Pusat pekerjaan Brunei ditubuhkan

Oleh Syahmi Hassan

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, 27 Nov – Bagi mengurangkan kadar pengangguran di Negara Brunei Darussalam, Pusat Pekerjaan Brunei (Job Centre Brunei) akan ditubuhkan sebagai pengganti Agensi Pekerjaan Tempatan dan Pembangunan Tenaga Kerja (APTK) yang bakal ditempatkan di Kampung Beribi, Gadong, mulai Disember depan.

Penubuhan pusat berkenaan telah diumumkan oleh Menteri Tenaga dan Perindustrian di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Singamanteri Kolonel (B) Dato Seri Setia (Dr.) Haji Mohammad Yasmin bin Haji Umar semasa berucap pada Majlis Perasmian Pesta Kerjaya Brunei 2016 di BRIDEX, Jerudong, hari ini.

Yang Berhormat Pehin seterusnya menjelaskan, penubuhan pusat berkenaan merupakan tindakan dalam masa jangka pendek pihak kerajaan, di mana dengan adanya pusat tersebut, data-data yang berkaitan dengan peluang pekerjaan dan profil para pencari kerja yang telah dikumpulkan sebelum ini berserta maklumat yang baru adalah diselaraskan dalam pangkalan data Pusat Pekerjaan Brunei yang sedia ada.

Pusat itu akan menjadi ‘one-stop shop’, di mana ia akan menjadi tempat bagi pendaftaran para pencari kerja, mempamerkan pangkalan data kerja-kerja kosong dan juga membantu pencari-pencari kerja memperbaiki peluang mereka untuk mendapatkan pekerjaan.

Menurut beliau lagi, para pencari kerja yang tidak mempunyai komputer boleh mengunjungi pusat berkenaan untuk mendaftar kursus-kursus pembangunan kapasiti bagi meningkatkan kemahiran. Pusat tersebut juga boleh diakses 24 jam, tujuh hari seminggu melalui portal dalam talian.

Para pencari kerja bolehlah meneliti peluang-peluang kerja secara online serta mendaftar bagi program-program ‘upskilling’ untuk meningkatkan kemahiran dan kompetensi masing-masing.

Syarikat-syarikat juga dapat mengakses calon-calon pekerja melalui portal dalam talian berkenaan.

Dalam temu bual bersama media, Yang Berhormat Pehin telah menjelaskan bahawa pangkalan data berkenaan akan memadankan peluang pekerjaan yang paling dekat untuk pencari kerja dan pada masa yang sama juga Pusat Pekerjaan Brunei akan melihat pencari kerja secara menyeluruh.

Menurut beliau, pusat berkenaan akan dikendalikan di bawah Majlis Perancangan Tenaga Manusia.

Mengulas mengenai APTK, Yang Berhormat Pehin berkata bahawa agensi berkenaan telah dibubarkan dan Pusat Pekerjaan Brunei akan menguruskan semua urusan yang dibuat oleh APTK dahulu. Katanya lagi, pusat berkenaan akan beroperasi sepenuhnya pada Januari tahun depan.


Sumber- Media Permata

Brunei Darussalam tackles rise of non-communicable diseases

The rising incidence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is placing an increasing burden on Brunei Darussalam’s health care system and economy, though the government is stepping up efforts to improve the nation’s health.

NCDs have been the main cause of death in Brunei Darussalam for more than 30 years, with a shift away from traditional lifestyles and dietary patterns seen as the underlying cause, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH).

If unchecked, the increasing incidence of NCDs could put a strain on the country’s health care system, as well as affect social and economic growth.

“Without a change in our behaviour, the number of obese adults in the country is forecast to soar. This will prove devastating for the country and pose a real barrier towards our national development,” the MoH said in a statement in June.

Rising to the challenge

In response, the government has launched the Brunei Darussalam National Multisectoral Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of NCDs (BruMAP-NCD) 2013-18 – a broad programme to boost the prevention and treatment of NCDs – as part of the MoH’s Vision 2035, known as “Together Towards a Healthy Nation”.

The programmes aim to reduce premature mortality from NCDs by 18% by 2018, a goal that is in line with the global target of a 25% reduction by 2025.

Under the BruMAP-NCD’s five objectives – to reduce tobacco use, promote a balanced and healthy diet, increase physical activity, identify people at risk of NCDs and manage effectively, and improve the quality of care and outcome of NCDs management – health officials have laid out a number of more specific national targets.

For example, the government aims to curb tobacco consumption by 30% by 2018 and to make public places smoke-free by the end of this year.

In terms of diet, state agencies are targeting a 10% reduction in salt usage, encouraging more Bruneians to engage in regular exercise and mandating improved diets for children by regulating the products offered at school canteens, as well as implementing health programmes in the country’s workplaces.

