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Issue 681 | June 10 - 16, 2013

Shan State Army-South leader to meet president

Shan State Army-South leader Lieutenant General Yawd Serk is scheduled to meet President U Thein Sein for the first time in Nay Pyi Taw on June 10, in a step aimed at moving forward the stalled peace process in Shan State following successful talks in Myitkyina late last month. NEWS 3
T.D. Kean, Editor of The Myanmar Times (left) receives a certificate of editorial excellence at the awards ceremony in Hong Kong last week.

NEWS 5

NLD leader responds to critics at WEF

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi used the World Economic Forum to reaffirm her desire to become president after the 2015 election and also respond to some of her critics.
NEWS 7

British defence chief pledges more cooperation

Britain is undertaking an assessment to identify areas of potential military-to-military cooperation, General Sir David Richards said during a two-day visit.
BUSINESS 27

Central Bank announces forex market launch

The countrys first foreign exchange market is set to open this financial year in a move that will allow banks to trade currencies with each other, the Central Bank of Myanmar said last week.

Advertising giant makes big move into Myanmar

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Right on the money as Pulitzers of Asia go our way

For 15 years now they have often been referred to as the Pulitzers of Asia, such is the prestigious status of the annual editorial awards of The Society of Publishers in Asia. At a glitzy awards dinner last Thursday night in Hong Kong it was The Myanmar Times which took home two awards and received honourable mention in another, from the more than 650 entries. A great result. It demonstrates the enormous respect throughout Asia for The Myanmar Times. We will do even better next year, predicted Editor in Chief Ross Dunkley.

Business 26

2 THE MYANMAR TIMES June 10 - 16, 2013

Page 2
THE INSIDER: The local lowdown & best of the web
Yellow duck provides online reminder of Tiananmen
Popular Chinese microblogging site Weibo has banned the search term yellow duck, after users circulated a mocked-up image of a famous 1989 Tiananmen square tank protest with the military vehicles replaced by plastic ducks, results on Wednesday showed. A large yellow duck artwork is currently on display in Hong Kong, and imitations have been put up in several mainland cities. Discussion of the Tiananmen crackdown is heavily censored.

online editor Kayleigh Long | kayleighelong@gmail.com

Outcry over NSA program

President Barack Obama declared late last week that US citizens are going to have to make some choices about balancing privacy and security, as he defended the recentlyuncovered National Security Agency programs that see phone and internet data pulled from a variety of major sources. Some of the sites, services and systems being monitored include Apple, Microsoft, Google, YouTube, Skype and others most of which have come forward to deny their knowledge of the NSAs PRISM program.

Trial date set in News of The World phone-hacking scandal

Former editor of the now-defunct News of the World Sunday tabloid Rebekah Brooks has appeared in a London court, denying the five charges she faces stemming from the high-profile phone hacking scandal. The trial is due to start on September 9, where she will face charges including conspiracy to hack phones, conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Regional Insider

Its the little things...

IT is now clearer than ever why the popularity of President U Thein Sein is soaring, while that of the Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is tumbling. The most pertinent signal occurred on May 20 when U Thein Sein became the first Myanmar head of state to visit Washington for almost half a century. Yes, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi went to the United States last September and met President Barack Obama but it was a private visit devoid of the White House glitz and hoopla afforded to U Thein Sein. In the Oval Office, it was evident that Obama and U Thein Sein hit it off and were genuinely on the same wavelength, which had not been the case when Obama met Daw Aung San Suu Kyi last year. Back then, the US president took umbrage at the way she urged him not to go to Myanmar yet because she doubted that U Thein Seins reforms were sincere and would continue. Obama, however, had already decided to seize the moment and visit Yangon en route to the ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh and he was not going to be dissuaded by the Ladys partisan qualms. She was visibly miffed when he spurned her advice, which was really given because she did not want U Thein Sein to get the kind of publicity in America that she has been used to getting all for herself.

Roger mitton
roger.mitton@gmail.com

Well, that was one small thing. Then, at last months White House meeting, Obama continually referred to his guests country as Myanmar. That was no small thing. He studiously avoided using the old colonial name Burma, which is still preferred by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her sycophants. So that was another thing. Then, in a much-lauded speech at Washingtons School of Advanced International Studies, U Thein Sein distinctly said Muslims several times. And that was no small thing, given the visceral animosity of the Bamar towards his nations small Islamic community. U Thein Sein bravely said that his government must provide better protection for Muslims from attacks by Buddhist bigots, as happened again in Lashio. For what it is worth, he graciously avoided noting how Daw Aung San Suu Kyi seems to find it difficult to talk about this subject and how she has kept relatively mute about the murderous pogroms targeting Muslims.

Said Jim Della-Giacoma, the Asia program director for the International Crisis Group: Suu Kyis near-silence on this issue has underlined how far out in front of popular opinion U Thein Sein has been. While stressing that much still needs to be done, Obama used the Oval Office meeting to praise U Thein Seins leadership in moving Myanmar down a path of both political and economic reform. Weve seen credible elections and a legislature that is continuing to make strides in more inclusivity and greater representation of all the various ethnic groups in Myanmar, he said. U Thein Sein replied in kind and promised to free more political prisoners and resolve the ethnic conflicts not just by ceasefires, but by incorporating the minority parties into the mainstream. Frankly, the Oval Office encounter was incredible given that three years ago all Myanmars political leaders were banned from visiting the US. Today, American officials laud Myanmar as a model of emerging democratisation for the likes of dictatorial Laos and Vietnam. And while the rewards are self-evident, one item stood out: the American Centre in Yangon, which trains political and civil society activists, now has the highest attendance of any such centre in the world. And that is no small thing either.

Style Statement

Me N Ma Girls started out in 2010, performing under the name of Tiger Girls. The group split from their management in 2011, in pursuit of more artistic freedom. They gained international recognition for their fight against censorship in Myanmar, and debuted their first overtly political song Come Back Home in May 2012 during a visit from US Ambassador-at-Large for Global Womens Issues, Melanne Verveer. In June 2012, the band signed with Power Music of Los Angeles, Californiathe first such signing for any pop/hiphip band from Myanmar to an American label.

Photo: Htet Aung Kyaw (Studio HAK)

If you'd like to be involved in a NOW! Magazine photo shoot email us at editorial@now.com.mm

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News editor: Thomas Kean | tdkean@gmail.com

News 3

Tourism master plan unveiled

aung shin
koshumgtha@gmail.com

THE Ministry of Hotels and Tourism last week unveiled a Tourism Master Plan that has earmarked nearly US$500 million for various projects aimed at developing human resources and tourism-related infrastructure. The master plan, unveiled at the World Economic Forum on East Asia in Nay Pyi Taw, aims to bring 3.01 million visitors to Myanmar in 2015 and 7.48 million in 2020. Last year, the country attracted 1.05 million tourists. The plan also aims to earn $10.18 billion from the tourism industry in 2020, up from $534 million in 2012. The number of tourism-related jobs is targeted to be raised to 1.49 million in 2020, up from 293,700 at present. Minister of Hotels and Tourism U Htay Aung said at a press conference at WEF on June 6 that Myanmar tourism was waiting for openness. We are going to see both negative and positive impacts as tourism grows, but we have to ensure that tourism develops in the right way through proper management. The master plan was developed in consultation with tourism experts from Asian Development Bank (ADB). It includes 38 industry-development projects that are expected to cost a total of $486.6 million. Of these projects, 21 have been designated critical projects focusing on important infrastructure issues,

SSA-South leader to meet U Thein Sein

NAN TIN HTWE nantin.htwe@gmail.com THE leader of Shan State Army-South is scheduled to meet President U Thein Sein in Nay Pyi Taw on June 10, a senior official has confirmed. It will be the first meeting between Lieutenant General Yawd Serk and the president, said Lieutenant Colonel Yawd Murng, a member of the SSASouths peace committee. This is a positive step. Our leader has never met the president or a leader of the Myanmar government before. This is the first time, he said, adding that the SSA-South delegation will arrive in the capital on June 9. The government delegation will include Union Minister U Aung Min, who recently played a vital role in the peace talks with the Kachin Independence Organisation. I believe everyone wants peace [including] the government [and] the people. I hope that we will have productive discussions about the peace process. Lt Gen Yawd Serk is also head of the SSAs political wing, the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS). The SSA-South agreed to an initial ceasefire agreement with the government in December 2011. In May 2012, the government and SSA-South signed a 12-point agreement in Kengtung in Shan State concerning anti-narcotics cooperation, the establishment of a joint peace team committee, economic development and the release of SSASouth members who are in prison.

Minister for Hotels and Tourism U Htay Aung speaks at the launch of the Tourism Master Plan at Hotel Amara in Nay Pyi Taw on June 6. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing

and they account for $215.6 million of the budget. Funding for the master plan will come from ADB and the government of Norway, and ADB will supervise the development projects inside the country through its branch office in Nay Pyi Taw. ADB vice president Stephen Groff described the plan as a long-term vision. A solid start to ensuring tourism contributes to equitable social and economic development in Myanmar. Tourism will be a pillar of Myanmars economy, and it has the potential to create meaningful job opportunities, including [for] those living in poor communities, he said. Under the master plan, a tourism executive coordination board will

be established to manage tourismrelated ministries, agencies and federations as they work on developing projects and managing tourism. The master plan will develop tourism-related human resources by strengthening the tourism education and training systems. Other projects under the master plan will focus on expanding international air arrivals in Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw, developing more cruises in Bagan and building feeder roads in destinations like Ngapali Beach and Inle Lake. The government also plans to update the 1993 Tourism Law to streamline licensing formalities for hotels, restaurants, tour operators and tour guides. Sections governing regulations around the gaming subsector and labour will also be amended.

This is a positive step. ... Our leader has never met the president before.
Lieutenant Colonel Yawd Murng Shan State Army-South

But the ceasefire has failed to properly hold, with the SSA-South reporting more than 70 skirmishes over the past 12 months. Recent fighting in Namkham township displaced more than 1000 people, Lt Col Yawd Murng said. However, he said he was optimistic that the talks would strengthen the peace process. I think this [meeting] is also a positive step for Shan people.

The Myanmar Times wins two awards for editorial excellence

THE Myanmar Times has again been recognised for the quality of its journalism, receiving three international prizes in Asias most prestigious editorial awards. The newspaper beat some of the top newspapers in the region to win the Excellence in News Photography and Excellence in Editorial Cartooning categories at the Society of Publishers in Asias Awards for Editorial Excellence in Hong Kong on June 6. It also received an honourable mention for Opinion Writing at the SOPA awards, which were given for content published in 2012. The prizes follow up on The Myanmar Times win in 2012 in the Opinion Writing category for an editorial on land rights. Sister publication The Phnom Penh Post won three awards and received an honourable mention in the Investigative Reporting section. As well as winning the Breaking News and Business Reporting categories, The Posts May Titthara won the prestigious Journalist of the Year award. In the News Photography section, The Myanmar Times won for Kaung Htet and Ko Taiks photos of the International Day of Peace protest march in Yangon in September 2012. Judges said the series was well-planned and comprehensive with sensitivity in capturing the emotions of the participants in the rally. Harn Lays cartoon criticising the militarys role in the peace process was described as not only visually compelling but also brave. The cartoon, published in October 2012, drew an angry response from some members of the government, while the Tatmadaw used its daily Myawady newspaper to warn other cartoonists, editors, chief editors and journal owners not to repeat the same mistake. The honourable mention went to an editorial on the reform process, titled Time to seize the moment and written by Thomas Kean, editor of the papers English edition. Both The Myanmar Times and The Phnom Penh Post were competing in the category for English-language publications distributed in one or two countries, alongside newspapers like South China Morning Post, Straits Times and Jakarta Globe. The category also included magazines with a circulation under 50,000 and independent websites. More than 650 nominations were submitted and entries in the category in which The Myanmar Times competed were up 16 percent on last year, organisers said. These awards show that we are producing journalism that is right up there with the best in the region, said Mr Kean. They are also testament to the rapid improvements in press freedom in Myanmar over the past two years. We would have never been able to publish Kaung Htet and Ko Taiks photos of the protest march, or Harn Lays cartoon, if pre-publication censorship had still been in place. Staff writers

World Economic Forum:

Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief (MTE) Ross Dunkley | rsdunkley@gmail.com Chief Executive Officer & Editor-in-Chief (MTM) Dr Tin Tun Oo drtto@myanmartimes.com.mm Chief Operating Officer Wendy Madrigal madrigalmcm@gmail.com EDITORIAL newsroom@myanmartimes.com.mm Editor MTE Thomas Kean tdkean@gmail.com Editor MTM Zaw Myint editormtm@myanmartimes.com.mm Chief of Staff Zaw Win Than zawwinthan@gmail.com Editor Special Publications Myo Lwin myolwin@myanmartimes.com.mm Jessica Mudditt - jess.mudditt@gmail.com Deputy Editor MTM Sann Oo sannoo@gmail.com Business Editor MTE Vincent MacIsaac biz.news.myanmar@gmail.com Business Editor MTM Tin Moe Aung Property Editor MTM Htar Htar Khin property@myanmartimes.com.mm World Editor MTE Geoffrey Goddard geoffrey@myanmartimes.com.mm The Pulse Editor MTE Manny Maung manny.maung@gmail.com Timeout Editor MTM Moh Moh Thaw mohthaw@gmail.com Online Editor Kayleigh Long kayleighelong@gmail.com Sports Editor Tim McLaughlin timothy.mclaughlin3@gmail.com Deputy News Editor Kyaw Hsu Mon Chief Political Reporter Soe Than Lynn Head of Translation Dept Ko Ko Head of Photographics Kaung Htet Photographers Boothee, Aung Htay Hlaing, Thiri Book Publishing Consultant Editor Col Hla Moe(Retd) Editor Win Tun Nay Pyi Taw Bureau Chief Soe Than Lynn soethanlynn@gmail.com PRODUCTION production@myanmartimes.com.mm Head of Production & Press Scrutiny Liaison Aung Kyaw Oo (1) Head of Graphic Design Tin Zaw Htway MCM PRINTING printing@myanmartimes.com.mm Head of Department Htay Maung Warehouse Manager Ye Linn Htay Factory Administrator Aung Kyaw Oo (3) Factory Foreman Tin Win ADVERTISING advertising@myanmartimes.com.mm National Sales Director Khin Thandar Htay sales-director@myanmartimes.com.mm Account Director Nyi Nyi Tun Classifieds Manager Khin Mon Mon Yi classified@myanmartimes.com.mm ADMIN & FINANCE Finance Manager Mon Mon Tha Saing finance@myanmartimes.com.mm HR Manager Nang Maisy administration@myanmartimes.com.mm Publisher Dr Tin Tun Oo, Permit No: 04143 Systems Manager Khin Maung Thaw webmaster@myanmartimes.com.mm DISTRIBUTION & CIRCULATION Circulation & Distribution Director Jesse Gage distmgr@myanmartimes.com.mm circulation@myanmartimes.com.mm ADVERTISING & SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES Telephone: (01) 253 642, 392 928 Facsimile: (01) 254 158 administration@myanmartimes.com.mm The Myanmar Times is owned by Myanmar Consolidated Media Ltd and printed by MCM Commercial Printing (licence provided by Swesone Media (08102) with approval from MCM Ltd and by Shwe Zin Press (0368) with approval from MCM Ltd). The title The Myanmar Times, in either English or Myanmar languages, its associated logos or devices and the contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written consent of the Managing Director of Myanmar Consolidated Media Ltd.

ASEAN integration still a long way off

Bill OToole botoole12@gmail.com Tim McLaughlin timothy.mclaughlin3@gmail.com OPTIMISM bumped up against hard realities at the World Economic Forum as business leaders gathered on June 6 to discuss the future of ASEAN. In a panel moderated by Heang Chhor of the McKinsey Global Institute, Kishore Mahbubani from the National University of Singapore and Air Asia Chief Executive Officer Anthony Fernandes laid out their visions and expectations for the region. ASEAN has been described by Barack Obama as having the potential to be a profit driver for all of Asia in the coming century. The delegates agreed with this in the broad sense, citing the regions massive labour pool, natural resources and strategic position in Asia, but they also remain realistic about the issues the region presents. of the mistrust and protectionism that still defines the relationships between ASEAN nations. Its a problem of branding, he said. The average person [in the region] doesnt understand what ASEAN is. They dont see how it benefits them. Referring to his own experience, he said that it was up to private enterprise to take the lead. If we wait for politicians we will be waiting forever. Speaking to The Myanmar Times after the panel, Mr Fernandes allowed that there was some danger in letting businesses have free rein in emerging markets with little to no regulatory framework, but said, Im not talking about complete anarchy, where there are 35 different mobile phone companies doing whatever they want [for example]. ... [B]ut private enterprise needs to take the first step ... [and] private business needs to show the government that things need to change. Mr Mahbubani, who is also a member of the Global Council Agenda on China, ended the panel on a high note, describing the great amount of development that has already hit the region in such a short amount of time, including Thailand and the Philippines as well as China. I am confident that governments will progressively get better [on integration], but I dont expect dramatic improvements overnight. One area where dramatic improvements are needed is in the regions disjointed supply chains that can bottleneck the flow of products in and out of ASEAN nations, adding time and cost for producers and consumers alike. Speaking at a separate panel, the chief operating officer of Unilever and the chairman and managing director of the Kuwaiti Tarek, Sultan Al Essa, both stressed the importance of a regional supply chain upgrade, with Al Essa calling for the formation of a regulatory body to oversee how supply chains operate. There is no single body that is responsible for supply chain comparativeness, Al Essa said. We have regulators in banking, we have regulators in telecoms. I think it is about time we had them in supply chain. If 10 percent growth is at stake, then I think that makes sense. While business leaders recognise the massive potential for a more integrated ASEAN bloc, which is the third largest economy collectively in Asia behind China and Japan, they also agreed that there must be limits, quickly dismissing any idea of a shared currency like that in the financially troubled European Union. Impossible, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Thailand, Kittiratt Na-Ranong, said of the concept.

Its a problem of branding. The average person [in the region] doesnt understand what ASEAN is. They dont see how it benefits them.
Anthony Fernandes Air Asia chief executive officer

As far as frameworks go, ASEAN has everything going for it. It looks great on paper, said Shinta Widjaja Kamdani, managing director of the Sinesta Group. Today I want to press the gap between what looks great on paper and the reality. During his introduction to the panel, Mr Kamdani described the litany of challenges that continue to hold back full integration. He cited the fact that the larger ASEAN economies still had no free trade agreements, and the often contentious relations between nations. The results so far on the ground, as far as actual implementation, are not great. Mr Fernandes began his remarks by stating, I am an optimist. But he agreed with Mr Kamdanis assessment. He recalled the seven years of lobbying it took to create a direct Air Asia flight between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, a process he said is indicative

President U Thein Sein (centre) and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair were a Taw June 5-7. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing

WEF caters to b excludes minor

botoole12@gmail.com

Bill OToole

POLITICIANS, academics and tycoons descended on Nay Pyi Taw June 5-7 for the World Economic Forum on East Asia. The WEFs choice of Nay Pyi Taw as its venue is the latest and perhaps most significant symbol of Myanmars reengagement with the international community. As Myanmar continues on a path of bold economic and political

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Were just here to observe. ... We want to see if the infrastructure for us to do business is possible.
Syed Javed United Bank Ltd
Trucks pass through a checkpoint near the Myanmar-Thailand border in the town of Myawaddy in Kayin State. Photo: AFP

reforms, our objective is to ensure that reform will translate into inclusive growth and greater trust, said Sushant Palakurthi Rao, WEFs senior director and head of Asia. Through frank discussions with our community of leaders, we are committed to underlining the importance of key social and economic development challenges such as creating jobs, improving education, ensuring better healthcare and enhancing connectivity. WEF began in 1971 as an annual meeting for European business leaders in Davos, Switzerland. Since then, it has expanded into a series of annual meetings all over the globe catering to the worlds political and economic elite. Attendees at the Nay Pyi Taw event included Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Thein Sein, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Lower House Speaker U Thura Shwe Mann and Air Asia Chief Executive Officer Anthony Fernandes, among hundreds of other business leaders. Conspicuously absent from the proceedings were representatives of

Myanmar's time to shine At forum, Daw Suu answers her critics, reaffirms politics
Tim McLaughlin Bill OToole
timothy.mclaughlin3@gmail.com botoole12@gmail.com

among those in attendance at the World Economic Forum on East Asia in Nay Pyi

business elite, ority voices

Myanmars many ethnic minorities. Though dozens of panels chewed over ways to solve the nations recurrent ethnic conflicts, none included members of the Kachin, Shan or Rohingya communities. In keeping with the forums mission statement of building a global, economic community, the majority of speeches kept a laser-like focus on Myanmar and East Asias business potential and the many steps that must be taken to unlock it in panel discussions with names like The Business Mandate in Myanmar, Pursuing the Asian Century and Asias New Narrative. As is typically the case, the real goal of the forum was to provide a networking opportunity for business leaders from around the world. Accordingly, the lobby and hallways of Nay Pyi Taws International Convention Centre were packed with huddles of men and women in dark suits, who were exchanging untold hundreds of business cards. A consistent comment from attendees on the floor was that they had come more to learn about the country than to start doing business. Syed Javed, head of strategic business planning for United Bank Ltd in Pakistan, said his group was adopting a wait and see approach to doing business in Myanmar. Were just here to observe. ... We want to see if the infrastructure for us to do business is possible. As Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said during a press conference, foreign companies are doing more investigating than investing. But the conference was not all talk. Several international corporations and INGOs used the forum to announce new projects and initiatives. Microsoft announced its arrival in the country, forging what press releases described as an exclusive contract with Myanmar Information Technology to supply its projects. Additionally, the DuPont Corporation from the United States rolled out its new initiative to bring solar energy and genetically modified seeds to rural communities, and the Japanese development group Japan International Cooperation Agency announced a fresh batch of investments in Myanmars infrastructure.

OVER the course of a bustling day at the World Economic Forum in Nay Pyi Taw on June 6, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi used her pulpit to reaffirm several controversial policies and answer recent criticisms. At both the debate and a later press conference, Daw Suu Kyi mentioned the need for an independent judiciary several times, saying it was a key to maintaining rule of law and would be a cornerstone of her hypothetical presidential administration. Speaking at a BBC debate alongside the minister for the presidents office, U Soe Thane, and former political prisoner Zin Mar, Daw Suu Kyi continued to strike a cordial tone when speaking of the Myanmar armed forces, or Tatmadaw. I hope the military has a special place in the hearts of our people, she said. Daw Suu Kyi had befuddled many in January when she said she was fond of the military, which kept her under house arrest for nearly a decade. She further cemented her position on Myanmars Armed Forces Day on March 27 when she sat beside the militarys top brass to watch a parade march through Nay Pyi Taw. She alluded to possible reforms for the military, saying that a dignified, honourable army will be a key actor in Myanmars ongoing reforms. When pressed by a question posed via social media over how a functioning democracy can allow the military

to influence politics to the extent allowed by the 2008 constitution, Daw Suu Kyi stopped short of saying they should be ousted from parliament. I do believe that members of the military are just as keen as civilians to promote democracy, she said. Several members of the press asked Daw Suu Kyi to make a stronger statement on the persecution of the Rohingya minority in Rakhine State, but the parliamentarian stuck to her policy of not condemning either side. I do not want to aggravate the situation and say that one side is wrong. If they feel they are targets, if they feel that they dont have the sympathy of politicians, they will become more extremist, she said. Three Rohingya women were killed by security forces in Myanmars western Rakhine State on June 5. The victims were part of a larger protest over being relocated to another camp for internally displaced persons. One of the victims was reportedly pregnant. The killings were just the latest incident in the ongoing strife between minority Muslim Rohingya and majority Rakhine Buddhists. Outbreaks of violence in June and October last year resulted in nearly 200 deaths and displaced more than 100,000 people. Controversially, Human Rights Watch labelled the events in Rakhine State as ethnic cleansing. They and other international observers have said that Daw Suu Kyi has sacrificed her credibility by not speaking on the

Rohingyas behalf. Daw Suu Kyi tacitly acknowledged these criticisms at one point. People dont like it when I dont say what they want to hear, she said. Speaking at the press conference that closed out the days events, Daw Suu Kyi fielded a question about the lack of young members in the National League for Democracy. Since last fall, many rural branches of the NLD have protested, and in some cases even resigned, over what they see as preferential treatment for the partys old guard in the central committee. Daw Suu Kyi admitted that the party does not have enough junior members, but said it was less a matter of their politics and more a matter of the countrys entrenched problems. I can say openly that young people in Burma are not as educated as the old, through no fault of their own, she said. She cited a statistic claiming that due to chronic mismanagement and poverty, Myanmar was one of the few countries where the current generation of youth has access to worse education than those who came 20 years earlier. She said the NLD was engaged in capacity building to groom younger members for leadership positions, but added a caveat. This is not a problem of the NLD alone. ... [T]he entire country needs to build the capacity of our young people. At the forum, Daw Suu Kyi also made clear her future political ambitions. I want to run for president and Im quite frank about it. If I pretended that I didnt want to be president I wouldnt be honest.
Photo: AFP

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi speaks at a press conference at the World Economic Forum on East Asia in Nay Pyi Taw on June 6.

6 News

THE MYANMAR TIMES June 10 - 16, 2013

Education key to driving development: UNDP boss

Maria Danmark IMPROVING Myanmars education sector at every level, from university to vocational training, is critical to driving development in the country, Helen Clark, administrator of the United Nations Development Program, said during a visit to Thanlyin township, Yangon Region, on June 5. June 5-7. At the centre, she had the opportunity to observe how women there received vocational training in sewing. The mission here is to see the potential of a community centre like this one for people to become more involved in a dialogue with the authorities on which kind of future they want for their community, Ms Clark said during her visit. As things change in Myanmar there should be more opportunities like this one to be able to participate in this work with local authorities. One goal of UNDPs local governance program is to provide an integrated package of development assistance for improvement of local governance in rural areas with high poverty incidence and post-conflict settings. We are looking at how to support a more participatory government. I think the kind of government system that Myanmar had was very top-down, but the potential is to build something that is more bottom-up, Ms Clark said. I have seen initiatives like this centre in a number of countries that

In the end you need educated and skilled people to drive the development, and that is at every level.
Helen Clark, UNDP administrator

Young women receive vocational training in sewing at the Community Learning Centre in Thanlyin, Yangon Region, on June 5. Photo: Boothee

Ms Clark toured the Community Learning Centre in Thanlyin ahead of her trip to Nay Pyi Taw to participate in the World Economic Forum from

have had quite authoritarian governance, but when this changes, the community actually gets a chance to say what they want rather than be told what they want. So I think these kinds of centres, where people are organised, can be part of that. Ms Clark had the opportunity to talk to people who shared their experiences at the centre, and she also heard ideas about how the facility might evolve in the future. One member of the centres management, Daw Thi Thi Aye, said more technology and education were need-

ed. She said she hoped UNDP could help with technical assistance to better enable the centre to help villagers upgrade their job skills. The big challenge is that there has to be enough jobs for this young and growing population, so thats going to mean improving the quality of the education system, and improving the ability to get skills and to get the job opportunities to match those skills, Ms Clark said. The next step has to be how to attract jobs to the area, how to get more support for agricultural productivity

and how to increase the interaction and dialogue between the community and the authorities. She added that education is critical because it is a form of human capital. In the end you need educated and skilled people to drive the development, and that is at every level. For a farmer to be productive, a farmer needs to have knowledge about what is possible, so I think we shouldnt see education as just those who go through university. All this kind of technical and vocational training is very important as well, she said.

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News 7

British defence chief pledges more cooperation

Tim McLaughlin timothy.mclaughlin3@gmail.com THE chief of the British armed forces the highest-ranking Western military official to visit Myanmar since the reforms began has pledged to increase defence cooperation between the two nations. General Sir David Richards arrived in Myanmar on June 3 and met President U Thein Sein and Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in Nay Pyi Taw. He also conducted a joint meeting with Pyithu Hluttaw Speaker Thura U Shwe Mann and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. In an exclusive interview with The Myanmar Times on June 4, Gen Richards said that his frank discussions with Myanmars military and government leaders indicated it was the right time to increase cooperation but that the engagement could be shut down at any signs of backsliding. Im here for a specific reason, which is to see how we might assist the Burmese military in playing their critical role in this vital transition process, Gen Richards said of his trip. This initial assistance will be spearheaded by a three-person team, which arrived in Myanmar last week. The team will assess avenues for cooperation and return to London in two to three weeks to present its recommendations to the British government. The group will work closely with Britains ambassador to Myanmar, Andrew Heyn. The team comprises a British army colonel, who arrived with Gen Richards and will focus on security sector reform. He will be joined by a police official and civilian governance expert, who will look at the interactions of military, police and government interactions, on June 5. The British defence attach post will also be upgraded, with an incountry official to be posted in October. The current defence attach a position created at the request of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi when she met British Prime Minister David Cameron in June 2012 operates out of Singapore and makes monthly visits, embassy officials said. Gen Richards visit will likely draw criticism from rights groups and even some in the British government who see the move as overly hasty, particularly given it comes barely a month after reports that Tatmadaw and police officials were allegedly involved in attacks against Muslim Rohyinga in Rakhine State last year. But Gen Richards said that the broad reforms undertaken in the past two years coupled with what he described as a sincere determination by military officials to reform their own institution indicated that cooperation should be ramped up immediately. Weve got to give this process fair wind and it is the right time to be here. Clearly, if it collapses and I do not detect that that is a risk but if it collapsed and things reverted we can stop. But right now is the moment to help them maintain momentum and put our feet on the pedal and assist them, he said. Mr Heyn said he shared Gen Richards view on military engagement. The defence cooperation indicates ties between the two countries have moved into a new phase, one in which Britain will seek to broaden its interactions with Myanmar. This is engagement across the piece and a balanced engagement, Mr Heyn said. If you dont engage on this part [defence] then you are

Im here for a specific reason, which is to see how we might assist the Burmese military in playing their critical role in this vital transition process.
General Sir David Richards British defence chief

General Sir David Richards visits the Htaukkyant Allied War Cemetery on June 4. Photo: Ko Taik

missing a huge part. Gen Richards said that if Britain ignored the Tatmadaw it risked consigning the people, at worse, back into a previous era. Part of the balanced military engagement included meetings with ethnic leaders on June 4, including Shan Nationalities League for Democracy chairman U Khun Htun Oo, who was freed from prison in January 2012.

Gen Richards also met the governments head peace negotiator, U Aung Min. The two held talks earlier this year in London and Gen Richards had high praise for the former railways minister, who is now a minister in the Presidents Office. He is a highly impressive individual who is working tirelessly to achieve a ceasefire across the country, Gen Richards said.

Illegal wood seized from rafts on the Ayeyarwady

Si thu Lwin sithulwin.mmtimes@gmail.com ILLEGALLY harvested teak was seized on two consecutive days last week in Thapeikyin township along the Ayeyarwady River, according to officials from the Mandalay Region Police Force. Around 9pm on June 2, 23 teak poles were seized from a bamboo raft near Zeekone village, Thabeikkyin township, on the east bank of the river. The raft had had been floated downstream from Bhamo in Kachin State. Sixteen of the poles, weighing a total of 0.998 tonnes, had been purchased by Daw Khin Myint from Laythar Ward of Tada-Oo township, while the remaining seven poles, weighing 0.53 tonnes, had been bought by U Nyunt Wai. The poles were seized by Chief Forester U Myo Aung and team from the Department of Forestry in Patheingyi township. The estimated total value of the 23 poles was K160,000, and the case is being pursued under section 43(a) of the Forest Act, police officials said. On June 3, U Myo Aung and his team seized another bamboo raft near Pounar village in Thapeikyin township. The raft was carrying eight teak logs and five smaller teak poles. The teak had been bought by U Pout Sa and four colleagues. The total value of the seizure was estimated at more than K180,000. Translated by Zar Zar Soe

8 News
SPECIAL REPORT

THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 10 - 16, 2013

Families ask army to return children

New complaints highlight continuing problem of underage recruitment and the army policies that encourage the banned practice

SOE SANDAR OO
ms.soesandaroo@gmail.com

THE Tatmadaw is still forcibly recruiting people, including children, into its battalions, family members of forced recruits have told The Myanmar Times. The allegations come shortly after the release of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moons report into the use of child soldiers in Myanmar, in which the UN praised the government for making progress on the issue. U Toe Maung said his son, Mg Lwin Moe, disappeared in late January. On February 20, the boy called his father and said he and two friends had been tricked into visiting a military base in Mingalardon township by the offer of a good job. They were forcibly recruited and transferred to Paunggyi basic military training camp in Hlegu township, he said. My child is just 17. He was going to Yangon with two other people to find a job. He called me on January 28 to say he would come back that night by bus, U Toe Maung said. My son said they refused to enlist as soon as they realised they were in a military compound but five soldiers kicked and threatened them. The next day they cut their hair and gave them a uniform to start their army training and sent them to Paunggyi. Mg Lwin Moes mother, Daw Hla Htay, said the person who allegedly recruited them, Sergeant Min Naing, told the family he would release the three if he received K900,000 for each of the recruits. We cant afford it but I will try every possible way to get enough money to get back my child. He is not in good health since he was a boy. He cannot stand a hard job, she said. The parents of Mg Lwin Moe, Ko Myo Thant, 27, and Ko Myint Mwe, 25, from Pyawbwe village in Mandalay Regions Yamethin township said they had reported the case to their region hluttaw representative, regional police and the International Labour Organisation office in Yangon. The military has promised to

discharge them but has not yet done so and they are still undergoing training in Paunggyi. Ko Myo Thants father, U Thein Win, told The Myanmar Times his son had been forced to enlist. He always begs me to take him out of the military whenever I go and see him. He said he followed Sergeant Min Naing after they met him at Aung Mingalar Highway Bus Terminal, he said. U Aye Myint (Lann Pya Kyal), a lawyer and activist who is working on several cases of underage and forced recruitment in Bago Region, said he did not believe the military had any intention of discharging the men. The military is lying to the parents that they will give their children back. After four months of training, they will send the children to the front line, he said. In the military, if an officer wants to be promoted they need to find more recruits. They then pay the sergeants to recruit people however they can. Two more underage recruits, Mg Aung Ko Hein and Mg Chit Noe

The military is lying to the parents that they will give their children back.
U Aye Myint Bago-based lawyer and activist

Thu, both 17, are believed to be in the Paunggyi training batch with the three from Yamethin. Mg Aung Ko Heins mother, Ma Lai Lai Aye, who lives in Nan Taw Yar township in Bago Region, said Sergeant Khin Zaw came to her home with her sons friend and said he could organise a job in Yangon polishing cars with a salary of K75,000 a month. I permitted my son and his friend Mg Chit Noe Thu to follow [Sergeant Khin Zaw] to Yangon in January. After a month I had heard nothing from him so I started making enquiries. I got the information from my sons friend that they were

at Paunggyi military training camp. I have had no contact with Sergeant Khin Zaw, she said. She said she was allowed to go and visit her son at Paunggyi but had little hope that they would be released. I relied on him for my livelihood. My life is upside down since he disappeared. Without his support I cannot give money for renting our house and I had to beg my relatives to let me stay with them, she said. Sergeant Min Naing did not dispute that children had been recruited. He said officers had arranged for the three underage recruits to return to their parents after the training. They already signed the agreement letter [to join the military]. But we will take them out because their parents are not in good health, he said. But Piyamal Pichaiwongse, the deputy liaison officer at the ILO Liaison Office in Yangon, said it was illegal for children to enter the military, even with written permission from their parents. In 2007 the ILO established a complaints mechanism for cases of forced labour, including underage recruitment into the military. In 2010, 197 underage recruitment complaints were made, while the number rose to 234 the following year and 272 in 2012. To the start of May 2013, 98 cases had been verified. To date, 313 underage recruits have been discharged. It doesnt mean the cases are increasing. People are more confident to report about this to the ILO. Actually the number of complaints alleging actual recruitment in 2012 and 2013 appear to be decreasing with most complaints relating to recruitments which occurred in previous years, Ms Piyamal said. Most forced and underage recruits are from rural areas, with recruitment often taking place at transit points such as bus and train stations, monasteries and pagodas. Yangon is the main place for recruitment, with Hlaing Tharyar a hotspot. Ms Piyamal said the main cause of underage and forced recruitment was the need to keep up the strength of military battalions. That is not how a professional army should operate. [The military] said it is not its policy to recruit children. But in the meantime another

Daw Hla Htay, mother of Mg Lwin Moe, cries during an interview. Photo: Thiri

policy is that they have to keep up their strength. While it is also illegal for people of any age to be forced to join the military, she said it forced recruitment is harder to prove. If we receive a complaint, we need to confirm whether the person is of age or underage. You dont need to prove anything if the child is under the age of 18. It doesnt matter whether he agreed to join or not. At that age it is completely illegal. Being a child, you cannot make such an

important decision, she said. If somebody is over [18] we have to prove they were forced and those cases take longer than the others. Officers found guilty of underage or forced recruitment can face severe penalties, including two years in prison with hard labour, Ms Piyamal said. More often, they are demoted or have their salary reduced. However, its important that not only the lower levels are punished but also the person who is leading the recruitment behind the scenes.

Giant reptile found in Sagaing named after Jim Morrison

A GIANT lizard that lived 40 million years ago at a time when Earth was a hothouse has been named in honour of the rock singer Jim Morrison, palaeontologists said on June 5. Around 1.8 metres (6 feet) from snout to tail and tipping the scales at up to 27 kilograms, the plant-eating reptile is one of the biggest lizards known to have lived on land. It competed with mammals for food in the humid tropical forests of Southeast Asia. A fossil of the beast, found in sediment in Sagaing Region in Myanmar, has been dated to the late-middle Eocene period, when Earth was so hot there was no ice at its poles. We think the warm climate during that period of

The number of kilograms scientists believe the planteating lizard Barbaturex morrisoni weighed

27

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time allowed the evolution of a large body size and the ability of plant-eating lizards to successfully compete in mammal faunas, said Jason Head of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, who led the analysis. The palaeontologists have

named the long-extinct species Barbaturex morrisoni. Barbaturex means bearded king, chosen after the team found ridges on the underside of the jaw that gave the lizards a beard-like appearance. Morrisoni is in tribute to Doors frontman Morrison, famed for his fascination with reptiles and shamanism. I was listening to The Doors quite a bit during research, said Mr Head. Some of their musical imagery includes reptiles and ancient places, and Jim Morrison was of course the Lizard King, so it kind of came together. The study appears in the British scientific journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. AFP

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On the occasion of the

National Day of the Russian Federation

A special feature sponsored by the Embassy of Russian Federation, Yangon June 12, 2013

Message from the Ambassador

Dear friends,

une 12th is the National Day of the Russian Federation. As a recentlyappointed Ambassador of Russia to Myanmar, I take the opportunity to address you on this occasion with a special pleasure and honor. In its post-Soviet history Russia has undergone through serious changes which have been both a source of challenges as well as a precondition for new achievements. The countrys political stability of the past decade contributed to the strengthening of economy which helped minimize effects of the latest global recession. Today we are focusing on issues of political, social and economic development which are common to most countries of the increasingly globalized world. While emphasizing the programs of national development, Russia at the same time promotes openness to the world and adheres to its commitments as a responsible member of the international community. We actively support and contribute to emergence of a democratic and fair world order, free from dividing lines and confrontational politics. Russia is

enhancing ties with its partners from BRICS, the European Union and a wide range of Asia-Pacific countries. During the concluding pressconference at the APEC-2012 Summit, hosted by Russia last September in Vladivostok, President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed that promoting close cooperation with our AsiaPacific partners is Russias foreign policy priority. With the increasing importance of the region in global economy and world politics Russia will further advance cooperation with both regional institutions and individual partners, including ASEAN and the Republic of the Union of Myanmar as one of its member states. This year Russia and Myanmar are celebrating the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two states. Over this period of time our countries have developed strong ties based on mutual respect, trust, understanding and genuine good will. I would like to stress the latter point: due to setana that underlies our joint efforts they have always been producing positive and mutually beneficial results. Having experienced comprehensive transformations

in the past decades, we in Russia understand the complexities of this process and challenges that Myanmar faces in transition to political democracy and liberalization of economy. At this important stage of Myanmars development we send to the government and to the people of Myanmar sincere wishes of success in their joint endeavors. Development of cooperation with Myanmar is an important element of Russias deeper integration into the rapidly developing AsiaPacific region. We stand for establishment of a new architecture of security and cooperation in the region based on the principle of indivisibility of security and respect of the norms of international law. All forms of confrontation or attempts to expand one States influence at the expense of other State run contrary to the goal of peace, stability and prosperity of the region. Steps are underway to take to higher levels the two sides cooperation in trade and investment, science and technology. A growing economic cooperation between Russian and Myanmar will contribute to these processes in a way beneficial to the both

sides and to the region as a whole. Over the last decade a significant progress has been made in the field of education with hundreds of Myanmar students receiving diplomas in the Russian universities annually. More opportunities arise in this regard as a growing number of higher education institutions in Russia are introducing new courses for foreign students. We also strengthen our practical assistance for the teaching of the Russian language in Myanmar and intend to intensify exchange programs between students and teachers of linguistics of the two sides. Developing cultural ties within the framework of the Agreement on Cultural Cooperation of 1999 and facilitating people-to-people contacts remain a matter of priority for us. Cooperation of the two governments and civil societies facilitated landmark events which have been organized recently, including Buddhism in Russia exhibition at the expo premises of the majestic Shwedagon Paya. The number of tourists from Russia is almost doubling each year reflecting the keen interest of the people of my country to the cultural

richness, unique traditions and natural beauty of the Golden Myanmar. The two sides continued adherence to the UN Charter and principles of the international laws, our mutual support for promoting multilateral cooperation in resolving differences and conflicts, including the internal ones, provide solid foundations for cooperative efforts within internationals institutions. Moscow stands for full and final lifting of all sanctions against Myanmar. We favor objective, non-confrontational and respectful attitude from the international community towards the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. Independent and active foreign policy of Myanmar is an important contribution to the global peace and security. We highly appreciate the role Myanmar had played as the Coordinator of the RussiaASEAN Partnership Dialogue and are looking forward to the upcoming Chairmanship of Myanmar in the regional organization. Russia wishes Myanmar every success in leading the concerted efforts of the ASEAN member states and welcomes its enhancing role as an active and respected member of the community of sovereign nations.

H.E. VASILY B. POSPELOV

This year, in commemoration of the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries, a number of Russian senior officials visited Myanmar, including the Foreign Minister Sergei V. Lavrov and the Minister of Defense Sergei K. Shoigu. During the meeting of the Russian Foreign Minister with the President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar U Thein Sein and the two Ministers talks with their Myanmar counterparts the two sides made an overview of achievements and discussed steps to strengthen ties in the future. The outcomes of the meetings demonstrated that the two sides continued commitment to close partnership opens up prospects for further advancing cooperation at bilateral, regional and global levels in the mutual interests of our two friendly nations. Vasily B. Pospelov Ambassador of Russia

Siberia and Russias Far East: a Gateway to the Asia-Pacific Region

In the recent decade the Asia-Pacific Region is steadily gaining a growing importance as one of the driving forces of global economy. The ongoing integration dynamics within the ASEAN and its deepening ties with Australia, China, India, Japan, Russia, USA and other powers make the focus of world politics increasingly shifting to the region. These processes coincide with Russias development efforts in Siberia and the countrys Far East which are aimed at opening up an enormous economic potential of these vast territories and intensifying cooperation with the regional neighbors in a wide range of areas, including energy, agriculture and transportation. Geographical position of this part of Russia makes it the countrys major gateway to and a natural connectivity link with other Asia-Pacific states. Situated to the east off the Urals mountain range, that divides Russia into its European and Asian parts in geographical terms, Siberia and the Far East together constitute about two thirds of Russias total territory, occupying more than five million square miles (or almost 10 percent of Earths land surface). The exploration of Siberia tricts, namely Altai, Buryatya, Tuva and Khalassia have predominately Buddhist population. The local Buddhists are followers of Mahayana tradition represented by Tibetian religious schools. Todays center of Buddhism in Russia is the monastery Ivolginski Datsan near Ulan Ude, the capital city of Buryatya. The monasterys rich collection of relics and ancient scriptures attracts thousands of pilgrims and students of Buddhism from Russia and abroad. The outmost eastern point of the Trans-Siberian Railway is the port city of Vladivostok, founded in 1860 as a naval and trade outpost facing the Pacific. Today Vladivostok is a major commercial port connecting Russia with its trade partners via sea routes. Last year the city successfully hosted the APEC-2012 Summit held in the nearby Russki Island and is set to become the primary trade and connectivity point between Russia and Asia-Pacific. In addition, the new university complex in the Russki Island is to become the primary higher education institution promoting cooperation between Russian and its AsiaPacific partners through students exchange programs and joint research activities.

Port city Vladivostok

The Buddhist monastery Ivolginksy Datsan

The lake Baikal

The Siberian (Amur) tiger

started in 16 century with a growing number of Russian trade settlements and fortified outposts appearing further to the East from the boundaries of the then Moscow Tsardom. The name Sibier became first known in Europe in 1595 when Gerardus Mercator printed the map the Eurasia. By the mid-17th century the Russian explorers reached the Pacific coast and the modern history of this vast region had started. Inclusion of Siberia has had a lasting and powerful impact on the Russias history, opening up the new horizons and launching a centuries-long creative labor that had formative influences on the Russian national character. The region has proven to be one of the worlds richest deposits of natural resources. Discoveries of gold, diamonds, rare stones and metals, oil and natural gas at different stages contributed to the rise of Siberia and the Far East as one of the pillars
th

of economic development and national wealth. Within the last decade the region has been emerging as a major supplier of hydrocarbons to international markets with construction of the Eastern Siberian oil pipeline and development of the Sakhalin natural gas deposits. In terms of its production capacity, the Sakhalin LNG plant is one of the regions leading operators contributing to balancing the growing demand in environment-friendly sources of energy in the Far East and South-East Asia. In the 20th century the region had become a home to a number of research institutes under the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science which accumulated leading scientists in the fields of mathematics, theoretical and applied physics. This gave rise to development of a number of modern industries, including IT and aviation. Today Siberia is one of the Russias major avia-

tion and airspace industrial centers with world leading brands like Sukhoi having research and production base here. Over the years a number of hydropower projects were completed on Siberian mighty rivers, making the regional power generation sector one of the leading in Russia in terms of production capacity and price efficiency. Due to geographical location, shipbuilding industry has become a significant component of the local economy. Throughout the history of the regions exploration one of the challenges has always been the task of developing in-land transportation routes which would connect remote areas with the central parts of Russia. In the beginning of the 20th century, following a two decades-long construction work, the Trans-Siberian Railway finally connected Moscow with the Russias Pacific port Vladivostok. Later on additional stretches were constructed, providing rail-

way connectivity with Beijing (China) and Ulan Bator (Mongolia). An incredibly long rail route, with almost 10 thousand km between its two endpoints, allows a travel from European capitals, via connections in Moscow and Sankt-Petersburg, to the most remote end of the Russian Far East. Along its way the TransSiberian Railway passes through fascinating landscapes of Siberia, giving the traveler a chance to enjoy the regions scenic natural beauty. One of the primary places of interest is the Lake Baikal, the worlds deepest natural lake that contains nearly onefifth of the planets fresh water. The Siberian ecosystem abounds unique flora and fauna. Along with other rare species, it is the natural habitat of Siberian (Amur) tiger, the biggest wild cat on Earth. Siberia is a homeland of many nationalities with rich cultural heritage and diverse traditions. Four Siberian dis-

10 News BRIEFS
The charitable arm of US company General Electric will partner with the Ministry of Health to improve conditions for women giving birth in state hospitals in Yangon. GE Foundation said in a statement on June 4 that its Developing Health Globally program would expand into Myanmar, Cambodia and Indonesia. In Myanmar, it will work with the Ministry of Health and non-profit health organisation Jhpiego over three years to decrease maternal sepsis at government-operated, district-level hospitals and health centres, as well as strengthen other aspects of maternal care, the foundation said. The GE Foundation is pleased to expand Developing Health Globally to include Myanmar, Cambodia and Indonesia, GE Foundation president and chairman Bob Corcoran said. We are dedicated to working in concert with ministries of health in the region on their most pressing health challenges. Myanmar is not on track to meet the Millennium Development Goals for maternal and infant survival, and the foundation said maternal sepsis is a particular problem in national hospitals. The program will initially focus on the Central Womens Hospital in Yangon, which will serve as the program hub. Two nearby district hospitals will also serve as partner sites, it said. GE Foundation will also provide the tools and equipment necessary for safe birthing and the treatment of newborn respiratory distress and jaundice, it said. Thomas Kean

THE MYANMAR TIMES June 10 - 16, 2013

Yangon GE partners with health ministry

Ital-Thai to scale down Dawei involvement: MIC

Aung Shin koshumgtha@gmail.com ITALIAN-THAI Development will step aside as the developer of the Dawei Special Economic Zone, a Myanmar government official told The Myanmar Times last week. Thura U Thaung Lwin, chairman of the Dawei projects management committee, said on June 5, the first day of the World Economic Forum in Nay Pyi Taw, that Ital-Thai did not have enough money to develop the huge site. Italian-Thai has agreed to step aside from this project, he said. The project requires a huge investment. [But] Ital-Thai will bid for work within the project when we call tenders for investment at Dawei. Myanmar and Thai government officials will discuss the Dawei project in a high-level meeting to be held in the third week of June in Bangkok, which will also be attended by Japanese investors and government officials. Japan will participate in the meeting, Thura U Thaung Lwin said. We are going to discuss in detail the process of tenders for the Dawei project. We have agreed with Italian-Thai for it to be compensated for the money it has invested, said Thura U Thaung Lwin, who was recently elected as co-secretary of Myanmar Investment Commission. He added that some components of the SEZ would be shifted to avoid relocating villages but details of these changes to the project will be decided during the June discussions. Japan stated its interest in the Dawei project during the three-day visit of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in late May. President U Thein Sein said Japan would be an investor in Dawei during a meeting in Nay Pyi Taw on May 30 concerning special economic zones. Ital-Thai and Myanmar Port Authority signed a framework agreement for the Dawei project in 2010. The ambitious project was to cover 250 square kilometres, with the first phase projected to cost nearly US$9 billion. Ital-Thai was granted a 60-year concession for the project, which was due to incorporate a deep-sea port and huge industrial estate. However, the project was quickly beset by problems, notably the refusal by Myanmars government in January 2012 for a 4000-megawatt coal-fired plant to generate electricity for the site. The Myanmar and Thai governments then signed an agreement in 2012 to bring the project forward amid delays from Ital-Thai, which was unable to secure investors and funding. President U Thein Sein and Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra have met multiple times to discuss the project.

