right to finish schooling, to earn a living, freedom from harassment and a chance to contribute to the Malaysian economy.
“If the Malaysian government does not give us citizenship, at least give us the opportunity to go to school like other children,” pleaded 17-year-old Zahida Ismail, one of Banu’s granddaughters.
“When we do not have (education) certificates, we cannot work safely. When we work, our employers take advantage of us and they do not even pay us our wages,” told The Malaysian Insider recently. (Courtesy of The Malaysian Insider)
All six of Banu Hassan’s children were born in Malaysia and the 60-year-old has four grandchildren. But none has permanent residency, much less citizenship.
All they want is the right to finish schooling, to earn a living, freedom from harassment and a chance to contribute to the Malaysian economy.
“If the Malaysian government does not give us citizenship, at least give us the opportunity to go to school like other children,” pleaded 17-year-old Zahida Ismail, one of Banu’s granddaughters.
“When we do not have (education) certificates, we cannot work safely. When we work, our employers take advantage of us and they do not even pay us our wages,” told The Malaysian Insider recently. (Courtesy of The Malaysian Insider)
Bangladeshi testifies in human trafficking in Thailand
Bangkok-based daily The Nation on Friday reported a 23-year-old Bangladeshi fisherman testified his complicity in a human-trafficking case involving Rohingya and other migrants when he was brought before Bangkok’s Ratchadaphisek criminal court in Thailand on Thursday.
The hearing was held with defendants, witnesses, public prosecutors and defence lawyers present.
Ninety suspects were brought from detention facilities to attend the session.
The court had set the advance hearing on the public prosecutor's side in eight sessions, which would be held from 24 to 25 December, 7 to 8 January, and 12 to 15 January.
The advance hearing session was part of the case against 90 suspects, including Banjong Pongpol, the former mayor of Songkhla's Muang Padang Besar, former Satun provincial administrative organisation president Pajjuban "Ko Tong" Angchotephan, and former army special adviser Manas Khongpaen. (Courtesy of en.prothom-alo.com)
The hearing was held with defendants, witnesses, public prosecutors and defence lawyers present.
Ninety suspects were brought from detention facilities to attend the session.
The court had set the advance hearing on the public prosecutor's side in eight sessions, which would be held from 24 to 25 December, 7 to 8 January, and 12 to 15 January.
The advance hearing session was part of the case against 90 suspects, including Banjong Pongpol, the former mayor of Songkhla's Muang Padang Besar, former Satun provincial administrative organisation president Pajjuban "Ko Tong" Angchotephan, and former army special adviser Manas Khongpaen. (Courtesy of en.prothom-alo.com)
Migrant crises: Perilous quest for safety
This year has seen two migrant crises unfolding - one in South-east Asia, involving tens of thousands of mainly Rohingya Muslims fleeing Myanmar's Rakhine state, and the other in Europe, which saw a record flow of nearly one million people, many of them from conflict-torn Syria. The Straits Times' Foreign Desk traces the treacherous journeys of two refugee families.
Close brush with death in Syrian's flight to Germany
FRANKFURT - Mr Fadi Haddad crawled under barbed wire in Syria's north-western village of Kessab and crossed a forest to reach Turkey, the start of a journey to the edge of despair in the hands of unscrupulous migrant smugglers.
Twice, he had a brush with death - once on a sinking boat and another time when a screwdriver-wielding refugee charged at him in a German transit camp.
"Even now, I think my life is in danger," says Mr Haddad, 39, from his flat, his mournful eyes staring from a gaunt, thinly bearded face as he reflects on his seven attempts by sea, land and air to reach Germany.
Germany expects one million refugees this year, putting pressure on Chancellor Angela Merkel to cut the numbers, partly by working with Turkey to improve the lives of some 2.2 million Syrian refugees there, and plug the migrant path to Europe. For Mr Haddad, crossing into Turkey in October 2012 was the easiest part of his journey. (Courtesy of AsiaOne World News)
Close brush with death in Syrian's flight to Germany
FRANKFURT - Mr Fadi Haddad crawled under barbed wire in Syria's north-western village of Kessab and crossed a forest to reach Turkey, the start of a journey to the edge of despair in the hands of unscrupulous migrant smugglers.
Twice, he had a brush with death - once on a sinking boat and another time when a screwdriver-wielding refugee charged at him in a German transit camp.
"Even now, I think my life is in danger," says Mr Haddad, 39, from his flat, his mournful eyes staring from a gaunt, thinly bearded face as he reflects on his seven attempts by sea, land and air to reach Germany.
Germany expects one million refugees this year, putting pressure on Chancellor Angela Merkel to cut the numbers, partly by working with Turkey to improve the lives of some 2.2 million Syrian refugees there, and plug the migrant path to Europe. For Mr Haddad, crossing into Turkey in October 2012 was the easiest part of his journey. (Courtesy of AsiaOne World News)
No police investigating trafficking of Rohingya threat
BANGKOK:– A police investigation has found no evidence of intimidation against investigators working on the probe into the trafficking of Rohingya boat people.
The probe results counter Pol Maj-General Paween Pongsirin’s claim that he received death threats and had to seek asylum in Australia for that reason.
Paween, a former deputy chief of Provincial Police Region 8, recently gave up his job after being posted to the far South – a location that he said left him at risk of being killed by influential people, including state officials in the area, linked to trafficking networks.
Deputy National Police chief Pol General Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said the investigation was launched in response to Paween’s complaint. He said had not been able to contact Paween either by phone or the LINE app yet. (Courtesy of news.thaivisa.com)
The probe results counter Pol Maj-General Paween Pongsirin’s claim that he received death threats and had to seek asylum in Australia for that reason.
Paween, a former deputy chief of Provincial Police Region 8, recently gave up his job after being posted to the far South – a location that he said left him at risk of being killed by influential people, including state officials in the area, linked to trafficking networks.
Deputy National Police chief Pol General Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said the investigation was launched in response to Paween’s complaint. He said had not been able to contact Paween either by phone or the LINE app yet. (Courtesy of news.thaivisa.com)
December 25, 2015
New Chief Ministers Will Be NLD Candidates, Party Official Says
RANGOON — A senior member of the National League for Democracy (NLD) said on Thursday the party planned to appoint NLD lawmakers to chief minister posts across Burma’s regional parliaments, dashing the hopes of at least one major ethnic political party that had publically coveted such a position.
Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Thursday, NLD central committee member Nan Khin Htwe Myint said chief ministers of Burma’s state parliaments would be ethnic NLD candidates, as selected by the country’s new president according to the 2008 Constitution.
The Arakan National Party (ANP), which won 23 of 47 Arakan State parliament seats in last month’s election and emerged as one of the country’s strongest ethnic political parties, had expressed hope the new state chief would be drawn from within its ranks.
Nan Khin Htwe Myint put paid to that prospect on Thursday.
“Maybe the ANP can obtain the regional parliament chairman post but the state chief minister will be from the NLD,” she said. “Even if we had only secured two or three [local Arakan State parliament] seats in the election, we could select an NLD ethnic candidate for the post.”
Aye Thar Aung, a spokesperson for the ANP, claimed lawmakers could object to the presidential appointee, but conceded the military-drafter charter put the matter in the hands of the president.
“We must amend the Constitution. If we don’t, this will happen again and again,” he said.
Aye Thar Aung said that an NLD candidate from Gwa Township, Nyi Pu, was being touted for the post. (Courtesy of Irrawaddy)
Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Thursday, NLD central committee member Nan Khin Htwe Myint said chief ministers of Burma’s state parliaments would be ethnic NLD candidates, as selected by the country’s new president according to the 2008 Constitution.
The Arakan National Party (ANP), which won 23 of 47 Arakan State parliament seats in last month’s election and emerged as one of the country’s strongest ethnic political parties, had expressed hope the new state chief would be drawn from within its ranks.
Nan Khin Htwe Myint put paid to that prospect on Thursday.
