Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Election round-up November 11
Ma Ba Tha donors demand money back
U Wirathu and other Ma Ba Tha leaders are believed to have gone into hiding after angry donors demanded their money back following a landslide victory for the NLD in Sunday’s elections.
One angry former donor told Burma Tha Din, “We gave them millions of kyat to reduce the NLD vote, but their vote has gone up! They had a job to do and didn’t do it, so it is correct for them to give us our money back.”
British Foreign Secretary not at all patronising to the people of Burma
British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has issued a statement on the elections stating, “I congratulate the people of Burma on the calm and orderly manner in which elections took place on 8 November. Normally natives in former colonies get very excited in these situations and start throwing spears at each other. Orderly queues epitomise the best of British culture and it’s wonderful to see this colonial legacy alive and well in Burma today.”
Newspaper apologises for article on election
The New York Herald Post has apologised for publishing an article about the election in Burma without using the worlds ‘landmark’ and ‘historic’. The article caused a storm on social media with one NLD supporter in Burma tweeting: “This is an insult to our nation. If the foreign journalist who wrote this is still in our country he should be jailed and then deported.”
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Government sponsored anti-Muslim strategy backfires
From our correspondents across the country
Burma Tha Din correspondents conducting interviews at polling stations on Sunday have made a surprising discovery.
Many voters have said they did not vote for the green party because they are the Muslims Ma Ba Tha warned them about. Green is the official campaign colour of the current ruling party, the Union Solidarity Development Party (USDP). It is also the official colour of Islam.
The USDP appear to be heading for a crushing defeat in the elections.
“I saw the USDP colour is the same colour as the bibles the Muslims have, so I know these are the ones trying to make our country Muslim,” said one voter.
“Ma Ba Tha came to our village and warned us about a political party trying to make our country Muslim,” said another voter. “Of course when I see the green logo I know this is the Muslim party.”
“This would be a big irony,” said political commentator Thein Myo Yan, who under Burmese media law must be quoted in at least ten percent of all articles on Burmese politics.
The USDP refused to respond to Burma Tha Din’s request for comment.
Burma Tha Din correspondents conducting interviews at polling stations on Sunday have made a surprising discovery.
Many voters have said they did not vote for the green party because they are the Muslims Ma Ba Tha warned them about. Green is the official campaign colour of the current ruling party, the Union Solidarity Development Party (USDP). It is also the official colour of Islam.
The USDP appear to be heading for a crushing defeat in the elections.
“I saw the USDP colour is the same colour as the bibles the Muslims have, so I know these are the ones trying to make our country Muslim,” said one voter.
“Ma Ba Tha came to our village and warned us about a political party trying to make our country Muslim,” said another voter. “Of course when I see the green logo I know this is the Muslim party.”
“This would be a big irony,” said political commentator Thein Myo Yan, who under Burmese media law must be quoted in at least ten percent of all articles on Burmese politics.
The USDP refused to respond to Burma Tha Din’s request for comment.
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Burma election roundup November 5th 2015
Balloons over Bagan confirm NLD balloon sale
Balloons over Bagan have confirmed to Burma Tha Din that officials from Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's office have ordered a hot air balloon. The balloon will be red with the fighting peacock logo of the NLD.
"They have told us that after the election we have to deliver it to Nay Pyi Daw, where it will be tethered over the Presidents office. It will be used exclusively for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi so the basket underneath only needs to be big enough for herself, Dr Tin Mar Aung, and the western person who is visiting her."
Daw Suu Sets Guinness World Record?
Guinness World Records has confirmed to Burma Tha Din that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi may enter it's hallowed records, following her press conference to foreign media in Yangon this morning.
"We are pretty sure that no politician has ever answered so many questions in such a short space of time and in such a concise manner", said an official from Guiness World Records.
"The fact that the answers were rarely very enlightening is not a factor in deciding the entry. Our records are about quantity, not quality."
Internet speeds slow as journalists pile in
Burma's internet appears to be struggling to cope with hoards of journalists arriving to cover the elections. Military owned UMEH has confirmed it is struggling to cope with the surge in demand for its Myanmar Beer. Pharmacies are also reporting booming sales of antibiotics for food poisoning.
Fighting in ethnic states escalates
Burma Tha Din has received reports that a new military offensive by the Burmese Army in Shan State in the past month has displaced thousands of people and that civilians are being tortured and killed. Burmese Army offensives in Kachin State are also continuing.
However, this is not happening in Yangon, isn't about Aung San Suu Kyi or Shwe Mann or Muslims, and doesn't fit the narrative, so we haven't bothered sending anyone to report it.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Rare sighting of policy debate in Burma's election?
From our correspondent in NayPyiDaw
Social media in Burma is today awash with rumours that there has been an argument over a specific policy in Burma's election campaign.
Posts disagreed on whether the policy argument was over health, education, employment or economic policy.
If the rumours are true, it would mark the first time in the election that there has been an argument between parties over a specific policy issue.
Burma Tha Din has been unable to track down the source of the rumours or confirm a discussion on a specific policy between any of Burma’s ninety plus political parties has actually taken place.
We were unable to speak to either of the two people the NLD has authorised to speak to media about policy, but a spokesperson told us that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has repeatedly stated that people are voting for the party. Not the candidate or policies.
An exasperated Ye Htut, speaking on behalf of the government, told our correspondent; "We gave you reforms and democracy and now you want bloody policies as well? As our President says, there is enough change, so go away before I report you."
