RANGOON — A commander and “several” other members of the Burma Army have been killed in recent fighting with the Arakan Army in Kyauktaw Township, according to state-run media, which on Friday reported that the military intended to “remove” the ethnic armed group from Arakan State.
An incongruous front page of the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar on Friday featured a detailed account of fighting over the period of Dec. 28-Jan. 4. Above the article was reported the latest developments in the government-led peace process with non-state armed groups who have signed a so-called nationwide ceasefire agreement with Naypyidaw, a grouping of eight that does not include the Arakan Army.
The former report said the Burma Army commander was shot and killed by sniper fire from the Arakan Army. The Burma Army seized arms and other equipment from the ethnic armed group as it mounted an operation to clear the Ranchaung area in Kyauktaw Township of the rebel group, according to the report, which described the Arakan Army as “insurgents.”
An apparent discrepancy between English- and Burmese-language state dailies on Friday described the military as having alternately “captured” and recovered the dead bodies of three Arakan Army soldiers. (Courtesy of Irrawaddy)
January 8, 2016
The case of a French aid worker arrested in Bangladesh
The French government, human rights organisations and social media users worldwide have spent the past two weeks calling on the Bangladeshi government to release Moussa Tchantchiung, who was arrested on December 22.
Tchantchiung is a French citizen and a member of the French NGO Barakacity, a human rights organisation providing humanitarian services to needy communities in 22 countries. He was arrested by the BGB, an elite Bangladeshi police unit while on his way to visit Rohingya refugee camps in the country. The Bangladeshi government has since accused him, among other charges, of having ties to "terrorism".
The #FreeMoussa campaign, which has been trending on Twitter, was started in reaction to his arrest, while online petitions have called on the Bangladeshi government to release him. Celebrities and intellectuals have been publicly drawing attention to the case.
Barakacity insists that Tchantchiung had merely travelled to Bangladesh to provide humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya population, which has been living in camps in the south of the country that the Bangladeshi government considers illegal.
The Rohingya established the makeshift camps, 50km from the border with Myanmar, in an area surrounded by Bangladeshi military checkpoints that allegedly prevent them from moving further into the country to seek refuge. (Courtesy of Aljazeera English)
Tchantchiung is a French citizen and a member of the French NGO Barakacity, a human rights organisation providing humanitarian services to needy communities in 22 countries. He was arrested by the BGB, an elite Bangladeshi police unit while on his way to visit Rohingya refugee camps in the country. The Bangladeshi government has since accused him, among other charges, of having ties to "terrorism".
The #FreeMoussa campaign, which has been trending on Twitter, was started in reaction to his arrest, while online petitions have called on the Bangladeshi government to release him. Celebrities and intellectuals have been publicly drawing attention to the case.
Barakacity insists that Tchantchiung had merely travelled to Bangladesh to provide humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya population, which has been living in camps in the south of the country that the Bangladeshi government considers illegal.
The Rohingya established the makeshift camps, 50km from the border with Myanmar, in an area surrounded by Bangladeshi military checkpoints that allegedly prevent them from moving further into the country to seek refuge. (Courtesy of Aljazeera English)
Rakhine migration drains residents of hope
Driven out by poverty, unemployment and hopelessness, almost three-quarters of young men in some Rakhine State townships have left to find work elsewhere. Though many make for Kachin State or Yangon, others spend a small fortune on brokers’ fees to work illegally in Thailand or Malaysia, local residents say.
In an interview in December, a volunteer with the NGO Tan Lan said that in Minbya and Myebon townships, some 74 percent of young men had emigrated because of poverty and natural disasters.
According to the 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing Census, 115, 502 Rakhine household members were living abroad, of which 94,000 were men. Of the total number of Rakhine migrants, over 74,000 of them were in Thailand and over 28,000 in Malaysia.
Though migrants from Tanintharyi Region townships such as Dawei and Myeik are said to earn enough in Thailand or Malaysia to support their families, this seems not to be the case in Rakhine State.
Married men who go off to find work overseas leave the burden on the wives and children they leave behind.
It can cost K800,000 to get a job in Thailand or Malaysia, money that is paid to brokers, with interest to be paid on the loan. The wives must make the repayments, as well as finding the living costs for themselves and their children. (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
In an interview in December, a volunteer with the NGO Tan Lan said that in Minbya and Myebon townships, some 74 percent of young men had emigrated because of poverty and natural disasters.
According to the 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing Census, 115, 502 Rakhine household members were living abroad, of which 94,000 were men. Of the total number of Rakhine migrants, over 74,000 of them were in Thailand and over 28,000 in Malaysia.
Though migrants from Tanintharyi Region townships such as Dawei and Myeik are said to earn enough in Thailand or Malaysia to support their families, this seems not to be the case in Rakhine State.
