BURMA RELATED NEWS AUGUST 07, 2012.

Myanmar's Suu Kyi to Chair Parliamentary Committee
YANGON, Myanmar August 7, 2012 (AP)

Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been named chairman of a new parliamentary committee that is to monitor and help implement the rule of law under the country's new government.

Her appointment to head the "Rule of Law and Tranquility Committee" was announced Tuesday.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former political prisoner was elected to parliament in April, a development that was hailed as proof of progress in the former military-run country.

The committee consists of 15 lawmakers including at least five from Kachin and Rakhine states and other ethnic areas that have been gripped by conflict.

Suu Kyi's party platform included three main objectives: to seek an end to ethnic conflicts, to try to achieve peace and rule of law and to amend the country's constitution.
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The Nation - Myanmar: Old habits die hard for the powerful
Editorial Desk
Publication Date : 07-08-2012


Censorship is alive and well in Myanmar despite all the enthusiasm surrounding the promises of reforms by Nay Pyi Daw's leaders that there would be no press censorship in the country from now on.

Unfortunately the truth inside Myanmar tells a different story. Local journalists have condemned the return of the Press Scrutiny and Registration Division (PSRD), which has halted indefinitely the publication of two weeklies, The Voice and The Envoy. The publications allegedly violated the so-called 2011 Order No 44, a PSRD measure that prevents articles being published without prior approval.

Of course, freedom of expression is a still a contentious issue in Myanmar society. The ruling administration has a long history of gagging the media and restricting public expressions of free speech. Nay Pyi Daw obviously is not used to the type of scrutiny that the media in freer societies are able to apply.

If it is not careful, if such censorship continues unabated, Myanmar could be become a laughing stock in the eyes of the world. One can understand why the highest authorities there are not happy with the reporting on a cabinet reshuffle, which led to the ban on the two weeklies. In Myanmar politics, the naming of new ministers, especially in the Cabinet, is indicative of the makeup of the future administration.

In that sense, it is important that the media keep the public abreast of what is going on. News about Cabinet portfolios and matters of public interest such as malfeasance should, of course, make up the normal headlines, as they do in any open society.

If Myanmar wants to move forward on the road of reform and democratisation, the whole government apparatus had better get used to media insight on political activities and the reshuffling of politicians to new appointments. Otherwise the country could backslide on the progress made so far, which has been little short of a miracle.

If the publication ban continues, it will send the wrong signal to the international community - that things aren't really what they seem inside the country. This could have adverse effects on Myanmar's future plans and the intentions of others.

At the moment, due to the positive reform template, Western and Asian countries have rushed towards the once-isolated country. Lest we forgot, less than a year and half ago, Myanmar was still the subject of condemnation from the majority of UN members.

Myanmar should reconsider its decision to censor its media. The new media law, to be enacted later in the year, will become an important instrument as the country continues with its overall reforms. Therefore it must not be jeopardised.

International media organisations have been assisting their counterparts in Myanmar to ensure that the media law is modern and conducive to the country's effort to open up and promote freedom of expression. Already Nay Pyi Daw has surprised critics about its new level of openness. Without the recent ban on the two weeklies, media freedom in Myanmar was ranking higher than before, within the Asean context.

Nay Pyi Daw has to understand how the media work and it must begin to foster an appreciation of their role. Reports on day-to-day events are essential as the country progresses. Mistakes will be made and mischievous deeds will be reported. That should not be a reason to shut down media operations.

Media personnel inside the country do need further training because the political situation is new, and some sensitive issues must be handled with care, without the kind of propaganda we've seen in the past. Better media, of course, will help Myanmar on the road to reform.

There is no reason to ban publications that report fairly and provide opinion that matters.
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Asian Correspondent - Burma plans to endorse a ‘Press Law’ without consulting journalists
By Zin Linn Aug 07, 2012 8:42PM UTC

On 6 August (Monday), some most important news journals – such as The Messenger, The Nation and so forth – in Burma blackened their cover pages as a sign of protest in order to show the current rising discontentment with long-lasting limits on the ‘Freedom of Press’.

