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IN PICTURES Demonstrators have called on President U Thein Sein to take legal action over a land dispute – against a department in his own government. The demonstrators say the Department of Human Settlement and Housing Development confiscated their land in downtown Yangon for a “national development” project, but it then sat idle for two decades. The department recently signed agreements with private firms, including Yuzana and Ruby Dragon, to build housing on the Botahtaung township site but the demonstrators say they want the land to be returned instead. – Su Phyo Win PHOTO: AUNG HTAY HLAING

WWW.MMTIMES.COM ISSUE 692 | AUGUST 26 - SEPTEMBER 1, 2013

General seeks settlementMajor General Soe Shein has opened negotiations with farmers in a bid to get them to withdraw a complaint filed after he allegedly threatened to shoot them during a confrontation in Nay Pyi Taw on July 5. However, the farmers have so far rejected the offer, saying they cannot accept the general’s demand that they “correct” media reports about the conflict. NEWS 3

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HEARTBEAT OF THE NATION

NEWS 4

Govt dismisses Quintana accusationsUnited Nations human rights envoy Tomas Quintana’s August 19 confrontation with demonstrators was a “misunderstanding”, a police official says, while presidential spokesman and Deputy Minister for Information U Ye Htut insists that Mr Quintana was never in any danger.

TRIBUTE 20

Par Par Lay’s legacy of laughter and defianceComedian Par Par Lay never shied away from expressing his political beliefs – and making fun of the failings of those in power – despite the inevitable consequences. Defiance was his hallmark, right up until his death on August 2.

BUSINESS 22

Rice firms wary of foreign competitionA Ministry of Commerce proposal to open up the rice sector to foreign firms is being met by opposition within the industry, with local millers and traders pushing for more time to prepare for the increased competition that would follow arrival of foreign companies.

THE PULSE 40

Taungbyone sheds light on world of natsA festival of spirts, colour and bacchanalian mayhem, our Myanmar Times roving reporter travels to Taungbyone in Mandalay Region to partake in the revelry. She discovers a celebration that rivals any Mardi Gras in the world.

Yuzana, Ruby Dragon in spotlight over govt land deal in Botahtaung

U Soe Thein leads a protest outside Yangon’s High Court on August 20.

2 THE MYANMAR TIMES AUGUST 26 - SEPTEMBER 1, 2013

online editor Kayleigh Long | [email protected] 2

THE INSIDER: The local lowdown & best of the web

The cover of Oh We journal, December 1971, calls for peace prayers

Forward, the Burma Socialist Party Programme’s propaganda journal, March 1969

When Myanmar was Burma...Archival material provided by Pansodan Gallery

StyleStatement

Ariel Thuta for NOW! magazine. Photo: Htet Aung Kyaw (Studio HAK)

Google streetview goes to the zooGoogle has announced a new project which will allow users to explore zoos around the world. While many websites offer livestream coverage of the rare, cute and cuddly, the service will be photo-based but allow interactive panning and “walk-throughs”.

Those hoping for a virtual tour of Yangon zoo will have to wait, but can replicate the experience by simply performing a Google image search. Be sure to look out for the smoking monkey. Nutty decision leaves readers hopping madTourism Australia had some of the dimmer fans of its Facebook page clutching their pearls and decrying the “nanny state” last week when it posted an image of a kangaroo in repose, letting it all hang out. The image was captioned “censored for Facebook”, and the buck’s genital region was covered by strategically-chosen pixels.

“Censoring the reproductive organs of an animal is one of the most stupidest things I’ve ever seen,” said one irate user.

“Why are you censoring a kangaroo? OMG, that’s just crazy! I’ve got loads of pics of my dog on Facebook and none of them are censored”, wrote another.

Putting the “world wide” in www Facebook founder Mark Zuckerburg has issued a white paper which asks the question “Is connectivity a human right?”, and outlines a vision to provide internet access “to the next 5 billion [people]”.

The project is a cooperation between tech giants including Facebook, Nokia, Ericsson, and Samsung. “Today, the internet isn’t accessible for two-thirds of the world. Imagine a world where it connects us all”, the paper suggests.

Myanmar web users reading the above state-ment on the project’s newly-launched internet.org site will have plenty of time to contemplate the prospect while waiting for the page to load. Dubious fashion choices for Kalaw drug muleThe state-run New Light of Myanmar last week reported on the arrest of a man at a Kalaw bus checkpoint, who was subsequently charged for the possession of 200 grams of opium, as well as 104 “stimulant tablets”. The man’s picture appeared next to the report in the New Light, showing him standing next to a table with the of-fending goods and sporting a T-shirt emblazoned with a large marijuana leaf.

News 3www.mmtimes.com

MPs debate proposed media law changes

Committee slams president over criticism

MPs have accused President U Thein Sein of “intervening” in the legislative process and trying to influence the Constitutional Tribunal.

The basis of their complaint is two messages sent to the parliament on August 5 and 8 – that were then re-printed in state newspapers on August 7 and 9 – in which the president ar-gued that two recently approved bills were unconstitutional.

The Region/State Hluttaw Law 2013 and Anti-Corruption Law were approved by the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw in late July after MPs rejected nearly all of the president’s proposed chang-es. The president’s statements pub-lished in state media explained why he had recommended the changes.

Joint Bill Committee chairman U Nanda Kyaw Swar told the Pyidaung-su Hluttaw on August 22 that his com-mittee had examined the messages and concluded that the government was trying to influence the activities of the parliament and judiciary.

“We found that the government’s statements could cause misunder-standing among the public and hurt the reputation of parliament,” said U Nanda Kyaw Swar, who is also deputy speaker of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw.

“Laws that are passed by Pyidaung-su Hluttaw can be reviewed by the Constitutional Tribunal if these laws seem contrary to the constitution. That’s what the tribunal was created for … But the president’s messages and statements [are unconstitutional] and inappropriate.

“The Pyidaungsu Hluttaw has al-ways respected the interests of the

nation and its citizens when we make legislation and always been conscious of the need to follow the constitution.The parliament has also welcomed ad-vice and comments from union minis-tries, legal experts and even political enthusiasts among the general public so that laws are well rounded.

“The speaker of the parliament and the president should build under-standing and seek to cooperate instead of sending messages to each other.”

Amyotha Hluttaw representative U

Myint Tun, one of two MPs to second the report, said the incident highlight-ed the weaknesses in the president’s advisory team and the partiality of the state-owned media.

“This has caused a lot of prob-lems. Actually, the president is a good person – that’s why the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw elected him president. But I really doubt the advisers beside him,” U Myint Tun said.

He said negotiations between the government and parliament over

legislation should take place in the Joint Bill Committee instead of in public.

“Legal experts and members of the Constitutional Tribunal should be in-vited to the Joint Bill Committee be-cause we will get a better result,” he said. “It just confuses people when [the government and parliament] are sending formal letters to each and some are being printed in the newspapers.”

– Translated by Zar Zar Soe and Thiri Min Htun

WIN KO KO LATT [email protected]

SOE THAN LYNN [email protected]

AMYOTHA Hluttaw MPs have sent the Printing and Publishing Enter-prise Law back to the bill committee after discussing 13 proposed changes to the version that was approved by the Pyithu Hluttaw in early July.

The changes would remove the controversial “registration depart-ment” provision, which critics say could allow the government to re-strict freedom of press.

Seven MPs discussed the pro-posed amendments on August 23, with U Min Oo, from the National League for Democracy, arguing that the Ministry of Information “should not have the power to ban publica-tions before a court has found them guilty”.

U Khin Mg Ye said he wanted the law to stop companies from operat-ing both print and broadcast media organisations.

The 13 proposed changes were submitted to the Amyotha Hluttaw on August 19 and were drafted after the committee met the Interim Press Council on July 24 and the the Min-istry of Information on July 26.

The committee said the post of “reg-istration official” should be abolished, while fines stipulated in the law should be reduced significantly.

– Translated by Zar Zar Soe

General opens talks over land dispute

MAJOR General Soe Shein has opened negotiations to settle a dispute with farmers who al-lege that he threatened to shoot them in a confrontation in early July over disputed land in Nay Pyi Taw’s Lewe township.

Police are conducting an in-vestigation into the complaint and have interviewed 10 wit-nesses but say the case could be closed if the plaintiffs reach a settlement with Maj Gen Soe Shein, who was former Senior General Than Shwe’s personal staff officer.

“It depends on the plaintiffs. They can withdraw the com-plaint if the two sides reach a compromise. So far we are still investigating [the complaint] and have not filed any charges yet,” said U Soe Min Thein, the head of the Lewe township po-lice station.

The farmers involved in the

dispute have confirmed initial negotiations have taken place. The settlement would likely see them withdraw the complaint in exchange for Maj Gen Soe Shein paying them for the land that he acquired in 2010-11.

But Ko Khin Maung Win, the husband of Ma Khin Tint, who alleges that Maj Gen Soe Shein’s associates assaulted her, said the complainants have refused to accept the general’s demand that they “correct” reports about the dispute that have been pub-lished in local media.

He said two of Maj Gen Soe Shein’s staff visited Lewe’s Htone Bo Telsu village on Au-gust 19 to negotiate with the complainants.

“They said they want to buy the land where the armed con-frontation happened but they also demanded the complaint be withdrawn and that news report in journals be correct-ed,” one of the complainants, Ko Aung Than Oo, told The

Myanmar Times last week.“We can’t totally agree on

their demand [to correct news reports] and we are still consid-ering the other two points. We want to directly negotiate with Maj Gen Soe Shein,” he said.

Compensation for farmland is also likely to be an issue. Maj Gen Soe Shein has offered to buy 339.68 acres but farmers are demanding K1.2 million an acre, about twice the market price.

The farmers say he acquired the land improperly because he did not disclose in his ap-plication that there were other claims to it. They have also ac-cused him of illegally running a limestone production business on the fields, in violation of his application to use it for agricul-tural purposes.

The July 5 confrontation oc-curred when Maj Gen Soe Shein discovered farmers cultivating the disputed land.


PYAE THET PHYO [email protected]

President U Thein Sein (second right) and Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Speaker Thura U Shwe Mann (right) walk inside the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw building in Nay Pyi Taw on July 31. Photo: Boothee

LEADERS of Palaung civil society groups have expressed disappoint-ment over their first meeting with UN human rights representative To-mas Quintana, saying they were not given enough time to discuss their concerns in full.

On August 17 Mr Quintana, the special rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar, met six representatives from the Palaung Women’s Organisa-tion, the Ta’ang Students and Youth Organisation and the Ta’ang Youth Association (Myanmar) in Lashio, northern Shan State.

Organisation leaders said it was the first time that Mr Quintana had met Palaung groups inside the coun-try, but added that they were not able to discuss all the problems af-flicting their region.

“We could discuss clear hu-man rights violations, such as the military’s conscription of villagers for clearing landmines, rapes and forced labour, but not related prob-lems such as the impact on educa-tion, health and transportation,” said Ma De De Poe Jaine, general secretary of the women’s group.

Though describing the meeting as a step forward, she said she did not ex-pect much improvement in the region.

“When we met, it was past 8pm. He looked tired. So maybe it was hard for him to concentrate,” said Ma De De Poe Jaine.

Ma Nway Ei Kham Lin, general secretary of TSYU, said the meeting had lasted less than an hour. “We were planning to discuss narcotics, fighting, land grabs and the conse-quences of the Chinese gas pipeline that passes through Palaung areas. But we had no time,” she said.

“Human rights are important, but drug problems are important too.”

She said she hoped that Mr Quin-tana had learned enough from the briefing to make the international

community aware of human rights and other issues in Palaung areas.

“He said he had no authority to discuss drugs problems,” Mai Myo Aung, secretary of TSYU, told the Phophtaw News Association, a news agency focused on issues in Mon State.

Mr Quintana visited the Palaung self-administrative area on August 20 on what was his eighth and long-est trip to Myanmar. He also encoun-tered controversy while travelling in Rakhine State and Meiktila, which

have both been hit by outbreaks of religious violence.

On the confrontations with pro-testers in these areas, Ma De De Poe Jaine defended Mr Quintana and said he was just doing his job.

“When it comes to sectarian vio-lence, Myanmar people might see him as biased because the majority in Myanmar is Buddhist,” she said.

“But I think he has to report what is really happening in My-anmar. therwise he will lose his credibility.”

4 News THE MYANMAR TIMES AUGUST 26 - SEPTEMBER 1, 2013

UN rights envoy: Attack gave ‘insight’ into mob violence

‘The state has and had a responsbility to protect a special rapporteur like me coming from the United Nations and that didn’t happen. The state failed to protect me.’

Tomas Quintana UN human rights envoy

TIM MCLAUGHLIN [email protected]

NAN TIN HTWE [email protected]

Palaung civil society groups lament brief meeting

United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar Tomas Quintana speaks to reporters at Yangon International Airport on August 21. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing

UNITED Nations human rights envoy Tomas Quintana said an at-tack on his convoy in Meiktila has given him a firsthand look at inter-communal mob violence that has erupted several times in Myanmar over the past year.

Mr Quintana, the special rappor-teur on human rights in Myanmar, said a group of about 200 residents descended on his vehicle as it was travelling to a township adminis-trative office around 10:30pm on August 19. Meiktila was the scene of deadly clashes between Muslims and Buddhists in March that left at least 44 people dead.

A visibly upset Mr Quintana told reporters and diplomats at Yangon International Airport at the end of 10-day trip on August 21 that mem-bers of the group “proceeded to punch and kick the windows and doors of the car while shouting abuse” while police stood by.

“The fear that I felt during this incident, being left totally unpro-tected by the nearby police, gave me an insight into the fear residents would have felt when being chased down by violent mobs during the violence last March as police alleg-edly stood by as angry mobs beat, stabbed and burned to death some 43 people,” Mr Quintana said.

The visit was Mr Quintana’s eighth to Myanmar and the first time the government had permitted him to travel for 10 days. His previ-ous visits had been limited to just five days.

The security issues in Meiktila forced Mr Quintana to abandon his planned visit to a camp where about 1600 Muslims displaced by commu-nal violence are staying.

However, his version of events contrasted with comments from

activists from the 88 Generation student group who organised the protest. They said that Meiktila resi-dents blocked Mr Quintana’s convoy because they wanted to hand him a letter.

The letter expressed dissatisfac-tion with Mr Quintana’s previous report on the human rights situa-tion in Myanmar, which it said was biased toward Muslims, and re-jected calls by UN Secretary Gen-eral Ban Ki-Moon to grant citizen-ship to Rohyinga Muslims living in Rakhine State.

Mr Quintana flatly refuted the report that he had been given a let-ter. “Nobody approached me, not even in a peaceful way, and nobody gave me a letter,” he said.

Mr Quintana said that the un-willingness of local police to step in to quell the demonstrators repre-sented a clear failure on the part of the government to ensure his safety and well-being.

“The state has and had a respon-sibility to protect a special rappor-teur like me coming from the Unit-ed Nations and that didn’t happen. The state failed to protect me in that situation,” he said.

He added that the incident had been raised with the Minister for Foreign Affairs U Wunna Maung Lwin and other officials.

Earlier in his visit Mr Quintana encountered protesters in Rakh-ine State, who also accused him of being biased toward Muslims. Mr Quintana said that he was able to speak personally with one of the protestors and, while the conversa-tion was tense, he “welcomed that people were able to stand in public and express their views”.

Speaking to The Myanmar Times following the press conference, Mr Quintana said that he had seen some small signs of progress in Rakhine State and praised the re-gional and central government for cooperating with aid efforts. He also welcomed what he described as the government’s growing realisa-tion that there is a need for a third party to mediate between religious groups and the government, noting that communication between the central government and the Muslim community “has not been possible at all”.

While Mr Quintana thanked the government for granting him ex-panded access across Myanmar, he was not permitted to travel to Laiza in Kachin State. Mr Quintana said that “no specific reason” was given to him as to why he was not permit-ted to travel to Laiza but that the issue stemmed from a breakdown in communication between the central government and the Kachin State government.

Mr Quintana will present the full report of his findings to the UN General Assembly in October.

SPECIAL REPORT: QUINTANA VISIT


Govt dismisses Quintana accusations over clashUN human rights envoy never in any danger during confrontation with demonstrators in Meiktila, government officials say, but an 88 Generation leader concedes the protest could damage the group’s image

GOVERNMENT officials have dis-missed UN human rights envoy Tomas Quintana’s accusations that police failed to protect him from “a violent incident” during his 10-day trip to Myanmar to report on human rights issues.

The envoy’s vehicle was surrounded by hundreds of demonstrators when he arrived late at night in Meiktila on August 19, the scene of violent clashes earlier this year between Muslim and Buddhist communities.

The incident occurred about 10:30pm as about 300 local residents defied a local curfew to surround Mr Quintana’s vehicle. 88 Generation student leaders in the town who or-ganised the protest insist that they approached Mr Quintana only to hand him a letter, a version of events that Mr Quintana later refuted.

But a police spokesman in Nay Pyi Taw dismissed the incident as a misunderstanding, saying that, when the local people attempted to hand over the letter, plain-clothed security guards rapped on car windows to ush-er the convoy through the crowd.

“Some people tried to give Mr Quintana a letter and show photos they took during his visit in Meiktila ... They had no intention to be violent toward him,” Lieutenant Colonel Min Aung from the Myanmar Police Force said.

“There was also a misunderstand-ing. Some of our security members who were on duty at that time were in plain clothes.

“Some of them signalled for the car to move forward by beating the car glass,” he added.

Presidential spokesman U Ye Htut told The Myanmar Times by email that Mr Quintana’s version of events was inaccurate. He said Mr Quintana was never in danger and that there was adequate security, with 30 police posted in the area.

He said the police had ordered the “300 or 400” protesters to disperse when the curfew began at 10pm and by the time Mr Quintana’s vehicle ar-rived 30 minutes later there were still 100 people at the bridge, who demon-strated with posters reading “No Quin-tana”.

“Some people did knock on the window of Mr Quintana’s vehicle and tried to give him a letter and a T-shirt … But he did not open the window and the police tried to clear the road so he could keep going,” he said.

Nevertheless, a senior member of the 88 Generation, Ko Pyone Cho, conceded that the group’s reputation could be damaged by the actions taken by some members in its name.

“We warned them not to take a violent action like this,” he said. “88 Generation policy is for peace and na-tional reconciliation, not to encourage grudges and violence.”

The reports Mr Quintana has is-sued following his previous visits here have been criticised by some as biased in favour of Muslims, particularly the Rohingya in Rakhine State.

After arriving on August 11, the human rights envoy visited areas in Shan, Kachin and Chin states, as well as sensitive areas like Rakhine, Meik-tila and Lashio, the scene of violent in-ter-communal riots over the past year. He faced anger from local residents in Meiktila and Sittwe.

“We don’t trust him,” said Ko Aung Naing Lin, a resident of Sittwe and a member of the Wunlat Development

Foundation. Citing Mr Quintana’s meetings with Muslim leaders, Ko Aung Naing Lin accused him of bias. “This isn’t the first time. He has vis-ited Rakhine State several times. He met with the Rakhine community only for show. When he published his

report, he only wrote about the rights of Muslims. We showed our feelings by organising a protest,” he said.

But National Development and Peace Party spokesperson Mohamad Salim said the bias allegation “doesn’t make sense”, adding that there was plenty of evidence as to who had suf-fered the most in Meiktila.

“We are also willing to live peace-fully with the Rakhine community. We

are doing our best to build peaceful co-existence between the two commu-nities,” Mohamad Salim said. He criti-cised the protest campaign, warning it could damage the image of Myanmar in the international community.

The protests continued when Mr

Quintana arrived in Meiktila. “We protested against his position on Ra-khine State,” said Ko Htein Min Kha-ing, a member of the 88 Generation students, who said they had gathered since the morning of August 19 to wait for Mr Quintana.

“Maybe 300 people took part in this protest campaign, but we had no plan to attack him. He seemed to be afraid we were going to attack, but we didn’t do anything. We just wanted to give him a letter,” said Ko Htein Min Khaing. The letter explained “what re-ally happened” in Meiktila, he said.

At his press conference at Yangon International Airport prior to his de-parture on August 21, Mr Quintana said there was never any letter and described the confrontation as a “very violent incident”.

On accusations of his alleged pro-Muslim bias, Mr Quintana said, “I was appointed as an independent expert with a United Nations mandate to address all human rights [issues] in Myanmar. It’s not only the situation in Rakhine State, not only the situation in Meiktila or in Lashio.” – With AFP

EI EI TOE LWIN

[email protected]

United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar Tomas Quintana speaks to reporters at Yangon International Airport on August 21. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing

Tomas Quintana pays respect at a Buddha image in Lashio. Photo: United Nations

SPECIAL REPORT: QUINTANA VISIT

‘[Quintana] seemed to be afraid we were going to attack, but we didn’t do anything.’

Ko Htein Min Khaing 88 Generation member from Meiktila and protest organiser


Electronics law set for reform

THE Pyithu Hluttaw has agreed to discuss a private member’s bill that would amend the draconian Elec-tronic Transactions Law, which has been used regularly over the past decade to jail activists and political opponents of the military.

Pyithu Hluttaw representative for Thingangyun U Thein Nyunt, who drafted the proposed changes, said the original intention of the law was to send politicians and student lead-ers to jail.

“The [ostensible] aim is stated in section 3 … to build a modern and developed nation and to support electronic transactions technology. Practically, the offences and penal-

ties stated in the law differ from this aim. The penalties in the law ... are so strong and should be amended,” he said on August 21.

The changes proposed by U Thein Nyunt would add several exemp-tions, including one on free speech, to section 33 of the law, which cur-rently allows the state to imprison anybody using electronic devices to spread material that could be deemed anti-government.

“The original provision is so

broad that it can be used to target anyone,” he said.

He also proposed punishments stipulated in the law – both fines and prison terms – be relaxed significantly.

The law was introduced by the State Peace and Development Coun-cil in 2004 and contains 13 chapters and 52 sections. Over the past decade it has been used to jail a number of prominent activists, including come-dian Zarganar, Pyithu Hluttaw rep-resentative Daw Sandar Min and 88 Generation leader Ko Ko Gyi.

After the proposal was seconded, Deputy Minister for Communica-tions and Information Technology U Thaung Tin voiced his support for the changes.

“This proposal supplements the proposal submitted to the Pyithu Hluttaw on January 29 to annul the Electronic Transactions Law. At that time we agreed that the government should draw an E-commerce Law

and amend offences and penalties [in the Electronic Transactions Law] in line with the current situation,” he said.

“A committee has been formed with experts from the relevant min-istries as well as businesspeople, IT technicians and other experts. It has started the process [of amending the law] and I believe that U Thein Nyunt’s proposal is suitable because it will move forward the [process],” he said.

He said that when the bill com-mittee considers the proposed amendments it should make sure they conform to the draft Telecom-munications Law, which is being debated in the hluttaw, and should consult with his ministry.

The bill committee should also “invite and discuss the changes with lawyers from the relevant govern-ment ministries, including those that bring about criminal charges”, he said. – Translated by Thiri Min Htun

Rakhine govt denies probe call

Three die as floods hit Rakhine State

DKBA force rejects ‘traitor’ tag

A Border Guard Force created three years ago from ethnic armed groups in Kayin State has encountered many problems during its transfor-mation, says one of its commanders.

Major Chit Thu said the force, formed in 2010 by members of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Associ-ation (DKBA), had been accused of betraying its roots and stigmatised as an enemy. The DKBA was formed by soldiers who broke away from the Karen National Union in 1994.

Maj Chit Thu was speaking at a celebration to mark the third anni-versary of the creation of the force, held at Shwe Koh Ko camp in Kayin State’s Myawaddy township on Au-gust 20.

“We faced many allegations that we were betraying our mother organisation, the Karen National Union, and were misunderstood by other national organisations, who called us ‘enemies’,” said Major Chit Thu.

“We feel sorry for the misunder-standing but we just focus on com-plying with the constitution and with the principles of Karen nation-al leader Saw Ba U Gyi,” he added.

Border guard forces were created following a referendum to approve the 2008 constitution, which states

that the Tatmadaw is the only legal armed group. While many armed groups rejected the government’s demands to transform into border guard forces and come under Tat-madaw control, a number of smaller groups agreed or were forced to ac-quiesce.

About 4000 people from 12 or-ganisations attended the anniver-sary celebration.

Brigadier General Tin Maung Tun from the Tatmadaw’s South-ern Region Command said the army had worked with the Border Guard Force on a range of issues, including illegal border trade and security.

“The force has also worked on environmental issues, as well as refugee ... cases,” said Brig Gen Tin Maung Tun.

Major Chit Thu of the DKBA Border Guard

Force speaks at a ceremony on August 20.

Photo: Nyein Ei Ei Htwe

BILL O’TOOLE [email protected]

NYEIN EI EI HTWE [email protected]

SOE THAN LYNN

[email protected]

‘[Section 33] is so broad that it can be used to target anyone.’

U Thein Nyunt Pyithu Hluttaw representative

A CALL from non-government organi-sation Physicians for Human Rights for an impartial government investi-gation into anti-Muslim violence has already encountered opposition from the Rakhine State government.

Government spokesman U Win Myaing told The Myanmar Times last week that an investigation is unneces-sary because local courts are already hearing cases against those charged, with the full support of the central government. He said police will inves-tigate both the Rakhine and Muslim communities to find who was respon-sible for the violence, but added that he believed Muslims were the main instigators.

Physicians for Human Rights has published eight reports on communal unrest in Myanmar since 2004, with the most recent report based on inter-views conducted between March and May.

While the New York City-based group made a variety of policy sug-gestions in the report it regularly ad-vocates for the central government to conduct an impartial investigation aimed at prosecuting security forces who abetted or otherwise ignored vio-lence against Muslims, particularly in Rakhine State.

“The impunity of the former Bur-mese regime and the renewed waves of recent violence demand not only an immediate response to address the crimes of the past, but to stem the es-calation of violence,” it said.

The government should “[i]nvesti-gate and prosecute all members of the police force who commit or facilitate human rights violations [and] install an internal accountability mechanism within the police force to fire, demote, or otherwise appropriately punish of-ficers who do not appropriately pun-ish civilians”.

The group said it has “documented multiple instances of police attacking Rohingyas, providing cover fire for Ra-khine mobs that were attacking Roh-ingyas, and watching while Rohingyas were attacked”.

U Win Myaing declined to com-ment on most of the organisation’s findings but dismissed the notion that police had abetted or stood “idly by” during the violence. He said the police have acted as a “buffer” during the ri-ots and complied fully with the law.

The President’s Office did not re-spond to requests for comment.

THREE men died and more than 680 people were made homeless by flash floods and rising river levels in Rakhine and Kayin states after heavy rains, relief agencies said last week.

U Aung Thaung Shwe, deputy head of the Disaster Management Unit at the Myanmar Red Cross Society, said the deaths by drown-ing occurred in villages in Thandwe township, Rakhine State. Those forced to evacuate their homes were relocated to five relief camps on August 21.

“Two men died while trying to collect fire-wood drifting along the stream. A total of 682 people from the flooded residential quarters in Thandwe were evacuated ... on August 21. Our team collaborated in the emergency response by distributing meals and drinking water, and delivering patients to the hospital,” he said.

Thandwe resident U Tin Soe said low-lying areas of the town had been flooded since Au-gust 19 and heavy rain upstream affected al-most all quarters of the town on August 21.

“The water level was about 5 feet (1.5 me-tres) in No 2 quarter and deeper in some lower areas of No 1 quarter. Schools and markets were closed because of the flood,” he said. By August 23, water levels had receded.

Meanwhile, the Thanlwin river rose 1.2m (about 4 feet) above its warning level in Hpa-an, Kayin State, prompting some residents to seek temporary shelter in 12 relief camps on August 23. – Aye Sapay Phyu


Ministry of Health to create HIV budget line

Thousands of migrants in limbo as Thai visas expire

MIGRANT workers in Thailand, in-cluding some who have been work-ing legally in the country for decades, face an uncertain future in the com-ing weeks as the first visas issued un-der a 2009 program expire.

Migrant workers were able to ap-ply for two-year work visas under the program, with the possibility of a two-year extension. Officials from Thai-land’s Department of Immigration do not know exactly how many visas were granted in 2009 but estimate it was in the hundreds of thousands.

Thailand has ruled out extending the visas or issuing new ones because it does not have enough funding.

Workers with expiring visas now face two options: return to Myanmar through a costly and complex immi-gration process, or remain in Thai-land illegally – potentially at great personal risk.

While officials in both the Thai and Myanmar labour ministries agree with rights groups that labour laws should be overhauled to give migrants longer-term security, activ-ists say both immigration officials along the border – and politicians in Bangkok – are resistant to change.

“The actual policy is about the [Thai] government’s fear of migrants coming and settling for a long time and becoming part of the system. They deliberately keep them for only short periods of time,” said Jackie Pollack, program director of Migrant Action Program, an advocacy group based in Chiang Mai.

The Migrant Workers Rights Net-work said the workers issued a visa under the 2009 program are now fac-ing “significant challenges”.

“Workers are being tricked, ex-ploited and extorted by Thai and Myanmar brokers, agencies and of-ficials through misinformation about visa extensions or the need to return home and enter Thailand again through fresh and expensive unregu-lated [labour] systems,” the group said in a statement.

“Significant numbers of migrants

are already paying up to 15,000 baht [US$500] for new passports, some-times with new names, thereby for-feiting previously earned social secu-rity and labour protection rights and falling under situations of fresh debt bondage and passport confiscation.”

In an interview with The Myan-mar Times, Pieng Pahp, an expert on “alien workers” in the Thai Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, said un-skilled migrant workers play an im-portant role in Thailand’s economy and labour rules should be over-

hauled so they can stay on a more permanent basis.

However, advocates of labour reform face a difficult challenge to overcome the bureaucracy and chaos of Thai politics.

“The Thai government is quite unstable. Only two years ago we switched to [a different govern-ment], which led to a whole new cab-inet [that] we need approval from ... Whenever it changes we need to go back to the beginning and start our work again,” Ms Pieng said, adding that new labour laws also had to be approved by parliament.

“We have submitted the changes we want in the law to parliament,” she said. “The law will change in the future, but it will take time ... We are doing the best solution that we can manage.”

Ms Pieng acknowledged that corruption was a very real obstacle to reform. “How can you develop a country when corruption gets in the way?” she said. “We need to do things in an open, transparent way.”

She said it was “difficult to say” who was responsible for the cor-ruption, or even which country they

are from. “I don’t know if it’s in the government or the police,” she said.

In the coming weeks, officials from Nay Pyi Taw plan to meet with their colleagues in the Thai govern-ment to lobby them on labour re-form, said Daw Khin Wa Oo, head of migrant affairs in the Department of Labour.

While her department wants to protect Myanmar workers abroad, she said they are ultimately at the mercy of the laws and regulations of their host country.

Until reform occurs, thousands more Myanmar migrants in Thai-land are likely to face the prospect of their visas expiring in coming months. But the process is set to be repeated in coming years, with more than 1 million people having been is-sued three-year temporary passports under what is known as the National Verification program.

“This is only the first group to reach this point,” said Ms Pollack. “With the fees for passports as well as the immigration corruption, they [will] end up paying at least six months and up to one year of their salary just to be here.”

A migrant worker on a construction site in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. Photo: Kaung Htet

WIN KO KO LATT [email protected] PHU THIT [email protected]

BILL O’TOOLE

[email protected]

‘The actually policy is about the [Thai] government’s fear of migrants settling for a long time.’

Jackie Pollack Migrant Action Program

NEXT year’s health budget will create a separate budget line to bring added momentum to the fight against HIV, a member of parliament has revealed.

“The separate budget [line] will be part of the overall health budget and will be initiated [in 2014-15],” U Tin Maung Oo, secretary of the Pyithu Hluttaw Public Affairs Management Committee, said at a meeting with civil society leaders in Nay Pyi Taw on August 15.

The meeting was held to get feed-back on the Association Law drafted by the committee. The draft law has generated an outcry in the NGO sector over its strict registration provisions.

National NGO Network chair Daw Nwe Zin Win, who also at-tended the meeting, said only a few details about the budget line were revealed.

“We have not discussed it exactly yet but the [HIV] budget will focus on anti-retroviral therapy and HIV test-ing,” she said.

The overall health budget for 2013-14 is more than K400 billion (US$412 million), an increase of K130 billion, or almost 50 percent, on 2012-13.

HIV/AIDS-related organisations welcomed the news and said it was the direct result of their lobbying efforts.

Ko Thiha Kyaing, chairman of Phoenix Association, said NGO lead-ers had met parliamentarians and political party leaders to discuss HIV-related issues and request they raise them in the hluttaw. The first meeting was held in May 2012 and a follow-up took place last month.

“There is a lot that needs to be done with this proposed budget,” he said. “Prevention [among high-risk groups] is the most important prior-ity, and we also need to provide ART treatment for people living with HIV and also take other steps to reduce new infections,” he said.

More than 240,000 people are es-timated to be living with HIV in My-anmar. About half are thought to be in need of ART, of which only 50,000 receive it.

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TIM MCLAUGHLIN [email protected]

US policy on the past: Forgive and forget

WHEN he visited Myanmar earlier this month, United States Deputy Na-tional Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting Ben Rhodes laid out the US vision for Myanmar in one sentence: “We see the story as just beginning.”

But Mr Rhodes and his colleagues in Washington are more than aware that Myanmar’s story is not begin-ning now, in 2013. Nor did it begin in November 2012, when President Barack Obama swept into Yangon to plant a kiss on the cheek of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and a friendly hand in the palm of President U Thein Sein. It also didn’t begin in 2009, when Washington initiated a policy review that would eventually lead to the Obama administration engaging Nay Pyi Taw.

It is, in many ways, a process that began at independence in 1948 and was never completed. The re-cent anniversary of the August 8, 1988, uprising, in which state

security forces massacred hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent civil-ians, is but a poignant reminder that the path to democracy in Myanmar has been a long one.

What Mr Rhodes, a key Obama ad-viser on Myanmar, has made clear is that the US will only look forward in Myanmar. It has no plans to play an active role in the pursuit of account-ability for past injustices.

“I think that sorting through the past is an incredibly difficult issue,” Mr Rhodes said.

Washington has cosied up to more than a few unsavoury characters in

the past so it is not likely to be con-cerned about supporting an investi-gation that could dig up fresh allega-tions of atrocities.

Washington is, however, afraid of putting Myanmar’s reform process in jeopardy or threatening its own in-fluence in a geopolitically important country.

Wading into Myanmar’s past, or urging the government to do so in an effort toward reconciliation, could leave Washington on the outer here. It is hardly what the Obama admin-istration wants given Myanmar is a bright spot among a growing list of foreign policy failures.

Mr Obama’s refusal to fully cut support to Egypt despite a bloody coup that has claimed the lives of hundreds, the messy conclusion of long wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the fallout from revelations of National Security Agency spying have left him with very few ticks in the for-eign policy win column.

Myanmar, where change has come at an unprecedented rate and largely without violence, has become

Washington’s token victory trotted out at every chance as an example for other embattled nations.

If the people of Myanmar are to enjoy justice, they will have to bring it about themselves.

“The people of Myanmar will have to find a way to do that through politi-cal dialogue and through the political process and it would be very difficult for the United States to prescribe how that is done,” Mr Rhodes said.

No, Washington will not prescribe ideas for dealing with crimes from Myanmar’s past. But prescriptions on how to invest in Myanmar? Or how the constitution should be reformed to enable Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to be considered for the presidency? Yes, the US has plenty to say on that.

Washington needs Myanmar now, perhaps more than ever. But it needs to come with a clean slate and that means putting on blinkers to the past and stepping back from calls for ac-countability.

Don’t expect the US to look to the past – unless it is to justify calling the country “Burma”.

Megacity mayors both have the common touch

IN the recent past, two men who could hardly be more different have been elected to govern the capital cit-ies of their countries.

That they have their work cut out goes without saying, for Manila and Jakarta are two of the region’s biggest and most unmanageable cities.

Manila’s new mayor, the ex-film star Joseph “Erap” Estrada, is a former president of the Philippines and re-sembles a kind of Ronald Reagan fig-ure – if Reagan had ever played a rak-ish bandit, instead of cleancut sheriffs.

In contrast, Jakarta’s new gover-nor, Joko Widodo, known as “Jokowi”, is a simple man of the people, who can wander into a wet market, grab a bowl of noodles and share life stories with the paisanos.

Yet despite their orthogonal dif-ferences, they are two men who al-most everybody would love to have as uncles. There would never be a dull moment.

It would be like living in a milieu that resembled a cross between Yes, Minister, The Sopranos and The Lone Ranger.

Yet, setting aside their opposing personalities, Erap and Jokowi have one crucial similarity: they both know how to win elections. And in politics, nothing else is more important.

As an Indonesian minister recent-ly remarked when asked if a colleague was a suitable presidential candidate, “It does not matter if he is suitable, or if he is good or bad. What matters is: Is he electable?”

Erap and Joko have proved they are consistently electable, often un-der conditions of adversity that, in the eyes of the media, caused them to be rated as rank outsiders. Yet they always triumphed.

Consider Erap, whose nickname is formed from the reverse spelling of the Tagalog word Pare, which, as befits his nature, means “Buddy”.

Big “Buddy” Estrada, the paunchy, moustachioed, philandering Marl-boro Man, was widely ridiculed when he entered politics and especially when he made a bid for the nation’s highest office in 1998.

But Erap, who hails from a rela-tively affluent family, is smart and while he knew his image upset the es-tablishment, he knew it clicked with the masses who recoil at bogus politi-cal correctness.

So he stayed non-PC and never de-nied smoking, drinking and fathering five ninos by various mistresses – and still became president by the biggest margin ever recorded in Philippine elections.

Three years later, he was deposed by an uprising instigated by the mili-

tary and the Catholic Church, jailed for life, pardoned by his successor Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and now he has become mayor of Manila.

So it’s déjà vu all over again. As it is, in a way, for Jokowi, who, despite being a diametrically different poli-tician, shares Erap’s capacity to win elections by displaying the common touch.

Jokowi is a slim, non-smoking, teetotal family man, whose only non-conformist trait is a love of rock mu-sic – he was once the proud owner of a guitar signed by a member of the eardrum-busting band Metallica.

For sure, he’s no stern ascetic. Yes, he puts in prodigious hours, but re-ally he’s just a regular Jo, who loves to strum his guitar and sing along with the folks in suburban slums and rural heartlands.

It was this quality that enabled Jokowi to become well-known as the

mayor of the small city of Solo in central Java, where he first used his people skills to relocate stall hold-ers to new and more amenable retail areas.

Then, after winning last year’s Jakarta governorship poll, he again went down to the barrios and per-suaded recalcitrant vendors and squatters to move so that traffic and flood alleviation measures could be taken.

It is now clear that barring a dis-aster, Jokowi is going to use the gov-ernor’s post as a stepping stone to the presidency of this region’s biggest and most powerful nation.

Last week, Indonesia’s most influ-ential publication, Tempo, had a pho-tograph of him on the cover, with the headline “Run, Joko, Run”.

If he runs, he will win. Because, like his opposite, Erap, he has that in-eluctable quality of electability.

Joseph Estrada waves to supporters after casting his vote inside a precinct poll at a school in Manila on May 14.

ROGER MITTON

[email protected]

Photo: Reuters

Views

‘I think that sorting through the past is an incredibly difficult issue.’

Ben Rhodes US Deputy National Security Adviser


Three companies sign on with Telenor

NORWEGIAN company Telenor has signed initial agreements with three firms to develop its mobile phone network in Myanmar.

The company has signed memo-randums of understanding with China’s Huawei, Ericsson of Sweden and India’s Wipro, a spokesperson confirmed. The spokesperson said the agreements were signed within the past month but would not pro-vide specific dates.

The three companies were se-lected to “support [Telenor’s] efforts to deliver a state-of-the-art telecom-munications network in Myanmar”, the spokesperson said.

Formal agreements with the companies will be finalised when Telenor receives its operating li-cence. The government has said that the licences will be issued by the end of September.

Telenor and Qatari company Ooredoo were awarded coveted telecoms operating licences by a tender selection committee in late June, beating out nine other companies and consortiums.

Huawei has worked in Myanmar since 2003 and its low-cost smart-phones are popular with consumers. In September 2012 President U Thein Sein visited the company’s Shenzhen headquarters during a trip to China.

Ericsson, meanwhile, is the world’s largest provider of wire-less network equipment. Wipro is headquartered in Bangalore and specialises in information technology,

consulting and outsourcing. The Telenor spokesperson said

that the company could not yet comment on what role the three companies will play in its network development plans.

Wipro and Huawei did not re-spond to requests for comment, while an Ericsson official said the company does not comment on “po-tential business”.

Photo: Reuters

Ministry to train ethnic minority language teachers

TIM MCLAUGHLIN

[email protected]

THE Ministry of Education will help train teachers so they can offer classes in ethnic minority languages outside school hours, an official says.

Ethnic languages will be taught in government primary schools after hours under a voluntary scheme being established by the ministry. Volunteer teachers will be given the opportunity to teach in their native language in classes that will take place after regu-lar lessons finish about 3pm.

Department of Educational Plan-ning and Training director general U Ko Ko Tin said the courses had been developed by academics with exper-tise in each of the different languages. Meetings have been held since Novem-ber to establish the syllabus for each language, with four – Pa-O, Rakhine, Kayah and Mon – already completed, and others still underway.

“We will provide training for vol-unteer teachers who want to teach in their ethnic language,” the deputy minister told The Myanmar Times.

The classes, which will be restricted to primary schools, could begin as early as this year. In some areas classes have already begun, said Daw Khin Mar Htwe, a director of the Department of Educational Planning and Training.

“We are creating the syllabuses and we will try to teach ethnic languages in the coming academic year. If that is

not possible then we hope to begin the following year,” she said.

Ethnic minority groups have been pushing for decades for their languag-es to be allowed into the country’s classrooms. For many, the decision to allow language instruction after hours does not go far enough, with some pushing for the language of instruc-tion in minority regions to be changed from Myanmar.

Ma Haung Saing from the Think-ing Classroom Foundation, an organi-sation that helps support teachers and is part of the National Network for Education Reform, said many children from ethnic minorities are unable to understand lessons in state schools be-cause they are taught in the Myanmar language. This leads to high drop-out rates in minority areas, she said.

“If these classes are in addition to regular schooling there is a risk that children might already be tired … at the end of the day and that could cause difficulties,” she said.

“They should be included in the formal syllabus, like English.

“I also want to see ethnic languages used as the language of instruction so that ethnic minority students are in-terested in studying and can learn more easily. It would help if the teach-ers are also from the same region.”

She said that because of the long-standing ban on minority languages in classrooms languages are currently taught in monasteries or churches.

EI THAE THAE NAING [email protected]

Norwegian firm signs agreements with Ericsson, Huawei and Wipro of India

THE Sangha association in Man-dalay’s Pyi Gyi Tagun township has demolished nine small monastic buildings constructed illegally on a 4-acre plot of land, association members said last week.

The buildings in Nwae Taw Kyi Kone ward were demolished on August 14 following complaints from the landowner, said the asso-ciation’s township chairman, Say-adaw Thawbana.

Seven families were also evicted from the compound the same day.

“The association took action because the issue involved monks and it is our responsibility to re-solve it,” he said. “We gave them two weeks to move but they didn’t go anywhere. Now we destroyed the monasteries and make them to go back their original monasteries [in Pyi Gyi Tagun township].”

Association secretary U Zanaka said the monks had been living on the site for five or six years but the previous leaders of the Sangha as-sociation had failed to take action.

“Some monks built monasteries and also sold some plots of land for about K8 million,” he said.

“We have got official letters from the relevant [government] departments to remove them. For related complaints [such as dis-putes over land sales], people will have to go through the appropriate departments,” he said.