Democracy is best, warts and all: Albright

Nan Tin Htwe
nantin.htwe@gmail.com ALTHOUGH democracy is far from perfect, it is still the best and only political system that ensures that the government serves the people, former United States Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said in a speech in Yangon on June 4. I believe democracy is the best system even though it has weaknesses. One of the weaknesses is that its relatively slow. So it has both advantages and disadvantages, Ms Albright told the audience at Yangon Universitys Diamond Jubilee Hall. What is required is to be able to put yourself in the other persons shoes, to be able to understand what the other person is trying to say. And compromise is very important. Ms Albright who was the first woman to serve as the US secretary of state, holding the position from 1997 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton said democracy is a process that requires proper attention and that under the system, time needs to be used wisely. Speaking to an audience that included US ambassador to Myanmar Derek Mitchell, as well as leaders from Myanmars political and civil society sectors, she said that a successful democracy is not possible without trust between the parliament and president, trust among different political parties and trust between the people and governing institutions including the military. We all know what happens when there is no trust, because we have witnessed it, said Ms Albright, who first visited Myanmar 18 years ago. Election results are ignored, free speech is treated as a crime, minority groups are persecuted, educators are forced to teach lies instead of the truth and those with power abuse it, often enriching themselves at the countrys expense. In a truly democratic system, leaders as well as citizens are answerable to the law, the armed forces are subject to civilian control and, no matter which party is in the majority, the rights of the opposition are preserved. Ms Albright who now serves as head of the National Democracy Institute, a US government-supported institution based in Washington DC added that it takes time to build democratic institutions, as well as to create a parliament that functions, courts

Police have identified the body of a man who was hit by a train in Mandalay Region late last month. The mans head was found under the Mandalay-bound train when it stopped at Kyaukse train station at 5:30pm on May 30. A search was launched along the railway line and a few hours later police located his body at bridge No 523, near Sipin village in Yamethin township. He was identified as a 32-yearold resident of Lepyinthar village in Yamethin. Si Thu Lwin, translated by Zar Zar Soe

Kyaukse Body of man hit by train found

Malaysian police said on June 6 that they had detained more than 900 Myanmar nationals in a security sweep after at least two were killed last week in clashes believed to be linked to sectarian violence back home. The two dead were likely Myanmar Buddhists killed during a spate of violent incidents in Kuala Lumpur since May 30, said Amar Singh Ishar Singh, the Malaysian capitals deputy police chief. He added that two other people were in critical condition and the attacks were believed to be the result of violence in Myanmar. The operation is to send a clear message to stop this nonsense and not bring the violence over to Malaysia, Mr Amar said. He gave no details on the attacks but Malaysian media reports, which said as many as four may have died, have suggested Buddhists came under attack from their Muslim countrymen seeking vengeance over violence back in Myanmar. Mr Amar said more than 250 of those detained in Malaysia were handed over to immigration authorities as they lacked proper documentation. The rest were released and no formal arrests have yet been made as investigations continue, he said. Myanmar on June 4 called on Malaysia to take action against those responsible for the attacks and protect Myanmar citizens. AFP

Kuala Lumpur Malaysia detains Myanmar nationals after violence

Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright speaks at Yangon University on June 4. Photo: Boothee

that are fair and security forces that will protect, rather than endanger, the people. But the most vital, and often the most time-consuming, requirement of all is to replace suspicion with trust, she said. One of the paramount challenges in any society and especially a democracy is to ensure that differences of ethnicity, religion and language are building blocks not obstacles to the unity of the whole. She said everyone wants the right to think, speak and worship freely, but these desires are not what make democracy work. Democracy depends on our com-

In a truly democratic system, leaders as well as citizens are answerable to the law.
Madalene Albright Former US secretary of state

mitment to honour the rights of others, and on having a government that will safeguard those rights fully, fairly and for all, she said, adding that leaders from every social and political sector must stand together in opposing any evidence of prejudice, discrimination and persecution. During her visit to Myanmar from May 31 to June 5, Ms Albright met with President U Thein Sein, National League for Democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and political and civil society leaders. Ms Albright observed that Myanmar is home to a wide variety of ethnic groups and religious communities, which must work to prevent outbreaks of intolerance and even violence. There was a time when, because of the colour of his skin, President Obama would not have been allowed to vote, and the same is true of me because of my gender, she said. She said the US has witnessed periods during which religious minorities were persecuted, racism was widespread and the divide over the great sin of slavery resulted in a long and bloody civil war. The United States survived and grew only because we were able to

learn from our mistakes and because we tried hard to live up to the democratic promise of equal rights and opportunity, Ms Albright said. When I was in Yangon 18 years ago, she added, the leaders of your military assured me that without their dictatorship providing a strong hand at the top, your society would fall apart. She said there will always be people who, like Myanmars former military government, insist that freedom is not possible in a diverse country or that the citizens of a poor country cannot be trusted to make decisions for themselves or that some populations are not ready for democracy. My own belief is that no one has ever truly been ready for anything else but democracy, she said. Ms Albright emphasised that the recent sectarian violence between Muslim and Buddhist communities in Myanmar was unacceptable. Innocent people should never be compelled to live in fear. Ultimately, the people of a country in a democracy must oppose such threats and decide what kind of country they want to live in and upon what principles their country will be based, she said.

www.mmtimes.com

News 11

Land rights must take central position in peace process: report

Maria Danmark
mariadn@mail.dmjx.dk

ABOUT 673,000 Myanmar living in refugee camps on the Thai border and internally displaced camps in Myanmar are unable to return to homes in part because of concerns over housing, land and property rights, said a report released last week. The report, Bridging the Housing, Land and Property Gap, by Displacement Solutions, said an estimated 458,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) within Myanmar and 215,000 refugees from Myanmar living in camps along the Thai border cannot return home, despite general recognition of the importance of housing, land and property (HLP) rights and ongoing political reforms. According to its website, Displaced Solutions is a not-for-profit international initiative that carries out relief projects designed to secure sustainable livelihood options for refugees and displaced persons within the context of protecting their housing, land and property rights. Geoff Myint, a Displacement Solutions consultant, said he hopes the report will be used as an opportunity to encourage people who are engaged in the peace process to think seriously about land issues. We feel that if they are not considering these land rights, then the process could be prolonged or even reignite a new conflict, he said. The report makes a series of specific recommendations to the government, ethnic groups and the international community on how to address land issues, particularly as part of peace negotiations. Scott Leckie, author of the report and Displacement Solutions director, said: Everyone needs to realise that a lot of the conflicts in Myanmar emerge from problems over HLP rights. These rights need to be seen as a source of the conflict, but at the same time they are also a solution to years of conflict. The report states that HLP issues have been giving more attention dur-

ing peace discussions but no clear positions by the government or armed ethnic groups have been placed on the negotiating table. To compile the report, Displacement Solutions interviewed a number of ethnic groups in Mon, Kayin, Kayah and Shan states to understand what concerns these groups have regarding HLP rights. In the interviews it was certain that people were thinking about land issues but not in a very concrete way, Mr Myint said. Generally speaking, they were concerned that the investment climate has changed, where a lot of investment from the private sector is coming in and the concern is that this has created conditions for the erosion of HLP rights in these areas. A lot of civil society groups are concerned that the peace process, especially from the government side, is kind of a development peace process, where the government wants to bring in hydropower projects and mega development projects and that these things will increase land issues and displacement for local communities, he said. At the presentation of the report at Sedona Hotel on June 3, Mr Myint outlined recommendations for the government and armed ethnic groups. Among the eight recommendations for the government was that it ensure that all peace, voluntary repatriation and return agreements with ethnic groups fully comply with international law and best practices with respect to HLP rights of refugees and IDPs. The role of the two land laws that were adopted in 2012 seriously need to be looked into, Mr Leckie said. In fact,

We feel that if they are not considering these land rights, then the peace process could be prolonged.
Geoff Myint Displacement Solutions consultant

they are obstacles to the peace process and were not subjected to the normal process of democratic lawmaking throughout the world. These two land laws and the ideology behind them are really legacies of the former government. Ultimately, the laws should be repealed and replaced by democratically chosen, popularly driven and legal processes. Only that will create a legal framework that will be sufficient to build sustainable peace in the country, he said. Mr Leckie added that it would not necessarily take a long time to reform the land laws. These laws were not subject to massive public inputs, hearings or other kinds of processes that are normal when you pass laws of that significance in democratic countries, he said. It would normally take a long time to get a law passed, but when the government is able to pass a law that quickly, it should also be able to reverse it quickly. He added that one outcome of the 2012 laws was the establishment of a system of land registration for farmers, which provided land use certificates that gave the right to sell and lease the land but did not give them freehold ownership. According to the report, only 15 percent of farmers have certificates. Many actors in the country are concerned that these laws dont adequately protect small farmers but instead benefit investors and the private sector, Mr Myint said. As the land laws are today, customary land tenure is not recognised, which means that people dont have official and individual land titling. Instead, several ethnic groups have started issuing their own informal land titles in their jurisdictions but Mr Leckie said he did not believe that is the correct way to move forward. Im not saying it is a good thing or a bad thing, he said. On the one hand, they are considering the issue important enough to make their own policies and regulations but on the other hand, it will make an already complex situation even more complicated. But they are only doing this because all other official options are simply seen as completely inadequate.

Refugees from Myanmar stand beside a river at the Mae La refugee camp near the Thai-Myanmar border. Photo: AFP

Small-scale farmers need government support, says Oxfam

Thomas Kean tdkean@gmail.com NON-GOVERNMENT organisation Oxfam has warned that small-scale farmers are unlikely to benefit from reforms unless the government undertakes policy measures that level the playing field in the sector. If Myanmar is to meet its ambitions on equitable growth, political leaders must put new policies and regulation to generate equitable growth at the heart of their democratic reform agenda, the organisation said in a report released on June 5. These must address power inequalities in the markets, put smallscale farmers at the centre of new agricultural investments and close loopholes in law and practice that leave the poorest open to land-rights abuses, it said. The warning came as about 1000 representatives from some of the worlds largest firms gathered in Nay Pyi Taw from June 5-7 for the World Economic Forum on East Asia. Myanmars rapid reforms have prompted its former foes in the West to lift most of their economic sanctions and also sparked a global race to enter one of the worlds last untouched markets. It is this interest from potential investors, however, that Oxfam said could condemn Myanmars already struggling farmers to a future in which they are poor, powerless and risk being even further marginalised. [D]ecision makers in Myanmar face a choice: the path to growth for all, or the path to growth for the few, it said. After such a long investment drought, the temptation may be to seize every opportunity as if it were the last. But the pace of change magnifies the risks as well as the opportunities, especially for the poorest. Targeted regulation, investment support and policy initiatives that are actively designed to level the playing field and protect the rights of the most marginalised can support small-scale farmers and businesses to grow and prosper. The report pointed to the contrasting examples of Vietnam and Cambodia, where gross domestic product growth in the latter has been faster but the benefits spread less widely. The doi moi reforms launched in Vietnam helped slash poverty rates from about 60 percent in the early 1990s to 20.7pc in 2010, based on World Bank figures, with average growth of 5-7pc a year. While Cambodia grew at an average of 9.8pc a year between 1999 and 2007, it came at a high cost: Environmental and social rights have been ignored and abused, particularly over the issue of land. [P]oorly managed land concessions have led to widespread land-grabs and conflicts between local communities and foreign firms. In Myanmars agriculture sector, the government has taken steps to encourage investment as a means, it said, of improving efficiency through mechanisation. As The Myanmar Times reported last week, the area of land concessions held by private and state-run companies more than doubled between January 31, 2011, and March 31, 2012, and further growth is expected in the next set of figures. The Oxfam report urges the government and private sector in Myanmar to support, rather than replace, small-scale farmers and in particular take steps to help them produce higher yields. These steps include improving financial and human resources for township-level agriculture bodies, boosting access to affordable credit and investing more in agriculture infrastructure. But it also notes that small-scale farmers lack power in the marketplace, and are often undermined by powerful interests. They have limited bargaining power, and dont have enough weight to negotiate and set prices, with the result that they participate in the market on poor terms. It recommends that the government support the development of producer organisations that would allow farmers to work collectively. Additionally, new land laws introduced in early 2012 still leave people in Myanmar open to abuses, particularly because they do not recognise customary tenure, such as rotational cultivation. The government of Myanmar must close the loopholes in the current laws to ensure that people living and working on the land are protected, and must guarantee that new deals are negotiated and implemented transparently, with full consultation with affected communities, the report said.

12 News

THE MYANMAR TIMES June 10 - 16, 2013

Public transport at heart of city plan for Yangon, says JICA

Aye Nyein Win ayenyeinwin.mcm@gmail.com Thiha Toe thihatoe.tht@gmail.com IMPROVING public transport is the foundation of Japan International Cooperation Agencys aims for its comprehensive medium- and long-term development vision for greater Yangon by 2040, it was announced last week. JICA is cooperating with the Yangon Region government and Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) to develop the plans. JICA held a seminar on the strategic urban development plan of greater Yangon at Chatrium Hotel on June 5. The seminar, which consisted of two sessions, featured presentations from Myanmar and Japanese experts and was opened by U Myint Swe, chief minister of Yangon Region and mayor of the city. Our Yangon Region government is continuously implementing our best efforts to shape the city to be a green and golden city through sustainable development plans, he said. We intend to supply the city with a better urban environment enriched with healthy air and greenery, and for it to be an environmentally friendly urbanised city, he said. U Myint Swe said YCDC is upgrading the citys infrastructure and public utilities for all residents. JICA is cooperating with YCDC and the regional government to formulate an urban development master plan for Yangon, but Mr Takashi Shoyama, team leader of the Comprehensive Urban Transport Plan of Greater Yangon, said the citys public transport faces a number of problems. My opinion on the bus transport network in Yangon [is that] there are not enough buses and theres a need for greater safety for commuters, he said. Commuters are complaining daily of the long waits and crowded buses. There are also not enough traffic lights at junctions. He said rapid increases in the number of vehicles on the road as well as infrastructure projects to widen roads, build flyovers and reconfigure intersections have combined to create huge traffic jams. JICA data presented during the seminars showed public transportation in Yangon is used by 90 percent of the citys occupants, but only 3pc of people use the circular railway. The railway has eight lines three main lines and five branches that travel about 148 kilometres and include 80 stations. JICA estimates that by 2040 about 30pc of public transport will be on the circular railway, which will be lengthened to 350km and will have at least eight main lines. Yangons circular railway has a low market share and few terminals, he said. There is also little maintenance on the trains or lines, which needs to be improved. And more lines must be added, as well as urban mass rapid transit networks and feeder transport such as monorails and light railway transit, he added. Railway transportation is critical to urban transport. The circular railway in Yangon was the first in Southeast Asia but the improvement of it has been very slow compared with other countries. U Kyaw Latt, an advisor to YCDC, said 66pc of commuters go to workplaces downtown, adding that a second central business district (CBD) needed to be established. Its a fact that a lot of the traffic congestion is due to cars parked on the roads, Mr Shoyama said. We can see a lot of the cars parked in lanes and streets and causing jams, but there are no good rules to solve this issue. We need laws to solve this problem. For example, for new building within the CBD, parking should be strongly considered. And parking on main roads within the CBD should be limited, while more pavement should be built.

Harjit Gill, chief executive officer of Philips ASEAN and Pacific, and U Thant Myint-U, chairman of the Yangon Heritage Trust, hold a sample of the plaques that will be placed on buildings of historical importance in Yangon, at a ceremony in Nay Pyi Taw on June 5. Photo: Soe Than Lynn

Philips partners with Heritage Trust

Tim McLaughlin timothy.mclaughlin3@gmail.com DUTCH conglomerate Philips has entered into a partnership with the Yangon Heritage Trust to assist in the lighting and preservation of Yangons historical buildings. The partnership, announced in Nay Pyi Taw on June 5, a day prior to the opening of the World Economic Forum, will see Philips contribute US$75,000 to the creation of around 200 blue plaques, which will be placed at key Yangon heritage sites and feature historical information. Amidst all the changes in Myanmar, we believe its critically important to ensure we protect the beautiful and historically important city of Yangon, said U Thant Myint-U. This is part of recovering our history. The LED illuminated plagues will have information in both Myanmar and English. About 15 are scheduled to be installed over the next month on buildings south of Sule Pagoda toward Strand Road, U Thant Myint-U said. More will be added over the course of this year and early 2014. The cooperation with the Yangon Heritage Trust is part of Philips larger push into Myanmar, which will see it open seven new stores in Yangon Region in the coming months, said Harjit Gill, chief executive officer of Philips ASEAN and Pacific. The company opened its first store in Yangon in March. Philips officials have been eager to expand their presence in Myanmar since the European Union lifted almost all of its sanctions against Myanmar in April. Philips operates across three sectors: consumer electronics, lighting and healthcare. Ms Gill, who is also a panelist at the World Economic Forum, where she will discuss Myanmars electricity supply woes, said the company was looking at expanding into solar offgrid options for lighting in rural areas and upgrades to Yangon General Hospital, where Philips began work earlier this year. She said the company has no concrete plans for new partnerships but is discussing a number of future projects.

Sagaing villagers lobby to close factories

Complaint over four Great Wall factories in Sagaing Regions Tigyaing township to be heard in Supreme Court on June 14 Soe Than Lynn
soethanlynn@gmail.com

A BUSINESSMAN recently honoured by the president is facing a legal battle from residents seeking to have four of his factories in their region shut down. The case, which was dismissed from the Sagaing Region High Court on November 16, 2012, will be heard in Nay Pyi Taws Supreme Court from June 14. The residents from Sagaing Regions Tigyaing township say the four businesses a sugar mill, an ethanol and methanol factory, a distillery and a plywood factory are causing massive pollution to the local environment, including pumping wastewater directly into the Ayeyarwady River. The factories are owned by U Tin Maung of Great Wall Company, who received an Excellence Award from President U Thein Sein on April 30 for his contribution to economic development.

The complaint was submitted by lawyer U Sein Hla on behalf of residents in Maungkone village-tract. U Sein Hla told The Myanmar Times that he and 14 residents would have to testify in the Supreme Court on June 14. He said they would testify that the sugar mill and liquor distillery generate an unpleasant smell that affects around 50 nearby villages and that wastewater pumped into nearby waterways had killed some cattle. Since they opened the factories have released wastewater as they please. The wastewater is being directly discharged into the Ayeyarwady River, he said. Wells have been closed because their water was undrinkable. Because the veneer factory operates illegally at nighttime it is unsafe for workers. In October 2012, three workers two females and one male were killed. Another two were also injured, he said. Farmland was acquired to make way for these factories. The original land owners have become tenant farmers and there are many cases in of payments for sugar and wages not being fulfilled. Thats why we filed a

complaint to close the four factories owned by Great Wall U Tin Maung, he said. A senior official from the company, who asked not to be named, said the factories have been temporarily closed while wastewater management practices are improved. He also conceded that the four factories pro-

have been asked to come to work in August. He said outstanding debts would also be paid on June 15. After that, we plan to disburse advance payments to farmers to grow sugar cane [under contract], he said. But U Sein Hla said the ethanol and veneer factories are still operat-

The wastewater is being directly discharged into the Ayeyarwady River.

U Sein Hla Mandalay-based lawyer

duced a foul odour during last year. However, he denied that wastewater had been directly pumped into the river. Water was only discharged after sediment had been removed, he said. Both the ethanol plant and veneer plant have stopped operating but we are still paying 25 to 50 percent of the wages to workers. They

ing at night. Wastewater was not treated before discharging into the river. Nor did they pay peasants at appointed time in batches. What he said is not true. He is lying. If you want to know the reality, you can come to Maungkone village and see for yourself. U Sein Hla ran in the 2010 election as an independent candidate in

Mandalays Chan Aye Tharsan township and in the 2012 by-elections he stood as an independent in Maha Aung Myay township, losing to the National League for Democracys U Ohn Kyaing. For the past 10 months, he has been living near the factories in Maungkone village. The local people sought my help so I went there from Mandalay and saw how the factories operate for more than 10 months, he said. U Sein Hla said the decision to present an award to U Tin Maung had harmed President U Thein Seins image among the residents of Tigyaing. Others honoured at the ceremony included U Aung Ko Win of Kanbawza Group and U Chit Khine of Eden Group. He said residents had also applied for permission to peacefully demonstrate against the decision to give U Tin Maung the award. I dont have confidence in a government that gave a person like this a state award so I submitted an application to protest to the township police chief on May 7. But so far I havent received permission, he said. Translated by Thit Lwin

14 News

THE MYANMAR TIMES June 10 - 16, 2013

Thai Buddhist leader lectures in Yangon

Cherry Thein t.cherry6@gmail.com THAI Buddhist leader Ajan Sulak Sivareksa, who is known for his compassionate and socially engaged Buddhist practices and philosophy, will give a public talk in Yangon on June 11. Ajan Sulak Sivareksa, who founded the International Network of Engaged Buddhism, will speak about Buddhism and nonviolence at Royal Rose Restaurant from 9am to noon. Ratawit Ouaprachanon, the Myanmar program coordinator of Spirit in Education Movement, said the lecture will follow the Buddhist leaders participation in the World Economic Forum in Nay Pyi Taw from June 5-7. Ajarn Sulak was originally invited to Myanmar to take part in WEF, but he wanted to organise other events aimed at supporting peace-building and addressing conflicts between Buddhists and Muslims, Mr Ratawit said. In a speech delivered in Bangkok on May 12, Ajarn Sulak Sivaraksa said the people of Myanmar should be more careful and mindful during the period of transition to democracy. Myanmar has to be more careful, he said. Violence is a threat. It creates fear in the population. People hope that by acquiring something, they will overcome the threat. But you can never overcome a general state of insecurity. He said it was important to remember that there were good people from different faiths who were making efforts to spread the message of metta (loving kindness), tolerance and multiculturalism. He said humility, compassion and wisdom were necessary to tackle social structures that are violent and unjust. Ajarn Sulak Sivaraksa added that the five Buddhist precepts provided useful guidelines for preventing violence against ourselves and others. The first precept is to abstain from violence against life. If you break this precept, it leads to suffering for humans or animals, he said. Breaking any of the five precepts can promote hatred and violence, which can lead to harming ourselves and others. So we should undertake the goal of maintaining the five precepts to prevent such harm. The five Buddhist precepts are abstinence from taking life, stealing, engaging in sexual misconduct, lying and drinking alcohol.

UNICEF releases annual report on worlds children

This years State of the Worlds Children report highlights the social stigmas and discrimination faced by young people living with disabilities
Yamon Phoo thit yamon89@gmail.com Jessica Mudditt jess.mudditt@gmail.com A REPORT released late last month by the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has found that disabled children are among the most marginalised populations in the world. The State of the Worlds Children 2013 report, which was launched in Vietnam on May 30, found that the socioeconomic status of people living with disabilities is significantly lower than national averages, and that young people with disabilities are far less likely to attend high school or have access to health care. UNICEF publishes a State of the Worlds Children report each year, using data and evidence to track the progress of children in a variety of countries and regions around the world. This years report recommends that government support be provided to families so they can meet the higher costs of living and lost opportunities to earn income associated with caring for children with disabilities. The report also found that girls with disabilities are less likely to get an education, receive vocational training or find employment than are boys with disabilities or girls without disabilities. When you walk along the streets or go to a school, you dont see signs of disability in versity is becoming a key skill in modern societies, he said. Myanmar has ratified the United Nations Convention on Disability, which Mr Bainvel said he believes is a useful starting point because it leads to reviewing policies and standards. A comprehensive sector review on education is underway in Myanmar, and Mr Bainvel said the UNICEF reports findings will better inform the process so that education in Myanmar can become more equitable. According to the National Disability Survey conducted by the UN Development Program in 2009, Myanmar has a disability prevalence of 2.32 percent, which amounts to about 1.2 million people out of an estimated population of more than 60 million. Mg Aung Myin Thu is 20 years old and deaf. Using sign language translated by his father, he told The Myanmar Times that he doesnt consider himself different from anyone else. We are the same. I am able to do everything, but my skills are different, he said. When Mg Aung Myin Thu goes shopping or takes a bus, he writes what he is looking for on a piece of paper. He also enjoys playing football and is a member of the Myanmar Disabled Sports Federation. UNICEF hopes to encourage a greater number of disabled people to take part in sporting activities, as well as other aspects of community life. To publicise the release of the report, a Special Olympicssponsored event will be held at Aung San Stadium in Yangon on June 14 and will include a 60-metre relay race. It is expected that the event will attract large numbers of families, as well as government officials. The true spirit of the Olympics is that everyone participates, Mr Bainvel said.

Breaking any of the five precepts can promote hatred and violence, which can lead to harming ourselves and others.

A report released by UNICEF on May 30 found that girls with disabilities are less likely to get an education than are boys with disabilities or girls without disabilities . Photo: Seng Mai

Ajan Sulak Sivareksa Thai Buddhist leader

Myanmar. [Disabled people] are invisible this is nothing surprising because it happens everywhere in the world, the UNICEF representative to Myanmar, Bertrand Bainvel, told

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), a Japanese governmental organization responsible for implementing Official Development Assistance (ODA) in developing countries such as Technical Cooperation, ODA Loans and Grant Aid, JICA Myanmar Office is seeking Programme Assistant posts for its expanded works in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. (1) Job Description for Programme Assistant: The Programme Assistant will be responsible for:- assisting in planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Projects and Programs - organizing seminars and workshops - undertaking public relations activities - assisting in data collection, compilation, data analysis and writing reports - handling operation and logistic matters Eligible candidate for Program Assistant should possess following qualifications; - University graduate - Fluent in English (reading, writing, speaking) - Age less than 45 years - Good relationship with Myanmar governmental offices - Ability to work in a team and maintain harmonious relationship with other staff - More than 5 years of working experience in the organization/s - Good computer skills and knowledge of Word, Excel & Power Point Duration of Assignment: From July 2013 (negotiable), yearly renewal upon satisfactory performance How to apply: Qualified and interested persons are requested to send the applications with updated C.V, educational credentials and references to JICA Myanmar Office, Room 701, 7th Floor, Sakura Tower, No. 339, Bokyoke Aung San Road, Kyauktada Township, Yangon, not later than 28 June 2013. Note: Only short listed candidates will be contacted for subsequent interviews.

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), a Japanese governmental organization responsible for implementing Official Development Assistance (ODA) in developing countries such as Technical Cooperation, ODA Loans and Grant Aid, JICA Myanmar Office is seeking a Receptionist (Female) for its expanded works in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. Key responsibilities: - Welcoming and receiving incoming international and local visitors and telephone calls - Managing incoming and outgoing letters and documents, making copy, and other duties as appropriate - Establishing and ensuring effective working relationship with visitors - Establishing effective communication and working relationship with government counterpart organizations - Keeping records of incoming and outgoing mails - Carrying out any other duties that may arise from time to time Eligible candidate should possess following qualifications; - university degree - fluent in English (reading, writing, speaking) - age less than 30 years - ability to work in a team and maintain harmonious relationship with other staff and other organizations and - good computer skill and knowledge of Word, Excel & Power Point, e-mail and internet Duration of Assignment: From July 2013 (negotiable), with possibility of yearly renewal upon satisfactory performance. How to apply: Qualified and interested persons are requested to send the applications with updated C.V, educational credentials and references to JICA Myanmar Office, Room 701, 7th Floor Sakura Tower, No.339, Bogyoke Aung San Road, Kyauktada Township, Yangon not later than at 28 June 2013. Note: Only short listed candidates will be contacted for subsequent interviews.

The Myanmar Times on June 5. Mr Bainvel said it was important to work with parents, as well as with schools, to change social attitudes, because, due to the stigma associated with disabilities. Sometimes parents are a bit afraid of sending children to schools, he said. Promoting inclusiveness by installing wheelchair access ramps, for example, results in benefits for the entire student population. Studies in other countries have found that it teaches children about diversity and about skills that are essential in the modern world, Mr Bainvel said. The ability to embrace di-

www.mmtimes.com
EXCLUSIVE

News 15

Shan army chief warns KIO over talks

TIM MCLAUGHLIN
timothy.mclaughlin3@gmail.com

THE commander of the Shan State Army-South says he is highly doubtful that the recent agreement in Kachin State will end fighting in the region. Speaking exclusively to The Myanmar Times on May 31, Lieutenant General Yawd Serk said the failure of his own groups ceasefire with the government, agreed in December 2011, should serve as a warning to the Kachin Independence Organisation. In recent months northern Shan State has seen regular clashes between the SSA-South and the Tatmadaw, with dozens of soldiers reportedly killed. We believe that the agreements made between the Kachin and Burmese government will not be able to be implemented, said Lt Gen Yawd Serk, who is also the head of the SSA-Souths

We have agreements and the Burmese government did not follow them.
Lieutenant General Yawd Serk Head of the Shan State Army-South

political wing, the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS). We have agreements and the Burmese government did not follow the agreements, he said. We have no trust in the agreements. The Myanmar Times spoke to Lt Gen Yawd Serk on the sidelines of a large gathering of Shan leaders from May 30 to June 2 on the Thai-Myanmar border, to discuss a variety of issues related to Shan State, including the possibility of new peace talks with the government. Lt Gen Yawd Serk said he and other high-ranking SSA-South officers sent a letter to head government peace negotiator U Aung Min on May 27 aimed at reviving peace talks. The letter proposed the formation of a peace monitoring committee and fresh talks between Lt Gen Yawd Serk and government officials. It also proposed that Tatmadaw troops stick to populated areas of Shan State to avoid more clashes with the SSA-South. The most recent fighting between the government and SSA-South came on May 17-21 when, according to Lt Gen Yawd Serk, members of an RCSS anti-narcotics taskforce were targeted by the Tatmadaw while on a poppy eradication mission along the Chinese border. The SSA-South said 10 Tatmadaw and two of its own soldiers were killed during the clashes. No Tatmadaw officials could be reached to confirm the number killed. The SSA-South says that about 40,000 Tatmadaw troops are deployed in Shan State.

Shan State Army soldiers parade during an officers graduation ceremony at Doi Taileang in Myanmar in 2006. Photo: AFP

When we send our anti-narcotics task force into the area, they [commanders] send Burmese troops to attack, said Lt Gen Yawd Serk, who became the leader of the Shan group 16 years ago. He said elements within the Tatmadaw are allowing armed militias to participate in the drug trade with impunity and that SSA-South troops are seen as a serious threat to their lucrative business. At the moment, the Tatmadaw is giving opportunities to the mili-

tia groups to trade opium and drugs freely, he said. They know that every militia has a drug refinery. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says Myanmar is the worlds second largest producer of opium behind Afghanistan, accounting for 23 percent of opium poppy cultivation worldwide in 2011. More than 90pc of this cultivation takes place in Shan State. The region is also thought to be a major producer of amphetamine-type stimulants, particularly yaba. In its May 27 letter to U Aung Min,

the SSA-South also proposed increased cooperation with the government on poppy eradication and anti-drug trafficking efforts. The recent clashes have also prompted a war of words, with both sides blaming each other. The SSA-South says the government has embarked on a smear campaign aimed at discrediting their operations. This includes blaming the group for the deaths of two Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise employees after fighting on May 13 an allegation that the SSASouth has denied and also accusing it of producing opium in Shan State, which the group also denies. The SSA has most recently accused Tatmadaw troops of extorting money from civilians living in Namkham township on May 30 and attacking members of the Ta Aung National Liberation Army, on both occasions while disguised as SSA-South soldiers. The back-and-forth comes as China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) announced it had completed construction of a natural gas pipeline from Myanmar to China, which runs through SSA-South-controlled areas. While both the Chinese and Myanmar governments have gone to significant lengths to portray the project as mutually beneficial, Lt Gen Yawd Serk again said that he did not believe the government line. He said the possibility of leaks and further fighting meant the pipeline would make Shan State less safe. There will be no benefit [for Shan people], he said.

www.mmtimes.com

News 17

BRIEFS
Mandalay

Govt to free political prisoners

PRESIDENT U Thein Sein said on June 4 that his government would soon release all prisoners of conscience. The government has formed a committee to review the cases of political detainees and all the prisoners of conscience will be free soon, President U Thein Sein said in a radio address. We are taking time to investigate cases that confuse criminal offences and political offences, he said, adding that people convicted of violent crimes linked to political acts deserve their sentences. The former military government denied the existence of political prisoners, of which there were thought to be around 2000 when President U Thein Sein took office in March 2011. But since then hundreds of political detainees have been freed and in November the government announced a review of all politically concerned cases. However, activists say some 200 political prisoners remain in jail. They have accused the government of using a series of headline-grabbing amnesties for political gain. after the European Union agreed to end almost all sanctions against Myanmar. The arbitrary imprisonment of political opponents was a hallmark of the military government and sparked a web of western sanctions which stifled the economy. In his speech, U Thein Sein inWe welcome the fact the government admits it has political prisoners, Mark Farmaner of Burma Campaign UK said. But with Burma its always best to judge by action not by words. ... Thein Sein has promised to release prisoners before, but why are there hundreds still in jail? In his address U Thein Sein also praised a tentative peace agreement reached with the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) on May 30 aimed at ending a war in Kachin State that has displaced tens of thousands of people over the past two years. The agreement is a big step to end the domestic armed conflict that has existed for more than 60 years, he said, thanking the Tatmadaw, KIO and civil society groups for helping the peace push. AFP

Police launch road safety campaign

Traffic police in Mandalay have launched a road safety campaign that will see officers patrol the streets with megaphones during peak hours. From 7am to 10am and 3pm to 6pm officers will remind motorbike riders to wear helmets, and tell all road users not to drive while drunk, not to use a phone while driving and not to exceed the speed limit, said Deputy Police Major Moe Nyunt Tun. Traffic police have also been conducting education programs to combat drink driving and motorcyclists not wearing helmets at five strategic locations in the city, he said. Traffic rules are mostly followed in the downtown area but less so in the outskirts. The most common problem is not wearing a motorbike helmet, he said. Than Naing Soe, translated by Thit Lwin Yangon

We are taking time to investigate cases that confuse criminal and political offences.
President U Thein Sein

In the last amnesty in May more than 20 political detainees were released before a landmark visit by U Thein Sein to the White House. A previous pardon came a day

sisted the aim of the amnesties was national reconciliation ... [T]here is no other political advantage that we want. But rights groups remained to be convinced.

Education workshop urges more support for needy children

Minister asks communities to help quell violence

SI THU LWIN sithulwin.mmtimes@gmail.com MINISTER for Religious Affairs U San Sint has urged communities to inform local authorities if there are any signs that violence between Buddhists and Muslims could break out. Speaking in Pyin Oo Lwin, Mandalay Region, on May 31, he also asked religious leaders to do their best to calm tensions. The Lashio conflict was able to grow because we had little information and got it too late, he said to an audience of ward administrators and other community leaders, including members of the Buddhist and Islamic communities. Major conflict will not arise if you inform the authorities and cooperate when there is a dispute, the minister said. We need your help to calm people down ... [and] the authorities also need to educate and better control young men. At the meeting the minister discussed developments in Lashio with members of the local Sangha committee and said that perpetrators of the violence would be prosecuted. But he insisted that the conflict was not based on religion. The Meiktila and Lashio incidents were not racial or religious they were because of ordinary rows, he said. They can be attributed to groups

Lessons learned at a workshop about childrens education will be taken to the parliament for consideration, said U Arkar Soe Naung, president of Compassionate, an educational support group that organised the workshop. I will make a statement [of recommendations] that come out of this workshop and after that I will try to submit it to the [Pyidaungsu] Hluttaw, U Arkar Soe Naung said. The workshop, which included researchers, staff from educational departments, religious groups, and public and private school teachers, was held at the Myanmar Peace Centre in Yangon on May 23. Topics included strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats faced by workers in the community-level childrens education sector. U Akar Soe Naung said Compassionate tries to support children who want to stay in school but lack the means. However, it can meet only a fraction of the needs and hopes to connect with donors looking to help children further their education. We are supporting more than 1300 children this year in 14 rural areas and we plan to support more in the future, he said. Ei Thae Thae Naing

Minister for Religious Affairs U San Sint (right) meets Muslim leaders in Pyin Oo Lwin on May 31. Photo: Si Thu Lwin

who are behind the scenes inciting hatred, he said, without elaborating. Religious groups have formed a multi-faith religious team in Pyin Oo Lwin to help prevent any outbreaks of unrest. The former colonial-era hill station is a melting pot of Buddhists, Christians and Muslims, with many churches and six mosques. If people are living together in

unity ... nobody can incite [violence], said the chair of the township Sangha committee. In Pyin Oo Lwin, people of different faiths have been living peacefully and no big problem has happened. We are sorry about what happened in Lashio, said Islamic leader U Win Tin. Please take good care of us in Pyin Oo Lwin. We will work together.

U Khin Maung Latt, the joint secretary of Myoma Mosque who is helping to raise funds for the multi-faith team, said the teams members are patrolling the towns wards. In our mosques, young men have been assigned security duties and to inform us if they find anything suspect, he said. Translated by Thit Lwin

TRADE MARK CAUTION

ELECTRI C I T E D E FR A N C E , a c o m p a n y incorporated under the laws of France, and having its principal place of business at 22-30 avenue de Wagram, 75008 Paris, France, is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following Trademark:-

EDF
Reg. No. 4/13657/2012 in respect of:- Class 1: Chemicals used in industry, science and photography, as well as in agriculture, horticulture and forestry; unprocessed artificial resins, unprocessed plastics; manures; fire extinguishing compositions; tempering and soldering preparations; chemical substances for preserving foodstuffs; tanning substances; adhesives used in industry. Class 4: Industrial oils and greases; lubricants; dust absorbing, wetting and binding compositions; fuels (including motor spirit) and illuminants; candles and wicks for lighting Class 7: Machines and machine tools; motors and engines (except for land vehicles); machine coupling and transmission components (except for land vehicles); agricultural implements other than handoperated; incubators for eggs; automatic vending machines. Class 9: Scientific, nautical, surveying, photographic, cinematographic, optical, weighing, measuring, signalling, checking (supervision), life-saving and teaching apparatus and instruments; apparatus and instruments for conducting, switching, transforming, accumulating, regulating or controlling electricity; apparatus for recording, transmission or reproduction of sound or images; magnetic data carriers, recording discs; compact discs, DVDs and other digital recording media; mechanisms for coin-operated apparatus; cash registers, calculating machines, data processing e q u i p m e n t , c o m p u t e r s ; c o m p u t e r software; fire-extinguishing apparatus. Class 11 : Apparatus for lighting, heating, steam generating, cooking, refrigerating, drying, ventilating, water supply and sanitary purposes. Class 17: Synthetic waterproofing membrances and panels combining photovoltaic modules to produce electricity; sealing, caulking and insulating equipment; insulators; insulating materials; thermal insulators. Class 19 : Non-metallic chimneys; non-metallic chimney cowls; non-metallic chimney extensions; non-metallic chimney pipes; chimney mantels; non-metallic chimney caps; non-metallic downpipes and drainage pipes; non-metallic water pipes; stone concrete or marble figurines (statuttes). Class 35 : Advertising; business management; business administration; office functions. Class 36: Insurance; financial affairs; monetary affairs; real estate affairs. Class 37: Building construction; repair; installation services. Class 39: Transport; packaging and storage of goods; travel arrangement. Class 40 : Production of energy, electricity, gas, heat, nuclear energy, thermal energy, wind energy, hydropower, hydroelectric energy, tidal energy, oil, bioenergies, renewable energy, biomass energy, geothermal energy, solar energy, deodorisation

of air; air purification; air freshening, waste water purification; treatment of materials; information relating to treatment of materials in the energy sector; recycling of waste; information relating to waste treatment; decontamination of hazardous materials; waste treatment (processing); sorting of waste and secondary raw materials (processing); treatment and processing of fuels for energy production; renting solar (photovoltaic) power plants and solar collectors, electirc facilities, wind power plants and tidal power plants; maintenance and renovation services for nuclear facilities; fuel sorting services; services for decontamination, cleaning, clean-up, sanitation, maintenance and renovation of nuclear facilities, power and energy production facilities, equipment and appliances used for energy production; professional consultancy for production of energy, electricity, gas, heat, nuclear energy, thermal energy, wind energy, hydropower, hydroelectric energy, tidal energy, oil, bioenergies, renewable energy, biomass energy, geothermal energy, solar energy; technical advice and information on energy production facilites, power plants, gas plants, heating plants, nuclear energy plants, thermal energy plants, wind energy plants, hydropower plants, hydroelectric energy plants, tidal energy plants, oil plants, bioenergy plants, renewable energy plants, biomass energy plants, geothermal energy plants, solar energy plants; technical advice and expertise (engineering) relating to air conditioning, heating and lighting systems; technical expertise and advice on production of energy, particularly power, nuclear energy, wind energy, solar energy, photovoltaic energy, thermal energy, hydropower, geothermal energy, tidal energy, hydroelectric energy, oil, bioenergies, renewable energy, biomass energy, solar energy, gas. Class 42: Engineering operations involving assessments, evaluations, research and preparation of reports in the scientific and technological fields; technical engineering design; engineering services; expertise (engineering); research and development relating to new products for third parties; development, installation, updating or renting of software; programming for computers; physical and chemical analyses; analysis for the operation of oil fields; programming and maintenance of home automation systems as well as programmable logic controllers and technical management systems for buildings; preparation of plans for the construction layouts; architectural services; architectural consultancy relating to environment protection, development of new energies, conservation of natural wealth, implementation of sustainable development and urban development projects; scientific and technological research in the energy sector; technical advice and assistance (engineering) in the energy sector; research and development in the fields of electrical engineering, power generation, nuclear energy, wind energy,solar energy, hydropower, geothermal energy, thermal energy, climate energy, biomass energy, renewable energies; technical expertise and advice in the fields of power generation, production of nuclear energy, wind energy,solar energy, hydropower, geothermal energy, thermal energy, renewable energies; technical and technological research partnership between research and development departments of companies and those of universities; expertise services for digital simulation (engineering); engineering services for better management of production, storage and consumption of energy; services for research and development on the environmental impacts of energy production facilities, engineering services for evaluating power requirement and availability and for making tools that are suitable for power distribution; engineering services for designing and constructing new energy distribution and production facilities; technical advice relating to energy conservation; research in environment protection; technical studies for evaluating and optimising energy performance of appliances and buildings; technical advice and consultancy for environment protection and development of renewable energies; technical research and studies on recycling and treatment of waste; technical research and studies on treatment

of materials; scientific and technological project management and laboratory work relating to power, renewable energies, sustainable development, environment, urban development, environment protection, minimisation of waste and contaminants, conservation of natural wealth and the fight against climate change; studies, research and expertise provided by engineers in the fields of energy, environment, natural wealth, sustainable development and urban development; remote technical meterreading services for energy consumption; technical assessment and evaluations of energy consumption; technical advice and information relating to heating; technical information and advice relating to controlling energy consumption; technical support by telephone (hotline) provided by engineers for proper use of electrical appliances and installations; technical advice on the purchase and selection of electrical appliances selected based on criteria related to their technical quality, costs and control of energy consumption; product screening (technical analysis) for third parties and technical advice for the selection of electrical and industrial equipment likely to comply with the current standards and regulations; technical analyses, diagnoses and studies carried out by engineers for the installation of equipment for the production, provision and/ or distribution of energy, gas, heat and water; research and development service in the fields of thermal insulation, solar and climate protection of houses; technical advice and information relating to thermal insulation and solar and climate protection of houses; technical advice and information for evaluating and changing the power of an electricity and/or gas meter; technical information and advice for the selection of professionals for carrying out the repair-work; technical information and advice for the selection of professionals for carrying out the repair-work; technical infromation and advice for the selection of energy equipment installers; technical information and advice relating to insulation and housing; services for diagnosis of the energy performance of immovable property; energy, thermal and environmental analyses of the housing facilities and housing stocks; technical expertise in transfer of technology; transfer (provision) of technical knowhow; technical assistance and advice (engineering) for the transfer of technology and know-how; quality control of electrical installations; technical tests; technical tests for electricity, heating, home automation; technical consultnacy for assisting a third party in ensuring that its personnel, products, materials, industrial facilities or sites comply with the current standards and regulations; audit of the safety of all the power and energy production facilities and their compliance with the current regulations; technical assistance services for certification and authorisation; services for the quality control of the energy production equipment; technical experties and inspection of the energy facilities; technical control and expertise (engineering) of installations operating on different types of energy; services for research and development in the field fo electirc transportation, particularly electric batteries, electric terminals, electric vehicles, trams, trolleybuses, electric buses, electric boats; technical advice and assistance (engineering) in the field of electric transportation. Class 45: Legal services; security services for the protection of property and individuals; personal and social services rendered by others to meet the needs of individuals. Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said Trademark will be dealt with according to law. U Nyunt Tin Associates International Limited Intellectual Property Division P.O. Box No. 952, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: 959 4500 59 247-8, 951 375754, Fax: 951 254321, Email: info@untlaw.com For ELECTRICITE DE FRANCE Dated: 10th June, 2013.

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News 19

Land owner slams party, authorities over inaction

Party refuses to help in dispute with squatter who erected party sign on plot of land
NOE NOE AUNG noenoeag@gmail.com THE owner of a block of land in Hlaing Tharyar township has accused a political party of ignoring her complaints that a member of the party has been living illegally on her land for months. Daw Thandar Nay Win said the man living on the 9600-square-foot plot of land had erected a sign for the Democratic Party (Myanmar) in front of his hut. She said she had complained to the party but was told to settle the dispute directly with the man. Ward administration officials have also failed to act on her complaints, she said. I found out on May 11 that someone was living on the land that I bought a couple of years ago and when I went to check I found he had put up a sign for a political party in front of the hut, Daw Thandar Nay Win said late last month. Later some people from the Democratic Party came and said that I would have to deal directly with that man. I didnt have a chance to meet with him. The neighbour said he goes out all day and only comes back at night so I had to talk with some people from that party. They told me I should pay some money, a kind of compensation, to this man. This is nonsense. Why should I have to pay money to a man who squats on my land without my permission? she said. Daw Thandar Nay Win said she bought the land in early 2010 and has all the required documents. The size of the plot has been certified by Yangon City Development Committee, she said. But when she showed the documents to ward officials they ignored her requests to help remove the man from her land. She said she had not yet gone to the police because she did not want the man to be charged. I thought that if I wanted to take action then telling the ward or township authorities and officials from the party would be enough but no one has taken any action. I dont want to make any trouble for this man and I dont want to be unnecessarily busy. But removing this man by paying money is obviously not the right thing to do. But U Thaung Tun, the head of the Democratic Partys Hlaing Tharyar township office, said that while the man is a party member the dispute does not concern the party. Its the private affair of that man, he said. We are not going to tell him to remove himself from the land. If the land owner wants him to move out, she should talk to him directly. U Thaung Tun said that the man started living on the land because it appeared empty. The land is empty and there is no fence, thats why people can easily live in it. Its the owners responsibility. She can complain to the police station or talk with township administrator. Thats her choice, U Thaung Tun said. But a spokesperson for the partys central office, U Ye Min Oo, said headquarters plans to investigate the incident.

Why should I have to pay money to a man who squats on my land without permission?
Daw Thandar Nay Win Land owner

A Democratic Party (Myanmar) sign is posted in front of a plot of land in Hlaing Tharyar township owned by Daw Thandar Nay Win. Photo: Supplied

Disaster management curriculum updated

AYE SAPAY PHYU ayephyu2006@gmail.com THE government has developed a new disaster management training curriculum and is preparing to conduct disaster management courses for civil servants across the country, the Thailand-based Asia Disaster Preparedness Centre says. Mr Sudhir Kuma, a senior program manager at the centre, said at the 4th Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Geneva, Switzerland, last month that six training sessions had already been conducted, in Mandalay, Dawei, Mawlamyine, Hpa-an, Taunggyi and Pyay, using the new curriculum, while more are being planned. He said there is a pressing need for government agencies to harmonise their knowledge to ensure they are properly prepared for disaster. To meet these needs, the disaster management course is under reconstruction. The objective of the disaster management course revision is to have a more updated and effective training curriculum, he said. Mr Sudhir said a rigorous process of revising and updating the courses was undertaken from December 2011 to September 2012. The government conducted a series of consultations with its development partners, including the Asia Disaster Preparedness Centre, which provided technical expertise. The [updated] course ... provides a fresh approach on how to tackle new challenges in disaster management through extensive government consultations. The method also lowers cost, maximising resource allocation in other areas, he said. U Nay Myo Tun, an assistant director with the Relief and Resettlement Department, said that while disaster management training has been implemented in Myanmar since 1977 the new curriculum would ensure the training is more effective. In the past there was no specific curriculum. We just gave lectures with our own information from government departments, such as the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, the Fire Services Department and the Relief and Resettlement Department. But that meant that the course materials were different based on the trainer and the location of the training so knowledge gained by the trainees differed, he said. In the new curriculum we have organised all our information from past trainings and included international expertise as well. The information provided by the different government departments has also been updated. He said that about 40 to 50 senior government officers have so far taken part in training programs using the new curriculum, while more than 400 officials have taken the revised course since it was completed in 2012. The course improves knowledge about hazards, preparedness before a disaster, the response in an emergency situation and the relief process. There is definitely higher awareness among the different government departments than in the past and I think we can attribute this to the new disaster management course curriculum.

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News 21

Shwe Pyi Thar factory owners seek ministry decision on strike

Owners accuse strikers of failing to negotiate in good faith amid complaints that 49 people were fired unfairly

WHO calls for ban on tobacco advertising

YAMON PHU THIT yamon89@gmail.com NEARLY three-quarters of children aged 13 to 15 are exposed to tobacco advertising, the World Health Organisation said last month, as it called on countries to consider a properly enforced ban on advertising of tobacco products. A comprehensive ban on all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship is one of the most effective ways to reduce tobacco consumption, the WHO said on May 31 to mark World No Tobacco Day. It could decrease tobacco consumption by an average of 7 percent, WHO regional director Dr Samlee Plianbangchang said in a statement, adding that some countries that had introduced the ban had seen declines of up to 16pc. Once young people have experimented with tobacco, they are prone to become tobacco users as adults. Nearly 1.3 million people die of tobacco-related illnesses every year in Southeast Asia, where both smoking and chewing tobacco are major public health problems. In Myanmar, it is estimated that 22pc of the population smokes, including 44.8pc of men and 7.8pc of women. Nearly 76pc of people who smoke do so every day. Myanmar banned tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship under the Control of Smoking and Consumption of Tobacco Product Law in 2006. The law also prohibits smoking in certain places and also mandates text warnings on cigarette packs. But experts say the laws provisions have not been properly enforced. All violations should be penalised, Dr Nyo Nyo Kyaing, a regional adviser to WHO Southeast Asia, told The Myanmar Times. The tobacco industry tries to attract young [people] and recruit new smokers through advertisments, promotion and sponsorship. A WHO survey on exposure of young people aged 13 to 15 to tobacco advertising and promotion found about 12.5pc of young people in Myanmar have been offered free cigarettes by a tobacco company representative, placing Myanmar third in the region. The Global Youth Tobacco Survey 2011 was conducted of 2666 students. The survey showed that 18.6pc of students currently uses tobacco products and 13.8pc are smokers.

NOE NOE AUNG

noenoeag@gmail.com

THE owners of a factory in Shwe Pyi Thar township will ask the Dispute Settlement Arbitration Council to resolve a dispute with hundreds of its workers, about 30 of whom launched a hunger strike late last month. Workers at the San Kaung factory went on strike in the first week of May, calling for the reinstatement of almost 50 of their colleagues who had been fired. San Kaungs management has so far been unable to reach a deal with the workers. The factory, which produces plastic bags for food products, particularly rice, is operating with just a quarter of the 1800 employees it had before the strike. San Kaung director U Khin Maung Myat said the company would respect the decision of the Dispute Settlement Arbitration Council. We cant negotiate with [the workers]. We already told them which [of their demands] we can agree to but they are stubborn and insist that we agree to everything that they want, he said. You cant call that negotiating. Why dont they just give me an order instead of pretending they want to negotiate? He said that while almost 1400 fewer workers are on the factory floor, only about 200 workers are on strike or refusing to work. The remainder, he said, are afraid to work while their colleagues are protesting. The protesting workers are threatening the other workers to stop them from working. Thats why the other workers do not dare come to the factory, he said. Ma Myat Soe Soe Zin, a 23-yearold worker, said 16 workers went on a hunger strike on May 26. Today about 30 people are participating in the hunger strike, she said on May 30. We wont give up until the factorys management accepts our requests. The workers say they launched

Workers at the San Kaung factory in Yangons Shwe Pyi Thar township protest on May 15. Photo: Supplied

the strike because the management fired 49 workers from the factory without explanation. However, the strikers also made several demands in addition to reinstating the fired workers, including allowing the factorys union to resolve disputes between management and workers, promising not to fire workers without a valid reason and not to punish workers for going on strike. Ma Mya Thet Thu, 20, said three hunger strikers had been sent to Insein Hospital for treatment. Two have rejoined the group, while one remains in hospital.

The management always treat us like we are nothing and we shouldnt be told what is happening.
U Win Tun Aung Head of the workers union at the San Kaung factory

The workers are getting weak as the strike progresses, she said. We started our protest in early May. ... At first we protested in front of the factory from 8am to 5pm but on May 26 the protest leaders decided to keep it up 24 hours a day and on May 27 some of the workers went on a hunger strike. But I think that the owners wont care about us, even if we die. U Win Tun Aung, head of the factorys union, told The Myanmar Times that factory management had refused to work with the union, even though it had been formed according to the law and approved by the government. We werent told anything when they fired these workers. Even if the workers did something wrong that meant there was grounds for dismissing them, the management should have let us know. When we asked them for a reason, the management didnt respond. They always treat us like we are nothing and we shouldnt be told what is happening in the factory, he said. He said that management had attempted to negotiate with the union on May 22 but the talks failed to yield any result.

They agreed to some small requests, like to upgrade facilities in the factory. But they refused to re-hire the 49 workers and didnt agree to deal with workers union in future disputes. They are our two main requests and if we cant get any agreement on them our protest will have been meaningless. The workers also asked for a K20,000-a-month pay rise but management said the company could not afford it, he said. But U Khin Maung Myat said the workers had been fired for legitimate reasons and the dismissals had been reported to the Ministry of Labour. We fired some [permanent] workers ... because they were breaking the contract between workers and management. And we told some new workers there were no positions for them after their probation period ended, and we stopped hiring some casual workers paid on a daily basis. The total number [of fired workers] is 47, not 49, U Khin Maung Myat said. We did everything under the law and it is all documented. We can prove everything.

22 News
HEALTH FOCUS

THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 10 - 16, 2013

Ministry of Health warns of rise in dengue fever cases

YAMON PHOO THIT
yamon89@gmail.com

NPT officials fight back after death

A CHILDS death from dengue fever has triggered a fight back against the disease in Nay Pyi Taw. The city council has declared emergency preventive measures after two-and-a-half-year-old Mg Phyoe Thant Zin died on May 24. Mother Daw Khine Thant Ei Lwin said a doctor had initially thought her sons condition was not serious. We went to a child specialist on May 21 because of the babys high fever and the doctor told us to come back on May 23. But when his condition got worse, we rushed the baby to hospital. ... Were so sorry we couldnt save our babys life, she said. After the child died, district and township administrators, heads of health departments and the City Development Council began spraying mosquito repellent throughout Nay Pyi Taw amid signs that the disease was now afflicting adults as well as children. They are also disinfecting water where mosquitoes can breed. Nay Pyi Taw Council member Dr Paing Soe said during a recent seminar that infection rates in the capital have risen this year, with 212 people already hospitalised. The disease is usually encountered in June and July. But now it has started since May 15. There is no particular medicine for dengue hemorrhagic fever, and preventive medicines are not yet available, said Dr Paing Soe, a former deputy health minister. Su Hlaing Tun, translated by Zar Zar Soe

HEALTH officials have warned that cases of dengue fever are on the rise, with more than 500 people having been admitted to Yangon Childrens Hospital with the disease in the first four months of the year. Dr Than Htaik, the medical superintendent at the hospital, told The Myanmar Times that the figures indicate more people will be hospitalised this year than in 2012, when about 1000 cases were treated. While dengue fever can occur at any time of the year, the number of cases normally rises from June to August every year. The number of cases in the first four months of this year are about half of what we saw for the full year in 2012 so we expect the total for 2013 will be higher, Dr Than Htaik said, adding that one person being treated at Yangon Childrens Hospital had died from the disease so far this year. Dr Than Htaik said Thanlyin and Dala townships had the highest infection rates in Yangon Region.

