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Myanmar Weekly News 14th June2014 Vol.1 No.24

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MY NM R WEEKLY NEWS

Vol 1, No.24 14th June 2014 www.myanmar.com

Table of Contents

NEWSMAKERS

Myanmar panel deals blow to Suu Kyi's chances ofbecoming president

Myanmar Wakes Up to Climate Change

President al-Assad receives congratulatory cables fromleaders of Myanmar and Abkhazia

Ignoring deadly repression in Myanmar

Arakanese monks assembled in Sittwe Myanmar‘s army still abducts civilians and forces themto act as guides and human shields




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POLITICS

Myanmar panel deals blow to Suu Kyi's chances of becomingpresident

By Aung Hla Tun

YANGON Fri Jun 13, 2014

Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi delivers a speech calling for the amendment of the 2008 Constitution at a rally inAungpinlae Stadium in Mandalay, May 18, 2014.

YANGON (June 13): Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's hopes of becoming Myanmar'spresident next year have been dealt a blow when a parliamentary committee voted not tochange a constitutional clause that bars her from the post, two of the panel members saidon Friday.

The committee tasked with recommending amendments opted to retain the section thatprevents anyone married to a foreigner or with children of foreign citizenship from becoming

head of state.

The two sources declined to be identified and did not say why the proposal was rejected by26 of the 31 panelists.

Most experts believe the clause, 59 (f), was written into the military-drafted 2008constitution specifically to sideline Suu Kyi, who became a global icon for her fight againstmilitary rule, most of it from house arrest.




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Her late husband was British, as are her two sons.

"Only five of the 31 committee members voted in favour of amending the section at theclosed door meeting of the committee," said a member who requested anonymity becausethe committee's affairs are meant to be secret.

Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD) party have been pushing forconstitutional change ahead of next year's election, mainly to reduce the political clout ofthe military, which ruled Myanmar for 49 years until a nominally civilian government led byretired generals took office in 2011.

The committee picked to assess amendments has only two NLD members on it and iscomprised mainly of lawmakers from the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party(USDP), which was created from a social movement of a similar name set up by the former junta.

The USDP has 14 people on the panel and seven members are serving military officersappointed as lawmakers as part of a 25 percent legislative quota allocated to the armed

forces, a clause the NLD, which suffered persecution by the former regime, wants tochange.

Myanmar lawmakers are assessing changes to the constitution ahead of next year'sparliamentary election.

A vote in the bicameral legislature to change the constitution to allow Suu Kyi to becomepresident is still possible, although political analysts say it is extremely unlikely it would bepassed because the military and its USDP allies dominate parliament.

Her party, however, said it was not over yet.

"We can't say Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has no chance of becoming the president until theunion parliament approves it," said spokesman and senior party official Nyan Win. Daw is anhonorific in Myanmar.

"We need to wait till the committee submits its final suggestions at the parliament."

Myanmar's constitution was crafted by the former junta as the basis for the country'sgradual transition to democracy. The semi-civilian government has surprised the world withreforms that were unthinkable under direct army control and managed to convince Suu Kyiand the NLD to join parliament.

The United States suspended most sanctions in recognition of Myanmar's sweeping

changes, but still regards the constitution as undemocratic. In January, congress passed aspending bill that requires further reform, including a revised constitution, as a prerequisitefor the complete removal of sanctions. - Reuters

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/13/us-myanmar-politics-suu-kyi-idUSKBN0EO0LP20140613




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Myanmar Wakes Up to Climate Change

Commercial logging and firewood extraction for domestic use have accelerated Myanmar's deforestation rates in the last three decades.

Credit: Amantha Perera/IPS.

YANGON, May 6 2014 (IPS) - Between 2008 and 2013, when Myanmar remained largelyclosed off to the rest of the world, it suffered a terrible toll at the hands of nature thatremained largely unknown.

In those five years, the country of 60 million suffered at least eight major natural calamitesthat killed more than 141,000 people and affected 3.2 million.

The worst of these was Cyclone Nargis in May 2008 that killed more than 130,000 andaffected 2.4 million.

Myanmar is still covered with some of the most pristine jungles in East Asia, but thedeforestation rate is alarming.

Myanmar has been vulnerable to increasing extreme weather events like many of itsneighbours. But as the Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group of Myanmar noted in anextensive analysis last year of the nation‘s disaster preparedness levels, the dangers have

been amplified because the country has been slow to take remedial measures against

changing climate patterns.

The East Asian country‘s ranking 167 out of 176 countries surveyed by The GlobalAdaptation Institute ―is as much a reflection of Myanmar‘s exposure to climate change as itis of the country‘s low capacity to manage climate risks,‖ the report said.




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Such under-preparedness comes at a terrible cost. The same report found that over 2.6million people live in areas vulnerable to natural disasters ranging from cyclones in thesouth to earthquakes in the north.

Since the reformist Thein Sein government took office in May 2011, there has been renewedattention to put in place measures that will help the country meet the challenges posed by

changing climate patterns.

―I think the government is pretty serious about taking action on this, they know howimportant it is,‖ Helena Mazarro, the focal point for disaster risk reduction in Myanmar at

the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) told IPS.

In June 2013 the government unveiled the new Disaster Management Law and the NationalNatural Disaster Preparedness Working Committee under the President‘s Office. A newbuilding code is being formulated to make sure the current building boom does notundermine standards and put more people at risk.

On Apr. 1 this year a total ban on exporting of unprocessed timber was put in place to bring

about controls on logging.

―Disaster preparedness levels have improved substantially since Cyclone Nargis. In mid

2013, Myanmar was significantly better prepared to respond to the approaching CycloneMahasen,‖ said Maciej Pieczkowski, programme manager with the InternationalOrganisation for Migration (IOM) in Myanmar.

Mahasen caused limited damage and around 200 deaths. More than 120,000 persons wereevacuated from the cyclone‘s path in the western Rakhine region before the storm madelandfall.

Pieczkowski said that after Mahasen the government carried out further evaluation of its

disaster preparedness levels.

But despite the new disaster management law, coordination with the government andvarious non-governmental agencies is yet to be streamlined. While the internationalagencies tend to be structured along clusters working on different areas like emergencyshelter or water or sanitation, the government still does not have such a structuredapproach, the OCHA‘s Mazarro said.

The main government agency that coordinates relief and preparedness work is the Ministryof Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement. ―We are trying to bring clarity to such

coordination and further enhance the disaster management laws. It is a work in pro gress,‖the OCHA official said.

Jaiganesh Murugesan, a disaster risk specialist with UN-HABITAT told IPS that while at thenational level preparedness levels had improved, rural areas still lag behind. ―The focusshould be on long-term risk reduction while preparedness is essential for immediate work,‖he said.

Peeranan Towashiraporn, director at the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC) saidthat lack of resources was a major concern given the list of vulnerabilities the country faces.




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―Different geographical areas of Myanmar face different kinds of risks. The Delta region, aswe have seen from Cyclone Nargis, could suffer from the impact of cyclone and coastalflooding. Rakhine state in the northwest is facing threats of cyclones, river and coastalflooding, earthquakes. The central plain along the Irrawaddy River faces not only the risk off looding, but also earthquakes.‖

Towashiraporn said that the new building code which takes into account threats posed byearthquakes and storms, would need to be implemented strictly to be effective.

Myanmar is still covered with some of the most pristine jungles in East Asia, but thedeforestation rate is alarming. About half of the country is still covered in forest, butMyanmar could be losing 466,000 hectares of forest a year if not more, according to theUnited Nations Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation (UN-REDD).

Between 1990 and 2005, its forest cover reduced by 18 percent. Many experts saydeforestation has accelerated due to commercial logging and firewood extraction fordomestic use.

The timber export ban that came into effect in April is partly aimed at controlling illegallogging. In the 12 months prior to the ban, export earnings through timber were estimatedto be above one billion dollars, up from the average annual rate of between 600 to 800million dollars, according to the Myanmar Timber Merchants Association.

Kevin Woods, the author of the report ‗Timber Trade Flows and Actors in Myanmar: The

Political Economy of Myanmar‘s Timber Trade‘ told IPS that the government was making allthe right statements but needed to shore up on implementation.

―The government also has plans to dramatically decrease the quota for cut logs. So farnothing has been implemented to the best of my knowledge, although there is increasingpolitical will to see this through.‖

Source: http://www.ipsnews.net/2014/05/myanmar-wakes-climate-change/

Myanmar Committee's Vote a Setback for Suu Kyi

A parliamentary committee has voted against changing a clause in Myanmar's Constitutionthat bars opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi from becoming president, in a setback to her

hopes of leading the Southeast Asian nation.

The clause bars anyone whose spouse or children are loyal to foreign countries frombecoming president or vice president. Suu Kyi's late husband and her two sons are Britishcitizens.

Twenty-six of the 31 members of the committee tasked with recommending changes votedagainst amending the clause.




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A final decision is subject to a vote of the full parliament. But a change appears unlikely,since the committee members who rejected the amendment are lawmakers from the pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party and the military, which hold anoverwhelming majority of the legislative seats. It‘s unclear when parliament will take actionon the recommendation.

Suu Kyi has said that the current constitution needs to be amended to meet democraticnorms and to make elections free and fair. Her party has been holding rallies to gain publicsupport and convince the military and the government to amend the constitution

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/myanmar-committees-vote-a-setback-for-suu-kyi/2014/06/13/2e0bb610-f2f0-11e3-8d66-029598e98add_story.html

US raises concern to Myanmar on interfaith marriage

The United States has voiced concerns to Myanmar on proposed restrictions on interfaithmarriage amid growing worries about actions that target minority Muslims.

The State Department said it raised concerns "at the highest levels" of Myanmar'sgovernment, which is considering a ban on marriages across religious lines amid a surge ofBuddhist nationalism since the country launched democratic reforms.

"The United States opposes any measure that would criminalise interfaith marriages. Such astep would be inconsistent with the government's efforts to promote tolerance and respectfor human rights," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement late

yesterday in response to reporters' questions.

Authorities in Myanmar have proposed a variety of restrictive measures seen as targetingthe Rohingya, a mostly Muslim minority who are not considered citizens by the government.Anti-Muslim violence has left around 250 people dead in the last two years.

The United Nations considers the Rohingya one of the world's most persecuted minorities.Myanmar's western Rakhine state has barred the Rohingya from having more than twochildren and Myanmar's parliament is also considering a proposal to restrict religiousconversions.

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom, which advises the US government

on policy, said that the anti-conversion law "has no place in the 21st century." "This draftlaw, and the three others that may follow, risk stoking continuing violence anddiscrimination against Muslims and other religious minorities, including Christians," said thecommission's chairman, Robert George.