U Aung Ko Win, the son-in-law of the landowner, said that his fam-ily rented parts of the compound to some families about five years

ago. At the same time, the monks constructed monastic buildings on the land. When his family asked them all to leave last year, the monks encouraged the families to stay on the land illegally, he said.

“Because of the monks it made it more difficult to evict them,” U Aung Ko Win said.

“Monks should not get involved in these kinds of issues. They

asked the people not to move so they continued to stay here,” he said.

Tenant Ko Kyaw Kyaw, who moved to the area from Bago Re-gion, said that he had been pay-ing rent to the ward adminis-trator since last year, when the land owner demanded they leave and refused to accept any more payments.


Sangha association demolishes illegal monasteries, houses PHYO WAI KYAW [email protected] THU LWIN [email protected]

A monk looks on as household items are piled on the street after the Sangha association demolished illegally built monastic buildings and homes in Mandalay’s Pyi Gyi Tagun township on August 14. Photo: Phyo Wai Kyaw

Designers get call up for GamesPERFORMERS at the Southeast Asian Games will be showing off their tal-ents in style thanks to contributions from the country’s leading designers.

A consortium of designers called the Myanmar Fashion Designer Group has been tasked with making outfits for performers participating in 27th SEA Games, which begin in Nay Pyi Taw on December 11.

The group consists of about 30 de-signers, including Ma Myint Zu (Zu Zu Collection), Ma Pont (My Favourite Collection), Thet Hnin Aye (Do Zo) and San Bouk Ra (Shayi).

Ma Myint Zu said the group en-joyed the experience but met some dif-ficulties designing clothes that met the requirements set by the Ministry of Culture. The designers came up with about 30 different styles and then took them to Nay Pyi Taw for approval.

One design was selected for each of Myanmar’s eight main ethnic groups, while two more designs were chosen for performers.

Altogether around 1000 outfits will be made for the event, with the design-ers given an end of August deadline.

The costumes will be worn by per-formers during the SEA Games, al-though the design group has not been told if they will feature in the opening or closing ceremonies.

“I made the clothes by combining Shan traditional dress with a modern style,” Ma Myint Zu said. – Ei Ei Thu

Second court appearance for ‘Myanmar Times’ reporter

A SENIOR reporter from The Myan-mar Times has made a second court appearance in his battle against a defamation charge.

Ko Si Thu Lwin appeared in Ma-daya Township Court on August 22 over allegations that his coverage of a recent dispute in Mandalay Region “damaged the dignity” of electricity department officials.

Ko Si Thu Lwin wrote a series of articles for The Myanmar Times this year covering a conflict over the in-stallation of power lines in Madaya. Residents argued the lines should bypass the town, rather than be run down the main street, for environ-mental and safety reasons.

The controversy was first re-ported in the paper’s Myanmar- language edition on May 24. On May 29, Madaya township electrici-ty engineer U Nyan Htun submitted a complaint to police alleging Ko Si Thu Lwin’s article contained “some words that damaged the dignity of the electricity department and its staff”.

During the August 22 hearing, U Nyan Htun told the township judge that it was safe to install the power lines down the main street of the town. He said he had worked in ac-cordance with the instructions of his superior and had not misused the budget for the project for his own benefit.

However, U Nyan Htun also ad-mitted that Ko Si Thu Lwin did not state his name in the report and that the article quoted residents and did not contain any editorialising or opinion.

U Nyan Htun also submitted his list witnesses on August 22. The next hearing is scheduled for August 30.

PHYO WAI KYAW [email protected]


More foreign news groups to get approval

THE government plans to allow more foreign news agencies to open bureaus in Myanmar soon, a Minis-try of Information official says.

Associated Press (AP), Japan’s Kyodo and NHK, and Xinhua and Guang Ming Daily from China have already opened branches here, while at least 10 more or-ganisations have applied for per-mission.

U Ye Naing, general manager of the ministry’s News and Peri-odicals Enterprise, said they are likely to be given the green light “in the near future”.

“We are reviewing their pro-posals and reporting to the Presi-dent’s Office. Some of them have already been sent to the Presi-dent’s Office … They are likely to be able to open their branches in the near future,” he told The My-anmar Times.

International Herald Tribune, Agence France-Presse and the Australian Broadcasting Corpora-tion have all applied for permis-sion to open offices, along with Nikkei Shimbun, Asahi Shimbun and Manichi from Japan, CCTV and Mingalar Magazine from China; and The Straits Times and Channel News Asia from Singa-pore.

U Ye Naing said the govern-ment would benefit from the in-creased presence of foreign media by improved coverage of govern-

ment and parliamentary activities in international media.

He cited the example of Kyo-do, which is cooperating to train journalists from the New Light of Myanmar in Japan. The ministry also has received technical train-ing from AP, he said.

Xinhua and Guang Ming Daily have had offices in Myanmar since 1996, while US-based AP and NHK news agency of Japan were given approval on April 1 to open offices, while Kyodo was approved on April 23.

News and Periodicals Enterprise general manager U Ye Naing speaks at the opening of the Associated Press office in Yangon on August 6. Photo: Boothee

Govt to devolve more power under reforms

THE central government has commit-ted to speeding up decentralisation in order to spur “people-centred develop-ment” during the second half of Presi-dent U Thein Sein’s term.

Minister for the President’s Office U Tin Naing Thein said the government is working to streamline administra-tive functions, more clearly demarcate responsibilities between Union Gov-ernment ministries and devolve more authority.

He acknowledged at a workshop on local governance in Nay Pyi Taw on Au-gust 18 that ministries in Nay Pyi Taw have so far been reluctant to cede au-thority to the 14 state and region gov-ernments and six self-administrative bodies created under the 2008 consti-tution.

“Whenever we go to the states and regions, the local governments repeat-edly say thatthey can’t do anything because the union ministries are con-trolling everything,” U Tin Naing Thein said.

He said the two vice presidents were overseeing the process and had sought feedback from regional governments.

“When we asked regional govern-ments which areas of government they

were confused about [whether they had control over], we got a pile of re-ports [about one foot thick],” he said. “When we compiled them, we found 169 areas where we need to streamline functioning between union ministries and local governments,” he said.

These “confused” areas include planning and budgeting, he said.

U Tin Naing Thein said fellow Min-ister for the President’s Office U Hla Tun would soon being drafting the budget bill for 2014-15, adding that the central government plans to allocate larger budgets to the regional govern-ments.

“We will allocate more budget to local governments based on the presi-dent’s instructions,” he said.

President U Thein Sein signalled his intention to devolve more execu-tive power – and, crucially, government funding – to regional governments in an important policy speech on August

9 in which he outlined his agenda for the final 30 months of his term in office.

The president said a planned ad-ministrative overhaul would be the “third wave” of his government’s re-form strategy, after political and eco-nomic reform.

In the speech, which was published in state media, he also strongly criti-cised some ministers for being reluc-tant to give up authority to regional governments. He said he had been forced “to retire and transfer some senior government officials” because of poor performance, lack of transparency and corruption.

The August 17-18 workshop on im-proving local governance and people-centred services – held little more than a week after thepresident’s speech – was organised by the United Nations Development Programme and the Min-istry of Home Affairs.

UNDP country director for Myan-mar Toily Kurbanov told The Myanmar Times that the workshop had helped to establish “what are the most important priorities to strengthen the president’s reform agenda”.

“UNDP has global experience in local government strengthening and decentralisation,” he said. “We thought we could help the govern-ment by sharing the global experience so that Myanmar can learn ... and re-flect [on] what is the mostappropriate [path] for Myanmar in developing its own approach to strengthening local governance.”

AUNG SHIN [email protected]

SANDAR LWIN

[email protected]

‘We will allocate more budget to local governments based on the president’s instructions.’

U Tin Naing Thein Minister for the President’s Office


LAUNCHED in the heady days of new-found media freedom, the country’s dozen private daily newspapers are strug-gling with a host of problems. Circulations are tumbling and costs are rising for newspapers that face crippling distribution problems and financial straits, industry insiders say.

Five months ago, the gov-ernment removed its long-standing restriction on private daily publications, allowing pioneering newspapers to ex-plore the new daily territory for the first time in half a cen-tury. So far more than 30 have been granted licences and 12 are being distributed – but it not yet clear how many will survive.

Among the strongest con-tenders are papers backed by the country’s leading political parties. The Union Daily, be-longing to the Union Solidar-ity and Development Party

(USDP), distributed free cop-ies for 10 days after its April 1 launch and now boasts a circu-lation of 40,000.

“We printed only 10,000 copies in the early days. But right now, we print 40,000 copies a day. The production cost per copy is K148, and

there isn’t much advertising yet. We expected losses, and we’re still losing money,” said U Win Tin (U Thiha Aung), the paper’s chief executive officer and chief editor.

Mizzima Media, an outlet founded by exiles in the early 1990s in India, returned to Myanmar last year and applied for a daily licence. It started publishing daily on May 24

and now has a circulation of 8000. But the paper is still fac-ing all-round losses, said its founder.

“Part of the reason is the cost of paper and ink, print-ing and distribution. I can’t put a figure to our daily losses. But we’re working on a digital newspaper and will focus on online media in the future,” said U Soe Myint.

While many newspapers are relative newcomers to the print media industry, a num-ber of well-established week-lies have also transitioned to daily publishing. 7Day News launched its first daily edition on April 25 and faced difficul-ties almost immediately.

“We faced a lot of problems with printing and used seven different printing houses in our early days, which delayed our papers from reaching the market in time. It was harder than we expected,” said execu-tive editor Ko Ahr Mahn.

“We are in a much better position now that we have our own printing presses. Each copy costs us K120 ... [and] we print 50,000 copies a day, more or less ... Whether we make a profit depends on our

advertising load,” he said.The range of problems fac-

ing the dailies includes not only greater competition but also the cost of newsprint and printing, electricity, labour, distribution and marketing. Printing costs can come to K135 per copy for a 24-page colour newspaper, said one ex-perienced printer.

“That’s about as cheaply as you can do it with a print run of 10,000 copies. A bigger print run would reduce the per-unit cost. Without adver-tising revenue, dailies will face losses. They will struggle,” said U Htay Maung, head of print-ing at Myanmar Consolidated Media, which publishes The Myanmar Times.

Nationwide distribution is hobbled by transportation bottlenecks. Most private daily newspapers print only in Yan-gon and getting copies outside the big cities in time is diffi-cult. Most rely on distribution companies rather than their own networks to get papers out.

U Kyaw Min Swe, editor-in-chief of Voice Daily, said distribution difficulties were a major factor inhibiting circula-tion growth.

He said Voice Daily, which launched on April 1, initially printed 40,000 copies but cir-culation has since dropped to 25,000.

“We don’t have our own dis-tribution staff, which would al-low our papers to reach a wider area. Our circulation dropped because of distribution chal-lenges and also the market is very competitive,” he said.

Tun Oo Sarpay is one of a number of companies daily

journals use to get copies around the country. The com-pany distributes eight journals across upper Myanmar.

“Some are flown in, some come by road. Distribution to remote towns from Mandalay takes a long time and we often have to take back unsold cop-ies from vendors,” said Tun Oo Sarpay owner U Tun Oo.

“Daily wholesale prices range from K110 to K150, and sales are not good. No paper sells more than 4500 copies in Mandalay, and some sell as low as 50 or 100.”

In a bid to win readership from some of its larger rivals, the owners of Messenger Daily have been distributing the pa-per free of charge since May 7. However, they say that circula-tion has still halved from 60,000 to 30,000 copies.

Editor Ko Thura Aung said both readers and advertis-ers are reluctant to make the switch from weekly to daily products.

“Private dailies are new for readers ... We haven’t reached our target yet,” he said. “The advertising is also not the same as in our journal, where we had regular income every week. We are still losing.”

Daily Eleven, published by Eleven Media Group, which is said to have the largest circu-lation, did not respond to re-quests for comment.

While some had predicted the daily era would lead to the demise of weekly journals, this has so far not been the case as, to cover their losses – and keep readers and advertisers reluc-tant to make the switch – many dailies continue to print their original weekly publications.

“We are still publishing our weekly journal to [subsi-dise] our daily,” U Kyaw Min Swe said. “The weekly journal might disappear in the future but for now the dailies rely on the income from the weekly journals.”

Photo: Zarni Phyo

Daily papers

fight for survival

Distribution bottlenecks, printing delays and ballooning losses – it’s the nature of the media game in the daily era

AUNGSHIN

[email protected]

12The number of daily newspapers

available at newsstands out of the 31 granted licences

‘We expected losses, and we’re still losing money. ’

U Win Tin CEO and chief editor

The Union Daily


YCDC replacing open dump sites with plastic bins

YANGON’S municipal author-ity plans to close all of the city’s open dump sites to reduce environmental and air pollu-tion, said U Than Lwin Oo, head of the Pollution Control and Cleaning Department un-der Yangon City Development Committee.

He said YCDC will place plastic waste bins at more than 600 sites where people cur-rently just dump rubbish in the open, adding that the waste collection system would also be upgraded in time.

“There were more than 700 open garbage sites in Yangon, although we have reduced this to 649 by putting down large plastic bins,” U Than Lwin Oo said. “We intend to abolish all open rubbish collecting sites in the future, which will prevent animals from spreading the trash around and limit air pol-lution and bad smells.”

He added that more than 4000 YCDC plastic waste bins are in use in Yangon, with more to come.

U Than Lwin Oo also said that new 38 garbage compactor trucks, including rear bin lift-ers, arrived in July and will be pressed into services to collect bins using fewer workers, in less time, soon.

He said YCDC data collected in 2012 showed that the city’s rubbish collectors, who num-ber about 3380, cleaned up an average of 500 kilograms of trash each day.

AYE SAPAY PHYU [email protected]

PYAE THET PHYO [email protected]

‘It's not totally true that I’ve confessed.’

U Khin Maung Htoo Village administrator

Shimon Peres to visit Myanmar next yearISRAELI president and Nobel peace laureate Shimon Peres plans to visit Myanmar next year, an official in Is-rael’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said last week.

Ministry director Mattanya Cohen revealed the planned visit to The My-anmar Times at a ceremony to mark the 60th anniversary of the establish-ment of diplomatic relations between Myanmar and Israel in Yangon on August 19.

Mr Cohen did not reveal any spe-cifics about the planned trip but said that he expected ties between the two countries to remain warm. He also ex-pressed support for expanding Israel-sponsored development projects tak-ing place in Myanmar.

“Even though bilateral trade is only a few millions, Israel has always helped Myanmar in its development in the past 60 years and now I am here to know who the donors are and what big projects they are doing for the de-velopment of this country and how Is-rael can contribute,” he said.

While in Myanmar, Mr Cohen said he will explore options for greater co-operation, particularly on agriculture and water management, in meetings with government ministers and other

officials in Nay Pyi Taw.Yangon Region Chief Minister said

the two countries shared a common achievement – they both achieved independence from Great Britain in 1948. Diplomatic relations were estab-lished shortly after.

“Bilateral co-operation has de-veloped in various fields including education, agriculture, health and the economy under the sponsorship of MASHAV – Israel’s Agency for Inter-national Development Cooperation – and through other channels,” U Myint Swe said, adding that more than 300

civil servants have attended MASHAV-run courses in Israel since 1990.

The 60th anniversary event was at-tended by more than 100 people and organised by Club Shalom Myanmar, which was formed nine years ago by those who attended courses in Israel.

Israel’s ambassador to Myanmar, Hagay Moshe Behar, said the politi-cal changes taking place in Myanmar meant it was the right time to “expand its relations in the economic and po-litical fields”.

“If we do things together, it will benefit both,” he said.

Israeli President Shimon Peres speaks at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East in May 2009. Photo: World Economic Forum

MYA KAY KHINE [email protected]

New twist in Lewe village bribery scandal

A VILLAGE administrator in Nay Pyi Taw’s Lewe township has denied claims he confessed to accepting a K200,000 bribe.

Residents in Pauk Myaing village tract have accused administrator U Khin Maung Htoo of asking for and then accepting the bribe in exchange for speeding up the issuing of land ownership documents.

“It’s not totally true that I con-fessed. We’ve reached an under-standing,” U Khin Maung Htoo told The Myanmar Times on August 21.

The accusations were first lev-elled in late May by U Aung Kyaing, who owns 3 acres of farmland in the village-tract, and were initially re-jected by U Khin Maung Htoo.

However, residents say that on August 7 the administrator contact-ed a number of witnesses listed in U Aung Kyaing’s complaint submitted to the township authorities on July 29 and asked them to withdraw the complaint. The next day he told them that he took the money and also implicated other local officials, they said.

“We testified that the administra-tor accepted K200,000 because we are familiar with the case,” said U Myint Lwin.

“On [August 8], the administra-tor confessed in front of us at his uncle’s house.”

The August 7 meeting took place at the home of U Myo Win Hlaing, another of the witnesses listed in the complaint.

“The administrator asked us to withdraw the complaint when we negotiated at my home and he also confessed [the next day] to receiving money from U Aung Kyaing,” U Myo Win Hlaing said.

U Khin Maung Myint, who was also present at the meeting, said the administrator told them two local officials had also been involved.

“The administrator revealed that the clerk and [another official] had also been involved with him,” he said.

However, U Khin Maung Htoo said he has not confessed to any-thing. He said the Lewe township administration office is forming a tribunal to investigate the complaint.

Meanwhile, landowner U Aung Kyaing said he had no intention of withdrawing the complaint.



MPs approve loan despite concerns over interest

THE government will offer low-interest credit with a “high-interest” loan from a Chinese bank, after parliament ap-proved the loan despite opposi-tion from some MPs.

The loan will be used to fund an ambitious government program to reduce poverty and spur rural development, despite criticisms from MPs (see relat-ed story right).

The Pyidaungsu Hluttaw ap-proved the US$100 million loan from China’s Export-Import Bank on the recommendation of President U Thein Sein by majority vote on August 22.

“The Ministry of Coopera-tives will report to parliament on how they will manage the loan,” Pyidaungsu Hluttaw speaker Thura U Shwe Mann said after the vote.

The proposal to approve the loan was submitted by Pyithu Hluttaw representative U Aung Thaung, an adviser to executive members of the Union Solidar-ity and Development Party (USDP), and discussed by eight MPs.

Myanmar will repay the loan over 10 years, two years of which

will be free of interest. The country will pay annual interest of 4.5 percent for the other eight years, plus an immediate “man-agement expenses” payment of 1pc, or $1 million.

Some MPs said both the in-terest rate and the management fee were too high.

U Phyo Min Thein from the National League for Democracy, the main rival of the USDP, said cooperative enterprises had al-ways been a failure.

“This loan, with its high in-terest rate, should not be accept-ed for cooperative use,” he said.

Representative Daw Tin Nwe Oo said the ministry should carefully consider the potential for risks as well as profit from cooperative enterprises before taking out the loan.

“We may lose again if we make mistakes,” she said.

Though the loan is in US dol-lars, China will lend the money in kyat and representative U Win Oo said this could entail exchange-rate losses and also contribute to exchange rate instability.

However, Minister for Co-operatives U Kyaw Hsan said the loans would meet demand from cooperative associations for credit.

“It is true that the coopera-tive system has not succeeded in the past,” he said. “But we will try to learn from our mistakes.”


First phase of ambitious ministry lending program launched in NPT

LOANS worth more than K7 bil-lion (US$7.2 million) are being offered to residents of eight Nay Pyi Taw townships as part of a government-sponsored lending program aimed at reducing pov-erty that could eventually see more than $3 billion distributed in low-interest loans.

The Ministry of Coopera-tives has been offering the loans in Nay Pyi Taw for the purchase of agriculture vehicles and ma-chinery on an instalment basis since August 19 as part of the government’s rural develop-ment and poverty elimination program.

At a ceremony to announce the loans, President U Thein Sein told members of coopera-tive societies, who will receive the funds, “We won’t break the cycle of poverty unless people can work. I want to encourage people to get a job. The devel-opment of your society is up to you.”

Myanmar has borrowed US$100 million from China to help create more job oppor-tunities for people from rural areas as well as urban work-ers. Minister for Cooperatives U Kyaw Hsan said the ministry will seek financial assistance from other international sourc-es because it needs between K600 billion ($619 million) and K3 trillion ($3.09 billion) to extend the loan scheme across the country.

“We planned to give people in both rural and urban areas

the opportunity to own vehicles and machines for their busi-ness by lending each family up to K500,000,” U Kyaw Hsan said.

Initially, funds amounting to K12.5 billion will be used to buy tractors, tractor trailers, trucks, engines, generators, water pumps and motorbikes for farmers; and taxis, sewing machines, trishaws and motor-bikes for people in urban areas.

More than 10,000 people, including farmers and mem-

bers of cooperative societies in eight townships in Nay Pyi Taw, attended the August 19 ceremony. A total of K7.2 billion in loans is being granted and agricultural machines are be-ing sold on instalment to 12,610 members of 203 cooperative so-cieties in the townships.

“Borrowers should be members of a group that must comprise at least five people. Loans will be granted to each group on the recom-mendation of the cooperative

society,” said U Khin Maung Myint of Pyinmana’s Coopera-tion Department.

U Thein Tan, a farmer from Dekkinathiri township in Nay Pyi Taw, said he would use the loans to cover the shortfall in support from the agricultural development bank, which lends farmers only K100,000 an acre.

“The farming loans are not enough,” he said. “I’m grateful to the president for the new plan.” – Translated by Thiri Min Htun

President U Thein Sein examines sewing machines at the launch of a loan program on August 16.

WIN KO KO LATT

[email protected]

HSU HLAING HTUN [email protected]

First Nay Pyi Taw flights set for take off

BANGKOK Airways will be-come the first carrier to offer regular service between Thai-land’s capital and Nay Pyi Taw, with the company confirming flights are scheduled to start within weeks.

The airline will launch its thrice-weekly service at the end of September, less than three months before the 27th SEA

Games kick off on December 11. The move puts the company ahead of budget carrier Thai AirAsia, which will not start flights between the two capitals until October.

“We will launch Nay Pyi Taw [flights] from September 30,” said Daw Nang Hon Tip, a sen-ior sales executive at the Bang-kok Airways office in Yangon.

“We want to meet the de-mand from people travelling for the 27th SEA Games in Nay Pyi

Taw this December,” she said.The 90-minute flights will

be offered every Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport using a 70-seat ATR 72-500 aircraft.

Regional budget carrier Thai AirAsia announced in June that it hoped to become the first car-rier to launch direct services between Bangkok and Nay Pyi Taw. Scheduled services will be-gin in October, with the airline

offering four flights a week on a 180-seat Airbus A320.

Bangkok Airways is also set to become the third Thai airline, after Thai AirAsia and Thai Smile, to offer regular flights from Bangkok to Manda-lay, with services beginning on September 15.

Daw Nang Hon Tip said the company will initially offer four flights a week on the route before ramping up to daily frequency on October 27.

ZAW WIN THAN [email protected]

Photo: Hsu Hlaing Htun

TRADE MARK CAUTIONJohnson & Johnson, a corporation incorporated in the United States of America, of One Johnson & Johnson Plaza, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08933, U.S.A., is the Owner of the following Trade Mark:-

EVADUREReg. No.14915/2012

in respect of “Int’l Class 5: Human pharmaceutical preparations”.

Fraudulent imitation or unauthorised use of the said Trade Mark will be dealt with according to law.

Win Mu Tin, M.A., H.G.P., D.B.Lfor Johnson & JohnsonP. O. Box 60, YangonE-mail: [email protected]: 26 August 2013


Shan news agency hits airwaves, onlineNAN TIN HTWE [email protected]

ETHNIC media outlet Shan Herald Agency for News last week began broadcasting eight hours a day of online radio programming, cover-ing topics ranging from politics to music.

SHAN Radio launched on Au-gust 19 and is broadcast from 9am to 5pm on weekdays. It is available through the website www.radio.pan-glong.org, initially in Shan language.

Daily content includes two 30-minute news broadcasts as well as talk shows and community pro-gramming.

The program is the latest venture for the online news agency, which covers Shan State-related issues in English, Myanmar, Shan, Chinese and Thai languages.

Editor U Khun Sai said the agen-cy decided to embark on the online radio venture after it had to stop publishing its journal, Independence, in 2010 because of a lack of funding.

The Shan- and Myanmar-lan-guage publication was launched in 1984 and 3000 copies of each is-sue were distributed illegally inside

Myanmar and in border areas.He said he believes that online

radio will be a more effective me-dium than print because of growing internet penetration, particularly on mobile devices.

The agency plans to begin broad-casting in Myanmar within six months, and Thai within one year.

“I know we can face some dif-ficulties because of internet [con-nection] problems in Myanmar,” U Khun Sai said.

“But we are optimistic because the government said during the peace negotiations that it plans to set up thousands of mobile towers.”

Police hunt eight members of juvenile gang after burglary

POLICE in Pyinmana have ar-rested two juveniles accused of breaking into a car service cen-tre to steal vehicle parts. The two are said to belong to a gang of at least 10 young people al-legedly responsible for several thefts in Paung Laung ward, where the two suspects live.

The suspects – a boy and a girl, both aged 13 – were ar-rested on August 11 at the scene of the alleged crime in 12th Street. Police were alerted by a mechanic but failed to ap-prehend four other members of the group who had also climbed over the brick wall of the Myae Thar company’s premises.

Police said on August 15 that they were still investigating the

other eight alleged gang mem-bers, who are also said to be aged 13. Three are thought to be girls.

The alleged perpetrators were caught with six items from the car service centre valued at K145,000 and police say the two suspects in custody have confessed. They have told police the attempted robbery was or-chestrated by an adult, who took members of the group to the car service centre on his motorcycle.

Residents in Paung Laung ward said they hoped the ar-rests would end a recent crime wave that has afflicted the area.

“It’s high time the police took action against these young crooks. They are rampant in this ward, and everyone knows who they are and where they live,” said resident Daw Thida.


HSU HLAING HTUN [email protected]

CorrectionThe article “Rakhine aid work-ers resigning over social media threats”, published in the August 19-25 edition of The Myanmar Times, incorrectly stated there are more than 80 international aid organisations working in Sittwe. The number refers instead to the approximate number of foreign hu-manitarian workers in the Rakhine State capital. We regret the error.

HIV among top health burdens, study finds

AN international study of HIV/AIDS in Myanmar has placed it among the country’s leading causes of disease burden.

Released on August 21, The Burden of HIV: Insights from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010 found that more than 5 percent of deaths and disease burden in Myanmar is attributable to HIV/AIDS.

The authors of the report, written by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, say it is based on the first study that compares HIV/AIDS-related health loss in Myanmar to the impact of other diseases.

Despite a modest decrease in the HIV/AIDS death rate since 2007, the disease is still responsible for a greater percentage of deaths in Myanmar than

anywhere else in Southeast Asia. “The death rate has fallen just a

small amount – less than 11 percent since the disease’s peak in the coun-try in 2007,” Theo Vos, a professor at IHME, told The Myanmar Times.

He cautioned that the epidemic’s impact remains greater here than in neighbouring countries.

“HIV/AIDS, as of 2010, was still re-sponsible for 5pc of deaths in Myanmar – more than any other country in the region,” he said. “In addition, the de-crease in the mortality rate is modest compared with progress that has been made by countries such as Thailand, where it has been reduced by more than half, or even Cambodia.”

Mr Vos said that by applying a dis-ability-adjusted life year (DALY) meas-urement – the sum total of years of life lost due to premature death and dis-ability – researchers have been able to capture the true burden that HIV/AIDS puts on society.

“Our studies take into account premature mortality – hugely impor-tant for a disease that largely impacts young people,” Mr Vos said. “And young

people who die lose more potential years of life than old people who die.

“For example, the slow rate of de-cline in HIV/AIDS burden in Myanmar compared to Thailand indicates that Myanmar can learn from Thailand how to accelerate progress in HIV control.”

He said Thailand had been proactive in implementing educational programs as well as introducing a decentralised model where patients can access better levels of treatment and coverage.

Eamonn Murphy, country coordina-tor at UNAIDS Myanmar, said that in spite of the study’s grim news, there has been major progress since 2010 in controlling the incidence of the disease in Myanmar.

Mr Murphy said up to 50pc of pa-tients now have access to treatment and the Myanmar government has commit-ted to reaching 85pc of those infected by 2016. He said that increased fund-ing alone is not enough to combat the spread and impact of the disease.

“What we also need to do is address issues like social stigma and legal bar-riers ... which are still causing a huge problem.”

MANNYMAUNG

[email protected]


Ministry to tackle dress and behaviour with civics program

Models pose on a stairway at a stadium before a football match between famous actors and singers in Yangon on June 14. Photo: Ko Taik

SHWEGU THITSAR [email protected]

THE Ministry of Culture plans to trial a cultural civics pro-gram aimed at combating the influence of decadent foreign cultures at two universities, ahead of a planned rollout to all tertiary institutions and high schools.

The course has been drafted by the rector of Mandalay Na-tional University of Arts and Culture, Daw Khin Kyi Pyar, and will be introduced at the arts and culture universities in Yan-gon and Mandalay, said Deputy Minister for Culture U Than Swe.

He said the civics program teaches the “rights and duties of citizens” and “includes all kinds of Myanmar traditions”. He said the program is needed in order “to preserve Myanmar’s culture, especially what we wear and how we behave”.

But for the most part the ministry seems concerned about how young women dress and behave.

“The Ministry of Culture has noticed the changes in women’s culture including fashion. Dur-ing the last water festival I also saw Myanmar women swigging beer from a bottle by Inya Lake. It isn’t proper behaviour,” U Than Swe said.

While conceding that My-anmar men are also drinking alcohol and adopting Western dress, he said the ministry was more concerned about women because it was “dangerous” for them to engage in these kinds of behaviours.

He said that while the min-istry is concerned about how women’s fashion has changed in Myanmar over the past decade but will not try to control fash-ion trends.

“Our department won’t is-sue any instructions on women’s dress in Myanmar. We have been told we can’t do it because it not democratic. But parents should make sure their children are disciplined and respect our cul-ture,” said U Than Swe.

“I don’t mean women should wear clothes like in the old days. Women’s fashion has always changed but it changed sig-nificantly after 2000. And some other aspects of our culture have also changed.”

While South Korean dramas have been blamed for many of the changes, U Than Swe said many women take their cues from local celebrities.

“These [South Korean] mov-ies alone are not the main fac-tor because you don’t see deca-dent fashions in those movies. However, they do include scenes where a woman propositions

a man, and women are drink-ing and getting drunk,” he said. “There will be other factors [for changing fashions], such as Western movies and copying lo-cal movie stars.”

University students said that while they welcomed the cultur-al civics program they did not believe the government or other bodies should seek to control how women dress or behave.

Ma Yamin Thu, 18, a second-year law student at East Yangon University, said all people should wear clothing appropriate for whatever they are doing.

“For example, if you visit a pagoda or go to university, your dress should be a Myanmar

longyi or long skirt. I don’t mean we shouldn’t wear shorts at all. I also like to wear short dresses or skirts. But I wear them to a party or a function or to go shopping,” she said.

“As for drinking alcohol, I don’t think it is a sin to drink a glass of wine or beer at a party. No one should say a woman is bad just because she drinks al-cohol. But women need to be careful not to get too drunk like some men,” she said.

Another university student, Ma Aye Myat Mon, said she is not a fan of “revealing” clothing but does not always stick to tra-ditional dress.

“I always wear dress in Myan-mar style when I go to university but sometime dress like Korean movie stars for special events, such as birthdays and on New Year’s Eve,” said the 18-year-old physics major.

Actress Wint Yamon Hlaing, famous for her role on the TV series Sign of Love, said actors should not be criticised for how they dress on TV because they are “in character”.

“I agree people copy how their favourite stars dress but on TV how we look varies de-pending on the character we are playing,” she said. “My fa-vourite style is just jeans and T-shirt.” – Translated by Thiri Min Htun

‘During the last water festival I saw Myanmar women swigging beer from a bottle ... It isn’t proper behaviour.’

U Than Swe Deputy Minister for Culture

Indonesia arrests four over embassy bomb plotINDONESIAN police have arrested four men suspected of involvement in a failed plot to bomb the Myanmar embassy in Jakarta, an official said on August 21.

The plot was a sign of the grow-ing anger in Muslim-majority Indo-nesia at the persecution of the Roh-ingya Muslim minority in Myanmar, where most of the population is Buddhist.

“We arrested four terror suspects for alleged involvement in a plot to bomb the Myanmar embassy,” nation-al police spokesman Ronny Sompie said, adding they were detained in raids between August 17 and 20.

He said police were probing what role exactly they played in the plot.

Mr Sompie said that one of two suspects arrested on the evening of August 20 was a terror convict who had been jailed for eight years and was released in 2008.

The alleged mastermind, bomb-maker and fundraiser of the plot had already been detained.

Police foiled the embassy plot on May 2 when they detained two men with a backpack holding five pipe bombs, who had allegedly been plan-ning to launch an attack the following day.

Militants also launched a bomb attack on one of Jakarta’s biggest Buddhist temples earlier this month, slightly injuring one person. – AFP

TRADE MARK CAUTIONNOTICE is hereby given that Lawson, Inc. a company organized under the laws of Japan and having its principal office at East Tower, Gate City Osaki, 11-2, Osaki 1-chome, Shinagawa-Ku, Tokyo, Japan is the owner and sole proprietor of the following trademarks:-

(Reg: No. IV/6757/2013)The above three trademarks are in respect of :-“Bleaching preparations and other substances for laundry use; cleaning, polishing, scouring and abrasive preparations; soaps; perfumery, essential oils, cosmetics, hair lotions; dentifrices.” Class: 3“Industrial oils and greases; lubricants; dust absorbing, wetting and binding compositions; fuels (including motor spirit) and illuminants; candles and wicks for lighting.” Class: 4“Pharmaceutical and veterinary preparations; sanitary preparations for medical purposes; dietetic food and substances adapted for medical or veterinary use, food for babies; dietary supplements for humans and animals; plasters, materials for dressings; material for stopping teeth, dental wax; disinfectants; preparations for destroying vermin; fungicides, herbicides.”Class: 5 “Hand tools and implements (hand-operated); cutlery; side arms; razors.” Class: 8“Scientific, nautical, surveying, photographic, cinematographic, optical, weighing, measuring, signalling, checking (supervision), life-saving and teaching apparatus

LAWSON(Reg: No. IV/6755/2013)

(Reg: No. IV/6756/2013)

and instruments; apparatus and instruments for conducting, switching, transforming, accumulating, regulating or controlling electricity; apparatus for recording, transmission or reproduction of sound or images; magnetic data carriers, recording discs; compact discs, DVDs and other digital recording media; mechanisms for coin-operated apparatus; cash registers, calculating machines, data processing equipment, computers; computer software; fire-extinguishing apparatus.”Class: 9“Surgical, medical, dental and veterinary apparatus and instruments, artificial limbs, eyes and teeth; orthopedic articles; suture materials.” Class: 10“Apparatus for lighting, heating, steam generating, cooking, refrigerating, drying, ventilating, water supply and sanitary purposes.” Class: 11“Paper, cardboard and goods made from these materials, not included in other classes; printed matter; bookbinding material; photographs; stationery; adhesives for stationery or household purposes; artists’ materials; paint brushes; typewriters and office requisites (except furniture); instructional and teaching material (except apparatus); plastic materials for packaging (not included in other classes); printers’ type; printing blocks.” Class: 16“Leather and imitations of leather, and goods made of these materials and not included in other classes; animal skins, hides; trunks and travelling bags; umbrellas and parasols; walking sticks; whips, harness and saddlery.” Class: 18“Furniture, mirrors, picture frames; goods (not included in other classes) of wood, cork, reed, cane, wicker, horn, bone, ivory, whalebone, shell, amber, mother-of-pearl, meerschaum and substitutes for all these materials, or of plastics.” Class: 20“Household or kitchen utensils and containers; combs and sponges; brushes (except paint brushes); brush-making materials; articles for cleaning purposes; steelwool; unworked or semi-worked glass (except glass used in building); glassware, porcelain and earthenware not included in other classes.” Class: 21“Textiles and textile goods, not included in other classes; bed covers; table covers.” Class: 24“Clothing, footwear, headgear.” Class: 25“Games and playthings; gymnastic and sporting articles not included in other classes; decorations for Christmas trees.”

Class: 28“Meat, fish, poultry and game; meat extracts; preserved, frozen, dried and cooked fruits and vegetables; jellies, jams, compotes; eggs; milk and milk products; edible oils and fats.” Class: 29“Coffee, tea, cocoa and artificial coffee; rice; tapioca and sago; flour and preparations made from cereals; bread, pastry and confectionery; ices; sugar, honey, treacle; yeast, baking-powder; salt; mustard; vinegar, sauces (condiments); spices; ice.” Class: 30“Grains and agricultural, horticultural and forestry products not included in other classes; live animals; fresh fruits and vegetables; seeds; natural plants and flowers; foodstuffs for animals; malt.” Class: 31“Beers; mineral and aerated waters and other non-alcoholic beverages; fruit beverages and fruit juices; syrups and other preparations for making beverages.” Class: 32“Alcoholic beverages (except beers).” Class: 33“Tobacco; smokers’ articles; matches.” Class: 34“Advertising; business management; business administration; office functions.” Class: 35“Insurance; financial affairs; monetary affairs; real estate affairs.” Class: 36“Telecommunications.” Class: 38“Transport; packaging and storage of goods; travel arrangement.” Class: 39“Education; providing of training; entertainment; sporting and cultural activities.” Class: 41“Services for providing food and drink; temporary accommodation.” Class: 43“Legal services; security services for the protection of property and individuals; personal and social services rendered by others to meet the needs of individuals.” Class: 45

Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademarks or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law.

U Kyi Win Associatesfor Lawson, Inc.P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon.Phone: 372416 Dated: 26th August, 2013


Models pose on a stairway at a stadium before a football match between famous actors and singers in Yangon on June 14. Photo: Ko Taik

New insurance firms to embark on hiring spree

THE nascent private insurance sec-tor could soon create hundreds – if not thousands – of jobs for skilled and semi-skilled workers, the deputy minister for finance says.

U Maung Maung Thein, who is also a former managing director of state-run Myanma Insurance, which until recently enjoyed a monopoly in the sector, said most of the jobs would be filled by young people.

“This sector will create a lot of jobs because there are 12 private companies setting up insurance op-erations,” he said. “Most of these jobs will appeal to young people but there will be positions that will provide a chance for retired people to re-enter the market, especially if they have experience.”

The Ministry of Finance has grant-ed working permits for the 12 compa-nies to offer six types of insurance. The liberalisation, it says, is driven by a de-sire to build public trust in insurance, support the development of the econ-omy and boost foreign and domestic investment.

“Myanma Insurance will con-tinue as a market leader,” he said. “The department has given permits

to private companies to offer six types of insurance but it will expand these later when the providers show they can successfully manage their operations.

The six types of insurance in-clude life, fire, car and bank deposit insurance.

U Kyaw Zwar Soe, assistant man-ager at insurance firm IKBZ, which is owned by Kanbawza Group, said his company has already hired 60 staff and expects to expand rapidly in coming months.

“We hired retired Myanma Insur-ance employees to act as consult-ants, as well as others as full-time employees,” he said. “We have about 20 ex-Myanma Insurance employees working for us.

“But we expect to hire hundreds of staff and haven’t met our target yet.”

Finding experienced workers is difficult given that the sector was stifled for six decades by a state monopoly. U Kyaw Zwar Soe said those interested in finding a job in the sector, either in public or private enterprises, should consider taking a three-month course with Myanma Insurance.

But even then private companies have to offer regular in-house train-ing to improve their skills.

“The training details standard insurance service procedures, and trainees can apply for jobs at pri-vate firms when they have finished,”

he said. “But we can’t rely on them immediately after they have fin-ished the training and still need to provide more on-the-job training, which usually takes about three months.”

Of the 12 companies permitted to sell insurance to the public, five were given operating permits on May 25 and another four on June 14. Three companies – Excellent Fortune, Pil-lar of Truth, and Young – are yet to be issued operating permits because they have not deposited the required paid-up capital at Myanma Econom-ic Bank (MEB).

Companies planning to offer gen-eral insurance coverage must deposit K46 billion (about US$47 million) at the bank. At least 40 percent of the paid-up capital must remain with MEB but the company can use the remainder as working capital.

“Approved companies can use 60pc of their paid-up capital to oper-ate,” said U Aye Min Thein, manag-ing director of Myanma Insurance. “We check every day what the com-panies are doing.”

The 12 companies that have been awarded working licences are: Grand Guardian Insurance Public, IKBZ, First National, Young, Capital Life, Global World, Excellent Fortune, Pillar of Truth, Ayeyar Myanmar, Aung Myinmo Min, Aung Thisar Oo and Citizen Business Insurance Company.

– Translated by Thiri Min Htun

SHWE GU THIT SAR

[email protected]


Rakhine push for fair share of resources

RAKHINE State’s natural resources should benefit the people of the state, the largest Rakhine political party says. The Rakhine Nationalities Develop-ment Party (RNDP) launched a petition campaign in Yangon and Rakhine State on August 18 to support its push for more of the national budget to be spent on the state’s development, in line with the revenue generated from its natural resources.

U Khine Kyaw Moe, a member of

the party’s central executive commit-tee, said campaigners hoped to garner at least 300,000 signatures from resi-dents of Yangon and 17 townships in Rakhine State.

“We will continue this campaign for the next two or three weeks. While Rakhine State is our main focus for col-lecting signatures, we are also inviting other ethnic groups to take part in the campaign. We hope this initiative will lead to the adoption of a natural re-sources allocation bill that will benefit all ethnic groups and the public,” he said in Yangon on August 18.

The petition will be sent to the pres-ident and to the speakers of the Pyithu Hluttaw and Amyotha Hluttaw.

U Zaw Aye Maung, the Rakhine af-fairs minister for Yangon Region, said

legislation was needed to ensure natu-ral resources are shared fairly between states and regions and called on mem-bers of the public to sign the petition.

“A bill showing what percentage of the profits from natural resources should go toward the development of the states or regions that yielded those assets would strengthen the country’s solidarity and stability,” he said.

Campaigners say Rakhine is one of the poorest and least developed ar-eas in the country and profits from its natural resources – particularly natural gas from the Shwe field, most of which will be exported to China – should be devoted to its development.

“People in the state don’t benefit from its natural gas, nor from its forest-ry and livestock sectors,” said U Khine

Kyaw Moe of the RNDP.Campaign supporter U Hla Maung

Thein said underdevelopment led young people from Rakhine State to migrate elsewhere. “The number of Ra-khine ethnics is significantly down be-cause of the poor economy in the state. Electricity is essential for its develop-ment,” he said.

He also expressed concern that Rakhine State’s beaches, which are a potential source of tourism revenue, could be damaged by development projects approved by the central government.

“Rakhine’s coastline contains some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. We need to protect that resource. The development of seaport projects could entail risks to the coastline be-cause of pollution and marine traffic. Systems to protect the coast should be in place beforehand to prevent coastal degradation,” U Hla Maung Thein said.

Shan Nationalities Democratic Par-ty senior member U Saw Than Myint said he believes that all ethnic groups should benefit from the country’s natural resources.

Pipeline companies give $1.6m for rural development projects

RESIDENTS in areas along the route of the Myanmar-China oil and gas pipelines will benefit from US$1.6 mil-lion in support for livelihood, education and infrastructure projects.

The funds have been pledged by Southeast Asia Gas Pipeline Company (SEAGP) and Southeast Asia Crude Oil Pipeline Company (SEAOP), the consortiums established to build and operate the two pipelines.

The companies have com-mitted to funding 33 projects in 2013-14 that will see basic infrastructure, such as roads, schools and hospitals, built in communities along the pipe-line route. Other projects will seek to improve electricity and water supplies.

Contracts for the funding were signed at a ceremony in Mandalay on August 16 at-tended by Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise director gen-eral U Wai Oo and senior offi-cials from SEAGP and SEAOP.

