Burma Campaign UK calls for boycott of 33 military-linked businesses

The British-based Burma Campaign UK yesterday called for a boycott of all pro-military products, including those owned by the Burmese military.

The Burma Campaign UK has been urging the international community to boycott military products since 2020. Yesterday, a list of 33 military-related businesses was released.

Among them are Dagon Sparklin and Ram; Shwe Phi Oo Limonti; Includes Nan Myaing Coffee.

In international trade, Lann Pyi Marine Company Smart Fashion in the clothing industry; Dagon Hand Sanitizer hand sanitizer for health and cosmetics. Shwe Mann Thu, Myanmar Land and Development limited transportation; Myawaddy Manufacturing: Need Me Oxygen; In the entertainment industry, a total of 33 new businesses such as Myawaddy have been added.

The Burmese military, which is cracking down on pro-independence and pro-democracy activists in various ways, is not only collecting taxes from the people, but also its own businesses. The Burma Campaign UK is calling for a boycott of the military-backed private sector, which is also receiving revenue.

Fortify Rights urges ASEAN to join Burma in banning arms sales

The Asean Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has backed a UN Security Council resolution banning the sale of arms and technology to the Burmese military, and Human Rights Watch has called on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to end its arms embargo.

A 36-page annual report by Fortify Rights was released yesterday urging Asean to provide evidence of war crimes committed by the Burmese military between May last year and January this year.

Ismail Wolff, Fortify Rights' regional director for regional affairs, said the Burmese military was "killing its own people with weapons bought from the world market" and that immediate international action was needed to stop them.

Fortify Rights released a report urging ASEAN on the eve of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting, which begins in Cambodia today.

Fortify Rights says the Burmese military has committed genocide against Rohingya Muslims without prosecution, and commits crimes against humanity and war crimes against other ethnic groups, threatening international peace and security.

Fortify Rights urges Asean to support a ban on arms sales to the Burmese military, which is not a major arms exporter to Burma but is facing dire consequences as a result of military persecution of its people.

Hadi received a visit from the old Afghan government ambassador 

The Prime Minister's Special Envoy to the Middle East Abdul Hadi Awang today received a visit from the ambassador of Afghanistan's old government - who was overthrown by the Taliban last year - Dr Moheb Rahman Spingar.

"The courtesy call revolved around YB Tan Sri's (Hadi) working visit to Qatar to discuss the role that Malaysia needs to take in helping to develop Afghanistan, especially in the field of education and humanitarianism. 

"Efforts to strengthen relations between the two countries continue with humanitarian assistance with the cooperation of various parties," the Marang MP said in a brief statement on Facebook.

The PAS president also uploaded a picture of the visit at his office in Putrajaya.

Moheb last year, when answering questions from the Malaysian media, claimed his status as ambassador remained despite regime change in Afghanistan.

However, quoting The Times , Arab News yesterday reported that the position of the country's diplomats was still unclear as Afghan assets around the world were frozen following the Taliban coup.

Earlier, Moheb was reported that Afghans in Malaysia were worried about returning to their country of origin following the change of government taken over by the Taliban in August last year.

Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah last September was reported to have said that Putrajaya had decided not to send the Afghan ambassador back for the time being.

Meet the Taliban representative in Qatar

Earlier, Hadi reportedly had a meeting with representatives of the Taliban leadership during his working visit to Qatar, recently.

The meeting sparked controversy after critics came forward to question the meeting as recognizing the Taliban and leading the Malaysian government.

However, Hadi's official stressed that the meeting was a dialogue arranged by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Mofa) at the request of the special ambassador's office and did not mean "recognition".

Residents of Khamvan worry that the state has approved mining

Map showing the area of ​​gold and gold mining concessions of Nixon Pattana Mining Co., Ltd.

On February 10, 2022, the Ministry of Planning and Investment held a signing ceremony for the Nixon Pattana Mining Group Limited, a sole proprietorship of Lao investors to mine, process and export gold and copper ores in Ban Namoun and Naluang, Kham District, Xieng Khouang Province, and in Ban Sopkoun, Phoukoud District, Xieng Khouang Province, at the age of 20 years .

The company plans to take 100 hectares of villagers' orchards in Naluang village, Kham district, Xieng Khouang province, for gold mining. The villagers have no land titles, so the villagers have to transfer the land to the company at the behest of their superiors. But the villagers want the company to pay compensation as appropriate, or for the company to repair the red dirt road from Ban Naluang to Ban Huay Phae for 5 km to compensate for the paddy fields and gardens that they have given to the company.

As Naluang villagers in Kham District, Xieng Khouang Province, told RFA on February 15:

" As a result, many parents are not allowed to do this, and the government allows us to do not know what to do and talk about this land, because we have not yet done the land title deed. ”

Earlier in the day, during a survey in Namuan village, Kham district, villagers were also affected as the company drilled in several places to find mineral resources, causing landslides from drilling rigs and structures to slide into the river, leaving people without clean water and drinking water.

As the villagers of Ban Namoun, Kham District, Xieng Khouang Province said on the same day:

" The damage is already there, especially this water and the soil is eroding into the canals. Both the animals and the water, the crabs, the oil are affected, sometimes they die. ”

Villagers in Sopkun village, Phoukoud district, Xieng Khouang province, another village where Nixon Pattana Mining Co., Ltd. will soon be mining gold and gold ore. Villagers in the village are also concerned about the impact of explosives on gold mining, which is not far from the village.

The villagers of Ban Sopkun, Phoukoud district, said on the same day:

" It's disturbing us when we are sleeping and it is difficult for us to find something to eat. Sometimes there are bombs because they explode and hit us or hit the community. ”

Villagers in Longshan village, Phoukoud district, Xieng Khouang province, which borders Sopkun village, are just as concerned about the impact of the village river on chemical contamination from the gold mines. As Ban Long San villagers in Phou Khouth district, Xieng Khouang province said on the same day:

" If there is a shortage of fresh water or if there is a drought, it is likely that there will be a shortage of streams and creeks, so if there is no disaster, then at least we will use this river to see if there is a real problem. ”

As for the compensation for the villagers 'paddy fields, gardens, and upland lands, the relevant authorities have initially coordinated with the company to compensate the people's parents' land as appropriate if the excavation covers the people's land, but the people are still not sure whether they will receive compensation or not.

According to the relevant authorities in Xieng Khouang province on the same day:

" Wherever it touches people's farmland, the company has to compensate and compensate them," he said. ”

He added that the company already has a plan to prevent environmental impacts on rivers, noise and explosions in Naluang, Sopkun and Longshan villages.

" Oh, of course, this has to be a plan, because before it can be mined or something, it has to get an environmental certification plan from the Ministry of Environment to get a permit so it can dig in, the regulations it already has. ”

Nixon Pattana Mining Group Co., Ltd. is the sole investor and 100% shareholder in the exploration, processing and export of gold and gold ores.

In addition, on February 10, 2022, the company provided the government with 2 million US dollars in advance for the development of advance resources and provided 48 billion kip for the repair of roads from Muang Kham, Xieng Khouang province to Hoem district, Houaphanh province, worth 48 billion kip.