CNI News

3 Jan 2023

Three Brotherhood Alliance made up of the Arakan Army, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army announced on 1st January that they would cooperate with certain popular revolutionary organizations amony the forces that emerged during the Spring Revolution.

They said they have sympathized with displaced persons due to domestic military and political instabilities caused after the Myanmar military ousted the civilian government, according to their statement.

The statement said, "Our three brotherhood Alliance will cooperate with certain popular and revolutionary organizations among the forces that emerged during the Spring Revolution to continue to take appropriate measures to achieve the common goal aspired by us and the entire people of Myanmar, to overcome the current crisis and to eliminate the military dictatorship."

Troops of the BPLA. (BPLA-fb)

However, the statement did not elaborate on which popular and revolutionary organizations it was referring to. During the Spring Revolution, various organizations have emerged including the National Unity Consultative Council, the National Unity Government, the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, the People's Defence Force, Local Defence Forces, the Karenni National Defence Force and the Bamar People's Liberation Army.

The Three Brotherhood Alliance has been fighting against the military relentlessly and their decision to join hands with revolutionary forces should be welcomed, Rakhine Politician U Pe Than told the CNI.

He said, "Their decision to join hands with revolutionary forces should be welcomed. We will have to wait and see how they choose revolutionary forces and what they will do. They will achieve success to a certain extent because the assistance offered by the US is linked to all anti-junta forces. I think they wanted to consolidate their strength."

The term revolutionary forces must be defined on their own standards but he welcomed the decisions to join hands with certain Spring Revolutionary forces, Political Observer U Than Soe Naing told the CNI.

Troops of the TNLA.

He said, "I don't know how they will decide if an organization is revolutionary or not because they will do so on their own standards and ways and means. However, they are not under the direct leadership of Spring Revolution leaders like the NUG and the CRPH. It is difficult to say exactly which organizations they will cooperate with. We will have to wait and see. Nevertheless, they have recognized the Spring Revolution and decided to cooperate with it as necessary. So, we must welcome the move."

After the Myanmar military seized power on 1st February, 2021, peaceful protests and armed struggle have erupted in the country.

CNI News

3 Jan 2023

As relevant authorities have failed to take effective action, illegal overseas employment agencies are mushrooming in Myanmar, labour activists in neighbouring countries told the CNI.

Another reason is that those who fell victim to frauds of overseas employment agencies did not know how to file reports against illegal agencies and some of them were discouraged by legal fees and time required.

The main reason is that only a few victims of illegal overseas employment agencies filed reports about the latter, Ko Thar Gyi, a labour activist for Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand told the CNI.

He said, "Even if the victims filed complaints, staff failed to take effective action not only against officially registered agencies but also against illegal ones, who were recruiting migrant workers in samll town without licenses and relevant authorities. Failures to take action against them is also due to the situation in the country. As there is no rule of law in the country, staff do not take action against them and such frauds are mushrooming in Myanmar. I think all staff are involved in the cases. In the social media age, we know everything that is happening in Myanmar from Thailand in real time but it is impossible that authorities do not know the problems. To make the long story short, they are corrupted and unaccountable. Illegal agents took enormous fees from workers and sent them to agencies, which in turn bribe the authorities. So, authorities did not take action against them and crimes were undetected."

Migrants trying to work in Thailand under the MOU between Myanmar and Thailand.

Although agencies and agents have been in Myanmar for a long time, the number of them have significantly increased because a large number of Myanmar nationals are trying to work abroad.

However, the workers were cheated of their money by unlicensed agents who were unaccountable for securing a job when workers were abroad. As a result, workers face extreme hardship abroad.

In taking action against illegal overseas employment agencies, failure to arrest main culprits will not discourage them, U Babu Gyi, who has been helping Myanmar workers in Malaysia told the CNI.

Detained illegal Myanmar migrants.

