Maungdaw, Arakan State (Rohingya Vision) – The Myanmar Border Guard Police (BGP) arbitrarily arrested an old Rohingya farmer and extorted money from him for release in southern Maungdaw on November 30, according to a local man.
The victim is identified to be Mr. Rahim Ullah Sultan, 54, hails from ‘Thinbaw Kway (Kullon)’ village in southern Maungdaw. The BGP from the sentry unit post in the village arrested him while he was on his way to hire another farmer for reaping paddy.
A local Rohingya said “he was on his way to hire a farmer. Meanwhile, the BGP arrested him accusing him of marrying to a woman without their permission. Although he repeatedly explained that he didn’t get married any woman, the BGP beat him. And they extorted Kyat 200,000 from the poor old man.
He is an old man. Besides, he didn’t get married to anyone. It is a pure case of bullying and persecution just because they have arms in their hands.” (Courtesy of Rohingya Vision TV)
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December 7, 2015
Rohingya Man Killed, Unidentified Corpse of Rohingya Woman Found
Buthidaung, Arakan State (Rohingya Vision) – A Rohingya man was killed by the Rakhine extremists in Buthidaung Township last Tuesday, whereas an unidentified corpse of a Rohingya woman was also found, according to reliable sources.
The Rakhine extremists aboard on a big boat attacked three Rohingyas hail from Buthidaung Township while they were on their way back from Rathedaung Township killing one of them, while other two managed to escape alive. And the dead body of the unidentified Rohingya woman seemed to be pregnant was found while looking for the missing man later found to be dead also.
A local man in Buthidaung, referring to the eyewitnesses/the victims, reported the whole account of the unfortunate events as follows.
“Mr. Abdu Ghani Ismail, 27, from Plot 3, ‘Phaya Pyin Aung Pha’ village tract; Mr. Mohammed Hashim Jamal, 27, from ‘Zaykun Tan’ hamlet of , ‘Phaya Pyin Aung Pha’ village tract; and Mr. Mohammed Ullah Taher from ‘Dudan 2’ hamlet of ‘Pharung Chaung village tract went to ‘Kyauk Phyu Taung’ Rakhine village in Rathedaung Township on December 1.
The purpose their visit to the village was to make some deals of trading livestock (cattle and buffaloes) with their Rakhine partners in the village. As they were coming back to Buthidaung by a small engine boat in the evening, a big boat appeared with a group of Rakhine extremists on board. The Rakhine extremists deliberately hit the small boat with three Rohingyas on board.
And the Rakhine extremists forcibly took Mohammed Hashim on their boat, while the other two, Abdu Ghani and Mohammed Ulllah, fell off the boat in the river and managed to escape. However, Abdu Ghani lost two teeth and Mohammed Taher lost one of his eye-sight and got injured in his leg as the Rakhine extremists whacked them with the peddles while they were swimming away from the attack. (Courtesy of Rohingya Vision TV)
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The Rakhine extremists aboard on a big boat attacked three Rohingyas hail from Buthidaung Township while they were on their way back from Rathedaung Township killing one of them, while other two managed to escape alive. And the dead body of the unidentified Rohingya woman seemed to be pregnant was found while looking for the missing man later found to be dead also.
A local man in Buthidaung, referring to the eyewitnesses/the victims, reported the whole account of the unfortunate events as follows.
“Mr. Abdu Ghani Ismail, 27, from Plot 3, ‘Phaya Pyin Aung Pha’ village tract; Mr. Mohammed Hashim Jamal, 27, from ‘Zaykun Tan’ hamlet of , ‘Phaya Pyin Aung Pha’ village tract; and Mr. Mohammed Ullah Taher from ‘Dudan 2’ hamlet of ‘Pharung Chaung village tract went to ‘Kyauk Phyu Taung’ Rakhine village in Rathedaung Township on December 1.
The purpose their visit to the village was to make some deals of trading livestock (cattle and buffaloes) with their Rakhine partners in the village. As they were coming back to Buthidaung by a small engine boat in the evening, a big boat appeared with a group of Rakhine extremists on board. The Rakhine extremists deliberately hit the small boat with three Rohingyas on board.
