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Showing posts from January, 2018

Reuters chief expresses dismay at decision to prosecute two Reuters reporters

Mr Stephen J. Adler, President and Editor-in-Chief of Reuters has expressed his disappointment that two of his company’s Myanmar reporters are being prosecuted under the antiquated Official Secrets Act. His press statement, released on January 10 following the appearance of the two journalists in court, is as follows: “We are extremely disappointed that the authorities seek to prosecute Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo under Myanmar’s Official Secrets Act. We view this as a wholly unwarranted, blatant attack on press freedom. Our colleagues should be allowed to return to their jobs reporting on events in Myanmar. We believe time is of the essence and we continue to call for Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo’s prompt release,” he said. http://www.mizzima.com/news-domestic/reuters-chief-expresses-dismay-decision-prosecute-two-reuters-reporters

Myanmar police charge Reuters reporters under Official Secrets Act

Two Reuters journalists were formally charged by police in a Myanmar court Wednesday for breaching a colonial-era secrecy law that carries up to 14 years in jail, despite calls for their immediate release. Myanmar nationals Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, were arrested a month ago under the Official Secrets Act after they allegedly were given classified documents by two policemen over dinner. The pair had been reporting on the military campaign in the northern Rakhine state that has forced some 655,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee over the border to Bangladesh since August, violence the UN has condemned as ethnic cleansing. The issue is incendiary inside Myanmar, where authorities deny any wrongdoing during an army crackdown on terrorists from the Muslim minority. A police officer "filed the case to charge under the state secret (Official Secrets) act, section 3.1(c)," a district judge told the court. The section punishes anyone who "obtains, collects, records

Prosecution goes ahead with ‘Official Secrets’ charges against journalists

Having been remanded for a second 14-day period at a hearing last month, the case of two  Reuters journalists began in earnest on Wednesday at Yangon’s Northern District Court, with the prosecution confirming that charges under Burma’s Official Secrets Act would be brought against them. The two reporters, Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27,  were detained in Yangon  by Burmese authorities on 12 December, allegedly in possession of sensitive government documents. The pair face up to 14 years’ imprisonment under the colonial-era Official Secrets Act. Ahead of the hearing Wednesday, Burmese journalists gathered outside the courthouse — several wearing black T-shirts that read “Journalism is not a crime” — in protest of the two men’s detention. Others held banners calling for their immediate release. Than Zaw Aung, a lawyer for the two arrested journalists, said a bail petition had been submitted and that the defence would be given an opportunity to argue the case for bail at their

Security Officials, Villagers Executed 10 ARSA-Linked Rohingya: Army

By THE IRRAWADDY 10 January 2018 YANGON—A Myanmar Army investigation panel has determined that villagers and security forces killed 10 Rohingya allegedly affiliated with Muslim militants who launched a series of attacks on security outposts in northern Maungdaw last year. The Army investigation followed the discovery of 10 bodies near a graveyard in Inn Din village in southern Maungdaw Township, Rakhine State in December. According to a press release issued by the panel on Wednesday afternoon, a five-member team led by Lieutenant-General Aye Win visited Inn Din village between Dec. 20 and Jan. 2 and interviewed 21 Army witnesses, three Border Police officers, 13 members of No. 8 Security Unit, six Inn Din villagers and six civil servants. The 10 Rohingya were involved in attacks organized by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA)—a Muslim militant group denounced by the government as a “terrorist organization” after a series of attacks last year—and arrested on Sept. 1 dur

Govt Hides Rohingya Landmine Incidents on Intl Stage, but Devices Continue to Be Used at Home

By MOE MYINT 10 January 2018 YANGON—Despite the Myanmar government’s assurances to the international community that the country’s military is forbidden to use landmines, a number of Rohingya people have been killed by mines produced by the Army in northern Rakhine State in recent months, according to a new report. On Wednesday, Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan, Myanmar Research Coordinator for Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor, launched the group’s 19th report at the Royal Rose restaurant in Yangon. The anti-personnel landmine watchdog compiled casualty figures from medical assistance groups and non-governmental organizations, as well as information obtained by its own local researcher during visits to refugee camps on the Bangladesh border. A military crackdown against the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army in Maungdaw district in August 2017 caused around 660,000 Rohingya to flee to neighboring Bangladesh. Some of them walked into minefields while attempting to cross the border, accor

Myanmar police charge Reuters reporters under Official Secrets Act

Two Reuters journalists were formally charged by police in a Myanmar court Wednesday for breaching a colonial-era secrecy law that carries up to 14 years in jail, despite calls for their immediate release. Myanmar nationals Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, were arrested a month ago under the Official Secrets Act after they allegedly were given classified documents by two policemen over dinner. The pair had been reporting on the military campaign in the northern Rakhine state that has forced some 655,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee over the border to Bangladesh since August, violence the UN has condemned as ethnic cleansing. The issue is incendiary inside Myanmar, where authorities deny any wrongdoing during an army crackdown on terrorists from the Muslim minority. A police officer "filed the case to charge under the state secret (Official Secrets) act, section 3.1(c)," a district judge told the court. The section punishes anyone who "obtains, collects, recor