US President Barack Obama raised concerns about treatment of minorities on a landmarkvisit to Myanmar in 2012 but he has also hailed the government for undertaking democraticreforms and removed most economic sanctions.




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Myanmar, earlier known as Burma, has freed political prisoners, eased censorship,reconciled with Western nations and allowed long-detained opposition leader Aung San SuuKyi to enter parliament.

Source: http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/us-raises-concern-to-myanmar-on-interfaith-marriage-114061201384_1.html

US: 'Serious concerns' over Myanmar marriage bill

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The State Department has voiced serious concerns about proposals tocriminalize interfaith marriage in Myanmar, while rights groups warned Thursday thatpassage of such discriminatory legislation could spark more violence against Muslims.

Nationalist Buddhist monks are pushing legislation to "protect and preserve race andreligion" in the Southeast Asian nation, which has seen bouts of violence against minorityMuslims in the past two years that have killed more than 200 people and displaced tens ofthousands.

President Thein Sein has directed parliament to draft four pieces of legislation that wouldalso restrict religious conversion, ban polygamy and enact population control measures -widely viewed as steps directed against Muslims.

The proposed legislation raises questions about the direction of Myanmar's democratic

reforms as it shifts from decades of military rule.

The Obama administration has been a staunch supporter of Thein Sein, helping hisgovernment to escape pariah status. But nationalist sentiments appear on the rise in thecountry also known as Burma ahead of pivotal national elections in 2015.

"The United States opposes any measure that would criminalize interfaith marriages. Such astep would be inconsistent with the government's efforts to promote tolerance and respectfor human rights," spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in written response to a question posed at apress briefing Wednesday.

Earlier this week, U.S. Ambassador to Myanmar, Derek Mitchell, said he spoke to women

activists who reported receiving death threats for opposing the marriage bill.

In a statement Thursday, a coalition of 80 civil society groups said the draft religiousconversion law, published May 27 and currently open for public comment, would unlawfullyrestrict the right to choose a religion freely.

The bill "appears to legitimize the views of those promoting hate-speech and incitingviolence against Muslims and other minorities and if adopted, will further institutionalize




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discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities," the coalition, including the British-based group Christian Solidarity Worldwide, said.

Robert George, chairman of the Commission on International Religious Freedom, said theconversion legislation would contravene Myanmar's international commitments to protectfreedom of religion or belief.

"Such a law has no place in the 21st century, and we urge that it be withdrawn," he said ina statement.

Rep. Joseph Crowley, a leading voice in Congress on Myanmar policy, said it was mostdisappointing that Thein Sein's office was pushing the efforts to "institutionalizediscrimination."

"On top of the fact that he still hasn't released all political prisoners, attacks are continuingagainst ethnic groups, and he has not supported constitutional reform. I'm seriouslyconcerned about the overall situation," the Democratic lawmaker said.

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/us-concerns-myanmar-marriage-bill-24105780

Western military ties to Myanmar under the spotlight

US and British military involvement with Myanmar has come under the spotlight, as has anoffer for Myanmar to discuss the potential to send its troops as UN peacekeepers, following

the release of a report this week detailing continued use of torture by the Myanmar armyand evidence that it has committed war crimes in the past year.

The report, "I Thought They Would Kill Me‖: Ending Wartime Torture in Northern Myanmar,

by Fortify Rights, documents more than 60 instances of torture of civilians committed sincethe Myanmar army rekindled a conflict with the Kachin Independence Army in June 2011.Among these are severe and prolonged beatings of civilians, deprivation of food and water,and the forcing of detainees to lick pools of their own blood.

The report comes amid renewed scrutiny of developing western relations with the Myanmargovernment and military. Critics have argued that the government‘s promise of widereaching reforms, which prompted the US and Britain, among other nations, to re-establish

ties with the government, have in many instances failed to materialize. Conflict is ongoing innorthern and eastern parts of the country, and a widening crackdown on free expressionhas seen journalists and protestors jailed on spurious charges.

The war in Kachin and Shan states is considered evidence of a significant backslide inprogress towards peace with ethnic armies. The pledge from President Thein Sein to cementceasefires with multiple armed groups had led both Britain and US to begin militaryengagement with the army in 2013, while in a meeting in February this year the UN invitedMyanmar to discuss the possibility of sending UN peacekeepers.




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But a month later, amid increasing reports of abuse, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moonissued a call for Myanmar to ―fully investigate and respond to current and historical human

rights violations and abuses, including crimes of sexual violence.‖ Four weeks on from BanKi-moon‘s statement, the Free Burma Rangers aid group reported the rape of a 17 -year-oldKachin girl by two Myanmar soldiers in Dawhpum Kagam village in Kachin state.

A spokesperson for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told ucanews.com that the initiationof peacekeeper discussions did not automatically lead to a deployment of troops, which ―takes time and at every step the UN has the opportunity to assist and advise the memberstates in their preparation to ensure they comply with UN standards.‖

But Matthew Smith, author of the Fortify Rights report, said that in light of repeated reportsof abuse, the invitation for discussions was ―absurdly premature‖.

―The military isn't willing to address its own abuses and atrocities at home, let alone holdperpetrators accountable, and we're supposed to believe it's sensible to have a discussionabout spreading those same troops around the world? The Myanmar Army's behaviorviolates everything the UN stands for.‖

The British government has also come under criticism. Around £87,000 has been spent on a ‗Managing Defence in the Wider Security Context‘ course, which is aimed at examining ―different approaches to governance and management of defence in developed andtransitional democracies‖.

A spokesperson at the British embassy in Yangon said that ―human rights will stay at the

heart of our engagement,‖ and that Britain‘s relationship with the military ―is notunconditional‖.

British parliamentarians however acknowledged in November 2013, shortly after theengagement policy was announced, that Britain may not be able to check the progress of

Myanmar troops after the trainings. One MP said that ―active post-course monitoring ofparticipants is not practicable‖, but rather that Britain would ―enquire about their progress.‖

―There's a lot of cynicism about these programs, but I've also seen them be effective,‖ saidSam Zarifi, Asia-Pacific regional director of the International Commission of Jurists.

―On the other hand, military engagement should not be carried out in a way that wouldreward, or appear to reward, abusive military officers or units.‖

Of the military-to-military engagement, Smith said: ―This isn't a chicken and egg scenario.

The army doesn't need full engagement with Britain or the US to know its behavior violatesinternational law, or to know how to stop it.‖

He added that while the military shouldn‘t be isolated, ―it's unwise to be talking aboutengagement before serious discussions about human rights reforms.‖

Source: http://www.ucanews.com/news/western-military-ties-to-myanmar-under-the-spotlight/71151




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Suu Kyi shifts pre-election tack in Myanmar

By Larry Jagan

YANGON - After two years of delicate accommodation, Myanmars military backedgovernment and the main pro-democracy opposition National League for Democracy (NLD)are on a collusion course ahead of general elections scheduled for next year. An NLD-ledcampaign launched last month to amend the 2008 constitution is openly challenging themilitarys political power and testing political stability ahead of the pivotal polls.

The national drive for charter change aims broadly to accelerate the countrys still tentativetransition from decades of authoritarian military rule towards democracy. In particular, thecampaign is geared towards diminishing the role of military appointees to parliament whocurrently control 25% of its seats. The campaign however is not geared towards changingarticle 59(f), which bars NLD leader and pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi fromassuming the presidency because she was married to a foreign national.

Under military rule, Suu Kyi spent 15 of 21 years under house arrest until her release in2010. Her party boycotted 2010 elections swept by the military-linked United Solidarity andDevelopment Party (USDP), but Suu Kyi and a group of around 40 other party memberswon electoral office in May 2012 during by-elections. Suu Kyi has since come under certaincriticism for her perceived close cooperation with the military and its representatives inparliament and not speaking out forcefully enough about persecution of ethnic Rohingya inthe countrys western region.

With new elections in sight, Suu Kyi is now trying to build up a significant pro-democracymovement through a more confrontational approach with the quasi-civilian administrationled by President Thein Sein. "You have the guns and power but you are still scared of the

people," Suu Kyi told tens of thousands of supporters who came to hear her speak inMandalay last month.

The strongly worded speech, some analysts believe, represented a significant turning pointin the NLDs previous conciliatory approach towards the military. "It was a direct challengeto the army," said a local political analyst who declined to be identified. Another analyst whoattended the spirited speech said the anger was palpable in Suu Ky's voice.

Its a tone and message that will likely resonate well on the campaign trail. "I was sopleased. This is the first time I have heard Aung San Suu Kyi challenge the military outloud, and in public," said Mya Yee Nandar, a young nurse who attended the rally. "I hadbeen disappointed with her approach before this change. Finally she is speaking with the

voice of the people."

Even before she addressed her supporters in Mandalay and the old capital Yangon, TheinSein and other government officials had vaguely warned the NLD-led opposition that anypublic campaign to change the constitution that led to unrest would only damage thecountrys progress towards democracy.

The official campaign to change the constitution was launched on May 27, coincident withthe anniversary of the 1990 elections which the NLD overwhelmingly won but the military




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annulled to prevent the party from forming a civilian government. The first step has been asignature drive to change the charters article 436, which stipulates that a 75% majority ofparliament is needed to amend the constitution.

Currently 25% of parliaments seats are reserved for military appointees, a provision whichgives the armed forces a de facto veto on any proposed charter change. The NLD is

campaigning for this percentage to be reduced to 66%, with some in the party lobbying foran even lower 50%. Others have broached the idea of excluding the bloc of militaryappointees on any votes related to charter change.

Signatures are currently being collected at NLD offices across the country. The signaturedrive will be symbolically completed on the July 19 Martyrs Day - the anniversary of nationalindependence hero and Suu Ky's father Aung Sans assassination. The signatures will thenbe submitted to parliaments constitutional review joint committee and parliamentaryspeaker Shwe Mann.

Democratic message

The timing of the campaign aims to send a strong and clear message to Thein Seins quasi-civilian government and its military backers led by commander-in-chief General Min AungHlaing. While the drive to date has not entailed any mass mobilizations, some in the partysuggest they could take to the streets if the campaign is in any way subverted or is metwith military resistance.

"We want to get the signatures in as peaceful a way as possible, without disturbinganybody" said Han Tha Myint, an NLD central executive committee member. "We told ourpeople not to collect signatures house by house but to come to our offices voluntarily andsign."

Since Suu Kyi entered parliament two years ago, she has repeatedly tried to meet the army

leader for talks about changing the constitution. She even flew in a helicopter one weekendlast year to the town of Meik in southern Myanmar in hopes of meeting him in a low-profilelocation. Despite those efforts and overtures, the two are not known to have met forpolitical discussions.