On the same day, officials of the Press Scrutiny and Registration Department (PSRD) met with publishers and editors of the Voice Weekly Journal and the Envoy Journal on Monday and gave explanation about the suspension of the two weekly journals for breaking the 44th directives of the Printers and Publishers Registration and Press Scrutiny and Distribution Central Supervisory Committee, The New Light of Myanmar said today.

The PSRD said during the meeting that it has suspended the two weekly journals just for two weeks as a punishment. The state-run newspaper said the two sides openly discussed the challenges and sought ways for coordination between them.

According to the PSRD, it met with the publisher and the editor of the Envoy Journal on 5 May, 2012, and the Voice Weekly journal on 18 June, 2012, and gave notice them as the journals break the rules to follow the directives of the central supervisory committee. The PSRD said it had no alternative but to suspend the two weekly journals for two weeks as they broke the instructions of the department again, the paper reported.

Several dozens of journalists wearing black T-shirts decorated with the slogan ‘STOP KILLING PRESS’ launched a protest in Yangon and Mandalay on Saturday to defy the suspension of two journals. It happened in the course of uncertainties since PSRD’s bureaucrats are returning strict draconian censorship laws.

From the Facebook of “Committee for Freedom of Press (Myanmar)” : The slogan, ‘STOP KILLING PRESS’ used during the Saturday protests in Yangon and Mandalay.

Authorized persons of the PSRD said that after the new government took office, the Information Ministry laid down two policies regarding the publishers. The first policy is to adjust the rules and laws and directives of the 1962 Printers and Publishers Registration Act to be in consistency with the transitional period before the new print media law is ratified. The second policy is to draft the new print media law.

The officials of the PSRD clarified that corresponding to the first policy, it had changed its policy and relaxed four steps from June, 2011, to May, 2012 and it has currently worked to go into the fifth step.

As said by the state-run newspaper, the new print media law has been drafting with reference to the second policy. The Information Ministry has drawn the draft from July to December 2011 and sent the first draft to the Union Attorney- General Office in January, 2012. Then, the process went on with the second draft in April, 2012, the third draft in May, 2012, the fourth and fifth draft in June, 2012 respectively.

The PSRD officials said that the draft media law was sent to the President Office in June, 2012 and accepted the advices of the legal advisory group of the President in July, 2012. The Information Ministry and the Union Attorney-General Office are in coordination with each other to complete the bill. They confirmed that the bill will be introduced to the ongoing Parliament soon after seeking authorization from the President Office.

Before the new press law came into sight, the officials said, some rules and laws and directives of the existing 1962 Printers and Publishers Registration Act are being exercised. Hence, the actions were taken against the two weekly journals in accordance with the existing laws, The New Light of Myanmar said referring to PSRD officials.

On January 30-31, the new media law, drafted by the Information Ministry’s PSRD was introduced at a two-day media workshop jointly organized by the Myanmar Writers and Journalists Association and Singapore-based Asia Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC). Tint Swe, the deputy director general of the PSRD, presented some hints of the draft bill but not the subject matter of the press law.

However, a source close to the censorship office said that the draft law itself was adapted from the 1962 Printers and Publishers Registration Act ratified after the military coup by the late Gen Ne Win. Moreover, the draft law was prepared by the PSRD under the guidelines of the Information Minister. This was an unacceptable drafting process in the absence of media professionals and journalists.

If the government has a plan to draw up a press law, it should look into the international experiences concerning ‘press law’ ad ‘press council’. The government must allow the participation of experienced journalists, editors, producers and publishers from respective media fields.

Furthermore, the government should invite media law experts, journalism consultants, human rights defenders and members of media watchdog groups internationally in order to create a standardized press law and press council to honor the ‘Freedom of the Press’

On August 1, 92 journalists from Myanmar Journalists’ Association (MJA), Myanmar Journalists’ Network (MJN) and Myanmar Journalists’ Union (MJU) held a meeting at the Royal Rose Garden in Yangon. They formed the ‘Committee for Freedom of Press’ and then released a seven-point press statement.