The oil and gas pipelines run from the coastal township of Kyaukpyu in Rakhine State through Magwe and Mandalay

regions and Shan State before crossing the border into Chi-na’s Yunnan Province in Muse township.

The gas pipeline is 793 kil-ometres (491 miles) in length and the oil pipeline 771km (479 miles) long.

The pipelines cost an esti-mated US$2.5 billion to build and the investors include six companies from four coun-tries: Myanmar, China, South Korea and India.

The gas pipeline was offi-cially opened at a ceremony in Mandalay on July 28.

Officials from Southeast Asia Gas Pipeline Company and Southeast Asia Crude Oil Pipeline Company shake hands at a ceremony on August 16. Photo: Khin Su Wai

AYE SAPAY PHYU

[email protected]

‘People in Rakhine State don’t benefit from its natural gas.’

U Khine Kyaw Moe RNDP member

IN PICTURESMandalay residents get their first glimpse of the city zoo’s first African residents: a pair of single-humped camels. The pair, along with two zebras, was transferred from Nay Pyi Taw’s Safari Park to Yadanarpon Zoological Garden on August 12 and quickly settled into their new home, said zoo administrator U Khin Maung Latt. – Aung Ye Thwin

KHIN SU WAI [email protected]

TRADE MARK CAUTIONABBOTT GmbH & Co. KG, a Company incorporated in Germany, of Max-Planck-Ring 2, 65205 Wiesbaden, Germany, is the Owner of the following Trade Mark:-

ISOPTINReg. No. 467/1982

in respect of “Calcium antagonist-Coronary therapeutic agent with antiarrhythmic action for the treatment of coronary insufficiency arrhythmias and hypertension”.


Win Mu Tin, M.A., H.G.P., D.B.Lfor ABBOTT GmbH & Co. KGP. O. Box 60, YangonE-mail: [email protected]: 26 August 2013


Pedestrians walk past the Samsung service centre on Mahabandoola Garden Street last week. Photo: Thiri

Yangon health department cracks down on illegal clinics

YANGON Region’s Department of Health has uncovered scores of un-licensed medical clinics across the city, an official says.

Department head Dr Aye Ko Ko said his department had instructed township supervisory committees to check all private clinics in July. Most committees found at least three or four unlicensed clinics in their town-ship, he said, the majority of which specialise in Chinese traditional medicine.

The instruction also ordered com-mittees to close facilities that do not have an operating licence, or are found to be offering services beyond what they are permitted to carry out.

“We have not taken legal action against them if they do not have a valid licence, or if the doctor who is on the licence is not there or has been replaced with another doctor who is not mentioned on the docu-ments,” Dr Aye Ko Ko said.

“Instead, when we discover these cases we close them for a fortnight or a month and we have permanent-ly closed one clinic that was found to be seriously breaking the law.”

The clinic permanently shuttered was found to be performing surgical operations, including abortions, that it was not permitted to undertake.

He added that officials will con-tinue checking all clinics for the next two months and then bring legal action against healthcare providers found to be continually in breach of the law.

The law for private healthcare providers states that any person of-fering healthcare services without a licence faces a jail term ranging

from one to five years and may also be fined.

Dr Aye Ko Ko added that the de-partment has so far uncovered more traditional healthcare clinics than Western medical clinics in breach of the law. He said some traditional health practitioners were under the erroneous assumption that they did not need licences to operate.

Traditional medicine providers must have a licence from a regis-tered traditional medicine univer-sity. Foreign traditional medicine practitioners must have a licence from the department, as well as rel-evant documents from their country of origin, said U Kyaw Soe, a spokes-person for the Traditional Medicine Department in Nay Pyi Taw.

“But we have not given any li-cences or permission to foreign tra-ditional medicine providers yet,” U Kyaw Soe said.

Chinese traditional medical clin-ics are popular for curing bone and joint-related pain and can be widely found in downtown Yangon.

Last month, Minister for Health Dr Pe Thet Khin warned the public to be careful of Chinese traditional medical clinics because many do not follow government instructions, even when they are told to close down.

Retired medical superintendent Dr Ba Shwe said illegal clinics began appearing in Yangon in 2000 because the government stopped inspecting clinics regularly. He added that some opened only temporarily in order to avoid paying tax or to provide illegal services, including abortions.

Clinics in Yangon Region are re-quired to pay an annual licence fee of K40,000, municipal tax of K60,000 and government tax of K40,000. There are 45 private hospitals, 215 special clinics and 2405 general clin-ics registered with the Yangon Re-gion Department of Health, accord-ing to official figures.

SHWE YEE SAW

[email protected]

Customers demand clearer picture on Samsung repair fees

ANGRY customers are complain-ing about high repair costs at the newly opened Samsung service cen-tre. They say that TV sets still under warranty cost almost as much to repair as the original purchase price because the service centre charges hundreds of dollars to air freight re-placement parts to Yangon.

“I bought a Samsung 32-inch LCD TV in April 2012 for K293,000 with a two-year warranty. I sent it for repair last week because there was no picture. The staff at the Samsung service centre in [Mahabandoola Garden] Street told me the repair charges would be K260,000. That’s almost as much as it cost new – I can’t afford that,” said Ko Htet Maw.

“The warranty covers labour charges, so the price they quote is just for spare parts. I don’t under-stand what kind of service Samsung is providing,” he said.

Ko Htet Maw said he was not the only person frustrated by the high charges at the centre.

“Another customer at the cen-tre told me he was being charged

K187,000 for repairs to an old 32-inch set. He left without putting in an order,” he said.

U Aung Kyaw Oo said his TV had a similar problem as Ko Htet Maw’s and he said he could not afford to get it repaired.

“My 32-inch LCD has no image. Only the sound comes out. But the service charges are too high – I can’t get it fixed at the service centre,” he said.

Ko Zarni Win Htet, head of chan-nel management of Samsung My-anmar Branch, said the company is working to improve service at the centre, which opened in late 2012 and took over responsibility for re-pairs from a number of licensed dis-tributors.

“In LCD and LED TVs, [the] motherboard panel costs about the 75 percent of a TV set price so when the motherboard malfunctions, the repair cost is almost the same as a new TV set,” Ko Zarni Win Htet said.

“It is also hard to find spare parts for old model TVs as we are not able to store parts in Myanmar. When we need them, we have to order them from Thailand and it takes time.”

He said another issue was that

Samsung distributors have offered extended warranties that the service centre can not honour.

“Samsung is giving one year war-ranties only but the local distribu-tors give a two-year warranty card when they sell the products,” he said. “If the customer [brings us a] prod-uct bought more than one year ago for service the centre will charge for parts and also the labour.”

He said Samsung Myanmar also plans to open service centres in 10 other cities, including Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw, in coming months.

U Than Win Aung, managing director of Samsung distributor AA Electronics, said his company was no longer responsible for repair-ing damaged or faulty Samsung products but was aware of the complaints.

“The service centre was estab-lished under direct management from Korea last year. We know there are some problems with repair ser-vices. Last year I had 20 40-inch units that malfunctioned. The ser-vice centre ordered the parts from Korea, and the price included air-freight charges,” he said. “There have been a lot of complaints.”

WAI LINN [email protected]

Campaign has uncovered three to four unlicensed establishements in most townships, says regional official


A legacy of laughter and defiance

ON January 4, 1996, in a compound on Yangon’s University Avenue, an audi-ence laughed heartily at comedian Par Par Lay’s wordplay on the makeshift stage.

Discussing how the word for “co” in Pali means “sufficient or equal”, and “operative” in Myanmar means “endeavour”, he wryly noted that “when the two are combined the whole shop gets cleaned out” – a refer-ence to corruption in the Ministry of Cooperatives.

Those in the audience responded with loud belly laughs. But the come-dians, and the audience, knew not eve-ryone listening would find the jokes so funny.

The performance was being held to celebrate Independence Day. Par Par Lay and his cousin Lu Zaw were performing at Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s compound. The National League for Democracy leader had been released just six months earlier, after six years of house arrest, and was sitting in the audience. Even before the event, Par Par Lay knew he would pay a heavy price for making government corrup-tion the butt of his jokes.

That he told them anyway – and told them well enough to make peo-ple laugh in such an environment of oppression and fear – speaks to his commitment to his cause, one that he stuck to even in the last months of his life.

On August 2, Par Par Lay – come-dian, activist and three-time political prisoner – passed away at his home in Mandalay. He had been suffering from kidney and urinary problems and when it became clear his condition would not improve he was released from hospital so that he could spend his final days at home.

One-third of the famous Mous-tache Brothers comedy trio – along with cousin Lu Zaw and brother Lu Maw – Par Par Lay leaves behind an adoring audience, a collection of inim-itably sharp-tongued jokes and a long list of those whom he has mocked, in-cluding many who are still in positions of power.

In an interview with The Myan-mar Times on July 29, just days be-fore he died, he spoke of that famous

performance, the repercussions that followed and his hopes for the coun-try’s future.

“When I brought artists together to perform [on Independence Day], some cancelled … once they found out that we were going to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s house,” he said.

Many were afraid of what would happen if they participated – at that time anyone deemed anti-government could be subject to strict punishments – so he had to find replacements for those who pulled out at short notice.

However, he did not have enough time to change the National Registra-tion Card numbers on the tickets.

When the conductor came to check the tickets, Par Par Lay said he knew

he had to find a way to divert his at-tention. He and his companions took out drums, an oboe and cymbals and started to perform. The ticket inspec-tor drifted by, smiling heartily – and did not bother to interrupt the perfor-mance to check their identity cards.

“That was the power of art,” Par Par Lay said. “I fight using the skills of my art form to organise the public.”

Ticket collectors, of course, were the least of the group’s worries. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said at the time that she would take responsibility if authorities tried to charge performers.

“The show is being celebrated in my compound and so the issues are all my responsibility,” she said. “The comedians have a responsibility to

reflect what is happening at this time. They are not guilty of anything. If there is [an offence], it’s mine.”

For Par Par Lay, those words were the best reward for his work. However, as soon as he got back to Mandalay he packed a bag. As he expected, at 1am the next morning authorities from Military Intelligence knocked on his door. Other performers from the In-dependence Day show – Lu Zaw, two female performers and four musicians – were also arrested.

Reflecting on his brother’s legacy, Lu Maw told The Myanmar Times on August 6 that the performance changed both their lives.

“I told Par Par Lay before he went to the Yangon show to perform to his utmost if he decided to go there,” he said.

For the audience, the performance was inspiring, a brief reprieve from years of fear and censorship. For the authorities, however, it was a chal-lenge – one they believed threatening enough to send both Par Par Lay and Lu Zaw to prison.

“We had been waiting for them at the Maha Aung Myay township court,” Lu Maw said, remembering the day of Par Par Lay’s sentencing. “However, we learned he had been sentenced be-hind closed doors.”

Lu Maw said they had tried to have four witnesses testify, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. But she was kept from attending due to travel restric-tions imposed by the government on her mobility.

It wasn’t the first time Par Par Lay had been sent to prison – he had been sentenced to six months in 1990 for criticising the military regime for not recognising the results of that year’s election – but this term was consid-erably harsher: seven years in Kyain Kayan Kha labour camp, about 43 kilometres (27 miles) from Myitkyina in Kachin State.

Lu Zaw was also found guilty and sent to prison in Katha for seven years.

The other performers were re-leased after interrogation, although two NLD members were also jailed over the show.

After his colleagues were jailed, Lu Maw and the rest of his family continued to perform for audiences. In prison, Par Par Lay performed as well, entertaining other prisoners and sometimes even prison authorities. He believed it was the best way to stay healthy during the long years of incar-ceration, and it was also a way to boost the spirits of those around him.

Par Par Lay was released in July 2001. Just as he had brought jokes to his fellow inmates, he gave his new audiences a glimpse of prison life through his performances. A routine performed on his knees with hands and feet bound in wire always brought rapturous applause. After 2001, the co-medians were banned from perform-ing in public. Despite the restrictions, however, Par Par Lay and his com-rades-in-laughter in the Moustache Brothers continued pushing bounda-ries by exploiting a loophole that al-lowed them to perform for foreigners inside their own home.

“When I was released and pro-hibited from performing I opened a restaurant,” one of his jokes ran. “My wife is a good cook and so more and more customers came to us. The staff of [Mandalay] City Development Com-mittee eat so much. Traffic police eat again and again. Contractors and en-gineers eat until they’re totally filled.”

And the audience’s laughter – at the expense of authorities and, often, the Moustache Brothers themselves – kept coming.

In 2007 Par Par Lay was arrested again, this time for supporting monk-led protests. Despite the cost of re-sisting the authorities – who to this day have yet to remove the ban on public Moustache Brothers perfor-mances –Par Par Lay never stopped opening his mouth, speaking for those too afraid or too vulnerable to speak for themselves. This past year he began to flout the ban, touring ru-ral areas and making speeches to the people in what he called his “No Fear” campaign.

“The upcoming 2015 election is so important,” he told me in his final in-terview before his death.

“It’s important that people are able to vote for what they believe in. When I went around the country for the ‘No Fear’ campaign, I found that there is still fear among people.”

When he began to feel pain in his back earlier this year, he refused to cancel the tour. He also participated in Thingyan celebrations in Manda-lay in April. The pain later spread, however, and on July 16 he was ad-mitted to hospital for treatment.

Par Par Lay won’t be around to judge the winners and losers of the election in 2015. But his fellow Moustache Brothers will continue to perform as a duo, they say, just as they did when Par Par Lay was in prison. And they’ll be ready carry on his legacy – to apply a spittle-covered finger to the ears of anyone who doesn’t respect its results – just as he did after the last election, and just as he would have done after the next.

PHYO WAI KYAW

[email protected]

‘I fight using the skills of my art form to organise the public.’

Par Par Lay

Moustache Brothers troupe leader

Moustache Brothers leader Par Par Lay never sought to hide his political beliefs, defying the authorities right up until his death last month

TRIBUTE

Lu Maw (left) and Par Par Lay perform at their home in July

2012. Photo: Phyo Wai Kyaw

22 THE MYANMAR TIMES August 26 - september 1, 2013

Business

DOMESTIC rice millers and traders say it is too early to open the whole-sale market to foreign competition, following signals that the Ministry of Commerce is planning to do so.

“We can’t compete with foreign companies,” said Myanmar Rice Fed-eration’s central executive committee member U Soe Win.

“This is not the right time to give them permission to enter the whole-sale market. We are just starting to do business openly. Why let them in at this moment?”

His comments follow reports that the ministry’s directorate of trade this month began gathering comments and opinions from businesspeople and business-related organisations about opening the wholesale and retail mar-kets to foreign competition.

An official from the directorate confirmed the reports. “As we are moving forward we need to open up [the economy] according to trade rules,” said the official who requested anonymity.

“In the past our country’s doors were closed, but now we have to open all of them according to international policies and agreements. We have informed [domestic companies] in advance. We did this a long time ago.

Local businesses must prepare to com-pete with [foreign firms]. This compe-tition will occur in the near future, but I can’t say the exact date now,” he said.

U Soe Win said Myanmar should be preparing for the creation of the ASEAN economic community in 2015 when members of the association are scheduled to form a single market. “All sectors will open automatically in 2015,” he said.

Domestic business people said they are most concerned that Chinese and Thai rice millers and trading compa-nies will drain the profits from the sec-tor because they have better technol-ogy and knowhow. Domestic millers say their facilities are inadequate or outdated and that they lack the funds to renovate them or build new ones.

The rice sector will be hardest hit, they said, adding that the country’s main agricultural sector should be placed on a protected list.

Not all businesspeople share this assessment. Myanmar Rice Federation central executive committee member U Nay Lin Zin said domestic busi-nesses were overprotected. “Too many businesspeople are protected [from competition. We should welcome [for-eign] firms in Myanmar,” U Nay Lin Zin added.

“We need to take a risk. In the fu-ture citizens will earn more profits. The opposition is due to the fact that the rice sector will be affected by the opening of the retail and wholesale markets, but what the sector needs most is more technology and invest-ment,” he said.

“The government is calling for input from the businesspeople and stakeholders. At the very least we need to consider what percentage the local partner should commit [to a joint ven-ture with a foreign firm]. Everyone is talking about the AEC in 2015. That’s not too far away. We can’t rush to pre-pare for it at the last minute so we should start getting ready now,” U Nay Lin Zin said.

U Sann Linn, joint secretary gen-eral of the Union of Myanmar Federa-tion of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, called for a balanced policy. Regulations could both help domestic rice millers and traders compete with

foreign firms and open the market at the same time, he said.

“Opening the market will be good for consumers,” he said. “Although lo-cal businesspeople think they face a risk, we can use tax policy to protect them. Foreign companies should not get tax-free status,” he added.

U Sann Linn said the wholesale and retail markets will be opened after the foreign investment law is amend-ed and that the amendments will be based on information collected from domestic businesspeople and other stakeholders.

One letter drafted by a rice fed-eration member warns that foreign

companies will quickly gain control of the domestic market, and that they will do this one crop at a time. It says that foreign companies are already working in the agriculture sector by registering in the name of Myanmar citizens and that they have manipu-lated prices of some crops over the past year, putting them out of reach of local consumers.

Foreign companies will have a dev-astating effect on farmers’ livelihoods, the letter says. It urges the government to restrict foreign firms’ activities in the agriculture industry to prevent de-struction of rural economies and the profits of domestic firms.

Rice firms wary of foreign competitorsMillers and traders are urging caution as the government moves to open the wholesale and retail markets to foreign competition

Su Phyo Win

[email protected]

Farmers collect rice seeds in Nay Pyi Taw last week. Once known as the rice bowl of Asia, Myanmar’s agriculture sector is now being undermined by a lack of investment, poor logistics and little access to credit. Photo: AFP

‘We can’t compete with foreign companies …. We are just starting to do business openly, why let them in at this moment?’

U Soe Win Central executive Committee member

myanmar rice Federation

23BUSINESS EdItor: Vincent MacIsaac | [email protected]

YangonSales accelerate on arrival of world’s cheapest car the cheapest car in the world, the Nano, could pose a threat to Japanese automakers’ domi-nance of the domestic market since going on sale earlier this year, the sales and marketing chief of the Yangon dealership that sells them said.

the Nano, which is manu-factured by India’s tata Motors, is becoming popular as a taxi, said U Ko Htoo Aung Linn, head of sales and marketing at Apex Greatest Industrial (AGI).

He said AGI is targeting new car buyers who want fuel ef-ficiency and a practical vehicle rather than a luxurious one. It is also selling tAtA’s Super Ace light truck, which it says is becoming popular among small business owners.

“the Super Ace has taken off,” U Ko Htoo Aung Linn said, adding that the model is most popular with those seeking a commercial vehicle. AGI sells a brand new tata with a one-year, 30,000-kilometre warranty. It also has a service centre for the vehicles, U Ko Htoo Aung Linn said.

dealers cite a change in import policy in 2011 that allows individuals freedom to import any car they like as the reason for shifts in the market. tata vehicles are in demand because they consume less fuel than other brands, U Ko Htoo Aung Linn said. the dealership has sold more than 250 tata vehicles since April, he added.

– Aye Nyein Win

MandalayNew chicken plant to begin operating this yearA new chicken-processing plant near Mandalay will handle 3000-5000 birds a day when it is completed at the end of this year, according to a spokesper-son for the company building the plant.

Livestock development Com-pany’s U Nay thurein said the facility will be built on a more than 10-acre plot near Ka Pine village in Patheingyi township. the chickens will be imported from Malaysia and the plant will use technology from India, he added.

Processed chicken will be sold at a price that is 20 percent below the current market price, U Nay thurein said, adding that the meat will be fresh and

sanitary and that the adjacent poultry farm will use imported veterinary medicines.

He said that 31 investors had so far agreed to invest K50 mil-lion (about US$50,000) apiece and that the company is hoping to attract 50 investors in total. – Hlaing Kyaw Soe, translated by Zar Zar Soe

MandalayPrice of sesame drops after hitting five-year peaktHE price of sesame has dropped from its peak in late July by about K10,000 per 74 kilogram bag, according to Mandalay Wholesale Centre.Brown sesame, which is used to make cooking oil, had reached K125,000 per bag at the end of last month, its high-est price in five years, traders said.

U Maung Htay, a trader at Baw Ga Wholesale, said de-mand from China had driven up prices at the beginning of the harvest to more than 10 percent above last year’s peak.

Prices fell quickly this month, however, and now traders are worried that they could plummet because this year’s crop is larger than last year’s, he added. top-quality black sesame is now selling for K145,000 a bag, white sesame for K136,000 a bag and regular sesame for K123,000 a bag, wholesalers said. – Kyae Mone Win, translated by Zar Zar Soe

MandalayNew wholesale centre keeps eel price firm the price of eel has more than doubled this year thanks to the creation of a wholesal-ing association that sets the price every three days based on prices in China, the major export market, a member of the association said.

U taing Kyaw, secretary of Eel Wholesale Centre Associa-tion, said the price of eel was as high US$4000 per tonne during the third week of August com-pared to a peak of $2000 last year, before the association was formed. during this year’s dry season, when eels are scarce, the price had climbed to $7000 a tonne, he said.

More than 50 tonnes of eel are shipped from Mandalay to the border trading town of Muse every day, traders said. – Kyae Mone Win, translated by thae thae Htwe

BRIEFS

BuSINESS 26

Rupee’s fall signals tough times for Asia

Land prices surge on road to Mandalay

PRoPERty 32

Exchange Rates (August 23 close)

Currency Buying SellingEuroMalaysia RingittSingapore DollarThai BahtUS Dollar

K1285K292K763

K30.25K968

K1295K297K766

K30.75K970

US firms operating in ASEAN are skeptical the 10-member bloc can meet its 2015 deadline for establishing a single mar-ket, a survey by the US Cham-ber of Commerce found.

The Association of South-east Asian Nations has set 2015 as the target for creating the ASEAN Economic Community, or AEC, but a survey of 475 US executives in the region, found that 52 percent did not think it will meet its goal. – AFP

Doubts over AEC

GOVERNMENT officials say they are planning to introduce additional real estate transaction taxes to cool the overheated the sector.

The statements follow announce-ments in state media last week that a tax on real estate transactions will not be lowered from its current 37 percent, de-spite industry pressure.

Deputy Minister of Finance Maung Maung Thein said at a press event in Nay Pyi Taw on Friday that govern-ment officials are looking at ways of

collecting tax based on square footage of property.

“We have [internally] proposed tax prices for land in the Yangon region, and are looking at rates for the entire country. We will make an announce-ment soon,” he said.

Hiking property transaction taxes will help reign in land prices and also generate revenue for state coffers, he said, adding his ministry collected K26.1 billion in income tax during June and July.

In August 2012 the government axed a five-year property tax holiday, bring-ing into effect a 30pc transaction tax

and 7pc stamp tax to be paid by the buyer. The real estate sector was rife with rumours the tax would be reduced this year, but last week’s reports in state media such speculation.

U Yan Aung, general manager of Sai Khaung Noung real estate and law firm in Yangon’s Tamwe township, said last week’s announcement had al-ready cooled the market. “The market has been a bit sluggish because of the [propsed] transaction tax,” he said.

U Soe Thein, a minister at the Pres-ident’s Office, said on Friday high and unpredictable prices in the real estate market are hindering development.

“People are getting into trouble be-cause of those tricky land prices,” he said.

U Soe Thein pointed to land specula-tion in Dala township as an example of a runaway market.

Talk of a Korean-funded bridge from Yangon to Dala sparked a surge in prices in the township recently, he said, adding that speculators rushed to buy land that was currently accessible only by ferry from the city centre.

“No one can confirm that the project will proceed at present,” he said.

“The bridge might be 30 years away,” U Soe Thein added.

Government moves to cool property marketauNg ShIN [email protected] htaR khIN [email protected]

24 Business THE MYANMAR TIMES AUGUSt 26 - SEPtEMBEr 1, 2013

The Fine Print

Legal & tax insight

Govt signs vital treaty

MYANMAR has acceded to the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Arbitral Awards, which guarantees that any arbitral award obtained overseas will be automatically recognised and so enforced in Myanmar.

Several times, during our working experience in Myan-mar, we have addressed issues about the governing law and arbitration clause with foreign investors concerned by the transparency and efficiency of Myanmar courts. In addition, in the many conferences on investing in Myanmar we have spoken at, we ranked accession to the New York Convention as a priority for enhancing the confidence of foreign investors about Myanmar’s legal system as well as its potential as an in-vestment destination.

Beside positively respond-ing to one of the major con-cerns of foreign investors, be-coming a contracting state to the New York Convention is a huge achievement of the gov-ernment and a very important step toward the normalisation of its legal system.

However, in order to be fully and effectively imple-mented, the New York Con-vention needs to be integrat-ed into domestic laws that will regulate its provisions. Moreover, judges and courts must demonstrate a clear willingness to automatically apply the convention. There are examples in the region in which long-term contracting parties to the convention have never fully implemented its provisions.

Although Vietnam has been a member of the New York Convention since 1995, expe-rience so far has been very mixed in terms of enforcing a

foreign arbitral award, which requires the approval of the Vietnamese judiciary. Viet-namese courts assume wide discretion as to whether to al-low enforcement and often set aside an award on the grounds that it is “contrary to the basic principles of Vietnamese law”.

Only a few foreign awards have actually been enforced in Vietnam. Unfortunately, Viet-nam is not the only troublesome example. Courts in Cambodia, one of the first contracting states to join the New York Convention in 1960, are still unreliable when it comes to the recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards obtained in the Singapore International Arbi-tration Centre or in the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, for example.

Therefore, in order to see the endeavours of the gov-ernment fully accomplished, judges and the judicial system in general will need to do their part to allow full and auto-matic recognition and enforce-ment from at least the Singa-pore International Arbitration Centre or the Hong Kong In-ternational Arbitration Cen-tre: the two most popular and developed arbitration centres in the region. This would be an outstanding starting point and it would also give a tremen-dous advantage to Myanmar against other emerging econo-mies in gaining the confidence of foreigners looking to invest large amounts of money.

Attracting investors is rela-tively easy for a country with Myanmar’s terrific potential, but drawing investors who can contribute know-how, large amounts of capital and expe-rience is a much more chal-lenging task. Thankfully, such investors are the government’s target.

Alessio Polastri and Sebastian Pawlita are consultants at Polastri Wint & Partners in Yangon.

alESSIo [email protected] PawlIta [email protected]

DExTER Tan gets a weekly reminder of the challenges Myanmar faces in catching up with the world when he lands at Yan-gon’s international airport.

“The airport doesn’t seem to be very business focused,” with long immigration lines and only a few baggage carousels, shops and restaurants, said Mr Tan, 55, treasurer of the Malaysian Myanmar Busi-ness Council. “There are no international standard eateries like McDonald’s.”

That will change in coming years af-ter Incheon International Airport Corp was awarded the US$1.1 billion contract to build a new international airfield last week. The Korean company, owner of the Seoul airfield that has been rated the world’s best for the past eight years, will help quintuple the city’s passenger capac-ity by 2018.

The upgrade is part of President Thein Sein’s efforts to create jobs in one of Asia’s poorest countries. The United States eased sanctions last year and the European Un-ion and Japan wrote off loans owed by the nation, which McKinsey Global Institute estimates needs to spend $320 billion on infrastructure by 2030 to lift economic growth to 8 percent. That has already brought investments from Coca-Cola, Pep-siCo and Unilever.

“With scant investment in infrastruc-ture over the past many decades, Myan-mar is in massive need of infrastructure upgrades in almost every sector,” said Daniel Gelfer, director of Singapore-based political risk consultancy firm Vriens & Partners. “Even though they are the new-

est airports in the country, the Mandalay and Yangon airports are in need of updates in order to handle tremendous increases in tourist and business visitors.”

Incheon, ranked the world’s best since 2005 by the Airports Council Interna-tional, and its partners were chosen as the preferred bidders to build a new airport at Hanthawaddy, about 60 kilometres (37 miles) from Yangon.

This facility will be able to handle 12 million passengers annually when it opens for business in 2018. The city’s existing air-port is also aiming to more than double its capacity to 5.5 million by 2016.

“There are difficulties expanding the existing Yangon International Airport,” said Daw New Ni Win Kyaw, an assistant director at the Department of Civil Avia-tion. “The current airport is small and we plan to have both airports operational.”

Yangon’s existing airport opened a new

terminal in 2007 for international travel, while a facility built in 1947 is used for domestic flights. That includes Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific’s Dragonair unit.

The airfield at capital Nay Pyi Daw, My-anmar’s biggest with a capacity to handle 5 million passengers, is served by 18 inter-national carriers.

“Myanmar is the next big thing within Asean,” said Shukor Yusof, a Singapore-based aviation analyst at Standard & Poor’s. “This is the last frontier.”

U Thein Sein signed a foreign invest-ment bill in November to woo overseas in-vestors. Companies scouting opportunities or striking development agreements in-clude Visa, the biggest payments network, Unilever and closely held hotel chain Best Western International.

Coca-Cola, the world’s largest soda maker, opened a bottling plant in June and pledged investment of $200 million in My-anmar over the next five years after leaving the country about six decades ago.

The economy may grow 6.75pc this fiscal year, led by natural gas sales and investment, the International Monetary Fund said in a May report.

That growth will bring in more tourists and businessmen, who will expect better amenities, like in Singapore’s Changi air-port, says Mr Tan.

Changi has plenty of retail stores, duty-free shops and eateries. “When you step into Singapore airport, you are spoilt for choice,” he says. “Yangon is the exact op-posite of that.” – Bloomberg

Better business at new airport

Passengers wait for flights in a departure lounge at Yangon International Airport, which will be upgraded soon. Photo: Bloomberg

MILLIoN

12Number of passengers the new airport at

Hanthawaddy is expected to handle annually after it opens in 2018

TRADE MARK CAUTIONMANI, Inc., a Company incorporated in Japan, of 8-3 Kiyohara Industrial Park, Utsunomiya-shi, Tochigi, 3213231, Japan, is the Owner of the following Trade Mark:-

Reg. No. 7621/2013in respect of “Surgical and dental products”.


Win Mu Tin, M.A., H.G.P., D.B.Lfor MANI, Inc. P. O. Box 60, YangonE-mail: [email protected]: 26 August 2013

26 Business THE MYANMAR TIMES AUGUSt 26 - SEPtEMBEr 1, 2013

ASIA’S role as the world’s growth engine is waning as economies across the region weaken and investors pull out billions of dollars. The Indian rupee fell to a record low last week. Thailand is in recession and Indonesia’s widest current-account deficit pushed the rupiah to the lowest level since 2009. Chinese banks’ bad loans are rising and economists forecast Ma-laysia has cut its growth forecast after posting last week its second straight quarter of sub-5 percent growth.

The clouds forming in Asia as liquidity tightens and China’s slowdown curbs demand for commodities and goods are fuelling a sell-off of emerging-market stocks, reversing a flow of money into the region in favour of nascent recoveries in the US and Europe. Emerging markets from Brazil to Indonesia have raised borrowing costs this year to try to aid their currencies as the prospect of reduced US mon-etary stimulus curbs demand for assets in de-veloping nations.

“The eye of the storm is directly above emerging markets now, two years after it hov-ered over Europe and four years after it hit the US,” said Stephen Jen, co-founder of hedge fund SLJ Macro Partners in London and for-mer head of foreign-exchange strategy at Mor-gan Stanley. “This could be serious for Asia.”

Almost US$95 billion was poured into exchange-traded funds (ETFs) of American shares this year, while developing-nation ETFs saw withdrawals of $8.4 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Signs of a strong-er US economy may prompt the Federal Re-serve to begin paring its $85 billion in monthly bond purchases as soon as next month.

“The pendulum is swinging back in favour of the advanced countries,” said Shane Oliver, Sydney-based head of investment strategy at AMP Capital Investors. “It’s one of these things

that happens once a decade or so when you see a turn in relative performance. We’ve entered a tougher, more difficult period” for Asia, Mr Oliver said.

In the past three months the MSCI Asia Pa-cific Index has fallen 7.4pc, compared with a 0.7pc decline in the Standard & Poor’s 500 In-dex and a 0.8pc drop in the Stoxx Europe 600 Index up to the close last week.

Indian policymakers led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh are battling to stem the ru-pee’s plunge, attract capital flows to bridge a re-cord current account deficit and revive growth. The currency has weakened about 28pc versus the dollar in the past two years, reviving mem-ories of the early 1990s crisis, when the govern-ment received an International Monetary Fund loan as foreign reserves waned.

“It seems now the pain is going to be in the emerging markets,” said Nitin Mathur, an ana-lyst in Mumbai at Espirito Santo Investment Bank, who expects sectors with higher valua-tions such as consumer goods to suffer the big-gest declines. “The problems in India are not temporary blips. The problems are much more serious which will take a lot of effort to get resolved.”

In Thailand, the economy entered recession last quarter for the first time since the global fi-

nancial crisis. Toyota Motor said last month in-dustry wide car sales in Thailand will fall 9.5pc this year. The government cut its 2013 growth forecast yesterday as exports cooled and local demand weakened, with higher household debt restricting scope for monetary easing.

Thailand’s private-sector credit as a share of gross domestic product has “increased signifi-cantly” in recent years raising concern about financial stability, said Krystal Tan, an econo-mist at Capital Economics in Singapore.

Taiwan last week cut its 2013 growth and exports forecasts and said the global outlook for the second half is worse than in May.

“We are seeing a turning point,” said Freya Beamish, a Hong Kong-based economist with Lombard Street Research, who says China’s competitiveness has been hurt by labour costs that are 30pc too high. “China’s seeing flat to falling growth … so the region’s clouds are al-ready here.”

The $3.9 trillion of cash that flowed into emerging markets over the past four years has started to reverse since US Fed chairman Ben Bernanke talked about a tapering in quanti-tative easing this year. The slowdown in Fed bond buying will probably begin next month, according to 65pc of economists surveyed by Bloomberg from August 9-13.

The JPMorgan Emerging Markets Currency Index has declined 2.4pc since Bernanke’s June 19 tapering comment. The Bloomberg Dollar Index, which monitors the greenback against 10 major currencies, has increased 0.9pc over the same period.

“The emerging Asia story is crumbling and the dollar is once again king,” said Indranil Pan, chief economist at Kotak Mahindra Bank in Mumbai.

India’s moves to tighten cash supply, re-strict currency derivatives and curb gold im-ports since July have failed to arrest the ru-pee’s slump to record lows. The deficit widened to an unprecedented 4.8pc of GDP in the year ended March 31. The government aims to nar-row the gap to 3.7pc, or $70 billion, this year, Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said on August 12.

India’s slump is worse than elsewhere in Asia because the country has failed to carry out long-overdue structural changes to the economy, said Mr Pan at Kotak Mahindra Bank.

“In India, we have great policies on paper but the gap between what’s on paper and the implementation is unduly large,” said RC Bhar-gava, chairman of Maruti Suzuki India, the na-tion’s biggest carmaker by volume.

“If we just implement what’s already there, we can get back on track in the next two to three years.”

– Bloomberg

Clouds gathering over AsiaAs capital flows back in to the US, emerging economies are facing recession, deficits and falling currencies

Commuters sit next to an advertisement for a brokerage firm at a bus stop in Mumbai on August 19. India’s rupee hit a new low of 62.35 to the US dollar last week, with nervousness setting in about the currency’s future as foreign investors pull out cash. Photo: AFP

‘The emerging Asia story is crumbling and the dollar is once again king.’

Indranil Pan Chief economist, Kotak Mahindra Bank

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT1. Business Development Manager 2. Receptionist3. Clinic Doctor (Yangon based)4. Offshore or remote site Doctor (28 day rotation)5. Nurse (Yangon based)Please obtain the detail job description from [email protected],[email protected] or from the following address;International SOS, Inyalake Hotel, 37 Kaba Aye Pagoda Road,Yangon, Myanmar.Tel: +95 1 657 922 , Fax: +95 1 667 866Closing date of application: 6th September 2013

Job watch

UNFPA Vacancy NoticeNo.2013/009

Want to be part of a team bringing positive impact directly to families within Myanmar? Join us and you will too, because at UNFPA, everyone counts. We are seeking an experienced operations specialist to join our team as you help support implementation of the historic 2014 Population and Housing census. If you’re looking for an opportunity to make a difference, thrive in a challenging yet rewarding teamwork environment and have a strong operations background, then we’d love to hear from you.Position Title : Field Coordinator (Taunggyi) Grade : SC–8 Duty Station : Taunggyi, Myanmar Issue Date : 19 August 2013 Closing Date : 1 September 2013 (5:00pm) Duration of Appointment : 1 Year Applications are invited from interested Myanmar nationals for the post of Field Coordinator (Taunggyi). Applications should be addressed to UNFPA Representative. Attention: International Operations Manager RoomA07, UNFPA, No.6, Natmauk Road, Yangon. Email : [email protected] For further details, please see the vacancy announcement posted at UN billboard. No.6, Natmauk Road, Yangon and also at UNFPA website (http://myanmar.unfpa.org) Applications will be considered only when meeting all requirements set in detailed vacancy announcement.

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in Myanmar is inviting qualified candidates to apply for the following positions:

Sr. Title and level Duty Station Position Deadline1. Myanmar-English-Myanmar Translator Home based National 26 August 2013 (Re-advertised) (LICA 6)2. Human Resources Associate (LICA 4) Yangon National 27 August 20133. Finance Assistant (Accounts Monitoring, Yangon National 29 August 2013 Reconciliation and Reporting) (LICA 3)

For details please visit UNOPS website https://gprs.unops.org and click on the post you are interested in applying for. All applications must be made through UNOPS E-recruitment system.

Property 27www.mmtimes.com

A FIVE-BEDROOM house in Las Vegas sold in mid-July for US$499,000, dou-ble the price it went for three months ago. In Phoenix, a similar house sold this month for $600,000, gaining $273,000 since March.

Bubbles are inflating in Nevada and Arizona even as housing in the rest of the country recovers at a more sustain-able pace. Gains in the two desert cit-ies are the biggest since the height of the real estate boom, just before their plunge to the bottom of the national housing collapse. This year, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller property-value index, Las Vegas and Phoenix have topped the nation in price increases.

“They’re clearly in bubbles,” said Karl Case, one of the creators of the index. “What can go up can go down real quick.”

In May, Phoenix prices jumped 21 percent and in Las Vegas, they rose 23pc from a year earlier. Nationally, home prices were up 12pc from a year ago, the most since the beginning of 2006, according to the S&P/Case-Shill-er index. Price gyrations in Phoenix and Las Vegas aren’t likely to spread and probably don’t signal another na-tional calamity, said Daren Blomquist, vice president of data firm RealtyTrac.

“The markets where you see wild swings in prices are destination spots, warm places where people want to vacation, like Las Vegas and Phoenix,” Mr Blomquist said. “The rest of the country likely will continue to do well, regardless of what happens in those cities.”

There have been regional boom-and-bust cycles before, with home prices in Boston falling 17pc in a more than four- year decline ending in 1992, and California values plunged 27pc in six years before bottoming in 1996.

The bust that began in mid-2006 cut 62pc from the value of Las Vegas homes and 56pc from those in Phoe-nix.

Private-equity firms, hedge funds and real estate investment trusts buy-ing distressed houses to rent have helped push up values in cities hard hit by the housing crash, including Phoenix and Las Vegas. They’ve raised at least $18 billion and bought more than 100,000 properties since 2011.

In Las Vegas, cash deals made up 60pc of all transactions in June, ac-cording to research firm DataQuick Information Systems.

“The bigger they gained, the harder they fell,” said David Blitzer, managing

director at Standard & Poor’s Financial Services.

The Las Vegas property that dou-bled its value in three months is a 3,600-square-foot house with five bed-rooms and a three-car garage, plus a pool and waterfall in the backyard. It sits on a half-acre lot about 19 kilome-tres north of the casinos on Las Vegas Boulevard, known as the Strip.

In Arizona, the 2,800-square-foot house that gained 84pc in three months has four bedrooms, a pool, and an acre of land north of the city. In both examples, the recent sales infor-mation is from RealtyTrac and prior prices are from deeds and assessment records. Both properties were bought and resold by investors.

President Barack Obama, who took office in the midst of the financial cri-sis brought on by the collapse of the housing market, has warned at least four times this month about what he called “artificial bubbles”. “We have to

turn the page on the bubble-and-bust mentality that created this mess,” he said in a weekly radio address earlier this month.

The real estate markets in Las Ve-gas and Phoenix are being driven by a shortage of homes, for entirely differ-ent reasons. In Phoenix, the dearth of properties is caused by the breakneck pace of foreclosure completions. The inventory of homes in foreclosure in Phoenix dropped 64pc from a year earlier, the fastest pace in the nation, according to CoreLogic.

In Las Vegas, new consumer pro-tection laws have slowed the pace of repossessions.

A Nevada law passed in 2011 fol-lowing revelations of foreclosure abuses the previous year requires lenders to prove they have the right to foreclose. Assembly Bill 284 threat-ens criminal penalties for non-com-pliance. In the months after it passed, foreclosures ground to a near halt, according to RealtyTrac. The ensuing price spike became known as the 284 bubble.

“Shortages push prices up, and once that happens everyone rushes into the market,” Mr Blitzer said.

In May Nevada legislators scram-bled to reverse a key provision of the law. A new amendment makes it easi-er to seize houses by stipulating banks can use affidavits based on a review of their internal records. Still, lenders are moving slowly because they are wary of the shifting legal landscape, said RealtyTrac’s Mr Blomquist.

“Banks don’t like uncertainty,” he said. “The changing laws have mud-died the water for banks trying to pur-sue foreclosures.”

In Las Vegas more than half of properties with mortgages are worth less than the loans against them, ac-cording to Zillow, a real estate data firm. In Phoenix, the share is a third. Nationally, about a quarter of mort-gages have negative equity.

To sell a home, owners have to be able to pay off the mortgage, whether from the proceeds of the home sale or with cash. Someone who got a $350,000 mortgage in Phoenix or Las Vegas in 2006 probably is now more than $150,000 underwater, despite the surge in prices.

Those stuck owners give builders the opportunity to gear up to meet demand, at a cost. The average price of an acre of land is $400,000 this month, according to Dennis Smith, CEO of Home Builders Research in Las Vegas. The same parcel would have gone for $200,000 in December,

he said. “The builders said last year that there was no way they would pay more than $200,000 an acre for land,” he said. “Now, they’re saying there’s no way they’ll pay more than $400,000.”

Labour costs also are rising as the building boom gives workers the op-portunity to demand higher pay, Mr Smith said. All of that is passed on to customers, he said.

“The higher that land prices and building costs go, the higher prices will be a year from now,” Mr Smith said.

Single-family building permits in Nevada rose in May to the highest point since early 2008. In Arizona, per-mits reached a five-year peak in June, according to data from the Commerce Department.

In the rest of the US, banks are step-ping up efforts to reclaim homes and the improving economy is trimming the number of newly delinquent loans as the housing recovery passes the halfway point of its second year. Na-tionally, there were 2.2 million homes for sale in June, up from 1.8 million in January, a sign the US price gains may slow to a sustainable pace.

That’s not the case for the desert cit-ies. The market in Las Vegas is boom-ing at a speed that can’t be sustained, Mr Smith said. “I don’t use the word ‘bubble’ because that implies it’s going to burst and never come back,” he said. “I don’t see a crash. I see a slowdown. That’s what better happen, or we’ll be seeing a bunch of tumbleweeds blow-ing through town.” – Bloomberg

US buyers wagering on the desertAs the US housing market recovers, home prices are surging so high in Las Vegas and Phoenix that warnings of new bubbles are emerging

Homes under construction in Las Vegas, Nevada, where a bubble is inflating prices as housing in the rest of the US recovers at a more sustainable pace. Photo: Bloomberg

‘The builders said last year that there was no way they would pay more than $200,000 an acre for land. Now, they’re saying there’s no way they’ll pay more than $400,000.’

