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I'm a freedom fighter, not a political leader |
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Min Ko Naing, Myanmar's Democracy Activist:
As Min Ko Naing ascended the steps of the 2013 Human Rights Cities stage at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center in Gwangju last May 17, the scars of the war he fought against Myanmar's military regime for 20 years of his life, was evident. He walked with a visible limp on his left leg. Clad in the traditional Burmese sarong and white shirt, Ko Naing, 51, accepted the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights, which he won in 2009.
Gwangju, a town in South Korea, well-known for its human rights activism and the rights of cities, kept Ko Naing's award for four years, until he was free to go and claim it.
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‘It’s a question of justice’ |
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Burma
 While the recent World Economic Forum (WEF) in Naypyidaw was primarily a business-focused gathering bringing together Burma’s political leaders with regional and global chief executives, human rights did get a look in, with Amnesty International secretary-general Salil Shetty a panelist in a discussion of Burma’s business future.
The panel lineup, featuring the likes of Serge Pun, a well-known Burmese businessman, along with representatives of Dow Chemical and India’s Hindustan Construction, hints at a growing awareness that in Burma’s transitional politics and economy, the human rights-business crossover is particularly acute. Allegations of land grabs—together with jeremiads issued by rights groups warning that corporate exploitation of Burma’s tens of millions of poor could replace military oppression—mean that for those companies coming to Burma to sell consumer goods, set up factories or tap gas, an appreciation of the country’s long history of rights abuses is needed, and could in fact benefit their bottom line.
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‘Don’t believe everything you hear’ |
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Burma MYITKYINA, Kachin State—In Burma’s northernmost state, ethnic Kachin rebels and government officials agreed last week to a tentative peace pact to end a long-running war between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the government army. Following the negotiations, Lt-Gen Myint Soe, the commander who oversees the government army’s Kachin State operations, caught up with The Irrawaddy in an exclusive interview—his first in decades—to explain how the military has changed under the quasi civilian regime, why clashes continued in Kachin State earlier this year despite the president’s call for a unilateral ceasefire, and what he thinks of allegations of military rights abuses.
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“It is a win-win-win situation” |
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NepalChina’s ambassador to Nepal, Wu Chuntai, spoke to Nepali Times this week about Nepal-China trade, investment and potential for future cooperation Nepali Times: Chinese investment in Nepal is growing dramatically, what could be done to increase it even further? Wu Chuntain: According to the statistical data from Department of Industry, Nepal has attracted more than $100 million investment from China and Chinese entrepreneurs have established more than 500 local companies in Nepal. In order to boost Chinese investment in Nepal, we suggest that the BIPPA (Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement) be signed by the governments of Nepal and China which will significantly enhance our bilateral economic relationship. In addition, the PDA (Project Development Agreement) is vital for Chinese investment in hydropower projects, which is needed for the Chinese investors to finance adequate funding to develop the projects.
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