The statement demands to sack the persons who oppose the reform plan while the country has been on a track of democratic change. It also claims that laws governing freedom of expression are terminated, especially the 1962 Printers and Publishers Registration Act.

Besides, the journalists declared that if the government endorsed a ‘Press Law’ without seeking advice from the stakeholders of the press, they will not accept any outcome concerning the new bill.

The media watchdog groups have been urging the Burmese authorities repeatedly to dump the unethical laws governing ‘Freedom of Expression’, especially the 1962 Printers and Publishers Registration Act including other oppressive laws.
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Tuesday, August 7, 2012
The Irish Times - World Bank arrival is hopeful sign for Burma
CLIFFORD COONAN

BURMA, RENAMED Myanmar in 1989 by its military regime, is one of the poorest countries in the world after decades of oppressive rule and punishing sanctions, but if the process of political reform continues at the present rate, Burma is odds-on to be Asia’s next investment star.

The latest positive development for the southeast Asian nation is that the World Bank is opening a country office there and preparing €79 million in grants for community-driven development programmes, the first aid from the bank in 25 years.

The funds can be used to develop infrastructure, schools and other projects, the global lender said.

“We are committed to eradicating poverty and the new office opening in Myanmar will allow us to reach some of the poorest people in East Asia.

They have been cut off from the global economy for too long and it’s very important that they receive real benefits from the government’s reforms,” World Bank president Jim Yong Kim said in a statement.

Denis O’Brien’s Digicel, which specialises in difficult emerging markets, has been here since 2010, just before President Thein Sein’s reforms were introduced, advising the MPT telecoms company.

Jim Rogers, co-founder of the Quantum Fund with George Soros, said recently he believes Burma to be “the best investment opportunity in the world”.

Burma has introduced political and financial reforms recently, including limited elections and freeing Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi after decades of house arrest and allowing her to stand in elections. These and other reforms are slowly persuading the international community it is time to lift its sanctions against Burma.

There is still a way to go, including freeing all political prisoners and ending border wars with ethnic minorities, and it will also take a long time to unravel the complex web of sanctions imposed on the country over the years, but the World Bank’s move is a major step towards opening up Burma.

This could mean new interest-free loans to Burma being issued from the start of 2013, followed by access to interest-free loans from the International Development Association, the World Bank’s fund for the poorest countries.

The World Bank will also help Burma to clear arrears of €322 million run up during a quarter-century of not making any payments.

“Actions in these areas will help the government attract responsible foreign investment, expand trade, manage its resources better and create more jobs and opportunities for people,” said Pamela Cox, the World Bank’s East Asia and Pacific region vice-president.

The bank’s private sector development unit, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), has started to make assessments in areas seen as critical to private sector growth, such as infrastructure, investment climate and access to finance.

“As we have witnessed in other economies in transition, the private sector plays a critical role in job creation and in providing the means for all to benefit from economic growth,” said Karin Finkelston, IFC vice-president for Asia Pacific.

“We are committed to helping the people of Myanmar in the reform process and to supporting the private sector to create jobs and opportunities for businesses to grow,” she said.

During a trip to Rangoon, Ms Cox and Ms Finkelston met Thein Sein and Aung San Suu Kyi, and other members of parliament. This was the first visit by senior leadership from the World Bank since the reform process began.

The next step for the bank is to come up with an interim strategy with the Burmese government and development partners ahead of a full country programme.

The bank has named Kanthan Shankar as country manager. He has previously worked in a number of conflict and post-conflict environments, including in East Timor, the West Bank, Gaza and Kosovo.
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The Malaysian Insider - ASEAN to Myanmar: Help will always be given to those who ask for it
Chayut Setboonsarng
August 07, 2012

AUG 7 — Business delegations, state visits, and investors are descending on the former pariah state searching for new opportunities in Myanmar’s blue ocean of industries.

However, experts consistently caution that the country’s basic infrastructure is simply insufficient to absorb foreign direct investment (FDI).

Rudimentary financial and political institutions are being built: civil servants are learning parliamentary procedures, while economists are being trained to manage the economy as Myanmar begins its modernisation.