Overall, these lifestyle changes aim to achieve a 1% reduction in the rate of increase of obesity and diabetes by 2018.

Meanwhile, measures to bolster treatment will include initiatives to identify people at risk of developing NCDs, provide support for the effective management of illnesses and ensure the availability of affordable technologies and generic medicines in both private and public health care facilities.

Risk of obesity

The need for such measures is crucial especially as the country is seeing an increase in obesity in its youth, which is leading to higher levels of NCDs in the adult population.

Obesity is reaching alarming levels among the country’s young people, with half of the nation’s children over the age of five either overweight or obese, according to a statement made by Awang Haji Zulkarnain bin Haji Hanafi, minister of health, in mid-October.

“From 2008 to 2014, obesity among school children in Brunei Darussalam increased from 12% to 18%,” he said. “This means that obesity rises by 1% every year. If this issue is unresolved, every single child in Brunei could potentially be obese in the near future.”

As a result of this growing trend, health conditions normally seen in adults are occurring in children, including Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep disorders.

The increasing rate of excessive weight in childhood is also likely to contribute to obesity later in life, with the MoH showing that currently 62% of Bruneians are either overweight or obese. Furthermore, 30% of the total population suffer from high blood pressure, 12.4% from diabetes and 70% from above-average levels of cholesterol.

Measurable success

Although Brunei Darussalam still has a way to go to curtail NCDs, progress is already being made, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The WHO’s “NCDs Progress Monitor” released last year indicated that Brunei Darussalam had made the most strides out of all ASEAN countries in preventing and combatting NCDs. The country achieved 10 out of 18 indicators on the WHO’s index, such as smoke-free policies and health warnings to reduce tobacco usage, advertising bans and pricing policies to limit alcohol intake, drug therapy and counselling for high-risk individuals, and public awareness on diet and physical activity.

Brunei Darussalam scored higher than other countries in the region, such as Cambodia (3), Myanmar (2) and Laos (1), as well as slightly better than Singapore (9) and Malaysia (8).


Sumber - Oxford Business Group

KENYATAAN RASMI PRESIDEN NDP MENGENAI ISU KEZALIMAN TERHADAP UMAT ISLAM ROHINGYA

Baca atau muat turun kenyataan rasmi Presiden NDP (format pdf) di pautan berikut,

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2OXPABIfo1gc0VuRUdqclJWLW8/view?usp=sharing

Sesi Pencerahan dan Penerangan Mengenai Isu Pemberhentian Perkhidmatan Wad Perbidanan dan Sakitpuan Di Hospital PMMPMHAMB Tutong

Perjumpaan dan perbincangan berjalan lancar penuh hemah. Rombongan NDP telah diberikan maklumat dan penerangan yang tepat:-

1) Ternyata, ada salah pemahaman mengenai isu tersebut dan tidak seperti yang dikhuatiri masyarakat.

2) Perkhidmatan pemeriksaan kesihatan dan pemantauan untuk ibu-ibu mengandung dan sakit puan dan kes-kes kecemasan bersangkutan dua perkhidmatan ini masih diberikan dan diteruskan di daerah Tutong, bukan sahaja di Hospital PMMPMHAMB, Tutong bahkan di Pusat-pusat Kesihatan Lamunin, Telisai dan Sg. Kelugos.

3) Hanya wad-wad untuk bersalin dan perawatan sakit puan yang akan ditiadakan dan pesakit-pesakit boleh memilih di Hospital RIPAS atau Suri Seri Begawan. Ini memandangkan dari lima ratus(500) kelahiran setahun yang didaftarkan di daerah Tutong, kurang dari dua ratus(200) yang memilih melahirkan di daerah Tutong, tapi memilih melahirkan di Hospital RIPAS atau Hospital Suri Seri Begawan.

4) Minit tersebut masih sebatas perbincangan dalaman Hospital PMMPMHAMB dan belum muktamad diperingkat atas Kementerian Kesihatan untuk lebih mengemaskinikan dan memantapkan program tersebut.

5) Rombongan juga dikongsikan maklumat tentang wacana Kementerian Kesihatan untuk menjadikan setiap Hospital mempunyai "individual niche" sebagai "one stop centre" atau Pusat Serenti. Dalam hal Hospital PMMPMHAMB, ia diwacanakan menjadi pusat rawatan ringan seperti pembedahan katarak, kongenital dsbnya untuk pesakit-pesakit seluruh negara, bukan hanya penduduk Tutong.