Bangladesh court upholds ban on refugee marriage

A Bangladesh court on Monday upheld a government ruling banning marriage between its citizens and refugees from Myanmar's persecuted Rohingya minority, who have fled ethnic violence in the neighbouring country. The High Court in Dhaka dismissed a legal challenge from a father whose son married a Rohingya teenager in a Muslim ceremony in September despite laws forbidding such unions.  Marriages with Rohingya were banned in 2014 to try to prevent hundreds of thousands of refugees living in Bangladesh from seeking a back door to citizenship.  Babul Hossain, whose 26-year-old son ran away with his new wife after they married, questioned the legality of the ruling that threatens a seven-year jail term for any Bangladeshi who weds a Rohingya refugee. But the court rejected his plea and ordered he pay 100,000 taka ($1,200) in legal costs. "The court rejected the petition and has upheld the administrative order, which bans marriage between Bangladeshi citizens and

US condemns ARSA terrorist attack

The United States issued a statement yesterday condemning the January 5 ARSA terrorist attack on Myanmar security forces in northern Rakhine State. The statement expressed condolences to the injured and their families. The statement also notes, “This act of violence only serves to further undermine peace and security in northern Rakhine State and the region. We continue to urge all parties to ensure their rhetoric and their actions contribute to establishing the conditions for the safe, voluntary, and dignified return of all those who have been displaced by violence to their places of origin.”  http://www.mizzima.com/news-domestic/us-condemns-arsa-terrorist-attack

Fierce fighting reported between DKBA-Buddhist and KNLA, BGF

Maj. Naing Maung Zaw from Border Guard Force (BGF) confirmed to Mizzima that combined troops of Karen National Union (KNU) and BGF were fighting fiercely against the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), in Hlaingbwe Township, Karen State. “We have been fighting with them fiercely for over a month. Our combined troops have overrun their outposts. We have had intermittent fighting and sporadic firing until today. The place we are fighting is called Tharbawthae which is in dense forest full of valleys and ravines,” he said. Maj. Naing Maung Zaw added that a combined force of government troops, the 7th Brigade Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and BGF were fighting with them near the Hatgyi dam site in Maethaewaw.  “We have being fighting with them for a long time after they launched an attack on our outpost. They frequently broke their promises. We have to retaliate after they launched repeated attacks on our positions,” he added. Maj. Naing Maung Zaw further said

ARSA says it has no option but to fight

By REUTERS 8 January 2018 Rohingya Muslim insurgents said on Sunday they have no option but to fight what they called Burma state-sponsored terrorism to defend the Rohingya community, and they demanded that the Rohingya be consulted on all decisions affecting their future. The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) launched raids on Burmese security forces on 25 August, which sparked sweeping counter-insurgency operations in the Muslim-majority north of Rakhine State that led to widespread violence and arson and an exodus of some 650,000 Rohingya villagers to Bangladesh. The United Nations condemned the Burmese military campaign as ethnic cleansing. Buddhist-majority Burma rejected that. But since the August raids, the small insurgent group has launched few if any attacks until Friday, when its fighters ambushed a Burmese military truck, wounding several members of the security forces. “ARSA has … no other option but to combat ‘Burmese state-sponsored terrorism’ against the

ANP ‘suspends’ Aye Maung

By DVB 8 January 2018 The leadership of the Arakan National Party (ANP) yesterday announced their decision to suspend Dr. Aye Maung from his position as party chairman, despite the fact that Aye Maung resigned as ANP chair over five weeks ago. Speaking at a press conference in Rakhine state capital Sittwe on the final day of the party’s Annual General Meeting, ANP general-secretary Tun Aung Kyaw said, “The party will allow a timeframe for [Aye Maung ] to reconsider his resignation.” He added: “In the meantime, the party’s central executive committee has decided to suspend him from his position as the ANP’s chair.” Tun Aung Kyaw told reporters that they will not appoint a new chairperson in the interim, but instead divide party duties and operations between themselves. The ANP general-secretary confirmed that Aye Maung had not been present during the four-day meeting, though he had been invited. Aye Maung cited “disunity among the leaders of the party” as one of the reaso

Hindu refugees eagerly await return to Myanmar

Hindu farmer Surodhon Pal has packed his bags, eager to return to Myanmar after fleeing for Bangladesh during a wave of violence last year, but he is in a tiny minority -- most of the refugees are terrified of going home. Bangladesh wants the more than 655,000 refugees who have flooded into the country since late August to start returning to Myanmar by the end of this month under a controversial agreement between the two nations. The vast majority are Rohingya Muslims who have faced decades of persecution in Myanmar, which sees them as illegal immigrants, even though many have lived there for generations. They say they would rather stay in the squalid camps in Bangladesh than return to the scene of violence the US and the United Nations have said amounts to ethnic cleansing. But a small community of Hindus who lived alongside the Rohingya in Myanmar's Rakhine state and were caught up in the turmoil say they do want to return. "We want security and we want food. I

