Burma calls on USA to provide ‘solid reason’ for surveillance

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November 4, 2013

Burmese presidential spokesperson Ye Htut has said that Burma expects the USA to provide a “solid reason” as to why it used its embassy in Rangoon as a surveillance outpost to hack phone calls and electronic communications for Washington.

According to a recent leak by US intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden, the US has 90 surveillance facilities set up around the world including its embassy in Burma.

“We only know from what we read in the international media, however we would like to second the remarks made by the EU and other US allies such as Brazil and Mexico that the US needs to provide a solid reason to have hacked into emails and telephone conversations by leaders and citizens of their countries otherwise it will signify a lack of diplomatic ethics,” said Ye Htut.

Speaking to DVB, he added: “If you want to peep into someone’s house, you need a solid reason for doing so.”

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He also said it was “no surprise” to learn that the US was spying on other countries.

“It is not surprising to find out that the US has been spying on us given that they have the technology to do so. However they need to consider whether it is an appropriate thing to do or not,” he said.

Responding to DVB, a US embassy spokesperson in Rangoon, Sarah Hutchison, said, “We know these matters have created significant challenges in our relationships with some of our closest foreign partners. As the [US] President has said, the United States is reviewing the way that we gather intelligence to ensure that we are properly balancing the security concerns of our citizens and international partners with the privacy concerns that all people share. We want to ensure we are collecting information because we need it and not just because we can. We are going to continue to address these issues with our partners in diplomatic channels.”

Locals, monks resume sit-in protest at Latpadaung

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KO ZAN

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November 4, 2013

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Myanmar Protest — In this file picture from 1 December 2012, Buddhist monks and activists gather to protest against a violent crackdown on monks at Latpadaung copper mine in Monywa as riot police, right, stand guard outside the Chinese embassy in Rangoon. (AP Photo/ Khin Maung Win)

Dozens of residents and Buddhist monks set up a new protest camp on Saturday at Latpadaung copper mine to protest a decision by authorities who denied them permission to visit a historic Buddhist temple which the locals suspect was damaged recently by explosives used when mining operations resumed.

Sandar Thiri, one of seven monks at the Ingyin Hill site near the city of Monywa in Sagaing division, said they reached out to authorities for permission to visit the Buddhist ordination hall and temple where revered monk Lete Abbot, or Sayadaw Ledi, had taught sermons and meditated until his death in 1923.

“We heard that the ordination hall and temple were fractured by dynamite blasts, so we wanted to visit the site to inspect the damage,” he told DVB. “We were told by the authorities to seek permission in advance. We agreed to do so, but on the condition that if we did not get a reply within three hours we would open a protest camp.

“We applied for permission around noon and waited till 3pm – but the only response we received was that permission to visit the site was denied. We then set up a protest group under the name ‘Committee to Safeguard Religious Buildings’.”

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Khin San Hlaing, the National League for Democracy’s lower house representative from the nearby town of Pale, said the mining company should take the initiative of inviting some protestors to the temple.

“It is also important to question who approved the mining company to resume operations and whether it is in accordance with the recommendations in the [Latpadaung Investigation Commission] report,” he said. “Whoever is responsible should consider ways to negotiate with the locals to reduce their concerns. These issues will persist if the company continues to ignore residents’ demands. Nothing good will come of it.”

The Latpadaung copper mine project, which is a joint Burmese military and Chinese venture, has provoked outrage from locals who say it will cause irreversible environmental damage and has forced hundreds from their homes.

A previous sit-in protest was broken up brutally by riot police on 29 November last year. Some 80 protestors were injured, many with horrific burns that several experts have attributed to white phosphorous bombs.

A subsequent investigation headed by opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi failed to pronounce anyone guilty for the violent crackdown, and to many villagers’ dismay, recommended to the government that the project be resumed.

Ethnic groups sign accord aimed at nationwide ceasefire

By

AYE NAI / DVB

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November 4, 2013

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2. Ethnic laiza — Ethnic leaders take time out from the Laiza conference to pose for a photo-op.

Seventeen of 18 ethnic armed groups attending a conference in northern Kachin state have signed an agreement which could pave the way toward a nationwide ceasefire.

The only armed group in attendance that did not sign was the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) which reportedly wanted time to consult with Shan political parties and civic groups before committing itself.

Two other invited parties, the United Wa State Army (UWSA) and the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), did not attend the summit; however, ethnic leaders at the Laiza conference on Saturday told DVB that they are confident the UWSA and NDAA will also sign once they explain the terms of the agreement to them.

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The conference was hosted by the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) and also included the participation of other major ethnic groups such as the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), the Karen National Union (KNU), the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) and the New Mon State Party (NMSP).

