Arakanese protesters dispersed with police firing

( Narinjara News: 28 March 2014)

The Sittwe police fired several bullets into the air to disperse a crowd of local residents on Wednesday evening who demonstrated against a foreign NGO named Malteser.
The demonstrations took place in front of Malteser office in the Arakan capital city following an American woman worker belonged to Malteser was seen wearing a Buddhist religious flag as the skirt (or sarong) in the office, said a police source.
“When the local residents heard about it, they rushed to the Malteser office located at Baukthisu ward of Sittwe and demonstrated their furies towards the American woman,” said U Maung Hla, a social activist based in Sittwe.

Teenager killed in Sittwe firing

( Narinjara News: 28 March 2014)

The firing incident of Sittwe on 27 March evening has clamed the first victim today. A teenage girl named Ma Nee Ma fell prey to the incident in the Arakanese capital city, while she was preparing to have dinner at home.

Half of Oz’s asylum patrol boats out of service

AFP, Australia | World | Wed, March 05 2014, 5:29 AM

Nearly half of the Australian navy patrol boats used to detect asylum-seekers have been confined to port with structural cracks, a report said Tuesday, but the government insisted its Operation Sovereign Borders continued as normal.
Under Canberra’s hardline immigration policy, would-be refugees arriving by boat can be turned back at sea to Indonesia where many board rickety vessels to make the perilous crossing to Australia.
Large cracks were discovered in six of the 14-strong Armidale fleet 10 days ago, forcing the ships back to port in Darwin, The Australian newspaper reported. But Australia’s Immigration and Border Protection Minister Scott Morrison said the military-run operation was unaffected by the problem

Gov’t commission questions Du Chee Yar Tan villagers

Investigation commission inquires Bengalis lived at Nurular village (Photo-EMG)

MAUNGDAW – A government commission set up to investigate reports of mob killings in Du Chee Yar Tan village has questioned villagers and officials in Maungdaw Township, in western Rakhine State.

The investigation commission visited Du Chee Yar Tan village and met with 15 ethnic Rakhine and 20 Muslim villagers on February 16 to investigate reports of mob killings in retaliation to the attack and disappearance of a police officer.

The commission also visited Kayay Myaing police outpost, the duty station of the police sergeant who is still missing after a police patrol was attacked on January 13. They also visited King Chaung cemetery to look for clues with the aid of criminological and legal experts.

In February 18, the commission went to Gaw Du Thara village where villagers are still hiding after villagers attacked  and killed police sergeant and torched their own village. They also went to Nurular village to ask whether there were any causalities.

The commission met with delegates from United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and Doctors without Borders (MSF) separately at Maungdaw district administration office on Tuesday.

MSF reported giving medical attention to 20 people who were wounded in Du Chee Yar Tan village, some by bullet wounds. The commission also went to Maungdaw police station to question 16 suspected Muslims villagers who were detained after the incident.

The president appointed Chairperson of the Myanmar Red Cross Association Dr. Thar Hla Shwe as the Chairperson of the commission, Dr. Kyaw Yin Hlaing as a secretary for the commission and eight members team on February 8.

The commission will seek clarification on the alleged culprits of the fire that broke out in Du Chee Yar Tan (west) on January 20, as well as investigating false and fabricated news.

The commission will report its findings to President Thein Sein directly on February 28.

Myanmar's constitutional crisis reaching boiling point

Htun Aung Gyaw
Special to the Nation February 21, 2014 1:00 am

Under the current military-drafted charter, Aung San Suu Kyi is banned from becoming president.

An uprising looms unless the military releases its grip on power and allows Suu Kyi to run for president next year

Big questions loom about the future of Myanmar (Burma). Will the country allow changes to its constitution that lead to democratic reforms - or will it return square one? This is an issue of huge interest both in Myanmar and abroad.

Sometimes history repeats itself. The army could simply take political power again, before the election in 2015. In 1960, after two years of leading a caretaker government, army chief General Ne Win allowed an election and gave power back to an elected administration. But when ethnic minorities demanded genuine federal states and separation of political power, the military claimed the nation was at risk of disintegration and staged a coup in March 1962.

Fresh violence pushes Thailand deeper into crisis

Bangkok, Dec 2 (AP/UNB) – The United Nations closed its main office in Bangkok, dozens of schools were shut and civil servants skipped work as stone-throwing protesters battled through clouds of tear gas in renewed assaults on key government buildings in the Thai capital on Monday.

