Both Myanmar and China call each other “paukphaw” (Burmese word for sibling or intimate), reflecting the closeness in Sino-Myanmar relations. Both countries have, for centuries, maintained substantive relations with each other, and the same has been reiterated by the leaders of the two countries. Former Chinese President Hu Jintao also remarked that “building good friendship between the two countries is a key component of the foreign policy of China.”
The relations between the two countries have largely been guided by the “Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence” which are contained in the Sino-Burmese Declaration of June 29, 1954. China has been, at several times, accused of treating Myanmar as its “client state”, with numerous Chinese labelling Myanmar as a “beggar with a golden bowl” (a poor nation with immense pool of natural resources). Despite these accusations, China has supported Myanmar like no other country and has been the largest investor in Myanmar with an investment of over US $15 billion. Myanmar and China share a long history of amicable relations with each other. It was China which endowed Myanmar with full support during its most repressive period. China has remained Myanmar’s basic support and largest investor through the years. (Courtesy of New Delhi Times)
December 12, 2015
Rohingya Muslims Lose Hero: Top Human-trafficking General Flees Thailand
Rohingya Muslims were identified by the United Nations as the most persecuted refugees in the world. The rest of the world does not recognize them as “people.” Sadly, their only hero, Police Major General Paween Pongsirin, is now seeking for political asylum in Australia for fear of his life.
Pongsirin has been investigating the trafficking of Rohingya Muslims for years. His investigation resulted to the arrest of 153 people, including known politicians, rich businessmen, fellow policemen as well as high-ranking members of the Thai army, navy and the Internal Security Operation Command. Ninety-nine people were already charged.
On Thursday, General Pongsirin told the Australia Broadcasting Corporation that he wants to seek political asylum in Australia because his life is already in danger. He said influential players were now getting a hand at the cases and his life is now in danger. “I worked in the trafficking area to help human beings who were in trouble. I wasn’t thinking of a personal benefit but now it is me who is in trouble. I believe there should be some safe place for me, somewhere on this earth to help me,” he said. (Courtesy of Morning News USA)
Pongsirin has been investigating the trafficking of Rohingya Muslims for years. His investigation resulted to the arrest of 153 people, including known politicians, rich businessmen, fellow policemen as well as high-ranking members of the Thai army, navy and the Internal Security Operation Command. Ninety-nine people were already charged.
On Thursday, General Pongsirin told the Australia Broadcasting Corporation that he wants to seek political asylum in Australia because his life is already in danger. He said influential players were now getting a hand at the cases and his life is now in danger. “I worked in the trafficking area to help human beings who were in trouble. I wasn’t thinking of a personal benefit but now it is me who is in trouble. I believe there should be some safe place for me, somewhere on this earth to help me,” he said. (Courtesy of Morning News USA)
Rights group slams Myanmar over Rohingya calendar case
YANGON, Myanmar – A rights group called on Myanmar’s government Friday to drop all charges against six men who face up to two years in prison for printing a calendar that used quotes to support the country’s persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority.
Matthew Smith, executive director of Fortify Rights, condemned the “absurd” charges in a statement saying that the case “appears to be part of a campaign to strike the term ‘Rohingya’ from the country’s vocabulary.”
Five of the accused –publisher Kyaw Kyaw Wai and his associates — were taken into custody late last month over a calendar that used what it said were the words of former Myanmar prime minister U Nu to debunk the official view that the Rohingya are not a real ethnic minority.
While the five had previously been arrested and fined $800 earlier in November, the sixth man, Aung Khin, has been in hiding ever since 19 policemen reportedly raided his home at around 2.30 a.m. on Nov. 20.
The calendar has angered Buddhist extremists who regard the Rohingya as illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh and insist that they should be referred to as “Bengalis”.
The six men are charged with violating Section 505(b) of the penal code, under which a conviction for producing a document with “intent to cause… fear or alarm to the public” can be punished with a two-year term.