6) Hospital RIPAS, Bandar Seri Begawan dan Hospital Suri Seri Begawan, Kuala Belait, juga akan mempunyai "individual niche" yang tersendiri, berlainan dengan Hospital PMMPMHAMB, Tutong.
Demikianlah serba ringkas maklumat yang dapat Badan Perhubungan Daerah Tutong kongsikan hasil dari sesi pencerahan dan penerangan dari pihak pentadbiran Hospital PMMPMHAMB mengenai isu minit yang heboh diviralkan dan hangat diperdebatkan dan dikritik di media sosial.

Menjunjung Titah, Membangun Bangsa.


Jefry Mohd Daud
Naib Presiden Tutong.
PARTI PEMBANGUNAN BANGSA (NDP)
Sabtu, 19 November 2016
(9:30am - 11:30am),
Bilik Inovasi, Hospital PMMPMHAMB Tutong.

Turut hadir:
1) Ahli Majlis Tertinggi, YM Mohd Tahir bin Radin;
2) Ahli Majlis Tertinggi, YM Hj Ratu bin Mohd Tahir;
3) Ahli Majlis Tertinggi, YM Puspalinda bte Abidin;
4) Ketua Pemuda Pusat, YM Md Ali bin Abdul Rahman;
5) Ketua Biro Aduan Awam, YM Abuzah bin Md Noor;
6) Ketua Pemuda Daerah, YM Hj Akramin bin Hj Hashim;
7) Perwakilan JASA(Jabatan Setiausaha Agung), YM Ali bin Ahad.

Burma: New Wave of Destruction in Rohingya Villages

820 Newly Identified Destroyed Buildings; UN-Aided Investigation Urgently Needed

(New York) – New satellite imagery of Burma’s Rakhine State shows 820 newly identified structures destroyed in five different ethnic Rohingya villages between November 10-18, 2016, Human Rights Watch said today. The Burmese government should without further delay invite the United Nations to assist in an impartial investigation of the widespread destruction of villages.

Updated Damage Assessment of Affected Villages in Maungdaw District. Human Rights Watch identified
a total of 820 destroyed buildings in five villages of Maungdaw District from an analysis of very high resolution
satellite imagery recorded on 10, 17 and 18 November 2016. These damages are in addition to the 430 destroyed
buildings Human Rights Watch identified earlier and represent a second, more destructive round of arson attacks
occurring between 10 and 17 November 2016

The latest images bring the total number of destroyed buildings documented by Human Rights Watch in northern Rakhine State through satellite imagery to 1,250. US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power, at a November 17 UN Security Council meeting on the deteriorating situation in Rakhine State, called for international observers to be allowed to investigate and for aid groups to have their access restored. After a short visit by diplomats to the area, Yanghee Lee, the UN special rapporteur on Burma, said on November 18, “The security forces must not be given carte blanche to step up their operations under the smokescreen of having allowed access to an international delegation. Urgent action is needed to bring resolution to the situation."

“These alarming new satellite images confirm that the destruction in Rohingya villages is far greater and in more places than the government has admitted,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The apparent arson attacks against five Rohingya villages is a matter of grave concern for which the Burmese government needs to investigate and prosecute those responsible. UN participation is crucial for such an investigation to be credible.”

Human Rights Watch identified a total of 820 destroyed buildings in five villages of Maungdaw district from an analysis of very high resolution satellite imagery recorded on November 10, 17, and 18. This damage is in addition to the 430 destroyed buildings Human Rights Watch identified from satellite imagery on November 13. Of the 820 destroyed buildings, 255 were in the village of Yae Khat Chaung Gwa Son; 265 in Dar Gyi Zar; 65 in Pwint Hpyu Chaung; 15 in Myaw Taung; and 220 in Wa Peik (in addition to the 100 which were destroyed earlier in the village).

Human Rights Watch also reviewed thermal anomaly data collected by environmental satellite sensors that detected the presence of multiple active fires burning in the village of Pwint Hpyu Chaung on November 12, in Dar Gyi Zar on November 13, and in Yae Khat Chaung Gwa Son on November 13, 14, and 15. Dense tree cover may have concealed a limited number of additional buildings that were destroyed, making it possible that the actual number is higher.

At a press conference on November 15 in response to Human Rights Watch’s November 13 statement, the Burmese government admitted widespread burning but claimed that the total number of buildings destroyed was significantly lower. The government cited helicopter flyovers of the area to arrive at its figures and blamed unspecified “terrorists” for the burnings.

Rohingya Muslim children stand in U Shey Kya village outside Maungdaw in Rakhine state

The new imagery shows village destruction that far exceeds the figures released by the Burmese government, Human Rights Watch said. On November 15, the Burmese military reported that militants burned down 60 homes in Dar Gyi Sar, while the State Counsellor Office’s newly created “Information Committee” reported on November 16 that only 30 buildings were destroyed in the same town. The new imagery shows that 265 buildings have been destroyed in Dar Gyi Zar alone. The State Counsellor’s information committee press release on November 16 mistakenly attributed a claim that all buildings were destroyed in Dar Gyi Zar to Human Rights Watch.

