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Category: ASEAN

Russia’s Lavrov walks out of G20 meeting over condemnation of Ukraine war

Editor09 mins

The G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Bali concluded Friday with several nations’ top diplomats condemning Moscow’s war in Ukraine in the presence of their Russian counterpart, who walked out at least once during what he called the “frenzied castigation.” Retno Marsudi, the chief diplomat of host country Indonesia, did not say whether the meeting reached any consensus about food security, but mentioned that participants were deeply concerned about the conflict’s “global impact on food, energy and finance.” Some of the Group of Twenty members “expressed condemnation” of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, she said, adding, “It is our responsibility to end the war as quickly as possible. And to build bridges and not walls.” “Developing countries will be the most affected, particularly low-income countries and small, developing countries. There is an urgent need to address global food supply chain disruptions, integrating food and fertilizer from Ukraine and Russia into the global market,” Rento said in a statement after the meeting. Since Russia invaded the neighboring country on Feb. 24, its military forces have blocked all of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports and cut off access to almost all of that country’s exports – especially of grain – sparking fears of a global food crisis. Ukraine is the world’s fourth-largest grain exporter. Before the meeting started, Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, had to deal with tough questions from at least one reporter. “When will you stop the war?” a German journalist asked as Moscow’s top diplomat shook hands with Retno. Lavrov did not respond and walked away. At the ministers’ meeting, Lavrov, sat between representatives from Saudi Arabia and Mexico. He later told reporters that during the meeting, he accused the West of preventing a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine by refusing to talk to Russia. “If the West doesn’t want talks to take place but wishes for Ukraine to defeat Russia on the battlefield – because both views have been expressed – then perhaps, there is nothing to talk about with the West,” TASS, the Russian state news agency, quoted him as saying. Asked if there was any chance that he and Blinken could talk, he said: “It was not us that abandoned all contact. It was the United States.” “If they don’t want to talk, it’s their choice,” Lavrov added. Before the U.S. diplomat left for Bali, U.S. State Department officials said that he would not meet Lavrov formally until the Russians were “serious about diplomacy.” But the Reuters news agency quoted Indonesia’s Retno as saying that Lavrov and Blinken were seen in a conversation in the meeting room. Additionally, Blinken is said to have responded to Lavrov’s accusations against the West, Reuters said, citing an unnamed diplomat, who added, though, that Lavrov wasn’t in the room at that time. “He addressed Russia directly, saying: To our Russian colleagues: Ukraine is not your country. Its grain is not your grain. Why are you blocking the ports? You should let the grain out,’” the official said, according to Reuters. The meeting on Friday occurred under the shadow of the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during an election campaign speech in Nara, Japan. In a message of condolence to the Japanese people, Retno said Abe would “be remembered as the best role model for all.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks to reporters during the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting at the Mulia Hotel in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, July 8, 2022. Credit: Joan Tanamal/BenarNews ‘Everyone has to feel comfortable’ After the meeting, Lavrov and his German counterpart traded barbs. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock criticized Lavrov for being absent from the meeting room, according to German news agency DPA. “The fact that the Russian foreign minister spent a large part of the negotiations here not in the room but outside the room underlines that there is not even a millimeter of willingness to talk on the part of the Russian government at the moment,” DPA quoted Baerbock as saying. She noted that Lavrov was not present at discussions on how to improve global food supply and distribution problems. For his part, Lavrov questioned Western manners when informing reporters that G7 diplomats had skipped a welcome dinner organized by Indonesia on Thursday, TASS reported. “A welcome reception organized by Indonesia was held yesterday, a reception and a concert, and they [G7 countries] were absent from it,” Lavrov said. “This is how they understand protocol, politeness and code of conduct,” he added. Indonesia’s Retno spoke about the boycotted dinner. “We are trying to create a comfortable situation for all. When the G7 countries said they could not attend the optional informal reception, they all talked and I said I could understand the situation because once again, everyone has to feel comfortable,” Retno said. Indonesia has been trying to mediate between Russia and Ukraine, with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo visiting the two countries last month on a trip he described as a peace mission. While his mission to persuade Moscow to declare a ceasefire did not immediately materialize, Jokowi said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had promised he would secure safe sea passage of grain and fertilizers from the world’s breadbaskets Russia and Ukraine, to avert a global food crisis. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news service.

