201438747

WWW.MMTIMES.
COM ISSUE 747 | SEPTEMBER 22 - 28, 2014

1200
Ks.
HEARTBEAT OF THE NATION
MP calls for revolution
at YCDC ahead of vote
Yangon municipal elections ofer a glimmer of hope for change at YCDC but
rules appear designed to entrench the status quo, not bring about reform. NEWS 8
NEWS 3
Beer market heats up
Carlsberg to launch new mid-range
Yoma brew to compete with Myanmar
Beer in lucrative sector.
NEWS 18
Scores injured in
police raid on factory
Labour ministry ofcial says he never
feared for his safety after police storm
factory to rescue him from workers.
RECRIMINATIONS are beginning
to y over the attempt to climb My-
anmars tallest mountain, with Htoo
Foundation accusing organisers of not
providing enough equipment for the
climbers.
The comments came as rescue
teams said there was little chance of
nding two climbers who went miss-
ing on August 31, shortly after reach-
ing the summit of the 5881-metre
Hkakabo Razi in Kachin State, and
Htoo Foundation patron U Tay Za of-
fered a K100 million reward to who-
ever could locate their bodies.
U Soe Than Win from Htoo Foun-
dation said the eight-member team
did not have enough safety equipment
for such a challenging climb, while the
two climbers who reached the sum-
mit but disappeared shortly afterward
were only carrying a single rope be-
tween them.
I cant understand why they did not
prepare [completely], he said.
U Tun Aung Kyee, a member of the
University Hiking and Mountaineer-
ing Association, which organised the
expedition, told The Myanmar Times
that while not all members of the
team were fully equipped, the two who
reached the summit were.
YE MON
[email protected]
Climbers
were not
prepared,
says Htoo
MORE ON NEWS 6
Bottles of water and other supplies are carried from a military helicopter at Panangdin in Putao township on September 17. Rescue teams searching for two missing
climbers said they were not expecting to recover them alive, and were instead hoping to locate their bodies so they could be returned to relatives. Photo: Kaung Htet
PUTAO, KACHIN STATE
2 THE MYANMAR TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 28, 2014
online editor Kayleigh Long |
[email protected]
THE INSIDER: The local lowdown & best of the web
Idle kyat
The Central Bank of Myanmar
announced last week that
it will introduce new K5000
notes on October 1, as part of
a bid to combat counterfeiting.
In a move thats possibly
questionable given the intention
behind the release of the
new notes, The New Light of
Myanmar ran a rather specic
description of how these will
differ from the old batch. The
new tender will include a
security thread, a new white
elephant watermark, and a
protective layer of varnish on
both sides.
In local media and online,
there have been many recent
reports of counterfeit bills
circulating. In early September,
police in Tarmwe seized a
number of counterfeit K10,000
notes and a printer that was
allegedly used to make them.
However, anyone with a
signicant stash of the current
K5000 notes need not panic
theres no plan to disallow (or
demonetise) the old notes at
present and they will remain
legal tender, which is great
news for counterfeiters wholl
no doubt make hay while the
sun shines.
State of the Union address
Defence is of utmost
importance for a nation and
a people, Commander-in-
Chief of Defence Services
Senior General Min Aung
Hlaing told trainee military
ofcers in a speech at the
National Defence College on
September 19, according to
an article in The New Light of
Myanmar.
The National Defence
College was established with
the aim of nurturing senior
military ofcers who possess
defence, political, economic
and administrative outlooks
for the future state and the
Tatmadaw, he said, providing
reassurance to anyone
concerned there might have
been a shortage of military
reps entering politics in the
foreseeable future.
Al-Qaeda hits snag in India
Indias new Prime Minister
Narendra Modi has spoken
out for the rst time about
al-Qaedas alleged plans to
expand operations by opening
up a South Asia branch
something that sounds more
like the rhetoric of a bank than
an extremist organisation.
Modi dismissed the idea that
the countrys Muslim minority
would heed a call to jihad as
delusional and declared AQ
frontman Ayman al-Zawahiris
video statement an injustice
towards the Muslims of our
country.
If anyone thinks Indian
Muslims will dance to their
tune, they are delusional. Indian
Muslims will live for India, they
will die for India they will not
want anything bad for India,
he told CNN on September
19. Meanwhile, theres been
no such statement from the
top brass here just yet, but
there were reports surfacing
last week that Myanmar had
reached out to Interpol to help
investigate the credibility of
the threat behind al-Qaedas
expansionist designs.
In brief:
Several NGO staff dead
after drinking game where
they had to do a shot every
time someone said the term
capacity development during a
meeting
Special branch guy casually
loitering at public gathering
not fooling anyone with those
sunglasses
Its really, really hard to nd
enough content to ll an entire
page when the ofce internet
goes down for hours at a time
every damn day, journalist
complains
Next week:
Survey of local bakeries nd
concept of cheesecake has
largely been misunderstood
Callout to photographers:
Now accepting submissions
for Page 2 calendar Yangons
Grossest Street Dogs
Thadar Maria
for NOW! Magazine.
Photo: Htet Aung Kyaw
(Studio HAK)
Style
Statement
Golden Hammer journal, 1971
From the Pansodan Gallery archives
Once was Burma ...
Page 2
Everythings diferent
but nothings changed.
Attendee at last weeks media conference
in Yangon
Elections alone do not make a democracy.
Of course, there is no democracy without free
and fair elections, but they are not the only
thing. There are other things [to consider].
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi addresses NLD members from Karen State
in Nay Pyi Taw last week
DANISH brewer Carlsberg will be-
gin production at its Myanmar fac-
tory next month as the company
looks to become the rst foreign
producer approved by President U
Thein Seins government to tap the
countrys promising beer market.
Brewing is slated to begin the
rst week of October and the com-
pany will hold an opening ceremony
with executives a month later, on
December 5. Carlsberg will be brew-
ing three beers at its factory in Bago,
including Yoma, a new beer speci-
cally crafted for the Myanmar mar-
ket. The groups agship Carlsberg
beer and Tuborg brand will also be
produced at the site.
Yoma, which means mountain
range in Myanmar language, will
compete with Myanmar Beer in the
mid-range category. The military-
backed beer currently dominates the
domestic market with a 64 percent
share, according to research rm
Euromonitor International.
Yoma was selected from around
10 possible names, according to
Carlsberg Myanmar executive direc-
tor U Thant Zin Tun. Though already
used by a number of Myanmar com-
panies, most notably Yoma Bank, U
Thant Zin Tun said that the name
tested well among the countrys ru-
ral population. The beers can will
be predominately blue and feature
a gold-coloured mountain emblem.
Tuborg, which has grown quick-
ly in popularity in China since its
launch there in 2012, will be aimed
at younger consumers. Carlsberg will
be marketed as a premium ofering
with a slightly higher price point.
Carlsberg Myanmar, a joint ven-
ture between the Copenhagen-head-
quartered Carlsberg and Myanmar
Golden Star (MGS) Breweries, broke
ground on their US$50 million
brewery in October 2013.
Dutch rival Heineken quickly fol-
lowed suit and the Myanmar Invest-
ment Commission has said that it
anticipates granting one more licence
to a foreign brewer this year. Beer
producers are eager to get a foothold
in Myanmars beer market, a sector
that has been controlled through a
virtual monopoly by state and mili-
tary owned enterprises for decades
but has potential for strong growth.
Figures from Euromonitor In-
ternational show that the legal beer
market hit 172 million litres in 2013,
with annual growth of 5.5pc since
2009. In dollar terms, beer sales
amounted to US$265 million in 2013,
and have posted 14pc growth over
2009-2013. Annual growth of 21pc
is expected between 2014 and 2018,
when the market will reach $675
million, according to Euromonitor.
Despite the growth, beer con-
sumption in Myanmar remains
low compared to other countries in
the region. Myanmar drinkers con-
sumed just 3.2 litres per person in
2013, far behind neighbouring Viet-
nam, where per-capita consumption
was 36 litres, and the Asia pacic
region average of 18 litres.
There is still a very big market
share out there. There is a lot of
room, said U Thant Zin Tun, who is
also a member of the board of My-
anmar Consolidated Media, which
publishes The Myanmar Times.
Though taking on well-known
brands such as Myanmar Beer will
pose a challenge for Carlsberg, U
Thant Zin Tun said this was not his
primary concern. Instead, he wor-
ries about competition from illegally
imported beer that ows through
Myanmars porous borders, particu-
larly with Thailand. Alcohol import-
ers estimate that about 10 million
bottles of beer are smuggled into
Myanmar each year from Thailand.
Cans and bottles of Thai and other
foreign beers land on shelves in My-
anmar at prices signicantly lower
than those produced in-country be-
cause no tax has been paid. The gov-
ernment has only recently stepped
up initiatives to combat the issue.
We are not afraid of competing
with Myanmar Beer or Dagon Beer,
we are afraid of these illegal im-
ports, he said. We will be killed by
smuggled goods.
Pricing for all three products has
not been nalised, with Carlsberg
still assessing the impact of an an-
nual licence fee hike that was passed
on September 1.
Krishna Jambur, associate direc-
tor at market research rm Nielsen-
MMRD, said that beer is predomi-
nantly drank at local beer stations in
draught form, but that this has slow-
ly begun to change. On-location
consumption is the largest method
of consumption. However we are no-
ticing that of-location consumption
is on a steady rise, Mr Jambur said.
News 3 www.mmtimes.com NEWS EDITOR: Thomas Kean | [email protected]
Constitution committee wraps
up debate on draft changes
REVISIONS to be proposed to the
countrys constitution could be consid-
erable, an ofcial leading the amend-
ment process hinted last week. U Aye
Mauk, the secretary of the parliamen-
tary committee set up to draft amend-
ments to the constitution, said the bill
was now ready for submission to par-
liament and contained much potential
for change.
The amendment bill process has
been nalised, including schedules 1
to 5, U Aye Mauk said, adding, The
bill has great potential to change the
2008 constitution.
The bill will be submitted along
with a proposed timetable for holding
a national referendum, if necessary,
to gain public approval for changes
agreed by parliament.
U Aye Mauk declined to reveal the
proposed timetable.
All amendments to the 2008 con-
stitution require the support of at least
75 percent of MPs in the Pyidaungsu
Hluttaw, but 94 of 457 sections also
require approval by more than half
of eligible voters at a nationwide
referendum.
These sections include 59(f ),
which bars opposition leader Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi from being a pres-
idential candidate, and section 436,
which in its current form gives the
military a veto over constitutional
change.
The 31-member committee was set
up in February by Pyidaungsu Hluttaw
Speaker Thura U Shwe Mann and in-
structed to submit an amendment bill
no later than six months before next
years election.
EI EI TOE LWIN
[email protected]
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi arrives at the Pyithu Hluttaw in Nay Pyi Taw on September 18. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing
Yoma beer
to hit shelves
by December
21%
Anticipated annual growth in value of
beer market to 2018, to $675 million
TIM MCLAUGHLIN
[email protected]
Carlsberg to launch new brand to compete with
Myanmar Beer as battle for market share heats up
4 News THE MYANMAR TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 - 28, 2014
Govt backtracks on sending
domestic workers to Singapore
CITING concerns about exploitation,
the government has ceased granting
permits for domestic servants to work
in Singapore for the foreseeable future.
The announcement represents a stark
change of policy, as hundreds of Myan-
mar maids are already working in Sin-
gapore and the labour department was
preparing as recently as late August to
sign a new agreement with the Singa-
porean government that would have
seen up to 1000 maids sent to the city-
state each month.
U Soe Myint Aung, vice-chair of the
Myanmar Overseas Employment Agen-
cy Federation (MOEAF), said the gov-
ernment was concerned about reports
of exploitation. The ministry wants
stricter supervision of agencies employ-
ing domestic workers he said.
Many migrant advocacy groups have
criticised the government for not doing
more to protect local domestic workers
from the exploitation and abuse that
they say are common in Singapore.
However, the ban applies only to
domestic workers. U Soe Myint Aung
conrmed that construction workers
and others could continue to work in
Singapore, which is home to an esti-
mated 100,000 Myanmar expatriates.
Several employment agencies con-
tacted by The Myanmar Times estimat-
ed that dozens of Myanmar construc-
tion workers arrive in Singapore every
month, though the number of undocu-
mented workers is much higher.
The Humanitarian Organisation
for Migration Economics (HOME),
a Singapore-based rights group, has
released several reports detailing the
harsh conditions migrant construction
workers in Singapore face, including
debt bondage, squalid accommodation
and unsafe work sites.
[Singapore is] so dependent on
low-wage migrant labour, but the prob-
lem is that the government is not
willing to match that with adequate so-
cial support and uphold basic human
rights, said Jolovan Wham, executive
director of HOME.
U Soe Myint Aung said that both
MOEAF and the government were
looking to sign agreements in the com-
ing year to send migrant workers to
Macau and mainland China, where
they would work in the construction
and hospitality sectors.
The UN and human rights groups
have documented rampant abuses of
migrant workers in Macau and China.
Diversifying the countries that
workers can migrate to for work is gen-
erally a good strategy, but it does also
require good mechanisms to ensure
the protection of workers rights, said
Jaqueline Pollack, an International La-
bour Organization migration expert.
These mechanisms, which are not
in place in most countries, include
labour attachs, monitoring systems
for employment agencies and employ-
ers in both country of origin and desti-
nation, systems to deal with abuse and
exploitation and to repatriate workers
when necessary, she said.
BILL OTOOLE
[email protected]
The ministry
wants stricter
supervision of
agencies employing
domestic workers.
U Soe Myint Aung
Myanmar Overseas Employment
Agency Federation
Students protest against the National Education Law outside a university
in Sagaing Region on September 1. Photo: Si Thu Lwin
MPs to vote on
education bill
THE Joint Bill Committee has rec-
ommended MPs reject a proposal
from President U Thein Sein to ex-
tend the transition period for edu-
cation reform by eight years when
they vote on it in the Pyidaungsu
Hluttaw.
The National Education Bill was
approved by the Pyidaungsu Hlut-
taw on July 31. Faced with the choice
of signing it into law or proposing
changes, President U Thein Sein
sent it back with 25 suggestions.
On September 11, the Joint Bill
Committee delivered its report to
the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, recom-
mending representatives approve 19
of the presidents proposed changes
and reject six, including one that
would delay the full introduction of
reforms from 2019 to 2027.
U Myat Nyarna Soe, secretary of
the Amyotha Hluttaw Education De-
velopment Committee, said he was
hopeful MPs would vote in line with
the committees recommendation.
The government needs to un-
dertake reforms to give universities
real autonomy within ve years, he
said.
The Joint Bill Committee also
rejected the presidents suggestions
to make both primary and middle
school free and compulsory, instead
advising MPs to opt for the original
version, which states that free and
compulsory basic education should
be implemented step by step
throughout primary, middle and
high school.
It also rejected the presidents re-
quest to remove a provision requir-
ing the government to get parlia-
mentary approval when forming the
National Education Committee, and
to place some universities under the
responsibility of other government
ministries, such as defence and
religious afairs. If the original ver-
sion is maintained, military train-
ing schools, such as the elite De-
fence Service Academy, will become
independent.
The changes are expected to be
voted on within the next two weeks.
Regardless of how MPs vote, the bill
will become law within seven days
under the 2008 constitution.
It has been one of the most con-
troversial drafted by U Thein Seins
government and the Pyidaungsu
Hluttaw, and despite some changes
is still the subject of erce criticism.
Student unions and university
teacher unions have staged several
protests against the law, in Yangon,
Mandalay and Monywa, protesting
against what they say is excessive
government control over education.
U Arkar Moe Thu, the head of the
teachers union at Yangons Dagon
University, said the union will imme-
diately begin lobbying for amend-
ments to the approved law.
The National Network for Educa-
tion Reform (NNER), a coalition of
civil society groups, has also accused
the government of placing provi-
sions in the law to maintain tight
central government control over the
education sector, particularly the ad-
ministration of universities.
But U Myat Nyarna Soe said
these concerns were misplaced. He
said the law precisely prescribes
public and private universities and
schools will manage themselves. The
law has provisions to stop the gov-
ernment from interfering and will
give students and teachers much
more academic freedom.
Universities will become auton-
omous. Students and teachers can
apply wherever they want to study
or teach any subject at any univer-
sity, he said.
The National Education Law will
set the framework for future educa-
tion legislation. A Ministry of Educa-
tion ofcial said once it is approved
the ministry will also submit the
National Education Law by-law and
laws for basic and higher education,
as well as university charters, to the
hluttaw for approval.
We accepted suggestions on the
education law from all Myanmar
citizens, said U Zaw Htay, a director
general of the Higher Education De-
partment. Everybody has the right
to discuss the law openly.
WA LONE
[email protected]
Bill committee recommends MPs reject six of
President U Thein Seins 25 proposed changes
Hope fades for missing climbers
RESCUE teams searching for two
missing climbers in northern Myan-
mar say they have almost given up
nding the pair alive and are now
simply hoping to be able to recover
their bodies so they can be returned
to their family.
Ko Aung Myint Myat and Ko Wai
Yan Min Thu were last heard from
shortly after ascending Myanmars
highest mountain, 5881-metre Hka-
kobo Razi in Kachin State, on Au-
gust 31.
Htoo Foundation, the philan-
thropic arm of U Tay Zas Htoo
Group, has been spearheading the
search for the pair, sending two heli-
copters to remote Putao. The army
has also provided one helicopter
but bad weather has hampered the
search.
Htoo Group spokesperson U Myo
Tun told The Myanmar Times in
Putao that there is little chance the
pair could have survived more than
two weeks in freezing conditions.
There is little hope left that we
can nd them alive, he said. We
are shifting from a rescue operation
to a search and recovery operation
because We are now looking for
their bodies.
[Recovering their bodies] is very
important for their families.
Captain Som Kiat, one of two
Thai helicopter pilots hired by Htoo
to help nd the men, said conditions
had made the search difcult.
He said he had been mostly mov-
ing food and fuel up to forward bas-
es set up in Panangdeng and Tahun-
dam villages to supply rescue teams.
It is necessary to have good
weather conditions to move the sup-
plies by helicopter and we have had
to wait a long time for good weath-
er, he said.
According to the militarys North-
ern Region Command, ground crews
are searching at an altitude above
4800m, or 16,000 feet.
U Na Ma Johnsein a Myanmar
citizen of Tibetan ethnicity who,
with Japanese climber Takashi Oza-
ki, became the rst to climb Hkak-
abo Razi in 1996 is also among
those helping with the search on
the ground.
Htoo Foundation said that an
American team, led by Andy Tyson,
who summitted a nearby mountain
of similar height last year, arrived in
Putao on September 19 and was join-
ing in the search.
Another Htoo Foundation
spokesperson, U Soe Than Win, said
the mountaineers were carrying a
global positioning system device
known as SPOT, with which they
could alert designated recipients if
they encountered trouble.
However, it has not been used
Chinese civilian
team withdraws from
Kachin rescue effort
A CHINESE team that had ofered
to help nd two missing climbers
in northern Kachin State has aban-
doned the search from the Myan-
mar side after rescue coordinators
told them they would prefer to work
with a Japanese climbing team in the
area.
The news came with bad weather
continuing to hamper the search for
the two missing Myanmar climbers,
who ascended Hkakobo Razi, which
is ofcially stated as being 5881 me-
tres high, on August 31.
Htoo Foundation, which is lead-
ing the rescue efort from Tahonden
village, the nearest to the mountain,
said on its website that Chinas nine-
member civilian Blue Sky Rescue
(BSR) team had found it difcult to
climb [the] snow capped mountain.
BSR is Chinas largest civil-
ian rescue team and, according to
the state-run Xinhua news agency,
the members of the team sent to
Myanmar had once participated in [a]
mountaineering trip to Mount Everest.
A statement from the Chinese
embassy in Yangon said the team
will return to China and travel
to the Tibetan Autonomous Re-
gion to link up with a second BSR
team that, as of September 15, had
reached the foot of Nam In Taung
mountain in Chinas Nyingchi dis-
trict, which borders Myanmar.
Little is known about the Japa-
nese climbing team that has re-
placed the Chinese team other than
that it had been preparing to sum-
mit Hkakobo Razi when the Myan-
mar climbers went missing.
The Htoo Foundation, whose pa-
tron is U Tay Za, a US-sanctioned ty-
coon, has deployed two helicopters,
while the military has also deployed
helicopters, equipment and person-
nel to the rescue efort.
However, heavy rain linked to Ty-
phoon Kalmaegi in the South China
Sea is limiting ights in the area
around Hkakobo Razi.
DANIEL BELLAMY
AYE SAPAY PHYU
[email protected]
YE MON
[email protected]
As search enters third week, rescue team leaders say it is unlikely that missing Myanmar climbers will be found alive
We are shifting
from a rescue
operation ... We
are now looking for
their bodies.
U Myo Tun
Htoo Group spokesperson
Htoo Group boss U Tay Za issues instructions from a helicopter in Putao on September 17, where crews were searching for two missing climbers. Photo: Kaung Htet
While U Tun Aung Kyee did not re-
spond to the criticism directly, he said
the necessary equipment was hard to
source in Myanmar.
The trip was mainly funded by
Premier Cofee and KBZ Bank, which
provided K40 million each to the Uni-
versity Hiking and Mountaineering
Association.
The six remaining members of the
team arrived back in Yangon on Sep-
tember 19 and were expected to speak
at a press conference on September 21.
While Htoo Foundation supported
the successful expedition to the top
of nearby Gamlang Razi in Septem-
ber 2013, it only became involved in
the Hkakabo Razi operation after the
climbers were reported missing.
A Htoo Foundation spokesperson
said last week that it had spent K5
billion on the rescue operation. It
has provided two helicopters, ground
teams, supplies for the search op-
eration and even brought pilots from
Thailand and Nepal, and mountain-
eers from the United States, to help.
While he said that the search
would likely be called of on Septem-
ber 21, members of his foundation said
it was not possible to set a timeframe
and that they expected the search to
continue.
Two search teams are expected to
go to base camp this week. One will
be led by Na Ma Johnsein, who took
part in the rst successful attempt on
Hkakabo Razi, and the other will com-
prise a Myanmar team that has been
training to climb Mt Everest.
CONTINUED FROM NEWS 1
News 7 www.mmtimes.com
Hope fades for missing climbers
As search enters third week, rescue team leaders say it is unlikely that missing Myanmar climbers will be found alive
since they reached the peak on Au-
gust 31, he said.
They used it once when they
were at the top of the moun-
tain and they used it once while
they were climbing the mountain
before they reached the top. But con-
tact was cut after they reached the
top, he said.
Translation by Thiri Min Htun
Htoo Group boss U Tay Za issues instructions from a helicopter in Putao on September 17, where crews were searching for two missing climbers. Photo: Kaung Htet
Political parties split over
peace dialogue proposals
EI EI TOE LWIN
YE MON
[email protected]
TWO competing groups of political
parties plan to draft a proposed frame-
work for political dialogue for peace
talks planned for next year.
The framework is being written
at the invitation of chief government
peace negotiator U Aung Min, who at
an August 18 meeting in Yangon told
them the government would consider
recommendations for all stakehold-
ers, such as what issues should be ad-
dressed through the dialogue.
However, the two groups have
promised to work together to develop
a consensus on the framework to put
forward at the peace talks.
At a meeting in Yangon on Septem-
ber 15 and 16, 56 of Myanmars 68 reg-
istered political parties agreed to form
a 15-member committee to draft the
dialogue framework.
The committee includes members
of two political umbrella groups, the
Federal Democratic Alliance and the
Nationalities Brotherhood Federation,
as well as individual parties, such as
the National Unity Party, the Chin Na-
tional Democracy Party and the Farm-
ers Development Party.
The committee said the political
framework proposal will be drafted
based on the principles of nation-
al equality, self-determination and
democracy.
National Democratic Force chair
U Khin Maung Swe said political par-
ties need to be ready to put forward a
framework when the ceasere agree-
ment is signed in the coming months.
Under a draft ceasere agreement
between the government peace team
and armed ethnic groups, the frame-
work for political dialogue would have
to be agreed within 60 days of the
agreement being signed.
It is our duty to be ready. If [po-
litical parties] can reach consensus
it will help speed up the political dia-
logue, U Khin Maung Swe said.
However, several major parties, in-
cluding the Union Solidarity and Devel-
opment Party, the National League for
Democracy and the Shan Nationalities
League for Democracy Party did not at-
tend the meeting, which was organised
by the Nationalities Brotherhood Fed-
eration.
The NLD, together with the United
Nationalities Alliance, the 88 Genera-
tion student group and a group of rep-
resentatives who won seats in the 1990
election, are also planning to write
a framework for political dialogue,
spokesperson U Nyan Win said last
week.
However, he said this was not the
reason the party failed to send repre-
sentatives to last weeks meeting. He
said the NLD had not been sent detailed
information outlining the purpose of
the meeting and it had also been very
busy on the proposed dates.
U Nyan Win said the NLD has been
willing to help build the political dia-
logue framework so they can reach a
consensus. We can cooperate with
every party on the peace process. We
have always attended the meetings held
at the Myanmar Peace Center. We also
agree that all parties must speak with
the same voice, he said.
Senior USDP ofcials have said
they did not attend the meeting be-
cause they support the governments
policy on the peace process and do not
need to develop their own stance. Sev-
eral USDP members are involved in the
government peace team.
U Khin Maung Swe said he did not
blame any of the parties that skipped
the meeting for not attending. It is
democratic practice that we have to
accept their diferent point of view, he
said.
NBF spokesperson U Zo Zam said
the drafting committee will share its
proposal with all parties.
We will explain our proposals to
all of the other parties, including the
NLD, he said, to get consensus on the
political dialogue framework.
We will explain our
proposals to all of
the other parties ...
to get consensus on
the political dialogue
framework.
U Zo Zam
Nationalities Brotherhood Federation
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With election looming, has
YCDC stacked the deck?
LAST month, the Yangon Region Hlut-
taw made rare headlines when opposi-
tion MP Daw Nyo Nyo Thin proposed
the citys municipal body, the Yangon
City Development Committee, be abol-
ished and reformed.
But what was widely overlooked
was the context in which this proposal
was made: debate over municipal elec-
tions. Even less attention was given to
a statement made by Yangon Mayor U
Hla Myint, despite its obvious impor-
tance: We will hold the election in Sep-
tember, he said during the debate over
Daw Nyo Nyo Thins proposal.
Since then, and with the month rap-
idly drawing to a close, there has been
no clarication as to when the election
will be held, or what preparations, if
any, have been undertaken.
YCDC ofcials contacted by The My-
anmar Times last week said they had
heard nothing about the vote and were
not aware of any preparations having
taken place.
We havent got any instructions
and we have not prepared anything, a
YCDC deputy director said last week. I
think the election will not be held this
month.
Some even said they were not aware
an election law had been introduced or
that elections were due to be held.
I hadnt heard that they will make
an election, an administrative ofcer
from the committees eastern district
ofce said.
YCDC needs a revolution
Daw Nyo Nyo Thin said last week that
the confusion over the election showed
exactly why an election is needed: to
bring about change in the committee
and how it operates, particularly in
terms of transparency and information
sharing.
The committee was ruled by gov-
ernment-assigned municipal ofcials
for more than 20 years, she said. A
revolution needs to take place at YCDC.
She said power is concentrated in
the hands of committee members, leav-
ing township-level ofcials with little
authority.
I would like the committee to re-
duce centralisation, she said. Town-
ship ofces know their local area better
than the central committee so they can
manage municipal afairs better.
Why does it matter who controls
YCDC? Daw Nyo Nyo Thin and fellow
opposition MP U Kyaw both describe
the committee as an all-powerful
force in the city, and said its decisions
often have a greater impact on the lives
of residents than those of the Union
government.
YCDC is the lifeblood of the city be-
cause it controls and manages almost
everything, Daw Nyo Nyo Thin said.
YCDC and the mayor have a respon-
sibility to protect the city and residents
should have a right to choose who will
protect them.
Who are the 1.5 percent?
Even if the election takes place, few
of those hoping for major change are
likely to be satised.
The YCDC Election Law introduced
in August allows residents to select four
of nine committee members through
popular vote. The other ve, includ-
ing the mayor, will be appointed by the
government, which will thus be able to
retain control over the body.
The election will be administered
by city, district and township election
commissions, each comprising ve
members, formed by YCDC. The sec-
retary of each commission must be a
YCDC employee.
Daw Nyo Nyo Thin had argued that
the elections law was invalid because
it states that it was introduced by a
committee YCDC formed according
to the 2013 municipal act, which was
introduced to replace a 1990 law. The
committees current members were ap-
pointed by the government in 2011.
But Daw Nyo Nyo Thins main ob-
jection to the election law is the wide
restrictions on who can vote, which
she said violate the constitution.
While the law states that everyone
is eligible to vote, it also says YCDC
will handpick 1.5pc of the population
to vote on behalf of everyone else. At
the same time, many residents will
not be allowed to vote in municipal
elections.
Daw Nyo Nyo Thins proposal to
overturn the law was rejected by the
123-member regional hluttaw, which is
dominated by the Union Solidarity and
Development Party (USDP) the party
that put the current mayor in power.
YCDC said the 1.5pc provision was
put in place to save money: If all eli-
gible voters in the city of 5.2 million
were given the chance to vote, the
committee said it would cost about
K1 billion to administer the election.
However, Daw Nyo Nyo Thin said the
amount was small relative to the com-
mittees total budget, and it was much
smaller than even YCDCs request ear-
lier this month for K4.8 billion to put
up billboards.
Even some USDP representatives
agree that not enfranchising all eligible
residents is wrong.
If it happens, it means people will
be handpicked to vote, said U Nay Myo
Aung, the representative for Seikkan.
Their choice wont reect the desire of
the public.
However, he said he objected to
Daw Nyo Nyo Thins argument that the
election law is invalid, insisting that the
committees members were appointed
legally by the State Peace and Develop-
ment Council (SPDC).
I reject the accusation that the com-
mittee and its members are not ofcial
because it was not formed under the
new YCDC law. They are legal according
to the law. Even the parliament sessions
were led by SPDC initially, he said.
Elections an opportunity
But Daw Nyo Nyo Thin said the elec-
tions, even in their current, highly
awed form, are still opportunity
for incremental change. The argument
mirrors that put forward by members
of the opposition who, like Daw Nyo
Nyo Thin, advocated contesting the
2010 general election.
A municipal election will still be
an improvement if some people from
the public can join the committee, she
said.
Her views are shared by U Kyaw,
another opposition lawmaker in the re-
gional hluttaw, who said adding elected
members to the committee would be
the start of the reform process.
YCDC ofcials still behave like
dictators. I think a fair election is de-
nitely needed, he said. If we cant get
reform during this term, we will try
again and again in the future.
Despite the importance attached
to control over YCDC, it is unclear
whether the elections will generate
much interest. Little information has
been shared with the public about the
planned vote, and many of those who
are aware are cynical about whether
the election will result in change.
U Kyi Myint, a retired civil servant
living in South Dagon, said the election
would only have credibility if it resulted
in a new-look YCDC that improves pub-
lic infrastructure and services.
Those worst problems those liv-
ing in outskirts townships face are
water supply and waste disposal, he
said. Basically I dont like the current
committee. If a new committee or new
members can improve the situation, I
welcome it.
NOE NOE AUNG YE MON
YCDC staff open a new road in Bahan township in October 2011. Photo: Kaung Htet
Only four of nine members will be elected, and only 1.5 percent of public can vote but some see chance for change
If we cant get
reform during this
term, we will try
again ... in the future.
U Kyaw
Yangon Region Hluttaw representative
IN DEPTH
Yangon Mayor U Hla Myint. Photo: Staff
THREE more environmental activists
have been arrested as their leader, Ko
Tun Tun Oo, faces court hearings for
planting mangroves in Ayeyarwady Re-
gions Dedaye township.
Dedaye residents U Cho Lwin, U My-
int Lwin and U Mya Shwe were charged
under the peaceful protest law follow-
ing their arrest at a demonstration on
September 16. No date has yet been set
for their court appearance.
U Tun Shwe, of the Human
Rights Watch and Defence Network
(HRWDN), said he had no idea how the
case would proceed. This is very pecu-
liar. I do not understand the judiciary
any more. Ko Tun Tun Oos case is not
yet resolved. The authorities promised
us justice, but then they arrested three
more people, he said.
Eleven activists, including U Tun
Tun Oo, a leader in the mangrove plan-
tation campaign, have been charged
under section 61 of the forestry law by a
Dedaye township forestry ofcer.
U Tun Tun Oo, a member of HR-
WDN, appeared in court on September
12 and was remanded until September
16. HRWDN has accused Ayeyarwady
Region Chief Minister U Thein Aung of
avoiding the groups request for a meet-
ing to discuss the arrests.
Cherry Thein
Free vaccines to mark rabies day
Pet owners in Mandalay are being
offered free rabies vaccines to mark
World Rabies Day on September
28. Owners of dogs and cats will be
welcome to bring them to loca-
tions across Mandalay Region, said
veterinarian U Thaung Htike. This is
the third year that free vaccines have
been offered.
The vaccine injection is cheap but
treatment [for rabies] is expensive,
and can endanger life, he added.
Hlaing Kyaw Soe,
translation by Khant Lin Oo
Bangkok Airways to launch
direct Chiang Mai ights
Bangkok Airways will expand ser-
vices to Myanmar next month. The
airline plans to begin ights linking
Chiang Mai to Yangon and Mandalay
by the end of October.
It will also offer a fth daily ser-
vice from Bangkok to Yangon, it said.
According to the Centre for Asia
Pacic Aviation, Bangkok Airways
is the biggest carrier into and out of
Myanmar. In the last year it doubled
the number of seats sold to about
11,000 a week and that gure is
forecast to rise to 13,000 by Novem-
ber, the centre said. Zaw Win Than
IN BRIEF
Mangrove
planters
arrested
Anti-PR campaigners gather
3500 signatures
Campaigners against a controversial
proposal to introduce a system of pro-
portional representation have gathered
3500 signatures on a petition opposing
the move.
The campaign was led by the Mass
Movement Acceleration Network
(MMAN) with the cooperation of other
political activist groups between Au-
gust 28 and September 10.
The signatures are from the four
Dagon townships, Mingalar Taung
Nyunt, Dawbon, Thingangyun and
South Okkalapa in Yangon Region. They
were sent to the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw
and to speaker Thura U Shwe Mann,
said U Myat Kyaw, a member of the
networks working committee.
He said each signature was ac-
companied by a photograph of the
signatory, and identifying details such
as address and phone number.
Lun Min Mang
Flash f loods leave up to fve
dead in rural Mandalay Region
FLASH ooding in northern Manda-
lay Region has left up to two people
dead and three missing, and buried
homes in a number of villages under
several feet of sand.
Members of the Madaya Youth
Social Welfare Association said Yay
Myat village was hit by a wall of
oodwater 1.8 metres (6 feet) deep
and about 450m wide (1500 feet)
from the nearby Chaung Chauk and
Kyauk Kyi Wa Kyi streams at around
4:30am on September 18. Neigh-
bouring Nwe Yone village was hit by
water 1.2m (4 feet) deep.
Mandalay Region government
said on September 19 that a four-
year-old boy had been killed and
a girl, 7, and a woman, 22, were
missing.
State media reported the fol-
lowing day that two were dead and
three missing, citing reports from
residents, and said cars and motor-
bikes had been swept away.
The body of the four-year-old
boy was found about 300m from
his village, the regional govern-
ment said.
Members of the Madaya Youth
Social Welfare Association, which
is providing assistance to the ood
victims, said Yay Myat village had
been almost destroyed.
Photos provided to The Myan-
mar Times show that the ood-
ing left homes under several feet
of sand, and buried motorbikes
completely.
We dont know exactly how
many people died or disappeared,
said Ko Tun Tun Win from the
Madaya Youth Social Welfare
Association.
We saw almost all of [Yay Myat]
village was destroyed. We have come
here to donate rice, oil, salt and
snacks to the victims, he said.
Residents of Yay Myat village in Singu township excavate a motorbike that
was covered in sand during a flash flood. Photo: Supplied/Madaya Youth Social
Welfare Association
We dont know
exactly how many
people died or
disappeared.
Ko Tun Tun Win
Madaya Youth Social
Welfare Association
THAN NAING SOE
[email protected]
Cattle smuggling causes
animal shortfall in delta
FARMERS in Ayeyarwady Region say
cattle smuggling is on the rise, with
animals being illicitly spirited out of
the delta to border markets from where
they are eventually sold for meat in
China and Thailand.
Smuggling is particularly rife in Mau-
bin, Pantanaw, Kyaiklat, Kyonepyaw
and Zalun townships, where a bufalo or
cow can be bought for about K500,000.
They are then resold in border areas for
K1 million to K2 million, from where
both butchered meat and live animals
are smuggled over the border.
The rise in smuggling has caused
problems for farmers, who now have to
K15,000 a day to hire a pair of cows, up
from just K3000 ve years ago. Despite
a government push to increase mecha-
nisation in Myanmars agriculture sec-
tor, cattle are still relied upon to plough
elds.
Smuggling has also exacerbated the
cattle shortage in the delta brought
about by Cyclone Nargis, which in May
2008 devastated large parts of Ayeyar-
wady Region. Farmers say numbers
have never recovered from the disaster.
One former rustler, who wished to
remain anonymous, said he earned
K10,000 to K15,000 for each buf-
falo smuggled to the border between
Ayeyarwady and Yangon regions.
Rustlers normally take ve to 15 cattle
out of Ayeyarwady Region and cross
the border with Yangon Region by us-
ing fake ownership documents or pay-
ing bribes to local ofcials, he said.
But the fate of smuggled cows and
bufaloes has prompted some to act.
Ten years ago, Buddhist monks and
residents in Bogale set up Jivitadana,
or life saving, to combat rustling.
Now, working across 24 townships,
members are responsible for checking
each township entry-point for rustlers.
Legitimate cattle owners have to regis-
ter with the organisation and inform it
if there are changes to their herd.
While these are functions normally
carried out by regional ofcials, mem-
bers say corruption is so bad that they
had little choice but to take action
themselves. While Jivitadana teams
normally work independently of the
police, they sometimes request help
if the smuggling group is particularly
large.
U Myint Swe, the head of Jivita-
danas Maubin township team, told
The Myanmar Times that the organi-
sation works more efectively than the
regional authorities. Cattle smuggling
is worst in Maubin [township]. At least
one or two are arrested every day for
smuggling, he added.
Rustlers sometimes abandon smug-
gled cattle if they think they are about
to be caught, U Myint Swe said. If the
Jivitadana team cant locate the owner,
they donate the cattle to priority town-
ships based on the recommendation of
the authorities. In August they donated
82 cows to Rakhine States Maungdaw
township.
Farmer U Thaung, a member of Jivi-
tadanas Nyaungdon township team,
said that increased demand for meat
from abroad meant smugglers are pass-
ing of bufalo meat as beef. He said
smugglers are regularly caught on the
Yangon-Pathein road, sometimes with
forged documents.
U Myint Swe said the groups polic-
ing of this highway had forced smug-
glers to go by boat instead.
It is more difcult for us now be-
cause the smugglers are using water-
ways because we have restricted the
roads and borders, U Myint Swe said.
He said the smugglers travel in
groups with up to 30 cows and trying
to stop them can be dangerous for Jivi-
tadana members. One of our members
was attacked and sufered an injury to
his forehead when we attempted to ar-
rest them, he said.
Police in some townships help to
arrest the smugglers but we still need
more cooperation in other townships
like Wakema and Pantanaw, he added.
CHERRY
THEIN
[email protected]
CRIME IN BRIEF
Man arrested over beating
of teashop worker
Police have charged a man following
the brutal beating of a worker at a
Thingangyun township teashop.
The man, 26, entered the teashop
on September 9 at about 7pm.
Workers at the shop reported that
he appeared agitated and was
angered when a male staff member,
16, looked at him.
The man left the teashop but
returned shortly after carrying a
brick, which he used to strike the
male employee, police said. He then
allegedly punched the worker and
poured boiling water on him.
The worker was admitted to the
hospital with extensive injuries.
Phony taxman takes amusement
park ofcial for a ride
Police are hunting a man who they
say posed as a tax ofcer to swindle
a local business owner out of
K300,000.
Daw Hnin Aye Khine, who man-
ages an amusement park in North
Okkalapa township, said a man
approached her at her ofce at
about 11am on September 14. The
man claimed to be an ofcial from
the Kamaryut township Internal
Revenue Department and asked for
K300,000 for the construction of a
new building.
Daw Hnin Aye Khine said she
gave the man the money and then
contacted the tax authorities, who
said that the man was not a staff
member. The man has not yet been
apprehended.
Man strangled during robbery
A robbery has turned deadly at a
factory in North Dagon township. U
Myint Aung, 55, was found dead with
a nylon cord around his neck by a
co-worker at a tissue factory. Police
said about K800,000 was missing
from a safe on the factorys third
oor.
Police ofcers arrested two male
suspects a 17-year-old from
North Dagon and an 18-year-old
from Sagaing Region but more
people are thought to have been
involved. A motorbike used during
the robbery and about K1.07 million
in cash were recovered by police on
September 12.
Man declines to press
charges over stabbing
A man has declined to press
charges against a train porter who
allegedly stabbed him with a pocket
knife on Strand Road.
Ko Kyaw Kyaw Latt had been
drinking with friends at the corner
of Strand Road and 42
nd
Street when
they got into an argument with
another group of four men at about
8pm on September 10.
After they left the establishment,
the four men, who had been waiting
in the dark for them, attacked one of
Ko Kyaw Kyaw Latts friends. When
he attempted to intervene, one of
the attackers slashed him with a
knife.
When I was buying betel, they
went to punch my friend and I tried
to mediate but one of the men
attacked me with his knife and I
suffered 18 cuts to my shoulder and
hands, Ko Kyaw Latt said.
The ght was over when the po-
lice arrived and two men ran away.
One was attacked by bystanders and
suffered a head injury. While I was
being treated at hospital I asked the
police not to open a case against
him because we dont have any
grudge and the ght just happened
accidently, he said.
Transgender group wanted
in connection to robbery
A man has been robbed by a group
of transgender individuals after
offering them a ride in his car last
week.
The man was approached by
the group while trying to x his car
near Blazon Shopping Centre in
Kamaryut township on the night of
September 13.
When his vehicle broke down
again near Hantharwaddy round-
about, the ve individuals exited the
vehicle and caught a taxi. When the
man nished repairing his vehicle,
he discovered that a bag contain-
ing about K900,000 was missing.
The suspects have not yet been
apprehended.
Teenager raped by neighbour
A man has been charged after al-
legedly raping and impregnating his
teenage neighbour.
Health workers discovered the
girl from Insein township was
pregnant. She then revealed to her
mother that she had been raped
twice behind her home by a neigh-
bour, 33.
Elephant tramples worker
A rubber plantation worker has
died after being stepped on by an
elephant in northern Yangon Region.
Ko Naung Naung, 20, was sleep-
ing in a tent with his wife in a rubber
plantation in Tapyay Kone village
near Hmawbi when he was awoken
by the sound of an elephant.
He tripped over a tree stump
and was trampled by the elephant
after leaving the tent to search for a
torchlight.
Man attacks atmates wife
A man has been arrested after
allegedly attacking his roommates
wife. The man allegedly poured
boiling water on the woman on Sep-
tember 16 before slashing her with
a knife. He had been living with the
couple in their South Dagon town-
ship home. The woman is recover-
ing in hospital and the reason for the
attack is unclear.
Internet cafe worker charged
with making fake work permits
A man has been charged with mak-
ing fake identication documents at
an internet cafe in Bahan township.
Police raided the site on Septem-
ber 16 and arrested one man, 25, for
allegedly creating fraudulent labour
papers used to obtain work abroad.
The police seized a laptop and other
accessories from the cafe but are still
searching for the owner. Toe Wai
Aung, translation by Khant Lin Oo
Smuggled cattle found on board a boat stopped by police in eastern Yangon Region. Photo: Supplied/Myanmar Police Force
24
Number of delta townships
in which Jivitadana is working
to combat cattle smuggling
Livestock can fetch four times the price in border areas near China and Thailand
Ye Dike given
more jail time
ACTOR Ye Dike has received a two-
year jail term for a bizarre solo pro-
test in the compound of St Marys
Cathedral in downtown Yangon.
The court rejected the argu-
ment from Ye Dikes defence team
that he was unsound of mind
when the incident occurred.
In the judgment, the court
said that although the complain-
ant had withdrawn the charge the
court must consider the Chris-
tian people.
The protest at the church took
place on May 28, 2013. Ye Dike
had originally been released with-
out charge after signing a pledge
but because of a subsequent drug
conviction he was charged with
blasphemy, under section 295 and
295(a) of the Penal Code.
Botahtaung Township Court
found him guilty of both charges
on September 18 and gave him
two one-year sentences, to be
served concurrently.
However, the one year will be
added to the six-year jail term
later reduced to ve on appeal
that he received on April 7 for
drug-related ofences.
The authorities said at the
time they hoped the jail sen-
tence would serve as a deterrent
to others in the entertainment
industry who were using illicit
substances.
Ye Dike was arrested in Bago
Regions Kyauktaga township in
July 2013 with 16 grams of hash-
ish, police said.
Translated by Khant Lin Oo
TOE WAI
AUNG
[email protected]
Ye Dike stages a solo protest at St Marys Cathedral in Yangons
Botahtaung township in May 2013. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing
6
Years in prison Ye Dike will serve for
drug and blasphemy offences
Govt reaffrms rules on killing
cows ahead of Muslim festival
THE Ayeyarwady Region govern-
ment has reafrmed restrictions on
the slaughtering of cattle ahead of the
Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha next
month.
A statement distributed to all Aye-
yarwady Region townships on Sep-
tember 19 said that it is illegal to kill
a cow or bullock that is used for work,
that is pregnant, that has a calf, or is
aged 16 or above.
It asked for cooperation from all
residents to avoid any potential dis-
putes related to the illegal slaugh-
tering of cattle during Eid al-Adha,
which takes place this year on Octo-
ber 4-5. It also called for help to sus-
tain peace between people of difer-
ent faiths.
Teams featuring police, veterinary
surgeons, city development council
members and civil society organisa-
tion members will check cattle due to
be sacriced to ensure they meet the
legal requirements.
U Aung Kyaw Min, a member of the
development committee for Maubin
district, said the government released
the statement to ensure all residents
are aware of and respect the law.
The law already exists but has not
been properly followed. Now they are
reinforcing to reduce the illegal killing
of cattle at a time when the region is
facing a shortage, he said.
Eid al-Adha is a special day for all
Muslims, who mark the occasion by
sacricing cattle, as well as donating
to poor and needy people regardless of
their religion.
Also known as the Feast of the Sac-
rice, it marks the willingness of the
prophet Abraham to sacrice his son,
Ismael, out of religious devotion.
However, the sacricing of animals
is contentious in Myanmar because a
central tenet of Buddhism forbids the
taking of life. At the same time, many
Buddhists do not eat beef because
farmers use cows and bullocks to grow
paddy.
In 2012, Muslim associations in
Yangon cancelled public celebrations
of Eid al-Adha because of growing ten-
sion following clashes between Bud-
dhists and Muslims in Rakhine State.
In some areas of the delta, such as
Pantanaw and Danubyu townships,
Muslims instead sacrice goats or
sheep.
Maubin township administrative
ofcer U Aye Thaung said disputes
between buyers and sellers occur
regularly around the Eid al-Adha fes-
tival, normally because a Muslim has
bought a cow but later found out it
would be illegal to sacrice it. This
also results in arguments with of-
cials trying to implement the law, he
said.
In other cases, people use the festi-
val as a pretext for slaughtering cattle
illegally.
We do not restrict [the celebration
of ] Eid or ritual sacrices but there
are opportunists who use this event
to kill illegally, he said. We want to
prevent these problems.
CHERRY THEIN
[email protected]
The law already
exists but has not
been properly
followed.
U Aung Kyaw Min
Maubin district
development committee
EU project to support production
of fuel-effcient cooking stoves
THE European Union and a French
NGO are to fund a project to sell
new cooking stoves in Ayeyarwady,
Magwe, Mandalay and Sagaing re-
gions that supporters say are 40 per-
cent more energy efcient than My-
anmars traditional wood-burning
stoves.
Advocates say the introduction of
more efcient stoves could slow de-
forestation, which is in part driven
by demand for rewood and charcoal.
Minister for Environmental Con-
servation and Forestry U Win Tun
told journalists in Nay Pyi Taw last
week that rewood and charcoal
accounts for more than three-quar-
ters of all power consumption in
Myanmar.
Using improved cooking stoves,
rewood consumption and residents
dependence on the forest will fall and
deforestation will also decrease, he
said.
He added that the stoves can save
a household in a rural area 1 tonne
of rewood each year. Currently ru-
ral households use approximately 2.5
tonnes each year.
Over the next four years the
ministry will receive US$3.1 mil-
lion 80 percent of it from the EU
and 20pc from the Groupe nergies
Renouvelables, Environnement et
Solidarits, or GERES to fund the
manufacture, marketing and sale of
the improved stoves.
Using more efcient stoves could
have more than environmental ad-
vantages. It should also minimise
accidental res and smoke inhala-
tion, the latter of which has been
linked to respiratory diseases such as
pneumonia.
U Zaw Zaw Han, head of Ever
Green Group, which is working with
the ministry on the project, said he
aims to deliver the stoves to 300,000
households by establishing more
than 50 stove makers and about 200
dealers.
People want to use [improved
stoves] but they are not available in
the market We must try [to make
it] that easy for them to buy every-
where, he said.
Sitagu Sayadaw Ashin Nyanissara shakes hands with
Pakistans ambassador to Myanmar on September 16
after donating US$10,000 to help those afected by recent
ooding in Pakistan.
PYAE THET PHYO
[email protected]
IN PICTURES
PHOTO: NAING WIN TUN
Anger after
union teachers
transferred
from Yangon
UNIVERSITY teachers have ac-
cused the Ministry of Education
of transferring them from Yangon
to regional universities because
of their involvement in union
activities.
After months of delays, the
ministry issued transfer orders for
university staf on June 17.
More than 20 university teach-
ers active in teacher unions at
universities in Yangon Region
where transferred outside of the
city, said U Arkar Moe Thu, head
of the teachers union at Dagon
University.
The teachers were transferred
to universities in Monywa in Saga-
ing Region, Pathein and Hinthada
in Ayeyarwady Region, Sittwe in
Rakhine State, Taungoo in Bago
Region, and Myeik and Dawei in
Tanintharyi Region, he said.
The government has sent them
to remote areas to break down
the teacher unions but I think it
will just mean they will do their
activities in those places instead,
he said, adding that all the vacant
positions in the unions had since
been lled through new elections.
However, senior university of-
cials said last week the transfers
were ordered according to min-
istry guidelines and had nothing
to do with involvement in union
activities.
If someone believes they were
transferred [incorrectly] they can
complain but I havent received
any reports of dissatisfaction
with the transfers, said U Khine
Myae, the rector of East Yangon
University and a former deputy
director of the Higher Education
Department said.
He said the process was trans-
parent, as teachers already know
in advance that they are in line to
be transferred.
But U Arkar Moe Thu said the
transfer process was prone to cor-
ruption, with university teachers
paying to receive better postings
or not be transferred, and trouble-
some teachers given less prestig-
ious positions.
In mid-June, just before the re-
lease of the transfers, the Myanmar
Teachers Federation, which was
formed by teachers unions from
12 universities on May 28, released
a statement calling on the ministry
to ensure the process is transpar-
ent and fair. The federation has
also been a major critic of the min-
istry-backed National Education
Law, which is in the nal stages of
being approved by parliament.
But U Khine Myae rejected sug-
gestions that the transfers were
used as a punishment.
He said the transfers were
based on teachers performance
as rated by their colleagues and
students.
An ofcial from the Ministry
of Education in Nay Pyi Taw, who
asked not to be named, also reject-
ed the accusations but declined to
comment further.
Among those transferred was U
Than Htike. Head of the teachers
union at East Yangon University
for the past two years, he is now a
deputy lecturer in the History De-
partment at Pathein University. He
previously spent nine years at East
Yangon University.
I think the government has
done this to weaken our [union]
activities, even though they made
it appear like it is in line with their
policy, he said.
He said four of the seven execu-
tive committee members from East
Yangons union have been trans-
ferred to other universities.
WA LONE
[email protected]
Ministry of Education insists university teachers
were not transferred because of union involvement
2.5
Average annual rewood use,
in tonnes, per rural household
Speaker to
push Malaysia
on murders
UPPER house speaker U Khin Aung
Myint has promised to send a letter to
his counterpart in Malaysia expressing
concern at the number of Myanmar
citizens who have been killed in the
country in recent years.
U Khin Aung Myint said he would
send the letter after receiving a report
from the Amyotha Hluttaw Human
Rights Committee on those who have
been killed, as well as the apparent
attempt to assassinate two prominent
Rakhine MPs in February.
The committee should seek the
help of the Ministry of Home Afairs,
the Ministry of Labour and other gov-
ernment departments to compile the
report, he said.
U Khin Aung Myint made the
comment in response to a ques-
tion from U Khing Maung Latt, the
Amyotha Hluttaw representative
for constituency 6 in Rakhine State,
who asked how the government was
responding to attacks on Myanmar
nationals in Malaysia.
In February a pro-democracy ac-
tivist was killed in Kuala Lumpur just
a day before two gunmen on a motor-
cycle shot at Rakhine National De-
velopment Party boss U Aye Maung
and Arakan League for Democracy
chair U Aye Thar Aung. The two
later blamed the attack on Islamic
terrorists.
In June 2013 a number of Myan-
mar migrants were killed in Malay-
sia following a spike in violence be-
tween Buddhists and Muslims. The
killings were believed to have been
sparked by the communal violence
in Myanmar. Malaysia is home to a
large number of both migrant work-
ers and refugees from Myanmar,
with the refugees mostly Muslim and
Christian.
Myanmar Buddhists allege there is
at least one killing per month, typi-
cally a stabbing, and complain that
Malaysias Muslim-dominated police
force has not solved any of them.
But Deputy Minister for Home
Afairs Brigadier General Kyaw Zan
Myint said Myanmar had to respect
Malaysias national sovereignty.
Crimes that happen in another
country should be punished by the
law of that country. There needs to
be awareness that we have no right to
interfere with their investigation or
judicial processes, he said.
In regard to the attack on the Ra-
khine politicians, Brig Gen Kyaw Zan
Myint said Myanmar police are co-
operating with their counterparts in
Malaysia to apprehend the gunmen.
Translation by Zar Zar Soe
Upper house calls for stronger
focus on Rakhine development
UPPER house MPs have called on the
government to improve the lives of
Rakhine people as its national duty,
with speaker U Khin Aung Myint urg-
ing it to speed up development pro-
jects in Rakhine State to combat wide-
spread poverty.
Magwe Region representative U
Hla Swe submitted the proposal on
September 15, calling on the govern-
ment to encourage the patriotic
Rakhine people by helping them de-
velop the state.
The proposal was approved 152
votes to 10, with 12 members abstain-
ing. Speaker U Khin Aung Myint said
development projects should focus on
creating more opportunities to gener-
ate income in order to reduce the pov-
erty rate.
If each persons income is high,
there will be a lot of good conse-
quences. For example, the number
of Rakhine people will increase, he
said.
Rakhine State is the second-poorest
state or region in Myanmar, with more
than 40 percent of the population liv-
ing below the poverty line, according
to United Nations gures.
Responding to the proposal, Deputy
Minister for Border Afairs Major Gen-
eral Tin Aung Chit said stability, securi-
ty, infrastructure, health and education
need to be improved in Rakhine State
in addition to household income.
He said the government is work-
ing on a number of projects in Ra-
khine, including the 1833-acre, K74
billion Ponnagyun Industrial Zone,
the Kyaukpyu Special Economic Zone,
and the Rathedaung Agriculture and
Livestock Zone, which will cover
15,641 acres.
Meanwhile, a hotel zone in Mrauk
Oos Htamamrit ward will also create
job opportunities and help to develop
the tourism sector, he said.
From 2018-19, power will be sup-
plied by the Thahtay Chaung hydro-
power project in Thandwe township,
while the townships of Ann, Taung-
gok, Thandwe, Ramree, Kyaukpyu,
Ponnagyun, Sittwe, Mrauk Oo, Minbya
and Kyauktaw will be connected to the
national grid from December, he said.
MPs approve request for
$270m in foreign loans
THE Pyidaungsu Hluttaw government
has requested parliament approval for
US$270 million in low-interest and in-
terest-free loans from the World Bank,
South Korea and Italy.
Half of a $200 million interest-free
loan from the World Bank would go
toward an Ayeyarwady River manage-
ment project, while the other half is for
improving healthcare, particularly to
make maternal and infant care more
afordable, President U Thein Sein said
in a letter to parliament requesting the
funds. The requests were approved on
September 18 and 19.
The Ayeyarwady waterways pro-
ject, which will be implemented by
the Ministry of Transportation, will
upgrade the water transport system,
maintain the course of the river, pro-
mote water resources management
and monitor the weather.
The government also requested
approval for a $26 million loan from
Italian Development Cooperation and
a $45 million loan from South Koreas
Economic Development Cooperation
Fund.
The latter will be used to purchase
100 railway carriages, including 20 air-
conditioned carriages, 20 upper-class
carriages and 60 regular carriages,
Deputy Minister for Railways U Myint
Thein said.
He said 30 percent of Myanma
Railways trains are very old, while
half of its carriages are in very bad
condition.
PYAE THET
PHYO
[email protected]
Workers who returned from Malaysia with the help of Kanbawza company wait at Yangon airport in October 2013. Photo: Boothee
PYAE THET PHYO
[email protected]
HTOO THANT
[email protected]
50%
Percentage of Myanma Railways
carriages in very bad condition
Coal debate fres up in Pathein
THE debate on the building of a coal-
red power plant in Ayeyarwady Re-
gions Pathein township has intensi-
ed, with Ayeyarwady Region Chief
Minister U Thein Aung appearing
to ofer the strongest indication yet
that the government plans to proceed
with the project despite community
opposition.
The chief minister discussed the
issue at the civil society organisation
forum held in Maubin on September
6-7. Speaking following a fact-nding
visit to Japan and Thailand, the minis-
ter said most projects had side efects,
but a choice had to be made.
If we have to supply more than
1000MW, coal is one of the options,
he said. We welcome complaints and
comments, but we need true informa-
tion and voices from the grassroots.
He said the plant was one of a
number of long-term and short-term
development projects being undertak-
en by the regional government. Others
include a four-lane highway project
between Yangon and Pathein, and gar-
ment factories in Pathein and Maubin.
All the development projects aim
to benet the region, he said.
Residents who attended the forum
said they were unhappy at the minis-
ters comments on coal-red plants.
The chief minister seems to favour
the project whether there are negative
side efects or not, said U Tin Shwe of
Pyapon township.
Another resident, Daw Moe Moe
Aye of Maubin, said the community
should participate in decision-making
if the projects are intended to serve the
public. Nowadays the government lis-
tens to the public but they still do what
they want. Ofcials say [a decision is
based on] government policy, the com-
pany says the government has already
granted permission, and then NGOs
come to give awareness training. So
what we are going to do? she said.
The coal power plant, in Nganyout-
kaung sub-township, will be built by
Indias Tata company and have an in-
stalled capacity of 660 megawatts. It is
scheduled for completion by 2019, ac-
cording to an agreement the company
signed with the Ministry of Electric
Power in April 2013. The company said
it could have a second 660MW plant
ready by 2020.
While the project will provide
electricity to Ayeyarwady Region
and spur job creation, some resi-
dents and NGOs in the state capi-
tal Pathein are calling on the gov-
ernment to reassess the project to
minimise its negative impacts and
boost the benets it brings to the
community.
But not all are opposed to the
plant. Nganyoutkaungs 51 villages
are organised into 11 village-tracts, of
which two support the project.
A number of residents said they
did not know the details of the project
and are asking for greater transpar-
ency, but some expressed surprise at
the support received by the project.
Transparency is not just a word, but
requires action. We should know as
much as possible about this project
at the earliest stage, said Nganyout-
kaung resident Ko Soe.
The local authorities have not
conrmed rumours of major com-
pensation to be paid to residents in
the project area. Some are pleased
at the ofer, but we should consider
the side efects if the project is run
for a long period. I doubt that the
project would benet our region,
said Ko Soe.
Dr Kyaw Thu, director of Paung
Ku organisation, suggested that the
government should consider pub-
lic opinion before they take a deci-
sion that might afect the public,
as well as ordering impact assess-
ments. These should be carried out
by a recognised assessment agency,
whether the project is publicly or
privately managed, he said.
U Naing Lin Htut, a member of
a civil society organisation partici-
pating in the Extractive Industries
Transparency Initiative (EITI), told
The Myanmar Times that they would
assess demands and support for the
projects. We wont try to persuade
residents one way or the other, but
will provide information on coal-
red power plants and let them de-
cide what they really want, because
thats their right, he said.
Members of the Myanmar Alli-
ance for Transparency and Account-
ability, a coalition of civil society
groups working on improving trans-
parency and supporting the coun-
trys EITI application process, are
lobbying the government to conduct
formal environmental and social im-
pact assessments.
The alliance plans to organise a
workshop on the issue in late Sep-
tember featuring representatives
from the government, company and
political parties, as well as residents
and experts.
A civil society representative writes on a whiteboard at the CSO Forum held in Maubin township, Ayeyarwady Region, on September 6-7. Photo: Cherry Thein
FEATURE
CHERRY
THEIN
[email protected]
The chief minister
seems to favour the
project whether
there are negative
side efects or not.
U Tin Shwe
Pyapon township resident
IN PICTURES
PHOTO: SI THU LWIN
Concerns raised
over poorly built
school buildings
PRIVATE developers who out safety
rules and build substandard schools
could face prosecution if MPs man-
age to bring a proposed crackdown
into efect. Amyotha Hluttaw Speak-
er U Khin Aung Myint told the house
on September 11 that building codes
for school construction had to be
respected.
The speaker was responding to
U Pe Thaung, Amyotha Hluttaw
representative for constituency 6 of
Kachin State, who asked what action
the government would take against
contractors for non-compliance with
the building regulations and safety
norms laid down by the Ministry of
Education.
U Pe Thaung said residents in
his constituency were complaining
about a company that had failed to
comply with building regulations
for three schools in the Indawgyi
Lake area and Paung Laung village
tract, which they said were shoddily
built.
We need tighter supervision of
building works to ensure compli-
ance with safety norms. If compa-
nies dont follow the rules, we should
take decisive action, including pros-
ecution and blacklisting. We should
not tolerate such wicked deeds, said
U Khin Aung Myint.
He expressed concern that some
MPs might be reluctant to take the
issue further because they run con-
struction rms. If the problem is not
addressed, one option would be to
give building contracts to the Min-
istry of Construction instead of the
private sector, he said.
Most construction companies
have been founded only in the past
few years, and some of them are
owned by MPs and their families.
This seems to make it difcult for the
inspectors examining the buildings
strength and quality, he said.
Deputy Minister for Education U
Thant Shin said contractors ought to
follow the ministrys quality require-
ments and should not alter a build-
ings type and design at will.
The Basic Education Department
will grant permission for changing a
buildings type and design only af-
ter detailed representations. We will
take action against those do not com-
ply with the regulations, he said.
In the event of public complaints
about building quality, the ministry
generally asked the contractor to
re-build in accordance with ofcial
requirements under government su-
pervision, he said.
Teams from 14 villages in Mandalay Regions Amarapura township took
part in an annual traditional boat race festival in front of Shwe Kyet
Yet Pagoda on September 15 and 16. The winning 15-member team took
home K300,000 in prize money.
PYAE THET PHYO
[email protected]
MDY to get street lights in bid to cut crime
LIGHTS powered by 80-watt LED
bulbs are to be installed on some
of Mandalays major streets in a bid
to cut crime but residents have
been told to pay for some of the
installation.
Mandalay Mayor U Aung Maung
told parliament last week that street
lights would be installed at 20
places on Sagaing Road and east of
Kandawgyi junction, and 15 places
on Pyin Oo Lwin Road, Bobogyi nat
shrine and Theikpan Road.
The pledge came after two MPs
told the regional hluttaw they were
concerned about rising crime rates,
which they attributed in part to the
lack of street lighting. Figures from
the Mandalay district police ofce
show that crime, particularly rob-
bery, increased 50 percent between
January and May compared to the
same time last year.
I had to ask [for street lighting]
because of the [growing] number of
crimes, such as robbery and murder,
that are committed in the dark. I
think those crimes will decrease if
there are street lights at night, said
representative U Thein Lwin from
Pyigyitagun 1 constituency.
Although Mandalay City Devel-
opment Committee has agreed to
install the street lights, residents
said they will have to pay to run elec-
tricity cables into their wards so the
lights can receive power.
Si Thu Lwin, translation by
Thiri Min Htun
Saya Min Theinkha and The Ladys destiny
LAST month was the 26th anniver-
sary of the August 8, 1988 better
known as 8888, the uprising that
brought about the end of 26 years of
rule by the Burma Socialist Pro-
gramme Party.
A quarrel between three students
from Rangoon Institute of Technol-
ogy and four drunken youths at
the Sandar Win teashop in West
Gyogone ward on March 12, 1988,
was the spark that lit the peoples
revolution. But in the background
people had been disgruntled at their
leaders for a long time before the
regime fell.
As Dr Than Tun has noted, Big
changes and explosive situations do
not happen suddenly but at a time of
an accumulation of discontent and
divergent opinions.
During the period when the
BSPP known colloquially as Ma
Sa La ruled Myanmar, there were
many crises, including the bombing
of the student union building in July
1962, the unrest in the aftermath of
U Thants funeral in December 1974
and the demonetisation of 1987.
The 8888 uprising sprang from
these previous events. Students led
the outbreak of civil unrest without
instigation from underground groups
and armed forces. Everyone from
primary school students and monks
to civil servants, soldiers and even
police joined the demonstrations.
Writers and artists were no difer-
ent. Among them, famous writer and
astrologer Min Theinkha became a
constant presence at public speeches
that the group of writers and artists,
of which I was a member, conducted
around Yangon.
Those who spoke at our events
would stand on an old iron water
tank beside the entrance to the
cardiac ward at Yangon General
Hospital as a podium. It was here
that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi spoke
publicly for the rst time on August
24. Our group also took an informal
role when she delivered her famous
speech at the western entrance of
Shwedagon Pagoda two days later.
However, Saya Min Theinkha had
become involved partly by chance.
In order to fund our activities, we
requested donations from those who
were close to our members.
One day, writer and movie direc-
tor Maung Wanna, Ko Myo Myint
Nyein and I went to the corner of
Bogyoke Aung San market and 29
th