Both the military and the State Counsellor’s information committee reported that 105 buildings were destroyed in Wa Peik village. Satellite imagery collected by Human Rights Watch between November 10-17 shows that an additional 220 buildings were destroyed. This newly documented destruction, coupled with the 100 buildings Human Rights Watch imagery determined were destroyed from images collected between October 9 and November 3, brings the total to 320 buildings destroyed in Wa Peik village.

“On November 15, a government spokesperson suggested that Human Rights Watch was part of a ‘conspiracy’ to harm Burma’s image,” Adams said. “Instead of responding with military-era style accusations and denials, the government should simply look at the facts and take action to protect all people in Burma, whatever their religion or ethnicity.”

The crisis follows violence on October 9, in which gunmen attacked three police outposts in Maungdaw township near the Bangladesh border, leaving nine police officers dead. The government said that the attackers made off with dozens of weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition. The Burmese government asserts the attack was carried out by a Rohingya group, but actual responsibility remains unclear. A second attack on a border guard post that resulted in the death of a police officer reportedly occurred on November 3.

Immediately after the October 9 attack, government forces declared Maungdaw district an “operation zone” and began sweeps of the area to find the attackers and lost weapons. They severely restricted the freedom of movement of local populations and imposed extended curfews, which remain in place. With the area sealed off to observers, local sources reported that government forces committed serious human rights abuses, including torture, rape, extrajudicial executions, and widespread destruction of buildings, including mosques.

On October 28, Reuters published interviews with Rohingya women who allege that Burmese soldiers raped them. The government also allegedly pressured the Myanmar Times to fire one of its editors who reported allegations of rape by Burmese army soldiers.

The Burmese government conducted a government-supervised tour of some impacted sites in Maungdaw on November 2 and 3 with a nine-member delegation of foreign ambassadors, including the UN Resident Coordinator. The delegation conducted no formal investigation or assessment, but confirmed that they saw burned structures in several towns and spoke with several villagers. Allegations of reprisals against those who spoke to delegation members surfaced shortly after the trip concluded.

Another outbreak of violence reportedly began on November 11. The government reported the deaths of 69 alleged militants and 17 security force personnel. Local groups reported significant civilian casualties, but the lack of access makes all casualty reports difficult to verify. The Burmese military said that helicopter gunships called in to provide air support to its troops were attacked by hundreds of militants.

According to humanitarian aid groups, tens of thousands of people have been displaced by the recent violence, with hundreds attempting to flee to Bangladesh.

The government has responded with blanket denials to allegations that the security forces have committed abuses. Officials maintain that terrorists are responsible for the destruction of the buildings and urge that international journalists investigate the claims. However, the government has continued to block journalists, humanitarian aid workers, and human rights investigators from traveling to the impacted areas.

Burma is obligated under international law to conduct thorough, prompt, and impartial investigations of alleged human rights violations, prosecute those responsible, and provide adequate redress for victims of violations. Standards for such investigations can be found, for example, in the UN Principles on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra-legal, Arbitrary and Summary Executions, and the UN Guidance on Commissions of Inquiry and Fact-Finding Missions. Burma’s failure to conduct such investigations in the past underscores the need for UN assistance, Human Rights Watch said.

In early November, the government granted the World Food Programme (WFP) one-time access to four villages for a one-time food delivery. However, humanitarian aid groups continue to be denied full access, placing tens of thousands of already vulnerable people at greater risk.

Thousands of people impacted by the violence in the villages of Maungdaw have been without aid for six weeks. Despite assurances from the Burmese government that aid access to all impacted areas would be restored, many of the most significantly affected areas remain sealed to humanitarian assessment teams and human rights groups.

“After six weeks of violence with virtually no aid reaching tens of thousands of highly vulnerable people, the government needs to act decisively to assist them,” Adams said. “A government with nothing to hide should have no problem granting access to journalists and human rights investigators.”


Sumber - Human Rights Watch

Ucapan Dasar Presiden NDP di Kongres Agung Tahunan ke-11 2016

Baca atau muat turun teks penuh ucapan (format pdf) di pautan berikut,

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8DOv3PE5yZ9NGNVNi1ELWtrcEU/view?usp=sharing

Sekitar Kongres Agung NDP ke-11 pada 5 November 2016

Kongres Agung Parti Pembangunan Bangsa (NDP) ke-11 pada 5-6 November 2016, bertempat Di Dewan Mesyuarat, Tingkat 4, Bangunan Persekutuan Pengakap Brunei Darussalam, Gadong. Diterajui oleh Yang Di Hormati Pengerusi Tetap Awg Hj Abd Rahman bin Hj Mohd Yusof.