And the Rakhine extremists forcibly took Mohammed Hashim on their boat, while the other two, Abdu Ghani and Mohammed Ulllah, fell off the boat in the river and managed to escape. However, Abdu Ghani lost two teeth and Mohammed Taher lost one of his eye-sight and got injured in his leg as the Rakhine extremists whacked them with the peddles while they were swimming away from the attack. (Courtesy of Rohingya Vision TV)
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Climate change, a responsibility for humanity
A new report says Honduras, Myanmar and Haiti top a new list of nations hardest hit by two decades of storms, floods and landslides that killed more than half a million people. Climate analysts released the report on December 3, warning of more frequent disasters if the Earth’s overheating cannot be tamed.
Scientists point to the mounting threat from storms, floods, droughts and rising seas if mankind cannot reduce emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases, especially from fossil fuels.
A red flag for negotiators from 195 countries trying to broker a global climate-saving pact in Paris, the Bonn-based advocacy group Germanwatch released the 2016 Global Climate Risk Index showing those nations most affected by the direct consequences of extreme weather events.
Honduras, Myanmar and Haiti were the most afflicted by such disasters between 1995 and 2014, said the latest edition of the annual index. Next were the Philippines, Nicaragua, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Pakistan, Thailand and Guatemala.
Altogether more than 525,000 people died as a direct result of about 15,000 extreme weather events, the report said. Losses amounted to more than US$2.97 trillion, it said. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
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Scientists point to the mounting threat from storms, floods, droughts and rising seas if mankind cannot reduce emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases, especially from fossil fuels.
A red flag for negotiators from 195 countries trying to broker a global climate-saving pact in Paris, the Bonn-based advocacy group Germanwatch released the 2016 Global Climate Risk Index showing those nations most affected by the direct consequences of extreme weather events.
Honduras, Myanmar and Haiti were the most afflicted by such disasters between 1995 and 2014, said the latest edition of the annual index. Next were the Philippines, Nicaragua, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Pakistan, Thailand and Guatemala.
Altogether more than 525,000 people died as a direct result of about 15,000 extreme weather events, the report said. Losses amounted to more than US$2.97 trillion, it said. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
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Aung San Suu Kyi Meets With Myanmar’s Former Ruler, Than Shwe
Aung San Suu Kyi took what appeared to be a significant step toward establishing a détente with Myanmar’s military establishment by meeting with the country’s former dictator, Senior Gen. Than Shwe.
Ms. Suu Kyi, a former political prisoner and Nobel Peace Prize winner, won a landslide victory in last month’s pivotal elections, which saw her National League for Democracy secure an outright majority in the country’s legislature, but which also raised questions about how far the country’s armed forces would be willing to cooperate with her.
Among other things, Myanmar’s military-drafted constitution prevents Ms. Suu Kyi from becoming president because her children hold foreign passports. The army can also veto any changes to the constitution thanks to a bloc of seats in parliament that is reserved for serving military officers.
But, unlike Ms. Suu Kyi’s earlier election victory in 1990, which Myanmar’s former ruling junta simply ignored, this time the country’s armed forces have signaled they are accepting the result. (Courtesy of WSJ)
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Ms. Suu Kyi, a former political prisoner and Nobel Peace Prize winner, won a landslide victory in last month’s pivotal elections, which saw her National League for Democracy secure an outright majority in the country’s legislature, but which also raised questions about how far the country’s armed forces would be willing to cooperate with her.
Among other things, Myanmar’s military-drafted constitution prevents Ms. Suu Kyi from becoming president because her children hold foreign passports. The army can also veto any changes to the constitution thanks to a bloc of seats in parliament that is reserved for serving military officers.
But, unlike Ms. Suu Kyi’s earlier election victory in 1990, which Myanmar’s former ruling junta simply ignored, this time the country’s armed forces have signaled they are accepting the result. (Courtesy of WSJ)
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Myanmar under spotlight as NGO highlights human rights abuse
People who speak out against leaders face increasing risk of punishment or prosecution, Amnesty International said on December 4 as it launched the world’s biggest human rights campaign.
During the annual Write for Rights campaign, from 4-17 December, hundreds of thousands of Amnesty International supporters and activists around the world will send letters, emails, SMS messages, faxes and tweets calling for the release of activists jailed for peaceful dissent, supporting victims of torture and pointing a spotlight on other human rights abuses.
