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Myanmar junta says it releases 600 political prisoners in mass amnesty

Editor2 weeks ago08 mins

By RFA Burmese Myanmar’s junta has released 5,864 prisoners, including about 600 political prisoners, to mark Independence Day, a spokesman for the military said, but there was no sign that one of the world’ most famous political prisoners, Aung San Suu Kyi, would be set free. Myanmar has a tradition on big holidays of mass prisoner releases, with the majority being those jailed for ordinary crimes. Occasionally political prisoners are included. Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, spokesman for the junta known as the State Administration Council, said in a statement that 5,864 prisoners had been granted amnesty. “About 600 people prosecuted under 505 will be included,” he said on Independence Day on Saturday, referring to a section of the penal code that includes spreading fear and false news, which is used to target critics of the junta that seized power in 2021. The spokesman said 180 foreigners were being released, most of whom are believed to be from neighboring countries such as Thailand. There had been speculation that Myanmar’s most popular politician, Suu Kyi, might be released but the spokesman did not mention her and he did not respond to attempts to reach him for comment. The 79-year-old daughter of the hero of Myanmar’s campaign for independence from British colonial rule was arrested after the 2021 coup in which an elected government she led was ousted. She was later sentenced on charges she dismissed as trumped up and jailed for 33 years. Her sentence was reduced to 27 years. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate is believed to be in solitary confinement in prison in the capital, Naypyidaw, but her exact whereabouts are not known while concern for her health grows. Her younger son, Kim Aris, thanked his mother’s supporters for their prayers and hopes for her release. “I’ve held the same hope for her. Please don’t give up. Let’s continue to hold onto hope,” he said in a video message on Sunday. The military does not say how many prisoners of conscience it holds but the rights group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners says more than 28,000 civilians have been arrested in the nearly four years since the coup and 21,499 are in detention. One former political prisoner dismissed the amnesty as window dressing by the junta as it comes under pressure from its neighbors to end the war against ethnic minority and pro-democracy forces that has crippled its economy and triggered a humanitarian crisis. “It’s just for show to the International community,” the former prisoner who declined to be identified told Radio Free Asia, adding that most of the political prisoners being freed were near the end of their sentences. “They’re being released a day or two early.” RELATED STORIES 31 political prisoners died in prisons across Myanmar in 2024 ‘Snatch and recruit’ arrests in Myanmar target youth for military service Junta forces are mobilizing in central Myanmar amid Shan state ceasefire, rebel say ‘It’s a lie’ Among those freed was Khat Aung, a former chief minister of Kachin state when Suu Kyi’s party was in government, who was serving a 12-year term on various charges, the military said. Model and actress Thin Zar Wint Kyaw who was jailed for five years for her dissent was also released, a source close to her family said. “Her release has been confirmed, she’s in good health,” said the source. People in Myanmar’s Yangon city greet prisoners on a bus coming out of the Insein Prison after being released under an amnesty on Jan. 4, 2025.(RFA) Prisoners were emerging from jails across the country and rights groups were compiling data. A source in Kale town in the northwest said 23 people had been released there including four political prisoners. In the central town of Pyay, 11 political prisoners were among 60 people set free, said a source close to the town’s prison. The Political Prisoner Network Myanmar activist group told RFA that only 344 political prisoners, including 131 women, had been released as of Monday afternoon, not the 600 the junta announced. “It’s a lie to the public and the international community,” Thaik Tun Oo, a senior member of the group, told RFA from an undisclosed location. Thaik Tun Oo said the military did not dare release more political prisoners given the unprecedented setbacks it is facing in the war. “They don’t have the guts to release those sentenced for rebellion, who don’t accept their rule,” said Thaik Tun Oo. The only hope for most political prisoners was victorious anti-junta forces throwing open their prison gates, he said. Edited by Mike Firn. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

EXPLAINED: Why is an internet-famous Vietnamese monk on a trek to India?

