January 30 - February 5, 2012

myanmartimes
Myanmars first international weekly Volume 31, No. 612 1200 Kyats

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Peace likely if KIO India backs project Dollar, FEC rise Tehran offers adjusts demands > 3 after review call > 10 on car demand > 11 talks on nukes > 19

NEWS

NEWS

BUSINESS

WORLD

Parliament opens with focus on budget, corruption

By Jason Szep IN Myanmars sprawling parliamentary complex, lawmakers flexed their newly democratic muscles last week. Some drafted anti-graft legislation for corrupt nations or clamoured for transparency on a typically secret national budget. Others wanted answers from the government: Why are train lines across the country woefully inefficient? Will the government move faster to revamp clearer foreign-exchange rate laws and hold companies to task for shabby infrastructure on state contracts? Myanmars parliament began a third session on January 26 with feisty stirrings of democracy, under pressure to accelerate economic and political reforms that could soon convince the West to lift decades-old sanctions. The main legislation up for debate requires the government to seek parliamentary approval for its budget. That alone is a significant change for Myanmar, where past military regimes drew up spending plans in secrecy, often carving out largesse for the army. In the cavernous hallways of the lower house and the gilded main legislative chamber, legislators expressed unvarnished views, including some scathing criticism of government policy by those in the opposition. It wasnt always this way. When we first came to parliament, we were worried we might be arrested, said U Ba Shin, a member of the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party, a major ethnic party that won nine of the 440 seats in the lower house, or Pyithu Hluttaw. Now there is less fear among the people. But many people still dont know their rights or speak their minds in parliament. There is big room for improvement. In addition to the lower house there is a 224-seat upper house. But changes inside the hluttaw are at the heart of the most dramatic reforms since the army took power in a 1962 coup and ushered in five decades of military rule. Thura U Shwe Mann, speaker of the house and a member of the militarybacked dominant party that won the election, encouraged lawmakers to speak their minds on at least three occasions in the second session of parliament, from August 22 to November 25. Thura U Shwe Manns call for openness is in stark contrast to a year ago, when he was the powerful third-in-command of the State Peace and Development Council. More page 4

The two Shangri-la owned towers on the southern edge of Kandawgyi Lake. The Malaysia-backed group plans to revive the project, mothballed after the Asian Financial Crisis, within two-and-a-half years, turning the towers into serviced apartments. Pic: Kaung Htet

Shangri-la to revive twin towers project

a variety of theories to explain why the project was never completed. A popular story was that the buildings failed a soil test, with proponents pointing out that one of the towers appears to lean to one side. Yangon is a city that seems to runs on rumour but in this case theres not a shred of truth, says Mr Craig Powell, general manager of Traders Hotel, which is also substantially owned and managed by the Shangri-la group. The ground is perfectly stable, he told The Myanmar Times earlier this month. You might recall that in 2010 we had an earthquake in Yangon and following that not only did we get a structural engineer in to assess our hotel but we took a look at the [Kandawgyi] site as well. After almost 15 years on ice the buildings naturally look

THE ghostly concrete husks on the southern fringe of Kandawgyi Lake are among Yangons most discussed buildings. And they are set to get tongues wagging again, with the developer dusting off plans to turn the mothballed towers into serviced apartments. A grandiose but unfinished project of Malaysian billionaire Robert Kuoks Shangri-la Yangon Company Limited, work on the towers was suspended in 1998. They have since been the subject of perpetual rumour, with Yangon residents espousing

a little worse for wear but Mr Powell insisted they were 100 percent structurally sound. If the foundation or the land was unstable clearly we would have seen the effects or there would have been evident damage to the two towers. That has not been the case. Its not sinking either, nothing of the kind. Put it this way: After [Shangrila] had done an assessment and feasibility study they wouldnt be going ahead if the place wasnt fit to continue, he says. More page 4

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Perceptions of world leaders often differ

IT is odd how foreign observers often have a different perception of a countrys political leader than citizens of that country do. Take the case of Malaysias former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who was roundly despised in the West, especially in the United States. But at home, Mahathir was viewed, rightly, as a visionary leader who turned his formerly docile and disparate nation into an economic powerhouse. In a reverse way, former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was feted in Washington and other Western capitals, while steadily inspiring revulsion among her compatriots. Which brings us to the curious case of Thailands opposition leader, Abhisit Vejjajiva, who lost last Julys general election and ceded the prime minister post to Yingluck Shinawatra, a political novice. His loss baffled most foreigners, who had always regarded Abhisit as a splendid national leader and a future Mahathir-like regional giant. Yet he proved a weak and vacillating prime minister after his unexpected, and arguably illegitimate, accession to the post in December 2008. It is a bit curious, since Abhisit, 47, is a pleasant enough chap, who is undeniably clever, photogenic and articulate. But he is simply a lousy politician and a pawn of the elite. As well, he is a man who appears to his fellow Thais as more British than the British again, curious, since he is ethnic Chinese. But he was born in England, educated at Eton and Oxford, carries British citizenship and has a British name, Mark. Simplistic though it may sound, that is why Westerners like him so much. He is one of them. His fellow Thais, however, do not share that sentiment, and he appears congenitally unable to strike a rapport with them, especially with the vast majority of common rural folks. Consequently, there is now widespread griping over his performance within the ranks of Abhisits own Democrat Party. Even the Bangkok Post, a staunchly pro-Abhisit organ, recently reported that party members have refused to keep their displeasure with the party leadership bottled up. As if chastising a wayward teenager, the reports slam Abhisit for mixing with the wrong crowd namely young sycophants whose political acumen is, to put it mildly, badly skewed. As a result, there are now aspiring challengers who are already effectively campaigning to replace Abhisit. The number one Brutus is Abhisits buddy and former finance minister, Korn Chatikavanij. Like Abhisit, Korn is also a member of the Bangkok bourgeoisie and also attended private school in England and then went to Oxford. Korns co-quisling, playing the part of Cassius, is the royalist governor of Bangkok, Sukhumphand Paribatra, whose elitist connections are even tighter than those of Abhisit and Korn. Sukhumphand, who sees himself as a kind of Boss Geddes of the sprawling capital, loathes Abhisit and has no qualms about using the governorship to undercut his titular boss. Bangkok is the partys heart and soul, and if the Democrats cannot build on the seats they have there, they are dead. The dreamy Sukhumphand thinks he, not Abhisit, is the man to do that. Yet while the Democrats appear to be caught between a rock and a hard place, there may be a way out, if Abhisit can shelve his callow, effete demeanour and get down and dirty.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva speaks during a rally for the upcoming elections in Bangkok on June 17, 2011. Thailand's powerful army chief jumped into a heated election battle with a thinly veiled attack on the resurgent opposition led by a sister of fugitive exprime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Pic: AFP It is not impossible, as he has shown when he speaks about his nemesis, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the elder brother of current PM Yingluck. Abhisit once told me, with his lips curling vituperatively: Thaksin is nothing. There is nothing there. The Democrats will never form a coalition with his party while I am leader. Now, if only he could put on a steel glove and talk more like that, and learn to eat fish balls with the plain folks in the paddy fields, hed have a chance of keeping his job. But until that happens, the Democrats must resign themselves to a long sojourn in the political wilderness.

The Mail Box

Dear editor, World leaders started an interfaith movement as a means to stop terrorism; to educate people that their faith or religion requires them to show love and that they should work for the betterment of mankind. But these people do not seem to be aware that economies and administrations need to viewed in the same context. All faiths and religions try to educate people that philanthropic ideologies and nonattachment towards personal greed, lust and anger are positive. To cite an example: today, there are economic crises all around us, and a lot of political turmoil. Every sensible person understands that this is the result of greedy investors and the ruling bodies above them. I do not want to blame anybody specific, however. I want world leaders to see things the way our ancient ancestors have taught us. That is, to look at things from a perspective that I will call Asian Values. So what are Asian Values? To put it in simple terms: You must be sincere and dutiful, and will be rewarded for your sincerity. You do not need to fight for rights. Today, we see that this does not seem to work because not everybody is sincere. Greed and lust prevails everywhere, giving rise to movements like Occupy Wall Street. We have all witnessed that a mistreated wayside hawker in Tunisia caused the turmoil that brought down the ruling body of that nation. The greedy money gamers are nearing their doom if they do not start mending their ways. Even in America, where material goods are highly valued, Andrew Carnegie the richest person of his era donated everything he owned on his death. Why cant the rich of today forsake a certain amount of their property or prosperity to the needy through equitable channels? Not only the leaders but also every individual must do their duty with simplicity and sincerity if we are to enjoy peace and prosperity. If not, we will be just be inviting a noose around our necks. May love for humanity prevail. U Aung Naing, Interfaith Group
Got something to say? We want to hear from you. Address all correspondence to the Editor, The Myanmar Times (English). We endeavour to respond to all correspondencei n a timely manner. Address: 379-383, Bo Aung Kyaw Street, Kyauktada township, Yangon. Telephone: (+951) 392-928, 253-642 Fax: (+951) 392-706 Email: your.myanmar.times@gmail.com

Time for talk on sanctions is over

By Aung Tun ALMOST a decade ago, a Singaporean friend left me lost for words when he said that Myanmar had closed its economy off through its human rights violations, ethnic conflicts, political deadlock, and lack of the rule of law, transparency and progress towards democratisation. How could I respond? He was right. To a certain extent we had isolated ourselves, with our actions encouraging the West to impose economic sanctions. But today Myanmar is a different place, a changed place. Over the past 10 months, I have been continually surprised at the significant steps taken by the President U Thein Seins government, including attempts to end or reduce conflicts with armed ethnic groups; cooperation, if not reconciliation with the democratic opposition; and two amnesties, on October 12 and January 13, that resulted in important p o l i t i c a l f i gu r e s b e i n g released. This progress has led to justifiable calls for the lifting of sanctions. Can we say that Myanmar is in the process of opening up its economy to the outside world? Certainly. The political conditions are not perfect more amnesties need to be granted, fundamental rights restored, peace process completed and democratisation moved forward. Many important reforms are yet to be introduced. Nevertheless, it is no longer the time to debate whether sanctions should be lifted; rather, it is time to discuss how to lift them. Given sanctions work on the carrot and stick principle, positive changes must result in their removal. I dont want to say that the sanctions policy has failed or even been counterproductive; instead I would say it didnt work out as intended. For instance, while business tycoons targeted by sanctions along with their sons, daughters and other relatives have enjoyed access to quality education and healthcare abroad, and even the chance to shop in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, the majority of the population has seen almost every service provided by the government deteriorate. They have been largely unaffected by the sanctions, while we have suffered not only because of sanctions but also the mismanagement that prompted the sanctions to be put in place. This has exacerbated inequality in our society. It seems almost as if the carrot has been applied to the cronies and the stick to the poor. Some have expressed fears that when sanctions are lifted these people and their relatives will prosper further, while the majority of us will see few, if any, benefits. Well, even if that were the case, how would it be different from what is happening now? It is difficult to quantify the psychological effect of sanctions. Without them we have many more reasons to be optimistic about our future. Lifting sanctions would also mean they could not be used as a convenient excuse for mismanagement. The opening up of new export markets and sources of investment and development assistance is likely to benefit many. We also need significant reforms in almost every sector but lack the capacity to do so. These reforms could be achieved with technical assistance from the West but this is precluded by sanctions. Additionally, greater transparency can be expected when representatives of the National League for Democracy are in parliament; the party has always stated that social justice and equitable distribution of wealth is one of its priorities. Having the NLD in a position of some power should go some way towards ensuring post-sanctions economic development is more equitable than what we have seen over the past two decades. While sanctions remain in place, however, the chances of progressive reforms being introduced diminish. During a recent visit to Myanmar, US Senator Mitch McConnell, a long-time supporter of sanctions, laid out three key criteria for the removal of sanctions: allow international observers to monitor the April 1 byelections; stop fighting with the countrys ethnic minorities; end the murky relationship with North Korea. Based on this, sanctions are likely to disappear quite soon. Meeting Mr McConnells demands would seem less challenging than earlier calls for the release of all prisoners of conscience. If all sanctions are lifted, I certainly wont be sad to see them disappear. I believe many others in Myanmar are also eager for the West to play a more positive role in shaping the countrys future. (Aung Tun has formerly worked at The Myanmar Times and non-government organisation Proximity Designs and is currently a research fellow at Myanmar Egress, a Yangon-based training centre and policy thinktank.)

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Peace possible if KIO adjusts demands, says govt negotiator

By Soe Than Lynn A PEACE agreement in northern Myanmar is within reach if the Kachin Independence Organisation changes some of the language it uses in negotiations, a senior Kachin political figure said last week. Amyotha Hluttaw representative U Khet Htein Nan, a member of the union level negotiating team that recently met KIO leaders in Ruili for two days of talks, said an agreement would be possible if the Kachin group rephrases some of its demands. U Khet Htein Nan said some of the contentious points on the KIOs agenda were included in the constitution, such as equal rights for all ethnic groups, but in different language from that used by the KIO. It will be hard to reach an agreement if we follow their wording exactly. For example words like self-determination, he told The Myanmar Times last week. Phrases like equal rights are already included to some extent in the constitution so if the words included in the constitution are complemented by slight changes, I am hopeful that both sides can reach an agreement. Both sides agreed on four points during the most recent meeting and the seven items still under negotiation will be made public following the next round of talks, he said. U Yup Zau Khawng and other ethnic Kachin leaders have again been asked to coordinate between the KIO and the government team and he said further talks were expected before Union Day, on February 12. U Yup Zau Khawng, one of four Kachin elders who have taken on the intermediary role, said he was unsure whether the KIO would agree to change the wording of their demands. It is hard to say [what will happen] in politics. But now both the government and KIO are being more open and transparent. They are obligated to negotiate a settlement for the future benefit of the public, he said. Both sides have a spirit of goodwill [and] believe that longterm stability cannot be achieved through arms and bullets. As they are [committed to] resolving the conflict by means of politics, there is good potential for it to be resolved, he said, adding that the date and venue for the next round of talks was still being negotiated. It was held in Ruili [last time] to avoid something going wrong. The armed forces of both sides are composed of soldiers of various mindsets. While some have portrayed the last round of talks as a failure for not securing a ceasefire agreement, U Khet Htein Nan said fighting had reduced as a result of the January 18-19 meeting. He said there were fewer new refugees and locals had started using the Bhamo-Laiza and Myitkyina-Bhamo roads again. However 20,000 displaced people remain in 62 camps in governmentcontrolled areas, while another 40,000 are believed to be displaced in KIO-controlled areas. Translated by Thit Lwin

88 Generation leader Min Ko Naing speaks at a press conference in Yangon on January 21. Pic: Yadanar

88 Gen backs reformers, Daw Suu Kyi

By Shwe Yinn Mar Oo LEADERS of the 88 Generation student movement say they want to work hand-in-hand with reformers across the political spectrum and also support the role of Daw Aung Suu Kyi. Min Ko Naing, a prominent student leader who was released from prison on January 13 under an amnesty, said at a press conference in Yangon on January 21 that the group was mostly optimistic about the countrys political future. I want to clearly inform that we (88 generation students) would pull the rope (stand) on the side of reformers, said Min Ko Naing. I am not as pessimistic to say that it the glass is half empty, while I dont want to be over optimistic and say it is half full. We are more like fish that need water for our survival, the veteran activist said. We will clearly support those who want to build justice, freedom and equality in the battle against those who want to destroy these three things, he said. Other prominent 88 Generation leaders freed on January 13, including Ko Ko Gyi, Jimmy, Htay Kywe and Mya Aye, also participated in the press conference. The 88 Generation group released a statement the same day in which it expressed support for Daw Aung San Suu Kyis decision to contest the April 1 by-elections. The students also urged the Union Government to work as fast as it could for the return of those who had been forced to leave the country for political reasons and the release of prisoners of conscience who remain behind bars. The group said these two steps were important for improving human resources in the struggle to build a new nation. Unlike US Senator Mitch McConnell, who stated during his recent visit that President U Thein Sein was a reformer, the 88 Generation said it was still watching the presidents actions closely. We will keep our eyes on him [and watch] whether the president does reforms genuinely, said Min Ko Naing. But I hope for [the implementation of promises made in] his very first speech, in which he said he would work hand in hand with people who do not have the same view.

Parties to assist CNF with liaison offices

CHIN political parties are assisting the Chin National Front to open liaison offices in their state, a party leader said last week. The government and CNF reached a preliminary peace agreement in the Chin capital Haka on January 6. A government negotiating team led by Minister for Rail Transportation U Aung Min and Chin State Chief Minister Hung Ngai signed the pact with CNF leader Dr Sui Khar. The p r e - a g r e e m e n t contained items covering freedom of movement for unarmed CNF members throughout the state and the opening of three liaison offices. The will also be able to participate in development activities in Chin State under the agreement. U Zo Zam, chairman of the Chin National Party, said his organisation would assist the CNF to open liaison offices in Tiddim and Thantlang. Chin Progressive Party is also working with the CNF to open a liaison office in Matupi, he said.. U Zo Zam, who also took part in the peace talks as an independent third party, said he supported the terms of the January 6 agreement. Peace is better than fighting. Having a friendly conversation is better than quarrelling so we can say this pre-agreement is the first step to start having a friendly conversation with each other after 23 years of quarrelling, U Zo Zam said. This is the first meeting of the government and CNF, it was brokered by prominent civil society leaders. A second is also planned but we dont know exactly when; it depends on the political situation. I believe there will be peace as soon as the government can guaranteed equal rights as that is what the [CNF] has been fighting for. Nuam Bawi

Sedona Hotel 12 x 4

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January 30 - February 5, 2012
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MyanMar tiMes
Stability of the State, community peace and tranquillity, prevalence of law and order Strengthening of national solidarity Building and strengthening of disciplineflourishing democracy system Building of a new modern developed nation in accord with the Constitution

Four political objectives

Building of modern industrialized nation through the agricultural development, and all-round development of other sectors of the economy Proper evolution of the market-oriented economic system Development of the economy inviting participation in terms of technical know-how and investment from sources inside the country and abroad initiative to shape the national economy must be kept in the hands The of the State and the national peoples

Four economic objectives

Uplift of the morale and morality of the entire nation of national prestige and integrity and preservation Uplift and safeguarding of cultural heritage and national character Flourishing of Union Spirit, the true patriotism Uplift of health, fitness and education standards of the entire nation

Four social objectives

McCain calls for poll observers

By Shwe Yinn Mar Oo UNITED States senator John McCain has called on the government to allow international observers into the country to monitor the byelections on April 1. Mr McCain last week made his second visit to Myanmar, leading a delegation of four US senators that met with President U Thein Sein, speakers of both houses of parliament and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Mr McCain told the media on January 22 that the senators had raised the issue with the president and they wanted international observers to help the election commission with all aspects of ensuring a free and fair election, including voter registrations, party building and campaigning. The president didnt commit either way in response, he said after meeting Daw Aung From Page 1 San Suu Kyi at her house on January 22. By-elections in 48 constituencies across the country are to be held on April 1 and Mr McCain said ensuring they were credible was an important step towards seeing sanctions lifted. But it seems to me if the elections are going to be free and fair the government would want international observers here to tell the world that the elections are free and fair, Mr McCain said. The US senator said that the senators had been very encouraged by the progress that the government has made but there were a number of issues that still need to be addressed, including rule of law, ethnic conflict and the by-elections. We do not expect miracles but we do expect continuous progress in the right direction, he said. President U Thein Sein and his government, with support from Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, were taking real steps towards political and economic reforms, he said, adding that the US government was also taking steps in response. After meeting with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Mr McCain and the three other senators Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Kelly Ayote of New Hampshire held a press conference at the American Centre in Dagon township. Mr McCain, a Republican from Arizona, said at the press conference that the additional actions that the senators wanted to see from the government included the release of hundreds of prisoners of conscience who remain behind bars. He also mentioned the importance of granting the International Committee of the Red Cross access to prisons throughout the country. The senator said he was watching closely the progress towards ending long-running ethnic conflicts and said he was encouraged that President U Thein Sein had ordered the military to halt attacks in conflict areas. However, this needed to be followed by commanders on the ground, he said. Mr McCain also urged the government to build a democratic system based on the rule of law, which he said was not only essential for human rights and freedom of all people in the country but also a prerequisite to attract foreign investment. I am confident that the President Thein Sein seeks to make progress in those areas not because the US requires [it] but because it can improve the lives of the people here because it can strengthen the sovereignty and independence of the nation, Mr McCain said.

Shangri-la to revive
Mr Powell quickly shot down another popular rumour that the buildings are up for sale. Instead, they will be developed into Shangri-la Apartments, a 240-unit serviced apartment complex. The timings right I think [because] there is high demand for quality serviced apartments and a major shortage. Clearly we can see theres an opportunity there and thats why we want to start them up again, or rather finish what we started, Mr Powell said. Thats going to transpire very soon. Yangons current crop of serviced apartments already have long waiting lists and little in the way of new supply is expected over the next two years, Colliers Internationals Yangon Property Market Report 1st Half 2011 stated. Due to limited supply and high demand, every serviced apartment in Yangon is recording high occupancy rates for long term contracts and some projects had a waiting list to stay of more than 50, the report said. With no new supply expected in the next two years this is likely to continue, it added. In this regard Shangri-la has the upper hand on potential competitors because the basic structure and supporting infrastructure are already in place. Look closely enough and you can even make out what appears to be a tennis court in the undergrowth between the towers and the lake. Shangri-la estimates the job can be completed within two-and-a-half years. Mr Powell said he was not privy to discussions concerning the

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budget for the project. The structure or shell of the building is fine. However, were going to have to do a lot of work on the inside. I think its going to take a bit of effort to complete it and the mechanical and electrical [systems] will have to be stripped and started over again, he said. I think its going to take quite a bit to complete it somewhere between two and two-and-a-half-years is the initial estimate. I cant say thats concrete because thats dependent on what happens here in the country politically, as well as the availability of materials, being able to procure a quality contractor and skilled labour to get the work done. I know that this will be a challenge because were not the only ones looking to start a new project or continue a suspended site. Ours are not the only ghost towers in the town; there are at least six that I know of. Like many of the other dormant projects, which include one well-known hotel and office tower in the downtown area and prominent high-rises on Pyay Road, Shangri-las Kandawgyi project was the victim of the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997, which prompted a downturn in Myanmar. The reason that it stopped, like many of the projects that stopped, was the Asian Financial Crisis and also the situation in Myanmar at the time was not positive. People didnt want to continue to invest money into a place that they had uncertainties about and thats understandable. Those two towers have been sitting there since 1998 when we stopped work.

The decision to restart the project follows a US$30million-plus refurbishment of Traders Hotel launched in July 2011, Mr Powell said.

Parliament opens
He is trying very hard to put this democratic process in the parliament. He has been saying when we hold open voting You can openly show your opinion. Dont be scared, said U Sai Hsaung Hsi, 65, a member of parliament from Kyaukme in northern Shan State and vice-chairman of the Shan Nationalities Development Party, which won 18 Pyithu Hluttaw seats in the election. Parliamentary politics is clearly a new phenomenon. Just ask the men in green. Sitting on the right flank of the lower-house chamber are military men in fatigues. A quarter of lower house seats are reserved for the military. And there are other conservative pockets of resistance to reforms, say legislators, although President U Thein Sein stressed recently in an interview with the Washington Post that his government had no intention to draw back on reform. It is not at all impossible for the reforms to be reversed, said Sean Turnell, an economist at Macquarie University in Sydney who closely follows Myanmar. There are significant groups that are in opposition to some of the reforms but overall we are in a very much different space than we were only a matter of six months ago. He described the first legislative session convened by the former military junta in January last year as a

mockery of a parliament. But there were flickers of change in the second session after the junta formally ceded power. The second session started to behave like a parliament. It was no longer a vehicle purely of the president or the military. It had a degree of independence. We are looking now to the third session to see which one was representative the first session or the second. It is a crucial question for investors who see plenty of opportunities as Myanmar begins to opens up. But barriers to progress are formidable: US sanctions, an incoherent exchange rate regime, woeful infrastructure, weak investment laws, a crippled banking system, decades of mismanagement and a shortage of skilled workers. Economic reform, if anything now, is beginning to lag behind the political reform, said Mr Turnell, adding that investors were waiting for a long-overdue foreign investment-protection law to snake through parliament. We have yet to see it. I am a little bit worried about that. It is a law that needs to get through but there is still a little bit of debate about it. When something like that does pass, that will be quite a signal that real economic reform is under way. Some see that change happening if Daw Aung San Suu Kyi wins a seat in the lower house in April byelections. When she comes to the parliament, if she raises one issue, and this issue is very beneficial to the country, then who will dare go against it? said U Sai Hsaung Hsi. Reuters

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Media law to protect rights of journalists, says ministry

By Myo Lwin A MUCH-ANTICIPATED media law has moved one step closer to promulgation, with the Ministry of Information forwarding a draft of the law to the Attorney Generals Office for review, an official said last week. When introduced, the law will herald the most significant change to the publishing industry in six decades, replacing the highly restrictive Printers and Publishers Registration Law 1962. However, in a surprise move the ministry has decided the law will apply only to print publications and not broadcast or online media. Deputy director general of the Ministry of Informations Press Scrutiny and Registration Division, U Tint Swe, told reporters last week the Attorney Generals Office was reviewing the wording of the draft. He said it would protect the rights of journalists and suitable sections had been taken from similar laws in Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam, without mentioning what kind of rights he was referring to. We have named it the Printing Presses and Publications Law and it has nine chapters, including the rights and ethics of journalists and the registration [process] for publishers, the deputy director general said at a meeting with about 50 publishers and editors on January 25. We have taken certain rights for journalists from the Cambodian media law, some from Indonesia and Vietnam as well. I am sure you will be happy when it comes out, even though I wouldnt call it perfect. U Tint Swe said the draft still needed to be approved by the hluttaw, where representatives were likely to debate and amend the bill. In the meantime, we have only the Printers and Publishers Registration Law 1962 [but] I am not returning back to restrictions that we practised in the past, he said. Following the military coup of 1962, the Ministry of Information put in place tight regulations to constrain freedom of the press that required all material to be submitted for scrutinisation before going to print. However, censorship has relaxed significantly over the past 18 months and in June 2011 the ministry began allowing almost 200 weekly and monthly publications those focusing on fashion, lifestyle, health and sports to self-censor their content. Another 54 publications, focusing on business and crime, shifted to self-censorship in early December. U Tint Swe said that a number of publications had gone further than they should and PSRD had had to hand out a number of warnings the previous week, hinting that it had been for coverage of events in Kachin State. He urged cooperation from all industry stakeholders to ensure the development of the media sector and progress on important national issues was not stymied by irresponsible reporting. Our intention is that all journals should have equal rights concerning articles and your collaboration is required, he said. I have said the government press censorship should not exist any more and we dont want the peace process to veer off course because of an erroneous news item that might be published without our knowledge. To be honest, I am not even in a position to decide [whether to allow] some sensitive stories relating to peace negotiations with national groups, among which the Kachin Independence Organisation is the most serious, said U Tint Swe. There are more than 50 weekly news journals publishing regularly in Myanmar that still go through the system of prepublication censorship.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi smiles after receiving the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Award for Democracy. Pic: AFP

Daw Suu Kyi receives Benazir Bhutto prize

By Shwe Yinn Mar Oo DAW Aung San Suu Kyi has received her second international prize in a month, after the Pakistani government awarded her the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Award for Democracy. The award, bestowed by the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), came just a week after Daw Aung San Suu Kyi accepted Frances highest award, the Legion d Honour. PPP chair Bilawal Bhutto Zardari presented the award to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at her home on January 25, shortly after the National League for Democracy held a 45-minute private meeting with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari. President Zardari arrived in Myanmar on January 24 and met President U Thein Sein in Nay Pyi Taw, in talks that focused on bilateral trade and economic relations. Mr Zardari then travelled with his son and daughter to Yangon to meet Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Award for democracy was awarded to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on her 65 th birthday in June 2010, while the Nobel laureate was under house arrest. to honour former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated in December 2007, and winners are selected by a panel appointed by the PPP. Awards are handed out in four categories democracy, human rights, womens empowerment and social services and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was the first recipient of the award for democracy. After receiving the award, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said that the meeting with President Zardari who was married to Ms Bhutto and his children was like a family meeting. We shared many things in common; the things that our families have gone through are very similar. Families all over the world, wherever they may be, suffer when their loved one suffers. And it is because we want to stop as far as possible the suffering of families in our countries that we have to engage in the improvement of democracy, she said.

and work of The lifeSan Suu Kyi is Daw Aung a source of inspiration for the people of Pakistan.

The life and work of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is the source of inspiration for the people of Pakistan, a Pakistani official said in a prepared statement that compared Daw Aung San Suu Kyi with the awards namesake. The awards were initiated in 2008

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Exile media group eyes homecoming

The Chiang Mai-based managing editor of Mizzima News Agency, U Sein Win, on the prospect of daily papers and his organisations plans to return to Myanmar
By Kyaw Hsu Mon Did you ever expect you would be given a visa to work legally in Myanmar? Ive wanted to come to Myanmar for a long time. This is the first time Ive been here since Mizzima was founded in 1998. I came to cover the visit of British Foreign Secretary [William Hague] and I got a single-entry, oneweek visa. Now the space for media is wider and freer. We worked as a foreign news agency before because there was only a narrow space for media inside the country. So Im here to study the possibility of setting up a news agency inside the country. Who have you met on your visit? I havent had the opportunity to meet with government ministers, but Ive met people from the political and media communities. I also met U Tint Swe from Press Scrunity and Registration Division and some diplomats. Many journalists from abroad have been able to visit Myanmar and some are looking to establish a permanent base inside the country. What is your plan for Mizzima? Id like [Mizzima] to set up here in the area that the government allows. We need to build confidence first and inside the country is a new place for us so we cant start immediately but I think we can do media-related tasks for the media community. I think all [exile media organisations] are interested to settle in Myanmar. So, all agencies may come and settle in Myanmar at the same time. But the whole agency cannot settle in Myanmar. I think, just a branch office can be established. There are many rumours that Mizzima wants to publish a journal in Myanmar. Did you raise the issue with U Tint Swe? Well I think its possible. I cant say when it will start but we could start it quickly if the government allowed us. We discussed both local and international issues. I learned that there is now a degree of transparency ... Myanmar is becoming a more transparent society. U Tint Swe wants [exile] media to come to Myanmar. After I contacted him he agreed to meet me and talked frankly. I believe [the government] would like to accept [exile] media. How will you compete against media groups inside the country? The local media scene is large and vibrant. They have a large network and both their financial and human resources are large. It would be hard to compete with them. What we do will depend on our resources. Each journal has its own identity. The government is preparing a new media law. What changes are you expecting after it is promulgated? If the press law is passed I think we will see the dissolving of the censorship board and journalists will be more responsible for their work. The government said it wants to work for the benefit of journalists but it hesitates to remove the censorship system while changing to the new system. When will daily newspapers be published? If the press law is passed, daily newspapers must be allowed. U Tint Swe also said that the state needs daily [private] newspapers. It shouldnt take too long, maybe this year. Are local media groups ready to publish daily newspapers? Well, there will be challenges in terms of human resources, I think. If they become dailies, they will need hundreds of staff and they will have to invest billions of kyats. Only large media groups will be able to afford to publish a daily newspaper. I think The Myanmar Times, Weekly Eleven, The Voice and 7-Day News are ready. Translated by Thiri Min Htun

UN, govt open urban development institute in downtown Yangon

By Htar Htar Khin A NEW urban development institute will seek to support national poverty reduction efforts, its backers say. UN-HABITAT and the Department of Human Settlement and Housing Development (DHSHD) opened the Urban Research Development Institute on January 20. The institute is located on the third floor of the DHSHD office on Bogyoke Aung San Road in downtown Yangon and includes space for UNHABITAT staff, a training room, a research centre and a resource centre. Minister for Construction U Khin Maung Myint said at the opening ceremony that the research centre was established under the first phase of a capacitybuilding project between UNHABITAT and the ministry. Other aspects include workshops and training sessions, assessments of urban and regional planning and the preparation of manuals and guidelines for urban development activities. UN-HABITAT country program manager Mr Srinivasa Popuri said the institute would focus on a number of issues broadly related to poverty reduction. Were opening the urban research development institute to support poverty reduction efforts that allow the government and UN to demonstrate better ways to address current problems, such as working with the urban poor to improve their living environment, Mr Popuri said. And also access to city management, riverside development, defining urban form, providing vocational [and] skill development training, [and] establishing cottage industries and SMEs. UN-HABITAT plans to establish a library in the centre in the coming months with books and publications from the World Bank, UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Asian Development Bank and other sources.

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Myanmar begins opening doors to foreign journalists

By May Sandy FOR many years Myanmar has been a challenging country for foreign journalists to report on, with access difficult and accurate information hard to come by. The election of November 2010 and the subsequent release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi garnered unprecedented attention, yet for the most part it remained impossible for foreign journalists to work in Myanmar legally. In the second half of 2011, however, the government abruptly changed tack, even going so far as to invite foreign journalists to apply for visas. As a result, scores of print and broadcast journalists working for publications across the globe have visited the country, filing copy from unlikely locations like the hluttaw compound in Nay Pyi Taw and interviewing senior members of the government. Earlier this month, the BBCs Southeast Asia correspondent, Rachel Harvey, and several of her colleagues were given permission to cover the visit of British Foreign Secretary William Hague. Ms Harvey told The Myanmar Times in an interview that she believed allowing journalists into the country would build trust between the government and media, which have in the past viewed each other with a significant amount of skepticism. The government will United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. I could speak to people openly on the street and people seem to have almost no fear to speak with us, he said. He said if mutual trust could be established the relationship between the government and foreign media could go beyond covering the visits of highprofile dignitaries. If they see us reporting the news honestly, it is good for the country and good for them as well. My ultimate aim is to open an office here. While the government has shown a new willingness to engage with the international media, there are still question marks over how this relationship will progress in the future. Some exile media, like VOA and Mizzima, are investigating options for expanding their presence inside the country. (See related story above.) returning In early December, news editor of VOAs Myanmar program, U Than Lwin Tun, met Minister for Information, U Kyaw Hsan, in Nay Pyi Taw. He later told local media that his visit was not for reporting news. I am here to discuss work with the minister. I didnt ask him when he will give media freedom. I told him what I want to do in the future and if it is possible. In a way, this is indirectly asking him, how far would he allow the media to work, he said.

reg.no. 7264/2008

reg.no. 7265/2008

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Pic: Yadanar Rachel Harvey, the BBCs Southeast Asia correspondent. know that we are not here to try and show them in a bad light, we are just here to find the truth, thats our job, she said. One thing that becomes increasingly clear is certainly now under this new government, its probably too simplistic to talk about just one unified government, or the military or the security forces. It is an opportunity for t he government to get their beliefs, their thoughts, and their vision to a wider audience. The next step that I would like to see would be for us to be able to apply for journalist visas when theres not a specific [event]. But just to come and do different types of stories. So, itd be nice to come back and do something on health, on education or the music scene or art. If we come and we only have a fiveday visa to cover one trip, we dont have time to do that. U Min Htet from the BBCs Myanmar-language program said it was his second working visit to Myanmar, after covering the visit of

reg.no. 7271/2008 in respect of mineral and aerated waters and other non-alcoholic drinks; fruit drinks and fruit juices, syrups and other preparations for making beverages. Fraudulent imitation or unauthorised use of the said Trade Marks will be dealt with according to law. Win Mu Tin, M.A.,H.G.P., D.B.L for PepsiCo, Inc. P.O. Box 60, Yangon. Dated: 30th January, 2012

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Developer denies hotel charges

By Noe Noe Aung THE developer of a hotel under construction in Yangons Thingangyun township has hit back at residents claims that it will damage the reputation of their quarter, saying the hotel will cater to tourists and is being built for the 2013 Southeast Asian Games. Daw Thandar Lay Naing, managing director of Nice Fare Travel Company, which is developing the hotel, said the three-storey establishment on Khay Mar Thi Street would contain 35 rooms and was scheduled to open in late February. Id never planned for it to be a love hotel like the residents are worried about. I can definitely say it wont be that kind of hotel, Daw Thandar Lay Naing said. We are opening this hotel because we believe that there should be more hotels in our country. We know that tourism will develop more later on and hotels will be necessary, she said. It will be a reasonably priced hotel and will serve breakfast and lunch. She said the project had received the green light from local authorities. The relevant authorities checked the hotel many times and have allowed it to open, said Daw Thandar Lay Naing. As The Myanmar Times reported earlier this month, residents in the quarter where the hotel is being built have objected to the project on several occasions, at both the construction site and ward office. Residents say the street already has two small hotels with a bad reputation and they do not want another hotel to open. We protested three times, both in person and with petitions, at the ward authority office but no one paid attention, said U Tin Win Maung, a former captain with the Myanma Five Star Line shipping company. Already 66 families have objected to it. Organisers of the anti-hotel campaign said last week they would continue to oppose the project despite the Daw Thandar Lay Naings assurances that the hotel would cater to tourists rather than unwed couples looking for a short-term stay. The campaigners also allege that the owners of the hotel and secured permission for the project from local authorities by providing 10 letters of support from people who did not live in the area. However, Daw Thandar Lay Naing said she had 15 letters of support from genuine residents.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague at Shwedagon Pagoda in January. Pic: Boothee

New visitor record for Shwedagon in 2011

By Zaw Win Than GROWTH in visitor numbers at Shwedagon Pagoda has outpaced that of the tourism industry as a whole, with the national landmark welcoming almost 30 percent more tourists in 2011 than the previous year, the pagodas board of trustees said last week. The increase meant another record-breaking year for Shwedagon Pagoda. A total of 225,381 international tourists visited the pagoda in 2011, up 28.75pc on the 2010 figure of 175,054. Myanmar saw an almost 22pc increase in tourist arrivals in 2011, recently released government figures show. Tourist arrival numbers to Shwedagon Pagoda are increasing year by year. If you see the arrival number for 2010, it was up more than 50pc on 2009. Now in 2011 we have set a new record, said a spokesperson from the board of trustees. Month-on-month figures show 20,807 foreign tourists visited the pagoda in October, 26, 638 in November and 30,176 in December. From January 1 to 18, the pagoda welcomed 11,915 foreign visitors. The country of origin of the largest group of visitors in 2011 was Thailand, followed by China and Germany. Visitors from Thailand are always top of the list, he said. Shwedagon tourist arrivals are generally considered an accurate indicator of the overall health of the tourism industry, as the majority of foreign tourists visit the pagoda at least once during their stay.