Dennis Smith CEo, Home Builders research

23%Percentage by which home prices

rose in Las Vegas in the year to June, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller Index

28 Property THE MYANMAR TIMES AUGUSt 26 - SEPtEMBEr 1, 2013

Shades of greenYoU might face a few traffic snarls on the way home to this two-storey, pale green house in Yankin township, but when you arrive the shade trees in the 6300-square-foot compound will afford some relief.

this house has two double bedrooms and one single bedroom upstairs, and another double room downstairs. A partition separates the din-ing room from the kitchen. there are two living rooms, one of which could be used as a computer or reading room. Each room is air-conditioned, and there is an attic for storage. the downstairs floors are tiled; the upper rooms have parquet. the house is not fully furnished.

– Ei thae thae Naing

Location : Moe Kaung Pagoda road,

Yankin township

Selling price : K1.5 billion (US$1.54 million)

Contact : Phoenix real Estate and

General Service

Phone : 01 8613388

HOUSE OF THE WEEK

Photos: Zarni Phyo

LAND prices in a township on the outskirts of Mandalay have increased 10-fold in a year, fol-lowing the expansion of a road link to the inner city, accord-ing to residents.

The cost of a land plot in the Yankin Tharyar and Thumingalar wards of Pathe-ingyi township has risen from K3 million or K4 million to between K25 million and K30 million now, said Ko Soe Nyunt, from Yankin Tharyar ward.

He added the dramatic in-crease in price was due to the extension of Patheingyi Road which has been widened by 3.6 metres (12 feet) on both sides.

“In the past, land plots in Patheingyi township lacked buyers. But these plots are now in high demand,” he said, adding that prices started to rise shortly after construction of the road extension began.

“Yankin Tharyar ward is particularly popular with buy-ers because it has full utilities, services and attractive streets,” he added.

Another resident, U Than Win, said plots in Patheingyi township were mostly sought after by Chinese people who want land which can host a garden as well as a house.

“Because of high demand from land buyers, the town-ship’s rent market has also risen,” he added.

U Than Win said that, once

completed, the expansion of Patheingyi Road should re-sult in a decrease in traffic accidents, as well as speeding up travel time to the city cen-tre.

“The road is normally crowded from 6am to 8pm, but it is narrow so there are accidents, especially motorcy-cle crashes,” U Than Win said, adding that there are four to six crashes a day on average. “Once the road expansion is completed we will be able to go downtown in five minutes,” he said.

News that a development project is to be built near the township is also contribut-ing to the increase of land prices in Patheingyi township. – Translated by Zar Zar Soe

Land prices surge after Mandalay road widenedauNg yE [email protected]

1. Vacancy 1 Job Title:

Sales and Marketing Officer Job Description

Coordinate sales activities to ensure the proper planning and implementation of sales strategies, in order to maximize revenue and achieve sales target set. Key Accountabilities • Market intelligence, data collection and evaluate / recommends counter strategies and sales action

plan.• Regularly visits to agents, and corporate Company to review sales performance and find means to

improve the sales revenue generation.• Prepare relevant reports to for Management and carry out instructions from time to time.• Solicit market intelligence and feedbacks of competitors activities from agents.• Assist Agents needs on enquiries and ensure regular updates on MH product

Qualification & Experience • Minimum 2 years of working experience in similar Industry • Degree in any discipline but preference is for those majoring in Marketing or Business• Highly computer literate and good command in written and speaking Myanmar and English• Ability to communicate with all levels of people and able to work independently with minimum super-

vision.• Pleasant character with high interpersonal skills • Good customer service skills and able to secure market intelligence on short notice• Persuasive with good networking skills

2. Vacancy 2 Job Title:Secretary & Admin Officer

Job Description Assist to Area Manager and responsible in carrying out all aspects of company secretarial functions; administrative, scheduling appointments, meeting, travel itineraries, booking hotels and other related functions.

Qualification & Experience • Minimum 1 year of working experience in similar position. • Certificate in secretarial course or any Diploma/Degree in similar /any discipline • Highly computer literate and good command in written and speaking Myanmar and English• Ability to communicate with all levels of people and able to work independently with minimum super-

vision.• Pleasant character with high interpersonal skills • Good organization skills and good in time management.

Closing Date•05 September 2013•Please submit your complete resume with the following documents toArea ManagerMalaysian Airline System BerhadGround Floor, Central Hotel,335-357 Bogyoke Aung San Road, YangonTel: +951 387 647/8/ Fax : +951 241124 o Passport size photos- 2 copieso Educational certificateo Recommendation letter (optional)o Labour registration , Police clearance card and Household Census List

SALES of previously owned US homes jumped in July despite rising mortgage rates, with pric-es continuing to post year-on-year double-digit gains, an in-dustry report said on August 20.

The National Association of Realtors said existing-home sales surged 6.5 percent to an annual rate of 5.39 million units in July, rebounding from a June decline to a downwardly revised 5.06 million.

The robust July sales were stronger than analysts expected;

the average estimate was for a 5.10 million unit pace.

Tight inventory helped to keep prices rising at an unusual-ly fast pace, the association said.

Nationwide, the medi-an existing-home price was US$213,500 in July, up 13.7pc from a year ago.

“Tight inventory in many ar-eas means above-normal price growth for the foreseeable fu-ture,” said association economist Lawrence Yun.

The median price has risen at

a double-digit pace for the past eight months. In July it was only 7.3pc below the all-time record of $230,400 in July 2006; two years ago, it was 25.7pc below the peak.

Mr Yun said that the high-est mortgage rates in two years were pushing some buyers to close deals, but further rate in-creases could crimp sales.

In July, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage rose to 4.37pc from 4.07pc in June, the associa-tion said. – AFP

US home sales rebound in July

Science & Technology 29www.mmtimes.com

SEOUL’S traditional markets – bustling, narrow streets of small vendors selling cheap, fresh produce -- have largely opted out of the high-tech charge to make the South Korean capital one of the most wired cities on earth.

But squeezed by big-box stores and dwindling custom, these mom-and-pop operations are slowly going digital, replacing well-thumbed ledgers with tablet computers, and cash pouches with sleek smartphones that can scan credit cards.

Yoo Hyung-Geun has been selling sesame oil at Seoul’s outdoor Junggok Cheil market for the past 14 years.

Two months ago, he finally parted ways with his trusted manual cash register and re-placed it with a Samsung Gal-axy touchscreen tablet pro-vided free by the country’s top mobile operator, SK Telecom.

The tablet not only functions as an electronic cash register but also features software specifically developed by SK Telecom to help small business-

es improve their performance.At the most basic level, it

stores and provides basic sales and inventory data, such as how many bottles of sesame oil – a key ingredient in South Korean cuisine – are sold each day, week or month.

But it also lists and stores the items brought by individual customer, allowing Yoo to engage in some basic target marketing, promoting new products via text messages or emails to regular shoppers based on their purchase history.

“These days, I’m trying to analyse this data in different ways,” Yoo said, adding that his sales had jumped nearly 30 per-

cent since he embraced the new technology.

Yoo was one of an initial batch of 14 merchants in Jun-ggok Cheil market to receive the tablet and specialised software.

SK Telecom launched the initiative partly in response to a call from President Park Ge-un-Hye for large companies to lend a hand to smaller busi-nesses who struggle to stay competitive.

South Korea’s huge, family- run conglomerates, like Samsung and Hyundai, have been blamed for stifling innovation and deliberately smothering small firms – especially in the retail sector – as they seek to expand into new markets.

For those working in the country’s 300 or so traditional markets, the growth of super-market chains like E-Mart and HomePlus with modern, spacious, air-conditioned stores and ample parking space is a daunting challenge.

So far, the company has provided 26 tablets and

accompanying software to merchants in two markets in or near Seoul and plans to do the same in other venues later this year, said SKT spokeswoman Irene Kim.

The mobile operator has also provided mini electronic kits that can scan credit cards – addressing one of the main complaints of shoppers who seek to stay loyal to the old markets.

“It’s much more convenient if I don’t have to carry wads of cash whenever I come here,” said Kwon Hyuk-Sung, a Seoul resident and regular shopper at Yoo’s store.

Junggok Cheil is not the only market where vendors have accepted that new technol-ogy can give them a fresh foot-hold in a rapidly changing and increasingly competitive envi-ronment.

In the southern city of Busan, one traditional market teamed up with a local government office to create a mobile phone app that offers discount coupons.

– AFP

S Korea’s traditional markets go high-tech

FROM the elephant to the may-fly, biologists say there is a gen-eral rule about longevity: The bigger the animal, the longer it lives.

But an intriguing excep-tion is the Brandt’s bat (Myo-tis brandtii), a native of tem-perate areas of Europe and Asia.

The insect-munching mam-mal tips the scales at five to 8 grams – less than 2 teaspoons

of sugar – yet can live for more than 40 years, as long as a dol-phin and more than a horse or a cow.

Eager to learn why, an in-ternational group of scientists sequenced the bat’s genetic code, highlighting a network of genes that could explain its exceptional lifespan.

They pinpointed genetic variants that, as expected, give the tiny creature its ability to

navigate by sonar and to sense dim and ultraviolet light.

But they also came across “unique” variants that control cell sensitivity to two growth hormones.

One mutation is linked in humans to a form of dwarfism and may be protective against diabetes and cancer, previous work has shown.

“Together with adapta-tions such as hibernation and

low reproductive rate, [these] contribute to the exceptional lifespan of the Brandt’s bat,” the scientists suggest.

The Brandt’s bat takes a long time to reach sexual ma-turity and produces a single pup at a time, which weighs about a seventh of the par-ent’s body mass.

The study was pub-lished in the journal Nature Communications. – AFP

How bats beat the lifespan rule

IN PICtuRESThe radio telescope antennas of the ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array) project will be unused for the foreseeable future, as the site’s workers went on strike on August 22 after failing to reach a compromise over higher wages with the site’s management. The ALMA, an international partnership project between Europe, North America and East Asia, with the cooperation of Chile, is presently the largest astronomical project in the world. Photo: AFP

300Estimated number of traditional

food markets in South Korea

Small-time merchants are embracing cell phones and iPads to do business

TRADE MARK CAUTIONShiseido Company Ltd., a company organized and existing under the laws of Japan, of 7-5-5, Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan, is the Owner of the following Trade Mark:-

Reg. No. 4329/2001Reg. No. 24/2004

in respect of “Street or shop-front dissemination of advertising matter, Demonstration of goods, Direct mail advertising, Commercial sales information supply, Sales promotion for cosmetics. Health care, Manicuring, Pet grooming, Plastic surgery, Beauty salons, Hairdressing salons, Turkish baths, Information supply for Beauty and Hairdressing salons in homepages by Internet”.


Win Mu Tin, M.A., H.G.P., D.B.Lfor Shiseido Company Ltd.P. O. Box 60, YangonE-mail: [email protected]: 26 August 2013

TRADE MARK CAUTIONMahindra & Mahindra Ltd., a company incorporated in the Republic of India, of Mahindra Towers, Dr. G.M. Bhosale Marg. P.K. Kurne Chowk, Worli, Mumbai-400 018 Maharashtra, India, is the owner and sole proprietor of the following trademarks:-

Reg. No. 7622/2013in respect of “Class 07: Motors & engines (except land vehicles), Diesel Generators. Class 09: Inverters. Class 12: Apparatus for locomotion by land including utility vehicles; parts and accessories thereof”.

Reg. No. 7623/2013

Reg. No. 7624/2013in respect of “Class 16: Paper, cardboard and goods made from these materials, not in other classes; printed matter; bookbinding material; photographs; instructional and teaching material (except apparatus); plastic materials for packaging (not included in other classes); advertising materials, brochures, pamphlets, booklets, catalogues, magazines, periodicals, manuals and handbooks; packaging made of cardboard and paper”. (The trademarks mentioned hereinabove are collectively referred to as “Trademarks”).

Fraudulent imitation or unauthorised adoption and use of the Trademarks will be dealt with according to law.

Win Mu Tin, M.A., H.G.P., D.B.Lfor Mahindra & Mahindra LimitedP. O. Box 60, YangonE-mail: [email protected]: 26 August 2013

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENTEMBASSY OF JAPAN

The Embassy of Japan is currently seeking an individual for the position of an assistant. The successful candidate must be a Myanmar national and should possess following qualifications: • University Graduate • Excellent proficiency in English writing and speaking • Effective communications skills • Secretarial skills• Computer literate• Japanese language skills and knowledge on Japanese culture is

an advantageOnly short-listed candidates will be contacted.Applications with detailed resume, copies of certificates in ac-complished fields, one recent photograph and recent medical certificates are to be submitted to the Embassy of Japan at No. 100, Natmauk Road, Bahan Township, Yangon by mail or email at [email protected] by August 30, 2013.

THE MYANMAR TIMES august 26 - september 1, 2013the pulse editor: maNNY mauNg [email protected]

ge

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o

u r f i n g e r s o n i t

SAMANTHA SMARTWELL

H aving lived for several years in the heart of Sydney’s gay area, I’m no stranger to the sight of a burly transvestite

spinning around to the beat of a drum while swilling whiskey and smoking cigarettes. This, however, was different. Not 20 minutes earlier I’d sat and watched a cowherd in a bamboo hat guide his bovine charges down a dirt road while the sun set on the postcard-perfect serenity of Taungbyone’s paddies.

My culture shock reverie was disrupted, and in some sense made complete, by an assertive full-palm grab on the buttocks by a saffron-swathed gent.

Taungbyone’s saturnalian nat pwe (spirit festival) had alternately been described to me as a tradi-tional Buddhist but quintessentially Myanmar gathering and Southeast Asia’s biggest gay party – concepts that I once would have thought to be near-diametrically opposed.

I was struck by terror at the thought of writing about the experience because I knew that, in doing so, I would be navigating

the semantic minefield of a gender spectrum far removed from the binaries that would seem to prevail in Myanmar’s fairly traditional and overwhelmingly Buddhist society – which is to say nothing of the task of wrapping my head around the worship of the 37 most celebrated nat spirits.

The festival is a bacchanalian whirlwind of colour and noise, and to walk around it was a study in contrasts. Vendors sat selling all manner of wares, from traditional sweets to Justin Bieber T-shirts and – bafflingly – machetes. The stories I had heard about the festival being a hub for vice proved hollow, with

only a handful of places selling beer. Families milled around enjoying the fairground atmosphere, while others negotiated the uneven turf in stilet-tos with varying degrees of finesse.

In the bamboo huts dotted around the festival ground, the nat kadaws (spirit mediums) take centre stage. The barrage of noise emanat-ing from the traditional hsaing wa-ing (a traditional Myanmar orches-tra) oscillates between pulsating and frenzied, and the movements of the shamanistic nat kadaw reflect this.

The nat kadaws act as conduits to the spirit world; capable of strad-dling the divide between earthly and

Taungbyone ‘nat pwe’:A festival of spirits and saturnaliaThe

festival is a bacchanalian whirlwind of colour and noise ... a study in contrasts

the pulse 41www.mmtimes.com

Nat kadaws act as conduits to the spirit world and perfrom to call on good fortune.Photos: Greg Holland

Taungbyone ‘nat pwe’:A festival of spirits and saturnalia

supernatural, past and present, man and woman. They perform to the crowd, then as the music reaches a frenzied climax they seem to lose themselves completely in fits of primal and ecstatic thrashing. Each nat has its own unique charac-teristic virtues and vices, and the performances vary in accordance with these.

The nat kadaws, offstage, are something of a spectacle. They glide serenely through the crowds trailed by an entourage of helpers and makeup artists, and often some sort of offering. A woman excitedly told me that the nat kadaw we were

seeing approach the stage – pursued by a woman carrying an offering of roast chicken – was her favourite, and she makes sure to catch the performance every year.

We spoke with some bright young things of 18 or so who, dressed to the nines and immaculately made up, had made the journey all the way from Myitkyina in Kachin State for their first nat pwe. I made the ethically dubious decision to part with K300 to enter a tent whose sign promised, in the least, a beer-drinking monkey. What I got was a baboon antagonising a 15-foot python on command, a monkey that

mimed hanging itself, a cobra that reared in a cage in the corner, and a slow loris reaching for the hand of anyone nearby, appealing to you with eyes that could break a heart. I later rode the manpowered ferris wheel twice, the athleticism and daring of its operators never ceasing to amaze.

Leaving the festival, we walked past families that lay sleeping on the floor in bamboo huts. Delirious with exhaustion, overstimulation and possibly whiskey, entirely unsure of just what it was I’d experienced, I muttered a solemn oath to return next year.

42 the pulse local THE MYANMAR TIMES august 26 - september 1, 2013

PROMOTIONAL efforts for the Southeast Asian Games are swinging into gear as recordings of music videos and an album of songs specifically targeted towards younger audiences, being released in early September.

One song “Mingalaba”, has already been produced by the hip hop group Snare, in Yangon, Bagan, Sagaing and Mandalay, and directed by U Win Lwin Htet. The video is currently showing on MRTV-4 and Channel 7.

The second song, “South East Asia King”, filmed across five cities, including Chaung Thar beach, is a joint effort between 12 Myanmar celebrity pop-singers.

The two songs will also feature as live performances in the 2013 SEA Game opening ceremony at Nay Pyi Taw on December 11.

“After producing one song for the SEA Games, we wanted to add a group song so we got a permit from Ace Digital Media Architect Media, which is handling the pre-Games entertainment section,” the managing director of Bo Bo Entertainment, Ko Bo Sann said.

“The shoot at Chaung Thar beach will be the one we use at the opening ceremony of the games.”

Efforts to target the youth demographic are based on a desire to attract a lively following for the international event, as well as being an initiative to encourage more active and less sedentary lifestyles among Myanmar youth.

One way promoters are doing this is by giving younger celebrities prominence in advertising campaigns, with the 12 singers of “South East Asia King” being of similar age to the target audience. The singers Jauk Jack, Hlwen Paing, Bunny Phyo, Kyaw Htut Swe, Naing Wan, Ye Yint Aung, Thar Thar, Sandi Myint Lwin, Aim Chit, Bobby Soxer, Mi Sandi and Nan Thu Zar are seen as attractive draw cards for the youth demographic.

Among those from Myanmar’s artistic community involved in the games is graffiti artist Arker Kyaw, who was banned from spray painting in Yangon last year, has been commissioned to create a work in a public space to mark the sporting occasion.

Arker Kyaw gained notoriety in Myanmar last year after he spray painted an acclaimed, but controversial portrait of Barack Obama on a roadside wall in Yangon, shortly before the US president’s historic visit to Myanmar. Speaking about the SEA Games commission, he said, “This is the first time where I have ever officially been allowed to draw graffiti.”

The artist has declined to reveal details of what he plans to create, but games organisers, who said it was the Obama painting that first alerted them to Kyaw’s talents, have reportedly said that it will be up to ministers to choose the final design.

The 2013 SEA Games are being held in the country for the first time in 44 years, with various tournaments to be held in Mandalay, Nay Pyi Taw and Ngwe Saung beach from December 11 to 22 this year.

SEA Games promo takes youth spinNANdAR AuNg [email protected] MAR HTuN [email protected]

W OMEN whose lives were blighted by ac-cident, disability or disaster have joined together to sup-

port themselves and their families through their artistry. By hand-mak-ing ethnic-style textiles and various handicrafts, they are able to make a living by selling them to social enter-prises such as Pomelo in Yangon.

Ma Sabei, now 18, recalls the day in her childhood when she fell from a height, breaking her leg. Her family, being poor, could not afford to have the leg properly set, leaving it deformed. “I felt sickened whenever I looked at myself in the mirror,” Ma Sabei said, recalling how the misfortune left her timid and lacking in self-confidence.

Ma Myint Myint Maw, 32, her husband and her two children are deaf. Htet Htet Naing, whose leg was deformed in Cyclone Nargis in May 2008, was rescued from drowning by her grandmother.

Now these women and others form a successful handicrafts group called Dream Together.

For Ma Sabei, the transformation came two years ago, when she met Ma Naw Eh Wah, a livelihood coordinator from The Leprosy Mission Myanmar. “I saw those

young women with disabilities, neglected by their families and having nothing to do,” said Ma Naw Eh Wah, 26. “I decided to teach them handicrafts.”

At the Disability Resource Centre on Sittwe Road, Hlaing Tharyar township, Ma Naw Eh Wah taught the women how to make fashion accessories for women such as necklaces and bracelets. Altogether, seven women with disabilities ranging from deafness, poliomyelitis (a viral infection that affects the nervous system) and leg deformities, work in the centre or in their homes in Hlaing Tharyar township.

“I check the quality of their

products because I want people to buy them because they like them, not because they are made by disadvantaged women. When they work at home, they can earn income without neglecting their housework,” Ma Naw Eh Wah said.

“I invent designs for them to follow,” she added. “When I no longer lead the group, they can stand on their own feet and do their own business,” she added.

“We support those women by giving them the chance to sell their products at Pomelo,” said Ulla Kroebar, a volunteer at the store, which opened in January, 2012. “The women of Dream Together have to support their families. Now that they can earn, their families’ view of them has changed,” she said. “I am so impressed by Ma Naw Eh Wah, and her group is a wonderful example of how people can become creative if they get the chance.”

Ma Sabei, the eldest daughter of seven, can now support her sick mother and her father. “Ma Sabei’s whole family used to depend on K3000 a day her father earned repairing bicycles. Her income is very helpful,” Kroebar added. Ma Myint Myint Maw’s children are now studying at Mary Chapman School for the Deaf, and she supports them and her husband by her earnings. “She can make the most money and her handicraft is the neatest,” said Ma Naw Eh Wah. After she was injured in Cyclone Nargis, Htet Htet Naing dared not go outside alone. “Now she is rather confident and can come to the centre

alone. She can earn up to K70,000 a month,” said Ma Naw Eh Wah, who says the women could make more money if they found other outlets.

“We have many requests about our products. Some ask whether they are made in Bangkok. But we can’t accept other women with disabilities unless we get more orders.”

When Rachael Storass came to Yangon in August, 2011 looking to buy socially responsible products, she met Annie Bell, who had started the organisation Helping Hands, where street children help to renovate old furniture.

“Helping Hands also has a sewing workshop where women execute the designs of an Italian designer, Valeria. To support those groups, the two women opened Pomelo,” said Kroebar, who works as a volunteer five days a week.

Pomelo also sells stuffed toys made by another local outfit, Action For Public, which are made by widows living with HIV.

“AFP asked if we could sell school uniforms that they made, but no expat or tourist would be willing to buy that,” Kroebar said.

“So we thought to ask them to start with stuffed toys and now they sell more than 12 different products through Pomelo.”

Helping hands boost opportunities for underprivileged women with big dreamsThere are few chances for women with disabilities to work, but fair trade enterprises, such as Pomelo, are helping them to earn

Ma Sabei, 18, earns a living making textiles and handicraft for a local social enterprise. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing

Zon Pann Pwint

[email protected]

Pomelo is a fair trade and social enterprise helping disadvantaged people. It is located at 85-87 Thinbyu Road (lower block), Botataung, Yangon

‘Ma Sabei’s whole family used to depend on K3000 a day ... Her income is very helpful.’Ulla KroebarVolunteer at Pomelo

the pulse 43www.mmtimes.com

DITCH the “manscara” and show off your natural rugged good looks. That’s the advice being given to Myanmar men who fancy a career in modelling ahead of competition to find the country’s most attractive males.

The Manhunt III event, run by Myanmar Model Management (MMM) will give would-be male models the opportunity, not only to compete for a top prize of K1.5 million, but also to improve their skills and promote themselves to the public, according to organisers and past winners.

However experts have warned that previous competitors, perhaps overly influenced by their better-known female counterparts, have been a little too “feminine” in their styling.

If men want to become interna-tional models, they have to avoid looking like girls is the blunt mes-sage from stylists, which seems to ignore the trend for androgyny on the European catwalks in recent years.

Make up artist Lin Lin will be overseeing the models’ hair and make-up at this year’s contest.

‘ ’I enjoy supporting Manhunt. It’s a good for anyone who wants to be a male model, and those who win will gain a lot of popularity through having taken part,” she said.

“But in the past I’ve seen a lot of competitors who haven’t looked natural and have gone for a femi-nine cute look. For international male modelling you need to look attractive, but not girly cute. That’s why I am encouraging the men competing this year to go for a more natural look.”

The competition, now its third year, also requires contestants to prove themselves in an IQ test and talent show, before taking part in a photoshoot and showing off their skills on the catwalk.

MMM founder U Htay Min Htun said he had a lot of interest in the competition: “A lot of people have been contacting me asking when this year’s event is going to take place,” he said.

In previous years, Manhunt heats were held in both Yangon and Mandalay but this year, will just in Yangon in different spots through-out the city.

The model competition and en-tertainment program will take place in Junction Square Promotion Area on September 20 with the finals being held at The Strand hotel on September 28.

Men from any area of Myanmar are eligible to take place and can get entry forms from Utopia Tower, Ko Ko beauty salon (Junction Mawtin) and Ko Maw Beauty hair salon in Sanchaung. The closing date for entry is September 17.

NANdAR AuNg [email protected]

AMONG Myanmar’s many noble struggles in this semi-post-junta historical period is the quest to attract top

flight international musical acts to Yangon. Having netted the likes of Jason Mraz, Michael Learns to Rock and Air Supply over the course of the past nine months, the country clearly has much room to improve in this regard.

In other words, it’s still necessary to get out of town to see half-decent international bands perform in concert.

So it was that I travelled to Kuala Lumpur for the Good Vibes Festival, held at Sepang F1 Circuit near KL International Airport on August 17. The headliners were the Smashing Pumpkins, supported by alt-rock luminaries Modest Mouse from the United States and Japandroids from Canada, as well as 10 Malaysian indie bands.

I arrived in KL on the day of the concert, and by the time I made it to the festival I had, unfortunately, missed most of the local musicians. But I did catch the last Malaysian act, a group called Monoloque who demonstrated the sort of adventur-ous, quirky creativity still missing from Myanmar’s largely derivative music scene.

Combining Malaysian folk, psychedelia, punk, wildly meander-ing electronics and moody male and female vocals, the band proved itself to be quite adept at mixing shoe-gaze dreaminess with appealingly abrasive guitar and keyboard noise. And yes, I bought their CD after the performance.

I had been looking forward to seeing both Japandroids and Modest Mouse, but I was disappointed to learn that the concert organisers had made the unforgivably bone-headed decision to schedule both bands to play different stages at the same time.

Japandroids also made their consternation abundantly clear.

“There’s only one negative thing about our visit to Malaysia: having

to play at the same time as Mod-est Mouse,” vocalist/guitarist Brian King told the audience in the middle of their set, “which really fucking sucks, but that’s how it goes.”

They even dedicated the song “The House that Heaven Built” to the other band, and in between their own songs indulged in a bit of air guitar to the sounds of the music drifting over from the other stage.

The Japandroids are a two-piece band – King, plus drummer/back-ing singer David Prowse – but they generate enough noise and energy that they would easily eclipse three or four average, fully kitted-out ensembles.

Despite the clarion call of Modest Mouse, I stuck with Japandroids to

the end as they played all the songs from their album Celebration Rock, released last year.

The set ended with their excel-lent cover of the legendary Gun Club’s “For the Love of Ivy”, during which I was surprised to hear the lo-cal fans shouting along to the song’s signature lyrics, “I’m gonna buy me a graveyard of my own/and kill eve-ryone who ever done me wrong” – a concept whose charming appeal ap-parently transcends cultural divides.

Modest Mouse was kind enough to play an extended set, which meant they remained onstage for another 30 minutes after Japan-droids finished. For those of us who dashed over from the other stage, the concert started with

“King Rat” and ended five songs later with “Tiny Cities Made of Ashes”.

Everyone has their own list of bands whose music evokes personal nostalgia trips. For me, Modest Mouse’s quirky twang, combined with the comical dread of singer Isaac Brock’s lyrics, never fails to remind me of that moment in my mid-30s when I realised I’d rather run through lightning storms with stainless steel saucepans tied to my body than spend another weekend shopping at the Burbank IKEA.

(It’s probably no coincidence that, around the same time, I found myself boarding the Thai Airways Flight of No Return from Los An-geles to a certain Southeast Asian country called Myanmar.)

Likewise, I largely associate the Smashing Pumpkins with the 1990s, although I don’t feel the same deep-seated attach-ment to them as I do for Modest Mouse. The Pumpkins are just a really good rock band with great songwriting backed by awesome playing skills.

They were surprisingly strong live, due in no small part to the fact that Billy Corgan is one of those rare vocalists who sound better onstage than a recording in the studio.

Admittedly, I haven’t really kept up with the band since their 1998 album Adore, but tunes from their first four discs accounted for at least half of the 18 songs they played, kicking off with “Tonight Tonight” and also including “Cherub Rock”, “Disarm”, “Bullet with Butterfly Wings”, “Today” and “Zero”.

One major highlight was a hard-edged, but still trippy cover of David Bowie’s 1969 classic “Space Oddity”.

Speaking of oddities: Although the large Malaysian crowd embraced the Smashing Pumpkins with great enthusiasm throughout the set, little effort was made to generate the chanting, foot-stomping noise necessary to bring them back for an encore.

The band, therefore, did not reappear onstage after their regular set. If they had, I’m fairly certain they would have played “1979”. It was the one huge hit missing from their playlist and the one song I had most wanted to hear.

Models told to man upGood vibes, bad planning at

Kuala Lumpur music festHeadline acts from the mid-nineties lures an intrepid music critic

douglas long

[email protected]

Brian King, the singer/guitarist of Japandroids, performing at the Good Vibes festival in Kuala Lumpur on August 17. Photo: Thandar Khine

44 the pulse THE MYANMAR TIMES august 26 - september 1, 2013

it was a chance purchase in a Paris flea market that led to the discov-ery of 54 lost traditional Cambo-dian songs, according to the man into whose hands they have now

landed: filmmaker Rithy Panh.The director was given the yel-

lowed, elegantly printed songbook Chansons Cambodgiennes, published in 1921, by a friend some years ago, but had to put it away until he knew exactly what to do with it.

The book ended up at the Bophana Center, the audiovisual repository founded by Panh, where Cambodia’s lost film, music and

sounds wait to be rediscovered.Written by Frenchman Albert Tri-

con, about whom not much is known, the music is about to find a new audi-ence when eight more of its songs are released on next month on a CD called Cambodian Forgotten Songs.

It is the second recording to come from the precious book, which con-tains three kinds of traditional songs carefully transcribed into phonetic French and notated in the west-ern scale. The recording musicians included young artists from the Royal University of Fine Arts, as well as older masters, performing in what is called a Pleng Kar Boran ensemble.

“We started the project in 2008,” says Bophana archivist Chea Sopheap. “We completed the first part with eight songs. [Afterward] I saw one of them being played on a TV talent competi-tion – that really inspired me. The first volume wasn’t known [before we released them].”

Published by the Société des Études indochinoises and printed in Paris, the songbook is kept inside a temperature-controlled store room, from which Sopheap retrieves it for a look.

From its simple, elegant cover page, it doesn’t look much different than the thousands of other popular songbooks published in the days of family piano-gatherings and ragtime, which makes the fact that its purchaser happened to be a friend of documentary maker Rithy Panh seem quite serendipitous.

Would Albert Tricon and whoever helped him gather the songs have had

any idea that they were saving many of them from disappearing?

“The book [in its introduction] says Cambodians might have forgot-ten many melodies from their past,” Sopheap says.

“Albert Tricon says he collected songs from provinces from around Cambodia and also from the Royal Palace. What he recorded in his book was essentially the popular songs of the time.”

For Panh the album represents a less-explored folk music, one that is overshadowed by Cambodia’s endur-ing Golden Era phenomenon.

“People love the music from the 1960s, but not songs before the 60s. [These] might be from the last century or even before that,” he says.

“It’s the last [opportunity to record

the songs] because that [generation] is very old now. It’s a way to keep our popular songs alive. More importantly, it’s a way to transmit this heritage to the new generation.”

Much of the music in Chansons Cambodgiennes disappeared through decades of war and cultural destruc-tion, says Sopheap. The eight pieces chosen for the second CD are from three genres: ancient Arak, which harks back to a pre-Buddhist and Hindu animist time, and depicts the natural world in poetic lyrics; Mohaori music, traditional court and entertain-ment compositions; and more recent folk songs.

From the 20th Century songs, small clues as to Cambodian life and attitudes can be deduced, Sopheap says. In the lively song “Barang Sra

Pov”, the singer describes ropes being pulled by French sailors during the days of the protectorate.

It is unclear, says Panh, how much of the Khmer language Tricon knew when he began transcribing the heav-ily poetic lyrics from local performers and musicians. To work out the pho-netically written verses, Bophana re-searchers Lach Rattanah and Kim Vary translated, consulted dictionaries and met with language experts, with help from an advisory committee made up of composer Him Sophy, archaeologist Sam Ang Sam, and Professors Pick Tu Kravel and Hun Sarin, who wrote the book on traditional music, Khmer Orchestra.

To notate the songs he heard, Tricon writes that he sat down at a piano and tried to adapt them for the chromatic scale, before changing to the Cambodian bamboo romeat a traditional xylophone.

For the orchestra, music master Yun Theara rearranged the songs and the recording process was photo-graphed by Vann Channaron, Vann Nath’s son.

“… For knowing the mindset of a population, we must listen to these popular songs,” wrote Tricon. “I am sure these Cambodian melodies will be for many a revelation.”

Little did he know the revelation they would be to Cambodians them-selves.

The CD will be available from Sep-tember 13 in Cambodia.

– The Phnom Penh Post

Cambodia’s forgotten songs rediscovered

Chansons Cambodgiennes is a treasure trove of songs published in 1921 Photo: The Phnom Penh Post

RoSA ELLEN

pHNoM pENH

“It’s a way to keep traditional songs alive... to transmit this heritage to the next generation”Rithy PanhBophana archivist

46 the pulse tea break THE MYANMAR TIMES august 26 - september 1, 2013

Laugh all the way to the bank when you rent this space.the tea break page is being re-formatted in readiness for our move to a daily cycle. it may look something like this in the future.

our market research shows that a page like this attracts a large number of readers, who loyally read it every day.ring Khin thandar htay our National sales director to book this space permanently and

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Telephone us now on +951 392 928

ACROSS1 Swedish Muppet5 Crosby, Stills & ___9 Treated the lawn, in a

way14 Name on your behind,

perhaps15 Ersatz spread16 Acid in proteins17 “Length times width”

measurement18 Look at with

intentions19 One Wayans20 You don’t have to be

sick to take it23 You may break it with

guests24 Apply

footnotes25 “Fooled you!”27 Blood clots30 Wash all over32 Coastal inlet33 God, in Latin

class35 Having a worse

prognosis39 Varying wildly43 Discharge of

weapons44 Underworld ferryman’s

post45 “Isn’t ___

Lovely”46 Bring rapture to48 Holster contents51 Indian cotton fabric54 “Anything ___ ?”55 Wolframite,

for one56 Whatever-it’s-called62 Onetime capital of

India 64 They have holes in

their middles65 “But wait,

there’s ___!”66 Up to a certain

point67 With the same

amount one started with

68 Closely related (to)

69 It can be altered

70 Dojo flooring units

71 Avian haunt

DOWN 1 Abrupt bit of thunder 2 “Take it” 3 ___ since (as of) 4 Complete debacle 5 Midday 6 Aquarium cleaner’s

problem 7 Be a retailer in 8 Got ground up? 9 Nobility title10 Little teapot’s opening11 Act like12 Cain raised him13 Gift recipient21 “There Will Be Blood”

subject22 Befitting

26 Tarzan’s is famous27 Periods of time28 “___ 18” (Leon Uris

book)29 Arnaz’s collaborator in

comedy30 Big Sky Country city31 Whey-faced34 Prefix for “while”36 Word with “hurrah” or

“laugh”37 You may test for it by

saying “Hello!”38 Walk woozily40 “Message

complete”41 Explosive42 Makes clear

47 Montserrat output49 “Capital” ending50 Able-bodied one51 M.O. part52 “ ___ you ashamed of

yourself?”53 “Designing Women”

actress Burke54 Winged wader57 Secret couple, in

gossip58 Super star?59 Bit of funny

business60 It surrounds the pupil61 Courteous chap63 Result of a good

at-bat

Universal CrosswordEdited by Timothy E. Parker

NOUNS THE TIME By Carl Cranby

SUDOKU PACIFIC

PUZZLE SOLUTIONS

DILBERT BY SCOTT ADAMS

PEANUTS BY CHARLES SCHULZ

CALVIN AND HOBBES BY BILL WATTERSON

the pulse food and drink 47www.mmtimes.com

More Moroccan magic in the kitchenPhyo'[email protected]

L AMB plays a central role in many dishes from Morocco, but lamb mince can be dif-ficult to find in Yangon. Mut-ton is a good replacement

and this week my recipes feature a Moroccan-style mutton kebab with dates.

The pumpkin dish, traditionally served with couscous – the other-recipe for this week – is great as a side dish to the mutton kebab, or just on its own as a light, vegetarian meal. Moroccan dishes are great to recreate in Myanmar as most of the ingredi-ents are available here.

MoRoccAN-STYlE MuTToN MINcE kEbAb

iNgredieNts (serves 4)500 grams mutton mince3 tablespoon olive oil3 medium red onions3 medium tomatoes3 long green chillis5 dates diced1 tablespoon vinegar1 tablespoon soy sauce1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon black pepper

2 cinnamon sticks 4 cardamom seedsLemon wedges to serve

preparatioNAbsorb all liquid from the mutton

mince with kitchen tissue paper until it becomes dry. Slice the onions and tomatoes into circles.

Halve the green chillies and de-seed. Dice the dates. Set all aside.

Add olive oil into a sauce pan and turn heat to medium. Sauté the cinnamon sticks and cardamom seeds in the hot oil. Add the sliced onions. When the onion is trans-

parent add the mince, soy sauce, vinegar, salt and black pepper to fry. Use a wooden spoon to break the mince apart as it cooks. Cover the pan with a lid. When the meat is tender, add chilli and fry for 2 more minutes. Add dates and mix well. Serve with couscous and wedges of lemon.

couScouS

iNgredieNts (serves 4)1 cup couscous1 cup boiling water3 spring onions

1 tablespoon lemon juice1½ - 2 tablespoons cooking butter

preparatioNPut couscous into a heat-proof

bowl and pour the boiling water over the couscous. Cover with aluminum foil for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the couscous absorbs all the water.

Gently fluff the couscous with a fork and set aside.

Slice the spring onions thinly. On a medium heat, melt the butter in a frying pan. Make sure all the butter coats the surface of the pan. Place cooked couscous in the pan and add the sliced spring onion, then mix. Add salt and lemon juice just before removing from the heat.

PuMPkIN wITH SEEdS ANd AlMoNd flAkES

iNgredieNts (serves 4)500 grams pumpkin2 tablespoons olive oil2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds2 tablespoons almond flakeswatersalt and pepper

preparatioNWash the pumpkin and dry well.

Cut into 3cm cubes. When the pumpkin is dry, add ½ tablespoon of the olive oil into a frying pan on a medium heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and almond flakes into the

pan and toast, then set aside.After almond flakes become a

golden colour, transfer onto plate and set aside. Add the remaining olive oil and pumpkin cubes into the pan and toss well.

Pour ¼ cup water into the pan, cover the lid and simmer until the pumpkin becomes soft. If the pump-kin needs more water, add another ¼ cup of water. When the pumpkin is cooked, turn the heat up and fry until sizzling. Bring the pumpkin seeds and almond flakes back to the pan and mix in well. Add salt and black pep-per to taste.

tipsVegetable oil could be used in both

recipes. Sultanas can replace dates.Stir the pumpkin carefully so that

it keeps its shape.

shoppiNgCouscous is available at larger

supermarkets and at Quarto Products on Inya Road.

Quote“We are living in a world today

where lemonade is made from arti-ficial flavors and furniture polish is made from real lemons.” Alfred E. Neuman, fictitious mascot and cover boy of Mad magazine

Next weeKMoroccan-style saffron fish curry

and okra tagine

Moroccan-style mutton mince kebab. Photo: Phyo

wine Review

K19,000

bouchard Pinot Noir la Vignee

2010

light-bodied on the nose and

blackcurrant in colour, i was hoping for more depth with this wine. the grapes haven’t been allowed to ripen on the vine and the wine just tastes bland.

REd

WiNE

Score

6/10

K15,000

Pigmentum ugin blanc 2012

strong citrus notes but well

balanced with nectarines and a

smooth, creamy peach finish. the wine is medium-bodied and almost bubbly on the tongue.

WHiTE

WiNE

Score

8/10

MANNy MAuNg [email protected]

FOR a touch of elegance and old-world glamour, it’s hard to beat The Governor’s Residence. After all, if you’re in the mood to splurge, why not do it in style?

Whether I’m there to enjoy the curry table feast in the restaurant upstairs, or just to enjoy a refreshing drink poolside at the Kipling Bar, I’ve yet to be disappointed at the Guv’s.The place just gives me an instant sense of relaxation.

Granted, the prices are astronomi-cal in Myanmar terms, so I’ve had to restrain myself from getting too relaxed. On this occasion, however, there was nothing prompting the visit other than a need to spoil myself, so I thought I’d indulge myself a little more than usual.

I eased myself into the night with a Mandalay rum sour (US$10). It came with a sweet glazed cherry on the top. Dry, comfortable and nursing my drink, I found monsoon season again romantic rather than a nuisance. Whether

it was

the rum or the rain outside, I realised

once again that the small details in life – the cher-

ries on top, if you will – do matter.

Unless of course you don’t like cher-

ries. But, hey, it’s a well-stocked bar –why not just order

something else?As a starter I opted for the sau-

téed baby potatoes, wild mushroom and watercress salad with Myanmar goat cheese and walnut dressing ($11). The plate arrived with the cheese oozing onto a bed of potatoes and while I couldn’t really taste the walnuts, the goat cheese itself had a powerful nutty taste that mixed with the pungent odour of fungus. While I thoroughly enjoyed the combina-tion of textures and flavours in my starter, it’s the bread-basket that gets me every time, and that night’s was no exception. The simple combination of a generous portion

of freshly baked dinner rolls and dollops of butter is probably one of my most favourite indulgences. And since my dining companion hap-

pened to be gluten intolerant, ours had my name all over it.

Unfortunately, I filled up so much I couldn’t finish the squid ink risotto with marinated char-grilled squid and parmesan chard ($16) that I had ordered as my main. That

was a shame, but I managed to eat all the delecta-

ble morsels of tender squid, leaving most of the ink-stained risotto rice (it pains me to think of that now). My friend, hav-

ing skipped the bread, was able to tuck into her

meal – a delicately cooked aromatic cod fillet with vegetables and a spiced coconut laksa sauce that didn’t overwhelm the fish at all ($28) – with greater gusto, although it proved to be a hearty portion as well.

It’s a shame we were both so full we had to skip dessert. Lesson learned – next time, order the sweets first.