He said, "Illegal overseas employment agencies are mushrooming because authorities have fail to work effectively and it is difficult to combat such agencies. It is important that workers who intend to go abroad choose among agencies properly. Such agencies would manage to survive even if authorities took effective action. Even relatives like aunts and uncles are cheating workers of their money. They arranged for their nephews to work in Malaysia but when the workers arrived here, they could not find their nephews jobs. Eventually, the workers were detained by immigration authorities. They failed to take accountability for the detained workers. There are no agents who take accountability for workers they sent here. It is difficult to take action against them because they are bribing authorities. So, the main culprits are still at large and they are operating their illegal overseas employment agencies. It is almost impossible to combat them."

As overseas employment agencies do not have their company signboards, it is difficult to know whether they are operating officially or illegally.

As the Ministry of Labour is not responsible for launching operations against illegal overseas employment agencies on the ground, they have to rely on the public to file reports about illegal overseas employment agencies to township labour offices.

As the employment rate is very high in Myanmar, nearly 40,000 Myanmar workers are leaving the country every month, according to statistics released by the International Organization for Migration.

CNI News

3 Jan 2023

To attract foreign direct investment to Myanmar, the government is required to make accurate and convincing guarantees over the investment process, economic observers and entrepreneurs told the CNI.

FDI to Myanmar has been hampered by uncertainties of investment policies and weakness in the law.

As foreign companies invest their money in another country by studying the performance of its leadership, FDI mainly depends on them, Entrepreneur U Aung Pyae Sone told the CNI.

He said, "As far as we are concerned, the government has failed to make convincing guarantees to attract foreign investors. The government is required to explain the profits and protection for foreign investors in Myanmar and the accuracy of the foreign investment law. The government has been taking such measures but it still needs to do so more clearly. Another factor is that FDI mainly depends on the leadership of the government. Before a foreign company invests its money in another country, it studies the performance of itsleadership to decide whether the government pursues economic growth or religious faiths or military strength."

Directorate of Investment and Company Administration.

Even in a communist country like China, the leadership pursues economic growth and a large number of investors have scrambled into the second largest economy, he pointed out.

He said, "China is a communist country but it pursues economic growth. So, foreign investors scrambled into the country. Thailand attracts foreign investment through various ways and means. It offers opportunities for foreigners who buy condominium apartments in their country. They have promoted foreign investment in such ways. In our country, even existing foreign investors are hesitant to expand their operations, let alone attracting new foreign investors. So, there are many difficulties for foreigners whose languages, nationalities and natures are different from us. I just want to say that FDI depends mainly on leadership."

Entrepreneurs pointed out that it is necessary to effectively combat favouritism and corruption to attract FDI into Myanmar.

Land and labour have been available in Myanmar.

The Myanmar Investment Commission.

Moreover, foreign investors are hesitant to invest in Myanmar due to the political crisis and thus they will invest in Myanmar only after an elected civilion government takes office after the elections, economist and banking expert U Thet Zaw told the CNI.

He said, "FDI has been hampered by the political crisis. So, they are trying to hold the elections as soon as possible. After an elected government takes office, they will invest in Myanmar. I know much about Japanese and Chinese investors. They are waiting."

Moreover, five or ten or 15 years' tax exemption should be offered to investors in Dawei and Kyaukphyu SEZ in the same way as those in Thilawa SEZ are offered 5 years' tax exemption to attract foreign investments, according to entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurs said priority should be given to garment and value added product industries which can create a large number of job opportunities, economists said.

CNI News

1 January 2022

Political observers are raising questions whether the year 2022 was a peace year as claimed by the State Administration Council chairman.

With lawlessness and armed resistance in the entire country, the year 2022 stepped farther away from peace, General Secretary Sai Leik told the CNI.

Sai Liek said, "Absolutely not. The year 2022 is marked by the most fierce armed resistance without lawlessness in the entire country. It was a year that stepped farther away from peace."

Mahn Win Khaing Than and PDFs.

The SAC chairman claimed that the year 2022 was the peace year and held talks with ten ethnic armed organizations.

Peace claimed by Snr Gen Min Aung Hlaing referred to peaceful resolution only with the ethnic armed organizations, Political Observer U Ye Tun told the CNI.

He told the CNI, "It is obvious whether peace can be restored or not. He was talking about peace deals not with the NUG and PDFs but with ethnic armed organizations. He said the NUG and PDFs were terrorists and must be eliminated. The NUG and PDFs also said that the military must be defeated and replaced by the people's army. So, they continue to fight each other."