Ministry of Health figures show Ayeyarwady Region has reported the highest number of dengue fever cases in Myanmar so far this year, followed by Yangon and Mon State. In Yangon, another 300 cases were treated at Yankin Childrens Hospital. Dengue fever is a viral infection transmitted by the bite of an Aedes mosquito. Because the mosquito normally only bites during the day, schools are a hotspot for transmission and the under-15 age group makes up the largest number of cases, the Ministry of Health says. An official from the Department of Healths Disease Control Unit said the increase is worrying and the department is organising preventative measures, such as cleaning water where mosquitoes can breed and providing more health education. Symptoms of the disease can include a high fever, skin rash, severe headache, severe pain behind the eyes, vomiting and mild bleeding from the nose or gums. Sufferers are also likely to be bruised more easily. Dengue fever can be life threatening if it develops into a more severe form, such as dengue haemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome, where symptoms include decreased appetite, severe vomiting,

An Aedes mosquito. Photo: US Department of Health and Human Services

bleeding and a shock-like state. Dr Than Htaik said knowledge about dengue fever was relatively poor and parents should keep a close watch on their children for potential signs of the disease. Take note of any kind of illness during rainy season as it could be dengue fever. When parents think their children just have a normal illness, thats when childrens lives are potentially at risk, he said. In about 10 percent of cases we see people have sought treatment in a severe state. Many parents dont

understand the risk posed by dengue fever, he said, adding that there are four types of the disease. Some parents think that if their child has suffered from dengue once, it cannot recur. This is wrong. A second infection is usually more severe and can be fatal. The World Health Organisation considers dengue fever be a major public health concern in Southeast Asia. WHO figures show Myanmar has the highest prevalence in the region, with 3016 reported cases in 2011 and 5060 in 2012.

A cyclist in Mandalay passes zat pwe advertisements on the corner of 41st and 80th streets in Maha Aung Myay township. Photo: Phyo Wai Kyaw

Traditional comedy troupes struggle for survival in MDY

PHYO WAI KYAW pwkyaw@gmail.com FORTY years ago, Mandalay had almost 40 travelling comedy troupes; today it has just four. Reflecting on this decline, Mandalay comedians say that the traditional performing arts and comedy show known as anyeint pwe is fast becoming an endangered species. Par Par Lay, a member of the Moustache Brothers troupe, has watched the popularity of anyeint pwe fade over those four decades. When I started as a comedian in 1970, there were 37 troupes in Mandalay, he said on April 22. Troupes have disappeared gradually because they cannot compete financially with dramatic performance shows, which are known as zat pwe. Modern anyeint pwe also feature fewer performers, Par Par Lay said; in its heyday, the troupes would have three comedians, an actress and an orchestra. Now most just opt for the three comedians. It is more compact for jokes, with no gap between the comedians and the audience. It also reduces the cost of hiring the troupe, which encourages business, he said. Comedian Good Shal of the Mya Tayar troupe said that anyeint pwe is normally free, while zat pwe has the advantage of ticket sales to help ends meet. It costs about [K800,000] for two nights for a zat, but it can earn money back from tickets. For a troupe, it costs about [K600,000] for one night but it is a free show for the public, he said. Of the four remaining anyient troupes Hnin Thabyay, Shwe Yadanar, Thit Lwin and Mya Tayar only two are managing well, he says, and even these may have difficulty surviving in the long term. Despite the entrance fee, he said younger audiences prefer the zat pwe. He also didnt begrudge organisers for favouring zat over anyeint. The organisers need to follow the audiences desire in the long run, he said. But the artists have not given up on the future of the anyeint. Comedian Lu Maw suggested one possible solution would be performing in home theatres as the Moustache Brothers already do or doing joint shows featuring multiple troupes. He said these steps could allow struggling troupes to keep the jokes coming and keep the audiences laughing, for free in the future.

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News 23

Violence leaves hotels in Mrauk Oo empty

AUNG SHIN
koshumgtha@gmail.com

A child touches a stone carving at Mrauk Oo. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing

FOREIGN visits to Myanmar are soaring but not in northern Rakhine State, where communal violence has seen tourism decline precipitously. Hoteliers at Mrauk Oo, the states premier historic site, said the past 12 months since the first wave of rioting broke out have been a dark year. Shortly after the violence erupted, the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism introduced a rule requiring travellers to get government permission before visiting the area. The violence has meant that the six hotels in Mrauk Oo are completely empty of foreign visitors. Just 105 tourists visited the area from January 1 to May 19, compared to 4465 tourists in 2011, said U Yan Naing, the head immigration officer in Mrauk Oo township. We havent received any tourists

this season. Only a few foreigners, mostly from NGOs that are assisting with relief camps in Sittwe, came here. It has really been a dark year for Mrauk Oo tourism, said Shwethazin Hotel manager U Maung Tun Hla. A receptionist from Mrauk Oo Hotel confirmed her establishment had not received any tourists this year. Tourists arrivals this year are very, very few. We have seen many tourists in other years, said U Aung Myat Kyaw, a member of the board of trustees at Shitthaung Pagoda. But even local tourism has been down. The number of pilgrims has really dried up; overall there are very few visitors to the pagoda, he said. To get to Mrauk Oo, most tourists fly from Yangon to Sittwe and then hire a boat to take them up the Kaladan River to the former Rakhine capital. U Mya Thein, who manages the Shwepyanhlwar and Aung Kyaw Moe ferry boats, said that only a few tourists had hired vessels to take them from Sittwe to Mrauk Oo. But a hardy few still come to Mrauk Oo, which was the capital of a

The number of tourists who visited Mrauk Oo from January 1 to May 19

105

thriving Rakhine kingdom until it was conquered by a Burmese army in the late 18th century. The only tourist in Mrauk Oo when The Myanmar Times visited was Jacqueline, a Chinese visitor who asked to be identified only by her English name. She said she applied for a travel permit through her hotel in Yangon and received it within a few days. I like Mrauk Oo very much. It is really unique, and unlike any other tourist site in Myanmar, she said. I expect Mrauk Oo will [experience a tourism] boom one day but I hope the atmosphere does not change as a result.

Consumer rights group to conduct assessment this year

YAMON PHU THIT yamon89@gmail.com AN INTERNATIONAL consumer rights group will conduct an assessment of food safety and consumer protection in Myanmar to prepare the country for its entry into a regional free trade agreement in 2015. Consumers International, which describes itself as the only independent and authoritative global voice for consumers, said it will expand its activities through an assessment project focusing on Bangaladesh, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. The project aims to protect the countries against substandard goods and hazardous food items arriving through the ASEAN Free Trade Area, Dato Indrani Thuraisingham, head of the organisations office for Asia Pacific and the Middle East, told The Myanmar Times in an interview on May 30. The free trade area is scheduled to come into effect regionwide from late 2015 and Ms Thuraisingham said it is essential countries like Myanmar are prepared for the influx of consumer goods. If we do not have necessary control measures and protection, then there will be high possibility of unsafe food coming through Myanmar which borders with many countries, she said, especially [given] consumers in Myanmar have very low awareness about their rights as consumers. In May, Consumers International completed a six-month study on national food safety control measures in Myanmar ahead of the launch of the fourcountry project. The new assessment will focus on four main areas of concern imports, controlling food and agriculture products, providing technical assistance and the food safety concerns of consumers and will be funded by Deutsche Gesellschaft fur International Zusammenarbeit. The completed assessment will be submitted to the German organisation in September, Ms Thuraisingham said. There could be potential follow-up based on the countrys urgent requirements, she said. Based on the assessment Consumers International will also help to ensure laboratories are able to test food quality for safety, and provide technical support and consumer education. These are the fields that we feel we need to enhance in Myanmar in future, she said. Consumers International, which was founded in 1960 and has more than 240 member organisations in 120 countries, will work with government bodies, the private sector and civil society organisations, Ms Thuraisingham said. One of the organisations that it will work with in Myanmar is the Myanmar Consumers Union, a non-profit group established in November 2012 that became a member of Consumers International last month. Well provide knowledge and education to consumers on how to choose safe foods and ask for their rights, said spokesperson Daw Cho Maw Han. Everyone is a consumer we have 60 million consumers [in Myanmar]. The union was founded on the principle that consumers have four rights: safety, choice, information and the ability to complain. Myanmar does not yet have a consumer protection law but the government has said it plans to submit a draft law to parliament soon.

24 News
SPECIAL

THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 10 - 16, 2013

Housing costs drive families onto streets

Families in Mandalays illegal slum communities see no way forward and neither do the officials tasked with removing them

PHYO WAI KYAW

pwkyaw@gmail.com

TWO children pick through a rubbish bin near a shanty beside the railway line near Mandalays central station, while a third boy defecates into a hole. Just metres away, three more children eat their lunch in a hut, while elsewhere adults congregate around tables to play cards and carom near an illegal liquor shop. While not new, the slum settlement on 79th Street is an unsightly reminder of the growing problem of housing affordability in Mandalay, where minimum rents are about K50,000 a month. We are in trouble, says Ma Yi Shwe, 28, who has been homeless since she was eight years old. My husband is ill and cant work and I only make a tiny amount of money from selling betel nut. It is an issue that authorities say they have few answers for. As The Myanmar Times has previously reported, Mandalay municipal authorities say a lack of coordination between government bodies is crippling their efforts to resettle the citys homeless population a collection of beggars, vagrants, the mentally ill and the physically disabled. Homeless people congregate not only in the slums near Mandalay Central Railway Station in Chan Aye Thar San township but also several other locations in the downtown area. There are no estimates for how many homeless there are in Mandalay but it is likely to run into the thousands. Mandalay City Development Committee (MCDC) has periodically tried to round them up, taking adults to the police station and minors to youth rehabilitation centres. But as committee officials have acknowledged, this futile gesture does little to tackle homelessness in the city. The biggest challenge is finding a place to take homeless people, U Soe Tint Aung, deputy head of MCDCs cleaning department, said in early May. We often face questions of responsibility for homeless people when we take them to the appropriate department. We can catch homeless people but we have no right to take any action against them. ... It would be better if the government had a plan for this. MCDC workers say even identifying homeless people is a challenge. The days when we perform raids are so busy, said MCDC cleaning department employee Ko Htun Naing Linn. And sometimes we catch the wrong people at the railway station.

Children eat lunch in a slum near 79th Street in downtown Mandalay last month. Photo: Phyo Wai Kyaw

Once, a couple who had eloped and were waiting to catch a train with their bags sitting beside them were apprehended. ... Solving the problem of homelessness is not easy. Ko Nann Oo, a 33-year-old homeless man who lives on 79th Street, behind Mandalay Central Railway Station, says he is not fearful of the municipal authorities. If they catch and charge us, well be in jail for two to three months at most, he said. As soon as we are released we come back and stay here. Ko Nann Oo said he had lived in the 79th Street slum since 1995. But while he might be without a house, he is not without a job. This area is convenient for my work, which is collecting reusable or saleable items from the trash or driving a trishaw, he said. My home town is Pale in Monywa but I dont have any relatives there anymore. I dont even have a National Registration Card. Its much better for me to stay here with my wife, who I met alongside the Shwe Tachanung creek, where there used to be another slum. In the eyes of the law, Ko Nann Oos crime is lacking the money to

buy or rent his own place to live. He has no choice but to stay on the streets, even if that means fleeing from the authorities in the middle of the night. He said he has never been caught but his only assets a trishaw and bicycle have in the past been seized by MCDC. Whenever I see officials taking photographs in our area I start to

caught by MCDC officials in early May and are still in a youth rehabilitation centre. Thats the first time its happened to us, said Ma Yi Shwe. I sent my children to the tube well on 22nd Street to take a bath but they were caught by MCDC officials there, who claimed they were homeless. In some cases children detained

If they catch and charge us, well be in jail for two or three months at most. As soon as were released we come back and stay here.
Ko Nann Oo Resident of a slum on 79th Street since 1995

worry about my family and our possessions because it means a raid is probably going to happen soon. We can run but the officials take our possessions and we have to start again with nothing, Ko Nann Oo said. Not all manage to get away. Ma Yi Shwe said her three children were

on the streets are sent to state-run rehabilitation centres. U Lwin Oo, headmaster of the Hnatawsann Youth Rehabilitation Centre in Kawhmu township, Yangon Region, said by phone on May 27 that the facility he oversees houses about 400 minors.

He said most have been sent to the centre after committing minor crimes, although some simply have no other place to live. He said cooperation and coordination between different organisations, including government and non-government bodies, is important for tackling the issue and helping children avoid a life of poverty and, often, crime. We sometimes admit youths in the most awful circumstances, he said. Where possible we work to get them back with their families. Youths who grow up on the street working as beggars or postcard sellers for an older person a controller can easily become juvenile delinquents and we work hard to encourage them to stay off the street. World Vision Myanmar project coordinator Ma Seng Hkawn agreed that coordination is important. She said her organisation provides vocational training for children living on the streets but tackling the broader issues of homelessness requires cooperation. Unfortunately, most people who cant afford a place to stay end up on the street, she said.

Govt urged to make disaster risk reduction a national priority

AYE SAPAY PHYU ayephyu2006@gmail.com MYANMAR has made some progress on disaster risk reduction but the government needs to make it a higher priority, experts working in the sector say. Daw Lat Lat Aye, chair of the Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group Myanmar, which comprises about 50 organisations focused on the issue, said that despite Myanmars experiences with natural disasters, including Cyclone Nargis in 2008, DRR is not yet being prioritised at either the national or local level. Another issue is budget allocation for DRR is still very limited and there is no mechanism in place to channel funds from the national level to the township and village level, she said. Following the 4th Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Geneva, Switzerland, in May, the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction said resources were the key challenge for implementation of the global disaster risk reduction agreement known as the Hyogo Framework for Action. The 10-year framework was created in 2005 and has been signed by 168 countries, including Myanmar. The framework aims to substantially reduce the loss of lives and social, economic and environmental assets due to natural disaster by 2015. Myanmar has reported its progress towards achieving the goals in the framework since 2007 and recently submitted its interim report for 2011-13. The Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group Myanmar works with the Relief and Resettlement Department to monitor progress on Hyogo Framework for Action. It was formed in late 2008 to develop the DRR sectoral plan following Cyclone Nargis. Daw Lat Lat Aye said that while some progress had been made on disaster risk reduction in recent years it was not occuring fast enough. Myanmar is in a hazard-prone area. We have various kind of hazards, such as cyclones, earthquakes, fires, floods, storm surges, tsunamis, droughts and landslides. But we have found that recent recommendations on social and economic development reform make little mention of DRR, she said. She cited the example of the Framework for Economic and Social Reforms, a document drafted by the government earlier this year outlining its reform agenda. The framework needs to address existing and future disaster risks by recognising disaster resiliency as a cross-cutting theme, as an important policy priority, she said.

The budget for DRR is still very limited.

Daw Lat Lat Aye Chair of the Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group Myanmar

26 THE MYANMAR TIMES June 10 - 16, 2013

Business
Global titan WPP aims to shake up the market
The CEO who led the consolidation of the global PR and ad industries says he has first-mover advantage here
Vincent MacIsaac biz.news.myanmar@gmail.com THE holding company that manages more than US$70 billion of advertising globally a year for its clients, including Coca Cola and Unilever, has accelerated its drive to establish itself here over past two months, through four of its global agencies. Its recent licensing, joint venture and affiliate deals will allow WPP to offer clients interested in Myanmar the same template of integrated research, advertising, marketing and public relations services that it provides in more than 100 countries, executives from different units of the holding company said. WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell said the deals give it a first mover advantage that could see it duplicating its success in other high-growth markets. Weve been in China since way before it became fashionable, he said during an interview in Yangon on June 5, prior to attending the World Economic Forum on East Asia in the capital. WPPs revenues in China, about $1.5 billion last year, are five times those of its nearest rivals, Mr Sorrell said while handling a fistsized jade stone given to him by the owner of a PR firm here. He had been told the jade stone would make him healthier and calmer. It could also come in handy as a weapon if he was asked an offensive question, quipped the frequently quoted CEO. Mr Sorrell pioneered the global consolidation of public relations, advertising and market research in the 1980s and 1990s through a series of often hostile takeovers and rapid expansion into high-growth markets from East Asia to South America and the former Soviet Union. most attractive. Mr Sorrell said there are also significant opportunities in soft infrastructure, such as telecom and ICT devices, saying there would likely be a very fast take-up of the Internet and that people in Myanmar like those in other developing countries were likely to leapfrog the PC and go straight to the Internet via a phone. Research conducted by local firms shows that the leap-frog effect is old news: About 22 percent of households in Mandalay and Yangon already has access to the Internet, most often through a smart phone, according to research by Myanmar Market Survey. Mr Sorrell said WPP decided to start market research from scratch in Myanmar rather than partner with a local firm because its market research is the best. It also accounts for 25pc of the holding companys revenues, he added. Myanmar firms, however, are moving swiftly to differentiate their research from that conducted by WPPs units, arguing that their local knowledge gives them the upper hand. When TNS launched its debut report on the consumer market in Myanmar on May 9 at the Park Royal Hotel, they held a rival conference to tout their research at the Sedona Hotel on the same day. They also announced the formation of the Myanmar Market Research Association. One local researcher said association members already provide research to 90pc of the brands WPP works with, and that WPP units including TNS have been hiring local firms to dosurveys and analysis for them. Theres a lot of spin going on, another researcher said. Nobody has been waiting for WPP. A WPP executive said such talk is common when WPP shakes up new markets.

WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell and Michael Lim, chairman of TODAY Ogilvy & Mather, discuss their plans for Myanmar on June 4. Photo: Kyawt Thiri Nyunt

WPP now encompasses a roster of global ad and PR agencies, most with local affiliates worldwide, and has stakes in a diverse range of online and digital pioneers, from Vice Media to 24/7. I like the idea that weve been very aggressive in terms of building our business here, Mr Sorrell said, pointing to the lifting of sanctions by the EU as the trigger. The shift in attitude towards Myanmar in the West has created a massive opportunity for his clients and his company, he added. WPP established a toehold in Myanmar last year by buying a stake in Today Advertising through its unit Ogilvy & Mather, a global PR agency. Last month it formed a joint venture, Y&R Yangon, with K-Noke Advertising through its unit Y&R, a global advertising agency. In April its unit JWT, another global ad agency, signed an affili-

ate agreement with Yangon upstart Mango Marketing. In March its unit TNS became the first foreign firm to receive a licence to conduct market research in Myanmar. Another unit, Millward Brown which says its works with 90 percent of the globes top brands has also applied for a licence to do market research here, Mr Sorrell said, expressing optimism that it will receive one. WPP has moved quickly into Myanmar because its clients expressed a phenomenal degree of interest in the market, particularly those in the fast-moving consumer goods sector, Mr Sorrell said, adding that he was surprised competitors are not being more aggressive. Myanmars market interests WPPs clients because of its large consumer base and its growth potential, with three sectors natural resources, infrastructure and tourism among the

IN PICTUREs

BUSINESS editor: Vincent MacIsaac | biz.news.myanmar@gmail.com

27

Corporate responsiblity is good business

Business 30

Park revival draws city residents from dawn till dusk

property 32

Exchange Rates (June 7 close)

Currency Euro Malay Ringitt SG Dollar Thai Baht US Dollar Buying K1243 K300 K755 K31 K939 Selling K1261 K310 K767 K32 K949

Forex market to debut this year

Aye Thida Kyaw
ayethidarkyaw@gmail.com

in Yangons Shwe Pyi Thar Industrial Zone 2. The global consumer products company launched full-scale business operations in Myanmar on June 4, the same day CocaCola inaugurated its bottling plant in Yangon. Unilever is also expanding a project to improve the health and hygiene of schoolchildren, aiming to reach 4 million children in Myanmar within three years. Photo: Supplied

BRAVE NEW MYANMAR : Staff prepare for work at Unilevers new facility

MYANMARS first foreign currency trading market is set to be launched this fiscal year, the Central Bank of Myanmar announced. We plan to launch forex trading this fiscal year after domestic banks learn how to operate such a market, an official from the banks foreign exchange management department said last week. Currently, exchange rates are set on weekday mornings according to the reference rate and daily auction of the central bank. Once inter-bank trading begins, banks will be able to negotiate the rate with each other, which could see it changing in minutes or seconds. When the market is no longer regulated it becomes competitive and tends to stabilise, the central bank spokesman said. The new system will also give foreign businesspeople more confidence in the Myanmar currency market because the central bank will only intervene gently to maintain a stable and strong market, he added. Executives at Myanmar banks began receiving training in foreign exchange trading last month from Japans Sumitomo Mitsui bank, with about 90 participating in the first training session in the last week of May. The ongoing training sessions are organised by the Japan International Cooperation Agency. A code of conduct for currency trading was also drafted last November by the central bank when the Yangon Foreign Exchange Market Committee was established. The committee represents the 16 domestic banks authorised to deal in foreign currencies. U Pe Myint, managing director

of Cooperative Bank, said large domestic banks such as Kanbawza, Ayeyarwady, Asia Green Development and his own will be the first to trade in a forex market, with smaller banks following later. Kanbawza Bank general manager U Kyaw Lin Htut said staff will be sent to other countries for training and monetary experts will be brought to Myanmar to provide training. He expressed optimism about the impact of a liberalised foreign-exchange market. We wont need to go to the central bank for the daily auction anymore. We can define the market ourselves and I believe it will become more energetic. U Kyaw Lin Htut added that some rules and regulation for a forex market are still being drafted. For example, it is still unclear whether the market will operate electronically, as in international practice, or over phone lines. In the week to June 4, the daily reference rate of the Central Bank was K945 to the US dollar, down slightly from K949 to the dollar for the week to May 24. On the black market the kyat had been trading at 1000 to the dollar late last month in anticipation of further declines, but has shifted closer to the central banks rate since then. The central bank spokesperson said the kyat had stabilised after its swift decline last month because demand for US dollars had cooled. He declined to respond to speculation that the central bank had intervened to support the kyat, saying only that it was following the market. He declined as well to say whether further declines were possible. We cannot forecast the future exchange rate that depends on many factors but our duty is to maintain a rate that does not have too much impact on the market.

Coke aims for 100,000 outlets in 6 months

Myat May Zin
myatmayzin@gmail.com

COCA-COLA will invest more than US$200 million in Myanmar over the next four to five years, hire 2,500 workers, and provide business-management skills to 25,000 women through a project run by an international humanitarian group, company executives said on June 4 during the inauguration of the companys first bottling plant in Myanmar in 60 years. The company also aims to sell its cola brand at more than 100,000 outlets in the country within six months, with three production lines at the new facility in Yangons Hmawbi township and one at an existing facility in Hlaing Thar Yar township that it shares with its part-

ner Pin Ya Manufacturing. Pin Ya produces X2O drinking water and a range of soft drink flavours under the brand Max at the plant. Muhtar Kent, senior vice president of Coca-Cola International, described the opening of the new bottling plant as an historic event. Coca-Cola was one of the first US companies to receive an investment permit under Myanmars new foreign investment law. U Myint Swe described the opening of the plant as a milestone for

25,000
Number of women Coca-Cola will provide financial literacy and business skills to in a project with NGO PACT

Myanmar and called for more investment in manufacturing because it creates jobs. Coca-Cola said the investment will increase production capacity, grow logistics, including sales and distribution operations, and improve marketing and people capabilities. Its global standards for corporate ethics are also being incorporated in its business here, including strict adherence to its global human and workplace rights policy, supplier guiding principles, code of business conduct and anti-bribery policies, the company said. Its project with non-governmental organisation PACT aims to teach 25,000 women how to become entrepreneurs through financial literacy and business management training. Coca-Cola has given PACT $3 million for the three-year project. It said 10,000 women have already received training through the project since it returned to Myanmar last September. Coca-Cola al-

Trucks emblazoned with the Coca-Cola logo at the companys new bottling plant in Yangon, which had a high-profile inauguration on June 4. Photo: Lim Ko Taik

ready employs more than 1000 staff here and says its expansion could create another 22,500 indirect jobs within five years. The company plans to sell most of its major beverage brands in

Myanmar and has hired celebrities SaiSai and Bobby Soxer to promote them. Last weeks inauguration was attended by US Ambassador Derek Mitchell and former secretary of state Madeleine Albright.

28 Business

THE MYANMAR TIMES June 10 - 16, 2013

New 2 percent tax on imports and exports

Stuart Deed stuartdeed@gmail.com THE Internal Revenue Department will levy a 2 percent income tax on the customs value of nearly all imports and exports as the country bids to simplify taxation and widen the base of taxpayers, says an analysis compiled by law and tax advisory firm VDB Loi. The change takes effect from June 14 and the 2pc tax is an advance payment of the 25pc income tax that most businesses have to pay on a yearly basis, said Edwin Vanderbruggen, VDB Lois partner in charge of Myanmar operations. The tax is counted as an advance payment of the income tax, which is payable yearly by the importer or exporter, and can also be reimbursed, the company said. However, there are some important exceptions, notably for investors. The analysis states the change does not affect investors with a Myanmar Investment Commission Permit, at least during the entitys construction period. But goods that a company with an MIC Permit imports that are not materials or equipment that falls within the scope of MIC Permits tax exemption are likely subject to the tax, it adds. Another key exception is for cut, make and package operators mostly in the garment, fisheries and footwear sectors that work by importing partly finished goods before quickly completing production and exporting them. VDB Lois analysis also says that temporary imports, such as drilling rigs or vessels used in the oil and gas sector, are not subject to the tax. But the tax will be levied on most vehicle imports, including personal cars. The Customs Department will be responsible for collecting the tax on imported goods, including vehicles, but different agencies will take charge depending on where the goods arrive.

Crackdown on imported wrecks faces hurdles

Aye thidar kyaw ayethidarkyaw@gmail.com Aye nyein win ayenyeinwin.mcm@gmail.com THE crackdown on sales of substandard vehicles is intensifying, but it will be difficult to prevent consumers from being cheated at showrooms because deception is widespread, industry representatives said. The government also lacks consumer protection mechanisms and has yet to standardise import criteria for vehicles since liberalising the trade in September 2011, they added. The Vehicle Manufacturers and Importing Association is working with the government to prevent the import and sale of badly damaged vehicles, but its vice chairman, U Aung Win, warned that fraud will be hard to weed out because it is commonplace. He accused owners of sales centres of price collusion and said kilometre gauges are frequently manipulated to make vehicles appear to have been used less than they have been. The crackdown on corruption in the auto trade is part of parliaments effort to improve consumer protection. It began last month with five importers being shut down for selling cosmetically enhanced wrecks. Commerce ministry officials subsequently warned industry executives that traders and owners of showrooms could also lose their businesses if they sell sub-

Customs inspectors check a vehicle that arrived at Yangon Port. Photo: Staff

standard vehicles. U Aung Win said that putting more monitors at ports would help, but added that damaged vehicles are also entering the country overland from Thailand. Officials said that even the mandatory wheel tax permits, which must be displayed in every vehicle, are often fake. The counterfeits, which sell for up to K300,000 each, are of such high quality that traffic police cannot tell the difference between them and the genuine permits issued by the Road Transport Administration De-

partment, industry executives said. The only way to verify their authenticity is to take them to the department for crosschecking, they added. U Win Myint, a spokesperson for the commerce ministry, admitted counterfeit permits are a problem but denied speculation that the government is considering an amnesty for owners of illegally imported vehicles if they pay a fine of K4 million. The ministry is planning to send teams to monitor border areas for illegal imports, U Win Myint added.

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that STARBUCKS CORPORATION (d/b/a Starbucks Coffee Company) a company organized under the laws of the State of Washington and having its principal office at 2401 Utah Avenue South, Seattle, Washington 98134, United States of America is the owner and sole proprietor of the following trademark:-

(Reg No: 3961/2013) The said trademark is in respect of:Class 30: Tea and herbal tea; tea and herbal tea-based beverages; tea and herbal tea-based concentrates, with fruit flavoring; frozen confections with tea, herbal tea and/or fruit flavoring; ground and whole bean coffee; coffee, tea, cocoa and espresso beverages, and beverages made with a base of coffee and/or espresso; beverages made with a base of tea, powdered chocolate and vanilla; ready-to-drink coffee; ready-to-drink tea; frozen confections, namely, ice cream, ice milk, frozen yogurt, frozen soy based desserts; chocolate, candy and confections; soy-based beverages; baked goods, namely, muffins, scones, biscuits, cookies, pastries and breads; sandwiches; processed cereal-derived food product to be used as a breakfast cereal, food bar, or ingredient for making food; ready-to-eat cereal; rolled oats; grain-based food bars; ready-to-eat oat-based food bars; soy-based food bars; crackers; prepared or frozen meals not included in other classes consisting primarily of rice, grains, or pasta including meat, soy, poultry, seafood, vegetables, fruits, tofu, and/or cheese; sauces; sauces to add to beverages; dipping sauces; ready-made sauces; salad dressings, fruit sauces; vegetable sauces; food bars based on soy; aromatic preparations for use with food including flavoring syrups to add to beverages, such as with coffee, e.g. chocolate or caramel syrup; sugar, spice, honey. Class 35: Administration of a customer loyalty program which provides registered customers with free and discounted menu items; Business administration; business management; franchising, namely providing technical assistance in the establishment and/or operation of restaurants, cafes, coffee

houses and snack bars; retail services in the field of: coffee, tea, cocoa, packaged and prepared foods, electric appliances, non-electric appliances, housewares, kitchenware, clocks, watches, kitchen timers, stop watches, jewelry, books, musical recordings, mouse pads, wallets, billfolds, tote bags, purses, briefcases, book bags, valises and umbrellas, all made of cloth, plastic or leather, key fobs of leather, clothing, caps and hats, toys, including teddy bears, stuffed toys, plush toys, dolls and accessories therefor, Christmas ornaments; wholesale distributorships, wholesale stores and wholesale ordering services all in the field of: coffee, tea, cocoa, packaged and prepared foods, electric appliances, non-electric appliances, housewares, kitchenware, clocks, watches, kitchen timers, stop watches, jewelry, books, musical recordings, mouse pads, wallets, billfolds, tote bags, purses, briefcases, book bags, valises and umbrellas, all made of cloth, plastic or leather, key fobs of leather, clothing, caps and hats, toys, including teddy bears, stuffed toys, plush toys, dolls and accessories therefor, Christmas ornaments; mail order services and mail order catalog services, on-line ordering services and on-line retail store services all in the field of: coffee, tea, cocoa, packaged and prepared foods, electric appliances, non-electric appliances, housewares, kitchenware, clocks, watches, kitchen timers, stop watches, jewelry, books, musical recordings, mouse pads, wallets, billfolds, tote bags, purses, briefcases, book bags, valises and umbrellas, all made of cloth, plastic or leather, key fobs of leather, clothing, caps and hats, toys, including teddy bears, stuffed toys, plush toys, dolls and accessories therefor, Christmas ornaments; computerized on-line gift registry and ordering service. Class 43: Restaurant, cafe, cafeteria, snack bar, tea house, coffee bar and coffee house, carry out restaurant, and take out restaurant services; catering services; contract food services; food preparation; preparation and sale of carry out foods and beverages. 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 STARBUCKS CORPORATION (d/b/a Starbucks Coffee Company) P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 10th June, 2013

BRIEFS
Yangon Another IT upgrade for the central bank
month, importers said. U Zaw Moe Khaing, general secretary of Myanmar Pharmaceuticals and Medical Equipment Entrepreneurs Association, said prices would have risen further if importers had not stocked up before the kyat began sliding. The currency fell almost 8pc against the US dollar but wholesale prices rose only 4.5-6pc, he said. The owner of a pharmacy in Yangon, however, said retail prices rose as much as 13pc. Dr Naing Aung Ko said prices at his pharmacy in Sanchaung township rose 5-13 pc. The owner of an importing company said that because the kyat recovered slightly in the last week of May prices were unlikely to rise further. She said most of her stock was imported from India, with prices set in US dollars. - San Yamin Aung

The Central Bank of Myanmar plans to install a modular data centre at its Yangon office as part of the upgrade of its IT infrastructure that will help it prepare for the opening of a stock exchange in 2015, officials said late last month. The project is being undertaken with assistance from Japans Daiwa Research Institute, deputy minister for finance and revenue U Lin Aung said. The data centre will create a network linking all domestic banks and will be accessible from the central banks office in the capital. Takashi Fukari, chairman of Daiwa Research Institute, described the planned data centre as a shining example for the development of Myanmar financial sector, and said it will be installed by Japanese firm Toshiba. Developing the central banks IT system is critical for the opening of a stock exchange in 2015, central bank chairman U Than Nyein said. A modular data system is portable, energy efficient and less costly than traditional data systems, IT experts say. Last year Daiwa and two other Japanese firms installed a cloud computing system at the central bank. Pyayt Thet Phyo, translated by Thit Lwin

THE wholesale price of imported medicines, which comprise an estimated 80 percent of the market, has risen up to 6pc since the kyat fell against the US dollar last

Yangon Cost of medicine rises as currency declines

Brick prices in Mandalay could continue to rise if the Ayeyarwady River overflows its banks this year, brick makers in the region say. Prices rose about 30 percent last month, from K65 to K80 a brick, and could climb to K90 a brick if riverside factories are forced to shut or relocate, factory owner U Kyaw Tint said. Prices usually rise during the monsoon months, but last year a late monsoon led to an oversupply of bricks and a sharp drop in prices, local sellers said. Brick factories are located near river banks so that they can easily source the clay they need to make bricks. Aung Ye Thwin, translated by Thit Lwin

Mandalay Surge in brick prices linked to rivers rise

www.mmtimes.com

Business 29

Ministry scales back fishing licences

myat nyein aye myatnyeinaye11092@gmail.com IN a move to prevent further declines of fish stocks, the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries cut by 25 percent the number of licences it handed out to fishing boats for the monsoon fishing season, which started on June 1. The move follows an announcement by the ministry in April that the length of the season one of three annually would be cut from 90 to 45 days, following reports from industry groups warning that fish stocks are declining. Myanmar Fisheries Federation member U Han Htun said both moves will help the industry in the long term but some fishermen will lose their income this season. He called on the government to assist them. The Myanma Fisheries Association said dock workers and employees of fish processing plants will also see lower incomes. Fishery workers in Yangon and Tanintharyi regions and Rakhine State will be the most affected, industry representatives said. There is little fishing off the coast of Ayeyarwady Region and Mon State during the monsoon season because the weather makes it too dangerous, fishermen from the region say. There are four main fishing docks in Yangon Region, employing at least 1600 workers, industry representatives said. There are also 30 cold-storage facilities that employ about 20,000 workers, while another 20,000 people are employed in factories that dry fish. Inland fisheries are closed during the monsoon months. The fishing industry is also facing tighter restriction on exports. China asked the government last month to ensure all marine-product exports to China are inspected before leaving Myanmar to ensure that they match the same import regulations the EU imposes, a spokesperson for the Myanmar Fishery Products Processors and Exporters Association said. If fish exports to China are not inspected before they leave Myanmar they will not be allowed into China, U Zaw Win said. The new restrictions were established by Chinas Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine panel, he said. The regulations force fish-processing plants to adhere to a new set of safety and quality regulations. Some fisheries products including dried fish and prawn, eel and soft crab can still be exported to China without prior inspection, U Zaw Win said. The fisheries department is assisting fish processing plants to ensure their products meet the requirements. The regulations are the latest in a series of moves by China to raise the quality of fish imports from Myanmar, including inspections of local fish-meal plants last year. As a result of those inspections, six of 11 fish-meal exporting companies were registered by Chinas inspection panel.

Staff at fish-processing plants in Yangon could see their hours cut. Photo: Staff

Easing of sanctions prompts a U-turn

Aye thidar kyaw ayethidarkyaw@gmail.com A CONSULTING firm set up in Singapore to help Myanmar clients deal with international sanctions is now swiftly expanding trade-related services at its office in Yangon, as the easing of sanctions has made its previous business model obsolete, Chan Myae Khine, business development manager of Inter Consulting said. She said the company, run by U Nyi Nyi Htun a Myanmar entrepreneur who set up the firm in Singapore in 2005 has helped about 500 Myanmar clients incorporate and open bank accounts in the island state since 2006 so that they could do business globally. Now that sanctions are easing on Myanmar banks, Inter Consulting is moving swiftly to sell credit-risk management and other trade-related services to Myanmar companies at its office in Yangon, as well as provide office space and receptionists to international firms arriving here, she told The Myanmar Times. In May it signed a memorandum of understanding with Atradius Collections that will allow its clients to use the global debt-collection firm to help them obtain payment from latepaying or delinquent customers in other countries. U Nyi Nyi Htun said by email that the major problem Myanmar exporters face is that some overseas buyers refuse to accept cargo if the price of the product has fallen dramatically in the international market between the time they ordered it and the time the shipment arrives. We know how to take legal action against delinquent buyers, he said, adding that most Myanmar exporters do not know how to handle this problem. Increased international trade carries credit risks, he said, adding that the partnership with Atradius will allow his clients to manage these risks because Atradius can intervene globally and quickly. It can send a letter demanding payment within two days and if this does not work it can negotiate or take legal action against the delinquent company in its jurisdiction, he said. Inter Consulting also offers pre-shipment consulting on contracts and other agreements, and credit and background checks of overseas buyers. If the buyer is not in good financial shape, we advise exporting clients to get advance payment, U Nyi Nyi Htun said. Netherlands-based Atrius has 14 offices in Europe, as well as offices in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong. Ralph J Van Dijk, global commercial director for Atradius, said the lifting of sanctions sparked a surge of interest in Myanmar, but added that this carried risks for domestic companies and these risks vary because each market has its own regulatory, legal and financial framework. U Nyi Nyi Htun said the lifting of sanctions on Myanmar will hurt three businesses: Singapore banks that handled transactions for Myanmar nationals and companies; unofficial remittance companies; and companies that acted as middlemen between Myanmar companies and their international clients.

Honda opens in Shan State

HONDA has opened its second motorbike showroom in Myanmar, in Taunggyi, the capital of Shan State, through its Myanmar distributor, NCX. U Thi Han Oo, manager of the showroom, said it opened on May 28 and that buyers did not mind paying more for Honda motorbikes, which sell from K1 million to K1.9 million, because they are more reliable than other brands. Buyers also receive a one-year or 12,000-kilometre service warranty and all bikes are properly licensed, he added. Honda executive Tatsuhiro Oyama said the company sold 15.5 million motorbikes last year and that Myanmar is becoming an attractive market for the company. Myat May Zin

30 Business

THE MYANMAR TIMES June 10 - 16, 2013

Job watch
Our Co.,(Japanese Co. joint venture with Local) is seeking for qualified and experience MYANMAR National for the following position Chief Accountant (1) post Qualification : Extensive (at least 10year preferred) working experience in Construction Industry. : Ability to communicate clearly in English both in verbal and written forms.

Myanmar needs long-term investors, experts say

Myanmars investment suitors should be prepared to commit long term to the rapidly-opening nation, experts said, as foreign firms weigh the risks of doing business in the former pariah state. Reforms in the country have stirred intense interest from international business, but observers say the country must repel those chasing a quick buck if it is to avoid falling victim to its own hype. Myanmar businessman Serge Pun said the country was trying to ensure that a first wave of investors would not be subject to extreme risk, but added those with a responsible long-term view would benefit. If you come in thinking, This is a dangerous place, highly risky. Id better make my money quick, I think you stay home, he told a conference at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on East Asia in Nay Pyi Daw. This is not a dangerous place; this is a place with a lot of potential. Foreign firms are now lining up to enter the country, which is strategically located, has vast natural resources and a largely untapped market with a potential 60 million new consumers. Big brands such as Coca-Cola, Ford and brewer Heineken have all recently announced they are dipping their toes into a country where investment is needed in every sector. But with its oil and gas reserves, as well as its history of civil unrest and cronyism, experts warn Myanmar must encourage responsible investment as it looks to avoid the socalled resource curse of a natural bounty that fails to benefit ordinary people. Myanmar is the perfect candidate for the resource curse. Its more likely, by every indicator ... for the resources to be a conflict exacerbating factor than anything else, said David Harland, of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue. Reforms have widened the web of firms peering into the country, according to Aung Naing Oo, who is responsible for promoting investment in Myanmar.

NIPPON KOEI YANGON office No. 1042,Waizayantar Road, Ward No.(4), South Okkalap Tsp, Yangon. Tel:/ Fax 01-579-932 Mobile 09-500-6282, e-mail : nipponkoeiyangon@gmail.com

Opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at the World Economic Forum in Nay Pyi Daw on June 7. Photo: AFP

He said that in the past resource firms dominated investment interest, but now he sees everyone from hoteliers to manufacturers looking to set up factories for garments, electronics and food processing. Investors have, however, raised concerns about the legal system and poor infrastructure road and rail networks need major renovation, electricity is inconsistent and mobile and Internet services are patchy. A lack of experience among the workforce is also seen as a great challenge, with experts warning

Corporate responsibility is good business.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Leader National League for Democracy

that the country has lost a generation of young people, the victims of junta policies that weakened the school system. Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi urged the private sector to invest in the skills of young people. Corporate responsibility is good business, she told the forum. She said she understood firms needs to make profits, but added: They must try to maximise our benefits as well. Around a thousand delegates from more than 50 countries are gathered for the three-day conference a regional edition of the annual gathering of business and political luminaries in the Swiss resort of Davos. Many of those attending are experiencing the country and its sprawling junta-built capital for the first time. While some newcomers have expressed astonishment at Nay Pyi Daws shabby hotel rooms and gaze disconsolately at BlackBerries ren-

dered redundant by a lack of coverage in the country, others with more grounded expectations have been impressed. One Korean businessman said that he had been impressed that Myanmar had pulled off such a large international event. Myanmars dramatic emergence from military rule has astonished the international community, with reforms under a new quasi-civilian government including the release of political prisoners and the welcoming of long-detained Suu Kyi into a fledgling parliament. Luc de Waegh, founder of Myanmar investment advisory firm West Indochina, which has been working in the country for 20 years, described the changes as close to a miracle. But he warned of unrealistic expectations that the economic situation will progress at the same speed as sweeping political changes. It doesnt happen like this, he said. AFP

Financial zone key to Abes growth strategy

WITH a growth strategy the third arrow of Abenomics announced on June 5, the full picture of Prime Minister Shinzo Abes economic policies has been unveiled. The Abe administration has set goals including a target to boost the per capita gross national income by 3 percent a year. To get there, it plans to take bold measures such as regulatory reforms and boosting foreign investment in Japan. The administration also intends to clarify its stance on financial restructuring in a basic fiscal policy. By doing so, his government apparently aims to dispel growing worries over the impact of Abenomics on the stock market. Abenomics consists of three arrows. The first is aggressive monetary easing by the Bank of Japan, while the second is related to flexible and timely fiscal spending. With these two arrows already released, attention has turned to the third arrow the growth strategy. Specific steps to spur economic growth have been discussed by the governments Industrial Competitiveness Council. Meanwhile, the Regulatory Reform Council reported to Mr Abe on June 5 support measures for the growth strategy, including an overhaul of labour regulations. To offset the potential side effects of bold fiscal spending and monetary easing, the Economic and Fiscal Policy Council is discussing midterm measures to rebuild public finances. As part of the growth strategy, the government is taking steps to establish a special financial zone in Tokyo that is designed to tap investments from abroad. The steps feature significant tax cuts for international financial transactions via Japan. The Financial Services Agency and the Finance Ministry plan to set up a task force soon and draw up detailed plans this year. For companies of other Asian countries that establish financial affiliates in the special zone, the government is considering making interest and dividends that affiliates receive from group firms in and outside Japan tax-free. The government also plans reducing corporate taxes on profits that financial institutions based in the special zone obtain from financial transactions in Asia and simplifying paperworkto make it easier to issue bonds. According to a survey by the British think tank Z/Yen Group, London ranked as the most competitive financial center in the world, followed by New York. Tokyo ranked sixth, lagging Asian rivals Hong Kong and Singapore, which were ranked third and fourth, respectively. Bloomberg

tokyo

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in Myanmar is inviting qualified candidates to apply for the following positions: Sr. Title and level 1. Planning and Budget Officer (LICA 7) 2. Web Developer (LICA 6) 3. Programme Officer (Infrastructure) (LICA 6) 4. Planning and Budget Associate (LICA 4) 5. Gender and Health Analyst (LICA 6) 6. Communications Assistant (LICA 3) 7. Health Data Quality Assurance (DQA) Specialist (LICA 7) Duty Station Yangon Yangon Yangon Yangon Yangon Yangon Yangon Position National National National National National National National Deadline 10-June-2013 13 June 2013 13-June-2013 17-June-2013 17-June-2013 18-June-2013 28-June-2013

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

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HOME OF THE WEEK

Property Business 31

Heaven on 11

new york

Condos surge in price and height

WHILE many people scrimp and save to buy their first modest home and others rent for life, New York is seeing a boom in housing construction for the fabulously rich. Buyers are snapping up high-rise luxury condos before they are even completed, with money gushing in from South America, the Middle East, China and Russia, as well as from New York. The global economic and financial crisis may still linger in many parts of the world, but the Big Apple remains a ferociously bull market for developers. The luxury market in New York City has rebounded to even higher prices than the last peak market. The stability of the New York market is attractive to many purchasers, said Jeff Dvorett, project manager of condo project One57. Construction started in 2011 and 70 percent of the homes in the building have been sold. When they have all gone, sales are expected to surpass US$2 billion, Mr Dvorett said. One57 is 90 floors high. Two penthouses in it have been sold for between $90 million and $100 million, a record for a single dwelling in Manhattan. Similar dizzying figures come from a building called 56 Leonard in the Tribeca district of lower Manhattan. Seventy-five percent of its 145 condos sold in three months, and once the building is sold out revenue will exceed $1 billion, said Elizabeth Unger, sales director at Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group. The success and velocity of sales at 56 Leonard is recordbreaking. Within two months, 50pc of its residences were sold with sales totaling over $600 million, she said. The number of Manhattan condos with apartments costing more than $15 million has gone from 33 in 2009 to 49 this year. AFP

Photos : Thirilu

This fully furnished three-bedroom flat in Mingalar Taung Nyunt township is spacious, centrally located and high enough off the ground that you may find yourself meditating on the citys skyline in late afternoon, as the sunset approaches, rather than working at home or watching TV. The flat has plenty of windows that encourage gazing and enough space that you start to unwind as soon as you open the door. It is a refuge with a view, though a pricey one. Its 1500 square feet rent for more than US$1 a month each. The apartment has been freshly painted a soothing off white, but this clashes with the parquet living-room floor. A few rugs can fix this. The floors of all three bedrooms and the hallway connecting them have near-cream-coloured tiling. There is only one bathroom, but the apartment includes a laundry room next to the kitchenette. Chefs may find this disap-

pointing the tight space and few appliances might make it difficult to whip up a five-course meal. Those who enjoy watching television, however, can do so from the well-cushioned sofa in the living room. The apartment includes satellite TV, Internet and three air conditioners. The building has an outdoor swimming pool and indoor gym. - Ei Thae Thae Naing Location : Ngwe Chan Thar, Mingalar Taung Nyunt township Rent Contact Phone : K1.8 million ($1,920) a month : Pann Tha Khin Real Estate Service (Mya) : 01 229648, 09 43127288, 09 73097581

US MILLION

$100
New record price for a single dwelling in Manhattan

Prices rising in China

HOME prices in major Chinese cities continued to rise for the sixth consecutive month in May, a survey showed last week. The average cost of a new home in 100 major cities rose 6.9 percent from a year earlier to 10,180 yuan (US$1,647) per square metre in May, the China Index Academy said on June 3, compared with 5.34pc growth in April. On a monthly basis, home prices climbed 0.81pc last month from April, the academy said, adding growth narrowed from 1pc in April owing to new government regulations and weaker home sales. With the gradual implementation of regulations including limits on selling prices, developers were less active in launching projects while some buyers were inclined to take a wait-and-see approach, it said. Chinas local governments in late March introduced rules to lower home prices, including a 20pc capital gains tax on sales of residential property, but the academy forecast that prices will continue to rise. With increasing land prices, insufficient supply in some cities and anticipation of monetary easing, expectations remain strong for a continued rise in home prices, it said. Property prices are a sensitive issue in China and authorities have sought for the past three years to control their rise. Measures to contain prices have included restrictions on purchases of second and third homes, higher minimum down payments and taxes in some cities on multiple and non-locally owned homes. AFP

32 Business Property

THE MYANMAR TIMES June 10 - 16, 2013

Yangons park revival is gaining ground

City residents are rushing to parks for Tai Chi at dawn and football at dusk

Htar Htar Khin

htar29@gmail.com

DAW Kyin Aye says Bogyoke Park one of the 12 prioritised by the Yangon City Development Committee for upgrading saved her life. The 78 year old began attending Tai Chi classes in the park after suffering a heart attack six years ago. As soon as I was let out of the hospital, I began Tai Chi, walking around the park and doing yoga. Im healthier, more alert and my memory is no longer slipping away, she said one morning last week while strolling around the park.

Her teacher, U Soe Myint, said his classes have expanded from just a handful of students a few years ago to nearly 300 this year. His students say the classes relieve stress, improve their health and help them make new friends. Many said their enthusiasm for parks coincided with a slow sense of relaxation that began after the easing of military rule, while some pointed to upgrades of parks, an increased sense of safety and a decision to waive entrance fees early in the morning. I want to thank the mayor for letting us enter the park for free before 7am, said U Soe Mying, whose classes begin at 5:45am. Most of his students are women. He starts with Tai Chi, then builds up to aerobics and line-dancing before slowing down with yoga. Tai Chi

Yangons Kandawgyi Park, above, is among the most popular. Right, workers install a new brick footpath in the park. Photos:Thiri

is the most popular, he says. His student Daw Mu Mu Thant, 55, said that since joining the class 10 months ago she no longer suffers from insomnia. It went away in one week, she said. The enthusiasm for parks has been noticed by city officials, but they say scant resources force them to focus on refurbishing a few the city centre while adding more in the suburbs as the city expands. Yangon has 58 parks and gardens, 12 of which have been

identified by the YCDC for upgrading, including Mahabandoola Park, Peoples Park, Inya Park and Bogyoke Aung San Park. The city also has 127 playgrounds, 14 of which are being upgraded Three parks Peoples Park, Mahabandoola Park and Kandaw Mingalar Park are undergoing major renovations. More trees are being planted, lawns are being restored and water fountains with colourful lighting are being installed. An airplane has also been added Peoples Park and visitors may soon be allowed to stroll through it, officials at the parks and gardens department said. The upgrading of the parks will be completed this year, with a total cost of K203.4 million. More parks are planned for southern Yangon region and about 20 playgrounds will be added in the citys suburbs this

I want to thank the mayor for letting us enter the park for free before 7am.
U Soe Myaing Tai Chi Teacher Bogyoke Park

year, officials said. As the population increases people need more breathing space, one official explained, adding that parks, gardens and playgrounds are a key component of the citys development plan. Most park enthusiasts, especially men, want city planners to move more quickly, however. Ko Myo Khaing, 29, said the YCDC should not overlook football pitches in the suburbs. The resident of Thaketa township said he frequently plays football at a playground in the townships 14th district. It used to be a dump and then it was covered with sand, he said. Id like to see the city improve the park and put a fence around it. Its the only one in the ward. U Kyaw Win, 64, a resident of Thaketa townships 6th district, agreed, saying upgrading football pitches is necessary to develop the sport in Myanmar. To improve football in Myan-

mar, we need more spaces for people to practice. He was quick to add, however, that football pitches need fences, especially if they are close to homes. Quarrels erupt daily in his neighbourhood due to footballs hitting rooftops or landing in outdoor cooking areas because there is no fence around the pitch nearby. Youths are also increasingly drawn to parks. For them, they are places to escape their families or take a break from studying. Student Ma May Thazin Phyo, 21, says she and her friends often spend entire afternoons at a park under the shade of a tree. Ko Thiha Win, 20, said parks reduce the mental stress of studying. Its not a waste of time. Its a relief. U Kyaw Win recalled that there were more playgrounds and parks when he was a child. Now there are not as many, but I am beginning to notice that they are starting to come back.

www.mmtimes.com
NAY PYI TAW

Technology 33

Microsoft pairs up with MIT

MICROSOFT announced last week its appointment of Myanmar Information Technology (MIT) as the companys first market development partner in Myanmar. The announcement came during the World Economic Forum in Nay Pyi Taw. MITs charter will be to expand Microsofts presence in the country and work with local businesses and government to provide telecommunications solutions. Jamie Harper, Microsofts general manager for Southeast Asia, said: Microsoft is delighted to be forming this partnership in Myanmar, a country of enormous talent and opportunity. I am excited by what the future holds for Myanmar, a future we believe technology will be a vital part of. Mr Harper said that there is no one-size-fits-all formula for ensuring success but that the company is committed for the long term in Myanmar. Microsofts business is built on partners. Understanding the nuances of conducting business in each and every market we invest in is critical, which is why we focus on building sustainable partnerships with local experts, he said. A Microsoft press release says MIT is the largest software company in the country and was founded in 1997. The company is a co-founder of MICT Park with the Myanmar ICT Development Corporation (MICTDC). The company has more than 300 employees serving customers across numerous industries, including banking and finances, travel and tourism, healthcare, and government. U Tun Thura Thet, MITs chief executive officer, said: We are very proud that Microsoft chose MIT to be its market development partner and we are very excited to build upon a long and fruitful relationship that will benefit our country. I believe Microsofts global experience and solutions will be invaluable in building the Myanmar ICT industry. Staff writers

New reports allege vast US web-spying sweep

Stephen Collinson US spies are secretly tapping into servers of nine internet giants including Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and Google in a vast anti-terror sweep targeting foreigners, explosive reports said on June 6. Stung by a dizzying 24 hours of revelations on covert programs, the top US spy James Clapper issued a blistering rebuttal of the reports and warned leaks over a separate program to mine domestic phone records hurt US security. The White House, facing a fastescalating controversy over the scale and scope of secret surveillance programs, meanwhile denied spying on Americans but insisted it must use every tool available to keep the US homeland safe. The Washington Post, citing a career intelligence officer, said the National Security Agency had direct access to internet firm servers to track an individuals web presence via audio, video, photographs and emails. Some of the biggest firms in Silicon Valley were caught up in the program, known as PRISM, including Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, Apple, PalTalk, AOL, Skype and YouTube, the reports said. The paper said the leak came from a career intelligence officer with firsthand experience of these systems and horror at their capabilities. They quite literally can watch your ideas form as you type, the officer was quoted as saying. Internet giants, however, denied opening their doors for US spy agencies. We have never heard of PRISM, Apple spokesman Steve Dowling said. We do not provide any government agency with direct access to our servers, and any government agency requesting customer data must get a court order.