Suu Kyi and her party have more recently changed tack and for the last few months she hassuggested a "summit" meeting with other key national leaders, including Thein Sein, ShweMann and Min Aung Hlaing. These efforts have also failed because the army chief hasinsisted the timing is still not right for him to meet her for political talks, though he has notaltogether ruled out such a meeting in the future, according to sources close to the general.

When Suu Kyi last met Thein Sein for a private discussion in early March this year, shereportedly "berated" the president for not organizing a meeting with Min Aung Hlaing,according to government sources. Some government insiders now believe that Thein Seinsapparent failure or unwillingness to arrange a tête-à-tête with the army commander is partof the reason his relations with Suu Kyi have chilled after a promising start during their firsthistoric meeting in 2011.

After two years of trying to talk directly with the army chief, Suu Kyi and her party havecome to the strategic conclusion that they must try to influence the military and its affiliatedpoliticians through more confrontational means. The strategy will also act to galvanize the




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NLDs grass roots base and pave the way for the formation of political alliances with like-minded groups and parties ahead of the polls.

Significantly, the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society led by former political prisonerscum politicians Min Ko Naing and Ko Ko Gyi are co-sponsors of the NLDs signaturecampaign. Political parties affiliated with ethnic minority groups which belong to the

umbrella group the United Nationalities Alliance (UNA) also support the drive. Ethnic partiesare expected to notch substantial votes in their respective areas and will likely be key to theformation of any future NLD-led coalition government.

This is a key part of Suu Ky's strategy of building a mass movement supporting greaterdemocracy. Since the 88 Generation Student Group leaders were released from prison in2012, they have had an uneasy relationship with Suu Kyi and the NLD. Many feel Suu Kyihas often been condescending towards them and has not treated them as political equals.The 88 leaders, on the other hand, have come to understand that they must work with herand her party to achieve real democratic change. The two sides have recently collaboratedon education reform issues.

The signature campaign will also give the NLD an opportunity to come to new terms withmany ethnic parties, particularly in the populous Shan State where seats are expected to behotly contested. The NLD and pro-democracy ethnic parties, including the Shan NationalitiesLeague for Democracy (SNLD), collaborated in the past under the Committee Representingthe Peoples Parliament but more recently relations have weakened, according to partysources.

Officially the NLD has announced it will contest every seat in which the ruling USDP fieldscandidates, "but that doesnt preclude us discussing an electoral pact with those parties thatwere allied with us in the past, like the SNLD, when the time is ripe," said NLD centralcommittee member Han Tha Myint.

Once a taboo subject, Suu Ky's role is now being cautiously broached by some in the party.There is acknowledgement that the partys popularity is almost solely dependent on the so-called cult of the Lady. Shortly after Suu Kyi was released from house arrest in 2010, shetold this reporter that the NLD was as important to her as she was to the NLD.

The question now is whether the NLD can galvanize popular support and win votes withouther. In an announcement many interpreted as an attempt to undermine the NLDs electoralchances in 2015, chief electoral commissioner Tin Aye recently said that party leaders,including Suu Kyi, will not be allowed to campaign throughout the country and instead willbe confined to their home constituencies.

In effect, the current signature campaign allows the party to mobilize around Suu Ky'sstrong popularity ahead of the official campaign season. During her speech in Mandalay,

Suu Kyi told her admiring supporters to remember the assassinated American civil rightsleader Martin Luther King Jr, who said everything started with a dream and the fact that theUS now has an African-American president.

"We must have such a dream as the starting point for change," Suu Kyi said. "And changing[article] 436 is one of the first steps."




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Larry Jagan previously covered Myanmar politics for the British Broadcasting Corporation.He is currently a freelance journalist based in Bangkok.

Source: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/SEA-01-120614.html

President al-Assad receives congratulatory cables from leaders of

Myanmar and Abkhazia

President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday received cables from the President of the Republicof the Union of Myanmar Thein Sein and acting President of Abkhazia Valeri Bganbacongratulating him on winning the presidential elections.

President Thein Sein voiced confidence that relations between Syria and Myanmar will growstronger and benefit the two countries' people in the coming years.

In turn, Bganba said that the election of President al-Assad will bolster peace in Syria andimprove its position on the internaiotnal levels, expressing interest in establishing friendlycooperation relations.

Source: http://www.syriaonline.sy/?f=Details&catid=12&pageid=10556




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Thousands evacuated as Cyclone Mahasen hits Bangladesh and

heads for Myanmar

Already forced from their homes because of sectarian violence, thousands of Myanmar‘sRohingya Muslims are again packing up.

This time, with Cyclone Mahasen expected on Friday, they are leaving camps set up by theUN. It is estimated 70,000 people – mostly Rohingya Muslims – are living in vulnerablecoastal areas after clashes with Myanmar‘s ethnic Rakhine Buddhists.

Many Rohingya Muslims are distrustful of Myanmar‘s government and were reluctant toevacuate at first.

Student Moneya Shamshuallam, 20, is a Rohingya Muslim. He described his decision toleave the camp for a village.

―It was raining and windy last night. Our temporary tents collapsed. Our family is moving toOnh Taw,‖ he said.

Category one Cyclone Mahasen could whip up winds of 120 kilometres per hour.

The cyclone has already claimed the lives of at least seven people in Sri Lanka and is nowbearing down on Bangladesh.

The UN says the cyclone could endanger 8.2 million people in northeast India, Bangladeshand Myanmar.

Source: http://www.euronews.com/2013/05/16/thousands-evacuated-as-cyclone-mahasen-hits-bangladesh-and-heads-for-myanmar/

Myanmar military 'tortures civilians' - human rights group

YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar security forces "systematically" torture civilians in conflict-racked Kachin state, a rights group said on Monday, the third anniversary of renewedfighting between government forces ethnic minority insurgents in the northern state.

The Bangkok-based Fortify Rights group said it interviewed 78 survivors and witnesses oftorture perpetrated by Myanmar's army, police and military intelligence agency.

Victims reported abuses that included stabbings, beatings and having wire tied around theirnecks.

"The torture and the abuses taking place right now in Kachin state constitute war crimesand crimes against humanity and very little is being done to stop it," Matthew Smith, thegroup's executive director, said in an interview.




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Myanmar's government has been battling autonomy-seeking ethnic-minority guerrillas sinceshortly after the country, also known as Burma, gained independence from Britain in 1948.

For decades under military rule, the rebels and civilians in ethnic minority areas accused thearmy of carrying out abuses, often as part of a strategy to deprive the guerrillas of civiliansupport.

The government and the army dismissed such accusations. Government spokesman Ye Htutcould not be reached for comment On the latest report.

Such charges since Myanmar embarked on sweeping reforms in 2011 have raised fears thatthe army is less committed to change than the semi-civilian government that took powerthat year after five decades of military rule.

Fortify Rights said in its report torture was most often carried out by government soldiersattempting to extract information from Kachin civilians about the strength and movement ofKachin Independence Army (KIA) fighters.

The United Nations says more than 100,000 people have been displaced since fightingbetween the KIA and the government erupted on June 8, 2011, ending a 17-year ceasefire.

One of those displaced was Jay Ya, a 32 year-old teacher.

Speaking at a Baptist church in the main city of Yangon, Jay Ya said she had lost heryoungest child while fleeing from her home when her village was attacked at that time.

Jay Ya, who was pregnant at the time, said she had fled with her two children but her youngboy drowned as they were crossing a fast-flowing river.

"I couldn't hold onto my child and he was washed away," she said. Many Kachin people are

Christian. Most of Myanmar's 60 million people are Buddhist.

'NO TRUST'

The accusations of torture come as the government attempts to forge a national ceasefirewith 16 ethnic-minority guerrilla forces. Only the KIA and the Ta'ang National LiberationArmy have not signed separate pacts.

Successful negotiations would bolster the reformist credentials of the semi-civiliangovernment.

The negotiations have shown little progress, partly due to mistrust of the government,

according to Khon Ja, a coordinator with the Kachin Peace Network civil society group. Shesaid the military ignored a Dec. 10, 2011, order by President Thein Sein to cease itsoffensive against the KIA.

"The president takes no action if his commands are not implemented," she said. "That's whywe cannot trust Thein Sein."

Khon Ja pointed to another major sticking point: the ethnic minority groups want a federalsystem with autonomy for the ethnic-based states.




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At the latest round of talks in Yangon in May, military representatives agreed to put to thegovernment a proposal from the minority groups for the term "federal system" to beincluded in the national ceasefire pact.

But one analyst said he doubted it would mean much in practice.

"It's better than nothing, but in order to introduce a federal system they would have towrite an entirely new constitution and that's not likely to happen," Bertil Lintner, an authorof several books on Myanmar, told Reuters at the time.

Smith of Fortify Rights said the abuses documented in the 71-page report were underminingthe peace effort. He said his researchers had found no evidence of torture by the KIA,although there are allegations the group recruits child soldiers.

(Editing by Robert Birsel)

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/09/us-myanmar-rights-idUSKBN0EK0XR20140609

Ignoring deadly repression in Myanmar

SITTWE, Myanmar




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Aung San Suu Kyi, an opposition leader and Nobel laureate, hasn't spoken up about mistreatment of the Muslim minority in her native

Myanmar (KHIN MAUNG WIN / Associated Press)

Few people have fought as courageously for human rights as Aung San Suu Kyi, the NobelPrize-winning democracy advocate who stood up to the generals here in Myanmar.

Suu Kyi should be one of the heroes of modern times. Instead, as her country imposes onthe Rohingya Muslim minority an apartheid that would have made white supremacists inSouth Africa blush, she bites her tongue.

It seems as though she aspires to become president of Myanmar, and speaking up for areviled minority could be fatal to her prospects. The moral giant has become a calculatingpolitician.

Another Nobel Peace Prize winner, President Barack Obama, has visited Myanmar, is greatlyadmired here and cites it as a foreign policy success. I'm generally sympathetic to Obama'sforeign policy, and I understand his reluctance to deploy troops in crisis spots. But here hehas been reluctant to deploy even fierce words. The United States often even avoids the

word ―Rohingya.‖ Buddhists are renowned for peacefulness, yet, here in Myanmar, Buddhistmonks have marched through the streets, demanding the expulsion of humanitarianworkers who would try to save the lives of Muslims.

Obama and Suu Kyi will probably flinch as they read this, protesting that Myanmar isinfinitely complicated. True. Muslims have also killed Buddhists in clashes, and no countryshould be judged solely based on its worst side.

