201437733

WWW.MMTIMES.
COM ISSUE 733 | JUNE 16 - 22, 2014

1200
Ks.
HEARTBEAT OF THE NATION
Local telco widens net in
hunt for foreign partner
Yatanarpon Teleport is in discussions with several foreign rms as the public company
seeks to compete with MPT, Ooredoo and Telenor in newly liberalised sector. BUSINESS 27
NEWS 4
Fired teacher wins
Supreme Court battle
Experts say ruling could have
signicant implications for other civil
servants dismissed without an inquiry.
BUSINESS 26
China sea floats rice biz
Demand rises as China shuns imports
from Vietnam because of tension over the
South China Sea.
PHOTO: BOOTHEE
Going, going... gone? Experts warn iconic lake could soon dry up
Inle Lake is at risk of disappearing within a century unless conservation eforts are dramatically scaled up, environmental
experts have warned. Deforestation in watershed areas, reclaiming of land for agriculture and the use of fertilisers and
pesticides have all been blamed for the rapid shrinkage of the lakes surface area, which has declined by more than half.
PAGE
11
2 THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 16 - 22, 2014
online editor Kayleigh Long |
kayleighelong@gmail.com
THE INSIDER: The local lowdown & best of the web
Miss Asia Pacic World 2014
May Myat Noe
from NOW! Magazine.
Photo: Htet Aung Kyaw
(Studio HAK)
Style
Statement
Comic by artist Thaik Htun, The Man Who Will Wear the
Golden Umbrella. Main character Soe Yar Zar was a
Myanmar 80s equivalent of James Bond.
French revolution
A French tourist has staged
a one-man protest in
Sagaing Region, apparently
unimpressed with the price of a
hotel room in Kalaymyo.
The man had travelled by boat
from Myitkyina to Mandalay,
then by road for the remainder
of his pre-protest journey.
Upon arriving in the town, he
was told it would be $20 for a
room. In an act of deance, he
lay down a mat under the towns
Warmly Welcome and Please
Take Care of Tourists sign and
settled in for the long haul.
Local blogs reported that the
authorities managed to reason
with him, eventually arranging a
room at the Aung Yadanar hotel
for a more palatable $7.
You can leave your hat on
A Lower House representatives
request that parliamentarians
be allowed to remove their
gaung baungs (ceremonial
turbans) once the Speaker is
seated has been shot down,
despite his claims that wearing
them for extended periods is
harmful to health.
The New Light of Myanmar
reported on June 14 that the
Health Promotion Committee
maintained wearing turbans
is a tradition in Myanmar and
male representatives are
required to wear turbans on
their head as a token of respect,
auspiciousness, nobility, dignity
and grace.
It was made clear that
tradition should trump any
complaints even accelerated
balding.
From a health point of
view, the head might feel tight
from wearing turbans and
heat might be kept inside,
causing hair loss, but this is
not a serious health problem
considering the tradition should
be honoured, the health
promotion committee member
was reported to have said.
Stopping trafc
A woman from Hlaing township
caused a stir last week when
pictures of her, scantily clad and
posing like a mermaid on top of
a car began spreading online.
Some outlets initially reported
it was an act of protest though
what against, no one could say
for sure.
According to 7Day Daily, the
woman had an argument with
her father, then she borrowed
the family car and drove off.
When she became caught in
trafc, she stripped down to her
underwear and clambered on to
the roof where it appears she
spent some time, smiling and
waving at people, then looking
bored. She was detained by
local authorities and later
released. Family members say
she is undergoing psychological
treatment.
In brief:
Travel writer forced to turn to
thesaurus after running out of
gushing adjectives to describe
Yangons colonial architecture.
Woman wistfully recalls normal
bowel movements in between
violent bouts of food poisoning
Next week:
Unfounded rumours swirl about
the Wa having a China-backed
space program
Archival material provided by Pansodan Gallery
Once was Burma ...
A beautiful mystery. Photo: via Facebook
Page 2
News 3 www.mmtimes.com NEWS EDITOR: Thomas Kean | tdkean@gmail.com
AMYOTHA Hluttaw speaker U Khin
Aung Myint has formed a commission
to investigate the possibility of switch-
ing to a proportional voting system,
following three days of vigorous debate
among MPs.
The speaker formed the commis-
sion on June 11 after a proposal to in-
troduce proportional representation
was approved by the Union Solidarity
and Development Party (USDP) and its
allies despite opposition from the Na-
tional League for Democracy, military
representatives and ethnic parties.
Most observers agree that introduc-
ing proportional representation would
benet the USDP and likely limit losses
to the NLD in 2015.
U Khin Aung Myint placed USDP
representative U Zaw Myint Pe in
charge of the commission, which also
includes 14 other representatives, three
experts from the Amyotha Hluttaw
Political, Economic and Legal Afairs
Committee and 25 MPs who discussed
the proposal last week.
It has been instructed to study pro-
portional representation systems prac-
tised in foreign countries and decide
which would be most suitable for My-
anmar. It will also meet the Union Elec-
tion Commission to discuss changes to
some sections of the election by-laws.
Its a fair decision, speaker U Khin
Aung Myint said. We will look system-
atically at which system [rst-past-the-
post or proportional representation] is
the best.
The decision closed a debate initi-
ated by Daw Khin Waing Kyi from Yan-
gon Region, who submitted a proposal
on June 4 to change the voting system
to proportional representation before
the 2015 election.
Over three days, 25 MPs discussed
the proposal, with representatives from
the military, NLD and ethnic parties ar-
guing against it on the grounds it is too
early to practise proportional represen-
tation in Myanmar.
They said that changing the sys-
tem would require amendments to a
range of regulations and procedures,
while the election commission would
also have to arrange training for its
staf and educate political parties and
the public in preparation for the 2015
election.
HTOO THANT
EI EI TOE LWIN
newsroom@mmtimes.com
Bearers carry
the remains of
more than 600
soldiers from
the World War
II-era Chinese
Expeditionary
Army returned
to China from
Myanmar on June
12. The remains
were interred in
the Guoshang
cemetery in
Tengchong,
southwest Chinas
Yunnan province.
IN PICTURES
PHOTO: AFP
Myanmar, Bangladesh to open
crime-fghting border offces
MYANMAR and Bangladesh have
reached an in principle agreement
to open liaison ofces on the border
and increase security cooperation in
the troubled area.
The high-level meeting in Nay Pyi
Taw from June 10 to 12 was called in
response to increased tension and
crime on the shared border, peaking
recently with the killing of a Border
Guard Bangladesh (BGB) soldier by
Myanmar Border Security Guards on
May 28.
Myanmar Police Force chief Po-
lice Major General Zaw Win led the
Myanmar side, with BGB director
general Major General Azziz Ahmed
heading the Bangladesh delegation.
The talks yielded an agreement
to cooperation on nine areas, includ-
ing the opening of several liaison
ofces. Both sides agreed to step up
measures to combat the smuggling of
methamphetamines and to share in-
telligence on armed groups operating
in the area.
This meeting is intended to get a
win-win situation and to avoid a re-
peat of such kind of incidents in the
future. Its not about one side win-
ning, Police Brigadier General U Soe
Myaing of the transnational crime de-
partment said after the meeting.
He said the border liaison ofces
would focus on terrorism and the traf-
cking of drugs, weapons and people.
We have already built [liaison
ofces] on the borders with China,
Thailand and Laos We proposed
it as a way of promoting border secu-
rity, Pol Brig Gen Soe Myaing said.
At the meeting the Myanmar side
agreed to share information concern-
ing the activities of the Rohingya Soli-
darity Organization.
Since the killing of the Bangla-
deshi soldier, Myanmar ofcials have
insisted that their troops only red
because they confused the BGB force
with the RSO. The government says
the insurgent group is responsible for
several recent attacks along the bor-
der, including the murder of four My-
anmar border police on May 18.
The Ministry of Home Afairs said
in a statement after last weeks meet-
ing that the Bangladesh side agreed
to look further into the matter of
the RSO. The Bangladesh side in-
formed [us] that their government
also stands rm not to allow any ... il-
legal armed groups to use their land,
it said.
However, the allegations of RSO
activity are controversial, as many ex-
perts on the region say the group has
not had any real operational capacity
since the 1990s. The Bangladesh em-
bassy in Yangon told The Myanmar
Times last week that the BGB has
found no evidence of RSO activity
in the border area where the killing
occurred.
Many groups within Myanmar,
however, agree with the governments
assertions that the RSO is present.
Representatives from the Arakan
Liberation Party and the Myanmar
Peace Center have told The Myanmar
Times that they have credible reports
of RSO activity near the border area.
Though practical questions re-
main about how the two sides will
implement their new agreements,
Nicholas Farrelly, a research fellow
from Australian National University
who recently visited Bangladesh and
writes regularly on Myanmar, said
the discussions could be the launch-
ing point for long-term dialogue.
The difculty is that along the
Bangladesh-Myanmar border there
are likely to be are-ups and skir-
mishes from time to time. None of
Myanmars borders are immune from
such sporadic, low-level security cri-
ses, Mr Farrelly said. Myanmar
and Bangladesh neednt be enemies
but deliberate eforts will need to be
made to build goodwill and trust in
the long term.
Electoral
change to be
examined by
new body
AYE NYEIN WIN BILL OTOOLE
Deliberate eforts
will need to be made
to build goodwill
and trust in
the long term.
Nicholas Farrelly
Australian National University
MORE COVERAGE NEWS 4-5
4 News THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 16 - 22, 2014
Daw Kyin Htay at her home in Yangon. Photo: Kaung Htet
Voting system debate sparks tension
Presidents spokesperson rejects
campaign to boycott Ooredoo
IN a rare case of the government
responding to anti-Muslim rhetoric,
presidential spokesperson U Ye Htut
has taken to Facebook to mildly reg-
ister his disagreement with the cam-
paign to boycott the Qatari telecom
company Ooredoo.
The boycott, launched on June
7, is part of a larger efort led by na-
tionalist monks to boycott any and
all Muslim-owned businesses.
We want Buddhists to buy things
only from shops owned by those of
our religion and the prots should
go to our religion, said monk U Par-
muakha, who is leading the campaign.
On June 9, U Ye Htut shared a
link from Mizzima News about the
boycott and stated that he would use
any telecoms provider as long as it
provided adequate service.
The post received an outpouring
of likes and supportive comments.
However, some users questioned
why U Ye Htut and the government
were not doing more to stand up to
extremist politics.
Facebook user Shwe Zin Htun
wrote, Why dont you instruct those
monks to stop their activities, U Ye
Htut? Its nonsense and very danger-
ous as youre aware of. I am wonder-
ing why gov allowed them.
It comes less than a week after U
Ye Htut, who is also deputy minister
for information, was forced to apolo-
gise for a manipulated photo his wife
shared in which Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi was pictured in Muslim clothing.
IT appeared dead and buried, but
the debate over proportional rep-
resentation has been revived and
could precipitate conict between
the countrys major political forces.
Union Election Commission chief
U Tin Aye had previously instructed
parliament to change the voting sys-
tem by the end of 2013, or not change
it before the 2015 election. That
deadline came and went, but sud-
denly last week the issue was thrust
back onto the agenda.
And the battle lines are clearly
drawn. The National League for
Democracy and most ethnic parties
appear opposed, while the Union
Solidarity and Development Party
(USDP), National Unity Party and
other ethnic Bamar opposition forc-
es are in favour of introducing pro-
portional representation for the 2015
election.
Under the proportional system,
the number of seats won by a po-
litical party or group of candidates is
proportionate to the number of votes
received. Applying the system in My-
anmar in place of rst-past-the-post,
whereby the candidate with the high-
est number of votes is the winner, is
likely to give smaller parties a larger
share of the seats and prevent a sin-
gle party from gaining a large majority.
Last weeks debate was sparked
by Daw Khin Waing Kyi, an Amyotha
Hluttaw representative from the Na-
tional Democratic Force (NDF), who
on June 4 submitted a proposal to
use proportional representation.
She told the hluttaw that she
wanted to introduce the system so
that all parties could have a voice in
parliament.
However, some have questioned
the timing of the proposal and wheth-
er it is a response to the launch of a
campaign for constitutional change
by the NLD and the 88 Generation
student group.
Is it a political game? asked U
Aye Maung, an Amyotha Hluttaw
representative for Rakhine State.
Does the union really need this?
What impact would it have on eth-
nic minorities? We need to consider
many things.
The NLD stands to lose the most
from proportional representation. In
1990, it won less than 80 percent of
seats with 58pc of the vote, while in
the 2012 by-elections it won 95pc of
seats with around two-thirds of the
vote.
NLD representative U Win Myint
insisted that the party cant accept
proportional representation.
Switching to proportional rep-
resentation is in accord with neither
the existing constitution nor elec-
toral laws. It would take time [to in-
troduce]. Its impossible for 2015 and
will only create more complexity, he
said. There is a very simple reason
to why they are doing this.
While ethnic parties have in
the past expressed some sup-
port for proportional representa-
tion, on June 10 the Nationalities
Brotherhood Federation (NBF), an
alliance of more than 20 ethnic
parties, publicly condemned at-
tempts to introduce it for the 2010
election.
Representatives said that those
trying to apply proportional repre-
sentation are the common enemy
of all ethnic minorities. The NBF
warned it would organise protests
against the change if parliament ap-
proves the proposal.
They said they see the issue as a
competition between the USDP and
the NLD but warned the major par-
ties to consider the impact on ethnic
minorities.
If the powerful parties think
we are just ethnic minorities from
far-ung areas of the country who
dont need to be taken seriously, then
theyll soon nd out this is a mis-
take, U Aye Maung said.
EI EI TOE LWIN
eieitoelwin@gmail.com
University teacher
wins Supreme Court
battle over dismissal
THE Union Supreme Court has over-
turned the Ministry of Educations
decision to dismiss a university teach-
er, in a decision some argue could
be a landmark ruling for other civil
servants.
The ministry dismissed Daw Kyin
Htay, a professor and head of the De-
partment of Economics at Yangon Dis-
tance University on March 29, 2013,
under section 41 of the Civil Servants
Law for allegedly having poor rela-
tions with colleagues and students. No
department inquiry into the allega-
tions was conducted.
In December, her lawyer, U Mg Mg
Soe, asked the Supreme Court to issue a
writ of mandamus an order to correct
a defect of justice on the grounds that
the decision was in violation of section
375 of the 2008 Constitution, which
guarantees a person shall have the
right of defence in accord with the law.
On January 23, the Supreme Court
agreed to accept the case. The court
heard arguments on April 28, with the
Attorney Generals Ofce acting on be-
half of the Ministry of Education. On
June 9 the court overturned the minis-
trys decision.
Im really happy for the sake of
my own dignity and that of my fam-
ily because some people thought badly
about me after I was dismissed, Daw
Kyin Htay said.
U Mg Mg Soe told The Myanmar
Times that the ministry had contested
the case vigorously but its allegations
against Daw Kyin Htay were non-
sense.
During the hearing, the Ministry
of Education submitted groundless
allegations against Daw Kyin Htay to
the court. For example, they said she
never did research or participated in
educational seminars, he said.
We showed that she attended re-
gional seminars. In one case she was
the only one chosen from Myanmar to
present a research paper.
U Mg Mg Soe said the decision was
particularly signicant because the
dismissal letter was signed by then-
Minister for Education U Mya Aye
with the approval of the president.
He said he could nd no evidence
that a decision made by a minister
had been overturned by the Supreme
Court. In another case that I found, a
decision by the head of a city develop-
ment committee was nullied. [Daw
Kyin Htays] case is the highest case to
date, he said.
Daw Kyin Htay was equally scath-
ing of the Ministry of Educations in-
appropriate accusations.
In an efort to justify its decision
to dismiss her, Daw Kyin Htay said
the ministry had produced com-
plaints about her submitted by some
of her former colleagues. However,
these were dated June 27, 2013 al-
most three months after she had been
forced to quit.
Legal afairs writer Thaw Nay Zaw
said the Supreme Courts decision
would give civil servants greater job
security, as it would serve as a prec-
edent for any future cases.
It shows that the government
cant dismiss civil servants without
conducting an inquiry or without
some kind of oversight, he said.
Prior to going before the Supreme
Court, Daw Kyin Htays case was raised
in the Pyithu Hluttaw in 2013 by rep-
resentative U Thein Nyunt. During the
seventh session, Minister for Education
U Mya Aye, who has since passed away,
conrmed to the parliament that Daw
Kyin Htay had been forced to resign
with full pension entitlements, and that
no department inquiry had been con-
ducted prior to her dismissal.
The Ministry of Education could not
be reached for comment last week.
KHIN SU WAI
jasminekhin@gmail.com
[The decision]
shows that the
government cant
dismiss civil servants
without an inquiry.
Thaw Nay Zaw
Legal affairs writer
BILL OTOOLE
botoole12@gmail.com
Why dont you
instruct those
monks to stop their
activities, U Ye Htut?
Its nonsense.
Shwe Zin Htun
Facebook user
ANALYSIS
Opposition groups, analysts sense USDP pushback against constitutional change in decision to resume debate on proportional representation
A woman submits a vote for a Pyithu Hluttaw representative at a polling station in Nay Pyi Taw during the 2010 election. Photo: Staff
USDP vice chair U Htay Oo.
Photo: Zarni Phyo
News 5 www.mmtimes.com
Voting system debate sparks tension
He urged both sides to show
some give and take to defuse the
situation.
Altogether 25 MPs debated the
issue in the Amyotha Hluttaw from
June 9 to 11. While the proposal
was approved, it still requires the
green light from both the Pyithu
Hluttaw and the Pyidaungsu Hlut-
taw. Military representatives were
among those who voted against
the system in the Amyotha Hlut-
taw, however it could still pass the
Pyidaungsu Hluttaw with unani-
mous USDP support.
U Htay Oo, a vice chair of the
USDP, said his party would support
the proposal if it believed it was ben-
ecial for the country and people.
No [voting] system is perfect, U
Htay Oo said. What matters more
than the system is whether we are
working in the interest of the country.
Political analysts said the debate
was likely to bring about confronta-
tion between the major parties, and
could potentially be a setback for the
democratic transition.
It would be better if all involved
take a very cautious approach to
resolving any problem in order to
avoid difcult situations, said U
Kyaw Win, who is a political writer
and member of Amyotha Hluttaws
Political, Economical and Legal Af-
fair Commission. The PR system
should not be like an invitation to a
new political crisis but a way to re-
solve the current crises.
Translation by Zar Zar Soe
Monastic schools avoid anti-Muslim campaign
AUNG SHIN
koshumgtha@gmail.com
PHYO WAI KYAW
HLAING KYAW SOE
A LEADING sayadaw says monastic
schools are not involved with the
activities of the conservative Com-
mittee for the Protection of Nation-
ality and Religion.
Better known by its Myanmar-
language acronym Ma Ba Tha,
the monk-led committee has pro-
posed laws banning interfaith mar-
riage and polygamy and recently
launched a boycott of Qatari tel-
ecoms rm Ooredoo.
[Monastic schools] are focused
only on education. We are not in-
volved with Ma Ba Tha or any other
political issues, said U Nayaka,
principal of the Phaung Daw Oo
monastic education high school in
Mandalay.
The Committee for the Protec-
tion of Nationality and Religion
was formed last year by monks de-
termined to combat the perceived
threat posed by Islam. Closely linked
to the 969 movement, its leaders
have courted controversy for their
strident anti-Muslim views.
But U Nayaka said it was im-
portant not to see the Sangha as a
monolithic body.
I want the public and others to
clearly understand that monastic
education schools are only focused
on education, particularly at a time
when there is a lot of news about
Ma Ba Tha campaigns on social me-
dia and in public, said U Nayaka,
who is also head of the Monastic
Education Development Group.
He said he was concerned that
the recent monastic education
conference in Hopong, Shan State,
which brought together nearly 1000
senior monks, could be miscon-
strued as an activity led by Ma Ba
Tha.
It was the biggest monastic
school event weve ever held and I
worry about the public misunder-
standing its purpose.
At the conference, a senior monk
from State Sangha Maha Nayaka
Committee, which oversees all
monks in Myanmar, urged monastic
school leaders to concentrate only
on education and not get involved
in controversial activities.
Opposition groups, analysts sense USDP pushback against constitutional change in decision to resume debate on proportional representation
25
Number of MPs who discussed the
proportional representation proposal
A woman submits a vote for a Pyithu Hluttaw representative at a polling station in Nay Pyi Taw during the 2010 election. Photo: Staff
Fish farm owner angers residents
A FISH farm owner fed up with poach-
ers on Taungthaman Lake in Manda-
lay Region has upset locals by erecting
a security hut to catch them out.
Hundreds of Amarapura township
residents gathered at the security post
on the lakeside last week wanting to
destroy it but were persuaded not to
after the police and ofcials from the
Department of Fisheries intervened.
Owner U Chit Kaing has since re-
moved the hut but discontent has not
abated. Residents complain that previ-
ous sh farm owners who came across
poachers at the lake merely cons-
cated their nets and the sh they had
caught rather than involve the police.
U Chit Kaing, however, asked police
to apprehend poachers, resulting in
four arrests on June 4. Previous own-
ers, residents said, had also set a time
when, for a fee, locals could sh in the
lake. They complained that U Chit Ka-
ing had placed thorn bushes around
the lakes edge to discourage shing.
U Chit Kaing however said the
measures were needed to nurture sh
stocks during the breeding season.
I already gave two months chance
for the shermen to catch sh in
this area until June 2. After that
I banned catching sh during the
breeding season, he said.
U Chit Kaing insisted that he has
the long-term welfare of the lake in
mind as well as residents livelihoods.
I cant work without the residents
help when the season comes to catch
sh. I intended to form a team for the
residents who really want to cooperate
with me and I can help them to stand
on their own two feet, he said. I can do
such things for them but they are too
weak to follow rules. When they gather
as a crowd, it could turn into a problem
and could encourage violence.
But Ma Naing, a housewife from
nearby Pyathat Kyi village, doubted
U Chit Kaing would ofer much in the
way of assistance.
She said previous sh farm owners
had opened a free medical clinic for
residents and helped support children
nancially at school, but that now her
children had to go barefoot.
How can we poor people survive
and make a living if we dont have the
chance to catch sh? Daw Gyan, also
from Pyathat Kyi village, told The My-
anmar Times.
U Aye Lwin, head of the Depart-
ment of Fisheries for Mandalay dis-
trict, said U Chit Kaing got permission
to run his sh farm in April.
He warned residents not to catch
sh during the breeding season. Those
who do could face a ne of K2000 or
three years in prison, or both.
I banned catching
sh during the
breeding season.
U Chit Kaing
Fish farm licensee
NLD leader advises
activists to take death
threats to police
DAW Aung San Suu Kyi has urged hu-
man rights activists who have received
death threats for criticising controver-
sial new religious laws to go to police.
She made the comments following
a meeting between the Pyithu Hluttaw
Rule of Law, Stability and Peace Com-
mittee, which she leads, and 10 rights
activists in Nay Pyi Taw on June 11.
Activists who took part in the meet-
ing said Daw Aung San Suu Kyi ex-
pressed concern over the threats and
told them to keep a record to facilitate
eventual investigation.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi advised us
to record these threats and open a le
so we could resolve the matter through
legal means, Ma Thin Thin Aung of
the Myanmar Womens League told The
Myanmar Times after the meeting.
Ma Zin Mar Aung of the Rainfall
Gender Study Group said she would
le a complaint with her local police
station but said she was not convinced
police would really track down those
responsible.
We are entitled to protection un-
der the law. If the police dont care, the
threats will continue, she said.
The threats were made in relation
to the stance activists have taken on
four controversial bills concerning re-
ligious conversion, interfaith marriage,
monogamy and population control
written by a monk-led group called the
Committee for the Protection of Na-
tionality and Religion, which is closely
linked to the 969 movement.
The president set up a 12-member
commission in March, headed by Dep-
uty Attorney General U Tun Tun Oo,
to draft the religious conversion and
population control bills by June 30. On
May 28, the draft religious conversion
bill was published in state newspapers
inviting public comment.
The interfaith marriage bill has
drawn the most criticism, with more
than 100 civil society organisations
publishing a statement denouncing the
proposed legislation and criticising it
as undemocratic and discriminatory.
Later, some received death threats in
the form of anonymous letters, mes-
sages, phone calls and even online mes-
sages. One reportedly said, When you
come to Mandalay, you will be dead
when we see you.
On June 7, United States ambassa-
dor to Myanmar Derek Mitchell said
he was extremely concerned about the
threats.
Threats of violence to suppress
speech and peaceful dissent are uncon-
scionable and dangerous for the health
of this nascent democracy, and should
not be tolerated, he said.
Anyone favouring a new civil soci-
ety of openness and dialogue should be
standing up for these women, denounc-
ing these threats, and not only protect-
ing but encouraging the free expression
of ideas and opinions without fear.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has previ-
ously criticised the interfaith marriage
law, which would ban Buddhist women
from marrying men of other faiths.
Ma Thin Thin Aung said the Nation-
al League for Democracy leader had
promised to oppose any new or existing
law that would not have positive efects
for the people and the state.
We explained why we oppose the
laws and why we feared the conse-
quences if these laws were adopted. We
dont know how parliament will decide
or how the government will respond.
EI EI TOE LWIN
Govt, monks under fire for night raid
THE State Sangha Maha Nayaka
Committee and the Ministry of Reli-
gious Afairs have come under erce
criticism for a night-time raid on a
monastery at the centre of a high-
prole land dispute.
Police and committee ofcials
raided Mahasantisukha Buddha
Sasana Center in Tarmwe township
at 11pm on June 10 and evicted 20
monks and 32 laypeople from the
site.
Inuential monks and commen-
tators have condemned the raid as
a misuse of power and said it was
conducted in a fashion more remi-
niscent of Myanmars previous mili-
tary dictatorship.
The raid late at night to shut
down the monastery was dictato-
rial in nature, said U Parmaukkha,
head of Magwe Monastery.
If they had nothing to hide,
they should have done it during the
daytime. It is a misuse of power
[and] totally contradicts the demo-
cratic way that the president says
we are going.
He called on President U Thein
Sein to form an investigation team
to probe the actions of the State
Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee.
This is an ugly incident, he
said. We profoundly object to this
dispute being resolved by force in-
stead of settling it with insight.
The raid was headed by the Yan-
gon Region Sangha Maha Nayaka
Committee. About 300 police, 280
monks and ofcials from the Min-
istry of Religious Afairs took part.
It took place while the founder
and head of the monastery, U Pan-
navamsa widely known as Pen-
ang Sayadaw was visiting Japan
for missionary work. U Panna-
vamsa founded the monastery in
1999, but it was conscated by the
military government in 2002 while
he was overseas and given to the
State Sangha Maha Nayaka Com-
mittee, the body that oversees all
monks in Myanmar.
In recent years he has lobbied
President U Thein Sein to return
ownership of the monastery back
to him but the Ministry of Religious
Afairs has argued that it is impos-
sible because according to Buddhist
rules a donation to the Sangha can-
not be taken back.
Monks in the monastery had
been instructed on May 18 to leave
by the end of the month in compli-
ance with the March 6 decision of
the 47-member State Sangha Maha
Nayaka Committee.
After the raid, monks from the
monastery were taken to the De-
partment of Religious Afairs in Ma-
yangone at about 1am.
The laypeople were taken to
Tarmwe police station and freed the
following day after signing a pledge
Eviction of monks from Mahasantisukha Monastery in Tarmwe township on June 10 was a misuse of power, sayadaw says
AUNG
KYAW
MIN
aungkyawmin.mcm@gmail.com
Threats of violence
to suppress speech
and peaceful dissent
are unconscionable
and dangerous.
Derek Mitchell
US ambassador to Myanmar
A woman yells at police and monks as they raid Mahasantisukha Monastery late on June 10. Photo: Zarni Phyo
SEVENTY-THREE townships are yet
to report on how they spent more than
US$100,000 each in government funds
under a constituency funding program
introduced by MPs, according to the
Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Ofce.
The program was introduced in
the 2013-14 nancial year by MPs, with
each township getting K100 million for
development projects, including new
roads, school repairs and improve-
ments to water supplies.
However, only 252 townships have
submitted a report explaining how the
funds were used. Among those yet to
provide documentation are six of the
eight townships that make up Nay Pyi
Taw, including Lewe, Pyinmana, Tat-
kon, Dekkinathiri, Ottarathiri and Pob-
bathiri townships.
The program has proven controver-
sial, with some arguing it is politically
motivated, could lead to corruption and
may undermine local government ser-
vice delivery. However, many MPs argue
it is necessary because the government
has been too slow to provide essential
services to communities.
Following criticism of the plan in
January, MPs agreed to make changes
to the program to ensure it met gov-
ernment nancial procedures, such
as including civil servants in decision-
making. However, this failed to stop dis-
putes between the parliament, govern-
ment and communities emerging over
the funding.
U Ko Nyo, a resident from Lewe
township who was involved in the pro-
ject, said the main issue was that the
level of funding was not enough.
We temporarily covered some of
the costs ourselves, he said. I guess
its a good thing that at least they paid
some money, so we could get the pro-
jects happening.
Some MPs have also criticised the
way the program is structured. Last
week, U Hmat Gyi, an Amyotha Hluttaw
representative from Mandalay Region,
said it favoured the countrys more de-
veloped states and regions, where there
are more townships clustered together.
He said Kayah State (seven town-
ships), Kayin State (nine townships),
Chin State (nine townships), Rakhine
State (17 townships) and Mon State
(10 townships) received relatively little
funding despite being most in need of
infrastructure spending.
Translation by Khant Lin Oo
THAN HTOO
Govt, monks under fire for night raid
to stay out of the Mahasantisukha
dispute in future.
At about 10:30pm, six police
vehicles and express buses with
monks entered into the monastery.
Then they blocked the street to
the monastery. Then they surround-
ed the monastery, said a staf mem-
ber from the monastery who asked
not to be named.
With U Pannavamsa out of the
country, Thone Htet Monasterys
sayadaw, U Panyeinda, and U Ott-
ara, known as England sayadaw,
were detained as the acting heads of
Mahasantisukha.
U Panyeinda was freed on the
morning of June 11 after signing a
similar pledge but U Ottara and six
other monks remain in custody.
The other monks will be freed af-
ter being interrogated, presidential
adviser U Ant Maung said at a press
conference on June 11.
The head of religious afairs for
Yangon Region, U Sein Maw, said
the raid was conducted at night
with the agreement of the State
Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee
to avoid unnecessary problems for
both monks and laypeople.
State media quoted ofcials at
the press conference as saying that
U Pannavamsa has no right to pri-
vately own the property as the gov-
ernment had already handed it over
to the State Sangha Maha Nayaka
Committee.
But critics said it was little more
than a politically motivated land
grab.
I have never seen a situation
where a monastery was national-
ized like this, political commenta-
tor Moe Thu Mandalay wrote on his
Facebook page.
Neither the head of Sangha
Committee or the ministry can ex-
pel monks if they are not breaking
the rules for monks. Their actions
break the rules it shows they dont
care about the Buddha.
He particularly took aim at the
role U Ant Maung, a former direc-
tor general in the Ministry of Reli-
gious Afairs, played in organising
the raid.
Every monk knows what kind
of person U Ant Maung is. The fact
that U Thein Sein appointed this
kind of person as his consultant
tells us a lot about the nature of the
president.
The 88 Generation Peace and
Open Society issued a statement on
June 11 calling on the State Sangha
Maha Nayaka Committee, Yangon
Region government and the Union
Government to resolve the case
delicately and fairly. Failure to do
so could result in unrest, the group
said.
The shutdown of the monastery
comes a month before the planned
launch of a missionary training
program at the monastery. The pro-
gram was suspended in 2000 but
was due to resume in early July.
Translation by Thiri Min Htun
Eviction of monks from Mahasantisukha Monastery in Tarmwe township on June 10 was a misuse of power, sayadaw says
Townships
fail to report
on funding
program
A woman yells at police and monks as they raid Mahasantisukha Monastery late on June 10. Photo: Zarni Phyo
20
Number of monks evicted from
Mahasantisukha Monastery
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Dated. 16
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June, 2014
FRISKIES
EDUCATION
Schooling suffers amid confict
CHILDRENS education is one of the
casualties of the conict between
government and Kachin forces, say
parents who live in displaced-persons
camps. They say the situation has been
getting gradually worse as the conict,
now in its fourth year, has dragged on.
The deterioration has come despite
a Ministry of Education pledge to
provide free education up to middle-
school level in Kachin State, though
it has not been made clear how to do
this.
Maran Naung Latt, a resident of
Kutkai township in northern Shan
State, who visited camps in Laiza last
week, told The Myanmar Times that
schools in the camps were operating
under severe stafng, time and accom-
modation constraints.
Camp schools ofer primary edu-
cation in the morning and middle
school in the evening, but I have no
idea how the children or the teachers
can concentrate in such crowded con-
ditions, she said.
About 100 students from the camps
have passed the matriculation exam in
each of the past three years, but they
have no chance to enter university, she
said.
The war made more than 100,000
people homeless and 30,000 school-
children hopeless and helpless for
their education. What is the use of it?
I want to tell leaders from both sides
to stop the war immediately if they are
really concerned for the future of their
children, she said.
Schools are operating both in
government-controlled and Kachin
Independence Army-controlled areas.
A few teachers have volunteered to
teach in the camps, but they have had
very little training and there are not
enough of them, she said.
Schools on the government side
have not accepted children recom-
mended by the Kachin Independ-
ence Organisation for the past three
years, and many children have given
up their studies for lack of money or
opportunity.
On the rebel side, the KIO provides
free education for all children, and of-
fers diplomas in medicine and nursing.
The current conict broke out on
June 9, 2011. While ghting has largely
stopped since a major are-up in late
2012, residents from 13 villages had
to ee to Mansi and Namkham town-
ships after ghting resumed in April.
Daw Phyu Ei Thein, of the Sun-
ower Group Social Enterprise, said
they had no updated information as
to whether newly displaced children
could enter camp schools or not.
All children must have equal ac-
cess to education, whatever quality it
might be. This conict is ruining their
future, she said.
The content of education is also dis-
torted, as the history taught in schools
is selective. Some camp schools also
shun teaching in the Myanmar lan-
guage, she said.
Myanmar is the common language
in which both sides communicate
with each other. Both sides should put
aside their personal feelings and think
about what they are doing, said Daw
Phyu Ei Thein.
The Sunower Group donated sta-
tionery and textbooks last year and
will do so again this year if the min-
istry does not provide supplies itself.
Children study in a camp for people displaced by the Kachin conflict in July 2012. Photo: Kaung Htet
CHERRY
THEIN
t.cherry6@gmail.com
Students miss classes in
a Chin village divided
A LANDSLIDE has created a tale of
two villages, in which children are be-
ing denied access to education because
they cannot reach the village school.
The natural disaster in April
2012 created two villages, upper and
lower Cellpee, near Madupi in Chin
State. Now the hamlets 52 homes
are connected by a rough and steep
track 3 kilometres (1.8 miles) in
length that parents say is difcult
even for adults. And the primary
school, in the upper village, is just
too far away for their children to
attend.
The situation is very unsuitable
for the children. The hill road is 1 mile
and 7 furlongs [3km]. The going is
difcult enough for adults, let alone
primary-school children. The school
hasnt enrolled any children [from
lower Cellpee] this year, said lower
Cellpee resident U Phone Ote, 38, a
father of ve children.
After a visit by local politicians and
education ofcials, lower Cellpee resi-
dents had the impression negotiations
were proceeding to build the school
midway between the two communi-
ties. But the school was built in the
upper village in mid-2013.
During the 2012-13 academic year,
the Cellpee Primary school headmis-
tress also taught the children at the
lower village in an assembly area.
However, the headmistress has
been changed and the new one is un-
willing to make the trek downhill to
lead further classes.
The children cant go to the upper
village. We asked them to teach the 22
children from the lower village like
last year, said one mother.
It remains unclear why the school
was built in the upper village. U Win
Aung, the contractor who built the
new school, said the location was
a state government decision. We
knew the local political parties and
education ofcials wanted to build the
school between the two villages. The
decision to build in the upper village
was made at the [Chin] state level, he
said.
U Khome Phel, who lives in upper
Cellpee village, said he thinks the deci-
sion was taken because his village has
more households. I wanted the school
built between the two villages, but
they stopped inviting me to meetings
once they knew my opinion, he said.
SI THU LWIN
sithulwin.mmtimes@gmail.com
National exam pass rate
plummets to below 32%
BARELY one-third of Mandalay high
school students and even less in Yan-
gon managed to pass their nal ex-
ams, as pass rates slumped nationally.
The national pass rate for the ma-
triculation exams was 31.76 percent,
well down on last years pass rate of
34.33pc.
Best performer was Mon State
which, for the sixth year running, had
the highest percentage of students
passing the exam, at 50.52pc.
The declining pass rate this year
sorted out the talented students. Stu-
dents who studied hard passed. Stu-
dents who did not will have to retake
the exams. The exam results have
identied the students with ability,
said a senior education ministry of-
cial, who asked not to be named.
In the 2013-14 academic year, about
540,000 students sat examinations,
of whom only about 170,000 passed.
Other than Mon State, most states and
regions revealed a decline. The second
highest pass percentage was in Man-
dalay Region, where 34.4pc passed,
while in Yangon Region the pass rate
was about 30.34 percent.
Students and parents speculated
that the declining pass rate was the re-
sult of changes to the ministrys poli-
cies, but ofcials denied any change.
My daughter was hoping to re-
ceive three distinctions, but she was
not on the list. I dont know how they
set the criteria. But there are a lot of
people who didnt do as well as they
hoped. Our whole family is sad be-
cause of this, said Daw Mar Lar, the
mother of a female student in Yankin.
Results were released nationally on
June 7.
Si Thu Lwin, May Thinzar Naing
Mandalay students look for their matriculation exam results at Basic Education
High School 1 Aung Myay Thar San on June 7. Photo: Si Thu Lwin
The local political
parties and
education ofcials
wanted to build the
school between the
two villages.