Married men who go off to find work overseas leave the burden on the wives and children they leave behind.
It can cost K800,000 to get a job in Thailand or Malaysia, money that is paid to brokers, with interest to be paid on the loan. The wives must make the repayments, as well as finding the living costs for themselves and their children. (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
Tatmadaw pledges to ‘eliminate’ Arakan Army in Rakhine fighting
A statement by the military also accused the Arakan Army of having ties with illegal armed groups in Bangladesh.
“The Tatmadaw will eliminate Arakan Army rebels for the security of people’s life and property,” the military said. It also reported the death of a battalion commander shot by an insurgent sniper in fighting that it said began on December 28. The military said other troops were also killed and wounded but did not disclose numbers.
Colonel Nyo Tun Aung, an Arakan Army deputy chief of staff, told The Myanmar Times they were expecting a military offensive. He said the group would defend itself but would not make its own attacks. He denied links with armed groups in Bangladesh.
He said the fighting would have an impact on the peace process, with ethnic armed groups planning to take part in a first round of political dialogue with the government and the military in Nay Pyi Taw next week following the signing of the so-called nationwide ceasefire agreement last October. “This can damage national reconciliation,” he said. (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
“The Tatmadaw will eliminate Arakan Army rebels for the security of people’s life and property,” the military said. It also reported the death of a battalion commander shot by an insurgent sniper in fighting that it said began on December 28. The military said other troops were also killed and wounded but did not disclose numbers.
Colonel Nyo Tun Aung, an Arakan Army deputy chief of staff, told The Myanmar Times they were expecting a military offensive. He said the group would defend itself but would not make its own attacks. He denied links with armed groups in Bangladesh.
He said the fighting would have an impact on the peace process, with ethnic armed groups planning to take part in a first round of political dialogue with the government and the military in Nay Pyi Taw next week following the signing of the so-called nationwide ceasefire agreement last October. “This can damage national reconciliation,” he said. (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
Rakhine locals to dispute SEZ tender
Local people will meet with government ministers, lawyers and representatives from CITIC and the SEZ’s Bid Evaluation and Awarding Committee (BEAC), according to U Tun Kyi, secretary of Kyaukphyu Regional Development Association, a local NGO.
The government announced late last year that the committee had awarded the tender to a CITI-led consortium, consisting of six Chinese firms and one Thai company. The announcement came less than a week after more than 107 Rakhine State civil society groups met at a three-day forum, and demanded that the project be suspended. That forum objected to a lack of transparency in the tender selection process, demanded more consideration for the welfare of local people and asked that the project be suspended until the National League for Democracy takes power.
The selection of a consortium led by a Chinese firm has done nothing to soothe local concerns. Some Rakhine locals have pointed to CITIC’s nationality as yet another concern. Several Chinese firms or projects involving Chinese companies have under fire from local protestors. (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
The government announced late last year that the committee had awarded the tender to a CITI-led consortium, consisting of six Chinese firms and one Thai company. The announcement came less than a week after more than 107 Rakhine State civil society groups met at a three-day forum, and demanded that the project be suspended. That forum objected to a lack of transparency in the tender selection process, demanded more consideration for the welfare of local people and asked that the project be suspended until the National League for Democracy takes power.
The selection of a consortium led by a Chinese firm has done nothing to soothe local concerns. Some Rakhine locals have pointed to CITIC’s nationality as yet another concern. Several Chinese firms or projects involving Chinese companies have under fire from local protestors. (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
The first casualty of war is truth
The first casualty of war is the truth, said Arthur Ponsonby in 1928, in his book ‘Falsehood in Wartime’. Searching to understand the truth about what is happening amongst all the reports and commentators about the so called ‘War on Terror’ is a difficult job. Each reporter, each commentator, each politician and each news outlet has their own biases and interests, which causes them to make some assumptions.
The role of the media and politicians should be to protect their populations, promote justice and human rights, and to seek the truth about terrorist attacks in as objective a manner as possible. However, today most politicians and channels seem limited in their ability to do this, being dependent upon funding from one source or another and bound by the laws of a particular place. Money seems to influence politics in various liberal societies, calling into question how real democracy, i e representation of, and a voice for all the people can be possible. It seems that today the less than 1 percent with most of the power and money are often just trying to find any means to hold onto and increase their monopoly of influence.
