CNI News

21 August 2022

Chairman of State Administration Council Senior General Min Aung Hlaing asked the UN special envoy why the United Nation does not recognize the SAC.

The SAC chairman raised the question at his meeting with Ms Noeleen Heyzer, the Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary General, in Nay Pyi Taw on 17 August.

The SAC chairman asked, “The Tatmadaw took the responsibility of the State after declaring a state of emergency in accordance with the State Constitution (2008). While Myanmar has been taking lawful measures, it is incomprehensible why the United Nation does not acknowledge and there are many questions around. While the United Nations has been talking about non-interference, I wish to ge a clarification why the United Nations does not realize the measures we have taken?”

An anti-coup protest. (The Frontier Myanmar)

Political Analyst U Ye Tun told the CNI that the junta was likely the Western countries including  the US, which do not recognize the SAC whatever it says and was likely to question why the Western nations recognized the government of Thailand, which also had staged a coup d'etat.

U Ye Tun said, “From his point of view, he could have compared Myanmar with neighbouring Thailand, where the militry government was not critized as much as Myanmar has been. So, he questioned the Western countries why they had been imposing such severe sanctions on his junta. It has something to do the mindset of the Myanmar military junta. Western countries do not trust its mindset. Western countries have recognized the army of the Kingdom of Thailand considers itself as a professional army. Another factor is that it is a west-leaning army. Their democracy is more mature than Myanmar’s.  However, the Myanmar Army was born out of so-called socialism and left leaning military dictatorship. So, Western countries have more trust in the words of the Thai Army.”

The Myanmar Tatmadaw. (the EPA)

UN Special Envoy Ms Noeleen Heyzer called on the SAC to engage in dialogue with the oppositons for overcoming Myanmar political crisis, to place Daw Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest, to stop executions after the SAC has executed four democracy activists and to meet Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

The SAC chairman said, “While Myanmar was facing many difficulties, the UN and other organizations applied political pressure on them. Although we tried to elucidate, our representative was not accepted by the UN.

The SAC chairman told Ms Noeleen Heyzer, “The special envoy’s statement is one-sided and the SAC accepted the visit of the UN Envoy to improve the relations between the UN and Myanmar constructively.

CNI News

21 August 2022

With mass arrests of illegal migrants in Malaysia, there were more than 50 Rakhine migrants within two weeks and most of them do not have UNHCR cards.

Without the refugee cards, it is difficult to offer help for their release, Vice Chairman Ko Aung Min Thu of the Arakanese Community Malaysia (ARRC) told the CNI.

He said, “When our people are detained, we almost always ask for help from the UNHCR. If they are registered with the UNHCR, we just need to inform the arrests of the UN agency, which will contact the relevant officers and ask them to release the detainees at the court. Detainees who have not yet registered with the UNHCR may be sentenced to one to three months in prison at the court instead of four months prison terms usually handed down on them if the UNHCR offers help. authorities may only be able to reduce the prison terms. It also depends on relevant officers, who can reject the request of the UNHCR. Then, UNHCR officials can’t do anything more.”

As there is no agreement concerning the refugee card holders between the UNHCR and the Malaysian government, the card holders are allowed not to work but to stay in the country.

Among more than 40,000 Rakhine migrants in Malaysia, only about 6,000 have the refugee cards.

The registration of refugees in Malaysia was processed online in 2020 due to COVID-19 but some Rakhine migrants did not know this at the time due to a lack of knowledge. At present, there are too many applicants to issue the cards to all of them and some Rakhine migrants do not have the cards.

Ko Aung Min Thu of the ARRC said, “If a refugee or a expectant refugee come to them, they arrange a date for him or her to come again. Therefore, he or she are required to the UNHCR office on the scheduled date. It seems that the UNHCR office is unable to process many applicants within a short time and the application forms have piled up. Moreover, Malaysia is not a signatory to the agreement to accept refugees but it has already accepted about 190,000 refugees so far. I think it does not want to accept any more refugees because it worries that the refugees will settle in their country permanently.  So, they may accept more refugees or not but the UNHCR has told us to continue to apply for refugee cards.”