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Sagaing residents say they face discrimination under Myanmar junta

Editor09 mins

Burmese citizens with national registration cards indicating they reside in northwestern Myanmar’s Sagaing region face travel restrictions and other forms of discrimination under Myanmar’s ruling military regime because they hail from the part of the country with the greatest armed resistance to the junta, locals said Friday. The junta which seized power from the elected government in February 2021 has faced the fiercest armed resistance in Sagaing region. Most of the region’s 34 townships and more than 5,900 villages have been affected by fighting between military forces and members of the anti-junta People’s Defense Forces (PDF). The hostilities and the burnings of villages have displaced thousands of residents in the region. The junta announced in late March that authorities could check the national registration cards, also known as citizenship verification cards, of people in the region anywhere on demand. Residents of the region told RFA that people holding national registration cards that identify them as being from the area are limited in where they can travel and cut off from employment opportunities. A Myaung township resident, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, said registration card holders have been subjected to stricter checks than are those registered in other regions and states since the junta made its announcement. “There’s nothing we can do about transportation or communications or getting jobs,” he said. “You cannot lie to them as every detail is on the registration card.” Though no one wants to accept people who have cards beginning with the numerical prefix that identifies them as Sagaing residents, locals are proud that they hold such ID documents, he said. “But we face a lot of difficulties in travelling and finding jobs,” he said, adding that he was dismayed that employers in other areas of Myanmar discriminated against migrant workers from Sagaing. A company worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity for the same reason, said authorities question him now when he travels more than they do others. “It’s just a normal trip, [and] there are many checkpoints along the way,” he said. “There’s a lot of questioning at some checkpoints. They gave you suspicious looks. You will be asked many questions even though it’s a normal business trip, just because you are holding a card with the prefix 5/ and you live in a township where there are concerning situations.’ “I’m always worried they might not accept my answers and turn me back,” the worker added. ‘Public security’ work A hotel owner in central Myanmar’s Mandalay region, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said regime authorities had not instructed hotels to conduct strict checks of Sagaing region citizens, though they had been told to maintain a list of guests and their phone numbers. “There are no specific orders to strictly check guests from what township or region they come from,” he said, adding that he did not record the townships from which his guests came. “But we have been told to keep records of names and phone numbers of guests who stay here because of the current situation in the country and we have to send guest lists to [authorities] regularly,” he said. “They will take action against us if we don’t follow the orders.” In the past, guests were allowed to stay at guesthouses without presenting their national registration cards if they could produce other identification documents. Sagaing residents also told RFA that people from the region who want to go abroad for work have been subjected to strict censorship, and some have been refused passports. Military spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun said there were no special restrictions as such, however. “Even in places like [the capital] Naypyidaw, you can find people fleeing from the people’s Defense Forces violence in Sagaing region,” he said. “Of course, there may be security checks in some places,” he said. “This is not done for these registration card owners. They’re just doing their work for public security.” Nazin Latt, a National League for Democracy lawmaker for Sagaing’s Kanbalu township, described the discrimination as “psychological warfare.” “It’s a violation of human rights to oppress people in areas with strong opposition, for jobs or travel whether it be for security reasons or not,” he told RFA. “On the one hand, it is seen as a systematic psychological warfare — being refused jobs or being refused to put up at guest houses, finding it difficult to get jobs in Yangon and Mandalay, all these issues. It also depends a lot on the employers.” A recent job announcement in Mandalay’s Pyin Oo Lwin township, said that people holding cards with the Sagaing numerical prefix on their ID cards could not apply. RFA could not reach the recruiter by phone for comment. In the past, during the height of armed conflict between national forces and the ethnic rebel Arakan Army (AA) in Rakhine state, the military and military-controlled local administrative authorities imposed similar restrictions on citizens with the numerical code for the western state on their national registration cards. The residents were prevented from traveling in other areas of the country, especially in northern Shan state, on suspicion that they might be heading there to participate in military training offered by AA near the border with China. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane for RFA Burmese. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.