“Maybe the ANP can obtain the regional parliament chairman post but the state chief minister will be from the NLD,” she said. “Even if we had only secured two or three [local Arakan State parliament] seats in the election, we could select an NLD ethnic candidate for the post.”
Aye Thar Aung, a spokesperson for the ANP, claimed lawmakers could object to the presidential appointee, but conceded the military-drafter charter put the matter in the hands of the president.
“We must amend the Constitution. If we don’t, this will happen again and again,” he said.
Aye Thar Aung said that an NLD candidate from Gwa Township, Nyi Pu, was being touted for the post. (Courtesy of Irrawaddy)
Activists call for witness protection as major Thai human trafficking trial begins
BANGKOK, Dec 24 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Thai authorities must step up witness protection for a major human trafficking trial with the accused including an army general and one investigator fleeing the country fearing for his life, activists said on Thursday as the first witnesses gave evidence.
The case includes 88 defendants allegedly involved with lucrative smuggling gangs that were trafficking Rohingya Muslims fleeing persecution in Myanmar, holding them for ransom in jungle camps before granting onward passage to Malaysia.
The investigation and arrests followed the grisly discovery in May of 30 bodies in a mass grave near a human trafficking camp close to the Thailand-Malaysia border.
Of 500 witnesses scheduled to testify, only 12 are receiving protection, while two have gone into hiding because of threats and others may follow suit, said Fortify Rights, a non-governmental organisation advocacy group.
"Witnesses are key to ensuring justice is served in this case. Their security should be the utmost concern to the Thai authorities," Fortify Rights Executive Director Amy Smith said in a statement. (Courtesy of trust.org)
The case includes 88 defendants allegedly involved with lucrative smuggling gangs that were trafficking Rohingya Muslims fleeing persecution in Myanmar, holding them for ransom in jungle camps before granting onward passage to Malaysia.
The investigation and arrests followed the grisly discovery in May of 30 bodies in a mass grave near a human trafficking camp close to the Thailand-Malaysia border.
Of 500 witnesses scheduled to testify, only 12 are receiving protection, while two have gone into hiding because of threats and others may follow suit, said Fortify Rights, a non-governmental organisation advocacy group.
"Witnesses are key to ensuring justice is served in this case. Their security should be the utmost concern to the Thai authorities," Fortify Rights Executive Director Amy Smith said in a statement. (Courtesy of trust.org)
Change Brings Uncertainty for State Media
The most derided newspaper in Myanmar is trying to shed its reputation as an evil regime mouthpiece, so it has hired a group of foreigners.
For the last few months three new recruits – an American and two Australians – have been quietly helping the Global New Light of Myanmar with its mission to liberalise and appeal to readers amid new competition.
Oppressively dull pieces about the movements of government officials or the minutiae of onion farming in Pyawbwe are still a mainstay, but now there are also folksy, well-penned feature stories on subjects including a dilapidated Yangon bowling alley and an entrepreneur who makes lovely rattan furniture.
And there is a social page, featuring pictures from wild expat parties and glitzy corporate ceremonies, often accompanied by sarcastic captions that are a world away from the stiff propaganda of the old days.
“The paper is changed and its works are in full swing,” declares the publication’s website. The GNLM needs to be “more attractive and people-oriented,” it adds.
“There are still a lot of things to improve,” said Jessica Mudditt, an Australian consulting editor who joined the paper after working in Myanmar as a freelance reporter, “but the desire is there to make it a better newspaper and continue to improve it.”
Critics see the changes as superficial. “In reality, it’s still propaganda for the current government,” said Ko Han Thar, a co-founder of Kamaryut Media, a popular independent Myanmar-language news service. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
For the last few months three new recruits – an American and two Australians – have been quietly helping the Global New Light of Myanmar with its mission to liberalise and appeal to readers amid new competition.
Oppressively dull pieces about the movements of government officials or the minutiae of onion farming in Pyawbwe are still a mainstay, but now there are also folksy, well-penned feature stories on subjects including a dilapidated Yangon bowling alley and an entrepreneur who makes lovely rattan furniture.
And there is a social page, featuring pictures from wild expat parties and glitzy corporate ceremonies, often accompanied by sarcastic captions that are a world away from the stiff propaganda of the old days.
“The paper is changed and its works are in full swing,” declares the publication’s website. The GNLM needs to be “more attractive and people-oriented,” it adds.
“There are still a lot of things to improve,” said Jessica Mudditt, an Australian consulting editor who joined the paper after working in Myanmar as a freelance reporter, “but the desire is there to make it a better newspaper and continue to improve it.”
Critics see the changes as superficial. “In reality, it’s still propaganda for the current government,” said Ko Han Thar, a co-founder of Kamaryut Media, a popular independent Myanmar-language news service. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
Muse and the Chinese ‘Invasion’
“In my opinion Muse is the safest place in all of Myanmar to do business,” said Chinese businessman Zheng Mu Gang, 31. Mr Zheng owns four cellphone shops in Muse, a border town in northern Shan State on the main trade route with China.
“Muse is one of Myanmar’s main economic hot spots,” said Mr Zheng, who has been living in the bustling border trade town for four years. “If there was conflict here, the whole Myanmar economy would be ruined. That’s why I think Muse is the safest location in Myanmar and is part of the reason why I chose Muse to start my business.”
The Nikkei Asian Review has reported that Myanmar’s official trade through Muse reached US$3.8 billion in the 2013-2014 fiscal year, just over half the value of Myanmar’s total trade with China. Seven years ago, the combined value of imports and exports passing through Muse was less than US$1 billion.
Mr Zheng became aware of the market potential in Myanmar while he was running a wholesale cellphone business at Jiegao, the first big Chinese town across the border from Muse.
“The amount of cellphones my Myanmar customers were buying to sell when they returned to Myanmar started to grow tremendously,” he said.
But Mr Zheng also learned a lesson selling wholesale to Myanmar businesses.
“I would provide loans that they could repay after selling their product. But often I didn’t get my money back. So I thought: why not open my own shop in Myanmar?” (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
“Muse is one of Myanmar’s main economic hot spots,” said Mr Zheng, who has been living in the bustling border trade town for four years. “If there was conflict here, the whole Myanmar economy would be ruined. That’s why I think Muse is the safest location in Myanmar and is part of the reason why I chose Muse to start my business.”
The Nikkei Asian Review has reported that Myanmar’s official trade through Muse reached US$3.8 billion in the 2013-2014 fiscal year, just over half the value of Myanmar’s total trade with China. Seven years ago, the combined value of imports and exports passing through Muse was less than US$1 billion.
Mr Zheng became aware of the market potential in Myanmar while he was running a wholesale cellphone business at Jiegao, the first big Chinese town across the border from Muse.
“The amount of cellphones my Myanmar customers were buying to sell when they returned to Myanmar started to grow tremendously,” he said.
But Mr Zheng also learned a lesson selling wholesale to Myanmar businesses.
“I would provide loans that they could repay after selling their product. But often I didn’t get my money back. So I thought: why not open my own shop in Myanmar?” (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
Diverse Countries and The Identity Thing
When a country is at its core diverse, patriotism is the best means of holding the strings together to create a notion of ‘one people and one nation.’ The United States is a point in case. The USA is a country with a relatively short history and a shallow culture that is a mixture of diverse immigrant influences. As a result Americans frantically cherish their stars and stripes and feel it is their patriotic duty to foster American ideals in far flung countries, some of which might already have a deeper sense of national identity.
Myanmar is a country of great diversity as well. The country has always been a hodge podge of peoples and cultures. The area that is now called Myanmar was fiercely contested by kingdoms in what are now Thailand and China. Mon and Rakhine rulers wreaked havoc in Bamar dominated areas, during historic wars that are still remembered by school children and grand fathers alike.
The borderlands in Shan, Chin and Kachin - ‘frontier areas’, as the British colonialists called these separately administered areas - only really became part of mainland Myanmar after the country regained its independence in 1948.