Street where Saya Min Theinkha
lived at the time. He said he would
donate K500 but couldnt give it
immediately because his wife had
locked the cupboard in which he
kept it.
He ofered to bring it to us, and
we agreed to wait for him at Sabei
Oo bookshop on Mahabandoola
Garden Street. By the time he ar-
rived, however, wed all gone to the
hospital for the public speeches.
When we saw him arrive at the
hospital, we announced, Dear audi-
ence, famous writer Min Theinkha,
who strongly supports our democ-
racy movement, has come here to
make a speech.
He was taken to the podium
before he had time to refuse.
While he had no intention to
make a speech that day, he was soon
regularly delivering pro-democracy
speeches across the city. Recordings
of his speeches spread throughout
the country on cassette tape.
One public speech at the Ma Sa
Min Theinkha. Photo: Supplied
While serving a life sentence in Insein Prison for his role in the 1988 uprising, the noted author and astrologer Min Theinkha made a bold prediction about Daw Aung San Suu Kyis presidential chances
MAUNG
THWE THIT
[email protected]
MPs okay controversial
irrigation channel
THE Pyidaungsu Hluttaw on Sep-
tember 19 approved funding for a
K4.5 billion (US$4.64 million) ir-
rigation project in Sagaing Region,
despite concerns that it is being pri-
oritised because it is the native area
of a government minister.
In a message to the Pyidaungsu
Hluttaw, President U Thein Sein
had urged MPs to approve the
14-kilometre (8.7 mile) channel in
Pale township, saying the channel
would benet the area by enabling
irrigation of 9000 acres of farm-
land.
The president also said that the
government would support and
compensate farmers whose land
will be ooded. The Deputy Min-
ister for Agriculture and Irrigation
U Khin Zaw told the hluttaw that a
list of farmers in the area was being
drawn up and the ministry would
work with the regional government
on compensating them.
Some MPs spoke out against the
proposal on the grounds it would
ood 700 acres of farmland and
they were concerned it was being
done to favour the home region of
Minister for Cooperatives U Kyaw
Hsan.
When a question about solving
the problem of insufcient drinking
water in Haka [in Chin State] in the
summer was raised, they answered
that it would happen next year. For
Pale township, they do this right
away because it is a Union minis-
ters native area and a place other
ministers regularly visit, said U
Saw Taw Pale, an Amyotha Hluttaw
representative from Kayin State.
But U Khin Zaw said the chan-
nel is needed to provide water from
Myauk Yama Dam because two oth-
er dams do not have the capacity to
irrigate the elds. Translation by
Myat Su Mon Win
HTOO THANT
[email protected]
New religious group set
up to support Ma Ba Tha
A NEW grouping has been formed
to support the conservative Bud-
dhist Ma Ba Tha movement, with
the stated aim of ending conict
and getting nationalist youth
more involved in religious afairs.
Senior monks and members of
Ma Ba Tha known in English as
the Committee for the Protection
of Nationality and Religion es-
tablished the Vamsanurakkhita
Association of Myanmar (Central)
on September 14 at Ywama Mon-
astery in Insein township.
Vamsanurakkhita aims to
end religious conicts and get
nationalist youth more involved.
We wish no harm to anyone.
We believe we should do this
to help unite our nationalities,
and to support the implementa-
tion of Ma Ba Thas policies and
directives, Dhammacakka U Maung
Maung, the chair of the new body,
told The Myanmar Times.
The associations objectives
also include promoting the teach-
ings of the Buddha.
But Magwe Sayadaw U Par-
maukha questioned whether the
new body was necessary. Exist-
ing bodies should be strength-
ened and united rst, rather than
forming new ones. A lack of unity
could bring consequences. Ma Ba
Tha has already faced widespread
criticism. People may be wonder-
ing if this new formation will in-
volve political parties, he said.
But Dhammacakka U Maung
Maung said the new organisation
would not engage in political ac-
tivities or infringe on the State
Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee.
Its work would be strictly reli-
gious, and social, educational and
philanthropic, he said.
AUNG KYAW MIN
[email protected]
9000
Acres that will be irrigated by the
14km channel in Pale township
Saya Min Theinkha and The Ladys destiny
FEATURE
Pa La ward in front of Yangon Zoo
still sticks in my mind. The podium
and loudspeakers faced the military
headquarters across the road. Among
the speakers were Saya Gone Htoo
U Thein Naing, writer Myint Maung
Maung and Saya Min Theinkha.
The audience lled the road from
Thamada Cinema to the Kandaw-
gyi roundabout and many held
homemade weapons that would not
have been out of place in a martial
arts lm. They were ready to direct
their weapons toward the military
headquarters, while at the same time
we could see muzzles of guns nosing
through the wall, pointed toward the
crowd.
Luckily, there was no shooting
that day. But on September 18, the
military staged a coup. Saya Min
Theinkha was arrested for his active
involvement in the uprising. He
received a life sentence from a court
inside Insein Prison on November 13
of that year.
The late politician and journalist
Maung Wuntha stayed in the same
building in Insein with Saya Min
Theinkha. Detained a second time,
Maung Wuntha had been sentenced
to seven years imprisonment but
was released suddenly on April 29,
1992. When I visited him a while ago,
he told me about his experience in
jail, including his dealings with Min
Theinkha.
He described him as a good
man, and said, I thought he would
be haughty because he was a promi-
nent author ... But I was wrong.
[Min Theinkha] was entirely without
pomposity. He could make friends
with everyone. He even hit it of with
even the warden and the man in the
jail who took the roll call.
Thats why food, appliances
and medicine were sent to politi-
cal prisoners who were facing strict
rules. They were given to me by the
wardens. If we asked who gave them
to us, they responded that it was
Sayagyi Min Theinkha.
Maung Wuntha said Min
Theinkha - whose real name was Ko
Aung Tun - has a lot of things to say
because he has had many kinds of
experiences.
Most of these came from his
circuitous career path. At diferent
times he had been a corporal in the
army, a durian vendor, a security
guard on night shift at an oil factory,
the manager of a rice mill and a
paddy trader.
He took part in the six-district
peace march of 1963 and ed when
the government tried to arrest him. He
reached the territory of the Commu-
nist Party of Burma, known as the Red
Flag communists, but never joined.
When all the inmates met at
shower time, we all listened to his
talks with interest, whatever the
topic, Maung Wuntha said.
He recalled one particular predic-
tion Min Theinkha made on the
morning of the day he was due to
appear in court.
The buildings in the jail had been
painted white because the UNs
human rights representative was to
come and visit Insein. Min Theinkha
told everybody in a loud voice that
the colour white was a good omen
and all would be surprised when he
returned from court. Min Theinkha
was certain they would acquit him.
But he came back with a grimace
on his face and said the judge had
given him a life sentence. From
that day, we didnt believe what he
predicted.
Once he said to destroy all the
water pots in every building in the
jail ... [He said] all political prison-
ers would be released but we did not
dare do it because we would get in
trouble, as well as have no water to
drink. We didnt believe his predic-
tion, so no one did as he said.
Then, one day at shower time,
he came over to a group of people,
including Maung Wuntha, Ko Aung
Lwin, Ko Moe Thu and U Ye Tun
the son of Dr Ba Maw.
He told them that a Tuesday-born
man among them would be released
on a particularly month, date and
time.
We didnt ask him anything
about it because we dont believe
him. We just forgot about it.
A month after that, a staf mem-
ber from the ofce of the warden
came to Maung Wunthas cell and
told him to go to the wardens ofce.
The politician, whose real name was
U Soe Thein, said he thought he was
being moved to another jail or would
face a longer sentence because he
was an MP of the NLD.
To his surprise, the warden
said, U Soe Thein, please pack
your things. You are ordered to be
released today.
Maung Wuntha was speechless.
He said he checked the calendar and
noted the month, date and time: the
morning of April 29, 1992.
He then exclaimed, Oh my God!
What Ko Aung Tun said was exactly
right!
When he said it, the head of
the jail, and ofcials from Military
Intelligence and Special Branch who
had been standing nearby hurried
over. What word is right? How is it
right? they asked.
Maung Wuntha told them that
Ko Aung Tun had predicted that
a Tuesday-born man in our group
would be released. He said the exact
date and time. It is today, and the
Tuesday-born is me, Maung Wuntha.
They then called Min Theinkha
into their ofce and asked him
whether this was correct, and he
conrmed it.
From then on, the authorities
secretly met him and asked ques-
tions they had been given by senior
government ofcials. They told them
to tell the truth and assured him he
would not be punished regardless of
what he said, Maung Wuntha said.
He absolutely refused to predict
anything. Finally, he promised to do
it but asked for one month, during
which he would make a vow and not
eat meat.
After one month, ofcials from
the military and police asked him
the question they wanted to know
and recorded his answer.
The question was, Will Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi become a public
leader? Does she stand a chance to
rule Myanmar?
Maung Wuntha told me that Min
Theinkha answered, Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi can become the leader of
Myanmar and can denitely get the
right to rule the country on Decem-
ber 21, 2015.
Its important to remember that
when Min Theinkha made this
prediction it was the 1990s, after
the general election, and most NLD
elected representatives were in jail.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was under
house arrest. She couldnt do any
political activities.
She was under erce attack by a
group that wanted to remove her from
Myanmars history. State-owned media
continually slandered and insulted her.
A few years later, in 2003, there was
the Depayin assassination attempt.
Min Theinkha made this predic-
tion under those conditions. The
2008 constitution hadnt been writ-
ten. No one knew when an election
or by-election would be held, or
when the hluttaw would convene.
Min Theinkha was amnestied
from his life sentence on May 4,
1993. We were not only friends but
loved each other like brothers. We
would travel together throughout the
country for literary talks and would
often meet at his Third Eye Resi-
dence in Hmawbi townships Mayan
Talin. Sometimes he would say that
he believed his prediction in Insein
Prison would be right.
So, lets watch whether the predic-
tion of Min Theinkha born June 25,
1939, died July 31, 2008 is right or
wrong. Translation by Thiri Min
Htun and Zar Zar Soe
Mourners hold portraits of Min Theinkha at his funeral in 2008. Photo: Thandar Khine
Maung Wuntha attends Min Theinkhas
funeral in 2008. Photo: Thandar Khine
While serving a life sentence in Insein Prison for his role in the 1988 uprising, the noted author and astrologer Min Theinkha made a bold prediction about Daw Aung San Suu Kyis presidential chances
Govt seeks
funds for
school meals
CHILD welfare ofcials have asked for
more money to feed pre-school children
amid concerns that Myanmar children
are smaller and thinner than children
in other countries. The Ministry of So-
cial Welfare, Relief and Resettlement
requested the funds as part of its ad-
ditional budget request for 2014-15.
Deputy Minister Daw Su Su Hlaing
told Pyithu Hluttaw on September 11
that the ministrys social welfare de-
partment ran 73 pre-schools through-
out the country. The government
wants to raise the amount provided
for breakfast per child from K100 to
K350, she said.
It was unclear how much the re-
quest would cost, as the ministry
didnt state the number of children in
its pre-schools.
The deputy minister said the cur-
rent K100 breakfast met standard nu-
tritional guidelines but the ministry
was requesting the increase because of
price rises. She added that parent com-
mittees are providing money for lunch
programs.
Pyithu Hluttaw representative Daw
May Win Myint for Yangon Regions
Mayangone township said Myanmar
children were undersized compared to
children in other countries.
We are far from the health min-
istrys goal of reducing the number
of underweight children to 19.3pc by
2015, she told parliament, urging gov-
ernment action in cooperation with
civil society. Htoo Thant, translation
by Thiri Min Htun
A YANGON-BASED donor has pro-
vided K10 million for the preserva-
tion of Mandalays historic U Bein
Bridge, it was revealed last week, as
a committee was formed to oversee
the repair process.
The 160-year-old bridge, which
spans Taungthaman Lake in Am-
arapura township, is in a state of
decay and in need of considerable
repair work, particularly in its piles
and beams. Preservation committee
secretary U Soe Win said last week
that the anonymous donor, a native
of Amarapura, had undertaken to se-
cure more pledges of support.
The donor said he would urge
his friends to contribute. I believe
the funds will continue to grow. This
will enable us to replace 47 beams in
two sections of the bridge that are
decaying. A number of other small
repairs are also needed, but for ma-
jor requirements like the replace-
ment of the huge teak piles, we will
cooperate with the Ministry of Cul-
ture, U Soe Win said.
Much of the preservation work
done so far has been carried out by
an informal alliance of monks from
nearby Maha Gandayone Monastery,
boat owners on Taungthaman Lake
and other well-wishers. Last March,
the regional government took the
lead in making major repairs.
Heavy ooding in 2004 washed
out several sections of the bridge,
and more recently some original
teak piles were replaced with con-
crete. The bridges status as a tour-
ist resort came under threat amid
reports that some visitors had suf-
fered injury while crossing it, and
enthusiastic revellers in the Thing-
yan festival had damaged the bridge
by shaking it.
PHYO WAI KYAW
HLAING KYAW SOE
[email protected]
Committee formed to preserve
Amarapuras historic bridge
IN BRIEF
Minister warns against gambling
on arcade machines
Mandalay Regions minister for
border affairs and security warned
last week that people who bet on
the outcome of computer games
in amusement centres are break-
ing the law and will continue to be
arrested.
Coin-operated game machines
are not ofcially allowed. They are
also not allowed in computer game
centres. Also gambling is not al-
lowed, nor is betting, Colonel Aung
Kyaw Moe said.
The minister said that 10 recent
police raids in Mandalay Region had
netted 157 people allegedly betting
at amusement centres.
The issue was recently raised by
a regional hluttaw representative
concerned with how widespread
gambling had become in amuse-
ment centres.
People are betting in TV game
shops. We can see them doing it
openly and I want to know what
action is being taken, said MP Daw
Tin Tin Mar. Si Thu Lwin, transla-
tion by Khant Lin Oo
Scores injured after police
rescue official from workers
CLASHES between police and angry
workers occupying a shoe factory led
to nearly 60 casualties on September
16, according to eyewitnesses. The po-
lice said they were trying to free mem-
bers of a government mediation team
who apparently feared for their safety
while negotiating with the workers.
The events took place at the now-
closed Master Sports shoe factory, in
U Myel Street, Industrial Zone 3, Hla-
ing Tharyar township. The factorys
former owner, In Ho Bun, returned to
his native South Korea in May, after
abruptly closing the factory without
paying the workers outstanding wag-
es or compensation.
At a hastily convened press con-
ference on September 17, senior gov-
ernment ofcials and police force
members insisted they had acted
with moderation, and that the pur-
pose of their operation was to rescue
the mediation team, not to attack the
workers.
The police handled this case with-
out any violations and in accordance
with the framework of the law, Dep-
uty Minister for Labour, Employment
and Social Security U Htin Aung told
reporters.
The workers were trying to detain
the director general inside the factory
compound, rejecting the implement-
ing of compensation procedures.
Police Major Chit Oo insisted that
his ofcers had conducted the raid
in line with international standards
and training on crowd management
supported by the European Union.
He said workers had thrown plastic
bottles of drinking water and beat the
police with bamboo sticks, and the
police had defended themselves with
their shields.
I was hit with a wooden stick,
he said. We did not attack the work-
ers. Some workers might have been
injured because of broken glass and
iron sheets we were wearing boots,
but the workers were not. We were
just trying to rescue the director
general.
But 20-year-old factory worker
Ma Myo Myo Kyi told The Myanmar
Times that about 200 armed police
had violently disrupted a peaceful sit-
in protest.
About 200 ofcers armed with
batons surrounded the factory. They
smashed down the gates and started
beating us. I was hit on the head and
also received internal injuries, she
said. We resisted because we are de-
manding compensation through a sit-
in at the factory. Most of the injured
are women only 10 male workers
were injured.
Pol Maj Chit Oo said nine ofc-
ers received medical treatment but
he had no gure for the number of
injured workers. He also said that no-
body had been charged but the inves-
tigation would continue.
However, the mediation team
leader at the centre of the afray, the
director general of the Factories and
General Labour Laws Inspection De-
partment, U Win Shein, denied that
he had feared ill-treatment at the
workers hands, calling the afair a
misunderstanding.
They regard me as their father
and I regard them as my children, he
told the press conference.
According to U Win Shein, 58 out
of 757 workers have already agreed
to accept compensation. The remain-
ing 699 say they are owed more than
K214 million in wages and compensa-
tion and have been told they will be
paid after the factory assets are sold.
However, 150 workers came to the
Hlaing Tharyar ofce of the factories
inspection department on the even-
ing of September 16 demanding the
money they were owed, he said. From
there, they had entered the factory.
He and ve colleagues had gone in to
calm the workers down, but they tried
to detain him. They seemed to think
I could help to get them their money. I
understand their feelings. I dont take
ofence, U Win Shein said.
Also at the press conference was
Daw Moe Wei, a labour negotiator
from Hlaing Tharyar township. She
said workers had expected to get
paid their missing wages on Septem-
ber 16 and could not control their
disappointment when the govern-
ment ofcials told them otherwise.
The workers are facing great dif-
culties in their daily lives, including
lack of food, she said.
Daw Moe Wei also said the activ-
ists who had apparently incited the
workers to occupy the factory, Daw
Nilar Win and Daw Yin Aye, had not
been employed by Master Sports.
On September 17 the labour min-
istry issued a press release setting
out the compensation procedure.
The ministry will rst sell the fac-
torys assets, estimated at K120 to
K160 million in machinery and mer-
chandise. This would be done by a
warrant of attachment to be issued
on September 24. The auction would
take place 15 days later, on October
9, but an objections procedure would
be in force until November 8. Money
would then be distributed among the
workers after the payment of legal
expenses.
The whereabouts of the South
Korean owner are not known.
The deputy chief of mission of the
South Korean embassy, Jae Kyung
Park, told The Myanmar Times the
embassy had tried but was unable
to contact him. We think he is in
[South] Korea. Our understanding is
that the [South] Korean government
is not in a position to take legal ac-
tion against him, or arrest or extradite
him. Any legal procedures should be
initiated in Myanmar, which is al-
ready being done, he said.
Expressing sympathy with the
workers, Mr Park said the embassy
was keeping events under close re-
view but insisted that its legal options
were limited. Additional reporting
by Toe Wai Aung and Aung Thuya
ZAW HTIKE
[email protected]
Labour ofcial insists he never feared for his safety while negotiating with staf from shuttered shoe factory
About 200 ofcers
armed with batons
... smashed down
the gates and
started beating us.
Ma Myo Myo Kyi
Former Master Sports employee
Jivitadana Sangha hospital
invites blood donors
The Jivitadana Sangha Hospital in
Yangon is calling on volunteers to
donate blood at its group donation
event on October 4.
It is our 13
th
event. We want to
give volunteers the chance to donate
blood. Monks and nuns said they
wanted to donate to in-patients, so we
decided to hold the event annually,
said U Myat Kyaw, the secretary of the
hospital management committee.
He said the blood will be collected
by the Yangon-based National Blood
Centre.
Anyone who wants to donate blood
can get more information by calling
(01) 541-795, 545-782, 558-434 or
542-706, or by visiting the hospital in
Bahan township.
Potential donors must register by
4pm on September 30.
Cherry Thein
Police to introduce river patrols
to counter pirates
Police are to mount regular patrols
to suppress the growing threat
of river piracy along the banks of
the Ayeyarwady, Mandalay Region
authorities announced on Septem-
ber 15.
Gangs of robbers in motorboats
armed with knives and other weap-
ons have been swooping on ships
moored along the bank, robbing
them and terrorising passengers
and crew. In a dawn attack on a ship
at Daywun jetty on July 28, rob-
bers armed with a catapult inicted
head and chest injuries on a young
woman passenger who surprised
them as they pillaged the vessel, ac-
cording to local eyewitnesses. Eight
batteries were stolen from another
vessel.
Colonel Aung Kyaw Moe, the Min-
ister for Mandalay Region Security
and Border Affairs, told Mandalay
Region hluttaw last week that plans
were being drawn up to conduct
patrols in four sectors of the river.
We will soon launch these
systematic patrols to ensure the se-
curity of cargo ships, said a police
spokesperson last week, adding that
Sagaing Region ofcers would also
take part.
Cargo ship owner Ko Hlawn
Maung told The Myanmar Times,
Were afraid to land, especially at
night. We believe we will be safe
once the patrols begin.
Ship-owners and eyewitness said
most robbers were from villages
near Sagaing township, Sagaing
Region. Robberies have become
much more common in recent years,
they said.
Earlier this month police and rob-
bers clashed, but no arrests were
made. Maung Zaw, translation by
Thiri Min Htun
Visitors walk across U Bein Bridge in Amarapura township on September 9.
Photo: Phyo Wai Kyaw
An ugly chapter nears conclusion
HOW can anyone make peace as long
as the Unlawful Association Act re-
mains valid?
The ethnic minority politician who
asked this question during a meeting
in August to discuss the signing of the
nationwide ceasere was not the rst
to raise it. I have heard it many times
from diferent ethnic groups.
Indeed, it is a critical question. The
Unlawful Association Act commonly
known as 17/1, after the number of
the section under which charges are
laid has been a thorn in the side of
peacemaking eforts. Under the act,
individuals deemed or suspected to
have come into contact with unlawful
or illegal organisations, such as ethnic
armed groups, can be charged and
jailed.
The act is an old penal code enacted
by the British in 1908. Those who meet
with an unlawful association, or take
part in or assist its activities, face a jail
term of a minimum of two years and
maximum of three.
Despite its obvious implications for
the peace process, the law is the law. As
such, the countrys legal system has to
enforce it until it is repealed. And, in a
country like Myanmar, where peace is
a rare commodity, it is highly unlikely
this act will be repealed any time soon.
But there is a piece of very good
news. A provision in Chapter 6 of the
nationwide ceasere agreement will
remove all ethnic armed groups that
sign the agreement from the list of
unlawful associations. From that time
including while political dialogue is
taking place any individual who hap-
pens to come into contact with any
ethnic armed groups that are signa-
tory to the agreement can no longer be
charged under the act.
This will give a major boost to
condence in the peace process, as it
is one of the most important peace
dividends for civilians living in conict
areas. They often have little choice but
to deal with armed groups from both
sides of the conict and get punished
unfairly for doing so.
However, it will be music to the ears
of not only civilians in conict areas.
The government and ethnic armed
groups alike will benet, along with
security forces that have the responsi-
bility of detaining and ling legal cases
against those who are suspected of
having violated the act.
To me, this provision is one of the
key reasons why the nationwide cease-
re agreement should be signed as
soon as possible. As insurgency and
armed conict raged in decades past
there were many 17/1 cases led. Indi-
viduals were arrested on mere suspi-
cion. Some of the suspects were very
old and had to languish in prison for
years. There were also cases in which
the charges were fabricated.
According to an aid worker who
helped victims of the act, the worst
period was between 1999 and 2004.
Looking back, these were the most
repressive years in Myanmar history
the years during which Military Intel-
ligence reigned supreme.
But since President U Thein Sein
came to power, the cases have been
dealt with diferently. Almost all of
the known cases were resolved after
being raised with the president by the
Remaining Political Prisoners Scrutiny
Committee or U Aung Min.
But there is one case that I was
familiar with: that of Lahtaw Bran
Shawng.
A special military task force de-
tained Shawng, an IDP living in the
Jamaikong Baptist Camp in Kachin
State, on June 17, 2011. He was ac-
cused of having been in contact with
the Kachin Independence Organisa-
tion (KIO) an armed and unlawful
organisation under Myanmar law. He
was charged under the Unlawful Asso-
ciation Act.
He regained his freedom on July 23,
2013 more than two years after he
was taken into custody. The case was
complex, involving several government
agencies, local NGOs and peacemakers.
It was not easy for him or his family.
But it also posed difculties for others,
including the security forces, judiciary,
Kachin State government, chief nego-
tiator and Minister for the Presidents
Ofce U Aung Min, and President U
Thein Sein.
During his detention, Lahtaw Bran
Shawngs case became an important is-
sue. From a peacemaking perspective,
securing his release was crucial.
U Aung Min had to secure his re-
lease to build trust and condence
with the KIO and civilians in Kachin
State. Being outside the investigation,
he could not establish if Lahtaw Bran
Shawng was guilty. He also could not
interfere with the due process of the
law.
The government could also not
meddle in the legal process. Lahtaw
Bran Shawngs case was not the only
one and this would have set a dan-
gerous precedent. This policy of non-
interference in ongoing legal issues
was conrmed to me by the deputy
attorney general. President U Thein
Sein also highlighted it when Myan-
mar actors and performers asked him
in July to intervene in a civil dispute
over property.
So far as Lahtaw Bran Shawngs
case was concerned, all that U Aung
Min could do was to encourage the rel-
evant authorities to speed up the legal
process. Once sentenced, he could then
ask the president to pardon him.
During a visit to Jamaikong Baptist
Camp following ceasere negotiations
with the KIO on May 31, 2013, Lahtaw
Bran Shawngs case was raised by his
family. With media representatives and
the UN special envoy to Myanmar, Vijay
Nambiar, all present, U Aung Min ex-
plained to camp residents that he could
not interfere with the due process of
the law. But he boldly promised that he
would bring Lahtaw Bran Shawng back
to his family within a week of the court
handing down a verdict.
Four days after Lahtaw Bran
Shawng was sentenced U Aung Min
was able to secure his release by presi-
dential pardon and brought him back
to his family.
I was not there when it happened
but looking at the smiles on the faces
of Lahtaw Bran Shawng, his family
members and U Aung Min, I conclud-
ed that it indeed was a happy ending.
But this was just one case. The
signing of the nationwide ceasere
agreement will likely result in a hap-
py ending for many more individuals
charged under the Unlawful Associa-
tion Act. Not only will the ceasere
agreement result in all signatories
being removed from the list of unlaw-
ful associations, but it also stipulates
that the government must review all
the Unlawful Association Act cases.
Charges led under this act against
individuals for alleged contact with
signatories to the ceasere agreement
will be dismissed.
With that, the nationwide ceasere
agreement will bring to an end an ugly
chapter in the history of armed conict
in Myanmar.
Aung Naing Oo is associate director of the
Peace Dialogue Program at the Myanmar
Peace Center. The opinions expressed
here are his own.
Minister for the Presidents Office U Aung Min (right) meets Lahtaw Bran Shawng, who was freed through a presidential
pardon four days after being sentenced under the Unlawful Association Act. Photo: Supplied/Myanmar Peace Center
AUNG
NAING OO
[email protected]
This is one of the
most important
peace dividends for
civilians living in
conict areas.
All signatories to the nationwide ceasere will be removed from the list of unlawful associations, ending the threat of arrest for civilians
Views
Views
The final chapter in the
Dhammazedi Bell search
THE story of the raising of the fabled
Dhammazedi Bell that has so cap-
tured the imagination of the public in
recent months is drawing to end.
Two projects were launched this
year. The rst, backed by Kyaik Htee
Saung Sayadaw and Zaykabar U Khin
Shwe, saw workers dig for the bell
in Dawbon. It was suspended during
the rainy season. More recently, U
San Linns salvaging team said it had
found the bell in the Yangon River
but it later turned out he had lied.
The question now is: How will this
story end?
In contrast to U San Linns pro-
ject, the search in Dawbon attracted
little attention. The Kyaik Htee Saung
missionary group reportedly led the
project based on the advice of Kyaik
Htee Saung Sayadaw. They fenced
an area of and searched for the bell
underground but have since stopped
work. There have been no formal
statements about their activities.
U San Linns team searched for
the bell at the conuence of Yangon
River, Bago River and Pazundaung
Creek. They used a dredger to
clear the silt in the river. U San
Linn claimed to be able to channel
supernatural powers by meditating
and only eating vegetables. Less than
three weeks after starting the search
on August 8, he announced on Au-
gust 26 that the bell had been found.
His announcement was as fol-
lows: On the second waxing day
of Tawthalin in Myanmar calendar
year 1376, Myebon Maung San Lin
(Kawthoung) and my team have
found the Bell. We were late to an-
nounce our nding because all of
the dragons, including the golden
dragon the biggest one were of-
fering lamps to the bell magnicent-
ly. Our traditional method to raise
the bell is secret, so we cant explain
our process. We denitely declared
that we have found the Dhammazedi
Bell after asking permission from all
noble persons and saints, he said in
the statement.
I thank all monks and people
who have shown benevolence to us,
SITHU AUNG
MYINT
[email protected]
Behind the electoral reform debate
IN recent months Myanmar has been
consumed by debate over its electoral
system, and whether to change from
rst-past-the-post (FPTP) to propor-
tional representation (PR). However, it
is important to look past the interests
of those involved in discussions and
consider the implications of change.
The process of choosing the right
system can be complex. There are sev-
eral families of electoral systems, each
with multiple variants. At one end
are majority systems, such as FPTP.
At the other end are proportional
systems. To understand the elec-
toral system debate and get a clearer
picture of which system would be
more benecial, we should consider
three diferent points: What are the
interests of those supporting change?
What are the concerns of those op-
posing change? And what are the pros
and cons of each alternative?
While FPTP beneted the Union
Solidarity and Development Party
(USDP) in the 2010 general election,
the USDP would likely be the bigger
loser if the system was maintained
in next years election. Past elections
show why this was the case: In 1990,
the NLD received about 60 percent of
the vote and more than 80pc of seats,
while in 2010 the USDP received less
than 60pc of the vote and around 77pc
of seats. In the 2012 by-elections, the
NLD received about 65pc of votes but
95pc of seats. In short, a small major-
ity of votes can lead to a large majority
of seats. This is driving the USDPs
support for proposals to switch to PR.
However, it is unclear what type
of PR system would be introduced. In
the Lower House, the proposal was
for PR in the seven Bamar-dominated
regions but keeping the existing
FPTP system in the seven minority-
dominated states. This was done in
order to gain the support of ethnic
parties but would mean creating a
system segregated based on geography
and implicitly ethnicity and carries
the potential for enormous inequali-
ties. Another recent proposal aims to
implement an open-list system for the
elections. This ofers more freedom
to voters but will weaken the organic
structures of political parties at a
time when strong parties are argu-
ably needed. In a political system that
still lacks transparency it may also pro-
mote patronage and corruption.
For the NLD, PR would challenge
the partys ambition to gain a major-
ity to govern alone after 2015. FPTP
tends to over-represent the winner,
giving the party a strong mandate to
enact policies without the support
of other MPs. This system prioritises
stability over diversity, giving the
NLD the advantage it enjoyed in the
2012 by-elections. The biggest ethnic
parties also expressed concerns about
PR as it may reduce the number of
seats they hold in the Lower House.
However, the PR system was created
to strengthen the relative power of
minority parties, as the winner typi-
cally wont have a large-enough ma-
jority to pass legislation on its own.
In Myanmar, it would therefore need
support from ethnic parties, making
them more inuential.
As a winner-takes-all system, FPTP
is exclusionary and perhaps not suited
to a multicultural country where many
constituencies have two or more ethnic
groups. It can severely restrict voters
choice and reduce turnout, and there-
fore increase the lack of representation
for minorities. We should also keep in
mind that the over-representation of
the NLD in the 1990 elections was a
strong reason for the military regime to
reject a transition of power.
So, does this mean PR would result
in a more representative government
after 2015? Without major constitu-
tional change, the answer is also no.
Article 436 of the 2008 constitution
guarantees that the military holds
25pc of seats in all houses of parlia-
ment. If PR was introduced for Lower
House seats, this would add an ad-
ditional barrier to the NLD attaining a
majority. With the support of the mili-
tary, other parties could likely create a
combined block to defeat a presiden-
tial candidate for the presidency put
forward by the NLD, as well as later
block its proposals in parliament.
Introducing PR may appear a suit-
able response to the diverse necessi-
ties and demands of the population.
However, it should to come hand in
hand with change to article 436 to
head of concerns that PR will give
the USDP an undemocratic advan-
tage. At the same time, FPTP gives
the winner too much power at a
moment where consensus and agree-
ments in parliament are necessary for
the welfare of all people.
There are several variations
between both systems that could ofer
stability and diversity in almost equal
terms. Members of both house of par-
liament should consider the long-term
implications of changing electoral
systems rather than just their electoral
interests in 2015, while civil society
groups should advocate from an inde-
pendent and non-partisan approach.
Hugo Cuello is a consultant based in
Yangon. He has provided advice on
political and economic developments in
Myanmar to think tanks in Europe and
consulting firms in Myanmar.
HUGO
CUELLO
[email protected]
A man peers through a pair of binoculars from the bank of the Yangon River at a
dredger searching for the Dhammazedi Bell. Photo: AFP
In a political system
that still lacks
transparency, open
lists may promote
patronage and
corruption.
Views
IT is undeniable that when it comes
to the South China Sea, Beijing has
set aside its charm ofensive and
become the regions big bully. But
strangely the apparent weaklings who
normally get sand kicked in their face
have started to ght back, admittedly
with a little help from Uncle Sam.
Why the collective push-back
now? Actually, it began in May, when
Beijing deployed a massive oil rig and
an armada of protective vessels just
241 kilometres (130 nautical miles) of
of Vietnams coast.
The move stunned everyone in the
region and provoked violent protests
in Vietnam that led to killings and
widespread damage.
After two months, the rig was
moved ahead of the typhoon season
but Beijing said more would follow
as would its development of islands
claimed by Vietnam, and also by
Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei.
What could the regions smaller
and relatively weaker nations do
when faced with the Chinese jugger-
naut, whose nine-dash line claiming
virtually the entire South China Sea is
so grotesque it dees belief?
Quite a lot, it turns out. Vietnam,
for whom China has been a historic
foe for centuries, has led the way
by taking several dramatic steps
that would have been unthinkable a
year ago. Until recently, Hanoi had
believed it could manage, if not con-
tain, Beijings aggression by playing
on their fraternal ties as two of the
worlds last remaining Communist
regimes. It has not worked. Instead,
humiliation has followed humiliation.
Endless diplomatic overtures
to Beijing proved futile and the
Vietnamese were told in no uncertain
terms to curb any future anti-Chinese
protests and to forget their misguided
claims to ofshore islands.
But all of a sudden, as if emulating
Popeyes famous comment, Thats all
I can stand, I cant stands no more,
Hanois leaders decided enough was
enough. In late July, the nations
teashops were abuzz with talk that
the ruling partys topmost body, the
Politburo, had voted 9-5 to stand up
to China.
True or not, several brave deci-
sions followed. First, it was decided
to boost Vietnams navy in order to
confront China if any future oil rigs
encroach into its maritime waters.
Five new fast patrol boats are com-
ing from the United States, defence
equipment worth US$100 million is
coming from India, and two Russian-
built submarines have already been
acquired, with another arriving in
November and three more soon after.
Hanoi has also provisionally
decided to join the Philippines in
contesting Chinas territorial claims
at the United Nations Tribunal for the
Law of the Sea.
Recently, the Ho Chi Minh City
Law University held a high-prole
conference at the leaderships request
to thrash out legal strategies for this
provocative step, which is sure to rile
Beijing.
In addition, Hanoi is actively pur-
suing closer ties with the US, which
Washington welcomes on the grounds
that it will help curb, if not contain,
its own principal strategic competitor.
Of course, given Vietnams terrible
human rights record at home, this
will be a hard sell in the US Congress.
Still, the mere prospect of such a
move will further infuriate Beijing.
Not to be outdone, the Philippines,
which has been steadfast in verbally
rebufng Beijings outlandish sover-
eignty claims in regional summits,
has just bolstered its own case.
Earlier this month, it displayed
ancient maps that purport to prove
the invalidity of Beijings claims to
Philippine islands.
The old maps, in Manilas view,
clearly indicate that for almost 1000
years, Imperial Chinas southernmost
territory ended at Hainan Island, just
of the Chinese coast.
As if all that were not enough, nor-
mally quiescent Malaysia has joined
battle with Vietnam and the Philip-
pines and adopted a more proactive
stance toward Beijing.
This month, Kuala Lumpur has
reportedly agreed to allow the US to
station P-8 Poseidon spy planes in
the east Malaysian state of Sabah to
keep an eye on Beijings moves in the
South China Sea.
As if anxious not to be left out,
Indonesia has also decided to step up
to the plate and counter Beijings un-
compromising territorial aggression.
Its new president-elect, Joko
Jokowi Widodo, has already
indicated that he wants to mediate
between the claimants and in doing
so, re-establish democratic Indonesia
as the regions dominant powerhouse.
That may irk Beijing, but with the
largest economy in Southeast Asia
and the worlds fourth-largest popula-
tion, Jokowi not only has a point but
his country also has its own bone to
pick with China.
That infamous nine-dash line
takes a bite out of Indonesias
exclusive economic zone around the
Natuna Islands, where Jakarta plans
to exploit huge gas deposits.
Testifying at the same UN body
to which Beijing had submitted the
nine-dash map, Jakarta asserted that
Chinas claim clearly lacks interna-
tional legal basis.
So there you have it: Four of the
regions supposed lesser powers Vi-
etnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and
Indonesia all now standing up and
throwing sand back in the face of big
bully Beijing.
It promises to be quite a battle.
ROGER
MITTON
[email protected]
The final chapter in the
Dhammazedi Bell search
and thank all donors who helped us.
I beg all of you to understand our
team for its late announcement. We
will strive to raise the bell onto land
very soon.
This, naturally, had the efect
of increasing public interest in the
efort. Many people went to watch
the teams activities but they didnt
see anything. U San Linn later said
the divers were trying to tie a rope to
the bell. Although he issued diferent
statements virtually every day, no one
could prove if what he said was cor-
rect. Eventually, U San Lin had a new
story. On the morning of September
8, a sampan came near the dredger. It
lit a joss-stick and made an ofering
to the spirit. It is an efort to sabotage
our work. Our project will be late if
this happens again, he told Democ-
racy Today.
He stuck to his story that the bell
had been found.
Later, other members of the team
revealed the truth. The Standard
Times daily newspaper quoted a
member of U San Linns team as say-
ing, It is a lie that divers found the
bell. U San Linn lied to people and
the organising committee of the bell-
raising project.
U Than Sein, the treasurer of the
organising committee, added, I dont
know why he lied. I never boarded
the ship because he said that he has
made a fence by reciting mantras. I
announced the news that we have
found the bell because U San Lin
asked me to do so and I thought he
had really found it.
Similarly, U Kyi Win from the
information department said, U San
Lin always mentioned about the bell
among our Dhamma friends. I helped
him because I believed in his moral-
ity and probity.
It is now clear that no one said
the bell had been found apart from
U San Linn. His team members have
revealed they were simply repeating
his words. He littered his statements
with illogical claims about dragons,
lit joss-sticks and supernatural
powers.
It is not hard to deduce that U
San Linns announcement that the
bell has been found is a lie. How-
ever, he wont admit it is a lie, even
though the bell-raising project has
ended and it is clear no one found
it. People must consider why he has
lied to the country and the people.
Hopefully the truth will be revealed
in time - and when that happens, the
authorities should take legal action
against him. Translation by Thiri
Min Htun
Gang of four stands up to big bully
A man peers through a pair of binoculars from the bank of the Yangon River at a
dredger searching for the Dhammazedi Bell. Photo: AFP
22 THE MYANMAR TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 - 28, 2014
Business
RICE exports are booming and may
hit their highest volumes in over 70
years this year, according to one of
the countrys largest exporters.
Ongoing negotiations with China
to legitimise the trade have the po-
tential to signicantly increase ex-
ports to the worlds second-largest
economy, while Myanmars competi-
tors Thailand and India are facing
their own local setbacks providing
opportunity for Myanmar to export
up to 2 million tonnes this year.
Shipments to China made up
about half of Myanmars 1,277,000
tonnes of rice exports last year, ac-
cording to a World Bank report,
though exports peaked above 3 mil-
lion tonnes during bumper years in
the 1930s before dropping the next
decade with World War II.
U Lu Maw Myint Maung, joint
secretary of the Myanmar Rice Fed-
eration and one of the largest rice ex-
porters in Myanmar, said the coun-
trys exports to China are likely to top
3 million tonnes once an agreement
between the two countries on rice is
inked and links are established.
Exports to China are illegal from
Beijings point of view because there
is no health agreement on rice stand-
ards with Nay Pyi Taw, though Myan-
mar recognises the exports. Negotia-
tions on an agreement are ongoing,
but local traders have exported large
quantities to China in the last two
years, regardless to the legality.
China is also ofering good prices
as high as US$501 a tonne for 5
percent broken rice which is higher
than other markets like Europe, the
Middle East and Africa, traders say.
Benchmark Thai 100pc B grade
fetched $440 to $450 last week, be-
low the $485 to $501 traders say is
being ofered for Myanmar rice of
a similar quality by Chinese buyers.
Chinese buyers paid $420 to $436 a
tonne for lower-quality 25pc broken
rice, according to Myanmar buyers,
higher than the $405 to $415 a tonne
quoted for Vietnamese rice by indus-
try website oryza.com.
U Soe Tun, chair of the Myanmar
Farmers Association, said rice trad-
ers had formerly not seen much op-
portunity in the Peoples Republic,
given the large amount of rice grown
there.
We [Myanmar traders] thought
China bought rice from Myanmar for
animal food. But we have come to re-
alise that they use the rice to make
products and the Chinese market is
a good chance for Myanmar.
The European Union also ofers
opportunity after easing restric-
tions on doing business with Myan-
mar in mid-2012, though traders say
the quality demanded is quite high.
However, among Myanmars clos-
est competitors, the EU extends its
preferential tarifs only to Cambodia,
and not to giant exporters Thailand
and Vietnam.
Traders also say that Thailands
rice may remain uncompetitive in
the short-term. The previous admin-
istration of Yingluck Shinawatra at-
tempted to corner the international
rice market by purchasing and stor-
ing large quantities of rice, though
the military junta government has
since changed course on the policy,
which was widely seen as failing.
U Lu Maw Myint Maung said he
thought Thailands rice exports may
be less competitive in the wake of
Yinglucks scheme.
Myanmar as a consequence has
a better chance to compete against
Thai rice on the international mar-
ket, with the advantage of preferen-
tial tarif access, he said.
Though Thailand, the United
States, India, Vietnam and Pakistan
together control some 80pc of the
worlds rice exports, Thailand is not
the only major exporter to have had
difculties this year.
U Lu Maw Myint Maung said Af-
rican countries will require lots of
imports this year, and India a tra-
ditional competitor for exports is
facing difculties with its harvest.
Myanmar hopes to sell much more
rice to Africa this year, he said.
In total, Myanmar ought to be
able to export between 1.5 and 2 mil-
lion tonnes of rice this year, he said.
However, one of the biggest chal-
lenges is that locally produced rice is
often lower quality.
Record year may be
coming for rice exports
Decade Rice export average
(million tonnes per year)
1920-29 2.64
1930-39 2.98
1940-49 1.29
1950-59 1.45
1960-69 1.21
1970-79 0.51
1980-89 0.60
1990-99 0.24
2000-09 0.42
Source: World Bank report Myanmar: Capitalising on Rice
Export Opportunities
ZAW HTIKE
[email protected]
HOTELS that serve liquor are
groaning under the burdens of
taxation and red tape, hoteliers
have complained, as police raid-
ed hotels in Bagan on suspicion
of importing alcohol illegally.
U Tin Win, chair of the Yan-
gon Hotel Zone established by
the Myanmar Hoteliers Associa-
tion, said the raids were the re-
sult of a misunderstanding over
conflicting lines of authority.
Home Affairs said these hotels
had not applied for a liquor li-
cense, but we believe the respon-
sible authority is the Ministry of
Hotels and Tourism, which regu-
lates their functioning, he said.
Hotels have to pay 5 percent
income tax to the Internal Rev-
enue Department, annual licence
fees of about K1.2 million to
Home Affairs, and 25pc commer-
cial tax to Ministry of Commerce.
One of these three taxes should
be abolished, but no department
wants to give it up, he said.
U Tin Win also complained of
the complexity of the licensing
process for liqour importing.
U Aung Zaw Win, director
general of the Directorate of
Hotels and Tourism, said his de-
partment kept a strict watch on
hotel liquor imports, which were
granted for only two months at a
time, with strict conditions.
Last December, amid a spate
of crackdowns on illegally im-
ported alcohol, the tourism min-
istry decreed that hotels should
import liquor directly them-
selves, without assigning their
permit to distributors, after the
government found that some big
importers were using the names
of hotels.
U Aung Zaw Win said not
more than 10 out of about 1000
hotels in Myanmar had request-
ed ministry approval to import
alcohol direct last year, while
others bought from local suppli-
ers, he said.
Each of the 10 had imported
200 to 500 bottles at a time, or
less than 1pc of the amount sup-
plied by the biggest local sup-
plier. Some foreign-owned hotels
directly imported themselves,
while joint-venture or locally
owned hotels imported through
local suppliers, he said.
Hotels have to comply with
our policy that they should not
sell their import permit to local
suppliers, said U Aung Zaw Win.
Daw May Myat Mon Win, gen-
eral manager of Yangons Chatri-
um Hotel, said they did not have
any problems with either alcohol
supply or the payment of taxes.
U Tin Myint, an official of the
Myanmar Hoteliers Association,
said his members feared liquor
licence fees would rise this year.
The prices of food and other
services in hotels is more than
double those outside, so liquor is
not much consumed, but we need
to be able to sell as much as cus-
tomers want, he said.
In 2012-2013 fiscal year, ho-
tels imported about US$124,000
worth of alcohol on the basis of a
letter of recommendation issued
from the Ministry of Hotels and
Tourism.
As of November 2013, the fig-
ure for 2013-2014 was $123,000,
ministry statistics say.
Hoteliers claim to
face double taxes for
liquor licences
AYE THIDAR KYAW
[email protected]
MILLION
K1.2
Annual licence fees hotels must pay
to the Ministry of Home Affairs, in
addition to other levies
23 BUSINESS EDITOR: Jeremy Mullins | [email protected]
Weak gold, kyat
prices blamed on US
dollar strength
Plans for train station
development lead to
ofce moves
Exchange Rates (September 19 close)
Currency Buying Selling
Euro
Malaysia Ringitt
Singapore Dollar
Thai Baht
US Dollar
K1244
K303
K775
K30
K987
K1262
K304
K770
K31
K992
BUSINESS 25 PROPERTY 31
PROMINENT local businessperson
Serge Pun said Myanmar has a mixed
scorecard on job creation, and is not
generating the employment growth it
could achieve.
While the government has clearly
placed employment growth on its
agenda, the amount of jobs being add-
ed over the last two years had fallen
short of the desired results, he said at
Euromoneys Myanmar Global Invest-
ment Forum in Nay Pyi Taw on Sep-
tember 16.
A focused efort to bring in manu-
facturers who employ large numbers
of people difers from attracting other
types of FDI, he said.
[Manufacturers] are focused, they
have a very thin margin. Everything
they do on an everyday basis counts be-
cause they have to sell what they pro-
duce on an international market, he
said during a panel discussion during
the conference. He added it is crucial
to address areas like infrastructure and
electricity to attract manufacturers.
Mr Pun said it should be possible to
attract 1000 factories employing 1000
people each for a total of 1 million jobs,
noting Bangladesh has 3600 such fac-
tories and southern China has 32,000.
Technicians and management em-
ployees can be found through job fairs
in places like Singapore, but employ-
ment for lower-level workers is needed,
he said.
While gures for the total number of
factories in Myanmar are hard to come
by, the Myanmar Garments Manufac-
turer Associations gures from earlier
this year show over 200 garment facto-
ries in Myanmar at present, employing
over 250,000 workers.
U Zay Yar Aung,
chair of the Myan-
mar Investment
Commission, said
the government
is inviting foreign
investment in areas
like industry, in-
frastructure and
industrial
zones to
create job
opportuni-
ties.
International Finance Corpora-
tion vice president for Asia Pacic
Karin Finkelston said the Myanmar
economy has seen great momen-
tum. The Asian Development Bank
has pegged GDP growth for the s-
cal year ending in March 2014 at
7.5 percent, which Ms Finkelston
said would satisfy most countries.
What we really have to look at is what
are the results for people, she said.
Jobs are one issue, while the
inclusivity of growth meaning
for instance that it is not just cen-
tred in the main cities is another.
Other panelists pointed to other region-
al economies with the same challenge.
Bangkok Bank executive vice president
Kobsak Pootrakool said Thailand for
instance has failed to bring along eve-
ryone together.
[Growth] is only limited to Bang-
kok and some certain areas in the
country, he said, while adding much of
the country is still behind.
Smaller businesses often face large
challenges when setting up shop.
Mr Pun said that it can be tough for
the little chaps of the business world
to get attention from senior ofcials.
American rm General Electric for
instance has ve employees in My-
anmar, but would get an audience
any time they come to the govern-
ment, because theyre GE, he said.
But I tell you the little chap who starts
a sewing factory and employs 200 guys
will never get an audience because its
too small.
Rather than requiring visits to
senior ofcials, the process should
be streamlined, he said. U Serge Pun
also said he would like to see
larger budgets for the Myanmar
Investment Commission and Central
Bank, as the two institutions face
large volumes of work with too few
staf. The business community would
denitely
underwrite
it if
allowed.
Job creation falling
short: Serge Pun
JEREMY MULLINS
[email protected]
NYAN LYNN AUNG
[email protected]
NESTL will partner with Myan-
mar Distribution Group (MDG) to
distribute its made-in-Myanmar
products by the end of 2016, ac-
cording to company ofcials.
The Swiss giant plans to start
working on its factory in Dagon
Seikkan Industrial Zone within two
months, pending approval of the
venture by the Myanmar Investment
Commission, said U Aung Maw
Thein, MDG managing director.
Nestl will initially make its
3-in-1 cofee products at the factory,
though has plans to later move into
other areas like dairy, ice cream and
chocolate, said Suphavat Khami-
joun, cofee brand manager for
Nestl Myanmar Ltd.
While the initial phase will
see an investment of about $25
million to produce cofee, the
amount for the second phase will
be much bigger as investment is
not ending with Nescaf [cofee
products], he said during a com-
pany press event on September 19
in Yangon.
Nestl products are a common
sight in Myanmar, though are
presently imported from Thai-
land.
Nestl Myanmar country man-
ager David Pettinari said invest-
ment will total about $50 million
over the next ve or six years. The
rm will try to source locally, but
much of its raw products will be
imported for the time being.
At the moment there are very
very limited raw materials we can
buy from Myanmar, he said. Mr
Pettinari added the rm will work
with local businesses such as dairy
farmers to get their production to
acceptable levels of quantity and
quality.
U Aung Maw Thein said that
cofee seeds currently being tested
in Bago Region near Taungoo may
have the quality Nestl needs for
its products.
Nestle will own the majority
share of the joint venture, while
MDG will be in the minority
though the exact size of the stakes
has not been decided.
We will try to distribute our
products within 18 months we
will start operating the factory at
the end of 2016, said Mr Pettinari.
He added Nestl is committed to
Myanmar, and is keen to partner
with MDG and its extensive distri-
bution network.
Nestl products to be
made in Myanmar
SU PHYO
WIN
[email protected]
[Investment for]
the second phase
will be much bigger
as investment is
not ending with
Nescaf.
Suphavat Khamijoun
Nestl Myanmar coffee brand head
A shopper investigates Nestl coffee products at a Yangon supermarket. Photo: Staff