Break ties with North Korea, urges McConnell

WASHINGTON The top US Senate Republican said last week he could back easing sanctions on Myanmar if it advances a host of democratic reforms and breaks off any military relationship with North Korea. We want reassurance that theyre going to discontinue whatever military-tomilitary relationship they may have with North Korea, Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters on January 24. McConnell, who recently visited Myanmar, said he favoured sending a US ambassador to Myanmar, citing the new regimes plans to release political prisoners and hold by-elections on April 1. I recommended to them that they have international observers there. Thats not uncommon in countries that are having first-time elections, said McConnell, who has long had an interest in relations between the two countries. If that goes well, then well continue to take a look at what additional steps they need to take in order to warrant the removal of some or all of the sanctions, a step that requires congressional approval, he said. And McConnell underscored worries in Washington about possible ties between North Korea and Myanmar and said he would be looking for verification that those relationships, if they previously existed, dont exist any longer. AFP

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Government plans census for Dec 2014

By Kyaw Hsu Mon U Ko Ko Hlaing, a presidential adviser for political affairs, speaks at a conference held at City University of Hong Kong on January 26-27 titled Myanmar after the 2010 Elections. Pic: Yan Naing Hein THE government plans to conduct a national census in December 2014, Minister for Immigration and Population U Khin Yi said earlier this month. If it goes ahead as scheduled, the census will be the first since 1983. U Khin Yi was recently appointed head of a commission responsible for organising the count and he said preparation work had already begun. Were now preparing to collect accurate data in 2014. The actual data collection might take a week but the preparation time is much longer. After that we should have a reliable figure [for the national population], he said in Hpa-an on January 12. He said the government would seek the help of international and local nongovernment organisations and social groups to prepare for and conduct data collection. This project is huge and even some developed countries can collect data only every 10 years. But our country hasnt collected this data for more than 30 years because of various issues, U Khin Yi said. We will give [our staff] training to collect data alongside non-government organisations. National population estimates vary widely, from less than 50 million to more than 60 million. The governments official estimate is reached in cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) by surveying population growth in 24 of the countrys 330 townships, with the updated figure released annually on October 1 to mark World Population Day. U Khin Yi acknowledged that more accurate figures based on data collected in all regions of the country were needed. The most recent official estimates put the national population at 60.38 million but U Khin Yi said it might be higher than the actual figure. The annual population growth rate has decreased from 2.02 percent in 1988 to

Peace agreements top priority, pres adviser tells HK conference

By Yan Naing Hein PEACE agreements with ethnic minority groups have become the most pressing issue for the government, an adviser to President U Thein Sein told a conference in Hong Kong last week. The governments national reconciliation plan involves negotiations with two main actors: the mostly ethnic Burmese political opposition and ethnic armed groups. In November the National League for Democracy announced it would register and contest by-elections to be held on April 1 and U Ko Ko Hlaing, a presidential adviser for political affairs, said that the return of the NLD to the formal political process meant negotiations with ethnic armed groups had become the top priority for the government. U Ko Ko Hlaing was speaking at a conference held at City University of Hong Kong on January 2627 titled Myanmar after the 2010 Elections. He said that the government was on the right track to national reconciliation and the positive changes to date were not reversible. The government does not need to turn back from the road to democracy because it has popular support and strong commitment to achieve the goal of building a peaceful and democratic nation, he said. The government is focusing on making peace agreements with ethnic armed groups through the building mutual trust and understanding, he said. There are two steps in making peace effort, first step is to achieve ceasefire agreement and the second is to build mutual trust and understanding, through which cooperation can be achieved. U Ko Ko Hlaing also pointed out the ways in which U Thein Seins government had taken a different approach to the negotiations compared to its military predecessor. The players are the same [but] the rules of the game are different. For example, players need to use their feet in a football game, but they need to use their hands in a volleyball game, the adviser said. U Thu Wai, chairman of the Democratic Party (Myanmar), said at the conference that peace between the ethnic armed groups and the government needed to take on a greater meaning than simply an end to armed hostilities. The reason the ethnic minorities took up arm is that they felt that they are not secure. A military, by nature, is security conscious. They need to have a sense of security provided by the government, he said. He said that development cannot be achieved without peace and stability and that a strong opposition was needed for genuine democracy, a point U Ko Ko Hlaing agreed with. Now the parliament is dynamic with official criticism of the government policy. If Daw Aung San Suu Kyi participates in parliament after the election, it will be more active and dynamic with strong opposition, U Ko Ko Hlaing said. The government has recently stepped up efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement with the Kachin Independence Organisation, participating in two days of talks on January 18 and 19. While no agreement was reached, both sides agreed to hold further talks. One of the reasons for the KIOs reluctance to sign a ceasefire agreement with the government is that it has long dreamed of seeing Myanmar emulate Chinas one-country, twosystem policy, said U Aung Naing Oo, deputy director of the Vahu Development Institute. The KIO wants to see a Kachin Region [with the autonomy of] a Special Administration Region like Hong Kong in China, he told the conference.

Data collection might take a

week but the preparation time is much longer.

1.01pc, he said, something he attributed to more people marrying at a later age or in some cases not marrying at all. U Khin Yi said his ministry would also issue National Registration Cards to members of ethnic minority groups who had previously missed out in the past, such as members of the Karen National Union. U Kyaw Lin Oo, a columnist for The Voice said the census should count not only the population but also other data that is useful for assessing living standards and national development. We can also collect data on how many people have a mobile phone, a car, certain home appliances and so on, he said.

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Ministry working on hotel star ratings

By Zaw Win Than and Yu Yu Maw THE Ministry of Hotels and Tourism is introducing a star rating system at hotels across the country, a ministry spokesperson said. The one to three star system is designed to improve and maintain the service at hotels targeting mostly foreign visitors, the spokesperson said. As the number of tourists visiting Myanmar is increasing, we need to offer better hotel facilities and services to guests. So far we have rated 74 hotels in Nay Pyi Taw, Bagan-Nyaung U and Taunggyi-Inle and the ministry is installing a bronze star symbol at these hotels based on their rating, he said. We will continue monitoring the services of these hotels and the star status may upgrade or degrade in the future due to their facilities and services. The ministry has designated 13 three-star hotels, seven two-star hotels and one one-star hotel in Nay Pyi Taw; 11 three-star hotels, seven two-star hotels and four one-star hotel in Bagan-Nyaung U and 10 three-star hotels, eight twostar hotels and 13 one-star hotels in Taunggyi-Inle. The spokesperson said ratings would also be given to hotels in Yangon, Mandalay and other key destinations. We have finished checking the facilities and services of hotels in downtown Yangon but we still need more time to check all the hotels throughout Yangon Region. After we have finished, we will submit [our recommendations] to the ministry, said U Tin Win, chairman of the Yangon Hoteliers Association. Daw Lwin Mar Aung, communications manager at Traders Hotel, said the official star rating system was a welcome development. I believe the rating system is fair and accurate and will end some problems among the hoteliers. Before many hotels were rating their own properties as three star or four star, she said. It will also help visitors when they choose a hotel. I think the ministry needs to expand it to all hotels in the country. Ministry figures show Myanmar has 691 licensed hotels with more than 23,454 rooms. Earlier this year the ministry announced plans to increase the number of hotel zones in Myanmar. So far 11 hotel zones have been created in popular tourist regions and more are likely to be established. The government is also keen to encourage both foreign and local investment in the hotel and tourism sector as it can create job opportunities without significant environmental damage. Singapore currently tops foreign investment in Myanmars hotel sector, followed by Thailand and Japan. Preparations are also under way for accommodating foreign guests arriving for the 27th Southeast Asian Games 2013 hosted by Myanmar. The government is anticipating launching over 50 hotels across the country over the next two years.

Reg. No. 11937/2011 in respect of Class 11: Sanitary apparatus and installations, in particular complete systems and installations; water conduit devices, armatures and valves for sanitary installations. 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 Geberit Holding AG P. O. Box 60, Yangon. Dated: 30th January, 2012

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with the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), dominated by former generals and their allies, says he read several books on democracy when he was a student. We need [foreign countries] to send some scholars to our institutions, admits the lawmaker, who was attending parliament during the legislative break to join a meeting with Frances visiting foreign minister. Despite the steep learning curve, parliament has passed significant legislation including bills allowing citizens to protest peacefully if they have permission and giving workers the right to strike. The next session of parliament opens on January 26 with an immense task: the budget. A quarter of the seats in the parliament were reserved for the military even before the November 2010 elections, and the USDP holds about 80 percent of the remainder. Daw Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy has no voice in parliament because it boycotted the ballot, largely because of rules that would have forced it to expel imprisoned members. For the lawmakers, the learning experience is not all plain sailing. During the previous sessions, dissent between the two rooms created moments of panic, with some at the time describing the situation as a constitutional crisis. Thats democracy. Its admirable, said Soe Yin, a former rector of the University of Yangon who is now a USDP parliamentarian. We need to disagree on disagreement. In the army, there is no argument. You have to obey the command because you have to fight the enemy. ... Dont disagree, ever. But in parliament you have the right to argue. Even the unelected military officers in parliament appear to have developed a taste for the exercise. One army captain dared to propose and vote for an amendment modifying a bill submitted by the home affairs minister, a more senior general, according to a government official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Even voting is not always along party lines. Sometimes, some USDP members vote for other parties, he said. AFP

Generals adapt to new life as lawmakers

NAY PYI TAW Two years ago they were military officials. Today some sit in uniform in Myanmars parliament while others have donned civilian attire to become lawmakers. For all, its time to learn a new job. After almost half a century of outright military rule, Myanmar has since March 2011 been governed by a new civilian administration with a twin-chamber national parliament. But what Nay Pyi Taw and the West describe as reform is nothing less than a revolution for the former military personnel turned ruling party parliamentarians who dominate the fledgling assemblies. Legislative debate, voting and the shuttle of bills between the two chambers are all completely new experiences for the novice lawmakers. A year after parliament opened, they are still not up to full speed. Its very difficult, confesses one lawmaker who did not want to be named, on the steps of one of many buildings that make up the sprawling parliament complex in the showcase capital. The parliamentarian,

Pic: AFP Representatives inside one of the hluttaw buildings in Nay Pyi Taw on August 22. But the Nobel laureate and her party plan to contest by-elections on April 1 in which 48 seats are up for grabs, although that is not enough to threaten the USDPs resounding majority. The vast parliament complex is dotted with about 30 palatial buildings. The driveways are empty, with no signs. The concrete architecture is massive, with roofs evoking traditional Burmese buildings and decorated with three thin yellow, red and green lines the colour of the national flag. On arriving, a lawmaker in civilian clothes gives a discreet salute to the security guards old habits die hard. And in the meeting room, parliamentarians stand to attention to listen to lower house speaker Thura U Shwe Mann give his instructions. But he remains, according to analysts, a key figure, and staunchly defends the role of the parliament. We need to establish an institution that is strong and sustainable, he said in an exclusive interview, playing down concerns that the military might attempt to seize back power. If parliament is strong and sustainable, there is going to be no coup, he said.

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India defends project after review call

By Cherry Thein and Thomas Kean FIFTEEN non-government organisations have submitted a letter to the Union Government and state governments in Rakhine and Chin states calling on them to reconsider an India-backed infrastructure project. The Kistpanaddi Working Group, established in November by local NGOs to reduce the environmental, social and health impact of the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project, sent the letter on December 21. The US$120 million project will see the Kaladan River upgraded from Sittwe in Rakhine State to Paletwa in Chin State, from where a 129-kilometre highway will be built to the border with India. The Indian embassy in Yangon last week defended the project, which will see the Kaladan River expanded to enable cargo vessels to travel up the river to Paletwa, where a jetty is being constructed. The Sittwe port is also being redeveloped for the project, which is funded by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs and designed to both increase bilateral trade and create a new route for trade with Indias landlocked northeastern states. The project will bring about positive changes to the region, the spokesperson said. The people of the region will enjoy the fruits of development in the years to come. But non-government organisations say they are concerned that the project will not benefit those living in the immediate vicinity and will have a negative impact on livelihoods and the environment. We are not trying to stop the project like the Ayeyarwady [Myitsone Dam]. We are trying to encourage discussion on how to reduce any kind of negative impact not only on livelihoods but issue with the chief minister and deputy chief minister of Rakhine State, as well as the ministers of forestry and mining, he said. I am sure when the regional governments understand the whole issue they will find a better solution and do something good for the sake of the people and the regions. [The Rakhine State government] said they need information to lobby the Union Government in Nay Pyi Taw, he said. The letter contained six main points, the first of which was the need to consult with and inform the community about all aspects of the project. It also called for environmental, social and health impact assessments to be conducted by a neutral third part and published publicly. The working group recommended that the negative impacts of the project be identified and appropriate reparations made in collaboration with local ethnic leaders. Additionally, it called for development assistance for affected regions through either UN agencies or international and local NGOs. It also highlighted the importance of corporate social responsibility and said private companies involved in the project should invest in the responsible and sustainable development of the region. But the embassy spokesperson said the Kaladan transport corridor was a good project, with few environmental or social drawbacks and many economic benefits. The poor and somewhat remote communities residing along the river will benefit from the project not only during the construction phase, when there is a high demand for labour, but also subsequently when the transport corridor created acquires its own economic momentum, the spokesperson said. This project will enhance

people of Theregion will the enjoy the fruits of development in years to come.

also the environment in collaboration with local residents, said Salai Isaac Khen, the executive director of Gender and Development Initiative (Myanmar), one of the 15 members of the working group. He said he believed the government would take whatever action was best for the prosperity of the region and its residents. We are talking with them about researching what kind of advantages the project will bring local residents and the country. We have already talked about the

Boats near the mouth of the Kaladan River at Sittwe in Rakhine State. Pic: Stuart Deed accessibility for the people of Rakhine and Chin States to new markets, provide employment opportunities as the port and transport corridor prosper and generate income for the people of both states. As the connections between Sittwe and the global business community deepen and as its linkages with major Myanmar markets such as Yangon and Mandalay develop, the incentive for investment will also increase. She said there was no value in a third party reassessment of the environmental, social and health impact of a clean project of this kind. She said the location of the planned river port had been shifted from Kaletwa further downriver to Paletwa because of concerns over the environmental effect of additional dredging of the Kaladan. This project does not envisage land acquisition involving displacement of people or submergence of land. It does not involve clearing of forests or infringement on the natural habitat of any wildlife. It does not involve setting up or operation of any industrial plant, she said. There will no doubt be temporary inconvenience while the infrastructure is being created but is that a reason to stand in the way of development? But non-government groups say a central issue is the lack of communication and information concerning the project, which has increased the concerns of residents living near the planned route. In early January, members of the working group received government permission to conduct informational talks and environmental awareness activities in the four townships Sittwe, Ponnagyun and Kyauktaw in Rakhine State and Paletwa in Chin State along the project route. Several months earlier, Gender and Development Initiative (Myanmar) and Rakhine Coastal Environmental Conservation (RCA) another member of the working group conducted a listening project to solicit local opinions on the issue, releasing the findings to the media in November. The survey found that residents living in the project area welcomed the prospect of improved transportation and increased border trade but also expressed concerns about the potential environmental effects of dredging the Kaladan River and said they wanted more information on the project. Another issue raised was the effect on fish stocks near Sittwe and the loss of farmland due to the highway construction. Working group member U Oo Hla Myint, from Rakhine Thar Gyi publishing house, said consulting with residents would ensure a good result for all stakeholders. Residents have not been informed about the project. They dont know what it involves, how the benefits will be shared and how they can participate in the process. People are very interested in this project but unless [those responsible for the project] give detailed information, they cant

Trade Mark CauTIon

NOTICE is hereby given that THe GoodYear TIre & ruBBer CoMPanY, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Ohio, United States of America of 1144 Market Street, Akron, Ohio, United States of America do solemnly and sincerely declare that we are the owners and sole proprietors of the following trade marks in Myanmar:

Residents havent been

informed about the project. They dont know what it involves, how the benefits will be shared and how they can participate.

The said marks are used in respect of Tyres, tubes, tread rubber, machinery belting, hose pipes. The said mark is used in respect of tyres. The said trade marks are the subject of Declarations of Ownership recorded with the Registrar of Deeds and Assurances, Yangon, Myanmar, in Book under Nos. 502 dated July 15, 1972, 503 dated July 17, 1972 and 1572 dated August 13, 1957. Any infringement or colourable imitation thereof or other infringement of the rights of the said Company will be dealt with according to law. U Kyi Win Associates for THe GoodYear TIre & ruBBer CoMPanY, by its Attorneys-at-Law REMFRY & SAGAR INDIA. Dated: 30th January, 2012

Trade Mark CauTIon

Merck KGaA, (a partnership limited by shares) of Darmstadt, Germany, is the Owner of the following Trade Mark:-

unISTeeL

CEBION
Reg. No. 1494/2007 in respect of Class 5: Pharmaceutical, veterinary and sanitary preparations; dietetic substances adapted for medical use, food for babies. 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 Merck KGaA P. O. Box 60, Yangon. Dated: 30th January, 2012

even imagine what kind of benefit they would get from it, he said. The Indian embassy spokesperson said construction work had so far been confined to the port at Sittwe and as it progressed further upriver and to the Indian border efforts will be made to disseminate more information related to the project to the people of the project area through the local government [and] concerned departments of Myanmar. Local communities have a right to know details of projects being implemented in their region, she said. We encourage local groups to seek information from the state government as well as the government of Myanmar. We have no doubt that their questions will be answered. Whenever such questions are addressed to the embassy, we will be happy to clarify all aspects to the fullest.

TiMESbusiness
By Aye Thidar Kyaw A fisheries worker loads fish at a dock in Yangon last year. A tax break to boost exports of fisheries and other commodities is due to expire in February. Pic: Kaung Htet

January 30 - February 5, 2012

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Dollar and FEC rise on car import demand

and people would be allowed to use dollars instead. It has been illegal for Myanmar nationals to hold US dollars since 2002. The government has accepted FEC for payments from the private sector because it was their intention to withdraw it from the market completely, a Ministry of Commerce official said last week. He added that importers must pay the road transportation tax, equal to 100pc of the vehicles value, in FEC to the Directorate of Road Administration. The value of the dollar is also up because there are rumours that people will soon be able to freely purchase cars, without import permits, if they have dollars, he said, adding that other factors were an international strengthening of the dollar, a rise in gold prices and the impending arrival of thousands of new cars. U Win Naing, a black market money changer in Kyauktada township, said the restrictions in place at official exchange counters, such as the number of documents required and maximum exchange limits, were pushing customers back to the illegal market. They have no set amount you can change on any given day: Some days its $1000 but then the next day its only $800 or less, he said. They also wont buy old or stained notes, which is a big problem for people such as sailors who come back from long trips because they dont have much control over the notes they are paid, he said. The Ministry of Commerce official said that while dollars and FEC were up, euros had fallen in value. The exchange rate for euros is down because there was a gem and jade auction last month and there is plenty in the market, he said.

As tax break nears expiry, exporters call for clarity

By Aye Thidar Kyaw EXPORTERS are calling on the government to clarify whether temporary six-month tax cuts due to expire in February will be extended. The tax cuts from about 10 percent to 2pc were brought in to boost exports of fisheries goods, agricultural produce and garments, and also increase legal remittances from abroad. Minister for Commerce U Win Myint told government officials and traders during a trade promotion workshop in Nay Pyi Taw on January 23 that the government was discussing whether to extend the cuts. However, some participants at the workshop said exporters of a number of value-added goods and commodities such as onions had received no tax break and hoped that if they were extended they would also be widened. The tax cut had a huge impact on the [export] market because previously we were unable to reduce our prices in the international arena but can now do so. But some traders also complained that the cuts were ineffective, a Ministry of Commerce official in Yangon said. Myanmar Pulses, Beans and Sesame Seeds Merchants Association chairman U Htun Lwin said the government needed to be transparent regarding whether the tax breaks would be extended. Theres only a month left on the tax cuts and the government should tell us if they will continue or not. That decision will play a large role in determining what price is paid to farmers, he said. Myanmar Shrimp Association chairman U Hnin Oo said exporters were expecting that the tax breaks would be extended but added that it would be better still if the government dropped export taxes altogether. The government needs to do more to improve the export and trade sectors because we havent actually benefited that much from the 8pc tax cut, he said. He said the tax cuts reduced the governments revenues. The government has to think deeply on where its priorities lie. Our export industry has almost collapsed, which is not a good situation for either the government or the people but the government has to think of the people first, he said. U Win Aung, an exporter based at the Bayintnaung Wholesale Commodity Exchange Centre in Yangon, said he had heard that export taxes would be abolished from the start of the next financial year in April. He added that Foreign Exchange Certificates and export credits would be phased out at the same time. We were pleased with the tax cuts and retaining that additional 8pc was very useful for us, although it would have been better if the business climate had been better.

THE governments overage car import substitution program is helping to drive the exchange value of the US dollar and Foreign Exchange Certificates upward, industry sources said last week. The program, which was rolled out in mid-September, has seen thousands of older vehicles substituted with newer imports, mostly from Japan. The imports, most of which have been bought at used car auctions in Japan, are paid for in US dollars. And the import and road taxes charged on the vehicles when they arrive in Myanmar are charged in FEC. The program had an immediate impact on the exchange value of the dollar, FEC and export credits (earned through the sale of commodities and a requirement for imports) jumped by about K100 by late September to about K800. Since then the exchange rate has hovered at near K800 for all three currencies but since January 10 rates have started increasing, with FEC showing the largest increase, money changers said last week. FEC was changing hands at official foreign exchange counters on Thein Pyu Road in Yangon in the 830-838 band on January 24, up from K821-826 on January 10. However, it hit a high of K850 on the black market on January 20. By January 24 the exchange value of US$1 ranged between K813-K825, compared to K808813 on January 10. FEC is normally worth about 10 percent less than the US dollar on the open market and sometimes even more. The Ministry of Finance and Revenue announced last year in late August that the currency would be withdrawn from the market

Energy ministry reaps $25m windfall after block auction

By Juliet Shwe Gaung THE Ministry of Energy will receive signing bonuses totalling about US$25 million from the winners of the latest onshore oil and gas block auctions, an oil and gas official familiar with the process said last week. The signing bonus must be paid when each company submits its working commitment for the blocks and range between $2.5 and $3 million each, he added. Fifteen companies submitted 31 proposals for the 10 blocks, including eight foreign companies, he said, adding that the winners included PT Istech Resources Asia from Indonesia and Smart, who will jointly explore the EP 5 block in Inbin-Tegyigon in Ayeyarwady Region. Production sharing contracts [for those blocks] are being negotiated, he said. The successful bidders were notified by the Energy Planning Department under the Ministry of Energy on December 23. The auction, which covered 18 blocks, was announced on July 8. Thailands PTT Exploration and Production and Win Resources will jointly explore two blocks the EP 2 block in Aunglan and PSC G block in Taungdwingyi, both in Magwe Region. Swiss company Geo Petrol will explore RSF 9in PyaloPaukkaung, Bago Region, w i t h A 1 C o n s t r u c t i o n; Malaysias Petronas and UNOG won the rights to RSF 2 and 3 in Tuyintaung, Magwe Region; Chinas Tianjing New Highland and Suntac will explore the MOGE 4 block in Myintha, Ayeyarwady Region; Jubilant (India) and Parami Energy will explore the PSC I block at Hinthada in Ayeyarwady Region; and EPI Holdings and Aye Myint Khine will investigate the RSF 10 block at Kamma-Natlaung, Magwe Region. Only 10 blocks were awarded because no bids were submitted to the other eight. In the coming week, more onshore blocks will be opened for the auction by the Ministry of Energy, the industry insider said. U Htin Aung, director general of the Energy Planning Department under the Ministry of Energy, said foreign bidders were required to cooperate with a local company to facilitate the transfer of knowledge and technology. Most of the local companies that bid are service providers and have little knowledge of exploration and production. But we want local companies to learn more about these fields and in the future be able to conduct exploration and production by themselves, he said.

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Workers load bags of rice at a dock in Yangon last year. Pic: Kaung Htet

Toyota bids to buy 300,000 tonnes of rice

By Myat May Zin JAPAN automotive giant Toyota Motors has made an offer to the Myanmar Rice Industry Association (MRIA) to buy and import 300,000 tonnes of rice, an official said on January 21. Toyota made the offer to buy the rice through Kitsana Kyun Thar, a specialist rice company based in Danuphyu township, Ayeyarwady Region, said Ko Aung Myint Thein, one of the companys managers. It is a great chance for Myanmar to export high quality standard rice, he said. Toyota is interested in buying 300,000 tonnes of rice from Myanmar and they sent two representatives to observe production here, he added. Most rice exported from Myanmar is low-grade 25-percent broken grain ehmeta, which fetches about US$340-350 a tonne on the international market. MRIA recently announced measures to ensure national food security but also promote exports, which earn crucial export dollars for the economy. Under the new measures, exporters must contribute between 3pc and 5pc of each shipment they make to MRIA stockpiles across the nation. The plan was also instituted to ensure farmers earned a higher price for their labour, although that has not been the case so far. We have too many debts to pay and we want to sell all of our paddy to dealers or specialist rice companies

as quickly as we can, said U Shwe Htay, a farmer in Ah Kyaw village tract in Danuphyu township. If the government wants to set a minimum price for paddy only the dealers and rice companies will

benefit, he said. The major buyer of Myanmars rice exports are West African nations, which purchase it specifically because its cheap. We dont need to concentrate on increasing

the volume of our low quality rice exports, said U Chit Khine, MRIA president and chairman of Kitsana Kyun Thar company. We should identify markets that are willing to buy high-quality rice such as

Singapore, Japan or Europe, and work to improve the quality so we can earn higher prices, he added. MRIA exported 15,000 tonnes of ehmeta to Africa in the first week of January at $350 a tonne, he added.

IMF notes Myanmars potential in Article IV mission

Article IV of the IMFs Articles of Agreement states that each member undertakes to collaborate with the fund and other members to assure orderly exchange arrangements and to promote a stable system of exchange rates
By Stuart Deed THE government faces a historic opportunity to jump-start the development process and lift living standards, the International Monetary Fund said at the conclusion of its Article IV Mission to Myanmar last week. The IMF delegation issued a press release via the state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper on January 25 following its January 9-25 visit, during which the team met with government officials and other key counterparts. Ms Meral Karasulu again led the mission, which followed the latest Article VIII Mission in December 2011. Myanmar has a high growth potential and could become the next economic frontier in Asia, if it can turn its rich natural resources, young labour force, and proximity to some of the most dynamic economies in the world, into its advantage, Ms Karasulu said. Delivering on these expectations with inclusive and sustainable growth should start with establishing macroeconomic stability. This process has already begun with plans underway to unify the exchange rate and lift exchange restrictions on current international payments and transfers. As this essential process continues, channelling the reform momentum to improving monetary and fiscal management and to structural reforms would allow taking full advantage of the positive effects of a priority to eliminate a n d i m p e d i m e n t s t o the losses made by state exchange rate unification, constraints on economic productive investment, economic enterprises. The policy, Ms Karasulu said, lower real interest rates release said the fiscal she added. Ms Karasulu said further adding that the Central would risk channelling balance was expected to modernising the economy Bank of Myanmar is already s a v i n g s t o p o t e n t i a l l y improve when the Shwe and would involve a process of performing the technical speculative outlets, such Zawtika natural gas projects came online but suggested removing impediments work in order to establish as real estate. The onus of stimulating that the revenues should to growth by enhancing t h e n e c e s s a r y m a r k e t the business and economic structure for this important productive investment is be used to build human now on structural policies capital and infrastructure. climate, modernising the process. H o w e v e r , t h e p r e s s t o r e d u c e b a r r i e r s t o These are key priorities financial sector, and further l i b e r a l i s i n g t r a d e a n d release said unification of private sector development to alleviate poverty and the exchange rate would a n d i m p r o v e f i n a n c i a l r e d u c e b o t t l e n e c k s t o foreign direct investment. industrialisation. She said the governments require moving away from intermediation, it said. However, it warned Further reducing recent efforts go in the right the export first policy, direction that would benefit perhaps by allowing all inflation would require that additional revenues, from broader consultation f o r e i g n c u r r e n c y b a n k stopping the financing of p r i m a r i l y f r o m n o n with stakeholders and account balances to be the fiscal budget deficits resource-based sources, using the best international used to purchase imports, through money creation, needed to be identified to safeguard fiscal practices distilled from other easing import licensing it added. T h e r e l e a s e a l s o sustainability and prevent requirements and improving countries experiences. The release said exports access to the foreign currency applauded the decision b o o m - a n d - b u s t c y c l e s to discuss the national associated with fluctuations of commodities and higher exchange counters. in commodity investment prices. supported by T h e r e robust credit Reforming the complex exchange rate system is a is room to growth and increase improved priority to eliminate constraints on economic policy. revenues by business improved tax confidence policies that would increase A successful exchange budget in this sitting of should emphasize direct Myanmars real gross domestic product (GDP) to rate unification would t h e h l u t t a w s , w h i c h taxation over indirect taxes 5.5 percent in the 2011-12 require improvements in commenced on January to protect the poor. In this financial year, and 6pc in all areas of macroeconomic 26, because it provided an regard, recent efforts to management start[ing] historic opportunity to simplify the structure of the 2012-13 year. Inflation stood at 4.2pc with establishing a monetary redefine national spending several taxes are welcome for the 2011-12 year and policy framework to focus priorities and bring fiscal and should go further, while reforms to tax was expected to rise to 5.8pc on price stability. The transparency. W e w e l c o m e t h e administration remain in 2012-13 as the recent authorities plan to grant decline in food prices phases operational autonomy and authorities plans to reorient essential to broaden tax accountability to CBM is a spending to health and b a s e s a n d r e d u c e t a x out. T h e I M F s a i d t h e welcome first institutional education, while targeting avoidance, it said. Modernisation of the M y a n m a r k y a t h a s step towards this goal, the a moderate fiscal deficit, which we project to be financial system should appreciated by about 32pc release said. W h i l e t h e r e c e n t about 4.6pc of GDP, about be expedited to facilitate since 2009-10, adding that the appreciation pressures reduction in interest rates 1pc lower than the last broad-based growth, the are primarily due to large is welcome, we do not see years deficit. A prudent release said. It added that banks foreign inflows into the room for further interest fiscal policy is essential to economy, which cannot find rate cuts in the near term maintain macroeconomic needed to begin by phasing an outlet due to exchange in light of the buoyant stability, especially during out deposit-to-capital ratios restrictions on current growth expectations and the exchange rate unification and expanding the list of collateral beyond landed international payments t h e i n f l a t i o n o u t l o o k . process, it said. It added that a market- property to all crops. Within the current and transfers. Banks also needed to Reforming the complex regulatory constraints on determined exchange rate exchange rate system is financial intermediation would also clearly show expand their networks, especially in rural areas because it is essential to increase access to finance. Nurturing a stronger commercial banking culture requires price competition A level playing field between state and private banks, including in the areas of regulation and supervision, is critical to promote competition, it said, adding that allowing joint ventures with foreign banks would help to develop the industrys technology and best prepare it for ASEAN financial integration in 2015. The release also highlighted the need to provide more credit to the agricultural sector, which about 70pc of the population relies on for income. Besides increasing lending facilities of Myanma Agriculture Development Bank and micro finance, private banks should also be encouraged to lend to agriculture. The planned land reform provides a unique opportunity, and should ensure that land titles of farmers can be used as collateral. However, credit alone will not suffice to increase rural growth, which is essential to alleviate poverty. Investment in rural infrastructure, including through community-driven development initiatives, and spending on health and education, are also essential, it said. Action needed to be taken to facilitate foreign direct investment assistance in areas other than energy, the release said. These should include the elimination of exchange restrictions on current international payments and transfers.

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The sovereign debt crisis in Europe had a larger than expected impact on facility investment and private consumption. Exports, accounting for about half of GDP, declined 1.5pc quarter-on-quarter in OctoberDecember after expanding 2.2pc in the three months earlier. Private spending fell 0.4pc compared to a 0.4pc rise in the previous quarter. Facility investment dropped 5.2pc after falling 0.8pc in JulySeptember, while construction investment fell 0.3pc following a 1.8pc rise in the third quarter. The economy grew 3.6pc last year compared with a 6.2pc rise in 2010. Barclays Capital forecast that growth would pick up in the first quarter of this year amid firm US economic data and resilient demand from China. It said an upward revision in the January 26 figures was possible next month because of firm employment conditions and a surge in start-up companies. Barclays tipped a 1pc quarteron-quarter GDP expansion in January-March and maintained its 3.5pc forecast for the full year. The central bank forecasts 3.7pc growth this year. The central bank this month froze its key interest rate at 3.25pc for a seventh straight month despite inflationary pressures, citing a significant global slowdown and Europes persistent sovereign debt crisis. HSBC Global Research said the January 26 figures confirm that weakness is now embedded inside Koreas economy. It tipped a 25 basis point rate cut to support domestic demand by the end of the current quarter. It said the export outlook remains firm, thanks to a weaker won, the effect of free trade deals and easier manufacturing import costs. But the research unit said private spending contracted quarter-on-quarter for the first time since March 2009, with household purchasing power hit by high inflation and increasingly limited access to new bank credit. Whilst this is far from a hard landing scenario, it is becoming clear that the economy will need a healthy boost, especially with no signs of a rebound anytime soon, HSBC Global Research said in a commentary. AFP

MyanMar tiMes

South Koreas growth slows due to EU crisis

SEOUL South Koreas economy grew at its slowest pace for two years in the final quarter of 2011 as Europes debt crisis took its toll on exports and consumer spending, the central bank said on January 26. Gross domestic product in October-December rose 0.4 percent from the previous three months, compared with a 0.8pc rise in the third quarter. It was the lowest quarter-onquarter increase since 0.2pc in October-December 2009. Year-on-year, Asias fourth largest economy grew 3.4pc in the fourth quarter of 2011 compared to 3.5pc in JulySeptember. Amid sluggish domestic demand, exports turned negative, senior central bank official Kim Young-Bae told reporters.

