YANGON, Myanmar – Myanmar police have announced that rumors on social media that a mosque in Yangon was used in human trafficking were found to be groundless, according to local media Monday.
The Myanmar Times reported that police as saying their investigation had revealed that the establishment serves as a place for religious education for more than 40 students during the daytime and around 120 boarders –all of them from Myanmar.
The probe can been launched after a rumor had spread online that a ward administrator had inspected the mosque overnight for a month and discovered the presence of more than 100 Muslims without national registration cards.
According to the Post, the postings – which had been shared over 13,000 times as of Sunday – also claimed that the human trafficking networks were receiving funding for countries in the Arabian Gulf.
Police also told the newspaper Sunday that a probe into the social media posts is ongoing.
Since Internet access became more widespread in the formerly isolated country, many have warned of rampant anti-Muslim hate speech on social media. (Courtesy of Fulton News)
December 15, 2015
Documentary reveals Acehnese kindness toward Rohingya
To raise awareness of the refugee crisis in the region, a group of students of Singapore's well known university has made a documentary on the Rohingya refugees in Aceh and how the Acehnese welcomed the strangers to their land.
The students, from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, entitled their documentay Peumulia Jamee, which means 'Honoring Guests' in Acehnese. It looks at how the oppressed Rohingya Muslims found a place of refuge in Aceh. The documentary, which served as the students' final year project, also highlighted the unlikely friendships that sprang up between the Rohingyas and the Acehnese as the refugees settled in Indonesia's westernmost province.
The communications studies students who worked on the documentary are Goh Chiew Tong as director, Jade Han Hui Jing as producer and Clarissa Sih as social media manager. They represent the Snapback Pictures team. They started their project on Dec. 5 when they arrived in Aceh.
“Set in Aceh, Peumulia Jamee will not only uncover the hardship and uncertainty of the Rohingya Muslims, but will also shed light on the love the Acehnese have showered on these strangers who are aliens in their homeland,” Han said in a press statement sent to thejakartapost.com on Monday. (Courtesy of The Jakarta Post)
The students, from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, entitled their documentay Peumulia Jamee, which means 'Honoring Guests' in Acehnese. It looks at how the oppressed Rohingya Muslims found a place of refuge in Aceh. The documentary, which served as the students' final year project, also highlighted the unlikely friendships that sprang up between the Rohingyas and the Acehnese as the refugees settled in Indonesia's westernmost province.
The communications studies students who worked on the documentary are Goh Chiew Tong as director, Jade Han Hui Jing as producer and Clarissa Sih as social media manager. They represent the Snapback Pictures team. They started their project on Dec. 5 when they arrived in Aceh.
“Set in Aceh, Peumulia Jamee will not only uncover the hardship and uncertainty of the Rohingya Muslims, but will also shed light on the love the Acehnese have showered on these strangers who are aliens in their homeland,” Han said in a press statement sent to thejakartapost.com on Monday. (Courtesy of The Jakarta Post)
December 14, 2015
The Tatmadaw in a democracy
Earlier in the year I wrote a column drawing attention to the vibrant Facebook presence of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. His PR team have clearly decided there is no point in avoiding Myanmar’s social media platform of choice.
The general has now clocked up almost 400,000 followers. It is a big number: bigger than the best-guess estimates of the Tatmadaw’s uniformed personnel, which is currently somewhere between 300,000 to 350,000.
On Facebook, his posts in Myanmar and English often receive dozens of comments and thousands of “likes”.
Since the election Senior General Min Aung Hlaing’s statements have sought to position the Tatmadaw as the country’s primary security, rather than political, institution. This is an astute manoeuvre at a time when the Myanmar people are not going to accept the re-militarisation of their politics.
Given what happened the last time the National League for Democracy won an election, many are wary of the generals’ ambitions. Trust remains in deficit. Yet on current indications there is an appetite, among the highest ranks, for further diminishing the military’s political role. It is happening step by step, and not without some hesitation, which is why some people assert that little has changed and that the army is still in-charge. (Courtesy of mmtimes.com)
The general has now clocked up almost 400,000 followers. It is a big number: bigger than the best-guess estimates of the Tatmadaw’s uniformed personnel, which is currently somewhere between 300,000 to 350,000.
On Facebook, his posts in Myanmar and English often receive dozens of comments and thousands of “likes”.
Since the election Senior General Min Aung Hlaing’s statements have sought to position the Tatmadaw as the country’s primary security, rather than political, institution. This is an astute manoeuvre at a time when the Myanmar people are not going to accept the re-militarisation of their politics.
Given what happened the last time the National League for Democracy won an election, many are wary of the generals’ ambitions. Trust remains in deficit. Yet on current indications there is an appetite, among the highest ranks, for further diminishing the military’s political role. It is happening step by step, and not without some hesitation, which is why some people assert that little has changed and that the army is still in-charge. (Courtesy of mmtimes.com)
Myanmar's Suu Kyi blames lack of safety regulations for deadly landslide
Last week, Yohei Sasakawa, the government's special envoy for national reconciliation in Myanmar, met with a top NLD member and handed over a letter from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe inviting Suu Kyi to visit Japan, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.
