Global Voices » Myanmar (Burma)

Myanmar: Human Rights Violations Persist Despite Reforms

Mong Palatino — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:50:12 +0000

After a six-day mission to Myanmar, U.N. Human Rights Rapporteur Tomas Ojea Quintana releases his report about the continuing human rights problems in the country despite the reforms implemented by the government

Myanmar (Burma): Betwixt and Between

Onnik Krikorian — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:27:25 +0000

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees considers the situation of between 110-150,000 Burmese refugees located in camps on the border with Thailand as one of 29 protracted refugee situations globally. And, according to East Asia Forum, there are also an additional 1.5-2 million refugees in Thailand and represent the ‘visible side of human rights abuse.'

Ruled by a military junta from 1962 to 2011, Burma, known locally and by the United Nations as Myanmar, has often been accused of violating human rights and the forcible relocation of civilians. Although an ostensibly civilian government was controversially elected in 2010, a quarter of seats in parliament as well as three cabinet seats are reserved for the army.

Other concerns include the use of forced labour, among them children, human trafficking and internal ethnic conflict. In an extensive post, Mary Ditton, a Senior Lecturer in Health Management in Australia, looks at the problem of internally displaced people and refugees:

Most of the self-settled migrants from Burma work in the manufacturing, food processing and agricultural industries throughout Thailand […]. Further to the constant fear and threat of deportation, they work in poor conditions with neither basic rights of association, nor employee and health rights. […] Only some forced migrants choose to officially seek asylum and reside under the protection of UNHCR. Other forced migrants decide to earn a living within the informal economy and endure the risks of being deported. This protracted refugee process means the actual refugee camp populations are made up of women, children, the elderly and disabled, as the able-bodied men and women seek work elsewhere. This ‘left behind’ population is prey to corrupt practices such as people and drug trafficking, smuggling, and child labour. The self-settled group is vulnerable to these practices as well, since they have no effective legal protection.

Burmese Refugee Project on Flickr

A group particularly at risk are children, especially from minority communities, as the Rohingya Arakanese Refugee Committee explains:

Last week the human rights group Arakan Project released a report on children’s rights in Northern Arakan State, in western Burma. Arakan State is home to about 735,000 Rohingya Muslims, one of the most oppressed ethnic minorities in Burma.

The report stated that over 40,000 Rohingya minority children in Arakan State do not have Burmese (or any), citizenship, despite being born and having parents who live in Burma. The children’s stateless status, along with several other draconian laws that discriminate against Rohingya, are in fact severe human rights violations and can have dire consequences on their health.

All Rohingya living in Burma, according to Arakan Project, are required to pay bribes to get permission to travel outside of their villages. Some are forced by the Army or border forces to build roads and guard and clean bases. Rohingya have been pushed off their land, and Arakan Project estimates that only 30% of Rohingyas have access to farmland, with the rest working mostly as casual day laborers.

A study in the United States of 400 refugee children has found that health is a serious concern even when they leave Thailand and Burma:

Some Burmese refugee children heading to the U.S. have toxic levels of lead in the blood, according to a study released this week in the journal Pediatrics. Researchers at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention measured lead levels in Burmese children living in Thai refugee camps. They found that children under age two were at highest risk. Fifteen percent of them had lead poisoning, as did five percent of all children. […]

[…]

Lead poisoning is extremely toxic and can severe health effects on children, including brain damage, mental retardation and lowered IQ levels.

Well-Being For Rohingya Refugee Bangladesh says that changes and reform in Burma might help improve the situation:

While many humanitarian groups have called for more aid for Burmese refugees displaced by years of conflict, there is some optimism now that a series of cease-fire agreements may offer some hope to deliver badly needed food, medicine and shelter supplies.

A recent field report published by Refuges International (RI) focused on two key goals: allowing humanitarian groups freedom of access to refugee areas and the removal of elaborate donor restrictions.

[…]

There are an estimated 500,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) in Burma, and three million Burmese refugees in other countries, according to their study. There are also some 800,000 stateless Rohingyas in the west of the country, who live in dire humanitarian conditions because of their lack of basic human rights.