WASHINGTON

BRIEFS
Coming now to the mobile phone in your pocket: BBC news broadcasts. The British Broadcasting Corporation, in cooperation with Myanmars Blue Ocean Operating Management, will be providing a Myanmar-language program at 8am and 6:30pm, as well as breaking news stories, from June 3. The BBC World Service head of business development for Asia and the Pacific, Indu Shekhar Sinha, said: This is the BBCs first step back into Myanmar and the start of more cooperation with Blue Ocean. Blue Oceans assistant business manager U Ye Myat Aung said: Myanmar local news will take priority. Business news and international sport news will come next. Phone owners wishing to register can call 012399600. Charges are K30 for each 90-second voice message. More than 2000 people had signed up for the service as of June 5. Nandar Aung and Aung Kyaw Nyunt

Yangon BBC news offered direct to mobiles

Chair and vice chair of the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senator Dianne Feinstein (left) and Senator Saxby Chambliss, speak to the media in Washington on June 6. Photo: AFP

Google and Microsoft were also adamant that they only disclose what is legally demanded. In response to the reports, also carried by Britains Guardian newspaper, the White House said Americans were not being spied on, but did not deny the program existed. It involves extensive procedures, specifically approved by the court, to ensure that only non-US persons outside the US are targeted, and that minimise the acquisition, retention and dissemination of incidentally acquired information about US

They quite literally can watch your ideas form as you type.
Career US intelligence officer

persons, the official added. Congress recently reauthorised the program under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act after extensive hearings and debate, the official noted. As a damage control operation gathered pace, Clapper warned data collected under the program was among the most important and valuable foreign intelligence information we collect. The unauthorised disclosure of information about this important and entirely legal program is reprehensible and risks important protections for the security of Americans. Claims of the internet spy operation broke as Washington reeled from a Guardian newspaper report on June 5 detailing an apparent operation by the NSA to capture millions of domestic phone records. The American Civil Liberties Union branded the program, authorised by a top secret court order, as beyond Orwellian. AFP

Govt to withdraw stake in Yatanarpon Teleport

The government will withdraw its stake in Yatanarpon Teleport once the company goes public, the deputy information minister said June 6. U Thaung Tin said the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology would act in accordance with legislation banning the government from investing in telecoms operators. No date has yet been set for Yatanarpon Teleports transformation into a public company, but an announcement is expected soon. The two nationwide telecom operators will be announced on June 27, said U Winston Set Aung, chairman of the Telecommunications Operator Tender Evaluation and Selection Committee. Eleven of the 12 shortlisted applicants have submitted proposals. Htoo Aung

34 THE MYANMAR TIMES June 10 - 16, 2013

World
Three topless protesters face trial in Tunisia
The first topless protest in the Arab world has done nothing to win the oppositions support in socially conservative Tunisia
WHILE some Tunisians believe Femen activist Amina Sboui is being harshly treated for her anti-Islamist protest, there is little public sympathy for three Europeans who bared their breasts in support of her. The three women, two French and one German, face jail terms of up to a year in a trial that started on June 5, although their lawyer is confident of a lighter sentence. They are charged with indecency and an attack on public morals after staging a topless protest last month outside the main courthouse in Tunis in support of Sboui, a young Tunisian with the same sextremist movement. On the eve of the trial, Femen said the Tunisian authorities showed their true dictatorial colours when they detained and expelled a Ukrainian activist, Alexandra Shevchenko, who had come in support of her colleagues. Massar. But I dont understand the Femen reaction, which has aggravated her situation, she added. It is a sterile and pointless provocation. This incident distracts us from the most serious problems we face today, the socioeconomic problems, the drafting of the constitution, the violence, et cetera. Frankly, the Femen [demands] are the last thing Im worried about. Presidency spokesman Adnene Manser refused to comment on the foreign activists demonstration, but he called Sbouis protest in the religious city of Kairouan dangerous. This young woman exposed herself to the risk of being killed. I believe that her arrest protected her. I sympathise with her right to express herself, he told Tunisian radio on Tuesday. The three European women were identified by the Femen movement in Paris as Pauline Hillier and Marguerite Stern, both French, and Josephine Markmann from Germany. France said it hopes the Tunis court will not be too harsh. The Tunisian judiciary is independent, but in the end I still hope it will be lenient, said Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius. Souheib Bahri, one of the lawyers of the three women, who are being held in the Manouba prison in a suburb of the capital, is confident about the outcome of the trial. I expect a light sentence, he said. He said his clients had staged their controversial protest to draw attention to the plight of Sboui, who before her arrest had received threats from Islamists for having published topless pictures of herself on the internet in March. They say: We have done this to attract international attention, because Amina had no support in Tunisia, he said. Ennahda has yet to comment on the Femen campaign even though it was the groups first target. Last month in Canada, a topless activist interrupted a speech by Hamadi Jebali, former prime minister and secretary general of the party, shouting Free Amina! Since the 1950s, Tunisia has had the most liberal laws in the Arab world on womens rights, and the Islamists are often forced to defend themselves against the charge of wanting to roll back those rights. The latest edition of the proposed new constitution, drafted in April, states that all male and female citizens have the same rights and duties and guarantees equal opportunity to men and women. Meanwhile, German police on Friday broke up a protest by topless activists from radical womens rights group Femen outside Chancellor Angela Merkels offices against the visiting Tunisian prime minister, an AFP photographer said. AFP

TUNIS

What has happened to Amina, this ruthlessness, is not justified. She does not in any way represent a threat to national security.
Nadia Chaabane MP for the secular centre-left party Al-Massar

IN PICTUREs

One of three topless activists from the Femen fem policeman as they demonstrate in front of the jus

Sboui, who was arrested last month after painting the word Femen on a wall near a cemetery in an act of protest against hardline Islamists, separately appeared before an investigating judge on June 5. Held in detention since May 19, she has not yet been formally charged but risks between six months and two years in jail if tried for indecency and desecrating a cemetery. The judge has indicated that she could be accused of acting as part of an organised gang and therefore attract a heavier sentence. But while the ruling Islamist party Ennahda is often accused by its secular opponents of seeking to Islamise society, the May 29 topless protest the first in the Arab world did nothing to win the oppositions support in socially conservative Tunisia, or renew the debate about womens rights. Even if Tunisias secular and feminist groups sympathise with the young Tunisians plight, few of them are rushing to support her European comrades. What has happened to Amina, this ruthlessness, is not justified. She does not in any way represent a threat to national security, said Nadia Chaabane, MP for the secular centre-left party Al-

Tel Aviv

Thousands celebrate Gay Pride

THOUSANDS of people gathered in Tel Aviv in Israel on Friday for the annual Gay Pride parade, which attracts visitors from all over the world, this year including Frances first gay married couple. Gay, lesbian and transgender activists and sympathisers, draped in rainbow flags, awaited the departure of a procession of floats through the Mediterranean coastal city blasting out electronic music. Tel Aviv city hall media director Mira Marcus said this marked 20 years since the municipality first organised a public event for the homosexual community. In addition to thousands of Israelis taking part this year some 25,000 tourists were expected to join the festivities, he said. Among them were Vincent Autin and his partner Bruno Boileau, who tied the knot in Montpellier after months of passionate debate and protests for and against France last month becoming the 14th country to legalise same-sex marriage. The couple are honeymooning in Tel Aviv at the invitation of its municipality. Tel Aviv is a pluralist city that defends the rights of homosexuals, said Marcus. When we learned that a gay couple had married in France, we decided there was nothing more romantic and appropriate than to invite them to spend their honeymoon in Tel Aviv during Gay Pride, she told AFP. Israel is widely seen as having liberal gay rights policies, despite the hostility shown towards homosexuals, particularly men, from the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. Israel repealed a ban on consensual same-sex sexual acts in 1988. This years parade began a day after three suspects in a 2009 double murder in a Tel Aviv gay youth centre appeared in court. Police sources quoted by the media have said the motive appeared to be revenge rather than a hate crime specifically targeting homosexuals. AFP

Tel Aviv is a pluralist city that defends the rights of homosexuals.

Mira Marcus Tel Aviv city hall media director

35

Putin divorce announcement takes Russia by surprise

world 38

Third time lucky for Pakistans Sharif

asia-pacific 42

China probes deadly bus blaze

Asia-pacific 42

SYRIA

UN launches record $5.2-billion Syria aid appeal

JONATHON FOWLER THE United Nations on Friday launched a record $5.2-billion aid appeal to fund operations in Syria and neighbouring nations, saying the number of people affected by the countrys brutal conflict was set to spiral. The sum by far overshadows the $2.2 billion (1.7 billion euros) the UN sought in 2003 to help cope with the crisis sparked by the war in Iraq. The $5.2 billion represents money needed across this year to pay for operations that have already been undertaken, are ongoing or are due to be carried out until the end of December. The figure for the new appeal is both an expression of the alarm about the situation facing Syrians and an absence of a political solution, said Adrian Edwards, spokesman for the UNs refugee agency, the UNHCR. It also marked a more than threefold increase on the $1.5 billion which the UN previously had said that it needed to cover operations this year. The UN has so far received $1 billion of that sum, after launching an appeal last December. In the latest appeal, the world body said that a total of $3.8 billion was needed to help Syrian refugees who have spilled across the countrys borders to escape fighting in their homeland. The figure for operations inside Syria meanwhile was $1.4 billion. More than 94,000 people have been killed and some 1.6 million Syrians have fled the country since the civil war began in March 2011 after a crackdown on protests against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. The numbers represented in this plan are staggering, said Amir Abdulla, deputy executive director of the UNs World Food Program. They represent a tragedy for Syria and a burden on the region, he told reporters. The overwhelming majority of the refugees have fled to neighbouring Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Jordan, which are struggling to cope.

A picture taken on June 7, 2013 shows cows standing next to a Syrian army tank in Dabaa, north of Qusayr, in Syrias central Homs province. Photo: AFP

In Jordan, for example, one refugee camp is now the equivalent of the nations fifth-largest town. With the revolt against Assad having morphed into a viciously sectarian conflict, the total number of refugees is expected to swell to at least 3.45 million by the end of this year, according to the UN appeal. Within the country, a total of 6.8 million people are forecast to need aid this year, the majority of them people who have been forced to flee their homes because of the fighting. These are huge numbers. They are not sustainable over the very

By the end of the year, half the population of Syria will be in need of aid.
Adrian Edwards Spokesman, the UNs refugee agency

inist group is arrested by a plain-clothed stice Palace in Tunis on May 29. Photo: AFP

long term, which is why we hope that there will be a solution to the situation inside Syria, said Abdulla. We hope that the world will respond, as millions of Syrians displaced in their home country, and refugees in neighbouring countries, basically have little else to rely on at this time, he added. Syrias pre-war population was 20.8 million. By the end of the year, half the population of Syria will be in need of aid, underlined Edwards. The nature of the Syrian conflict has affected aid efforts, with convoys often having to clear dozens of checkpoints manned by different militias from both sides. In other operations, theres often a front line when youre dealing with two opposing forces. In this instance youve a very complex situation where there are pockets. There is no clear line. Youre dealing with a fragmented opposition who dont follow a monolithic command and control structure, said Abdulla. AFP

36 World International
LONDON ANKARA

THE MYANMAR TIMES June 10 - 16, 2013

Colombia aiming for peace deal by end of 2013

COLOMBIAN President Juan Manuel Santos hopes to bring peace between his government and leftist rebels by the end of the year, he told an economic forum in London on Friday, insisting his country was safe for investors and had huge potential. I think that with political will from the other side, we can finish the negotiations and end the conflict by the end of this year, he told a conference organised by the Financial Times newspaper. He told business leaders he did not want to set a strict deadline for concluding the difficult process of negotiating with the FARC rebels, who are engaged in their first peace talks with the government in a decade.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos. Photo: AFP

The guerrillas dont have an alternative. Honestly, its now or never.

Juan Manuel Santos Colombian President

But he said that a peace deal would have very positive consequences for both Colombia and the rest of Latin America. The talks, which opened in November in the Cuban capital Havana, are the fourth attempt since the 1980s to bring peace to Colombia. But the negotiations are taking place without a ceasefire and face many obstacles, including

whether the rebels can avoid jail before returning to civilian life, the FARCs role in drug trafficking, disarmament and compensation for victims. The war has ravaged Colombia for fifty years and has left 600,000 dead, more than 3.7 million displaced and 15,000 missing. On May 26 the two sides announced a deal on land access and use and the regularisation of property which was welcomed by the United Nations. The talks are currently in recess and are set to resume on Tuesday with a focus on how the guerrillas would participate in politics under a deal. I am quite confident that we will reach an agreement, Santos said. The guerrillas dont have an alternative. Honestly, its now or never. But he added that there could be no final peace deal until agreement was reached on all of the issues on the table. The president said he had received support from the whole world in his bid for peace, including from British Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday. AFP

A man walks before a graffiti sign of the Justice and Development Party while protestors dance in a tent at Gundogdu square on June 8, 2013. Photo: AFP

Chapulling: Turkish protesters new word

TURKEYS prime minister meant it as an insult when he dismissed protesters as capulcu vandals or looters. But theyve become fond of it, adopting it as their nickname and spreading it via Facebook and Twitter. It is just one in a flood of edgy jokes and slogans that have kept the young Turks chuckling in between bouts of being chased by police with tear gas and water cannons at protests against the premier, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The looters are coming! the protesters yell. Pronounced cha-pul-ju in Turkish, the word morphed into chapulling, spreading the concept among Englishspeaking users on online social media, among an avalanche of humorous videos and slogans inspired by the crisis. In a language full of words notoriously slippery to translate into English, the term has been altered by sympathisers of the protests into a synonym for fighting for your rights. In a gesture of solidarity with the demonstrators, one online Turkish-English dictionary, Zargan, listed chapulling as an English word meaning claiming rights, demanding to be treated as a human being and resisting pressure. The user-generated online encyclopedia Wikipedia also added chapulling to its database, defining it as a neologism originating in the 2013 protests in Turkey, derived from Prime Minister Erdogans use of the term capulcu to describe demonstrators. One of Turkeys leading businessmen Cem Boyner, head of Boyner Holding, joined the protests at Istanbuls Taksim square with a banner reading: Im neither rightist, nor leftist. Im chapulling. Other wags in Istanbul, Ankara and other Turkish cities are using a more traditional medium to share their jokes: covering the walls with signs and graffiti many of which also end up on the Internet. One of the signs posted on Facebook punned on the words of a popular dance tune Satisfaction with a chapulling theme, reading: Cop me, and then just gas me, till I can get my chapulation. Tear gas is making us drunk, read one, in a compilation on blogging platform Tumblr, combining criticism of the police crackdown with popular anger at Erdogans plan to restrict the sale of alcohol. Tear gas is our national drink, read another, mocking Erdogan for telling Turks to adopt a non-alcoholic yoghurt drink as the countrys token beverage. Turkish mainstream television stations themselves handed the protesters ammunition for ridicule by their timid reporting at the start of the unrest, with one broadcasting a documentary about penguins instead of covering the crisis as it broke. That drove penguin along with chapulling up the list of Turkish users favourite buzz words. Some youngsters have been wearing T-shirts inscribed: We are all penguins. AFP

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Tear gas is our national drink.

Graffiti in Taksim Square

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Dated: 10th June, 2013

38 World International

THE MYANMAR TIMES June 10 - 16, 2013

Putin divorce announcement takes Russia by surprise

ANNA MALPAS Russians reeled Friday from the shock announcement by President Vladimir Putin that his 30-year marriage was over, a break-up that was long an open secret but few imagined would ever be made public. In a highly choreographed joint interview with state television after attending a ballet performance together, Putins wife Lyudmila said they were having a civilised divorce and revealed that the pair hardly ever saw each other. Lyudmila said she was grateful to Putin for supporting her, while Putin praised the fact she had stood guard for the almost nine years he has served as president. We are always going to be very close to each other. I am sure, forever, said the Russian strongman. It was an extraordinarily frank statement for any Russian politician, whose private lives are generally out of bounds, but particularly for Putin, who lives in such secrecy that he has never been officially photographed with his two adult daughters. The news came too late for most of the daily newspapers on Friday or for the main evening news on Thursday. Those newspapers that did run the story gave it muted coverage. Kommersant business daily headlined its story Civilised divorce, saying that the couple suffered from incompatibility of life rhythms. Lyudmila, 55, revealed she disliked flying and was averse to publicity, factors that had made the marriage impossible. State newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta relegated the story to three paragraphs on an inside page, headlined The marriage is over. Nevertheless, on Friday morning the story dominated news radio and the Internet, with many praising Putin, 60, for speaking frankly. This is all honest, without falseness, wrote Kremlin loyalist daily Komsomolskaya Pravda on its website. Putin very rarely acts honestly. The announcement about divorce is honest, wrote former cabinet

Moscow

BRIEFS
Two French radio journalists missing in Syria: employer
Two French radio journalists have gone missing in war-torn Syria, with no word from them in 24 hours, their employer Europe 1 said early Friday. The pair were named as Didier Franois, a seasoned reporter in troublespots, and photographer Edouard Elias, the radio station said in a statement to AFP, adding that it was working with the French authorities to obtain more information.

Lebanon army slams plot to embroil country in Syria war

The Lebanese army warned on Friday that a plot was afoot to embroil the country in the 26-month conflict in neighbouring Syria, as deadly clashes between Damascus supporters and opponents inside Lebanon multiply. The army command ... calls on citizens to be wary of plots aimed at taking Lebanon backwards and dragging it into an absurd war, a statement said, adding that it would give an armed response to any armed action. One person was killed and seven wounded in a clash in the heart of Lebanons second-largest city Tripoli on Thursday in the latest in a spate of deadly violence between Lebanese supporters and opponents of the Damascus regime.
Russias President Vladimir Putin and his wife Lyudmila attend an Orthodox Easter service at Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow on April 15, 2001. Photo: AFP

Australia searches for asylumseeker boat feared sinking

minister turned opposition politician Boris Nemtsov on Facebook. The news about the break-up of the presidential marriage is at the same time absolutely predictable and a bolt from the blue, wrote Moskovsky Komsomolets daily on its website. What is sensational is that what everyone guessed has been officially confirmed. It added the piquant detail that Putin apparently took off his wedding ring while watching the ballet, Esmeralda, in the State

What is sensational is that what everyone guessed has been officially confirmed.
Moskovsky Komsomolets website

Kremlin Palace. He appeared without it for the big announcement but was photographed wearing it before. The couple had not yet formally filed for divorce, a source at the citys registry office told the Interfax news agency. The announcement unleashed speculation about whether Putin is seeing another woman, a subject that has so far been taboo. The Moskovsky Korrespondent newspaper, owned by tycoon Alexander Lebedev, reported in 2008 that he was about to marry Olympic gymnast turned legislator Alina Kabayeva, 31 years his junior. The paper then denied its own story and was closed by its owner. Journalist Andrei Kolesnikov, who has close access to Putin, joked on his Russky Pioneer magazine website that Putin is now the countrys most eligible bachelor. Putin and Lyudmila have been seen together extremely rarely in the last few years and their last

public appearance seems to date back to May 2012 after Putin was inaugurated for a third term in office. In recent years Putin has usually appeared at official functions, including foreign visits, alone even if the presence of the first lady was expected according to protocol. Putin, who was then working as a KGB agent, married Lyudmila Shkrebneva in July 1983, before he started his posting as a spy in the East German city of Dresden in 1985. They first met in Putins home city of Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) when Lyudmila, then working as a flight attendant, came for a short visit with a girlfriend. A friend introduced them. According to his biography on his official website, Putin proposed to Lyudmila three years later. I knew that if I did not get married in two or three years, then I never would, Putin is quoted as saying unromantically. AFP

Australian navy vessels were Saturday scrambling to locate an asylum-seeker boat feared sinking off the Indian Ocean territory of Christmas Island, an official said. Border Protection Command assets are currently conducting a search approximately 65 nautical miles northwest of Christmas Island for a possible foundered vessel, a spokesman for Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare said. The search is being coordinated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authoritys Rescue Coordination Centre, he added, without specifying what triggered the search. No details were available on the number of people onboard, but vessels carrying asylum-seekers are regularly overcrowded with scores of people. Australia is facing a steady influx of asylum-seekers arriving by boat, many paying people-smugglers for passage on leaky wooden vessels after fleeing their home countries. Hundreds have died making the treacherous journey over the past few years. AFP

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NOTICE is hereby given that Beiersdorf AG a company organized under the laws of Germany and having its principal office at Unnastrasse 48, D-20253 Hamburg, GERMANY is the owner and sole proprietor of the following trademark:-

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NOTICE is hereby given that Beiersdorf AG a company organized under the laws of Germany and having its principal office at Unnastrasse 48, D-20253 Hamburg, GERMANY is the owner and sole proprietor of the following trademark:-

(Reg: No. IV/3398/2012 ) in respect of goods/service in Classes 29, 30 & 43 (Reg: Nos. IV/642/2010 & IV/3951/2013) In respect of: - Cosmetics and perfumery products 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 Beiersdorf AG P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark will be dealt with according to law.
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(Reg: Nos. IV/644/2010 & IV/3945/2013) In respect of: - Emulsifying agent for use in manufacture of cosmetics and cosmetic creams 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 Beiersdorf AG P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 10th June, 2013

EUCERIT

Dated: 10th June, 2013

www.mmtimes.com
KOLANGAR

Special World 39

In war on Taliban, one mans uprising

After his mother was killed by the Taliban in a roadside shooting, construction engineer Farhad Akbari gathered a group of 70 young men to fight back against the insurgents in Afghanistan, writes Pamela Constable
AS he jolted along village roads recently in a pickup truck with a machine gunner standing in the back, Farhad Akbari stopped every few minutes and pointed to another invisible landmark among the mudwalled houses, swaying poplars and rippling wheat fields. This corner used to be a Taliban check post, but now everyone can pass freely, he said with a satisfied nod. That orchard is where the Taliban used to escape from fighting. We ambushed them and killed seven. Farther on, he paused by a stream with a dirt culvert. This is where a mine exploded under two of my men, he said. Just a year ago, Akbari, 33, was a construction engineer getting rich off military contracts in Logar province, an hours drive south of Kabul. Today he is an armed vigilante, leading villagers and gunmen in a local rebellion against the insurgents who killed his mother in a roadside shooting in July. Akbari asserts that since taking up arms, he has purged Taliban forces from more than 100 hamlets in Kolangar, a quiet farming region, killing dozens of insurgents in what he called my uprising. He has recruited about 70 young men to his mobile fighting force, including former Taliban fighters. He also works closely with the Afghan Local Police (ALP) and said he has urged older or jobless men in the area to join the police force and help patrol their villages. Akbaris ability to carve out a swath of Taliban-free territory has drawn both praise and alarm from Afghan military and civilian officials in Logar, where the insurgency remains a serious menace despite sustained Afghan and US military pressure. In contrast to those forces, which are either foreign or recruited from other regions and are spread across large areas, Akbaris local roots and small mobile force appear to have made him more effective in a confined and familiar target area. But Logar officials express concern that his freelance exploits could inspire other forms of vigilantism that could undermine the authority of Afghan security forces as coalition troops pull out over the next year. We are happy with what he has done, but we need people like him to come in under the established security framework and abide by the law, said Logar Governor Arsala Jamal, who was recently appointed by President Hamid Karzai, a longtime critic of private militias. He might be effective in one place, but if there are 10 other Farhads, one of them might make a serious mistake. Akbari said he has not received any backing from coalition forces, and US military officials in Kabul said they were not aware of his crusade. But they said that they had tracked more than a dozen local uprisings in other provinces and that none of those isolated efforts lasted long or amounted to much. At one time, we hoped these kinds of uprisings would catch fire, especially as the coalition presence gets thinner. But they mostly sputtered out, said a US military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The regional Afghan army commander, General Abdul Razzeq Safi, has become something of a mentor to Akbari, often stopping for tea at his spacious house in the provincial capital, Pul-i-Alam. The compound, built with profits from a decade of US military contracts, is a command post full of long-haired fighters in their early 20s. Razzeq, who lost 17 family members to the Taliban, expressed admiration for Akbari but said other officials view him as a threat. He is getting people to rise against the Taliban, so we should support him. But theyre afraid hell become too powerful and take their place, the general said. with videos of suicide bombers making farewell speeches and then driving trucks up to military bases and exploding their hidden cargo. Once, I wanted to be a suicider, too. They were going to send me to Pakistan for training, but my parents wouldnt let me go, Reshad said. I thought the Taliban were doing jihad against the Americans, but the engineer came to our village and told us that was a lie, he said. Now I am happy to be alive. It is difficult to gauge whether Akbaris success in pacifying Kolangar could be replicated beyond such a confined, close-knit area. The Taliban remains a persistent threat in Logars districts of Chark, Kharwar and Baraki Barak, where insurgents clash frequently with Afghan and US forces, and many aid and development projects are on hold. It seems doubtful that Akbaris model would work in provinces with a larger, more entrenched Taliban presence. The short-lived uprisings in Ghazni and elsewhere, which died out because of lack of funds or mounting casualties, suggest that small, isolated movements cannot be expected to reinforce Afghan defences nationwide as foreign forces withdraw. Akbari said he is eager to expand his crusade, but Razzeq offered some cautionary advice as the two men sipped tea in Akbaris carpeted command post. Instead of fighting alone, the general said, he should send his best gunmen to train with Afghan security forces. Im here to help you, but you need to surround yourself with a broader base of support, Razzeq said. Once the Americans and their attack helicopters are gone, he noted, Afghan troops will be stretched even thinner. I may also be gone tomorrow, he said, but the Taliban will still be here, and so will you. The Washington Post

Afghan girls study at a Logar province school, where officials say attendance has soared because of the successes of Farhad Akbari, leader of a local rebellion against the insurgents. Photo: The Washington Post

This enemy is highly motivated, and they will keep going no matter what. You dont blow yourself up for money. You do it from conviction.
General Abdul Razzeq Safi Regional Afghan army commander

Although clearly ambitious, Akbari is also fighting for revenge. He said that after insurgents opened fire on the family car, leaving his mother dead, he lost all interest in making money, suspended his construction projects and went into action. Within days of her funeral, he was buying guns and recruiting supporters. Farhad stopped all our construction projects and started encouraging people to stand up with us and fight, said his brother Toryalai, who survived the attack with five bullet wounds in his abdomen. For the past 10 months, weve done nothing else. During recent visits to half a dozen villages that had been cleared of Taliban fighters, Akbaris success was palpable. Farmers, shopkeepers and police officers greeted him warmly as engineer and described him as a hero. In one village, officials at a crowded elementary school welcomed him and said attendance has soared recently. In another, several tenant farmers working in a field put down their tools and offered tea to his armed entourage. Mohammed Zamen, 38, his hair and tunic covered in dust, said the Taliban had been a constant presence in the area for years, harassing government workers and ambushing troops. Next to the fields, he said, he built an underground dirt bunker to hide from crossfire. It wasnt safe until the en-

gineer had the courage to come and ask for our help. Now I am part of his uprising, too, Zamen said. The real jihad is to defend your home. Several miles away, Akbari visited a new Afghan Local Police post fortified with sandbags and barbed wire. The senior officer on duty was Mohammed Qasim, 45, a gaunt veteran of the anti-Soviet conflict who said he had joined the force at Akbaris urging.

Im just a labourer, but Im proud to be carrying my weapon again, he said. The ALP, launched in 2010 and funded by the US government, has been controversial because of its similarity to local patrols established under the Soviet occupation in the 1980s, and members of the force have been accused of rape, shootings and pro-Taliban insider attacks. But Jamal, the provincial governor, said the government is pleased with the forces recent growth in Logar. Members receive only a few weeks of training and earn about US$150 per month, and the provincial force now includes 900 men. They are an effective tool against insurgents, because they know who goes in and out of villages much better than the security forces do, Jamal said. For every 10 ALP, there are 100 relatives and neighbours behind them. Akbari said grateful vil-

lagers were easy to win over after he and his men drove insurgents away. But in this war-battered country, survival often depends on siding with the strongest. Many people in Logar share ethnic Pashtun roots with the Taliban. Some grow opium poppies under the insurgencys protection. Razzeq said Akbari may be underestimating the insurgents ideological drive and the combination of fear, need and frustration with the government that has led people to accept their authority. This enemy is highly motivated, and they will keep going no matter what, Razzeq said in an interview at his base headquarters near Pul-i-Alam. You dont blow yourself up for money. You do it from conviction. Nevertheless, Akbari has managed to persuade some former Taliban fighters to switch sides. One is Ahmad Reshad, 20, a lanky gunman who said the Taliban recruited him

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DANO
Reg. No. 1070/1986 in respect of Condensed and sterilized milk and cream as well as cream and milk powder. 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 Arla Foods amba P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 10 June 2013

40 World International
LONDON NIAMEY

THE MYANMAR TIMES June 10 - 16, 2013

Brit gay marriage bill clears hurdle

THE British parliaments upper house on June 4 voted down a bid to kill off a bill to introduce gay marriage in England and Wales, moving it a step closer to becoming law. Following two days of impassioned debate in the House of Lords that exposed deep divisions in the unelected upper chamber, peers voted 390 to 148 against the so-called wrecking amendment. The amendment was a proposal to not allow a second reading of the Marriages (Same Sex Couples) Bill a rarely used motion. The bill is certain to face further stiff opposition during detailed line-by-line scrutiny in its later stages. The vote result was greeted with cheers from supporters of gay marriage outside Londons Houses of Parliament. The bill has already been backed by the elected lower House of Commons. Prime Minister David Cameron is determined to introduce gay marriage as soon as the middle of next year, despite opposition from a hefty chunk of his own centre-right party. The rancour over gay marriage within the Conservative Party has heaped further pressure on Cameron, who is already facing bitter opposition from many Tories over his leadership style and a promised referendum on Britains European Union membership. Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell hailed a victory for love, marriage and equality. We are another step closer to our goal of equal marriage, he added. It signals that the House of Lords accepts the principle that we should all be equal before the law. But Colin Hart, campaign director for the traditionalist Coalition for Marriage, warned there were battles to be fought. The government may have won the vote today but what was clear from the debate was the huge opposition to almost

Niger residents fear spread of war on terror

Boureima Hama PEOPLE in Niger have begun to express fears of a war on terror in their homeland, after unprecedented suicide attacks in the north and a bloody jailbreak in the capital Niamey staged by armed Islamic extremists. This terrorism that we heard about elsewhere has thus arrived here, Niamey taxi driver Moussa said, referring to the Islamist insurgency that divided neighbouring Mali early last year, prompting foreign armed intervention. Since the attacks, the peaceful capital on the shore of the Niger River has almost been placed in a state of siege. The strengthening of security is especially visible around sensitive sites such as the presidential palace and the airport. Soldiers and paramilitary police have also stepped up their guard around foreign embassies. Theyre particularly edgy. Its best to follow orders, said Massaoudou Amadou, a resident who lives close to the US embassy. Tensions were raised by twin suicide bombings on May 23 in the north, targeting an army base in Agadez and a uranium mine at Arlit run by French nuclear giant Areva. More than 20 people were killed. Then came the June 1 jailbreak in the southern capital, when about 20 prisoners escaped, including several terrorists, according to the government. Were really afraid. We havent slept at night for several days, Amina said, watching over her two children on her doorstep. This Niamey mother lives close to the prison, where security has been sharply tightened since the raid. For fear of attacks, the interior ministry has cancelled the Baby Fiesta, a childrens festival that marks the final weekend of the school year. Football matches have also been cancelled. At a bus stop, schoolgirl Fati Soumana said she would get used to a new lifestyle with its constraints. We all need to cooperate to fight terrorism. I dont mind losing some of my freedom if my safety is ensured. Idi Hassane, a teacher at the Abdou Moumouni University of Niamey, argued that more than food and water, the security question is becoming a priority in Niger, a sub-Saharan country that is one of the poorest in the world and prey to chronic food shortages. Confronted in recent years with at-

We are another step closer to our goal of equal marriage.

Peter Tatchell Gay rights campaigner

Soldiers stand guard at the entrance of the main prison in Niamey on June 1. Photo: AFP

every part of the bill, he said. We will continue to campaign to save traditional marriage and todays vote and the concerns expressed by many peers mean we will be able to introduce safeguards that will protect teachers, registrars, chaplains and anyone who works in the public sector. Gay couples in Britain have had the right to enter into a civil partnership since 2005. Civil partnerships offer identical rights and responsibilities to civil marriage, although campaigners point to some differences such as international recognition, which applies to marriage but not partnerships. AFP

tacks carried out by armed groups linked to al-Qaeda, notably the kidnapping of Westerners, the Nigerien authorities see the latest attacks as a basis to urge people to be more watchful than ever. We need a national union against terrorism. We ask the population to be vigilant at every moment, Niamey mayor Oumarou Dogari said in a public television broadcast. Our habits are going to change, he added, warning citizens to expect stringent checks by the security services. The speaker of the National Assembly, Hama Amadou, took a more belligerent approach, describing the bombings in the north as a declaration of war against Niger. But theres no question of creating a psychotic atmosphere about security in our country. Rather, its a matter of organising a climate of real

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We all need to cooperate to fight terrorism. I dont mind losing some of my freedom if my safety is ensured.
Fati Soumana Nigerien student

AGE LIFT

insecurity for the enemy and his accomplices. Responsibility for both suicide attacks, the first in the history of the West African country, were claimed by armed Islamist groups, the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) and Signatories in Blood. Algerian militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar, held to have organised the bombings, has threatened to attack Niger again, together with other countries that have troops in Mali, where a French-led military intervention in January seized back control of northern towns from movements linked to al-Qaeda. However, some people in Niger have expressed concern at unwanted sideeffects of the struggle against terrorism. On June 2, security forces killed a student when they opened fire on his car because they found his movements suspicious. We cant slide into informing [on suspects] and paranoia, retired civil servant Ali Hassane warned. All these calls to denounce suspects will increase paranoia among the population, sociologist Sani Janjouna added. Ahmed Moussa, a watchman in Agadez, the main town in the desert north, warned of potential social strife. False denunciations could one day raise tensions among communities, notably against Tuaregs and Arabs, he said, pointing to Mali, where these two communities are sometimes targeted because jihadist fighters came from their ranks. We really must pay attention. AFP

TRADE MARK CAUTION

(Reg: No. IV/1523/2013) (Reg: No. IV/1524/2013) The above three trademarks are in respect of:Perfume, toilet water; gels, salts for the bath and the shower not for medical purpose; toilet soaps, body deodorants; cosmetics, creams, milks, lotions, gels and powders for the face, the body and the hands; sun care preparations (cosmetic products); make-up preparations; shampoos; gels, sprays, mousses and balms for hair styling and hair care; hair lacquers; hair colouring and hair decolorant preparations; permanent waving and curling preparations; essential oils for personal use Class:3 Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademarks or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. U Kyi Win Associates for LOREAL P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416

GARNIER SKIN NATURALS

NOTICE is hereby given that Beiersdorf AG a company organized under the laws of Germany and having its principal office at Unnastrasse 48, D-20253 Hamburg, GERMANY is the owner and sole proprietor of the following trademark:(Reg: Nos. IV/643/2010 & IV/3946/2013) In respect of: - Soaps; preparations for body and beauty care, especially preparations for skin and face care in the form of cremes, gels and lotions; deodorants; shaving products and after shave; preparations for the care, cleaning and embellishment of hair; additives for bath and shower; preparations for use in suntanning or for the treatment of the effects of sun 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 Beiersdorf AG P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416

Mexico authorities involved in thousands of disappearances

AUTHORITIES have been implicated in some of the thousands of disappearances across Mexico in the past six years, Amnesty International said on June 4. The London-based rights watchdog urged President Enrique Pena Nieto to investigate and bring those responsible to justice. Many abductions are perpetrated by organised crime figures but a significant number of state actors are behind other abductions and killings, the group said in a new report. Since 2010, Amnesty has documented 152 cases of people disappearing in seven of Mexicos 32 states, in at least 85 of which there is evidence that government authorities were involved, the report said. Pena Nieto, who took office in December, has said that, nationwide, 26,121 people went missing between 2006 and 2012 amid spiralling drug cartel violence. The government, however, has also said that number should be revised downward because some people emigrated or willingly cut ties with friends and family. More than 70,000 people were killed in six years of drugrelated violence after ex-president Felipe Calderon launched an all-out war against the nations drug gangs upon taking office in December 2006, according to government data. AFP

EUCERIN

Dated: 10th June, 2013

Dated: 10th June, 2013

www.mmtimes.com
SYDNEY

International World 41

Australia told to save Barrier Reef

LEADING marine scientists warned the Australian government on June 5 of the growing threat to the Great Barrier Reef from unchecked industrial development. More than 150 scientists from 33 institutions signed a statement saying that the mining and gas boom along the Queensland state coast was hastening the decline of the World Heritage area. The UNs educational, scientific and cultural body meets later this month to discuss proposals to list the giant reef as a site in danger. A UNESCO report in March found 43 development proposals in the vicinity of the huge reef were under assessment and that the federal and state governments had failed to improve water quality in the area. In the declaration, the scientists voiced concern about the additional pressures that will be exerted by expansion of coastal ports and industrial development accompanied by a projected near-doubling in shipping, major coastal reclamation works, largescale seabed dredging and dredge spoil disposal all either immediately adjacent to, or within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. We are calling on the Queensland and Australian governments to ensure that the outstanding universal value ... of the ... World Heritage property is protected. Ecologist Hugh Possingham said that over the past 27 years half of the reefs coral has been degraded. This [development] is just going to accelerate that, so we should really be doing the reverse, he told state broadcaster ABC. This just feels like a further insult, particularly the dredge and the sediments that are going to be dug up in making these ports. Such development was likely to be the straw that breaks the camels back, he added. Other signatories of the statement include scientists from the University of Hawaii, Australias James Cook University, the University of Melbourne and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. Ports on the Barrier Reef coast currently export 156 million tonnes of coal per annum (mtpa) and there are plans to expand that to 953 mtpa within the next decade. By 2020 an estimated 7000 ships will traverse the reef every year, up from 5000 in 2010. AFP

Oil leaks from the Chinese coal carrier the Shen Neng 1 after the vessel ran aground near Australias Great Barrier Reef off the coast of the state of Queensland on April 3, 2010. Photo: AFP

LIBREVILLE

Central Africa halts diamond trade

CENTRAL African Republic President Michel Djotodia said on June 4 that his volatile country would halt trade in diamonds pending reforms to ensure that they are not used to fund conflicts. There will be no more talk of conflict diamonds in Central Africa, Djotodia told AFP in an exclusive interview. We will decree a moratorium on the exploitation and sale of diamonds in order to carry out a precise audit. The mineral-rich but impoverished country will step up oversight of the trade in diamonds, setting up a centralised clearinghouse and banning cash sales of the stones, he said. The Central African Republic, one of the worlds top five producers of diamonds, was suspended from the Kimberley Process last month, according to the presidents office. The process was established in 2003 to prevent conflict diamonds from being illegally traded to fund conflicts. Central Africas diamond sector has long been plagued by irregularities because of corrupt regimes as well as armed groups operating around production sites. Djotodias Seleka rebel movement that overthrew President Francois Bozize in March is suspected of having been financed by blood diamonds, but Djotodia rejected the allegations. We never received aid from anyone, and in particular not from diamond dealers, he said, noting that Seleka formed in a northern district away from the countrys diamond belt. Central Africas diamonds were the source of a major political scandal in former colonial power France in 1973, when the countrys then selfdeclared emperor, Jean-Bedel Bokassa, offered two of the stones to the then finance minister Valery Giscard dEstaing, who became president the following year. The scandal contributed to his loss in Frances 1981 presidential election. AFP

TRADE MARK CAUTION

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C., a limited liability company of Delaware, of 10400 Fernwood Road, Bethesda, Maryland 20817, U.S.A., is the Owner of the following Trade Marks:-

Reg. No. 385/2013

RITZ-CARLTON
Reg. No. 386/2013 in respect of Intl Class 35: Advertising; business management; business administration; office functions, including business administration; office functions; business management services; business management and business operation of hotels, restaurants, night clubs, bars, spas, recreational and fitness facilities, retail stores, condominiums, apartment buildings, and timeshare resorts for others; internet retail services; retail store services; online retail services; retail catalog services; business center services (provision of business bureau facilities); providing office facilities for the use of office equipment and machinery; business administration services; providing convention and conference facilities; management, rental and leasing of office and retail space; procurement services; customer loyalty services and customer club services (operation of customer loyalty schemes) for commercial, promotional, and/or advertising services; advertising services; charitable services (business management of charity projects); organizing and conducting volunteer programs and community service projects (business management); business management services for others in the field of resort recreation clubs, vacation clubs, real estate time sharing projects, undivided deed interest clubs, private residence clubs, right to use clubs, and long term lease projects. Intl Class 36: Insurance; financial affairs; monetary affairs; real estate affairs, including real estate services, namely services relating to the development, purchase, sale, financing, leasing, management, operation, rental, promotion and brokerage of apartments, flats, condominiums, timeshare properties and real estate of all kinds, and facilities and amenities relating thereto, real estate management, lease-purchase financing, leasing of real estate, and credit card services; issuance of credit cards; charitable fundraising and donations; providing memberships in undivided deed interest clubs, private residence clubs, right to use clubs, and long term lease projects at resort and vacation locations; real estate brokerage services,

TRADE MARK CAUTION

The Dial Corporation, a company incorporated in the United States of America, of 19001 North Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, Arizona, 85255 U.S.A., is the Owner of the following Trade Mark:-

Reg. No. 2680/2013 in respect of Class 3: Bleaching preparations and other substances for laundry use, rinsing agents for laundry and tableware, fabric softeners, laundry starch, stain removing agents; cleaning, polishing, scouring and abrasive preparations, soaps, perfumery; essential oils; cosmetics; hair lotions; dentifrices. Class 5: Disinfectants. 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 The Dial Corporation P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 10 June 2013

PUREX

namely, facilitating the sale, exchange and trade of resort and vacation time for members of resort recreation clubs, real estate time sharing projects, undivided deed interest clubs, private residence clubs, right to use clubs, and long term lease projects; arranging for the exchange of occupancy rights between owners of resort properties; insurance services; travel insurance services. Intl Class 41: Education; providing of training; entertainment; sporting and cultural activities, including educational services, namely, arranging and conducting seminars, workshops, classes, conferences, and symposiums in the field of leadership development, human resources, customer service, customer and employee satisfaction and loyalty, employee recruitment, and employee orientation, training, and development; and distribution of materials in connection therewith; casino services, cabaret services; nightclub services; arranging for ticket reservations for shows and other entertainment events; health and fitness club services; providing facilities and equipment for fitness, exercise, tennis, swimming, recreational activities, bicycling, golf, water sports, horseback riding, skiing and social functions; golf club, golf course and golf instruction services; event and wedding planning consultation and coordination services; event planning and management services; wedding party planning services; conducting educational classes, programs, and workshops in the field of cooking, art, foreign languages, etiquette, arts and crafts, nature, and conservation; providing hotel guests with educational and entertainment information about local attractions and points of interest; art exhibitions. Intl Class 43: Services for providing food and drink; temporary accommodation, including hotel services; restaurant, catering, bar, and lounge services; resort and lodging services; provision of general-purpose facilities for meetings, conferences and exhibitions; provision of banquet and social function facilities for special occasions; and reservation services for hotel accommodations; hotel services featuring an incentive award program; providing memberships in a club which provides temporary vacation residences; private residence club services, namely, provision to club members of temporary accommodations in company owned or leased private residences. Intl Class 44: Medical services; veterinary services; hygienic and beauty care for human beings or animals; agriculture, horticulture and forestry services, including spa services; providing facial, hair, skin and body treatments, manicure and pedicure services, massage services, body waxing services and beauty salon services. 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 The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. P.O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 10 June 2013

42 World Asia-Pacific
BEIJING PANAJI

THE MYANMAR TIMES June 10 - 16, 2013

China probes deadly bus blaze

NEIL CONNOR CHINESE police launched a criminal investigation Saturday into a horrific bus blaze that claimed the lives of 47 people, and identified a suspect in connection with the inferno. While stopping short of saying they believed the fire had been started deliberately, authorities announced that the fire, which engulfed the bus in minutes during evening rush hour in the southeastern city of Xiamen, was being treated as a criminal case. City officials told a news conference the criminal probe was launched after initial investigations showed the accelerant was petrol, while the bus was equipped with a diesel engine. The investigation by experts and police also showed that the tyres and tank of the bus remained complete, Xinhua said. A suspect has been identified, a message posted by Xiamen police on its verified page on Sina Weibo, Chinas version of Twitter, said. A 59-year-old mans apartment had been searched and some items were taken away by police, the Tencent news website said. There were no further details on the police investigation, but Xinhua reported that bus station staff were making strict safety checks on passengers luggage on Saturday. In 2009, a bus in Chinas southwestern city of Chengdu was set ablaze by an unemployed man with gasoline, killing 28 people and injuring more than 70. There has been previous reports of attacks on public transport in China, by peoRapid Transit) vehicle. Witnesses said the bus was destroyed within 10 minutes by the fire, and some heard a series of explosions. Jiang Xiatong, who was sitting near the back window of the bus, told the state-run Global Times newspaper that she smelt a peculiar odour before the vehicle caught fire. While I was climbing, I felt my legs being pressed by someone, and then I felt a hot wave burn my legs, she told the newspaper. The bus operated on a 9 metre (30 foot) elevated road, in what was believed to be Chinas first overhead rapid transport system when it was launched in 2008. The network of three lines covers 67 kilometres (42 miles), and carries 265,000 people a day, with buses often crowded during rush hour. Scores of netizens took to the Internet to raise concerns following the blaze. The Xiamen fire comes after a crash involving two high-tech bullet trains in the eastern province of Zhejiang in 2011 sparked public debate that officials were overlooking safety in their rush to develop the countrys vast transport network. More than 40 people died in that accident. Later that year, a collision on a new subway line in the economic hub of Shanghai that injured hundreds of people, and raised questions over commuter safety. This is the side-effect of developing too fast, said one netizen on Sina Weibo after the Xiamen bus blaze. Im nervous every time taking the BRT. Another said: How many lessons of blood does this country need to learn before it recognises its quality problem? AFP

Photo: AFP A survivor of a deadly bus fire sits at a nearby station in the city of Xiamen in Chinas southeast Fujian province.

ple aiming to air personal grievances or settle scores with authorities. About 100 people were on the Xiamen bus when it caught fire Chinas deadliest transport accident in recent years. Xinhua said 34 people were hospitalised following the blaze on the BRT (Bus

Indias Gujarat state Chief Minister Narendra Modi (L) and Bharatiya Janata Purshottam Rupala addresses a rally attended by Gujarat BJP election can

Third time lucky for Pakistans Sharif?

PAKISTANS new prime minister Nawaz Sharif has assumed the reins of government for a historic third term in what is being described as a test of his political statesmanship and acumen. The 63-year-old, who was sentenced to life in prison after being deposed in a military coup in 1999, has a power base rooted in Pakistans richest and most populous province, where he is known as the Lion of the Punjab. A hugely wealthy steel tycoon, considered strong on the economy but soft on the Taliban, he inherits enormous problems of sagging finances and a stifling energy crisis. He seems soft-spoken and shy with international media but earned a reputation for combativeness during his two previous terms as PM, from 1990 to 1993, and from 1997 to 1999. Veteran political analyst Talat Masood said the Sharif of 2013 is a different man from the hothead of the 1990s who riled Pakistans powerful military. I personally think that he has gained a lot in these last several years. He is a far more mature politician. He has understood the dynamics of the civil-military relationship, Masood said. Sharif has been seen as a pragmatist in the West but raised eyebrows by calling for peace talks with the Pakistani Taliban, blamed for killing thousands of Pakistanis in the past six years. On May 31 he publicly criticised a US drone strike that killed the militants secondin-command in northwest Pakistan as a violation of sovereignty, echoing Islamabads longstanding complaint about the controversial missile attacks. AFP

Hardline Mod Indias opposi

CONTROVERSIAL opposition politician Narendra Modis hopes of becoming Indias next prime minister could get a big boost this weekend when his party chooses its frontman for next years general elections. Modi, chief minister of the thriving western state of Gujarat for more than a decade, is widely expected to be named as head of the Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) election panel at a two-day meeting that begins Saturday in the coastal state of Goa, despite opposition from some senior colleagues. Lal Krishna Advani, the 85-year-old veteran of the BJP who mentored Modi is now opposed to his elevation due to what some party officials say is the Gujarat politicians arrogant style. Party officials said Advani called in sick and skipped a crucial meeting on Friday. But observers say he might relent and attend the last day of the conclave to symbolically validate Modis new role and show party unity. Another senior leader, Uma Bharti, is also not attending the meeting of some 300 party members. Bharti had earlier expressed reluctance to support Modi as the prime ministerial candidate, despite his rising voter popularity. The Hindustan Times in a front-page article titled Goa First Steps in Modis March to Delhi said the right-wing Hindu nationalist politician was gaining ground. The scales are tipping in favour of a clear picture that Narendra Modi will be the BJPs face in the run-up to the Lok Sabha (parliament) polls, the mass-circulation English daily said, reflecting similar views in other newspapers Friday. If Modi is made head of the Hindu nationalist partys election campaign, he will be expected to canvass around the country, forge strategies to attack the left-leaning ruling Congress party and build support for being the BJPs candidate for prime minister. But the ghosts of anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat just over a decade ago could be a stumbling block in Modis ambitions to lead India. As many as 2,000 people mainly Muslims were killed during the month-long unrest, according to rights groups. One of Modis former ministers was jailed for life for taking part in instigating the killings but several investigations have cleared the hardline politician of personal responsibility. Ahead of the meeting, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, a senior BJP leader, said Modi had shown his leadership qualities. In March, the 62-year-old

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that Aucma Company Limited of No. 315 Qian Wangang Rd., Qingdao Economic and Technical Development Zone, Shandong Province, China is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trademark: -

(Reg: No. IV/12908/2012) in respect of: - Soy milk makers for kitchen use; juicers; household oil presses; electric kitchen machines; vacuum cleaners; automatic vending machines; electric food processors; washing machines; wringing machines for laundry- Class: 7 Refrigerators; freezers; wine coolers; electric drinking water dispensers; heaters for baths; electric heating radiators; electric oil-filled radiators; indoor heaters; electric fans for personal use; evaporative air coolers; air purifiers; humidifiers; electric water heaters; extractor hoods for kitchens; electric kettles; electric baking pans; induction stoves; optical wave stoves; electric pressure cookers; electric rice cookers; electric laundry dryers; air conditioning installations- Class: 11 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 Aucma Company Limited P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 10th June, 2013

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that The Procter & Gamble Company of One Procter & Gamble Plaza, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202, U.S.A. is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trademark:-

ALWAYS
(Reg: Nos. IV/8248/2006 & IV/1313/2010) in respect of :- Catamenial products, namely, maxi pads, mini pads and pantiliners 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 The Procter & Gamble Company P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 10th June, 2013

If the BJP wins, then he is the star and if the party loses, he can safely go back to Gujarat.
Sanjay Kumar Research fellow

www.mmtimes.com
Singapore

Asia-Pacific World 43

Rights watchdog urges Singapore to drop Internet rules

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH urged Singapore on Friday to drop new licencing rules for news websites, saying the onerous regulations would limit access to independent media. The new rules, which require popular news websites to obtain an annual licence, will discourage independent reporting and curb free expression in online communities, the US-based watchdog said in a statement. Volunteer-run blogs focusing on social and political issues including poverty and immigration have gained popularity as an alternative source of news and opinion in Singapore, where the mainstream media is widely seen as pro-government. These blogs and other online social media sites have also been used by citizens to vent their frustrations and criticisms of government policies, often setting the tone for political debate in a country governed by strict laws against dissent. The Singaporean government should withdraw an onerous new licencing requirement for online news sites, Human Rights Watch said in a statement. Cynthia Wong, the organisations senior Internet researcher, added: Singapores new licencing requirement casts a chill over the city-states robust and free-wheeling online communities, and will clearly limit Singaporeans access to independent media. She warned that the new rules could harm Singapores reputation as a business centre. Singapore is placing its status as a world-class financial centre at clear risk by extending its record of draconian media censorship to the digital world. Under the rules, which kicked in on June 1, websites with at least 50,000 unique visitors from Singapore every month that publish at least one local news article per week over a period of two months must obtain an annual licence. Websites granted a licence will have to remove prohibited content such as articles that undermine racial or religious harmony within 24 hours of being notified by Singapores media regulator, the Media Development Authority. The rules have caused an uproar in the online community, which largely sees it as a measure to muzzle freedom of speech.

