HEARTBEAT OF THE NATION

1200
Ks.

WWW.MMTIMES.COM

ISSUE 686 | JULY 15 - 21, 2013

General pulls gun on farmers in Nay Pyi Taw

Fishermen return home from Indian prisons
More than 120 men convicted of illegal fishing in India received an emotional homecoming at Yangon International Airport on July 10. About 1000 Myanmar nationals are thought to still be serving jail terms in the prison at Port Blair, in the Andaman Islands, and India has recently increased the minimum sentence for illegal fishing to seven years, prompting fears that the number will only continue to grow.
PAGE
A man is greeted by his mother at Yangon airport on July 10.

NEWS 3

MPs slam govt over land delays

Government bodies are deliberately avoiding implementing a parliamentary commissions recommendations on land disputes, MPs say.

FEATURE 10 Former Senior General Than Shwes personal staff officer, Major General Soe Shein, is accused of threatening to shoot farmers cultivating land at the centre of a long-running land dispute in Nay Pyi An oasis for Mandalays gay Taw. The high-ranking military officer says he only wanted to intimidate them a little bit. NEWS 7

community

Despite a raid last week by police, the corner of Mandalays moat remains a hub for the citys gay community, with scores turning out each night to strut and flirt on the pavement.

NEWS 18

969 goes online, from California

A US resident who has never visited Myanmar launches a new website and Twitter feed purporting to represent the 969 movement.
BUSINESS 24

Inflation worries on the rise

The kyats decline against the US dollar and a speculative boom in the property market are driving up the cost of living, with economists warning inflation could spiral out of control.
THE PULSE 45

04
PHOTO: AUNG HTAY HLAING

A month of fasting, reflection begins

Muslims in Myanmar plan a month of contemplation and donations to the poor to mark Ramadan, the ninth and holiest month of the Islamic lunar calendar, which began July 10.

2 THE MYANMAR TIMES JULY 15 - 21, 2013

Page 2
GOT MILK?
The Thai Ministry of Health plans to purchase more 54-millimetre-wide condoms, to cater for the growing needs of Thai men under 30 years of age, according to a report from The Bangkok Post. More Thai men are now over 170 centimetres tall and exceed 70 kilograms in weight. They can no longer use condoms with sizes of 49mm and 52mm, said Pornthep Siriwanarangsun, director-general of the Disease Prevention and Control Department. Small condoms make them feel uncomfortable and eventually they wont use them, he said, adding that he hoped promoting condom use would reduce HIV infection rates. This comes after the June unveiling of the SizeThailand program, the countrys first standard body size chart, which concluded Thai people are generally growing to bigger sizes and shapes than previous generations. The findings of the chart fit in neatly with the Public Health Ministrys June launch of its Got Milk? campaign, which urged Thais to drink more milk in order to grow more taller and stronger.

online editor Kayleigh Long | kayleighelong@gmail.com

MOS DEF TAKES ON GUANTANAMO

Yasiin Bey, widely known by his former stage name of Mos Def, made headlines this week after undergoing force-feeding in order to draw attention to the procedure being routinely carried out on hunger-striking detainees at Guantanamo Bay. The four-minute video of the enteral feeding attempt was produced by human rights organization Reprieve, and attracted millions of hits within days of its July 9 release. In the video, Bey wears an orange jumpsuit and is shackled to a restraint chair. Around a minute and a half are dedicated to the process of intubation, or inserting the tubes through which food is

pumped. This process can sometimes take as long as two hours. The video is not one for the squeamish, with Bey at one point pleading the two volunteer doctors performing the procedure to stop. When the tube went in, the first part of it is not that bad, but then you get this burning. And then it starts to be, like, really unbearable. It feels like something is going into my brain. And it started to reach the back of my throat. I really couldnt take it. Hunger strikes at the detention facility have escalated in recent months, and the videos release comes as the US faces increasing pressure to stop the practice for Muslim detainees over the holy month of Ramadan.

Thought of the week from The New Light of Myanmars Perspectives column:

It is said in Myanmar that a person without a Facebook identity is like a person without a home address.

Style Statement

DIGITAL DIPLOMACY

The cartoon by Naing used as the Chinese Embassys Facebook profile picture. Photo via Facebook

Yangons tech-savvy Chinese embassy recently changed its Facebook profile photo to a cartoon of a two men, one Chinese and one Myanmar, sitting together in a wooden boat. The cartoon carries an old Myanmar proverb, which translates as Riding in one boat, going in the same direction. A number of people took issue with the power dynamic they believed was represented by the pictures seating arrangements. Mr Gao, head of the embassys political section, offered a somewhat different interpretation, saying that the Chinese rower sat at the front as the character was female and therefore lighter.

Mo Mo Ko and Poe Ei Phyu for NOW! Magazine

Photo: Greg Holland

www.mmtimes.com

News 3

Hluttaw ignores president on Central Bank Law

SOE THAN LYNN soethanlynn@gmail.com A PROMINENT MP has accused his counterparts of bullying after the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw rejected both of President U Thein Seins recommended changes to the Central Bank Law on July 8. Pyithu Hluttaw representative U Kyi Myint of Latha said the failure of the hluttaw to accept one of the presidents recommendations was a loss for the public. The amendment was correct and should have passed but the hluttaw voted against it. Now people are saying that the hluttaw is bullying because they are all voting together without properly considering the issue, said U Kyi Myint, who seconded the presidents recommended change. Im not going to complain if MPs all vote for something that is correct but it is a loss for public when they vote together like that on something of which they have a limited understanding. The president had recommended that the wording of section 27 be changed from general special money to general special account. I agree with the presidents usage because there are some other clauses, such as put in money or take out money repeatedly, in the bill. To do this you need to have an account and if there an account then as a consequence you can do auditting and bookkeeping, U Kyi Myint said. U Kyi Myint said he disagreed with the presidents other recommended change, however, which would have seen the phrase sequential discount in section 2(n) changed to discount. Following parliaments decision on July 8, the law was signed by President U Thein Sein on July 11, a spokesperson for the Presidents Office said. Details of the new legislation have not yet been published but officials say the central bank will have more autonomy and will no longer operate as part of the Ministry of Finance. The significant thing is that the central bank will be an independent body, a central bank official said. The main role of the Central Bank of Myanmar up to now, experts say, has been to print money to fund the governments budget deficit. With AFP, translated by Thiri Min Htun

IN PICTURES
PHOTO: AUNG HTAY HLAING

Hundreds of farmers from Yangon, Bago and Ayeyarwady regions protest outside City Hall in downtown Yangon on July 9. The farmers were protesting against land grabs by the military and government ministries and what they described as the ineffectiveness of a parliamentary commission set up to investigate land disputes. Noe Noe Aung

MPs slam government for delaying on land grabs

MPs say delays in implementing land dispute investigation commissions recommendations are fuelling unrest
WIN KO KO LATT winkolatt2012@gmail.com SOE THAN LYNN soethanlynn@gmail.com THE head of a parliamentary commission investigating land disputes last week called on the government to speed up implementation of the commissions recommendations on land confiscations. U Tin Htut, the representative for Zalun, submitted the proposal to the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw on July 8. This proposal does not mean that the ministries and departmental organisations are not paying attention to land seizure issues, U Tin Htut said. The aim, he said, is to make sure the government is aware that farmers have high expectations that the government will act to compensate them for their losses. During the discussion on July 12 and 13, many MPs expressed support for the proposal. If the authorities are slow to resolve the cases examined by the commission then they might invite unnecessary problems, warned U Win Myint, the Pyithu Hluttaw representative for Pathein. He said that although the recommendations have been submitted to the relevant government bodies farmers are still suffering and unrest is increasing. This is the direct result of the disensure the process of returning the land was not used for political gain. When farmland is given back the local authorities should directly transfer it to the original owners and not transfer it through particular organisations for political reasons. We can understand that the authorities are taking some time to make sure debated it on July 12. The remaining 23 MPs will give their thoughts on July 15 and 16. The investigation commission submitted two reports to the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw earlier this year, with one focusing on military seizures and another on confiscations for industrial zones and urban development. The reports detail the commissions efforts to negotiate compensation for the original owners of confiscated land, a process that U Tin Htut said was ongoing. The commission will complete further negotiations for compensations between farmers and authorised companies, he said. The reports also acknowledged that some persons or organisations are exploiting these land seizures for personal or political gains by releasing the pent-up frustration of the farmers. The commission knows that there are people exploiting farmers by asking for money to help them with these land issues, he said. Translated by Zar Zar Soe

[The unrest] is a direct result of the disobedience of [government] bodies, which are delaying their tasks.
U Win Myint Pyithu Hluttaw representative for Pathein

obedience of these bodies, which are delaying their tasks, he said. The local authorities have to undertake [the commissions recommendations] if they are approved by the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw. He also urged the government to

the disputes are resolved correctly but we need to be careful to make sure the delays are not political, he said. U Win Myint was one of 14 MPs who discussed the commissions activities on July 11, while another eight

NGOs in dilemma over NKorean hostages in Shan State

SOUTH Korean NGOs face a dilemma over how to rescue 64 North Koreans held by Myanmar rebels and forced to work on a drug farm, an activist said last week. The North Koreans have been taken to a rebel camp northeast of Tachileik, a town along the border between Myanmar and Thailand, over the past nine years, Pastor Kim HeeTae said. The refugees were caught while attempting to travel on their own through rebel-held territory to Thailand in order to defect to South Korea after fleeing their poverty-stricken homeland. Were in a great dilemma over how to rescue them, Mr Kim said, adding the rebels are asking for US$5000 ransom for each of the hostages. He said NGOs are unable to launch a campaign to raise the money or to ask for Seoul to intervene as the hostage-takers were extremely publicity shy. We need very quiet negotiations to pull it through, he said. About 80 percent of the North Koreans are women and are forced to work at alcohol manufacturing or drug processing plants. Some of them are forced into prostitution, he said. Male captives are used to grow poppies. A South Korean foreign ministry official said the ministry was investigating the case. Myanmar is the worlds second largest producer of opium the raw ingredient for heroin after Afghanistan, accounting for 10pc of global production, according to UN data. Since the end of the Korean War in 1953, some 25,000 North Korean refugees have escaped and settled in the South. Most begin their journey by crossing into China, where they face repatriation if caught. They then try to reach a second country, with Thailand the most popular choice, from where they generally seek permission to resettle in South Korea. Those who are caught and deported back to the North face severe punishment, including being sent to a labour camp, rights groups say. AFP

4 News

THE MYANMAR TIMES JULY 15 - 21, 2013

Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief (MTE) Ross Dunkley rsdunkley@gmail.com Chief Executive Officer U Myat Swe 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 Douglas Long editors@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 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 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.

Hluttaw to form constitutional review committee this month

WIN KO KO LATT
winkolatt2012@gmail.com

THE Pyidaungsu Hluttaw will form a 105-member committee including military MPs to review the constitution and recommend amendment, representatives said last week. The Union Solidarity and Development Party will have just under half of all seats on the committee, with 52 members. The National League for Democracy will have seven representatives, while the Shan Nationalities Development Party will have four

members. Altogether 18 parties will have at least one representative. I am sure the committee [to review the constitution] will be formed this month, said the Pyithu Hluttaw representative for Thingangyun, U Thein Nyunt. Thura U Aung Ko, a Pyithu Hluttaw representative from the USDP, declined to comment on how his party would approach the constitutional review process. NLD representative U Aung Kyi Nyunt, who has been nominated to the committee, said Daw Aung San Suu Kyi would not take part. The quality of members is more important than the quantity I think. Its important that the committee works effectively, he said.

The number of hluttaw representatives who will be appointed to the constitutional review committee

105

He said the party would push for changes to the rules for who can be president, which presently bar the NLD leader. However, he said there were much more important changes to consider, such as federalism. I cant predict how much well be

able to amend the constitution but we will try our best. It was one of our main objectives when we competed in the 2012 by-elections, he said. However, not all MPs were optimistic about the review process. Our party got two seats on the committee but I do not want to accept the positions because it looks like we are just creating a small parliament inside a larger one, said U Aye Maung, chairman of the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party. U Ye Tun from the SNDP said he would have preferred to see each party get one representative and for the committee to include experts from outside the hluttaw. He said his party would seek to give more rights to states and regions.

Jailed fishermen arrive home from India

MYAT NYEIN AYE myatnyeinaye11092@gmail.com MORE than 120 fishermen arrested by the Indian navy for illegally plying Indias waters were returned to Myanmar last week, a government official said. U Aung Kyaw, deputy director of the Department of Relief and Resettlement, said on July 10 that the return of the 123 fishermen was the first in two years. All have served their sentences of about three or four years in India that were negotiated government-togovernment, he said. We are not taking on the fishermen who have not finished their sentences. When the men have served their sentences, the Indian government informs the Myanmar embassy and at that point we can collect the men from Port Blair in India, he added. The men were returned aboard Myanmar Airways International and Kanbawza Airline flights and arrived at Yangon International Airport on July 10, where they were greeted by relatives and friends. U Aung Kyaw said the government always accepted prisoners returning from abroad but could do little to stop them from reoffending. We plan to return more fishermen who remain in detention in India, and we have been doing this since 1990, he said. We did not return any fishermen last year because we needed to wait until enough had served their sentences. Daw Aye Mra Tha, the marketing and public relations manager of MAI, said the latest return marks the third time that MAI and Kanbawza had flown passengers back to Myanmar. It has also recently brought two plane-loads of migrants back from Malaysia. The department told us that it needs to return 123 fishermen this year, she said. We replied immediately that we would donate free flights to return the men. All were fishermen and in serious trouble in India and we wanted to help. Most of the fishermen a total of 107 hail from Ayeyarwady Region, while five are from Rakhine State, nine from Tanintharyi Region and one each from Mon State and Yangon Region, the department said. The fishermen were to return to their homes within a day, said U Than Soe, deputy director of Ayeyarwady Regions Department of Relief and Resettlement. We want them back with their families as fast as possible, he said. When they arrive back in their home towns, regional immigration officials will arrange for their return home but

A Myanmar fisherman is hugged by his mother at Yangon International Airport after returning from India on July 10. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing

we have to contact their families first and some of the villages where they live cannot easily be contacted. Ko Nyi Lay, from Gwa township in Rakhine State, said he had been imprisoned at Port Blair for three years for illegal fishing and was released after 30 months.

I will never go out to sea again but I will dream about it sometimes. He added that there are nearly 1000 Myanmar serving time for illegal fishing at Port Blair; some are facing eight years in prison after the Indian government increased jail terms for illegal fishermen in 2011, from a

I will never go out to sea again but I will dream about it sometimes.
Ko Nyi Lay Fisherman who received a three-year sentence

Myanmar Consolidated Media Ltd. www.mmtimes.com Head Office: 379/383 Bo Aung Kyaw Street, Kyauktada Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Telephone: (01) 253 642, 392 928 Facsimile: (01) 392 706 Mandalay Bureau: No.178, 74th Street, (Bet. 31st & 32nd streets) Chan Aye Thar San Township, Mandalay. Tel: (02) 24450, 24460, 65391, 65392 Fax: (02) 24460 Email: mdybranch@myanmartimes.com.mm Nay Pyi Taw Bureau: No. 10/72 Bo Tauk Htein St, Yan Aung (1) Quarter, Nay Pyi Taw-Pyinmana. Tel: (067) 23064, 23065 Email: capitalbureau@myanmartimes.com.mm

I went to catch sea slugs, he said. I was arrested in Indian territorial waters and charged with a number of offences, including intruding [into foreign waters], entering India without a visa or passport and illegal fishing. Being imprisoned in India was very tough because we did not speak the language. It was difficult to ask for anything. And while we were not forced to work, if we wanted to earn money we had to.

minimum of two years to a minimum of seven. Ko Nyi Nyi, from Dawei township in Tanintharyi Region, said his vessel had accidentally drifted into Indian waters. I was sentenced to three years and six months, he said. I felt awful and could not sleep. I had never gone to sea before and it will be the last time I go. I dont care what job I have to do. Ill take anything as long as Im working in my own country. But

I need to take the next few months to recover because I was never able to eat enough in prison. A fisherman from Ayeyarwady Region, who asked not to be named, said he had served two terms in Indian prisons. He was also trying to catch sea slugs before his latest imprisonment. I knew what I was doing but there are so many sea slugs in Indian waters, he said. Sea slugs fetch high prices when sold in Yangon at least K140,000 a viss [1.6 kilograms or 3.6 pounds]. I was first apprehended and charged in 2006 and again more recently, he said. U Win Kyaing, general secretary of the Myanmar Fisheries Federation, said the federation had strongly warned fishermen against attempting to illegally fish Indias waters, especially since the Indian government increased its sentences. Some fishermen went to Indian waters to fish as an adventure, he said. But the Indian government has increased the length of prison terms and is no longer reducing sentences. If people want to join the fishing industry, they should join the federation and we will help them out.

TRADE MARK CAUTION

PT Darya Varia Laboratoria Tbk, Indonesia , a Company incorporated in Indonesia,of Talavera Office Park,8th-10th Floors, Jl.Letjen,T.B.Simatupang No.22-26,Jakarta 12430,Indonesia,is the Owner of the following Trade Marks:-

6 News
RAKHINE UPDATE

THE MYANMAR TIMES JULY 15 - 21, 2013

Government to restart population assessment

Immigration officials to engage religious leaders in a bid to resume controversial survey

Reg. No.12509/2012

Reg.No.12510/2012 in respect of Class 5: Pharmaceutical preparation. Fraudulent imitation or unauthorized 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 PT Darya Varia Laboratoria Tbk,Indonesia P.O.Box 60,Yangon Email: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 15 July 2013

EI EI TOE LWIN
eieitoelwin@gmail.com

TRADE MARK CAUTION

UNITED LABORATORIES,INC., a corporation duly organized in the Republic of the Philippines, of No.66,United Street,Mandaluyong City,Philippines,is the owner of the following Trade Marks:-

THE government plans to enlist the help of Muslim community leaders in Rakhine State to resume a population assessment that sparked violent confrontations between IDP camp residents and immigration officials in April. Deputy Minister for Immigration and Population U Kyaw Kyaw Win said at a press conference on July 9 that Rakhine leaders, international NGOs, United Nations agencies and embassies would also be encouraged to support the process. Now, we are persuading all persons religious leaders from different groups, local community leaders, as well as UN agencies to help us resume the process. After that we will take measures for [Muslims] according to the 1982 Citizenship Law, U Kyaw Kyaw Win said. He said the state-wide assessment, which would cover

people of all ethnic backgrounds, is necessary to ensure that relief and resettlement programs are delivered fairly. The government had enlisted 63 local organisations to help implement the official population assessment in Sittwe township as well as other parts of Rakhine State, he said. However, it had to be postponed after disputes broke out at some Muslim IDP camps when immigration officers visited on April 26 and tried to record the ethnicity of camp residents as Bengali. At a camp near Thatkepyin village, about 10 kilometres (6 miles) from Sittwe, camp residents refused, saying they would only sign as Rohingya, and allegedly threw rocks at the officials. Seven alleged leaders of the violence were arrested by local authorities and charged with four offences, including disturbing a public servant, causing grievous hurt to a public servant, criminal intimidation and rioting armed with a deadly weapon. The process went smoothly at first but later they resisted it and asked to change [their

ethnicity to Rohingya] and responded with hostile manner to those staff. So we had to halt the process, U Kyaw Kyaw Win said at the press conference, which was organised by the Central Committee for Implementation of Stability and Development in Rakhine State. He said it was not clear when the program would restart.

1.33
The estimated number of Rohingya, or Bengalis, in Myanmar In response to a question from a reporter, U Kyaw Kyaw Win said he was unsure whether the 500,000 Rohingya who hold temporary ID cards, known as white cards, would be given the right to vote in the next general election, despite

MILLION

having been allowed to vote in 2010. It is up to the Union Election Commission to decide, U Kyaw Kyaw Win said. At a press conference on June 29 in Nay Pyi Taw, Minister for Immigration and Population U Khin Yi said there are 1.33 million Rohingya, or Bengali, Muslims living in Myanmar, of whom 1.08 million, or more than 80 percent, are living in Rakhine State. U Khin Yi said that all official identity documents given to Rohingya had been issued according to the law, and that all Rohingya will get citizenship if they meet the criteria of the 1982 law. UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon weighed in on the issue last week, saying in a statement that it was important that the government address the legitimate grievances of minority communities, including the citizenship demands of the Rohingya in Rakhine. Mr Ban said that he was deeply concerned about the plight of the Rohingya population and the disturbing humanitarian situation in Rakhine State.

Reg.No. 6234/1997

Security still needed in Rakhine: officials

BY EI EI TOE LWIN eieitoelwin@gmail.com TIGHT security is still necessary in Rakhine State to contain communal violence that erupted in June 2012, state and union government officials said last week. Members of the Central Committee for Implementation of Stability and Development in Rakhine State said at a press conference in Yangon on July 9 that almost 1200 people had been arrested as a result of two outbreaks of deadly violence that month. They also gave an overview of security measures put in place since the May 28, 2012, rape and murder of 27-year-old Ma Thidar Htwe in Ramree township. Furore over the incident and subsequent events led to the first outbreak of violence in June 2012, which was followed by more mob violence in October. In response, the government instituted a curfew and assigned security forces to the area, officials said. They also warned that individuals and organisations behind the violence in Rakhine State would be exposed and legal action taken against them. Rakhine State Minister for Security and Border Affairs Colonel Htein Lin said that almost 1200 people had been arrested and of these, 507 culprits in 195 cases have been sentenced. Courts are still hearing 54 cases involving 662 culprits, he said. Col Htein Lin added that the cases involve more Muslims than Rakhines but he added that the government is

Reg.No. 12513/2012

Reg.No. 12515/2012

Reg.No. 6236/1997

Reg. No.6240/1997

Reg.No. 6238/1997

Minister for Industry U Aye Myint speaks in Yangon on July 9. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing

Reg.No. 12524/2012 in respect of Class 5: Pharmaceutical preparation. Fraudulent imitation or unauthorized 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 UNITED LABORATORIES, INC. P.O. Box 60, Yangon Email: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 15 July 2013

taking care of the security of both communities. There are many security forces guarding near the IDP camps and also Tatmadaw are on guard around the state, he said. Security operations are still ongoing. There has not been a reduction in the number of forces. A report published in April by an investigation commission set up in August 2012 to probe outbreaks of communal violence in Rakhine State advised the president to increase security forces in border areas

rather than decrease them. At the press conference, Rakhine State Minister for Home Affairs Brigadier General Kyaw Zan Myint provided more exact details of the number of armed forces currently at work in Rakhine State. More than 6000 individuals comprising 2000 policemen of the Rakhine State Police Force, more than 3000 security troops, 1200 border region and immigration troops, and soldiers from the Tatmadaw are cooperating to provide security to the state, he said.

Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs U Thant Kyaw added that the government is also working to ensure the conflict does not spread beyond Rakhine State to the rest of Myanmar or further afield. The government has been making all-out efforts for the peaceful coexistence of different communities in the country and for community peace, he said. All countries should cooperate with each other to stop the spread of conflicts.

www.mmtimes.com

News 7

General takes law into own hands to solve land dispute

PYAE THET PHYO pyaethetphyo87@gmail.com FARMERS in Nay Pyi Taw say a former personal staff officer to Senior General Than Shwe allegedly pulled a gun on them and one of his staff assaulted a bystander as part of a long-running land dispute in the capital. Ko Aung Than Oo said the incident occurred in Lewe townships Pin Thaung village on July 5 when he was weeding land that Major General Soe Shein acquired in 2010-11 when he was then-Senior General Than Shwes PSO. Eyewitnesses told The Myanmar Times that Maj Gen Soe Shein told Ko Aung Than Oo, Stop your work and get out of this compound right now. Unless you do as you are told, Ill shoot you. They said another member of Maj Gen Soe Sheins group, Ko Hlaing Phyo Win, allegedly assaulted a bystander, Ma Khin Tint, by grabbing her blouse and saying, What are you looking at? Ill punch you. Residents said it was the first time that weapons had been used in the dispute. However, they said a number of Maj Gen Soe Sheins workers had verbally threatened them. Maj Gen Soe Shein told The Myanmar Times on July 11 that he had repeatedly warned the villagers not to cultivate his land. He also confirmed that he had threatened them with a gun. Im always warning them not to, he said. I own that land officially. But they kept doing it so we wanted to intimidate them a little bit. The farmers have accused Maj Gen Soe Shein of breaking farmland rules when he acquired 500 acres in Lewe township in 2010-11 because he did not specify that the land, which was incorrectly classified as vacant, was being cultivated when he applied for ownership. They also say he is illegally using the land to excavate limestone and produce lime instead of cultivating perennial plants. The farmers have sent complaint letters to the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigations Central Committee for the Management of Vacant, Fallow and Virgin Lands, the Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry, and the Ministry of Mines but so far no action has been taken. Similarly, local police appear reluctant to act on their complaints. After they reported the incident to the police station in nearby Aye Lar village, the head of the station told them to settle it instead at the township court because the accused is a high-ranking military officer, Ko Aung Than Oo said. Aye Lar police station didnt accept our complaint. They told us to apply directly to the township court so we went and filed our complaint at Lewe township court on July 8 but they said there was not enough evidence to accept it. Police Officer Kyaw San Oo from Aye Lar confirmed that the station could not accept the case because of the accuseds rank. Because of the inaction of law enforcement officers and the legal system, Nay Pyi Taw Pyithu Hluttaw representative Daw Sandar Min from the National League for Democracy has promised to raise the case in the hluttaw. It is unacceptable that people are being bullied with weapons, said lawyer and National League for Democracy member U Khin Maung Zaw. They should settle it within the law. That kind of incident shouldnt happen. Translated by Thiri Min Htun
Pedestrians walk past Su Htoo Pan Cinema on Bogyoke Aung San Road in downtown Yangon. Photo: Boothee

Father Land Construction withdraws suit against actress

ZON PANN PWINT zonpann08@gmail.com FATHER Land Construction has withdrawn a lawsuit against actress Daw Wah Wah Win Shwe that was filed after they fell out over a plan to develop the site of a former Su Htoo Pan Cinema on Bogyoke Aung San Road. A spokesperson for Father Land, U Myo Myint, said both sides agreed to cancel the original contract made to develop a 12-storey tower on the site. We made the agreement to withdraw the defamation lawsuit that the company filed against her to the Yangon Region High Court, U Myo Myint said. Now both sides are at peace. We wont have any problems in future. The agreement states that the development deal will be cancelled and any lawsuits filed to the Yangon

Maj Gen Soe Shein levelled a pistol at my head and ordered me to stop my work.
Ko Aung Than Oo Farmer from Lewe township

The amount Daw Wah Wah Win Shwe paid Father Land to develop the Su Htoo Pan Cinema site

900

MILLION KYAT

Region High Court by either side must be withdrawn. The chairman of the construction company also has to return the site personally to Daw Wah Wah Win Shwe. The case was filed in late June after the three-time Academy Awardwinning actress placed a notice in state media accusing the companys

chairman of performing an occult ceremony at the site. She also said Father Land had failed to make satisfactory progress on the site, accusing the company of failing to secure planning permission from Yangon City Development Committee after both sides agreed to develop a 21-storey tower rather than the original 12 levels. However, the company said the problems were related to Daw Wah Wah Win Shwes financial difficulties, saying she could only pay three-quarters of the K1.2 billion specified in the agreement. U Myo Myint declined to say whether the construction company would give back the K900 million Daw Wah Wah Win Shwe had already paid it to develop the site. Daw Wah Wah Win Shwe could not be reached for comment last week as she was travellling abroad with her family.

Ko Aung Than Oo said he was terrified when Maj Gen Soe Shein pulled a gun on him. Maj Gen Soe Shein levelled the pistol at my head and ordered me to stop my work. I was scared and ran away but he followed me and [five other members of his group] ran after me with knives in their hands, he said on July 9. Ko Zaw Min, who works as a casual labourer on Ko Aung Than Oos farm, said Maj Gen Soe Shein and his group arrived at the farm about 11am in two vehicles. They stopped the vehicles near a sesame farm and then they came into the garden and told us to stop our work. Maj Gen Soe Shein took out his gun and levelled it at him and told him to stop working. He was scared and ran away to the village but Maj Gen Soe Shein and his followers ran after him with knives, Ko Zaw Min said.

Govt to expand microcredit program

SU HLAING TUN hsuhlainghtun.mcm@gmail.com MINISTER for Cooperatives U Kyaw Hsan has announced plans to expand a governments microfinance program, while also calling for more international support for cooperative endeavours in Myanmar. The statements were made as part of a ceremony to mark International Cooperative Day. Minister U Kyaw Hsan said lowinterest microloans will be made available to more than 60,000 villages by the end of 2015, with anywhere from K600 billion to K3 trillion (US$615 million to $3.08 billion) to be disbursed. We already know people cant overcome their everyday struggles through microfinance alone. But we can help them [create businesses based on] mechanised farming production, trading, livestock and other services through microfinance loans, U Kyaw Hsan said. The microloans program is aimed at relieving the publics short-term financial problems with the aim of eventually creating sustainable development. On the cooperatives sector, U Kyaw Hsan said the main hindrances to growth are interference from the authorities; mismanagement of cooperative associations; and weaknesses among members, executives and workers. In foreign countries, cooperative associations are leading their sectors but we havent achieved success. I would like to call on the International Cooperative Federation, the United Nations and its subordinates, and other international cooperative associations to give us assistance and be more involved in our cooperative operations, U Kyaw Hsan said. Translated by Zar Zar Soe

8 News

THE MYANMAR TIMES JULY 15 - 21, 2013

Controversy over press law

NAW SAY PHAW WAA
nawsayphawwaa@gmail.com

THE Pyithu Hluttaws approval of the Printing and Publishing Enterprise Bill has sparked a backlash among journalists and editors, who argue that the law in its current form would potentially restrict press freedom. The draft was approved by lower house MPs on July 4, a move the Myanmar Journalists Network immediately described as a step backwards for the media. Network secretary U Myint Kyaw told The Myanmar Times that the Ministry of Information had ignored most of the recommendations made by the Interim Press Council. The press council recommended 28 changes and 23 of these were not included in the version sent to parliament, he said. Because of this, it is hard to still look at the law constructively. On July 7, the press council also issued a statement condemning the bill. Council member U Thiha Saw said the group sent letters to the hluttaws, Presidents Office and political parties outlining its reasons for opposing the bill. Unless there is change all of the members from the press council are

ready to resign. However we will try hard in different ways to avoid that outcome, he said. Press council members accused the ministry of backtracking on a promise which they say they have in writing from Deputy Minister for Information U Ye Htut to submit the ministrys bill and another drafted by the press council at the same time. Member U Kyaw Min Swe said the council had met ministry officials, including Minister for Information U Aung Kyi, four times to discuss the Printing and Publishing Enterprise Bill. He said that few of their recommendations had been acted on and accused the ministry of breaking an agreement between gentlemen. Press council member U Zaw Thet Htwe said following the outcry Daw Aung San Suu Kyi had requested a copy of the draft press law, which the

An employee monitors the printing of newspapers at a printing house in Yangon in March. Photo: AFP

Unless there is change all of the members from the press council are ready to resign.
U Thiha Saw Interim Press Council member

council sent to her on July 9. State media responded to the criticism by publishing what it said was a transcript of the meeting between U Aung Kyi and four members of the press council, at which the minister said the Printing and Publishing Enterprise Bill was different from the Press Bill that the council has drafted. He said the ministrys law represents all 5000 publishers in Myanmar, while the councils covers only the 5 to 10 percent who are in the journalism field. He said that it was not possible to make a u-turn on the law. If a new draft law was submitted, it is unlikely that the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw will accept it now. So, I think it

would be better to place more emphasis on the part of amending it, he was quoted as saying in the state-run New Light of Myanmar on July 12. We want to see journalists enjoying their rights under the press law when we are in office, he said. He said the press law could address issues, such as freedom of information, that are not included in the Printing and Publishing Enterprise Bill. It is impossible to add it in the Printing and Publishing Law as the law covers a flood of matters related to publication, not matters of journalism only, he said. On the restrictions in the draft publishing law, U Aung Kyi indicated they

were necessary to control publications that criticise Buddhism. He said senior monks are deeply unhappy about the situation in which a lot of banned books ... endangering the teachings of Buddha are easily available on the streets. But Burma News International, an organisation of more than 10 ethnic media news outlets, said the draft law is enforcing the restrictions upon Myanmar media development. Under this law, the Ministry of Information would maintain the authority to issue publication licences as well as revoke or terminate licences for those who violate rules proposed in the bill, it said in a statement.

Sagaing police reject protest application over Wetlet park

SI THU LWIN sithulwin.mmtimes@gmail.com THE Sagaing Region Police Force Office has rejected an appeal by Wetlet residents against the township polices decision to forbid their protest application. The residents are seeking to protest over a 52.11-acre park in Wetlet that was informally handed over to the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) in 1998 with the agreement of five community leaders. However, residents say that it should be given back now that the association has transformed into a political party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). The township police office rejected their application to protest on June 12 and the regional office knocked back the appeal on June 26, citing the same reasons as the township office. The police have rejected the application on the ground that a response was pending from the president and government ministries. They also said the garden was given to the USDA voluntarily and not confiscated so the process of handing it back needs to take place through legal channels. Police also said they were concerned the issue could cause riots throughout the township, and in particular clashes between USDP members and demonstrators. But Ko Zaw Zaw Soe, a resident involved in the campaign, said the reasons for denying the protest application were not justified. Demonstrators will sign an agreement to hold an orderly and peaceful protest. There is also a sufficient number of police, he said. It was not a legal transfer when the park was handed over to the USDA. The real owners are the people of Wetlet so we have applied permission to peacefully protest because we believe that all citizens have a duty to protect public property. He said the party should give the land back voluntarily but also called on election commission officials to report the issue to the Union Election Commission. Translated by Zar Zar Soe

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is an impartial, neutral and independent organization, undertaking exclusively humanitarian activities in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. The ICRC is currently looking for motivated persons to fill the following positions. Title Communication Officer Cooperation Field Officer Communication & Cooperation Field Officer Health Field Officer Health Field Officer (for Emergency Medical Evacuations) Health Field Officer Wathab Field Officer Duty Station Yangon Yangon Sittwe Sittwe Sittwe Mrauk-U Sittwe & Mrauk-U Deadline 31 July 2013 31 July 2013 31 July 2013 31 July 2013 31 July 2013 31 July 2013 31 July 2013

Interested persons should submit an application letter and a CV together with a recent photo to: the Human Resources Department, Yangon (No.2(C)-5, Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, 8th mile, Mayangone Township, Yangon) or by e-mail to: kminhan@icrc.org before the deadline. Only persons with appropriate qualifications will be considered. For more details, feel free to contact the ICRC delegation through phone numbers (+951 662613, 650136, 664524).

www.mmtimes.com

News 9

Complaint filed over damage to gold mine

SU HLAING TUN hsuhlainghtun.mcm@gmail.com THE owner of a Kachin State goldmine that was destroyed by an armed group in May said she plans to submit a complaint to Daw Aung San Suu Kyis parliamentary committee for redress. The goldmine, in Neint Pem village of Kachin States Hpakant township, spans 0.25 acres. It was leased in August 2011 from Annanta Moekote Satwyne Company but was destroyed by some 40 armed people led by U Law Cho and U Mg Bo on May 23, Daw Myint Myint Aye said. She is asking for more than K103 million in compensation and brought her complaint letter to the Pyithu Hluttaw Rule of Law, Stability and Peace Committee personally because, she said, the township administrators and police have not been willing to deal with the matter themselves. The township authorities have refused to take any action over the destruction of my mine even though they have seen that it was destroyed, she said on July 9. In Hpakant, gold and jade mining fields are operated by large companies granted official mining operation status by the government, while residents like Daw Myint Myint Aye sometimes informally lease smaller tracts from the companies. Daw Myint Myint Aye said the recent attacks meant this prospect was now impossible. We have no money left to pay wages to the miners and [to replace] damaged machinery. Who will take responsibility for it? So I came here to tell the president and parliament about my problem, Daw Myint Myint Aye said. She said the armed group arrived on the morning of May 23 and threatened to remove her from the field. She told them she would relay the request to Annanta Moekote Satwyne Company, which formally owns the lease, but the armed group covered the gold field with earth using bulldozer while I was away. My workers didnt dare to stop them because they had knives and sticks, she said. Over the next three days, Daw Myint Myint Ayes machinery was also destroyed. She informed the Hpakant township administrator of the attack on June 1, but so far has not received any response from the administrator. Annanta Moekote Satwyne, the company she leased the plot from, even threatened her with legal action, she said. This also concerns the company so I made contact with it but contrary to my expectation of help, I finally got a threat from them saying that they can imprison me for illegal gold mining, she said. She added she has also sent complaint letters to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Myanmar Police Force. Translated by Zar Zar Soe

Buddhists jailed over riots

More than 20 Buddhists given sentences ranging from two to 10 years for their roles in Meiktila violence
MORE than 20 Buddhists have been jailed for their roles in religious riots in March, including a deadly attack on a Muslim boarding school, lawyers and police said last week. The convictions follow earlier concerns among rights groups that Muslims were bearing the brunt of the legal crackdown on suspects involved in the unrest which shook the town of Meiktila in Mandalay Region. The Buddhists were sentenced on June 10 and 11 on charges including murder, assault, theft, arson and inciting unrest, said a police official who asked not to be named. State media, which did not specify the suspects religion, said the sentences ranged from two years for minor offences such as theft to 10 years for murder, with some defendants handed several terms to be served separately. Some of the charges related to the deaths of students at an Islamic school on the outskirts of Meiktila, said U Ba San, a lawyer who was at the court. We have to say that both Buddhists and Muslims have been sentenced if found guilty, he said. More than a dozen Muslims have been convicted in relation to the violence, with a number receiving life imprisonment for murder. In May, seven Muslims were
A resident watches as black smoke rises from burning houses in Meiktila on March 21. Photo: AFP

sentenced to between two and 28 years for their parts in the killing of a Buddhist monk during the unrest, which was apparently triggered by a quarrel in a Muslim-owned gold shop. Before the latest convictions, only two Buddhists were known to have been sentenced for serious offences

during the riots, which drove thousands of Muslims from their homes. Officially 44 people were killed in the two days of bloodshed in Meiktila, although some fear the toll was much higher. According to eyewitnesses interviewed by the rights group Physicians

for Human Rights, a Buddhist mob hunted down and killed some 20 students and four teachers at the Islamic school. Witnesses recounted seeing one pupil being decapitated and several being burned alive, the US-based group said in a May report. AFP

10 News

THE MYANMAR TIMES JULY 15 - 21, 2013

Police target gay men in raid

SI THU LWIN sithulwin.mmtimes@gmail.com MEMBERS of Mandalays gay community have accused police of harassment after nine people were arrested by plainclothed police near the citys moat. Nine men were arrested at about 8pm on July 7 for allegedly committing inappropriate acts and speaking unsuitable words in public, a spokesperson for the Mandalay Region police force office said. Police Major Soe Nyein said another two men were arrested at the corner of 26th and 66th streets at about 11pm on July 7. The southeast corner of the moat has become a night-time gathering point for the citys gay community, particularly transsexuals, and they were dismayed at the police forces decision to target them. They shouldnt have done this ... It is a human rights abuse. As citizens we have the right to go freely around in the city. They can arrest people if they are really disturbing the public but not all of us, said one gay man, Shin Thant, who regularly visits the moat. He said the arrests were prompted by a complaint from a senior military official who had been propositioned by a gay man while walking along the moat earlier on July 7. The nine men arrested at about 8pm were released after signing a guarantee in front of police and their parents that they would not go to the moat again wearing womens clothes. One of the arrested men, Myat Noe, said the police had not handled the arrests professionally. They should have calmly taken us if they wanted to investigate. If so, we would probably have followed quietly. But the scene was quite chaotic Some people were handcuffed together. We are not guilty of anything, Myat Noe said, adding that he would start going back to the moat when tensions calmed down. Translated by Zar Zar Soe

Transsexuals walk along Mandalays moat. Photo: Si Thu Lwin

Mandalay moat an oasis for citys gay community

At night, the pavement beside 26th Street becomes a promenade for transsexuals in Myanmars former royal capital

SI THU LWIN
sithulwin.mmtimes@gmail.com

THE two figures sashay along the pavement in front of the Mandalay moat, almost directly in front of Sedona Hotel. With their slim figures, heavily made-up faces and long, straight hair, in the dim light the pair could easily pass as two young women out for a stroll. But instead they are members of the citys homosexual community, for which the walkway around the moat has become something of an oasis, attracting an average of 50 to 70 people each night. Oh, lovely boys are coming Im so excited, the two whisper to each other with a smile. The proliferation of gays, as members of the homosexual community like to be called, in fashionable womens clothing gives the promenade the appearance of a catwalk. Many openly flirt with men walking

along the pavement. As the evening lengthens, the crowd only seems to grow larger. Our life has no pleasure in daytime, said Nan Shae Yati Soe, a makeup artist from Mandalay who regularly visits the moat at night. Most people make fun of us because they dont really understand gay culture. I hate the daytime. But even if we are tired from work we are very excited to go out at night after we fix our make-up and put on our womens clothes, he said. The transsexual men who gather at the moat include both those who also dress as women during the day, known as apwint, and those who are described as apone men who hide their femininity during the day but dress as women at night. I dress and act as a typical man when I attend university during the day, said Kywe Yoke, a first year physics major at Yadanarpon University, said with a timid smile. I might wear mens clothes but my mind and feelings are more tender than a girls. Like most members of the gay community, Kywe Yoke goes by a nickname rather than his real name.

At night, this persona comes out when he dons womens clothes. At the [moat], not only has the number of homosexual men increased but also more young men visit. I believe that it shows their love and recognition for gays. The gay men refer to handsome men like Kywe Yoke as asin lay, which means gorgeous man, and they refer to less attractive men as yoke ka soe (ugly face). Kywe Yoke said he has already accepted that he will never have a wife and children and instead simply wants to lead a happy life. So satisfied

I hate the daytime. But even if we are tired from work we are very excited to go out at night.
Nan Shae Yati Soe Make-up artist from Mandalay

is he with his sexual orientation that he said he also wants to be gay in his future lives. The moat-side hub allows members of the gay community to gather without the embarrassment they would feel elsewhere during the daytime. It is also crowded with young couples and families and, unlike in other areas of the city, the police rarely harass them, although this is not always the case. (See related story right.) Since I was young, I wanted to dress like a girl. Now at work I dress as a woman but I have to try and control myself my behaviour and my way of speaking so that people do not misunderstand me, said makeup artist Poe Poe. Nywe Pin, an engineer who is currently living as an apone, said that he feels hiding his femininity is essential to maintain his social status. I have a fiance who was chosen by my parents. And I have a boyfriend too, Nywe Pin said. I will marry a woman because I want a family life. This woman understands [that] A homosexual man can never change his feminine features. Translated by Zar Zar Soe

MMA members threaten legal action over lease plan

YAMON PHU THIT yamon89@gmail.com MYANMAR Medical Association members are considering launching legal action against the associations central executive committee over its attempts to lease the groups Yangon headquarters to a foreign company. Rank-and-file members have accused the associations leaders of violating its 2009 constitution, which states that major decisions about the associations finances have to be referred to members. However, members say the constitution also forbids the association from partnering up with foreign or local companies. Central executive committee members have rejected the accusations and argue that leasing out the headquarters, on Theinbyu Road in Mingalar Taung Nyunt township, would provide a valuable revenue stream. Under the committees plan, the four-storey building would be demolished and the land leased to a foreign company. Weekly Eleven reported that the committee was negotiating with Shangri-La group to develop the site. A spokesperson for the company did not respond to requests for comment. The proposal was due to be put to a vote at an association meeting on July 13. To support their efforts to stop the plan, members formed a temporary Land and Building Protection Committee on June 29, comprising 18 wellknown doctors. The new committee aims to protect the land and buildings without targeting senior MMA members personally, its president, Dr Aung Khin Sint, said. He said the committee would decide whether to pursue legal action failing to be transparent about the associations finances. But general secretary Dr Myint Thaung rejected the allegations. Its not true that MMA officials are cheating members and trying to personally benefit from the land, he said. He said the central executive committee wants to use the additional revenue that the deal would bring to conduct research, sponsor doctors for further study, improve association facilities for members and expand its public health activities. A lawyer from the Myanmar Lawyers Network said he believed it would be possible for the Land and Building Protection Committee to ask the court to stop the central executive committee from pushing through a deal for the office site. It appears they have not followed the constitution, network member U Myint Oo Maung said.

The MMA headquarters in Mingalar Taung Nyunt township. Photo: Staff

based on the result of the July 13 meeting. The Myanmar Lawyers Network has promised to help if they proceed to the courts. We formed this committee in order to protect our land and buildings as much as we can. We will go forward and take action against them if

necessary, he said. The dispute has divided the association since senior members announced their plan to lease the building at a medical conference held in Mawlamyine in January. Some members of have accused the central executive committee of

www.mmtimes.com

News 11

A CCTV still shows one of two Chinese men accused of stealing jewellery from a shop in Mandalay last month. Photo: Supplied

Govt tightens up on immigration in MDY

KHIN SU WAI jasminekhin@gmail.com OFFICIALS in Mandalay say they have been cracking down in recent months on foreign workers breaking immigration rules and regulations, citing several recent cases involving Chinese nationals. The head of Mandalay Regions immigration department, U Thaung Zaw, said more education about immigration rules is also needed for both foreign and Myanmar nationals. In April, about 20 Chinese people were deported through Mandalay International Airport after the government found they were running an illegal gold business in Hpakant, Kachin State, he said. In May three more cases involving Chinese nationals were reported. In one case, a man was found to have stayed overnight in a karaoke lounge, while another was jailed for fighting in Mandalays jade market. More recently, The Voice reported that police are searching for two Chinese men who allegedly stole a diamond and sapphire ring and a diamond and jade necklace from a gem shop in Chan Aye Tharsan township on June 26. In most cases we put them on the black list and sent them back to China, U Thaung Zaw said. The Chinese consulate in Mandalay declined to comment last week. U Thaung Zaw said there are about 400 to 500 foreign nationals working in Mandalay Region, mostly in the mining and manufacturing sectors. About half are Chinese. U Thaung Zaw said foreigners can stay only at licensed hotels and generally cannot stay at the home of a Myanmar national overnight. He said his department is working with hotels and tour guides to make sure they understand the immigration rules. As part of its efforts to improve knowledge, the department has been visiting each business in Mandalay that employs foreign workers to explain the rules since February. He said people also need to be aware of areas of the country that foreigners are not allowed to visit. One of my acquaintances [a tour guide] got a six-month jail sentence for taking a foreigner to a restricted area in Dawei. The foreigner was put on the blacklist and sent back to his country, U Thaung Zaw said. Ma Aye Mya, a long-time Mandalay resident, said she had recently been caught out by rules related to the granting of a visa on arrival at Mandalay airport. We know that Mandalay has an arrival visa, so my cousin invited a foreigner to come to Mandalay airport. But they didnt get the arrival visa so they had to buy a ticket back to Bangkok. The [immigration] officer said that there are arrival visas for specific countries but they have to have an invitation letter from an authorised [Myanmar] company, she said.