Then again, it took until 1962 for the largely autonomous Shan saophas to be dethroned, when General Ne Win took over power under the guise that an ethnic conference on federalism might lead to the disintegration of the country. His subsequent agenda of Burmanisation only served to fuel the civil wars and pushed back peace for several decades. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
Myanmar is a country of great diversity as well. The country has always been a hodge podge of peoples and cultures. The area that is now called Myanmar was fiercely contested by kingdoms in what are now Thailand and China. Mon and Rakhine rulers wreaked havoc in Bamar dominated areas, during historic wars that are still remembered by school children and grand fathers alike.
The borderlands in Shan, Chin and Kachin - ‘frontier areas’, as the British colonialists called these separately administered areas - only really became part of mainland Myanmar after the country regained its independence in 1948.
Then again, it took until 1962 for the largely autonomous Shan saophas to be dethroned, when General Ne Win took over power under the guise that an ethnic conference on federalism might lead to the disintegration of the country. His subsequent agenda of Burmanisation only served to fuel the civil wars and pushed back peace for several decades. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
Election, peace negotiation dominate Myanmar's domestic affairs in 2015
YANGON, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's historical general election and peace negotiation process have significantly dominated the country' domestic affairs in the year of 2015.
Myanmar held a general election to elect parliamentary representatives of the next five-year term on Nov. 8.
The opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won the absolute majority of the parliamentary seats, which is strong enough for it to form a new government independently under the constitution and has right to nominate the president and two vice presidents.
Suu Kyi herself also won as a representative re-elected to the Lower House of the next parliament.
In the general election, the NLD won 880 parliamentary seats or 77.3 percent out of a total of 1,139 at three levels of parliament, shared by 254 or 79 percent are in the House of Representatives (Lower House), 135 or 80 percent in the House of Nationalities (Upper House) and 474 or 75.7 percent in the Region or State Parliament as well as 17 ethnic representatives to the Region or State Parliament. (Courtesy of news.xinhuanet.com)
Myanmar held a general election to elect parliamentary representatives of the next five-year term on Nov. 8.
The opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won the absolute majority of the parliamentary seats, which is strong enough for it to form a new government independently under the constitution and has right to nominate the president and two vice presidents.
Suu Kyi herself also won as a representative re-elected to the Lower House of the next parliament.
In the general election, the NLD won 880 parliamentary seats or 77.3 percent out of a total of 1,139 at three levels of parliament, shared by 254 or 79 percent are in the House of Representatives (Lower House), 135 or 80 percent in the House of Nationalities (Upper House) and 474 or 75.7 percent in the Region or State Parliament as well as 17 ethnic representatives to the Region or State Parliament. (Courtesy of news.xinhuanet.com)
Myanmar people protest against Koh Tao ruling at Thai embassy
Thursday's ruling caused outrage in Myanmar and dozens of police were deployed to guard the Thai embassy in Yangon amid calls on social media for a protest.
About 10 people stood outside the building holding placards demanding the release of the two convicts.
Myanmar Facebook user Myo Phont described the outcome as"entirely predictable".
"Poor boys - wrong time, wrong place ...the Burmese are thescapegoats as usual." (Courtesy of The Nation)
About 10 people stood outside the building holding placards demanding the release of the two convicts.
Myanmar Facebook user Myo Phont described the outcome as"entirely predictable".
"Poor boys - wrong time, wrong place ...the Burmese are thescapegoats as usual." (Courtesy of The Nation)
Myanmar penalizes over 20 overseas employment agencies
Myanmar has penalized more than 20 overseas employment agencies which place the country's migrant workers in positions abroad by violating labour rules, officials said on Thursday.
According to labour, employment and social security ministry, the penalization included revoking the licenses of eight overseas agencies, suspending six agencies on suspicion of marketing fraud smart cards and visas, and suspending another eight for violating the rules of their employment contracts, Xinhua news agency reported. (Courtesy of Business Standard News)
According to labour, employment and social security ministry, the penalization included revoking the licenses of eight overseas agencies, suspending six agencies on suspicion of marketing fraud smart cards and visas, and suspending another eight for violating the rules of their employment contracts, Xinhua news agency reported. (Courtesy of Business Standard News)
Could climate change deal undermine Myanmar’s gas wealth?
Developing countries such as Myanmar will face increasing difficulty expanding their electricity supply using conventional fossil fuels oil, gas and coal, it emerged last week during the global climate change conference in France.
An agreement on curbing global warming could undermine the potential national wealth from hoped for natural gas beneath Myanmar’s territorial waters of the Bay of Bengal, where 20 blocks have been leased to international oil companies for exploration.
If the UN-led conference agrees on tough measures to hold global warming below a 2C increase the commercial viability of hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of planned investments in fossil fuels in Asia would be undermined, some experts asserted.
It would also undermine bank and institutional investor support for coal-fuelled power plants – the favoured quick fix being sought by countries from the Philippines to India to overcome acute electricity shortages, a special report in the Asia Power Monitor said.
A study by the London-based Carbon Tracker Initiative (CTI) warned that more than US$300 billion worth of fossil fuel investments in Asia is at risk of being wasted if the UN conference agrees on global CO2 limits.
The independent research think tank suggests that plans by numerous companies and countries for oil, gas and coal developments would be rendered obsolete. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
An agreement on curbing global warming could undermine the potential national wealth from hoped for natural gas beneath Myanmar’s territorial waters of the Bay of Bengal, where 20 blocks have been leased to international oil companies for exploration.
If the UN-led conference agrees on tough measures to hold global warming below a 2C increase the commercial viability of hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of planned investments in fossil fuels in Asia would be undermined, some experts asserted.
It would also undermine bank and institutional investor support for coal-fuelled power plants – the favoured quick fix being sought by countries from the Philippines to India to overcome acute electricity shortages, a special report in the Asia Power Monitor said.
A study by the London-based Carbon Tracker Initiative (CTI) warned that more than US$300 billion worth of fossil fuel investments in Asia is at risk of being wasted if the UN conference agrees on global CO2 limits.
The independent research think tank suggests that plans by numerous companies and countries for oil, gas and coal developments would be rendered obsolete. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
Myanmar Migrants Found Guilty of Killing British Backpackers
A Thai court on Thursday sentenced two Myanmar migrants to death for the murder of two British backpackers on a resort island last year, in a case that raised questions about police competence and the judicial system in Thailand.
Human Rights Watch called the verdict "profoundly disturbing," citing the defendants' accusations of police torture that were never investigated and questionable DNA evidence linking them to the crime. But the family of one of the victims said they believed justice had been done.
Win Zaw Htun and Zaw Lin, both 22, have denied killing David Miller, 24, and raping and then murdering Hannah Witheridge, 23. Their defense attorney said they planned to appeal.
Miller's and Witheridge's battered bodies were found Sept. 15, 2014, on the rocky shores of Koh Tao, an island in the Gulf of Thailand known for its white sand beaches and scuba diving. Autopsies showed that the two, who met on the island while staying at the same hotel, suffered severe head wounds and that Witheridge had been raped.
In its ruling, the court on nearby Samui island said prosecutors had presented evidence from the crime scene and provided witness testimony that proved "without any doubt to the court" that the two men had killed Miller and raped Witheridge before murdering her "to cover up their wrongdoings." DNA evidence showed that the semen of both men was found inside Witheridge, the court said. (Courtesy of ABC News)
Human Rights Watch called the verdict "profoundly disturbing," citing the defendants' accusations of police torture that were never investigated and questionable DNA evidence linking them to the crime. But the family of one of the victims said they believed justice had been done.
Win Zaw Htun and Zaw Lin, both 22, have denied killing David Miller, 24, and raping and then murdering Hannah Witheridge, 23. Their defense attorney said they planned to appeal.
Miller's and Witheridge's battered bodies were found Sept. 15, 2014, on the rocky shores of Koh Tao, an island in the Gulf of Thailand known for its white sand beaches and scuba diving. Autopsies showed that the two, who met on the island while staying at the same hotel, suffered severe head wounds and that Witheridge had been raped.