Malaysia has already rounded up more than 200 Myanmar illegal migrants recently.

Currently, Malaysia is launching an operation against illegal migrants and prisons in Malaysia are crowded with the migrants form different countries. Detained Myanmar migrants are facing difficulties in prisons in Malaysia.

CNI News

20 August 2022

The Pao National Liberation Organization, the Arakan Liberation Army and the Lahu Democratic Union, all of which are signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement with the State Administration Council, will join the second round of talks with the SAC.

Col Saw Kyaw Nyunt of the Peace Process Steering Team told the CNI that they had requested the SAC to hold talks with all participants as a whole and the second round of talks would be held with the three EAOs.

An ALP delegation meets the SAC chairman. 

Col Saw Kyaw Nyunt said, “We have requested the arrangements to meet all EAO participants as a whole but the SAC is not able to meet all the seven or ten EAOs as a whole. At the moment, it invited the three EAOs to meet on 21st, 22nd and 23rd August for the second round of talks. So, the three EAOs has called on the SAC to meet them as a whole on 22nd August. We haven’t known whether other EAOs have been invited.”

The SAC chairman said on 16th August that the second round of peace talks would resume this month, talks would be held with all EAO participants as a whole and the new round of talks would be scheduled for September.
The SAC chairman also added that affords would be made to sign agreements with the EAOs and there would be no reason not to achieve peace as fundamental agreements had been reached with the EAOs.

A PNLO delegation meets the SAC chairman.

As the invitation was not extended to the PPST as a whole, the team has not discussed the matter, according to Col Saw Kyaw Nyunts.

“It can be said that the talks will be very extensive according to the invitations sent to the three EAOs. They said talks will focus on amendments of constitutions based on parts (1), (2) and (3) of the union agreement and how to implement the post-2020 political process stated in the part (4) of the agreement,” Col Saw Kyaw Nyunt told the CNI.

The first round of peace talks with the SAC were joined by leaders of signatories to the NCA including the RCSS/SSA, the NMSP, the DKBA, the ALP, the KNU/KNLA-PC, the PNLO and the LDU.

Non-signatories to the NCA such as the UWSA, the NDAA (Mongla) and the SSPP/SSA joined the first round of talks with the SAC.

CNI News

20 August 2022

Sugar mills are offering farmers about MMK 80,000 for one ton of sugar cane in the 2022-2023 sugar cane harvesting season, according to sugar cane farmers.

The current sugar cane prices are beneficial for both farmers and mill owners, Vice Chairman U Win Htay of the Myanmar Sugar and Cane Related Products Association, told the CNI.

“Sugar cane prices have hit MMK 80,000 per ton. They are advance reference prices for the 2022-2023 sugar cane harvesting season. As farmers got as much as MMK 68,000 per ton last years, they expanded sugar cane cultivation. New sugar mills were also built in some regions like northern Shan State. So, farmers expanded sugar cane cultivation. Sugar cane prices at MMK 80,000 is profitable. The advance prices are for sugar cane farmer cultivated last year. However, prices are likely to rise further in the upcoming season because of the rising diesel prices. Current prices are beneficial for both farmers and millers.”

Sugar cane reference prices were set at about MMK 60,000 last year.

Millers are offering higher prices for sugar cane to encourage farmers to expand sugar cane cultivation amids rising sugar prices and increasing costs for inputs of farmers.

 A pile of sugar cane.

U Maung Swe, a sugar cane farmer from Sagaing Region, told the CNI, “It is profitable for farmers. Farmers can make a profit of about MMK 30,000 per ton after deducting transportation charges even as diesel is very expensive.”

According to the statistics released by the Ministry of Agriculture, sugar cane is cultivated on about 400,000 acres of land in the country but the actual acreage may be higher.