24 Business THE MYANMAR TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 - 28, 2014
THE mobile race is nearly in full
swing, though consumers need
to be realistic as service rollouts
across the country have years to go,
industry obervers say.
The introduction of foreign tel-
cos has already led to visible com-
munications improvements, with
SIMs now routinely sold at K1500
and speeds and communication re-
liability better than a year ago.
The competition is already wak-
ing up and shaking up the market,
said deputy telecoms minister U
Thaung Tin.
I see the rivals are still shaking
hands, but I dont know if they are
going to do that behind [closed]
doors, he said jokingly during the
Myanmar Connect 2014 conference
in Nay Pyi Taw last week.
Yet the vast scale of the chal-
lenge facing the operators is appar-
ent. The tower build currently un-
der way by Telenor and Ooredoo is
one of the largest rollouts anywhere
in such a short amount of time, and
MPT has only just begun operating
with its Japanese partners after a
series of complex negotiations.
Though Ooredoo has already
launched, Telenor expects to do in
the next few weeks the Norwe-
gians firm Myanmar CEO Petter
Furberg humorously showed a slide
of a blue turtle in the wake of a red
hare at Myanmar Connect and the
telcos will be building more towers
and adding coverage for years to
come.
Public enthusiasm for better ser-
vices is significant following dec-
ades of one of the worlds lowest
ICT penetration rates. While much
of the telcos plans so far have gone
well, it has not been easy getting
permits and building the new tow-
ers needed for top-quality coverage.
The expectations to both Oore-
doo and Telenor are both very very
high, said Mr Furberg.
The more towers you need the
bigger the challenge. In Yangon we
need many more towers than in
Mandalay or in Nay Pyi Taw equal-
ly the challenge is much bigger.
Ooredoo Myanmar CEO Ross
Cormack said that one of the things
Ooredoo is trying to do is promote
sales in areas with plenty of cover-
age and capacity. While some areas
of Yangon such as around Inya Lake
still face coverage shortfalls, other
former shortfalls in Ooredoos cov-
erage such as the downtown busi-
ness area have already been patched
since the August 2 launch, he said.
Mr Cormack added that the cov-
erage is working well in places like
Nay Pyi Taw and Mandalay, and the
area around Inya Lake should be
fully covered in about a month.
The two telco chiefs also say they
are not taking MPT lightly. The
incumbent firm announced this
month it had begun its partnership
with Japans KDDI and Sumitomo,
and it is a formidable service pro-
vider in its own right.
[Its] very much a tough com-
petitor, and if you have to look at
most markets in the world you will
find the biggest operator in the
market is usually the incumbent,
said Mr Furberg.
The advantage of an incumbent
is that it has had 15 or 20 years to
roll out a network, meaning the
new firms will have to catch up.
Most of you know MPT as the
pioneer of telecoms in Myanmar,
with strong heritage and tradition,
said U Khin Maung Tin, deputy
CEO of MPT under the new struc-
ture with the Japanese partners.
MPT is facing strong competi-
tion from the two global giants,
and looking to improve its services.
However, the structure of the part-
nership with KDDI and Sumitomo
was difficult due to the position
of MPT as part of the Ministry of
Communications and Information
Technology.
U Khin Maung Tin also said
MPTs 9000-person staff would be
fully retained, with many receiving
training for new roles.
Myanmar is also set to have a
fourth mobile operator, Yatanarpon
Teleport Public Company (YTP), at
a later date.
YTP business development head
Daw Nilar Aye said the firm accepts
that it is late to the race, but hopes
to take a late-comer advantage.
We can see what the other op-
erators are doing and we can learn
from their experiences as well as
challenges and difficulties and
avoid these difficulties, she said.
Still, it is apparent Myanmars
telecoms sector has come a long
way in a year.
Ooredoos Mr Cormack said,
Last year was a year of huge pent
up excitement about all the things
we were going to be doing. And now
you can see theres a tremendous
amount of movement thats hap-
pened.
Telecoms keep improving
but expectations are high
ANALYSIS
Enthusiasm is palpable for modern communications, but insiders caution it may take
a while to meet all the expectations. Still, the sector has come a long way
JEREMY MULLINS
[email protected]
The competition is
already waking up
and shaking up the
market.
U Thaung Tin
Deputy telecoms minister
TRADE MARK CAUTION
FEDERAL-MOGUL NRNBERG GmbH, of Nopitschstrasse
67, Nrnberg D-90441, Germany, is the Owner and Sole Proprietor
of the following Trade Mark:-
NRAL
Reg. No. 7902/2011
in respect of Class 06: Castings made of light metal or metal alloys,
not included in other classes. Class 07: Parts and fttings for use in
machines, motors, engines and transmissions, namely, pistons, piston
rings, valves, valve guides, valve springs, valve seat inserts, cam
shafts, cam followers, cylinder liners, full and half-cast bearings.
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.L
for FEDERAL-MOGUL NRNBERG GmbH
P. O. Box 60, Yangon
E-mail: [email protected]
Dated: 22 September 2014
TRADE MARK CAUTION
Notice is given that The Keepers and Governors of the
Possessions, Revenues and Goods of the Free Grammar School
of John Lyon within the Town of Harrow-On-The-Hill in the
County of Middlesex, of The Bursary, 5 High Street, Harrow-
on-the-Hill, Middlesex, HA1 3HP, United Kingdom, is the Owner
and Sole Proprietor of the following Trade Mark:-
Reg. No. 10122/2014
in respect of Class 16: Paper, cardboard and goods made from
these materials, not included in other classes; printed matter;
book-binding material, photographs; stationery; adhesives for
stationery or household purchases; artists materials; paint brushes;
typewriters and offce requisites (except furniture); instructional
and teaching materials (except apparatus); plastic materials for
packaging (not included in other classes); playing cards; printed
type; printing blocks. Class 25: School clothing; coats; jackets;
blazers; trousers; jerseys; shirts; T-shirts and sweatshirts; sweaters;
ties; scarves; gloves; articles of outer clothing; headgear; footwear.
Class 41: School services; boarding school services; physical,
sporting, training and educational services; entertainment, sporting
and cultural activities; publishing services; information relating
to entertainment or education, provided on-line from a computer
database or the internet; electronic games services provided by
means of the internet; providing on-line electronic publications
(not downloadable); publication of electronic books and journals
on-line; operating chat rooms; providing digital music (not
downloadable) from the internet; providing digital music (not
downloadable) from MP3 internet web sites; information and
advisory services relating to all the aforementioned services.
WARNING is hereby given that any fraudulent imitation or
unauthorised use of the same Trademark in any manner whatsoever
for The Keepers and Governors of the Possessions, Revenues
and Goods of the Free Grammar School of John Lyon within
the Town of Harrow-On-The-Hill in the County of Middlesex
Business 25 www.mmtimes.com
THE peak export season in the last
four months of a calendar year
normally sees the kyat strengthen
against the US dollar, though this
year the opposite is happening.
Rising imports and a series of in-
ternational events are being blamed
for a weakening kyat, as the current
has depreciated to a K988 to K978
gap for buying and selling a US dol-
lar as of September 18, compared
with K975 to K969 a week earlier.
U Win Myint, a licensed money
changer in Kyauktada township,
said a strong US dollar globally and
a growing trade gap in Myanmar are
to blame for the weaker local cur-
rency.
The spread between the buying
and selling rates has also been in-
creasing, he said.
A Central Bank of Myanmar cur-
rency expert said the local currency
is often at the mercy of what hap-
pens with the benchmark US dollar.
We are facing a growing trade
decit, and thats an important rea-
son our currency is depreciating,
but its important to check the world
currency market and the US dollar
is appreciating compared to other
currencies, he said.
The Central Bank of Myanmars
reference rate has likewise depre-
ciated to K978 a US dollar on Sep-
tember 18, compared with K970 on
September 11.
Traditionally, Myanmars exports
do well after the rainy season ends,
making exporting easier, and also
with the important rice harvest in
December and January.
But with the rising trade decit,
businesspeople say they must pur-
chase US dollars for imports, driv-
ing down the kyat in relation to the
worlds main currency.
Fisheries businessperson U Hnin
Oo said that with imports nearly
double exports so far in 2014-15 due
to rising consumer demand and a
ban on exporting unprocessed tim-
ber, there is increasing demand for
the dollar.
An unbalance in imports and ex-
ports is happening in many sectors,
including sheries, where exports
have declined in the last few years,
he said. However, it wont be as bad
a situation as [the currency uctua-
tions around] past events.
While Myanmar only instituted
a managed oat in April 2012, black
market rates before the oat had
uctuated widely, trading at a range
from K650 to over K1000 since 2009.
At the time of the 2012 oat, the
kyat ofcially traded at K6.4 per dol-
lar, but in the black market traded
at about K800 per dollar, and it has
since depreciated about 25 percent.
U Win Nge, an ofcial at Aung
Thamardi gold shop, said currency
and gold speculators had also seized
on the plans by Yangon mayor U My-
int Swe to construct a US$15 billion
project as impetus for increased de-
mand for the dollar. U Win Nge add-
ed that rumours around the project
are probably being fanned by dollar
speculators.
Local gold prices have also tum-
bled in line with a drop in interna-
tional prices. Gold traded for $1230
an ounce on September 18, about
a 4pc drop on the $1280 it fetched
internationally the week previ-
ous, according to industry website
kitco.com.
Local gold fell about K10,000 a ti-
cal (1 tical is 0.576 ounces or 0.527
troy ounces) during the same period,
according to U Win Nge. One tical
of gold cost about K655,000 on local
markets last week.
Internationally, gold prices tradi-
tionally serve as a safe haven in the
face of risk, while there is consider-
able domestic demand for the pre-
cious metal for use in jewellery as
well as in household savings.
Devalued kyat blamed on dollar strength
AYE THIDAR
KYAW
[email protected]
YOMA Bank will receive a US$5
million convertible loan from the
World Bank Groups International
Finance Corporation (IFC), the first
part of what could be total financial
support of $30 million in the com-
ing years.
The funds are earmarked to as-
sist Yoma with lending to small and
medium business, which is a sector
of Myanmars economy in desperate
need of financing to grow and cre-
ate more jobs, a press release said.
The IFC has also agreed to as-
sist Yoma with improving its risk
management and corporate govern-
ance and installing a core banking
system, while the additional funds
are still subject to further approv-
als. The agreement was announced
on the sidelines of the Euromoney
conference on September 16 in Nay
Pyi Taw.
IFC puts a strategic focus on
supporting the development of
Myanmars financial and banking
sector as banks are critically im-
portant in helping entrepreneurs
grow their businesses and contrib-
ute to the overall economy, IFC
vice president for Asia Pacific Karin
Finkelston said.
IFCs support is expected to as-
sist Yoma with providing 1000 ad-
ditional loans worth $370 million
to local small business by 2019.
Chaired by prominent entrepreneur
U Serge Pun, Yoma was formerly
one of Myanmars largest banks,
but faced a setback in 2003 during
the countrys banking crisis, follow-
ing which its banking licence was
restricted. It received a full licence
again in 2012.
U Serge Pun said Yoma intends
to be one of the leading SME banks
in the country.
Yoma
receives
IFC loan
JEREMY MULLINS
[email protected]
NYAN LYNN AUNG
[email protected]
Workers at a Yangon gold shop count out piles of money. The gold price fell
significantly last week. Photo: Yu Yu
KYAT
988
Central Bank of Myanmar reference
rate for US dollar on September 18
Business 27 www.mmtimes.com
The Fine Print
Legal & tax insight
Mitigating tax exposure by
using holding companies
FOREIGN investors wishing to
sell their investment in Myanmar
face a capital gains tax rate that
amounts to a whopping 40 percent
for non-residents.
Lets say a Thai entrepreneur
has invested US$10 million to set
up a company in Myanmar and
build and operate a hotel. If, after a
couple of years, he manages to sell
the hotel company for $12 million,
he makes a handsome prot (capi-
tal gain) of $2 million. Unfortu-
nately, the Myanmar tax authorities
want 40pc of it, thereby shrinking
the prot to $1.2 million.
Could the Thai entrepreneur have
kept more of the prot by investing
through a country with a more fa-
vourable double taxation treaty than
Thailand?
If, for instance, he had estab-
lished a Singapore holding that
would, in its turn, have set up the
Myanmar hotel company, the Sin-
gapore holding could have availed
itself of the double taxation treaty
between Myanmar and Singapore
when later selling the hotel com-
pany. This treaty caps Myanmar
capital gains tax at 10pc as opposed
to 40pc.
The Thai entrepreneur could have
walked away with 90pc of the prot
instead of just 60pc.
Or could he really?
The problem is that there is not
much experience with the applica-
tion of the double taxation treaty
with Singapore in Myanmar yet.
Furthermore, the treaty benets
are only available to Singapore tax
residents, and the Singapore tax
authorities do not issue certicates
of tax residence to mere letterbox
companies. This means in practice
that many investments channelled
through Singapore only in order to
prot from Singapores tax treaty
network ultimately are not eligible
for treaty benets.
It is therefore far from certain
that our Thai entrepreneur would
have reduced Myanmar capital gains
tax by investing through Singapore.
Instead of, or in addition to,
establishing a holding company
in Singapore, he could have set up
a holding company in Myanmar.
This Myanmar holding company
would by the mere virtue of its
registration in Myanmar be a
Myanmar tax resident and, when
selling a subsidiary, therefore au-
tomatically be subject to only 10pc
Myanmar capital gains tax. The
capital gain could be repatriated
as tax-free dividends to Thailand.
The uncertainties from the appli-
cation of double taxation treaties
would disappear.
DICA does, as such, not allow the
establishment of foreign-invested
holding companies. However, it is
possible to set up a services compa-
ny, (with a business scope of, for in-
stance, providing hotel management
services). It is also possible for this
services company to have subsidiar-
ies or shareholdings in joint venture
companies that operate in other sec-
tors such as construction, logistics,
agriculture and operation of cruising
boats. Although the services company
would not have an MIC permit, its
subsidiaries could obtain one if their
business requires it.
The services company acting as
a de facto holding requires a mini-
mum capital brought in from abroad
of $50,000. It is not possible to push
down this capital into the subsidiar-
ies. The minimum capital require-
ments of the subsidiaries have to be
met by money injections from the ul-
timate foreign parent company.
As DICA does not register a mere
holding, the services company must
have at least a little business of its
own, for which it could use the mini-
mum capital of $50,000.
Domestic tax law is, to the detri-
ment of tax planners, easier to change
than double taxation treaties. The
combination of a Myanmar holding
with a holding in Singapore ofers
maximum protection.
Sebastian Pawlita and Zin Myo Aung are
consultants at Polastri Wint & Partners
Legal & Tax Advisors.
SEBASTIAN PAWLITA
[email protected]
ZIN MYO AUNG
[email protected]
A BUYING frenzy sent Alibaba
shares sharply higher on September
19 as the Chinese online giant made
its historic Wall Street trading debut.
Alibaba leapt from an ofering
price of US$68 to $92.07 in the rst
trades, then headed to nearly $100
before settling back at the close to
$93.89, a hefty gain of 38 percent.
Company founder Jack Ma was on
the oor of the New York Stock Ex-
change before trading opened, while
a group of Alibaba customers rang
the opening bell.
By raising $25.02 billion, Chi-
nese online giant Alibaba broke the
record for the largest initial public
ofering in history, after investment
underwriters exercised the option
for 48 million extra shares, bringing
the total to 368 million.
The previous record was set in
2010 by Chinas AgBank, which
raised $22.1 billion.
Speaking to CNBC television from
the trading oor, Mr Ma said he was
very honored, and so excited by the
market debut and that he sees enor-
mous growth potential for Alibaba.
We have a dream, he said. We
hope in the next 15 years the world
will change. We want to be bigger
than Wal-Mart.
With the surge in its share price,
Alibabas market value jumped to
more than $220 billion making it
bigger than Facebook at $199 billion
and Amazon at $151 billion.
The rise also lifted Mr Mas per-
sonal net worth to some $17 billion,
making him the richest person in
China, according to Forbes maga-
zines rankings.
Some analysts were also upbeat
about Alibaba, which dominates the
Chinese online retail space with Tao-
bao.com and TMall.com.
AFP
Alibaba
offering
the largest
in history
NEW YORK
IN BRIEF
APR wins award for Kyaukse
APR Energy has won the Fast-Track
Power Plant of the Year award at the
Asian Power Awards held in Kuala
Lumpur on September 11, it said in a
press release.
APR opened its 100 megawatt plant
in Kyaukse in Mandalay Region in June,
though the contract was signed in Feb-
ruary. The plant marks the rst time a
US company has inked an agreement
with Myanmar for power generation
since the end of sanctions, the release
said. Jeremy Mullins
World Bank gets new country head
Abdoulaye Seck has been announced
as the new country manager for the
World Bank Group in Myanmar. He fol-
lows Kanthan Shankar, who became
the World Banks rst Myanmar country
manager in 2012, a press release said.
Mr Seck was formerly the World
Banks Moldova country manager, and
has worked with JICA and Senegals -
nance ministry. Jeremy Mullins
World Bank country head
Abdoulaye Seck. Photo: Supplied
28 Business THE MYANMAR TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 - 28, 2014
THE young people headed back to uni-
versity this month will have a wider
array of career choices than ever when
they graduate and enter the labour
market. Growing numbers of interna-
tional companies setting up in Myan-
mar and increasingly sophisticated lo-
cal businesses are demanding educated,
talented young people to develop the in-
dustries that will be central to economic
development.
Experts say there is a gap between the
training young people receive and the
realities of the job market. While
there may be more opportunities
than ever before, experts say it is not
easy stafng all these job openings.
Myanmar Survey Research program
director for research U Maung Maung
Than said people recognised a rm link
between academic achievement and
success in the labour market. Those
who have the means study in places like
Singapore and Australia, while others
vie for a local university education.
The Myanmar Survey Research
(MSR) 2014 Salary Survey shows that
salaries rise with more university edu-
cation. While the survey shows there
is not much of a diference in wages
for newly minted university graduates
compared to fresh high-school gradu-
ates, the gap rises signicantly in a few
years.
But even if university education
tends to positively impact salaries, ex-
perts say there is a mismatch between
Myanmars educational institutions
and job requirements. Some companies
make use of expats and Myanmar peo-
ple returning from abroad to plug the
gaps, but its not a suitable strategy to
ll every position.
Many young people take training
classes outside their university education
in an efort to improve their chances
in the job market. Even some people
who are working in business at-
tend classes in their spare time.
They have ambitions to achieve higher
levels and receive higher income, said
U Maung Maung Than.
The number-one thing young people
can do is to improve their English,
which in many cases can double or triple
salaries, said Jemin Popat, managing
director of myjobs.com.mm. A lot of
our international clients wont even
look at candidates who dont speak very
good to perfect English, he said.
While English is the most impor-
tant thing young people can do in
general to spice up a rsum, Mr Popat
said there were other areas, such as
technology, that also help an applica-
tion. Though English and computer
courses abound in Yangon, there is also
a growing number of companies and
organisations providing more niche
training required for specic, often
well-paying, jobs.
Indeed, there is a growing eco-
nomic imperative to make more
money, as costs for a family to live
in Yangon are rising consistently.
Myanmar Survey Researchs survey
said it now costs K627,150 a month
for an average family of ve to meet
their expenses a 24 percent rise on
the K507,867 a month it cost in 2013.
Wages are also rising across the board,
though some areas are attracting par-
ticular interest from young people.
MSR associate director U Ye Naung
said with all the hotels being built there
is strong demand for tourism and hos-
pitality workers. Many rural women
are also studying to become nurses, as
healthcare becomes an increasingly lu-
crative sector. Still, there is not a strong
link between the education system ac-
ademics and the business and govern-
ment world, he said.
Thats why so many young peo-
ple go to other countries, like Japan
and Korea, he said. Actually they are
very educated people, but they have
to do manual work in restaurants.
U Ye Naung said he earned his bache-
lors degree in physics, but faced limited
options years ago in Myanmar.
Maybe I could repair refrigerators,
but I could not get a higher [-level] posi-
tion, he said.
In U Ye Naungs case, he went to Ja-
pan for further studies to receive train-
ing he can use in the job market. But
not everyone is in a position to study
abroad. U Ye Naung is also not alone in
calling for reform to the academic sector.
The problem is there are lots of univer-
sities in Myanmar, said Ko Lin Kyaw
Tun, director of Yangon-based Career
Development Consultancy. What I see
from my point of view is they have the
same curriculum.
Universities ought to be free to
with courses and programs, looking
to produce the best students as is the
case with international universities.
Whereas Princeton University would
be competing with Harvard or Oxford
or whatever to get the best students,
the best subjects, the best teachers ...
[here] its everywhere the same, he
said.
While there is a trend to a more
diverse array of schools, Ko Lin Kyaw
Tun said it would ultimately benet stu-
dents if they had more choice.
Students themselves say the educa-
tion they are receiving is not always ori-
ented toward a future career.
Ko Htet Lin Aung is in the second
year of a chemistry masters degree, and
hopes to work in a laboratory one day.
However, he sees little support from the
university. I dont think our universi-
ties are doing a good job of training
students for work, he said. Myanmar
universities need more training [op-
portunities], more opportunities for
students, more campuses and more po-
litical and business development initia-
tives to benet society.
Educators also say the university
system could be more responsive to the
future job market.
U Pyiet Phyo Kyaw, assistant lec-
turer in archaeology at the University of
Yangon, said granting more academic
freedom to universities involves stake-
holders supporting changes in the uni-
versity, including better knowledge of
what businesses and other employers
are looking for in graduates.
With a shortage in trained experts
coming out of the universities, many
employers are putting a premium
on experience. Pay is increasing for
nearly all occupations, but growth is
concentrated at the higher level, such
as management, as there are more op-
portunities since the reform process
started and not many candidates.
Two years ago we could nd ve
candidates for a position, but now its
hard to nd one, said Ko Lin Kyaw Tun.
There is a nearly unprecedented level
of opportunity for young people about
to enter the workforce but the right
training and education are crucial.
Yet not everyone will be able to af-
ford university. Rural and poorer peo-
ple in particular face a tall ladder to
climb to receive the best training, but
they are increasingly participating in
other industries that do not require ex-
tensive education.
MSR ofcial Ma Thazin Tin Win
said people in villages and semi-urban
areas are increasingly able to nd
work locally in factories. City dwellers
who only have the benet of a stand-
ard education are receiving opportuni-
ties in vocational training. And MSR
research program director U Maung
Maung Than said Yangon was becom-
ing home to many people moving
from small towns.
For those that can aford university
or those that cant, there are more em-
ployment opportunities than ever be-
fore. The challenge is in training young
people to ll those roles.
Formal education level Salary after
graduating (median)
Salary after fve or six
years (median)
High School completed K80,000 K130,000
Bachelors degree
completed
K100,000 K200,000
Masters degree
completed
K250,000 K600,000
Source: Myanmar Survey Research 2014 Salary Survey
Minding the countrys education gap
FEATURE
The strong economy is creating new employment opportunities across the board, but it is not a given that people are being trained for the job
JEREMY MULLINS
[email protected]
MAY THINZAR NAING
[email protected]
THE local oil and gas industry is gar-
nering global headlines, as interna-
tional rms rush to participate in on-
shore and ofshore development.
These companies need workers,
and are often keen to hire local em-
ployees if they are available.
Although local tradespeople are
often procient in their area of work,
such as welding, pipe tting or scaf-
folding, they require specic training
and certication to be hired by oil
majors to work on ofshore oil and gas
platforms.
Its like you can drive but you
dont have a drivers licence. No mat-
ter if you can drive, you are an illegal
driver [if you do so without a licence],
said Wayne Yip, project recruitment
consultant at Oileld Workforce, a
Singapore-based rm specialising in
HR, recruitment and project manage-
ment for the oil and gas sector.
Oileld Workforce is planning
to launch the rst Yangon school to
train local tradespeople for the indus-
try. While the students will already
be procient in a trade like welding
when they come to the school, it will
provide the sector-specic training
certication oil and gas companies
need to employ them on the ofshore
platforms.
Welding is still welding, its not
rocket science, but because of the
safety and the conditions youre in
the middle of the ocean its very dif-
ferent, said Mr Yip. The certication
workers will receive is acceptable in-
ternationally, meaning trained work-
ers will be able to work overseas as
well as Myanmar using the qualica-
tion. Currently most of the oil majors
operating in Myanmar make wide-
spread use of foreign workers even on
a technician level. Oileld Workforce
business manager Victor Koh said that
foreign companies prefer to use Myan-
mar workers in Myanmar if they can.
For one thing it is often expensive
to lure foreign workers to leave their
homes to work overseas, and costs can
be pared by employing locals living
closing to home. But Mr Koh also said
that foreigners often go home after a
few years, and their expertise is lost.
The oil and gas sector generally
pays a premium over other sectors.
Jeremy Mullins
Preparing
workers
for the rigs
Two students look a little grim while posing for
a graduation photo. Perhaps they have the job
market on their minds. Photo: AFP
BUSINESS EDITOR: Jeremy Mullins | [email protected]
Property
GEMS Garden Condominium is on
pace to be nished at the end of
2015, adding an upscale ofering to
Yangon property buyers, according
to company ofcials.
Developers Capital Development
Limited, part of the Capital Diamond
Star Group conglomerate, said on
September 17 that the Hlaing town-
ship project is already 40 percent
complete.
Located between busy Pyay and
Insein roads, the project is set to
include four condominiums with 21
stories each when it is completed
next year, said company ofcials.
The rst phase mainly consists of
residences, though a shopping mall,
serviced apartments, ofce and a ho-
tel will also be added in the second
and third phase.
A major selling point has been the
secure status of the 12.8 acres of land
it sets on, said Ma Su Wai Aung.
She said the rooms will be fully
prepared and decorated with lights,
tiles and paint when completed,
meaning residents only need to
bring their own furniture.
The company will also form an
estate management committee for
annual maintenance.
Weve been doing lots of types
of testing such as soil tests, tests of
the metal, workload and other tests,
said company engineer U Kyaw Zay
Ya. Since the Yangon area is suscep-
tible to earthquakes, there has been
a specic focus on seismic-proong,
he added.
Some 75 percent of the 584 rooms
have already been sold since sales be-
gan in October 2013, said senior mar-
keting manager Ma Lwin Mar Aung.
Rooms range in cost from K160
to K380 million depending on their
size, while buyers can pay in install-
ments, she said.
The architects are from a Singa-
porean company, RSP Architects,
while construction is proceeding
in conjunction with Vietnams Hoa
Binh Construction Management.
The condominium buildings are
set to include a range of amenities
including a gym, snack bar, innity
swimming pool and sky garden. It
also boasts guaranteed 24-hour elec-
tricity with backup generators, se-
curity, a water ltration system, two
passenger lifts and a service elevator.
Progress made on GEMS Garden condos
NOE NOE
AUNG
[email protected]
Workers get GEMS Garden Condominium off the ground. Photo: Thiri Lu
CITIES are growing twice as fast as
the total population and will be cru-
cial for Myanmars economic future,
said Putu Kamayana, adviser at New
Star Light Construction and former
Asian Development Bank country
head.
Growth will not be focused solely
in Yangon in the years ahead, and
other cities will also be home to
modern property developments in
the near-term, he said at the My-
anmar Global Investment Forum in
Nay Pyi Taw on September 17.
Cities are critical for economic
growth for countries, and also for
governance, for social services. But
theres been insufcient investment
in [Myanmars] infrastructure over
the past decade[s], he said during a
panel discussion.
New Star Light is working on
two large-scale projects in upper
Myanmar, including the Mingalar
Mandalay mixed development and
a business district project in Muse
in Shan State on the Chinese border.
Mr Kamayana said Muse will
only grow in importance, with 60
percent of Myanmars trade with
China already travelling through
the gate.
Its a bustling small town, but
on the other side of the border is
the city of the Shweli with 1.5 mil-
lion people. And theres such a stark
contrast, he said.
Yet developers face a number of
challenges, such as securing land
and access to capital, that are hin-
dering growth, while urban plan-
ning eforts also need to be im-
proved. The process of awarding
land must also be evenly enforced,
experts say.
Land tenders should be transpar-
ently conducted to give rms a fair
shot at securing leases, according
to Cyrus Pun, executive director of
Yoma Strategic Holdings.
It needs to be a process used by
everyone, not some ministries using
it, some ministries not using it, he
told The Myanmar Times.
It is also important that policies
are not only transparent but also
accurately transmitted to the wider
community, he said.
If important decisions are not
being conveyed, thats when people
become skeptical, he said.
U Kan Zaw, minister of national
planning and economic develop-
ment, said a number of areas in the
housing market need improvement,
including better housing nance
and the construction companies
themselves.
Mr Pun said that while access to
nance is a challenge for develop-
ers, banking reforms should help
ease the constraint.
Expanding urban population changes property needs
NYAN LYNN AUNG
[email protected]
If important
decisions are not
being conveyed,
thats when people
become skeptical.
Cyrus Pun
Property developer
MILLION
K160
Starting prices for condo units
31
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Last year was a year of huge pent-up excitement ... and now you
can see theres a tremendous amount of movement.
Ooredoo Myanmar CEO Ross Cormack, on the difference in telecoms between 2013 and now
Scotland wants in after
independence fails
WORLD 40
SOME of the workshops and ofces at
Yangon Central Railway Station will
be forced to move to make way for a
development at the site in the coming
months.
Railway employees will be sent to
Ywarthar Gyi in East Dagon Myothit
township and other places, said U
Htun Aung Thin, general manager
of lower Myanmar for Myanma Rail-
ways.
The train workshop, locomotive
upgrading facilities, department of-
ces and pre-ticketing department
will all have to move to new loca-
tions. Other businesses that have
been afected include a bank branch,
the four-storey Dynamic building and
the Chan Myae market in Kyauktada
township. A school and two Hindu
temples are also included.
In February, railway ofcials an-
nounced that land near the station
was to be earmarked for a large-scale
development, potentially worth hun-
dreds of millions of dollars. While the
heritage station building is to remain
undeveloped, nearby railway ministry
land is to be repurposed.
About 215 trains travel through Yan-
gon Central Railway Station every day.
The Yangon Central Railway Sta-
tion is a separate but nearby site from
the former Ministry of Railways head
ofce near Sule Shangri-La Hotel,
which is the site of a development
being led by Myanmar conglomerate
SPA Group.
U Htun Aung Thin said ofcials
have been holding discussions with
the afected shop owners to pay
compensation.
We are targeting the end of Sep-
tember for agreeing to compensa-
tion, he said.
Of the afected ministry agencies,
the locomotive upgrading garages
will move to Ywarthar Gyi, other
repair facilities will go to Ma Hlwa
Gone station in Tarmwe township,
and the pre-ticket department will
move to a new Yangon station.
The leases for the bank and the
Dynamic building are also near expi-
ration, said U Htun Aung Thin.
The development on 63 acres of
land in Mingalar Taung Nyunt town-
ship is expected to start in 2015, with
developers interest being accepted
through a tender. The successful com-
pany will be invited to invest along
with the ministry, he said.
Meanwhile, Ywar Thar Gyi station
is planned for a facelift as well, and
will also be the site of a dry port.
Yangon railway project
to send staff packing
AYE NYEIN WIN
[email protected]
HOUSE OF THE WEEK
Stretching out in Mayangone
The couch is the centre of any well-
designed living room. Eyes are relaxed
by the sight of it, bums are drawn into
it dont underestimate the couch.
A signicant portion of your time
and your guests time will be spent on it,
whether one admits it or not. House of the
Week grudgingly admits to spending more
time parked on a couch then is probably
healthy, and so values a nice sofa set. Even
better if it can be napped on.
Although this weeks house isnt
entirely furnished, it comes with some
items including a beautiful black
couch set that are an admirable start.
And for 28 lakhs a month, this place is
a bit of a steal.
Its located uptown in Mayangone
township, on a 3770-square-foot lot on
its own compound. The house is a to-
tal of 1950 square feet, and is designed
for family living, with three master
bedrooms, two smaller bedrooms and
other assorted rooms including six
bathrooms outtted with bathtubs, the
hygienic persons couch.
Theres a nice space outdoors,
while the interior is tastefully decorat-
ed with parquet if the weather forces
you indoors.
The usual amenities are here, in-
cluding water, seven air condition-
ers and power. Its a little ways from
downtown, but its a decent price for a
nice place and you might be able to
negotiate. Tin Yadanar Htun
Location : Thalawaddy St,
Mayangone Tsp
Price : K 2.8 Million
per month
(negotiable)
Contact : Estate Myanmar
Real Estate Agency
Phone : 09-43118787,
09-43031699
The area around Yagon Central Railway
Station is ripe for redevelopment.
Photo: Yu Yu
32 Property THE MYANMAR TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 - 28, 2014
French Riviera rides luxury boom
MONACO is experiencing a luxury-
housing boom that includes the
worlds most expensive penthouse as
developers prepare for an inux of
millionaires and billionaires escap-
ing higher taxes or a loss of banking
privacy.
A ow of new residents is emi-
grating from Switzerland, where
nancial-secrecy laws are crumbling,
said Jean Claude Caputo, managing
director of broker Savillss French
Riviera unit. Theyre drawn to the tax
haven on the French Riviera by se-
curity, sophistication and climate, he
said as well as for nancial reasons.
The Swiss government signed an ac-
cord in May to automatically share
bank data across borders.
High-net-worth individuals want
to be in this part of the world, Mr
Caputo said as he drove in his Audi
Quattro to Monaco to brief Swiss pri-
vate bankers on the property market
there and help them advise clients
considering a move.
New levies on luxury homes in
London and a US-led global crack-
down on hiding assets will also prob-
ably attract the afuent to Monaco,
which already counts pop stars, For-
mula One drivers and Russian bil-
lionaires among its inhabitants. One
in three of Monacos 38,000 residents
are millionaires, according to a study
by Spears magazine and Wealth-
Insight. As that number increases,
home values will rise by about a fth
by June 2015, according to London-
based Savills. That would almost
erase losses sustained since the mar-
kets 2007 peak.
The Tour Odeon, a double-sky-
scraper being built by Groupe Mar-
zocco near Monacos Mediterranean
seafront, will contain a 3,300 square-
metre (35,500 square-oot) penthouse
with a water slide connecting a dance
oor to a circular openair swimming
pool. The apartment may sell for
more than 300 million euros (US$400
million) when it goes on the market
next year, French magazine Challeng-
es reported. That would make it the
worlds most expensive penthouse, ac-
cording to broker Knight Frank.
We think we can get a little bit
more, Daniele Marzocco, a director
at the company, said in June. So far,
the developer has found buyers for 26
of the 36 luxury homes that have been
ofered for sale.
What we sell is Monaco, com-
mercial director Niccolo Marzocco
said during a viewing of the skyscrap-
er, which is costing more than 600
million euros to build, excluding the
land. He cited security, stability and
the convenience of living in a city-
state about two-thirds the size of New
Yorks Central Park.
The most expensive part of Mo-
naco, centered on the Golden Square
and The Casino de MonteCarlo
made famous in James Bond lms, is
already the worlds costliest property
location ahead of Hong Kong. For $1
million, you could buy about 15 sq me-
tres (160 sq ft) of space, Knight Frank
estimates. Thats about a third of the
size of the median studio in Manhat-
tan, according to the Naked Apart-
ments website.
The principalitys residents, who
include Russian billionaire Dmitry
Rybolovlev and pop singer Shirley
Bassey, dont pay taxes on income.
The French have to pay taxes there,
with certain exceptions dating back
more than 50 years. Mr Rybolovlev
lives in the Belle Epoque building
overlooking the harbour, according to
a New York state court ling in 2012.
Famous for its Grand Prix, Mona-
co is home to a host of Formula One
drivers such as 2008 World Champion
Lewis Hamilton, who moved there
from Switzerland two years ago. Mr
Caputo at Savills said he could tell
whether Alain Prost or Ayrton Senna
was leading Formula One races there
in the 1980s and 1990s by the sounds
of the gear shifts as the cars ap-
proached. Senna was much smoother,
he said.
The Grimaldi family rst took
control of the city-state in 1297 when
Francois Grimaldi, disguised as a
monk, seized the fortress from a rival
Italian faction. The family has largely
reigned since and is now ruled by
Prince Albert II, son of Prince Rainier
and Hollywood star Grace Kelly.
While Switzerland also has some
of Europes lowest tax rates, its be-
coming less attractive to luxury
homebuyers as the countrys nancial
secrecy laws are eroded amid a move
toward a global standard of informa-
tion exchange between tax authori-
ties. Other jurisdictions, including
Monaco, are looking for ways to tap
into the wealth held in the Alpine
country.
Bloomberg
PHNOM PENH
FOREIGNERS bought more than 1305
condominium units in Cambodia in the
rst six months of the year, the Minis-
try of Land Management, Urban Plan-
ning and Construction has revealed.
Lao Tip Seiha, deputy general di-
rector of the ministrys construction
department, said improvements in the
political environment and growing eco-
nomic strength had made Cambodia
more attractive to overseas investors.
There are many factors that are
attracting foreigners to buy in Cambo-
dia. The construction sector is in good
condition, the political and economic
situations have improved, and buying
property is easy, he said.
Sopheak Seng, general manager
of CPL Cambodia Properties Ltd, said
condos were especially popular with
Singaporean, Chinese, Taiwanese, Japa-
nese and Malaysian investors.
He said developers were making
overseas investors a focus, with pro-
jects exhibited in countries such as Sin-
gapore and Malaysia.
Saraboth EA, managing director of
MAXEM Property, said foreign proper-
ty purchases had increased noticeably
since laws were changed to allow non-
Cambodians to purchase properties
above the rst oor.
The number of condominiums on
the market is set to soar, with many
large projects currently under way, in-
cluding Yangon satellite cities such as
Koh Pich, Camko City, Grand Phnom
Penh, Chroy Changvar, Decho City and
Booyoung.
ASEAN integration in 2015 is ex-
pected to further drive up condo de-
mand in the second half of 2014.
A sales and marketing manager at
Koh Pichs Casa Meridian project, who
asked not to be named, said 60 per-
cent of the projects condos had been
sold, with about 30pc going to foreign-
ers, including buyers from Singapore,
China, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia
and the UK. The Phnom Penh Post
Cambodian
condos catch
more foreign
purchasers
High-net-worth
individuals want to
be in this part of the
world.
Jean Claude Caputo
Realty broker
A crane stands above the Tour Odeon residential
apartment development, which includes
Europes most expensive penthouse towers
forty-nine storeys above Monaco. Photo: AFP
Social media may play a useful role in our day
to day lives, but they also have a destructive side.
Heavy lifting, for instance, is something you wont
find on Facebook. In fact they really dont care
much for the truth or for that matter the lies.
Facebook nor Thit Htoo Lwin wont own up or
take responsibility for their role in the tragic events
in Mandalay recently.
Yet, if they were forced to be a little bit more
accountable on what they broadcast then some
innocent people may have been alive today. Just
remember what you read on these sites may not
always be the truth.
Heres some other things you ought to know about
Facebook:
Beheadings: Facebook says its OK to put up
images of beheadings, as long as the post includes
a warning or disclaimer.
Greed: Facebook will do anything to bring in an
extra buck. They continue with sponsored stories
and obliterate any privacy in hopes of using your
personal information to make as much advertising
revenue as possible.
Privacy: Theyre constantly changing their privacy
policies, so that no one can keep up or know what
theyre really doing with your personal data.
No Remorse: They never admit mistakes, and so
of course they never apologize for any damage done
to any individual, company, or society as a whole.
At The Myanmar Times we take the business
of news seriously and with one of the largest
newsrooms in the country we go to great pains
to ensure the information we print is reliable. Its
news you can trust.
We believe that more recognition needs to be
given to the serious media companies in Myanmar
and care taken to ensure they can grow and be an
important part of the community and society in
general. After all without papers like The Myanmar
Times where would we be?
34 Property THE MYANMAR TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 - 28, 2014
HYUNADI Motor Co led a group that
outbid Samsung Electronics Co for
real estate in Seoul with a 10.6 tril-
lion won (US$10 billion) ofer that
was triple the propertys assessed
value. Hyundais shares fell the most
in more than three years.
The group, which includes afliates
Kia Motors and Hyundai Mobis, won
the bid for the 79,342-square-meter
site in the heart of the capitals Gang-
nam district, the seller, Korea Electric
Power Corp, said September 18 in
a statement. Kepco, as the utility is
known, auctioned the site of its head-
quarters ahead of relocating to the
south of the country as part of a gov-
ernment regional development plan.
The groups ofer exceeds Hyundai
Motors entire 2013 earnings as it pur-
sues a plan to build a global business
center at the site. Kepco surged to a
seven-year high. The bid was more
than three times the 3.33 trillion won
that the company said the property
was appraised at.
It will be an unprecedented com-
mercial site deal in Korea, said Lim
Hyun-moon, head of real estate at
Shinhan Bank in Seoul. The price
looks a bit high considering its ap-
praisal price. It remains to be seen
how Hyundai will justify its ofer.
Hyundai tumbled 9.2 percent, the
most since August 2011. Kia slumped
7.8pc in Seoul, while Mobis declined
7.9pc. Kepco climbed 5.8pc to 46,400
won, its highest close since July 2007.
Hyundai Motor Group, headed by
chair Chung Mong-koo, has said its
plans for the site, dubbed the yolk
of Gangnam by local media includ-
ing Yonhap News, include a hotel,
convention center and auto theme
park as well as its own headquarters.
Kepco announced in July that it plans
to sell the property before relocating
to South Jeolla province in November.
Kepcos main concern in the auc-
tion process was avoiding accusations
of favoritism and the underpricing of
an asset, the state-owned utility said
in the September 18 statement. The
company said last year it plans to sell
real estate to reduce debt, while the
government in February called on 18
public companies including Kepco to
cut 39.5 trillion won of debt by 2017.
This looks like the largest-ever
land transaction deal in Korea, JoAnn
Hong, Seoul-based director at Savills,
said by phone. The price tag for the
land looks a bit high for now, but it
all depends on how Hyundai will de-
velop it and create value there, Ms
Hong said, adding that ofce demand
among Hyundai afliates would more
than ll even a 100-oor skyscraper at
the site.
Hyundai Motor Group is planning
to move 30 of its afliates to the new
site, the group said in a statement.
The development of the area into
a convention, ofce and shopping
complex will create a landmark in
Seoul, she said.
South Koreas Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure and Transport said its
still checking to see if the transaction
is the countrys record property deal.
Bloomberg
Hyundai takes up Gangnam style
SEOUL
AFTER moving six times in 10 years,
Choi Youn Ho is hopeful easier mort-
gage rules will nally allow him to buy
a home on the outskirts of Seoul for his
family of four.
Im sick and tired of nding a new
home, packing and moving every two
years, whenever the lease contract ex-
pires, said Mr Choi, 46, who works at
a chemical trading rm and had a 24
percent increase in rent in May when he
moved into a new three-bedroom apart-
ment. I can get a bigger loan now. It
may be the time to nally buy a home
rather than swallowing this crazy rent
rise.
South Korea loosened banks mort-
gage restrictions this month as Finance
Minister Choi Kyung Hwan, appointed
in July, seeks to revive a stagnant prop-
erty market in Asias fourth-largest
economy, boost growth and stimulate
domestic consumption. A nationwide
weekly apartment purchase price index
hit a six-year high on August 18, accord-
ing to Kookmin Bank data.
The new policies are stronger than
people had expected and are thawing
the market, said Shim Gyo Un, a real
estate department professor at Konkuk
University in Seoul. People who have
been burdened by surging rents now
are turning to buying as they have
easier access to mortgages and they feel
bank loans are cheaper than rents.
The government increased the loan
limit for homebuyers to 70 percent of
a propertys value from as low as 50pc,
starting this month. Borrowers will be
allowed to use 60pc of their income for
mortgage payments, up from 50pc for
homes in Seoul, which had the most
stringent lending rules.
Mortgage loan applications received
at Standard Chartereds Korean unit
almost tripled to 927.5 billion won
(US$910 million) this month through
August 22 compared with the total in
July, the bank said in an statement. The
easing in the loan-to-value and debt-
to-income limits as well as the Bank of
Koreas interest rate cut contributed for
the rise, the bank said.
South Korea has avoided the surge
in home prices seen in Hong Kong and
Singapore in the last ve years as the
government tackled record household
debt levels with measures including
capping banks lending to households
and promoting xed-rate mortgages.
Apartment prices in the capital Seoul
fell for four straight years through 2013
after almost tripling in the previous 11
years, according to an index compiled
by Kookmin Bank, the countrys larg-
est mortgage lender. Prices for Seoul
and the surrounding metropolitan area,
where almost half of the countrys 50
million people reside, have been stag-
nant since they peaked in 2008 after
the previous decade of boom elevated
household debt.
Easing mortgage curbs to boost the
property market is at the center of Fi-
nance Minister Chois policies to stimu-
late growth dubbed Choinomics after
Japans Abenomics.
Bloomberg
Homebuyers back as Korea seeks
to awaken its idle property market
A long exposure photograph shows traffic commuting at night near South Koreas landmark Namdaemun gate in Seoul.
Photo: AFP
Property 35 www.mmtimes.com
CHICAGOS River North, a district
once notorious for its prostitutes and
dilapidated warehouses, has become
one of the hottest ofce markets in the
United States.
The neighbourhood has trans-
formed from a wasteland in the 1970s
to a trendy spot for living, dining
and entertainment thats also attract-
ing technology tenants. Yelp, the San
Francisco-based business-review web-
site, is one of the latest to lease space
in the area, located across the Chicago
River from the central business dis-
trict known as the Loop.
Chicago is among US cities benet-
ing from the technology boom as job
growth in the industry boosts demand
for ofces. Startups and expanding
rms alike are cramming into River
North, drawn by its historic buildings
and easy access to mass transit, push-
ing vacancies to the lowest in down-
town Chicago.
River North ofce rents jumped 26
percent in the past two years, the most
for a high-tech submarket behind only
Redwood City on the San Francisco
Peninsula and Manhattans midtown
south, according to brokerage CBRE
Group Inc.
The River North activity is just
of the charts, said Tifany Winne, a
senior managing director at commer-
cial brokerage Savills Studley Inc in
Chicago.
The vacancy rate for the neighbor-
hoods 11 million square feet (1 million
square metres) of ofces was 10.8 per-
cent at the end of June, compared with
14pc for the 126 million square feet
in all of downtown, data from CBRE
show. Among companies based in the
district is daily-deals website Grou-
pon, which has 323,000 square feet
at its headquarters at 600 W Chicago
Ave, according to CoStar Group.
For more than half of the 20
th
cen-
tury, River North was an industrial
and storage hub. In the 1960s, the area
started to decline as it lost its impor-
tance as a warehousing center.
Developer Albert Friedman started
buying buildings in the 70s, renting
rst to artists and photographers,
when the neighborhood was pretty
dangerous a skid row with drug
dealing and prostitution, he said in an
interview. He gave the budding com-
munity its name, in hopes potential
tenants would forget the somewhat
seedy nature of the area, according to
the website of the River North Busi-
ness Association.
Friedman Properties now owns
and manages more than 4 million
square feet of commercial real estate
in Chicago, much of it in River North,
where the company redeveloped the
Reid Murdoch Center, a former ware-
house and food-processing plant on
the waterfront built in 1914. The red-
brick landmark, with its four-sided
clock tower visible from part of down-
town, is home to the headquarters of
Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Today, the neighborhoods mix of
refurbished industrial buildings and
new construction includes apartments
and condominiums, cafes, nightclubs
and hotels such as the Hyatt Place Chi-
cago/River North.
There used to be a time when
you didnt want to walk through
River North after dark, said Sharon
Romack, chief executive ofcer of
the business association. Now River
North is the place to be after dark.
A network of Chicago Transit
Authority train lines, as well as bus
routes running through the com-
munity, has helped draw employers.
GoHealth, a health-insurance tech-
nology company, has been based in
River North since 2006 and agreed
this year to expand, leasing 42,000
square feet of space on West Supe-
rior Street near some of its existing
ofces.
Our employees have reiterated
time and time again they love the area
and want to stay, said Brandon Cruz,
GoHealths president. We think its
the best place in the city, and thats
why were there.
The company also rents ofces in
the Mart, a 3.6 million-square-foot
Art Deco property that was built in
1930 for department store chain Mar-
shall Field & Co for its wholesale op-
erations and known for decades as
the Merchandise Mart. The landlord,
New York-based Vornado Realty Trust,
changed the name in a bid to attract
more technology tenants.
Yelp agreed to take more than
50,000 square feet in the Mart for its
rst Chicago ofces. The buildings
proximity to public transit helped
sway Yelps decision, according to a
statement from the company and
Mayor Rahm Emanuel announcing
the lease on August 14. Yelp will move
into the space in January and plans to
hire as many as 300 workers in the city
in the next 18 months.
Mr Emanuel has worked to lure
young technology rms to Chicago,
touting its lower cost of living com-
pared with San Francisco, Seattle and
Boston. Groupon, restaurant-deliv-
ery website GrubHub and Braintree
among companies that brought atten-
tion to Chicago. Bloomberg
River North
property moves
upstream
CHICAGO
Its 5 oclock at Chicagos River North neighbourhood, once a notoriously run-
down area. Photo: Bloomberg
38
Science & Technology
Gadget Round-up
by Myo Satt
Available: Myanma Ahla 003, Central Tower, Anawrahta Road, between 39
th
and 40
th
streets
Ph: 01- 392 693, 01- 398 298
Nikon Coolpix AW120
Nikons latest waterproof camera. The resolution is at 16.1 MP
and the zoom can go up to 5X. The LCD Display is 3 inches
wide, and the hardware includes built in Wi-Fi and GPS.
Camera bag is also included.
K315,000
Canon PowerShot SX700HS
The 30x optical zoom on this camera gives it superb
picture quality. Includes a 4GB memory card and
camera bag.
K285,000
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-WX 350
This camera is small and light, but packs a whopping
20X optical zoom. The LCD display is three inches
wide with an 18.2 MP resolution. Camera bag is
included.
K325,000
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-HX60V
Thanks to this cameras 20.4 MP resolution and top-
notch Exmor R CMOS Sensor, you can enjoy good-quality
images. Built-in Wi-Fi and GPS for uploading photos on
the go.
K435,000
THE ability to change mobile
operators but keep the same num-
ber is at least a year away from hap-
pening in Myanmar, industry insid-
ers say.
Currently, signing up for an
Ooredoo or soon a Telenor
SIM means the user must receive
a new number even if they have
an existing number with a differ-
ent provider, though in countries
with number portability it is
possible to move the same phone
number to a different company.
The Consultation Document of
the draft Telecoms Rules says that
number portability is a good idea,
but now is not the right time for
Myanmar, according to a Telecom
Myanmar Update report released
by legal and tax advisory firm VDB
Loi in September. It added the is-
sue could be addressed again in 18
months.
Introducing number portability
too early could cause a significant
risk of harm to the incumbent op-
erator in this case MPT, it added.
Some Myanmar users told The
Myanmar Times that although they
are keen on the service and think
it could be immensely popular, they
think it is unlikely to happen any
time soon.
Businessman U Zaw Zaw Myo
Lwin said some users already have
to own more than one phone be-
cause they cannot change numbers,