In its ruling, the court on nearby Samui island said prosecutors had presented evidence from the crime scene and provided witness testimony that proved "without any doubt to the court" that the two men had killed Miller and raped Witheridge before murdering her "to cover up their wrongdoings." DNA evidence showed that the semen of both men was found inside Witheridge, the court said. (Courtesy of ABC News)
December 24, 2015
Accidental Fire Destroy Seven Rohingya Houses in Maungdaw
Maungdaw, Arakan State (Rohingya Vision) – At least seven Rohingya houses were destroyed by an accidental fire at ‘Aung Sit Pyin’ village in northern Maungdaw yesterday evening.
The fire is said to have broken out from the kitchen around 5:30PM yesterday (on December 23) and gone out of control afterwards. The began from the house of a man named U Dudu Meah at ‘Dom Paik’ hamlet of ‘Aung Sit Pyin’ village tract to the north of ‘Kyeing Chaung (Boli Bazaar)’ village. (Courtesy of Rohingya Vision TV)
The fire is said to have broken out from the kitchen around 5:30PM yesterday (on December 23) and gone out of control afterwards. The began from the house of a man named U Dudu Meah at ‘Dom Paik’ hamlet of ‘Aung Sit Pyin’ village tract to the north of ‘Kyeing Chaung (Boli Bazaar)’ village. (Courtesy of Rohingya Vision TV)
The Rohingyas’ Plight
Rudyard Kipling remarked in From Sea to Sea and Other Sketches, “This is Burma and it will be quite unlike any other land you will know about.” The country indeed has a unique history that has shaped its British colonial and current military-dominated governments. Political posturing has created strong ethnic paranoia among the Burmese establishment that has recently culminated in the brutal repression of Muslims and women.
Rohingya History
Rakhine’s inhabitants have been traced back to the 9th century AD. It became increasingly Islamic starting in the 1400s, but was nonetheless very tolerant towards Hindus & Buddhists. Rakhine straddles the Bay of Bengal on its western border, so many Arabs, Afghans and other Muslims would migrate to Rakhine over the centuries as sailors, mercenaries or merchants, but most Muslims were native converts or converts from Bengal with whom they shared a porous border. Currently, Muslims comprise 29% of Rakhine State. However, they comprise as much as 95% in Taung Pyo Tat Wal District, or 92% in Maung Daw, the third most populous of Rakhine’s districts. It’s important to understand the history of Rohingya citizenship in what is now Burma to grasp the government’s current stance on the Muslim population in Rakhine. (Courtesy of internationalpolicydigest.org)
Rohingya History
Rakhine’s inhabitants have been traced back to the 9th century AD. It became increasingly Islamic starting in the 1400s, but was nonetheless very tolerant towards Hindus & Buddhists. Rakhine straddles the Bay of Bengal on its western border, so many Arabs, Afghans and other Muslims would migrate to Rakhine over the centuries as sailors, mercenaries or merchants, but most Muslims were native converts or converts from Bengal with whom they shared a porous border. Currently, Muslims comprise 29% of Rakhine State. However, they comprise as much as 95% in Taung Pyo Tat Wal District, or 92% in Maung Daw, the third most populous of Rakhine’s districts. It’s important to understand the history of Rohingya citizenship in what is now Burma to grasp the government’s current stance on the Muslim population in Rakhine. (Courtesy of internationalpolicydigest.org)
Human traffickers face legal action at Sittwe
Maungdaw—A total of 30 human traffickers, including a Thai citizen, have been charged by the Sittwe District court for smuggling more than 200 Bengalis by ship in Rakhine State.
The trial began in August, said the plaintiff, who is a police officer.
On May 21, a total of 208 Bengalis were rescued by the Myanmar Navy in its sea territory near Maungdaw, and police charged two owners and 20 sailors of two schooners under sections 367, 371, 114 of the Criminal Act on June 22 at the Manugdaw Township court. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
The trial began in August, said the plaintiff, who is a police officer.
On May 21, a total of 208 Bengalis were rescued by the Myanmar Navy in its sea territory near Maungdaw, and police charged two owners and 20 sailors of two schooners under sections 367, 371, 114 of the Criminal Act on June 22 at the Manugdaw Township court. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
Thai court hands Myanmar men death penalty for British tourist murders
Koh Samui (Thailand) (AFP)
Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun were found guilty of killing David Miller, 24, and the rape and murder of Hannah Witheridge, 23, whose battered bodies were found on a beach on the southern diving resort of Koh Tao in September last year.
“Both defendants are guilty of murder for which the penalty is the death sentence,” an unnamed judge told the court on neighbouring Koh Samui.
The pair were also found guilty of raping Witheridge and conspiracy to hide the crime in a ruling that was welcomed by Miller’s family who travelled to Thailand for the verdict.
The ruling was guided by “eyewitnesses and DNA evidence from both suspects,” the judge explained, citing forensic traces from the accused found on Witheridge’s body.
The migrant workers, who were shackled in court, were grim-faced as the verdict was delivered, while the mother of one of them wailed from the gallery.
Both men denied killing the British pair.
They were arrested on October 2 after a high-profile police probe which saw authorities come under intense pressure to solve a case that shocked the Thai public.
Throughout the trial prosecutors said their evidence against the men was rock solid. (Courtesy of The Citizen)
Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun were found guilty of killing David Miller, 24, and the rape and murder of Hannah Witheridge, 23, whose battered bodies were found on a beach on the southern diving resort of Koh Tao in September last year.
“Both defendants are guilty of murder for which the penalty is the death sentence,” an unnamed judge told the court on neighbouring Koh Samui.
The pair were also found guilty of raping Witheridge and conspiracy to hide the crime in a ruling that was welcomed by Miller’s family who travelled to Thailand for the verdict.
The ruling was guided by “eyewitnesses and DNA evidence from both suspects,” the judge explained, citing forensic traces from the accused found on Witheridge’s body.
The migrant workers, who were shackled in court, were grim-faced as the verdict was delivered, while the mother of one of them wailed from the gallery.
Both men denied killing the British pair.
They were arrested on October 2 after a high-profile police probe which saw authorities come under intense pressure to solve a case that shocked the Thai public.
Throughout the trial prosecutors said their evidence against the men was rock solid. (Courtesy of The Citizen)
Burma and Myanmar: From Junta Repression to Luxury Tourism
It's happy hour in the bar of The Strand hotel in Yangon.
A smartly dressed barman mixes a Strand Sour as fans slowly revolve below the high ceiling. Musicians play. Tourists at tables beside the teak-lined walls check guidebooks and discuss where to go for dinner.
How about Le Planteur, an elegant villa on the shore of Inya Lake? It serves fine French food, and offers an $87 tasting menu featuring dishes such as lobster salad, prime veal fillet in pistachio crust, and Grand Marnier souffle with orange sauce. Or maybe the hotel's Strand Grill, with its vaulted ceiling and marble-inlaid floor, where lobster thermidor costs $44?
This is modern Myanmar. It's no longer the British colony where my father was born in 1904, nor the 33-year-old independent state (then called Burma) I first visited in 1981, then returned to in 1992. That was a scary place, brutally governed.
In 1992 the country was ruled by the State Law and Order Restoration Council, the fearsome junta that held onto power even after Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won a general election in 1990. (Courtesy of Bloomberg Business)
A smartly dressed barman mixes a Strand Sour as fans slowly revolve below the high ceiling. Musicians play. Tourists at tables beside the teak-lined walls check guidebooks and discuss where to go for dinner.
How about Le Planteur, an elegant villa on the shore of Inya Lake? It serves fine French food, and offers an $87 tasting menu featuring dishes such as lobster salad, prime veal fillet in pistachio crust, and Grand Marnier souffle with orange sauce. Or maybe the hotel's Strand Grill, with its vaulted ceiling and marble-inlaid floor, where lobster thermidor costs $44?
This is modern Myanmar. It's no longer the British colony where my father was born in 1904, nor the 33-year-old independent state (then called Burma) I first visited in 1981, then returned to in 1992. That was a scary place, brutally governed.