BRIEFS
TOKYO Frances Hollande calls Japan China

Frances Francois Hollande was left red-faced in Tokyo on Friday after a slip of the tongue that saw him confuse his Japanese hosts with the Chinese. During a press conference Hollande, speaking in French, referred to the Algerian hostage crisis in January in which 10 Japanese nationals died, saying he had expressed the condolences of the French people to the Chinese people. The president, who is in Japan on a three-day state visit, made no attempt to correct his mistake. A quick-thinking female interpreter fixed the verbal gaffe as she gave her simultaneous translation, rendering the sentence as it had been intended. However, at least one Japanese journalist with knowledge of French picked up on the error. AFP

Singapore is placing its status as a world-class financial centre at clear risk.

Cynthia Wong Human Rights Watch

Party (BJP) leader and then-prime ministerial candidate L.K. Advani (C) look on as senior BJP leader ndidates in Ahmedabad in 2009. Photo: AFP

di looks to become sition frontman

Modi was named a member of the BJPs parliamentary board, a party decision-making body. Some observers expect a showdown between Modi and Rahul Gandhi, the 42-year-old scion of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty which is at the helm of the Congress party and is hoping to win a third straight term in office. Congress has painted Modi as a communally divisive figure as it seeks to retain the important Muslim vote in the elections that must be held in the first half of 2014. Analysts said refraining from announcing Modi as the partys prime ministerial candidate could be a safe political ploy that would protect the BJP politician in the event of electoral defeat. If the BJP wins, then he is the star and if the party loses, he can safely go back to Gujarat, said Sanjay Kumar, a research fellow at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, an independent think-tank in New Delhi. AFP

More than 130 Singaporean bloggers blacked out their homepages on Thursday and will hold a rally on Saturday to protest the new rules. But Singapores media regulator and other government officials have sought to allay fears that the new rules will impinge on Internet freedom. Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim said Tuesday the government would continue to take a light touch approach to regulating the Internet and noted that blogs were not covered by the rules as they are not considered news portals. AFP

North and South Korea on Saturday agreed to hold working-level talks on Sunday in the border truce village of Panmunjom, following months of soaring tension. The two Koreas agreed to send three delegates each to Panmunjom, a traditional point of contact on their border, for talks aimed at paving the way for higher-level negotiations, Seouls Unification Ministry said. The two nations unexpectedly reached a snap agreement Thursday on opening a dialogue, with South Korea responding to a North initiative by offering a ministerial-level meeting in Seoul on June 12. AFP

SEOUL Two Koreas to hold talks

A POPULAR Chinese microblogging service banned searches for yellow duck after users circulated a mocked-up image of a famous 1989 Tiananmen Square tank protest with the military vehicles replaced by plastic ducks, results on June 5 showed. AFP

BEIJING Chinese website bans searches for yellow duck

TRADE MARK CAUTION

HOTEI FOODS CORPORATION LIMITED , a company incorporated under the laws of Japan, and having its principal place of business at 4-26-6 Kambara, Shimizuku, Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka 421-3203 Japan, is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following Trademark:-

TRADE MARK CAUTION

ABI Pascual Holdings Pte. Ltd., a company incorporated under the laws of Singapore, and having its principal place of business at 20 Upper Circular Road, #02-10/12, The Riverwalk, 058416, Singapore, is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following Trademark:-

TRADE MARK CAUTION

IPSEN S.A., a company incorporated in France, of 65 Quai Georges Gorse, Boulogne-Billancourt 92100, France, is the Owner of the following Trade Marks:-

BEAUFOUR IPSEN PHARMA

Reg. No. 562/2000 in respect of Class 5: Hygienic products, food for babies, plasters, material for dressings, disinfectants, all the previously cited products falling within the pharmaceutical monopoly; veterinary and pharmaceutical products, dietetic substances adapted for medical use, material for stopping teeth and dental wax. Reg. No. 4490/1996 in respect of Class 5: Pharmaceutical and veterinary products. 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 IPSEN S.A. P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 10 June 2013

Reg. No.4/2254/2013 in respect of Class 29: Meat; fish; poultry and game; meat extracts; preserved; frozen; dried and cooked fruits and vegetables; jellies; jams; compotes; eggs; milk and milk products; edible oils and fats; processed seafood; canned tuna; canned fruits and vegetable; canned aloe (vera). Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said Trademark will be dealt with according to law. U Nyunt Tin Associates International Limited, Intellectual Property Division Tel: 959 4500 59 247-8, 951 375754, Fax: 951 254321, Email: info@untlaw.com For HOTEI FOODS CORPORATION LIMITED Dated: 10th June, 2013.

Reg. No. 4/1264/2013 in respect of Class 29: Yogurt, Yogurt Drinks. Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said Trademark will be dealt with according to law. U Nyunt Tin Associates International Limited, Intellectual Property Division Tel: 959 4500 59 247-8, 951 375754, Fax: 951 254321, Email: info@untlaw.com For ABI Pascual Holdings Pte. Ltd. Dated: 10th June, 2013.

IPSEN

44 thepulse pulse 44 the

the pulse editor: manny.maung@gmail.com

THE MYANMAR TIMES June 10 - 16, 2013

n r fi gers u o o y
n

zon pann pwint

zonpann08@gmail.com

Papua New Guinea's display booth at the 11th International Olympiads Festival in Turkey. Photo: Zon Pann Pwint

F I said that I travelled around the world in a single day, Im sure most people would say they didnt believe me, or they would just plain laugh in my face. But I did. Last month, Turkey hosted the 11th International Olympiad Cultures Festival in Izmir province, where Turkish-speaking students from 140 countries across five continents took part. As I began my journey in the booth from London, the tiny display of double-decker bus piqued my interest and I was delighted when I saw a long-nosed wooden Pinocchio as I passed by Italy. In one corner of the hall, I was captivated by the charm of a quiet

young man from Papua New Guinea, his face painted in bright colours and wearing a feathered hat. Myanmar has been participating in the festival for seven years, thanks to the efforts of a group of teachers at Yangon-based Horizon International School. This cultural festival is one of the biggest events in Turkey. Every year we bring Myanmar cultural items such as thanakha and Pathein umbrellas, said Ahmet Ozkaya, a teacher at Horizon. Festival-goers queued at the Myanmar booth to apply thanakha and to view the jade and pearl beads. Children had themselves photographed holding colourful Pathein umbrellas.

One visitor told me: Im very happy to see Myanmar people in Turkey. Their smiling faces give me a warm feeling. When I see women in Myanmar national costume, I can really imagine what the country is like." Turkish-born Mr Ozkaya, who has lived in Myanmar for 12 years, said: I am proud of Myanmars participation in our Turkish cultural event. This is a great chance for us to represent Myanmar culture and Myanmar tradition. The three-day event attracted 500,000 visitors to a display of widely divergent cultures at the Izmir Province Kltrpark in Izmir from May 24 to 26.

Scents of thanakha float across Turkey

ge

it

Myanmar's thanaka display at the 11th International Olympiads Festival in Turkey. Photos: Zon Pann Pwint

www.mmtimes.com

the pulse 45

Yale University band, Spizzwinks performs at St Francis Church, Yangon on May 31. Photo: Lwin Ko Taik

Gita Meit sings a decade of songs

NUAM BAWI
hknuambawi@gmail.com

In the gloom of the old church, the glorious voices swelled as the rain fell in the darkness outside. In a performance at St Francis Church on May 31, vocal group Gita Meit was celebrating 10 years of existence. For all the splendour of the music, the ensembles life has not been an easy one. Gita Meit was founded in 2003 by Ko Moe Naing, supported by pianist Kit Young. When we established Gita Meit we faced many difficulties. For the first three years, we didnt know where our next payment was coming from. We hardly got any salary, said Ko Moe Naing. But we didnt turn back and eventually, we won peoples trust, he said.

Now, famous musicians like Chit San Maung, Banya Naing, Ange and Zaw Myo Htut send their children to train with us. After JS Bachs Come Soothing Death and Lennon and McCartneys Ill Follow the Sun, Gita Meit continued their acapella performance with U Ko Kos Nwe Yar Thi (Summer). A selection of English songs was followed by singer Winesu Khine Theins A Pyit Ma Myin (I Wont Blame You) and composer/singer Linn Linns Moe Tain Htae Wae (Flying Among Clouds). Singing Myanmar songs acapella - with voice only, without instruments - causes unexpected difficulties. The meaning of words in the Myanmar language depends on the tone. Thwar Kyian Mae (Lets Go) is okay for the soprano, but means something quite different when sung by an alto, said Ko Moe Naing. It was Gita Meit Voices performance at a City FM concert, together with singer Phyu Phyu Kyaw Thein and her song Zat

Sayar A Lo Kyiah (Directors Consent), that introduced local audiences to capella, he said. The arrangement of the first three Myanmar songs for the acapella performance was done by composer U Ko Ko. After that he tried Kachin Myay (Kachin Land), which echoed ethnic Kachin rhythms and widened their fan base. Working traditional Kachin rhythms into the arrangement of Myanmar songs was an unforgettable experience for me, he said. Appearing alongside Gita Meit at St Francis were Busy Bees, Saya Yawshu and MOHC from Yangon, Gitamania from Mandalay, and Spizzwinks from Yale University in the United States. But Ko Moe Naing says, compared to their international counterparts, Myanmars vocalists still have more to learn. One of our weaknesses is shyness. When we see Spizzwinks sing, they open their mouths wide without caring how they look. Our children cant do that, he said.

Ko Moe Naing composing the acapella choir. Photo: Lwin Ko Taik

46 the pulse local

THE MYANMAR TIMES June 10 - 16, 2013

The culture of food

SHOULD food be fast - or healthy? As McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken and others prepare to move in on Myanmar, Ma Phyu Phyu Tin has been pondering the question. David Hertz, the chef from Young Global Leaders contacted me about holding a discussion on food in Myanmar. I agreed at once, said Ma Phyu Phyu Tin, the owner of Monsoon restaurant in Yangon. I thought we should start to deliberate on how to keep our food healthy, because I foresee that many fast food restaurants will be coming to Myanmar in future, she added. Food industry experts from around Yangon, members of the Forum of Young Global Leaders and other business entrepreneurs from Yangon gathered at Monsoon restaurant on June 4 to discuss their concerns about the future of food in Myanmar. Debate focused on the economic, political safety and security aspects of food, the role of meals in family life and corporate social responsibility. I wanted their advice on how to improve the food industry in Myanmar. Even the street food seller near my restaurant joined in, Ma Phyu Phyu Tin said. Having visited the United States as a culinary diplomat, Ma Phyu Phyu Tin found that children preferred fast and ready-made food to salads and fresh fruit. Most children in our country still enjoy a healthy diet. They bring lunch boxes their mothers

Developing cultural identity through food and healthy eating habits

David Hertz, the elected leader of the Young Global Leaders, says the politics of food is an important aspect in guaranteeing future investment into infrastructure, education and environment. In an email to The Myanmar Times, he wrote: Valuing food can attract people to a movement and bring creative solutions. Hertz wants to help encourage the positive role that food plays in Myanmar society, where greetings such as, htamin sar hpee pyi lar (Have you eaten yet?), are still central to the language and culture. We need to keep the cultural perception that Burmese food is good and cool, so kids can nourish their identity, he wrote. As part of the World Economic Forum held in Nay Pyi Ta last week, the Young Global Leaders are promoting their vision of food culture as being traditional, sustainable and health focused. Part of that process, Hertz said, was to nurture alternatives to fast and processed foods [We should] keep and celebrate a food culture that nourishes people culturally and physically and that fosters relationships within and between families, communities, people and places. - Zon Pann Pwint

David Hertz from the Forum of Young Global Leaders, talks passionately about healthy food choices, June 4. Photo: Thirilu

Valuing food can attract people to a movement and bring creative solutions
David Hertz Chef and Young Global Leader prepare, and eat fried vegetables, which is relatively inexpensive and a healthier option, she said. But these habits are under threat from new fast-food shops. Im afraid children will indulge themselves with burgers or other fast foods, she said

Conservation awareness through the form of art

Lwin Mar hTun
lwinmarhtun.mcm@gmail.com

Living Well in Myanmar

Its flu season in Myanmar time to get vaccinated
WITH the return of the rains, the flu season is upon us again. In the United States, the flu is estimated to cause 200,000 hospitalisations and 36,000 deaths per year. While the annual disease burden in this country is unknown, Myanmar doctors clearly become much busier in the rainy season treating patients with flu-like symptoms. For most people the flu makes you feel crummy for a few days to two weeksfever, weakness, headache, and bone pain are common symptoms. But it can lead to more serious complications such as pneumonia, bronchitis, ear infections, or sinus infections. Luckily we have protection against the flu in the form of an annual vaccine. Infectious disease experts create a different vaccine each year that protects, as far as possible, against the strains of virus most likely to occur. In an average year the vaccine will protect against 80 percent of virus strains. But of course you enjoy that benefit only if you make the effort to get vaccinated! And you must do it again every year. The flu shot is an injection into the arm. The side effects are possible soreness or swelling of the arm, and rarely a mild headache or a cough. The vaccine itself is made of inactivated virus particles, so there is no chance of getting the flu from a vaccination. Children are particularly vulnerable to the flu. They will need two doses of the vaccine approximately 28 days apart if it is the first time they are vaccinated. Another highrisk group is pregnant women. Re-

A BILLION tons of food is wasted every year, says the United Nationss Food and Agriculture Organisation in fact, 1.3 billion - and some people think we should be more aware of this. One of them is Daw Khin Than Phyu, who organised the Green Future Art and Environmental festival along the theme of Think, Eat and Save. The festival was held at the Institut Franais on Pyay Road from June 5-7 to mark World Environment Day. The festival featured a display of paintings, discussions on preservation of the environment and poetry readings. June 5 was World Environment Day and we wanted to focus on environmental activities. Saving the environment is the responsibility of us all, she said. This is the sixth event of this kind she has organised since 2011.

Dr Cristoph Gelsdorf
search has taught us there is twice the risk of foetal death in women who get the flu while pregnant. The elderly population also account for most of the annual deaths caused by flu-related complications. Please speak with your loved ones that are over 65 years old. There are a limited number of reasons not to get vaccinated, and you can consult with your doctor to make sure youre safe. If you happen to be sick at time of your scheduled vaccination, wait until youre better. The flu vaccine is available in Yangon. Unfortunately, at around K8000 a dose, the vaccine remains out of reach of a large segment of the Myanmar population. Awareness and acceptance of the flu shot is slowly developing in Myanmar, so there is a limited stock available. It is a good idea to call your clinic ahead of time to ask if they stock the vaccine. Also, I recommend checking with your doctor that the cold-chain distribution network that delivered the vaccine to Myanmar is adequate. Dr. Gelsdorf is an American Board of Family Medicine certified physician practising in Yangon and Northern California. He has worked on health projects in Myanmar for several years and is an honorary member of the General Practitioner Society of the Myanmar Medical Association.

We just want people to be more aware of the value of food.

Daw Khin Than Phyu "Think, Eat and Save" event organiser

A guest of the exhibition, Ma Suu Sha Myint, enjoying the exhibition. Photo: Kyawt Thiri Nyunt

I started preparing for this festival last year, and I'm also publishing a book, Daw Hin Than Phyu said. We just want people to be more aware of the value of food, said Daw Khin Than Phyu. More than 15 paintings by eight artists were displayed in the exhibition in acrylic, oil painting and installation art. Lae Phyu Pya Myo Myint, who contributed four acrylic paintings, said: The organiser is my mother,

so I always participate when she holds this kind of event. Poets Maung Sein Ni, Thistsa Ni, Ma Ei, Aung Zin Min, Aye Aye Than and others read their works out in spoken word performances. Other artists included Moe Kyaw Thant, who said: I've drawn scenes of Inle Lake. It used to be possible to grow plants on the islands of the lake, but now the environment there has been damaged. I'm trying to depict it the way it used to be.

48 the pulse local

THE MYANMAR TIMES June 10 - 16, 2013

The hazards of being a bus driver

ei ei thu

91.eieithu@gmail.com

N the frantic, stop-go-stop world of the Yangon bus driver, stress is king. Theyve heard the complaints. They know how customers feel about the overcrowding, the speeding, the congestion, and how the police feel when they find the bus on the wrong side of a red light. They are aware of statistics that say about 3000 people died on Myanmars roads last year. The rules of the road apply to everybody, not just bus drivers, said U Aye Naing, 35, whose number 45 bus was picking up passengers near Sule Pagoda. Sticking to the rules would reduce accidents for everybody, he said. Congestion at major junctions, particularly where road works reduce the number of lanes, is a headache for every commuter. Traffic can be blocked for a long time during rush hours. When the police finally let you through, buses can compete to try to make up the lost time, he said. Driver U Kyin Swe, 50, said that bus drivers earnings depended on the number of hours they drove. We have to put in the hours de-

A bus conductor surveys the traffic before he steps out of a bus in Yangon. Photo: Chan Thar Oo

spite congestion to make our living. It can make you impatient. And impatience in a bus driver, he concedes, can lead to accidents. U Kyin Swe, who drives a 204 bus, thinks upgrading traffic lights could help reduce traffic law violations and lead to fewer fines and accidents. Congestion is the biggest problem. The lights can make it worse. If they dont show a countdown, you cant tell how long you can be

stuck behind a red light. Or if youre approaching a green light that could turn red without warning. Then you risk going through a red light or stopping short, which puts the drivers behind at risk, he said. The opening last month of the Hledan flyover was a blessing. There should be more flyovers at major Yangon junctions, said U Kyin Swe as he pulled out into the evening traffic stream.

U Ye Nyunt has operated 10- and 12-wheelers, so driving a bus was not so hard for him. The 44-year-old, who drives the number 132 bus, said: Sometimes when youre filling the tank the power goes down, so you get a rest. Ive been driving since I was a boy. I spent three years as a conductor and now I have five years experience as a driver. I like the bus drivers life, he said.

Accidents arent always the bus drivers fault. There are so many more cars now than before, and not everybody knows the rules. You see a lot of careless drivers. Bus drivers dont get holidays, or much spare time for their family if they work all hours. U Ye Nyunt always prays to the Lord Buddha before he starts his shift. Ill carry on driving as long as I can still see, he says.

Artist Arker Kyaw Air Supply to switch on nostalgia inYangon fined by local authorities
nuam bawi hknuambawi@gmail.com Lwin Mar Htun lwinmarhtun.mcm@gmail.com ARTIST Arker Kyaw knew the writing was on the wall when he got the summons from the local authorities. For offering a portrait of President U Thein Sein as a 68th birthday present last year to Myanmars head of state, Arker Kyaw was sued by the Yangon City Development Committee on May 29. His birthday card was a stretch of wall near Chawtwingone, Mayangone township. I dont know why it took them so long, said well-known graffiti artist Arker Kyaw. I painted that picture last April 20. On May 30 this year, he paid his K100,000 fine. Im not giving up my graffiti drawing because of this case. But I will do it without breaking YCDC laws, he told The Myanmar Times. YCDC Mayangone township temporary head U Aung Min was reluctant to discuss the matter further, deferring The Myanmar Times queries to the citys website. Despite a rise in popularity of graffiti art around Yangon in recent months, Arker Kyaw seems to be the only person prosecuted so far. THERE are some bands from the eighties that are synonymous with the word nostalgia. Air Supply were one of those bands whose music you didnt even realise you were singing along to; that tune you hum to as it plays on a soft-rock radio station, or when youre in a supermarket and some non-offensive song plays softly in the background as you (calmly) shop your way through the chocolate aisle. At the mention of Air Supply playing in Yangon, there was a mixed response of indifference and excitement. Other than being one of the most iconic bands to come out of the 1980s, their performance would be only the third international performance to be received in Myanmar. There is just a slight problem. Event organisers havent been able to confirm a venue, although the date is set for August 15. Bagan Entertainment and Htoo Foundation, who were also responsible for bringing out international soft-rock stars Jason Mraz and Michael Learns to Rock, assures fans that negotiations for the concert are in the final stages.

The date to hold this concert is definite, said Ko Nyi Nyi, the director of Bagan Entertainment. But all the permissions and the venue is not yet set up. The organisers are currently trying to secure Thuwanna Stadium or the Myanmar Convention Centre, which may determine the amount of tickets made available. We havent set up a ticket price yet, but we will make it reasonable, Ko Nyi Nyi said. We want the Myanmar audience to feel like they can come to this concert, so we dont want to price it as high as the Michael Learns to Rock tickets. It will probably be priced more along the lines of a local band like Iron Cross [approximately K6000 a ticket]. While the soft-rock duo originated in Australia, Myanmar was one of the far-reaching international destinations where they made headlines. Its not just older people who grew up listening to Air Supply, there have been a lot of cover songs since and they are still famous with the younger generations, Ko Nyi Nyi said. We chose this band to come because we believe theyll be a hit all over again in Myanmar.

Composer KAT passes away at 48

91.eieithu@gmail.com

Ei Ei Thu

COMPOSER Kyaw Kyaw Aung, better known as KAT, died on June 1 at a private hospital in Yangon, a year after suffering a heart attack. A lifelong friend, Sayar Kyaung (Moe Swe Than), told The Myanmar Times: KAT was admitted to Shinpargu hospital after a heart attack. His death came as a shock. The composer was buried at Yay Waye graveyard on June 3. We spent so much time together writing songs. He wrote one for Lay Phyus next album and the three of us sang it together at our last meeting, recalled Sayar Kyaung. A composer since 1993, KATs most famous works include De Ka Sount Nay Thu (Waiting from Here) and Min Nae Mha Chit Tet P (I Felt Love when I Met You). He was born in 1966 in Monywa and is survived by one younger brother and two sisters. His widow, Ma Aye Chan Mon, is from Mawlamyine, but the couple lived in Yangon. KAT was a judge in Melody World, a song competition show on Myawaddy TV.

Free scriptwriting course in August

Nandar Aung nandaraung.mcm@gmail.com THE British Council and the Yangon Film School are partnering up to offer a free script writing course at the Myanmar Motion Picture Organisation (MMPO) in August. The course will cater for up to 15 students over a two-week period from August 19 to August 31. U Aye Kyu, a spokesperson of the MMPO, said he hopes the free course will provide an opportunity to those who want to learn scriptwriting, but perhaps cannot afford to pay. Students will receive a good foundation in strong script-writing skills at an international standard, he said. They can expect to learn how to be technical and creative. While the class structure is yet to be finalised, registration is now open. Applicants seeking to register should contact the MMPO and also provide a sample script in English.

Photo: The Myanmar Times President U Thein Seins birthday present from Aker Kyaw in April, 2012.

www.mmtimes.com
Universal Crossword
Edited by Timothy E. Parker

the pulse local 49

SUDOKU PACIFIC

WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW

ACROSS 1 Uproar 5 Earn points 10 One ___ time 13 Bibliographical abbr. 14 Command 15 Like a stuffed shirt 16 What a skydiver may have 19 Oolong, for one 20 Eliminates, gangsterstyle 21 Desert refuge 22 Iota 23 ___ Arrow (Travolta lm) 25 Most recent 28 Bing, bang or boom 29 Face-to-face exam 30 Present 31 Hack 34 Make a romantic pronouncement 38 Dig in! 39 Local nonstudent 40 Sign in a store window 41 Western chasers 42 Declare 44 All thumbs 46 Dab with absorbent paper 47 Cold-sounding hot dish 48 Goya subject the Duchess of ___ 49 Kind of rule 52 Starry-eyed sentiment 56 Mars counterpart 57 Dressing spot 58 Cookie on a sundae, perhaps 59 Ofce necessity 60 Muse appropriate for this puzzle 61 Trafc caution DOWN 1 Knight ght 2 Instrument among the reeds 3 Opera star 4 ___ to Billie Joe 5 Architectural underside 6 Skill 7 What are the ___? 8 Gun, as an engine 9 Before, old school 10 Bring a smile to ones face 11 City with a shroud? 12 Long, long time 15 Draculas heartfelt dread 17 ___ and aahs 18 Hangmens needs 22 Healthy 23 Like a pretty lass 24 Houston university 25 Bank deposit 26 Length x width, for a rectangle 27 People persons skill 28 Not a soul 30 Fit for the front page

By Carl Denison
49 50 51 53 54 55 Loamy fertilizer Blue Bonnet, e.g. Opposite of suck I ___ you one Neither counterpart H-E-L-P!

31 Successfully contend with difculties 32 State with conviction 33 Dont get ___ out of shape! 35 Kind of bomb or clock 36 Dress for Less chain 37 In need of GPS 41 Whines 42 Light ratio in astronomy 43 Go parasailing 44 Job 45 Energize 46 Not pulling any punches 47 Applaud 48 Color thats Latin for water

DILBERT

BY SCOTT ADAMS

PEANUTS

BY CHARLES SCHULZ

CALVIN AND HOBBES

BY BILL WATTERSON

PUZZLE SOLUTIONS

www.mmtimes.com

the pulse food and drink51

Cooler weather calls for a heartier meal

Crab and chilli spaghetti with herbs pangrattato is ideal for mid-week carb boost
Phyo's cooking adventure
phyocooking@gmail.com

few tablespoons of pasta water to add moisture. Then toss in the pangrattato mixture. Serve immediately with grated hard cheese and lemon wedges. Rocket and pear salad 4 servings 3 cups rocket leaves 3 fragrant pears 1 cup shaved Parmigiano Reggiano cheese 2 tablespoons balsamic salad dressing or balsamic vinaigrette Salt and black pepper for taste. Preparation Wash the fragrant pear and slice. Wash the rocket leaves and drain well. Shave the cheese. Add the ingredients into a big salad bowl and toss with dressing. And salt and black pepper to taste. -----------------------------Shopping list Rocket leaves, Balsamic salad dressing (you can pick this up from Sharkys) Fragrant pear, balsamic vinaigrette, Parmigiano Reggiano Chesse from Market Place
A hearty pasta dish for the cooler months. Photo: Phyo

ith the weather a bit cooler, its more comfortable in the kitchen and I feel like cooking again. This week, my recipe features a crab and chilli spaghetti that combines a heady aroma of herbs and lemon with the crisp textures of pangrattato made from zesty lemon and breadcrumbs. I am using cooked and frozen crab meat which is available at all major supermarkets. The pasta dish is perfect for a quick mid-week dinner. A basic rocket and cheese salad with fragrant pear is a perfect accompaniment. Small, fragrant pears work well with this combination are better than Asian pears for cooking and making salads. For herbs pangrattato, basil, parsley or thyme leaves can be used. Lemon zest is the essential ingredient here, not just for the aroma, but also for a good kick of flavour.

Crab and spaghetti spaghetti with herbs pangrattato 4 servings Ingredients 500 grams frozen crab meat 2 cups breadcrumbs 1 onion (finely diced) 4 cloves garlic 1 large lemon (for lemon zest and juice)

large red chilli (sliced) cup olive oil 2 green peppers (diced) 4 tablespoons chopped basil or parsley 400 grams uncooked spaghetti Salt and black pepper for taste Preparation Take the frozen crab meat and thaw out in a colander or basket until completely drained. Sprinkle with salt. Prepare the breadcrumbs and lemon zest by blending one day old

bread in a blender or food processor. Set aside. Grate the whole lemon for lemon zest. Add cup of olive oil and heat it in the non stick fried pan on a medium heat. Saut the bread crumbs and lemon zest. When the breadcrumbs turn a golden colour, add salt and black pepper to taste. Transfer into a bowl and allow the mixture to cool. Prepare the spaghetti as per packet instruction, but with no oil. Reserve 4-5 spoons of pasta water after the spaghetti is cooked and drained.

Add the remaining olive oil and turn the heat up to medium. Saute the onions until they become translucent. Add garlic and green pepper and fry for 3-4 minutes. Put the crab meat in the pan and fry for one more minute. Squeeze the juice from the whole lemon and stir well. Turn the heat down and simmer for 4-5 minutes to infuse the flavours. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Bring the spaghetti back to the pan and toss in with the crab. Add a

Tips Leftover breadcrumbs can be stored in the fridge or freezer until next use. Crab meat should be thawed in a basket with holes and drained well. This will ensure water doesnt come out during the cooking process. Foodie quote Life is not worth living if I cannot have pasta or bread again. Monica Seles, Tennis player. Next week Italian chicken cacciatore

Wine Review
red Wine
Hardys Oomoo Shiraz 2011 Sophisticated and classy, this wine is characteristic of the South Australian wine region where the grapes originate. Notes of tobacco and hints of eucalypt are complimented by berry and vanilla undertones.

Cousins Grill satisfies a craving for Mexican

A SPARSELY decorated exterior belies the quality of food and service you can expect to receive at Cousins Grill in Bahan Township. The restaurant, located just off the busy Sayarsan Road, is a short walk down Kokhine Swimming Pool street. Once inside, the interior is simple, looking more like an American diner than a good-quality restaurant. I stopped in for dinner on the recommendation of a friend, expecting just the standard American-style burgers and hotdogs that he had mentioned. Instead, what ended up catching my eye were the Mexican meals offered at the bottom of the menu. Feeling rather hungry, my friend and I decided to order a few meals and share them between us. We started with the fish tacos Cousins Grill No. 28 Kokine Swimming Pool Street, Off Sayarsan Road Bahan Township, Yangon (K2,500), which turned up plated as a soft taco shell with Cajonspiced coated pieces of white fish and spicy tomato salsa covered in fresh lime juice. Sharing the small plate between us set off more hunger pangs but we didnt have to wait long before the next dish arrived a beef fajita (K4,500). Even as I savoured the succulent slices of medium-cooked beef, topped with a fresh coriander paste in my mouth, I was dreaming about the next dish we had ordered. I forced myself to slow down and concentrate on chewing instead of hoovering the food down. Meanwhile, the ever-attentive waiters would swing by to regularly check how our food was and ask whether we needed beverages. One of them even asked if we had a complaint about the food we did not. (He may have also felt compelled to ask since I was unabashedly taking photos of my own food for this article). By the time the pork burrito arrived (K4,500), I was ready to tuck in. The burrito didnt fail to impress. Filled with rice, beans, salsa and marinated, slow-cooked pork, it was the right amount of food to leave us feeling satisfied. Feeling remarkably sated but not full, I decided to go for desert a flourless chocolate cake (K3,000). The portion was large enough and rich enough to share between two, although it didnt have quite enough sugar it in to appease my sweet tooth. In all, I found a little piece of faux-Mexico at Cousins Grill, where Im sure Ill be seen again photographing my food. Manny Maung

Score

18,500

/10
Penfolds Koonunga Hill

w hite Wine

Fish taco, served with a refreshing salsa at Cousins Grill. Photo: Manny Maung

Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2012

With hints of lemon and passionfruit, this is a refreshingly light and fruity blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Its also a perfect toasting wine for a new housemate.

Score

Food: 9 Drink: 9 Service: 9 Atmosphere: 7 X-factor: 7 Value for money: 8

21,000

/10

Score:

/10

The flourless chocolate cake is rich enough to be shared. Photo: Manny Maung

52 the pulse socialite

Ikon Mart and Tsubaki Foods Japanese cuisine demonstration

THE MYANMAR TIMES June 10-16 , 2013

Ko Sai

Ma Mar Lar

Pierre Le Foll

Andrea Massari

Thanu Thchai, Khun Nat, Mya Sandar Min and Aung Than Htay

Miki and Daichi Kato

British Club monthly networking function

Thamar Dih Gems and Jewellery event

Jessica and Katie

Kayleigh Long, Katie Hodges, Supatra Basham and Rosie Cho

Khin Pyae Sone Htun

Nay Zaw Htay

Pearlyn Chaing, Kensuke Yazu, Urim Bajrami

Alex, Serix, Seb, Beki Wong Li Jun Thinzar Myat Mon and Zaw Win Than

Distell wine tasting

John Condon, Christopher Symes, Alex Bookbinder and Manny Maung Romeo, Oliver Khin Thandar Htay

Jeremy

Ma Nwe Ni Soe

www.mmtimes.com
Ramayana documentary press

the pulse socialite 53

GETCs graduation ceremony

Naum Bwai
hknuambawi@gmail.com

It was a relatively quiet start to the week for Socialite, with the Thar Mar Dih Gems & Jewellery stores customer reward ceremony on May 28. She made an appearance the following day at the new product launch for KD Power at Traders Hotel. Socialite continued resting (in preparation for a big night), before heading to the Distell Wine tastings to sample South African wines, followed by a networking function to celebrate Suntac Technologies and the Master Builders Solutions at Chatrium Hotel on May 31. June kicked off with the Ikon Mart & Tsubaki Foods Japanese Cuisine demonstration. Socialite ended her week rubbing shoulders with Yangons expat scene, at the monthly networking event at the British Club. There, she also said some sad goodbyes to friends who leave Myanmar for their summer holidays overseas.

Aung Maw Thein

Aye Wityee Thaung

Master Builders Solutions at Chatrium Hotel

Paing Phyo Thu Dean Draper Kelvin Wong

Ye Thiha Ko

U Sit Tine Aung

Thida Kyaw

KD Power new product launch

P.J Kim

Yu Jong Moon

Khaing Zaw

Streamline school graduation ceremony

Teacher Thazin Phyu, Teacher Winne Kine and students

Kyaw Min Oo, Myat Thandar and Son

54 the pulse travel

THE MYANMAR TIMES June 10 - 16, 2013

DOMESTIC FLIGHT SCHEDULES

Days Flight Dep Arr Days Flight Dep Arr Days Flight Dep Arr Days Flight Dep Arr Days Flight Dep Arr Days Flight Dep Arr Days Flight Dep Arr

Yangon to Nay Pyi Taw

MON 6T 401 UB-A1 UB-B1 YH 731/732 UB-C1 TUE UB-A1 UB-B1 UB-C1 WED UB-A1 UB-B1 UB-C1 THUR UB-A1 UB-B1 UB-C1 FRI UB-A1 UB-B1 6T 211 UB-C1 SAT UB-A1 SUN UB-A1 MON UB-A2 UB-B2 YH 731/732 UB-C2 TUE UB-A2 UB-B2 UB-C2 WED UB-A2 UB-B2 UB-C2 THUR UB-A2 UB-B2 UB-C2 FRI UB-A2 UB-B2 6T 212 UB-C2 SAT UB-A2 SUN UB-A2 MON YH 917 Y5 234 6T 401 K7 222 YJ 201 YJ 001 K7 624 YJ 761 YH 727 K7 622 YH 731 K7 224 6T 501/K7 224 YH 731 TUE YH 917 Y5 234 6T 401 K7 222 K7 226 YJ 201 8M 6603 K7 822 YJ 143/W97143 YJ 761 YH 729 K7 622 K7 224 6T 501/K7 224 WED YJ 891 YH 917 Y5 234 6T 401 K7 222 YJ 143/W9 7143 K7 826 YJ 001 K7 624 YJ 751/W9 7751 YH 737 YJ 201 K7 622 K7 224 6T 501/K7 224 THUR YJ 201 YJ 891 YH 917 Y5 234 6T 401 K7 222 K7 226 YJ 143/W9 7143 8M 6603 YJ 761 YH 729 K7 622 K7 224 6T 501/K7 224 7:00 7:30 11:30 13:30 16:30 7:30 11:30 16:30 7:30 11:30 16:30 7:30 11:30 16:30 7:30 11:30 15:30 16:30 8:00 15:30 8:50 13:00 14:35 18:00 8:50 13:00 18:00 8:50 13:00 18:00 8:50 13:00 18:00 8:50 13:00 17:00 18:00 10:00 17:00 6:10 6:15 7:00 6:30 6:30 8:00 8:00 11:00 11:15 12:00 13:30 14:30 14:30 15:00 6:10 6:15 6:30 6:30 6:45 6:10 9:00 10:00 7:00 11:30 11:15 12:00 14:30 14:30 6:10 6:10 6:15 6:30 6:30 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:00 11:00 11:15 11:30 12:00 14:30 14:30 6:00 6:10 6:10 6:15 6:30 6:30 6:45 7:00 9:00 11:00 11:15 12:00 14:30 14:30 7:55 8:30 12:30 14:35 17:30 8:30 12:30 17:30 8:30 12:30 17:30 8:30 12:30 17:30 8:30 12:30 16:25 17:30 9:00 16:30 9:50 14:00 17:25 19:00 9:50 14:00 19:00 9:50 14:00 19:00 9:50 14:00 19:00 9:50 14:00 17:55 19:00 11:00 18:00 8:40 7:30 9:40 8:40 9:05 8:55 9:25 12:55 13:25 13:25 16:05 16:35 16:35 17:10 8:40 7:30 8:35 8:40 8:10 8:15 10:10 13:45 9:05 13:25 14:15 13:25 16:35 16:35 8:15 8:40 7:30 8:35 8:40 9:05 9:35 8:55 9:25 12:55 13:25 12:55 13:25 16:35 16:35 8:25 8:15 8:40 7:30 8:35 8:40 8:10 9:05 10:10 12:55 14:15 13:25 16:35 16:35

FRI

SAT

Nay Pyi Taw To Yangon

SUN

Yangon to Mandalay

YJ 891 Y5 234 6T 401 YJ 211 YH 917 K7 222 YJ 143/W97143 K7 826 K7 626 YJ 751/W97751 YH 727 K7 622 K7 824 K7 224 6T 501/K7 224 YH 917 Y5 234 6T 401 K7 222 YJ 761 YJ 143/W9 7143 YJ 001 K7 822 YJ 601/W9 7601 YH 729 K7 622 K7 224 6T 501/K7 224 YH 917 Y5 234 6T 401 K7 222 YJ 761 YJ143/W9 7143 K7 822 YJ 001 K7 626 8M 6603 YJ 601/W9 7601 YH 737 K7 622 K7 224 6T 501/K7 224

6:10 6:15 6:30 11:30 6:30 6:30 7:00 7:30 8:00 11:00 11:15 12:00 13:00 14:30 14:30 6:10 6:15 6:30 6:30 7:00 7:00 8:00 10:00 11:00 11:15 12:00 14:30 14:30 6:10 6:15 6:30 6:30 7:00 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:15 12:00 14:30 14:30 8:10 8:40 10:00 8:55 11:00 12:10 14:40 16:00 16:50 16:40 16:45 16:50 16:05 8:10 8:40 8:55 8:55 9:20 11:20 16:40 16:50 16:50 17:05 17:20 18:00 18:00 8:10 8:40 8:30 8:55 8:55 9:30 9:20 11:00 14:40 16:00 16:40 16:50 16:50 17:25 17:50 8:10 8:40 8:30 8:55 8:55 9:20 11:30 16:40 16:35 16:50 16:50 17:20

8:15 7:30 8:35 12:55 9:50 8:40 9:05 9:35 9:25 12:55 13:25 13:25 14:25 16:35 16:35 8:40 7:30 8:35 8:40 8:55 9:05 8:55 13:45 11:25 14:15 13:25 16:35 16:35 8:40 7:30 8:35 8:40 8:55 9:05 9:35 8:55 9:25 10:10 11:25 13:25 13:25 16:35 16:35 9:25 10:45 12:00 11:00 11:55 13:35 16:05 18:05 19:00 18:05 18:10 19:00 17:25 9:25 10:45 10:55 11:00 11:15 12:45 18:05 19:00 19:00 18:30 18:30 19:25 19:25 9:25 10:45 10:25 10:55 11:00 10:30 11:15 11:55 16:05 17:55 18:05 19:00 19:00 18:50 19:15 9:25 10:45 10:25 10:55 11:00 11:15 12:55 18:05 18:00 19:00 19:00 18:30

FRI

SAT

SUN

Y5 233 YJ 892 YH 918 6T 402/K7 223 K7 223 YJ 143/W9 7143 Y5 132 YJ 212 YH 728 K7 623 K7 225 6T 502/K7 225 K7 825 YJ 752/W9 7752 Y5 233 YH 918 6T 402/K7 223 K7 223 YJ 143/W9 7143 Y5 132 YJ 002 YJ 762 YJ 602/W9 7602 K7 623 K7 225 6T 502/K7 225 YH 730 Y5 233 YH 918 YJ 143/W9 7143 6T 402/K7 223 K7 223 Y5 132 YJ 212 YJ 725/W9 7752 6T 502/K7 225 K7 623 K7 225 8M 6604 YH 738

8:10 8:30 9:50 8:55 8:55 9:20 9:30 16:30 16:45 16:40 16:50 16:50 17:40 17:50 8:10 8:40 8:55 8:55 9:20 9:30 11:00 12:00 16:20 16:40 16:50 16:50 18:00 8:10 8:40 9:20 8:55 8:55 9:30 12:10 16:50 16:50 16:40 16:50 17:20 17:25 6:30 6:10 7:00 6:30 6:30 14:30 14:30 15:00 6:10 6:10 6:30 6:30 14:30 7:00 14:30 6:10 6:10 6:30 6:30 6:45 7:00 14:30 14:30 6:10 6:10 6:30 6:30 7:00 14:30 14:30 6:10 6:30 6:30 6:30 6:45 7:00 14:30 14:30 6:10 6:30 6:30 7:00 14:30 14:30 6:10 6:30 6:30 6:30 7:00 14:30 14:15 14:30 7:45 9:10 8:55 8:05 16:45 17:40 17:45 17:55

9:25 10:25 11:15 10:55 11:00 11:15 10:30 17:55 18:10 18:05 19:00 19:00 19:05 19:15 9:25 10:45 10:55 11:00 11:15 10:30 11:55 13:55 18:15 18:05 19:00 19:00 19:25 9:25 10:45 11:15 10:55 11:00 10:30 13:35 18:15 19:00 18:05 19:00 18:30 18:50 8:20 7:45 8:55 7:50 8:55 17:20 17:25 17:55 7:45 7:45 7:50 7:50 17:20 8:20 17:25 7:45 7:30 7:50 7:50 8:05 8:20 17:20 17:25 7:30 7:45 7:50 7:50 8:20 17:20 17:25 7:30 8:05 7:50 7:50 8:05 8:20 17:20 17:25 7:45 7:50 7:50 8:20 17:20 17:25 7:45 7:50 7:50 7:50 8:20 17:20 16:25 17:25 10:45 12:00 10:15 11:00 18:05 19:00 19:00 19:15

TUE

Yangon to Nyaung U
MON YJ 201 YH 917 6T 401 K7 222 YH 909 6T 501/K7 224 K7 224 YH 731 TUE YH 917 YJ 201 6T 401/K7 222 K7 222 6T 501/K7 224 YJ 143/W9 7143 K7 224 WED YH 917 YJ 891 6T 401/K7 222 K7 222 K7 242 YJ 143/W9 7143 6T 501/K7 224 K7 224 THUR YJ 891 YH 917 6T 401/K7 222 K7 222 YJ 143/W97143 6T 501/K7 224 K7 224 FRI YJ 891 YH 917 6T 401/K7 222 K7 222 K7 242 YJ 143/W9 7143 6T 501/K7 224 K7 224 SAT YH 917 6T 401/K7 222 K7 222 YJ 143/W9 7143 6T 501/K7 224 K7 224 SUN YH 917 6T 401/K7 222 YJ 211 K7 222 YJ 143/W9 7143 6T 501/K7 224 K7 224 K7 224 MON YH 917 6T 401 YH 910 K7 222 YJ 762 6T 502/K7 225 K7 225 YH 732

YJ 143/W9 7143 YH 917 6T 401/K7222 K7 222 6T 502/K7 225 K7 225 WED YJ 891 YH 917 6T 401/K7222 K7 222 YJ 143/W9 7143 K7 225 6T 502/K7 225 K7 225 THUR YJ 891 YH 917 6T 401/K7222 K7 222 YJ 143/W9 7143 6T 502/K7 225 K7 225 FRI YJ 891 YH 917 6T 401/K7222 K7 222 YJ 143/W9 7143 K7 225 6T 502/K7 225 K7 225 SAT YH 917 6T 401/K7222 K7 222 YJ 143/W9 7143 K7 225 6T 502/K7 225 K7 225 SUN YH 917 6T 401/K7222 K7 222 YJ 143/W9 7143 6T 502/K7 225 K7 225

8:35 7:45 8:05 8:05 17:40 17:45 7:45 7:45 8:05 8:05 8:35 16:40 17:40 17:45 7:45 7:45 8:05 8:05 8:35 17:40 17:45 7:45 8:05 8:05 8:05 8:35 16:40 17:40 17:45 7:45 8:05 8:05 8:35 16:40 17:40 17:45 7:45 8:05 8:05 8:35 17:40 17:45 6:30 8:00 12:00 6:10 7:30 12:00 8:00 11:30 12:00 7:30 6:30 12:00 11:30 8:00 12:00 6:30 8:00 12:00 10:45 13:10 15:10 9:55 11:20 15:10 13:10 15:10 14:35 11:20 15:10 10:05 11:45 14:35 15:10 15:10 10:15 11:45 15:10 6:10 7:00 6:30 7:30 11:00 11:15 14:30 14:30 13:30

11:15 10:45 10:55 11:00 19:00 19:00 10:25 10:45 10:55 11:00 11:15 18:00 19:00 19:00 10:25 10:45 10:55 11:00 11:15 19:00 19:00 10:25 11:15 10:55 11:00 11:15 18:00 19:00 19:00 10:45 10:55 11:00 11:15 18:00 19:00 19:00 10:45 10:55 11:00 11:15 19:00 19:00 10:30 10:55 14:55 9:40 11:05 14:55 10:55 14:20 14:55 11:05 9:50 14:55 14:20 11:30 14:55 10:00 11:30 14:55 13:35 16:05 18:05 12:45 16:00 18:05 16:05 18:05 17:55 16:00 18:05 12:55 15:15 17:55 18:05 18:05 13:35 15:15 18:05 9:35 10:35 9:30 8:45 12:10 12:40 15:40 15:45 15:20

TUE

Yangon to Myitkyina
MON YJ 201 K7 624 K7 622 TUE YJ 201 K7 844 K7 622 WED K7 624 YJ 201 K7 622 THUR K7 844 YJ 201 K7 622 FRI YJ 211 K7 626 K7 622 SUN YJ 211 K7 626 K7 622 MON YJ 202 K7 625 K7 623 TUE YJ 202 K7 845 K7 623 WED K7 625 K7 623 YJ 201 THUR K7 845 K7 623 YJ 202 FRI K7 627 YJ 211 K7 623 SAT K7 623 SUN YJ 211 K7 627 K7 623 MON YH 917 6T 401 K7 222 K7 828 YJ 761 YH 727 6T 501/K7 224 K7 224 YH 731

Mandalay to Yangon
MON Y5 233 YH 918 6T 402 K7 223 YJ 002 YJ 202 K7 625 YJ 762 6T 502/K7 225 K7 623 YH 728 K7 225 YH 732 TUE Y5 233 YH 918 6T 402/K7 223 K7 223 YJ 143/W9 7143 YJ 202 K7 623 K7 225 6T 502/K7 225 YJ 762 8M 6604 YH 730 K7 823 WED Y5 233 YH 918 YJ 892 6T 402/K7 223 K7 223 Y5 132 YJ 143/W9 7143 YJ 002 K7 625 YJ 202 K7 623 K7 225 6T 502/K7 225 YH 738 YJ 752/W9 7752 THUR Y5 233 YH 918 YJ 892 6T 402/K7 223 K7 223 YJ 143/W9 7143 YJ 202 K7 623 YJ 762 6T 502/K7 225 K7 225 8M 6604

YH 917 6T 401/K7222 K7 222 YJ 143/W9 7143 K7 822 YJ 761 6T 501/K7 224 K7 224 WED YJ 891 YH 917 6T 401/K7222 K7 222 YJ 143/W9 7143 K7 826 YJ 751/W9 7751 YH 737 6T 501/K7 224 K7 224 THUR YJ 891 YH 917 6T 401/K7222 K7 222 YJ 761 YJ 143/W9 7143 K7 828 6T 501/K7 224 K7224 FRI YJ 891 YH 917 6T 401/K7222 K7 222 YJ 143/W9 7143 K7 826 YJ 751/W9 7751 YH 727 6T 501/K7 224 K7224 SAT YH 917 6T 401/K7222 K7 222 YJ 761 YJ 143/W9 7143 K7 828 K7 822 6T 501/K7 224 K7 224 SUN YH 917 6T 401/K7222 K7 222 YJ 143/W9 7143 K7 822 YJ 751/W9 7751 YH 737 6T 501/K7 224 K7 224

6:10 6:30 6:30 7:00 10:00 11:30 14:30 14:30 6:10 6:10 6:30 6:30 7:00 7:30 11:00 11:15 14:30 14:30 6:10 6:10 6:30 6:30 11:00 7:00 7:30 14:30 14:30 6:10 6:30 6:30 6:30 7:00 7:30 11:00 11:15 14:30 14:30 6:10 6:30 6:30 7:00 7:00 7:30 10:00 14:30 14:30 6:10 6:30 6:30 7:00 7:30 10:00 11:15 14:30 14:30 9:35 7:30 9:45 10:50 13:50 15:20 16:00 16:00 16:00 9:35 16:20 9:45 9:45 16:00 10:05 14:50 16:00 9:35 9:15 9:45 9:45 16:00 16:40 13:40 10:05 16:00 9:15 9:35 9:45 9:45 13:50 15:50 16:00 16:00 10:05

9:35 9:30 9:30 9:50 11:15 12:40 15:40 15:45 9:00 9:35 9:30 9:30 9:50 8:45 12:10 12:40 15:40 15:45 9:00 9:35 9:30 9:30 12:10 9:50 8:45 15:40 15:45 9:00 9:05 9:30 9:30 9:50 8:45 12:10 12:40 15:40 15:45 9:35 9:30 9:30 8:10 9:50 8:45 11:15 15:40 15:45 9:35 9:30 9:30 9:50 8:45 11:10 12:40 15:40 15:45 10:45 8:45 11:00 12:00 15:05 17:25 18:10 19:00 19:00 10:45 18:30 10:55 11:00 19:00 11:15 16:05 19:00 10:45 10:25 10:55 11:00 19:00 18:50 14:55 11:15 19:00 10:25 10:45 10:55 11:00 15:05 18:00 19:00 19:00 11:15

FRI

SAT

SUN

YH 918 YJ 892 6T 402/K7223 K7 223 YJ 143/W9 7143 K7 827 YH 728 6T 501/K7 224 K7 224 YH 918 6T 402/K7223 K7 223 YJ 143/W9 7143 YJ 762 K7 829 K7 823 6T 501/K7 224 K7 224 YJ 602/W9 7602 YH 918 6T 402/K7223 K7 223 YJ 143/W9 7143 K7 823 6T 501/K7 224 K7 224 YH 738

9:05 9:15 9:45 9:45 10:05 13:40 16:00 16:00 16:00 9:35 9:45 9:45 10:05 12:45 13:40 14:50 16:00 16:00 17:05 9:35 9:45 9:45 10:05 13:40 16:00 16:00 16:40 10:45 12:30 13:00 14:30 10:45 14:30 13:00 14:30 10:45 11:15 13:00 14:30 11:30 14:15 12:25 14:35 16:15 16:15 12:25 14:35 16:15

11:15 10:25 10:55 11:00 11:15 14:55 18:10 19:00 19:00 10:45 10:55 11:00 11:15 13:55 14:55 16:05 19:00 19:00 18:15 10:45 10:55 11:00 11:15 14:55 19:00 19:00 18:50 12:10 13:55 14:20 15:55 12:10 15:55 14:20 15:55 12:10 13:15 14:20 15:55 12:55 16:15 13:50 15:55 17:40 17:40 13:50 15:55 17:40

FRI SAT SUN

6T 606 W9 502/YJ 7502 K7 427 6T 612 K7 423 6T 612

13:35 12:25 14:35 16:15 8:55 13:15

15:00 13:50 15:55 17:40 10:50 14:40

Yangon to Myeik
MON K7 319 TUE K7 319 YJ 301 6T 707 WED K7 319 6T 707 YJ301 THUR K7 319 YJ 301 FRI K7 319 YJ 301 SAT K7 319 YJ 301 6T 707 SUN K7 319 YJ 301 6T 707 MON K7 320 TUE YJ 302 K7 320 6T 708 WED YJ 302 K7 320 6T 708 THUR YJ 302 K7 320 FRI YJ 302 K7 320 SAT K7 320 YJ 302 6T 708 SUN K7 320 6T 708 YJ 302 MON 6T 607 6T 605 MON 6T 608 FRI 6T 605 7:00 9:05 7:00 9:05 7:00 9:10 7:30 9:30 7:00 9:05 11:15 13:15 11:30 13:40 7:00 9:05 7:00 9:10 7:00 9:05 7:00 9:10 7:00 9:05 7:00 9:10 11:15 13:15 7:00 9:05 7:00 9:10 7:30 9:30 11:30 11:25 11:30 11:55 11:25 11:30 15:40 15:55 11:30 11:25 11:30 11:30 16:25 15:40 11:30 11:55 16:25 13:35 13:35 13:35 13:55 13:35 13:35 17:40 18:05 13:35 13:35 13:35 13:35 18:35 17:40 13:35 13:55 18:35

Myeik to Yangon

Yangon to Sittwe
MON W9 501/YJ 7501 6T 607 TUE K7 426 6T 611 WED W9 501/YJ 7501 6T 611 THRU K7 426 6T 611 FRI W9 501/YJ 7501 6T 605 SAT K7 426 6T 611 SUN 6T 611 MON 6T 608 W9 502/YJ 7502 TUE K7 427 6T 612 WED 6T 612 W9 502/YJ 7502 THUR K7 427 6T 612

Sittwe to Yangon

Yangon to Thandwe
12:30 15:05 11:15 12:10 15:20 16:15 12:25 15:00

Thandwe to Yangon

Heho to Yangon
MON YH 918 K7 828 K7 223 6T 402 K7 829 YH 732 YH 728 6T 501/K7 224 K7 224 TUE YH 918 YJ 762 6T 402/K7223 K7 223 6T 501/K7 224 YJ 143/W9 7143 K7 823 K7 224 WED YH 918 YJ 892 6T 402/K7223 K7 223 6T 501/K7 224 YH 738 K7 827 YJ 143/W9 7143 K7 224 THUR YJ 892 YH 918 6T 402/K7223 K7 223 K7 829 YJ 762 6T 501/K7 224 K7 224 YJ 143/W9 7143

Domestic Airlines
Air Bagan Ltd.(W9)
Tel : 513322, 513422, 504888, Fax : 515102 731-35991~3.Fax: 951 532333

Myitkyina to Yangon

Air KBZ (K7)

Tel: 372977~80, 533030~39 (Airport), Fax: 372983

Golden Myanmar Airlines (Y5)

Tel: 95 9 400446999, 95 9 400447999, Mobile: 95 9 5020711, Fax: 95 9 73256067

Air Mandalay (6T)

Tel : (Head Office) 501520, 525488, Fax: 525937. Airport: 533222~3, 0973152853. Fax: 533223.