Paying a visit to the GovernorA trip to the Guv’s is an experience in indulgence

The governor’s Residence

35 taw win road (near the indian embassy), dagon township, yangon. 01 229860

Food: 8drink: 8service: 8atmosphere: 10x-factor: 10value for money: 7

Total Score: 8.5/10

Squid ink risotto and parmesan chard at the Governor’s. Photo: Manny Maung

THE MYANMAR TIMES AUGUST 26 - SEPTEMBER 1, 2013 48 the pulse socialite

City Hair demonstrations

Maykha Myat Mon Khine Thazin Yu War

Mod

el

Jam

e Le

e

Khine Khine Latt

Shwe Thike

Mac Coffee product launch

Htet Phone Naing Aung Lay Min Thein Khant Myint Zu Maung

ETUDE House’s Pink Play Party 2013 at Singapore Lucky Draw

Aye Myat Thu, Wint Yahmone Hlaing, Maw Maw and Ohnmar Khin

HTC Mobile Lucky Draw

Daw Thin Thin Soe Richard See

U Khin Soe and Johnnie Koh

Sheene Super BB product launch

Mo Mo Ko, Wint Yahmone Hlaing and Ma Htet

Bobby Soxer Nan Nilar Htike

www.mmtimes.com the pulse socialite 49

THERE’s nothing quite like a good haircut to brighten up a socialite’s image so what better way to prepare for another busy run of social activities than enjoying a demonstration of the styling-talents at City Beauty Salon in Tarme townships on August 14.Freshly coiffured, Socialite felt good fortune was smiling upon her, and so the next day she popped along to the HTC mobile company’s lucky draw at My Garden Res-taurant. If at first a socialite doesn’t succeed she should always try her luck again, and so Thursday it was off to another lucky draw, this time by beauty brand Etude House, where there was a chance to win a trip to the Pink Play Party 2013 taking place in Singapore later this month. Alas, a trip to Singapore was not to be, so Social-ite decided to pamper herself instead and headed along to the opening of Nemita Spa at Chatrium Hotel.More beauty inspiration on Friday with the launch of Sheene Super BB at Junction Square, before joining the celebrations for the 68th anniversary of the Independ-ence Day of the Republic of Indonesia at Traders Hotel.Socialite wound up her hectic week on August 18 with Miss Alpure 2013 contest at Gamhone Pwint on Kaba Aye Pagoda Road. After all that a refreshment was definitely in order and so Socialite stopped off on her way home at the Sedona Hotel for the Mac Coffee’s new product launch. Miss Alpure

2013 Contest

Su Pan Htwar

U Aye Myint Kyu and wife Sebastianus Sumarsono

AttendancesCont

esta

nt 68th Anniversary of Independence Day of Republic of Indonesia

Nemita Spa opening eremony

Aung Khine Linn Make-up artist Toe Toe

Alex and wife

Zaw Paing and wife

Ma Moe and Khine Wint Phyu

Phe Da

NAUM BWAI

[email protected]

50 the pulse travel THE MYANMAR TIMES august 26 - september 1, 2013

YanGon to naY PYi taw

Flight Days Dep arr

6T 401 1 7:00 7:55

FMI A1 1,2,3,4,5 7:30 8:30

FMI A1 6 8:00 9:00

FMI B1 1,2,3,4,5 11:30 12:30

FMI A1 7 15:30 16:30

FMI C1 1,2,3,4,5 16:30 17:30

naY PYi taw to YanGon

Flight Days Dep arr

FMI A2 1,2,3,4,5 8:50 9:50

FMI A2 6 10:00 11:00

FMI B2 1,2,3,4,5 13:00 14:00

FMI A2 7 17:00 18:00

FMI C2 1,2,3,4,5 18:00 19:00

YanGon to ManDalaY

Flight Days Dep arr

YJ 211 7 6:00 7:25

W9 512 3 6:00 8:05

YJ 891 1,2,3,4,6 6:10 8:15

YJ 891 5 6:30 7:55

YH 917 Daily 6:10 8:40

Y5 234 Daily 6:15 7:30

6T 401/K7222 2,3,4,5,6,7 6:30 8:35

K7 222 Daily 6:30 8:40

YJ 201 4 6:00 7:55

K7 626 1,5 6:45 8:10

K7 226 2,4 6:45 8:10

YJ 201 3 7:00 8:25

YJ 901 1 7:00 8:25

YJ 143/W97143 1,2,3 7:00 9:05

W9 251 Daily 7:00 9:05

6T 401 1 7:00 9:40

YJ 761 6 7:00 8:55

W9 201 1,2,3 7:45 9:10

8M 6603 2,4,7 9:00 10:10

YJ 751/W9 7751 5 10:00 11:55

YJ 761 1 10:30 12:25

W9 251 2 10:30 11:55

K7 624 Daily 10:30 11:55

YJ 751/W9 7751 7 10:30 12:25

YJ 201 1 11:00 12:25

YJ 761 2,4 11:00 12:55

YJ 751/W9 7751 3 11:00 12:55

YJ 601 6 11:00 12:25

YH 737 3,7 11:15 13:25

YH 727 1,5 11:15 13:25

YH 729 2,4,6 11:15 14:15

YJ 211 5 11:30 12:55

YH 731 1 14:30 16:10

YH 731 2,3,4,5,6 14:30 16:40

W9 129 1,2,3 14:45 16:40

YJ 781 2 14:30 15:55

K7 224 Daily 14:30 16:35

6T 501/K7 224 Daily 14:30 16:35

YH 731 7 15:00 16:40

ManDalaY to YanGon

Flight Days Dep arr

Y5 233 Daily 8:10 9:25YJ 892 2,3,4,6,7 8:30 10:25YJ 892 5 8:10 11:00YH 918 Daily 8:40 10:45

YJ 143/W97143 1,2,3 9:20 10:456T 402/K7 223 2,3,4,5,6,7 8:55 10:55

K7 223 Daily 8:55 11:00YJ 892 1 8:30 9:55YJ 902 1 8:40 10:35W9 201 4,5,6,7 9:10 11:05W9 144 Daily 9:20 10:45W9 201 1,2,3 9:25 11:20Y5 132 3,5,6,7 9:30 10:306T 402 1 10:00 12:00YJ 202 3 10:05 12:55K7 227 2,4 10:35 12:00K7 627 1,5 10:55 12:20YJ 202 4 11:00 12:25YJ 762 6 12:35 14:00K7 845 2,4,7 12:50 16:00YJ 202 1 15:30 17:25W9 120 1,3 15:45 17:10YJ 602 6 15:40 17:05YJ 762 1 16:05 17:30YJ 782 2 16:10 18:15YH 732 1 16:10 18:15YJ 212 5 16:30 18:35YJ 762 2,4 16:35 18:00YH 732 2,3,4,5,6,7 16:40 18:45W9 129 4,5,6,7 16:40 18:45YH 728 1,5 16:45 18:10

6T 502/K7 225 Daily 16:50 19:00K7 225 Daily 16:50 19:00W9 129 1,2,3 16:55 19:00K7 625 Daily 17:10 18:35

8M 6604 2,4,7 17:20 18:30YJ 725/W9 7752 7 17:20 18:45

YJ 212 7 17:20 18:45YH 738 3,7 17:25 18:50W9 511 2 17:30 19:35W9 252 2 17:35 19:00

YJ 725/W9 7752 3 17:50 19:15YH 730 2,4,6 18:00 19:25

YanGon to nYaunG u

Flight Days Dep arr

YH 917 Daily 6:10 7:45YJ 891 1,2,3,4,6 ,7 6:10 7:30YJ 891 5 6:30 8:40

6T 401/K7 222 2,3,4,5,6,7 6:30 7:50K7 222 Daily 6:30 7:50

YJ 143/ W9 7143 1,2,3 7:00 8:206T 401 1 7:00 8:55YJ 781 2 14:30 16:40W9 129 1,2,3 14:45 17:25W9 129 4,5,6,7 14:30 17:10

6T 501/K7 224 Daily 14:30 17:20YH 731 1 14:30 16:55YH 731 2,3,4,5,6 14:30 17:25YH 731 7 15:00 17:25K7 224 Daily 14:30 17:25

nYaunG u to YanGon

Flight Days Dep arr

YJ 891 7 7:45 9:50

YH 917 Daily 7:45 10:45

YJ 891 2,3,4,6 7:45 10:25

YJ 143/W9 7143 1,2,3 8:35 10:45

YJ 143/W9 7143 4,5,6,7 8:05 10:45

K7 222 Daily 8:05 11:00

6T 401 2,3,4,5,6,7 8:05 10:55

YJ 891 5 8:55 11:00

YJ 891 1 7:45 9:55

6T 401 1 9:10 12:00

YH 732 1 16:55 18:15

YH 732 2,3,4,5,6,7 17:25 18:45

6T 502/K7 225 Daily 17:40 19:00

W9 129 1,2,3 17:40 19:00

W9 129 Daily 17:25 18:45

K7 225 Daily 17:45 19:00

YanGon to MYitkYina

Flight Days Dep arr

YJ 201 4 6:00 9:20

YJ 211 7 6:00 8:50

YJ 211 5 11:30 14:20

YJ 201 3 7:00 9:50

K7 844 2,4,7 7:30 11:05

W9 251 2 10:30 13:25

K7 624 Daily 10:30 13:25

YJ 201 1 11:00 13:50

MYitkYina to YanGon

Flight Days Dep arr

YJ 202 4 9:35 12:25

YJ 211 7 9:05 12:25

YJ 211 5 14:35 18:35

YJ 202 3 10:05 12:55

K7 625 Daily 15:40 18:35

W9 252 2 16:05 19:00

YJ 202 1 16:30 17:25

YanGon to HeHo

Flight Days Dep arr

YJ 891 7 6:10 8:25

YH 917 Daily 6:10 9:35

YJ 891 2,3,4,6 6:10 9:00

YJ 891 5 6:30 9:35

6T 401/K7222 2,3,4,5,6,7 6:30 9:30

K7 222 Daily 6:30 9:30

6T 401 1 7:00 10:35

YJ 761 6 7:00 8:10

YJ 901 1 7:00 9:10

W9 201 4,5,6,7 7:30 9:40

K7 828 1,3,5 7:30 8:45

W9 201 1,2,3 7:45 9:55

YJ 751/W9 7751 5 10:00 11:10

YJ 761 1 10:30 11:40

YJ 751/W9 7751 7 10:30 11:40

W9 119 1,3, 10:30 11:40

YJ 761 2,4 11:00 12:10

YJ 751/W9 7751 3 11:00 12:10

YH 727 1,5 11:15 12:40

YH 737 3,7 11:15 12:40

K7 826 2,6 11:45 13:00

W9 129 1,2,3 14:45 15:55

W9 129 4,5,6,7 14:30 15:40

6T 501/K7 224 Daily 14:30 15:40

K7 224 Daily 14:30 15:45

YH 731 2,3,4,6 14:30 15:55

HeHo to YanGon

Flight Days Dep arr

YJ 892 7 8:40 9:50

YJ 892 2,3,4,6 9:15 10:25

YJ 902 1 9:25 10:35

YH 918 Daily 9:35 10:45

YJ 892 5 9:50 11:00

6T 402/K7223 2,3,4,5,6,7 9:45 10:55

K7 223 Daily 9:45 11:00

W9 201 4,5,6,7 9:55 11:05

W9 201 1,2,3 10:10 11:20

6T 402 1 10:50 12:00

YJ 762 6 11:50 14:00

K7 829 1,3,5 13:50 15:05

W9 120 1,3 15:00 17:10

YJ 762 1 15:20 17:30

YJ 762 2,4 15:50 18:00

YJ 762 6 11:50 14:00

W9 129 1,2,3 16:10 19:00

YJ 752/W9 7752 5 16:55 18:05

W9 129 4,5,6,7 15:55 18:45

YH 731 2,3,4,6 15:55 18:45

YH 728 1,5 16:00 18:10

6T 501/K7 224 Daily 16:00 19:00

K7 224 Daily 16:00 19:00

YJ 602 6 16:25 17:35

YH 738 3,7 16:40 18:50

K7 827 2,6 17:25 18:40

YanGon to Sit t we

Flight Days Dep arr

6T 605 5 11:15 13:15

6T 611 3,7 11:30 12:55

K7 426 Daily 12:30 13:50

6T 607 1 12:30 13:55

6T 611 2,4,6 14:30 15:55

Sit t we to YanGon

Flight Days Dep arr

6T 612 3,7 13:15 14:40

6T 606 5 13:35 15:00

K7 427 Daily 14:05 15:25

6T 608 1 14:15 16:15

6T 612 2 16:15 18:10

6T 612 4,6 16:15 17:40

YanGon to MYeik

Flight Days Dep arr

K7 319 Daily 7:00 9:05

YJ 301 2 7:00 9:10

YH 633 1,3,4,5,7 7:00 9:15

6T 707 2 7:30 9:30

6T 707 6 11:15 13:15

YJ 301 4,7 12:45 14:55

MYeik to YanGon

Flight Days Dep arr

YH 634 1,3,4,5,7 11:25 13:25

YJ 302 2 11:25 13:35

K7 320 Daily 11:30 13:35

6T 708 2 11:55 13:55

6T 708 6 15:40 17:40

YJ 302 4,7 15:10 18:45

YanGon to tHanDwe

Flight Days Dep arr

6T 605 5 11:15 12:10

6T 607 1 12:30 15:05

tHanDwe to YanGon

Flight Days Dep arr

6T 605 5 12:25 15:00

6T 608 1 15:20 16:15

DOMESTIC FLIGHT SCHEDULES

domestic6T = Air Mandalay

W9 = Air Bagan

YJ = Asian Wings

K7 = AIR KBZ

YH = Yangon Airways

FMI = FMI AIR Charter

Y5 = Golden Myanmar Airlines

Subject to changewithout notice

Domestic Airlines

Day1 = Monday2 = Tuesday3 = Wednesday

4 = Thursday5 = Friday6 = Saturday7 = Sunday

Air Bagan Ltd. (W9)Tel : 513322, 513422, 504888, Fax : 515102

Air KBZ (K7)Tel: 372977~80, 533030~39 (Airport), Fax: 372983

Air Mandalay (6T)Tel : (Head Office) 501520, 525488, Fax: 525937. Airport: 533222~3, 09-73152853. Fax: 533223.

Asian Wings (YJ)Tel: 951 516654, 532253, 09-731-35991~3. Fax: 951 532333

Golden Myanmar Airlines (Y5)Tel: 95 9 400446999, 95 9 400447999, Fax: 01 860 4051

Yangon Airways(YH)Tel: (+95-1) 383 100, 383 107, 700 264, Fax: 652 533.

FMI Air Charter - Sales & ReservationsTel: (95-1) 240363, 240373 / (+95-9) 421146545

the pulse travel 51www.mmtimes.com

ALBERTO Pellegrini doesn’t speak or read Japanese, a deficit that threatened to leave the Italian tour-ist starving in a nation

famous for its gastronomic delights.Fortunately for the hungry

honeymooner, restaurants across this food-obsessed nation – where English menus range from sparse to non-existent – often display their wares in the form of intricately-made plastic replicas.

The sight of a giant hotdog slath-ered in condiments doesn’t faze the average Japanese restaurant-goer, and these fake food parades are often so similar to the real thing that they almost dare potential customers to take a bite.

A sudsy-looking beer, perfectly glazed sushi and indestructible deep-fried pork cutlets, known as tonkatsu, are a common sight on the streets of neon-lit Tokyo and even the smallest towns.

“It can really help,” Pellegrini said as he and his wife combed lunch ven-ues in Tokyo’s upscale Ginza shopping district.

“I point at the food and I just say ‘I want this, I want that’ It’s easier because choosing from a list in Japa-nese is impossible [for me].”

But that sumptuous-looking fu-tomaki has less-than-tasty origins.

“The original craftsman was work-ing for doctors and making models for pathological studies, such as skin diseases and human organs, before he was asked to make food samples for a restaurant,” says Yasunobu Nose, a senior editor at the leading Nikkei Business Daily who authored a book about food models.

That turn of events in the early 1920s set off a food revolution in Japan where the idea spread rapidly as eating out soared in popularity and rural people flocked to the cities.

Unused to what city restaurants had to offer, the models gave country- dwellers and locals alike a quick visual rundown of the chef’s special-ties before stepping inside an eatery.

Nearly a century later, “Japanese have developed a sense of getting information from three-dimensional signs” Nose said, adding that plastic food also has a limited presence in neighbouring China and South Korea.

“You’re calculating lots of things – what kind of side dishes are there, how big is the meal and is it economical?” he said.

“But for foreign tourists who don’t have this literacy, food samples are just something that closely resemble real dishes.”

Iwasaki Co., a leading plastic food maker, has an army of craftspeople who hand-paint the moulds, which sell for as much as US$100 each, although restaurants can lease a fake hamburger set for about $6 a month.

“Our main customers are restau-rant owners, but plastic food samples are increasingly popular among ordinary people,” said Takashi Nakai, a spokesman for the company, which started business in 1932 when the samples were made of wax instead of today’s more durable plastic.

Iwasaki recently opened two shops in Tokyo where it sells sushi cell-phone charms and bacon-adorned key chains – all with multilingual signs warning that “this is not edible”. The shops also let visitors take a stab at creating their own fake food.

Israeli tourist Elda Rozencvaag was not impressed. “When I see this it makes me feel like I don’t want to eat it. It is too weird,” he said, staring a plate of perfectly formed sushi. “It has too many details – even more than in the real dish.”

Pellegrini, however, was relieved at the visual guide, even if he’s not sure what he’ll get. “This looks like an omelette. But I can’t be sure it’s an omelette.” It was a fishcake. – AFP

ToKyo

Japan’s fake food is real deal for touristsKyoKo HASWgAWAW

Is this the real thing? Tokyo’s fake food fad proves there are no boundaries to being creative. Photo: Kazuhiro Nogi

InTErnATIOnAL FLIGHT SCHEDULESYAnGOn TO BAnGKOK

flights Days Dep ArrPg 706 Daily 7:15 9:308M 335 Daily 9:00 10:45tg 304 Daily 9:50 11:45Pg 702 Daily 10:30 12:25tg 302 Daily 14:55 16:50Pg 708 Daily 15:20 17:158M 331 1,5,6 16:30 18:15Pg 704 Daily 18:20 20:15y5 237 Daily 18:05 19:50tg 306 Daily 19:45 21:40

YAnGOn TO DOn MUEnGflights Days Dep Arr

fD 2752 Daily 8:30 10:20fD 2754 Daily 17:50 19:35

YAnGOn TO SInGAPOrEflights Days Dep ArrMi 509 1,6 0:25 5:008M 231 Daily 8:00 12:25y5 233 Daily 10:10 14:40sQ 997 Daily 10:25 14:45

8M 6232 Daily 11:30 16:053K 586 Daily 11:30 16:05Mi 517 Daily 16:40 21:15

YAnGOn TO KUALA LUMPUrflights Days Dep Arr

8M 501 1,3,6 7:50 11:50AK 1427 Daily 8:30 12:50MH 741 Daily 12:15 16:30MH 743 Daily 15:45 20:00

YAnGOn TO BEIJInGflights Days Dep ArrCA 906 2,3,4,6,7 14:15 21:55

YAnGOn TO GAUnGZHOUflights Days Dep Arr

8M 711 4,7 8:40 13:15CZ 3056 3,6 11:20 15:50CZ 3056 1,5 17:40 22:15

YAnGOn TO TAIPEIflights Days Dep Arr

Ci 7916 1,2,3,5,6 10:50 16:15

YAnGOn TO KUnMInGflights Days Dep Arr

Mu 2012 1,3 12:20 18:35Mu 2032 2,4,5,6,7 14:40 18:00CA 906 2,3,4,6,7 14:15 17:35

YAnGOn TO CHIAnG MAIflights Days Dep Arr

W9 9607 4,7 14:20 16:10

YAnGOn TO HAnOIflights Days Dep ArrVn 956 1,3,5,6,7 19:10 21:30

YAnGOn TO HO CHI MInH CITYflights Days Dep ArrVn 942 2,4,7 14:25 17:10

YAnGOn TO DOHAflights Days Dep ArrQr 619 1,4,5 8:15 11:15

YAnGOn TO PHnOM PEnHflights Days Dep Arr

8M 403 3 16:50 19:15

YAnGOn TO SEOULflights Days Dep Arr0Z 770 3,4,6,7 0:35 9:10Ke 472 Daily 23:35 08:05+1

YAnGOn TO HOnG KOnGflights Days Dep ArrKA 251 1,2,4,6 1:10 6:00

YAnGOn TO TOKYOflights Days Dep ArrnH 914 1,3,6 21:30 06:40+1

YAnGOn TO KOLKATA flights Days Dep ArrAi 228 1,5 14:05 15:05

MAnDALAY TO BAnGKOKflights Days Dep Arrtg 782 2,3,5,7 9:30 11:55

MAnDALAY TO DOn MUEnGflights Days Dep Arr

fD 2761 Daily 12:45 15:00

MAnDALAY TO KUnMInGflights Days Dep Arr

Mu 2030 Daily 14:40 17:20

BAnGKOK TO YAnGOnflights Days Dep Arr

8M 336 Daily 6:15 7:00tg 303 Daily 7:55 8:50Pg 701 Daily 8:50 9:40tg 301 Daily 13:00 13:45Pg 707 Daily 13:40 14:30Pg 703 Daily 16:45 17:35tg 305 Daily 17:50 18:458M 332 Daily 19:15 20:00Pg 705 Daily 20:15 21:30y5 238 Daily 21:10 21:55

DOn MUEnG TO YAnGOnflights Days Dep Arr

fD 2751 Daily 7:15 8:00fD 2753 Daily 16:35 17:20

SInGAPOrE TO YAnGOnflights Days Dep ArrsQ 998 Daily 7:55 9:203K 585 Daily 9:10 10:40

8M 6231 Daily 9:10 10:40Vn 943 2,4,7 11:40 13:258M 232 Daily 13:25 14:50Mi 518 Daily 14:20 15:45y5 234 Daily 15:35 17:05Mi 520 5,7 22:10 23:35

BEIJInG TO YAnGOnflights Days Dep ArrCA 905 2,3,4,6,7 12:40 13:15

KAULA LUMPUr TO YAnGOnflights Days Dep Arr

AK 1426 Daily 6:55 8:00MH 740 Daily 10:05 11:158M 502 1,3,6 12:50 13:50MH742 Daily 13:30 14:40

GUAnGZHOU TO YAnGOnflights Days Dep Arr

CZ 3055 3,6 8:40 10:30CZ 3055 1,5 14:45 16:358M 712 4,7 14:15 15:50

TAIPEI TO YAnGOnflights Days Dep Arr

Ci 7915 1,2,3,5,6 7:00 9:55

KUnMInG TO YAnGOnflights Days Dep Arr

Mu 2011 1,3 8:20 11:30CA 905 2,3,4,6,7 12:40 13:15

Mu 2031 2,4,5,6,7 13:30 13:55

CHIAnG MAI TO YAnGOnflights Days Dep Arr

W9 9608 4,7 17:20 18:10

HAnOI TO YAnGOnflights Days Dep ArrVn 957 1,3,5,6,7 16:35 18:10

HO CHI MInH CITY TO YAnGOnflights Days Dep ArrVn 943 2,4,7 11:40 13:25

BAnGKOK TO MAnDALAYflights Days Dep Arrtg 781 2,3,5,7 7:25 8:50

DOHA TO YAnGOnflights Days Dep ArrQr 618 3,4,7 21:05 07:00+1

PHnOM PEnH TO YAnGOnflights Days Dep Arr

8M 404 3 20:15 21:40

SEOUL TO YAnGOnflights Days Dep ArrKe 471 Daily 18:40 22:300Z 769 2,3,5,6 19:50 23:25

TOKYO TO YAnGOnflights Days Dep ArrnH 913 1,3,6 10:30 15:30

HOnG KOnG TO YAnGOnflights Days Dep ArrKA 250 1,3,5,7 21:45 23:30

KOLKATA TO YAnGOnflights Days Dep ArrAi 227 1,5 10:35 13:20

InternationalFD & AK = Air Asia

TG = Thai Airways

8M = Myanmar Airways International


PG = Bangkok Airways

MI = Silk Air

VN = Vietnam Airline

MH = Malaysia Airlines

CZ = China Southern

CI = China Airlines

CA = Air China

KA = Dragonair


IC = Indian Airlines Limited

W9 = Air Bagan

3K = Jet Star

AI = Air India

QR = Qatar Airways

KE = Korea Airlines

NH = All Nippon Airways

SQ = Singapore Airways

DE = Condor Airlines

MU=China Eastern Airlines

BR = Eva Airlines

DE = Condor

AI = Air India

Subject to changewithout notice

International AirlinesAir Asia (FD) Tel: 251 885, 251 886.

Air Bagan Ltd.(W9)Tel : 513322, 513422, 504888, Fax : 515102

Air China (CA)Tel : 666112, 655882.

Air IndiaTel : 253597~98, 254758. Fax: 248175

Bangkok Airways (PG)Tel: 255122, 255 265, Fax: 255119

Condor (DE)Tel: + 95 1 -370836 up to 39 (ext : 810)

Dragonair (KA)Tel: 95-1-255320, 255321, Fax : 255329

Golden Myanmar Airlines (Y5)Tel: 95 9 400446999, 95 9 400447999, Fax: 01 860 4051

Malaysia Airlines (MH)Tel : 387648, 241007 ext : 120, 121, 122 Fax : 241124

Myanmar Airways International(8M)Tel : 255260, Fax: 255305

Silk Air(MI)Tel: 255 287~9, Fax: 255 290

Thai Airways (TG)Tel : 255491~6, Fax : 255223

Vietnam Airlines (VN)Fax : 255086. Tel 255066/ 255088/ 255068.

Qatar Airways (Temporary Office)Tel: 01-250388, (ext: 8142, 8210)

DOn MUEAnG TO MAnDALAYflights Days Dep Arr

fD 2760 Daily 10:50 12:15

KUnMInG TO MAnDALAYflights Days Dep Arr

Mu 2029 Daily 13:55 13:50

Day1 = Monday2 = Tuesday3 = Wednesday

4 = Thursday5 = Friday6 = Saturday7 = Sunday

52 the pulse THE MYANMAR TIMES august 26 - september 1, 2013

AuNG MYIN kYAw4th Floor, 113, thamain bayan road, tarmwe township, Yangon.tel: 09-731-35632, email: [email protected]

CANCER | Jun 21 - Jul 22

time is change. Familiarity means less change, and therefore less time. You can

lengthen your life by keeping away from doctrines and ruts. Know that confession is often an avoidance of change, but confess nothing which is beyond your control. the results won’t chain you down to continuous frustration.

gEMiNi | may 21 - June 20

be yourself, an integral being, who knows without going, sees without looking and accomplishes

without doing. through greater self-control, you can gain the full benefit of your active mind. with your gifted imagination, social communication can enrich your life. Know that love is not meant to be limited. let it go as it likes.

ARiES | mar 21 - apr 19

if you’re seeking information about the future you must be prepared for the unexpected. let old

things go and be ready to awaken to new things that will improve your situation. make the best use of your time right now. Create your most vivid mental picture of exactly what you want in life.

piSCES | Feb 19 - march 20

Nothing in your mind needs to be complicated. organise yourself as an optimist, and you’ll

find that a constructive imagination can transform the world in to a global organization of reciprocal intercommunication. using modern management techniques for optimizing personal, financial and material resources is essential to making uou more harmonious.

CApRiCoRN | dec 22 - Jan 19

Negative feedback is better than no feedback at all. don’t let your mind react to criticism with hurt

feelings. dislike is a function of need. use your mental energy to take on the right challenges. Create yourself anew by moving toward self-sufficiency and optimism. Your job is to comfort the distressed and distress the comfortable.

SAgiTTARiuS | Nov 22 - dec 21

insecurity can mean a lack of self-knowledge. Know that deep emotions are often expressed

in irrational words. there is no security on this earth, only opportunity. time is the thing that keeps everything from happening all at once. time management skills can create entirely new paradigms to your future.

LibRA | sep 23 - oct 22

dishonest people believe in words rather than reality. don’t fight a fact but deal with it. You’ll

soon see the value of reason, and the awareness will make your energy outflow more positive. unless you accept your faults, you will most certainly doubt your virtue. let your feelings become clear for love.

ViRgo | aug 23 - sep 22

distinguish yourself. understand how to feel comfortable and free at the same time. realise that some

changes are out of your control and some up-rootings are repetitions of past mistakes. let yourself make a mark on humanity because of your inspirational and creative quality. Channel the extraordinary perceptions of the mind.

AquARiuS | Jan 20 - Feb 18

one of the greatest virtues you can cultivate is the simple act of listening. if you now the value of what

you need to notice in the world around you, you’ll become aware of what’s coming into your sphere of activity. a close friend getting in touch with you may be someone with whom you can spend a lifetime. love may even be in the cards.

LEo | Jul 23 - aug 22

take a quick mental survey of your activities up to this point in the day in order to determine

your direction, as any direction seems decidedly preferable to no direction at all. Never let yourself be stuck where you are. desire to increase the boundaries of yourself to do more, learn more and express more. seek love above pleasure or power.

TAuRuS | apr 20 - may 20

enlightenment comes through the consistent cultivation of mind, body and soul. stop being a

prisoner of the past and become an architect of the future. the most noble thing you can do is to share your knowledge and help others in need. Keep an accurate, objective picture of where the economy is today and start focusing on your higher purpose.

SCoRpio | oct 23 - Nov 21

bragging is a half-hidden fact, a rehearsal of past accomplishments that you slip into

conversations under false pretenses, as opposed to sharing excitedly some recent recognition or achievement with a friend. try to keep social issues in perspective. For positive change, make all communication with authorities diplomatic and transparent.

WEEKLy pREdiCTioNSaugust 26 – september 1, 2013

PROMINENT author Dagon Taryar, who spent a lifetime trying to achieve national peace, died of natural causes on August 19 at his niece’s home in Aungban in Shan State, aged 95. His real name was Htay Myaing.

“He is recognised as a peace-loving author and his lifelong effort had been to achieve peace in the nation and in the people,” poet Maung Sein Ni, chairman of Myanmar Poets’ Union told The Myanmar Times.

“He had a peaceable temperament and lived life peacefully. He even refused to accept the special honour of becoming nobility, as offered by the British government, and always stood up for the people all his life,” Maung Sein Ni said.

“Dagon Taryar lived in an era of British colonialsim in Myanmar, a military coup in 1962 and uprising in 1988. He experienced, witnessed and was involved in fighting against oppression.”

Dagon Taryar’s political novel Doe Khit Yaut Ya Myi Hmar Ma Lwe Par (Certain to Reach Our Era) was censored five years ago but is now being reprinted. – Zon Pann Pwint

Friends mourn Dagon taryar’s death

F OLLOWING the passing of journalist Maung Wuntha (1945- 11 August 2013) and sati-rist Min Lu (1954- August 11 2013), the great poet, novelist,

peace activist and pianist Dagon Taryar died in Shan State in what may be called the Perseids of Burma’s literary sky.

Dagon Taryar had been Burma’s unofficial national poet laureate for decades. He had outlived almost all of his contemporaries in a country where life expectancy for men is 62. More importantly, he stood out from many of his peers with his prolific output and his political and literary integrity.

Since the 1970s, Taryar had shunned the hurly-burly of the Rangoon literary scene, but writers, journalists and poets would flock to his house in Aung Ban, Shan State, on his birthdays. He had lost his eyesight in his twilight years, but his writings continued to grace Burmese magazines. His death therefore has justifiably been mourned as a national loss and his funeral on Wednesday saw some of Burma’s most prominent artists

and activists in attendance.Dagon Taryar’s affectionate

nicknaming of men who were near and dear to him in what he calls “snapshot portraits” is well-known. He probably would have been the only Burmese writer who could get away with calling Aung San (1915-1947) “the barbarian” when Aung San was still alive and being worshipped as an independence hero in 1947. Like Aung San, Taryar had emerged from anti-colonial student movements in the 1930s. Both Aung San and Taryar had been editors of Oway magazine, a publication of the Rangoon University Student Union (RUSU).

Unlike Aung San, Taryar became disillusioned with power politics and political squabbles as early as 1940. He was one of the “principled Marxists” who had initially objected to the idea of getting assistance from the fascist Japanese for the formation of an anti-colonial Burmese armed force. Like his colleague Ba Hein, whom he called “the civilized chap” he had preferred to work with the Chinese communists.

Taryar’s first novel May, adapted from Self by the British author Beverly Nichols, was published as a special edition by revolutionary book club Nagani [Red Dragon] in 1941. Even before the book was out, May was almost turned into a film to raise funds for the RUSU. Taya’s poetic prose in May was very experimental in its days. Ba Hein called Taryar “a word sculptor, whose style is characterised by new and unusual expressions.” May, printed five times since 1941, would have enduring appeal for younger Marxist writers, from Mya Than Tint to Bamaw Tin Aung, who had died before Taryar. Dagon Taryar’s literary influence was such that Aung San asked him to pen ‘what might have been the very first declaration of Burma Independence Army (BIA) to be dropped from the airplanes’ soon after the BIA occupied Rangoon in 1942.

As far as Taryar was concerned, modern Burmese literature did not begin with the romanticist Khitsan movement in the 1930s. He set it off with the launch of Taryar magazine in December 1946, and the centrefold manifesto of the New Literature Movement. In the name of new literature, Taryar had advanced the Burmese language by bending it, coining new words and phrases or translating

English terms into his poetic Burmese. Taryar had been the most global and local poet of his time.

Taryar’s heavenly language had dismayed many of his down-to-earth critics who made no distinction between social realism and socialist realism. Critic Thein Pe Myint charged, “He [Dagon Taryar] propagates social[ist] realism, but his lines are intelligible only to himself. He talks about national culture, but his writings are too American.”

In his introduction to Twenty Years, a memoir by Major Chit Kaung, Taryar writes ‘I love the communists […] They are a erudite lot who have sacrificed a lot for the country […], especially the communists who are not in power.’ Taryar had had to pay dearly for his communist sympathy. After the 1962 coup, General Ne Win threw him into a cell in Insein jail and kept him there for four years. When the Ne Win government bestowed upon him a prestigious national honour for his role in the independence movement, he declined it and went into ‘exile’ in Shan State.

When Taryar was not busy being a prolific writer and poet, he was an accomplished pianist, specialising in Burmese classics, and a dedicated peace activist (since the days of Cuban missile crisis). Arguably he was the most controversial and divisive literary figure Burma had ever produced. Yet he was convinced that he had no enemy. To him, politics are simple; they should be about turning foes into friends and the ultimate goal of democracy is peace. In the 1970s, he even attempted to quell the fight between the Burmese poets with his dictum, ‘You may do away with rhyme. You may never do away with abhidhamma.’

Taryar’s abhidhamma is usually understood as “ideology.” His axiom did not go down well in the circle of a handful of contemporary poets who have advocated the de-ideologisation of contemporary Burmese poetry under the military rule. As the Pali phrase abhidhamma is also taken to mean “profound dhamma”, Taryar might have been telling poets to dive to conceptual and linguistic depths.

Ko Ko Thett is a poet who helped co-author the collection of poems, ‘Bones will Crow’ (2012), with the English novelist, James Byrne.

Dagon Taryar, 1919-2013 one true starKo Ko THETT

Dagon Taya’s Most Notable Works

Poetry:Ahlinka [Prosody, Selected Poems by

Dagon Taya] (1962) Novels: - May (1941)- Myaing (1941)- Myuyitwaithaw Nway-Oo-Nya-Myar

[Misty Spring Nights] (1953)- Sabe-oo [Budding Jasmines] (1961) - La-young-shoon-mya-thaw-Nya-ta-

par [Moonlit Night] (1964)- Doh-Khit-Ko Yauk-ya-myi-hma Ma-

lwe-bar [Our Times will Certainly Come] (1973)

Memoirs: - Sandayar Saya [The Pianist]- Dagon Taya by Dagon Taya (1950)- Ghadalariz [China] (1951) - Yokeponhlwar [Snapshot Portraits of

My Contemporaries] (1955)

Literary Criticism: - Sapay Thabawtaya, Waybanye,

Hloteshahmu [Literary Theory, Criticism, and Movements]

- Ahlaveda [On Aesthetics]

Dagon Tayar in 2011 on a trip to Yangon. Photo: The Myanmar Times

Avenue 64 HotelNo. 64 (G), Kyitewine Pagoda Road, Mayangone Township. Yangon. 09 8631392, 01 656913-9

Asia Plaza Hotel yangon

No. 277, Bogyoke Aung San Road, Corner of 38th Street, Kyauktada Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : (951) 391070, 391071. Reservation@391070 (Ext) 1910, 106. Fax : (951) 391375. Email : [email protected]

The Essentials

Emergency Numbers Ambulance tel: 295133. Fire tel: 191, 252011, 252022. Police emergency tel: 199. Police headquarters tel: 282541, 284764. Red Cross tel:682600, 682368Traffic Control Branch tel:298651Department of Post & Telecommunication tel: 591384, 591387.Immigration tel: 286434.Ministry of Education tel:545500m 562390Ministry of Sports tel: 370604, 370605Ministry of Communications tel: 067-407037.Myanma Post & Telecommunication (MPT) tel: 067-407007.Myanma Post & Tele-communication (Accountant Dept) tel: 254563, 370768.Ministry of Foreign Affairs tel: 067-412009, 067-412344.Ministry of Health tel: 067-411358-9.Yangon City Development Committee tel: 248112.

HOSPITALSCentral Women’s Hospital tel: 221013, 222811.Children Hospital tel: 221421, 222807Ear, Nose & Throat Hospital tel: 543888.Naypyitaw Hospital (emergency) tel: 420096.Worker’s Hospital tel: 554444, 554455, 554811.

Yangon Children Hospital tel: 222807, 222808, 222809.Yangon General Hospital (East) tel: 292835, 292836, 292837.Yangon General Hospital (New) tel: 384493, 384494, 384495, 379109.Yangon General Hospital (West) tel: 222860, 222861, 220416.Yangon General Hospital (YGH) tel: 256112, 256123, 281443, 256131.

ELECTRICITYPower Station tel:414235

POST OFFICEGeneral Post Office 39, Bo Aung Kyaw St. (near British Council Library). tel: 285499.

INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTYangon International Airport tel: 662811.

YANGON PORTShipping (Coastal vessels) tel: 382722

RAILWAYSRailways information tel: 274027, 202175-8.

UNITED NATIONSILO Liaison 1-A, Kanbae (Thitsar Rd), Yankin Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 01-566538, 566539 Fax : 01-566582IOM 12th Flr, Traders Hotel, 223, tel: 252560 ext. 5002UNAIDS Rm: (1223~1231), 12 Fl, Traders Hotel. tel: 252361, 252362, 252498. fax: 252364.UNDCP 11-A, Malikha St, Mayangone tsp. tel: 666903, 664539. fax: 651334.UNDP 6, Natmauk Rd, Bahan tel: 542910-19. fax: 292739.UNFPA 6, Natmauk Rd, Bahan tsp. tel: 546029.UNHCR 287, Pyay Rd, Sanchaung tsp. tel: 524022, 524024. fax 524031.UNIAP Rm: 1202, 12 Fl, Traders Hotel.tel: 254852, 254853.UNIC 6, Natmauk St., Bahan, tel: 52910~19UNICEF 14~15 Flr, Traders Hotel. P.O. Box 1435, Kyauktada. tel: 375527~32, fax: 375552 email: unicef.yangon@unicef. org, www.unicef.org/myanmar.UNODC 11-A, Malikha Rd., Ward 7, Mayangone. tel: 01-9666903, 9660556, 9660538, 9660398, 9664539, fax: 651334. email: [email protected] www.unodc.org./myanmar/UNOPS Inya Lake Hotel, 3rd

floor, 37, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Mayangone Tsp. tel: 951-657281~7. Fax: 657279.UNRC 6, Natmauk Rd, P.O. Box 650, TMWE tel: 542911~19, 292637 (Resident Coordinator), fax: 292739, 544531.WFP 3rd-flr, Inya Lake Hotel, 37, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd. tel: 657011~6 (6-lines) Ext: 2000.WHO 12A Fl, Traders Hotel. tel:250583.ASEAN Coordinating Of. for the ASEAN Humanitarian Task Force, 79, Taw Win st, Dagon Tsp. Ph: 225258.FAO Myanma Agriculture Service Insein Rd, Insein. tel: 641672, 641673. fax: 641561.

EMBASSIESAustralia 88, Strand Road, Yangon. Tel : 251810, 251797, 251798, 251809, 246462, 246463, fax: 246159Bangladesh 11-B, Than Lwin Road, Yangon. Tel: 515275, 526144, fax: 515273, email: [email protected] 56, Pyay Road, 6th mile, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 507225, 507251, 507482. fax: 507483. email: [email protected] 17, Kanbawza Avenue, Golden Velly (1), Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 566985, 503978, fax: 512854 email: bruneiemb@ bruneiemb.com.mmCambodia 25 (3B/4B), New University Avenue Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 549609, 540964, fax: 541462, email: RECYANGON @mptmail.net.mmChina 1, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. Tel: 221280, 221281, fax: 227019, 228319Danmark, No.7, Pyi Thu St, Pyay Rd, 7 Miles, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 01 – 9669520 - 17, Fax – 01- 9669516Egypt 81, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. Tel: 222886, 222887, email: egye mbyangon@mptmail. net.mmFrance 102, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. Tel: 212178, 212520, email: ambaf rance. rangoun@ diplomatie.frGermany 9, Bogyoke Aung San Museum Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 548951, 548952, email: info@rangun. diplo.deIndia 545-547, Merchant St, Yangon. Tel: 391219, 388412, email: indiaembassy @mptmail.net.mmIndonesia 100, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Rd,

Yangon. Tel: 254465, 254469, 229750, fax: 254468, email: kukygn @indonesia.com.mmIsrael 15, Khabaung Street, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 515115, fax: 515116, email: [email protected] 3, Inya Myaing Road, Golden Valley, Yangon. Tel: 527100, 527101, fax: 514565, email: ambyang.mail@ esteri.itJapan 100, Natmauk Rd, Yangon. Tel: 549644-8, 540399, 540400, 540411, 545988, fax: 549643Embassy of the State of Kuwait Chatrium Hotel, Rm: 416, 418, 420, 422, 40 Natmauk Rd, Tarmwe Tsp, Tel: 544500.North Korea 77C, Shin Saw Pu Rd, Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 512642, 510205South Korea 97 University Avenue, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 527142-4, 515190, fax: 513286, email: [email protected] A-1, Diplomatic Quarters, Tawwin Road, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 222482, fax: 227446, email: Laoembcab@mptmail. net.mmMalaysia 82, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. Tel: 220248, 220249, email: [email protected] 16, Natmauk Yeiktha, Yangon. Tel: 545880, 557168, fax: 549803, email: nepemb @mptmail.net.mmNorway, No.7, Pyi Thu St, Pyay Rd, 7 Miles, Mayangone Tsp,Yangon. Tel: 01 – 9669520 - 17 Fax – 01- 9669516Pakistan A-4, diplomatic Quarters, Pyay Rd, Yangon. Tel: 222881 (Chancery Exchange) fax: 221147, email: pakistan@ myanmar.com.mmPhilippines 50, Sayasan Road, Bahan Tsp,

Yangon. Tel: 558149-151, fax: 558154, email: p.e. [email protected] 38, Sagawa Road, Yangon. Tel: 241955, 254161, fax: 241953, email: rusinmyan@mptmail .net.mmRoyal Embassy of Saudi Arabia No.287/289, U Wisara Rd, Sanchaung Tsp. Tel : 01-536153, 516952, fax : 01-516951Serbia No. 114-A, Inya Rd, P.O.Box No. 943, Yangon. Tel: 515282, 515283, email: serbemb @ yangon.net.mmSingapore 238, Dhamazedi Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 559001, email: singemb_ ygn@_sgmfa. gov.sgSri Lanka 34 Taw Win Road, Yangon. Tel: 222812, fax: 221509, email: [email protected] Embassy of Switzerland No 11, Kabaung Lane, 5 ½ mile, Pyay Rd, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 534754, 512873, 507089. Fax: 534754, Ext: 110Thailand 94 Pyay Rd, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 226721, 226728, 226824Turkish Embassy 19AB, Kan Yeik Thar St, Mayangone Tsp,Yangon. Tel : 662992, Fax : 661365United Kingdom 80 Strand Rd, Yangon. Tel: 370867, 380322, 371852, 371853, 256438, fax: 370866United States of America 110, University Avenue, Kamayut Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 536509, 535756, Fax: 650306Vietnam Bldg-72, Thanlwin Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 511305 email: vnemb [email protected]

General Listing

Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon 40 Natmauk Rd, Tarmwe. tel: 544500. fax: 544400.

