Showing posts with label Myanmar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Myanmar. Show all posts

Nov 24, 2014

Oct 10, 2014

Sep 3, 2014

Aug 25, 2014

Aug 21, 2014

Aug 15, 2014

Jul 5, 2014

Jun 16, 2014

May 29, 2014

May 23, 2014

An INGO worker talked about the current situation upon on them in Myanmar

Just read an interesting article in Myanmar Eleven.
It is an interview of the spokesperson of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Myanmar.

From the interview, we can read how the locals misunderstood the INGO workers' works in Myanmar, especially in the Rakhine State.
We can read about the local bias and the hard reality imposed on foreign humanitarian aid workers.
The spokesperson also shared his opinion on the situation of Rakhine State:

Interview with ICRC's spokesperson Michael O'Brien - Eleven Myanmar | Eleven Myanmarhttp://www.elevenmyanmar.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6147

For example:
Q: Many INGOs are working in the Rakhine State. Myanmar has many regions worse than that state. Some say one of the main reasons behind those many NGOs working in the state is that they get more financial support from the western and rich Islamic countries. What is your view on that?
A: I think the problems in Myanmar are quite visible internationally. In our perspective, we think that there're a lot of needs for both communities in Rakhine because it is one of the poorest states in Myanmar. So, it's not just the communal violence. From the ICRC's perspective, we are a world-wide organisation, not a western organisation. We are funded by 194 countries worldwide. Every country, which has signed the Geneva Convention, provides money to the ICRC. So, there are Buddhist countries, Christian countries, and Muslim countries. Perhaps [the criticisms] are for other organisations, but I would not speak for them. We do not only focus on Rakhine but also on others such as Kachin and Shan according to their needs.
Full interview in video:

Mar 29, 2014

‏@FP_DemLab How deep divides are throwing Burma into a political void. New by Min Zin:

Very interesting analysis about what happened in Myanmar/Burma right now:
Why Burma Is Heading Downhill Fast

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/03/28/why_burma_is_heading_downhill_fast

I've been unable to escape an ominous sense that the political situation in Burma is on the wrong track. There are two main reasons for my anxiety. First, Burma is undergoing a leadership crisis. Second, the possibility of large-scale social unrest is increasing.
….
As long as the military continues to control the presidency rather than handing power over to a civilian leader like Aung San Suu Kyi, the legitimacy and stability of the political transition will be incomplete.
....
Unless Burma's leaders manage to reach a basic consensus about the speed and character of the transition, these risks will only mount. A few weeks ago I described the current situation in our country to some of my friends as a "slow-motion train wreck." As one of those listening put it: "Yes. And we, the people of Burma, are inside the train."

Mar 24, 2014

On Myanmar & Ethnic issues & Tatmadaw

Asia Times Online has an articles on the ethnic armed group issue in Myanmar's national reconciliation. There are some interesting highlights
Asia Times Online :: A federal army for Myanmar?
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/SEA-01-240314.html

Ask any ethnic Kachin, Karen, Shan, Mon or other ethnic person to name a national hero or days of national importance, very few would mention such prominent names as Aung San, the Thirty Comrades or days important to many Burmans such as Independence Day, Tatmadaw Day or Martyr Day . Instead, each ethnic group celebrates their own revolutionary heroes, political leaders and holidays that are mostly unknown to the majority of Burmans.


In other words, Myanmar's ethnic minority groups see themselves as distinct sovereign entities with their own sovereign armies. Therefore, the idea of dismantling or subordinating them to the Tatmadaw is unthinkable and politically unacceptable to many of them. Any central government attempt to take away such symbols of pride, power and prestige at the negotiation table or through force will continue to be strongly resisted.


Deep-seated fear, loathing, and mistrust of the Tatmadaw means most ethnic armed groups will remain reluctant to put down their arms or place their armies under government control. For over half a century, government soldiers have systemically perpetuated gross human-rights abuses against ethnic people through arbitrary killings and wholesale destruction of their communities. Their actions have forced tens of thousands to flee their lands and become either internally displaced or stateless refugees in neighboring countries.

Now, if any national ceasefire is too hold, the government will need to quickly demilitarize ethnic regions and drastically reduce the number of troops now stationed in border areas. Most ethnic communities still view government foot soldiers in their regions as foreign invaders with the intention of taking their lands and exploiting their resources. As long as large numbers of government troops are kept in ethnic areas, fear and insecurity will undermine prospects for national reconciliation via ceasefire.