“Our campaign promises exciting, uniting and effective activism bringing together people from all different walks of life,” said Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
“When hundreds of thousands of people say they stand by a human rights defender, the impact is huge. It gives the human rights defender the strength to keep going. It also sends a message to their oppressors that they cannot keep their crimes secret and the world is watching for their next move. Every letter, email and petition signature that authorities receive is a chink in an armour that would otherwise be impenetrable, chipping away at the power of those authorities who commit human rights abuses."
2014 was a record-breaking year for the campaign, with hundreds of thousands of people in more than 200 countries and territories sending 3,245,565 messages offering support or calling for action on the cases of 12 individuals and communities experiencing human rights abuses. More than a million messages have been sent in support of jailed Saudi blogger Raif Badawi since the campaign raised his case. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
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During the annual Write for Rights campaign, from 4-17 December, hundreds of thousands of Amnesty International supporters and activists around the world will send letters, emails, SMS messages, faxes and tweets calling for the release of activists jailed for peaceful dissent, supporting victims of torture and pointing a spotlight on other human rights abuses.
“Our campaign promises exciting, uniting and effective activism bringing together people from all different walks of life,” said Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
“When hundreds of thousands of people say they stand by a human rights defender, the impact is huge. It gives the human rights defender the strength to keep going. It also sends a message to their oppressors that they cannot keep their crimes secret and the world is watching for their next move. Every letter, email and petition signature that authorities receive is a chink in an armour that would otherwise be impenetrable, chipping away at the power of those authorities who commit human rights abuses."
2014 was a record-breaking year for the campaign, with hundreds of thousands of people in more than 200 countries and territories sending 3,245,565 messages offering support or calling for action on the cases of 12 individuals and communities experiencing human rights abuses. More than a million messages have been sent in support of jailed Saudi blogger Raif Badawi since the campaign raised his case. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
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Myanmar president to form new govt, transfer power
Myanmar President U Thein Sein on Saturday pledged to try his best to form the new government and smoothly transfer power to it.
Every government should take into consideration to have continuous success in transforming the democratic process and development in a calm and peaceful manner, Xinhua quoted U Thein Sein as saying in his message to the country.
He urged all stakeholders to participate in the peace process, underlining that implementing a framework for political dialogue which is to be set up soon is being drafted by a special dialogue framework drafting committee. (Courtesy of thestatesman.com)
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Every government should take into consideration to have continuous success in transforming the democratic process and development in a calm and peaceful manner, Xinhua quoted U Thein Sein as saying in his message to the country.
He urged all stakeholders to participate in the peace process, underlining that implementing a framework for political dialogue which is to be set up soon is being drafted by a special dialogue framework drafting committee. (Courtesy of thestatesman.com)
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Myanmar police on guard after news ‘IS terrorists entered Thailand’
Myanmar needs to take security precautions following news that 10 suspected members of the so-called Islamic State terrorist group had entered neighbouring Thailand.
This was the message from Myanmar Police Force Chief of Staff Brigadier Thura Boni, speaking to Mizzima on December 5.
“There are no brick boundary walls along Myanmar-Thai, Sino-Myanmar, Indo-Myanmar, Myanmar-Bangladesh and Myanmar-Laos borders,” he said. “So we have information sharing through interstate crime bodies, INTERPOL and ASEANPOL. Police and Armed Forces alone cannot provide 100 percent security cover to the nation. People need to provide their cooperation to us.”
Thura Boni said they had been informed earlier and had taken security measures against IS members and possible terrorist plans.
“For some work which cannot be done alone by the police, we have cooperation with military,” he said. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
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This was the message from Myanmar Police Force Chief of Staff Brigadier Thura Boni, speaking to Mizzima on December 5.
“There are no brick boundary walls along Myanmar-Thai, Sino-Myanmar, Indo-Myanmar, Myanmar-Bangladesh and Myanmar-Laos borders,” he said. “So we have information sharing through interstate crime bodies, INTERPOL and ASEANPOL. Police and Armed Forces alone cannot provide 100 percent security cover to the nation. People need to provide their cooperation to us.”