Editor3 weeks ago04 mins

A Vietnamese monk who he would no longer adhere to a vow of poverty as he continued to study the Buddhist virtues. A newspaper report said he had announced he would no longer be begging for alms to prevent disruption to “security, order, and social and political safety.” RELATED STORIES Vietnamese monk leaves Laos, enters Thailand Publisher’s partner says book about ‘barefoot monk’ hasn’t received approval Vietnamese followers of ‘barefoot monk’ question call for social media silence How TikTok made a barefoot Vietnamese ‘monk’ go viral Supporters were quick to question whether he had been forced to write the letter under duress, or whether someone else had wrote it for him. At about the same time, the Government Committee for Religious Affairs announced on its website that Thich Minh Tue had “voluntarily retired.” Why is he walking to India? But then in November, Thich Minh Tue announced that he wanted to go on a pilgrimage to visit religious sites in India, where Buddhism originated. The question remains whether he will be allowed to return to Vietnam after the pilgrimage, a Thai observer told BenarNews. The observer, who requested anonymity for security reasons, noted that Thich Minh Tue is being accompanied by Doan Van Bau, a former security official in the Vietnamese government who specialized in criminology and psychological operations. “It is unclear whether he was assigned to escort the monk out of the spotlight in Vietnam and lessen his influence there,” he said. Vietnamese monk Thich Minh Tue, center, walks in Chong Mek, Ubon Ratchathani Province, Thailand, Dec. 31, 2024, as he arrives in Thailand from Laos.(RFA) A Thai police officer said Thich Minh Tue came into the country legally. “He didn’t indicate plans to travel to Myanmar, only stating he was coming for a pilgrimage, and we haven’t found any violations,” said Police Lt. Col. Kittipong Thanomsin of the border town of Chong Mek. “There are no concerns or need for special coordination, as we conduct regular checks as usual,” he told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news outlet. “There has been no communication from Vietnam.” Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster. BenarNews’ Nontarat Phaicharoen and Ruj Chuenban in Bangkok contributed to this report. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

