201438749

PAGE
8
PHOTO: KAUNG HTET
NEWS 4
Amendment strips
temporary citizen rights
White card holders mostly self-
described Rohingya Muslims will be
unable to form or join political parties
as a result of changes enacted to the
Political Party Registration Law, with
voting rights expected to also disappear.
WWW.MMTIMES.COM ISSUE 749 | OCTOBER 6 - 12, 2014
1200
Ks.
HEARTBEAT OF THE NATION
Scam warnings after
low-cost housing pitch
Parliamentarians and ofcials warn promotion in local journals luring investors
with promise of apartment for just K30,000 a month too good to be true. PROPERTY 34
NEWS 3
Action plan targets
resettlement in 2015
Starting from January the government
will seek UN cooperation to resettle
those who fail to meet eligibility
criteria for citizenship, according to
Rakhine State Action Plan.
BUSINESS 24
Japan the big winner
in banking tender
All three Japanese banks in the
running for foreign licences were
among the winners announced by
the government last week. All nine
successful rms have one year to get
branches up and running.
PROPERTY 35
Price dive after new
city suspension
Speculators desert western Yangon
Region after Yangon Mayor U Hla
Myint announces controversial
30,000-acre city expansion has been
halted pending further study.
A Tatmadaw soldier from a local infantry brigade stands guard outside an unnished building
in the border town of Myawaddy, where a raid by the police and army uncovered a cache of
weapons. Government soldiers and armed ethnic groups have clashed several times over the past
week in Mon and Kayin states, although the exact cause of the ghting remains unclear.
NEWS 6
MCM founder hands
over to new CEO
Ross Dunkley, the co-founder of
Myanmar Consolidated Media
publisher of The Myanmar Times
hands over management duties to
new CEO Tony Child, as company
prepares for expansion.
2 THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 6 12, 2014
online editor Kayleigh Long |
kayleighelong@gmail.com
THE INSIDER: The local lowdown & best of the web
New Look
The New Light of Myanmar as
we know it was put to rest last
week, with its new incarnation
rising from the ashes thanks to a
joint venture between the News
and Periodicals Enterprise and
Myanmar-based Global Direct
Link Company and the help of
Japanese news agency Kyodo.
The Global New Light of
Myanmar debuted its new look
to critical acclaim, revealing a
masthead that designers are
calling daring, a display of
blatant disregard for design
convention and a deantly
raised middle nger to the
typographic establishment.
The masthead deploys four
font sizes, as well as four colours:
red, black, blue and green.
Perhaps its most divisive
design ourish is the globe that
lls the dot on the i in light,
which one Yangon-based critic
mused is genius, a playfully
literal and self-aware inclusion
and that it ies in the face
of everything we newspaper
masthead critics have come to
understand as appropriate or
good.
But not all have been as
impressed by the New Look.
It looks childish, like a school
project, said one man who
asked not to be named for fear of
reprisal.
The publication has also
upped stakes with its online
presence, with its new website
ofcially better than that of The
Myanmar Times, according to
some Myanmar Times staff.
The Beach
The case of the two British
backpackers brutally killed on
Koh Tao in Thailand seems to be
wrapping up, with two Myanmar
migrant workers apparently
having confessed to the crimes.
Last week, the Thai police had
the two men stage a bizarre and
theatrical reenactment of the
murders, with a dustpan being
used in place of the hoe that was
alleged to be one of the murder
weapons. The migrant workers
were made to wear helmets and
bullet-proof vests by the police,
for their own protection should
angry mobs seek retribution.
The Thai police seem to have
lacked some foresight in staging
the reenactment, conscripting
foreign journalists to play key
roles at the site on the beach.
Bizarrely asked to be
David Miller in Thai police
reconstruction on Koh Tao.
Refused. Sky News lady took
Hannah role, tweeted BBC
Myanmar correspondent Jonah
Fisher.
Whether or not these men
are guilty is a question thats
getting serious airtime with
the armchair detectives on the
ThaiVisa internet forum as well
as numerous island-based
Facebook groups, where the
word scapegoat is being thrown
around a lot. Allegations about
mistreatment of the migrant
workers during interrogation
seem to be coming to the surface
but more broadly this has
raised some important points
about the conditions Myanmar
workers (i.e. the backbone of the
Thai hospitality industry) face.
Whatever the case, it is
arguable that the Thai authorities
handling of the investigation may
have been less than satisfactory,
and that they probably need to get
some media relations training.
Today the case should be
nished because we want to clear
this case up as soon as possible
so that our tourism industry can
bounce back, sensitive deputy
Jaktip Chaijinda was quoted in
The Guardian as saying.
The inconvenient and negative
impact the case has had on the
islands tourism sector has led to
bizarre talk of issuing wristbands
and introducing a buddy system
which in reality will never play
out.
They might look to Myanmar
as an example and get some
Warmly welcome and please
take care of tourists signs made
up.
In brief:
Man breathes sigh of relief after
managing to fudge his way
through dinner conversation
with NGO workers despite
not knowing what any of the
acronyms they were talking about
actually stood for
5.7 million tonnes of (legal)
teak and hardwood exported
under Myanmar Timber
Enterprise during U Thein Seins
tenure; government reafrms
commitment to tackling climate
change in a meaningful fashion
Rakhine committee strategy
document makes a mockery of
the words action and plan
Next week:
Doctors urge better personal
hygiene as pinkeye outbreak
tears through the expat
community
Irrawaddy staff embarrassed
their jihadi agenda has been
exposed by hackers, admit
last 20+ years of journalism
was nothing but an incredibly
elaborate ruse
Tourist despondent after realising
he forgot to take an iPhone photo
of his meal before eating it
Mo Mo Ko
for NOW! Magazine.
Photo: Htet Aung Kyaw
(Studio HAK)
Style
Statement
Page 2
Socialist-era magazine Forward featuring Shan ethnic woman
From the Pansodan Gallery archives
Once was Burma ...
There are strong suspicions that military authorities
may be behind the threats and attacks on The Irrawaddy
CPJ Southeast Asia representative Shawn Crispin
takes the bold and unusual step of calling on President Thein Sein to launch a probe into a hunch
that nebulous military authorities are behind the Irrawaddy cyber attacks
News 3 www.mmtimes.com NEWS EDITOR: Thomas Kean | tdkean@gmail.com
Charges are an attack on
students rights, says activist
ANGRY students are threatening ac-
tion in support of a young woman who
faces a potential life sentence for alleg-
edly abducting two Chinese surveyors
working for the Letpadaung copper
mine project. The surveyors were de-
tained by local villagers protesting the
environmental efects of the mine.