It has political will and natural endowments to make this successful, but it would be remiss to overlook its highly capable and capital-rich ASEAN neighbours that have vast experience in economic development.

Myanmar already has enduring ties with ASEAN countries and now is the time to deepen those relationships to help build institutional capacity and reap the benefits of foreign investment. Conversely, further integration will also bring strategic benefits as Naypyidaw tries to hedge its relationship with Beijing.

There is, however, some uncertainty from Myanmar’s nascent industries, businesses, and SMEs. Firms are averse to competition that will be ushered in under the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015.

For example, senior officials have indicated that Myanmar wants to develop an agribusiness industry and is not in a hurry to industrialise. However, fear of cheap agricultural products from Thailand could marginalise the domestic industry.

These are legitimate concerns, but examination of the ASEAN Economic Community will show that beggar-thy-neighbour policies are far from the spirit of the ASEAN.

While many countries had trade embargos against Myanmar, ASEAN member states did not ostracise Naypyidaw. Likewise, the AEC will continue to be inclusive and ensure equitable economic growth.

The AEC Blueprint, since its inception, has taken into consideration the needs of ASEAN’s lesser developed countries and provides provisions in an ASEAN-X framework that allows Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam (CLMV) to liberalise at a pace that would not interfere with development.

Myanmar should look to its ASEAN neighbours and the Secretariat as collaborators in policy formulation and basic infrastructure development. The ASEAN-5 share similar histories of attracting and managing FDI for long term growth.

Take, for example, Thailand’s development of its 140km eastern seaboard — the infrastructure between Bangkok and Pattaya that enabled a robust manufacturing base of Japanese autos and eventually the core the nation’s export industry.

Or Malaysia’s ability to attract Intel’s first overseas office, and later AMD, Motorola, and Bosch in the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone in Penang.
Or the transformation of a sleepy harbour city of Batam, Indonesia into a business and industrial centre. There is a vast pool of knowledge and experience in building industries that is not beyond the reach of Naypyidaw.

To some extent, collaboration has already taken place in the form of Track 1.5 diplomatic engagements. Track 1.5 refers to a process that convenes members of government, civil societies, scholars, and businesses in semi-formal capacities to discuss the pertinent issues.

Within these forums, an investor could raise a policy issue in a specific industry that officials can take into consideration, study, and rectify. Myanmar can increase co-operation with former bureaucrats to assist with macroeconomic and monetary policy design.

In building basic industries, co-operation with seasoned businesses can accelerate the process. This, too, has already materialised in a partnership in the establishment of an special economic zone in port city of Dawei with the Italian-Thai Development construction company.

The Thai hospital group, Dusit Medical Services, has plans to invest in Myanmar, which would help address the country’s dire need for quality medical service. There is also discussion between the central bank of Myanmar with Malaysia’s top two banks, Maybank and CIMB Group, in improving financial services.

Another area of massive potential is the tourism industry of which Amazing Thailand, Malaysia Truly Asia, Wonderful Indonesia have a wealth of knowledge in attracting visitors. An array of other industries and policy areas such as plantation, public health, telecommunications, project tendering, agribusiness, and education all have ingenious ASEAN expertise.

The opening of Myanmar comes at the time of Western lethargy, but considerable upswing in Southeast Asia. Indonesia recently pledged a US$1 billion (RM3.1 billion) loan to the IMF, while Malaysia’s government-linked energy Petronas is making a US$5 billion acquisition in Canada, and Thailand’s CP Group is looking to make deals with US-based Smithfield Foods and the French retailer, Carrefour.

If ASEAN companies are ready to export their capabilities to the West, surely, Myanmar stands to gain technology transfer and best practices through regional partnerships. It does not need to rush reform its economy is not ready for; the investors are not going anywhere. Patience, consultations, and building trust should be priorities.

* Chayut Setboonsarng is an analyst with CIMB Asean Research Institute.
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UN News Centre - Bangladesh urged by UN to ensure NGO access for people fleeing Myanmar’s Rakhine state
7 August 2012 –

The United Nations refugee agency today urged Bangladeshi authorities to ensure that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can continue to provide assistance to unregistered people who have fled the violence in neighbouring Myanmar’s Rakhine state, after reports emerged of

Government authorities banning them from carrying out their activities.