A turbulent South China Sea: 5 things that may happen in 2025

Editor3 weeks ago2 weeks ago011 mins

TAIPEI, Taiwan/MANILA – The South China Sea has become one of the world’s most perilous geopolitical hot spots in recent years, with China stepping up the reinforcement of its expansive claims and countries from outside the region getting increasingly involved. Here are five areas to watch in 2025: Taiwan Strait The situation in the Taiwan Strait has been becoming notably more tense, with nearly 3,000 incursions into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone between January and November 2024, as well as two major military exercises – Joint Sword A and B – coinciding with important political events on the self-ruled island. Chinese leader Xi Jinping reiterated in his in 1999 to serve as an outpost. In the last few years, China’s coast guard has been blocking and disrupting Philippine resupply missions to the ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, and the troops stationed there. On June 17, 2024, in an unprecedented confrontation, China coast guard personnel, armed with pikes and machetes, punctured Philippine boats and seized firearms during a Philippine rotate and resupply mission, wounding a Filipino sailor. Both sides later called for de-escalation. On Dec. 12, China said it had granted permission to the Philippines to resupply the “illegally grounded” warship on Second Thomas Shoal on a humanitarian basis. But the June 17 incident showed that the situation could easily escalate into conflict, especially given the proximity of Second Thomas Shoal to a Chinese naval base on Mischief Reef, an artificial island that China built and has fully militarized. Manila and Washington signed a Mutual Defense Treaty in 1951 under which both parties are obliged to support each other in the event of an armed attack. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in November revealed that the U.S. military had set up a Task Force Ayungin, the Filipino name for the Second Thomas Shoal. Chief of the Philippine armed forces, Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., told an RFA reporter in Manila that his country was pursuing a three-pronged strategy when it comes to maritime defense: to establish an effective presence; to create effective deterrence and modernize military equipment; and to leverage alliances and partnerships with like-minded nations. Beijing, however, is not expected to give up its demand that Manila removes the BRP Sierra Madre and leave the disputed shoal. For its part, the Philippines is determined to defend it. “We’ll never abandon our territory at Ayungin,” insisted Col. Xerxes Trinidad, the Philippine armed forces’ spokesperson. Vietnam’s island building Vietnam’s island building in the South China Sea has reached a record, with the total area created in the first six months of 2024 equaling that of 2022 and 2023 combined, according to a study by the Washington-based Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI). Between November 2023 and June 2024, Hanoi created 692 new acres (280 ha) of land across a total of 10 features in the Spratly archipelago. Vietnam’s overall dredging and landfill totaled about 2,360 acres (955 ha), roughly half of China’s 4,650 acres (1,881.7 ha). “Three years from when it first began, Vietnam is still surprising observers with the ever-increasing scope of its dredging and landfill in the Spratly Islands,” AMTI said. Vietnam occupies 27 features and has been carrying out large-scale reclamation works on some over the past year. <imgsrc=”” alt=”Satellite image of Barque Canada Reef, May 11, 2024.” height=”813″ width=”1500″>Satellite image of Barque Canada Reef, May 11, 2024.(AMTI/Maxar Technologies) A new 3,000-meter airstrip is nearly finished on Barque Canada reef, where the total landfill area more than doubled in one year to nearly 2.5 square kilometers, or 617.7 acres, by October 2024. Vietnam has had only one airstrip on an island called Spratly, measuring 1,300 meters, but besides Barque Canada, AMTI said that “it would be unsurprising” if Hanoi also considers runways on Pearson and Ladd reefs. New bases and runways “would give Vietnam a position on the other side of China’s ‘Big Three’ islands,” said Tom Shugart, adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security. He was referring to China-developed Fiery Cross, Subi and Mischief reefs, which are the largest artificial islands in the South China Sea. The next four largest are all newly expanded Vietnamese reefs. “Its progress in the last five months suggests that Hanoi is determined to maximize the strategic potential of the features it occupies,” said AMTI, adding that “it remains difficult to say when the expansion will end—and what new capabilities Vietnam will have once it has.” Code of Conduct in the South China Sea Malaysia is taking over as chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, from Laos this month and every time the chair changes hands, the question of a legally binding code of conduct (COC) for all competing parties in the South China Sea surfaces. China and ASEAN countries have been negotiating a COC after reaching an initial Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea in 2002. More than two decades later, it seems many obstacles remain despite Beijing’s repeated assertions that the consultation process is going well and agreement is close. Premier Li Qiang told an ASEAN summit in October that China and the bloc were “striving for early conclusion” of the code of conduct. China and five other parties, including four ASEAN countries – Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam – hold conflicting claims over parts of the South China Sea but China’s claim is by far the most expansive, covering nearly 90% of the sea. China is adamantly against what it sees as “a politicization” of the COC, as well as any “external interference” in the matter. Yet its assertiveness has prompted some countries to seek a counterweight from outside ASEAN. “Negotiations on the COC continue at a snail’s pace,” former Thai Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon told Reuters news agency in October. “An agreement seems impossible,” said Philippine legal expert, former Supreme Court justice Antonio Carpio. “China will never agree to some provisions, Vietnam to some others and so on. The target of concluding the COC by 2026, therefore,…

