Myanmar junta slams France over 'illegitimate' snub, threatens ties India looks at Myanmar and Bangladesh connectivity

PARADIGM SHIFT?
Myanmar pawn in the battle
between autocracy and democracy

ISSUE 25, VOL. 11, June 16, 2022 l Issued every Thursday l mizzima.com
Myanmar junta
should stand-down
on activists’ executions
A
growing chorus of dismay has
greeted the Myanmar junta
plan to sentence to death and
execute anti-coup activists.
Since the 2021 coup, 114 people
have been sentenced to death for
resisting the coup, according to the
Institute for Strategy and Policy-
Myanmar (ISP-Myanmar).
No executions have been carried
out in Myanmar for over 30 years,
though the law remains on the statute
books and the death sentence was still
passed by the courts prior to the coup.
While all lives matter, particular
focus by Myanmar citizens and the
international community is on two
high-profile players who have fought
against the State Administration
Council (SAC) and for democracy in
the Golden Land and are sentenced to
death.
They are Phyo Zeya, a former
National League for Democracy (NLD)
MP and Thaw Kyaw Min Yu, better
known as Ko Jimmy, an 88 Generation
activist who had previously been
imprisoned for his part in anti-
government protests, most recently
between 2007 and 2012.
A military court charged the
former NLD legislator and hip-hop
artist Phyo Zeya Thaw, 41, under the
Counterterrorism Law and the Public
Property Protection Act with leading
deadly shootings on pro-military
targets.
Ko Jimmy, 52, was charged with
allegedly inciting unrest and taking
part in “terrorism”, both offenses
under the Counterterrorism Law.
The soldiers severely beat Ko Jimmy
during his arrest and tortured him in
custody, his family said.
EDITORIAL
WEEKLY
In an announcement on 2 June Editor In-Chief and Managing
2022, the junta Deputy Minister for Director
Information said that the two men Soe Myint
and two others, Hla Myo Aung and
Aung Thura Zaw, who were convicted
of killing an alleged military informant, Contributors
had exhausted all avenues of appeal Sai Wansai,
and would be hanged, but that no date
Andrew Landen, Marc Jacob
had yet been set for their execution.
The junta’s assertion that there
MIZZIMA MAGAZINE
was no chance of a reprieve for
the men and that they would be Neither this publication nor any
executed caused an international part of it may be reproduced,
outcry. It prompted the United stored in a retrieval system,
Nations Secretary General António or transmitted in any form
Guterres to speak out, noting that or by any means, electronic,
the junta’s decision to execute the
men violated Article 3 of the Universal
mechanical, photocopying,
Declaration of Human Rights, which recording or otherwise without
states “Everyone has the right to prior permission from Mizzima
life, liberty, and security of person”, Media Co. Ltd.
and says that everyone has the right
to a public hearing and defence
Photos are by Mizzima
at an independent and impartial
court. Similarly, the US government Unless otherwise credited.
© 2015 MIZZIMA All rights
issued a statement, saying it strongly
condemns the Burmese military reserved
regime’s reported plans to execute
pro-democracy and opposition INFORMATION
leaders, exemplifying the regime's
Mizzima is owned by Mizzima
disregard for human rights and the
Media Group in Yangon,
rule of law. They urged the release
of all those who have been unjustly Myanmar.
detained.
Subscriptions and sales in
At this stage, it is unclear how
Myanmar
and when the Myanmar junta will
Mizzima Weekly is currently
proceed with their threat against
these pro-democracy players who available as a PDF.
have acted against the illegitimate
government. Contact: Mizzima Media Group
Email: sm@mizzima.com
If the military junta wants to
salvage its tattered international Phone: +95-9421010100
reputation, it is time to stand-down
on its threat to execute these heroic
players.
 mizzima WEEKLY

NEWS & INSIGHT

3 EDITORIAL
22
6 IN FOCUS

8 NEWS ROUNDUP

10 PARADIGM SHIFT?
Myanmar pawn in the battle between 26 International Community is allowing
autocracy and democracy the junta to weaponise aid

16 US opposes dictators except when it 28 Nearly 60 Rohingya found

supports them abandoned on Thai island: police

18 How Myanmar lobbyists use Telegram to 29 Myanmar junta slams France over
spread propaganda, fake news 'illegitimate' snub, threatens ties

22 International condemnation of Myanmar 30 Uncertainty over whether

death sentences assassinated WHO worker was
Myanmar junta informer

24 Report highlights humanitarian crisis in 31 Foodpanda drivers in Myanmar go

Karen State on strike

10

4 June 16, 2022

 42 ETHNIC NEWS ROUNDUPS

34 43 LAST WEEK IN NAY PYI TAW

BUSINESS
44 India looks at Myanmar and Bangladesh
connectivity

32 COVID-19 UPDATE 45 Ethical trade body expresses concern

China's Xi backs zero-Covid policy as over investing in Myanmar
Shanghai expands mass testing
46 China exports rebound in May as virus
34 Covid lab leak theory needs more controls ease
research: WHO advisors
47 BUSINESS ALERTS
36 CHINA FOCUS
Dozens of NGOs urge UN rights chief
to resign after China visit CULTURE & LIFESTYLE
38 China, Russia accuse US at UN of
48 IN FOCUS
stoking North Korea tensions

50 MINORITY IN A MINORITY
40 COMMENTARY
Trans Rohingya refugee fights prejudice
Over a billion methamphetamine
with beauty
tabs seized in East and Southeast
Asia

Cover photo by Domi Chung

50

June 16, 2022 5

6 June 16, 2022
 Bomb kills and injures in Yangon

T
his picture taken and obtained from a Facebook account on May 31,
2022 shows passers-by helping people injured after a bomb blast
in Yangon. The bomb blast in a busy neighbourhood of Myanmar's
commercial hub Yangon killed one person and injured nine others
on May 31, police and junta authorities said. Photo: AFP

June 16, 2022 7

 Forty per cent drop in Myanmar student enrollment
for 2022-23
W
hile the Myanmar military
junta says it is working to
provide “better education”
for students in the
country, school enrollment for the
2022-23 academic year indicates the
number is just 40 per cent compared
to when the country operated under a
civilian government.
More than 5.6 million students
enrolled for 2022-2023 academic year,
according to the Department of Basic
Education Schools under the Military
Council.
Under the basic education system
this includes primary and secondary
or high schools.
The enrollment week for the
2022-2023 Academic Year was set by
the Military Council from 26 May to 1
June.
Myanmar Defence Force will seek revenge
if executions carried out
T
he Sagaing Myanmar Defence
Force (MDF- (Sagaing)) has said
that if the Military Council starts
judicially executing people that
it will respond with killings.
On 21 January 2022 Ko Jimmy, the
prominent 88 generation leader and
Phyo Zayar Thaw, a former National
League For Democracy (NLD) MP
were sentenced to death by a military
tribunal.
On 3 June the Military Council
issued a statement confirming that
both will be executed.
8 June 16, 2022
At a press conference this week,
a junta spokesman tried to give the
process a good spin.
“The parents and students have
high expectations for this academic
year. Our government has been
working with departmental officials
to improve the quality of the schools
at the beginning of this academic
year and we also prepared to provide
the better education system for the
students,” General Zaw Min Tun, a
spokesperson of the Military Council
said 1 June.
The total of 5,609,676 students
enrolled at basic education schools,
private schools, and monastic schools
in respective regions and states,
according to the 2 June edition of the
military’s newspaper.
The number of student
enrollments for the 2021-2022
MDF (Sagaing) responded by
saying that if they are executed they
would take an “eye for an eye and a
tooth for a tooth” in revenge.
“This is an unjust judgement”, said
The MDF Battalion (1) Information
Officer Captain Taw Win.
“People such as Ko Jimmy and
Ko Zayar Thaw are big heroes of our
revolution. We denounce this kind of
injustice. If they [the junta] carry out
the execution, we will do similar things
[to the junta]…. They will get what they
deserve”, he continued.
Academic Year was nearly 5.3 million
and increased 0.3 million this year,
according to the Basic Education
Schools under the Military Council.
During the civilian-led
government, more than 9 million
students had enrolled in the Basic
Education Schools annually, according
to the Ministry of Education (NUG).
According to the figures, the
student enrollment rate has dropped
nearly 40 per cent, comparing the
figures under the junta and under the
National League for Democracy-led
government.
In Naypyitaw only, a total of
190,200 students are currently
studying at 757 Basic Education
Schools, 28 Monastic Schools and
57 Private Schools which have been
reopened, according to the junta
figures.
The 3 June Military Council
statement said that two other men
will also be executed. TThey are Ko Hla
Myo Aung and Ko Aung Thu Zaw who
were sentenced to death for killing
a school teacher, whom they allege
was a Military Council informer, in
Yangon’s Hlaing Tha Yar Township.
No date has yet been set for the
executions.
The last time anyone sentenced to
death was executed in Myanmar was
in 1990.
 Canadian Embassy condemns junta plans to execute
pro-democracy activists
T
he Canadian Embassy in
Yangon issued a statement on
7 June strongly condemning
the military regime’s reported
plans to execute pro-democracy
leaders and activists.
It said: “Canada opposes the
death penalty in all circumstances for
all people, everywhere.”
The statement also said that
Canada is gravely concerned by
One prisoner killed and two injured in riot
at Mandalay's Obo Prison
K
hin Zaw Thet, a member of
the Mandalay Strike Force is
receiving medical attention in
hospital after being beaten by
staff during a prison riot in Mandalay’s
Obo Prison on 5 June.
He was seriously injured after
being beaten by a warden and prison
staff who are all employed by the
Military Council’s Department of
Prisons, according to the Mandalay
Strike Force
The group also claimed that,
as well as Khin Zaw Thet, one other
prisoner was seriously wounded
when he was beaten by prison officials
and twelve prisoners were placed in
solitary confinement. One prisoner
Bangladesh charges 29 Rohingya over
activist's murder
B
angladesh police on Monday
charged at least 29 Rohingya
over the murder of top
community leader Mohib Ullah
last September, a prosecutor said.
Ullah, the head of a Rohingya
rights group, was gunned down
in one of several squalid camps in
Bangladesh that together house
almost a million Rohingya refugees
from Myanmar, sending shockwaves
ongoing violations of human rights
and humanitarian law in Myanmar,
including the right to a fair trial and
the independence of the judiciary.
As well as calling on the Myanmar
military not to carry out the executions
the statement also called for the
release of political prisoners and
arbitrarily detained people.
It is not just the Canadians who
have protested the executions in
also died in the riot, though Mizzima
has yet to receive independent
verification of this.
“Prison officials and political
prisoners got into trouble on 5 June,
as far as I know, it started in prison
cell Number (1). They beat political
prisoners behind closed doors. They
closed the [cell] doors and beat
inmates. During the incident, twelve
prisoners were placed in solitary
confinement and two inmates were
gravely injured according to people
close to the prison staff”, said a
member of Mandalay Strike Force.
He also added that the exact
causes of the riot were currently
unknown.
through the community.
His family blamed the Arakan
Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA),
an insurgent group in Myanmar's
western state of Rakhine that has
been accused of running narcotics,
murdering political opponents and
instilling a climate of fear in the camps.
Prosecutor Faridul Alam told AFP
on Monday that police have completed
June 16, 2022
Myanmar. Statements strongly
condemning the planned executions
of four men including Ko Jimmy and Ko
Phyo Zayar Thaw have also come from
the French Embassy in Yangon, The US
Department of State Spokesperson,
Ned Price, and the UN secretary-
general, António Guterres.
These will be the first judicial
executions in Myanmar since 1990.
He explained: "The inmates were
forcibly dispersed by prison officials.
Prisoners, in my opinion, riot for
various reasons. [One is] because
prisoners are unable to endure human
rights violations. Approximately 50
prison staff dispersed the large groups
[of prisoners].”
A Mandalay Strike Force social
media post stated: ““Khin Zaw Thet
was in good health at the time he was
arrested. Anything that happened to
him subsequently [after his arrest] will
be the responsibility of the Military
Council and those involved in the
incident. The unjust persecution
of political prisoners is strongly
condemned as a violation of human
rights.”
their probe and filed a charge sheet
against 29 Rohingya for the murder of
the 48-year-old.
"Out of the 29, police have
arrested 15 people and the rest are
absconding. At least four of those
arrested have made confessional
statements over their roles in the
murder," Alam said.
9
 AUTOCRACY: The Myanmar military display their might. Photo: EPA

10 June 16, 2022

 PARADIGM SHIFT?
Myanmar pawn in the
battle between autocracy
and democracy
Sai Wansai

M
ilitary junta-run Myanmar appears to be lining up as a useful
pawn for China as the axis of world politics dramatically
changes, in part due to the Russian military operations in
Ukraine.