Yangon Airways(YH)
Tel: (+95-1) 383 100, 383 107, 700 264, Fax: 652 533.

Asian Wings (AW)

Tel: 951 516654, 532253, 09-

FMI Air Charter Sales & Reservations

Tel: (95-1) 240363, 240373 / (+95-9) 421146545

International Airlines
Air Asia (FD)
Tel: 251 885, 251 886.

Yangon to Heho

Air Bagan Ltd.(W9) Air China (CA)

Tel : 666112, 655882.

Tel: 95 9 400446999, 95 9 400447999, Mobile: 95 9 5020711, Fax: 95 9 73256067

Tel : 513322, 513422, 504888, Fax : 515102

Malaysia Airlines (MH) Myanmar Airways International(8M)

Tel : 255260, Fax: 255305

Tel : 387648, 241007 ext : 120, 121, 122 Fax : 241124

Air India

Tel : 253597~98, 254758. Fax: 248175

Domestic
6T = Air Mandalay W9 = Air Bagan YJ = Asian Wings K7 = AIR KBZ YH = Yangon Airways UB = FMI UB Charter Y5 = Golden Myanmar Airlines

Bangkok Airways (PG)

Silk Air(MI)
Tel: 255 287~9, Fax: 255 290

Tel: 255122, 255 265, Fax: 255119

Nyaung U to Yangon

Subject to change without notice

Condor (DE)

Thai Airways (TG)

Tel : 255491~6, Fax : 255223

Tel: + 95 1 -370836 up to 39 (ext : 810)

Dragonair (KA)

Vietnam Airlines (VN)

Fax : 255086. Tel 255066/ 255088/ 255068.

Tel: 95-1-255320, 255321, Fax : 255329

Golden Myanmar Airlines (Y5)

Qatar Airways (Temporary Office)

Tel: 01-250388, (ext: 8142, 8210)

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International FLIGHT SCHEDULES

Days Flight
MON PG 706 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 TG 302 8M 331 PG 704 Y5 237 TG 306 TUE PG 706 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 TG 302 8M 331 Y5 237 PG 704 TG 306 WED PG 706 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 TG 302 8M 331 Y5 237 PG 704 TG 306 THUR PG 706 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 TG 302 8M 331 Y5 237 PG 704 TG 306 FRI PG 706 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 TG 302 8M 331 Y5 237 PG 704 TG 306 SAT PG 706 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 TG 302 8M 331 Y5 237 PG 704 TG 306 SUN PG 706 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 TG 302 8M 331 Y5 237 PG 704 TG 306 MON FD 2752 FD 2756 FD 2754 TUE FD 2752 FD 2756 FD 2754 WED FD 2752 FD 2756 FD 2754 THUR FD 2752 FD 2756 FD 2754 FRI FD 2752 FD 2756 FD 2754 SAT FD 2752 FD 2756 FD 2754 SUN FD 2752 FD 2756 FD 2754 MON MI 509 8M 231 SQ 997 8M 6232 3K 586 MI 517 TUE MI 509 8M 231 SQ 997 3K 586 8M 6232 VN 942 MI 517 WED 8M 231 SQ 997 8M 6232 3K 586 MI 517 THUR 8M 231 SQ 997 3K 586 8M 6232 VN 942 MI 517 FRI 8M 231 SQ 997 3K 586 8M 6232 8M 233 MI 517

Dep Arr
7:15 9:00 9:50 10:30 14:55 16:30 18:20 18:05 19:45 7:15 9:00 9:50 10:30 14:55 16:30 18:05 18:20 19:45 7:15 9:00 9:50 10:30 14:55 16:30 18:05 18:20 19:45 7:15 9:00 9:50 10:30 14:55 16:30 18:05 18:20 19:45 7:15 9:00 9:50 10:30 14:55 16:30 18:05 18:20 19:45 7:15 9:00 9:50 10:30 14:55 16:30 18:05 18:20 19:45 7:15 9:00 9:50 10:30 14:55 16:30 18:05 18:20 19:45 8:30 12:15 17:50 8:30 12:15 17:50 8:30 12:15 17:50 8:30 12:15 17:50 8:30 12:15 17:50 8:30 12:15 17:50 8:30 12:15 17:50 0:25 8:00 10:25 11:30 11:30 16:40 0:25 8:00 10:25 11:30 11:30 14:25 16:40 8:00 10:25 11:30 11:30 16:40 8:00 10:25 11:30 11:30 14:25 16:40 8:00 10:25 11:30 11:30 15:05 16:40 9:30 10:45 11:45 12:25 16:50 18:15 20:15 19:50 21:40 9:30 10:45 11:45 12:25 16:50 18:15 19:50 20:15 21:40 9:30 10:45 11:45 12:25 16:50 18:15 19:50 20:15 21:40 9:30 10:45 11:45 12:25 16:50 18:15 19:50 20:15 21:40 9:30 10:45 11:45 12:25 16:50 18:15 19:50 20:15 21:40 9:30 10:45 11:45 12:25 16:50 18:15 19:50 20:15 21:40 9:30 10:45 11:45 12:25 16:50 18:15 19:50 20:15 21:40 10:20 14:05 19:35 10:20 14:05 19:35 10:20 14:05 19:35 10:20 14:05 19:35 10:20 14:05 19:35 10:20 14:05 19:35 10:20 14:05 19:35 5:00 12:25 14:45 16:05 16:05 21:15 5:00 12:25 14:45 16:05 16:05 17:10 21:15 12:25 14:45 16:05 16:05 21:15 12:25 14:45 16:05 16:05 17:10 21:15 12:25 14:45 16:05 16:05 19:30 21:15

Days Flight
SAT MI 509 8M 231 SQ 997 8M 6232 3K 586 8M 233 MI 517 MI 509 8M 231 SQ 997 3K 586 8M 6232 VN 942 8M 233 MI 517

Dep Arr
0:25 8:00 10:25 11:30 11:30 15:05 16:40 0:25 8:00 10:25 11:30 11:30 14:25 15:05 16:40 7:50 8:30 12:15 16:45 8:30 12:15 16:45 16:55 8:30 7:50 12:15 16:45 8:30 12:15 16:45 7:50 8:30 12:15 16:45 16:55 8:30 7:50 12:15 16:45 8:30 12:15 16:45 16:55 14:15 14:15 14:15 14:15 14:15 17:40 8:40 11:20 8:40 17:40 11:20 8:40 10:50 10:50 10:50 10:50 14:40 14:15 14:40 12:20 14:15 14:15 14:40 14:40 14:15 14:40 14:15 14:40 14:20 14:20 19:10 19:10 19:10 19:10 19:10 14:25 14:25 14:25 7:00 7:00 7:00 7:00 8:15 8:15 8:15 16:50 16:50 23:45 23:40 23:40 23:40 0:35 23:40 23:40 23:40 0:35 5:00 12:25 14:45 16:05 16:05 19:30 21:15 5:00 12:25 14:45 16:05 16:05 17:10 19:30 21:15 11:50 12:50 16:30 21:00 12:50 16:30 21:00 21:10 12:50 11:50 16:30 21:00 12:50 16:30 21:00 11:50 12:50 16:30 21:00 21:10 12:50 11:50 16:30 21:00 12:50 16:30 21:00 21:10 21:55 21:55 21:55 21:55 21:55 22:15 13:15 15:50 13:15 22:15 15:50 13:15 16:15 16:15 16:15 16:15 18:00 17:35 18:00 18:35 17:35 17:35 18:00 18:00 17:35 18:00 17:35 18:00 16:10 16:10 21:30 21:30 21:30 21:30 21:30 17:10 17:10 17:10 8:20 8:20 8:20 8:20 11:15 11:15 11:15 19:15 19:15 8:05+1:00 8:05+1:00 8:05+1:00 8:05+1:00 9:10 8:05+1:00 8:05+1:00 8:05+1:00 9:10

Days Flight
MON TUE THUR SAT KA 251 KA 251 KA 251 KA 251

Dep Arr
1:10 1:10 1:10 1:10 21:30 21:30 21:30 9:30 9:30 9:30 9:30 12:45 12:45 12:45 12:45 12:45 12:45 12:45 14:40 14:40 14:40 14:40 14:40 14:40 14:40 6:15 7:15 7:55 8:50 13:00 16:45 16:50 17:50 19:15 20:15 21:10 6:15 7:15 7:55 8:50 13:00 16:45 16:50 17:50 19:15 20:15 21:10 6:15 7:15 7:55 8:50 13:00 16:45 16:50 17:50 19:15 20:15 21:10 6:15 7:15 7:55 8:50 13:00 16:45 16:50 17:50 19:15 20:15 21:10 6:15 7:15 7:55 8:50 13:00 16:45 16:50 17:50 19:15 20:15 21:10 6:15 7:15 7:55 8:50 13:00 16:45 16:50 17:50 19:15 20:15 21:10 6:15 7:15 7:55 8:50 13:00 16:45 16:50 17:50 19:15 20:15 21:10 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00 06:40+1 06:40+1 06:40+1 11:55 11:55 11:55 11:55 15:00 15:00 15:00 15:00 15:00 15:00 15:00 17:20 17:20 17:20 17:20 17:20 17:20 17:20 7:00 8:00 8:50 9:40 13:45 17:35 17:35 18:45 20:00 21:30 21:55 7:00 8:00 8:50 9:40 13:45 17:35 17:35 18:45 20:00 21:30 21:55 7:00 8:00 8:50 9:40 13:45 17:35 17:35 18:45 20:00 21:30 21:55 7:00 8:00 8:50 9:40 13:45 17:35 17:35 18:45 20:00 21:30 21:55 7:00 8:00 8:50 9:40 13:45 17:35 17:35 18:45 20:00 21:30 21:55 7:00 8:00 8:50 9:40 13:45 17:35 17:35 18:45 20:00 21:30 21:55 7:00 8:00 8:50 9:40 13:45 17:35 17:35 18:45 20:00 21:30 21:55

Days Flight
MON FD 2751 FD 2755 FD 2753 TUE FD 2751 FD 2755 FD 2753 WED FD 2751 FD 2755 FD 2753 THUR FD 2751 FD 2755 FD 2753 FRI FD 2751 FD 2755 FD 2753 SAT FD 2751 FD 2755 FD 2753 SUN FD 2751 FD 2755 FD 2753 MON SQ 998 3K 585 8M 6231 8M 232 MI 520 MI 518 TUE SQ 998 3K 585 8M 6231 8M 232 MI 518 WED SQ 998 3K 585 8M 6231 8M 232 MI 518 THUR SQ 998 8M 6231 3K 585 8M 232 MI 518 FRI SQ 998 3K 585 8M 6231 8M 232 MI 518 8M 234 MI 520 SAT SQ 998 3K 585 8M 6231 8M 232 MI 518 8M 234 MI 520 SUN SQ 998 8M 6231 3K 585 8M 232 MI 518 8M 234 MI 520 TUE WED THUR SAT SUN CA 905 CA 905 CA 905 CA 905 CA 905

Dep Arr
7:15 11:10 16:35 7:15 11:10 16:35 7:15 11:10 16:35 7:15 11:10 16:35 7:15 11:10 16:35 7:15 11:10 16:35 7:15 11:10 16:35 7:55 9:10 9:10 13:25 22:10 14:20 7:55 9:10 9:10 13:25 14:20 7:55 9:10 9:10 13:25 14:20 7:55 9:10 9:10 13:25 14:20 7:55 9:10 9:10 13:25 14:20 20:30 22:10 7:55 9:10 9:10 13:25 14:20 20:30 22:10 7:55 9:10 9:10 13:25 14:20 20:30 22:10 8:05 8:05 8:05 8:05 8:05 6:55 10:05 12:50 15:05 6:55 10:05 14:45 15:05 6:55 10:05 12:50 15:05 6:55 10:05 15:05 6:55 10:05 12:50 14:45 15:05 6:55 10:05 12:50 15:05 6:55 10:05 14:45 15:05 8:00 11:45 17:20 8:00 11:45 17:20 8:00 11:45 17:20 8:00 11:45 17:20 8:00 11:45 17:20 8:00 11:45 17:20 8:00 11:45 17:20 9:20 10:40 10:40 14:50 23:35 15:45 9:20 10:40 10:40 14:50 15:45 9:20 10:40 10:40 14:50 15:45 9:20 10:40 10:40 14:50 15:45 9:20 10:40 10:40 14:50 15:45 21:55 23:35 9:20 10:40 10:40 14:50 15:45 21:55 23:35 9:20 10:40 10:40 14:50 15:45 21:55 23:35 13:15 13:15 13:15 13:15 13:15 8:00 11:15 13:50 16:15 8:00 11:15 15:55 16:15 8:00 11:15 13:50 16:15 8:00 11:15 16:15 8:00 11:15 13:50 15:55 16:15 8:00 11:15 13:50 16:15 8:00 11:15 15:55 16:15

Days Flight
MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN CZ 3055 8M 712 CZ 3055 8M 712 CZ 3055 CZ 3055 8M 712

Dep Arr
14:45 14:15 8:40 14:15 14:45 8:40 14:15 7:00 7:00 7:45 7:00 7:00 7:45 7:45 13:30 12:40 13:30 12:40 8:20 12:40 13:30 13:30 12:40 13:30 12:40 13:30 17:20 17:20 16:35 16:35 16:35 16:35 16:35 11:40 11:40 11:40 9:20 9:20 9:20 9:20 7:25 7:25 7:25 7:25 21:05 21:05 21:05 20:15 20:15 18:40 18:40 18:40 19:50 18:40 18:40 18:40 19:50 18:40 10:30 10:30 10:30 21:45 21:45 21:45 21:45 10:50 10:50 10:50 10:50 10:50 10:50 10:50 13:55 13:55 13:55 13:55 13:55 13:55 13:55 16:35 15:50 10:30 15:50 16:35 10:30 15:50 9:55 9:55 10:35 9:55 9:55 10:35 10:35 13:55 13:15 13:55 13:15 11:30 13:15 13:55 13:55 13:15 13:55 13:15 13:55 18:10 18:10 18:10 18:10 18:10 18:10 18:10 13:25 13:25 13:25 12:30 12:30 12:30 12:30 8:50 8:50 8:50 8:50 07:00+1 07:00+1 07:00+1 21:40 21:40 22:15 22:15 22:15 23:25 22:15 22:15 22:15 23:25 22:15 15:30 15:30 15:30 23:30 23:30 23:30 23:30 12:15 12:15 12:15 12:15 12:15 12:15 12:15 13:50 13:50 13:50 13:50 13:50 13:50 13:50

YANGON TO BANGKOK

YANGON TO HONG KONG

DON MUENG TO YANGON

GUANGZHOU TO YANGON

SUN

YANGON TO TOKYO
MON NH 914 WED NH 914 SAT NH 914 TUE FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN TG 782 TG 782 TG 782 TG 782 FD 2761 FD 2761 FD 2761 FD 2761 FD 2761 FD 2761 FD 2761 MU 2030 MU 2030 MU 2030 MU 2030 MU 2030 MU 2030 MU 2030

TAIPEI TO YANGON
MON CI 7915 TUE CI 7915 BR 287 WED CI 7915 FRI CI 7915 BR 287 SAT BR 287 MON MU 2031 TUE CA 905 MU 2031 WED CA 905 MU 2011 THUR CA 905 MU 2031 FRI MU 2031 SAT CA 905 MU 2031 SUN CA 905 MU 2031 THUR W9 9608 SUN W9 9608 MON WED FRI SAT SUN VN 957 VN 957 VN 957 VN 957 VN 957

MANDALAY TO BANGKOK

Post-Soviet Tajikistan offers Persian pop, wrestling

Brad Gooch I LIKE this atmosphere, said Muzafar, a 20-something volunteer at the American Corner, an outreach program of the U.S. Embassy, as we walked along a boulevard in the Tajikistan capital city of Dushanbe. I just remember the civil war, growing up, and now these days! It was Nowruz, the Persian New Year, celebrated on the first day of spring, and all of Dushanbes more than 1 million residents seemed to be out on the streets in a display of the smash-cut of folksytraditional and trendy-metro that is its bipolar mood this decade. Just as I was warming to mothers and daughters in brightly patterned village dresses and embroidered pillbox hats selling tandoor flatbread sprinkled with cardamom, Id spy women sporting tiger-print wraps and black high heels on shopping sprees. As I lingered to watch teenage boys performing somersaults, I was jostled by others next to loudspeakers blaring Googoosh or Shabnam, Russian and Persian versions of pop. I balked at following this crowd on their way to a packed stadium for an afternoon of the national obsession: gushtingiri (freestyle wrestling). Yet Id been feeling this energy not just on Nowruz, but as a low-grade thrumming during my week in Dushanbe and my travels in Tajikistan, if not throughout Central Asia. The trauma of the civil war was a consequence of the meltdown of the former Soviet Union in the 1990s. The bullet holes at the Vakhsh Hotel, a former rebel headquarters, are now covered in thick pink paint. Kazakhstan blurs in the imagination with Sacha Baron Cohens Borat. Visas to Uzbekistan are hard to obtain but well worth the effort for its grand ancient cities of Samarkand and Bukhara. Yet Tajikistan has been uniquely successful in its transition and has found an enviable equipoise - with hijab optional for women - akin to Turkeys. A stroll along Dushanbes tree-lined main boulevard, Rudaki Avenue, feels like a lovely promenade in more cosmopolitan Prague or Vienna. Soviet neoclassical architecture lends an order to the cityscape, with many buildings resembling Easter eggs dipped in pastel dyes: the lemonyellow Firdousi Library; the baby-blue Russian academy; the Pompeiian-red National Bank; the beige Presidential Palace complex with its splashing fountains. The Writers Union reflects a more 1920s revolutionarymodern mode, its Bauhaus curves fronted by busts of regional culture heroes, like Persian polymath Omar Khayyam. Central to Tajik society are its choikhonas, or teahouses, and the grand example is Choikhona Rohat on Rudaki. Its two- story, neon-lit glass front is reminiscent of the old TWA terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport, while the ceiling of its terrace is painted in an ornate Persian floral style. Its a popular venue for regional staples: lagman (lamb and noodle soup) with a salad of parsley, tomato and onion; shashlik kebab; or the ubiquitous plov (a one-pot meat-andrice stew). The menus are still printed in Cyrillic, the national alphabet, and top picks are borscht, goulash and black kleb bread. Our last stop was the Morning Star Cafe, the only faux-American diner in town, complete with wood paneling, checkered linoleum floors, wrought- iron chairs, and a magazine rack with back issues of Time magazine. Specialties on the big glossy menu included sweetened iced tea, pancakes and biscuits, and chocolate milkshakes. I even overheard two men speaking with a Texas twang, the only two Americans Id encountered during my 10 days in the country. But the reminder that we werent in Austin anymore was right there on the big chalkboard promising New Stolrbuck Coffee. Meanwhile, intending to pay a compliment, Muzafar leaned over his Nescafe and confided in me, I wish most to be in the U.S. on Black Friday. -Bloomberg

tajikistan

YANGON TO KUALA LUMPUR

MON 8M 501 AK 1427 MH 741 AK 1425 TUE AK 1427 MH 741 AK 1425 MH 743 WED AK 1427 8M 501 MH 741 AK 1425 THUR AK 1427 MH 741 AK 1425 FRI 8M 501 AK 1427 MH 741 AK 1425 MH 743 SAT AK 1427 8M 501 MH 741 AK 1425 SUN AK 1427 MH 741 AK 1425 MH 743 TUE WED THUR SAT SUN MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED FRI CA 906 CA 906 CA 906 CA 906 CA 906 CZ 3056 8M 711 CZ 3056 8M 711 CZ 3056 CZ 3056 8M 711 CI 7916 CI 7916 CI 7916 CI 7916

MANDALAY TO DON MUENG

KUNMING TO YANGON

SINGAPORE TO YANGON

MANDALAY TO KUNMING

CHIANG MAI TO YANGON

HANOI TO YANGON

BANGKOK TO YANGON
MON 8M 336 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 TG 301 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 PG 705 Y5 238 TUE 8M 336 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 TG 301 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 PG 705 Y5 238 WED 8M 336 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 TG 301 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 PG 705 Y5 238 THUR 8M 336 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 TG 301 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 PG 705 Y5 238 FRI 8M 336 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 TG 301 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 PG 705 Y5 238 SAT 8M 336 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 TG 301 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 PG 705 Y5 238 SUN 8M 336 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 TG 301 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 PG 705 Y5 238

HO CHI MINH CITY TO YANGON

TUE VN 943 THUR VN 943 SUN VN 943 MON WED FRI SAT TUE FRI SAT SUN 8M 602 8M 602 8M 602 8M 602 TG 781 TG 781 TG 781 TG 781

YANGON TO BEIJING

GAYA TO YANGON

YANGON TO GAUNGZHOU

BANGKOK TO MANDALAY

DOHA TO YANGON
WED QR 618 THUR QR 618 SUN QR 618 WED 8M 404 SAT 8M 404 MON KE 471 TUE KE 471 WED KE 471 0Z 769 THUR KE 471 FRI KE 471 SAT KE 471 0Z 769 SUN KE 471 MON NH 913 WED NH 913 SAT NH 913 MON WED FRI SUN MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN KA 250 KA 250 KA 250 KA 250 FD 2760 FD 2760 FD 2760 FD 2760 FD 2760 FD 2760 FD 2760 MU 2029 MU 2029 MU 2029 MU 2029 MU 2029 MU 2029 MU 2029

YANGON TO TAIPEI

PHNOM PENH TO YANGON

YANGON TO DON MUENG

SEOUL TO YANGON

YANGON TO KUNMING
MON MU 2032 TUE CA 906 MU 2032 WED MU 2012 CA 906 THUR CA 906 MU 2032 FRI MU 2032 SAT CA 906 MU 2032 SUN CA 906 MU 2032 THUR W9 9607 SUN W9 9607 MON WED FRI SAT SUN VN 956 VN 956 VN 956 VN 956 VN 956

BEIJING TO YANGON

KAULA LUMPUR TO YANGON

MON AK 1426 MH 740 8M 502 AK 1424 TUE AK 1426 MH 740 MH 742 AK 1424 WED AK 1426 MH 740 8M 502 AK 1424 THUR AK 1426 MH 740 AK 1424 FRI AK 1426 MH 740 8M 502 MH 742 AK 1424 SAT AK 1426 MH 740 8M 502 AK 1424 SUN AK 1426 MH 740 MH 742 AK 1424

TOKYO TO YANGON

YANGON TO CHIANG MAI

HONG KONG TO YANGON

YANGON TO HANOI

DON MUEANG TO MANDALAY

YANGON TO SINGAPORE

YANGON TO HO CHI MINH CITY

TUE VN 942 THUR VN 942 SUN VN 942 MON WED FRI SAT 8M 601 8M 601 8M 601 8M 601

YANGON TO GAYA

KUNMING TO MANDALAY

YANGON TO DOHA
MON QR 619 THUR QR 619 FRI QR 619 WED 8M 403 SAT 8M 403 MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN KE 472 KE 472 KE 472 KE 472 0Z 770 KE 472 KE 472 KE 472 0Z 4763

YANGON TO PHNOM PENH

International
FD & AK = Air Asia TG = Thai Airways 8M = Myanmar Airways International Y5 = Golden Myanmar Airlines PG = Bangkok Airways MI = Silk Air VN = Vietnam Airline MH = Malaysia Airlines CZ = China Southern CI = China Airlines CA = Air China KA = Dragonair Y5 = Golden Myanmar Airlines IC = Indian Airlines Limited W9 = Air Bagan 3K = Jet Star AI = Air India QR = Qatar Airways KE = Korea Airlines NH = All Nippon Airways SQ = Singapore Airways DE = Condor Airlines MU=China Eastern Airlines BR = Eva Airlines DE = Condor

YANGON TO SEOUL

Subject to change without notice

Tajiks celebrate Nowruz (Persian New Year) in Dushanbe. The holiday is observed on the first day of the northern spring. Photo: Brad Gooch

56 the pulse

THE MYANMAR TIMES June 10 - 16, 2013

San Naing: abstract art in Ngapali

JUNE 10-16, 2013

WEEKLY predictions
Aquarius | Jan 20 - Feb 18 Only immature fools allow themselves to be blindsided. Be a bigger person and let yourself evaluate a challenging situation with a non-bias attitude. Think before you act, otherwise youll jeapordise something that is building up for success in the new moon. Slow down, take some deep breaths and ignore people who sap your energy. Pisces | Feb 19 - March 2 Your relentless pursuit of a tough goal is having an impact on your friends and family. Understand how to motivate yourself wisely by incorporating a systematic approach, but dont neglect the emotional needs of the people around you. Maintain your courage, honesty and beliefs despite someone trying to rock the boat at work. Taurus | Apr 20 - May 20 Picking the lowhanging fruits or going for easy wins should be your priority for the time being. Whatever faults you might have, you are too reluctant to admit them and seek forgiveness. Why not just confess and admit your sins? Youll gain more respect from others. Gemini | May 21 - June 20 The practical side of your life is screaming for attention, so dont be surprised if chaos rules for the minute. Get back to basics: make lists, future plan, practice social graces in public. A tacit agreement in a platonic friendship maintains a strong bond, but doesnt lessen the mutual feelings of admiration. Cancer | Jun 21 - Jul 20 Never feel disappointed to feel empathy towards other peoples feelings. You should also learn to curb your tendency to evaluate your friends and colleagues according to their skills and personalities. Know your inability to accept the ideas and thoughts of others and learn more to make the best of any given situation. Something happens to squeeze your chest and shake your heart. Leo | Jul 23 - Aug 22 You may be expected to play mediator this week, so try and keep things peaceful if you want to avoid confrontation. Concentrating on work is the simplest way to avoid relationship issues, but dont take it out on your colleagues theyll just think youre not a nice person. Instead, keep your head down and think of the little engine that could. Libra | Sept 23 - Oct 22 Love and sex are tied up with each other but you should focus more on love if you want to feel happy. Know that manifestation is not the same to selfprophecising. It is much, much more powerful. Youll take on new responsibilities this week, but worrying wont make it go away. Aries | Mar 21 - Apr 19 Positive intentions will ensure a beneficial outcome. Your future is calling to you with important clues as to your new, bright direction. Pay careful attention to the messages and signs around. Dont let your fear of vulnerability make things too frightening to preserver and challenge yourself. Exit comfort zone, now.

Nathalie Johnston

OR the abstract artist San Naing, painting is both passion and livelihood. Born and brought up in Thandwe near Ngapali beach in Rakhine State, San Naings paintings reveal his propensity for realism, with his art featuring ocean waves, children playing, and monks strolling with umbrellas. His workspace, Ngapali Art Gallery, is a large warehouse with a sheet-metal roof and painted wooden walls. San Naings works fill the space from floor to ceiling. Many feature a female figure, with sensual physical attributes and hard, thick markings defining the outline of her shape. When San Naing attended the State School of Fine Arts in Yangon more than 20 years ago, his major inspiration was U Ba Nyan, one of Myanmars best known realist painters, who died in 1945. Not until years later, did San Naing develop his own distinct style born out of abstraction. San Naing feels that abstract expressionism is a seriously misunderstood art form in Myanmar. In his short essay, Line and Colour, he writes: The lines can show habits and appearances. Colour always changes like the human mind, so it can define the speed of human mind in real time. But the line describes the original truth. Through his art, San Naing aims to convey an emotive response by contrasting line and paint. Abstraction depends on inspirational process in art, and inspiration depends on place, time, emotion and sexual stimulation. San Naings own life philosophy stems from the study of psychology (specifically Freud), which helped shape the

Artwork by San Naing. Photo: Supplied

concepts behind his paintings. As a teenager he began to develop a spiritual psychology, and painting became his form of prayer. Process is vital to abstract painting, he says. The act of painting allows him to shape his thoughts through line and colour. What he feels in that moment is what you see on canvas. San Naing was brought up in a Muslim household. Yet in recent months, something has

changed; the artist has felt attitudes towards him shift, given his ancestry. The Yangon experimental art space, 7000 Padauk, had invited San Naing many times to exhibit his works there. Democratisation has been accompanied by a flurry of art shows across Yangon, but not many that specialised in abstract art. While the artist himself loved the idea, the recent intercommunal violence between

Abstraction depends on inspirational process in art, and inspiration depends on place, time, emotion and sexual stimulation
San Naing Abstract artist

Buddhists and Muslims made him hesitant to travel. After weeks of calls and pleas, he finally came. Later, he said: When I heard about the space I was happy. When you told me you could provide materials, my inspiration came. It was my birthday and I was at the space and at that time I thought about what I want on my birthday. I need peace, I told myself. When I have peace of mind, I have energy, therefore I can paint. I had no concept. Only emotion. So I painted Praying for Peace. 7000 Pakauk, he explained, was simply a place to demonstrate ones own work and feelings. Praying for Peace addresses much larger issues of discrimination and social justice and therefore reaches far beyond the walls of the gallery. That is what San Naings work is: a processional of growth and emotion over decades of thought and devotion to art, regardless of the shape it takes. An abstracted female figure watching the moon rise on the shores of Ngapali beach, an acrylic array of lines and shapes mixing and matching each thoughtful moment and physical act of the hand, or a group of children playing in the Ngapali sand all describe the time and place of the artist in that moment. San Naing says: The roots of art are located in time. The senses which can become an art come from the day and night, season and time. Isnt that what abstract thinking, just as abstract art, is all about? San Naings work can be viewed at Ngapali Art Gallery in Ngapali Beach as well as on the gallerys website. Nathalie Johnston is an art researcher at Myanmar Art Evolution and the co-founder of the temporary art space 7000 Padauk in Yangon.

Virgo | Aug 23Sep 22 Careful planning, conscientiousness and a businesslike attitude are musts to construct a structure of social economy. Dont allow yourself to feel restricted by duties and physical demand. Recognise the inevitable and adopt a different point of view, if necessary. Youre so focused on work this week that even if love knocked on your door, you would as to take a rain-check.

Scorpio | Oct 23 - Nov 21 Disillusion, frustration, disappointment. Youll feel it all this week. Changes are necessary but sometimes cutting ties make things easier to handle. Letting go is the key to your mantra. Monsoon heralds a transient time where water washes away stagnant energy. Align yourself with the cycle to improve relationships.

Paintings capture an artists homecoming

AFTER living in exile for nearly two decades, multitalented artist U Win Pe, is once again showing his work in Myanmar. Twenty paintings by U Win Pe were exhibited alongside the work of fellow artist, U Sein Myint, on May 1-16 at Gallery 65 on Yaw Min Gyi Road in Yangon. This is my first twoweek-long exhibition of large paintings in acrylic in almost two decades, the artist, writer and film director told The Myanmar Times. U Win Pe left Myanmar in 1994 to attend the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa, where he talked about freedom of expression. After the threemonth program ended, mar Motion Picture Academy Award in 1981, for his film Red Roses Dream. But he said he felt old to be taking on such tiring work again. Instead he decided to return to fine arts, renting an office and devoted his time to drawing.In a month he had finished the twenty paintings which made up the exhibition. Wherever I am, I paint with independence of mind, U Win Pe said. Though I create art with a love of freedom of mind, nobody is free from being dominated by others, by customs, by surroundingsor by their egoism. I try to be free from these, he added, especially from my egoism.

Sagittarius | Nov 22 - Dec 21 Someone once opined: The possibilities are endless. Nothing succeeds like persistence. But try and take the pressure off and find some recreational activities. Recreate yourself. Soften your heart towards others theyre not all the fools you think they might be.

Capricorn | Dec 22 - Jan 19 Develop new interests and a deeper understanding in social relationships. Investigation your own internal workings and youll be surprised at just freedom this brings you emotionally. Also, take the time to note any physical ailments or discomfort you might currently be experiencing.

U Win Pe's distinct style of artwork is again on display in Myanmar. Photo: Kyaw Thiri Ngunt

however, he was not allowed to return home. He was confined to the United States for the next 18 years, during which time he worked as an editor for Radio Free Asia and Voice of America. He also painted several

small watercolourswhich were presented in two exhibitions. When he was finally allowed to return to Myanmar, U Win Pe came back intending to resume his successful career as a film director. He had been awarded a Myan-

AUNG MYIN KYAW 4th Floor, 113, Thamain Bayan Road, Tarmwe Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 09-731-35632 Email: williameaste@gmail.com

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Has a foreign education (preferred). Full time available. Age 25 ~ 35. Pls send CV to Rocket Internet Myanmar (we recommend to upload your CV and apply via Work.com.mm)! You can also send CV to theingi.oo@work.com. mm or call 01-2305629 for more info. MiTA Myanmar @ ISBC is looking for projects in MYANMAR going to start soon: (1). Transmission Experts (2). Substation Experts (3). Financial Management Analysts (4). Social Specialists (5). Energy Statisticians (6). Energy Planners (7). Energy Economists Myanmar National are given first priority & email CVs to hrm1@ mitaservices.com.sg Preference will be given to the candidates who may have prior working experience with Myanmar Govt. Enterprises Pls send CV to hrm1@ mitaservices.com.sg at the earliest possible. MiTA Myanmar @ ISBC Investment & Strategic Business Consulting Co Ltd (ISBC) #604, Bldg B, Delta Plaza, Shwegondaing Rd, Bahan,. Ph: 09-420110451. Email: hrm1@ mitaservices.com.sg www.mitaservices.com. sg. Ph: 543926, 551795, Horizon Int'l School is looking for (1) .Teacher : for Primary & Secondary School: Myanmar Language (Kindergartens: Swimm ing) : 5 years experience, Enthusiastic, have excellent subject know ledge, be supportive

By Fax : 01-254158 By Email : classified@myanmartimes.com.mm, advertising@myanmartimes.com.mm By Mail : 379/383, Bo Aung Kyaw St, Kyauktada Township, Yangon.

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Property
of their students & offer challenging but fun lessons. Strong Classroom Management skills (2).Kindergarten Assistant Teachers / Lab assistant - F 3 posts : Age 20 ~ 25, University graduate, Proficient in English, Computer literacy, Comfortable working with young learners, Able to devote oneself to teaching, Friendly, enthusiastic & patient, Have thorough knowledge & experience with related fields (3). Supervisor - M 2 posts : Age 25 ~ 40, Passed matriculation examination, Good command of English, Pleasant & helpful skills , Can work under pressure, Must have supervisory skill & 5 years experience in related field, Pls submit a cover letter, a resume/CV, a copy of relevant diploma (certificate) & a current photo to the Recruitment team at recruitment@ horizonmyanmar.com or to Horizon Po Sein Campus, Po Sein Rd 25, Bahan, Yangon. SENIOR Web Developer : 3 years professional experience in web development, Expert knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Jquery, PHP & MySQL required. Good knowledge of Unix/ Linux shell & the LAMP stack. Experience with CMS is a plus. Highly motivated to constantly learn & improve skills. Pls contact to mspiral creative media : 4011,11 Flr, Pinlone Htake Htar Condo, 246, Pansodan Rd, Kyauktada. www. mspiral.com

Rent/Sale
urgent Sales/Rent, Dagon Port Industrial Area (1 Acre) Land, 30000Sqft (Garage + office Building), 2 Pulses Gravity Clean Machines, Rice Polishing Machine 1, 315 KVA Transformer, Fully Water & Electricity, Selling Price: Negotiable Renting-70 Lakhs. Ph: 01-249003, 09-420040787, 09-4200-92888, 09-4200-92777.

WFP Myanmar is seeking (1) Programme Assistant (SC-5) 1 post : in Sittwe 6 months (Extendable) (Food/ Cash for Asset Engineer) (2) Programme Assistant (SSA-5) 1 post in Hakha 2 months (Extendable) (Food/Cash for Asset Engineer) : Bachelor degree in majoring Civil engineering and/ or equivalent degree/ diploma in a field related to Civil engineering. 4 years of progressively responsible in rural infrastructure development projects & 1 year at level 4 or equivalent.Experience utilising computers including word process ing, spreadsheet & other software packages. Fluency in English & Myanmar. Pls send the applications with UN P-11 form to HR Unit, World Food Programme, 3rd Flr, Inya Lake Hotel, 37 Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Yangon, Myanmar,P.O. Box 650(or) email to M yanmar.vacancy@ wfp.org COB 12 June 2013

HousingforRent
LANMADAW, (25' x 50') 12 St, the whole 8 unit (Lift), For Hotel, Education. Ph: 09-566-1037. Room 30' x 60' 1 MBR, 2 common rooms, fully furnished half layer with decorated 8 th floor W/O lift. om the waizayantar main road US$ 500 per month, foreigner only & no broker please. Ph: 09516-7767, 09-517-0481 Pearl Condo (D), 15th Flr, 1500ft2 ,Corner Room, Fully furnished, 4 Air-con, 2BR, 1MBR, Suitable for foreigner, reasonable price, 1'350 US$ per month. contact no: Burmese: 09-5111032; English: 09-5152532 (1)Near Aung San City Mart, condo 1500 Sqft 2 MBR, 1SR, US$ 2222 (2)Hletan , Diamond condo, 1200 Sqft, 2 bed room,US$ 1111 (3) New University avenue condo , 2300 Sqft ,3 bed room. US$ 2500(4) Chaung Tar condo,with swimming pool. 2000 Sqft, 2 bed room, fully furnish, US$ 2777 (5)Strand Rd, near Strand Hotel, condo 2300 Sqft, 3 bed room, US$ 2134 (6) 9 Mile , U Mg Mg

Soe St, 4200 Sqft 2 RC, 4 bed room, US$ 2134 . Ph: , 09- 4211 77 105. (1)PANSODAN St condo, near Ruby Mart, 1250 Sqft .2 bed room, fully furnish. US$ 1667 (2) Bo Myat Tun St condo, good place.1500Sqft, 2 bed room, fully furnish US$ 2000 (3)Shwe gon dine St condo, good place 1200 Sqft, 1 MBR, fully furnish US$ 900 .(4) Near Taw win shopping mall condo, 1500 Sqft, 2 MBR, US$1667 (5) Near Park Royal hotel, Bo yar nyunt condo,1200 Sqft, 1MBR,1SR.US$1111. Ph: 09-4921 4276 BAHAN, University Avenue, compound 85 by 120, 3 MB, 1 reading room, living room, dinning room, kitchen, servant quarter, BBQ house in the garden, ph, 3AC . $ 5000. Contact info - 09513-7802, 01-534542

HousingforSale
Mingardong Garden, Kantkaw Yeik Tha.100' x 100' x 4 pics (closed with beside and back side) Price: Kyats 2,475 lakh/100 ' x 100 ' x 1 pics. (can negotiate) contact person & ph :09-731- 52 32 7. BAHAN, Pearl Condo (D), 15th Flr, 1500sqft, Corner Room, Fully furnished, 4 Air-con, 2BR, 1MBR. Suitable for foreigner, reasonable price, 1'350 US$. contact no: Burmese: 09-511-1032; English: 09515-2532 Mayangone, 9 miles, Bonyarna Lane (50x 70x 65) garden with including house. (3700 Lakhs) House for Sales by Owner no agent pls. Ph: 09-503-6519.

Local Position
Independent distributor We are currently looking for customer orientated and highly motivated independent distributors for Yangon &surrounding area. No previous experience is required full training and on going support is provided. Contact: 09-4192-1349 TLM is an international advertising agency launching at Yangon. Seeking starting up members for 3 posts. Account manager, admin and graphic designer, 1 each. Office located Maykha housing, Thingangyune. Speak English must. Univesity degree. Submit resume: recruitment_mm@ theloudminority.com.sg Oryx Int'l General Svc's Co., Ltd. is seeking (1) Computer Operator- F 2 Posts : Good in English, 5 years experience in Internet, Email, Office Word, Excel, Pagemaker & Photoshop (2) Admin Officer - F 1 Post :Good in English, leadership skills, Age over 35, computer skills & knowledge of routine administration. (3)Office Staff - F 2 Posts : Good in English, Age over 30, computer knowledge, Above 5 years experien ce. Salary will depend on experience & qualificat ion. Submit details resume to Rm 806, Yuzana Tower Shwe Gone Daing Junction Bahan, Yangon Tel: 558398, 09-430- 66708. SDI is looking for expressions of interest from suitably qualified candidates to be included in a tender to be submitted to the Myanmar government. (1).Highway engineer National, 18 personmonths). We are looking at expressions of interest from suitably qualified road engineers holding an engineering degree or the equivalent, with 10 years of relevant work experience, preferably with int'l organizations. The national engineer will act as the deputy team leader and liaise with government counterpart staff during implementation of Technical Assistance & will assist the international highway engineer. (2). Capacity development and training specialist

Ingo Positions
amda is seeking a Health Promotion Officer for Healthy Village Project in the Western Part of Pakokku: Extensive experience in effective program planning & strategic management of Public health sector; Strong understanding of community develop ment in public health sector; Excellent in English & Myanmar communication. Strong computer skill. Ability to type in Myanmar language. Pls enclose a. C.V., copies of testimonials (references) & passport photo to Senior Officer, Admin/ Finance Unit, AMDA Myanmar Country Office. 19 B, Thukhawaddy Rd, Yankin, Yangon. Tel: 578353, Email: amda@ mptmail.net.mm Closing date : 13th June 2013 The Int'l HIV/AIDS Alliance is seeking (1) Finance Manager (Yangon), (2) Monitoring & Evaluation Officer (Yangon), (3) The Programme Officer (Yangon). Pls submit application including a letter of interest & complete CV to Executive Director, Int'l HIV/AIDS Alliance :12/F, Pyi Thu St, 7 miles, Mayangone, Yangon or via email to admin@ alliance.org.mmand ao.alliancemm@gmail. com by 14 June, 2013. world Vision Myanmar is seeking (1) Zonal Education Specialist (ECCD & NFE program) in Pathein, Ayeyarwaddy Region, (2)Admini stration Assistant (Global Fund Project) in Dawei, Tanintharyi Region, (3)Development Program Manager in Thanbyuzayat, Mon State, (4)Credit Facilitator (Micro Finance) in Pathein, Ayeyarwady Region. Pls submit resume (clearly identify the post you apply) by post to HR Department, World Vision Myanmar or in person to application drop-box at 18, Shin

JOB VACANCIES
As a leading global company, Daewoo International Corporation (Myanmar E&P) is seeking an energetic, reliable and qualified person to fill a position for its ongoing operations of Oil & Gas Industry in Myanmar. Procurement Assistant (1 post) - University Graduate (prefer Business (or) Engineering back ground) - Minimum 3 years continuous experience relevant field - Strong knowledge and understanding of materials and service requirements within the Oil & Gas Industry - Proven experience in working within a multicultural purchasing team preferably within the Asian region - Experience with purchasing via an integrated system, prefer SAP - Competency to conduct bidding and tendering processes - Fundamental knowledge of Logistics and Import-Export-Customs - Knowledge of Inco-terms as applicable - Proficiency in English language - High level of Computer Literacy including the full MS Office Suite Process Engineer (1 post) - University Graduate (prefer in Chemical Engineering) - Minimum 3 years professional experience in a relevant field - Hands on experience of effective Hydrocarbon processes including modeling i.e. HYSYS - Strong Analytical approach to tasks including Troubleshoot, Root Cause and Risk Mitigation - Knowledge of Production Safety standards and their application - Proficiency in English language Application closing date is 24th June 2013 Interested persons who meet the above mentioned qualifications are invited to submit their CV, application letter, recent photo and copies of academic transcripts to the following address: HR & Admin Department Daewoo International Corporation (Myanmar E&P) International Business Center No. 88, Pyay Road, 6 Miles, Hlaing Township, Yangon. Or e-mail to admin@daewooenp.com

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 17, Kanbawza Avenue, Golden Velly (1), Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 566985, 503978, 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 Embassy of the State of Kuwait Chatrium Hotel, Rm: No.416, 418, 420, 422, 40 Natmauk Rd, Tarmwe Tsp, Tel: 544500. North Korea 77C, Shin Saw Pu Rd, Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 512642, 510205 South Korea 97 University Avenue, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 527142-4, 515190, fax: 513286, email: myanmar@mofat.go.kr 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. 943-Yangon. Tel: 515282, 515283, fax: 504274, email: serbemb@ yangon.net.mm Singapore 238, Dhamazedi Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 559001, email: singemb_ ygn@_ sgmfa. gov.sg Sri Lanka 34 Taw Win Road, Yangon. Tel: 222812, fax: 221509, email: slembassy. yangon@gmail.com The Embassy of Switzerland No 11, Kabaung Lane, 5 mile, Pyay Rd, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 534754, 512873, 507089. Fax: 534754, Ext: 110 Thailand 94 Pyay Rd, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 226721, 226728, 226824 United Kingdom 80 Strand Rd, Yangon. Tel: 370867, 380322, 371852, 371853, 256438, fax: 370866 United States of America 110, University Avenue, Kamayut Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 536509, 535756, 538038, fax: 650306 Vietnam Bldg-72, Thanlwin Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 511305 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
MGM Hotel No (160), Warden Street, Lanmadaw Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. +95-1-212454~9. www. hotel-mgm.com Savoy Hotel 129, Damazedi Rd, Kamayut tsp. tel: 526289, 526298, 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. Summit Parkview Hotel 350, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp. tel: 211888, 211966. Thamada Hotel 5, Alan Pya Phaya Rd, Dagon. Tel: 243639, 243640. Traders Hotel 223 Sule Pagoda Rd. tel: 242828. fax: 242838. Winner Inn 42, Than Lwin Rd, Bahan Tsp. Tel: 503734, 524387. email: reservation@winner innmyanmar.com 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 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. The Grand Mee Ya Hta Executive Residence 372, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Pabedan Tsp. tel 951-256355 (25 lines).

YANGON No. 277, Bogyoke Aung San Road, Corner of 38th Street, Kyauktada Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : (951) 391070, 391071. Reservation@391070 (Ext) 1910, 106. Fax : (951) 391375. Email : hotelasiaplaza@gmail.com Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon 40 Natmauk Rd, Tarmwe. tel: 544500. fax: 544400.

Asia Plaza Hotel

AIR CONDITION
Chigo 216, 38 St (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

ACCOMMODATIONHOTELS (Nay Pyi Taw)

No. (356/366), Kyaikkasan Rd, Tamwe Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Ph: 542826, Fax: 545650 Email: reservation@ edenpalacehotel.com Hotel Yangon 91/93, 8th Mile Junction, Mayangone. tel : 01-667708, 667688. Inya Lake Resort Hotel 37 Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd. tel: 662866. fax: 665537.
(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) 502016-18, Mandalay- Tel: 02-60933. Nay Pyi Taw- Tel: 067-420778, E-mail : sales.ac@freshaircon. com. URL: http://www. freshaircon.com General 83-91, G-F, Bo Aung Kyaw St, Kyauktada Tsp, tel : 706223, 371906

Reservation Office (Yangon) 123, Alanpya Pagoda Rd, Dagon Township Tel : 951- 255 819~838 Royal Kumudra Hotel, (Nay Pyi Taw) Tel : 067- 414 177, 067- 4141 88 E-Mail: reservation@ maxhotelsgroup.com

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

ACCOMMODATION

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.

No. 205, Corner of Wadan Street & Min Ye Kyaw Swa Road, Lanmadaw Tsp, Yangon. Myanmar. Tel: (95-1) 212850 ~ 3, 229358 ~ 61, Fax: (95-1) 212854. info@myanmarpandahotel .com http://www. myanmarpandahotel.com Parkroyal Yangon, Myanmar 33, Alan Pya Pagoda Rd, Dagon tsp. tel: 250388. fax: 252478. email: enquiry.prygn@ parkroyalhotels.com Website: parkroyalhotels. com.

Reservation Office (Yangon) 123, Alanpya Pagoda Rd, Dagon Township Tel : 951- 255 819~838 Hotel Max (Chaung Tha Beach) Tel : 042-423 46~9, 042-421 33, E-mail: reservation@ maxhotelsgroup.com

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

ACCOMMODATION Long Term

Strand Bar 92, Strand Rd, Yangon, Myanmar. tel: 243377.fax: 243393, sales@thestrand.com.mm www.ghmhotels.com

Happy Homes
Royal White Elephant Hotel No-11, Kan Street, Hlaing Tsp. Yangon, Myanmar. (+95-1) 500822, 503986. www.rwehotel.com
Real Estate & Property Management

Tel: 09-7349-4483, 09-4200-56994. E-mail: aahappyhomes@ gmail.com, http://www. happyhomesyangon.com

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

THE MYANMAR TIMES June 10 - 16, 2013

A Little Dayspa No. 475 C, Pyi Road, Kamayut, Yangon. Tel: 09-431-28831. Acacia Tea Salon 52, Sayar San Rd, Bahan Tsp, Tel : 01-554739. Cafe47 47-A, Pyay Rd, 7 miles, Mayangone Tsp, Tel : 01-651774. Traders Caf Traders Hotel, Yangon. #223, Sule Pagoda Rd. Tel: 242828 ext: 6519

Advertising
WE STARTED THE ADVERTISING INDUSTRY IN MYANMAR SINCE 1991

EDUCATION CENTRE
MHR 905, 9th floor, Modern Iron Market(Thanzay Condo) Lanmadaw St. Tel: 707822. NLEC 82 Anawrahta Rd, Corner of 39 St, Kyauktada Tsp. Tel: 250225.

FASHION & TAILOR

GAS COOKER & Cooker Hoods

24 hours Laboratory & X-ray No. (68), Tawwin Street, 9 Mile, Mayangone Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : (951) 9 666141 Fax : (951) 9 666135

M a r k e t i n g & c o mm u n i c a t i o n s

A d v e r t i s i n g

SAIL Marketing & Communications Suite 403, Danathiha Center 790, Corner of Bogyoke Rd & Wadan Rd, Lanmadaw Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: (951) 211870, 224820, 2301195. Email: admin@ advertising-myanmar.com www.advertising-myanmar. com

Spa & Boutique Fashion No. 24, Inya Road, Kamaryut Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: 951 534 654, 09-73200147 theredscarf99@gmail.com

cold storage

Electrical

Sein Shwe Tailor, No.797 (003-A), Bogyoke Aung San Road, Corner of Wardan Street, MAC Tower 2, Lanmadaw Township, Yangon, Ph: 01-225310, 212943~4 Ext: 146, 147, E-mail: uthetlwin@gmail.com

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.

FITNESS CENTRE
Est. 1992 in Myanmar Cold Storage Specialist, Solar Hot Water Storage Solutions. Tel: 09-504-2196, 09-73194828. E-mail: gei.ygn2@ gmail.com, glover2812@ gmail.com Est. 1992 in Myanmar Electrical & Mechanical Contractors, Designers, Consultants. Tel: 09-504-2196, 09-73194828. E-mail: gei.ygn2@ gmail.com, glover2812@ gmail.com Traders Health Club. Level 5, Traders Hotel Yangon#223 Sule Pagoda Rd,Tel:951242828Ext:6561

Gems & Jewelleries

Diamond Queen 75, Oo Yin Lane, New University Avenue Rd, Bahan Tsp. Tel :01-548001, 704398 Diamond & Me Junction Square, Ground Floor, Kamayut Tsp. Tel :01-527242, (Ext : 1082)

BOOK STORES

BEAUTY & MASSAGE

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

24 hours Cancer centre No. (68), Tawwin Street, 9 Mile, Mayangone Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : (951) 9 666141 Fax : (951) 9 666135

Marina Residence, Yangon Ph: 650651~4, Ext: 109 Beauty Plan, Corner of 77th St & 31st St, Mandalay Ph: 02 72506

Construction

Engineering

Balance Fitnesss No 64 (G), Kyitewine Pagoda Road, Mayangone Township. Yangon 01-656916, 09 8631392 Email - info@ balancefitnessyangon.com

Aesthetic Medical Spa 5 (C), Race Course Condo, South Race Course Street, Tarmwe, Yangon. Mobile: 09-5202781 dr.face.aesthetic@gmail.com

LS Salon Junction Square, 3rd floor.