U Win Aung
Contractor who rebuilt the school
ManagingDirector, Editor-in-Chief MTE&MTM
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Squatters to receive
temporary homes: govt
THE government has revealed it will
tackle the growing illegal housing
problem in Yangon and other cities by
developing more residential areas on
urban fringes.
Deputy Minister for Construction
U Soe Tint told parliament on June 11
that the ministry will coordinate with
region and state governments to pro-
vide temporary housing in new towns
newly developed outlying suburbs
for squatters by the end of 2015.
The problem has been most acute
in Yangon, where landless households
often migrants from other parts of the
country have occupied empty land on
the outskirts of the city in recent years.
Myanmars economic boom has made
this land increasingly valuable, and dis-
putes have occurred when owners have
re-sold or begun to develop the land. In
many cases, the land is owned by gov-
ernment ministries or the military.
According to Yangon Region gov-
ernment gures, there are about
600,000 people living in about 60,000
illegal houses in the city.
The government has responded by
evicting residents often with force
and demolishing their homes, but this
has done little to resolve the problem.
Many evicted households simply return
to the same area days later, or shift to
other unoccupied land.
But U Soe Tint said the illegal hous-
ing issue would be addressed under a
National Comprehensive Development
Plan and town plan being drafted by
the Department of Human Settlement
and Housing Development for 56 cit-
ies and towns with more than 100,000
residents.
He said some evicted households
had already been granted 600-square-
foot plots of lands in East Dagons 155
ward, while the department also plans
to house 455 households in the Ayeyar
Wun Yadanar high-rise housing pro-
ject being developed in Dagon Seikkan
township.
The deputy minister made the com-
ments in response to a question from
Thura U Aung Ko, the Pyithu Hluttaw
representative from Kanpetlet in Chin
State. Thura U Aung Ko said the gov-
ernment needed to resolve the prob-
lems through proper planning, rather
than simply evictions.
The government should rst inves-
tigate how long they have lived on the
land. Those who have lived there for
years should receive compensation,
while those who have only recently ar-
rived should face legal action.
If the government solves that
problem with force, without analysing
whether they have been living there for
a long time or not, there can be unex-
pected consequences, Thura U Aung Ko
said. Translation by Thiri Min Htun
EI EI TOE
LWIN
If the government
solves that problem
with force ... there
can be unintended
consequences.
Thura U Aung Ko
Pyithu Hluttaw representative
Police guard people evicted from Hlaing Tharyar in January. Photo: Kaung Htet
Illegal households will be relocated to newly developed areas by end of 2015
Peace talks
delicately
poised, says
U Aung Min
STUDYING peace processes in other
countries will give Myanmar a better
chance of ending its long-running eth-
nic conicts, the governments chief
peace negotiator says, adding that
talks are at a pivotal moment.
Speaking during a ve-day sym-
posium at the Myanmar Peace Center
on June 8, Minister for the Presidents
Ofce U Aung Min said negotiations
were at an important stage.
We are at a pivotal moment in our
peace process. We are at a pivotal mo-
ment in the history of Myanmar, he
said in a statement.
Peace is the only foundation on
which we can build democracy and
create a more prosperous future for
our children and grandchildren. Fail-
ing is not an option; we must succeed.
And our chances of success will be
much increased if we learn lessons
from other experiences.
The event, organised by the Be-
yond Ceaseres Initiative, brought to-
gether government peace negotiators,
leaders of ethnic armed groups and
international experts. Examples were
drawn from a wide range of countries,
including Afghanistan, Colombia, In-
donesia and the Philippines.
Jean Arnault, an experienced
UN mediator, said political dialogue
needs to bring about not only a signed
agreement but also a growing level of
trust.
The most difcult thing to do is
to put behind the fundamental dis-
trust. In reality the political dialogue
has to bear many more burdens than
just achieving the give and take of
bargaining. It needs to bear the trans-
formation of the relationship between
the two sides, he said, adding that the
process needed to be efcient.
A properly structured process is
an essential part of a strong political
dialogue, he said.
THOMAS KEAN
tdkean@gmail.com
Fishing boats moor at Bo Cho Island, with Lampi Island in background. Photo: Supplied
Enviro groups urge caution
over Myeik eco-resort tender
ENVIRONMENTAL groups have ex-
pressed concern over a recent ten-
der for an ecotourism project in the
Myeik Archipelago, warning that it
should only go ahead if the govern-
ment can ensure the winner properly
adheres to environmental standards.
The Forestry Department of the
Ministry of Environmental Conser-
vation and Forestry invited local and
foreign companies to bid for a long-
term lease inside the Lampi Marine
Park, in Tanintharyi Regions Bok-
pyin township, in order to promote
sustainable development in the area.
The tender for the site, which is on
department-owned land on War Ale
island, inside the marine park, closed
on May 30. Companies were to submit
a proposal for an eco-based resort
that would be built under a build, op-
erate and transfer (BOT) agreement.
Ministry ofcials declined to
provide any further details on the
tender last week, adding only that the
result would be announced in state
media.
U Saw Tun Khine, an adviser to
the Biodiversity and Nature Conser-
vation Association (BANCA), said the
development must keep the impact
on the local ecosystem to a mini-
mum. In particular, he stressed that
it should include proper pollution
control management rules that are
strictly enforced.
The concessionaire shouldnt
inuence the conservation manage-
ment body, and should have environ-
mental conservation knowledge. De-
velopment and conservation should
be balanced, or the habitat could be
destroyed quickly, he said, adding
that park authorities should monitor
tourism development to ensure that
it is responsible.
Visitors should follow basic con-
servation principles take nothing
but photographs and leave nothing
but footsteps or the sustainabil-
ity of the area will be afected. Does
the department have enough human
resources, funding and capacity to
manage these things properly?
Other experts say the answer to
this question is a resounding no.
U Tint Tun, chair of the Marine
Science Association Myanmar, who
frequently visits the marine park,
said patrols did not operate in the
conservation area because of the
lack of facilities for the staf. He said
bringing hoteliers into the area could
lead to improvements in enforcement
and ward of more dangerous threats,
such as illegal shing.
Im hopeful that responsible tour-
ism development will also help con-
servation, he said. Although Lampi
is regarded as a national park there
were lots of trawlers when I visited
two months ago. Lesser mouse deer
are also hunted for meat. If hoteliers
are willing to collaborate in sustain-
able development, there will be more
success in conservation.
Ministry ofcials concede that there
are difculties enforcing the conser-
vation zone. While patrols take place
once a month, they are sometimes
cancelled during rainy season be-
cause of bad weather, said a Nature
and Wildlife Conservation Division
ofcial, who asked not to be named.
U Saw Tun Khine said the Myeik
Archipelago biodiversity was richer
than that of upper Myanmar and
its resources should be husbanded
wisely.
A 2011 report by an Italian NGO
and BANCA said marine and terres-
trial biodiversity in Lampi had sig-
nicant value, and that 50 globally
protected species had been identied
so far. According to the report, Lampi
Marine National Park was designated
in 1996 to include an area extending
3.2 kilometres (2 miles) from the out-
er islands, of which Lampi Island is
the biggest at 205 square kilometres.
The report added that the main
threat was human settlements caus-
ing forest destruction, agriculture
expansion, heavy poaching of forest
mammals, logging and wood harvest-
ing, overshing, illegal shing, over-
harvesting of marine ora and fauna,
and garbage and solid waste.
The report recommended that
ecotourism be developed only after
park management was in place and in
a manner that favoured community-
based initiatives.
Meanwhile, a recent survey by
a team of scientists from Flora and
Fauna International (FFI), working
alongside internationally renowned
marine experts, recorded hundreds
of species around the 800-island ar-
chipelago, including at least four new
forms of coral, as well as several in-
vertebrates and sh.
FFI is now in talks with the gov-
ernment and local community repre-
sentatives about how best to protect
the area, which is also on a list of pro-
posed World Heritage Sites.
Getting legal protection is not
such a problem, said Frank Momberg
from FFI, but getting the budget [for
efective enforcement] will be a bigger
challenge.
AYE SAPAY
PHYU
ayephyu2006@gmail.com
Ministry of Environmental Conservation must have resources to ensure terms of tender are being
followed before companies are given the green light to build in environmentally sensitive area, groups say
UNICEF
rejects
apology
reports
THE United Nations Childrens
Fund has insisted it did not
apologise for using the word
Rohingya during a recent
presentation to local partners
in Rakhine State.
The Arakan Civil Society
Network (Sittwe) said the agen-
cy had apologised on June 5
in front of Minister for Border
Afairs and Security Colonel
Htein Linn as well as Rakhine
civil society groups for using
the term during a meeting the
previous day.
The group said UNICEF
country representative Ber-
trand Bainvel promised ...
UNICEF will never use that
illegal word again during a
meeting in the ministers ofce
at 10am that day.
UNICEF did not reject this
version of events when con-
tacted by The Myanmar Times
on June 6.
However, it said in a state-
ment on June 11 issued in
response to misreporting in
some media that it had not
apologised, despite having been
asked to do so by Col Htein
Linn.
UNICEF explained the term
was used in an oral presenta-
tion and this was an oversight,
as UNICEF had no intention
of engaging in a discussion on
sensitive issue of ethnicity at
that forum, it said.
The term Rohingya has
been used to identify one com-
munity living in Rakhine in nu-
merous UN reports, including
by the UN Secretary General,
when referring to the political
and humanitarian rights of mi-
norities to self-identication,
it said.
The presentation was given
on June 4 during the launch of
a two-year plan to address the
long-term needs of children in
Rakhine State.
The controversy comes after
the agency was forced to admit
it was paying more than US$1
million a year in rent for its
Yangon ofce, which is report-
edly owned by former Minister
for Agriculture and Irrigation
U Nyunt Tin.
The organisation said it rents
its Golden Valley property for
$87,000 a month.
Ministry files complaint against Eleven over corruption story
THE Ministry of Information has
submitted a complaint to the Interim
Press Council after an Eleven Media
article accused it of misusing funds in
the purchase of printing presses.
The June 2 article in Daily Eleven
alleged that the ofcial prices stated
for the purchase of the presses were
higher than what had really been
paid and that the diference had been
misused.
But U Win Zaw Htay, director of
the News and Periodicals Enterprise,
told journalists on June 6 that there
was no substance to the accusations,
which he described as slander. He
said the Ministry of Information had
video and audio recordings of all ne-
gotiations that took place before the
purchase of printing presses.
We have no printing presses worth
millions of dollars so the article is just
false reporting. We all know we should
carefully check information before
publication and issue a correction as
quickly as possible if we have made
a mistake in accordance with media
ethics. So they should decide whether
they are right or wrong, he said.
But the ministry has also asked
the press council to decide, submit-
ting a formal complaint on June 5.
U Win Zaw Htay said he was con-
dent the council would decide in the
ministrys favour and hinted that the
ministry is also considering legal ac-
tion if no apology is forthcoming.
This kind of reporting has caused
misunderstanding with the public
and is not in accord with media eth-
ics. We assume that they intended to
hurt the reputation of our News and
Periodicals Enterprise, he said.
We hope the Press Council will
give us justice. We will also seek jus-
tice within the legal framework for
their wrongful reporting. But all will
be satised if they make correction.
The ministrys said in a state-
ment it had purchased an India-
made colour printing press for
US$395,500 and another press val-
ued at $418,367 from Taw Win My-
int Mo Company in 2013-14. Anoth-
er set of presses valued at $700,000
was purchased in 2014-15, it said.
U Win Zaw Htay said these had
been purchased transparently and
in accordance with rules and regu-
lations for the purchasing of assets
issued on April 5, 2013, by the Presi-
dents Ofce.
In addition, we made records dur-
ing every meeting for the purchased
items with four security cameras and
one video camera and we kept the
movie and audio les so we had con-
crete evidence in case of any dispute.
Eleven Media did not respond to
requests for comment.
After the press conference, Eleven
Media Group released a statement
saying it had only been trying to
highlight the misuse of public funds
that can create losses for the country.
It said it had compared the value of
printing presses purchased by the
ministry with what Eleven Media
Group had paid for similar presses.
PYAE THET PHYO
pyaethetphyo87@gmail.com
AYE NYEIN WIN
ayenyeinwin.mcm@gmail.com
THOMAS KEAN
tdkean@gmail.com
We hope the Press
Council will give
us justice ... [T]he
article is just false
reporting.
U Win Zaw Htay
News and Periodicals Enterprise
Inle Lake could disappear
within a century, experts warn
INLE Lake is drying up, and could
disappear within the next century
if stronger measures are not taken
to preserve it, experts warned last
week. One of the countrys premier
tourist attractions, the lake now cov-
ers less than half the area it once
did, and is threatened by silting and
deforestation.
Existing plans are not enough to
save the lake, United Nations Devel-
opment Programme senior program
adviser Igor Bosc told The Myanmar
Times on June 10. He said a major pro-
gram of public awareness-raising was
required.
UNDP works with the Ministry of
Environmental Conservation and For-
estry on an Inle Lake conservation and
rehabilitation project.
The water level has decreased a
lot over the past 70 years, while the
amount of silt has risen higher and
higher. If the lake community contin-
ues as usual, the lake could disappear
within a century. We need to do more,
he said.
A management workshop on Inle
Lake conservation held from June 10
to 12 in nearby Taunggyi discussed the
root causes of the problem, includ-
ing the need to improve collaboration
among the various groups involved,
promoting the involvement of local
residents and taking into account
their social, economic and environ-
mental situation.
We could make progress by estab-
lishing a lake authority, as has been
done in some countries, said Mr Bosc.
UNDP country representative Toily
Kurbanov said the drastic reduction in
the area of the lake, from 134 square
miles to just 63 square miles, high-
lighted the need for action.
If we carry on like this, the beau-
ties of the lake will vanish, he said.
In 2010, severe drought sent water
levels to a record low, and the ground
around Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda was
dry and cracked.
The local economy is linked to
the problem.
Inle residents use rewood for
fuel, causing deforestation, which has
helped dry up the lake, Shan State
Minister for Forestry and Mining Sai
Aik Paung told the workshop on June
10.
The changing climate and socio-
economic conditions have contributed
to the deterioration of the lake, he
said, despite the eforts of the govern-
ment and conservation organisations.
High silt levels mean that some parts
of the lake will dry up once the rainy
season is over.
Population levels and the area un-
der cultivation are greater than ever
before. This produces more silt, making
the lake shallower, and smaller in area,
U Aung Kyi Win, a Shan State Hluttaw
representative from Nyaungshwe, told
The Myanmar Times on June 11.
International support has been
forthcoming, however, with the UNDP
and the Norwegian government pro-
viding US$2.6 million to the Inle Lake
Conservation and Rehabilitation Pro-
ject, a ve-year program covering 71
villages in three townships, in collabo-
ration with the Ministry of Environ-
mental Conservation and Forestry.
The Institute of International De-
velopment (IID) and UN-Habitat have
also drawn up long-term plans to
make the lake sustainable.
These have already had some
impact, according to U Aung Kyi Win.
During the past ve years, there
have been improvements in conserva-
tion. Local teams have been formed
to collect rubbish from the lake, and
sanitation and burial systems have im-
proved. Trees have been planted near
the lake, and terrace cultivation is be-
ing practised, he said.
Inle Lake is located in Nyaung-
shwe township in southern Shan
State. More than 400,000 people live
on or in the vicinity of the lake, with
around 25 percent of households be-
low the poverty line. The area is also
a popular tourist site for both locals
and foreigners.
PYAE THET PHYO
Inle residents paddle long-tail boats on the lake. Photo: Boothee
Tourists
to help
restock
Inle fsh
EI EI THU
91.eieithu@gmail.com
IN an efort to promote conser-
vation, the Shan Fisheries Fed-
eration is to sell fry, or baby sh,
to tourists and pilgrims wishing
to release them into Inle Lake.
The move is part of a program
to help reduce illegal shing and
maintain sh stocks in the lake,
federation secretary U Myat Min
Soe told The Myanmar Times.
U Myat Min Soe said the sug-
gestion came from U Win Kya-
ing, general secretary of the My-
anmar Fisheries Federation.
The Shan State government
and the sheries federation want
to improve public education
about illegal shing in the lake,
a major tourist location.
Using batteries to electro-
cute the sh, or poison or explo-
sives, is illegal. The use of batter-
ies can make sh infertile even if
it doesnt kill them, he said.
The fry will include myat sar
nga kyin (grass-eating carp),
shwe wah nga kyin (common
carp), silver nga kyin carp and
Thai nga gonn ma (swamp
barb), at a cost of K8 for a 1-inch
sh and K10 for a 1.5-inch sh.
Tourists and pilgrims can re-
lease the sh into the waters of
the lake.
These sh are not carnivo-
rous and will have no impact on
the other lake sh. The stocks in
the lake have been reduced be-
cause of insecticide used in agri-
culture and illegal shing, so this
could aid recovery, he said.
People wishing to release fry
can contact the Shan Fisheries
Foundation on 09-4283-54349 or
081-20974.
Declining sh stocks is one of
several environmental problems
at Inle Lake, which experts have
warned could dry up within a
century unless drastic action is
undertaken (see related story
left).
Conservation plans need to be dramatically scaled up to save one of countrys most iconic sites, UNDP says
Student union bosses
to give youth a chance
THE All Burma Federation of Student
Unions is to hold a nationwide confer-
ence this year to decide how to hand
over power to the next generation of
students, a senior member said last
week.
The intention in holding a nation-
wide conference is that we want to re-
form the union and we have a respon-
sibility to hand over our duty to a new
generation. It is best for the students
who are still studying at universities to
take responsibility for the union, said
Ko Ye Yint Kyaw, an information ofc-
er from its central working committee.
ABFSU members will vote for their
replacements from a selection of uni-
versity students. Students who are not
members of the ABFSU will only be
able to attend the elections as observers.
Each university should have a
student union. The force of the un-
ion needs to be strong at the moment
because most students dont join the
union because their parents ban them,
and the government drives a sense
of fear into the students mind. So,
the new union will seek to become a
strong union, he said.
Although the ABFSU plans to hold
the nationwide conference on uni-
versity campuses, there are plans for
alternative venues if the authorities
prohibit events. We will annul the
central working committee after the
conference, Ko Ye Yint Kyaw said.
The ABFSU played an important
role in the 1988 uprising. After pro-
tests were crushed, it was forced un-
derground and many of its members
ed to neighbouring countries.
MAUNG ZAW
Most students
dont join the union
because their
parents ban them.
Ko Ye Yint Kyaw
ABFSU senior member
Deforestation prompts
bees to nest in Yangon
CLIMATE change and deforestation
have prompted swarms of bees to nest
in populated areas where there are
more reliable food sources, the director
of the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries
and Rural Developments Apiculture
Department says. The re department
has been called in to tackle the problem
in Yangon, where Asian dwarf honey
bees (Apis orea) have become increas-
ingly common since last year.
They normally migrate from a
high-rain area to a low-rain area but
climate change and deforestation
means there is less space in forests. So
theyve relocated to places near peo-
ples houses where they can nd their
food, director U Aung Myint said.
Since bees can grow to maturity in
just 20 days, and up to 10 nests can
be found in one location, they pose a
particular threat in densely populated
areas.
In Myanmar they are most preva-
lent in the Mahar Myaing forests in up-
per Sagaing Region. In Yangon Region
they are usually concentrated in Hlaw-
gar Wildlife Park.
But since last year there have
been swarms nesting in houses in
North Dagon and Bahan townships in
Yangon.
U Htein Lin, deputy head of the
North Dagon re brigade, said his work
now involves removing bee nests.
We have destroyed eight bees nests
in residents houses in North Dagon
township [since 2013] because they are
very dangerous for residents, he said.
Firemen have found nests in ward-
robes, ceilings and roofs, he said.
Last week an 11-strong re crew,
wearing sting-proof suits and using a
chemical spray, destroyed a nest in a
lm industry storehouse on Wingabar
Road in Bahan township.
It is not easy to destroy the nest if
we do not tackle them this way because
they are very quick to rebuild their
nests and they are poisonous, U Htein
Lin said. They can be dangerous so if
you want to destroy a nest it is better to
call the re department.
Dr Thu Ya, the head of the Health
Department in North Dagon township,
said that anyone bitten by a bee should
seek treatment as soon as possible.
The area of a bee sting will normally
swell. Victims usually develop aches
with a few going on to develop fever,
he said.
At the moment we have not heard
of any deaths caused by the poison of
these bees but three remen who were
bitten and allergic to the bees poison
were taken to North Dagon hospital,
Dr Thu Ya said.
Crisis
response
centre
opens
Govt rejects minimum
drinking age proposal
HLUTTAW members are calling time
on the nations antiquated drinking
laws, which they say are apparently
being broken every day. Alarmed at
the reported increase at the rate of
teenage drinking, members debated
the question last week.
Shan State Amyotha Hluttaw rep-
resentative Sai Paung Nap asked the
government on June 12 if there was a
plan to set a minimum age for drink-
ing alcohol.
In reply Deputy Minister for Home
Afairs Brigadier General Kyaw Zan
Myint said the government had no
plans to do so. But we have taken
steps to cut down on excessive alcohol
use by providing education, promot-
ing discussion and taking action, the
deputy minister said.
He added that in efect there was
no law governing the age at which
people could start drinking alcohol.
However, parents, relatives and teach-
ers could exercise control over young
people to dissuade them from drink-
ing alcohol, citing social, economic or
health considerations.
Existing legislation seems to be
conned to section 21(6) of the 1928
Excise Rules, which forbids the sale of
alcohol directly or indirectly to those
under the age of 18. It also bans chil-
dren under 16 from serving alcohol.
However, the 1928 law also pro-
hibits the employment of women in
restaurants or bars to serve drinks,
whether or not they are paid.
The law speaks of bar counters.
Women who serve drinks in restaurants
today are at the dining table. I am not
sure what the diference is between the
counter and the dining table. Is pouring
beer at the dining table a violation of
the law when a woman does it? Its time
to amend the 1928 Excise Rules, said
Pyinmana resident U Tin Tun Aung.
The deputy minister also told MPs
that locally manufactured alcohol was
tested by the Food and Drug Admin-
istration at least once a year before
distribution.
But Sai Paung Nap told The Myan-
mar Times he thought the police could
do more to stamp out illegally manu-
factured alcohol, which even govern-
ment ministers concede is widely
available in the countryside.
HTOO THANT
AYE NYEIN WIN
SHWE
YEE SAW
MYINT
poepwintphyu2011@gmail.com
Firemen in protective suits remove a bee nest from a film storage warehouse in Bahan township on June 9. Photo: Zarni Phyo
A NATIONAL Crisis Manage-
ment Center designed to better
protect Myanmar from extreme
weather, earthquakes, outbreaks
of disease and man-made emer-
gencies opened in Nay Pyi Taw
on June 11.
Funded by the European Un-
ion, which also helped train its
staf, the centre will be the central
part of an early warning system
aimed at helping authorities to
plan quicker and more efective
responses to any sudden crisis.
The National Crisis Manage-
ment Center will help people 24
hours [a day] and it can contact
the highest authorities if neces-
sary. We expect to rely very much
on this centre, Minister for Home
Afairs Lieutenant General Ko Ko
said at the opening ceremony.
We believe that collabora-
tion between the Myanmar au-
thorities, the Ministry of Home
Afairs, the police force and the
EU was well implemented, he
added.
In 2008 the government was
heavily criticised for its slow re-
sponse to Cyclone Nargis, Myan-
mars worst natural disaster on
record, which killed more than
138,000 people.
The hope is that the centre
will greatly diminish the impact
of future disasters by giving the
authorities more time to mount
a response.
This is the rst national crisis
management centre in the ASE-
AN region, said Roland Kobia,
the EU ambassador to Myanmar.
In a separate announcement
at the ceremony, Police Colonel
Kyaw Win Thein said Myanmars
police force is set to almost triple
in coming years, to one ofcer for
every 250 people.
The police force currently has
about 120,000 ofcers, or one for
every 700 people.
Fire department increasingly being called in to remove nests from homes
Short-term
blackouts fry
electronic
devices
POWER surges caused by mini-
blackouts are burning out elec-
tric appliances in Mandalay,
residents complain. The dam-
age is caused by short power
cuts and regular resumptions
that have a devastating efect
on many electronic devices.
Appliance use is relatively
widespread in Mandalay, partly
because of recent improve-
ments to the power supply. The
outages occur mostly in the
early morning and before dark.
This happens at least 20
times a day, morning and even-
ing, with the power going of
and on every other minute. Our
house is near the transformer,
so uorescent lamps and adap-
tors are damaged by the over-
voltage, said Ko Kyaw Pyae, of
Chan Mya Tharsi township.
Fuses also melt as the power
surges back after a cut.
We now have adequate
electricity supply as a result
of more substation infrastruc-
ture. Though we still get power
cuts, they dont last long. But
the problem is the frequent
short-term blackouts, which
cause fuses to melt. We have to
keep calling in electricians, and
were afraid of the re risk,
said another resident, Ko Phyo
Wai.
Last week, there were sev-
en or eight outages within one
minute. My computer battery
was damaged and the inverter
burned out. We cant switch
of the power at the mains be-
cause the outage is too short.
Our neighbours television also
burned out, said Ko Nanda
Kyaw Dwe of Chan Mya Tharsi
township.
A spokesperson for Nyaung
Kwal substation said the cause
of the on-of power cuts was
the need to switch between
supply lines to ensure sufcient
electricity.
SI THU LWIN
YCDC
promises
easier water
connections
YANGON City Development Commit-
tee says customers applying for a per-
mit for a water supply connection will
now only have to wait a day in a newly
simplied and cheaper service.
Previously, people had to wait
nearly one month to get a permit for
a water supply connection. But this
one-stop service will facilitate a faster
process that will be completed within
the day. We have started implement-
ing it in Thingangyun township and
will expand to the rest of Yangon Re-
gion, said U Nay Win, an ofcial from
YCDCs Engineering Department.
It will be available for all house-
holds who want to receive a water
supply from YCDC. However, they will
need to show household ownership
papers.
The service charge, which includes
the labour cost and the permit fee, will
now cost around K100,000, down from
about K180,000 previously, U Nay Win
said. The workers costs may difer
depending on distance between the
main pipe and the houses, he added.
But there are still hurdles to over-
come, not least of which is whether
there is enough water available to
meet demand.
It is also necessary to re-calculate
whether there are sufcient amounts
of water to supply all households who
will apply for a water supply connec-
tion, U Nay Win said.
Hundreds of Dala households
to get piped water for frst time
YANGON City Development Commit-
tee says hundreds of households in the
most water-decient wards of Dala
township will nally be connected to
piped water in July.
Our department is calculating how
many more households need to be con-
nected, how much is used on average
by an individual and whether we have
enough. We will be doing nishing
touches and providing the pipelines by
the end of July to the houses that are
registered, said U Nay Win, an ofcial
from YCDCs Engineering Department.
So far 256 households from Yaza
Thingyan ward and 190 households
from Ant Gyi ward have registered for
piped water supply.
One one-third of households in
Dala township receive water from the
YCDC, with most relying on stored
water. Some residents also buy water
by the bucket from households with a
water connection.
During the hot summer months
water shortages are common, and
emergency supplies often have to be
trucked in.
The remaining homes in Dala with
insufcient water now have access to
water tanks connected by pipe to the
water supply, which they can access
from 5am to 5pm without limitation.
YCDC has constructed new public
water tanks wherever they are needed,
has refurbished the old tanks and has
begun pumping water directly into
homes, U Nay Win said. These are in
areas where water was previously dis-
tributed by truck.
YCDC has, however, expressed frus-
tration that some of the taps on the
communal water tanks are not being
turned of and water is being wasted.
It has appointed supervisors to moni-
tor water use at each tank.
Residents of Yaza Thingyan ward
told The Myanmar Times they wel-
comed the improvements.
It is no longer like past days when
we could only carry a limited amount
from the tanks that NGOs have built.
These tanks are done by YCDC. The
pipes directly pump into the tanks,
Ko Thet Naing Soe said as he collected
water from a tank last week.
Ko Than Htun, who supervises the
tank at Min Tone Lan, said the im-
proved water supply would save resi-
dents time and money.
We dont have to go out and buy
curry anymore, he said. We used to
buy food that is already cooked since
we didnt have enough water to wash
the meat and vegetables.
Translation by Mabel Chua
Police arrest woman accused
of beating housekeepers
Police have arrested a woman
from Lanmadaw township for
allegedly abusing two young
housekeepers, who were
found trying to escape from
her fourth-floor balcony.
Neighbours rang police
on June 5 after they spotted
the 11-year-old boy and a
12-year-old girl attempting
to reach the street from the
balcony.
Police arrested Daw Phyu
Phyu Khin, 43, and charged
her with voluntarily causing
grievous hurt, which carried
a potential jail term of seven
years.
The two children, who are
from Taunggyi in Shan State,
have accused her of beating
them with a cane, pipe and
stick, and regularly cursing at
them while instructing them
to do household chores.
Man arrested over pot stash
Police have arrested a man
after finding him allegedly
packaging marijuana to sell.
Officers raided the home
of the 44-year-old man in
Pyawbwe townships Tadar
Chaung village on June 8.
When they entered the house
the man fled but was later
apprehended. Police found
more than 9 kilograms of
marijuana, with an estimated
value of K2.2 million.
Driver charged after
train collision
A Yangon taxi driver has been
charged after colliding with
a train.
The driver, who works for
company AA Taxi, hit the
Yangon circular train in North
Okkalapa township about
1:30pm on June 8. No injuries
were reported but taxi was
destroyed. The driver has
been charged under the Train
Act.
Electrician electrocuted
An electrician in Mingalardon
township has died after being
electrocuted while changing a
light bulb on June 8.
The 26-year-old fell after
being shocked while putting
in the light bulb and hit his
head. He died as a result of
the wound.
Motorbike taxi driver
robbed at knifepoint
A motorbike taxi driver has
been robbed at knifepoint in
North Okkalapa township.
The driver picked up a pas-
senger at about 9:30pm on
June 7. After arriving at his
destination, the passenger
pulled out a knife. He was then
joined by two other men, who
stole Ko Aung Aungs
motorbike.
Police have arrested two
men but are still searching for
a third. They have recovered
the knife and the motorbike.
Buffalo slaying baffles
Twante township police
Police in Twante township are
investigating the grisly killing
of a buffalo.
U Phoe Kalar from Mya Yoe
village in Twante told police
that when he woke at about
5:30am on June 2 one of his
three buffaloes was missing.
After searching around his
property he discovered the buf-
falos head, legs and intestines
in a bush beside a nearby high-
way. He reported the incident
to police at the Twante station
on June 6. Toe Wai Aung,
translation by Khant Lin Oo
CRIME IN BRIEF
SHWEGU THITSAR
khaingsabainyein@gmail.com
SHWEGU THITSAR
A child fills a bottle of water from a communal tank in Dala township. Photo: Yu Yu
Strong monsoon set to continue
DOWNPOURS and the resulting traf-
c jams like those seen last week in
Yangon are expected to continue over
the next week, with strong monsoon
conditions likely to persist, a Depart-
ment of Meteorology and Hydrology
ofcial says.
According to the department, the
monsoon advanced to northern Myan-
mar on June 7, three days later than
last year, while monsoon intensity in
the Bay of Bengal revived during the
second 10 days of June. The depart-
ment reported vigorous monsoon in-
tensity in the Andaman Sea and south-
ern Bay of Bengal on June 12.
U Kyaw Lwin Oo, deputy director
of DMH, said the formation of cyclone
and low-pressure areas in the Arabian
Sea, the South China Sea and the Pa-
cic Ocean helped intensify monsoon
conditions.
Tropical cyclone Nanauk formed
in the Arabian Sea, and there are low-
pressure areas in the South China Sea
and storm systems near Japan in the
Pacic. These factors have increased
monsoon intensity in Asia, he said.
There is a chance that low-pres-
sure areas will form in the northern
Bay of Bengal. Strong monsoon condi-
tions are expected till next week. Nor-
mal rainfall is forecast in many areas
of the country, but coastal areas will
see more than normal precipitation,
he added.
U Kyaw Lwin Oo said the dry zone
of central Myanmar is expected to re-
ceive about 2 inches (51 millimetres)
of rainfall and coastal regions will like-
ly get about 9-10 inches (228-254mm)
to June 20.
The department stated in its sec-
ond 10-day forecast for June that rain
or thundershowers were above normal
in Tanintharyi Region, Kayin and Mon
states, about normal in Bago, Yangon
and Ayeyarwady regions, Kachin and
eastern Shan states and below normal
in the remaining regions and states.
Kayin, Mon and Southern Rakh-
ine states and Yangon, Bago and Tan-
intharyi regions are forecast to have
isolated or regionally heavy rainfall
of more than 3.5 inches [89mm] over
four or ve days because of the strong
monsoon, he said.
Yangon Region also received heavy
rainfall in the early hours of June 12,
leading to a storm of complaints about
trafc congestion and ooding on so-
cial media.
U Kyaw Lwin Oo said El Nio was
likely to emerge around August. El
Nio is the climate pattern caused by
the efect of warm sea surface tem-
peratures over the eastern and central
equatorial Pacic, possibly bringing
unusual weather phenomena, though
the intensity of the condition is not yet
clear.
According to the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration, the
chance of an El Nio condition is 70
percent during the northern hemi-
sphere summer, rising to 80pc during
the autumn and winter.
AYE SAPAY
PHYU
ayephyu2006@gmail.com
Children play on a street in downtown Yangon during a heavy downpour on June 12. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing
Risking arrest, a worker descends into a mine in Singu townships Kan Taung region last month. Photo: Si Thu Lwin
Singu gold miners issue
appeal over permits
GOLD miners from seven villages in
Mandalays Singu township are peti-
tioning the chief minister for the right
to resume work on gold elds in the
area, 15 years after the concession was
given to private companies.
The complainants, from the Kan
Taung region of Singu, said private
companies had been given the conces-
sion in 1999 because they promised
to allow locals to work the gold elds.
However, artisanal miners were never
given permission to resume work in
the area.
The miners argue that they should
be allowed to mine the elds in the
interests of poverty alleviation, as the
area has little cultivable land and few
employment prospects. They also say
that the companies are mining just
one-fth of their concessions.
Before the companies were here,
we ran our mining businesses by
conducting an auction and sharing
the raw materials equally between
the winning bidder, land owner and
worker. If we got three bags, each one
get one bag, said U Kyaw Moe, who
formerly owned a gold eld near Kyi
Tauk Pauk village.
Since the companies were given
the permits, thousands of residents
from seven villages in our area have
been sufering. We are not asking for
the plots to be given back. We are just
asking the government to allow us to
do joint ventures in nearby areas, he
said.
Twenty-two permits were issued by
the Ministry of Mines to private com-
panies, covering a total of about 100
acres. Locals say only 20 acres have
been worked but they are forbidden
from mining the rest.
Last month, locals got some re-
sponse to their complaints when they
were allowed to mine in the area for
two days following negotiations with
company ofcials. It was the rst time
they had been able to legally mine in
the area since the permits were rst is-
sued in 1999.
We were able to work at one mine
on May 15 and 16, with workers from
the seven villages taking it in turns,
said U Kyaw Sint from New Yone vil-
lage. But the companies withdrew
permission the next day.
A director of one of the companies
that holds a concession in the area said
he was willing to work with locals but
was waiting for government permis-
sion. We are trying to get permission
because we applied [for the concession]
with the promise to work together with
locals. We have submitted it to the
relevant ofcials at every level but we
havent got a clear answer yet, he said.
About 7 acres of fallow land in
the Kan Taung area has not yet been
awarded to private companies and lo-
cals have been applying to the govern-
ment for the past ve years for permis-
sion to work the land, without success.
The impact of the lack of job
opportunities on local communi-
ties has been dramatic, they say. In
many cases, residents have resort-
ed to mining fallow land illegally,
despite the threat of arrest.
Residents have been destitute ever
since the companies were granted per-
mission to do business here, said Ma
Khine (Ta Tha Tha), a former singer
who is leading the campaign to get a
concession for residents. Some com-
panies are even working areas outside
their concession but locals face arrest
if they mine on fallow land.
Resident Ko Aung Myo Tun said he
was concerned that the growing pov-
erty would lead increasingly desper-
ate locals to resort to a life of crime to
make ends meet.
Unless action is taken then this
region will probably become a place of
evil, he said, with more cases of rob-
bery, theft and assault.
SI THU LWIN
KYAW KO KO
Communities say they have been left without jobs for 15 years because
concessions to mine nearby gold elds were awarded to private companies
100
Acres of land in the Kan Taung region
of Singu township given to private
companies since 1999
Govt in talks with private clinics for insurance
WORKERS holding social insurance
smart cards could soon be able to ac-
cess private health care, the labour
ministry says. U Yu Lwin Aung, di-
rector general of the ministrys social
security board, told The Myanmar
Times last week that the Ministry of
Labour, Employment and Social Secu-
rity was negotiating a healthcare deal
with Okkala Specialist Clinic in North
Okkalapa.
The plan, involving an agreement
between the social security board and
a private-sector healthcare provider,
would be the rst of its kind.
Weve already met twice with OSC
but are still discussing rates. We will
take up the matter with them again,
said U Yu Lwin Aung.
Under the proposed plan, partici-
pants would receive treatment at a
hospital on presentation of their social
insurance smart card, and the social
security board would reimburse the
hospital. OSC managing director U
Thura Aung said cost was likely to be
an issue. The government said they
would like to implement this project
rst with a pilot scheme because it
has never been done before, he said.
But on the question of xed prices,
a government hospital and a private
hospital have very diferent pricing
structures, and this is something that
we will have to resolve. We cannot
reduce our prices to the level of gov-
ernment rates, but we can give dis-
counts for medical checkups.
One proposal is a dual payment
scheme by which the government
would reimburse a percentage of the
hospital bill, with a top-up fee from
the individual patient.
The SSB rst issued smart cards
last July, and now more than 6 million
workers hold them.
Holders are entitled to receive free
medical treatment at SSBs employers
clinics as well as referrals to work-
ers hospitals, in exchange for regular
worker contributions. But there are
only three workers hospitals in the
country at Tarmwe, Htantabin and
Mandalay, as well as 92 SSB clinics.
SHWE YEE SAW MYINT
poepwintphyu2011@gmail.com
WNBA ENTERPRISES, LLC, a company organized under the laws
of U.S.A and having its principal ofce at 450, Harmon Meadow
Boulevard, Secaucus, New Jersey 07094, United States of America is
the owner and sole proprietor of the following Trademark:-
Myanmar Registration Number. 4/43/1999
Entertainment and educational services.
Any unauthorised use, imitation, infringements or fraudulent
intentions of the above mark will be dealt with according to law.
Tin Ohnmar Tun, Tin Tiri Aung & Te Law Chambers
Ph: 0973150632
(For. Domnern Somgiat & Boonma,
Attorneys at Law, Tailand)
Dated. 9
th
June, 2014
TRADE MARK CAUTION
EuroChem Agro GmbH, a company incorporated in Gemany, of
Reichskanzler-Muller-Str. 23, 68165 Mannheim, Germany, is the
Owner of the following Trade Marks:-
Reg. No. 13869/2013
in respect of Class 01: Chemicals used in industry as well as in
agriculture, horticulture and forestry, in particular fertilizers,
including mineral fertilizers, multi-food fertilizing preparations,
unmixed fertilizers containing nitrogen; plant soils, soil
conditioning chemicals, peat (fertilizer); growth regulators. Class
16: Paper bags; printed matter; packaging material of plastic,
namely covers, bags and foils.
Reg. No. 13870/2013
in respect of Class 01: Chemicals used in the fertilizer industry
as well as in agriculture, horticulture and forestry; fertilizers.
Reg. No. 13871/2013
in respect of Class 01: Chemicals used in industry as well as in
agriculture, horticulture and forestry, in particular fertilizers,
including mineral fertilizers, multi-food fertilizing preparations,
unmixed fertilizers containing nitrogen; plant soils, soil condi-
tioning chemicals, peat (fertilizer); growth regulators. Class 16:
Paper bags; printed matter; packaging material of plastic, namely
covers, bags and foils. Class 44: Agricultural consultancy.
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 EuroChem Agro GmbH
P. O. Box 60, Yangon
E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm
Dated: 16 June 2014
US to support highway upgrade
THE United States has announced it
will work with the Ministry of Con-
struction to upgrade the Yangon-
Mandalay Highway, less than a month
after a deadly bus crash on the road.
The United States Agency for In-
ternational Development said in an
announcement on June 9 that it had
signed an agreement on May 27 to
assist ministry ofcials with build-
ing increased safety measures along
a 10-kilometre stretch of the roughly
589km (366-mile) highway.
This demonstration section will
then be used by the ministry as a
template for the remainder of the
road. USAID engineers carried out
a safety study of the highway and its
driving conditions in May of last year.
The United States is committed
to supporting continued reform and
broad-based economic development.
As the economy grows, transporta-
tion infrastructure will have to ac-
commodate more trade and trafc,
US ambassador to Myanmar Derek
Mitchell said in a statement.
But this issue is about more than
economic development; it is about
saving lives.
The announcement comes as a
deadly crash has cast a spotlight on
the safety of the road. In response
to the accident, the government an-
nounced plans to expand the high-
way from four to eight lanes.
Fourteen bus passengers were
killed and 29 were injured on May 12
when a bus travelling from Nay Pyi
Taw to Yangon plunged of a 45m-
high bridge about 30 minutes after
departing the capital.
From January to April of this year,
there were 147 serious accidents on
the highway, killing 57 and injuring
262, according to ofcial statistics.
The May crash came one month after
a ery collision between a bus and a
car claimed 12 lives. In 2013, 259 acci-
dents occurred on the road, with 113
people killed and 627 injured.
A driver negotiates a bend in the Yangon-Mandalay Highway. Photo: Staff
Govt defends
state media law
THE Public Service Media Law is
designed to enable state-controlled
media to ofer services that private
media groups cannot, rather than
to compete with private companies,
an ofcial has insisted in the face of
widespread criticism over the draft.
Private media organisations and
industry bodies have lobbied against
the law on the grounds it will harm
independent media by providing mil-
lions of dollars in subsidies to prop
up state daily newspapers, which are
sold for half or even a quarter the
price of private publications.
But Information and Public Rela-
tions Department deputy director
general Daw Thidar Tin said the law
was not drafted to maintain govern-
ment inuence in the sector.
We will give a service to the pub-
lic, including ethnic minorities, she
said. We will do the things that pri-
vate media cant. We do not intend to
compete [with] private media.
As an example, she cited the
space constraints in private sector
media that can lead to important
articles being shortened or not pub-
lished at all.
The department began drafting the
law in December 2012 and submitted
it to parliament in March. Under the
law, two state-owned newspapers and
broadcaster MRTV which has a num-
ber of TV channels and radio stations
will be 70 percent state funded, with
the rest of their budget to come from
advertising.
Public service media provides
every citizen, regardless of status,
with knowledgeable contents or pro-
grams on morality, culture, national
issues and so on, Daw Thidar Tin
said.
It also reects the voices and de-
sires of citizens. The law will ensure
that public service media is neither
state-owned nor commercial media.
To ensure it does not become com-
mercialised, nancial principles are
clearly stated in the law.
But journalists have questioned
why it is necessary to subsidise a
state-owned newspaper, let alone two.
Why does the ministry need to keep
publishing two loss-making newspa-
pers? The news coverage is the same
in both, U Ko Ko from Yangon Media
Group told The Myanmar Times in an
interview in March.
Kaladan
shipbuilding
project to
resume
CONSTRUCTION of six ships being
built in Myanmar with funds and
equipment provided by the Indian
government will resume this month
after a four-month suspension, engi-
neers close to the project conrmed
last week.
The hold-up was due to a delay
in the delivery of essential materi-
als from India, said the deputy chief
engineer at Dala dock, U Zaw Moe
Myint.
The vessels, each able to carry 300
tonnes of goods, are being built with
engines, steel plates and funding from
India to facilitate its trade with My-
anmar. Waterways between Paletwa,
Chin State, and Sittwe, Rakhine State,
are being cleared to allow their even-
tual passage.
The shipbuilding is being carried
out at Dala, Dagon Seikkan and Daw-
bon dockyards, each of which is build-
ing two of the ships. They are 80 per-
cent complete, said U Zaw Moe Myint.
Once the materials arrive, con-
struction will be completed by Novem-
ber, he said.
Each ship costs K200 million to
build, not counting the cost of the
engines and iron sheeting, which are
provided by the Essar Company on be-
half of the Indian government.
The ships will ply their trade route
in accordance with an agreement
signed between the two countries
to use the border crossing on the
Kaladan River, once the route has-
been cleared.
The Kaladan stretches 225 kilo-
metres from Sittwe to Paletwa but its
course is often blocked by sandbanks
and rockfalls.
The Indian government will also
be responsible for building a highway
from Paletwa to the India-Myanmar
border, as well as a jetty.
Translation by Thae Thae Htwe
TIM MCLAUGHLIN
timothy.mclaughlin3@gmail.com
AYE NYEIN WIN
PYAE THET PHYO
SHWEGU THITSAR
Thai coup compounds plight of migrants
MIGRANT workers in Thailand have
been hard-hit by the countrys po-
litical turmoil, experts say, but are
unlikely to return to Myanmar until
there are compelling job opportuni-
ties back home.
Thailands political situation,
which prompted a military coup on
May 22, has delayed a program that
would enable migrants to register le-
gally, while also creating day-to-day
difculties for Myanmar workers in
the country.
Nightly curfews from midnight
to 4am in most Thai cities, as well as
crackdowns on illegal border cross-
ings, have made life tough for migrant
labourers in recent weeks, said U Moe
Gyo, chair of the Mae Sot-based Joint
Action Committee of Burmese Afairs.
Many migrants will face prob-
lems with their jobs if the coup con-
tinues for a long time, he said. Al-
ready night-shift workers are facing
problems. Not only is there decreased
income, but they also cant travel to
hospitals or clinics at night.
Border police have also been more
vigilant since the coup, shutting down
many of the illegal crossings used by
migrants in the Mae Sot area, which
has forced them instead to use the of-
cial Myawaddy-Mae Sot bridge. U
Moe Gyo said about 200 illegal mi-
grants were arrested in Mae Sot on
June 3 by immigration police to be
returned to Myanmar, with more ar-
rests possible.
While the migrants themselves
face hardships following the coup,
high-level initiatives have also faced
setbacks.
Thailand and Myanmar ofcials
were meeting regularly to discuss the
situation for the estimated 3 million
Myanmar workers in Thailand, but
such negotiations thought to have
stalled earlier this year are now on
the back-burner.
A solution on migrant workers is
not a priority issue for discussion at
the moment, said U Sein Htay, pro-
ject manager from Myanmar Migrant
Worker Rights Network.
A 2003 memorandum of under-
standing between the two countries
that established a process for sending
Myanmar workers to Thailand legally
allows migrants to work for up to
four years in Thailand.
In 2009 the rst four-year visas
were issued under the national veri-
cation (NV) program. They began ex-
piring in 2013 but few migrants have
been able to renew them.
A statement from the Myanmar
embassy in Bangkok on June 4 fol-
lowing the coup urged migrants to
register under the NV program, lay-
ing out the requirements for migrant
workers on expired visas who wish to
stay longer in Thailand. They must
ll out several forms, then process
documents through the local Thai la-
bour ofce.
However, Thai ofcials have been
reluctant to approve the required
NV documents as political instability
grew, said U Sein Htay.
Some 778,258 migrants had regis-
tered under the program as of the end
of 2012.
The coup is likely to cause some
delays in further plans to cooperate
on migrant labour, said Police Colo-
nel U Win Naing Tun from the Min-
istry of Home Afairs Special Branch
unit.
While it has gotten more difcult
to be a migrant in Thailand in recent
weeks, Myanmar workers wishing to
return home often cannot nd simi-
lar economic opportunities.
In the longer term, the creation of
attractive job opportunities needs to
be made a priority so migrants can
return to Myanmar, experts said.
Yasushi Iwata from the Economic
Research Institute for ASEAN and
East Asia said one option that could
entice migrants back is to prioritise
industrial development around the
main border towns, such as Myawad-
dy and Tachileik.
U Sein Htay said this would take
some time and until then most will
remain in Thailand.
They wont return to Myanmar
next year because the job opportuni-
ties arent there, he said, and even
though there has been a coup, their
jobs are more secure in Thailand.
A worker takes a break from sorting fish unloaded from a trawler at a port in
Pattani, southern Thailand. Photo: AFP
Historic Magwe monastery embroiled in land dispute
A HISTORIC monastery in Magwe Re-
gion is at the centre of a land dispute
between monks and the local govern-
ment administrator, who says he owns
the land.
The 120-year-old Taung Oo Yote
Sone Monastery in Pwinbyu township
known for its examples of intricate
traditional wooden carving was built
around 1890, ve years after King
Thibaws exile to Ratanagiri, India. Its
10 acres have been registered since the
colonial era, but were entrusted to the
Ministry of Culture 15 years ago.
While three monasteries nearby
have updated to new forms of land
ownership, and another neighbour-
ing monastery will do so soon, Taung
Oo Yote Sone Monasterys paperwork
has been held up by a competing claim
from a local administrator, according to
the monasterys sayadaw, U Thunanda.
U Thananda told The Myanmar
Times by telephone that 5.92 acres on
the property has traditionally been
worked as a plantation by the cur-
rent administrators father-in-law,
who would give a quota of the prots
from each harvest to the monastery
in exchange for the land use. He then
passed the tenancy on to his son - the
brother-in-law of the administrator -
who sold it to the administrator.
The administrator is now asserting
ownership and has produced docu-
ments to say the land belongs to him.
I told him that he could plant in
the land but I cant give the owner-
ship, U Thunanda said. While I am
trying to get the new land ownership,
he is also trying. But neither of us is
getting it yet.
While the administrator could not
be reached for comment, a member
of the township Land Administration
Committee said it had not received
any complaint.
The member, who asked not to be
named, also said the administrator
was on the village Land Administra-
tion Committee that is being asked to
issue the documentation.
U Thunanda added that he had
sent a letter of complaint to the Min-
istry of Agriculture and Irrigation, the
Ministry of Culture and Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi.
KHIN SU WAI
NYAN LYNN
AUNG
29.nyanlynnaung@gmail.com
IN DEPTH
A SENIOR monk says a giant
footprint purported to have been
left by a famous disciple of the
Gautama Buddha has been un-
covered in Sagaing Region and
is likely to become a noted pil-
grimage site.
U Thu Manna said the
left footprint of Ashin Maha
Kathapa was found in Ah Nya
Lae village in Mingin township.
Ashin Maha Kathapa was a
trusted disciple of the Buddha
and was instrumental in con-
vening the First Singhayana, or
First Buddhist Synod, in 543-
542 BC.
The footprint is about 74
centimetres (29 inches) in
length and was found about
two years ago. As well as being
more than 2500 years old, the
footprint is notable for having
the gure of a zawgyi (alche-
mist) in its little toe.
U Thu Manna acknowledged
there would be some doubts
over the legitimacy of the print
but brushed these aside.
Dont doubt the footprint.
Please consider it is real. Per-
sonally, I believe in it, he said
at a press conference at Orchid
Caf.
He said the site would be a
suitable pilgrimage site, as it
is a short boat and car journey
from Monywa, which is just
three hours from Mandalay.
According to legend, Ashin
Maha Kathapas remains are
still preserved in a cave near
Monywa, where they are to stay