Thura Boni said they had been informed earlier and had taken security measures against IS members and possible terrorist plans.
“For some work which cannot be done alone by the police, we have cooperation with military,” he said. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
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Govt reserves land for Rakhine state SEZ
The government has set aside 1708 hectares (4289.32 acres) for the future Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone in Rakhine State, parliament heard on December 3.
Deputy rail minister U Myint Thein, the chair of the Kyaukphyu SEZ management committee, said the zone would comprise two deep-sea ports of 148 hectares and 95 hectares in extent respectively, a 978-hectare industrial zone and a high-end housing project covering 494 hectares.
“We invited tenders in accordance with internationally recognised procedures. The assessment of bids is now complete, and we are proceeding toward negotiation in detail,” the deputy minister told MPs.
The industrial zone site and associated housing are located in southern Kyaukphyu township. The first deep- sea port is north of Ma De island, and the second port is north of Yan Byal island. Care had been taken to avoid villages, roads and residential areas, said U Myint Thein.
“The administration committee of the special economic zone will prioritise regional development,” he said.
Local residents have been invited to join a monitoring group that will watch out for any potential social, economic or environmental damage, said the deputy minister, adding that the SEZ was a long-term development project that enjoyed public support and would provide local job opportunities.
The Regional Master Plan also envisages a special agricultural zone in Rambre township and a tourism zone centred on the natural environment of Manaung township. The plans are based on a research paper drafted jointly by a Japanese engineering consultant and Chiyoda Corporation covering Yangon, Mandalay, coastal Dawei, Kyaukphyu and borders areas, said U Myint Thein. (Courtesy of MMTimes)
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Deputy rail minister U Myint Thein, the chair of the Kyaukphyu SEZ management committee, said the zone would comprise two deep-sea ports of 148 hectares and 95 hectares in extent respectively, a 978-hectare industrial zone and a high-end housing project covering 494 hectares.
“We invited tenders in accordance with internationally recognised procedures. The assessment of bids is now complete, and we are proceeding toward negotiation in detail,” the deputy minister told MPs.
The industrial zone site and associated housing are located in southern Kyaukphyu township. The first deep- sea port is north of Ma De island, and the second port is north of Yan Byal island. Care had been taken to avoid villages, roads and residential areas, said U Myint Thein.
“The administration committee of the special economic zone will prioritise regional development,” he said.
Local residents have been invited to join a monitoring group that will watch out for any potential social, economic or environmental damage, said the deputy minister, adding that the SEZ was a long-term development project that enjoyed public support and would provide local job opportunities.
The Regional Master Plan also envisages a special agricultural zone in Rambre township and a tourism zone centred on the natural environment of Manaung township. The plans are based on a research paper drafted jointly by a Japanese engineering consultant and Chiyoda Corporation covering Yangon, Mandalay, coastal Dawei, Kyaukphyu and borders areas, said U Myint Thein. (Courtesy of MMTimes)
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Watch What Aung San Suu Kyi’s Alma Mater Lady Shri Ram College Thinks Of Her Today
In a historic election this year, Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy won the Myanmar general elections with a sweeping majority in the parliament.
Suu Kyi has been a global figure and the face of human rights since the time she returned to Myanmar in the late 1980s. After spending over two decades under house arrest and a prolonged struggle against the military-led government to bring democracy to Myanmar, Suu Kyi’s party will finally be able to form the government.
However, a technicality in the Myanmar constitution, will not allow Ms. Suu Kyi to take the highest office in the country. An amendment to the Myanmar constitution, which came into effect in 2008, debars any person from holding the President’s office who has or had a foreign spouse. This amendment was quite clearly aimed at limiting Ms. Suu Kyi.
But this does not seem to hold back Ms. Suu Kyi who has made it quite clear, in her recent interviews, that she will anyway run the country by putting a ‘proxy’ President. By saying that “the head of the state does not necessarily have to be the head of the government,” she has not minced her words when it came to indicating that the authority of running the government will lie with her. Her statements have not gone down well with many who see them as going against the pro-democracy ideology of Suu Kyi.