with many having one handset for
personal use and one for office use.
However, he said that since the
first three digits of a number denote
a distinct operator Ooredoo num-
bers for instance start with 997 it
may be difficult for the operators to
implement number portability.
Ooredoo Myanmar CEO Ross
Cormack said that if customers re-
ally want number portability, they
should have it. However, he agreed
that the market may be too small to
make such a service feasible.
I do agree theres a timing is-
sue, he said. And its funny, some
markets really love it, and other
markets take it or leave it.
He said in Hong Kong, where he
had worked previously, there was
large demand for the service, while
in some of Ooredoos other markets
only about 10 percent of numbers
ever changed between companies.
It does depend on what the cus-
tomers want, he said. Mr Cormack
added there is some cost to put
number portability into place.
Mr Koichi Kawase, general man-
ager of KDDI Summit Global Myan-
mar, which has a joint operations
agreement with MPT, said that he
felt it is too early to discuss number
portability.
To my knowledge, number port-
ability will come when penetration
goes beyond 70 or 80pc he said.
Mobile penetration in Myanmar
stood at about 13pc in 2013.
So from my personal point of
view, its a little bit too early, said
Mr Kawase.
Officials from the telecoms regu-
lator declined to comment on the
subject last week.
Number portability not
likely soon, say experts
JEREMY MULLINS
[email protected]
AUNG KYAW NYUNT
[email protected]
IN BRIEF
Turn your phone into a pitchman, and get paid
Wherever Don Draper is now, he is surely smiling on the new app from Yangon-
based VMG telecom. With the new Cash 4 Call app, users will be paid to replace
their current ringtone with a rotating selection of jingles and adevertisements
from VMGs clients.
The ads will run between 10 and 30 seconds, and users will be paid K5 for
every advertisement that plays over their phone. Submit your friends and loved
ones to 200 advertisements, and youll have enough for a mohingya at most tea
shops.
The money will be transferred directly into the users bank account.
Speaking to The Myanmar Times, the apps designers said that advertisers
could even pinpoint the areas where they want their ads to play, and said they
can accommodate ad budgets of all sizes.
If advertiser spends K3 billion to their advert, we will service their advert
to 100,000 Cash 4 Call application users, said U Zaw Pyae Hmu, a sales and
marketing supervisor for VMG.
While the app is currently only for Android phones, VMG Telecom has prom-
ised that an iOS version is coming soon. Aung Kyaw Nyunt
TRADE MARK CAUTION
NOTICE is hereby given that Hyundai Corporation of 25,
Yulgok-ro 2-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea [formerly at] 226,
Shinmunro-1ka, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea (South) is the Owner
and Sole Proprietor of the following trademark: -
(Reg: Nos. IV/3560/2005 and IV/11678/2014)
In respect of:- Goods falling in International classes 3 and 4
Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark
or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according
to law.
U Kyi Win Associates
for Hyundai Corporation
P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon.
Phone: 372416 Dated: 22
nd
September, 2014
TRADE MARK CAUTION
Pfzer Products Inc., of Eastern Point Road, Groton, Connecticut
06340, United States of America, is the Owner and Sole Proprietor
of the following Trademark:-
PFIZER
Reg. No. 2679/2002
in respect of Intl Class 5: Pharmaceutical and veterinary
preparations and substances.
Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said
Trademark will be dealt with according to law.
U Nyunt Tin Associates International Limited
Intellectual Property Division
Tel: 959 4500 59 247, Email: [email protected]
For Pfzer Products Inc.
Dated: 22 September, 2014.
TRADE MARK CAUTION
Novo Nordisk A/S, a Company incorporated in Denmark, of
Novo Alle, DK-2880 Bagsvaerd, Denmark, is the Owner of the
following Trade Mark:-
Actrapid
Reg. No. 6818/2004
in respect of Class 5: Pharmaceutical preparations for the
treatment of diabetes.
for Novo Nordisk A/S
TRADE MARK CAUTION
MCILHENNY COMPANY a corporation of the State of Maine,
with an offce at Avery Island, Louisiana 70513 U.S.A, is the
Owner of the following Trade Mark:-
TABASCO
Reg. No. 74/1984
in respect of condiments, sauces, drink mixes and preparations
for making alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
for MCILHENNY COMPANY
39
Science & Technology
OOREDOO has launched its maternal
health application, May May, which is
designed help expectant mothers access
information and even medical care.
The Myanmar-language app pro-
vides pregnant women advice and up-
dates on babies growth and develop-
ment and acts as a gateway to health
resources. It marks prenatal milestones,
letting moms know when babies are
sucking their thumbs or start recog-
nising light, according to Ooredoo rep
Thiri Kyar Nyo.
May May was conceived by Oore-
doos ofshoot Ideabox and resulted
from collaboration between the tele-
com, global health non-prot Popula-
tion Services International (PSI) and
Myanmar startup Koe Koe Tech. Fund-
ing from the GSMA mWomen program
helped get the project of the ground.
Some features of the application
are still pending. Forthcoming devel-
opments include SMS service allowing
moms-to-be to receive info ofine and
a referral system that can connect preg-
nant women with health issues to the
care they need.
For now, May May doesnt support
minority languages just Myanmar.
But Ooredoo says that will change as it
keeps an eye on how the app is used,
and develops it accordingly.
Were watching the behaviors of our
customers and app users and listening
to the voices of our customers and us-
ers, Thiri Kyar Nyo wrote in an email.
Ooredoo delivers
maternity app
CATHERINE TRAUTWEIN
[email protected]
Were watching the
behaviours of our
customers ... and
listening to [their]
voices.
Thiri Kyar Nyo
Ooredoo spokesperson
MYANMARs young entrepreneurs-in-
the-making are getting a shot at reality-
show fame from Yangons Lithan Uni-
versity College (LUC).
The college is putting on Start-Up
Boot Camp, a two-day event for Myan-
mar people with fresh business initia-
tives. Candidates selected to participate
get to do so at no cost.
The boot camp turns traditional
teaching style on its head, making elec-
tronic resources on startup basics avail-
able before the program. Its a strategy
called a ipped classroom.
During the event, competitors
will network, hit the pavement for
customer discovery, and shape and
hone investor briefs, which they will
pitch in front of Singaporean ven-
ture capitalists acting as judges at
the end of boot camp.
The last entrepreneur standing
will win US$2000 money meant
to go toward joining season 2 of the
Channel NewsAsia reality TV pro-
gram Start-UP, according to Jurane
Solano, a management associate at
Red Dot Ventures. The show, set in
Singapore, follows contestants as
they learn about business and com-
pete for the chance to win as much as
$2 million in seed money.
Red Dot Ventures founder and man-
aging director Leslie Loh, also the chair
at Lithan Education, will be featured as
a judge on Start-UP. This season marks
the rst time a Myanmar team has had
the chance to compete.
Myanmars opening up with the
whole mobile network explosion com-
ing, Ms Solano said. We want to come
in here and see whats happening,
whats going to happen and really cap-
ture that rst wave of technology entre-
preneurs, or at least thats the hope.
Ms Solano said the LUC boot camp
seeks applicants with ideas for technol-
ogy businesses across elds such as
ICT, interactive digital media, medical
tech, biotech, e-commerce and online.
It has to be innovative, though, wheth-
er it captures a new market, whether
its got a new business model, whether
the idea is something thats never been
seen before, she said.
Those entering the competition
must be 18 or older, unless a team
member is more than 18 years old.
Participants must also be capable of
presenting and competing in Eng-
lish, Ms Solano said.
LUCs Start-Up Boot Camp will hap-
pen on October 11 and 12. Applications
must be in by September 30.
College launches tech start-up
competition, with winners to get
shot at Singapore reality show
MPT customers are now able to ex-
change SMS messages with users with
certain international telcos, as the
state-owned telcos international con-
nections have increased with support
from France.
French rm Orange signed a roam-
ing mandate agreement with MPT
last year, with Orange handling the
Myanmar telcos roaming activities,
explained Orange International Carri-
ers Asia Pacic sales director Sbast-
ien Hi.
We have had very good coopera-
tion, we started almost from scratch
[a year ago], and now on the roaming
[deal] We have signed more than 80
agreements and many more to come,
he said.
After signing the agreement last
year, the priority was on expanding
connections with key countries that
had business or tourism links with
Myanmar, he said. With much of this
now complete, Orange has been work-
ing on other aspects of the agreement,
including the recently begun SMS
interworking the sending of SMS
from the user of foreign telco to an
MPT phone, or vice versa that began
with several foreign telcos this month.
Before the agreement with Orange,
MPT customers had few opportunities
to roam abroad, while foreign SIMs
generally didnt work in Myanmar.
Roaming services arent cheap Mr Hi
said it is generally a premium service.
Everywhere in the world roaming
has a price, he said. Of course compe-
tition [in Myanmar] is kicking in now
so there will be some adjustments in
terms of pricing, surely, especially on
the data side because there is a high
expectation from consumers to have
access to data at an afordable price.
MPTs roaming options are de-
tailed at www.roaming-myanmar.com.
Along with providing the net-
work infrastructure for roaming, es-
tablishing connections, testing and
settlement of fees, Orange is also liable
for the fee payments from other opera-
tors, under its agreement with MPT.
Meanwhile, Orange and MPT are
also both members of the SEA-WE-ME
5 cable consortium, which is planning
a large-scale cable stretching from
France to Singapore, including a My-
anmar stop, by 2016.
Much of Myanmars international
trafc is currently routed through the
existing SEA-WE-ME 3, which was
completed in 1999. Various Myanmar
enterprises have slowly been adding
overland links to Thailand and China,
which has somewhat improved data
speeds and increased redundancy over
the last year, but the SEA-WE-ME 5
cable could further improve data con-
nections. Other rms are also thought
to be interested in building so-called
wet undersea cables connecting
Myanmar to the world.
Orange was also one of three poten-
tial suitors for a partnership with MPT
last year, though ultimately the rm
partnered with Japans KDDI and Su-
mitomo. Mr Hi said Oranges interna-
tional carriers division is separate from
the service arm, pointing out that in
many markets where Orange provides
mobile service, the rms carrier divi-
sion also serves its competitors.
French frm to assist MPT in expansion
of international telephone services
Proposed route of SEA-WE-ME 5 cable. Photo: Suppplied
MILLION
2
Grand prize for the winners of Start-UP,
a Singaporean reality show
JEREMY
MULLINS
[email protected]
2016
Year the SEA-WE-ME 5 cable is
expected to be operational
CATHERINE
TRAUTWEIN
[email protected]
WorldWORLD EDITOR: Fiona MacGregor
MINSK
EDINBURGH
WARRING parties in Ukraine were
meeting on September 19 to try to nd
a lasting solution to a brutal conict
that has killed around 3000 people
and stoked Western alarm about Rus-
sias territorial ambitions.
The talks in Minsk were being held
two weeks after a European-brokered
ceasere aimed at halting ve months
of bloodshed was agreed in the Bela-
russian capital with Moscow, Kiev and
pro-Russian separatist leaders.
Overall, the truce has dramatically
lowered the scale of the ghting across
industrial eastern Ukraine, although
sometimes deadly shelling and gunre
is reported almost daily around the
ashpoint city of Donetsk.
With the crisis at a potentially
pivotal point, US President Barack
Obama hosted Ukrainian leader Petro
Poroshenko at the White House on
September 18, with both condemning
Russian aggression.
The meeting nevertheless under-
scored the limits of US support for
Kiev in the most serious confrontation
between Moscow and the West since
the Cold War.
Mr Poroshenkos appeal for NATO
to grant Ukraine non-member ally
status to help bolster its defences ap-
peared to make little headway, despite
his warning that non-lethal aid like
blankets cant win wars.
Mr Poroshenko warned Congress
that what he called Russian-backed
proxy wars must be contained.
If they are not stopped now, they
will cross European borders and
spread throughout the globe, Mr Po-
roshenko said.
Just hours before he spoke, Kiev
accused Moscow of advancing 4000
troops based in annexed Crimea to the
Ukraine border, further rattling nerves.
Mr Obama condemned Russian
aggression in Crimea and eastern
Ukraine, which he said was designed
to undermine the countrys territorial
integrity and Mr Poroshenkos eforts
to introduce reforms to x an econo-
my on the brink of bankruptcy.
In his speech to Congress, Mr Po-
roshenko called on NATO to grant
Ukraine special status as well as
tougher sanctions on Russia and le-
thal military aid. I urge you not to let
Ukraine stand alone, he said.
A senior US ofcial said Wash-
ington would ofer Ukraine another
US$46 million in non-lethal aid, main-
ly for border and military guards.
Mr Poroshenko was in Washing-
ton two days after parliament in Kiev
ratied a historic pact with the EU in
a further sign of his determination
to take the former Soviet nation on a
Western path.
Lawmakers also ofered three
years of limited self-rule to the east
and granted amnesty for ghters in
legislation drawn up under the Sep-
tember 5 truce. Russia, accused by
the West of fomenting the crisis by
sending in troops and heavy weap-
ons, has hailed the overture as a step
in the right direction. AFP
Rival factions meet for
Ukraine peace talks
Ukrainian soldiers attend their positions near eastern town of Gorlivka in
Donetsk district on September 18. Photo: AFP
SCOTLAND rejected independence
on September 19 in a referendum
that left the centuries-old United
Kingdom intact but paved the way
for a major transfer of powers away
from London.
Despite a surge in nationalist
support in the nal fortnight of the
campaign, the No secured 55.30
percent of the vote against 44.70pc
for the pro-independence Yes
camp.
After a campaign that red up
separatist movements around the
world, turnout was 84.6pc, ofcials
said, the highest ever for an election
in Britain.
No campaigners across Scot-
land cheered and hugged as the
results came in and British Prime
Minister David Cameron said he was
delighted, adding, It would have
broken my heart to see our United
Kingdom come to an end.
Many Yes activists watched de-
jected and in tears, although First
Minister Alex Salmond urged them
take heart from the huge numbers
1.6 million backing independence.
I dont think any of us, when-
ever we entered politics, would have
thought such a thing to be either
credible or possible, the Scottish
National Party (SNP) leader told
cheering supporters in Edinburgh.
The result reassured those wor-
ried about the economic risks of a
break-up. The pound rose against
the dollar and the euro on the cur-
rency markets, and the London
stock market rallied sharply in open-
ing trade.
The president of the European
Parliament, Martin Schulz, was
the rst to react abroad, saying he
was relieved and adding, I like
a United Kingdom in a united Eu-
rope.
A Yes vote would have brought
to an end a union with England
stretching back to 1707 and the ref-
erendum has been closely watched
around the world, giving heart to
independence supporters from
Catalonia in Spain to Quebec in
Canada.
But while the UK survived, it
could soon look very diferent. The
British government must now de-
liver on promises made in the heat
of the campaign to give more pow-
ers over tax, spending and welfare
to the devolved government in Ed-
inburgh.
And in a televised address from
Downing Street, Mr Cameron said
he would go further and ofer all
parts of the United Kingdom some
form of devolved control.
Just as Scotland will vote sepa-
rately in the Scottish Parliament on
their issues of tax, spending and
welfare, so too England, as well
as Wales and Northern Ireland,
should be able to vote on these is-
sues, he said.
In what would be a radical shake-
up of the constitutional order, he
said these new powers would be
delivered at the same pace as the
settlement for Scotland, suggesting
legislation would be drawn up as
soon as January.
Some 97pc of eligible Scots had
registered to vote, a sign of how
the historic decision gripped the
nation.
Charlotte Darroch, one of many
Historic poll sees Scotland stay in UK
Pro-Independence supporters are pictured reacting to Scotlands referendum
result in Edinburgh on September 19. Photo: AFP
TRADE MARK CAUTION
NOTICE is hereby given that LVMH Swiss Manufactures SA
a company organized under the laws of Switzerland and having
its principal offce at Rue Louis-Joseph-Chevrolet 6a, La Chaux-
de-Fonds, Switzerland is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the
following trademark:-
ZENITH
(Reg: No. IV/11679/2014)
in respect of: - Precious metals and their alloys and goods
in precious metals or coated therewith, not included in other
classes; jewellery, precious stones; horological and chronometric
instruments; parts and fttings for all the aforesaid goods.
Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark or
other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law.
for LVMH Swiss Manufactures SA
nd
September, 2014
41
Australia hails
success of asylum
program
WORLD 46
Asian stars join ght
against S African
rhino slaughter
WORLD 43
Anger over Thai
leaders bikini
danger comments
WORLD 44
FREETOWN
Sierra Leone shuts down as UN
warns Ebola threatens world peace
Liberian Red Cross health workers, wearing protective suits, carry the body of a
18-month-old baby, a victim of the Ebola virus, on September 12. Photo AFP
16- and 17-year-olds who were al-
lowed to vote in a British election
for the rst time, said the result
was just crushing, quite devastat-
ing.
I genuinely thought the feeling
on the ground was diferent, said
the 16-year-old as she made her way
to school in Edinburgh.
But Louise Fleming, 21, who also
lives in the Scottish capital, said she
was relieved.
Its been such a divisive refer-
endum. We have seen the outcome.
We cant expect everything to be
great tomorrow but the right out-
come has occurred, she said.
There were queues outside poll-
ing stations on referendum day
and many voters spoke emotionally
about the most momentous politi-
cal choice of their lives.
Crowds later partied through
the night in Glasgow and Edin-
burgh, draped in the Scottish ag
and setting of ares.
Scotlands largest city Glasgow
was among some big wins for the
Yes campaign, but the margin was
not enough to mitigate the No
votes across Scotland.
Mr Cameron said the referen-
dum produced a clear result, add-
ing, Now the debate has been set-
tled for a generation ... There can be
no disputes, no re-runs.
However, Mr Salmond left the
door open to a vote in the future,
saying that Scots had voted at this
stage to stay but had shown sub-
stantial support for the prospect of
going it alone. AFP
Historic poll sees Scotland stay in UK
SIERRA Leone launched a controver-
sial three-day shutdown last week to
contain the deadly spread of the Ebola
virus, as the UN Security Council de-
clared the deadly outbreak a threat to
world peace.
Most of Sierra Leones population
of 6 million were conned to their
homes from midnight September 18
with only essential workers such as
health professionals and security forc-
es exempt from the lockdown.
Almost 30,000 volunteers were ex-
pected to go door-to-door to educate
locals and hand out soap, in an exer-
cise that could lead to scores more pa-
tients and bodies being discovered in
peoples homes.
Health experts have criticised
the shutdown, arguing that coercive
measures to stem the epidemic could
backre and would be extremely hard
to implement.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF)
warned that lockdowns may end up
driving people underground and
jeopardise the trust between people
and health providers.
But Sierra Leone President Ernest
Koroma said that if the population
were to heed the volunteers advice,
the campaign will greatly help to re-
verse the increasing trend of the dis-
ease transmission and become a very
big boost to our collective efort to
stop the outbreak.
These are extraordinary times and
extraordinary times require extraordi-
nary measures, added Mr Koroma in
a message broadcast on television and
radio.
The extreme move comes amid
mounting global concern over the Eb-
ola epidemic, which has so far killed
more than 2600 people in west Africa.
Paranoia over Ebola is so rife
that in Guinea, seven people sent to
educate villagers on the disease were
found dead after coming under attack
from locals who apparently feared the
delegation meant them harm.
In New York, the 15-member United
Nations Security Council unanimously
adopted a resolution declaring the
unprecedented extent of the Ebola
outbreak in Africa constitutes a threat
to international peace and security.
It called for immediate aid and
urged nations to lift travel and border
restrictions, and asked airlines and
shipping companies to maintain their
links with afected countries.
Ebola fever can fell its victims
within days, causing, in some cases,
unstoppable internal and external
bleeding.
More than 550 people have died
from the disease in Sierra Leone alone,
one of the three hardest-hit nations
alongside Guinea and Liberia.
The government has said the vol-
unteers will not enter peoples homes
but will call emergency services to
deal with patients or bodies as they
are discovered.
Extra beds have been set up at
schools and hospitals across the coun-
try, including 200 in and around Free-
town, with the government projecting
a rise in cases of up to 20 percent.
In Guinea, the government said
seven people who were part of a team
sent to educate villagers in the south-
east about Ebola had been found dead.
Its very sad and hard to believe
but they were killed in cold blood by
the villagers, government spokesper-
son Albert Damantang Camara said.
Many Guineans believe local and
foreign healthcare workers are part of
a conspiracy that either deliberately
introduced the outbreak, or invented
it as a means of luring Africans to clin-
ics to harvest their blood and organs.
Meanwhile, the rst French na-
tional to be infected by the virus was
repatriated late September 18 and hos-
pitalised close to Paris.
The patient, a volunteer for Doc-
tors Without Borders (MSF), caught
the virus in Liberia and was being ad-
ministered experimental treatments
after the countrys health minister au-
thorised the measure. AFP
German Federal
forces walk toward
a Transall aircraft
at the Nato airport
in Hohn, Germany,
on September 19,
en route to the
Kurdish city Erbil
in Iraq. After rst
ights containing
relief material for
those threatened
by the Islamic
State (IS) terrorist
organisation in
northern Iraq,
the German
government
decided on August
31 to provide
weapons and
training to Kurdish
Peshmerga ghters.
IN PICTURES
Photo: AFP
Pro-union supporters celebrate as Scottish independence referendum
results are announced in Glasgow, Scotland, on September 19. Photo: AFP
42 World THE MYANMAR TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 - 28, 2014
Islamic State beheading plot foiled
SYDNEY
FIFTEEN people were detained and an
alleged plot by Islamic State jihadists
to conduct demonstration killings
including beheading a random mem-
ber of the public foiled after Australia
on September 18 staged its largest ever
counter-terrorism raids.
A major pre-dawn operation was car-
ried out across Sydney and Brisbane by
more than 800 ofcers acting on some
25 search warrants. One person has so
far been charged with serious terrorism-
related ofences.
At least one gun was seized, along
with a sword.
Omarjan Azari, 22, appeared in a
Sydney court and was remanded in cus-
tody, charged with planning a terrorist
act which prosecutors alleged was de-
signed to shock, horrify and terrify the
community.
The court heard he was instructed
in a recent phone call by the most sen-
ior Australian member of Islamic State,
Afghan-born Mohammad Baryalei, to
commit the atrocity.
Prosecutor Michael Allnutt alleged
the plan involved the random selec-
tion of persons to rather gruesomely
execute on camera and involved an
unusual level of fanaticism.
The Australian Broadcasting Corpo-
ration said the video was then to be sent
back to ISs media unit in the Middle
East, where it would be released to the
public.
The jihadists have in recent weeks
broadcast video footage of three foreign
nationals being beheaded in Syria.
The raids, which spanned multi-
ple suburbs, came barely a week after
Australia boosted the terror threat level
to high for the rst time in a decade on
growing concern about militants return-
ing from ghting in Iraq and Syria.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott said he
had been briefed on intelligence that
public beheadings had been ordered by
IS militants.
Thats the intelligence we received,
he said, prompting comparisons to the
murder of British soldier Lee Rigby, who
was hacked to death in a random attack
on a street in England last year by two
Muslim converts.
The exhortations, quite direct ex-
hortations, were coming from an Aus-
tralian who is apparently quite senior
in ISIL to networks of support back in
Australia to conduct demonstration
killings here in this country, added the
prime minister.
So this is not just suspicion, this is
intent and thats why the police and se-
curity agencies decided to act in the way
they have.
The Australian government believes
up to 60 Australians are ghting along-
side jihadists for IS, while another 100
were actively working to support the
movement at home.
These people, I regret to say, do
not hate us for what we do, they hate
us for who we are and how we live.
Thats what makes us a target, said
Mr Abbott.
Its important our police and secu-
rity organisations be one step ahead of
them and this morning they were.
The latest raids followed the arrests
of two people last week in Brisbane who
were charged with allegedly recruiting,
funding and sending jihadist ghters to
Syria.
One of the men was allegedly plan-
ning on-shore terrorist action, Queens-
land Premier Campbell Newman said
on September 18, without giving further
details.
And, on September 17, a Sydney-
based money transfer business was shut
down amid concerns it was being used
to funnel funds to the Middle East to -
nance terrorism.
New South Wales Police Commis-
sioner Andrew Scipione urged calm.
Right now is a time for calm. We
actually need to let people know that
they are safe, he said, adding that 220
police would now participate in Oper-
ation Hammerhead, to monitor trans-
port hubs and important and iconic
sites. AFP
Australian Federal Police officers detain a suspect in Sydney on September 18 during Australias largest ever counter-
terrorism raids. Photo: AFP
World 43 www.mmtimes.com
KRUGER NATIONAL PARK KOREA
INCREASINGLY desperate South Af-
rican conservationists are turning to
a multi-national team of rhino am-
bassadors to try to end the scourge
of poaching and say Vietnamese pop
diva Hong Nhung has been recruited
for an important reason.
It is hoped the singer and actress
will take the message directly to the
people who matter those who buy
rhino horn.
Fighting back tears as she stares
at a decomposing rhino carcass in
the world-renowned Kruger Park,
she vowed to use her star power to
ensure rhinos are not eradicated by
poachers.
People back home need to learn
that we need to keep these animals
for future generations and not let
them disappear, said the artist, who
also appeared on screen in The Quiet
American.
Conservationists hope she and
others, like Chinese-American ac-
tress Bai Ling of Lost and The Crow
fame, will reach Asian consumers
who buy the rhinos horns.
South Africas ght to restrict the
supply of horn has seen military-style
anti-poaching operations, but the use
of drones and strong-arm tactics has
yielded few results.
Over 700 rhinos have been killed
in parks across South Africa this year.
Kruger Park has been worst hit,
forcing the authorities to approve
a plan to relocate hundreds of the
endangered animals before they are
slaughtered.
Now conservation groups want to
tackle demand.
As Hong Nhung and investigators
comb the gruesome scene, it is likely
the horn has already been smuggled
out of the country en route to Asia.
Vietnam is the main conduit
for smuggled horns to the continent,
said Andrew Peterson, the head
of Rhinose Foundation, the group
who brought Hong Nhung to South
Africa.
The horns, made up of a sub-
stance similar to human ngernails,
are a prized commodity in Vietnam
and other East and Southeast Asian
nations.
They are used in traditional medi-
cine to cure diseases like cancer.
But even in Vietnam the battle to
reduce supply is lagging.
Customs ofcials have so far this
year seized only one consignment of
horns, compared to six in 2013.
Stricter checks might have caused
dealers to change tactics. The horns,
usually hidden in luggage, enter the
country already chopped into pieces.
Top Vietnamese customs of-
cial Nguyen Hung Anh, the vice-
president of the anti-smuggling and
investigation unit at Vietnam Cus-
toms, has also been own across
the world to witness the horrors of
poaching.
That kind of investment may just
pay of.
Mr Nguyen said his government
was considering tighter regulations
to curb the trade. In Vietnam rhino
poaching is classied only under pro-
hibited goods and ofenders often get
of with light sentences.
The Vietnamese government rec-
ognises the impact of the illegal, we
believe that stricter punishment is
required, he said.
Right now government is in the
process of drafting a law that would
give harsher sentences to people
selling the horn, he added.
But he admitted that disman-
tling traditional beliefs around the
use of the horns was the biggest
challenge.
According to Mr Nguyen, the
horn is a status symbol among the
wealthy who drink it as a detoxing
agent, after it has been ground to
powder.
Its like a owning a diamond, he
said, adding that stricter laws and
education are key.
Hong Nhung hopes she can play
a role in that.
We are going to help spread the
message that using rhino products
is bad, because animals are killed in
this horrible way, she said. AFP
Asian stars step in to help fight
South African rhino poaching
Vietnamese pop singer Hong Nhung stands near the carcass of a decomposing white rhino in the Kruger National
Park on September 12. Photo: AFP
THE South Korean navy red warning
shots on September 19 to end a brief in-
cursion by a North Korean patrol boat
across the sensitive maritime border,
Seouls defence ministry said.
It was the rst such boundary viola-
tion in four months, and came ahead
of the opening ceremony of the Asian
Games in the South Korean port city
of Incheon, in which North Korea is
participating.
The patrol boat came 0.5 nauti-
cal miles (around 900 metres) inside
the South side of the disputed Yellow
Sea border shortly after midday (0300
GMT), a defence ministry spokesperson
said.
One of our naval vessels gave a ver-
bal warning by loudspeaker and then
red six warning rounds, the spokes-
person said.
The North Korean ship returned
across the border minutes later, he
added.
The maritime boundary, which
was unilaterally drawn by the US-led
United Nations forces after the 1950-
53 Korean War, was the scene of brief
but bloody naval clashes in 1999, 2002
and 2009. The conict ended in an ar-
mistice instead of a peace treaty and
technically the two Koreas are still at
war.
South Koreas largest news agency
Yonhap quoted an unidentied mili-
tary ofcial as saying the North Korean
patrol boat had crossed the border to
secure an apparently unmanned barge
that had drifted into South Korean
waters.
It towed the barge back to the
north, the ofcial was quoted as saying.
Earlier last week, a South Korean
sherman found a suspected North
Korean drone in his net near a front-
line island close to the Yellow sea bor-
der. The wreckage, without a wing, en-
gine or camera, was recovered when it
got caught in his net of Baengnyeong
island. AFP
S Korea
fires
warning
shots
BANGKOK
BRITAIN has raised concerns after
Thailands junta leader last week
suggested tourists in bikinis could
be more vulnerable to attack, as the
hunt for the killers of two British
holidaymakers continued.
DNA tests failed to yield a break-
through, after the battered bodies of
David Miller, 24 and Hannah Wither-
idge, 23, were found on the southern
resort island of Koh Tao on Septem-
ber 15.
Distraught relatives of Ms Wither-
idge broke down in tears and hugged
each other ahead of a police brieng
in Bangkok on September 18.
Thailands military ruler Prayut
Chan-O-Cha on September 17 drew
condemnation after questioning
the safety of female tourists in the
kingdom.
They think our country is beau-
tiful and is safe so they can do
whatever they want, they can wear
bikinis and walk everywhere, Mr Pr-
ayut, who is also prime minister, told
government ofcials.
Can they be safe in bikinis... un-
less they are not beautiful?
The British embassy in Bangkok
said it had contacted the Thai foreign
ministry raising its concerns over
his remarks and to ask for clari-
cation, according to an embassy
statement.
Mr Prayuts of-the-cuf comments
echoed others made to reporters the
previous day questioning the behav-
iour of the murdered Britons as well
as the perpetrators.
Thailands image as a tourist ha-
ven, already tarnished by months of
political protests that ended in Mays
army coup, has been further dam-
aged by the murder of the Britons.
On September 18, police
continued to hunt for clues on the
small, normally laid-back diving is-
land of Koh Tao as post-mortem ex-
aminations of the victims bodies in
Bangkok did not nd any DNA links
to 12 people they have questioned so
far.
Those include two of Millers Brit-
ish friends who were asked to stay
in Bangkok pending the forensic re-
sults and several Myanmar migrant
workers.
The British men were now free
to return home, regional police com-
mander Panya Maman said.
Experts tested traces of semen
and a hair found at the crime scene
but could not nd a match.
With no arrests and an apparent
lack of new leads, it is unclear where
the police investigation can turn af-
ter nearly four days scouring sparsely
populated Koh Tao.
Thailands key high season for
tourists is just two months away and
the kingdom is desperate to reas-
sure visitors after a year which saw
takings slump because of political
turmoil.
The governor of Surat Thani prov-
ince, which covers Koh Tao, said the
island would no longer host spin-of
parties of the full moon beach raves
which draw backpacking hordes to
neighbouring Koh Phangan.
We dont want any more crimes,
governor Chatpong Chatraphuti said,
adding hotels and resorts would have
to install new security cameras and
lighting.
The junta has vowed to restore
Thailands reputation as the Land
of Smiles, embarking on a clean-up
of resorts after a series of complaints
about scams, assaults and even
police extortion. AFP
Anger at PMs bikini warning
The mother and sister of murdered British tourist Hannah Witheridge hug at the Thai Police headquarters in Bangkok on September 18. Photo: AFP
MANILA
TENS of thousands of people ed roof-
high oods and one girl drowned in
the Philippine capital on September 19
as another vicious storm swept across
the disaster-plagued country.
Rescue workers in trucks and rub-
ber dinghies plucked residents from
the tops of ooded homes, after one of
Manilas major rivers burst its banks,
swamping heavily populated eastern
districts.
Were dealing with oods over a
large area. Our local as well as nation-
al responders are out there leading the
rescue operations, said Mina Marasi-
gan, spokesperson for the National
Disaster Risk Reduction and Manage-
ment Council.
She said the rst known fatality
was a girl who drowned at a ooded
slum in northern Manila.
Fung-Wongs winds were relatively
light, with recorded maximum speeds
of 85 kilometres (40 miles) an hour
as it brushed past the northeast tip of
the main island of Luzon around noon
(0400 GMT).
However it brought heavy down-
pours of more than three weeks worth
overnight on September 18 across Ma-
nila, more than 400 kilometres to the
south, state weather forecaster Gener
Quitlong told AFP.
The hardest-hit area appeared to
be the Marikina river valley in eastern
Manila, where brown, swiftly owing
water rose at least a storey high on
heavily populated communities near
its banks.
Rescuers aboard rubber dinghies,
some motorised and some powered by
paddles, plucked people from ooded
homes, an AFP reporting team saw.
People held on to lengths of rope to
get to high ground safely and avoid be-
ing pulled by the strong currents.
Two soldiers involved in the rescue
sat on the bonnet of a stranded mili-
tary truck that appeared to have been
disabled, while the roofs of cars and
other smaller vehicles bobbed above
the oodwaters.
The Marikina mayor, Del de Guz-
man, told local ABS-CBN television
that at least 27,000 of his constituents
had to be evacuated.
The scenario is getting worse. The
ood waters are rising. Our rescue
teams are stranded in major thor-
oughfares, Kit Nieto, mayor of the
nearby district of Cainta, where 7000
other people were evacuated, told the
station.
In all, ooding had forced at least
50,000 people to ee their homes in
and around Manila, Social Welfare
Secretary Corazon Soliman told a
news conference.
I am angry that I have to do this
each time it rains hard, said lawyer
Ghelynne del Rosario, whose northern
Manila bungalow was swamped by
chest-deep oods.
Cradling her dog, she said she, her
mother and hergrandmother, who is
in her 80s, waded through the water
at daybreak to reach safety on the sec-
ond oor of a neighbours house, with
her two other dogs swimming along-
side her.
An average of 20 typhoons hit the
Philippines each year, killing hun-
dreds and bringing misery to millions.
Super Typhoon Haiyan, the strong-
est ever to hit land, left 7300 people
dead or missing across the central
Philippines in November last year.
The government declared a school
holiday on September 19 and sent
home government employees not in-
volved in rescue operations and medi-
cal emergencies, while nancial mar-
kets closed down.
Manila airport authorities can-
celled 21 domestic ights, with six
international ights also diverted
elsewhere in the country due to bad
weather, they said in a statement.
Thousands
flee Manila
storms
AUSTRALIA has revealed it has
turned back 12 asylum-seeker boats
and prevented 45 more from leaving
port as it lifted the veil of secrecy
over its hardline border protection
policy.
The admission on September 18
coincided with the rst anniversary
of Operation Sovereign Borders, in-
troduced when the government came
to power to tackle almost daily arriv-
als under the previous left-leaning
administration.
The policy has been shrouded in
secrecy, particularly the controversial
turning back of boats, with Immigra-
tion Minister Scott Morrison refusing
to comment on operational matters.
But he relented last week, while
praising cooperation from countries
such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Sri
Lanka.
A total of 45 ventures have been
stopped before they even set sail
through disruption operations with
partner countries and 12 ventures,
with 383 people on board, have been
turned back at sea, as we promised
we would do, he said.
The rst turn-back occurred in De-
cember last year and the most recent
in May.
There have been no deaths at sea
since last year compared with over
300 missing, conrmed or presumed
deaths at sea in the year prior to Op-
eration Sovereign Borders under the
Labor government, he added.
All the turn-backs were to Indone-
sia with six of them occurring when
Australian authorities accidentally
breached Indonesian territorial
waters, sparking a diplomatic spat.
Despite this, Mr Morrison said the
cooperation from Jakarta and other
nations had been crucial, particularly
in preventing boats bound for Aus-
tralia from leaving.
That is right across a range of
diferent countries who we work
with as close partners and thats
been an important part of the re-
gional deterrence framework we put
in place with our regional neigh-
bours, he said.
So thats everywhere from Sri
Lanka, in Malaysia, Indonesia. Those
countries have been fantastic part-
ners in Operation Sovereign Borders.
Also, there are countries such as
India and others who have also been
engaged in disrupting activities of
their own volition.
Only one boatload has reached
Australia since the operation began,
a group of 157 Sri Lankan Tamils held
for weeks on the high seas on an Aus-
tralian customs vessel while Canberra
decided what to do with them.
Mr Morrison said in the last year
of the Labor government, there were
401 successful people-smuggling
ventures with 26,543 asylum-seekers
reaching Australia and hundreds
more dying on route.
Under Canberras immigration
policy, boatpeople arriving since July
2013 have been sent to camps on
Manus Island in Papua New Guinea
and the remote Pacic state of Nauru.
They are resettled in those coun-
tries if their refugee claims are
approved.
Despite the success, Mr Morrison
said Australias vigilance had not
dropped. AFP
SYDNEY
Australia hails success
of asylum boat program
On the rst anniversary of a new hardline border protection policy, Australias
immigration minister reveals new details and claims the project has saved lives
There have been
no deaths at sea
compared with 300
missing, conrmed
or presumed dead
in the year prior to
Operation Sovereign
Borders.
Scott Morrison
Australian immigration minister
Australias Prime Minister Tony Abbott
speaks at a press conference in
Sydney on September 19. Photo: AFP
TRADE MARK CAUTION
NOTICE is hereby given that Ogival AG (Ogival SA) (Ogival
Ltd) under the laws of Switzerland and having its principal offce
at Rue du Mont-Blanc 7, Genve, Switzerland is the Owner and
Sole Proprietor of the following trademarks: -
(Reg: Nos. IV6545/2007, IV/8561/2011 & IV/11680/2014)
(Reg: Nos. IV/6544 /2007, IV/8558/2011 & IV/11681/2014)
(Reg: Nos. IV/6546/2007, IV/8560/2011 & IV/11682/2014)
(Reg: Nos. IV/6543/2007, IV/8559/2011 & IV/11683/2014)
The above four trademarks are in respect of:-
all goods in Class 14 including jewellery as well as horological
and chronometric instruments
Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademarks
or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law.
for Ogival AG (Ogival SA) (Ogival Ltd)
nd
September, 2014
TRADE MARK CAUTION
NOTICE is hereby given that TOTAL SA a company organized
under the laws of France, and having its principal offce at 2, Place
Jean Millier, La Dfense 6 92400 Courbevoie France is the Owner
and Sole Proprietor of the following trademark: -
TOTAL
(Reg: Nos. IV/ 3385/1993 & IV/4862/2014)
in respect of : - Chemicals products used in industry, science,
photography and in agriculture, horticulture and forestry; petrochemical
products and their derivatives; solvents; unprocessed artifcial resins,
unprocessed plastics; manures; fire-extinguishing compositions;
tempering and soldering preparations; chemical substances for
preserving foodstuffs; tanning substances; glues (adhesive materials)
used in industry. Class: 1
Bleaching preparations and other substances for laundry use; cleaning,
polishing, degreasing and abrasive preparations; soaps; perfumery,
essential oils, cosmetics, hair lotions; dentifrices. Class: 3
Industrial oils and greases, lubricants, fuels in solid, liquid or gaseous
form, motor fuels, natural gas and liquefed petroleum gases; crude oil;
illuminants; paraffns, waxes and petroleum,-derived products included
in this class. Class: 4
Rubber, gutta-percha, gum, asbestos, mica and products made from
these materials; products made from unfnished plastics materials;
stuffng, packing and insulating materials; non- metallic fexible pipes.
Class: 17
Non-metallic building materials; non-metallic rigid pipes for building;
asphalt, pitch and bitumen; non-metallic transportable buildings; non-
metallic monuments. Class: 19
Building construction, repair and installation services. Maintenance,
washing, cleaning and repair of vehicles. Services relating to oil running
and production. Class: 37
Transportation and storage of gas and oil products in general.
Class: 39
Services relating to exploration and production of oil and gas, among
others oil and gas prospection, geological, geophysical, geochemical
prospection, control of oil wells, oilfeld and geological analysis and
consultancy. Providing of foods, drinks and commercial merchandises,
restaurants. Class: 42
Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark or
other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law.
for TOTAL SA
nd
September, 2014
BEIJING NEW DELHI
THE separatism trial of a prominent
scholar from Chinas mostly Muslim
Uighur minority began last week, as
rights groups renewed their calls for
his release.
The charges against Ilham Tohti,
a former economics professor at Bei-
jings Central University for Nationali-
ties, carry a maximum life sentence.
His trial took place in Urumqi, the
capital of Chinas violence-wracked
western Xinjiang region. The court was
not likely to render a verdict until later
this week at the earliest, said Mr Tohtis
lawyer, Li Fangping.
The Uighur homeland Xinjiang has
seen escalating violence between locals
and security forces in the past year,
which has claimed hundreds of lives
and prompted Beijing to launch a crack-
down on separatists and terrorists.
The United States, European Union
and several human rights groups have
called for the release of Mr Tohti, 44, an
outspoken critic of Chinas policies to-
ward Uighurs in the far western region.
Chinas allegations against Ilham
Tohti represent the governments
typical manipulation of the judiciary,
Dilshat Rexit, spokesperson for the
overseas-based World Uyghur Con-
gress, said in a statement.
A Uighur intellectual who moder-
ately and openly called on China to ad-
just its policies has lost his freedom,
he said, calling the case a mockery of
justice.
Eight of Mr Tohtis students have
also been detained in connection with
the case, according to Mr Li.
On September 17, prosecutors pre-
sented a large amount of material, in-
cluding videos of Mr Tohtis university
lectures and posts from his website Ui-
ghur Online, as evidence that he is lead-
ing a separatist group, Mr Li said.
In interviews, Mr Tohti has stated
his opposition to independence or sep-
aratism. Nine diplomats from coun-
tries including Germany, Britain and
Canada travelled to Urumqi to observe
the trial but were barred from enter-
ing the courtroom.
Mr Tohti was detained in January
after he condemned the governments
response to a suicide car attack in
Beijings Tiananmen Square which
the government blamed on separa-
tists from Xinjiang. His prosecution,
almost certain to result in a guilty ver-
dict, risks silencing moderate Uighur
voices and cutting of the possibility of
dialogue, critics say. AFP
Protests
over Uighar
activist trial
INDIAS Prime Minister Narendra
Modi has complained to Chinas visit-
ing president about border incursions,
the government said last week, as
tensions on the remote mountainous
frontier between Asias two superpow-
ers threatened to overshadow a crucial
summit.
As Xi Jinping hailed the potential
of stronger ties between China and In-
dia to bring peace and prosperity to
2.5 billion people, local media reported
that hundreds of troops were engaged
in a stand-of in the northern Ladakh
region.
The two countries have long been
embroiled in a bitter dispute over their
border, with both sides accusing sol-
diers of crossing over into the others
territory.
The neighbours, now nuclear-
armed, fought a brief but bloody
war in 1962 over the Indian state of
Arunachal Pradesh in the eastern
Himalayas, and are still embroiled in a
bitter dispute over the territory.
AFP could not conrm the in-
cursion reports, but a Ladakh law-
maker who asked not to be named
said around 1000 Chinese troops had
crossed into the Indian side on Sep-
tember 17 as Mr Xi began his visit.
The government has sent rein-
forcements, he said.
Foreign ministry spokesperson
Syed Akbaruddin said Mr Modi raised
the issue on September 17, as Xi began
his rst ofcial visit to India, and did
so again in formal talks the following
day.
Mr Modi has rolled out the red
carpet for the Chinese leader, hosting
a private dinner in a luxury riverside
tent in his home city Ahmedabad.
Indias new leader is eager to secure
Chinese funding to full his election
pledge to overhaul Indias crumbling
infrastructure, which experts say has
held back much-needed economic
growth in the country of 1.2 billion
people.
At an ofcial welcome ceremony at
the Indian presidents palace in central
New Delhi, Mr Xi hailed the benets of
stronger ties to bring benets to the
2.5 billion people in China and India.
During this visit, I hope to work
with the Indian leadership to be strong
advocates of China-India relations and
to partner with each other to take our
strategic and cooperative partnership
for peace and prosperity to a higher
plane.
Despite his hardline nationalist
reputation, Mr Modi moved quickly to
engage with China after taking ofce
in May, swiftly extending an invitation
to Mr Xi. He has also spoken of his ad-
miration for Chinas economic success.
China, meanwhile, is keen to foster
warmer ties with its western neigh-
bour at a time of heightened ten-
sions with Japan and several South-
east Asian nations over disputed sea
territory.
But while the two sides have been
at pains to stress cooperation ahead
of the visit, much remains that divides
them.
Mr Modi said during his election
campaign that China would have to
shed what he called its expansionist
mindset, tapping into popular senti-
ment in India.
Last April India accused Chinese
troops of intruding deep into Indian-
held territory, sparking a three-week
stand-of that was only resolved
when troops from both sides pulled
back.
Chinas close ties with Pakistan and
growing inuence in Indias backyard
are another source of tension.
Mr Xi, the rst Chinese president
to visit India since 2006, arrived from
the Maldives and Sri Lanka, where he
announced large-scale investment and
sought to boost ties in the politically
sensitive area of defence.
Despite repeated denials from Co-
lombo and Beijing, some in New Delhi
still fear Chinas growing engagement
in the region is a deliberate strategy to
encircle India.
The presence in India of the Dalai
Lama, Tibets exiled spiritual leader, is
another source of tension between the
two countries.
Police in New Delhi detained
around 10 Tibetan protesters outside
the Chinese embassy on the morn-
ing of September 17 and security was
beefed up around the compound the
following day.
Mr Xi has pledged greater invest-
ment from China, already Indias big-
gest trading partner, with annual two-
way commerce of more than US$65
billion.
India has been pushing for more
investment to narrow the trade decit
with China, which has soared to more
than $40 billion from just $1 billion in
2001-02. AFP
Chinese border incursions
overshadow Xis India visit
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a welcoming
ceremony at the presidential palace in New Delhi on September 18. Photo: AFP
I hope to work
with the Indian
leadership to be
strong advocates
of China-India
relations.
Xi Jinping
President of China
Fijis coup leader claims victory
SUVA KUALA LUMPUR
A Fijian First Party supporter holds
up a local newspaper showing coup
leader Voreqe Bainimarama on
September 18. Photo: AFP
COUP leader Voreqe Bainimarama
last week claimed a historic vote
to become Fijis rst elected leader
in eight years, as international ob-
servers gave the ballot a stamp of
approval.
With 70 percent of the vote count-
ed following the September 17 poll,
Mr Bainimaramas Fiji First Party
had 60.1 percent, well clear of its
nearest rival, the Social Democratic
Liberal Party (Sodelpa) on 26.7pc.
This was a credible election,
said a statement from the 92-mem-
ber panel drawn from 13 countries
around the world as well as the Eu-
ropean Union.
While counting is ongoing and
the results are yet to be nalised, we
assess that the outcome is on track
to broadly represent the will of the
Fijian voters.
The election was conducted in
an atmosphere of calm, with an ab-
sence of electoral misconduct or evi-
dent intimidation.
Pacic regional powerhouses
Australia and New Zealand, who led
global condemnation of Mr Bainima-
rama following the coup, described
the ballot as a signicant event.
All early indications are that
the conditions were in place for the
people of Fiji to exercise their right
to vote freely, New Zealand Foreign
Minister Murray McCully said.
His Australian counterpart Julie
Bishop said Canberra looks forward
to working with the new Fiji Govern-
ment when it is formed.
Although Mr Bainimarama was
accused of human rights abuses and
the Pacic nation subjected to inter-
national sanctions after he seized
control in a 2006 coup, Brij Lal, a Fiji
political analyst based at the Austral-
ian National University, said the out-
come was no surprise.
He had all the advantages of in-
cumbency, name recognition, a public
prole, media on his side, campaign-
ing on the public purse, and a desire
on the part of the voters for stability,
which he promised, Mr Lal said.
But despite the country returning
to democracy, the military maintain
a strong presence and opposition
parties cancelled an election review
planned during the day after soldiers
turned up.
Sodelpa and other opposition par-
ties were to have met on September
18 at a Suva hotel to discuss their re-
sponse to Fiji Firsts overwhelming
lead.
However, the meeting was can-
celled at the last minute when sol-
diers arrived at the venue.
This meeting cannot go ahead
because there are two military per-
sonnel in the hotel, prominent Fiji
political analyst Wadan Narsey told
reporters.
Fijis military commander Briga-
dier-General Mosese Tikoitoga said
before the election the armed forces
would be on standby until a new gov-
ernment is sworn in to ensure the
security, defence and well-being of
the Pacic island nation.
Mr Bainimarama had repeat-
edly delayed a return to democracy
while he reworked Fijis constitution,
developed the economy and, as an
indigenous Fijian he made himself
popular with the Indian minority by
focussing on easing ethnic tensions.
Although there has been no word
from him since voting began, the Fiji
Sun, regarded as a mouthpiece of
the outgoing military regime, said
he was happy with the general elec-
tions results coming in. But he was
waiting for the nal results before
commenting further.
Complete results were not expect-
ed until the weekend, but the ongo-
ing count indicated Mr Bainimara-
mas Fiji First would rule without the
need of coalition support.
About half a million of Fijis
900,000 population were registered
to vote in the rst election since he
led a bloodless coup in 2006, the
fourth time the Fijian government
had been overthrown in less than 20
years.
Election supervisor Mohammed
Saneem said there was a high turnout
as voters walked, drove and even rode
on horseback to about 1000 polling
stations across the 300 islands.
Police said the vote was trouble-
free and fears of violence proved
unfounded.
The four coups between 1987 and
2006 were largely due to tensions be-
tween indigenous Fijians and ethnic
Indians and when Mr Bainimarama
seized power he vowed to end the ra-
cial divisions.
His authoritarian regime did
bring stability, but in the process
tore up the constitution, sacked the
judiciary and tightened media cen-
sorship, prompting Fijis suspension
from the Commonwealth and the Pa-
cic Islands Forum.
The restrictions he imposed have
been relaxed, and Australia and New
Zealand lifted sanctions earlier this
year to encourage the return to de-
mocracy, although Amnesty Interna-
tional still has concerns about abus-
es it says were perpetrated by Mr
Bainimarama. AFP
A MALAYSIAN court has convicted a
prominent student activist of sedition
and sentenced him to a year in prison
in a ruling swiftly denounced by rights
groups as part of a sustained assault
by the government on free expression.
Adam Adli was charged with sedition
in May 2013 after urging protests against
election results that reafrmed the long-
time governments grip on power.
Guilty, Mr Adam tweeted on Sep-
tember 19 as the ruling was read out
inside a Kuala Lumpur courtroom.
Having diferent opinion is appar-
ently a crime now according to our dear-
est prosecutor.
The ruling United Malays National
Organisation (UMNO) has sparked
growing outrage over its use of the
1940s British colonial-era Sedition Act.
Prime Minister Najib Razak had
promised in 2011 to repeal the law,
which he called a relic of a bygone era,
hoping to placate mounting public pres-
sure for an end to authoritarian abuses.
But the law has been used repeatedly
since last years elections, accelerating
in recent weeks with several govern-
ment opponents charged for comments
widely deemed by leaders in the legal
community as innocuous.
More than a dozen people are known
to have been charged with sedition since
the May 2013 elections. Most of those
cases are still pending. Convictions,
however, are relatively rare.
Mr Adam was released pending an
appeal. AFP
Student to
be jailed for
sedition
THE PULSE EDITOR: WHITNEY LIGHT [email protected] THE MYANMAR TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 - 28, 2014