The protests aimed at toppling the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra have renewed fears of prolonged instability in one of Southeast Asia’s biggest economies and come just ahead of the peak holiday tourist season.

After a weekend of chaos in pockets of Bangkok, protesters regrouped outside the heavily-barricaded prime minister’s office Monday and repeatedly clashed with the police who fired tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets. Emboldened by their leader’s vow to topple Yingluck by Wednesday, they threw rocks at police and tore away sections of barbed wire and concrete barriers.

In a nationally televised appeal, Yingluck’s deputy, Surapong Tovichakchaikul, called on protesters to stop hurting Thailand’s image and the economy. Yingluck has not appeared in public since Saturday, but on Monday posted a picture of herself on Facebook in a meeting with senior government and police officers.

Using a conciliatory tone, Surapong said “the government will exercise utmost patience and adhere to nonviolent principles.”

“The government would like to insist that it will lead Thailand back to peace soon,” he said.

The protesters, who are mostly middle-class Bangkok supporters of the opposition Democrat Party, want Yingluck to step down, claiming she is a proxy for her brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. He was deposed in a 2006 military coup but remains central to Thailand’s political crisis, and is a focal point for the protester’s hatred.

The protesters, who call themselves the People’s Democratic Reform Committee, say their goal is to uproot the political machine of Thaksin, who is accused of widespread corruption and winning elections by buying voters from poor rural folk.

In an e-mailed statement to its staff, the United Nations’ security department said “there could be violence (Monday) on a large scale .. staff should avoid government offices” and other protest locations.

Many of the offices and schools closed Monday were located near the Government House, in the historic quarter of the capital, where police over the weekend fought off mobs of rock-throwing protesters armed with petrol bombs. At least three people were killed and 103 injured in skirmishes over the weekend.

Many of the protesters wore raincoats and plastic bags over their heads, to protect against the sting of tear gas.

The violence has mainly been around key institutions — the Parliament, at the Government House and Metropolitan Police Headquarters in the historic quarter of the capital. The area has some of Bangkok’s main tourist attractions such as the Grand Palace, Wat Pho temple, the Bangkok zoo, and the backpacker area of Khao San Road. Most of Bangkok, a city of 10 million, has been normal.

Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, a former deputy prime minister, says his aim is to install an unelected “people’s council” to select a new prime minister.

Suthep’s demand has been criticized by many as undemocratic, and is unlikely to be accepted by a government that was elected with an overwhelming majority.

However, his sustained campaign has led to suggestions that he may have the backing of the military, which has long had a powerful influence over Thai politics. The army has often stepped in during times of crisis, carrying out 18 successful or attempted coups since the 1930s.

Suthep met with Yingluck late Sunday in the presence of top military officials even though he has an arrest warrant against him. He later told cheering supporters that he told Yingluck that the only way to end the protests was for her to step down. The military has said it is neutral in the conflict but army commander Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha has urged the police not to use force.

“There was no negotiation during this meeting,” Suthep said. If Yingluck “listens to the people’s voices and returns the power to the people obediently, we will treat Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra with politeness because we all are good citizens.”

The French Embassy issued one of the strongest warnings of dozens of foreign governments, urging citizens to “stay inside” to avoid the conflict on Bangkok’s streets. The French School is located in a northeastern Bangkok neighborhood where gunshots rang out over the weekend during clashes between Yingluck’s supporters and opponents.

NLD Party Proposing Talks With The Goverment,Parliament And Military For Amending Constiution

Yangon, Nov 23 (IANS) A Myanmar opposition party, the National League for Democracy, Saturday proposed talks with the government, parliament and military for amending the 2008 constitution, the party said.

The decision came at the party's central executive committee meeting here to send a request for talks to President U Thein Sein, the party said.

The party has been collecting public opinion on the constitutional amendment region-wise and state-wise since mid-October.

According to earlier announcement by the party, the majority of the public prefer the amendment of the constitution, while few people prefer re-drawing.

The 109-member constitution review joint committee set up by Myanmar's Parliament in July, has extended the deadline for submission of such advice and assessment till Dec 31.

The National League for Democracy also formed a constitution amendment committee.

The 194-page, 15-chapter Republic of the Union of Myanmar Constitution 2008, drafted in accordance with the detailed basic principles laid down by the national convention, was promulgated in May 2008 after a nationwide referendum.

Under that constitution, a multi-party democratic general election was held in November 2010, in which the Union Solidarity and Development Party won the majority of the seats with its then chairman U Thein Sein being elected as president of the new government who took office in March 2011.