Armed clashes broke out in the entire country in 2022 and it cannot be said that the peace process was successful, Political Observer U Than Soe Naing told the CNI.

Gen Yawd Seik and Snr Gen Min Aung Hlaing.

U Than Soe Naing told the CNI, "There were over 9,000 clashes between the PDFs led by the NUG and EAOs. More than 10,000 people were arrested and over one hundred people were sentenced to death. How can we say that the peace process was successful in 2022? The junta was holding talks with small armed groups which did not fight with it. So, the peace process was meaningless. It was a political joke."

Fighting has erupted between the military and resistance forces including the Kachin Independence Army, the Karenni National Progressive Party, the Chin National Front and the PDF in Karen State, Kayah (Karenni) State, Chin State, Magway Region and Sagaing Region.

CNI News

1 January 2022

The public has been urged to file reports about illegal oversea employment agencies which are running operations in their wards and buildings to respective township offices of the Department of Labour, the Nrue News Information Team of the SAC told the CNI.

As illegal overseas employment agencies are operating in residential quarters, buildings and apartments are overcrowded and the issues have caused security concerns among the people living near them.

The official made the remarks when the CNI asked the department how to file reports about illegal overseas employment agencies and how it would take action against them.

The True News Information Team of the SAC responded, "The Ministry of Labour can investigate the cases together with other relevant authorities when they have received information about them. The public can file reports about them at relevant township labour offices."

An apartment in Yangon and detained illegal migrant workers in Thailand.

Illegal overseas employment agencies operate in residential quarters without any licenses and allow migrant workers to stay in their apartments before sending them to Thailand from Yangon by car. As a result, residential quarters are overcrowded with strangers and the issues have caused security concerns among the people, said a person who lives in an apartment building in Ward-13 in South Okkalapa Township. He said an overseas employment agency was operating in one of the apartments in his building.

He said, "An overseas employment agency is operating in the building I live in. It doesn't have a company signboard. We don't know whether it is an official or illegal agency because it is not transparent. The agency allows migrant workers to stay in the apartment and send them to Thailand and Malaysia. Some of them stay there almost a week. We don't know who they are. Crimes are rampant in Yangon. As they go outside and come back very frequently, we have to leave the main entrance door unlocked. Unscrupulous people can break into apartments when owners go to work. Who is responsible for such incidents, the landlord or the agency? If they are sending workers abroad illegally, they are trafficking in humans. Authorities should take action against them. People from the building should file reports about them to authorities. I am filing reports about them."

Myanmar workers sent to Thailand under the MOU between the two countries.

As a large number of people in Myanmar are trying to work abroad, overseas employment agencies and agents are mushrooming elsewhere.

As some agencies do not have company signboards, it is difficult for the public to know whether they are official agencies or illegal businesses.

People in Myanmar are working abroad through official agencies or illegal agencies and most of them go to Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea and Dubai.

As of last March, there are 324 overseas employment agencies that are registered with relevant authorities.

Action can be taken against illegal agents under the Anti- Trafficking in Person Law, Advocate U Aung Kyaw told the CNI.

"Trafficking in Persons" means recruitment, transportation, transfer, sa!e, purchase, lending, hiring, harbouring or receipt of persons after committing any of the following acts for the purpose of exploitation of a person with or without his consent such as ' threat, use of force or other form of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or of position taking advantage of the vulnerability of a person, giving or receiving of money or benefit to obtain the consent of the person having control over another person.

CNI News

1 January 2022

The public has been urged to file reports about illegal oversea employment agencies which are running operations in their wards and buildings to respective township offices of the Department of Labour, the Nrue News Information Team of the SAC told the CNI.

As illegal overseas employment agencies are operating in residential quarters, buildings and apartments are overcrowded and the issues have caused security concerns among the people living near them.

The official made the remarks when the CNI asked the department how to file reports about illegal overseas employment agencies and how it would take action against them.

The True News Information Team of the SAC responded, "The Ministry of Labour can investigate the cases together with other relevant authorities when they have received information about them. The public can file reports about them at relevant township labour offices."