With most governments distracted by the Russian President

Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine conflict and a host of other related issues
including fuel and commodity supply problems and economic turmoil,
China recently publicly announced its stance on Naypyitaw.

On 1 April, China said that it will support Myanmar’s military

government “no matter how the situation changes” in the country over
the coming months and years.

Wunna Maung Lwin, Foreign Minister of the junta went to China

mid-April on a “working visit” at the invitation of China’s state councillor
and foreign affairs minister Wang Yi.

The Chinese Foreign Minister told his Myanmar counterpart

Wunna Maung Lwin that Beijing “has always placed Myanmar in an
important position in its neighbourly diplomacy” and wants to “deepen
exchanges and cooperation.”

After the meeting, Wang Yi and Wunna Maung Lwin inaugurated

the new Myanmar consulate in Chongqing as a sign of greater
diplomatic cooperation between the junta and China, local media
reported.

The Chinese press release issued after the visit states that “[n]o
matter how the situation changes, China will always support Myanmar
in safeguarding sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity
and exploring a development path.”

Analysts took note.

“China hoped the junta would help solve ASEAN’s issues with
China over the South China Sea – in other words, that the junta will take
China’s side and (like Cambodia has in the past) stonewall any efforts
by ASEAN to push back against Beijing’s increasing domination of the
contested waters,” an analysis by the US Council on Foreign Relations
stated on 4 April.

The piece in its conclusion also points out, “As with Putin, Beijing
no longer seems to care at all about how it is perceived regionally or
internationally, and instead is fully backing autocrats.”

June 16, 2022 11

 THE UKRAINE FACTOR
The crisis in Ukraine appears
to have accentuated a major shift
in world politics, one in which the
standoff between democratic and
autocratic governments is becoming
clearer, a scenario with ramifications
for Myanmar.
The move by Russian leader
Putin to launch military operations in
Ukraine has prompted a polarizing
of world politics between those who
oppose the move – primarily Western
governments – and the powerful
“bloc” that includes China, India,
and to some extent the countries of
the Association of South East Asian
Nations (ASEAN). It also appears to
be reverberating through domestic
politics in Europe, with swings to the
right seen in Hungary and France.
The rightist party headed by
Marine Le Pen challenge to take
over from France’s ruling President
Emmanuel Macron was averted as
the majority of the French electorate
who prevented the extreme rightist
coming to power. Meanwhile Hungary
remains a stone in the shoe for the EU
OUT OF TOUCH: Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing misjudged the Myanmar people who are putting up stiff
resistance. Photo: EPA
12
where the import-ban of Russian oil
issue is concerned.
On the surface, China’s support
for Myanmar’s illegal military junta can
now be viewed as a public repudiation
of Myanmar’s troubled democracy
experiment 2010-2021 and support
for autocratic rule, on a par with
Beijing’s own dictatorial rule.
While Beijing initially appeared to
straddle the fence in the immediate
wake of Myanmar’s February 2021
coup, it now appears to have thrown
in its lot with the generals.
With much of the world focused
on Ukraine, China sees no need to
beat about the bush when it comes to
support for the generals in power in
Myanmar.
Myanmar matters to Beijing. It
is an important part of the Middle
Kingdom’s geo-political and economic
strategy in terms of connecting the
country through the use of the China
Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC)
to Kyauk Phyu deep-sea port, the
Indian Ocean and further afield,
reducing pressure on dependence
June 16, 2022
on the Malacca Strait for trade and
communications.
Step by step, Beijing is using
Myanmar as a bridge – through
the use of certain Ethnic Armed
Organizations (EAO) in Shan State,
through the CMEC, and through
Chinese investment and factories in
the country.
Beijing sees no need to place
soldiers’ boots on Myanmar territory
when it can use key local players to
manipulate geo-political control to its
liking – including throwing a lifeline to
the Myanmar generals in their time of
need.
The coup-leader Senior
General Min Aung Hlaing's 22 April
announcement of a peace talks
initiative has been accepted by
China's proxy EAOs like United Wa
State Army, Mongla or National
Democratic Alliance Army, and Shan
State Progress Army, which may be
seen as helping the military junta
to gain legitimacy and prop up the
regime under immense challenges
domestically and internationally,
although the said three parties may
also have other kind of interests to
work out a give-and-take on other
individual specific pressing issues.
ECONOMIC SUPERPOWER
All this is happening against
a backdrop in which China is
maneuvering into place as the world’s
top economic superpower, booting
the USA into second place.
Although there have been short-
term troubles with the Chinese
economy over the last couple of years,
largely due to the draconian ways it
handled the COVID-19 pandemic –
angry scenes still playing out today
on the streets of a number of cities
– the overall prognosis from financial
experts medium-term is that China is
rising and the United States is sinking
when it comes to trade, industry and
the economy.
Given the West’s response tothe
Ukraine crisis, China, Russia and India
appear to be forming an informal
diplomatic and economic alliance
that recognizes the current weakness
of the United States and Europe –
governments shooting themselves
in the foot by imposing sanctions on
Russia, prompting rocketing energy
prices, and fuel and food supply
problems.
In addition, ASEAN members
appear to be sitting on the fence
when it comes to condemning Russian
actions in Ukraine. Interestingly,
Myanmar was effectively split on this
issue as the UN envoy for Myanmar
– who represents the interests of the
civilian opposition to the junta – voted
against Russia, whereas the junta
publicly expressed their support for
Moscow.
US ACTIONS
The United States and other
Western countries are attempting to
shore up opposition and sanctions
against the Myanmar junta in the
wake of the 2021 military coup.
While China has swung into action
to offer support for the Myanmar
generals, Washington is doing the
opposite tightening sanctions against
the junta and its generals, and
cementing their stance through the
Burma Act 2021.
The Burma Act 2021, which
the United States House of
Representatives passed on 6 April, has
additional hurdles as the Senate must
also pass the Act and be signed by the
president to become operational.
Step by step, Beijing is using
Myanmar as a bridge – through
the use of certain Ethnic Armed
Organizations (EAO) in Shan State,
through the CMEC, and through
Chinese investment and factories in
the country.
The overall projection and scope
of the Act is reported by Jurists on 7
April as follows:
“To achieve the Act’s
requirements, the Act includes
authorizing over $450 million in
humanitarian aid and support for
the pro-democracy movement in
Burma over five years, expanding
sanction authorizations, and creating
a coordinator position to oversee
Burma policy in the US. The Act
further calls for the US to condemn
the military coup in Burma, urge the
unconditional release of detained
democratically-elected leaders and
civil society members, and support
a return to Burma’s democratic
transition. As well as, to engage with
the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) and ASEAN member
states to promote a return to Burma’s
democratic transition and democratic
values throughout Southeast Asia,
and support the centrality of ASEAN
within the regional architecture of the
Indo-Pacific.”
QUAD & AUKUS
In what can be portrayed as a
looming conflict between autocracy
and democracy on a global scale
QUAD and AUKUS may become
instrumental for the Indo-Pacific
region, with Myanmar playing a small
but important role among the issues
that include the South China Sea,
Taiwan, Xinjaing and Tibet – all touchy
subjects for Beijing.
June 16, 2022
“The Quad comprises India, Japan,
Australia and the United States. Except
India, the three other Quad member
countries have been severely critical
of Russia for its military aggression
against Ukraine,” according to
Hindustan Times of 20 March.
AUKUS is a trilateral security
pact between Australia, the United
Kingdom, and the United States,
announced on 15 September 2021
for the Indo-Pacific region. Reportedly
under the pact, the US and the UK
will help Australia to acquire nuclear-
powered submarines.
On 5 April, “Prime Minister Scott
Morrison of Australia, Prime Minister
Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom,
and President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. of
the United States reviewed progress
in implementing the Australia – United
Kingdom – United States (AUKUS)
partnership. The leaders reaffirmed
their commitment to a free and open
Indo-Pacific, and more broadly to an
international system that respects
human rights, the rule of law, and
the peaceful resolution of disputes
free from coercion – a commitment
whose importance has only grown
in response to Russia’s unprovoked,
unjustified, and unlawful invasion
of Ukraine,” according to the White
House's AUKUS Leaders’ Level
Statement.
Implementation of the AUKUS
partnership has now begun. It has
two related lines of effort, namely the
supply of submarines to Australia,
13
and the development and provision of
joint advanced military capabilities to
promote security and stability in the
Indo-Pacific region.
However, a wider scope
military capability development was
announced lately.
“The United States, United
Kingdom and Australia announced
12 April they will work together
via the recently created security
alliance known as AUKUS to develop
hypersonic missiles. The move comes
amid growing concern by the U.S.
and allies about China’s growing
military assertiveness in the Pacific.
US President Joe Biden, British Prime
Minister Boris Johnson and Australian
Prime Minister Scott Morrison
announced the plan after holding a
check-in on the progress of AUKUS,
the Indo-Pacific alliance that was
launched by the three countries in
September,” according to an AP report
on April 13.
FIVE EYES
According to Ed Griffith in his
opinion piece “The Quad: US efforts
to counter China’s influence in Asia
mark a new era of micro alliances”,
published by The Conversation, he
writes: “The underlying principle of
the Quad has parallels with Aukus, a
security pact between Australia, the
United Kingdom and the US.”
“There is also the “Five Eyes”, an
intelligence-sharing arrangement
among the US, the UK, Canada,
Australia and New Zealand. The
Quad’s fundamental difference is the
presence of two Asian powers that are
eager for support to balance against
China on their doorstep.”
“It is important to highlight that
the Quad’s prominence is increasing
in the context of almost complete
silence from the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).”
However, he cautions: “We are not
yet in a new cold war, but we no longer
live in a unipolar world dominated by
a hegemonic US. This reshaping of
the international order was already
underway, driven by the increasing
assertiveness of China. But Russia’s
assault on Ukraine, accompanied
by Beijing’s ‘no limits’ cooperation
with Moscow, has hastened and
exacerbated the drawing of lines
across the globe.”
The changing pattern of
international conflict is confirmed by
President Biden’s secretary of state,
14
Antony Blinken, explicitly confirmed
this focus in a recent speech as follows
by Ed Griffith:
“Even as President Putin’s war
continues, we will remain focused on
the most serious long-term challenge
to the international order – and that
is the one posed by the People’s
Republic of China.
“We should not expect imminent
direct conflict but it is clear that global
strategic competition between the US
and China is intensifying. The Quad is
just the most recent example of how
the teams are lining up.”
CHINA’S FOOTPRINT
On the ground in Myanmar, China
appears to be working to protect its
economic and strategic interests in
areas that it shares a border with,
most notably Shan State, in addition
to seeking security for the CMEC
corridor – a lifeline between southern
China and the Indian Ocean.
The military situation
development in Shan State,
particularly the inter-ethnic conflict
between the TNLA/UWSA and RCSS;
and brotherly war between SSPP and
RCSS are generally seen as a proxy war
to push the RCSS out of northern Shan
State to protect China's economic
interests in the region.
The southward push driving the
RCSS from its southern Shan State
operational areas seems to have an
ambition to contain RCSS to the Thai-
Shan border, or even to annihilate it.
If this is the case, the alliance
of SSPP/UWSA may become more
than proxies to protect China's
business interests but involve in a
bigger scheme of autocracy versus
democracy, which until now has been
labelled as Cold-War-like conflict
globally.
China's legitimacy endorsement
of the junta's State Administration
Council (SAC) recently may be an
indicator that it is moving in this
direction.
In that sense the Burmese junta
and the seven-member Federal
Political Negotiation and Consultative
Committee (FPNCC) should be under
one blanket with China looking
over. But the Kachin Independence
Army (KIA), Arakan Army (AA), TNLA,
and Myanmar National Democratic
Alliance Army (MNDAA) or Kokang,
National Democratic Alliance Army
(NDAA) or Mongla, and UWSA have
June 16, 2022
their own agendas and cannot be
taken as a solid united alliance under
one command within the FPNCC and
acting in unison.
The KIA is actively combating
the junta and seems to be near to
the junta's opposition National Unity
Government (NUG) which have
been operating in collaboration with
its People's Defence Force (PDF)
in Sagaing Region; AA has its own
agenda of an independent state
or confederacy and lately having
military tension with the junta's army,
due to the latter's disruption of its
administrative machinery in Arakan
State; TNLA seems accommodating
to the NUG by allowing the PDF
formation in its controlled areas
but wants to be close to UWSA also;
MNDAA is determined to regain
its Kokang Region from the junta's
installed local administration; and
Mongla and UWSA have no intention
whatsoever to be on a war-footing
with the junta, even if they may be
supplying arms to the other ethnic
armed groups fighting the junta.
Besides, the junta is poised
to attack the SSPP, also a FPNCC
member, if the latter does not comply
to the former demand of withdrawal
from southern Shan State territories,
which it has wrestled from the RCSS.
Thus, it is not at all clear if the
FPNCC as a whole may act as China's
“autocracy agent” in this growing
conflict between autocracy versus
democracy, much less teaming up
with the Myanmar junta.
RADICAL CHANGES
Myanmar is likely to play an
important role in the changing
geopolitics of the world as China digs
in to support the military junta, largely
due to the country’s importance for
Beijing.
Western moves to shore up
support for Myanmar opposition
forces – through sanctions,
humanitarian aid, engagement with
the NUG, and through the US Burma
Act – will go some way to help the
Myanmar people.
But given the radical changes
underway for geo-politics around
the world – and the lurch eastward
in terms of economic growth with
China ascendent – it is likely to take
tough and bloody years of struggle
for Myanmar’s torch of democracy to
have any chance of flickering into life.
 SCAN