In 1992 the country was ruled by the State Law and Order Restoration Council, the fearsome junta that held onto power even after Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won a general election in 1990. (Courtesy of Bloomberg Business)
Notable & Quotable: Charles Maung Bo
We congratulate the NLD [opposition party] who won the election. At the same time we also wish and pray that you may build the nation in spite of enormous challenges that lie in wait. The people of Myanmar have invested their hopes and future in your fragile hands, knowing that power of empty hands has ‘sent away the mighty and raised the lowly’. You have shown your sagacity by proposing a government of national reconciliation. Church joins in your Good will and efforts to bring peace with justice. . . .
The world stands in awe at the graceful way the president and the USDP [ruling party] accepted the verdict and welcomed the victors. For the last five years you have done a lot for this country ensuring that the incremental democracy brings greater inclusiveness. Your good will at peaceful transfer of power is a great example to the world where enormous blood shed is the norm in transfer of power. History will gratefully remember you for your generosity and statesmanship. (Courtesy of WSJ)
The world stands in awe at the graceful way the president and the USDP [ruling party] accepted the verdict and welcomed the victors. For the last five years you have done a lot for this country ensuring that the incremental democracy brings greater inclusiveness. Your good will at peaceful transfer of power is a great example to the world where enormous blood shed is the norm in transfer of power. History will gratefully remember you for your generosity and statesmanship. (Courtesy of WSJ)
Suu Kyi hold talks with top officials from MPC
Aung San Suu Kyi, chairperson of the National League for Democracy, held a discussion with the Myanmar Peace Center delegation led by Union Minister at the President’s Office Aung Min, over the current peace processes and political dialogues, in Nay Pyi Taw on December 23.
The NLD delegation includes CEC members Win Htein and Dr Zaw Myint Maung, the Central Committee members Naing Ngan Lin and Phyo Zeyar Thaw and in-charge of the NLD chairperson office Dr. Tin Mar Aung. Union minister Aung Min was accompanied by Tin Maung Than, Hla Maung Shwe, Dr Min Zaw Oo, Dr Kyaw Yin Hlaing and Aung Naing Oo.
Hla Maung Shwe, senior advisor to the MPC said: “It was attended by the MPC’s six-member delegation led by Union Minister Aung Min and the five-member NLD team led by Aung San Suu Kyi. The meeting focuses on the ongoing peace process and political dialogues. Both sides discussed the MPC’s works. Today’s meeting lasted about one hour. There may be talks in the future if necessary. The crucial point is that holding a discussion on the current works is good.”
According to the NLD’s release, both sides exchanged the views on the current peace process, holding of the Union Peace Conference and coordination on holding preliminary political dialogues.
Win Htein said: “At today’s call, the MPC submitted the topics which will be discussed at the conference scheduled for 12, 13 and 14 January to Aung San Suu Kyi. A preliminary meeting will be held on 5, 6 and 7 January for the conference. At the preliminary meeting, we will coordinate the agenda for the conference. The main point is Minister Aung Min and officials from the MPC will submit the MPC’s works. And it will be approved. Aung San Suu Kyi will continue working on the peace-making processes.
In doing so, there are two points. The first one is to recognize the MPC’s efforts and congratulate the MPC on the signing of Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) despite it not being ideal. The NCA would bring good results when it is implemented under the leadership of Aung San Suu Kyi. The above-mentioned matters are discussed. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
The NLD delegation includes CEC members Win Htein and Dr Zaw Myint Maung, the Central Committee members Naing Ngan Lin and Phyo Zeyar Thaw and in-charge of the NLD chairperson office Dr. Tin Mar Aung. Union minister Aung Min was accompanied by Tin Maung Than, Hla Maung Shwe, Dr Min Zaw Oo, Dr Kyaw Yin Hlaing and Aung Naing Oo.
Hla Maung Shwe, senior advisor to the MPC said: “It was attended by the MPC’s six-member delegation led by Union Minister Aung Min and the five-member NLD team led by Aung San Suu Kyi. The meeting focuses on the ongoing peace process and political dialogues. Both sides discussed the MPC’s works. Today’s meeting lasted about one hour. There may be talks in the future if necessary. The crucial point is that holding a discussion on the current works is good.”
According to the NLD’s release, both sides exchanged the views on the current peace process, holding of the Union Peace Conference and coordination on holding preliminary political dialogues.
Win Htein said: “At today’s call, the MPC submitted the topics which will be discussed at the conference scheduled for 12, 13 and 14 January to Aung San Suu Kyi. A preliminary meeting will be held on 5, 6 and 7 January for the conference. At the preliminary meeting, we will coordinate the agenda for the conference. The main point is Minister Aung Min and officials from the MPC will submit the MPC’s works. And it will be approved. Aung San Suu Kyi will continue working on the peace-making processes.
In doing so, there are two points. The first one is to recognize the MPC’s efforts and congratulate the MPC on the signing of Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) despite it not being ideal. The NCA would bring good results when it is implemented under the leadership of Aung San Suu Kyi. The above-mentioned matters are discussed. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
Three university student activists freed from prison
MANDALAY—Three students – Aung Hsan Oo, Jit Tue and Nyun Lin Htet – from Yadanarpon University were freed from Obo Prison in Mandalay Region on December 22 after completing their prison sentences.
The three students were sentenced for violating Section 18 of the Peaceful Assembly Law, for taking part in assemblies against the government and for of defamation of the state.
Naing Ye Wai, chairman of the Yadanarpon University Student Union, remains in prison because he was charged with two counts of violating Section 18.
“Although we were freed from the prison, we are not happy because we were unfairly detained. Our comrades remain in other prisons, including Thayawady. We urged the government to release the detained students, political prisoners, activists and farmers at once. We are going to try as soon as possible to secure the release of those prisoners who are being unfairly detained in prisons across the nation. Then, we will demand official recognition of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions,” said Jit Tue. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
The three students were sentenced for violating Section 18 of the Peaceful Assembly Law, for taking part in assemblies against the government and for of defamation of the state.
Naing Ye Wai, chairman of the Yadanarpon University Student Union, remains in prison because he was charged with two counts of violating Section 18.
“Although we were freed from the prison, we are not happy because we were unfairly detained. Our comrades remain in other prisons, including Thayawady. We urged the government to release the detained students, political prisoners, activists and farmers at once. We are going to try as soon as possible to secure the release of those prisoners who are being unfairly detained in prisons across the nation. Then, we will demand official recognition of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions,” said Jit Tue. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
NLD to appoint ethnic minority MPs as chief ministers
The National League for Democracy (NLD), which won this year’s national election, plans to appoint state chief ministers from among its newly appointed representatives who belong to ethnic minority communities, said Nan Khin Htwe Myint, a member of the NLD's central executive committee.
She revealed the plan in response to a question about how regional chief ministers would be chosen.
“We will mainly choose ethnic minority people who are NLD members. Chief ministers will be from our party. This is because we were canvassing for votes so that we could form a government," said Nan Khin Htwe Myint.
The NLD won a landslide victory in the November 8 elections. However, the party won only eight out of 35 parliamentary seats in two ethnic region parliaments—34 in Rakhine State and one in Chin State. The Rakhine State-based Arakan National Party won 22 seats, but the Rakhine State chief minister is likely to be an NLD member.
If the NLD has an elected Rakhine representative, we will appoint him or her. I have said that we can form a government only if we become chief ministers," said Nan Khin Htwe Myint. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
She revealed the plan in response to a question about how regional chief ministers would be chosen.
“We will mainly choose ethnic minority people who are NLD members. Chief ministers will be from our party. This is because we were canvassing for votes so that we could form a government," said Nan Khin Htwe Myint.
The NLD won a landslide victory in the November 8 elections. However, the party won only eight out of 35 parliamentary seats in two ethnic region parliaments—34 in Rakhine State and one in Chin State. The Rakhine State-based Arakan National Party won 22 seats, but the Rakhine State chief minister is likely to be an NLD member.