An apartment in Yangon and detained illegal migrant workers in Thailand.

Illegal overseas employment agencies operate in residential quarters without any licenses and allow migrant workers to stay in their apartments before sending them to Thailand from Yangon by car. As a result, residential quarters are overcrowded with strangers and the issues have caused security concerns among the people, said a person who lives in an apartment building in Ward-13 in South Okkalapa Township. He said an overseas employment agency was operating in one of the apartments in his building.

He said, "An overseas employment agency is operating in the building I live in. It doesn't have a company signboard. We don't know whether it is an official or illegal agency because it is not transparent. The agency allows migrant workers to stay in the apartment and send them to Thailand and Malaysia. Some of them stay there almost a week. We don't know who they are. Crimes are rampant in Yangon. As they go outside and come back very frequently, we have to leave the main entrance door unlocked. Unscrupulous people can break into apartments when owners go to work. Who is responsible for such incidents, the landlord or the agency? If they are sending workers abroad illegally, they are trafficking in humans. Authorities should take action against them. People from the building should file reports about them to authorities. I am filing reports about them."

Myanmar workers sent to Thailand under the MOU between the two countries.

As a large number of people in Myanmar are trying to work abroad, overseas employment agencies and agents are mushrooming elsewhere.

As some agencies do not have company signboards, it is difficult for the public to know whether they are official agencies or illegal businesses.

People in Myanmar are working abroad through official agencies or illegal agencies and most of them go to Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea and Dubai.

As of last March, there are 324 overseas employment agencies that are registered with relevant authorities.

Action can be taken against illegal agents under the Anti- Trafficking in Person Law, Advocate U Aung Kyaw told the CNI.

"Trafficking in Persons" means recruitment, transportation, transfer, sa!e, purchase, lending, hiring, harbouring or receipt of persons after committing any of the following acts for the purpose of exploitation of a person with or without his consent such as ' threat, use of force or other form of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or of position taking advantage of the vulnerability of a person, giving or receiving of money or benefit to obtain the consent of the person having control over another person.

CNI News

31 Dec 2022

The number of Myanmar condo-apartments buyers and tenants have increased significantly in Thailand during recent months and most of them buy apartments worth around MMK 200 million, according to property agents and entrepreneurs in Thailand.

As most of them are moving to Thailand for the education of their children, condominium apartments near schools are sold out very quickly.

An official from Bangkok-Myanmar Property and Life Style told the CNI, "Most of them bought apartments worth MMK 200 million. Some Myanmar nationals bought high end apartments. Some of them bought property for investment. As foreigners buy property in Thailand, developers there launch promotion for their property and authorities grant elite visas for ten years stay in Thailand. Clinics and hospitals in Thailand offer gift vouchers to them. So, Myanmar nationals buy condo-apartments in Thailand. They bought apartments near banks, railway stations and transportation hubs in Sukhumvit in Bangkok. Property prices in Bangkok are rising but the demand for property of Myanmar nationals is still growing because they have many opportunities there. As the Kyat is depreciating against US dollars, property prices in Thailand have doubled in the Kyat.

Promotion of condominium sales in Thailand.

Although Thailand has permitted foreigners to purchase condominium apartments only, those who invest in Thai companies are allowed to buy other types of property.

Some Myanmar nationals buy property in Thailand in the name of Thai nationals.

Most Myanmar nationals are buying property in Bangkok, Mae Sot and Chiang Mai and open restaurants and clubs, a Myanmar entrepreneur in Thailand told the CNI.

He said, "Investment from Myanmar has increased significantly. Last week, two high profile businessmen came to Thailand to open clubs and bars and bought condominium apartments. Recently, a large number of Myanmar nationals bought condominium apartments in Thailand. There is an increasing number of Myanmar investors in Thailand. The other day, a cosmetic entrepreneur contacted me to move his business to Thailand. Myanmar nationals are opening buffet restaurants. Many people from the Myanmar film industry moved to Thailand."

Besides apartment buyers, the number of Myanmar tenants has also increased significantly, according to Bangkok-Myanmar Property and Life Style.

