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CNI News
13 August 2022
In Lashio, Northern Shan State, Myanmar, as the fuel station said today (August 13) morning that a person can fill up an amount worth of 30,000 MMK, there had been a long queue of cars waiting to fuel.
Lashio residents who had to wait to fill up said that the price of octane 92 per liter today (August 13) is 2470 MMK.
Currently, with the increasing demand for fuel in Myanmar, the price of the fuel also hiked up to above 2000 MMK.
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13 August 2022
Amidst wars between Myanmar Army and Local People’s Defence Force (LPDF) in Shwe Bo District, Sagaing Region, Myanmar going on these days, the residents and strike committees cooperated, and anti-dictatorship strike movement was made in DePaYinGaMyay (Depayin) township today (August 13).
Monywa general strike committee released a statement that Monywa main strike joined that peoples’ protest.
Currently, there has been fights between Myanmar military and People’s Defence Forces (PDFs) in townships such as Shwe Bo,Depayin, Yinmabin and Kalay, Sagaing Region.
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13 August 2022
UEC mailed on August 11, 2022 to the political parties that the registered political parties in Myanmar must notify to the Union Election Commission (UEC) to meet with foreign organizations.
UEC said, “The political parties must put in their submission in advance to get the permission to meet with any foreign organization or individuals” as written in the letter sent to the political parties.
The political party leaders said that the letter sent by the UEC to the political parties is inconsistent with the democratic standards: they have to get permission first from UEC in order to accept a phone call from an embassy diplomat and that the political party is an independent association.
the letter sent by UEC to the political parties
In accordance with the provisions of Article 407 ( c ), 408 and Section 6 ( f ) of the Political Parties Registration Act, the political parties have an obligation to not avail themselves of money, material, other support, or their influence from the government or religious organization of any foreign country or any other association, and if they fail to abide by the stipulation, their registration as a political party will be revoked, said the Union Election Commission (UEC).
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13 August 2022
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs under SAC issued a statement on August 12 that strongly objected to the Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifudin Abdullah saying that the National Unity Government (NUG) and ASEAN should meet.
The Malaysian Foreign Minister delivered this speech in the ASEAN Day Celebration Ceremony in Kuala Lumpur on August 8 and at a press conference in Bangkok, Thailand on August 10.
There followed the announcement of SAC that states that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs put in a vehement dissent to that speech.
The NUG Foreign Minister Daw Zin Mar Aung, the Deputy Minister U Moe Zaw Oo and the Malaysian Foreign Minister
The SAC Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that they strongly oppose the irresponsible statements of the Malaysian Foreign Minister encouraging the ASEAN members to engage with the illegal associations that are perpetrating the terrorists acts in Myanmar. The announcement continues to say that these reckless statements attempt to encourage the political instability and terrorist acts which is a flagrant violation of the internal affairs of an ASEAN member country as a whole.
Then, SAC also said that these statements are in breach of the Article (2) subsection (e) and (f) of the ASEAN Charter as well as the Article (2) subsection (7) of the United States Charter.
They said, “The statements for non-ASEAN countries to be involved in the process of implementing the 5 consensus points can undermine the authority of ASEAN as well as derail the actions of the ASEAN Chairman’s Special Representative.”
The SAC Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that any ASEAN country that really wants to see peace and stability in Myanmar should steer clear of the statements that will bring a hazardous effect to the national reconciliation in Myanmar.
The SAC Chairman attended the ASEAN Summit held on 24 April 2021
Currently in Myanmar, the Myanmar military overthrew the National League for Democracy (NLD) on February 1, 2021, claiming that they attempted to form a government without settling the ballot dispute of the 2020 General Election and declared a national state of Emergency.
In the aftermath, the State Administration Council (SAC) was formed in an attempt to become an official government whereas the members of the parliament from the ousted NLD party are also trying to oust SAC and to become a legitimate government by forming the National Unity Government (NUG).
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13 August 2022
News reports went viral on social media that holders of national registration card numbers beginning with 7/, 9/ and 11/ were not allowed to go to work in Japan.
However, Japanese employers were not likely to impose such restrictions, those who used to work in Japanese agencies and Japan told the CNI.
Ko Nay Oo, a director in Naytic Asia Agency, told the CNI, “ The restrictions have nothing to do with Japanese employers. They don’t know and are not interested in such issues. They will employ anyone who is willing to work for them. No foreign country has imposed such restrictions. Some people were likely to be prohibited from leaving the country at the airport but local agencies, which did not want to put blame on someone else responsible for the prohibition, gave excuses in the name of the Japanese side. When people go to other countries, they need to submit not NRC cards but passports. It was likely that some supporters of the Civil Disobedient Movement were prohibited from leaving the country at the airport as security officers there already had their lists and were taken by authorities for interrogation. So, some people posted such misleading reports on social media as no one wanted to give details.”
A construction stie in Japan.
However, Ko Myat Thu Aung, who used to work in Japan, told the CNI that many Myanmar workers who went to work in Japan under on-the-job-training programs fled from their employers recently and it was likely that some overseas employment agencies did not choose holders of NRC numbers starting with 7/, 9/ and 11/.