Europes leaders cross fingers summit can turn crisis corner

BRUSSELS For the first time in two tumultuous years, European Union leaders were due to gather on January 30 without their talks being tagged either a crisis or a last-chance summit. Talk of an end in sight may be optimistic Greece is as close to default as it is to a second bailout, and Spain is back in the mire with Europe-wide recession threatening an even steeper deterioration in its public finances. But even after a mass eurozone downgrade by global credit rating giant Standard & Poors early in January, bond markets have been calm, largely credited to cheap funds issued on a major scale by the European Central Bank. Italy, so endangered that Silvio Berlusconi was forced out as prime minister, has seen a reduction in its borrowing costs soothing pre-Christmas fears. Markets have changed their attitude recently, Hans Martens, head of top Brussels think tank the European Policy Centre, told AFP. Despite the downgrades, there hav e be e n s o m e fantastic debt auctions, he added, so much so that even Greece leaving the eurozone now seems to be factored in as bearable. The eurozone had enjoyed a brief lull last year, until Portugal was bailed out. We cant yet say the crisis is behind us, cautions a wellplaced EU official, warning its too soon to drop our guard. But some senior officials appear to be breathing easier these days. French Finance Minister Francois Baroin sees signs of a certain stabilisation while Germanys Wolfgang Schaeuble suggests the worst is behind Europe. A senior global financial official suggested that eurozone leaders may finally be approaching the sort of equilibrium lacking throughout previous attempts at designing a comprehensive solution. The pieces of this puzzle are at last falling into place, said the official, who has been closely involved throughout the crisis. The official pointed out that the eurozone is building a new rescue fund, sealing a new fiscal pact for deeper and long-overdue economic integration and putting more money into the IMF, while the ECB appears more willing to help. And while Greece is back centre-stage, in a big change from a year ago with voices such as the Dutch now saying that even a messy default could be politically acceptable. A diplomat from a big EU state outside the eurozone maintained there is shedloads of money at the heart of the currency area that can be directed at ending the contagion. And indeed, I think we can reach a consensus on the issue, said Austrian Finance Minister Maria Fekter. The IMF reckons a sufficient war chest maybe up to US$2 trillion could begin to take effect if the eurozone agrees to add another 250 billion euros ($3.1 billion) to a new 500-billion-euro ($650 billion) fund due to become operational in July. Germany, Europes top economy and paymaster, remains the key player in all of this. To cough up once more, Berlin has to be able to tell its public opinion it has secured agreement on a new treaty meant to ensure that budgetary discipline becomes more than just words. In essence, Germany wants governments to follow its example by putting balanced budgets into law, in return for more German checks. But Berlin remains cautious, as demonstrated during closed-door dealings last week in Brussels. AFP

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Job watch

Worlds cheapest car tag backfires for Nano

By Penny MacRae NEW DELHI When Indias Tata Motors launched the Nano in 2009, the concept of the worlds cheapest car in one of the worlds fastest growing auto markets seemed pre-destined for commercial success. Logically, the strategy appeared faultless offering an affordable solution to millions of aspirational lower-middle class Indian families wanting to make the social and practical leap from two wheels to four. But after several years of disappointing sales, it has now become clear that the snubnosed hatchbacks unique selling point its price was actually a commercial sticking point. Rather than embracing the Nano, the status-conscious consumer base that was its prime target has largely shunned the cheap tag of the US$2800 vehicle and opted for slightly pricier rivals, or second-hand vehicles costing the same. A Nano is always bandied about as a poor mans car. Nobody wants to be caught with it, said Punnoose Tharyan, editor of Indias Motown magazine. Sales are far off the target of 25,000 cars a month, and the Nano plant, with an annual capacity 250,000 units, produces only 10,000 a month, according to R Ramakrishnan, business head of Tata Motors passenger cars. The car didnt project the right image, said Indian automobile expert Murad Ali Baig. Also, for the same cost as the Nano there are quite respectable second-hand cars with air conditioning. The base model, sold without air conditioning which is a disadvantage in Indias searing heat, costs 140,880 rupees ($2800). The premium version

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Myanmar is seeking a qualified local applicant to fill the post of: Associate Programme Officer (WASH) to be stationed in Yangon with frequent and extended visits to other operational areas. The detailed Terms of Reference for this position are available on request from UNHCR offices in Yangon, Maungdaw, Mawlamyine, Myeik, Taungoo and Myitkyina. Closing date: 17.02.2012

Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata posing with a Nano car during the vehicles launch in Mumbai on March 23, 2009. Pic: AFP air conditioning, central locking and power front windows is 196,959 rupees. The Nano ran into trouble from the start when a land acquisition row forced Tata to abandon a nearly completed plant and build another, badly delaying production. There were also safety concerns after a number of cars burst into flames. Now Tata Motors, which also produces the British luxury Jaguar and Land Rover brands, has gone into damage control mode. Tata boss Ratan Tata conceded this month that mistakes had been made, which had fuelled the perception of the Nano as a poor mans vehicle. Whatever stigma has been attached to it, we will undo, Tata said, insisting that the Nano had always been intended as an affordable, all-weather, family car. To get sales on track, Tata has given the car a makeover, making it available in more colours, including champagne gold and papaya orange, and sprucing up the interiors while keeping prices unchanged. It has also offered a Tata Nano Happiness Guarantee, which more than doubles the cars warranty to four years from 18 months, and throwing in a maintenance contract for just 99 rupees a month. It is offering fast-track financing for buyers wanting loans to purchase the car with loan approvals in 48 hours. Also, buyers can put down just 15,000 rupees ($300) to drive a Nano out of the showroom. Lets say at first it moved a little slowly in the market place, but now we have understood what the customer requirements are, said Tata Motors India managing director Prakash Telang. And Telang remains convinced that the potential Nano market remains as vast as its makers originally predicted. Car penetration in India is 10 to 11 per 1000 people as compared to Western economies where it is as high as about 400 per 1000 people, Telang said. The market will continue to grow rapidly. Typical of the buyers Telang has in mind is Dira Singh, who has a wife and two children and recently upgraded from a motorcycle to a shiny blue Nano. The Nano was in my budget. It wasnt costly and thats why I took it, Singh said, standing proudly beside the vehicle. It will protect my family. AFP

Indonesia faces economic hurdles

By Anwar Faruqi JAKARTA Indonesias designs on joining the top table of global economies have been boosted by its upgrade to investment status, but corruption and a poor infrastructure are hurdles to full membership. Southeast Asias biggest economy has made huge strides since the dark days of 1997, when its bond rating was reduced to junk during the Asian financial crisis and foreign investors fled the country. Last weeks decision by Moodys to upgrade Jakarta from BA1 to BAA3 with a stable outlook following a similar move by Fitch last month boosted its claim to join the league of emerging BRICS economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The rating upgrades affirm worldwide recognition of Indonesia as an investmentworthy country, said Darmin Nasution, governor of Bank Indonesia, the countrys central bank. It gives confidence that, even if there were financial turbulence in the world, Indonesia would be able to contain it and we will not be affected too much by it. Jakarta has been quick to turn the ratings reviews into cash. This month, soon after the Fitch upgrade, it sold its first 30-year global bonds since 2008, saying the sale had raised US$1.75 billion. The day after the Moodys upgrade, trade minister Gita Wirjawan had more good news, announcing that foreign direct investment last year had hit a record $20 billion, with Singapore, Japan and the United States among top investors. Wirjawan told reporters the economy had the potential to grow to $9.3 trillion by 2030. And Britains Standard Chartered bank agreed, tipping a similar figure in the same timeframe, representing a more than tenfold increase from the countrys current output. The bank also tipped Indonesia to become the worlds sixth-largest economy after China, the US, India, Brazil and Japan in the next 20 years, putting it in front of Germany, Mexico, France and Britain. It noted that the vast archipelago of 240 million people is already a member of the G20 club of rich countries and major emerging economies. However, the outlook is not entirely bright. Standard Chartered also said the country was handicapped by infrastructure bottlenecks and corruption. Indonesia came 100th of 183 countries with 183 being the worst in a Transparency International index last year. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has won two elections, the first in 2004, on a graft-fighting platform but few now believe he has what it takes to tackle the nefarious forces that control the countrys judiciary. Despite being an economic miracle, Indonesia is mired in red tape and corruption while its ports, roads and airports are hopelessly inadequate for the pace of growth it hopes to sustain in coming years, according to investors and analysts. The absence of sound infrastructure has been the main hurdle for Indonesia to implement its key economic policies, the Jakarta Globe daily wrote on January 20. Indonesian truck drivers have been known to get locked in massive traffic jams, sometimes for more than a week and forced to sell their belongings such as mobile phones to buy food. The government in 2010 announced plans to spend $140 billion on infrastructure until 2014, more than half of which would have to come from the private sector. However, at a time when much of the world is trying to steer out of economic doldrums Indonesia, whose economy all but fell apart during the Asian financial crisis, has escaped relatively unaffected by the current global slowdown. Gross domestic product growth last year was estimated to have reached 6.5 percent while this years official target is 6.7pc. Although foreign investment will underpin future growth, domestic consumer demand accounts for more than half of GDP, making the economy less dependent on exports and less vulnerable to shocks from Europe or the United States. Consumer goods from smartphones to cars are in hot demand in Southeast Asias largest market, where the middle class has been swelling in tandem with the economy. Helmi Arman, Citibanks chief economist in Jakarta, said: In terms of surpassing the European countries it would be better if it [Indonesia] is not only viewed from the size of the economy, but also from income distribution and productivity. We still have a lot of homework to do in this regard. AFP

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and tsunami that triggered the disaster also disrupted manufacturing supply chains across Japan, with floods in Thailand having a similar effect later in the year. In addition the eurozone debt crisis slowed the global economy and sent traders scurrying to the safety of the yen, driving up its value and reducing Japanese exporters incomes. In total, the cost of crude oil imports jumped 21.3pc, LNG was up 37.5pc and petroleum products rose 39.5pc, while automobile exports fell 10.6pc, with electronic parts down 14.2pc. Japan posted a deficit of 10.8 trillion yen with the Middle East alone, which provides almost all its oil, and a deficit of 3.1 trillion yen with Oceania, the source of large quantities of raw materials, especially Australia. The trade deficit with China, Japans biggest trading partner, was more than five times that of 2010. The country still recorded a trade surplus with the European Union, but it was down 31.3pc on 2010. Hiromasa Yonekura, chief of Japans biggest business peak, contributes to lowering import costs but its negative effect on exports is larger. Japanese demand for oil and other fuel is unlikely to decrease in the short or medium term and Osanai said resource prices remained high, inflicting a big negative impact. UBS economist Daiju Aoki warned Japan was on course to record repeated trade deficits. As the nation ages its production capability declines, hurting export power, he said. Japan will come to run trade deficits over the long term. It may return to figures in the black in 2012 or 2013 but the trend of suffering deficits could start. Nonetheless Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura, the top government spokesman, pointed out Japans balance of payments which includes services and other transactions was still in surplus. There has been a structural change over the way our country earns through international trade, he said, but he warned that Japanese manufacturing jobs were going overseas. Its important that we secure jobs in Japan, he said. AFP

MyanMar tiMes

Japan posts first annual trade loss since 1980

By Miwa Suzuki TOKYO Japan announced its first annual trade deficit for more than 30 years on January 25 after the March quake-tsunami and strong yen hit exports in 2011, while high fuel costs pushed up import bills. The first calendar-year deficit in goods since 1980 came to 2.49 trillion yen (US$32 billion), the finance ministry said. Imports were up 12 percent by value on 2010, it said, particularly crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG), while exports fell 2.7pc, led by automobiles, semiconductors and other components. After rising from the ashes of World War II Japan established itself as a trading nation, enjoying enormous surpluses with its competitive cars, electronics and other exports. But the country is resourcepoor and its energy imports have soared in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear crisis with atomic power stations being taken offline and fossil fuel plants used to make up the difference. The March earthquake

lobby Keidanren, told reporters: I hope this is only temporary. I am worried that it is possible that trade deficits remain. It will be extremely problematic if the high yen continues. Japans last calendar-year trade deficit came in 1980, when the nation was reeling from the second oil crisis and imports exceeded exports by 2.6 trillion yen still a record.

It was the worst year for Japans trade since 1980. It was caused by slumps in exports and rises in imports due to the higher need for alternative energy, said Satoshi Osanai, economist at Daiwa Institute of Research. Trade went in bad directions both ways, he said, noting that export falls had been worse in the 2008 financial turmoil that

followed Lehman Brothers collapse, when Japan recorded a trade deficit over the fiscal year. Analysts said that while there were one-off causes behind the deficit, underlying factors meant the phenomenon was likely to recur in the future. The strong yen, which hit repeated post-World War II highs against the dollar in 2011 and remains close to its

Cameron slams mad transaction tax plan

DAVOS, Switzerland Britains Prime Minister David Cameron launched a stinging attack on his European partners on January 26, slamming the eurozone as uncompetitive and branding a planned transaction tax madness. The British premier took the stage on the second day of the World Economic Forum in Davos, the annual Alpine get-together for the global business elite, and revived his simmering feud with the ailing single-currency bloc. In a speech designed to delight his own eurosceptic party back home and infuriate Frances President Nicolas Sarkozy, Cameron scornfully dismissed French-led plans to introduce a tax on all financial trades. Even to be considering this at a time when we are struggling to get our economies growing is quite simply madness, he declared. Of course its right that the financial sector should pay their share. In the UK we are doing exactly that through our bank levies and stamp duty on shares. And these are options which other countries can adopt. But look at the European Commissions own original analysis, he added. That showed a financial transactions tax could reduce the gross domestic product of the EU by 200 billion euros, cost nearly 500,000 jobs and force as much as 90 percent of some markets away from the EU. AFP

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A man climbs aboard a bus in East Dagon township in mid-December. Pic: Thet Htoo

Outskirt demand cools: real estate agents

After escalating sharply at the end of 2011, real estate prices in outer areas are coming down again
By Htar Htar Khin SPECULATION buying at a number of townships around Yangons outskirts hit the skids in January as news concerning possible foreign-backed projects stopped flowing, a number of real estate agents said last week. Sales in areas such as Dala, Thanlyin and East and North Dagon rose sharply in recent months, with prices also on the way up, mostly on the back of rumours that international developers would start large projects. U Zaw Zaw, the manager of Unity real estate agency prices have also fallen, some land increase by as much area is really bad and some in Mingalar Taung Nyunt by as much as half, he said. as 500 percent. However, he earlier buyers are selling He added that these said he had heard that some plots at a loss, he said. township, said the speculation U Khin Maung Aye, the in outer suburbs had slowed projects included the supposed plots had since fallen in value owner of Shwe Kan Myay because no evidence had Myanko development in by 50pc. I have heard of one 2400- real estate agency in Tarmwe emerged that the rumoured Thanlyin township, which projects would eventuate in was expected to be funded by square-foot plot of land in township, said his agency had also seen a significant coming months. dip in interest for plots Buyers were very interested in outskirts The infrastructure in the area is really bad and of land in outer areas since early January. areas in the past few The lack of news months but no news some earlier buyers are selling plots at a loss. and announcements has come to light that regarding foreignany international projects are definitely going South Korean firms, as well Aung Chan Thar district backed developments in ahead, so sales are slowing, as a bridge linking downtown in Thanlyin that sold for outer suburban areas has between K20 and K25 million had a huge impact on the Yangon with Dala. he said. U Zaw Zaw the speculation last month but is now only buyers because unless those In fact sales of land plots in Dala, Thanlyin, East Dagon buying in the months leading worth K10 million now, he projects eventuate those plots are basically worthless, he and North Dagon have been up to January had seen said. The infrastructure in the said. poor since early January and prices for some pieces of As a result, sales in those areas have really slowed down, U Khin Maung Aye said. Ko Min Min Soe from Mya Pan than Khin real estate agency in Lanmadaw township said his agency had noted the same issue. I think buyers have suddenly lost interest in Dala and Thanlyin in the past month because there has been no news about possible developments, he said. From what I see, Dala has the worst infrastructure and a lot of people who bought plots of land cant sell them even at half the price they paid.

Football club announces plan to build 100-bed hospital in Pathein

By Noe Noe Aung AYEYAWADY United Football Club is investing K5 billion to build a 100bed hospital in Pathein, in Ayeyarwady Region, the clubs patron said last week. We aim to invest K5 billion for the hospital, U Soe Han Lin, told The Myanmar Times on January 12 at the hospitals inauguration ceremony. The timetable for the whole project will be about 18 months, he said. U Yan Win, the clubs president, said the first tasks will be to build the hospital and some shop houses alongside. The hospital will have space for 100 beds and we will include shop houses around the outside as well, he said He added that the 33.1acre site is on Station Street, in Patheins fifth quarter and the hospital will cover about 5.6 acres. The three-storey hospital will include about 50,000 square feet of space on each level and two elevators will be installed, as well as medical equipment, U Yan Win added. According to the sketch of hospital, there will be nine outpatient departments, an emergency room, three surgeries, two delivery rooms, a CT scan room, an ultrasound room, an X-ray and a laboratory. Special equipment such as stress testers, echocardiography machines, defibrillators, haemodialysis machines and cardio tocography devices will also be installed, U Yan Win said. We plan to install some special devices, such as three haemodialysis machines, because we dont want patients to wait for a long time, U Yan Win said. The shop houses will also be three-storey buildings and each will include 900 square feet per level. Ayeyarwady Bank and Myanmar Apex Bank have both indicated that they will build branches in the vicinity, he said. We aim to finish the shop houses within eight months, said U Yan Win. The club is also aiming to build a shopping mall nearby, he added.

Dubai Holding unit to repay $500m in bonds

DUBAI A unit of Dubai Holding, a conglomerate owned by Dubais ruler, said last week that it will repay US$500 million in bonds maturing on February 1, while Fitch agency revised the rating of the group from negative to stable. Dubai Holding Commercial Operations a hospitality, media and property group said in statement to Nasdaq Dubai financial market that it confirmed repayment of the $500 million maturing on February 1. The group continues to meet its financial obligations as and when they fall due, the statement said. Fitch Ratings on January 25 said it has revised the outlook on DHCOG to Stable from Negative. The Outlook revision reflects the companys good progress with its non-core asset disposal program and better than expected operating performance in the hospitality and rentals divisions and reduced leverage, it said. It noted that DHCOG has no significant maturities before 2014 after the January 25 announcement. Dubai Holding, the parent group that includes DHCOG and investment arm Dubai International Capital, reportedly has a total debt of $12 billion. Dubai government-related entities were hit by the financial crisis in 2009 as international finance dried out, while the emirates real estate sector collapsed. DHCOG owns Dubai Properties Group, which was behind several major developments in Dubai, including the upmarket Jumeirah Beach Residence. It also controls TECOM Investments which runs business parks that host foreign entities from several sectors, including media and education. AFP

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Year of the Dragon to boost property moguls: feng shui master

HONG KONG Some of Hong Kongs richest property tycoons were born in the year of the dragon and can expect a prosperous 2012 under their auspicious birth-sign, a feng shui master said on January 25. The element of earth is especially pronounced in the year of the dragon, so people born this year will have an advantage in business related to the earth real estate for example, Hong Kong geomancer Si Tou Kin Fu said. Hong Kongs richest man, Li Ka-shing, was born in the year of the dragon in 1928. The chairman of Cheung Kong Holdings and Hutchison Whampoa, he has a net worth of US$22 billion and is ranked 11th on the Forbes billionaires list. His son Richard Li, born in the dragon year of 1964, is chairman of Hong Kongs biggest phone company. At age 44, he is worth an estimated $1.4 billion. Raymond Kwok, another dragon baby born in 1952, is the youngest of the Kwok clan, which is behind one the citys biggest developers, Sun Hung Kai Properties. The family was ranked 23rd on Forbes billionaires list last year. Also born in 1952 is Robert Ng, chairman of property development conglomerate Sino Group. He is the eldest son of Ng Teng Fong, the Singaporean real estate billionaire. The Chinese zodiac is based on a 12year cycle, with each year represented by an animal. Traditionally associated with imperial power, the dragon is the fifth animal in the cycle and is considered the most auspicious. Si Tou said that not all those born in a dragon year could expect fortune and power. Other factors such as the time of birth were also vital to ones fate. Otherwise one-twelfth of the Chinese population would be mega-rich we know thats not true. AFP

Chinese developers ease sales in face of worst year since 2008

SHANGHAI Chinas biggest developers slowed home sales toward the end of 2011, bracing for the worst property market in three years as the government vows to keep real-estate curbs. Contract sales, or sales booked before apartments are completed, dropped 30 percent last month at China Vanke Co, as the countrys biggest developer by market value offered fewer homes from November. Evergrande Real Estate Group, the second-biggest Chinese developer by revenue, said sales in November and December were the lowest for the year. Developers are looking for ways to preserve record sales last year as the impact of purchase limits and tighter mortgage requirements imposed by the government spreads. Chinas home transactions will fall 10pc this year, according to Daiwa Securities Capital Markets, while UBS says the curbs may boost supply to the highest in a decade. If the government doesnt relax the enforcement on the house purchase restrictions and mortgages by the summer, then we could have a crash in the housing market by the end of the year, said Andy Rothman, CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets China macro strategist in an interview in Shanghai. Chinas home prices had their worst performance in 2011 in December, with only two of the 70 cities tracked by the government posting gains, according to data from the National Statistics Bureau on January 18. About 16pc of respondents in China said in a 2011 survey they plan to buy a property in the next two years, down from 22pc in 2010, according to Credit Suisse

The financial district of Pudong in Shanghai. Pic: AFP Group. That makes China the only of seven developing countries in its poll that saw declining willingness for home purchases. The government has reiterated it wont back away from realestate industry curbs, while the financial centre of Shanghai and Beijing are among Chinese cities that have said they will continue to impose home purchase restrictions this year. Evergrande adjusted the sales rhythm in November to have a reasonable base data for 2012 after beating its sales target, said chief executive officer Xia Haijun last month. It set its contracted sales target for 2012 at 80 billion yuan (US$12.7 billion), lower than the 80.4 billion yuan ($12.7 billion) it achieved last year, according to a January 16 statement. China Overseas Land & Investment, the biggest Chinese developer listed in Hong Kong, stopped efforts to actively promote and launch projects in November and will set prices that will factor in the governments policies and market conditions this year, said Yang Haisong, the state-owned companys Hong Kong-based head of investor relations. Developers intentionally slowing down sales at the end of the year shows that they are actually not confident of their sales this year, said Peter Bai, a Beijing-based property analyst at China International Capital Corp, the countrys biggest investment bank. Developers may be facing one of their toughest years in 2012, said Chen Li, head of China equity strategy at UBS. Their cash flow may be exhausted to zero by the end of the year as some companies struggle to get financing for projects, said Chen. Bloomberg

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Fold-up car of the future unveiled

BRUSSELS A tiny revolutionary fold-up car designed in Spains Basque country as the answer to urban stress and pollution was unveiled last week before hitting European cities in 2013. The Hiriko, the Basque word for urban, is an electric two-seater with no doors whose motor is located in the wheels and which folds up like a childs collapsible buggy, or stroller, for easy parking. Dreamt up by Bostons MITMedia lab, the concept was developed by a consortium of seven small Basque firms under the name Hiriko Driving Mobility, with a prototype unveiled by European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso. Demonstrating for journalists, Barroso clambered in through the fold-up front windscreen of the 1.5-metrelong car. European ideas usually are developed in the United States. This time an American idea is being made in Europe, consortium spokesman Gorka Espiau told AFP. Its makers are in talks with a number of European cities to assemble the tiny cars that can run 120 kilometres (75 miles) without a recharge and whose speed is electronically set to respect city limits. They envisage it as a cityowned vehicle, up for hire like the fleets of bicycles available in many European cities, or put up for sale privately at around 12,500 euros (US$16,250). Several cities have shows interest, including Berlin, Barcelona, San Francisco and Hong Kong. Talks are underway with Paris, London, Boston, Dubai and Brussels. The vehicles four wheels turn at right angles to facilitate sideways parking in tight spaces. The backers describe the Hiriko project as a European social innovation initiative offering a systematic solution to major societal challenges: urban transportation, pollution and job creation. AFP

European Commission Chairman Jose Manuel Barroso (right) and the Spanish chairman of a consortium of seven small Basque firms under the name Hiriko Driving Mobility, Jesus Echave, unveil the first prototype of a tiny revolutionary electric foldup car designed in Spains Basque country on January 24. Pic: AFP

EU fights internet giants over personal data

BRUSSELS The European Commission launched January 25 a bid to make companies, including internet giants such as Google or Facebook, give people more control of their personal data or face big fines. The proposal championed by EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding would force all companies to get explicit consent from customers to collect their data, explain how it will be used, and allow users to totally erase their information. Failure to comply could cost a company a fine of up to one million euros (US$1.3 million), or 2 percent of annual turnover. Personal data is in todays world the currency of the digital market, and like any currency it has to be stable and it has to be trustworthy, Reding told a news conference after the EU executive endorsed her proposal. Only if consumers trust that their data is well protected, will they continue to entrust businesses and authorities with it, buy online, accept new services, she said. Citing a survey showing 72pc of Europeans worry their data may be misused, Reding pressed her case to give people the right to be forgotten from the internet by allowing them to make their data vanish from the web. With each country in the 27-state European Union enforcing its own data protection laws, the legislation would create a single EU law for all nations as well as companies offering services in Europe, even if servers are overseas. This would save businesses 2.3 billion euros [$2.6 billion] a year by eliminating a costly mountain of red tape that companies must navigate, Reding argued. But some companies have doubts over the benefits of the proposed law. firm, said the right to be forgotten provision will be hard to implement. Redings goal is to give people greater control over their information in an era of social networking websites and cloud computing, technology allowing people to store pictures, documents and other data online. global reach. Sources said the Luxembourg politician had to tone down some provisions. A previous draft of the legislation, for instance, had called for stiffer sanctions of 5.0pc of turnover. Reding denied that the legislation, which now goes to the EU Parliament and national governments for approval, was watered down. But she acknowledged that it had generated a lot of debate. Some say it goes too far, and the others say it does not not go far enough. I say I am somewhere down the middle, she said. Reding wants national data protection authorities to have the power to deal with complaints, carry out investigations and impose sanctions. The goal is to give people a one-stop shop to deal with data protection concerns. For example, a man in Austria could go to his national authority to ask Facebook, which has its European headquarters in Ireland, to erase his data, said Reding. Companies, for their part, would have to appoint a data protection officer, a requirement that already exists in Germany. Reding said small companies would be exempted from that rule. This is a world of breathtaking possibilities and it should stay so, Reding said. It should be a world of innovation but of course there are also dangers around these new technologies, especially concerning the losing of control of ones personal data. AFP

is todays world Personal data theindigital market. the currency of

Thomas Boue, of the Business Software Alliance, said the commission goes too far in imposing measures on how companies must collect, stock and treat information. Wim Nauwelaerts, a legal expert in data security at Hunton & Williams law Another innovation would allow consumers to take data from one website, say Facebook, and move it to another like Google+. But privately some EU officials say Redings legislation is too complex and ambitious to enforce in a world of companies with

RIM to focus more on consumer market: new chief

By Michel Viatteau MONTREAL Research in Motions new chief executive Thorsten Heins said last week he plans to focus more on the consumer market but that a drastic change is not necessary at the struggling BlackBerry maker. Heins, who took over on January 22 from co-chiefs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, also said he had no plans to split up the company, which has been losing market share to Apples iPhone and handsets powered by Googles Android platform. We have fantastic devices and a fantastic ecosystem that were building, Heins said in a conference call with financial analysts. I want to build on that. I will not in any way split this up or separate this into different businesses, said the 54-year-old Heins, who joined RIM in December 2007 from German industrial giant Siemens, where he was chief technology officer. Heins said he wants RIM to focus more on consumer, on consumer marketing and he has received the support from the board in going down that path. But this is not a seismic change, he said. This is scaling the company further and we will continue to scale this company up. I dont think that there is some drastic change needed, he said. We are evolving. Were evolving our strategy. RIM has enjoyed most of its success with business customers but has lagged behind Apple and Android when it comes to developing handsets for consumers. [In] the US we were very successful coming from the core enterprise business and in the public opinion this is still where were skewed to, Heins said. So one process we really will put a lot of energy and effort in is really our market communication. We need to be more marketing-driven, he said. We need to be more consumer oriented because this is where a lot of our growth is coming from. That is essential in the US. Heins said he would make recruiting a new chief marketing officer a priority. I want this ASAP, thats for sure, he said. The new chief executive officer also said he would be prepared to license the new BlackBerry 10 operating system. Im absolutely confident that BlackBerry 10 will prove itself as a platform, he said. If there [are] requests coming towards Research In Motion to talk about licensing that platform to other companies, I will entertain those discussions. I will listen. I will assess the business opportunity for RIM and if it makes sense strategically and tactically to go down that path, then I will make the decision together with the board, he said. Co-chiefs Lazaridis and Balsillie resigned on January 22 following months of investor pressure for a change at the helm of RIM. RIM shares have lost nearly three-quarters of their value over the past year and the company has been the subject of persistent takeover speculation. AFP

Gillard security scare disgusts indigenous leaders

SYDNEY Australian indigenous leaders said on January 27 they were appalled at the disrespect shown to Prime Minister Julia Gillard after she had to be dragged to safety from furious Aboriginal rights protesters. Gillard and opposition leader Tony Abbott were bundled out of a Canberra restaurant by security service agents the previous day after it was surrounded by activists pounding the windows chanting shame and racist. As Gillard was rushed to a waiting car, she dramatically stumbled and lost a shoe in ugly scenes that were beamed around the world. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda said the level of disrespect shown to the prime minister was disgraceful. An aggressive, divisive and frightening protest such as this has no place in debates about the affairs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples or in any circumstances, he told ABC radio. While we need to acknowledge that theres a real anger, frustration and hurt that exists in some indigenous communities around Australia, we must not give in to aggressive and disrespectful actions ourselves. The protesters had been attending so-called Invasion Day commemorations at the nearby Aboriginal tent embassy, a permanent camp of indigenous activists celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. They took offence at comments by Abbott which they said suggested the embassy may have reached its sell-by date and besieged the restaurant when they discovered he was inside attending a ceremony with Gillard. Invasion Day, celebrated as Australia Day by most of the nation, marks the day in 1788 when the First Fleet arrived at Sydney Cove and proclaimed British sovereignty over the country. Abbott insisted he never said the tent embassy should be removed. I never said that and I dont think that, he told reporters. Indigenous leader Warren Mundine, a former president of the Australian Labor Party, said those responsible for the security scare should be charged. No human being, let alone the prime minister of this country, should be treated in such a way, he said on January 27. AFP

TiMESWORLD
Tehran offers talks on nuclear dispute
officials urging the Islamic republic to return to negotiations over its contested nuclear program. The last round of talks between Iran and the major powers comprising Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States was held in Turkey in January 2011, but the negotiations collapsed. The six powers are still waiting for Irans reply to a letter from EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton sent in October, stressing that negotiations should focus on the key question of the Iranian nuclear issue, in order to remove doubts. The United States declined to directly respond to Ahmadinejads comments on January 26, saying instead that Tehran should formally reply to Ashtons letter. The European Union on

January 30 - February 5, 2012

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TEHRAN Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said last week that Tehran is ready to sit down with world powers for talks on its nuclear drive as he downplayed the harmful effects of newly imposed sanctions. The Islamic republic, which was already under four rounds of United Nations sanctions, vehemently denies its nuclear program masks an atomic weapons drive as the West alleges, and insists it is for civilian purposes only. They have this excuse that Iran is dodging negotiations while it is not the case, the Iranian leader was quoted as saying by state media on January 26. A person who has logic and has right on his side, why should (he) refrain from negotiations? He was implicitly responding to comments made by Western

January 23 imposed an embargo on Iranian oil imports as the West ramped up the pressure. In his televised comments, Ahmadinejad brushed off the effects of the newly imposed sanctions, saying they would not hurt his nation. Once our trade with Europe was around 90 percent but now it has reached 10 percent and we are not seeking this 10 percent... Experience has shown that the Iranian nation will not be hurt, Ahmadinejad said during a visit to southern Kerman province. For the past 30 years, the Americans have not been buying oil from us. Our central bank has no relations with you. The new EU sanctions would make it even more difficult for Iran to be paid in foreign currency for its oil exports, which were worth more than US$100 billion in 2011. AFP

An up-close image of a toucan taken at the National Zoo in Masaya department, Nicaragua, on January 25. Toucans are native to Latin America and the Caribbean and make their nests in tree hollows and holes excavated by other animals such as woodpeckers, says Wikipedia. Despite being similar in appearance to hornbills, they are not closely related because of convergent evolution, explains www.earthfacts.net. Convergent evolution occurs when animals that are unrelated but occupy similar ecological niches evolve similar characteristics. Pic: AFP

Briefly
MARSEILLE A French judge on January 27 charged Jean-Claude Mas, the founder of the PIP breast implant company at the heart of a global health scare, with manslaughter, his lawyer said. PIP was closed in 2010 after it was found to have been using industrial-grade silicone gel. DAVOS, Switzerland Microsoft founder Bill Gates unveiled a US$750 million donation to the UN Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis annd malaria on January 26, saying tough economic times must not trigger a fall in aid. TRIPOLI Libyas regular army and array of militias have been torturing loyalists of slain dictator Moamer Kadhafi, several of whom have died in custody, human rights groups alleged on January 26. MOSCOW Moscow authorities on January 26 granted permission for a mass opposition protest on February 4 at which tens of thousands are set to challenge Vladimir Putins domination of Russia a month ahead of presidential polls. AFP

US plans to cut armed forces, invest in floating drones base

WASHINGTON The Pentagon last week strategy of forward-deploying its military proposed taking some 100,000 troops off to strategically placed US allies. The budget is far from a done deal. active duty as the debt-ridden United States winds down a decade of war, but vowed new Panetta is hoping to ward off calls for investments to exert power in Asia and the steeper cuts backed by some members of his Democratic Party, while Republicans Middle East. With pressure mounting to balance seeking to defeat Obama in November the US books, President Barack Obamas elections have resisted any cuts to the administration sought a 13 percent cut in military and instead prefer reductions on Army numbers including pulling back two social benefits at home. Senator John McCain, a Republican brigades from Europe as well as retiring and staunch military supporter, said older ships and planes. But the administration called for he accepted the general need to reduce investment on new projects including a spending but warned that the United futuristic floating base for special operations States faced challenges he called more daunting than and drones at any time and assigning in recent elite Brigade Panetta vowed to maintain US memory. Combat Teams Panetta with language power in the Middle East and Asia. proposed a training to US$613 billion each region of budget for the world. We are at a strategic turning point after the year starting in October -- a $525 a decade of war and substantial growth in billion base spending plan and $88.4 defence budgets, Defence Secretary Leon billion for combat operations, primarily Panetta said on January 26 as he unveiled in Afghanistan. The total is nine percent a preview of the Pentagons 2013 budget below the 2012 request. He said the base budget would rise to requests. Panetta vowed to maintain US power $567 billion by the 2017 fiscal year, by in the Middle East and Asia where which time the United States plans to Chinas growing military has concerned withdraw most of the 90,000 troops now the United States and its allies including in Afghanistan. He proposed reducing the number of by modernising submarines and funding a active US Army soldiers from 570,000 in next-generation bomber. Panetta called for funding to station 2010 to 490,000 by 2017 and reducing the littoral combat ships in Singapore and Marines strength from 202,000 to 182,000 patrol craft in Bahrain part of the US over the same period. AFP

Trade Mark CauTIon

NOTICE is hereby given that THe GoodYear TIre & ruBBer CoMPanY, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Ohio, United States of America of 1144 Market Street, Akron, Ohio, United States of America do solemnly and sincerely declare that we are the owners and sole proprietors of the following trade marks in Myanmar:

1.

