CNI News

9 September 2023

Reviews and discussions are underway among the political community whether the way the three ASEAN countries including the rotating chairman of the ASEAN will take responsibility to handle the Myanmar issue can work or not.

There was an agreement at the ASEAN summit held in Jakarta, Indonesia to enable the current rotating chairman and the two former chairmen to handle the Myanmar issue in a new method.

The style that will be used now creates a condition that can continue to handle from the way ASEAN chairman is currently handling the Myanmar issue, said U Thar Tun Hla, chairman of the Arakan National Party (ANP), to CNI News.

" ASEAN chairmanship changes once a year. So, in order to enable the way Indonesia is currently handling the Myanmar issue to continue, this method is used, I think. We'll have to wait and see how effective it will be." said U Thar Tun Hla.

People protesting against the Myanmar Tatmadaw

Due to the political landscapes that changed after 1st February, 2021, Myanmar is facing with crises.

Although ASEAN countries agreed to five-points consensus to solve these political crises, they have not been able to implement the consensus. So, after changing its handling style, ASEAN decided to allow three ASEAN countries to handle the Myanmar issue reportedly.

ASEAN is trying to solve the Myanmar issue in their own way, said Col. Saw Kyaw Nyunt, spokesperson of the Peace Process Steering Team (PPST), to CNI News.

Security forces are arresting protesters

" They (ASEAN members) are trying to solve the problem in their own way. According to our experience, we haven't seen any improvement in the reality during the past over two years. There might be different opinions on this." said Col. Saw Kyaw Nyunt.

To solve the Myanmar issue, Cambodia, Indonesia and Lao will take responsibility until the end of 2023 and Indonesia, Lao and Malaysia, in 2024 reportedly.

CNI News

9 September 2023

Because Myanmar's agricultural industry is unstable in the market, fatigue and agricultural failure, many Myanmar people have changed workplace, going abroad for work after leaving farmlands, which cause the problem of farm labor shortage. 

Although Myanmar agricultural sector has been changed from manual farming to mechanized farming system, Myanmar farmers are using only farm labors because they are not able to widely use necessary mechanic equipment. 

The consequence of the problem of farm labor shortage is not obvious for the time being, but in the long run, it can threaten domestic food security, said Ko Zaw Min Naing, an agricultural and economic advisor, to CNI News.

" Due to the shortage of labor, farmers can't clear the weed very well, feed the fertilizer and transplant paddy. So, they are unable to cultivate fully. According to the current political situation, youths are more interested in better job opportunities and well-paid jobs. The production of agricultural sector will decrease. And then, the amount of export will decline. And then foreign income will be less. In the end, it can threaten the domestic food security." said Ko Zaw Min Naing.

Moreover, the price of agricultural machinery is so high that farmers cannot buy them. If they buy the machineries by instalment, it is not easy like before, according to farmers. And service businesses that rent out the agricultural equipment are almost none. 

Those who are transplanting paddy

So, the government should support the farmers with agricultural machineries, pointed out farmers. Due to the scarcity of labors, he was hiring labors only after providing them with their necessities, said U Aung Kyaw Mya, a farmer from Rakhine State, to CNI News.

" Farm labors want to work in the nearby farms. They worked eight hours a day in the past. But now they work seven hours a day. Agricultural machines are so high that we can't buy them in cash. It will be more convenient if the government can perform to enable the farmers to use the machines smoothly." said U Aung Kyaw Mya.

The relevant departments should find the answer to both the problem of labor shortage and the reason why the farm labors deserted the farmlands, said Ko Zaw Min Naing, an agricultural and economic advisor, to CNI News.

" In some foreign countries, for example, even in Thailand, AI technology is being used such as spreading pesticide and herbicide on the plantations. If they are worked manually, it is very dangerous to man. We still need humans. There are some parts that human will do. But if we have enough machines, because the demand for labor is no longer so great, we will be able to promote the production." said Ko Zaw Min Naing.

After the political change, many Myanmar youths have changed to well-paid workplaces, including going abroad for work after deserting farmlands reportedly. 