If the NLD has an elected Rakhine representative, we will appoint him or her. I have said that we can form a government only if we become chief ministers," said Nan Khin Htwe Myint. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
Construction slows down in Yangon
The number of building projects in Yangon fell from 600 to 400 per month between November and December, according to the Building Department under the Yangon City Development Committee.
“The rate dropped in these two months. We had to permit only 400 projects last month,” said an official from the department.
Many people blame the sluggish market and lowering demand for apartments for the drop.
“The property market is rather inactive. I expect demand will get higher again along with the shift in government next year,” said Myo Myint, a building contractor in Yangon. (Courtesy Eleven Myanmar)
“The rate dropped in these two months. We had to permit only 400 projects last month,” said an official from the department.
Many people blame the sluggish market and lowering demand for apartments for the drop.
“The property market is rather inactive. I expect demand will get higher again along with the shift in government next year,” said Myo Myint, a building contractor in Yangon. (Courtesy Eleven Myanmar)
Government Invites Wa, Mongla Groups to Peace Dialogue
RANGOON — The government has invited leaders of the Wa and Mongla special regions to attend the Union Peace Conference scheduled to convene on Jan. 12, an invitation that de facto applies to the United Wa State Army (UWSA), Burma’s largest ethnic armed group, and the National Democratic Alliance Army.
Thein Zaw, vice chairman of the government’s Union Peacemaking Working Committee (UPWC), urged leaders of the Wa to take part in Burma’s peace process as government negotiators met with them in Pangsang, the Shan State headquarters of the UWSA, on Saturday.
“We’d like to invite Wa ethnic leaders to take part in the peace process of the Union. The door to the Union Peace Conference and NCA [nationwide ceasefire agreement] is always kept open,” government newspapers quoted Thein Zaw as saying in state-run newspapers on Tuesday.
The UWSA is a non-signatory to Burma’s so-called nationwide ceasefire agreement, which was signed by the government and eight non-state armed groups on Oct. 15.
Lt-Gen Yar Pyae of the Burma Army accompanied the government negotiators and stressed the need for national reconciliation and national reconsolidation on the occasion, echoing Thein Zaw’s comments about an open door for the Wa. (Courtesy of Irrawaddy)
Thein Zaw, vice chairman of the government’s Union Peacemaking Working Committee (UPWC), urged leaders of the Wa to take part in Burma’s peace process as government negotiators met with them in Pangsang, the Shan State headquarters of the UWSA, on Saturday.
“We’d like to invite Wa ethnic leaders to take part in the peace process of the Union. The door to the Union Peace Conference and NCA [nationwide ceasefire agreement] is always kept open,” government newspapers quoted Thein Zaw as saying in state-run newspapers on Tuesday.
The UWSA is a non-signatory to Burma’s so-called nationwide ceasefire agreement, which was signed by the government and eight non-state armed groups on Oct. 15.
Lt-Gen Yar Pyae of the Burma Army accompanied the government negotiators and stressed the need for national reconciliation and national reconsolidation on the occasion, echoing Thein Zaw’s comments about an open door for the Wa. (Courtesy of Irrawaddy)
For migrants, the legal route brings few benefits: report
The formal channels funneling Myanmar labourers overseas are often proving just as corrupt, fee-inducing and negligent of the workers’ rights as the illicit smuggling networks. Workers embarking on the government-sanctioned route may even be worse off, according to research and interviews compiled by European non-profits Finnwatch and Swedwatch.
In Thailand’s poultry industry, Myanmar workers who waited through delays and jumped through all the proper legal hurdles to obtain their jobs are still encountering rights abuses that mirror their undocumented counterparts, the research found. The conditions and extortion are so dire they approximate forced labour, yet the groups who brokered the employment were government-backed recruiters.
The researchers detailed the conditions in six Thai poultry factories owned by four companies: Charoen Pokphand Foods, Laemthong, Centaco and Saha Farms Group. At each of the factories the majority of the workers were Myanmar and had gone through the legal system signed into place through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Bangkok and Nay Pyi Taw. Authorised recruitment agencies Today Top Star, Arbourfield Co Ltd, and Yun Nadi Oo and Associates facilitated the employment process, but according to the report, they diverged wildly from the accredited system. (Courtesy of MMTimes)
In Thailand’s poultry industry, Myanmar workers who waited through delays and jumped through all the proper legal hurdles to obtain their jobs are still encountering rights abuses that mirror their undocumented counterparts, the research found. The conditions and extortion are so dire they approximate forced labour, yet the groups who brokered the employment were government-backed recruiters.
The researchers detailed the conditions in six Thai poultry factories owned by four companies: Charoen Pokphand Foods, Laemthong, Centaco and Saha Farms Group. At each of the factories the majority of the workers were Myanmar and had gone through the legal system signed into place through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Bangkok and Nay Pyi Taw. Authorised recruitment agencies Today Top Star, Arbourfield Co Ltd, and Yun Nadi Oo and Associates facilitated the employment process, but according to the report, they diverged wildly from the accredited system. (Courtesy of MMTimes)
NGO raps ‘brazen bid for presidential immunity’
Myanmar’s parliament should reject a proposed law that would shield former presidents from prosecution for crimes committed during their terms in office, Human Rights Watch said on December 23.
Published in the state-run newspaper on December 21, the Former Presidents Security Bill grants immunity to former heads of state “from any prosecution for actions during his term.” Outlined in article 10, this provision would protect former presidents from domestic prosecution for even the most serious crimes committed while in office, including war crimes and crimes against humanity.
“The Former Presidents Security Bill is a brazen attempt to shoehorn immunity from prosecution into the president’s retirement package,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The immunity provision should be stripped from the proposed law so that President Thein Sein and future Burmese presidents remain accountable for any crimes they commit.”
The draft law consists of 14 clauses that outline the government’s commitment to support retired presidents, such as lifetime funding for a bodyguard and other personal security measures. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
Published in the state-run newspaper on December 21, the Former Presidents Security Bill grants immunity to former heads of state “from any prosecution for actions during his term.” Outlined in article 10, this provision would protect former presidents from domestic prosecution for even the most serious crimes committed while in office, including war crimes and crimes against humanity.
“The Former Presidents Security Bill is a brazen attempt to shoehorn immunity from prosecution into the president’s retirement package,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The immunity provision should be stripped from the proposed law so that President Thein Sein and future Burmese presidents remain accountable for any crimes they commit.”
The draft law consists of 14 clauses that outline the government’s commitment to support retired presidents, such as lifetime funding for a bodyguard and other personal security measures. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
Myanmar cardinal stresses peace and justice in Christmas message
Cardinal Charles Maung Bo of Yangon has called on people of goodwill to work for peace and justice in Myanmar in the aftermath of November elections.
"This is a great time to be in this country. By reconciling with one another, forgetting all the past darkness of hatred, we can make Christ's message of peace possible to all people of goodwill," Cardinal Bo said in his Christmas message released on Dec. 22.
Cardinal Bo said that after many years of expectation it is natural to look for quick results, but that democracy is a process "not a drama that ends with a night of celebration."
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy swept Nov. 8 polls against the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party that took power in 2010 following five decades of military rule.
Cardinal Bo congratulated the people of Myanmar for conducting a peaceful election.
"It is our duty to build a nation without war and want. With goodwill we can and we will do that," he said. (Courtesy of ucanews.com)
"This is a great time to be in this country. By reconciling with one another, forgetting all the past darkness of hatred, we can make Christ's message of peace possible to all people of goodwill," Cardinal Bo said in his Christmas message released on Dec. 22.
Cardinal Bo said that after many years of expectation it is natural to look for quick results, but that democracy is a process "not a drama that ends with a night of celebration."
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy swept Nov. 8 polls against the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party that took power in 2010 following five decades of military rule.
Cardinal Bo congratulated the people of Myanmar for conducting a peaceful election.
"It is our duty to build a nation without war and want. With goodwill we can and we will do that," he said. (Courtesy of ucanews.com)
INGOs push disaster risk education in Myanmar
Children can be “agents of change”. This is the message behind the efforts of a number of NGOs tasked with raising awareness of the dangers posed by earthquakes and other natural disasters, and how to react in an emergency.