The students massed around Yin-
mabin District Court, Sagaing Region,
on September 30 as Ma Phyu Hnin
Htwe, 23, was refused bail for the sec-
ond time in connection with the al-
leged ofence.
They had gathered in support of a
demand by the All Burma Federation of
Student Unions, known as Ba Ka Tha,
that the charges including two counts
of abduction for the purpose of murder,
which carry possible jail terms ranging
from 10 years to life be dropped.
Police at Salingyi also charged six lo-
cal farmers with abduction in order to
murder following the May 18 incident,
in a case which has since been settled.
But since Ma Pyu Hnin Htwe did not
respond to a rst summons to attend
court, she was further charged with
absconding.
U Thein Than Oo, Ma Phyu Hnin
Htwes lawyer, hinted that the judge
was acting under political pressure.
Judges are appointed by the presi-
dent, he told The Myanmar Times
outside the court. The court can grant
bail on these charges if the accused is
female, aged under 16 or in bad health.
From my point of view, it is not likely
that refusing bail is the judges order.
He also said students could be pre-
pared to take to the streets over this is-
sue, which he said had arisen because
of the governments close relationship
with China. Dont touch the Chinese,
or you will face bad consequences, he
said.
Members of Ba Ka Tha and student
unions from universities in Mandalay,
Monywa, Sagaing, Kyaukse, Meiktila,
Hinthada and Myingyan took part in
a march to the courthouse and subse-
quent demonstration, together with
residents from the Letpadaung area.
Addressing the students, Ma Phyu
Hnin Htwe vowed to stand rm. The
charges are obviously unfair, and repre-
sent an attack on students rights. I will
carry on to the end, the second-year
distance education student at Manda-
lays Yadanarpon University said.
She said the authorities were pro-
viding her with requirements such as
clothing and medicine, including two
intravenous injections. The next hear-
ing is scheduled for October 13.
After the hearing, the students gath-
ered in front of Yinmabin township po-
lice station to demand Ma Phyu Hnin
Htwes release and the dropping of the
charges.
Ko Ye Yint Kyaw, communications
ofcer of the Ba Ka Tha central work-
ing committee, said the government
was targeting student union members
because of their opposition to state-
backed education legislation.
We want the charges revoked in-
stead of an acquittal, he said. They
have unjustly accused her. They want
to defame Ba Ka Tha because we are
campaigning against the education
bill. We will accelerate our campaign
by staging a hunger strike and a sit-in
protest.
But Police Colonel Tin Soe, district
head of police in Yinmabin, said the
charges were not politically motivated.
Ma Phyu Hnin Htwe was involved
in illegally detaining two Chinese staf
from the [Letpadaung] project. Local
people were also involved. The next
day, in response to our summons, they
came and put their demands. They
were acquitted, and that case was set-
tled. But Ma Phyu Hnin Htwe didnt
come to court, so we added a further
charge of absconding, he said.
Translation by Thiri Min Htun
Ma Phyu Hnin Htwe leaves Yinmabin District Court in Sagaing Region on September 30. Photo: Si Thu Lwin
SI THU LWIN
sithulwin.mmtimes@gmail.com
We will accelerate
our campaign by
staging a hunger
strike and sit-in.
Ko Ye Tint Kyaw
Student union leader
Govt plans
resettlement
from Jan 15
THE government will solicit help
from the United Nations from Janu-
ary 2015 to resettle individuals from
Rakhine State who do not qualify
for citizenship under its controver-
sial verication plan, according to a
draft Rakhine State Action Plan.
The United Nations High Com-
missioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
is almost certain to reject the pro-
posal, however, and the action plan
makes no mention of a backup op-
tion if that occurs.
The action plan, of which the
verication process is one part, has
been drafted by the government to
address issues surrounding the citi-
zenship status of stateless Muslims,
who self-describe as Rohingya but
are ofcially referred to as Bengali.
The Ministry of Information
has said that its latest verication
eforts, launched in July, could al-
low for thousands of Muslims liv-
ing in Rakhine State to be granted
some citizenship rights. However,
participants in Myebon township,
where a pilot project is being car-
ried out, have been told that they
can only register as Bengali and not
Rohingya.
This registration is part of the
verication process, which also in-
cludes a review by a government
committee of evidence of each in-
dividuals eligibility for citizenship.
The process will group individu-
als into three categories, according
to a draft of the Rakhine State Ac-
tion Plan obtained by The Myan-
mar Times. The rst is those who
have been previously registered and
are willing to go through the assess-
ment process. A second category
is individuals not recorded dur-
ing previous registration processes
but willing to go through with the
citizenship verication under the
guidelines laid out by the govern-
ment. Finally there will be those
who refuse to be listed under the
term Bengali.
Those in this third category will
not be considered for citizenship
and will be temporarily housed in
camps, after which the government
will then work with the UNHCR to
resettle illegal aliens elsewhere.
It remains unclear whether a -
nal version of the action plan has
been approved and what, if any,
changes were made to the draft.
Rakhine State government of-
cials could not be reached for
comment but Deputy Minister for
Border Afairs Major General Tin
Aung Chit conrmed to parliament
on October 1 that the government
would seek UNHCR assistance
to resettle those not eligible for
citizenship.
He said those who are unable to
produce documents to prove their
eligibility for citizenship would be
placed in temporary camps along
with those who refuse to register as
Bengali.
Bengalis who are in accord
with the requirements [for citizen-
ship] and attend the oath-swearing
swearing ceremony will be granted
the certicates that they should get
according to the law, he said.
The state will build temporary
camps to detain those who dont al-
low or deny to be listed [as Bengali]
or fail to show strong documents.
The future of people in this cat-
egory remains unclear. While the
government favours resettlement,
a spokesperson for UNHCR told
news agency Reuters last week
that it would be impossible for the
agency to help the government with
resettlement because Rohingya are
not recognised refugees who have
ed persecution and conict across
international borders.
The action plan has drawn
sharp criticism from members
of the human rights community,
with Human Rights Watch on Oc-
tober 3 calling it a blueprint for
segregation.
The plan echoes much of what
President U Thein Sein said two
years ago regarding the resettle-
ment of stateless Muslims. Follow-
ing deadly clashes in the state in
June and October 2012, U Thein
Sein called for the UNHCR to take
responsibility for the group in Ra-
khine State or resettle them in an-
other country.