Due to not only the labor shortage but also being unable to cultivate because of instabilities, the paddy yield declined last year. So, the people are suffering from very high prices of rice at present.

CNI News

8 September 2023

Over 100 overseas employment agencies have increased more than the last two years because it has become good to do business as agencies and the number of people who go abroad for work has increased, those who help migrant workers said. 

There were about 300 licensed overseas employment agencies in 2021 and the number of agencies has been up to over 400. 

Although the ministry of labor grants a license if an agency meets the requirements when it applies for a license, as fraudulent issues may be rampant with more agencies, the ministry needs to strictly supervise them, said Ko Thar Gyi, one of the people helping migrant workers, to CNI News.

" An overseas employment agency can earn money easily and the relevant department is not free from corruption if there's anything wrong. Talking of more agencies, former police officials or people relating to them, and people relating to military officials found the agencies. They have more rights than an ordinary civilian. If an agency is closed and another agency is founded, the founder must be another person. But what is related, when the agency that is closed has to deposit, they pay for it. Even though the ministry know about it, the ministry grant the license due to consistence with the procedure. It's too bad that the agency that is closed cannot be taken action against." said Ko Thar Gyi.

Moreover, the agencies that were closed re-applied for licenses as new agencies changing the name of founder and have got licenses reportedly. Overseas employment agencies become more not because the number of people who go abroad has increased, said U Zaw Min Min, leader of the Malaysian Working Committee, to CNI News.

" Not everybody who applied got the license. Some agencies haven't got the licenses for about six months. You can't say the number of people who go abroad has increased. Recruitment of new labors from foreign countries has become less in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. According to the office of the Overseas Workers Identity Card, the number of people who officially go abroad relatively has so much decreased. Job opportunities in those countries are not good." said U Zaw Min Min.

People who are waiting in line to get passports

In stead of granting licenses to agencies, the ministry should carry out emphatically for the sake of Myanmar migrant workers, said the people helping migrant workers.

" When the people are sent to another country, we should systematically solve the problems of the migrant workers without being a way of focusing on agencies. Apart from taking action against an agency, we should take into account of the emotional damages and lives of those who were victimized. We need to help them because this is a way of official selling the people. The agencies should have understood they are the workers who came taking risk of all their ownerships, having sold their farmlands or their houses." said Ko Naing Aung Aung, director of the Arakan Workers Organization.

In order to be able to prevent from nominal and dishonest agencies, the ministry is scrutinizing to enable the agencies that can really invest to apply, said Dr. Pwint San, former minister.

When the ministry scrutinize license application, an agency that has applied has to fully protect its workers who face problems in foreign countries, he said in the meeting held on 2nd August.

CNI News

8 September 2023

If traders and government servants work correctly, centralization system can be weakened, said businessmen and economists. As the current Myanmar economy has changed to centralization system from market economy, the people are facing with difficulties. 

Moreover, because restrictions on import and export, and controlling domestic trade have arisen, the people are suffering from higher commodity prices with unsmooth flow of goods.

If traders were fraudulent and government staffs didn't work correctly, market economic system could be weak and centralization system could be strong, said U Thet Zaw, an economic analyst, to CNI News. 

If we want the centralization system to weaken, traders need to work correctly and government servants need to carry out exactly." said U Thet Zaw.

Vegetables

Supporters of the market economy don't like the government's intervention on price limitation and allocation of licenses reportedly. However, the current economy of Myanmar is the mixture of market economy and some government interventions. Government interference in local businesses can cause the economy to decline and the public to suffer from crisis, concluded the market advisors and businessmen.

" I don't like the red-tape system or centralization system in which you can go on working only if you inform a senior official. Because we don't like a system like this, we pushed to apply a democratic system. But, the problem is that middle officials don't dare do anything without the knowledge of higher-ups because they don't want to take the responsibility. So, things that shouldn't be delayed are being delayed. Some issues are related to each individual. If the official is traveling, you have to wait until he returns from his trip. The official don't tell to do without his knowledge. But if the government servants work with responsibility and accountability, it will be better." said U Aung Pyae Sone, a businessman.