Laos shutters Chinese-owned potash mine over sinkholes

Editor3 weeks ago03 mins

Laos has ordered a Chinese-owned potash mine believed responsible for two massive sinkholes in Khammouane province to cease operations until further notice, and to fill the sinkholes in, an official told Radio Free Asia. On Dec. 4, a sinkhole measuring 20 meters (65 feet) wide and 10 meters (33 feet) deep opened up on farmland in Thakhaek district’s Pak Peng village. On Dec. 21, another sinkhole — about half the size of the first — formed nearby. Residents suspect the sinkholes are a result of excavation at a potash mine in neighboring Nong Bok district, operated by Sino-Agri International Potash Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Asia Potash International Investment (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd., which is linked to entities directed by China’s governing State Council. After a month of central government inspections of the mine, the cause remains unclear. However, the company has been ordered to fill both sinkholes, a government official said Monday, speaking to RFA Lao on condition of anonymity for security reasons. “The two sinkholes will be filled up with dirt. The company will carry out this task,” the official said, adding that after meeting with central government officials, a cause has not yet been determined. RELATED STORIES Villagers blame Chinese potash mine for massive sinkhole in central Laos Second sinkhole discovered near mining operation in central Laos At Lao potash mine, flood of Chinese workers are displacing local laborers Because fault has not been determined, the company may not have to pay compensation, the official said. A Pak Peng resident told RFA that those who live near the sinkholes are terrified of further collapses. “They are scared. The sinkholes are right in the middle of the rice fields,” the villager said. Filling in the holes is only a temporary fix, a Lao expert told RFA. “Underground extraction is very dangerous. One day the mine will collapse,” he said. “Dirt is excavated and water flushes will cause more sinkholes over the next 20 years. It won’t be long before we start seeing the consequences.” Translated by RFA Lao. Edited by Eugene Whong. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

Myanmar enacts cybersecurity law that aims to restrict use of VPNs

Editor3 weeks ago05 mins

Myanmar’s junta has enacted a cybersecurity law that will penalize unauthorized provision of virtual private networks, or VPNs, which many people use to circumvent internet restrictions to get access to news and information and to report on what is going on in their country. The law, which came into effect on Wednesday, is aimed at preventing cyberattacks through electronic technology that threatens national sovereignty, peace, and stability, as well as to effectively investigate and bring charges against cybercrimes, the ruling military said in a statement published in newspapers. Myanmar cracked down on the internet and the media after the military ousted an elected government in early 2021, sparking an armed uprising that has raised questions about the sustainability of widely unpopular army rule. With the media under the control of the military largely a mouthpiece of the generals, many people rely on VPNs to skirt control and get access to independent and foreign media and to send material out of the country. The law sets out a penalty of six months in prison and a fine for “unauthorized VPN installation or service.” A VPN service provider told Radio Free Asia that the law could be disastrous for his business. “It’s really bad for us,” said the service provider, who declined to be identified for security reasons. “Even if there’s demand, we don’t dare sell it. We’ll keep an eye on whether they actually take action on it or not. If they really crack down on providing VPN service, we’ll have to register officially.” The law also sets out jail for up to six months, and or a fine, for distributing, transferring, copying or selling information that is “inappropriate for the public” through electronic technology. It also sets out jail of six months to a year for anyone found operating an illegal online gambling system. Illegal gambling, often organized by gangsters from China, has proliferated in more lawless parts of Myanmar and elsewhere in Southeast Asia. RELATED STORIES After 2024 setbacks, junta forces now control less than half of Myanmar Acts of charity bring light to wartime Myanmar Air, artillery strikes set grim benchmark for civilian casualties in Myanmar in 2024 A legal expert, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, told RFA that there should be a limit to the extent authorities can control online activity and the law posed a threat to public privacy and security. “If these technologies are used for gambling or for criminal purposes, there needs to be a provision to take effective action. However, we see that the law’s intent is to harm the public’s security and privacy,” he said. The law also states that Myanmar people living abroad can be punished. “Myanmar citizens residing in foreign countries shall be liable to punishment under this law if they commit any offense,” according to a copy of the legislation published in newspapers. Many Myanmar people living abroad try to report news from their country and organize opposition to the military via online communities. Edited by RFA Staff. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