As part of a confidence building process to restore trust between the Tatmadaw and ethnic armed groups, the government could begin to address issues of inequality and policies that discriminate against ethnic minorities. Measures could be enacted to ensure promotions and rewards in the military are based on merit and service instead of family connections and race. While ethnic groups will continue to advocate for a federal army in exchange for a peace deal, a more inclusive Tatmadaw would be a step forward towards forging national unity.

Mar 21, 2014

This week Economist on Southeast Asia: Indonesia’s elections; Indonesia’s haze; A census in Myanmar

This week Economist has three articles on Southeast Asia worth to check:
Indonesia's elections
The chosen one
 
IT WAS what many Indonesians had waited months to hear. On March 14th Megawati Sukarnoputri, a former president and head of Indonesia’s main opposition party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), at last anointed Jakarta’s popular governor, Joko Widodo, as her candidate for president. This appears to make Mr Joko, known to all as Jokowi, a shoo-in to succeed Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is coming to the end of his second and final term as president.Most opinion polls put support for the 52-year-old Jokowi at about 40%, twice that of his closest rival, Prabowo Subianto, a former special-forces commander, who is now patron of the Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra). Barring an unforeseeable disaster, Jokowi seems unbeatable. He may even secure the 50% of votes he needs on July 9th to win the election in the first round, and avoid a run-off in September. After what is widely perceived as years of drift under the likeable but ineffective Mr Yudhoyono, many believe Jokowi is the man to galvanise a sluggish bureaucracy, clean out corruption and boost the economy. That includes the markets: on news of his nomination, Indonesia’s stockmarket and...
 
Indonesia's haze
Leaders fiddle as Sumatra burns
 
PEKANBARU, the capital of Riau province on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, has been shrouded in an acrid white cloud of smoke so dense that visibility is down to 50 metres (about 160 feet). The air quality is officially described as “dangerous”, and most people are wearing face masks, even indoors. Nearly 50,000 people in Riau have already been treated for respiratory, eye or skin problems. All flights last week were cancelled, and only a few have got through since. The provincial governor has declared a state of emergency. The haze is back, and has arrived earlier this year than usual.Drive to Pekanbaru from the ferries that dock at a north Sumatran port, and you can see what the cause of the problem is: mile upon mile of smouldering or charred land. Much of it is peat-bog, where fires can burn up to two metres underground and take weeks to end. A few minutes in, the inferno stings the eyes and sets off a hacking cough. These fires have been burning for nearly two months. According to Greenpeace, a pressure group, more than 1,000 fires covering at least 12,000 hectares (30,000 acres) of forest and peatland are burning in Riau. And that is just one province...
 

IT seemed like a good idea at the time. Among the many things Myanmar lacks after half a century of military dictatorship are data, of any sort. For a new government managing the transition to democracy, basic facts about the country are essential. Hence, a census. There has not been one in Myanmar since 1983, and it is a normal step in the economic development of any poverty-stricken country.But however well-intentioned, the census has provoked a political crisis at a time when the country can ill afford one. The questions stray beyond the collection of run-of-the-mill data—household incomes and the like—into the minefields of race and religion. These are extremely sensitive issues in a diverse country with a long history of ethnic conflict. Sensitivities are particularly acute at a time when relations between the Buddhist majority and the Muslim minority have been scarred by serious violence.Among the 41 questions that the 100,000 or so census-takers, mostly young school-teachers, have to ask every household in Myanmar is one on race. But respondents can only choose from an anachronistic, inaccurate and divisive list of 135 ethnic groups. The...

Feb 19, 2014

Feb 10, 2014

Feb 3, 2014

From Thailand recent political saga to worries about the effects of regional populism

Just read a article in BloombergView about the rise SEA populism.

Thailand Is Only the Tip of Asia’s Iceberg @BloombergView
By William Pesek Jan 24, 2014

http://bloom.bg/19R4Mb0
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-23/thailand-is-only-the-tip-of-asia-s-iceberg.html

Similar examples of populism trumping progress can be found in such places as Vietnam, Brunei and Myanmar. Even the most first-world of Southeast Asian economies -- Singapore -- has some worried. Case in point: a Jan. 13 Forbes article alleging that the city is headed for an “Iceland-style meltdown.”

The common denominator in all these countries is weak leadership, and it’s appearing at the worst possible moment. The rapid growth Asia has enjoyed since the 2008 global crisis had more to do with Ben Bernanke than we like to admit. All that hot money pumped up gross domestic product, boosted asset prices and pushed yields lower to make government debt loads appear manageable.