People from basic class

The centralization in economy must be reduced little by little, said Sr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, chairman of the State Administration Council. According to the market demand, important commodities such as rice, edible oil and fuel should not controlled and the government should intervene some sectors that need stability, said businessmen.

Moreover, the government need to provide more support to the rice and oilseed sectors, they pointed out.

It is difficult to get permits for trading industries and export/import and it is also difficult to import goods from abroad. Moreover, illegal trade has been closed as well, said traders and businessmen.

CNI News

8 September 2023

Ability to produce weapons and ammunitions by themselves in order to meet the needs of the war was a turning point of the revolution, said Duwa Lashi La, acting president of the National Unity Government.

He said that in his speech in commemoration of the 2nd anniversary day of the Declaration of People's Revolutionary War that falls on 7th September, 2023.

" We have been able to carry out systematically in the sectors such as administration, judiciary and public service in the areas we have dominated. Moreover, that we have been able to produce weapons and ammunitions by ourselves to meet the needs of the war is a turning point. We can know that we are getting more and more military successes by looking at the results of the recent battles. Our revolutionary comrades have been able to perform to make the enemies feel insecure even in Naypyidaw which is believed to be the safest place for the enemy military group." said Duwa Lashi La.

Weapons that PDFs use

Production of weapons and ammunition was not strange these days, but it was impossible to produce high-quality weapons and ammunitions. Moreover, according the nature of war, no place was safe, said Dr.Aung Myo, a Myanmar politics analyst, to CNI News.

" In the nature of war, anywhere is not safe. He said that because he has never been a soldier. If a man had been a soldier or has been an anti-NUG politician, he is not safe. Since the time when there was a large white area in the interior of our country, as soon as I put on the uniform and I picked up the gun to go to the front line, I felt insecure. So, what he said is not wrong. No place is safe. To tell you frankly, even New York in US is not safe." said Dr. Aung Myo.

The NUG has won the military successes during the past two years and the State Administration Council has failed in military, politics and diplomatic affairs, said Duwa Lashi La. 

Bangladeshi ambassador is handing over his appointment letter to Sr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing on 6th September, 2023

On the other hand, ambassadors from Bangladesh, Thailand, Nepal, China, India, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Japan, Cambodia, Lao, Vietnam and other countries have been presenting their letters of appointment as ambassadors to Myanmar to Sr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, chairman of the SAC. Moreover, representatives from UN and international organizations have been meeting with Sr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing.

Democratic elements have been waging armed revolutions against the Tatmadaw since after 1st February, 2021. And then, armed conflicts began to break out throughout the country and battles between the two sides have been breaking out severely up to now.

CNI News

7 September 2023

As the illegal agencies in Malaysia are fraudulently selling fake job offers, new overseas employment agencies in Myanmar need to be extra careful, said the Myanmar Overseas Employment Agencies Federation (MOEAF), to CNI News.

Because a demand letter presented by licensed agencies contained so many people that applied the KSM approval, when an official from Malaysia was asked to investigate it, it was found to be fake. 

Illegal agencies or brokers are fraudulently selling fake demand letters to the agencies in Myanmar, Indonesia and Bangladesh after creating fake quotas, said in a statement released by the Safe Migration. Licensed agencies that get scammed are new agencies, said U Zaw Min Min, leader of the Malaysian Business Committee, to CNI News.

" They are cheated in person-to-person connection. There are legal agencies in our side and there are also legal agencies in their side. I haven't seen anybody who contacted their legal agencies' permanent addresses, e-mails and telephones was cheated. 

A construction site in Malaysia

Mainly, it's the negligence of those who have been employed to look for demand letters. They have licensed C holders who have rights to call workers from foreign countries. You should contact with them or employers directly. These two are safe. You can check on the immigration website. KDM and KSM are faked by computer generated paper and shown. Otherwise, signed document is shown with a photoshop software. It's sort of an easy cheat." said U Zaw Min Min.  