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Landmines in Myanmar target civilians, maim and kill children, NGOs say

Editor07 mins

Myanmar’s military is guilty of war crimes for its alleged practice of laying landmines in populated areas where they have killed civilians, including children, two ethnic rights organizations told RFA. Landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Myanmar have maimed or killed at least 115 children since the military junta seized power last year, UNICEF Myanmar reported on June 24. The report said that one-third of all landmine and UXO casualties it tracked from the February 2021 coup to April 2022 were children. “In times of conflict, children are the most vulnerable, including from landmines and UXO. Since children are smaller than adults, they are more likely to take the full impact of the blast and are therefore more likely to suffer death or serious injury,” the report said. On June 19, two seven-year-old boys were killed when they played with an unexploded artillery shell near Kan Ywar village in Gangaw township in central Myanmar’s Magway region. Pyae Sone Aung and Min Htut Zaw found a 40mm shell and began throwing it to each other, Yu Ko, a resident of the village, told RFA. “Afterwards, as they were hitting it with a rock, the shell exploded and the blast killed both of them,” said Yu Ko. “I heard there were three or four similar incidents elsewhere of unexploded ordnance going off once it got into children’s hands.”  Chin state, in the country’s west, was one of the first regions in Myanmar to form militias to fight the military following the coup.  The military has shelled populated villages in response. It has also laid landmines that appear to target civilians, Hre Lian, a spokesperson for the Chin Human Rights Group, told RFA. “The soldiers plant landmines, and people step on them and get killed and injured,” he said.  “They are planted purposely. The death toll from civilian casualties has risen sharply. Additionally, children are killed while playing with unexploded ordnance. Tragedies like these occurred last August when four children were killed and three were injured in Thantlang township.” He said Thantlang, Matupi and Mindat townships were the most affected by landmines and unexploded ordnance in the state. The junta forces are guilty of war crimes for planting landmines in villages and settlements in Kayah state, Ko Banya, spokesperson for Karenni Human Rights Watch, told RFA. “We need to put pressure on the junta. They planted mines in areas where they cannot move as freely as in the past. They often planted landmines not only in villages but also inside buildings,” he said. “We can say that it is a war crime because they planted these mines intentionally to kill or injure civilians. War crimes are committed with an intent to kill. We hope the perpetrators of these actions will be punished at some point.” Around 20 civilians stepped on mines in Demoso and Hpruso townships and in the state capital Loikaw this year, two of whom have died, Ko Banya said. RFA repeatedly attempted to contact Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, a junta spokesman, for comment, without success. He previously told RFA that the military uses landmines only for security purposes and around military camps. A lack of mine awareness, as a result of the breakdown of government since the coup, is also to blame for civilian deaths, Aung Thu Nyein, executive director of the Myanmar Strategic and Policy Study Group, told RFA. “I think landmine awareness programs almost stopped soon after the coup. And then, there were fewer civil society organizations and mediating groups in the peace process,” he said.  “On the other hand, conflicts are escalating day by day. When educational talks and demining programs are lacking, the number of mine accidents naturally rises. So I think the number of victims will keep on increasing,” Aung Thu Nyein said. In its report, UNICEF Myanmar said that the agency and its partners provided Explosive Ordnance Risk Education to 20,000 children across the country in the first five months of 2022.  “UNICEF calls on all parties to facilitate access for assistance to victims; to stop laying mines and to clear existing mines and UXO,” the report said. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Eugene Whong.

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Shooting death of Japan’s Shinzo Abe gets mixed reactions on Chinese internet