China donates prefabricated houses to displaced people in Myanmar’s Rakhine state

China on Saturday handed over about 100 prefabricated houses for displaced persons in Myanmar's western Rakhine state at the Myanmar Industrial Port, Xinhua reported. Each assembled-board house can accommodate eight people and can be used for at least 20 years. The houses can endure an 8.0-magnitude earthquake. Speaking at the handover ceremony, Chinese Ambassador Hong Liang pledged to continue China's assistance to conflict-displaced people in the region. http://www.mizzima.com/news-domestic/china-donates-prefabricated-houses-displaced-people-myanmar%E2%80%99s-rakhine-state

What is the NLD Doing for Political Prisoners?

By SAI NYUNT LWIN 8 January 2018 It was Jan. 4, 2018. As it was also the 70th anniversary of Myanmar’s independence, I could not help thinking about my days in prison. Independence Day is one of the special occasions each and every prisoner looks forward to with high hopes. That is because of a custom of granting amnesty to prisoners and reducing jail sentences on every anniversary. Everyone who has had to spend part of his or her life in prison knows how it feels. Prisoners cannot help feeling grateful to the government when they see some of their fellow inmates walk out of prison on such occasions, even if they themselves are not released. It is a fine practice among prisoners, despite being anti-government activists, to praise and thank the government for granting them amnesty. Such days give hope to all types of prisoners. It is also a common practice among prisoners as these days approach to ask prison authorities for any unusual news from the outside. All inmates loo

Head of New Crisis Panel Urges Access to Rakhine State

By REUTERS 8 January 2018 BANGKOK—Humanitarian workers and journalists should be given free access to Rakhine State, where violence has prompted some 650,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh, the head of a new international advisory panel on the crisis said. Surakiart Sathirathai, a former Thai foreign minister, also expressed concern at the arrest of two Reuters reporters last month and said he hoped the case did not lead to broader restrictions on the international media. “I think press and humanitarian access to Rakhine are important issues as well as free access to other stakeholders,” said Surakiart in an interview in Bangkok. “Legitimate press coverage is something that should be enhanced.” Myanmar has severely curtailed access to Rakhine, where an army operation in response to attacks by Rohingya insurgents has been condemned by the United Nations as ethnic cleansing—an accusation rejected by the Buddhist majority country. Surakiart, 59, was chosen last year b

ARSA Claims Recent Attack in Northern Rakhine

By THE IRRAWADDY 8 January 2018 YANGON — The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, a Muslim militant group behind a series of attacks on government security outposts in northern Rakhine State in August, claimed responsibility for an ambush that injured six government troops last week in the restive area. In the latest attack since a unilateral ceasefire in October, a civilian vehicle carrying six soldiers and an army officer were blasted by what was thought to be a remote-controlled landmine in northern Maungdaw Township on Friday morning. The explosion was reportedly followed by an ambush carried out by gunmen apparently positioned on a nearby hill. The attack injured six soldiers and a civilian driver. On Sunday, ARSA released a statement on Twitter, saying it was behind the attack. “The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) hereby declares that we carried out an ambush against the Burmese terrorist army in Turaing Village, San Kar Pin Yin Village Tract, Northern Maungdaw

ARSA claims ambush on Myanmar security forces

Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) on Sunday claimed responsibility for an ambush on Myanmar security forces that left several wounded in northern Rakhine state, the first attack in weeks in a region gutted by violence. Rakhine was plunged into turmoil last August, when a series of ARSA raids prompted a military backlash so brutal the UN says it likely amounts to ethnic cleansing of the Muslim Rohingya minority. The army campaign sent some 650,000 Rohingya fleeing for Bangladesh, where refugees have given harrowing accounts of rape, murder and arson at the hands of security forces and vigilantes. Myanmar's military, which tightly controls information about Rakhine, denies any abuses and insists the crackdown was a proportionate response to crush the "terrorist" threat. ARSA have launched few attacks in recent months.  But the army reported that "about ten" Rohingya terrorists ambushed a car with hand-made mines and gunfire on Friday morning

Joint Peace Fund interim director says year 2018 ‘very important for the peace process’

Mizzima Editor in Chief Soe Myint sat down with Mr Nigel Roberts, Interim Director of the Technical Secretariat of the Joint Peace Fund this week to talk about his mission and the progress being made to bring peace to Myanmar. As a prelude to the interview, Mr Roberts said he has been filling in between one director and another with the Joint Peace Fund, so he said he did not consider himself an expert on the Myanmar peace process. However, he did stress that he has a lot of experience in other countries, so he could refer to that and some of the lessons and comparisons there. What do you think are the main challenges for the Myanmar peace process in 2018? Well first of all, at the end of this month you have the next UPC (Union Peace Conference). This I think is very important because there have been many questions asked about the speed and the effectiveness of the peace process, and in many quarters there has been a loss in confidence. So this offers an opportunity to rees