   

 

 
   
June 16, 2022   
15

US opposes dictators
except when it supports them
Sebastian Smith
D
ictators are bad, except,
well, when they're kind of
OK: welcome to the moral
gymnastics that Joe Biden
is only the latest US president to
embrace in a complicated world.
US President Joe Biden. Photo: EPA
16
Biden's decision to exclude the
far-left leaders of Cuba, Nicaragua
and Venezuela from this week's
regional Summit of the Americas in
Los Angeles is being touted as US
defense of democracy in action.
June 16, 2022
"We just don’t believe dictators
should be invited and... and so we
don’t regret that," White House Press
Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. "The
president will stand by his principle."
Except when he doesn't.
 Biden's determination to bar the
trio of self-proclaimed Latin American
socialist revolutionaries from US soil
came at the expense of a rift with
Mexican President Andres Manuel
Lopez Obrador, a key partner who
snubbed the Los Angeles gathering in
protest.
But there's a whole lot more
flexibility when it comes to the other
side of the world, where Biden is
preparing to visit Saudi Arabia and
meet de facto leader Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman.
The prince, often referred to
as MBS, presides over a country
with no elections, few rights for
women, or many other norms
considered basic in the West. In 2018,
according to US intelligence, MBS
orchestrated the gruesome murder
and dismemberment of a prominent
dissident, Jamal Khashoggi, who was
both a US resident and columnist for
The Washington Post.
As a presidential candidate, Biden
said the brazen assassination made
Saudi Arabia a "pariah."
Now, though, he's ready to meet
with the alleged murder mastermind.
Why? Because that would be good
for the United States, Jean-Pierre said.
"If he determines that it's in the
interest of the United States to engage
with a foreign leader and that such an
engagement can deliver results, then
he'll do so," she said.
Saudi Arabia "has been a strategic
partner of the United States for nearly
80 years."
'Our son of a bitch'
The contradictory messaging
is causing a stir, particularly against
the backdrop of Biden's frequent,
passionate argument that his
presidency marks an "inflection point"
in a titanic struggle between the
world's democracies and a growing
band of ruthless autocracies.
But really there's nothing new.
Back in 1939, President Franklin
Roosevelt supposedly commented
that Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio
Somoza "may be a son of a bitch, but
he’s our son of a bitch."
Other accounts ascribe the
phrase to different US presidents
and different dictators. The point,
though, is clear: the White House has
always been able to hold its nose with
one hand, while using the other to
embrace distasteful partners.
US support for right-wing leaders
across Latin America during the Cold
War struggle against Soviet influence
was infamous.
In Asia, the United States long
battled communist regimes yet there
too displays flexibility when it suits.
At an ASEAN regional summit last
month, Biden shunned Myanmar
while inviting less-than-democratic
leaders from the likes of Cambodia
and Vietnam.
Then there was Biden's
predecessor Donald Trump.
The Republican railed against
June 16, 2022
China yet became friendly with
Russia's Vladimir Putin. Trump was
also chummy with the full range of
unelected Middle Eastern rulers, not
least in Saudi Arabia, which he chose
for his first foreign trip as president.
"Where's my favorite dictator?" a
jovial Trump once called out at a 2019
summit while waiting for Egyptian
President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi to show
up.
Robert Guttman, who teaches
politics at Johns Hopkins University,
said the consistent inconsistency boils
down to "cynical" self-interest.
Facing the risk of devastating
losses for Democrats in November
midterm elections, Biden is desperate
to get soaring domestic fuel prices
down, which is what leads him to the
Saudis.
And with US-based Latin American
communities often fiercely opposed
to communism, Biden has little room
to maneuver when it comes to the
likes of Cuba.
"All you have to think about is
Florida in 2024 and they need their
votes," Guttman said.
Guttman said the United States
does historically try to support
democracy -- a fight that Ukraine's war
with Russia has put in dramatic focus.
But with exceptions.
"We talk about great ideals but
we’re more pragmatic when it comes
to reality," he said.
"The bottom line is we need oil
and we support people who have the
oil. For natural resources we need,
we bend our ideals, and in an election
campaign the president’s all over the
board."
AFP
17
How Myanmar lobbyists use
Telegram to spread propaganda, fake news
Nway Minn Thila
I
n the wake of the Myanmar military
coup, Myanmar nationalists and
propagandists began to fall foul of
Facebook’s community standard
controls, finding posts blocked, and
even accounts closed.
It was therefore not surprising
that those behind the rash of fake,
troll or propaganda accounts would
turn to TikTok, YouTube, VK, Viber
and Telegram where the community
standards might be looser and the
platforms more open.
Ironically, Telegram – which is
supposed to champion the ability to
practice free speech – has begun to
be a useful tool for a host of Myanmar
military and nationalist supporters
as they attempt to battle those
supporting the Spring Revolution,
National Unity Government (NUG),
People’s Defence Forces (PDF) and a
slew of public personalities seeking
freedom and a return to democracy.
Telegram may be a beacon of free
thought – needed when there is so
much censorship on Facebook, Twitter
and Youtube – yet this freedom is
being used by those in Myanmar with
ill intent.
SUPPORTING THE MILITARY
Military lobbyists and nationalists
are now running rampant on
18
Telegram, using the open platform
to spread misinformation and attack
those in the Spring Revolution.
While Telegram is in no way as
popular as Facebook – Facebook
essentially equates with the internet
in Myanmar – it still has wide and
growing outreach in Myanmar.
Various players have been
using the social media platform to
attempt to keep the military’s State
Administration Council (SAC) in power
and undermine those who support
the Spring Revolution, as well as
create divisions in society, stir racism,
cause problems between Ethnic
Armed Organizations (EAO), and
seek to defame the pro-democracy
revolutionaries.
These channels are distributing
information including personal or
sexual matters and defamatory posts
linking them with aspects of the Spring
Revolution.
The aim? To trash the reputation
of those in the Spring Revolution and
cast doubt over their activities and
aims.
On the one hand, the
Telegram channels pretend to be
a whistleblower of secret internal
information, but on the other hand,
they make people think they are
June 16, 2022
important military personalities by
giving them military-related names
before creating or sharing the
pro-military content.
On occasion, they impersonate
a well-known media personality or
presenter and push out propaganda
for the SAC, using a stolen image of
the media player.
All this is destabilizing in a society
torn apart by the post-coup crisis
where people rely on social media for
their news and information.
EXAMPLE OF THE TROLLS
Take the content shared by the
'Shwe Yupar Oo' Telegram channel.
It appears aimed at sparking conflict
between Buddhists, Muslims and
revolutionaries. The owner of this
channel is a well-known social media
influencer named 'Shwe Yupar Oo.'
She usually posts content to protect
the military and attack people who
are against the dictatorship. For
example, the channel claimed the
Organization of Islamic Cooperation
(OIC), a respected international
Muslim body, was offering money for
the assassination of a Buddhist monk.
Shwe Yupar Oo sought a place
on Telegram after her pages were
removed from Facebook. This
Telegram channel gained over 4,000
subscribers as soon as it opened. The
subscriber tally is now over 10,000.
It is currently uploading at least five
posts a day.
Due to what amounts to bogus
content, it is not surprising that
military supporters post comments
against the National League for
Democracy (NLD) party - usually
referred to as the “Red” - and the
People’s Defense Forces (PDF) with
calls to launch military operations
against those they claim are insulting
Buddhism.
This angry mix feeds off the false
propaganda long pumped out by the
Union Solidarity and Development
Party (USDP) and nationalists that
claims the NLD “loves Muslims” and
is threatening the majority Buddhist
population by encouraging Muslim
population growth.
In addition, those posting
comments often use the term ‘Wat
Ma Sar’ (a person who abstains from
eating pork) to refer to Muslim people
indirectly. This term became popular
among military supporters, and they
use it broadly when they want to
target or attack Muslims.
SEXUAL CONTENT
Channels and groups with the
name ‘Han Nyein Oo’ on Telegram
initially attracted an audience by
sharing leaked naked photos or
sexual videos of women who they
claim oppose the junta.
Typically, the material is leaked
without consent or is photoshopped.
While pornographic content goes
against Telegram’s terms of service,
the platform sees a flurry of such
material.
Later, the ‘Han Nyein Oo’ channels
pivoted to running pro-military posts,
disinformation posts, and hate speech
posts based on religion and race.
Also, it shared inspirational posts or
writings to target and crack down on
the PDF and anti-junta people.
Sexy photos and videos drew
in an audience. Now propaganda is
interspersed with the spice.
Currently, there are more than
10 channels and groups on Telegram
under the ‘Han Nyein Oo’ name.
RAPE AND MURDER
June 16, 2022
As an example, a ‘Han Nyein
Oo’ channel sought to hype up the
rape and murder allegedly carried
out by an anonymous group against
two women who it was alleged were
military informers.
The murders were reported by
both Democratic Voice of Burma
(DVB) and Khit Thit media on their
channels without confirming who was
responsible.
The ‘Han Nyein Oo’ channel
published gory and explicit photos of
the dead body of one of the women
claiming the PDF were involved,
aiming to stir up hatred against the
resistance groups.
In a separate case, the PDF came
under attack for allegedly murdering a
19

