CNI News

9 Sept 2022

The Thanaka market in Sagaing and Magway regions, the two regions where Thanaka trees are mainly grown, has almost collapsed due to instabilities and transport problems, the Myanmar Thanaka Planters and Producers Association told the CNI.

Moreover, both the supply and demand of raw Thanaka pieces have dramatically dropped in other states and regions as well. Only a few people buy raw pieces of Thanaka even though they are sold at cheaper prices, U Myo Win Thant, an information officer of the MTPPA, told the CNI.

He said, “The Thanaka market is struggling in Sagaing and Magway and has almost collapsed due to unfavourable conditions. The demand has dropped and it is difficult for Thanaka sellers to travel from town to town to sell pieces of Thanaka for security reasons. In the past, the Thanaka market thrived in the two regions because there were many festivals, where visitors bought Thamaka pieces. Sellers did not need to go to other towns to sell Thanaka as brokers from other towns like Yezagyo, Pakokku, Myaing and Ayadaw came to buy it. The sales of Thanaka have dropped by a high percentage.”

The demand for raw Thanaka pieces has dropped because users prefer products made of Thanaka and a piece of Thanaka can be used for a long time.

Raw Thanaka pieces are rarely sold in markets and they are mainly sold in festivals to visitors. As there are no festivals at the moment, the Thanaka market has evaporated.

A Thanaka shop.

Ma Moe (changed name), a Thanaka seller in Shwebo, said, “It is difficult to buy Thanaka because it is mainly grown in villages, where security situation has deteriorated. We have to closely watch the situation. Sometimes, we have to retreat on the way because the situation worsens. As transportation is difficult, the sales have dropped. In the past, there were many festivals, where pilgrims buy Thanaka. Now, people rarely travel and the sales have dropped.”

Raw Thanaka pieces produced in Sagaing and Magway are transported to Ayeyarwady and Yangon regions and Rakhine State. At present, the demand for Thanaka from the regions and the state has dropped.

U Myo Win Thant told the CNI, “The sales of Thanaka in Rakhine State, Ayeyarwady region and Yangon region have dropped by 40 percent, 30 percent and 50 percent respectively. There should be a strong Thanaka market. Moreover, people are not able to spend as much money as before. In the past, people bought raw pieces of Thanaka competitively. Now, the demand has dropped.

The Thanaka market can revive if the regions are peaceful and stable. However, it is difficult to restore peace and stability in the regions.

The price of a 6-inch-long and 2-inch-wide piece of Thanaka ranges between MMK 2,000 and MMK 4,000 depending on its types.

There are about 300,000 acres of Thanaka in Magway and the trees are also extensively grown in Sagaing.

CNI News

9 Sept 2022

A decisive final battle to eliminate the Tatmadaw will be launched within one year, said Acting President Duwa Lashi La of the National Unity Government.

He made the comment in his state of the union address on the first anniversary of the declaration of the people’s resistance war on 7th September.

Acting President Duwa Lashi La said, “Utmost efforts are being accelerated to achieve more comprehensive political, military and international relations results within the upcoming year. The military dictatorship is fading away in all its aspects. The final battle to wipe out the fascist instinct is coming sooner or later. I warn the terrorist junta to make themselves ready for the public justice as of today.”

  Demonstrations for democracy. (The Frontier Myanmar)

He called on the international community to provide sufficient technical, weaponry and financial assistance to the people who are fighting for democracy, human rights, equality and freedom.

Conditions are ripe for the realization of the objectives of the Spring Revolution in 2023, Political Analyst U Than Soe Naing told the CNI.

U Than Soe Naing said, “Conditions are ripe for the realization of the objective to wipe out and bury the junta. In wiping out the junta, it is fair to say that the year 2023 will be crucial to launch counter offensives by the cooperation of ethnic armed groups and people defence forces and to achieve the final victory of the Spring Revolution. The entire people are looking forward to it.”

Members of the NUG cabinet.

The acting president said that there were many areas where military and administrative affairs were effectively controlled by the resistance forces of EAOs and the PDF and judicial bodies were formed in 24 townships to administer justice, according to the acting president of the NUG.

The acting president also added that the NUG had formed more than 300 units in more than 250 out of 330 townships in the entire country.