President Thein Sein and Commander-in-Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing have agreed to meet National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Wednesday, ending almost three weeks of uncertainty in the wake of the NLD's emphatic election victory.
The Nobel Peace Prize victor also told lawmakers that they'd be taking a salary cut of 25 per cent in a gesture to the largely poor people who elected them, said an MP who attended the meeting.
But Suu Kyi is still banned under the army-drafted constitution from becoming president because she married and had children with a foreigner. (Courtesy of examinerpress.com)
President Thein Sein and Commander-in-Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing have agreed to meet National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Wednesday, ending almost three weeks of uncertainty in the wake of the NLD's emphatic election victory.
The Nobel Peace Prize victor also told lawmakers that they'd be taking a salary cut of 25 per cent in a gesture to the largely poor people who elected them, said an MP who attended the meeting.
But Suu Kyi is still banned under the army-drafted constitution from becoming president because she married and had children with a foreigner. (Courtesy of examinerpress.com)
End to bartering kills India-Myanmar trade
Border trade between Myanmar and India has come to an abrupt halt after authorities called an end to a popular barter system, according to a local association.
On December 1, India ended long-standing rules allowing border trade to be settled by an exchange of goods. Since then, business has almost stopped, said U Khin Mg Tin, joint secretary of the Border Trade Chambers of Commerce Association in Kalay.
India’s central bank said last month that barter trade is no longer necessary, as an adequate banking system is now in place on both sides of the border. However, banks on the Indian side are not yet issuing letters of credit said U Khin Mg Tin.
Traders don’t know when this will start, he said. “There are weaknesses in the banking systems in both countries. I think the telegraph transfer system would work in Myanmar, but they don’t have this in India,” he said.
Trade can be settled in any “permitted currency”, in addition to the Asian Clearing Union mechanism, the Reserve Bank of India said in a November circular. Under the ACU, traders can settle border transactions through their central banks. (Courtesy of mmtimes.com)
On December 1, India ended long-standing rules allowing border trade to be settled by an exchange of goods. Since then, business has almost stopped, said U Khin Mg Tin, joint secretary of the Border Trade Chambers of Commerce Association in Kalay.
India’s central bank said last month that barter trade is no longer necessary, as an adequate banking system is now in place on both sides of the border. However, banks on the Indian side are not yet issuing letters of credit said U Khin Mg Tin.
Traders don’t know when this will start, he said. “There are weaknesses in the banking systems in both countries. I think the telegraph transfer system would work in Myanmar, but they don’t have this in India,” he said.
Trade can be settled in any “permitted currency”, in addition to the Asian Clearing Union mechanism, the Reserve Bank of India said in a November circular. Under the ACU, traders can settle border transactions through their central banks. (Courtesy of mmtimes.com)
Suu Kyi seizes on trash issue to stress NLD's commitment
KAWHMU (Myanmar) • Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, in a rare public appearance since her election triumph, took to the streets of Myanmar to pick up rubbish to highlight her party's commitment to public service.
Ms Suu Kyi has told newly minted MPs from her National League for Democracy (NLD) party, which took nearly 80 per cent of contested seats in the Nov 8 polls, that they are quite literally responsible for keeping their constituencies clean.
Garbage is a huge problem in Myanmar, which lacks regular trash collection and proper landfill sites. (Courtesy of straitstimes.com)
Ms Suu Kyi has told newly minted MPs from her National League for Democracy (NLD) party, which took nearly 80 per cent of contested seats in the Nov 8 polls, that they are quite literally responsible for keeping their constituencies clean.
Garbage is a huge problem in Myanmar, which lacks regular trash collection and proper landfill sites. (Courtesy of straitstimes.com)
Japan receiving more refugee applications
TOKYO -- The number of people applying for refugee status in Japan has been increasing at a record pace this year. Most of the applicants are coming from other Asian countries, including Nepal and Sri Lanka. The influx may mirror the ongoing refugee crisis in Europe and the Middle East.
But things are a bit different in Japan.
"I know that these kanji characters mean yuryo, or excellent," one of two girls from Myanmar in their late teens said while studying Japanese at Support 21 Social Welfare Foundation, a support group for refugees in Tokyo. "I've seen the word on a resume. I knew the word yuryo [not free of charge], but this one is different." (Courtesy of asia.nikkei.com)
But things are a bit different in Japan.
"I know that these kanji characters mean yuryo, or excellent," one of two girls from Myanmar in their late teens said while studying Japanese at Support 21 Social Welfare Foundation, a support group for refugees in Tokyo. "I've seen the word on a resume. I knew the word yuryo [not free of charge], but this one is different." (Courtesy of asia.nikkei.com)
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