HM questions students’ Arabic language proficiency

Rasidah HAB
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

HIS Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, has called into question Arabic school students’ proficiency in the Arabic language.

During Seri Begawan Religious Teachers University College’s (KUPU SB) sixth convocation yesterday, the monarch said authorities need to investigate complaints of Brunei’s Arabic school students unable to master the Arabic language.

“In Brunei, we have Arabic schools. I want these schools to accurately reflect its name,” the Sultan said in his titah.

His Majesty, who is also Chancellor of KUPU SB, said Brunei undoubtedly takes pride in Arabic schools as they teach various disciplines such as religious knowledge and Arabic language, while its graduates were able to further their studies locally or abroad.

“However, there have been complaints that students of an Arabic school could not master the Arabic language or in other words, they were not able to converse well in the Arabic language compared with the English language.”

He added, “If this is true, I hope that it will be investigated and rectified”.

The Sultan called on schools to make it their primary task to seek answers as to why the students are still weak in mastering Arabic.

“Does it concern the teachers? Are there insufficient teachers or unqualified teachers, or does it relate to teaching equipment such as not enough books or the books are no longer suitable with the current situation? Or maybe it concerns teaching methods that do not meet standards,” he said.

“All these must be investigated thoroughly. Weaknesses or strengths in language cannot simply be assessed solely based on marks given on examination papers. This is because the answers can simply be memorised,” the monarch added.

His Majesty went on to say that teachers, especially religious teachers, need to know they are “agents of their time” in ensuring the survival of people and the nation.

Teachers are not only tasked with delivering lessons in classrooms but also become role models to their students and the community.

“This is the true principle of education,” he said during the convocation at the International Convention Centre.

KUPU SB graduates are qualified teachers, and as qualified teachers, they possess extensive knowledge, he added.

“This knowledge is about trust. Teachers are entrusted to impart knowledge to those entitled to it — the community, and this should be maintained,” the monarch said.

His Majesty said KUPU SB must draw up guidelines for its students to become religious teachers who have strong work ethics and are competent.

The sovereign likened KUPU SB to a factory that produces high quality commodities, in which the quality must be determined by the primary objective of education, which is to bring forth graduates who are well-mannered.

“This is a basic need, whose position should not be below but placed high, consistent with the declaration made by Prophet Muhammad SAW, as narrated by Bukhari and Muslim: ‘Verily I was sent to perfect good manners of man’”, he said.

The Sultan said the importance of akhlak or morals is more pronounced in this modern era, following the advent of information communication technology (ICT), he said.

“The whole community, including children are not exempted from being exposed to ‘symptoms’ that are detrimental to one’s morals. The ‘symptoms’ are many and difficult to control. Controlling it requires strategies that are carefully thought out and implemented in an orderly manner,” he added.

His Majesty said it is important to engage the services of qualified teachers to teach moral values to children as well as guide and motivate them to become children who have faith.

Moreover, parents are also urged to provide their children with an environment that is good and conducive for Islamic learning.

The monarch said one must not forget the meaning behind the hadith which states: “Every child is born in a state of fitrah that is clean like a piece of white cloth. It is parents who are responsible in bringing them up either as a Jew or a Christian”.

His Majesty also announced the establishment of ‘Fiqh Al-Usrah Research Centre’ at KUPU SB that aims to strengthen education and family institutions.

Speaking on Brunei’s accomplishment in implementing the Compulsory Religious Education Order 2012, the Sultan said it is a “huge responsibility”.

“Alhamdulillah, we have fulfilled (this responsibility), what is left for us to do now is to make religious education prominent, progressive and well established,” he added.

The sovereign then extended his congratulations and appreciation to all members of KUPU SB for their contribution and service and hoped that Allah SWT will bestow them many rewards and that KUPU SB will become a blessed institution of higher learning.


Sumber - The Brunei Times

Taking the Rohingya Insurgency at Face Value

By Richard Potter

Much of the speculation about the recent attacks miss a simple truth about the plight of the Rohingya.

Following deadly attacks on three police outposts that killed nine police officers along the Myanmar-Bangladesh border, speculation about the perpetrators has spread wildly, both from the Myanmar government and the media. The attack was apparently carried out by a massive group estimated at 400 people that coordinated simultaneous assaults on three separate border guard police posts near the city of Maungdaw, in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. The attackers were believed to belong to the country’s long oppressed Rohingya Muslim minority. Speculation has been rampant in the wake of the attacks and subsequent military crackdown, ranging from claims that the assailants were trained by the Pakistani Taliban, to those in opposition claiming the entire affair has been orchestrated by the military to seize resources, regain control of the government, and expel the Muslim minority. What seems clear is that much of what happened and who is behind it is lying in plain sight, but very few have been willing to acknowledge it.