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE S.A. a company organized under the laws of Switzerland and having its principal office at Route Louis-Braille 10, CH-1763 Granges-Paccot, Switzerland is the owner and sole proprietor of the following trademark:(Reg: No. IV/1042/2013) in respect of :- Pneumatic tires and inner tubes for vehicle wheels; treads for retreading tires; tracks for track vehicles. Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. U Kyi Win Associates for MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE S.A. P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 15th July, 2013

BFGOODRICH

12 News

THE MYANMAR TIMES JULY 15 - 21, 2013

Farmers ignore Tatmadaw land return offer

PYAE THET PHYO pyaethetphyo87@gmail.com FARMERS in Nay Pyi Taw are snubbing the Tatmadaws offer to return about 280 acres of confiscated land because they fear becoming tenant farmers of the military. The 280 acres are part of a larger 5000-acre plot in Lewe townships Thapyay Pin village that infantry regiments 413 and 414 formally confiscated in 2004 but had occupied since 1990, residents said. The decision to return the 280 acres less than 6 percent of the total amount seized was made following a meeting of the commander-in-chief, the quartermaster-general and a parliamentary land dispute investigation team on June 28, at which the military agreed to hand back land it had confiscated but was not using. However, U Kyaw Swe Latt, a member of an activist group involved in farmer and worker issues in Nay Pyi Taw, said farmers were put off by the military asking them to submit applications to cultivate the land. They asked the farmers to put in an application [to cultivate the land] so its not different from before. This is just a way to control cultivation the farmers will not own the land anymore, U Kyaw Swe Latt said. He said the fields returned to farmers were of poor quality. The two infantry regiments had used 50 of the 280 acres to grow paddy and other crops in 2012 but had lost money. The returned farmland is inconvenient to grow paddy because there is no reliable water supply, he said. However, farmers will not be able to cultivate any of the land until they have submitted an application to the military, said U Myint Maung, who lost 7 acres. The military gave us a letter late last month that stated, Do not enter the farmlands at all. They informed us again verbally that those who wanted to cultivate the land needed to submit an application, he said. But the farmers dont want to [submit an application] because they think it will only advantage [the military]. So far, no one has started applying. Ko Htain Lin from nearby Nyaung Mote Sate village, who lost 20 acres to the military, said farmers were concerned about whether they would be able to start cultivating in time to plant a monsoon paddy crop. A commissioned officer from No 414 battalion said he regretted taking the villagers land. Really, we didnt want to do that but it was the directive of our commander, he said. Translated by Zar Zar Soe

Journal apologises to 14-year-old model over elopement story

NANDAR AUNG newsroom@myanmartimes.com.mm RUMOURS that a 14-year-old model, the daughter of actor Lwin Moe, has eloped with former Senior General Than Shwes grandson have landed a Myanmar journal in hot water. Unity Weekly reported on June 22 that the rumours about Yun Waddy Lwin Moe, the actors eldest daughter, and Nay Shwe Thway Aung, also known as Poe La Pyae, were not true. While the headline of the article, which was run on page three, made this clear, a headline on the front page said that she had reportedly eloped. This prompted an angry reaction from the models mother, Daw May Thu, who threatened to file a defamation claim. The journal promptly published an apology. Chief reporter Thar Moe Kyi Aung, who penned the article, described it as a production error but said he did not want to blame the journals editors or designers as our jobs depend on each other. He also said Daw May Thu had misunderstood the headline. He said he wrote the article because many people asked him if the rumour was true. I contacted U Lwin Moe asked about that. I also made enquiries in Poe La Pyaes community, he said. Daw May Thu said it was natural that celebrities had to face rumours about their private lives but the journals headline was so bad for

Yun Waddy Lwin Moe, the daughter of actor Lwin Moe. Photo: Htet Aung Kyaw

my daughter. My daughter is only 14 years old and we supervise her closely. She is a polite girl. They shouldnt write news like that [about a teenager], she said. In an interview with NOW! published on July 1, Yun Waddy

Lwin Moe agreed there were so many rumours being circulated about her but said they should not be trusted. Despite her age, Yun Waddy Lwin Moe has proven a hit on Facebook, with her official page attracting more than 128,000 likes.

www.mmtimes.com

News 13

Concerns over slow progress on child soldiers

UN agencies involved in action plan signed in June 2012 urge Tatmadaw to be more transparent
STAFF WRITERS newsroom@mmtimes.com THE United Nations has welcomed the Tatmadaws release of more child soldiers but says it still needs to do more before it can be considered for removal from secretary general Ban Ki-moons blacklist of armies that recruit and use children. The Tatmadaw on July 7 discharged 34 child soldiers and eight other soldiers who had been recruited as children to their families and friends in the presence of high-ranking members of the government and UN agencies. The youngest solider released was 15 years old and the oldest, at 24, had been recruited into the army as a child. The average age of the discharged soldiers was 17. UN resident coordinator Ashok Nigam applauded the armys move and said he now expects the Tatmadaw to be in a position to speed up the release of all children. We are very happy for the 42 children and their families today, but we must accelerate efforts so that many more children will benefit from release, Mr Nigam said. All parties recognise this is about the future of Myanmar, he said. Nothing justifies the recruitment of children in the armed forces. The army is not a place for a child to grow up. Just over one year ago, the Myanmar government agreed to adhere to the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 1612, which established a monitoring and reporting mechanism on the use of child soldiers and was originally passed in 2005. For Myanmar, the agreement requires that the government locate all children recruited by the Tatmadaw with the goal of ensuring their unconditional release within 18 months. Since the agreement was signed 108 children have been discharged from the army, said UNICEF representative Bertrand Bainvel. The number of new underage recruits has also fallen in the past three years, he said. With only six months remaining on the 18-month action plan agreement, Mr Bainvel said UNICEF and the government are discussing a realistic time-frame for the implementation of remaining commitments under the current plan, including an extension. There have been constraints and progress has been somehow slower than expected, Mr Bainvel told The Myanmar Times. But the recent mid-term review of the action plan jointly conducted with the Tatmadaw has been an opportunity for the government to renew its commitment and identify areas for acceleration. Its an ongoing negotiation and discussion based on an understanding that children should no longer be recruited and that all children must be released, he said. The International Labour Organization, which is also working with the Tatmadaw on the action plan, said that its figures for complaints submitted about underage recruitment also indicated a decline since the plan was signed. She said that 1052 cases have been reported to the ILO regarding underage recruitment in the Tatmadaw since 2007, rising from 83 cases in 2009 to 205 in 2010 and 319 in 2012. However, of these complaints, 129 related to recruitment in 2011, falling to 44 in 2012. The most recent release of the children shows that the Tatmadaw has started to work more vigorously towards the goals of the agreement, Ms Piyamal said. However, it still needs to provide UN agencies with more access to military sites to ensure transparency. This is a relationship based on transparency, said Ms Piyamal. The Tatmadaw will have to trust the UN a little bit more then well be able to tell if the commitment is real. The ILOs role in the process is to monitor and assess sites and it often shares its findings with army officers immediately after performing an assessment. Under the terms of the agreement, the organisation has access to military sites but still must notify the Tatmadaw before a team arrives at a location. Ms Piyamal said that access to military sites has improved in the past few weeks. Only if we have access can we talk freely, she said. We want the action plan to be implemented according to what has been agreed we dont ask for more. She also said that delisting from the secretary generals list of armies that recruit children is not likely to be based on raw figures alone. It is more of how we work together in partnership, the level of access we gain and trust we have together in order to move forward to satisfy ourselves that the recruitment of an underage person is no longer the practice in Myanmar. Since 2006, 520 children have been released from the Tatmadaw and a total of 350 have been reintegrated with help from the various agencies, UNICEF said.

Committee preparing bill to give MPs cash for development work

WIN KO KO LATT winkolatt2012@gmail.com THE Joint Bill Committee plans to submit a bill during the current session of parliament that would allocate K33 billion (about US$33.6 million) to MPs to spend on development projects in their constituencies, sources say. Each township will receive K100 million ($102,000) under the plan, which was first floated in late April. The money will be allocated jointly by representatives from the Pyithu Hluttaw, or lower house, and Amyotha Hluttaw, or upper house. A member from the Joint Bill Committee said that the committee is drafting the bill and it will be finished soon, said Amyotha Hluttaw representative U Phone Myint Aung. He added that the funds will not be allocated to representatives in state and region hluttaws. Amyotha Hluttaw representative U Tin Mya said officials from the township administration department, municipal bodies and civil society organisations would monitor the projects to make sure funds are not misspent. MPs said they believed the funding would help speed up the parliamentary process, as they could immediately fix small issues, such as renovating schools and roads, instead of having to raise them in parliament.

The number of children discharged from the Tatmadaw since 2006, according to UNICEF

520

I have a lot of development plans for my constituency.

U Hla Swe Amyotha Hluttaw MP

Piyamal Pichaiwongse, the deputy liaison officer at the ILO office in Yangon, said that while complaints about underage recruitment have risen in the past few years, this was due to increasing awareness of the complaint mechanism rather than a rise in recruitment.

The K100 million has not come to us yet, said Amyotha Hluttaw representative U Hla Swe. The faster the better, in my opinion. I have a lot of development plans for my constituency. MPs said the funding has come from a sharp reduction in the Nay Pyi Taw Council budget, which MPs cut by about 30 percent from K178 billion.

TRADE MARK CAUTION

PT Pradja Pharin(Prafa), Indonesia, a Company incorporated in Indonesia, of Talavera Office Park,8th10th Floors, Jl.Letjen, T.B.Simatupang No.22-26, Jakarta 12430, Indonesia, is the Owner of the following Trade Mark:-

14 News

THE MYANMAR TIMES JULY 15 - 21, 2013

Reg.No.12507/2012 in respect of Class 5: Pharmaceutical preparation. Fraudulent imitation or unauthorized 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 PT Pradja Pharin(Prafa), Indonesia P.O. Box 60, Yangon Email: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 15 July 2013

TRADE MARK CAUTION

UNITED LABORATORIES, INC., a corporation duly organized in the Republic of the Philippines, of No.66, United Street, Mandaluyong City, Philippines, is the owner of the following Trade Marks:Residents clear disputed land in Htone Bo village, Pyin Oo Lwin township. Photo: Si Thu Lwin

Reg. No. 12511/2012

Villagers face charges after clearing land in Pyin Oo Lwin

SI THU LWIN sithulwin.mmtimes@gmail.com VILLAGERS in rural Pyin Oo Lwin township are facing possible arrest and imprisonment after reclaiming 12 acres of communal land confiscated for a castor oil plant that was never developed. The land was originally owned by six community leaders of Htone Bo village and was used to grow crops such as paddy, beans and pulses, corn and flowers. In the mid-2000s it was taken over by police under the former military regime as a part of a castor oil plant project. But Htone Bo residents say the castor oil project has come to nothing and they have reclaimed the land to build a middle school and an electricity substation. Any leftover areas will be allocated to villagers without farmland of their own. This land plot was seized for a castor oil plantation, said U Nyunt Shwe from Htone Bo. But it isnt being used for anything so we have cleared the land for our community developments. However, now another Htone Bo resident, U Htay Hlaing, has stepped forward to claim ownership, although nobody knows how he came to acquire it. One person alleged that this land was his and said he has the ownership papers, U Nyunt Shwe said. But if it was confiscated legally, it should be officially given back to the village because the project was not completed in the specified timeframe. The Myanmar Times tried repeatedly to speak to the police chief in Pyin Oo Lwin township but was refused access. However, one officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the person who claims to be the land owner has filed a complaint against the villagers for trespassing and police are considering pressing charges

Reg. No. 12512/2012

If the land was confiscated legally then it should be officially given back to the village.
U Nyunt Shwe Resident, Htone Bo village

Reg. No. 12514/2012

Reg. No. 6233/1997

Reg.No. 12516/2012

Reg.No. 6241/1997

against eight people. The land was used for a castor oil plantation in the past, said the police officer. But I cant reveal who owns the land now. The six community leaders who originally owned the land are still paying land taxes, said U Soe Myint, the son of one of the leaders. We still paid land tax because bills have been addressed to the six of them even though it was seized for the castor oil project, he said. U Soe Myint said the residents had made clear their intention to reclaim the land and

nobody had objected. We repeatedly held meetings about using the land for village infrastructure and we also erected notice boards about it on the land. But nobody came forward to object, he said. He said residents also contacted the Settlements and Land Records Department and other authorities before clearing the land and added that he hoped the matter would be settled according to the law. We hope officials decide [the matter] in a fair way, without bias. Translated by Zar Zar Soe

Reg. No. 6242/1997

Officials under fire over confiscation

AUNG YE THWIN aungyethwin.mmt@gmail.com HLAING KYAW SOE hlaingkyawsoe85@gmail.com VILLAGERS in Pyin Oo Lwin township have accused government officials of conspiring to steal more than 50 acres of their land, which was then resold and later confiscated by the military. The government allocated 53.73 acres to 20 farmers in four villages for a mulberry and castor oil plantation in 1993-94 as part of a plan to turn Pyin Oo Lwin into a centre of mulberry production. The plan was a failure and the land was soon used instead to grow sesame, corn and flowers. However, in 1998-99, staff from the Settlements and Land Records Department, working in collusion with a former village administrator, confiscated the land on the grounds that the project had been abolished, the villagers said. But after doing some investigation we found that the land was actually resold, said U Hla Maung from Yae Nge village. We spoke to the mulberry project manager and he said it wasnt true that the project had been abolished. It is a 30-year project and still has some years left. The former village administrator has threatened those who were inquiring about this issue though, saying that action would be taken against us. Daw Khin San Win from Moe Kyo village said residents had reported the alleged corruption to a number of departments over the years but received no response. We reported it a long time ago but no officials even bothered to come and investigate. The law failed to protect us. I am now earning a living as a vendor because I have no farmland to cultivate. I hope to receive my land back, she said. The land was later seized by the military, in 2007, ostensibly for a firewood plantation. However, a year later a private company began growing dragon fruit on the site, said Daw Thin Thin Swe from Yae Chan Oh village, who lost 5 acres of land. It is unclear which individual, company or government body is using the land. We hope high-ranking government officials will come to conduct a detailed investigation into the ownership of this land. Nothing is going to happen if its just left up to officials in Pyin Oo Lwin, she said. Officials from both the Pyin Oo Lwin district administration office and township administration office said they could not comment on the seizure because they had only recently been transferred to the area and knew nothing about the case. Translated by Zar Zar Soe

in respect of Class 5: Pharmaceutical preparation. Fraudulent imitation or unauthorized 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 UNITED LABORATORIES, INC. P.O. Box 60, Yangon Email: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 15 July 2013

www.mmtimes.com

News 15

Govt urged to abandon coal plans

Coal is not the best choice for meeting Myanmars energy needs, activists and former government officials tell Yangon forum

AYE SAPAY PHYU

ayephyu2006@gmail.com

COAL is not the right solution for the countrys energy needs, a recent public forum has heard. Experts warned that the fuels detrimental impact on the environment and well-being of Myanmar citizens mean its use would be a step backward in the fight to tackle the countrys sustainability goals. The forum, held in Yangon June 29, was timed to coincide with a Global Action Day to End the Age of Coal. U Win Myo Thu, managing director of EcoDev, said coalfired power plants can worsen the global warming and climate change that is already affecting countries across the world.

Many other alternative energy resources, such as solar power, are available today.
Win Myo Thu EcoDev

Coal-fired power plants are one of the major sources of carbon dioxide emissions that cause the greenhouse effect and global warming, he said at the forum. If we dont control the emission of greenhouse gases the temperature of the world will rise about four degrees centigrade in the next 100 years. It will be a really difficult situation for our generation. He also added that coal is not the only choice for energypoor countries like Myanmar. Many other alternative energy resources, such as solar power, are available today. Solar cells are becoming cheaper as the market is expanding, he said. We should not be addicted anymore to using coal as an energy resource. While a public outcry convinced the government to cancel a planned 4000-megawatt coal power plant at the Dawei industrial development project in

Tanintharyi Region, U Win Myo Thu said that its backers are using all possible means to have their original plan approved. Plans to construct new coal power plants in Yangon, Kalewa and Myeik are also waiting for their tickets to go, he said. He also warned that clean coal technology (CCT) is only another way of persuading policymakers [to give] ignorant green lights to environmentdamaging proposals. U Saw Moe Myint, retired general manager of the Ministry of Mines, said the country is not yet ready to use clean coal technology and should consider other options for energy generation. Many experts who know CCT very well are needed if we apply that technology. CCT training would need to be done first across the country before the plants are established. Moreover, a factory that applies CCT will cost more than one that does not use it. U Saw Moe Myint suggested that resources such as natural gas would be more economically viable, as well as safer for the environment and peoples health. Burning coal releases a number of dangerous substances, U Saw Myo Myint said, including carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium and ash. The result is toxic enough that it can even threaten buildings. Another forum speaker, Ko Khun Myo from the Pa-O Youth Organisation, has since 2010 been studying the social and environmental impact of the Tigyit open cast coal mine as well as the countrys largest operating coal-fired power plant, in Pinlaung township in southern Shan State. He said the burning of coal has lowered air and water quality in surrounding areas and is threatening the health of residents. The odour from burning coal is really bad for the stranger, but it seems common for the local people because they are breathing that air every day, he said. And local children swim in the creeks where water drains from the mine. Some villagers use that water for their [crops]. Tigyit, along with Kalewa mine in Sagaing Region, produces most of the countrys coal, U Saw Moe Myint said. He said about 148 coal lodes in Myanmar are capable of producing coal for commercial use but most are of low quality.

IN PICTURES

President U Thein Sein and Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr shake hands during their meeting at the presidents residence in Nay Pyi Taw on July 10. During his two-day visit, which also included a meeting with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Mr Carr announced Australia would provide A$3.2 million (US$2.9 million) for emergency shelter, sanitation and safety equipment for up to 9000 people in Rakhine State, along with A$3 million ($2.7 million) for next years census. AFP

CORRIGENDUM
Trade Mark YVES ROCHER & Device Cautionary Notice was published dated. January 14, 2013, page 28 3rd column appeared in line 3 Sole Proprietor to do correction distributor.

16 News

THE MYANMAR TIMES JULY 15 - 21, 2013

More complaints over pipeline compensation

Protests erupt in Magwe Region over delays in making payments to owners of land damaged by project
KHIN SU WAI jasminekhin@gmail.com CIVIL society groups monitoring the multi-billion-dollar China-Myanmar pipeline project say some people are still yet to receive compensation for their land that was confiscated for the project. In some cases, they have accused the military of confiscating the land shortly before the project launched and accepting the compensation paid by the Chinese company financing the pipeline. The project has seen land acquired from Rakhine State to the border with China in northern Shan State. China National Petroleum Corporation says it has spent millions on compensating affected residents for land that was permanently acquired or damaged during the construction process. But Ko Thant Zin Oo, from the civil society group Ayeyarwady West Development Organisation, said some residents in Magwe Regions Ngape township, on the regional border with Rakhine State, had not yet received compensation yet because of a dispute over the amount. The pipeline is ready to flow, he said. But Ngape township from Magwe Region hasnt gotten [compensation] yet. In Myay Latt village, residents refused to accept an offer of K22 million compensation for 20 acres of a community forest that was damaged, arguing the losses had been calculated incorrectly and should have been K140 million. The issue has been reported to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Thein Sein, and the group was to hold talks with Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) on July 12, community forest secretary Salai Pepe Kyaw said. Two protests were also staged last week in two different parts of Ngape township by residents who said that they had not been paid compensation for land damaged during construction work. One group of about 25 people protested at a pipeline valve station near Myay Latt, while another group of 50 to 100 residents protested at Gote See Yo. Residents said government officials had been promising to pay the compensation since February. Some residents in Shan States Kyaukme township have also allegedly missed out on compensation, said U Wai Dee Ya from the Northern Shan Farmers Committee.

BRIEFS
Mandalay Students art on display
The paintings, carvings and sculptures of Mandalays most promising young art students recently went on display at the Kuthodaw Pagoda exhibition hall. From July 6 to 12, about 50 students from Mandalays National University of Arts and Culture and University of Arts filled the hall with 112 paintings in watercolour, oil, acrylic, pencil and even ink. Other forms of art were also included in the show, with 15 carvings and several sculptures on display. Kuthodaw Pagoda is located at the foot of Mandalay Hill. The exhibition was sponsored by the Department of Fine Art, though the Ministry of Culture. Ma Kyinue Aung, a second-year honours student, was among those who displayed their work at the show. Because of these exhibitions, we can unveil our own ideas and we can share the skills and knowledge weve gained about the arts, she said. Si Thu Lwin, translated by Zar Zar Soe

Mandalay Backers of new jade market seek investment

A truck carrying sections of the China-Myanmar pipeline passes road workers in Rakhine States Kyaukpyu township. Photo: Juliet Shwe Gaung

U Wai Dee Ya said that while most villagers in Kyaukme had received compensation, in Naung Paing Gyi and Naing Paing Nge villages it had been taken by local officials. In another case, he said,

MILLION KYAT

The amount of compensation residents in Ngape township rejected from the China-Myanmar pipeline developers

22

the military seized land in Naung Phar village shortly before the pipeline project started and took the compensation paid by the Chinese firm. The township authorities and

[the] Chinese officer in charge of the site dont care about us. There is no progress even though we applied for compensation in a letter to the township authorities. Now we plan to try the Presidents Office, U Wai Dee Ya said. The Chinese publication Caixin recently quoted Lin Xixing, an associate professor at Jinan Universitys Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, as saying that it was the Myanmar governments fault that some were missing out on compensation. The military government abused their power and skimped [on] the land compensation fees to residents, he said. The controversy comes after Myanmar state media announced on June 29 that gas would start flowing from the pipeline on July 1, more than a month behind schedule. A spokesperson for South East Asia Gas Pipeline Company (SEAGP) and South East Asia Crude Oil Pipeline Company (SEAOP), the joint venture companies for the projects, said in all cases it had paid the re-

quired amount of compensation. [T]o our regret, the company has no right to decide who owns the land beyond Myanmar law if there are different opinions between the government (or military) and citizens, the spokesperson said. While the spokesperson did not have details about the Kyaukme township complaints, she said that in Myay Latt township, MOGE reported that it forwarded the compensation to the Ministry of Forestry, which distributed the money to the landowners. MOGE said that the landowners rejected the offer and returned all the compensation. So in a word, it is not that we did not pay. The fact is that they wouldnt accept, the spokesperson said. SEAGP and SEAOP have been attaching high importance to land compensation issues and work with respect to Myanmar laws and regulations. The company has published the data and info about land compensation several times.

Foreign investors are being encouraged to open businesses and train workers at a new jade market in Mandalay The market, in rural Amarapura township, is expected to be completed in 2014. Mandalay Region Minister for Forestry and Mines U Than Soe Myint said the government has invited investment from foreign companies and has already received about 3000 applications from firms interested in running businesses at the new market. One company from Hong Kong has also been asked to open a jade sculpture training school, he added. When it comes to sculpture, the Chinese are more skilful. We are poor in technology. We always planned to do this type of valueadding work with foreign experts and we welcome Hong Kong businesses if they come, U Than Soe Myint said. Aung Ye Thwin, translated by Thae Thae Htwe

NGO lab to help test local pollution levels

A facility will soon be set up to help community organisations monitor air, soil and water quality in their areas, said U Win Myo Thu, managing director of environmental NGO Ecodev. Supported by the French government, the technology will soon be available free of charge to non-profit groups, U Win Myo Thu said. Ecodev has been involved in a number of environmental and economic initiatives since the early 1990s. Aye Sapay Phyu

European parliament examines Chin State rights abuses

BILL OTOOLE botoole12@gmail.com ON the eve of U Thein Seins presidential visit to Europe, a European Union parliament hearing in Brussels has been told that rights abuses in Chin State have, if anything, worsened since his government took office in March 2011. The two-hour hearing on July 9 was hosted by MP Lazlo Tokes, who is a member of the Christian Democrats party. It included presentations and testimony from members of the Chiang Mai-based Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO), Human Rights Without Frontiers and the Chin National Front, which has maintained an uneasy ceasefire with the Tatmadaw since December 2012. What we really hope is that the European Parliament ... will raise these questions with Thein Sein in the coming weeks, said Rachel Fleming, an advocacy director for CHRO. Salai Za Uk Ling, a coordinator with the group, said that while it welcomed the governments reforms there is still a long way to go. Serious human rights abuses continue with impunity, including sexual violence. We want to shed light on the root causes, such as ethnic and religious discrimination, and the urgent need to deepen the reforms, he said. CHRO used its time to discuss abuses that have continued since the civilian government took over in 2011, including extortion, land confiscation and sexual assault by Tatmadaw soldiers in Chin State. Ms Fleming said CHRO had found cases of abuse and exploitation as recently as last month. We have documented serious sexual assaults in the last six months, she said. The hearing was held just days before the dates and locations for U Thein Seins upcoming visit to Europe were announced. An official in the Presidents Office said he would visit Britain and France from July 14 to 18, AFP reported. CHRO said the timing was a coincidence but agreed it was fortuitous for its efforts to raise awareness about human rights abuses. Ms Fleming said by phone from Chiang Mai that the new government has been in power for several years and its time to hold [U Thein Sein] accountable for the conditions in Chin [State]. She said issues such as sexual assaults are certainly not getting any better and said that CHROs research has found soldiers were more frequently extorting money and food from villagers since the new government took office. The presidents office could not be reached for comment. During his remarks in Brussels, Salai Za Uk Ling said many of the issues that plague Chin State are common to much of rural Myanmar, including drugs, armed violence and crushing poverty. In a sense, what is happening in Chin State is a barometer for the whole country, he said.

We have documented serious sexual assaults in the last six months.

Rachel Fleming Chin Human Rights Organization

www.mmtimes.com

News 17

Police blame reckless driving for death toll

THAN NAING SOE thennaingsoe@gmail.com ALMOST 100 people died on Mandalays roads in the first half of the year, a traffic police official said last week. From January to the end of June, 98 deaths were recorded, of which 67 were motorcyclists, the spokesperson said, adding that most serious accidents were the result of reckless driving. Ninety-seven people died in the same period in 2012. Another 276 people were injured on the citys road, he said, adding that more than 70 percent of serious accidents involved motorcycles. Of the 213 traffic accidents, reckless driving was the main cause followed by speeding. The largest number of accidents occurred in Chan Aye Tharsan township, with 36 cases, followed by Amarapura with 34 and Mahar Aung Myay and Chan Mya Tharsi with 31 each. The figures covered the seven townships that make up Mandalay district. Chan Aye Tharsan had the highest number of deaths, with 21, while Patheingyi had the most accidents, with 69. Ko Soe Naing from Mahar Aung Myay township said he was not surprised by the high number of deaths. Most people blame accidents on the number of cars and motorcycles but in my view its because individuals are not following the rules, he said.

The number of road deaths in the seven townships of Mandalay district in the first six months of 2013

98

IN PICTURES

Myanmars oldest woman, Daw Mya Kyi, smokes a Myanmar cigar at her home in Paukchaingkone village in Mandalays Amarapura township on July 3. Her National Registration Card says she is 120 but Daw Mya Kyi remains in good health, according to her doctor, U Aung Khaing Oo. Phyo Wai Kyaw

You regularly see people riding with three passengers on a motorbike. Nobody has a helmet and they are speeding. With behaviour like that, accidents will just keep rising. Translated by Zar Zar Soe

Migrants facing soft deportation

Police launch immigration crackdown in Chiang Mai following reports that a Shan gang attacked and killed a Thai youth BILL OTOOLE
botoole12@gmail.com

MORE than 200 Shan migrant workers in Chiang Mai have been arrested in apparent retaliation for a clash between a gang of Shan youths and Thais. Rumours that a Thai youth had been stabbed and killed in the attack have spread through social media and the ensuing public outcry appears to have prompted the police to carry out an unprecedented crackdown. U Myo Aung, a teacher who conducts outreach programs in migrant communities, said there have been similar crackdowns before but nothing of this scale or duration. Its very strange, he said. They have checkpoints far outside the city [checking identification papers] ... Its like they want to arrest everybody. Police have denied any link between the rumoured attack and the crackdown on migrants. Officials only arrested illegal migrants. They arrested 215 migrants and seized 21 motorbikes, pistols and guns on Monday and Tuesday, July 1-2. Those arrested include ones that committed crimes and those without

legal documents, provincial police chief Lt-Gen Suthep told local media on July 3. However, migrants say they are sceptical that there is no link because similar sweeps of migrant workers in the past have only occurred after members of the Shan community have been accused of a major crime. The most recent example was a crackdown in 2007 after a university student in Chiang Mai was allegedly raped by a group of Shan men. Sources in the region confirmed that more than 200 Myanmar nationals are being held as illegal immigrants and awaiting deportation. Many activists are concerned about the abuse and exploitation that the deportation process is likely to inflict on them. Sai Toom Mawk Harn, a coordinator with the Migrant Action Program (MAP) in Chiang Mai, said Thai authorities deport most Myanmar migrants by driving them to the border and essentially pushing them onto the other side, often into the hands of people who will exploit them. He said the migrants currently in jail are almost all economic refugees with nowhere to go in Myanmar and will likely be willing to pay to return to Thailand. Among NGOs and human rights workers, the process is euphemistically referred to as soft deportation, and is in contravention of the immigration

rules in both countries. For Thai immigration, arranging a formal deportation is more of a hassle because it has to be sorted bureaucratically with the Burmese side and importantly, from the perspective of the Thai officials, there is no money to be made from it, said Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watchs Asia division. What we have heard from migrants is that they are often unofficially pushed out by the Thai government

The situation has changed little since 2010 when Human Rights Watch released the report From the Tiger to the Crocodile: Abuse of Migrant Workers in Thailand. The group interviewed scores of migrant workers who explained how deportation has become a money-making tool for groups on both sides of the border. One section of the report stated, Human Rights Watch spoke to half a dozen migrant workers who described being deported by boat across the

Migrants are unofficially pushed out by the Thai government ... If you want to come back to Thailand you have to pay a broker.
Sai Toom Mawk Harn Coordinator, Migrant Action Program

... If you want to come back to Thailand you have to pay a broker, said Sai Toom Mawk Harn. Members of the Shan Youth Power Group, which provides education and health services to migrant communities around Chiang Mai, said they have encountered many returning migrants who tell the same stories of abuse and extortion all along the Thai-Myanmar border.

Moei River and met by brokers and armed [Democratic Karen Buddhist Army] troops who then expected payments in exchange for their release. Entering Thailand is already a fraught and costly process for migrant workers, who are forced to pay exorbitant fees for job placements and travel documents. Once a migrant in deported, they must repeat the process if they want to return.

Since migrants in custody are pretty well fleeced by Thai police and immigration officers, they dont have much money with them when faced with this situation. So many times these deals are the particularly dangerous sorts of travel now, pay later that make migrants vulnerable to human trafficking, said Mr Robertson, who co-authored the 2010 report. Both the Yangon and Bangkok offices of the International Organization for Migration could not be reached for comment on this story. For migrants living and working in Chiang Mai, the increased threat of deportation and exploitation looms large and many live in fear of the local authorities. Members of the Shan Youth Power Group said that in the communities they work in most people only leave their homes to go to work. The recurring problem is many Thai police and immigration officials see migrants as the equivalent of walking ATM machines who can be detained and extorted with total impunity, Mr Robertson said. While in detention, migrants frequently face beatings, and women suffer sexual abuse, before being sent on a so-called soft deportation that places the migrants into the hands of smugglers or traffickers. Taken together, its a tour de force of abuse and exploitation that explains why migrants so fear Thai authorities.

TRADE MARK CAUTION

DFS Group Limited , a limited liability company organised under the laws of Hong Kong, with address at 77 Mody Road, 8th Floor, Tsimshatsui East, Kowloon, Hong Kong, is the Owner of the following Trade Mark:-

18 News

THE MYANMAR TIMES JULY 15 - 21, 2013

T GALLERIA
Reg. No. 1112/2013 in respect of Class 35: Retail department store services. 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 DFS Group Limited P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 15 July 2013

TRADE MARK CAUTION

Ferrero S.p.A., a Company organized under the laws of Italy, of Piazzale Pietro Ferrero 1, 12051 Alba, Cuneo, Italy, is the Owner of the following Trade Marks:-

Monks protest the planned opening of an Organisation for Islamic Cooperation office in Yangon in October 2012. Photo: Kaung Htet

Reg. No. 2722/2001

Reg. No. 2723/2001

969 campaign goes online, from California

Creator of new website and Twitter account has no formal connection with monk-led movement

Reg. No. 2724/2001

KAYLEIGH LONG
kayleighelong@gmail.com

Reg. No. 2725/2001

Reg. No. 2727/2001

Reg. No. 2728/2001

Reg. No. 2729/2001 in respect of International Class 30. 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 Ferrero S.p.A. P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 15 July 2013

You are what you read, demand the best news!

Quality delivered to your doorstop- just email today. subscribe.mt@gmail.com

THE creator of a new 969 website and Twitter account has no official connection to leaders of the Buddhist-nationalist movement and has never even visited Myanmar. The pro-969 rhetoric of the newly created website and Twitter account has quickly prompted an avalanche of feedback. On Facebook, prominent democracy activist Maung Zarni decried the new site: #Myanmars Stateincubated 969, #Nazi Buddhist movement, hits #twitter and #blog. Bama #Buddhists look #fascists. One journalist took a screenshot of a Twitter post that appeared to be trying to solicit help from Britains far-right, anti-Islamic English Defence League. Another journalist quoted the site in a tweet: Were Buddhists in a Buddhist country. A new website defends the anti-Muslim 969 movement. What they all neglected to notice is the websites clear disclaimer in its about section, which states that it has no direct affiliation with 969 leaders at present. The sites administrator, who would not to give a name because of safety concerns, told The Myanmar Times he or she lives in California. The webmaster said the initial reason for starting the site was to combat what they perceived as the misrepresentation of Buddhism in the Western media and, in particular, the

unfair portrayal of the 969 movement. At first I was upset with the treatment Buddhists received from the Time magazine article on Venerable Wirathu, the administrator said. But then I saw a pattern of lies in the media that became too much to let go unanswered. While the site currently has no connection to the 969 movements official representatives in Myanmar, the creator hopes they will see the site and eventually take the administrative reins. I have sent emails to Ven Wirathu and other 969 sup-

hire staff to help coordinate a global 969 movement. The sites administrator expressed some doubt over U Wirathus conviction for inciting anti-Muslim violence. The controversial monk was released in a January 2012 prisoner amnesty. Not even in countries with the most repressive anti-hate speech laws in the world, Germany and the UK, do they sentence someone to 10 years in prison for hate speech, so I hope to one day get the real story from Wirathu himself. I am certain that Wirathu will be vindicated in time with a

I am creating a non-profit organisation that can properly raise funds and hire staff to help coordinate a global 969 movement.
Administrator 969 Facebook page

porters in Myanmar but I have not gotten much response yet From their Facebook [page] I can tell they are very busy and they may not speak English so for now the website is completely unofficial, the webmaster said. I hope to go to Myanmar soon and get the website officially supported. The sites creator is thinking big, hoping the 969 movement will catch on globally. To help create more legitimacy for this effort I am creating a non-profit organisation in the United States that can properly raise funds and hopefully

more peaceful and harmonious country than what preceded it but every day I am in fear for his safety. The administrator expressed deep disappointment with media coverage of recent mob violence, which they said often pointed to some sort of incitement. I was seeing a lot of dubious claims made throughout Western media publications I am also certain it is not 100 percent entirely the fault of the Buddhist community. The person also said that they had encountered some difficulties finding informa-

tion about Myanmar in English and conceded they had a limited understanding of the issues. However, they said they remain optimistic about the 969 movements potential. I am not from there and I do not know what the situation is like. Of course from the little I do know it is a very regrettable situation but I do not think it is proper for me as an outsider to speak about what possible solutions are. However I am comfortable discussing Buddhist activism and it is my hope that the 969 movement can be a model for cultivating a stronger Buddhism throughout the world. The sites administrator said they believe U Wirathu has been the victim of a smear campaign and drew comparisons to other controversial figures who have graced the cover of Time. Unfortunately Westerners believe everything they read in the media with no critical thought. People who read Time magazine think, By golly, this Wirathu is just like Hitler. Because they dont know the history of Hitler or Myanmar, they will be ignorant of the fact that Time magazine makes glowing endorsements of bad people all the time, such as Hitler in 1938 as the Man of the Year, just like Obama in 2012. Unlike both of them, Wirathu has no actual human rights violations to his name. A more fitting comparison, the administrator suggested, might be Mahatma Gandhi. If there is any recent historical figure that Wirathu could be compared to it would be Gandhi. Gandhi preached non-violence, civil disobedience, economic warfare through boycotting, and he had issues with Islam, just like Wirathu.

www.mmtimes.com

News 19

Port authority negotiates Thilawa project relocations

NOE NOE AUNG
noenoeag@gmail.com

MCDC workers need to reform: chief minister

SI THU LWIN sithulwin.mmtimes@gmail.com CIVIL servants need to start being a bit more civil, Mandalay City Development Committee heard on July 1. The chief minister of Mandalay Region, U Ye Myint, urged MCDC staff to clean up their act during a meeting with heads of municipal departments and township advisory groups. Municipal workers need to swiftly improve their standards of morality and change their old habits, U Ye Myint said. The workers from the city development committee are not like other government staff. They are responsible for giving services directly to the public. He said changes need to come from the top and reach everyone on the way down. The heads [of departments] will need to encourage the reforms and the committees instructions will need to reach ordinary workers as well. U Ye Myint said municipal workers need to meet the publics needs more quickly, especially since they have no problem collecting taxes on time. He added that the city will face stinking streets if the municipal workers do not regularly collect refuse, and that the whole city will complain if the water supply is cut. The comments are the latest in a series of attempts to get municipal workers to focus more on the publics needs. MCDC established municipal advisory groups for each township to coordinate community developments with the public. The groups work to fulfill the publics demands by consulting with the mayor every 10 days. We are taking responsibility as much as possible for the requirements of our respective townships, U Win Pe Myint, a member of the advisory group for Mahar Aung Myay township, told The Myanmar Times. We discuss proposed demands by groups and forward some issues to the mayor if necessary. But unimportant issues are usually worked out by our ordinary workers. Translated by Zar Zar Soe

THE Myanmar Port Authority will help to resettle and pay compensation to Kyauktan township residents who will be evicted to make way for infrastructure development linked to the Thilawa Special Economic Zone, an official said last week. MPA officials met residents for the first time on July 1 and a second meeting was held on July 8, although no decision has been made yet, said U Cho Than Maung, director of Myanmar Port Authority (MPA). The land will be used to expand a port terminal adjacent to the Japanbacked economic zone, MPA officials said. U Cho Than Maung said a resolution was dependent on the residents making reasonable demands. For the resettlement and compensation plans, if we can do what residents demand, we can act right away. But if their demands go beyond our authority, we have report to a higher authority, he said. We cant continue if residents keep asking for things that we cant afford ... I would like village representatives to talk about whats possible for both parties.

Myanmar Port Authority director U Cho Than Maung negotiates with Kyauktan residents on July 8. Photo: Zarni Phyo

At the July 8 meeting, six representatives of farmers and fishermen from Phalan, Kayat, Shwe Pyi Tharyar and Baypout villages explained how the confiscation had hurt them and demanded the government take responsibility for their future welfare. U Aye Tun, a fisherman from Baypout village, said residents are insisting the MPA show some evidence that it will follow through on its promises before they leave their houses. I want the authorities to build houses, roads, schools and hook up the electricity to our new houses before we move, he said. And I would like them to make some arrangement for us to earn a

living too. We are fishermen and farmers, so well lose our livelihoods if we have to move somewhere else. U Sein Win, from Phalan village, said villagers were sceptical about the governments resettlement promises a distrust they have learned through experience. We cant agree to move before weve seen how government planning works, he said. We lost our homes and land in 1996-97 when they were taken by the Department of Human Settlement and Housing Development ... They said then that it was taken for our own good ... that they were doing it to develop Kyauktan township. We cant believe these verbal promises.

Residents asked the MPA to relocate them within Kyauktan township and provide compensation for their crops and lost livelihoods. U Cho Than Maung said the authorities will survey residents and their assets, after which they will be able to start drawing up relocation plans. We have also asked them to write a list of people who are fit and able to work, especially young people, so that we can give these people priority when giving jobs, he said. The new terminal will be near Myanmar International Terminal Thilawa (MITT) and will feed the Japanese-backed Thilawa Special Economic Zone, MPAs deputy chief engineer told The Myanmar Times.

Actress jailed over housemaid murder

LWIN MAR HTUN newsroom@myanmartimes.com.mm A YOUNG actress has been jailed for more than nine years for murdering her housekeeper in September 2012, police have confirmed. May Zun received a jail term of nine years and four months during a trial last month, said Police Lieutenant Myat Min Aung from Kamaryut township police station. The police said actress May Zun tortured 18-year-old Nu Nu Lwin in her Kamaryut township residence before locking her in a bedroom and leaving Yangon on September 8 to visit her hometown of Pathein in Ayeyarwady Region. May Zun was accompanied on the trip to Pathein by her other housemaid, 13-year-old Zin Zin Htike. The 21-year-old actress returned to Yangon on September 10 and said she called the police when she saw Nu Nu Lwins decomposed body. However, neighbours and Zin Zin Htike told police that May Zun had frequently beat Nu Nu Lwin. A police officer said witnesses alleged that May Zun often jumped on her maids stomach and beat her with a 1-metre-long (3-foot) stick. According to police, May Zun confessed to the killing during lengthy questioning. The incident occurred shortly be-

A police officer said witnesses alleged that May Zun often jumped on her maids stomach and beat her with a stick.

May Zun attends the launch party for Flowers and Butterflies in Yangon on September 8. Photo: Lwin Mar Htun

fore May Zun was supposed to start shooting a new television series, Flowers and Butterflies, on October 8, 2012.

TRADE MARK CAUTION

By virtue of the Deed of Assignment dated: 30 March 2012 executed by SAMAS ITALY S.p.A. (Assignor), a company incorporated in Italy, having its executive office at Via Nazionale Loc. Giardini, 7/F 23030 Chiuro SO, Italy and MARUBENI FASHION LINK LTD. (Assignee), a company incorporated in Japan, having its executive office at 22-1, Yoyogi 1-chome, Shibuta-ky, Tokyo, 151-0053, Japan, MARUBENI FASHION LINK LTD. is now the sole and exclusive owner and proprietor of the following Trade Mark:-

20 News
OPINION

THE MYANMAR TIMES JULY 15 - 21, 2013

President U Thein Sein attends a meeting with civil society organisations in Yangon on January 20. Photo: AFP

Reg. No. 5675/2011 Used in respect of Intl Class 25: Clothing, footwear, headgear. 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 Eccles & Lee Solicitor, Patent Attorneys and Trade Mark Attorneys, Hong Kong P. O. Box 60, Yangon. Dated: 15 July 2013

The constitution and The Lady prohibition

The president and military owe the people of Myanmar an explanation on the constitution
JANELLE SAFFIN GIVEN the desire and urgency for constitutional change the people of Myanmar have a right to know President U Thein Seins views about changing the 2008 constitution. In particular, they need to know his views on the section that prohibits Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and others whose children have foreign citizenship or allegiance from being president. The offending section, 59(f ), was included solely to stop one individual, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, from being president. Creating constitutions directed at individuals violates the fundamental principle of proper constitution-making. President U Thein Seins response to Daw Aung San Suu Kyis recent comments advocating constitutional change was cagey. He stated that the three spheres of government the executive, parliament and judiciary are separate. The constitution was written by the approval of the people, he said, adding that if the parliament authorises it and the people agree for her to become the president, I dont have a say. Yes, the president is correct that the three spheres of government are separate, although the 2008 constitution qualifies this with to the extent possible in section 11(a). But the president could have acknowledged that he has broad constitutional powers and is at liberty to give his views on a wide range of topics of public interest both directly to the public and through the parliament. Constitutional change is one such topic. He could have also said that his constitutional powers include initiating bills of amendment to the parliament. As head of the government, his powers also include initiating a referendum if amendments to certain sections of the constitution, including section 59(f ), are passed by the parliament with the required 75 percent majority. Further, the president could have said what the people already know that is, that the 2008 constitution was not written with the approval of the people. The 2008 constitution is not a peoples constitution, as it did not result from an agreed political pact among political leaders who represent the people just ask the political stakeholders who were conscripted to the National Convention process. President U Thein Sein previously occupied the role as chairman of the National Convening Commission of the National Convention that led to the 2008 constitution so he knows more than most about the constitution and views of Myanmars political parties and ethnic nationalities. He knows that their views and the peoples aspirations are not reflected in the 2008 constitution. In a positive development, the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, the (lower house), U Shwe Mann, and the Amyotha Hluttaw (upper house), U Khin Aung Myint, have taken to their roles as forceful advocates for change. U Shwe Mann has spoken out on all sorts of matters, including his desire to be president, a role that all thought would be given to him by Senior General Than Shwe but instead went to U Thein Sein. This current constitutional stand-off presents countries that lifted sanctions and engaged with Myanmar, including my own, Australia, with a direct challenge. None can countenance an election process that intentionally prohibits one person from being considered for the presidency. This alone would prevent any election from being deemed free and fair and therefore needs to be settled sooner rather than later. form part of the assessment. These challenges are to be expected and will keep arising because a limited political transformation is under way in Myanmar and not a deliberate political transition that includes a constitutional settlement. A political transition would be based on a political pact among stakeholders who represent the people along similar lines to that which we have seen in other countries coming out of dictatorship and authoritarian rule. The current transformation is welcome but is scripted and guided by the Tatmadaw. It would benefit from the setting out of a clear political plan, with timelines and a public participation process, that goes beyond the 2008 constitution. An election in 2015 that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is barred from has the potential to unravel advances that have been made. It could harm international acceptance of the reform process and, most importantly, its credibility with the people of Myanmar. This leaves everyone wondering then why the president is reluctant to state whether he believes she should be eligible. In politics such vacuums are filled with speculation. In this case, it is whether the president wants to maintain the status quo so he does not have to face off against her, and whether he is not free to say what he thinks as it is still the Tatmadaws call. The people really do need to hear from President U Thein Sein and the Tatmadaw, particularly given the latter are charged with being mainly responsible for safeguarding the constitution under section 20(f). Perhaps the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw will again lead the way. Let us hope that the voices that are now silent will come to life under their constitutional review.
Janelle Saffin is an MP in the Australian parliament and a long-time friend of Myanmar. Her engagement focuses on constitutional, legal, election and political history.