Editor011 mins

UDPATED at  10:40 a.m. EDT on 2022-07-08  The shooting death of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe Friday prompted mixed reactions on China’s tightly controlled internet, with nationalistic Little Pinks openly celebrating Abe’s death and government censors blocking a cryptic hashtag that could be a reference to public anger at the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s own leaders. The news of Abe’s death following a shooting by a gunman in Nara during an election campaign made it to the front page of the CCP’s official People’s Daily newspaper online edition, but as a fairly small headline below a plethora of stories about CCP leader Xi Jinping. The paper carried a factual news report from state news agency Xinhua in full, with a statement from the foreign ministry wishing Abe recovery as emergency medics tried to save him. However, its Japan channel also carried a Xinhua article about relations with South Korea dated July 6 and titled “From forced labor to ‘comfort women,’ Japan’s human rights misdeeds cannot be denied.” China’s nationalistic Global Times newspaper quoted Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida’s reaction, condemning the “barbaric” attack, and Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian as saying that China was “shocked” by the incident. “After Japan’s announcement of Abe’s death, Chinese Embassy in Japan also mourned Abe’s passing and extended condolences to his family,” the paper said. It quoted “analysts” as saying that “Japanese right-wing forces may use this incident to push forward the trend of conservative transformation in Japanese politics … bringing more security risks to the geopolitics of Northeast Asia.” It quoted Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, as saying that Abe’s death could boost nationalistic sentiment in Japan. “Japanese nationalism is also likely to be further strengthened by the incident,” Da said. “People may have concerns about whether the volume of calls in Japan to return to the path of war will increase further.” This image received from the Asahi Shimbun newspaper shows former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe (C) on the ground after being shot while attending a campaign event at Yamato Saidaiji Station in the city of Nara on July 8, 2022. Credit: Asahi Shimbun via AFP Hateful comments Some online comments reacting to Abe’s death on Chinese social media platforms were nakedly hateful, according to The Great Translation Project Twitter account, which translates and curates social media commentary in China. “The people of Shaanxi extend our warm congratulations to this,” the account translated one comment as saying. Several other comments followed with the exact same wording, but referring to different parts of China. Meanwhile a hashtag #kexibushini, which translates as “a pity it wasn’t you,” but could also be read as hinting at the wording “but Xi it wasn’t you” in a possible reference to CCP leader Xi Jinping, was blocked on social media platforms. One comment read: “These censors seem to know [what we mean] better than we do!” while another replied: “It’s so funny. Everyone knows.” “Someone is likely getting scared in Zhongnanhai,” another comment read, referring to the headquarters of the CCP leadership in Beijing. Abe, 67, was shot from behind minutes after he started his speech in Nara, the Associated Press reported. He was airlifted to a hospital for emergency treatment but was not breathing and his heart had stopped. He was later pronounced dead despite emergency treatment that included massive blood transfusions, the agency quoted hospital officials as saying. Police arrested the suspected gunman at the scene of the attack, while prime minister Fumio Kishida and his cabinet ministers rushed back to Tokyo to respond to what Kishida called a “dastardly and barbaric” attack. Sunday’s parliamentary elections will go ahead as planned, he said. Territorial, historical grievances China and Japan have been at loggerheads over a disputed island chain, visits by Japanese politicians to the Yasukuni shrine, where some Japanese war criminals are interred, and an ongoing war of words over Tokyo’s recognition of past military aggression and human rights abuses in East Asia. In 2012, a tense diplomatic standoff with Japan sparked nationwide protests and anti-Japanese riots over the Senkaku, or Diaoyu, Islands, while China held war drills in waters near Japan after then opposition leader Shinzo Abe visited the controversial Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo which honors Japan’s war dead, including Class A war criminals. The CCP later launched a crackdown on “irrational” forms of nationalism at home, after thousands of people took to the streets in a wave of mass protests in Chinese cities that lasted for several weeks. On the democratic island of Taiwan, where former president Lee Teng-hui was known to have a close relationship with Abe, President Tsai Ing-wen severely condemned the violence of the attack. “Japan … is an important democratic partner of Taiwan … and former prime minister Abe was committed over the long term to deepening friendly ties between Taiwan and Japan,” Tsai said. A similar statement was issued by the office of former president Ma Ying-jeou. Ko Wen-je, chairman of the Taiwan People’s Party, said Abe’s death was “a great loss for Taiwan-Japan relations.” Sadness, praise from Dalai Lama, Cambodia The Dalai Lama wrote to Abe’s widow Akie Abe offering his condolences. “I am deeply saddened to hear that my friend, Mr. Abe Shinzo has passed away following a gunshot attack this morning,” the Tibetan exiled spiritual leader wrote. “I pray for him and offer my condolences to you and members of your family.” “As you know, your late husband was a steadfast friend of the Tibetan people. I very much appreciated his friendship and support of our efforts to preserve our rich Buddhist cultural heritage and identity,” the letter said. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen expressed grief for Abe, who he called a “”a long-time good friend of mine and Cambodia.” “I was extremely shocked and deeply saddened to learn about the passing of His Excellency Abe Shinzo, resulting from the daylight assassination.” Abe, he said, “was an outstanding Japanese…

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Myanmar charges three pre-coup UEC members with breaching polling laws