The First Air conditioning systems designed to keep you fresh all day Zeya & Associates co., ltd.No.437 (A), Pyay Road, Kamayut. P., O 11041 Yangon, Tel: +(95-1) 502016-18, Mandalay- Tel: 02-60933. Nay Pyi Taw- Tel: 067-420778, E-mail : [email protected]. URL: http://www.freshaircon.com

BARS

ACCOMMODATION-HOTELS

AIR CONDITION

50th Street 9/13, 50th street-lower, Botataung Tsp. Tel-397160.

No. 205, Corner of Wadan Street & Min Ye Kyaw Swa Road, Lanmadaw Tsp, Yangon. Myanmar. Tel: (95-1) 212850 ~ 3, 229358 ~ 61, Fax: (95-1) 212854.info@myanmarpandahotel .com http://www.myanmarpandahotel.com

No.7A, Wingabar Road,Bahan Tsp, Yangon.Tel : (951) 546313, 430245. 09-731-77781~4. Fax : (01) 546313. www.cloverhotel.asia. [email protected]

Confort Inn 4, Shweli Rd, Bet: Inya Rd & U Wisara Rd, Kamaryut, tel: 525781, 526872

PARKROYAL Yangon, Myanmar 33, Alan Pya Pagoda Rd, Dagon tsp. tel: 250388. fax: 252478. email: [email protected] parkroyalhotels. com.

Golden Hill Towers 24-26, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp. tel: 558556. [email protected] Residence 8, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Mayangone Tsp. tel: 6506 51~4. fax: 650630.MiCasa Hotel Apartments 17, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Yankin Tsp. tel: 650933. fax: 650960.Sakura Residence 9, Inya Rd, Kamaryut Tsp. tel: 525001. fax: 525002.The Grand Mee Ya Hta Executive Residence 372, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Pabedan Tsp. tel 951-256355 (25 lines).

ACCOMMODATIONLONG TERM

ACCOMMODATION-HOTELS (Nay Pyi Taw)

Tel: 09-7349-4483, 09-4200-56994.E-mail: [email protected], http://www. happyhomesyangon.com

Happy HomesReal estate & PRoPeRty

ManageMentHotel Yangon 91/93, 8th Mile Junction, Mayangone. Tel : 01-667708, 667688.Inya Lake Resort Hotel 37 Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd. tel: 662866. fax: 665537.

MGM Hotel No (160), Warden Street, Lanmadaw Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. +95-1-212454~9. www. hotel-mgm.comSavoy Hotel 129, Damazedi Rd, Kamayut tsp. tel: 526289, 526298, Sweet Hotel 73, Damazedi Road, San Chaung Tsp, Ph: 539152Sedona Hotel Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Yankin. tel: 666900.Strand Hotel 92 Strand Rd. tel: 243377. fax: 289880.Summit Parkview Hotel 350, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp. tel: 211888, 211966.Thamada Hotel 5, Alan Pya Phaya Rd, Dagon. Tel: 243639, 243640.Traders Hotel 223 Sule Pagoda Rd. tel: 242828. fax: 242838.Winner Inn 42, Than Lwin Rd, Bahan Tsp. Tel: 503734, 524387. email: reservation@winner innmyanmar.comYuzana Hotel 130, Shwegondaing Rd, Bahan Tsp, tel : 01-549600, 543367Yuzana Garden Hotel 44, Alanpya Pagoda Rd, Mingalar Taung Nyunt Tsp, tel : 01-248944

No. (356/366), Kyaikkasan Rd, Tamwe Township, Yangon, Myanmar.Ph: 542826, Fax: 545650Email: [email protected]

Royal white Elephant HotelNo-11, Kan Street, Hlaing Tsp. Yangon, Myanmar. (+95-1) 500822, 503986. www.rwehotel.com

Reservation office (Yangon) No-123, Alanpya Pagoda Rd, Dagon TspTel : 01-255-819~838Hotel Ayeyarwady (National Landmark, Zeyar Thiri Tsp, Nay Pyi Taw)Tel : 067-421-903, 09-4920-5016E-Mail : [email protected]

Reservation office (Yangon) 123, Alanpya Pagoda Rd, Dagon TownshipTel : 951- 255 819~838Royal kumudra Hotel, (Nay Pyi Taw)Tel : 067- 414 177, 067- 4141 88E-Mail: [email protected]

(Nay Pyi Taw)

M-22, Shwe Htee Housing, Thamine Station St., Near the Bayint Naung Point, Mayangone Tsp., YangonTel : 522763, 522744, 667557. Fax : (95-1) 652174E-mail : [email protected]

No. 12, Pho Sein Road, Tamwe Township, YangonTel : (95-1) 209299, 209300, 209343, 209345, 209346Fax : (95-1) 209344E-mail : [email protected]

Green GardenBeer Gallery Mini Zoo, Karaweik Oo-Yin Kabar.

One Stop ENT CenterNo. (68), Tawwin Street, 9 Mile, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : (951) 9 666141 Fax : (951) 9 666135 Email : [email protected] Website : www.witoriyahosptial.com

No. (68), Tawwin Street, 9 Mile, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : (951) 9 666141 Fax : (951) 9 666135 Email : [email protected] Website : www.witoriyahosptial.com

THE MYANMAR TIMES august 26 - september 1, 2013

U Min Sein, BSc, RA, CPA.,RL Advocate of the Supreme Court 83/14 Pansodan St, Yangon. tel: 253 273. [email protected]

LEGAL SERVICE

INSURANCE

HOME FURNISHING

HEALTH SERVICES

GENERATORS

GEMS & JEWELLERIES

98(A), Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Bahan Township, Yangon. Tel: 553783, 549152, 09-732-16940, 09-730-56079. Fax: 542979 Email: [email protected].

22, Pyay Rd, 9 mile, Mayangone Tsp. tel: 660769, 664363.

24 hours cancer centreNo. (68), Tawwin Street, 9 Mile, Mayangone Township, Yangon, Myanmar.Tel : (951) 9 666141Fax : (951) 9 666135

24 hours laboratory & X-rayNo. (68), Tawwin Street, 9 Mile, Mayangone Township, Yangon, Myanmar.Tel : (951) 9 666141Fax : (951) 9 666135

floral Service & GiftCentre 102(A), Dhamazaydi Rd, Yangon.tel: 500142 Summit Parkview Hotel, tel: 211888, 211966 ext. 173 fax: 535376.email: [email protected].

FLORAL SERVICES

floral Service & Gift ShopNo. 449, New University Avenue, Bahan Tsp. YGN. Tel: 541217, 559011, 09-860-2292.Market Place by city MartTel: 523840~43, 523845~46, Ext: 205.Junction Nay Pyi TawTel: 067-421617~18 422012~15, Ext: 235.Res: 067-414813, 09-492-09039. Email : [email protected]

FOAM SPRAY INSULATION

foam Spray InsulationNo-410, Ground Fl,Lower Pazuntaung Rd, Pazun taung Tsp, Yangon.Telefax : 01-203743, 09-5007681. Hot Line-09-730-30825.

FITNESS CENTRE

24 Hour International Medical centre @ Victoria HospitalNo. 68, Tawwin Rd, 9 Mile, Mayangon Township, Yangon, MyanmarTel: + 951 651 238, + 959 495 85 955Fax: + 959 651 39824/7 on duty doctor: + 959 492 18 410Website: www.leo.com.mm

“ One Stop Solution for Quality Health Care “

balance fitnesssNo 64 (G), Kyitewine Pagoda Road, Mayangone Township. Yangon01-656916, 09 8631392Email - [email protected]

Life FitnessBldg A1, Rm No. 001, Shwekabar Housing, Mindhamma Rd, Mayangone Tsp. Yangon.Ph: 01-656511, Fax: 01-656522, Hot line: 0973194684, [email protected]

No. 589-592, Bo Aung Kyaw St, Yangon-Pathein highway Road. Hlaing Tharyar tsp. Tel: 951-645178-182, 685199, Fax: 951-645211, 545278. e-mail: mkt-mti@ winstrategic.com.mm

Ruby & Rare Gems of Myanamar

No. 527, New University Ave., Bahan Tsp. [email protected] Tel: 549612, Fax : 545770.

EXPATRIATE HEAlTH INSuRANcETel: (09) 49 58 02 [email protected]

Media & Advertising

Intuitive design, Advertising, Interior decorationCorporate logo/Identity/ Branding, Brochure/ Profile Booklet/ Catalogue/ Billboard, Corporate diary/ email newsletter/ annual reports, Magazine, journal advertisement and 3D presentation and detailed planning for any interior decoration works. Talk to us: (951) 430-897, 553-918 www.medialane.com.au 58B Myanma Gon Yaung Housing, Than Thu Mar Road, Tamwe, Yangon.

Bldg-D, Rm (G-12), Pearl Condo, Ground Flr, Kabaraye Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp. Tel: 557448. Ext 814, 09-730-98872.

No-001-002, Dagon Tower, Ground Flr, Cor of Kabaraye Pagoda Rd & Shwe Gon Dine Rd, Bahan Tsp. Tel: 544480, 09-730-98872.

S.B. FURNITURE S.B. FURNITURE

BEAUTY & MASSAGE

ADVERTISING

SAIl Marketing & communicationsSuite 403, Danathiha Center 790, Corner of Bogyoke Rd & Wadan Rd, Lanmadaw Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: (951) 211870, 224820, 2301195. Email: [email protected]. com

WE STARTED THE ADVERTISINGINDUSTRY IN MYANMAR SINCE 1991

M a r k e t i n g & c o M M u n i c at i o n s

A d v e r t i s i n g

Marina Residence, YangonPh: 650651~4, Ext: 109Beauty Plan, Corner of77th St & 31st St, MandalayPh: 02 72506

Strand bar 92, Strand Rd, Yangon, Myanmar. tel: 243377.fax: 243393, [email protected] www.ghmhotels.com

lobby barPARKROYAL Yangon, Myanmar. 33, Alan Pya Phaya Road, Dagon Tsp. tel: 250388.

RISk & INSuRANcESoluTIoNSTel: (09) 40 15 300 [email protected]

ENTERTAINMENT

ENGINEERING

No.94, Ground Floor, Bogalay Zay Street, Botataung Tsp,Yangon.Tel: 392625, 09-500-3591Email : [email protected](Except Sunday)

Dance Club & Bar

DUTY FREE

GAS COOKER & COOKER HOODS

Yangon : A-3, Aung San Stadium (North East Wing), Mingalartaungnyunt Tsp. Tel : 245543, 09-73903736, 09-73037772.Mandalay : No.(4) 73rd St, Btw 30th & 31st St, Chan Aye Thar Zan Tsp. Tel : 09-6803505, 09-449004631.

MYANMAR book cENTRENandawun Compound, No. 55, Baho Road, Corner of Baho Road and Ahlone Road, (near Eugenia Restaurant), Ahlone Township. tel: 212 409, 221 271. 214708 fax: 524580. email: [email protected]

CONSTRUCTION

COFFEE MACHINE

CAR RENTAL

Zamil SteelNo-5, Pyay Road, 7½ miles, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. Tel: (95-1) 652502~04. Fax: (95-1) 650306.Email: [email protected]

illy, Francis Francis, VBM,Brasilia, Rossi, De LonghiNwe Ta Pin Trading Co., Ltd. Shop C, Building 459 BNew University Avenue 01- 555-879, [email protected]

•150 Dhamazedi Rd., Bahan T/S, Yangon. Tel: 536306, 537805.•Room 308, 3rd Flr.,

Junction Center (Maw Tin), Lanmadaw T/S, Yangon. Tel: 218155, Ext. 1308.•15(B), Departure Lounge,

Yangon Int’l Airport.•45B, Corner of 26th &

68th Sts., Mandalay. Tel: (02) 66197. Email: [email protected]

Spa ParagonCondo B#Rm-106, Shwe Hinthar Condo, Corner of Pyay Rd & Shwe Hinthar St, 6½Mile, Yangon. Tel: 01-507344 Ext: 112, 09-680-8488, 09-526-1642.

Innwa book StoreNo. 246, Rm.201/301, GF, Pansodan Street (Upper Block), Kyauktada Tsp. Tel. 389838, 243216

BOOK STORES

lemon day SpaNo. 96 F, Inya Road, Kamaryut Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 514848, 09-732-08476.E.mail: lemondayspa.2011 @gmail.com

No. 52, Royal Yaw Min Gyi Condo, Room F, Yaw Min Gyi Rd, Dagon Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: 09-425-307-717

193/197, Shu Khin Thar Street, North Okkalapa Industrial Zone, Yangon. Tel: 951-691843~5, 951-9690297, Fax: 951-691700 Email: [email protected]

one-stop Solution for Sub-station, M&E Work Design, Supply and Install (Hotel, High Rise Building Factory)

CONSULTING

Shwe Hinthar B 307, 6 1/2 Miles, Pyay Rd., Yangon.Tel: +95 (0)1 654 [email protected]

Myanmar Research | Consulting | Technology

Co-Working/Event Space Affordable & central projecthubyangon.com01-1221265.

World’s leader in Kitchen Hoods & Hobs Same as Ariston Water Heater. Tel: 251033, 379671, 256622, 647813

la Source beauty Spa (Ygn)80-A, Inya Rd, Kamayut Tsp. Tel: 512380, 511252la Source beauty Spa (Mdy)No. 13/13, Mya Sandar St, Between 26 x 27 & 62 & 63 St, Chanaye Tharzan Tsp, Mandalay. Tel : 09-4440-24496. la Source beauty SpaSedona Hotel, Room (1004)Tel : 666 900 Ext : (7167)lS SaloonJunction Square, 3rd Floor.Tel : 95-1-527242, Ext : 4001www.lasourcebeautyspa.com

Monsoon

Promotions!!

opening In

August

CO WORKING SPACE

No. (6), Lane 2 Botahtaung Pagoda St, Yangon.01-9010003, 291897. [email protected], www.venturaoffice.com

duty free ShopsYangon International Airport, Arrival/Departure Tel: 533030 (Ext: 206/155)

Office: 17, 2nd street, Hlaing Yadanarmon Housing, Hlaing Township, Yangon. Tel: 500143, 500144, 500145.

FASHION & TAILOR

Sein Shwe Tailor, No.797 (003-A), Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Corner of Wardan St, MAC Tower 2, Lanmadaw Tsp, Yangon, Ph: 01-225310, 212943~4 Ext: 146, 147, E-mail: [email protected]

COOPER VALVES

Exotic Alloys for Severe Service, Myanmar Sales [email protected]

No. 20, Ground Floor, Pearl Street, Golden Valley Ward, Bahan Township, Yangon. Tel : 09-509 7057, 01-220881, 549478 (Ext : 103)Email : realfitnessmyanmar @gmail.comwww.realfitnessmyanmar.com

MARINE COMMUNICATION &

NAVIGATION

Top Marine Show RoomNo-385, Ground Floor, Lower Pazundaung Road, Pazundaung Tsp, Yangon.Ph: 01-202782, 09-851-5597

European Quality & designs Indoor/outdoor furniture, Hotel furniture & All kinds of woodworksNo. 422, FJVC Centre, Ground Floor, Room No. 4, Strand Road, Botahtaung Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar.Tel: 01-202063-4, 09 509-1673 E-mail: [email protected], www.alexander-rose.co.uk

• first class VIP limousine car Rental.

• Professional English Speaking drivers.

• full Insurance for your Safety and comfortable journey

• call us Now for your best choicewww.mmels.com

MYANMAR EXECUTIVE LIMOUSINE SERVICE

HOT LINE: 959 - 402 510 003

INTERNATIoNAl MoNTESSoRI MYANMAR (Pre-k, Primary)55 (B) Po Sein Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon, Tel: 01-546097, [email protected]

Check Eligibility BusinessVisa And Tourist VisaNo need to come to Myanmar [email protected]

UnionBarAndGrill 42 Strand Road, Botahtaung, Yangon. Tel: 95 9420 180 214, 95 9420 101 854 www.unionyangon.com, [email protected] www.facebook.com/UnionBarAndGrill

august 26 - september 1, 2013 THE MYANMAR TIMES

WEB SERVICES

VISA & IMMIGRATION

WATER HEATERS

WATER TREATMENT

PLEASURE CRUISES

Water HeaterMade in Japan

Same as Rinnai Gas Cooker and Cooker Hood Showroom Address

Capital Hyper Mart 14(E), Min Nandar Road, Dawbon Tsp. Ph: 553136.City Mart (Aung San Branch) tel: 253022, 294765. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm)City Mart (47th St Branch) tel: 200026, 298746. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm)City Mart (Junction 8 Branch) tel: 650778. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm)City Mart (FMI City Branch) tel: 682323.City Mart (Yankin Center Branch) tel: 400284. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm)City Mart (Myaynigone Branch) tel: 510697. (9:00 am to 10:00 pm)City Mart (Zawana Branch) tel:564532. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm)City Mart (Shwe Mya Yar) tel: 294063. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm)City Mart (Chinatown Point) tel: 215560~63. (9:00 am to 10:00 pm)City Mart (Junction Maw Tin) tel: 218159. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm)City Mart (Marketplace) tel: 523840~43.City Mart (78th Brahch-Mandalay) tel: 02-71467~9.IKON Mart No.332, Pyay Rd, San Chaung. Tel: 535-783, 527705, 501429. Email: [email protected] Mawtin Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Cor of Wadan St. Lanmadaw.Ocean Supercentre (North Point ), 9th Mile. Tel: 651 200, 652963.

SUPERMARKETS

world-class web ServicesTailor-made design, Professional research & writing for Brochure/ Catalogue/e-Commerce website, Customised business web apps, online advertisement and anything online. Talk to us: (951) 430-897, 553-918 www.medialane.com.au 58B Myanma Gon Yaung Housing. Than Thu Mar Road, Tamwe, Yangon.

Yangon International SchoolFully Accredited K-12 International Curriculum with ESL support No.117,Thumingalar Housing, Thingangyun Township, Yangon. Tel: 578171, 573149 www.yismyanmar.netYangon International School New Early Childhood Center Pan Hlaing Golf Estate Housing & U Tun Nyo Street, Hlaing Thar Yar Township, Yangon. Tel: 687701, 687702

Horizon Int’l School25, Po Sein Road, Bahan Tsp, tel : 541085, 551795, 551796, 450396~7. fax : 543926, email : [email protected], www.horizon.com

OFFICE FURNITURE

commercial scalewater treatment

(Since 1997)Tel: 01-218437~38. H/P: 09-5161431,

09-43126571.39-B, Thazin Lane, Ahlone.

PAINT

ToP MARINE PAINT No-410, Ground Floor, Lower Pazundaung Road, Pazundaung Tsp, Yangon.Ph: 09-851-5202

Open Daily (9am to 6pm)No. 797, MAC Tower II, Rm -4, Ground Flr, Bogyoke Aung San Rd,Lamadaw Tsp, Yangon.Tel: (951) 212944 Ext: [email protected]

Sole distributorfor the union of Myanmar Since 1995Myanmar Golden Rock International Co.,Ltd.#06-01, Bldg (8), Myanmar ICT Park, University Hlaing Campus, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 654810~17.

world’s No.1 Paints & coatings company

SCHOOLS

Enchanting and Romantic, a bliss on the lake 62 D, U Tun Nyein Road, Mayangon Tsp, YangonTel. 01 665 516, 660976 Mob. [email protected]

Bld-A2, Gr-Fl, Shwe Gabar Housing, Mindama Rd, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. email: [email protected] Ph: 652391, 09-73108896

Bld-A2, Gr-Fl, Shwe Gabar Housing, Mindama Rd, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. email: [email protected] Ph: 652391, 09-73108896

Car Rental with English Speaking Driver. (Safety and Professional Services).Tel : +95 9 [email protected]

custom web design and development. Scalable, optimized sites and responsive design for mobile web. Facebook apps, ads and design. Hosting and domains. Myanmar’s 1st socially and eco responsible IT company. Get in touch: [email protected] and 09 7316 2122.www.mspiral.com

TRAVEL AGENTS

Asian Trails Tour ltd73 Pyay Rd, Dagon tsp. tel: 211212, 223262. fax: 211670. email: [email protected]

Shan Yoma Tours Co.,Ltd www.exploremyanmar.com

WATER TANK

No. 372, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Pabedan T/S, Yangon. Tel : 01-380 398, 01-256 355 (Ext : 3027)Email : [email protected]

Tel : 01-684734, 685823,09-7307-6589, [email protected]

PE WATER TANk

SERVICE OFFICE

No. (6), Lane 2 Botahtaung Pagoda St, Yangon.01-9010003, 291897. [email protected], www.venturaoffice.com

Relocation SpecialistRm 504, M.M.G Tower, #44/56, Kannar Rd, Botahtaung Tsp. Tel: 250290, 252313. Mail : [email protected]

REMOVALISTS

Road to MandalayMyanmar Hotels & Cruises Ltd. Governor’s Residence 39C, Taw Win Rd, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel: (951) 229860fax: (951) 217361. email: [email protected] www.orient-express.com

Schenker (Thai) ltd. Yangon 59 A, U Lun Maung Street. 7 Mile Pyay Road, MYGN. tel: 667686, 666646.fax: 651250. email: sche [email protected].

legendary Myanmar Int’l Shipping & logistics co., ltd.No-9, Rm (A-4), 3rd Flr, Kyaung St, Myaynigone, Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon.Tel: 516827, 523653, 516795. Mobile. 09-512-3049. Email: [email protected] .mmwww.LMSL-shipping.com

REAL ESTATE

Real Estate AgentAgent fees is unnecessaryTel : 09 2050107, 09 [email protected]

Aye Yeik Tha Real EstateMobile: 09-518 8320, 09-507 4096.

crown worldwideMovers Ltd 790, Rm 702, 7th Flr Danathiha Centre, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Lanmadaw. Tel: 223288, 210 670, 227650. ext: 702. Fax: 229212. email: crown [email protected]

Heaven Pizza 38/40, Bo Yar Nyunt St. Yaw Min Gyi Quarter, Dagon Township. Tel: 09-855-1383

World famous Kobe BeefNear Thuka Kabar Hospital on Pyay Rd, Marlar st, Hlaing Tsp.Tel: +95-1-535072

No.430(A), Corner of Dhamazedi Rd & Golden Valley Rd, Building(2) Market Place (City Mart), Bahan Tsp, Yangon.Tel : 01-523840(Ext-309), 09-73208079.

kohaku Japanese RestaurantChatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon40, Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp, Lobby Level, Tel: 544500 Ext 6231

22, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp. tel 541997. email: [email protected]://leplanteur.net

a drink from paradise... available on Earth@Yangon International Hotel, No.330, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 09-421040512

Good taste & resonable price@Thamada HotelTel: 01-243047, 243639-41 Ext: 32

Quality Chinese Dishes with Resonable Price@Marketplace by City Mart. Tel: 01-523840 Ext.109

G-01, City Mart (Myay Ni Gone Center). Tel: 01-508467-70 Ext: 106

G-05, Marketplace by City Mart. Tel: 01-523840 Ext: 105

Indian fine dining & barBldg No. 12, Yangon Int’l Compound, Ahlone Road. Tel: 01-2302069, 09-431-85008, 09-731-60662. [email protected]

The Ritz Exclusive loungeChatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon40, Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp, Ground Floor, Tel: 544500 Ext 6243, 6244

The Emporia RestaurantChatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon40, Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp. Lobby Level,Tel: 544500 Ext 6294

1. wASAbI : No.20-B,Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd,Yankin Tsp,(Near MiCasa),Tel; 666781,09-503-91392. wASAbI SuSHI : MarketPlace by City Mart (1st Floor). Tel; 09-430-67440Myaynigone (City Mart)Yankin center (City Mart)Junction Mawtin (City Mart)

Monsoon Restaurant & Bar 85/87, Thein Byu Road, Botahtaung Tsp. Tel: 295224, 09-501 5653.

delicious Hong kong Style food RestaurantG-09, City Mart (Myay Ni Gone Center). Tel: 01-508467-70 Ext: 114

No. 5, U Tun Nyein Street, Mayangone T/S, Yangon. Tel : 01-660 612, 011 22 1014, 09 50 89 441Email : [email protected]

for House-Seekerswith Expert ServicesIn all kinds of Estate [email protected] : 09-332 8727009-4203 18133 (Fees Free)

RESTAURANTS

Lunch/Dinner/Catering 555539, 536174

The Global leader in water HeatersA/1, Aung San Stadium East Wing, Upper Pansodan Road. Tel: 01-256705, 399464, 394409, 647812.

Ocean Center (North Point), Ground Floor, Tel : 09-731-83900 01-8600056

Moby dick Tours co., ltd.Islands Safari in the Mergui Archipelago5 Days, 7 Days, 9 Days TripsTel: 95 1 202063, 202064E-mail: info@islandsafari mergui.com. Website: www.islandsafarimergui.com

Real Estate AgencyEmail : [email protected] : 09-732-02480, 09-501-8250

Bo Sun Pat Tower, Bldg 608, Rm 6(B), Cor of Merchant Rd & Bo Sun Pat St, PBDN Tsp. Tel: 377263, 250582, 250032, 09-511-7876, 09-862-4563.

Acacia Tea Salon 52, Sayar San Rd, Bahan Tsp, Tel : 01-554739.

BusinessAkH Family Life Sciences Marketing Groups is the business of Medico-Marketing, FMCG-marketing, Advertising or otherwise Promoting the sale of Pharmaceuticals Products or Consumer Products. We are specializing in direct pharmaceutical market ing services & FMCG marketing services including of recruiting, training, organizing & managing sales & marketing field forces in Myanmar. We offer long-term partnerships in representing pharma ceutical companies or FMCG who wish to increase their products' awareness & sales in markets & the medical environment in our country. Contact : 09-516-9368, 09-4224-86379.

ComputerI.C.S system solution (One-Stop services) Computer Maintenance, Wireless Router Confi guration, Window OS & Software Installation, Internet & Netowrk services direct to the Company, Office & Home. Available Contract service. Weekly for Only Monday. Ph: 09-540-9712.

(1)MONEY CHANGER software for Computer System. Changing one from another currency. Buy & Sale Currency with receipt. Enable to Show External Display for daily exchange rate. LED board not included (Separate charge For Upgrade) (2)Travel & Tour Booking Software. Ph: 09-730-75931, Email: [email protected]

EducationIGCSE Foreign & Local Teacher IGCSE/GCE 'O' (all subjects), BCA, SAT, IELTS, TOEFL, Maths Courses, English Courses, Grammar. Ph: 09-513-9298. www. facebook.com/superstarigcse

IGCSE, Secondary 2,3,4 Physics, Mathematics B & Pure Mathematics Practice with 20 years old questions. Allow individual or section. Only 5 students for one sectin. Near Heldan Sein Gay Har. Ph: 09-4500-25213, 524617.

OIEC LMD Students attend OIEC only and passed IGCSE/GCE O Exam with all subjects As including A* (all distinctions) at one sitting. Sec 2, 3 & 4 (grade 8, 9 & 10) students also attend IGCSE at only OIEC for one year and passed the exam with all distinctions. Parents/guardians who enroll their children at OIEC

for IGCSE course can come and see the results of past IGCSE/GCE O results. Do you want your child to be one of them? Hp: 09-732-55281

GUIDE for 2nd M.B., B.S Classes 09-517-3808.

SAYA SAW AUNG (Ex.A.P), Chemistry Classes for Int'l School (sec-levels), IGCSE Cambridge Int'l AS & A Level & SAT-2, Ph: 09-500-5470.

FOR IGCSE (Edexcel & Cambridge) & Secondary students Regular tuition classes Home tuition classes Exam preparation classes All subjects available Contact: Tr. Pyae Phyo Kyaw 09-508-8683

TR. kAUNG MYAT (Special for Maths) BE(PE) For Int'l Courses Geometry, Algebra I & II, Pre Calculus.Ph : 09-731-42020 Email: kaungmya too251@gmail. com

ONE-STOP Int'l Edu Centre Foreign & Local Teacher IGCSE/GCE 'O' (all subjects) www.facebook.com / superstarigcse [email protected]. 09-732-55281, 09-513-9298

"SCHOLAR Teaching Organization" founded with ME,BE and Master Degree holder with 12 years experience in teaching field.Role and Responsibility: Making the students develop problem solvingskills, critical thinking skills & I.Q & E.Q enriching skills, Int'l Schoo (ILBC, Total, MISY, ISY, PISM, Horizon, ISM, network, CISM, MIS, MLA, ES4E, DSY RV). All grades, All Subjects .....Singapore MOE Exams (AEIS, -AEIS exam), SAT, IGCSE, IELTS, TOFEL..Tr.Daniel Caulin: 09-215-0075. Tr.Bryan : 09-4200-70692.

MATHS (home tuition) Are you need in IGCSE, GCE O & A, SET 1 & 2 mathematic, I can set up your ability. Sa Ya Henry- (BE) Ph: 09-4210-13498

TUTORING SERVICE : Secondary I, II, III & IV (All subjects) IGCSE (All subjects) All Int'l School Students. Ph:09-732-04820, 09-4225-50085, 09-4201- 05 422.

STUDY Home for General English (4 skills) Language from Basic.Who want to study home in private time and need study guide only English Grammar for children.Let's join us Now! Ph: 09-4210- 37619

Expert ServicesINTERNET Advertising Do you advertise in TV or billboards? Facebook has over 1,000,000,000 users worldwide everyday and 8,000,000 users in Myanmar. We provide Internet advertising

services such as advertising in facebook, Google, YouTube, YAHOO!, etc. If you are interested in advertising locally or internationally, pls contact 09-732-55281

MObILE Container office, Mobile Clinic , Garments on Hanger – GOH for Multipack Engineering Services Limited : (420/422), Rm 301, 3rd Flr, Corner of Strand Rd & Botahtaung Market St, Botahtaung, Yangon, Tel : 397-974, 299-511, 09- 504- 2810, 09-730- 21041.

AUGUST Engineering Service (Air-condition & Electrical) Installation, Repairing & Maintenance. Tel:09-731-10321, 09-312-68502. Email; [email protected]

AUNG Professional Translation Professional Translation from Myanmar to English and English to Myanmar. For Translation, Technological Subjects, Education, Contract, Advertising, Movie, Literature,etc. With Various Services on paper, electronic file, recording and other relevant matters. both regular & express with expert service. 09-732-11907, 09-730-82069. Email :[email protected]

REAL ESTATE We have Lands for sale suitable for making Industrial buildings in large area. Buyers can Contact Us on 09-4500-59037 (There is no pay for Agents & Third party ... Warmly welcome the buyers)

For Sale(1)TOYOTA MARkII [1999 Model] [pearl white 2 tones, 2000 Cc] (Trante Package, PS, PW, AC, SRS, ABS, Navi TV, CD) (2)Mitsubishi Pajero [2000 Model] [ pearl white , 3200 Cc diesel] (Original TV, Back Cam, PS, PW, AC, SRS, ABS, Gray Back Grass) (3) Toyota Corolla Van [1997 Model, 1500 Cc, White Color] (GL Extra, PS, 2PW, AC, Rear Wiper) **Only 40000** Kilometers : CC / ---- (4)Toyota Succeed Wagon [2002 Model, 1500 Cc, Red Color] (TX G Package, PS, 4PW, AC, SRS, ABS, Rear Wiper, Gray Back Grass, CD Player) CC / ---- (5)Daihatsu Hijet Truck [ 2003 Model, 660 Cc ] - 2 Units (AC, PS, 2WD, Manual Gear/ Auto Gear) Ph : 09-492-75744

ASUS A42J Intel Core i7 Ram 4GB H.D.D 500GB Garaphic 2GB Price : 480000. Ph : 09-501-6694

99% NEW SINGTECH W540EU Ultrabook

Intel Core i3 (3rd) Ram 4GB H.D.D 500GB Intel HD Graphic 4000 Price : 360000. Ph : 09-312-88077

99% NEW SAMSUNG Series 5 Ultra Book Intel Core i5 Ram 8GB H.D.D + SSD Display 13.3 1 Year 6 Month International Warranty Price : 720000. Ph : 09-4200-50651

IPHONE 4S 32GB white official unlock 98% new (370000ks) contact : 09-514-7480.

NEW IPAD 32GB, WiFi Only, White Color, all accessories, box & cover. Asus Nexus 7, 32GB, 3G + Wi-Fi, Black Color, all accessories, box & cover. Sony Ericsson Xperia ray, White Color, all accessories, box & cover. Ph : 09-514-6483

EPSON SLIP PRINTER (include all accessories and cable) Model_ TM-U220D Color- Black Price : 145,000 Ks 2ply roll paper 20 packs Ph: 09-503-6050

APPLE IPHONE 4 [ with original box with full accessories, officially unlock in Singapore ] Price : 270000 Kyats. Ph : 09-44-800-6520

CAR, Toyota Crown [2002 Model] [pearl white 2 tones, 2500 Cc] (Premium Package, Original TV, PS, PW, Swing AC, SRS, ABS, DVD, Sun Shade) Nissan Tiida Latio [ 2007 Model] [pearl white, 1500 Cc](M grade, Original TV, PS, PW, AC, SRS, ABS, DVD, Smart Key, Push Start, Gray Back Grass) Toyota Corolla Van [1998 Model, 1500 Cc, Silver Color] (L Extra, PS, AC, SRS, ABS) : CC / ---- Mazda Scrum Truck [2003 Model, 660 Cc] (AC, PS, 2WD, Manual Gear) Ph : 09-492-75744

ANTIqUE CAMERA of ‘Agfa’ brand from ‘Germany’ which is over ‘100 years’ and it can still be available to use with ‘Isochrom 120 Film’. If you are interesting for it, pls contact Ph: 01-538321, 09-310-59596, 09-4308-4000.

2 MONTH USED Samsung Galaxy S2 White Color 16GB With Original Accessries Version 4.1.2 Price - 200000. Ph:09-730-48106

GeneralEXCELLENT Creation Co., Ltd. DVD/ VCD/ CD (Audio & Data) Manuf acturing. Professional HD/DV Camera, Rental, Making, Editing. Video & Music Production/ Distribution. DVD/ VCD Duplicating. Maha myaing Cinema (Insein). Add: 162-164, Top Flr, Pansodan Rd (Middle), Kyauktada, Yangon. Tel: 254560, 254564.

Language.MYANMAR : Within 24 hours can make you get confidient in Myanmar Language and scripts! Teacher Phyu Phyu Khin : 09- 4930-8926 ([email protected])

ENGLISH General, Business English and Conversation English taught by experienced and qualified native speaker. Specialist in Vocational English - Hospitality, Retail, Management Skills, Marketing Management, Business Development and Tourism Industries. Also IELTS Preparation, assistance with essays and assignments. Email m a r y j a n e . d e n t o n @gmail. com

THE GREAT NEW for Foreigners : We are offering easiest way to learn Myanmar Language at your home. If you would like to learn it,join us Now! we are offering fair fees for you! Contact: 09-4210- 37619

STARTING now Basic Grammar, Basic English 4 Skills, IELTS Foundation, Basic English Speaking Course, Oversea English Speaking Courses. Can offer Home style teaching & individual teaching. Ph: 09-732-15521

ARE YOU a native speaker of English? Do you want to learn to speak, read, write or listen in Myanmar, Chinese and Japanese (all levels)? No. 757, 3rd Flr, Lanmadaw, Ygn (in Chinatown). [email protected] 09-513-9298

TravelVIRGIN LAND Tours: Visa Services. Worldwide Air Ticketing. Worldwide Hotel Reservation. All Kind Transportation Rental. Inbound & Out bound Tour Operator. Tour Guide Services. Ph: 01-8610252, 09-512-3793, 09-520-2643

NYAN MYINT THU Car Rental Service : Ko Nyan Myint Win Kyi (MD) - No 56, Bo Ywe St, Latha, Yangon, Myanmar. Ph : (+95)01-246551, 01-375284. Hp:(+95)09-2132778.il:[email protected], [email protected], [email protected]. Web:www.nyanmyintthucarrental.com

NATTHMEE Classical Travels : Taunggyi-Inly- Kalaw-Pindaya ( july 18) hotels + Transportation + breakfast, lunch, Dinner Package Trip for 3 night 4 days 180000 kyats for one person. Bagan-Popa (july 18) hotels + Transportation + breakfast,lunch,Dinner

Package Trip for 2 night 3 days 160000 kyats for one person. Chaungtha Beach HotelMax, Belle Resort + Transportation + breakfast, lunch, Dinner 65000 kyats for one person.(1 night) 120000 kyats for one person (2 night) Ph: 09-500-59037, 09-312-94519

AMAzING Oriental Travel & Tours Co., Ltd. Aung Kyaw Htun, Director, 09-540-4040, No, 351, 1st Flr, Lower Kyimyindaing Rd, Ahlone, Yangon, Tel: + 95 1 229853, + 95 9 4201-27800, 4201-27900, Email: [email protected], www.amazingorienttravels.com

SEVEN STAR Tours, Rm 4-B, Sein Yadanar Condo, No.21/C, Sein Yadanar St, Ward (1), Kamayut, Yangon. Tel: 507261, 507264, 09-4015-41044, 09-4015-41055, Fax: 507273. Email: sevensta@m y a n m a r . c o m . m m s e v e n s t a r . t o u r s @mptmail.net.mm

TrainingWEb DEVELOPMENT & Design Training Sat & Sun - 3:00pm-5:00pm. Contact: 09-4211-44937

IELTS/SAT Teacher Training Are you a native speaker of English? Do you want to become a IELTS/SAT English Teacher? We train you practically. 757, 3rd Flr, Lanmadaw (in Chinatown). [email protected] 095139298

Want to BuyWE want to buy Marine Generator operation and maintenance manual books and Marine main engines operation and maintenance manual books(B&W or Yanmar Or UEC , etc..Pls contact 09-518-4314

EMbASSY of Pakistan intends to purchase 1 x car sedan model 2013 automatic (not higher than 2000 cc) for official use. Sealed bids are invited from interested parties at the following address:-"Embassy of Pakistan Diplomatic Quarters Pyay Rd, Yangon

bUY & EXCHANGE used Apple Iphone Samsung HTC Sony Huawei Used Laptop notebook Netbook macbook pro & table ipad etc.. contact -09-517-8391.

SUPER CUSTOM : Model 99,2000. Ph: 09-518-8320.

USED APPLE IPHONE Samsung HTC Sony Huawei Used Laptop notebook Netbook macbook pro and table ipad etc.. contact : 09-517-8391

General Property

HousingforRentCONDO for rent : Near British Council on Strand Road, Fully-funished Condo Excellent River View 1500 sqft, 1 MB, 2 BR, 5 A/C, Ph, 25 Lakhs. Ph: 09-730-60078.

kYAUkTADA, 194, 33 St (Upper), Service Apartments: 3rd/ 4/5 Flr. Fully finished, Furniture, Air corn & TV satellite.Suitable to rent for foreigner. Ph: 09- 730-94644, 09-731-57992.

(1).bAHAN, Near kandawgyi Hotel, (apartment) 900 Sqft 1MR, 2 SR, fully furnish 750 USD. (2).Golden velley, 1 RC, 8200 sqft, 1 MR, 2SR, fully furnish, 2500 USD (3).Golden velley, 2 RC, 3000 sqft, 1 MR, 2 SR, 2200 USD. (4). Golden velley, 3 RC, 9600 sqft, good for office 5000 USD. (5).Golden velley, 2 RC, 8500 Sqft, 2 MR, 2SR, 6000 USD. (6).Golden velley, near Inya Rd, 3 RC, 4500 sqft, 6 MR, 8000 USD. (7). 7 Mile, 2 RC, 8500 Sqft, 2 RC, 3 MR, 1 SR, some of furnish, 3000 USD. Ph:09-4201-14749

(1).Near Pearl condo, 1 RC, 3500 Sqft, 1MR, 2 SR, 2000 USD. (2)Chaungthargonyoung condo, 2200 Sqft, 1 MR, 2SR, fully furnish, swimming pool, health club. 2200 USD. (3) Pearl condo, 2000 Sqft, 1 MR, 2 SR, 1800 USD. (4)Parami Rd, 2 RC, 4500 Sqft, 4 MR, fully furnish, 5500 USD. (5) Near new university avenue, 2 RC, 4500 Sqft, 3 MR, fully furnish, 6000 USD. (6) Inya Rd, 1 RC, 8000 Sqft, 3 MR, 15000 USD. (7) Golden velly, near ISY school, 2 RC, 2 MR, 2 SR, 45OO USD. (8)May kha housing, 3 RC, 3000 Sqft, fully furnish, 1800 USD. Ph: 09-4921-4276,

SANCHAUNG, Ma Kyi Kyi Condo, 2400 sqft, 2 MB, 2 BR, 4 A/C,25 Lakhs. Maureen : 09-518-8320

MAYANGONE, 8 Mile, MTP Condo, 1500 sqft, 2 MB, 3 A/C, Ph. 20 Lakhs. Maureen : 09-518-8320

APARTMENT for Leasing Dagon, Samone St, 3 Flr, 139sqm, 1MBR, 1 BR, 4A/C, USD 1800/month, Fully Furnished Ring: Colliers int'l Myanmar on 09-4210-32600 or 09-4210-14128.

NEAR YUzANA PLAzA, Aung Thapyae St, 1100 square feet, 1 MBR, 2 common rooms, parque, floor tiles & wall tiles , fully decored and line phone, 2 nd floor. also suitable for office & foreigners. ph: 09-516-7767, 09-517-0481, 09-401-538760

bAHAN, Moe Myint San Condo, 2400sqft, 5 A/C, Ph, skynet, f.f. 25 Lakhs(2)Pearl Condo, 1500 sqft, p.f, 4 A/C, 15 lakhs. Ph : 09-518-8320.

SERVICED Apartments & Office Accommodation to rent on behalf of Landlords. Pls contact : Ron Chaggar : 09-313-36099, Hsu Sandi : 09-4210-14128 at Colliers International Myanmar Leasing Department.

OFFICE SPACE for Rental: Pansondan Tower, Pansondan (Central) Block, 1700 Sqft, 2 service lifts, Hall Type, Monthly Rental US$ 4000. Ph: 09-731-54071, 01-514-802, 530-756

FOREIGNERS : A modern compact 2650 sq.ft floor

area single-storied 3 bedroom house, with two gate entrances, spacious lawn, garden and compound on 0.4 acre plot of land, situated in quiet locality within walking distance from International School and only 3 miles from downtown Yangon. If interested please contact phone 537061, 703493, 09-511-9421. No brokers please.

SANCHAUNG, On Pyay Rd, near Int'l Schools, Dagon Centre, City Mart (Myenigone) and Alliance Francaise. Newly renovated, 3rd flr, 1500 sq ft (30' x 50'), 1MB+2SB, 3AC, land line phone. Teak parquet, spacious bathroms and western kitchen. Clean, airy, full light of day, security and carparking. No high buildings around. Can be furnished, if required. Good location for NGO office / residence. Ph 09-732-39525.

HousingforSaleLASHIO : Ward 12, 2Acres Land including the main house and 2storey building. In downtown and Very Good place for business. Price: negotiable. Ph: 09-517-1377, 09-515-8738

MAYANGONE, 8 Mile, MTP Condo, 1500 sqft, 2 MB, 3 A/C, Ph. 3000 Lakhs. Maureen : 09-518-8320.

LANMADAW, (25'x50') 12th St, the whole 8 unit (lift), For Hotel, Education, Ph: 09-566-1037.