Her loud and clear message declaring her position in the country, however, isn’t the only thing ruffling feathers. Many have questioned Suu Kyi’s silence on the plight of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. Devoid of Burmese citizenship and the right to hold a public office, Rohingya Muslims are known as one of the most persecuted communities in the world. This situation has been called one of the worst refugee crisis in history. (Courtesy of Youth Ki Awaaz)
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Suu Kyi has been a global figure and the face of human rights since the time she returned to Myanmar in the late 1980s. After spending over two decades under house arrest and a prolonged struggle against the military-led government to bring democracy to Myanmar, Suu Kyi’s party will finally be able to form the government.
However, a technicality in the Myanmar constitution, will not allow Ms. Suu Kyi to take the highest office in the country. An amendment to the Myanmar constitution, which came into effect in 2008, debars any person from holding the President’s office who has or had a foreign spouse. This amendment was quite clearly aimed at limiting Ms. Suu Kyi.
But this does not seem to hold back Ms. Suu Kyi who has made it quite clear, in her recent interviews, that she will anyway run the country by putting a ‘proxy’ President. By saying that “the head of the state does not necessarily have to be the head of the government,” she has not minced her words when it came to indicating that the authority of running the government will lie with her. Her statements have not gone down well with many who see them as going against the pro-democracy ideology of Suu Kyi.
Her loud and clear message declaring her position in the country, however, isn’t the only thing ruffling feathers. Many have questioned Suu Kyi’s silence on the plight of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. Devoid of Burmese citizenship and the right to hold a public office, Rohingya Muslims are known as one of the most persecuted communities in the world. This situation has been called one of the worst refugee crisis in history. (Courtesy of Youth Ki Awaaz)
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Rohingya on the move again but in small numbers
A small number of Rohingya refugees have made their way to Thailand where people smuggling routes are still in operation.
But as yet, there does not appear to be any evidence of large-scale movement.
News of five Rohingya men found in Thailand's southern Songkhla province marks the start of the so-called "sailing season" that begins once the South Asian monsoon season has ended. The news also came as a major conference on the regional crisis convened in Bangkok.
Aid groups already fear the worst, despite moves earlier this year by Thailand — a key transit country — to break up people smuggling operations.
"I heard that a small fishing boat which carried around 10 people left the camps near Sittwe in Rakhine state. But so far local smugglers are still keeping quiet," Khin Mg Myint, who lives in the Thetkapyin displaced persons camp told ucanews.com. (Courtesy of ucanews.com)
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But as yet, there does not appear to be any evidence of large-scale movement.
News of five Rohingya men found in Thailand's southern Songkhla province marks the start of the so-called "sailing season" that begins once the South Asian monsoon season has ended. The news also came as a major conference on the regional crisis convened in Bangkok.
Aid groups already fear the worst, despite moves earlier this year by Thailand — a key transit country — to break up people smuggling operations.
"I heard that a small fishing boat which carried around 10 people left the camps near Sittwe in Rakhine state. But so far local smugglers are still keeping quiet," Khin Mg Myint, who lives in the Thetkapyin displaced persons camp told ucanews.com. (Courtesy of ucanews.com)
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Fairness of ‘Muslim Army’ trial questioned, torture alleged
A verdict in the controversial trial of 12 Muslim men accused of receiving training from an armed group called the “Myanmar Muslim Army” is expected this week, according to a human rights group.
Fortify Rights said authorities allegedly tortured defendants who are now facing trial at Aung Myay Thar San Township Court in Mandalay Region.
At a hearing monitored by the group on Sept. 17, defendant Soe Moe Aung, 24, testified that the authorities beat him in detention, deprived him of food and water, fed him pills, and administered unknown injections during interrogations that lasted approximately one week, according to the group. He alleged that he was subsequently coerced into signing a document that he presumed to be a confession.
Matthew Smith, the executive director of Fortify Rights, said international law bans torture unequivocally and all states have an obligation to protect the human rights of those in detention.
He said Fortify Rights monitored nine court hearings and examined approximately 170 pages of court documents pertaining to the case. The defendants are Muslim men, aged 19 to 58 years old, from Mandalay Region, Karen State, and Shan State. The are accused of associating with a group the prosecution refers to as the “Myanmar Muslim Army” in 2014. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
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Fortify Rights said authorities allegedly tortured defendants who are now facing trial at Aung Myay Thar San Township Court in Mandalay Region.