Year in photos: Lens of empathy captures stories of resilience across borders

Editor3 weeks ago03 mins

WASHINGTON — Radio Free Asia photojournalist Gemunu Amarasinghe has had a distinguished career capturing images across Asia. His ability to access intimate moments sheds new light on the stories behind the struggle for freedom and human rights. In the special report, “In Washington, Myanmar democracy advocates push for a Breakthrough,” Amarasinghe captures the efforts of Myanmar’s National Unity Government in Washington, D.C., as Deputy Foreign Minister Moe Zaw Oo and press aide Aye Chan Mon navigate the complexities of international diplomacy. In “Nyah Mway: The boy who will forever be 13,” he delves into the tragedy of a young refugee from Myanmar who was fatally shot by police in Utica, New York. His photographs reveal the effect the incident has had on Nyah’s family and community, offering insight into broader issues of systemic violence and the experiences of displaced people in the United States. In “Five Years after a Summer of Protest, Hong Kong Exiles are Still Rebuilding Their Lives,” Amarasinghe chronicles the lives of Hong Kong activists who have resettled in the United States following the 2019 pro-democracy protests. Through his lens, Amarasinghe provides a comprehensive perspective on resilience and transition. Here are some of his photos: Aye Chan Mon, a press aide with Myanmar’s National Unity Government, works from home as her cat tries to intervene.(Gemunu Amarasinghe/RFA) Buddhist monks chant at the burial of Nyah Mway, 13, in Utica, New York, July 6, 2024.(Gemunu Amarasinghe/RFA) Hong Kong democracy activist Frances Hui stands outside the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Washington, D.C., during a protest to mark World Press Freedom Day, May 2, 2024.(Gemunu Amarasinghe/RFA) Huen Lam visits the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C., March 30, 2024.(Gemunu Amarasinghe/RFA) Edited by Jim Snyder. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

Vietnamese monk leaves Laos, enters Thailand

Editor3 weeks ago05 mins

A Vietnamese Buddhist monk who became an internet sensation earlier this year has crossed from Laos into Thailand on his way to India. Thich Minh Tue, who gained fame in Vietnam after his ascetic lifestyle attracted a following as he traveled by foot across Vietnam, began a pilgrimage to Buddhist sites in India in late November. (Amanda Weisbrod/RFA) At about 10:30 am on Tuesday, he and five other mendicant monks left the Vang Tao border crossing in Laos and passed through the Chong Mek border crossing in Thailand after spending 19 days in Laos. People knelt in front of the border crossing and scattered flowers and sprinkled water on the road as signs of respect for the monks. At the Chong Mek border crossing in Thailand’s Ubon Ratchathani province, about 100 people, mainly small traders and tuk-tuk drivers from Thailand and Laos, gathered to welcome the monks. About 20 Vietnamese YouTubers were also there early to report the news. RELATED STORIES Vietnam’s barefoot monk expected to cross from Laos into Thailand Viral barefoot monk’s journey to India explained (VIDEO) Publisher’s partner says book about ‘barefoot monk’ hasn’t received approval Thich Minh Tue, Vietnam’s ‘barefoot monk,’ enters Laos on pilgrimage to India Accompanying the monks on the walking journey through Laos were two well-known Vietnamese YouTubers — Doan Van Bau and Le Kha Giap. They were joined by four Thai volunteers handling logistics and two police officers from Ubon Ratchathani province who were dispatched to ensure order. Live video from YouTuber Doan Van Bau, who escorted the monks from Vietnam, shows Tue and monks Minh Tang, Minh Tri, Chon Tri, An Lac and Vo Sanh left Laos and entered Thailand without any problem when volunteers took care of the immigration procedures. Vietnamese monk Thich Minh Tue, center, arrives in Chong Mek, Ubon Ratchathani Province, Thailand, Dec. 31, 2024, on his way to India.(RFA) Bau said one of the people accompanying the group will take care of procedural issues as they walk to Thailand’s Mae Sot province en route to Myanmar. Tue became known to many people when he walked from the south to north Vietnam in May. When arriving in the city of Hue in early June, Tue and a group of more than 70 people who followed him were suppressed and dispersed by the police during a midnight raid. They took Tue to his hometown in Gia Lai province to scan his fingerprints for citizenship identification. On Nov. 25, Tue wrote a letter expressing his desire to travel to India and visit Buddhist relics, and asked for advice on directions and procedures. Translated by Anna Vu for RFA Vietnamese. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