Pyay Rd, Kamayut Tsp. Tel 527242, ext 4001

150 Dhamazedi Rd., Bahan T/S, Yangon. Tel: 536306, 537805. Room 308, 3rd Flr., Junction Center (Maw Tin), Lanmadaw T/S, Yangon. Tel: 218155, Ext. 1308. 15(B), Departure Lounge, Yangon Intl Airport. 45B, Corner of 26th & 68th Sts., Mandalay. Tel: (02) 66197. Email: yangon@monumentbooks.com MYANMARBOOKCENTRE 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

Zamil Steel No-5, Pyay Road, 7 miles, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. Tel: (95-1) 652502~04. Fax: (95-1) 650306. Email: zamilsteel@ zamilsteel.com.mm

CONSULTING

Myanmar Research | Consulting | Technology

193/197, Shu Khin Thar Street, North Okkalapa Industrial Zone, Yangon. Tel: 951-691843~5, 9519690297, Fax: 951-691700 Email: supermega97@ gmail.com. www. supermega-engg.com

Life Fitness Bldg A1, Rm No. 001, Shwekabar Housing, Mindhamma Rd, Ph: 01-656511, Fax: 01-656522, Hot line: 0973194684, Email: natraysports@ gmail.com

sales@manawmaya.com.mm www.manawmayagems.com

Ruby & Rare Gems of Myanamar No. 527, New University Ave., Bahan Tsp. Yangon.

24 Hour International Medical Centre @ Victoria Hospital No. 68, Tawwin Rd, 9 Mile, Mayangon Township, Yangon, Myanmar Tel: + 951 651 238, + 959 495 85 955 Fax: + 959 651 398 24/7 on duty doctor: + 959 492 18 410 Website: www.leo.com.mm One Stop Solution for Quality Health Care PHIH-Specialist Clinic FMI Centre (4th Floor) #380, Bogyoke Aung San Road, Pabedan Tsp. tel: 243 010, 243 012, 243 013

Tel: 549612, Fax : 545770.

Shwe Hinthar B 307, 6 1/2 Miles, Pyay Rd., Yangon. Tel: +95 (0)1 654 730 info@thuraswiss.com www.thuraswiss.com

ENTERTAINMENT
Mr. Betchang No.(272), Pyay Rd, DNH Tower, Rm No.(503), 5th flr, Sanchaung Tsp, Tel: 095041216 The Yangon GYM Summit Parkview Hotel 350, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp. tel: 211888, 211966.

La Source Beauty Spa Kamayut Tsp, tel: 512 380, 511 252. www.lasourcebeautyspa.com
~80(A), Inya Rd,

DUTY FREE

CAFS
Duty Free Shops Yangon International Airport, Arrival/Departure Tel: 533030 (Ext: 206/155) La Brasserie (International) Parkroyal Yangon. 33, Alan Pya Phaya Road, Dagon Tsp. tel : 250388. Office: 17, 2nd street, Hlaing Yadanarmon Housing, Hlaing Township, Yangon. Tel: 500143, 500144, 500145.

Dance Club & Bar No.94, Ground Floor, Bogalay Zay Street, Botataung Tsp, Yangon.Tel: 392625, 09-500-3591 Email : danceclub. hola@gmail.com
(Except Sunday)

Natural Gems of Myanmar No. 30 (A), Pyay Road (7 mile), Mayangone Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: 01-660397, 654398~9. E-mail: spgems.myanmar @gmail.com

GENERATORS

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

Lemon Day Spa No. 96 F, Inya Road, Kamaryut Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 514848, 09-732-08476. E.mail: lemondayspa.2011 @gmail.com

No. 214. 1st Floor-Right, Waizayanter Road, Thingangyun Tsp, Yangon. Email: vibhavadimyanmar @gmail.com, Website: www.vibhavadi.com/web/ myanmar.php. Hot line: 09-2011-772, 09-731650-45, 09-86-250-86

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

FloralService&GiftShop 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

Home Furnishing

HEALTH SERVICES

22, Pyay Rd, 9 mile, Mayangone Tsp. tel: 660769, 664363. Franzo Living Mall 15 (A/5), Pyay Rd, A-1, 9 Miles, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. Ph: 664026

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. 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.

98(A), Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Bahan Township, Yangon. Tel: 553783, 549152, 09-732-16940, 09-730-56079. Fax: 542979 Email: asiapacific. myanmar@gmail.com.

Acupuncture, Medicine Massage, Foot Spa Add:No,27(A),Ywa Ma Kyaung Street, Hlaing Township, Yangon. Tel: 01-511122, 526765.

Foam spray Insulation

Piyavate Hospital (Bangkok) Myanmar Represent ative (Head office) Grand Mee Yahta Executive Residences. No.372, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, PBDN. Ph: 256355, Ext: 3206. Hotline: 09-7377-7799. Email: piyavate@cnt.com. mm, piyavate.cnt@gmail. com, Website: www. piyavate.com

European Quality & Designs Furniture Suitable for Outdoor or Indoor Use No. 422 - 426, FJVC Centre, Ground Floor, Room No. 4, Strand Road (Corner of Botahtaung Pagoda Road), Botahtaung Township, Yangon 11161, Myanmar. Tel: 01 202063, 01 202064 H.P: 09 509 1673 Fax: 01 202063 E-mail: contact@ smartdesignstrading.com Website: www. wovenfurnituredesigns.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

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.

June 10 - 16, 2013 THE MYANMAR TIMES

Streamline Education 24, Myasabai Rd, Parami, Myangone Tsp. tel: 662304, 09-500-6916. No. 5, U Tun Nyein Street, Mayangone T/S, Yangon. Tel : 01-660 612, 011 22 1014, 09 50 89 441 Email : zhinyalake@ gmail.com No.35(b), Tatkatho Yeik Mon Housing, New University Avenue, Bahan Township, Yangon. Tel: 951-549451, 557219, 540730. www.yangon-academy.org Car Rental with English Speaking Driver. (Safety and Professional Services). Tel : +95 9 2050107 robinsawnaing@gmail.com

Marine Communication & Navigation

TOP MARINE PAINT No-410, Ground Floor, Lower Pazundaung Road, Pazundaung Tsp, Yangon. Ph: 09-851-5202 Crown Worldwide Movers Ltd 790, Rm 702, 7th Flr Danathiha Centre, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Lanmadaw. Tel: 223288, 210 670, 227650. ext: 702. Fax: 229212. email: crown worldwide@mptmail.net.mm

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

PLEASURE CRUISES

Kohaku Japanese Restaurant Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon 40, Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp, Lobby Level, Tel: 544500 Ext 6231

Water TAnk

Media & Advertising

SUPERMARKETS
No. 372, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Pabedan T/S, Yangon. Tel : 01-380 398, 01-256 355 (Ext : 3027) Email : zawgyihouse@ myanmar.com.mm Capital Hyper Mart 14(E), Min Nandar Road, Dawbon Tsp. Ph: 553136. City Mart (Aung San Branch) tel: 253022, 294765. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (47th St Branch) tel: 200026, 298746. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (Junction 8 Branch) tel: 650778. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (FMI City Branch) tel: 682323. City Mart (Yankin Center Branch) tel: 400284. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (Myaynigone Branch) tel: 510697. (9:00 am to 10:00 pm) City Mart (Zawana Branch) tel:564532. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (Shwe Mya Yar 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, Myanmar. Tel: 95-1-535783, 527705, 501429. Fax: 95-1-527705. Email: salesikon@myanmar.com.mm Junction Mawtin Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Cor of Wadan St. Lanmadaw. Ocean Supercentre (North Point ), 9th Mile, Mayangone Tsp. Tel: 651 200, 652963. Tel: 01-684734, 01-685823, 09-7307-6589, 09-450048469. Email: theone@yangon. net.mm

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.

Moby Dick Tours Co., Ltd. Islands Safari in the Mergui Archipelago 4 Days, 6 Days, 8 Days Trips Tel: 95 1 202063, 202064 E-mail: info@islandsafari mergui.com. Website: www. islandsafarimergui.com

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.

Enchanting and Romantic, a Bliss on the Lake 62 D, U Tun Nyein Road, Mayangon Tsp, Yangon Tel. 01 665 516, 660976 Mob. 09-4210-34875 operayangon@gmail.com www.operayangon.com

SANITARY WARE

Water Treatment

Office Furniture

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

RESTAURANTS

REAL ESTATE

Lunch/Dinner/Catering 555539, 536174

Monsoon Restaurant & Bar 85/87, Thein Byu Road, Botahtaung Tsp. Tel: 295224, 09-501 5653. Summer Palace (Chinese) Restaurant Level 2, Traders Hotel, #223, Sule Pagoda Road. tel: 242828. ext:6483

Grohe 79-B3/B3, East Shwe Gone Dine, Near SSC Womens Center, Bahan Tsp. Tel : 01 401083, 09-73056736.

Commercial scale water treatment (Since 1997) Tel: 01-218437~38. H/P: 09-5161431, 09-43126571. 39-B, Thazin Lane, Ahlone.

Water Heaters

SCHOOLS

Open Daily (9am to 6pm) No. 797, MAC Tower II, Rm -4, Ground Flr, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Lamadaw Tsp, Yangon. Tel: (951) 212944 Ext: 303 sales.centuremyanmar@ gmail.com www.centure.in.th

FREE House-Hunting Service with English Speaking Expert. Tel : 09 2050107 robinsawnaing@gmail.com

No.430(A), Corner of Dhamazedi Rd & Golden Valley Rd, Building(2) Market Place (City Mart), Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 01-523840(Ext-309), 09-73208079.

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

Horizon Intl School 25, Po Sein Road, Bahan Tsp, tel : 541085, 551795, 551796, 450396~7. fax : 543926, email : contact@horizonmyanmar. com, www.horizon.com

The Global leader in Water Heaters A/1, Aung San Stadium East Wing, Upper Pansodan Road. Tel: 251033, 09-730-25281.

Same as Rinnai Gas cooker and cooker Hood Showroom Address

Water Heater

Win
Bld-A2, Gr-Fl, Shwe Gabar Housing, Mindama Rd, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. email: eko-nr@ myanmar.com.mm Ph: 652391, 09-73108896 Real Estate Agency Our Services - Office, House & Land (For Rent) (Agent Fees Free) Tel: 09-5018250, 73202480. realwin2012@gmail.com The Emporia Restaurant Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon 40, Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp. Lobby Level, Tel: 544500 Ext 6294 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

WEB SERVICES

REMOVALISTS

Heaven Pizza 38/40, Bo Yar Nyunt St. Yaw Min Gyi Quarter, Dagon Township. Tel: 09-855-1383

Bld-A2, Gr-Fl, Shwe Gabar Housing, Mindama Rd, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. email: eko-nr@ myanmar.com.mm Ph: 652391, 09-73108896

Relocation Specialist Rm 504, M.M.G Tower, #44/56, Kannar Rd, Botahtaung Tsp. Tel: 250290, 252313. Mail : info@asiantigersmyanmar.com

Admissions Office: Than Lwin Campus: 44, Than Lwin Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 951535433, 959-8503073. Email: rviacademygn@ rvcentre.com.sg Website: www.rvcentre. com.sg

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

World-class Web Services Tailor-made design, Professional research & writing for Brochure/ Catalogue/e-Commerce website, Customised business web apps, online advertisement and anything online. Talk to us: (951) 430-897, 553-918 www.medialane.com.au 58B Myanma Gon Yaung Housing. Than Thu Mar Road, Tamwe, Yangon.

Paint
Worlds No.1 Paints & Coatings Company Legendary Myanmar Intl Shipping & Logistics Co., Ltd. No-9, Rm (A-4), 3rd Flr, Kyaung St, Myaynigone, Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 516827, 523653, 516795. Mobile. 09-512-3049. Email: legandarymyr@ mptmail.net .mm www.LMSL-shipping.com World famous Kobe Beef Near Thuka Kabar Hospital on Pyay Rd, Marlar st, Hlaing Tsp. Tel: +95-1-535072

Sole Distributor For the Union of Myanmar Since 1995 Myanmar Golden Rock International Co.,Ltd. #06-01, Bldg (8), Myanmar ICT Park, University Hlaing Campus, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 654810~17.

22, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp. tel 541997. email: leplanteur@ mptmail.net.mm. http://leplanteur.net

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) JunctionMawtin(CityMart)

Yangon International School Fully Accredited K-12 International Curriculum with ESL support No.117,Thumingalar Housing, Thingangyun Township, Yangon. Tel: 578171, 573149 www.yismyanmar.net Yangon International School New Early Childhood Center Pan Hlaing Golf Estate Housing & U Tun Nyo Street, Hlaing Thar Yar Township, Yangon. Tel: 687701, 687702

TRAVEL AGENTS

Asian Trails Tour Ltd 73 Pyay Rd, Dagon tsp. tel: 211212, 223262. fax: 211670. email: res@ asiantrails.com.mm Shan Yoma Tours Co.,Ltd www.exploremyanmar.com

Custom web design and development. Scalable, optimized sites and responsive design for mobile web. Facebook apps, ads and design. Hosting and domains. Myanmars 1st socially and eco responsible IT company. Get in touch: sales@mspiral.com and 09 7316 2122. www.mspiral.com

62 Sport
LONDON

THE MYANMAR TIMES June 10 - 16, 2013

Infantino backs winter World Cup in Qatar

UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino on June 7 added his weight to calls for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to be staged later in the year due to concerns over weather conditions. The quadrennial tournament is currently scheduled to take place at the height of the Qatari summer, when temperatures in the Gulf state can reach an inhospitable 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). Qatar plans to spend around 65 billion (US$101 billion), to install air-conditioning systems at stadiums and other venues, but both FIFA president Sepp Blatter and his UEFA counterpart Michel Platini have called for the tournament to be moved from its traditional slot in the middle of the year. Average temperatures in Qatar are markedly cooler in December, with highs of 24C and lows of 15C. during the winter months. You see people in stadiums with hats and scarves, he said. Why did England, who brought to us this beautiful game, decide that football is for the winter and not for the summer? Because cricket is played then. The month of June, which is the most beautiful month to play football, is hardly ever used except for the Euros and the World Cup. But the World Cup is played only every 12 years, more or less, in Europe. I fully share this view that you have to play in the best period for football; that is not June or July in Qatar. This is an issue that FIFA has to sort out. The sooner they do it, the better. The decision for 2022 was taken in 2010, so in 12 years you can organise yourself. However, Football Association chairman David Bernstein condemned the proposals to move the 2022 tournament. My personal view is that it would be a case of a false prospectus if the 2022 World Cup in Qatar was switched to the winter, Bernstein told Britains Press Association. It is a serious matter, bidding for the World Cup, and countries including ourselves [England] spent huge amounts of money bidding for the tournament. The bid was for the World Cup to be played in June and July and for it then to be moved to the winter would be fundamentally flawed. If people want it in the winter, they should bid for it on that basis. He also took issue with Infantinos remarks about footballs status as a winter sport. I personally believe that the domestic league season should remain more or less the way it is now, running from August to May, he said. I think football is a winter game, that the public greatly enjoy their football through the winter and that we should think very carefully before we take football away from the public in the winter. AFP

Better late than never

Late strike lifts US in World Cup qualifying

KINGSTON

Degrees Celsius, the high temperature during Qatars summer months

50

Although the major European leagues oppose the proposed changes, owing to a reluctance to alter their schedules, Infantino says the World Cup should take account of each host countrys specific climatic conditions. Whenever you play the World Cup should be the best period for it. I had the same reflections on South Africa in 2010, he said in an interview with British newspaper The Times. Four years earlier in Germany, it was nice sunshine. South Africa is a beautiful country, but at 5 oclock, its night and its 0C. Its not a celebration of football. Infantino also said he was puzzled by the historical insistence that football should always be played

Edward Johnson (#18) of the USA tries to stop Adrian Mariappa (#19) of Jamaica during the FIFA 2014 World Cup Qualifier at National Stadium on June 7 in Kingston, Jamaica. Photo: AFP

RAD Evans goal in injury time lifted the United States to a 2-1 triumph over Jamaica on June 7 in the final round of 2014 World Cup qualifying in North and Central America and the Caribbean. Jurgen Klinsmanns US team snatched three crucial points thanks to the last-gasp goal from Evans, which came three minutes after Jermaine Beckford appeared to salvage a draw for Jamaica with an 89th minute equalizer. Jozy Altidore had put the United States ahead 1-0 in the 30th minute. Off a corner kick, Michael Bradley beat a Jamaican defender and found Seattle Sounders defender Evans, who turned and fired the ball into Donovan Ricketts net. That never-say-die attitude is what got it done, said Evans, who scored his first international goal. The victory gives the United States seven points, level with Costa Rica

and Mexico atop the six-nation final qualifying group, although the USA and Costa Rica have a game in hand. Costa Rica notched a 1-0 victory over Honduras in San Jose on Friday courtesy of Roy Millers 25thminute strike, while Mexico played to a goalless draw against Panama in Panama City. The top three teams will advance to next years World Cup finals in Brazil, with the fourth-place team playing New Zealand for another berth. In Kingston, the United States appeared to be in firm control after Altidore opened the scoring with a header off a cross from Graham Zusi. The visitors controlled the pace, but nine minutes after Altidores strike Jamaica threatened as midfielder Rodolph Austin gathered the ball in the penalty area only to see his attempt deflect off the far post. The United States got a scare 11 minutes into the second half when Jermaine Jones was forced out of the game

after a flying collision with Jamaica defender Daniel Gordon. Geoff Cameron replaced him in the 59th minute. Altidore also departed the game with an apparent right hamstring injury in the 83rd minute, with Eddie Johnson coming on in his stead. Nevertheless, the United States appeared on their way to collecting three points when Jamaica won a free kick that Austin curled in from the left. It found substitute Beckford directly in front of Tim Howards goal and Beckford headed it past the US keeper. The United States kept pressing and were rewarded with their first victory on Jamaican soil in six tries in World Cup qualifying. Theres still work to be done. I think we can do better at certain moments, and I think everybody will tell you that from the top down, Evans said. Qualifying in the region continues on June 11, when Mexico hosts Costa Rica, Honduras hosts Jamaica and the United States hosts Panama. AFP

IOC candidate urges flexibility

INTERNATIONAL Olympic Committee presidential hopeful Thomas Bach on June 7 pleaded for more flexibility regarding the Olympic Games program, emphasising the need to appeal to the younger generation. We could expand the number of disciplines, adding ones that are more fashionable and attractive to youngsters, suggested Bach during a teleconference in Berlin, advocating a more flexible approach to the list of sports that comprise the Olympic program. While maintaining that the restriction on the number of athletes should remain the same, IOC vice-president Bach added that the organisation need not be obliged to cap the number of summer sports at its current limit of 28. Bach also proposed creating a specialised Olympic TV channel to promote sports rarely seen in the fouryear gaps between Games. A good number of Olympic sports dont appear on TV globally. If theyre not seen enough on TV or the internet, theyre going to lose more and more youngsters, he said. Bach, 59, is one of six candidates in the running to replace outgoing IOC president Jacques Rogge. The election will take place on June 10 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. AFP

BERLIN

IN PICTUREs

Department of Defence: US President Barack Obama holds up a jersey given to him by head coach John Harbaugh after welcoming members of the NFL Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens on June 5 in Washington, DC. Photo: AFP

We could expand the number of disciplines, adding ones that are more fashionable and attractive to youngsters
Thomas Bach IOC presidential hopeful

www.mmtimes.com

Sport 63

BRIEFS
NEW DELHI Royals face IPL suspension amid betting row

Former Indian Premier League champions Rajasthan Royals face suspension from the cash-rich tournament on June 7 after its co-owner admitted to betting on Twenty20 cricket matches. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has called an emergency meeting of its working committee in New Delhi on June 10 to discuss the fate of the team which is captained by Rahul Dravid. We are going to discuss the issue in our meeting on June 10 and if necessary, stringent measures will be taken, BCCI interim head Jagmohan Dalmiya told reporters on June 6. AFP

Gatlin beats Bolt in Europe

ROME

Russian rider Nikita Novikov has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for a banned steroid in an out-of-competition test, cyclings world governing body, the UCI, announced on June 7. Novikov, who is a former Tour of Slovakia winner and has been with the Dutch team Vacansoleil since last year, tested positive on May 17. The UCI confirmed that traces of the banned steroids were found in the 23-year-olds urine sample. As a team you try to give your riders a safe environment with good coaching and staff and that makes it very disappointing when a rider does something wrong, like it appears is the case now, Vacansoleil manager Daan Luijkx was quoted as saying by website Velonation. AFP

PARIS Novikov gives positive dope test

IX-TIME Olympic champion Usain Bolt said he will review the key ingredients missing from his race after being pipped to victory in his first 100metre outing in Europe this season by American rival Justin Gatlin. Gatlin came into the Rome Golden Gala expected to challenge the worldrecord holder (9.58 seconds) on the back of two wins in the opening two legs of the Diamond League in Doha and in Eugene. Bolt, meanwhile, was making his first appearance on the continent since his recent recovery from a hamstring injury. The Jamaican surprised himself with a strong start but soon had trouble finding the required rhythm and later admitted his traditionally strong finish was absent. Bolt, who will next compete in Oslo at the Bislett Games before returning to Jamaica on June 14, said he felt no twinge from his hamstring during the race but felt a little sore afterward. But he admits he has work to do ahead of the world championships in Moscow later this summer. I got a great start. I think the fact that I did threw me off a little, Bolt said. Normally the last 50 [metres] is the best part of my race but it wasnt there. But Im not worried. I wanted to find out where I was at here and

(From left) Winner US Justin Gatlin, fourth placed US Michael Rodgers and second placed Jamaicas Usain Bolt compete during the mens 100M event on June 6 at the Romes Golden Gala. Photo: AFP

now I will go home and look at the tape, see where I went wrong and come out and do better next time. Gatlins weaker start did not stop him clinching the win with a dipped finish in a time of 9.94, his third win

in the Diamond League this season. But the 2004 Olympic champion, who once served a four-year ban for doping, admitted his technique is also a work in progress. Last season I was a really good

starter. This year, its been a little slower, said the American. Im trying to get that back and get the middle of my race stronger. I just want to stay healthy. Its a long season ahead. AFP

Sport
64 THE MYANMAR TIMES June 10 - 16, 2013

SPORT EDITOR: Tim McLaughlin | timothy.mclaughlin3@gmail.com

Gatlin pips Bolt in Rome event

SPORT 63

ARDMORE, Pennsylvania

Tiger leads worlds best at US Open

ORLD number one Tiger Woods will try to end a five-year major title drought in this weeks 113th US Open at Merion, where a mix of formidable long and short holes will test golfs best. Woods has won four titles this season, pulling him four wins shy of matching Sam Sneads all-time record of 82 PGA titles. But he has not taken a major since the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines, where he won a playoff on a broken leg. A major sex scandal, repeated leg injuries and a swing change to ease the pressure on his 37-year-old body followed, and at times Woods has found the form that brought him 14 major titles second only to the 18 won by Jack Nicklaus. My game is coming around, and to have won seven times the last couple years is something Im proud of, Woods said. What Ive done from last year and this year, being healthy, its certainly pretty positive. Woods has won at Torrey Pines, Doral, Bay Hill and the Players Championship this year and shared fourth at the Masters for the third time in the past four years, but crashed to a share of 65th at last weeks memorial.

Tiger Woods drops his club after a poor second shot on the 15th hole during the third round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, on June 1. Photo: AFP

I didnt putt very well, Woods said. I thought the greens didnt look that fast, but they were putting fast. I could never get the speed of them. But it was a poor time to struggle on the greens, knowing that the US Golf Association figures to have Merions putting surfaces as fast as lightning on a 6996-yard, par-70 layout where accuracy will be at a premium. I have a nice understanding of where my sight lines are going to be and where I need to land the ball, Woods said. You want everything clicking on all cylinders, especially at the US Open, because everything is tested in the US Open. Some critics say the course is too small to be a formidable major tournament host, but Nicklaus is among those who believe the historic course with the wicker basket-topped flagsticks will provide plenty of heartaches for golfers. Merion will do just fine, Nicklaus said. Merion has got six or seven holes that you can abuse. They have got six or seven holes that will abuse you. It will be a really exciting Open because of the nature of the golf course. Shifting tee positions will alter the complexion of holes in various rounds but Nicklaus expects the 17th through 13th to be vulnerable . Youre going to say, How can I make myself be ready to abuse those holes? because you need to play them well, Nicklaus said. Most players see the final five holes pro-

ducing a champion that withstands a gruelling test. The last five are going to be some of maybe the hardest that we have ever had in the US Open, said defending champion Webb Simpson, who won last year at Olympic Club in San Francisco. Phil Mickelson, the US left-hander who has won three Masters and a PGA Championship, has settled for second in five US Opens, most recently in 2009. He won his 41st career crown at Phoenix in February but hungers for a US Open and likes his chances at Merion, where the final round is on his 43rd birthday. Finishing second five times and not ever winning it would be a huge disappointment, Mickelson said. Merion is going to be a good opportunity for me because its not necessary to hit drivers off a lot of holes. Ill be hitting a lot of 3-woods, hybrids, and long irons in. The strength of my game is short, mid-irons into the green. I think that will give me a good chance. World number two Rory McIlroy, who shared 25th at the Masters and 57th at memorial last week, won his first major at the 2011 US Open at congressional and says he only needs to fashion a solid 72 holes when it matters most. Im playing pretty well. I need it all to click into place and once I do that, Ill be off and running, McIlroy said. All parts of my game are there. I just need to sort of put them all together for one week. AFP

Our brand of feminism

Ma Thanegi delves into relations between men and women and argues that all is not what it appears on the surface.
green ones from Mars it will be the same. Far from disrespecting our men, we are actually caring for them as the head of the household in Burmese, the Celestial of the Home that they are by feeding him first, with the choicest food, and especially by taking over some things so that he could relax at teashops and read the paper in peace. Things like his salary, the bank account, the cash under the mattress and behind-the-scenes (oh alright, behind his back) discussion with the kids to find out what they really want so that fathers decision can be steered gently in the right direction. Regarding children, they too get steered when gets back the amount she brought into the marriage. Smarter wives have been known to guilt-trip the soon-to-be ex-husband into handing over every penny or quietly planning months ahead to have all properties transferred to her name, by hook or by bribery. It is also the Asian tradition to have prestige or at least the appearance of it, which for a man means a stable if poor-paying job rather than the more risky if lucrative work as a broker. The majority of the women need to work, in salaried jobs or in business. Even those who do not need to work often do, just to keep busy, meaning she gets out everyday, dressed and lipsticked, and goes shopping during the lunch She may earn more than the salary-man husband, but he extended hour. She can leave the chilwill still be treated as the Celestial of the Home. Ma Thanegi dren and home in the care of it comes to marriage. The choose as long as whom she According to Customary other family members such Myanmar daughter does chooses is approved first by Buddhist Law, a Buddhist as her aunt, cousin or niece, not automatically belong to mum and dad and siblings man can marry more than without other support who her husbands family and and on the secondary level, one wife. Usually they dont live with her if her own parevery sane mother knows The Family. because it is not socially ents are absent or deceased. that forcing her to marry However the heady periacceptable and the chilMyanmar women have someone she barely knows od of the Water Festival can dren from the second or had equal opportunities is going to end in resentsometimes cause instant third marriages bear a in education and business ment and which resentful romance between strangers stigma through no fault since ancient times and daughter is going to care for and an elopement a week of their own, a shame that the Burmese proverb The ol mum and dad in their after; surprisingly a majority follows them throughout man shoulders, the wife old age, huh? of those impromptu marlife. If so inclined the man carries is about her being a What about, heaven riages seem to have worked would keep a mistress hidlife partner. Monasteries of forbid, if she elopes with out fine. However, let it be den away in a rented flat so each village teach children of someone that the parents, on record that neither the that it costs him less and both sexes, although in the grandparents, uncles, aunts, writer of this article nor The causes no legal problems of kings days, princesses were cousins, neighbours, old Myanmar Times takes any inheritance after his death. taught by nuns or a learned schoolmates (aka The Famresponsibility for elopeHis wife would be aware of handmaiden and the princes ily), could not accept? Such ments ensuing in April of all this, for wives find out ev- by monks. Women have as: he is a junkie, gambler, next year and every April erything, but most pretend been dealing in businesses drunk, lazy, poor poet or hereafter. not to know. If she admits ranging from fish or rice artist in-the-garret, he has There are no dowries; to knowing it, she has to do cakes sold from a basket on a crude mercenary mother, usually the wedding is the right and face-saving her head or sewing clothes to drunk, junkie, gambler fapaid for by one side and thing of getting a divorce, order, to running wholesale ther, too many girlfriends in the bridal furniture by the hence harming the financial shops dealing in dry goods other. However, according and mental status of her or the lucrative pickled tea, to the negotiating skills of a children. Or else do nothcheroot production plants, mum, one side might end ing, in which case she looks or jewellery shops, and up paying for everything. In a pitiful fool, and it is better someone dealing in pickled wealthy families, the groom to look like an ignorant fool tea or producing cheroots usually has to come with than one pitied by everyone makes as much as one in the sets of jewellery when askas a weakling. jewellery business. ing for his true loves hand, Divorce happens, of Those housewives who accompanied by a dozen or course, but mostly in the are not real businessso of the most prestigious less conservative society women do it as a sideline. couples of his family, all and usually when the As soon as the kids are off dressed formally; no guest children are grown, for first to school, she dresses well would be present who is and foremost the wife will to impress customers and either widowed or divorced. think of the harm it would with some gems or jewellery There will be an unofficial do to her children. The wife that she owns or has been the past, too many younger siblings he must care for, no education, no prospects, no ambition You get the drift. Wise mums make sure darling daughter does not get into that situation by seeing that daughters (or sons) get to know or have many chances to get chummy with acceptable young people, and the Myanmar lifestyle has many special occasions and community affairs where everyone joins in to arrange, cook, chop, stir, set up tables, serve. Active and smart young men would be eyed and noted by the mums who above all else do not want lazy sons-in-law and also catch the eyes of the girls, who do not want lazy husbands. She is entirely free to pick and MC known to both sides and discussions over tea and cakes as to which side gives the newlyweds a lavish wedding, a fancy car or a grand house in Golden Valley. Once they marry, the gentle tug of war begins between the mums of either side, to bring over to each side the daughter or sonin-law to live with her. I say gentle because aggression usually backlashes and mums know it. Sometimes matters can get sticky with mothers-in-law who are too possessive of their darling sons but that usually backlashes, too, as noted in that old English verse A son is a son until he gets a wife. Smart mothers know which would be the wiser path. trusted with by someone else, she would make the rounds of relatives, friends and acquaintances, a social circle that compared to the Western kind is extremely large, due to the ability of the people to start chatting with someone on the bus and become firm friends within four stops. She may earn more than the salaryman husband but he will still be treated as the Celestial of the Home. Unfortunately, traditional customs are often battered when viewed by Westerners who sometimes judge cultural norms of other peoples according to theirs. When a Myanmar family has invited guests for a home-cooked meal, the wife will serve the food and not sit down to eat with her husband and guests. This is often misconstrued by Westerners who sometimes react in outrage then and there at this seeming servitude and insist that they would not eat unless she sits at the table. These occasions have embarrassed and appalled their hosts, for her role of serving is about being a good hostess by making sure her guests are well fed and have the choicest pick of each dish. To be considered servant-like in this scenario is grossly insulting to the hostess. Westerners, especially women, also cannot abide the Myanmar feminism of our loving delusion and have almost always suggested when the subject comes up that maybe it would be better to be honest and have the men face up to their shortcomings. Yeah well, good luck with that. Call it subterfuge, deceit, lies or dishonesty; well stick to our method that has worked for generations. Ma Thanegi is a writer and translator. Her most recent book, Nor Iron Bars a Cage, was published in 2013 by ThingsAsian Press. It details her ordeal in Insein Prison for almost three years, following her arrest in 1989 after working as a personal assistant to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Ma Thanegi
ma.thanegi19@gmail.com

NTIL his death a few years ago, the late Dr Sein Tu, retired professor of Psychology at Mandalay University and Contributing Editor atThe Myanmar Times, used to say that he and his buddies are very much for gender equality in Myanmar: Weve been the underdog for far too long, hed complain. Dont spread the word: we women want to keep intact the lovely illusion that we treat our husbands like gods and our sons like masters as the saying goes. Buddha had firm ideas about delusions that defile our purity, but this one is just too useful to discard. Asian culture is never what it seems: There are layers and nuances, one on top, by the side, or coiled around each other in a labyrinth of confusion that is quite invisible to Westerners who tend to deal more with the concreteness of issues: You get what you see and you see what you get. Try working with that attitude in a conservative country like Myanmar and youd drown. Seriously. Its not that we disrespect our men or make them feel threatened with our efficiency (which is true of all womankind). Women get things done, whatever colour we are: white, black, brown or striped in red and blue. I betcha when we finally get to meet those

The Modern woman

Editors: Myo Lwin, Jessica Mudditt Photographers: Kaung Htet, Boothee, Thiri Lu, Kyawt Thiri Nyunt, Ko Taik, Douglas Long, Thandar Khine Writers: Ma Thanegi, Shwe Yee Saw Myint, Nuam Bawi, Zon Pan Pwint, Jessica Mudditt, Myo Lwin, Thiha Toe, Nathalie Johnston, Becky Cavender, Cherry Thein, Zom Pan Pwint, Aung Si Hein, Ei Ei Thu, Su Phyo Win, Nandar Aung

A Myanmar Times Special Report

Cover & Layout Design: Tin Zaw Htway, Ko Pxyo, Khin Zaw For enquiries and feedback: myolwin@myanmartimes.com.mm jess.mudditt@gmail.com

The art of compromise

Housewives share their wisdom and complaints about domestic life.
after their home, trying to be dutiful and kind to his use the money earned by wife while a wife should do her husband to make both good housekeeping and be ends meet. respectful to her husband. Being a country girl, I Part of this respect, she have tried to save the small said, involves spending his Bringing up children as well as caring for the home creates income, hard-earned by my money wisely. housewife. Photo: Douglas Long husband, [for our future]. Every girl will one day Since I have no other skills encounter kitchen work added that her husbands Money is not the only than housekeeping, I make when she gets married. dutiful nature makes it problem a married couple my childrens snacks myself Nowadays, there are girls easier for her to put heart can face. Just as siblings can to save money. who shun kitchen work and soul into family affairs grow to be incompatible, But her financial and resort to food from although she also said not so can a husband and dependence sometimes restaurants, wasting money everyone acts this way. wife. Ma Aye Myint said worries her. unnecessarily and adversely Some housewives are understanding in married Sometimes I feel affecting the familys health. not like that. They squander life is not an easy matter, downhearted because I She said her husband their husbands earnings but something for which cannot earn money myself. still does not know how to at gambling and senseless one has to strive. Her own Im worried about what cook a pot of rice, and is spending. A husband may story shows the practical I would do if something less concerned than she is earn a lot, but if his wife is problems of married life are happened to my more often tackled husband. How women than by I asked myself who I was living for. One things by would I manage to men. feed my children? I got married at for sure: Its not myself. Ma Aye Myint (alias), a housewife I have to think about age 20, Ma about my children. But about the practical day-tonot strict with the money, the Aye Myint said. At that time my husband makes no day matters of the home. financial situation will never I was attending university. comment about it. He What he knows is that he improve. I found that if these As I lived with my parents, seems to be quite satisfied will earn money and hand things occur theres bound my mother took care of the with my only job being a it over to his spouse, Daw to be friction in the family. house chores then. I didnt housekeeper, Daw Tin Yee Hla Hla Myint said. He only Thats why it is important have to worry about it. After said. thinks about the present. to save money and try to settling down [with my In my opinion, a At times, she said, the increase it, she said. husband] I came to know good housewife should pressure of handling Ma Aye Myint (an alias the nature of kitchen work think positively about domestic life can be for a 28-year-old housewife firsthand. I had quite some everything, she added, overwhelming. who wished to remain difficulty in carrying it out. summing up her role in Sometimes I even felt anonymous) agreed that Her bumpy transition marriage on a positive note. like running away, what money can come between into the role of a traditional You should try to be a lifewith disciplining the a husband and wife but housewife caused problems partner for your husband, children and taking care of sometimes too much is with her new in-laws. When rain or shine. the house chores. But she as bad as not enough. I was unable to cope with Daw Hla Hla Myint, who had to be tolerant, she Sometimes when he is the house chores, my spouse is married to a taxi driver, said, knowing that such financially well off, he and mother-in-law who said lives in Dagon Seikkan responsibilities traditionally becomes selfish and heavythey adored me looked down township. She believes fall to her, and that her handed, she said of her on me, she said. She also that to have a successful family would get into husband, to whom she has had to give up her education: marriage, a husband should trouble in her absence. She been married for eight years. it was not convenient to

Nandar Aung
nandaraung.mcm@gmail.com

extra challenges, said one attend university and be a housewife at the same time, she said, but also found that her husband did not regard kitchen work as work. I had to take great pains to make him understand that kitchen work is also work in another form. When a housewife becomes a mother as well, the challenges increase. Sometimes I wasnt dutiful to my husband when my attention was directed towards my children, Ma Aye Myint said. When this happened, he berated me without any consideration, though she remained always tolerant. Although her husbands income has provided a stable financial situation, their domestic arrangements havent always translated into a similarly fulfilling role for Ma Aye Myint nor for many others in her situation. Although I had money to spend I sometimes felt like a stingy person. I asked myself who I was living for. One thing is sure: Its not for myself. My time has been wholly devoted to my children and spouse.

CCORDING to an old Myanmar saying, getting married is like building a pagoda or getting a tattoo once you make a mistake, it can be very difficult to mend. This is especially true for women. Many young girls spend their youth being prepared for the role of housewife by their mothers: they learn to cook and clean, and some are allowed to stay in school only long enough to learn how to read and write, as they will be spending the rest of their lives in the kitchen. In spite of this preparation, however, the transition to married life for women is not always easy. Because a husband is regarded as the guardian angel of the house, a newly married woman has to get used to looking after him, meeting all his needs as if he were a king. Daw Tin Yee was married by her parents to a man five years older than her when she was 19. She regarded her husband as her destiny. She is now 50 years old. Her husband, now retired, worked as a locomotive mechanic, while she raised their children and looked

A voice of ones own

Whats missing in Myanmars contemporary art scene?
tions award more grants to males than females? When Chaw Ei Thein began to express herself more freely after moving to New York City, she was criticised by those back in Myanmar for being too political while a man in the same situation (for example, the artist Htein Lin in London) is praised and lauded as a propagator of Myanmar art and activism. The suggestion is this: that the strong female artists in Myanmar believe in their own powers of representation, rather than step aside because there exist traditional values in Myanmar society. If keeping traditions alive means holding women back, then women must abandon tradition. If the female contemporary artists of Myanmar further assert themselves, they will become stronger and their message more widespread. For as long as sexist values exist, women remain under some form of

Nathalie Johnston
nathalie.johnston@gmail.com

T
An artist contemplates the artwork at the State Fine Arts School on Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Bahan township, Yangon. Photo: Kaung Htet

here are many talented female artists pushing buttons and boundaries in Myanmar. Intelligent, professional and diligent, female artists speak out through their work, particularly in Yangon. Yet something continues to keep them in the shadows. Their true colours only come out in their performances, poems, documentaries or art objects. These colours include thoughts on gender roles, questioning mens authority, and inviting the sexual and sometimes angry energy that women often share through an artistic proxy. A few female artists have said, I am not a feminist. My art is not feminist art. A lady need not

A lady need not be a feminist to expect equal respect and recognition.

be a feminist to expect equal respect and recognition. There is female leadership in the arts in Myanmar, yet the female voice is nothing but a whisper. Phyu Mon, organiser of the first womens art festival in Myanmar Blue Wind Multimedia Festival has been working as an artist for over 30 years, as well as curating and organising female artists but male artist Aye Ko was the first choice curator of the upcoming Singapore Biennale. Aye Ko is no doubt talented, but he lacks Phyu Mons experience and voice. Is it a coincidence that every other contemporary art event in Myanmar is maledominated and organised? Or that international foundacensorship. Male artists rarely mention the influence of female artists and make little attempt to empathise with females in their art. Not just in Myanmar, but in the world, women artists are allowing society to validate men with more money, privilege, recognition and hopes for the future. Is it because they do not want to be considered aggressive feminists? Fear of judgement is merely an excuse. Let the leading female artists of Myanmar create and speak out, loud and proud, no matter the cost to traditional roles. Nathalie Johnston is an art researcher and the cofounder of the art space 7000 Padauk in Yangon.

Did you know

The probability of a woman giving birth to a baby girl instead of a baby boy increases significantly the nearer the mother lives to the equator. While the cause of this gender selection is unknown, scientists believe the constant sunlight hours and

abundant food supply in tropical regions may favor female births. More than 16.4 million women in the world have HIV/AIDS. In some regions, girls are HIV-positive at a rate five times that of boys.

Cervical cancer: Dont wait until its too late

A vaccine has been available in Myanmar since 2008, but few women are taking advantage of the life-saving procedure
International Myanmar, said, We still have a very low level of awareness among the public, and sometimes even among the providers, about preventive measures such as the HPV vaccine, early detection with visual inspection using acetic acid (VIA) or pap smear, and timely management. Dr Sid Naing said one factor in late detection is the reluctance of women to violate traditional attitudes of shame and embarrassment about ones body, as well as a lack of awareness about the disease and how to prevent it. Marie Stopes International Myanmar is one of a number of international reproductive vaccinating their daughters will encourage the girls to be sexually active, or at an earlier age. There is no evidence of that as a possibility. With proper education, along with vaccination, the girls will choose safer and healthier lifestyles, he said. Ma Phyu Phyu, 26-yearsold, who is engaged to be married, has not been vaccinated. I asked my boyfriend, who is a doctor, if I should be vaccinated, and he said there was no need, she said. Ma Phyu Phyu is also reluctant to take a pap smear, citing costs of at least K6000-7000 at a private clinic. Dr Sid Naing said early detection by VIA and treatment and care become exponentially more costly. During the final stage of the disease, even palliative care to reduce suffering can be extremely expensive, he said. Since 2008, GlaxoSmithKline has made a cervical cancer vaccine available in Myanmar, on sale for K23,000. Were trying to promote awareness of the disease, first among doctors, and then among the public, said the companys marketing manager, Daw Khin Mie Mie Soe Lwin. Because of the cost, only middle-class people can afford it. Thousands of women have had the vaccine, which is easily available at many private clinics, she said. Government hospitals do not offer free pap smear tests. Doctors advise patients to pay for the test if they can afford it, said Professor Dr Daw Yin Yin Soe of Yangon Womens Hospital.

Shwe Yee Saw Myint

poepwintphyu2011@gmail.com

EALTH experts are telling Myanmar women: Dont die of shame. Traditional cultural attitudes towards modesty could be preventing women at risk from seeking early treatment for a deadly disease. Every year, 500,000 women worldwide contract cervical cancer, a disease caused by a sexually transmitted infection called Human Papillomavirus (HPV) (the disease itself is not contagious or infectious). Half of those women die due to a lack of timely treatment. Globally, it is the second most common cancer among women after breast cancer, and 85 percent of the victims live in poor and middle-income countries. In Myanmar, cervical cancer ranks as the second most common form of cancer among women, and it is the second most common type of cancer among women between 15 and 44 years of age. According to the 2010 WHO Cancers Summary Report, Myanmar has a population of 17.92 million women aged 15 years and older who are at risk of developing cervical cancer. Current estimates indicate that every year, 6434 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 3536 die from the disease. Dr Sid Naing, country director of Marie Stopes

Half a million women contract cervical cancer every year around the world. Photo: Thiri Lu therapy treatment, he said. Ma Moe Moe, 31, was operated on for the disease I would advise girls to be vaccinated against HPV at a young age. Mothers

We still have a very low level of awareness among the public, and sometimes even among the providers, about preventive measures.
Dr Sid Naing, country director of Marie Stopes International Myanmar

health organisations that screen for cervical cancer and conduct education, clinical services, and referrals. Cervical cancer has four stages. The patients who come to us are usually already in stage two, said Dr Soe Lwin, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Yangon Womens Hospital, who is concerned about the low level of public awareness about cervical cancer. Dr Soe Lwin said: Without prompt treatment, the disease can spread throughout the body and cause death. The weak point in Myanmar is the shortage of doctors who can perform the operation, and of specialists in the field. Patients on average wait at least three months for radio

three months ago at a private clinic. If I had not had enough money, the doctors said I would have had to attend a public hospital and wait for the operation. Luckily, my company funded the operation, which cost K2 million (US$2126). Cervical cancer affects married women more than single women, and most patients are aged between 40 and 60, according to the 2011 study Action (ASEAN costs in Oncology). As for prevention, a vaccine against HPV infection exists which is most effective in young girls who are not yet sexually active. VIA and pap smears can help detect the disease at an early stage when it can be treated, said by Dr Sid Naing.

here worry about giving their daughters the vaccine. Oddly, they assume that

treatment with cryotherapy is inexpensive. Once the disease gains hold,

Three minutes with top model Khin Thazin

What made you decide to get into modelling? Singer Sai Sai Kham Leng asked me to be in his MTV video clip last year. I said no, because I was so scared. At the time, I was attending a business management class after quitting my flight attendant job. But then I changed my mind and did shoot just to have the memory of the experience. Fortunately, the song was very popular with the public and some people in the media noticed me and contacted me about doing magazine shoots. What is the most satisfying aspect of your work? Feedback from my fans. What is the one gadget you cannot live without and why? My mobile phone, because it connects me to the world. Whats your favourite holiday destination? Pyin Oo Lwin (near Mandalay). Its a mountain area, with lots of flowers and I like the cold weather. Great for sight-seeing. Does your work involve a lot of travel? Sometimes I need to travel for photo shoots. Im in Bangkok right now, filming a commercial for J-Donuts. Whats your favourite restaurant in Yangon? Feel Myanmar Food 124 Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Street, Dagon township. What was your very first job? Air hostess at Air Bagan. Describe yourself in three words. Admire the truth. What was the last book you read and what was it about? Phay Myints Pyaw Tat Su Tat Paung Thin Dat Tae Lu (The Man Who Relates Well to People). Its about effective communication. What is your advice for young people who seek a successful career as a model? Never lose your confidence.

Women on 19th Street in downtown Yangon. Photo: Ko Taik

Fashion in focus
Are the changing styles of Myanmar fashion a cause for cconcern or excitement?
Aung Kyaw Nyunt
aungkyawnyunt28@gmail.com

HERE is a saying in Myanmar that the glory of a man is his strong arms; the glory of women is her black healthy hair in a big tight knot. Today, however, many Myanmar women no longer have long enough hair to make even a small knot. Others may have long hair, but dye it a different colour, following trends borrowed from other countries. Clothing, however, remains the biggest change in Myanmar fashion of late. I have heard that in the past, Myanmar women were shy about showing their ankles. They wore long skirts or longyis to hide themselves. Nowadays, some Myanmar women wear very short hemlines, showing a lot of skin, usually in an attempt to imitate Korean actresses or styles from Western countries. However, many women still have reservations about wearing clothes that are too revealing. Ma Chu Chu, an 18-yearold university student, said she does wear Western trousers instead of longyis. But she wont wear shorts, she said, because she doesnt want her legs to be exposed. We need to wear clothes that keep us safe, she said. Wearing a short dress looks beautiful but its inviting danger, I think. From my point of view, Myanmar women shouldnt wear shorts and tops that show a

lot of skin. Some parents also do not approve of their children pushing the fashion envelope. Daw Thae Thae, 35, a mother, said she thinks it is beautiful to wear Myanmarstyle clothing. Doing so, she said, preserves a young womans prestige. There is a range of smart dressing that makes ones appearance look beautiful, said Daw Thae Thae. These clothes are not too short and they dont have too deep a neckline. If someone wears such [revealing] kinds of clothes, her parents may suffer a loss of prestige. So I think parents shouldnt allow their daughters to

looks elegant and graceful while doing so. She is undoubtedly Myanmars democracy icon as well as its fashion icon. Yet even Daw Suu sometimes opts for a change, however: photos of her wearing blue jeans on a recent visit to Mongolia provoked outrage on some websites in Myanmar. While Daw Suus outfit in Mongolia certainly wasnt indiscreet, some feel that when older women mimic foreign trends, the results are unappealing. It is not good to see elder women wearing mini-skirts like young ladies, said Daw Win Kyi, a Yangon City Development Committee employee. Elders must be a

In the past, Myanmar women were shy about showing their ankles.
wear such styles. Its not suitable to wear clothes showing a lot of skin because Im now attending some training and have to take buses, said Ma Ei Thiri Thu, a 22-year-old. Sometimes, I wear shorts or short dresses, but I dare not to wear them too short. I put on that kind of clothes just when I go shopping with my friends. Ma Ei Thiri Thu said she likes to change her style often, switching between the old and the new on any given day. I like Myanmar traditional costumes, and we who attend state-run schools have to put on traditional costumes, she said. The majority of Myanmar women seek to emulate Daw Aung San Suu Kyis look. Whether at home or at ceremonies around the world, she wears Myanmar traditional clothing and guide to youths. Daw Win Kyi says many of her co-workers are opting for foreign styles, something she regrets. Now, most Myanmar housewives are watching Korean movies that air on Myanmar TV channels. They think Korean fashion is dominant, but they must know that Myanmar also has its own lovely fashion. I dont want our fashion to disappear from our culture, she said. Thirty-year-old Ma Nyein Nyein said that Myanmar girls can wear short skirts without compromising their morals. Sometimes, your fashion relates to your own feelings. For example, you think about what you want to dress like each day. If you can wear what you want, you have confidence the whole day. That doesnt mean, she

said, that anything goes. It depends on where you go. If you go to a place where its okay to wear short skirts, you can. But you shouldnt wear something rude. Although you can wear short skirts, you must have style, Ma Nyein Nyein said. If you want to wear fashionable styles, it should be compatible with you, said Ma Thinzar, a 30-yearold housewife. It is not wrong for a young person born in modern times to wear modern styles, Ma Thinzar said, But you must consider whether your choice is compatible or not. For example, do you use public transportation or your own car? You should choose the dress that is compatible with your activities. If you wear modern style clothing, you must also choose a hairstyle that is compatible so that you look beautiful from head to toe. Compared with other Southeast Asian countries, such as Vietnam and Thailand, the proportion of women wearing traditional dress is very high. But is this bound to change in future? If so, it is a sign that Myanmar women dont see the beauty of our own traditional costume. There are a variety of things we should imitate from other countries, but imitating fashion styles is wrong. - Translated by Thiri Min Htun

Our cover model Khin Thazin. Photo: Boothee

Driven to succeed
A female taxi driver encourages others to take the wheel
accept female passengers at night and I usually finish work at 8pm. Daw Thu Zar said she carries both men and women during the day, and she has never lost a potential fare because she is a woman. Some guys are welcoming and glad to see me. They usually encourage me when they see Im driving a taxi, she said. She said some male taxi drivers are amazed to discover she drives a taxi. These drivers support her, telling her to try hard and not be afraid of anything. But not all are like that: female riders feel more relaxed about getting in a cab if they see it being driven by another woman. Asked about the popular opinion that women are not as good at driving as men are, Daw Thu Zar said the difference is that most women lack confidence. She said some women are afraid of accidents and dare not drive at high speeds. But she says women can and do drive their own cars very well. She got her drivers license in 1977, when she was 18-year-old. After she married and had a daughter and a son, she worked for four years

Did you know

Thiha Toe

thihatoe.tht@gmail.com

The word woman is believed to have derived from the Middle English term wyfman, broken down simply as the wife (wyf) of man. In Old English, women were described simply as wyf, while the term man was used to describe a human person, regardless of gender. The English word girl was initially used to describe a young person of either sex. It was not until the beginning of the sixteenth century that the term was used specifically to describe a female child. The first woman to rule a country as an elected leader in the modern era was Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka, who was elected as prime minister of the island nation in 1960 and later re-elected in 1970. The first country to grant women the right to vote in the modern era was New Zealand in 1893.