2. WranGLer

3. keLLY-SPrInGFIeLd
The above marks are used in respect of tires.

4. HI-MILer The above mark is used in respect of tires and belts for vehicles.
The said trade marks are the subject of Declarations of Ownership recorded with the Registrar of Deeds and Assurances, Yangon, Myanmar, in Book under Nos. 1740, 1742, 1744 and 1745 dated May 13, May 9, May 13, May 9, year 1996 respectively. Any infringement or colourable imitation thereof or other infringement of the rights of the said Company will be dealt with according to law. U Kyi Win Associates for THe GoodYear TIre & ruBBer CoMPanY, By its Attorneys-at-Law Remfry & Sagar INDIA Dated: 30th January, 2012

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Massive solar flare disrupts transpolar flights

WASHINGTON Solar radiation from a massive sun storm the largest in nearly a decade collided with the Earths atmosphere on January 24, prompting an airline to reroute flights and creating spectacular light displays. US carrier Delta Air Lines said it had adjusted routes for transpolar journeys between Asia and the United States to avoid communications problems caused by the radiation storm, a spokesman said. NASA confirmed the coronal mass ejection (CME) began colliding with Earths magnetic field at about 10am Washington time on January 24, adding that the storm was being considered the largest since October 2003. Due to the unusual intensity of the photons raining on Earth, the spectacular aurora borealis the stunning Northern Lights display which is often seen closer to the Arctic pole at this time of year, has been seen as

US soldiers sentence stuns Iraqis

HADITHA, Iraq Haditha residents and relatives of 24 Iraqis killed in 2005 in the town by US troops voiced shock and disgust over the light sentence meted out last week to a US soldier involved in the massacre. A lawyer for the victims vowed to continue pursuing the case. This is an assault on the blood of Iraqis, said Khalid Salman, a Haditha city councillor and lawyer for the victims. That is only a punishment for ... small crimes. But killing 24 innocent people, and only receiving a punishment of three months? This is an assault on humanity. His comments came after US Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich pleaded guilty on January 23 at a court martial at Camp Pendleton, California, meaning he faced a maximum sentence of three months in prison. The next day, Wuterich was demoted to the rank of private and sentenced to 90 days confinement but will serve no time behind bars due to a pre-trial agreement. Manslaughter charges were dropped as part of the plea deal for Wuterich, who led a group of Marines whose other members have been let off. People in Haditha are depressed, especially the families of the victims, the families of the innocent who were murdered for no reason, said Assem Omar al-Hadithi, a Haditha-based journalist with Al-Anbar satellite television who grew up in the town. We dont want to talk about forgiveness and kindness all we want is justice. In all, 24 Iraqi civilians were killed 19 in several houses along with five men who pulled up in a car where the marines were on patrol in Haditha on November 19, 2005. The victims included 10 women or children killed at point-blank range. Six people were killed in one house, most shot in the head, including women and children huddled in a bedroom. Wuterich voiced sorrow after accepting the deal, but insisted he was not a coldblooded baby killer. The other seven Marines charged in the case have been exonerated through various legal rulings, fuelling anger in Iraq, where authorities had pushed for US troops to be subject to Iraqi justice before the US pullout in December. Ayad Ghazi Musleh, a surgeon at Hadithas hospital, had performed an appendectomy on one of the victims a week before the massacre. She was still in care, said Musleh. So I knew that this woman was killed in her bed. ... Im still so hurt over her death. Musleh said the sentence was evidence of an unfair system, one with different classes of blood and the blood of Iraqis and thirdworld countries are the lowest and the last classification in the world. Isnt Iraqi blood worth the same as American blood? he asked. AFP

An aurora borealis caused by the solar flare and pictured near Tromsoe, in far northern Norway, on January 24. Pic: AFP far south as Scotland and northern England, and at lower latitudes in the United States. The event started late on January 22 with a moderate-sized solar flare th a t e r u p t e d n e ar th e centre of the Sun, said Doug Biesecker, a physicist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Space Weather Prediction Center. The flare itself was nothing spectacular, but it sent off a very fast coronal mass ejection travelling four million miles per hour (6.4 million kilometers per hour), he told AFP. AFP

Brain protein find raises hopes on Alzheimers

PARIS French scientists said last week that lack of a key brain protein was linked to Alzheimers, a finding that threw up a tempting target for drugs to fight the disease. What weve found is a weapon for controlling and modifying tau, said Etienne-Emile Baulieu of Frances National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm), referring to a culprit involved in Alzheimers. Building on earlier work, researchers delved into a Paris brain bank, of organs donated for medical science, to compare levels of a protein called FKBP52 among brains of people who had died of dementia and those who had died of other causes. In the frontal cortex, levels of FKBP52 were 75 percent lower among people who had died of Alzheimers and other tau diseases, a dramatic fall, Baulieu told a news conference on January 24. Baulieu said FKBP52 was the best target that had surfaced so far in the fight against Alzheimers, a disease that is as cruel as it is baffling. A rogue protein that later became named tau was first spotted in 1912 by Alois Alzheimer, the German neuropathologist who gave his name to the degenerative disease of the brain. When normal tau undergoes a process called hyperphosphorylation, it starts to assemble in microscopic tangles inside brain cells, killing them. FKBP52 is a protein that is found abundantly in the brain, where it has a workhorse role in folding and unfolding other proteins. But it has also been revealed to bind to tau, which gives rise to the theory that lack of the protein helps tau to clump together. Baulieu said levels of FKBP52 could be used to indicate susceptibility to Alzheimers, and boosting them could provide a means of stalling progression of the disease. The research appears in the Journal of Alzheimers Disease. AFP

Trade Mark CauTIon

NOTICE is hereby given that MerCk SanTe, Socit par Actions Simplifiee, 37 rue Saint Romain, 69008 LYON, FRANCE do solemnly and sincerely declare that we are the owners and sole proprietors of the following trade marks in Myanmar.

1. 2.

GLuCoVanCe GLurIad

The said marks are used in respect of Pharmaceutical products for prevention and treatment of diabetes and complications thereof. The said trade marks are the subject of Declarations of Ownership recorded with the Registrar of Deeds and Assurances, Yangon, Myanmar, in Book under Nos. IV/4009/2005 and IV/4010/2005 dated May 20, 2005. Any infringement or colourable imitation thereof or other infringement of the rights of the said corporation will be dealt with according to law. U Kyi Win Associates for MerCk SanTe by its Attorney Remfry & Sagar INDIA

Dated: 30th January, 2012

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Briefs
US commandos free two in Somalia
WASHINGTON US commandos swooped into lawless Somalia on January 25 and rescued two Western aid workers held for three months by armed pirates in a daring pre-dawn raid approved by President Barack Obama. In a rare US incursion into Somalia, elite Navy SEALs flying at least six military helicopters flew in to pluck an American, Jessica Buchanan, 32, and Dane Poul Thisted, 60, to safety in a firefight that left all nine kidnappers dead. The two freed hostages were unharmed and flown to safety.

Nest site offers clues to dinosaur reproduction

WASHINGTON Tiny footprints and fossil embryos at the oldest dinosaur nesting site ever found have revealed new details about how these ancient creatures reared their young, said research published on January 23. The nest belongs to mid-sized dinosaurs from the Early Jurassic Period known as Massospondylus, which were up to six metres (20 feet) long as adults. Their eggs are only six centimeters in diameter. The traces left behind show that hatchlings stayed in the nest until they doubled in size, and that the young Massospondylus walked on four legs while young, but then likely stood upright on two legs as adults. The analysis led by Canadian and South African researchers is based on findings at an excavation in Golden Gate Highlands National Park in South Africa, and is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The fossils date to 190 million years ago, presenting the oldest known evidence

Arab League plans UN talks on Syria

CAIRO An Arab League team left for New York on January 27 to seek UN Security Council support for a plan aimed at ending the 10-month-old crisis in Syria. Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi said he and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al-Thani would ask the UNSC to ratify a decision for President Bashar al-Assad to hand power to his deputy. Arab League ministers backed the plan at a meeting on January 22 but it has been ruled out by Damascus as amounting to interference in its internal affairs.

An artists impression provided last week by the University of Toronto of the nesting site found in South Africa shows the eggs, hatchlings and adults of Massopondylus. Pic: AFP/University of Toronto of such behaviour among international fanfare in that the site was returned to evolutionary history, and repeatedly by the dinosaur documents the antiquity of 2005. dinosaurs. At least 10 nests have mothers, who laid eggs nesting strategies that are The first fossilised only known much later in dinosaur embryo was found been uncovered at various together as a group. This amazing series the dinosaur record, said in Golden Gate in 1976, levels, each holding as many and the first details about as 34 eggs in close-knit of 190 million year old David Evans, associate nests gives us the first c u r a t o r , V e r t e b r a t e unhatched dinosaurs found clutches. Researchers believe the detailed look at dinosaur Palaeontology at the Royal inside fossilised eggs at the site were published to layout of the nests suggest reproduction early in their Ontario Museum. AFP

Egypt eases state of emergency

CAIRO The partial lifting of Egypts decades-old state of emergency last week was greeted with frosty reception from experts and rights groups, who said the move was cosmetic and left open the possibility of further abuses. The countrys military ruler Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi on January 24 announced the end of the controversial law which gave police wide powers of arrest and suspended constitutional rights except in cases of involving what was called thuggery. The move, which came into force on January 25, exactly a year after Egyptians took to the streets to oust veteran president Hosni Mubarak, was apparently designed to placate protesters. The anniversary was marked by tens of thousands of Egyptians, who thronged Tahrir Square, the epicentre of anti-regime protests. Some of them demanded the departure of the ruling military council that took over when Mubarak quit and which they accuse of being as repressive as the old regime. The timing of the announcement was very political, said Hassan Nafaa, a columnist and professor of political science. The term used (which in Arabic translates as thugs or troublemakers) is very imprecise legally speaking, and this may affect the scope of the decision, he told AFP. Human Rights Watch strongly criticised the announcement, made in a short televised address, saying the decision to only partially scrap the law was an invitation to continued abuse and the stifling of freedoms. Military leaders have frequently described protesters as thugs and military tribunals have convicted peaceful protesters after unfair trials for the crime of thuggery, said Joe Stork, HRWs deputy Middle East director. Hossam Bahgat, director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), said that, in effect, the state of emergency had not been lifted. The vague term thuggery is now being instrumentalised, he told AFP. It will allow police to use their powers to search and detain anyone suspected of being a thug. Thuggery does not refer to any recognisable criminal offence. The announcement also represents a challenge for the new parliament, which held its first session on January 23 and to which the army said it would transfer legislative power, said Bahgat, who called on MPs to press for a return to ordinary laws. For decades, Egypts state of emergency was used to justify the suppression of Islamist groups, who dominate the assembly and who have long called for its abolition. Egyptians have been living under emergency law continuously since Islamists assassinated president Anwar Sadat in 1981 and Mubarak took power. Lifting the law was one of the key demands of the protesters who toppled Mubarak last February. The military leaders who succeeded him initially promised that the law would be lifted ahead of the parliamentary elections that have just been held, then suggesting it would remain in force until June, when presidential polls are due. In 2010, Mubarak had restricted the scope of the law to narcotics and terrorism. But last September, the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) widened it to include strikes, traffic disruption and the spreading of rumours. AFP

Brotherhood rules out presidency bid

CAIRO The Muslim Brotherhood, the big winner of Egypts parliamentary election, will not field a candidate for the Egyptian presidency, its leader Mohammed Badie said on January 26. The Brotherhoods Freedom and Justice Party won 235 seats in the new Peoples Assembly, or 47.18 percent, while the ultra-conservative Salafist Al-Nur party came second with 121 seats. The election was the first since Hosni Mubaraks overthrow last February.

Palestinians issue demand for negotiations to resume

RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories The Palestinians ruled out any more talks about a resumption of Middle East peace negotiations on January 25 after a fifth meeting in Jordan produced not one step from Israel. Todays meeting was the last and there will be no further exploratory talks with the Israeli side, a senior Palestinian official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. We can say that all these meetings have gone nowhere because Israel has moved not one step to enable a resumption of negotiations, the official said after the meeting held under tight secrecy in Jordan. Ahead of the talks, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas rephrased the Palestinians longstanding conditions for new talks. If we determine the borders, it is possible to return to negotiations, but the Israelis dont want to determine the borders, Abbas said in comments published by the Palestinians official Wafa news agency. The Palestinians have said they will agree to return to the negotiating table only if Israel agrees to freeze settlement construction and if it accepts the lines that existed before the 1967 Six-Day War as the basis for discussions on future borders. There was no immediate Israeli response to Abbass remarks. AFP

German abducted in northern Nigeria

KANO Gunmen abducted a German engineer on January 26 in the northern Nigerian city of Kano, where another explosion struck fear among residents plagued by unprecedented violence blamed on an Islamist sect. The kidnapping of foreigners is rare in northern Nigeria and there were no immediate indications that the Boko Haram group was linked to the abduction. A spokesman for the group had previously claimed responsibility for bombings and shootings in Kano on January 20 which killed least 185 people. AFP

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The gloves come off in Florida debate

TAMPA, Florida Mitt Romney painted rival Newt Gingrich as a Washington influence peddler and unfit for the White House, as falling poll numbers forced him onto the offensive in a fierce Republican debate. Romney began the maiden Florida primary debate late on January 23 swinging hard at Gingrich, as he scrambled to get his campaign back on track and reassert himself as the candidate best able to beat President Barack Obama in November. The contest was a marked role reversal from previous debates, when an insurgent Gingrich had railed against the frontrunners past, portraying Romney a multimillionaire businessman as a ruthless corporate raider. The tone was set earlier in the day by two new polls showing Gingrich surging past the former Massachusetts governor, ahead of the January 31 vote that could either confirm Gingrichs surge or reinstate Romney as the favourite. Facing a suddenly daunting hurdle to the nomination, Romney scrapped his single-minded Gingrich said his role working for Freddie Mac had been as an historian. The former Georgia lawmaker released his contract with the firm just hours before the debate to try to defuse the toxic issue. Amid the feisty back and forth, the other two Republicans still in the race, Christian conservative Rick Santorum and Texas congressman Ron Paul paled into the background, left watching as the frontrunners dueled it out. After the aggressive opening, the rhythm settled and there were fewer fireworks than some previous encounters. Romney has struggled to win over the Republicans conservative base which remains wary of his Mormon faith and his changing positions on key issues such as abortion and gay marriage. But Florida is a far larger and more diverse state than the others which have so far voted, and Romney will be hoping that his campaign war chest and well-oiled machine will give him the edge. AFP

Pic: AFP Former Massachusetts Governor, Mitt Romney (left), and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Newt Gingrich, during the Republican presidential candidates debate at the University of South Florida on January 23. focus on Obama, instead castigating Gingrichs past roles as speaker of House of Representatives and as a Washington lobbyist. Romney zeroed in on Gingrichs work for statebacked mortgage lender Freddie Mac, a firm many Republicans see as being complicit in the housing bubble and the ensuing Great Recession, which hit Florida particularly hard. In the 15 years after he left the speakership, the speaker has been working as an influence peddler in Washington, Romney said. I dont think we can possibly retake the White House if the person whos leading our party is the person who was working for the chief lobbyist of Freddie Mac, he added. Freddie Mac was paying speaker Gingrich $1.6 million at the same time Freddie Mac was costing the people of Florida millions of dollars. Gingrich, shedding his trademark bombast, tried to rise above the fray, as the audience looked on with a silence not seen in previous more raucous debates. It is the worst kind of trivial politics, Gingrich said testily, I dont want to waste any time on it. Governor Romney cant tell the truth, he added, echoing criticism from Democrats about his opponents consistency on key issues.

Trade Mark CauTIon

knauf Gips kG of Am Bahnhof 7, D-97346 Iphofen, Germany, is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following Trade Mark:

reg.no.IV/24/2006 reg.no.IV/8749/2008 reg.no.IV/13034/2011 in respect of Class 01: Mortar-based adhesive; adhesive products, glues, in particular, for floor tiles and linings, dual component adhesive, glue for all wallpaper and cork; foam for assembly purposes reg.no.IV/25/2006 reg.no.IV/8750/2008 reg.no.IV13035/2011 Class 06: Reinforcing materials of metal for building purposes, including angle irons, joint plates; protective strips of sheet lead, mesh surface reinforcements and coating substrates; shaped sections and metal brackets for building purposes, building elements for ceilings and partitions, including metal plates and composite plates, firestop plates and radiation protection plates, tiles for adjoining partitions; sound-insulating and ornamental tiles and materials, lining materials; prefabricated building elements of metal, consisting mainly of brackets, cross pieces, pipes and receptacles for sanitary installations, building materials for floor, wall and ceiling heating; building materials for floors, including dry floor elements and dry composite subfloor elements; window and door frames and sashes; door and window ironwork of metal; metal fasteners, such as screws, nails, tacks, rivets, hooks and eyes, anchoring pins, pegs, fastening elements and hooks for hanging. reg.no.IV/26/2006 reg.no.IV/8751/2008 reg.no.IV/13036/2011 Class 07: Power tools and apparatus for building purposes. reg.no.IV/27/2006 reg.no.IV/8752/2008 reg.no.IV/13037/2011 Class 08: Power tools and hand tools for building purposes. reg.no.IV/28/2006 reg.no.IV/8753/2008 reg.no.IV/13038/2011

Class 17: Grouting products and mastic; grouting products with optional filler materials or reinforcing fibers; sealant compounds for joints and leveling materials; sealing and insulating materials for building purposes, including luting materials; sealing strips and sheets as well as insulating foam; materials insulators for interior surfaces. reg.no.IV/29/2006 reg.no.IV/8754/2008 reg.no.IV/13039/2011 Class 19: Crude stones, such as gypsum and anhydrite, also in purified and granular form; special plaster for building purposes, such as waterproof plaster; coatings, mortar and ready-mixed dry mortar, including plaster finish, bonding plaster, structural plaster, insulating plaster, scraped plaster, plaster for machine projection and masonry mortar; cement for building purposes; quick-setting cement; products for forming the base layer in construction (except paints); non-metal reinforcing elements for building purposes, including angle irons, joint plates, mesh surface reinforcements, coating substrates; shaped sections and brackets of wood and plastics for building; purposes, building elements for walls and partitions, including plaster boards, staff boards, mineral fiber boards and composite boards, firestop plates and radiation protection plates, tiles for adjoining partitions; sound-insulating and ornamental tiles and materials, lining materials, panelling units, wooden units; building materials for floor, wall and ceiling heating; prefabricated building components of wood and/or plastics, essentially comprising brackets; cross pieces, pipes and receptacles for sanitary installations; doors, door frames and door panels; windows and window frames of wood and/or plastics; building materials for floors, including dry floor elements, dry composite subfloor elements and dry rest areas; window glass; spatula-applied products (fillers) with optional filler materials or reinforcing fibers. Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said Trade Mark or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law.

Romney relents on income tax returns

WASHINGTON Under South Carolina primary on mounting pressure from January 14. Gingrich took 40.4pc of rivals, US Republican White House candidate the vote in the primary, M i t t R o m n e y r e l e a s e d compared to 27.9pc for tax documents disclosing Romney. The Post said Romney had his multi-million-dollar income on January 24, the provided the newspaper with a preview of his 2011 and Washington Post reported. Romney a former venture 2010 tax returns ahead of a capitalist and among the planned public release later richest individuals to run on January 24. It said the nearly 550 for president reported income of US$21.7 million pages of tax documents in 2010 and $20.9 million detail far-flung holdings in last year, virtually all of it notorious tax havens such from investments, the Post as Luxembourg, Ireland and the Cayman Islands, but said reported. The Romney family has none of the offshore accounts given away $7 million in showed much income. It quoted a campaign charitable contributions since 2010 mostly to the spokesman as saying that R o m n e y Mormon had paid all Church s and paid just Romney reported t h e ut iarxeed req $6.2 million on all of his in federal income of income, both income taxes $20.9m last year. domestic and during the overseas. same period, At a debate the Post the previous week Romney said. Romney paid $3 million stood by his earnings, saying: in 2010 for an effective tax I know the Democrats want rate of 13.9 percent and to go after the fact that Ive estimates he will pay $3.2 been successful. Im not million for his income last going to apologise for being year, a rate of 15.4pc far successful. Under US tax law income less than former House speaker Newt Gingrich, his from investments is usually chief Republican rival, or taxed at 15 percent while Democratic President Barack wages the main source of income for a majority of Obama. Rival candidates had been Americans can be taxed at hammering Romney to release up to 35 percent. Obama and his Democratic his tax returns in line with other presidential candidates Party have argued that millionaires and big past and present. Romney had hinted he corporations should pay would release them after more in taxes to help trim the April filing deadline for the countrys massive debt, 2011, but appeared to have while Republicans oppose changed course following his any tax hike, saying it would crushing loss to Gingrich in stunt job creation. AFP

khine khine u, advocate LL.B, d.B.L, LL.M (uk) For knauf Gips kG #731, 7th Fl., Traders Hotel, Yangon. dated. 30 January, 2012

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fortune than his own staff pay on their annual income. Asking a billionaire to pay at least as much as his secretary is common sense, Obama said, warning Americans must decide whether to build an equitable economy, fund education and the military or let the rich evade fair taxes. We cannot do both. You have got to choose, Obama said, hammering out his core election message while seeking to defuse Republican claims he is vilifying the rich in a bid to mine envy over their success. We dont begrudge success in America. We aspire to it, Obama said, speaking in front of a banner that read An America built to last. Republicans responded angrily to Obamas State of the Union message. I think it was a great campaign speech, obviously stoking the class warfare issue, Senator John McCain, who lost to Obama in the 2008 election, told CNN on January 25. House Speaker John Boehner He wants to take no responsibility for his policies that have failed and made no reference last night to really stepping into the game and legislating. Obama began the State of the Union address his best chance for months to directly reach millions of voters by recalling two of his biggest achievements: killing al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden and ending the nine-year Iraq war. Later he touched on the deepening nuclear showdown with Iran, which has exposed him to charges of weakness from Republican White House hopefuls. Let there be no doubt. America is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and I will take no options off the table to achieve that goal, Obama said, earning a standing ovation in the House of Representatives. But a peaceful resolution of this issue is still possible, and far better. He held up the heroism of the the way feuding US politicians should join together in the interest of national renewal. The mission only succeeded because every member of that unit trusted each other because you cant charge up those stairs, into darkness and danger, unless you know there is someone behind you, watching your back, he said. So it is with America. Among job creation and economic measures, Obama demanded millionaires pay at least 30 percent tax rates, tapping into public anger at low rates paid by the rich, including his possible Republican election foe Mitt Romney. The president also pledged to maintain pressure on China over intellectual property piracy and promised to new measures to combat fraud in the finance industry and the mortgage sector. Obama also hailed the demise of Libyas Moamer Kadhafi implicitly rebutting Republican criticisms that he led from behind in the crisis and warned Syrias Bashar al-Assad his regimes days were numbered. And he said anyone who said American power was in decline did not know what they were talking about, adding: America remains the one indispensable nation in world affairs. AFP

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Obama slams class warfare claims

CHANDLER, Arizona US President Barack Obama on January 25 denied Republican claims he was waging class warfare as he set out to sell his call for tax hikes on the rich in states crucial to his re-election bid. Hours after his combative and populist State of the Union address, Obama appeared first in Iowa, the cradle of the 2008 campaign which swept him to the White House, and then in Arizona, launching a three-day, five-state tour. Obama hopes to convince voters that his vision of a remodelled economy where everybody, not just the wealthy, gets a fair shot merits handing him a second term in Novembers election. He argued that those who earn one million dollars a year should pay at least 30 percent in taxes, decrying loopholes which offer rich Americans, like his possible Republican foe Mitt Romney, a much lower rate on investment income. I hear a lot of folks running around calling this class warfare, Obama said at a factory in midwestern Iowa. This is not class warfare, Obama said, citing legendary financier Warren Buffetts argument that he should pay a higher tax rate on his vast

US President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union address in Washington last week. Pic: AFP and to boost education and manufacturing would likely go nowhere.

We dont begrudge success in America. We aspire to it.

also faulted Obamas speech, signalling that many of the presidents ideas for job creation Last night was just another campaign speech, Boehner said in a radio interview. Navy SEAL team that killed bin Laden in a daring Pakistan raid last year as a metaphor for

Whisteblower charged over secrets leaks

WASHINGTON A former CIA official who publicly confirmed the waterboarding of top al-Qaeda operative Abu Zubaydah was charged on January 23 with leaking classified information to journalists, including the identities of two CIA officers. John Kiriakou, who served with the CIA between 1990 and 2004, was charged with violating a law that makes it illegal to disclose the identity of a covert officer, leaking classified information and lying to a CIA publications review board, the department said. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on all charges. Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement that the charges reinforced the Justice Departments commitment to hold accountable anyone who violated their duty to disclose sensitive information. Kiriakou first came to public attention in an interview with ABC News in December 2007 in which he became the first US official to describe Abu Zubaydahs waterboarding, a form of simulated drowning widely viewed as torture. He acknowledged later in his memoir, that he was not present when the interrogation took place. The Justice Department said the charges stem from an investigation into classified information, including photographs of a CIA official, used in classified filings by defence lawyers representing detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. AFP

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Murdered girls friends gave phone number to journalist, say police

LONDON A journalist from the defunct News of the World told police the Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid obtained the mobile phone number of a murdered girl from her school friends, police said on January 23. In a letter to lawmakers, Surrey Police in southeast England say that in 2002 its officers did not give the newspaper messages from Milly Dowlers voicemail. Allegations that the News of the World accessed the 13-year-old girls voicemail at a time when police were searching for her led to its owners shutting the paper in July after 168 years in existence. A News of the World journ alist admitted in April 2002 the paper had accessed Millys voicemail, said the police. The letter released to a parliamentary committee describes frantic discussions over a story the News of the World (NotW) was planning to run, claiming that Milly had contacted a recruitment agency. A n u n n a m e d representative from the tabloid is said to have played police a recording of a message left on the girls voicemail by the recruitment agency. The letter says that on April 13, 2002, a month after Milly disappeared, the press officer spoke to (name redacted) and asked him why he was so convinced that the message on Millys voicemail was not a hoax. (Name redacted) response was that the NotW had got Millys phone number and pin from schoolchildren. Police later discovered that the message had been an error. A member of staff at the recruitment agency had accidentally dialled a wrong number. Millys body was found in a forest six months after she disappeared.

Emergency workers aboard the stricken cruise liner Costa Concordia on January 23 as efforts continued to find those missing since the vessel capsized. Pic: AFP

News Corporation chief Rupert Murdoch in London on July 11 last year, a day after the phone hacking scandal led to the closure of the News of the World. Pic: AFP A former nightclub bouncer, Levi Bellfield, was convicted in June of abducting and murdering the girl after she walked past his home in Waltonon-Thames, near London. John Whittingdale, chairman of parliaments Culture, Media and Sport Committee which released the letter, said it appeared News of the World journalists had interfered or impeded the police investigation. What (the letter) appears to tell is that several journalists at the News of the World were involved in hacking the voicemails left on Milly Dowlers phone. They did so in pursuit of a story rather than wanting to help the police with their inquiries. Murdochs News International paid the Dowler family 2 million (US$3.1 million) and made a 1 million donation to charity as part of a compensation deal revealed in October. News International declined to comment on the letter from Surrey Police. AFP

Captain blamed company for shoreline route, says media

GIGLIO ISLAND, Italy The confirmed death toll from the wreck of the stricken Costa Concordia liner rose to 16 on January 24, amid media reports that the Italian captain blamed company pressure for contributing to the tragedy. Fire brigade divers recovered the body as salvage crews prepared to pump 2380 tonnes of fuel from its tanks. The body was found on the third deck where some of the 114,500-tonne vessels lifeboats were located, with rescuers declining to give further details on the discovery 11 days after the Mediterranean tragedy. The grim news came amid media reports that captain Francesco Schettino told a friend the day after the January 13 disaster that a manager from the cruise company pressured him to sail too close to shore. In my place, another would not have been so ready to pass there, but they got to me with their Pass through there, pass through there, media reported Schettino saying in comments secretly recorded by police the day after the January 13 shipwreck. The rocks were there, but the instruments I had werent showing them, so I went through, said Schettino, who is now being held in custody. So, here we are and its me whos paying for everything. Schettino, who has also been accused of fleeing the stricken ship before his passengers were safe, did not say when he had left the Costa Concordia but did tell his interlocutor that he had left it when it began to list. It also emerged on January 24 that Italian prosecutors were looking into the cruise ship operators possible role in the wreck and reports of a messy evacuation. The employer is the guarantor and is responsible. We have to look at the choices made by the operator, Beniamino Deidda, chief prosecutor for the region where the disaster occurred, was quoted as saying by Italian media. For now the attention has been on the fault of the captain, who turned out to be tragically incompetent. But who chooses the captain? Deidda asked. The luxury liner capsized off the tiny Tuscan island of Giglio with 4229 people on board. As well as those confirmed dead, 16 people were still unaccounted for on January 24. Emergency workers also identified one of the victims found so far as Maria DIntrono, 30, whose relatives survived the disaster and said she was too scared to jump into the sea when the order came to abandon the ship. The story of DIntrono who had a life jacket but did not know how to swim is one of the many dramas from a chaotic nocturnal evacuation of the vessel after it hit rocks off Giglio on January 13 and keeled over. The anger of survivors has concentrated on captain Schettino, who is under house arrest at his home on the Amalfi coast and is accused by prosecutors of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship. But Schettinos wife defended him, saying he had become a scapegoat. AFP

London museum displays silk spun from 1m spiders

LONDON An astonishing golden outfit made from the silk of spiders went on display at Londons Victoria and Albert Museum on January 25, the largest example of the material in the world. The four-metre-long (13-feet-long) hand-woven textile, a natural vivid gold colour, was made from the silk of more than one million female Golden Orb spiders collected in the highlands of Madagascar by 80 people over five years. It was made by Englishman Simon Peers and American Nicholas Godley, both of whom have lived and worked in Madagascar for many years, and inspired by 19th century illustrations detailing the largely forgotten art. The last known spider silk textile was created for the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1900, but no examples remain. The spiders are collected each morning and harnessed in special contraptions which allow handlers to extract their silk, 24 spiders at a time. At the end of the day, the spiders are returned to the wild. The process is extremely laborious on average, 23,000 spiders are needed to create about one ounce (28 grammes) of silk, said the V&A. The textile is on show at the museum until June 5. AFP

Arab states plunge on press freedom list

PARIS Syria, Bahrain and Yemen received their worst press freedom ranking on January 24 in Reporters Without Borders (RSF) index for 2011, a tumultuous year that saw the downfall of several Arab dictators. Eritrea, North Korea and Turkmenistan came at the bottom of the 10th annual list by the press freedom group, with the same group of European states led by Finland, Norway and Estonia at the top. This years index saw many changes in the rankings that reflect a year in which many media organisations paid dearly for their coverage of popular uprisings against veteran autocratic leaders, RSF said. Control of news and information continued to tempt governments and to be a question of survival for totalitarian and repressive regimes, said the Parisbased group. RSF said it was no surprise that the same trio of countries Eritrea, North Korea and Turkmenistan were bottom of the list because they were absolute dictatorships that permit no civil liberties. They are immediately preceded at the bottom by Syria, Iran and China, three countries that seem to have lost contact with reality as they have been sucked into an insane spiral of terror, it said. Bahrain and Vietnam both described as quintessential oppressive regimes were also down at the bottom. Tunisia rose 30 places from last years index to 134th but has not yet fully accepted a free and independent press, said RSF. Bahrain, ranked 173rd, fell 29 places because of its relentless crackdown on pro-democracy movements, its trials of human rights defenders and its suppression of all space for freedom, the group said. Egypt fell 39 places to 166th because the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, in power since February, dashed the hopes of democrats by continuing the (ousted president Hosni) Mubarak dictatorships practices. Total censorship, widespread surveillance, indiscriminate violence and government manipulation made it impossible for journalists to work in Syria last year, which fell to 176th position in the index. Elsewhere, democracy movements that tried to follow the Arab example were ruthlessly suppressed, with, for example, many arrests made in Vietnam (172nd), said RSF. In China, ranked 174th, the government responded to regional and local protests and to public impatience with scandals by feverishly reinforcing its system of controlling news and information, it said. The index highlighted the divergence of some European countries from the rest of the continent. The crackdown on protests after President Alexander Lukashenkos reelection caused Belarus to fall 14 places to 168th. AFP

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UN defends foreign judge in Cambodia tribunal row

PHNOM PENH The United Nations said last week a new foreign judge in the Khmer Rouge tribunal could push on with new cases even without the support of Cambodia, in the latest row to rock the court. David Scheffer, the UN special expert to the tribunal, said Laurent Kasper-Ansermet could proceed with probing two new politically charged cases linked to the 1975-1979 regime despite Cambodias objection to the Swiss judge. Our view is that this particular individual, judge Kasper-Ansermet, has clear authority to fulfil his duties in this country and we look forward to him doing so, Scheffer told reporters after crunch talks with Deputy Prime Minister Sok An on January 25. Scheffer said Cambodias rejection of Kasper-Ansermet as the international coinvestigating judge was a breach of the 2003 accord which created the court to find justice for up to two million people who died under the Khmer Rouge. But government spokesman Phay Siphan said the two sides had a different interpretation of the agreement and insisted Cambodia had the right not to endorse the Swiss judge. We need more discussions to solve this so no one loses face or loses their integrity, he told AFP, refusing to say how the stand-off could be resolved. According to court rules, the reserve judge must be appointed if there is a vacancy, a situation that arose when a German judge abruptly quit in October citing government opposition to further prosecutions. Kasper-Ansermets Cambodian counterpart You Bunleng has publicly refused to work with the Swiss so long as he is not legally accredited. Scheffer said Kasper-Ansermet does not need You Bunleng to carry out investigations. The tribunal has so far completed just one trial. AFP

A fisherman arranges dried fish at Manila Bay on January 26. The growing number of wealthy Asians and their appetite for more expensive types of fish was a threat to both fish stocks and the environment, a UN conference in Manila was told on January 24. The head of the UN Environment Programs coral reef unit, Jerker Tamelander, said live grouper were in such demand that fishermen were using cyanide to stun them and catch them alive, despite the method killing other fish and harming coral reefs. Pic: AFP