Yet, this spring, the Myanmar government doubled down on its repression by essentiallycutting off 1 million Rohingya from access to doctors, leaving them, in some cases, to dieunattended. This is grotesque, and some scholars think it approaches genocide.

I wish Obama and Suu Kyi could have sat down with Noor Begum, an emaciated 37-year-old woman who is confined to an internment camp without doctors and over the course ofthree days lost her husband and her twin babies. She doesn't really know what killed them;all she knows is that first one baby died, then her husband and, finally, the other twin.

Then there's Asiya Khatu, 28, who smashed her finger in a door, breaking the bone so thatit protruded from the finger. She needed a doctor but had to settle for the only alternative:a makeshift pharmacy run by a man named Maung Maung Tin.

I wish my local CVS pharmacy could do what he managed. He cut open the finger, pushedthe bone back in place and then stitched her up with a splint of bamboo.

That's a sign of the resilience that is as stunning a feature of the camps as the deprivation.There is suffering, death and despair, but there is also courage, generosity and ambition.

With no jobs available, Anwa Begum, a 17-year-old girl, dives in the sea for driftwood to sellas firewood. In a day she can collect wood worth about 20 cents.

Or there's Khin Thuzar Myint, a brilliant 15-year-old girl. Because there are no formalschools for the Rohingya, she attends an informal school — where she is first in her class.




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She studies until midnight every evening and yearns to go to medical school and care forher people.

It's probably an impossible dream. There are only a couple of Rohingya doctors in theregion, and one of them is in prison.

What's at stake is ultimately Myanmar itself. The army is powerful but has allowedmurderous ethnic clashes and attacks on aid groups, undermining the economy and fuelingethnic nationalism on all sides. In the absence of schools, Wahhabi madrassas are poppingup ominously in closed camps.

The role of Suu Kyi is particularly sad. She has lost international stature because of herunwillingness to speak truth to her people, while at home many voters object that she isinsufficiently chauvinist.

―She supports Muslims,‖ U Pan Tha, a 66-year-old Buddhist, told me, bitterly.

His home was burned by Muslims in 2012 clashes, and he now lives in a camp for displaced

people. He voted for Suu Kyi's party in 1990, but he says he won't in the elections nextyear.

―We will choose the military government over Suu Kyi,‖ he said.

Myanmar is advancing in many directions, and it's exciting to see the political and economictransformation. But there's also a poison spreading, and Western governments do no oneany good by pretending not to notice.

One evening I visited a camp of Buddhists displaced by the conflict and asked a group ofchildren what they would do if they saw a Muslim boy.

―Kill him,‖ said Maung Thein Soe, 13.

A couple of days later in the Rohingya encampment, I encountered a group of Muslimchildren. I asked them what they would do if they saw a Buddhist child.

―I will hack him,‖ said Muhammad Zunaike, 8.

Nicholas D. Kristof is a columnist for the New York Times.

Source: http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20140608/mct/140609689#page=2




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Arakanese monks assembled in Sittwe

Nearly 70 Arakanese Buddhists monks from different parts of Arakan State of Burma havegathered in Sittwe for a two day convention starting from Tuesday.

Held in Myo Ma Monastery in the Arakanese capital city, the participants of the meetingdiscussed various issues relating to Arakan on the first day on June 3.

U San Daw Batha, a monk leader of northern Arakan informed that the monks from 17

townships of the State gathered in Sittwe and expressed their opinions without trepidations.

―We want to know their opinions to adopt future plans for various Arakanese affairs. This is

a primary reason for which the convention is being organized here (Sittwe),‖ said U SanDaw Batha.

The meeting signifies importance as it is held after the sectarian violence that broke out inArakan two years back. Moreover the meeting is understandably sponsored by a new foundmonks‘ body involving Arakanese monks in their mission f or a disciplined life.

The organization surfaced soon after the sectarian violence in 2012 where the ArakaneseBuddhists and Muslim settlers, originally from Bangladesh, fought each other.

The meeting continues till Wednesday evening, where some concrete resolutions areexpected to be adopted by the participants in regards to various Arakanese crisis and theirprobable solutions.

Source: http://narinjara.com/index.php/arakanese-monks-assembled-in-sittwe/




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BUSINESS

India and Myanmar a step closer to road connectivity

Nitin Gadkari, who recently took over as minister of road transport and highways, has saidthat promoting infrastructure projects in the North-East will be one of the ministry‘s keyfocus areas. Photo: Hemant Mishra/Mint

New Delhi: Myanmar has signalled its intent to resume talks on the proposal to start a busservice to India, reviving a long standing project to deepen ties between the two countries.

A delegation from India, including officials from the ministry of road transport and highwaysand ministry of external affairs, is meeting officials from the government of Myanmar forstarting the process of finalizing the agreement for the proposed bus service, said a roadministry official on condition of anonymity.

―We had sent our memorandum of understanding (MoU) and protocol for a passenger busservice for people-to-people contact a year back. The proposal went on the back burner.The resuming of talks is a welcome sign,‖ the official said.

The bus service is proposed between Imphal and Mandalay. Currently there is no road trafficbetween India and Myanmar.




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―This could be a game-changer as it will be a precursor for starting commercial activitiesbetween India and Myanmar on one hand and an enabler for signing Asean-India tradeagreement on the other,‖ the official added.

Asean is short for Association of Southeast Asian Nations which is a high growth economicbloc that includes Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam,

Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam in addition to Myanmar.

Another person familiar with the developments on the Indian side confirmed that the Indiandelegation was reaching Myanmar for the meeting on 13 June.

―Protocol for operationalizing this MoU is to be finalized. The delegation is coming to

Myanmar to finalize this protocol,‖ said this person, also requesting anonymity. ―The idea isto start the bus service as soon as possible.‖

A proposal for starting a trans-national bus service was submitted to the ministry ofdevelopment of north-eastern region in 2009.

It found a mention in the India-Myanmar joint statement, issued when then Indian primeminister Manmohan Singh went there in 2012, signalling a desire on the part of both thecountries to pursue the project.

The statement said, ―Taking into account the importance of enabling people-to-peoplecontacts, the two sides agreed to launch a trans-border bus service from Imphal, India toMandalay. The two leaders directed the concerned officials from both sides to finalize allmodalities to enable its early operationalization.‖

―The starting of the bus service can improve India-Myanmar relationship in several ways.First it will give a push to several infrastructure projects like the Kaladan multi-modal transittransport projects and Asian highway project that have been proposed between the two

countries,‖ said Biswajit Dhar, professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University. ―It will further act asa bridge for Asean-India relations. Then, such initiatives can also give a fillip to economicactivities between India and Myanmar especially in the service sector—areas like educationand health.‖

―Things have been slow of late but with both countries showing interest this will send apositive message to all stakeholders,‖ Dhar added.

Nitin Gadkari, who recently took over as minister of road transport and highways, has saidthat promoting infrastructure projects in the North-East will be one of the ministry‘s keyfocus areas.

Source: http://www.livemint.com/Politics/vAjhANOxV2OvuteFdFpH0M/India-and-Myanmar-a-step-closer-to-road-connectivity.html




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Myanmar’s Opportunity to Double Rice Export and Reduce Poverty

June 11, 2014

New Report Advises Myanmar to Rethink its Rice Export Strategy to Expand Rice Productionand Help Farmers Improve their Livelihoods

YANGON, June 11, 2014 - Myanmar has the potential to more than double its rice exportsby diversifying and increasing rice production, opening its rice milling sector to direct foreigninvestments, and reducing export procedure costs, and thereby helping many rural poor toescape poverty, according to a new report, Myanmar: Capitalizing on Rice ExportOpportunities, produced by the World Bank and the Livelihoods and Food Security TrustFund (LIFT) of Myanmar.

Improving agricultural productivity and promoting rice exports are top priorities for theGovernment of Myanmar. Despite its plan to export four million tons of rice by 2020, theactual annual rice export has reached only 1.3 million tons over the past years.

The current rice export strategy favors the production of low quality rice, which is largelysold to Africa and China. Consequently, farmers have earned minimal profits andagribusinesses have skipped necessary investments. The situation is worsening as theglobal demand for low quality broken rice is shrinking.

"This is now a government call to capitalize on rice export opportunities and securesufficient incomes to smallholder farmers," said Kanthan Shankar, the World Bank's CountryManager for Myanmar. "Rice production is a source of livelihoods for about 70% of thepopulation. Higher and more profitable rice export improves farm incomes and food securityof the rural poor. Increasing rice exports will spur momentum for inclusive growth andpoverty reduction in Myanmar for the next decade."

There are good market prospects to accommodate more diversified rice exports fromMyanmar over the next 10-15 years, particularly in the European Union and Asian countries,earn higher incomes, and diversify risks along different markets. The obstacles in hittingthese marks are low productivity and poor rice quality at the farm level, undercapitalizedand inefficient rice mills, and costly export infrastructure and procedures.

Opening the rice mills to direct foreign investments is, according to the report, a vital stepto take to increase quality and volumes of rice export.

Improving infrastructure and reducing export procedure costs would also boost Myanmar'sexport competitiveness.

More efficient mills and lower exporting/trading costs would trigger changes at farm level,helping to raise agricultural productivity and change farm practices, including the choice ofrice varieties, required to match the evolving demands of importers

Conducive agricultural policy is also important to modernize Myanmar rice value chain.

"A policy environment conducive to supporting this refocus of the rice export sector isessential if anything is to change," said Andrew Kirkwood, LIFT's Fund Director. "Much ofthe policy change can be introduced without cost to public finances. In short,consistent




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economic policies without anti-export bias, alongside the current Government effort toimprove farmer access to finance, will offer high rates of return for Myanmar rice exports,for its farmers and for the rural poor".

Source: http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2014/06/11/myanmar-soportunity-to-double-rice-export-and-reduce-roverty

Tax issues to consider when sending staff to work in Myanmar

Published: 10 Jun 2014 at 06.04 | Business Writer: PwC Thailand

With the liberalisation of the political landscape in Myanmar, many people have becomeaware of the significant potential of this economic frontier that was once closed to theworld. A number of multinational corporations are exploring Myanmar and will bring inexperienced expatriates to help build capabilities locally.

This is not something new but, given Myanmar’s emerging-market status along withtax laws and practices that change frequently, vaguely written and consequently open tointerpretation, investors need an up-to-date understanding of the tax situation. This articledescribes some of the more important issues arising from the employment of expatriates.

Scope of Taxation: Expatriates working in Myanmar will be subject to personal income taxfrom day one (subject to any applicable tax treaty provisions) but how much they will haveto pay depends on their residence status.