UNHCR chief Antonio Guterres,
who was in Myanmar to meet with
President U Thein Sein at the time,
atly rejected the suggestion. Ad-
ditional reporting by Htoo Thant
TIM MCLAUGHLIN
timothy.mclaughlin3@gmail.com
4 News THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 6 - 12, 2014
First shot fired in political rights battle
PRESIDENT U Thein Sein has signed
of on a controversial amendment to
an electoral law that will ban tempo-
rary citizens from forming or joining
political parties.
The bill to amend the Political Par-
ties Registration Law was sent to the
Presidents Ofce on September 26, af-
ter being approved by both houses of
parliament, said U Myint Soe, a deputy
director general in the hluttaw ofce
in Nay Pyi Taw. It was signed into law
three days later, he said.
While the bill applies to all parties
and religious and ethnic communi-
ties in Myanmar, it is in efect part of
a larger battle over the political rights
of Muslims in Rakhine State who iden-
tify as Rohingya but are ofcially re-
garded as Bengalis.
First proposed in 2013, the bill is
one of three submitted by the Rakhine
National Party that are aimed at re-
voking the voting and political assem-
bly rights of those holding temporary
identication documents, commonly
referred to as white cards.
These are most common in north-
ern Rakhine State, where hundreds
of thousands of Muslims were issued
white cards instead of the Citizenship
Scrutiny Cards that were given to citi-
zens elsewhere in the country starting
from the early 1990s.
Under the previous version of the
Political Parties Registration Law, all
citizens and temporary certicate
holders are eligible to apply to start
a political party provided they have
15 eligible members at the time of
application.
After the application, the party has
90 days to sign up at least 500 eligible
members if it plans to compete only in
regional elections, or 1000 members to
compete in national elections.
Rohingya activists and MPs told The
Myanmar Times that they believe the
new law is an attempt to strip their com-
munities of political representation.
U Khin Maung Myint, a leading
member of the National Democratic
Party for Development one of at least
three registered political parties with
leadership who identies as Rohingya
said that the amendment would derail
any chance of reconciliation between
the states Muslims and Buddhists.
[The parliament has the power] to
pass this law, but they will have to deal
with the consequences, he said.
However, U Aye Maung, the deputy
leader of the RNP, said the amend-
ment was crucial for the resolution
of conict in the state.
He told The Myanmar Times that
any white card-holder who wishes
to establish or join a political party
would be able to do so by rst apply-
ing for citizenship under the terms of
the 1982 Citizenship Law.
He said it was important to sepa-
rate those with a legitimate claim to
citizenship from illegal immigrants
from Bangladesh.
Some of the Muslim [white card
holders] will be [full citizens] maybe
two-thirds or one-third, he said. Re-
ality is very important. Where they
come from, what theyre doing, what
they want.
The immediate impact of the law
and how long the Union Election
Commission will give parties to ensure
they comply remains unclear. A UEC
spokesperson said last week it had not
yet received a copy of the approved
amendment.
U Shwe Maung, a Pyithu Hluttaw
representative from Buthidaung in
Rakhine State and a self-described Ro-
hingya, said the bill could lead to all
Rohingya-associated political parties
being disbanded before the elections
because they would be unable to nd
enough eligible members to meet the
criteria in the law.
While the amendment means
that the National Democrat Party for
Development will have to eject some
members who do not meet citizenship
requirements, U Khin Maung Myint
said he is condent his party can stay
above the 1000-member mark so it can
compete in the 2015 general election.
Richard Horsey, a Yangon-based
independent political analyst, said the
law is signicant less for its immediate
impact and more for the precedent it
sets for other amendments proposed
by the RNP.
This change in the law sets a prec-
edent for the disenfranchisement of
white card holders. And while at the
moment they are still able to vote, it
remains to be seen how long they will
be able to retain that right, he said.
U Shwe Maung echoed Mr Horseys
comments, saying he could easily see
the bill being the rst step toward
those who identify as Rohingya losing
what few rights they have.
I really worry, he said. If people
cannot vote, how can we do politics? It
is a fundamental right of the citizen.
U Shwe Maung said that while
he agrees broadly that only citizens
should be allowed to vote, he believes
most Muslims holding white cards
would be eligible for citizenship if the
government processed their applica-
tions according to the law.
He said that when the switch was
made from NRCs to CSCs in the early
1990s, the applications of many Mus-
lims in Buthidaung, Maungdaw and
Sittwe were left pending.
In 1994 the government instead is-
sued white cards, said U Shwe Maung,
who represents the Union Solidar-
ity and Development Party. We know
these cards are not valid according to
the 1982 Citizenship Law. It is quite
unfair [that applicants were given
white cards they are the descendants
of citizens.
But U Aye Maung dismissed the
suggestion that many Muslims in Ra-
khine State had their citizenship re-
voked by the government in the 1990s.
Many Muslims say this, he said.
But I dont believe their words.
The Presidents Ofce did not re-
spond to requests for comment. Ad-
ditional reporting by Thomas Kean
Members of the National Democratic Party for Development at their office in downtown Yangon. Photo: Kaung Htet
BILL
OTOOLE
botoole12@gmail.com
This change in
the law sets a
precedent for the
disenfranchisement
of white card holders.
Richard Horsey
Yangon-based political analyst
President signs amendment that bans temporary ID holders from joining political parties, a move some say is designed to strip Rohingya rights
MCM prepares for expansion as
founder hands over to new CEO
MYANMAR Consolidated Media
publisher of The Myanmar Times
has embarked on a new era, with co-
founder and managing director Ross
Dunkley handing over management
responsibilities to a new chief execu-
tive ofcer, Tony Child, on October 1.
The change at the top comes af-
ter prominent businessman U Thein
Tun, owner of Myanmar Golden Star,
became the majority shareholder of
MCM in February.
Mr Dunkley, who established MCM
in 2000 with U Myat Swe, retains a
shareholding in MCM and will con-
tinue to play an important role as a
member of the companys board.
In a meeting with senior staf
on October 1, U Thein Tun said he
planned to make major investments in
MCM over the next three years to grow
its existing businesses and, where pos-
sible, expand into new areas.
He said he appreciated the hard
work that Mr Dunkley had put into
making MCM and The Myanmar Times
leaders in the print media industry.
He also vowed to strongly uphold
the newspapers editorial independ-
ence and values, which have helped
The Myanmar Times win a number of
international awards in recent years.
My purpose is to ensure MCM is
the leading media brand in Myanmar
and that it continues to uphold the
high standards that have made it so
successful over the past 15 years, U
Thein Tun said.