After 2024 setbacks, junta forces now control less than half of Myanmar

Editor3 weeks ago04 mins

Myanmar’s junta forces now control less than half the country after suffering major battlefield setbacks in 2024 -– including the loss of command headquarters in Shan and Rakhine states, several rebel groups said. In June, the Three Brotherhood Alliance of ethnic armies resumed offensive operations in Shan state. Within weeks, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army had captured Lashio, a city of 130,000 that is the region’s commercial and administrative hub and a gateway to China. Another member of the alliance, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, also seized the strategic Shan state townships of in Ann township on Dec. 20. Elsewhere in Rakhine, the military has been reinforcing troops in areas that it does control, residents said earlier this month. That includes Kyaukphyu, where China has plans for a port as well as energy facilities and oil and gas pipelines that run to its Yunnan province. In neighboring Chin state, ethnic rebels captured two townships last week, Chin Brotherhood Alliance spokesperson Salai Yaw Mang said. Several anti-junta groups are now in control of about 85 percent of the state, he said. Soldiers from the Karen National Liberation Army patrol in an area hit by a junta airstrike in Myawaddy, April 15, 2024.(Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters) Forced recruitment In Shan state, to the northeast, ethnic armed groups control 24 townships, with just Tangyang, Mongyai and Muse still held by the junta. The capture of the northeastern command headquarters outside of Lashio in late July was one of the most significant losses for the military in years. In total, ethnic armed groups and allied forces have seized 86 towns across the country, the Myanmar Peace Monitor of Burma News International reported on Dec. 23. In Sagaing, in central Myanmar –- viewed as a homeland for the majority ethnic Bamar people –- a major junta offensive is expected sometime next year, according to Htoo Khant Zaw, a spokesperson for the People’s Defense Comrade group based in Sagaing’s Ye-U township. “The regime is still forcibly recruiting young people, even in the cities,” he said. “They are providing training, and the offensive is expected to be launched by land and air in 2025.” Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

Myanmar’s Arakan Army takes a major town, says ready for talks

Editor3 weeks ago07 mins

Myanmar’s Arakan Army insurgents captured the west coast town of Gwa from the military, a major step toward their goal of taking the whole of Rakhine state, and then said they were ready for talks with the junta. Gwa is on the coast in the south of Myanmar’s western-most state, 185 kilometers (115 miles) northwest of the main city of Yangon, and a gateway to the rice-basket Irrawaddy River delta. The AA said their fighters took control of Gwa on Sunday afternoon as junta troops fled but the military was trying to counter-attack with the help of its air force and navy guns. “The fighting is raging in some areas near Gwa. The junta council has sent reinforcements and they’re trying to re-enter,” the AA said in a statement late on Sunday. Residents reported blazes in the town from junta artillery and airstrikes. “Heavy weapons have landed in the town and everything is on fire,” said one resident who declined to be identified for safety reasons. Early on Sunday, a barrage of small-arms fire was heard as the AA launched their push, followed by air attacks, the resident said. “The small-arms fire has gone but now they’re bombing,” he told Radio Free Asia. The AA said it believed 700 junta soldiers had been killed in weeks of battle for the town, based on bodies found, information from prisoners and documents seized. It did not give any information about casualties on its side or about civilian casualties. It was not possible to independently verify the AA’s casualty figure and a spokesman for the junta that seized power in a 2021 coup did not respond to phone calls from RFA seeking comment. All sides in Myanmar play up their victories and their enemies’ losses while minimizing their own in public statements. The AA, one of Myanmar’s most powerful insurgent groups, has been accused of killings and other serious rights violations against the mostly Muslim Rohingya community. It denies that. RELATED STORIES Over one-third of Myanmar’s population to need aid by 2025: UNOCHA Myanmar appoints new defense minister as army struggles Myanmar to organize election in fewer than half of townships ‘Political means’ The capture of Gwa is another big step in a matter of days for AA troops, who are fighting for self-determination in Rakhine state. They took a major military base in Ann town on Dec. 20 and have now captured 14 of the state’s 17 townships, pushing the military into shrinking pockets of territory. The military is reinforcing its troops in the townships it controls – Sittwe, Kyaukphyu and Munaung, residents said this month. Neighboring China has economic interests in Myanmar, among them plans for a port in Kyaukphyu, where it also has energy facilities, including oil and gas pipelines that run to its Yunnan province. China, keen to end Myanmar’s conflict, has pressed two rebel groups in Shan state in the northeast to agree to ceasefires and talks. The AA praised China’s “active leadership” in promoting border stability and said it would talk at any time. “We always remain open to resolving the current internal issues through political means rather than military solutions,” the AA said. It did not refer to a ceasefire and said it believed its offensive over the past year would contribute to the “liberation” of all of the oppressed Myanmar people. The junta chief has also called for talks as his forces grapple with setbacks. The AA said it recognized and welcomed any foreign investment that contributed to development and said it would take care of investors. The Institute for Strategy and Policy (ISP-Myanmar), an independent research group, said this week that the AA controls 10 of the 11 Chinese projects in Rakhine state. The fall of the state capital of Sittwe to the AA would represent the end of military rule there, political analyst Than Soe Naing told RFA “Then the AA will have to talk about issues related to China’s interests,” he said. Edited by RFA Staff. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