However, some political observers said that as the NUG had not been able to place all PDFs under its command and had not succeeded in forming alliance with all EAOs, whether it was able to launch the final battle for victory was an open question.

CNI News

8 Sept 2022

Shanni civil society organizations strongly condemned the killing of Shanni Abbot U Gandhama, who was presiding the monastery in Naungpat Village in Banmauk Township in Sagaing Region by an allied force of the Kachin Independence Army and the People Defence Force, according to a statement released by the CSOs on 8th September.

The allied force abducted the presiding monk from the monastery on 4th September before brutally killing and burying him near Nantsa Village, according to the statement.

The joint statement of the 28 CSOs said that forcing the abbot to disown his monkhood and brutal overnight killing of him without respecting the International Humanitarian Law and the law of the rights of persons with disabilities amounted to committing war crimes.

Sai Kzang Aung after being released.

The allied force of the KIA and the PDF abducted and tortured Sai Kzang Aung, the in-charge of Shanni literature and culture for Banmauk Township (South), arrested the presiding monk U Thuriya, a figure of Shanni literature and culture, from Kyaungle Village, assassinated Patron U Pe Than of the Shanni Literature and Culture Committee in Haungpar Village in Hpakant Township and abducted and killed Sai Yay Kyaw of the Huangpar Village Shanni Literature and Culture Committee, according to the statement.

The statement of Shanni SCOs.

The statement also said that the act of armed bullying, intimidation and killing with the aim of eliminating the culture and literature, which is the lifeblood for the existence of a people by the allied force of the KIA and the PDF blatantly violate the rights of indigenous people of the United Nations.

The 28 Shanni CSOs said the NUG, the KIA and the PDF are responsible and accountable for the incidents.

CNI News

8 Sept 2022

Sugar mills are buying sugarcane from farmers at MMK 90,000 per ton for 2022-2023 harvesting season, according to farmers.

Sugar mills announced last month that they would buy sugarcane from farmers at MMK 80,000 per ton but they raised the purchasing prices to encourage farmers to expand sugarcane cultivation amid rising domestic sugar prices, U Maung Swe, a sugarcane farmer in Sagaing Region, told the CNI.

He said, “Sugarcane purchasing prices have risen by MMK 10,000 to MMK 90,000 per ton. Sugar mills are raising the purchasing prices as much as they can to encourage farmers to expand sugarcane cultivation amid rising domestic sugar prices.”

Mong Yal sugar mill and Ngweyaypale sugar mill in Shan State (North) announced that they would purchase sugarcane from farmers at MMK 90,000 per ton, Great Wall Waymar sugar mill has not announced their purchasing prices officially.

Great Wall-Waymar sugar mill has already signed purchasing contracts with farmers in Sagaing Region when sugarcane prices were at MMK 80,000 per ton. Therefore, farmers are planning to ask for the mill to pay them MMK 90,000 per ton for their sugarcane, according to a farmer in Katha.

Workers carrying sugarcane. (Getty Images)

He said, “We have signed purchasing contracts with Great Wall at MMK 80,000 per ton. As purchasing prices of other mills have risen to MMK 90,000 per ton, we will ask for MMK 90,000 per ton from Great Wall. I think they will agree. It is said that the mill will pay us MMK 90,000 per ton. However, the mill has not officially announced their decision,” he told the CNI.

Last year, farmers received MMK 65,000 per ton for their sugarcane but sugarcane prices have surged this year due to rising prices of inputs and sugar.

Sugar mills are offering advance payments to encourage farmers to expand sugarcane cultivation, farmer U Maung Swe told the CNI.

He said, “They are developing plans for advance payments. It is said that they will give MMK 300,000 and fertilizer worth MMK 100,000 for an acre of sugarcane. Farmers will expand sugarcane cultivation when they get advance payments.”

Sugarcane is mainly grown in Sagaing Region and Shan State (North) and there are a few sugarcane plantations in Mandalay and Bago regions. Myanmar produces 500,000 tons of sugarcane every year. Sugar prices have risen to their record heights this year due to low domestic stock and lack of imports from other countries.

Sugar prices rose from K 1,000 per viss last year to K 2,200 per viss this year.

CNI News

8 Sept 2022

Rubber plantations in Mon State have faced a shortage of labour at the beginning of the latex collection season.