TRADE MARK CAUTION

KAO KABUSHIKI KAISHA (also trading as Kao Corporation), a company organized under the laws of Japan, of 14-10, Nihonbashi Kayabacho 1-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan, is the Owner of the following Trade Marks:-

Reg. No. 2474/2001 in respect of Suds stabilizers, suds boosters.

AMINON
Reg. No. 2476/2001

AMPHITOL
Reg. No. 2475/2001 in respect of Chemical products for industrial purposes.

SK FERT

Reg. No. 2473/2001 in respect of Intl Class 1: Betains used as softening agents for textile and shampoo bases.

BETADET EMAL

President U Thein Sein knows that the peoples views and aspirations are not reflected in the constitution.
combined upper and lower houses of parliament, recently formed a committee to undertake a constitutional review and one would hope reform. The Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) has had a committee working on this since last year and the National League for Democracys (NLD) platform includes constitutional reform. The ethnic nationalities parties have also long advocated for a federal constitutional democracy. The NLD and leading ethnic parties have recently joined forces to advocate this, and ethnic parties are also working together so they have a stronger voice. The Pyidaungsu Hluttaw has been leading the way in terms of democratic advance and practice, and their efforts deserve acknowledgement. The speakers of the Pyithu Hluttaw These countries must make their views known on these constitutional matters, starting with section 59(f). Engagement cannot slip into appeasement and needs to lay out expectations. Australia and Myanmar now have high-level consultations and I would expect constitutional reform to be a standard agenda item. Australia has also agreed to a request from the head of the Union Election Commission (UEC), U Tin Aye, for electoral assistance. Australia is not able to aid a process that will not be free and fair but it could assist to make it free and fair. Perfection is not expected, but section 59(f) is quite an obstacle. The free and fair assessment is more than what happens on voting day. It is also the electoral framework and the conditions before and after elections that

Reg. No. 2000/1998 in respect of Emulsifiers, dispersants, foaming agents, industrial detergents used in the manufacture of textiles, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.

Reg. No. 2472/2001 in respect of Raw materials for synthetic detergents. 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 KAO KABUSHIKI KAISHA P. O. Box 60, Yangon. Email: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 15 July 2013

NEOPELEX

www.mmtimes.com

News 21

Elephants ruin crops, homes in Thabeikkyin

RESIDENTS in rural Sagaing Region are forming guard forces to protect their villages from wild elephants following a series of attacks that have damaged homes and crops and left one man in hospital. The attacks have occurred in recent weeks in Thabeikkyin township, which runs along the Ayeyarwady River. At 11pm on July 3, our village was attacked by five wild elephants. They destroyed houses and harmed the villagers The villagers are very frightened now, U Maung Naing, a resident of Kyaut Kwal village, told The Myanmar Times last week. U Kyaw Htay, 68, was injured after being struck by an elephants trunk. He is recovering in Mandalay Hospital, his son said on July 5. The animals normally raid the villages at night, either alone or in herds. To scare them off, residents have posted guards armed with torches. A spokesperson for the general administration office in Thabeikkyin township said officials have been working to keep residents and elephants apart. We have given education about wild elephants to the inhabitants. We asked them just to threaten the elephants by shouting but not to attack them with weapons knives, sticks or catapults. We also instructed them not to pick bamboo shoots in the elephants grazing area, he said. Fields of crops have also been ruined. Villagers said they have had to reconsider their crop-growing strategies but are unsure what else they can do to manage the elephant threat. A few days ago, some wild elephants entered Ohn Pine village and destroyed fields of crops, resident U Ko Lay said. No one was injured but he added, We are in trouble. Si Thu Lwin, translated by Zar Zar Soe

Two KIA forced recruits escape

KHIN SU WAI jasminekhin@gmail.com TWO Shan men say they were forced to act as frontline porters by the Kachin Independence Army. The men, Mg Aung Win, 21, and Mg Myaw Htwe, 28, from Tar Law Gyi village, about 30 kilometres (19 miles) from Myitkyina in Kachin State, said they managed to escape from the KIA after meeting at Aww Yar Bon camp. About a week after escaping they managed to get to Myitkyina and were back in Tar Law Gyi in early June. Mg Mya Htwe said he was abducted in 2011 by the KIA while farming in Kalanga village, just southeast of Tar Law Gyi, and forced to carry the equipment of the soldiers. He then attended military training for about one month and served in KIA division 5 at Largan Yan, from where the group distributes weapons to its battalions. Because of the poor living conditions and his unhappiness at being abducted he tried to commit suicide by blowing himself up but survived and was taken to hospital. I arrived back at division 5 for a week and then they sent me to batMaung Mya Htwe (left) and Maung Aung Win. Photo: Khin Su Wai

talion 19 for seven months. When I arrived at Aww Yar Bon and met Mg Aung Win we managed to escape, Mg Mya Htwe said. Mg Aung Win said he was caught in October 2012 while panning for gold on the Maykha River at Sha Naw Taw in Waingmaw township along with about 200 other gold miners. Of these, he was one of 50

aged between 21 and 25 that the KIA forcibly recruited. Mg Aung Win that he walked with the Ngar Kyan battalion for about 11 days and then battalion 30 for three months. Finally he arrived at Aww Yar Bon and after about one month he escaped with Mg Mya Htwe. They both said they met about 50 Shan people in the Schin Bo and

Nyaung Thar Yar areas who were forcibly recruited to be porters or soldiers for the KIA, and also encountered child soldiers at Mai Tai camp and in KIA division 5 and battalion 30. Both men are red Shan, or Shan Ni, who form a sizeable minority in Kachin State. About one quarter of the states population of 1.2 million is thought to be Shan.

Disaster preparedness school to be ready in 2016

SU HLAING TUN hsuhlainghtun.mcm@gmail.com CONSTRUCTION is set to begin on Myanmars first training school for natural disaster management, a government official told a disaster training and capacity building workshop last week. Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Daw Myat Myat Ohn Khin said the school can reduce the damage caused by disasters by [teaching] a curriculum of preventative measures. She said it was designed to help students prepare their communities for future disasters. Myanmar is prone to a number of types of natural and man-made disasters, including earthquakes, cyclones, flooding and droughts. Daw Myat Myat Ohn Khin said international organisations had given assistance following disasters in Myanmar and she expected them to also provide support for the school, particularly in terms of teaching. Construction on the school, to be located in Hinthada township in Ayeyarwady Region, will begin during this financial year. The school will be able to accept up to 200 students, she said, and will be open to civil servants, members of nongovernment organisations and members of the public. Scheduled to open in 2015-16, the school will be the focal point of Myanmars disaster preparedness efforts, said Daw Phyu Lae Lae Tun, deputy director of the Department of Relief and Resettlement. First we will run management courses in all states and regions of the country, and later all courses will be taught in the Hinthada training school. We aim to open diploma courses in future. Daw Phyu Lae Lae Tun said graduates will be able to teach courses in their own communities to relay knowledge about disaster prevention. The strategic planning workshop was organised by the ministry with technical assistance from United Nations agencies, the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center. Translated by Zar Zar Soe

22 News

THE MYANMAR TIMES JULY 15 - 21, 2013

Godfather of Heroin back in spotlight, one last time

NAN TIN HTWE
nantin.htwe@gmail.com

SENIOR government officials expressed sadness over the death last week of Lo Hsing Han, who was known around the world as the Godfather of Heroin. Lo Hsing Han, an ethnic Kokang drug lord who later founded one of the nations largest conglomerates, Asia World Company, died following a heart attack on July 6 at the age of 80. On July 8, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation U Myint Hlaing and Minister for Border Affairs Lieutenant General Thet Naing Win posted individual condolence notices in state media, saying they were deeply sorry about Lo Hsing Hans death. Others were less charitable, highlighting his role in sending drugs from Shan State to the rest of the world. For decades, Lo Hsing Han was considered one of the worlds biggest traffickers of heroin, Associated Press news agency reported on July 9. Lo Hsing Han reportedly first became involved in the drug trade in 1960s, when General Ne Wins government granted him the right to traffic opium and heroin in exchange for leading a Kokang army against the Communist Party of Burma.

In 1973 he went underground and teamed up with the Shan State Army but was arrested in Thailand and handed over to the Burmese government. Despite being sentenced to death, he was released in a general amnesty in 1980. In 1992, he founded Asia World Company together with his son, Steven Law (also known as U Tun Myint Naing), who is also sanctioned by the United States. The company is one of Myanmars largest and is involved in major infrastructure and property projects. Lo Hsing Han helped the military regime to [survive], Shan-based journalist U Khun Sai told Democratic Voice of Burma in a recent interview. In 2008, the US Treasury Department added Lo Hsing Han and Steven Law to its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, which prohibits US firms or individuals from doing business with them.

He is a significant part of the Golden Triangles history, but not a part of its present.
Jason Eligh UN Office on Drugs and Crime

An additional announcement issued on February 25, 2010, stated: Unless the ruling junta in Burma halts the violent oppression of its people, we will continue to target those like Steven Law who sustain it and who profit corruptly because of that support. The statement called Lo Hsing Han the Godfather of Heroin and one of the worlds key heroin traffickers dating back to the early 1970s. Bertil Lintner, a journalist who has reported extensively on Myanmar and author of The Golden Triangle Opium Trade: An Overview, said Lo Hsing Han was a very important player in the early 1970s when he was based in Lashio and commanded the Kokang army, which was one of the strongest and best-armed in the country. He transported drugs, opium, morphine and huang pi [heroin base] down to the Thai border where it was converted into pure, Number 4 heroin in labs run by various independent operators, he told The Myanmar Times. Sometimes even the Myanmar army helped him transport the drugs down to Tachileik and other places on the border. Despite Lo Hsing Hans legacy, his death is expected to have little impact on opium cultivation and production in Myanmar. He was an influential trafficking figure for decades, but he has been replaced by several others today, said Jason Eligh, the head of the Myanmar office of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Myanmar.

Lo Hsing Han, who was known as the Godfather of Heroin . Photo: Reuters

He is a significant part of the Golden Triangles history, but not a part of its present. Mr Lintner agreed. Other drug lords have taken over, such as Wei Xuegang and the Bao brothers, who command the United Wa State Army, he said. Whether his family one of the richest in Myanmar continues to

have any links to the narcotics trade remains in question, sources said. [Steven Law] and his associates are registered as drug suspects by the US Drug Enforcement Agency, said Mr Lintner. [It is] hard to prove although the suspicion is strong. Mr Eligh, however, responded with a no comment when asked if the family was still involved.

www.mmtimes.com

News 23

Fears over Facebook regulation proposal

Deputy Minister for Information U Ye Htut says the government is willing to intervene to stop hate speech spreading on social media

TIM MCLAUGHLIN
timothy.mclaughlin3@gmail.com

UNTIL the recent decision to ban Time magazine, Myanmars media liberalisation had been one of the highlights in the string of reforms undertaken by President U Thein Sein since March 2011. But while print media has seen increased freedom, the rising use of social media has clearly caused consternation in the government and prompted some to question whether it should be controlled or monitored. The concern stems largely from the countrys internal conflicts, including skirmishes between the Tatmadaw and ethnic minority groups and intercommunal violence pitting Buddhists against Muslims. Groups and individuals have seized on the power of social media using both English-language and Myanmar sites to promote their causes, while at the same time many have also used the platform to denounce the governments role and reactions in these conflicts. Deputy Minister for Information U Ye Htut has been outspoken in his concerns that Facebook could be used to destabilise Myanmar, going as far as to say that it spreads gunpowder around the country by facilitating the spread of rumours and what the government views as hate speech. Hate speech has slowly been moving toward social media, said U Ye Htut, who is also a spokesperson for the president and is himself an active user of Facebook. It spreads very quickly these days. But some question whether the threat from social media is more imagined than real. Deputy director of Human Rights Watchs Asia division, Phil Robertson, said that in Rakhine State social media has played only a minor role in inciting violence. Instead, pamphlets and public speeches were much more frequently used to spread misinformation. Mr Robertson said a mimeograph machine a low-cost printing press is a more effective tool for circulating messages in rural areas where electricity is rare and internet connections even rarer. Asian Development Bank figures show that 74 percent of people in Myanmar lack access to power and the countrys rate of internet connectivity is among the lowest in the world, with users concentrated in Yangon and other urban areas. The same types of pamphlets were

A man uses Facebook at an internet cafe in downtown Yangon. Photo: Zarni Phyo

cited by Mdecins Sans Frontires (Doctors without Borders) as the main vehicle for spreading rumours about the organisations work and financial backing in Rakhine State last year that led to the group being severely hindered in their efforts to provide care by citizens in the region incensed by what they had read. Speaking at a recent workshop on hate speech, he said that people

The percentage of Facebook pages that the government estimates are not registered under a persons real name

50%

are unable to sort rumour from hard news and this can cause them to act irresponsibly. People are very confused, U Ye Htut said, adding that they have trouble working out what is right and what is wrong. He estimates that about half of the 800,000 Facebook users in Myanmar

are not using their real name on their account, and the government is clearly concerned about the anonymity afforded by Facebook and other online outlets. An editorial in the state-run New Light of Myanmar said it would not come as a surprise if the number of Myanmar-based Facebook accounts was larger than the number of internet users in the country. It is said in Myanmar that a person without a Facebook identity is like a person without a home address, the editorial said. However, it also warned that the ordinary people of Myanmar to[o] often blindly accept anything that they read. There is no such mission of finding fact and fiction in Myanmar. When it meets floods of information that have broken open the long-locked gate, there arise rumours, spread hate speeches, and follow other adverse impacts of social media. Social media is tougher to regulate than traditional media, however. Unlike news journals, the licence of a Facebook page cannot be withdrawn. Defamation charges cannot be leveled unless the owner of the page can be identified. Options are limited and generally drastic: In September 2007, the government shut down the internet to restrict dissemination of information about monk-led protests.

Where bloggers can be identified they can face 15-year prison terms under the Electronics Transactions Law if they use the internet to receive, send or distribute information that could threaten or disrupt Myanmars state security or law and order. While the government has promised to amend sections of the law that harm the free flow of information and free speech, U Ye Htut said that the government is also looking into a regulation system for Facebook. Our department is willing to develop regulations and public service media training for that, U Ye Htut said. The government has no intention of blocking people but we are ready to stop people who are diverting from the law. Myanmar Journalists Association vice president U Thiha Saw said that he was aware of the challenge of monitoring social media. Do you come up with some sort of regulations? Or do we simply selfregulate among ourselves without the government? he said. He said that he believed educating young people about social media use was a better way to address the issue than government regulation. Educate young people on the good, the bad and the consequences of social media. You can advise them.

You can coach them, he said. Facebooks own policy states that it does not allow posts or comments that it considers hate speech, threatening, or pornographic; incites violence; or contains nudity or graphic or gratuitous violence, but has come under fire in the past for allowing posts that contain speech considered by some to be hateful, including denials of the Holocaust. The possibility of Nay Pyi Taw reaching into cyberspace to curb freedom of speech is exactly the type of government meddling that Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt warned against during a visit to Yangon in April. Try to keep the government out of regulating the internet, Mr Schmidt said. The answer to bad speech is more speech. More communication. More voices. Mr Schmidts views were shared by members of parliament. When asked about possible government regulation of Facebook, National League for Democracy Pyithu Hluttaw representative U Win Htein dismissed the idea as nonsense, saying internet access should be open to all. It [the internet] is impossible to control and we shouldnt control it, agreed U Khine Maung Yi, the Pyithu Hluttaw representative for Ahlone.

Former political prisoners still waiting to return to university

BY NAW SAY PHAW WAA nawsayphawwaa@gmail.com A GROUP of former political prisoners released in an amnesty 18 months ago say they still have not been given permission to return to university. Officials from the universities say that students who have stopped studying for more than four years are only allowed to return as distance education students, but the former political prisoners, most of whom were jailed for their role in the September 2007 protests, are pushing to be able to study on campus. Some have only the final year of their degree left to complete. Ko De Nyein Lin, chairman of the Federation of Student Unions (Organising Committee), said the group had tried to return to study almost immediately after being released. Around 15 students from Yangon, including me, who were released in an amnesty on January 13, 2012, met with professors from different universities in the next months and discussed attending the university again. However, all the professors told us to apply to their superiors because they said they could only help with their superiors approval, he said. Eight students also met with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at the National League for Democracy headquarters in Yangon the same month to discuss the issue. Daw Suu told us to send letters to senior university officials and she also promised that she would help as much as she could. She said all students should have the right to study. They shouldnt face restraints because they have been sent to jail, said Ko Yae Myat Hein from the Federation of Student Unions (Organising Committee). The group also sent letters to the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission, the Presidents Office, parliaments and other organisations but received no response. However, in May 2012, a senior university official invited them to a meeting at West Yangon University, Ko De Nyein Lin said. They said they called a meeting with us because the president had instructed them to. We signed an agreement to attend university regularly, obey the university rules and not disturb the states stability. However, weve heard nothing since. When we go and ask they just say they are waiting for instructions from their superiors. However, the students have continued to lobby to be allowed to return, meeting again with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi following a higher education seminar in Nay Pyi Taw on June 29-30. Daw Suu said she thought all of the students had already been allowed to attend university. She felt sorry that it hasnt happened yet and said it was wrong, said Ko Si Thu Maung, a member of the Yangon Institute of Economics Students Union. He added that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi promised to help the students study again and told them she would raise it in the hluttaw. After that three students discussed the issue with U Aung Min and U Soe Thein after the American Independence Day ceremony on July 2. The ministers said the students should send letters to them directly and they would help them study again. The students said they are hopeful they will get permission to return to university before classes open for the next year in December.

When we go and ask [the university] they just say they are waiting for instructions from their superiors.
Ko De Nyein Lin Former political prisoner

24 THE MYANMAR TIMES JULY 15 - 21, 2013

Business
With the kyat declining and a speculative boom in the property market driving up the cost of living, economists warn inflation could spiral out of control
U Khine Htun said the central bank will have a difficult time controlling inflation. I dont think the central bank alone can control inflation and ensure price stability, he said. U Khine Htun also said the government should be cautious about intervening in the market because markets can correct themselves. He added that skyrocketing prices had cooled demand for property. An official at the Central Bank of Myanmar said that inflation is being monitored to ensure it remains below the savings rate at banks, which is about 8pc. He also said the current inflation rate is far lower than it was in the past and that property prices though rising had not reached the bubble stage. He added that property prices will stop rising when they reach their proper level, saying the opening of the stock market in 2015 will provide another investment option that may reduce speculation in the property market. Realtors say that speculators dominate the property market to such an extent that reports of plans for new bridges or industrial zones can incite a buying binge. For example, the price of land across the river from central Yangon in Dala township has tripled over the last three months on reports that a bridge will be built connecting it to downtown. Realtors said plots that sold for K1 million earlier this year are now selling for K3 million. Speculators, usually bank executives or Chinese nationals buying through local partners, are the main buyers, they said. Andrea Smurra, a Yangon-based economist with the International Growth Centre, said it is too early to say whether inflation will spiral out of control. He is worried, however, about the impact of inflation on petrol, other energy sources and imported raw materials for agriculture such as fertiliser. As the currency depreciates, fuel becomes more expensive and a very large range of commodity prices is affected, Mr Smurra said. Depreciation will make imported gas more expensive, making the subsidy on electricity even more cumbersome on public finance. He said rising prices of fuel, electricity and rice could transmit inflation through the entire economy. Depreciation should be kept under control, he said. Myanmar still needs to import fuel and capital goods in order to be able to grow. If the currency depreciates further, export incentives will be offset by Myanmars inability to buy commodities [needed to produce exports]. As of July 12, the kyat was trading at 980 to the US dollar. In early May it was trading at about 920 to the dollar. It began sliding after the Water Festival, rising above 940 by end of the month. The exchange rate stabilised in early June before beginning to slide again in the middle of last month. By the end of June the kyat was trading near 980 to the US dollar.

Inflation worries are on the rise

AYE THIDA KYAW
ayethidarkyaw@gmail.com

ECONOMISTS are warning that the kyats near 10 percent decline against the US dollar this year, coupled with a speculative surge in property prices, could cause inflation to spiral out of control. A weaker kyat is pushing up the cost of imported goods such as fuel, construction materials and raw materials for agriculture like fertiliser, while a real estate boom is also driving up the cost of living, they said. Sean Turnell, a Myanmar economy expert at Australias Macquarie University, warned that asset price inflation could create a bubble. This special category of inflation is mostly a function of investor optimism in other words, of investors speculating that the prices of these assets will increase in the future, Mr Turnell said. Asset inflation is characterised by prices reflecting speculation rather than fundamentals. Mr Turnell said this type of inflation appears to be very high in Myanmar but rising prices of consumer goods currently at about 6pc a year are more or less okay, though he added that the kyats decline against the US dollar could increase inflationary pressure on consumer goods. Economist U Khine Htun identified fuel and rental prices as the two major drivers of inflation in Myanmar. Rental prices are rising about 10pc every six months, while fuel prices especially diesel and octane are dependent on exchange rates because fuel is imported.

Amount rental prices are rising in Yangon every six months, according to economist U Khine Htun

10%

A motorist fills up his car in Yangon. The price of petrol has risen about K30 a litre since late April and is expected to climb further due to the kyats decline against the US dollar. A commerce ministry official said the price, about K900 a litre, has yet to shoot up because retailers are selling supplies bought when the kyat was stronger. Photo: Staff

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

25

Crackdown on illegal trade is set to expand

BUSINESS 26

Presidents adviser predicts prices will keep rising till 2015

PROPERTY 30

Exchange Rates (July 13 close)

Currency Euro Malay Ringitt SG Dollar Thai Baht US Dollar Buying K1274 K303 K775 K32 K990 Selling K1292 K308 K785 K33 K994

Energy boom sparks calls for transparency

AUNG SHIN
koshumgtha@gmail.com

AS an increasing number of international firms vie for Myanmars offshore and onshore oil and gas reserves the government is facing mounting calls to fine-tune its regulatory framework for foreign investment in the sector and ensure that environmental safeguards are implemented.

U Thein Aung, a senior lawyer at Myanmar Trademark and Patent Law Firm, which provides legal advice to foreign firms, said the government is moving toward greater legal and regulatory clarity. New laws related to investment and operation of foreign business in Myanmar will be drafted soon, he said. Asian Development Bank energy specialist Kim Jong-inn said the government should establish a transparent legal and regulatory framework in the energy sector [by] updating or revising the foreign investment law, electricity law and petroleum law. The government is, however,

moving more quickly to increase production than it is to enhance legislation. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Energy told The Myanmar Times last week that the ministry is prioritising exploration and production tenders for oil and gas to foreign companies because they have the technology necessary to bring the resources to market quickly. The statement on July 8 followed the release on July 4 by state-run Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise of a prequalified list for the first offshore bidding round of the year. The tender, which opened in April, drew a host of global companies. Of

them, Chevron, Unocal, Total, Oil India, GAIL, China National Petroleum Corporation, JX Nippon, Korea National Oil and Daewoo are on the prequalified list of 61 companies. Each one is permitted to submit a proposal for three blocks. According to a July 11 report from Thuraswiss, Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise will grant licences this year for exploration and production for 30 offshore blocks. U Thein Aung, however, is urging the government to proceed with caution, saying transparency is paramount, especially in granting licences. The government is expected to offer

at least 20 more offshore blocks for tender by the end of this year, according to an ADB report released in June. With so much upcoming exploration, Myanmar needs environmental conservation regulations for environmental and social impact assessments under the Environmental Conservation Law to ensure social and environmental sustainability, the ADBs Mr Kim said. Currently, 16 foreign companies are working on 17 onshore blocks and 15 foreign companies are involved in exploration or production on 20 existing offshore blocks, all in partnership with Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise.

Cigarette seller returns to Myanmar

TIM MCLAUGHLIN timothy.mclaughlin3@gmail.com AFTER a decades absence British American Tobacco has re-entered Myanmar through a joint venture to manufacture, distribute and market cigarettes. BAT has taken a majority stake of the joint venture with partner IMU Enterprise, a unit of Sein Wut Hmon Group, which distributes Vegas and Golden Eagle cigarette brands. BAT said it plans to invest about US$50 million over five years in a production facility in Shwe Than Lwin Industrial Zone in Yangons Hlaing Tharya township. The plant will produce its London brand of cigarettes, BAT said in a July 5 statement announcing the deal. Rehan Baig, its managing director for Myanmar, said the joint venture gives us a very sustainable and long-term position in this growing economy. Historically, British American Tobacco had a market leading position in Myanmar which we are aiming to rebuild with our partner, he added. A company spokesperson said the plant will employ about 150 workers to make London cigarettes and that other brands will be added in the future. IMU managing director U Sao Khun San Aung said the firms have the right mix of global and local expertise. BAT left Myanmar in 2003 following a campaign against it over its links with the military. It sold its share of Rothmans of Pall Mall Myanmar to Singapores Distinction Investment Holdings afer receiving what was described as an exceptional request from the British government to leave Myanmar. It had owned 60 percent of Rothmans of Pall Mall Myanmar, with the remainder held by military backed Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings. This link to the military made it the target of fierce lobbying by Burma Campaign UK and the Federation of Trade Unions in Burma, which marked BATs withdrawal from Myanmar as a major victory.

TRADE MARK CAUTION

PT Medifarma Laboratories Inc., Indonesia, a Company incorporated in Indonesia, of JL.Rawagelam V Block L Kav.11-13,Kawasan Industri Pulogadung, PO Box 1110 Jat.Jakarta 13930,Indonesia,is the Owner of the following Trade Mark:-

Reg.No.12504/2012 in respect of Class 5: Multivitamin and mineral preparation. Fraudulent imitation or unauthorized 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 PT Medifarma Laboratories Inc., Indonesia P.O Box 60,Yangon Email: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 15 July 2013

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, a company organized under the laws of France and having its principal office at 12 cours Sablon 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trademarks: (Reg: Nos. IV/5028/1997, IV/7295/2009 & IV/551/2013) in respect of:- Pneumatic tires and tubes for vehicle wheels, treads for recapping tires - Intl Class: 12 (Reg: Nos. IV/5029/1997, IV/7294/2009 & IV/552/2013) in respect of:- Services for recapping tires Intl Class: 37 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 Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin, P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 15th July, 2013

26 Business

THE MYANMAR TIMES JULY 15 - 21, 2013

Smuggling crackdown expands

AYE THIDAR KYAW ayethidarkyaw@gmail.com THE Ministry of Commerce plans to expand its crackdown on illegal border trade this month to increase government revenues, officials said. The ministry will send new teams of inspectors to ports to examine containers, following the success of its mobile teams who began cracking down on illegal trade over land routes to China and Thailand last November, deputy director U Soe Aung said last week. Ministry officials found that in the first half of the last fiscal year trade along the Thai border was undervalued by Myanmar officials. Thai data showed trade totalling about US$820 million, while Myanmar officials put it at $85 million. The mobile inspection teams found 1762 case of illegal trade between last November and June, with a total value of about K7 billion (about US$7 million), U Soe Aung said. We started in border

BRIEFS
Yangon Telenor appoints new CEO for rapid network roll out
Telenor Group has appointed a former chief financial officer of Thailands second largest mobile operator, dtac, as the new chief executive officer of Telenor Mynamar, it announced on July 12. Petter Furberg, who has worked for more than a decade in Asia, will oversee the rapid roll out of a modern telecommunications network and related services in Myanmar, said the company that won one of two licences to set up a telecom network here last month. Telenor owns a majority state in dtac. Two other dtac executives were appointed to top positions at Telenor Myanmar, including dtacs head of network operation division, Prathet Tankuranun. He was appointed chief technology officer for Telenor Myanmar. Staff

RECAMIC

RECAMIC

Members of a border trade inspection team burn illegally imported goods in Mandalay Region. Photo: Staff

towns, but sea routes are more important as they account for 80 percent of trade, he added. Most illegal imports are fuel, handsets and electronics, cigarettes and consumer goods, while the most common illegal exports are jade and forestry products, according to data on seizures of illegal goods. The new inspection teams

will comprise officials from three commerce ministry departments as well as members of the police force, port authority and business associations. U Soe Aung said the ministry is waiting for approval from the Yangon Region government before it launches its new inspections. We are ready to go, he added.

Nay Pyi Taw Bidding opens for refinery impact assessments

The government has opened a tender for environmental and social impact assessments for a new oil refinery in central Myanmar. Proposals will be accepted by the energy ministrys Myanmar Petrochemical Enterprise (MPE) until August 16, according to the tenders July 9 announcement. The new refinery will have a capacity of 20,000 barrels a day. It will be built in Magway Regions Minhla township and will refine crude oil from the Myanmar-China oil pipeline. The parliament approved in February K4 million to pay for the assessments. MPE director Daw Hla Hla Kyi said the assessments will begin as soon as possible. Aung Shin

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that Besins Healthcare Luxembourg S.A.RL of 67 Boulevard GrandeDuchesse Charlotte, L-1331 LUXEMBOURG, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trademarks:-

Norway to assist fish farmers

MYAT NYEIN AYE myatnyeinaye11092@gmail.com SCIENTISTS from a Norwegian aquaculture research institute will help Myanmar fish farm operators raise hatchlings to offset declining stocks of hilsa shad, a staple food in rural areas, the Myanmar Fisheries Federation said on July 9. U Han Htun, a member of the association, said experts from the Norwegian Institute of Food, Fishery and Aquaculture (Nofima), will arrive in Myanmar in September to teach fish farm operators how to raise the hatchlings. The species has been depleted by a decade of overfishing experts said. Nofima has been working with scientists in Bangladesh and India to breed the fish for farming. It announced earlier this year that it is expanding the project to Myanmar where fish farmers typically catch hatchlings in the wild and raise them in ponds. The introduction of purse seine nets in the late 1990s, however, has rapidly depleted stocks, U Han Htun said, explaining that these nets catch smaller fish and do not allow any to escape. Myanmar exported about 100,000 tonnes of the fish annually three decades ago, but this fell to 40,000 tonnes a year in the late 1990s and about 16,000 tonnes a year over the past few years. Daw Toe Nandanar Tine, treasurer of the Myanmar Fishery Products Processors and Exporters Association, called for stricter control of nets used for fishing so that hatchlings remain in the wild.

UTROGESTAN
(Reg: No. IV/1620/2011) (Reg: No. IV/1622/2011) The above two trademarks are in respect of:Pharmaceutical preparations and gynaecological preparations for medical purposes Class: 5

DUOGESTAN

OESTRODOSE
(Reg: No. IV/1621/2011)

ANDROGEL
(Reg: No. IV/1623/2011)

The Fine Print

Legal & tax insight

OESTROGEL
(Reg: No. IV/1624/2011)

PROGESTOGEL
(Reg: No. IV/1625/2011) (Reg: No. IV/1626/2011) The above five trademarks are in respect of :Hormonal preparations for medical use; dietetic substances adapted for medical use Class:5 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 Besins Healthcare Luxembourg S.A.RL P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 15th July, 2013

Basics of a successful JV
SEBASTIAN PAWLITA sebastian@pwplegal.com ALESSIO POLASTRI alessio@pwplegal.com THE most common reasons for a foreign investor to establish a joint venture with a local partner in Myanmar are the desire to penetrate a yet-unknown market with the help of local know-how, and to take advantage of an established distribution network or use an existing production facility. Furthermore, implementing guidelines to the Foreign Investment Law require that certain foreign investments can only be made in a joint venture with a Myanmar national/company. Finding the right local partner is crucial to making the joint venture a success. In general, the authorities in Myanmar and the population are acutely aware of the risk of foreigners exploiting the countrys riches. Without a reputable local partner, it is often difficult or even impossible even for big multinationals to obtain necessary approvals. In licensing procedures, the reputation and the experience of a local partner can count as much as, or even more than, the brand name, financial resources and expertise of the foreign investor. Against this background, foreign investors should conduct a thorough due diligence of prospective local partners, and, conversely, expect that their background is checked by the Myanmar side as well. What is the partners position in the market? What do its customers and suppliers say about its reliability and reputation? How has the business of the partner developed over the last few years? Does the partner have a history of international exposure? These are important questions, the answers to which lay the groundwork for deciding if a prospective partner is suitable. Due diligence should not only cover the potential partner company but also the individuals who run it (directors, key managers) and the shareholders behind it. The ideal joint-venture partner has deep knowledge of the local market and the relevant contacts, a good track record and a good understanding of international transactions. The partner should be trustworthy and in good financial standing. The importance of the ability to communicate in the same language cannot be underestimated. Conversely, the local foreign partner should ask itself what it can honestly promise to contribute to the joint venture. Respecting the local culture and establishing an atmosphere of mutual trust and cooperation are keys to success. Local businesspeople often expect a foreign joint-venture partner to transfer technology, know-how and expertise. A proposal that makes provisions for the training of staff and the transfer of technology, therefore, often receives a warmer welcome in practice than the contribution of a particularly large amount of money. Foreign companies prepared to share their know-how have a head start over those who simply rely on financial strength. It is of high priority to the government to provide employment opportunities. The Foreign Investment Law obliges foreigninvested companies to employ a certain percentage of skilled staff who are Myanmar nationals. Employing foreigners to perform jobs that require no or low skills is prohibited. A proposal that provides for the employment of a large number of Myanmar nationals is therefore interesting to the local joint venture partner and the licensing authorities. Joint ventures tend to go wrong if the foreign partner tries to implement the project in the same way as it would have implemented it at home, without taking into account the expectations, and listening to the advice, of the local partner. A carefully drafted, comprehensive joint-venture agreement with fair terms and conditions helps define each partys expectations. It is also of great help if things turn difficult due to financial difficulties, for example. Without the contribution of enough money, assets, human resources and time by both parties, the joint venture will fail. Let me do it first is a cleverer approach than lets wait for the other to do it.
Alessio Polastri and Sebastian Pawlita are consultants at Polastri Wint & Partners Legal & Tax Advisors in Yangon.

TESTOGEL

Read more online

including Richard Welford on corporate social responsibility. mmtimes.com

www.mmtimes.com

Business 27

No export bounce for rubber yet

SU PHYO WIN
suphyo1990@gmail.com

DESPITE having duty-free access to the European market under the EUs generalised scheme of preferences, the quality of most rubber produced in Myanmar is too low to sell in that market, according to U Khaing Myint, a spokesperson of the Myanmar Rubber Planters and Producers Association. Local plantations failed to produce rubber of a quality high enough for the EU. They are not aware of the standards required, he said, adding that the specifications are very precise. They have to know how much dust, sand, stone, water and water vapours are contained in the rubber. Even if we get buyers from the EU, if shipments dont meet their quality standards we have to compensate them, U Khaing Myint said. About 70 percent of rubber produced in Myanmar is exported to China, with most of the rest going to Singapore,

Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Korea and India, according to the association. Last year 81,000 tonnes of rubber were exported, earning about US$230 million. U Khaing Myint said the low quality of rubber results in a lower price for the most commonly exported grade from Myanmar, RSS-3. The international price for RSS-3 is about $2350 per tonne, but our rubber only gets about $2100 per tonne, he said. Still, one container containing 22 tonnes of rubber departed for Europe last month after GSP privileges were formally granted to Myanmar, the Department of Trade Promotion said. A spokesperson from the department said GSP benefits will provide an incentive for local producers to expand and improve the quality of rubber. He also said that even when Myanmar was under sanctions rubber produced here was shipped to the EU and the US. Trade was indirect, he added. Rubber plantations are concentrated in Mon and Kayin states and Taninthayi Region. Production levels, about 150,000 tonnes a year, are a fraction of Thailands, which produces 3.2 million tonnes a year.

Foreign suppliers eye auto parts market

SU PHYO WIN suphyo1990@gmail.com FOREIGN automotive parts suppliers are seeking to enter Myanmar to cater to the growing need for spare parts, a Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry official said last week. U Myo Thant, a member of the federations central executive committee, said demand for auto parts is accelerating and that foreign suppliers are welcome in the market. More and more cars are being imported. When they arrive here they look new to us but many have been on the road for at least five years. Clearly, we are going to need to secure parts to repair these vehicles. Its a good time for suppliers to enter the market, he said at a trade fair at Tatmadaw Hall in Yangons Dagon township. Judy Wang, executive director of Hong Kong-based Yorkers Trade and Marketing Service, an organiser of the fair, said suppliers from Asia and the United States are seeking local representatives to distribute parts in Myanmar. The majority of cars on the road here are secondhand and will parts will be needed to repair them, she said. The EMMA Fair Myanmar 2013 comprises 120 exhibitors from seven nations showing 2500 products, including electronics, hydraulic equipment, motors and pumps, machinery and parts. Sixty percent of the products are for vehicles.

World Vision is an international non-governmental organization which is focused on improving the well-being of vulnerable children and families in Myanmar. We are urgently seeking dedicated professionals who have a desire to serve others, while building a career in a globally respected organization. Position : Area Development Program Manager (4) Location : Hpa-An, Hlaingbwe, Thanbyuzayat, Thayetchaung Position : Communications Manager (1) Location : Yangon Position : Protection Department Manager (1) Location : Yangon Please visit www.worldvision.org.mm for more information about each of these positions. Please submit applications to myajobapps@wvi.org or drop in application box at No. (18), Shin Saw Pu Road, Ahlone Township, Yangon by July 26, 2013.

28 Business
ANALYSIS

THE MYANMAR TIMES JULY 15 - 21, 2013

A slower boat from China

Beijing is pursuing a new economic growth model, one that relies on domestic demand rather than exports

Shoppers walk past Dolce & Gabbana and Bally International stores inside Shanghais K11 Art Mall, which opened in June. Beijings new economic growth model relies on domestic demand rather than exports. Photo: Bloomberg

STEPHEN S ROACH THE world is having a hard time accepting a slowing Chinese economy. Hooked on 30 years of 10 percent average gains in Chinese gross domestic product, growth-starved economies around the world are desperate for more of the same. But it is not going to happen. Some six years ago, Chinas then-premier, Wen Jiabao, posed a paradox that came to be called the Four Uns: Though Chinas economy looked strong on the surface, Mr Wen argued it was increasingly unstable, unbalanced, uncoordinated and ultimately unsustainable. The debate those remarks sparked is now over, and a new Chinese growth model is at hand. Chinas 12th Five-Year Plan, enacted in 2011, calls for a shift to an economy driven increasingly by domestic consumption, rather than one driven largely by exports and investments. Chinas new generation of leaders, President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang, are now focusing on implementing this daunting structural rebalancing and appear committed to it. With GDP growth slowing to 7.7pc in the first quarter of 2013, and data for April and May pointing to more of the same, previous Chinese leaders would have quickly announced a new infrastructure program or other stimulus policies to spur the economy. By not introducing new spending initiatives, the government of Mr Xi and Mr Li has sent a strong signal that Beijing is willing to accept slower growth. That conclusion was reinforced by last months liquidity squeeze in the overnight bank funding markets. Because the Peoples Bank of China, the countrys central bank, didnt intervene as it normally does in such circumstances, the interbank lending rate shot up on June 20, reaching a record of 13.4pc more than four times the average over the last 18 months (it dropped back a few days later). This lack of intervention sent a strong signal to banks, especially Chinas shadow banks, that the days of risky and undisciplined lending must end. The message from Chinas fiscal and monetary authorities is clear: The days of open-ended

hyper-growth are over. At the same time, Mr Xi has been calling for a mass line education campaign aimed at addressing problems arising from the four winds of formalism, bureaucracy, hedonism and extravagance. Though cryptic, his message appears to underscore a new sense of political discipline, to complement the discipline of Chinas fiscal and monetary policies. China is at an important juncture in its development journey. It is determined to move away from the quantity dimension of growth to a new focus on the quality. This is not only about a downshift in GDP growth: It is also a critical shift toward the long dormant Chinese consumer, opening up one of the largest consumer markets in the world to anemically growing Western countries. This is especially important for the United States, which continues to languish in a weak recovery with unacceptably high unemployment. Washington needs to push hard for free and open access to these markets. While Chinas previous administration recognised the importance of structural change, they made disappointingly little progress. Slower growth does not work for China unless its economy undergoes a fundamental transformation. For consumption to play its proper role in Chinas economy, three sets of reforms are essential: services-led job creation, urbanisation and a wellfunded social safety net. The objective is to boost the consumption of Chinese citizens from its current share of 35pc of GDP (by contrast, it is 71pc in the US) to 40pc over the next three to five years, and to more than 45pc by 2023. The emphasis on services and urbanisation should help increase personal income the mainstay of consumer demand for any economy. But a services-led China also holds the key to a sustainable slowdown in GDP growth, because services require roughly 30pc more workers per unit of Chinese output than manufacturing and construction. In other words, China can accomplish the same labor absorption (ie, employment of poor rural workers) with a services-led economy growing at 7pc as with a manufacturing- and

construction-led economy growing at 10pc. With services comprising only about 43pc of the economy the lowest share of any major economy in the world there is plenty of room for this sector to grow. Urbanisation is also an essential part of Chinas consumer-led transformation. Urban Chinese workers have per capita incomes of slightly more than three times their counterparts in rural areas. Chinas urban population reached 52.6pc of the total population in 2012, up from 20pc in 1981 and is projected to rise to 70pc by 2030. As long as job creation, especially in the services industry, accompanies urbanisation, a sharp boost in labourincome generation is likely. But without a better safety net, Chinese families will keep saving too much and spending too little. The nations vastly underfunded retirement system is a key aspect of this problem. Chinas focus has been on expanding the number of citizens enrolled in the retirement and healthcare plans; emphasis now needs to shift to providing more funding for the plans.

Slower growth does not work for China unless its economy undergoes a fundamental transformation.

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in Myanmar is inviting qualified candidates to apply for the following positions: Sr. Title and level Duty Station Position Yangon Yangon Yangon Yangon Yangon Yangon Yangon Yangon Yangon National National National National National National National National National Deadline 16-7-2013 17-7-2013 23-7-2013 25-7-2013 29-7-2013 30-7-2013 4-8-2013 4-8-2013 4-8-2013 1. Project Support Officer (LICA 6) 2. Protocol Associate ( Re-advertised ) (LICA 4) 3. Programme Officer (Rural Finance and Value Chains) (IICA 3) 4. Public Health Analyst (LICA 6) 5. Contracts Assistant (MNCH ATM) (LICA 3) 6. Associate Finance Officer-Treasury (LICA 5) 7. M&E Analyst (MCH) (LICA 5) 9. Administrative Analyst (NOA) 10. Procurement Analyst (NOA)

International 17-7-2013

8. Senior Finance Officer/Deputy Financial Management Officer (NOC) Yangon

While this is a daunting agenda, the new policy discipline of the Xi-Li administration raises the probability of a successful consumer-led rebalancing. If it does succeed, there are three things the world should expect from China: First, Chinese GDP growth will likely hover at 7-8pc over the next decade. The labour intensity of services suggests China can grow in this range and still generate enough jobs and income to maintain stability. Second, services-led growth means a move away from resource-intensive manufacturing. While this may pose problems for countries in Chinas resource supply chain especially Australia, Brazil, Canada and Russia it offers the possibility of reduced environmental degradation, making for a cleaner and greener Chinese GDP. Third, the emergence of the Chinese consumer is a potential windfall for the developed world. Chinas embryonic services sector could increase from US$3.5 trillion in 2012 to $15.9 trillion by 2025. This $12.4 trillion surge could translate into a $4 trillion to $6 trillion bonanza for foreign firms. The transition will not be seamless, nor will it happen overnight. But like most of its accomplishments in the post-Mao era, Chinas development clock runs about four times the speed of others. Bloomberg
Stephen S Roach is a former chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia and the author of The Next Asia.

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

www.mmtimes.com

Property Business 29
HOUSE OF THE WEEK

Ready for take-off

THIS four-bedroom house near the airport at 8-mile junction is convenient for anybody working at an office uptown, but those working in the city centre might find the commute too lengthy. The asking price is US$3060 a month. The 3240-squarefoot property comes with a tiny garden, tiled driveway and a covered two-car parking lot. It is enclosed by a high wall topped with rolls of razor wire for safety. The ground floor of the house is spacious. It includes a large living and dining room, with a separate laundry room and kitchen. The upper level has two single bedrooms that share a bathroom and one master bedroom with an ensuite bathroom. The flooring is almost entirely parquet, while the stylish ceilings have downlights set into them. The walls are freshly painted an off-white shade throughout. The home has four air-conditioners and one landline. Furniture can be provided, though this may require higher rent. Ei The The Naing

Location : 8-mile junction, Mayangone township Rent : K3 million (US$3060) a month Contact : Moe Myint Thaw Tar Real Estate and General Service Phone : 01 9669061

Photos: Supplied

Thanlyin speculation reaches a new limit

MYAT NYEIN AYE
myatnyeinaye11092@gmail.com

MIAMI

Miami leads US foreclosures as banks ride rebound

MIAMIS foreclosure rate ranked at the top of major US metropolitan areas last month as auctions more than tripled, signaling lenders are preparing to sell a backlog of distressed homes amid rising prices. One in 236 housing units in the area that includes Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach received a foreclosure filing in June, more than four times the national average, RealtyTrac said in a report on July 11. The jump was led by notices of auctions the step before a bankowned property sale can occur in the state which rose 283 percent from a year earlier to 5,172 homes, according to the company. The surge in auctions in states such as Florida, where courts oversee repossessions, reflects lenders pushing properties through foreclosure after years of judicial delays lengthened the process, said Daren Blomquist, vice president of RealtyTrac. That is clearing the inventory of distressed homes at a time when surging demand from investors and international buyers is fueling price gains in the Miami area. Theres no question that the Miami market is back, said Mike Pappas, president of Keyes Real Estate residential brokerage. We saw a devaluation of 50-60pc in the recession; now were seeing a return. Prices for single-family homes in the Miami metro area climbed 13pc in April from a year earlier, the biggest gain among East Coast cities. They are still 43pc lower than the peak reached in December 2006. In the condominium market, the median price of a unit sold in May jumped 20pc from a year earlier to US$180,000, according to the Miami Association of Realtors. Condos formed the bulk of the citys unsold inventory after about 14,000 highrise units were constructed near downtown as prices began falling, Mr Pappas said. Buyers from South America are viewing south Florida real estate as a safe investment, driving demand even after two years of increases, said Steven Hagenbuckle, co-managing principal at realtor TerraCap Partners. The supply of available homes in Miami has been cut to less than three months from 15, boosting prices and giving banks reason to bring their backlog of foreclosures to market, Mr Pappas said. Theres a real supply crunch, Mr Hagenbuckle said. Were inundated by buyers from Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela. The market is rising and Miami is built out. Homes in the area also are being acquired by private-equity firms buying houses in bulk to turn them into rentals. Blackstone Group, the biggest company in the industry, has been accumulating properties in the Miami area, as has Tom Barracks Colony Capital. Banks are accelerating home auctions across the US as prices rise at the fastest pace since 2006. Auctions last month were up 103pc in New Jersey, 100pc in Florida, 94pc in Maryland and 65pc in Illinois, RealtyTrac data show. Bloomberg

THE proposed special economic zone in Thanlyin and Kyauktan townships in Yangon, given further impetus by the visit to the area by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in May, has brought sales to a halt, realtors say. However, buying and selling has not stopped as a result of government action to bring down land prices but because the owners are holding out for even higher prices, agents say. The market in Thanlyin has been hot for several years but accelerated sharply early this year, said Ko Aung Zaw Moe, an independent real estate agent. After the Japanese prime minister visited the area prices skyrocketed but many owners are refusing to sell because they are waiting for higher prices. He added that some owners are asking impossibly high prices for land. U Khin Maung Aye, an agent with realtor Shwe Kan Myae, said land prices within the development project have doubled in one year, from about K150 million an acre to K300 million to K350 million an acre. Owners are asking impossible prices because they know that big businesses are going to move in and will need land, he told The Myanmar Times. But theyre holding onto land be-

Villas are proliferating in Thanlyin township as speculators bet that land prices in the area will keep rising due its proximity to a new economic zone. Photo: Staff

cause they are confident that prices will keep rising. He added that land prices are also rising near Yangon East University in Thanlyin township. Prices have doubled in Thanlyin in a year, he said. Land with per-

Owners are refusing to sell because they want to wait for higher prices.
Ko Aung Zaw Moe Independent realtor

mits to built houses on are priced from K10 million to K35 million for a 2400-square-foot plot, he said. Ko Naing Myo Oo, an agent with Estate Myanmar, said prices downtown have also doubled. Thanlyin township was not a good place to own property in the past, he said. Previously, an acre of land beside the road could be bought for half the current price. However, he added that owners of land registered for farming are not selling it. They want to wait for prices to rise even further, Ko Naing Myo Oo said. Thilawa Special Economic zone will cover 6000 acres, about 2400 hectares, in Thanlyin and Kyauktan townships. The first phase of the project, including a deepwater port on the Yangon River, is scheduled to be build by 2015.