G
E
T

Y
O
U
R

F
I
N
G
E R
S

O
N

I
T
In which our peripatetic
correspondent takes an
inadvertent step into Yangons
fetid eff uent, and must
reconcile with her shaken
dignity to remain living in the
city against what might be her
better judgement
I
HAD always vowed that if it happened, it would be the end: I would
regard it as the nal indignity this region could inict on me and return
immediately to my homeland, where to be a fallen woman is not
entirely without recompense.
Although not as favourable to litigation as our trans-Atlantic cousins,
Scots law does, at least, allow a person to sue the local council if he or she
happens to plummet suddenly into a hole in the pavement mid-stride, mid-
conversation.
I am not sure if there is additional statutory recompense if the incident
occurs when the conversation in which she is engaged happens to be with a
very-recently-become ex-boyfriend but there certainly ought to be.
One cannot traverse Yangon for long before pondering the lurking horrors
that the unwary walker who fails to negotiate with due care and attention
its perilous sidewalks: and here I am forced to turn to an Americanism, for
to apply the designation pavement to the many rubble-strewn troughs that
purport to serve that purpose would be to insult the very concept of paving.
Undoubtedly there is work taking place to improve some aspects of the
citys walkways, but it often feels like one has been cast as an unwilling player
in a computer game: Streets of Yangon, in which players must navigate their
way along busy pavements avoiding hidden holes and ssures as gobs of red
betel-spit shoot out at you from doorways and bulldog clips suspended from
windows swing at your eyes. Lose a life (or three) if you end up in a sewer;
bonus points in the unlikely event that you reach your destination with body,
temper and sanity intact.
Before fate elected to introduce me to the hitherto unthought-of
humiliation that eventually occurred, I had imagined that the greatest of all
pavement traumas would be to end up immersed in the fetid contents of an
open sewer, submerged in the foul and vile detritus that city life spews forth
while malignant rodents swam grimly past.
HOLE
STORY
FIONA MACGREGOR
the pulse 51
www.mmtimes.com
Indeed, despite my own undignied experience, that remains my
deepest fear. Nonetheless the fallout of the moment in which I so
inelegantly fell from grace has left me scarred in a way that may never
fully heal.
The evening it happened was my rst social meeting with a former
paramour since our break up. It was imperative, therefore, that I conduct
myself in a manner that would convey both sophistication and careless
charm. I achieved only the careless part.
One moment I was delighting him (or so I like to believe) with the
fascinating subtleties of the forthcoming Scottish referendum, and the
next the ground beneath my right foot turned out not to be ground at
all. I dropped so fast that my opinion on the Machiavellian machinations
of certain members of the Westminster government was still hovering
indignantly in the air when the parts of me that werent in the hole hit the
concrete.
He emerged from the sorry scene resplendent with heroic glory. Saving
me from even further descent into that treacherous chasm, which had
swallowed my entire right leg, he led me of to the nearby Savoy Hotel to
tend my gory limbs and fortify my shaken nerves with a glass of wine.
I emerged covered only in the unspeakable, disease-ridden contents of
the hole, some blood and what would rapidly become dramatic, if inglorious,
bruises.
And I am not the only, nor most (bodily) damaged victim of this citys
vindictive thoroughfares.
More serious injuries also occur. You should write an article on drunk
Westerners falling down holes in Yangon, a friend recently wrote to me.
A few days before, a colleague of said friend, while enjoying a spirited
evening out, had fallen into a hole somewhere in Dagon township and was
rendered unconscious in the process. Mercifully his concussion had no-long
lasting efects, but it was hardly the way hed planned to end his night.
While I am neither conrming nor denying that in my case the recovery
glass of wine I imbibed post-plummet was my rst of the evening, even the
most sober and attentive of pedestrians face genuine risk.
Yet there is something about falling into holes that makes other people
laugh, some kind of primordial response that transmutes potentially
dangerous moments into physical comedy. This appears to be a worldwide
phenomenon.
There is another response, however, one that Ive only come to recognise
since moving to Southeast Asia. (City of Edinburgh Council, I shall admit
now that I did not really know what a pot-holed travesty of a pathway
actually was when I wrote you that letter)
This second response is: competition.
Ha! Youre writing about falling down a hole in Yangon? Let me tell you
about holes
And so begins a litany of holey horror stories, everyone trying to outdo
one another until eventually someone gets carried away and claims they
once spent a year trapped in a slurry pit and survived by eating spiders and
maggots.
No doubt there are many morals to my tale, most of which I should
probably have known already. Morals like always look where youre going
and the combination of politics, wine and ex-boyfriends is fairly likely to
lead to a fall of some sort.
It seems unlikely that the citys pavements will become easy to traverse
any time soon. However, I refuse to descend entirely into the pits of despair.
Despite my former vow to depart in the case of such an eventuality, I do
remain in Yangon. I suspect some part of me secretly hopes I might yet be
reunited with my lost dignity. For now it lies submerged somewhere in an
unmarked Stygian abyss on Dhammazedi Road.
52 the pulse THE MYANMAR TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 - 28, 2014
Street Seen
Playing chinlone. Photo: Kaung Htet
ARTISTS have greater freedom
of expression today than just a
few years ago, and while thats
a necessary condition for the
development of a cultural scene,
according to curatorial duo Flux Kit
its not all thats needed.
Thats why the pair Ilaria Benini
and Thomas Poletto have organised
Contemporary Dialogues, an event
that will bring local and international
artists, writers and curators together
for conversations and presentations
on the theme of Now and Memory:
Who are we? Where do we go?
The event will take place in various
locations around Yangon from
September 25 to October 5.
Here its dif cult for artists to
choose an artistic practice or way of
writing because they lack exposure
to diferent experiences, Benini said,
noting also that the format [of the
event] is itself an experiment.
While the general public is
welcome to attend, the events target
audience is the Myanmar creative
community, both its senior and junior
members. Rarely do the generations
have the opportunity to meet and
share experiences of the international
art world, Benini said.
The cross-generational aspect
was encouraged by students at the
University of Culture, Yangon, whom
Benini met to hear their ideas and
expectations for the event.
[The students] are 20 years
old and they are eager to hear the
opinion of experts, Benini said.
To that end, the program
will feature talks on topics both
inspirational (choices facing artists in
transitional societies) and practical
(understanding the role of curators
and the art market). Among the
international speakers will be Mami
Kataoka, chief curator of Tokyos
Mori Art Museum, and Phil Tinari,
director of the Ullens Center for
Contemporary Art in Beijing.
Among local presenters will be
Thu Thu Shein, 31, a lmmaker
and founder of the Wathann Film
Festival, who will speak about the
future of the independent lm scene.
Its very important to share
experiences between generations
because the old people though not
all they dont see us as lmmakers,
Thu Thu Shein said. They think we
are amateurs or hobbyists, but we
are serious. I feel like this event will
give us a chance to talk openly about
problems and our experience.
Also on the program is visual and
performance artist Moe Satt, 31, who
will speak about the contemporary
art scene in Yangon.
We have a diferent background
from other artists in Southeast Asia.
In Myanmar, we were slow to develop
due to the military leadership and
Opening up the art world
WHITNEY LIGHT
[email protected]
Mami Kataoka will speak in Yangon
on September 28. Photo: Jennifer Yin
LOS ANGELES
Whitney Houston live album due in November
Nearly three years after her death, an album and DVD of
live performances by Whitney Houston is to be released
in November, her long-time producer announced on
September 16.
She was without question the greatest vocalist in
the world, Clive Davis told NBC television announcing
the November 10 release of Whitney Houston Live: Her
Greatest Performances. There was no one like her, he
added.
Houston died in February 2012 on the eve of the
Grammy Awards at age 48. She was found dead in
her hotel bathroom, shortly before a party in the hotel
hosted by Davis. A coroner ruled that the singing legend
died of accidental drowning, with cocaine and heart
disease listed as contributing factors. AFP
SAN FRANCISCO
Number of websites explodes past
a billion and counting
The number of websites has burst above 1
billion and is growing apace, according to
gures updated in real time on September 16
by online tracker Internet Live Stats.
Tim Berners-Lee, considered the father of
the World Wide Web, touted the milestone on
Twitter one of the most prominent websites
in the mushrooming but sometimes murky
internet world.
The count comes as the internets address
management agency expands choices far
beyond .com and .net to provide more
online real estate.
The World Wide Web turned 25 in April this
year. It was born from an idea in a technical
paper from Berners-Lee, then an obscure,
young computer scientist. Berners-Lee was
working at CERN lab in Switzerland when
he outlined a way to easily access les on
linked computers, paving the way for a global
phenomenon that has touched the lives of
billions of people.
A model presents a creation
from the Meadham Kirchoff
collection during the 2015
Spring/Summer London
Fashion Week on September
16. Photo: AFP/Carl Court
LOS ANGELES
Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes
welcome baby girl
Hollywood heartthrob Ryan Gosling
and his actress girlfriend Eva Mendes
are proud parents of a baby daughter,
media reports said September 16.
Mendes, who began dating the
Canadian actor in 2011, gave birth
on September 12, according to US
Weekly, which rst reported the birth.
The couple had long declined to
conrm the pregnancy. In July Mendes
laughed off rumours in an interview
with talk show host Ellen DeGeneres,
saying, Its so ridiculous.
Both actors are rst-time parents.
Their representatives did not respond
to requests for comment.
Gosling is known for lms
including Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)
and The Place Beyond the Pines
(2012), where he met Mendes on the
movie set.
The Global Gossip
Indian Bollywood actor Shah
Rukh Khan dances during
a promotional event for the
forthcoming Hindi film Happy
New Year directed by Farah
Khan, in Mumbai on September
15. Photo: AFP
British actor Daniel
Radcliffe poses at
the premiere of his
film Horns, in Paris
on September 16.
Photo: AFP
the pulse 53 www.mmtimes.com
A fire breather performs at Institut Francais on September 12. Photo: Emmanuel Maillard
censorship, he said.
We dont really have art
institutions, so theres a lack of
knowledge. I will try to speak about
how we can practise with this
lack of knowledge, compared to
Thailand, for example, which has big
institutions and museums and a lot
of resources to learn from.
In general, Benini said, her
hope is that the event will inspire
creativity and truly free expression.
Censorship of art may be winding
down, but Myanmars interest to the
international art market brings a new
pressure to make certain commercial
kinds of work, she said.
Its easy to associate
contemporary art with money, more
than with art itself, Benini said.We
want to promote understanding of
how the art world is organised.
Contemporary Dialogues takes place
September 25-October 5 at various
locations, including TS1 Gallery,
Lokanat Gallery and the Goethe
Institute. Presentations will be in
English with Burmese translation.
The full program is available at
contemporarydialogues.tumblr.com
Opening up the art world
ART
Sept 16-22 The Wet Canvas solo show
by Mg Mg Hla Myint. Yangon Gallary,
Peoples Park, Ahlone Road, Dagon 5-6pm
Sept 25-Oct 5 Contemporary Dialogues.
Conversations, performances and
exhibitions about culture in Myanmar, at
locations around Yangon. Free entry. Visit
contemporarydialogues.tumblr.com
Sept 20-Oct 1 Solo exhibition by Zaw
Lu Min, Lokanat Galleries, 1
st
foor, 62,
Pansodan St, Kyauktada 10am-7pm

FILM
Sept 25-Oct 5 23rd European Film
Festival. Ten flms from seven European
countries with free entry. Nay Pyi Taw
Cinema, near Sule Pagoda. Films start daily
at 3:30pm and 6:30pm.
Sept 24-28 4th Wathann Film Festival
featuring international and local
independent flmmakers. The Yangon
Gallery, Peoples Park Compound, Ahlone
Road 10am-5pm
Start times at Mingalar (1, 2), Thwin,
Shae Shaung (1,2) and Nay Pyi Taw
cinemas are 10am, noon, 2pm, 4pm,
6pm and 8pm.
Start times at Junction Square and Maw
Tin are 10am, 1pm and 4pm daily and 7pm
and 9:30pm on Friday and Saturday.
Start times at Mingalar San Pya are 10am,
12:30pm, 3:30pm, 6:30pm and 9:30pm.
Nay Pyi Taw Cinema, near Sule pagoda
The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom.
Directed by Jacob Cheung. Chinese
fantasy in 3D.
The Purge: Anarchy. Directed by James
Demonaco. American action-thriller.
Step Up All In. Directed by Trish Sie. The
ffth installment of the American dance
series.
Mingalar Cinema 2, at Dagon Center 2,
Myaynigone
Step Up All In.
Shae Shaung Cinema, Sule Pagoda
Road, Kyauktada
Into the Storm. Directed by Steven Quale.
A flm of disaster footage.
The Swimmers. Directed by Sophon
Sakdaphisit. A Thai horror flm with English
subtitles.
Junction Square Cineplex, Kamaryut
Swelter. Directed by Keith Parmer.
American action flm starring Jean-Claude
Van Damme.
Threesome. Directed by Tanwarin
Sukkhapisit. A Thai romantic comedy with
English subtitles.
Mingalar San Pya Cineplex, Phone Gyi
Street and Anawrahta, Lanmadaw
The Purge: Anarchy.
The Swimmers.
MUSIC
Sept 5-Dec 31 Live music. Thiripyitsaya
Sky Bistro, 20
th
Floor, Sakura Tower 7-10pm
Sept 24 Live Music. 50
th
Street Bar, 9-13
50
th
Street, Botahtaung 8pm
Sept 28 Jam It! A closing party for
the Wathann Film Festival featuring
underground Myanmar rock and hip hop.
Institut Francais de Birmanie, 340 Pyay Rd,
Sanchaung 6pm
Got an event?
List it in Whats On!
[email protected]
SEPTEMBER 22 - 28
Curator Iola Lenzi (left) with Thai artist Vasan Sitthiket sits within The
Past Moved, an installation by Bui Cong Khanh. Lenzi will speak at
Contemporary Dialogues, Sept 25-Oct 5. Photo: Supplied
THE 23
rd
European Film Festival
will be held at Yangons Nay Pyi
Taw Cinema from September 25 to
October 5.
Ten lms from France, Germany,
Ireland, Israel, Italy, Switzerland
and the United Kingdom will
be screened, in a variety of
genres ranging from comedy to
documentary to thriller.
The European Film Festival is a
great opportunity for audiences to
enjoy European movies that are not
easily available in Myanmar, and we
are very happy to make a contribution
to the cultural exchange between
Europe and Myanmar, said H E
Roland Kobia, EU ambassador to
Myanmar, at a press conference at the
Swiss embassy on September 15.
The festival is supported by
the embassies of Switzerland,
France, Israel and Italy, as well as
the Alliance Francaise, the British
Council, the Goethe Institute and
the Delegation of the European
Union to Myanmar.
The biggest diference between
this years festival and those of
previous years is that some lms
from the Wathann Film Festival,
taking place September 24-28, will
be included in the program.
The Wathann Film Festival will
present a selection of short lms
before each screening, which is
another way of forging cultural links
between Europe and Myanmar,
said H E Christoph Burgener, Swiss
ambassador to Myanmar.
Previous editions of the
European Film Festival were
presented by the embassies of
only four countries: England, Italy,
France and Germany. Since 2012,
Myanmar has invited other EU
countries to participate.
Two lms will be screened each day
of the festival, September 25-October
5. Films screen at 3:30pm and
6:30pm. Tickets are available at
Nay Pyi Taw Cinema one hour to 15
minutes before start time. The full
lm schedule is available at http://
institutfrancais-birmanie.com/
european-lm-festival/
European lm fest
to open its 23
rd
edition
CHIT SU WAI
[email protected]
A
MID the Saturday
market artisans hawking
everything from paper
lanterns to carved-wood
smartphone cases, it took
a while to spot the petite crinkly-eyed
woman selling great heavy blankets
in a distinctive diamond weave. To get
them, she said in broken English, she
takes a boat, then another boat, then
another, to a village in Laos.
Non-breakable, packable and
tradeable, textiles are the perfect
artwork for a traveller to collect, and
Chiang Mai, Thailand, ofers excellent
options if you know where to look.
Like in all parts of the former Kingdom
of Lanna, stretching from northern
Thailand into Chinas Yunnan and all
over Laos, the weavers of Chiang Mai
province have over centuries developed
elaborate and varied traditions among
its many peoples. With communities
connected by waterways and trade
routes, certain designs came to signify
ethnicity and social standing, while
others contained spiritual import.
And although todays global trade
routes seem mostly to be eroding such
cultures, interest and investment in
handicraft preservation suggest the
future might bring more opportunity
for both artisans and collectors.
One of the best places to appreciate
the conservation of weaving traditions
in Chiang Mai is Studio Naenna,
the marketing arm of Weavers for
the Environment, a group started
in 1986 by textiles scholar Patricia
Cheesman, who has been researching
and documenting Southeast Asian
traditions for over 30 years.
The studios products are made by
women employed in nearby Chomthong.
There they grow dye plants and create
woven pieces that feature northern Thai
ikat, a complex technique in which
threads are tied of before being dyed in
meticulously planned orders to achieve
the desired design.
On my visit to the studio, I watched
as two women with dizzying dexterity
worked on pieces that would take in
the vicinity of six months to complete.
One sat on the oor, harnessed into
whats called a backstrap loom with
the working end secured in front of her
and a band wrapped around the back
allowing her to control the tension.
The colours of the threads ranged
from intense indigo to pastel reds and
yellows, all procured from local natural
sources. Yellow can come from the
wood jackfruit, explained Lamorna
Cheesman, Patricias daughter; seeds of
annatto produce orange, while coconut
husks make brown. She reached up to
the top of a teak tree for a young leaf
and crushed it in her hand to reveal a
vivid rusty red.
From the beginning, the weaving
groups purpose has been to preserve
traditional knowledge from creeping
erasure of cultural memory, which is
pervasive despite the successes of the
group and others like it. Lamorna noted
that over the years shes seen a change
in the variety and quality of whats
available on the market. Middlemen
who buy or trade textiles en masse at
low prices practise clearing out and
moving on, she said, often leaving
villages without samples of their own
work and no records of provenance. By
example, she explained, when ikat rst
hit Western markets 20 years ago, the
fabrics were cut up for modern skirts
and jackets.
It got to a point that so much ikat
weaving was taken out of villages that
originals disappeared, she said.
Moreover, as economies in
Southeast Asia have changed, so have
the opportunities for young village
women to nd more lucrative work
in cities, and urban employment is
perceived to have higher status than
traditional rural handiwork, said Karin
Hazelkorn, a San Francisco-based
textile expert.
At the same time, lack of access
to markets and high overhead costs
often make it prohibitive to keep up
production. Silk thread, for example,
is expensive, and if weavers have to
wait weeks or months for a customer
or middleman, cash ow becomes a
problem, Hazelkorn said.
The arrival of large-scale industries
such as forestry and agriculture to
villages also tends to take people away
from weaving, said Joanna Smith,
co-founder of Laos Ock Pop Tok, which
strives to revitalise textile production
and help weavers nd markets. Major
industries either promise or signify
increased income, she said by email:
The result is that the local lifestyle
changes so much that handicraft
production dies away. Even if the new
industry proves unsuccessful, the old
skills by then may have been forgotten.
In these situations, Ock Pop Tok has
been successful in linking villages with
demand. Started with a group of ve
people, the organisation now involves
45 women directly and, through its
Village Weaver projects, reaches 22
villages in 11 of Laos 17 provinces.
Increasing global awareness of
handicrafts is also contributing to the
success of such preservation eforts.
The rise of fair trade, eco-fashion and
adventure travel has resulted in a wider
demographic base of people interested
in indigenous textiles, Smith said.
Weve denitely seen an increase
in the 20-30s group, and loads more
men, she said, referring to the number
of visitors to Ock Pop Toks studio in
Luang Prabang, which sells handicrafts
and ofers courses in natural dyes,
weaving and batik.
Reports of labour abuse and
news events like the Bangladesh
clothing-factory re particularly lead
consumers to pay greater attention to
the economic and political derivation of
their clothing, Hazelkorn said.
People are thinking about fast
fashion and the quality of products in
our throw-away society, Hazelkorn
said. This is impacting weavers in a
positive way.
Recent years have also seen
a conuence of government and
municipal initiatives with NGO and
business-partner input aimed at
preservation and growth of textiles and
other handmade goods. In 2012 Chiang
Mai launched Handmade Chiang Mai,
an organisation to showcase artisan-
made products and create market
opportunities.
Similarly, local chambers of
commerce are supporting Lao weavers
to go to events like the International
Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New
Mexico, which recently held its
11
th
annual weekend-long event.
Traditionally made items from 160
artisans from around the world
attracted tens of thousands of visitors.
Hazelkorn, who attended, estimates
that each artisan took $20,000 to
$25,000 to their home community.
Some major retailers, too, have got
involved with initiatives to promote
artisan products. Walmart and Coca-
Cola, for example, support the Alliance
for Artisan Enterprise, launched by
Hillary Clinton in 2012 and hosted by
the Aspen Institute. The centre seeks to
raise the prole of artisan goods in so-
called impact investing, partly on the
grounds that the industry is so deeply
entwined with womens roles and
fortunes in developing economies.
Yet if demand gets so big that it
requires a factory, one might wonder
whether the path to preserving
traditions may get turned back toward
homogeneity. In some ways, the answer
seems to be yes though its not
entirely a new story.
Even when the British went to
India they had specic designs they
wanted which they brought back
home, Hazelkorn said. Its a balance
between preserving designs and
understanding what the market wants.
At the same time, Hazelkorn said,
we lose what we dont pay attention
to. Thats why she started Endangered
Textiles, a Facebook-page forum for the
sharing information about traditions
from all over the world. No other vein
of human creation presents quite the
richness of history political, cultural,
economic, spiritual that textiles do.
Its hard to compare textiles to
anything else, Hazelkorn said. Food is
that way, but thats in a diferent realm.
Trending
toward
tradition
A trip to Chiang Mai leads to an
exploration of the storied history and
uncertain future of artisan-crafted textiles
WHITNEY LIGHT
[email protected]
Seang Sakorn works the backstrap loom at Studio Naenna in Chiang Mai. Photo: Whitney Light
Lamorna Cheesman explains how young teak leaves provide red dye.
Photo: Whitney Light
Shop and learn
CHIANG MAI
Saturday and Sunday Walking
Streets
Wua Lai Road opposite Chiang Mai
Gate (Saturday), Rachadamnoen
Road from Tha Phae Gate (Sunday)
Open late afternoon to midnight.
Sop Moei Arts
150/10 Chareonrajd Road
+66 53 306 123
Studio Naenna
138/8 Soi Changkhian, Huay Keow
Road
+66 53 226 042
Studio Nussara
66 Charoenrat Road
Lanna Folklife Museum
Phrapokklao Road
Open daily
http://www.cmocity.com
LUANG PRABANG
Ock Pop Tok
125/10 Ban Saylom
+856 20 56 180 661
Traditional Arts & Ethnology
Centre (TAEC)
Dala Market
+856 71 253 364
the pulse 55 www.mmtimes.com
WEEKLY PREDICTIONS
SEPTEMBER 22 - 28, 2014
PISCES | Feb 19 March 20
Going from relationship to relationship in a series of
disappointments, searching for the perfect feeling is a
waste and a delusion. You are shaped by your thoughts,
and life unfolds according to your decisions. The worst
thing you can do is nothing. Listen more.
SCORPIO | Oct 23 Nov 21
Track your creative successes not your competitive
failures. Accept advice from close friends and potential
partners, and try to achieve a simple work-life balance
through making the best decisions given the circumstance.
Be brave and depend on yourself. You are an explorer.
CANCER | June 21 July 22
Chances are pretty good that what you are giving is going to
come back to you. The greatest good you can do for
another is not sharing your riches but revealing their own
dignity and morality. Something will change in your social
circle. Pay more attention to colleagues and their suffering.
CAPRICORN | Dec 22 Jan 19
Show that you have a wonderful sense of humour when you
are prepared to stop worrying about what might happen
tomorrow. Admit that you have physical needs the same as
everybody else and that passion can enhance your life. Learn
more about the value of bringing things out into the open.
TAURUS | April 20 May 20
The mind precedes all phenomena. Virtue never loses its
morality. Purity is achieved when you start to understand
the poverty of impure speech. Without change you will live
in delusion and have no chance to enter into a better
emotional condition.
VIRGO | Aug 23 Sept 22
All development is self-development. Aggression
stems from frustration, and all frustration leads to
aggression. You cant run away from yourself. Your
emotional traits are not as permanent as aptitudes.
Seek the real source of frustration and your tension
can be relieved.
AQUARIUS | Jan 20 Feb 18
Humankinds supreme achievement is communication. Let
your integrity be known through humility, and give yourself
the added value of self-esteem. You have to nd something
that you love enough to be able to take risks, jump over the
hurdles and break through brick walls.
SAGITTARIUS | Nov 22 Dec 21
Small opportunities are often the beginning of great
enterprise. You should think of doing something radically
different to effect a big change or innovation. When a tiny
virus goes into a cell it changes and reduces everything to
ruins. Your slight modications can make a big difference.
LIBRA | Sept 23 Oct 22
Impatience is a failure to trust in universal intelligence, and
it implies that you are out of touch with spirituality. It is
important for you to look at things with a purposeful eye
and get in a habit in seeing value in the unexpected. Learn
to adapt to each others needs a little more.
ARIES | March 21 Apr 19
The pessimist takes pleasure in breaking down while the
optimist takes pleasure in building up. The feeling of being
in limbo is itself a loss. Move on to a new and better
chapter of your life. Sleep a little more than usual to rest
your emotions. Be gentle on yourself. Dont rush.
GEMINI | May 21 June 20
Reasonable focus is one of the most important elements of
success. Do what you can with what you have control over,
and what is not in your control is not worth worrying about.
There is a saying that the truly smart person is the one
who realises just how much he or she does not know.
LEO | July 23 Aug 22
Whats true of the individual today will be true of the whole
nation tomorrow, if individuals do not refuse to lose heart
and hope. Lethargy and frustration are inevitable, and you
cant completely escape them, but you can try to deal with
them. Worry is interest paid on trouble before it falls.
AUNG MYIN KYAW
4
th
Floor, 113, Thamain Bayan Road, Tarmwe township, Yangon.
Tel: 09-731-35632, Email: [email protected]
I
T was noon on Saturday
when I recalled that someone
had told me, You can ride a
motorbike up to Pyin Oo Lwin
in a couple of hours.
Taking only my canvas shoulder
bag, containing a camera, a small
computer, a change of clothes and
a toothbrush, I throttled up 35
th