While Telegram is in no way as
popular as Facebook – Facebook
essentially equates with the
internet in Myanmar – it still has
wide and growing outreach in
Myanmar.
teacher who was said not to be part of
the CDM movement. Again, although
there was no proof of the allegation,
the incident was used to inflame the
situation.
SLANDERING THE CDM
A channel named ‘Tat Kyat Gyi
Phoe Si’ has stigmatized health issues
and what they claim is the inadequate
care of a mother and her children,
blaming it on the health workers
who left their posts to join the Civil
Disobedience Movement (CDM).
To incite people, a photo of two
infants was used and the post claimed
A great deal of misinformation is spread on Telegram. Photo: EPA
20
both the mother and children died
because doctors and nurses had fled
their posts to join the CDM, alleging
they were unable to get treatment.
These Telegram posts reached more
than 3,400 viewers.
INDEPENDENT MEDIA UNDER
ATTACK
It is natural, of course, that a
number of these Telegram channels
would take aim at the independent
media that has stepped in post-coup
to attempt to supply reliable news and
information on Myanmar in this time
of crisis.
June 16, 2022
These Telegram channels not only
attack the independent media but
also frequently post content that seek
to undermine the Spring Revolution
and incite hatred based on race and
religion. Furthermore, they also live-
stream to meet and communicate with
their supporters. They are frequently
carrying out group activities and inter-
channel post sharing and uploading.
There is a clear divide between
media groups who had their license
removed by the junta such as DVB and
Mizzima and the media that sought to
remain in place and toe the junta line.
It is not surprising that these
nationalist Telegram channels seek to
attack independent media and spread
misinformation.
Attack posts are at times ludicrous
in their claims. Independent media
are often attacked for accepting
dollars from international donors
or accepting money from Islamic
organizations.
Military propagandist channels
– effectively a walking stick for the
junta – use established media to
spread fake news. Some channels
such as ‘Myanmar Hard Talk’ and
‘Myanmar National Post’ attack the
people’s trusted independent media.
These channels also gave the title
“Media Jihad” to the non-military
media claiming the media does not
report the murder of monks but only
about the murder of Muslims and
the destruction of mosques. Jihad is a
Muslim term for struggle or fight.
At the beginning of the Spring
Revolution, Myanmar National Post
pushed a misleading narrative that
the protestors were violent, and
that only the media on the junta’s
side could be trusted. At one point,
in December 2021, they accused
arrested journalists involved in a
strike in Kyimyindaing Township of
being terrorists.
Such channels push
misinformation. ‘Myanmar Hard Talk’
hosted by ‘Aung Min’, who claims to
be a freelance photojournalist, posted
content on 2 October alleging that
nine innocent civilians were killed
because of instructions from a DVB
journalist in Baw Pyin village, Gangaw
Township. Again, there was also more
content in November and December
accusing DVB of being a media outlet
that is using fake news to destroy the
country.
The Facebook page of Myanmar
Hard Talk hosted by Aung Min was
removed, allegedly due to the sharing
of fake news, disinformation and hate
speech before the election.
JUNTA PROPAGANDA
MOVEMENT
Myanmar nationalist social media
propaganda is nothing new. Even
before the 2021 coup, Buddhist monk
Wirathu and his supporters used
social media and racist hate speech to
rile up the masses.
Amidst the Wild West of Myanmar
and international social media, it is
not surprising that a plethora of social
media accounts – both genuine and
fake – have popped up. A number
of accounts are said to be run by
individual users.
On Telegram, some pro-military
channels are uploading posts with
several topics or types of contents
every day. For example, ‘Thazin Oo’,
‘Han Nyein Oo’, ‘Kyaw Swar’, and ‘Tat
Kyat Gyi Phoe Si’ are all among the
currently popular channels. Given
the amount of posts, it appears many
people – not a few individuals – are
running these accounts.
Some private channels such as
‘Shwe Yupar Oo’ and ‘Phyo Wai’ have
only post around five to ten times a
day. However, the number of daily
posts on ‘The Myanmar National Post’
channel sometimes posts more than
200 times in a day. It is obviously the
collective efforts of Naung Taw Lay’
and his partners behind that channel.
The most popular channel among
the SAC supporters is ‘Han Nyein
Oo’ whose daily reach has grown
to about 1.4 million. It has an even
larger reach than this as posts are also
forwarded more than 8,000 times.
Social network users have reported
this channel to Telegram calling for
June 16, 2022
its removal. However, the number of
propaganda channels on Telegram is
increasing due to the lack of response
to complaints.
How directly these pro-junta
channels are linked to the SAC is
unclear. But channels controlled by
the SAC reuse the contents of pro
junta channels on occasion.
THE DANGER
The message is clear – Myanmar
social media users need to be careful
about the media they consume and
be aware that there are a host of
accounts – particularly on Telegram –
that seek to attack democracy and the
Spring Revolution activists through
the propagation of twisted and often
false content.
The hand of the SAC can be seen
in this propaganda drive.
Telegram, as mentioned, is often
used by individuals and groups who
have trouble posting or keeping
accounts on Facebook and other
platforms.
All this poses a danger for
Myanmar democracy activists and the
Spring Revolution.
21
International
condemnation of Myanmar death sentences
S
ince the coup on 1 February
2021 till 31 May 2022, 114
people have been sentenced
to death for resisting the coup,
according to the Institute for Strategy
and Policy-Myanmar (ISP-Myanmar).
Those sentenced to death
include two boys under the age of 18,
according to ISP-Myanmar.
Two of those sentenced to death
are Phyo Zeya, a former National
League for Democracy (NLD) member
of Parliament (MP) and Thaw Kyaw
Min Yu, better known as Ko Jimmy
an 88 Generation activist who had
previously been imprisoned for his
part in anti-government protests,
Ko Jimmy. Photo: AFP
22
most recently between 2007 and
2012.
On 18 November, soldiers and
police arrested Phyo Zeya Thaw, 41,
during a raid on a housing complex
in Yangon’s Dagon Seikkan Township.
A military court charged the former
National League for Democracy
legislator and hip-hop artist under the
Counterterrorism Law and the Public
Property Protection Act with leading
deadly shootings on pro-military
targets.
On 24 October 2021, soldiers
arrested Ko Jimmy, 52, in Yangon’s
North Dagon Township. The
authorities had issued a warrant for
June 16, 2022
his arrest on 13 February 2021, for
allegedly inciting unrest and taking
part in “terrorism”, both offenses
under the Counterterrorism Law.
The soldiers severely beat Ko Jimmy
during his arrest and tortured him in
custody, his family said.
Both their appeals were rejected
and on 2 June the junta Deputy
Minister for Information said that the
two men and two others, Hla Myo
Aung and Aung Thura Zaw, who were
convicted of killing an alleged military
informant, had exhausted all avenues
of appeal and would be hanged, but
that no date had yet been set for their
execution.
KO JIMMY
The authorities
arrested him for
allegedly inciting
unrest and taking part
in “terrorism”, both
offenses under the
Counterterrorism Law.
The soldiers severely
beat Ko Jimmy during
his arrest and tortured
him in custody, his
family said.
 The military has not revealed
where Phyo Zeya Thaw and Ko
Jimmy are being held, and the men
have not been seen since their
arrests, according to the Assistance
Association for Political Prisoners
(AAPP).
The junta’s assertion that there
was no chance of a reprieve for the
men and that they would be executed
caused an international outcry.
On 3 June a spokesperson for
António Guterres, the secretary-
general of the UN, said that the
junta’s decision to execute the men
violated Article 3 of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, which
states “Everyone has the right to life,
liberty, and security of person”, and
says that everyone has the right to
a public hearing and defence at an
independent and impartial court.
In a statement on the US Embassy
in Yangon’s Facebook page Ned
PHYO ZEYA THAW
A military court
charged the former
National League
for Democracy
legislator and hip-hop
artist under the
Counterterrorism
Law and the Public
Property Protection
Act with leading
deadly shootings on
pro-military targets.
Price, a spokesman for the U.S. State
Department said: “The United States
strongly condemns the Burmese
military regime’s reported plans
to execute pro-democracy and
opposition leaders, exemplifying the
regime's disregard for human rights
and the rule of law. We urge the
release of all [those who have been]
unjustly detained."
The French Embassy in Yangon
also issued a statement condemning
the death sentences and calling for
the release of all arbitrarily detained
people, the cessation of junta violence
and the establishment of all-inclusive
dialogue.
The statement ended by saying:
“France supports the Burmese people
and salutes their courage in the face
of the unchanging policy of terror
implemented by the illegitimate
military regime.”
On 6 June the junta Ministry
Phyo Zeya Thaw. Photo: AFP
June 16, 2022
of Foreign Affairs issued a press
release that confirmed that Phyo
Zeya Thaw and Ko Jimmy would be
executed because they “were proved
to be masterminds of orchestrating
full-scale terrorist attacks against
innocent civilians to instil fear and
disrupt peace and stability”.
It also accused the U.N, the U.S.
and France of “abetting terrorism”
with their “irresponsible and reckless”
statements.
The Ministry also expressed its
“utmost indignation” that the French
embassy had referred to the junta
as an illegitimate military regime
“which is totally unacceptable to the
government of Myanmar.”
No executions have been carried
out in Myanmar for over 30 years,
though the law remains on the statute
books and the death sentence was still
passed by the courts prior to the coup,
according to the University of Oxford’s
Faculty of Law website.
23
Report highlights
humanitarian crisis in Karen State
A
new report out entitled,
“Denied and Deprived: Local
communities confronting
the humanitarian crisis and
protection challenges in Southeast
Burma,” highlights the serious
humanitarian crisis facing people in
Karen State.
The report is published by the
Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG).
Prevented from seeking refuge
and protection across international
borders, civilians in Karen State are
Displaced Karen people hide out in the jungle. Photo: AFP
24
not only forced to stay amidst the
conflict and violence, but are being
denied access to lifesaving assistance
and essential resources by the military
junta, reports KHRG in a press release.
Drawing on interviews with
villagers, local leaders and civil society
organisations, this report presents
the deepening humanitarian crisis in
Karen State since the 2021 military
coup, highlighting the denial and
deprivation of aid to civilians and their
right to protection from threats to
life and person. The report points to
June 16, 2022
problems of extreme food insecurity,
a lack of medicine, health care and
education, and constant threats
to safety that are a direct result of
the State Administration Council’s
intimidation tactics and deliberate
attempts to cut ethnic areas off from
essential resources.
This report also highlights
how local efforts and initiatives are
currently filling aid provision gaps
despite major logistical and security
challenges. Drawing on their local
expertise, ethnic service providers,
local civil society and community-
based organisations (CSO/CBOs),
and faith-based organisations
have been the primary actors
responding to the needs of rural
villagers, delivering food, shelter and
alternative health care and education
services, even in displacement.
Yet they remain excluded from
major funding sources. The report
concludes that greater recognition
of local communities as the driving
agents in their own humanitarian
aid solutions is imperative, and that
investment in these local channels is
the most effective means not just of
addressing immediate needs but also
of creating more sustainable support
mechanisms in the long run.
Ultimately, such solutions
will remain partial as long as the
military junta remains in power
“There are almost 200,000 IDPs in
Karen state and they are caught
between the deliberate blocking of aid
by the Myanmar military on one side,
and lack of funding and bureaucratic
red tape stopping aid reaching them
from the other,” said Naw Htoo Htoo,
Programme Director of KHRG.
and is allowed to continue its reign
of terror. KHRG hopes that this
report will permit national and
international stakeholders to gain
a better understanding of the role
of the military junta in creating and
sustaining the humanitarian crisis
in Southeast Burma. It includes a
number of recommendations on
how national and international
stakeholders can prevent the military
junta from exerting decision-making
power over relief services, and can
reroute funding to local actors,
who not only have knowledge and
experience with the local context, but
have long provided critical support
to rural villagers and displaced
populations in Southeast Burma.
“There are almost 200,000 IDPs
in Karen state and they are caught
between the deliberate blocking of aid
by the Myanmar military on one side,
and lack of funding and bureaucratic
red tape stopping aid reaching them
from the other,” said Naw Htoo Htoo,
Programme Director of KHRG.
KHRG calls on the international
community, NGOs, funding agencies
and regional and foreign governments
to:
Ensure that the SAC is unable to
hold decision-making power over the
distribution of aid, and that funds are
not indirectly being rerouted through
the SAC.
Call on ASEAN to suspend
Burma from ASEAN membership
until a democratically-elected civilian
June 16, 2022
government is restored, and to
cooperate with international and
local actors to end the military junta’s
violence against the people of Burma.
Diversify international funding
distribution so that more funding
is made directly available to
non-state actors, particularly ethnic
service providers and civil society
organisations, regardless of their
registration status.
Urge neighbouring countries to
ensure that their authorities do not
deny entry to people crossing the
border seeking refuge; and encourage
them to work with cross border
organisations to develop support and
protection services for those seeking
refuge.
Engage with neighbouring
countries to ensure the passage of
aid into Burma, in particular via land
borders and through cross border aid
organizations and local civil society
organizations already operating in the
area.
Assist in the creation of civilian
safe zones (both in Burma and in
neighbouring countries) where the
protection of civilians is internationally
guaranteed.
Publicly declare support for an
International Criminal Court (ICC)
referral and seek out all additional
opportunities to hold the Burma
military accountable for its vast array
of crimes.
25
International community
is allowing the junta to weaponise aid
A
ccording to campaign
group Progressive Voice the
international community
risks allowing the junta to
weaponise aid by putting all aid
through the junta and ignoring the
National Unity Government and other
anti-junta forces, despite the atrocities
committed by the junta.
The situation on the ground for
the people of southern Shan State
has rapidly deteriorated in the past
few weeks as the military junta ramps
up their assaults and creates mass
displacement.
Similarly, those on the other side
of the Irrawaddy River in Sagaing
Photo: Venicius Benidict
26
Region are facing a non-stop barrage
of arson attacks by the junta.
Meanwhile, the failure of the
international community, particularly
ASEAN and the UN Security Council,
to reckon with the military junta, is
costing lives and exacerbating human
suffering in Myanmar.
According to Progressive Voice
in Sagaing Region, towns and villages
buttressing the Irrawaddy River
have been deliberately burned to
the ground and shelled, including
the shelling of a Buddhist monastery
and demolishing a mosque, as the
junta continues its scorched earth
campaign.
June 16, 2022
Nearly 6,300 houses have been
burned in the past two months by
the military junta in 19 townships in
Sagaing Region alone. A time-worn
tactic of the junta’s physiological
warfare is to burn homes, livestock,
crops, places of worship and to
massacre civilians and burn their
remains.
Tayawgyin Village, Yinmabin
Township was set alight by the junta
on 15 and 24 May, with local people
fleeing for their lives. A villager from
Tayawgyin said “They set fire to 25
houses the first time. Another 15
homes were set on fire yesterday. We
cannot understand why they did that.
It is just plain cruelty to the people.”
 Similarly, Tin Maw village, Kanbalu
Township was burned on 17 May,
with 500 baskets of paddy burned
and villagers forced to flee and pitch
makeshift tents in the nearby forest.
One member of the local PDF group
explained to Radio Free Asia that the
junta burns villages “...when they
could not fight the PDFs, they would
burn any house they came across.”
Meanwhile, the junta has
expanded their clearance operations
and airstrikes in southern Shan State
since mid-May.
Over 20,000 have been displaced
from offensives in Moebye and
Pekhon Townships. It is now the start
of the rainy season when road access
is treacherous and temporary shelters
are unable to withstand the elements.
In an IDP camp in Pekhon,
southern Shan State, 700 IDPs fled
the junta’s attacks in their village for
the deep cover of the jungle but are
struggling with limited supplies and
medicine, unstable shelters and no
vehicle access to the camp. All have
had to abandon their homes, crops
and livelihoods after the junta’s
shelling and airstrikes.
Overwhelmingly, more than
200,000 people are now displaced
in Karenni State and the Karenni/
southern Shan State border area.
In response to the continued and
rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis,
ASEAN’s intergovernmental disaster
management wing (the AHA Centre)
and the UN Office for the Coordination
of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA)
are preparing to conduct needs
assessments and delivery programs
for humanitarian aid - an outcome of
the 6 May closed-door Consultative
Meeting on the ASEAN Humanitarian
Assistance to Myanmar.
Crucially, this plan was decided
and is proceeding with the exclusion
of Myanmar's key stakeholders - the
National Unity Government (NUG),
ethnic revolutionary organizations
and local humanitarian and civil
society organizations.
Under this plan and by the
structure of the AHA Centre, it is solely
partnering with the junta’s Task Force,
who has the ultimate decision on
where aid is distributed and who can
facilitate distribution. Exasperatingly,
the plan completely ignores the fact
that the military junta is the root cause
of this crisis and continues to commit
atrocities against the people for which
the aid is intended for.
In a statement, the NUG and
three long standing ethnic armed
revolutionary organisations from
Karen, Karenni and Chin States
resoundingly objected to the plan
for failing to conduct consultations
with essential local stakeholders,
and allowing for a plan that would
enable the junta to weaponize aid and
whitewash its atrocities.
In a press release supporting the
above statement, the Chin Human
Rights Organization (CHRO), Karenni
Civil Society Network (KCSN), Karen
Peace Support Network (KPSN),
Progressive Voice and ALTSEAN-
Burma called on UN OCHA and the
AHA Centre to cease partnering with
the junta and pause their assessment
immediately, or risk being complicit in
the military junta’s weaponization of
aid and atrocity crimes.
The groups stressed the need
to consult and work with local
organizations, with Naw Wahkushee
representing KPSN remarking that
“To distribute aid without inclusion of
local stakeholders in decision making
and implementation, undermines the
efficacy of aid provision and denies
agency to local actors – representing
a continued colonization of aid in
Myanmar.”
Despite decades and decades of
cycles of conflict and displacement,
particularly in ethnic regions resulting
from the aggression and militarization
by the Myanmar military, international
humanitarian organizations and
UN actors have not shifted from
partnering with the junta, even when
this results in the junta weaponizing
aid for their own strategic political and
military gain.
These organizations continue to
apply the same model of humanitarian
aid distribution and engagement in
Myanmar, even though they are aware
they are contributing to the harm.
No more was this evident than
during the Rohingya genocide, where
an independent UN-mandated
Rosenthal report determined the
UN’s engagement in Myanmar
leading up to and during the
Rohingya genocide, was a “systemic
failure”, “dysfunctional” and that UN
actors were silent about ongoing
atrocities being committed against
the Rohingya, so as not to threaten
their access to the government and
Rakhine State.
These systemic failures remain
unresolved by the UN, and in the
June 16, 2022
current humanitarian crisis is causing
irreparable harm to people on the
ground.
While people are fighting for
their lives on the ground in Myanmar,
the UN Security Council is faltering
and unable to reach a consensus on
Myanmar, failing to discharge their
duty to uphold global peace and
security.
Russia and China blocked the
issuing of a statement expressing
concern about violence, the serious
humanitarian situation and the limited
progress on brokering peace through
ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus. Civil
society groups have called on ASEAN
to move beyond the Five-Point
Consensus, which after over a year
has failed to yield results and is no
longer relevant in the current context
in Myanmar.
Without addressing the root
cause of the political crisis in
Myanmar, the humanitarian crisis will
only continue to worsen.
Progressive Voice believes
that the international community’s
failure to holistically address both
the humanitarian and political crisis,
through a coordinated response to
hold the junta - the main perpetrator
of suffering - to account under
international law, is only serving to
protract the humanitarian crisis.
Increased targeted sanctions on
the junta’s leadership, business and
crony allies must be applied, as well as
a global arms embargo and cutting off
access to jet fuel.
Progressive Voice says that
the people of Myanmar, their
representatives and trusted local
humanitarian organizations must be
consulted and included in decision
making and implementation -
channeling the agency of local people
over the distribution of aid within their
communities.
The message is very simple: UN
OCHA and AHA Center must refrain
from becoming complicit in the junta’s
violations of international law, instead
of relying on outdated notions of
neutrality and impartiality, they must
focus on human rights protection,
localization of aid, and ensuring ‘do
no harm’ as the guiding principles of
engagement in Myanmar.
27

