KIO refuses refugee relief from Kachin State Red Cross

The Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) has refused to accept Kachin State Red Cross’s offer to provide household appliances for more than 1000 Kachin refugees living in KIO controlled areas.

The Kachin State Red Cross made the offer to the KIO through the Peace Coordination Group (PCG) but were turned down, according to PCG member Lamai Gum Ja.

The Red Cross has already got permission from the President’s Office and the Kachin State government, but KIO said it will not accept the offer.

“We plan to give household appliances to more than 1300 families. But the KIO refuse to accept the offer. So, we cannot go there. We cannot do anything,” Gea Nit, Spokesman of the Kachin State Red Cross, told Mizzima.

The KIO turned down the offer because in accordance with its central committee policy, they cannot accept aid from the government until they establish stable peace with the government, according to Gae Nit.

The Kachin State Red Cross is a branch of Myanmar Red Cross and therefore, the KIO refused the offer. If donors from Denmark and Singapore can make the donations directly without routing it through the government the KIO might accept the offer, said Gae Nit.

The household appliances were donated by the Denmark Red Cross and the Singapore Red Cross, but their representatives could not come to Myanmar. Therefore, the Kachin State Red Cross and Myanmar Red Cross planned to travel to the area to distribute the household appliances.

Bengalis’ demands hinder probe for illegal immigrants

The government’s investigation for illegal Bengalis in Rakhine State faced some delays in Pauktaw Township a few days ago due to the demands from the Bengalis to register them as Rohingyas.

As part of the investigation, officials from the immigration department have been asking routine questions to the Bengalis, such as the birthplaces, occupations, and death places of their grandparents and parents to differentiate illegal immigrants from early settlers.

While the officials have been trying to investigate the three generations of the Bengalis in accordance with the 1982 Citizenship Act, the Bengalis refused to sign the papers and demanded the officials to record them as Rohingyas.

Only the Bengalis over the age of 18 are being asked and the officials still need to check for illegal immigrants, according to a security-in-charge with the rank of captain, who requested not to be named.

The investigation has been resumed after halting for a few days and action will be taken on the illegal Bengalis only after the investigation has been completed, he added.

Each investigation team consists of 18 members, including 4 officials from the border immigration inspection department, two Rakhine representatives, two Bengali representatives, two members from the wards and village-tract administrative office, three policemen, three soldiers, and two officials from the immigration department.

The investigation for illegal Bengalis started after President Thein Sein announced last July that there are no Rohingyas in Myanmar. While some of the Bengalis have requested to be registered as Rohingyas, none of their requests have been accepted as of today.

Over 23,000 Bengalis from over 3700 households have been investigated in Pauktaw Township until November 20, according to the press release from the Rakhine State government.

Most of the Bengali population is located in Maungdaw Township, Buthidaung Township, and Sittwe Township and the government plans to increase its forces in investigating these areas.

source credit EMG

FTUB wants to show MITU is an associate union of FTUB, that’s why they invited us

Myanmar Industrial Trade Union (MITU) refused the invitation from Federation of Trade Unions Burma (FTUB) to attend an International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) meeting, according to U Ye Kyaw Thu, a chairman of MITU.

“We assume that FTUB does not have any unions in Myanmar. FTUB wants to show MITU is an associate union of FTUB, that’s why they invited us; Therefore, we refused their invitation,” he said.

The ITUC and the Global Unions Federations will meet at the office of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) on December 6^th. MITU was invited to attend this meeting.

The ITUC has a plan to open an office in Myanmar and to form the worker unions independently once they have visited Myanmar.

Working under MITU, there are 12 basic unions that have already registered and there are 8 basic unions still registering. This totals around 20 basic unions under MITU.

FTUB also invited other unions to the meeting: representatives from the Uni Color note book factory, Myanmar Centre plastic factory and the representatives of workers in Dagon Port Township.

The MITU chairman said they want to meet the ITUC independently by the ILO (International Labor Organization) arrangement, contrary to the arrangement of FTUB.

 

“The decision to not attend the meeting of FTUB is not only my decision but also the decisions of the executive members. Our union is based on a democratic system; this decision was made together, in agreement,” U Ye Kyaw Thu said.

MITU will have to register its unions to become township level unions later this month. They are going to register officially for township level in the townships of Dagon Port, Hmawby, South Dagon and Hlinethaya.

MITU is a partner union of AFFM (Agriculture and Farmer Federation of Myanmar). AFFM announced at their October 8^th, conference of unions from divisions and states, that they have no involvement with FTUB. This statement is in contrast with U Maung Maung’s claims; The FTUB general secretary has told the international worker’s unions that 88 percent of AFFM is under the umbrella of FTUB.

AFFM chairperson, Daw Than Than Htay, said FTUB’s presentation is not true. AFFM is a member of The International Union of Food and Allied Workers (IUF) and is also recognized by the ILO.

http://phophtaw.org/english/index.php/news/regionall-news/660-mitu-refuses-invitation-from-ftub.html

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STOPP CORRUPTION  -FTUB has been working in exile for twenty years and receives funds from international donors such as the International Labor Organization (ILO), however, they have failed to set up any unions inside Myanmar. Many people won’t accept FTUB as a legitimate organization because it is not an official union. 

https://democracyforburma.wordpress.com/2012/11/23/ftubfederation-of-trade-unions-burma-maung-maung-fails-at-forming-unions/

Mon State Election Commission has refused pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi permission to run a campaign rally

The Mon State Election Commission has refused pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi permission to run a campaign rally at Than Lwin Garden in state capital Moulmein.

 

Ko Ko Zaw, a senior member of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD), told The Irrawaddy from his Moulmein party office that, “[The Election Commission] told us that the garden would be damaged. This is why they did not give permission.”

“We have the right to use it according to the law,” he added.

The Election Commission has instead allowed the event to take place in a football field six miles (10 km) outside the city which critics claim will make it harder for local people to hear Suu Kyi speak.

“It is far for the people to go there. They need to take motorbikes,” said Ko Ko Zaw.

NLD sources claim the party asked twice to use Than Lwin Garden for their campaign, and complained that the replacement football field is only a third of the size.

The NLD has said that the restrictions on using public venues risked making the upcoming by-elections unfair. The Burmese election authorities last month lifted restrictions on political campaigning.

However, the NLD claims that some government departments continue to block the party’s campaign activities despite being approved by the Union Election Commission.

Similar problems have marred Suu Kyi’s campaign all around Burma, with planned speeches in Naypyidaw and Mandalay townships having to be hastily rearranged after access to venues was refused.

Suu Kyi also complained during a rally in Taungoo Township on Tuesday that NLD billboards were being defaced.

Suu Kyi will arrive in Moulmein on Saturday afternoon and will spend one night in the city before giving a speech on Sunday morning, according to Khun Thar Myint, who is responsible for security during her visit.

The 66-year-old Nobel Laureate also plans to meet some members of Mon and other political parties during a dinner at the Strand Hotel.

Mon State has only one parliamentary seat to contest at the upcoming by-elections scheduled for April 1. There are four candidates from different political parties—Khin Htay Kywe from the NLD, Myit Myit Wai from the All Mon Regions Democracy Party, Aung Than Oo from the National Unity Party and Aye Myit from the Union Solidarity and Development Party.

The NLD boycotted the 2010 general election in protest at the 2008 Constitution which guaranteed a large proportion of parliamentary seats for the military. But it agreed to rejoin electoral politics last year when the new military-backed elected president, Thein Sein, began implementing democratic reforms. irrawaddy news