Rohingya Muslim men stand at U Shey Kya village outside
Maugndaw in Rakhine state, Myanmar October 27, 2016.

The initial speculation by government and media sources was that the attack was carried out by the Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO), even though that group has been defunct since they were disarmed by the Bangladeshi government in the early 2000s. Rumors have abounded that the group in fact remains active, even as the RSOs leadership – and indeed the leaderships of nearly all Rohingya militant groups – have gone into exile and taken on more diplomatic roles. Whatever remnants of the RSO do remain in Bangladesh are a toothless version of what once was. This doesn’t eliminate the potential for militarization of Rohingya in the region, but relies heavily on rumors to explain what might be happening.

Within a few days of the attack unconfirmed videos began to appear online of men insinuating their connection to the attacks, calling for Muslims and Rohingya to join them in combat against the military and government. The group identified itself as al Yakeen in several of the videos, and elsewhere as Harakat al Yaqeen, which was translated to me by fluent Arabic speakers as well as Rohingya familiar with the group as “The Movement of the Faith” or alternatively “The Movement of Hope.” In the first videos released several adult men in civilian clothes can be see holding assault rifles and small pistols. In a later video they appear marching and say their emir, or spiritualist leader, has been injured but is continuing on while asking for others to join them. The camera then pans to show a wider shot of the entire militia walking. Their numbers are so great they are unable to show all of them, but they are apparently in the hundreds. What is beyond striking, though, is that only a handful of the men are adults with guns; the rest are children who appear to be 12 years old or younger armed with swords, sticks and farm tools. The feeling quickly sinks in that these children are being marched to their deaths for something they aren’t even old enough to understand. Frankly, it is horrifying.

The president’s office later released a statement regarding the attacks which attempted to clarify previous unconfirmed statements in a single account of facts. The statements described the leadership of a little known group called “Aqa Mul Mujahadeen,” whom they said was trained by the Pakistani Taliban over the course of six months through an RSO contact. “Aqaa Mul Mujahideen” means “Those who stand as Mujahideen (Muslim warriors)” in Arabic, and reads more as a generic reference than any kind of official name. The statement said that this organization was funded by Middle East backers.

The trouble with these statements is that they make very little sense in light of what information is available. While the government is describing an overwhelming force of well trained and well funded Taliban-tied militants, the reality for them is far more embarrassing: Their police posts were overrun by a militia composed mostly of small children led by downtrodden men armed with farm tools, who stole their guns and quickly vanished. Neither the military nor the police can find them. The insurgency the government is trying to identify is more of an uprising, albeit a well coordinated one. Evidence of funding and links to clandestine groups may prove true over time, but at the moment evidence suggests the attacks were local to the areas near the Naf river, the attackers were only armed with swords and tools before robbing the police posts of their guns, and that their initial tactics were sophomoric at best. The Rohingya they’re fighting now are living in the same conditions as the Rohingya who knowingly fled with human traffickers two years ago that could – and often would – kill, rape and sell them in to slavery, in the hope they might escape the circumstances inside of Myanmar and the Bangladesh refugee camps. It is not a jihadist invasion of Myanmar; It is an act of desperation. But unlike the Rohingya who fled on boats, those fighting believe they preserve some sense of autonomy and dignity after decades of having been denied both.

In one of the videos posted on a channel called “The Faith Movement,” the same men seen in the previous videos appear, but a voice is dubbed over, and seemingly modulated perhaps to hide the identity of the speaker. The dubbing is in English and calls for a restoration of rights and that a number of grievances be immediately resolved. They deny any links to terrorists groups, or any outside influence at all. They clearly express a feeling of abandonment by the international community, and perhaps most unexpected of all they call on the Myanmar government to end its civil war with the ethnic minorities in the country, many of whom have been fickle allies, if not outright political opponents to the Rohingya. While the dubbing of this video can’t be verified yet, when compared to what facts on the ground are known they stand well enough to take seriously. Within all the chaos that has happened since the initial attacks no Buddhist civilians have been targeted or attacked. Whether or not the video itself can be verified, it does seem that those involved in this conflict do want to avoid the label of terrorists, and like the other ethnic groups, they may be seeking to gain legitimate political power through guerrilla fighting as the Kachin Independence Organization and Karen National Union have done in the Kachin and Karen ethnic regions.

As few facts emerge about the conflict journalists have also scrambled to gather information on the militants, but with limited success. Surely if hundreds of men and boys left to go fight the government someone would know about it. Yet, the Rohingya have remained incredibly silent on the issue, and one has to imagine how disheartening it must be to be approached by journalists who have often ignored or minimized cries for help from the community but are suddenly now are interested in a sensational story that risks demonizing them even as they watch dozens of their own die in the crackdown. It confirms in the worst way that their grievances are taken more seriously by the world when they are armed than when they are victims.