My aim is to bring greater opera-
tional efciency without interference
in editorial content.
Mr Child said he was honoured
to be CEO of such a vibrant company
and would continue the good work of
Mr Dunkley.
It is a privilege for me to lead the
team at The Myanmar Times, he said.
We are a great brand with a strong
future and can make an important
contribution to democracy in Myan-
mar, much of which depends on a free
and fair press. With an election year
around the corner, there is an impor-
tant challenge ahead but one which
we shall rise to.
I am grateful to U Thein Tun for
his commitment to editorial freedom
and to supporting the expansion of the
company in the media sector.
Mr Child, who previously worked
in Myanmar from 1990-97, said his
prime task would be to secure the
future of the company and its staf
through enhancing protability and
taking advantage of new opportunities
in the rapidly changing media sector.
There are exciting plans for the
future, including the prospect of pro-
duction of a daily newspaper, he said.
Im condent that with such a talent-
ed group of staf really the compa-
nys greatest asset that we can move
MCM forward in the coming years.
The handover came the day after
Mr Dunkley celebrated his 57
th
birth-
day. This was marked by the release
of 57 birds in front of The Myanmar
Times headquarters on Bo Aung Kyaw
Street, before Mr Dunkley joined Mr
Child for a group photo with about
200 of the companys employees.
Mr Dunkley said he planned to
continue his involvement in MCM
but would rst take a well-deserved
break, during which he would catch
up with family and friends before ex-
amining other potential projects in
Myanmar.
He expressed pride at what the
MCM team which has grown over
the years from about 30 staf to almost
350 has achieved during his 15 years
in charge, particularly the ve awards
that The Myanmar Times has won
from the Society of Publishers in Asia
since 2012.
He said there was a very solid
STAFF WRITERS
newsroom@mmtimes.com
New owner U Thein Tun plans investment to expand firm and build on the achievements of founder Ross Dunkley and staf
Rights body shake-up in
line with law, insists govt
MORE than a week after a reshufe
at the Myanmar National Human
Rights Commission that saw several
outspoken members removed, the
composition of the selection board
responsible for recommending the
changes remains shrouded in mys-
tery prompting some to question
whether the board was even formed.
Civil society groups, members of
parliament and even a member of
the presidents inner circle claimed
to have no idea who was on the se-
lection board when contacted by The
Myanmar Times last week.
State media announced on Sep-
tember 25 that the previous 15-mem-
ber commission, set up in Septem-
ber 2011, had been disbanded and
replaced by a new 11-member body.
The reshufe was prompted by
the enactment of the Myanmar Na-
tional Human Rights Commission
Law in March of this year, which
states that commissioners must be
chosen by a selection board.
This committee is required to
nominate 30 potential members.
The president, in coordination with
the speakers of the upper and lower
house, can then choose which of the
nominees to appoint.
However, no public notice appears
to have been issued announcing the
formation of the selection board and
the identity of its non-government
members remains unclear.
Mahn Aung Tin Myint, chair of
the Amyotha Hluttaw Committee
of Fundamental Rights, Democratic
Rights and Human Rights of Citi-
zens, said the only member of the
Selection Board he knew of was U
Myint Kyi, a USDP representative for
Thanlyin Township.
However, U Myint Kyi denied be-
ing on the board and said he had no
idea which members of parliament
were involved.
Even Minister for Information
U Ye Htut, a spokesperson for the
Presidents Ofce, said he was un-
sure who was on it, but insisted the
law was followed.
The reform of the National Hu-
man Rights Commission was done
according to the law. I am sure that
every member selected in the new
team is qualied and suitable for
the commission. I do not know who
[was] involved in the selection pro-
cess and why [some members] were
ruled out of the reform, he said in
an email.
In an earlier interview, commis-
sion chair U Win Mra said he was
similarly in the dark on the identify
of selection board members, saying
only that the reshufe was the deci-
sion of President U Thein Sein and
his advisers.
Ma Khin Ohnmar, the director
of Burma Partnership, a coalition
of Myanmar-focused NGOs, said
the reshufe highlighted the lack of
transparency that had plagued the
commission since the start.
The identity of the selection
board members is a big question to
us, she said. We will be inquiring
about that, as well as how the selec-
tion took place.
In a previous interview, U Hla
Myint, one of the ousted commission
members, said he had helped draft
the Rights Commission Law, and
made sure to include procedures
to ensure that the selection of new
members was carried out in an open,
transparent manner.
Did they do the selection by the
law? Im not so sure, he said.
Confusion continues over who made recommendations to president
BILL OTOOLE
LUN MIN MAING
Myanmar National Human Rights Commission chair U Win Mra. Photo: Staff
Who nominates rights
body members?
The chief justice
The minister for home affairs
The minister for social welfare,
relief and resettlement
The attorney-general
A Bar Council representative
Two Pyidaungsu Hluttaw
representatives
A Myanmar Womens Affairs
Federation representative
Two representatives from
registered NGOs
News 7 www.mmtimes.com
MCM prepares for expansion as
founder hands over to new CEO
Ross Dunkley (left) shakes hands with new CEO Tony Child, together with editorial director U Thiha Saw, at Myanmar
Consolidated Medias headquarters in downtown Yangon on September 30. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing
foundation on which the new manage-
ment could build the company into a
media powerhouse operating across a
range of platforms.
The opportunities we have in this
new media era are mind-boggling
and fantastic. With leadership and
guidance from U Thein Tun we will
expand and consolidate and become
the most formidable media company
here, he said.
This has been a long, exciting and
sometimes strange journey. More than
anything I am honoured to have led
our team and I would always empha-
sise that as an individual I didnt do
much, but as the team we won. That
will always be the modus operandi at
The Myanmar Times and U Thein Tun
assures me that nothing will change in
that respect.
New owner U Thein Tun plans investment to expand firm and build on the achievements of founder Ross Dunkley and staf
No media coverage for
journalism conference
JOURNALISTS were not invited to
cover a media conference bringing
together members of the government,
parliament, judiciary and media that
was held over the weekend in Nay Pyi
Taw, because organisers said they were
concerned media coverage would stop
participants from speaking openly.
The October 4-5 forum was also
conducted according to the Chatham
House Rule, whereby comments
made could not be attributed to spe-
cic individuals.
After consulting with the press
council, we used the Chatham House
Rule in so participants could talk
openly, said Daw Thidar Tin, a direc-
tor general of the Department of Infor-
mation and Public Relations.