until the era of Buddha Ahre-
inmaraya, who is the only one
able to cremate his body. The
legend also tells of a giant foot-
print, similar to the one recent-
ly uncovered at nearby Mingin.
Today the cave is a popular des-
tination for Buddhist pilgrims.
Retired director general of
the Department of Archaeol-
ogy, National Museum and Li-
brary U San Win said it would
be hard to prove whether the
footprint is real and suggested
it would be best to appreciate
it with spiritual belief .
Myanmar is well known as
the land of pagodas and leg-
ends. But it is hard to prove
[these legends] even if you can
get some evidence. Mostly they
are more like myths, he said.
CHERRY THEIN
t.cherry6@gmail.com
Monk
announces
fnd of
fabled
footprint
Govt moves to shake up Yangon
bus system with $7.7m project
STATE-RUN buses are set to return to
Yangon streets in an efort to improve
the citys struggling public transport
system, an ofcial has revealed to The
Myanmar Times.
Department of Transport director U
Tin Win Aung said the ministry will es-
tablish a new line through a K7.4 billion
(US$7.7 million) joint venture with a
private company, Forever Green Right
Service.
They are importing 25 buses for
project, which will see passengers pay
for fares using prepaid cards rather
than cash. The project is still awaiting
Yangon Region government approval
but U Tin Win Aung said the ministry
is hopeful the line will begin operations
by the end of July.
Five buses have already arrived in
Myanmar and another 20 will arrive at
the end of the month again, said U Tin
Win Aung, adding that fares for the line
have not yet been set.
The line will likely be based in
North Dagon township, with buses
terminating downtown in Botahtaung.
Conductors will only be employed ini-
tially to help passengers get used to
using the prepaid system, while drivers
will be paid through a monthly salary
rather than the prevailing commission
system.
The conductors will help for about
one year but later it will be more like
an international public transportation
network, said U Tin Win Aung.
While the joint venture appears to
signal a realisation within the govern-
ment that the current system which
encompasses more than 6500 vehicles
across dozens of lines, with 18,000
workers in the municipal area alone
is fundamentally awed, U Tin Win
Aung said private sector involvement
was not necessary the problem.
I dont think the problem is that
the buses are owned by private compa-
nies. The main problem is that there is
no proper supervision. If the buses are
under the same company, they will fol-
low the companys rules, he said.
The 25 buses, however, will make up
just a fraction of the existing network
and so are likely have little immediate
impact. To bring about broader change,
U Tin Win Aung said the ministry
hopes to encourage existing bus own-
ers to come together and form a public
company.
One commuter said last week he
was heartened to hear the ministry was
getting involved in the bus network.
Most trafc jam are because of
buses the drivers and conductors just
do as they like. They stop and pick up
passengers carelessly. The drivers are
breaking the trafc rules all the time,
said Ko Kyaw Minn Oo, 35, who takes a
bus to his ofce in downtown each day
from his home near Thingangyuns San
Pya Market. The entire public trans-
portation system should be abolished
as soon as possible and replaced with
another system.
The head of the Yangon Region
Supervisory Committee for Motor Ve-
hicles, better known by its Myanmar-
language acronym of Ma Hta Tha, also
tentatively welcomed the plan.
I think it is a good step but they
will need to manage it well to ensure
its not a nancial burden on the gov-
ernment, said U Hla Aung.
He said it should improve services
for passengers, particularly on unprof-
itable routes. At the moment, he said,
it is difcult to take a bus at night be-
cause staf and owners do not want to
work when there are few passengers.
But if the government orders its
employees to operate at nighttime, they
will have to do it, he said.
AYE
NYEIN
WIN
I dont think the
problem is that the
buses are owned by
private companies.
The main problem
is that there is no
proper supervision.
U Tin Win Aung
Department of Transport director
New line will initially operate with 25 buses and will accept prepaid cards rather than cash for fares
Commuters hang on to the back of a crowded line car during peak hour in Yangon. Photo: Boothee
University staff continue to wait on transfer orders
EDUCATION ofcials want to speed up
the process of transferring university
teachers and to do so based on merit
and performance, the department says.
Transfers have been delayed for six
months because of the illness of former
minister U Mya Aye, who passed away
in December, and the subsequent wait
to appoint his replacement.
The list of teachers due for replace-
ment now needs to be updated, which
could take up to three months, said a
senior ofcial from the Department of
Higher Education (Upper Myanmar),
who asked not to be named.
However, the way transfers are
implemented is also likely to change,
the ofcial said, following a ministry-
led meeting of university teachers from
across the country at Yangon Universi-
ty on May 28. More than 50 professors
and lecturers from the 26 universities
in upper Myanmar and 22 in lower
Myanmar attended the meeting.
The ministry ... [asked them] to
give suggestions on the transfer order
policy. They asked us to select teach-
ers according to their performance
and the criteria for the positions. We
recorded their suggestion and will im-
plement it in the future, he said.
However, not all were pleased at the
way the meeting was conducted.
The ministry should act with great-
er transparency, said Daw Tin Nwe Yi,
a lecturer from the Mandalay Univer-
sity of Foreign Languages. We were
not told the subject of the meeting be-
forehand and we were told that if we
didnt agree, the delay would get long-
er. Though they did ask for our sugges-
tions, I dont believe teachers opinions
were really taken into account.
Under the previous system, the
ministry issued transfer orders to
teachers every three to ve years. The
Ministry of Education now wants aver-
age service terms to be one year, with
batches of transfer orders issued every
three to six months, the ofcial said.
The long wait for transfers causes
hardship for teachers, many of whom
are posted to universities far from
their families.
Implementation of the reform was
delayed because the former health
minister, U Mya Aye, was in poor
health. The last transfer orders were
issued in November, a month before U
Mya Aye passed away.
In February, President U Thein Sein
appointed Daw Khin San Yi as educa-
tion minister.
Teachers serving in mountain or
rural areas said they are anxious to re-
ceive their transfers as soon as possible.
We will wait and see what the new
policy is. We will consult teachers from
universities in upper Myanmar and
lower Myanmar, if need be, said U
Thuta, a member of the teachers un-
ion from Mandalay University.
One teacher, who trained in Magwe
Region, said, Ive served this village
as a middle school teacher for more
than three years, the normal term of
service before transfer. I applied for a
transfer nearly a year ago, and most
of my friends were transferred last
November.
AUNG KYAW MIN
aungkyawmin.mcm@gmail.com
3
Average length of posting, in years,
for a university teacher
Highway freight frms say MCDC
rate rise will kill our business
CASH-STRAPPED highway freight
hauliers are to take to the streets to
protest a decision by Mandalay City
Development Committee to double
the parking and storage fees it charg-
es heavy goods vehicles. The hauliers
say MCDC has refused to negotiate
in good faith after announcing the
increase at the Pyigyi Mingalar long-
distance lorry terminal.
U Win Myint, chair of the High-
way Freight Transportation Service
Association, told The Myanmar
Times companies were informed of
the changes on June 3.
We were summoned to negoti-
ate but we were unable to talk to
anyone who could take a decision.
We tried repeatedly to negotiate the
new fees, but failed. Now were go-
ing to demonstrate against MCDC,
he said.
MCDC will raise parking charg-
es from K350,000 to K700,000 a
month for a 25-by-60-foot space,
from K150,000 to K300,000 for
a 20-by-40-foot space, and from
K50,000 to K100,000 for storage.
Weve gone to a lot of expense to
move from the old lorry terminal
and we have not really settled in
yet. Weve told MCDC that this is
not a good time to increase the
charges and weve appealed to
them to negotiate the most suit-
able rates. Its not that we dont
want to pay their rate. We just cant
aford it, said U Win Myint.
An ofcial in the MCDC tax
department, who asked not to be
named, said the decision was made
by the MCDC executive commit-
tee. He said such increases were
permitted under existing tenancy
contracts.
When companies started to hire
space at the terminal from MCDC,
MCDC put a point in the contract
that it is able to change the rent
whenever it wants. So we are doing
this according to the contract, the
ofcial said.
But freight hauliers in down-
town Mandalay estimate they have
lost 75 percent of their business
since the Pyigyi Mingalar long-dis-
tance lorry terminal opened in July
2013.
The new place is nearly 10 miles
[16 kilometres] out of town, so trad-
ers send their freight to the nearest
transportation service instead, said
haulier U Thwin Soe. My busi-
ness is failing, but I have to pay the
rates. If I cease trading here, I have
to undertake not to run any trans-
portation service in the MCDC area,
which comprises seven townships.
This is unfair and it will probably
kill our business.
A truck drives past the new freight terminal in Mandalay. Photo: Than Naing Soe
Kachin facing
systematic
torture: report
A NEW report from an international
rights group has documented wide-
spread and systematic use of torture
by state security forces against civil-
ians in Kachin and Shan states over
the past three years.
The report, titled I thought they
would kill me: Ending wartime torture
in Myanmar, argues that the use of
torture during the Kachin conict con-
stitutes a crime against humanity. Thai-
based NGO Fortify Rights, which issued
the report on June 9 to mark the third
anniversary of the outbreak of ghting,
has called on Nay Pyi Taw to actively
investigate and ban the practice.
The similarities in incidents of
torture documented in disparate lo-
cations during a three-year period in-
dicate that torture was carried out as
part of a widespread and systematic
attack against the civilian population
with the backing of the state, the re-
port said. Civilians were systemati-
cally tortured in rural villages, areas of
armed conict, government facilities,
and places of detention.
According to the report, which
is based on 78 interviews conducted
with Kachin soldiers, civilians and civ-
il society members in both Shan and
Kachin states, the problem is not lim-
ited to any one state security agency.
No government representatives were
interviewed for the report.
Members of the Myanmar army,
Myanmar Police Force, and Military
Intelligence deliberately caused severe
and lasting mental and physical pain
to civilians in combat zones, villages,
and places of detention, it said.
The report documents security
forces using torture during interroga-
tions of civilians suspected of assisting
the Kachin Independence Army, and
even occasionally as retribution for
losses sustained elsewhere.
After the [Myanmar army] sol-
diers were defeated elsewhere, they
came back to the village, and thats
when we were tortured, said 27-year-
old farmer Naw Din, whose name was
changed for the report. They hit me
with the long part of their guns. Some-
times they hit me in the forehead.
The report focuses on cases of
young men being tortured. But as the
authors note, Myanmar civil soci-
ety organisations have documented
widespread rape and sexual violence
directed at women in Kachin State
and northern Shan State since the out-
break of hostilities in June 2011.
The groups research did not re-
veal any cases of torture committed
by members of the KIA but the report
said the rebel army also needs to re-
form. The KIA has been regularly ac-
cused of forcibly recruiting civilians
into its ranks, particularly ethnic Shan
villagers.
Fortify Rights shares concerns ex-
pressed by UN ofcials and others re-
garding allegations of the KIAs ongo-
ing use of child soldiers, forced labor,
and antipersonnel landmines, it said.
The report also calls international
bodies to take action in the conict on
the grounds that the abuses constitute
an international crime.
In all instances, perpetrators were
aware of the factual circumstances of
the armed conict and the victims
civilian status. As such, incidents
documented by Fortify Rights appear
to meet the statutory requirements of
torture as a war crime.
Presidential spokesperson U Ye
Htut did not immediately respond to
requests for comment.
BILL
OTOOLE
botoole12@gmail.com
THAN NAING SOE
thennaingsoe@gmail.com
Its not that we
dont want to pay
their rate. We just
cant aford it.
U Win Myint
Highway Freight Transportation
Service Association chair
Views
Why Beijing will take all
in the South China Sea
WHEN Philippine and Vietnam-
ese troops played football on a
disputed island in the South China
Sea last week, it was reminiscent
of how naive British and German
soldiers did the same thing early in
World War I.
And the incident also brought to
mind Karl Marxs famous aphorism
that history repeats itself, rst as
tragedy, then as farce.
For the tragedy this time is that
the Philippines and Vietnam, along
with fellow claimants Brunei and
Malaysia, have embarked on a futile
endeavour to wrest control of the
islands from China.
They will not succeed.
What will happen is that Beijing
will prevail in its assertion of sover-
eignty over virtually all of the South
China Sea.
Aside from huf and puf, and
whinge and whine, there is little
ASEAN claimants can do about it.
China is just too big, too powerful, too
close and too determined for them to
resist.
Their shing boats may sail
around the Chinese naval ships and
oil rigs and infrastructure facilities,
but they are like moths uttering
round a dragon feasting on a vestal
virgin.
They may be mildly irritating, but
they wont stop the big beast from
devouring its prey.
And now, after years of appease-
ment have failed to deter Beijing,
the once mutually suspicious ASEAN
claimants have resorted to playing
footy, quafng beer and pretending to
be buddies.
As Chinas foreign ministry spokes-
person Hua Chunying said, Dont
you think this small move by Vietnam
and the Philippines is at most a
clumsy farce?
She is right. It is pathetic and an
utter and total waste of time.
What is more signicant is how
the abject sterility of the response by
ASEANs claimants is afecting the
groups regional ties and their inter-
nal politics.
Non-claimants like Cambodia,
Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, who
have close and valued ties with China,
would dearly like to wash their hands
of the whole messy subject.
Even Malaysia has begun to drift
down that path and has efectively
split from other claimants by electing
not to protest too much.
During a visit to Beijing this
month, Prime Minister Najib Razak
downplayed the sovereignty dispute
with China and said it should not be
allowed to cloud the otherwise excel-
lent bilateral ties.
Meanwhile, Brunei has adopted
diversionary tactics. It is no accident
that the sudden imposition of sharia
law coincided with the recent
President steps
in to save Kachin
chief minister
IN March I wrote an opinion piece,
The Kachin State road-funding -
asco, explaining that the Kachin State
chief minister had forced gems min-
ing companies to contribute money to
upgrade the Hpakant-Moegaung road.
The amount he asked them to provide
was enormous: about K80 billion, or
US$83 million.
Forcing entrepreneurs to contribute
money is unlawful, so they complained
to the president and the relevant min-
istry about it, and the issue eventually
reached the hluttaw. However, there
was no formal response from the
Kachin State government or Union
Government. As a result, business own-
ers were worried they would face legal
action or other pressure to pay up, as
the chief minister had threatened.
The case appears to be settled, how-
ever. At the beginning of this hluttaw
session, which opened on May 28, the
Ministry of Mines sent a reply letter to
U Ye Tun, the Pyithu Hluttaw repre-
sentative for Hsipaw, who had raised
the issue.
First, though, lets back up a bit. The
96-kilometre (60-mile) Hpakant-Moe-
gaung road has been in poor repair for
many years because of the large vehi-
cles carrying jades from Hpakant. This
jade is then sold locally or to China,
earning billions of dollars in revenue,
but the government has never bothered
to repair it. The contractors granted
concessions to x the road have never
done a good job.
In August last year, Vice President
Sai Mauk Kham and the regional
government met to discuss afairs in
Kachin State. The chief minister told
the vice president that the Hpakant-
Moegaung road was in a bad state be-
cause of the jade-laden trucks and he
wanted to upgrade it with money col-
lected from jade mining companies.
The vice president instructed him to
cover the cost using an even split of
government funds and money raised
from the gem companies.
The chief minister then invited
Hpakant jade business owners to a
meeting at which he told them to
pay K10 million for each concession.
There are more than 8000 mining
plots in Hpakant operated by 814 gems
companies. Based on this, the chief
minister wants to collect K80 billion.
However, the Ministry of Construc-
tion has estimated the cost for the
whole project at K36 billion, which
means the companies are liable for
about K18 billion less than one-quar-
ter of what was asked of them.
The chief minister obviously in-
tended to collect a larger amount than
needed. Most companies refused to
pay up, although some, fearful of hav-
ing bad relations with the government,
agreed to pay what was asked.
The chief minister railed at those
companies that did not agree to con-
tribute K10 million for each concession,
warning that they would either have to
give back their concessions, or their
request for an extension to their con-
cession would be rejected, or he would
instruct the Ministry of Commerce to
blacklist them, and so on. Some com-
panies vehicles were stopped while
travelling on the road with their jade
and were even banned from selling it
locally. The chief minister also asked
the Myanma Gems and Jewellery En-
trepreneurs Association to send him
15 million euros immediately for the
project.
The companies held several meet-
ings to discuss the issue, and sent del-
egations to try to negotiate the amount
with the chief minister. However, the
chief minister responded with threats.
As a result, association ofcials later
took their case to the government,
while some business owners submit-
ted a complaint directly to the presi-
dent. Some asked for help from hluttaw
representatives.
One of these was U Ye Tun, who
asked in the Pyithu Hluttaw whether
the Kachin State governments actions
were in accord with the law. U Aung
Thein, a deputy minister in the Presi-
dents Ofce, read the answer written
by the Kachin State government during
the ninth hluttaw session. However, the
Kachin governments response did not
properly answer the question, so U Ye
Tun sent his question again.
In the meantime, the Kachin chief
minister continued with his road up-
grade plan, beginning repair work with
K2.7 billion provided by 27 companies
and the association. On March 26, after
being asked about the project by the
hluttaw, he signed a K4.3 billion con-
tract with Northern Royal Jade to up-
grade a 40km (25-mile) stretch
Finally, it was up to the president to
resolve the issue. A letter from the Min-
istry of Mines said that the Union Gov-
ernment Ofce informed the Ministry
of Construction and the Kachin State
government not to force gems compa-
nies to contribute for the upgrade of
the road and the Ministry of Construc-
tion will take responsibility for repair-
ing the road, with the order issued on
April 14.
It also said the companies that re-
fused to contribute will not face action
because demanding K10 million per
concession was not in conformity with
the law. The president didnt pass any
judgment on the chief ministers ac-
tions, much less reproach him.
It is clear the chief minister bullied
the business owners. The case was re-
solved because it became widely known
among the public, thanks to media cov-
erage and the questions submitted in
the hluttaw. As a result of this pressure,
the president nally had no choice but
to step in and save the Kachin chief
minister from the impact of his actions.
ROGER
MITTON
rogermitton@gmail.com
SITHU AUNG
MYINT
The case was resolved
because it became
widely known
among the public,
thanks to media
coverage and the
questions submitted
in the hluttaw.
The response from the Philippines and Vietnam to the dispute has disrupted bilaterial ties within ASEAN
TRADE MARK CAUTION
Ferrero S.p.A., a company organised under the laws of Italy of
Piazzale Pietro Ferrero 1, 12051 Alba, Cuneo, Italy, is the Owner
of the following Trade Mark:-
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in respect of Class 30: Pastry and confectionery.
Fraudulent imitation or unauthorised use of the said Trade Mark
for Ferrero S.p.A.
Dated: 16 June 2014
TRADE MARK CAUTION
NOTICE is hereby given that KAO KABUSHIKI KAISHA (also
trading as Kao Corporation) a company organized under the
laws of Japan and having its principal ofce at 14-10, Nihonbashi
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(Reg: No. IV/7345/2013)
in respect of:- Cosmetics; toiletries; anti-perspirants; antiperspirant
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soaps; shampoos; non-medicated lotions; skin conditioners; hair
conditioners; non-medicated bath preparations; non-medicated
bath salt; non-medicated cream for the eyes, hands and body;
cosmetic preparations for skin care; shower cream; hand and body
soaps; cleaning foam; hand and facial cleansers; perfumery; essential
oils; non-medicated face lotions and creams; non-medicated
moisturisers; skin moisturizers; sunscreen preparations; sun-tanning
preparations (cosmetics); liquid hand wash; cleaning preparations;
polishing preparations; grinding preparations; dentifrices; incense;
cosmetics for animals; air fragrancing preparations; cotton sticks
for cosmetic purposes; wipes for cosmetic use; tissues impregnated
with cosmetic lotions. Class: 3
JOHN FRIEDA
(Reg: No. IV/7346/2013)
in respect of :- Hair care preparations and products, hair cleaning
preparations, shampoos, hair conditioners, hair mousses, hairsprays,
blow dry sprays, hair lotions, hair oils, hair gels, hair wax, hair styling
creams, lotions, preparations and waxes, hair curling preparations,
hair grooming preparations, hair tinting preparations, hair color
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(Reg: No. IV/14289/2013)
Cosmetics; toiletries; anti-perspirants; antiperspirant deodorants;
deodorant creams and preparations for human beings; soaps; shampoos;
non-medicated lotions; skin conditioners; hair conditioners and lotions;
non-medicated preparations for the care of the hair; non-medicated
bath preparations; non-medicated bath salt; non-medicated cream for
the eyes, hands and body; cosmetic preparations for skin care; body care
preparations (non-medicated); shower cream; hand and body soaps;
liquid soaps; cleaning foam; hand and facial cleansers; perfumery;
perfumed water; essential oils; non-medicated bath oils; bath gels, not
medicated; non-medicated face lotions and creams; powders for the face
(cosmetic); non-medicated moisturizers; skin moisturizers; sunscreen
preparations; sun-tanning preparations (cosmetics); liquid hand wash;
cleaning preparations; polishing preparations; grinding preparations;
dentifrices; tooth cleaning preparations; incense; cosmetics for animals;
air fragrancing preparations; cotton sticks for cosmetic purposes; wipes
for cosmetic use; tissues impregnated with cosmetic lotions; non-
medicated skin care preparations; cold cream, other than for medical
use; talcum powder; astringents for cosmetic purposes
Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademarks
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U Kyi Win Associates
for KAO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
(also trading as Kao Corporation)
P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon.
Phone: 372416 Dated: 16
th
June, 2014
Sino-Vietnam clashes in the South
China Sea.
Desperate to avoid such a
situation, Brunei will quietly cede its
two pinprick islands to Beijing, know-
ing that few will notice as headlines
focus on hands being chopped of and
women stoned to death.
The Philippines will continue
to make the most noise and be the
least efective, so it better prepare to
kiss goodbye the eight islands it has
ignored for so long.
Recalcitrant Vietnam may give
the dragon a nip on the tail, but then
it will be consumed too and Hanoi
knows it, which is why the ruling
Communist Party is deeply split over
the issue.
One faction, led by Prime Minister
Nguyen Tan Dung, advocates joining
Manila in asking an international
arbitration tribunal for a legal ruling
on sovereign rights over the islands.
Another, headed by party boss
Nguyen Phu Trong, opposes antago-
nising the countrys biggest trading
partner, fellow communist state and
military behemoth.
Then there are others in the
foreign ministry who fantasise that if
Hanoi institutes democratic reforms
it may lead to an alliance with the
United States that could deter Beijing.
It is nonsense. China knows full
well that the US will refrain from
any military engagement, even if
it erodes Americas standing in the
region.
The view in Washington is that
one Vietnam War was enough, thank
you very much.
Consequently, Hanoi can do little
more than it has done in the past
and that will continue to prove futile.
All its islands will be incrementally
lost.
As Yale Universitys Asian expert
Nayan Chanda said, There is no
doubt about the outcome: China will
prevail.
Views
Why Beijing will take all
in the South China Sea
A video grab image taken on June 1 from Vietnam Coast Guard ship 2016 shows the Chinese Coast Guard ship 46001
chasing a Vietnamese vessel in the disputed waters of the South China Sea. Photo: AFP/Vietnam Coast Guard
IN late May and early June, veteran New
York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof
spent several days travelling through
Rakhine State. During his trip, he led
three op-ed articles and uploaded a
number of blog posts. His central theme
was sectarian discord and violence.
The rst article charged that the Ro-
hingya, the Muslims in Rakhine State
referred to by most Myanmar as Ben-
galis, are subject to an apartheid more
appalling than South Africas. The sec-
ond dubbed the denial of health care
an afront to civilization. The third de-
plored the failure of Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi and US President Barack Obama
to speak out. Myanmar is advancing
in many directions But theres also a
poison spreading, and Western govern-
ments do no one any good by pretend-
ing not to notice.
This focus on one of the biggest
challenges facing transitional Myanmar
is welcome. The international commu-
nity has a rock-solid, legitimate interest
in human rights violations the world
over, and has every reason to be con-
cerned about the situation in Rakhine
State. Nevertheless, the reality is that
the more outsiders probe abuse, the
more insiders develop a siege mental-
ity. There is therefore an urgent need to
close a growing divide.
Inside Myanmar, the task is to boost
awareness of the foundations of global
engagement. Textbooks teach that state
sovereignty is the organising principle
of international society, and local peo-
ple certainly feel they have a full right
to self-government. However, in some
circumstances even state sovereignty
can be overridden.
At the 2005 World Summit, United
Nations members unanimously en-
dorsed a new human rights doctrine.
Each individual state has the respon-
sibility to protect its populations from
genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing
and crimes against humanity. R2P, as
the responsibility to protect is widely
known, came into being.
Its scope is quite limited just the
four mass atrocity crimes. But its cov-
erage is extensive all people, includ-
ing aliens and stateless. R2P provides
for international engagement in cases
where governments are either unable
or unwilling to act.
In Myanmar, there needs to be
widespread discussion of R2P. Do peo-
ple know that the country is a signato-
ry? Have the relevant paragraphs of the
World Summit document little more
than 250 words been translated into
local languages? Are the implications
fully understood? R2P needs to be spo-
ken the length and breadth of the land.
Outside Myanmar, the task is to tai-
lor policy to local conditions. The Global
Centre for the Responsibility to Protect,
a key advocacy group, reels of a long
list of necessary action: citizenship for
the Rohingya; accountability for rights
abusers; safe return of IDPs to their
communities; unhindered humani-
tarian access; a full plan for inclusive
reconciliation; constitutional reform
to address ethnic minority needs; and
creation of an independent judiciary.
In an ideal world, the full list would
quickly be implemented. The result
would be sustainable R2P, rather than
merely stopgap measures. In the non-
ideal world in which we live, however,
the government is struggling to un-
dertake reform and so demands that
it address everything at once are coun-
terproductive. In these circumstances,
it makes sense to focus on essentials.
R2P requires that people be protected
from the four mass atrocity crimes. In
Myanmar, Kristof is surely right that
the critical immediate requirement is
unhindered humanitarian access. The
focus should therefore be here, and
more contentious issues such as Roh-
ingya citizenship should be put to one
side for the time being.
To bridge the dangerous gap be-
tween local and global perceptions in
Myanmar, a basic issue needs to be
understood on all sides. A global norm
adopted in 2005 safeguards individu-
als from the very worst that can befall
them in life but it does no more than
that. If insiders and outsiders can agree
on this, the core R2P mandate will be
secure.
Ian Holliday is a professor of political
science at the University of Hong Kong. He
writes a daily blog at thukhuma.org.
Myanmar and the
responsibility to protect
The response from the Philippines and Vietnam to the dispute has disrupted bilaterial ties within ASEAN
IAN
HOLLIDAY
ian.holliday@hku.hk
Business
GROWING tensions in the South
China Sea in recent months is leading
China to shun Vietnam for its rice im-
ports, opening the door for Myanmar
exporters, according to traders.
Much of Myanmars ofcial exports
currently go to African countries, but
with Thai exporters dropping prices in
those markets since the May 22 coup,
Myanmar exporters are looking to
grow market share closer to home.
Chinas demand for Myanmar rice
through the Muse border crossing has
increased about 30 percent this year on
previous levels, said U Myo Thura Aye,
a rice trader and former joint secretary
of the Myanmar Rice Federation.
I think this trend will continue for
some time, he said.
China represents the largest ex-
port opportunity for Myanmars rice
traders, a June 11 World Bank report
titled Myanmar: Capitalising on Rice
Export Opportunities said.
The rice trade with China is le-
gal from Myanmars point of view,
but generally unofcial from Chinas
standpoint.
For Myanmar to be able to sell rice
directly to importers in southeast Chi-
na in addition to exporting informally
over the border, it needs to negotiate a
sanitary and phyto-sanitary agreement
(SPS) with Beijing, the report said.
China imported 41.75 percent of
Vietnams total rice exports in the
rst four months of 2014, according
to a May 6 report from Xinhua news
agency, but Myanmar rice traders said
they have seen an increase in orders
from China as South China Sea ten-
sions rise and the worlds second-larg-
est economy shuns importing from its
adversary Vietnam.
Myanmar ought to move quickly to
reach an agreement allowing ofcial
rice exports to China, said U Chit Kha-
ing, chair of the Myanmar Rice Fed-
eration (MRF).
The MRF urges the Ministry of
Agriculture and Irrigation to dis-
cuss with Chinese ofcials to make
the market legal but we need to
be able to produce quality rice at a
standard accepted by the Chinese
government, he said.
Some experts say access to the
Chinese market is quite complicated,
and not just a matter of national
agreements.
Ministry of Commerce economics
advisor U Maung Aung said the minis-
try has been in discussions with China
to legalise rice exports, but the process
is complicated by diferent Chinese
provinces having their own standards,
rules and regulations.
U Myo Thura Aye said Myanmar
exporters are now selling about 3500
tonnes a day, whereas it had been
about 2500 tonnes a day before the
recent South China Sea spat.
As Chinas demand has increased,
rice prices have also gone up. But
transportation costs are rising too, so
it is difcult to make a prot from it,
he said.
Standard 25pc broken rice is fetch-
ing $443 to $449 a tonne at the bor-
der, while higher quality 5pc broken is
selling for $490 to $497 a tonne.
U Thauk Kyar, central executive
member of the Muse Rice Traders As-
sociation, said that the recent increase
in volumes and prices is likely to stay
for the time being, as he sees sustained
interest from four or ve southern
China provinces.
Myanmar was once one of the
worlds largest rice exporters, but has
been hampered by poor production
and trade links in recent years, focus-
ing generally on low-quality exports.
Thailand, the US, India, Vietnam and
Pakistan make up the worlds largest
exporters.
Myanmar exported 1.6 million
tonnes of rice in the 2012-13 scal year,
more than it has accomplished in 46
years, according to insiders. Myanmar
has big ambitions to increase its ex-
ports to 4 million tonnes by 2019-20,
but is currently limited by production
capacity.
U Myo Thura Aye said that if Chi-
nese buyers were to increase its de-
mand to 5000 tonnes a day, Myanmar
would not be able to meet it with cur-
rent capacity.
Myanmar is not in a position to
export much more rice because it can-
not produce much more, he said.
Still, experts say that though there
may be a temporary reduction in
China purchasing Vietnamese rice
because of political problems, it is un-
likely to translate into a permanent
situation.
World Bank economist Sergiy Zo-
rya said that Vietnam is a competi-
tive exporter and China is a price-
sensitive market, so the Chinese
government will think pragmatically
in this regard.
Maritime spat to aid rice exporters
Rice exports (tonnes)
2010 2011 2012 2013
4000
2014/15 2019/20
2000
1277
821
1289
489
Source: World Bank report
Myanmar: Capitalising on Rice
Export Opportunities
Formal
Informal / border
A worker crouches at Myanmar Nyunt rice mill in Pyapon township, Ayeyarwady
Region. Photo: Aye Zaw Myo
Rice traders see an opportunity in China as tensions ratchet up between China and Vietnam over the South China Sea
ZAW
HTIKE
zawhtikemjn1981@gmail.com
27 BUSINESS EDITOR: Jeremy Mullins | jeremymullins7@gmail.com
A man walks by SMIDB in Yangon. Photo: Yu Yu
THE Small and Medium Industrial De-
velopment Bank (SMIDB) will fund its
SME loan program this year through a
Vietnamese wholesale loan at half the
interest of previous loans from Myan-
mar state-run banks, ofcials said.
The US$30 million wholesale loan
from Bank of Investment and Develop-
ment of Vietnam (BIDV) at a 4 percent
interest rate will be split into 1 billion
kyat (US$1 million) increments for
each state and region, with some left in
reserve.
SMIDB had been nansing its small
loan program partly through credit
lines of about K20 billion at 8.25pc
from the Myanma Economic Bank each
year. However, BIDVs loan to SMIDB
is at 4pc, meaning it is possible lower
interest rates will be passed on to My-
anmar SMEs, said SMIDB managing
director U Tin Maung Htay.
This is the rst time we have re-
ceived nancial assistance through for-
eign banks, he said. We will negotiate
interest rates and try to get lower rates
than current levels.
SMIDB signed agreements with
the International Bank of Korea and
Japans Mizuho Bank for technical as-
sistance last year.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agricul-
ture and Irrigation has retreated from
a plan to have Mandalay government
ofcials disburse agriculture loans, and
will instead rely on state-owned My-
anmar Agriculture Development Bank
(MADB) under its control.
In May local ministry ofcials had
said region and state teams would dis-
perse loans, before changing course at
the end of the month, said an ofcial
from MADB who requested anonymity.
We received guidance that the My-
anmar state government team would
take control in May, but it has changed
back to the original plan, he said.
The ministry has earmarked about
K70 billion in loans to Mandalay Re-
gion farmers for the planting season.
The bank started lending on June 4,
and had disbursed about K1.5 billion by
June 6, he said.
Interest rates had also been lowered
from 8.5pc to 5pc in the region.
Farmers told The Myanmar Times
that while they were generally una-
ware whether bank or government
ofcials were to disperse loans, they
were happy with the recent decrease
in interest rates.
Vietnamese bank steps in to
finance local small-scale loans
This is the rst time
we have received
nancial assistance
through foreign
banks.
U Tin Maung Htay
SMIDB managing director
AYE THIDAR KYAW
ayethidarkyaw@gmail.com
KYAW KO KO
newsroom@myanmartimes.com.mm
YATANARPON Teleport public compa-
ny (YTP) is still negotiating a potential
partnership with foreign rms, accord-
ing to CEO U Shane Thu Aung.
As one of four rms to be licensed to
provide mobile coverage in Myanmar,
YTP began negotiations with Thai-
lands True at the end of 2013 but has
since widened its discussions, he said.
We have to form a partnership
with a foreign rm because of invest-
ment and technological reasons, he
told The Myanmar Times in an exclu-
sive interview.
We are now focused on restricting
YTP as a public company at the same
time as our selection committee holds
discussions with several foreign rms.
U Shane Thu Aung recently became
YTP CEO following the retirement of U
Tin Win. U Shane Thu Aung was also a
co-founder of Redlink.
He declined to name the foreign
rms currently in negotiations with
YTP, and said there is still debate about
what structure an eventual agreement
would take whether it will be a joint
venture or an operational agreement.
It is quite hard to restructure YTP
as it is a running company, he said.
But we are trying to accomplish a
partnership with a foreign rm as soon
as possible, and we are likely to focus
on a joint venture partnership.
The rm is currently completing
its application for a telecoms licence.
Telenor and Ooredoo received their li-
cences in January and are set to launch
in the coming months, while Myanma
Posts and Telecommunications (MPT)
is the sole incumbent operator.
MPT ofcials told The Myanmar
Times last month that they are still ne-
gotiating with Japans KDDI about an
eventual agreement.
Although the mobile market will be
getting more crowded, U Shane Thu
Aung said there is room for YTP.
We have pressures from time and
the market. But we do believe we can
get space in the market as we already
have some infrastructure and the coun-
trys population is large enough for four
operators, he said.
YTP also plans to launch a share sale
to the public in the coming months. It
also is looking at improving its services
providing internet. YTP was formed by
the previous government partly as the
main body implementing Yadanarpon
Cyber City near Pyin Oo Lwin. It is
part-owned by 15 domestic ICT compa-
nies including state-owned MPT.
YTP hunting for
partners as private
launches get close
We are likely to sign contracts for the
rst 10 onshore blocks in June ... There
have been no major changes in terms of
conditons of the contracts.
Ministry of Energy ofcial
PRODUCTION sharing contracts for
onshore blocks will be signed this
month after a half-year delay, accord-
ing to Ministry of Energy ofcials.
Winners for 16 onshore blocks were
announced in October last year, but ne-
gotiations have been slow-going on the
production sharing contracts necessary
for exploration and production activi-
ties, according to an ofcial from the
Energy Planning Department.
Agreements have already received
cabinet approval, with Myanmar In-
vestment Commission approval ex-
pected next week, said the ofcial, who
requested anonymity. We are likely to
sign contracts for the rst 10 onshore
blocks in June, he said.
The process had been delayed due
to the intensely detailed discussions
about the contracts between Myanma
Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) and in-
ternational rms, he said.
There have been no major changes
in terms of the conditions of the con-
tracts, he said.
A total of 78 international compa-
nies submitted letters of interest for the
second onshore tender of 18 blocks in
2013, with 10 foreign rms eventually
successful some with multiple blocks
and two blocks dropped for lack of
interest. Some 15 production sharing
contracts and three improved petro-
leum recovery contracts were initially
up for tender in the round.
The tender followed an earlier on-
shore block tender conducted in 2011.
Ministry of Energy ofcial U Pe Zin
Tun had said the initial target was to
sign the production sharing contracts
last November or December, following
the announcement of the successful
bids in October.
Italys Eni, Petroleum Exploration
(PVT) from Pakistan, Canadas Pacic
Hunt Energy, Malaysias Petronas,
MPRL from the British Virgin Islands
and ONGC from India all won two
blocks each. Brunei National Petro-
leum, CAOG from Luxembourg, JSOC
from Russia and Thailands PTTEP
each won one block.
The international rms also have
to partner with at least one local com-
pany. Myanmar rms Machinery Solu-
tion, MPEP, Parami, UNOG Pte, Young
Investment Group, IGE, APEX Geo,
Sun Apex and Win Precious have all
been selected as partners for onshore
blocks.
State-owned MOGE began the cor-
poratisation process last month, which
government ofcials say will allow
MOGEs business activities to operate
as a state-owned rm. It has begun
tenders looking for joint venture part-
nerships for several projects, aiming
to complete the partnerships by the
end of the year in areas such as drill-
ing, pipeline construction and seismic
acquisition services in onshore blocks.
Onshore blocks currently produce
about 7450 barrels of crude oil and 65
million cubic feet of natural gas. State-
owned rms earned US$3.6 billion
from petroleum last year.
Slate of onshore production sharing
contracts due for a June signing
AUNG SHIN
ZAW HTIKE
zawhtikemjn1981@gmail.com
BUSINESS 28
Tourism insiders
keeping an eye on
Thai politics
Exchange Rates (June 13 close)
Currency Buying Selling
Euro
Malaysia Ringitt
Singapore Dollar
Thai Baht
US Dollar
K1311
K298
K769
K29
K969
K1329
K300
K778
K30
K970
Hilton reveals big
hotel plans with
Eden Group
PROPERTY 34
Feedback
on tax law
welcomed
THE publics suggestions and com-
plaints about the 2014 Union Tax Law
are being collected by the Ministry of
Finance in a bid to strengthen the leg-
islation, said U Tin Tun Naing, direc-
tor of the ministrys Internal Revenue
Department.
The law was promulgated in March
with the aim of increasing government
tax revenues.
Ofcials had collected opinions
from stakeholders such as business as-
sociations before submitting the law to
parliament, but still aim to improve the
rules, he said.
We can say we made it fair for the
public for the best of our ability. But
if you [the public] think there are im-
proper rules, please feel free to express
where it needs to be amended, said U
Tin Tun Naing.
Complaints about the law can be
submitted to the parliament through
MPs or through anti-red tape organisa-
tions formed by the Presidents Ofce.
The era in which government of-
cials exploited those who didnt have
enough knowledge and information [is
over], he said. It is our responsibility
to grow awareness among the public
about the tax law.
Experts welcomed attempts to in-
clude more public feedback when draft-
ing taxation legislation, but cautioned it
must be pragmatic.
Even if the public can express their
complaints freely, if it is not efective its
not good for the public, said independ-
ent economist U Hla Maung.
AUNG
SHIN
28 Business THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 16 - 22, 2014
THE problems of a beans and pulses
export company last month lay bare
the challenges potential exporters must
overcome to gain signicant interna-
tional market share.
Merchants in Yangons Bayinnaung
bean market were accused of selling
large amounts of beans and pulses to
Indian buyers without actually hav-
ing the product. When bean prices
unexpectedly shot up, the merchants
were caught short, unable to aford the
beans they had already, in efect, sold.
While the Ministry of Commerce
moved to quickly to resolve the case,
it revealed an essential question about
Myanmar exporters: Do rms have the
business practices in place to ramp up
exports, given the chance?
Myanmar has a large trade decit,
reaching US$2.65 billion in the 2013-
14 scal year, on total trade volumes of
$25 billion. It has also agreed to lower
trade barriers in the coming years as
part of the ASEAN Economic Com-
munity, making eforts to reverse the
trade imbalance potentially even more
difcult.
Although increased petroleum ex-
ports may chip away at the number, it
will not reverse the fundamental prob-
lem of making Myanmar exports more
competitive.
The world has opened so many
previously closed doors to Myanmar
business since 2010, and it would be a
shame if businesses miss this chance.
Poor business practices of a minority
too often give good Myanmar business-
es a bad name. And while ethics and ac-
countability may often be lacking, there
are also other important constraints
worthy of attention.
Commerce Ministry trade promo-
tion director U Win Myint said many
smaller factories and farmers are not
able to sell products to other countries,
as they have no quality inspections or
basic knowledge of chemical use or
proper warehousing.
Local exporters have trouble get-
ting strong prices and long-term buy-
ers, he said.
Strict government regulation is one
path that can be taken, and according
to U Win Myint it had improved busi-
ness practices in the rice sector, but at
the cost of slowing progress and creat-
ing weaker rice exports than competi-
tors like Vietnam and Thailand.
Heavy-handed regulation is not
the way to solve Myanmars export-
ing problem. Government regulation
should be designed to allow businesses
to seize opportunities, and build on
them.
U Win Myint said one recent oppor-
tunity is selling rice to China, as tension
caused by the South China Sea leaves
the worlds second largest economy
looking to source rice from countries
other than Vietnam. See related arti-
cle Maritime spat to aid rice export-
ers on page 22.
Sometimes we cant maintain our
market share even though we have
chances to improve, he said.
The government has also moved to
give a helping hand. Although Myan-
mar has far fewer nancial resources
at its disposal than other regional
countries, it has formulated a National
Export Strategy program for the next
ve years. The program is designed to
target protable exports in agricultural
and shery products, garments and
forestry products.
The government has also played its
part in lowering internal barriers to
exports. Of course more government
action in this direction is required,
but businesses also need to put qual-
ity control and best practices at the
forefront to take advantage of these
changes.
U Win Myint said that exporters of-
ten are poor at translating short-term
windfalls into long-term gains.
We discovered exporters dont con-
trol their quality because they previ-
ously didnt have a large market. When
they get the chance for bigger export
volumes, they go for it, rather than pro-
mote quality control, he said.
Private sector groups point to the
need to professionalise their industries
if exports are to be strengthened.
After years of being shut out of many
world markets whether rightly or
wrongly is another question it is clear
that Myanmar has attracted consider-
able world attention. Lets hope that My-
anmar rms can seize these opportuni-
ties, and overcome problems of quality
control and business best practices.
Exports face huge hurdles
OPINION
AYE THIDAR
KYAW
ayethidarkyaw@gmail.com
Tourism insiders watching Thai crisis
THAILANDS political upheaval has
so far had little efect on Myanmar
tourism, but is worth watching closely
given the countrys importance for the
industry in Myanmar, insiders say.
Bangkok is by far the largest gate-
way for tourists arriving in Myanmar,
but tourism has weathered past crises
in Thailand and this one appears no
diferent, said U Phyoe Wai Yar Zar,
managing director of All Asia Exclu-
sive Travel Company.
So far its had no visible impact on
Myanmar tourism, he said.
Even the closure of Suvarnabhumi,
the main Bangkok airport, by Yellow
Shirt protestors in 2008 had minimal
lasting impact on the Myanmar indus-
try, he claimed. Thai ofcials also met
with Myanmar travel industry repre-
sentatives two days ago to pledge no
disruptions to tourism, and Thai junta
ofcials have recently relaxed curfews
in popular beach resorts including
Pattaya, Koh Samui, Phuket and Krabi
in a bid to support the ailing industry.
Still, Thailands tourism players say
the industry has been hard-hit by the
political situation, with many pointing
to empty hotel rooms and a slump in
visitors.
Hotels were dramatically hit, said
a manager at a luxury hotel in Bang-
kok whose occupancy rates have fall-
en below 30 percent, compared with
above 70pc a year ago.
Thai bookings have sufered be-
cause of political unrest, and the gov-
ernment has lowered its forecast for
tourist arrivals this year to 25.9 million,
from an initial target of 28 million.
Tourists in Myanmar told The My-
anmar Times that they were not put
of by Thailands political instability,
but were watching it closely.
Miriam, a German tourist, said she
had been a little worried about her
trip to Thailand and Myanmar, but
came after viewing reassuring reports
from German media.
German media said it was not dan-
gerous for tourists and that wouldnt
afect my trip, she told The Myanmar
Times.
Myanmar also stands to benet
from its relative stability, according to
Union of Myanmar Travel Association
vice president U That Lwin Toe.
With a Thai election at least a year
away, Myanmar is a viable alternative,
particularly as its connections with
other airports in Qatar, Korea, Japan,
Malaysia and Singapore increase, he
said.
Chinese tourists are also increas-
ingly coming to Myanmar, particu-
larly as disputes in the South China
Sea make some other Southeast Asian
countries seem uninviting, he added.
U Phyoe Wai Yar War said that Sin-
gapore in particular is emerging as a
secondary gateway to Myanmar, but
added longer links with Europe and
North America have been slow getting
of the ground.
German carrier Condor and an
Austrian airline had both tried direct
ights with little success, he said.
Airlines are collecting their own
survey data on the feasibility of direct
ights, but Myanmar should also be
active in collecting data to prove the
routes can be protable, he said.
U Phyoe Wai Yar War also said that
Myanmars tourism industry has to
work hard to remain in the limelight.
Myanmar has been gaining the
worlds attention, and I think that at-
tention has begun waning, he said,
adding there are a number of cam-
paigns and activities the sector can
better promote to attract visitors.
Additional reporting by AFP and
Jeremy Mullins
EI EI THU
Sometimes we
cant maintain our
market share even
though we have
chances to improve.
U Win Myint
Ministry of Commerce ofcial
As the government tackles hurdles, businesses must also improve to boost exports
Kunming
14
Kuala Lumpur
47
Seoul
14
Bangkok
105
Singapore
43
Top 5 sources of ights to
Yangon, by weekly frequency
TRADE MARK CAUTION
TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL
SYSTEMS CORPORATION, a company incorporated in Japan,
of 13-16 Mita 3-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan, is the Owner
of the following Trade Mark:-
TMEIC
Reg. No. 2578/2014
in respect of Intl Class 7: Motors, other than for land vehicles;
generators of electricity (all being not for automotive use). Intl
Class 9: Generators of ozone; apparatus and instruments for
conducting, distributing, switching, transforming, converting,
accumulating, regulating and controlling electricity; electricity
distribution boards, boxes and consoles; apparatus for uninterruptible
power supply; electric converters; frequency converters; electricity
inverters; electricity rectifers; electric switches; solid state switches;
dynamometers; data processing equipment; computers; apparatus
for data transmission; programmable controllers for industrial use;
electric installations for the remote and automatic control of industrial
operations (all being not for automotive use).
Fraudulent imitation or unauthorised use of the said Trade Mark
for TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC
INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
Dated: 16 June 2014
TRADE MARK CAUTION
JING BRAND CO., LTD. a company incorporated in China and
having its offce at No. 169 Daye Avenue, Daye, Hubei, China,
is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following Trade Mark:-
Reg.No. IV/ 5430 /2014
in respect of Class 33: Fruit Extracts[alcoholic]; Aperitifs;
Arak[arrack]; Distilled Beverages; Spirits [beverages]; Achorolic
beverages [except beer]; Spirits; Sake; Yellow rice wine; Edible
alcohol.
Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said Trade
Mark or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with
according to law.
Khine Khine U, Advocate
LL.B, D.B.L, LL.M (UK)
For JING BRAND CO., LTD.
#205/5, Thirimingalar Housing, Strand Rd., Yangon.
Dated. June 16, 2014
TRADE MARK CAUTION NOTICE
Pro Farma AG, a company organized under the laws of Swit-
zerland, carrying on business and having its principal offce at
Lindenstrasse 12, 6340 Baar, Switzerland is the owner and sole
proprietor of the following Trademark-
LACDIGEST
Myanmar Registration No. 4/11958/2013
Used in respect of : - Pharmaceutical preparations; sanitary prep-
arations for medical purposes; dietetic substances adapted for
medical use in Class 5.
Any unauthorized use, imitation, infringements or fraudulent in-
tentions of the above mark will be dealt with according to law.
Ph: 0973150632
(For. Domnern Somgiat & Boonma
Attorneys at Law, Thailand.)
Dated: 16
th
June, 2014
Business 29 www.mmtimes.com
MYANMARS ageing natural gas tur-
bines are due for renovations as the
Ministry of Electric Power (MOEP)
plans a tender this year, according to
ofcials.
The mostly American-made GE
turbines have generally been operat-
ing for over 40 years, fuelled by on-
shore natural gas, and are well past
due for replacement, said MOEP Ther-
mal Power Department chief engineer
U Win Myint.
Foreign rms are surveying the
ageing gas turbines, and are prepar-
ing appraisals for their renovations,
he said.
After a consensus is reached on
costs, the ministry aims to launch a
tender process to this year to renovate
the turbines.
The rst target will likely be the
turbines at Kyaungchaung which be-
gan operation in 1974, followed by the
Shwetaung turbines which operated
since 1980.
The two plants have a total of six
gas turbines, which are to be replaced
one at a time to minimise the disrup-
tion to electricity production.
Myanmar currently has 10 state-
owned natural gas-fuelled power
plants and seven other privately
owned plants operating under Power
Purchasing Agreements. They pro-
duce a total of 740 megawatts (MW)
of power, or about 30 percent of the
national total.
Improving production at existing
plants has been targeted as one im-
portant step to meeting Myanmars
energy shortage.
The World Bank signed an agree-
ment with the MOEP last year to reno-
vate an ageing gas-red plant in Mon
State. The bank granted a US$140 mil-
lion loan to Myanmar without interest
to renovate the plant and enhance its
power generation to 106MW.
U Win Myint said there are a to-
tal of 27 gas turbines in the 10 state-
owned plants, but only 15 turbines at
9 plants are current running due to
periodic natural gas shortages and ag-
ing capacity.
The Ministry of Energy supplies
about 317 million cubic feet of natu-
ral gas a day to the MOEP to run its
gas-red power plants. It has also an-
nounced plans to build more gas-red
plants in Myingyan in Mandalay Re-
gion, Rakhine States Kyaukphyu, Kan-
pauk in Tanintharyi Region and Yangon.
Big gas turbine
tender to launch
AUNG
SHIN
BRIEFS
Trade volume target upped to $35
billion by Commerce Ministry
Minister of Commerce U Win Myint
announced a US$10 billion increase
in Myanmars 2013-14 targeted trade
partly on the backs of new revenue
from natural gas pipeline to China.
The goal of US$35 billion for the
2013-14 scal year is a large rise on
last years $25 billion total for imports
and exports higher than the initial
$22 billion target.
Plans to implement a National Ex-
port Strategy, increase mobile enforce-
ment teams in Yangon and improve
trade relations with other countries will
also boost volumes, he said, adding
increased petroleum exports will also
help increase exports.
Trade over April and May totalled
about $4.3 billion this year, some $800
million more compared to last year.
Aye Thidar Kyaw
CGG launches branch ofce
One of the worlds largest oil and gas
services companies opened a branch
ofce in Yangon last week.
Paris-based CGG already has inter-
national clients operating in Myanmar,
and would like to grow in the emerging
market, said U Peter Lwin Oo, man-
ager of its Yangon ofce.
We are focusing on big oil and
gas companies who are going to do
exploration and production activities in
Myanmar offshore, he said.
Aung Shin