Labour shortages are a common problem which plantations encounter every year but this year’s shortages are more severe than those of previous years. If we can’t find workers, we will have to collect latex with the workers we have, Ma Ei, a rubber plantation owner in Mon State, told the CNI.

She said, “We don’t have enough workers. We can hire only one-third of our labour needs. As we can’t hire workers until now, we will have to carry out our operations with workers we have the whole year. All workers have been hired by plantations. If they have problems with their plantation owners and quit their jobs or they want to move to other plantations, we will be able to hire them.”

Latex processing.

Rubber plantations in Mon State start their yearly operations in August. Small plantation owners are not able to employ workers all the year round and have to look for them when the harvesting season begins. Big plantation owners employ their workers all the year round and train them. Therefore, big plantations do not face a labour shortage.

Wages for rubber workers have also risen together with increasing prices of commodities, U Phone Myint, a rubber plantation owner, told the CNI.

He told the CNI, “It depends on the prices of commodities. We paid a worker MMK 10 per plant last year, we have to pay MMK 14 per plant this year. Similarly, we paid MMK 6,000 to daily earners last year. This year, wages of daily earners have risen to MMK 7,500.

In some areas, it is impossible to hire workers due to instabilities and only a few plantations carry out their operations.

A rubber plantation worker.

At the same time, rubber plantation owners have faced rising prices of inputs such as acids, fertilizers and materials used in production of rubber.

One of the reasons for shortages of labour in rubber plantations is that a large number of skilled rubber workers left their jobs to work in other countries.

There are more than 500,000 acres of rubber plantations, which produce more than 100,000 tons of rubber every year.

CNI News

8 Sept 2022

On 8^th September, Shanni civil society organizations issued a statement protesting the killing of Sayadaw U Gandhana, who was teaching Shanni literature and culture, by an allied force of the Kachin Independence Army and the People’s Defence Force in Naung Park Village in Banmauk Township, Sagaing Region.

CNI News

8 Sept 2022

Human trafficking victims comprising about 50 women from Myanmar have been stranded in Dubai, the UAE, after being sold to Oman although they were told to work as housemaids in Dubai by overseas employment agencies, Ko Sai Yu Maung, an activist who has been offering assistance to the victims, told the CNI.

Most of the victims are from Karen State in Myanmar and all of them want to go home but are liable to compenations ranging from MMK 5 million to MMK 12 million to do so, according to a victim, who returned from Oman because she could no longer work as a housemaid there.

Ko Sai Yu Maung told the CNI, “It can be said that they were sold or trafficked because their wages were exploited. They went to Dubai with tourist visas and when they arrived there, their visas and passports were taken from them and they were forced to sign contracts. They could not run away from their employers because they didn’t have their passports and visas. Their visas expired after three months there but their employers did not extend their visas. They were told that they would have to pay fines for overstaying, air tickets and compensations if they wanted to go home without working for them for six months.

They said they were sent to Omen despite coming to work in Dubai. They had to work the entire day and were allowed to sleep from 3 am to 5 am every day. Some victims were forced to give their employers a massage and some of them were subjected to sexual harrassment and physical violence.”

Meals for Myanmar house workers in Dubai.

Some overseas employment agencies and agents lured them with high wages and weekly holidays in Dubai.

However, they were sent from Dubai to Oman, where they were forced to overwork, eat only one meal a day and work every day even if they were ill without being paid, Ma Soe Soe (Changed name), who returned from Oman because she could no longer work there as a housemaid, told the CNI.

She said, “The employer had a big family including his wife, their three children and relatives. Their house was spacious. The couple and children lived on the upper floor and the mother- and father-in-law and his younger brothers lived on the ground floor. I had to work for all of them. I had to work from 6 am to 3 pm before I was allowed to have a meal. After the meal, I had to work again until 2 to 3 am. There was no day off. I was not allowed to take a day off even when I was ill. Once one of my legs was twisted and I fell off the ladder but I didn’t get a day off and had to work with a limp. There was no other housemaid other than me. I had to do everything. I was very tired and my wages were not paid. So, I no longer wanted to work there.”

As many Myanmar women went to Dubai to work as house workers but a large number of them ended up in Oman, she advised others not to go to Dubai to work as house workers.