If they are on a long-term assignment and stay in Myanmar for at least 183 days during thetax year (which runs from April 1 to March 31, similar to Hong Kong) or work for a companyset up under the Myanmar Foreign Investment Law (MFIL), they would become taxresidents and have to pay personal income tax based on progressive rates up to amaximum of 20% for fiscal 2013 and 25% for 2014 onward, after personal and allowancedeductions.

Strictly speaking, the Myanmar Income Tax law states that resident foreigners should betaxed on worldwide income.

However, the Internal Revenue Department (IRD) has stated that, based on currentpractice, only resident foreign companies are liable for tax on their worldwide income

(except those under MFIL status) and not individuals. In other words, resident foreignerswill have to pay personal income tax on income derived from sources within Myanmar butnot including offshore non-employment income.

Note that this clarification has not been made in writing and is based only on oralrepresentations by IRD officials. Not only foreign investors but also expatriate employeeswill thus need an up-to-date understanding of the tax situation (which is often based on taxofficers’ interpretations and changes frequently) to ensure they remain fullycompliant.




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On the contrary, expatriate employees on short-term assignments and staying in thecountry fewer than 183 days during the tax year (and not working for a company with MFILstatus) will be considered non-residents and taxed at a 35% flat rate on gross employmentincome with no personal deductions or allowances permitted.

One way to minimise the expatriate tax cost would be to structure the assignment with a

start date soon after April 1, and ending just before March 31, to ensure the expat spendsmore than 183 days in Myanmar during the tax year and is considered a tax resident.

Taxable employment income: The definition of taxable employment income is broad andincludes salaries, wages, annuities, pensions, benefits in kind, such as free accommodation,gratuities and any fees, commissions or perquisites received in lieu of or in addition tosalaries and wages.

Although benefits such as free accommodation are taxable, the IRD does offer favourabletreatment of employer-paid accommodation by providing specific valuation guidelines.

Tax treatment of equity-based compensation received by both expat and local employees is

one area of concern since there is no guideline from the tax authorities.

The challenge is when the benefit will be taxed and by how much, i.e. is the expat employeetaxed on the full benefit received or only the proportion that relates to Myanmar-sourcedincome, as in many other countries?

Since the definition of taxable employment income is broad, you will need to obtain specificagreement from local authorities for the tax treatment of any other types of benefits, e.g.equity-based compensation benefits, employer’s contribution to overseas socialsecurity, bonuses received during the Myanmar assignment and related to performance in aprior year, and so on.

Social security contributions: The Social Security Law took effect on April 1, 2014 andapplies to all entities with at least five employees (Myanmar nationals and/or expats). Thecurrent rates of contribution by employees and employers are 2% and 3% of wages, cappedat 6,000 and 9,000 for the employee and employer respectively.

Foreign exchange controls: Typically, there are no restrictions with inbound remittances, butoutbound remittances could prove difficult due to strict exchange control regulations. Thenext challenge is how the company structures the payment of expat compensation(percentage to be paid in the home country and in Mynamar).

On a first reading of the Myanmar tax law, many people may assume that it is not all thatcomplicated. However, in fact, the regulations are broad and open to interpretation, in

particular for expatriate-related issues that are not specifically addressed. As a result, bothmultinational companies and their expat employees should seek support from a Myanmartax specialist to ensure compliance with frequently changing tax laws and practices.

Written by Napaporn Saralaksana, Senior Manager for International Assignment Serviceswith PricewaterhouseCoopers Thailand. We welcome your comments [email protected]




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Source: http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/news/414444/tax-issues-to-consider-when-sending-staff-to-work-in-myanmar

APR Energy begins producing gas-fired power in Myanmar

APR Energy (LSE: APR.L), a global leader in fast-track power solutions, is pleased toannounce that the company's 100 megawatt gas-fired power generation plant in Myanmar isnow fully operational. Based in Kyaukse, in the Mandalay Region, the plant provides theMyanmar Electric Power Enterprise (MEPE) with a guaranteed minimum of 82 megawatts ofpower generation and will enable the provision of electricity and power to more than sixmillion people.

This represents another substantial investment by an American company in theinfrastructure of Myanmar, and APR Energy will contribute to the economic and socialprogress of Myanmar by employing local people and supporting community developmentprograms.

The contract for the plant, which was signed in February 2014, was the first agreementbetween a US company and the government of Myanmar for power generation since thelifting of sanctions. Amongst other factors, APR Energy was awarded the contract due to thecompany's ability to deliver within a challenging timeframe and the efficiency of its powergeneration technology. Fueled by Myanmar's indigenous natural gas resources, the plantfeatures 68 of the newest generation CAT low-emission mobile gas power modules (GPMs)and will offer one of the cleanest power generation solutions in Myanmar.

Clive Turton, Managing Director Asia Pacific at APR Energy, said: "Myanmar is a fastgrowing economy and the country, like many others in the region, needs reliable power inorder to begin fulfilling its enormous potential. The commissioning of our thermal power

generation plant, one of the largest in the country, is an important first step towardsestablishing adequate reliable power generation capacity in Myanmar and we look forwardto playing a continued role to help Myanmar supply power efficiently and reliably to itspeople and industries."

Penny Pritzker, US Secretary of Commerce, said: "APR Energy is a tremendous example ofthe work U.S. businesses are doing to support economic development in Myanmar. Theircommitment to providing power solutions here is critical, particularly as 75 percent of the




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country's population lacks access to electricity. The engagement of U.S. businesses inMyanmar will help promote inclusive growth that benefits all of the country's people."

Source: http://www.pennenergy.com/articles/pennenergy/2014/06/apr-energy-begins-producing-gas-fired-power-in-myanmar.html

Myanmar set for airport upgrades

Published: 4 Jun 2014 at 18.56 |

A man walks past coloured passenger seats as he waits for his flight at Yangon airport's new domestic terminal in Yangon on March 3, 2014.(EPA photo)

Yangon — Myanmar will soon call tenders from local and foreign firms to upgrade 30domestic airports, a senior aviation official said on Wednesday.

"It will take at least two or three months to prepare to invite investors," said Kyaw Soe,director of the Department of Civil Aviation's (DCA) Aerodrome Standard and SafetyDivision.

The DCA said the airports will be handed over to the winning firms either as 100% privately

owned investments or joint ventures, or as build-and-operate projects, depending on thepotential of each project.

Myanmar last year called for proposals for upgrading the 30 domestic airports, attractingsubmissions from nearly 50 companies, most of them local.

The country has a total of 69 airports.




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Myanmar's aviation industry is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years as tourismincreases.

The number of tourists visiting Myanmar are projected to rise dramatically from 4.2 millionlast year to 30 million in 2030, according to the government's tourism masterplan.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/most-recent/413575/myanmar-set-for-airport-upgrades

TOURISM

Foreign Aid Funding Luxury Hotels in Myanmar

The vast majority of investment in Myanmar is concentrated in Yangon and other cities. Credit: Jose Javier Martin Espartosa/CC CC BY-SA

2.0

WASHINGTON, Jun 1 2014 (IPS) - New investments from the International FinanceCorporation (IFC), the World Bank‘s private-sector investment arm, may perpetuateeconomic inequality rather than alleviate poverty in Myanmar, critics here are warning.




29

The IFC has proposed five new investment projects for Myanmar (also known as Burma).But the U.S. Campaign for Burma, a rights group here, is calling on the multilateral funderto slow down these projects and analyse their potential social effects.

―The IFC has the responsibility to use its financial influence to promote transparency and

reform in Burma‘s corrupt business environment,‖ Rachel Wagley, the group‘s policy

director, said this week.

―Regrettably, the IFC‘s recent investment proposals seem to mark a deviation from theIFC‘s earlier objective to bolster the growth of microfinance in Burma and may instead

exacerbate socioeconomic inequality in the country.‖

In 2012, the U.S. Congress repealed sanctions prohibiting U.S. investment in Myanmar tosignal its support for the country‘s new nominally reformist government, which was slowlyinstituting democratic reforms after decades under military dictatorship.

That same year, the Washington-based IFC opened its office in Myanmar and began toassess the country‘s investment and business climate. Given that over 30 percent of the

population lives below the poverty line, IFC off icials decided that the country office‘s goalwould be poverty alleviation, and eventually proposed five investment projects aimed atachieving this goal.

Yet of those five, three involve the construction of upscale hotels. The U.S. Campaign forBurma says it is alarmed by what appears to be a lack of environmental and socialsafeguards.

For one of the projects, which would develop four hotels, the IFC‘s expected development

impact is to ―create 437 direct and indirect jobs (46 percent female) … and create demandfor locally-sourced materials, services, and labour.‖ In addition, the project would ―contribute to the domestic economies through increased tax revenue and foreign exchange

inflows.‖

The goal of another project, to build a business complex and more hotels, is to install whatthe IFC calls ―critical business infrastructure‖.

―The Project will add much needed supply of international standard office, retail and

hospitality infrastructure to Yangon,‖ a project document states. ―International standardbusiness infrastructure such as these are of critical importance in attracting foreigninvestments in the country.‖

Yet U.S. Campaign for Burma executive director Jennifer Quigley notes that theinternational business community has been flocking to the country since 2012.

―And any problems are not for lack of hotel rooms – that‘s not what Burma needs to have a

thriving business environment,‖ Quigley told IPS. ―The issue isn‘t a lack of funding butrestrictions that make sure only a few benefit monetarily from foreign trade andinvestment.‖

Safeguards concern




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Another of the IFC-proposed projects, known as Yoma Equity, would provide about 30million dollars to a programme run by Yoma Bank, a national institution, to finance small-and medium-sized businesses. Such investments are aimed at increasing access to financefor small-scale ventures and to fuel growth in the country‘s private sector.

Yet while Quigley‘s office supports IFC funding for small- and medium-sized enterprises, she

worries that the project will not be well regulated.

―It‘s widely considered that the performance standards of the IFC are very good, but thenthe IFC doesn‘t require them to be applied,‖ she says. ―Over 50 percent of projects are

classified in such a way that they don‘t require the standards.‖

The IFC categorises projects in one of four ways, three of which are regulated by theagency‘s environmental and social performance standards. The fourth type of project,however, known as FI for ‗financial intermediary‘, is excused from these assessments.

Yoma Equity, for instance, is classified as FI-2, meaning that ―its business activities havepotential limited adverse environmental or social risks or impacts that are few in number,‖

according to the IFC‘s website.

Yet according to Serene Jweied, a spokesperson for the IFC, even FI projects must followregulations.

―Every financial institution we work with must adhere to our environmental and socialrequirements and integrity standards,‖ Jweied told IPS.