Editor04 mins

Myanmar’s military government is cracking down on its opposition ahead of national elections expected next year by handing out jail sentences to members of the National League for Democracy ((NLD) and former Union Election Commission (UEC) members. UEC Chairman U Hla Thein and two UEC members from the pre-coup NLD-led government were sentenced to three-years in prison under Section 130 (a) of the criminal law, according to sources close to the court. One source identified the three as UEC spokesperson Myint Naing, UEC member Than Htay and UEC Chairman Hla Thein. They were sentenced by a special court on Thursday.  The three UEC members have been in Naypyidaw Prison since November 2021 and were tried in the prison’s court. The fate of other arrested UEC members is still unclear. Section 130 (a) aims to penalize those who prohibit or omit existing laws and carries a maximum sentence of three years plus a fine.  Myanmar’s former president Win Myint and NLD leader and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi have also been accused of influencing and abusing their electoral power under Section 130 (a). The Union Election Commission organizes and oversees elections in Myanmar as well as vetting candidates and parties. The day after last year’s February 1 coup the State Administrative Council appointed six members aligned with the military.  The sentences handed out on Thursday are the first convictions of UEC members who were responsible for the 2020 election, the results of which were annulled following the coup. Other senior NLD ministers have also been charged under Section 130 (a) although local and international observers said the election had been free and fair. Sanchaung township NLD chairman Bo Bo Oo said that the military council is continuing to make mistaken legal judgements because it knows its claim to power is unfounded.  ”The coup was illegal and it did not comply with the law,” he said “They broke the law by seizing power in the first place. They want to say what is right and wrong but in reality they are just making more mistakes. It has been one mistake after another from the beginning.” The junta-appointed UEC said in January that 422 people, including Aung San Suu Kyi had been arrested and charged with electoral fraud. Suu Kyi faces a series of charges that could lead to a sentence of more than 100 years. In the 2020 election the UEC deliberated on 1,077 election-related cases, charging 546 people with breaches of the electoral law. Of these, 342 were prosecuted and 194 cases were dismissed. The UEC says 10 cases are pending as it awaits legal advice.

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No amnesty for Vietnamese ‘anti-state’ prisoners this year

Editor03 mins

Vietnam’s annual September 2 National Day amnesty will not include anyone jailed for anti-state charges according to President Nguyen Xuan Phuc. A presidential spokesperson announced his decision on who to consider for early release at a Monday news conference, state-controlled media reported. This year’s amnesties will be granted to those sentenced to long or lifetime terms who will still be serving their sentences on August 31. The long list of charges not to be considered rules political prisoners out of the running. The exclusions include people charged with national treason; activities aimed at toppling the government; spying; trespassing on national security sites; and violence and terrorism against the State. Other cases ruling out release include sabotaging the material and technical foundations of the State of Vietnam; making, storing, disseminating or propagating information, documents and items aimed at opposing the State; disrupting security; attacking or damaging detention facilities; and terrorism. Crimes against peace and humanity, and war crimes are also on the list of who to exclude from the presidential pardons. RFA statistics show that Vietnam has arrested at least 12 dissidents from the start of the year through to Tuesday with five found guilty of conducting anti-state propaganda and sentenced to between five and eight years. The charges stem from crimes listed in the National Security provisions of the Criminal Code. These include “abusing democratic freedoms” under Article 331 of the Criminal Code 2015 and “conducting propaganda against the state” under Article 88 of the Penal Code 1999 or Article 117 of the Criminal Code 2015. Last year at least 32 people were found guilty of posting opinions critical of the government, according to Human Rights Watch. It said at least 26 others were arrested on fabricated political charges. In its World Report 2022 the independent pressure group was scathing in its criticism of the Vietnamese government and Communist Party. “Vietnam systematically suppresses basic civil and political rights. The government, under the one-party rule of the Communist Party of Vietnam, severely restricts freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly, movement, and religion,” it said.

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Junta bid for Russian deal to address Myanmar’s energy shortages faces hurdles