The statement Friday criticized the section for its wording being “overly broad” and its history of being “used as a tool of repression against political activists, human rights defenders, and others.” (Courtesy of Fulton News)
Matthew Smith, executive director of Fortify Rights, condemned the “absurd” charges in a statement saying that the case “appears to be part of a campaign to strike the term ‘Rohingya’ from the country’s vocabulary.”
Five of the accused –publisher Kyaw Kyaw Wai and his associates — were taken into custody late last month over a calendar that used what it said were the words of former Myanmar prime minister U Nu to debunk the official view that the Rohingya are not a real ethnic minority.
While the five had previously been arrested and fined $800 earlier in November, the sixth man, Aung Khin, has been in hiding ever since 19 policemen reportedly raided his home at around 2.30 a.m. on Nov. 20.
The calendar has angered Buddhist extremists who regard the Rohingya as illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh and insist that they should be referred to as “Bengalis”.
The six men are charged with violating Section 505(b) of the penal code, under which a conviction for producing a document with “intent to cause… fear or alarm to the public” can be punished with a two-year term.
The statement Friday criticized the section for its wording being “overly broad” and its history of being “used as a tool of repression against political activists, human rights defenders, and others.” (Courtesy of Fulton News)
PARADISE LOST?
Twenty years ago Ngapali Beach, on the Bay of Bengal in Rakhine State a short drive from Thandwe, was an unspoilt gem in the crown of Myanmar’s natural treasures.
The local population, which had access to the beach, lived mainly from the sea. Every now and then a foreigner could be spotted at one of the few hotels along the foreshore.
Times have changed. Tourism is modest but growing at Ngapali, with a limited number of mid-range and upscale hotels operating in the area. Nearly all the beachfront land has been sold and only a small strip of public beach remains. But the sand is disappearing.
Normally, the sea removes and deposits sand in an everlasting cycle. A beach will gently slope upwards, until it runs into the natural barriers of plant growth and the roots of palm trees. Sand mining at Ngapali has disturbed the natural balance. Sand depths on the beach, one of the most attractive in Southeast Asia, are up to one metre lower than last year, and the slope to the foreshore is steeper.
The removal of the sand has enabled the sea to undermine the foundations of hotel compound boundary walls and the roots of palm trees, many of which fell over this year during the monsoon. Retaining walls for beachfront terraces at the Sandoway Resort and the Merciel Retreat and Resort also collapsed. A hotel being built by the Department of Civil Aviation, a stone’s throw from Thandwe Airport, encountered the same fate. The wall around the compound fell apart.
The Ministry of Hotels and Tourism has been trying to curb the sand mining since 2004. Its most recent effort to stop the illegal use of beach sand was MoHT notification 2/15, dated January 1, 2015. It was followed by notification 1/2015 from the Thandwe General Affairs Department on January 27, which prohibited the removal of beach sand and warned of serious action against those who flouted the rules. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
The local population, which had access to the beach, lived mainly from the sea. Every now and then a foreigner could be spotted at one of the few hotels along the foreshore.
Times have changed. Tourism is modest but growing at Ngapali, with a limited number of mid-range and upscale hotels operating in the area. Nearly all the beachfront land has been sold and only a small strip of public beach remains. But the sand is disappearing.
Normally, the sea removes and deposits sand in an everlasting cycle. A beach will gently slope upwards, until it runs into the natural barriers of plant growth and the roots of palm trees. Sand mining at Ngapali has disturbed the natural balance. Sand depths on the beach, one of the most attractive in Southeast Asia, are up to one metre lower than last year, and the slope to the foreshore is steeper.
The removal of the sand has enabled the sea to undermine the foundations of hotel compound boundary walls and the roots of palm trees, many of which fell over this year during the monsoon. Retaining walls for beachfront terraces at the Sandoway Resort and the Merciel Retreat and Resort also collapsed. A hotel being built by the Department of Civil Aviation, a stone’s throw from Thandwe Airport, encountered the same fate. The wall around the compound fell apart.