Among those who were cheated, first licensed agencies according to the law enacted in 1999 and agencies that are ten years and above old were not included. Newly licensed agencies only were cheated due to a lack of understanding of the nature of the business, added U Zaw Min Min.

If an agency received a demand letter, it should contact to the employer directly, which is advised. Because there are liars not only in Myanmar but also abroad, depending on the labor market, agencies need to carry out carefully, warned the Safe Migration.

MOEAF signboard

As Myanmar licensed agencies that were cheated don't give back service charges to the workers, if complained, the license will be suspended and the agency' money deposited will be lost, said Safe Migration.

" To the best of my knowledge, many agencies were cheated. Most of the agencies that were cheated largely don't give back service charges to the workers without taking care of being blacklisted because they are new agencies that have no backing." said Hmwar Michael, one of the people helping Myanmar migrant workers in Malaysia.

Currently, as the economy in Malaysia is declining, recruitment of workers not only from Myanmar but also from other countries is low, according to the MOEAF.

CNI News

7 September 2023

In the border trade with Bangladesh, water products are allowed to export to Bangladesh through the Sittwe border trade camp only, which makes the traders in Maungdaw difficult reportedly. 

Aiming to carry out trade activities in an orderly manner and to develop trade, in the border trade with Bangladesh, water products and agricultural products are only allowed to be exported through the Sittwe Trade Station, said in a statement released by the trade department. 

A variety of freshwater and saltwater fish, and agricultural products - rice, broken rice, various kinds of pea and bean, sesame, peanut and onion have been allowed to export at the Sittwe Trade Station only starting from 4th September, 2023, said in the statement.

The traders who are mainly exporting freshwater carp, and workers in Maungdaw have found it difficult because the traders are not allowed to export water products including freshwater carp to Bangladesh through Maungdaw reportedly. 

When the products are exported through Sittwe, because it takes long, the quality of water products declines and the price also declines, said U Thein Maung, a trader from Maungdaw in Rakhine State, to CNI News.

Commodities are being carried at the Rakhine-Bangladesh border trade

" The department doesn't issue new license anymore for the products that are included in the statement starting from 4th September. The rest products are being exported. The products mentioned in the statement will be exported through Sittwe but not through Maungdaw. Especially water products were being mainly exported through Maungdaw. Now that these products are not allowed to export through Maungdaw, the workers and others all have been in crisis. Fish is a kind of perishable products and it takes 45 minutes or one hour if you go to Bangladesh from Maungdaw by boat, but from Sittwe, it may take about 24 hours. Because it takes too long, the water products' quality declines. And then, the prices also fall down. To be the best is to export water products through Maungdaw rather than other products. If you go from Sittwe, you can't sell at a higher price." said U Thein Maung.

Export of goods to Bangladesh through Sittwe is almost non-existent reportedly. Because export of goods throufg Sittwe is taking too time, quality declining, costlier and prices declining, traders are exporting their goods through Taungup and Maungdaw reportedly. If water products were exported through Sittwe, the trader may make a loss without making a profit, said the traders from Maungdaw.

So, the statement probably released to export water products and agricultural products through Sittwe in order to increase freight in Sittwe and the traders in Maungdaw have presented to the relevant authorities to allow them to export water products through Maungdaw, said U San Aung, a trader from Maungdaw, to CNI News.

" Sittwe is the capital of Rakhine State, but of the ports in the state, at its port, flow of goods became almost non-existent. Agricultural products such as ginger are exported through Taungup.If the goods are exported through Taungup, truck fare is low. Export of goods was conducted a lot through Maungdaw. The flow of goods became non-exsitent at Sittwe. The traders in Sittwe might be able to present to State Government or relevant senior official about it. The traders in Maungdaw are discussing. Because they are freshwater and saltwater fish exporters, they talked about it with the fisheries department so as to be able export water products through Maungdaw. They are planning to present in black and white. We have asked the fisheries department for help." said U San Aung.

At present, the rest of the goods previously permitted are being exported at Maungdaw border trade camp reportedly.