30 Business Property

THE MYANMAR TIMES JULY 15 - 21, 2013

Property prices to rise for a few more years

Presidential adviser U Aung Tun Thet sees no property bubble and predicts daily flipping will occur

HTAR HTAR KHIN

htar29@gmail.com

THERE is no bubble in the property market and prices of land will continue to rise for the next few years, presidential adviser U Aung Tun Thet told a seminar to mark the first anniversary of the Myanmar Real Estate Services Association on July 7. Property flipping, in which properties are bought and sold on the same day, is likely in the future, he added in a talk called Future Prospects of the Property Market in Myanmar. Flipping could lead to competitive prices, he told the seminar at the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry.. Weve seen that property price have reached twice the prices of neighbouring Thailand, he said, pointing to industrial zones near Yangon like Hlaing Thar Yar where an acre of land sells for US$530,000 12 times higher than a similar plot in Orlando, Florida. Noting that office rents have tripled between 2011 and 2012 to $65 a square metre, he predicted they will more than double again, to $150 a

square metre, by 2015. The low supply of condominium units and serviced apartments in central Yangon will continue to drive their rental prices above Bangkok levels, U Aung Tun Thet predicted. He said high property prices are the result of the reforms implemented by the current government, which have attracted foreign investors. Sanctions are easing on Myanmar and this is the major factor attracting investors to the property sector, he added. Although Yangon has only 1850 high-end hotel rooms and 740 service apartment units it is aiming to attract around one million visitors this year. With only about 680,000 square feet of office space in Yangon, it makes sense to invest in more office space now to meet demand from rising foreign investment, U Aung Tun Thet said. The presidential adviser also called for more focus on urban planning, zoning and infrastructural development, including in industrial zones. In foreign countries, industrial zones include electricity and internet access, but here industrial zones are just bare plots. He said that Myanmars transformation to a more open economy will prevent a property bubble as more channels for investment emerge and the city expands.

A construction worker tosses bricks to a co-worker at a site in central Yangon last week. Photo: Zarni Phyo

However, Dr Myo Thet, the general secretary of UMFCCI, told the seminar that the high price of land is a barrier to development and called on the realtors association to help contain surging prices. He also said the association

Amount a square foot of office space will rent for in Yangon in 2015, according to presidential adviser U Aung Tun Than

150

US$

should open a call centre to provide reliable data on prices to foreign investors. Association president U Khin Maung Than said that the association now has more than 1500 members and that it aims to ensure all of them are certified and qualified. U Aung Tun Thet said realtors could not be blamed for rising prices. That kind of thinking shows a lack of understanding of business. It is all about supply and demand, he said before describing advertisements for housing. Today, I saw many property advertisements that offer fully furnished penthouses in Yangon for $15,000 a month and also houses in Golden Valley for $10,500. The ads show how rental prices have gone through the roof, U Aung Tun Thet said.

However, he added, the fact that hotel chains from around the globe are investing in Myanmar is a positive sign for the property market. Many investors arriving means an expanding market. The first question foreign investors ask when they come to Myanmar is, Are huge land plots available? Because our country has limited land one thing is certain: prices will surely go up. Are land prices a barrier for foreign investment? This is a question investors are asking, he said. Although the property market is largely speculative, with jade traders pouring their profits into it, a vast undersupply of housing, office space, industrial land, hotel rooms and retail space will keep prices moving upward for the foreseeable future, the presidential adviser concluded.

TOKYO

Office sales surge as Abenomics fuel Japans rebound

JAPANESE stocks are the biggest winners in the world this year. The yen is down the most of any major currency, helping exporters. And as Prime Minister Shinzo Abes efforts to stoke the economy take hold, Japans commercial property market is coming back to life. Sales of offices, logistics and retail space surged 70 percent to 1.48 trillion yen (US$15 billion) in the first five months of this year from a year earlier, according to Jones Lang LaSalle. Deals will rise to as much as 3.5 trillion yen this year, the most since 2008, Takeshi Akagi, local director at the Chicagobased broker estimates. Mr Abe, who took office in December, has boosted spending and the Bank of Japan has embarked on an unprecedented monetary easing in a drive to end 15 years of deflation. The approach, dubbed Abenomics, is lifting the confidence of investors such as Nippon Building Fund and AXA Real Estate Investment Managers in a market that has languished since an asset bubble burst more than two decades ago. I dont think anyone would argue that there hasnt been a favourable sentiment shift since Abe came to power, said Christian Mancini, chief executive officer of North East Asia at Savills Asia Pacific. Inflation translates into balance-sheet recovery and has a knock-on effect on the real estate market. Among the signs of improvement: Tokyos office vacancy rate fell for a third month in May and is down from a record a year ago, while prices are inching higher. Japanese real estate investment trusts, known as J-REITs, are leading the charge after a 28pc gain in their shares since Mr Abe took office has made it easier to raise funds to acquire properties. The Tokyo Stock Exchange REIT Index is up 23pc so far this year. J-REITs may sell about 900 billion yen of shares this year to help pay for acquisitions that will probably total 2.5 trillion yen, said Yoji Otani, an analyst at Deutsche Bank. Some of the J-REITs and some of the property companies are willing to purchase very aggressively right now to lock into what they believe would be an improvement in the market, Savillss Mr Mancini said. You can expect prices will continue to improve. Nippon Building Fund, Japans biggest REIT, has spent 156.8 billion yen on office buildings this year. The total amount spent is more than three times what it had planned, said Kenichi Tanaka, president and CEO of Tokyo-based Nippon Building Fund Management. The number of listed Japanese companies that sold properties in the 12 months ended March 31 rose 20pc to 60, the first increase in eight years, amid corporate restructurings and ramped up acquisitions by J-REITs, according to Tokyo Shoko Research. Selling prices totaled 305.8 billion yen, more than triple the 99.7 billion yen of properties sold a year earlier, it said. Japans real estate market was a key part of the asset-price bubble of the 1980s, when economic growth, loose monetary policy and bank lending led to speculation on property and sent the Nikkei 225 Stock Average to its peak in 1989. The Nikkei is two-thirds off that high and residential land prices in Tokyo are one-third of their peak in 1988. Mr Abe has promised to loosen business regulations and increase government support to help Japans industry as part of the third arrow of a threepronged strategy to end deflation, following fiscal and monetary stimulus. His plan includes incentives to attract foreign investment and boosting the competitiveness of major cities in Japan. The government may also consider relaxing development rules in certain zones to meet demand for office buildings and residential space in metropolitan areas, it said. Bloomberg

Amount the Tokyo Stock Exchange REIT Index has risen so far this year

23%

www.mmtimes.com

Technology 31

Indians to close telegram network

SIXTY-SIX years ago, Santosh Sharma saw her mother sell gold bangles to feed and clothe her family of six and then dispatch telegrams to her brothers urging them to leave newly-created Pakistan and gather in New Delhi. Come, we will all live in India, wrote Sharmas mother, Devika. As the only literate woman in the family, Devika was entrusted with the task of sending the messages to distant family members and fellow Hindu friends. The family finally reunited in the Indian capital after countless exchanges, escaping the religious violence which claimed up to a million lives following the partition of the subcontinent in 1947. Crossing the border meant risking your own life, Santosh Sharma told AFP, remembering the tense period of post-partition India. At that time the telegram was the only way to keep families informed, give speedy updates and reunite. After 162 years of connecting people, India is now set to disband the worlds last major telegram service and its legions of cycle-borne delivery workers. With the service made redundant by a technological revolution, the final message will be sent Monday, July 15. In the days before mobile phones and the Internet, the telegram network was the main form of communication, with 20 million messages dispatched from India in 1947 alone. In 2012, the number of telegrams dwindled to 40,000 and most of them were by Indian government departments conveying administrative messages to remote parts of the country. Indias first telegraph lines were laid by British rulers in 1851 in the colonial capital of Kolkata, stretching about 40 kilometers (25 miles) down the Hoogly River to a key harbour on the Bay of Bengal. By the turn of the century, 125,000 miles of wire had been unrolled and the service was used for much more than trade and commerce and employed thousands of educated Indians. Its messages, always hand-delivered, announced court judgements, transfers, arrivals, births, weather, war and business transactions as well as the most dreaded news of all deaths. Known locally as the Taar (wire), the service is also remembered for helping the British trading conglomerate the East India Company maintain its political and military domination of the region. When Indian troops rebelled in 1857, sparking a widespread uprising against colonial rule, the telegram is credited with playing a crucial rule in helping British forces mobilise and regain control. RK Rai, a retired telegraph operator in New Delhi, remembers the service in its heydey as hundreds of workers crashed out the dots and dashes of Morse Code used on telegraph machines. The whole office sounded like a factory, he remembers. Sometimes we felt we knew every significant detail of our customers lives, he

No market for dollar calling cards

AUNG KYAW NYUNT zeezee383@gmail.com INTERNATIONAL calling cards requiring payment in US dollars continue to be sold, mobile phone sellers say, though interest in them is dropping now that Myanma Posts and Telecommunications allows international calls to be made from cards paid for in kyat. International calling cards [requiring dollars] will fade away from the market later on, said Ko Htet Lin Kyaw, general manager of Mr Phone Telecom Centers head office in South Okkalapa. People who want to make international calls are not buying them because international calls [can now be paid] in kyat. Ma Pa Pa from KKA Mobile and Digital shop said the old style of cards, from when callers had to buy one card with kyat for local calls and another card with dollars or FEC for international calls, are still being sold, but added that customers find it easier to use the new system because they do not need to buy international calling cards separately. When international calling cards are no longer being released by MPT, she said these cards will disappear from the market. Ma Thae Thae, who lives in Bahan township, says purchasing a single card for both local and international calls makes it more convenient to call her sister who lives and works in Singapore. I think that international calls paid by kyat is a very good plan. International call charges have been payable by kyat since July 1.

Indian workers from nearby offices play cards during a lunch break outside the Central Telegraph Office in New Delhi. Photo: AFP

said. The word privacy did not exist in anyones dictionary then. Rai retired from the department in 2006 and he regularly visits his former workplace, the Central Telegraph Office, built in a white colonial style in the centre of the capital. It sends out less than 10 messages a day on average, though recent publicity about the imminent closure of the office has led dozens of people to send one last message, each costing 9 rupees (15 US cents) a word as a memento. Only 75 telegraph offices remain

nation wide, employing less than 1000 telegraph operators. When the telegraph offices close this month, the workers will be absorbed into other departments in the communications ministry. Today Rai, like the rest of the mobile-toting country, says he prefers using his phone to send messages. The new technology is so fast it just surprises me. Communication is a game of speed. The fastest will always win the game, he said. Eventually the telegraph system had to face defeat. AFP

32 THE MYANMAR TIMES JULY 15 - 21, 2013

World
NEW YORK CITY
PAKISTANI teenager Malala Yousafzai vowed on July 12 not to be silenced by terrorists in a powerful speech to the United Nations in her first public appearance since being shot by the Taliban. They thought that the bullet would silence us, but they failed, Malala said on her 16th birthday in a presentation in which she called for books and pens to be used as weapons. The terrorists thought that they would change my aims and stop my ambitions, but nothing changed in my life, except this: Weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, power and courage was born, she said. Her 20 minute speech was given several standing ovations and was quickly hailed for her message of peace. Malala, who wore a pink headscarf and a shawl that belonged to assassinated Pakistan leader Benazir Bhutto, insisted she did not want personal revenge against the Taliban gunman who shot her on a bus in Pakistans Swat Valley on October 12 last year. I want education for the sons and daughters of the Taliban and all the terrorists and extremists. I do not even hate the Talib who shot me. Even if there is a gun in my hand and he stands in front of me I would not shoot him. But Malala said, The extremists were and they are afraid of books and pens, the power of education. The power of education silenced them. They are afraid of women. Let us pick up our books and pens. They are our most powerful weapons. One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world. Education is the only solution, she said. After she was shot, Malala was given life-saving treat-

WORLD EDITOR: Douglas Long | dlong125@gmail.com

Malala vows not to be silenced

A Bosnian Muslim woman on July 10 mourns over a casket containing

Pakistani student Malala Yousafzai is presented with the United Nations Charter by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at UN headquarters in New York on July 12. Photo: AFP

ment in Britain where she now lives, but the attack has given new life to her campaign for greater educational opportunities for girls. Malala is now considered a leading contender for the Nobel Peace Prize. The Taliban have made it clear that she remains a target. Gordon Brown, the former British prime minister and UN special envoy for education, hailed Malala as the bravest girl in the world as he presented her at the UN Youth Assembly. Brown said it was a mira-

cle that Malala had recovered to be present at the meeting. UN leader Ban Ki-moon and other top officials also hailed her achievements. The speech in which Malala invoked the legacy of Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and other legendary peace advocates brought quick praise. Malala also thanked British doctors and nurses for the care they had given and the United Arab Emirates government for paying for her treatment. I cannot believe how much love people have shown me.

I have received thousands of good wish cards and gifts from all over the world. Thank you to all of them. Thank you to the children whose innocent words encouraged me, she said. British Prime Minister David Cameron said on his twitter account that Malala had delivered a powerful message. The United Nations estimates that 57 million children of primary school age do not get an education half of them in countries at conflict like Syria. AFP

Bosnia buri Srebrenica

RUSMIR SMAJILHODZIC JAN HENNOP BOSNIA buried 409 victims of the Srebrenica massacre on July 11, including a newborn baby, on the 18th anniversary of the worst slaughter in postwar Europe. More than 15,000 people travelled to Potocari, near Srebrenica, to attend the mass funeral of victims whose remains were found in mass graves starting last year and identified almost two decades after the 1995 killing. A downpour of summer rain hit the memorial cemetery in the late afternoon where tearful mourners sat near rows of coffins draped in green cloth, while others laid flowers on freshly dug graves. Among the coffins was a tiny casket containing the remains of a baby girl who died shortly after birth in July 1995 at the UN base in Potocari, where her mother Hava Muhic had tried to shelter from the Bosnian Serb attack. Topped with a white rose wreath, the casket was placed in a grave with a sign that read simply, The Muhic newborn. The babys mother, her head covered with a red veil, stroked the coffin as she murmured a Muslim prayer through sobs. The girl, whose remains were found last year, was buried next to the grave of her father Hajrudin, a victim of the massacre in which 8000 men and boys were executed by Serb forces after they overran the UN-protected town. Many of the mourners attending the mass funeral service lined up in front of the coffins praying, their hands turned toward the sky, in the drizzling rain. Among the 409 victims laid to rest were two women, aged 19 and 73, as well as 44 boys aged between 14 and 18, officials said. Dzemka Oric, 60, buried her son Avdija who was 15 at the time of the slaughter. His remains were placed next to the graves of brother Avdo, 21, and father Omer. Kneeling before the grave, in a blue dress and scarf around her head, Ms Oric crumbled wet soil as she sobbed while praying, her jaw trembling. If I could glance at him once more, if I could hear him calling me mother once again, she said through sobs. The sombre ceremony fell on the same day as the UN Yugoslav war crimes court reinstated a genocide charge against Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic, accused also of masterminding the Srebrenica massacre. Appeal judges said the trial

SREBRENICA

BRIEFS
Rome Pope Francis named man of the year Vanity Fair in Italy on July
10 named Pope Francis its man of the year, saying the pontiffs first 100 days at the Vatican had already made him one of the worlds top leaders. Splashing on its front page a picture of the 76-year-old in his simple white robes, the magazine said his words and actions were heavier than boulders. The first 100 days of his pontificate have already propelled him to the top of the list of world leaders who are making history, said Vanity Fair. The revolution continues. The magazine also published interviews with five celebrities, including British pop star Elton John and Italian singer Andrea Bocelli, who paid homage to the Argentinian pope. Mr John said Francis was a miracle of humility in an age of vanity. AFP he had succumbed to natural causes after slipping into a diabetic coma. Mr Carballidos resurrection occurred this year when he ran as a local candidate for Mexicos leftist Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), beating his opponent by a margin of 11 votes, 515 to 504. Isidoro Yescas, a state election official in Oaxaca, said investigators were seeking to obtain an official copy of Mr Carballidos death certificate, which would leave him unfit for office. The Washington Post Lawmakers voted through the bill, 127 to 31, after marathon discussions on 165 amendments. It passed easily as the coalition government enjoys a large majority and the bill had the support of some members of the opposition. The bill will now go to a vote in the upper house, where the government enjoys a majority. The bill allows for abortion in limited cases where the mothers life is threatened. Abortion laws in Ireland became the focus of global attention following the death of 31-year-old Indian woman Savita Halappanavar in a Galway hospital last October. Ms Halappanavar had sought a termination when told she was miscarrying, but the request was refused as her life was not at risk at the time. She later died of sepsis days after miscarrying. AFP

Mexico City Legally dead man wins election in Mexico

For a dead man, Lenin Carballido apparently ran a pretty good campaign. On July 7, nearly three years after he was officially declared dead, Mr Carballido was narrowly elected mayor of San Agustin Amatengo, a small town in Mexicos Oaxaca state. Mr Carballido faked his own demise in 2010, according to Mexicos Reforma newspaper, in order to evade charges stemming from a 2004 sexual assault. With police on his trail, Carballido died and obtained a coroners certificate in September 2010, affirming

Dublin Ireland votes to allow abortion in some cases

Irish lawmakers voted on July 12 in favour of controversial legislation that will allow abortion in limited cases where the mothers life is at risk.

33

Boston bomb suspect pleads not guilty

WORLD 38

Taliban shutter Qatar office

WORLD 36

Cambodias Sam Rainsy gets royal pardon

WORLD 40

MOSCOW

Snowden wants asylum in Russia for now

US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden said on July 12 he wanted to claim asylum in Russia until he can travel on to Latin America, where several countries have offered him refuge. In his first encounter with the outside world since becoming stranded at Moscows Sheremetyevo airport three weeks ago, Mr Snowden met Russian rights activists and lawyers. He is still looking for a safe haven from US attempts to extradite him to face espionage charges for disclosing American surveillance activities. Washington kept up the pressure however, warning Moscow against allowing Mr Snowden to stay in the country and continue his embarrassing revelations. Providing a propaganda platform for Mr Snowden runs counter to the Russian governments previous declarations of Russias neutrality, White House spokesman Jay Carney said. Its also incompatible with Russian assurances that they do not want Mr Snowden to further damage US interests. Mr Carney renewed a US call on Russia to expel Mr Snowden so that he could be returned to American soil to face trial for leaking US national security secrets. Amateur footage aired on television showed Mr Snowden dressed in a grey shirt and looking relaxed as he read out a statement. I announce today my formal acceptance of all offers of support or asylum I have been extended and all others that may be offered in the future, he told his audience, which included representatives from Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. That moral decision to tell the public about spying that affects all of us has been costly, but it was the right thing to do and I have no regrets. Snowden, who has no official travel documents, said he hoped Russia would accept his renewed asylum request so he could then work out a way to travel legally to Latin America. Although most countries to which he has applied for asylum have rejected his request, Venezuela, Bolivia and Nicaragua have all indicated they would be open to offering Snowden a safe haven. Moscow said last week that Snowden had withdrawn his application for asylum in Russia after Putin said it was conditional on not damaging US interests. But the speaker of the Russian lower house of parliament, Putin ally Sergei Naryshkin, told state television that Russia should grant Snowden asylum, describing him as a defender of human rights. AFP

g the remains of a relative who died in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre. Photo: AFP

ies hundreds of massacre victims

chamber erred in fact in concluding that there was no evidence of genocidal intent in relation to the killings of Muslims and Croats allegedly carried out by Bosnian Serbs in Bosnian municipalities from March to December 1992. The appeals chamber reverses the trial chambers acquittal of Mr Karadzic for genocide and reinstates the charges, Judge Theodor Meron told the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Karadzic, 68, now faces 11 charges, including two counts of genocide as well as accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The first genocide charge relates to a campaign to permanently remove Bosnian Croats and Muslims from towns and cities, collectively referred to as Bosnias municipalities, and claim the land as Bosnian Serb territory. A second genocide charge covers the 1995 massacre at eastern Bosnias Srebrenica, where almost 8000 Muslim men and boys were slaughtered and buried in mass graves. Genocide is the most serious crime under international humanitarian law and the hardest to prove. Srebrenica was a UNprotected Muslim enclave until July 11, 1995, when it was overrun by Bosnian Serb forces. Dutch peacekeepers in the so-called safe area, where thousands of Muslims from surrounding villages had gathered for protection, helplessly looked on as the massacre unfolded. The Serbs loaded thousands of men and boys onto trucks, executed them and then threw their bodies into mass graves. The remains of 5657 victims, identified through DNA tests, have already been buried in Potocari since the process started a decade ago. Their remains often only a handful of bones were found in dozens of mass graves scattered in the area, said Amor Masovic, head of the Bosnias Institute for Missing Persons. But many victims remain unidentified and more are yet to be found. Munira Subasic laid to rest her son Nermin who was 17 at the time of the massacre while the remains of her husband, also killed in Srebrenica, are yet to be found. Eighteen years later, I have found only two bones belonging to my son, she said solemnly. Zumra Krdzic lost her husband, son and many cousins. A book would not be enough to list the names of everyone I have lost, Ms Krdzic said. But the Srebrenica massacre judged an act of genocide by two international courts still divides Bosnias Muslims and Serbs. Many Serbs refuse to recognise the genocide and turn a blind eye to commemorative services in Srebrenica. After escaping justice for years, both Karadzic and Bosnian Serb army chief Ratko Mladic arrested in 2009 and 2011 respectively are now being tried by the UN court for war crimes and genocide. So far, 38 former Bosnian Serb military or police officials have been convicted, including some for genocide, for their role in the Srebrenica killings, both by the UN and Bosnias own war crimes courts. AFP

A book would not be enough to list the names of everyone I have lost.
Zumra Krdzic Bosnian Muslim

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that Warnaco U.S., INC. of 470 Wheelers Farms Road, Milford, Connecticut 06460, United States of America, is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trademark: -

34 World
KABUL

THE MYANMAR TIMES JULY 15 - 21, 2013

(Reg: Nos. IV/2501/1996 & IV/2502/1996) in respect of: - scientific, nautical, surveying, electric, photographic, cinematographic, optical, weighing measuring, signaling, checking (supervision), life-saving and teaching apparatus and instruments; apparatus for recording, transmission or re-production of sound or images; magnetic data carriers, recording discs; automatic vending machines and mechanisms for coin-operated apparatus; cash registers, calculating machines, data processing equipment and computers; fire-extinguishing apparatus- Class: 9 paper, cardboard and goods made from these materials, not included in other classes; printed matter; bookbinding material; photographs; stationery; adhesives for stationery or household purposes; artists materials; paint brushes; typewriters and office requisites (except furniture); instructional and teaching material (except apparatus); plastic materials for packaging (not included in other classes); playing cards; printers type; printing blocks- Class: 16 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 Warnaco U.S., Inc. P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416

WARNACO

Empty HQ epitomises Pentagon waste

Millions of dollars continued to be sunk into the construction of a huge military operations centre in Afghanistan long after it was clear that the facility would never be used, writes Rajiv Chandrasekaran
THE US military has erected a 64,000-square-foot headquarters building on the dusty moonscape of southwestern Afghanistan that comes with all the tools to wage a modern war. A vast operations centre with tiered seating. A briefing theatre. Spacious offices. Fancy chairs. Powerful air conditioning. Everything, that is, except troops. The windowless two-storey structure, which is larger than a football field, was completed this year at a cost of US$34 million. But the military has no plans to ever use it. Commanders in the area, who insisted three years ago that they did not need the building, now are in the process of withdrawing forces and see no reason to move into the new facility. For many senior officers, the unused headquarters has come to symbolise the staggering cost of Pentagon mismanagement: As American troops pack up to return home, US-funded contractors are placing the finishing touches on projects that are no longer required or pulling the plug after investing millions of dollars. Some senior officers see the giant headquarters as the whitest elephant in a war littered with wasteful, dysfunctional and unnecessary projects funded by American taxpayers. A hulking presence at the centre of Camp Leatherneck in Helmand province, it has become the butt of jokes among Marines stationed there and an object lesson for senior officers in Kabul and Washington. The top Marine commander in Helmand sent a memo to the US headquarters in Kabul three years ago stating that the new structure was unnecessary. But his assessment was ignored or disregarded by officers issuing contracts for construction projects, according to senior military officials familiar with the issue. The buildings amenities also have prompted alarm among senior officers. A twostar Marine general who has toured the facility called it better appointed than any Marine headquarters anywhere in the world. A two-star Army general said the operations centre is as large as those at the US Central Command or the Supreme Allied Headquarters in Europe. What the hell were they thinking? the Army general said. There was never any jus-

Dated: 15th July, 2013

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN a company organized under the laws of France and having its principal office at 12 cours Sablon, 63000 ClermontFerrand, France is the owner and sole proprietor of the following trademarks:-

Contract workers for the US military tear apart an armoured vehicle at Kandahar Field in Afghanistan as part of the process of withdrawing troops from the country. Photo: The Washington Post

(Reg: Nos. IV/445/2007 & IV/1044/2013)

(Reg: Nos. IV/446/2007 & IV/1043/2013)

(Reg: Nos. IV/444/2007 & IV/1045/2013)

MICHELIN

(Reg: Nos. IV/4751/2009 & IV/1046/2013) The above four trademarks are in respect of :Pneumatic tires and inner tubes for vehicle wheels; treads for reccaping tires; tracks for track vehicles. 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 COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 15th July, 2013

tification to build something this fancy. Both generals spoke on the condition of anonymity. In a letter sent on July 8 to Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel, the special inspector general for the reconstruction of Afghanistan, John Sopko, called it the best constructed building I have seen in my travels to Afghanistan. Unfortunately, it is unused, unoccupied and presumably will never be used for its intended purpose, Mr Sopko wrote. This is an example of what is wrong with military construction in general once a project is started, it is very difficult to stop. The headquarters has its origin in 2009, when President Barack Obama decided to send more troops to southern Afghanistan to beat back Taliban insurgents. Army planners in South Carolina and at the Pentagon determined that Camp Leatherneck, which had been selected as the headquarters for Marine forces in the south, required a sophisticated command-and-control facility. When Marine officers in Helmand heard of the plans, they objected. The commander at the time, then-Major General Richard Mills, believed his plywoodwalled headquarters was sufficient and made that clear to his superiors in Kabul.

His assessment went unheeded. Staff officers in Kabul outlined specifications for the building and asked Air Force contracting officers to find a private company to build it. The construction order went to a British firm, AMEC Earth and Environment, which began work in November 2011, according to military documents. By then, Mr Obama had announced the end of the surge. The bulk of the withdrawal would occur in Helmand.

Its terribly embarrassing, the two-star Army general said. The Pentagon, Mr Sopko wrote to Mr Hagel, needs to determine all of the facts on how we reached this $34 million dilemma and what can be done to prevent it from happening again. The military, which has opened a formal investigation into the decisions that led to the contract, is considering two options for the building:

This is an example of what is wrong with military construction in general once a project is started, it is very difficult to stop.
John Sopko Special inspector general for the reconstruction of Afghanistan

The Regional Command-Southwest Command and Control Facility. Photo: Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction

As the Marine presence in the southwest went from 20,000 to about 7000 in 2012, workers laid the foundation, placed the beams and strung electrical wire. The building was designed to accommodate about 1500 personnel. There are now fewer than 400 headquarters-level staff on the base. Even after Mr Obama decided to remove an additional 34,000 troops this year, the project continued apace. Cubicles filled the floor. Theatre seats arrived. The contractor made modifications to address problems with emergency exits. It was not until this spring that US generals in Kabul decided to call a halt to the project. The decision was made before millions more dollars in computer gear was purchased for the building but not soon enough to cancel crates of furniture.

demolishing it or giving it to the Afghan army. Although the handoff sounds appealing, US officials doubt the Afghans will be able to sustain the structure. It has complex heating and air-conditioning systems that demand significant amounts of electricity, which, in turn, require costly fuel purchases for generators. The building is wired for 110-volt appliances, not the 220-volt equipment used by Afghans. And, the officials note, the US military recently built a new headquarters building on the Afghan base that adjoins Leatherneck. Both alternatives for how to resolve this issue are troubling, Mr Sopko said. Based on his conversations with military officials, he said one of the options now seems to be gaining traction: The building will probably be demolished. The Washington Post

www.mmtimes.com

World 35

Dominique Strauss-Kahn arrives at the Supreme Court in Manhattan on June 6, 2011. Photo: AFP

Strauss-Kahn vents anger at US courts

DISGRACED former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn said prosecutors violated the legal principle of innocence until proven guilty in the sex scandal that brought him down. Mr Strauss-Kahn told CNN in an interview that aired on July 10 he was still angry with the US justice system over his treatment in 2011 when he was paraded before TV cameras in New York in handcuffs, on charges of sexual assault that were later dropped. I think it is a terrible thing, frankly, he said of his treatment by the United States during his May 2011 arrest after a maid at a posh hotel where he was staying accused him of sexually assaulting her. The problem is that its a moment where in all European [and] American society you are supposed to be innocent until you are convicted, he said. So what happens is you are just shown to everybody as if you were a criminal at the moment where nobody knows if it is true or not. Maybe you are a criminal and maybe you are not. But it will be proved later on. Prosecutors eventually dropped the charges against the Frenchman because they said they doubted the credibility of the accuser, Nafissatou Diallo. In December 2012 they reached an undisclosed financial settlement to end a parallel civil case. But before that, in the whirlwind fallout right after his arrest, Mr Strauss-Kahn resigned as head of the International Monetary Fund. The scandal also crushed his aspirations to run for the French presidency in 2012. Mr Strauss-Kahn said that at the time of his arrest he was angry because he did not know what was going on. I was just understanding that something was going on that I did not control, he said. CNN said the interview was Mr Strauss-Kahns first in the English language since the case hit the headlines in New York two years ago. AFP

WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON

US missile defence plan to go ahead

THE US military will go ahead with the deployment of a missile defence system in Alaska despite the recent test failure of an interceptor missile, officials said on July 9. Pentagon spokesperson George Little said the unsuccessful test on July 5 of a Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI) was no reason to scrap deployment of the weapons in Alaska. The test was not a success and its being reviewed to see what went wrong, Mr Little said. But we maintain that we have a robust defence system in place to defend the United States and her allies from a range of threats. There are no plans to change our expansion to 44 Ground-Based Interceptors. The Pentagon announced in March it plans to deploy 14 additional GBI missiles at Fort Greely in Alaska by 2017. The missiles are in addition to 30 already deployed in Alaska and California, representing a 50 percent increase in GBIs on the continent. Four tests of GBIs costing US $70 million each since 2010 have all ended in failure. AFP

36 World Special
ISLAMABAD

THE MYANMAR TIMES JULY 15 - 21, 2013

Pakistan faults self in bin Laden hunt

TIM CRAIG PAKISTAN says its senior political and military leaders are to blame for not detecting Osama bin Ladens presence in the country and then failing to respond when US forces moved into Pakistani airspace to kill him in 2011, according to a government report that became public on July 8. The report, issued by a high-level commission that spent nearly two years studying the al-Qaeda leaders capture, offers an unusually candid and public assessment of the failings of Pakistans intelligence services and military. It provides new insight into how bin Laden, at the time the worlds most hunted man, was able to move around, and then live in, Pakistan after the US military flushed him out of neighbouring Afghanistan in 2002. The failure was primarily an intelligence-security failure that was rooted in political irresponsibility, concluded the Abbottabad Commission, named after the Pakistani city where US Navy SEALs killed bin Laden on May 2, 2011. In the premiere intelligence services, religiosity replaced accountability at the expense of professional competence. The 337-page report is widely believed to have been completed months ago, but it only became public on July 8 after the news organization Al Jazeera obtained a copy and uploaded the report to its website. Pakistans Foreign Ministry confirmed the authenticity of the report but declined to comment on it. The independent committee was commissioned following outrage within Pakistan over the US raid in 2011. The panel interviewed more than 200 people, including bin Ladens wives and couriers, senior military and intelligence officials, and local officials in Abbottabad. According to those interviews, the report establishes a timeline that first places bin Laden in Pakistan in early 2002 after he evaded US capture during the battle of Bora Bora in Afghanistan. Though gaps remain in his whereabouts during that time, the report suggests bin Laden travelled throughout northwestern Pakistan for several years, settling at different times in Peshawar and Swat, a militant stronghold. For two years, bin Laden then lived in a big house with two hallways, three bedrooms in Haripur, less than 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. In 2005, bin Laden moved his extended family to Abbottabad, where he likely remained for six years according to a report until the Navy SEALs landed two helicopters and blasted through a door and killed him. Local officials said they were surprised he was there, and the report notes that bin Laden was isolated and that his children rarely went outside.

O n February 26, 2012, Pakistani children play in front of the compound where Osama bin Laden was slain in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Photo: AFP

The failure was primarily an intelligence-security failure that was rooted in political irresponsibility.
Abbottabad Commission Report

But local officials missed several signs that could have signalled to the countrys usually diligent intelligence services that they needed to take a closer look. The report noted, for example, that bin Ladens compound had four electric meters, presumably to ensure that none would indicate any excessive consumption of gas and electricity. Local officials should have immediately noticed the ruse, the report states. The al-Qaeda leader also took numerous steps to avoid capture, including wearing a cowboy hat in the house, believing that it would conceal his identity from above, according to testimony from his wives. But the report concludes

that bin Laden was a never a high-value target for Pakistans intelligence service, even though they were aware of CIA efforts to search for him, the report states. Pakistans Inter Services Intelligence Agency felt ill equipped to mount an exhaustive search, and there was little cooperation between the agency and the CIA, the report concluded. There was no real and sustained priority given to the search for OBL, although from time-to-time US raised the issue in an accusatory manner, the report says, adding that culpable negligence and incompetence at almost all levels of government is to blame for the failure. The Obama administra-

tions decision to act unilaterally to raid the compound soured relations between the two countries and infuriated many Pakistanis. That sentiment carried over to the report, as Pakistani officials described the US operation as a betrayal and a stab in the back. The Pakistan militarys inability to prevent the US incursion into its airspace was the countrys greatest humiliation since 1971, when Indian forces routed Pakistan in a war that led to the creation of modernday Bangladesh, the report stated. Despite signals from Washington that American forces would enter Pakistan if they thought they could capture bin Laden, Pakistanis air

defences were set to a peace time mode when the US helicopters crossed into Pakistani airspace, the report said. The helicopters went undetected for their entire threehour mission, and it was not until hours later that Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardhi learned about the raid. The report did not identify by name the leaders it found most at fault for the missteps, but said it is obvious who they are. It may be politically unrealistic to suggest punishments for them, the report said. But as honourable men, they ought to do the honourable thing, including submitting a formal apology to the nation for their dereliction of duty. The Washington Post

KABUL
UNICEF Vacancy Notice
(For Myanmar Nationals only) Post Title: Education Thematic Working Group Coordinator Consultancy for 11 months Purpose: To provide support to the UNICEF Education Section team in up keeping the coordination of Education Thematic Working Group (ETWG) meetings and plans in consultation with Education Specialist (Policy), UNICEF-Myanmar. Requirements: University degree in education and or social sciences; Experience in project management administrative support an asset; At least 2 years experience in education project planning, management coordination and/or development work; Strong interpersonal and networking skills; Familiarity with Myanmar education system and policies; Computer skills, including internet navigation and various office applications; Fluency in English and Myanmar (verbal and writing). Detailed Terms of Reference may be requested by writing to UNICEF Myanmar: thoo@unicef.org Please note that: 1. UNICEF does not discriminate in regard to race, ethnicity and gender or persons living with disabilities. 2. UNICEF fosters a climate of impartiality, fairness and objectivity and assures the equitable application of UNICEF regulations, rules and policies. 3. Female qualified candidates are encouraged to apply. 4. UNICEF is a smoke free environment. Qualified candidates may submit application with updated CV to UNICEF Myanmar Office to: jobs.yangon@unicef.org) Closing date: 31st July 2013.

Taliban Qatar office temporarily closed

THE Taliban have temporarily closed their office in Qatar, where it was hoped peace talks would begin with the US and Afghanistan, an insurgent official said on July 8, blaming broken promises. The office opened on June 18 as the first move toward a possible peace deal after 12 years of fighting, but it enraged Afghan President Hamid Karzai by styling itself as an unofficial embassy for a governmentin-exile. Mr Karzai broke off bilateral security talks with the United States and threatened to boycott any peace process altogether, as international pressure grows to end the Islamist insurgency before 100,000 USled troops leave next year. We have temporarily closed the Qatar office due to broken promises, said a Pakistanbased Taliban official who declined to be named. We are not happy with the Americans, the Kabul government and all parties who have not been honest with us, he said, giving no further details. The US State Department said that the closure of the office should not disrupt what it called a challenging process. We believe that misunderstandings that arose in the context of the opening [of the office] should not stand in the way of moving forward on reconciliation if the Taliban seriously considering speeding up the withdrawal of its forces because of frustration with President Karzai. US President Barack Obama is committed to ending the US military involvement in Afghanistan by the end of 2014, though his administration has been negotiating with Kabul zero option, but it was not seen as the main option, said one senior Western official in Kabul. It is now becoming one of them. Pentagon spokesman George Little said that Mr Obama is still reviewing options from his national security team and has not made a decision yet about the size of the possible US presence after 2014. Scores of foreign soldiers have been killed in insider attacks in Afghanistan, breeding fierce mistrust and threatening to derail the training of local forces to take over security duties ahead of NATOs withdrawal. The threat has become so serious that foreign soldiers working with Afghan forces are regularly watched over by socalled guardian angel troops to provide protection from their supposed allies. In recent weeks, the insurgents have accelerated their campaign of suicide attacks and roadside bombs against Afghan officials and Afghan and US-led NATO troops. AFP

We have temporarily closed the Qatar office due to broken promises.

Taliban official

wishes to do so, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters. Well continue to support and reiterate our call for that process to move forward. The mounting obstacles to any future peace negotiations follow the New York Times reporting that the US was

about leaving behind a residual force. No decision has been made on the pace of the US pullout or how many US troops to leave behind to fight al-Qaeda militants, but negotiating stances were hardening, the Times quoted officials as saying. There has always been a

38 World International
WASHINGTON SANAA

THE MYANMAR TIMES JULY 15 - 21, 2013

Judge urges review of Gitmo force-feeding

A US judge on July 8 rejected a legal bid by a Guantanamo detainee to have his force-feeding blocked, but urged President Barack Obama to review the issue to see if the controversial practice should end. Authorities at the military prison at the US naval base in southeastern Cuba say they are force-feeding 44 inmates out of an estimated 120 prisoners who are on hunger strike. US District Court Judge Gladys Kessler ruled that laws passed by Congress prevent her from intervening in aspects of detention at Guantanamo. Even though this court is obligated to dismiss the application for lack of jurisdiction, and therefore lacks any authority to rule on petitioners request, there is an individual who does have the authority to address the issue. Ms Kessler cited the presidents speech of May 23, in which he referred to the force-feeding of terror suspects on hunger strike. Is that who we are? Mr Obama asked in his speech. Is that the America we want to leave to our children? Our sense of justice is stronger than that. Ms Kessler in her ruling also cited the US Constitution enshrining the presidents status as commander of all US military forces. It would seem to follow, therefore, that the president of the United States, as commander-in-chief, has the authority and power to directly address the issue of force-feeding of the detainees at Guantanamo Bay, she said. A motion filed by rights watchdog Reprieve on behalf of four detainees demands the immediate cessation of force-feeding, decrying it as torture. Ms Kessler said main petitioner Jihad Dhiab sought rapid review of the application because he feared that force-feeding during the day would interfere with his fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, which began on July 8. The case is nearly identical to one in 2009 that was also rejected by the same court. But in the current application, said Ms Kessler, Mr Dhiab laid out in detail what appears to be a consensus that force-feeding of prisoners violates Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which prohibits torture or cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment. AFP

IN PICTURES

A Yemeni man reads the Koran on the first day of the fasting month of Ramadan at the Grand Mosque in the city of Sanaa on July 10. Tens of millions across the Muslim world fast from dawn to dusk and strive to be more pious and charitable during the month, which ends with the Eid holiday. Photo: AFP

BOSTON

Boston bomb suspect pleads not guilty

BRIGITTE DUSSEAU DZHOKHAR Tsarnaev, the teenager accused of carrying out the Boston bombings, on July 10 pleaded not guilty to all charges in US federal court, nearly three months after the deadly April attacks. Not guilty, the 19-year-old Tsarnaev in handcuffs, shackles and wearing an orange jumpsuit said repeatedly as the 30 counts were read out at the arraignment in Boston, which lasted seven minutes. Seventeen of those counts are punishable by the death penalty or life imprisonment. Security was tight at the courthouse for the hearing, which marked the first time Mr Tsarnaev an ethnic Chechen Muslim and naturalized US citizen had been seen in public since his dramatic capture. The shaggy-haired teen, who was seriously wounded as he tried to evade arrest in the days after the attacks, still sported a cast on his left arm down to his fingers and his left eye was swollen. The courtroom was packed with emotional victims of the April 15 bombings at the Boston Marathon finish line, some of whom needed canes or crutches to walk, as well as their relatives. I felt sick to my stomach it was very emotional for me, Liz Norden, whose two sons aged 32 and 33 each lost a leg in the attacks, said after the hearing. Also in court were one of Mr Tsarnaevs sisters in tears, a horde of journalists and a few people who identified themselves as friends or supporters of the teen, who had been a student at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. Exonerate Jahar, read a small sign carried by Karina Figueroa, who travelled from New York for the hearing. Mr Tsarnaevs friends pronounced his name Jahar. He is innocent. I dont see any evidence, Ms Figueroa said. The attacks, which left three people dead and more than 260 wounded, stunned America with scenes of carnage and chaos at one of the countrys premier sporting events. The pressure cooker devices were packed with metal fragments to cause maximum damage, and several people lost one or more limbs. Mr Tsarnaev, who had lived in the Boston area for a decade, had seemed well integrated into American life. He is accused of plotting and carrying out the attacks with his 26-year-old brother Tamerlan, who died in a shootout with police as the pair tried to escape the Boston area several days later. He is also charged in connection with the shooting death of a campus police officer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology during the brothers wild overnight getaway attempt. Mr Tsarnaev showed no remorse, said MIT police chief John DiFava. The teen was eventually captured on April 19 after a huge manhunt that virtually shut down the Boston area. Police found him hiding in a boat in a suburban backyard. He allegedly scrawled a rambling explanation of his motives for the Boston attacks on an interior wall of the boat. The US government is killing our innocent civilians, Mr Tsarnaev wrote. I cant stand to see such evil go unpunished ... We Muslims are one body, you hurt one you hurt us all. Now I dont like killing innocent people it is forbidden in Islam but ... stop killing our innocent people and we will stop. The charges against Mr Tsarnaev include using a weapon of mass destruction resulting in death, bombing of a place of public use resulting in death, and carjacking. The trial is not expected to begin any time soon, and would last three to four months, Judge Marianne Bowler said on July 10. AFP

Corruption on the rise, global study finds

MORE than half of respondents in a global corruption survey released on July 9 think that graft has worsened during the past two years, and onequarter reported having paid officials a bribe in the past 12 months. The survey by Berlin-based Transparency International found that people have least trust in institutions meant to help or protect them, including police, courts and political parties. Respondents also believe official anticorruption efforts have deteriorated since the 2008 start of the world financial and economic crisis. The groups Global Corruption Barometer 2013 is the worlds largest public opinion survey on corruption. It surveyed 114,000 people in 107 countries, the group said. It found that 27 percent of respondents had said they had paid a bribe to a member of a public service or institution in the past 12 months. In 36 countries, respondents viewed police as the most corrupt, while 20 countries view the judiciary as the most graft-ridden. In 51 countries political parties were seen as the most corrupt institution. Peoples appraisal of government efforts to stop corruption was worse than before the financial crisis began in 2008, falling to 22pc now from 31pc then. Still, the group said that there was a growing will to fight back, with twothirds of those who were asked to pay a bribe saying they had refused. Bribe paying levels remain very high worldwide, but people believe they have the power to stop corruption and the number of those willing to combat the abuse of power, secret dealings and bribery is significant, said Huguette Labelle, chair of Transparency International. She added that governments need to make sure that there are strong, independent and well-resourced institutions to prevent and redress corruption. Too many people are harmed when these core institutions and basic services are undermined by the scourge of corruption. AFP

BERLIN

www.mmtimes.com
SAN FRANCISCO

International World 39

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that Procter & Gamble International Operations SA a company organized under the laws of Switzerland and having its principal office at 47, route de Saint-Georges, 1213 Petit-Lancy Switzerland is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trademark:-

Did Korean culture play a role in the SF plane crash?