At a hearing monitored by the group on Sept. 17, defendant Soe Moe Aung, 24, testified that the authorities beat him in detention, deprived him of food and water, fed him pills, and administered unknown injections during interrogations that lasted approximately one week, according to the group. He alleged that he was subsequently coerced into signing a document that he presumed to be a confession.
Matthew Smith, the executive director of Fortify Rights, said international law bans torture unequivocally and all states have an obligation to protect the human rights of those in detention.
He said Fortify Rights monitored nine court hearings and examined approximately 170 pages of court documents pertaining to the case. The defendants are Muslim men, aged 19 to 58 years old, from Mandalay Region, Karen State, and Shan State. The are accused of associating with a group the prosecution refers to as the “Myanmar Muslim Army” in 2014. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
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Amnesty supporters gather in Waterloo to write for rights
WATERLOO — International Human Rights Day, which was marked Saturday, has special meaning for Anwar Arkani.
After his father was murdered in 1978, Arkani fled through the jungles of Burma (now called Myanmar) along with his mother and 300,000 other refugees to Bangladesh. It was a two-day walk, and only the beginning of a 24-year-long journey that ended in Canada.
"My father was killed by the Burmese Junta," Arkani said. "I had no idea where I was going, what I was going to do, how I was going to survive. I was a kid."
Arkani is a Rohingya Muslim and suffered all manner of persecution at the hands of the Buddhist majority in Burma. When it looked like conditions were going to improve for the Rohingya, Arkani sneaked back into the country.
But his hopes were dashed in 1982 when the military junta stripped Rohingya Muslims of citizenship. He was declared an "illegal" in his own country, and could not even attend school.
"After I finished my Grade 8 exam I was not permitted to go to Grade 9," Arkani said.
So Arkani spent 30 days travelling secretly across Burma — in boats, on foot, riding in vehicles — to reach Thailand. He was 14 years old and terrified.
He lived in Thailand for 10 years, working as a street pedlar on the crowded sidewalks of Bangkok, and finally landed in Canada in 2002 as a refugee. (Courtesy of therecord.com)
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After his father was murdered in 1978, Arkani fled through the jungles of Burma (now called Myanmar) along with his mother and 300,000 other refugees to Bangladesh. It was a two-day walk, and only the beginning of a 24-year-long journey that ended in Canada.
"My father was killed by the Burmese Junta," Arkani said. "I had no idea where I was going, what I was going to do, how I was going to survive. I was a kid."
Arkani is a Rohingya Muslim and suffered all manner of persecution at the hands of the Buddhist majority in Burma. When it looked like conditions were going to improve for the Rohingya, Arkani sneaked back into the country.
But his hopes were dashed in 1982 when the military junta stripped Rohingya Muslims of citizenship. He was declared an "illegal" in his own country, and could not even attend school.
"After I finished my Grade 8 exam I was not permitted to go to Grade 9," Arkani said.
So Arkani spent 30 days travelling secretly across Burma — in boats, on foot, riding in vehicles — to reach Thailand. He was 14 years old and terrified.
He lived in Thailand for 10 years, working as a street pedlar on the crowded sidewalks of Bangkok, and finally landed in Canada in 2002 as a refugee. (Courtesy of therecord.com)
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Rohingya Conflict Can Be Solved With Myanmar Commitment to Goodwill
BESET BY communal violence and frequently denied their human rights, life for many in Myanmar's Rakhine State is desperately grim. But our fieldwork suggests there is a path towards peace.
Rakhine State was virtually unknown in the West until torn asunder by communal strife in 2012. It borders Bangladesh and is frequently the point of departure for tens of thousands of Muslim refugees who traverse the Bay of Bengal in rickety boats, hoping to seek asylum in Thailand, Malaysia or even Australia.
It is Myanmar's second-poorest state, with a poverty rate close to twice the national average.
These Muslims, who call themselves ''Rohingya,'' bore the worst of the 2012 conflict with the local majority Buddhist ''Rakhine''.
Three years later, more than 140,000 Muslims still live in internal displacement camps. Others have been restricted to an urban ghetto with limited medical care, services or income opportunities.