She said, “Most women who went to Dubai got into trouble. If you have educational qualifications, it is convenient for you to work in Dubai. You will get days off. You will have work within the office hours. Then, you have your own free time. You can do anything you like. However, you should not go to Dubai as a house worker.

The actual wages of Myanmar house workers, who were sold to Oman, were much lower than the minimum wage of the country.

The minimum wage of a worker in Oman is set at about 300 Omani Rial (about MMK 1.6) million a month but Myanmar housemaids there get only 120 to 150 Omani Rial (from MMK 650,000 to over 800,000) a month.

CNI News

8 Sept 2022

Although the State Administration Council and the National Unity Government have vowed to build a federal union, they have not rolled out their federal models, Rakhine Politician U Pe Than told the CNI.

He said that he thought the United League of Arakan/Arakan Army would strengthen its forces and continue to fight because rights guaranteed in the constitution were lost after the Tatmadaw staged the coup and it became clear that there is no arm, there is no right.

U Pe Than told the CNI, “There are different models in federalism based on mandates given to ethnic groups. For example, they should disclose the details on how much power will be given to ethnic groups in power sharing, how many percent of natural resources will be allocated to local ethnic groups in resource sharing, how much authority to levy taxes will be given to ethnic groups and how armed forces will be built. Ethnic armed groups will not agree to the concept of one and only armed force by placing their troops under the command of the Tatmadaw because rights guaranteed by the constitution are lost when a coup is staged. There is no arm, there is no right. Rights cannot be demanded without arms. This has been proved repeatedly. So, EAOs will continue to keep arms for a certain period of time. They need this. The SAC and the NUG vowed to build a federal union but neither of them has rolled out their federal models. So, I think the ULA/AA will strengthen their force and continue to fight.”

   A conference of EAOs.

Peace talks and the federal union promoted by the SAC cannot be trusted, Chinese Affairs Expert Dr. Hla Kyaw Zaw told the CNI.

She said, “We cannot trust them because they have been lying for nearly 70 years. So, I would prefer they didn’t. EAOs joining their peace talks are very tiny groups. No powerful EAOs have joined the talks. So, we don’t need to worry about them. Min Aung Hlaing made it clear that EAOs can keep their arms under the command of the military. That is his federal model. All EAOs are required to join with the military under his command. It is nothing to get excited about.”

The ruling body should take steps to build a federal union, U Tun Aung Kyaw of the policy-making committee of the Arakan National Party told the CNI.

He said, “As ours is a legal political party, we have sound policies. We want to build a genuine union. So, we have consistently called for a federal system. We submit motions for a federal system in successive parliaments. At present, we have adopted policies for a federal system. The ruling body today is an organization that understands the hardships of ethnic peoples. The very ugly and painful civil war has been perpetuated for 70 years because governments do not want to share the state power with ethnic peoples. In my opinion, the ruling class is not truly willing to fulfil the demands of ethnic peoples. If it had true willingness, equality, self-determination and a true federal union called for by ethnic people would have been recognized a long time ago. It is evident to the public why neither side has not rolled out their models.”

EAOs meet envoys from China and the United Nations.

SAC Chairman Snr Gen Min Aung Hlaing said that they would build a federal union while the NUG vowed to do the same.

However, neither side has disclosed the details.

Although most ethnic armed organizations have called for a federal union, the AA has demanded the confederate status with a higher mandate.

On the other hand, the United Wa State Army, without talking about federal or confederate statuses, has created a situation similar to the one-country-two-system of China, according to political analysts.

CNI News

7 Sept 2022

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Chairman of State Administration Council Snr Gen Min Aung Hlaing in Russia in the morning of 7th September.

They discussed political situations in both countries and regional affairs.

Snr Gen Min Aung Hlaing said, “There were many highs and lows during the period. However, relations between Russia and Myanmar have improved dramatically.  Russia is a country of great historical traditions. During the past 30 years, Russia faced many difficulties but it has reclaimed its top position. Under the leadership of you, Russia has reclaimed its top position. You are one of the greatest leaders of the world.”

The delegation led by Snr Gen Min Aung Hlaing arrived in Russia on 4th September to attend the Eastern Economic Forum.

Then, he met with Russian President Putin on 7th September.