Editor010 mins

Myanmar’s junta is in talks with Russia to address the country’s fuel and electricity shortages, although inking a deal may be difficult amid Western sanctions and other obstacles, according to observers. A junta delegation attended the June 15-18 International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia, that included Myanmar’s ministers of electricity and energy, international cooperation, planning and finance, investment and foreign trade, economy and trade, and the deputy governor of the central bank. According to a June 20 report by the pro-military Myanmar Alin Daily, the delegation met with Russian Minister of Energy Shulginov Nikolay on the sidelines of the forum to discuss energy cooperation. During the meeting, the two sides held talks on Russian oil drilling in Myanmar and the export of oil and petroleum products, as well as the construction of a nuclear power plant, it said. They also discussed the possibility of direct exchanges of currencies between the two countries’ central banks and the purchase of fuel from Russia. In May, the junta announced that Russia would soon begin participating in Myanmar’s energy industry in place of international companies that quit, in response to the exit of three big Asian firms from a gas field in the nation a month earlier, citing commercial reasons. At least one of the three – Japan’s ENEOS – also mentioned Myanmar’s “current situation, including the social issues” as one of the reasons for quitting, referring to human rights excesses by the military that have led to the deaths of at least 2,069 civilians since a Feb. 1, 2021 coup. Speaking to RFA Burmese on condition of anonymity, a businessman with knowledge of Myanmar’s energy sector said that cheaper fuel imports from Russia could reduce the cost of high-priced commodities in the country that are the result of Western sanctions over the takeover and the junta’s subsequent crackdown on its opposition. “If we can buy cheap oil from a country that produces a lot of oil and gas, it’d benefit our energy sector and it’ll be good for energy security,” the businessman said. “I think we might also get a break from the high costs of food and consumer goods.” More than 17 months after the coup, Myanmar is mired in political and economic turmoil, while life is increasingly difficult for average people due to the rising cost of food, as well as regular power and water shortages. Even in Myanmar’s commercial capital Yangon, which is home to an estimated 7 million people, sources say power is cut off twice in every 24-hour period, with homes sometimes left dark for six hours each day. Only the capital Naypyidaw, where the country’s military junta is based, has enjoyed uninterrupted electricity since the overthrow of civilian rule. A difficult deal Myanmar-based political analyst Than Soe Naing said the junta is only in the beginning phase of negotiations with Russia to deal with its ongoing energy crisis and will need to overcome several obstacles before moving towards an agreement that will solve its problems. “Cooperation with Russia over a nuclear program is unlikely without China’s support. In addition, the junta, which is facing a foreign exchange crisis, cannot afford to spend money on nuclear energy,” he said. “The main purpose of [the junta attending] this business forum was to seek help as a way to resolve the current oil crisis in Myanmar. I think they are looking for a way to get engine oil and fuel. But it is unlikely that anything more than that would happen.” Than Soe Naing said it will be difficult for Myanmar to secure the help of Russia, which is itself facing sanctions as well as an economic downturn related to its invasion of Ukraine. Amid the sanctions, the Kremlin has been forced to improve relations with countries in the Middle East, as well as China and India, in a bid to find new markets for its oil and natural gas. Myanmar, which has seen its fuel prices skyrocket as a result of Western sanctions, is one prospective buyer of said Russian exports. However, a source in Yangon, who also declined to be named for security reasons, said he doubts that the junta’s claims of cooperation with Russia will end Myanmar’s energy shortages. “The junta has said a lot about many things. For instance, they said they will produce electric cars and electric trains as soon as possible,” said the source, who also has ties to Myanmar’s energy sector. “Nothing has happened since they seized power. In fact, our people see these promises as daydreams.” A car is refueled at a gas station in Yangon, in a file photo. Credit: RFA Seeking fuel imports Sources from Myanmar’s fuel industry have told RFA that companies close to the son and daughter of junta chief Snr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing are in the midst of  negotiating import deals with Russia, although the claims could not be independently confirmed. RFA contacted Win Myint, secretary of the Myanmar Petroleum Importers and Distributors Association, seeking comment on the junta’s alleged attempts to purchase fuel from Russia, but he declined to discuss the issue. Oil traders say that even if Myanmar, which normally imports through Singapore, could buy fuel at a cheaper price from Russia, the cost of transporting it would essentially negate any discount. Another member of Myanmar’s business community told RFA that, despite ongoing political instability, the junta must find a way to end the country’s energy shortages if it hopes to cling to power. “It is true that there is instability. Global politics are unstable … but people have to go on with their lives. They are struggling to survive. All nations must have food and energy security,” he said. “The Ukraine conflict has been going on for four or five months, while the crisis in our country has continued for more than a year. We cannot stop our lives because of these problems. So we must find a way out.” Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

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Myanmar activists observe 60th anniversary of military crackdown amid tight security