The number of Myanmar workers who fled from their primary employers has increased as they went to Japan out of their enthusiasm without considering the type of jobs they would be offered and could not bear the fatigue at jobs in Japan, he added.
Ko Myat Thu Aung said, “Japanese employers had to spend a lot of money and time to take in foreign workers but when the workers fled from them, they suffered losses. After encountering such issues frequently, they might ask Myanmar overseas employment agencies what kinds of workers they were sending. It was said that Japanese employers no longer wanted to employ Myanmar workers because many on-the-job training workers set a bad example. They think that employing Myanmar workers has a lot of problems and they can employ workers from any other countries like Vietnam and China, who can be hired easily without any problem. So, they hire workers from countries they like. They employed Myanmar workers as they had thought Myanmar workers would be more hardworking and useful at their workplaces but they had to face many problems when Myanmar workers fled from them.”
An agriculture farm in Japan.
Recently, the number of Myanmar nationals who want to work in Japan has increased dramatically and Japanese language schools are mushrooming in Myanmar since the Japanese language proficiency test conducted by the government of Japan is scheduled in December.
Yamazaki Thant, who has been sharing knowledge about Japan, told the CNI that Japanese employers hire anyone who meets the required qualifications and aspirants to go to Japan should study Japanese thoroughly without thinking of the NRC number restrictions.
He said, “Aspirants to go to Japan are mainly required to study Japanese and skills necessary for their jobs thoroughly. I don’t want them to derail from their focus by believing what other people say too much. I think they should mainly focus on their purpose of going to Japan and what is necessary for it by going straight without looking to the left or right.”
At present, the number of people aspiring to go to work in Japan is higher than that of the pre-pandemic period and they were seen jostling for application forms of the JLPT scheduled in December this year.
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13 August 2022
Due to high demand and low supply in the gold market in Myanmar, gold traders and businessmen said that the price of gold has risen.
Currently, the price of gold in Myanmar is rising to the point of reaching more than 2500,000 kyat per tical of Academy Gold Bar.
The increase in the price of gold is due to conditions such as the surge in the demand of gold, the decline in the availability of raw gold and the increase in the domestic dollar price, said U Ohn Myint, the secretary of the Myanmar Gold Industry Association to CNI News.
U Ohn Myint said, “In this season, there is little production of raw gold in our country. It is very little to the point that we can’t even mine for gold. If we can mine, it’s going to lead to water permeation and the collapse of the pit. That’s why there is less supply in gold. Another thing is that stored goods such as beans, sesame, and rice are sold in our country during this season. The amount of money that get from selling goes into buying gold again every year. Buying gold and holding in possession of it entails less supply and high demand. Another thing is that the exchange rate of Myanmar currency and dollar is also currently rising. That’s why the price of gold went up.”
while seeing Myanmar gold bars (GETTY IMAGES)
According to the gold industry, gold buyers are increasingly looking for gold bars to collect. The demand in jewelry is on the decrease and the sales are on the high.
The rising gold prices also had repercussions on small and medium gold shops. There are only purchases in gold bars and the lack of demand in jewelry (e.g. gold rings, necklaces, bracelets) had led some gold shops to come to a standstill since they could not afford to produce more goldware.
Therefore, more and more goldsmiths are becoming unemployed since gold jewelry is not in production anymore, said U Ohn Myint, the secretary of the Myanmar Gold Industry Association.
He said, “Gold prices are rising. However, the grassroots people prioritize reselling to buying. Craftsmen do their job mainly for the basic class to wear. The well-off people would only go for gold bars. That’s why the goldsmiths are facing unemployment,’’ he said to CNI News Agency.
The current gold price is in a situation where it may continue to rise. Controlling this situation depends on the trade market of gold merchants in Yangon and Mandalay, said a gold market analyst Ko Ne Lin Khant to CNI News Agency.
During trading in a gold shop (GETTY IMAGES)
Ko Ne Lin Khant said, “Mainly, we have to look at our traders. If the big traders from Yangon and Mandalay do a lot of trading, we even fell back to near 23 lakhs the other day. So, the merchants in Mandalay sold a lot that time. There, over 24 lakhs came close to 23. It’s mainly traders. The surge in Mandalay gold sales would lead to the decline in the Yangon gold market. There is connection between these two. The traders are also a force to be reckoned with. Because if there are some traders who play the market too much, it would lead to market fluctuations depending on the traders. For them, trading is not 1 part 2 parts. The traders would go in starting from 10 visses, subsequently leading the market to become very volatile. In that kind of situation, the gold price would be more volatile than normal.”
Since Myanmar gold prices change depending on the global gold price and local dollar price, the domestic dollar price may rise even more as a result which would lead the local gold prices to continue to rise as well, the analysts said.
Today in the local gold market, the price of one tical of Academy Gold Bar is 25,500,000 kyats and one US dollar is calculated at 2,700 Myanmar kyats reportedly.
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12 August 2022
The Arakan Army has detained Lt-Col Khaing Paw Lin, a central executive committee member of the Arakan Liberation Army not because of his affiliation to the ALP but because of crimes he committed, according to AA Spokesperson Khaing Thukha.