NATO hails successful Tensions ease in Pakistan year against the Taliban between premier, military
ISLAMABAD Pakistans premier withdrew an accusation that the army chief acted unconstitutionally on January 25 in a further sign that a damaging standoff between the government and the military is coming to a close. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani released the remarks after talks with army chief of staff General Ashfaq Kayani and intelligence chief Lieutenant General Ahmed Shuja Pasha. Gilanis office said he was dispelling comments to a Chinese newspaper this month that accused Kayani and Pasha of subverting government channels in recommending an investigation into a scandal threatening the president. At the time Gilani also sacked his defence secretary and the army warned of potential grievous consequences for the country, feeding frenzied speculation that the governments days could be numbered. But state media quoted Gilani, who was en route to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, as saying the remark was made under a unique situation when... there was no clarity. But since (then) there is clarity and now we have all met, and that (remark) does not pertain to these two gentlemen, Gilani added. The prime minister said the country cannot work in an atmosphere of confrontation among institutions. The remarks were seen as the latest attempt to calm tensions between his government and the powerful armed forces. They come as the probe that the army recommended into a scandal implicating President Asif Ali Zardari appeared at risk of collapsing as investigators ruled out travelling to hear the testimony of the star witness. American businessman Mansoor Ijaz, who linked Zardari to a memo seeking US help to rein in Pakistans powerful military, has refused to give evidence in Pakistan, citing fears for his safety. In a separate development last week, the Pakistani military stepped up its criticism of NATO and the United States for refusing to accept entire responsibility for killing 24 Pakistani soldiers in US air strikes on November 26. Escalating its criticism of a joint USNATO military report a month after receiving its unclassified findings, the military on January 23 appeared to be hardening its stance on the issue. The killings saw Pakistan shut its Afghan border to NATO supplies and order American personnel to leave an air base reportedly used by CIA drones. The US-NATO report said both sides made a series of mistakes, which Pakistan disputed as factually not correct, instead blaming US and NATO of failing to inform Pakistan that its troops would be operating along the porous border. The military lashed out at the complicated chain of command, complex command and control structure and unimaginative/intricate rules of engagement as well as lack of unified military command in Afghanistan. It dismissed the US findings and said affixing partial responsibility on Pakistan was unjustified and unacceptable. Pakistan had already rejected the report, but its expanded criticism came days after General Knud Bartels, NATOs most senior military officer, called on Islamabad to reopen its Afghan border to military supplies. AFP KABUL NATO-led forces in Afghanistan last week gave themselves an upbeat report card for 2011, claiming successes on the battlefield, in the classroom and in preparing to hand over to Afghan forces. In a remarkably successful year, Taliban insurgents had been forced onto the back foot in their southern stronghold, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) spokesman Brigadier General Carsten Jacobson said on January 24. The success has been so great that insurgents have largely lost control of the area and now rely on IEDs (improvised-explosive devices) as their primary method of attack, he said. Kabul had become a thriving commercial capital, able to absorb and respond to spectacular attempts to disrupt security with resolute response to insurgent attacks, leaving the insurgents largely in a state of failure. Jacobson said Afghan forces were clearly in control of the city, as part of a phased

transition ahead of a pullout of NATO combat troops in 2014. His remarks came in stark contrast to perceptions that security has worsened in the Afghan capital during the last 12 months with a series of spectacular attacks on Western targets. The United Nations has also disagreed with NATO assessments, saying in September that the number of security incidents was up 39 percent on the first eight months of 2010, while ISAF said they were down two percent. But Jacobson said the Afghan army was almost 180,000 strong, the police had nearly 144,000 men and women in uniform, and by spring 2012 more than 50 percent of Afghanistan would be under Afghan control. He said that in 2011 there were more than 175,000 teachers in Afghanistan compared to 20,000 in 2002, with more than eight million children in school compared to fewer than one million in 2002. AFP

Rebels surrender weapons in Indian peace ceremony

GUWAHATI, India Nearly 700 Indian separatist rebels laid down their arms on January 24 at a ceremony that the government hailed as a major step towards bringing peace to the restive northeast region. Home Minister P. Chidambaram said the move was the result of a series of peace talks and ceasefires that have dampened violence after decades of militant activity by separatist tribal groups. Leave the past behind and look at the future positively, Chidambaram said at the ceremony in Guwahati, the main city of Assam. We assure that each one of you would be treated equally and be able to lead a life of dignity and honour, he added. Rebels wearing green jungle fatigues handed over scores of rifles, machine guns and pistols in front of press photographers. N. K. Das, a senior local official, said a total of 676 militants from nine groups fighting for secession or greater autonomy had laid down their weapons. Javerez Khaka, chairman of the Adivasi Cobra Militant of Assam group, told AFP that the fighters wanted to join the mainstream with the sincere hope that our grievances could be resolved through negotiations. India has been wracked by separatist conflicts since its independence in 1947, with deadly insurgencies in its northwestern Kashmir region as well as in the northeast, which borders Bangladesh, China and Myanmar. AFP

Trade Mark CauTIon

NOTICE is hereby given that Tianjin Lovol Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. of West of Jinwei Road, Beichen District, Tianjin, China is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trademark: -

Trade Mark CauTIon

noTICe is hereby given that BeIQI FoTon MoTor Co., LTd. of Laoniuwan Village North, Shayang Road, Shahe Town, Changping District, Beijing 102206, China is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trademark:-

(reg: no. IV/7965/2011) in respect of: - Harvesters; agricultural machines; road rollers; excavators; loaders; concrete mixers; cranes; rice transplanters; gas engines not for land vehicles; diesel engines not for land vehicles 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 Tianjin Lovol Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 30th January, 2012

(reg: no. IV/7125/2011) in respect of: - financing loans; financial evaluation for insurance, banking and real estate; financing services; financial management; mortgage banking; savings banks; financial consultancy; stocks and bonds brokerage; stock exchange quotation; financial information 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 BeIQI FoTon MoTor Co., LTd. P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 30th January, 2012

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Ethnic unrest flares in Chinas Sichuan province

LUDING, China A Tibetaninhabited region of China appeared to be under lockdown on January 26 after it was rocked by deadly clashes. The west of Sichuan province, which has big populations of ethnic Tibetans, was earlier last week hit by some of the worst unrest since huge protests against Chinese rule in 2008. Security forces fired into crowds of protesters in Luhuo and Seda towns on January 23 and 24 in the remote prefecture of Ganzi, which borders Tibet. Advocacy groups say at least three were killed in the clashes but maintain the protests were peaceful until police fired into the crowds. China says two died one in each incident and acknowledged police shootings only in Seda. By January 26, affected areas in Ganzi appeared to be under lockdown. Phone calls would not go through, the internet was cut off and peoples movements restricted as police poured into the region, residents and advocacy groups said. Even in the provincial capital of Chengdu some 600 kilometres (370 miles) from Luhuo police cars were parked every 50 metres (yards) in the Tibetan quarter. Its forbidden to take photos or to interview people, one officer told AFP reporters. The official Xinhua news agency, citing local authorities, said one rioter was killed and another injured and that police had to resort to lethal force after a violent mob attacked them with knives, gasoline bottles and guns. The incident came a day after police shot at a crowd of Tibetans protesting against religious repression in the nearby town of Luhuo, killing at least two and wounding more than 30, residents and rights groups said. Chinas foreign ministry, however, said the Luhuo protesters were also violent. On January 24, foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei accused overseas secessionist groups of trying to discredit the government by exaggerating accounts of what happened. The unrest comes at a time of rising tensions in Tibetan-inhabited areas, where at least 16 people have set themselves ablaze in less than a year including four this month alone prompting an increase in security. AFP

Briefs
RP US to expand , military cooperation
MANILA The Philippines said on January 27 it would accept a greater US military presence on its territory to help defend its interests and ensure peace in the region. Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said the Philippines wanted more joint exercises with its former colonial ruler and to have a greater number of US troops rotating through the country. Del Rosarios statement came a day after US State Department officials said in Washington that the two countries were involved in talks on increasing military cooperation.

Cambodia urged to end forced evictions

PHNOM PENH Five leading human rights groups last week urged ASEAN chair Cambodia to end all forced evictions in the country. As the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for 2012, Cambodia should abide by its legal obligation to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms... and end the practice of forced evictions that is a blot on the countrys reputation internationally, the campaigners said in an open letter to Prime Minister Hun Sen on January 24. Cambodia recently took over the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN. The signatories of the letter, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Witness, also called for the release, pending further investigation, of seven residents who were arrested during an eviction of some 300 families from an area in the capital, Phnom Penh, on January 3. Residents of the Borei Keila neighbourhood reacted to the demolition of their homes by throwing rocks and bottles at police, who fired back with tear gas and rubber bullets. The five rights groups also voiced serious concern over the treatment of 22 women and six children who were sent to a notorious rehabilitation centre more commonly used to hold sex workers and drug users, after they protested peacefully on January 11 against the eviction. Four were freed after reaching a deal with the private company that is responsible for their resettlement, while the remaining women and children escaped. In todays Cambodia, its clear that one of the most dangerous places for an ordinary Cambodian to be is living on a piece of land that a rich man and his government cronies want, Phil Robertson, HRWs deputy Asia director, told AFP. There was no immediate comment from the Cambodian government, which has faced mounting criticism in recent years over a series of evictions nationwide that have displaced tens of thousands of mostly poor people. AFP Sumatran elephants on the move in Aceh province, northern Sumatra, in a file photo taken on December 12, 2010. Elephant numbers in one Sumatran province have fallen by 80 percent in less than 25 years, says the WWF.

A gift for China, says Taiwans Ma

TAIPEI Taiwans President Ma Ying-jeou said the January 14 presidential vote was the islands best gift to China, hailing the potential for the poll to show the path to democracy on the mainland. The poll, which saw Ma re-elected, could inspire Chinese democracy supporters, he said in a statement released by the Presidential Office on January 25. Ma had earlier said millions of people in China watched the presidential candidates debate live on television for the first time through the internet.

Sumatran elephants threatened by habitat loss, warns WWF

JAKARTA Sumatran elephants in the wild face extinction in less than 30 years unless there is an immediate moratorium on destruction of the animals habitat, environmental group WWF warned on January 24. There are between 2400 and 2800 of the elephants left in the wild on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, which means the population has halved since 1985, said the WWF. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has also changed its classification of the Sumatran elephant from endangered to critically endangered on its list of threatened species, said the WWF. The elephant joins a growing list of critically endangered species on Sumatra, including the orangutan and rhino. An immediate moratorium on habitat conversion is needed to secure a future for Sumatran elephants, the WWF warned in a statement. Scientists say that if current trends continue, Sumatran elephants could be extinct in the wild in less than 30 years. It attributed the decline largely to habitat being deforested and converted for agricultural plantations. The IUCN said it changed its classification because the creature, the smallest Asian elephant, has lost nearly 70 percent of its habitat and half of its population in a generation. Despite the elephant being protected under Indonesian law, 85 percent of its habitats are not safeguarded as they are outside officially protected areas, said the IUCN. This means they are likely to be converted for other uses, it said. Elephant numbers in Sumatras Riau province alone have declined by 80pc in less than 25 years due to rapid deforestation by pulp and paper industries and oil palm companies, the WWF said. The Sumatran elephant joins a growing list of Indonesian species that are critically endangered, including the Sumatran orangutan, the Javan and Sumatran rhinos and the Sumatran tiger, said Carlos Drews, director of WWFs global species program. AFP

Intrepid pair makes Antarctic history

SYDNEY Two Australian adventurers have set a record for the longest unaided trip to the South Pole and back. James Castrission, 29, and Justin Jones, 28, skied 2270 kilometres (1400 miles) to complete the arduous trek on January 26, Australia Day, overcoming fatigue, injuries and hallucinations from lack of sleep and food. The previous record was set in 2009 by an American and a Norwegian who covered 1800 kilometres.

Bus drivers rampage leaves nine dead

MUMBAI At least nine people were killed and dozens hurt on January 25 when a bus driver in a western Indian city went on the rampage, leaving a trail of smashed cars and crushed pedestrians, police said. The rogue driver hijacked the bus in a depot and then sped down the crowded streets of the city of Pune during morning rush-hour. He just went berserk. He went on ramming whatever vehicles were plying the road, Punes police chief, Meeran Borwankar, told local television. AFP

Singapore narcotics agency chief under investigation

SINGAPORE Singapore has placed the head of its Central Narcotics Bureau under investigation for serious personal misconduct, the government said on January 24. The bureau is the lead agency in the fight against illegal narcotics in Singapore, where drug trafficking is punishable by death. The probe into Ng Boon Gay began last December, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement. Another official, the head of the civil defence force Peter Lim, is also under investigation, it said. The ministry did not give details of the allegations, but said Ng and Lim were being investigated by the Corrupt Practices and Investigation Bureau for serious personal misconduct. Both officials have been replaced, the government said. All public officers, regardless of their position or seniority, are expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity and conduct, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean said in a statement. The government takes a serious view of public officers who misconduct themselves. Any allegations of misconduct made against public officers will be investigated fully and thoroughly. If officers are found to have abused the trust placed in them, we will not hesitate to take firm and decisive action against them. The MHA said that as investigations are ongoing, (the ministry) is unable to comment on the details of the case. Large-scale graft cases are rare in Singapore, which enjoys a reputation for being the least corrupt country in Asia. It pays its civil servants some of the highest government salaries in the world as a deterrent to corruption. Last year, two senior civil servants were sentenced to 22 years and 15 years in jail, respectively, for their role in one of the worst corruption cases in the countrys history. AFP

Time out
Pic: Supplied By Zon Pann Pwint WITH printed media outlets enjoying the fruits of a gradual easing of censorship in recent months, publishers in Yangon are eager to supply the reading public with previously sensitive books from overseas. Among the books that have already hit store shelves in Myanmar is Dr Thant Myint-Us The River of Lost Footsteps, which was finally approved by censors six months ago. I started to distribute the book six months ago, and it has become one of our best-sellers, said the managing director of a leading publishing house in Yangon that specialises in importing English-language books about Myanmar. The River of Lost Footsteps traces the history of Myanmar and analyses the continuing influence of past events and attitudes on the country today. It also includes some of Dr Thant Myint-Us personal memories about his family, including his grandfather U Thant, who served as secretary general of the United Nations from 1961 to 1971. The book is very popular outside the country. It is well-written and wellresearched, the managing director said. This is a must-read for those who want to understand Myanmars history and politics. The River of Lost Footsteps is also being translated into Myanmar language by Daw Mra Hnin Zi and is expected to be released soon, he said. The River of Lost Footsteps in translation can be read by all Myanmar people. They will be inspired by secretary general U Thant, and readers will be able to study the long civil

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Seeking freedom from fear of selling sensitive books

wars, the atrocities and dangers of ethnic conflicts, he said. The managing director said publishers are optimistic about getting permission to import more books that have long been considered sensitive. I dont blame PSRD [Press Scrutiny and Registration Division] for taking a long time on these decisions. I understand that they are keeping in step with the current policy. Hopefully, this will change in the near future, and at that time I will ask permission for long-awaited books that were that censorship of Myanmar-language books has eased more quickly than for English-language publications because it takes longer for censors to read second-language books. I was surprised to get approval for my novel Tha Ya Aw Than (Shout of Vowels) without having even a single word removed, said writer Nyi Min Nyo. The book, which was published earlier this month, features a story in which vowels are the main characters. It contains a message about the importance of dialogue. A year ago it would not have been possible to get permission to publish this type of novel, he said. Three-time National Literary Awardwinning writer Nay Win Myint said it was very satisfying to see the censors attitude toward literature change in the past few months. Words and content that were considered sensitive before are being granted permission to be published, he said, adding that he recently got permission to publish a collection of short stories by writers from Mandalay. It was completely uncensored. All they did was change Burma to Myanmar, he said. U Myo Nyunt from Sarpay Lawka publishing house said he recently got approval to publish U Sein Myo Myints travelogue Ayeyarwady without any words being cut. The book is now being printed and will be on store shelves soon. Normally, it takes two months to get permission after sending a book PSRD. But if a writer wants to publish the book sooner to get on the list for literary awards, they can ask the censor to read more quickly, he said.

Ngwe Phyo exhibits new drip paintings

By May Sandy FORTY acrylic paintings by Ngwe Phyo, most of them created using an experimental dripping technique, are on exhibit at Gallery 65 in Yangon from January 28 to February 3. Ngwe Phyo, 23, said he received early training in basic drawing from his father, U Ngwe Aung, and developed his skills further under artists U Mon Thet and U Ko Maung Kyaw Than. In 2006 Ngwe Phyo graduated from the State School of Fine Arts, initially focusing on realism in his paintings. But after I graduated, I started studying many different painting methods, and I found that I really liked the technique of dripping paint onto the canvas, he said. My first experiment was a portrait. I based the image on realism but used the dripping technique. Since then I have focused on using the dripping method to create realist paintings. The exhibition at Gallery 65 is Ngwe Phyos third solo show since 2010. He said each show has marked a new step in his development as a contemporary artist. The drawings in my first show were very simple. Most of them were copied from photographs, he said. For this exhibition, I cropped the images and used only the parts that I wanted. For example, theres one painting in which I focused on the leg rowing culture of the people of Inle Lake, and I used only the most important part of the image, he said. The paintings are for sale at the exhibition at prices ranging from K500,000 to K1 million. Gallery 65 is located at No 65, Yaw Min Gyi Road, Dagon township. Opening hours are 10am to 6pm daily.

translation can be read by all Myanmar people. They will be inspired by secretary general U Thant, and readers will be able to study the long civil wars, the atrocities and dangers of ethnic conflicts.

The River ofin Lost Footsteps

considered sensitive, he said. One book that he has not tried to import yet is Daw Aung San Suu Kyis Freedom from Fear, but he hopes to get permission to do so from authorities within the next two months. I like the book. Its a best-seller outside the country and it has helped her become well-known abroad, he said. Publishers and writers in Yangon said

Girl band rages against Putin

MOSCOW Wrapped up against Russias midwinter in vivid balaclavas, brightly coloured minidresses and not much else, eight members of an all-girl punk group stood on a platform in Red Square and started an impromptu show. Riot in Russia! they screamed, before taunting Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and urging Russians to hit the streets in protest. The band, Pussy Riot, has been gaining internet notoriety after their January 20 gig of sorts, the latest in a string of impromptu performances to protest Putins candidacy for the presidency. The radical feminists eye-catching show in front of Saint Basils Cathedral lasted mere minutes, but long enough for them to let off smoke flares, wave a flag and strum an unplugged guitar. Police let the women play a short song lampooning Putin twice before detaining them. Many in Russia are angered by Putins bid to return to the Kremlin. President from 2000 to 2008 and now prime minister, he aims to regain the job in the March 4 election. Though he is wrestling the worst legitimacy crisis since coming to power, Putins advisors say he remains Russias most popular politician. The quick Red Square performance under drab snowy skies was captured on numerous mobile phones and quickly disseminated online, where state media and bloggers, including protest leader Alexei Navalny, picked it up. We are against Putin, against the regime, said one of the bands vocalists, using the nickname Garadzha. We wanted to show that this can happen in Russia, that there are girls who are active, who can do things like this. Four were charged with non-criminal public order offences and ordered to attend court, Garadzha said, but none of them went to the hearings. Watching passers-by smiled and held up mobile phones, even if the political message was perhaps lost among the songs screamed lyrics. Youll catch cold and get ill. Put your clothes on! one woman shouted. The group began playing concerts in public this winter, shortly before mass protests over December parliamentary polls drew thousands of protesters to the streets. Pussy Riot see themselves as part of a wave of radical activists whose protests combine politics and art. The most famous is street art group Voina (War) who painted a giant phallus on a Saint Petersburg drawbridge opposite the offices of the FSB security force. The group have performed to surprised passengers on the metro, on top of a trolley bus and on a roof opposite a police cell where protest leader and blogger Navalny was being held. Detained protesters watched as group members yelled, Occupy the squares, seize power peacefully, take away the machine guns from all the cops. When we finished, they started yelling and saying When were together, were unbeatable! said another member, Tyurya. The group has been detained several times but seem unconcerned, saying the worst that could happen would be spending a night in jail. No female activist has served a 15-day sentence, as Navalny did, for a non-criminal offence during protests, Tyurya said. It is sexism, but of course it does work to our advantage, she said. AFP

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Kids literature struggles to survive

By Nyein Ei Ei Htwe MA Swe Lae Lae Oo, a grade nine student at BEHS (4) Thingyangyun township, says she and her friends love spending their holidays reading comic books and childrens storybooks, which they borrow from neighbourhood rental shops using their own pocket money. Though I want to collect my favourites, they are too expensive for me to buy, she says, adding that her school has a library but, oddly, the teachers do not encourage the students to use it. Young students like me dont dare use the library without the encouragement of our teachers, she says. But we would like to be able to sit and read in a library full of our favourite books, including popular kids journals and magazines. There are about 30 monthly and weekly publications aimed at children on the local market. But priced at K300 to K4000 each, they are beyond the means of most families to purchase. When I go to a market like City Mart, I see shelves filled with books for children. I sometimes pick them up, thinking I might buy them for my kids, said Daw Thein Thein Win, who has two daughters. But when I see the price tag I have to put them back. A book that costs K3500 is equal to half of my familys daily expenses. Instead, she buys books for her daughters from street side vendors, which cost about K500 each. But I have to jostle with other customers and rummage through piles of used books until I feel dizzy, she said. Daw Thein Thein Win said she prefers books that help her kids with language and teach them about history by, for example, telling stories of the old Myanmar kings. This helps increase their intelligence and gives them an advantage over kids who dont read. Id like the perspective of the kids. If they want to offer guidance, they find other kids who can stand as good examples. He said that in the past 20 years kids in Myanmar have become increasingly interested in cartoon characters from other countries, which has led many local cartoonists to try to keep up with international styles. Foreign cartoons are so vibrant and show excellent technique, and the books are easy to find, so some kids journals have copied the characters directly, Min Htet Maung said. But I think we have to work to make our local cartoons better and improve our childrens literature in general. It will be very difficult but I think we can do it eventually. He said fewer and fewer parents are buying weekly journals for their children, mainly because most of them are more concerned with paying for school, clothing, food, healthcare and other necessities. When they do think of entertainment for their kids, they give them CDs and toys instead of something to read, he said. Ko Pe Thein Aung, son of famous cartoonist U Pe Thein, said many parents neglect to buy books for their children because they dont like the sort of publications that are aimed at children today. Parents would rather give their own favourites from when they were kids to their children, he said. Ko Pe Thein Aung, publisher and editor of Shwe Yoe childrens journal, agreed. Some parents dont like new cartoons or translations, and they ignore local childrens literature, but they also dont do anything to try to improve it, he said. These parents who can afford to buy books are mostly from the upper class. I think theyre killing our childrens literature out of neglect.

Nuam Bawi

Orphan funfair
Chan Chan, daughter of singer Zaw Win Htut, will hold a funfair to raise funds for orphaned children, at Myanmar Convention Centre on February 5 from 4pm.

Documentary
A documentary film on child protection advocacy will be shown at Gallery 65 (No 65, Yaw Min Gyi Road, Dagon township) on February 8 at 10am, accompanied by a photo exhibition at the same venue from February 8 to 14.

VD contest
A Valentines Day singing and fashion contest for couples will be held at Sein Gay Har Shopping Centre on February 11, 12 and 14. Application forms are available at the shopping centre for a K2000 fee.

A young reader peruses a comic book at a used book stall in downtown Yangon on January 26. Pic: Yadana to see inexpensive books on the market that help young people gain knowledge and improve their language skills, she said. Childrens literature in Myanmar can be traced back to the 1950s. Well-known journals aimed at kids at the time included Popular, Lote Tharr Sar Saung, Padaythar and Kalay. Thittsar Ni, who writes stories for childrens magazines, said such publications were popular in the 1950s because there was no competition from television or computer games. Our favourite cartoonists were U Than Kywe, Cartoon Pe Thein and U Aung Shein, with their characters U Seit Nyo and Myuk Nyo, U Kat See and Sar Shar-Dane Dong, he said. Also popular was cartoonist Myint Swes character Bo Pu Cho, a Myanmar version of Superman who sported the letter pu from the Burmese alphabet on his chest, rather than the familiar S worn by the Man of Steel. Thittsar Ni said writers and cartoonists were able to help teach children right from wrong, how to play fairly and other important life lessons, which would stick in their minds for their entire lives. We changed a lot by reading those journals when we were kids, but at that time we were able to buy them using our own pocket money, he said. Nowadays when kids have money they run to the game shops, where they can enjoy moving characters, sound and colour. For young people this seems more attractive than reading, so you cant really blame them, he said. With competition from computer games, the high price of childrens publications, and lack of support from some public school teachers and other adults all conspiring to keep kids from reading, Thittsar Ni said he feared that reading in general would become less popular in the future. I see more and more kids working at teashops who dropped out of school after first or second grade. They have no incentive to read, and those who do want to read dont have enough money to buy books, he said. But writer and poet Min Htet Maung said the quality of books and magazines aimed at children has greatly improved in recent years, helping to attract a new generation of readers. Its not that children dont want to read books. In fact, Ive found that kids really want to read. If you give a suitable book to a kid, he will surely sit and read it. The challenge is matching the kid to an age-appropriate book that he is interested in, he said. He said that in the past decade the writing in childrens literature has changed from a focus on order and discipline, to teaching them how to think and make decisions for themselves. In past, childrens authors wrote about dos and donts in simple ways, but as usual kids dont like to be controlled, Min Htet Maung said. Nowadays, writers approach their subjects from

Beauty contest
Applications are being accepted from women wishing to take part in the Miss Myanmar 2012 contest, scheduled for March 25. Application forms are available at No 1010, 10th Floor, Yuzana Tower, Shwegondaing Road, Bahan township. Tel 552-762.

M Python members to reunite

MEMBERS of iconic British comedy group Monty Python will reunite for a new film, a science fiction farce, exPython Terry Jones said in comments published last week. Absolutely Anything will not be a Python film as such, but key members of the gang, John Cleese, Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam, are involved, said Jones, who will direct the movie. US comic Robin Williams will also lend his voice to the film, which will combine animation and live action, while producers are attempting to sign up the other surviving Python member, Eric Idle, for the project. Its not a Monty Python picture, but it certainly has that sensibility, Jones told industry daily Variety, adding filming was expected to begin in Britain in the coming months. The original Python members who first joined forces on surreal TV series Monty Pythons Flying Circus will voice a group of aliens who give an earthling the power to do absolutely anything to see what a mess he makes. AFP

Photo exhibit highlights wetlands conservation

By Nyein Ei Ei Htwe AN exhibition of nature photographs was held last week at Royal Rose Hall in Bahan township to mark World Wetlands Day and to point out the importance of preserving wetland areas. The exhibition, titled Living Together with Wetlands and organised by the Myanmar Bird and Nature Society, featured 140 images of wetland area throughout the country by 21 photographers. The opening of the exhibition on January 27 was attended by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who said in a speech that the natural beauty of Myanmar could rival that of any country in the world, but she feared that its splendour might someday disappear if steps were not taken to protect it. She also praised the ability of the photographers who took part in the exhibition. Myanmar people are very enthusiastic about the power of art, and they can do it very well. In addition to having an artists sense, photographers must know how to hold the camera, know about lighting and composition, so it is not easy to take pictures, she said. I appreciate all the photos on exhibit here, all of which are outstanding and show the beauty of nature with great skill. U Soe Nyunt, head of the Myanmar Bird and Nature Society, said the photos in the exhibit were all taken in the past 10 years, some as recently as December. Most of them show the relationship between people and wetlands. He said photographers would donate proceeds from the sale of the photos to the society, to be used for the organisation of environmental fairs. Photographer Sein Myo Myint contributed seven images to the exhibit, showing the lifestyles of people along the Ayeyarwady River and among the mangrove forests of Lamphi Island in Myeik Archipelago, Tanintharyi Region. We cant see the scenes by reading, so we take pictures and show how our wetlands have deteriorated over the years, he said, adding: Wetlands are very important because they support local populations with drinking water and food. World Wetlands Day will be observed globally on February 2.

Pic: Thet Htoo Daw Aung San Suu Kyi admires the photographs at the Living Together with Wetlands exhibition at Royal Rose Hall on January 27.

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Scorseses Hugo, silent Artist top Oscar nominations

By Michael Thurston LOS ANGELES Martin S c o r s e s e s l a v i s h 3 D adventure Hugo earned 11 Oscar nominations last week, just ahead of hotly-tipped silent movie The Artist with 10 nods for Hollywoods top awards. Baseball movie Moneyball starring Brad Pitt and veteran director Steven Spielbergs equine epic War Horse each got six nods for the Academy Awards, to be presented next month. Meryl Streep received her 17th Oscar nomination for a gripping performance as former British premier Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady, while Pitt and George Clooney are among those fighting it out for best actor. The nominations for Hugo included the best picture category, where it is up against eight other movies including The Artist, which has been a favourite for the Oscars after a string of wins and nods in other awards shows. The Scorsese movie his debut in 3D is a visually rich tale set in 1930s Paris, about an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station and is obsessed with clockmaking and early film pioneer Georges Melies. The film stars British teenage actor Asa Butterfield in the title role with Ben Kingsley as Melies and British Borat and Bruno star Sacha Baron Cohen as the lugubrious station inspector. Scorsese said he was deeply honoured by the nominations, and joked about the challenges he faced in making Hugo. Every picture is a challenge, and this one where I was working with 3D, HD and Sacha Baron Cohen for the first time was no exception, he said, teasing the flamboyant star who acts with understated comedy in the movie. The Artist has already been nominated for best film by the Directors Guild of America (DGA) and won the top prize from the Producers Guild of America (PGA) earlier this month both seen as key indicators of Oscars glory. The film, a tribute to the silent movie era in which a non-talking star battles to save his career after it is torpedoed by the arrival of the talkies, also won the best picture Golden Globe on January 15. The team behind The Artist said they felt pure happiness when their ugly duckling scooped 10 Oscar nominations. Its complicated to start so low and to climb so high. Its like a fairy-tale for this film that at the start was seen as a handicapped film, deaf and dumb, an ugly duckling, said nominated director Michel Hazanavicius. The other movies nominated for best picture are The Descendants, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Help, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, The Tree of Life and War Horse. Spielberg said: I am thrilled with our multiple nominations for The Help and War Horse. It is the first time that I have experienced two Best Picture nominations in the same year. One is a high honour. Two is humbling but very exciting, he added. The Artist star Jean Dujardin was nominated for best actor, up against Clooney in The Descendants, Pitt in Moneyball, Gary Oldman in

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Demian Bechir in A Better Life. Two-time Oscar winner Streep is among best actress nominees for the latest tour de force in her long career, playing Thatcher both in her prime and dementiashrouded old age. Also shortlisted were Glenn Close for cross-dressing Albert Nobbs, Viola Davis from civil rights drama The

Help, Michelle Williams as Monroe in My Week with Marilyn and Rooney Mara from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Just elated. Elated, elated, commented Close. Up for best foreign language film are A Separation by Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi, along with Footnote (Israel), In Darkness (Poland), Monsieur Lazhar (Canada), and Bullhead (Belgium).

The Iranian film was also nominated for best screenplay. The nomination for original screenplay is more important for me because more than everything I consider myself a writer, Farhadi told the Hollywood Reporter. The Oscars are to be presented at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on February 26. AFP

Starbikes: the poor Indonesians Starbucks substitute

JAKARTA As well-heeled Indonesians sip lattes in the air conditioned comfort of Starbucks, outside on the bustling, traffic-jammed streets of Jakarta the myriad poor turn to Starbikes for their fix. In every large city the ubiquitous coffee vendors on wheels ride the streets or cluster around human traffic, dispensing cups of instant java from hot water flasks strapped behind their bicycle seats. In a country where the US$3 price of a small caffe latte at an international coffee chain like Starbucks equals more than a days wages for the majority of Indonesias 240 million population, these vendors sell their brew for about a 10th of that price, catering to a much larger client base. Regarded as unlicensed peddlers and frequently locked in a cat-andmouse game with police, the bikers are businessmen on the low rung of Southeast Asias largest and fastest growing major economy, trying to pedal their way out of poverty by buying into an informal poor mans franchise. Sambang, a 28-year-old farmer who came to the big city a year ago to seek his fortune, paid a start-up fee of about $150 to one of many independent agents for a bicycle and flask. Soon he was riding the streets of Jakarta with long strips of coffee sachets offering the kapal api black coffee most popular with Indonesians and cappuccino for more sophisticated palates swaying over his handlebars. Sambang, who like many Indonesians uses a single name, also pays $30 monthly for supplies of hot water, coffee packets and International chains like Starbucks or the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf abound in Indonesias bigger cities, in Jakarta ensconced in glitzy malls alongside Louis Vuitton or Tiffanys boutiques or stores selling $15,000 wristwatches. Sambang, dressed in a worn-out T-shirt and flip-flops like many other vendors, caters to a different crowd. Rich people go to Starbucks, poor people like me go to Starbikes, quipped Indonesian cabbie Junarsah, hopping out of his Mercedes limousine taxi and stopping a pedaller. Cheap, fast and good. Im a happy man, the 44-year-old grinned, paying 3000 (30 cents) for his streetside purchase of a cup of coffee and two cigarettes. The bikers may not offer the fancy blends and rich desserts of the upmarket coffee chains. But their winning combo, in a country where the World Health Organisation says smoking rates have risen six-fold over the last 40 years, is marrying cups with puffs. What is coffee without cigarettes? Just like a husband and wife you cannot separate them, said Supriyanto, a 36-year-old bike vendor. You can sell cigarettes without coffee but not the other way, trust me on this, he advised. But with hundreds of bike vendors on the streets, competition is stiff and staying ahead means doing whatever it takes for more business. I give my cell number to regular customers so they can call me anytime, Sambang said, flashing his latest-model Nokia. I also deliver free to their offices. Anything for more business. Most of his clients are low-level office workers, students, taxi drivers and the armies of workers who clean, guard and look after Indonesias growing middle class and the mega-rich whose wealth was made in palm oil, timber or other lucrative sectors. Despite the competition, the pedallers are friendly with one another and have common meeting points around the city, where they take smoke breaks and eat together, warning each other of any police presence. Before the bikers began to appear two years ago, foot vendors dispensed brew in the land of Java, Indonesias largest island which gave coffee its nickname after the Javanese blend gained global popularity in the 19th century. The pedallers try not to take business away from coffee vendors on foot by not parking too close to them. Merlyn Suciati, a manager at one of the many Starbucks outlets in Jakarta, said the company offers variety and comfort to our customers who converse over coffee at our cafe. It may not be so comfortable in the sun. But most Indonesians, in the worlds largest Muslim country, can sip a caffe latte or macchiatto only in the imagination. Of course Id love to have those nice, expensive cups of coffee at a mall, but the price of a cup is enough to feed me for a week! exclaimed Haryono, who drives an ojek, or motorcycle taxi, steering passengers through Jakartas choca-bloc traffic. AFP

An Indonesian Starbikes vendor, carrying a bicycle mounted instant coffee maker, looks for customers in Jakarta on November 8. Pic: AFP plastic cups to his agent, on average earning around $100 a month. At that rate, he said, vendors like him typically take about six months to pay off borrowed money to the agents who frequently work out of their homes, some even providing cramped and basic lodging to vendors, many who come from the villages.

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U Thants 103rd Birthday Donation

Greek director Angelopoulos dies

ATHENS Greeces award-winning film director Theo Angelopoulos died last week after being hit by a motorcycle while crossing a street, a hospital official said. He was 76. Angelopoulos died of cerebral haemorrhage at a hospital near the coastal city Piraeus, where he was transferred following the accident. Angelopoulos became an emblematic figure of Greek cinema beginning in the 1970s. His Eternity and a Day won the coveted Palme dOr prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 1998. He directed more than a dozen films, most of them examining society in contemporary Greece. He was admitted to an intensive care unit suffering from serious head injuries, internal bleeding and several fractures, said George Georgiades, head of the intensive care unit at the private hospital where Angelopoulos was taken. The filmmaker suffered heart failure while in the hospital and eventually succumbed to his injuries, he said. A police source said the director had been working on a new film at the time of the accident. We are all in mourning for this great director, who has honoured his homeland with his work, government spokesman Pantelis Kapsis said minutes after the news of his death. Born on April 27, 1935, Angelopoulos studied law and had first wanted to become a writer or a poet. Among his films are Megalexandros, which received the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1980, and Ulysses Gaze, which received the Grand Jury prize at Cannes in 1995. AFP

Mr Ashok Nigam, Daw Aye Aye Thant, U Tin Myint Oo and Mr Akbar Usmani

Ko Kyaw Zaw Thant U Aung Tun and Dr Aung Zaw Myint

Daw Sandra Chit Phoh

Far East Construction Companys Housing Fair

Demi Moore treated for exhaustion

LOS ANGELES Actress Demi Moore is being treated for exhaustion, her publicist said last week, after a media report said she had been rushed to hospital due to substance abuse. Moore, who split from her younger husband Ashton Kutcher in November after reports he had been unfaithful, had been placed in a facility to receive treatment, the TMZ celebrity news website said. It cited police as saying that a 911 call was placed late in the evening of January 23. Paramedics responded to her Los Angeles home and, after checking her for half an hour, transported her to a local hospital. Because of the stresses in her life right now, Demi has chosen to seek professional assistance to treat her exhaustion and improve her overall health, said a statement issued by her publicist, Carrie Gordon. She looks forward to getting well and is grateful for the support of her family and friends, it added. Moore, 49, and 33-year-old Kutcher announced their separation in November, after months of media reports about problems between the couple, who married in 2005. She had earlier been married to actor Bruce Willis for 13 years. The actress made her name in movies including Ghost (1990), A Few Good Men (1992), Indecent Proposal (1993) and GI Jane (1997), as well as a 1991 Vogue magazine cover photo of her heavily pregnant. AFP

Ko Ye Win Naing and Ko Soe Moe Aung U Khin Maung Than

U Than Oo

Ma Kalayar Thin

Ko Soe Moe Aung, Ko Kyaw Min Zin and Ko San Lin Naung

Tech Seminar by Soe Electric and Hanaka Group

Ma Mon Lwin Khaing and Ma Ei Thae Phyu

U Aye Ko, U Kyaw Min Tun and Daw Myo Myo Khine

Mr Trinh Van Hein and directors

Vanessa Paradis jokes about Johnny Depp rumours

PARIS French singer and actress Vanessa Paradis last week joked about, but did not deny, rumours that her relationship with US actor Johnny Depp was on the rocks. As soon as I eat three peas, Im pregnant As soon as I visit a town, Im buying a house I separate in the winter, in the summer I get married, Paradis told Europe 1 radio. Ive been getting married every year for 15 years! If on top of everything else I have to respond to every rumour said the star of Jean-Claude Vallees new film Cafe de Flore. The pair have been together for 14 years, and have two children, aged nine and 12. They divide their time between France and the US, where the media have been speculating in recent weeks that their relationship was over. AFP

Clears New Product Launch

Models

Kaung Htet Zaw and model

MBAs dinner at Sedona Hotel on 20 January

Ma Phyu and Ma Su Su Aung

U Aye Chit, a girl and Ko Htike Lun Maung

New Product Launch by Follow Me & Secret

U Kyin Sein, Daw Ni Ni Aye, Daw Tin Hla Myint and U Tun Kyi

Guest

Ko Than Htut Aung and Ko Ye Win Aung

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Shoe Gallery Donation
SOCIALITE launched her week on January 17 by attending two events at Sedona Hotel: a technical seminar by Soe Electric and Machinery Co and Hanaka Group, followed by the New Star Gems and Jewellery Show. The next day she went to a thrilling product launch for Brands chicken soup at Park Royal Hotel. On January 19 Socialite popped in at the Shoe Gallerys donation ceremony at Royal Rose Restaurant, Far East Construction Companys housing fair at Traders Hotel and the annual award ceremony (2010-2011) for SDEC international school at Chatrium Hotel. Twenty-four hours later she was checking out the new beauty products by Follow Me and Secret at Traders Hotel. On the same day, she also attended Thai Armed Forces Day reception at Chatrium Hotel. On January 21 she attended the donation ceremony for U Thants 103rd birthday, and then dashed over to Clears Walk Your Way to a Full Makeover program at Capital Hypermart.