Ho Chi Minh trade fair hits Yangon
Ho Chi Minh City will hold a product
exhibition in Yangons Tatmadaw Hall to
promote trade links, according to Pho
Nam Phoung, director of the Invest-
ment and Trade Promotion Centre.
The June 26 to 30 show will exhibit
products and services from about 80
Vietnamese enterprises.
One focus will be on showcasing
Vietnamese food, as it is not familiar in
Myanmar, Pho Nam Phoung said.
Vietnamese enterprises will look
to introduce [products] directly to local
consumers, and seek partners to es-
tablish business relations and distribu-
tion channels for Vietnamese goods in
Myanmar, she said. Myat Noe Oo
A natural gas power
plant operates in Mon
State. Photo: Ko Taik
Socit des Produits Nestl S.A a company organized under the
laws of Switzerland, carrying on business and having its prin-
cipal offce at 1800 Vevey, Switzerland is the owner and sole
Myanmar Registration Number- 4/13077/2013
Used in respect of:
Still water, sparkling or aerated water, processed water, spring
water, mineral water, favoured water; Functional and/or nutri-
tional water-based beverages with tea extracts; fruit-favoured
beverages and beverages made with fruit, beverages made with
lactic ferments; fruit juices and vegetable juices, nectars, lem-
onades, soft drinks and other non-alcoholic beverages; syrups,
extracts and essences and other preparations for making non-
alcoholic beverages; isotonic beverages; energy drinks. (Interna-
tional Class 32)
Ph: 0973150632
Dated: 16
th
June, 2014
TRADE MARK CAUTION
NOTICE is hereby given that Bausch & Lomb Incorporated a
company organized under the laws of the state of New York and
having its principal offce at One Bausch & Lomb Place Rochester,
New York, 14604, United States of America is the Owner and Sole
Proprietor of the following trademarks:-
RENU
(Reg: Nos. IV/1052/1996 & IV/5945/2014)
in respect of: - Contact lens solutions. CL: 5
SOFLENS66
(Reg: Nos. IV/1054/1996 & IV/5946/2014)
in respect of: - Contact lenses. CL:9
Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said
trademarks or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with
according to law.
for Bausch & Lomb Incorporated
th
June, 2014
TRADE MARK CAUTION
NOTICE is hereby given that AstraZeneca AB a company
organized under the laws of Sweden and having its principal offce
at Vstra Mlarehamnen 9, 151 85 Sdertlje, Sweden is the Owner
and Sole Proprietor of the following trademark:-
(Reg: Nos. IV/4083/2008 & IV/5636/2014)
in respect of:- Pharmaceutical preparations and substances
Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark or
other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law.
for AstraZeneca AB
th
June, 2014
Business 31 www.mmtimes.com
AS of July, the Myanmar Investment
Commission (MIC) will no longer be
based in Nay Pyi Taw or answer to the
Ministry of National Planning and Eco-
nomic Development.
It is scheduled to move to Yangon
and be restructured so it eventually op-
erates as an independent organisation
similar to the Central Bank of Myanmar.
Observers inside and outside the
country will be watching closely to
see whether its new status will mean
greater resources and greater author-
ity and, if so, how MIC will use such
resources. Will it prioritise the rights of
the people of Myanmar or the interests
of foreign investors?
The MIC changes reect Myanmars
strategic eforts to attract foreign direct
investment to spur economic develop-
ment. Government gures show con-
tracted FDI topped US$4 billion in the
2013-14 scal year ending March 31. The
Directorate of Investment and Compa-
nies Administration says this is nearly
triple the previous years investment,
creating 90,000 new jobs.
The government hopes FDI will
double again in 2014-15. With that goal
in mind, it refuses very few projects.
There is still tremendous pressure
to attract more FDI, and many poten-
tial foreign investors both states and
corporations are demanding bilateral
investment treaties, or BITs, to protect
their interests in Myanmar.
There is growing concern, however,
that desire for rapid economic growth
will put corporate interests ahead of
human rights and the environment.
BITs essentially give investors the
standing of states in international arbi-
tration to resolve disputes over regula-
tions that reduce their prots or the im-
position of performance standards, such
as technology transfer or sourcing local
products and labour. Investors have
used BITs to challenge environmental,
health and afrmative action regula-
tions in other jurisdictions, impacting
Arbitral awards over disputes can
run into the hundreds of millions of
dollars and are enforceable around the
world. The result can be a regulatory
chill, where states regulate cautiously
to avoid litigation by afected investors.
Myanmar has joined the investment
law regime. It has signed the 2009
ASEAN Comprehensive Investment
Agreement, has BITs with regional
neighbours and has signed the New
York Convention on the enforcement of
arbitral awards.
Yet many states are concerned about
losing their right to regulate investment
and have moved to renegotiate terms.
Developing nations, including fellow
ASEAN members Indonesia and the
Philippines, have begun to rethink the
logic of BITs because of these concerns.
To ensure investment benets the
people of Myanmar, and to avoid costly
arbitration, Myanmar must put in place
a legal framework that clearly demon-
strates its commitment to national de-
velopment in a manner that enhances
respect for human rights and protects
the environment.
To do so it must develop and imple-
ment national laws in compliance with
international standards in order to bol-
ster the national legal system, which
lacks key rules and procedures related
to the protection of human rights and
the environment. In the absence of a
robust national regulatory framework,
investments may fail to help improve
the lives of the people in Myanmar, and
may even aggravate existing problems.
This is where the restructured MIC
comes into play.
States have the authority to control
the entry of foreign investment and
regulate corporate activities. Under the
foreign investment law of 2012, the MIC
is the gatekeeper that licenses would-be
investors in Myanmar. It is the primary
task of this investment administrative
agency to ensure that foreign invest-
ment benets the people of Myanmar.
Investment commissions are set up
by governments both to promote and
regulate investment. The MIC can re-
strict entry on the basis of environmen-
tal and social impact assessments so it
is the rst line of defence protecting hu-
man rights and the environment from
the negative impact of corporate opera-
tions. The MIC must ensure that inves-
tors will be subject to rules protecting
Positive steps have been taken. My-
anmars foreign investment law lays
out Myanmars intention to ensure that
foreign investment benets its people.
It sets out basic principles that char-
acterise suitable investment, making
it clear that investors interests will be
protected as long as they comply with
their duties and relevant national laws.
The law allows the MIC to deter-
mine which types of investment will be
permitted in Myanmar. It restricts or
bars businesses that harm local cultures
and communities or the environment.
This is an important declaration of the
governments right to regulate in line
with its responsibility to protect human
rights. The MIC must maintain this reg-
ulatory space as an independent body.
The government of Myanmar ac-
knowledges the need for sweeping legal
reform and the difculty of the task
ahead. A wide range of laws, rules and
procedures are currently under review.
This momentous task is being un-
dertaken with limited resources and
capacity. The uncertain state of afairs
leaves open a regulatory gap even as
new investments ow in. Much will
depend on the work of the MIC as an
independent regulatory body. It must
balance the pressure to promote invest-
ment with a commitment to regulation.
The new MIC must overcome lim-
ited capacity and resources to protect
not only Myanmars independence and
integrity but also its environment and,
most importantly, the human rights of
the people.
Daniel Aguirre is the International
Commission of Jurists legal adviser for
Myanmar.
Investment bodys resources put to the test
OPINION
There is growing
concern that desire
for rapid economic
growth will put
corporate interests
ahead of human
rights
BUSINESSPEOPLE in the sand trade
complain they are being double taxed
followed the introduction of a tax on
dredging rivers in April this year.
A group of sand businesspeople
met with Myanmar City Development
Committee (MCDC) ofcials on June
6 to follow up their complaint about
the twin taxes, as they must also pay
MCDC taxes. Government ofcials
countered that most businesses, not
just sand dredgers, must pay taxes to
MCDC as well as the relevant nation-
al government department.
U Maung Myint, chairman of an
association of sand businesspeople,
said that the tax burden was relative-
ly low but went against the spirit of
the law.
On April 1 the Mandalay Region
hluttaw passed rules placing taxes on
sand businesspeople as part of its law
on ports and private boats. The law
called for a tax of K375 for collecting
one square foot of dredged sand, as
well as K125 per square foot of sand
for operating a motorboat to collect
the sand.
The new taxes came in addition
to a at K60,000 tax from the MCDC
Cleaning Department for collecting
sand that was implemented in 2011.
MCDC ofcials said that there was
nothing wrong with levying two taxes
on one activity.
U Nay Win Myint, head of
MCDCs Cleaning Department, said
hotels for instance pay taxes to
MCDC as well as the Ministry of Ho-
tels and Tourism.
That way they are supporting
things like education, he said. We
always consider the impact of busi-
nessmen from every angle who will
pay the tax.
Sand frms
decry tax
on dredging
KHIN SU
WAI
DANIEL
AGUIRRE
newsroom@myanmartimes.com.mm
32 Business THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 16 - 22, 2014
The Fine Print
Legal & tax insight
Working with partner disputes
through the Arbitration Bill
A COMMON concern for investors is
dispute resolution: If the relationship
with a business partner turns sour,
will I be at a disadvantage because the
other party can inuence the judge?
In Myanmar, as in other developing
countries, foreign investors tend to
distrust local courts. They fear that
the judge may be inherently biased
towards the local party or even cor-
rupt. They worry about the length of
time that it may take until the case is
nally decided. If it is a high-prole
case, there is the possibility from the
standpoint of the investor, an unwel-
come possibility that the court pro-
ceedings will get press coverage.
Usually, investors prefer arbitra-
tion over dispute resolution by the
courts as they consider arbitration to
be faster, more professional, less prone
to local bias and less likely to result in
dirty laundry getting washed in pub-
lic. However, arbitration in Myanmar
has its shortcomings. There is no arbi-
tration institute. An arbitral award has
to be enforced by a court, and courts
in Myanmar in practice assume wide
discretion in setting aside arbitral
awards. This means that, after having
gone through all the hassle with arbi-
tration, a party may still nd it neces-
sary to sue the other party in court. Lo-
cal businesspeople are therefore wary
to about agreeing on an arbitration
clause when they have business deal-
ings amongst themselves.
Foreign investors prefer arbitration
abroad preferably, of course, in their
home jurisdiction. However, they also
know that their local partner is not
likely to agree to this, so they suggest
arbitration in a third country. Usually,
this is Singapore a country with a de-
veloped, stable and highly professional
justice system and an internationally
renowned arbitration centre. Regret-
tably, however, there have been no
reported cases of any foreign arbitral
award being enforced in Myanmar for
the last few decades, and investors are
wise to act on the assumption that in
practice, their award (if they win arbi-
tration abroad) will be worthless here.
This may change soon, though. My-
anmar acceded to the New York Con-
vention on the Recognition and En-
forcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards
with efect as of June 15, 2013. So far,
there has been no legislation imple-
menting the Convention, but on May
25, the draft of an arbitration law (Ar-
bitration Bill) was published. If en-
acted, there will be a system to enforce
foreign arbitral awards in Myanmar.
Of course, it remains to be seen
how easy enforcement will be in prac-
tice. However, the enactment of the
law will be a major step for Myanmar
toward recognition as a place where
investors can safely do business, and
investors are eagerly awaiting this
step.
The bill, which to a large extent is
based on a model text provided by UN-
CITRAL (United Nations Commission
on International Trade Law), is divid-
ed into two parts, the rst part dealing
with arbitration in Myanmar and the
second part with the enforcement of
foreign arbitral awards. The bill does
not specify which court is competent
for enforcement. It is to be hoped that
enforcement will be centralised at one
court so as to quickly create a centre
of expertise within the justice system
and ensure that enforcement cases are
handled by judges with experience in
the matter.
The court may refuse to enforce
a foreign arbitral award only on the
grounds set forth in the bill. This part
of the bill is a literal translation of the
UNCITRAL model text. Hopefully,
courts will exercise restraint when in-
voking these grounds.
Sebastian and Thitsar are consultants
with Polastri Wint & Partners Legal & Tax
Advisors.
SEBASTIAN PAWLITA
sebastian@pwplegal.com
THITSAR KHINE
thitsar@pwplegal.com
32 Business
THERE has been a great deal of feed-
back from the Expat health night-
mare planning article, published last
week. Much of this relates to expats
who claim they are not domiciled in
their country of origin, which often
conicts with the views of the rel-
evant authorities there.
Many expats I meet in Myanmar
are confused by the diference between
domicile and residence. Some think
they are interchangeable and do not
realise the impact this may have when
they die. With many not realising that
probate will have a signicant efect on
the distribution of their estate assets,
the reality is that these facets are tied
together when dealing with your estate.
Just living in Myanmar does not auto-
matically make you domiciled here.
There is actually a diference be-
tween your country of domicile and
that of your residence. Many expats
go through life not knowing what
domicile is; they assume that they are
domiciled in the place where they live,
which is denitely not the case. It may
be that you have chosen an alternate
domicile to that of your original coun-
try. However, if you have not properly
established this in that country, your
heirs may have a rude awakening
when you are no longer around to
claim otherwise.
Domicile is legally dened as
the place where an individual has
a xed and permanent home for le-
gal purposes; called also legal resi-
dence. So it would follow logically
that wherever you live becomes your
domicile. However, your domicile is
actually set when you are born and
follows that of your father. Domicile
legally designates the country of law
for the purposes of determining is-
sues such as the ability to invoke the
jurisdiction of a court in respect of
you as an individual.
Contrast this with your residence.
There is a distinct diference in the le-
gal dictionary denition of residence
as opposed to domicile. Of residence, it
says, the place where one actually lives
as distinguished from a domicile.
The fact is that you inherit your
domicile at birth from your father
and where you are born. While you
are resident outside your country of
origin you are usually tax-exempt on
income generated or capital gains
outside that country. However, when
you die inheritance tax (IHT) is often
assessable on your estates worldwide
assets in your country of domicile.
Some readers may ask how their
country of domicile tax author-
ity would know about their assets
abroad. Would these not be under the
radar? There are a number of ways in
which diferent authorities uncover
the realities of your estate.
This is where probate becomes rel-
evant. Often misunderstood, a grant of
probate is actually an authority which is
given to the executors of your estate to
deal with your assets and other requests
made in accordance with your Will. A
grant of probate needs to be secured for
each country where there are assets be-
longing to your estate.
The probate court in your country
of domicile will be asked for a grant
of probate by any other country where
probate is requested. So, if you had as-
sets in Myanmar a grant of probate
would be required in Myanmar to re-
lease those assets to your executors.
This would not be granted without
reference to the probate court in your
country of domicile. In this way your
country of origin authorities will glean
details about your estate elsewhere and
ensure that the tax authority is advised
so that IHT can be dealt with.
While this is a grey area, there are
certainly facets which can be over-
come. If you are not entirely hon-
est you may get away with evading
IHT in your home country. However,
this will be illegal and you could
leave your grieving heirs with more
problems than they had envisaged or
been prepared for.
Next week we will look at some of
the specics of individual countries
and how they treat the estates of ex-
pats after they have passed for inher-
itance tax purposes.
Questions to the author can be directed
to PFS International on +66 2653 1971
or emailed to enquiriesmyanmar@
fsplatinum.com
Domicile, residence and
why the difference matters
If you have not
properly established
[domicile] your
heirs may have a
rude awakening
when you are no
longer around.
ANDREW WOOD
enquiriesmyanmar@fsplatinum.com
EXPAT FINANCE
Socit des Produits Nestl S.A, a company organized under the
laws of Switzerland, carrying on business and having its prin-
cipal offce at 1800 Vevey, Switzerland is the owner and sole
Used in respect of: Infants and invalids foods
Number. 4/934/1975
Number. 4/936/1975
PROMIL
Myanmar Registration Number. 2281/1989
Used in respect of: Infants feeding preparations
Ph: 0973150632
Dated: 16
th
June, 2014
TRADE MARK CAUTION
Rocky Brands Wholesale, LLC a company incorporate in the
United States of America of 39 East Canal Street, Nelsonville, Ohio
USA 45764, is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following
Trade Mark ROCKY and device a rams head and mountain:-
Reg.No.IV/ 14968 /2013
in respect of Clothing, Footwear, boots and shoes since 2003
in the United States.
according to law.
For Rocky Brands Wholesale, LLC
#205/5, Thirimingalar Housing, Strand Rd, Yangon.
TRADE MARK CAUTION
Camus La Grande Marque of 29 rue Marguerite de Navarre,
F-16100 Cognac, France, is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of
following Trade Marks:
BERNEROY
MONTROUGE
Used in respect of Class 33: Alcoholic beverages (except beers).
Marks or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with
according to law.
For Camus La Grande Marque
Dated. 16 June 2014
JOB WATCH
Vacancy Notice
UNFPA because everyone counts.
The United Nations Population Fund: Delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and
every young persons potential is fulflled.
Interested in being part of a multi-cultural team delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe,
every young person's potential is fulflled in Myanmar? Come and join us, because at UNFPA, everyone counts. We are
seeking a creative, dynamic and highly motivated individual to join our growing effort to drive forward to the next level of
UNFPA country programme on population, gender equality and reproductive health and rights for the people in Myanmar.
If youre looking for an opportunity to make a difference, thrive in a challenging yet rewarding teamwork environment, we
wish to hear from you.
Sr.Position and GradeType of ContractDuty StationDeadline
1. National RH Field Offcer(SC9)Service ContractMyitkyina30 June 2014
Applications should be addressed to UNFPA Representative. Attention: International Operations Manager, Room A-07,
UNFPA, No.6, Natmauk Road, Yangon.
Email:myanmar.offce@unfpa.org
For further details, please see the vacancy announcement posted at UN billboard. No.6, Natmauk Road, Yangon and also
at UNFPA website (http://myanmar.unfpa.org)
Applications will be considered only when meeting all requirements set in detailed vacancy announcement.
UNICEF Myanmar Vacancy Notice Temporary appointment
(For Myanmar Nationals only)
Post Title: Communication for Development Offcer for WASH, based in Yangon
(Temporary for 364 days).
Level: NO-B with good benefts
Purpose: to support and provide assistance in the management, execution,
monitoring and coordination of implementation of campaigns and other
communication interventions promoting correct Hand Washing and Safe
Handling of Water.
Requirements:
Preferably Advanced University degree in relevant feld, e.g., Communications,
Public Health, Social sciences, Advocacy, Health Education or a related feld
combined with relevant experience. First University degree is accepted in
exceptional circumstances with relevant years of working experience;
Minimum two years of professional work experience in Communication,
Advocacy, Emergencies and development work;
Possess two to three years of demonstrated experience in behaviour change
communication, community activities, development of communication
materials and social research;
Experience in child-focused programming. Prior experience within UNICEF/
UN context a plus.
Detailed Terms of Reference for the position may be requested in writing to HR
Unit (email: 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 candidates are encouraged to apply.
4. UNICEF is a smoke free environment.
5. Only those candidates whose qualifcations and experience are of further
interest will be contacted for subsequent test/interview.
Qualifed candidates may submit application with updated CV to UNICEF
Myanmar Offce to: jobs.yangon@unicef.org
Closing date: 23 June, 2014
Business Development manager
Marketing manager
Sales and distribution manager
Brand manager
Logistic officer
Medical doctor
Project manager
Sales engineer
Site engineer
Chief Accountant
Accountant
HR Manager
HR Executive
Legal executive
Secretary
Passenger service agent ( airline)
Receptionist
Customer service
No. 851/853 (A/B), 3rd Floor, Room (7/8), Bogyoke Aung San Road,
Lanmadaw Township, Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel: (951) 229 437, 09 49 227 773, 09 730 94007
Email: esearch@yangon.net.mm, esearch.myanmar@gmail.com
www.esearchmyanmar.com www.facebook.com/esearchmyanmar
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BUSINESS EDITOR: Jeremy Mullins | jeremymullins7@gmail.com
Property
AMERICAN hotel operator Hilton
Worldwide has expanded its presence
in Myanmar, signing a contract to
manage another ve hotels following
its entry to the country last year.
The Virginia-based Hilton will
work with local rm Eden Group to
manage two of its hotels, Thingaha
Garden in Nay Pyi Taw and Thingaha
Ngapali at the Rakhine State beach
resort.
Both hotels will be rebranded as
Hilton properties and are slated to re-
ceive their rst guests later this year.
In addition to these two locations,
Hilton said on June 11 that it expects
to open the Hilton Bagan and Hilton
Inle Lake in 2016 followed by the Hil-
ton Mandalay in 2017.
The introduction of ve Hilton
properties to the key destinations of
Nay Pyi Taw, Ngapali, Bagan, Man-
dalay and Inle Lake marks our com-
mitment to Myanmar and we are
pleased to be working with a partner
of the experience and standing of the
Eden Group to advance our footprint
within this dynamic country, An-
drew Clough, senior vice president of
development of Middle East & Asia
Pacic for Hilton Worldwide, said in
a statement.
The 200-room Thingaha Garden
was due to open in time for the ASE-
AN Summit in May but is only now
nearing completion.
Mr Clough said that there were
only a small number of changes that
need to be made to bring the property
up the Hilton standards. The hotel is
scheduled to open in time for the sec-
ond ASEAN Summit of the year, to be
held in November.
The Thingaha Ngapali, a 51-room
beach front resort, is also undergoing
upgrades.
The expansion announcement
from Hilton comes despite ongoing
delays in the opening of its rst prop-
erty in Yangon, following a deal an-
nounced last year.
In March 2013, Hilton reached an
agreement with Thailand-based LP
Holding to manage Hilton Yangon in
Centrepoint Tower, a mixed-use pro-
ject in the citys downtown area. But
progress has been slow on the 21-sto-
rey, 300-room tower at the corner of
Sule Pagoda and Merchant roads.
Originally slated to open in March
2014, the company said in March that
it was aiming for a partial opening of
around 150 rooms by the end of the
year. However, Mr Clough told The
Myanmar Times the project had been
again pushed back, with an opening
now slated for 2015. The delays, Mr
Clough said, are due to the complexi-
ties of the build-out process on the
tower, which has been under con-
struction since the mid-1990s.
Like everyone else, we would like
to see that hotel open as soon as hu-
manly possible, he said.
The new projects come amid a
tourism boom, with the Ministry of
Hotels and Tourism reporting that
more than 2 million people visited
Myanmar in 2013. While less than
half arrived by air through Yangon, it
has forecast 3 million visitors in 2014.
On the back of this growth, Lon-
don-based research group World
Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC)
said in a March report that earnings
Hilton partners with Eden Group,
announces fve new hotel projects
Eden Group chair U Chit Khine (left) and Hilton Worldwide official Andrew Clough speak at the Hilton announcement on June 11. Photo: Yu Yu
ZAW WIN THAN TIM MCLAUGHLIN
Like everyone else,
we would like to
see the hotel open
as soon as humanly
possible.
Andrew Clough
Hilton Worldwide
LAND speculators could get their
ngers burnt if town planning rules
prevent the construction of certain
types of building on their property,
a government minister has warned.
U Soe Maung, Union Minister for
the State Presidents Ofce, says that
city zoning could help stabilise land
prices.
Yangon land prices have soared
since the introduction of politi-
cal and economic reforms, as de-
velopers have acquired plots they
believe could rapidly increase in
value. Rents for homes and ofces
have also shot up, and the number
of squatters has risen. But the ap-
plication of strict zoning rules could
burst the bubble.
Speaking to the media last week
following a parliamentary discus-
sion about reining in land prices,
U Soe Maung said, A town plan
would mean developers cant build
hotels wherever they like. Specula-
tors cant drive up prices any more
for plots where building options are
restricted. Land prices will drop au-
tomatically. And those who bought
land could face losses.
Myanmar Real Estate Service
Association spokesperson U Khin
Maung Aye said the introduction of
a town plan would likely help stabi-
lise a chaotic property market.
But its going too far to say the
prices would decrease, though they
would be more stable, he said.
Decreasing prices would require
more low-cost housing for middle-
class people, he said.
One approach is to promote de-
velopment on vacant lands near
downtown in an efort to build
houses that are afordable on small
budgets.
Its not easy for people to own an
apartment, let alone land, U Khin
Maung Aye said. If the government
makes it easier, the market will be
more controlled.
The government has supported
plans to target building 350,000
rooms in Yangon over ve years, as
well as develop town plans for Bago,
Mandalay, Pathein, Mawlamyine
and Taunggyi.
U Soe Maung said in the hluttaw
there was no other plan to take ac-
tion against price ination caused
by land speculation.
While there is no law restricting
the rights of citizens to buy land or
houses, investors already face taxes
of up to 30 percent on appraised
values plus a 7pc stamp tax levied
at the time of each property transac-
tion though they are often avoided.
These values are determined by
committees comprising the head of
the administration department, the
city development committee, police,
community leaders and the head of
the Internal Revenue Department.
The minister made his remarks
after U Phyo Min Thein, who rep-
resents Yangon Regions Hlegu con-
stituency, asked in the Pyithu Hlut-
taw session on June 9 whether the
Union government had a plan to use
taxation to stabilise land prices.
The collection of property tax
could lead to scrutiny of local and
foreign private organisations and
companies and wealthy individuals
who own more land than they need
and fuel speculation in land prices,
thus helping to control the rise in
prices, said U Phyo Min Thein.
Union Minister U Soe Maung
said the government would consider
adjusting the property tax system
following a study of how other coun-
tries use tax to control land specula-
tion.
I will advise state and regional
governments on a suitable property
tax, and the Ministry of Finance will
undertake to draw up the law if need
be, the minister said.
Draft town plan to
stabilise runaway
prices: minister
EI EI TOE LWIN
NOE NOE AUNG
noenoeag@gmail.com
THE developers behind Kyaukphyu
Special Economic Zone plan to release
the master plan at the end of June,
even as a mud volcano has forced
some of the project to move, according
to ofcials.
Singaporean rm CPG was selected
in March to be the lead consultant on
the project. Kyaukphyu is slated to
eventually include an industrial zone,
residential areas and a deep-sea port
in Rakhine State near signicant
work in the oil and gas industry.
U Than Maung, a member of the
SEZs bid evaluation awarding com-
mittee (BEAC), said the master plan
should be completed this month, with
a tender process to begin development
starting up in July.
We are planning to hold an inter-
national tender, planning to evaluate
the developers and award contracts
before 2015, he said.
The SEZ also had to shift some of
its facilities planned locations in light
of a discovered mud volcano near the
Danyawadi naval base on the site.
We dont exactly know where the
project will be moved to yet, said U
Phoe Cho, executive director of Gold-
en Land Development Public Compa-
ny. As far as I know the deep sea port
wont move.
The SEZ was originally set to be lo-
cated in the eastern part of Kyaukphyu
township, sitting on over 100,000 acres.
Even though the mud volcano appears
to have little potential to cause damage,
U Phoe Cho said it is difcult to get in-
surance for the site, forcing the move of
some of the project.
U Maung Maung Thein, vice presi-
dent of the Kyaukphyu SEZ project
committee said it will be diferent
from Thilawa and Dawei as it will
focus on business-to-business interac-
tions rather than relying on inter-gov-
ernment decisions.
Electricity is currently a major re-
quirement for the SEZ.
Ofcials have not said if the project
will require the relocation of villages
and land. Much of the land has long
been zoned for industrial and deep
port use, though of the 1000 acres
about 40 acres are used for villages
and farming.
We will protect developers and in-
vestors from being involved in the eth-
nic conicts in Rakhine state, said U
Myint Thein, BEAC vice president and
deputy railway minister.
The Kyaukphyu Special Econom-
ic Zone plans to begin its opera-
tions with an initial investment of
K227 million.
Kyaukphyu SEZ plan nears fnish
as mud volcano causes move
NYAN LYNN AUNG
29.nyanlynnaung@gmail.com
We will protect ...
investors from being
involved in ethnic
conicts in Rakhine
state.
U Myint Thein
Kyauk Phyu bid committee
TIN YADANAR HTUN
tinyadanar.mcm@gmail.com
FOREIGNERS are expressing a prefer-
ence for renting detached houses rath-
er than condominiums or apartments,
as catering to foreign clients becomes a
growing market for Myanmar real es-
tate agents.
Detached houses are appealing to
their foreign clients who are more con-
cerned that the house is well built and
well decorated than with how impres-
sive the location is, they say.
The customers like the houses
decoration more than the township
and its prosperous places. But many
rent the house that is near their work
and so they can drive there in less than
30 minutes, said Ko Htoo Myat Naing
from the Real Estate Co.
The inux of foreigners has led
many local real estate agents to work
to discover their preferences, aiming
to serve what is seen as a wealthy and
growing population segment.
A detached houses rental price can
range widely depending on size, qual-
ity and location. Real estate agents
say many Yangon houses sit between
K1 million and over K10 million per
month at present.
The Yangon property market saw
prices rise dramatically in recent years,
though it has lost some steam in 2014.
Although a number of factors have
been pointed to as slowing the Yangon
property market since the start of the
year including prices climbing too
high, government eforts to enforce
taxes on property transfers and fears
the market is in a bubble Mya Pan
Thakin real estate agent Ko Min Min
Soe said he reckons the weather is hav-
ing a dampening efect on the market.
The detached house rental market
is better than the last six months but
now the rainy season starting, so the
market is cold. Nobody can move house
in the rainy season, he said.
Foreigners prefer
stand-alone houses over
condos, estate agents say
35
Hilton partners with Eden Group,
announces fve new hotel projects
in Myanmars travel and tourism sec-
tor are set to grow 9.5 percent in 2014
to US$971 million.
We see the market place in My-
anmar ofering compelling opportu-
nities for many of our brands, Mr
Clough said. We have been and con-
tinue to be on the lookout for further
opportunities.
Eden Group is one of Myanmars
largest conglomerates and was found-
ed by U Chit Khine, the companys
chair, in 1990. It has interests in
tourism, construction, banking, agri-
business, petroleum products and
trading.
The company is known for its
close links to the government, hav-
ing undertaken a range of building
projects in Nay Pyi Taw for the pre-
vious military regime. These include
the Presidents Palace and the De-
fence Services Museum, which hon-
ours the Myanmar armed forces, or
Tatmadaw.
U Chit Khine told The Myanmar
Times that signing an agreement to
bring a big international hotel chain
to Myanmar will serve as a link to the
larger international community.
We still need to learn a lot about
hospitality and service, he said.
I dont want a hotel development
without proper services and facilities.
I want to have a well-known, reputa-
ble hotel environment in Myanmar.
We are now working with Hilton
Worldwide and I am very proud to
work with them.
Prices for the various products
and services are not yet xed, but will
be in line with the services to be of-
fered, he said.
There has been no specic strate-
gy to increase prices other than those
that impact our business from time
to time, he said, citing the example
of wine, which is more expensive be-
cause of higher costs due to a govern-
ment crackdown on illegal imports.
We have always adopted an ap-
proach that our food and beverage
pricing is reasonable, quality and
freshness being the main criteria, he
said. Most important is that room
rates remain unafected.
Eden Group chair U Chit Khine (left) and Hilton Worldwide official Andrew Clough speak at the Hilton announcement on June 11. Photo: Yu Yu
Workers take a break at a Yangon construction site. Photo: Kaung Htet
Finding a detached
home with a fair price
Asking K2.3 million a month to rent a
fully detached house is a tall order in
Yangons property market, but thats
what the owners of this 4000 square
foot house on a 7225 sq ft compound in
Thingangyun township is seeking.
This large two-storey house is built
in an older style, boasting three mas-
ter bedrooms, one single bedroom,
one living room, a shrine, four bath-
rooms, a kitchen and verandas. With
all these rooms theres lots of space
for a big family.
The house was built 14 years ago,
but has since been renovated. The
indoor decorations are certainly nice
rthan outdoor paint job would indicate.
The interior design is impressive, al-
though the exterior design is a little
pale and uninteresting.
Theres lots of space inside, and
House of the Week was worried that
the four air conditioners wouldnt be
enough. But when we visited it was
cool and airy, and doors to the two
large balconeys could be opened to
allow a cool breeze.
The house is not fully furnished, but
does include beds, tables and chairs.
It is conveniently located for travel,
being relatively close to downtown
only a half-hour away in moderate
trafc.
The rental price of K2.3 million is
a very fair price for a big house and
it is negotiable. If you are looking for
a large house at a not-unreasonable
price, this is a ne option.
Tin Yadanar Htun
Location : Tukitar St, Tantumar lane,
Thingangyun township
Price : K2.3 million (negotiable)
Contact : Estate Myanmar Real
Estate Agency
Phone : 09-43118787, 09-73114860
HOUSE OF THE WEEK
UNLICENSED contractors are facing
a crackdown as the Yangon Region
government is spurring municipal
authorities into action.
Builders in Thingangyun town-
ship were singled out as particularly
unlikely to follow licensing rules,
though Hlaing, Mayangone and In-
sein townships also have their fair
share of unlicensed contractors, ac-
cording to Yangon City Development
Commission (YCDC) building engi-
neering department ofcial U Nay
Win.
The Yangon Region government
is pushing YCDC and the township
courts slow the rising number of con-
tractors working without a licence, he
said.
Relevant township courts need to
take action, and send people to jail, to
reduce the problem, he said.
Under YCDC rules, unlicensed
contractors can be ned between
K10,000 and K50,000, or sent to jail
for a year.
While courts are efective at ning
unlicensed contractors, they are more
reluctant to send people to jail, he said.
Contractors who dont have li-
censes just pay K10,000 and continue
their construction, he said.
U Nay Win said it is possible for
stacked sentences. If a contractor has
seven unlicensed projects he or she
could face seven jail terms of one year.
YCDC building permits are also
expensive for some, leading contrac-
tors to take the risk.
Myanmar Construction Entre-
preneurs Association (MCEA) vice
president U Tha Aye said contractor
licences cost K50 million on average
in Yangon.
This amount is too much for
small and medium-sized contractors,
so they avoid getting licences. YCDC
should adjust the amount for smaller
contractors, he said. U Tha Aye add-
ed those avoiding the rules should be
punished accordingly.
Others say that informal relation-
ships rather than ofcial arrange-
ments are often generally accepted
practice in Yangon.
Ko Min Min Soe, senior agent at
Mya Pan Thakhin real estate agency,
said many people live in buildings
without ofcial contracts but with an
understanding with the landlord.
Crackdown coming for Yangons
many unlicensed contractors
MYAT
NYEIN AYE
myatnyeinaye11092@gmail.com
THOUSAND
K50
Maximum ne for those convicted of
being unlicensed contractors. They can
also face jail for a year.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Myanmar has been gaining the worlds attention, and I think that
attention has begun waning.
U Phyoe Wai Yar Zar, All Asia Exclusive Travel Company
Junta catches up with
Thai anti-coup activist
WORLD 41
36
Science & Technology
AS online and mobile technology
takes of, how will people search My-
anmar-language content? The answer
is uncertain: The country has one of
the lowest internet penetration rates
in the world and, so far, no very good
search tools. Thats why Bindez, a lo-
cal start-up, is working on it.
Nurtured through Project Hubs
2013 fellowship for entrepreneurs,
the project belongs to computer sci-
ence grads Ko Htet Will, 23, and Ko
Ye Wint Ko, 24, who co-founded Bin-
dez with their fellowship mentor and
now CEO, Rahul Batra, 29. With a
recently conrmed seed investment
and a uniquely qualied team, the
project is one to watch as the country
makes the leap from virtually no tech
to the future.
Were trying to imagine what a
search looks like if you block out the
picture of having Google and Yahoo.
What else could it be? Would it be
just a blank page, or would it have a
more intuitive approach? Mr. Batra
said, sitting at a table covered with
laptops, wires and tins of snacks
in Bindezs current home ofce in
Kyeemyindaing.
Google launched its Myanmar
site in March 2013 and tech watchers
expect it will invest more resources
here, too. Bindez said it hopes to ofer
users something diferent from the
search giant. We want to redene
the way Myanmar people consume
information to progress in their daily
lives, Ko Ye Wint Ko said.
Any research team faces a difcult
challenge. When you launch a search
engine, you have to have crawled eve-
rything in Burmese on the net and its
spread a lot of places so you need a
lot of time and resources spend cull-
ing the data, said Ravi Chhabra, an
adviser to the Myanmar Computer
Federation. Thats partly why few
have invested in similar projects so
far, he said.
Building search tools also requires
work on Myanmar natural language
processing (NLP) the eld of com-
puter science concerned with the in-
teraction between human (natural)
language and computers which is in
its infancy relative to English, experts
said. A government-run research lab
opened in 2006, only to be shut down
around the time Ko Htet Will nished
his university courses in spring 2013.
That inspired him to open their own
lab, and they quickly enlisted the help
of two researchers from the now-de-
funct government project.
At about the same time, Bindez
was accepted into the Project Hub
fellowship, where the team was
matched with a mentor, Mr. Batra, an
ex-Google specialist from India who
initially came to Myanmar to help an
NGO work with rural youth on small-
business development.
By the time the fellowship ended
in November, Bindez had interested a
few investors and the team had dedi-
cated themselves to the project full
time. Over the next months, the team
debated what Myanmar users might
want. Although the English-speaking
world almost takes it for granted that
people want a pull mechanism like
Google, which responds to user que-
ries for information, in other languag-
es, like Russian and Vietnamese, peo-
ple have demonstrated a preference
for tools more like Yahoo!s push
style of navigable subject directories.
Ko Htet Will and Mr. Batra point
to the success of localised search en-
gines in other countries, in particular
Vietnam, as models of what theyd
like to achieve. CocCoc and Wada
have both made successful inroads by
ofering directory-style click search-
es. Wadas underlying technology is
also able to recognise Vietnamese
names quickly and easily compared
to other products.
So far, no Myanmar search tool
is very good at turning out relevant
search results. Even Googles country
site is rough and doesnt, for example,
weed out search results with obsceni-
ties, Mr. Chhabra said. Its actually
quite ugly right now.
If an engine is going to turn out
relevant results, researchers must
improve the tools ability to recog-
nise things like parts of speech, indi-
vidual words and phrases and word
meaning, which means also build-
ing resources like dictionaries and
lexicons. Toward this end, so far the
Bindez team has built a text corpus
of thousands of Myanmar terms
research they intend to make avail-
able for open-source development of
Myanmar NLP in the long term.
Its quite difcult because the lan-
guage is complex, as is digitisation of
the glyphs and encoding, said U Thar
Htet, a tech expert and founder of
Zwenex.com web and software devel-
opment. Without that research the
larger population cannot use [comput-
er] systems without a second language.
Myanmar people currently input
type in one of two encoding stand-
ards: Unicode, the international
standard, and Zawgyi, a non-stand-
ard encoding. Currently, most of the
Myanmar content on the internet
currently exists in Zawgyi, making
more work for the engineers of search
algorithms, U Thar Htet said.
Bindez said their goal is to create
tools that accommodate both stand-
ards and are also customised to sup-
port local language and knowledge.
If we can really identify the con-
tent that people would like to hear
and know, if we connect to our lo-
cal people and provide it very much
with our own secret sauce, then
Bindez could take of, Ko Htet Will
said. They plan to release a private
beta next month and a public beta
in the near future.
Myanmar search engine to launch in July
WHITNEY LIGHT
light.whitney@gmail.com
We want to redene
the way Myanmar
people consume
information.
Ko Ye Wint Ko
Bindez co-founder
NBA Properties, Inc., a company organized under the laws of U.S.A and having its
principal offce at Olympic Tower, 645 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10022, United
States of America is the owner and sole proprietor of the following Trademarks:-
Myanmar Registration Number. 4/3677/96 for Intl Class 41
Entertainment services in the nature of rendering live basketball games and basket-
ball exhibitions and the production and distribution of radio and television broadcasts
of basketball games and exhibitions. (International Class 41)
Used in respect of :-
Clothing, namely hosiery, footwear, basketball shoes, basketball sneakers, T-shirts,
shirts, polo shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants, pants, tank tops, jerseys, shorts, pajamas,
sport shirts, rugby shirts, sweaters, belts, ties, nightshirts, hats, caps, visors, warm-up
suits, warm-up pants , warm-up tops/shooting shirts, jackets, wind resistant jack-
ets, parkas, coats, baby bibs not of paper, head bands, wrist bands, aprons, under-
garments, boxer shorts, slacks ,ear muffs, gloves, mittens, scarves, woven and knit
shirts, jersey dresses , dresses, cheerleading dresses and uniforms, swim wear, bath-
ing suits, swimsuits, bikinis, tankinis, swim trunks, bathing trunks, board shorts, wet
suits, beach cover-ups, bathing suit cover-ups, bathing suit wraps, sandals, beach
sandals, beach hats, sun visors, swim caps, bathing caps, novelty headwear with at-
tached wigs(International Class 25)
Toys, games and sporting goods, namely basketballs, golf balls, playground balls,
sports balls, rubber action balls and foam action balls, plush balls for games, plastic
balls for games, basketball nets, basketball backboards, miniature basketball back-
Numbers.
4/8042/2008 for Intl
Class 25
4/8043/2008 for Intl
Class 28
4/8044/2008 for Intl
Class41
Numbers.
4/8066/2010 for Intl
Class 25
4/8067/2010 for Intl
Class 28
4/8068/2010 for Intl
Class 41
Numbers.
4/8069/2010 for Intl
Class 25
4/8070/2010 for Intl
Class 28
4/8071/2010 for Intl
Class 41
boards, pumps for infating basketballs and needles therefore; golf clubs, golf bags,
golf putters, golf accessories, namely, divot repair tools, tees, ball markers, golf bag
covers, club head covers, golf gloves, golf ball sleeves, electronic basketball table
top games, basketball table top games, basketball board games, action skill games,
adults and childrens party games, trivia information games and electronic video
arcade game machines, basketball kit comprised of a net and whistle, dolls, decora-
tive dolls, collectible dolls, toy action dolls, toy action fgures, bubblehead action fg-
ures, stuffed toys, novelty plush toys with wigs, jigsaw puzzles, toy building blocks,
Christmas tree ornaments and Christmas stockings; toy vehicles in the nature of cars,
trucks, trains and vans ,all containing basketball themes, novelty foam toys in the
shapes of fngers and trophies, toy trophies, playing cards, card games, noisemak-
ers, pet toys; beach toys, namely ,beach balls, infatable balls, toy pails, toy shovels,
sand toys, sand box toys, water-squirting toys, pool accessories, namely swim foats,
pool foats, toy water rafts, foam foats, swim rings, pool rings, foam rings, body
boards, surf boards, swim fns, surf fns, arm foats and water wing swim aids for
recreational use; volleyball game kits comprised of ball, net, sidelines and whistle,
and water polo game kits comprised of ball, net and whistle; decorative cloth wind
socks(International Class28)
Entertainment and educational services in the nature of ongoing television and radio
programs in the feld of basketball and rendering live basketball games and basketball
exhibitions; the production and distribution of radio and television shows featuring
basketball games ,basketball events and programs in the feld of basketball; conduct-
ing and arranging basketball clinics and camps, coaches clinics and camps, dance
team clinics and camps and basketball games; entertainment services in the nature
of personal appearances by a costumed mascot or dance team at basketball games
and exhibitions, clinics, camps, promotions, and other basketball-related events, spe-
cial events and parties; fan club services; entertainment services, namely providing
a website featuring multimedia material in the nature of television highlights, inter-
active television highlights, video recordings, video stream recordings, interactive
video highlight selections, radio programs, radio highlights, and audio recordings
in the feld of basketball; providing news and information in the nature of statistics
and trivia in the feld of basketball; on-line non-downloadable games, namely, com-
puter games, video games, interactive video games, action skill games, arcade games,
adults and childrens party game, board games, puzzles, and trivia games; electronic
publishing services, namely, publication of magazines, guides, newsletters, coloring,
books, and game schedules of others on-line through the Internet, all in the feld of
basketball; providing an online computer database in the feld of basketball. (Inter-
national Class 41)
Any unauthorised use, imitation, infringements or fraudulent intentions of the above
marks will be dealt with according to law.
Ph: 0973150632
Attorneys at Law, Thailand)
Dated. 16
th
June, 2014
37
Science & Technology
Gadget Round-up
by Myo Satt
hTC Stylus
A stylus pen for working on your HTC smartphone. You can
never have too many, right?
K11,000
HTC Mini+
Connects to any HTC Device via Blue-
tooth. Use it for surng the internet,
playing games and watching videos. It
can also control your HTC smartphone.
K78,000
Available at:
KMD Sales & Service Centre
174-182 Pansodan Road, Kyauktada Township, Yangon.
Ph: 01-385 177, 01-385 877
hTC Fetch
Always losing your mobile?
If you click the surface of
this keychain, your phone
(if its within a 50 metre
radius) will ring. Great for
forgetful loved ones.
K26,000
HTC BoomBass
A compact speaker that can
connect with your phone or
MP3 player via Bluetooth.
A solid sound system with
a battery that can last for
up to 9 hours.
K78,000
-Translation by Thiri Min Htun
IN PICTURES
Iranian students from the Qazvin Azad Islamic University,
west of Tehran, assemble a solar powered vehicle on June 2,
2014. As entrants to the American Solar Challenge, a 1700-mile
(2735-kilometre) road trip in July across seven US states from
Austin, Texas to Minneapolis, Minnesota, a lot is at stake for
the young Iranians. Photo: AFP
WHEN robots play football, it looks like
a game played by ve-year-olds: They
swarm around the ball, kick haphaz-
ardly and fall down a lot.
But robot teams have made strides
in recent years, and some researchers
believe the humanoids could challenge
the worlds best players in a decade or
two.
Maybe in 20 years we could develop
a team of robots to play against the best
World Cup teams, said Daniel Lee, who
heads the University of Pennsylvania
robotics lab, which is seeking a fourth
consecutive RoboCup in Brazil next
month, the premiere event for robotic
football.
Robotic football, says Mr. Lee, is
more than fun and games. It involves
articial intelligence and complex al-
gorithms that help provide a better un-
derstanding of human vision, cognition
and mobility.
Similar technology can be used for
robots that perform household tasks or
search and rescue, and for self-driving
cars, said Lee, who led a demonstration
of his robot football team June 11 at the
New America Foundation, a Washing-
ton think tank.
Mr. Lee said robots have improved
their game from a decade ago, having
moved from four-legged doglike ma-
chines to two-legged humanoid forms.
But he said there is still a lot to be
learned before robotic football can be
competitive with humans. The robots
in the demo still moved awkwardly,
sometimes failed to locate the ball, and
often ended up in collisions or fell over
on their own.
We have machines that can beat us
in chess, he said. But we [humans] can
still kick their butts in soccer.
Because the robots are autono-
mous, they need to be able to han-
dle all kinds of tasks humans take for
granted: nding the ball, respond-
ing to diferent light conditions and
terrain, and determining the best
strategy.
Our robots are calculating every-
thing terms of probability, he said,
which means a human can outsmart a
machine.
In creativity, humans have an
advantage.
The Penn student team took home
the RoboCup in the Netherlands in 2013
for the third year running, after victo-
ries in Mexico City in 2012 and Istanbul
in 2011.
Mr. Lee said the research draws
from a variety of disciplines, from en-
gineering to anatomy to knowledge of
sports.
The biggest challenges remain
ahead of the team.
What is difcult is to understand
the intent of the other team, that is
what prevents us from being more so-
phisticated, Mr. Lee said.
And in addition to developing tech-
nology for individual robots, the re-
searchers need to nd better ways for
the machines to communicate with
each other to coordinate strategy. AFP
Football-playing robots
eye their own cup
WASHINGTON
In 20 years we
could develope a
team of robots to
play against the best
world cup teams.
Daniel Lee
University of Pennsylvania Robotics
Lab
WorldWORLD EDITOR: Fiona MacGregor
UKRAINEs new president told his
Russian counterpart that the reported
crossing of three tanks into his coun-
trys separatist east was unacceptable,
as the pair held what Kiev called sub-
stantive and extended telephone talks
on June 12.
President Petro Poroshenko also
discussed his plans to defuse the
crisis in the east of the country as he
held what are thought to be his rst
telephone talks with Russias Vladimir
Putin since he was sworn in at the
weekend.
Poroshenko called the situa-
tion unacceptable, the presidents
spokespersonsaid on his Facebook
page, referring to reports that three
Soviet-era tanks had moved into
Ukrainian territory from Russia.
Moscow has denied the allegation,
earlier raised by Ukraines Interior
Minister Arsen Avakov, who stopped
short of accusing Russia of being
behind the reported incursion.
Russia for its part accused Mr
Poroshenko of failing to follow through
on his presidential election promise to
end the violence, and demanded an in-
vestigation into claims that his forces
had used banned rebombs against
civilians.
Mr Putin and Mr Poroshenko shook
hands on the sidelines of D-Day com-
memorations in France on June 6, but
relations between their two countries
remain tense.
On June 11 the two sides failed to
calm a furious row over gas prices that
could see Ukraine and parts of Europe
cut of from Russian supplies.
And on June 12, Russias UN am-
bassador Vitaly Churkin promised to
submit a draft resolution to the UN
Security Council demanding an im-
mediate end to Ukraines military cam-
paign in the east and fullment of a
settlement road map approved by the
Organisation for Security and Coopera-
tion in Europe.
Mr Poroshenko faces a vast chal-
lenge as he tries to use the momentum
of his convincing May 25 election victo-
ry to overcome Ukraines gravest crisis
since its independence from Moscow in
1991.
The 48-year-old chocolate baron is
trying to keep the future of his splin-
tered and nearly bankrupt country tied
to Europe while at the same time not
provoking the Kremlin, already in con-
trol of the Crimea peninsula, into any
more aggressive moves.
Mr Poroshenko made a surprise
promise on June 8 to end by the week-
end two months of ghting that has
