The Irrawaddy News Magazine [Covering Burma and Southeast Asia]

NEWS IN BRIEF
News in Brief

JULY, 2010 - VOLUME 18 NO.7

Rare White Elephant Captured in Arakan State

An albino elephant is captured in Maung Daw in Arakan State.

Another white elephant has been captured in the jungle of northwestern Arakan state in Burma. The elephant is about 38 years old and 7-feet, 4-inches (2.2 meters) tall. White elephants, actually albinos, have for centuries been revered in Burma, Thailand, Laos and other Asian nations. They were normally kept and pampered by monarchs and considered a symbol of royal power and prosperity. The elephant will be the fourth white elephant held in captivity in Burma. The other three are in Mindhamma Hill park in suburban Rangoon.

Aquino Sworn in as Philippine Leader

Philippine President Benigno "Nyynoy" Aquino III waves to the crowd during his inaugural address after he was sworn in as the 15th president of the philippines in Manila on june 30.

Benigno Aquino III was sworn in as the Philippines’ 15th president in June to lead the nation his late parents helped liberate from dictatorship. Aquino promised to fight corruption, particularly in the notoriously graft-ridden bureaus of customs and internal revenue. He pledged to bring a new era of good governance, reforms and to create bureaucracy that will be sensitive to the plight of common people. Outgoing President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s stormy nine-year rule saw four failed power grabs and opposition impeachment bids against her because of allegations of vote-rigging, corruption and rights abuses.

North Korean Rockets Reported in Burma

North Korean-made truck-mounted multiple launch rocket systems reportedly have been set up at Burmese army bases in northern, eastern and central Burma.

North Korean troops guard their M1985 multiple lauch rocket system

The North Korean rockets, including 240-mm truck-mounted multiple launch rocket systems, were recently delivered to missile operation commands in Mohnyin in Kachin State, Naungcho and Kengtung in Shan State, and Kyaukpadaung in Mandalay Division. It is not clear when the multiple launch rocket systems were shipped from North Korea. However, military sources said delivery of rocket launchers mounted on trucks occurred several times in recent years. Missile operation commands were reportedly formed in 2009.

Mon Cultural Anthropologist Dies

Dr.Nai Pan Hla

Dr. Nai Pan Hla, 87, one of Burma’s best-known cultural anthropologists, who spent his career researching and writing on Mon literature, culture and script, died in Rangoon on June 18, aged 87. Nai Pan Hla was one of only a handful of researchers working with Mon script. As part of his promotion of Mon language and literature, he held annual Mon language exams in Mon State. Nai Pan Hla’s most recognized book is “The Struggle of Rajadhiraj,” which depicts battles between the Mon and Burmese kings.

Lack of Rain Threatens Burmese Crops

The World Food Program and the United Nations Development Program said there is growing concern among Burmese farmers that this year’s harvests could be well below normal because of the late start of the rainy season and continuing low levels of rainfall. Based on interviews with more than 3,400 farmers around the country, a UN joint-report said that farmers are worried that they could lose up to 70 percent of their harvests in August or September if the weather continues to be unseasonably dry. The report notde that the figure also could be “more a measure of farmer concern than on-ground reality.”

Chinese Weapons Maker to Mine Burmese Copper

The China North Industries Corporation (CNIC) signed the Monywa Copper Mine Project Cooperation Contract with Burmese military officials during Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao’s visit to Naypyidaw in early June. CNIC, which is known outside of China as Norinco, produces precision strike systems, long-range suppression weapon systems, and anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems, according to its website. CNIC is one of 10 defense-industrial enterprises that report to China’s State Council.

Watchdog Criticizes Burma’s Election Rules

The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) said the election directive released by Burma’s Election Commission (EC) which prohibits political parties from marching in procession to designated gathering points while displaying party flags is a violation of human rights. The EC directive, which was published in Burma’s state-run newspapers, also prohibits the act of marching and chanting slogans in processions, and parties must disperse without any slogan-chanting march at the end of an assembly or speech. ANFREL media officer Bidhayak Dast said, “This is a total violation of Article 21 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.”

Hundreds of Rangoon Buildings Slated for Destruction

More than 800 Burmese government office buildings and three housing compounds will be demolished to clear the way for a new road running parallel to Rangoon’s Strand Road, according to the Myanmar Port Authority. The new road will be 9 kilometers (5.7 miles) long and will pass through Botahtaung, Seik Kan, Ahlone and Kyeemyindaing townships. The road will be 14.6 meters (48 feet) wide and paved with cement. Asia World, a Burmese conglomerate whose managing director is on a US sanctions list, has been awarded the construction contract. Reportedly, only trucks that carry containers and logs will be allowed to use the road.

FIFA President to Visit Burma?

FIFA President Sepp Blatter said he will visit Burma in November, according to Burmese newspapers. Zaw Zaw, the chairman of the Myanmar Football Federation (MFF), met with Blatter while attending the 60th FIFA Congress in South Africa. MFF has received US $400,000 in funding from FIFA to initiate a football academy training program that will cost US $1 million to promote the development of boys’ and girls’ soccer in the country. Blatter will observe the football academy, according to Zaw Zaw, who was quoted by Rangoon-based newspapers.

Five Irrawaddy Dolphins Found Dead

Irrawaddy doiphins

Five Irrawaddy dolphins were found dead in Burma in May, with researchers blaming three of the deaths on fishing nets. A wildlife researcher in Rangoon said that although two dolphins may have died of old age, three others were clearly killed after being caught up in fishing nets in protected areas. Irrawaddy dolphins, known scientifically as Orcaella brevirostris, are critically endangered, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Marine biologists have previously warned that accidental deaths from entanglement in fishing nets and illegal fishing practices using electricity are the main menace to river dolphins, whose total number is estimated to be less than 100.

Indonesia’s Most-wanted Terror Suspect Arrested

Indonesia’s anti-terror squad arrested the country’s most-wanted man, Abdullah Sunata, and two of his aides in coordinated raids on the country’s main island of Java. Another suspected militant was killed in the shootout. Abdullah is accused of helping set up a network that was reportedly plotting a Mumbai-style attack targeting foreigners at luxury hotels in Jakarta, and several high-profile assassinations, including President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. He jumped to the top of the fugitive list in the world’s most populous Muslim nation following the deaths of militants Nordin M. Top and Dulmatin, who both died at the hands of police in the last year.

Malaysia Tears Down Iconic Mural at Prison

Bulldozers tore down a boundary wall famed for murals mostly painted by anonymous convicts at a 115-year-old Malaysian prison, Pudu Jail, that once held World War II Allied soldiers. Despite fading, the murals remained a tourist attraction for many years. The government refused to turn the prison into a museum, saying the land is sorely needed to make an underpass to ease traffic congestion and to build apartments, hotels and offices. Authorities last year began tearing down structures inside the sprawling complex on the edge of Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur’s most famous shopping area.