Nearly 60 Rohingya
found abandoned on Thai island: police
F
ifty-nine Rohingya people have
been discovered on a Thai island,
saying they were abandoned by
traffickers en route to Malaysia,
a senior police officer said Sunday last
week.
The group -- among them five
children -- were found on Koh Dong
island in the southern Satun province
on Saturday, said lieutenant general
Surachet Hakpan.
Each year, thousands of the
mostly Muslim minority Rohingya
people, heavily persecuted in
Buddhist-majority Myanmar, risk
their lives in months-long expensive
journeys to reach Malaysia over
Thailand's seas.
Police said they had been charged
with illegal entry and could face
deportation to Myanmar following a
court case.
"We are providing humanitarian
assistance and will investigate
whether they are victims of human
trafficking or if they entered illegally,"
Surachet said.
28
The group appeared "starving
and was likely to have had no food for
three to five days", a police statement
said.
Group members told officers
their boat was among three vessels
carrying 178 people that had left
Myanmar and Bangladesh, having
paid an agent around 5,000 ringgit
($1,300) for the journey.
The first two boats carrying 119
people were stopped and arrested by
Malaysian authorities, according to
the Thai police statement.
The boat's crew then decided
to abandon those onboard on Koh
Dong island -- telling them that they
had reached Malaysia, the group told
officers.
The incident comes after the
bodies of 14 Rohingya people,
including children, were discovered
washed up on a beach last month
after they attempted to flee Myanmar.
Hundreds of thousands of
Rohingya people fled a military
June 16, 2022
United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees Filippo Grandi recently
visited the Rohingya refugee camps
in Bangladesh. Photo: EPA
crackdown in the nation in 2017,
bringing with them harrowing stories
of murder, rape and arson.
Those still in Myanmar are widely
seen as interlopers from Bangladesh
and are largely denied citizenship,
many rights and access to healthcare
and education.
Muslim-majority Malaysia is a
key destination for Rohingya fleeing
persecution in Myanmar or refugee
camps in Bangladesh.
In 2019, a Thai boat captain was
charged with smuggling 65 Rohingya
people from Myanmar after their
vessel was shipwrecked on an island
off the coast of Satun province.
The same area was the hub of a
multimillion-dollar trafficking route,
which unravelled in 2015 after the
discovery of mass graves of Rohingya
and Bangladeshi migrants along the
border with Malaysia.
AFP