“Last Thursday, three non-governmental organizations – Médecins Sans Frontières, Action Contre La Faim and Muslim Aid UK – were ordered by the Bangladeshi authorities to stop their activities in and around unofficial camps near Cox’s Bazar in the southeast,” the spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Adrian Edwards, told reporters in Geneva.

“If the order is implemented, it will have a serious humanitarian impact on some 40,000 unregistered people who had fled Myanmar in recent years and settled in the Leda and Kutupalong makeshift sites,” he added, noting that locals nearby will also be affected as they have also been benefitted from basic services provided by the NGOs.

In June, serious disturbances in Rakhine state, located in western Myanmar, led to the country’s Government declaring a state of emergency there. According to reports, the violence between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims left at least a dozen civilians dead and hundreds of homes destroyed, while affecting some 80,000 people, many of whom fled to Bangladesh.

In addition to the unregistered population, UNHCR said there are some 30,000 registered people living in two official camps in the Bangladeshi town of Cox’s Bazar.

“UNHCR is urging the Government of Bangladesh to reconsider its decision in line with its long tradition of hospitality towards people who have fled Myanmar over the years,” Mr. Edwards said. He added that the refugee agency will continue to watch developments closely following reports of renewed violence over the weekend.

“UNHCR has received unverified accounts of some villages being burnt in the Kyauk Taw township north of the state capital, Sittwe. Many of the young men have reportedly fled, leaving mainly women and children behind,” the spokesperson noted.

So far, the agency has distributed emergency aid – such as plastic sheets, blankets, sleeping mats, mosquito nets and kitchen sets – to more than 40,000 people. Other UN agencies, such as the World Food Programme (WFP), are also reaching out to affected people by providing food relief.

WFP reported that since the beginning of the crisis in June, it has provided a total of 2,109 metric tons of food, with food given to more than 102,000 people in June and close to 78,000 people in July. The agency, however, has expressed concern over high malnutrition rates among the displaced population.
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Myanmar's former child soldiers come forward to share stories
By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
8/7/2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

In spite of democratic reforms, Myanmar has appalling legacy of child abduction and forced labor

There have been inroads made in the Asian nation of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma in regards to human rights and Democratic reform. Myanmar still has a shameful history of child soldiers, where boys as young as 15 are abducted and forced to serve in the military. The experiences of these forcibly conscripted young people have begun to come to light, in an effort to redress previous injustices.

According to Human Rights Watch, however, a total eradication of under-age recruitment will be a long process. 'The Burmese army still forcibly recruits children from public places, often through civilian recruiters, and coerces them to join the army,' Matthew Smith, a researcher at HRW says

According to Human Rights Watch, however, a total eradication of under-age recruitment will be a long process. 'The Burmese army still forcibly recruits children from public places, often through civilian recruiters, and coerces them to join the army,' Matthew Smith, a researcher at HRW says

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - According to several human rights organizations, many Myanmar teenagers may have lost either their futures or their lives upon being drafted into the state armed forces. An unknown number of child soldiers continue to serve in non-state armed groups, continuing the cycle of violence.

Many of these combatants manage to escape their army commanders by crossing through the porous border to Thailand. Seeking refuge in "safe houses," these displaced teens face too few choices. They find themselves caught between Thai authorities and risk being sent back to succumb to the will of their troop leaders, or living in secrecy without identity or recourse.

While the 2010 elections may have brought little solace to the majority's democratic will in Myanmar, the new administration has surprised many by making unprecedented promises in relation to child soldiers. A joint action plan signed between the ministry of defense and a U.N. Task Force vowed to "halt child soldier recruitment and discharge existing recruits under age 18."

It was the first instance Myanmar not only acknowledged the presence of child soldiers within their armed forces, but also promised to "repatriate" them to their families and communities.

The gesture has led many to say that Myanmar has entered a new era in its political history.