MyanMar tiMes

Brands New Product Launch

Daw Aung San Su Kyi Making the donation

Dr Naiphinich

Dr Param

Mr Boonlert

Ko Kyaw Ko Ko Win

Dr Tin Tin Maw

Ma Myat Shwe Yi Tun

Annual Award Ceremony by SDEC School

Guests

U Ba Tin

U Khin Maung

Daw Catherine Thane

Ms Vivian

Teacher Pearl

Thai Armed Forces Day at Chatrium Hotel in Yangon on January 20.

Mr Kallayana Vipattipumiprates, General Akanit Muansawat and Commodore Maung Oo Lwin

Mr Kamarudin Bin Muda, H.E. Dr Ahmad Muhamad and U Myo Lwin

Dr Aung Moe Myint, U Phone Myint, H.E. Pehin Dato Rahmani Dato Basir, Pengiran Datin Aisah Ismail and U Ohn Kyaw

MC

New Star Gems & Jewellery Show

Daw Yin Shwin and guests

Ko Naing (NVG)

Yan Aung and May Than Nu

Nay Toe and Thet Mon Myint

Aung Ye Lin and Wut Hmone Shwe Yee

Designer Pyay Soe Aung

Hein Wai Yan and Moe Hay Ko

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Travels in the Golden Triangle

By Christine H. OToole MOONLIT Caribbean harbours, ritzy Swiss resorts, jungle mountains. When you get right down to it, pirates, smugglers, swashbucklers and rogues are probably the worlds most discerning travellers, ferreting out the most stunning locales to conduct business in. Case in point: Southeast Asias lush Golden Triangle, synonymous with the opium trade and best explored by motorbike. Buzzing along northern Thailands Route 1 toward the green peaks along the Mekong River felt like a road trip in Hawaii. Hot sun poured into the valley. Rainbows glanced off white clouds. We sped through a warm breeze. Our euphoria was appropriate, as we were on our way to the Hall of Opium. The high was temporary but the laidback vibe persisted. Despite the regions dark reputation, we found Chiang Rai, Thailands northernmost province, wide open and welcoming. The city of Chiang Rai has an airport, a mall, two universities, a four-lane highway, 200,000 residents and roughly 100,000 motorbikes. It was soon to be 100,001. Wed arrived from Chiang Mai, 154 kilometres (95 miles) south, by bus, then trudged up the entrance boulevard to Mae Fah Luang University, a halfhour north of the city centre. As we tried to ignore a thick dead snake by the roadside, our host buzzed up on his scooter. Youre in king cobra country, Bill, an American teacher, said with a grin. It was country, for sure. At the end of the monsoon season, the rural landscape shaded from yellowing rice fields to blue-green mountains. With plenty of sun and rainfall, poppies grow well here. So does everything from rice to pineapple, with the advantage that certain crops can be grown very discreetly. The hill country, home to ethnic tribes such as the long-necked Karen, is steep, the roads few and winding. If you were inclined to collect the poppies seedpods, squeeze out the milky sap, cook it into opium and smuggle it elsewhere for cash well, yes, this would be the place. Although recently overtaken by Afghanistan, this region produced the largest share of the worlds opium supply for centuries. Myanmar, Laos and Thailand continue trying to eradicate poppy cultivation with security crackdowns and economic development schemes that include the Hall of Opium itself. But eliminating opium production along the Mekong might be wishful thinking. Shortly before we visited in October, 13 bodies were found floating downstream here, victims of a mysterious attack on Chinese cargo ships by Thai soldiers. Some of the dead sailors had been bound, gagged or blindfolded. Nine Thai soldiers belonging to an anti-drug task force were arrested, and China announced that it would join stepped-up river patrols. By contrast, our explorations couldnt have been more chill. Pah! commanded Bill in Thai: Lets go! He was urging us forward on our first mornings adventure, a motorbike shakedown cruise. Driven by students in uniform and families with babies riding in the lead, Honda Waves are essential accessories here, Bill insisted. You need one, he told my husband, Jim. For US$5 a day, the bike turned us into locals. It also put us within an hours ride of a weeks worth of memorable day trips. Pah. On one jaunt we rode and then hiked to Khun Korn, a roaring 70 metre (230 foot) waterfall in a national park. We swam in deserted mountain lakes and punched our elephantride ticket at the Ruammit Village, where we lurched along the Mae Kok River. But it was a trip to a hot spring that finally propelled us up 1818 metres (6000 feet) to opium territory. The hot springs? If you are riding there, you must go on to Doi Mae Salong, said Sudpatapee Waengsee, the cherubic hotel manager at the Wanasom resort. When his English explanations failed, he rushed online to find a description of the village above the hot springs. The mountaintop (doi means mount) embodied another bit of local opium lore. Aside from the checkpoint where soldiers waved us through and the ancient gold temple, Mae Salong looked Alpine. We corkscrewed up the ridge top road, whooping as each turn revealed a steeper dropoff. Mandarin signs and satellite dishes announced that we had arrived in the Chinese village, where tea has replaced opium as the cash crop. During the 1960s, a splinter of the Chinese Nationalist Army found its way to the region. Its leader, Khun Sa, ruled as an opium warlord for two decades, fleeing across the nearby Myanmar border after the Thai army defeated his militia. Since 1982, a government development project has encouraged the Chinese descendants to go straight, growing oolong on tea terraces. The results spread down the hillsides as we coasted into the dusty courtyard of the Mae Salong Resort, where a tired monkey swung with a chain on its ankle. The collection of drab cliff side bungalows looked like a 1960s camp. It was. Unwittingly, wed stumbled into the former Nationalist militia training camp, now a cheap refuge for backpackers. Faded photographs near the restaurant recalled the original Kuomintang settlers. At a cafe on an overlook, we made a rest stop, sipping obligatory cups of tea. My husband returned from the outhouse beaming. That had the most spectacular view of any mens room Ive seen, he declared firmly. Despite the setting, the tea plantations arent attracting crowds yet. But Thailands clearly betting on the mystique of the Golden Triangle to boost tourism. The development project, with royal backing, has poured asphalt, concrete and money into the province. On our ride to the Hall of Opium, within sight of Myanmar and Laos, we saw the evidence. When we stopped at a shop to check our directions, a few minutes past the village of Mae Chan, the owner greeted us with a beaming Sawasdeekaaaaa! Shaking her head at our questions, she ran for a better English speaker, who ambled out to the curb. Wed missed the main turnoff for the hall, in Chiang Saen, he told us cheerfully. But we could continue north to a new road that would bring us straight to the museum. You will find it, he said confidently. And if you dont, you come back here and spend the night at my house. A half-hour later, we turned east on a road sizzling with fresh asphalt. We swung past trucks and rice fields until we slowed behind a steamroller and a highway work crew who waved us forward onto smooth red clay. We bumped ahead of the road makers, heading downhill toward a wide brown vista: the Mekong. A massive masonry sign proclaimed the entrance to the Hall of Opium, with a royal Thai crest. The museum was vast. Until we entered the US$10 million stucco and marble edifice, we had expected a ramshackle museum with sketchy exhibits and a kitschy gift shop. Facing an empty parking lot was a dignified hip-roofed structure nearly as large as the Smithsonian Castle, stuccoed, landscaped and blazing in the afternoon heat. For our Western-style

AIRLINE OFFICES
Air Bagan Ltd.(W9)

56, Shwe Taung Gyar Street, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 513322, 513422, 504888, Fax : 515102 Air Asia (FD) 33, Alan Pya Pagoda Rd, Ground Flr, Parkroyal Hotel, Yangon. Tel: 251 885, 251 886.

Air China (CA)

Building (2), corner of Pyay Rd and Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Hotel Yangon, 8 miles, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 666112, 655882.

Bangkok Airways (PG)

Yangon. Tel: 255122, 255 265, Fax: 255119

#0305, 3rd Fl, Sakura Tower, 339, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Kyauktada Tsp,

Air India

75, Shwe Bon Thar St, Pabedan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 253597~98, 254758. Fax: 248175

Myanmar Airways International(8M)

08-02, Sakura Tower, 339, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Kyauktada Tsp, Ygn. Tel : 255260, Fax: 255305

Malaysia Airlines (MH)

335/357, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Pabedan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 387648, 241007 ext : 120, 121, 122 Fax : 241124 339, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, 2nd Floor, Sakura Tower, Kyauktada Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: 255 287~9 , Fax: 255 290

Silk Air(MI)

Khun Korn waterfall plunges 70 metres (230 feet) in Chiang Rai, Thailands northernmost province. Pic: The Washington Post $10 admission fee, we were about to get the official history of the drug. Inside, we plunged into a long, evocative tunnel, its curved walls carved with figures suggesting sleep, suffering, dreams and danger. Apart from a few pipes, bowls and uncomfortable porcelain headrests from Chinese opium dens, the halls galleries proved weak on actual artefacts but strong on the weird geopolitical bedfellows that the trade had produced over the past 300 years. The exhibits argue, in fluent English and Thai, that the British addiction to tea engendered a massive Chinese addiction to opium. The British East India Co held a 50-year monopoly on selling Indian opium; by the 1820s, Chinese smugglers were buying 900 tons of opium a year. As addiction grew, the Chinese emperor protested the Wests illegal sales; the English attacked. Two Opium Wars would follow, with Hong Kong as a British prize. The museum ventures beyond the colonial history of opium to medicinal history and global addiction. An incongruous photo gallery of overdosed celebrities and a Hall of Reflection deliver a didactic footnote. Standing in front of mirrors, we were invited to meditate on our own anti-drug resolutions before departing. Thats important, Hall manager Prasert Thepintha told me: He said that 100,000 guests visit annually, most of them local schoolchildren on field trips. As the government works to reduce supplies of opium, it hopes that drug education can also reduce demand. We couldnt leave without touching the edge of the Golden Triangle, where the Ruak River from Myanmar meets the Mekong. Five minutes later, we hopped on a long-tail boat, piloted by a 13-year-old, to speed along the border with the setting sun in our eyes. Fishermen cast nets from open skiffs, and a few cargo boats chugged slowly eastward. The three neighbouring countries have more than the river in common. Each has contributed one grandiose casino to an otherwise blank shoreline. We left the river in our taillights and made our way back along dark roads. The fluorescent lights of market stalls welcomed us back to Chiang Rai. We slurped huge bowls of khao soi, a stew of glistening noodles in curry paste and coconut milk. Then we used the chopsticks to trace the next mornings jaunt on the map. A waterfall swim? The ostrich farm? We had finally gotten the hang of Chiang Rai. There was, simply, no rush. Wed gas up the bikes and decide tomorrow. Pah. The Washington Post

Thai Airways (TG)

#11-01, Sakura Tower, 339, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Kyauktada Tsp, Ygn. Tel : 255499 Fax : 255490

Vietnam Airlines (VN)

#1702, Sakura Tower 339, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Kyauktada Tsp, Yangon. Fax 255086. Tel 255066/ 255088/ 255068.

Domestic Airlines
Yangon Airways(YH)

166, MMB Tower, Level 5, Upper Pansodan Rd, Mingalar Taungnyunt Tsp, Yangon. Tel: (+95-1) 383 100, 383 107, 700 264, Fax: 652 533.

Air Bagan Ltd.(W9)

56, Shwe Taung Gyar Street, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 513322, 513422, 504888, Fax : 515102

AIR KBZ (K7)

33-49,Corner of Bank Street & Maha Bandoola Garden Street, Kyauktada Tsp,Yangon, Myanmar Tel: 372977~80, 533030~39 (Airport) Fax: 372983

Air Mandalay (6T)

146, Dhamazedi Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon Tel : 501520, 525488 (Head Office) 720309, 652753, 652754 (Airport Office), Fax: 525 937

Asian Wings (AW)

No.34(A-1), Shwe Taung Gyar Street, Bahan Township,Yangon.Myanmar. Tel: 951 516654, 532253, 09-73135991~3.Fax: 951 532333

35
the

trAvel
January 30 - February 5, 2012

MyanMar tiMes

DOMESTIC FLIGHT SCHEDULES

DAYS
FRI FRI MON

INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT SCHEDULES

DAYS
SUN

Flight
K7 244 K7 245 6T 405 AW 891 6T 401 W9 011 AW 761 6T 451 K7 824 6T 501 K7 228 YH 909 6T 405 W9 251 6T 401 YH 729 6T 451 K7 622 AW 791 6T 501 AW 891 6T 401 6T 331 YH 737 6T 451 K7 824 W9 261 YH 731 6T 501 K7 228 YH 909 AW 891 6T 401 6T 405 AW 201 W9 255 YH 729 6T 451 K7 622 K7 226 YH 731 AW 891 6T 405 W9 251 6T 401 YH 917 AW 751 K7 824 6T 451 K7 224 YH 731 W9 271 6T 403 YH 909 6T 401 AW 601 YH 729 K7 622 6T 501 AW 891 YH 909 AW 891 6T 401 W9 255 6T 331 AW 751 6T 451 K7 622 6T 501

Dep Arr
13:00 15:50 06:15 06:15 06:15 07:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 15:00 06:00 06:15 06:15 06:30 06:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 15:00 16:30 06:15 06:30 07:00 11:00 11:30 12:00 13:30 15:00 16:30 06:00 06:15 06:15 06:15 06:15 06:30 06:30 10:30 11:30 12:00 12:30 15:00 06:15 06:15 06:30 06:30 06:30 11:00 11:00 11:30 13:00 15:00 06:00 06:15 06:15 06:15 07:00 10:30 12:00 15:30 16:15 06:15 06:15 06:15 06:30 07:00 11:00 11:30 12:00 15:00 15:30 16:50 08:20 08:20 08:20 08:30 12:55 12:55 13:25 17:00 07:25 07:55 08:20 07:55 08:35 12:40 12:55 13:25 16:25 17:55 08:20 08:35 08:25 13:10 12:55 13:25 07:55 17:10 17:55 07:25 07:55 08:20 08:20 08:20 07:55 08:55 13:30 12:55 13:25 13:55 17:10 08:20 08:20 07:55 08:35 08:50 12:25 12:25 12:55 14:25 17:10 07:25 07:40 07:55 08:20 08:25 13:30 13:25 17:30 08:20 08:30 08:20 08:20 08:55 08:25 12:25 12:55 13:25 17:00

DAYS
WED

Flight
W9 009 AW 892 6T 406 6T 332 6T 402 W9 021 YH 738 K7 825 6T 502 W9 009 AW 892 6T 402 6T 406 YH 812 W9 021 K7 229 AW 762 YH 730 6T 502 W9 009 AW 892 6T 406 YH 918 6T 402 AW 202 W9 251 YH 731 6T 502 W9 232 YH 728 AW 892 6T 404 W9 011 W9 262 AW 602 YH 812 K7 623 YH 730 6T 502 W9 009 AW 892 YH 910 6T 402 6T 332 W9 011 W9 256 YH 812 K7 623 AW 752 YH 738 6T 502 W9 143 6T 401 6T 405 AW 891 YH 633 K7 222 YH 917 W9 143 6T 401 AW 891 K7 222 YH 917 W9 143 6T 405 6T 401 K7 222 YH 917 K7 242 AW 781 AW 891 6T 401 6T 405 W9 009 K7 222 YH 917 6T 405 AW 891 W9 009 6T 401 K7 222 YH 917 6T 361 K7 242 AW 891 6T 401 6T 403 W9 009 K7 222 YH 917 6T 451 W9 143 AW 891 6T 401 YH 909 W9 009 K7 222 YH 917

Dep Arr
08:30 08:35 08:40 08:45 08:55 14:10 17:10 17:50 18:15 08:30 08:35 08:40 08:40 13:10 14:10 15:45 16:25 17:15 17:20 08:30 08:35 08:40 08:50 08:55 11:00 13:35 17:10 17:20 17:35 17:45 08:35 08:00 09:25 10:50 12:20 13:10 16:55 17:15 17:50 08:30 08:35 08:35 08:40 08:45 09:25 11:20 13:10 16:55 17:10 17:10 17:20 06:00 06:15 06:15 06:15 06:15 06:30 06:30 06:00 06:30 06:15 06:30 06:30 06:00 06:15 06:30 06:30 06:30 07:00 15:00 06:15 06:15 06:15 06:30 06:30 06:30 06:15 06:15 06:30 06:30 06:30 06:30 06:45 07:00 06:15 06:15 06:15 06:30 06:30 06:30 10:30 06:00 06:15 06:15 06:15 06:30 06:30 06:30 09:30 10:30 10:40 10:10 10:55 15:10 18:35 19:15 20:20 09:30 10:30 10:40 10:40 14:35 15:10 17:10 17:50 18:45 19:25 09:30 10:30 10:05 10:45 10:55 12:25 15:00 19:25 19:25 19:00 19:10 10:30 10:05 11:10 12:15 13:45 14:35 18:20 18:45 19:55 09:30 10:30 10:00 10:40 10:10 11:10 12:45 14:35 18:20 18:35 18:35 19:25 07:20 07:35 07:35 07:35 07:50 07:50 08:05 07:20 07:50 07:35 07:50 08:05 07:20 07:35 07:50 07:50 08:05 08:20 17:10 07:35 07:35 07:35 07:25 07:50 08:05 07:35 07:35 07:25 07:50 07:50 08:05 08:05 08:20 07:35 07:35 08:30 07:25 07:50 08:05 11:50 07:20 07:35 07:35 07:50 07:25 07:50 08:05

DAYS
MON

Flight
K7 223 W9 109 AW 782 YH 732 6T 502 K7 223 YH 910 W9 109 AW 792 YH 732 6T 502 K7 223 W9 109 AW 782 YH 732 6T 502 K7 223 YH 910 W9 109 YH 732 6T 502 K7 223 W9 109 AW 782 YH 732 6T 502 K7 223 YH 910 W9 109 AW 792 YH 732 6T 502 K7 223 YH 910 W9 109 YH 732 6T 502

Dep Arr
08:10 17:25 17:25 17:55 18:05 08:10 08:40 17:25 17:25 18:10 19:00 08:10 17:25 17:25 17:55 19:00 08:10 08:40 17:25 17:55 18:05 08:10 17:25 17:25 17:55 18:05 08:10 08:40 17:25 17:25 17:55 18:35 08:10 08:40 17:25 17:55 18:05 11:15 18:20 18:45 19:15 19:25 11:15 10:00 18:20 18:45 19:30 20:20 11:15 18:20 18:45 19:15 20:20 11:15 10:00 18:20 19:15 19:25 11:15 18:20 18:45 19:15 19:25 11:15 10:00 18:20 18:45 19:15 19:55 11:15 10:00 18:20 19:15 19:25

Flight
W9 115 YH 811 K7 826 K7 224 6T 501 YH 731 YH 737 W9 143 AW 892 6T 402 6T 406 YH 918 W9 011 K7 223 AW 892 YH 918 W9 011 6T 402 K7 223 K7 823 W9 116 W9 143 AW 892 YH 918 6T 402 K7 223 W9 143 6T 402 6T 406 YH 918 K7 223 W9 143 AW 892 YH 918 6T 402 K7 223 W9 143 AW 892 YH 918 K7 223 6T 402 K7 823 AW 892 6T 402 YH 918 W9 011 6T 362 K7 223 W9 116 YH 738 6T 607 W9 309 6T 611 W9 309 6T 611 W9 309 6T 607 W9 309 6T 607 W9 309 6T 607 W9 309 6T 607 W9 309 6T 608 W9 310 6T 612 W9 310 6T 612 W9 310 6T 608 W9 310 6T 608 W9 310 6T 608 W9 310 6T 608 6T 707 AW 301 6T 707 K7 317 K7 317 AW 301 AW 301 6T 707 K7 317 AW 301 6T 708 6T 708 K7 318 AW 302 AW 302 K7 318 6T 708 K7 318 AW 302

Dep Arr
11:00 11:00 12:30 14:00 15:00 15:00 11:00 09:05 09:20 09:30 09:30 09:35 09:40 10:00 09:20 09:35 09:40 09:45 10:00 15:15 16:45 09:05 09:20 09:35 09:45 10:00 09:05 09:30 09:30 09:35 10:00 09:05 09:20 09:35 09:45 10:00 09:05 09:20 09:35 10:00 10:20 15:15 09:20 09:30 09:35 09:40 09:55 10:00 16:45 17:20 11:00 13:00 10:30 13:00 10:30 13:00 11:00 13:00 11:00 13:00 12:00 13:00 11:00 13:00 12:40 15:00 12:10 15:00 12:10 15:00 13:15 15:00 13:15 15:00 14:15 15:00 13:15 07:30 07:00 11:15 12:30 12:30 12:45 07:00 11:15 12:30 12:45 11:55 15:40 16:40 17:15 11:30 16:40 15:40 16:40 17:15 12:10 12:25 13:45 15:15 16:10 16:25 12:25 10:15 10:30 10:40 10:40 10:45 10:35 11:15 10:30 10:45 10:35 10:55 11:15 16:30 17:55 10:15 10:30 10:45 10:55 11:15 10:15 10:40 10:40 10:45 11:15 10:15 10:30 10:45 10:55 11:15 10:15 10:30 10:45 11:15 11:30 16:30 10:30 10:40 10:45 10:35 11:08 11:15 17:55 18:35 12:25 14:45 11:55 14:45 11:55 14:45 13:00 14:45 13:00 14:45 14:00 14:45 13:00 14:45

Flight
MON FD 3771 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 TG 306 TUE FD 3771 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 TG 306

Dep
08:30 08:50 09:50 10:55 16:30 16:40 17:40 19:45 08:30 08:50 09:50 10:55 16:30 16:40 17:40 19:45 08:30 08:50 09:50 10:55 16:30 16:40 17:40 19:45 08:30 08:50 09:50 10:55 16:30 16:40 17:40 19:45 08:30 08:50 09:50 10:55 16:30 16:40 17:40 19:45 08:30 08:50 09:50 10:55 16:30 16:40 17:40 19:45 08:30 08:50 09:50 10:55 16:30 16:40 17:40 19:45 08:40 10:10 14:15 16:40 08:00 10:10 14:15 16:40 08:00 10:10 11:25 16:40 08:00 10:10 14:15 16:40 17:30 08:00 10:10 11:25 16:40 17:30

Arr
10:15 10:35 11:45 12:50 18:15 18:35 19:25 21:40 10:15 10:35 11:45 12:50 18:15 18:35 19:25 21:40 10:15 10:35 11:45 12:50 18:15 18:35 19:25 21:40 10:15 10:35 11:45 12:50 18:15 18:35 19:25 21:40 10:15 10:35 11:45 12:50 18:15 18:35 19:25 21:40 10:15 10:35 11:45 12:50 18:15 18:35 19:25 21:40 10:15 10:35 11:45 12:50 18:15 18:35 19:25 21:40 13:05 14:45 18:40 21:15 12:25 14:45 18:40 21:15 12:25 14:45 15:50 21:15 12:25 14:45 18:40 21:15 22:05 12:25 14:45 15:50 21:15 22:05

Flight
SAT 8M 231 MI 511 8M 6232 MI 517 MI 519 8M 231 MI 511 8M 233 MI 517 MI 519

Dep
08:00 10:10 11:25 16:40 17:30 08:00 10:10 14:15 16:40 17:30

Arr
12:25 14:45 15:50 21:15 22:05 12:25 14:45 18:40 21:15 22:05

Flight
MON 8M 336 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 TUE 8M 336 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332

Dep
07:10 07:10 07:55 09:15 15:00 16:25 17:50 19:25 07:10 07:10 07:55 09:15 15:00 16:25 17:50 19:25 07:10 07:10 07:55 09:15 15:00 16:25 17:50 19:25 07:10 07:10 07:55 09:15 15:00 16:25 17:50 19:25 07:10 07:10 07:55 09:15 16:25 15:00 17:50 19:25 07:10 07:10 07:55 09:15 15:00 16:25 17:50 19:25 07:10 07:10 07:55 09:15 15:00 16:25 17:50 19:25 07:55 14:10 14:20 19:40 07:55 14:10 14:20 19:40 07:55 09:10 14:10 14:20 07:55 14:10 14:20 15:20 19:40 07:55 09:10 14:10 14:20 15:20

Arr
07:55 07:55 08:50 10:05 15:50 17:10 18:45 20:10 07:55 07:55 08:50 10:05 15:50 17:10 18:45 20:10 07:55 07:55 08:50 10:05 15:50 17:10 18:45 20:10 07:55 07:55 08:50 10:05 15:50 17:10 18:45 20:10 07:55 07:55 08:50 10:05 17:10 15:50 18:45 20:10 07:55 07:55 08:50 10:05 15:50 17:10 18:45 20:10 07:55 07:55 08:50 10:05 15:50 17:10 18:45 20:10 09:20 15:35 15:45 21:05 09:20 15:35 15:45 21:05 09:20 10:35 15:35 15:45 09:20 15:35 15:45 16:40 21:05 09:20 10:35 15:35 15:45 16:40

Flight
SAT MI 512 8M 6231 8M 232 MI 518 MI 520 SUN MI 512 8M 232 MI 518 MI 520

Dep

Arr

YANGON TO NAYPYITAW NAYPYITAW TO YANGON YANGON TO MANDALAY

NYAUNG U TO YANGON

YANGON TO BANGKOK

BANGKOK TO YANGON

07:55 09:20 09:10 10:35 14:10 15:35 14:20 15:45 15:20 16:40 07:55 09:20 14:10 15:35 14:20 15:45 15:20 16:40 19:40 21:05 10:05 11:15 14:00 15:00 15:40 16:45 10:05 11:15 14:00 15:00 15:40 16:45 10:05 11:15 15:40 16:45 10:05 11:15 14:00 15:00 15:40 16:45 10:05 11:15 14:00 15:00 15:40 16:45 10:05 11:15 15:40 16:45 10:05 11:15 14:00 15:00 15:40 16:45 08:50 10:30 14:15 15:45 08:50 10:30 14:15 15:45 09:55 12:45 09:55 12:45 09:55 12:45 12:35 13:15 12:35 13:15 12:35 13:15 12:35 13:15 12:35 13:15 10:00 14:55 15:50 16:40 14:30 15:00 14:30 15:00 16:35 18:10 16:35 18:10 16:35 18:10 16:35 18:10 11:40 13:25 11:40 13:25 11:40 13:25 13:50 15:15 13:50 15:15

TUE

HEHO TO YANGON
MON

SUN

THUR

WED

TUE

TUE

YANGON TO SIEM REAP

WED 8M 401 SAT 8M 401 08:50 11:25 08:50 11:25 09:00 13:00 12:15 16:30 17:15 21:30 09:00 13:00 12:15 16:30 17:15 21:30 12:15 16:30 17:15 21:30 09:00 13:00 12:15 16:30 17:15 21:30 09:00 13:00 12:15 16:30 17:15 21:30 12:15 16:30 17:15 21:30 09:00 13:00 12:15 16:30 17:15 21:30 11:20 15:50 08:45 13:15 11:20 15:50 08:45 13:15 SAT 14:00 19:25 14:00 19:25 14:00 19:25 14:15 17:35 14:15 17:35 14:15 17:35 14:15 17:35 14:15 17:35 13:30 16:40 13:30 16:40 12:00 13:30 12:00 13:30 19:10 21:30 19:10 21:30 19:10 21:30 19:10 21:30 SUN

8M 234
MON MH 740 8M 502 AK 850 TUE MH 740 8M 502 AK 850 WED MH 740 AK 850 THU MH 740 8M 502 AK 850 FRI MH 740 8M 502 AK 850 MH 740 AK 850 MH 740 8M 502 AK 850

KUALA LUMPUR TO YANGON

FRI

THUR

YANGON TO KUALA LUMPUR

MON 8M 501 MH 741 AK 851 TUE 8M 501 MH 741 AK 851

FRI

WED

WED

SAT

THUR

SAT

THUR

FRI

SUN

WED FD 3771 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 TG 306 THUR FD 3771 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 TG 306 FRI FD 3771 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 TG 306 FD 3771 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 TG 306 FD 3771 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 TG 306

WED MH 741 AK 851 THU 8M 501 MH 741 AK 851 8M 501 MH 741 AK 851 MH 741 AK 851 8M 501 MH 741 AK 851

WED 8M 336 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 THUR 8M 336 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 FRI 8M 336 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 FD 3772 PG 703 TG 305 8M 332 8M 336 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 8M 336 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332

SUN

SAT

FRI

YANGON TO MYITKYINA
MON TUE THUR FRI SUN W9 255 W9 251 AW 201 W9 255 W9 251 AW 211 W9 255 06:30 06:30 06:30 06:30 06:30 06:00 06:30 09:25 09:25 09:20 09:25 09:25 08:50 09:25 SUN

SAT SUN

SAT SUN

FRI

YANGON TO NYAUNG U
MON

MYITKYINA TO YANGON
MON TUE THUR FRI SUN W9 256 W9 252 AW 202 W9 256 W9 252 W9 256 09:45 12:05 09:35 09:45 12:05 09:45 12:40 15:00 12:25 12:40 15:00 12:40

YANGON TO GUANGZHOU
WED CZ 3056 THUR 8M 711 SAT CZ 3056 SUN 8M 711 MON CI 7916 WED CI 7916 FRI TUE CI 7916 CA 906

GUANGZHOU TO YANGON
WED CZ 3055 THUR 8M 712 SAT CZ 3055

YANGON TO SITTWE
MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN

SAT

SUN 8M 712 MON CI 7915 WED CI 7915 FRI TUE CI 7915 CA 905

TUE

SAT

YANGON TO TAIPEI

TAIPEI TO YANGON

YANGON TO HEHO
MON W9 119 AW 761 YH 727 K7 224 6T 501 YH 731 K7 822 W9 115 AW 761 YH 811 K7 224 YH 731 W9 119 YH 737 K7 224 YH 731 AW 761 YH 811 K7 224 W9 109 6T 501 YH 731 K7 224 W9 109 6T 501 YH 731 K7 822 AW 751 W9 119 YH 811 K7 224 YH 731 6T 501 11:00 11:00 11:00 14:00 15:00 15:00 08:00 11:00 11:00 11:15 14:00 15:00 11:00 11:00 14:00 15:00 11:00 11:00 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:00 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:00 08:00 11:00 11:00 11:00 14:00 15:00 15:30 12:10 12:10 12:25 15:15 16:10 16:25 09:15 12:10 12:10 12:40 15:15 16:25 12:10 12:25 15:15 16:25 12:10 12:25 15:15 15:25 16:10 16:25 15:15 15:25 16:10 16:25 09:15 12:10 12:10 12:25 15:15 16:25 16:40

WED

SUN

YANGON TO KUNMING
WED CA 906 THUR CA 906 SAT SUN Mon FRI CA 906 CA 906 IC734 IC734

KUNMING TO YANGON
WED CA 905 THUR CA 905 SAT SUN Mon FRI CA 905 CA 905 IC733 IC728

TUE

THUR

SITTWE TO YANGON
MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN 14:40 16:45 13:35 16:45 13:35 16:45 14:40 16:45 14:40 16:45 15:40 16:45 14:40 09:30 09:05 13:15 14:00 14:00 14:50 09:05 13:15 14:00 14:50 13:55 17:40 18:10 19:20 13:35 18:10 17:40 18:10 19:20

SUN

MANDALAY TO YANGON
MON YH 634 AW 892 6T 402 6T 406 W9 262 W9 021 AW 762 YH 728 6T 502 K7 825 W9 009 6T 406 6T 402 YH 910 W9 011 K7 229 YH 812 W9 251 W9 150 AW 762 YH 730 6T 502 08:35 08:35 08:40 08:40 10:50 14:10 16:25 16:30 17:20 17:50 08:30 08:40 08:55 09:25 09:25 11:15 13:25 13:35 16:20 16:25 17:20 18:15 10:00 10:30 10:40 10:40 12:15 15:10 17:50 17:55 19:25 19:15 09:30 10:05 10:55 10:50 11:10 12:40 14:50 15:00 17:45 17:50 18:45 20:20

WED

FRI

YANGON TO KOLKATA

THUR

KOLKATA TO YANGON

YANGON TO SINGAPORE
MON 8M 231 MI 511 8M 233 MI 517 TUE 8M 231 MI 511 8M 233 MI 517

YANGON TO CHIANG MAI

THUR W9 9607 SUN W9 9607

SINGAPORE TO YANGON
MON MI 512 8M 232 MI 518 8M 234 TUE MI 512 8M 232 MI 518 8M 234

SAT

CHIANG MAI TO YANGON

THUR W9 9608 SUN W9 9608

TUE

FRI

YANGON TO MYEIK
MON TUE

YANGON TO HANOI
MON VN 956 WED VN 956 FRI SAT VN 956 VN 956

SUN

SAT

HANOI TO YANGON
MON VN 957 WED VN 957 FRI SAT TUE VN 957 VN 957 VN 943

THUR FRI SAT SUN

Domestic
6T = Air Mandalay W9 = Air Bagan AW = Asian Wings K7 = AIR KBZ YH = Yangon Airways FD & AK = Air Asia TG = Thai Airways

International
8M = Myanmar Airways International PG = Bangkok Airways MI = Silk Air VN = Vietnam Airline MH = Malaysia Airlines CZ = China Southern CI = China Airlines CA = Air China IC = Indian Airlines Limited W9 = Air Bagan 3K = Jet Star

MYEIK TO YANGON
MON TUE

WED 8M 231 MI 511 8M 6232 MI 517 THUR 8M 231 MI 511 8M 233 MI 517 MI 519 FRI 8M 231 MI 511 8M 6232 MI 517 MI 519

YANGON TO HO CHI MINH

TUE VN 942 14:25 17:10 14:25 17:10 14:25 17:10 08:50 12:50 08:50 12:50 THUR VN 942 SUN VN 942 WED 8M 401 SAT 8M 401

WED MI 512 8M 6231 8M 232 MI 518 THUR MI 512 8M 232 MI 518 MI 520 8M 234 FRI MI 512 8M 6231 8M 232 MI 518 MI 520

HO CHI MINH TO YANGON

THUR VN 943 SUN VN 943 WED 8M 402 SAT 8M 402

THUR FRI SAT SUN

YANGON TO PHNOM PENH

PHNOM PENH TO YANGON

YANGON TO GAYA
WED 8M 601 SAT 8M 601 09:00 10:30 09:00 10:30

GAYA TO YANGON
WED 8M 602 SAT 8M 602 11:30 15:00 11:30 15:00

Subject to change without notice

teA BreAk
January 30 - February 5, 2012
the

36
MyanMar tiMes

The land of rising whisky

By Jason Wilson ITS a bit unfortunate, but for most of the past decade, Japanese whisky has been inextricably linked to the 2003 film Lost in Translation. You surely remember when Bill Murrays character the sad-sack, washed-up actor shilling in a cheesy commercial declares, For relaxing times, make it Suntory time. Back then, most Americans probably didnt realise that Suntory is a real distillery, Japans oldest. In fact, in the 1990s, Sean Connery appeared in the real ads. Even those single-malt Scotch or bourbon snobs who might have heard of Suntory scoff at the very notion: Whisky from Japan? Ha-ha! Is that like fine wine from New Jersey? Well, let me say this: People who tell you that Japanese whisky is an inferior imitation of Scotch or bourbon have never tasted it. They dont realise what theyre missing, which is some of the most unique whisky in the world. (And, yes, as with Scotch and Canadian whisky, theres no e when we talk about the stuff from Japan.) I, too, once looked down upon a dram from Japan. But this winter, deep into whisky season, Ive had a change of heart. It started when a friend who travels to Japan on business introduced me to Yoichi Single Malt, from the legendary Nikka distillery, a spirit that is nearly impossible to find in the United States. Ive moved on to Suntory products, which are more widely available, specifically the Yamazaki 12-year-old (US$40), the Hakushu 12-year-old ($60) and the Hibiki 12-year-old ($55). Im still in a committed relationship with bourbon, but Ive begun a lustful dalliance with Japanese whisky. She is everything that bourbon, Scotch and rye are not: lower in strength, with more finesse, subtlety and softness; and strangely alluring, with fresh notes of forest and nuts and flowers and exotic flavours of fruit and spice. There is not one style of Japanese whisky, but there is a common well, for lack of a better term, an oddness or foreign-ness thats hard to translate. Japanese whisky is produced very much like Scotch: pot-stilled from peated barley malt. When Suntory made its first whiskys in 1923, Scotland was certainly the model, but the quest was for something distinctly Japanese. We wanted to make a whisky for Japanese people and the Japanese palate, said Yoshi Morita, manager of sales and marketing for Suntory International, in a telephone interview. What exactly does that mean, I asked. Think about Japanese food, Morita said. Its very delicate and complex. Japanese whisky is meant to be fresh and supple to the palate. Theres not such a strong taste. How many whisky drinkers or distillers in the West think about the spirits relationship to food? Relatively few, Id say. The difference between Japanese Aquarius

YOUR STARS
By Astrologer Aung Myin Kyaw
Your tendencies to think logically and collect data are complementary activities that can create new opportunities for you. Dont be afraid to use your intellectual capabilities to define the problems you are facing before taking the next step. Extraordinary thinkers achieve exceptional results in all aspects of life because they refuse to settle for the ordinary.