Myanmar junta slams France
over 'illegitimate' snub, threatens ties
M
yanmar's junta on Monday
last week expressed its
"utmost indignation"
at a French diplomatic
snub describing it as an illegitimate
government, warning it could threaten
bilateral ties.
Last week the junta said it would
execute a former lawmaker from
Aung San Suu Kyi's ousted party and a
prominent democracy activist, in what
would by the country's first judicial
executions in decades.
The announcement sparked
outrage among rights groups and
governments and calls for their
release.
A statement condemning reports
of the sentencing issued by France's
embassy in Yangon also referred to
the junta as an "illegitimate military
regime."
On Monday the junta's foreign
affairs ministry expressed "its utmost
indignation and strong protest."
The remarks were "totally
unacceptable to the Government
of Myanmar... this statement could
have negative impacts on the existing
bilateral relations," it said in a
statement.
Western governments have
led international criticism of last
year's coup that ousted Suu Kyi's
administration and unleashed a
violent crackdown on dissent, with
some imposing sanctions and meeting
with opposition figures.
The statement also slammed
the United States State Department
and the spokesman of United
Nations Secretary-General for
their "irresponsible and reckless
statements" on the case.
In May the junta threatened
to downgrade diplomatic ties with
Australia after it said Canberra would
not replace its recently-departed
ambassador to the military-run
country.
Britain's recent downgrading of
its mission in the country to charge
d'affairs was also slammed as
June 16, 2022
Photo: Stephen Leonardi
"unacceptable" by a spokesman last
month.
Shunned by Western
governments, the junta has turned to
traditional allies, including Russia and
China for support.
It has described Russia's invasion
of Ukraine as "justified," backing its
major ally and arms supplier.
Four people, including former
MP Phyo Zeya Thaw and democracy
activist Ko Jimmy, will be hung after
their appeals against their death
sentences were thrown out, a junta
spokesman said on Friday.
The date for the executions has
not yet been announced.
The junta has sentenced dozens
of anti-coup activists to death as part
of its crackdown on dissent after
seizing power last year, but Myanmar
has not carried out an execution for
decades.
AFP
29
Uncertainty over whether
assassinated WHO worker was Myanmar
junta informer
T
he shock over the recent
murder of a World Health
Organization (WHO) worker
in Myanmar appears to have
been tempered by claims he was an
unruly military junta informant.
Myo Min Htut was killed after
being shot five times while riding a
motorcycle near Thanlwin garden in
Mawlamyine Township, Mon State on
8 June.
The WHO was quick to issue a
statement.
“The World Health Organization
is deeply saddened at the death of
our national staff during a security
incident in Mawlamyine Township,
Mon State. The exact information
on the circumstances of the incident
remains unclear but we are all deeply
saddened by his tragic death and
extend our deepest condolences to
the family of our colleague. Myo Min
Htut had worked for WHO Myanmar
as a driver for nearly 5 years,” WHO
Photo: EPA
30
announced on their social media on 9
June.
However, the murder of the
WHO driver was allegedly carried out
by a People’s Defence Force group
claiming he was a junta informer,
known for his unruly behaviour in the
community, and being closely related
to Lieutenant General Aung Lin Dwe, a
local junta official.
“We shot him five times because
we received many complaints from
the people. He threatened young girls
to do what he wants by showing dirty
films,” according to a spokesperson
for the People’s Defense Force
(Mawlamyine).
According to the PDF, Myo
Min Htut used to take the lead in
“overnight guest registration” in
Yangon and Mawlamyine and also
had the close relationships with the
police forces and the Military Council.
He was allegedly threatening CDM
workers’ families.
June 16, 2022
People’s Defense Force
(Mawlamyine) announced that they
ended his life after he was being found
to be a rapist and had threatened
young girls by filming sex acts with
them and threatening to run them
online.
Myo Min Htut’s involvement
with overnight guest registration
relates to the Ward or Village Tract
Administration Law which required
citizens to report overnight guests to
the authorities. It is originated in 1907
under British colonial rule. The law
was modified in 2012 and eventually
abolished during the tenure of the
National League for Democracy-led
government. After the 2021 coup,
the military revived the law again.
Residents face a fine or imprisonment
if they do not report guests to the local
authorities.
Foodpanda
drivers in Myanmar go on strike
F
oodpanda delivery drivers have
reportedly been on strike since
4 June after the Foodpanda
Company failed to comply with
their demands.
A strike leader told Mizzima that
bicycle delivery drivers in Yangon and
Mandalay are on strike, with a large
number of workers involved.
"The strike has begun. Many
workers have taken a break, but some
are still working”, a strike leader said.
He also urged customers not to
order foods via the Foodpanda App
and also to cooperate with strikers by
giving bad reviews for the Food Panda
Company.
"We have not received any of
our demands from the Foodpanda
Company yet, so we will go on strike
and not go to work. If customers
don’t order food from Foodpanda,
the company can’t properly function
without customers. I think customers
don’t like the way Foodpanda
oppresses its riders. That’s why
we requested that customers help
us by not ordering food from the
Foodpanda app at the moment", a
strike leader told Mizzima.
The strike was announced on 4
June and the company has not yet
been contacted, according to strike
leaders. The strike is still ongoing and
is planned to continue in the coming
days, provided that the workers can
afford to.
Foodpanda workers first made
their demands to Foodpanda for
fairer employment conditions on 16
March 2022.
The workers made an eight-point
demand.
They have asked for the
following from Foodpanda:
1 Raising the minimum order
fee to 670 kyats ($0.36 USD)
dependent on the riders’
level.
2 Easing the strict controls
of the computer system
managing the riders’ work.
3 Provide treatment and
compensation for riders
injured during work hours.
4 Allow drivers to take one day
off a week, reduce overtime,
give paid leave and stop
forcing drivers to make up
any hours they take off.
5 Use Google Maps to calculate
delivery distances.
6 If the company makes any
statement that affects the
riders, it should be officially
announced one week in
advance on the official social
media and telegram channels
used by the office.
Photo: Mizzima
June 16, 2022
7 There should be a hotline
number for riders to contact
Foodpanda directly in case of
problems.
8 To issue identification cards
to delivery workers.
Despite the dissatisfaction of its
delivery riders in Myanmar, the poor
pay, and the poor conditions they have
to work under Food Panda has issued
its own report on the social impact of
Foodpanda, in all the markets where it
operates, titled Pandapurpose.
Unsurprisingly, the report does
not mention the dissatisfaction of the
company’s employees in Myanmar
and says that the company treats its
employees well. It claims in a press
release that the “report showcases
how Foodpanda uplifted riders,
merchants and customers thrive
through technology across its 12
operating markets.”
Foodpanda has been operating in
Myanmar since December 2019.
31
 COVID-19 UPDATE
China's Xi backs zero-Covid
policy as Shanghai expands mass testing
P
resident Xi Jinping said China
must stick "unswervingly" to its
zero-Covid strategy, as more
than half of Shanghai's 25
million lockdown-weary residents gird
for a weekend virus testing drive.
China is the last major economy
still pursuing a policy of stamping
out all outbreaks, wielding snap
lockdowns, mass testing and
mandatory quarantines.
But the strategy has come under
heightened scrutiny after the fast-
spreading Omicron variant triggered
sweeping restrictions in major
cities such as Shanghai and Beijing,
hammering the world's second-
biggest economy.
Chinese leaders have attempted
to thread the needle between crushing
the virus and limiting the damage of
lockdowns, with Xi on Thursday calling
for "efficiently coordinating Covid-19
prevention and control with economic
and social development".
But he said China's "dynamic zero-
Covid approach must be unswervingly
upheld", according to state news
agency Xinhua.
Experts predict that China will
struggle to meet its economic growth
target of around 5.5 percent this year
as virus lockdowns force business
shutdowns and snarl supply chains.
Experts predict that China will struggle to
meet its economic growth target of around
5.5 percent this year as virus lockdowns force
business shutdowns and snarl supply chains.
32
The World Bank has sharply
slashed its 2022 growth forecast for
China to 4.3 percent, warning this
week that Covid disruptions could
further slow recovery.
Shifting mosaic of curbs
The shockwaves from China's
Covid lockdowns have hit the global
economy as well, especially after the
lockdown in Shanghai - the country's
biggest city and a major global
shipping hub.
The metropolis said Thursday
it would test more than half of its
residents for the coronavirus starting
Saturday, less than two weeks after
it began stumbling out of a gruelling
lockdown marked by food shortages
and scattered protests.
Shanghai loosened many
restrictions last week after finally
containing China's worst outbreak
in two years, but skittish authorities
have continued to impose a shifting
mosaic of curbs to guard against a
resurgence.
Hundreds of thousands of people
are still unable to leave their homes,
and a city health official said Thursday
that residents in seven districts must
get swabbed from Saturday under
a drive to "test all who should be
tested".
The districts - including the
June 16, 2022
financial hub of Pudong and several
downtown areas - have a combined
population of about 14 million.
In many areas, people will be
confined to their homes until all
samples are collected.
Parts of Beijing have also
reimposed some restrictions after
A medical worker in Shanghai. Photo: EPA
loosening work-from-home orders
and allowing restaurants in the capital
to reopen for indoor dining earlier this
week.
The central district of Dongcheng
on Thursday last week ordered
the closure of bars, nightclubs and
internet cafes, local media reported,
after the capital reported a cluster of
June 16, 2022
infections linked to entertainment
venues.
China reported 73 new local
infections on Friday, including eight in
Beijing and 11 in Shanghai, according
to the National Health Commission.
AFP
33
Covid lab leak theory
needs more research: WHO advisors
S
cientists advising the World
Health Organization on how
to move forward investigating
the origins of Covid-19 said
last week that further studies were
needed into whether the disease
escaped from a lab.
In its first preliminary report, the
so-called Scientific Advisory Group for
the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO)
stressed that it had no conclusive
findings on the origins of the virus
behind the worst global pandemic in
a century.
The team of 27 experts was set
up by the WHO last year to produce
a new global framework for studies
into emerging pathogens with the
potential of sparking epidemics or
pandemics.
It has been tasked with providing
an independent assessment on a way
forward in the thorny investigation
into the origins of the SARS CoV-2
virus that causes Covid-19 disease.
"There are key pieces of data that
are not yet available for a complete
understanding of how the Covid-19
pandemic began," they acknowledged
The team stressed that "it
remains important to consider
all reasonable scientific data
that is available either through
published or other official sources
to evaluate the possibility of the
introduction of SARS-CoV-2 into
the human population through a
laboratory incident".
34
in their report, stressing that a range investigation into that hypothesis, the
of further studies were needed "to SAGO team insisted that this issue too
follow up on several gaps in our required further study.
knowledge".
Among a long line of studies
'Zoonotic transmission' requested, the team stressed that
"it remains important to consider
The experts evaluated a wide all reasonable scientific data that is
range of existing research, including available either through published
the findings of a joint WHO-China or other official sources to evaluate
scientific mission last year, as well the possibility of the introduction
as more recent published and
unpublished studies.
They seemed to back a key
finding by the joint mission that the
virus most likely jumped from bats to
humans via an intermediate animal,
so-called zoonotic transmission.
"The strongest evidence is still
around zoonotic transmission,"
SAGO chair Marietjie Venter told
reporters, although the original host,
intermediate hosts or how the virus
had jumped to humans have not been
identified.
But while the joint mission had
deemed a competing theory that
the virus may have escaped due to a
laboratory incident was "extremely
unlikely" and proposed no further
June 16, 2022
of SARS-CoV-2 into the human
population through a laboratory
incident".
The issue is highly controversial,
and SAGO acknowledged that three
members of the team, from China,
Russia and Brazil, had objected to
including the recommendation.
'Need to be open-minded'
Venter told reporters it was
important to be open to various
hypotheses.
"Having it in the report doesn't
say that that's definitely what we think
it is," she said, insisting that it merely
means "we are open to scientific
data... so if anything comes up that's
Inside the Wuhan lab that has come under focus in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo: EPA
new, we will not ignore it".
"We need to be open-minded and
cover all the hypotheses, including
that one," her co-chair Jean-Claude
Manuguerra agreed, stressing
that so far there had been no real
investigation into the lab leak theory.
Among other things, the experts
said access was needed to staff
and data from labs both in China
and elsewhere that work with
coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2,
to assess biosafety and biosecurity
practices.
This could be tricky, especially in
the case of China, which has so far
pushed back against suggestions of
fresh international missions to the
June 16, 2022
country.
WHO chief Tedros Ahanom
Ghebreyesus insisted that it was vital
that the scientific work to determine
Covid's origins "be kept separate from
politics".
In a briefing to member states, he
said the UN health agency would strive
to follow SAGO's advice, emphasising
that "all hypotheses must remain on
the table until we have evidence that
enables us to rule certain hypotheses
out".
"The longer it takes, the harder it
becomes. We need to speed up and
act with a sense of urgency."
AFP
35
 CHINA FOCUS
Dozens of NGOs urge
UN rights chief to resign after China visit
Nina Larson

D
ozens of rights groups
called Wednesday for the
resignation of UN human
rights chief Michelle Bachelet,
charging that she "whitewashed"
Beijing's "atrocities" during her trip to
China last month.
More than 230 groups, many
advocating for the rights of Uyghurs,
Tibetans, and Hong Kongers, signed
a joint statement calling for "the
immediate resignation of the United
Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights".
The signatories, which included a
number of national and local chapters
of the same groups, also urged UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
to refrain from proposing a second
term when her mandate expires at the
end of August.

UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet. Photo: EPA

36 June 16, 2022

 Bachelet has faced widespread
criticism for not speaking out more
forcefully against Chinese abuses
during the long-planned trip, which
took her to the far-western Xinjiang
region, where China is alleged to
have detained over a million Uyghurs
and other Muslim minorities, as well
as carried out forced sterilisation of
women and coerced labour.
The United States has labelled
China's actions in Xinjiang a
"genocide" and "crimes against
humanity", allegations vehemently
denied by Beijing which says its
security crackdown in the region was
More than 230 groups, many
advocating for the rights of Uyghurs,
Tibetans, and Hong Kongers, signed
a joint statement calling for "the
immediate resignation of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights".
a necessary response to extremism.
Wednesday's statement
said Bachelet had "squandered
a rare opportunity to promote
accountability by failing to address
the litany of systematic human rights
violations committed by the Chinese
authorities".
'Failed in her duty'
Instead, they said, "She
whitewashed the Chinese
government’s human rights
atrocities," and "legitimised Beijing's
attempt to cover up its crimes by
using the Chinese government's false
'counter-terrorism' framing".
They also decried that she had
repeatedly referred to the detention
camps in Xinjiang by the Chinese
government's preferred term:
"vocational education and training
centres".
In particular, they lamented
that she has so far failed to release a
report on the rights situation in China,
completed last year, despite mounting
demands for it to be made public.
"The repeated, open-ended, and
unexplained delays call into serious
question the credibility of her office to
fulfil its mandate," the statement said.
The signatories said Bachelet had
been "entirely silent on the human
rights crisis enveloping Tibet" during
her four years in office, and had
"grossly underplayed the crackdown"
in Hong Kong.
June 16, 2022
"The failed visit by the high
commissioner has not only worsened
the human rights crisis of those living
under the Chinese government's
rule, but also severely compromised
the integrity of the Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights in
promoting and protecting human
rights globally," the statement said.
While no large international rights
groups signed on to Wednesday's
statement, Human Rights Watch
told AFP it shared in the signatories'
frustration.
"When a government committing
atrocity crimes praises her visit, and
Uyghurs and others facing abuse
feel betrayed and are calling for her
resignation, it's a clear indication that
Bachelet has failed in her duty as high
commissioner," John Fisher, HRW's
deputy director of global advocacy,
said in an email.
The UN rights chief, he said,
"should work to rebuild this shattered
trust by immediately publishing her
long-overdue report on Xinjiang
abuses, and taking concrete steps to
identify the missing and detained and
seeking to reunite them with their
loved ones."
Bachelet is also expected to face
significant scrutiny from states over
her China trip during the next week's
session of the UN Human Rights
Council in Geneva.
AFP
37
China, Russia accuse US
at UN of stoking N.Korea tensions
C
hina and Russia took aim
at the United States during
a landmark UN General
Assembly session on
Wednesday last week, accusing
Washington of stoking tensions on the
Korean Peninsula.
NOT A LAUGHING MATTER - International concern has been voiced over North Korea's nuclear
ambitions. Photo: EPA
38
The session was held for
Beijing and Moscow to explain their
decisions last month to veto a US draft
resolution in the Security Council that
would have imposed new sanctions
on North Korea.
June 16, 2022
China's ambassador to the UN,
Zhang Jun, hit out at Washington's
approach to Pyongyang, saying
tension on the peninsula has
"developed to what it is today,
primarily due to the flip flop of US
policies," before making a plea for
China's ambassador to the UN,
Zhang Jun, hit out at Washington's
approach to Pyongyang, saying
tension on the peninsula has
"developed to what it is today,
primarily due to the flip flop of US
policies,"
easing sanctions against North Korea.
Moscow's deputy ambassador to
the UN, Anna Evstigneeva, also called
for the sanctions to be lifted.
North Korea needs more
humanitarian aid and the West should
stop blaming Pyongyang for tensions,
she said.
Speaking for the United
States, deputy ambassador
Jeffrey DeLaurentis dismissed the
accusations, saying the current
sanctions and proposals to add
more are in direct response to North
Korea's actions.
"We seek a dialogue with
Pyongyang without preconditions. We
have passed this message on through
private channels as well, including
high level personal messages from
senior US officials to senior DPRK
officials," he said, using an acronym
for North Korea.
Washington believes North
Korea, which has carried out a blitz of
sanctions-busting weapons tests this
year, is poised to test a new nuclear
weapon.
Pyongyang's ambassador, Kim
Song, justified his country's military
tests by stressing that articles of the
June 16, 2022
UN Charter "clearly stipulate that
every state has inherent rights of
individual or collective self defense."
The European Union, along with
South Korea and Japan, see the tests
as showing a flagrant disregard for
UN resolutions and the international
community.
The sanctions are an "essential
tool" for the Security Council during
crises, argued the EU representative,
Swedish ambassador Olof Skoog.
The Wednesday session was the
first at which permanent members
of the Security Council had to explain
their use of the veto, a step required
under a resolution adopted by the
193-member General Assembly on
April 26.
Since the first veto ever used - by
the Soviet Union in 1946 - Russia has
used it 144 times, far ahead of the
United States at 86 times.
The United Kingdom has used its
veto 30 times, while China has done
so 19 times and France 18.
AFP
39
 COMMENTARY
Protecting civilians from
explosive weapons in conflict - 5 things
you should know
O
n average, 90 per cent of
those killed and injured by
the use of explosive weapons
used in populated areas
are civilians. A political commitment
to address the humanitarian harm
arising from the use of these weapons
in cities, towns and villages could be a
major step towards protecting those
caught up in conflict.
The devastating harm caused
by explosive weapons falling on
population centres has been seen
again and again, from Syria to
Ethiopia, Myanmar and Iraq. The
flood of images coming out of Ukraine
have shocked many. On top of the
deaths, the use of these weapons is a
cause for long-term harm, destroying
livelihoods, and vital infrastructure
such as health care facilities.
A PDF group poses with weapons and ammunition in Myanmar. Photo: Facebook
40
Secretary-General António
Guterres has been consistently
advocating for nations to adopt a
commitment to avoid the use of
explosive weapons in populated
areas.
Below we examine the effect
that these weapons have on civilian
populations, and some of the ways in
which nations, the UN, and partners
around the world are working to
reduce the humanitarian impacts.
What are explosive weapons?
Explosive weapons are systems
that use munitions or devices whose
primary destructive effect is caused
by the detonation of a high explosives
creating a blast and fragmentation
zone. There are many different
June 16, 2022
types of explosive weapons in use by
national military forces and non-State
armed groups.
Examples include indirect fire
weapons, such as artillery, rockets, and
mortars; weapons that fire in salvos,
such as multi-launch rocket systems;
large air-dropped and sea-launched
bombs; surface-to-surface ballistic
missiles; and improvised explosive
devices.
Explosive weapons with “wide
area effects” form a major subset
of explosive weapons. They include
weapons that use munitions with
a large destructive radius, that fire
in salvos or that deliver multiple
munitions over a wide area.
Armed conflicts are increasingly
fought in population centres. This
urbanization of warfare has resulted
in devastating and well documented
impacts on civilians, often due to
the use of weapons systems that
are designed for traditional open
battlefields.
Many of these weapons have
foreseeable and indiscriminate effects
when used in populated areas and
result in increased civilian casualties
and devastating humanitarian
impacts.
What are the humanitarian
impacts and consequences of the use
of these weapons in populated areas?
When used in villages, towns,
cities, or other populated areas,
explosive weapons create a consistent
pattern of immediate and longer-term
harm to civilians, destroying lives,
livelihoods, and vital infrastructure.
In addition to immediate impact,
many civilians are affected by the
indirect and often long-term impact
of the weapons – also referred to as
reverberating effects. Children are
particularly vulnerable to various
forms of psychological or emotional
trauma.
Health-care facilities are hit,
hampering the delivery of medical
care. Housing and essential
infrastructure, such as drinking water
and wastewater treatment plants
and electricity supply systems, are
damaged or destroyed, increasing the
risk and spread of disease and further
burdening the healthcare system.
Schools are blown up, interrupting
or halting access to education, posing
considerable risk to children and often
exposing gender inequalities. The use
of these weapons in populated areas
can also contribute to large scale
displacement, forcing people to leave
their homes, often for long periods
and in precarious conditions.
The use of these weapons
virtually always leaves explosive
remnants of war that can kill and
injure civilians, particularly children,
long after hostilities have ended. The
remnants can also prevent or delay
reconstruction work or agricultural
production, as well as the return of
refugees and displaced persons.
What are the UN and partners
doing to reduce the civilian death toll?
Since 2009, UN chief António
Guterres, and his predecessors, have
repeatedly called on parties to conflict
to avoid their use, notably through
his Agenda for Disarmament, which
commits to supporting UN Member
States in developing a political
declaration that addresses the use
of explosive weapons in populated
areas, as well as limitations, common
standards, and operational policies, in
line with international humanitarian
law.
In 2019, together with the
President of the International
Committee of the Red Cross, Mr.
Guterres appealed to parties to
conflict to employ strategies and
tactics that take combat outside
populated areas and “try to reduce
urban fighting altogether”.
Fully documenting the short
and long-term humanitarian impact
of the use of explosive weapons in
populated areas, including collecting
data on civilian casualties, is key to
taking appropriate action.
The United Nations, the
International Committee of the Red
Cross and NGOs across the globe
have published numerous studies to
inform debate and to improve military
policies and practice.
Some military forces have
adopted policies to avoid or restrict
the use of certain explosive weapons
in certain situations in order to
The United Nations,
the International
Committee of the
Red Cross and NGOs
across the globe have
published numerous
studies to inform
debate and to improve
military policies and
practice.
June 16, 2022
better protect civilians, such as the
International Security Assistance
Force in Afghanistan and the African
Union Mission in Somalia.
What else is happening at a
global level?
Over the last decades, coalitions
of governments and civil society
have successfully campaigned for
the conclusion of new instruments
that address humanitarian harm,
such as the Anti-Personnel Mine
Ban Convention, the Convention
on Cluster Munitions and the Safe
Schools Declaration.
Since 2010, humanitarian
actors, including civil society, have
led efforts to raise awareness about
the indiscriminate and severe
humanitarian impact of the use of
explosive weapons in populated
areas.
A consultation process for the
development of an international
political declaration addressing the
humanitarian harm arising from the
use of explosive weapons in populated
areas – led by Ireland – has been
ongoing since 2019, following years
of steadfast advocacy efforts. After
a hiatus due to the pandemic, States
reconvened last April to negotiate a
political declaration, which is expected
to conclude in June.
The Secretary-General has
expressed his full support for this
process, and continues to advocate
for a political declaration that includes
a clear commitment to avoid the use
of explosive weapons in populated
areas.
What difference could a political
declaration make?
The adoption of a political
declaration on the use of explosive
weapons in populated areas could
go a long way towards reducing the
associated humanitarian harm, by
recognizing that conflict cannot be
fought in populated areas in the same
way it is fought in open battlefields.
States should commit to develop
operational policies based on a
presumption against the use of
explosive weapons in populated areas
to foster behavioural change, promote
concrete steps to protect civilians and
ultimately enhance compliance with
International Humanitarian Law.
Courtesy of UN News
41
 Photo: Thet Khine

KAREN STATE

A
rmy threatens to destroy two villages if captured soldiers not released - The junta army has threatened to
destroy two Mon State villages if the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) does not release an army company
commander and sergeant that it is holding. The two men were arrested by the Thaton People's Guerrilla People’s
Defence Force (PDF) on 1 June after they were caught making enquiries in the KNU Brigade (1) area of Mon State’s
Thaton Township whilst dressed in civilian clothes. After their arrest the men, Captain Kyaw Zin Htet and Sergeant Naing
Oo from Battalion (9), based at Wiyaw Camp in Thaton Township’s Wiyaw Village, were handed over to the battalion
commander of KNU Battalion (2) in the KNU Brigade (1) area. On 2 June the junta army fired heavy artillery into two
villages in retaliation and threatened to continue until the villages are razed to the ground unless the men are released.
A member of the Thaton People's Guerrilla PDF said: “Since 2 June, the Military Council has been firing heavy artillery into
Htone Bo Lay and Htone Bo Gyi villages. They told the two village chiefs that they would destroy the villages if their soldiers
were not released.” A 70-year-old man was injured and two houses were destroyed in the attack on Htone Bo Lay Village,
according to reports. The artillery fire has displaced villagers from both Htone Bo Lay and Htone Bo Gyi villages. The KNLA
has not said whether it will release the two soldiers. Junta kills second student in a month at checkpoint - Ko Nyan Win, a
third-year student from Hpa-an University, in Karen State, was shot dead by the military council on 5 June, according to
the Hpa-an University’s Students Union. A spokesperson from Hpa-an University Students’ Union told Mizzima that Ko
Nyan Win was shot dead on the spot when he failed to stop at a Military Council checkpoint on 3 June. “Ko Nyan Win, a
third-year student who was studying for a Math major at Hpa-an University was shot dead at the Fascist Military Council’s
checkpoint because he drove away without submitting to the military council’s inspection”, said the spokesperson from
Hpa-an University Students’ Union. He died at the scene after being shot twice in his left chest breast and twice in his leg.
Ko Nyan Win opposed the junta’s coup. He participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) and was boycotting the
junta-run education system. According to the student union representative, the Hpa-an University Students’ Union has
filed a complaint about the military’s actions to the National Unity Government (NUG) Ministry of Justice, the NUG Ministry
of Education, the NUG Ministry of Human Rights, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) and the United
Nation Resident Representatives. Last month, in May 2022, Ko Kyaw Nyi Zin, a third year Medical Student at the University
of Medicine in Mandalay was also shot dead by the military for not stopping his car at a junta checkpoint. Following his
death, the NUG made an official statement saying that there will be justice for the innocent people killed by the junta.

CHIN STATE

C
hin Defence Force threatens non CDM workers in education - People working in education who do not take
part in the Civil Defence Movement (CDM) will be punished by the Chin Defence Force Matupi People’s Defence
Force (CDF-Matupi-PDF). according to a statement made by the organisation on 6 June. The comment was made
in a statement issued by CDF-Matupi on 6 June. It warned that people who do not participate in the CDM and
continue to be involved in the junta’s education system would be punished for their efforts to support the military regime.
According to CDF-Matupi some civil servants working in education are associating with the military for their own self-
interest. It found out that some were threatening parents to get them to send their children to schools run by the Military
Council. To counter the junta-run education system the National Unity Government’s (NUG) Board of Education will run
an interim NUG-controlled education system. In Chin State the NUG set up the (MEB) in Matupi Township on 18 May 2021.
It will organise the teaching of Myanmar and English languages, math and ethnic languages at mobile schools. It will use
teachers taking part in the CDM movement to provide an interim education in Chin State.