now claimed 270 lives and threatened
his countrys very survival by the end
of the week.
His aides and a top Kremlin envoy
have since had daily consultations in
Kiev that on June 12 produced what
Ukraine said was an initial peace
plan now requiring Mr Putins formal
support.
The Ukrainian leaders ofce said
he laid out the details of that proposal
to Mr Putin and later also consulted
German Chancellor Angela Merkel by
phone.
The Kremlins brief account of the
talks provided no clue into what Putin
may have said in response.
Ukraines president notied
Vladimir Putin of his plan to settle
the situation in Ukraines southeast,
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov
told Russian news agencies.
There was however little sign of the
violence abating.
A minibus belonging to rebel leader
Denis Pushilin in the separatist eastern
city of Donetsk was blown up killing
two of his entourage and wounding
two other people, the government of
the self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples
Republic said. Mr Pushilin was not in
the vehicle. AFP
KIEV
BAGHDAD
Talks between Ukraine
and Russia substantitive
A Ukrainian soldier sits inside an armoured vehicle at a check-point near the
eastern Ukrainian city of Slavyansk on June 11. Photo: AFP
PRESIDENT Barack Obama said
he was exploring all options to save
Iraqs security forces from collapse
and US companies evacuated hun-
dreds from a major air base as jihad-
ists swept toward Baghdad on June
12.
With the militants closing in
on the capital, forces from Iraqs
autonomous Kurdish region took
control of Kirkuk, an ethnically di-
vided northern city they have sought
to rule for decades against the
objections of successive govern-
ments in Baghdad.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hosyhar
Zebari acknowledged the security
forces that Washington invested
billions in training and equipping
before withdrawing its own troops
in 2011 had simply melted away.
Mr Obama said Iraq was going
to need more help from the United
States and from the international
community.
Our national security team is
looking at all the options ... I dont
rule out anything, he said.
Russia said the lightning gains by
the Islamic State of Iraq and the Le-
vant (ISIL), a movement so radical it
has been disavowed even by the Al-
Qaeda leadership, showed the point-
lessness of the 2003 US-led invasion,
carried out in the aftermath of the
9/11 attacks in the United States.
Washington found rare common
cause with its longtime foe Tehran,
with both voicing dismay at the
Sunni extremists advance and
pledging to boost aid to Iraqs belea-
guered Shiite prime minister.
The militants, who have swept
up a huge swathe of predominantly
Sunni Arab territory in northern
and north-central Iraq since launch-
ing their ofensive in the second city
Mosul late on June 9, advanced into
ethnically divided Diyala province.
Late on May 12, they captured the
Jalawla and Saadiyah areas of the
province, whose mixed Arab, Kurd-
ish, Sunni and Shiite population has
made it a byword for violence ever
since the 2003 overthrow of Sunni
Arab dictator Saddam Hussein.
ISIL spokesperson Abu Moham-
med al-Adnani vowed the jihadists
would not stop there, but would
press on to the capital and the Shi-
ite shrine city of Karbala, visited by
millions of pilgrims from around the
world each year.
The Shiite-led government in
Baghdad has been left oundering
by the speed of the jihadist assault.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki
said he would seek parliaments
authorisation to declare a state of
emergency but MPs failed to muster
a quorum for the vote on June 12.
Only 128 out of 325 MPs showed
up for the session, a senior ofcial
said.
The swift collapse of Baghdads
control comes on top of the loss
of Fallujah, west of Baghdad, ear-
lier this year. It has been a blow for
Western governments that have paid
a steep price both in lives and money
in Iraq.
The Iraqi foreign minister ac-
knowledged the collapse of the
security forces in Mosul and other
cities, with many personnel van-
ishing after discarding their uni-
forms.
US considering all options as Iraq security
forces fail to curb Sunni militant onslaught
An image downloaded on June 11 from the jihadist website Welayat Salahuddin
shows militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) waving the trademark
Islamist flag after they allegedly seized an Iraqi army checkpoint in the northern Iraqi
province of Salahuddin. Photo: AFP
Washington looks at sending military assistance to Baghdad as jihadists advance and US-trained Iraqi security troops abandon large parts of the country to dramatic advances by extremists
39
Busy Vietnamese
turn to shamans for
stress relief
WORLD 47
First pay-outs for
relatives of missing
jet victims
WORLD 40
Pollution fall could
safeguard Reef
heritage status
WORLD 44
BANGKOK
Junta leader promises interim administration by Autumn,
but rules out elections for at least a year to allow reforms
THAILANDS junta will form an
interim government by September
to oversee political reforms that will
be followed by elections in about one
year, the army chief said on June 13.
General Prayut Chan-O-Cha, who
led a May 22 coup that deposed an
elected government, did not say
whether the cabinet would be made
up of civilians or military personnel.
A new government will be set up
in August or the beginning of Septem-
ber, he told ofcials at a brieng on
the 2015 budget.
Dont ask me who they are and
where they come from, he added.
The junta chief has not ruled out
becoming prime minister himself.
The ruling generals have curtailed
civil liberties by banning public pro-
tests, arresting demonstrators, censor-
ing media and temporarily detaining
hundreds of critics for questioning.
Mr Prayut has ruled out elections
for at least a year to allow time for
political reforms, including the draft-
ing of a new constitution, which he
says are necessary to end almost a
decade of political turmoil and street
violence.
He urged Thais to please be pa-
tient with me.
I know its a honeymoon period
now but I hope it lasts a bit longer,
he said.
The commander-in-chief said it
was important for Thailand to have a
strong military.
If we dont have a military we can-
not bargain with anyone. If our mili-
tary is not strong no one listens to us,
he said.
Critics accuse the junta of using
political unrest as an excuse for a
power grab by a military-backed roy-
alist establishment seeking to curb
the political dominance of fugitive
former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
Mr Thaksin or his afliated parties
have won every election in more than
a decade, including in 2011 under his
younger sister Yingluck Shinawatra,
helped by support among voters in
the northern half of the country.
The billionaire tycoon-turned-pop-
ulist politician was ousted in a 2006
coup and lives in Dubai to avoid jail
for a corruption conviction.
Mr Prayut said that he would scrap
a loss-making rice price guarantee
scheme launched by Ms Yingluck and
explore ways to reduce production
costs for struggling farmers instead.
AFP
IN PICTURES
PHOTO: AFP
Britains Camilla,
Duchess of Cornwall
meets with US actress
and campaigner
Angelina Jolie at
Clarence House in
London on June 12.
The pair talked about
Ms Jolies campaign
against sexual violence
in warzones. The
Global Summit to End
Sexual Violence in
Conict in London,
was co-hosted by Ms
Jolie. Decision-makers
and victims of warzone
rape launched a
protocol of proposals
on how best to
document rapes in war
in an attempt to vastly
increase the number of
prosecutions.
US considering all options as Iraq security
forces fail to curb Sunni militant onslaught
An image downloaded on June 11 from the jihadist website Welayat Salahuddin
shows militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) waving the trademark
Islamist flag after they allegedly seized an Iraqi army checkpoint in the northern Iraqi
province of Salahuddin. Photo: AFP
Washington looks at sending military assistance to Baghdad as jihadists advance and US-trained Iraqi security troops abandon large parts of the country to dramatic advances by extremists
It is a setback denitely for the
Iraqi security forces, who collapsed
in the largest city and abandoned
their weapons and equipment, he
said.
Mr Zebari said the security
forces were ghting back in Tikrit,
the hometown of the now executed
Saddam, and witnesses and ofcials
reported air strikes on the dictators
former palace in the town as well as
a former army base taken over by
militants in Mosul.
Washington was considering
several options for ofering military
assistance to Baghdad, including
drone strikes, a US ofcial told AFP
on condition of anonymity.
Resorting to such aircraft, used
in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen
in a highly controversial program,
would mark a dramatic shift in the
US engagement in Iraq, after the last
American troops pulled out in late
2011.
But there is no current plan to
send US troops back into Iraq, where
around 4500 American soldiers died
during the conict.
US companies were evacuating a
few hundred American contractors
working with the Iraqi government
from Balad air base, 80 kilometres
(50 miles) north of the capital, a US
defence ofcial said.
The contractors are being tem-
porarily relocated by their compa-
nies due to security concerns in the
area, State Department spokesper-
son Jen Psaki said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov said the spectacular collapse
of the Western-trained Iraqi army il-
lustrated the total failure of the ad-
venture involving the United States
and Britain.
And Mr Obamas Republican op-
ponents in Congress were swift to
accuse the president of abandoning
Iraq by pulling out US troops in 2011.
Senator Lindsey Graham
warned a jihadist takeover in both
Iraq and neighbouring Syria would
create a hell on earth.
He called for the urgent deploy-
ment of US air power to change
the battleeld equation.
Turkey said it was holding talks
to secure the release of dozens of its
citizens kidnapped by Islamist mili-
tants in northern Iraq amid interna-
tional calls for their release.
The Kurdish minister responsible
for his autonomous regions former
rebel security forces was targeted
by a bomb attack as he made an
inspection tour of the outskirts of
the oil city of Kirkuk, which Kurdish
forces took over on June 12, but es-
caped unharmed.
But a news photographer was
killed and 14 Kurdish troops wound-
ed in ghting with the militants
who have seized a string of mainly
Sunni Arab towns in the west of the
province.
The UN Security Council de-
manded urgent dialogue and con-
demned terrorist activities, but
stopped short of mulling action
against the militants.
As many as half a million people
have ed the jihadist ofensive and
the World Food Programme said it
had started providing assistance to
42,000 of the most vulnerable.
AFP
I know its a
honeymoon period
now but I hope it
lasts a bit longer.
If we dont have a
military we cant
bargain.
Prayut Chan-O-Chan
Thai army general
MORE ON THAILAND ON PAGE 41
New Thai government by
September, says general
40 World International THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 16 - 22, 2014
MALAYSIAS Airlines insurer has be-
gun paying the families of passengers
onboard Flight MH370 US$50,000 each
in initial compensation three months
after the jet disappeared, a government
ofcial said on June 12.
So far six Malaysian and one Chi-
nese family have received the advance
payment, to which all the families of the
239 passengers and crew onboard are
entitled, said Malaysian deputy foreign
minister Hamzah Zainudin.
Talks with 40 more Chinese families
are under way to ascertain they are the
rightful claimants, said Mr Hamzah,
who heads a committee to support the
missing passengers next-of-kin.
The Boeing 777 inexplicably dis-
appeared on March 8 en route from
Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, with no sign
of wreckage found despite an extensive
search of western Australia.
Full payment to the families, who
can claim up to more than three times
the amount of the initial payout, would
be made later, Mr Hamzah said.
The government was not yet pre-
pared to declare the plane lost, he added.
When we talk about the full
payment, we have to wait until we
announce the issue on the tragedy
MH370 is over ... whether the plane
is found, whether we announce the
plane is lost, he said.
Passengers families can claim up
to about $175,000 under Internation-
al Civil Aviation Organisation rules,
regardless of fault, in a plane crash.
Malaysia Airlines insurer, a consor-
tium led by Germanys Allianz, is mak-
ing the payments.
Malaysia and Australia have prom-
ised they will not give up looking for
the plane in a vast deep-sea area in the
southern Indian Ocean where the jet is
believed to have crashed, based on satel-
lite data.
But angry relatives of some of those
on board have accused Malaysia and its
national carrier of reacting too slowly
and covering up information. Two-
thirds of the passengers were Chinese.
A handful of families on June 8
launched an online campaign to raise
$5 million to reward a whistleblower
who comes forward with information to
help nd the plane.
So far, they have raised more than
$25,000.
The government has been very
transparent from day one, said Mr
Hamzah on June 12.
The next phase of the hunt will see
authorities comb a 60,000-square-
kilometre (24,000-square-mile) search
zone based on the planes last satellite
ommunication. AFP
KUALA LUMPUR
$50,000 payouts begin for
grieving MH370 families
Chinese relatives of passengers from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370
gather outside the Malaysian Airlines office in Beijing on June 11. Photo: AFP
Rex Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Rex Industries Co., Ltd.), a
company organized under the laws of JAPAN and having its
principal offce at 4-5-, 1-chome, Nishishinsaibashi, Chuo-ku,
Osaka, Japan is the owner and sole proprietor of the following
Trademark:-
REX
Myanmar Registration Nos. 4/10131/2013 for Intl Class 7 &
4/10132/2013 for Intl Class 8
Metalworking machines, Machining (Apparatus for -), pipe
cutting machines, pipe cutting saws, pipe threading machines,
pipe grooving machines, pipe faring machine, pipe thread-
rolling machine, fusion machines and tools to fuse and connect
for plastic pipes, Drilling machines, Tools (Hand-held-),other
than hand operated, Cleaning (Machines and apparatus for-
),electric, High pressure washers, Machine tolls, Cutting
machines, Saws[machines], Threading machines, Drills (Electric
hand-) (International Class 7)
Hand tools, hand-operated, pipe cutter, pipe threader, tube cutter,
tube faring tools tube faring and swaging tools, tube expander,
pipe vice, chain vice, thread gauges, Vice, Dies [hand tools],
Blades[hand tools], Expanders[hand tools] (International Class 8)
Any unauthorised use, imitation, infringements or fraudulent
intentions of the above marks will be dealt with according to law.
Ph: 0973150632
Dated. 16
th
June, 2014
NBA Properties, Inc, a company organized under the laws of United States of
America carrying on business as Manufacturers and having its principal offce at
Olympic Tower, 645 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10022, U.S.A is the owner
and sole proprietor of the following Trademarks:-
Clothing, namely hosiery, footwear, basketball shoes, basketball sneakers, T-shirts,
shirts, polo shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants, pants, tank tops, jerseys, shorts, paja-
mas, sport shirts, rugby shirts, sweaters, belts, ties, nightshirts, hats, caps, visors,
warm-up suits, warm-up pants, warm-up tops/shooting shirts, jackets, wind resistant
jackets, parkas, coats, baby bibs not of paper, head bands, wrist bands, aprons, un-
dergarments, boxer shorts, slacks, ear muffs, gloves, mittens, scarves, woven and
knit shirts, jersey dresses, dresses, cheerleading dresses and uniforms, swim wear,
bathing suits, swimsuits, bikinis, tankinis, swim trunks, bathing trunks, board shorts,
wet suits, beach cover-ups, bathing suit cover-ups, bathing suit wraps, sandals, beach
sandals, beach hats, sun visors, swim caps, bathing caps, novelty headwear with at-
tached wigs in class 25.
Toys, games and sporting goods, namely basketballs, golf balls, playground balls,
sports balls, rubber action balls and foam action balls, plush balls for games, plastic
balls for games, basketball nets, basketball backboards, miniature basketball back-
boards, pumps for infating basketballs and needles therefore; golf clubs, golf bags,
golf putters, golf accessories, namely, divot repair tools, tees, ball markers, golf bag
covers, club head covers, golf gloves, golf ball sleeves, golf putting greens; billiard
cue racks, billiard balls, billiard ball racks, dark board cabinets, electronic basketball
table top games, basketball table top games, basketball board games, action skill
games, adults and childrens party games, trivia information games and electronic
video arcade game machines, basketball kit comprised of a net and whistle, dolls,
Myanmar
Registration Numbers
4/405/2014(Class 25) &
4/406/2014(Class 28)
Myanmar
Registration Numbers.
4/407/2014(Class 25),
4/408/2014(Class 28) &
4/409/2014(Class 41)
Number 4/410/2014
(Class 25)
decorative dolls, collectible dolls, toy action fgures, bobblehead action fgures,
stuffed toys, plush toys, jigsaw puzzles, toy building blocks, Christmas tree orna-
ments and Christmas stockings; toy vehicles in the nature of cars, trucks, trains and
vans, all containing basketball themes, novelty foam toys in the shapes of fngers and
trophies, toy trophies, playing cards, card games, toy noisemakers, pet toys; beach
toys; namely, beach balls, infatable balls, toy pails, toy shovels, sand toys, sand box
toys, water-squirting toys; pool accessories, namely swim foats, pool foats, toy wa-
ter rafts, foam foats, swim rings, pool rings, foam rings, body boards, surf boards,
swim fns, surf fns, arm foats and water wing swim aids, all for recreational use; vol-
leyball game kits comprised of ball, net, sidelines and whistle, and water polo game
kits comprised of ball, net and whistle; decorative cloth wind socks in class 28.
Entertainment and educational services in the nature of ongoing television and radio
programs in the feld of basketball and rendering live basketball games and basketball
exhibitions; the production and distribution of radio and television shows featuring
basketball games, basketball events and programs in the feld of basketball; conduct-
ing and arranging basketball clinics and camps, coaches clinics and camps, dance
team clinics and camps and basketball games; entertainment services in the nature
of personal appearances by a costumed mascot or dance team at basketball games
and exhibitions, clinics, camps, promotions, and other basketball-related events, spe-
cial events and parties; fan club services; entertainment services, namely providing
a website featuring multimedia material in the nature of television highlights, inter-
active television highlights, video recordings, video stream recordings, interactive
video highlight selections, radio programs, radio highlights, and audio recordings
in the feld of basketball; providing news and information in the nature of statistics
and trivia in the feld of basketball; on-line non-downloadable games, namely, com-
puter games, video games, interactive video games, action skill games, arcade games,
adults and childrens party games, board games, puzzles, and trivia games; elec-
tronic publishing services, namely, publication of magazines, guides, newsletters,
coloring books, and game schedules of others on-line through the Internet, all in the
feld of basketball; providing an online computer database in the feld of basketball
in class 41.
Any unauthorized use, imitation, infringements or fraudulent intentions of the above
marks will be dealt with according to law.
Ph: 0973150632
Dated. 16
th
June, 2014
NBA
International World 41 www.mmtimes.com
HONG KONG BANGKOK
AT least 50 people were injured when
a Hong Kong ferry crashed into a
seawall of the coast of the gambling
enclave of Macau on June 13, ofcials
said, the latest accident to hit the
cities busy waterways.
The crash happened when
the Macau-bound ferry re-
ported to be a jetfoil boat was
approaching the port at around 9:30am
local time and hit a concrete breakwa-
ter, a spokesperson for Macaus marine
department said.
People were injured as the
ferry was arriving from Hong
Kong and rescue boats were used
to carry them back to shore for
treatment, the spokesperson said.
The extent of the injuries will be
determined later. But for now, we can
say most of them were slightly injured.
Some of them were hospitalised be-
cause they were bleeding, he said.
Passenger ferries regularly cover
the hour-long distance between Hong
Kong and Macau.
Local broadcaster RTHK said
the ferry involved was a jetfoil and
the cause of accident was yet to be
determined. It is the third accident on
the Hong Kong to Macau ferry route in
the past eight months.
In November, a high-speed ferry
travelling from Hong Kong to Macau
hit an unidentied object near one
of Hong Kongs small outlying islands,
injuring 87 people.
And last month a Hong Kong-bound
Macau ferry collided with a mainland
Chinese vessel, leaving 33 injured.
Fears over maritime safety in Hong
Kong were sparked after a fatal colli-
sion between a passenger ferry and a
pleasure boat carrying around 120 peo-
ple claimed 39 lives in October in 2012.
The accident was the citys worst
boating disaster in decades and
shocked the Asian nancial hub.
An inquiry into the crash found a
litany of errors and systematic fail-
ings in the marine departments safety
standards.
Fatal boat accidents are rare
in Hong Kong despite its crowded
waters, which often see high-speed
hydrofoils vying for space with
tourist junks, luxury yachts and a cen-
tury-old public ferry system. AFP
Fifty hurt
in latest
ferry crash
A PROMINENT anti-coup activist
in Thailand faces up to 14 years in
prison if convicted of incitement,
computer crimes and ignoring a
summons by the junta, police have
said.
Sombat Boonngamanong, who
led a social media campaign to stage
peaceful but illegal rallies against
the junta, was denied bail on June
12 and is set to stand trial in a
military court.
He has been charged with
inciting unrest, violating the com-
puter crime act and defying an
order by the junta to turn him-
self in, according to Prasopchoke
Prommul, deputy commander
of the polices crime suppression
division.
We will bring him to the mili-
tary court to seek his detention, he
added.
If found guilty, Mr Sombat faces
seven years in jail for incitement, ve
years for spreading false information
over the internet and two years for
ignoring the summons, Mr Prasop-
choke said.
Mr Sombat was one of several
hundred politicians, activists, aca-
demics and journalists called in by
the junta following the May 22 coup.
Those who attended were de-
tained in secret locations for up to a
week and ordered to cease political
activities.
Mr Sombat, a prominent pro-
democracy activist, refused to turn
himself in, instead posting a mes-
sage on Facebook saying, Catch me
if you can.
While on the run he urged follow-
ers to stage peaceful public demon-
strations, ashing the three-nger
salute from The Hunger Games lms
that has become a symbol of de-
ance against the junta.
He was tracked down and arrest-
ed a week ago in Chonburi, south-
east of Bangkok.
The activist was taken to a mili-
tary court in Bangkok on June 12,
escorted by police.
The court denied bail because
his charges carry a high penalty,
said his lawyer Anond Nampa.
No trial date has yet been set.
Mr Sombat is the leader of a fac-
tion of the Red Shirts movement
that broadly supports fugitive for-
mer premier Thaksin Shinawatra
and his sister Yingluck, who was de-
posed as prime minister last month.
Former education minister Cha-
turon Chaisang, who also refused to
answer the summons, was detained
by soldiers in a dramatic raid on a
news conference last month, and
faces trial in a military court.
The ruling generals last month
imposed martial law, media cen-
sorship and a night-time curfew
as part of what they described as
an attempt to end years of political
turmoil.
The curfew had threatened to
leave Thai football fans unable to
watch World Cup matches in bars
and restaurants, but the junta in-
tervened on June 12 to ensure that
footballs showpiece tournament is
screened for free on public channels.
We hope that all Thais will be
happy, Lieutenant General Chatu-
dom Titthasiri, head of army-run
Channel 5, which will broadcast
most of the matches, told report-
ers.
Since seizing power from a bat-
tered civilian administration on
May 22, Thailands military has em-
barked on an extensive public rela-
tions campaign emphasising the
need to return happiness to the
people.
Critics, however, see the coup as
a pretext for a purge of politicians
and ofcials loyal to Mr Thaksin,
who was himself ousted by the
army in 2006 and lives in Dubai to
avoid prison for a corruption con-
viction.
The junta has said elections are
not expected to be held for at least
a year to allow political reforms,
including the drafting of a new con-
stitution. AFP
Activist faces military trial
Thai anti-coup activist Sombat Boonngamanong (centre) is escorted by police and soldiers at a military court in Bangkok on June 12. Photo: AFP
Police say an online campaigner who led internet protests against junta rule could serve up to 14 years in jail
JAPAN summoned the Chinese ambas-
sador on June 12, as the two sides traded
accusations of blame for a near miss in-
volving ghter jets over the East China
Sea, the second similar incident in less
than a month.
In the latest confrontation in a long-
running territorial dispute, Tokyo says
two Chinese SU-27 jets ew just 30 me-
tres (100 feet) away from its aircraft in
a spot where the two countries air de-
fence zones overlap.
It was an action that was
extremely regrettable, and which can-
not be tolerated, said top government
spokesperson Yoshihide Suga, of the
June 11 incident.
It was the second time in less than
three weeks that Tokyo has accused Bei-
jing of playing chicken in the skies near
the hotly contested Japanese-controlled
Senkaku islands, which China also
claims and calls the Diaoyus.
It comes after a similar event which
occurred last month, Mr Suga said.
The government will continue urging
China to prevent an accident and re-
strain itself.
Japans vice minister for foreign af-
fairs, Akitaka Saiki, called the Chinese
ambassador to Japan, Cheng Yong-
hua, to the ministry, where he said
similar manoeuvres could lead to a real
accident, according to Kyodo News.
China hit back, insisting Japanese
pilots had been at fault and that Tokyo
was lying to the international commu-
nity about Chinas behaviour.
Japan has hyped the claim that a
Chinese ghter ew unusually close
to a Japanese surveillance plane, exag-
gerating Chinas military threat, said a
statement on the Chinese defense min-
istry website.
The Chinese pilots operation was
professional, standard and maintained
restraint. The Japanese pilots prac-
tice was dangerous, and obviously
provocative in nature, the statement
said. Foreign ministry spokeswoman
Hua Chunying said Japan has ignored
the facts and hyped up this incident
and the so-called China threat.
[Japan has] deliberately deceived
the world. So we cant help but wonder
what is the true intention of Japan.
The incident occurred as Japan and
Australia held the fth round of so-
called 2+2 talks between their defence
and foreign afairs chiefs in Tokyo.
The meeting was in line with
a trend toward strengthening
political alliances in the Asia-Pacic,
as countries look with alarm at Chinas
willingness to forcefully push its claims
in territorial disputes.
The two sides reached a broad
agreement on a legal framework to al-
low them to conduct joint research and
trade in defence equipment.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
has relaxed strictures on his countrys
arms industry to allow it to sell its high-
tech weaponry abroad.
Mr Abe bills Japan as a benign
counterweight for countries look-
ing askance at Chinas recent heavy-
handedness, which has led it to become
embroiled in destabilising rows with Vi-
etnam and the Philippines. AFP
TOKYO
Jet incident sparks diplomacy row in latest S China sea spat
3
Number of ferry accidents on the Hong
Kong to Macau route in the past eight
months
LUCKNOW SEOUL
THOUSANDS of South Korean police
raided the compound of a splinter
religious group on June 12 for the
second day in a row as part of a
manhunt for a fugitive businessman
wanted over Aprils ferry disaster.
The raid into the sprawling church
and farming complex in Anseong, 80
kilometres (50 miles) south of Seoul,
involved some 3600 ofcers, a police
spokesperson said.
TV footage showed riot police
forming human barricades with
shields around key facilities in the
complex where Yoo Byung-Eun, 72,
a leading member of the Evangelical
Baptist Church of Korea, was believed
to have once stayed.
In an operation involving 6000
police ofcers June 11, investiga-
tors detained ve church followers
suspected of helping Mr Yoo evade a
nationwide dragnet put in place af-
ter he deed an ofcial summons to
surrender to prosecutors.
It was not clear if police had de-
tained anyone after the second raid
June 12.
Police had raided the church com-
plex three weeks ago, but came away
empty-handed, amid reports that Mr
Yoo may have ed overseas.
Mr Yoo is the patriarch of the
family behind the Chonghaejin
Marine Co., which owned and op-
erated the 6825-tonne Sewol ferry
which sank on April 16 with the
loss of 300 lives, most of them
schoolchildren.
He is wanted for questioning on
possible charges of embezzlement
and criminal negligence, as prosecu-
tors investigate the extent to which
the Sewol disaster was caused by a
lack of safety standards and regula-
tory violations.
Mr Yoo has no direct stake in
Chonghaejin, but his children and
close aides control it through a com-
plex web of holding companies.
A reward of 500 million won
(US$490,000) has been ofered for
information leading to the capture of
Mr Yoo and 100 million won for that
of his eldest son, Yoo Dae-Kyun.
A church spokesperson has argued
that Mr Yoo was being set up to take
the fall for the Sewol disaster, because
the government was unwilling to ac-
cept responsibility for regulatory fail-
ings that contributed to the tragedy.
The church has also ofered a 500
million won reward for those who
reveal the truth behind the accident.
Mr Yoo has described himself
as an artist and photographer, and
was once convicted of fraud when
a company under his control went
bankrupt.
On June 12 South Korean
president Park Geun-Hye revamped
her cabinet replacing seven ministers
in response to intense criticism over
her administrations handling of the
ferry disaster.
The most high-prole change will
see Choi Kyoung-Hwan, a ruling par-
ty lawmaker, replacing Hyun Oh-Seok
as nance minister in charge of the
economy, the presidential Blue House
said. AFP
Massive
hunt for
ferry boss
INDIA police said on June 12
they were investigating a spate of
rapes and hangings in a troubled
northern region, as the national
womens rights body called for the
state government to resign over the
crisis.
India has been trying to restore
its battered reputation for violence
against women, but public outrage
was reignited by the deaths last
month of two girls, aged 12 and 14,
who were gang-raped and lynched in
their impoverished village in Uttar
Pradesh.
On June 12 a woman said she had
been gang-raped by four ofcers at a
police station in the state, and police
said they were also investigating the
death of a 19-year-old found, like the
two girls, hanging from a tree.
The body was strung up using
the girls dupatta [long scarf ], sen-
ior police superintendent Ashutosh
Kumar said, adding the incident
occurred in a village in Moradabad
district.
The FIR [rst information re-
port] was lodged by the girls brother
against unidentied persons. He has
alleged the girl was murdered, Mr
Kumar said.
The case is the latest in a series
of attacks in Uttar Pradesh where-
chief minister Akhilesh Yadav is
under mounting political pressure
to resign over his handling of law
and order.
Mamata Sharma, head of the
state-run National Commission for
Women, urged Mr Yadav to resign,
calling his governments failure to
protect women shameful.
They (the government) not only
fails in protecting their women but
they dont even have the police
in their control, Ms Sharma told
NDTV.
India brought in tougher laws
last year against sexual ofenders af-
ter the fatal gang-rape of a student
in New Delhi in December 2012, an
attack that drew international con-
demnation of Indias treatment of
women.
But the legislation designed to
educate and sensitise police on rape
cases has failed to stem the tide of
violence.
In southwest Uttar Pradesh, the
woman who alleged she was gang-
raped by four ofcers at a police sta-
tion said the attack occurred as she
was trying to seek her husbands
release.
At 11:30pm when there was no
one in the room the sub-inspector
took me to his room and raped me
inside the police station, the woman,
who cannot be named, told the CNN-
IBN channel.
The woman led a complaint
against the sub-inspector and three
other ofcers, alleging she was at-
tacked in Hamirpur district when
she refused to pay them a bribe, po-
lice said.
The procedure will be followed,
the victim has led a complaint and
the guilty will be arrested soon, said
Virendra Kumar Shekhar, a district
police ofcial.
A 45-year-old woman was also
found hanging from a tree in Uttar
Pradesh on June 11 with her fam-
ily claiming she had been raped and
murdered.
Her husband said she was singled
out for attack as she returned home
in Bahraich district as punishment
for trying to halt the sale of alcohol
in her area.
My wife used to ght against
the local liquor maa. They created
a ruckus here every other day and
attacked you if you said anything to
them, her husband told NDTV.
We have detained four of the ve
men accused and are interrogating
them, district superintendent Hap-
py Guptan said on June 12.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
on June 11 urged all politicians to
work together to protect women, in
his rst comments on the issue since
the hanging of the girls sparked pub-
lic outrage.
Mr Modi warned politicians
against politicising rape, saying
they were playing with the dignity
of women in his rst speech to par-
liament since sweeping to power at
last months national elections.
At the weekend, Mr Yadav ac-
cused the families of the two girls of
coming under the inuence of a rival
political party, after they demanded
a federal police investigation into the
attacks.
Their families refused to have the
bodies cut down from the tree for
hours in protest, saying police had
failed to take action against the at-
tackers because the girls were from
a low caste.
When asked earlier by reporters
about a sharp rise in rape cases in his
state, Mr Yadav replied, Its not as if
you faced any danger.
Uttar Pradesh, with a population
of some 200 million, has a history of
communal clashes and violence. The
state recorded 23,569 crimes against
women in 2012, the third highest in
the country, according to the Nation-
al Crime Records Bureau. AFP
Rapes spark resignation calls
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minster Akhilesh Yadav, who is facing calls for his
resignation, takes a break during the UP Investor Conclave in New Delhi on
June 12. Photo: AFP
6000
Number of police ofcers drafted in to
hunt for a missing businessman wanted
over the Sewol ferry disaster
Politicians called to stand down after a series of rape victims have been found hanging after their attacks
THE US-owned Marina Bay Sands
casino in Singapore has announced
it will stop serving shark n at its
restaurants, the latest boycott of the
contentious delicacy welcomed on
June 12 by animal rights activists.
The casino, part of Las Vegas
gaming magnate Sheldon Adelsons
portfolio, said the removal of shark
n dishes from its menus is a bold
testament to our commitment to re-
ducing our environmental impact.
Its huge expo and convention
centre, which held over 70 trade
shows last year, will also cease serv-
ing the dish.
The casino is the latest among a
string of Singapore-based companies
to boycott shark n consumption fol-
lowing years of lobbying by animal
rights activists.
Singapore is the worlds second
largest shark n trading territory
after Hong Kong, according to the
Food and Agriculture Organisation
of the United Nations.
Shark n is seen by many east
Asians as a delicacy and is often
served as soup at expensive Chinese
banquets.
More than 70 million sharks are
killed worldwide every year, with a
majority of ns consumed in Chinese
markets, according to environmental
group WWF.
Jennifer Lee, founder of Pro-
ject Fin, a local group campaigning
against shark n consumption, said
the casinos decision is another mile-
stone for animal rights activists.
Hopefully this will put pressure
on other companies to jump on the
bandwagon as well to do their part
to save our marine ecosystem, she
said.
Elaine Tan, chief executive of
WWF Singapore, commended the ca-
sino for its foresight and leadership
in corporate sustainability.
Sharks are a crucial part of ma-
rine ecosystems and their popula-
tions have a direct impact on sh
stocks, which in turn afects many
things, including our food security
in the future, she said.
Singapores largest supermarket
chains stopped sales of shark n
products in 2012, while major ho-
tels, including Shangri-La and Swiss
hotel the Stamford, have also
stopped serving them.
Singapores other casino operated
by Malaysias Genting Group does
not serve shark n, according to its
website.
Hong Kongs government last
year said it would stop serving shark
n at ofcial functions to set a good
example.
SINGAPORE
Casino win for sharks as fin off menu
AUSTRALIA said on June 12 it was
condent the Great Barrier Reef
would avoid a World Heritage down-
grade after a new report card showed
pollutants entering the water had
been signicantly reduced.
UNESCO had warned that without
action on water quality and rampant
coastal development, the reef, cover-
ing an area roughly the size of Japan,
would be declared World Heritage in
Danger.
Queensland state Environment
Minister Andrew Powell said pro-
gress had been made as he released
a government report card on action
taken to improve water quality since
2009.
I dont expect that will happen, he
said of a potential UN downgrade.
We are likely to be successful ... be-
cause the facts speak to that. The reef
is now on the pathway to long-term
improvement.
The report, which Mr Powell will
take to a UNESCO meeting in Doha
later this month, shows reductions in
key pollutants, including sediments
and pesticide run-ofs on the back of
improved land management practices.
Pesticide loads, weve reduced it
by 28 percent across the whole reef
catchment, Mr Powell said.
In terms of nitrogen, thats what
causes those crown-of-thorn starsh
outbreaks. Weve reduced it by 16 per-
cent overall.
But while improvements to water
quality had been achieved, Mr Powell
conceded that the overall health of the
reef still needed more work.
The outlook in this report still
suggests that its poor and that is con-
sistent with the fact weve had many
decades now of natural disasters, but
also agricultural practices and run-
of, he said.
The report dealt only with water
quality issues and not port devel-
opments linked to mining, which
conservationists have warned could
hasten the demise of the reef.
There has been particular concern
about the government in December
approving a massive coal port ex-
pansion in the region and allowing
the dumping of millions of tonnes of
dredge waste within the marine park
waters.
WWF Australia chief executive
Dermot OGorman said the report fell
short of what was needed to save the
reef.
While the farming community has
started to step up to the plate and ad-
dress threats to the Great Barrier Reef,
the resources industry are now set to
undo that good work with destructive
plans for dumping in the World Herit-
age area, he said.
The Australian Marine Conserva-
tion Society said while a reduction
in sediment from farming was good
news, dredging and dumping were ru-
ining the reef. AFP
SYDNEY
Reef pollution reduced
150 km
Coral
Sea
Basin
Source: Australian government/Greatbarrierreef.org
QUEENSLAND
Australias Great Barrier Reef
Townsville
Cairns
Lockhart
River
Lockhart
River
Rockhampton
PAPUA NEW
GUINEA
Cooktown
Great Barrier
Reef Marine Park
Length: 2,300 km
400 kinds of corals
1,500 fish species
215 bird species
30 species of whale,
dolphin, porpoise
2,900 individual reef
900 islands
AUSTRALIA
A new government report card shows pollutants entering the water
has been significantly reduced
Abbot Point
TRADE MARK CAUTION
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Sweden, is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of following Trade
Marks:
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Reg.No.IV/2365/2011
Reg.No.IV/ 5080 /2014
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in respect of Vodka in International Class 33.
Marks or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with
according to law.
For The Absolut Company Aktiebolag
TRADE MARK CAUTION
Changzhou Wujin Wuling Diesel Engine Co., Ltd. of Luoyang
Town Industrial Zone, Wujin District, Changzhou City, Jiangsu
Province, Peoples Republic of China, is the Owner and Sole
Proprietor of the following Trade Mark:
Reg. No. IV/ 3451 /2011
used in respect of agricultural machines; mowing and reaping
machines; agricultural implements other than hand-operated;
motorized cultivators; internal combustion engines; diesel engine;
gas engine; gasoline engine; starters for motors and engines;
generators of electricity; electricity generating set; hydraulic
engines and motors.
according to law.
For Changzhou Wujin Wuling Diesel Engine Co., Ltd.
TRADE MARK CAUTION
NOTICE is hereby given that ROLEX SA a company organized
under the laws of Switzerland and having its principal offce at
3-5-7, rue Francois-Dussaud, Geneva, Switzerland is the Owner
and Sole Proprietor of the following trademark:-
(Reg: No. IV/5942/2014)
in respect of: - Printed publications, posters and window sticker
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in clock and watch-making, namely watch, alarm clocks - Class: 35
Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark or
other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law.
for ROLEX SA
th
June, 2014
KUALA LUMPUR
KARACHI
Ruling frees Musharraf to leave Pakistan
Court allows controversial former military chief the right to travel in a move which some say will enable him to ee a raft of criminal charges.
MALAYSIA was hunting on June
12 for a group of machete-wielding
pirates who hijacked a tanker of its
eastern coast, stealing a million litres
of oil in the latest in a spate of attacks
in its waters.
Pirates hijacked the Malaysia-reg-
istered tanker MT Budi Mesra Dua
on June 7 of Bintulu in the oil-rich
Sarawak state as the ship sailed from
neighbouring Singapore.
Ten machete-wielding pirates
boarded the ship, which was carrying
about a million litres of diesel. They
took control of the tanker for about
10 hours, Mohamad Su Mohamad
Ramli, a local commander with the
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement
Agency said.
The armed pirates siphoned of the
diesel fuel to another ship, robbed the
crew of their valuables and destroyed
communication equipment before es-
caping, he said.
We have activated 24-hour sea
patrols around Bintulu waters [in the
South China Sea] to prevent similar at-
tacks, Mr Mohamad Su said.
We are hunting down the pirates,
he added.
Pirates have attacked a number of
vessels in waters of Indonesia, Singa-
pore and Malaysia recently.
In April, pirates injured the cap-
tain while stealing diesel fuel from a
Thailand-owned tanker of the eastern
coast of Malaysia.
In the same month, three Indone-
sian crew were kidnapped and diesel
fuel stolen from a Singapore-managed
tanker in the Strait of Malacca.
The International Maritime Bu-
reaus Kuala Lumpur-based Piracy
Reporting Centre urged maritime
agencies in Malaysia, Singapore and
Indonesia to bolster security measures
to stop the piracy menace.
In recent weeks, we have recorded
ve hijackings (including this latest
incident), in the South China Sea area
and in the Malacca Strait, the centres
head Noel Choong said.
The Strait of Malacca has long been
a hunting ground for pirates. AFP
Hunt on for
fuel pirates
PAKISTANS government was
ordered on June 12 to lift a trav-
el ban on former military ruler
Pervez Musharraf, his lawyer said, in a
court decision that could draw a line
under a number of legal troubles.
Mr Musharraf has been bat-
tling several court cases since he
returned to Pakistan last year to contest
elections, including treason charges
for imposing emergency rule in 2007,
stoking tensions between civilian
authorities and the powerful military.
His exit from Pakistan could help
ease those tensions at a time when the
country is ghting a resurgent Taliban
following a brazen attack on Karachis
airport last week that left dozens dead.
Presiding judge Muhammad Ali
Mazhar of the Sindh High Court in
Karachi said the ban placing the name
of retired General Pervez Musharraf on
the Exit Control List is struck down.
The operation of the judgement
is suspended for 15 days so that the
respondent [the government] may le
appeal before the Supreme Court.
Mr Musharraf has said he wants the
travel ban lifted so he can visit his sick
mother in Dubai, but many in Pakistan
see it as a ruse to ee the country and
avoid the litany of criminal cases dating
back to his 1999-2008 rule.
The 70-year-old former commando
has since April been staying with his
daughter in Karachi, where he travelled
for tests at a navy-run hospital.
He has been undergoing medi-
cal treatment since January, when
he was rushed to hospital after
sufering heart problems on his way to
court for a hearing.
After his indictment for treason
in March, Mr Musharraf asked to be
allowed to visit his mother, who is in
her 90s, but was denied permission.
Mr Musharraf came to power in
a bloodless coup in 1999, deposing
then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who
won re-election in 2013 when Pakistan
underwent the rst civilian handover
of power since its independence from
Britain in 1947.
Facing impeachment follow-
ing 2008 elections, Mr Musharraf
resigned as president and went into
self-imposed exile in Dubai. He
returned to Pakistan in March last year
on an ill-fated mission to run in the
elections, but was barred from
participating.
He is also on bail in three other
ases linked to his time in power includ-
ing the 2007 assassination of opposi-
tion leader Benazir Bhutto, and the
murder of Baluch nationalist leader
Nawab Akbar Bugti in 2006.
The legal development comes as
pressure mounts on Pakistan to strike
the Talibans headquarters in the North
Waziristan tribal district following the
all-night siege of Karachi airport on
Monday that left 37 dead including 10
attackers. The assault was followed on
June 11 by the rst US drone strikes on
Pakistan this year.
The two strikes killed at least 16
militants and raised suspicion of
coordination between the two
countries after the program was
reportedly suspended to give Islama-
bad space to pursue a peace process.
Mr Sharifs government in Febru-
ary began pursuing dialogue with the
Pakistani Taliban aimed at ending a
seven-year insurgency that has claimed
thousands of lives. However a ceasere
struck March broke down a month later.
The army was widely seen as being
opposed to the dialogue because of the
heavy casualties it has sustained at the
hands of the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP),
which views them as a mercenary force
serving foreign interests.
But following the breakdown of
the talks and the Karachi attack,
observers believe both civil andmilitary
authorities are converging on the need
for more concerted action. AFP
Pakistans former military ruler Pervez Musharraf addresses foreign media
representatives at his farmhouse in Islamabad on December 29, 2013. Photo: AFP
SEVERAL African countries have made
great strides in tackling ivory smug-
gling, with large seizures for the rst
time exceeding those made in prime
destination Asia, UN wildlife regulator
CITES said on June 13.
Until recently, seizures of half a
tonne or more of ivory were rarely if
ever made before the illegal, precious
material left Africa. That changed just
over a year ago, according to the Con-
vention on International Trade in En-
dangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora (CITES).
Two thirds of the 76 such seizures
made since 2009 have been in Asia,
where demand for tusks for decorative
purposes and use in traditional medi-
cines, has fuelled a multi-billion-dollar
illicit trade.
But since March 2013, for the rst
time more large-scale seizures were
made in Africa than in Asia,, CITES said
in a report on elephant poaching and
the illegal ivory trade.
Eighty percent of the African sei-
zures were made in Kenya, Tanzania and
Uganda, which happen to gure among
the eight nations ordered by CITES last
March to create National Ivory Action
Plans to tackle the problem.
The shift in where seizures are tak-
ing place is hugely signicant, according
to Ben Janse van Rensburg, a former
South African police ofcer who heads
CITES enforcement support unit.
These large consignments up until
now ... managed to leave the African
continent without being detected at all,
he said.
Now they are being detected, which
actually shows that these countries have
started to implement measures to com-
bat this illegal trade, he added.
The shift hints at what can be
achieved with a strong, coordinated,
collective efort to ght elephant
poaching and ivory smuggling along the
whole value chain, he added.
You cant ght this only from one
side of the chain, Mr Janse van Rens-
burg said.
The CITES report found that more
than 20,000 elephants were poached
across Africa last year alone.
While the number is staggering, it
signals a levelling-of after a decade of
skyrocketing poaching, which is fuelled by
organised criminals eager to reap massive
prots at very low risk, and is also believe
to fund insurgencies in Africa.
In 2011, some 25,000 of the worlds
largest land mammals were killed, and
the number was around 22,000 in 2012.
Due to the collective eforts of so
many, we also see some encouraging sig-
nals, CITES chief John Scanlon said in
a statement.
He stressed though that Africas el-
ephants continue to face an immediate
threat to their survival.
While poaching declined dramati-
cally in some places, like Chad, last
year, it also swelled elsewhere, like in
the Central African Republic, the report
said, adding that some elephant popu-
lations remained on the verge of local
extinction.
There are still more animals be-
ing killed than animals being born, so
even if it stabilises at this current level
it will lead to a decline in elephant
population, Mr Janse van Rensburg
pointed out.
AFP
GENEVA
HANOI
Africa beats Asia in ivory clampdown, says UN watchdog
THE Vietnamese spirit medium
dances in a trance, attacking invisible
enemies with a sword as drums beat,
musicians chant and dozens of curi-
ous onlookers watch in amazement.
Civil servant by day and
practitioner of traditional spiritual
possession rituals when the mood
takes her, Nguyen Thi Hoa is clad in
a richly embroidered red robe as she
performs a Len Dong ceremony at a
private Hanoi temple.
I have no idea what Ive been do-
ing, Ms Hoa said after the ve-hour
performance, which involved at least
15 costume changes.
I could not believe I had smoked
like a chimney and drunk like a sh,
the normally teetotal 52-year-old said.
Could you tell me what I told you
to do? Ms Hoa, who says she only
undertakes the rituals when the spir-
its move her, asked friends who had
watched the entire performance.
Len Dong, which uses musical
invocations to lure spirits to possess
mediums and communicate with oth-
ers, has been performed in Vietnam
for centuries.
Practitioners and attendees can
donate to help cover the costs of
a Len Dong performance without
having to directly participate,
usually turn to the ancient ritual to
ease stress or hoping for help from
the spirits with romantic or profes-
sional problems.
For decades, Len Dong was re-
stricted by French colonial and Viet-
namese communist leaders, but the
tradition is enjoying a urry of popu-
larity since restrictions were relaxed a
decade or so ago and some say it is a
useful vent for stressed citizens.
Six years ago, Ms Hoa began suf-
fering from insomnia, lack of appetite
and tiredness. Conventional doctors
could not rid her of her ills.
On the advice of a friend, she vis-
ited a Len Dong practitioner, who
told her to try performing the spirit
possession ritual herself.
To my surprise, my health started
improving at once, she said, add-
ing that she started seeing positive
changes at work as well.
Len Dong is an ancient Vietnam-
ese custom which involves calling
the spirits of the dead into the bodies
of the living to connect past and pre-
sent, according to academics.
Musicians play traditional songs
to help the shaman enter a trance.
Multiple assistants help the sha-
man to change costumes or prepare
oferings, from chickens to Choco
Pie snack cakes, for the altar.
An auspicious date for the event
is carefully picked in advance by the
shaman. During the ceremony the
practitioner will seemingly drift in
and out of a trance, singing, chanting
and dancing to the minimalist, rhyth-
mic music.
Its not just the insane dancing
of people who have lost their digni-
ty, said cultural researcher Ngo Duc
Thinh.
The practise of Len Dong can
help people under intense stress or
sufering from low-level psychologi-
cal disorders, Mr Thinh, a renowned
professor of Vietnamese culture at a
top state research institute, said.
They practice Len Dong to rid
themselves of their problems and
return to their normal life, said the
professor, who has spent more than
three decades studying Len Dong.
As society develops, spiritual
pressures multiply. Stress becomes
more serious and this creates more
chances for Len Dong, according to
Mr Thinh.
Ms Hoa practices Len Dong at
least twice a year.
I dont dare tell my mother as she
would say I was crazy, said the bu-
reaucrat, who spends around 40 mil-
lion dong (nearly US$2000) to put on
each performance.
Her work colleagues, mostly com-
munist party members, are also not
aware of her Len Dong practice. The
ritual has at times been considered
heresy, and was totally banned un-
til the 1980s by the communists, al-
though rituals continued in secret.
I received several warnings from
police, asking me to stop my prac-
tice, said a professional Len Dong
practitioner, speaking on condition of
anonymity about that period of time.
Even now, practicing Len Dong
can carry a government ne of
around $250 which aims to prevent
private for-prot practitioners rather
than genuine Len Dong devotees like
Ms Hoa.
The government tried to ban it,
but they in fact have failed. Its im-
possible to ban Len Dong, researcher
Mr Thinh said.
But it might be necessary to regu-
late it, some experts say.
Len Dong practitioners usually of-
fer their services at temples between
Vietnams lunar new year, usually
around late January, to the end of the
third lunar month in April.
Since restrictions on the practice
were lifted, business is booming and
some newly wealthy Vietnamese are
willing to pay up to $50,000 for a Len
Dong service.
The trouble is, it is hard for people
to tell the diference between genu-
ine Len Dong practitioners and con
artists.
Several practitioners, who have
only some ability, have used that to
cheat people for money, one practi-
tioner said.
That makes people confused they
cant diferentiate between real and
fake Len Dong. AFP
Stressed workers turn to Shamanism
A Len Dong dancer
performs with candles at
a local temple in Hanoi on
March 25. Photo: AFP
Busy Hanoi residents are looking to controversial traditional spirit rituals and ceremonies to boost their health and ward of worries
A Len Dong practitioner. Photo: AFP
THE PULSE EDITOR: WHITNEY LIGHT light.whitney@gmail.com THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 16 - 22, 2014