Only participants would be allowed
to enter the forum, Myanmar Press
Council (Interim) member U Thiha
Saw said ahead of the event. Journalists
would still be able to interview partici-
pants outside the venue, he added.
The Chatham House Rule is wide-
ly used, he said. We agreed to use it.
We are just happy that the forum took
place because we were not sure if it
would.
Daw Thidar Tin said that the fo-
rum would include 36 representatives
from the government, ve from the ju-
diciary, about 10 from the parliament
and about 40 people from the media
industry.
However, the ministry and press
council declined to reveal which indi-
viduals were to take part in the event.
The aim of the forum is to improve
journalists accountability and build
trust and understanding between the
media and government. It was held
with the support of Germanys DW
Akademie and Denmarks Internation-
al Media Support (IMS). Sandar Lwin
Delaying elections
unconstitutional,
politicians warn
EI EI TOE LWIN
eieitoelwin@gmail.com
POLITICAL leader have hit back at
hints from President U Thein Sein
that next years election may not go
ahead unless a nationwide ceasere
agreement is signed, saying that any
delays would represent a violation of
the constitution.
While the president did not ex-
plicitly state the election could be
postponed if the peace process is not
successful, the ambiguity of his com-
ments has some worried.
U Aye Thar Aung, the deputy
leader of the Rakhine National
Party, said the constitution was ex-
plicit that elections be held every
ve years.
The government must hold elec-
tions [in 2015] regardless of whether
a nationwide ceasere agreement is
signed, he said.
He said the government might
be seeking an excuse to delay the
vote because it is afraid of losing the
election.
They are already trying to
change the electoral system in par-
liament but they are in a tight cor-
ner because the [election changes]
contradict the 2008 constitution
I think the president wants to delay
[the election].
U Thein Sein said in his monthly
radio address on October 1 that po-
litical dialogue with armed ethnic
groups must take place to ensure
stability, successful holding of the
2015 general elections, and smooth
continuation of political reforms,
according to a transcript in Eng-
lish-language state mouthpiece The
Global New Light of Myanmar.
At the same time, only when the
nationwide ceasere agreement is
concluded successfully can we start
political dialogue, he said, adding
that the peace process was at a cru-
cial juncture.
The comments generated wide-
spread interest, with many quick
to interpret them as a warning
that the election would not be held
without a nationwide ceasere
agreement.
The Presidents Ofce did not
respond to requests for clarication
last week.
Some politicians said that while
they agreed the nationwide ceasere
and subsequent political dialogue
are essential for development and
political stability, the elections must
still go ahead.
U Han Shwe, chair of the Na-
tional Unity Party, said he was un-
sure exactly what the president
meant by the remarks. Our partys
view is that the nationwide cease-
re is essential [but] even if the
agreement is not signed before the
end of 2015 the elections should
not be postponed, he said. They
must be held in accordance with the
constitution.
The government
must hold elections
in 2015 regardless
of whether a
ceasere is signed.
U Aye Thar Aung
Rakhine National Party
Chief ExecutiveOfcer
Tony Child
tonychild.mcm@gmail.com
Editorial Director U Thiha Saw
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Myawaddy
raids yield
drugs, guns
ARMY and police units searching
houses in Myawaddy, Kayin State,
have found illegal narcotics and
weapons, The Myanmar Times
has learned. The search was con-
ducted amid recent tensions in
the region, following a series of
armed attacks on military units
that have sent cross-border trade
with Mae Sot tumbling by 75 per-
cent because of the insecurity, ac-
cording to residents said.
The military says they are not
conducting an ofensive in the
state, but ensuring the security
of the town, which was rocked by
violent clashes two years ago.
We will try to protect the
town, to avoid a repeat of the situ-
ation in 2010, said one ofcer, re-
ferring to an outbreak of ghting
four years ago.
Only three ethnic armed
groups are ofcially allowed to
maintain a presence in Myawad-
dy: the Karen National Union,
the Democratic Karen Buddhist
Army and the KNU/KNLA Peace
Council. The army says there are
other armed groups in the vicin-
ity, but have not identied them.
The army says the tight security
imposed on the town, including
weapons searches, is to protect
the security of residents.
The search was conducted on
October 2 by a team comprising
the Tatmadaw, the Border Guard
Force, and local and anti-narcot-
ics police in Myaynigone Toeche
ward in Myawaddys No 4 ward.
They said they had found drugs,
weapons and uniform badges
marked Commando, Arakan
Army and Federal Union Army
at one house, while they also
found a gun in a white vehicle
parked on Asia Road. On the ba-
sis of a tip-of, they also searched
a house near Kyauklone Gyi mon-
astery in No 4 ward, where they
reported nding hand grenades.
Renewed ghting near the
border post with Thailand at
Mae Sot has disrupted trade and
other activity in the vicinity, with
the number of vehicles passing
through Myawaddy decreasing
to 25 percent of normal levels,
local residents and bus driv-
ers said. There are normally
about 800 vehicles a day, but
thats down to about 200 at the
moment, an ofcial from the
Myawaddy Industrial Zone said.
Ko Tun, who owns a jewellery
shop in Mae Sot market, said busi-
ness had been slow because of the
insecurity. The number of Thai
traders coming to Myawaddy, and
businesspeople crossing to Thai-
land, has also decreased, he said.
I used to drive four times a
day between Myawaddy and Mae
Sot, said bus driver Ko Anaing.
But on October 2, I could only
go twice. Customers from Yan-
gon wanting to get to Bangkok by
the overland route have not been
seen for a week. Translation by
Thiri Min Htun
Tensions ratchet up
following skirmishes
ATTACKS on army units by un-
known assailants have raised ten-
sions in Mon and Kayin states, mili-
tary and local sources disclosed last
week. A series of clashes has led to
restrictions on the number of peo-
ple travelling to the border town of
Myawaddy, they say.
The identity of the attackers is
unknown. They shoot and run. We
dont shoot back because there are
schools and homes there, a captain
based in Myawaddy who requested
anonymity told The Myanmar Times.
According to residents and mili-
tary sources, the attacks began at
about 5pm on September 30, when
two rocket-propelled grenades were
red at a military convoy in Tadakyo,
at the foot of Mt Dawna, 16 kilome-
tres (10 miles) from Myawaddy. More
attacks followed the next morning
at Thingannyinaung village, about
12km (7 miles) from Myawaddy. No
group has claimed responsibility.
Military sources in Myawaddy
spoke of an attack in the proximity
of Min Padonmar compound, about
1.6km (1 mile) from Myawaddy, but
said the army had responded cau-
tiously. We dont want to make any
mistakes during the peace talks, he
told The Myanmar Times.