Jan 20 - Feb 18

Pisces

The basic principle to follow for a successful relationship is humility, coupled with a honeyed tongue. You must shed your ego when it comes to communicating with your partner. The purpose of life is a life of purpose. Set clearly defined personal, professional and spiritual goals and then have the courage to act on them. To understand the value of life, never neglect to appreciate the exquisite beauty of all sentient beings.

Feb 19 - Mar 20

Aries

The level of your living standard will be determined by the quality of your thoughts and actions. Enlightenment comes through the consistent cultivation of the mind, body and soul. Get into the habit of taking action to face your fears. Know that the universe favours the brave. Live a disciplined life based on the role you want to play in society.

March 21 - April 19

Taurus

Cultivate richer relationships, and lend a hand to those who seek your help. Stop being a prisoner of your past and try to become the architect of your future. Focus on the most constructive thought at any given moment. Accept what is out of your control and optimise what is within your control. See and observe things in the proper light.

April 20 - May 20

Gemini

An old lover could be the perfect match for your needs right now. Let wisdom denote the pursuit of the best ends by the best means. You will receive a wonderful, surprising message through an unexpected channel of communication. Dont ignore the voice in your head suggesting that you deserve the best in life, and that you should follow your passion to achieve this goal.

May 21 - June 20

Cancer Suntory manufactures its Yamazaki whisky at a distillery in Osaka, Japan. Pic: Suntory whisky drinkers and US or Scottish drinkers is that the Japanese drink whisky with their meal, Morita said. All Japanese food goes with Japanese whisky. Some macho single-malt snobs who love their peat monsters might call these feminine, and partly that is because most are bottled at around 86 proof, significantly lower than the cask-strength whiskeys that enthusiasts covet. But for me, the flavour is there, even at the lower proof. There are only five whisky distilleries in Japan, as opposed to more than 80 in Scotland, and so the blending is also somewhat different. With a Scotch such as Dewars or Johnnie Walker, different malts from different distilleries are blended into one product, which must be called blended whisky. In Japan, however, the blends are likely to come from the same distillery. Technically, these are single-malts, but what differs is the mix of wood. Some of the whisky is aged in American white oak barrels, some in sherry casks and some in barrels made of rare Japanese oak, which grows on the northern island of Hokkaido. The Japanese also experiment with lengthened fermentation and sometimes filter through charred bamboo. The key difference between buttery Yamazaki with its honey, clove and spiced-peach flavors and the green and fresh Hakushu with its crisp mint, ginger and smoking-autumn-leaf notes is simply the terroir where each distillery is situated. For the Hibiki, which is a blend from Yamazaki and Hakushu, some of the whisky spends time in barrels that once stored plum liqueur. The result is a unique experience of spice and smoke and tropical fruit, and a delicate, delicious sweetness balanced by a hint of tartness. That distinctiveness might be why Japanese whisky is finding a market in the United States; Morita said Yamazaki sales grew by 40 percent this past year. US consumers are very open-minded, and theyre looking for something new, he said. Morita actually seemed relieved that Suntorys role in Lost in Translation is becoming less a part of his everyday sales conversation. At the time, the movie was very helpful to Suntory, because Americans recognised the name, he said. But now, more people want to talk about Japanese whisky because they like the quality. The Washington Post

Be aware of how your lifestyle affects the environment, and adjust accordingly to reduce your impact on the earth. Sympathise with the pain that your friends are feeling to better connect with them. Spend some time every day performing a selfless service. Like music that can only be played on some instruments, each heart is compatible with only certain kinds of love.

June 22 - July 22

Leo

Strive to replace your misconceptions with truth, and note its effect on your peace of mind. View your relationships through the lens of understanding and humanity. Find ways to show respect for others and work out differences from the angle of quality. Seek encouragement from your lover, and learn to value your partners suggestions in all aspects of your life.

July 23 - Aug 22

Virgo

Make practice of sending loving thoughts to those who have hurt or abused you in the past, and note the effects on yourself. You will meet a stranger with whom you will immediately seem compatible, and your willingness to take a risk on love will pay off. Note that no ships enjoy smooth sailing all the time, but your intelligence and integrity tend to make things easy, pleasant and peaceful.

Aug 23 - Sept 22

Libra

You should know that there is a realm of blue and clear skies filled with radiant light shining above the clouds. Realise that vanity and beauty often to hand in hand. Understand love as an art of the soul that helps define mental qualities and physical health. Be courageous in communication as a means to maintain social balance.

Sept 23 - Oct 22

Scorpio

Meditation does not eliminate the problems of life, but it can help you work at overcoming your difficulties from a fresh perspective. Although being lectured by others can be unpleasant, there is often something to be learned from these one-way communications.

Oct 23 - Nov 21

Beer at 2014 World Cup a must: FIFA

RIO DE JANEIRO FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke insisted earlier this month that Brazil must allow beer to be sold at World Cup 2014 matches even though the sale of alcohol is currently banned in its stadiums. Alcoholic drinks are part of the FIFA World Cup, so were going to have them. Excuse me if I sound a bit arrogant but thats something we wont negotiate, he said at the end of a visit to Brazil to meet with the local organising committee. T h e F I FA o f f i c i a l h a s insisted on several occasions that it wanted authorization for beer sales in the stadium, and had stressed that Brazil was warned of that when it was chosen to host the 2014 World Cup. FIFA has an agreement with its sponsor, the USbased Anheuser Busch brand Budweiser, and forbidding beer sales would cut into the football organisations revenues from the games. Sale of alcoholic beverages in stadiums is prohibited in Brazil, but a bill now making its way through the Congress would create an exception, allowing beer to be sold in plastic cups at World Cup matches. Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo said he was confident the bill would be passed by the Congress in March. I think we should have a final position, said Valcke, adding, We are not talking about all kinds of alcoholic beverages, only beer. AFP

Sagittarius

Nothing is better than peace and harmony, from the beginning of the human race until the end. Accept that there is no love without a little doubt to keep you honest. A few bumps on the road to love are good experiences to make the relationship strong and better.

Nov 22 - Dec 21

Capricorn

It is easy to spot the weak points of those around you, but you should also strive to recognise your own weaknesses so you can work to eliminate them. Success in any sphere is the result of strong effort and concentrated attention. Your personal relationships will be boosted by finding points of mutual understanding. For a personal reading contact Aung Myin Kyaw, 4th Floor, 113 Thamain Bayan Road, Tamwe Township, Yangon. Tel: 0973135632, Email: williameaste@gmail.com

Dec 22 - Jan 19

Employment
UN Positions
the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is seeking for Myanmar nationals: Marketing Specialist (SC-6) MMRJ94/J95 Projects - 1 Post. Duty Station: Taunggyi/ Hopone, Southern Shan State. Requirements: University degree in Business Administration, marketing or related field. Have a minimum 5 years experience in marketing, with a focus on agriculture products preferred. Demonstrated experience in all aspects of developing and implementing marketing strategies. Proven ability in working with multidisciplinary and multicultural teams. Proven ability to write technical reports, reviews and programme/ project documents. Proficiency in MS Office and project management software. Fluency in spoken and written English. Knowledge of a local language of the region would be an asset. Application must include a cover letter, current CV, copies of relevant academic qualification certificates, and a recent passport sized photograph. Application should be address to UNODC, 11A, Maylikha Road, Ward-7, Mayangone Township, Yangon, Myanmar. (or) C/O UNDP, POBox (650), Yangon, Myanmar. Closing Date: 10 February 2012. the United nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is seeking harmReduction Coordinator (Level: SC9) - Duty Station: Yangon. University degree or those with medical degree & master degree medical or social science or similar degrees are preferable. 5 years experience with progressive involve-ment at program management & exposure with harm reduction or HIV related work. Sound knowledge of various agencies rules and regulations, interagency communications, previous knowledge of drug abuse and HIV/ AIDS interventions, strong interest and service to most at risk populations, well versed knowledge of country, regional public health and developmentPrograms. Must be experienced in research - in the field of drug abuse epidemiology. Must have strong computer skills (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and must be familiar with Statistical Software e.g Epi-info, SPSS Version 10, STATA etc. Good leadership, analytical, advocacy, training and coordination skills. Candidates should clearly indicate the Post Title and must include a cover letter, current CV, copies of relevant academic qualification certifi-cates, & a recent passport sized photograph to UNODC, 11A, Maylikha Rd, Ward-7, Mayangone , Closing Date: 31 January 2012. Excel, MS windows, Internet and email. Pls submit CV and a cover letter to MDM Country Coordination Office, Yangon. No.47-B, Po Sein St, Bahan . Closing date: 5 Feb: 2012, Email: hr. mdmmyanmar@ gmail. com. CaRe Myanmar is looking for appropriate candidates for technical Officer - Community Mobiliza-tion for its offices in Maungdaw Northern Rakhine State. Qualifications:Bachelor in Technical/ or related field. 2-3 years experience in develop-ment & relief programs. Thorough understand-ing of development issues & solid int'l research/ development experience in related techincal field & experience in integrated programm-ing. Good interpersonal skills. Fluent written and spoken Myanmar/ English will be a good asset. Interested persons should send an application letter outlining their claims against the matching indicators, along with a current C.V., passport sized photograph, police recommendation letter (original and copies of any references or testimonials to HR Manager. CARE Int'l in Myanmar. No.17A, Pyi Htaung Su St. Sayarsan Rd, Sayarsan North West Ward. Bahan. Email: recruitment@ care.org. mm. not later than 2nd February 2012. Qualify women are strongly encourage to apply. Note: Application will not be successful if applied position is not mentioned correctly, the application does not mention about the specific position. senior Project manager 5 years + experience in design & construction, review & supervision of working drawings, site management,detailing ability. Autocad proficiency a plus but not essential. Civil/ structural engineer - 3 years + experience in structural design & construction. ETABS and Autocad proficiency required. m&e engineer : 3 years experience in design/ installation: Electrical loading calculations & distribution Generator, voltage regulation, switch systems. Air con calculations & system planning. Sanitary & piping systems. Low voltage systems (telephone networking) Lighting Autocad familiarity will be helpful. Foreign work experience & know-ledge of int'l code preferred. Pls send CV with recent photo indicating education, work experience and salary requirements to 15/A, West Parami Rd, Mayangone . (Across RC-2). Ph: 660 996 / 667 770. (1) admin executive - F 1 Post : Japanese Language Proficiency Test Result N1 or N2, Basic Computer Skill. Age: under 28, Travel Agent, Good working location & comfortable office. (2) driver (for Foreign Company)- More than 5 years experience. Must be fluent in English. Age: 30-40. Safety driving skill. Downtown, Bahan, Yankin Residents only. Branding Officer -M/F : Hospital Nurse or Experienced Sales Person (Female). Favourable condition: Marketing experience of Pharmaceutical (medicine), medical equipment & basic skill of English conversat-ion. Age: Under 28. Qualified candidates may submit CV with application letter, passport size color photo (within 3 months taken), copies of NRC cards, working experience, other relevant certificate and contact phone to Myanmar Yutani Co., Ltd. F13-15, Aung San Stadium (North Wing), Mingalar Taung Nyunt. Ph: 393051, 394824. tRavel manaGeR -M/F : Must have at least 5 years working experience in a travelrelated company Must have knowledge of MS Word & Excel and be able to speak English. travel assistant - M/F: Must have at least 3 years experiencein a travel-related company Must have knowledge of MS Word & Excel and be able to speak English. Pls call 383395 to arrange for an interview. BUsiness development Officer - M/F 1 post : 3 years experiences in Business development & Tender field. Good command of English. Initiate marketing stratagies & coordinate actions to influence the market. Available for travelling. Pls submit an application letter, with full CV detailing your experience, knowledge & skills. marketing Representative - F 2 Posts: Degree holder 3 Years Experience in Marketing Good Personality,Excellent Communication & Customer Relation Proficient In English. contact us: Ignite Myanmar Interantional Co.,Ltd. SA2 Aung Zay Ya Housing, Ahlone oUR PRoFessional study guide group are looking for 5 study guides for high school students .The person must be a degree holder of english or at least, has diploma of ELT OR ELTM, The interested candidates come and submit CV as well as real and copy educational certifi-cates, copy of recommendation letter from police station in person. we will give you back real educational certificates. ph :09- 73031593 (not later than january 31) depend on qualificat-ion, you will earn wages. assistant teacher wanted for the private classes of international schools elementary students. Ph: 09-43051913 (1) ContRaCt specialist - M/F 1 Post : Undergraduate degree or above in commercial, econo-mics, law, or equivalent, with 2 years experiences. Fluent in reading and speaking in Chinese language, excellent in communi-cate with other colleagues. English can be used as working language. (2) service Bidding manager - M 1 Post : Bachelor Degree in Telecommunication or related field of study. Minimum 1-3 years of experience in Telco industry. Resultoriented, good team player & possess good communication skill. Good command in English. Good command in Chinese is preferable. (3) accounting assistant - M/F 1 Post (Base in Nay Pyi Daw)Bachelor degree or Professional qualification in accounting or finance. Above 1 year of experience in accounting or finance, AR area will have an added advantage. Perform monthly accounts reconciliation & Final Account reconciliation. Able to communicate effective ly in English (or) Mandarin will be an added advantage. All Positions must be Under 35 years old & open to all qualified candidates who have excellent Personalities, Attitudes & Qualifications. Our Huawei Company will be offering good benefits with several packages for applicants. The application can be sent to Huawei Technolo-gies (Yangon) Co., Ltd. 18 Fl, Sakura Tower, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Yangon, (or) E-mail: kaykhaingaung@ huawei. com myomyo. zin@ huawei.com before 26th January the hotel @ Tharabar Gate is seeking (1) Front Office Manager 1 post (M/F). (2) executive secretary 1 post (F). (3) it technician 1 post (M). (4) Reservation 1 post (F). English language proficiency is a must. Must have at least 2 years experience in reputable hotel with the same level. Sr.1 to 3 must be able to work in Bagan and Sr.4 must be able to work in Yangon. Please send your CV to: Room-201, 202 Summit Parkview Bldg, No.350, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar or mail to win. ayeaye@gmail.com or hrm@gharabargate. com. Application will be closed within 1 week from the date of advertisement. asia lanGUaGe & business academy (ALBA) is seeking the motivated & experienced teachers. (1) assistant teachers - F 2 Posts (2) Chinese teacher F 1 Post , (3) musician (Piano, Keyboard) - M/F 1 Post . The candidate must be University Graduate. Fluent in spoken and written English. Must have excellent communication and interpersonal skill. 2 years experience in related field is more preferable. Interested applicants should send the curriculum vitae together with a recent photo and copies of testimonials to No.66, Shwedagon Pagoda Rd, Dagon Township.

Local Position
sUmmit PaRkview hotel is currently seeking a motivated, efficient, experienced & dedicate candidate for the following position. (1). Finance manager - M/F (1) Post: B-Com / CPA / B.Act / DA / LCCI Level 3, 5 years experience in Financial Management field, Good Leadership skills & Communication skills. Computer literate. (2). F&B manager - M 1 Post : Graduate in any discipline, 5 years experience in B Management. Proficiency in the English language. Good Communication skills and leadership skills. Computer literate. (3). Graphic designer M/F 1 Post : Graduate in any discipline, 2 years experience in related Field. Computer Literate Experience in (Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator Software) is more preferable. Proficiency in the English. Good Communication skills (4).Receptionist - M/F 2 Post : Age under 25, Must have good personality, Proficiency in English. Good communication skills. Computer Literate. (5). Porter / driver M 1 Post : Must have good personality, 1 year in related field is more preferable, Good communication skills, Good ability to speak in English. Interested candidate shall submit an application letter, C.V with a recent photo, copies of NRC and Labour Registration card, Educational Certificate and others testimonials to HR Department not Later than 15 February, 2012. sPine aRChiteCts : A Local Architectural Firm seeks : architect (all levels) Diploma & Work Experience a Plus. All must know AutoCad well. 3-D modeling & Rendering skills a plus.

INGO Position
medeCins du Monde (MDM) is seeking accountant (3 Months contract with possibility of extension), 1 post in Yangon: University Degree in finance, accountancy or related field. Has at least 2 years experience in accounting field preferably with an UN and INGO. Fluency in Myanmar and English Languages (both oral and written). Good computer skills (MS office) Advanced

The Essentials
EMBASSIES Australia 88, Strand Road, Yangon. tel : 251810, 251797, 251798, 251809, 246462, 246463, fax: 246159 Bangladesh 11-B, Than Lwin Road, Yangon. tel: 515275, 526144, fax: 515273, email: bdootygn@mptmail.net. mm Brazil 56, Pyay Road, 6th mile, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon. tel: 507225, 507251, 507482. fax: 507483. email: Administ.yangon@ itamaraty.gov.br. Brunei 317/319, U Wizara Road, Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon. tel: 526985, 524285, fax: 512854 email: bruneiemb@ bruneiemb.com.mm Cambodia 25 (3B/4B), New University Avenue Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. tel: 549609, 540964, fax: 541462, email: RECYANGON @mptmail. net.mm China 1, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. tel: 221280, 221281, 224025, 224097, 221926, fax: 227019, 228319 Egypt 81, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. tel: 222886, 222887, fax: 222865, email: egye mbyangon@mptmail. net.mm France 102, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. tel: 212178, 212520, 212523, 212528, 212532, fax: 212527, email: ambaf rance. rangoun@ diplomatie.fr Germany 9, Bogyoke Aung San Museum Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. tel: 548951, 548952, fax: 548899 email: info@rangun. diplo.de India 545-547, Merchant Street, Yangon. tel: 391219, 388412, 243972, fax: 254086, 250164, 388414, email: indiaembassy @mptmail. net.mm Indonesia 100, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. tel: 254465, 254469, 229750, fax: 254468, email: kukygn @indonesia.com.mm Israel 15, Khabaung Street, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon. tel: 515115, fax: 515116, email: info@ yangon.mfa.gov.il Italy 3, Inya Myaing Road, Golden Valley, Yangon. tel: 527100, 527101, fax: 514565, email: ambyang.mail@ esteri.it Japan 100, Natmauk Road, Yangon. tel: 549644-8, 540399, 540400, 540411, 545988, fax: 549643 North Korea 77C, Shin Saw Pu Road, Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon. tel: 512642, 510205, fax: 510206 South Korea 97 University Avenue, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. tel: 527142-4, 515190, fax: 513286, email: hankuk@ kore mby.net.mm Lao A-1, Diplomatic Quarters, Tawwin Road, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. tel: 222482, fax: 227446, email: Laoembcab@ mptmail. net.mm Malaysia 82, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. tel: 220248, 220249, 220251, 220230, fax: 221840, email: mwkyangon@mptmail. net.mm Nepal 16, Natmauk Yeiktha, Yangon. tel: 545880, 557168, fax: 549803, email: nepemb @mptmail.net.mm Pakistan A-4, diplomatic Quarters, Pyay Road, Yangon. tel: 222881 (Chancery Exchange) fax: 221147, email: pakistan@ myanmar. com.mm Philippines 50, Sayasan Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. tel: 558149-151, fax: 558154, email: p.e. yangon@gmail.com Russian 38, Sagawa Road, Yangon. tel: 241955, 254161, fax: 241953, email: rusinmyan@mptmail .net.mm Serbia No. 114-A, Inya Road, P.O.Box No. 943Yangon. tel: 515282, 515283, fax: 504274, email: serbemb@ yangon.net.mm Singapore 238, Dhamazedi Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. tel: 559001, fax: 559002, 559922, email: singemb_ ygn@_ sgmfa. gov.sg Sri Lanka 34 Taw Win Road, Yangon. tel: 222812, fax: 221509, email: slembassy. yangon@gmail.com, info@slembyangon.org, www.slembyangon.org Thailand 94 Pyay Road, Dagon Township, Yangon. tel: 226721, 226728, 226824, fax: 221713 United Kingdom 80 Kanna Road, Yangon. tel: 370867, 380322, 371852, 371853, 256438, 370863, 370864, 370865, fax: 370866 United States of America 110, University Avenue, Kamayut Township, Yangon. tel: 536509, 535756, 538038, fax: 650306 Vietnam Building No. 72, Thanlwin Road, Bahan Township, Yangon. tel: 511305, fax: 514897, email: vnemb myr@ cybertech.net.mm Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia No.287/289, U Wisara Rd, Sanchaung Tsp. tel : 01-536153, 516952, fax : 01-516951 UNITED NATIONS ILO Liaison Officer Rm (M1212~1220), 12 Fl-A, Traders Hotel. 223, tel: 242 393, 242811. fax: 242594. IOM 12th Flr, Traders Hotel, 223, tel: 252560 ext. 5002 UNAIDS Rm: (1223~1231), 12 Fl, Traders Hotel. tel: 252361, 252362, 252498. fax: 252364. UNDCP 11-A, Malikha St, Mayangone tsp. tel: 666903, 664539. fax: 651334. UNDP 6, Natmauk Rd, Bahan tel: 542910-19. fax: 292739. UNFPA 6, Natmauk Rd, Bahan tsp. tel: 546029. UNHCR 287, Pyay Rd, Sanchaung tsp. tel: 524022, 524024. fax 524031. UNIAP Rm: 1202, 12 Fl, Traders Hotel.tel: 254852, 254853. UNIC 6, Natmauk St., BHN tel: 52910~19 UNICEF 14~15 Flr, Traders Hotel. P.O. Box 1435, KTDA. tel: 375527~32, fax: 375552 email: unicef.yangon@unicef. org, www.unicef.org/myanmar. UNODC 11-A, Malikha Rd., Ward 7, MYGN. tel: 666903, 660556, 660538, 660398, 664539, fax: 651334. email: fo.myanmar@unodc.org www. unodc.org./myanmar/ UNOPS Inya Lake Hotel, 3rd floor, 37, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Mayangone Tsp. tel: 951657281~7. Fax: 657279. UNRC 6, Natmauk Rd, P.O. Box 650, TMWE tel: 542911~19, 292637 (Resident Coordinator), fax: 292739, 544531. WFP 3rd-flr, Inya Lake Hotel, 37, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd. tel: 657011~6 (6-lines) Ext: 2000. WHO 12A Fl, Traders Hotel. tel:250583. ASEAN Coordinating Of. for the ASEAN Humanitarian Task Force, 79, Taw Win st, Dagon Township. Ph: 225258. FAO Myanma Agriculture Service Insein Rd, Insein. tel: 641672, 641673. fax: 641561.

General Listing
ACCOMMODATIONHOTELS
Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon 40 Natmauk Rd, Tarmwe. tel: 544500. fax: 544400. Summit Parkview Hotel 350, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp. tel: 211888, 211966. fax: 227995. Thamada Hotel 5, Alan Pya Phaya Rd, Dagon. tel: 243639, 243640, 243641. Traders Hotel 223 Sule Pagoda Rd. tel: 242828. fax: 242838. Winner Inn 42, Than Lwin Rd, Bahan Tsp. tel: 535205, 524387. email: winnerinnmyanmar @gmail.com Yangon YMCA 263, Mahabandoola Rd, Botataung Tsp. tel: 294128, Yuzana Hotel 130, Shwegondaing Rd, Bahan Tsp, tel : 01-549600, 543367 Yuzana Garden Hotel 44, Alanpya Pagoda Rd, Mingalar Taung Nyunt Tsp, tel : 01-248944

ACCOUNTANTS AND CONSULTANTS

Charted Certified, Certified Public Accountants. tel: 09-5010563. drtinlatt@matglobal.com

AIR CONDITION
Chigo No. 216, 38 Street (Upper), Kyauktada Tsp, tel : 373472

No.7A, Wingabar Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : (951) 546313, 430245. 09-731-77781~4. Fax : (01) 546313. www.cloverhotel.asia. info@cloverhotel.asia Confort Inn 4, Shweli Rd, Bet: Inya Rd & U Wisara Rd, Kamaryut, tel: 525781, 526872 Golden Aye Yeik Mon Hotel 4, Padauk Lane, 4th Word, Aye Yeik Mon Housing, Hlaing. tel: 681706. Hotel Yangon No. 91/93, 8th Mile Junction, Mayangone. tel : 01-667708, 667688. Inya Lake Resort Hotel 37 Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd. tel: 662866. fax: 665537. Orchid Hotel 91, Anawrahta street, Pazundaung Township, Yangon, . Tel: 399930, 704740, 293261. E-mail: orchidhotel@myanmar. com. mm.

ACCOMMODATIONHOTELS (NAy PyI TAw)

The First Air conditioning systems designed to keep you fresh all day GUNKUL Engineer supply Co., Ltd. No.437 (A), Pyay Road, Kamayut. P., O 11041 Yangon, Tel: +(95-1) 502016-8, Mandalay- Tel: 02-60933. Nay Pyi TawTel: 067-420778, E-mail freshaircon@gkmyanmar. com.mm. URL: http:// www.freshaircon.com General 83-91, G-F, Bo Aung Kyaw St, Kyauktada Tsp, tel : 706223, 371906

Reservation Office (Yangon) 262-264, Pyay Road, Dagon Centre, A# 03-01, Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 95-1-501937, 536255, 09-520-0926.
The Oasis Hotel (Nay Pyi Taw)

ASTROLOGER
Saya Min Thoun Dara Astrologer No(2), Maha Wizaya Pagoda North Stairway, Dagon Tsp. tel: 296184

Tel: 95-67-422088, 422099

ACCOMMODATION LONG TERM

Easy Expat Accommodation Specialist in Yangon. Tel: 09-730-33776. Eco-Apartment Ga 21, Pearl Centre (Pearl Condo), Bahan Tsp. Tel: 557488. Espace Avenir No 523, Pyay Rd, Kamaryut Tsp. tel: 505213-222. Golden Hill Towers 24-26, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp. tel: 558556. ghtower@ mptmail.net.mm. Marina Residence 8, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Mayangone Tsp. tel: 6506 51~4. fax: 650630. MiCasa Hotel Apartments 17, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Yankin Tsp. tel: 650933. fax: 650960. Sakura Residence 9, Inya Rd, Kamaryut Tsp. tel: 525001. fax: 525002.

BARS
50th Street 9/13, 50th street-lower, Botataung Tsp. Tel-397160.

No. 205, Corner of Wadan Street & Min Ye Kyaw Swa Road, Lanmadaw Tsp, Yangon. Myanmar. Tel: (95-1) 212850 ~ 3, 229358 ~ 61, Fax: (95-1) 212854. info@myanmarpandahotel .com http://www. myanmarpandahotel.com Panorama Hotel 294-300, Pansodan Street, Kyauktada Tsp. tel: 253077. PARKROYAL Yangon, Myanmar 33, Alan Pya Pagoda Rd, Dagon tsp. tel: 250388. fax: 252478. email: enquiry.prygn@ parkroyalhotels.com Website: parkroyalhotels. com. Savoy Hotel 129, Damazedi Rd, Kamayut tsp. tel: 526289, 526298, Seasons of Yangon Yangon Intl Airport Compound. tel: 666699. Sweet Hotel 73, Damazedi Road, San Chaung Tsp, Ph: 539152 Sedona Hotel Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Yankin. tel: 666900. Strand Hotel 92 Strand Rd. tel: 243377. fax: 289880.

Green Garden Beer Gallery Mini Zoo, Karaweik Oo-Yin Kabar.

Emergency Numbers
Ambulance tel: 295133. Fire tel: 191, 252011, 252022. Police emergency tel: 199. Police headquarters tel: 282541, 284764. Red Cross tel:682600, 682368 Traffic 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: 067407007. 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 Office 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.

INYA1 Resturant & Bar No.(1), Inya Road, Kamayut Tsp. Tel: 01-527506 email: inyaone@gmail.com www.inya1.com

Strand Bar 92, Strand Rd, Yangon, Myanmar. tel: 243377.fax: 243393, sales@thestrand.com.mm www.ghmhotels.com The Grand Mee Ya Hta Executive Residences 372, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Pabedan Tsp. tel: 951-256355 (25 lines). fax: 951-256360. email: gmer@ mptmail.net.mm, www.grandmeeyahta.com

Lobby Bar PARKROYAL Yangon, Myanmar. 33, Alan Pya Phaya Road, Dagon Tsp. tel: 250388.

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BEAUTY & MASSAGE
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

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MyanMar tiMes

DRINKING WATER
Alpine Parami Road, Kapasa 4 shophouse, Mayangone. tel: 666258 Everyone needs a MIRACLE once in thier lives. Bio Disc energised water promotes yourhealth and lifestyle. enquires551616, 725228

The Uranium Dance Studio Pearl condo Bldg (C), 2nd flr, Bahan Tsp. tel: 09731-42624, 09-514-0404.

GAS COOKER & COOKER HOODS

A Little Dayspa No. 475 C, Pyi Road, (Between Sweety Home & Shwe Kant Kaw Silk) Kamayut, Yangon. Tel: 09-431-28831.

La Source Beauty Spa 80(A), Inya Rd, Kamayut. tel: 512 380, 511 252. Sedona Hotel, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd. tel: 666 900 My Way Diamond Condo, Bld(A), Rm (G-02), Pyay Rd, Kamayut Tsp, Yangon. Ph: 52717, 09 51 70528

FITNESS CENTRE
Espace Avenir 523, Pyay Rd, Kamayut Tsp, Tel : 505214, 505222, 505213 FIT Club Rm 101~3, Marina Residence, 8, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Mayangone Tsp, tel : 650634, 650651 ext:102 Yangon : A-3, Aung San Stadium (North East Wing), Mingalartaungnyunt Tsp. Tel : 245543, 09-730-37772. Mandalay : Room No.(B,C) (National Gas), 35th St, Btw 80th & 81st, Chanayetharzan Tsp. Tel : 09-6803505, 02 34455, 36748, 71878.

PHIH-Specialist Clinic FMI Centre (4th Floor) #380, Bogyoke Aung San Road, Pabedan Tsp. tel: 243 010, 243 012, 243 013

CAFS

DUTY FREE
La Brasserie (International) PARKROYAL Yangon. 33, Alan Pya Phaya Road, Dagon Tsp. tel : 250388.

GENERATORS

24 hours Cancer centre No. 330, Yangon International Hotel, Ahlone Road, Dagon Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: (951) 218388, 218292 Fax: (951) 218389

Traders Hotel, 5th Floor Tel: 242828,Ext: Coreana. Sedona Hotel, Mandalay Ground Fl. Tel: 02-36488, Ext: Coreana

Qi Foot Spa At Inya Lake Hotel, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: +951-662866, 662857 Ext: 1725

SR 22/1, Next to the Pearl Shopping Centre, Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. tel: 544 297, 549 527, 700 777 , fax: 558 044. email: eros@ mptmail.net.mm. www.erosspa.com

INYA1 Resturant & Bar No.(1), Inya Road, Kamayut Tsp. Tel: 01-527506 email: inyaone@gmail.com www.inya1.com Strand Caf 92, Strand Rd, Yangon. Tel: 243377. fax: 243393, sales@thestrand.com.mm. www.ghmhotels.com Traders Caf Traders Hotel, Yangon. #223, Sule Pagoda Rd. Tel: 242828 ext: 6519

Duty Free Airport Shopping Yangon International Airport Arrival / Departure. tel: 662676 (Airport). office: 90B/1, Inya Road, Kamayut Township. tel: 512534, 500143-5.

Heavy Equipments & Genset

PARKROYAL Fitness & Spa PARKROYAL Yangon. 33, Alan Pya Phaya Road, Dagon Tsp. tel: 250388.

EDUCATION CENTRE
MHR Business & Management Institute 905, 9th floor, Modern Iron Market(Thanzay Condo) Lanmadaw St. tel: 707822. NELC (Nelson English Language Centre Young Learner & Adults No 53, Dhamayon Street, Myaynigone, Sanchaung Tsp. tel: 534287 NLEC 82 Anawrahta Rd, Corner of 39 St, Kyauktada Tsp. tel: 250225. RV! Centre Yangon RV Management Services Co., Ltd. Tel: 535433, 541886, 242410, 250388 Ext: 333. email: ask@ rvcenre.com.sg The British Council 92, Strand Rd, Kyauktada Tsp. tel: 254658. Mr. Betchang No.(272), Pyay Rd, DNH Tower, Rm No.(503), 5th flr, Sanchaung Tsp, tel: 095041216

Winning Way No. 589-592, Bo Aung Kyaw St, Yangon-Pathein highway Road. Hlaing Thayar Tsp. Tel: 951645178-182, 685199, Fax: 951-645211, 545278. e-mail: mkt-mti@ winstrategic.com.mm

HOME FURNISHING

Zen Wellness Care No.62 (A), Room-3, Yaw Min Gyi Street, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel: +951-252939.