G
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T

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F
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G
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S

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T
Living at the margins
Ngapali beach is undeniably beautiful, a perfect
holiday destination. At the same time, its the ocean,
not the tourists, that is the locals source of livelihood
W
ITH ne and pure sands, rock protrusions like
modern sculptures, and colourful shes and
crabs, Ngapali beach becomes more attractive
the longer you stay. Situated near Thandwe
township, Rakhine State, along Myanmars
west coast where a range of rocky mountains have risen from
the Bay of Bengal, Ngapali is a calming balance of forest,
mountain and sea.
Blue waters and white sands line a ribbon of coconut palms.
Flufy clouds swirl in the sky over the tree-covered mountains. On
a recent visit, I found myself thinking the local people were quite
lucky to spend their daily lives here.
But speaking with the shermen whod agreed to give me a
tour of the coastline, I quickly realised that the beautiful surrounds
dont make their lives easy. On our journey, I spotted at least 10 ho-
tel construction sites along the beaches where these shermen and
others bring in and clean their catch. With unsmiling faces, they
expressed worry that, although theres not yet been any order to va-
cate the beaches, the possibility is there. Their future is uncertain.
The coastline meanders in a series of curves like the edge of
a lace curtain. Each curve is called a chai in the local dialect, and
every chai (about a kilometre, or half a mile, long) ofers the locals
shing spots, motor ports and ats for sun-drying sh.
We passed shing boats resting near a stately guesthouse, in
front of a famous statue of a mermaid. A group of men assembled
shing equipment and prepared food baskets for the long hours at
sea. Under a falling sun, a woman collected her dried shes.
SANDAR LWIN sdlsandar@gmail.com
the pulse 49
www.mmtimes.com
Living at the margins
A villager cast a small net over the waves gently rolling into
shore. Just for tonights dinner, he said. He pulled up several sh
each about 15cm (6 inches) long, said farewell and walked toward
Ngapali village.
Nearby a small restaurant ofering domestic liquor and salads
was getting crowded. A few groups of local visitors were going
sightseeing along the beach, where giant laurel trees ourish along
the sandbank.
Hotels continue to be built here according to the governments
policy of boosting the tourism industry. As I walked along the
beach and past construction sites, I could see beyond to the crude
houses of some villagers.
The villagers had made paths through the sand as they trekked
to and from the beach, which seemed to be an issue for a nearby
hotel. I watched as one of the hotel staf swept all the footsteps
with a rake to create a smoother, handsomer sight.
At night, while the Ngapali shore was calm and quiet under the
moonlight, lights twinkled on the sea. Those are shing boats, a
local explained to me. A clutch of bulbs lights each boat, and the
sh that come toward the light are circled with a net a traditional
way of shing.
I was curious to know what the locals think of plans to upgrade
Ngapali including nearby villages to the sub-township level one
part of President U Thein Seins beach development plan. Would it
bring greater luck to the shery owners?
A villager in his 60s kept on preparing salted sh, responding
to my question with an unsmiling, dazed expression. We could be
moved away from the shore at any time, he said. The buyers for
the plots along the shore are also bustling in the village.
Along the shore near Jatetaw village, not very far from Lonethar
chai, village women also prepared dried sh. The main product
of this village, nganitu dried sh, is used in a famous local curry.
Under a shining sun, about 15 young men untangled a net large
enough to ll a 30-foot (10-metre) boat. Each net, I was told, is
worth K3 million (about US$3000).
Crossing the water in a boat to Pearl Island, opposite Jatetaw
village, I was surprised by a sudden rustling sound, loud enough to
be heard above the noisy motor. It was a school of sh ying over
the surface of the sea, their silvery backs sparkling in the sun.
During General Ne Wins time, Pearl Island saw attempts to
develop a pearl industry. Today, it looks like an emerald among sap-
phires. The tranquility seemed unbreakable.
Hundreds of various-sized shing boats were anchored nearby.
At the top of the island, a small liquor shop was decorated with
coconut leaves. The two employees, both about 18 years old, played
guitar. They said they had come recently from Yangon. Theyd
heard about tourism job opportunities and development from the
news in Yangon and Nay Pyi Taw.
What about the locals? I wondered. Without the same oppor-
tunities or information sources, how will they be able to prepare
themselves for the coming changes?
Later, I visited the coastal curve called Myapyin, a newly devel-
oped hotel zone with a series of starred hotels. Evening already, the
beach was far from bustling, with some foreign tourists wearing
headlamps and strolling the white sands, which were free of trash
compared to other stretches.
Where once Myapyin villagers made their living from a shery
like the others, some have now switched to selling grilled seafood
and ofering massage treatments on new white benches. A steamed
crab about 30cm (12 inches) in diameter could be bought for just
K3000.
Some of these foreigners come and live here for about three or
four months every year, said a young woman selling seafood.
The idyllic nature of the beach makes a striking contrast with
the village. Behind the luxurious hotels are the small, weathered
houses belonging to Myapyin and Linnthar villagers. Diferent
again is the row of upscale shops in town art galleries, restaurants
and souvenir shops reecting the more luxurious lifestyle of their
customers.
At the back of one hotel, an older woman was selling raw coral
and shells. I asked her how the villagers and land owners along
the coast were faring. Were they becoming rich from the tourism
expansion?
I dont even know where they have gone, she responded, seem-
ing to suggest that villagers were simply disappearing.
The thought haunted me. Will businesses be socially responsible
enough to ofer villagers benets equal to or greater than what the
sea has provided them for so long? Later, as the sun went down, I
watched the lights of the shing boats icker in the distance. The
waves rolled in and slid out again, and the womans words echoed
in my ears.
From bottom left to right: Villagers in the Ngapali
beach area dry fish; collect seashells; come
ashore from fishing boats; sell local handicrafts to
tourists; and hunt for seafood. Photos: Staff
50 the pulse THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 16 - 22, 2014
ART
Until mid-July Its a Long Way group
show. TS1, between Lanthit Jetty and Kaing
Dan No 1 Jetty, Oo-Pa-Sa Street, Seikkan
FILM
JUNE 15 19 Human Rights, Human
Dignity International Film Festival, featuring
15 documentary flms, eight short flms
and four animations. Visit www.hrhdiff.org.
Junction Square Cinema, Kamaryut, and
Waziya Cinema on Bogyoke Aung San
Road
Start times at Mingalar (1, 2), Thwin,
Shae Shaung (1,2) and Nay Pyi Taw
cinemas are 10am, noon, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm
and 8pm.
Start times at Junction Square and Maw
Tin are 10am, 1pm and 4pm daily and 7pm
and 9:30pm on Friday and Saturday.
Start times at Mingalar San Pya are 10am,
12:30pm, 3:30pm, 6:30pm and 9:30pm.
Nay Pyi Taw Cinema, near Sule Pagoda
Edge of Tomorrow 3D. Directed by Doug
Liman. A sci-f flm in which Tom Cruise
plays an offcer who has never seen a day
of combat when he is dropped into what
amounts to a suicide mission.
Mingalar 2 Cinema, at Dagon Center 2,
Myaynigone, Sanchaung
Malefcent 3D. Directed by Robert
Stromberg. The untold story of Disneys
most iconic villain from the 1959 classic
Sleeping Beauty.
Shae Shaung Cinema 1, Sule Pagoda
Road, Kyauktada
X-Men: Days of Future Past 3D. Directed
by Bryan Singer. Wolverine is sent to the
past in a desperate effort to change history
and prevent the end for both humans and
mutants.
Shae Shaung Cinema 2, Sule Pagoda
Road, Kyauktada
Malefcent 3D.
Junction Square Cineplex, Kamaryut
From Vegas to Macau. Directed by Wong
Jing. This Hong Kong-Chinese crime
comedy starring Chow Yun-Fat is the fourth
installment of the God of Gamblers flm
series.
Beauty and the Beast. Directed by
Christophe Gans. A French fairytale
about a girl named Beauty and a strange
beast who lords over a nearby magical
kingdom.
Junction Maw Tin Cineplex, Lanmadaw
Beauty and the Beast
Mingalar San Pya Cineplex, Phone Gyi
Street and Anawrahta, Lanmadaw
Edge of Tomorrow 3D.
Malefcent 3D.
MUSIC
JUNE 16 Live blues. Mojo Bar, 135 Inya
Road, Bahan 8:30- 11:30 pm
JUNE 21 Myanmar Music Festival,
featuring classical music performed by
a quartet composed of a pianist, cellist,
violinist and vocalist. Tickets are free and
available at American Center, Embassy
of Switzerland, Gitameit Music Center,
Monument Books and Myanmar Music
Trading Co. Ph 01560397. Monument
Books & Toys, 150 Dhamazedi Road,
Bahan 5pm
June 22 Myanmar Music Festival classical
music concert. Waziya Cinema Theater,
Bogyoke Aung San Road 6:30 pm
MISC
JUNE 17 Gallery conversation and drinks.
Pansodan Gallery, 289 Pansodan Street,
Kyauktada, 7pm- late
JUNE 17 Charity dinner by Myanmar
Chefs Association. Enjoy a 6-8 course
meal by Tony Khoo of Marina Mandarin
Singapore and other chefs from 12
nations. Tickets US$80. Ph 1-250-388.
Park Royal Hotel, 33 Alan Pya Road,
Dagon
JUNE 18-20 Food & Hotel exhibition. For
more information and registration details
see www.foodandhotelmyanmar.com.
Myanmar Convention Center (MCC), Min
Dhama Street, Mayangone 9am-5pm
JUNE 19 Tipsy Travel Talk Thursdays.
Discuss alternative travel in Myanmar
over drinks. Off the Beaten Track Caf,
Kandawgyi Oo Yin Kabar, Kandawgyi Park,
Mingalar Taung Nyunt
JUNE 20 Shakespeare Schools presents
A Midsummer Nights Dream. Tickets $45
including a free drink are available at Gekko
and Union Bar. The Strand Hotel ballroom,
92 Strand Road, Kyauktada 7:45pm
Got an event?
List it in Whats On!
Email: whatsonmt@gmail.com
JUNE 16 - 22
F
ILMMAKER, painter and
poet The Maw Naings The
Monk has been selected
as the opening feature
for the 49
th
Karlovy Vary
International Film Festival, which will
be held in Prague, the Czech Republic,
from July 4-12.
The Monk is based on the choice
facing a Buddhist monk, Zawana,
brought up as a novice: whether
to continue his religious life, or
re-enter the laity. It was one of 12
lms proposed for screening from 11
countries.
Formerly a documentary maker,
The Maw Naing started to make
feature lms for local and overseas
lm festivals in 2010. One of his
feature lms, the 90-minute Nargis:
When Time Stopped Breathing
received three special mention
awards from Switzerland, France and
Nepal in 2010-2012, as well as a jury
award from India in 2012.
Here The Maw Naing answers
questions from The Myanmar Times.
Why did you make your lms?
I want the world to know what
happens in Myanmar, and to
the Myanmar people. I tell these
stories in my poems and my
paintings, as well as with my
lms. I learned how to shoot
documentaries in 2005, and later
started to exhibit my work in local
and foreign festivals.
There are two types of lms.
One is for box-ofce entertainment,
to make people laugh or cry, and
to make money for the producer.
The other kind is the sort of lm
shown at festivals, usually shot on
a low budget. These tend not to
be so popular, because they reect
reality. They are difcult to make and
represent more of a challenge for the
director. Since producers tend not
to like that kind of lm, I fund them
myself.
What inspired you to shoot this
lm?
Monks who managed to survive
the hard times under the military
regime tend to live longer. The longer
perspective raises diferent questions
in the mind of a novice looking to
the future. How will a lifetime spent
in the safron robe difer from one
without it?
What was the hardest part of
creating this lm?
There was no shortage of difculties.
I mixed techniques from the
documentary and the feature traditions
to shoot real people and real problems.
The story is simple, and the budget
was low I could not even aford an
editor. I faced difculties in selecting
scenes, shots, location and with the
lighting, which I hardly used. Also, I
didnt use professional actors, so the
performances needed some work. On
top of that, I approached the work as a
poet would. Maybe the biggest problem
was myself.
What are your expectations of this
lm?
I am not 100 percent satised
with this lm, but I regard it as
my masterpiece nonetheless. I
approached it in the same carefree
spirit that I approach my poems. If
the artist himself is not satised with
the work, he cant expect the audience
to appreciate it.
What is your message for your
audience?
I have no idea. They can think what
they want.
Who are your inuences as a
director?
Iranian lmmaker Kiarostami,
who shot Taste of Cherry
and The Wind Will Carry Us,
Zhangke Jia who made Still
Life, and the Danish director
Lars von Trier, who created
Dancer in the Dark and
Dogville.
What were you doing before you
became a lm-maker?
Ive been a poet since early
childhood. It pushes me to think
diferently.
What do you think of the lm
industry in Myanmar?
Improving the industry depends on
the government. Now that there is no
military regime, maybe our lms will
improve.
What situations drive you to create
lms and poems?
I always want to create something,
whether a poem or a lm. My lifestyle
presents me with creative choices.
Growing up under a military regime
helped drive me to do my best.
What is your next goal?
I want to make a feature lm about
traditional Myanmar satirical songs
about politics and society. Most young
people dont know about these songs
because of government censorship.
Pressing questions
with The Maw Naing
An interview with the director of the feature lm The Monk
Photo: Supplied
THE photographs depict scenes
of spoiled landscapes and the
hard life of the local people whose
livelihood has been interrupted by the
Myanmar-China natural gas pipeline.
They were part of Save Nature
Heritage, an exhibition that was held
at River Ayeyarwady art studio and
gallery from June 11 to 13.
Wai Wai Lwin, executive director
of Badeidha Moe, an environment
and human rights group, organised
the show. The goal, she said, was to
share with the public how nature has
been devastated by the building and
operation of the pipeline.
We are not decision-makers, but
we want to show the villagers need
and how nature has been damaged
by the real decision-makers: the
government.
The show features 108 images
from Upper Myanmar, southern
Shan State and Rakhine. All the
photos were taken by villagers with
cameras provided by Badeidha Moe.
The villagers who took the photos
were trained in photojournalism
by professional photographers in
Myanmar earlier this year.
People dont know their rights,
Wai Wai Lwin said, explaining the
impact of the pipeline on villagers
who make their life in and around its
path.
Even if they received
compensation, they had no plan how
to use it. After a few years of being
paid by foreign companies, they
bought motorbikes. Often they used
the money for karaoke and gambling
and then they had nothing again.
For participant Nan Nwe New
Tun, who lives in Hsipaw township,
Shan State, photography didnt seem
very difcult. She was excited to be
showing four photos.
I know I need to improve a lot,
but I feel satised that we can share
knowledge of whats happening in my
village and show how nature has been
destroyed.
Another photographer, Kyaw Thu
Lwin, from Minbu township, Magwe
Region, was also pleased with the
show. Hes been a youth activist on
issues related to the Ayeyarwady
River since 2010. He exhibited
10 photos of the pipeline passing
through Min Bu and the Shwesettaw
forest zone.
Im working to show how foreign
direct investment afects our villages,
he said. With photos, we can tell the
truth.
NYEIN EI EI HTWE
nyeineieihtwe23@gmail.com
Gas pipeline activists arm
villagers with cameras, training
NANDAR AUNG
nandaraung.mcm@gmail.com
Visitors peruse the exhibit Save
Nature Heritage. Photo: Thiri Lu
MOSCOW
Russia rolls out patriotic candies
Crimea. Just try to take it! is the provocative
name of a new line of chocolates produced by a
confectionery company in Russias Siberian city of
Novosibirsk.
The wrapper of the candy shows a Superman
lookalike in the colours of the Russian ag against
a map of the peninsula anked by ribbons of Saint
George, a symbol of Russian military valour.
Posters promoting the sweets read, Even at a
time when our country is making difcult decisions,
we do not stop smiling. Because we are Russians.
In March, Moscow annexed Ukraines Black
Sea peninsula of Crimea claiming it was protecting
Russian speakers following a pro-Western uprising
in Kiev.
A spokesperson for Chocolate Traditions, the
company producing the candies, said the idea was to
be on trend with a reference to current events but
conceded that so far the sweets arent big sellers.
IN PICTURES
Members of the LGBT community take part in a gay pride parade in Seoul
on June 7. Sexual minority activists marched in Seoul in deance of a local
government decision to disallow an annual gay pride parade for reasons
of the April ferry disaster. The local district government ofce scrapped an
earlier permission to allow the use of the street for the Korea Queer Festival,
saying that the country remained in a state of national mourning. The
cancellation came after homophobic conservative Christian churches
lodged a protest with local administrators over the festival, the activists said
in a statement released through their website. A majority of South Koreans
disagree that homosexuality should be accepted by society, according to a
poll last year. But the level of awareness, especially among young people,
has risen signicantly in recent years, following public coming-outs and
mainstream media coverage. Photo: AFP/Ed Jones
PARIS
Girly garage matches tune-ups with
manicures
A manicure, a massage and a lesson in
mechanics. Its not what most expect when they
bring their car in for servicing. But one brand-new
garage near Paris is revamping auto repair to suit
a female clientele.
Only Girls, which opened in May in the suburb
of Saint-Ouen-lAumone, caters to women
who feel theyve been cheated by mechanics in
traditional auto shops.
One time, I went round to three different
garages and got three different estimates.
Since then, Ive sent my uncle to get estimates
and guess what? the prices have dropped,
said Sandrine Hautenne, one happy 42-year-old
customer.
At Only Girls, Hautenne got a 15-minute
rundown on her car from a female mechanic.
In a month the shop has seen 40 customers,
two-thirds of them women.
In addition to the beauty corner, the garage
includes a childrens playroom, and the waiting
room is more akin to a beauty spa, with hardwood
oors, ickering candles and velvet sofas.
LONDON
Harry Potter author gives Scottish No
campaign 1 million
Harry Potter author JK Rowling said on July
11 that she has donated 1 million (US$1.7
million) to the No campaign in the Scottish
independence referendum.
The multi-millionaire writer, who was born
in England but has lived in the Scottish capital
Edinburgh for more than two decades, said
there would be serious risks if Scots voted for
independence on September 18.
Her donation by far the biggest to the No
camp was received recently, an ofcial
conrmed.
Writing on her website, Rowling said that
while she was no fan of the current British
government, she was afraid the Scottish
economy would be destabilised by going it
alone.
The simple truth is that Scotland is subject
to the same 21
st
century pressures as the rest
of the world, she wrote. It must compete in
the same global markets, defend itself from the
same threats and navigate what still feels like a
fragile economic recovery.
Rowling said she was aware some people
would consider her insufciently Scottish to
take a view on the independence issue.
MONTREAL
Celine Dions husband steps down as
manager after 30 years
For the rst time in her career, Canadian
songstress Celine Dion has appointed a new
manager, as her husband steps down from the
position he has held for more than 30 years.
Rene Angelil, who had a cancerous tumour
removed from his throat in December, will now
serve as chair of Dions Feeling Productions Inc.,
the company said in a statement.
It is with great pleasure and with the utmost
condence that Rene Angelil announces today
that his long-time close friend, Aldo Giampaolo,
has been appointed as chief executive ofcer
of Feeling Productions Inc., the company which
manages Celine Dions career, the statement
added.
Giampaolo, who has worked with the
Qubcois couple for more than 25 years,
will live in Las Vegas, where Dion, a ve-time
Grammy winner, has performed full-time for
more than three years.
A
BRIDGE in Paris famed
for the thousands of
locks of love that
line its railings has
reopened after it was
urgently closed when part of a
padlock-laden barrier collapsed,
authorities said on June 9.
Thousands of couples from
across the world visit the
picturesque Pont des Arts every year
and seal their love by attaching a
padlock to its railing and throwing
the key into the Seine.
But this tradition has become
controversial as critics say it causes
damage to the structure, which is
located in the city centre.
On the evening of June 8, police
were forced to hurriedly evacuate
the footbridge after 2.5 metres (8
feet) of railing collapsed under the
weight of the tokens of afection.
The city council said that the
bridge that spans the Seine near the
Louvre museum reopened later that
evening.
The two railings that collapsed
were temporarily replaced by
wooden planks, Bruno Julliard, a
deputy mayor in charge of cultural
afairs, told AFP.
The locks of love phenomenon
has spread to other bridges and
structures in the capital since
they rst made an appearance
in 2008, to the joy of some and
consternation of others who see
them as eyesores and security risks.
Today, the 155m Pont des Arts is
completely covered in locks.
Forty locks were also recently
removed from the Eifel Tower.
More than 7400 people have
signed a petition launched by two
American Paris-lovers in March
calling for the locks to be removed
from the Pont des Arts.
Julliard, who has been tasked
with nding a solution to the
problem, said the latest incident
reinforces our conviction that
there is a real necessity to nd an
alternative. AFP
PARIS
Too much romance?
Locks of love Paris bridge reopens after railing collapse
Thousands of locks attached to the Pont des Arts caused part of the railing to collapse, forcing an evacuation on
June 8. Photo: AFP/Jacques Demarthon
Producer/actors Jonah
Hill (left) and Channing
Tatum pose at the after
party for the premiere
of Columbia Pictures
22 Jump Street at the W
Hotel on June 10 in Los
Angeles. Photo: Kevin
Winter/Getty Images/AFP
Matt Bomer (left) and
Josh Duhamel attend the
amfAR Inspiration Gala
New York 2014 at The
Plaza Hotel on June 10
in New York City. Photo:
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty
Images/AFP
Actress Tilda Swinton
attends the premiere of
Snowpiercer during the
2014 LA Film Festival
at Regal Cinemas on
June 11 in Los Angeles.
Photo: Angela Weiss/Getty
Images/AFP
Actresses Kerry
Washington (left) and
Eva Longoria attend the
Women In Film Crystal
+ Lucy Awards at the
Hyatt Regency Century
Plaza Hotel on June 11 in
Century City, California.
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/
Getty Images/AFP
WEEKLY PREDICTIONS
JUNE 9 - 15, 2014
AUNG MYIN KYAW
4
th
Floor, 113, Thamain Bayan Road, Tarmwe township, Yangon.
Tel: 09-731-35632, Email: williameaste@gmail.com
GEMINI | May 21 June 20
Sometimes things change
for the better, and
sometimes they change for
the worse. Youre an
ordinary person. Dont
become lost, but dont try to control
nature like a stupid master. Victory
requires enthusiasm, serious
endeavours and high inspiration. You
have nothing to lose. Find out.
SAGITTARIUS | Nov 22 Dec 21
Dont put yourself into the
danger of the unknown.
Lose your taste for
competition, and do nothing
against any kind of
convention or social faux pas. Coupled
with a propensity to promise more than
you can possibly deliver, your credibility
could begin to spiral downward. Change
your daily plans cleverly, and always take
time for decision-making.
PISCES | Feb 19 March 20
With Neptune (master of
fantasy) and Jupiter
(wisdom) both guiding you,
you sometimes tend to
overlook real-world
concerns and concentrate more on the
illusions of your desire in any particular
venture. You can turn all your compassion
inward and take on a role of martyrdom,
according to your cosmic power. Love will
take time to reach its natural limit.
VIRGO | Aug 23 Sept 22
Darkness needs light to see
clearly and for security, but
every tiger needs the dark
and shadows of nature to
survive in its individual life.
Theres nothing wrong with your way of
life, but you could shift your
determination before it leads to bad
outcomes for all. The heart without
emotional feeling is like a machine
unsuited to the task.
TAURUS | Apr 20 May 20
Your sense of balance and
calm may become strong
again, and a positive attitude
will allow you to regain trust
in society. Leave the
dart-throwing to more manic types and
use your style to pave a long, smooth road
directly to nancial fortune. Looking a
mile ahead and also at the steps along
the way creates the road to success. Be
conservative in love.
SCORPIO | Oct 23 Nov 21
Negative to negative is
nothing, but silence versus
darkness can be
problematic. Your soul may
lead you to take risks for an
unknown challenge. Youd better evaluate
your own steadiness of mind before diving
into big-risk business opportunities.
Change your mind according to ndings.
ARIES | Mar 21 Apr 19
Believe that life is worth
living and your belief will
become fact. You should
know the different values
of negative destructive
thoughts and positive constructive
thoughts. Honesty and courage are true
resources if you want to earn favour
socially. A big opportunity could be got
by your skills and ability. Be optimistic.
You are lucky.
LIBRA | Sept 23 Oct 22
Dust is a protective coating
for ne furniture, and your
misconceptions are just a
temporarily dirty mind that
will be cleared by fresh
knowledge. Try getting good advice from
old colleagues. Take your time enough to
regain your mental balance, and keep up
your condence.
AQUARIUS | Jan 20 Feb 18
All of a sudden negative
charges will build up, and
you will be under the control
of destructive power. Your
interest in new technologies
could burn out, and your big idea to
electrify the world with a life-changing
invention may be lost. Know that
discretion is the better part of valour, and
you should stop talking about destroying
yourself and everything.
LEO | July 23 Aug 22
Keep in mind that science
and spirituality, like cultures
from opposite ends of the
Earth, have difculty dealing
with each other. You should
know the value of negotiation, both social
and conceptual. It must be developed in
every society. As a leader you must be
brave to shoulder big responsibilities and
beautify the world according to the voices
of humanity.
CANCER | June 21 July 22
Listen to the people
without bias. This doesnt
mean that you agree with
what a person says. It
simply means that you
value the person as a person. You must
listen to more than words and imagine
reasonably beyond to nd out peoples
real intentions. Your mind is capable of
intellectual balance, which breeds
wisdom.
CAPRICORN | Dec 22 Jan 19
Heavy responsibility needs
absolute trust in anothers
ability to do things freely.
Nobody can undertake this
work without delegating
almost all of the power. You must be able
to share your knowledge and skills to
those who are smart and intelligent
around you. Pay respect and get trust. You
might be an executive soon.
On being blonde, revisited
In which our axen-headed correspondent undertakes further
immersive reporting on the hairdressing follies
OOH! I read your article.
Words that make any
journalists heart utter a little with
satisfaction.
Ah, which one? Id respond in
a tone that I hoped implied casual
indiference while blatantly
soliciting praise for some hard-
hitting human rights expose or
insightful business analysis.
The one about nding a decent
hairdresser in Southeast Asia.
When I rst wrote about the
trials and tribulations of being a
blonde in Myanmar six months ago,
the number of reader responses
took me by surprise.
Well aware of our shared folly and
vanity, these sorry fair-headed sisters
still sought me out in towheaded
droves to relate tragic tales of
highlights turned a depressing shade
of pumpkin and peroxide-induced
alopecia at the hands of Asian
hairdressers inexperienced in
tinting Western tresses.
The urge to maintain their
blondeness, and the hope I
might hold the secret that could
lead them to hairstyle salvation,
drew them to me in
axen-forelock tugging
desperation, blind to
my own ravaged locks,
which should have been
evidence enough that I
did not hold the answer they
sought.
I found myself unwittingly
cast as guru of the golden ones. I
did not want the role, but I bowed
my no-longer-golden-rooted head
and accepted the burden humbly,
vowing to do whatever necessary
to reach a state of hair-lightening
enlightenment.
I cannot say these past months
in the hairdressing wilderness have
been easy. But at last I can emerge
into polite society once more,
ready to dispense my newfound
knowledge and nally able to hold
my freshly highlighted head high.
A new hope
The emails started pinging into my
inbox in alarming numbers a few
weeks ago. Did you see the post on
Yangon Expat Connection? Theres
a new Western hairdresser coming
to town.
It was my duty, as a journalist, to
investigate.
And so I set of last week to
the 8 Mile district of Yangon in
fearless pursuit of the truth. Was
the hairdresser in question really
able to care for European hair and
create the highlights so sought
by the citys growing number of
blondes?
That morning, the rains
descended with such force that the
streets became a wetland of grimy
pools. But, determined not to let my
blonde comrades down, I waded
through the knee-deep ood waters
and endured nearly a 2-hour taxi
journey through trafc hell to reach
my destination. Its tough on the
front lines of investigative reporting.
I was over an hour late, but
Sovann, the woman to whom I was
about to trust my tresses, welcomed
me in with only an apology, as if she
were somehow personally responsible
for the arrival of the rainy season.
A few minutes later, with a
rejuvenating cofee in my hand,
we discussed how she was
going to restore my hair from
crowning disgrace to some form of
respectability.
Hailing from Cambodia, Sovann
has spent most of the last two
decades living in New Zealand, where
she qualied as a hairdresser 15 years
ago. Working and managing her own
salon in Wellington she specialised in
colouring and extensions.
We agreed that the unfortunate
consequences of my visits to other
salons in the region were not going to
be entirely remedied in a single visit,
but she promised she could
still give me beautiful hair.
The return of dignity
In my eagerness to regain some
blonde pride and be rst to
break the news of a new
and reliable hairdresser
in the city, Id booked
an appointment while
some of the xtures and
ttings for her house-based salon
are still onboard a ship from
New Zealand. As a result, the
experience was a rather charming
combination of homely make-do and
professional skill.
Any quirkiness arising from the
yet-to-be completed surrounds,
however, was more than made
up for by the nal result. The
highlights were subtle and, more
importantly, were done in such as
way as to avoid further damage to
my hair.
Its not quite perfect, Sovann
warned me, but its getting there,
and the compliments I received at
the ofce later I was condent
to wear my hair down for the rst
time in weeks were testament to
her talents.
And so I feel my task is done. My
mission to nd hope for Myanmars
blondes has been a success, and I
shall step back gracefully in a golden
glow of highlighted contentment.
As for some nal words on the
pursuit of hairdressing happiness in
Southeast Asia, they can only be thus:
Pray sincerely that perms dont come
back into fashion any time soon.
For appointments and
information email sovann@shadz.
co.nz.
FIONA MACGREGOR
S
UU Myint Thein
announced last week
he will present a new
performance art piece
called Ayeyarwady
Cancer Therapy to draw attention
to the ways people disrespect the
river. The 44-year-old artist from
Kachin State said the event will
take place at the sand bank under
the Sagaing Bridge where the
Ayeyarwady and Dokhtawady come
together and will be free of charge,
though the date and time are
unconrmed.
Concerned that the Myitsone
dam project, climate change and
other factors might irreparably
harm the health of the Ayeyarwady,
Suu Myint Thein said he created the
piece to counter the mostly man-
made problems through artistic
practice and a spiritual cure.
The act will last about one hour
and employ vehicle wheels, re
rings, blue sheets and emergency
signal whistles as props.
Suu Myint Thein plans to
perform the piece in other cities
and on islands along the river,
changing the work according to
each sites local environmental
issues.
I will not ask permission from
the authorities to perform. It will
cause no disturbance, he said.
Suu Myint Thein is well-known
for his performances staged in
Mandalay. He gained popularity after
he made a series of performances
in which he wrapped his body in
blue tape and walked through the
city streets a metaphor for the
interruption of peace in Myanmar.
The performances drew inspection
by authorities.
MANDALAY
SI THU LWIN
Artist to cure ailing Ayeyarwady in new performance
Suu Myint Thein walks the streets of Mandalay in one of his blue tape
performances in September 2012. Photo: Si Thu Lwin
the pulse food and drink 55 www.mmtimes.com
A touch of
elegance
T
HIS week I bring you
another stovetop smoker
recipe, this time featuring
nga yant (snakehead sh).
Its easy to get at any wet
market, and you can buy them whole
or just the body. The heads are sold
separately for sh-head curry.
The esh has a strong pink colour
and is always quite heavy or meaty. You
can ask your shmonger to clean the
sh for you and take the skin of.
For this recipe, I was inspired by
a Japanese fusion dish of grilled tuna
with spices. Tuna is very expensive,
but nga yant is cheap and has a nice
texture and avour. You can grill it, fry
or deep-fry it, or use it in curry or soup.
I smoked the sh with green tea leaves
and, afterward, marinated it in a strong
sesame sauce.
Stir-fried garlic chives are a nice
accompaniment.
These beautiful
greens taste sweet
and mild and can be
bought very fresh this
time of year.
TEA-SMOKED NGA YANT
(BURMESE SNAKEHEAD
FISH)
Serves 4
About 1kg of nga yant (snakehead
sh)
2 cups green tea leaves (Shan)
1 cinnamon stick, 710cm
6-8 whole star anise
2 tsp ground white pepper
Salt to taste
A deep iron wok or heavy-bottom pot
Aluminum foil sheets
Wire rack
Tight-ftting wok lid with curved roof,
to create a space full of smoke
FOR SESAME SAUCE
3 tbsp roasted sesame oil
2 tbsp Kikkoman soy sauce
3 tbsp mirin
1 tsp ground white pepper
4 tbsp roasted white sesame seeds
Clean the sh and take the skin of.
Make llets along the bones. Cut into a
few pieces. Wash well and dry well. Rub
a few pinches of salt on the llets and
sprinkle on the white pepper. Set aside.
For the smoker, line the wok with
aluminum foil and cover with the tea
leaves and spices. Cover the leaves with
aluminum foil lightly just enough to
cover but not seal. This will prevent the
smoke from burning the sh.
Place a wire rack on the tea leaves.
It should
be heat-
proof and the
surface should
sit 10cm away from
the leaves and foil.
Cover the wok with
a lid and heat on high. The
leaves will start smoking in 1-2
minutes. Open the lid slightly to
check the smoke. When the wok is
full of smoke, lift the lid halfway and
arrange the sh llets on the rack.
Close the lid and turn down the heat.
Smoke for 10 minutes.
Turn the heat of and let the llets
rest in the wok for 3 minutes before
transferring to a plate.
Cover the plate with foil and rest
another 3 minutes.
If the sh is really thick you may
need to smoke it longer. Check the
sh by pushing a fork into the llet.
When the fork goes through easily, its
cooked.
Make the sauce. Add all ingredients
except sesame seeds to a bowl and mix
well. Then add seeds and mix again.
Marinate the llets in sesame sauce
until time to serve.
More recipes to try on an improvised
stovetop smoker
Restaurant Review
LOCATED on the ground oor of a
narrow building near Maha Bandoola
Road, Shwe Myanmar traditional
restaurant is among the most popular
of its kind in this downtown area. We
grabbed the last vacant table while
others who came late were turned away.
Its nothing fancy. Theres no dcor
to speak of, and the air is cooled
by fans, not air-conditioning. Trays
of various ready-cooked dishes are
arranged neatly in a glass box where
customers can view and pick what they
want.
Pork, chicken and goat meat all
feature in at least two diferent kinds
of curries each. An array of side
dishes includes things like pickled
shrimp salad, pickled sh salad, fried
watercress, fried cauliower and mixed
vegetables.
For our group of ve, we ordered
goat meatballs and a few curries: squid,
silver-hued barb sh, and chicken with
chickpeas. All of these are priced at
about K1400 each. On the side we chose
tamarind salad (K400) and pickled sh
(K300).
Because everything here is pre-
prepared, our lunch arrived in almost
no time at all. Accompanying the
main meal were dishes of sh paste
sauce sh baked and pounded with
dried shrimp, spices and raw lemon
leaves, cucumber, mustard and mango.
We were also given small bowls of
vegetable sour soup.
My favourite item was the goat
meatball, which were very soft and
smelled sweetly of curry powder. As is
typical in restaurants of this type, there
was too much oil, but the meat gravy
was delicious.
The chickpea and chicken curry, in
contrast, was light with little oil. Yet it
all seemed to melt in the mouth. The
chicken was extremely tender. Not a
spicy dish, the avour came mostly
from the two main ingredients.
I dont eat sh, but my companions
said it was fresh and good. The squid
curry was also tasty, cooked in tomato
paste and the squid seared to crispy.
The tamarind leaf and pickled sh
salads were the perfect accompaniment
here, because their sour edge cuts the
cloying texture of curry. For dessert, we
enjoyed jaggery and tea.
The diference between Shwe and
other Myanmar restaurants is that it
gives you the taste of home cooking.
Its suitable for the curious who want
to give our authentic cuisine a try and
without a hefty bill.
Diners line up for lunch at cheap,
authentic Myanmar eatery
Shwe
37
th
Street, middle block, Kyauktada
Open 10am-7pm daily
GARLIC CHIVES
STIR-FRY
PHYO ARBIDANS
phyo.arbidans@gmail.com
Serves 6
2 bunches of garlic chives (ju
phuw)
1
/2 tsp sesame oil
1
1
/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1tsp ground white pepper
1tsp salt
Select the buds and young fresh
stems from the garlic chives. Snip
the stems. Wash and drain.
Heat a non-stick frying pan
and add the oil. Heat on high.
Add the chives and stir-fry
gently. When all the stems are
coated with oil, add 2 tbsp of
water and cover pan with a lid.
Fry 3-4 minutes.
When the stems are
cooked, add ground
white pepper and
remove the pan
from the heat. Do
not cover. Serve
immediately.
CHIT SU WAI
suwai.chit@gmail.com
food
Food 8/10
Beverage 6/10
Service 7/10
X-factor 6/10
Value for money 8/10
Restaurant Rating
Photos: Whitney Light

THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 16 - 22, 2014
Socialite
FIFA World Cup celebration
Champion Construction and Hansgrohe reception
Peter, Jennie and James
Rildo and Su Lin P
i
n
k
y
,

S
u
s
a
n
,

H
e
i
n
,

N
o
r
a

a
n
d

V
a
l
e
n
t
i
n
e
Aung Soe Hein and
Kyaw Ye Naing
Hlaing and Michael
Stefanie and Johannas
Sma and Lynn Kahon and James
Som Chai, Rosamund Thinzar Lwin, Sai Jeep and
Ma Thu
M
i
c
h
e
l
l
e

a
n
d

M
o
e

C
h
i
t
Cesar, Sabrina, Miuna and Karina
Dawn Marshall, Trinh Proctor and John Sartain Andy Poh, Thet Hoo and Daniel Thomas
Kostas, Andreas, Patrick and Vanessa
Junior, Sara and Emerson
Maung Maung Kyaw Win and U Kyin Tun
Naing Group Construction Pwint Pwint Thu and Htun Htet Htet Moe Aung Aung Lwin
Sadat Foster, Mya Thidar and Jonathan Rao
Zaw Win Tun
Aung Thu
50
th
Street Bar got the FIFA
World Cup party started on
the evening of June 12. A few
dozen soccer fans gathered
to watch Sao Paulo host the
opening ceremonies (which
featured Pitbull and Jen-
nifer Lopez) in a party
atmosphere replete
with breakdancers
and cranked loud-
speakers.
Champion Construction Materials Co,
with Hansgrohe, a German luxury
bathroom outtter, celebrated the
launch of Hansgrohe products in
Myanmar at its Yankin township show-
room on June 6. A gorgeous reception
was held at the Sule Shangri-La hotel
attended by Minister of Industry U
Nyan Tun and actor Lu Min.
Goh York Lin, Lydia Mah, Quek Choon Hock
Photos:
ima/Emmanuel Maillard
imaphotodesign@gmail.com
www.mmtimes.com
Socialite
Silk Air offers ights to Mandalay
Mandalay hosts Israeli Film Festival
TS1 brings LaLa Curio to Yangon
The Embassy of Israel hosted
a lm festival June 6-8 at the
Myoma Cinema in Mandalay. The
ambassador to Myanmar and the
regional minister of nance at-
tended the rst presentation and
presided over a lucky draw. The
festival featured three Israeli lms
and tickets were free.
HE Hagay Moshe Behar and Pavel Shaverin
Kaythi Thet Maw and Ma Thandar Moe Myint Kyu Than Htut Win Ye Myat Thu
Silk Air celebrated the launch
of its ight service to Mandalay
on June 10 at that citys airport
and Sedona Hotel. Mr Robert
Chua, Singapore ambassador to
Myanmar, gave a speech on how
the relations between Myanmar
and Singapore could improve be-
cause of Silk Air. And Mr Leslie
Thng, chief executive of Silk Air,
explained the companys global
services. About a hundred guests
attended the ceremony including
regional ministers, travel agen-
cies and media.
Pop-up project TS1, spearheaded by
Ivan Pun, launched a new retail of-
fering on June 11 at its gallery and
store at Wardan Jetty. Laura Cheung,
the founder of the Hong Kong-based
dcor and lifestyle brand LaLa Curio,
introduced her line of cosmopolitan
and traditionally crafted furniture, tiles,
light ttings and other home furnish-
ings. The products will be available to
buy at TS1 until August 8.
Robert Chua Ye Myint Kyaw Sann
Laura Cheung
Ivan Pun
Leslie Thng
Phyu Phyu Hlaing
58 the pulse travel THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 16 - 22, 2014
DOMESTIC FLIGHT SCHEDULES
Domestic
6T = Air Mandalay
W9 = Air Bagan
YJ = Asian Wings
K7 = AIR KBZ
YH = Yangon Airways
FMI = FMI AIR Charter
Y5 = Golden Myanmar Airlines
Subject to change
without notice
Day
1 = Monday
2 = Tuesday
3 = Wednesday
4 = Thursday
5 = Friday
6 = Saturday
7 = Sunday
Domestic Airlines
Air Bagan Ltd. (W9)
Tel : 513322, 513422, 504888, Fax : 515102
Air KBZ (K7)
Tel: 372977~80, 533030~39 (Airport),
Fax: 372983, Hot Line: 373766
Air Mandalay (6T)
Tel : (Head Ofce) 501520, 525488,
Fax: 525937. Airport: 533222~3, 09-73152853.
Fax: 533223.
Asian Wings (YJ)
Tel: 951 515261~264, 512140, 512473, 512640.
Fax: 951 532333, 516654
Golden Myanmar Airlines (Y5)
Tel: 95 9 400446999, 95 9 400447999,
Fax: 01 860 4051
Yangon Airways(YH)
Tel: (+95-1) 383 100, 383 107, 700 264,
Fax: 652 533.
FMI Air Charter - Sales &
Reservations
Tel: (95-1) 240363, 240373 / (+95-9) 421146545
Mann Yadanarpon Airlines (7Y)
Tel: (+95-1) 656969,
Fax: 656998, 651020.
YANGON TO NAY PYI TAW
Flight Days Dep Arr
YJ 761 1 6:30 7:25
FMI A1 1,2,3,4,5 7:30 8:30
FMI A1 6 8:00 9:00
FMI B1 1,2,3,4,5 11:30 12:30
FMI A1 7 15:30 16:30
FMI C1 1,2,3,4,5 16:45 17:45
NAY PYI TAW TO YANGON
Flight Days Dep Arr
FMI A2 1,2,3,4,5 8:50 9:50
FMI A2 6 10:00 11:00
FMI B2 1,2,3,4,5 13:00 14:00
FMI A2 7 17:00 18:00
FMI C2 1,2,3,4,5 18:05 19:05
YANGON TO MANDALAY
Flight Days Dep Arr
YJ 201 2,3,4 6:00 7:25
YJ 233 1 6:00 7:25
YJ 211 5,7 6:00 7:25
W9 143 4,7 6:20 8:25
W9 7143/YJ 143 1,2,3,5,6 6:20 8:25
YH 917 Daily 6:10 8:15
Y5 234 Daily 6:15 7:30
6T 401 Daily 6:20 8:25
YJ 761 1 6:30 8:25
K7 222/7Y 111 Daily 6:30 8:40
YJ 233 1,6 7:00 8:25
7Y 701 6 7:05 10:40
7Y 815 3,4 7:05 11:20
7Y 771 7 7:05 11:20
7Y 707 2,5 7:10 11:55
7Y 815 1 8:00 12:15
W9 7201/YJ 201 4,7 8:00 9:25
W9 201 1,2,3,5,6 8:00 9:25
8M 6603 2,4,7 9:00 10:10
YJ 761 2 11:00 12:55
YJ 601 4,6 11:00 12:25
YH 727 1 11:00 12:55
YH 737 3,5,7 11:00 12:55
K7 224/7Y 221 Daily 14:30 16:35
6T 501 Daily 14:30 16:30
YH 731 1,2,3,5,6,7 14:30 16:25
W9 211 2,6 16:00 17:25
W9 7211/YJ 211 1,3,4,5 16:00 17:25
MANDALAY TO YANGON
Flight Days Dep Arr
Y5 233 Daily 8:10 9:25
YH 918 Daily 8:30 10:25
6T 402 Daily 8:45 10:45
W9 143 4,7 8:40 10:05
W9 7143/YJ 143 1,2,3,5,6 8:40 10:05
K7 223/7Y 112 Daily 8:55 11:00
W9 7201/YJ 201 4,7 9:40 11:35
W9 201 1,2,3,5,6 9:40 11:35
Y5 132 3,5,6,7 9:30 10:30
YJ 212 7 11:00 12:25
7Y 772 7 11:35 15:20
7Y 708 2,5 12:10 16:28
7Y 816 1 12:30 16:45
YJ 234 1,6 13:20 14:45
7Y 702 6 13:45 17:20
YJ 203 2 13:55 15:20
7Y 815 3,4 14:25 18:40
YJ 213 7 14:45 16:10
YJ 602 4,6 15:40 17:05
YJ 235 1 15:45 17:10
YH 728 1 16:30 17:55
YH 730 2 16:40 18:05
YH 732 1,2,3,5,6,7 16:40 18:45
6T 502 Daily 16:50 18:55
K7 225/7Y 222 Daily 16:50 19:00
YJ 204 4 16:55 18:20
YH 738 3,5,7 17:10 18:35
8M 6604 2,4,7 17:20 18:30
W9 211 2,6 17:40 19:45
W9 7211/YJ 211 1,3,4,5 17:40 19:45
YH 730 4,6 17:45 19:10
YANGON TO NYAUNG U
Flight Days Dep Arr
YH 917 Daily 6:10 7:30
W9 143 4,7 6:20 7:40
W9 7143/YJ 143 1,2,3,5,6 6:20 7:40
6T 401 Daily 6:20 7:40
K7 222/7Y 111 Daily 6:30 7:50
6T 501 Daily 14:30 17:20
K7 224/7Y 221 Daily 14:30 17:25
YH 731 2,6 14:30 17:25
W9 7211/YJ 7211 1,3,4,5 16:00 18:10
W9 211 2,6 16:00 18:10
NYAUNG U TO YANGON
Flight Days Dep Arr
YH 918 Daily 7:45 10:25
W9 143 4,7 7:55 10:05
W9 7143/YJ 143 1,2,3,5,6 7:55 10:05
6T 401 Daily 7:55 10:45
K7 222/7Y 111 Daily 8:05 11:00
YH 918 4 8:35 10:40
YH 732 2,6 17:25 18:45
6T 502 Daily 17:35 18:55
K7 225/7Y 222 Daily 17:40 19:00
W9 7211/YJ 7211 1,3,4,5 18:25 19:45
W9 211 2,6 18:25 19:45
YANGON TO MYITKYINA
Flight Days Dep Arr
YJ 211 5,7 6:00 8:50
YJ 201 2,3 6:00 8:50
YJ 233 1 6:00 8:50
YH 824 1 7:00 9:25
YH 828 2,6 7:00 9:45
7Y 815 3,4 7:05 12:45
7Y 701 6 7:05 12:05
W9 7151/YJ 151 1,3,5,6 10:30 12:50
YH 826 4 14:00 16:25
MYITKYINA TO YANGON
Flight Days Dep Arr
YJ 212 7 9:05 12:25
YH 829 2,6 10:00 12:25
YH 825 1 11:30 13:55
YJ 234 1,6 11:55 14:45
7Y 702 6 12:20 17:20
7Y 815 3,4 13:00 18:40
W9 7152/YJ 152 1,3,5,6 13:10 15:30
YJ 204 4 15:30 18:20
YH 827 4 16:40 19:05
YANGON TO HEHO
Flight Days Dep Arr
YH 917 Daily 6:10 9:00
6T 401 Daily 6:20 9:20
K7 222/7Y 111 Daily 6:30 9:30
YJ 761 1 6:30 9:10
7Y 701 6 7:05 9:58
7Y 815 3,4 7:05 10:35
7Y 771 7 7:05 10:35
7Y 707 2,5 7:10 11:13
7Y 815 1 8:00 11:30
W9 7201/YJ 201 4,7 8:00 10:10
W9 201 1,2,3,5,6 8:00 10:10
YJ 751 3,5,7 10:30 11:40
YH 727 1 11:00 12:10
YH 737 3,5,7 11:00 12:10
YJ 761 2 11:00 12:10
W9 111 1,3 12:00 13:10
6T 501 Daily 14:30 15:40
K7 224/7Y 221 Daily 14:30 15:45
YH 731 1,2,3,5,6,7 14:30 15:40
HEHO TO YANGON
Flight Days Dep Arr
YH 918 Daily 9:15 10:25
6T 402 Daily 9:35 10:45
K7 223/7Y 112 Daily 9:45 11:00
W9 201/7Y 7201 4,7 10:25 11:35
W9 201 1,2,3,5,6 10:25 11:35
7Y 771 7 10:50 15:20
7Y 707 2,5 11:25 16:28
YJ 203 2 13:10 15:20
7Y 816 1 13:15 16:45
7Y 702 6 14:30 17:20
YJ 213 5 14:50 16:00
YJ 203 3 14:55 16:05
YJ 235 1 15:00 17:10
7Y 816 3,4 15:10 18:40
YH 728 1 15:45 17:55
YJ 762 2 15:50 17:00
W9 112 1,3 15:55 17:05
6T 501 Daily 15:55 18:55
YH 732 2,6 15:55 18:45
K7 224/7Y 221 Daily 16:00 19:00
YH 738 3,5,7 16:25 18:35
YJ 752 3,5,7 16:45 17:55
YANGON TO SIT T WE
Flight Days Dep Arr
6T 607 1 11:15 12:40
6T 611 2,3,4,6,7 11:15 12:40
6T 605 5 11:15 13:15
W9 7309/YJ 309 4 12:00 13:25
K7 422 Daily 13:30 15:25
W9 7309/YJ 309 2 14:00 15:25
SIT T WE TO YANGON
Flight Days Dep Arr
6T 612 2,3,4,6,7 13:00 14:25
6T 608 1 13:00 15:00
6T 606 5 13:35 15:00
W9 7310/YJ 310 4 13:40 15:05
K7 423 Daily 15:40 17:00
W9 7310/YJ 310 2 15:40 17:05
YANGON TO MYEIK
Flight Days Dep Arr
YH 633 3,4,5,7 7:00 9:00
K7 319 Daily 7:00 9:05
6T 707 Daily 7:45 9:45
MYEIK TO YANGON
Flight Days Dep Arr
YH 634 3,4,5,7 11:25 13:25
K7 320 Daily 11:30 13:35
6T 708 Daily 12:10 14:10
YANGON TO THANDWE
Flight Days Dep Arr
W9 141 Daily 6:15 9:35
6T 605 5 11:15 12:10
6T 607 1 11:15 13:50
K7 422 Daily 13:30 14:25
THANDWE TO YANGON
Flight Days Dep Arr
6T 605 5 12:25 15:00
6T 608 1 14:05 15:00
K7 422 Daily 14:40 17:00
YANGON TO DAWEI
Flight Days Dep Arr
6T 707 Daily 7:45 8:55
YH 633 3,4,5,7 7:00 8:10
DAWEI TO YANGON
Flight Days Dep Arr
6T 708 Daily 13:00 14:10
YH 634 3,4,5,7 12:15 13:25
YANGON TO LARSHIO
Flight Days Dep Arr
7Y 707 2,5 7:10 8:48
YJ 751 3,5,7 10:30 12:45
YH 729 2,4,6 11:00 12:45
LARSHIO TO YANGON
Flight Days Dep Arr
YJ 202 3 12:20 16:05
YJ 213 5,7 13:45 16:10
7Y 708 2,5 14:50 16:28
YJ 752 3,5,7 15:40 17:55
YH 730 2 15:40 18:05
YH 730 4,6 16:45 19:10
YANGON TO PUTAO
Flight Days Dep Arr
YJ 233 1,6 6:00 9:45
YH 824 1 7:00 10:20
PUTAO TO YANGON
Flight Days Dep Arr
YH 825 1 10:35 13:55
YJ 234 1,6 11:00 14:45
YANGON TO CHIANG MAI
Flight Days Dep Arr
W9 9607/ YJ 7607 4,7 14:20 16:10
CHIANG MAI TO YANGON
Flight Days Dep Arr
W9 9608/ YJ 7608 4,7 17:20 18:10