Negotiators are still trying to -
nalise a draft ceasere agreement,
originally scheduled for signing this
month.
The attacks have led to some re-
strictions on movement. Normally
about 700 buses enter and leave
Myawaddy, but that has fallen to
about 400 or 500, bus driver Ko Soe
Htut said. Most bus lines transport-
ing goods and passengers between
Mawlamyine and Myawaddy have
suspended services, he added.
In October 2010, skirmishes oc-
curred in Myawaddy between the
army and the local ethnic armed
group, the Democratic Karen Bud-
dhist Army, which has since signed a
ceasere with the government.
The new tensions coincided with
the return of Tatmadaw units from
training in Wekali, Mon State, caus-
ing some army sources to suggest
that the armed groups feared a gov-
ernment ofensive.
They may have misinterpreted
the movement of 30 to 40 military
vehicles. They red on the convoy,
but we sustained no serious casual-
ties, said one ofcer.
However, according to an un-
conrmed report, one civilian died
and two others were wounded when
shots were red at a car between
Kawkareik and Kyonedo, Kayin
State, on September 29.
Similarly, attacks reportedly oc-
curred in Mon States Kyaikmayaw
township on September 27.
These developments followed a
government search of the houses of
35-year-old DKBA Lieutenant U Win
Zaw and his father U Chit Lwin, an
indigenous medical practitioner, on
September 20.
U Win Zaws brother Ko Nay Lin
Lwin told The Myanmar Times the
authorities were looking for illegal
narcotics, but found none. He added
that the attacks started after negotia-
tions between U Win Zaws 30-strong
group and the military at Kayindaw
village, near Kyaikmayaw township.
I heard the DKBA started shoot-
ing because the army entered by
force while the negotiations were
proceeding, he said. No casual-
ties were recorded, but the ghting
forced about 300 villagers to take
shelter in a nearby monastery.
Villagers said the military had
also briey arrested U Win Zaws
wife and his two brothers before re-
leasing them on bail.
One of the brothers, Ko Htain
Lin, said the soldiers kept him tied
up all day. Still, we were lucky to be
arrested. In the past, they could have
killed us, he said.
After the ghting in Kyaikmayaw,
a 30-year-old woman from Kay-
indaw village, who asked not to be
named, said, The military dug out
an unexploded rocket. They didnt
ght back too hard because there
was a school nearby. Thankfully, no
one was hurt.
ZAW HTIKE
zawhtikemgm1981@gmail.com
They may have
misinterpreted
the movement of
30 to 40 military
vehicles.
Senior Tatmadaw source
ZAW HTIKE
zawhtikemgm1981@gmail.com
Government troops from an infantry brigade move supplies from an abandoned building in the Min Padonmar
compound on the outskirts of Myawaddy, Kayin State, on October 1. Photo: Kaung Htet
Confusion as to why clashes in Mon and Kayin states broke out on September 30
Unity sentences reduced, lawyer plans further appeal
MAGWE Region Court on October 2
reduced the sentences of the chief ex-
ecutive ofcer and four reporters of
Unity journal from 10 years imprison-
ment with hard labour to seven years.
CEO U Tint San and reporters Ko
Lu Maw Naing, Ko Sithu Soe, Ko Pa-
ing Thet Kyaw and Ko Yazar Oo were
initially given 10-year jail sentences on
July 10 after they were convicted of
breaching the 1923 State Secrets Act.
The charges stemmed from the
publication of an article alleging that
chemical weapons were being pro-
duced at a military facility in Magwe.
Lawyer U Robert Sann Aung told
The Myanmar Times that the judge-
ment was not fair and he believed the
regional administration had exerted
undue inuence over the court.
We have vowed to lodge an appeal
in Supreme Court of the Union at Nay
Pyi Taw, which should open in the next
two weeks, he said.
The lawyer said he would argue
that the original sentences constituted
a breach of the right to free speech en-
shrined in the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights.
The Myanmar Press Council (In-
terim) met President U Thein Sein
in August to discuss the matter, as
well as the threat of charges against
journalists protesting those sentences
and the case being brought against the
Bi Mon Te Nay journal. The president
said he would do what he could within
the law, and without infringing the in-
dependence of the judiciary.
Press Council member U Thiha
Saw suggested the president might
consider an amnesty following the
completion of all legal proceedings.
Ye Mon
Govt confrms delay of
ethnicity, religion data
ETHNIC and religious data gathered
in this years census may not be re-
leased until 2016, Central Census
Commission ofcials say.
Commission director U Myint
Kyaing told a news conference in
Nay Pyi Taw that the Ministry of Im-
migration and Population rst needs
to meet and negotiate with ethnic
and religious leaders about some of
the data before it can be ofcially
released.
He said some respondents had
confused religion and ethnicity.
For example, some people an-
swered in the religion question-
naires of the census that they believe
the creed of Panthay. We need to
ask the leaders of the four religions
and we need to know exactly if the
religion is Islamic or not, U Myint
Kyaing told reporters.
The word Panthay is the My-
anmar designation for Muslims of
Chinese descent who migrated from
Yunnan Province to escape persecu-
tion. The group is not ofcially rec-
ognised in Myanmar.
Ministry ofcials have previously
stated that ethnicity data would
likely not be released until after
next years election, citing the com-
plexity of tallying large numbers of
handwritten responses. However, it
was the rst time that they had con-
rmed that religious data would also
be delayed.
Some observers have suggested
the delay is a political rather than
administrative decision, as there are
concerns that the release of sensitive
data could iname tensions at a po-
litically sensitive time.
One concern is that the results
will show a large increase in the Mus-
lim population from the 1983 census,
when it was ofcially stated as 4 per-
cent a gure now thought to have
been deliberately understated.
U Myint Kyaing said the census
results could also result in changes to
the list of ofcially recognised ethnic
groups. He cited the example of the
Tai Leng, many of whom cited their
ethnicity as Shan Ni, or Red Shan.
Director general Daw Khaing
Khaing Soe said most of the other
data would be released on schedule,
in May 2015.
A Ministry of Immigration and Population official checks completed census
forms in Nay Pyi Taw on May 20. Photo: Zarni Phyo
Search for missing
climbers scaled back
AYE SAPAY PHYU
ayephyu2006@gmail.com
The weather is bad
near the summit
and there is thick
snow and the risk of
avalanches.