One thing is for certain: generalisations made about any group of people are going to be inaccurate and unjust. Against all media ethics should be the use of the media for propaganda purposes — to generalise in a very opinionated way in order to spread amongst the public a feeling of superiority, mistrust, suspicion, then fear and panic about a particular group or groups of human beings. This process also involves demonisation of a group of people and hence incitement of violence against them, based on a few selected ‘facts’ from history, much suspicion, and sometimes blatant lies. (Courtesy of The Peninsula Qatar)
The role of the media and politicians should be to protect their populations, promote justice and human rights, and to seek the truth about terrorist attacks in as objective a manner as possible. However, today most politicians and channels seem limited in their ability to do this, being dependent upon funding from one source or another and bound by the laws of a particular place. Money seems to influence politics in various liberal societies, calling into question how real democracy, i e representation of, and a voice for all the people can be possible. It seems that today the less than 1 percent with most of the power and money are often just trying to find any means to hold onto and increase their monopoly of influence.
One thing is for certain: generalisations made about any group of people are going to be inaccurate and unjust. Against all media ethics should be the use of the media for propaganda purposes — to generalise in a very opinionated way in order to spread amongst the public a feeling of superiority, mistrust, suspicion, then fear and panic about a particular group or groups of human beings. This process also involves demonisation of a group of people and hence incitement of violence against them, based on a few selected ‘facts’ from history, much suspicion, and sometimes blatant lies. (Courtesy of The Peninsula Qatar)
Rohingya refugees charged with trying to conceal body
The Star Online reported that the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared dazed and confused when the charges were read out to him. His co-defendants, welder Mohd Shafiq Nur Islam, 20, and coffeeshop worker Azizulllah Idris, 42, did not show any emotion.
The three, all United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees card holders, were accused of hiding the body of another as-yet unidentified Myanma in bushes near a water tank on Jalan Semerah Padi, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, at 1pm on December 24, 2015. Azizullah later lodged a police report on the incident, which then led to their arrest. (Courtesy of The Malaysian Insider)
The three, all United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees card holders, were accused of hiding the body of another as-yet unidentified Myanma in bushes near a water tank on Jalan Semerah Padi, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, at 1pm on December 24, 2015. Azizullah later lodged a police report on the incident, which then led to their arrest. (Courtesy of The Malaysian Insider)
The forgotten Rohingya Muslims
While countries across the Western world are busy bickering over the highly politicised influx of migrant families from Syria and Iraq, a lesser-known humanitarian crisis is brewing in the heart of Southeast Asia.
A forgotten silent minority known as the Rohingyas, who are effectively stateless, continue to endure appalling conditions in closely guarded camps in countries that refuse to accord them rights as humans, let alone refugees.
In Myanmar, where it all started, apartheid-esque laws deprive the minority Muslim community of basic rights forcing them to take the grim decision to sail eastward on dingy boats run by smuggling cartels infamous for abuse and rape. While most Syrian migrants land on Europe’s shores and acquire some form of acceptance, the unwanted Rohingya diaspora land in neighbouring Thailand and Malaysia, even as both countries refuse to accept them. (Courtesy of The Express Tribune)
A forgotten silent minority known as the Rohingyas, who are effectively stateless, continue to endure appalling conditions in closely guarded camps in countries that refuse to accord them rights as humans, let alone refugees.
In Myanmar, where it all started, apartheid-esque laws deprive the minority Muslim community of basic rights forcing them to take the grim decision to sail eastward on dingy boats run by smuggling cartels infamous for abuse and rape. While most Syrian migrants land on Europe’s shores and acquire some form of acceptance, the unwanted Rohingya diaspora land in neighbouring Thailand and Malaysia, even as both countries refuse to accept them. (Courtesy of The Express Tribune)
Locals Protest Ongoing Skirmishes in Arakan State
RANGOON — Residents of Arakan State’s Mrauk-U Township held a protest on Thursday against ongoing clashes between the Arakan and Burma armies in nearby Kyauktaw Township.
Rally organizer Kyaw Tun Oo said some 500 residents gathered around noon at Martyr Otama Park. A number of civil society groups also joined the event to register their disapproval.
According to Kyaw Tun Oo, residents demanded an end to the use of villagers as laborers in the conflict and misusing funds generated from natural resources to wage war.
They also called for all of Burma’s ethnic armed groups to come together in political dialogue, emphasizing how military operations only harm ethnic social environments.
Myint Thaung, police chief of Mrauk-U, confirmed that protesters had obtained official permission from authorities ahead of the event. (Courtesy of Rohingya Visiont TV)
Rally organizer Kyaw Tun Oo said some 500 residents gathered around noon at Martyr Otama Park. A number of civil society groups also joined the event to register their disapproval.
According to Kyaw Tun Oo, residents demanded an end to the use of villagers as laborers in the conflict and misusing funds generated from natural resources to wage war.
They also called for all of Burma’s ethnic armed groups to come together in political dialogue, emphasizing how military operations only harm ethnic social environments.
Myint Thaung, police chief of Mrauk-U, confirmed that protesters had obtained official permission from authorities ahead of the event. (Courtesy of Rohingya Visiont TV)
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