ASHLEY HALSEY III A COMMENT on July 8 by the head of the US National Transportation Safety Board sounded reasonable to the average ear, but for aviation crash experts there was an immediate connection to a remarkable 1999 crash of a Boeing 747 just after takeoff from London. We are looking at communication between the two crew members, NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman said from the San Francisco scene where a South Korean Boeing 777 crashed on July 6, killing two teenage girls travelling from China to a summer camp in the United States. For some aviation experts, examining cockpit communication brought to mind what went wrong on December 22, 1999, when Korean Air Cargo Flight 8509 plunged to the ground in a village near London. The investigation that followed, even when described in the terse terms used in such reports, revealed a remarkable dynamic in the cockpit that has been linked to the hierarchical structure of Korean culture. When the plane took off after dark, the pilots cockpit indicator called an artificial horizon wasnt working. The copilots was, as was an auxiliary artificial horizon dial located on the dashboard between them. When the pilot began to execute a planned banked turn, the horizon instrument in front of him didnt register that

(Reg: No. IV/4835/2013) in respect of : - Perfumeries, essential oils, preparations for body and beauty care, dentifrices, soaps, hair lotions Intl Class:3 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 Procter & Gamble International Operation SA P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 15th July, 2013

DESIRE

TRADE MARK CAUTION

An investigator from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) looks at the tail section of Asiana Flight 214 at San Francisco Airport on July 7. Photo: AFP

equivalent of the NTSB. The planes wing tore into the ground. All four crew members died. The planes pilot was Park Duk-kyu, a 57-year-old former fighter pilot in the South Korean air force. The first officer was Yoon Ki-sik, 33, who had far less experience. The investigative report said Mr Park was irritated by their late departure from London. The report said that though Mr Yoon was communicating correct information to the tower, Mr Park spoke at him in a derogatory fashion, saying, Make sure you understand what ground control is saying before you speak.

Korean Air had more plane crashes than almost any other airline in the world for a period at the end of the 1990s. What they were struggling with was a cultural legacy, that Korean culture is hierarchical.
Malcolm Gladwell Author

the plane had tilted on an appropriate angle. Unable to see that the plane already had banked, he continued to bank farther, even though a warning buzzer sounded nine times in the cockpit. There was no audible acknowledgment from any crew member regarding these warnings, said the final investigative report of the British Air Accidents Investigation Branch, the United Kingdoms

Seconds later, he barked: Answer them! They are asking how long the delay will be. By making these comments, it is considered that the commander contributed to setting a tone which discouraged further input from other crew members, especially the first officer, the report said. When the plane went into its ill-fated bank less than a minute into the flight,

the first officer said nothing, even though the instrument in front of him indicated that the plane was turned almost sideways, the report said. Author Malcolm Gladwell examined Korean cultures influence in airplane cockpits in his 2008 book Outliers. Korean Air had more plane crashes than almost any other airline in the world for a period at the end of the 1990s, Mr Gladwell said in an interview with Fortune magazine just after the book came out. What they were struggling with was a cultural legacy, that Korean culture is hierarchical. You are obliged to be deferential toward your elders and superiors in a way that would be unimaginable in the US. In their formal recommendations, British investigators called on Korean Air to revise its company culture and training, to promote a more free atmosphere between the captain and the first officer. There has been no indication or suggestion that the crash of Asiana Flight 214 on July 6 was caused by a communication failure in the cockpit. The NTSB would review what the pilot and copilot said regardless of their nationality. The plane was being flown by veteran pilot Lee Gang-guk, who was a newcomer to the Boeing 777 but had many hours of experience with another jumbo jet, the Boeing 747. His copilot, identified by the airline as Lee Jeong-min, had logged 3220 hours on the 777. The cockpit voice recorder showed no conversation in the cockpit when a warning went off three seconds before the crash. At 1 seconds before impact a voice in the cockpit said the landing attempt should be aborted. AFP

NOTICE is hereby given that MONTRES TUDOR SA a company organized under the laws of Switzerland and having its principal office at 3, rue Franois-Dussaud, Geneva, Switzerland is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trademark:-

(Reg: Nos. IV/2489/2007 & IV/4834/2013) in respect of : Horological instruments and parts thereof 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 MONTRES TUDOR SA P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 15th July, 2013

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that Fidia Farmaceutici S.p.A a company organized under the laws of Italy and having its principal office at Via Ponte della Fabbrica 3A, I-35031 Abano Terme, Italy is the owner and sole proprietor of the following trademark:(Reg: No. IV/1061/2013) in respect of :- Chemicals and natural, synthetic and semisynthetic polymers for the production of pharmaceutical and cosmetic products as well as biomaterials. - Class: 1 Cosmetic and dermocosmetic preparations, namely skin and hair lotions, oils, creams, soaps, sprays, gels, perfumery; moisturizers; tooth pastes and gels; collutories. Class:3 Pharmaceutical preparations for the treatment of parodontophathics, aphtosis and for facilitating regeneration of tissues following surgery, oral care products, pharmaceutical preparations for dermatological and gynecological use; rhinologial and nasal products, ophthalmic products; dietary products for medical use, babyfood, poultices, bandages and dressings, disinfectants. Class: 5 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 Fidia Farmaceutici S.p.A on behalf of United Trademark & Patent Services Lahore, Pakistan P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 15th July, 2013

HYDEAL-D

SYDNEY

Great Barrier Reef in poor health

AUSTRALIA on July 10 hailed solid progress on water quality at the Great Barrier Reef but admitted that overall conditions were now poor as it battles UNESCO threats to downgrade its heritage status. Environment Minister Mark Butler released a report card showing that the reefs health had slumped since 2009 due to cyclones and floods, despite progress on reducing agricultural runoff. Extreme weather events significantly impacted the overall condition of the marine environment which declined from moderate to poor overall, the report said. It said key reef ecosystems were showing declining trends in condition due to continuing poor water quality, cumulative impacts of climate change and increasing frequency and intensity of extreme events. Despite reductions in nitrogen (7 percent), pesticides (15pc), sediment (6pc) and pollutants key to outbreaks of devastating crown-of-thorns starfish (13pc), the report said the reef was in strife. Major flooding in 2010-11 followed by powerful Cyclone Yasi had badly damaged the worlds largest coral reef, degrading water quality and depleting overall cover by 15pc. Full recovery will take decades, the report said. A major longitudinal study of the reef s health, published last year, revealed that coral cover had more than halved due to storms, predatory starfish outbreaks and bleaching linked to climate change over the past 27 years. UNESCO has threatened to downgrade the reef s world heritage status to declare it at-risk in 2014 without significant action on rampant coastal and resources development seen as a threat to its survival. Mr Butler unveiled lofty targets for improving water quality over the next five years, aiming for at least a 50pc reduction on 2009 levels of nitrogen pollutants linked to crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks, 20pc for sediment runoff and 60pc for pesticides. In spite of solid improvement, data tells us that poor water quality is continuing to have a detrimental effect on reef health, Mr Butler said. To secure the resilience of the Great Barrier Reef it is critical that we build on the momentum of the previous reef plan with a focus on improving water quality and land management practices through ambitious but achievable targets. AFP

15%
Depletion of overall coverage of the Great Barrier Reef in 2010-11

40 World Asia-Pacific
WASHINGTON

THE MYANMAR TIMES JULY 15 - 21, 2013

China says Tibet enjoys happiness and freedom

CHINA said on July 11 that its Tibetan and Uighur minorities enjoyed happiness and unprecedented freedom as it hit back at US criticism by urging Washington to examine its own record. China has made important progress on human rights. People in various regions in China including Xinjiang and Tibet are enjoying happier lives and they are enjoying unprecedented freedoms, State Councilor Yang Jiechi said in a joint press appearance after two days of US-China talks. We hope the United States will improve its own human rights situation on the basis of mutual respect and non-intervention in each others internal affairs. The US State Department in its annual human rights report said that conditions had deteriorated in Tibetan areas and Xinjiang. More than 110 Tibetans have set themselves alight since 2009 to protest what they see as Chinas harsh rule. Overseas groups said Chinese forces opened fire on July 6 on Tibetans who were celebrating the birthday of their exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. Xinjiang, a vast northwestern region of China, has seen periodic unrest as the largely Muslim Uighur community complains of discrimination and a lack of rights at the hands of members of Chinas majority Han community. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns said that the United States spoke out about the treatment of Tibetans and Uighurs as the two countries held wide-ranging annual talks. The goal of this conversation was to emphasise the importance of human rights to our bilateral relationship, Mr Burns said. AFP

The goal of this conversation was to emphasise the importance of human rights to our bilateral relationship.
William Burns US Deputy Secretary of State
Exiled Tibetans participate in an event honouring the 78th birthday of their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, at Manag monastry in Kathmandu, Nepal, on July 6. Photo: AFP

Police hunt escapees, regain control of jail

INDONESIAN police on July 12 hunted for around 100 inmates who escaped from an overcrowded jail after setting it ablaze in riots that left five dead, as security personnel regained control of the prison. Inmates began rampaging through the jail in Medan city on Sumatra island on July 11, setting fires and hurling bottles at guards in anger over power cuts and water shortages at the facility. The Tanjung Gusta jail was engulfed in towering flames and scores of firefighters battled through the night to douse them. Some 150 prisoners, including militants, escaped and police and soldiers were on July 12 still desperately hunting for around 100 convicts after recapturing several dozen overnight. We have gradually regained control of the prison and soldiers have entered the prison without resistance, said Akbar Hadi Prabowo, the spokesman for Indonesias directorate general of penitentiary. Prisoners are often held in grim, overcrowded jails in Indonesia, and Tanjung Gusta is no exception as it currently holds well over double its official capacity of 1054. The prisoners were seen casually chatting outside their cells on July 12 while heavily armed security forces formed a cordon round the building, an AFP reporter at the scene said.

MEDAN

PHNOM PENH

Cambodian opposition leader pardoned

CAMBODIAS fugitive opposition leader won a royal pardon on July 12, vowing to return to help fight strongman premier Hun Sen who is seeking to extend his 28-year grip on power in elections this month. Sam Rainsy, who lives in France, had faced 11 years in jail after he was convicted in absentia for charges that he contends were politically motivated, including publishing a false map of the border with Vietnam. All of his convictions are clear now. He is a free man, he is welcome back home and he can come back anytime, cabinet spokesman Phay Siphan said. The pardon was requested by Prime Minister Hun Sen in the spirit of reconciliation, he added. Mr Rainsy, who wrote to King Sihamoni in June requesting a pardon, said on July 12 that he would return in the next few days to campaign for his Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP). It is a small victory for democracy that the leader of the opposition be allowed to be in the country during election campaigning and on election day, the 64-year-old said by telephone from France. Mr Rainsy said the pardon showed that Cambodia is moving in the right direction but warned that much more remains to be done. He said he planned to join his party on the campaign trail ahead of the July 28 polls but added that another political decision was needed to allow him to stand as a candidate himself. Mr Rainsy has been removed from the electoral register and as a result cannot run as a candidate in the election, said Tep Nytha, secretary general of the National Election Commission. We cannot do anything for him, he said, adding that a parliamentary amendment to the law would be required to allow Mr Rainsy to stand. Mr Rainsys supporters took to the streets of the capital Phnom Penh, waving party flags and chanting slogans to celebrate his imminent return.

It is a small victory for democracy that the leader of the opposition be allowed to be in the country during election campaigning and on election day.
Sam Rainsy Cambodia National Rescue Party leader

Prisoners gather behind the gate of burned Tanjung Gusta prison in Medan, Indonesia, on July 12. Photo: AFP

We dont like police, they are inhumane, they frequently beat us.
Prisoner Tanjung Gusta jail

They allowed in about two dozen soldiers but did not let police enter, the reporter said. We dont like police, they are inhumane, they frequently beat us, one of the prisoners shouted, as another waved a charred gun and handcuffs at officers. Five people - three prisoners and two prison staff -died in the riots, Deputy Minister of Justice and Human Rights Denny Indrayana said. The two prison staff had become trapped in their burning office, he added. About 1000 police and soldiers were deployed to guard the facil-

ity and undertake a massive search around the area on July 12 to try to find prisoners still on the loose. They included six people convicted of terrorist offences, said North Sumatra province police spokesman Heru Prakoso. The prison housed 11 extremists. Some were jailed for their involvement at a camp in Aceh province where, police say, militants were planning Mumbai-style gun attacks on high-profile Indonesians. The others were connected with a bank robbery to fund terror activities and the killings of police officers, police said. AFP

Hun Sen is widely expected to win a majority in this months polls. In May he said he would try to stay in power for another decade, until he is 74. He had previously vowed to hold office until he reached 90. In his letter to the king requesting the pardon, a copy of which was seen by AFP, Hun Sen said a pardon would allow elections to be conducted according to democratic principles. US lawmakers have called for the United States to cut off aid to Cambodia unless the vote is free. US Embassy spokesman Sean J McIntosh said that the US welcomed the news of the pardon and called on the Cambodian government to facilitate a safe environment for Sam Rainsys return. Free and fair elections require a level-playing field and the unfettered participation of opposition parties, he said. US President Barack Obama, during a visit to Cambodia in November to attend an East Asia Summit, pressed Hun Sen on human rights and democracy in a meeting that the White House described as tense. AFP

www.mmtimes.com

Asia-Pacific World 41 BRIEFS

Bangkok Thai monks disrobed for drug use
million-dollar aid program in Tonga over safety concerns stemming from the Pacific nations plans to use a Chinese-made plane for domestic services. There were concerns about the safety certification for the MA60 aircraft and a NZ$10.5 million (US$8.2 million) tourism development program was on hold until they were resolved, a spokeswoman for Foreign Minister Murray McCully said. The MA60 turboprop, built by Chinas AVIC Xian Aircraft Industry Company, has been the subject of a number of safety scares in recent months. Myanmar grounded its MA60 fleet in June after two incidents where aircraft skidded off runways, while Indonesia ordered special checks on its fleet after one crash-landed in the countrys east. No one was seriously injured in those accidents, but 25 people died in May 2011 when an MA60 operated by Indonesias Merpati crashed in West Papua province. The Tongan MA60 is a gift from the Chinese government and arrived in the island nation earlier this month. AFP

First Delhi gang-rape verdict deferred to July 25

RUPAM NAIR A NEW Delhi court trying a teenager over a fatal gang-rape last December that shocked India deferred on July 11 announcing the first verdict in the case, lawyers said. A juveniles court has finished hearing the case of the youngest suspect, aged 17 at the time of the assault on a moving bus, and had been widely expected to announce a verdict on July 11. The court has completed the hearing. The order has been deferred to July 25, public prosecutor Madhav Khurana told reporters who had massed outside the court. The crime, which saw the 23-year-old student victim die of internal injuries inflicted during the attack, generated widespread anger about endemic sex crime in India. Several weeks of sometimes violent protests pushed parliament to pass a new law toughening sentences for rapists, while a round of public soul-searching sought answers to the rising tide of violence against women. The victims family had called for him to be tried as an adult, alongside five men initially arrested over the assault on December 16 who face the death penalty. The trial of the adult suspects one of whom died while in jail from a suspected suicide in March continues in a separate court but is expected to wrap up in the next few months. The parents of the victim were present inside the small juveniles court on July 11. We hope we get justice on July 25, said the mother, who has previously called for all suspects to be hanged, before entering the court. Reporters were not allowed inside the courtroom. The juvenile suspect, a runaway who

NEW DELHI

Indian policemen in plain clothes escort the juvenile accused (centre) in the New Delhi gang-rape case from the Juvenile Justice Board building on July 11. Photo: AFP

More than 30 Thai monks have been defrocked for illegal drug use, an official said on July 10, in the latest scandal to hit the countrys Buddhist clergy. One abbot was charged with drug trafficking after urine tests showed the 31 monks from several dozen monasteries in the Ban Mo district of Saraburi province had used methamphetamine. Villagers have frequently complained of suspicious gatherings in temples and most of them are drug users or people involved with drugs, said a local government official who did not want to be named. Those who undergo rehabilitation and stop using drugs will be allowed to re-enter the monkhood, he added. Thailands Buddhist clergy has been hit by a series of scandals, with local media reporting cases of drugtaking, drinking, gambling and visiting prostitutes.

reportedly left home at age 11, can be sent to a correctional facility for a maximum three-year term, which will take into account the time he has already spent in custody. The teenager, the youngest of six children according to his mother, was employed to clean the bus allegedly used for the attack and often slept rough or inside the vehicle, reports say. He has denied any involvement in the crime. The maximum sentence of three years detention is likely to cause further anger in India where the suspects, some of whom have been beaten up in jail, are public hate figures. Amid pressure to put the juvenile on trial in an adult court, officials conducted an investigation to determine his age and

concluded he was 17. A government panel set up after the Delhi gang-rape to recommend changes to sex crime laws rejected calls to lower the age at which people can be tried as adults from 18 to 16. The panels report in January said Indias justice system continued to breed more criminals including juveniles in our prison and reformatory system by ghettoing them in juvenile homes. The report, overseen by a retired Supreme Court judge, added that it was completely dissatisfied with the operation of childrens institutions. Shahbaz Khan from the Haq Centre for Child Rights said there were no proper care plans for institutionalised children, which undermined the intention of rehabilitating wrongdoers. AFP

Wellington NZ suspends Tonga aid over plane fears

New Zealand said on July 10 it had suspended a multi-

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that Hankook Tire Worldwide Co., Ltd. a company organized under the laws of Korea and having its principal office at #647-15, Yoksam-dong, .Kangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trademarks:-

Hankook Smart Flex Hankook Smart Touring

(Reg: No. IV/2812/2013) (Reg: No. IV/2813/2013) (Reg: No. IV/2814/2013) (Reg: No. IV/2816/2013) (Reg: No. IV/2815/2013)

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that Teavana Corporation, a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Georgia, U.S.A., carrying on business as manufactures and merchants service providers and having its principal office at 3630 Peachtree Road NE, suite 1480, Atlanta, Georgia 30326, United States of America is the Owner and Sole proprietor of the following trademark:-

(Reg No: IV/5847/2013) The said trademark is in respect of:Class 30: Teas and tea blends; candies, namely, tea flavored mints; honey in the shape of a spoon; herbal tea-based beverages; tea and herbal tea-based beverages and concentrates, with fruit flavoring; frozen confections with tea, herbal tea and fruit flavoring; cocoa, herbal and nonherbal tea; tea, cocoa and beverages; beverages made with a base of powdered chocolate and beverages made with a base of vanilla; sauces to add to beverages; chocolate syrup; flavoring syrups to add to beverages; ready-to-drink tea; ice cream and frozen confections, namely, ice cream, ice milk, frozen yogurt, frozen soy based desserts; candy and confections namely, chocolate, sugar, candy almonds, and frozen confections; baked goods, namely, muffins, scones, biscuits, cookies, pastries and breads; food bars, namely, grain-based food bars, and oat-based food bars; sugar; spice; honey; agave; flavoring syrups for making beverages. Class 35: Business administration; business management; franchising, namely, providing technical assistance in the establishment and operation of restaurants, cafes, tea houses, and snack bars; retail store services in the field of: coffee, tea, cocoa, packaged and prepared foods, tea related electric and

nonelectric appliances, housewares, kitchenware, glassware, giftware, plates, bowls, storage containers, sculptures, figurines, decorative ornaments, clothing, candles, incense, home fragrance, personal care products, musical recordings and books; wholesale distributorships, wholesale stores and wholesale ordering services all in the field of: coffee, tea, cocoa, packaged and prepared foods, tea-related electric and non-electric appliances, housewares, kitchenware, glassware, giftware, plates, bowls, storage containers, sculptures, figurines, decorative ornaments, clothing, candles, incense, home fragrance, musical recordings and books; mail order services and mail order catalog services, computerized online ordering services, computerized online retail services through direct solicitation by salespersons directed to end-users, online ordering services and online retail store services all in the field of: coffee, tea, cocoa, packaged and prepared foods, tea-related electric and non-electric appliances, housewares, kitchenware, glassware, giftware, plates, bowls, storage containers, sculptures, figurines, decorative ornaments, clothing, candles, incense, home fragrance, musical recordings and books; computerized online gift registry and gift registry ordering services related thereto. Class 43: Restaurant, cafe, cafeteria, snack bar, tea bar and tea house, tea room; carry out restaurant, and take out restaurant services; catering services; contract food services; food and beverage preparation. 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 Teavana Corporation, P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 15th July, 2013

Hankook Smart Control Hankook Smart City Hankook Smart Work

The above five trademarks are in respect of: Automobile tires; bicycle tires; casings for pneumatic tires; covers for tires; motorcycle tires; adhesive rubber patches for repairing inner tubes; inner tubes for bicycles; inner tubes for motorcycles; inner tubes for pneumatic tires; inner tubes for vehicle wheels; inner tubes for vehicle tires; luggage nets for vehicles; pneumatic tires; repair outfits for inner tubes; rims for vehicle wheels; saddle covers for bicycles; saddle covers for motorcycles; safety belts for vehicle seats; brake segments for vehicles; shock absorbers for vehicles; ski carriers for cars; spikes for tires; studs for tires; tires for vehicle wheels; tires, solid, for vehicle wheels; treads for retreading tires; treads for vehicles [roller belts]; treads for vehicles [tractor type]; tubeless tires for bicycles; tubeless tires for motorcycles; valves for vehicle tires; vehicle wheel tires- Intl Class: 12 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 Hankook Tire Worldwide Co., Ltd. P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 15th July, 2013

42 the pulse
the pulse editor: MANNY MAUNG manny.maung@gmail.com

THE MYANMAR TIMES JuLY 15 - 21, 2013

n r fi gers u o o y
n

A tea steeped in

ge

Zon Pann Pwint

Moh Moh Thaw

mohthaw@gmail.com

it

zonpann08@gmail.com

N 1989, when Ko Than Thein opened a roadside tea shop on 33rd Street, he never thought it would bring him into close contact with the famous faces of the literary community or that it would influence their writing as well. There was another tea shop on 33rd Street, recalled Ko Than Thein, who usually goes by Ko Nge Lay. It was called Shwe Kyi Aye, where writers usually sat around. The tea shop was closed in 1989 when the owner went abroad. His customers moved to my tea shop which was originally located near a hundred-year-old colonial building on the same street. Within a year, Ko Than Theins tea shop had become the new favorite haunt of writers, poets and cartoonists, who gathered there three times a week, chatting and sometimes arguing over their craft. When they get together, he said, all they talk about is literature. The new customers changed his life. Aside from serving tea, he also started delivering messages from one author to another, and manuscripts from writers to publishers. They would leave their manuscripts with me and I would convey them when the editors dropped into my tea shop. If someone left a message for another, I passed it on when the person he wanted to give it to came into my shop, he said. When it first opened, Ko Than Theins tea shop didnt have a name. With all the creative customers around, however, that didnt last long. It was author Min Lu, Ko Than Thein recalled, who first took the Myanmar-language title of the novel Wuthering Heights and used it to name the shop Lay Htan Kone. Its an honour that makes Ko Than Thein proud. I fell in love with the name he gave, he said. Since its inception a number of writers and poets have written about Lay Htan Kone tea shop, including Myan Than Tint, who immortalised it in his essay Tea Shop. As a result, the shop has taken on a new identity among the cultural community, Ko Than Thein said. In the literary communities, I have seldom seen a person who doesnt know Lay Htan Kone tea shop on 33rd Street. He recalled the scene in 1991 when well-known writer Dagone

Taryar enjoyed tea in his shop. A circle of writers drew in close as he sat on a wooden stool drinking tea. Afterward, Dagone Taryar wrote imaginatively about his feelings for Lay Htan Kone, and the piece, titled Feeling the life of bees in the hive, was later published in a local magazine. I am proud of my tea shop, said Ko Than Thein, who has been living on 33rd Street for almost 40 years. He said Lay Htan Kone has grown into a safe space for writers, poets and cartoonists to open their hearts and talk freely. Some gather around 1pm and can spend up to five hours there. The mix of opinions and perspectives often leads to vibrant intellectual debate. Writers usually get into a conversation about writing while poets spend most of their time arguing over poetry concepts. Poets are more aggressive than writers, he said. "Once, the poet tried to squeeze the throat of another poet after a dispute over ideas arose. That conversations can become so intense shows how amenable the tea shop atmosphere can be for artists generally, whether at Lay Htan Kone or elsewhere. About 13 years ago, a number of new tea shops started to open. Ko Than Thein said he noticed some customers at Lay Htan Kone starting to go elsewhere, perhaps because they now had places more convenient to their homes or businesses at which they could gather to talk about their ideas. Tea shops have grown in number since 2000, Ko Than Thein said, but he added that the new competition hasnt damaged the artistic reputation of Lay Htan Kone. Now, he said, my regular customers are cartoonists. We usually stop for a chat and some tea on the way to the magazine publishing houses in the downtown to send our manuscripts, cartoonist U Shwe Min Thar said. We have a casual conversation at the tea shop if the magazine houses dont have enough space to sit and chat. As they are for writers, tea shops are useful places for cartoonists to meet editors and exchange work. Cartoonists meet the editors and receive commissions in the tea shop. When we finish drawing cartoons, we make an appointment in the tea shop and give them cartoons and

Patrons enjoy a cup of tea at the famous Lay Htan Khone tea shop in Yangon. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing

accept the honorarium, U Shwe Min Thar added. One former customer of Lay Htan Kone, poet Thitsar Ni, had to change his tea shop of choice when the Yanat Thit magazine house relocated to 50th Street. That he immediately sought out a new local gathering place shows that, even though art may be a solitary practice, artists

thrive in like-minded company. Many poets now gather at a tea shop on Bogyoke Aung San Road, and other writers frequent a tea shop at the corner of 37th Street and Merchant Road named Lay An Kone, a play on the name of Ko Than Theins shop. Ko Phyo Zaw, the owner of a tea shop on 38th Street, said the poets who come to his shop sometimes

remain chatting there even after the shop has closed. Before the tea shop tradition started young writers used to go to barbershops where they listened to the radio, read newspapers, chatted and played chess," Thitsar Ni said. When more tea shops were opened by the roadside, they started to stand in for clubs. We can spend

www.mmtimes.com

shop

the pulse 43

Prison sentences:

inspiration

Exiled writer Min Din yearns to return

ZoN PANN PWINT zonpann08@gmail.com FOR writer-in-exile Min Din, literary imagination comes from the agonies of bitterness and homesickness. I have endured pains of bitterness which are almost too great to tolerate, he said. I feel compelled to write when I am struck by such anguish. Min Din has been living in Phuket, Thailand since 2004, after he found himself unwelcome in his home country. With the help of a Mon woman living in Phuket, however, he found a way to pour out his pent-up torments: In 2006 she helped him set up his own website, where he has been publishing short stories about his homeland. I keep writing to resist feeling nostalgic, Min Din told The Myanmar Times via email. Among the stories published on the website were fictionalized versions of real events in the life of Thet Khine, whom Min Din met in 2002. The stories, spread over several installments for almost two years, were then gathered together as a novel in serial form and published in Bangkok in 2010 under the title Thet Khine of Min Din. Other characters in the novel are also based on real people whom Min Din had met in real life. Soon after its publication, counterfeit photocopies of Thet Khine of Min Din hit Yangon bookstands, catching the attention of a wide readership and becoming one of the most sought-after novels in Yangon. The demand for the novel has seen the successful launch of a second edition print run this time in Myanmar. Min Dins younger sister who owns the Thet Khine publishing house in Yangon launched the second edition in May this year, with the book becoming a quick best-seller. Thet Khine of Min Din describes real events which are brought to life with Min Dins artistic skill, making it a novel rather than a work of non-fiction. But he says he wrote the book from memory and tried to keep it as real as possible. I have been practising a mind exercise which helps me to remember the details of what I experienced in the past amazingly well, he said. But there is no novel in the world that comes complete with all true events, so I mixed reality and my imagination. Min Din has opened a grocery store in Phuket to allow him enough income to keep on writing. His second book, concerning religion, came out in Yangon last month, titled Phyit Pyat Shar Pon Taw Kha Yee Thae (Traveler who seeks matters of loss and gain). He said time spent in prison several years ago had given him a chance to read and write, so he was able to polish his craft as well as gather material for his later work. I tried to read English-language novels in prison, he said, and most of the days were spent reading and writing. In spite of his successes abroad, he said, the yearning that fires his creativity still weighs heavily on his thoughts. I want to go back home very much, he lamented. I am trying and I hope to be back next year. Min Dins short stories can be read on his website at www.mindin.info

Ko Than Thein owns the popular haunt for writers on 33rd street in Yangon. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing

long hours and talk independently without it costing much money. Besides, he added, they serve green tea pots for free. This relaxed atmosphere combined with such accommodating hosts as Ko Than Thein may be the reason why writers, poets and cartoonists can discuss any topic, from literature to family affairs.

After ordering a cup of tea, we can start talking the whole day, drinking green tea one pot after another, Thitsar Ni said. Sometimes poets even get into an argument and fight, but the shop owner knows us well and he is very patient with us. These are the reasons why we love to spend time in the tea shops.

Before the tea shop tradition started, young writers used to go to barbershops where they listened to the radio, read newspapers, chatted and played chess.
Thitsar Ni Poet

44 the pulse local

Festival of Myanmar flicks draws crowds in Singapore

LWIN MAR HTUN lwinmarhtun.mcm@gmail.com

HE first-ever Singapore Myanmar Film Festival has drawn rave reviews, both from Myanmar people living in Singapore and foreigners interested in learning more about Myanmar films. This years festival is dedicated to Myanmar filmmakers at home or abroad, the festivals director, Benoit Shaack, told The Myanmar Times. We want to give Myanmar filmmakers a chance to shine outside of Myanmar. In June, a panel of judges announced five winners had been selected from over 30 films submitted for consideration. The winning films were shown July 7 at the Golden Village theatre in Singapore, with the filmmakers being honoured the night before at an evening welcoming party. First prize at the festival went to The Bamboo Grove by Khin Khin Hsu; second prize went to My Grandfathers House by Shunn Lei Swe Yee; third prize went to Bungkus by Lay Thida; fourth prize went to Burmese Butterfly by Hnin Ei Hlaing; and fifth prize went to The Old Photographer by Thet Oo Manug. The Bamboo Grove, which won the festivals top award, follows a nave young city doctor whose first posting after medical school is a rural Kayin community in the Delta. The film portrays the deep-seated feelings of the people living there. This film is the true story of the scriptwriter, Dr Aung Min, said Khin

Khin Su, the films director. She said the biggest difficulty when shooting the film in 2010 was the use of actual Kayin residents as actors. Some of them did not speak Myanmar, making communication difficult. But it also lent the film an air of realism which struck a chord with festival-goers. This is my first competition film, Khin Khin Su said. I never thought I would go to Singapore for a film festival or that my film would win first prize. I cant describe my happiness. It may have been her first trip to the film festival, but shes already made two more feature films since The Bamboo Grove, so it likely wont be her last. Another winner, Hnin Ei Hlaings film Burmese Butterfly, is already a veteran of the international film festival circuit, having been showcased in 18 countries. Burmese Butterfly features 21-yearold hairdresser Phyo Lay looking back on a turbulent childhood and adolescence. A rare glimpse into the emergent gay community in this hitherto-isolated country, it describes how difficult it is to come out in Myanmar. Im happy to win the prize, said Hnin Ei Hlaing, But I am more happy that this festival was organised and that I got a chance to show my film in Singapore. Singapore is very close to our country and a lot of Myanmar people live there. Burmese Butterfly started filming in 2009. Before the cameras rolled, however, Hnin Ei Hlaing spent about six months getting to know the films lead actor.

I hung out with Phyo Lay wherever he went, even at his home, she said. When I started directing the film, his aunty was pregnant. When the film was finished, she had already delivered her child. The film was originally supposed to tell the story of two gay men in Myanmar, one more feminine and one more masculine. But the family of the latter man would not allow shooting, so the films script had to be changed, Hnin Ei Hlaing said. Even though Burmese Butterfly has been given a permit for public showings by the Myanmar Censorship Board, audiences in Singapore have to be 18 or over to see it. Despite the age restriction, Hnin Ei Hlaing is grateful the festival is connecting audiences to her film and allowing filmmakers to get to know each other. We got to know many filmmakers and other technicians through this festival, she said. We can connect to each other through our films. The Singapore-Myanmar Film Festival was organised and funded by the Singapore Myanmar Exchange Organisation. The theme for this year was Behind closed doors. The festival included categories for short films, full-length features, documentaries and more, all made by young independent filmmakers of Myanmar origin. First and second prize winners were awarded HD professional camcorders, and all filmmakers were given top-end post-production soft-

ware for use on future projects. The organisers also arranged workshops for the five winners with filmmakers from abroad. Next year, we will try to hold an even better festival, said Daw Marlar Tun, director of the Singapore Myanmar Exchange Organisation and coordinator of the SingaporeMyan-

First prize winner, Khin Khin Hsu Photo: Supplied

mar Film Festival. She added that next years festival will also be accepting international submissions.

Kickin it: chinlone to feature at Brazil World Cup

Phyo Wai Kyaw and Aung Ye Thwin A BRAZILIAN film crew has been in Mandalay to shoot a documentary about Myanmar chinlone in preparation to show it as part of the opening ceremony of the World Cup 2014 in Brazil. The Brazilian crew shot the Waso Chinlone Festival on July 5 which was held at the Chinlone Stadium, near the citys iconic Mahamuni Pagoda. They have further plans to film other themes concerned with the round thing in four other countries. U Pyay Sone Myint, joint secretary of the Myanmar Chinlone Federation, said the concept of chinlone is centred on the players supporting each other, a perfect analogy for what the film crew were trying to do during their shoot, and also an important message for the World Cup. The documentary can help pitch Myanmar chinlone around the world, he said. They will provide explanations of how chinlone is played as a group, solo and also the details about the production of the chinlone (rattan ball). He said the film crew, who called themselves Pindorama, will also film the sepaktakraw in Thailand, cycle-ball in Germany, head-ball in Brazil and Gaelic football in Ireland to promote the games using the round thing. U Kyaw Thein, secretary of the Waso Chinlone Festival, said its the first time in his tenure that hes seen this much international attention on the sport. This is the first time during my ten years as secretary that the world wants to know about chinlone, he said. The chinlone festival is a twomonth-long event, beginning in May and ending on July 23 this year. Almost 1600 chinlone teams are taking part in competitions throughout the festival.

The popular Myanmar sport, chinlone, will feature at the World Cup 2014 in Brazil. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing

New digital channel to bring books to the small screen

MYANMAR Radio and Television (MRTV) has announced it plans to launch a new free digital channel called the Readers Channel in Yangon, Mandalay and Nay Pyi Daw on July 14. This is good and so useful for the readers in Myanmar, said a spokeman from MRTV. Its intent is to raise the reading level among the public and a free channel may attract those wanting to speed up their reading skills. It might also attract those living in the outskirts of the cities, where it is sometimes difficult to get access to reading materials. The channel will feature live-to-air book reading for all ages, educational programs, group discussions and reviews of modern literature. Audiences can get access to the station by using a DVB-T Digital Reciever - such as 4TV, 5 Network, MWD and DVB-T Digital Tuner. Those living more than 40 kilometres (25 miles) outside of Nay Pyi Taw can access the channel through 22 UHF (Ultra High Frequency) band; those who are about 50 kilometres outside of Yangon can access the channel on 24UHF; and people outside more than 40 kilometres from Mandalay can tune their television to UHF band channel 25. Kyaw Gyi, 19, who lives in Botataung Township in Yangon, says he is looking forward to watching the programs. They will encourage more of a reading culture among young people like me, he says. Young people are used to wasting their time on entertainment, so if the book is being read out on television at the same time as we are reading it, it is still entertaining, says Kyaw Gyi. The Readers Channel will go on air for about a four-hour duration, and will run four times a day from 4am to 10pm, starting July 14. Nandar Aung

www.mmtimes.com

the pulse local 45

Muslims in Myanmar began observing the Muslim holy month of Ramadan last week. Photo: Kaung Htet

Muslims begin Ramadan fast

ASTING in observance of Ramadan the ninth and holiest month of the Islamic lunar calendar began last week and will end on the eve of August 9, with Muslims in Myanmar and across the world planning a month of reflection and donations to the poor. U Aye Lwin, chief convener of the Yangon-based Islamic Center, told The Myanmar Times that Muslims are expected to put more effort into religious observances throughout the holy time and to show sympathy for those less fortunate than themselves. For Myanmars Muslims, this years fast is also a time to reflect on those in their own community who are suffering as a result of communal violence in the country particularly those who remain in camps for displaced people and cannot observe the holidays rituals because their movements are restricted. The directors of Smile Education, U Myo Win and U Aye Lwin, said they are worried for Muslims who remain in IDP camps and who have few chances to observe the fast. According to the Quran, we need to feast together very

Cherry Thein
t.cherry6@gmail.com

early before sunrise people in the conflict area are under curfew and will find it hard to practise all religious activities, U Myo Win said. How can those people receive the blessing?

wedded couples is prohibited, while Muslims must worship five times a day, he said. Fasting began with the sighting of the new moon on July 10 and ends with the coming of the next new moon. Sightings of the new moon are made by a Hilal, or a moonsighting committee and the precise ending of the holy month is determined by the Islamic Scholars Organisation. Muslims around the world

People in the conflict area are under curfew and will find it hard to practise all religious activities.How can those people receive the blessing?
U Myo Win Smile Education
There are five key activities for the observance of Ramadan, including charity and dawn-to-dusk fasting. During daylight hours, eating, drinking, smoking and sexual contact between legally practise their religious duties according to the Arabic lunar calendar, which has 12 months of 29 or 30 days each for a total of 354 days in a year. The formal ending of Ramadan is the start of the

lunar month of Shawwal, whose first day is marked with a celebration called Eid al-Fitr, the festival of breaking the fast by giving fitra, or donations to the poor. U Aye Lwin said food is donated to the poor and communal prayers are held in the morning, followed by a feast and visits to relatives. Muslims share sweet snacks and refreshments not only with each other but also with non-Muslims. Some of the faithful give zakat, a donation of alms to the poor equal to 2.5 percent of a familys annual income, before the end of the holy month. The sick, the old and mothers of newborn babies are exempt from fasting, he said. A youth member from an interfaith education program, U Naing Aung Min, said it was also important to refrain from telling lies during Ramadan. He recommended practising tolerance, sympathy and empathy to the poor during the month. The fasting is useless when we commit lies. Abstaining from telling lies is helpful for keeping the fast for the whole month, he said. Devout Muslims spend time in contemplation during their fast, sometimes staying the whole day at mosques during

the latter part of the month, he said. Muslims believe that the word Islam means peace and that it is during preaching and prayer that followers get peace of mind. All preachers remind their congregants to deepen their religious wisdom and faith as a means of creating peace. U Naing Aung Min

said this message is particularly pertinent when considering events over the past year, which have led to increased conflict between Muslims and Buddhists. The fasting forces us to strengthen, to have more sympathy, empathy and loving kindness to all different faiths, U Naing Aung Min said.

Fallen heroes commemorated

MYANMARs father of independence, Bogyoke Aung San and other national leaders who were key figures in the national independence movement will be commemorated on July 19, the day of their assassinations. Radio stations across Myanmar will air nationalistic songs, not commonly heard since the independence movement and will also broadcast live-to-air talk shows discussing Bogyoke Aung Sans biography, as well details about the independence movement. Began FM, Cherry FM, Mandalay FM and Padamyar FM will all be focusing on nationalistic themes on the day. U Than Htay Zaw, General Manager from Cherry FM said: The old men think the young people dont respect Martyrs Day. Actually they do and thats why we will talk about their feelings on air. Ei Ei Thu

46 the pulse entertainment

Pacific Rim provides actionpacked entertainment that is distinct to director, Guillermo del Toro's style. Photo: Washington Post

Robots pack a punch in overblown but fun Pacific Rim

Ann Hornaday Pacific Rim is a big, lumbering, rock em, sock em mash-up of metallic heft and hyperbole, a noisy, overproduced disaster flick that sucks its characters and the audience down a vortex of garish visual effects and risibly cartoonish action. And you know what? Its not bad! Leave it to Guillermo del Toro that overgrown fanboy with a heart of gold and a mind of impressive philosophical complexity to bring some sense and sensibility to this summers crop of dumb spectacles. Pacific Rim will never qualify as part of the directors high-end oeuvre Pans Labyrinth, it most decidedly aint. But as an example of del Toros abiding love for comic books, pop culture and movie genre excess, it ranks with his less intellectual but equally imaginative efforts, maybe somewhere between Blade II and the gloriously bodacious Hellboy. In fact, Hellboys mordant star, Ron Perlman, shows up for a cameo in Pacific Rim not sheathed not in red leathery skin but his own, as a black marketeer working Hong Kongs neon-noir byways. Its in that port city, sometime in the future, that an apocalyptic invasion of sea creatures called Kaiju will or wont be repelled by a ragtag army of Jaegers, 25-storey robots that look like super-size versions of Robert Downey Jrs Iron Man, right down to the whirring mechanical hearts that glow in their tungsten-clad chests. Iron Man isnt the only movie Pacific Rim conjures in the course of its overlong running time. The central standoff between fantastical creatures bears echoes of Mothra vs. Godzilla, as well as the anime classics that del Toro has cited as inspirations. The visual design recalls TRON, some plot elements recall Inception, the crunching action recalls Transformers and the relationships recall Top Gun, wherein a group of cocky flyboys try to one-up each other in the name of saving the world. At least thats the initial vibe of Pacific Rim, which begins as brothers Yancy (Diego Klattenhoff ) and Raleigh (Charlie Hunnam) suit up to inhabit their Jaeger, which is powered by two people who meld minds in

... What begins as just another boysand-their-toys smashand-grab turns into something more.
order to create a unified consciousness, the better to smoothly manipulate their giant armoured sheath and dispatch the voracious Kaiju. But what begins as just another boys-and-their-toys smash-and-grab turns into something more, as del

Toro expands the Jaeger universe into something far more balanced, even nuanced. The fantastic English actor Idris Elba gives Pacific Rim sex appeal and gravitas as the Jaegers commander, Stacker Pentecost, a titanic force and physical specimen himself. When Raleigh meets an ambitious, beautiful Jaeger pilot trainee named Mako (Rinko Kikuchi), Pacific Rim promises to introduce some welcome gender balance to the world of end-ofthe-world heroics. And del Toro, ever mindful of the exigencies of the genre, never succumbs to the humourlessness and over-plotting that has dragged down so many of his contemporaries this season: He keeps Pacific Rim firmly focused on its utterly absurd raison detre (Kill those Kaiju once and for all! Youre welcome, Hong Kong!). But he makes sure to leaven that mission with moments of humour, most often at the hands of two goofy Jaeger research scientists, played by the charmingly hapless Charlie Day

and Burn Gorman, who proves the rare performer capable of channelling Jerry Lewis and Roddy McDowall simultaneously. Pacific Rim isnt nearly as visually rich as del Toros finest efforts: The ultimate showdown between the opposing behemoth forces is a murky soup of pulsating blue lights and writhing steel (as always, 3-D adds nothing to this enterprise), punctuated by dialogue clearly written in the belief that shouting something loudly enough makes it less ridiculous. But Pacific Rim earns points for some terrific performances (Elbas chief among them), maintaining consistently engaging momentum and for making the radical if subtle suggestion that empathy can be a bona-fide superpower. That humanistic touch is pure del Toro, and it makes all the difference in Pacific Rim, whose own whirring, glowing heart doesnt belong to any machine but to the director himself. The Washington Post

Sam Mendes returns to directors role for 24th Bond film

THE next James Bond film will be released in late 2015, producers announced July 11, with Daniel Craig reprising his role as the suave British spy and Sam Mendes returning as director after dramatically reversing his decision to quit. A few teasing details of the unnamed 24th official Bond adventure were announced in a picture posted on Agent 007s official Twitter feed, emblazoned with the words BOND 24 in large letters. Daniel Craig is 007, Sam Mendes back as director, the tweet said, adding that the film would be released in Britain on October 23, 2015, and in the United States two weeks later. The screenplay will be written by John Logan, who penned the last Bond film Skyfall, as well as other hit movies including Gladiator and The Last Samurai. Mendes, 47, directed Skyfall, which became Britains highest-grossing film ever and took more than $1 billion at box offices worldwide when it was released in 2012. The Oscar-winning British director said in March that he had turned down the chance to direct the next Bond film in order to concentrate on his theatre work, but confirmed on Thursday that he had changed his mind. I am very pleased that by giving me the time I need to honour all my theatre commitments, the producers have made it possible for me to direct Bond 24, he said in a statement published on the official Bond website. I very much look forward to taking up the reins again, and to working with Daniel Craig [and producers] Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for a second time, he added. Mendes, who won an Oscar in 2000 for directing American Beauty, is currently working on a new musical theatre version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory that opened in London last month. He will also direct a production of William Shakespeares King Lear at the National Theatre in London from January 2014. AFP

48 the pulse tea break

Universal Crossword
Edited by Timothy E. Parker

THE MYANMAR TIMES July 15 - 21, 2013

SUDOKU PACIFIC

RICH COLOR By Gary Cooper

ACROSS 1 Bandanna worn to protect a hairstyle 6 Astonished cries 9 Much more than moist 14 Compadre 15 Part of an i 16 Really dig 17 Diet drink phrase 18 Lennons bride 19 Departments with slicers 20 Competes in the Olympics 23 A Raisin in the Sun star Ruby 24 My dear fellow 25 Some dishes with 3-Down (var.) 27 Sign of nerves 32 Gilpin of Frasier 33 South American cruise stop 34 Black tie affairs 36 Burn slightly 39 Chutzpah, in the extreme 41 Hoodwinked 43 Buzzing with excitement 44 Classics station song 46 Do an impersonation of 48 Mr. Blue Sky rock gp. 49 It ___ what you think! 51 Theyre stubborn to the end 53 Kingly homes 56 Victorious shout in a card game 57 A while ___ 58 Very generous nature 64 On ___ night as this 66 Pastoral poem setting 67 Large book size 68 Not available, as a seat 69 Out of the ordinary 70 Long-armed ape, for short 71 Beauty, brawn or brains, e.g. 72 Nay and nah 73 Church parts DOWN 1 Dadgummit! 2 Melville sea tale 3 Paella ingredient 4 Tennis legend Andre 5 On the green 6 What a nose picks up 7 Maxine ___ Kingston 8 Brownstone feature 9 Stable seats? 10 Poetry class reading 11 007 film 12 Good ___! (Peanuts exclamation) 13 Positive feedback 21 Nymph of the mountains 22 Cups edge 26 Met highlight 27 Cogito, ___ sum 28 Retro phone feature 29 The third ones the charm girl 30 Blighted urban area 31 Flavorful 35 Rig on the highway 37 This puzzles theme color 38 They may clash at work 40 The Simpsons brainiac 42 Artist Rivera 45 47 50 52 53 54 55 59 60 61 62 63 65 Cast a spell over Prom dress material Casual shirt, casually Long-haired cat Cannelloni, e.g. Mexican waters Beauticians employer Change the wallpaper, perhaps Little fellows Any of several Norse royals Come-on Malamute and mastiff Let us bray beginning?