These developments have been fascinating for civil society actors, the U.N., experts and journalists to witness a situation that was stagnant for decades to quickly transform into a positive start for "reform initiatives." Cooperating with humanitarian agencies has been part of the administration's attempts to convince the international community that they intend to rectify the country's appalling human rights record.

According to Human Rights Watch, however, a total eradication of under-age recruitment will be a long process. "The Burmese army still forcibly recruits children from public places, often through civilian recruiters, and coerces them to join the army," Matthew Smith, a researcher at HRW says.

"Abducted kids are typically offered an option to go to prison or enlist, and they usually choose the latter, at which point their documents are falsified."

The International Labor Organization has engaged in negotiations with the Myanmar government to formulate a plan of action under Security Council Resolution 1612. The resolution, adopted by the Security Council in 2005, established a monitoring and reporting mechanism on the use of child soldiers.

"With the holding of the elections and the establishment of the new government, the situation has been markedly different with government representatives, military and civilian, prepared to address all elements of the issue culminating in the signing of an agreed plan of action in June of this year," explained Steve Marshall, information officer at the ILO.

The signing of a memorandum pledges to work towards elimination of all forced labor, including under-age recruitment, by 2015.

Marshall is confident that the cycle of recruitment can be broken through "extensive educational/awareness raising programs targeted at military personnel, civilian government personnel and the general public."
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Bangkok Post - Upgrades stall TAA's Myanmar expansion plans
Published: 7/08/2012 at 01:45 AM
Newspaper section: Business

Airport constraints at Bagan and Nay Pyi Taw are holding up plans by the no-frills Thai AirAsia (TAA) to serve the two cities as part of its expanding coverage of Myanmar from Thailand.

Flanked by TAA cabin attendants at the launch of Bangkok-Mandalay service are (from left) TAA chief executive Tassapon; Sansern Ngaorungsi, deputy governor for international marketing at the Tourism Authority of Thailand; and Aung Myint, counsellor at the Myanmar Embassy.

Chief executive Tassapon Bijleveld yesterday said TAA now stands ready in terms of aircraft availability, but airports in the heritage destination and the new capital still need an upgrade, which will probably be completed next year.

Bagan and Nay Pyi Taw are the next two cities on TAA's radar screen after the low-cost carrier yesterday announced the launch of the Bangkok-Mandalay route and addition of a third daily service between Bangkok and Yangon _ both due to commence on Oct 4.

Mr Tassapon said TAA is aggressively pursuing fast-growing air travel demand stimulated by the economic and political reforms taking place in the nation after some 60 years of isolation.

"We can land there [at Nay Pyi Taw and Bagan], but the airports' facilities need to be upgraded, which is most unlikely to be done this year," Mr Tassapon said without elaborating on the airport constraints.

He noted, however, that he believes Myanmar authorities are aware of the constraints and are addressing them.

TAA will become the second international airline to serve Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city after Yangon, and the first discount airline to fly there.

China Eastern operates non-stop flights between Mandalay and Kunming in China's Yunnan province.

TAA will offer four flights a week _ Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday _ on the Bangkok-Mandalay sector, expecting an initial load factor of 70% in the first three months before ramping up to 80%.

Rising business and leisure demand for flights to Yangon, Myanmar's commercial hub, has also prompted TAA to add a daytime flight to the existing morning and evening services.

TAA has been flying to Yangon over the past eight years.

To ensure high load during the initial operation, the airline will offer promotional fares as low as 1,500 baht one-way inclusive of taxes and fees for the Bangkok-Mandalay route and 1,290 baht for the Bangkok-Yangon trip.

Both flights are available for booking online until this next Sunday for travel between Oct 4 and Dec 31.

Aside from Nay Pyi Taw and Bagan, TAA is also looking to serve a few other cities in Myanmar, which Mr Tassapon declined to name.

Myanmar, particularly Yangon, is attracting more foreign airlines as reforms draw an influx of business and leisure travellers to the junta-ruled country.

At least five international airlines plan to establish direct connections with Yangon in the coming months, bypassing Bangkok, the main transit point for flights to the country.