With the decrease in fighting now is the time for the humanitarian community – led by the UN Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator (RC/HC) and supported by key donors like the European Union, United Kingdom, and United States – to expand operations in Burma […].

A ceasefire recently signed between the government and rebels, as well as the release of political prisoners, has given some cause for hope. However, Tina McCloughy says more is necessary:

As part of my Fulbright research in Burma,Malaysia,and Thailand,a Burmese ethnic minority boy told me how he held on tight to his father’s back,as his father carried him through Burmese mountainous war zones to Thailand,leaving him alone in a refugee camp across the border. Why? Because the boy’s father saw how the Burmese government military had repeatedly torched his ethnic villages,schools,and never built them new schools. The only help any minority students have gotten in Burma has been from illegal forays by the Free Burma Rangers into Burma,risking their lives to take ethnic minority educators safely through dangerous conflict zones to be trained to start schools. Burmese minority educators shouldn’t have to risk their lives trying to educate their children.

Changing the lives of minority Burmese requires [Secretary of State] Clinton to also pressure Thailand and Malaysia to change their refugee policies,given that refugees continue to flow out of Burma and that it may take many years before Burma becomes safe for minority families. Thailand and Malaysia have deliberately refused to ratify the 1951 U.N. Convention protecting refugees,perhaps because they fear giving education and work rights to such an overwhelming number of Burmese minority refugees.

Following last year's visit by the U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, Andrew G. Lim writes on the Huffington Post that now is a “critical moment to press for further changes in the way that Myanmar's government deals with its ethnic minorities,” while Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, released from house arrest in 2010, this week addressed the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in a video message:

The Nobel Peace Prize Laureate acknowledged the changes in her country and urged the international community to do more to support further reform.

Myanmar: Interview with Former Prime Minister

Mong Palatino — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:04:03 +0000

The Myanmar Times publishes its exclusive interview with U Khin Nyunt, Myanmar's former military Intelligence chief and former prime minister, who was freed together with hundreds of political prisoners last week.

Myanmar's Nuclear Program

Mong Palatino — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 02:13:37 +0000

The Democratic Voice of Burma has uploaded a video documentary about its discovery of the secret program of Myanmar’s ruling generals to build nuclear weapons.

Myanmar: Freed Blogger's First Post

tan — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:24:14 +0000

Myanmar Blogger Nay Phone Latt, who was released on January 13th along with other prominent political prisoners after being imprisoned for 4 years, wrote his first blog post about his experience in prison.

Myanmar: Welcome Party for Freed Blogger

Mong Palatino — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 03:13:18 +0000

Htoo Tay Zar posts pictures from the welcoming party for freed Myanmar blogger Ko Nay Phone Latt. The blogger was one of the 600 political detainees who were released from prison in Myanmar on Friday, January 13, 2011.

Myanmar's ‘Beautiful Friday the 13th'

Chan Myae Khine — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 12:46:51 +0000

Myanmar President Thein Sein proved that the new government is serious in implementing democratic reforms by releasing almost all political prisoners today. According to a news report by a government television channel, a total of 651 dissidents were released from detention.

The release of prominent political prisoners is cited as an important step towards the Myanmar democracy journey. Among those who were freed included 88 generation activists Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi, Mya Aye, Jimmy, and Ni Lar Thein, monk activist Ashin Gambira, the former Prime Minister Khin Nyunt and his sons, and the blogger Nay Phone Latt. Both local and exile news agencies have interviewed some of these well-known personalities after their release.

Hundreds of Myanmar political prisoners were released on 'Beautiful Friday the 13th'

Khin Nyunt, the former prime minister, agrees [my] with Aung San Suu Kyi, the global democracy icon of Myanmar, that the recent decision of the government is a step in the right direction. Here's the report from the Eleven Media Group:

Current government is great. Because they have met with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. And the efforts made by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, efforts made by the president, the efforts made by both of them would lead to the good future of the country, I think.

The Democratic Voice of Burma posted the speeches of Min Ko Naing and Ni Lar Thein. Min Ko Naing was welcomed by more than a thousand people:

Thank you all, I have been in prison for about 20 years. But I am still quite healthy as you can see because of the love of the public. For the democracy that the public is hoping, we promise that we will carry on till we get to the target.