U Phyo Ko Ko Thet
Htoo Group spokesperson
YE MON
yeemontun2013@gmail.com
HTOO Foundation has called of its
search for two climbers missing in
northern Kachin State since August 31
after more snow fell in the area, mak-
ing search conditions difcult.
However, the Blue Sky Rescue team
from China is still searching for the
climbers, with Htoo Foundation pro-
viding assistance from Hkakabo Razi
base camp, said U Phyo Ko Ko Thet, a
spokesperson for Htoo Group of Com-
panies.
He said the Htoo Foundation
would resume looking for the men in
the open season when the weather
conditions improve, which usually be-
gins in March.
The rescue team led by U Nama
Johnsein looked for the two climbers
at more than 18,000 feet [5486 me-
tres] and are now back at base camp,
he said. They said the weather is bad
near the summit and there is thick
snow and [the risk of ] avalanches.
U Nama Johnsein, who was part of
the only previous successful summit of
Hkakabo Razi, in 1996, said the snow
was more than 1 metre (3.3 feet) deep
in some places.
The climbers were last heard from
shortly after they reached the summit
of 5881-metre (19,295-foot) Hkakabo
Razi. While rescuers have not found
their bodies, their rucksacks were re-
covered at between 4900m and 5200m
and given to the local authorities, U
Phyo Ko Ko Thet conrmed.
Meanwhile, the search is con-
tinuing for a Thai helicopter that
disappeared with three people on
board whilst searching for the two
climbers. The helicopter, which was
hired by the foundation from a Thai
company, lost radio contact in misty
conditions on September 27. It had
been carrying supplies to a camp set
up in Tahundam village, Myanmars
northernmost settlement, to assist the
search for the two climbers.
On board the helicopter were
Thai pilot Chat Chawal, Myanmar
pilot U Aung Myat Toe and U Shwe
Yin Taw Gyi, a nephew of U Nama
Johnsein. It had left Putao airport
at 2:20pm but lost contact about 20
minutes later.
Two helicopters from the founda-
tion and a Myanmar military heli-
copter are also searching the helicop-
ters ight path together with local
residents. According to Chinese state
news agency Xinhua, China has also
contributed remote controlled pilot-
less aircraft to both searches.
Statistics will not be released until 2016 because of complexity of responses
Both sides insist peace is still possible
NEGOTIATORS on both sides of the
peace process have insisted that trust
and commitment remain strong, de-
spite recent talks in Yangon failing to
result in a nalised draft nationwide
ceasere and recent clashes between
ethnic and Tatmadaw soldiers.
The September 22-26 talks were the
sixth held by the government Union
Peace-making Work Committee and
the Nationwide Ceasere Coordina-
tion Team (NCCT), which was formed
in November 2013 to coordinate nego-
tiations on behalf of 16 armed ethnic
groups.
After the meeting, soldiers from
ethnic armed groups and the Tat-
madaw clashed in Mon and Kayin
states.
NCCT leader Naing Han Thar said
the two events should not be taken
to mean that the peace process is in
trouble.
There were some difculties dur-
ing this meeting compared to previ-
ous meetings. But these difculties are
negligible compared to those faced on
the battleeld, Naing Han Thar said.
He said all NCCT members are con-
vinced that the government is commit-
ted to peace.
Whatever the difculties, the main
negotiators and top leaders of both
sides will have to overcome them. We
have the commitment and are work-
ing with patience to be able to reach
our peace destination, he said.
Following discussions in August,
ethnic and government negotiators
said they believed talks had reached
an important milestone, with agree-
ment being reached on some of the
basic principles of federalism and is-
sues related to security sector reform.
We no longer have a two-sided
attitude. We are now a single group,
said U Aung Min, the chief govern-
ment negotiator.
His comments were echoed by eth-
nic leaders. During these three days
of discussions, it was like the them
and us attitude had disappeared
We were collectively seeking solutions
to reach genuine peace, said Pado
Kwe Htoo Win, a deputy leader of the
NCCT.
The discussions in September fo-
cused on the thorniest issue in the
peace process: the future of armed
ethnic groups and the Tatmadaw in a
post-conict Myanmar.
Progress was slower, with the Tat-
madaw representatives pushing back
some security sector reform issues
from the political dialogue phase to
the political roadmap the process of
implementing the decisions made dur-
ing political dialogue to transition to a
federal country.
Ethnic leaders insisted they were
not upset at the apparent change in
approach from the military.
Both sides made corrections.
There is no need to blame each other,
said NCCT member Salai Lian Hmung
Sar Khaung.
This impressive level of trust stems
from the governments new-found
respect for the armed ethnic groups
and its agreement to establish a fed-
eral political system, with signicantly
more power devolved to sub-national
governments.
Early attempts to build trust, how-
ever, were not always smooth, and
ran up against deeply rooted feelings
of antipathy and even hatred on both
sides. While ethnic groups viewed the
government as an invader, the govern-
ment questioned their commitment to
the future of a unied Myanmar.
Major General Gun Maw said
changing these perceptions was essen-
tial for the future of the peace process.
What we were doing during the past
three years is correcting these views
and misunderstandings, he said.
In an attempt to gain the trust of
government, the ethnic armed groups
had to clearly show that they had no
intention of seceding or using the
ceasere period to build strength in
case of future conict, said Naing Han
Thar.
The governments trust in us de-
pends on our sincerity to peace and
honestly seeking solutions to the
armed conict, he said.
Our movements and demands are
not to get any special privileges or to
secede but rather for ethnic equality
and self-administration of our ethnic
afairs. We just want those rights, he
said. If we got those, not only would
we not secede, we would not let our-
selves be pushed out of the country.
Pado Kwe Htoo Win was blunt on
the issue. Secession is not practical.
In practice it is impossible.
Nevertheless, the long-standing
nature of the conict means that the
current level of trust is not unshake-
able. While the sixth round of talks
and recent clashes have not deterred
commitment to the peace process,
continued momentum remains im-
portant, according to Pado Kwe Htoo
Win.
After the ceasere, trust has to
keep building. We still remember the
tricks that we played on each other in
the past. The government looked at us
as insurgents and destroyers, and we
saw the government as military dicta-
tors destroying the country Griev-
ances against the government are
deeply rooted in our minds, he said.
For example, we still unconscious-
ly use the word enemy to refer to the
government, although we are now the
dialogue partners. More trust-building
mechanisms, decisions on the posi-
tioning of troops and even education
programs will be needed to change
that.
PEACE is still within reach, negotia-
tors from the government and armed
ethnic groups announced last week.
They issued a statement explaining
last-minute delays that have put at
risk the intention to sign a nationwide
ceasere agreement during October,
and calling for patience.