DILBERT

BY SCOTT ADAMS

PEANUTS

BY CHARLES SCHULZ

CALVIN AND HOBBES

BY BILL WATTERSON

PUZZLE SOLUTIONS

Laugh all the way to the bank when you rent this space.
The tea break page is being re-formatted in readiness for our move to a daily cycle. It may look something like this in the future. Our market research shows that a page like this attracts a large number of readers, who loyally read it every day. Ring Khin Thandar Htay our National Sales Director to book this space permanently and laugh all the way to the bank with the extra business coming in your door.

Telephone us now on +951 392 928

www.mmtimes.com

the pulse food and drink 49

Rice thats twice as nice in prawn rissoto and pudding

Phyo's cooking adventure
can add prunes or kiwi fruit as an alternative (although not at the same time). Coconut and cinnamon powder also make great additions to a rice pudding. Pumpkin, prawns and rice cooked in a rice cooker Ingredients (Serves 6) 500 grams golden pumpkin 2 cups rice 6-8 prawns teaspoon salt 2 cloves of garlic 15-20 grams cooking butter Preparation De-shell all the prawns and devein them also at the back. Discard dirty parts from the head, wash them gently and drain. Save the oil from the head. Roast the prawn heads in a pot over a high-medium heat. When they turn orange, add two-and-a-half cups of water and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for half an

phyocooking@gmail.com

HAVE been inspired lately by pumpkin risotto and tried cooking pumpkin and rice in a rice cooker. Using a prawn head stock, I was able to give the combination a more distinct flavor, particularly with the rice. Prawn heads are an amazing ingredient to use when creating flavour. If you prefer a more sticky rice, use Shan rice for this recipe. If you dont have a rice cooker, get one - its an essential item in any Myanmar kitchen. The rice pudding is also a flexible dish: It can be a dessert at a dinner party or a snack for toddlers. Its a little bit sweet and pairs well with fresh fruit like pineapple or mangoes. Or, you

hour. Take the meat out of the head and discard the shell. Set aside. Cut the prawns into three pieces. Chop the pumpkin into 3-4cm cubes and discard the seeds. Wash and drain them. Wash the rice as well and drain. Heat two-thirds of cooking butter in a pan over low-medium heat. Fry the pumpkin and coat well with butter. Then add cup of water into the pan and cover. When the pumpkins are soft enough, keep them separate. Spoon the rice into a pan and toss for a few minutes, allowing all the butter from the coated pan to absorb into the rice. Transfer everything into a rice cooker and add teaspoon of salt, the prawn soup and water (3 cups) and press the cook switch. When the rice is cooked, stir the mixture gently. In a fry pan, saut the garlic with the remaining butter for a minute. Add prawns and saut for four minutes. Transfer the garlic prawns into rice cooker and mix in well. When the dish is ready to be served, garnish with coriander or finely chopped lime leaves (shauk ywet). Rice pudding Ingredients (Serves 6) cup rice 2 cups milk cup coconut milk 1 cup water teaspoon cinnamon powder 2 star anise 1/3 cup brown sugar 3 ripe mangoes

Preparation Wash the rice and drain well. Add all the ingredients in a pot and cook them over medium heat. Partially cover the lid. When it starts boiling, reduce the heat and stir frequently. Make sure the bottom of the pot is not sticky with rice. When the rice is cooked well and becomes a runny paste, switch the heat off and cool. Discard the star anise. Chill the pot in a fridge when the rice pudding is completely cool. Peel the mangoes and dice them. Separate the rice pudding and mangoes among the plates to serve. Tips Use medium-low heat for the rice pudding and make sure it is not

boiling and does not spill over after covering with the lid. Leave a space uncovered to allow the steam to escape. The rice pudding shouldnt be too thick or runny like a congee. You can mash the pumpkin after frying it and before adding the mixture to the rice cooker. If you do so, please make sure to stir well before and during cooking. Quote Processed foods not only extend the shelf life, but they extend the waistline as well. Karen Sessions, amateur body sculptor Next week Easy pasta dishes

Camus: a cognac coveted by the keenest connoisseurs

Kayleigh Long
kayleighelong@gmail.com

As international brands scramble to establish a presence in Myanmar and stake their claim on market share, the 150-year-old Camus house has become the first cognac brand to make a legitimate entry into the countrys burgeoning booze sector. Cognac, a variety of brandy produced in the French wine-growing region that surrounds the town from which it takes its name, has experienced something of a renaissance in the last few years. The popularity of cognac soared in the US off the back of name-drop endorsements from rappers and hip hop artists from the mid-90s, which affected something of an image change for a drink that was once largely associated with the stuffy upper-crust. Winston Churchill famously likened a good cognac to a woman. The double-distilled tipple has bucked the trend of measured growth in more traditional consumer bases such as Europe and the US by gaining

some serious traction in the Asian market. The so-called Eau-de-vie has earned cachet as a status symbol in Singapore and China, becoming a drink of choice for business types and young people alike. For the Camus houses 150th anniversary last year, they produced a limited edition 9000euro bottle. The production and distribution of cognac is monitored by the Bureau National Interprofessionel du Cognac, which imposes strict quotas and ensures the authenticity of the three standard classifications of the drink: VS, VSOP and XO, all of which denote a certain

blend, minimum age and production process. Premium Distribution Co. held an event at the Chatrium hotel in Yangon last week, offered tastings of four of the Camus houses heady blends to signify the brands arrival on the market. James Marsden of Premium Distributions Food Service Division says he hopes the placement of the brandy in top-end hotels and bars, as well as major retail outlets, will see the Myanmar market develop a taste for it. If the recent uptake of import wines is anything to go by, it seems this cognac may establish itself as a Myanmar mainstay.

Camus cognac and canaps served at a tastings at the Chatrium hotel in Yangon on July 12. Photo: Greg Holland

50 the pulse socialite

THE MYANMAR TIMES JULY 15 - 21, 2013

Mi Sandi

Hardys Wine 160th anniversary

James Marsden , Ma Pyae May Win and Guest David John Cowdell and Nandita Sieohi Manjit Tabitha Kauyr and Philip Lemerlr

Samsung Lucky Draw event

Nwe Darli Tun

Ikon Marts Electrolux Professional launch

Thasaphong, Marivic Hellstern, Daw Mya Sandar Min and Micky Martin Pun, Richard Mayhew and U Aung Than Htay Nan Myat Phyo Thin

Chit Thu Wai

www.mmtimes.com NYEIN EI EI HTWE

nyeineieihtwe23@gmail.com

the pulse socialite 51

SOCIALITE has had another fantastic week of generally feeling great so making this July probably her favourite month (so far). She kicked off with a function at the Chatrium hotel, attended the Samsung lucky draw event at Traders (she still hasnt won anything), and scoffed some delicious Myanmar food down at Monsoon as part of the Tour Guides dinner party. The next couple of days demanded fewer hours socialising and more formality, with the launches of Ikon Marts Electrolux range and the uniquely named Marry Brown restaurant at Shwe Gondine in Yangon. There was time yet to squeeze in some fun, with the launch of Miss HA cosmetics at Junction Maw Tin centre, admiring beautiful gowns at the 2013 Amazing Wedding Show held at the National Theatre and getting to celebrate Hardys Wines 160th Anniversary back at the Traders hotel.

Capital Supermarket grand opening

Moe Aung Yin

Aroma Amazing Wedding Show

San Toe Naing, Nan Su Yati Soe, Moe Yan Zon, Moe Yu San and a Model

U Wine Chit

A Journey to Hospitality press Monsoon restaurants Tour Guide Party

Ko Nyi Nyi Lwin, Patrick, Ma Kyi Kyi and Ma Su Su Ko Aung Nyi Nyi Maw U Hla Myint Htwe Gorman Siah Aung Maw

Ma Mya Thae Phyu May Chong

Marry Brown restaurant opening

Danny Tan

Miss HA cosmetic counter launch

Nandar Hlaing Chan Me Me Ko

Wallace

52 the pulse travel

THE MYANMAR TIMES July 15 - 21, 2013

DOMESTIC FLIGHT SCHEDULES

Yangon to Nay Pyi Taw
Day MON Flight 6T 401 FMI A1 UB-B1 UB-C1 FMI A1 UB-B1 UB-C1 FMI A1 UB-B1 UB-C1 FMI A1 UB-B1 UB-C1 FMI A1 UB-B1 UB-C1 FMI A1 FMI A1 Flight UB-A2 UB-B2 UB-C2 UB-A2 UB-B2 UB-C2 UB-A2 UB-B2 UB-C2 UB-A2 UB-B2 UB-C2 UB-A2 UB-B2 UB-C2 UB-A2 UB-A2 Flight YJ 891 YH 917 Y5 234 YJ 143/W97143 K7 222 W9 143 6T 401 W9 201 YJ 001 K7 626 YJ 201 YJ 761 YH 727 K7 622 YH 731 W9 129 K7 224 6T 501/K7 224 YJ 891 YH 917 Y5 234 6T 401/K7222 K7 222 K7 226 W9 143 YJ 143/W97143 W9 201 8M 6603 W9 251 YH 729 YJ 761 K7 622 W9 129 K7 224 6T 501/K7 224 YH 731 YJ 891 YH 917 Y5 234 YJ 143/W97143 6T 401/K7222 K7 222 W9 143 W9 201 YJ 001 K7 624 YJ 201 YJ 751/W9 7751 YH 737 W9 129 K7 224 6T 501/K7 224 YH 731 YJ 891 YH 917 Y5 234 YJ 201 6T 401/K7222 YJ 143/W9 7143 K7 222 K7 226 W9 143 W9 201 8M 6603 K7 624 YJ 761 YH 729 W9 129 K7 224 6T 501/K7 224 YH 731 YJ 891 YH 917 Y5 234 6T 401/K7222 YJ 143/W97143 K7 222 K7 626 YJ 211 W9 143 W9 201 W9 251 YJ 751/W9 7751 YH 727 K7 622 W9 129 K7 224 6T 501/K7 224 YH 731 Dep 7:00 7:30 11:30 16:30 7:30 11:30 16:30 7:30 11:30 16:30 7:30 11:30 16:30 7:30 11:30 16:30 8:00 15:30 Dep 8:50 13:00 18:00 8:50 13:00 18:00 8:50 13:00 18:00 8:50 13:00 18:00 8:50 13:00 18:00 10:00 17:00 Dep 6:10 6:10 6:15 6:30 6:30 7:00 7:00 7:30 8:00 6:45 11:00 11:00 11:15 12:00 14:30 14:30 14:30 14:30 6:10 6:10 6:15 6:30 6:30 6:45 7:00 6:30 7:30 9:00 10:00 11:15 11:00 12:00 14:30 14:30 14:30 14:30 6:10 6:10 6:15 6:30 6:30 6:30 7:00 7:30 8:00 10:30 11:00 11:00 11:15 14:30 14:30 14:30 14:30 6:10 6:10 6:15 6:30 6:30 6:30 6:30 6:45 7:00 7:30 9:00 10:30 11:00 11:15 14:30 14:30 14:30 14:30 6:10 6:10 6:15 6:30 6:30 6:30 6:45 7:00 7:00 7:30 10:00 11:00 11:15 12:00 14:30 14:30 14:30 14:30 Arr 7:55 8:30 12:30 17:30 8:30 12:30 17:30 8:30 12:30 17:30 8:30 12:30 17:30 8:30 12:30 17:30 9:00 16:30 Arr 9:50 14:00 19:00 9:50 14:00 19:00 9:50 14:00 19:00 9:50 14:00 19:00 9:50 14:00 19:00 11:00 18:00 Arr 8:45 8:40 7:30 8:35 8:40 9:05 9:40 8:55 8:55 8:10 12:25 12:55 13:25 13:25 16:40 16:25 16:35 16:35 8:15 8:40 7:30 8:35 8:40 8:10 9:05 8:35 8:55 10:10 11:25 14:15 12:55 13:25 16:25 16:35 16:35 16:40 8:15 8:40 7:30 8:35 8:35 8:40 9:05 8:55 8:55 11:55 12:25 12:55 13:25 16:25 16:35 16:35 16:40 8:45 8:40 7:30 7:55 8:35 8:35 8:40 8:10 9:05 8:55 10:10 11:55 12:55 14:15 16:25 16:35 16:35 16:40 8:15 8:40 7:30 8:35 8:35 8:40 8:10 8:25 9:05 8:55 11:25 12:55 13:25 13:25 16:25 16:35 16:35 16:40 SAT YJ 891 YH 917 Y5 234 6T 401/K7222 K7 222 W9 143 YJ 143/W9 7143 YJ 761 W9 201 YJ 001 K7 624 YH 729 YJ 601/W9 7601 W9 129 K7 224 6T 501/K7 224 YH 731 YJ 891 YH 917 Y5 234 6T 401/K7222 K7 222 W9 143 YJ 143/W97143 W9 201 8M 6603 YJ 751/W9 7751 YH 737 YJ 211 K7 622 W9 129 K7 224 6T 501/K7 224 YH 731 Flight Y5 233 YH 918 YJ 143/W97143 K7 223 YJ 892 W9 201 W9 144 6T 402 YJ 002 K7 627 W9 120 YJ 202 YJ 762 YH 732 W9 129 K7 623 YH 728 6T 502/K7 225 K7 225 Y5 233 YJ 892 YH 918 YJ 143/W9 7143 6T 402/K7 223 K7 223 W9 201 W9 144 K7 227 K7 623 W9 129 YH 732 K7 225 6T 502/K7 225 W9 252 YJ 762 8M 6604 YH 730 Y5 233 YJ 892 YH 918 YJ 143/W9 7143 6T 402/K7 223 K7 223 W9 201 W9 144 Y5 132 YJ 002 K7 625 YJ 202 W9 120 W9 129 YH 732 K7 225 6T 502/K7 225 YH 738 YJ 752/W9 7752 Y5 233 YH 918 YJ 143/W9 7143 6T 402/K7 223 K7 223 YJ 892 W9 201 W9 144 K7 227 YJ 202 YJ 762 W9 129 YH 732 6T 502/K7 225 K7 225 K7 625 8M 6604 YH 730 Y5 233 YJ 892 YH 918 6T 402/K7 223 K7 223 W9 201 W9 144 YJ 143/W97143 Y5 132 YH 728 K7 627 W9 129 YJ 212 YH 732 K7 225 6T 502/K7 225 YJ 752/W9 7752 W9 252 6:10 6:10 6:15 6:30 6:30 7:00 6:30 7:00 7:30 8:00 10:30 11:15 11:30 14:30 14:30 14:30 14:30 6:10 6:10 6:15 6:30 6:30 7:00 6:30 6:30 9:00 11:00 11:15 11:30 12:00 14:30 14:30 14:30 14:30 Dep 8:10 8:40 8:50 8:55 9:00 9:10 9:20 10:00 11:00 10:55 15:45 16:00 16:35 16:40 16:40 16:40 16:45 16:50 16:50 8:10 8:30 8:40 8:50 8:55 8:55 9:10 9:20 10:35 16:40 16:40 16:40 16:50 16:50 17:05 16:35 17:20 18:00 8:10 8:30 8:40 8:50 8:55 8:55 9:10 9:20 9:30 11:00 17:10 16:00 15:45 16:40 16:40 16:50 16:50 17:25 17:50 8:10 8:40 8:50 8:55 8:55 9:00 9:10 9:20 10:35 11:00 16:35 16:40 16:40 16:50 16:50 17:10 17:20 18:00 8:10 8:30 8:40 8:55 8:55 9:10 9:20 8:50 9:30 16:45 10:55 16:40 12:00 16:40 16:50 16:50 17:50 17:05 8:15 8:40 7:30 8:35 8:40 9:05 8:35 8:55 8:55 8:55 11:55 14:15 12:55 16:25 16:35 16:35 16:40 8:15 8:40 7:30 8:35 8:40 9:05 8:35 8:35 10:10 12:55 13:25 12:55 13:25 16:25 16:35 16:35 16:40 Arr 9:25 10:45 10:45 11:00 10:55 11:05 10:45 12:00 11:55 12:20 17:10 17:55 18:00 18:45 18:45 18:05 18:10 19:00 19:00 9:25 10:25 10:45 10:45 10:55 11:00 11:05 10:45 12:00 18:05 18:45 18:45 19:00 19:00 18:30 18:00 18:30 19:25 9:25 10:25 10:45 10:45 10:55 11:00 11:05 10:45 10:30 11:55 18:35 17:55 17:10 18:45 18:45 19:00 19:00 18:50 19:15 9:25 10:45 10:45 10:55 11:00 10:55 11:05 10:45 12:00 12:25 18:00 18:45 18:45 19:00 19:00 18:35 18:30 19:25 9:25 10:25 10:45 10:55 11:00 11:05 10:45 10:45 10:30 18:10 12:20 18:45 13:25 18:45 19:00 19:00 19:15 18:30 SAT Y5 233 YJ 892 YH 918 YJ 143/W9 7143 6T 402/K7 223 K7 223 W9 201 W9 144 Y5 132 YJ 002 YJ 762 W9 120 W9 129 K7 225 6T 502/K7 225 YH 732 YJ 602/W9 7602 K7 625 YH 730 Y5 233 YH 918 YJ 892 YJ 143/W9 7143 6T 402/K7 223 K7 223 W9 201 W9 144 Y5 132 YJ 212 W9 129 YJ 725/W9 7752 6T 502/K7 225 K7 623 YH 732 K7 225 8M 6604 YH 738 Flight YH 917 YJ 891 YJ 143/W97143 K7 222 W9 143 6T 401 YH 731 W9 129 6T 501/K7 224 K7 224 YJ 891 YH 917 YJ 143/W9 7143 6T 401/K7 222 K7 222 W9 143 W9 129 6T 501/K7 224 K7 224 YH 731 YJ 891 YH 917 6T 401/K7 222 K7 222 YJ 143/W9 7143 W9 143 W9 129 6T 501/K7 224 K7 224 YH 731 YH 917 YJ 891 6T 401/K7 222 K7 222 YJ 143/W97143 W9 143 W9 129 6T 501/K7 224 K7 224 YH 731 YJ 891 YH 917 6T 401/K7 222 K7 222 YJ 143/W9 7143 W9 143 W9 129 6T 501/K7 224 YH 731 K7 224 YJ 891 YH 917 6T 401/K7 222 K7 222 YJ 143/W9 7143 W9 143 W9 129 6T 501/K7 224 K7 224 YH 731 YJ 891 YH 917 6T 401/K7 222 K7 222 YJ 143/W9 7143 W9 143 W9 129 6T 501/K7 224 K7 224 YH 731 Flight YH 917 K7 222 YJ 143/W9 7143 YJ 891 W9 143 6T 401 W9 129 YH 732 6T 502/K7 225 K7 225 YJ 891 YH 917 YJ 143/W9 7143 6T 401/K7222 K7 222 W9 143 W9 129 YH 732 6T 502/K7 225 K7 225 8:10 8:30 8:40 8:50 8:55 8:55 9:10 9:20 9:30 11:00 12:35 15:45 16:40 16:50 16:50 16:40 16:10 17:10 18:00 8:10 8:40 8:30 8:50 8:55 8:55 9:10 9:20 9:30 16:30 16:40 17:50 16:50 16:40 16:40 16:50 17:20 17:25 Dep 6:10 6:10 6:30 6:30 7:00 7:00 14:30 14:30 14:30 14:30 6:10 6:10 6:30 6:30 6:30 7:00 14:30 14:30 14:30 14:30 6:10 6:10 6:30 6:30 6:30 7:00 14:30 14:30 14:30 14:30 6:10 6:10 6:30 6:30 6:30 7:00 14:30 14:30 14:30 14:30 6:10 6:10 6:30 6:30 6:30 7:00 14:30 14:30 14:30 14:30 6:10 6:10 6:30 6:30 6:30 7:00 14:30 14:30 14:30 14:30 6:10 6:10 6:30 6:30 6:30 7:00 14:30 14:30 14:30 14:30 Dep 7:45 8:05 8:05 8:15 8:35 9:10 17:25 17:25 17:40 17:45 7:45 7:45 8:05 8:05 8:05 8:35 17:25 17:25 17:40 17:45 9:25 10:25 10:45 10:45 10:55 11:00 11:05 10:45 10:30 11:55 14:00 17:10 18:45 19:00 19:00 18:45 17:35 18:35 19:25 9:25 10:45 10:25 10:45 10:55 11:00 11:05 10:45 10:30 17:55 18:45 19:15 19:00 18:05 18:45 19:00 18:30 18:50 Arr 7:45 8:00 7:50 7:50 8:20 8:55 17:25 17:10 17:20 17:25 7:30 7:45 7:50 7:50 7:50 8:20 17:10 17:20 17:25 17:25 7:30 7:45 7:50 7:50 7:50 8:20 17:10 17:20 17:25 17:25 7:45 8:00 7:50 7:50 7:50 8:20 17:10 17:20 17:25 17:25 7:30 7:45 7:50 7:50 7:50 8:20 17:10 17:20 17:25 17:25 7:30 7:45 7:50 7:50 7:50 8:20 17:10 17:20 17:25 17:25 7:30 7:45 7:50 7:50 7:50 8:20 17:10 17:20 17:25 17:25 Arr 10:45 11:00 10:45 10:55 10:45 12:00 18:45 18:45 19:00 19:00 10:25 10:45 10:45 10:55 11:00 10:45 18:45 18:45 19:00 19:00 WED YJ 891 YH 917 YJ 143/W9 7143 6T 401/K7222 K7 222 W9 143 W9 129 YH 732 6T 502/K7 225 K7 225 YH 917 YJ 143/W9 7143 6T 401/K7222 K7 222 YJ 892 W9 143 YH 732 6T 502/K7 225 K7 225 YJ 892 YH 917 YJ 143/W9 7143 6T 401/K7222 K7 222 W9 143 W9 129 YH 732 6T 502/K7 225 K7 225 YJ 892 YH 917 6T 401/K7222 YJ 143/W9 7143 K7 222 W9 143 W9 129 YH 732 6T 502/K7 225 K7 225 YH 917 YJ 892 6T 401/K7222 K7 222 YJ 143/W9 7143 W9 143 W9 129 YH 732 6T 502/K7 225 K7 225 Flight YJ 201 K7 622 K7 844 W9 251 K7 622 K7 624 YJ 201 K7 844 K7 624 W9 251 YJ 211 K7 622 YJ 211 K7 624 Flight YJ 202 K7 623 K7 845 K7 623 W9 252 K7 625 K7 845 K7 625 YJ 202 YJ 211 K7 623 W9 252 K7 625 YJ 211 K7 845 K7 623 Flight YH 917 YJ 143/W9 7143 6T 401 W9 201 K7 222 K7 828 W9 119 YH 727 YJ 761 6T 501/K7 224 W9 129 K7 224 YH 731 YJ 891 YH 917 YJ 143/W9 7143 6T 401/K7222 K7 222 W9 201 YJ 761 K7 826 6T 501/K7 224 W9 129 K7 224 YH 731 YJ 891 YH 917 YJ 143/W9 7143 6T 401/K7222 K7 222 K7 828 W9 201 W9 119 YJ 751/W9 7751 YH 737 6T 501/K7 224 W9 129 K7 224 YH 731 YJ 891 YH 917 6T 401/K7222 K7 222 YJ 143/W9 7143 W9 201 YJ 761 6T 501/K7 224 W9 129 K7224 YH 731 7:45 7:45 8:05 8:05 8:05 8:35 17:25 17:25 17:40 17:45 7:45 8:05 8:05 8:05 8:15 8:35 17:25 17:40 17:45 7:45 7:45 8:05 8:05 8:05 8:35 17:25 17:25 17:40 17:45 7:45 7:45 8:05 8:05 8:05 8:35 17:25 17:25 17:40 17:45 7:45 7:45 8:05 8:05 8:05 8:35 17:25 17:25 17:40 17:45 Dep 11:30 12:00 7:30 10:00 12:00 10:30 6:30 7:30 10:30 10:00 7:00 12:00 11:30 10:30 Dep 14:35 15:10 11:20 15:10 15:35 15:40 11:20 15:40 9:35 10:05 15:10 15:35 15:40 14:35 11:20 15:10 10:25 10:45 10:45 10:55 11:00 10:45 18:45 18:45 19:00 19:00 10:45 10:45 10:55 11:00 10:55 10:45 18:45 19:00 19:00 10:25 10:45 10:45 10:55 11:00 10:45 18:45 18:45 19:00 19:00 10:25 10:45 10:55 10:45 11:00 10:45 18:45 18:45 19:00 19:00 10:45 10:25 10:55 11:00 10:45 10:45 18:45 18:45 19:00 19:00 Arr 12:55 14:55 11:05 12:55 14:55 13:25 9:20 11:05 13:25 12:55 9:50 14:55 14:20 13:25 Arr 17:55 18:05 16:00 18:05 18:30 18:35 16:00 18:35 12:25 13:25 18:05 18:30 18:35 17:55 16:00 18:05 Arr 9:35 9:20 10:35 9:40 9:30 8:45 11:40 12:40 12:10 15:40 15:40 15:45 15:55 9:00 9:35 9:20 9:30 9:30 9:40 12:10 13:00 15:40 15:40 15:45 15:55 9:00 9:35 9:20 9:30 9:30 8:45 9:40 11:40 12:10 12:40 15:40 15:40 15:45 15:55 9:30 9:35 9:30 9:30 9:20 9:40 12:10 15:40 15:40 15:45 15:55 FRI YJ 891 YH 917 6T 401/K7222 K7 222 YJ 143/W9 7143 K7 828 W9 201 YJ 751/W9 7751 YH 727 YH 731 6T 501/K7 224 W9 129 K7224 YJ 891 YH 917 6T 401/K7222 K7 222 YJ 761 YJ 143/W9 7143 K7 826 W9 201 W9 119 6T 501/K7 224 W9 129 K7 224 YH 731 YJ 891 YH 917 6T 401/K7222 K7 222 YJ 143/W9 7143 W9 201 YJ 751/W9 7751 YH 737 6T 501/K7 224 W9 129 K7 224 YH 731 Flight YH 918 YJ 892 K7 223 W9 201 YJ 143/W9 7143 6T 402 K7 829 W9 120 YJ 762 W9 129 YH 731 YH 728 6T 501/K7 224 K7 224 YJ 892 YH 918 6T 402/K7223 K7 223 W9 201 YJ 143/W9 7143 YJ 762 W9 129 YH 731 K7 224 6T 501/K7 224 K7 827 YJ 892 YH 918 6T 402/K7223 K7 223 W9 201 YJ 143/W9 7143 K7 829 W9 120 W9 129 YH 731 6T 501/K7 224 YH 738 K7 224 YH 918 6T 402/K7223 K7 223 W9 201 YJ 143/W9 7143 YJ 892 W9 129 6T 501/K7 224 K7 224 YJ 762 YH 731 YJ 892 YH 918 6T 402/K7223 K7 223 W9 201 YJ 143/W9 7143 K7 829 YH 731 W9 129 YH 728 6T 501/K7 224 K7 224 YJ 892 YH 918 6T 402/K7223 K7 223 W9 201 YJ 143/W9 7143 YJ 762 K7 823 W9 120 YH 731 W9 129 6T 501/K7 224 K7 224 K7 827 YJ 892 YH 918 6T 402/K7223 K7 223 W9 201 YJ 143/W9 7143 W9 129 YH 731 6T 501/K7 224 K7 224 YH 738 Flight K7 426 6T 607 K7 426 6T 611 K7 426 6T 611 K7 426 6T 611 6:10 6:10 6:30 6:30 6:30 7:30 7:30 11:00 11:15 14:30 14:30 14:30 14:30 6:10 6:10 6:30 6:30 7:00 6:30 11:45 7:30 10:30 14:30 14:30 14:30 14:30 6:10 6:10 6:30 6:30 6:30 7:30 11:00 11:15 14:30 14:30 14:30 14:30 Dep 9:35 9:45 9:45 9:55 9:35 10:50 13:50 15:00 15:50 15:55 15:55 16:00 16:00 16:00 9:15 9:35 9:45 9:45 9:55 9:35 15:50 15:55 15:55 16:00 16:00 17:30 9:15 9:35 9:45 9:45 9:55 9:35 13:50 15:00 15:55 15:55 16:00 16:40 16:00 9:35 9:45 9:45 9:55 9:35 9:45 15:55 16:00 16:00 15:50 15:55 9:15 9:35 9:45 9:45 9:55 9:35 13:50 15:55 15:55 16:00 16:00 16:00 9:15 9:35 9:45 9:45 9:55 9:35 11:50 14:50 15:00 15:55 15:55 16:00 16:00 17:30 9:15 9:35 9:45 9:45 9:55 9:35 15:55 15:55 16:00 16:00 16:40 Dep 12:30 12:30 12:30 14:30 12:30 11:30 12:30 14:30 9:00 9:35 9:30 9:30 9:20 8:45 9:40 12:10 12:40 15:55 15:40 15:40 15:45 9:00 9:35 9:30 9:30 8:10 9:20 13:00 9:40 11:40 15:40 15:40 15:45 15:55 9:00 9:35 9:30 9:30 9:20 9:40 12:10 12:40 15:40 15:40 15:45 15:55 Arr 10:45 10:55 11:00 11:05 10:45 12:00 15:05 17:10 18:00 18:45 18:45 18:10 19:00 19:00 10:25 10:45 10:55 11:00 11:05 10:45 18:00 18:45 18:45 19:00 19:00 18:45 10:25 10:45 10:55 11:00 11:05 10:45 15:05 17:10 18:45 18:45 19:00 18:50 19:00 10:45 10:55 11:00 11:05 10:45 10:55 18:45 19:00 19:00 18:00 18:45 10:25 10:45 10:55 11:00 11:05 10:45 15:05 18:45 18:45 18:10 19:00 19:00 10:25 10:45 10:55 11:00 11:05 10:45 14:00 16:05 17:10 18:45 18:45 19:00 19:00 18:45 10:25 10:45 10:55 11:00 11:05 10:45 18:45 18:45 19:00 19:00 18:50 Arr 13:50 13:55 13:50 15:55 13:50 12:55 13:50 15:55 FRI SAT SUN 6T 605 K7 426 K7 426 6T 611 6T 611 K7 426 Flight K7 427 6T 608 K7 427 6T 612 K7 427 6T 612 K7 427 6T 612 6T 606 K7 427 K7 427 6T 612 6T 612 K7 427 Flight K7 319 YJ 301 YH 633 K7 319 YJ 301 6T 707 K7 319 YJ 301 YH 633 K7 319 YJ 301 YH 633 K7 319 YH 633 K7 319 YJ 301 6T 707 K7 319 YJ 301 YH 633 Flight K7 320 YH 634 YJ 302 6T 708 YJ 302 K7 320 K7 320 YH 634 YJ 302 YH 634 K7 320 YJ 302 YH 634 K7 320 K7 320 YJ 302 6T 708 K7 320 YH 634 YJ 302 Flight 6T 607 6T 605 Flight 6T 608 6T 605 11:15 12:30 12:30 14:30 11:30 12:30 13:15 13:50 13:50 15:55 12:55 13:50 Arr 15:25 16:15 15:25 17:40 15:25 14:40 15:25 17:40 15:00 15:25 15:25 17:40 14:40 15:25 Arr 9:05 9:10 9:15 9:05 9:10 9:30 9:05 9:10 9:15 9:05 13:40 9:15 9:05 9:15 9:05 13:10 13:15 9:05 9:10 9:15 Arr 13:35 13:25 13:35 13:55 13:35 13:35 13:35 13:25 13:35 13:25 13:35 18:05 13:25 13:35 13:35 17:35 17:40 13:35 13:25 13:35 Arr 15:05 12:10 Arr 16:15 15:00

TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN Day MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN Day MON

SIT T WE to yangon
Day MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN Dep 14:05 14:15 14:05 16:15 14:05 13:15 14:05 16:15 13:35 14:05 14:05 16:15 13:15 14:05

THUR

SAT

SUN

SUN

FRI

Nay Pyi Taw To Yangon

Yangon to Myeik
Day MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN Dep 7:00 7:00 7:00 7:00 7:00 7:30 7:00 7:00 7:00 7:00 11:30 7:00 7:00 7:00 7:00 11:00 11:15 7:00 7:00 7:00

SUN

SAT

Mandalay to Yangon
Day MON

Yangon to Nyaung U
Day MON

SUN

Heho to Yangon
Day MON

Yangon to Mandalay

Myeik to Yangon
Day MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN Dep 11:30 11:25 11:25 11:55 11:25 11:30 11:30 11:25 11:25 11:25 11:30 15:55 11:25 11:30 11:30 15:25 15:40 11:30 11:25 11:25 Dep 12:30 11:15 Dep 15:20 12:25

Yangon to Myitkyina
Day MON TUE WED THUR FRI SUN

TUE

TUE

TUE

WED

TUE

Myitkyina to Yangon
Day MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN

WED

Yangon to Thandwe
Day MON FRI Day MON FRI

THUR

Thandwe to Yangon

WED

THUR

WED

FRI

Yangon to Heho
Day MON Dep 6:10 6:30 7:00 7:30 6:30 7:30 10:30 11:15 11:00 14:30 14:30 14:30 14:30 6:10 6:10 6:30 6:30 6:30 7:30 11:00 11:45 14:30 14:30 14:30 14:30 6:10 6:10 6:30 6:30 6:30 7:30 7:30 10:30 11:00 11:15 14:30 14:30 14:30 14:30 6:10 6:10 6:30 6:30 6:30 7:30 11:00 14:30 14:30 14:30 14:30

Domestic Airlines
Air Bagan Ltd.(W9)
Tel : 513322, 513422, 504888, Fax : 515102

FRI

Air KBZ (K7)

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

SAT

Air Mandalay (6T)

Tel : (Head Office) 501520, 525488, Fax: 525937. Airport: 533222~3, 09-73152853. Fax: 533223.

THUR

THUR

TUE

SAT

Asian Wings (AW)

Tel: 951 516654, 532253, 09-731-35991~3. Fax: 951 532333

SUN

Golden Myanmar Airlines (Y5)

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

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

WED

Nyaung U to Yangon
Day MON

SUN

FMI Air Charter - Sales & Reservations

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

FRI

FRI

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

TUE

THUR

YANGON TO SIT T WE
Day MON TUE WED THRU

Subject to change without notice

www.mmtimes.com

the pulse travel 53

International FLIGHT SCHEDULES

YANGON TO BANGKOK Day Flight Dep Arr MON PG 706 7:15 9:30 8M 335 9:00 10:45 TG 304 9:50 11:45 PG 702 10:30 12:25 TG 302 14:55 16:50 8M 331 16:30 18:15 PG 704 18:20 20:15 Y5 237 18:05 19:50 TG 306 19:45 21:40 TUE PG 706 7:15 9:30 8M 335 9:00 10:45 TG 304 9:50 11:45 PG 702 10:30 12:25 TG 302 14:55 16:50 Y5 237 18:05 19:50 PG 704 18:20 20:15 TG 306 19:45 21:40 WED PG 706 7:15 9:30 8M 335 9:00 10:45 TG 304 9:50 11:45 PG 702 10:30 12:25 TG 302 14:55 16:50 Y5 237 18:05 19:50 PG 704 18:20 20:15 TG 306 19:45 21:40 THUR PG 706 7:15 9:30 8M 335 9:00 10:45 TG 304 9:50 11:45 PG 702 10:30 12:25 TG 302 14:55 16:50 Y5 237 18:05 19:50 PG 704 18:20 20:15 TG 306 19:45 21:40 FRI PG 706 7:15 9:30 TG 304 9:50 11:45 PG 702 10:30 12:25 TG 302 14:55 16:50 8M 331 16:30 18:15 Y5 237 18:05 19:50 PG 704 18:20 20:15 TG 306 19:45 21:40 SAT PG 706 7:15 9:30 TG 304 9:50 11:45 PG 702 10:30 12:25 TG 302 14:55 16:50 8M 331 16:30 18:15 Y5 237 18:05 19:50 PG 704 18:20 20:15 TG 306 19:45 21:40 SUN PG 706 7:15 9:30 8M 335 9:00 10:45 TG 304 9:50 11:45 PG 702 10:30 12:25 TG 302 14:55 16:50 Y5 237 18:05 19:50 PG 704 18:20 20:15 TG 306 19:45 21:40 Day MON YANGON TO DON MUENG Flight Dep Arr FD 2752 8:30 10:20 FD 2756 12:15 14:05 FD 2754 17:50 19:35 TUE FD 2752 8:30 10:20 FD 2756 12:15 14:05 FD 2754 17:50 19:35 WED FD 2752 8:30 10:20 FD 2756 12:15 14:05 FD 2754 17:50 19:35 THUR FD 2752 8:30 10:20 FD 2756 12:15 14:05 FD 2754 17:50 19:35 FRI FD 2752 8:30 10:20 FD 2756 12:15 14:05 FD 2754 17:50 19:35 SAT FD 2752 8:30 10:20 FD 2756 12:15 14:05 FD 2754 17:50 19:35 SUN FD 2752 8:30 10:20 FD 2756 12:15 14:05 FD 2754 17:50 19:35 YANGON TO SINGAPORE Day Flight Dep Arr MON MI 509 0:25 5:00 8M 231 8:00 12:25 Y5 233 10:10 14:40 SQ 997 10:25 14:45 8M 6232 11:30 16:05 3K 586 11:30 16:05 MI 517 16:40 21:15 TUE 8M 231 8:00 12:25 Y5 233 10:10 14:40 SQ 997 10:25 14:45 3K 586 11:30 16:05 8M 6232 11:30 16:05 VN 942 14:25 17:10 MI 517 16:40 21:15 WED 8M 231 8:00 12:25 Y5 233 10:10 14:40 SQ 997 10:25 14:45 8M 6232 11:30 16:05 3K 586 11:30 16:05 MI 517 16:40 21:15 THUR 8M 231 8:00 12:25 Y5 233 10:10 14:40 SQ 997 10:25 14:45 3K 586 11:30 16:05 8M 6232 11:30 16:05 VN 942 14:25 17:10 MI 517 16:40 21:15 FRI 8M 231 8:00 12:25 Y5 233 10:10 14:40 SQ 997 10:25 14:45 3K 586 11:30 16:05 8M 6232 11:30 16:05 8M 233 15:05 19:30 MI 517 16:40 21:15 SAT MI 509 0:25 5:00 8M 231 8:00 12:25 Y5 233 10:10 14:40 SQ 997 10:25 14:45 8M 6232 11:30 16:05 3K 586 11:30 16:05 8M 233 15:05 19:30 MI 517 16:40 21:15 SUN 8M 231 8:00 12:25 10:10 14:40 Y5 233 SQ 997 10:25 14:45 3K 586 11:30 16:05 8M 6232 11:30 16:05 VN 942 14:25 17:10 8M 233 15:05 19:30 MI 517 16:40 21:15 Day MON YANGON TO KUALA LUMPUR Flight Dep Arr 8M 501 7:50 11:50 AK 1427 8:30 12:50 MH 741 12:15 16:30 AK 1425 16:45 21:00 AK 1427 8:30 12:50 MH 741 12:15 16:30 AK 1425 16:45 21:00 MH 743 16:55 21:10 WED AK 1427 8M 501 MH 741 AK 1425 THUR AK 1427 MH 741 AK 1425 FRI 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 8:30 7:50 12:15 16:45 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 16:55 12:50 11:50 16:30 21:00 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 21:10 MANDALAY TO KUNMING Day Flight Dep Arr MON MU 2030 14:40 17:20 TUE MU 2030 14:40 17:20 WED MU 2030 14:40 17:20 THUR MU 2030 14:40 17:20 FRI MU 2030 14:40 17:20 SAT MU 2030 14:40 17:20 SUN MU 2030 14:40 17:20 BANGKOK TO YANGON Day Flight Dep Arr MON 8M 336 6:15 7:00 FD 3770 7:15 8:00 TG 303 7:55 8:50 PG 701 8:50 9:40 TG 301 13:00 13:45 PG 703 16:45 17:35 FD 3772 16:50 17:35 TG 305 17:50 18:45 8M 332 19:15 20:00 PG 705 20:15 21:30 Y5 238 21:10 21:55 TUE 8M 336 6:15 7:00 FD 3770 7:15 8:00 TG 303 7:55 8:50 PG 701 8:50 9:40 TG 301 13:00 13:45 PG 703 16:45 17:35 FD 3772 16:50 17:35 TG 305 17:50 18:45 8M 332 19:15 20:00 PG 705 20:15 21:30 Y5 238 21:10 21:55 WED FD 3770 7:15 8:00 TG 303 7:55 8:50 PG 701 8:50 9:40 TG 301 13:00 13:45 PG 703 16:45 17:35 FD 3772 16:50 17:35 TG 305 17:50 18:45 8M 332 19:15 20:00 PG 705 20:15 21:30 Y5 238 21:10 21:55 THUR FD 3770 7:15 8:00 TG 303 7:55 8:50 PG 701 8:50 9:40 TG 301 13:00 13:45 PG 703 16:45 17:35 FD 3772 16:50 17:35 TG 305 17:50 18:45 8M 332 19:15 20:00 PG 705 20:15 21:30 Y5 238 21:10 21:55 FRI FD 3770 7:15 8:00 TG 303 7:55 8:50 PG 701 8:50 9:40 TG 301 13:00 13:45 PG 703 16:45 17:35 FD 3772 16:50 17:35 TG 305 17:50 18:45 8M 332 19:15 20:00 PG 705 20:15 21:30 Y5 238 21:10 21:55 SAT FD 3770 7:15 8:00 TG 303 7:55 8:50 PG 701 8:50 9:40 TG 301 13:00 13:45 PG 703 16:45 17:35 FD 3772 16:50 17:35 TG 305 17:50 18:45 8M 332 19:15 20:00 PG 705 20:15 21:30 Y5 238 21:10 21:55 SUN FD 3770 7:15 8:00 TG 303 7:55 8:50 PG 701 8:50 9:40 TG 301 13:00 13:45 PG 703 16:45 17:35 FD 3772 16:50 17:35 TG 305 17:50 18:45 8M 332 19:15 20:00 PG 705 20:15 21:30 Y5 238 21:10 21:55 Day MON DON MUENG TO YANGON Flight Dep Arr FD 2751 7:15 8:00 FD 2755 11:10 11:45 FD 2753 16:35 17:20 TUE FD 2751 7:15 8:00 FD 2755 11:10 11:45 FD 2753 16:35 17:20 WED FD 2751 7:15 8:00 FD 2755 11:10 11:45 FD 2753 16:35 17:20 THUR FD 2751 7:15 8:00 FD 2755 11:10 11:45 FD 2753 16:35 17:20 FRI FD 2751 7:15 8:00 FD 2755 11:10 11:45 FD 2753 16:35 17:20 SAT FD 2751 7:15 8:00 FD 2755 11:10 11:45 FD 2753 16:35 17:20 SUN FD 2751 7:15 8:00 FD 2755 11:10 11:45 FD 2753 16:35 17:20 SINGAPORE TO YANGON Day Flight Dep Arr MON SQ 998 7:55 9:20 3K 585 9:10 10:40 8M 6231 9:10 10:40 8M 232 13:25 14:50 MI 518 14:20 15:45 Y5 234 15:35 17:05 8M 234 19:15 20:00 TUE SQ 998 7:55 9:20 3K 585 9:10 10:40 8M 6231 9:10 10:40 8M 232 13:25 14:50 MI 518 14:20 15:45 Y5 234 15:35 17:05 WED SQ 998 7:55 9:20 3K 585 9:10 10:40 8M 6231 9:10 10:40 8M 232 13:25 14:50 MI 518 14:20 15:45 Y5 234 15:35 17:05 THUR SQ 998 7:55 9:20 8M 6231 9:10 10:40 3K 585 9:10 10:40 8M 232 13:25 14:50 MI 518 14:20 15:45 Y5 234 15:35 17:05 8M 234 19:15 20:00 FRI SQ 998 7:55 9:20 3K 585 9:10 10:40 8M 6231 9:10 10:40 8M 232 13:25 14:50 MI 518 14:20 15:45 MI 520 22:10 23:35 Y5 234 15:35 17:05 SAT SQ 998 7:55 9:20 3K 585 9:10 10:40 8M 6231 9:10 10:40 8M 232 13:25 14:50 MI 518 14:20 15:45 Y5 234 15:35 17:05 SUN SQ 998 8M 6231 3K 585 8M 232 MI 518 8M 234 MI 520 Y5 234 7:55 9:10 9:10 13:25 14:20 19:15 22:10 15:35 9:20 10:40 10:40 14:50 15:45 20:00 23:35 17:05 FRI SAT SUN Day TUE THUR SUN Day TUE FRI SAT SUN Day WED THUR SUN Day WED SAT VN 957 VN 957 VN 957 16:35 16:35 16:35 18:10 18:10 18:10 HO CHI MINH CITY TO YANGON Flight Dep Arr VN 943 11:40 13:25 VN 943 11:40 13:25 VN 943 11:40 13:25 BANGKOK TO MANDALAY Flight Dep Arr TG 781 7:25 8:50 TG 781 7:25 8:50 TG 781 7:25 8:50 TG 781 7:25 8:50 Flight QR 618 QR 618 QR 618 DOHA TO YANGON Dep Arr 21:05 07:00+1 21:05 07:00+1 21:05 07:00+1

Day TUE WED THUR SAT SUN Day MON

BEIJING TO YANGON Flight Dep Arr CA 905 8:05 13:15 CA 905 8:05 13:15 CA 905 8:05 13:15 CA 905 8:05 13:15 CA 905 8:05 13:15

Seeking bliss in war-torn territory

YANGON TO BEIJING Day Flight Dep Arr TUE CA 906 14:15 21:55 WED CA 906 14:15 21:55 THUR CA 906 14:15 21:55 SAT CA 906 14:15 21:55 SUN CA 906 14:15 21:55 YANGON TO GAUNGZHOU Day Flight Dep Arr MON CZ 3056 17:40 22:15 WED CZ 3056 11:20 15:50 THUR 8M 711 8:40 13:15 FRI CZ 3056 17:40 22:15 SAT CZ 3056 11:20 15:50 SUN 8M 711 8:40 13:15 Day MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN Day MON TUE YANGON TO TAIPEI Flight Dep Arr CI 7916 10:50 16:15 CI 7916 10:50 16:15 CI 7916 10:50 16:15 CI 7916 10:50 16:15 CI 7916 10:50 16:15 CI 7916 10:50 16:15 CI 7916 10:50 16:15