Editor07 mins

Activists in Myanmar marked the 60th anniversary of a military crackdown that killed at least 100 students in the commercial capital Yangon with protests in more than a dozen townships on Thursday, despite increased security measures by junta authorities. The protests commemorating the July 7, 1962, crackdown were held in the Sagaing region townships of Salingyi, Yinmarbin, Tamu, Kani, Kale and Ayadaw; Tanintharyi region townships of Dawei and Launglon; Bago region’s Taungoo township; Kachin state’s Hpakant township; Mon state’s Thanbyuzayat township; as well as the cities of Yangon and Mandalay. Speaking from Yangon, where more than 30 students joined protests at around 11 a.m., a member of the Botataung Strike Group named Jewel told RFA Burmese that anniversary activities took place unhindered by authorities. “The July 7 protest is very important for every student movement and we observe it as a reminder to others so that people will never forget,” she said. “There were surprise checks in earlier days but fortunately there were none today. [The soldiers] came to the spot where we held the protest only after we left. There were no arrests today.” Thet Oo, a protester in Yinmarbin township, said people observing the anniversary event had to disperse after only 15 minutes of shouting slogans due to tight security. “The slogan ‘Do not forget 7.7.62’ refers to the many students and youths who bravely gave their lives in the fight for the truth,” he said. “In memory of that day, and to instill courage in people’s minds to fight like the fallen heroes for the freedom of the country, we members of the All Villages of the North Western Plains Strike Committee held this protest on the streets [despite the risk of arrest].” On March 2, 1962, Gen. Ne Win led the military in a coup to control Myanmar, appointing himself prime minister and dissolving the country’s legislature. On July 7 of that year, troops were sent to restore order as students protested tuition increases at Yangon University. The troops fired on the protesters, killing at least 100 people, and arrested thousands of students, according to local media reports. The following day, the military blew up the Yangon University Students’ Union building, which had stood as a monument to the anti-colonialism movement in Myanmar since the 1920s. Call to action In a statement issued Thursday in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the crackdown, the All-Burma Federation of Students’ Unions called on people of Myanmar to take action in whatever way possible to overthrow the current military regime, which seized power in a Feb. 1, 2021, coup. Myat Min Khant, chairman of the Yangon District Students’ Union, called the announcement “a signal to end military rule.” “There are two reasons that the All-Burma Students Union issued the statement. The first is to remind people that it isn’t just now that the fascist military is killing people in cities and towns without hesitation. They have done so in the past,” he told RFA. “The second reason is to remind people we are still in the middle of the ‘Spring Revolution,’ fighting against the fascist military. We want to remind them that the fascist military and the 2008 constitution, which is the backbone of the fascist army, must be removed if they want real freedom.” A spokesman for the Yangon University Students’ Union, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said students have always been at the forefront of the opposition to military rule in Myanmar. “The July 7 protests we are commemorating now were also a fight against the Ne Win regime, which also seized state power,” he said. “And then there were student protests in ‘74, ‘75 and ‘76. Students also joined hands with the people in the 1988 pro-democracy uprising. And now, in the 2021 anti-coup protests, students have actively participated in the ‘Spring Revolution’ against the military along with the people,” he added. “Myanmar’s students are still fighting the military dictatorship in various ways.” Junta authorities have killed at least 2,069 civilians since seizing power and arrested more than 14,500 others — mostly during peaceful anti-coup protests, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a Thailand-based NGO. At least 11,443 people remain in detention, the group says. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

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NGOs urge Cambodia to  crack down on Chinese drugs

Editor03 mins

NGOs are urging government authorities to enact tougher measures against Chinese drug lords operating in Cambodia, as methamphetamine use continues to surge in the Southeast Asian country. The calls came following news this week of the arrest in Sihanoukville of seven Chinese nationals who set up a factory in the coastal province to make the drugs from smuggled ingredients. Authorities also seized 14 tonnes (15.4 tons) of drug precursors and production equipment during the arrests, according to a report on the National Police Facebook page on Tuesday. The 7 arrested suspects will next be sent for processing in Cambodian courts, police authorities said. Drug use has now spread from Sihanoukville city to the suburbs and will eventually spread even farther into the country, leading to kidnapping and violence by criminal gangs, Cheap Sotheary — provincial coordinator for the rights group Adhoc — told RFA this week. All drugs confiscated by authorities should be immediately destroyed, she added. “We are concerned that many of these confiscated drugs are being stored and that some may be taken out and removed, as some authorities in the past turned out to be drug traffickers themselves. “Authorities should be taking strong action in every case,” she said. Also speaking to RFA, Transparency International Cambodia Executive Director Pech Pisey said that Chinese drug lords began to come to Cambodia after they saw that the country lacked a strong rule of law. “International criminals think they can produce and distribute drugs as much as they like,” Pech Pisey said. Cambodia must strictly enforce its laws if it wants to be kept off the Grey List of countries corrupted by money laundering released by the Paris-based watchdog Financial Action Task Force, he added. Cambodian Minister of the Interior Sar Kheng said during a National Day for Combating Drugs on June 26 that Cambodian police had seized a combined total of more than 100 tonnes of finished drugs and drug ingredients from 2020 to 2021. However, of the nearly 10,000 tonnes of the finished drugs that were seized, only 6,000 tonnes were then destroyed, he said. Translated by Samean Yun for RFA Khmer. Written in English by Richard Finney.