The prices of condominium apartments start from MMK 200 million and rental fees for them start from Baht 4,000 ( MMK 400,000) per month, according to an official from the Bangkok-Myanmar Property and Life Style.

Promotion of condominium sales in Thailand.

He added," Apartments available at Baht 4,000 rental fees are very small and are not furnished. We do not offer services for such apartments. We offer services for apartments with two or three bedrooms available at about Baht 15,000. Some of them are available at Baht 90,000 per month. Apartment rental fees vary from place to place. Normally, it is necessary to rent the apartments for one year. If tennants want to rent for only three month, they will have to pay more deposits. It is negotiable here."

Among the foreigners who bought property in Thailand included not only Myanmar nationals but also Chinese and citizens from western countries.

Myanmar passport holders are required to transfer money from banks in Myanmar but transferring a large sum of cash has been prohibited in Myanmar and developers have to choose other arrangements available.

Myanmar nationals bought 188 apartments totally worth Baht 1.34 billion in 2022 alone, according to the Thai Enquirer and market observers.

CNI News

31 Dec 2022

In compiling voters rolls for the general election in some village tracts in Namkham in Shan State (North), people from non-Bamar ethnic groups have been registered as Bamar, according to local residents.

It is not fair to list the Shan, Palaung, Kachin and other ethnic peoples as Bamar, local residents told the CNI.

A local resident told the CNI, "In our Namhkam Township, administrators and immigration officers are compiling voting rolls in village tracts and registering members of other ethnic groups as Bamar. So, voting rolls are not correct. They are registering people of the Shan, Kachin and Palaung and other ethnic groups as Bamar. Authorities are likely to do the same in other townships. It is unfair to change the identity of other ethnic groups."

Immigration officers issue NRCs to the public.

Less than ten people in each village of the Shan and Palaung were registered according to their true ethnic identity, he added.

However, a resident of Lwehom Village told the CNI that authorities had admitted their mistakes and corrected the voting rolls.

He told the CNI, "They admitted their mistakes and said they have corrected them. We reported the issue to them yesterday. They said it was the mistake of computer operators and promised to correct the lists."

An ethnic leader said some immigration officers had entered all ethnic peoples as Bamar during the terms of successive governments because they thought it was too busy for them.

The Union Election Commission announced that it would hold a new general election in August, 2023.

Then, authorities have compiled voting rolls and issued national registration cards to those who do not have or lost the NRCs.

CNI News

31 Dec 2022

Narly one month after the ceasefire in Rakhine State, authorities have green-lighted transportation of medical supplies to the western state, according to the Rakhine State Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

After the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army reached a ceasefire deal on 26th November, roads and waterways were reopened but the transportation of important medical supplies to Rakhine State was prohibited.

However, there are some restrictions and permit applications will not be approved as quickly as before, Chairman U Tin Aung Oo of the RSCCI told the CNI.

He told the CNI, "At the moment, the state government has permitted transportation. The started approving the permit applications about a week ago. However, they do not approve the permits immediately. It takes time to approve the permits as they have a large number of applications submitted previously. It takes four to five days to get permits. Checkpoints will allow transportation of medical supplies to Rakhine State if merchants can submit the permits of the border and security minister of the state government."

A pharmacy.

The prices of medicines, which have doubled at present, are likely to fall back soon, according to merchants in the state.

Residents have run out of some medicines and the prices of medicines for children have risen higher than those for adults, according to a Rakhine resident.

He told the CNI, "The current problem in Rakhine State is the shortages of medicines for children. As most medicines for children are liquid, they are transported not only by vehicles but also by sea. However, transportation of children's medicines by sea is still prohibited and it is a problem. Medicines for children which are available at MMK 2,000 per bottle in Yangon are sold at MMK 7,000 here. To put it simply, we feel that it is unfair."

Due to the medicine ban in Rakhine State, children and pregnant women there failed to get vaccines while patients with chronic diseases have to buy their medicines at skyrocketed prices. Hospitals and clinics have run out of antibiotics and some other medicines, according to residents.

As medicines expire after a certain period, it is necessary for authorities to approve transportation permits for medicine as soon as possible, according to medicine merchants, companies and residents.