―Should IFC engage with Yoma Bank, this requirement would apply to this client as well,and Yoma Bank would have to develop an environmental and social management systemcommensurate with the risks of the projects and/or clients it finances.‖

However, once Yoma Bank develops its own safeguards, as a financial intermediary the IFCwould leave any assessment of these safeguards up to the bank itself.

Last year, an independent assessment by the Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman, an internalauditor, criticised the IFC‘s regulations of financial intermediaries.

The report looked, for instance, at a loan for 30 million dollars that the IFC gave toCorporation Dinant, a Honduran agribusiness company owned by one of the country‘s

richest men, Miguel Facusse. Dinant has been accused of killing, kidnapping or forciblyevicting peasants from land claimed by the company.

In response, the IFC has admitted to missteps around Dinant.

Reinforcing oligarchy

In the case of Yoma Equity, the intermediary corporation is less shady than Dinant but,according to observers, still questionable.

Serge Pun chairs the Serge Pun & Associates Group (SPA Group), one of Myanmar‘s largestconglomerates, as well as Yoma Bank.




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Quigley notes that Pun‘s business dealings have raised social concerns in various sectors

over the years. Indeed, the U.S. State Department recommended placing sanctions on Punin 2008.

These never went forward, however, and as a result Pun has developed a reputation inMyanmar as a ―good crony‖: less corrupt than the others, and one of the few options for a

local business partner.

―Everyone is investing in him,‖ she says, ―so the IFC is perpetuating the same oligarchythat‘s in place. The IFC is coming in and reinforcing the status quo.‖

Meanwhile, the potential broader impact of the IFC‘s projects is a lso under scrutiny. Themajority of Burmese live in rural areas, after all, and agriculture is the livelihood of up to 70percent of the population, according to Oxfam.

Yet most of the IFC‘s projects are focusing on urban areas. Experts say this is simplycontinuing a broader trend being seen in Myanmar since its economy began to open up.

―A significant factor contributing to the urban versus rural income inequality is that the vastmajority of investment in Burma is concentrated in the urban sector, despite the fact thatonly one-third of the population lives in these areas,‖ Dennis McCornac, of Loyola

University, stated in a recent essay.

Source: http://www.ipsnews.net/2014/06/foreign-aid-funding-luxury-hotels-in-myanmar/

Hilton inks deal for more Myanmar hotels




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YANGON, Myanmar — Hilton Worldwide has signed a contract to operate five hotels inMyanmar, which is emerging as a popular Southeast Asian tourist destination after militaryrule was lifted in 2011.

Hilton is teaming up with Eden Group, a Myanmar conglomerate with businesses from hotelsto energy.

Hilton says it will rebrand Eden hotels in the capital Naypyitaw and Ngapali beach in westernRakhine state. It will open hotels in Inle lake in Shan State, Bagan in central Myanmar andthe central city of Mandalay.

It plans to open a hotel in Yangon under a separate deal announced last year.

The number of tourists to Myanmar has surged in the past two years though it still lackssufficient hotel rooms and infrastructure to challenge neighboring Thailand as a majordestination.

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/hilton-inks-deal-myanmar-hotels-

24085216

ETHNIC GROUPS

Myanmar: senior UN official urges greater access to people in need

of humanitarian aid




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A mother and her children stand in their small hut in a camp for displaced people in Rakhine State. Photo: OCHA/Michelle Delaney

13 June 2014 – The United Nations Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator today stressed theneed for improved access to people in need of humanitarian assistance in Myanmar, as shewrapped up a visit to the states of Rakhine and Kachin.

―Despite substantial progress in Myanmar‘s reform agenda over the past years,humanitarian conditions have deteriorated in some areas where people are in greatest need,but where access continues to pose a challenge,‖ said Kyung-wha Kang, who is alsoAssistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs.

In a news release issued by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs(OCHA), Ms. Kang said she witnessed the serious challenges that humanitarian workers facein delivering aid to the estimated 421,000 people in urgent need of life-saving assistance inthe South-east Asian nation.

In Rakhine, she travelled to Sittwe and Pauktaw to visit camps for internally displacedpersons (IDPs) and host communities affected by inter-communal violence.

She met with local authorities, community leaders, and humanitarian workers to evaluateprogress in resuming and scaling up the humanitarian response following the attacks inMarch on UN and non-governmental organization (NGO) premises in Sittwe. The currentcapacity of the humanitarian community in Rakhine is still less than 60 per cent of previouslevels, she noted.

―The safety and security of our staff, both national and international, must be guaranteed inorder for the UN and NGOs to continue to support the Myanmar Government in respondingto the vast humanitarian and development needs of all the people in Rakhine state,‖ shestated.

Despite considerable humanitarian efforts, many people in isolated villages and remote IDPcamps continue to live in dire conditions, coupled with severe restrictions on their freedomof movement.

Ms. Kang described as ―appalling‖ the situation she witnessed in Nget Chaung IDP camp,where access to basic services such as health, education, water and sani tation was ―whollyinadequate.‖

She also visited IDP camps in Kachin state, where communities recently marked the thirdanniversary of the conflict between the Kachin Independence Army and the Myanmar Army,which has displaced more than 100,000 people.

About half of these IDPs, including women and children, are hosted in camps in areasbeyond Government control, where access by international organizations is limited toirregular cross-line humanitarian missions.

―Local NGOs have been, and will continue to be, central to the humanitarian response inKachin, but more regular, predictable, and sustained access by international organizations isneeded to reach the required levels of assistance in all IDP areas,‖ Ms. Kang stressed.




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She noted that renewed fighting over the past months in southern Kachin and northernShan state led to the displacement of many people for the second, third, or fourth time.

―It is essential that all parties ensure the protection of civilians and the full respect of

international humanitarian law, while looking ahead in the long term to develop durablesolutions for displaced people and host communities.‖

During her visit, Ms. Kang held a series of meetings with national officials, during which shereiterated the UN‘s continued commitment to support the Government in responding tohumanitarian needs in Myanmar and reminded the authorities of their responsibility toensure that justice is rendered and that the perpetrators of the March attacks are broughtto justice.

Source: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=48044

Ending wartime torture in Northern Myanmar?

The conflicts in Burma have internally displaced 500,000.

(Photo by Partners Relief and Development )

For a ministry whose mission heart is in Myanmar, a detailed report of the torture that‘s

occurred there the last three years is a big deal.

Partners Relief and Development works in Myanmar (Burma) to bring relief amid conflictand disaster, promote healthcare and education, and spur development, reports MNN.




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Partners points out that there are 5,000 children in the Burma army. Burma ranks 5th worstof healthcare systems worldwide. Education participation is as low as 4% in some areas,and an estimated 500,000 people are displaced by the ongoing conflict.

Monday marked three years of resumed conflict between the Kachin Independence Army(KIA) and the Burma Military after a 17-year ceasefire. The war is focused in the Kachin

state and northern Shan state. Radio Free Asia says that 6,000 Kachin marched 10 miles toa prayer meeting to commemorate the anniversary.

The Partners Web siteposts, ―As sanctions are lifted, foreign investment increases, and

media around the world praise the government for its reforms, statistic after statistic andreports from our team on the ground paint another picture: there is a lot that is not well inBurma, and the world must not forget this.‖

A report by Fortify Rights, a human rights group based in Southeast Asia, was releasedMonday proving that Partners is not alone in their concern.

The report claims that Myanmar security forces have ―systematically‖ tortured civilians they

claim are aligned with the KIA. It documents testimonies detailing the extreme physical andemotional abuse of 60 civilians by the Myanmar authorities.

Often times, victims of this abuse were intentionally led to believe they were going to die,and then they were set free.

CNN quotes executive director of Fortify Rights, Matthew Smith: ―The torture that we‘vedocumented is not a secret practice.‖ Quite the contrary, Smith reveals that the abuse is a

very obvious message to the Kachin people, who are mainly Christian, not to have dealingswith the KIA.

CNN also reports that Myanmar President Thein Sein denied the report‘s accusations, saying

it is not the government‘s policy to torture.

Partners indicates that much of the damage done by these attacks is permanent and thatsurvivors haven‘t received adequate medical care.

While the 71-page report can be dark and depressing, it can also be used as a platformfrom which to raise awareness.

Our primary prayer may not be for peace in Burma because there is a greater battle goingon inside the hearts of all parties involved. Pray for the strengthening of our brothers‘ and

sisters‘ faith, for their protection, and that the country would be transformed by thespreading of the Gospel.

Source: http://www.mnnonline.org/news/ending-wartime-torture-northern-myanmar/




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U.S. agency urges Myanmar to scrap proposed religion laws

By David and Brunnstrom

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Draft laws in Myanmar aimed at protecting the country'smajority Buddhist identity by regulating religious conversions and marriages betweenpeople of different faiths have "no place in the 21st century" and should be withdrawn, aU.S. government agency said on Wednesday.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said the laws risked stokingviolence against Muslims and other religious minorities, including Christians. If the laws arepassed, it said, Washington "should factor these negative developments into its evolvingrelationship with Burma (Myanmar).‖

The U.S. State Department said it had serious concerns about the pending legislation andhad expressed them to the government of Myanmar, which is also known as Burma.

State Department spokeswoman Jan Psaki told a regular news briefing that any measurethat would criminalize interfaith marriages "would be inconsistent with the government‘sefforts to promote tolerance and respect for human rights."

The chairman of the commission, Robert George, called the proposed law against religiousconversions "irreparably flawed" and said it would contravene Myanmar's internationalcommitments to protect freedom of religion or belief.

"Such a law has no place in the 21st century, and we urge that it be withdrawn,‖ he said.

The law as published in draft form last month would require those seeking to change theirreligion to obtain permission from panels of government officials.




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The government has yet to publish drafts of other three bills, which deal with populationcontrol measures, a ban on polygamy and curbs on interfaith marriage.

George said the commission recently recommended that Washington continue to designateMyanmar a "country of particular concern" for severe religious freedom violations.

Late last month, Myanmar began a parliamentary session that will debate the proposedlegislation. The government has said it will accept comments on the religious conversion lawuntil June 20. (Full Story)

Rising sectarian tension in Myanmar has exploded into violent clashes between Buddhistsand Muslims.

At least 237 people have been killed and more than 140,000 displaced by the violence sinceJune 2012. The vast majority of victims have been Muslims, who make up about 5 percentof Myanmar's population of 60 million.

Myanmar's quasi-civilian government has adopted sweeping political and economic reforms

since taking over from a military junta in March 2011 and has been encouraged in this bythe United States, which is competing for influence in Asia with an increasingly assertiveChina.