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After Lao rivers run red, authorities order iron mine to stop production

Editor07 mins

Authorities in Laos have ordered a Vietnamese mining company to suspend its operations after it polluted local waterways, causing two rivers to run red, local media reported. The Company of Economic Cooperation in Vietnam (Coecco) runs a mining operation in the Boualapha district of Laos’ southern Khammouane province. When “red water” began flowing down the Sa-A and Xe Noi Rivers starting on June 21, the governors of Khamouane and the downstream Savannakhet provinces, along with the minister of Natural Resources and Environment, inspected three Boualapha district mining operations, local outlet Next Media reported. Investigators discovered that Coecco’s mine was to blame and also discovered the company had been conducting illegal mining activities. On June 27, the Ministry of Energy and Mines issued a notice that ordered Coecco to stop all operations until the company completes construction of a larger waste treatment facility. “Pollution has been affecting many villages along the Sa-A and Xe Noi Rivers,” an official of Savannakhet’s Vilabouly district told RFA’s Lao Service on condition of anonymity to speak freely. “The most affected are four villages — Nateu, Katae, Na Yom and Hoei Phai — here in Vilabouly district,” the official said. The water turns red when the mines wash iron and release waste into the river, a resident of Nateu, who like the rest of the sources in this story, declined to be named for safety reasons, told RFA. “The river water becomes red, undrinkable and unusable. Some villagers here who are rich can dig wells and get [uncontaminated] groundwater, but the poorer folks have no choice but to use the red water,” the Nateu resident said. The red water in the facility overflows when it rains, the villager said. Prior to the ministerial order to halt operations, authorities and villagers in Vilabouly district wrote a letter demanding Coecco stop polluting, but the company did nothing. Bathing in the red water leaves residue on villagers’ bodies, a resident of Hoei Phai told RFA. “I took a bath in the Sa-A River on the other day. The red water stuck to my body, my arms and my legs,” the Hoei Phai resident said. “The governors of Khammouane and Savannakhet provinces and the minister came down here, so this week the company agreed to stop operations. The company previously ignored the demand of the district authorities,” the Hoei Phai resident said A resident of Nong Kapad village in te Boulapha district told RFA that residents there have been less affected by pollution even though the mine is located in the district. “We live far away from the rivers, but a lot of villages in the south, especially those four in Vilabouly district in Savannakhet, have been badly affected. They can’t drink the water or take baths in the rivers,” the Nong Kapad villager said. The residents are unhappy about the red water, a Khammouane province Natural Resources and Environment Department official, who was part of the inspection team, told RFA. “The company must improve the [waste] treatment system as required by the governors and the minister. The waste reservoir is too small and substandard, so that is why the waste is flowing down into the rivers,” the official said. The official said that the inspection team did not discuss the issue of building wells for the residents when they met with Coecco. When asked if the red water was toxic, the official responded, “All the information regarding this matter is kept by the inspecting committee.” The Lao government gave the concession to Coecco for rights to extract iron ore in a five-hectare (12.3-acre) plot in Boualapha district in July 2021. So far, the company has produced 36,000 tons of ore. Foreign-invested farming, mining and development projects in Laos have been touted as a boon for development and employment in the impoverished nation. But the projects have sparked friction over land taken without proper compensation, harsh labor conditions and environmental pollution. Translated by Max Avary. Written in English by Eugene Whong.

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Investigative Journalism Reportika © March 2022 by Ij-Reportika is licensed under CC BY 4.0