KAULA LUMPUR TO YANGON Flight Dep Arr AK 1426 6:55 8:00 MH 740 10:05 11:15 8M 502 12:50 13:50 AK 1424 15:05 16:15 TUE AK 1426 6:55 8:00 MH 740 10:05 11:15 MH 742 14:45 15:55 AK 1424 15:05 16:15 WED AK 1426 6:55 8:00 MH 740 10:05 11:15 8M 502 12:50 13:50 AK 1424 15:05 16:15 THUR AK 1426 6:55 8:00 MH 740 10:05 11:15 AK 1424 15:05 16:15 FRI AK 1426 6:55 8:00 MH 740 10:05 11:15 MH 742 14:45 15:55 AK 1424 15:05 16:15 SAT AK 1426 6:55 8:00 MH 740 10:05 11:15 8M 502 12:50 13:50 AK 1424 15:05 16:15 SUN AK 1426 6:55 8:00 MH 740 10:05 11:15 MH 742 14:45 15:55 AK 1424 15:05 16:15 Day MON WED THUR FRI SAT SUN Day MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN Day MON TUE GUANGZHOU TO YANGON Flight Dep Arr CZ 3055 14:45 16:35 CZ 3055 8:40 10:30 8M 712 14:15 15:50 CZ 3055 14:45 16:35 CZ 3055 8:40 10:30 8M 712 14:15 15:50 TAIPEI TO YANGON Flight Dep Arr CI 7915 7:00 9:55 CI 7915 7:00 9:55 CI 7915 7:00 9:55 CI 7915 7:00 9:55 CI 7915 7:00 9:55 CI 7915 7:00 9:55 CI 7915 7:00 9:55

PHNOM PENH TO YANGON Flight Dep Arr 8M 404 20:15 21:40 8M 404 20:15 21:40

SEOUL TO YANGON Day Flight Dep Arr MON KE 471 18:40 22:30 TUE KE 471 18:40 22:30 0Z 769 19:50 23:25 WED KE 471 18:40 22:30 THUR KE 471 18:40 22:30 FRI KE 471 18:40 22:30 0Z 769 19:50 23:25 SAT KE 471 18:40 22:30 0Z 769 19:50 23:25 SUN KE 471 18:40 22:30 Day MON WED SAT Day MON WED FRI SUN Day MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN Day MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN Day MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN TOKYO TO YANGON Flight Dep Arr NH 913 10:30 15:30 NH 913 10:30 15:30 NH 913 10:30 15:30 HONG KONG TO YANGON Flight Dep Arr KA 250 21:45 23:30 KA 250 21:45 23:30 KA 250 21:45 23:30 KA 250 21:45 23:30 INCHEON TO YANGON Flight Dep Arr 8M 7701 18:40 22:15 8M 7701 18:40 22:15 8M 7701 18:40 22:15 8M 7701 18:40 22:15 8M 7701 18:40 22:15 8M 7701 18:40 22:15 8M 7701 18:40 22:15 DON MUEANG TO MANDALAY Flight Dep Arr FD 2760 10:50 12:15 FD 2760 10:50 12:15 FD 2760 10:50 12:15 FD 2760 10:50 12:15 FD 2760 10:50 12:15 FD 2760 10:50 12:15 FD 2760 10:50 12:15 KUNMING TO MANDALAY Flight Dep Arr MU 2029 13:55 13:50 MU 2029 13:55 13:50 MU 2029 13:55 13:50 MU 2029 13:55 13:50 MU 2029 13:55 13:50 MU 2029 13:55 13:50 MU 2029 13:55 13:50

Joseph Freeman

YANGON TO KUNMING Flight Dep Arr MU 2032 14:40 18:00 CA 906 14:15 17:35 MU 2032 14:40 18:00 WED MU 2012 12:20 18:35 CA 906 14:15 17:35 THUR CA 906 14:15 17:35 MU 2032 14:40 18:00 FRI MU 2032 14:40 18:00 SAT CA 906 14:15 17:35 MU 2032 14:40 18:00 SUN CA 906 14:15 17:35 MU 2032 14:40 18:00

YANGON TO CHIANG MAI Day Flight Dep Arr THUR W9 9607 14:20 16:10 SUN W9 9607 14:20 16:10 Day MON WED FRI SAT SUN Day TUE THUR SUN Day MON THUR FRI Day WED SAT YANGON TO HANOI Flight Dep Arr VN 956 19:10 21:30 VN 956 19:10 21:30 VN 956 19:10 21:30 VN 956 19:10 21:30 VN 956 19:10 21:30 YANGON TO HO CHI MINH CITY Flight Dep Arr VN 942 14:25 17:10 VN 942 14:25 17:10 VN 942 14:25 17:10 Flight QR 619 QR 619 QR 619 YANGON TO DOHA Dep Arr 8:15 11:15 8:15 11:15 8:15 11:15

KUNMING TO YANGON Flight Dep Arr MU 2031 13:30 13:55 CA 905 12:40 13:15 MU 2031 13:30 13:55 WED CA 905 12:40 13:15 MU 2011 8:20 11:30 THUR CA 905 12:40 13:15 MU 2031 13:30 13:55 FRI MU 2031 13:30 13:55 SAT CA 905 12:40 13:15 MU 2031 13:30 13:55 SUN CA 905 12:40 13:15 MU 2031 13:30 13:55

CHIANG MAI TO YANGON Day Flight Dep Arr THUR W9 9608 17:20 18:10 SUN W9 9608 17:20 18:10 Day MON WED HANOI TO YANGON Flight Dep Arr VN 957 16:35 18:10 VN 957 16:35 18:10

YANGON TO PHNOM PENH Flight Dep Arr 8M 403 16:50 19:15 8M 403 16:50 19:15

YANGON TO SEOUL Day Flight Dep Arr MON KE 472 23:35 08:05+1 TUE KE 472 23:35 08:05+1 WED KE 472 23:35 08:05+1 0Z 770 0:35 9:10 THUR KE 472 23:35 08:05+1 FRI KE 472 23:35 08:05+1 SAT KE 472 23:35 08:05+1 0Z 770 0:35 9:10 SUN KE 472 23:35 08:05+1 0Z 770 0:35 9:10 Day MON TUE THUR SAT Day MON WED SAT YANGON TO HONG KONG Flight Dep Arr KA 251 1:10 6:00 KA 251 1:10 6:00 KA 251 1:10 6:00 KA 251 1:10 6:00 YANGON TO TOKYO Flight Dep Arr NH 914 21:30 06:40+1 NH 914 21:30 06:40+1 NH 914 21:30 06:40+1

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

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

Golden Myanmar Airlines (Y5)

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

Tel : 513322, 513422, 504888, Fax : 515102 Tel : 666112, 655882. Tel : 253597~98, 254758. Fax: 248175

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

Tel : 255260, Fax: 255305

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

Bangkok Airways (PG) Condor (DE)

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

Silk Air(MI)

Tel: 255122, 255 265, Fax: 255119

Tel: 255 287~9, Fax: 255 290

Thai Airways (TG)

WIMMING along the bottom of the saltwater pool at the Memoria Palace & Resort, I open my eyes and look at the neat blue-and-white tiles spread out before me, trying to square the pristine sight with what Id heard a few hours earlier about the land beneath the water: It used to be chock-full of mines. One-hundred and twenty pieces! owner Panhavuth Long had told me over a late-morning breakfast. Like other Cambodians Ive come to know since moving here in 2012, he seems to have filed away certain numbers in his memory. He can cite the precise number of kilometres from Phnom Penh to Cambodias outlying provinces, figures drummed into him in school. Its the same with history. One common way of referring to the Khmer Rouge regime, which took power in April 1975 and caused the deaths of at least 1.7 million Cambodians, is to cite how long it lasted: Three years, eight months and 20 days. And so it is with the land mines which, by the way, have been cleared. The resort is a six-hour drive northwest of Phnom Penh, in Pailin province, on Cambodias northwest border with Thailand where the northern end of the Cardamom Mountains peter out into green farmland, watersheds and a river where Cambodians look for precious gemstones. The region was once full of them. At the entrance to the center of Pailin town, authorities have constructed a fountain statue of an enormous red ruby. About 70 percent of the residents today are ex-Khmer Rouge fighters and commanders, who held on and battled it out in the local foothills before cutting a peace deal with the government in 1996. As part of the agreement, the government carved a territory for former regime members to live in out of a province next door. This is Pailin, which looks very

weird on a map, like a patch applied to torn jeans. Some members of Phnom Penhs younger generation think that Pailin is in Thailand, when they think of it at all. But the disconnect runs both ways. After eating breakfast, Panhavuth Long asked a woman at the entrance where shed bought the palm fruit assembled before her. In Cambodia, she replied, meaning not in Pailin. Though Panhavuth Long is committed to hiring children of the defeated revolutionaries, he says that the lack of education - only recently did Pailin get a high school - and an upbringing in times of conflict means that the teens skills are limited to farming, cutting trees and maybe fighting. Panhavuth Long is not a businessman by trade. In his day job, Panhavuth Long is a court monitor for an international nonprofit that keeps an eye on the Khmer Rouge tribunal, a UN-backed court set up to try the regimes senior leaders. But the areas combination of history and natural beauty, with its waterfalls and wildlife and legacy of war intrigued him, and he bought the property several years ago from a local commune chief. It opened in August after it was deemed safe for development. On our last night, we traveled to the border and several dingy casinos where the game of choice was, for some reason, baccarat. Out of boredom, I walked across the apparently unmanned border checkpoint, waved from Thailand at my alarmed co-worker, and walked back. On the return ride, the sky was pitch black. I wondered whether I should be worried that we were in a place where most people probably know how to operate an automatic weapon. It was a stupid thought. I was more likely to die in a traffic accident than at the hands of someone whod forgotten that the war was over. Joseph Freeman is an editor at the Phnom Penh Post in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Tel : 255491~6, Fax : 255223

Dragonair (KA)

Vietnam Airlines (VN) Qatar Airways (Temporary Office)

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

Fax : 255086. Tel 255066/ 255088/ 255068.

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

YANGON TO INCHEON Day Flight Dep Arr MON 8M 7702 23:45 8:05 TUE 8M 7702 23:45 8:05 WED 8M 7702 23:45 8:05 THUR 8M 7702 23:45 8:05 FRI 8M 7702 23:45 8:05 SAT 8M 7702 23:45 8:05 SUN 8M 7702 23:45 8:05 Day TUE FRI SAT SUN MANDALAY TO BANGKOK Flight Dep Arr TG 782 9:30 11:55 TG 782 9:30 11:55 TG 782 9:30 11:55 TG 782 9:30 11:55

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

TUE

MANDALAY TO DON MUENG Day Flight Dep Arr MON FD 2761 12:45 15:00 TUE FD 2761 12:45 15:00 WED FD 2761 12:45 15:00 THUR FD 2761 12:45 15:00 FRI FD 2761 12:45 15:00 SAT FD 2761 12:45 15:00 SUN FD 2761 12:45 15:00

Subject to change without notice

A Buddhist stupa next to the restaurant at the Memoria Palace & Resort, built in a remote and formerly war-torn part of Cambodia. Photo: Joseph Freeman

54 the pulse international

THE MYANMAR TIMES July 15 - 21, 2013

Gangster style: Yakuza launches members mag

JAPANs biggest yakuza organised crime group has published a magazine for its members that includes a poetry page and senior gangsters fishing diaries, local media reported on July 10. The eight-page publication has been distributed among the Yamaguchi-gumi, a sprawling syndicate believed to have about 27,700 members, in a bid to strengthen unity in the group, the daily Sankei Shimbun reported. The front page of the Yamaguchi-gumi Shinpo (newsletter) carries a first person piece by the groups don, Kenichi Shinoda, instructing younger members in the values and disciplines they should observe, the Sankei said. Shinoda writes that times have become hard for Japans mafia and that they can no longer rely on their brand to generate profitability in their operations, the Mainichi Shimbun said. The magazine, which is not being made publicly available, has an entertainment section detailing fishing trips by top officials, along with satirical haiku a traditional Japanese form of poetry and pieces on the board games Go and Shogi, the reports said. They may feel that it has become harder to carry on with their activities under anti-mafia ordinances that bar them from opening new bank accounts and signing real estate contracts, a police source was quoted by the Mainichi as saying. The number of yakuza has declined in recent years, standing at 63,200 in late 2012, down 7,100 on year, according to the National Police Agency. The Yamaguchi-gumi makes up more than 40 percent of the nations organised criminals, but it lost 3,300 members in 2012, the agency said. Like the Italian mafia or Chinese triads, the yakuza engages in activities from gambling, drugs and prostitution to loan sharking, protection rackets, white-collar crime and business conducted through front companies. The gangs, which are not illegal, have historically been tolerated by the authorities, although there are periodic clampdowns on some of their less savoury activities. The yakuza are heavily mythologised in Japan, with films, television dramas and fan magazines glamorising lives of stylised violence that are governed by a samurai code of honour. Observers say the reality of the criminal underworld is one of brutishness and risk, where only a few achieve the wealth and standing to which they aspire. AFP

JUly 15 - 21, 2013

WEEKLY predictions
Leo | Jul 23 - Aug 22 Having the only one ofanything inthis world is pretty neat. Know yourself as the only one of you andtake a moment to marvel at that. Treatyourselfas the unique treasureyou are. Self-knowledge is the most difficult to attain. Put energy and effort into friendshipsyou would like to have, but not at the expense of the enduring relationships. Cultivate the new, nurture the old. Remember, its no cosmic calamity if someone is not as interestedas you are in exploring the beauty of consciousness. Virgo | Aug 23 - Sep 22 Your ownprejudices cloud your judgment and see you close the door on many an opportunity. Now is not the time for self-reflection but issue yourself a swift upper cut and make an about-turn on the sea of destiny. This is the best time possible to develop your life strategy to build the foundation upon which you will launch the rest ofyour life. Learnthe right way to stand up for yourself . Wear your heart on your sleeve and dont you dare blame yourself. Libra | Sep 23 - Oct 22 Dontallow yourselfto react over any given action, and never forget the value of the rule of law. There are reasons systems exist and your continued desire to break the mould could well see you get into trouble. Embrace diversity of friends and look to those who nourish you on a number of levels. Find something, anything, to get excited about in your life. Find a passionand live with passion. Professionally, get ready to take on a whole lot of responsibility. Scorpio | Oct 23 - Nov 21 Be your own doctor. To be clear, this is a metaphor. Put on your emotional stethoscope and make your diagnosis. What is the prescription? Only you know. You can do it right now, taking small steps to address your various ailments. Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly. Persistence is key. Decide which role you want to play in life and which response you want to receive from the world. Love is a balancingact. Sagittarius | Nov 22 - Dec 21 You cannot change what you do not acknowledge. This will not be an easy road. As Saturn begins its retreat, you will face some dark, restless nights. Be honest with yourself, but not too harsh. Charlie Brown said: If you want to get nowhere, follow the crowd. Your journey will, at times, be one of solitude. But never fear: There are some great times ahead, too. Capricorn | Dec 22 - Jan 19 Snap out of it, dreamer. For now, at least, fantasy must take the back seat and a plan of action must be set into play. Provide workable, quantifiable measures and chip away at the goals you would like to achieve. This is something only you can do. Set aside time to deal with your emotions, but do not let them interfere with your goals. This is largely a matter of fostering your self-confidence the rest should follow. Take care crossing the street when Mercury is in retrograde.

Aquarius | Jan 20 - Feb 18 Throw caution to the wind and trust your instincts. Not in all scenarios, mind it is important to maintain some sort of filter otherwise the consequences can be dire. Accept that not all good deeds go recognised and find fulfillment in the acts themselves. Go your merry way with humility and good grace and trust that, in doing so, opportunity will present itself. Pisces | Feb 19 - March 2 The stars align in such a way that means youve had a smooth run of things lately. Take a moment, a deep breath, and cast a quiet thank you upwards. This month you must receive external messages with caution, and carefully consider your communications you may be surprised at the way they play out in terms of prosperity and opportunities. Mark the advice of parents, teachers and mentors and remember theyre not always who you think they are. Take a step back and you may find love will slowly come into focus. Aries | Mar 21 - Apr 19 Exercise caution and skepticism its better to be safe than sorry. Sometimes you can be too overt with your emotions and, contrary to what people might tell you, sometimes it doesnt hurt to be guarded. Have faith in your ability to tackle challenges head-on and put aside the time to cultivate balance. This month is good for countering excesses. Boil the kettle, make a cup of tea and read a book. True love will enter your life before long, but not if you keep searching as you have been. Taurus | Apr 20 - May 20 Aim to speak about half as much as you listen. You may be surprised at what you will learn. Analyse your motives for thinking critically of others, and perhaps consider these impulses a mirror you can employ for some serious self-reflection. Take steps to assure you will be mentally alert late nights and indulgence are taking their toll and youre bound to get weary. Allow your personal relationships to run their course and dont try to plan. It doesnt work anyway. Gemini | May 21 - June 20 The qualities others cherish in you are not always those you would hope. Consider your conduct, and be the master of your own destiny. Breathe. Where your memory fails you, consider the reasons for this. A deep restlessness stirs within you but you can counter this by tempering your often argumentative nature. Assigning falsevalue to relationships is a form ofselfishness which will not bring positive energy to either party. Youre in for something of an emotional buffeting this month: Love will punish you. Cancer | Jun 21 - Jul 20 Learn to say no. Your quality offlexibility is something people treasure about you, but dont be anyones fool. Increase your range and scope with everything and everybody get out of your comfort zone, expand your horizons. Jump in the deep end. Itll be fine: You can probably swim. Family roles may take their toll, but dont think it goes unappreciated. Theres merit in duty, and what you think frivolous may bringyoucloser to fulfilling your desires. Stop agonising over affairs of the heart. You might find the universe relents somewhat.

New Yorkers to sample amusements of old

Jessica GOURDON NEW Yorkers said to always embrace the next new thing, will have a chance this summer to sample rides and amusements enjoyed by fun seekers a century ago. Beginning this weekend and running through September 29, the inaugural Fete Paradiso fair will recreate the festival from a long bygone era. These include such attractions as a vintage French bicycle carousel and a meticulously restored pipe organ. The first fair takes place on New Yorks Governors Island this Saturday one day before Frances Bastille Day national holiday -- and features a dozen rides and attractions from around 1850 to 1950. The antique attractions belong to two avid collectors of French fairground arts. French native Francis Staub made his fortune manufacturing cast iron casserole pots that bear his name. The other collector, Regis Masclet, was a successful advertising executive in Rennes who now spends his time restoring antique rides. These are all collectors items, Masclet said. For example, we have a rare ride a velocipede which runs by pedaling. It was built in the late 19th century to promote cycling, at the time horses disappeared from cities, he explained. Masclet and Staub launched the idea for their antique fun fair 18 months ago, presenting it to various cities around the world, among them Berlin and London, but New York agreed to it first. We would like to continue the tour on the west coast and back to New York if it works, said Tristan Duval, who heads Community, a French organization dedicated to promoting tourism and the arts, which is staging the event. Fete Paradiso also will feature carnival-style foods provided by the bistro Le Gamin, organisers said. Duval said he is not expecting to make a profit on the New York fair, but hopes that word of mouth will help make it a popular at future venues where it is mounted. The festival is part of a sweeping effort rehabilitate Governors Island, a former military base of 70 acres located off the southern tip of Manhattan, accessible to the public only on weekends, and then, only by ferry. The New York mayors office known for its activism in supporting the arts took over management of the Governors Island in 2010, and has a plan to invest US$250 million dollars in the massive renovation project. Several festivals and artistic events have been organized in the refurbished park. AFP

Members of the media and guests try out a ride of the worlds first festival of vintage French carnival rides and carousels on Governors Island in New York City July 10, 2013. Photo: Timothy Clary

AUNG MYIN KYAW 4th Floor, 113, Thamain Bayan Road, Tarmwe Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 09-731-35632, Email: williameaste@gmail.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 1-A, Kanbae (Thitsar Rd), Yankin Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 01-566538, 566539 Fax : 01-566582 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 Tsp. Ph: 225258. FAO Myanma Agriculture Service Insein Rd, Insein. tel: 641672, 641673. fax: 641561.

General Listing
ACCOMMODATIONHOTELS
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 parkroyalhotels. com. 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

Asia Plaza Hotel

Avenue 64 Hotel No. 64 (G), Kyitewine Pagoda Road, Mayangone Township. Yangon. 09 8631392, 01 656913-9 Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon 40 Natmauk Rd, Tarmwe. tel: 544500. fax: 544400.

ACCOMMODATIONHOTELS (Nay Pyi Taw)

Royal White Elephant Hotel No-11, Kan Street, Hlaing Tsp. Yangon, Myanmar. (+95-1) 500822, 503986. www.rwehotel.com 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

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

Reservation Office (Yangon) No-123, Alanpya Pagoda Rd, Dagon Tsp Tel : 01-255-819~838 Hotel Ayeyarwady (National Landmark, Zeyar Thiri Tsp, Nay Pyi Taw) Tel : 067-421-903, 09-4920-5016 E-Mail : reservation@ maxhotelsgroup.com

(Nay Pyi Taw)

No. (356/366), Kyaikkasan Rd, Tamwe Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Ph: 542826, Fax: 545650 Email: reservation@ edenpalacehotel.com

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

AIR CONDITION

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.

M-22, Shwe Htee Housing, Thamine Station St., Near the Bayint Naung Point, Mayangone Tsp., Yangon Tel : 522763, 522744, 667557. Fax : (95-1) 652174 E-mail : grandpalace@ myanmar.com.mm

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

No. 12, Pho Sein Road, Tamwe Township, Yangon Tel : (95-1) 209299, 209300, 209343, 209345, 209346 Fax : (95-1) 209344 E-mail : greenhill@ myanmar.com.mm 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.

ACCOMMODATION Long Term

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

Happy Homes
Real Estate & Property Management

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

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

THE MYANMAR TIMES July 15 - 21, 2013

A Little Dayspa No. 475 C, Pyi Road, Kamayut, Yangon. Tel: 09-431-28831. Inya Day Spa 16/2, Inya Rd, Kamayut Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: 537907, 503375.

co working space

FASHION & TAILOR

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.

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

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

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

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

No. (6), Lane 2 Botahtaung Pagoda St, Yangon. 01-9010003, 291897. info@venturaoffice.com, www.venturaoffice.com

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

Gems & Jewelleries

Advertising
WE STARTED THE ADVERTISING INDUSTRY IN MYANMAR SINCE 1991

Co-Working/Event Space Affordable & central projecthubyangon.com 01-1221265.

FITNESS CENTRE

Service with a smile No. (68), Tawwin Street, 9 Mile, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : (951) 9 666141 Fax : (951) 9 666135 Email : info witoriyahospital.com Website : www. witoriyahosptial.com

CAFS

Cooper Valves

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

No. 52, Royal Yaw Min Gyi Condo, Room F, Yaw Min Gyi Rd, Dagon Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: 09-425-307-717, 09516-6699.

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

coffee machine
Spa Paragon Condo B#Rm-106, Shwe Hinthar Condo, Corner of Pyay Rd & Shwe Hinthar St, 6Mile, Yangon. Tel: 01-507344 Ext: 112, 09-680-8488, 09-526-1642. Qi Foot Spa At Inya Lake Hotel, Yangon. Tel: +951-662866, 662857 Ext: 1725

Exotic Alloys for Severe Service, Myanmar Sales Representative mlwin@coopervalves.com www.coopervalves.com

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

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

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

Tel: 549612, Fax : 545770.

Engineering
illy, Francis Francis, VBM, Brasilia, Rossi, De Longhi Nwe Ta Pin Trading Co., Ltd. Shop C, Building 459 B New University Avenue 01- 555-879, 09-4210-81705 nwetapintrading@gmail.com

BEAUTY & MASSAGE

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

Construction

One-stop Solution for Sub-station, M&E Work Design, Supply and Install (Hotel, High Rise Building Factory) 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 Traders Health Club. Level 5, Traders Hotel Yangon#223 Sule Pagoda Rd,Tel:951242828Ext:6561

Service with a smile No. (68), Tawwin Street, 9 Mile, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : (951) 9 666141 Fax : (951) 9 666135 Email : info witoriyahospital.com Website : www. witoriyahosptial.com

Home Furnishing
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

22, Pyay Rd, 9 mile, Mayangone Tsp. tel: 660769, 664363.

GENERATORS

BOOK STORES
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

La Source Beauty Spa (Ygn) 80-A, Inya Rd, Kamayut Tsp. Tel: 512380, 511252 La Source Beauty Spa (Mdy) No. 13/13, Mya Sandar St, Between 26 x 27 & 62 & 63 St, Chanaye Tharzan Tsp,In ning Mandalay. Ope ust Tel : 09-4440-24496. Aug La Source Beauty Spa Sedona Hotel, Room (1004) Tel : 666 900 Ext : (7167) LS Saloon Junction Square, 3rd Floor. Tel : 95-1-527242, Ext : 4001 www.lasourcebeautyspa.com

n oo !! ns ns Mo otio m o Pr

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

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.

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@ S.B. FURNITURE winstrategic.com.mm

Bldg-D, Rm (G-12), Pearl Condo, Ground Flr, Kabaraye Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp. Tel: 557448. Ext 814, 09-730-98872.

S.B. FURNITURE

CONSULTING

Myanmar Research | Consulting | Technology

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

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)

HEALTH SERVICES

FLORAL SERVICES
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.

No-001-002, Dagon Tower, Ground Flr, Cor of Kabaraye Pagoda Rd & Shwe Gon Dine Rd, Bahan Tsp. Tel: 544480, 09-730-98872.

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

INSURANCE

EXPATRIATE HEALTH INSURANCE Tel: (09) 49 58 02 61 thinthinswe@poe-ma.com

Floral Service & Gift Centre 102(A), Dhamazaydi Rd, Yangon.tel: 500142 Summit Parkview Hotel, tel: 211888, 211966 ext. 173 fax: 535376.email: sandy@ sandymyanmar.com.mm.

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

RISK & INSURANCE SOLUTIONS Tel: (09) 40 15 300 73 robert.b@poe-ma.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

24 hours Cancer centre No. (68), Tawwin Street, 9 Mile, Mayangone Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : (951) 9 666141 Fax : (951) 9 666135 PHIH-Specialist Clinic FMI Centre (4th Floor) #380, Bogyoke Aung San Road, Pabedan Tsp. Tel: 243 010, 243 012

Media & Advertising

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.

GAS COOKER & Cooker Hoods

Worlds leader in Kitchen Hoods & Hobs Same as Ariston Water Heater. Tel: 251033, 379671, 256622, 647813

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

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.

July 15 - 21, 2013 THE MYANMAR TIMES

Marine Communication & Navigation

REAL ESTATE

RESTAURANTS
Enchanting and Romantic, a Bliss on the Lake Good taste & resonable price @Thamada Hotel Tel: 01-243047, 243639-41 Ext: 32 Acacia Tea Salon 52, Sayar San Rd, Bahan Tsp, Tel : 01-554739. G-01, City Mart (Myay Ni Gone Center). Tel: 01-508467-70 Ext: 106 a drink from paradise... available on Earth @Yangon International Hotel, No.330, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 09-421040512 62 D, U Tun Nyein Road, Mayangon Tsp, Yangon Tel. 01 665 516, 660976 Mob. 09-730-30755 operayangon@gmail.com www.operayangon.com Lunch/Dinner/Catering 555539, 536174

service office

Water TAnk

Aye Yeik Tha Real Estate Mobile: 09-518 8320, 09-507 4096. Top Marine Show Room No-385, Ground Floor, Lower Pazundaung Road, Pazundaung Tsp, Yangon. Ph: 01-202782, 09-851-5597

Office Furniture

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

42 Strand Road, Botahtaung, Yangon. Tel: 95 9420 180 214, 95 9420 101 854 www.unionyangon.com, info@unionyangon.com www.facebook.com/ UnionBarAndGrill

No. (6), Lane 2 Botahtaung Pagoda St, Yangon. 01-9010003, 291897. info@venturaoffice.com, www.venturaoffice.com

PE water tank

Tel : 01-684734, 685823, 09-7307-6589, 4500-48469. theone@yangon.net.mm

Water Treatment

SUPERMARKETS
Capital Hyper Mart 14(E), Min Nandar Road, Dawbon Tsp. Ph: 553136. City Mart (Aung San Branch) tel: 253022, 294765. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (47th St Branch) tel: 200026, 298746. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (Junction 8 Branch) tel: 650778. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (FMI City Branch) tel: 682323. City Mart (Yankin Center Branch) tel: 400284. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (Myaynigone Branch) tel: 510697. (9:00 am to 10:00 pm) City Mart (Zawana Branch) tel:564532. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (Shwe Mya Yar) tel: 294063. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (Chinatown Point) tel: 215560~63. (9:00 am to 10:00 pm) City Mart (Junction Maw Tin) tel: 218159. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (Marketplace) tel: 523840~43. City Mart (78th Brahch-Mandalay) tel: 02-71467~9. IKON Mart No.332, Pyay Rd, San Chaung. Tel: 535-783, 527705, 501429. Email: sales-ikon@ myanmar.com.mm Junction Mawtin Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Cor of Wadan St. Lanmadaw. Ocean Supercentre (North Point ), 9th Mile. Tel: 651 200, 652963. Commercial scale water treatment (Since 1997) Tel: 01-218437~38. H/P: 09-5161431, 09-43126571. 39-B, Thazin Lane, Ahlone.

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

For House-Seekers

with Expert Services In all kinds of Estate Fields yomaestatemm@gmail.com

G-05, Marketplace by City Mart. Tel: 01-523840 Ext: 105

Tel : 09-332 87270 09-4203 18133 (Fees Free)

No. 5, U Tun Nyein Street, Mayangone T/S, Yangon. Tel : 01-660 612, 011 22 1014, 09 50 89 441 Email : lalchimiste. restaurant@gmail.com

Water Heaters

REMOVALISTS

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

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.

Monsoon Restaurant & Bar 85/87, Thein Byu Road, Botahtaung Tsp. Tel: 295224, 09-501 5653. No. 372, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Pabedan T/S, Yangon. Tel : 01-380 398, 01-256 355 (Ext : 3027) Email : zawgyihouse@ myanmar.com.mm

The Global leader in Water Heaters A/1, Aung San Stadium East Wing, Upper Pansodan Road. Tel: 01-256705, 399464, 394409, 647812.

Quality Chinese Dishes with Resonable Price @Marketplace by City Mart. Tel: 01-523840 Ext.109 Bld-A2, Gr-Fl, Shwe Gabar Housing, Mindama Rd, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. email: eko-nr@ myanmar.com.mm Ph: 652391, 09-73108896

Delicious Hong Kong Style Food Restaurant G-09, City Mart (Myay Ni Gone Center). Tel: 01-508467-70 Ext: 114

Same as Rinnai Gas cooker and cooker Hood Showroom Address

Water Heater

SCHOOLS

WEB SERVICES

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

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

Indian Fine Dining & Bar Bldg No. 12, Yangon Intl Compound, Ahlone Road. Tel: 01-2302069, 09-43185008, 09-731-60662. sales@corrianderleaf.com

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

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.

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

World famous Kobe Beef Near Thuka Kabar Hospital on Pyay Rd, Marlar st, Hlaing Tsp. Tel: +95-1-535072

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

INTERNATIONAL MONTESSORI MYANMAR (Pre-K, Primary) 55 (B) Po Sein Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon, Tel: 01-546097, 546761. imm.myn@gmail.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.

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

PLEASURE CRUISES

Schenker (Thai) Ltd. Yangon 59 A, U Lun Maung Street. 7 Mile Pyay Road, MYGN. tel: 667686, 666646.fax: 651250. email: sche nker@mptmail.net.mm.

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

The Emporia Restaurant Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon 40, Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp. Lobby Level, Tel: 544500 Ext 6294

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.

22, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp. tel 541997. email: leplanteur@ mptmail.net.mm. http://leplanteur.net Traders Caf Traders Hotel, Yangon. #223, Sule Pagoda Rd. Tel: 242828 ext: 6519

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

VISA & IMMIGRATION

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

Check Eligibility Business Visa And Tourist Visa No need to come to Myanmar Embassy travel.evisa@gmail.com

HOW TO GET A FREE AD

FREE
General
Computer Education
English language) guides IGCSE/GCE 'O' level students & ones from int'l schools (all levels). 757, 2nd Flr, Mahabandoola Rd, Lanmadaw, Yangon (in Chinatown) theinhtikesan01@gmail. com. 09-513-9298 MATHS, Chemistry & Physics for Int'l students Tr. Kaung Myat BE(PE): 09-73142020. Email: kaungmyatoo251@ gmail. com Home teaching : For international school students Grade 1 to Secondary 2 Specialized only Maths. Contact us : 09-4211-02213 SAYA Saw Aung (Ex. A.P) Chemistry Classes for Int'l School (sec-levels). IGCSE GCE "A" Level & SAT - 2. Ph: 09-500-5470. Enable to Show External Display for exchange rate, Client/Server Support. :73075931, zinmyintzx@ gmail.com REAL ESTATE Service : Buying, Selling, Leasing, All types of properties. Condominum, Apart ment, Land, House, Shop, Warehouse & ... Ph: 09541-8864, 09-501-1884.

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.

HOW TO GET MORE BUSINESS FROM AS LITTLE AS K.5,000.

Buy space ON THESE PAGES Call: Khin Mon Mon Yi - 01-392676, 392928

Property
Lower Kyimyindaing Rd, Ahlone, Yangon, Tel: + 95 1 229853, + 95 9 420127800, 4201-27900, Email: amazingorienttravels@gmail.com, www. amazingorienttravels. com Real Estate : We have Lands for sale suitable for making Industrial buildings in large area. Buyers can Contact Us on 09-4500-59037 (There is no pay for Agents & Third party ... Warmly welcome the buyers) ACMEE SANDAR TUN : Uniform Specializer, 70, G Flr, Anawrahta Rd, Between Bo Aung Kyaw & 40th St, Kyauktada, Ph: 246682, 09-73001766. SEIN THIHA : 285, 40th St, Upper, Kyauktada, Yangon. Ph: 381935, 09-312-86391, 09-31286417. Travels:Taunggyi-InlyKalaw-Pindaya ( July 18) hotels + Transportation + breakfast, lunch, Dinner Package Trip for 3 night 4 days 180000 kyats for one person. Bagan-Popa (July 18) hotels +Transportation+ breakfast, lunch, Dinner Package Trip for 2 night 3 days 160000 kyats for one person. Chaungtha Beach HotelMax,Belle Resort + Transportation +breakfast, lunch, Dinner 65000 kyats for one person. (1 night) 120000 kyats for 1 person (2 night) Ph: 09-500-59037, 09-312-94519

ASS Computer Training (Mon-Fri) i-office (9:00~10:30am) Graphic Design (5:30~7:00pm) Contact: 09-4400-02276 DREAM FUTURE : Window Installation, Software Installation, Virus Cleaning, Game Installation, Server Installation (DHCP, AD, ISA, Handy Cafe), CPE & Router Configuration, Network Cable Installation. Ph:09-420110247

For Sale
Antique camera of Agfa brand from Germany which is over 100 years and it can still be available to use with Isochrom 120 Film. If you are interesting for it, please contact; Ph: 01538321, 09-310-59596, 09-430-84000. 99% New Samsung Series 5 Ultra Book Intel Core i5 Ram 8GB H.D.D + SSD Display 13.3 1 Year 6 Month International Warranty. Price : 720000. Ph : 09-312-88077 DENYO(Diesel) 60 KVA Generator. Ph: 095195478 BOAT, 2pcs 10 feet wooden boats New. Rowing with outboard engine capability. Hull type: overlap / bronze rivets. Marine varnish 7 coats. Outstanding work & quality. Call 09-4201-6 41 92 SonyPSPGoWithOriginal Box & Accessories Price : 90000. Ph : 09-501-6694 New iPad 64GB + 4G Price : 460000. iPad Mini 32+ 4G 7 Month Warranty Price : 410000.iPad Mini 16GB + 4G 8 Month Warranty Price : 360000. Ph : 09-312-88077 Lenovo G470 Intel Core i5 Ram 8GB H.D.D 500GB Graphic 1GB Black Color Like New . Price : 440000. Ph : 09-501-6694 Sony PSP Go with original box & accessories Price: 90000. Ph : 09-501-56694 95% New Samsung Galaxy Note White & Pink With Original Box & Accessories. Price : 290000. Ph : 09-450039844

For IGCSE (Edexcel & Cambridge) & Secondary students Regular tuition classes Home tuition classes Exam preparation classes. All subjects available. Contact: Tr. Pyae Phyo Kyaw : 09-508-8683 Amara Learning Center : Experienced Trainners, Focused Individual Attention, Student Centered Approach by Using Activities Based Teaching Method, Reasonable Fees, Only Ten Students in Each Class 24, 2nd St, HlaingYadanarmon Housing, Hlaing, Yangon. Ph : 09-5060376, 09-4500-48721 General English (4skills), SAT, IELTS, TOETL (PBT) Foreign & Local Teacher : IGCSE/ GCE O (all subjects), BCA, SAT, IELTS, TOEFL, Maths Courses, English Courses, Grammar. Ph : 09-732-55281 IELTS/SAT Teacher Training : Do you want to become a native IELTS/SAT English Teacher? We will train you practically. No. 757, 3rd Flr, Lanmadaw Tsp, Ygn (in Chinatown). theinhtikesan01@gmail. com 095139298 Need a tutor? Graduated from ILBC, a straight As London GCE 'O' level holder (including

Expert Services
Money Changer software for Computer System : Changing one from another currency. Buy & Sale Currency with receipt. Enable to Show External Display for daily exchange rate. LED board not included (Separate charge For upgrade) Ph: 09-730-75931, Email: zinmyintzx@gmail.com Japanese Interpretor Services Yangon/Outskirt Area. Ph :09- 732-4 2077 Email:tnt.hr.my@gmail. com we construct all kinds of Qualified Buildings with Very Fair Price in Yangon, Myanmar Now! (P.A.E * 13500 kyat) (Constructed over 100). As my Education Donation, I am sharing my knowledge & experience in construction works (To be a contractor) for Free. Interested person, Pls contact: 09-500-5817, No need investment if you have trust & faithfulness. (Pls inform friends... Thanks!) 'S' Aung Thein (Solely). Money Changer software for Computer System : Multiple currency & daily rate support, Buy & sale currency with receipt,

Desktop (1)No : Monitor - View Sonic LED Montior (18") Processor - Intel(R) Pentium(R) CPU G640, Memory - 2048MB RAM Others - Prolink Mouse / Keyboard / UPS + Mouse Pad + A4Tech Speakers + Computer Table Total Price : 320000 kyats (2 years Warranty). Ph : 09732-15521 Samsung Galaxy Note1 GT-N7000 Excellent Condition -280000 Samsung Galaxy Note2 GT-N7100 Excellent Condition - 390000 Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-I9100 - 210000 Ipad4 Wifi (white)64GB - 550000 Asus Laptop - 200000 Iphone 4s 16GB -350000 Iphone5 490000 Samsung alaxy S3 (Black) - 290000 IpadMini - 290000. Ph: 09-730-48106

HousingforRent
BAHAN, (1)Moe Myint San Condo, 2400 sqft, f.f, 5 AC, ph, skynet, 25 lakhs (2) New University Avenue Rd, 2400sqft, 2 MB, 1BR, Ph, 4AC, 17 Lakhs (3) New University Avenue Lane , 100' x 100', RC 2 stpreu house, Ph, 6 AC. 40 Lakhs (4)Pearl Condo, 1500 sqft, P.fun, 3 AC, 15 lakhs.Maureen: 09518-8320. SANCHAUNG , Near Pyay Rd, 2400 sqft, New & nicely Condo. 20 Lakhs. Maureen : 09-518-8320. Lanmadaw : 25'x50', 12 St, the whole 8 unit (Lift), For Hotel, Education. Ph: 09-566 1037. bahan, (1)Moe Myint San Condo , 2400 Sqft, 2MB, 2BR, 4A/C, 23 Lakhs (2) New University Ave Rd , 2F, 40'x60', 3MBR, Ph 5A/C 20 Lakhs, No Agts. Maureen: 09-518-8320. Dagon (1) Boyar Nyunt Rd, (GF) 24'x47', 2A/C, Ph. 20 Lakhs (2)Near Foregin Embassy , 80'x100' RC2 storey, US$ 5000, Maureen: 09-518-8320. Chantha Gonyaung Executive Condomini ums. Panthouse/ Rooms, 4 rooms, 5 rooms, Fully furnished, amazing serenity and satisfactory facilities, club restaurant, 24 hours electricity internet, cable TV Brookers welcome. Interested parties. Ph: 09-730-85811, 09-73085844, 09-730-85822. (1) Golden valley , 3 RC, 1500 Sqft, 7 bed room, near Kanbawza St, (2)Golden valley, 2 RC, 1500 Sqft , 3 bed room, fully furnish, Shwe taung Gon Yeik Ta (near city mark), 4000 USD (3)Shwedondine, driving (10 minutes), 3 RC, 2500 Sqft, 4 bed room, 3202 USD. (4)8 Mile, Bo Saw Aung St, 2 RC, 4200 Sqft, 4 bed room, 2668 USD (5) May Li Kha Housing complus. 2 RC, 3600 Sqft, 5 bed room. 3500 USD. Ph : 09-4921 -4276, 09- 4211- 77 105. myawaddy luxuary complex, 1950 sqft, 1 master bed room, 2 single bed room, 5 air con, small maid room contact Ph:09-519104268, 09-510-8204 Apartment at Pearl Condo,Block B, Kabaaye Pagoda Road, Sqft 1750, 1MB, 2BR, 4AC, Fully furnish, Heater, Extph, 2500 USD. Contact 09-5164684, 09-514-1315. Mindama Condo , Building(B), Rm(901), Finely Decorated,

Training
MTTC : Myanmar Teachers Training Centre, Teach English for Myanmar Foundation : 75A, Po Sein Rd, Bahan Tsp. Ph: 551864, 09-505-2312, 094211-23926. Starting now Basic Grammar, Basic English 4 Skills, IELTS Foundation, Basic English Speaking Course, Oversea English Speaking Courses. Can offer Home style teaching & individual teaching. Ph: 09-732-15521

General
KANBAWZA Wellness Centre : Products from Japan, France & USA: 80, Kanbawza St, Golden valley 1 ward, Bahan. Ph: 532254, 09-4250-15125. Email: kbzwellnesscenter@ gmail.com golden Star Bankok High Class Tailoring & Tetrex Centre, No.292, Banyadala Rd, Kyauk Myaung, Tamwe, Yangon, Ph: 9552060, 552069. plus 4, Engineering Group, Airconditioner Sale & Service Centre, Add: 54, Lan Thit St, Lanmadaw, Yangon. Tel: 09-730-39033, 09515-2348, 09-540-4040, Email: akt.plus4@gmail. com airport Inn, 5 Minutes walk to Yangon Int'l Airport. Budgeted Accommodation. Breakfast included & 24 hours in house restaurant. Arrangement for travel plan and Limousines service. Like your stay at home in Myanmar. 24 hours Electricity, Internet, Cable TV. 18/20, Airport Avenue, Insein, Yangon, Tel: (951) 667738, 662151 (959) 8637738. Email: airportinn.myanmar@ gmail.com amazing Oriental Travel & Tours Co., Ltd. Aung Kyaw Htun, Director, 09540-4040, No, 351, 1st Flr,

Language
myanmar Langauge teaching for foreigners, I customize times, days and place of the learners. Teachers Htay Win 09-4252-95641. Email htaywin74@gmai.com english Classes: English for Young Learners & Adult, General English (4 skills) Foundation English Course. Business English Course. One to One, Special Class & Home, Saya Zaw Myo Win, Ph: 09-730-26906, 09-31056840.

Including Funiture. Contact No : 09-450033364, 09-550-2649. BAHAN, New University Avenue Condo, 1350 sqft, 1 MB, 2 SB, Fully furniture, 8 th Flr, 3 AC, Phone, Foreigner Welcome, 1,300,000 Kyats per month: 09432-00669. BAHAN, Shwe Gone Daing Tower Condo Convenient place, Own compound with car parking, Shwedagon Pagoda Panoramic view with 1350 Sqft, 1 MB, 3 SR, 24 Hr Lift, 3 A/C, Water Heater, Teak Parquet, Teak cabinet, Clean & good condition. Hot Price US$977!! Fully furniture start from US$1188. Ph:09-450002906 MAYANGONE, Taw Win Thiri Condo (9 Miles, near Ocean Super Center) 1550 sqft, 1 MB, 2 SB, Fully Furniture, 8th Flr, 3 AC, Phone, Foreigner Welcome. 1,300,000 Kyats per month at least 6 months contract . Ph : 09-43200669

HousingforSale
8 MILE, MTP condo, 1500 sqft, 2mBR, 3 AC, Ph, 2700 Lakhs. Maureen : 09-5188320. LAND : 75 Acres farmland for sale . Land is near Myaung Ta Gar Industrial Zone (Hmawbi) . 1 acre = 39 lakhs . Price is slightly negotiable .Majority of land has no flooding during rainy season. Ph: 09-43054936. Email:Richard.htein@ gmail.com. South Okkalapa , Yadanar, Main Road (3500 Sq.ft)(3F), 3MBR, 2BR, Guest Room, Shrine Roo, 6AC, Home, Mini Theater, Parquette floor, Water Heater, Japan style furnished. Selling price-1800 (Negotiable), Ph: 249003, 09-420040787, 09-4200-40767, 09-4200-92888. Hlaing Thar Yar (near FMI City) RC-2 storeyed building, With a Garage, Furnished (50x60), 1900 Lakhs (Negotiable), Ph: 249003, 09-420040787, 09-4200-40767, 09-4200-92888. LAND : We have Lands for sale suitable for making Industrial buildings in large area. Buyers can contact us on 09-4500-59037. (There is no pay for Agents & Third party ... Warmly welcome the buyers) Mayangone, 9 miles, Bonyarna Lane (50x 70x 65) garden with including house (3700 Lakhs) no agent pls. Ph:09-730-28726.