Some farmers are cultivating sugar cane in forest land and if the Forest Department abandons the land and gives farmers rights to work the land, sugar cane cultivation will expand in Myanmar, U Win Htay told the CNI.

He said, “In fact, forest authorities should abandon some forest land to some farmers who have been cultivating sugar cane for about 15 to 20 years for the development of the sugar industry. If forest authorities can do so, farmers will be able to apply for Form-7, which will enable them to get agricultural loans. There are many farmers who cultivate sugar cane on forest land in the entire country including Sagaing Region, Shan State and Bago Region.”

The current reference prices set for sugar cane cultivated in 2021 is profitable for farmers, they should be offered higher prices in the upcoming harvesting season due to increased cultivation costs incurred by rising prices of fertilizers, pesticides and fuel oil, according to sugar cane farmers.

CNI News

20 August 2022

Although sugar to be exported from Myanmar to Vietnam has been exempted from tariffs, it is necessary to prove that the exported sugar was produced from sugar cane grown in Myanmar or the country of origin, according to the Myanmar Sugar and Cane Related Products Association.

The requirements have offered an opportunity for local sugar merchants and enhance their competitiveness, Vice Chairman U Win Htay of the association told the CNI.

He said, “We are not comparing advantages and disadvantages. It is an opportunity for us to export sugar to Vietnam. Therefore, it is necessary for us to use the opportunity in a correct manner. We cannot export sugar from Thailand or India to Vietnam by changing packages. So, it has enhanced the competitiveness of local merchants.”

Although Vietnam has exempted sugar from Southeast Asian countries except Thailand from tariffs, it has imposed 47 percent tariffs on sugar produced in the kingdom. Therefore, Thai sugar merchants evaded the taxes by exporting sugar through a third country, according to exporters.

  A worker carrying sugar cane. (EPA)

As Myanmar sugar merchants also used to reexport sugar from Thailand and India to Vietnam when sugar prices rose due to the growing demand, Vietnam authorities had to impose the requirements for the country of origin.
“There arose a dispute last year when a Myanmar company exported sugar imported from Thailand to Vietnam. So, authorities imposed the requirements to prove the country of origin and import sugar from exporters who can prove this” he told the CNI.

Imposing such requirements is beneficial for local sugar cane farmers and sugar mills and can increase the sugar cane acreage, U Maung Swe, a sugar cane farmer from Sagaing Region, told the CNI.

“It is beneficial for farmers as well as sugar mills. If we can export sugar produced from sugar cane grown in Myanmar, all farmers will expand sugar cane cultivation competitively,” he said.

So far, three Myanmar companies have exported 40,000 tons of sugar to Vietnam. As Myanmar exported 100,000 tons of sugar to Vietnam last year, sugar exports to Vietnam has dropped.

CNI News

20 August 2022

Regarding the reformation of the Unity Government under Article 419 of the 2008 Constitution, the chairman of the State Planning and Administration Council (SAC) Major General Min Aung Hlaing has signed and released it today (August 19).

In the amendment, the position of Union Minister in the Ministry of Immigration and Manpower was changed to U Myint Kyine instead of U Khin Yi whereas Dr. Aung Naing Oo who was serving the position of the Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Communications has been assigned as the Minister of Economy and Commerce.

CNI News

19 August 2022

The visit of Noeleen Heyzer, the special envoy of the secretary general of the United Nations, to Myanmar is unlikely to bear fruit for Myanmar at the moment, Chairman Khun Myint Tun, the chairman of the Pao National Federal Council told the CNI.

He said that the envoy’s talks with the SAC after the execution of four democracy activists including Ko Jimmy and Ko Pyho Zeyar Thaw would not result in tangible progress.

Khun Myint Tun said, “I would like to point out that any kind of communications between the UN and the SAC will not bring about any tangible progress for the current developments in Myanmar after the SAC executed four democracy activists including Ko Jimmy, Ko Phyo Zeyar Thaw and Ko Thura Aung despite the strong objections from the international community including the UN.”