However, the religious tension in Myanmar, which has grown alongside a movement led bynationalist Buddhist monks known by the numerals "969," has been viewed in Washingtonwith growing concern.

A bipartisan group of prominent U.S. senators has introduced a bill in the U.S. Congressthat would limit military cooperation with Myanmar if rights abuses are not addressed.

Recommendations of the bipartisan commission are non-binding. U.S. law allows for the

imposition of sanctions on countries the commission terms "of particular concern," but theyare not automatically imposed.

(Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by David Gregorio and Steve Orlofsky)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-agency-urges-myanmar-scrap-proposed-religion-laws-222228541.html




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ANNOUNCEMENT: I Will Be One of the Speakers at the Myanmar

Muslims Genocide Convention 2014

June 11, 2014 By dannyfisher

I‘m honored to share the news with you that I will be one of the speakers at this year‘sMyanmar Muslims Genocide Awareness Convention. I will be speaking alongside a variety ofexcellent and helpful folks, including Dr. Gregory H. Stanton (President of Genocide Watch),Matthew Smith (Executive Director of Fortify Rights), Dr. Wakar Uddin (General Director ofthe All Rohingya Union), Naama Haviv (Assistant Director of Jewish World Watch), TomAndrews (President of United to End Genocide), and Rev. Dr. Sai Htwe Maung (MissionaryDoctor for Shan and Kachin refugees).

The event, which is open to the public and will take place in the Los Angeles ConventionCenter‘s West Hall, Room 515AB, between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 21st, isdescribed this way by the organizing Burmese American Muslims Association:

The conference attempts to address the enormity of violence against Rohingya and BurmeseMuslims, the largest and deadliest conflict in Burmese history. Deliberately launched for so-calledracial purification of “Burmese blood”, nationalist movement spearheaded by monk Wirathu isorchestrating brutal campaigns of hate speech, expulsion, persecution and atrocity. As the currentstate of fear mongering and lack of global condemnation provide these killers with both a cover and anexcuse, the crimes are justified with familiar arguments about the need to defend the home-land.

We seek to identify and understand how state-sponsored programs of violence and atrocity

function. Who are involved and in what ways? What motivates those people to behave as they do?How —through what processes—do large numbers of people, some of them “ordinary,” some less so,become murderers of larger numbers of ethnic people? Mr. Tomas Ojea Quintana (United NationsHuman Rights Rapporteur on Myanmar) recently spoke up about ongoing segregation, restriction on

healthcare and “pattern of systematic discrimination”.

No acts of revenge or restitution could make up for the deaths of thousands, the annihilation ofRohingya life in much of Burma, the destruction of property, and the shattering of trust andcoexistence. Nevertheless survivors have to begin new lives, and for that they require at least minimalmaterial resources, some acknowledgment of their suffering, and a measure of confidence in the worldaround them.




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Join with other local activists, scholars and concerned international diplomats at the conference,and discuss the patterns of genocide and prevention methodologies. We have reserved 600+ large halland it is open to public.

As regular readers may remember, I wrote a special report for this blog about the MyanmarMuslims Genocide Awareness Convention 2013. You can read that post here. I‘m happy this

year to play a more active role in supporting a very important cause. I hope manyAngelenos will attend!

Location:

LA Convention Center

West Hall Room 515AB

1201 S. Figueroa St Los Angeles, CA 9001

Date & Time:

June 21, 2014

Saturday 2:00pm to 6:00pm

Source: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/dannyfisher/2014/06/i-will-be-one-of-the-speakers-at-the-myanmar-muslims-genocide-convention-2014/

Report alleges 'systematic' torture of civilians in Kachin areas of

Myanmar

A boy pokes a trash fire in the Jan Mai Kawng IDP camp in Kachin State, Myanmar. About 600 people live in the camp




40

Myanmar security forces have been accused by a rights group of "systematically" torturingcivilians from an ethnic minority in the conflict-stricken state of Kachin.

Bangkok-based Fortify Rights released its report on the alleged torture of Kachin civilians onMonday, the third anniversary of the resumption of hostilities between government forcesand ethnic Kachin insurgents following a 17 year ceasefire.

The report gathered testimony from 78 survivors and witnesses relating to the allegedtorture of more than 60 victims by Myanmar's army, police and military intelligence service,since the resumption of fighting.

Fortify Rights' executive director Matthew Smith said the alleged victims were perceived tobe aligned with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the ethnic rebel guerrilla force thathas battled Myanmar's army for decades.

The alleged abuse appeared to have been carried out with the consent of senior officers, hesaid.

"The torture that we've documented is not a secret practice," he said. "When the police, thearmy or military intelligence are torturing Kachin civilians, they're not attempting to concealit. They're sending a very loud and clear message to the Kachin population that any sort ofsympathy for the KIA, or any activities with the KIA, will be dealt with very severely."

The report said torture was most often committed by government troops trying to obtaininformation on the strength and movements of KIA fighters.

Alleged victims reported being stabbed, beaten and having wire tied around their necks,hands and feet. Other claims included that security forces had placed bamboo over theirvictims' heads or shins, and jumped or stood on it.

Some were told to dig their own graves before being released, while others were made tolick their own blood off the ground following prolonged beatings, the report claimed. Otheralleged victims said they had been sexually abused while detained.

Smith said the alleged abuses, which his group believed constituted war crimes, seemed tobe being committed with impunity.

"We've documented such consistent practices across many different areas that wouldindicate that it is certainly a systematic practice and a widespread practice."

The report also described the torture sessions as characterized by a degree of ethnic andreligious discrimination, with the offenders often denigrating their victims' ethnicity and

Christian faith during the ordeal. "You are Kachin, and we will kill all the Kachin," one victimclaimed to have been told.

Many Kachin are Christian, while Myanmar is a majority Buddhist country.

Ye Htut, a spokesman for Myanmar President Thein Sein, said he had not seen that report,but rejected the allegations of torture, accusing Fortify Rights of "one-sided allegations."




41

"Their report is not concrete evidence," he said. "If they have concrete evidence, they cansend it to the government and the government will investigate thoroughly and punish(offenders) if we find they've committed these crimes. We'll take action according to ourlaws."

He said Myanmar security forces would "never use torture as a weapon in the conflict

areas," and stressed that any individuals who did so would be in breach of governmentpolicy.

"There may be some individuals who commit this crime, but it is not the policy of themilitary or the government," he said.

"You cannot apply the individual action to the government policy. Some U.S. soldiers aremaking wrongdoing (sic) in Afghanistan and Iraq, but we should not say it is the policy ofthe U.S. military or government."

Smith said the report had been provided to the president's office. "If it's not state policy,then they should demonstrate that by credibly investigating and prosecuting those that are

responsible for these abuses," he said. "But we're not seeing that, and this has been goingon for three years now."

Fortify Rights said it shared the concerns expressed by the U.N.'s Special Rapporteur onhuman rights in Myanmar, Tomas Ojea Quintana, over allegations the KIA uses childsoldiers, forced labor and landmines. But the report's authors had found no evidence of theKIA using torture.

Myanmar has been wracked with internal conflict, with ethnic minorities seeking greaterautonomy, since shortly after the country, then known as Burma, gained independence fromBritain in 1948. The country's quasi-civilian government, which replaced the military juntafollowing sweeping reforms in 2011, has been seeking a national ceasefire with 16 ethnic

guerrilla forces.

Since the 17-year ceasefire between the military and KIA forces crumbled in June 2011, thetwo sides have held numerous peace talks, but fighting continues.

The United Nations says that more than 100,000 people have been displaced in KachinState and the north of neighboring Shan State, home to many Kachin, since the violenceresumed.

Amnesty International says the situation faced by the displaced populations, currentlyhoused in over 165 camps, is grave, with ongoing concerns about their access to shelter,clean water and sanitation.

It issued a statement saying that the reports of ongoing alleged human rights violations bythe military raised "serious questions about the commitment to human rights reforms in thecountry" and threatened efforts to negotiate a nationwide ceasefire.

Myanmar's civil society groups have also reported sexual violence against women in Kachinareas since the resumption of fighting. The Kachin Women's Association Thailand said in astatement that recent attacks by the Myanmar army in Kachin areas threw "strong doubt onthe government's sincerity towards the peace process."




42

Citing recent cases of alleged rape by military forces, it called for tackling military sexualviolence to be made a matter of priority during peace negotiations.

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/10/world/asia/myanmar-kachin-torture-report/

Myanmar city recovers after sectarian shame

Muslims Thidar Hla (left) and her daughter Hnin Ei Phyu say their relationships with Buddhist friends have been restored following last year's deadly sectarian violence.

MEIKTILA, Myanmar (CNN) - Hnin Ei Phyu rides her motorbike across the city, goes out todinner with Buddhist friends and has resumed her studies at a local university.

Life has made a 180-degree turn for this 20-year-old Muslim woman. In March last year,her life was shattered by an explosion of sectarian violence between Buddhists and Muslimsin her hometown of Meiktila in central Myanmar, which left more than 40 people dead andthousands more homeless.

Hnein Ei Phyu's family fled for their lives during the first of three days of rioting and spentmore than a month in a shelter at a nearby sports stadium.

Violent clashes

During the clashes, which reportedly erupted after a dispute between a Muslim gold shopowner and two Buddhist sellers, rioters set fire to houses, schools, businesses and mosques.People were also beaten, doused with gasoline and set on fire.

Meiktila's Muslims were heavily outnumbered and suffered the bulk of the casualties. Formore than a month, few (if any) Muslims remained in their homes because they were eitherdestroyed or it simply wasn't safe for them to stay there.




43

Hnin Ei Phyu's family was among the first group of Muslims to return home after the worstof the violence. Unlike others, their house was still standing.

While some Muslims were returning, interviews with many people across the city made itclear that trust between Muslims and their Buddhist neighbors was broken. Police andsoldiers were now stationed on streets where Muslims lived to protect them against further

attacks.

Hnin Ei Phyu's university was shut down. She was no longer in contact with her Buddhistfriends and her parents would not allow her to go more than a short distance from theirhome.

More than a year on, a return trip to the city revealed that although extremist elementsremain, relations have warmed between many Buddhists and Muslims in the community.

"We're close again," Hnin Ei Phyu said about her relationships with Buddhist friends. "Wespend time after classes and enjoy each other's company now, whether we talk aboutmovies or eat together."

Time heals wounds

Her mother, Thidar Hla, agreed distrust has gradually given way to friendship. "Time healedmany of the wounds," she said. There are no longer police or troops stationed on ThidarHla's street, and her family is no longer afraid to go anywhere in the city.