Want To Buy
SUPER Custom : Model 99,2000. Ph: 09-5188320. used Apple Iphone Samsung HTC Sony Huawei Used Laptop notebook Netbook macbook pro and table ipad etc.. contact : 09517-8391 Corona Saloon 93 or 95 Model White Petrol 1.8cc -- 2 or 3 C/--------Ph: 09731-15379 WiMax, McWill Ph : 245 415 WiMax [ Bagan ], McWill Ph : 09-44-800-6520

Travel
angel Travels & Tours Co., Ltd. Myanmar, Ancient - Asia, Daw Khet Khet Director, No.30 (A,B), 5th Flr, Bo Moe St, Myaynigone, Sanchaung, Yangon, Tel: (95-1) 501123, 580221, Email: angel@myanmar.com. mm NYAN MYINT THU Car Rental Service : Ko Nyan Myint Win Kyi (MD) - No 56, Bo Ywe St, Latha, Yangon, Myanmar. Ph : (+95)01246551, 01-375284. Hp:(+95)09-2132778. il:nyanmyintthu1983@ gmail.com, nmt@ nyanmyintthucarrental. com, colwinkyi@ gmail.com. Web:www. nyanmyintthucarrental. com Natthmee Classical

Want To Rent
Required new Pajero/ Prado/Surf on Rental basis urgently in Limited Foreign Company, rent as per car condition & market standard.Contact details: Ph: 09-500-2025, 01371374, 371375, 393227, Email ID: zmtcool@ gmail.com, jyoti.b227@ gmail.com, jyoti.b227@ rediffmail.com

FREE
Employment
UN Positions
WFP Myanmar is seeking Information Technology Assistant SC-5 1 post in Yangon: Minimum Secondary school education. Supplemented by technical or university courses in a field related to Information & Communication Technologies will be advantage. 5 years of progressively responsible technical experience in the operation & maintenance of radio, telex & facsimile equipment. Some familiarity with operations of commercial telecommunications systems and services such as PABX, radio, satellite, etc.Experience in the use of MS Word, MS Excel and Microsoft Outlook.Fluency in both English and 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, P.O. Box 650(or) email to Myanmar.vacancy@ wfp.org, COB 19 July 2013. iom Int'l Organization for Migration is seeking(1) Accounting Assistant 1 post in Myawaddy, Kayin State. (2)Mobile Nutrition Promoter 1 post in Bogalay, Ayeyarwaddy.Pls submit an application letter and an updated CV with a maximum length of 3 pages including names & contact details of 3 referees (copies of certificates and further documents are not required at this stage) to Int'l Organization for Migration 12th Flr, Traders Hotel, 223, Sule Pagoda Rd, Kyauktada, Yangon, Ph: 252560, 375601, Email: hryangon@iom. int Closing date : 15 July 2013. references to: MSFHolland/ AZG (Yangon Coordination), 62A, Bawdiyeiktha-Thanlwin Rd, Bahan, Yangon. Or through rakhine-esdrecruiting@oca.msf.org. medecins Sans Frontiers - Holland (AZG) is seeking HR Officer - Recruitment/ Training 1 post in Yangon: University degree. Diploma in HRM (Preferable). Fluent in English. 2 years experience in HRM with focus on recruitment. Excellent computer skills. Pls send application letter, CV, passport photo, copies of education qualifications & references to: HR Coordinator, MSFHolland/ AZG (Yangon Coordination), 62A, Bawdiyeiktha-Thanlwin Rd, Bahan, Yangon. or through msfh.myanmar. recruitment@gmail. com, Closing date: 22nd July 2013. myanmar Red Cross Society is seeking (1) Resources Mobilization Officer - 1 post in Nay Pyi Taw: Minimum of Bachelor's degree. Experience in marketing over 2 years. Closing date : 18th July (2) Logistics Coordi nator - 1 post in Nay Pyi Taw: Any graduate. 3 years experience in working within the social. Closing date :17 July. (3) Monitoring, Evaluation &Reporting (PMER) Coordinator 1 post in Nay Pyi Taw: University graduate. Effective English language skills. Good computer literate. Closing date : 19 July. Pls submit a letter of application, relevant documents & CV, 1 passport photo with necessary documents to (Cover letter CV documents only need to be sent via e-mail) to mrcshrrecruitment@ gmail.com world Vision Myanmar is seeking Administratioin Asst in Yenan chaung, Magway: University Bachelor Degree in any discipline. 1 year office experience in administration and support services. Must to provide a clean criminal background & reference check. Pls submit resume (clearly identify the post you apply) by post to HR Department, World Vision Myanmar or in person to application drop box at 18, Shin Saw Pu Rd; Ahlone, Sanchaung PO or send to myajobapps@wvi. org Closing date : July 23, 2013. helpage Int'l is seeking (1)Monitoring & Evaluation Officer 1 Post in Yangon with frequent visits to the field: University degree, 2 years experience. Familiarity with moni toring & evaluation of communitybased project. (2) Field Office Cashiers (YWCA) 2 Posts : (1 post in Mawlamyine & 1 post in Hpa-an): Bachelor's degree in Commerce/ Economics/ BACT. 2 years experience in accounting with INGOs. Computer skills. Pls send a Cover letter & updated CV including 3 referees & email addresses to HR Unit of HelpAge Int'l Myanmar Country Office : 25 (A/1), New University Avenue Rd, Kokkine, Bahan, Yangon, OR to hr.helpagemyanmar@ gmail.com to & Cc to tony. san@helpagemyanmar. org Closing date : 15th July 2013. medecins Sans Frontieres-Holland (AZG) is seeking Lab Technician 2 posts in Yangon: University degree (B.P.Sc or B.Med. Tech) or Diploma in Paramedical Sciences/ Medical Technology or Minimum Grade I or II (2 years/ 1 year training in National Health Laboratory). Previous work experience prefer able. Basic command of English. Closing date: 16th July.Pls send application letter, CV & passport photo, copies of education qualifications & references to: Project Coordinator, MSFHolland (Yangon Project Office), 15(C), Aung Min Khaung St, Kamayut, Yangon. Or through msfh. myanmar.recruitment@ gmail.com, Marketing Group for Pharmaceuticals Products in Myanmar has urgently requested Medical Represen tatives 5 posts in Yangon : 1 B.Pharm, B.Sc (or) any graduated. Experience candidate is more prefer to welcome. Willing to travelling around the area. Active & self motivation. Good personality. Any candidate who interested, pls contact urgently on Ph: 09-4224-86379, 09-5169386 not later than 31st July 2013. Post for Admin - F 1 post : With good communication skill (Myanmar & English), Marketing & accounting knowledge, Age between 22 ~ 28 years info@allianz.com. lazumruthhkawnawng@ gmail.com, 09-4400-0 2276 Savoy Hotel, Yangon is urgently looking for (1) Executive House keeper - 1 post : 3 years experience in related field. Application letter by email to savoy.hra@ gmail.com or Savoy Hotel - 129, Dhammazedi Rd, Yangon. amda is seeking (1) Livestock Specialist 1 post for Pakokku, Magwe : Bachelor of Science on Veterinary with 3 years experiences on training (INGO experience would be an asset). (2) Project Coordinator 1 post in Pakokku, Magwe: University degree (Health/ Public health/ Social science will be preferable). More than 3 years professional working experiences, preferably in community development sector. (3) Agriculture Specialist 1 post in Pakokku, Magwe : Bachelor of Science on Agriculture with 3 years experiences (INGO experience would be asset). For all posts : Excellent in English & Myanmarcommunication. Strong computer skill. Pls enclose a C.V., copies of testimonials (references) & passport photo to.Senior Officer, Admin/Finance Unit, AMDA Office:19 B, Thukhawaddy Rd, Yankin, Yangon. Tel: 578353, Email: amda@ mptmail.net.mm Closing date : 18th July 2012. the Freight Co., Ltd is seeking (1)Business Development Manager - Myanmar : Bachelor's degree or solidarites experience preferably in logistics, shipping or int'l trade. Extensive experience in a sales position. Excellent customer service skills. Excellent oral and written English communication skills. (2)Operations Staff - Myanmar : Preferably with degree in logistics, shipping or international trade. Excellent in negotiating freight & other local charges. Good English communication skills. Pls submit CV to www. the-freight.com. Areputable Int'l School in Yangon is seeking (1). Te c h n i c a l / S y s t e m s Coordinator (TSC) M : Aged 28 ~ 45, Must have a degree in IT & be able to manage the local area network, server functions & organization, user systems, the installation of all front-end (user) and back-end (infrastructure) school-wide technology systems, peripherals, apparatus, & software. 4 year experience. (2). Receptionist -M/F : Aged 22 ~ 30, Must have good & friendly looking personality, good English speaking skills. Experience in front office operation or customer service field will be an advantage. Pls send their CV forms to Ms. Thin Thin Htay at thinthin@ yismyanmar.com or call 09-730-44271, 01-578171 by July 23, 2013. Japanese Leading Trading Firm seeking one female staff for Administration/ Business assistance. English/ Computer skills required. Submit application ASAP to Ma Thandar, thandarlwinaung@gmail. com or to Rm 101 (A), c/o Hotel Yangon, Ph: 651908. Adventure Myanmar Tours & Incentives is seeking (1)Audit Manager - M/F 1 Post : B.Com, CPA, ACCA & other relevant qualification, 5 years experienced in accounting and auditing, 4 skill of English, Computer literate (2) Accountant - M/F 3 Posts : B.Com, LCCI level II or III, 2 years experience, Knowledge of accounting software & windows application, Knowledge of financial statement, management reporting, Internal control & Budgeting. (3)Legal Consultant M/F 1 Post: Qualification of Lawyer, 3 years experience, To be familiar with policy, law & regulations, 4 skill of English, Computer literate (4)Personal Secretary M/F 1 Post: Any graduate, 3 years experienced, 4 skill of English, excellent computer skill (5)Admin Staff - M/F 1 Post : Any graduate, 2 years experienced, 4 skill of English, Computer skill (MS office) (6)DTP Staff - M/F 1 Post : Any graduate, Good computer skill, 2 years experience (7)Media Manager - M/F 1 Post : Any graduate, 3 years experience, Can arrange message/ newsletters in web site, face book, Good computer skill, High proficiency in English language skill. Pls submit CV with recent photo, relevant document, the copy of N.R.C card and Police Recommendation to 27, Inya Myaing Rd, Bahan, Ph:502-901, 502 -902. Email- admin@ adventuremyanmar.com within two weeks. IT / Telecom Engineers : University graduate in Engineering (Electronics, Computer Science) or IT related professional certificate holders, 1 year in IT and Telecommunication field, Age under 35, Able to travel within the country, Good spoken & written English, Ability to work under pressure & work independently or team work, Fresh graduates who have the confidence to performare also welcomed. Submit CV to 344, Mahabandoola Rd, between 39th & 40th St. Ph : 01-389657 or email: cntmobileshop@gmail. com inter Group Of Companies is seeking (1) Business Development Exective 1 Post: Degree or Diploma in Marketing, Management, Business Management or equivalent. 3 years experiences in Manage ment or Supervisory level. Computer literate. Excellent in Myanmar & English. (2)Assistant Business Development Executives 2 Posts: Diploma in Marketing, Management or Busi ness or equivalent. Fresh graduates may apply. Computer literate. Excellent in Myanmar & English. (3)Manager (Trade Collection) 1 Post : Degree in Accounting, Economics, Business, Management or equivalent. 5 years experience in Managerial position. Computer literate. Excellent in English. (4)Corporate Sales (Trade Collection) 2 Posts : Sales & resultsorients. Computer literate. (5)Assistant Corporate Executive 2 Posts: Degree Holder. 3 years experience. Excellent in English. Computer literate. Pls submit detailed CV in person or by email, stating your current & expected salary, date of availability, reason for leaving and a recent passport photo to : 7(D), 1st Flr, 6 miles, Pyay Rd, Hlaing, Yangon, Email: hr@icononline.net DIGNITAS BUSINESS Limousines is seeking: (1)Accounts Clerk Able to communicate in English, has knowledge of basic book keeping & handles collection

THE MYANMAR TIMES july 15 - 21, 2013

Local Position
DRIVER 1 post : Age 30 ~ 45 years. Salary 1.5 Lakhs. Contact Maureen : 09-5188320. Aroma Gourmet Concepts Ltd (Nervin Caf & Bistro) is seeking (1). Sales and Marketing Manager (2)Sales and Marketing Executive (3).Service Technician (Electrical) (4).Outlet Manager (5).F&B Service Supervisor (6). Barista (7).Waiter & Waitress (8).Service (Trainee) (9).Sous Chef (10).Demi Chef (11). Commis I, II & III (12). Kitchen Helper (13). Kitchen Trainee (14). Security (15). Driver. Pls apply personally to 390, Rm2, Set Hmu 1 Rd, Bahan (cross side of central Bank). Ph :01541188, 09-310 54 875 . Closing date : 31.7.2013 Bring along your CV, NRC copy, recent photo & copies of relevant certificates. Urgently requires a Russian speaking part time tutor for a toddler kid. Please apply to the following address and e mail. advertising. myanmar@gmail.com the Center for Vocational Training, with school facilities & office in Yangon is seeking project administration 1 post for Capacity Building project : Any graduate & prefer master degree. Working experience in market survey & office work. Very good skills in English. Experienced with Microsoft Office Sortware as Word, Excel, Power Point. Teamwork & multitasking capabilities. Self-confident appearance & "business capable etiquette". Time space for appointment: 15 July - end of December 2013 (with options to extend contract). Submit the applications with CV & Copy of Education Certificate to the CVT or by email at or before 18th July 2013. 3rd Flr, MRCS Bldg.42, Strand Rd, Botahtaung, Ph : 383676, 09-430-50926, Email: hrcvtmyanmar@gmail. com Cvt.2001.2009@ gmail.com we are one of the

Embassy
Turkish Embassy is seeking : Experienced Driver 2 post, urgently required, attractive salary, Age under 45, can speak English .Pls submit CV with photo attached in person to 19AB, Kanyeikthar St, Mayangone, Yangon. Tel : 662992.

from clients. Needs to know Excel. Salary is negotiable, depending on working experiences & qualifications. (2) Operations Manager - To manage team of drivers & oversee day to day operations of the company. English speaking and computer literate. Salary is negotiable. Call 09-420165678 (Myanmar) or 094200-15888 (English) to make appointment, 9am to 5pm. Bring along Photo, ID Photocopy, Certificates Copy for interview. NEW BURGER : A newly established Burger chain is now recruiting : (1)Asst Manager - 2 posts : Shift Work. Meals included. Able to communicate in English or Chinese language. Salary negotiable depending on working experiences and other qualifications. (2) Waiter / Waitress - Shift Work. Meals included. Salary negotiable, depending on years of working experiences. (3)Cleaners - 2 posts: Meals included. Salary negotiable. Walk-InInterview 9am to 5pm daily. Bring along photo, ID photocopy & Resume/ CV. to #S27, U Chit Maung Housing, U Chit Maung St, Tarmwe, Shimada Technology & Trading Co. Ltd., is affiliated company of Shimada Electric (Japan). We are seeking suitable candidate for the position of Sales Engineer (Woman). The applicant shall be graduated engineer from GTC, BTech, BE (Electrical or other related fields). Fresh graduates are welcome. Work location at Yankin.Pls send your full resume in English and recent photo to shimada1@truemail. co.th Ph: 09- 4211-07 662. Urgent Need : Marketing - F 1 post : Full Time, Experience in Web field, May be Bachelor degree, Can market wherever around Yangon by bus, Monday to Friday and 9 am to 5 pm (Working Days & Hours). Pls bring all necessary documents (CV form, copied of NRC no / recommendation of

ward and police, all of the qualification documents) & pls contact Future Point (Thuwunna) - 09-73215521 until 22 July 2013. Sing Link Training Center is currently seeking for : Native or Near Native English, Chinese, Myanmar Language Teachers (full-time/part time) : Be a native/ near native speaker. Hold a 4-years university degree or higher. 2 years teaching experience. Be positive thinking , hard-working. Flexible, innovative and resourceful teaching methods. Pls forward CV to singlinkeducation@ gmail.com & singlinkedunandar@ gmail.com. Ph: 09-421145155, 09-313-06367, 09-313-16126 Customer Support Job ID: 6 : Must have B.Sc or equivalent, 2 years experience in sales, customer service or IT field; travel & hospitality experience preferred, Excellent written & verbal communication skills; fluent English preferred, Highly motivated individual with ability to thrive in fast paced environment, Able to use computer & learn new software with training; Excel experience preferred, Must possess superb telephone etiquette, Frontiir Co Ltd 5G Moe Kaung Rd, MyaKanThar Garden Homes, Hlaing, Yangon. Ph: 681762 Email : contact@frontiir. comwww.frontiir.com Credera Group is looking for a Project Manager to join its growing Myanmar Team in its downtown Yangon office : English & Myanmar written & spoken, Ability to Liaison with Senior Corporate & Government stake holders, Basic PC Competence (Email, Microsoft Office), 5+ year work experience in Myanmar is Recommend, Flexi bility to travel internally Myanmar, Entrepreneurial Think ing. Pls send resumes/ CV's (maximum 2 pages) at govind@crederagroup. com www.crederagroup. com.

Ingo Positions
relief Int'l is seeking Monitoring & Evaluation Officer 1 post in Yangon:Arelevant University degree with at least 3 years experience in M&E work including survey design, data collection, analysis and report writing. Skills in use of spreadsheet software, data base and word processing. Ability to communicate (verbal & written, excellent writing in English preferable). Pls send submit CV with a list of 2 reference to the Relief Int'l at hla.oo@ri.org or deliver to Relief Int'l : 4/D Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Mayangone, Yangon, quoting "Monitoring & Evaluation Officer". Closing date : 23 July 2013. medecins Sans Frontiers (AZG) is seeking (1)Medical Doctor for emergency interventions on short contracts in Rakhine State: Medical degree. Good knowledge of the issues surrounding STI, HIV/AIDS & TB. Good command of English, Closing date : 26th July (2)Project Medical Coordinator 1 post in Shan Project : 2 years clinical experience (essential). Good level in English. Could work with computer; Microsoft office.Closing date : 16 July. Pls send application letter, CV & passportphoto, copies of educat ion qualifications &

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 - University Graduate (prefer Business or Engineering back ground) - Minimum 3 years continuous experience in relevant field - Strong knowledge and understanding of materials and service requirements within the Oil & Gas Industry - Proven experience in working within a multi-cultural purchasing team preferably within the Asian region - Experience with purchasing via an integrated system, preferably SAP - Competency to conduct bidding and tendering processes - Fundamental knowledge of Logistics and ImportExport-Customs - Knowledge of Inco-terms as applicable - Proficiency in English language - High level of Computer Literacy including the full MS Office Suite Process Engineer - University Graduate (prefer 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 29th July 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

Employment Advertisement
CITCC (China International Telecommunication Construction Corporation) is seeking : (1) CIVIL ENGINEER Degree holder in Civil Work At least 2 years work experience in relevant field Age 27-45 Basic PC Skill (Email, Microsoft Office) (2) PROJECT ENGINEER Civil Engineering Age 22-40 (3) Telecom Mechnical For Telecom Equipment Installation work Age 21-30 For all posts : Male, Good English standards in writing & speaking. Pls submit English resume / C.V with copy of Qualification Certificates at : No. 18, Aung Myay Tharzi Street, Kamaryut Township, Yangon. Tel : 95-1-530912 or send to liukai.citcc@gmail.com. Closing date : 31, August 2013.

For Rent
One bedroom flat (condominium) to let at Star City (Thanlyin) Fully Furnished 24-hour security & backup electricity Golf course Car parking Ph : 09-430-51084

60 Sport
London

THE MYANMAR TIMES July 15 - 21, 2013

Murray, Djokovic are new age warriors

seven months before his barnstorming return saw him capture a record eighth French Open, has not won a major away from Paris since the 2010 US Open. In all 33 of the last 34 Grand Slams have been won by Djokovic, Murray, Federer and Nadal, but seven of the last 11 have been taken by the world number one Serb and the world number two British player. This year alone, Djokovic has won his fourth Australian Open, lost a tight five-setter to Nadal in the French Open semifinals before his runner-up spot to Murray at Wimbledon. Murray was runner-up to Djokovic in Melbourne and skipped Paris because of a back injury. But Federer, the holder of a record 17 majors, was a beaten semi-finalist in Australia and a quarter-finalist at the French Open. Nadal missed the Australian Open through injury and is under pressure never to play Wimbledon again to protect his increasingly troublesome knees. Mats Wilander, the Swedish star who won seven Grand Slam titles in the 1980s, believes Murray and Djokovic are now the undisputed superpowers of the sport. I think Andy Murray can win six, seven, eight, nine, 10 majors. The only man that can stop him is Novak Djokovic, said the Swede. These two are going to decide who gets ahead in the history books. I hope they both decide this is a rivalry thats just going to grow and become great on all the different surfaces, in all four majors. Federer has seen his decision to slim down his schedule in 2013 backfire. But he has surprised many by deciding to play two lowprofile claycourt events before the American hardcourt swing at Hamburg from July 15 and Gstaad the following week.

HANKS for the memories, Roger and Rafa, but its the Novak and Andy show now. Andy Murrays Wimbledon triumph on July 7, when he beat Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 in the final, was Britains first by a male player since Fred Perry in 1936. But it also re-emphasised the new dominance at the Grand Slam level of the worlds two top players, both aged 26 and born just seven days apart. Djokovic and Murray have now contested three of the last four Grand Slam finals. Meanwhile, Roger Federer, the deposed champion of Wimbledon who was knocked out in the second round this time around, will find himself at number five in the world on Monday, his lowest ranking for over a decade. Until he won his seventh Wimbledon 12 months ago, the 31-year-old had not won a major since the 2010 Australian Open, a 10-tournament gap at the majors. Rafael Nadal, like Federer a former world number one, was shocked in the first round at Wimbledon for his earliest ever exit at a major in 10 years as a professional. The 27-year-old Spaniard, who was offtour for

I think that Andy Murray can win six, seven, eight, nine, 10 majors. The only man that can stop him is Novak Djokovic.
Mats Wilander Retired tennis legend

Andy Murray (L) poses with runner up Novak Djokovic (R) at the Wimbledon Championships tennis tournament at the All England Club on July 7. Photo: AFP

Having defeated just one top-10 player all year Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the Australian Open quarter-finals Federer is desperate to bounce back from his Wimbledon misery, where he lost in the second round to Ukraines 116-ranked Sergiy Stakhovsky in what was his worst Grand Slam defeat for a decade. His shock Wimbledon loss ended his run of 36 consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final appearances, having not gone out of a major before the last eight since the 2004 French Open. Federer is adamant that he will be back next year at Wimbledon when he will be six

weeks short of his 33rd birthday. If he were to win a record eighth Wimbledon in 2014, he would become the oldest man to clinch the title, surpassing Arthur Ashe who was six days away from his 32nd birthday when he triumphed in 1975. I still have plans to play for many more years to come, said Federer. Nadal had played 35 Grand Slams coming into Wimbledon this year without ever having lost in the first round. But the tournament, part of just a four-week grasscourt season, has always asked the most searching questions. He did not play in 2004 or

in 2009 when more knee trouble, which had contributed to his only career loss in Paris, forced him to tearfully give up on the defence of a title he had won for the first time in 2008. Furthermore, his defeat to Lukas Rosol in the second round in 2012 meant he missed the Olympics and the US and Australian Opens. Nadal refused to blame his knee for his defeat or even discuss the make-up of his schedule for the rest of the year. This is sport. Its not a tragedy, he said. I am confident that I will have a good recovery and be ready for the next tournaments. AFP

All Blacks to play Japan in Tokyo

THE world-champion All Blacks will play Japan in Tokyo in November ahead of their European tour, officials said on July 12. The New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) said the match would take place at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Stadium on November 2. The match fits in perfectly with our strategy for 2013 to not only grow our game but also to grow our leadership and depth within the All Blacks squad, New Zealand coach Steve Hansen said. The match, in the run-up to New Zealands European tour in November featuring matches against France, England and Ireland, will be the All Blacks first Test against the Brave Blossoms on Japanese soil. The teams have previously met twice, at the 1995 and 2011 World Cups, with Japan losing both encounters, including a 145-17 drubbing in the 1995 tournament. A New Zealand XV trounced Japan at home twice in 1987, but neither game was given Test match status. The All Blacks last visited Japan in 2009 for a Bledisloe Cup match against Australia, which they won 32-19. AFP

Wellington

Lagos

Nigeria to probe outrageous scores

NIGERIAS top football authority has suspended four teams who reported mindboggling results from their play-off matches, describing the scores of 79-0 and 67-0 as scandalous tallies that must be probed. Plateau United Feeders and Police Machine FC both needed convincing wins to earn promotions to the Nigeria Nationwide League, but officials immediately rejected the eyepopping results. In a statement, the countrys Football Federation described the scores as a mind-boggling show of shame never previously witnessed in Nigeria. Plateau United Feeders somehow manufactured a 79-0 victory over Akurba FC while Police Machine FC demolished Babayaro FC 67-0. Federation spokesman Ademola Olajire told AFP a deal was certainly struck among the sides, but the details, including whether any money changed hands, are not yet known. We are setting up an investigation. We dont know exactly what happened. We just feel scandalised, he said. The four teams involved are suspended immediately and indefinitely, federation chairman Mike Emeh said in a statement. Everyone involved in the July 8 matches, including officials and staff at the pitch in northern Bauchi state, could face sanctions, the federation said. AFP

Goals scored by Plateau United Feeders in their win over Akurba FC on July 8

79

www.mmtimes.com
LOS ANGELES

Sport 61

World Peace is headed to China, he says

THE Los Angeles Lakers waived Metta World Peace on July 11 under the NBAs amnesty clause, after which the 14year veteran promptly announced on Twitter he would play for Yao Mings team in China. World Peace, formerly known as Ron Artest, played a key role in the Lakers 2010 NBA title run, in his first season with the team. Its tough to say goodbye to a player such as Metta, who has been a significant part of our team the past four seasons, Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said in comments he posted on Twitter. He nailed a game-winning shot at the buzzer to eliminate Phoenix in the 2010 Western Conference finals and scored 20 points in game seven of the finals to help the Lakers seal their second straight championship. However, World Peace has also been suspended 11 times since 2003 including a one-game ban last season for hitting Detroit guard Brandon Knight in the jaw. In 2004, he received one of the longest bans in NBA history for his role in a brawl with fans in which he raced into the stands in Detroit. Those issues no doubt made it easier for the Lakers to opt to amnesty him, which the Los Angeles Times estimated would save the team some US$15 million in luxury taxes. The player, who competed for Chicago, Indiana, Sacramento and Houston before joining the Lakers, said he was excited by the prospect of a move to China, where retired NBA star Yao Ming is the owner of the Shanghai Sharks. Im going to play for Yao Mings team in china! World Peace tweeted. I cant wait to arrive in Shanghai !! AFP

IN PICTUREs

Red shirts, yellow shirts, blue shirts: Chelsea football fans hold posters and cheer their team during their arrival at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok on July 12. Photo: AFP

USTRALIAS new teenage sensation Ashton Agar said hed enjoyed the best day of his young life so far on July 11 after his record-breaking 98 turned the first Ashes Test against England upside down. Its been a great day. Its probably the best day so far in my life, said Agar after stumps on the second day at Trent Bridge. And it certainly vindicated his decision to opt for cricket over Australian Rules football because he became tired of being the little fat kid ... getting smashed around. Australia were in dire straits at 117 for nine in reply to Englands first innings 215 when 19-year-old Western Australia left-arm spinner Agar, making his Test debut, walked out to bat. But betraying few, if any nerves, the

Ashes hero Agar savours best day of my life A

teenager struck a superb 98 off just 101 balls to record the highest ever score by a No 11 batsman in Test history, topping Tino Bests 95 for the West Indies against England at Edgbaston last year. Together with Phil Hughes [81 not out], he also shared a Test record last wicket stand of 163 that took Australia to 280 all out and a 65-run first innings lead. At the close, with Agar still to take his first Test wicket, England were 80 for two in their second innings -- a lead of 15. Its a dream come true. Forever, Ive dreamt of playing Test cricket for Australia, said Agar. He also thanked new Australia coach Darren Lehmann for giving him the confidence to keep faith with his natural game. Darren Lehman just told me to bat the way I know how to bat. I was lucky to have a really good partner at the other end. Phil Hughes is a seriously, seriously good player and really helped me through it. Among the spectators at Trent Bridge who repeatedly applauded Agar for a succession of stylish shots

Nottingham

It's a dream come true. Forever, Ive dreamt of playing Test cricket for Australia.
Ashton Agar Australian cricketer

that yielded 12 fours and two sixes were his parents John and Sonia and brothers William and Wesley. They were on a plane straightaway, once they found the news out [that he had been picked to play], said Agar. To have them there today made that extra-special to me. They and indeed the rest of the capacity 17,000 crowd were willing Agar to a 100. But Agar, who made a century in grade cricket for the University of Western Australia two winters ago, fell when he pulled Stuart Broad to Graeme Swann at deep midwicket, having surpassed his previous firstclass best of 71 not out. Obviously, its a dream to make a Test match 100, said Agar. But I didnt really dream I was going to make 98 on debut, so Im very, very happy.

Agars innings could have ended much earlier, had third umpire Marais Erasmus given him out stumped for only six a desperately close call which could have gone either way. But off-spinner Swann, the bowler denied Agars wicket on that occasion, was the first England player to congratulate him after he was out. Graeme Swann came up and shook my hand and said, Well done, young fella. He was very good about it, Agar recalled. As for giving up on Aussie Rules, Agar insisted: Cricket was always my number one. I did play a bit of junior footy but everyone grew a lot quicker than me. I was just the little fat kid getting smashed around, so I thought Id give that a break. AFP

Australian batsman Ashton Agar plays a shot during the second days play in the first cricket Test match of the Ashes series at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on July 11. Photo: AFP

62 Sport BRIEFS
Australia great Shane Warne is to be inducted into the International Cricket Council (ICC) Hall of Fame, the global governing body said in a statement issued from its Dubai headquarters on July 11. The leg-spin legend will be formally inducted into the Hall of Fame during the tea interval of the second day of the second Ashes Test between England and Australia at Lords on July 19. Warne, credited with reviving interest in leg-spin outside Asia, was the first bowler to take 700 Test wickets and represented Australia in 145 Tests between 1992 and 2007. In all he took 708 Test wickets at an average of 25.41.

THE MYANMAR TIMES July 15 - 21, 2013

OPINION

Nottingham Warne gets Hall of Fame honour

Rise of the Asian warriors

Making the case for a mixed martial arts event in Myanmar
Adam Tun-Aung newsroom@mmtimes.com.mm ITS not a secret. Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is big. Really big. Check out any developed country here in Asia and youll see MMA fans, MMA gyms and other MMA-related business booming and becoming bigger and bigger. Theres little doubt the sport is well on its way to becoming the number one sport the world over. And its already even making a mark in Myanmar. Until a few years ago, Myanmar has been cut off from the rest of the world, with only a fortunate few being exposed to outside developments and popular culture. Not many people knew of fighting promotions such as the UFC or PRIDE or DREAM. Not many people knew the concept of mixed martial arts. But nowadays, the term MMA is not obscure anymore. People in Myanmar are very familiar with sports such as boxing and Muay Thai. Even the less popular Myanmar martial art Lethwei is still alive and kicking, and was recently featured on Channel News Asia in the form of a short documentary titled Forgotten Warriors. In this country that is already familiar with combat sports and has a history of larger-than-life warriors in lore, its a fitting place to see MMA getting recognition. For those new to the sport and the term, mixed martial arts is a sport where martial artists of various disciplines compete against each other whether in a normal ring or a variety of cages. Initially seen as immoral and illegal during its early years, the sport has grown over the past decade or so, with rules, regulations, weight classes and safety measures. It has grown more significantly in the last 10 years, and the sport has grown so rapidly that it is considered one of the worlds fastest-growing sports. MMA began its growth in the West, but here in the East, the sport has been well known in some countries, most notably Japan. If we look back at Asias history martial arts have been a very prominent characteristic of Asia (up to a point where they became a sort of stereotype). The continent is known to have legendary martial artists in popular culture such as Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li. But there was no proper promotion, especially in Southeast Asia, to introduce or promote mixed martial arts. Then came Victor Cui a Canadian-Filipino who is a big fan of the sport. He had a stint at ESPN Star Sports, where he created Martial Combat a bimonthly MMA event and finally left to start up his next venture. That was when ONE Fighting Championship (ONE FC) was born. Launched in July of 2011, the Singapore-based promotion group has become Asias biggest MMA promoter. Featuring various MMA legends and world champions, ONE FC has spread throughout Asia, hosting sold-out events in countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia, with plans toenter Korea, Japan, China and others in the near future.

Ulaanbaatar

The Professional Golfers Association of Australia on Thursday said it will ban the use of broomstick putters at its sanctioned tournaments from 2016 to move in line with other international tours. The new rule will ban players from anchoring a club directly, or by use of an anchor point, against any part of the body, effectively banning belly and chest putting. Golfs main ruling bodies, including the Royal & Ancient and US Golf Association, have previously announced that broomstick-style putters would be outlawed from the start of 2016.

Sydney Australia to ban broomstick putters from 2016

Everton manager Roberto Martinez sealed his fourth signing in the space of three days as Barcelona teenager Gerard Deulofeu joined the Premier League club on a season-long loan on July 10. Deulofeu scored 18 times in 33 matches for Barcelonas B side last season and also made a handful of substitute appearances for the Spanish champions. The 19-year-old was rewarded with a long-term contract earlier in the close-season, but Barca are willing to loan him to Everton in a bid to further his development. AFP

London Everton sign Barca prodigy Deulofeu

In this country that is already familiar with combat sports and has a history of larger-than-life warriors in lore, its a fitting place to see MMA getting recognition.
In October of 2011, the ONE FC Network was created, consisting of promotions and gyms throughout the Asia. It has helped to further boost the popularity of ONE FC and the groups events have some of the largest live audiences and has sold out 20,000-seat stadiums across Asia. With various world-class gyms such opening up and offering courses in Asia, the general public is not only now aware of the sport but can also try their hands at it themselves. Where does this leave Myanmar? The idea of two athletes duking it in the name of sport is not a new concept here. What is needed is a proper support for MMA. An event or two to introduce the sport to the general public would do a great deal of good. Myanmar maybe a bit slower to catch on, but the unstoppable tidal wave of MMA is about to arrive. If there were to to be an MMA event in Yangon in the near future, that would be, for a lack of a better word, awesome. Myanmar is a country that is in a very promising position, with many aspects of the country opening up and evolving, it would be a shame if martial artists and fighters dont get a chance to evolve as well. It will be a monumental and proud moment when the first Myanmar martial artist competes in his or her, first-ever MMA fight. Its bound to happen sooner or later for sure. And how lucky we all are to bear witness to all this. Its a glorious day to look forward to a Myanmar fighter entering the ranks of legendary warriors from Asia, to be known the world over.
Adam Tun-Aung is a writer originally from Myanmar who now resides in Singapore. He is an MMA fan and regular contributor to ONE FC, a Singapore-based MMA promotion group.

A group of Mongolia children take part in a horse race during the annual Naadam festival in Ulaanbaatar on July 11. Photo: AFP

A long race
Mongolias child jockeys face injury
UST before little Baasanjav Lkhagvadorj was lifted onto a horse for a race across Mongolias open steppe last week, he asked his father to bless him with a kiss. Minutes later the seven-year-old was killed in a fall, the latest in a rising toll among the countrys child jockeys. As Mongolias biggest national festival, Naadam, began on July 11, controversy is mounting over the way unprotected young riders are risking injury and even death. Horses are at the core of Mongolian culture. There are dozens of words for the colours of an equine coat, and children learn to ride almost as soon as they can walk. Horseracing is one of the three manly sports, along with wrestling and archery, which make up the Naadam celebrations, where the races are among the longest in the world, up to 28 kilometres (17 miles) depending on the age of the horse, four times the length of Britains Grand National. The contests are a legacy of the

Gerard Deulofeu (R). Photo: AFP

The ABC National Billiards and Snooker Open Championship will be held July 15 to 24 at the New World Billiards Club in Yangon. This is the second time that the Championship, which will give local players a chance to showcase their skills, has been organised. The purpose of holding this championship is to introduce the game to a new generation of players. We are trying to prevent a generation gap, said general secretary of the Myanmar Billiard and Snooker Federation San Myint. The first place finisher will be awarded K500,000, K300,000 for the runnerup and K200,000 for third place. Kyaw Zin Hlaing

Yangon ABC National Billiards and Snooker Open Championship to be held in Yangon

The rich should stop making children the victims of entertainment.

Purev Oyunchimeg Mongolian human rights comissioner

Traditional boxers fight in Yangon Photo: Ko Taik

nations warrior past, when Genghis Khans forces would cover vast distances to wreak havoc on their enemies. Mongolian horses are sturdy creatures bred for endurance, but the demands are so tough that child jockeys are preferred for their light weight, and around 30,000 ride in competitive races every year. A health ministry study showed that 326 children were treated for racing injuries at the National Traumatology and Orthopaedics Research Centre in Ulaanbaatar alone last year, up from 222 in 2010. But accidents in the countryside, where most of the population live, often go unrecorded. Lkhagvadorjs death was the third recorded child fatality so far this year, according to Baljinnyam Javzankhuu of the National Agency for Children, adding there had been more than 20 in the past decade. Competitions have become very cruel, she said. As well as official Naadam races, newly wealthy owners, reportedly including MPs and state officials, have taken to organising barely regulated competitions of their own in ever increasing numbers, particularly since Mongolia liberalised its economy after the advent of democracy in 1990. Private races have looser rules, can be held in winter when conditions are more risky, and now that the country is enjoying a resources boom, betting on them is said to sometimes reach as high as US$60,000. But according to child rights defenders children can be hired

www.mmtimes.com
Kuala Lumpur

Sport 63

Alleged gang-rape shocks Malaysian sports

THE alleged gang-rape of a female official by three handball players has rocked Malaysias sports community, as officials on July 10 demanded tough punishment for the perpetrators. Sieh Koh Chi, secretary-general of the Olympic Council of Malaysia, told AFP he was shocked by the incident on July 3 at the Malaysia Games, a competition between the countrys different states. Swift investigations must be carried out, he said. Zolkples Embong, national sports council director-general, was quoted by Bernama news agency as saying the 19-year-old was semiconscious when she was allegedly raped repeatedly at the games village. She had been acting as a communications liason officer for the Federal Territories girls handball team. between 18 and 19, were arrested on July 5. The Star newspaper said Tuesday that before the alleged rape, the young woman had left the games village to have alcoholic drinks with several handball players. National police spokesman Ramli Yoosuf said police investigations were continuing but declined to elaborate. Peter Velappan, former Asian Football Confederation general secretary, said the outrageous incident was the first of its kind in Malaysian sports and had tarnished the country. Offenders must face severe punishment, he said. AFP

Swift investigations must be carried out.

Sieh Koh Chi Secretary-general of the Olympic Council of Malaysia

Three male handball players, aged

to danger
and even death in the saddle
informally to take part for as little as a bicycle, a set of schoolbooks or up to 150,000 tugriks (US$100). Horses can be insured for millions of tugriks but their riders are either not covered , contrary to legal requirement, or only for a token amount less than US$30, said Javzankhuu. no decision has yet been made on changing the minimum age for official races. Mongolian traditional horse racing is the most democratic, liberal event, Minister Tsedevdamba Oyungerel said. But when money gets involved the races become fiercely competitive and thus dangerous for children. Traditionalists, however, defend the practice. Adya Bayarmagnai, advisor to the Mongolian Equestrian and Horse Trainers Union, and an owner and trainer himself, said that only a tiny percentage of children have accidents. Children fall from horses -- its the only way to learn horse-riding, he said. A Mongol child is put on horseback at the same time as he or she learns coordination and walking. Thus a child and a horse become one harmonious entity. Lkhagvadorjs father, a seasonal agricultural worker from Jargalant, 135 kilometres (83.8 miles) northwest of the capital Ulaanbaatar, is himself an ardent horse lover and had ambitions for his son to take part in bigger events. It was an official contest, but the boy was on someone elses animal, uninsured and not wearing a helmet or protective gear when he fell and suffered a fatal head injury. He had just finished his first year of primary school, filling his notebook with the phrase, I love you, daddy. Fighting back tears, his great-aunt Norjin told AFP, All the right things are only being discussed on TV, but never implemented in real life. If he only wore a helmet... AFP

IN PICTUREs

Grinding gears: Australias Richie Porte competes during the 33km individual time-trial, the eleventh stage of the the Tour de France on July 10 in northwestern France. Photo: AFP

Myanmar urges Philippines to send under-23s to SEA Games

Aung Si Hein aungsiheinmm8@gmail.com THE Myanmar Football Federation sent a letter on July 4 to its Philippines counterpart urging the governing body to send its U-23 football squad and futsal team to Myanmar to compete in the upcoming Southeast Asian Games, it was revealed last week. The letter was sent after members of the Myanmar Football Federation (MFF) read news reports online saying the Philippines Sports Commission was not keen on sending the U-23 or futsal teams to the SEA Games on the grounds that they cannot guarantee gold and silver medals. The reports also prompted MFF President Zaw Zaw to personally call President of the Philippines Football Federation (PFF) Mariano Araneta, but a media official from the MFF told The Myanmar Times last week that the federation has received no confirmation as to whether the teams will be making the trip to Nay Pyi Taw or not. The Philippines team manager Dan Palami said that the teams have found independent funding and would not need government support for the trip. PFF Secretary General, Ed Gastanes has also expressed support for the team participating in the SEA Games. We have at least seven Azkals national team players and we have good additions. We even formed the nucleus of the team earlier than usual six months before competition, which gives them enough time to prepare, he told the ASEAN Football Federation website. Despite the support from the football federation the remarks from the PSC are not unexpected. PSC chairman, Richie Garcia, has been highly critical of Myanmar for its choice of sports to be contested at the SEA Games. Olympic sports gymnastics, tennis and beach volleyball were all cut and replaced with Myanmar traditional sports like chinlone, infuriating Mr Garcia and other Philippines sports officials who believe Myanmar is using the traditional disciplines to increase their medal haul. Philippine Olympic Committee chairman Jose Cojuangco has gone as far as to say if something is not changed by 2015 when Singapore hosts the games than the Philippines may pull out entirely. The indecision over whether the U-23 teams will play in Myanmar has been criticised by fans and many in the sports media who see the move as a political one rather than athletic. Popular Filipino sports journalist Bob Guerrero who writes The Passionate Fan blog for Yahoo! Sports Philippines site penned Let the Azkals Under 23 play; an Open Letter to the PSC and POC on June 27 arguing the case for the teams inclusion. Firstly, the team (at least the mens U-23 Football team, as far as I know), already has sponsors. The POC and PSC will not need to shell out money to support this team. Bringing them to Myanmar will not deprive any other worthy athletes of any slots. Secondly, there is great excitement and anticipation among Philippine sports fans for this team. There are no competitions scheduled for the senior Azkals squad until the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup. This is all we have for this year, Guerrero wrote.

Child jockeys who have died this year while racing in Mongolia

Helmets and protective gear are also mandatory, but the rules are often ignored. Purev Oyunchimeg, one of Mongolias three national human rights commissioners, wants parliament, the Great Khural, to class horseracing as child labour, or at the very least improve standards and raise the minimum age for Naadam riders from seven to nine. The rich should stop making children victims of entertainment, she said of the private races. When children die [the families] dont even get any compensation. Mongolias Culture, Sports and Tourism Ministry is preparing a new law that will ban children under 16 taking part in private events. But

There is great excitment and anticipation among Philippine sports fans for this team.
Bob Guerrero Author of The Passionate Fan

Sport
64 THE MYANMAR TIMES july 15 - 21, 2013

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

Mongolian child jockeys put their lives at risk

SPORT 62-63

BRIEFS

Even in death, Scott E Entsminger remained a stalwart fan of the NFLs often exasperating Cleveland Browns. Entsmingers obituary, published in the Columbus Dispatch of Columbus, Ohio, and available on the newspapers website, described the 55-year-old, who died on July 4, as a lifelong fan of the Browns, who last reached the NFL playoffs in 2002. He respectfully requests six Cleveland Browns pallbearers so the Browns can let him down one last time, the obituary said.

Cleveland Fans obituary delivers parting shot at Browns

Destination Malaysia?

The Colorado Avalanche signed first-overall entry-draft pick Nathan MacKinnon to a three-year contract, the National Hockey League club announced on July 9. MacKinnon joined fellow Canadians Sidney Crosby (2005) and Joe Thornton (1997) as the only 17-yearolds to be drafted first overall in the past 25 years.

Denver Top pick MacKinnon signs with Colorado

Chris Wondolowski notched a first-half hat-trick to set the United States on the road to a 6-1 triumph over Belize on July 9 in their opening match of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Wondolowski scored in the 12th, 37th and 40th minutes.

Portland Wondolowski hat-trick as US romp in Gold Cup

Yangon Uniteds Kyi Lin stands before a match in Yangon in September 2012. Photo: Boothee

Transfer rumours swirl as Pahang FA eyes promising Yangon United and national team midfielder Kyi Lin
Aung Si Hein
Super League team will be allowed three foreign players but at least one player must come from another ASEAN country. Chances are very high for Myanmar National League players to go play in Malaysia, Yangon United fitness coach Kairul Azmi told The Myanmar Times last week. Kyi Lins potential move to Malaysia has been the centre of intense speculation since the teams interest was originally reported by Goal.com on July 1. According to the website, Azmi, who is originally from Malaysia, was approached by Pahang coach Dollah Saleh during the AFF Suzuki Cup last November in Bangkok and asked about Kyi Lins interest in playing in Malaysia. Saleh likes Kyi Lin and asked me to make enquiries about Kyi Lins willingness. I told the president of Yangon United about it but Kyi Lin was such an important player for the team participating in AFC Cup 2013 that the president did not want to lose him. So our transfer talk ended, Mr Azmi told Goal.com. While the Myanmar side struggled, Kyi Lin had a solid tournament earning Man of the Match honours after scoring in a 1-1 draw against Vietnam in the first round of play. Kyi Lin confirmed to the The Myanmar Times that he is indeed interested in playing abroad, but said that any offer would have to be postponed until he recovers from a nagging ankle injury sustained earlier this season. Kairul asked me about it and I said I wanted to play [in Malaysia]. But for now I am injured. In three months I can consider a transfer. Team officials have also said that a Japanese team may also be willing to make a transfer offer, Kyi Lin said. Despite his injury Yangon United sits atop the Myanmar National League table, 4 points ahead of Nay Pyi Taw FC. If Kyi Lin were to head to Malaysia he would follow in the footsteps of Kyi Lwin and Aung Naing who were the last Myanmar nationals to play in Malaysia when they both suited up for Perak FC in the 1990s.

Y
Wondolowski. Photo: AFP

aungsiheinmm8@gmail.com

ANGON United midfielder and national team member Kyi Lin appears likely to become the first Myanmar football player to benefit from the Malaysian Super Leagues new ASEAN Foreign Signing Policy with Malay-side Pahang FA expressing keen interest in the budding star. Under the new policy, which has been adopted for next season, each