the pulse travel 59 www.mmtimes.com
T
RAVEL is a time to relax,
or at least it should be.
We travel to rejuvenate
ourselves after long periods
of work, and that includes
the LGBT community, said Ko Tin Ko
Ko, a member of LGBT rights group
Kings N Queens.
Ko Tin Ko Ko ofcially married Ko
Myo Min Htet a few months ago in
Yangon, but the couple hasnt taken
their honeymoon yet. The public
outcry that their marriage ceremony
attracted made a romantic trip
difcult to prepare at the time, and
since then theyve been busy with
work.
So where does a gay couple in
Myanmar go to get away from it all
and enjoy good service and social
acceptance, too?
Were planning to go to Taunggyi
in August, Tin Ko Ko said, referring
to one of the countrys famous tourist
sites in Shan State. The Inle Phaung
Daw Oo Pagoda festival in September
and the Taunggyi Hot-Air Balloon
Festival in November are popular
with travellers from around the
world.
He doesnt expect much trouble,
although discrimination against
LGBT people tends to be greater in
the provinces rather than the big city,
even though the issue is more out in
the open all over Myanmar than in
the past.
People wont disturb us directly
or physically, for example by throwing
stones. But they might make mocking
comments behind our backs, he said.
For a honeymoon trip or
relaxation, Ko Pho Thit Lu of the
Colour Rainbow LGBT group, said
that Myeik Archipelago and Daweis
beaches in Tanintharyi Region ofer
more comfort and freedom for gay
couples relative to other places in the
country.
The local people are mostly
non-discriminating and cool, he
said, in part because LGBT groups
there are organising fundraisers and
festivals with youth and womens
organisations, and Dawei authorities
dont impose strict anti-LGBT rules.
Myeik Archipelago has about 800
islands said to be more beautiful than
Thailands Phuket. Visitors can enjoy
diving, shing and more, and the
best time to go is between October
and March. Access is by ight or
car. There are also ve-night cruises
operated by Elegant Myanmar from
Yangon to Myeik starting at US$500
for Myanmar nationals and $1000 for
tourists.
For LGBT couples travelling to
other parts of the country, Ko Pho
Thit Lu had a few other suggestions:
Hotel United in Myitkyina and
Chindwin Hotel in Monywa are very
comfortable for LGBT. Also, couples
can expect good service at Golden
Beach Hotel in Chaungtha.
Meanwhile, in Yangon, LGBT
couples have a few safe choices for
entertainment. YG bar hosts an
LGBT-friendly night every second and
last Saturday of the month. Theres
also Heaven Bar, in Thukha Street
near the Asia Royal Hospital, a place
that always welcomes the gay and
lesbian community. Tin Ko Ko expects
more specically LGBT-oriented
establishments will open in the city
soon.
Rainbow
retreats
A look at selected LGBT-friendly
holiday destinations
EI EI THU
Hotel United
38 Thit Sa Street, Myitkyina
Phone 074-22085
hotelunitedmyitkyina@gmail.com
Chindwin Hotel
Bogyoke Street, Yonegyi quarter,
Monywa
Phone 071-21938, 071-26150, 071-
26151-52
reservation@
hotelchindwinmonywa.com
Golden Beach Hotel
Chaungtha
Phone 09-5200565, 042-42128,
042-42129
inquiry@goldenbeachchaungtha.
com
Beach-goers get set to ride waves with tubes at Dawei. Photo: Staff
Sunrise at Myeik. Photo: Staff
International
FD & AK = Air Asia
TG = Thai Airways
8M = Myanmar Airways International
PG = Bangkok Airways
MI = Silk Air
VN = Vietnam Airline
MH = Malaysia Airlines
CZ = China Southern
CI = China Airlines
CA = Air China
KA = Dragonair
IC = Indian Airlines Limited
W9 = Air Bagan
3K = Jet Star
AI = Air India
QR = Qatar Airways
KE = Korea Airlines
NH = All Nippon Airways
SQ = Singapore Airways
DE = Condor Airlines
MU=China Eastern Airlines
BR = Eva Airlines
DD = Nok Airline
AI = Air India
BG = Biman Bangladesh Airlines
TR = Tiger Airline
Subject to change
without notice
International Airlines
Air Asia (FD)
Tel: 251 885, 251 886.
Air Bagan Ltd.(W9)
Tel : 513322, 513422, 504888, Fax : 515102
Air China (CA)
Tel : 666112, 655882.
Air India
Tel : 253597~98, 254758. Fax: 248175
Bangkok Airways (PG)
Tel: 255122, 255 265, Fax: 255119
Condor (DE)
Tel: + 95 1 -370836 up to 39 (ext : 810)
Dragonair (KA)
Tel: 95-1-255320, 255321, Fax : 255329
Golden Myanmar Airlines (Y5)
Tel: 95 9 400446999, 95 9 400447999,
Fax: 01 860 4051
Malaysia Airlines (MH)
Tel : 387648, 241007 ext : 120, 121, 122
Fax : 241124
Myanmar Airways International(8M)
Tel : 255260, Fax: 255305
Silk Air(MI)
Tel: 255 287~9, Fax: 255 290
Thai Airways (TG)
Tel : 255491~6, Fax : 255223
Vietnam Airlines (VN)
Fax : 255086. Tel 255066/ 255088/ 255068.
Qatar Airways (Temporary Ofce)
Tel: 379845, 379843, 379831, Fax: 379730
Biman Bangladesh Airlines (BG)
Tel: 371867~68, Fax: 371869.
Nok Airline (DD)
Tel: 255050, 255021, Fax: 255051
Tiger Airline (TR)
Tel: 371383, 370836~39 Ext: 303
Day
1 = Monday
2 = Tuesday
3 = Wednesday
4 = Thursday
5 = Friday
6 = Saturday
7 = Sunday
INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT SCHEDULES
YANGON TO BANGKOK
Flights Days Dep Arr
PG 706 Daily 6:15 8:30
8M 335 Daily 7:40 9:25
TG 304 Daily 9:50 11:45
PG 702 Daily 10:30 12:25
TG 302 Daily 14:55 16:40
PG 708 Daily 15:20 17:15
8M 331 Daily 16:30 18:15
PG 704 Daily 18:25 20:20
TG 306 Daily 19:45 21:35
YANGON TO DON MUENG
DD 4231 Daily 8:00 9:45
FD 252 Daily 8:30 10:15
FD 254 Daily 17:50 19:35
DD 4239 Daily 21:00 22:55
YANGON TO SINGAPORE
8M 231 Daily 8:00 12:25
Y5 233 Daily 10:10 14:40
SQ 997 Daily 10:25 14:45
3K 582 Daily 11:20 15:50
TR 2827 1,6,7 15:10 19:35
TR 2827 2,3,4,5 17:10 21:35
YANGON TO KUALA LUMPUR
8M 501 1,3,5,6 8:55 12:55
AK 505 Daily 8:30 12:50
MH 741 Daily 12:15 16:30
8M 9506 Daily 12:15 16:30
8M 9508 Daily 15:45 20:05
MH 743 Daily 15:45 20:05
AK 503 2,4,6 19:30 23:45
YANGON TO BEIJING
CA 716 3,7 23:50 0550+1
YANGON TO GAUNGZHOU
8M 711 2,4,7 8:40 13:15
CZ 3056 3,6 11:25 16:15
CZ 3056 1,5 17:30 22:15
YANGON TO TAIPEI
CI 7916 Daily 10:50 16:15
YANGON TO KUNMING
CA 906 Daily 12:15 15:55
MU 2012 3 12:20 18:20
MU 2032 1,2,4,5,6,7 14:50 18:20
YANGON TO HANOI
VN 956 1,3,5,6,7 19:10 21:30
YANGON TO HO CHI MINH CITY
VN 942 2,4,7 14:25 17:15
YANGON TO DOHA
QR 919 1,4,6 8:35 11:10
YANGON TO PHNOM PENH
8M 403 3,6 16:50 19:15
YANGON TO SEOUL
0Z 770 4,7 0:35 9:10
KE 472 Daily 23:35 8:05+1
YANGON TO HONG KONG
KA 251 1,2,4,6 01:10 05:45
YANGON TO TOKYO
NH 914 Daily 21:45 06:50+1
YANGON TO GAYA
8M 601 3,5,6 7:00 8:20
YANGON TO DHAKA
BG 061 1,4 19:45 21:00
YANGON TO INCHEON
8M 7702 Daily 23:35 8:05
8M7502 4,7 0:35 9:10
MANDALAY TO BANGKOK
PG 710 Daily 14:05 16:30
MANDALAY TO SINGAPORE
Y5 233 Daily 8:05 14:40
MANDALAY TO DON MUENG
FD 245 Daily 12:45 15:00
MANDALAY TO KUNMING
MU 2030 Daily 14:40 17:30
MANDALAY TO GAYA
8M 603 4 11:10 12:15
NAYPYIDAW TO BANGKOK
PG 722 1,2,3,4,5 20:05 22:55
BANGKOK TO YANGON
TG 303 Daily 7:55 8:50
PG 701 Daily 8:50 9:40
8M 336 Daily 10:40 11:25
TG 301 Daily 13:00 13:55
PG 707 Daily 13:40 14:30
PG 703 Daily 16:45 17:35
TG 305 Daily 17:50 18:45
8M 332 Daily 19:15 20:00
PG 705 Daily 20:15 21:30
DON MUENG TO YANGON
DD 4230 Daily 6:30 7:15
FD 251 Daily 7:15 8:00
FD 253 Daily 16:35 17:20
DD 4238 Daily 19:25 20:15
SINGAPORE TO YANGON
SQ 998 Daily 7:55 9:20
3K 581 Daily 8:50 10:45
TR 2826 1,6,7 13:10 14:30
8M 232 Daily 13:25 14:50
MI 518 Daily 14:20 15:45
TR 2826 2,3,4,5 15:00 16:30
Y5 234 Daily 15:35 17:05
BEIJING TO YANGON
CA 905 3,5,7 19:30 22:50
KAULA LUMPUR TO YANGON
AK 504 Daily 6:55 8:00
MH 740 Daily 10:05 11:15
8M 9505 Daily 10:05 11:15
8M 502 1,2,3,5,6 12:50 13:50
8M 9507 Daily 13:30 14:40
MH 742 Daily 13:50 15:00
AK 502 2,4,6 17:50 19:00
GUANGZHOU TO YANGON
CZ 3055 3,6 8:40 10:25
CZ 3055 1,5 14:40 16:30
8M 712 2,4,7 14:15 15:50
TAIPEI TO YANGON
CI 7915 Daily 7:00 9:55
KUNMING TO YANGON
MU 2011 3 8:25 11:40
CA 905 Daily 10:45 11:15
MU 2031 1,2,4,5,6,7 13:30 14:00
HANOI TO YANGON
VN 957 1,3,5,6,7 16:50 18:10
HO CHI MINH CITY TO YANGON
VN 943 2,4,7 11:40 13:25
DOHA TO YANGON
QR 918 3,5,7 20:30 6:15+1
GAYA TO YANGON
8M 602 3,5,6 9:20 12:30
PHNOM PENH TO YANGON
8M 404 3,6 20:15 21:40
SEOUL TO YANGON
KE 471 Daily 18:45 22:35
0Z 769 3,6 19:50 23:45
TOKYO TO YANGON
NH 913 Daily 11:00 15:40
HONG KONG TO YANGON
KA 250 1,3,5,7 21:45 23:30
DHAKA TO YANGON
BG 060 1,4 16:30 18:45
INCHEON TO YANGON
8M 7701 Daily 18:45 22:35
8M 7501 3,6 19:50 23:25
BANGKOK TO MANDALAY
PG 709 Daily 12:00 13:20
DON MUEANG TO MANDALAY
FD 244 Daily 10:50 12:15
KUNMING TO MANDALAY
MU 2029 Daily 13:55 13:50
GAYA TO MANDALAY
8M 604 4 13:15 16:20
BANGKOK TO NAYPYIDAW
PG 721 1,2,3,4,5 17:00 19:00
60 the pulse tea break THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 16 - 22, 2014
ACROSS
1 Narrow-waisted
insects
6 Chapters of history
10 Priests wear them
14 Run ___ of (clash with)
15 Comstock deposit
16 Dull person
17 Resume
drinking
20 Too much,
in music
21 Pigeons home
22 Social connections
23 Canonical
hour
25 Dance syllable
26 Trick taker,
often
27 ___ now or never
30 Gossip
32 Slip up
34 Unruly outbreak
36 Listening
devices
38 Goosebump-raising
42 Feature of some
fancy resorts
45 Brenda of the comics
46 Polygraph
challenger
47 Tapered slat
for leveling
48 Australian bird
50 The euro replaced it
52 ___ Paulo, Brazil
53 Dashiells detective
56 Crumb
58 Small amounts,
as of cream
60 I ___ you one
61 Golden Triangle
country
63 Brownish grays
67 Be a hex victim
70 Neck of the woods
71 Letter after theta
72 Clear, as a hard drive
73 Penetrate
slowly
74 Like an uncleaned
fireplace
75 Kept company with
DOWN
1 Travel, like an aroma
2 Way, way off
3 Song for one
4 Dime novels
and such
5 Inclined
6 Tolkiens Legolas,
e.g.
7 Campus military org.
8 For a certain purpose
9 Rage
10 Arabs robe
11 Sayings attributed
to Jesus
12 It might be busted
13 Taste,
e.g.
18 More cunning
19 Eyeglass ___
(optometry patient)
24 A way to catch fish
27 Western blue flag,
e.g.
28 Windshield
option
29 Fizzy drink
31 Bring up the rear
33 Wrestling
officials
35 Went like the
dickens
37 Composed
39 Chorus from the
sidelines
40 Hip bones
41 Sesame Street
character
43 Alloy of copper
and zinc
44 Literary
mistakes
49 Astronomy
Muse
51 Degraded
53 Chesterfields,
e.g.
54 Cognizant
55 Confused
struggle
57 Bustles
59 Old Toyota
62 Family Guy creator
MacFarlane
64 Bog product
65 Ultimatum word
66 Coaster
68 Drink from a dish
69 Beam of light
Universal Crossword
Edited by Timothy E. Parker
TRIPPED UP By Tim Burr
SUDOKU PACIFIC
PUZZLE SOLUTIONS
DILBERT BY SCOTT ADAMS
PEANUTS BY CHARLES SCHULZ
CALVIN AND HOBBES BY BILL WATTERSON
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 Marketing Department 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
Avenue 64 Hotel
No. 64 (G), Kyitewine
Pagoda Rd, Mayangone Tsp,
Yangon. Tel : 09-8631392,
01 656913-9
Asia Plaza Hotel
YANGON
No. 277, Bogyoke Aung
San Road, Corner of
38
th
Street, Kyauktada
Township, Yangon,
Myanmar.
Tel : (951) 391070, 391071.
Reservation@391070
(Ext) 1910, 106.
Fax : (951) 391375. Email :
hotelasiaplaza@gmail.com
General Listing
Chatrium Hotel
40 Natmauk Rd, Tarmwe.
tel: 544500. fax: 544400.
The Essentials
Emergency Numbers
For more information about these listings, Please Contact - classied.mcm@gmail.com
Ambulance tel: 295133.
Fire tel: 191, 252011, 252022.
Police emergency tel: 199.
Police headquarters tel: 282541, 284764.
Red Cross tel:682600, 682368
Trafc Control Branch tel:298651
Department of Post & Telecommunication tel: 591384,
591387.
Immigration tel: 286434.
Ministry of Education tel:545500m 562390
Ministry of Sports tel: 370604, 370605
Ministry of Communications tel: 067-407037.
Myanma Post & Telecommunication (MPT) tel: 067-
407007.
Myanma Post & Tele-communication (Accountant Dept)
tel: 254563, 370768.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs tel: 067-412009, 067-412344.
Ministry of Health tel: 067-411358-9.
Yangon City Development Committee tel: 248112.
HOSPITALS
Central Womens Hospital tel: 221013, 222811.
Children Hospital tel: 221421, 222807
Ear, Nose & Throat Hospital tel: 543888.
Naypyitaw Hospital (emergency) tel: 420096.
Workers Hospital tel: 554444, 554455, 554811.
Yangon Children Hospital tel: 222807, 222808, 222809.
Yangon General Hospital (East) tel: 292835, 292836, 292837.
Yangon General Hospital (New) tel: 384493, 384494,
384495, 379109.
Yangon General Hospital (West) tel: 222860, 222861,
220416.
Yangon General Hospital (YGH) tel: 256112, 256123,
281443, 256131.
ELECTRICITY
Power Station tel:414235
POST OFFICE
General Post Ofce
39, Bo Aung Kyaw St. (near British Council Library). tel:
285499.
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Yangon International Airport tel: 662811.
YANGON PORT
Shipping (Coastal vessels) tel: 382722
RAILWAYS
Railways information
tel: 274027, 202175-8.
UNITED NATIONS
ILO Liaison 1-A, Kanbae
(Thitsar Rd), Yankin Tsp,
Tel : 01-566538, 566539
IOM 318 (A) Ahlone Rd, Dagon
Tsp, Yangon.Tel 01-210588,
09 73236679, 0973236680,
Email- iomyangon@iom.int
UNAIDS 137/1, Thaw Wun Rd,
Kamayut Tsp.
Tel : 534498, 504832
UNDCP 11-A, Malikha St,
Mayangone tsp.
Tel: 666903, 664539.
UNDP 6, Natmauk Rd, Bahan
tel: 542910-19. fax: 292739.
UNFPA 6, Natmauk Rd,
Bahan tsp. tel: 546029.
UNHCR 287, Pyay Rd,
Sanchaung tsp.
Tel: 524022, 524024.
UNIAP Rm: 1202, 12 Fl,
Traders Hotel.
Tel: 254852, 254853.
UNIC 6, Natmauk St., Bahan,
tel: 52910~19
UNICEF 14~15 Flr, Traders
Hotel. P.O. Box 1435,
Kyauktada. Tel: 375527~32,
unicef.yangon@unicef. org,
UNODC 11-A, Malikha Rd., Ward
7, Mayangone. tel: 01-9666903,
9660556, 9660538, 9660398.
email: fo.myanmar@unodc.org
UNOPS 120/0, Pyi Thu Lane,
7 Miles, Mayangone Tsp.
Tel: 951-657281~7.
Fax: 657279.
UNRC 6, Natmauk Rd, P.O.
Box 650, TMWE Tel: 542911~19,
292637 (Resident Coordinator),
WFP 5 Kan Baw Za St, Shwe
Taung Kyar, (Golden Valley),
Bahan Tsp. Tel : 2305971~6
WHO No. 2, Pyay Rd, 7 Mile,
Mayangone Tsp, Tel : 650405-
6, 650416, 654386-90.
ASEAN Coordinating Of. for
the ASEAN Humanitarian
Task Force, 79, Taw Win st,
Dagon Tsp. Tel: 225258.
FAO Myanma Agriculture
Service Insein Rd, Insein. tel:
641672, 641673.
EMBASSIES
Australia 88, Strand
Road, Yangon. Tel :
251810, 251797, 251798.
Bangladesh 11-B, Than
Lwin Road, Yangon.
Tel: 515275, 526144,
email: bdootygn@
mptmail.net.mm
Brazil 56, Pyay Road,
6
th
mile, Hlaing Tsp,
Yangon. Tel: 507225,
507251. email: Administ.
yangon@itamaraty.gov.br.
Brunei 17, Kanbawza
Avenue, Golden Velly (1),
Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel:
566985, 503978.
email: bruneiemb@
bruneiemb.com.mm
Cambodia 25 (3B/4B),
New University Avenue
Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 549609, 540964.
email: RECYANGON @
mptmail.net.mm
China 1, Pyidaungsu
Yeiktha Road, Yangon.
Tel: 221280, 221281.
Danmark, No.7, Pyi Thu
St, Pyay Rd, 7 Miles,
Mayangone Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 01 9669520 - 17.
Egypt 81, Pyidaungsu
Tel: 222886, 222887,
Egyptembassy86@
gmail.com
France 102, Pyidaungsu
Tel: 212178, 212520,
email: ambaf rance.
rangoun@ diplomatie.fr
Germany 9, Bogyoke
Aung San Museum Road,
Bahan Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 548951, 548952,
email: info@rangun.
diplo.de
India 545-547, Merchant
St, Yangon.
Tel: 391219, 388412,
email: indiaembassy @
mptmail.net.mm
Indonesia 100,
Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Rd,
254469, 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 Rd,
Yangon. Tel: 549644-8,
540399, 540400, 540411,
545988, fax: 549643
Kuwait
62-B, Shwe Taung Kyar
St, Bahan Tsp.
Tel : 01-230-9542, 230-
9543.
Fax : 01-230-5836.
Lao A-1, Diplomatic
Quarters, Tawwin Road,
Dagon Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 222482, Fax: 227446,
email: Laoembcab@
mptmail. net.mm
Malaysia 82, Pyidaungsu
Tel: 220248, 220249,
email: mwkyangon@
mptmail.net.mm
Nepal 16, Natmauk
Yeiktha, Yangon. Tel:
545880, 557168, fax:
549803, email: nepemb
@mptmail.net.mm
Norway, No.7, Pyi Thu
St, Pyay Rd, 7 Miles,
Mayangone Tsp,Yangon.
Tel: 01 9669520 - 17
Fax 01- 9669516
New Zealand No. 43/C,
Inya Myaing Rd, Bahan
Tsp, Yangon.
Tel : 01-2306046-9
Fax : 01-2305805
Netherlands Diplomatic
Mission No. 43/C, Inya
Myaing Rd, Bahan Tsp,
Yangon. Tel : 01-2305805
North Korea 77C, Shin
Saw Pu Rd, Sanchaung
Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 512642, 510205
Pakistan A-4, diplomatic
Quarters, Pyay Rd,
Yangon. Tel: 222881
(Chancery Exchange)
Philippines 50, Sayasan
Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 558149-151,Email:
p.e. yangon@gmail.com
Russian 38, Sagawa Rd,
Yangon.
Tel: 241955, 254161,
Royal Embassy of Saudi
Arabia No.287/289, U
Wisara Rd, Sanchaung.
Tel : 01-536153, 516952.
Serbia No. 114-A, Inya
Rd, P.O.Box No. 943,
515283, email: serbemb
@ yangon.net.mm
Singapore 238,
Dhamazedi Road, Bahan
Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 559001,
email: singemb_ ygn@_
sgmfa. gov.sg
South Korea 97
University Avenue, Bahan
Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 527142-
4, 515190, fax: 513286,
email: myanmar@mofat.
go.kr
Sri Lanka 34 Taw Win
Road, Yangon.
Tel: 222812,
Switzerland
No 11, Kabaung Lane, 5
mile, Pyay Rd, Hlaing
Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 534754, 507089.
Thailand 94 Pyay Rd,
Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel:
226721, 226728, 226824
Turkish Embassy
19AB, Kan Yeik Thar St,
Mayangone Tsp,Yangon.
Tel : 662992, Fax : 661365
United Kingdom 80
Strand Rd, Yangon.
Tel: 370867, 380322,
371852, 371853, 256438,
United States of
America 110, University
Avenue, Kamayut Tsp,
535756, Fax: 650306
Vietnam Bldg-72,
Thanlwin Rd, Bahan Tsp,
Yangon. Tel: 511305
ACCOMMODATION-
HOTELS
No. 205, Corner of Wadan
Street & Min Ye Kyaw
Swa Road, Lanmadaw
Tsp, Yangon. Myanmar.
Tel: (95-1) 212850 ~ 3,
229358 ~ 61,
Fax: (95-1) 212854.
info@myanmarpandahotel
.com http://www.
myanmarpandahotel.com
No.7A, Wingabar Road,
Bahan Tsp, Yangon.
Tel : (951) 546313,
430245. 09-731-77781~4.
Fax : (01) 546313.
www.cloverhotel.asia.
info@cloverhotel.asia
Confort Inn
4, Shweli Rd, Bet: Inya Rd
& U Wisara Rd, Kamaryut,
tel: 525781, 526872
PARKROYAL Yangon,
Myanmar
33, Alan Pya Pagoda Rd,
Dagon tsp.
tel: 250388. fax: 252478.
email: enquiry.prygn@
parkroyalhotels.com
parkroyalhotels. com.
Marina Residence
8, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd,
Mayangone Tsp.
tel: 6506 51~4. fax: 650630.
ACCOMMODATION-
HOTELS (Nay Pyi Taw)
Tel: 09-7349-4483,
09-4200-56994.
E-mail: aahappyhomes@
gmail.com, http://www.
happyhomesyangon.com
Happy Homes
REAL ESTATE & PROPERTY
MANAGEMENT
Sakura Residence
9, Inya Rd, Kamaryut Tsp.
tel: 525001. fax: 525002.
Savoy Hotel
129, Damazedi Rd,
Kamayut tsp.
tel: 526289, 526298,
Sedona Hotel
Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd,
Yankin. tel: 666900.
Strand Hotel
92 Strand Rd. tel: 243377.
fax: 289880.
Summit Parkview Hotel
350, Ahlone Rd, Dagon
Tsp. tel: 211888, 211966.
The Grand Mee Ya Hta
Executive Residence
372, Bogyoke Aung San Rd,
Pabedan Tsp.
tel 951-256355 (25 lines).
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
No. (356/366), Kyaikkasan
Rd, Tamwe Township,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Ph: 542826, Fax: 545650
Email: reservation@
edenpalacehotel.com
Royal White Elephant Hotel
No-11, Kan Street, Hlaing
Tsp. Yangon, Myanmar.
(+95-1) 500822, 503986.
www.rwehotel.com
M-22, Shwe Htee Housing,
Thamine Station St., Near
the Bayint Naung Point,
Mayangone Tsp., Yangon
Tel : 522763, 522744,
667557. Fax : (95-1) 652174
E-mail : grandpalace@
myanmar.com.mm
Clover Hotel City Center
No. 217, 32nd Street
(Upper Block), Pabedan Tsp,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 377720, Fax : 377722
www.clovercitycenter.asia
Clover Hotel City Center Plus
No. 229, 32nd Street
(Upper Block), Pabedan Tsp,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 377975, Fax : 377974
www.clovercitycenterplus.asia
Inya Lake Resort Hotel
37 Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd.
tel: 662866. fax: 665537.
MGM Hotel No (160), Warden
Street, Lanmadaw Tsp, Yangon,
Myanmar. +95-1-212454~9.
www. hotel-mgm.com
MiCasa Hotel Apartments
Yankin Tsp.
tel: 650933. fax: 650960.
Yankin Tsp.
Tel: 650933. Fax: 650960.
Email : micprm@
myanmar.com.mmwww.
myanmar micasahotel.com
ADVERTISING
SAIL Marketing &
Communications
Suite 403, Danathiha Center
790, Corner of Bogyoke Rd
& Wadan Rd, Lanmadaw
Township, Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel: (951) 211870, 224820,
2301195. Email: admin@
advertising-myanmar.com
www.advertising-myanmar.
com
WE STARTED THE ADVERTISING
INDUSTRY IN MYANMAR SINCE 1991
MAR K E T I NG & COMMUNI CAT I ONS
A D V E R T I S I N G
ACCOMMODATION
LONG TERM
Golden Hill Towers
24-26, Kabar Aye Pagoda
Rd, Bahan Tsp.
tel: 558556. ghtower@
mptmail.net.mm.
Windsor Hotel No.31, Shin
Saw Pu Street, Sanchaung.
Yangon, Myanmar.
Ph: 95-1-511216~8, www.
hotelwindsoryangon.com
Yuzana Hotel
130, Shwegondaing Rd,
Bahan Tsp, tel : 01-549600
Yuzana Garden Hotel
44, Alanpya Pagoda Rd,
Mingalar Taung Nyunt Tsp,
tel : 01-248944
No. 12, Pho Sein Road,
Tamwe Township, Yangon
Tel : (95-1) 209299, 209300,
209343 Fax : (95-1) 209344
bestwestern.com/
greenhillhotelyangon.com
Hotel Yangon
91/93, 8
th
Mile Junction,
Tel : 01-667708, 667688.
Reservation Ofce (Yangon)
123, Alanpya Pagoda Rd,
Dagon Township
Tel : 951- 255 819~838
Royal Kumudra Hotel,
(Nay Pyi Taw)
Tel : 067- 414 177,
067- 4141 88
E-Mail: reservation@
maxhotelsgroup.com
GENERAL
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.
FLORAL SERVICES
Floral Service & Gift Shop
No. 449, New University
Avenue, Bahan Tsp. YGN.
Tel: 541217, 559011,
09-860-2292.
Market Place By City Mart
Tel: 523840~43,
523845~46, Ext: 205.
Junction Nay Pyi Taw
Tel: 067-421617~18
422012~15, Ext: 235.
Res: 067-414813, 09-492-
09039. Email : eternal@
mptmail.net.mm
FITNESS CENTRE
Balance Fitnesss
No 64 (G), Kyitewine
Pagoda Road, Mayangone
Township. Yangon
01-656916, 09 8631392
Email - info@
balancetnessyangon.com
Life Fitness
Bldg A1, Rm No. 001,
Shwekabar Housing,
Mindhamma Rd,
Mayangone Tsp. Yangon.
Ph: 01-656511,
Fax: 01-656522,
Hot line: 0973194684,
natraysports@gmail.com
Ruby & Rare Gems
of Myanamar
No. 527, New University
Ave., Bahan Tsp. Yangon.
sales@manawmaya.com.mm
www.manawmayagems.com
Tel: 549612, Fax : 545770.
BEAUTY & MASSAGE
Strand Bar 92, Strand
Rd, Yangon, Myanmar.
tel: 243377.fax: 243393,
sales@thestrand.com.mm
www.ghmhotels.com
Lobby Bar
PARKROYAL Yangon,
Myanmar. 33, Alan Pya
Phaya Road, Dagon Tsp.
tel: 250388.
BOOK STORES
Lemon Day Spa
No. 96 F, Inya Road,
Kamaryut Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 514848, 09-732-08476.
E.mail: lemondayspa.2011
@gmail.com
No. 52, Royal Yaw Min Gyi
Condo, Room F, Yaw Min
Gyi Rd, Dagon Township,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel: 09-425-307-717
YANGON
La Source Beauty Spa
80-A, Inya Rd, Kamayut Tsp.
Tel: 512380, 511252
Beauty Bar by La Source
Room (1004), Sedona Hotel,
Tel : 666 900 Ext : (7167)
LS Salon
Junction Square, 3rd Floor.
Tel : 95-1-527242, Ext : 4001
MANDALAY
La Source Beauty Spa
No. 13/13, Mya Sandar St,
Chanaye Tharzan Tsp.
Tel : 09-4440-24496.
www.lasourcebeautyspa.com
No. 20, Ground Floor, Pearl
Street, Golden Valley Ward,
Bahan Township, Yangon.
Tel : 09-509 7057, 01-
220881, 549478 (Ext : 103)
Email : realtnessmyanmar
@gmail.com
www.realtnessmyanmar.com
CONSULTING
Shwe Hinthar B 307, 6 1/2
Miles, Pyay Rd., Yangon.
Tel: +95 (0)1 654 730
info@thuraswiss.com
www.thuraswiss.com
Myanmar Research | Consulting | Technology
DUTY FREE
DELIVERY SERVICE
Duty Free Shops
Yangon International
Airport, Arrival/Departure
Mandalay International
Airport, Departure
Ofce: 17, 2
nd
street,
Hlaing Yadanarmon Housing,
Hlaing Township, Yangon.
Tel: 500143, 500144, 500145.
FOAM SPRAY
INSULATION
Foam Spray Insulation
No-410, Ground Fl,Lower
Pazuntaung Rd, Pazun
taung Tsp, Yangon.Telefax
: 01-203743, 09-5007681.
Hot Line-09-730-30825.
BARS
50
th
Street
9/13, 50th street-lower,
Botataung Tsp. Tel-397160.
The First Air conditioning
systems designed to keep
you fresh all day
Zeya & Associates Co., Ltd.
No.437 (A), Pyay Road,
Kamayut. P., O 11041
Yangon, Tel: +(95-1)
502016-18,
Mandalay- Tel: 02-60933.
Nay Pyi Taw- Tel:
067-420778, E-mail :
sales.ac@freshaircon.
com. URL: http://www.
freshaircon.com
AIR CONDITION
ADVERTISING & MEDIA
Air Con Sales & Service
No. 2/1, Than Thu Mar
Rd, Thuwunna Junction.
Tel : 09-4224-64130
COFFEE MACHINE
CAR RENTAL
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
No. 56, Bo Ywe St,
Latha Tsp, Yangon.
Tel : 01-246551, 375283,
09-2132778, 09-31119195.
Gmail:nyanmyintthu1983@
gmail.com,
Car Rental Service
Zamil Steel
No-5, Pyay Road,
7 miles,
Tel: (95-1) 652502~04.
Fax: (95-1) 650306.
Email: zamilsteel@
zamilsteel.com.mm
CONSTRUCTION
Diamond Palace Jewelry
Shop (1) - No. 663/665,
Mahar Bandoola Rd,
Yangon. Tel : 01-371 944,
371 454, 371 425
Shop (2) - No.1103/1104/
1105, Ground Fl, Taw Win
Center, Yangon.
Tel : 01-8600111 ext :1103,
09 49307265
Shop (3) - No.B 020,
Ground Fl, Junction
Square Shopping Center,
Yangon.
Tel : 01-527 242 ext : 1081,
09 73203464
Shop (4) Ground Fl,
Gamonepwint Shopping
Mall, Kabaraye Pagoda
Rd, Yangon.
Tel : 01-653 653 ext : 8205
09 421763490
info@seinnandaw.com
www.seinnandaw.com
www.facebook.com/
seinnandaw
The Lady Gems &
Jewellery
No. 7, Inya Rd, Kamayut
Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 01-2305800,
09-8315555
No.(68), Tawwin Street,
9 Mile, Mayangone Tsp,
Yangon.
Hunt line: +95 1 9666 141,
Booking Ext : 7080, 7084.
Fax: +95 1 9666 135
Email:
info@witoriya hospital.com
www.victoriahospital
myanmar.com,
Facebook :
https://www.facebook.com/
WitoriyaGeneralHospital
HOME FURNISHING
22, Pyay Rd, 9 mile,
Mayangone Tsp.
tel: 660769, 664363.
Pearl Dental
29, Shwe Taung Tan St,
Lanmadaw Tsp.
Ph : 01-226274,
09-730-39011
9:30 AM TO 9:00 PM
24 Hrs International Clinic
Medical and Security
Assistance Service
@ Victoria Hospital
No.68, Tawwin Rd, 9 Mile,
Mayangon Township,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel: +951 651 238
+959 495 85 955
Fax: +959 651 398
www.leomedicare.com
Media Relations,
Event Management &
Strategic Communications
Hotline : 09 730 81 787
Email : tharapa.myanmar
@gmail.com
GEMS & JEWELLERIES
Best Jewels
No. 44, Inya Road,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 01-2305811, 2305812.
The Natural Gems of
Myanmar & Fine Jewellery.
No. 30(A), Pyay Road,
(7 mile), Mayangone Tsp,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 01-660397, 654398
spgems.myanmar@
gmail.com
YourMost ReliableJeweller
24 Hours Laboratory
& X-ray, CT, MRI, USG
Mammogram, Bone DXA
@ Victoria Hospital
No. 68, Tawwin Rd, 9 Mile,
Mayangon Township,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel: (951) 9 666141
Fax: (951) 9 666135
Japan-Myanmar
Physiotherapy Clinic.
Body Massage - 7000 Ks
Foot Massage - 6000 Ks
Body & Foot Massage -
12,000 Ks
No.285, Bo Aung Kyaw Rd,
Kyauktada Tsp, Yangon.
09:00 AM - 09:00 PM
Tel : 09-8615036
Marina Residence, Yangon
Ph: 650651~4, Ext: 109
Beauty Plan, Corner of
77th St & 31st St, Mandalay
Ph: 02 72506
MYANMAR BOOK CENTRE
Nandawun Compound,
No. 55, Baho Road,
Corner of Baho Road
and Ahlone Road, (near
Eugenia Restaurant),
Ahlone Township. tel:
212 409, 221 271. 214708
fax: 524580. email: info@
myanmarbook.com
Express Delivery &
Logistic Service
YGN Tel : 01-2301865
MDY Tel : 09-4200-66638
NPT Tel : 09-4920-5684
www.sbs-myanmar.com
196/198, Ground Flr,
Shwe Bon Tha St (Middle),
Pabedan Tsp, Yangon.
Tel : 01-253214 09-
420169982, 09-420049459
Condo (C), Room (001),
Tatkatho Yeikmon Housing,
New University Avenue Rd,
Bahan Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 09 8615162,
09 8615163, 542 375,
546 663, (Ext 1155)
HEALTH SERVICES
98(A), Kaba Aye Pagoda
Road, Bahan Township,
549152, 09-732-16940,
09-730-56079. Fax: 542979
Email: asiapacic.
myanmar@gmail.com.
Yangon : A-3, Aung San
Stadium (North East Wing),
Mingalartaungnyunt Tsp.
Tel : 245543, 09-73903736,
09-73037772.
Mandalay : No.(4) 73rd St,
Btw 30th & 31st St, Chan
Aye Thar Zan Tsp. Tel : 09-
6803505, 09-449004631.
Naypyitaw : Level (2),
Capital Hyper Mart,
Yazathingaha Street,
Outarathiri Tsp. Tel : 09-
33503202, 09-73050337
FASHION & TAILOR
Sein Shwe Tailor, 797
(003-A), Bogyoke Aung
San Rd, MAC Tower 2,
Lanmadaw Tsp, Yangon,
Ph: 01-225310, 212943~4
Ext: 146, 147, E-mail:
uthetlwin@gmail.com
DTDC Courier and Cargo
Service (Since 1991)
Yangon. Tel : 01-374457
Mandalay. Tel : 09-431-
34095. www.DTDC.COM,
dtdcyangon@gmail.com
Door to Door Delivery!!!
COURIER SERVICE
CO WORKING SPACE
No. (6), Lane 2
Botahtaung Pagoda St,
Yangon.
01-9010003, 291897.
info@venturaofce.com,
www.venturaofce.com
150 Dhamazedi Rd.,
Bahan Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 536306, 537805.
Email : yangon@
monument-books.com
15(B), Departure Lounge,
Yangon Intl Airport.
#87/2, Crn of 26
th
& 27
th