The Fed chairman’s largesse made growth too easy. It bred hubris. Officials in Bangkok, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur were too busy cutting ribbons, toasting flashy new skyscrapers, applauding splashing initial public offerings, and basking in headlines about Asia having decoupled from the West to do their jobs properly.

Jan 14, 2014

Seminar on Myanmar and education in Hong Kong (HKIED)

There will be a seminar on Myanmar and education governance in The Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIED).
People who interested may pay a visit.

Centre for Governance and Citizenship -

Public Seminar on "Myanmar's Democratic Transition: The Role of Education Governance"

(CGC Seminar Series 2014/01)

Myanmar’s Democratic Transition: The Role of Education Governance

by

Professor Kerry Kennedy

Director, Centre for Governance and Citizenship

Research Chair Professor of Curriculum Studies

The Hong Kong Institute of Education

Date:       22 January 2014 (Wednesday)

Time:       12:30pm to 2pm

Venue:     Room B3-P-04 (Podium Floor, Block B3)

       HKIEd Tai Po Campus

     10 Lo Ping Road, Tai Po

Abstract

With a constitution in 2008, multi-party elections in 2010 and by elections in 2011 involving Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, Myanmar appears to be on new pathway to democracy following almost fifty years of military dictatorship. As part of this transition a Comprehensive Education Sector Review (CESR) was commissioned by the government in 2012 with the support of development partners.  Its purpose was “to promote a learning society capable of facing the challenges of the Knowledge Age” and to build “a modern developed nation through education”.

This seminar will explore the issue of how an education system that has served the purposes of a military dictatorship might be transformed to serve democratic purposes. The focus will be on governance issues and what education governance for democracy might mean in Myanmar and elsewhere. A comparison will be made with other ASEAN countries and a distinction will be drawn between ASEAN versions of democracy and liberal democracy. The implications of these differences for education governance will be discussed. 

Myanmar’s efforts at democratization have been welcomed but the outcomes of the transition are by no means agreed.  As the date of the next election is now set for 2015 and the National League for democracy has indicated its intention to participate, it is a timely opportunity to evaluate progress.

 

Speaker

Professor Kerry J Kennedy is Research Chair Professor of Curriculum Studies and Director of the Centre for Governance and Citizenship at HKIEd. He has been a consultant to UNESCO providing advice on the development of new education legislation for Myanmar as part of the Comprehensive Sector Education Review. In November 2013 he gave a presentation in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, on legislative reform proposals.

 

Please email cgc@ied.edu.hk for registration and seats reservation.

 

Jan 5, 2014

Check: Economist on Myanmar's economy reality

Myanmar’s economy: Reality check | The Economist
http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21592658-optimism-about-business-prospects-final-frontier-may-be-overblown-reality-check

THE most recent edition of the World Bank’s annual “Doing Business” report is a sobering read for Myanmar.... Yet the results show that it is still among the very worst countries in the world to do business.

David Dapice, an economist at Harvard University, argues that the “statistical net” is so poor that it is almost impossible to know what the real growth rate is, and that it is probably below the official figure. “There is no systemic falsification,” he says, as in the bad old days of the junta, “but a lot of underreporting.” Large pinches of salt are needed to season the diet of good news that still tends to emanate from Naypyidaw, the gaudy capital built by the generals.

Dec 17, 2013

On SouthEast Asia Game and Myanmar

Check:

Asia Unbound » Myanmar’s SEA Games Success a Positive Omen

http://blogs.cfr.org/asia/2013/12/16/myanmars-sea-games-success-a-positive-omen/

in many respects the Southeast Asian Games, which are really Myanmar’s reentry to the regional/international stage, appear to be a success for the home country. (So far—one never knows when something disastrous could happen in Myanmar.) The infrastructure built and refitted for the Games has held up well, a sharp contrast from events in other countries in the region, like the recent Commonwealth Games in India during which the facilities appeared to be falling apart and the athletes’ areas were so dirty they caused a minor scandal in India. Many athletes, officials, and other foreign visitors have praised the ease of travel in Yangon, hardly a given, and also have praised the availability of assistance in English and other regional languages at the Games.


Dec 8, 2013

@Reuters Special Report: Thailand secretly dumps Myanmar refugees into trafficking rings (Add feedback from Thai PM)


Different special report from SCMP (HK):