NGOs say there is a need for greater awareness on disaster risk, including the risks posed by earthquakes, particularly in urban areas, and one way of doing this is by integrating Disaster Risk Reduction or DRR into the education system.
DRR in education has multiple benefits including helping to keep children safe in schools – for example, if there is an earthquake during school hours - but also in building the capacity of children to be “agents of change” in spreading disaster awareness and preparedness messages to other children, parents and their wider communities. In simple terms, using children can have a multiplier effect, allowing a message to be sent out exponentially.
Plan Myanmar, the Myanmar branch of Plan International, is one of many organizations in Myanmar and under the DPRE Working Group that is reaching out to children to spread the need to be prepared for disasters. The NGO is currently working with 96 schools to carry out school-based DRR activities. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
NGOs say there is a need for greater awareness on disaster risk, including the risks posed by earthquakes, particularly in urban areas, and one way of doing this is by integrating Disaster Risk Reduction or DRR into the education system.
DRR in education has multiple benefits including helping to keep children safe in schools – for example, if there is an earthquake during school hours - but also in building the capacity of children to be “agents of change” in spreading disaster awareness and preparedness messages to other children, parents and their wider communities. In simple terms, using children can have a multiplier effect, allowing a message to be sent out exponentially.
Plan Myanmar, the Myanmar branch of Plan International, is one of many organizations in Myanmar and under the DPRE Working Group that is reaching out to children to spread the need to be prepared for disasters. The NGO is currently working with 96 schools to carry out school-based DRR activities. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
Border dispute delays Myanmar-China tourist gateway
Vice president U Sai Mauk Kham paid his third visit to the site, in Muse Central Economic Zone, on December 19 to check on progress.
“The two governments are negotiating to demarcate the border line. I hope agreement will soon be reached,” he said, adding that attempts to build the gate in 2004 and 2011 had foundered over disagreements concerning the exact border line.
“We don’t want any more delay, so the Union government is trying to find a way to resolve the matter. We hope the regional government will play its part too,” said the vice president.
Extensive cross-border trade already passes through three gates, namely Nandaw, Sin Phyu and Mant Wane.
“We allowed for a 10-metre space on either side of the border line [for discussion purposes], but the Chinese side breached that rule,” said U Ngwe Soe, project director of New Starlight construction company, which is building the gate. “We have built the gate on our side, for the benefit of international tourists wishing to come and go. This would require us to sign an agreement with China, so that tourists passing through from China can enter Myanmar and other countries through the gate.” (Courtesy of MMTimes)
“The two governments are negotiating to demarcate the border line. I hope agreement will soon be reached,” he said, adding that attempts to build the gate in 2004 and 2011 had foundered over disagreements concerning the exact border line.
“We don’t want any more delay, so the Union government is trying to find a way to resolve the matter. We hope the regional government will play its part too,” said the vice president.
Extensive cross-border trade already passes through three gates, namely Nandaw, Sin Phyu and Mant Wane.
“We allowed for a 10-metre space on either side of the border line [for discussion purposes], but the Chinese side breached that rule,” said U Ngwe Soe, project director of New Starlight construction company, which is building the gate. “We have built the gate on our side, for the benefit of international tourists wishing to come and go. This would require us to sign an agreement with China, so that tourists passing through from China can enter Myanmar and other countries through the gate.” (Courtesy of MMTimes)
Newly arrived Kaman Muslims in Yangon defy govt pressure to return to Rakhine State
A group of 22 Kaman Muslims who came to Yangon from conflict-affected Rakhine State last month are refusing an order from authorities to return to the state, saying they have full citizenship rights and are legally allowed to move freely throughout Myanmar.
“We don’t care if they arrest us. We are not going back. We are holders of national identity cards. So, we assume authorities have no right to arrest us,” Tin Zar Hnin, a mother of one who came to Yangon to be with her husband, told Myanmar Now.
In mid-November, the group left Ramree Island (Yanbye Island), located off the Rakhine coast. They had been living there under harsh conditions in a camp for families displaced by outbreaks of inter-communal violence between Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims in 2012.
They came by car and air, and did not encounter any problems along the way, the interviewees said. After several weeks, authorities in Yangon approached the Kaman National Development Party office in Mayangon Township asking it to pass on an order stating that the group had to return to their camp as they had left without prior permission.
“An immigration official in Yangon called and asked me if we would send back these people according to our plans, or if the government has to arrange it,” said Tin Hlaing Win, secretary of the Kaman National Development Party. “We said we cannot do this as these people have valid national identity cards.” (Courtesy of Mizzima)
“We don’t care if they arrest us. We are not going back. We are holders of national identity cards. So, we assume authorities have no right to arrest us,” Tin Zar Hnin, a mother of one who came to Yangon to be with her husband, told Myanmar Now.
In mid-November, the group left Ramree Island (Yanbye Island), located off the Rakhine coast. They had been living there under harsh conditions in a camp for families displaced by outbreaks of inter-communal violence between Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims in 2012.
They came by car and air, and did not encounter any problems along the way, the interviewees said. After several weeks, authorities in Yangon approached the Kaman National Development Party office in Mayangon Township asking it to pass on an order stating that the group had to return to their camp as they had left without prior permission.
“An immigration official in Yangon called and asked me if we would send back these people according to our plans, or if the government has to arrange it,” said Tin Hlaing Win, secretary of the Kaman National Development Party. “We said we cannot do this as these people have valid national identity cards.” (Courtesy of Mizzima)
SC. After Victory in Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi Quietly Shapes a Transition. News Source
NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar — Since her party bash’s thumping election success last month, Myanmar’s democracy leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, has stated little & made few public appearances. So when she emerged just lately in her constituency, she was mobbed by reporters & photographers, earnest for some hint about how her party bash will govern after the brand new Parliament is seated next month. It was to not be. She’d come to decide up trash, an exercise described by her party bash as bringing alter by means of acts of particular human being responsibility. “Don’t just take photos,” she scolded the photographers as she crouched to the shrubs masking the sandy soil of the Irrawaddy Delta and commenced picking up bits of trash. “Help pick up the garbage.” Throughout the six weeks since Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi emerged as probably the most powerful individual in this country of 51 million people, she has kept the country guessing on details of the convey of power to her democracy movement from the military institution in that has dominated for greater than 5 decades. Timeline | A Life in Politics She has done a number of meditating, one aide stated. (Courtesy of South Carolina SC)
IHI to make concrete with Myanmar government
TOKYO -- IHI will partner with the government of Myanmar to build a $15 million concrete factory there, developing the country's materials sector and helping meet surging demand for infrastructure.
The Japanese heavy equipment manufacturer will contribute 60% of the cost, with Myanmar's construction ministry putting forth the rest. The partners could break ground as soon as January in Yangon, the country's largest city. A start to operations is eyed for September or October, said Kyaw Linn, the ministry's permanent secretary. The midsize plant will be able to produce 77,000 tons of high-strength precast concrete annually.
The project marks the second factory established jointly by the ministry and a Japanese company since Myanmar returned to civilian rule in 2011. The first, involving JFE Engineering, produces material for steel bridges and other such structures. IHI's venture is expected to meet more diverse demand from the public and private sectors. (Courtesy of Nikkei Asian Review)
The Japanese heavy equipment manufacturer will contribute 60% of the cost, with Myanmar's construction ministry putting forth the rest. The partners could break ground as soon as January in Yangon, the country's largest city. A start to operations is eyed for September or October, said Kyaw Linn, the ministry's permanent secretary. The midsize plant will be able to produce 77,000 tons of high-strength precast concrete annually.
The project marks the second factory established jointly by the ministry and a Japanese company since Myanmar returned to civilian rule in 2011. The first, involving JFE Engineering, produces material for steel bridges and other such structures. IHI's venture is expected to meet more diverse demand from the public and private sectors. (Courtesy of Nikkei Asian Review)
December 23, 2015
Interview with newly elected NLD MP from jade rich Hpakant
In an interview with the BNI Election Newsroom, newly elected Lower House MP, U Tint Soe, spoke about the current situation involving the excavation of natural resources in his hometown, Hpakant, in western Kachin State.