St, 77
th
St,Chan Aye Thar
Zan Tsp, Mandalay.
Tel : (02) 24880.
Beauty Spa & Reexology
42 (A), Amaka (10)
Kyaung St, Pyay Rd,
Hlaing Tsp, Yangon.
Ph: 01-507070, 01-507141,
09-51 09435, 09-51 43568
ENTERTAINMENT
Learn to dance with
social dancing
94, Bogalay Zay St,
Botataung T/S,
Yangon.
Tel : 01-392526,
01-1221738
Franzo Living Mall
15(A/5), Pyay Rd, A1(9miles),
Tel : 01-664026, 01-656970,
09-43205018
www.facebook.com/franzo
livingmall.
Email:palazzofurniture@
gmail.com
GAS COOKER &
COOKER HOODS
Worlds leader in
Kitchen Hoods & Hobs
Same as Ariston Water
Heater. Tel: 251033,
379671, 256622, 647813
GENERATORS
No. 589-592, Bo Aung
Kyaw St, Yangon-Pathein
highway Road. Hlaing
Tharyar tsp. Tel: 951-
645178-182, 685199, Fax:
951-645211, 545278.
e-mail: mkt-mti@
winstrategic.com.mm
California Skin Spa
NO 32.B, Inya Myaing Road,
Yangon. (Off University
Road) Tel : 01-535097,
01-501295. Open Daily :
(10 AM - 8 PM)
Capital Hyper Mart
14(E), Min Nandar Road,
Dawbon Tsp. Ph: 553136.
City Mart (Aung San) tel:
253022, 294765.
City Mart (47
th
St Branch)
tel: 200026, 298746.
City Mart (Junction 8)
tel: 650778.
City Mart (FMI City Branch)
tel: 682323.
City Mart (Yankin Center
Branch) tel: 400284.
City Mart (Myaynigone)
tel: 510697.
City Mart (Zawana Branch)
tel:564532.
City Mart (Shwe Mya Yar)
tel: 294063.
City Mart (Chinatown Point)
tel: 215560~63.
City Mart (Junction Maw Tin)
tel: 218159.
City Mart (Marketplace)
tel: 523840~43.
City Mart
(78
th
Brahch-Mandalay)
tel: 02-71467~9.
IKON Mart
No.332, Pyay Rd, San
Chaung. Tel: 535-783, 527705,
501429. Email: sales-ikon@
myanmar.com.mm
SUPERMARKETS
No. (6), Lane 2
Botahtaung Pagoda St,
Yangon.
01-9010003, 291897.
info@venturaofce.com,
www.venturaofce.com
22, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd,
Bahan Tsp. tel 541997.
email: leplanteur@
mptmail.net.mm.
http://leplanteur.net
1. WASABI : No.20-B,
Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd,
Yankin Tsp,(Near MiCasa),
Tel; 09-4250-20667,
09-503-9139
Myaynigone (City Mart)
Yankin Center (City Mart)
MARINE
COMMUNICATION &
NAVIGATION
Top Marine Show Room
No-385, Ground Floor,
Lower Pazundaung Road,
Pazundaung Tsp, Yangon.
Ph: 01-202782, 09-851-5597
World famous Kobe Beef
Near Thuka Kabar
Hospital on Pyay Rd,
Marlar st, Hlaing Tsp.
Tel: +95-1-535072
Enchanting and Romantic,
a Bliss on the Lake
62 D, U Tun Nyein Road,
Mayangon Tsp, Yangon
Tel. 01 665 516, 660976
Mob. 09-730-30755
operayangon@gmail.com
www.operayangon.com
Delicious Hong Kong Style
Food Restaurant
G-09, City Mart (Myay Ni
Gone Center).
Tel: 01-508467-70 Ext: 114
Heaven Pizza
38/40, Bo Yar Nyunt St.
Yaw Min Gyi Quarter,
Dagon Township.
Tel: 09-855-1383
Horizon Intl School
25, Po Sein Road, Bahan
Tsp, tel : 541085, 551795,
551796, 450396~7.
fax : 543926, email :
contact@horizonmyanmar.
com, www.horizon.com
SCHOOLS
Mon - Sat (9am to 6pm)
No. 797, MAC Tower II,
Rm -4, Ground Flr,
Bogyoke Aung San Rd,
Lamadaw Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: (951) 212944 Ext: 303,
09-4200-91393.
info@centuremyanmar.
com.
www.centure.in.th
OFFICE FURNITURE
UnionBarAndGrill
42 Strand Road,
Botahtaung, Yangon.
Tel: 95 9420 180 214, 95
9420 101 854
www.unionyangon.com,
info@unionyangon.com
Good taste & resonable
price
@Thamada Hotel
Tel: 01-243047, 243639-41
Ext: 32
RESTAURANTS
Bo Sun Pat Tower, Bldg
608, Rm 6(B), Cor of
Merchant Rd & Bo Sun
Pat St, PBDN Tsp. Tel:
377263, 250582, 250032,
09-511-7876, 09-862-4563.
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.
Legendary Myanmar Intl
Shipping & Logistics Co.,
Ltd.
No-9, Rm (A-4), 3
rd
Flr,
Kyaung St, Myaynigone,
Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 516827, 523653,
516795.
Mobile. 09-512-3049.
Email: legandarymyr@
mptmail.net .mm
www.LMSL-shipping.com
Crown Worldwide
Movers Ltd 790, Rm 702,
7
th
Flr Danathiha Centre,
Bogyoke Aung San Rd,
Lanmadaw. Tel: 223288,
210 670, 227650. ext: 702.
Fax: 229212. email: crown
worldwide@mptmail.net.mm
Yangon Intl School
Fully Accredited K-12
International Curriculum
with ESL support
No.117,Thumingalar
Housing, Thingangyun,
Tel: 578171, 573149,
687701, 687702.
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
PLEASURE CRUISES
PAINT
TOP MARINE PAINT
No-410, Ground Floor,
Lower Pazundaung Road,
Pazundaung Tsp, Yangon.
Ph: 09-851-5202
INSURANCE
LOGISTICS
Get your Visa online for
Business and Tourist
No need to come to
Embassy.
#165. 35th Street,
Tel: +951 381200, 204020
travel.evisa@gmail.com
VISA & IMMIGRATION
WATER TREATMENT
WEB SERVICE
Wat er Heat er
Made in Japan
Same as Rinnai Gas Cooker
and Cooker Hood
Showroom Address
Commercial scale
water treatment
(Since 1997)
Tel: 01-218437~38.
H/P: 09-5161431,
09-43126571.
39-B, Thazin Lane, Ahlone.
WATER SOLUTION
Water Treatement Solution
Block (A), Room (G-12),
Pearl Condo, Kabar Aye
Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp.
Hot Line : 09-4500-59000
Aekar
Company Limited
Web Services
All the way from Australia
world-class websites/
web apps for desktop,
smartphone & tablets,
online shopping with
real-time transaction,
news/magazine site,
forum, email campaign
and all essential online
services. Domain
registration & cloud
hosting. Talk to us: (01)
430-897, (0) 942-000-4554.
www.medialane.com.au
REAL ESTATE
Real Estate Agent
Agent fees is unnecessary
Tel : 09 2050107,
09 448026156
robinsawnaing@gmail.com
No.430(A), Corner of
Dhamazedi Rd & Golden
Valley Rd, Building(2)
Market Place (City Mart),
Bahan Tsp, Yangon.
Tel : 01-523840(Ext-309),
09-73208079.
a drink from paradise...
available on Earth
@Yangon International
Hotel, No.330, Ahlone Rd,
Dagon Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 09-421040512
WATER HEATERS
The Global leader in
Water Heaters
A/1, Aung San Stadium
East Wing, Upper
Pansodan Road.
Tel: 01-256705, 399464,
394409, 647812.
Executive Serviced Ofces
www.hinthabusinesscentres.com
Tel : 01-4413410
Ocean Center (North
Point), Ground Floor,
Tel : 09-731-83900
01-8600056
Quality Chinese Dishes
with Resonable Price
@Marketplace by City Mart.
Tel: 01-523840 Ext.109
REMOVALISTS
Relocation Specialist
Rm 504, M.M.G Tower,
#44/56, Kannar Rd,
Botahtaung Tsp.
Tel: 250290, 252313.
Mail : info@asiantigers-
myanmar.com
Bld-A2, Gr-Fl, Shwe
Gabar Housing, Mindama
Rd, Mayangone Tsp,
Yangon. email: eko-nr@
myanmar.com.mm
Ph: 652391, 09-73108896
KAMY Group Intl Co., Ltd.
International Transport
and Logistics
No. 363-D, Ground Floor,
Bo Aung Kyaw St (Upper),
Tel : 951 245491,
09-4202-87291.
Fax : 951 245491
Email : gm@kamygroup.com
www.kamygroup.com
TRAVEL AGENTS
Shan Yoma Tours Co.,Ltd
www.exploremyanmar.com
Asian Trails Tour Ltd
73 Pyay Rd, Dagon tsp.
tel: 211212, 223262.
fax: 211670. email: res@
asiantrails.com.mm
Serviced Ofce, Virtual
Ofce, Business
Services, Hot Desking
Tel: +(95) 01 387947
www.ofcehubservices.com
No. 5, U Tun Nyein
Street, Mayangone T/S,
Yangon.
Tel : 01-660 612, 657928,
01-122 1014, 09 508 9441
Email : lalchimiste.
restaurant@gmail.com
Fire, Motor and Life
Insurance
44, TheinPhyu Road,
Tel : 01- 8610656
Mob : 09-5055216
Email: maythet@gw-
insurance.com
www.gw-insurance.com
SERVICE OFFICE
BUSINESS CENTRE
#77/2b, DhammaZedi Rd,
Corner of U Wisara Rd,
SanchaungTsp, Yangon.
Tel: +95 931 323 291
info@serv-smart.com
www.serv-smart.com
Monsoon Restaurant
& Bar 85/87, Thein Byu
Road, Botahtaung Tsp.
Tel: 295224, 09-501 5653.
Singapore Cuisine
Super One Super Market,
Kyaikkasan Branch,
No. 65, Lay Daung Kan Rd,
Man Aung Qtr, Tamwe Tsp,
Yangon. Tel : 01-542371,
09-501-9128
For House-Seekers
with Expert Services
In all kinds of Estate Fields
yomaestatemm@gmail.com
09-332 87270 (Fees Free)
09-2541 26615 (Thai Language)
Bldg-A2, G-Flr, Shwe
Gabar Housing, Mindama
Rd, Mayangone Tsp,
Yangon. email: eko-nr@
myanmar.com.mm
Ph: 652391, 09-73108896
Sole Distributor
For the Union of
Myanmar Since 1995
Myanmar Golden Rock
International Co.,Ltd.
#06-01, Bldg (8), Myanmar
ICT Park, University Hlaing
Campus, Hlaing Tsp,
Yangon. Tel: 654810~17.
Worlds No.1 Paints &
Coatings Company
150 Brand NEW
International Standard
Rental Apartments
Hotline : 09 43 200 845
09 250 516 616
email : rental.starcity@
gmail.com
www.starcityyangon.com
STEEL STRUCTURE
Design, Fabrication,
Supply & Erection of Steel
Structures
Tel : (+95-1) 122 1673
Email : Sales@WEC-
Myanmar.com
www.WEC-Myanmar.com
Japan Sushi Izagaya
81 (A), Latha St,
Latha Tsp, Yangon.
Ph : 01-371508, 09-51 0 9435,
09-51 43568, 09-312 93852
Tel : 01-9000712~13 Ext : 330
09-4200-77039.
direct2u@mmrds.com
Home Outdoor Ofce
99 Condo, Ground Floor,
Room (A), Damazedi Rd,
Kamayut Township,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 09-2504-28700
info@decorum.mm.com
HOUSING
Rentals at Pun Hlaing
Service Apartment
Homes and Apartments
PHGE Sales & Marketing,
Hlaing Tharyar Tsp, Yangon.
Tel : 951-687 800, 684 013
phgemarketing@gmail.com
www.punhlainggolfestate.com
G-01, City Mart
(Myay Ni Gone Center).
Tel: 01-508467-70 Ext: 106
G-05, Marketplace by
City Mart.
Tel: 01-523840 Ext: 105
Property General
HOW TO GET A FREE AD
BY FAX : 01-254158
BY EMAIL : classied.mcm@gmail.com
BY MAIL : 379/383, Bo Aung Kyaw St, Kyauktada Township, Yangon.
HOW TO GET MORE BUSINESS FROM
AS LITTLE AS K.5,000.
BUY SPACE ON THESE PAGES
CALL: Khin Mon Mon Yi - 01-392676, 392928
FREE
Sale/Rent
MODERN Properties/
Condos, No agency
fee, properties screened
by foreign agent. www.
rivers-realestate.com,
jasonwongjp@gmail.
com, 09-4211-02223
GOLDEN VIEW Tower,
(Shine Condo), Condo
room with Karaweik &
Shwedagone Pagoda
view, New room,
2400sqft, fully furnished,
2MBR, 2BR, living,
lobby, dinning, kitchen.
Contact : 09-513-3958.
Housing for Rent
MWEA TOWER, Shwe
Dagon Pagoda Road,
Between Yawmingyi
& Nawadae Street.
Dagon Township, 1850
sqft, 1MBR, 2BR, Fully
furnished and decorated
Free high speed wif
One auto phone,
Basement car park,
Rate per month 40 lakhs.
Contact:09-515-1865
(1).7 MILE, Pyay Rd,
60'x80', 2 Storey
new house, Lawn,
European style, 4 MBR,
Generator provided
(New), USD 5500 per
month. (2).Kamayut,
Inya Rd, 70'x130', 2RC
storey, 1MBR, 3SR, Ph
line, Big lawn, Semi-
furnished, USD 6500
per month. (3).Bahan,
Golden Valley, 0.6 Acre
Land, Single storey new
house, 2MBR, 2SR, Nice
big lawn, USD 7000
per month. (4).Hlaing,
Shwe Hinn Thar Condo,
2150sqft, 1MBR, 2SR,
Ph line, Fully furnished,
Swimming pool +
Gym facility, Internet
line, 24hrs electricity,
Generator line included,
USD 4500 per month.
Ph: 09-4253-11320
CONDO Apartments: (1)
MGW Tower, 1500sqft
(2)University Avenue
Condo, 1350 sqft,
Fully furnished (3)
Yankin Apartment,
1400 sqft. (4)9th Miles,
Ocean, 1350sqft (5)
A-One Lane, Main Rd,
2 storeys house, 100'
x 100', (6)Thuwunna, 2
storeys house, 80' x 90',
(7)South Oakkalapa, 1
single house, 40' x 60'
(8) Botataung, 25 x 62,
3rd Flr left. Ph:09-732-
41848, 09- 8601-042
(1)NEAR Taw Win
Center, 25' x 60', 2MBR,
1SR, FF, Lift, $ 2500. (2)
Near Kabaraye Ga Mone
Pwint, 15' x 60', Hall, Lift,
7 Lakhs. (3) Near Yuzana
Plaza, 15' x 60', 1MBR,
1SR, 3F, 8Lakhs. (4)
La Min Tharyar Condo,
1875sqft, 1MBR, 2SR,
FF, Lift, 16Lakhs. (5)
Parami Condo, 1350
sqft, 1MBR, 2SR, FF, Lift,
8Lakhs. (6) Kyauktada,
Mingalar Condo, 25' x
55', 1MBR, 2SR, Lift,
15Lakhs. Ph: 09-492-
14276, 09-4211-77105.
(1) MAYANGONE, 9 Mile,
45' x 85', 3MBR, 1SR, FF,
2RC, 40Lakhs. (2) Inya
Rd, 50' x 64', 4MBR,
2SR, FF, 2RC, $ 4000.
(3) Mayangone, 8 Mile,
70' x 90', 3MBR, 2SR,
FF, 2RC, 40Lakhs. (4)
Yankin, Kyauk Kone , 40'
x 80', 3MBR, FF, 2RC,
50Lakhs. (5) 9 Mile, A1
St, 5000 sqft, 4MBR,
FF, 2RC, 35Lakhs. (6)
Golden Valley, 3000 sqft,
2MBR, 1SR, FF, 1RC,
25Lakhs. Ph: 09-492-
14276, 09-4211-77105.
LANMADAW, Yangon
2500 Sqft, 5
th
+6
th
Flr,
Downtown area, parquet
Floor, Furniture, air con:
Hot and cold water,
Single room-4, Master
bed room-1, ready
to use. US$1600 per
month, Contact: 09-517-
8014.
MANDALAY, Downtown
area on 80
th
main
road, include building,
(width) 44'x170' (length)
Electricity, water,
suitable, for Bak, School
etc... ready to use.
US$ 10000 per month.
Contact: 09-517-8019.
PAZUNDAUNG, 50t
H
St,
middle block, 1st foor,
25 x 60, Hong Kong
style 2 foor, 5 bed rooms,
2 western toilets, full teak
wood foor, tilling foor
kitchen and bathrooms,
air-con, landline phone.
Call: 666604, 09-507-
6284.
LARGE commercial
building just steps from
traders hotel, opposite
FMI center. Total of
5000 sqft x 5 foors
for lease. Completion
in November, please
contact for details.
jasonwongjp@gmail.
com, 09-4211-02223
A CONDO of 1450 sqft to
rent with 3 fully funished
bedrooms and air.cons.
Washing machine,
fridge and internet will
be provided. Price :
18 lakhs (1,800,000) +
agent fees (not exceeds
than a month payment)
contact:09-732-05178
YANKIN, (1)Yankin
Centre, 1750sqft, 1MBR,
2BR, 4 AC, 15 Lakhs (2)
Shweohnpin Apartment,
1200 sqft, 1MB, 2BR, G
Flr, 3 AC, 13 Lakhs (3)
6 miles, 32 Avenue,
8000 sqft, wood house.
35 lakhs. Moureen: 09-
518-8320.
(1).KAMAYUT, Inya Rd,
1Acre, 2 Storey nice
European style house,
3MBR, 1SR, maid
room, Ph line, Aircon
in all rooms, Generator,
Ceiling Fans, Big wide
lawn, US$9000 per
month. (2).Bahan,
Golden Valley, 0.5Acre,
Single Storey house,
1MBR, 2SR, Ph line,
Aircons, Big wide lawn,
US$ 5000 per month. (3).
Kamayut, 5 Mile, Pyay
Rd, 0.25Acre, 3 Storey
new house, 5MBR, 1SR,
Ph line, 10 Aircons, Big
wide spacious balcony,
Wooden Flr, big wide
windows in all rooms,
Garden, US$ 7500 per
month (Nego:), Ph: 09-
731-30141.
DAGON SEIK KAN,
Yuzana Garden city, 2
bed rooms, 4th foor, B
block, #1 road, 150 lkhs,
please contact 09-4480-
45381 , 09-4210-4486,
09-2500-78808
(1).NEAR PARK ROYAL
hotel , Bo Yar Nyunt St,
800sqft, 2 fat, 3SR fully
furnish, 1600 USD (2).
Near Sakura tower, 1250
sqft, lift, 1MBR, 2SR, fully
furnish, 2100 USD. (3).
Pansodan St, near Ruby
Mart, 1250sqft, 1SR, part
of furnish, 1600 USD.
Ph:09- 4921-4276, 09-
4211- 77105
Housing for Sale
RUBBER Lands for
Sales (1) Between Bago
Hantharwaddy Airport
and Main Rd. Rubber
Lands - 300 Acres
(including rubber plants
aged 5 years) (2) Near
Bago Hantharwaddy
Airport Rubber lands-
60 Acres (including
Required Official
Documents) Contact:
09-2540-88487, 09-
4523-36822
We provide the following
Training, CISCO, CCNA,
CCNP, MICROSOFT,
MCSA, MCSE, LAB,
EC-COUNCIL CEH,
SECURITY ADMIN.
www.facebook.com/
imcscompany, 09-4500-
16040.
Education
SAYA U Kyaw Thu(UKT),
English : Grade 10 & 11,
Grammar & speaking,
TourismEnglish, TOEFL
& IELTS. Ph: 09-730-
93768.
SECONDARY, IGCSE
(Cambridge & Edexcel),
IB all subjects available
Home tuitions,
Regular tuitions, Exam
preparation classes. Ph:
09-508-8683
MG Hlaing Min Tun: BE
(Naval Architecture)
(Myanmar Maritimes
University). I train and help
matriculation students
with their studies at their
home. I will be a huge help
for any student who wants
to learn all the questions
but facing diffculties in
doing it. With my help
and your deligence, it
will be a lot easier to gain
distinctions. Let's do all
the sums and let's beat
the exam. Ph: 09-4210-
20496.
HOME teaching
International school
KG to Primary 6. Total,
CISM, PISM, YIS, ISM,
MIS, MISY, Horizon. Ph:
09-4200-87050
FOR IGCSE Physics :
Home tution. Pls contact
: 09-4200-94493.
FOR THE STUDENTS
form Int'l schools such
as Horion, ILBC, YIS,
ISY, MIS, MISY, Total,
Home tutions for primary
and secondary classes.
Pls contact : 09-4200-
84493.
SAYA SAW AUNG
(Ex.A.P) Chemistry
classes for Int'l school
(sec-levels), IGCSE
Cambridge int'l AS & A
Level & SAT-2. Ph: 09-
500-5470.
IN YOUR Matriculation
exam, you know all the
problems because you
have practised them,
like, thirty times & you
gain high marks in your
exam. J ust do all the
problems & sums & you
fnd diffculties, I'll help
you with that. Hlaing
Min Tun : BE (Naval
Architecture) (Myanmar
Maritime University) 23
years old. Ph: 09-4210-
20496.
M A T H E M A T I C S ,
Teaching --- Students
(Grade 1 to 9 from
YIS, ISM, ISY, Yangon
Academy, MIS &
MISY) who are weak
in Mathsand dont
know how to solve
the problems, during
holidays in J une & J uly.
Guide --- onlyMaths
for IGCSE O Level
students who will sit
for the exam in 2015.
DawNaingNaingAung,
B.Com (Q) No. (6),
Thuketa St, Baukhtaw,
Yankin. Ph : 544594 ,
09-5004993.
IELTS (Basic, 7.5 &
above IGCSE (Physics,
Chemistry, English);
Business English &
Business Management
Course (100 hours);
Teacher Solomon,
Song language school,
365,3rd Flr, Cor of Maha
Bandoola Rd & Seikkan
Thar St. Kyauktada, Ph:
09-541-7781
HOME Tuition & Guide:
For Pre-KG, Primary
and Secondary Level.
Specialized in Maths &
Biology, Tr. Daw Khin
Swe Win (B.E.H.S
Thuwunna) Rtd. Ph: 09-
730-99679.
IGCSE (all subjects) For
IGCSE students sitting in
May 2014 (or) Oct/Nov
2014 (or) J an 2015, an
international school
graduate who passed
with all distinctions in
GCE O level and who has
been producing students
with highest possible
marks, some obtain
all distinctions with the
help of co-teacher. The
teachers have 12 years
of teaching experience
& the students can
successfully sit for the
exam after preparing
with us. Ph: 09-513-
9298, 09-732-55281
Expert Services
TRAINED House
Maids Services : We
provide experienced
stay-in housemaids to
do washing, ironing,
cleaning, taking care of
infants, old-people etc..
Interested please call :
09-315-75765.
LYNN Home Medical
Service : 09-32121352.
HOUSEMAID services:
If you have no time to
clean up your roomand
start feeling like you
badly needs a good
housemaid for you, just
call 'Cinderella'. Ph:
09 730 86 880 or you
also can check us on >
fb.com/cinderellamaids
GOLDEN LAND Real
Estate : For sale, buy
& rent, Pls contact to
Ph: 3940532, 09-730-
08848, 3920853
USA to Yangon Online
Shop : If you want to buy
Handbag, Clothes, Make-
up, Perfume, Phone
& iPad, Electronics,
Vitamins, Car parts,
Starbucks coffee bean,
whatever fromUSA, we
are ready to assist you.
You can visitour Facebook
Page for Great Sales
Events, status update for
your choice. Single party
or other Online shopping
services are warmly
welcome to contact us.
We will arrange for you
with special service
charges. There are 2
deliveries in every month.
We can provide original
invoice from USA. Pls
call 09-2505- 34703 for
more detail.
For Rent
CAR : suzuki splash
(blue), year : 2012,
mileage : 25,000 km,
excellent condition.
fee: $300~400 / month,
no driver, only car.
I am real owner, pls
contact directly.ryankim
aceyangon79@gmail.
comPh: 09-4313-2872
For Sale
APPLE Mac book pro.
13" I-7. 2.8ghz. 4Gb.
500 gb Fastest laptop. 6
months old. With did and
all software. Bought it for
travel. Used it once. No
longer needed. $1000.
Call:09-2502-79812.
DO YOU want to start
your own business with
less capital? Here is
your chance to start. We
have blowing machines,
injection machines &
compressors in running
condition for sale. We will
support the technical &
also give our customers
to smooth in setting
up. Low investment,
High proft, Return back
with one year! Order
Guarntee! Interested?
J ust contact : 09-4319-
8452.
CAR : Mitsubishi
Galant(saloon), 2000
Model (Gray colour).
Price : negotiable,
Interested person may
contact U Htin Lin - Tel:
(01)652-343, 652-344.
CAMERA, From
Singapore : used DSLR
Canon 450D with (18-55)
mmlens (9/10) & 550D
with (18-55) mm lens
(10), 600D with (18-55)
mm lens (9/10), DSLR
Nikon D 5000 (18-55)
mmlens (9.5/10) Ph:09-
512-8713
COLD STORAGE, 100
M/T capacity situated at
Hlaing Thar Yar Industrial
area at reasonable rate.
Aye Chan Win Co., Ltd.
No.85, Hlay Thinn Ah
Twin Wun U Chain Rd,
Zone (2) Hlaing Thar Yar,
Yangon, Myanmar. Tel:
95-1-704539, 682011,
663569, Fax: 95-1-
682011, 685846, Email:
ayecho@mptmail.net.
mm, Pls contact: 682011,
685846, 09-500-8845,
09-500-8843.
APPLE new Macbook Air
13" (2014 latest model)
$1099; Ipad Air: 500000
Kyats; Ipad mini 260000
Kyats; Samsung Note3:
550000Kyats; Samsung
Notes 8.0: 260000Kyats;
Samsung Note 10.1
(2014): 460000Kyats,
Samsung Tab3 7":
150000 Kyats. All Brand
New. Call :09-532-2747
CAR : Mecedes Benz
S350, 2006 Model (Black
colour) Interested person
may contact Ms.Thazin,
Tel: 01-664-372
TOYOTA BELTA (grey)
year : 2011.Dec, mileage
: 22,000 km, excellent
condition. fee : $500 /
month, no driver, only
car. I amreal owner, pls
contact directly. ryankim
aceyangon79@gmail.
com. Ph: 09-4313-2872
TOYOTA PRADO, 2006
Model/ White Colour
Left Hand Drive /4Doors
Very Good Driving
Condition (No Accident)
Only serious buyer can
contact. Ph : 09-515-0751
Language
WANT TO LEARN
Myanmar Laguage? 2
Months cost. Contact :
Ms May : 09-4921-4276.
WE CAN TEACH Korea
language for EPS-
TOPIK. Ph: 09-4210-
06072, 09-2505-65793.
ARE YOU a foreigner? Do
you want to read, speak
and listen in Myanmar
language? Contact us:
09-513-9298
FOR FOREIGNERS -
We do teach Myanmar
language 4 skills by
(Teacher Tun). Available
home tution or group
class. Basic - 3 Months,
Intermediate - 3 Months,
Advanced - 3 Months.
English Language : For
adults & young learners,
We do teach 4 skills face
to face or gruop teaching.
Available home tution
or group class. Contact
us: 09-4211-47821, 01-
243420.
CHINESE (Mandarin)
teacher here in Yangon,
Myanmar. I have over
6 years teaching in
Singapore. Pls do not
hesitate to contact me
for an evaluation. Im
a professional teacher
who will help you improve
your speaking, reading
and writing skills. I use
Singaporean text books
and Chinese speaking/
conversation books
for teaching speaking,
reading and writing in
Mandarin. Imavailable
Monday-Saturday with
a fexible schedule. I
also teach Myanmar
language & Text books
to Foreigner. If I dont
answer please send
me a sms and I will get
back to you as soon
as possible. May : 095
9-516-2988.
LANGUAGE Profciency
:Effective & Scientifc
way. Tutor, Translator,
Interperter (Such
languages : Hindi,
Sanskrit, Bengali, Nepali,
English & Myanmar)
R.S.Verma.B.Sc.,(Bot),
Yangon. (UFL-English),
Yangon. Email:rsverma.
myanmar@gmail.com.
Ph: 09-73042604.
MYANMAR, English,
Chinese, J apanese. For
foreigners - We do teach
Myanmar language
4 skills by (Teacher
Tun). Basic - 3 Months.
Intermediate - 3 Months.
Advanced - 3 Months.
English language - For
adults & young learners.
We do teach 4 skills face
to face group teaching.
Available home tuition
or group class. Chinese
language - For all grades
& classes. (Taiwan
Teacher Mr. Lin) teach 4
skills to be native speaker.
Intend to go abroad to
study or work students
can contact us. Basic - 3
Months, Intermediate - 4
Months, Advanced - 6
Months, Super advanced
- 6 Months. We do service.
J apanese language - For
all students who want to
go to J APAN for Work
or study. We do teach 4
skills & practice very well.
Contact us - 09-4211-
47821, 01-243420.
ENGLISH for any age. I
have a bachelor's degree
in elementary education
with a concentration in
English as a Second
Language from the
USA and also have
experience teaching
adults English as well.
If you want to improve
your English skills for any
variety of purposes email
me and we will arrange
a meeting. During the
frst meeting we will
discuss your goals and
objectives for learning
English and develop
a curriculum custom-
tailored to your goals.
J ustin: jhemming@
nmsi.org
GERMAN native teacher
available for private
individual courses or
small groups. All levels
possible. House calls
on request. Call 09-
421012160 for more
information!
ENGLISH & FRENCH
courses by experienced
language trainer.
Special courses
for tourism industry
available (guides, hotel
and restaurant staff,
management level
possible). Contact 09-
421012160 for details!
Public Notices
WE ARE pleased
to inform you that
Delegation of the
European Union will
move to its new offce
premises, effective as
of Monday 31 March
2014. The new address
and contact information
of the Delegation of the
EU are as follows: EU
Delegation Myanmar,
Hledan Centre - Corner
of Pyay Rd & Hledan
Rd, 6th Flr, Kamayut,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Phone: +95 (1)
2305650. Fax: +95
(1) 230 56 51. In the
context of its move, the
EU Delegation will be
closed on Thursday 27
March (public holiday)
and on Friday 28 March
2014. Last but not least,
we would like to request
to receive all the future/
pending invoices with
our NEW address as
well.
Training
WEB Development &
Design Training Sat &
Sun - 5:00 ~ 7:00pm.
Contact: 09-4211-
44937
Travel
A VISIT to Mrauk-U,
a land of marvelous
historical & divine
religious monuments
would be incomplete
without staying at
the simple yet stylish
Nawarat Hotel. Enjoy
our Complimentary
breakfast, hot & cold
shower, satellite TV, mini-
bar & free WIFI. Yangon
Offce: 26, 43rd St,
Botataung, Yangon. Ph :
(+95) 1-202540, 298943,
Fax : 202587. Email :
mraukoonawarathotel@
gmail.com
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e_ aae e_.
_ e__ae_e .
._ e.e_.e
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_ eee.. e
e.ee._ No.
165/167, 35
th
Street,
(Middle), Kyauktada
Township, Yangon.
Tel: 20 40 20, 24 52 30,
09 50-30177, facebook.
com/ DPSMyanmar
Employment
FREE THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 16 - 22, 2014
UN Positions
THE UNITED Nations
World Food Programme,
is seeking (1).Fi el d
Monitor Assistant SC-4
Rathedaung duty station
(under supervision of
Sittwe Sub-offce) (2).
Field Monitor Assistant
SC-3 Rathedaung
duty station (under
supervision of Sittwe
Sub-offce) For more
information, please visit
to http://www.themimu.
info/jobs-for-myanmar-
nationals. Pls Email the
applications with UN
P-11 to wfpmyanmar.
vacancy@wf p. org
<mailto: wfpmyanmar.
vacancy@wfp.org>
COB 18 J une 2014.
Ingo Positions
COMMUNITY Partners
Int'l (CPI) is seeking
Program Manager
(Infectious Disease) in
Yangon : Can travel,
1 year (Extendable),
University degree
in Health or Public
health related. (MPH
preferred), 5 years
experience in health
projects/similar position
in an int'l organization.
Demonstrated skills in
health worker training,
planning, monitoring
& evaluation. Proven
experiences & strong
knowledge on malaria
project. Communicable
written & spoken English.
Proven good report
writing skills. Highly
organized & able to work
to deadlines.Flexibility
to allow for travel (up
to 50% of work time),
variable working hours
& some modifcations of
tasks & responsibilities
as team and project
needs change before
the closing date of 26th
J une 2014. 270,5(B),
Pyay Rd, Yangon.
Ph:01-504165. Email:
hr.ygn@cpintl.org
MYANMAR RED
Cross Society is
seeking (1) Assistant
Dissemination Offcer
- 1 post in Nay Pyi Taw
: University degree &
Diploma related to the
position. Experience in
the social and/or NGO
environment. Good
Computer literacy. (2)
Assistant Manager (IT) -
1 post in Nay Pyi Taw: BE
(IT) or B.C.Sc or IADCS.
MCSE, CCNA and IT
Diploma. Experience in
SQL server database
& web development.
5 years experience in
IT feld. (3)Finance &
Admin Offcer - 1 post in
Mindat: B.Com(or) B.Act
(or) DA (or) LCCI Level
III Group Diploma. 2
years experience. (4)HR
Offcer - 1 post in Nay Pyi
Taw - Yangon (Yangon
75%): University Degree.
3 years experience.
Effective communication
of English and Myanmar
especially in translating,
including written, spoken
& typing. Well developed
computer skills (English
& Myanmar). (5)
External Consultant for
End Line Survey 1 post in
Nay Pyi Taw: University
degree preferably in
public health and/or
communication. Good
knowledge of community
based health and First-
Aid (CBHFA) topics and
familiarity with CBHFA
materials available in
Myanmar. Computer
skills, including high level.
Pls send application
letter, CV & related
documents to Myanmar
Red Cross Society Head
Office Yazathingaha
Rd, Dekkhinathiri,
Nay Pyi Taw. Or
mrcshrrecruitment@
gmail.com, Closing date:
23-6-2014.
I N T E R N A T I O N A L
Rescue Committee is
seeking (1) Deputy
Health Coordinator 1
post in Yangon: M.B.,
B.S or MD or RN, with
post graduate degree
in Public Health or a
related feld. 3 ~ 5 years
experience in setting up
and managing complex
M&E system of health
programs. Ability to
travel. (2)Project
Manager (MCH) - 3
posts in Kayah State:
M.B., B.S/ B.CommH
or other degree related
to health disciplines.
3 years experience.
Skilled in Microsoft
offce package. Good
command of English
and Myanmar. (3)
Seni or Fi el d Heal th
Offcer - 5 posts in
Kayah State : M.B.,
B.S, B.CommH, BNSc,
Diploma in Midwifery
or other health related
disciplines. 3 years
experience. Ability to
communicate in English.
(4)Health Co ordinator
(MCH) 1 post in Loikaw,
Kayah State : M.B.,
B.S or MD or RN, with
post graduate degree
in Public Health or a
related feld. 5 ~ 7 years
of experience. Pls submit
a Cover letter & CV to HR
Department to by e-mail
at: MaiMyaMyintZu.
Tin@rescue.org or
by delivery to : 33/A,
Natmauk Lane Thwe
(1), Bocho (2) Quarter,
Bahan, Yangon. Closing
date : 20 J une, 2014.
MYANMAR Red Cross
Society is seeking (1)
WASH Engi neer 1
post in MRCS Head
Quarter based in Nay
Pyi Taw & frequently
travel to programareas:
University Degree in
one of the following
areas: Civil Engineering,
Geology, Hydrology, or
related felds. 2 years
of experience. Effective
English language skills
(Intermediate level).
Effective Computer
knowledge with Auto
CAD (2d). Closing
date: 19-6-2014. (2)
- 1 post in Kachin State:
University degree and
Diploma related to the
position. Experience
in working within the
social and/or NGO
environment. Good
Computer literacy.
Should flexible for
travelling to Nay Pyi Taw,
Yangon and within local
area. (3)Field Assistant
- 1 post in Mai Kai Tsp:
High school level. 1 year
experience at INGOs/
NGOs & MRCS activities.
Good knowledge of
English is & asset. Red
Cross volunteers are
preferable. Pls send
application letter, CV
& related documents
to Myanmar Red
Cross Society Head
Offce, Yazathingaha
Rd, Dekkhinathiri,
Nay Pyi Taw. Or
mrcshrrecruitment@
gmail.comClosing date
: for 2 & 3 : 22-6-2014.
(1)HR OFFICER 1 post
(2)Assistant Manager
(IT) 1 post (3)Assistant
1 post (4)Finance &
Admin Offcer 1 post. (5)
External Consultant for
End Line Survey 1 post
(6)Communication &
Reporting Offcer -
1 post. (7)Program
Support Offcer - 1 post
(8) Field Assistant -1
post (9) Dissemination
Offcer - 1 post. Pls
send application letter,
CV & related documents
to Myanmar Red
Cross Society (Head
Office) Yazatingaha
Rd, Dekkhinathiri,
Nay Pyi Taw.
Ormrcshrrecruitment@
gmail.com. www.
myanmarredcros s
society.org. Pls mention
Position Titlein subject
if you apply.
(1)WASH Engineer - 1
post (2)EOC Offcer
- 1 post (3)Project
Offcer - 1 post (4)Field
Assistant - 1 post. Pls
send application letter,
CV & related documents
to Myanmar Red
Cross Society (Head
Office) Yazatingaha
Rd, Dekkhinathiri, Nay
Pyi Taw. Ormrcshr
recruitment@gmail.
com, pls visit to www.
myanmarredcros s
society.org Pls mention
Position Titlein subject
if you apply.
Local Positions
PACT GLOBAL
Microfnance Fund is
seeking (4) Internal
Auditors (J unior) for 4
Townships in Delta Zone.
Bachelor of Commerce
or any graduate
with LCCI (Level III-
Accounting). Minimun 2
years work experience
in accounting and audit
feld. Age under 30
years. Able to speak/
write English. Excellent
skill in MS Word/Excel.
Project Accountants
(PGMF) with 2 years
of service can apply.
Closing date: J une 20,
2014. Pls submit the
application to PGMF:
497, 1st fr, Tower B.
Diamond Condo, Pyay
Rd, Ward 8, Kamaryut
Tsp with CV and a
recent passport photo.
Ph: 01-501373, 501383.
Email: mthandarthinn@
pactworld.org
AMARA GROUP Co.,
Ltd is currently looking
for (1)General Manager
1 Post (Ngapali) (2)
Finance Manager
1 Post (Yangon) (3)
F & B Manager - 1
Post (Ngapali) (4)
FO Manager - 1 Post
(Ngapali) (4)Sal es &
Marketing Manager 1
Post (Yangon) (5) Sales
executive - 2 Posts
(Yangon), (6) Purchaser
- 1 Post (Yangon), (7)
Spa Manager - 1 Post
(Ngapali)(8)Per sonal
Manager - 1 Post
(Ngapali) (9)Guest
Relation Offcer - 1
Post (Ngapali) (10)
Chef De Parties 1 Post
(Mandalay)(11) Commis
II 1 Post (Mandalay). Be
part of a young dynamic
team & contribute to
the hotels success
with your expertise and
experience. Therefore
we offer an interesting
work environment,
accommodation & an
attractive package.
We look forward
receiving CV in
English. Contact:hrm@
amaragroupmyanmar.
com, Ph: 95-9 4252-
74608
COMMUNITY Partners
International is seeking
Senior Finance
Coordi nator, Based
in Mae Sot, Thailand,
with frequent travel to
Yangon: Bachelor's
degree in Accounting,
Finance, Commerce.
ACCA, CPA or CIMA
qualifcation is preferred.
3 years experience
in related position.
Fluency in English and
Burmese. Advanced
knowledge of Excel, as
well as understanding
of word-processing, and
power point. Pls submit
a cover letter. To do so,
click on the "Add Cover
Letter" button once you
have submitted the
application. Applicants
without a cover letter
will not be considered.
To apply, click on the
link below. http://www.
cpintl.org/jobs-and-
fellowship-in-Burma-
Myanmar - heal th-
education-community-
development, Closing
Date:20
th
J une 2014.
PRIME ENERGY
Partners is the industrial
operations armof Prime
Partners Group, a
corporate fnance & asset
management company
based in Singapore is
seeking an experienced
project manager to
work with us in our grid
optimization project
in Yangon, Myanmar.
Senior Project
Manager (Electrical
Power & Engineering)
1 Post:Senior project
manager with over 10
years experience in
managing and leading
engineering projects
in a medium and high
voltage environment.
Experience in leading
teams (10+ persons)
at a national utility or
major engineering frm
focused on electrical
transmission & distri
bution and/or power
generation. Capable of
trouble shooting with a
proven track record of
successfully delivering
projects in a demanding
& changing environment
across multiple locations.
Degree in Engineering
Electrical, Mechanical,
Applied Sciences.
Solid understanding of
SCADA and background
in protection. Knowledge
of solar, hydro, and
power generation, and
an interest in renewable
energy would be a
benefit. Excellent
communication skills
including the ability to
present at all levels
of the organization
(written & spoken in
English). Knowledge
and application of good
project management
standards (such as
PMBOK or PRINCE2)
We offer an attractive
working environment
and an executive salary
package commensurate
with experience & skills.
Pls send a current CV
with a recent photograph,
copies of certifcates,
recommendati ons,
examples of prior work
& other references no
later than 10 December
2013. Ms. Su Wai
Thant suwaithant@
penergypartners.com)
Ph: +959 421036749,
+95 9 31454084
CHATRIUM HOTEL
Royal Lake Yangon
Leading Five Star Hotel
in Yangon, Myanmar
with its headquarter in
Bangkok, is now seeking
(1).Japanese Sal es
Manager - M/F 1 Post
(2).Japanese Sal es
Executive - M/F 1 Post
(3).Host ess i n
Japanese Restaurant
- F 1 Post. Interested
candidates should apply
with full CV/Resume
indicating position of
interest, qualifcations,
educational background,
employment records and
recent photo not later
than 23.6.2014. Only
short-listed candidates
will be notifed by phone
for interview. Email: hr.
chry@chatrium.comPh:
01-544500, 01-544500
HR Dept. ChatriumHotel
Royal Lake Yangon : 40,
Natmauk Rd, Tamwe
Tsp. Yangon.
THIRI COSMETIC
Co., Ltd. is seeking
(1)Manager - F (2)
Programmer - M/F (3)
Sales Executive (Whole
sale) - M (4)Juni or
Marketing Planner - F
(5)Marketing Staff - F
(6)Driver (Delivery) - M
(7)Asst: Accoun tant
- F (8)Asst: Auditor -
F (9)Junior Graphic
Desi gner - F (10)
Cashier - F (11)Asst:
Store Keeper - M (12)
Showroom Incharge-
F. Please contact to
09-731-54474 ext -104,
09-731-26761 ext-104,
09-4309-8630.
HORIZON Int'l School
is looking for (1).
Assistant Teacher
- F 4 posts : For (Po
Sein, Shwehinthar, Shu
kinnthar) Kindergarten,
Age between 22 to 30,
University graduate,
Good command of
English, Basic computer
skills, Comfortable
working with young
learners, Able to devote
oneself to teaching,
Friendly, enthusiastic
and patient. (2).Nurse
(Shwehinthar KG) - F 1
post : University graduate,
Profcient in English,
2 years experience,
Friendly, enthusiastic
& fexible, Pleasant &
helpful personality. All
candidates should be
good in communication
& interpersonal skills.
Pls bring CV along with a
copy of your credentials
to 5A, Po Sein Rd,
Bahan, Yangon. Closing
date : J une 20, 2014.
(8:00amto 4:00pm)
URGENTLY Need (1).
Senior Receptions
2 Posts : Salary Rate
($ 200) (2).Sous
Chef 2 Posts : Salary
Rate ($300) Email:
warkhaung1997@
gmail.comPh: 09- 4207-
08515, 09-4927-8053.
WE are seeking (1)
General Manager (HR) 1
Post : (USD 800 ~1500)
(2)(Operation - Power
Industry) 3 Posts : (USD
500 ~1200) (3)Project
Sal es Manager - 2
Posts : (USD500 ~1000)
(Location - Naypyitaw,
Myanmar or Frequently
travel to Naypyitaw)
(4) Manager (Planning
& Controlling) 2 Posts:
(USD 500 ~ 1000) (5)
Chief Auditor - 1 Post:
(USD700 ~ 1000) (6)
Commercial Manager
1 Post : (USD 700 - 1200)
Pls send CV & a cover
letter, including salary
expectations, to Email-
thelondoner007@gmail.
com. All successful
candidates can expect
a very competitive remu
neration package & a
comprehensive range of
benefts. Closing date :
17th J une, 2014.
SECRETARY - Female
1 Post : Must be a
computer literate,
good at spoken/written
English with 3 years
experience. Please send
CV with recent photo to
email:tztztz78@gmail.
com
( 1 ) P E R S O N A L
secretary - M/ F 2 posts :
Excellent in Speaking &
written English. Good
knowledge of int'l hu
manitarian organization.
Age between 25 to 35
years . (2)Japan (or)
Korean, (Excellent 4
skills) - M/F 2 posts : Age
between 25 to 35 years.
For 1 & 2 : Interesting real
estate. (3)Computer
- M/F 3 posts : (Word,
Excel, Photoshop, power
point) Age between 20 to
35 years. Address :16, U
Aung Myat St, near Thein
Phyu car driving range.
Mingalar Taunyunt, Ph:
09- 4921-4276, 09-4211-
77 105.
NS Bluescope Pte Ltd
manufactures pre
mium, high quality &
technologically advanc
ed coated steel, building
components and building
systems through a
network of manufacturing
facilities in Asia.Myanmar
Branch Offce is looking
for (1) Marketing & Com
munications Manager :
Primary responsibility is to
develop and implement
marketing strategies &
communication plans
for NS Bluescope in
Myanmar. Develop
& execute marketing
strategy & brand building
development plan
Develop, initiate &execute
strategic & tactical market
commu nication activities.
Develop and deliver
marketing materials for
local market. Provide
primary corporate
communications with
major customers,
stakeholders, industry
bodies & media in
Myanmar. The ideal
candidate : Bachelors
degree in Marketing/
Communication or
Architecture, Engineer ing
or Construction related
technical course. 5 years
relevant experience in
building materials,
construction and/or steel
industry Competency
& experience in busi
ness development,
customer service,
event management,
& development of
c o mmuni c a t i o ns
materials. Supervisory/
Management skills. Good
computer literacy. Good
command of English &
Myanmar. (2) Technical
Support Engineers :
Provides technical support
to customers, project
owners, architects &
engineers. This position is
a key link to communicate,
coordi nate & provide
feedback between
customers and industry
professionals & NSBS.
The ideal candidate:
Bachelor Degree in
Engineering, Architecture
or Science. 2 ~3 year
experience in building
materials, construction
and/or steel industry.
Experience with product
technical specifcation &
customer service. Good
computer literacy. Good
command in English and
Myanmar. Applications
with CV, covering
letter, copy of Identity,
other qualifcations and
documents should be
sent in by email to khin.
thu@bluescopesteel.
com or in person. 301,
Pyay Rd, Diamond Condo
A, Kamayut, Yangon. Ph:
01-1221343, 09-4480-
18719, 01-2306223.
www.bluescopesteel.
com.
LOOKING for a Violin
Teacher. Ph: 09- 2540-
08146, 01-572177.
FOOD & BEVERAGE Co.,
looking for HR & Admin
Manager : 3 years relevant
working experiences,
preferably in the F&B
industry. Degree/Diploma
in human resources
management, Good
command of spoken &
written English. Oversee
the day to day admin
& operational matters.
Must have good people
management skills. Must
be able to motivate the
staff and conduct training
programs. Interested
candidates, please state
your expected salary and
email resume to : naychi-
mgt@myanmar.com.mm
ADVERTISING Agency,
looking for an aggressive
and outgoing Female
Marketing Services
Executive : 2 years sales
or marketing experiences.
Good command in spoken
& written English. Respon
sible for marketing the
companys services.
Must be able to organize
and manage events
independently. Must be
able to maintain excellent
customer services to key
client contacts. Interested
candidates, please state
expected salary and email
resume to naychi-mgt@
myanmar.com.mm
"EXPATRIATE family
seeks housekeeper/
cook. Must speak
English, accommodation
provided. Excellent salary
and benefts. Please call
(0)1-504-776 between
the hours of 10 to 12."
UNIEXCEL LTD.
(International trading
frm) is seeking for
Marketing Assistant -M/
F, Single, any graduate,
having experience of
2-3 years in marketing,
good communication in
English and Burmese.
Interested candidates
contact:- jogeshwar.
maini@uniexcelgroup.
com.tw; Mobile: 09-255-
723375, Ph: 01-371374.
SALES ENGINEERS
wanted (1)M & E - M 1
post (2)Civil - M 1 post
(3)AutoCAD - M 1 post.
Must fuent in English,
Driving license for 1
& 2. Minimum 2 years
experience. Good salary.
Call : 09-4210-29415.
GOLDEN SPIRIT Co., Ltd
(Alco/ Bev) is seeking
(1) Brand Manager -
Any graduate, 2 years
experience in liquor feld.
Good in English. Able to
travel in anywhere. (2)
Sales Manager - M/F :
Any graduate, 2 years
Able to travel in anywhere.
(3) Sales supervisor -
Any graduate, More than
2 years experience in
liquor feld. (4) Marketing
Manager - M/F : Any
graduate, More than
2 years experience
in liquor feld. Good
communication skills. (5)
Marketing Supervisor
- M/F : Any graduate,
More than 2 years
(6)H.R Supervisor - M/F
: Any graduate diploma
or certifcate in H.R or
Business administration
is preferred. Or experienc
ed in liquor feld (H.R).
2 years experiences.
Good in English.
Computer knowledge.
(7)Accountant - M/F
: B.Com or LCCI Level
(III) certifcate. 2 years &
above experience. Able to
do summary of monthly
expenditure. Able to
do stock controlling
& auditing. Excellent
skill in computer. (8)
Merchandiser - Age 18 ~
25 years. (9) Promotion
Girls' Leaders (PG
leaders). Pls send
detailed up date CV
with 1 recent passport
photo, with necessary
documents : clearance
recommendation letter
by authorized person of
previous organization to
S-19/02, Byo Phyu Rd,
Aung Stadium (North),
Mingalar Taung Nyunt.
Closing date : 2
nd
week
of J une 2014.
E X P E R I E N C E D
domestic helper
available. Know how to
cook, ironing, washing,
cleaning. etc. Tel: 09-
3157-5765.
PARKWAY Cancer
Centre is seeking(1)
Medical Doctor- F 1
post : M.B.B.S Graduate
with SA MA registration,
2 years experience
in medical feld, (2)
Accountant - F 1 post :
A degree fromuniversity
preferably accounting &
marketing background.
LCCI level 3, Age above
35, For all posts: Good
communication in English,
2 years experience, Able
to use computer, internet
and Microsoft application
with excellent skills. We
welcome the candidates
who are trust worthy, self-
motivated & outstanding,
willing to learn and able to
focus on work, be polite
& hospitality, able to
communicate in courteous
manners and must
have positive working
attitude. Pls submit CV
with recent photocopy
of relevant certifcates
& documents, describe
working experience from
graduation till present
and expected salary. Ps
submit CV with relevant
certifcates, documents,
recommendation letter
attach and documents, &
expected salary. Park way
Cancer Centre RmG-07,
G Flr, Diamond Center,
Pyay Rd, Kamayut. Tel :
532- 438, 532-447, 09-
513- 6584
66 Sport THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 16 - 22, 2014
THE fashion stakes will be high in Brazil
for the next four weeks and its not just
the players wives and girlfriends who
will be setting the pace at the World Cup
nals.
As the hosts lined up against Croatia
in the opening match on June 12 in Sao
Paulo it also signalled the kick-of of a
erce brands war which has been gain-
ing momentum in recent years.
The strips worn in the rst World
Cup in 1930 when players in Uruguay
wore simple jerseys and shorts made of
natural bres seem from another world.
Its now a multi-billion dollar global
industry, using the most sophisticated
technology and bres with light-weight
compression jerseys aimed at helping
players muscle recovery.
The 32 kit deals are worth a com-
bined US$375 million a year with
France having the most lucrative a
$60.5 million a year sponsorship con-
tract with Nike as Englands deal with
the American group is worth an annual
$42 million.
Germany have the third-biggest deal
with Adidas, ahead of Brazil, reigning
world and European champions Spain,
Italy and Russia.
The amount of the sponsorship deal
relates to a nations ability to sell shirts
across the demographic spectrum, with
the kit not just a uniform but something
that encapsulates style, tradition and
national pride.
France coach Didier Deschamps won
the World Cup as captain at home in
1998 and admits the passion of repre-
senting your country is hard to match.
Its an enormous pride ... its history,
said Deschamps.
Its a lucrative business too.
Once the action gets under way
fans will be rushing to wear their
teams jersey, and the longer they stay
in the tournament the better for the
brands with an estimated 10 million
replica shirts set to be sold for the -
nalists.
Nike, Adidas and Puma are the three
main kit suppliers in Brazil with little
known Burrda, Uhlsport, Joma, Mara-
thon and Lotto also present.
Nike have 10 teams, one more than
Adidas, while Puma have eight includ-
ing Italy and a quartet of African teams
Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana and Ivory
Coast.
Despite the controversy over the
high price of the England kit at 90
[$150], Nike football creative director
Martin Lotti believes the retail price is
not prohibitive.
Over the years we have always done
two kits, said Lotti.
We have the on-pitch version which
the athletes are wearing which only rep-
resents 1 percent of our line [90 kits]
so it gives the fans the chance to wear
exactly what the players wear on the
pitch if they want to buy it.
Then the vast majority is actually
the 60 [$100] version which will be for
mass market.
But dont expect the colourful en-
sembles of the past in Brazil.
FIFA regulations state that each
team will have two diferent and con-
trasting colours one predominantly
dark and one light for its ofcial and re-
serve kit designed to help the referee
clarify tackles and deections.
And while the sports governing body
didnt ask teams to wear one colour
some of the suppliers followed the rule
closely.
Some kits remain instantly
recognisable.
Hosts Brazil have been wearing their
iconic yellow and green shirts with blue
shorts since losing the 1950 World Cup
nals at home. They went on to win
their rst title in 1958 with the new kit.
Argentina have been wearing white
and light blue stripes as their home kit
for nearly a century, while Englands
white strip has evolved over the past 60
years.
Germanys kit for Brazil with a de-
scending red chevron echoes the one
worn during their success at the 1990
World Cup.
With a dark red design and golden
Adidas stripes, the Russian jersey harks
to the days of the race for space with
Lets Go printed, words used by Yuri
Gagarin when he became the rst man
in space in 1961.
Puma continue their tradition of
making striking designs for Cameroon
and this year The Indomitable Lions
have tribal cave painting detailing and
a roaring lion badge on their green shirt
with yellow trimming.
The World Cup is a fantastic win-
dow, said Pumas marketing director
Trulsson.
Puma is counting on their Tricks
boot one bright pink, the other blue
will become the rage among fans af-
ter being worn by stars including Italys
Mario Balotelli and Spains Cesc Fabre-
gas. AFP
IN PICTURES
Pick em:
Peruvian
shamans
perform a ritual
of predictions for
the FIFA World
Cup Brazil 2014
in front of the
National Stadium
of Peru in Lima
on June 10. Photo:
AFP
PARIS
Kit suppliers look for
big biz at World Cup
A vendor sells Brazil jerseys in Sao Paulo. Photo: AFP
FIFA president Sepp Blatter gestures during a press conference closing the
64
th
FIFA congress on June 11 in Sao Paulo. Photo: AFP
S
EPP Blatter is ready to
seek a new term as FIFAs
president, he announced
on June 11, ignoring calls
from top European of-
cials to stand down as controversy
engulfs footballs governing body.
Im ready to accompany you in
the future, the 78-year-old Blatter
told the FIFA congress in Sao Paulo
on the eve of the World Cup.
The FIFA leader was helped by
a congress vote not to consider age-
and term-limits for ofcials. He later
denied having any designs on a life-
time presidency.
Isolated boos could be heard
among the applause as Blatter said
that conditions were good for him
to seek a fth term next year. But he
has a strong chance of victory in the
election to be held at the FIFA con-
gress in Zurich in May next year.
My mandate will nish next year
... but my mission is not nished, he
said in his closing address. Together
we will build the new FIFA, together
we have the foundations to do things.
Blatter has dropped heavy hints
in past months that he will be a can-
didate again, even though he said
when he won in 2011 that it would
be his last term.
Despite stopping short of for-
mally announcing his candidacy, his
comments are likely to vex European
delegates who last week called for
him to stand down next year.
Blatter has long been a controver-
sial gure, and FIFA, which oversees
a multi-billion dollar industry, has
never been far from scandal.
Just prior to the World Cup, Brit-
ains Sunday Times published a se-
ries of reports alleging that millions
of dollars in bribes were paid to help
Qatar secure the 2022 edition.
Blatter succeeded scandal-
plagued Brazilian Joao Havelange in
1998. Under his stewardship, foot-
balls revenues have mushroomed,
with huge amounts from television
rights and sponsorship.
But it has also attracted scandal,
the latest of which is led by media re-
ports that Qatars Mohamed bin Ham-
mam paid more than US$5 million
in bribes to win support for the Gulf
states 2022 World Cup bid.
Qatar has denied any wrongdo-
ing, and Blatter has said the corrup-
tion allegations are racist.
In rare public comment on the
issue, former FIFA executive com-
mittee Junji Ogura from Japan said
most senior gures want the truth
unearthed and welcome the spot-
light on the scandal-hit organisation.
There are a lot of people in the
executive committee who feel that
way, and its why things are being
investigated, he told Kyodo News in
Sao Paulo.
If its made clear what is al-
lowed and what isnt allowed, then
people will stop doing these things.
Everything ought to come to light
in black and white, said Ogura, who
was on FIFAs top committee from
2002 to 2011.
The colourful Blatter lived up to
his eccentric image when he danced
on stage at the congress and even
suggested an inter-planetary version
of the World Cup.
He was given a standing ovation
by African and Asian confederations
when he went to their meetings in
Sao Paulo last week.
The Swiss enjoys strong support
among those blocs, which owing to
their size constitute a powerful vot-
ing force within FIFA.
But he had a poor reception when
he went to the European confedera-
tion, UEFA, where some delegates
called for him to stand down when
his term ends.
Something like this, lacking
respect like I saw and heard in the
UEFA meeting, I have not had in my
entire life, Blatter told reporters af-
ter the congress. AFP
SAO PAULO
Blatter ready for new
term as FIFA boss
Sport
T
EAR gas in the morning,
reworks in the evening.
It was a day of contrasts
in Brazil as the country
opened the World Cup with
clashes between riot police and pro-
testers in Sao Paulo, before wild street
celebrations when the selecao beat
Croatia 3-1 after coming from behind.
The reworks that exploded over
the mega-city after each goal for Brazil
made the tear gas and clashes just up
the road from Corinthians Arena seem
so much more distant.
Bars overowed with people into
the streets. Pharmacists switched their
stores televisions to the game. Fuel
station workers sat on plastic chairs,
watching a at-screen TV tied to the
back of a car.
After months of violent protests
over the US$11 billion cost of hosting
the World Cup, some who watched the
victory with 300 others in a Sao Paulo
street bedecked in yellow and green
banners voiced hope such victories
could tame the street rage.
This joy will be a contagion that
will spread to all Brazilians, Jonathan
de Jesus Silva, 21, a nursing student.
This happiness will help bring a
better climate.
Vera Lucia, 53, a bank worker wear-
ing a yellow top, said it was time for
Brazilians to rally behind the tourna-
ment.
The victory will improve the mood
a bit. Im against opportunistic pro-
tests. Now is not the time to protest
during an international event. The
problems like bad hospitals date from
before the World Cup, she said.
Others, in a packed bar in the capi-
tal Brasilia, agreed.
Despite the complaints and the
protests, the Brazilian people believe
a lot in football. Here we are, all sup-
porting the team, said Vanessa Silva, a
31-year-old banker.
Fireworks also exploded over Rio
de Janeiros Copacabana beach as
throngs watched the game on big
screens in the streets of the city.
At the famed beach itself, thirsty
fans were heaven-sent for entrepre-
neurs as thousands massed at the fan
fest there.
Were doing great business today
and we can watch the action on the big
screen so were not missing anything,
Carla De Freitas, running a makeshift
bar with husband Antonio, told AFP.
I reckon we shall take more than
2000 reais [$850] today. That com-
pares, for example, to a Saturday or
Sunday when wed normally take
home around 200. All in all, a good
days work!
Before the game, around 1000
protesters sought to revive the mo-
mentum of the million-strong dem-
onstrations that shook Brazil last year
during the Confederations Cup a
World Cup dress rehearsal shouting,
There wont be a Cup.
Later, a few dozen protesters went
around Rio taunting those watching
the game.
In the evening, a few demonstra-
tors eeing police after trying to burn
rubbish bins were hit by riot police
with truncheons.
Earlier, in Sao Paulo, clashes forced
the Brazilian team bus to change its
route to the stadium after riot police
chased a dozen protesters down a busy
avenue, ring tear gas at incoming
trafc. Cars bedecked in Brazilian ags
swerved to avoid the trouble.
Large groups of fans who had lined
the street to see their heroes left disap-
pointed.
Riot police red rubber bullets,
stun grenades and tear gas to disperse
a few dozen radical, masked protest-
ers known as the Black Bloc who were
tossing rocks and setting trash bags on
re in the street.
Between rounds of tear gas, a man
stuck his head out of his apartment
window and shouted a message cap-
turing the divide troubling Brazil on
the big kick-of, Today there will be a
Cup! AFP
SPORT EDITOR: Tim McLaughlin | timothy.mclaughlin3@gmail.com
More World Cup
coverage inside
SPORT 66
SAO PAULO
Brazils forward Neymar celebrates his second goal against Croatia during the
2014 FIFA World Cup Group A football match at the Corinthians Arena in Sao
Paulo on June 12. Photo: AFP
Tear gas and reworks
World Cup nals kick off with a bang in Brazil
Myanmar to
compete in
Asian Netball
Championships
SELECTED players have begun
training for the rst Asian Netball
Championships with hopes that they
will be able to represent Myanmar in
next years Southeast Asian Games.
Teams from Myanmar, Vietnam,
Brunei, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India,
Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, Sri
Lanka and Thailand will take part in
the tournament being held in Singa-
pore from September 7 to 14.
Two trainers from Singapore
helped to prep Myanmar players
during a four-day training in late
May.
Of the 15 athletes nominated to
represent Myanmar, 11 are basket-
ball players from the national team.
Netball is similar to basketball,
explained Daw May Thet Soe, an of-
cial from the netball team.
In 2000, coaches from Singapore
gave training to Myanmar with the
hope of competing in the 2001 SEA
Games but we didnt play netball.
Older players who had practised net-
ball at that time are now training the
newer players.
Daw May Thet Soe said that the
players will have help from foreign
trainers again in July.
Currently, we have trained play-
ers at a basic level. We hope we could
acquire experience through this pre-
liminary game. Afterwards we will
re-establish a national team to com-
pete in 28
th
SEA Games, she said.
11
Members of the Myanmar national
basketball team who will represent the
country in the sport of netball

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COM ISSUE 733 | JUNE 16 - 22, 2014

Photos: Whitney Light

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