The Ministry of Hotels and Tourism has been trying to curb the sand mining since 2004. Its most recent effort to stop the illegal use of beach sand was MoHT notification 2/15, dated January 1, 2015. It was followed by notification 1/2015 from the Thandwe General Affairs Department on January 27, which prohibited the removal of beach sand and warned of serious action against those who flouted the rules. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
Volcanic mud may lead to re-zoning at Kyaukphyu
The SEZ was originally slated to sit in the eastern part of Kyaukphyu township, occupying over 100,000 acres.
In mid-2014, officials working on the project said the potential for even minor damage caused by mud volcanoes posed hurdles when it came to procuring site insurance.
Questions remain over a 250-acre section of the project, which has not yet been clearly demarcated.
The winning bid for developing the site, which has been decided but will not be announced officially until early next year, will see the developer conduct a feasibility study on the land, said U Than Maung, a member of the Bid Evaluation and Awarding Committee (BEAC) for the SEZ.
“We haven’t heard any plan to move the land. As some hotel projects will be included in the SEZ, [some might appreciate the volcanic activity] as a tourism attraction. But it [might not be possible to have] construction in the area,” he said.
The site’s low-level volcanic activity is considered similar to a site to that at Minbu in Magwe Region: It is not generally considered dangerous and is not an igneous volcano in that it does tend to produce lava. (Courtesy of MMTimes)
In mid-2014, officials working on the project said the potential for even minor damage caused by mud volcanoes posed hurdles when it came to procuring site insurance.
Questions remain over a 250-acre section of the project, which has not yet been clearly demarcated.
The winning bid for developing the site, which has been decided but will not be announced officially until early next year, will see the developer conduct a feasibility study on the land, said U Than Maung, a member of the Bid Evaluation and Awarding Committee (BEAC) for the SEZ.
“We haven’t heard any plan to move the land. As some hotel projects will be included in the SEZ, [some might appreciate the volcanic activity] as a tourism attraction. But it [might not be possible to have] construction in the area,” he said.
The site’s low-level volcanic activity is considered similar to a site to that at Minbu in Magwe Region: It is not generally considered dangerous and is not an igneous volcano in that it does tend to produce lava. (Courtesy of MMTimes)
San Bernardino Shooting Prompts Soul Searching Among US Muslims
Mr. Obama "has laid out the need to enlist Muslim-American communities in the past", CBS News senior national security analyst Juan Zarate said. Nearly seven in 10 Muslims identify as political moderates or liberals, according to a 2009 survey by Gallup. "All I want people to do is not to listen to the lies they hear on the news".
That's likely a reflection of their success in America.
Hayee said the Islamic State is not just an enemy of America or of Christianity, but an enemy of humanity as a whole.
Trump doesn't necessarily represent a majority of Americans. They report owning a business or being self-employed at a higher rate than the general population.
Because our president doesn't believe in us.
Muslims are an unpopular group these days.
There are countless examples of members of the religions involving faith as they perpetrate violence, such as Buddhist nationalist movement in SRI-INKA and Myanmar instigating violent campaigns against Muslims, for instance most people are able to critically analyze these movements and not lay the blame on a billion Muslims including myself, makes it clear that violence committed by Muslims is not because of faith. But it does mean that we can't turn a blind eye to the radicalized elements of their religion, which are not limited to al-Qaida or the Islamic State.
Ultimately, jihadism is a Muslim problem requiring a Muslim solution, both on the part of Muslim communities in the West and the Muslim countries surrounding the terrorist epicentre. Among the most concerned countries include Lebanon and Nigeria. Over those 14 years, these incidents, heinous as they were, resulted in 64 deaths. Just like ISIS, Russian President Putin can sense when an opportunity to exploit weakness is available - and that is just what he has done at the expense of the prestige and worldwide standing of the United States.
Terrorism is also the issue Americans consider critical - far more than illegal immigration and slightly more than mass shootings. (Courtesy of Tri-County Sun Times)
That's likely a reflection of their success in America.