TS rare to see a female driving a taxi around the streets of Yangon. Most Myanmar women lack the confidence to take Daw Thu Zar said that many women envy her career on what is considered choice. Photo: Thiha Toe a mans job, or may feel apprehensive about the dangers involved in an unexpected area for to make her financially driving strangers around. females. independent, so she does Yet in other countries, For Daw Thu Zar, not have to rely on her female taxi drivers arent driving a cab also has an children for support. the anomaly that Daw additional reward. Her Im so happy with my Thu Zar is. life, Daw Thu Only two or I dont worry about myself at nighttime because I only accept female Zar said. three women Everyone, passengers at night and I usually finish work at 8pm. Daw Thu Zar drive taxis in especially Yangon, and adolescents, shes only met one of the some have asked her how driving the school bus. husband, an engineer, should be financially others since she started. she dares to drive a taxi as After that, she moved to passed away five years independent. I never take I havent been driving a woman. Singapore with her family. ago, but her taxi earnings money from my daughter a taxi long only since I just ignore people They continue to live there between K25,000 and and son, she said proudly. February. But I have five like that. It may be that while she splits her time K30,000 a day are enough I get by all by myself. years experience as a they dont understand the between Singapore and school bus driver. I started notion of equality. They her old home in Yangon. doing that in 1999, the have their eyes closed. In When shes in Singapore, 56-year-old told The other countries, there are a she works as a cook, taking Myanmar Times. lot of female taxi drivers. orders for biryani, coconut At the time Daw Thu The response from rice and buttered rice. Zar was the only female in women has been Even if we dont the city working as a bus overwhelmingly supportive know each other, [the driver. In those days, she even envious. She has passengers] greet me by said, most women didnt had girls tell her that they saying. How are you, even drive their own cars, also want to drive a taxi Aunty? How are you let alone dare to choose like her but they dare not today? Im really happy driving as a profession. Her be so adventurous. when I hear things like route took in the No 5 and Daw Thu Zar said that. They worry about No 6 Basic Education High she would like to see me and it makes me feel Schools in Botahtaung a women-only taxi warm inside. township and the association established. Daw Thu Zar enjoys her University of Medicine II in She said it could help position as a roving role North Okkalapa township. interested women get jobs, model for young people, Now, she goes wherever particularly those who are believing that Myanmar her passengers want to currently unemployed. It people can help one go within limits. I dont would help women feel another to lead better lives worry about myself at safer in a traditionally male by finding employment in nighttime because I only industry, and it may help what could be considered

We nominate 50 outstanding women of Myanmar

Deserving Recognition
There is a plethora of outstanding women in Myanmar who deserve to be applauded for their many achievements. This is our first attempt to give recognition for their excellence. The names below are listed in alphabetical order, without using a system of ranking, and solely reflect the opinions of the editors at The Myanmar Times.
Aung San Suu Kyi Global democracy icon and leader of the opposition party, the National League for Democracy Aye Aye Soe Bodybuilder Aye Aye Win Associated Press correspondent, winner of the Oliver S Gramling Journalism Award in 2004 Chaw Ei Thein Contemporary artist Cynthia Maung Founder of Mae Tao Clinic in Mae Sot, Thailand Dewi Thant Zin Great granddaughter of King Thibaw, the last ruling royalty in Myanmar Eaindra Kyaw Zin Actress and model Hnin Wai Secretary of Myanmar Womens Entrepreneurs Association Juu Writer, feminist and activist Khin Marla Managing Director, Nat Ray Khine Cindy Soe International make-up artist Khon Ja Kachin Peace Network Kyi Phyu Shin Film director Luu Luu Owner, Rich Gems Ma Aung Ngeain Archer winner of the Presidents State Excellence award for sport and winner of 52 medals at international competitions Ma Pho Phyu Socialite, Managing Director, Myanmar Real Estate Deals Ma Thanegi Writer and translator, contributing editor of The Myanmar Times Ma Thida (Sanchaung) Writer, doctor, journalist, former political prisoner Su Su Nway Former political prisoner Susanna Hla Hla Soe Director of the Karen Womens Empowerment Group Su Su Tin CEO of Annam Myanmar Company Ltd, Managing Director, Exotissimo Travel Swe Zin Htike Former actress and communications manager of Population Services International, secretary of Myanmar Hockey Federation and joint secretary of Myanmar Motion Picture Association Than Myint Aung Secretary of Free Funeral Services Moh Moh Myint Aung Actress five time Myanmar Academy Awards winner Myat Myat Ohn Khin Union Minister for Social Welfare and Settlement Nan Khin Zeya Actress and model Nang Cham Tong Advocacy team member of the Shan Womens Action Group Nang Kalyar Win Chairperson of Asia Fame Media Group Nay Yi Ba Swe Politician, the Democratic Party Nu Nu Yi (Innwa) Writer Ohmar Moe Myint Director of Myint & Associates Co. Ltd Pandora Contemporary poet Pauline Khin Mg Lwin International Culture and Charity Group Shwe Zee Gwet Free Funeral Services

Than Than Swe Owner of Thazin Family Trading winner of best production and sales award presented by President U Thein Sein Thet Mon Myint Actress Tin Htar Swe Editor of BBC Burma Service Tin Moe Lwin Managing director of Talents and Models Agency Wah Wah Tun President of the Myanmar Womens Entrepreneurs Association Wint Thandar Oo Partner, P&A Asia Law Firm Win Win Tint Managing director of City Mart Holding Co. Ltd Wut Hmone Shwe Yee Actress Yi Yi Myint Professor at the Yangon Institute of Economics (retired)

Khin Pan Hnin Writer

Phyo Mon Organiser of the first womens art festival in Myanmar Blue Wind Multimedia Festival Phyu Phyu Kyaw Thein Singer Nwe Nwe Sann (Thayawaddy) Former political prisoner and writer Nilar Thein Democracy activist and member of 88 Generation Womens Group, considered a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International Phyu Phyu Thin Pyithu Hluttaw Representative for Mayangone township (National League for Democracy) Phyu Phyu Tin Director of Monument Books and Monument Toys, Managing Director of Monsoon Restaurant and Director of Green Restaurant

Susanna Hla Hla Soe on womens rights

The director of the Karen Womens Empowerment Group explains why its vital to include women in the peace process and laments the barriers to equality that remain
in nine refugee camps in Thailand, who number more than 100,000. When I visited the refugee camps, I saw mostly women and children living there. They told me that when they were escaping the conflict, it was easier for men to flee the area. Some women suffered from reproductive and nutrition issues, and women also have to bring all their household things with them, because when they stopped they would have to cook. So its very difficult for them. Naw Susanna said she believes these are just some of the reasons why women and children are affected the most by war, and why it is therefore critical for women to be represented during peace efforts. In a March 2013 Myanmar Times article, Naw Susanna said that this belief is in accordance with the Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), to which Myanmar is a party. However she feels that the convention lacks teeth in Myanmar, due to limited awareness of its existence. The government agreed to implement CEDAW, consuming and costly. KWEG is also lobbying for a review of the customary law on divorce in Myanmar, and has held talks with the public and members of parliament. Its a very old law, dating back to 1947, Naw Susanna said. It stipulates that after divorce, the man must pay the woman 100 kyat a month as child support. Needless to say, after decades of inflation, the amount is meager in the extreme. The law simply isnt relevant today, she said. The double standard of divorce laws is another issue KWEG wishes to see changed. If a woman wants a divorce, its not very easy. But men can get one easily unlike women, they dont need evidence of adultery or abuse. Naw Susanna has raised human rights issues affecting women with many high-profile figures, such as the former US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton. I was very impressed by her, she said of a meeting that took place in 2011. Shes a very practical leader. After talking about Naw Susanna said that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has also been a pillar of strength to KWEG. Although the leader of the National League for Democracy has been frequently criticised in the press for failing to speak out about peace efforts and the recent ethnic tensions, Naw Susanna believes this is due to political pragmatism. After [Daw Aung San Suu Kyi] was released from house arrest, we had a meeting and I updated her on our progress and the other womens groups that we are trying to help. She was very encouraging and gave me many insights and suggestions. Though she never talks publicly on the peace issue, I think this is because her talk is very powerful. Whenever she talks, its not only in Myanmar newspapers but world newspapers. I think some of her words could cause her problems with the government. She is a politician, so shes being practical. This is my opinion. Naw Susanna believes that millions of women are inspired by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi including herself. Naw Susanna was a student at Rangoon University during the 88 uprising and subsequently spent four months hiding in the jungle. When [Daw Aung San Suu Kyi] was under house arrest, people thought, This is the leaders life and its hard. So we risked our lives for democracy. Sometimes my parents complained that I didnt give much time to the family: I said Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is still living far away from her children. And I kept doing what I was doing.

Jessica Mudditt
jess.mudditt@gmail.com

ESPITE calls to involve women in peace talks between the Karen National Union and the government, the director of Karen Womens Empowerment Group (KWEG), Naw Susanna Hla Hla Soe, believes that there has been no significant increase in womens participation in 2013. Since 2010, Naw Susanna Hla Hla Soe has facilitated a signature campaign lobbying the president to involve women in the peace process as well as leading a campaign to end the worlds longest civil war, which began shortly after Myanmar gained independence from the British in 1948. Naw Susanna told The Myanmar Times she is disappointed that aside from sideline meetings held every month, official peace talks have not taken place this year. Because [the talks] arent official, they dont appear in the media, she said. She said the situation on the ground is much improved, although the calm remains fragile: The fighting has stopped, so the people are happy. However when the government and the Karen National Union (KNU) agreed to a ceasefire [in January 2012], there were many incidents of land grabbing. So the people are very worried about the future. Naw Susanna said that the government gave land to an agricultural company without compensating the owners, and she is concerned that if this issue isnt solved, peace can turn to conflict. She is also concerned about the people living

Susanna Hla Hla Soe in traditional Karen dress. Photo: supplied is currently in the process of extending its programs. The organisation is based in Yangon but now has projects in the Delta Region and Karen State. One of its main spheres of activity is assisting women who have suffered domestic violence. seen as an indication that more women are aware of the support provided by KWEG, and are willing to utilise it. KWEG offers free counselling and works with a lawyers network group, who accompany victims to file a case with the police. If police dont take any

After a divorce, the man must pay the woman K 100 a month as child support. The law simply isnt relevant today Naw Susanna Hla Hla Soe
but I doubt that many government officials know about it. Perhaps only those from the Department of Social Welfare know of it at the township and village level, nothing is known, she said. Along with providing emergency relief for disasteraffected communities, KWEG also provides vocational training for women, as well as microfinance loans and education for disadvantaged youths. Help is provided to women from all ethnic backgrounds. KWEG is marking its 10th anniversary this year and In 2012, KWEG supported 20 victims of domestic violence, of which 15 resulted in convictions. Naw Susanna said there were 20 cases in the first five months of 2013. She said that although this may appear to show an increase in the prevalence of domestic violence, it could also be action, we follow up, she said. Support is also provided to cover lawyers fees and transportation the latter of which is particularly important to women living in the Delta area, because Naw Susanna said that transportation to the central court is often timethe situation in Karen State, when I raised the issue of the trauma women and children were suffering from, she agreed to help us provide counselling. After she went back to the United States, the US embassy in Yangon contacted me and provided funds to create a womens centre for trauma healing.

Did you know

Women account for 70 percent of the population living in absolute poverty (on less than US$1 a day). Women are largely excluded from formal peace processes. Only 1 out of 13 participants in peace negotiations around the world since 1992 were women.

Women make up 80 percent of all refugees and displaced people. Women make up more than 50 percent of the global population, but fill less than 20pc of all parliamentary seats worldwide.

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Access denied
Despite efforts to improve the situation, limited reproductive health care options in rural areas often result in tragedy
convents in Yangon Region. The foundations doctors and nurses are volunteers, distributing medicine provided by Marie Stopes International, an international NGO based in London, UK. But despite the foundations efforts, conditions often force women into making difficult and dangerous choices. There are many cases involving women determined to get an abortion. Their poverty pushes them to take the risk. In addition to lacking knowledge about pregnancy-related issues, Daw May Oo Tha said that many women are unsure about how to best take care of themselves and their children. They are particularly uninformed about treatment options for the many gynaecological problems they face throughout their lives. On one occasion,

Cherry Thein
t.cherry6@gmail.com

woman holds a pregnancy tester upside down, concealing it with her fingers to hide the result. She already knows what it says. Because her nearest mobile health clinic is far from her village and she was busy working in the fields, she missed out on getting a Depo-Provera birth control injection, which only protects her against pregnancy for three months at a time. Her options now either childbirth or abortion scare her, as she has heard that many women die regardless of which one they choose. She is trying to conceal her unwanted pregnancy to get another injection now, which she believes will abort the foetus. But it is not an easy decision: She is downcast, refusing to talk or listen to others, including the doctors and nurses who scold her when they discover what she is doing and try to convince her to keep the baby. The womans situation is a common one, according to Daw May Oo Tha, vice chairperson of the WinWin Foundation, a nongovernmental organisation offering mobile healthcare treatment in Kyaut Tan village, Bago Region, where the woman was being treated. She said many women in villages cannot access healthcare services because of difficulties with transportation and communication, which is why the mobile outreach services are crucial. The foundation offers healthcare services in five areas: Kyaut Tan village; Latar Gone village, near Yangon-Nay Pyi Taw Road; Mingalar Yarma village in Twante township; Khet Hti Ya village in Nyaung Done township in Ayeyarwady Region; and two Buddhist

Women learn about reproductive issues during a workshop. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing an operation as soon as possible, Daw May Oo Tha said. She looked so pale and thin. Our foundation gave a recommendation letter to get a free operation. Unfortunately, the help came too late. When the mobile clinic returned to the village one year later, Daw May Oo Tha said, I was told that she was dead. Unsanitary toilets and a lack of access to clean water mean waterborne diseases are common among village women, often using belly-pushing as a delivery aid, some practice it as a means to induce abortion. Even after a successful birth, newborns sometimes die from malnutrition. Mothers working hard in the fields to cover the daily family expenses are sometimes too busy to take time off and care for their babies. As a result, some turn to ready-made powder instead of breast milk, especially if they have had many children and are no longer capable of producing milk themselves. But the their complaints of transportation difficulties, floods, being unable to get out of the fields because they have to dig ground nuts before irregular rains and so on, but they are real stories. These women have many kinds of obstacles to accessing medical treatment. Daw Naw Naw Win, a nurse at the clinic, said that even if the women reach the clinic, other factors may interfere when they return home. Although we try to give reproductive health country needs to step up its efforts in health education, and adds that women should not be the only ones being targeted. We need more hands to cooperate, especially male counterparts, to change old attitudes and practices, Daw May Oo Tha said. There is a ray of hope on one issue: The government recently reinforced its commitment to fight child malnutrition by joining the list of countries signed up for Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN). Launched in 2010 and endorsed by the UN Secretary General, SUN is a global movement for more action and investment in improving maternal and child nutrition. In an address in Nay Pyi Taw on May 15, Minister of Health Dr Pe Thet Khin said nutrition is more than just a matter of health. An individuals nutrition status, whether malnourished or wellnourished, is not only limited to his or her health status.It also impacts the countrys economy and education. Of course, the same could be said for reproductive health, particularly for women in rural areas. Too often having to choose between their work in the fields and the health of themselves and their children, women are finding out too late that short-term needs are leading to long-term loss. But without proper access to healthcare, and with little education for both sexes, many women will keep being forced to repeat the same choice in future really, its no choice at all.

There are many cases involving women determined to get an abortion. Their poverty pushes them to take the risk. Daw May Oo Tha, vice chairperson of the Win-Win Foundation
Daw May Oo Tha met a patient who was rushed to the mobile clinic with a prolapsed uterus. Prolapsed uteruses are often caused by a weakening of the muscles around the uterus due to a decrease in oestrogen produced in the body as women age. The uterus can collapse into the vaginal canal or in extreme cases known as procedentia, as happened to this patient the uterus falls outside the vagina. Worse still, the womans prolapsed uterus had been bitten by a stray dog while she was using a squat toilet, and the wound had become infected. The mobile clinic team gave the woman first aid and, though unable to perform surgery onsite, told her to go to the townships hospital nearby, where they had arranged for her to be treated without cost. I told her to go and get leading to urinary tract infections which can result in permanent damage to the womb. In the absence of doctors and clinics, local residents sometimes try to treat problems with traditional medication or other methods some of which cause more problems than they fix. Another cause of a prolapsed uterus is the so-called belly-pushing practice, in which midwives or husbands push on a heavily pregnant wifes belly in an attempt to speed up delivery. The practice is somehow helpful [for faster deliveries] but not totally, said Daw May Oo Tha, as the full-force physical pressure applied to a pregnant womans belly can sometimes make her uterus come out. The danger is well known, according to Daw May Oo Tha: As well as powder is not nutritious, Daw May Oo Tha said, and many dont know how to use it properly. Very few mothers know about reproductive health and most fail to practice birth control, Daw May Oo Tha said. Sid Naing, of Marie Stopes International, told The Myanmar Times some find even the safe and relatively inexpensive intrauterine device frightening due to unfounded fears it can move up to a womans head and give her headaches. We can call it culture, Sid Naing said, but its mostly related to low levels of education, even lower levels of health knowledge and belief in traditional sources of information. Lack of access to more trustworthy sources of information plays a big role, Daw May Oo Tha said. You might doubt knowledge and training many times, they often fail to practice [what we teach]. They said their husband or mother-in-law or religion wont allow it, she said. Abortion is currently illegal in Myanmar, except when the life of the mother would be put at risk by delivery. The countrys predominantly Buddhist makeup no doubt reinforces this view: Buddhists, who believe in reincarnation, traditionally think of karma passing from one individual at the moment of death to another individual at the moment of conception rather than birth. Though foetuses are unborn, many Buddhists nonetheless consider abortion to be taking a life, something their religion prohibits, though the sin may be lessoned if there are good intentions behind it. Daw May Oo Tha said the

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Tall order
Basketballer Ma Thet Su Htwe is gearing up for the SEA Games, but laments the impossibility of earning a living solely through sport
success at it. Its why I cannot prioritise basketball as Id like to. Aung Si Working in ILBCs physiHein cal education department is a small but important consolation. She can play aungsiheinmm8@gmail.com basketball with high school N the gymnasium at students while coaching one of Yangons private them at the same time. She schools, Ma Thet Su is sad, however, to see many Htwe stands with a young women not showing basketball in one hand. an interest in sport. She is busy demonstrating Women of this generalessons for a crowd of tion arent very interested in young students at the sport. There are barely ten International Language women in a school who are and Business Center deeply enthusiastic about (ILBC), where she works it. Their minds are busy as a physical education with fashion and beauty teacher. Its a role that often rather than playing a sport. overshadows her other The number of Myancareer playing basketball mar women athletes will at the national level. continue to decrease, she Soon, however, she will added, since there are fewer be taking a temporary leave friendlies and competitions from teaching in order to for women than for men. join the Myanmar team. When she was 12, Ma They are preparing to play Thet Su Htwe was inspired against the best teams Asia to take up basketball when has to offer at the upcomshe spotted children shooting Southeast ing hoops at a In our Asia Games. Precourt near her paratory training She joined country we home. has been undera summer course way since May cannot live at her school in at Gold Camp in Ahlone township. by sports Nay Pyi Taw. During trainMa Thet Su ing sessions with alone. Htwe is as pascoaches from Ma Thet Su Htwe sionate as any the Myanmar other outstandBasketball Feding national athlete, but eration, her playmates were she could not immedimostly men, but that didnt ately leave her work at intimidate her. Rather, she ILBC where she has been said it was just the opposite. working for nine years When I get into the upon being chosen. So she rhythm of play, I lose any requested to join the team sense of gender. late. Besides, she added, Her difficulty, she exthe desire to keep up with plained, is the very situathe men motivates me. tion that challenges many At 5 feet 8 inches, Ma Myanmar female athletes: It Thet Su Htwe will be the is impossible to make a livtallest among her teaming solely through sport. mates, and a key player at We cant do sport on a the upcoming SEA Games, professional level without her biggest tournament yet. a backup career. Its only Her only previous interpossible to play when national experience was youre young, because in a six-country invitational our country we cannot live tournament in 2000, when by sports alone, Ma Thet Myanmar was the runnerSu Htwe told The Myanmar up behind Malaysia. No Times. doubt she will be looking This is what stops most for a better finish come Myanmar women from December. doing sports and achieving

Ma Thet Su Htwe (centre) with fellow basketballers Cho May Thaw of the Yangon Region team (left) and Theint Theint Tin Yi of the SEA Games team (right). Photo: Ko Taik

Did you know

According to an ancient Sumerian legend, the universe was created by a female, the goddess Tiamat. This role of a female creator is not unique, as the Australian Aboriginal creation myth also credits

the creation of life to a woman. The worlds first novel, The Tale of Genji, was published in Japan around 1000 AD by female author Murasaki Shikibu.

12

Are women asking for trouble if they go out alone late at night?
On May 27 The Myanmar Times reported that the number of rape cases in Mandalay Region had increased, with 20 cases reported in the first quarter of 2013 compared to 14 during the same period last year. While some may argue that the rise reflects an increased willingness by victims to report rape to the authorities, Police Major Soe Nyein said one reason behind the increase was that more women are going out alone late at night. Reporters Su Phyo Win and Ei Ei Thu hit the streets to find out if the public agrees with this controversial statement.
Daw Nan Thazin Kyine 38, housewife Thaketa township I tell my two teenage daughters to be home by 8pm. More men are going out at night and many go to pubs and get drunk. Women have to be aware of their clothes and behaviour, though some have to go out late at night. Rapists should have some respect. How would they feel if their mothers were raped? I worry that sexrelated videos on the Iinternet can lead to rape. Daw Than Than Aye, 53, tutor Lanmadaw township Better police coverage would help women not to be afraid. Employers should take responsibility for their staff if they ask them to work late at night. Women can take safety measures such as taking mobile phones with them, or going out with friends and family members. Police should assume greater responsibility, and men should control themselves.

U Khaing Myo, 54 author and poet Pazundaung township You cant say rape has increased because more women go out alone late at night. If our neighbourhoods were safe, crimes like rape would not occur. Improving living conditions can help reduce the incidence of rape. More than 70 percent of people live in rural areas with inadequate electricity and water. They have to go out to get water and bring it back on darkened streets. Upgrading infrastructure would help, and so would better police protection.

Ma Su Myat, 17, student Kyauktada township If a rape case occurs it is because of the sin of both man and woman. A man should treat a girl as he would his mother or sister. And also a woman shouldnt go outside alone late at night. If she must go somewhere, she should be accompanied by family or friends.

Ma Hnin Ei Wai, 20, cashier Kyauktada township Its the mens fault. We have to go home when our working hours are over. Women like me have to make a living. My shift ends at 9pm. Sometimes women are ashamed to admit theyve been raped. Men take advantage of this fear, and will strike again if they get away with it. Men should treat all women with the same respect they have for their mother or sister.

U Myint Mout, 50, cartoonist Yuzana Garden City Western influence encourages Myanmar women to wear shorts, which can provoke mens lust. Sexual videos and photos are spreading through the internet and teenage social networks. Some men will take advantage of women, and women have to protect themselves by going out with a partner or wearing traditional dress.

Ko Chan Thar, 30 language teacher Mingalar Taung Nyunt township Companies with staff that work late should take responsibility for their safety when going home. In developed countries, companies arrange transportation for their staff. Women should dress appropriately and avoid seductive behaviour in public. Teenage drinking can lead to rape. Women must carefully choose when, where and with whom they go out.

Ma Tin Myo Myo Oo, 24 sales manager Kyauktada township Rape cases occur in rural areas more than in urban areas because rural people are less knowledgeable. So to reduce the number of rape cases, we need to raise awareness about rape in rural areas. A woman who has to go outside late at night should take colleagues and friends along to be safe.

13

Big girl in Myanmar

Becky Cavender describes her journey to self-acceptance in a country where females are particularly petite.
at! I am so fat! How many times have you thought that when you faced yourself in the bathroom mirror? Or maybe youve just avoided the mirror altogether. I know Im guilty (on both counts) but telling myself Im fat or avoiding the issue has not helped create a positive body image. Body-hating attitudes and words assail us constantly. Harmful, self-loathing language is often passed down from mother to daughter as though its a tradition as though all girls should pick apart their bodies in nasty, disrespectful ways. Girlfriends perpetuate this self-hate language. Its so common that its part of our background noise: We just accept it. The media doesnt help. Im not immune to this language, especially since Im no skinnie-minnie. Far from it. At the beginning of the year I adopted the words ignite and glow as my touchstones for the next twelve months. My goal was to ignite a sense of deep self-love, self-care, and body acceptance. Living in a region of the world where most people are described as very thin (in comparison to Europeans/Americans/Pacific peoples) means that big girl body-hating syndrome can rear its head on a regular basis. In Myanmar, youll stand out a bit if you dont look Southeast Asian, and anything else that makes you different will certainly compound that. For example, if youre big, have light skin, or dark skin, or if youre tall, youll generate more than the average amount of attention. Tourism is growing and many expats are moving here, but its not so diverse that you can be anonymous and blend in. Many Westerners are large compared to people from this region of the world. Were usually taller, wider, thicker and bigger breasted (if you happen to have breasts). One of my very petite friends told me after a trip to Japan, I felt like a giant there! Oh my gosh! If my tiny friend felt like a giant there, I dont dare go to Japan! Its not uncommon to hear thin Western women say that its a challenge to buy clothes off the rack in many stores here. Clothes are simply tailored for smaller frames and in the rare case that you can buy plus-sized clothes, youre actually looking at average US/UK/AUS sizes:

Basically, if youre larger than a size 6 or 8, youre considered plus-sized. So, whats it like if youre a real plus-sized person living in this region? What if youre one of the millions who have struggled with negative body image? When your body has bulges and sticky-out bits like mine, you will get noticed more than the average Jane. Its part of traveling or living in Southeast Asia. That more-than-average noticing can feel tricky if you dont completely love your full-sized self. If youre an introvert (like me), it just gets trickier. Being a big/large/fat girl was a concern when I moved to Myanmar. I was worried about being made fun of,

been teased (to my face) when I lived in the USA or UK. Ive never been thin, but I seemed to miraculously avoid the taunts that many obese people experience. Learning how to handle the stares, mocks and teases was hard and negatively impacted my already negative body image. I didnt want a rematch in Myanmar. Because I was a big girl moving to Yangon, my strategies included not learning the word for fat in the Myanmar language. Im quite sure there have been times Ive been teased, but by not knowing the word for fat, Ive been able to pretend I cant hear or understand the universal sing-song tone of voice people use when

tion was, WOW! You are REALLY fat! I felt humiliated. It took every ounce of energy to not get out of the taxi just as a matter of principle. Maybe I should have. Being called fat in Southeast Asia isnt necessarily a negative thing. Its quite acceptable here to talk about peoples size. Commonly, locals will greet each other and make comments on the other persons weight. Many average-sized expats get regular feedback about their size like, Your face is looking fat. In some countries, being told youre big can be a compliment. My sense is that its not necessarily a compliment here, but rather an observation (perhaps

Becky Cavender. anyones lying when they tell me I am. And as I focus on growing self-love, Im realising that acknowledging my body for what it is right now is an important step towards acceptance. Im not talking about the kind of acceptance where you accept all the negative, warped messages wrapped around the word fat. I mean, acceptance for who you are. Heres the thing: we might not look like other peoples ideal. Hell, we might not even come close to our own ideal. Regardless, we must be kind to ourselves and tell our bodies were grateful for them, despite our lumps, bumps, and sticky-out bits. If we cant feel a sense of gratitude for our bodies exactly the way they are and for how amazing they truly are, were not sending positive messages to ourselves. Were not recognising that were special and precious: imperfect bodies and all. Strangely, living in Myanmar is helping me learn to respect my body regardless of how I look because Im more aware of my size, even when that feels uncomfortable; but its that very awareness that is allowing me to be honest with myself, and instead of tearing down my body with negative self-talk, Im learning to appreciate it. Our bodies get us from point A to point B. They carry us. They allow us to breathe to walk. I can wrap my arms around my child and give her a hug. Our bodies have these amazing things called nerves, which enable us to feel and experience touch. So why should I or you get all mean on ourselves? When you think about it, were pretty amazing. Go love your bumps and have a beautiful day. I plan on loving mine, starting with what I see in the mirror.

Living in a region of the world where most people are described as very thin means that big girl body-hating syndrome can rear its head on a regular basis. Becky Cavender
stared at, pointed at, laughed at, sneered at ... you name it. I even lost 36 kilograms before moving here (for a variety of reasons and I still have a lot more to lose). When I lived in Ethiopia, I had precisely those experiences I worried about. Construction workers near my house called out when they saw me and not the good kind of shout-outs. Men yelled after me, laughing and calling me fat in Amharic (the local language). It was hurtful, embarrassing, and took quite a toll on me. Because I knew the Amharic word for fat, I was aware of exactly what they were saying and knowing they were calling me fat did nothing for my self-esteem. The teasing was tough. Although I was heavier back then than I am now, Id never mocking others. For the most part, Ive avoided self-esteem bodyshaming moments here. Ive occasionally been pleasantly surprised. If youre big, you learn to be sensitive towards certain types of smiles on peoples faces that may indicate imminent judgment or teasing. Occasionally, Ive been sure a cashier or hair dresser was about to make fun of me after giving me a wry smile, but instead, theyve said, Youre very beautiful. These incidents have shocked me, made me straighten up my back a bit, and feel slightly ashamed that I assumed they were judging me. Still, some unpleasant incidents occurred in Yangon; recently, I shared a taxi with a friend and when we got in, the drivers immediate reacwithout much judgment). Ive been trying to learn, with great trepidation, to accept this cultural aspect of living here. It has not been easy; my ever-too-common I-dont-like-my-body selfspeak blurts out. Most Westerners know that in our cultures, just mentioning the weight/size of another person is considered offensive and rude. So, when youre told (as if you didnt know it) that youre fat to your face by a stranger, its weird. Its also disarming and frustrating. Yet, there has been a surprising and not fully negative element to being called out on the fat carpet. It has helped me stand in my skin with my head held a bit higher. Confused? Well, first of all, I am fat. So, its not like

14

Slicing into Yangon with Vicky Blades, founder of Yangon Expat Connection
The unsung hero of Yangons online community talks to The Myanmar Times about the Google group she founded and how its grown into a behemoth over the past two years.
writes about parenting and the ups and downs of life in Myanmar, though she says with a modest laugh that she can barely post a photo. The Swedish-born ideas woman is also a professional actress (under the name Anna Blades) and the founder of what may be described as a spin-off website, called whatsonyangon.com. Another reason YEC got off the ground was because people started contacting me about the blog. Writing long emails was very timeconsuming, and part of me wanted to put all that information in one place for the wider community, she said. By the end of 2011, Vicky said YECs growth went ballistic and membership reached 1000. Today it stands at 1914 members. The group isnt open to the public membership requests are approved on the basis that a person is living in Yangon and wants to connect with other people, whether it be to sublease a flat, join a sporting team or find a particular type of food you name it, the YEC members have asked it. We were stricter in the beginning [about membership] because we had more time. Vicky said. If a person didnt explain why they wanted to join, wed ask them to tell us a little bit more about themselves. Vicky said that due to the volume of people joining YEC, it isnt always possible to do individual checks. However a new team of moderators that came on board in February endeavour to vet potential members. I think weve managed to avoid any sort of spam postings, Vicky said. The three moderators, Sandra, Cliff and Marc, have each moderated other forums in the past and they have been something of a godsend to Vicky, who was spending a few hours each day moderating the forum. There was a point after Jen got a full-time job that it was just too much. Its hard to know exactly how much time I was spending on YEC because I was doing it between nursery and playgroup drop-offs and stuff, but it certainly felt like a full-time job. Vicky said that her inbox fight] raged on and on. It was just ridiculous. Its pineapple pizza, she said with a smile. Emotions ran high on another occasion when a YEC member asked where spoons were available to purchase in Yangon. Im convinced it was a joke, Vicky said. Yet with YEC, you never know. Im astounded by what people put in print. I dont think people realise that what they say goes out to 1900 people. Although YECs policy is to never remove a post, the same cannot be said for members who seriously misbehave. However Vicky said she can count on one hand the number of people who have been removed from the group during the past two years. We try to take the approach that people say things in the heat of the moment, not realising its a public forum. We try to give them the chance by saying its not tolerated or acceptable and to make sure they wont do it again. This is done privately, although general tickingsoff have also been issued to the group as a whole most recently this happened when the argument over expensive rent escalated into snide racial comments. One of Vickys most embarrassing moments on YEC occurred shortly after giving birth to her second son, Oscar. As Vicky explained, Someone called Daphne posted on YEC that she and her husband had just arrived in Yangon and were looking for some adult friends to play with. Id just had a baby and my response was in that frame of mind. I emailed back that she should join the IFG [International Friendship Group]. Then Jenny emailed me and said Im not sure thats the sort of friendship she was looking for. I was mortified. High jinks aside, when I asked Vicky whether the number of members could ever reach a point when the group becomes too large to be manageable, her answer is far less optimistic than expected. The future of YEC is something Ive thought long and hard about. Ive debated it with friends for many months now. I think there is going to be some natural attrition, in that the group will one day just fade away. Compared to the rest of the world, theres still very few websites for Yangon and Myanmar. But thats going to change, and I think people will start using other websites. I spoke to a friend last week whos lived in Yangon for eight years she said she thinks shell unsubscribe from YEC. She said, It used to be interesting and sometimes entertaining, but now its just the same questions over and over again, and there are too many businesses posting. Id rather go to a website and search for the information I want. Vicky believes that YEC has changed a lot just as the city itself has. However she is keen to emphasise that YEC is a dynamic group and as information changes on an almost daily basis, it is YEC that keeps up. She rues the fact that some people possibly out of fear of being criticised reply privately to queries rather than sharing the information with the wider YEC community. We are currently the first point of contact for a lot of people, but I think that will change, Vicky said. I dont know how long weve got. I think just letting it happen naturally is the best way forward. For the moment however, YEC isnt going anywhere, and the number of new members continues to increase by 3.6 people a day. There would be few expats who could say that Vickys creation hasnt made their life a little or a lot easier at some point during their stay in Yangon. Some may wonder whether YEC will take the socialising offline from time to time that is, in the form of facetoface get togethers. In the old days, we said wed have a party when we reached 200, 500 or 1000 members - but we never did, she said. The dance club Hola approached Vicky and put on a second birthday party for YEC earlier in the year. Although there isnt anything in the pipeline at this stage, Vicky is very much open to the idea. As the networking extraordinaire said: I love nothing better than going around chatting to people. I can do that all day long.

Jessica Mudditt
jess.mudditt@gmail.com

HEN Vicky Blades moved to Yangon with her young family in January 2011, she found the lack of information available online kind of scary. We knew there were international schools but that was kind of it, she told The Myanmar Times. Three months later, she and a friend named Jen Herink decided to redress the information void. As Facebook wasnt reliably accessible at the time (due to the governments heavyhanded censorship), the pair spent an hour in Coffee Circles cobbling together a Google group called Yangon Expat Connection (YEC). It opened its virtual doors to members on April 19, 2011. The idea was to create a forum where expats could pool information and share practical tips about living in Yangon. Although the groups name has the word expat in it, Vicky said that it was always meant to be inclusive and theres no policy whatsoever against locals joining. We should maybe change the name to Yangon Connection (there is already a Facebook group of this name), but the YEC is so well known, she said Vicky said that initially, the number of members joining was steady, though nothing astonishing. We never thought in a million years that it would grow the way it has, she said. Vicky believes that part of the groups early success was due to the fact that the internet was becoming more affordable in Myanmar, so there was an increasing number of people using the internet from home. Wed text each other and say, Wow, there are a hundred members. When asked whether shes a techie, Vicky said, Oh my God, no! Im a fortysomething mum of two. I struggle with Facebook; I have a Twitter account and never use it. Vicky does have a blog she

Vicky Blades founded YEC in April 2011. Photo: Boothee is continuously full of questions from members such as how to reverse accidentally unsubscribing or not knowing how to change the email digest of posts. Naturally, this should be discouraged, because the instructions can be found online. The moderators have full-time jobs and no one is paid to ensure YEC functions smoothly. was asking a staggering US$15,000 per month in rent. A back and forth between members and the person who wrote the original post went on for a couple of weeks and the comments got pretty nasty. Vicky said, Obviously I have a personal opinion, but as a moderator of YEC I have to stay as neutral as possible. However I can totally

I dont think people realise that what they say goes out to 1900 people. Vicky Blades
Although a lot of businesses have joined YEC in recent times, since June 1 it is no longer possible to send out regular posts about restaurant menus or events. This decision was made following negative feedback from members about receiving such emails however, a number of members who support receiving all emails are becoming increasingly vocal. With such a large number of members, its no doubt impossible to please everybody. Im really proud of what people say about [YEC], Vicky said. It had its moments. There is been some controversy. The most recent was stirred following a posting from a real estate agent who understand why people got upset I also think some of the replies were much more humorous than people realised. Theres often a joke behind what people say, but because its electronic and text, I suppose its hard to know if people are being sarcastic or making fun. I take everything with a big pinch of salt, she added with a laugh. Another well-known controversy was the pineapple pizza fight. It began innocently enough, when the owner of the newly opened Papa Pizza posted a menu. Some YEC members were livid that pizzas with pineapple were available and a fight ensued over the validity of such a creation. Some were joking and others took it seriously. [The

15

The top performing student of 2009-10 talks to The Myanmar Times about life after highschool

Bride trafficking to Brain box China unveiled

stay calm, just as she did in high school. I just try not to get stressed. If I lose interest in studying, I listen to music. When I have holidays, I go shopping with my family. I do yoga in the morning three days a week before I go to university, she said. She advises others to attend class regularly and study the

Shwe Gu Thit Sar

khaingsabainyein@gmail.com

WHILE most people spend about an hour a day studying during their final year at school, Ma Khing Khing Lwin Kyaw spent six. The effort paid off: In 20092010, she was the top performing student of her graduating class, receiving a mark of 558 in Grade 11. It felt wonderful, she said, when asked how she felt upon hearing her results. But shes also humble about the achievement: In spite of having an obviously strong work ethic, she attributes some of her success to her parents encouragement. My parents didnt pressure me strongly, but they always supported me. When asked whether she ever faced jealousy or teasing from fellow students, she said classmates and the general public responded kindly. I did photo modelling for chicken stock and was repeatedly interviewed by journalists. When my address appeared in print, I

Ma Khing Khing Lwin Kyaw said her parents support contributed to her achievement. Photo: Shwegu Thitsar

Nowadays, Myanmar women have equal opportunities in education. - Ma Khing Khing Lwin Kyaw
got friendly letters from others. Ma Khing Khing Lwin Kyaw now wants to put her smarts to use as a successful doctor. While she would like to study in foreign schools at some point, she would prefer to stay and work in Myanmar rather than settling overseas. Shes currently attending University of Medicine-1 in Lanmadaw township in Yangon. Life at university is stressful, Ma Khing Khing Lwin Kyaw said, but shes trying hard to both understand the lessons and lessons afterward. She also said that women must be ready to compete with men in the workforce, but that people should be studying for knowledge, not to become rich. Nowadays, Myanmar women have equal opportunities in education and also in business, with men as well as with people in another countries. So I want to encourage women to try to have good moral behavior, be smart, graduate and become successful. - Translated by Mya Kay Khine

ost cross-border human trafficking in Myanmar involves women tricked into travelling to China to get work, only to find a groom waiting for them on the other side. Thazin (not her real name) was trafficked to China from Yangon and forced into marriage in 2008. Now 29 and back in Yangon, she said that one day she drank a cup of coffee spiked by an acquaintance, woke up in China and was soon married against her will. According to the UN InterAgency Project on Human Trafficking (UNIAP), 70 percent of Myanmars trafficking cases in 2010 involved stories like Thazins. In 2010, the authorities recorded 122 cases of forced marriage, up from 104 in 2009, Myanmars Ministry of Home Affairs reported. For more than a decade, Myanmar women have been trafficked across the 2,000km border to marry men who are unable to afford the dowry required by a Chinese bride, said Ohnmar Ei Ei Chaw, national program coordinator for UNIAP in the Mekong region. Chinese husbands-to-be pay upwards of US$8,000 to arrange these marriages, many believing their bride is willing. On the other hand, Myanmar parents, looking for a better life for their children and themselves, accept as little as $1,000 for their daughters, according to UNIAPs 2010 report. It is a local custom and some think cross-border marriage is normal, Ohnmar Ei Ei Chaw said. China and Myanmar now consider such arranged marriages to be human trafficking, and in 2009 they signed a comprehensive trafficking memorandum of understanding. As Myanmars five-year plan of action to combat trafficking comes to an end in 2011, the number of cases recorded has increased, along with the number of traffickers apprehended.

Photo: Natalie Bailey/IRIN In 2010, the authorities prosecuted 502 perpetrators (197 male, 305 female) and rescued 381 people (89 male and 292 female). Sting operations as well as education about the dangers of falling into a recruiters trap have made these arrests possible, said a senior official from Myanmars Central Body for the Suppression of said David Brickey Bloomer, child protection director with Save the Children UK in Myanmar. Anti-trafficking work in Myanmar is primarily focused on rehabilitation and reintegration; there needs to be a greater commitment on the part of all towards more prevention strategies which are inherently sustainable, he said. Instead of helping, Thazins brother said the police in Yangon demanded $600 as a bribe before they would search for her. He was unable to afford this sum, so Thazin remained a captive of her husband until she could take no more and managed to escape. I even tore off my clothes. I was running naked, she said, until she reached a bus station near the border where people clothed her and returned her to Myanmar. The US State Department releases its 2011 Trafficking in Persons report in the coming weeks. Myanmar has always ranked among Tier 3 countries, the lowest ranking possible in anti-trafficking performance. The 2010 report acknowledged the work done against international trafficking, but condemned Myanmar for continued in-country forced labour. IRIN

It is a local custom and some think cross-border marriage is normal.

Ohnmar Ei Ei Chaw, national program coordinator for UNIAP

Trafficking in Persons, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The 176-strong Trafficking Task Force, trained by the Asia Regional Trafficking in Persons Project and funded by the Australian Agency for International Development, has been deployed in 23 locations around Myanmar, including hotspots such as Muse, a border town, as well as source cities such as Yangon. Special attention is being paid to buses, the main mode of transport used by traffickers. But prevention efforts are still the primary need,

16

Women of My

Padaung woman in Inle Lake, Shan State. Photo: Douglas Long

Rakhine woman in Mrauk Oo, Rakhine State. Photo: Thandar Khine

Palaung woman living near Kyaukme in Shan State. Photo: Douglas Long

Akha woman and child near Kengtong in Shan State. Photo: Douglas Long

Burman women working near Shwebo in Sagaing Region. Photo: Douglas Long

Shan Gyi (Tai Long) women in Kengtong, Shan State. Photo: Douglas Long

A Muslim woman at wedding in Yangon. Photo: Thandar Khine

17

yanmar
The constitution of Myanmar recognises eight national ethnic races to which 135 ethnic groups belong. These photographs provide a glimpse of Myanmars ethnic and cultural diversity.

Eng woman living near Kengtong in Shan State. Photo: Thandar Khine

Khamti Shan women in Kaung Mu Lon village, Kachin State. Photo: Douglas Long

Burman women living along Ayeyarwady River in Mandalay Region. Photo: Douglas Long

An Eng woman in Kengtong, Shan State. Photo: Thandar Khine

Chin woman in Kanpetlet, Chin State. Photo: Douglas Long

Danu women near Pindaya in Shan State. Photo: Douglas Long

Pa-O women at Kekku Pagoda in Shan State. Photo: Douglas Long

18

In conversation with writer Khin Pan Hnin

Zon Pann Pwint
zonpann08@gmail.com

HE was hooked by the age of seven. As soon as Khin Pan Hnin was able to read, she was caught up in the novels of doctor-turned-writer Teikkatho Phone Naing whose career is, in some ways, mirrored by her own. His characters completely overwhelmed me. In some ways they resemble the author, she said. Many of Teikkatho Phone Naings characters are doctors. Khin Pan Hnin was the daughter of supportive parents who encouraged their two daughters to study hard. At school, she quickly became an outstanding pupil. Being the elder sister, I was much indulged and wasnt asked to help in the kitchen because my mother wanted me to concentrate on my studies. At school I was smart, and I was determined to become a doctor, she added. Khin Pan Hnin matriculated with flying colours and in 1967 was admitted to the Medicine Institute (1) in Yangon, where her first poem was published in a school magazine in 1969. While studying, she contributed poems to Pyi Ni Nyo Pyar (White, Red, Brown and Blue)

Doctor-turned-writer Khin Pan Hnin turned to writing after the public began turning its back on general practice medicine. Photo: Zon Pann Pwint magazine. Her debut novella Lan Shaut Thu Myar (Walkers) was published in 1981. Her first short story was printed in Lone Ma Lay (Lady) in 1985. I enjoyed my literary career, but I wasnt going to give up medicine. Then, in 1989, my life changed, she said. The writer, whose real name is Dr Khin Myint Oo, opened a clinic in Shwebonethar Street and pursued a medical career until 1989.

Some men write under female pseudonyms to attract readers.

At that time, patients didnt want to consult general practitioners they wanted to go direct to specialists. Patients would pay no attention to their GP , and they complained a lot. I

didnt see much of a future for my clinic, she said. So she turned to writing first poems, then fiction. I went to Yangon in 1991 about the time magazines started to feature news articles. My friend, writer Maung Sein Win (Padeekone) was running Shwe Tha Min (Golden Deer). At first, when he asked me to report the news, I didnt think that was the job of fiction writers. When the magazine closed, she continued her journalistic career

at Snap Shot. I never gave up writing short stories, because its my passion. I usually write at the office once Ive finished subbing the stories for tomorrows paper, said Khin Pan Hnin, now lifestyle editor at Union Daily. Myanmar women have a strong presence as writers now. Myanmar literature has always had equal numbers of men and women, but female writers are particularly strong in the new generation, she said, adding that some men write under female pseudonyms to attract readers. I thought Nora Saung was female, until he moved to a house near mine, she said. Khin Pan Hnin said she seeks inspiration from books and sometimes from films, and derives her motivation from intense feelings. Writers these days write when they feel dissatisfaction. I want them to write when they feel satisfaction, she added. Khin Pan Hnin recalled the effect of censorship on her work. I wrote a story about a row of seven houses in my street in Mayangone township, near the Mental Health Hospital, where former General Than Shwe lived. Nobody was allowed to have parties or funerals. The whole story, which was entitled Door No 8, was censored, she said. Sadly, despite the fact that censorship has been lifted, the manuscript has since been lost and cannot be published.

Juggling act: working mothers

Nuam Bawi
hknuambawi@gmail.com

BEING a teacher takes integrity. Teachers take the place of parents during school hours, said Daw Myint Myint Cho, a primary school teacher in South Dagon. Life is harder for working mothers. We cant know how our marriage will turn out, or what problems we might face if our husband dies. At least if we have a job, we have an income and some respect. Daw Myint Myint Cho, 53, a teacher since 1986, works at Primary School No 9, South Dagon. Despite the

challenges, she has never considered quitting. By juggling work and her duties at home, she managed to put her two sons through dental and medical universities, with support from her husband, a township judge. He would help me with the housework, even washing and ironing, she said. Teachers work regular hours. Journalists, not so much. Aye Thu San, a senior reporter at 7 Days, says a reporters life is particularly difficult for a mother news doesnt wait. Before I got married I had time to follow the news, and before I had the baby I could still devote plenty of time to work. That changed after my daughter arrived. Being a mother is a kind of weakness

A mother and daughter take part in a singing contest held on Mothers Day. Photo: Ko Taik compared to other reporters without children, she says. Competition is fiercer than ever, now that daily papers are operating. Reporters have to write more, and faster. Reporters with children to look after cant devote the same amount of time to the job as journalists who dont have children, she said. Aye Thu San graduated from Computer University in 2005 and entered journalism soon afterwards. I had no idea how hard it was going to be, she said. Six years into her career, she married her boyfriend. My husband has known me since before I became a reporter, so this is not a new thing for him. But having a child does make things more difficult. Sometimes he feels I spend too much time at work. Recent political developments have made journalism even more demanding, though salaries have risen. This is a difficult job for a mother, says Aye Thu San. Making a success of working motherhood means not just choosing the right life partner, but choosing the right job as well.

19

With a little help from her friends

An association of businesswomen is working hard to achieve broad-based success
the construction industry. Daw Hnin Wai said membership is rising as businesswomen attending the groups seminars become interested in joining afterwards. The more members join, the more the group is able to reach out to others. The association earns money from member fees and by renting the fourth floor of the MWEA building to groups as a meeting space. In return, it uses these profits to arrange microfinance loans for women in rural areas. But the benefits arent just financial. We have our own activities on the first day of the month. During presentations, senior members share their experiences with new members and new members introduce themselves. MWEA is also casting its net more widely. The group is currently drafting a policy aimed at improving womens rights and opportunities nationwide. They plan to submit a draft to the government for consideration. For more women to experience success in business will require teamwork and negotiation, Daw Hnin Wai said but it will also require a change of popular opinion about roles for women in society. Some housewives arent interested in their husbands jobs so they may stay away from the business, she traditional roles are changing, with many women becoming enthusiastic about working. But while some women are breaking through into traditionally male-dominated professions such as journalism and policing, starting a business remains a challenge. The main problem, Daw Hnin Wai said, is access to money. Even if women have a good idea for a business, they often lack the capital to get it off the ground. We need more organisations to support [womens businesses], Daw Hnin Wai said. Asked what aspiring businesswomen need to keep in mind, Daw Hnin Wai said the important thing is to do well from the beginning and not to give up easily when confronted by challenges. Fortunately, thats precisely where the WMEA can help. Myanmar Women Entrepreneurs Association (MWEA) is located on 288/290, Shwedagon Pagoda Road, Dagon Township, Yangon. Ph: 95-1-253287, 376639

Ei Thae Thae Naing

eithaethaenaing@gmail.com

LTHOUGH women have the same rights as men, a lack of awareness is common, as is gender discrimination in the workplace. But the secretary of the Myanmar Women Entrepreneurs Association (MWEA), Daw Hnin Wai, is happy to be part of an organisation working to change all that. I am proud to be involved with MWEA because it is the only womens [business] association in Myanmar, Daw Hnin Wai said. She has been MWEAs secretary for the past 13 years and since the association was founded in 1995, the group has been working to help women enter and succeed in business, offering a place for aspiring and established businesswomen to pool their knowledge and help one another succeed. Recognised by the

I am proud to be involved with MWEA because it is the only womens [business] association in Myanmar.
Daw Hnin Wai

Daw Hanin Wai is keen to see more women involved in business. Photo: Ei Thae Thae Naing Ministry of Social Welfare as well as international organisations, the group counts many successful businesswomen among its ranks, both Myanmar and foreigners. MWEA has more than 1600 members, who range from business owners to education professionals to women working at an administrative level. One member who recently passed away, Daw Sal, went from selling cooking oil at a local market to selling diamonds. Another member, Daw Hla Waddy, stands out as one of the few businesswomen working in

said, adding that this is partly because, in Myanmar culture, women are often taught to obey and be gentle, while husbands are traditionally seen as the head of the family. In the past, many women only needed to learn how to do housework, as they rarely worked outside the home. In recent years, these

Female divers live it up in South Korea

Myo Lwin
myolwin286@gmail.com

WHEN the female Korean tour guide told her busload of mostly male passengers that we were on our way to see the women of Jeju Island, she seemed to be expecting a reaction. Our group of visiting journalists had lately become very much aware of the issue of Korean comfort women which continues to agitate relations between South Korea and Japan 70 years after the end of the war. Two former comfort women in their 80s had travelled to Japan to condemn comments by Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto that appeared to defend Japans practice of sexual enslavement. Our guide swiftly moved to enlighten us. The women of Jeju Island, a one-hour flight from Incheon Airport, near Seoul, catch fish for their living, and sell their fresh catch right there on the beach. I was born in Jeju. The women dive into the sea without oxygen masks,

swimsuit or flippers and hunt for seafood, she told us. These are mature women in their 50s and 60s. The oldest of them still diving and catching fish is 84 years old. We stepped down to the narrow rock way to reach the beach area in Jeju Island where the divers were selling their rainbow-hued catch as the waves smashed against the rocks and the chill wind blew. Snug in their warm jackets, four or five pairs of divers were selling live fish from big plastic containers, with tiny plastic stools for

instant consumption. The next day we attended Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity to discuss the theme: 21st Century: Asian Century,Womens Century Achieving Economic Potential through Gender Equality. Speakers said the 21st century has been called the Asian Century in regard to economic development and the Womens Century from a standpoint of womens empowerment. Participants discussed how these two concepts could be combined, even reconciled, in a region that ranks low for gender

The oldest of them still diving and catching fish is 84 years old.
Tour guide

customers. The women welcomed us with broad smiles and invited us to buy their wares. Some Korean men were already ordering fish which the women cut into small and thin slices to go along with the local rice liquor called sochu. Every morning the women come to the beach, dive, catch what they can, change clothes and open shop to sell their catch for

equality according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), World Economic Forum (Davos) and the Asia Society. But many in Korea say mens rights are declining slowly as womens rights are rapidly improving. Mr Hyeyeong-mun Joo, a 30-year-old nuclear engineer from Busan, said gender equality in Korea had greatly

improved in the past five years, but equality was not yet at hand. Women were normally paid less. But he also told me of his struggles to buy a home without which, he said, he would not be allowed to marry. In Korea, a man must own a house. The furniture and household things will come from the womans side. So all I need is the house but property prices are very high. A 24-year old English translator agreed that South Korea had seen recent advances in gender equality, but added that there was still discrimination in the workplace. Many companies pay women less than men, she told me. Striving for the best education to get the best job in a competitive environment placed stress on both genders, said the translator. A man must buy a house so that the wouldbe mother-in-law would agree to let him marry her daughter. Because of the pressure, couples are marrying later, in their early 30s, she said. A former minister of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family of Korea, Ms Kim Kum-lae said they looked

A female hawker sells seafood on Jeju Island. Photo: Myo Lwin forward a society where women were empowered. I lived with my motherin-law at one time. She discriminated against me. I had to fight back. I had to try hard to get equal opportunities with my husband. It was difficult during my political life, she told a special session at the Jeju Forum. Womens rights have been improved but there is still much to be done, she told the meeting. A director of the UNDP Gender Team, Ms Randis Davis, said the elimination of gender disparities would benefit not only women and girls, but the family and society as a whole. Retired psychologist Ms Chung Miriam praised her fellow Oxford alumna Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, citing not just her good education, but also her character. The Korea Foundation, an affiliation of the Korea Ministry of Foreign Affairs sponsored the five-day trip of 23 journalists from around the world.