Q: Can you tell us about the current situation in Hpakant?
A: I want to say that there is no rule of law or peace in Hpakant now. I want to say that Global Witness’s recent report on the status of Myanmar jade resources is nearly all correct.
Businesses owned by local citizens are very few in our Hpakant. Also, the real owners of the companies are not Chinese people born in Myanmar but Chinese citizens. I have been living in Hpakant for 27 years. As everyone knows, our citizens did not have the right to receive much benefit from the natural resources in our country.
Q: How much damage has natural resources excavation done to the area?
A: The amount of environmental damage is quite unbelievable. Our Hpakant area was an area with natural mountains and presentable [natural] resources in the past.
Now, all the soil has been destroyed. If I were to talk in terms of area, nearly 400 square miles have been totally destroyed. They have become pot-holes and waste soils. It has become like a desert. If I were to talk about the extent of deforestation caused by companies that cut down the trees for daily use such as firewood, coal and constructing buildings. We could cut the trees and bamboo at the entrance of our village in the past. Now, we have to travel at least 40 miles from the village to cut down trees. A lot of conservation effort is needed. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
Q: Can you tell us about the current situation in Hpakant?
A: I want to say that there is no rule of law or peace in Hpakant now. I want to say that Global Witness’s recent report on the status of Myanmar jade resources is nearly all correct.
Businesses owned by local citizens are very few in our Hpakant. Also, the real owners of the companies are not Chinese people born in Myanmar but Chinese citizens. I have been living in Hpakant for 27 years. As everyone knows, our citizens did not have the right to receive much benefit from the natural resources in our country.
Q: How much damage has natural resources excavation done to the area?
A: The amount of environmental damage is quite unbelievable. Our Hpakant area was an area with natural mountains and presentable [natural] resources in the past.
Now, all the soil has been destroyed. If I were to talk in terms of area, nearly 400 square miles have been totally destroyed. They have become pot-holes and waste soils. It has become like a desert. If I were to talk about the extent of deforestation caused by companies that cut down the trees for daily use such as firewood, coal and constructing buildings. We could cut the trees and bamboo at the entrance of our village in the past. Now, we have to travel at least 40 miles from the village to cut down trees. A lot of conservation effort is needed. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
Buddhist Extremism Loses Out in Myanmar Vote
With the opposition National League for Democracy’s (NLD) landslide victory in Myanmar’s Nov. 8 election, the enduring popularity of its leader, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, was confirmed. The results also constituted a strong popular rebuke of military rule, as the former generals of the incumbent Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) suffered an embarrassing defeat.
But another group was also revealed to be less politically powerful than expected: the Buddhist nationalist organization known as Ma Ba Tha, or the Association for the Protection of Race and Religion. Led by Buddhist monks who espouse a particularly vocal brand of anti-Muslim nationalism, Ma Ba Tha had spent months lobbying for the enactment of legislation and policies aimed at “protecting” Buddhism.
Before the election, many observers were predicting that Ma Ba Tha’s growing clout could impact the electoral outcome. The organization had already proven itself to be a political power player, securing by mid-2015 the passage of four “Race and Religion Protection” bills restricting interfaith marriage, religious conversion and Muslim birthrates. Today, however, the monks of Ma Ba Tha have fallen out of the headlines.
Ma Ba Tha Weakened
As the NLD prepares to take the reins of government, Ma Ba Tha is in a decidedly weaker position than it was before the vote. And the dramatic reversal of fortune is thanks, in large part, to the group’s own choices during the campaign.
Though Buddhist monks are technically barred from direct participation in Myanmar politics, in the months leading up to election day, the monks of Ma Ba Tha intervened repeatedly. Prominent Ma Ba Tha leaders, including the notorious Wirathu, called on supporters to vote for candidates who would safeguard Buddhism and traditional Burmese culture. In many instances, they made it clear that this meant the ruling USDP. (Courtesy of Asia Sentinel)
But another group was also revealed to be less politically powerful than expected: the Buddhist nationalist organization known as Ma Ba Tha, or the Association for the Protection of Race and Religion. Led by Buddhist monks who espouse a particularly vocal brand of anti-Muslim nationalism, Ma Ba Tha had spent months lobbying for the enactment of legislation and policies aimed at “protecting” Buddhism.
Before the election, many observers were predicting that Ma Ba Tha’s growing clout could impact the electoral outcome. The organization had already proven itself to be a political power player, securing by mid-2015 the passage of four “Race and Religion Protection” bills restricting interfaith marriage, religious conversion and Muslim birthrates. Today, however, the monks of Ma Ba Tha have fallen out of the headlines.
Ma Ba Tha Weakened
As the NLD prepares to take the reins of government, Ma Ba Tha is in a decidedly weaker position than it was before the vote. And the dramatic reversal of fortune is thanks, in large part, to the group’s own choices during the campaign.
Though Buddhist monks are technically barred from direct participation in Myanmar politics, in the months leading up to election day, the monks of Ma Ba Tha intervened repeatedly. Prominent Ma Ba Tha leaders, including the notorious Wirathu, called on supporters to vote for candidates who would safeguard Buddhism and traditional Burmese culture. In many instances, they made it clear that this meant the ruling USDP. (Courtesy of Asia Sentinel)
Interfaith group provides Christmas meals to Myanmar's poor
For the poor children and families from the Irrawaddy riverside in Mandalay, where people live in temporary tents, one good meal is a special Christmas gift.
An interfaith group of woman comprised of Catholics, Buddhists, Muslims and Hindus reached out to Mandalay's poor on Dec. 20 to provide meals as a way of conveying the Christmas message of joy.
"We find Jesus among the poor … so we show the simplicity and joy to the people. We need to get out and smell the sheep that Pope Francis said," Irish Columban Sister Kathleen Geaney, the group's founder, told ucanews.com.
Sister Geaney said the simple meal of rice and curry can go a long way to help the people, especially children, many of whom are malnourished. Meals are provided on special occasions, like Christmas and Easter, she said. However, the group distributes about 400 eggs each week among need families. (Courtesy of ucanews.com)
An interfaith group of woman comprised of Catholics, Buddhists, Muslims and Hindus reached out to Mandalay's poor on Dec. 20 to provide meals as a way of conveying the Christmas message of joy.
"We find Jesus among the poor … so we show the simplicity and joy to the people. We need to get out and smell the sheep that Pope Francis said," Irish Columban Sister Kathleen Geaney, the group's founder, told ucanews.com.
Sister Geaney said the simple meal of rice and curry can go a long way to help the people, especially children, many of whom are malnourished. Meals are provided on special occasions, like Christmas and Easter, she said. However, the group distributes about 400 eggs each week among need families. (Courtesy of ucanews.com)
Roads being upgraded along international borders with Bangladesh, Pakistan, China
NEW DELHI: India is constructing and upgrading roads along the borders with Bangladesh, Pakistan, China and Nepal and plans similar action along the Indo-Bhutan and Indo-Myanmar border as well, government told the Lok Sabha today.
Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said construction and upgradation of roads of 4,379 km along Indo-Bangladesh border has been going on.
Such a project is also being implemented in 689.95 km along the Indo-Pakistan border, he said during Question Hour.
Construction and upgradation of roads is also going on in 3,796 km along Indo-China border and 1377 km along Indo-Nepal border, the minister said.
Government has also plans for development of border along Indo-Bhutan and Indo-Myanmar border, he said. (Courtesy of The Economic Times)
Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said construction and upgradation of roads of 4,379 km along Indo-Bangladesh border has been going on.
Such a project is also being implemented in 689.95 km along the Indo-Pakistan border, he said during Question Hour.
Construction and upgradation of roads is also going on in 3,796 km along Indo-China border and 1377 km along Indo-Nepal border, the minister said.
Government has also plans for development of border along Indo-Bhutan and Indo-Myanmar border, he said. (Courtesy of The Economic Times)
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