By KYAW HSU MON / THE IRRAWADDY

RANGOON — A landmark monthly magazine on human rights and democracy in Burma is showing strong sales just four months after launching, according to its director.

Available at book stores in Rangoon, Naypyidaw and Mandalay, the Burmese-language Journal of Human Rights and Democracy covers topics that just a few years ago would have not have made it to publication under the censorship of the military regime.

But it was launched in May—amid an opening up of Burma’s print media environment after a quasi-civilian government took power in 2011—by the Myanmar Knowledge Society (MKS), with backing from a Norwegian aid agency. The first four editions have covered some of the most pertinent issues in Burma today—people’s rights, democracy in transition, freedom of speech in Burma and hate speech.

By SAMANTHA MICHAELS / THE IRRAWADDY

RANGOON — The entrance hall to Lumbini Academy is not like that of a typical school in Burma. Just inside, behind a winding staircase that leads to classrooms upstairs, a few children run around an indoor playground, racing down yellow and red slides, while a boy sits on the ledge of a small indoor pool, watching a collection of fish swim by.

“We’re teaching the children the difference between living things and nonliving things,” says Khu Hse Phaw, a 32-year-old preschool teacher. “We go out and show them the fish, the plants and the turtles—we have those, too.”

Covenant World Relief

For over a year, increasing violent conflict in Burma has caused many communities and thousands of people to become displaced within their own country.

But recently the Karen National Union has participated in talks of peace. While concerns still remain about a possible resurgence of the Burma Army, many leaders are hopeful that these conflicts will officially draw to a close in the weeks ahead.

One major concern is what the political status of the Karen people will be. They worry that the Burmese government will confiscate their land (as has happened in other ethnic areas). They also worry that the government will prevent them from teaching in their own language and managing their own civil departments (Health, Education). Much remains to be seen in the outcome of these peace talks.

Author: Adam P MacDonald, Halifax

John Blaxland recently acknowledged that return to military rule in Myanmar is becoming an increasingly marginal (but not impossible) prospect. The expected international and domestic retaliatory actions to a return to military rule in Myanmar are a major deterrent, as they could potentially derail Myanmar’s political stability, economic development and threaten important cease-fires.

This, combined with an entrenched position in the political architecture that preserves their institutional autonomy and influence, has encouraged the Myanmar military (Tatmadaw) to play a back-stage and non-disruptive role so far in the democratic reform process. Eliminating avenues of military interference is a necessary condition for such reform, but by itself it will not guarantee Myanmar’s democratic future.

ANI  |  Beijing

Myanmar has approved UNESCO’s peace education project in northern Rakhine state.

The country reaffirmed its commitment to promote peace education as a means of fostering mutual respect for cultural diversity at the school level.

The project is to be jointly implemented by the UNESCO and the government in three townships in the state-Maungtaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung with the fund support by the Belgium government.

Under the project, 350 teachers from 40 conflicted-affected schools will be trained in peace education and it will benefit 10, 000 students, Xinhua reported.

The project also aims to reactivate 40 parent-teacher associations and set up three community learning centers.

Tribune Report

‘We are yet to get any indication from our troops deployed along the border. We are watchful, but not worried about it’

The Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) forces are remaining alert but are not concerned over reports that Myanmar has deployed three regular army battalions along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border.

“We are yet to get any indication [of army deployment by Myanmar] from our troops deployed along the border. We are watchful, but not worried about it,” BGB Director General Major General Aziz said on Saturday.