Thirteen foreign airlines now serve Yangon, where arrivals are expected to surge to 3 million this year.
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The Irrawaddy - 88 Generation Leaders Speak Out on Rohingya Issue
By SAW YAN NAING / THE IRRAWADDY| August 7, 2012 |

Members of the 88 Generation Students group speak to reporters about recent violence in Arakan State. (Photo: J Paing / The Irrawaddy)

Members of the 88 Generation Students group speak to reporters about recent violence in Arakan State. (Photo: J Paing / The Irrawaddy)

Leading members of the 88 Generation students group held a press conference in Rangoon on Sunday to report on their findings from a recent trip to Arakan State, where communal clashes between Buddhists and Muslims have attracted worldwide attention.

Urging a more complete view of the situation in the troubled state, the former student activists said that the international community should not focus only on the humanitarian dimension, but also on historical and security issues related to the conflict.

The group, which is widely regarded as one of Burma’s most prominent pro-democracy organizations, made the remarks following a visit to the state last week by UN rights envoy for Burma Tomas Ojea Quintana, who said it was a “matter of urgency” to set up an independent and credible investigation into the allegations of rights abuses.

Violence between Rohingya Muslims and Arakanese Buddhists erupted in early June, leaving dozens dead and displacing more than 91,000. There have been widespread allegations that security forces were complicit in violence targeting Rohingyas.

Min Ko Naing, one of the leaders of the 88 Generation Students group, told The Irrawaddy that both communities will continue to suffer unless the history of the region and security concerns are taken into consideration.

At the press conference, he also said that his group doesn’t reject Quintana’s calls for “an urgent independent investigation” into the violence. However, Ko Ko Gyi, another prominent member of the group, said the investigation body must be “truly independent” and conduct its works fairly if it is formed.

Following his visit, Quintana said he was “extremely concerned about the deep-seated animosity and distrust which exists between the communities in [Arakan] State. The situation will only further deteriorate unless brave steps are taken by the government.”

He also raised concerns about discrimination against the Rohingya, including the denial of citizenship and restrictions on their their freedom of movement and right to marry.

“I hope that steps will be taken to address these issues, including a review of the 1982 Citizenship Act to ensure that it is in line with international human rights standards,” said Quintana.

According to the 1982 Citizenship Law enacted by former dictator Gen Ne Win, Burma recognizes three categories of citizens—full citizen, associate citizen and naturalized citizen.

Full citizens are descendants of residents who lived in Burma prior to 1823 or were born to parents who were citizens at the time of birth. Associate citizens are those who acquired citizenship through the 1948 Union Citizenship Law. Naturalized citizens refers to persons who lived in Burma before Jan 4 1948 and applied for citizenship after 1982.

The Rohingya are not recognized as belonging to any of these categories.

Critics say the 1982 citizenship law violates several fundamental principles of international customary law standards, offends the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and leaves the Rohingya people exposed without any legal protection of their rights.

According to Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “everyone has the right to a nationality” and “no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.”

The critics say that the 1982 Citizenship Law has perpetuated the Rohingya citizenship crisis, making them objects of persecution and discrimination.

However, Ba Shein, a Lower House MP for the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party, told The Irrawaddy that the 1982 Citizenship Act was enacted with the aim of protect national security as the country is situated next to the world’s most populous countries.

The problem, he said, is that the law hasn’t be properly enforced because of corrupt immigration officials who issued national ID cards to foreigners, including Bengali migrants who entered Burma illegally from Bangladesh a long time ago. The Burmese government has simply ignored the problem and allowed it to get worse, he said.

Ba Shein said that some Muslim leaders and foreign activists have pushed for recognition of the Rohingya as one of the country’s “national races” because they believe that will give them the right to remain in Burma as citizens.

“The international community is telling us to do this and do that about our internal affairs, but what can the world do for us to protect our national security?” he asked.

Ko Ko Gyi said Quintana only focused on the human rights dimension of the Rohingya issue because he is a UN human rights envoy. But the root of the problem is based on ethnic conflict, he said.

“While ethnic Arakanese are afraid to live in their villages, the international community is only saying that the government oppresses Muslim people,” he added.
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