Street on my red-and-black Chinese
scooter and took a right turn on
National Highway 3, a smooth tree-
lined road. At an altitude of 1070
metres, Pyin Oo Lwin is located
only 67 kilometres (42 miles) east of
Mandalay.
When I reached the Yaybu
checkpoint, which marks the
beginning of the switchbacks that
carry you up to the hilltops above
the Ayeyarwady River valley, I
remembered my 2006 bus trip
to Lashio up those very same
switchbacks and how diferent
the countrys atmosphere was then.
Then Id waited around for grumpy
ofcials to examine my passport.
Things had changed for the
better. I breezed through Yaybu
without stopping and began the
slow climb. The temperature drops
swiftly with the increasing elevation
as the switchbacks ofer glimpses of
the valley stretching out below with
mountains in the distance.
Approximately halfway to Pyin
Oo Lwin is Than Daung Ywa Ma, a
good place to stretch your legs, cool
the scooter and have some food and
water.
The last stretch of road is quite
level, however, and the heavy volume
of trucks gave rise to opportunities
to play chicken. The trick is to let
the trucks get past you without being
caught behind a cyclist. Fortunately,
much of the highway between
Mandalay and Pyin Oo Lwin consists
of two roads one for uphill and
one for downhill, so you dont have
to watch out for oncoming vehicles
during the climb.
Closer to town, increasing
numbers of roadside stands sell
jam from local strawberries as well
as cofee, liquor and other regional
food products.
With the signicantly lower
temperature, its easy to see why the
British favoured living in Pyin Oo
Lwin, then called Maymyo (Mays
Town) after the British Colonel May
who was stationed there in 1887.
Many of the locals who grew up
here still use the old name.
Subsequent British
administrations used the location as
their summer headquarters, and the
city is full of reminders of British
colonial times, including the All
Saints Anglican Church, a classic
red-brick building set in a cool
woodsy landscape.
The city also has a signicant
population of Indian people,
who came to Maymyo during the
colonial period. Similarly, theres
an estimated 8000 ethnic Gurkha
residents, and many Anglo-
Myanmar and Anglo-Indians.
Upon arrival, I stopped at the
open-air Feel Restaurant and Cofee
Shop for a bowl of Shan-style
noodles before setting of to nd
a hotel room. The restaurant has
an antique refrigerator that has
been converted into an aquarium,
an object of interest to visitors and
their children.
Pyin Oo Lwin ofers many hotels,
some converted colonial mansions
owned by the government, and
some new buildings located
downtown near the Purcell clock
tower. The whole place feels like a
park, echoing the British days and
standing apart from any other city
in Myanmar.
I settled on the Hsaung Thazin
Resort Hotel, where a motherly boss
who spoke good English got me
into a nice villa for about $50. Staf
delivered a dinner of sliced beef
with vegetables to my room quickly
as darkness fell over the city.
The next morning I rode the
scooter into the downtown area and
spotted an internet cafe. There, all
the computers were taken up by
young Defense Services Academy
cadets in uniform, as the cafe owner
served bowls of steaming noodles
for breakfast.
The academy is located in
a big compound across the
highway from the centre of
town. Established in 1954 and
incorporating training styles of
both Britains Sandhurst Military
Academy and the US Military
Academy at West Point, the male-
only cadets complete bachelors
degree programs in liberal arts
and physical sciences.
At the cafe, many of the cadets
were playing computer games; it
seemed like a regular hangout.
I bid them farewell and took the
scooter down to the Golden Triangle
Bakery and Caf and ordered a latte
and a cinnamon roll for the journey
back to Mandalay.
As with all journeys, the return
was speedier than the getting-there,
and it helped that it was downhill
most of the way. Apart from a bit
of worry about the brakes on the
scooter holding up, the ride was
entirely enjoyable. I made it back in
less than 90 minutes including rest
stops.
When I reached my apartment
in the north of Mandalay, I was
glad Id forsaken the couch and the
television in favour of a stimulating
weekend ride to what could be
Myanmars coolest city.
Treasures of Upper Myanmar
From
Mandalay to
Pyin Oo Lwin
by motorbike
A young woman waits for a coffee and a cinnamon roll at the Golden Triangle Cafe & Bakery in downtown Pyin Oo Lwin.
Photo: Stuart Alan Becker
Virtual boyfriends at Tokyo Game Show
ARE you disappointed by the man
in your life? Tired of his stubbly chin
and the way he lies around the house?
Or would you just prefer a boyfriend
with cats ears?
Then the answer may be at the
Tokyo Game Show, in a special booth
crammed full of the latest romance
simulation games, where well-turned-
out digital men ofer owers and
cookies at the drop of a hat and
then pick the hat up and tidy it away.
Voltage Romance Apps, whose
average user is a woman aged
around 30, has a range of games in
which players irt with a ctional
handsome, clean-shaven atmate.
The free-to-download Room
Share Love Days allows the player
to enjoy sharing a home with a
variety of cute guys, a company
spokesperson told AFP.
These ctional atmates present
the player with owers on their
return home, don aprons to make
heart-shaped chocolates and will kiss
and cuddle at the press of a button.
Voltage say their games are played
by couples and singles and are in
the process of being translated into
English.
Other titles include scenarios such
as the kabe-don phenomenon a
fantasy popular in Japanese anime of
a tall man leaning over a girl against
a wall.
For the young woman who wants
something a little bit out of the
ordinary, game developer Ambition is
ofering teenagers the chance to keep
a half animal, half boyfriend pet on
their phones.
The cat boyfriend which has
cats ears and a human body is most
popular, as its the most sophisticated,
said a spokesperson for Ambition.
Another developer, Sunsoft, is
focusing on a genre called Boys
Love or BL, featuring homosexual
romances between young, good-
looking men that are aimed squarely
at women. The genre has pedigree in
Japans vast manga industry.
More than 400 developers
showcased their games at Tokyo
Game Show September 18-20.
AFP
CHIBA, JAPAN
STUART ALAN BECKER
[email protected]
the pulse food and drink 57 www.mmtimes.com
Eat your
hot pot
like a boss
I
BOUGHT some suki yaki sauce
last week in order to cook up a
hot pot or, well, suki yaki. But my
husband isnt a fan of hot pot,
and I cant eat all the things I
want to make by myself. So I had to
nd a way to make two people happy.
Im pleased that my little girl will
try new foods when she feels like it.
Thats not an issue yet at the dinner
table.
I recalled my former employers
recipe using the hot pot soup as
a base. When I worked at The
Myanmar Times in advertising and
on supplements, we used to go out to
7 Up Hot Pot quite regularly. My boss
would ask for an egg, which he beat
and then poured
into the
bubbling hot pot, adding a generous
amount of suki yaki-type sauce
as well. After the broth had been
doctored in this way, we would add
our meats and vegetables.
I tried something similar at home,
making a soup with the suki yaki
sauce, soy sauce and balls of minced
pork. I served it with egg noodles
my husband loves noodle soup. It
was so successful weve made it twice
already this week.
SUKI YAKI SOUP
Serves 6
6 portions dried egg noodles
2 onions
6 tbsp suki yaki sauce
3 tbsp Kikkoman soy sauce
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp sesame oil
3 tbsp Chinese rice wine
4 tsp vegetable stock powder,
dissolved in 2 litres water
2 eggs, beaten with 1 tsp soy sauce
small Chinese cabbage
package of Enoki mushroom
Pork-mince balls (see recipe at
left)
Slice the onions. Cut the cabbage
into 4-5 cm (2-inch) width, keeping
the green leaves and white stalks
separate. Wash the enoki mushrooms
gently under running water.
In a bowl, mix the suki yaki sauce,
soy sauce and rice. Set aside.
Add oil to a wok and heat on
high. Add the onions and fry until
translucent, then add the cooked
pork-mince balls. Fry 1 minute.
Add the sauce mixture and fry for
30 seconds. Add the stock and bring
to a boil.
Add the white parts (stalks) of the
cabbage.
When the stock boils, add the
beaten egg slowly while stirring.
Add salt to taste. Turn the heat
down, cover with a lid and simmer for
10 minutes. After 5 minutes, add the
mushrooms. After 8 minutes, add the
cabbage leaves.
When the cabbage is tender, serve
with cooked egg noodles. Garnish
with a splash of suki yaki sauce and
sesame oil.
TIP:
Cook the egg noodles as per package
instructions, adding 1 tsp of salt and 1
tbsp of oil to the boiling water.
Restaurant Review
Giorgio Italian Restaurant
2/6 Prachasamphan Road, Chiang Mai
Phone +85 053-271866, [email protected]
Photo: Thiri Lu
FRIED PORK-MINCE BALLS
Serves 6
500g pork mince
2 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp ground white pepper
2 tbsp Kikkoman soy sauce
4 spring onions or shallots
cup vegetable oil
Pat the pork mince dry with
kitchen paper. In a glass bowl, mix
it with all the other ingredients
except the oil. Then let it rest for
an hour at least.
Shape the mince into balls
1.5cm (0.75 inches) in diameter.
Lay them on a plate.
Add the oil to a wok and heat
on high. When its hot, turn the
heat down to medium and
fry the pork balls. Dont
fry them to a crisp.
They should be soft.
Stir them frequently
so that they cook evenly.
When the pork balls
are cooked through,
transfer them to a plate
lined with kitchen paper.
Serve with suki yaki
sauce.
PHYO ARBIDANS
[email protected]
food
Photos: Phyo
In Chiang Mai, homestyle Italian restaurant
serves up family- and date-friendly fare
ON a recent trip to Chiang Mai, I had
it in mind to nd a decent Italian place
and on good account from local expats
wound up at Giorgio Italian Restaurant,
quite centrally located near the Night
Bazaar. Id hoped for a place with a
patio to enjoy the evening air, but the
promise of a good meal was enough.
In fact, the comfortable, quiet
atmosphere appears to be at least in
part what regulars value about the
place. The dcor approximates what
youd nd in a family-run restaurant in
Europe, not surprising given that Chef
Giorgio, who opened the restaurant
with his wife in 2001, hails from
Vincenza. The medium-size room
is appointed with large rustic wood
dining tables with soft-gold tablecloths,
warm lamplight, wine cabinets and
framed art. It would do for a group or
family occasion as well as a cozy dinner
date.
The long menu is heavy on pizza
and pasta in slight variations of cream
and tomato sauces, though there are
also some meat- and sh-based main
courses. There is also quite a selection
of Italian, French and other wines by
the glass or bottle. We opted for the
house Chianti (240 baht/glass, or about
US$8).
For an appetizer, we went with the
caprese salad (240 baht), a conservative
pick given the choice of more exciting
options such as beef tartar. But it was
exactly what I wanted: thick slices of
fresh mozzarella and ripe tomato with
a drizzle of balsamic and olive oil great
for mopping up with slices of baguette.
The dish was more than enough for
two to share and could have done for
three or four if you were ordering more
than one rst course.
Feeling indulgent, I ordered the
fettuccine with duck in cream sauce
(260 baht) while my light-eating
companion opted for the mussels in
tomato sauce (290 baht, listed with the
appetizers).
The pasta came as a mild
disappointment. While the cream
sauce on pasta cooked al dente was
homemade and adequate, the duck
was in such tiny shreds as to be barely
recognisable. Luckily the wait staf
provided a bowl of grated parmesan to
boost the avour.
By contrast, the mussels were
big and succulent and covered in a
thick, intense tomato sauce. Almost
too intense for my taste it could
have been thinned out a bit so that it
was easier to eat with bread. Still, it
was a pretty good dish and elegantly
presented with the mussels on the half-
shell fanned out on a circular plate.
The dessert menu was short,
featuring a few Italian classics
including panna cotta and tiramisu.
We opted for the latter, which had been
prepared in a serving-size dessert bowl
and was deliciously rich and neither too
wet or dry.
Next time I would try the pizza,
as the ones coming out of the kitchen
looked impressively thin and crisp with
generous fresh toppings.
On the whole, Giorgios probably
isnt going to meet complete approval
with the most demanding foodies but
for comfort, a taste of home and polite
service it does well.
Food 7
Beverage 7
Service 8
Value for money 6
X-factor 7
Restaurant Rating
WHITNEY LIGHT
[email protected]
Shrimp pasta. Photo: Anna M
Sea bass. Photo: Michelle YHK Tiramisu. Photo: TripAdvisor
THE MYANMAR TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 - 28, 2014
Socialite
Le Let and Pyay Phyo
Hmine, Manorhary, Sein Khat Soe
Teresa
Had and Tina
No No and Eaiddhi
Kelly and Henry Kokee and his son
Jerret, Josh and Joanna
JAM IT! crew, the artists, the photographers and Matt from Myanmar Deitta Fever 109
Cat and Becka
Ye Ngwe Soe
Y A K
Mya Hnin Aye, Aye Mya Kyaw, Nwet Kay Khine, Aye La Pyae Win Pyae Sone, Su Myat Aung and Pyae Phyo Aung
Min Wai Hinn, Nyi Nge Nay and Aphyu Yaung Shwe
Book launch
celebration
The local liter-
ary community
gathered at Gallery
65 on September
13 to celebrate the
launch of Myauk
Phyar Sihma
Alwan (Nostalgia
for the North) by
author Sabei Phyu
Phoo.
Jam It! fundraiser exhibition
The underground music series Jam It! launched
an exhibition of its event posters, photos and
postcards at Myanmar Deitta on September
13. The swag is up for sale to raise funds for a
forthcoming compilation album featuring local
underground musicians and bands. The show and
sale continues until October 31.
www.mmtimes.com
Socialite
Kyaw Tint
Aung Thiha and Kyaw Tint
Tun Ko Ko and Aung Khant Mina
Swe Swe Lin, Khin Tazin, Thiri Phyo,
Ei Nway Phyo, May Thu Zaw and Mandy
Thinzar Cho, Pint Oo Swe and Ferdi
Soe Moe from the Warehouse
Liubov and Jeannie
Ohn Mar
Ma Lun and Lay Mon
Robert and Nance Andrew, Dr Win Than Naing, Dr Chan Myae Swe, Ei Thu
U Kyaw Soe, U Ko Ko Jyij, U Nyan Sann Dr Jalin Sama and Nay Aung Shu
Dr Hay Mar Aung and Dr Aye Myat Mon
Helen Cho, Dr Kyaw Myo Thu and Dr Ye Htwe Hlaing
The Parasol Project
The local NGO Better Burmese Health
Care launched its fundraising event The
Parasol Project at Pansodan Scene on
September 13. For the event, over 30
selected Myanmar artists painted original
designs onto Pathein parasols, which
were then put up for silent auction. Win-
ners were announced on September 19.
TGIF at The Warehouse
As the wine crisis continues, on September
12 The Warehouse came up with an original
beverage to tide over customers: colourful
cocktails mixed with a line of French fruit
syrups called Teisseire.
Photos:
ima/Emmanuel Maillard
[email protected]
60 the pulse travel THE MYANMAR TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 - 28, 2014
DOMESTIC FLIGHT SCHEDULES
Airline Codes
6T = Air Mandalay
7Y = Mann Yadanarpon Airlines
FMI = FMI Air Charter
K7 = Air KBZ
W9 = Air Bagan
Y5 = Golden Myanmar Airlines
YH = Yangon Airways
YJ = Asian Wings
Subject to change
without notice
Day
1 = Monday
2 = Tuesday
3 = Wednesday
4 = Thursday
5 = Friday
6 = Saturday
7 = Sunday
Domestic Airlines
Air Bagan (W9)
Tel: 513322, 513422, 504888. Fax: 515102
Air KBZ (K7)
Tel: 372977~80, 533030~39 (airport), 373766
(hotline). Fax: 372983
Air Mandalay (6T)
Tel: (ofce) 501520, 525488, (airport)
533222~3, 09-73152853.
Fax: (ofce) 525937, 533223 (airport)
Asian Wings (YJ)
Tel: 515261~264, 512140, 512473, 512640
Fax: 532333, 516654
FMI Air Charter
Tel: 240363, 240373, 09421146545
Golden Myanmar Airlines (Y5)
Tel: 09400446999, 09400447999
Fax: 8604051
Mann Yadanarpon Airlines (7Y)
Tel: 656969
Fax: 656998, 651020
Yangon Airways (YH)
Tel: 383100, 383107, 700264
Fax: 652 533
YANGON TO NAY PYI TAW NAY PYI TAW TO YANGON
Flight Days Dep Arr Flight Days Dep Arr
FMI A1 1,2,3,4,5 7:30 8:30 FMI A2 1,2,3,4,5 8:50 9:50
FMI A1 6 8:00 9:00 FMI A2 6 10:00 11:00
FMI B1 1,2,3,4,5 11:30 12:30 FMI B2 1,2,3,4,5 13:00 14:00
FMI A1 7 15:30 16:30 FMI A2 7 17:00 18:00
FMI C1 1,2,3,4,5 16:45 17:45 FMI C2 1,2,3,4,5 18:05 19:05
YANGON TO MANDALAY MANDALAY TO YANGON
YJ 891 2,4,5,6,7 6:00 8:05 Y5 233 Daily 8:05 9:15
YH 917 1,2,3,4,7 6:10 8:30 YJ 891 2,4,5,6,7 8:20 10:15
Y5 775 Daily 6:15 7:25 YH 918 1,2,3,4,7 8:30 10:25
6T 401 5 6:20 8:25 W9 7143/YJ 143 Daily 8:40 10:05
W9 7143/YJ 143 Daily 6:20 8:25 6T 402 5 8:45 10:45
YJ 891 1,3 6:30 8:35 YJ 891 1,3 8:50 10:45
K7 222/7Y 111 Daily 6:30 8:40 K7 223/7Y 112 Daily 8:55 11:00
7Y 851 1,3,7 7:05 11:20 W9 201 Daily 9:10 11:05
W9 201 Daily 7:30 8:55 W9 153/YJ 7153 7 12:45 19:30
7Y 741 2,5 9:00 13:45 W9 153/YJ 7153 2,5 12:45 18:50
7Y 841 4,6 10:00 14:15 7Y 742 2,5 14:00 18:18
YH 727 1 11:00 13:10 YH 730 4 14:00 19:15
YH 729 2,4,6 11:00 14:00 7Y 852 1,3,7 14:25 18:40
YH 737 3,5,7 11:00 13:10 7Y 842 4,6 14:30 18:15
W9 151/YJ 7151 1,3,6 11:00 14:45 W9 7152/YJ 152 1,3,6 15:05 16:30
W9 7153/YJ 153 2,5,7 11:00 12:25 YJ 602 6 15:40 17:05
YJ 601 6 11:00 12:25 YJ 212 5,7 16:00 17:25
YJ 761 4 11:00 12:55 YJ 202 2 16:00 17:25
YJ 201 2 11:00 12:55 7Y 632 2,4,6 16:15 17:40
YJ 211 5,7 11:00 12:25 YH 728 1 16:30 17:55
YJ 761 1 11:15 13:10 YJ 762 4 17:45 19:10
7Y 631 2,4,6 11:15 12:40 K7 225/7Y 222 Daily 16:50 19:00
K7 224/7Y 221 Daily 14:30 16:35 YH 738 3,5,7 17:10 18:35
W9 211 1,2,3,5,6 16:00 17:25 YH 730 2,6 17:45 19:10
W9 7211/YJ 211 4 16:00 17:25 YJ 762 1 18:00 19:25
Y5 234 Daily 17:45 18:55 Y5 776 Daily 19:35 20:45
YANGON TO NYAUNG U NYAUNG U TO YANGON
YJ 891 2,4,5,6,7 6:00 7:20 YJ 891 1,2,3,4,5,6 7:35 10:15
YH 917 1,2,3,4,7 6:10 7:45 YH 918 1,2,3,4,7 7:45 10:25
6T 401 3,5 6:20 7:40 6T 401 5 7:55 10:45
W9 7143/YJ 143 Daily 6:20 7:40 W9 7143/YJ 143 Daily 7:55 10:05
YJ 891 1,3 6:30 7:50 6T 401 3 8:00 10:10
YH 917 5,6 6:30 8:05 YJ 891 7 8:05 10:45
K7 222/7Y 111 Daily 6:30 7:50 K7 222/7Y 111 Daily 8:05 11:00
6T 411 7 7:00 8:20 YH 918 5,6 8:05 10:10
K7 224/7Y 221 Daily 14:30 17:25 6T 412 7 8:40 10:10
W9 211 1,2,3,5,6 16:00 18:10 K7 225/7Y 222 Daily 17:40 19:00
W9 7211/YJ 211 4 16:00 18:10 W9 211 1,2,3,5,6 18:25 19:45
W9 7211/YJ 211 4 18:25 19:45
YANGON TO MYITKYINA MYITKYINA TO YANGON
YH 824 1 7:00 9:40 YH 825 1 9:40 12:05
YH 828 2,6 7:00 10:00 YH 829 2,6 10:00 12:25
7Y 851 1,3,7 7:05 12:45 7Y 852 1,3,7 13:00 18:40
W9 7151/YJ 151 1,3,6 11:00 13:15 W9 7152/YJ 152 1,3,6 13:35 16:30
W9 7153/YJ 153 2,5,7 11:00 13:55 YJ 211 5,7 14:05 17:25
YJ 201 2 11:00 14:20 YJ 202 2 14:35 17:25
YJ 211 5,7 11:00 13:50 7Y 632 2,4,6 14:50 17:40
YJ 761 4 11:00 16:05 YJ 762 4 16:20 19:10
YJ 761 1 11:15 16:20 YJ 762 1 16:35 19:25
7Y 631 2,4,6 11:15 14:35 W9 7154/YJ 154 7 16:35 19:30
YH 826 4 14:00 16:40 W9 7154/YJ 154 2,5 16:35 18:50
YH 827 4 16:40 19:05
YANGON TO HEHO HEHO TO YANGON
YJ 891 2,4,5,6,7 6:00 8:50 YH 918 5,6 9:00 10:10
YH 917 1,2,3,4,7 6:10 9:15 6T 402 3 9:00 10:10
6T 401 3 6:20 8:40 YJ 891 2,4,5,6,7 9:05 10:15
6T 401 5 6:20 9:20 YH 918 1,2,3,4,7 9:15 10:25
YJ 891 1,3 6:30 9:20 YJ 891 1,3 9:35 10:45
K7 222/7Y 111 Daily 6:30 9:30 6T 402 5 9:35 10:45
YH 917 5,6 6:30 9:00 K7 223/7Y 112 Daily 9:45 11:00
7Y 851 1,3,7 7:05 10:35 W9 201 Daily 9:55 11:05
W9 201 Daily 7:30 9:40 YJ 201 2 12:25 17:25
7Y 741 2,5 9:00 13:03 YJ 761 4 12:25 19:10
7Y 841 4,6 10:00 13:30 YJ 761 1 12:40 19:25
YJ 201 2 11:00 12:10 7Y 741 2,5 13:15 18:18
YJ 761 4 11:00 12:10 7Y 841 4,6 13:45 18:15
YJ 751 3 11:15 12:25 7Y 852 1,3,7 15:10 18:40
YJ 761 1 11:15 12:25 YH 728 1 15:45 17:55
YH 727 1 11:00 12:25 K7 224/7Y 221 Daily 16:00 19:00
YH 737 3,5,7 11:00 12:25 YH 738 3,5,7 16:25 18:35
YH 729 4 11:00 17:50 YJ 752 3 17:30 18:40
K7 224/7Y 221 Daily 14:30 15:45 YH 730 4 17:50 19:15
YANGON TO SIT T WE SIT T WE TO YANGON
W9 7311/YJ 311 4 11:30 13:20 W9 7311/YJ 311 4 13:35 15:00
W9 311 2 11:30 13:20 W9 311 2 13:35 15:00
YANGON TO MYEIK MYEIK TO YANGON
YH 633 3,4,5,7 7:00 9:15 YH 634 3,4,5,7 11:25 13:25
K7 319/7Y 531 Daily 7:00 9:05 K7 320/7Y 532 1,3,5 11:20 13:25
K7 320/7Y 532 2,4,6,7 11:30 13:35
YANGON TO DAWEI DAWEI TO YANGON
YH 633 3,4,5,7 7:00 8:25 YH 634 3,4,5,7 12:15 13:25
K7 319/7Y 531 1,3,5 7:00 8:05 K7 320/7Y 532 1,3,5 12:20 13:25
K7 319/7Y 531 2,4,6,7 7:00 8:10 K7 320/7Y 532 2,4,6,7 12:25 13:35
YANGON TO LASHIO LASHIO TO YANGON
7Y 741 2,5 9:00 10:38 YJ 762 1 15:55 18:10
YJ 761 1 11:00 15:40 YJ 752 3 16:25 18:40
YJ 751 3 11:15 13:30 7Y 742 2,5 16:40 18:18
YH 729 2,4,6 11:00 13:00 YH 730 2,6 16:45 19:10
YH 730 4 16:45 19:15
YANGON TO PUTAO PUTAO TO YANGON
W9 7153/YJ 153 2,5,7 11:00 15:05 W9 7154/YJ 154 7 15:25 19:30
W9 7154/YJ 154 2,5 15:25 18:50
YANGON TO CHIANG MAI CHIANG MAI TO YANGON
W9 9607/ YJ 7607 4,7 14:20 16:10 W9 9608/ YJ 7608 4,7 17:20 18:10
the pulse travel 61 www.mmtimes.com
C
HINAS President Xi
Jinping enlisted the
Maldives backing for a
21
st
-century maritime silk
road on September 15 as
he began a tour of South Asia in the
strategically located Indian Ocean
island chain.
The Maldives is best known for
its tourist industry but also straddles
major international shipping lanes,
and Chinese investment there has
grown signicantly as Beijing seeks to
secure vital trade routes.
[The] Maldives was an important
stop of the ancient maritime silk
road, Xi wrote in an article published
on the local Sun Online news portal
late on September 14.
China welcomes [the] Maldives
to get actively involved in building
the 21
st-
century maritime silk road by
leveraging its own strength.
Xi is in the Maldives at the start
of a tour set to focus on Chinas
growing economic inuence in South
Asia, which has raised alarm bells in
regional power India.
From the Maldives he will travel to
Sri Lanka where China has invested
heavily, building a deep-sea harbour
and an international airport in an
area that straddles the east-west
shipping lane, the worlds busiest
trade route.
The maritime silk road touted
by Xi during a visit to Indonesia last
year is intended to revive a trade
route running from China through
Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean
to Europe.
Chinese state news agency Xinhua
said the Maldives President Abdulla
Yameen expressed total agreement
with Xis proposal, without giving
further details.
The two leaders held talks in the
capital Male focused on trade and aid
after a formal welcome including a
21-gun salute.
Yameens ofce said he had
reached nine agreements with China,
including one on a project to build a
bridge connecting the capital with the
airport island of Hululle, a distance of
about 1 kilometre (0.6 miles).
It is the rst visit by a leader
from Beijing since the former British
protectorate gained independence in
1965, but will be the second meeting
between the two leaders in a matter
of weeks, following their talks last
month in the Chinese city of Nanjing.
A source close to Yameens
government told AFP ahead of
the talks they would steer clear of
sensitive security issues as New Delhi
considers the islands to be within its
sphere of inuence.
India has regarded Chinas
growing inuence among its
neighbours with concern, leading new
Prime Minister Narendra Modi to
prioritise regional relationships that
critics say the previous government
neglected.
Chinese have become the largest
single group of holidaymakers to visit
the Maldives, a nation of 1192 tiny coral
islands scattered some 850km (530
miles) across the equator.
The Maldives received just over
1 million tourists last year and
more than 30 percent of them were
Chinese. Tourism accounts for more
than a quarter of the $2.3 billion
economy.
But as well as being renowned for
sandy beaches and turquoise waters,
there is also some alarm that the
Maldives has become a recruiting
ground for jihadists.
The o1-square-mile capital island
saw a pro-jihadist demonstration
earlier this month pressing for sharia
law.
At least four nationals are said
to have been killed while ghting in
Syria this year.
Former president Mohamed
Nasheed told Britains Independent
that up to 200 Maldivians were
ghting for Islamic State (IS) in Iraq
and Syria. The entire population of
the Maldives is only around 330,000
Sunni Muslims.
Radical Islam is getting very, very
strong in the Maldives, said Nasheed,
who lost last Novembers run-of
election to Yameen. Their strength in
the military and in the police is very
signicant.
Eight Chinese were among a
group of foreign tourists injured in a
bombing in Male in 2007 carried out
by suspected Islamist militants. AFP
MALE
Chinas Xi touts
maritime silk road
on South Asia tour
MOHAMED VISHAM
Visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) shakes hands with Maldives
President Abdulla Yameen at the Presidents Office in the capital island Male on
September 15. Photo: AFP/Haveeru/Mohamed Sharuhaan Waheed
Airline Codes
3K = Jet Star
8M = Myanmar Airways International
AK = Air Asia
BG = Biman Bangladesh Airlines
CA = Air China
CI = China Airlines
CZ = China Southern
DD = Nok Airline
FD = Air Asia
KA = Dragonair
KE = Korea Airlines
MH = Malaysia Airlines
MI = Silk Air
MU = China Eastern Airlines
NH = All Nippon Airways
PG = Bangkok Airways
QR = Qatar Airways
SQ = Singapore Airways
TG = Thai Airways
TR = Tiger Airline
VN = Vietnam Airline
Y5 = Golden Myanmar Airlines
Subject to change
without notice
International Airlines
Air Asia (FD)
Tel: 251885, 251886
Air Bagan Ltd.(W9)
Tel: 513322, 513422, 504888. Fax: 515102
Air China (CA)
Tel: 666112, 655882
Air India
Tel: 253597~98, 254758. Fax 248175
Bangkok Airways (PG)
Tel: 255122, 255265. Fax: 255119
Biman Bangladesh Airlines (BG)
Tel: 371867~68. Fax: 371869
Condor (DE)
Tel: 370836~39 (ext: 303)
Dragonair (KA)
Tel: 255320, 255321. Fax: 255329
Golden Myanmar Airlines (Y5)
Tel: 09400446999, 09400447999
Fax: 8604051
Malaysia Airlines (MH)
Tel: 387648, 241007 (ext: 120, 121, 122)
Fax: 241124
Myanmar Airways International (8M)
Tel: 255260. Fax: 255305
Nok Airline (DD)
Tel: 255050, 255021. Fax: 255051
Qatar Airways (QR)
Tel: 379845, 379843, 379831. Fax: 379730
Silk Air (MI)
Tel: 255287~9. Fax: 255290
Thai Airways (TG)
Tel: 255491~6. Fax: 255223
Tiger Airline (TR)
Tel: 371383, 370836~39 (ext: 303)
Vietnam Airlines (VN)
Tel: 255066, 255088, 255068. Fax: 255086
Day
1 = Monday
2 = Tuesday
3 = Wednesday
4 = Thursday
5 = Friday
6 = Saturday
7 = Sunday
INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT SCHEDULES
YANGON TO BANGKOK BANGKOK TO YANGON
Flights Days Dep Arr Flights Days Dep Arr
PG 706 Daily 6:15 8:30 TG 303 1,2,3,5,6,7 7:55 8:50
8M 335 Daily 7:40 9:25 PG 701 Daily 8:50 9:40
TG 304 1,2,3,5,6,7 9:50 11:45 8M 336 Daily 10:40 11:25
PG 702 Daily 10:30 12:25 TG 301 Daily 13:00 13:55
TG 302 Daily 14:55 16:50 PG 707 Daily 13:40 14:30
PG 708 Daily 15:20 17:15 PG 703 Daily 16:45 17:35
8M 331 Daily 16:30 18:15 TG 305 Daily 17:50 18:45
PG 704 Daily 18:20 20:15 8M 332 Daily 19:15 20:00
TG 306 Daily 19:45 21:45 PG 705 Daily 20:15 21:30
YANGON TO DON MUEANG DON MUEANG TO YANGON
DD 4231 Daily 8:00 9:50 DD 4230 Daily 6:20 7:05
FD 252 Daily 8:30 10:15 FD 251 Daily 7:15 8:00
FD 254 Daily 17:50 19:10 FD 253 Daily 16:20 17:00
DD 4239 Daily 21:00 22:45 DD 4238 Daily 19:30 20:15
YANGON TO SINGAPORE SINGAPORE TO YANGON
Y5 233 Daily 10:10 14:40 SQ 998 Daily 7:55 9:20
SQ 997 Daily 10:35 15:10 3K 581 Daily 8:50 10:30
3K 582 Daily 11:20 15:50 MI 533 4,6 11:35 12:55
8M 231 Daily 12:45 17:10 MI 518 Daily 14:20 15:45
MI 533 4,6 13:45 20:50 TR 2826 Daily 17:05 18:25
MI 517 Daily 16:40 21:15 Y5 234 Daily 15:35 17:05
TR 2827 Daily 19:05 23:40 3K 583 Daily 18:00 19:30
3K 584 Daily 19:15 23:45 8M 232 Daily 18:15 19:40
YANGON TO KUALA LUMPUR KUALA LUMPUR TO YANGON
8M 501 1,3,5,6 7:50 11:50 AK 504 Daily 6:55 8:00
AK 505 Daily 8:30 12:50 MH 740 Daily 10:05 11:15
MH 741 Daily 12:15 16:30 8M 9505 Daily 10:05 11:15
8M 9506 Daily 12:15 16:30 8M 502 1,3,5,6 12:50 13:50
8M 9508 Daily 15:45 20:05 8M 9507 Daily 13:30 14:40
MH 743 Daily 15:45 20:05 MH 742 Daily 13:30 14:40
AK 503 2,4,6 19:30 23:45 AK 502 Daily 17:50 19:00
YANGON TO BEIJING BEIJING TO YANGON
CA 716 3,7 23:50 0550+1 CA 715 3,7 19:30 22:50
YANGON TO GUANGZHOU GUANGZHOU TO YANGON
8M 711 2,4,7 8:40 13:15 CZ 3055 3,6 8:40 10:25
CZ 3056 3,6 11:25 16:15 CZ 3055 1,5 14:40 16:30
CZ 3056 1,5 17:30 22:15 8M 712 2,4,7 14:15 15:50
YANGON TO TAIPEI TAIPEI TO YANGON
CI 7916 1,2,3,5,6 10:50 16:15 CI 7915 1,2,3,5,6 7:00 9:55
YANGON TO KUNMING KUNMING TO YANGON
CA 906 Daily 12:15 15:55 MU 2011 3 8:25 11:40
MU 2012 3 12:20 18:25 CA 905 Daily 10:45 11:15
MU 2032 2,4,5,6,7 14:50 18:20 MU 2031 2,4,5,6,7 13:30 14:00
YANGON TO HANOI HANOI TO YANGON
VN 956 1,3,5,7 19:10 21:30 VN 957 1,3,5,7 16:50 18:10
YANGON TO HO CHI MINH CITY HO CHI MINH CITY TO YANGON
VN 942 2,4,7 14:25 17:15 VN 943 2,4,7 11:50 13:25
YANGON TO DOHA DOHA TO YANGON
QR 919 1,4,6 8:00 11:10 QR 918 3,5,7 20:20 6:25+1
YANGON TO SEOUL SEOUL TO YANGON
0Z 770 4,7 0:35 9:10 KE 471 Daily 18:45 22:35
KE 472 Daily 23:35 7:50 0Z 769 3,6 19:50 23:25
YANGON TO HONG KONG HONG KONG TO YANGON
KA 251 1,2,3,4,5,7 01:10 05:45 KA 250 1,2,4,5,6,7 21:45 23:30
YANGON TO TOKYO TOKYO TO YANGON
NH 914 Daily 21:45 06:50+1 NH 913 Daily 11:00 15:40
YANGON TO GAYA GAYA TO YANGON
8M 601 3,5,6 7:00 8:20 8M 602 3,5,6 9:20 12:30
YANGON TO DHAKA DHAKA TO YANGON
BG 061 4 19:45 21:00 BG 060 4 16:30 18:45
BG 061 1 21:45 23:00 BG 060 1 18:30 20:45
YANGON TO INCHEON INCHEON TO YANGON
8M 7702 Daily 23:35 8:05 8M 7701 Daily 18:45 22:35
8M7502 4,7 0:35 9:10 8M 7501 3,6 19:50 23:25
MANDALAY TO BANGKOK BANGKOK TO MANDALAY
PG 710 Daily 14:05 16:30 PG 709 Daily 12:00 13:20
MANDALAY TO SINGAPORE SINGAPORE TO MANDALAY
MI 533 4,6 15:55 20:50 MI 533 4,6 11:35 15:00
Y5 233 Daily 8:05 14:40 Y5 234 Daily 15:35 18:55
MANDALAY TO DON MUEANG DON MUEANG TO MANDALAY
FD 245 1,2,4,6 12:45 15:00 FD 244 1,2,4,6 10:50 12:15
MANDALAY TO KUNMING KUNMING TO MANDALAY
MU 2030 Daily 14:40 17:30 MU 2029 Daily 13:55 13:50
MU 7524 1,3,5 18:20 21:00
MANDALAY TO GAYA GAYA TO MANDALAY
8M 603 4 11:10 12:15 8M 604 4 13:15 16:20
NAY PYI TAW TO BANGKOK BANGKOK TO NAY PYI TAW
PG 722 1,2,3,4,5 19:30 22:30 PG 721 1,2,3,4,5 17:00 19:00
62 the pulse tea break THE MYANMAR TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 - 28, 2014
ACROSS
1 Contemptible one
6 Quick flightless
bird
10 Stinging
sensation
14 Telemarketing, e.g.
15 Good for what ___ ya
16 Very enthusiastic
17 Like a healthy
mule?
20 Sleep state,
for short
21 Persuade
22 Jasons was
golden
23 Hardly major,
as record labels go
25 At one time,
at one time
26 Portuguese lady
28 Majestic entrance
32 Eyeball-bending
paintings
34 Two or more eras
(Var.)
35 Room with a draft?
38 Fishermans
option
42 Feminine
pronoun
43 Hamburgers are
at its mouth
44 1945 conference
city
45 Emulated Bob the
Builder
48 Willowy
49 Aromatic ointment
51 66, notably
53 Achilles, for one
55 Gross, in a way
56 One curl, e.g.
59 Sign for some
alcohol sellers
62 Isnt getting any
younger
63 Big beef piece
64 Albacores
65 Canonical hour
66 Apple growth
retardant
67 Bakery elevator?
DOWN
1 Russian sovereign,
once (Var.)
2 A ridge, especially
on cloth
3 Do away with
4 Accelerate (with up)
5 Ersatz intellectual
6 Texas ballplayer
7 Take cover
8 Red deer or
wapiti
9 Dream on!
10 Grocery store
section
11 Brown, Penn,
etc.
12 Color lightly
13 Periphery
18 Casta diva, e.g.
19 Without a hitch
24 Antidrug officer
26 Medical practitioners,
for short
27 Aquarium
beauty
29 Student in
uniform
30 That WNBA
player
31 Hand wringers
feeling
33 Lunchbox item
35 Girl at the barre
36 Italian province
or its capital
37 500 sheets of
paper
39 Pint-glass filler
40 A major U.S.
broadcaster
41 Vane direction
45 Child with the most
responsibilities,
traditionally
46 It clears the boards
47 Village of yore
49 A very light brown
50 Take on new
territory
52 Accord
53 ___ the night
before ...
54 Atlantis owner
55 Icelandic epic
57 Passengers concerns,
briefly
58 Check this out!
60 Soccer zero
61 Wish it werent so
Universal Crossword
Edited by Timothy E. Parker
JOIN FORCES By Janet Wise
SUDOKU PACIFIC
PUZZLE SOLUTIONS
DILBERT BY SCOTT ADAMS
PEANUTS BY CHARLES SCHULZ
CALVIN AND HOBBES BY BILL WATTERSON
Avenue 64 Hotel
No. 64 (G), Kyitewine
Pagoda Rd, Mayangone Tsp,
Yangon. Tel : 09-8631392,
01 656913-9
Asia Plaza Hotel
YANGON
No. 277, Bogyoke Aung
San Road, Corner of
38
th
Street, Kyauktada
Township, Yangon,
Myanmar.
Tel : (951) 391070, 391071.
Reservation@391070
(Ext) 1910, 106.
Fax : (951) 391375. Email :
[email protected]
General Listing
Chatrium Hotel
40 Natmauk Rd, Tarmwe.
tel: 544500. fax: 544400.
The Essentials
Emergency Numbers
For more information about these listings, Please Contact - [email protected]
Ambulance tel: 295133.
Fire tel: 191, 252011, 252022.
Police emergency tel: 199.
Police headquarters tel: 282541, 284764.
Red Cross tel:682600, 682368
Trafc Control Branch tel:298651
Department of Post & Telecommunication tel: 591384,
591387.
Immigration tel: 286434.
Ministry of Education tel:545500m 562390
Ministry of Sports tel: 370604, 370605
Ministry 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.
HOSPITALS
Central Womens Hospital tel: 221013, 222811.
Children Hospital tel: 221421, 222807
Ear, Nose & Throat Hospital tel: 543888.
Naypyitaw Hospital (emergency) tel: 420096.
Workers 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.
ELECTRICITY
Power Station tel:414235
POST OFFICE
General Post Ofce
39, Bo Aung Kyaw St. (near British Council Library). tel:
285499.
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Yangon International Airport tel: 662811.
YANGON PORT
Shipping (Coastal vessels) tel: 382722
RAILWAYS
Railways information
tel: 274027, 202175-8.
UNITED NATIONS
ILO Liaison 1-A, Kanbae
(Thitsar Rd), Yankin Tsp,
Tel : 01-566538, 566539
IOM 318 (A) Ahlone Rd, Dagon
Tsp, Yangon.Tel 01-210588,
09 73236679, 0973236680,
Email- [email protected]
UNAIDS 137/1, Thaw Wun Rd,
Kamayut Tsp.
Tel : 534498, 504832
UNDCP 11-A, Malikha St,
Mayangone tsp.
Tel: 666903, 664539.
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.
UNIAP Rm: 1202, 12 Fl,
Traders Hotel.
Tel: 254852, 254853.
UNIC 6, Natmauk St., Bahan,
tel: 52910~19
UNICEF 14~15 Flr, Traders
Hotel. P.O. Box 1435,
Kyauktada. Tel: 375527~32,
unicef.yangon@unicef. org,
UNODC 11-A, Malikha Rd., Ward
7, Mayangone. tel: 01-9666903,
9660556, 9660538, 9660398.
email: [email protected]
UNOPS 120/0, Pyi Thu Lane,
7 Miles, Mayangone Tsp.
Tel: 951-657281~7.
Fax: 657279.
UNRC 6, Natmauk Rd, P.O.
Box 650, TMWE Tel: 542911~19,
292637 (Resident Coordinator),
WFP 5 Kan Baw Za St, Shwe
Taung Kyar, (Golden Valley),
Bahan Tsp. Tel : 2305971~6
WHO No. 2, Pyay Rd, 7 Mile,
Mayangone Tsp, Tel : 650405-
6, 650416, 654386-90.
ASEAN Coordinating Of. for
the ASEAN Humanitarian
Task Force, 79, Taw Win st,
Dagon Tsp. Tel: 225258.
FAO Myanma Agriculture
Service Insein Rd, Insein. tel:
641672, 641673.
EMBASSIES
Australia 88, Strand Road,
Yangon. Tel : 251810,
251797, 251798.
Bangladesh 11-B, Than
Lwin Road, Yangon.
Tel: 515275, 526144, email:
[email protected]
Brazil 56, Pyay Road,
6
th
mile, Hlaing Tsp,
Yangon. Tel: 507225,
507251. email: Administ.
[email protected].
Brunei 17, Kanbawza
Avenue, Golden Velly (1),
Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel:
566985, 503978.
email: bruneiemb@
bruneiemb.com.mm
Cambodia 25 (3B/4B),
New University Avenue
Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 549609, 540964.
email: RECYANGON @
mptmail.net.mm
Canada
9
th
Floor, Centerpoint
Towers, 65 Sule Pagoda
Road, Yangon, Tel :
01-384805 , Fax :01
384806, Email : yngon@
international.gc.ca
China 1, Pyidaungsu
Yeiktha Road, Yangon. Tel:
221280, 221281.
Denmark, No.7, Pyi Thu
St, Pyay Rd, 7 Miles,
Mayangone Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 01 9669520 - 17.
Egypt 81, Pyidaungsu
222886, 222887,
Egyptembassy86@gmail.
com
France 102, Pyidaungsu
212178, 212520, email:
ambaf rance. rangoun@
diplomatie.fr
Germany 9, Bogyoke Aung
San Museum Road, Bahan
Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 548951, 548952, email:
info@rangun. diplo.de
India 545-547, Merchant
St, Yangon. Tel: 391219,
388412,
email:indiaembassy
@mptmail.net.mm
Indonesia 100, Pyidaungsu
Yeiktha Rd, Yangon. Tel:
254465, 254469, email:
kukygn @indonesia.com.
mm
Israel 15, Khabaung
Street, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 515115, fax: 515116,
email: [email protected].
gov.il
Italy 3, Inya Myaing Road,
Golden Valley, Yangon.
Tel: 527100, 527101, fax:
514565, email: ambyang.
mail@ esteri.it
Japan 100, Natmauk Rd,
Yangon. Tel: 549644-8,
540399, 540400, 540411,
545988, fax: 549643
Kuwait
62-B, Shwe Taung Kyar St,
Bahan Tsp.
Tel : 01-230-9542, 230-
9543. Fax : 01-230-5836.
Laos A-1, Diplomatic
Quarters, Tawwin Road,
Dagon Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 222482, Fax: 227446,
email: Laoembcab@
mptmail. net.mm
Malaysia 82, Pyidaungsu
220248, 220249,
email: mwkyangon@
mptmail.net.mm
Nepal 16, Natmauk
Yeiktha, Yangon. Tel:
545880, 557168, fax:
549803, email: nepemb @
mptmail.net.mm
Norway, No.7, Pyi Thu
St, Pyay Rd, 7 Miles,
Mayangone Tsp,Yangon.
Tel: 01 9669520 - 17 Fax
01- 9669516
New Zealand No. 43/C,
Inya Myaing Rd, Bahan Tsp,
Yangon.
Tel : 01-2306046-9
Fax : 01-2305805
Netherlands No. 43/C, Inya
Myaing Rd, Bahan Tsp,
Yangon. Tel : 01-2305805
North Korea 77C, Shin
Saw Pu Rd, Sanchaung
Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 512642, 510205
Pakistan A-4, diplomatic
Quarters, Pyay Rd, Yangon.
Tel: 222881 (Chancery
Exchange)
Philippines 50, Sayasan
Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 558149-151,Email: p.e.
[email protected]
Saudi Arabia No.6/S,
Inya Yeiktha St, 10
th
Qtr,
Mayangone Tsp, Yangon,
Tel: (951) 652-344, 652-344,
Fax: (951) 657-983
Russia 38, Sagawa Rd,
Yangon.
Tel: 241955, 254161,
Serbia No. 114-A, Inya
Rd, P.O.Box No. 943,
515283, email: serbemb @
yangon.net.mm
Singapore 238, Dhamazedi
Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 559001, email:
singemb_ ygn@_sgmfa.
gov.sg
South Korea 97 University
Avenue, Bahan Tsp,
Yangon. Tel: 527142-4,
515190, fax: 513286, email:
[email protected]
Sri Lanka 34 Taw Win Rd,
Switzerland
No 11, Kabaung Lane, 5
mile, Pyay Rd, Hlaing Tsp,
Yangon.
Tel: 534754, 507089.
Thailand 94 Pyay Rd,
Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel:
226721, 226728, 226824
Turkey
19AB, Kan Yeik Thar St,
Mayangone Tsp,Yangon.
Tel : 662992, Fax : 661365
United Kingdom 80 Strand
Rd, Yangon.
Tel: 370867, 380322,
371852, 371853, 256438,
United States of America
110, University Avenue,
Kamayut Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 536509, 535756, Fax:
650306
Vietnam Bldg-72, Thanlwin
Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel:
511305
ACCOMMODATION-
HOTELS
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
No. (356/366), Kyaikkasan
Rd, Tamwe Township,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Ph: 542826, Fax: 545650
Email: reservation@
edenpalacehotel.com
M-22, Shwe Htee Housing,
Thamine Station St., Near
the Bayint Naung Point,
Mayangone Tsp., Yangon
Tel : 522763, 522744,
667557. Fax : (95-1) 652174
E-mail : grandpalace@
myanmar.com.mm
Clover Hotel City Center
No. 217, 32nd Street
(Upper Block), Pabedan Tsp,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 377720, Fax : 377722
www.clovercitycenter.asia
Clover Hotel City Center Plus
No. 229, 32nd Street
(Upper Block), Pabedan Tsp,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 377975, Fax : 377974
www.clovercitycenterplus.asia
No. 12, Pho Sein Road,
Tamwe Township, Yangon
Tel : (95-1) 209299, 209300,
209343 Fax : (95-1) 209344
bestwestern.com/
greenhillhotelyangon.com
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
PARKROYAL Yangon,
Myanmar
33, Alan Pya Pagoda Rd,
Dagon tsp.
tel: 250388. fax: 252478.
email: enquiry.prygn@
parkroyalhotels.com.
Savoy Hotel
129, Damazedi Rd,
Kamayut tsp.
tel: 526289, 526298,
Sedona 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.
Sule Shangri-La Hotel
223 Sule Pagoda Rd. tel:
242828. fax: 242838.
Royal White Elephant Hotel
No-11, Kan Street, Hlaing
Tsp. Yangon, Myanmar.
(+95-1) 500822, 503986.
www.rwehotel.com
Hotel Yangon
91/93, 8
th
Mile Junction,
Tel : 01-667708, 667688.
Inya Lake Resort Hotel
37 Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd.
tel: 662866. fax: 665537.
KH Hotel, Yangon
28-A, 7 Miles, Pyay Rd,
Ph: 95-1-652532, 652533
MGM Hotel No (160), Warden
Street, Lanmadaw Tsp, Yangon,
Myanmar. +95-1-212454~9.
www. hotel-mgm.com
ACCOMMODATION
LONG TERM
No.6, Botahtaung Jetty,
Botahtaung Township,
Yangon. Tel: (951)9010555,
9010535 Fax : (951) 9010536
[email protected]
www.vintageluxuryhotel.com
Marina Residence
8, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd,
Mayangone Tsp.
tel: 6506 51~4. fax: 650630.
Tel: 09-7349-4483,
09-4200-56994.
E-mail: aahappyhomes@
gmail.com, http://www.
happyhomesyangon.com
happy homes
REAL ESTATE & PROPERTY
MANAGEMENT
17, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd,
Yankin Tsp.
Tel: 650933. Fax: 650960.
Email : micprm@
myanmar.com.mmwww.
myanmar micasahotel.com
Golden Hill Towers
24-26, Kabar Aye Pagoda
Rd, Bahan Tsp.
tel: 558556. ghtower@
mptmail.net.mm.
Sakura Residence
9, Inya Rd, Kamaryut Tsp.
tel: 525001. fax: 525002.
Hotel Grand United
(Chinatown)
621, Maharbandoola Rd,
Latha Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: (95-1) 372256-58
(21
st
Downtown)
66-70, 21
st
Street (Enter
from Strand Rd), Latha
Tsp, Yangon. Tel: (95-1)
378201
(Ahlone Branch)
35, Min Ye Kyaw Swar
Rd, Ahlone Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: (95-1) 218061-64;
Email: grandunited.
[email protected], www.
hotelgrandunited.com
No.1, Wut Kyaung St,
Yay Kyaw, Pazundaung Tsp,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Ph: 01-8610640, 01-202187,
www.mkhotelyangon.com
Winner Inn
42, Than Lwin Rd, Bahan
Tsp. Tel: 503734, 524387.
email: reservation@winner
innmyanmar.com
Yuzana Hotel
130, Shwegondaing Rd,
Bahan Tsp, tel : 01-549600
Yuzana Garden Hotel
44, Alanpya Pagoda Rd,
Mingalar Taung Nyunt Tsp,
tel : 01-248944
Real Estate Service
Selling, Buying, Renting,
Tel: 09 2500 08127, 09 2541
46420, 09 2541 46421.
Residence rooms for
rent. Fully furnished,
(long term). Convenient,
pleasant environment to
stay.
No.12/B 43, Shwe Kainnayi
Housing Complex, Nanataw
Street, Kamayut Tsp,
Yangon.
Tel: (959) 731 46086, (959)
5040247,
E-mail: chitsu.win@gmail.
com
FASHION & TAILOR
Sein Shwe Tailor, 797
(003-A), Bogyoke Aung
San Rd, MAC Tower 2,
Lanmadaw Tsp, Yangon,
Ph: 01-225310, 212943~4
Ext: 146, 147, E-mail:
[email protected]
FOAM SPRAY
INSULATION
Foam Spray Insulation
No-410, Ground Fl,Lower
Pazuntaung Rd, Pazun
taung Tsp, Yangon.Telefax
: 01-203743, 09-5007681.
Hot Line-09-730-30825.
Diamond Palace Jewelry
Shop (1) - No. 663/665,
Mahar Bandoola Rd,
Tel : 01-371 944, 371 454,
Shop (2) - No.1103/1104/
1105, Ground Fl, Taw Win
Center, Tel : 01-8600111
ext :1103, 09 49307265
Shop (3) - No.B 020,
Ground Fl, Junction
Square Shopping Center,
Tel : 01-527 242 ext : 1081,
09 73203464
Shop (4) Ground Fl,
Gamonepwint Shopping
Mall, Kabaraye Pagoda
Rd, Tel : 01-653 653 ext :
8205, 09 421763490
Shop (5) - 229/230, 1st Fl,
Ocean Shwe Ghone Daing
Super Center, Yangon. Tel
: 09-312 91904, 09-732-
03376.
[email protected]
www.seinnandaw.com
www.facebook.com/
seinnandaw
GEMS & JEWELLERIES
Best Jewels
No. 44, Inya Road,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 01-2305811, 2305812.
The Natural Gems of
Myanmar & Fine Jewellery.
No. 30(A), Pyay Road,
(7 mile), Mayangone Tsp,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 01-660397, 654398
spgems.myanmar@
gmail.com
Your Most Reliable Jeweller
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.
Naypyitaw : Level (2),
Capital Hyper Mart,
Yazathingaha Street,
Outarathiri Tsp. Tel : 09-
33503202, 09-73050337
GAS COOKER &
COOKER HOODS
Worlds leader in
Kitchen Hoods & Hobs
Same as Ariston Water
Heater. Tel: 251033,
379671, 256622, 647813
GENERATORS
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
CONSULTING
Shwe Hinthar B 307, 6 1/2
Miles, Pyay Rd., Yangon.
Tel: +95 (0)1 654 730
[email protected]
www.thuraswiss.com
Myanmar Research | Consulting | Technology
Zamil Steel
No-5, Pyay Road,
7 miles,
Tel: (95-1) 652502~04.
Fax: (95-1) 650306.
Email: zamilsteel@
zamilsteel.com.mm
CONSTRUCTION
CO WORKING SPACE
No. (6), Lane 2
Botahtaung Pagoda St,
Yangon.
01-9010003, 291897.
[email protected],
www.venturaofce.com
Crockery
No.196/198,
Ground Floor,
Shwe Bon Thar St(Middle),
Pabedan Tsp, Yangon,
Tel: 253214, 0973098782,
09420049459
DELIVERY SERVICE
CROCKERY
Express Courier & Cargo
One Stop Logistic Solution
Ygn, Hot Line: 01-374457
FLORAL SERVICES
Floral Service & Gift Shop
No. 449, New University
Avenue, Bahan Tsp. YGN.
Tel: 541217, 559011,
09-860-2292.
Market Place By City Mart
Tel: 523840~43,
523845~46, Ext: 205.
Junction Nay Pyi Taw
Tel: 067-421617~18
422012~15, Ext: 235.
Res: 067-414813, 09-492-
09039. Email : eternal@
mptmail.net.mm
FITNESS CENTRE
Balance Fitnesss
No 64 (G), Kyitewine
Pagoda Road, Mayangone
Township. Yangon
01-656916, 09 8631392
Email - info@
balancetnessyangon.com
Life Fitness
Bldg A1, Rm No. 001,
Shwekabar Housing,
Mindhamma Rd,
Mayangone Tsp. Yangon.
Ph: 01-656511,
Fax: 01-656522,
Hot line: 0973194684,
[email protected]
No. 20, Ground Floor, Pearl
Street, Golden Valley Ward,
Bahan Township, Yangon.
Tel : 09-509 7057, 01-
220881, 549478 (Ext : 103)
Email : realtnessmyanmar
@gmail.com
www.realtnessmyanmar.com
Floral Service & Gift
Centre 102(A), Dhamazaydi
Rd, Yangon.tel: 500142
Summit Parkview Hotel,
tel: 211888, 211966 ext. 173
fax: 535376.email: sandy@
sandymyanmar.com.mm.
ENTERTAINMENT
Learn to dance with
social dancing
94, Bogalay Zay St,
Botataung T/S,
Yangon.
Tel : 01-392526,
01-1221738
DUTY FREE
Duty Free Shops
Yangon International
Airport, Arrival/Departure
Mandalay International
Airport, Departure
Ofce: 17, 2
nd
street,
Hlaing Yadanarmon Housing,
Hlaing Township, Yangon.
Tel: 500143, 500144, 500145.
24 Hrs International Clinic
Medical and Security
Assistance Service
@ Victoria Hospital
No.68, Tawwin Rd, 9 Mile,
Mayangon Township,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel: +951 651 238
+959 495 85 955
Fax: +959 651 398
www.leomedicare.com
24 Hours Laboratory
& X-ray, CT, MRI, USG
Mammogram, Bone DXA
@ Victoria Hospital
No. 68, Tawwin Rd, 9 Mile,
Mayangon Township,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel: (951) 9 666141
Fax: (951) 9 666135
Japan-Myanmar
Physiotherapy Clinic.
Body Massage - 7000 Ks
Foot Massage - 6000 Ks
Body & Foot Massage -
12,000 Ks
No.285, Bo Aung Kyaw Rd,
Kyauktada Tsp, Yangon.
09:00 AM - 09:00 PM
Tel : 09-8615036
Condo (C), Room (001),
Tatkatho Yeikmon Housing,
New University Avenue Rd,
Bahan Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 09 8615162,
09 8615163, 542 375,
546 663, (Ext 1155)
HEALTH SERVICES
GLASS
98(A), Kaba Aye Pagoda
Road, Bahan Township,
553783, 09-732-16940.
Fax: 542979
Email: asiapacic.
[email protected].
The Lady Gems &
Jewellery
No. 7, Inya Rd, Kamayut
Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 01-2305800,
09-8315555
Kham Le
22, Thukha Waddy St,
Suneyan Park, Yankin, Ph:
01-8605223, 8605224.
CAR RENTAL
No. 56, Bo Ywe St,
Latha Tsp, Yangon.
Tel : 01-246551, 375283,
09-2132778, 09-31119195.
Gmail:nyanmyintthu1983@
gmail.com,
Car Rental Service
COFFEE MACHINE
illy, Francis Francis, VBM,
Brasilia, Rossi, De Longhi
Nwe Ta Pin Trading Co., Ltd.
Shop C, Building 459 B
New University Avenue
01- 555-879, 09-4210-81705
[email protected]
CONFERENCE
Your Partner in Myanmar
for Investment Advisory, JV,
Management & Engineering
Consulting and Recuitment
https://mitaservices.com.sg
[email protected]
09420110451, 09420110666
MiTA
Myanmar
@ISBC
Since 2009
BOOK STORES
150 Dhamazedi Rd.,
Bahan Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 536306, 537805.
Email : yangon@
monument-books.com
15(B), Departure Lounge,
Yangon Intl Airport.
#87/2, Crn of 26
th
& 27
th