But Ni lar Thein also confirmed she hasn't signed any document for the release.

Many people around the country expressed their elation on social networks after the release was announced. Brownboy commented on the news update of Eleven Media Group :

Now people are happy inside & out. Appraising our Government… This is really tangible result that everyone can see..
Why they didn't do it the first place…?
Anyway, this is the moment we should celebrate…
Long live our People & Country!!!

KHZ1994, another commenter, expressed [my] his happiness :

I couldn't even go out for lunch. Because I am reading this news and the comments. Today is the day for the public with tears of happiness.

Myanmar netizens on Facebook posted status updates such as “Beautiful Friday 13″, “We are free”, “Thanks Mr. President” and “Today is a fairy tale” in reaction to the news. Some netizens even opined that substantial change will define Myanmar's immediate future.

Maung Maung San posted an artwork for the president saying:

That's a really bold move Mr. Thein Sein. I can see removal of sanctions and economic boom in a short future. A good friday the 13th.

TeZa Hlaing posted [my] his belief on facebook:

2012 is not the year the world would end but the year Myanmar would start.

SG_Lion mentioned [my] his thoughts on the country's future:

Let's try for our country to be able to stand proudly in the world by forgetting the past. Sanctions would be removed and Europe, US and international investments will improve in Myanmar. May the day when we can say “I'm Myanmar” proudly arrive very soon.

According to The Myanmar Times, Aung San Suu Kyi commented [my] after meeting with a U.S Congressman :

I have mentioned that they would be released. And now, they are free.

Myanmar: Video Reporter Released from Prison

Mong Palatino — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:37:04 +0000

A reporter from the Democratic Voice of Burma is among the political prisoners released today by the Myanmar government. The reporter was given an 18-year prison term for documenting a grenade attack in the capital.

Myanmar: List of Freed Political Prisoners

Mong Palatino — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 03:48:59 +0000

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners – Burma has uploaded a list of the 34 freed political prisoners in Myanmar. According to the opposition, there are 591 political prisoners in the country.

Myanmar: ‘Cosmetic' Democratic Reforms

Mong Palatino — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 03:44:22 +0000

Prof Kanbawza Win warns global leaders not be deceived by the so-called democratic reforms in Myanmar: “The West should not be carried away by some cosmetic reforms and that Burma’s long-ruling military still wields enormous power despite a veneer of democracy provided by the sham elections with a dubious constitution.”

Myanmar: “The Somali pirates keep their promise”

Mong Palatino — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 03:06:01 +0000

A total of 1,400 prisoners including 33 political prisoners were released from Myanmar prisons this month. Reacting to the non-release of hundreds of political prisoners, activist and former detainee Zarganar Thura posted this statement on facebook: “I once likened the situation of my friends in jail as being in the hands of Somali pirates. I now withdraw this comment. The Somali pirates keep their promise”

Global Voices Most Read Posts in 2011

Solana Larsen — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 23:46:50 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Global Voices in 2011.

Our top 20 list of most read posts on Global Voices for 2011 includes four from Japan, three from Egypt, and two from the Philippines. But only one story is about a giant crocodile!

It's been an incredible year for the reach and recognition of citizen media around the world, and that means Global Voices is no longer as lonely a media voice when it comes to reporting tweets and blog posts. Still, where mainstream media interest wanes, we're the ones who strive to continue documenting what local bloggers everywhere need the world to know.

Self Defence Forces arrive at the scene of the tsunami in Japan. Image by cosmobot, copyright Demotix (13/03/11).

Some of our proudest moments of 2011 will never be reflected on a top 20 list like the one below. This year we exceeded 500 active volunteer authors and translators of countless languages and countries, and we've published more than 2,600 long posts and 6,300 short ones in English alone.

Inevitably, many of the stories that don't get as wide a readership as they deserve are from countries that tend to be overlooked in international media. Unique coverage from across Africa, the Caucasus, Macedonia, the Russian language Internet, Latin America and indigenous rights are among some of the highlights. See the 2011 regional reviews by our editors and authors for a glance of what you may have missed.