CNI News

7 September 2023

As the Union Election Commission (UEC) is making preparations to make the voters vote by the electronic voting machine, there are questions among the political parties whether he electronic voting machine is free from error or not. 

UEC met with some political parties and introduced the electronic voting machine and Experimental voting was conducted.

Because the voting machine is not connected to internet, it will not be hacked. And it is convenient because it works with batteries if the electricity is out of order or at the places where the electricity is not available, said U Thet Zaw who attended the discussion, to CNI News. 

 U Thein Soe, chairman of the UEC

" The electronic voting machine was produced by local experts. They have said that they have experimented it by tens of thousands times. But, to tell you frankly, there are still questions about responsibility and accountability. It can works with battery if the electricity is not available. That's not bad. It can be used not only in urban area but also in rural area." said U Thet Zaw.

Voting machines are low cost and can be widely used throughout the country, and voting results can be counted at once, said U Thet Zaw.

As the answer comes out immediately with just one click of the voting machine button, voting is easy and it is easier rather than printing by stamp used in previous elections, said Mahn Aung Pyi Soe, chairman of the Karen National Democratic Party, to CNI News.

The UEC is explaining to political parties about the voting machine that will be used in the election

" They said that it is produced by MicroMyanmar. If the result produced by the machine contains no lies or technologically created tricks, we can say that it is fair. A voter cannot press the button two times. What you press first is your vote from which a party's logo will come out. You have no rights to press second time." said Mahn Aung Pyi Soe.

The meeting with the UEC on 5th September, 2023 was attended by the leaders from 36 political parties. The UEC showed its preparations relating to voting systems that will be used in the coming general election. 

The State Administration Council has said that it will hold a general election after taking the census throughout the country in 2024.

CNI News

6 September 2023

When Myanmar nationals in Thailand ,come to the Myanmar Embassy to make passports in person without having to make appointments, the embassy needs to release the number of people to be daily accepted, those who are helping in the affairs of migrant workers told CNI News.
Although being able to apply for passports in person without having to make appointments is good for Myanmar migrant workers, there are still advantages and disadvantages, pointed out the people helping migrant workers.

" You can apply for the passport without making appointment, that is very good. But here we have to ask the department which has released that making appointment isn't needed anymore. Is it able to serve all the applicants daily? Is it able to issue slips to the applicants to come back and take the passport books in two weeks or 15 days. We have to watch it. There are several million people who have held Myanmar passports in Thailand. And there are over 600,000 Myanmar nationals whose visas will expire in November. When the people can apply for passports in person, why doesn't the embassy designate the number of people? Myanmar Embassy to Thailand should release an announcement how many passport books will be issued each day. Is it the cost in accordance with the amount designated by the existing law?  They should be announced." said Ko Thar Gyi, one of the people helping the migrant workers.

In front of the Myanmar Embassy

Because the number of appointees went very few recently in the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok, the embassy has suspended making appointment starting from 2nd September, 2023.

 So, those who want to apply for new passports for job and Myanmar nationals whose passports will expire on the end of June 2024 can come and make passports in person without taking appointments, released the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok. 

Being able to apply for passports in person without taking appointments may be a bit difficult for Myanmar migrant workers who are working at the places that are distant from Bangkok, said U Aung Kyaw, an official from the Labor Rights Foundation, to CNI News.

" Now that those who want to apply for passports can come and perform in person without taking appointments, Myanmar migrant workers who are working at the places that are distant from Bangkok .may find it a little difficult to travel. But they don't have to wait for 6 to 9 months. In the past, the workers applied through brokers. It is a situation in which the workers don't have to pay extra money. Brokers' involvement may decline, I think. But the role of brokers will not die out at all. Several million Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand will involve with brokers, I think." said U Aung Kyaw.

Migrant workers who have registered in the name list have been allowed to stay and work until the end of September in Thailand and Myanmar authorities are performing to enable Myanmar MoU workers to renew their passports in Myawady and Kawthaung with one stop service.