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)
December 29, 2015
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)
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