Our Middle East and North Africa team deserves special mention this year. Throughout protests, blackouts, threats, they have managed to pull though and keep writing. The bloody images still proliferate, but our authors seek out constructive voices and angles for dialogue. So often, they've shared local humor and context that is difficult to appreciate from abroad without a guide.

Perhaps for the first time ever, China doesn't figure on our top 20 list of the year. These are particularly chilling times to blog about controversial subjects - something Global Voices authors in many other countries unfortunately also experience. This makes the stories that do come from anywhere free speech is frowned on even more precious.

Most read posts on Global Voices in 2011

Our most visited special coverage pages were:

In 2011 the world has learned more about the transformative power of online citizen media. We believe the best way to support these emerging voices on a global scale is to listen. Thanks for reading Global Voices! And please consider supporting our work with a donation.

This post is part of our special coverage Global Voices in 2011.

Southeast Asia: The Great Floods of 2011

Mong Palatino — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 01:16:36 +0000

Storms battered the Southeast Asian region in 2011, which caused heavy flooding in many countries, displaced thousands of residents and workers, destroyed millions worth of agricultural crops, and killed more than 2,000 people. Global Voices was able to report the impact of some of these flood disasters in the past year.

Thailand

Heavy rains inundated many provinces of Thailand for several months. The flooding was the worst to hit the country in the past 50 years. Dams overflowed, industrial estates were flooded, and thousands of residents were trapped in their homes. Many towns, including parts of Bangkok, became ‘waterworlds’ for several weeks.

Flooded temple. Photo from Pailin C

Global Voices featured the mapping tools and other disaster monitoring platforms used during the floods. We also highlighted the role of social media in spreading awareness, but also confusion, during the disaster, as well as the inventive ways of people as they coped with the floods.

Saksith Saiyasombut recalls the early signs of this flooding disaster:

790.

This is the current death toll of what has been described as the “worst floods in decades“. Floods are an annual occurrence in Thailand during the rainy season. When the water was sweeping through Chiang Mai already back in late September, this natural disaster was somehow going to be different. But it took some considerable time, despite the unprecedented damage it has created in Ayutthaya to the ancient temples and the vital industrial parks, until the capital was drowned in fear of what was to come.

This animated video about the Thailand flooding went viral meanwhile:

Philippines

Next to Thailand, the Philippines suffered the most from flooding. But the number of casualties is higher in the Philippines. A state of national calamity was declared by the president after tropical storm Sendong (international name: Washi) devastated many parts of north Mindanao Island, located in the southern part of the country.

According to the government, more than 1,400 people died and 1,000 more are still missing after Sendong triggered flashfloods in the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan last month.

Flood victims have utilized Facebook to help search for their missing loved ones. Photos and profiles of missing relatives and friends continue to be posted online. Blogs and social media networks have also been used to mobilize assistance for relief operations.

An unprecedented flooding disaster also hit Davao City last June. Many were unprepared when the floods swept the town since Davao is located in a supposedly typhoon-free zone.

Overview of flood impact. Photo from Tony Alejo

Cambodia

While Thailand’s flooding nightmare was widely reported in the global news, Cambodia’s flooding woes were not highlighted. But the flooding which hit the country last year was the worst in a decade.

Last October, Global Voices reported the extent of flood damage in Cambodia: 400,000 hectares of rice paddies were flooded, over 250,000 hectares of rice crops were completely lost, 3,000 kilometers of road infrastructures were destroyed, 300-400 kilometers of dams were damaged, over 247 were killed, more than 1,000 schools were flooded, the estimated loss could cost Cambodia over $400 million.

But aside from flood warnings, authorities and media networks in Cambodia and Thailand also published crocodile alerts to remind the people to watch out for crocodiles which escaped from flooded parks and farms.

Meanwhile, Singapore also experienced some flooding last year but authorities used the word ‘ponding’ instead of flooding to describe the situation in the city.