Piyavate Hospital (Bangkok) Myanmar Represent ative (Head office) Miba Gon Yee Business Group, No.506, 5th-fl, Yuzana Twin Tower, (No.8, Pangyan Tower) Cor of Dhama Zedi & Bargayar Rd, SCHG Tsp. Tel: 500600, 500800, 500900. Fax: 539799. hotline: +9595018777. piyavate@ myanmar.com.mm www.piyavate.com
Shimmering Gold Services Co., Ltd.
viCtoRY FoR liFe

Lemon Day Spa No. 96 F, Inya Road, Kamaryut Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 514848, 09-732-08476. E.mail: lemondayspa.2011 @gmail.com Saw Peter Foot Reflexology Oil Massage, Body Massage, Foot Massage. Any time you want at your place. tel : 09-431-56459, 09-518-8047.

BATTERY

22, Pyay Rd, 9 mile, Mayangone Tsp. tel: 660769, 664363. The Yangon GYM Summit Parkview Hotel 350, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp. tel: 211888, 211966. Traders Health Club. Level 5, Traders Hotel Yangon#223 Sule Pagoda Rd, Tel: 951 242828 Ext: 6561 Home Plus Trading Co., Ltd. No. 457, Aung San Stadium, Mingalartungnyunt Tsp. tel: 394888. Fax: 393008.

BANGKOK, THAILAND

CAR DEALER
ISO 9001:2008 (QMS)

Proven Technology Industry Co., Ltd. No. FS 14, Bayintnaung Rd, Shwe Sabai Yeik Mon, Kamayut Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 951-951-701719~20, 527667, 531030, 531041, 530694. Fax: 527667, 531030. http//www. toyobatterymyanmar.com.

HEALTH SERVICES

MTG Motors Trading Co.,Ltd No.H, Hlaing Yadanar Housing, Yangon-Insein Road, Hlaing Tsp. tel: 503590, 514165

VEJTHANI MYANMAR REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE No.125(C), West Shwe Gon Dine Road, Bahan Township, Yangon, Myanmar. 01-3449977. Hot Line: 09-507-1111, 01-555448, 555998. vejthani@myanmar.com.mm www.vejthani.com

FLORAL SERVICES

CHOCOLATE

Inya Day Spa

BOOK STORES

ENTERTAINMENT

16/2, Inya Rd, Kamayut Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: 537907, 503375.

Room - 4021, 3rd Floor, Taw Win Centre. Ph: 8600111 (Ext:4021), 09-803-2581.

Innwa Book Store No. 246, Rm.201/301, GF, Pansodan Street (Upper Block), Kyauktada Tsp. Tel. 389838, 243216, 374324, 514387

G-A, Ground Floor, Pearl Center, Kabaraye Pagoda Road, Yangon. Tel: 09 500 6880 Email: chocolateheaven. sale@gmail.com

Dance Lessons Mon-Fri 12:00 to 23:00. Sat-Sun 10 am to 8 pm Fun dancing Friday nights with Filipino musicians 4, U Tun Myat St, Tamwe. Tel: 01-541 550

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, 09-49209039. Email : eternal@ mptmail.net.mm

81, Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Bahan Township, Yangon. Tel: 548022, 542979, 553783, 09-8030847, 09-730-56079. Email: asiapacific. myanmar@gmail.com.

LEGAL SERVICE
U Min Sein, BSc, RA, CPA.,RL Advocate of the Supreme Court 83/14 Pansodan St, Yangon. tel: 253 273. uminsein@mptmail.net.mm

MARINE COMMUNICATION & NAVIGATION

Agent Office, 5th Floor, Junction Centre (Maw Tin), Lanmadaw Township, Yangon. Myanmar. Ph: 09-731-56770, 09-5117584, Fax: 01-516313, myanmarmeditour@gmail. com Bumrungrad Intl Rm 238, Summit Parkview Hotel, Dagon Tsp. tel: 723999, 211888. Ext: 8238.

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.

Top Marine Show Room No-385, Ground Floor, Lower Pazundaung Road, Pazundaung Tsp, Yangon. Ph: 01-202782, 09-851-5597

MARKET RESEARCH

Foral Service & Gifts shop No.2, Corner of Khay Mar St & Baho Rd (Near Asia Royal Hospital), Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon. email: yangonflorist@ myanmar.com.mm. Tel: 01-510406, 09-73184714.

No. 365/367, Bo Aung Kyaw st (Upper), IHBC, Kyauktada Tsp. Tel: 392484 , 389824, 09803-0166. Fax: 392590. Email: radiant.aesthetics @gmail.com. Web: www. kembanganradiant.com

MMRD Research BLDG C, New Mingalar Market, 10-story BLDG, 8 & 9 flr, Coner of Mill St & Bandanyadala St, Mingalar Taungnyunt Tsp. Tel: 200326, 200846, 201350. Fax: 202425.

Media & Advertising

FOAM SPRAY INSULATION

Acupuncture, Medicine Massage, Foot Spa Add:No,27(A),Ywa Ma Kyaung Street, Hlaing Township, Yangon. Tel: 01-511122, 526765. Intuitive Design, Advertising, Interior Decoration Corporate logo/Identity/ Branding, Brochure/ Profile Booklet/ Catalogue/ Billboard, Corporate diary/ email newsletter/ annual reports, Magazine, journal advertisement and 3D presentation and detailed planning for any interior decoration works. Talk to us: (951) 430-897, 553-918 www.medialane.com.au 58B Myanma Gon Yaung Housing, Than Thu Mar Road, Tamwe, Yangon.

Foam Spray Insulation No-410, Ground Floor, Lower Pazuntaung Road, Pazuntaung Tsp, Yangon. Telefax : 01-203743, 09730-26245, 09-500-7681. Hot Line-09-730-30825.

FURNITURE
NatRay Co., Ltd. Rm 807, La Pyayt Wun Plaza. tel : 01-370833, 370836

24 hours Medical centre No. 330, Yangon International Hotel, Ahlone Road, Dagon Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. 24 hour Call Centre : (951) 218 445 Clinic : (959) 4921 8159 Office : (951) 218 446 Fax : (951) 218 389

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January 30 - February 5, 2012
Myanmar. Tel: 95-1-535783, 527705, 501429. Fax: 95-1-527705. Email: salesikon@myanmar.com.mm Ocean Supercentre (North Point ), 9th Mile, Mayangone Tsp. tel: 651 200, 652963. Pick n Pay Hyper Market Bldg (A,B,C), (14~16), Shwe Mya Yar Housing, Mya Yar Gone St, Mingalartaungnyunt Tsp. Tel: 206001~3, Fax: 9000199 Sein Gay Har 44, Pyay Rd, Dagon Tsp. tel: 383812, 379823. Super 1 (Kyaikkasan) 65, Lay Daunt Kan St, Ph: 545871~73 Super 1 (Shwe Bonthar) 397, Bogyoke Aung San St, Pabedan. Ph: 250268~29 Victoria Shwe Pone Nyet Yeik Mon, Bayint Naung Rd, Kamaryut Tsp. tel : 515136. No.35(b), Tatkatho Yeik Mon Housing, New University Avenue, Bahan Township, Yangon. Tel: 951-549451, 557219, 540730. www.yangon-academy.org

MyanMar tiMes

PLEASURE CRUISES
Black Canyon Coffee & International Thai Cuisine 330, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp. tel: 0980 21691, 395052. email: blackcanyon@yangon. net.mm. Eugenia 47, Manawhari Housing Estate, Baho Road, Ahlone Tsp. tel: 227346. Feel Myanmar Foods 124, Pyi Htaung Su Yeik Thar Street, Dagon Tsp. tel: 725736. Horizon Intl School 25, Po Sein Road, Bahan Tsp, tel : 541085, 551795, 551796, 450396~7. fax : 543926, email : contact@horizonmyanmar. com, www.horizon.com ILBC 180, Thunandar 9th Lane, Thumingalar Housing, Thingungyung.tel: 562401.

Road to Mandalay Myanmar Hotels & Cruises Ltd. Governors Residence 39C, Taw Win Road, Dagon Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. tel: (951) 229860 fax: (951) 217361. email: RTMYGN@mptmail.net.mm www.orient-express.com

No.168 (C), Dhamazedi Rd, Bahan Township, Yangon. Ph: 09-731-85168, 09-731-78946 Mesamis French Restaurant No.5, U Htun Nyein St, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 656611, 09-431-35406. Email: info@ mesamisyangon.com

The Ritz Exclusive Lounge Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon 40, Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp, Ground Floor, Tel: 544500 Ext 6243, 6244

SOLAR SYSTEM

PAINT

TOP MARINE PAINT No-410, Ground Floor, Lower Pazundaung Road, Pazundaung Tsp, Yangon. Ph: 09-851-5202

Monsoon Restaurant & Bar 85/87, Thein Byu Road, Botahtaung Tsp. tel: 295224, 09-501 5653. Italian delicatesse & Ice-cream No.150, Dhamazadi Rd, Bahan Tsp. (Monunent Book Shop) Open Daily 9:00am to 7:00pm. Italian Ice-cream, Pasta, Pizza & Bar (2) G/F, City Mart, Myaynigone Centre. tel : 508469, 508470 ext. 113 Open Daily 9:00am to 10:00pm.

Tiger Hill Chinese Restaurant Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon 40, Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp, Lobby Level, Tel: 544500 Ext 6253 Traders Gourmet Corner Level 1, Traders Hotel, #223 Sule Pagoda Road, Kyauktada Tsp. Tel : 242828 ext : 6503 Traders Gallery Bar Level 2, Traders Hotel, #223 Sule Pagoda Road. tel: 242 828. ext: 6433 Traders Lobby Lounge Level 1, Traders Hotel, #223 Sule Pagoda Road. tel: 242 828. ext: 6456

ILBC IGCSE SCHOOL No.(34), Laydauntkan Road, Tamwe Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 542982, 545720, 549106,545736,400156 Fax: 541040 Email: info@ilbc.net.mm www.ilbcedu.com ISM Intl School W 22/24, Mya Kan Thar Housing, Hlaing Tsp. tel:530082, 530083. International School Yangon No.20, Shwe Taung Kyar Street, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 512793. Kangaroo Child Care 55, Aung Min Gaung 1st Rd, Kamayut Tsp. Tel: 501 568, 09 504 7732. MAA Learning Centre 377, First fl, Shwe Bon Thar St., Pabedan Tsp. Yangon. Tel: 250501, 250502.

The Brightest AC CFL Bulb 21, 9th street, Lanmadaw Tsp. Ph: 212243, 216861, 216864. spsolarstation@gmail.com www.spsolarstation.com

STEEL CONSTRUCTION

PUMP

MTG Pumps & Machineries No.H, Hlaing Yadanar Housing, Yangon-Insein Road, Hlaing Tsp. tel: 503590, 514165.

No. 105/107, Kha-Yae-Bin Road. between Pyi Daung Su Yeik Tha (Halpin) and Manawhari Road/Ahlone Road, Dagon Tsp. Tel/Fax: 538895, Tel: 09730-29973, 09-540-9469.
padonmar.restaurant@ gmail.com. www.myanmarrestaurantpadonmar.com

PEB Steel Buildings 60 (A), Halpin Road, Yangon. Tel: 01-218223, 218224. Fax: 218224. marketing@pebsteel.com. mm www.pebsteel.com.mm

TRAVEL AGENTS

SUPERMARKETS
Asia Light 106, Set Yone Rd., Mingalar Taung Nyunt Tsp. tel: 294074, 294083. Capital Hyper Mart 14(E), Min Nandar Road, Dawbon Tsp. Ph: 553136. City Mart (Aung San Branch) tel: 253022, 294765. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (47th St Branch) tel: 200026, 298746. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (Junction 8 Branch) tel: 650778. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (FMI City Branch) tel: 682323. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (Yankin Center Branch) tel: 400284. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (Myaynigone Branch) tel: 510697. (9:00 am to 10:00 pm) City Mart (Zawana Branch) tel:564532. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (Shwe Mya Yar Branch) tel: 294063. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (Chinatown Point Branch) tel: 215560~63. (9:00 am to 10:00 pm) City Mart (Junction Maw Tin Branch) tel: 218159. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (Marketplace) tel: 523840~43. (9:00 am to 10:00 pm) City Mart (78th Brahch-Mandalay) tel: 02-71467~9. (9:00 am to 10:00 pm) IKON Mart IKON Trading Co., Ltd. No.332, Pyay Rd, San Chaung P.O (11111), Yangon,

Asian Trails Tour Ltd 73 Pyay Rd, Dagon tsp. tel: 211212, 223262. fax: 211670. email: res@ asiantrails.com.mm Htoo Travels 209/c, first flr, Shwe Gonedaing Rd, Bahan. Tel: 548554, 548039.

REMOVALISTS

Crown Worldwide Movers Ltd 790, Rm 702, 7th Floor Danathiha Centre, Bogyoke Aung San Road, Lanmadaw Township. tel: 223288, 210 670, 227650. ext: 702. fax: 229212. email: crown worldwide@mptmail.net.mm

House of Memories Piano Bar & Restaurant Myanmar Cuisine & International Food 290, U Wizara Rd, Kamaryut Tsp, Yangon. tel: 525 195, 534 242. e-mail: houseofmemories 9@gmail.com

INYA1 Resturant & Bar No.(1), Inya Road, Kamayut Tsp. Tel: 01-527506 email: inyaone@gmail.com www.inya1.com

Pansweltaw Express Cafe: No.228, Ahlone Road, Ahlone Tsp. Tel: 215363 (1)-Rm 309, 3rd fl, Ocean, East Point Shopping Center, Pazundaung Tsp. Tel: 397900 Ext:309. (2)Ground Fl, Ocean North Point Shopping Center. Tel:652959, 652960, Ext: 133. www. pansweltaw.com E-mail: pansweltaw@ myanmar.com.mm

1. WASABI : No.20-B, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Yankin Tsp,(Near MiCasa), Tel; 666781,09-503-9139 2. WASABI SUSHI : Market Place by City Mart (1st Floor). Tel; 09-430-67440 Myaynigone (City Mart) Yankin Center (City Mart) Junction Mawtin (City Mart)

Admissions Office: No. 44, Than Lwin Road, Bahan Township, Yangon. Tel: 535433, 09-850-3073. Email: rviacademygn@ rvcentre.com.sg Streamline Education 24, Myasabai Rd, Parami, Myangone Tsp. tel: 662304, 09-500-6916.

NO.13, Rm-3/4, Kyaung Lane, Myaynigone(N), Tel: 501971, 516955, 516977, email: miracle_ tour@ myanmar.com.mm Sun Far Travels & Tours 27, Ground flr, 38th st, Kyauktada Tsp. Tel: 380888.

WATER HEATERS

Schenker (Thai) Ltd. Yangon 59 A, U Lun Maung Street. 7 Mile Pyay Road, MYGN. tel: 667686, 666646.fax: 651250. email: sche nker@mptmail.net.mm. Kohaku Japanese Restaurant Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon 40, Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp, Lobby Level, Tel: 544500 Ext 6231

Phoenix Court (Chinese) PARKROYAL Yangon. 33, Alan Pya Phaya Road, Dagon Tsp. tel: 250388.

Kandawgyi (Royal Lake) Park, Yangon. (opposite of Eye Hospital) Ph: 556837, 556838. Fax: 556875. E-mail: whitericeyangon@gmail.com www.whiterice-myanmar. com

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.

Shiki-Tel (Japanese) PARKROYAL Yangon. 33, Alan Pya Phaya Road, Dagon Tsp. tel: 250388. Signature Near U Htaung Bo Round, about Bahan Tsp. tel: 546488, 543387.

LANGUAGE
Bilingual Language Centre Teaching Myanmar to Non-Myanmar No.7 (Gournd Floor), Thu-Kha-Main Street, Myaynigone, San Chaung. Tel: 09-500-6431, nyalinphyu@gmail.com

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January 30 - February 5, 2012
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Player revolt could shake up tennis

By John Weaver MELBOURNE Growing player discontent over pay and conditions could herald a shake-up in professional tennis but there is little danger of an all-out strike, according to experts. Fears of a major showdown grew at the Australian Open after a passionate mens players meeting was followed by a string of top stars calling for change. And while the threat of a basketball-style shutdown possibly at the French Open, or even the Olympics appears slight, there is no doubting the groundswell of opinion among players. I dont think Ive seen as many angry players for a while and that, I think, tennis is going to have to face fairly soon, said Neil Harman, tennis correspondent for Londons Times newspaper. I think its largely to do with the discrepancy in what they get, the levels of prize money, he said. They look at the profits the grand slams make and they say dont you think we perhaps deserve a little bit more of the profits? Players have long complained about the packed tennis calendar, often blaming it for injuries, and are unhappy over Davis Cup scheduling and prize money at grand slams, among other issues. The players are represented by a council, headed by Roger Federer, in the body that runs the mens tour, the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). The International Tennis Federation (ITF) is the sports governing body, while the Grand Slam Committee oversees the four major tournaments: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open. Its an arrangement in which the players feel their voices are not always heard. I dont necessarily like the system thats in place as far as, you know, the board and votes and all that, said former world number one Andy Roddick. The definition of insanity defined by the dictionary is trying the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Thats the process thats been in place since the late 1980s or early 1990s. Were still having some of the same discussions they had then. Some players and observers feel their best chance of making headway is to form a union to give them greater strength in negotiations. I think its inevitable, said US player Alex Bogomolov Jr. As far as other sports, every sport has a players union. I think eventually it will be a step in the right direction for the sport. However, the problems are diverse and so are the players, who range from the big-name superstars to the journeymen whose prize money barely covers their travel and coaching costs. The problem with tennis, of course, is that you have so many different players with so many different desires and demands and wants and needs, said Harman. And the problem they have is that the constitution of the ATP is that its 50 percent tournaments and 50pc players so while youve got that situation its very hard to make any headway. For example, elite players want to cut down on the number of compulsory tournaments, while lesser lights need all the ranking points they can get. Veteran tennis writer Richard Evans, who works for FOXSports.com, said scheduling of matches at the US Open is one area where progress could be made, but other problems are trickier to solve. The prize money issue is much more difficult, Evans said. The grand slams dont like to be told what to do and they will always defend themselves with we give money to junior tennis, we support the game. He points out that tennis compares unfavourably with team sports such as basketball, where players receive about 50pc of revenue, and golf, where players can pick up a paycheck of US$1 million for a regular win on tour. But Evans does not believe the disagreement will come to a strike because those at the top, including Federer and new ATP chief Brad Drewett, are voices of reason. Drewett, only a few weeks into his new role, is certainly making the right noises, saying he heard the players loud and clear. He refused to be drawn on any initiatives he was planning but highlighted a shorter season in 2012, by two weeks, and a 20pc increase in prize money for ATP World Tour events over the next three years. So what next for the players, who are clearly agitating for change? Theyve got a beef but how they go about getting somewhere I dont know. Harman says if players want real change they must agree on exactly what they want, a defining A, B, C. If the current mood prevails, theres a meeting in Indian Wells ... if they say this is what we want, were prepared to do this to get it, I think the French Open would get a bit twitchy because theyre the next grand slam. To my mind the only thing that players could do, what would really impact would be to boycott a grand slam or say we wont play the Olympics, and I wonder if theyre quite ready to do that. AFP

US golfer Tiger Woods (centre) poses with an Emirati dance troupe holding golf clubs for the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship on January 24. Pic: AFP

Woods fit for 2012 comeback

By Allan Kelly ABU DHABI The 2012 golf season kicks into top gear at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship last week with a fit-again Tiger Woods going up against the European quartet who dominate the world rankings. The 36-year-old American is hoping in the next 12 months to return to the forefront after a nightmare year of injuries and personal problems stemming from the sex scandal that wrecked his marriage. In that time, he plummeted out of the world top 50 and witnessed a European power grab led by world number one Luke Donald, US Open champion Rory McIlroy, and former top rankers Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer. They were all present last week in Abu Dhabi and the stage is set for a mouthwatering appetiser that should set the stage for an intriguing year of golf. Woods arrived in the Gulf to start his season with renewed confidence stemming from his improved performances at the end of last year which culminated in a win at his own World Challenge tournament in California. That was his first win for two years and this week he is aiming to take top honours in a full-field tournament which would could vault him back into the world top 10 and provide the perfect start to his campaign for a 15th major title at the Masters in early April. Fitness, he said, was the key to his mood of renewed confidence and optimism. Its been quite a few years since Ive been physically fit, he said. So Im looking forward to getting out there and then playing and give it a full season, which I havent done in a while. Ive never played here before ... and this is an incredible field that they have assembled here. So looking forward to getting out there and playing. To further whet the appetite of golf fans, tournament organisers have grouped the big names together for the first two rounds with Woods going out in the company of McIlroy and Donald and Westwood partnering Kaymer and Sergio Garcia. Ulsterman McIlroy, who many tip to be the next player to top the world rankings, said that he relished the early-season challenge he was facing this week. Its definitely not a quiet way to start the year, the world number three said. Its great, you get straight at it right away. Youre playing with two of the best golfers in the world in the first two days and youre up against one of the strongest fields probably that will be assembled this year. You want to try and get off to a good start, so you want to try and play well. Westwood, who won back-to-back tournaments in Thailand and South Africa to round off his 2011 season agreed that it was one of the best fields ever on The European Tour. It was the Englishman who dislodged Woods from the world number one spot in October 2010 before the mantle went to Kaymer and then to Donald, and he hopes that his new putting coach Phil Kenyon will provide him with the final piece of the jigsaw he needs to win a major title. I think its very difficult to win a major without making a few [putts] that are surprising or bonuses, which I havent holed over the last few years, he said. So if I can start rolling in a few 25-30-footers that I have not been making, thats obviously going to make a massive difference. Woods and the rankings top four apart, the impressive Abu Dhabi field contains two other top tenners in the shape of Masters Champion Charl Schwartzel of South Africa and Australian star Jason Day. Kaymer, meanwhile will be aiming to pull off the rare feat of winning a EPGA tour title three times in a row following his victories here in 2010 and 2011. AFP

Estonian Baruto takes Sumo Emperors Cup

TOKYO Estonian sumo wrestler Baruto won his first Emperors Cup trophy on January 22 as the new years tournament closed, only the second tournament win by a European in the traditional Japanese martial art. The 27-year-old Ozeki, the second highest ranking in sumo, finished the 15day tournament with 14 wins and one loss, toppled only by grand champion Hakuho in the final bout on January 22. I gave all I had until the end, the wrestler, whose real name is Kaido Hoovelson, said in a tearful nationally televised interview at the National Sumo Stadium in Tokyo. It was Barutos first victory in sumo and only the second tournament win by a European, following a 2008 victory by Bulgarian wrestler Kotooshu, whose real name is Kaloyan Stefanov Mahlyanov. The sport has become increasingly dominated by non-Japanese with Baruto the ninth foreigner to win a tournament. The Estonian, who came to Japan in 2004, thanked his family and fans, as his mother and wife looked on in the packed 10,000-seat arena. It has not been a long time, but not short either. But this is the path I have chosen. I am glad that I made the choice, he said. Sumo is still trying to recover its popularity after its reputation took a battering over longstanding allegations over bout-rigging. A total of 22 wrestlers and one stablemaster resigned in the wake of the revelations, which led to a six-month hiatus in tournaments. It was the latest in a series of debilitating blows to the tradition-bound sport, which has been shaken by scandals including illegal drug use and brutal training methods that resulted in the death of a teenage apprentice. Allegations that some wrestlers and stablemasters have ties to organised crime groups continue to dog the sport. AFP

Estonian-born ozeki, sumo champion, Baruto (left) receives the Emperors Trophy from head of the Japan Sumo Association Hanaregoba in Tokyo on January 22. Pic: AFP

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January 30 - February 5, 2012

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Presidential call for Wenger to go

PARIS The growing army of Arsenal fans who argue that Arsene Wenger has served his time received heavyweight support from one of the clubs most unlikely of supporters: Rwandan President Paul Kagame. The former rebel leader who once received a signed banner from Wenger for his birthday felt moved to call for change at the Emirates in a series of tweets following Arsenals 2-1 defeat by Manchester United on January 22. I very much support Arsenal but to be honest Wenger needs to coach another team now and Arsenal needs another coach, Kagame wrote. Wengers inability to address his sides defensive woes was already testing fans patience but a decision to bring on out-of-sorts Andrey Arshavin for Alex OxladeChamberlain who had made a sparkling start to the game turned the crowd against him. Wenger has coached Arsenal since 1996 but after being celebrated as the London clubs greatest ever, he has gone six years without a major trophy and his aura is fading. When a good team [players] and a good coach fail for long to deliver, one of them has to change, or even both!!, said Kagame, who came to power in the small central African nation in 1994. The real/main danger is for anyone to get used to mediocre/ lacklustre performance and/or results and accepts to live with it ... or keeps finding excuses for it!!!, Kagame wrote. I am a loyal and patient fan but I am not sure about others!!! I would not blame them at all if they were v different. At a bash for his 50th birthday in 2007, Kagame was handed an Arsenal banner signed by the entire squad and a letter in which Wenger told him of his pride at learning that the Rwandan head of state was a keen supporter. Arsenals worldwide fan base is also believed to include Cubas Fidel Castro. AFP

Liverpools forward Craig Bellamy (centre) celebrates with midfielder Jordan Henderson (left) after scoring during the English League cup semi final second leg against Manchester City at Anfield on January 25. Pic: AFP

Liverpool end Wembley drought

By Neil Johnston LIVERPOOL Craig Bellamy came back to haunt his former club Manchester City as Liverpool booked their first Wembley appearance for 16 years after a dramatic 2-2 draw with the Premier League leaders in the semi-final second leg of the League Cup on January 25. Leading 1-0 from the first leg, Liverpool were undone by Nigel De Jongs spectacular 31st minute long-range finish before skipper Steven Gerrard restored their aggregate lead with a controversial 41st minute penalty. But City striker Edin Dzeko made it 2-2 on aggregate after scoring from close range midway through the second half before Bellamys well executed 74th minute finish sealed a breathtaking tie in Liverpools favour, the Mereyside club advancing 3-2 on aggregate. It was a fantastic performance, although the game finished a draw, we were deserved qualifiers, said Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish. All but one of the first-team squad have played on this run and they have been magnificent. It was a fantastic evening for everyone. His City counterpart Roberto Mancini was left fumbling for excuses as he saw another trophy slip from his and his expensivelyassembled sides grasp. We did a good performance, scored two goals. I think it was not a penalty for Liverpool and was for us. This changed the game, moaned the Italian, who still has the Premier League title and second tier European trophy Europa League to play for. Liverpool will play Championship club Cardiff in the final on February 26 Liverpools first final at the famous stadium since losing 1-0 to Manchester United in the 1996 FA Cup final. Here it was Liverpool who made the better start with Joe Hart forced to save with his foot to deny Jose Enrique in the fifth minute following a poor clearance by Aleksander Kolarov. Boasting a slender first leg advantage thanks to Gerrards 13th minute penalty, the lively hosts looked in the mood to kill the tie off early. Charlie Adam forced England keeper Hart into a full-length stop after letting fly from 22-metres before Bellamy was denied after turning City defender Stefan Savic and darting into the area. Daniel Agger produced a fine clearance while under pressure from Dzeko after Kolarovs 16th minute cross before the visitors took the lead against the run of play through De Jong. The former Ajax player has struggled to cement a regular starting place this season. But de Jong had his manager celebrating on the touchline after finding the net with a swerving shot from 27metres after Liverpool had failed to close him down. But Citys lead lasted just nine minutes as Liverpool levelled before half-time in controversial circumstances, Gerrard burying the ball beyond Hart after Micah Richards was harshly adjudged to have handled Aggers shot. Leading 2-1 on aggregate, Liverpool went in search of the goal that would kill the tie off and confirm their place at Wembley. Dirk Kuyt fired straight at Hart from a good position in the 48th minute before the City keeper produced another fine save to deny Martin Skrtel from close range five minutes later. Stewart Downing was the next to be frustrated by Citys stopper after Kuyt had whipped in a cross while Bellamy mis-kicked in front of goal in the 62nd minute. And the squandered opportunities were to prove costly as Dzeko hauled City back on the level terms on aggregate and into a 2-1 lead on the night. Mancini, who had sent on Sergio Aguero at the start of the second half, showed little emotion as Dzeko side-footed home from three-yards after Kolarovs fine cross. But once again City failed to defend their lead as Bellamy exchanged a one-two with Johnson inside the City box before placing a low curling shot beyond the outstretched hands of Hart. AFP

Fans ask for more from MRTV-4

By Aung Si Hein MRTV-4 held an official signing ceremony for its contract to broadcast the Myanmar National League (MNL) season at Sedona Hotel on January 26, but so far fans are unimpressed with the coverage shown since the start of the season. After watching a match between Hantharwady United FC and Chin United FC at Aung San stadium on January 21, Ko Zayar Gyi from Hinthada township told The Myanmar Times he could see a vast difference between watching the game live and on TV because of the way it was being broadcast. MRTV-4 shows games so slowly and without much action. But when I watched the game at the stadium, I realised it was much faster. This poses questions for promotion of the MNL as the Myanmar Football Federation (MFF) seeks to make the league professional. Most fans watch the games on TV and if they see a slow uninteresting game, how can they become interested in the MNL, said Ko Zayar Gyi. With foreign football broadcasts you can see the players in a wider range of shots, whereas MRTV-4 just shows the one overview of the match. He said. Ko Wei Phyo Kyaw, an MNL fan from Mingalar Taung Nyunt township agreed, saying that MRTV-4 lags behind the standards seen in Singapore and Thailand, something he felt was due to the difficulties of achieving much profit from the league. Broadcasts of highly profitable football leagues like the [English] premier league do this best. But for the not-as-yet-profitable MNL it will struggle as it tries to become professional. Besides, how will MRTV-4 make money since it is a free channel, he said. MRTV-4 paid the MFF K500 million for broadcasting the 2012 season, and K100 million extra for each additional year of the three year contract. Aside from MRTV-4, the MFF receives a quarter of its advertising revenue from Myanmar Brewery, the MNLs chief sponsor. Despite the lack of profitability, Ko Pyae Phyo Han, executive manager of the MRTV-4 team considers it more of an investment in developing Myanmar football. Myanmar fans want to see winning football after watching the national team compete in the Southeast Asian Games. Thats why as a media company we want to contribute to the development of football in Myanmar. As we are also citizens, we are looking at cooperation more than securing broadcasting rights. He said that broadcasting is an important aspect of football promotion. In La Liga, for example, no matter how well Messi plays, the broadcaster is not able to make his performances look as good on screen, whereas with the English Premier League, although their players may not be as good as Messi or other La Liga stars, the fans can see how much better they are made to look on screen. Thats why the EPL is famous, Ko Pyae Phyo said. Another problem is in its ability to show matches live. In the contract, MRTV-4 agreed with the MFF to show three matches a week and a total of eighty matches over the whole season. However, MRTV-4 has struggled to meet the terms of its contract due to a lack of technical

MRTV-4 staff prepare for an MNL match at YUSC stadium, Hlaing township on January 7. Pic: Supplied. and manpower capacity. The media company was forced to ask the MFF for a four-month leeway in broadcasting live matches outside of Yangon, such as Bahtoo stadium in Mandalay, Monywa in Sagaing Region and Nay Pyi Taw. Instead, Ko Pyae Phyo Han said the channel will show delayed matches each week from other provinces. To shoot live needs at least eight cameras and more than 40 staff. At present we are running the whole program with around 45 staff so we cannot run from stadiums outside Yangon. We are training more staff and have ordered more cameras specially designed for football. After four months the training should be done and then we can broadcast live matches in other states and regions, he said. Even though MRTV-4 lacks many things, said Ko Wei Phyo Kyaw, I want to request only one thing: for them to show the important match of the week live. If they want to help promote the MNL, they must broadcast live the games Myanmar fans really want to watch.

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By Tim Hanlon BARCELONA Barcelona survived a late comeback from holders Real Madrid to knock them out of the Spanish Cup with a 4-3 victory on aggregate after a 2-2 draw at the Nou Camp where the visitors put up a spirited fightback to come from two goals down on January 25. Jose Mourinho may still not have won away to Barcelona in nine attempts as a coach, whether at Real or any of his other clubs, but his teams performance was a perfect answer to the critics who have blasted their recent poor displays against their arch rivals. First-half goals by Pedro and Dani Alves looked to have put the game beyond the reach of Real before they fought back to level on the night with goals by Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, but in the end came up short and had defender Sergi Ramos sentoff late on. The players worked hard and I would like to congratulate them for their performance, said Barca coach Pep Guardiola. Madrid are a great team and for that reason our victory has more merit. Madrid played well but over the 180 minutes we were the deserved winners.

January 30 - February 5, 2012

Real lose cup crown as Barca hold on

Real Madrids French forward Karim Benzema (left) scores against Barcelonas goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto during the second leg of the Spanish Cup quarter-final at the Camp Nou on January 25. Pic: AFP Madrid are a very strong side but I wouldnt necessarily say this team is stronger than the one we faced last season for example in the Champions League [semifinals which Barca won]. Mourinho had little to say after the game but was disappointed by his sides poor finishing. There wasnt very much to talk to the players about at half time because there was little to change. When the team plays well then you have nothing to say, and I could have spoken for just one minute, said Mourinho. We played well in the first half. Barcelona scored without having done anything and we had four or five chances. After the break we tried to vary things by pushing Cristiano further forward and putting Benzema and [Jose] Callejon deeper. Real, looking to overturn the 2-1 first leg quarterfinal defeat, set off at a high tempo but went on to miss a hatful of chances with Gonzalo Higuain especially wasteful. Barca also struggled to cope with the darting runs from Mesut Ozil and he was extremely unlucky with a sublime 30-metre strike that crashed back off the woodwork. Barca had offered little but there was a feeling that the sucker punch would come and it did just two minutes before the break. The Real defence rushed to block a Lionel Messi run and left Pedro, who came on for the injured Andres Iniesta, free. He slotted the ball with his weaker right foot into the corner. Real were stunned but it got worse as in stoppage time Alves unleashed an unstoppable drive that flew into the roof of the net from the edge of the area. Barcelona lost concentration in the secondhalf allowing Real to strike back. Alonso slipped a ball through for Ronaldo to round the keeper and score to give them hope after 67 minutes and then substitute Benzema took advantage of slack defending to bring the scores level but Barca held on. AFP

As Spurs soar, Redknapp is hauled to court for tax evasion

LONDON Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp concealed the existence of an offshore bank account from British authorities for six years until he was arrested as part of a tax probe, a court heard on January 24. Redknapp, who is on trial at Southwark Crown Court on charges of tax evasion, is alleged to have opened a bank account in Monaco in 2002 under the code name Rosie 47 after his pet English bulldog. Prosecutors allege that the account was used by Redknapp to receive illicit payments from his co-defendant Milan Mandaric, the former chairman of Portsmouth Football Club, in lieu of commission on a transfer deal. Prosecutor John Black told the court on January 24 that Redknapp had been feigning almost complete ignorance of the Monaco accounts existence. While Redknapp had notified investigators of the bank account during a Premier League anticorruption investigation in 2006, he had not notified tax authorities until after his arrest in 2008, Black said. Wrapping up his opening statement on the second day of Redknapps trial, Black asked jurors to consider whether is it the case that Mr Redknapp could be unaware of the bank account. Had Mr Redknapp really forgotten that he had flown to Monaco to set up the account? Black asked jurors. The court heard how Redknapp told police he had been assured by Mandaric that tax had already been paid on the money deposited in the Monaco-based account. I said to him many, many times Milan, I dont want to end up with a tax bill, Redknapp was quoted as telling a detective. I was told I wasnt liable for income tax on so many occasions. For the sake of that amount of money or any amount of money, I dont fiddle. I pay my tax since I have been in football my entire life. I pay every penny. Redknapp, 64, whose success with Tottenham has made him a frontrunner to become Englands next manager, is accused of receiving two untaxed payments totalling US$295,000 from Mandaric into a Monaco account. Redknapp and Mandaric both deny two counts of cheating the public revenue. Tottenham are currently third in the Premier League, making Redknapp one of the few homegrown coaches to enjoy success in England in recent seasons. When he took over the north London club in 2008, they were languishing near the bottom of the table. Redknapp managed Portsmouth for two spells, from 2002 to 2004 and then 2005 to 2008, the year he guided them to victory in the FA Cup. AFP