Hkun Okker, a spokesman for the conference, was reported by Xinhua as saying: “If negotiations on the ceasefire draft are approved, gunshots will no longer be heard after 2015.”

Many of the ethnic leaders have now headed to Myitkyina where a scheduled meeting between the KIO and a Burmese government delegation is due to commence on Monday.

Fifty Rohingya feared drowned as boat sinks off Arakan coast

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REUTERS

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November 4, 2013

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Rohingya refugees from Myanmar are seen on a boat while they try to get into Bangladesh — Rohingya boatpeople, pictured in Teknaf in 2012. (Reuters)

Around 50 members of a Muslim minority in Burma are feared drowned after trying to flee Arakan state in a boat that sank in the early hours of Sunday, according to a community leader and a security official.

Rohingya have been leaving Burma in droves since clashes with ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, who make up the majority of the state’s population, erupted in June and October 2012. The government said at least 192 people died in the violence and the United Nations says about 140,000 people remain in camps.

The vast majority of those killed and displaced were Rohingya and growing numbers are now making treacherous journeys by boat to countries including Malaysia and Indonesia.

Many have been in Arakan state for generations, but the government considers them illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and severely limits their movements.

Families of the missing people kept watch on the beach throughout Sunday, said Aung Win, a leader of the Muslim Rohingya community.

“I saw people waiting there to find dead bodies,” he told Reuters by phone from the state capital, Sittwe.

A security officer said seven passengers on the boat that sank were rescued and there were unconfirmed reports that eight more may have reached land north of Ohntawgyi, a village about 12 miles north of Sittwe where there is also a camp for displaced Rohingya and where the boat departed from.

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Some survivors clung to debris while fisherman rescued others, said the officer who requested anonymity. The boat was carrying 60 people, he said.

Ohntawgyi was the site of clashes in August between Rohingya and police who opened fire on a crowd that had gathered to protest after the battered corpse of a Rohingya fisherman washed ashore.

The security officer said more violence erupted on Saturday in Pauktaw, an area about two hours northeast of Sittwe by boat, killing at least three Rohingya and one Rakhine.

The body of a Rohingya man was discovered in an area near a Buddhist pagoda where a group of Rohingya had gone from their camp to collect firewood, he said. Police confronted an angry crowd at the camp and opened fire, wounding three people, including one who later died in hospital.

A Rakhine woman was killed in what appeared to be a retaliatory attack, and the body of another Rohingya man was discovered on Sunday morning, he said.

The United Nations refugee agency has warned of a mass exodus of Rohingya as the rainy season ends in coming weeks.

A spokesman for the agency in Geneva said about 24,000 Rohingya were thought to have left Burma by boat this year, and more than 400 had died or gone missing during the journey.

DVB Debate: How to solve Rangoon’s traffic congestion

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DVB

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November 2, 2013

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The increasing number of cars in Burma is causing severe traffic jams and congestion. Now experts are trying to find a solution to the traffic problem, which also addresses the environmental situation.

This week’s panel consists of: environmentalist and chairman of Forest Resource Development and Conservation Association U Ohn; the vice-chairman of Myanmar Engineering Society, Aung Myint; and editor and chairman of Yangon Media Group, Ko Ko.

“Over the next four or five years the population in Burma will increase”, said U Ohn. “That means the number of cars will also increase. More traffic problems will arise. Consequently, from an environmental point of view, the city of Rangoon will not be worth living in.”

Motorcycles have been banned in the city centre by the government for a decade, but some say they might be a better alternative for both the traffic and the pollution. Another solution would be to improve the existing public transportation. Today there are more than 300 bus lines that all comes through downtown Rangoon.

“We need to modernise the current public transportation system”, said Ko Ko. By that, I don’t mean that the whole public transportation system now in use needs to be withdrawn, but I mean it’s time for it to be reformed.”

Aung Myint suggested a shuttle system from the outskirts of town to reduce the traffic in the central parts. He also points out the government is developing a BRT (bus rapid transit) system in collaboration with the Japanese agency JICA which could be implemented around 2015. However, Ko Ko argued that they shouldn’t rush this project. With no transparency or open tender system they risk corruption.

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One problem, according to Ko Ko, is street vendors blocking roads, causing even worse traffic. But Aung Myint said many countries have solved this problem by creating walking-only streets, or banning cars at certain hours of the day.

“How effective is our government and the committee in managing the traffic situation, really?” Aung Myint said. “Yes they’re working. But the result is not effective.”

“To be honest, there is no working traffic management system in our country, nor is there a traffic engineering system or transportation engineers”, meant Ko Ko. We just keep complaining about the traffic jams. The problem has not been resolved, because these roles cannot yet be conceived.