St, 77
th
St,Chan Aye Thar
Zan Tsp, Mandalay.
Tel : (02) 24880.
First Class VIP
Limousine Car Rental.
Professional English
Speaking Drivers.
Full Insurance for
your Safety and
comfortable journey
Call us Now for your
best choice
www.mmels.com
MYANMAR EXECUTIVE
LIMOUSINE SERVICE
HOT LINE:
09 - 402 510 003
01-646 330
AUTO LEASING
Vehicle Operating Leases:
Trucks

Semi trailers

Vans and Minibuses

Tractors

Pickups
[email protected]
www.yomaeet.com
ADVERTISING & MEDIA
SAIL Marketing &
Communications
Suite 403, Danathiha Center
790, Corner of Bogyoke Rd
& Wadan Rd, Lanmadaw
Township, Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel: (951) 211870, 224820,
2301195. Email: admin@
advertising-myanmar.com
www.advertising-myanmar.
com
WE STARTED THE ADVERTISING
INDUSTRY IN MYANMAR SINCE 1991
MAR K E T I NG & COMMUNI CAT I ONS
A D V E R T I S I N G
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 :
sales.ac@freshaircon.
com. URL: http://www.
freshaircon.com
AIR CONDITION
Strategic PR, Media
Monitoring, Media
Networking, Media
brieng for Executives
#17, ShweThaPyay
Housing 2, Nawaratt St,
10 Quarter, Thaketa Tsp,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel: +959 421027567, +959
5070524, pandpmedia.
[email protected]
ARCHITECTS &
MODULAR BUILDINGS
[email protected]
Tel : 09-730-22820
BEAUTY & MASSAGE
Marina Residence, Yangon
Ph: 650651~4, Ext: 109
Beauty Plan, Corner of
77th St & 31st St, Mandalay
Ph: 02 72506
Lemon Day Spa
No. 96 F, Inya Road,
Kamaryut Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 514848, 09-732-08476.
E.mail: lemondayspa.2011
@gmail.com
MYANMAR BOOK CENTRE
Nandawun 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: info@
myanmarbook.com
BOOK STORES
No. 52, Royal Yaw Min Gyi
Condo, Room F, Yaw Min
Gyi Rd, Dagon Township,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel: 09-425-307-717
YANGON
La Source Beauty Spa
80-A, Inya Rd, Kamayut Tsp.
Tel: 512380, 511252
Beauty Bar by La Source
Room (1004), Sedona Hotel,
Tel : 666 900 Ext : 7167
MANDALAY
La Source Beauty Spa
13/13, Mya Sandar St,
bet: 26_27, bet: 62_63,
Chanaye Tharzan Tsp.
Tel : 09-4440-24496.
www.lasourcebeautyspa.com
International
Construction
Material Co., Ltd.
No. 60, G-Fl, Sint-Oh-Dan St,
Lower Block, Latha Tsp,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 01-245112,
09-730-22820
Email : intconstruction
[email protected] Business Consulting
[email protected]
www.rstrangoon.com
ACCOMMODATION-
HOTELS (Nay Pyi Taw)
Reservation Ofce (Yangon)
123, Alanpya Pagoda Rd,
Dagon Township
Tel : 951- 255 819~838
Royal Kumudra Hotel,
(Nay Pyi Taw)
Tel : 067- 414 177,
067- 4141 88
E-Mail: reservation@
maxhotelsgroup.com
TRAVEL AGENTS
Get your Visa online for
Business and Tourist
No need to come to
Embassy.
#165. 35th Street,
Kyauktada Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: +951 381200, 204020
[email protected]
VISA & IMMIGRATION
WEB SERVICE
WATER SOLUTION
Water Treatement Solution
Block (A), Room (G-12),
Pearl Condo, Kabar Aye
Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp.
Hot Line : 09-4500-59000
Aekar
Company Limited
Web Services
All the way from Australia
world-class websites/
web apps for desktop,
smartphone & tablets,
online shopping with
real-time transaction,
news/magazine site,
forum, email campaign
and all essential online
services. Domain
registration & cloud
hosting. Talk to us: (01)
430-897, (0) 942-000-4554.
www.medialane.com.au
WATER HEATERS
The Global leader in
Water Heaters
A/1, Aung San Stadium
East Wing, Upper
Pansodan Road.
Tel: 01-256705, 399464,
394409, 647812.
Shan Yoma Tours Co.,Ltd
Ph: 01-9010378, 9010382,
www.exploremyanmar.com
www.exploreglobaltravel.
com
Asian Trails Tour Ltd
73 Pyay Rd, Dagon tsp.
tel: 211212, 223262.
fax: 211670. email: res@
asiantrails.com.mm
Wat er Heat er
Made in Japan
Same as Rinnai Gas Cooker
and Cooker Hood
Showroom Address
No.(68), Tawwin Street,
9 Mile, Mayangone Tsp,
Yangon.
Hunt line: +95 1 9666 141,
Booking Ext : 7080, 7084.
Fax: +95 1 9666 135
Email:
info@witoriya hospital.com
www.victoriahospital
myanmar.com,
Facebook :
https://www.facebook.com/
WitoriyaGeneralHospital
Executive Serviced Ofces
www.hinthabusinesscentres.com
Tel : 01-4413410
SERVICE OFFICE
Capital Hyper Mart
14(E), Min Nandar Road,
Dawbon Tsp. Ph: 553136.
City Mart (Aung San) tel:
253022, 294765.
City Mart (47
th
St Branch)
tel: 200026, 298746.
City Mart (Junction 8)
tel: 650778.
City Mart (FMI City Branch)
tel: 682323.
City Mart (Yankin Center
Branch) tel: 400284.
City Mart (Myaynigone)
tel: 510697.
City Mart (Zawana Branch)
tel:564532.
City Mart (Shwe Mya Yar)
tel: 294063.
City Mart (Chinatown Point)
tel: 215560~63.
City Mart (Junction Maw Tin)
tel: 218159.
City Mart (Marketplace)
tel: 523840~43.
City Mart
(78
th
Brahch-Mandalay)
tel: 02-71467~9.
IKON Mart
No.332, Pyay Rd, San
Chaung. Tel: 535-783, 527705,
501429. Email: sales-ikon@
myanmar.com.mm
Junction Maw Tin
Anawrahta Rd, Lanmadaw,
Ph: 01-225244.
Junction Square
Pyay Rd, Kamayut,
Ph: 01-527242.
Junction Zawana
Lay Daung Kan St,
Thingangyun, Ph: 573929.
Ocean (North Point)
Pyay Rd, 9 mile,
Ph: 01-652959.
Ocean (East Point)
Mahabandoola Rd,
Ph: 01-397146.
SUPERMARKETS
STEEL STRUCTURE
Design, Fabrication,
Supply & Erection of Steel
Structures
Tel : (+95-1) 122 1673
Email : Sales@WEC-
Myanmar.com
www.WEC-Myanmar.com
English Education Centre
Nursery - Primary
(15 months - 12 years)
55 (B), Po Sein Road,
Bahan Township.
Tel : (951) 546097, 546761.
I nternational
M ontessori
M yanmar
Executive Serviced
Ofce, Registered
and Virtual Ofce, Hot
Desking, Meeting Rooms
Tel: +(95) 1 387947
www.ofcehubservices,com
LUGGAGE
Carlton
No.196/198, Ground Floor,
Shwe Bon Thar St(Middle),
Pabedan Tsp, Yangon, Tel:
253214, 09420049459,
0931569998
150 Brand NEW
International Standard
Rental Apartments
Hotline : 09 43 200 845
09 250 516 616
email : rental.starcity@
gmail.com
www.starcityyangon.com
HOUSING
Pun Hlaing Golf Estate
Gated Golf Community
HOUSE RENTAL
APARTMENT RENTALS
SERVICED APARTMENTS
Available Immediately
RENTAL OFFICE
OPEN DAILY 9-5
PHGE Sales & Marketing,
Hlaing Tharyar Tsp, Yangon.
Tel : 951-687 800, 684 013
[email protected]
www.punhlainggolfestate.com
HOME FURNISHING
22, Pyay Rd, 9 mile,
Mayangone Tsp.
tel: 660769, 664363.
Franzo Living Mall
15(A/5), Pyay Rd, A1(9miles),
Tel : 01-664026, 01-656970,
09-43205018
www.facebook.com/franzo
livingmall.
Email:palazzofurniture@
gmail.com
HOTEL SUPPLY
Premium Chef Uniform
Building B-1, Room 001,
Myittar Street, TamweLay,
TamweTsp, Yangon.
Tel: 01-556703, 09-
5408885, 09-5067816
Email:
theworkwearmyanmar@
gmail.com
INSURANCE
Fire, Motor and Life
Insurance
44, TheinPhyu Road,
Tel : 01- 8610656
Mob : 09-5055216
Email: maythet@gw-
insurance.com
www.gw-insurance.com
REAL ESTATE
Re a l Es t a t e Age nt
No Fees for Cl i ent s,
Contact Us : 09 2050107,
[email protected]
Heaven Pizza
38/40, Bo Yar Nyunt St.
Yaw Min Gyi Quarter,
Dagon Township.
Tel: 09-855-1383
Horizon Restaurant & Bar
KH Hotel Roof top
No. (28-A), 7 Miles,
Pyay Road, Mayangone
Township, Yangon.
Ph: 95-1-652532, 652533
Legendary Myanmar Intl
Shipping & Logistics Co.,
Ltd.
No-9, Rm (A-4), 3
rd
Flr,
Kyaung St, Myaynigone,
Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 516827, 523653,
516795.
Mobile. 09-512-3049.
Email: legandarymyr@
mptmail.net .mm
www.LMSL-shipping.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].
a drink from paradise...
available on Earth
@Yangon International
Hotel, No.330, Ahlone Rd,
Dagon Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 09-421040512
Quality Chinese Dishes
with Resonable Price
@Marketplace by City Mart.
Tel: 01-523840 Ext.109
Good taste & resonable
price
@Thamada Hotel
Tel: 01-243047, 243639-41
Ext: 32
RESTAURANTS
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.
Crown Worldwide
Movers Ltd 790, Rm 702,
7
th
Flr Danathiha Centre,
Bogyoke Aung San Rd,
Lanmadaw. Tel: 223288,
210 670, 227650. ext: 702.
Fax: 229212. email: crown
[email protected]
For House-Seekers
with Expert Services
In all kinds of Estate Fields
[email protected]
09-332 87270 (Fees Free)
09-2541 26615 (Thai Language)
REMOVALISTS
Relocation Specialist
Rm 504, M.M.G Tower,
#44/56, Kannar Rd,
Botahtaung Tsp.
Tel: 250290, 252313.
Mail : info@asiantigers-
myanmar.com
Mon - Sat (9am to 6pm)
No. 797, MAC Tower II,
Rm -4, Ground Flr,
Bogyoke Aung San Rd,
Lamadaw Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: (951) 212944 Ext: 303,
09-4200-91393.
info@centuremyanmar.
com.
www.centure.in.th
OFFICE FURNITURE
Tel : 01-9000712~13 Ext : 330
09-4200-77039.
[email protected]
Home Outdoor Ofce
99 Condo, Ground Floor,
Room (A), Damazedi Rd,
Kamayut Township,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 09-2504-28700
[email protected]
Bldg-A2, G-Flr, Shwe
Gabar Housing, Mindama
Rd, Mayangone Tsp,
Yangon. email: eko-nr@
myanmar.com.mm
Ph: 652391, 09-73108896
Bld-A2, Gr-Fl, Shwe
Gabar Housing, Mindama
Rd, Mayangone Tsp,
Yangon. email: eko-nr@
myanmar.com.mm
Ph: 652391, 09-73108896
MARINE
COMMUNICATION &
NAVIGATION
Top Marine Show Room
No-385, Ground Floor,
Lower Pazundaung Road,
Pazundaung Tsp, Yangon.
Ph: 01-202782, 09-851-5597
LANGUAGE
Master Burmese Faster!
Professional Burmese
Language Course for All
Levels
436, Top r, Thein Phyu Rd,
Mingalar Taung Nyut Tsp,
Yangon.
Tel : 09-4316 8422
www.moemyanmar.com
Email: register.mmlc@
moemyanmar.com
Matrix System
No.77, Lanthit Street,
Lanmadaw Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 01-221944, 225374.
[email protected]
Ofce Culture Co., Ltd
Taw Win Center, 3
rd
Flr,
Rm 4031/4033, Pyay Rd,
Dagon Tsp, Yangon.
Ph: 09-2540 14097
www.bristol.com.my
WATER PROOFING
International
Construction
Material Co., Ltd.
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 01-245112,
09-730-22820
[email protected]
Enchanting and Romantic,
a Bliss on the Lake
62 D, U Tun Nyein Road,
Mayangon Tsp, Yangon
Tel. 01 665 516, 660976
Mob. 09-730-30755
[email protected]
www.operayangon.com
22, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd,
Bahan Tsp. tel 541997.
email: leplanteur@
mptmail.net.mm.
http://leplanteur.net
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
Monsoon Restaurant
& Bar 85/87, Thein Byu
Road, Botahtaung Tsp.
Tel: 295224, 09-501 5653.
Delicious Hong Kong Style
Food Restaurant
G-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, 657928,
01-122 1014, 09 508 9441
Email : lalchimiste.
[email protected]
UnionBarAndGrill
42 Strand Road,
Botahtaung, Yangon.
Tel: 95 9420 180 214, 95
9420 101 854
www.unionyangon.com,
[email protected]
SCHOOLS
World famous Kobe Beef
Near Thuka Kabar
Hospital on Pyay Rd,
Marlar st, Hlaing Tsp.
Tel: +95-1-535072
The Rih Lake
No. 67B, Dhama Yone St.,
near (Blazon) U Wisara Rd.,
Myaynigone, Sanchaung
Tsp. Tel: 01-502761
Orange
Myittar Yeik Mon Housing,
Tamwe, Ph: 09-8623381.
Orange
Mahabandoola St, 19
th
St,
Latha, Ph: 01-397146.
Orange Super Market
103, Thu Damar Rd,
Industrial Zone, North
Okkalar, Ph: 9690246
Room No. 1101, 16
th
Flr,
Tower B, Maw Tin Tower,
Corner of Anawrahta Rd
& Lanthit St, Lanmadaw
Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : (95-1) 218489. 218490
218491
Fax : (95-1) 218492
Email : marketing @
kaytumadi.com, contact@
kaytumadi.com,
[email protected].
web : www.rockworth.com
PAINT
TOP MARINE PAINT
No-410, Ground Floor,
Lower Pazundaung Road,
Pazundaung Tsp, Yangon.
Ph: 09-851-5202
Sole Distributor
For the Union of
Myanmar Since 1995
Myanmar Golden Rock
International Co.,Ltd.
#06-01, Bldg (8), Myanmar
ICT Park, University Hlaing
Campus, Hlaing Tsp,
Yangon. Tel: 654810~17.
Worlds No.1 Paints &
Coatings Company
Moby Dick Tours Co., Ltd.
Islands Safari in the Mergui
Archipelago
No.89-91, Rm No.2, Gr Fr,
32
nd
St (between Maha
Bandoola Rd and Merchant
Rd), Pabedan Tsp, Yangon.
Tel / Fax: 01-380382
E-mail: info@islandsafari
mergui.com. Website: www.
islandsafarimergui.com
PLEASURE CRUISES
International
Construction
Material Co., Ltd.
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 01-245112,
09-730-22820
[email protected]
European Quality
& Designs Indoor/
Outdoor Furniture, Hotel
Furniture & All kinds of
woodworks
Ofce Tel: 01-380382,
09-509-1673, Show Room:
No. 123-124, Shwe Yin Aye
(2) Street, Industrial Zone
5 (Extension), Hlaing Thar
Yar Township, Yangon,
Myanmar. E-mail: contact@
smartdesignstrading.com,
www.royalbotania.com,
www.alexander-rose.co.uk,
Please call for any enquiry.
Horizon Intl School
235, Shukhinthar Myo Pat
Rd, Thaketa Tsp, Yangon,
Ph: 450396~7, 25, Po Sein
Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon,
Ph: 543926, Fax: 543926,
email: contact@
horizonmyanmar.com
186, Lu Nge Thitsar
Street, on Thitsar Road,
Yankin Township, Yangon,
Myanmar. Ph: +951-8550
283, +951-8550 284,
+959-2540 63632, E-mail:
[email protected],
www.hotelyankin.com
Property General
HOW TO GET A FREE AD
BY FAX : 01-254158
BY EMAIL : [email protected]
BY MAIL : 379/383, Bo Aung Kyaw St, Kyauktada Township, Yangon.
HOW TO GET MORE BUSINESS FROM
AS LITTLE AS K.5,000.
BUY SPACE ON THESE PAGES
CALL: Khin Mon Mon Yi - 01-392676, 392928
FREE
Housing for Rent
(1).Near Park Royal
Hotel, apartment,1500
Sqft, 2MBR, 1SR, fully
furnish , USD 1500 (2).
Near Yuzana Plazza,
condo, 1700Sqft, 1 MBR,
2 SR, fully furnish, USD
2300. (3).Near Kandaw
Gyi park, condo, 1500
Sqft, 1MBR, 1SR, 1500
USD. (4).Near Kabaraye
Pagoda, Ga Mon Pwint
condo, 1800 Sqft, 2MBR,
1SR, fully furnish USD
4000. Ph : 09-4921-
4276, 09-4211- 77105
(1).Near Sayar San Rd,
Suitable for offce, single
house, land (60x100), 2
RC, USD 4000 (2).Near
Yankin center, suitable
for offce, Showroom,
restaurant, 3 stories,
one stories, 800 Sqft,
USD 3600. (3).On the
Shwegondine Rd, 3
stories, good for use
offce, good for use show
room, one stories 1000
Sqft, USD 4000. (4)Near
J apan Embassy, single
house, 2 RC, 4900 Sqft,
4 MBR, 1 SR, USD 7000.
Ph : 09-4921- 4276, 09-
4211- 77105
CLASSIC STRAND
Condominium, (1) suitable
for offce, 2280 sqft (2,500
sqft with mezzanine), 3rd
foor, wide open space,
14 ft ceilings, face river.
New building with gym,
car park, cafe, facilities.
Prime downtown location
between Strand Rd and
Merchant St, close to
strand hotel/union bar.
6,000 USD per month.
(2) 1,500 sqft, 8th foor, 3
bedroomcorner unit with
excellent view of river.
3,600 USD per month.
[email protected].
Ph:09-4200-04585, 09-
4211-02223, 09-2544-
08789
M Y A Y N I G O N E ,
Sanchaung, Min St, First
Flr, All furniture. One bed
room, one kitchen, one
bathroom(The balcony),
1 RC, 1 (month) 600 US,
Shan Shan, Ph: 09-731-
92603, Moe Hein, Ph:
09-4250-18442.
BAHAN, Sayasan Rd,
In Pyidaungsu Lane,
conveniently located close
to schools, businesses,
restaurants & offces.
House is completely
renovated with beautiful
wood fooring, tiles &
all western style bath &
kitchen. 3,800sqft, 3MBR,
2SR, 4 bathrooms total,
located on over 7,500
sf of land. Also located
in quiet residential
neighborhood. Suitable
for residence or offce,
immediately available.
Please call Myat Thu at
09 2543 82482.
CONDO. Near Parkroyal
Hotel, Nawaday Rd,
Nawaday Condo, 25'x50',
1MBR, 1SR, 3AC, 1
Cable phone, with lift,
Car parking. Ph: 09-312-
87827, 09-317-75734.
BAHAN,. Po Sein Rd, 2RC
House, 70 feetCompound,
3 Rooms, with Toilet, Teak
Parquet Flooring, with
Air Condition, one cable
phone, wide car parking,
Please Contact. Ph:
09-312-87827, 09-317-
75734.
TAMWE, No. 1139-1140,
Marlar Nwe St, 15'x50', 3
Air-cons, Floor covered
with tiles, Private parking
space, Very suitable
for opening the shop
& offce. Ph:09-723-
73209, 09-4500-49796
Contact: Aung Soe Lin
(1)Near Parami Rd,
Mayangone, Single
house, 4200 Sqft,
4MBR, no furniture
USD 3100 (2)Near
Chatriumhotel, Bahan,
Single house, 6300 Sqft,
3MBR, 1SR, USD 5600
(3)Near Sedona Hotel,
Mayangone, Single
house, 8100 Sqft, 4
MBR, USD 10,000 (4)
Near Pearl Codominum,
Bahan, Sigle house,
18,000 Sqft, 3 MBR, 2 SR
USD 8000 (5)Near China
Embassy, Dagon Tsp,
condominium, 2700
Sqft , 3MBR, 1SR , fully
furniture, USD 5500 (6)
Near Yankin Center,
Apartment 3 stories,
600 sqft (for 1 storey)
USD 3600. Ph: 09-4921-
4276
"STAR CITY Condo For
Sale" One bed room
apartment for sales at
900L MMK. 622 Sqft,
not decorated. Rm603,
BLK A-2 (in front of City
Mart and 50th Street Bar)
Contact at 09-520-8 455
to view the apartment.
(1). Offce Space for rent,
SOHO Diamond Towers,
Corner of Natnataw rd
and Pyay Rd. USD$3.50
psf. (2)Fully furnished
Apartments at Pearl
Condo for 3 bedrooms.
USD$3800 per month
Utilities bills included.,
min. 6 months contract.
Contact: 09-732-50368,
09-732-50365.
HLEDAN, Ground
floor with mezzi,
available for rent at
US$1000 per month.
Contact:09-520-0654
NEW APARTMENT
in good access Area
near Hledan! Good
atmosphere, shining
& bright for the area of
25x50. 2 rooms with a
big lounge.Contact owner
direct - 09 505 8276.
BAHAN, Po Sein Rd,
near Chatrium Hotel, 2
RC, house with 70'x70'
compound, 3 MBR with
teak parquet fooring, 3
AC, Cable phone a wide
car parking 2500 USD,
Ph: 09-312-87827, 09-
2500-26350.
OFFICE SPACE TO LET
3100 sqmavailable over
5 foors in a 12-storey
building with car park,
restaurant, multi function
hall and apartments.
Please contact -
Ph : 09-431-34381.
Email : offce-mm@
uniteammarine.com,
web : www .facebook.
com/offcespaceyangon
Housing for Sale
CLASSIC STRAND
Condominium suitable
sqft with mezzanine), 3rd
foor, wide open space,
14 ft ceilings, face river.
[email protected]. 09-
4200-04585, 09-4211-
02223, 09-2544-08789.
CLASSIC STRAND
Condominium suitable
sqft with mezzanine),
3
rd
foor, wide open
space, 14 ft ceilings,
face river. New building
with gym, car park,
cafe, facilities. Prime
downtown location,
close to strand hotel/
union bar. wongyfj@
gmail.com. 09-4200-
04585, 09-4211-02223,
09254408789
Education
ENGLISH teaching.
Chinatown area.
1 year teaching
Myanmar students,
20 years experience.
Conversation, listening
& IELTS training. Please
call 09-517-3255.
CHEMISTRY TUTOR
required for international
high school student.
Must speak English. Ph:
09-502-2834
TEACHER MYO (G.C.E
O/A, U.K) (1) Grade X.XI
(All Subjects). (2) IELTS,
Interview. (3)IGCSE,
BCA (All Subjects).
No.37, 4 Flr, Yay Kyaw
St. Ph: 09-732-21317,
09-513-2373
HOME Tuition: For
students from Int'l
schools such as
Horizon, ILBC, YIES,
ISY, MIS, MISY, PISM.
All subjects for Primary
and Secondary Classes.
Tel: 09-4200-84493.
PHYSICS HOME
Tution, Saya U Myint
Thein, Physics, Yangon
University. Sule Pagoda
Rd, Kyauktada, Yangon.
(Since 1984) Ph: 09 730
52859. Email: umtedu@
gmail.com
SAT, TOEFL, Study in
USA Connect Institute.
Improve critical thinking
and English skills, win
scholarships and study
in US colleges. Learn
and consult with our US
graduates. Come check
out our free Discussion
in English every Sunday
9-11 am. Call 09-255-
959-944 or email at
[email protected].
MGW Tower, Rm 503,
Lower Bo Aung Kyaw
St, Botahtaung, Yangon
INT' L MONTESSORI
Myanmar (English
Education Center),
Accredited by IMC
Bangkok (Since
1991). Our Montessori
curriculum includes:
Practical Life Exercises.
Sensorial Training.
Language Development.
Mathematics. Cultural
Studies. Botany and
Zoology. History.
Creative Art. Music and
Movement. Cooking.
Physical Development.
Social & Emotional
Development. Learning
through play. 55(B),
Po Sein Rd, Bahan,
546761. Email: imm.
[email protected]
MATHEMATICS, Is your
child fromILBC, YIS, ISY,
ISM, Yangon Academy,
MIS, MISY, SIS, PISM,
ALBA, DSY or all
international schools
(KG to Sec 3 or Grade 9)
weak in Maths, doesnt
understand problem
solving, no one can help
himor her in practicing
or learning? If your
child is willing to learn &
practise, I will teach him
or her to develop the
required skills to improve
in Maths from present
situation. Please contact
and come to Daw Naing
Naing Aung, B.Com
(Q), No.(6), Thuketa St,
Baukhtaw, Yankin. Ph:
09-500-4993, 544594.
Expert Services
ZCL(Y.U.F.L)Translation
Service. Ph: 09-
2506-66325. email:
[email protected]
CORPORATE Banking,
Finance, Advisory,
Capital Raising Services
and help with foreign
investment, private
equity for Myanmar
companies; pls contact
[email protected]
WE PROVIDE stay in
Domestic Helper to do all
your household chores.
If you need please call
09-2506-49927
EFFICIENT Goldsmith
Software Effective for all
goldshops & goldsmiths
@ Effcient Soft. Ph: 09-
505-3762, 09-517-1061,
09-2503-54344.
BANKING service, HR
service, Local Travel
service (Flight or air
plane, hotel booking,
car service on trip
etc.), Wedding planner,
Household cleaning
service, Teaching
English to Myanmar,
Guide to High School
Student, Taxi service,
General service. Formal
learning Eng to Myan is
1:30 hr only Sunday,
10 weeks per course
charges is 100$. Ph:09-
4201-64934
GOLDEN LAND Real
Estate : For sale, buy
& rent, Pls contact to
Ph: 3940532, 09-730-
08848, 3920853
RENTAL Services
of Condos, Landed
Houses, Offces and
Commercial Properties.
Our lists can be checked
in http://goo.gl/tyCuoe.
Myat Estate Agency,
Hotline: 09-4308-3781.
I DO translate
English ~Myanmar &
Myanmar~English and
also teach Myanmar
language (4 skills) for
foreigners. If you want
to contact, call me,
Katherine Ph:09-516-
8697.
REGISTERED Tourist
guide in English, French
is available for immediate
appoint ment, please
ring 09-3019-9028.
CORPORATE Profle
Writing Service,
Wanting to have a
business profle which
does not merely give
information about your
business yet it goes an
extra mile to seal new
business opportunities
in a professional
manner? Golden
Miracle Co., Ltd: 09-512-
0462 for professional
profle writing service.
Experienced business
profle writers across
different industries.
A business profle is
more than a bunch of
information, rather, it
is something which
gives you a head start
to limitless stream of
opportunities.
For Sale
H A R L E Y - R E G A
Motorcycle built in
J apan 1950 years. Rare
Motorcycle USD - 7500.
Ph:09-505-4880
HONDA FIT 2009 Model,
GE-6, 1300 CC, (White),
Auto Gear, 1H/3---
(YGN), 99 lakhs, Ph:
09-312-87827.
CAMERA from
Singapore, used Nikon
D-7000, Canon 60D,
600D, 550 D,450D &
Fujiflm S 9100 cameras
for sale. Ph:09-512-8713
General
MK HOTEL, Myakyauk
Yangon City Hotel. No.1,
Wut Kyaung St, Yay
Kyaw, Pazun Taung Tsp,
Yangon, Myanmar. Ph:
01-297274, 01-202187,
01-8610640.
Language
I M AN experienced
Chinese (Mandarin)
teacher here in Yangon,
Myanmar. I have over
6 years teaching in
Singapore. Please do
not hesitate to contact
me for an evaluation. Im
a professional teacher
who will help you improve
your speaking, reading
and writing skills. I use
Singaporean text books
and Chinese speaking/
conversation books
for teaching speaking,
reading and writing in
Mandarin. Imavailable
Monday-Sunday with
a fexible schedule. I
also teaching Myanmar
language to all Foreigner.
For more details please
call the number below.
If I dont answer please
send me a SMS and I will
get back to you as soon
as possible. May: 095-9-
5162988.
PROFESSIONAL English
Teacher (MBA, UK), MA
(English), BA (English),
Dip: ELT 09-254214864.
Only Evening and
Weekend class available.
I AM available to teach
English to any and all
ages. I have experience
with students in primary,
secondary school and
Asian adults wanting to
enter the global workforce.
I can also do SAT prep
for secondary students
who are trying to build
their international college
resume. I am able to
design a curriculumbased
on your particular needs.
Email: steffanilorraine@
gmail.com
TEACHING Myanmar
language for foreigners
Near Myay Ni Gone City
Mart, Sanchaung. Ph:
09- 4200-30 782.
TEACHING English for
adults Near Myay Ni Gone
City Mart, Sanchaung.
Ph:09- 4200-30782
MANDARIN (Standard
Spoken Chinese
Language). English
Speaking & Grammar
(Expert in English).
Horizon, Total, ILBC,
MLA, RV, ISM, MISY, (All
private School) fromKG
to Secondary School. Mr.
Pit Kyin, Who guides the
Studies of a number of
students. Ph: 09-730-
11809, 09-2540-11654.
WE can teach Korea
language Basic & 4 skills
for all. Ph: 09-2505-
65793, 09-721-35423,
09-310-24812.
WE DO teach Myanmar
language 4 skills for
Foreigners by Teacher
TUN. Available home &
group class. Basic Class
- 3 months, Intermediate
Class- 3 months,
Advanced Class- 3
months. English for adults
and young learners. We
do teach 4 skills face or
group class. Available
home tuition or group
class. Chinese language
for all grades & classes.
Taiwan Teacher Mr. Lin;
William Lin (BM, IDCS
(UK), TW Civil (Taiwan),
USB Accounting, Yunan
Uni Dip (China)) teach
4 skills to be a native
speaker. Intend to go
abroad study or work
students. Can contact us.
Basic Class - 3 months,
Intermediate Class- 4
months, Advanced
Class- 6 months, Super
Advanced Class- 6
months. We do service
of interpreting Chinese-
Myanmar service.
J apanese for all students
who want to go to J apan
for work or study. We do
teach 4 skills and practice
very well. Mr. WilliamLin :
Ph: 09-4211-47821.
Training
CUSTOMIZED Web
Developmen, Customi
zed Web Development
starting from as cheap
as 500USD. Pls contact
at 09-520-8455
WEB DESIGN Training
Sat & Sun: 8:00am -
10:00pm. Contact: 09-
4211-44937
WEB DEVELOPMENT
with Drupal CMS. Sat &
Sun: 1:00pm-3:00pm.
Ph:09-4211-44937.
BASIC, DTP (Page
maker, Corel Draw,
Graphic Design (Page
maker, Corel Draw (or)
Illustrator, Photo shop),
Web Design, AutoCad
(2D/3D), AutoCad
(CIVIL Only), AutoCad
(Mechanical Only),
3dsMax, Micro station,
Excel special, Ms Access,
LCCI I,II (Mon, Tue 7-9
am, Fri, Sat 6-8 pm),
LCCI III, MYOB, UBS,
Peachtree, Auto Count,
J apanese language (N-5,
N-4, N-3) ICTC Computer
Technology Center. Ph:
09-2540-86001, 09-
4925-5368
YOGA CLASS only
for females by Indian
instructor. Interested
persons pls contact
at shilpi_19sep@
rediffmail.com or shilpi.
[email protected]
Travel
SWAN SAUNG YEE
Travel & Tours Co., Ltd.
Bldg (D/B), Rm (002),
Thitsar Residence, South
Okkalapa, Yangon. Kyaik
Hti Yoe (1N/2D)-80,000/-
ks per pax. Chaung
Tha (2N/3D)-93,000/-ks
per pax. Bagan-Popa
(3N/4D)-138,900/-ks
per pax. Mandalay-
Sagaing-Innwa-(3N/4D)-
156,000/-ks per pax. Ph:
01-562917, 09-8611-864
TAXI, Service Near,
Parkroyal Hotel, Air
Conditioner Car, English
Speaking Driver, One
hour 5000 kyats, 09-
317-75734.
GO GO UP Travel & Tours
Limited : Hot price to
Thailand Bangkok -
Pattaya, USD 460 (Hot
Price) 4 days 3 nights.
Bangkok - Pattaya -
Ayuttaya, USD 560 (Hot
Price) 5 days 4 nights.
Honeymoon Package
@ Paradise Island USD
550 (Hot Price) 4 days 3
nights. Tel : (01) 523602,
09-732-07333, 09-4480-
13235
MYAT THU Car Rental,
Various types of car rent
for daily or monthly use.
Alphard, Surf, Prado,
Super Custom, Grand
Carvin. Ph: 09-4500-
20233, 09-540-1236
Email : mt.carbusiness@
gmail.com.
"ASIAN Bliss Myanmar"
Travel & Tour (Car Rental
Services) Bldg 289,room
3 east yankin 09-519-
1785, 09-731-18957
Public Notics
TRAINED Domestic Helper
available. Knowledge
of all household works,
including infants and
elderly people care. Tel :
09-315-75765, 09-2506-
49927.
Mi TA Myanmar
Investment, Trade &
Technology Conference,
Workshop and Exhibition
will be held during 25-
27 Sept 2014 UMFCCI,
Yangon. The Best
Conference, Exhibition &
Workshop @ Reasonable
Fees in Myanmar! for
more info, please visit:
www.MitaMyanmarInve
stmentTrade Technology
Conference.com, Ph:
09420110451, 09-4201-
10666, Email: maizar@
mitaservices.com.sg
We provide the following
Training, CISCO, CCNA,
CCNP, MICROSOFT,
MCSA, MCSE, LAB,
EC-COUNCIL CEH,
SECURITY ADMIN.
www.facebook.com/
imcscompany, 09-4500-
16040.
Employment
FREE THE MYANMAR TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 - 28, 2014
UN Positions
THE UNITED Nations
World Food Programme
is seeking (1) Logistics
Assistant (Tally) SC-
2, Myitkyina. For more
information, please visit
to http://www.themimu.
info/jobs-for-myanmar-
nationals. Please Email
the applications with UN
P-11 to wfpmyanmar.
vacancy@wf p. org
mailto:wfpmyanmar.
[email protected] COB
26 September 2014.
THE UNITED Nations
is seeking (1)Program
Offcer NO-A, Sittwe (Re-
advertise), please visit
nationals. Please Email
P-11 to wfpmyanmar.
vacancy @ wfp.org<
mailto: wfpmyanmar.
[email protected]>
COB 22 September
2014.
THE UNITED Nations
is seeking (1) Program
me Assistant (VAM) GS-
5, Myitkyina, please visit
nationals. Please email
P-11 to wfpmyanmar.
vacancy @ wfp.org<
mailto: wfpmyanmar.
[email protected]>
COB 23 September
2014.
THE UNITED NATIONS
Offce on Drugs & Crime
(UNODC) is seeking for
Myanmar nationals:
Nat i onal Pr oj ect
Coordinator (XAPA07)-
(SC 8) UNODC Country
Offce - 1 Post in Yangon:
Masters Degree or
equivalent in Law,
Public Administration,
Economics, Political
Sciences, Social
Sciences or related
feld. 2 years of relevant
experience in managing
programmes or projects
of similar complexity
& nature, including
demonstrated capacity
to actively explore new,
innovative management
& fnanc ing mechanisms.
Knowledge & working
familiarity with UN rules,
regulations & procedures
are considered
assets. Proven ability
to write technical
reports, reviews,
programme/project
documents and conduct
presentations by clearly
formulating positions
on issues & defending
recommendati ons.
Excellent communi
cation skills to liaise
negotiate and advocate
with the Government,
donors/potential donors
and key stakeholders
including with other
implementing agencies.
Profciency in MS Offce
and project management
software. Experience &
proven capability of living
and working effectively
in remote rural and
socially and politically
sensitive areas. Fluency
in English: Knowledge of
a local working language
of the duty station is an
asset. Candidates should
clearly indicate the post
title in their application.
Application must
include a cover letter,
CV, P11 form, copies
of relevant academic
qualifcation certifcates
& a passport photo to
UNODC, 11A, Maylikha
Rd, Ward-7, Mayangon,
Yangon. (or) C/O UNDP,
POBox (650), Yangon,
Myanmar.
Ingo Position
MYANMAR Red Cross
Society is seeking(1)
Program Support
Offcer (CBHD-MNCH)
1 post in Nay Pyi Taw
: University graduate.
2 year experience in
administration or related
area. Proven computer
skills (Ms Word,
Excel, Page Maker,
Power Point) in both
Myanmar and English
language. Effective
English language skill
is an advantage. (2)
Assistant Manager (IT)
1 post in Nay Pyi Taw: BE
(IT) or B.C.Sc or IADCS.
MCSE, CCNA and IT
Diploma. Experience in
SQL server database
and web development.
Cisco Router &
Switch configuration
& troubleshooting. 5
years experience in IT
feld. Knowledge of the
Microsoft Virtual Server
platformand associated
SystemCentre services.
Red Cross Volunteers
are preferable. Please
send application
letter, CV & related
documents to Myanmar
Red Cross Society Head
Offce, Yazathingaha
Rd, Dekkhinathiri,
Nay Pyi Taw. Or
mrcshrrecruitment@
gmail.com, Closing date:
for (1) 28-9-2014, for (2)
29.9.14.
THE INT'L Rescue
Committee (IRC) is
seeking (1)Heal th
Offcer (midwifery) in
Hpa-An (need to travel
to Mon, Kayah & Kayin
states): Bachelor's
Degree/ Certifcate in
Midwifery. 5 years of
midwife experience in
ethnic areas. Fluency
in Myanmar is required;
other local languages
such as Mon or Kayin are
preferred. (2)Technical
Nurse in Mawlamyine
(need to travel to Kayah,
Kayin and Mon states).
Requirements: Bachelor
Degree in Nursing/
Register Nurse. 5 years
of nursing experience in
ethnic areas. Practical
basic clinical & nursing
skills. (3) Mobile Clinic
Nurse 6 posts (2 for Sittwe
and 4 for Rathedaung):
2 years experience of
primary health care
settings after graduation.
Favourable to person with
experien ce on medical
response to disaster area,
surveillance and control of
communicable diseases
in disaster area. Excellent
English language skill.
Excellent Local language
skill. Good practice on
Microsoft Offce package.
(4)PHC Mobile Clinic
Medical Doctor 4 posts
(2 for Sittwe and 2 for
Rathedaung): Registered
medical doctor (M.D., B.S
degree) with minimum
3 years experience
on primary health
care settings & clinic
management. Good
English language skill
(oral and written). Good
practice on MS Word and
Excel. (5)Senior Health
Offcer (M&E) 1 post
in Kanpetlet Tsp, Chin
State: M.B.,B.S/ B.ComH
or other health related
disciplines. 2 years
experience in project
data base management
and health database
management, especially
- MoH HMIS. (6) Senior
Health Manager in Hpa-
An (need to travel to
Mon, Kayah and Kayin
states) : Medical degree
(MD or MBBS & MPH).
2 years experience in
ethnic areas. Fluency
in Myanmar & English;
other local languages
such as Mon. (7)Senior
Health Manager in Hpa-
An (need to travel to Mon,
Kayah and Kayin states)
: Medical degree (MD
or MBBS and MPH). 2
years experience in
ethnic areas. Fluency in
Myanmar & English; Mon
or Kayin are preferred.
Please submit a Cover
letter & CV to the HR
Department by email at:
WaiMar.Naing@rescue.
org or by delivery to
the IRC offce : 33/A,
Natmauk Lane Thwe (1),
Bocho (2) Quarter, Bahan,
Yangon. Closing date : 26
September 2014.
THE INT'L Rescue
Committee (IRC) is
seeking (1)Livelihood
Offcer in Rathedaung
Township, Rakhine State.
Requirements: Degree
in rural development,
agriculture or related
feld. Minimum of three
years of professional
experience in the relief
and development
sector (preferably with
INGO or UN). 1 year of
experience in livelihoods
or rural development
programming. Good
English level. Some
speaking of Local
language would be an
asset. (2) IT Assistant
in Loikaw, Kayah State:
Vocational certificate
in computers and/ or
electronics 3+ years
experience in IT
(preferably with NGO
or private company)
preferred. MCP
Certifcation preferred.
Computer imaging skills
required. Ability to travel.
Please Subit a cover
letter & CV to the HR
Department by email at:
WaiMar.Naing@rescue.
org or by delivery to IRC
offce : 33/A, Natmauk
Lane Thwe (1), Bocho
(2) Quarter, Bahan,
Yangon. Colsing date :
25, September, 2014.
PACT GLOBAL
Microfinance Fund
(PGMF) is a licensed
Microfnance Institution.
Pact Global Microfnance
Fund is currently seeking
motivated, experienced
& dedicated candidates
for the position of HR
Assistant 2 Posts : Duty
Station : PGMF, Yangon
(Need to travel to feld
offces as necessary),
Duration : 12 months full
time initially (including
3 months-probation)
Qualifcations : University
Degree (Bachelor
Degree - preferably in
HR or related felds),
Profciency in Microsoft
Offce Word & Excel,
1 year of experience
in a human resources
position, Able to serve
long working hours if
required, Ability to work
quickly and accurately
under time pressure and
tight deadlines, Strong
verbal and interpersonal
skills with the capability
to build trust and respect
within the organization.
Pls submit application
letter & detail curriculum
vitae along with relevant
supporting documents, a
recently taken passport
photo, contact details & 2
referees to HR Manager,
Pact Global Microfnance
Fund : 497, 1stFlr, Tower B,
Diamond Condominium,
Pyay Rd, Kamaryut,
Yangon. Closing date:
30th September, 2014. Ph
: 501373, 501379. Email:
[email protected]
(1)ASSISTANT Manager
(IT) 1 Post (2)Livelihood
Project Coordinator
1 Post. (3)Program
Support Offcer(CBHD-
MNCH) 1 Post. Please
send application letter,
CV & related documents
to Myanmar Red Cross
Society (Head Offce)
Yazatingaha Rd,
Dekkhinathiri, Nay Pyi Taw.
Ormrcshrrecruitment@
gmail.comwww.myanmar
redcross society.org
Please mention Position
Title in subject if you
apply.
(1) DEPUTY MANAGER
(Finance & Admin)(Hpa-
An) 1 Post (2) Field
Supervisor (CPP, Lashio)
1 Post (3)Field Assistant
(CPP,Lashio) 2 Posts
(4)Field Supervisor
(CBHFA, Twenty) 1 Post
(5)Admin Assistant
(NayPyiTaw) 1 Post (6)
Security (NayPyiTaw)
1 Post. Please send
application letter, CV &
related documents to
Myanmar Red Cross
Society (Head Offce)
Yazatingaha Rd,
Dekkhinathiri, Nay Pyi Taw.
Ormrcshrrecruitment@
gmail.com www.
myanmarredcros s
society.org Please
mention Position Title
in subject if you apply.
Local Positions
ESSENCE of Myanmar
is seeking (1)Tour
Operations Manager -
M/F 1 Post : Any graduate
with certifcate, At least
5 years experience in
tourism feld, English
language (Four Skills)
must be fuent (French
language ability will be
an advantage), Good
communication and
skills social dealing,
Computer literate (Very
good knowledge of
Excel/ PowerPoint/Word/
Internet/Email), Fully give
back the time on the job if
necessary many working.
(2)Assi stant Tour
Operations Manager -
M/F 1 Post : Any graduate
with certifcate, 2 years
experience in tourism feld,
English language (Four
Skills) must be fuent,
Good communication
and skills social dealing,
Computer literate (Very
good knowledge of
Excel/ PowerPoint/Word/
Internet/Email), Fully
give back the time on the
job if necessary many
working. Please submit
an application letter, CV
with recent photo, copies
of NRC. Educational
certifcate and other
testimonial to Essence
of Myanmar Travels &
Tours: 6 Shwe Gong
Daing Rd (Near SSC
Women Center) Bahan,
Yangon. Tel: (+95) 01
86 04 279 or (+95) 01
40 15 89. Email: zani@
inspirationmyanmar.com.
mm, [email protected]
CARDNO EMERGING
Markets has been short
listed by the Department
of Rural Development to
tender for two townships
as part of the Myanmar
National Community
Driven Development
Project funded by the
World Bank and are
looking for Myanmar
consultants for the
following positions: (1)
Finance Offcer - 2 posts
(2)Procurement Offcer
- 2 posts (3)Monitoring
and Evaluation and
MIS Offcer 2 posts
(4)Infrastructure &
Safeguards Specialist
2 posts (5)Social
Accountability & Gender
Specialist 2 posts.