In 2012, the government amended the party registration law, re-legalising the opposition, the National League for Democracy led by Aung San Suu Kyi.

The National League for Democracy took part in the by-elections in April, winning 43 out of 45 open parliamentary seats.

Myanmar rebels shun peace initiative

Ta Phone Kwaw, a leader of the rebel Ta'ang National Liberation Army, said Wednesday his group rejected a peace deal drafted by Myanmar's government.

Myanmar's government called on the various ethnic groups fighting for more autonomy in the country to form political parties and disarm before moving any further with a national reconciliation agenda.

"It will be difficult for our ethnic groups to agree to disarm," the rebel leader told Thai newspaper The Irrawaddy. "For our group, we totally reject this draft."

He said there was still "heavy fighting" with the government forces under way in the mountains of the northern part of Shan state, where its estimated 1,500 fighters are based.

"We could not meet again with [mediators] to negotiate because there is more fighting in our area," he said.

Myanmar since 2012 has brokered peace agreements with more than a dozen armed ethnic groups in the country.

Myanmar earned international praise for the series of political reforms that began with general elections in 2010. National security challenges have overshadowed some of those reforms.

Buddhists celebrate Prabarana Purnima

. BSS, Chittagong
Buddhists here yesterday celebrated their second largest festival Prabarana Purnima, in the city as elsewhere in the district with traditional enthusiasm and due solemnity.
The festival is also known as Ashvini Purnima that marks conclusion of the three months long seclusion of the monks inside their monasteries for self edification and atonement of their defilement.
The Purnima follows a month-long preaching of sermons by the Buddhist monks for the welfare of every beings and whole humankind through a month-long yellow robes offering ceremony that begins from tomorrow.
According to the legend, Buddha once clipped some strands of hair from his head and said that if he were qualified to attain supreme wisdom and enlightenment, the hairs would not fall down but go up instead, in the long run which they did. To mark this event, the Buddhists released candle lit air balloons made of coloured paper and set free to flow towards the sky in the evening which is the chief attraction of the festival.
The Purnima was celebrated in all monasteries, respective offices of the religious organizations and educational institutions through day-long programmes.
The day's programmes heralded with hoisting of the national and religious flags atop all monasteries in the dawn and chanting of the sacred verses from the Tripitaka.
Breaking of fasting of the monks, mass prayer, blood donation, sangadana, discussions, panchashila and pradip puja were other highlights of the programmes.
In the city, the main religious congregations were held at Nandankanan Buddhist temple, Katalganj Nabapandit Vihar, Shakkymuni Buddha Vihar at Agrabad. Purnachar International Buddhists Monastery at Devpahar and Sarbajanin Bouddha Vihar at Momin road. In Nandankanon Buddhist temple, its chief priest Dr Ganasree Mohathero led the mass congregation while Venerable Pragyanbongsha Mohathero, founder of Shakkymuni Buddha Vihar conducted prayer and part time meditation among the devotees.
To mark the day, local dailies brought out some articles while Chittagong centres of Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television also aired special programme highlighting importance of the festival.
Besides, a number of periodicals were brought out on the occasion.
Special prayers were also held in all monasteries seeking peace and prosperity of the nation as well as global peace.
Members of the law enforcing agencies have been deployed in and around all temples in the city and district.

Right now, competition for political power has started again in Myanmar by bombing at the public places

Today many Arakans find themselves caught in position at the cost of their lives when they cannot do livelihood and getting persecutions and arrest at the hands of police in their home land. They were leaving for neighbouring nations like Thai and Malaysia cos of unemployment and persecution in Arakan.

At the same time, the total disregard for the safety of Arakanese people in Arakan State ,western Myanmar,
is the worst because Army and Armed Police in so-called power lose all their balance of mind and become much brutal while dealing with Buddhist Arakanese people.

The brutalities of the police froces are becoming more and more subjects for discussion among the Arakan
because the face of police is absolutely different with what people wanna be and without proving fact, people are being arrested by them. Moreover, Arakan people are being extorted money to get free during custody period of baseless cases, created by police.

Right now, competition for political power has started again in myanmar by bombing at the public places.
This is to say that Army is creating condition to coup power while things in Myanmar become
complicated. History of Myanmar is replete with examples of such situations and
Burmese nationlists serve in Army and notorious political party backed up by Army has made up not to let devolution to other nationals in myanmar ever but they believe that they deserve power to persecute and colonize others.