The main problem with the traffic seems to be the management of the traffic and the condition of the streets. However, as U Ohn said, experts have to point out to the responsible people what needs to be done. But many experts are still afraid of speaking out because they are worried about being seen as hostile towards the authorities.

Next week on DVB Debate: How can Burma’s health care system be improved?

You can join the debate and watch the full programme in Burmese at www.dvbdebate.com

Or share your views with us by commenting on our website at www.dvb.no

Business Weekly

By

DVB

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November 1, 2013

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Ups and down

One US dollar was buying 968 kyat on Friday, remaining the same as the week before. The selling rate rested at 975 kyat to the dollar.

The price of gold rose slightly to 690,000 kyat per tical on Friday. Fuel prices stayed the same – petrol 814 kyat per litre; diesel 920; and octane 920. The cost of rice and basic commodities was also stable at Rangoon marketplaces, with good quality rice selling at 1,100-1,200 kyat per basket.

Thilawa economic zone to open in two years

The Japanese-backed Thilawa economic zone is set to open in two years time, with the support from three companies: Mitsubishi, Sumitomo and Marubeni corporations. With a shared ownership of 49 percent, the Japanese firms will partner with the Burmese government and local enterprises to develop an industrial hub near Rangoon. The partners are expected to pay about 17 billion yen (US$174 million) on power, water and transport infrastructure for the site, which aims to export electronic parts and clothes across Asia.

Burma to rewrite mining law to attract foreign investment

Burma is planning to drastically rewrite its 1994 Mining Law in a bid to attract more foreign investment in its extractive industries. As much as 70 percent of the existing legislation is set to be amended, according to government officials. The current law includes several stumbling blocks for foreign investors, including a requirement to enter into a production sharing contract with the Ministry of Mines. The ministry is subsequently entitled to around 30 percent of all minerals extracted, as well as the relevant taxes and royalties. The protectionist law also bans foreign companies from exporting ore, coal and gold in order to ensure that processing takes place in-country.

Thai-registered company to seek loans for Dawei SEZ

The Burmese government is planning to register a joint Burmese-Thai company in Thailand to seek loans to implement the Dawei Special Economic Zone (SEZ). The company will also allow for the creation of revenue for the Thai-backed project by selling shares in Thailand, Burma’s Deputy Transportation Minister Han Sein told parliament this week. Shares will also be sold in Burma once the country sets up its own stock exchange. The proposal follows a failed attempt by Thailand and Burma to persuade Japan to support the project. Han Sein said that their goal of developing a highway road, industrial zones, factories, commercial buildings, residential areas, hospitals and schools in the SEZ were unlikely to be met by 2015 as originally hoped.

Garbage power

The South Korea-based Chasson International Group and a South Korea-Burma joint venture, Zaya & Associated Co Ltd and Hyundai Rotem Company, have been awarded contracts to generate electricity from two garbage dumpsites in Rangoon. The projects have an estimated investment value of between US$180 million and $230 million, according to Than Lwin Oo, head of the Rangoon municipal’s Pollution Control and Cleansing Department. He said the electricity generated from the garbage will be bought back by the Rangoon municipality at 150 kyat per unit and then distributed to industrial zones around the city.

Burma’s rubber exports receive boost

Burma has earned more than US$102 million in raw rubber exports in 2013, up from $94 million last year, according to the Ministry of Commerce. More than 40,000 tons of raw rubber was exported from 1 April to 11 October 2013, although this season’s heavy monsoon rains reportedly hampered production.

Thai pharmaceutical firm steps up Burma presence

Mega Lifesciences Plc, the wholly owned Thai pharmaceutical and consumer health firm, plans a Burma expansion with a new warehouse costing 300-600 million baht (US$96,500 – 193,100) to store pharmaceutical and consumer products. Chief executive Vivek Dhawan said the company will in next year’s first quarter propose to the Burmese government building the warehouse on 25 rai [40,000 m² of land] in Rangoon. Construction is expected to start by 2015.

Burma rated as one of the worst places to do business

Burma is among the worst places in the world to do business, according to a new report by the World Bank. The annual “Doing Business” report ranked Burma 182 out of 189 countries studied, citing its poor regulatory environment and limited protection for investors as key obstacles. Foreign investors have flooded the country following the stripping of western economic sanctions, but the report warns that archaic laws and bureaucratic systems may stifle entrepreneurship. The report said there was “considerable scope” for reform but praised government efforts to improve business regulations, including introducing corporate tax breaks under the 2012 Foreign Investment Law.

Burma calls on USA to provide ‘solid reason’ for surveillance

Locals, monks resume sit-in protest at Latpadaung

Ethnic groups sign accord aimed at nationwide ceasefire

Fifty Rohingya feared drowned as boat sinks off Arakan coast

DVB Debate: How to solve Rangoon’s traffic congestion

Business Weekly

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