Aside from floods, there were other natural disasters that hit the region. A 6.8 earthquake hit northeast Myanmar on March 24 which was felt in nearby Thailand and as far away as Vietnam and China. The quake killed at least 70 people and destroyed more than 240 buildings in Myanmar alone.

Flood hashtags: #thaiflood, #bkkflood, #thaifloodeng, #sendong, #prayformindanao

Southeast Asia in 2011: A Year of Protest

Mong Palatino — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:28:37 +0000

The Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street are localized protests that still made a tremendous impact in the world in 2011. They were organized in response to place-specific issues, but their appeal and influence were immediately global. In Southeast Asia, Global Voices was able to feature several protest movements in 2011 that echoed the radical politics of Arab Spring and Occupy.

Malaysia’s Bersih (Clean) was the most outstanding protest event of 2011 in the region. The event, which was initially organized to ask for very sensible and doable electoral reforms (e.g. cleaning up of the electoral roll and the use of indelible ink), in the end became a pro-democracy action because of the massive participation of the civilian population in the streets – and the violent reaction of the state.

And like the tech-savvy Arab protesters, the Bersih marchers maximized social media to broaden the movement’s appeal among the apolitical segments of the local internet community.

Perhaps to prevent another Bersih, the Malaysian Parliament has approved the controversial Peaceful Assembly Bill which gives police and government authorities broad powers to control and even ban street assemblies and protests. Rallies were also organized to oppose the bill

Bersih rally from the FB page of Yuvanesh Prabakaran

Next to Bersih were the various Occupy protests in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. They didn’t succeed in sustaining big crowds, (Singapore’s Occupy flopped) but through their militant and creative actions, they were able to highlight the worsening poverty in their societies.

The Occupy protests in the Philippines were joined by students and other young people who used planking as a unique and funny way of expressing their anger over the state budget cuts on education and other social services. Early this month, the Occupy-like campout protests of students near the presidential palace were violently dispersed by the police.

Mass planking protest. Photo from participant

Perhaps the most underrated protest of the year was the rally of Cambodian villagers who dressed up like the Na'vi tribe from the 2009 science fiction film Avatar in opposition to the government’s plan to convert the Prey Lang forest into plantations and mines. Prey Lang is the largest remaining primary lowland dry evergreen forest in the region.

Prey Lang Avatar

Environmental protests actually intensified this year, and one of them succeeded in forcing Myanmar's government to cancel its hydroelectric dam project on the Irrawaddy River.

Not all those who fight for land rights, even through non-violent means, are able to freely express and organize their campaigns – a fact underscored by the experience of seven activists in Vietnam who were arrested, charged, and found guilty of overthrowing the government.

The protesters whose actions perhaps most symbolized the deep hatred and frustration of the poor against an oppressive system were Pham Thanh Son of Vietnam and Sondang Hutagalung of Indonesia. Son burned himself early this year in front of Da Nang’s municipal office to protest the confiscation of his family’s property by local authorities, while Sondang set his body on fire just a few weeks ago in front of the presidential palace to condemn the anti-poor policies of the government.

Source: http://www.facebook.com/ngochoang.qb.vn

There were no London-like urban riots in Southeast Asia this year, but the great floods that destroyed rice fields and food crops in almost all countries of the region could lead to food and rice protests next year. Delays in the rehabilitation of flooded communities could also ignite more anger and political backlash. During the Thailand flooding, residents removed flood barriers and defied authorities in protest to what they perceived as unfair government policy to ‘save’ central Bangkok from flooding at the expense of nearby towns.

Human rights advocates decried the continuing crackdown of democracy protests in West Papua and the various activities of their supporters in Indonesia.

We also recognize the SlutWalk protest in Singapore for its brave articulation of equality and sexual freedom through a rare protest assembly in the city.

Protest hashtags of the year: #bersih, #bersih2, #bersihstories, #occupydataran, #campoutph, #walk4freedom, #sawangsawa

‘Support Rohingya Refugees' Facebook Page

Mong Palatino — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 23:33:18 +0000

The ‘Support Rohingya Refugees' Facebook page aims to gather support and spread awareness about the plight of the Rohingya refugees who are ‘rejected' in Myanmar and in other countries of the region