This change in attitude is not exclusive to one side of the sectarian divide.

Last year, U Aung Khin, a 51-year-old Buddhist man, told me he stopped talking to hisMuslim friends and would not even go to his usual Muslim butcher because he was afraid hisfood might be poisoned. "Now I'd go to a Muslim butcher and my relationships with my

Muslim friends are back to normal," he said.

Sann Win Shein, a Muslim and vice president of a local interfaith group called Meiktila Unityand Prosperity Association, says people have not forgotten what happened but realize that itwasn't necessarily their neighbors who were the main culprits behind the riots.

He blames extremist groups, adding that when angry mobs are divided along sectarianlines, normally peaceful people can get caught up in the rage and emotion. He also blamesthe local police for not stepping in early on -- last year's violence didn't stop until PresidentThein Sein declared a state of emergency and called in the military after three days ofrioting.

Leaders of the interfaith group acknowledge that the attitudes of some people might neverchange, but they insist they're in the minority. "Within six months many people were backto being friends," said Khin Soe, a Buddhist. Khin Soe says he's optimistic this communitycan avoid a repeat of last year's deadly riots. "So many of these people have lived side byside for years and have been friends for years," he said.

This interfaith group, made up of Buddhists and Muslims from the community, started inMay 2013 and during the course of an eight-month campaign handed out thousands of t-




44

shirts, baseball caps and stickers with words that translate to "No religious violence becauseof me."

Long-persecuted Rohingya

The rekindling of friendships between Buddhists and Muslims in Meiktila is quite different

from the situation between Rohingya Muslims and ethnic Rakhines in Myanmar's westernRakhine State. The Rohingya are a long-persecuted minority in Myanmar who are deniedcitizenship and usually are not allowed to leave Rakhine.

Unlike Meiktila, where Buddhists and Muslims live side by side, the Rohingya live in separatevillages -- more than 140,000 live in camps for the displaced after their homes weredestroyed in riots two years ago. The communal violence there also resulted in the deathsof hundreds of people.

Many Rohingya have lived in Myanmar for generations and were brought here from Indiawhen Myanmar was a British colony called Burma. Many ethnic Burmese view the Rohingyaas illegal intruders from what's now Bangladesh, and refuse to call them Rohingya, using

the term Bengali instead.

But in Meiktila, where trust between Buddhists and Muslims is being rebuilt, sections of thecity remain in ruins. In the Muslim majority Thiri Mingalar Quarter, there are only rocks anddirt where many homes and businesses used to stand. A few people, who have the financialmeans, have started rebuilding.

Rebuilding lives

The only section of the city that has a lot of construction underway is Chan Aye TharyarQuarter. All 760 homes in the neighborhood were lost -- the majority of them belonged toMuslim families. Construction has started on about 350 houses. "I want to bring back those

families who lost their homes to these new homes," said construction project manager, UMyint Htwe, adding that they're building homes for Muslims, Buddhists, Christians andHindus.

He says the government is covering the costs of building roads, water lines and utility lines,but the money to cover the estimated $6 million needed to replace the homes is beingraised privately.

Most of the donors are Muslims living in Yangon, the country's biggest city and commercialcapital. MM Raunat Group, which is connected to a mosque in Yangon, is handling thefundraising and the rebuilding of Chan Aye Tharyar Quarter. But U Myint Htwe saysorganizers have only been able to raise half of the money they need so far. He says he hasno idea when he'll be able to finish the project.

Returning home

Nwe Nwe Oo is one of the Chan Aye Tharyar residents who hope to go back. "I'm alwaysthinking about it," she said. "I even cry."

She's one of more than 5,000 people still living in shelters and camps for the displaced. NweNwe Oo's shelter is for Muslims and is on the grounds of a local university about 14 miles




45

outside of Meiktila. She has spent more than a year living inside a 15 by 20 foot room in abamboo shelter without running water with her husband and two children, aged 12 and 14.They have to walk for a few minutes to access the nearest toilet and shower.

Nwe Nwe Oo cooks the family's meals over a tiny, charcoal barbecue, one of dozens lined inorderly rows in the camp. Despite the tight living quarters, Nwe Nwe Oo says she is

thankful. "I'm grateful to have a safe place to stay," she said.

Memories of the riots in Meiktila haven't faded, but many people here are cautiouslyoptimistic about the direction things are heading.

Last year, they talked about distrust and broken bonds. Now some of those same peoplediscuss rebuilding the city and rekindling friendships between Buddhists and Muslims, all thewhile hoping that extremists don't find a way to divide their community again.

MEIKTILA, Myanmar (CNN) —

Source: http://www.kspr.com/news/nationworld/Myanmar-city-recovers-after-sectarian-

shame/21051646_26411176

Myanmar’s army still abducts civilians and forces them to act as

guides and human shields

An injured rebel Kachin Independence Army (KIA) 3rd Brigade soldier gets an injection from a medic on Hka Ya mountain in Kachin provinceon January 20, 2013. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)

NAMHKAM, Northern Myanmar — In mid-April, government soldiers ransacked the home ofMr. Gam, here in northern Myanmar‘s Kachin State.




46

Then, the 55-year-old farmer says, they forced him and five other civilians to guide abattalion to a mountain outpost belonging to their enemy: an ethnic guerrilla force knownas the Kachin Independence Army (KIA).

―I was afraid. We were forced to walk in front,‖ he said, recalling the incident days later,after his release. (GlobalPost has disguised his name to prevent retaliation.)

―The Myanmar army captain told us, ‗If the fighting starts, you will be the first to die.‘‖

After decades of military rule in the country formerly known as Burma, a nominally civiliangovernment took office in 2011 and initiated sweeping political reforms, while also signingceasefire deals with most ethnic armed groups and vowing to end rights abuses againstcivilians.

The United States and the European Union quickly re-engaged with the former pariah state,rolling back economic sanctions and initiating limited military-to-military cooperation inhopes of promoting respect for human rights.

But after three years of reforms, the army retains considerable political power, and fightingcontinues to rage in northern Myanmar. Human rights monitors have long accusedMyanmar‘s military of war crimes, including the use of civilians as guides and porters, thedestruction of villages, sexual violence against women, arbitrary arrests and extrajudicialkillings. Despite improved relations with the West, GlobalPost‘s interviews with recentlydisplaced civilians indicate that rights abuses by the military remain common in ethnicconflict zones.

In late March, violence escalated after the Myanmar army deployed more troops to rebel-held parts of Kachin State and northern Shan State. Both sides have since reported frequentcasualties.

The United Nations estimates that recent fighting has forced at least 2,700 people to fleetheir homes, with hundreds heading across the border to nearby China. They join more than120,000 displaced civilians who have been languishing in camps in northern Myanmar sincea ceasefire between the KIA and the government collapsed three years ago, on June 9,2011.

US engagement with an abusive army

As new reports of abuses kept emerging, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urgedMyanmar in March to investigate past and current rights violations by the army, includingcrimes of rape and sexual violence.

US lawmakers concerned about the remaining political powers of the army and its record ofrights abuses recently drew up a bill that would require further reforms from Myanmarbefore expanding US military cooperation. In April, the deputy chief of the KIA made anofficial visit to Washington and asked the United States to become involved in Myanmar‘speace process, while he questioned US military cooperation with the country.

Tom Malinowski, assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights, and labor, saysthe United States remains concerned about ongoing fighting and alleged abuses in northernMyanmar. ―We are particularly anxious about the safety of civilians and continue to urge the




47

Burmese government to end offensive operations and allow unhindered access to those inneed of [humanitarian] assistance,‖ he told GlobalPost.

Malinowski defended US military engagement with Myanmar, saying it takes place at a ―minimal‖ level and consists of conducting exchanges on human rights law and the law ofarmed combat.

―[W]e see value in providing training to vetted and mostly junior officers — the future of theBurmese military — on issues such as preventing recruitment, demobilizing andrehabilitation of child soldiers; holding soldiers accountable for wrong-doings, such as rapeor other crimes; and conforming to international humanitarian law,‖ said Malinowski,formerly of Human Rights Watch.

―We have no plan to lift the arms embargo, to sell or give military equipment to Burma, orto conduct any training that would help the [military] engage in combat,‖ he added. ―There

are valid reasons to move slowly in engaging the military and to preserve our leverage topress for reform.‖

He noted that recent armed clashes ―accentuate the need for a ceasefire and resolution ofthe underlying political causes of the conflict.‖

The Myanmar government is currently attempting to achieve a nationwide ceasefire accordwith an alliance of 16 ethnic groups, including the Kachin rebels, but the recent escalation infighting threatens to derail this process.

In an attempt to defuse tensions, the Kachin Independence Army and the government helda round of bilateral negotiations last week, agreeing to form a peace monitoring commissionthat would help prevent further clashes. In March 2013, both sides also agreed in principleto end hostilities.

'They shot, and all villagers ran away'

On the ground in northern Myanmar, however, the government‘s promises have done littleto assuage fears over further attacks, with civilians worried about abuses not only by themilitary, but also by the rebels.

―There are so many peace conferences, but here the situation gets worse and worse,‖ said a

Kachin Baptist Convention aid worker helping some 900 civilians who fled from easternKachin State to Namkham, a small town in Shan State near the Chinese border, in mid-April.

―These are newly displaced people,‖ said the aid worker, who asked not to be named.

―Yesterday I picked up 23 [people]. They hid in the forest for three days without food. Theyonly had drinking water.‖

The families were given temporary refuge in a school building. Most had arrived one daybefore, settling down on the floor with the few belongings they could bring, lookingexhausted and dejected.

In a half a dozen interviews, they alleged that the Myanmar army‘s Light Infantry Battalion

323 had indiscriminately shelled their villages, looted or destroyed their homes and arrested




48

at least nine men, either to serve as porters or to provide information in rounds ofinterrogations.

―The Myanmar soldiers came down from the mountain,‖ said Baptist Minister Dungla Kum

Hpang, from Dingga village. ―First they shot at Bamuyang village. Then in the afternoon,they shot at Dingga village, and then in the evening they shot again and all villagers ran

away.‖

Ms. Shan, 53, said a 20-year-old woman was injured and four people went missing after hervillage came under attack. ―We don‘t know if they‘re still alive or dead,‖ she said.

Asked how he felt about the plight of his congregation, the minister said: ―I worry about

their living [conditions], their feelings and their future. Now they are very unhappy. I wouldlike to return them home. They also want to go home.‖

Editor's note: For the protection of the reporters and sources, GlobalPost is refraining fromnaming the authors of this article.

Source: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/myanmar/140605/myanmar-army-abducts-civilians-guides-human-shields

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