The two townships that
we are bidding for are
Tatkon Township, Nay
Pyi Taw and Htantabin
Township, Yangon.
Cardno Emerging
Markets is an equal
opportunity employer
and is committed to
child protection in all
felds. Apply with CV
and cover letter to
cardnorecruitment@
icloud.comASAP.
WE ARE a GERMAN
company & looking
for new employees to
be based in our new
Yangon Offce that we
are going to set up very
soon! We are looking
for sales Engineers
to fll the following
positions 1.Graphics
and Printing Supplies
2.Food Processing
Equipment 3.Plastic and
recycling Equipment
4. P harmaceuti cal
Equipment 5.Building
Equipment and
Preparation Equipment
6.Machine Tools and Metal
Production Equipment.
The candidates should
be profcient in English
as well as Burmese.
Comprehensive training
will be given to the right
candidates. If you think
that you are the right
person please send your
CV to the following email
address h.shweyeemg@
rieckermann.com
SALES GIRLS - Female
2 posts (2)Accountant
- Female 1 post
: Graduate, neat and
tidy person . No need to
have experience. Pleae
contact: 40 Aung Myay
Yadanar St, Thu Mingalar
housing, Thingangyun,
Yangon. Ph:09-732-
20460, 09-2540-45560.
A WELL - established
company is looking
for highly-motivated
engineers ((Male only).
Successful candidates will
be employed as service
engineers for installation &
maintenance of advanced
medical equipments
including CT scanner.
Candidates must: a
Bachelor Degree in
Electronics or equivalent,
good command of written
and spoken English,
good basic knowledge
of electronics, willing to
travel within and aboard
Myanmar, Be hard-
working and adaptable.
Previous working
experience is preferable,
but not a necessity as
the company will provide
the necessary training.
Please submit application
form along with the
C.V & recent photo to
Rm 2-C, Shwe Padauk
Condominium: 99/A,
Myay Nu St, Sanchaung,
Yangon. Ph.01-525748
(Within two weeks)
PARKWAY CANCER
Centre, is seeking
(1)Medi cal Doctor
- F 1 post : M.B,B.S
Graduate with SA MA
registration, 2 years
experience in medical feld,
Good communication
in English, Must be
able to use computer,
internet and Microsoft
application with excellent
skills. (2) Accountant
F 1 post : A minimum
degree from university
preferably accounting and
marketing background.
(LCCI Level - 3 ),
Age above 35, Good
communication in English,
2 years experience, Able
to use computer, internet
& Microsoft application
with excellent skills. We
welcome the candidates
who are trust worthy, self-
motivated & outstanding,
willing to learn and able
to focus on work, be
polite and hospitality,
able to communicate
in courteous manners
and must have positive
working attitude. Pease
submit: CV with relevant
certifcates, documents,
recommendation letter
attach, documents &
expected salary to Rm
(G-07), G Flr, Diamond
Center, Pyay Rd,
Kamayut. Tel : 532-438,
532-447, 09-513-6584,
09-4311-9729
CENTER for Vocational
Training (CVT),
Yangon is seeking (1)
Commercial Assistant
Professional Teacher
- M/F 1 post : Bachelor
Degree from University
of Economic or relevant
knowledge. (2) Cabinet
Maker Professi on
Senior Teacher/ HoP -
M/F 1 post : Have relevant
certificate concerned
with furniture making or
civil engineering degree.
Experience in wood based
industry is preferred. (3)
Election Professional
Teacher - M/F 1 post
: B.E (EP), AGTI (EP),
or CVT graduate in
electrician. Experience in
Electrical Installation feld
&Engineer Degree holder
is preferred. (4) Hotel &
Gastronomy Assistant
Profession Teachers-
M/F 2 posts :Must be a
certifcate holder of Room
division (Housekeeping,
Front Offce). Experience
in hotel management. (5)
English Teacher- M/F 1
post : Graduated in B.A
(English) or Diploma in
ELTM (or) ELT (or) FCE.
Prefer the M.A (English)
with 3 years experience.
(6) Financial & General
A d m i n i s t r a t i o n
Assistant - M/F 1 post :
Bachelor of Commerce,
LCCI Level-3 degree
holder or the same
education. Working
experience in accounting
is preferred. 5 years
experience & 2 years
teaching experience for
1 to 5 positions. Good
command in English (4
skills) is preferable &using
a computer (Microsoft
Office). Periodically
revise the curricula and up
to date level of profession
know-how and actively
participate in Team
Work. Please submit an
application letter with
CV or CVT Application,
recent passport photo,
Copy of relevant
documents and labour
Card to the reception
counter or by email
before 30
th
September
2014. Contact: 3
rd
Flr,
MRCS Bldg 42, Strand
Rd, Botahtaung, Yangon.
Email: hrcvtmyanmar@
gmail.com
WE ARE looking for
sal es Engi neers
to fll the following
positions (1).Graphics
& Printing Supplies
(2).Food Processing
Equipment (3).Plastic
& recycling Equipment
(4).Phar mac eut i c al
Equipment (5).Build
ing Equipment &
Preparation Equipment
(6).Machi ne Tool s
& Metal Production
Equi pment . The
candidates should be
profcient in English
as well as Burmese.
Comprehensive training
will be given to the right
candidates. If you think
that you are the right
person please send your
CV to h.shweyeemg@
rieckermann.com
HYUNDAI MOTOR
Myanmar is seeking
for Yangon offce. (1).
Pl anni ng Manager,
Spare parts M/F 1 post
(2).Sales staff (Lubricant)
- M 1 Post (3).Translator
- F 1 Post (4).Operation
support Assistant - M/F
2 Posts (5).Auto-Lease
Engineer - M 1 Post (6).
Dealer Development
Engineer - M 1 Post
(7).Junior Technician
- M 1 Post (8).B to B
Executive - M/F 1 Post.
Mandalay Offce (1).Car
Sales Manager - M/F 1
Post (2).Car Sales Staff-
M/F 1 Post. Closing date
: 30.9.2014. Interested
applicants kindly email
updated resume in
MS Word format to:
fk.intermotor@gmail.
com (or) Hyundai Car
Showroom: 2/6, 2 Quarter,
Corner of Yangon-Insein
Rd & Thamine Station
Rd, Thamine J unction,
Mayangone, Yangon. Ph:
654881 ~4, Ext.143.
VACANCY for An
Accountant: There is
vacancy for an accountant
post as Daw Khin Kyi
Foundation Office.
Applicant can come for
interview at Inya Lake
Hotel, Room No. (004)
during offce hours.
PREMIUM Distribution
Co., Ltd. Aung San
Stadium (North Wing)
(Near City Mart Super
market), (1)Sales Senior
Supervisor - Taunggyi
(1 Post)/ Bagan (1 Post/
Mandalay (1 Post), (2)
Auditor - Male 1 Post, (3)
Marketing Promotion
Supervisor - Female
1 Post) premium.
hr.recruitment@gmail.
com, Hot Lines: 01-
249192, 249122.
LOLC Myanmar
Microfnance Company
Limited is seeking Admin
Executive (one position)
in Head Offce, Yangon:
Bachelor's degree
with at least two years
relevant experience.
Must have good planning
skill, organizing skill and
ability to manage and
prioritize tasks. Fluent
in written and spoken
English and translation
skills. Computer skills
in Microsoft Offce. Pls
submit a Cover letter
& CV to the LOLC
Microfnance Company
Limited. Applications: will
be accepted by email at:
Careers@lolcmyanmar.
com or by delivery
to LOLC Myanmar
Microfnance Company
Limited, 163, Shwe Hnin
Si Kan St, Mayangone,
Yangon.
INTER GROUP of
Companies is an int'l
management consulting
company is looking for
Assistant Accountant
- M/F 1 post ing Yangon:
B.Comor B.Act or LCCI
- DA or DMA (Level
-III passed). 5 years
experiences in accounting
field (final account
preparation knowledge
is required). Computer
literate, especially in
spread-sheet of excel
and MYOB accounting
software. English
language must be skilled
in four skills. Interested
applicants who meet the
above-mentioned criteria
are invited to submit
detailed CV in person
or by email, stating your
current & expected salary,
date of availability, reason
for leaving and a recent
passport photo to 7(D),
1st Flr, 6 Miles, Pyay
Rd, Hlaing, Yangon, Tel:
09-731-05353, 09-731-
05340 Email: hr-ygn@
icononline.net
( 1) M E C H A N I C A L
Engineer - M/F 1 post (2)
Electrical Engineer - M/F
1 post : Age 40~50, 5 ~10
years experience, Fluent
in English (4 skills) (3)
Project Manager - M/F 1
post : Age 30 ~45, Fluent
in English (4 skills), Good
Management & 5~10
years experience. Pls
contact to (10) (I) Pyithu
St, 7 Mile, Mayangone.
Ph: 09-2500-12054,
09-3038-7548, 09- 732-
00147.
(1)HAIR STYLIST - 1
post (2)Professional
Spa Staff - 1 post (3)
Nail Artist 1 post (4) All
round - 1 post. Pls contact
to No (10) (I) Pyithu St, 7
Mile, Mayangone. Ph:
09-2500-12054, 09-3038-
7548, 09-732-00147
Vacancy Announcement
Yangon International School (YIS) is looking for candidates for the
following position.
Maintenance and Facility Manager (M/F)
Requirements : Bachelor degree or higher and minimum 4 years of
relevant experience. Previous knowledge of facility management,
procurement and maintenance coordination. Good command of both
English and Myanmar languages, good interpersonal skills with self-motivation,
good computer skills, service minded, ability to work in team, lead others to
get things done effciently, and manage several tasks simultaneously.
Interested applicants are requested to send a CV and a brief cover
letter by Oct 3, 2014 explaining their interest in the positions via
email to [email protected] or to the following address:
YIS, 117, Thumingalar Main Road, Thumingalar Housing, Thingangyun
Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Phone: 01 578171, 09420163769.
website: www.yismyanmar.com
We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for
personal interview.
68 Sport THE MYANMAR TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 - 28, 2014
B
OXING queen Mary Kom,
whose life story has in-
spired a Bollywood movie
on her life, hopes to over-
come Olympic heartbreak
by proving at the Asian Games that
she still packs a mean punch.
The 31-year-old mother-of-three
from Indias north-eastern state of
Manipur wants to reproduce the form
that won her an incredible ve world
titles in the 46-48kg category between
2002 and 2010.
What should have been Koms mo-
ment of high glory, when womens box-
ing was introduced as a medal sport at
the London Olympics in 2012, turned
into a personal disappointment that
still nags her.
Fighting in a new 51kg yweight
category, Kom narrowly lost to Brit-
ains Nicola Adams in the semi-nals
and was left with a bronze medal in a
sport she once dominated.
I felt I had let the country down,
Kom told AFP while promoting the
Mary Kom movie starring Bolly-
wood star Priyanka Chopra that was
released across India last week.
Being part of the Olympics was a
dream and there I was standing on the
podium. But the Indian anthem was
not playing. That hurt badly.
It was the second time in two years
that Kom had been relegated to third
place. She had to settle for the bronze
at the Asian Games in Guangzhou af-
ter losing to home favourite Ren Can-
can in the semi-nals.
The disappointed Kom devoted
more time to family life and she and
her husband Onler were blessed with
a third son in May last year following
the birth of twins in 2007.
Fears that Kom was past her best
were raised when she failed to qualify
for the Commonwealth Games this
year after losing in the trials to a
younger opponent, Pinky Jangra.
But Kom, dubbed Magnicent,
Queen and even Holy by Indias
media, proved her critics wrong last
month by beating Jangra to book her
place at the Asian Games, where she
wants to win more laurels for her
country.
One thing I dont do is give up,
I love to ght against the odds, said
Kom. Its nothing new. I have been
doing it all my life.
Kom, who named her autobiography
Unbreakable has come a long way since
growing up as the child of an uneducat-
ed labourer in a Manipuri village, con-
stantly being told not to take up boxing
because it could ruin her looks.
Kom tried her hand at track and
eld before settling for boxing, in-
spired by the gold-medal winning feat
of a fellow Manipuri, Dingko Singh, at
the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok.
Her other childhood idols included
the legendary Muhammad Ali and
his boxing daughter Laila. I realised
womens boxing was a serious sport
even if it was not taken seriously in
India, she said.
Kom is one of Indias most deco-
rated women having won the coun-
trys highest sporting award, the Rajiv
Gandhi Khel Ratna, in 2009 followed
by the third highest civilian award, the
Padma Bhushan, in 2013.
To ensure the hardships she faced
as a young boxer did not discourage
others, she started the Mary Kom Box-
ing Academy in Manipurs capital Im-
phal which provides free training to
underprivileged children.
Kom said she was amused and taken
by surprise when a Bollywood producer
approached her about the movie.
I did not think my life was so in-
teresting, Kom laughed. I just hope
the lm inspires young people to take
up sports. Not just boxing, but any
sport.
She later admitted she was dis-
appointed the lm would not be
screened in Manipur because sepa-
ratist rebels threaten violent repris-
als against theatre-owners who show
Hindi lms. AFP
A SINGAPOREAN businessman sus-
pected of running a global football
match-xing syndicate has led a legal
challenge against his nearly year-long
detention without trial, ofcials con-
rmed on September 16.
The home afairs ministry said
Dan Tan, also known as Tan Seet
Eng, is demanding his release after
being held since October 2013 under
a special law that allows for inde-
nite detention.
He was detained as part of a round-
up of 14 people in a major crackdown
on corruption in global football.
Singapore authorities invoked the
special law due to the difculty of nd-
ing evidence against Tan.
In response to AFP queries about
Tan, a spokesperson from the minis-
try replied that an application for the
review of a detention order has been
received.
The application is now being
processed by the Attorney Generals
Chamber, she added.
Tans lawyer Hamidul Haq told the
Straits Times newspaper his detention
should be reviewed by the courts
as match-xing cases should not be
within the domain of detention with-
out trial.
Home Afairs Minister Teo Chee
Hean previously said the special law
under which Tan and three others
have been detained is used as a last
resort in cases where accomplices
and witnesses dare not testify against
criminals in court, for fear of reprisal.
The law is typically used against
members of organised criminal
syndicates.
It allows authorities to hold sus-
pects indenitely, with yearly reviews.
Tan, 50, is wanted in Italy for alleg-
edly playing a role in the wide-ranging
calcioscommesse or football betting,
scandal, which implicated a swathe of
big names and clubs.
He has also been charged in absen-
tia in Hungary for allegedly manipu-
lating 32 games in three European
countries.
In a book about Singapores deep
links with global match-xing released
this year, local investigative journalist
Zaihan Mohamed Yusof said authori-
ties swooped down on Tans gang after
uncovering their plans to rig the 2014
World Cup in Brazil.
Experts have said that easy in-
ternational transport, a passport ac-
cepted around the world and uency
in English and Mandarin have helped
Singaporean xers spread their inu-
ence abroad with the support of exter-
nal investors, most believed to be from
China.
In July, a Singapore court sen-
tenced Singaporean nightclub owner
Eric Ding to three years in prison for
providing prostitutes to three Leba-
nese football referees in an attempt to
rig future matches. AFP
NEW DELHI
Bollywood queen comes out ghting
Indian boxing great Mary Kom eyes a career revival at the Asian Games in Incheon
SINGAPORE
Alleged match-xing
kingpin challenges
detention in Singapore
One thing I dont
do is give up. I love
to ght against the
odds.
Mary Kom
Indian boxer
Indian boxer Mary Kom working out during a training session for the 2012
London Olympics at the Balewadi Sports Complex in Pune. Photo: AFP
Sport 69 www.mmtimes.com
INCHEON
Smiles and scrums as
North Korea ag goes up
N
ORTH Korea were wel-
comed to the Asian Games
on September 18 to the
strains of Gangnam Style,
their athletes and ofcials
gave a polite smile but put up a wall of
stony silence in return.
North Korean athletes looked on
blankly as breakdancers performed to
the international hit by South Korean
star Psy.
Their Singaporean, Chinese, Thai
and Yemeni counterparts smiled and
took pictures as dancers spun to the
tune that has inspired more than 2 bil-
lion YouTube views. Only one North
Korean woman dared the slightest
handclap.
In contrast, the North Korean del-
egation belted out the words to their
national anthem, Aegukga, or Patri-
otic Song, as the isolated states ag
was hoisted in the athletes village
along with those of the other new
arrivals.
It was a unique occasion as nor-
mally anyone waving the Norths ag
or singing Aegukga in South Korea
could face arrest under Seouls strict
national security law.
North Koreas presence has been
one of the main talking points ahead
of the Asian Games, which ofcially
opened in Incheon on September 19.
Their athletes and ofcials, mobbed
by journalists at the ag-raising cer-
emony, appeared to be under instruc-
tion to stay tight-lipped. A couple of
burly minders were on hand to fend
of persistent reporters.
Dressed in pristine white blazers
and vivid blue trousers, and all wear-
ing obligatory pin badges featuring
North Koreas dead leaders Kim Il
Sung and Kim Jong Il, the athletes
responded to questions with polite
smiles and total silence.
Only one ofcial broke ranks, when
asked how the delegation felt about
the event: Just look, you can see for
yourself.
The North Koreans seemed be-
mused by the whole ceremony.
The athletes were accompanied on
their walk to the ag plaza at the vil-
lage by clowns on stilts and unicyles,
as well someone dressed up as one of
the Games mascots Chumoro, a cud-
dly pink seal.
As the North Koreans made their
way from the plaza to their accommo-
dation block they were surrounded by
a rolling maul of camaramen, photog-
raphers and reporters but still kept
mum.
The North Korean ag has already
proved contentious at the Games, with
organisers saying they will conscate
any found on South Koreans entering
any of the venues.
Ofcials have also removed the
Norths ag from the streets around
venues after anti-Pyongyang activists
protested about having the North Ko-
rean emblem ying among them.
The North Korean ag is displayed
along with other national ags at the
ofcial venues, and North Korean del-
egation members can bring their ags
to events.
And the North delegation have
already hung at least half a dozen gi-
ant ags from the windows of their
apartment blocks in the athletes vil-
lage.
North Korea, who won six golds
at the 2010 Asian Games, are send-
ing 150 athletes to Incheon and al-
most as many many coaches and of-
cials, one of the biggest delegations
to the South since the Korean War
was halted with an armistice in 1953.
AFP
North Korean team members sing the national anthem during a welcome
ceremony at the athletes village of the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon on
September 18. Photo: AFP
70 Sport THE MYANMAR TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 - 28, 2014
INCHEON
Indonesia
to host
2018 Asiad
IN PICTURES
Photo: AFP
Prime time: Devin Hester of the Atlanta Falcons returns a punt for a
touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 18 in Atlanta,
breaking the all-time returns for touchdown record.
T
HE Olympic Council
of Asia (OCA) execu-
tive board last week ap-
proved Indonesia as
hosts for the 2018 Asian
Games which faces a growing battle
to nd venues because of the cost.
The continents sports leaders
had to nd a quick replacement
after Vietnam said in April that it
could no longer aford to stage the
next Asian Games.
Today it has been approved by
the EB [executive board] that in
2018 will be the next Asian Games
in Jakarta in Indonesia, council
president Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad
Al-Sabah said on September 18.
The bodys general assembly
should rubber stamp the deci-
sion on September 20. But Sheikh
Amad stressed that an earlier spe-
cial assembly had given him the
authority to decide and nd the
replacement to Vietnam.
Ade Lukman, an Indonesian
Olympic Committee ofcial, said
the country was delighted. Being
selected to host the Asian Games
is an honour for the Indonesian
people, he told AFP.
The worlds biggest multi-sport
event after the Olympics will
this year feature 13,000 athletes,
coaches and ofcials from 45 na-
tions across 36 sports.
Vietnam had originally been
picked to host the 18
th
Games in
2019, but withdrew blaming fall-
out from an economic crisis. In-
donesia immediately became fa-
vourites to take on the showpiece
event with no other serious can-
didate.
The OCA initially scheduled
the event for 2019 to avoid any
clash with the Olympics. The 2018
Winter Olympics are in South Ko-
rea and the 2020 Olympics are in
Tokyo.
But Jakarta told the OCA that
if they were to host the Asiad, it
would have to be a year earlier, in
2018, because presidential elec-
tions are scheduled for 2019.
In its original bid for the event,
Indonesia put forward the coun-
trys second-biggest city, Sura-
baya, as the host.
However ofcials have now de-
cided to make the capital Jakarta
the main host city, with events
also planned for other cities, in-
cluding Palembang and Bandung.
Indonesia last staged the Asian
Games in 1962 in Jakarta.
These cities already have inter-
national-standard stadiums and fa-
cilities .... They are well-equipped,
said Lukman, adding there were
also plans for new facilities.
Indonesia staged the 2011
Southeast Asian Games but ran
into problems, with some venues
not ready on time and the death
of two people in a stampede at the
football nal.
But Lukman insisted, We are
better prepared and we are con-
dent we wont have the same prob-
lems we saw during the Southeast
Asian Games.
Indonesian boxing star Chris
John, who retired last year af-
ter being dethroned as the world
featherweight champion, said it
was great news.
I think it will help raise Indo-
nesias prole around the world,
and Im sure it will give our home
team more condence when they
compete, he told AFP.
Sheikh Ahmad said no deci-
sion has been taken on whether
the 19
th
Games would revert to
its original slot of 2023 or come a
year earlier in 2022 following the
Indonesia switch.
He also refused to be drawn on
the exact number of sports in In-
donesia, but said the OCA would
not revert to the 42 disputed in
Guangzhou, China four years ago.
Surabaya was in November 2012
pipped by Hanoi to be the host of
the next Asian Games after Dubai
pulled out just before the vote.
The victory sparked celebra-
tions among Vietnamese ofcials,
who said the decision would un-
lock millions of dollars in infra-
structure investment.
But with its economy in cri-
sis, a decaying sports infrastruc-
ture and an uninspiring athletics
record, public sentiment never
swung behind the ofcial cam-
paign. AFP
GENERAL SANTOS
Stop blabbing and ght me,
Pacquiao tells Mayweather
PHILIPPINE boxing superstar Manny
Pacquiao threw down a fresh challenge
to Floyd Mayweather Jr on September
18, daring the American world champi-
on to ght me instead of setting terms
that could torpedo the dream bout.
Hes all talk. Until now he has not
yet agreed to ght me. Instead of blab-
bing, he should face me atop the ring,
Pacquiao told AFP in an interview.
Ring fans the world over have been
baying for a mega-ght between two
of the worlds greatest boxers of their
generation, but previous talks have al-
ways broken down before a deal could
be signed.
Pacquiao, 35, has held world titles
in eight separate weight divisions.
He is training to defend his World
Boxing Organization welterweight title
against another undefeated American,
Chris Algieri, in Macau in November.
Mayweather, who scored a lopsid-
ed victory over Marcos Maidana in a
rematch in Las Vegas on September
13, pushing his record to 47-0, later
denied he was trying to safeguard his
unblemished record by avoiding Pac-
quiao.
However, he said a Pacquiao bout
would have to be on the Americans
terms.
Pacquiao retorted September 18
that great ghters did not duck facing
the best and did not let any challenge
pass by.
Im tired of his alibis. If he really
wants to ght me, he knows how to
reach me. We can ght anytime, any-
where, Pacquiao added.
The Filipino, who has won 56, lost
ve and drawn two ghts, also dis-
missed the manner of Mayweathers
second Maidana win, in which the
American retained his World Boxing
Council and World Boxing Association
welterweight titles.
To me, Maidana won that ght.
Mayweathers face and lips were swell-
ing compared to Maidanas unblem-
ished face, Pacquiao said.
Ahead of his bout in Macau, Pac-
quiao said he would not underesti-
mate Algieri, 30.
Im not taking Algieri lightly. Hes
taller than me and moves around the
ring with savvy. Thats why I started
my training early, Pacquiao said.
His assistant trainer Buboy Fernan-
dez said they would focus on develop-
ing a game plan, as well as honing Pac-
quiaos technique and footwork.
Algieri uses the ring well and he
loves to lean on the ropes. We must
devise a strategy to counter this, Fer-
nandez added, warning Pacquiao to
beware of the Americans left upper-
cut.
Hes fast, but not as fast as Timo-
thy Bradley. So he can be an easy tar-
get for our boxer, Fernandez said.
American Bradley beat Pacquiao in
a controversial split decision in 2012,
but lost the rematch by unanimous de-
cision last April. AFP
INCHEON
Olympic body encouraging Saudi
to eld more women athletes
THE president of the Olympic Coun-
cil of Asia (OCA) said on September
18 the body was encouraging Saudi
Arabia to put forward female athletes
after the kingdom brought only men
to Asiad.
OCA President Sheikh Ahmad Al-
Fahad Al-Sabah told reporters he was
hopeful Saudi women would appear in
future Games.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) on
September 17 slammed Saudi Arabias
decision not to include women in its
Asian Games team for the multi-sports
event in South Korea as a backward
step.
The Arab state took two women to
the 2012 Olympics in London 800m
runner Sarah Attar and judoka Wod-
jan Shahrkani after lifting a ban on
women competing in the Games.
But a men-only squad of 202 makes
up its representation at the 17th Asiad,
which ofcially opened in Incheon on
September 18.
Sheikh Ahmad said he did not be-
lieve Saudi Arabia had changed its
policy after London.
Before, maybe we had to continue
to have doubts about it. But Saudi Ara-
bia already participated with female
athletes in London, he said during
a break in an OCA Executive Board
meeting.
That means they are not against
participation in principle. Maybe they
dont technically have somebody to
participate, Sheikh Ahmad added.
Of course we are encouraging
them. But today we cannot say they
are not allowing [women] because in
the London Games they participated.
I hope they will have somebody
qualied for the future.
HRW said Saudi Arabias decision
not to bring any women to the Asian
Games was a backward step for wom-
ens participation in sport.
Saudi Arabia needs to end its dis-
crimination against women and en-
sure womens right to participate in
sport on an equal basis with men, Sa-
rah Leah Whitson, HRWs Middle East
and North Africa director, said.
In contrast to Saudi Arabia, Qatar
have sent a record 55 women in its 260
strong Asian Games delegation.
Qatar had two women in their
London Olympics team in 2012 their
rst female Olympians including
shooter Bahia al-Hamad, who is the
Gulf states top female hope for Asian
Games success. AFP
Sport 71 www.mmtimes.com
T
HE National Football
League faced a backlash
from sponsors last week as
it battled to stem negative
headlines from a string of
violent of-eld incidents involving
star players.
Brewer Anheuser-Busch, one of the
worlds richest leagues biggest corpo-
rate sponsors, issued a strongly word-
ed statement saying the NFL must do
better in its handling of controversies,
which have dominated the rst two
weeks of the new season.
We are disappointed and increas-
ingly concerned by the recent inci-
dents that have overshadowed this
NFL season, Anheuser-Busch said.
We are not yet satised with the
leagues handling of behaviors that
so clearly go against our own com-
pany culture and moral code. We have
shared our concerns and expectations
with the league.
The dissatisfaction of such a key
corporate partner could prove the big-
gest threat yet to the tenure of NFL
Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Goodell came under re for his
handling of Ray Rice, the Baltimore
running back who was sacked by the
Ravens and banned indenitely from
the league but only after a video of
him punching his wife surfaced this
month.
Goodell had earlier banned Rice
just two games for the February inci-
dent, provoking charges that the NFL
was soft on domestic violence.
Although Goodell has since moved
to shore up the leagues domestic vio-
lence disciplinary code, the hits just
keep on coming.
Minnesota Vikings running back
Adrian Peterson has been welcomed
back by his team despite facing a
charge of child abuse in Texas.
Peterson is accused of whipping
his four-year-old son so that the child
bore visible injuries days later.
The Carolina Panthers have mean-
while performed an about-face and
dropped defensive end Greg Hardy,
who played the rst game of the sea-
son as he appeals his conviction for
assaulting a former girlfriend and
threatening to kill her.
But San Francisco 49ers coach Jim
Harbaugh insisted on September 15
that the team wouldnt inch in the
face of calls to bench defensive end
Ray McDonald, who has played the
rst two games of the season even as
he faces charges of striking his preg-
nant girlfriend.
The ugliness of the incidents has
sparked widespread comment, with
the governor of Minnesota calling for
Peterson to be suspended until his
case is resolved.
Whipping a child to the extent of
visible wounds, as has been alleged,
should not be tolerated in our state,
Governor Mark Dayton said.
Daytons comments on Peterson
follow demands from US lawmakers
and groups including the National Or-
ganization of Women that the league
step up its game on dealing with of-
eld violence by players.
The furor has overshadowed other
ongoing issues tarnishing the league
such as the danger of concussion and
brain injury to players in the violent
game and the ongoing calls for the
Washington Redskins to change their
racially charged name.
The rms that have long banked on
the leagues immense popularity are
clearly getting antsy.
Radisson hotels on September 15
suspended their sponsorship of the
Vikings pending further assessment of
the Peterson case.
Cosmetics maker Cover Girl the
ofcial beauty sponsor of the NFL is-
sued a statement saying it had encour-
aged the NFL to take swift action on
their path forward to address the issue
of domestic violence.
Online activists seeking Goodells
ouster have used a digitally altered im-
age from Cover Girls Get Your Game
Face On advertising campaign, which
features women glamorously made up
in the colors of each of the 32 NFL team.
A rst version of the doctored im-
age showing the model sporting Ra-
vens colors with a black eye was post-
ed on social media on September 11.
It has been followed by a further
retouched image, often linked to the
#Goodellmustgo campaign calling
for the ouster of the commissioner and
a boycott of NFL sponsors. AFP
LOS ANGELES
Sponsors nervous as NFL
struggles with violence issue
Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings runs the ball at Edward Jones Dome
on September 7 in St Louis, Missouri. Photo: AFP
Sport
72 THE MYANMAR TIMES SEPTEMBER 22 - 28, 2014 SPORT EDITOR: Tim McLaughlin | [email protected]
Indonesia tapped to host
2018 Asian Games
SPORT 70
L
I Na single-handedly
sparked a tennis revolution
in Asia and became one of
the worlds most success-
ful athletes thanks to her
erce determination to overcome the
odds.
The straight-talking, wise-crack-
ing Li earned an army of fans when
she became the rst Asian national
to win a Grand Slam singles title at
the French Open in 2011.
When she added a second Slam
title at the Australian Open in Janu-
ary, her legacy was complete and the
touchpaper had been lit for tennis to
take of across the continent.
Li, 32, said she would forever be
proud of her inuence in popularis-
ing tennis in China, and beyond, as
she announced her retirement on
September 19 after a series of debili-
tating knee injuries.
Having the unique opportunity
to efectively bring more attention to
the sport of tennis in China and all
over Asia is something I will cherish
forever, Li said in a Facebook post
on September 19.
But in sport, just like in life, all
great things must come to an end.
Lis success has been infectious.
Compatriot Peng Shuai reached the
semi-nals of the recent US Open
and Japans Kei Nishikori was
the mens runner-up, something
that would have been beyond the
dreams of Asian fans only a few
years ago.
Such is Chinas new appetite for
tennis that this week, Lis home city
of Wuhan hosts a new, premier-level
tournament, one of six WTA Tour-
level events on Chinese soil this year
including last weeks inaugural Hong
Kong Open.
Just as I didnt think I could ever
be a Grand Slam champion, never
in my wildest dreams did I imagine
that some of the best female athletes
in the world could play tennis in Wu-
han, in my backyard, said Li in her
statement.
Over the course of Lis rise,
Womens Tennis Association (WTA)
chief Stacey Allaster put her front
and centre of a concerted push into
Asia.
Li was the cover girl for last years
Time magazine issue which listed her
among the worlds 100 most inuen-
tial people.
After a fallow period following
the 2011 French Open victory, dis-
tracted by sponsors and media com-
mitments, she took the bold move of
sacking her husband Jiang Shan as
coach and teaming up with Carlos
Rodriguez.
She went on to end 2013 at world
number three and then in January
won the Australian Open after losing
two nals there in 2011 and 2013.
I nally got here, she told the
crowd.
Much has been made of her brave
and career-dening decision to opt
out of Chinas rigid state sports sys-
tem and go it alone, hiring her own
coaches and controlling her
earnings.
Often seen as a maverick, she also
deed Chinese convention by getting
a tattoo a red rose, on her chest.
The Chinese system initially
groomed Li for badminton, following
in the footsteps of her father. But she
was switched to tennis, against her
wishes, at the age of nine.
At the time, tennis was not so
popular in China. After my family
saw the court, they said, okay, well
change. I was like, why didnt you
ask me? she recalled later.
Lis father passed away when she
was 14, and she gave up tennis in her
early twenties to study journalism,
frustrated by her inability to reach
the main draw of Grand Slams.
But a plea to play in a national
competition reignited her passion,
and she became the spearhead of a
new generation of Chinese womens
players who broke new ground.
In 2004, she became the rst Chi-
nese woman to win a WTA title, in
Guangzhou, and then in 2006 the
rst to reach a Grand Slam quarter-
nal, at Wimbledon.
After leaving Chinas state system
in 2008, her breakthrough season
was 2011, when she won in Sydney
before losing the Australia Open -
nal tearfully to Kim Clijsters.
However, she would have just
four months to wait for a historic
Grand Slam title, edging gritty Ital-
ian Francesca Schiavone to lift the
French Open.
Li goes out having earlier this
year been number two in the world,
her highest career ranking, and as an
inspiration to millions of Asians.
Ive seen change happening in
front of my eyes, young girls picking
up tennis racquets, setting goals, fol-
lowing their hearts and believing in
themselves, she said on Facebook.
I hope that Ive had the opportu-
nity to inspire young women all over
China to believe in themselves, to set
their goals high and pursue them
with vengeance and self-belief.
AFP
BEIJING
Li Na, Chinas tennis
revolutionary, retires
Li Na poses with the trophy after her victory against at the Australian Open in
Melbourne on January 25. Photo: AFP
YADANARBON Football Club repre-
senting Mandalay Region has been
crowned champions of the Myanmar
National League season after a critical
win last week.
Yadanarbon FC topped Nay Pyi
Taw FC 2-1 on September 14 in a rain
soaked match that was delayed for
two- and-a-half hours due to ooding
on the eld.
Despite the sloppy conditions,
Yadanarbon striker Yan Paing found
the back of the net early, putting his
side up 1-0 in the rst ve minutes of
play. Fonseca added a second goal in
the 63
rd
minute.
Nay Zaw Aung scored Nay Pyi
Taws only goal.
Im so happy for the Yandanarbon
team and Im proud as Yandanarbons
player. Next year, we will do our best
at AFC Cup and the 2015 MNL compe-
tition, Yan Paing told The Myanmar
Times.
Yadanarbon still has one match re-
maining this season, a showdown with
Southern Myanmar United on Sep-
tember 28 in Mandalay, but the teams
position as champions is secured.
This is the third time that Yandan-
arbon has taken the title. The team
won in 2009 and 2010. The teams
third title is the rst won by a local
coach, Khin Mg Tint.
Translation by Myat Su Mon Win
Yadanarbon
FC clinches
third title
SITHU LWIN
[email protected]
KYAW ZIN HLAING
[email protected]
Yadanarbon and Nay Pyi Taw players
vie for the ball. Photo: Si Thu Lwin

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