CORNER LAND 36 ft x 43 ft and house – 1 billion ks. (10,000 Lakhs) (negotiable) - On Insein Road, near Hledan (near DaNuPhyu Daw Saw Yi Restaurant), Kamayut, a good place for business. Complete documentation of the land, with water, electricity & 1 landline phone installed. Ko Ye : 09-4201-01705. email: [email protected]

bEACH LAND for sales - 30 min by boat from Ngapali in St Andrews bay - Maung Shwe Lay village. 3,5 acres - possible to extend - suitable for hotel or private villa. 100 meter beachfront. Send email for more information: [email protected] or call 09-731-99668 (English) or 09-4500- 03312

MAYANGONE, 9 miles, Bonyarna Lane (50”x 70”x 65”¬) garden with including house (3700 Lakhs) no agent please. Pls call owner : 09-730-28726.

Want to RentSANCHAUNG, Ma Kyee Kyee St, Moe Myint San Condo: 28' x 75' (2100 sq.ft) 2nd flr. 2 MBR, 2 BR, 4 A.C, water heater, furnitures. Price : 23 lakhs. Ph: 09-730-27267, 09-730-52266.

LANMADAW, 12 St, The whole 8 unit (lift). For hotel, education. Ph: 09-566-1037.

NEED SIMPLE HOUSE with at least 4 bedrooms, 2 toilets & if possible, near to public transportation. Occupancy in November. Willing to pay 8 lakhs. Contact Ha Min Shwe at 09-4201-212 65.

"A COUPLE, no kids and pets looking for a fully furnished small condo in a nice area. Contact lu lani ta.bbb@gmai l .com."

How To GET A fREE Adby FAx : 01-254158by EMAiL : [email protected], [email protected] MAiL : 379/383, bo aung Kyaw st, Kyauktada township, Yangon.

How To GET MoRE buSINESS fRoMAS lITTlE AS K.5,000.

buY spaCe oN these pagesCALL: Khin Mon Mon yi - 01-392676, 392928

FREE

UN PositionsTHE INT'L Organization for Migration (IOM) office in Yangon is seeking Senior Programme Associate - PHC 1 post in Yangon. Pls submit an application letter & updated CV with a maximum length of 3 pages including names & contact details of 3 referees (copies of certificates & further documents are not required at this stage) to Int'l Organization for Migration (IOM), Mission in Myanmar - Yangon Office, 318-A, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Email: [email protected], Closing date: 30 August 2013.

IOM Int'l Organization for Migration is seeking (1) Logistics Clerk - 1 post in Bogalay, Ayeyarwady (2)Logistic Cleark - 1 post in Mawlamyinegyun, Ayeyarwady.(3) Logistic Assistant - 1 post in Ye Tsp, Mon State. (4)Medical Doctor - HIV/ AIDS 1 post Mawlamyine, Mon State.Closing date for 1 ~ 4 : 29, August. (5) Client Service Assistant - 2 posts in Yangon. Closing date : 30 August. Pls submit an application letter and an updated CV with a maximum length of 3 pages including names & contact details of 3 referees (copies of certificates & further documents are not required at this stage) to : Int'l Organization for Migration (IOM) Mission in Myanmar - Yangon Office, 318-A, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp, Yangon, Email: [email protected], Closing date : 29 August 2013.

Ingo PositionsMEDECINS Sans Frontieres - Holland (AZG) is seeking Driver - 1 Post in Yangon : 10 standard. Able to drive all kinds of car with valid driving license. Good driving skills for the given location (city or country tracks). Basic command of English. Willing to work in shifts that include nights, weekends and public holidays. Pls send application letter, CV & passport-photo, copies of education qualifications & references to: Project Coordinator, MSF-Holland (Yangon Project Office) : 15(C), Aung Min Khaung St, Kamayut, Yangon. Closing date : 1st September 2013.

MEDECINS du Monde (MDM) is seeking Medical Doctor (IIIV) 1 post in Moegaung, (Kachin State): MBBS (with valid medical registration: Sama). 1 year experience as a medical doctor in the field of HIV. Fluent oral & written English. Good computer skill especially Microsoft Office package. Pls submit CV and a cover letter to MDM Country Coordination Office, Yangon : 47(B), Po Sein St, Bahan, Yangon. Ph: 542830, 09-731-71002, Email: [email protected]

WORLD VISION Myanmar is seeking A d m i n i s t r a t i o n Assistant in Pathein: University Bachelor Degree in any discipline. 1 year office experience in administration & support services. Pls submit resume (clearly identify the post you apply) by post to HR Department, World Vision Myanmar or in person to application drop-box at 18, Shin Saw Pu Rd, Ahlone, Sanchaung PO or send to [email protected] Closing date : August 27, 2013.

MEDECINS Sans Frontieres - Holland (AZG) is seeking Medical Storekeeper Yangon Coordination 1 Post in Yangon : University degree (preferably Pharmacy Degree or Diploma). Working

experience in a related field with an (I)NGO. Good computer skills (Microsoft Office Package). Good command of English. Pls submit application letter, CV, passport photo, copies of education qualifications, ID card copy and references to MSF-Holland (Yangon Coordination) : 59, Aye Yadanar St, Thirigon Villa, Thingangyun, Yangon. Or through [email protected] Closing date : 27th August 2013.

SOLIDARITES Int'l (SI) is seeking Logistics Manager in Sittwe : 4 years of professional experience in Logistics field with INGO/ NGO. University Degree or Diploma (preferably in Logistics Or related proven experience in similar area.). Knowledge of IT management & MS office. Fluent in English & Myanmar. Pls submit application (CV, cover letter, references) at: Solidarites Int'l office - Application for Logistics Manager Position/ Sittwe - 44-A, Tharyarwaddy Lane, Bahan, Yangon or per email: [email protected] (thanks to use basic excel, word or pdf format). Closing date: 30-8-2013.

Local PositionsEXOTISSIMO Travel is seeking (1) German Tour Operator : 1 year experience in tourism related field, Excellent communication skills, Strong sales & customer service focus, Possess computer proficiency, Able to speak, read and write in German, Ability to work under pressure. (2)Domestic Ticketing Staff : 1 year experience in tourism or airlines, Good knowledge of flight information & ticket policies of airlines, Excellent organization skill, Proficient in MS office, Preferable detailed oriented person. (3)HR Assistant : Diploma/certificate in HRM, 1 year of relevant experience, Strong interpersonal and communication skills, Proficient in MS office, Willing to learn & positive attitude, Great organizational & time management skill (4)Airport Assistant: Able to speak English, Familiar with international & domestic airlines in Myanmar, Good organizational skill, Location near to airport will be advantage. Pls send a detailed resume with recent photo & other relevant documents to HR Manager at 147, Shwe Gone Dine St, West Shwe Gone Dine Ward, Bahan, Yangon, Email: [email protected]

MMIC Co.,Ltd is seeking (1).Manager (Engineering) - M 1 post : B.E (Civil), M.E (Civil) (Preferred), 5 years experience, Computer Literate, Good in English, Project Management/ Execution Experience is Preferred, Salary - 300000 Kyats & Negotiable (2).Junior Engineer - M/F 2 posts : B.E (Civil), B.Tech (Civil),At least one & half years experience, Computer Literate, English fair or Good, Project Management experience is preferred, Salary - 150000 Kyats & Negotiable. Closing date : 23 Aug 2013. Myanmar Int'l Consultants Co. Ltd. (MMIC), Rm 401 (a,b), 4th Flr, La Pyayt Wun Plaza, 37, Alanpya Pagoda Rd, Dagon Tsp, Yangon, Email : [email protected]. Ph: 09-519-6018, 370836 ext- 401

FOREIGN garment manufacturing is seeking (1).Factory Manager (2).Assistant Manager : Secondary education or above, Fluent in English or Chinese, 5 years or above experience in garment business, Know-

how in HR, Shipping and Accounting procedure, (3).HR Supervisor : Secondary education or above, 3 years or above experience in Recruitment, Pay – roll & Office administration, English Or Mandarin speaking, Good know ledge of MS office & Exel (4).Shipping : Secondary education or above, 3 years or above hand on experience in related industry, English Or Mandarin Speaking, Good knowledge of MS office & exel (5). Account Supervisors : University holder in accounting or related field, 3 years or above hand on experience, English or Mandarin speaking, Good knowledge of MS office & Exel (6).Cutting, Sewing & Packing Supervisor : Secondary education or above, 5 years or above experience in garment fields. We pay good remuneration & benefit. Pls send full resume & salary expected to [email protected] for interview. SDI Manufacturing Co., Ltd: Plot 40, Ngwe Pin Lae Industrial Zone, Hlaing Tharyar.

LEGENDARY Myanmar Co., Ltd. is seeking (1) Custom Clearance - M/F 2 Posts. (2)Tour Operator - F 2 Posts: 1 year experience in relative field. All applicants must be University Graduate, Spoken & Written English, Excellent interpersonal skill and good computer knowledge. Pls apply CV with 2 recent photo, NRC copy, Labour

registration card Police recommendation letter & other document to 9, Rm A-4, 3rd Flr, Kyaung St, Myaynigone, Sanchaung.

R E C E P T I O N I S T -Urgently Qualifications: University degree, Effective interpersonal skills & ability to communicate with foreign clients. Must be fluent in English. Pls submit CV & cover letter to [email protected]

WANT a career? Edulink Australia is hiring for the following positions: Customer Service Officer - 3 Posts, Marketing Manager, Customer Relationship Manager. For more information pls email [email protected] or ph: 09-4211-19895

MiTA Myanmar @ ISBC Company is inviting applications from Myanmar national candidates for the position: business Analyst - F 3 posts : Any Graduate candidates, preferably having Master Degree in Business A d m i n i s t r a t i o n , Engineering, English, Economics, Marketing, Management; Age 20 ~ 30, Experience less than 5 years (fresh graduates can also apply). Proficient in MS office, internet & email applications, have good knowledge in market research, liaison, data collection, analyzing information, report writing & presentation. Should be able to work independently with

minimum supervision & be initiative. Candidate must be fluent in speaking & writing English. Pls email application with CV including contact details to [email protected] at the earliest possible. Closing date: 30 September 2013.

NYLECT Technology (Myanmar) Ltd., is seeking Senior P r o f e s s i o n a l Accountant 1 post. Interested candidates can send CV: [email protected] or [email protected] Contact Number: 01 855 1480, 09-4203-09073

SAVOY HOTEL, Yangon is urgently looking for (1)Guest Relation Manager - 1 post : 3 years experience in related field and very good English skill and interpersonal skill. (2) Gardener - M 1 post : 2 ~ 3 years experience in gardening. (3) Personal Driver - M 1 post : 3 years experience in driving car. Application letter by email to [email protected] or 129, Dhammazedi Rd, Yangon. Tel: (95-1) 526298, 526289.

ORION Business Group is seeking (1)Site Engineer - 1 post : BE (Civil), 2 years as site engineers post in local and oversea (2)Site Engineer - 1 post : BE(Mechanical), 2 years as site engineers post in local and oversea (3)qS - F 2 posts : 2 years experience in local and oversea (4) Accountant - F 2 posts : 2 year experience in accounting

field, Microsoft office, Preferred English language proficiency, Good communication & team player (5)Accountant - F 2 posts : Fresh graduate who fast learner are welcome to apply, Basic knowledge of Microsoft office. Pls apply with require document such as copy of ID, household list, recommendation letter from police station, labour card & education certificates to 512/B, Waizanyantar Rd, 4 ward, South Okkalapa Ph: 01 - 571236, 09-731-13092 before 31.8.2013.

WE are one of the Marketing Group for Pharmaceuticals Products in Myanmar has urgently seeking (1)Team Leader - M/F 1 Post : Over 1 year experience in related field. (2) Medical Representatives - M/F 5 Posts : B.Pharm, B.Sc (or) any graduated. Experience candidate is more prefer to welcome. Willing to traveling around the area. Active & Self motivation. Good personality. Any candidate who interested, pls contact urgently on Ph: 09-4224-86379, 09-4211-47477, Closing date : 31st August 2013.

URGENTLY required! An Operations Manager in an International School, male/female, any university graduate, Age 45 ~ 60, must be fluent in English (Speaking, Reading and Writing), must have management exper ience,work ing experience interna

tionally is an advantage. Pls send C.V to [email protected].

kELVIN CHIA Yangon Ltd is a foreign legal consultancy firm is seeking (1) Lawyers who will work on a variety of corporate & commercial matters & transactions in Myanmar. If you are a Myanmar-qualified lawyer with strong English language skills, you are invited to apply to join our Myanmar practice group. Myanmar nationals admitted to int’l bars are also welcome to apply. Training will be provided. Applicants may email to k [email protected] (2) Corporate Affairs Executive/Assistant As a corporate affairs execut ive/assistant, you will be involved with business development, networking, market research & liaison work. Applicants should be proficient in English, energetic & self-motivated. All nationalities are welcome (Myanmar, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese, etc). If you are interested, then pls email application and curriculum vitae to [email protected]

REAL FITNESS is seeking (1)Receptionist - F 1 post : Age 20 ~ 28. Fluent in English. Relevant work experience. Can us internet, email, fax & copier . (2)Fitness Trainer - M/F 2 posts : Age 21 ~ 35. Certificate in gym personal training/ physical fitness. Can speak English (3)Cleaner - M/F 2 posts:

Age 25 ~ 35. English Basic. Relevant work experience. Pls submit CV, labour card, copy photo with necessary docments to 20, Ground Flr, Pearl St, Shwe Taung Gyar Word, City FM Compound, Bahan. Ph: 01-1220881, 09-509-7057, 01-549478 ext 103. Closing date : 31.8.2013

WOH HUP Int'l Pte Ltd, a Building Construction Company is seeking for Yangon Office: (1) Account Executive - Degree in Accountancy 2 to 4 years experience handling full set of account, Able to do MYOB will be an advantage, Good learning attitude & take initiatives Basic Microsoft Office knowledge. Good in English. (2)Logistic Executive - Diploma / Degree in Logistics, 2 to 5 years relevant experience, Good knowledge on custom clearance & freight forwarding, Good in English. (3)quantity Surveyor - Degree in Surveying, 3 years relevant experience, Good in English (4)Purchasing Executive - Diploma / Degree in Purchasing or relevant, 2 to 5 years working in purchasing, Preferable familiar with construction material, Good in English. Pls submit resume with cover letter in English, stating current and expected salary (in Kyat) to - 483, Suite (8B), Aye Yeik Thar 2nd St, Aye Yeik Thar Condo, Bahan, Yangon, (OR) Email: [email protected].

Employment

FREETHE MYANMAR TIMES august 26 - september 1, 2013

Max Myanmar Hotel Company Ltd

JOB VACANCY ANNOUNCMENTNew Hotel Openings :1) NOVOTEL YANGON MAX HOTEL2) MGALLERY NAY PYI TAW, JADE VILLA ZONE

The above mentioned hotels are looking for interested candidates. Both Hotels will be managed by ACCOR. Novotel Yangon Max expected opening in March 2014 and MGallery Nay Pyi Taw expected opening in December 2013.

both hotels are seeking candidates for all positions from Department Heads, Middle Managers, Executives, Supervisors to Junior Staff.

Interested person can apply with resume including a recent photo, copy of national identity card and house hold registration, recommendation letter on character and relevant documents to the address below;

Please put : The Person In Charge, and state the name of the Hotel you are applying for, if you are applying for both hotels mention both hotels names on the envelope

Max Myanmar Hotel Company LtdNo. (123),Alanpya Pagoda Road, Dagon Township, Yangon

Email : [email protected]

58 Sport THE MYANMAR TIMES august 26 - september 1, 2013

KAbuL

TORONTO transit workers on August 20 rejected a pro-posed new uniform, saying it looks too much like the jer-sey of a longtime hockey ri-val, the Montreal Canadiens.

Sketches of the uniforms with the similar red, white and blue colours of the Cana-diens circulated in the local media, prompting the city’s transit union to take a stand on behalf of its members.

“The colours are unsuit-able,” union spokesman Bill Reno told AFP. “Our mem-bers, especially those who were born and raised in To-ronto and are hockey fans, object to wearing Montreal Canadiens colors.”

“Toronto is a hockey city like Montreal and this is a longtime hockey rivalry that is rearing its head again.”

The union said bus driv-ers, as well as subway and streetcar operators and other transit workers, would boy-cott the new uniforms if they are brought in next year.

“The incorporation of some red is meant to reflect the TTC’s traditional colour and that of the Canadian flag,” Toronto Transit Commission head Andy Byford said.

“For what it’s worth, though, I have favoured a predominantly blue uniform from the start as I see this as professional, modern and smart.”

Blue and white are also the colours of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Canadiens-Leafs ri-valry is the oldest in the Na-tional Hockey League, dating back to the league’s begin-

nings in 1917. The two teams met 15 times in the playoffs from 1944 to 1978.

It is also symbolic of the rivalry between Canada’s two largest cities, Toronto and Montreal, and early on the allegiances of fans across Canada were determined by language: English for Toron-to versus French for Mon-treal.

The TTC last redesigned its uniforms in the 1990s. The new uniforms would re-place the current grey slacks with a light blue shirt and maroon coats worn by To-ronto’s more than 10,000 transit workers.

Byford noted that the fi-nal design “has not been agreed upon”, and promised more consultation with his workforce. – AFP

oTTAWA

Transit wokers cry foul in uniform row

Afghan in ecstasy over Pakistan winInternational football returns to war-torn Kabul after a decade-long absence

A FGHANISTAN’S football team sparked rowdy cel-ebrations across the war-battered

nation on August 20 after se-curing a convincing 3-0 win over arch-rival Pakistan in the first international match in Kabul in 10 years.

A delirious 6000-capacity crowd packed the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) stadium for a game that un-leashed a wave of patriotic pride in a country beset for decades by war, poverty and Islamist extremism.

Afghanistan, ranked 139th in the world just above Pa-kistan, dominated the game from the kick-off and stretched three goals ahead mid-way through the second half.

The match was promoted as a symbol of football’s ability to foster peace and unite coun-tries in a shared love of sport, but the result was celebrated by many Afghans as a sweet victory over an old and bitter adversary.

“I am a huge football fan, and this match was so im-portant for us,” said Shabir Ahmad, 27, a government em-ployee at the match.

“There are a lot of rivalries between Afghanistan and Pa-kistan, even if this match was meant to boost friendship.”

Political ties are badly strained between Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan, which blame each other for bloody violence plaguing both countries.

Many in Afghanistan are convinced that Pakistan pulls the strings behind the 12-year insurgency that has raged since the Taliban hardliners were ousted in 2001.

“This was a great vic-tory for Afghanistan,” Afghan

coach Yusuf Kargar said after the game. “I hope it brings the message of peace for both nations.”

Just a small number of women were in the stands, and there was no sign of Pakistani support despite thousands of Pakistanis living and working in the Afghan capital.

Security was intense with several rings of armed riot police and soldiers beating back frustrated ticketless crowds locked outside of the stadium.

Kabul has been hit by a se-ries of militant attacks this year, including near the president’s palace and on the Supreme Court, and the Taliban have vowed to step up violence as elections loom early next year.

One spectator, Ahmadzai Fazeli, 25, said that insur-gents at a Taliban roadblock in volatile Wardak province had wished the team well.

“On the way here the Tali-ban stopped me. I told them I was going to the football match, and they happily let me pass,” he said. “Now I am here feeling very patriotic and happy.”

Ahead of kick-off, tempers frayed as police struggled to control unruly crowds push-ing to get into the game, which was attended by some senior Afghan officials and foreign diplomats, including the Brit-ish ambassador.

However, the final whistle

triggered delirium as players paraded the national flag in front of dancing spectators and crowds celebrated on the city streets.

The game, which was played on an artificial pitch funded by the FIFA world body, was the first home in-ternational since Afghanistan played Turkmenistan in 2003.

Afghanistan last played Pa-kistan in Kabul in 1977, before the Soviet invasion, a brutal civil war and the Taliban’s 1996-2001 regime.

Football was not banned under the Taliban but the old Ghazi stadium in Kabul was a notorious venue for their executions, stonings and mutilations.

The August 20 game, at the separate AFF stadium in the city, was be followed on Au-gust 22 by the start of the sec-ond season of the eight-team Afghan Premier League.

A return match is sched-uled in the Pakistani city of La-hore in December. – AFP

An Afghan spectator with his face painted in the colours of his national flag. Photo: AFP

‘On the way here the Taliban stopped me. I told them I was going to the football match, and they happily let me pass.’

Ahmadzai Fazeli afghan football fan

An Afghan policeman keeps an eye out as spectators watch their team play against Pakistan at the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) stadium in Kabul on August 20. Photo: AFP

SportbRiEFS

SingaporeVietnam’s new golf tournament postponedvietnam’s return to top-level regional golf has been postponed until later this season in the latest unwanted development for the sport in asia.

players have been told that next month’s inaugural volvik-sky lake vietnam masters, set to be the rich-est played in the country, has been delayed.

the us$500,000 tournament in hanoi had been announced with some fanfare by the asian tour, which is predicting a “new boom” for pro-fessional golf in the country.

No reason for the delay was given on the asian tour’s website. the southeast asian country last hosted an asian tour event in 2008.

New York City ichiro Suzuki reaches 4,000 career hitsJapan’s ichiro suzuki wasted no time belting the 4,000th hit of his pro career, achieving the milestone in the first inning of New York’s 4-2 win over the toronto blue Jays.

Yankees outfielder suzuki did it on august 21 by slicing one of to-ronto pitcher r.a. dickey’s knuck-leballs into left field in his first at-bat of the major league baseball contest.

suzuki has now compiled 2,722 hits during his 13 seasons in america. he racked up his first 1,278 hits while playing nine years with the orix blue wave in his native Japan from 1992-2000.

Cleveland Cavaliers sign top pick bennettthe Cleveland Cavaliers on august 20 signed anthony bennett, the number one selection in the Nba draft last June.

the Cavaliers did not release the terms of the deal, but the Cleveland plain dealer reported it is worth us$16.7 million over three years.

bennett entered the draft after being voted the top freshman in the mountain west Conference last season at the university of Nevada at las vegas.

he made league history as the first Canadian-born player to be taken first in the draft. – aFp

THE Tennis Federation of Myanmar (TFM) has been mixing outreach with its training regimen as its play-ers prepare for Davis Cup

competition in Dubai next month. The Myanmar Davis Cup team

recently visited Bago township to conduct a tennis clinic for children at the Hinn Tha Tennis Club. The visit was part of a new campaign to develop tennis nationwide that saw the team hold exhibitions in Kayan, Mandalay, Sagaing, Muse and Lashio in July and August.

“Champions learn a lot quicker with their eyes than with their ears,” Robert Davis, technical direc-tor of the Tennis Federation of My-anmar (TFM), said of the teaching program.

“Getting up close and personal with our best players allows them that opportunity. Our mission at the

TFM is to spread tennis through-out Myanmar and not only identify talent, but support existing tennis

clubs that benefit both youth and adult programs.”

The Myanmar Davis Cup team will travel on September 8 to Dubai where the Asia and Oceania Zone Group III and IV matches will be contested. Myanmar has drawn into group IV with Bahrain, Bangladesh, Iraq, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Yemen and Turkmenistan.

The matches were originally scheduled to take place at the Thein Byu Tennis Center in Yangon from April 22 to May 5. However, the My-anmar government decided to move the Davis Cup events to Dubai citing security concerns expressed by par-ticipating teams following violence in Myanmar.

The set back was the second in a month for Myanmar’s fledging tennis program.

On April 5, a Davis Cup tie-break

match between Pakistan and New Zealand at Yangon’s Pun Hlaing Golf and Country Club was stopped pre-maturely and awarded to New Zea-land due to poor court conditions. The ruling was protested by Paki-stani tennis officials.

The fallout has continued to drag on in Karachi, where on August 20, Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) secretary Mumtaz Yousuf accused Mr Davis of using player Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, whom Mr Davis coach-es, to persuade PTF officials to agree on Myanmar as a venue despite knowing it did not meet the required standards.

Mr Davis dismissed the com-ments telling The Myanmar Times on August 22 via email, “To make an allegation that Aisam and I contrived some plot with ulterior motives to fa-vour Myanmar Tennis Federation is ludicrous. Our desire was to assist the PTF with its neutral site venue.”

The exhibitions and youth train-ing exercises across Myanmar have

proved rewarding for many mem-bers of the country’s national tennis team, who often work as coaches when not training.

“It feels great to be able to give back to the sport of tennis which has given me so much,” said Min Min.

His feelings were shared by fellow national team player Nge Ngaung who also works as a coach in Kuala Lumpur.

“Though I can still play on the national team and represent my country, my future is in coaching. I hope one day to return permanently to Myanmar to teach tennis.”

This is something that Mr Davis hopes to encourage.

“That is one of the problems in developing countries,” he said. “Of-tentimes, the better players leave for the higher-paying jobs in Dubai, Doha and Singapore. However, if we are going to decentralise tennis and develop the sport to seriously com-pete within Asia we need to retain our best teachers.”

Tennis Federation aims at outreach while putting controversy in the past

Eyes on the Davis Cup

TiM MCLAugHLiN [email protected]

60 THE MYANMAR TIMES august 26 - september 1, 2013 sport editor: Tim Mclaughlin | [email protected]

International football returns to Afganistan

SpoRT 58

Students in Bago Township take part in a tennis outreach program on July 24. Photo: Tennis Federation of Myanmar

The 56th

National Day of Malaysia

Mingalabar!

It is such a great pleasure to be able to address the readers of The Myanmar Times once again through this special

publication in conjunction with the 56th Anniversary of the National Day of Malaysia. Congratulations once again to the Malaysia – Myanmar Business Council (MMBC) on this initiative. My heartfelt gratitude goes to all those who have contributed towards this publication.

the remarkable pace and extent of Myanmar’s reforms over the past year have continued to astound many. As a long-standing partner and fellow ASEAN member, Malaysia remains encouraged and fully committed to support Myanmar in this important process. So far this year, more than 150 Myanmar officials have received training under the Malaysian technical Co-operation Programme (MtCP) in various fields such as banking, taxation, public policy, diplomacy, languages, vocational education and many others. Myanmar continues to be

the second largest recipient country of the MtCP.

Certainly we can learn a great deal from each other. We have many similar attributes – our colonial past, multi-ethnicity and aspiration for economic development, to name but a few. these commonalities are strong foundations for our good relations, which are guided by feelings of mutual respect and understanding, as well as the desire to achieve common good.

At this juncture, there is widespread excitement in Myanmar as the country is gearing up to hosting some very important regional events. After a long hiatus, the SEA Games will be back in Myanmar in December. Myanmar also will be hosting a series of important Summit meetings and conferences when it becomes Chairman of ASEAN in 2014 - its first time ever since joining the regional grouping at the Kuala Lumpur Summit in 1997.

Malaysia will continue to support Myanmar in its preparation to assume this important role. Undoubtedly, Myanmar

will rise up to the occasion. Both in the SEA Games and during the ASEAN Chairmanship, I am sure the people of Myanmar will do their country proud. I wish them all the best.

Lastly, thank you for joining us to celebrate the 56th Anniversary of Malaysia’s National Day. Your friendship and support are very much appreciated.

Terima kasih & Jizut timba de!Best wishes.

Dr. Ahmad Faisal MuhamadAmbassador of Malaysia to MyanmarPatron of the Malaysian-Myanmar Business Council

Mingalabar!

It is a pleasure, once again, to address the readers of the Myanmar Times on the 56th anniversary of Malaysia’s National Day.

Malaysia and Myanmar enjoy increasingly warm relations, and the links between our countries and our people grow ever stronger. In the past year alone, the number of flights between Kuala Lumpur and Yangon has doubled, and famous Malaysian brands such as Parkson and Marry Brown have opened shop in Yangon. As investor confidence in Myanmar continues to grow, I believe more Malaysian companies will invest in Myanmar.

I am especially encouraged by Myanmar’s ongoing political reform process. While there will no doubt be challenges ahead, Malaysia stands ready to share its own experiences and help Myanmar as it continues down the path of reform.

In this regard, I am happy to note that Myanmar remains the second largest recipient of technical assistance under the Malaysian technical Co-operation Programme (MtCP). In the spirit of shared endeavour, I hope the MtCP training has helped Myanmar’s civil service to better implement reforms, as well as prepare for Myanmar’s upcoming Chairmanship of ASEAN.

I look forward to witnessing more positive change and even greater optimism during my next trip to Myanmar. I wish the people and Government of Myanmar every success for the future.

thank you, terima kasih, Jizut timba de.Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib

‘‘As investor confidence in Myanmar continues to grow, I believe more Malaysian

companies will invest in Myanmar.”

‘‘Certainly we can learn a great deal from each other.”

Message from HE Dr. Ahmad Faisal Muhamad,Ambassador of Malaysia

the pleasure of experiencing �rst-hand the warmth and sincerity of Myanmar hospitality and where we discussed enhanced co-operation on a whole range of areas. It is also marked by ever-increasing economic cooperation, demonstrated by the presence of �fty business leaders in my o�cial delegation.

There is a tall, strong tree found in both of our rainforests Eugenia Polyantha , whose wood is used to build

long-lasting homes. It's my hope that this publication and

the increasing interactions between our countries will help to sow seeds that grow into strong, long-lasting relationships at every level between the people of our great nations.Jizut Timba de.Best wishes,

pendence 55 years ago.Like most other countries, Malaysia's post-

maintain our long-standing strong relations. Beyond that, I hope that people-to-people con

Malaysia Congratulates Myanmarfor Hosting the Historical SEA GAMES

11.12. 2013 to 22.12.2013

Malaysia Congratulates Myanmar Our fellow ASEAN Member on this Historical Occasion.

Dato' Sri Mohd NajibPrime Minister of Malaysia

HE Dr. Ahmad Faisal MuhamadAmbassador of Malaysia

Malaysia has a proven track record of delivering on-time, competitively priced quality products and services to many countries around the world. Our ability to deliver world-class products and services is supported by a well developed infrastructure, sound banking and �nancial systems as well as e�cient logistics network. If you are in the market for a dependable business partner, look to us.

Contact MATRADE today to �nd out how we can help you do better business.

MAL AYSIA unwavering commitment to export excellence

Embassy of Malaysia / Trade Section82, Pyidaungu Yeiktha Road Yangon, Myanmar T : 951-220248 (Ext: 103) / 951-220249 (Ext: 103) M: 95 9 - 43110895E : [email protected] W : www.matrade.gov.my

Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) www.matrade.gov.my is an agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), Malaysia, responsible for promoting Malaysia's exports of value added products and services. MATRADE is also actively involved in assisting foreign companies to source for suppliers of Malaysian products and services, and is represented worldwide at 43 locations in major commercial cities.

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MATRADE_MYAMMAR ADS 2.pdf 1 8/23/13 12:54 PM

It’s the month of August, we Malaysians, honour our Independence Day, celebrating it as a national holiday (of course!). Here’s a little quick info about the Independence Day. the independence of Malaysia

was a peaceful independence attained by holding talks with the British. On August 31, 1957, Malaysia gained her independence from the United Kingdom.the European Colonization of Malaysia started in year 1511, when the Portuguese captured Malacca. the Portuguese were in turn defeated in 1641 by the Dutch, who colonized until the advert of British in 1824. During the World War II, Japanese had colonized Malaysia too in 1941 – 1945. these left many European and Japanese influences in Malaysia later on.the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, tunku Abdul Rahman Putra along with the first president of the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA), tun tan Cheng Lock and fifth President of Malayan Indian Congress (MIC), tun V.t. sambanthan. spearheaded the effort for independence, leading a delegation of ministers and political leaders of

Malaya (now Malaysia) in negotiations with the British in London for Independence. Agreement was reached on February 8, 1956, for Malaya to gain independence. then the official proclamation of independence was made the next year, on August 31, 1957, at newly built stadium Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur. It was the day we got our freedom which was lost back in 1511. It was obtained after great struggle and long patience.On the glorious day, crowds gathered to witness the handover of power from the British. the Queen’s representative, the Duke of Gloucester presented tunku Abdul Rahman with the instrument of independence. tunku then proceeded to read the Proclamation of Independence, which culminated in the chanting of “MERDEKA” (Independence) seven times with the crowd joining in. the new Flag of Malaya was raised as the national anthem “Negaraku” (My Country) was played.

Celebrating 56 years of independence! CIMB Bank wishes all Malaysians in Myanmar and throughout ASEAN a Happy National Day.

MALAYSIA INDONESIA SINGAPORE THAILAND

CIMB Bank Yangon Representative Of�ce1008 Level 10 Sakura Tower Yangon951 [email protected]

The Republic of The Union of MyanmarFederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry

UMFCCI

PANTAI & GLENEAGLES HOSPITALS - IHH HEALTHCARE BERHAD

“ASIA’S LARGEST HOSPITAL OPERATOR”

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“Our latest Technology”

Pantai Holdings Berhad (Pantai) is one of Malaysia’s leading healthcare groups with a network of eleven multi-disciplinary hospitals throughout Malaysia under two brands, Pantai Hospitals and Gleneagles Hospitals. Collectively, the Group has a total of more than 2,000 beds, with over 150,000 admissions a year. The Group is anchored by a pool of clinical professionals, consisting of more than 700 doctors and 2,000 nurses.

About Pantai & Gleneagles Hospitals

Contact:Pantai & Gleneagles Hospitals Information CentreAddress : Pearl Thidar Hospital, 81/82, Bahosi Housing Complex, Wardan Road, Lanmadaw Township, Yangon, Myanmar.Tel : 09-500 3448, 01-215962 ; Email : [email protected]

Many people are unaware of the many benefits of palm oil, despite the fact that people throughout asia and africa have been using it for centuries. Palm oil is an edible plant oil that is made from the pulp of the fruit of the oil palm tree. The oil, which is similar to coconut oil, is one of the richest edible oils known to man. The oil is fully of many healthy fatty acids, as well as an assortment of vitamins, antioxidants, and other phytonutrients. additionally, the oil has incredibly high levels of vitamin a and vitamin E, making it a wonderful ingredient in skin care products and in natural soaps.

Palm oil is naturally red, although when boiled, the oil will turn

more of a white shade. The redness comes from the fact that palm oil is 15 times richer in beta-carotene (vitamin a) than a carrot. Beta-carotene is a carotenoid, which is a chemical found in common food such as carrots, pumpkins, and tomatoes. Caretenoids are some of the most effective fighters of free radicals that can damage your skin as a result of exposure to UV rays. For this reason, beta-carotene is a wonderful skincare ingredient that can help prevent damage from sunburn and keep your skin from prematurely aging.

as we already mentioned, the oil is also a wonderful source of vitamin E.

Vitamin E can stop the negative effects of UV rays on the

skin, preventing aging of

the skin and even helping treat

sunburns. Continued

use of products rich in vitamin E

can reduce

fine lines and wrinkles on the skin and can also help lighten the scars on your skin.

Palm oil is very moisturizing and never dries out your skin. also, adding palm oil into any natural soap results in the soap having a pleasant lather with nice medium bubbles. Finally, palm oil increases the hardness of the bar and helps it last longer.

Palm fruit oil, naturally semi-solid at room temperature, does not require hydrogenation. It is a good replacement for partially hydrogenated oils for many reasons.

• Palm fruit oil is trans fat free.

• Palm fruit oil provides the same “hard or solid” fat that is required for pastries, cookies, crackers and other items that require long shelf stability and a particular mouth feel or texture.

• Palm fruit oil is odourless and tasteless, perfect for consumers and manufacturers alike looking for healthy oil for cooking and baking needs.

• Palm fruit oil is rich in antioxidants.

• animal studies have found that tocotrienols may have the ability to reverse blockage of the carotid artery and platelet aggregation thereby reducing the risk of stroke, arteriosclerosis and other heart disease problems.

• animal studies have found that tocotrienols may exhibit activity against tumour promotion.

• Cellular and animal studies have found that tocotrienols may inhibit certain types of cancer.

• Palm fruit oil increases ‘good’ HDL, compared to other saturated oils, such as coconut oil.to promote a healthy cardio vascular health.

Palm Oil: A Natural Source of Essential Vitamins, Antioxidants

Malaysia has been extending Technical Co-operation

Programme (MTCP) to Myanmar since 1983 and about

1,500 Myanmar officers have been trained up to July

2013. A total of 87 officers have been trained in 2012

and 150 officers from January to July 2013.

83 Myanmar officials underwent the Diploma in

Diplomacy course held in Nay Pyi Taw on 13 – 16 May

2013 by Malaysian officials. This MTCP course was

arranged to equip Myanmar officials with necessary

skills to prepare them for the upcoming Myanmar

Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2014.

Other MTCP courses that Myanmar officials have

attended this year include in areas such as currency

management, payment and settlement system,

financial services for micro, small and medium

enterprise and the English language.

Future courses available for Myanmar participants this

year include in economic planning and management,

public administration, managing diversity in

multicultural nations, sustainable rural development

and integrated housing project development.

Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP)

IDFR Diplomatic Training Course 16~22 May 2013.

2

Jonas Moberg

LAST year, President Thein Sein announced that transparency in the extractive sector

is necessary to ensure that all citizens benefit from the country’s resources, not just a small group. Since then, the government of Myanmar has committed itself to tackling the opacity that has long characterised Myanmar’s oil, gas and mineral sectors.

Part of this reform involves implementing the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), a global standard that ensures openness about revenues from oil, gas and mining. Thirty-nine countries currently subscribe to EITI standards, while a number of others are in the preparatory stages, including France, the United Kingdom, the United States – and now Myanmar.

Under the guidance of the EITI Leading Authority, chaired by Union Minister U Soe Thane, the government aims to submit a candidature application to the international EITI Board by the end of 2013. Each country implementing the EITI Standard must follow a common set of regulations while also adapting the process to address the particular challenges of their own extractive sectors. For some, transparency is a way of minimising the risks of corruption; for others, it helps build trust and attract responsible investment.

Myanmar’s extractive industries have their own mix of

challenges, all of which the EITI is well-suited to address. But it will be crucial to include the relevant actors and institutions in the design process in order to derive the proper benefits.

For instance, estimates vary about oil, gas and mining production and revenue. While citizens deserve to know what the government is getting when the nation’s finite natural resources are sold off, accurate and timely information is currently unavailable. As demonstrated by the continuous protests around the Letpadaung copper mine, this can cause considerable public discontent: Despite government and corporate claims that the mine is profitable for Myanmar, people continue to be unhappy because they don’t yet see the benefits for themselves.

Under EITI standards, however, Myanmar will publish annual reports prepared by an independent third party. Stakeholders will have access to reliable information about how much extractive companies pay the government for the right to extract resources. This information will inform the ongoing debates about whether or not the country is receiving a fair share, and will be useful in cases like Letpadaung and others recently in the news.

In July, gas started to flow through the 793-kilometre (493-mile) pipeline from the Shwe gas field on Myanmar’s west coast to Kunming in China. With a parallel oil pipeline expected to begin operations next year, and the existing pipelines to Thailand,

transit revenues are becoming an increasingly important source of income for Myanmar. Through the EITI, citizens will know exactly how much the government receives from these transits. This reporting could even be expanded to include verification that oil and gas earmarked for domestic use reaches its proper destinations.

EITI Reports often help to detect weaknesses or inefficiencies in how revenues from oil, gas and mining are collected and managed. Having accurate numbers can improve tax collection systems, allow regulatory oversight of the sector and even lead to the recovery of missing revenue. It can also help stimulate broader sector

reform, including revisions of relevant legislation, enforcement and monitoring of standards and regulations, and more efficient sharing of sector revenues for the benefit of the people. With the EITI bringing multi-stakeholder groups of government, companies and civil society representatives together to oversee implementation, reports can inform public debate about how the extractive sector is being governed.

Another benefit of EITI implementation is that transparency and good governance attract foreign investment. With companies

now bidding for large onshore and offshore fields, and debate swirling over the ongoing licensing rounds, it’s important for bidding companies to know the procedures by which companies are to be awarded licences. Potential investors want to know the investment environment is transparent, which is why many large international companies, including Chevron and Total, strongly support the institution of EITI standards. It’s also important for citizens to know that licences are being awarded to those with the necessary technical and financial skills to develop the country’s natural resources in a responsible and efficient manner.

With much of Myanmar’s natural resources located in areas where ethnic conflict is ongoing, the EITI also helps provide a platform for dialogue though its multi-stakeholder group, contributing to improved

relationships and building trust between all parties.

This is not to say all these changes will be easy. EITI’s success in Myanmar will require continuous political leadership, a commitment to reform and the courage to engage industry and civil society in debates about how the sector is managed.All companies extracting oil, gas and minerals must agree to disclose information about their payments, whether private, state-owned or other quasi-state actors. Civil society organisations, academia, parliamentarians and others, in particular by those living in resource-rich regions,

will also need to be involved in reform. Lastly, the international community must be ready to provide a helping hand where necessary.

President Thein Sein’s commitment to EITI implementation signals, however, that the government is ready to step up to these challenges. The progress achieved so far indicates that the process is moving in the right direction. The next step is to accelerate the consultations within and between each stakeholder group to form a multi-stakeholder group, which will take on the crucial task of designing an EITI process and work plan that’s right for the country.

“EITI implementation alone cannot resolve all the issues in the natural resources sector in Myanmar,” U Win Shein, Minister of Finance and Revenue (as it was formerly known), said at the EITI Global Conference in Sydney in May, “but it can make some important contributions.” He’s right on both points. The EITI cannot solve all the challenges involved in managing Myanmar’s natural resources. But an ambitious and inclusive EITI process – one well connected to broader reforms – is undoubtedly a good place to start.

Jonas Moberg is head of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) International Secretariat and is based in the United States.Email: [email protected]

Citizens deserve to know what the government is getting when the

nation’s finite natural resources are sold off.

Shwe gas pipeline in Rakhine State. Photo: Ko Taik

3

EIGHTY-FOUR percent of rural households are still off the grid in this country, according to the

World Economic Forum’s “New Energy Architecture: Myanmar” report. While rural dwellers have traditionally used candles and kerosene lamps fuelled with diesel in their homes after dark, economic development over the past few years has put a light at the end of the tunnel for some rural households struggling with the costs of non-renewable energy. With new technology finding its way to some of the furthest reaches of the country, the results are as different as, well, night and day.

One company, Proximity Designs, has found an especially effective solution for those living without electricity: solar power. Based in Yangon, the company describes itself as a “social enterprise”, employing hundreds of people across the country and selling products and services specifically aimed at improving the lives of its customers. While many companies might make similar claims, Proximity Designs isn’t shilling luxury goods: It figures out what poor people, particularly in rural areas, need, then sets out to import – or, if they can’t find anything adequate, design and build themselves – high-quality products at prices customers can afford. With a wide range of products and services, Proximity offers anything from technology to advice to low-interest loans.

One of its most successful units, which has become profitable on its own terms, is lighting. According to Chris Page, a business analyst for Proximity, the company has sold 22,000 solar-powered lights in rural Myanmar since it began offering them in March 2012.

Proximity’s lights are made by d.light, a US-based company specialising in solar solutions in the developing world. The US-designed, China-manufactured solar lights sell for between US$9.50 and $33, depending on the model. That’s a higher cost than some of the other, cheaper brands currently on the market, but Mr Page said d.light’s products come with a difference.

“These lights are quite durable,” he said. “We have these three tests: We can step on them, run them over with a motorbike, dump them in water – they’re water resistant. We can drop them out of a coconut tree. Quality is a huge thing here.”

The value of such a reliable product light is obvious to rural dwellers, as it often helps with their work. For instance, rubber tappers in Mon State prefer to work at around 2am, while many rice threshers like to work in the middle of the night, he said.

While solar-powered lighting

seems a novel solution to Myanmar’s energy problem, its success means Proximity is not the only game in town. Over the past two years a number of primarily Chinese competitors have entered the business, often offering solar-powered lights at a discounted price. As a result, Mr Page said, Proximity helps customers look at better lighting as an investment in a brighter future.

According to the company’s research, rural households spend an average of $4 to $6 a month paying for fuel for lamps or candles or other options such as flashlight batteries or diesel for generators. While d.lights may have a higher cost up-front, they pay off over the long term. And to alleviate the challenges of cobbling together the lump sum required for the lights, Proximity offers a credit program, allowing households to pay by installments. This is a major selling feature, according to Mr Page, as its rivals do not offer such plans.