Ms Noeleen Heyzer arrived in Myanmar in the morning of 16th August and met with SAC Chairman Snr Gen Min Aung Hlaing and Foreign Minister U Wunna Maung Lwin on 17th August.

Pro-democracy demonstrators. (the Forntier Myanmar)

UN envoy’s first visit to Myanmar in one and a half year would not lead to significant changes but each of the issues in Myanmar must be approached separately, Spokesperson of the Peace Process Steering Team Nang Yin Yin Soe told the CNI.

She said, “It also depends on the extent to which the current situation allows. So, it is difficult to exactly guess the result, which depends on how they discussed. We will have to move forward step by step. We will have to watch the discussions closely because it is her first visit to Myanmar in one and a half year and it was the first time she had been granted visa by the SAC. Then, we will have to take the next step. For example, Prak Sokhonn visited Myanmar visited twice, one visit after another. We must approach the issue like that. The analysis of the situation depends on the results of the talks.”

The UN should take the issue of Myanmar seriously, said Chairman Khun Myint Tun of the PNFC.

ASEAN Special Envoy Prak Sokhonn meets member of the PPST.

He said, “As the UN announced prior to the visit that the trip didn’t mean to give legitimacy to the regime, the statement made by President U Win Myint at the court is important because the military said state power was transferred to them. Actually, it seized power and the president also said at the court that he was ousted by the military coup. So, it is very difficult for the UN to recognize the junta. It is necessary for the UN to take the Myanmar issue seriously. The junta executed four democracy activists including Ko Jimmy amidst the objection of the entire international community. So, the junta will meet anyone who pays a visit to them as the last straw whether the latter says it recognizes the junta or not.

The SAC announced that it discussed promotion of trust and cooperation between the UN and Myanmar during the visit.

However, Ms Noeleen Heyzer office said the special envoy urged the SAC to release detained youths and to end violence.

CNI News

19 August 2022

Due to continuous and heavy rain in Myanmar these days, flooding and landslides are occurring in some regions and states but the charity teams are having difficulty carrying out relief work due to the price of fuel.

The fuel costs nearly fifty thousand (50,000) for a car per day in conducting help and rescue procedures, said U Bo Bo Win, chairman of the rescue group, to CNI News Agency.

He said, “The current situation is that when it rains, we can buy as much oil as we need. There is no problem in this area. When the price of fuel goes up, although we want to go all out in helping the community, there are some things that we need to consider. Let’s say we will go to another place. Is another group already in that area? If they are, we stay put. The main thing is that since the price of fuel is escalating, there are hindrances in our work even though we want to do extensive relief work. More or less, when there is a large-scale influx of people in a neighborhood, help and relief is available within a short period of time and it is convenient to do the job. When there is less man power, there can be delays. There are such things.”

Tachileik City floods

Owing to the difficulties such as the current increase in fuel prices in Myanmar, inability to buy to our desired amount in some regions and the closure of gas stations, the current natural disaster relief operations cannot be conducted as widely as before, said the charity associations to CNI News Agency.

Ko Ditan from the Flower Garden Charity Association in Putao City said, “There are a lot of difficulties. Being located at the far north of Myanmar, it is not a very well-off city. Now we are having difficulty doing charity and social work because there is no more oil available at the gas station. Even if we want to help, cars cannot run due to the lack of fuel. With the current price in Putao, social cars can only run with over 50,000 worth of fuel price. We can help nearby accidents and pregnant mothers who want to go to the hospital. But it is not convenient for us to run long distances anymore. It’s just not available in the gas stations anymore. They are now closed and there is no sign of reopening at the present. It’s just nowhere to buy gas in Putao anymore. There was one station that opened yesterday only for around one hour. If we couldn’t buy it within that window, we just can’t get gas anymore.”