Hayee said the Islamic State is not just an enemy of America or of Christianity, but an enemy of humanity as a whole.
Trump doesn't necessarily represent a majority of Americans. They report owning a business or being self-employed at a higher rate than the general population.
Because our president doesn't believe in us.
Muslims are an unpopular group these days.
There are countless examples of members of the religions involving faith as they perpetrate violence, such as Buddhist nationalist movement in SRI-INKA and Myanmar instigating violent campaigns against Muslims, for instance most people are able to critically analyze these movements and not lay the blame on a billion Muslims including myself, makes it clear that violence committed by Muslims is not because of faith. But it does mean that we can't turn a blind eye to the radicalized elements of their religion, which are not limited to al-Qaida or the Islamic State.
Ultimately, jihadism is a Muslim problem requiring a Muslim solution, both on the part of Muslim communities in the West and the Muslim countries surrounding the terrorist epicentre. Among the most concerned countries include Lebanon and Nigeria. Over those 14 years, these incidents, heinous as they were, resulted in 64 deaths. Just like ISIS, Russian President Putin can sense when an opportunity to exploit weakness is available - and that is just what he has done at the expense of the prestige and worldwide standing of the United States.
Terrorism is also the issue Americans consider critical - far more than illegal immigration and slightly more than mass shootings. (Courtesy of Tri-County Sun Times)
Top Thai Investigator in Rohingya Case Runs for his Life
The sudden departure of Thailand’s chief human trafficking investigator, Police Major General Paween Pongsirin, for Australia, apparently in fear for his life, raises the question of who and what he was afraid of when he fled. The top ranks of Thai army and law enforcement have been wracked with behind-the-scenes scandal for weeks, including suicides, disappearances and flights abroad.
No one knows who is connected to the forces that drove Paween abroad, although many others who have disappeared, died or committed suicide appear to have been in circles revolving around Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, who is expected to inherit the throne of his ailing father, the revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who turned 88 on Dec. 5.
The chaos illustrates the enormous disarray at the top of Thailand’s police and military, and the harsh crackdown led by former Army Chief Prayuth Chan-ocha in May of 2014 has done nothing to clean it up.
Paween meets with rights NGO
Fortify Rights, a nonprofit human rights NGO based in Southeast Asia and registered in the US and Switzerland, issued a press release on Dec. 10 saying Paween, a key witness in a high profile mass criminal trial of 91 alleged rights traffickers in Thailand, feared for his life and is now at an undisclosed location.
Paween was tasked with the investigation after mass graves were discovered in southern Thailand and on the Malaysian border in May of 2015. Paween said his investigation, which led to arrest warrants for 153 people including local politicians, businessmen, four policemen, members of the Thai army and navy and Internal Security Operation Command, was stopped by what he said were “high-ranking government officials” who should be facing justice. (Courtesy of Asia Sentinel)
No one knows who is connected to the forces that drove Paween abroad, although many others who have disappeared, died or committed suicide appear to have been in circles revolving around Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, who is expected to inherit the throne of his ailing father, the revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who turned 88 on Dec. 5.
The chaos illustrates the enormous disarray at the top of Thailand’s police and military, and the harsh crackdown led by former Army Chief Prayuth Chan-ocha in May of 2014 has done nothing to clean it up.
Paween meets with rights NGO
Fortify Rights, a nonprofit human rights NGO based in Southeast Asia and registered in the US and Switzerland, issued a press release on Dec. 10 saying Paween, a key witness in a high profile mass criminal trial of 91 alleged rights traffickers in Thailand, feared for his life and is now at an undisclosed location.
Paween was tasked with the investigation after mass graves were discovered in southern Thailand and on the Malaysian border in May of 2015. Paween said his investigation, which led to arrest warrants for 153 people including local politicians, businessmen, four policemen, members of the Thai army and navy and Internal Security Operation Command, was stopped by what he said were “high-ranking government officials” who should be facing justice. (Courtesy of Asia Sentinel)
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