Myanmar's government denies the Rohingya citizenship. Even those who previously held citizenship papers have had them removed. (Courtesy of Phuket Wan)
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Rakhine State was virtually unknown in the West until torn asunder by communal strife in 2012. It borders Bangladesh and is frequently the point of departure for tens of thousands of Muslim refugees who traverse the Bay of Bengal in rickety boats, hoping to seek asylum in Thailand, Malaysia or even Australia.
It is Myanmar's second-poorest state, with a poverty rate close to twice the national average.
These Muslims, who call themselves ''Rohingya,'' bore the worst of the 2012 conflict with the local majority Buddhist ''Rakhine''.
Three years later, more than 140,000 Muslims still live in internal displacement camps. Others have been restricted to an urban ghetto with limited medical care, services or income opportunities.
Myanmar's government denies the Rohingya citizenship. Even those who previously held citizenship papers have had them removed. (Courtesy of Phuket Wan)
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Thai FM urges region to double-down on tackling migrant woes
Thailand's foreign minister on Friday urged regional nations to redouble efforts to tackle the causes of this year's Bay of Bengal migrant crisis, warning the issue "will not simply go away".
Delegations from across Southeast Asia met in Bangkok for talks over migration, six months after a belated Thai crackdown on human trafficking gangs saw thousands of migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh abandoned at sea.
The summit came as boats crammed with migrants traditionally depart following the end of the monsoon season around November.
Horror stories of kidnap, coercion and hunger emerged from the hundreds who staggered ashore or were eventually rescued by Thai, Indonesian and Malaysian authorities after weeks at sea following the crackdown in May.
Thai authorities acted after dozens of skeletons of migrants were found in jungle camps on the border with Malaysia -- grisly evidence of a trafficking trail that reached from Myanmar and Bangladesh southwards through the Indian Ocean.
The kingdom has arrested scores of people, including a senior army general and high-ranking civilian officials, for their alleged roles in conducting the multi-million dollar annual trade in humans through Thailand.
"This problem is not a short-lived one. It will not simply go away," Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said in his opening address. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
For more information - Viist here.
Delegations from across Southeast Asia met in Bangkok for talks over migration, six months after a belated Thai crackdown on human trafficking gangs saw thousands of migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh abandoned at sea.
The summit came as boats crammed with migrants traditionally depart following the end of the monsoon season around November.
Horror stories of kidnap, coercion and hunger emerged from the hundreds who staggered ashore or were eventually rescued by Thai, Indonesian and Malaysian authorities after weeks at sea following the crackdown in May.
Thai authorities acted after dozens of skeletons of migrants were found in jungle camps on the border with Malaysia -- grisly evidence of a trafficking trail that reached from Myanmar and Bangladesh southwards through the Indian Ocean.
The kingdom has arrested scores of people, including a senior army general and high-ranking civilian officials, for their alleged roles in conducting the multi-million dollar annual trade in humans through Thailand.
"This problem is not a short-lived one. It will not simply go away," Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said in his opening address. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
For more information - Viist here.
Thai migration conference closes with focus on cause
A Southeast Asian migration conference has closed with pledges to fund a regional information campaign aimed at raising awareness among migrants of the hazards of using trafficking networks.
Delegates had previously stated that the meeting must focus on the root causes of migration if it is to avoid such situations as the boat people crisis that swept Southeast Asia earlier this year.
On Saturday, the Bangkok Post reported Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai as saying that Thailand has contributed $100,000 (3.6 million baht) to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) campaign.
"Thailand will also play a leading role in the campaign with the IOM to solve the problem at its root causes," he added.
On Friday, Pramudwinai said that the solution to trafficking must include "prevention" as well as a "cure". (Courtesy of The Journal of Turkish Weekly)
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Delegates had previously stated that the meeting must focus on the root causes of migration if it is to avoid such situations as the boat people crisis that swept Southeast Asia earlier this year.
On Saturday, the Bangkok Post reported Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai as saying that Thailand has contributed $100,000 (3.6 million baht) to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) campaign.
"Thailand will also play a leading role in the campaign with the IOM to solve the problem at its root causes," he added.