While waiting in line to fill up gas in Lashio on August 13

As the number of donors donating to charity organizations are also getting sparse at the moment, it is reported that the association funds for disaster relief are now being used.

When it comes to encountering awfully bad natural disasters, we are now required to asking for help to the respective government committee if it is according to the current fuel price, said the charity associations.

Currently, due to heavy and continuous rain in some states and regions in Myanmar, the local people who are facing floods have been moved to monasteries as temporary relief.

The current floods in Tachileik City are worse compared with the floods occurred in 2020 and 2021, said an official from Shwe Mae Yang Charitable Association to CNI News Agency.

Tachileik floods philanthropical activities

He said, “How things are going here is the aftermath of the Mekong River basin. After the water rises, the water comes down here and stagnates. So it needs a bit more effort to make things work. It’s more than usual. Now it’s a case of a tropical storm, so this time it’s a little bit bad. About a foot taller than usual. Usually, if you enter about 3 feet in the house, this time the water is almost 4 feet.”

It is seen that the incessant rain on the night of August 16 has caused floods in Yangon as well as in other townships.

According to the weather forecast to today’s evening (August 17th) because of the strong monsoon in the Kapali sea, there can be heavy rain regionally in Yangon Region, Irrawaddy Region, Tanintharyi Region, Rakhine State, Kayin State, and Mon State and the heavy rain may occur in places in Bago Region, announced by the Meteorological Department.

Senior Military Leader Tar Bone Kyaw said that it is necessary to prepare to build the country

CNI News

19 August 2022

If countries come out with the revolutions accelerating and Myanmar cannot be built as a true union, Ta’ang (Palaung) people should be prepared to build the country, General Secretary of the Palaung State Liberation Front (PSLF/TNLA), Tar Bone Kyaw said.

He said as above in the interview with PSLF/TNLA’s press office that aired on August 18.

Senior General Tar Bone Kyaw said, “Political tide will rise. Depending on the geopolitical situation, current world political situation, if this country cannot build even a Union, it will break into pieces and scatter into small countries.

That’s why, we Ta’ang (Palaung) people also need to think about this thoughtfully. And we need to prepare carefully. At the time when this Union is actually built, we also need to prepare ready and make efforts to protect our ethnic group, our people as a state. If it is not like that, a Union cannot be built and countries will come out with the revolutions speeding up due to the geopolitics, world politics and necessity, we also need to prepare to be ready to build our country.”

 PSLF/TNLA troops

Currently in Myanmar, Tatmadaw declared the country a state of emergency on February 1st, 2021, with the reason that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) formed a government without resolving the 2020 general election ballot dispute.

After that, starting from the opposition of the Tatmadaw and the protests asking for the reconstruction of Democracy, it widens to the armed revolution. So, fights have been taking place in Sagaing, Magway, Kayin, Chin and Kayar.

However, there have not been wars and it has been stable between Ta’ang (Palaung) armed PSLF/TNLA, that have been active in Mogok-Mongmit district, Shan State (Northern) and Mandalay, and Myanmar Tamadaw.

Although wars had been taking place daily between Myanmar Tatmadaw and TNLA until February 1st, 2021, the fights are now at peace.

Union Peace Conference

PSLF/TNLA is on the way of armed revolution in order to get Ta’ang (Palaung) area and to obtain autonomy.

Senior General Tar Bone Kyaw from PSLF/TNLA said, “we are doing this armed revolution for autonomy, to attain National equality, this kind of opportunities. That’s why our autonomy and personal freedom plays quite an important role for us. So, we are doing this revolution. If that problem cannot be solved, the same problems will continue, the cycle of coup will continue.”

Then, if a true federal union is to be built, it cannot be built only by focusing on the eight ethnicities; Kayin, Chin, Kachin, Kayar, Mon, Myanmar, Rakhine and Shan, it will be a true federal union only if the rest of the ethnic groups are also considered as equals. Otherwise, equality will not be practical, and the other races will just exist as the second class only after the eight major races.”