On October 11, four Burmese soldiers were reportedly killed in a skirmish in Maungdaw. Accounts varied between government and Rohingya sources about who initiated the fight, but given the high number of casualties of well armed Burmese soldiers it seems likely they were ambushed, which may be a dreadful sign of things to come.

In my conversation about the insurgency with Rohingya I feel swept with guilt for exactly this, and few would open up to me, though they were plainly aware of exactly who al Yakeen was. A small few did agree to talk, and it’s with regret they see their people having run out of options. It is desperation, pure and simple. It can’t be justified, and while listening I am painfully aware of how significantly these events will worsen the suffering of the Rohingya, but it is still imperative to understand where these beliefs came from, how they spread, and how they might be resolved.

As the military and government seek to calm the situation and restore order, they are operating with a heavy hand. Civilian casualties are already high, and credible reports are emerging of Rohingya men dying in police custody, under circumstances that are questionable at best. The situation could easily worsen as resentment and hopelessness increase among the population. The Rohingya have long tried to address their grievances through political means, and the vast majority would prefer to still do so, but lack any course or mechanism. If State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and her party’s new government wants to legitimately restore peace they should be aware their best tool now is compassion. Any acknowledgment of the Rohingya’s humanity, of their suffering, and an offering of a way to dignity and autonomy will do more to reduce violence than any army is capable of. Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy need only to have the courage to do so.


Sumber - The Diplomat

Kedudukan Brunei meningkat

Oleh Pg Fairol RMF

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, 27 Okt – Laporan Bank Dunia Doing Business 2017 yang dikeluarkan hari ini telah meletakkan Negara Brunei Darussalam sebagai ekonomi paling meningkat untuk tempoh dua tahun berturut-turut dalam usaha untuk memudahkan aktiviti menjalankan perniagaan di negara ini.

Laporan Doing Business 2017 mengukur tahap kecekapan dan pengawalseliaan perniagaan domestik, telah merekodkan lonjakan Negara Brunei Darussalam ke kedudukan ke-72 di kalangan 190 negara-negara di seluruh dunia, dengan peningkatan skor pada enam petunjuk dan skor Distance to Frontier sebanyak 65. 51 daripada 100.

Peningkatan tersebut sekali gus menunjukkan pengurangan jurang di antara Negara Brunei Darussalam dengan negara-negara berprestasi tinggi, kata Menteri Tenaga dan Perindustrian di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (JPM), Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Singamanteri Kolonel (B) Dato Seri Setia (Dr.) Haji Mohd Yasmin bin Haji Umar juga selaku Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pandu Ease of Doing Business.

Bercakap pada satu sidang media di Bangunan JPM hari ini, beliau menjelaskan, laporan terkini menunjukkan Negara Brunei Darussalam masih lagi mengekalkan kedudukannya di tangga ke-4 di rantau ASEAN, di bawah Singapura (tangga ke-2), Malaysia (23) dan Thailand (46) dan diikuti oleh Vietnam (82), Indonesia (91), Filipina (99), Kemboja (121), Myanmar (170) dan Laos (139).

“Kejayaan-kejayaan yang dicapai ini adalah hasil daripada pengenalan proses-proses baru, peraturan dan perubahan sistem bagi memudahkan perniagaan khususnya dalam menyokong perkembangan para pengusaha perusahaan mikro, kecil dan sederhana (PMKS).

Yang Berhormat Pehin Haji Mohd Yasmin berkata kejayaan-kejayaan yang dicapai ini adalah hasil daripada
pengenalan proses-proses baru, peraturan dan perubahan sistem bagi memudahkan perniagaan khususnya
dalam menyokong perkembangan para pengusaha perusahaan mikro, kecil dan sederhana (PMKS).

“Di samping itu, pertambahan penglibatan dan kerjasama secara berterusan daripada peniaga-peniaga tempatan melalui program-program kesedaran dan maklum balas daripada komuniti peniaga juga turut memberikan impak positif dalam meningkatkan keupayaan kerajaan dalam menangani isu-isu on-the-ground,” jelas Yang Berhormat Pehin.

Katanya, menurut laporan tersebut, beberapa petunjuk juga telah menunjukkan penurunan daripada kedudukan sebelumnya dengan mengambil kira usaha pembaharuan yang turut dilaksanakan oleh negara-negara lain yang mana antaranya adalah petunjuk Starting a Business dan Dealing with Construction Permits.

“Ini menandakan Negara Brunei Darussalam perlu terus giat untuk meningkatkan kecekapan, di samping terus mengenalkan inisiatif pembaharuan terhadap dasar-dasar dan peraturan bagi mengurangkan jurang skor DTF Negara Brunei Darussalam.