42 June 16, 2022

 Photo: Hong Sar for Mizzima

Rakhine group ALP attends junta’s peace talks

A
peace delegation of the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP), whose armed wing is Arakan Liberation Army (ALA), arrived
in Nay Pyi Taw, the capital of Myanmar, on 12 June by a junta’s military plane, to hold dialogue with the junta,
according to the junta’s media. The delegation was led by ALP’s Vice-Chairperson Saw Mra Razar Lin. They were
welcomed by the junta-backed National Solidarity and Peace Negotiation Committee (NSPNC) members. On April
22, the junta’s leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing invited ethnic armed groups to participate in peace talks. The
Arakan Liberation Army (ALA) was founded on 20 November 1968 with the help of the Karen National Union (KNU). The
ALA signed a ceasefire agreement with the USDP-led government of Myanmar in 2012. Presently, the strongest ethnic
armed group in the Rakhine State is the Arakan Army (AA) led by Twan Mrat Naing, not the ALA. On May 26, fighting
broke out between the AA and the junta’s army in Chin State’s Paletwa, which is connected to the Rakhine State by boat.
Among strong ethnic armed groups, the United Wa State Party and the Shan State Progressive Party recently attended the
separate peace talks organized by the junta. In mid-May, 24 local youth organizations including Arakan Students’ Union
issued a joint statement condemning the ALP for its decision to participate in the junta’s so-called peace talks.

June 16, 2022 43

 India looks at Myanmar and
Bangladesh connectivity
I
ndian External Affairs Minister S.
Jaishankar said recently that India is
looking at road connectivity through
Myanmar and sea connectivity
through Bangladesh and this would
see a huge change in the region,
according to a report in the Business
Standard.
Addressing a "NADI (River)
Conclave 2022" held recently in
Guwahati, the External Minister said
that six old cross border rail links
between India and Bangladesh need
to be restored.
On the India-Myanmar border. Photo: Mizzima
44
There are 10 waterway protocol
routes between India and Bangladesh.
Nine new "Border Haats" (markets)
between India and Bangladesh are
being set up," Dr Jaishankar said
adding "We are improving connectivity
with Nepal and Bhutan".
Saying that land connectivity
through Myanmar and sea
connectivity through Bangladesh
would facilitate easy connectivity with
Vietnam and Philippines, according to
the report.
"The upcoming connectivity
June 16, 2022
not only would build the strong
partnership with the ASEAN countries
and Japan, but would actually make
a difference to the Indo-Pacific
Economic Framework. It is absolutely
within our capability to overcome
geographic bottleneck and rewrite
history," he said.
The External Affairs Minister said
that this vision can be productively
realised by enhancing connectivity
with Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and
Myanmar to improve access to ASEAN
countries and beyond.
 Ethical trade body expresses
concern over investing in
Myanmar
A
body called the Ethical Trade
Initiative (ETI) has reiterated
its stance calling on foreign
businesses to refrain from
further investments in Myanmar
and continue to engage with unions
with respect to their presence in the
country.
ETI says in a recent announcement
that care needs to be taken by foreign
investors in Myanmar following the
coup in 2021.
As they note, on 25 March 2022,
the International Labour Organization
(ILO) established a Commission of
Inquiry into the decline of workers'
rights in Myanmar since the military
coup of February 2021.
ETI notes the gravity of such
a decision taken by the ILO’s
Governing Body. ETI recognises
that a Commission of Inquiry is the
ILO’s highest-level investigative
procedure which is generally set up
when a member state is accused of
committing persistent and serious
violations and has repeatedly failed to
address them.
Photo: Alexander Schimmeck
Unions report that the
environment has become increasingly
dangerous for them to operate in,
have safe communications with
their members and negotiate with
employers and brand companies to
settle workplace labour disputes.
To date, 54 trade unionists and
worker activists have been killed by
the military and at least 279 trade
union leaders and worker activists
have been arrested. The State
Administration Council (SAC) has
banned 16 labour organisations from
operating. ETI also notes that the
Action, Collaboration, Transformation
(ACT) Initiative, a global agreement
between trade unions and brands
to achieve living wages, withdrew
from Myanmar in December 2021,
as a result of its trade union partner,
the Industrial Workers Federation of
Myanmar (IWFM), stating that it could
not operate freely in Myanmar under
the current circumstances.
Within this context, The Myanmar
Labour Alliance - including the CTUM
and its affiliate, IWFM, with support
from the ITUC, Industrial and other
June 16, 2022
global union federations, have called
on businesses to cease placing
new orders and disinvest. This call
is part and parcel of the call for
comprehensive economic sanctions
decided by the General Strike
Coordination Body (GSCB) and 182
civil society organisations and trade
unions from Myanmar.
In light of the evidence of the
deteriorating situation, the decision
of the ILO Governing Body in March
2022, and the impact on workers’
rights reported by trade unions and
civil society organisations, ETI believes
it is necessary to update its advice to
corporate members sourcing from
Myanmar.
ETI says in August 2021 they
called on companies as a matter of
urgency to reassess their presence
in Myanmar, ensuring that such
an assessment is based on the
application of the UN Guiding
Principles on Business and Human
Rights (UNGPs).
45
 China exports rebound in May as
virus controls ease
C
hina's exports rebounded
strongly in May, data showed
Thursday, with factories
restarting and supply chains
untangling as Shanghai slowly
emerged from a gruelling Covid
lockdown.
The economic hub started going
under a lockdown in late March and
most of its 25 million residents were
confined to their homes for around
two months as China persists with its
zero-Covid strategy.
Strict movement restrictions in
multiple cities -- sometimes over just
handfuls of cases -- kept consumers
at home and battered the economy,
dragging retail sales, factory output
and export growth to their lowest
levels in about two years.
But as curbs began to ease,
overseas shipments from the world's
second-biggest economy bounced
back 16.9 percent on-year in May, up
from 3.9 percent in April, according to
customs data released on Thursday.
"The export rebound is actually
Photo: Wu Yi
46
quite surprising... I believe that's
mainly because of the Shanghai port,"
said Iris Pang, ING's chief economist
for Greater China.
The world's busiest container
port was running at around 90
percent capacity in late May, boosting
shipments, she added.
The data suggests that China
is "becoming more agile at dealing
with Covid flare-ups" while keeping
exports running, said Stephen
Innes, managing partner at SPI Asset
Management.
But this could also mean "less
incentive" for officials to move away
from a zero-Covid strategy quickly, he
added.
Analysts polled by Bloomberg
had expected a spike of around eight
percent in exports.
"If (US) tariffs are lifted... there
will be even stronger growth," Pang
said, referring to remarks by Treasury
Secretary Janet Yellen that the United
States is considering lifting some
June 16, 2022
tariffs imposed during the Trump
administration.
Some observers warned that the
rebound could be short-lived.
"Extensive disruptions in the
Yangtze River Delta in the past couple
of months and Beijing's determination
to carry on with its zero-Covid strategy
may cause some foreign customers
to shift their orders to... neighbouring
countries," Nomura analysts said in a
recent note.
Shanghai's announcement
Thursday that it will lock down a
district of 2.7 million people reflected
lingering risks.
Imports rose 4.1 percent last
month, according to customs data,
also beating expectations.
China's trade surplus was around
$79 billion in May, up from $51 billion
in April, the Customs Administration
said.
AFP
Penrose Thitsa

Rebranded ATOM eyes to launch Myanmar’s first 5G service

T
elecommunications company Advancing Telecommunications of Myanmar [ATOM] said a week
after dropping the Telenor Myanmar brand that it pledged to invest more than US$330 million into
its network across the next three years, and stated its goal of launching Myanmar’s first 5G service,
reported Developing Telecoms, a leading online news portal for telecoms in emerging markets. This
year’s March, the sale of Telenor Myanmar was approved by Myanmar’s junta. Lebanon’s M1 Group and its
local partner Myanmar’s military-linked Shwe Byain Phyu took control of Telenor Myanmar on May 12. Shwe
Byain Phyu owns 49 percent of Investcom, the Singapore-based company set up by M1 for the purchase of
Telenor Myanmar. Shwe Byain Phyu, founded in 1996, is the company started distributing petroleum products
to the previous military regime of Than Shwe. The rebranded ATOM said in early June that it would invest over
US$330 million in its network over the following three years, with the goal of offering the country's first 5G
service. In their statement, the company said the funds would also be used to create jobs and nurture local
talent. M1 Group is owned by the family of the current Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

June 16, 2022 47

48 June 16, 2022
 Calm at dusk

A
boatman makes his
way across the lake in
Amarapura in Myanmar.
Photo: Ash Heyes

June 16, 2022 49

MINORITY IN A MINORITY
Trans Rohingya refugee fights prejudice
with beauty
A
minority in a minority,
transgender Rohingya
beautician Tanya has faced
discrimination on even more
fronts than most other residents of
the world's biggest refugee camp.
Tanya takes care of a customer. Photo: AFP
50
Five years ago, Myanmar's
military launched a brutal crackdown
on the Rohingya, forcing an estimated
750,000 of them - including Tanya and
her family - to flee and take shelter
in squalid settlements across the
Bangladesh border.
June 16, 2022
Since then, Tanya's skills with
mascara and foundation have earned
her a reputation as one of the best
make-up artists in Cox's Bazar - and
better earnings than most other
Rohingya.
 But she still has to contend with
harassment from fellow members of
the often socially conservative Muslim
ethnic group, as well as recriminations
from her own family.
"My soul says I'm a woman,"
the 22-year-old told AFP. "I don't
understand why other people have a
problem with that.
"I liked to dress up and do
make-up like girls from a very young
age. My family didn't like it. My
brothers used to hit me. They were
ashamed of me."
She came out as trans in her early
teens and said she had been subjected
to violence and abuse ever since.
"I was called a curse of the devils
and a punishment from Allah," she
said.
Since her arrival, she has found
work at a salon, where dyeing the
hair and painting the lashes of excited
brides is a welcome respite from life
in the camp, a sprawling patchwork of
overcrowded shanty homes fashioned
from tarpaulin and bamboo.
Tanya is "the best beautician in
the entire district", according to her
client Salma Akter.
"She is a hijra, but she is very
good," Akter told AFP, using a common
South Asian term for a "third gender".
"People come here from all over
the region to get their face done by
her."
Tanya is now one of a lucky few
bringing a steady income into her
community.
But the around 300 Rohingya
refugees in Bangladesh who openly
identify as transgender are routinely
subjected to discrimination, taunts
and physical attacks from other
members of their community.
"There are many instances of
Rohingya transgender being brutally
beaten and left on the roads in pool
of blood," said Dil Afrose Chaity, who
works with transgender Rohingya
refugees in Bangladesh.
"During the pandemic, one of
them was beaten for sporting bigger
hair. They were accused of carrying
coronavirus to the camp with their
hair," Chaity said.
Tanya's skills with mascara and
foundation have earned her a
reputation as one of the best
make-up artists in Cox's Bazar -
and better earnings than most
other Rohingya.
New horizons
Myanmar's Rohingya had
already laboured under decades
of discrimination when the military
attacked in 2017.
An international tribunal in The
Hague is investigating the violence,
which has been designated by the
United States as an act of genocide.
Despite the trauma of the
crackdown, arriving in Bangladesh
opened new horizons for Tanya, who
found a much larger transgender
community that welcomed her with
open arms and gave her the female
name she now uses.
She began offering beauty
services from her shelter in
Kutupalong before her talents
were discovered by a Bangladeshi
businessman, who set up a salon for
her at a market outside the camp.
Her earnings have helped her win
some respect from her family, with
whom she shares a home.
But they have not accepted her
identity.
Elder sister Gul Bahar, who still
refers to Tanya by her birth name and
gender, says she hopes her sibling
"would start being like my older
brothers again".
June 16, 2022
"Whenever he is out on the road,
people laugh at him. Sometimes they
follow him to our door and mock him,"
she told AFP.
'Man or woman'
The taunts and abuse have
hardened Tanya's resolve and cast
her in the role of mentor to other
members of her community, some of
whom she has invited into the salon to
learn the beauty trade.
"People call us boy whores even
when we'd simply walk on the road
minding our own business," Farhana,
a fellow transgender refugee, told AFP
while working in the salon as a trainee.
"If we react, they'd group up and
start beating us. Tanya shows us how
to ignore these taunts."
Tanya plans to eventually set
up her own salon and hire other
transgender women to work alongside
her, offering them the same respite
from the rejection and insults of other
refugees.
"There are more hijra in the
camps than you see. Most are afraid
to come out," she said.
"I dream of a time when it will
never occur to anyone here whether I
have a body of a man or woman."
AFP
51
 SCAN

   

    
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