“People are so starved for cash they don’t want to spend more money then they have to on a product,” Mr Page said. “We have to make a case that it’s going to provide an economic benefit to them rather [than saying] this is really a quality light with a cool design or something.”

Another factor differentiating a d.light from a competitor’s model is that d.lights rarely require servicing, while Chinese-made knock-offs often fall apart in a couple of months.

One competitor recently copied a d.light model directly and sold the resulting product in Myanmar. Proximity sold the original at

K29,000, while the counterfeit equivalent could be bought for K18,000. After two months of use, however, the counterfeit light generally broke down.

“We had to register our copyright here,” Mr Page said. “In China,

d.light took action against this [counterfeit] manufacturer.”

Proximity expects its success with d.light’s products to draw further competition. Mr Page pointed to international firms such as Unilever and DKSH as

enterprises with well-performing nationwide distribution systems, and said it was companies such as these that would capitalise on Myanmar opening up. But he also said Proximity’s hard-won reputation and extensive distribution network are key advantages.

For instance, Proximity’s partners in border areas enable it to widen its distribution network beyond where it would be viable on its own. It has sold over 1000 lights in Chin State, and pursued a successful partnership with a Karen faith-based organisation.

“Having the intimate knowledge of rural areas really gives us an edge over [competing] companies,” he said. “Right now in the solar light world, technology’s going to get more and more similar, and so it’s going to be about who can get into communities the best.”

One of the next steps for Proximity is to offer solar panels capable of powering an EVD (enhanced versatile disc) player, which Mr Page said are in large demand in rural areas. Such solar panels are likely a year away from introduction to Myanmar, he said, but the plan is in keeping with the firm’s goal of providing in-demand products to people who otherwise have limited options.

“In the 1990s, rural people, even if they needed to buy stuff, just couldn’t get access to good stuff,” he added. “That’s what Proximity really wants to do – provide distribution channels so people in rural markets can get really good products.”

Thanks to affordable and reliable solar technology, it’s getting easier to keep the lights on, even in some of the remotest corners of Myanmar

Lighting up the night, one customer at a time

JereMy Mullins

[email protected]

A resident in Hmawbi Township in Yangon Region examines an S250 model of d.light solar light, which charges cell phones Photo: Chris Page at Proximity Designs

Source: Global Energy Network Institute

4

ON August 1, the Ministry of Energy posted a notice on its

website confirming that they are discussing an increase in the price of compressed natural gas (CNG), which is used by many taxis, buses and vehicles in Myanmar.

The announcement came as no surprise to taxi drivers in Yangon, who have been hearing rumours about the reported change for months. But it has set off a debate as to whether or not Myanmar, which has always had its own abundant supply of natural gas, should be raising the price of CNG fuel.

Sustainability issues are one reason why the government is considering

raising the price, said U Ko Lay, general manager of the CNG department of the Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise under the Ministry of Energy. He said eight years ago, the Aphyauk gas field in Yangon produced 100 million cubic feet per day. Now, the amount of natural gas produced has significantly decreased, he said.

“Gas and fuel are natural resources that have been given by nature. So one day they will be gone. Gas is not a renewable energy so we should use it economically,” U Ko Lay said.

Another possible reason for the increase, U Ko Lay said, is that the government has plans to divert some of the supply for other uses: For example, the gas may be used for fuel in gas turbines for electricity, in chemical fertilizer plants for the agriculture sector or in cement plants for the purpose of building more

roads and bridges.Regardless of how the

government plans to use CNG, taxi drivers say they are already struggling to make ends meet and have come to rely on the CNG-converted cars as Yangon’s roads have become more crowded and they are forced to spend more time in traffic jams and therefore more money on fuel.

“Is CNG not produced in our country?” said Min Min Oo, a 45-year old taxi driver who has been driving for 20 years. “Other countries can increase the CNG price because they import CNG from foreign sources. But we shouldn’t have to. Our country has so many gas and oil fields. CNG is a commodity which

brings in foreign income, so we should be able to use it freely without charges.”

The CNG price is currently K273 a kilogram, which is significantly less than the price of petrol. Although drivers of CNG-fueled taxis pay less for fuel per day than petrol drivers, they pay more to owners to rent their cars – K15,000 daily compared to K10,000 for a petrol car.

In 2005, the Myanmar government passed a law forcing passenger buses and cabs to change to CNG. However, four years ago the government changed its mind and banned CNG conversion on new cars. Some taxi drivers are hoping that the ban will be lifted and they might again

have the option to convert their petrol vehicles to CNG.

“[Even] if the price of CNG rises, it is better than if they don’t allow [conversion to CNG],” said taxi driver U Hla Kyaw, who now drives a CNG taxi. “Now, all taxi drivers are affected by traffic jams. If drivers stop downtown, they are stuck downtown. And also, drivers who go to the suburbs don’t come downtown.”

Drivers say they prefer CNG taxis for long trips and for when they are stuck in traffic jams, as the fuel is less expensive.

“I have driven CNG taxis before,” said cab driver Ko Thet Lwin. “I started with a

petrol taxi this month. The CNG taxi is reasonable for us because we lose more money on petrol when we have to drive and this affects income. The income is different between CNG and petrol taxis.”

According to statistics from the Ministry of Energy, there were more CNG vehicles than petrol-fueled vehicles in 2013. Official statistics for 2004-2013 show there were 16,460 petrol vehicles converted to CNG nationwide (excluding unregistered vehicles), and 9122 diesel vehicles converted. Vehicles manufactured to run on CNG number 27,623.

CNG cost hike worries taxi drivers

The government’s symbol for compressed natural gas. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing

Mya KayKhine

[email protected]

PeneloPe Macrae

IRAQ’S prime minister on Friday pitched for investment from India to rebuild his war-shattered nation, which is a critical energy supplier to New Delhi.

Iraq’s Prime Minister Nuri Al-Malaki said there were “great opportunities” for Indian firms to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure - constructing ports, highways, housing, railways, schools,

hospitals and investing in oil production facilities.

“There is so much potential,” said Maliki, who is on a three-day trip to New Delhi and Mumbai.

Iraq is still struggling to rebuild its broken infrastructure since a 2003 US-led invasion ousted president Saddam Hussein and led to massive sectarian violence.

This is the first head of government-level visit between

the two countries since 1975, when then-prime minister Indira Gandhi visited Iraq.

During the visit, the two sides were expected to sign an agreement that would increase Iraqi sales of crude oil to fuel-import-reliant India.

Iraq has eclipsed sanctions-hit Iran as India’s second-biggest crude oil supplier after Saudi Arabia.

India reduced its dependence on Iranian oil in the wake of US

and European sanctions on the import of oil from the Islamic Republic.

India and Iraq have historically enjoyed friendly ties.

But while China has been energetically seeking infrastructure contracts in Iraq, and has invested substantially in Iraqi oil production, Iraq officials say India has been noticeably absent.

Iraq has said it may need up to US$1 trillion over the next decade to rebuild its crumbling infrastructure.

“We are rebuilding our country,” said Maliki, whose visit followed a trip to Baghdad by Indian foreign minister Salman Khurshid in June.

Luring foreign investment to Iraq has been complicated anew by the worst violence in the country since 2008.

“We have some security breaches here and there,” conceded the chairman of Iraq’s National Investment Commission, Sami Raouf Taqi al-Araji.

But he said the country had special forces protecting foreign workers.

“We’re committed to protecting foreign workers, they are away from their homes,

they are in our care,” Araji told reporters.

Despite tensions, Iraq’s economy has been growing, fuelled by oil exports.

Indian exports to Iraq totalled around $1.3 billion in 2012, up from $740 million in 2011, according to an Indian government official.

Baghdad’s exports to India - the vast majority of which were oil - totalled more than $20 billion last year, up from $9 billion a year earlier in 2011.

India has said it is keen to “reverse the traffic” by investing in Iraqi infrastructure and moving to a more broad-based relationship.

The country, struggling to stabilise its ailing currency, is also pushing Iraq to accept payment for its oil exports in rupees, Indian trade minister Anand Sharma said Friday.

Araji said Iraq would have to consider the request.

Iran, which has long battled neighbouring Iraq for global oil market share, agreed to take payments for the oil it sells to India in rupees after Western sanctions over its disputed nuclear program blocked other payment methods.

- AFP

Iraq pushes for investment as India seeks more oil

5

AS Myanmar grapples with the question of how to up-date its severely outdated

energy sector, many local com-panies are joining forces with outside companies to explore the intriguing but largely unproven world of biofuels. It’s an industry still licking its wounds after a previous large-scale failure – but those involved say that this time things will be different.

In April of this year, the Asian wing of Nation First Economic Development signed an MoU with local firm Hisham Koh & Associ-ates to develop algae farms both upcountry and around Yangon.

“While algae is an exciting profitable source of biofuel or commercial animal feeds for aquaculture and agriculture, it can also be a sustainable source for a broad range of high dollar value products,” a press release said. “From food to chemicals as well as cosmetics and phar-maceuticals, multiple products from the same algal biomass are possible.”

In addition, California-based green energy firm Viaspace signed an agreement in October 2012 to bring their signature product, King Grass, to Myan-mar. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Viaspace engineers said their specific focus would be on using King Grass to generate electricity.

“We hope to work with our partners to create a viable and vibrant renewable biomass/bio-energy business model to serve the national interests and growth in Myanmar,” company chairman Kevin Schewe said.

Both algae and King Grass need several months to grow to a point at which they can sustain biofuels, so the relative success of these projects will not be known until at least the end of this year.

As previously reported by The Myanmar Times, however, these new initiatives are not the first time biofuel has been introduced in Myanmar. For many, memo-ries of jatropha – the seeds of which were once said to be able to solve all the country’s energy needs – still linger painfully in the mind.

“In 2006, the chief research officer at state-run Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise said Burma hoped to completely replace the country’s oil imports of 40,000 barrels a day with home-brewed, jatropha-derived biofuel,” ac-cording to a report by the Ethnic Development Forum.

Under the government’s plan, 8 million acres of jatropha plants – an area roughly the size of Belgium – were to be planted by 2009. Myanmar wasn’t the only country seduced by jatropha’s

charms: At one point there were somewhere around 250 jatropha projects worldwide, mainly in Asia, Africa and South America but also, yes, in Belgium itself.

“Jatropha was mistakenly

promoted as an almost magic crop that ordinary farmers could grow and squeeze the oil out of to power their engines,” said Carl Kukkonen, CEO and co-founder

of Viaspace.Myanmar’s all-in investment

led to non-farmers being pressed into service, forced to plant jatropha on every inch of avail-able land and even in some areas

which weren’t available, such as fields being used to grow rice paddy.

The plan seemed to good to be true, however, and in the end

it was: The jatropha experiment was a grand failure, folding after one dismal year.

Mr Kukkonen, who spent several decades working at NASA, said that he remains optimistic about the fu-

ture of biofuels in Myanmar, despite the jatropha debacle. Whether other biofuel groups – and the govern-ment itself – have learned from the past remains to be seen.

The rise, fall and rebirth of biofuels in MyanmarFollowing the epic failure of a jatropha roll-out five years ago, is it a case of once-bitten, twice-shy for biofuels?

“Jatropha was mistakenly promoted as an almost magic crop that ordinary farmers could grow and squeeze the oil out of to power their engines.”

– Carl Kukkonen, CEO and co-founder of Viaspace

bill o’Toole

[email protected]

The male jatropha flower. Photo: Wikicommons

6

Petronas / YetagunThe Yetagun natural gas field has changed hands more than once since the first appraisal well was installed in 1992. Currently owned by Malaysian state energy firm Petronas, the project was initiated by Texaco Co of the United States. Development started in 1996, but the following year Texaco sold its entire stake to the United Kingdom’s Premier, which in turn sold its share of the project to Petronas in 2002.

A subsidiary of the Malaysian firm is the current operator of the Yetagun natural gas field, operating in a partnership with PTTEP, Nippon Oil Exploration, and Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise, according to PTTEP’s website. Production began at the site in 2000, and the addition of four new wells in 2004 was thought to double Yetagun’s capacity. The site produced an average of 376 million cubic feet per day during the second quarter of 2013, PTTEP has reported.

Located in the Gulf of Martaban, the concessions comprise blocks M12, M13, and M14 and cover 24,130 square kilometres.

Total / YadanaAlthough international oil and gas firms have drawn criticism regarding industry practices, French firm Total’s activities in Myanmar have been singled out as worth emulating. Called “a responsible investor” by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi during

a trip to Europe last year, in which she highlighted the need for “democracy-friendly investment” by companies such as Total. The firm began commercial production of the offshore Yadana Gas Field in 2000 following an investment outlay of about US$1 billion. With Total serving as operator in a consortium including Chevron, PTT Exploration and Production of Thailand, and Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise, the field has averaged 18.54 million cubic metres (654.7 million cubic feet) per day from 2001 to 2010, according to its website. With some 30 years of estimated reserves, gas from Yadana fuels Thai power plants as well as the domestic market.

Company officials have also mulled further activities in the country, and Total is one of the 61 firms currently shortlisted for Myanmar’s 2013 offshore oil and gas tender.

Pipeline firmsThe pipeline project involves two separate pipelines, the Southeast Asia Crude Oil Pipeline (SEAOP) and the Southeast Asia Gas Pipeline (SEAGP), crossing Myanmar from Rakhine state to China and delivering overseas crude and offshore gas to the country’s northern neighbour. The organisation behind the twin pipelines is understood to be a conglomerate majority owned by China National Petroleum Corporation. Other partners include two South Korean firms (Daewoo and Korean Gas Corporation), two Indian firms (Gas Authority of India Limited and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation), and state-run Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise. While the project pumped its first gas in late July, the enterprise has drawn protests over environmental

and safety concerns. Protesters also said the contract, which was signed under the military regime, should be revisited and that Myanmar should not export gas when three-quarters of the population lack electricity.

The gas pipeline is designed to transmit up to 12 billion cubic feet of natural gas a year, though it will initially transmit only 5.2 billion in the first phase, according to SEAGP.

Daewoo/ShweSouth Korea’s Daewoo International started production at the Shwe natural gas field on June 22 of this year, with a pilot operation of its onshore pipeline and sales to Chinese and Myanmar buyers beginning in July. The firm estimates there are 4.5 trillion cubic feet of gas available for exploitation from Shwe, Shwe Phyu and Mya in the A-1 and A-3 blocks, and called it “the largest oil and gas field in scale

discovered by a Korean company abroad in the past 30 years” in a statement announcing the start of commercial production.

Currently producing some 100 million cubic feet of gas daily, Daewoo says it aims to produce 500 million cubic feet daily by late 2014. The gas is to be sold largely to the Chinese National Petroleum Corporation for the coming 25 to 30 years – equivalent to the daily power usage of 670,000 homes.

Daewoo announced the discovery of Shwe in 2004, and the then-military government awarded purchasing rights to China in July 2008. With a controlling interest of Daewoo held by large Korean steelmaker Posco, the firm is also jointly exploring the AD-7 block adjacent to the Shwe field in the Rakhine basin with Woodside Petroleum Ltd of Australia, and has conducted onshore exploration activities as well.

MOGEMyanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) is the 100 percent state-owned upstream producer. The firm in its present form dates to 1989, though it is the successor to the nationalisation of the Burmah Oil Company’s Myanmar assets in 1963. MOGE participates in most domestic projects as a joint venture partner, and is regarded as a major source of Myanmar’s state revenue.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Energy is currently conducting a tender for 19 deep water and 11 shallow water blocks. Sixty-one companies are currently reviewing data, including industry heavyweights such as Total and Chevron, with the results of the tender expected to come later in 2013. Ministry officials told The Myanmar Times earlier this month that previous tenders had not drawn this level of international participation due to the sanctions.

Who's who in offshore efforts

Editors:

Myo Lwin, Jessica Mudditt

Writers:

Jonas Moberg, Mya Kay Khine,

Jeremy Mullins, Fiona MacGregor,

Ei Ei Thu, Jessica Mudditt,

Bill O’Toole, Khin Su Wai

Photographers:

Kaung Htet, Aung Htay Laing, Ko Taik,

Boothee, Fiona MacGregor, Chris Page,

Jessica Mudditt

Cover & Layout Design:

Tin Zaw Htway, Ko Pxyo, Khin Zaw

A Myanmar Times Special Report

EnErgy

For enquiries and feedback:

[email protected]

[email protected]

Photo: MT Archives

7

Global energy news update

FRENCH firm Technip will lay the world’s deepest gas pipeline for energy giant Shell in the US Gulf of Mexico, the oil services company said in a statement on Friday.

This was the second big announce-ment by Technip in 10 days concern-ing deep-sea pipelaying.

In the latest statement, the com-pany said it was awarded “an impor-tant engineering, procurement and installation contract for the develop-ment of subsea infrastructure for the Stones field,” at a depth of approxi-mately 2900 metres (9500 feet).

The project will be the deepest floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit in the world and Shell’s first in the Gulf of Mexico, Technip said, without specifying how

much the contract was worth.“With the award of this high-

profile project, Technip confirms its subsea leadership and keeps differ-entiating itself through innovation to remain at the forefront of fron-tier projects,” Technip’s Senior Vice President for North America Savid Dickson said.

On August 12, Technip said that with Norwegian shipping group DOF it had won contracts worth 1.35 bil-lion euros (US$1.8 billion) involving the construction of the biggest pipe-laying ships of their type for Brazil.

Technip said that they had won eight contracts from Brazilian oil group Petrobras to lay flexible pipe-lines at great depth.

- AFP

THE prime minister of energy-poor Japan heads to the oil-rich Middle East this weekend in his latest push to promote nuclear technology exports, a spokesman said Friday, despite grow-ing problems at the crippled Fuku-shima plant.

Shinzo Abe was due to leave Tokyo on Saturday for a six-day trip that will take in Bahrain, Kuwait, Djibouti and Qatar, with discussion of Japan’s nuclear know-how expected to be on the agenda.

“Qatar and Kuwait have shown interest in Japan’s nuclear safety tech-nology,” said an official at the foreign ministry.

“They don’t necessarily plan to build a nuclear plant themselves, but their neighbouring countries do,” the official said.

“Qatar and Kuwait are therefore concerned about a possible accident and any environmental impact that might be inflicted.”

Japan has continued to push its atomic expertise as an important export, despite the 2011 catastrophe at the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, where multiple meltdowns cast a pall of radiation over a swathe of the country’s northeast.

An already-lengthy list of problems in the clean-up got longer this week when around 300 tonnes of highly radioactive water was found to have seeped from one of the 1000-odd storage tanks on the site.

Workers looking for other leaks on Thursday identified two more radia-tion hotspots near the containers, al-though plant operator Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) says they were dry and it cannot yet explain where they came from.

While the atomic catastrophe has put a crimp on Japan’s own nuclear power generation, with all but two of the country’s 50 reactors shut down, the government has been keen to push exports of its technology as part of efforts to boost infrastructure exports to 35 trillion yen (US$350 billion) a year by 2020.

Abe, a supporter of nuclear power, visited Turkey in May as part of a wider Middle Eastern tour, signing a long-awaited deal to build a sprawl-ing nuclear power plant on Turkey’s Black Sea coast, in a milestone for the Japanese nuclear industry.

The agreement came a day after Ja-pan signed a nuclear cooperation deal with the United Arab Emirates.

The foreign ministry official brushed aside suggestions that the latest setback at Fukushima might put a dampener on talks during the upcoming trip, saying the government does not expect them to have “any impact”.

The nuclear shutdown in Japan has also increased the country’s reliance on imported fossil fuels, of which the Middle East is an important source.

- AFP

SOUTH Africa may start exploration for shale gas before elections in April next year, the trade minister said last week

“We need to advance the work on taking a decision on shale gas exploration,” said trade and industry minister Rob Davies almost a year after lifting a freeze. “We want to move before the end of this administration.”

The current government’s term ends next April.

Africa’s largest economy, heavily reliant on coal, is mulling nuclear power and shale gas as new energy sources.

The country’s semi-desert Karoo region potentially has one of the world’s largest

untapped shale fields.The reserves are perhaps

even larger than those of its neighbour Mozambique, Davies added, after massive discoveries there in the last three years.

“The gas fields of Mozam-bique which have just opened have about 100 trillion cubic metres of gas, and the shale gas deposit - some of the esti-mates would suggest that it is multiples of the Mozambican,” he said in a news conference.

“If this was the case, this could be a very, very signifi-cant game changer in terms of the energy situation in South Africa.”

If the estimates are ac-curate South Africa could have gas equal to 400 years of

crude oil imports at the cur-rent rate, according to a study released last year and com-missioned by Anglo-Dutch energy giant Shell.

Authorities last September lifted a freeze on shale gas exploration in the Karoo, sparking a national debate and concerns among envi-ronmental activists about the effect on water quality in the arid region.

But Davies was reassuring: “of course we are not going to do this in any kind of irre-sponsible way.”

Its exploitation could create up to 700,000 jobs in a na-tion where more than one in four are unemployed.

- AFP

US scientists said last week that they have built the world’s most precise clock, whose ticking rate varies less than two parts in 1 quintillion, or 10 times better than any other.

The clock, made from the element ytter-bium, could be used for technological advance-ments beyond timekeeping, such as navigation systems, magnetic fields and temperature.

“The stability of the ytterbium lattice clocks opens the door to a number of exciting practical applications of high-performance timekeeping,” National Institute of Standards and Technology physicist, and co-author of the study revealing the clock, Andrew Ludlow said in a statement.

While mechanical clocks use the movement of a pendulum to keep time, atomic clocks use an electromagnetic signal of light emitted at an ex-act frequency to move electrons in cesium atoms.

The physicists built their ytterbium clocks

using about 10,000 rare-earth atoms cooled to 10 microkelvin (10 millionths of a degree above absolute zero) and trapped in an optical lattice made of laser light.

Another laser that “ticks” 518 trillion times per second triggers a transition between two energy levels in the atoms. The clock’s high stability is owed to the large number of atoms.

The new clocks can achieve precise results very quickly.

Technicians must average the current US civilian time standard, the NIST-F1 cesium fountain clock, for about 400,000 seconds (about five days) to obtain its best perfor-mance.

But the new ytterbium clocks can achieve that same result in about one second of averag-ing time.

The study was published in the journal Science. - AFP

IRAN’S representative to the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Ali Asghar Soltanieh, announced his resignation on Thursday without giving any reason, the Fars news agency reported.

“My mission is finished ... and I return to Iran with sat-isfaction,” said Soltanieh, who has held the post since 2005.

On August 15, new Presi-dent Hassan Rowhani named Ali Akbar Salehi to head Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation as part of his team.

Salehi, who holds a doctor-ate in nuclear science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, already headed the organisation between 2009 and 2010 before taking up the post of foreign minister under former president Mah-moud Ahmadinejad.

Meanwhile, foreign minis-try spokesman Abbas Aragh-chi was quoted by the press Thursday as saying “a new ambassador (to the IAEA) has been chosen and will be announced soon.”

Western countries and

Israel suspect Iran’s nuclear program is cover for a drive for a weapons capability, an ambition Tehran strongly denies.

The IAEA has been prob-ing the program for the past decade, and a number of international sanctions have

been slapped on Tehran for its refusal to stop enriching ura-nium. That process can lead to producing the fissile core of an atomic weapon.

Talks between Tehran and major world powers have so far failed to yield an agree-ment. - AFP

Japan’s Abe to visit Middle East in nuclear push

Technip to lay world’s deepest gas pipeline in Gulf of Mexico

South Africa aims to start shale gas exploration by April

US scientists claim world’s most accurate clock

Iran’s envoy to UN nuclear watchdog quits

Iran's envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Ali Asghar Soltanieh. Photo: AFP

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Photo: AFP

8

End looming for illegal roadside petrol sales

AS controversial dam projects continue to pop up along Myanmar’s riverways, activist

groups warn that, rather than developing the nation, these projects are actually contributing to instability, environmental damage and ethnic conflict in many rural areas.

The most well-known project is the Myitsone dam in Kachin State. President U Thein Sein halted construction on the dam in 2011, citing environmental concerns. While members of the Chinese government have recently expressed their doubts about whether or not the project will be restarted, villagers in the

surrounding area report that the construction equipment and building materials from the site have yet to be removed.

Despite concerns and setbacks, the Union Government appears as committed as ever to hydropower. In February the Ministry of Electric Power reported to parliament that six new dam projects had been approved along the Salween River in Shan and Kayan states.

Activists of all stripes, however, have decried the new developments.

U Maung Maung, of the Mandalay-based environmental group Green Activities, has often spoken out about the need for international best practices and environmental assessments on such sites, calling for greater transparency in the decision-making and building process. Speaking to The Myanmar Times, he said

that even when environmental impact assessments are carried out, the results are all too often kept confidential and out of the people’s hands.

In addition, the environmental advocacy group Salween Watch, in their 2013 update on dam construction in Shan State, documented several communities in which projects have brought massive deforestation and damage to the local ecology.

The group’s report also said that dam construction is actively contributing to the armed conflict that has come to define so many rural areas.

In a recent press release, Salween Watch warned that the recent build-up of Tatmadaw troops along the northern stretch of the river is directly related to dam projects.

“It is feared that the Burmese Army will use force to seize the SSA-N territories ... The seizure

of the Kokang area has enabled Chinese dam-builders to proceed with the giant Kunlong dam on the Salween, where construction of access roads to the site by Asia World Company is almost completed.”

Sai Khur Hseng, a spokesperson for Burma Rivers Watch, agreed. “These are the costs of dam-building in Burma’s war zones,” he said.

Naw Phyo Phyo, a spokesperson for the Karen Women’s Organization, said earlier this year that the government and foreign investors should halt all hydropower projects until “genuine peace” comes to the country’s conflict areas.

Karen activist Pati Saw Ko concurred.

“We all want development, but development must not bring suffering and difficulty for local communities.”

Ongoing hydroelectric projects unleash flood of criticismbill o’Toole

[email protected]

THE construction of two hydroelectric dams in Argentina’s Patagonia region has been awarded to a consortium of domestic and Chinese companies, President Cristina Kirchner announced Wednesday.

Local Electroingenieria e Hidrocuyo and China-based Gezhouba Group Com-pany Limited secured the deal, Kirchner said.

Those losing out include Alstom (France), Odebrecht (Brazil), Isolux (Spain), Sinohydro (China) and Hyundai (South Korea).

The dams, to be built on the Santa Cruz river, will have a production capacity of 1.740 megawatts, or 4.7 percent of national electric production.

Kirchner said the new construction would mean that the Santa Cruz river would have the second largest dam after Yacyreta, a dam located on the Parana river and jointly administered by Argen-tina and Paraguay.

Argentina relies heavily on the Yacyreta dam, which covers 22 percent of the coun-try’s electricity needs.

The Santa Cruz river, which extends some 385 kilometres (240 miles), origi-nates in the Andes and flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

Argentine officials say construction, which will begin in December, will take five years and create 5000 jobs.

The two new dams will be named after former governors of Santa Cruz state - Jorge Cepernic and Nestor Kirchner, who was president from 2003 and 2007. - AFP

Greenpeace ship defies Russia by entering Arctic routeGREENPEACE said on Saturday it had defied the Russian authorities by sending its icebreaker through an Arctic shipping route to protest against oil drilling in the fragile ecosystem.

Earlier this week the global environmental group said Russia had refused its ship permission to enter the Northern Sea Route on several occasions citing concerns about the icebreaker’s ability to withstand thick ice.

Greenpeace has called the move “a thinly veiled attempt to stifle peaceful protest”.

In defiance of the Russian authorities, the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise entered the Northern Sea Route early Saturday morning to protest plans by the country’s top oil firm Rosneft and its US partner ExxonMobil to drill near the Russian Arctic National Park, the group said.

“We refuse to let illegal attempts by the Russian government to stop us from exposing dangerous oil drilling in the Arctic.

“The Russian Arctic National Park is a special place full of rare and threatened Arctic wildlife, and faces an infinitely greater threat from reckless oil companies than a fully equipped Greenpeace icebreaker,” Christy Ferguson, Greenpeace Arctic Campaigner aboard the Arctic Sunrise, was quoted as saying.

“If Rosneft and ExxonMobil bring in offshore drilling platforms they will risk catastrophic blowouts and spills that could devastate the region,” said Ferguson, adding the two oil majors “rely on secrecy and evasion.”

Greenpeace said the plans to drill in the protected ecosystem were in contravention of Russia’s own environmental laws.

Rosneft, headed by one of Putin’s closest confidants, Igor Sechin, did not immediately react.

Both Russia and the United States hope that the global warming gradually melting the Arctic sea ice will help them tap the vast oil and natural gas resources believed to be buried in the region.

Putin has pledged to turn the Northern Sea Route into a key shipping artery, part of the Kremlin’s bid to mark out its stake over the energy-rich Arctic. - AFP

Argentine dam deal awarded to Chinese, domestic firmsSanta Cruz River. Photo: Wikicommons

A woman in a creek near Myitsone dam. Photo: Boothee

9

THE illegal road-side sale of petrol remains a lucra-tive business in

Yangon, but profit margins are getting smaller as the number of private petrol stations increase, sev-eral petrol sellers told The Myanmar Times.

Roadside petrol sellers have always been a staple around Yangon, particu-larly so during times when the government was limit-ing the supply and cost of gasoline.

Up until a few years ago, however, roadside deal-ers caught selling petrol without a permit faced steep fines and potential punishment, and often had to bribe authorities. But at the time, business was so profitable it was worth the

risk, say sellers.Now, they face a different

kind of threat – not from the government, but from the free market system. With more petrol stations in Yangon, their business has declined.

“I have been selling petrol and diesel for a long time, about 13 years in Kamaryut,” U Myint, 42, said. On average, he earns K25,000 and sells about 15 gallons of petrol and diesel a day. “We made a lot of profit before, but now the service stations are every-where so we are down in the trade,” he said.

Still, there is a market for the small roadside sellers, U Myint said. Most customers seek out the illegal traders when the electricity goes out in their shops, or when they are stuck in a traffic jam and find themselves far from a commercial station. Others, he said, prefer not to go to the petrol station during the rainy season and will

instead use a roadside seller they already know.

U Myint said he buys the petrol he sells from several sources, often from private gas stations but sometimes from other drivers, both private and government. He said profits are good enough to support his fam-ily – and much better than his previous profession in the cement and brick trade.

“Roadside petrol sales can support my family and help me save a little money,” U Myint said, adding that profits depend on circum-stances. “If electricity is regular, petrol stations are everywhere and sales are not good, then I will change to another job – maybe a rice station or electrical shop.”

Another roadside petrol seller, U Saw Thein, 52, from Hlaing township in Yangon, has worked in the business of illegal petrol for five years. He said profits are better now under the free market because he no

longer has to pay bribes to officials. However, he is not getting rich from his sales, he said, selling only about 10 gallons of petrol and diesel on an average day.

“It is enough to support my family,” U Saw Thein said. “We live in a roadside shop and can count beads and listen to Buddhist literature with a CD player … We will [sell petrol] as

much as we can, but this job is not making me rich – I have just enough to eat and live.”

Ko Aung Khaing, 25, lives in Sanchaung and has been working as a roadside petrol seller for over seven months. He buys petrol and diesel from a private petrol company. Most of his buyers are taxi drivers and private car owners.

“I undercut the price at petrol stations by about K100 or K200, so I’m able to sell about a tank’s worth a day,” Ko Aung Khaing said.

He enjoys his work but admits that times are get-ting tough.

“Private stations are ev-erywhere,” he said, “so sales in the roadside petrol shops are lower than before. It’s difficult for me.”

The rise of legitimate filling stations, with their stable, low prices, are beginning to discourage illegal roadside sales

End looming for illegal roadside petrol sales

ei ei Thu

[email protected]

Illegal petrol stations such as the one pictured are less common than they used to be. Photo: Kaung Htet

10

IN a leafy area along Shwe Gon Daing Road, there’s some serious training un-derway at MTM Ship Man-

agement’s manning and training centre. There are classrooms full of young men in white shirts pouring over notebooks while their teachers animatedly issue instructions.

It goes without saying that oil and chemical tankers are big business globally – however training the industry’s seaman on safety measures is a quieter, yet equally valuable understanding.

“The cargo we carry is often flammable, very highly toxic, corrosive – in short, it can be very dangerous to human health,” said Captain Kyaw Min, head of MTM’s fleet personnel.

It’s so dangerous, in fact, that if a seaman was exposed to the carcinogenic cargo while in the tanker, there is a real risk of con-tracting leukemia.

“So we are doing very serious training here,” he said.

Most of the 14 ships MTM owns and runs are chemical tank-ers carrying what is known as “liquid bulk”. It also acts on behalf of owners in a management function, which includes admin-istering crew wages (which can amount to US$1 million a year per ship), ship maintenance, ac-counting for operational expenses and dry docking expenses. MTM

charges the ships’ owners – some of whom reside in Japan and the United States and include com-panies such as Shell – manage-ment fees, which is what makes the business a profitable one. In

total, MTM operates 28 chemical tankers, eight oil tankers and two product tankers.

MTM’s tankers ply routes all across the world – from the US to South America (MTM’s main route), to Japan from the major oil producing area, the Persian Gulf, as well as an Asian route that encompasses Taiwan, Indo-nesia and Singapore – because “they are all oil consuming coun-tries,” Captain Kyaw Min said.

Singapore cannot produce oil but it has enormous refineries, including Shell’s.

Domestically, MTM has a smaller sized tanker that travels from Singapore to Myanmar, which delivers oil to Myanmar and carries diesel to Singapore.

Under British rule, Myanmar was an oil-producing country. Across the Yangon River in Than-lyin, there is a refinery that was set up by the British and which has still the “potential to be a profitable venture”, said Captain Kyaw Min. It was nationalised in 1962 and has since fallen into disrepair.

“A lot of trees and vegetation has grown up around it, but the towers and tanks are still there; plus the jetty and pipelines,” he said.

There has been talk that it will be upgraded with assistance from Japan – though the project will of course take years to complete.

Meanwhile, as reports emerge in the media about the exploita-tion of seamen and corrupt prac-tices becoming more common, such as issuing false Department of Marine Administration certifi-

cates for unqualified candidates, it is reassuring to see firsthand how stringent reputable compa-nies are about safety.

“No deaths have occurred on my ships,” said Captain Kyaw Min, who has 15 years of experi-ence. According to the United Nations International Maritime Organisation, every year there are approximately 100 deaths on tankers, all of which occured in the enclosed space of the cargo area.

Rather than the dramatic explosions on tankers occasion-ally documented by the media, it is the cargo area that poses the greatest risk to life on a tanker. As Captain Kyaw Min explained, entering the cargo area, which on average holds about 30,000 tonnes of chemicals, is absolutely prohibited until the cargo itself has been emptied.

“After discharge and while en route to the next port to pick up the new cargo, we do the clean-ing. Only once this has been completed can we can go in to check. Even then a person should never enter alone – a minimum of two is necessary.”

The entire tank is cleaned ac-cording to stringent requirements set by international conventions and industry bodies. There are various procedures, including steaming and spraying the area with chemicals. The walls are then washed and samples sent to a laboratory to test for traces of harmful chemicals.

Another reason why the clean-ing is so rigorous is that a tanker may subsequently carry a differ-

ent type of cargo that could have fatal results if mixed. For ex-ample, if lubricant oil were to mix with ethanol, “Everyone would die,” said Captain Than Nyaing Tun, MTM’s head of training and personnel.

In addition to the above men-tioned risks, the cargo area lacks natural light and has depleted oxygen levels – sometimes to the point where fainting is a likeli-hood. The Safety of Life at Sea Convention of 1974 (known as SOLAS) requires that a wide variety of personal protective equipment must be on onboard. There are also different types of firefighting equipment.

“Each time there is an accident, SOLAS is amended to make it more and more stringent,” said Captain Mow Kyaw, MTM’s train-ing principal.

An important step in improv-ing the safety of seamen on tankers worldwide is the Mari-time Labour Convention, which came into force on August 23. In addition to tightening up safety requirements, it also includes measures to better ensure the wellbeing of seamen, such as adopting social security require-ments set by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Senior Caption Zaw Naing Cho has a total of 25 years of experience on tankers, including 15 years with MTM. He studied chemistry at university and was initially hoping to secure a gov-ernment post.

“But I decided against it in the end,” he said. “I feel more free out at sea.”

Jessica MuddiTT

[email protected]

How dangerous is life on an oil tanker?

A breathing apparatus set is worn when entering the enclosed space of the cargo area. It prevents suffocation due to lack of oxygen and poisoning due to harmful chemicals. Photo: Jessica Mudditt

One of MTM's tankers. Photo supplied by MTM

11

Fiona [email protected]

WHEN I was a young woman all we had to live by was candle-light. I was 42 be-

fore we got electricity in our village and the first time they switched it on, everybody started to celebrate. My daughter was 12 at the time and she and all the other children were singing and dancing – I felt like singing and dancing too.

Inside I felt very proud. I can’t explain exactly why I felt that way, but I knew something significant had happened.

Some things didn’t change a great deal: After all, it was only an electric light. We still cooked by burning wood and much of life went on as before. But in other ways things immediately got better.

I don’t think electricity signifi-

cantly altered the important things in our culture, but what did change, and what was so wonderful, was that we were able to mix together socially in the evenings.

Before we had electricity, life was quite boring. In the evenings the only thing to do was to sit under your house with your family. When it got dark we would all go to bed. And that was how it was night after night.

So in those days we would be in bed by about 7pm. After we got electricity I wouldn’t go to bed till 10pm, 11pm, even midnight, even though I am not so young anymore. Living with electricity is good fun. We can stay up talking late into the night, and friends and neighbours can visit or we can visit them. Life is much more interesting.

It was quite a while after we got electricity that the first people in our village got a television. That was very exciting. Everyone would

go to the house where the television was and the people had a video so we could all watch the films. Sometimes 20 people would all be crowded round the television.

I’ve heard people say that television can change people, but I am not sure that’s true. Some of the girls wanted to wear short skirts and clothes like the people they saw in the films, but I don’t think it really changed them. One thing I do remember, though, was seeing the big houses the people in the movies lived in and think-ing, “How are we ever going to get something like that?”

After our house was burned down [during the Rakhine State ethnic violence of 2012] it was like going back to the old days – once again living without electricity. I realised what an important role it had come to play in my life, and I really can’t think of anything good to say about a life without it, apart

from perhaps not having to pay for it. Candles are cheaper!

But having electricity also allows us to do more work in the evening to earn money. My daughter and granddaughters learned how to make beaded crafts from an NGO. Because we’ve not had electricity since we lost our house, they’ve only been able to do that during the day if they have time. When we get our lights back on they’ll be able to do it in the evening too.

One thing I’d forgotten about was how scary it can be when it is dark and you have no electricity.

If it’s dark I am so scared of ghosts, but when we have electric-ity I can put the light on and I am

not frightened at all.I feel proud that we are going to

have electricity again soon. Life has been very hard since we lost our house and having electricity will help us feel we are getting back to normal again.

The government built these new houses for people who lost their homes and we moved in here about two weeks ago. They are still build-ing things and there is no electricity yet, but we’ve told we’re going to get it very soon.

In the meantime, my son-in-law has made something with a battery so we can have some light, but it will be much better when the electricity is working again.

How electricity changed my lifeMa Thein Nu has lived two-thirds of her life without electricity. Now 66, she will never forget the day electricity arrived in her village near Sittwe in Rakhine State. From facilitating late-night parties to keeping ghosts at bay, electric lights made life easier and better, she says. And when she and her family lost their home during ethnic conflict last year and found themselves living without electric power again, the grandmother of three realised just how much she’d come to rely on electricity. Ma Thein Nu told her story to Fiona MacGregor

IN developed countries, solar power is taking off as an environmentally friendly, cost-saving alternative to traditional sources of power. For those in developing countries like Myanmar, however, many of whom lack more reliable sources of power, solar power is more than a lifestyle choice; it’s a necessity. But it’s also a relatively recent option, one which – despite obvious benefits – remains, for the time being, too pricy for all but a few.

In 2008, while researching solar power for a university paper, I found it nearly impossible to find even a 1-foot-square solar panel. Even a big city such as Mandalay had only a couple of shops selling solar panels. By late 2010 and 2011, however, solar panels started being imported from China in larger numbers, and more and more electrical stores started selling them. As the media began incessantly highlighting solar

power as a way to access electricity in rural areas, public awareness grew.

Today, solar panels have been installed everywhere from mountainous areas like Chin State to villages in central Myanmar. Under a rural development scheme initiated by the Ministry of Border Affairs, 16,000 villages have had solar panels installed since 2012, with priority given to autonomous areas and places away from the national power grid. Even Sittwe, in Rakhine State, may be converted to solar power, according to a statement by MP U Aung Mya Kyaw which was published in the Rakhine independent news website Narinjara.

Other reports elsewhere have praised solar as a natural source for electricity and lighting in development project sites in rural areas. All these changes raise one question: Has solar power become indispensable in Myanmar?

U Zaw Win Min – manager of Sun Power, based in Yangon’s Lanmadaw township, which has been in the solar panel market for 15 years – said that for all solar

panels’ benefits, they have yet to really light up the market.

“People still need to know more about solar power and the right attitude they should have toward using it,” he said.

The major factor casting a shadow over solar’s future in the private sphere, he said, is the price tag.

“A person would have to earn about K3 million a year to be able to give priority to electricity, lighting and other lifestyle things. Those earning less than that will automatically spend their earnings

on food, medicine and education.”He said the costs are especially

challenging in precisely the areas which could benefit most from solar energy, as the high start-up costs prevent people from benefiting from solar’s long-term savings.

“We did some surveys in the rural areas,” U Zaw Win Min said. “It is difficult for [rural people] to buy solar panels even by installment, let alone by down payment.”

“They spend K100 or K200 for candles and are reluctant to spend K20,000 or K30,000 on solar panels.”

Panels made in Singapore, Thailand and Japan are typically higher quality, he said, but come with a higher price tag compared to those imported from China, Taiwan or India. While the panels Sun Power imports from Singapore sell for K2000 a watt, Chinese-made panels go for around K500 a watt.

The difference adds up quickly – panels range from 5 to 10 watts up to 300W, with most being 200W

– and U Zaw Win Min said the price difference makes it impossible to compete

with Chinese brands. In addition to companies

like Sun Power, the Ministry of Industry 2 sells a range of solar panels, enough to power eight 3W bulbs, four 5W bulbs or six 7W bulbs. But solar power requires voltage regulators and batteries to store the power as well, and the prices of these materials also depend on the voltage and watts. The system also requires maintenance to keep the batteries and panels in good working order.

The high costs limit solar panel use to government projects and private donation ceremonies. U Zaw Win Min said the market could grow further if more donors were willing to help with initial investments by pushing the start-up cost to below, for example, the K200 it might cost to replace a fluorescent bulb.

For now, it’s only the most affluent – or the most dedicated – individuals who can fit solar panels into their budget. Still, things are changing: As expensive as solar power seems today, prices have fallen 50 percent over the past five years, according to U Zar Ni of Manlay Zar Ni Electronics in Mandalay.

“Sales of solar panels increased three times in the past five years,” U Zar Ni said, adding that sales have been brisk since 2010.

And as prices drop, it’s becoming easier for the average middle-class city-dweller to make the jump to the benefits of solar.

“Many are buying more solar panels because they realise the benefits are greater than the amount of money spent on the system.”

– Translated by Myo Lwin

It’s only the most affluent - or the most dedicated - individuals who can fit solar panels into their budget.

The high cost of harvesting sunlightSolar power is catching on among the very rich and – via government development projects – the very poor. But what about those in the middle?

Khin su Wai

[email protected]

Ma Thein Nu is waiting for an electricity supply to power a light and socket in her new house. Photo: Fiona MacGregor

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