Cambodian company sanctioned by US scrubs its identity

Editor4 weeks ago05 mins

Cambodian tycoon Ly Yong Phat’s self-named conglomerate has removed its logo from its central Phnom Penh offices just months after the well-connected businessman was hit with U.S. sanctions. The tycoon and his LYP Group were sanctioned in September due to the company’s alleged links to human trafficking at its casinos along the border with Thailand in Cambodia’s Koh Kong province. Ly Yong Phat’s O-Smach Resort, Garden City Hotel, Koh Kong Resort, and Phnom Penh Hotel were also sanctioned due to their alleged involvement in forced labor in online and cryptocurrency scams. The removal of the logo from LYP’s headquarters on Mao Tse Tong Boulevard was evident to RFA reporters on Dec. 25, with the company also having seemingly scrubbed its web presence and removed its listing from the Commerce Ministry’s public registry of businesses. Both the company’s main website, lypgroup.com, and its YouTube account were among the casualties, with both still missing as of Dec. 27. Radio Free Asia reached out to a representative for LYP Group for comment about the changes but did not receive a response. RELATED STORIES US sanctions powerful Cambodian casino tycoon Cambodia calls US sanctions of casino tycoon ‘misleading’ Newsweek retracts paid story on sanctioned Cambodian firm UN: Hundreds of thousands of people forced to scam LYP Group operates a wide array of business interests, including the PNN television station, a golf course, a water park, hotels and resorts, supermarkets and sugar plantations accused of land-grabbing. Commerce Ministry spokesman Penn Sovicheat could not be reached for comment about LYP’s removal from the business registry. A business ‘trick’ Exiled political commentator Kim Sok told RFA he suspected Ly Yong Phat was attempting to avoid damaging U.S. sanctions -– which prevent any American citizens, residents or companies from doing business with the tycoon -– by reconfiguring LYP Group under new companies. “The trick is likely to be a way to deceive the international community. They can change to a new company or a new owner to control it, not Mr. Ly Yong Phat,” said Kim Sok, who was granted political asylum in Finland following his release from Cambodian prison in 2018. “However, even if they use such tricks, they will not succeed because the situation in Cambodia as a whole, especially the Hun family, is under investigation or close monitoring by the world regarding human rights violations and the killing of democracy,” he said. Ly Yong Phat is a long-time adviser to Hun Sen, the former prime minister of Cambodia and now Senate president. He also serves as a senator for the ruling Cambodian People’s Party and the head of the Cambodian Okhna Association, which is a guild of tycoons. On Sept. 14, the association released a statement decrying the U.S. sanctions against Ly Yong Phat as “unjust” while denying that he or his companies had ever engaged in human trafficking or phone scams. Translated by Yun Samean. Edited by Alex Willemyns. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

Category: ASEAN