At a press conference on 11th August, the AA spokesperson said that Lt-Gen Khaing Paw Lin was detained for his crimes but refused to elaborate on the details of his crimes.
He said, “It is true that we have detained him. I have already said that. Now, I have explained the reason for detaining him. There is no serious issue to negotiate between the AA and the ALP. We will have to take action against anyone who are guilty of crimes. He has been detained not as a member of the ALP but as a criminal. To tell the truth, we are not handling the matter because he is an ALP member.”
Lt-Col Khaing Paw Lin of the ALP. (ALP)
The ALP announced that the AA abducted Lt-Col Khaing Paw Lin from the ALP at his house on 2nd August, 2022.
Then, members of the ALP detained a resident of Narzi Village in Sittwe on 8th August, accusing him of involvement in the arrest of Lt-Col Khaing Paw Lin.
As the United League of Arakan and its armed wing, the AA, announced at the press conference that there must be only one armed organization in Rakhine State, negotiations over the arrests of each other’s members were not likely, Rakhine Politician U Pe Than told the CNI.
Leaders of the ALP and the AA.
U Pe Than said, “The ULA/AA has adopted a policy that there must be only one armed organization in Rakhine. It was also learnt that they detained Lt-Col Khaing Paw Lin not for his political affiliation but for his criminal acts. So, the ALP abducted suspected informers and hard-cores in the arrest of Khaing Paw Lin. “Based on these and statements made at the press conference, it is unlikely that they will engage in negotiations. I think they will detain members of the ALP if it causes trouble for the public or undermines the position of the AA by joining hands with the junta. Moreover, they announced at the press conference that there must be only one armed organization in Rakhine State, I don’t think negotiations are possible,” U Pe Than said.
The CNI contacted the ALP for comments over the issue unsuccessfully as the party did not answer the phone.
Both the ALP and the ULS/AA are armed organizations of Rakhine ethnic group but the former is a signatory to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement but the latter is still negotiating to do so.
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12 August 2022
A Rakhine youth accused of involvement in the death of a Thai citizen after his fingerprints were found on the scene would be released soon, Ko Thein Tun, a labour activist from the Migrant Workers’ Rights Network, who was helping the accused told the CNI.
A court in Songkhla Province examined the accused and three witnesses including Maung San Aye Ko on 9th August.
Ko Thein Tun told the CNI, “Maung San Aye Ko was sentenced to two years and one month in prison for smuggling migrants but he couldn’t be a broker. He was one of the five people for whom warrants were issued in the murder case but he was not involved in the case. His lawyer said Ko Aung Ko Win would surely be acquitted but it was difficult to tell how many court hearings it would take. The next hearing is scheduled on 25th August. Evidence against him was inconclusive and was not sound enough to send him to prison. However, other accused like Chit Ko Ko have not been tried at the court. The court will give its verdicts after all the accused have been tried.”
Four out of the five people for whom warrants were issued are at large and Chit Ko Ko, who was detained with Maung San Aye Ko, will be examined at the court on 25th August.
Maung San Aye, who was sentenced to 2 years and one month in prison for smuggling migrants.
The Rakhine youth whose fingerprints were found on the scene was from Kyai Te Village in Sittwe and his father is a carpenter. He mortgaged his house to send two of his sons to work in Malaysia together with some people from the village.
She was glad to hear that her son would be released soon, Daw Than Kyi May, the mother of Ko Aung Ko Win, told the CNI.
“I couldn’t eat or sleep well before I heard the news. Now, I am glad and can do everything as usual. My health has imporved because my son would be released soon. My husband was so excited that he could not sleep the whole night. It was one of the happiest days in my life. I think I will be happier when my son arrive back. Although we are poor, we will lead a happy family life together with all family members and will be able to eat two meals a day by taking up whatever jobs we can get,” she said.
The two witnesses who appeared at the court were not able to provide enough evidence to prove that the accused was involved in the crime and they were released on 9th August before being sent to a immigration detention centre at the border on 11th August to repatriate to Myanmar.
The mother of the accused, Ko Aung Ko Win
The accused will be repatriated to Myanmar after the court has reached a verdict, said Ko Thein Tun of the MWRN.
“However, we don’t know whether the court will prosecute him for illegally entering Thailand. It depends on the judge but I don’t think so because he has been in police custody for a long time. Moreover, authorities have released more than 400 people who were detained for the case. All of them including Hnin Wutye and Tun Min Soe were sent to the immigration detention centre. He will surely be acquitted but will have to appear at the court until the case has been closed,” he said.
The accused has been standing trial since June and the MWRN is offering assistance for him.
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12 August 2022
It is reported that a delegation led by Japanese MP (member of parliament) Mr. Hiromichi Watanabe met with the chairman of SAC, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and discussed Myanmar’s political situation including greater cooperation in business and investment.
The meeting was held in Nay Pyi Taw on the afternoon of August 11.
In that meeting, it is known that Myanmar’s political progress and changes, promoting the friendship and cooperation of two countries, enhancing the cooperation of business relations and investment and Myanmar’s political situation are discussed