“Peningkatan ketara dalam kedudukan Doing Business dalam tempoh dua tahun yang lalu adalah mencerminkan terhadap serius pihak kerajaan Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan dan Yang Di-Pertuan Negara Brunei Darussalam untuk memudahkan suasana perniagaan, sejajar dengan titah Baginda Sultan semasa Hari Perkhidmatan Awam ke-23 menekankan keperluan bagi Negara Brunei Darussalam untuk menanda-aras prestasi dengan peringkat global.

“Sebahagian besar daripada agenda pembaharuan Negara Brunei Darussalam telah dikemudikan oleh Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri Pengiran Muda Mahkota Pengiran Muda Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah selaku pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pandu Penggerak.

“Setiap kemajuan ke arah ini sentiasa dipantau melalui Jawatankuasa Pandu Ease of Doing Business dipengerusikan oleh Menteri Tenaga dan Perindustrian di Jabatan Perdana Menteri dan diterajui oleh Champion Groups dari jabatan-jabatan dan agensi-agensi di bawah JPM, Kementerian Kewangan, Kementerian Hal Ehwal Dalam Negeri, Kementerian Sumber-Sumber Utama dan Pelancongan, Kementerian Pembangunan, Kementerian Hal Ehwal Ugama, Kementerian Kesihatan, Kementerian Perhubungan dan Autoriti Monetori Brunei Darussalam,” jelas Yang Berhormat Pehin.

Dengan ini Negara Brunei Darussalam mencatatkan kenaikan skor DTF sebanyak 5.28 markah iaitu tertinggi di antara ekonomi yang meningkat termasuk negara-negara di rantau ASEAN diikuti dengan Indonesia dengan kenaikan sebanyak 2.95 markah dan Vietnam dengan kenaikan sebanyak 2.72 markah.

Manakala di rantau Asia Pasifik, Negara Brunei Darussalam menduduki kedudukan ke-13, di bawah negara-negara Asia Utara seperti Republik Korea menduduki kedudukan ke-4, Taiwan ke-5, dan Jepun ke-8, dan mendahului beberapa negara “Asian Powerhouse” seperti China berada di kedudukan ke-16, dan India berada di kedudukan ke-23.

Manakala 10 negara menduduki tangga teratas dalam laporan Doing Business 2017, mengikut kedudukan adalah New Zealand, Singapura, Denmark, Hong Kong, Republik Korea, Norway, United Kingdom, Amerika Syarikat, Sweden dan Macedonia.

Laporan Doing Business 2017 tahun ini membawa tema “Equal Opportunity for All”, memberi penekanan akan kesamaanrataan gender (Gender Equality) dalam peraturan perniagaan dan buat kali pertama mengetengahkan isu gender dalam tiga petunjuk iaitu Starting a Business, Registering Porperty dan Enforcing Contracts di mana kajian menunjukkan bahawa peraturan mengehadkan penglibatan wanita dalam bidang ekonomi akan melihat sumbangan wanita lebih rendah di sektor swasta, sama ada menjadi pekerja ataupun usahawan.

Walaupun Brunei mencatatkan penurunan dengan semakan kedudukan, pencapaian negara adalah dikira sangat memberangsangkan dan direkodkan sebagai salah sebuah ekonomi dari hanya 10 ekonomi di dunia telah mencatatkan peningkatan sebanyak tiga atau lebih petunjuk di dalam laporan tersebut.

Petunjuk mencatatkan peningkatan terbesar pada tahun ini ialah mendapatkan kuasa tenaga (Getting Electricity), melonjak sebanyak 55 anak tangga ke kedudukan 21 berbanding tangga ke-76 pada tahun lalu; petunjuk Enforcing Contracts tangga ke-93 daripada 115 dalam laporan 2016, petunjuk Getting Credit di tangga ke-62 daripada 78 dalam laporan 2016, petunjuk Protecting Minority Investors di tangga ke-102 daripada 96 dalam laporan 2016, Trading Across Borders di tangga ke-142 daripada 143 dalam laporan 2016 dan petunjuk Registering Property di tangga ke-134 daripada 135 dalam laporan 2016.

Di sebaliknya kejayaan pada dua tahun lalu, kerajaan telah menyatakan masih banyak pembaikan perlu dilakukan bagi negara mencapai sasaran 20 tangga teratas dalam indeks Doing Business dan juga memastikan persekitaran makmur bagi menyokong Wawasan Negara Brunei Darussalam 2035, menyeru kepada kerjasama yang lebih erat, penglibatan dan komitmen berterusan dari kedua-dua sektor awam dan swasta, bagi menangani isu-isu dihadapi on-the ground dan juga meningkatkan daya saing negara.


Sumber - Media Permata