On Friday, Pramudwinai said that the solution to trafficking must include "prevention" as well as a "cure". (Courtesy of The Journal of Turkish Weekly)
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President's Office ignores proposal to investigate prisons
The National Human Rights Commission has suggested in March that the President's Office and the Ministry of Home Affairs investigate human rights conditions in Myanmar's prisons. However, the President's Office has not offered any response to the proposal, according to Zaw Win, a member of the NHRC.
The NHRC held a press conference on December 4 in Yangon about its activities regarding prisoners and prisons.
The NHRC visited prisons, prison cells and detention centers on 17 and 18 February 2015 to investigate whether detainees are treated in line with human rights standards prescribed by international and domestic laws. On March 6, the NHRC gave it's proposal to the President's Office.
Zaw Win said: “We proposed an investigation of prison conditions after we inspected the Insein Prison. We wish to inspect all prisons in Myanmar.” (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
For more information - Visit here.
The NHRC held a press conference on December 4 in Yangon about its activities regarding prisoners and prisons.
The NHRC visited prisons, prison cells and detention centers on 17 and 18 February 2015 to investigate whether detainees are treated in line with human rights standards prescribed by international and domestic laws. On March 6, the NHRC gave it's proposal to the President's Office.
Zaw Win said: “We proposed an investigation of prison conditions after we inspected the Insein Prison. We wish to inspect all prisons in Myanmar.” (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
For more information - Visit here.
Myanmar, the New, Golden Land of Opportunity for Online Travel
Pulling back the curtains on the Myanmar’s startup scene, Heang Chhor, founder and managing partner of Qualgro ASEAN Fund (pictured right) highlighted tourism, online travel, healthcare, financial services and education as prime opportunities in the emerging market during the Echelon Thailand 2015 conference.
Chorr, previously a senior partner at McKinsey & Company, whose study back in June 2013 reported on the landscape of Myanmar, notes the country has gone through massive transitions in all aspects from political and economic to social standpoints.
With good management, the country promises to see its GDP quadruple by 2030, 10 million more jobs in the non-agricultural sector, and a middle-consumer class comprised of at least 20 million.
“Those people will need daily consumer goods, they will need to travel, they will need financial services,” Chorr predicted. The McKinsey study anticipates Burmese people will spend US$100 billion by 2030, with sectors like travel, financial services, and consumers expected to grow 20% per year.
For Myanmar, Chorr assessed the biggest challenge as a lack of infrastructure. “Entrepreneurs getting into Myanmar will have to be agile. Marketplaces in Myanmar need a bit of creativity in terms of physical delivery and payment systems.”
He cited the price of a SIM card which has come down from US$300 four to five years ago to US$20-30 mere three years ago and to only US$1.50 today as evidence of Myanmar’s ability to “leapfrog” its development due to available technologies.
“We don’t look at Myanmar as it is today. We look at it as what it will become in the next five to ten years” – and with a number of online services already in Myanmar, many sectors are already speeding up their growth. (Courtesy of WIT)
For more information - Visit here.
Chorr, previously a senior partner at McKinsey & Company, whose study back in June 2013 reported on the landscape of Myanmar, notes the country has gone through massive transitions in all aspects from political and economic to social standpoints.
With good management, the country promises to see its GDP quadruple by 2030, 10 million more jobs in the non-agricultural sector, and a middle-consumer class comprised of at least 20 million.
“Those people will need daily consumer goods, they will need to travel, they will need financial services,” Chorr predicted. The McKinsey study anticipates Burmese people will spend US$100 billion by 2030, with sectors like travel, financial services, and consumers expected to grow 20% per year.
For Myanmar, Chorr assessed the biggest challenge as a lack of infrastructure. “Entrepreneurs getting into Myanmar will have to be agile. Marketplaces in Myanmar need a bit of creativity in terms of physical delivery and payment systems.”
He cited the price of a SIM card which has come down from US$300 four to five years ago to US$20-30 mere three years ago and to only US$1.50 today as evidence of Myanmar’s ability to “leapfrog” its development due to available technologies.
“We don’t look at Myanmar as it is today. We look at it as what it will become in the next five to ten years” – and with a number of online services already in Myanmar, many sectors are already speeding up their growth. (Courtesy of WIT)
For more information - Visit here.
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