A spokesperson for the ethnic Karen Plone-Sgaw Democratic Party told Burma Tha Din; “Our policy is that we are Karen. So far we have had very good response from Karen people to this policy.”
Dr Maung Eicke Aye from the Arakan National Party told Burma Tha Din: “Our policy is to get rid of all Bengali (Rohingya). There can be no debate on this policy. If anyone disagrees with us, we'll burn their house down."
Social media in Burma is today awash with rumours that there has been an argument over a specific policy in Burma's election campaign.
Posts disagreed on whether the policy argument was over health, education, employment or economic policy.
If the rumours are true, it would mark the first time in the election that there has been an argument between parties over a specific policy issue.
Burma Tha Din has been unable to track down the source of the rumours or confirm a discussion on a specific policy between any of Burma’s ninety plus political parties has actually taken place.
We were unable to speak to either of the two people the NLD has authorised to speak to media about policy, but a spokesperson told us that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has repeatedly stated that people are voting for the party. Not the candidate or policies.
An exasperated Ye Htut, speaking on behalf of the government, told our correspondent; "We gave you reforms and democracy and now you want bloody policies as well? As our President says, there is enough change, so go away before I report you."
A spokesperson for the ethnic Karen Plone-Sgaw Democratic Party told Burma Tha Din; “Our policy is that we are Karen. So far we have had very good response from Karen people to this policy.”
Dr Maung Eicke Aye from the Arakan National Party told Burma Tha Din: “Our policy is to get rid of all Bengali (Rohingya). There can be no debate on this policy. If anyone disagrees with us, we'll burn their house down."
Monday, November 2, 2015
Election not good for democracy say activist groups
From our correspondent in Bangkok
International human rights and Burma campaign groups have expressed concern that elections taking place in Burma are not good for democracy in the country, according to several reports they have published.
As Burma enters the final week of Burma's most free elections since 1990, with tens of millions of people able to vote for over ninety political parties, and the NLD expected to win a landslide victory and form the first civilian government in 54 years, they are warning that the elections will continue military rule and parties don't respect human rights.
The human rights organisations are claiming the military, which handed over power to a nominally civilian government in 2011, is not genuine in its support for the reform process. This statement is likely to send shockwaves through the US State Department, British Foreign Office and European External Action Service, which has wholeheartedly endorsed the reforms and helped pay for the elections.
"We tried to warn them not to lift sanctions but they wouldn't listen," sighed Mark Stothard from the Alternative Campaign for Burma.
International human rights and Burma campaign groups have expressed concern that elections taking place in Burma are not good for democracy in the country, according to several reports they have published.
As Burma enters the final week of Burma's most free elections since 1990, with tens of millions of people able to vote for over ninety political parties, and the NLD expected to win a landslide victory and form the first civilian government in 54 years, they are warning that the elections will continue military rule and parties don't respect human rights.
The human rights organisations are claiming the military, which handed over power to a nominally civilian government in 2011, is not genuine in its support for the reform process. This statement is likely to send shockwaves through the US State Department, British Foreign Office and European External Action Service, which has wholeheartedly endorsed the reforms and helped pay for the elections.
"We tried to warn them not to lift sanctions but they wouldn't listen," sighed Mark Stothard from the Alternative Campaign for Burma.
Genocide 'not helpful' to Rohingya say Rohingya
From our correspondent in Singapore
In an email today to the Straits Times, Rohingya community leaders today expressed concern that genocide against the Rohingya is 'not helpful' to the Rohingya.
The comments come in response to independent analysts who have worked for governments, the United Nations and several international organisations with political agendas in Burma, who have expressed concern about people expressing concern about possible genocide against the Rohingya.
The analysts, with no legal experience and qualifications, described a legal analysis by respected organisations specialising in international law and made up of experts in international law as ‘incendiary rhetoric’ and called instead for an ‘accurate diagnosis’. They instead used the well-known accepted legally defined terms of the situation of the Rohingya being ‘extreme discrimination’ and ‘heavily marginalised’, which doesn’t sound nearly as bad and certainly won’t upset the Burmese government as much.
Another former UN official, fresh from a glorious success working on the peace process and who doesn’t sound at all bitter, argued that calling genocide, genocide makes it harder to stop genocide. He also said that the reports that genocide may be taking place, which have been widely reported around the world, were ‘distracting attention’ from broader issues.
In an email today to the Straits Times, Rohingya community leaders today expressed concern that genocide against the Rohingya is 'not helpful' to the Rohingya.
The comments come in response to independent analysts who have worked for governments, the United Nations and several international organisations with political agendas in Burma, who have expressed concern about people expressing concern about possible genocide against the Rohingya.
The analysts, with no legal experience and qualifications, described a legal analysis by respected organisations specialising in international law and made up of experts in international law as ‘incendiary rhetoric’ and called instead for an ‘accurate diagnosis’. They instead used the well-known accepted legally defined terms of the situation of the Rohingya being ‘extreme discrimination’ and ‘heavily marginalised’, which doesn’t sound nearly as bad and certainly won’t upset the Burmese government as much.
Another former UN official, fresh from a glorious success working on the peace process and who doesn’t sound at all bitter, argued that calling genocide, genocide makes it harder to stop genocide. He also said that the reports that genocide may be taking place, which have been widely reported around the world, were ‘distracting attention’ from broader issues.
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