Both sides said the sixth round of
talks, held in September at Yangons
Myanmar Peace Center, had been the
hardest so far, but that they believed
the remaining points of contention
could be settled.
The remaining items are difcult,
but not unusual. We are working to
overcome them, and will do so soon,
said Naing Han Thar, the leader of Na-
tionwide Ceasere Coordination Team
(NCCT), which is negotiating on behalf
of 16 armed ethnic groups.
They say the last mile of your
journey is the hardest. But our
destination, the nationwide ceasere,
is within our reach, U Aung Min, the
leader of Union Peace-making Work
Committee, said at the end of the ve-
day negotiating session.
Political parties are also waiting
to participate in the dialogue and are
always asking us when [the talks]
will be nished. In my opinion, the
negotiators will require patience and
effort, said Pado Kwe Htoo Win, a
senior NCCT member.
U Naing Han Thar also urged more
efforts to nd a political solution. We
need a political discussion. The process
is heading toward a political dialogue as
the best way of solving the armed con-
ict. I urge the political parties, govern-
ment leaders and our NCCT members
to make a collective effort, he said.
The seventh round will be held in
October after informal talks between
the two sides. Sandar Lwin
Negotiators seek to downplay concerns
SANDAR
LWIN
sdlsandar@gmail.com
Peace negotiators shake hands on September 26, the last day of the peace talks held in Yangon. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing
These difculties
are negligible
compared to
those faced on
the battleeld.
Naing Han Thar
NCCT leader
Trust remains strong despite hurdles encountered at sixth round of talks in Yangon last month, say negotiators on both sides
PEACE PROCESS
Govt failed to
ensure justice
after riots: UN
UNITED Nations Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon has accused the gov-
ernment of largely failing to take le-
gal action against those responsible
for outbreaks of religious violence
over the past two years.
Fighting between Buddhists and
Muslims in Rakhine State in July
and October 2012 left around 200
dead and 140,000 displaced, while
serious conict has also occurred
in Meiktila, Mandalay, Lashio and
elsewhere.
Yet those responsible for the
clashes have not been brought to
justice, Mr Ban said in his annual
report to the UN General Assembly.
Legal proceedings against the
perpetrators remain blocked, he
said. [And] the sufering and com-
plaints of the afected people, es-
pecially the Muslim communities
in the internally displaced persons
camps, whose basic rights have been
severely curtailed, remain largely
unassuaged.
Police forces have routinely
rounded up dozens of suspects in
public shows of force following out-
breaks of violence. However, rights
groups say these mass arrests have
largely targeted Muslim men and
other individuals involved in the
violence have not been prosecuted.
Presidential spokesperson and
Minister for Information U Ye Htut
declined to comment on the specics
of the report as he had not read it in
its entirety. He did say, however, that
the government welcomed the secre-
tary-generals acknowledgment that
progress had been made in Rakhine
State and Myanmar more broadly.
Mr Ban has regularly expressed
concern about the conict in Ra-
khine State, saying just last week
that he was deeply troubled by
the continued rift between the Bud-
dhist and Muslim communities.
He also called for the government
to address the citizenship status
of Rohingya Muslims, who are not
recognised as citizens of Myanmar
under the current countrys current
legal framework.
The government has said it will
only consider assessing their claims
to citizenship if they agree to be
called Bengali rather than Rohingya.
Mr Bans comments contrasted
with those of the Myanmar del-
egation at the General Assembly.
Last week it began lobbying to be
dropped from the UNs human
rights agenda, arguing that reforms
undertaken by President U Thein
Seins government mean it should
no longer be singled out.
Foreign Minister U Wunna
Maung Lwin told ofcials at the UN
General Debate on September 29
that the country had addressed all
major concerns related to human
rights.
The UN General Assembly has
adopted resolutions against Myan-
mar for its poor human rights re-
cord every year since 1992.
TIM MCLAUGHLIN
Legal proceedings
against the
perpetrators [of
communal conict]
remain blocked.
Ban Ki-moon
UN Secretary-General
Visa rules deter tourists, agents warn
THE continuing rise in the number of
overseas tourists coming to Myanmar
particularly from new source coun-
tries could be in jeopardy unless the
government makes the visa process
more welcoming, travel industry ex-
perts have warned.
Union of Myanmar Travel Asso-
ciation secretary general U Naung
Naung Han told The Myanmar Times
last week that many would-be visi-
tors could decide to take their busi-
ness elsewhere because of entry visa
difculties.
A particular concern is the decision
to end the pre-arranged tourist visa on
arrival service from October 31.
While the Ministry of Immigration
and Population launched an online
application process for tourist visas on
September 1 to speed up processing, it
is initially only available to nationals
from 43 countries.
U Naung Naung Han said entering
Myanmar was now more difcult for
those who were not from one of the
eligible countries, not near a Myanmar
embassy or not condent using the on-
line service. The e-visa is also not yet
available at Mandalay or Nay Pyi Taw
airports.
People who cant apply online or
who dont have a Myanmar embassy
in their country wont be able to come
here they will go somewhere else in-
stead, he warned.
He said that while the e-visa sys-
tem would help cope with increasing
tourist numbers would be helpful in
the long term, the initial uncertainty
could reduce the 3 million visitors
expected this year. Travel companies
should make their concerns known to
the government, he added.
If the Ministry of Immigration
were to announce through embassies,
travel websites and the media who
was entitled to receive a visa on arriv-
al, that would help reassure visitors.
Nature Dream travel and tours
company has already had to cancel
ve package tours because clients
could not get a pre-arranged visa on
arrival or e-visa, managing director
Daw Sabei Aung said last week.
The customers were from Ukraine
and Latvia, which are not on the e-visa
list of countries, and which dont have
Myanmar embassies. They cancelled
their plans to come here, and will go
somewhere else more convenient. I
think the ministry should extend the
old system through the transitional
period, she said, adding that she
feared many tourists would not come
to Myanmar if the visa system was too
difcult.
Travel companies want to retain
the visa on arrival until April 2015,
and add to the list of e-visa countries,
as well as stabilising hotel, airline,
transportation and tour guide costs to
Asian standards, she said.
U Thet Lwin Toh, managing direc-
tor of Myanmar Voyages, said the e-
visa need not be extended to all coun-
tries but it should apply in countries
without a Myanmar embassy.
Tourists watch a sunset from a pagoda in Bagan. Photo: Kaung Htet
EI EI THU
91.eieithu@gmail.com
A roving pontiff for a far-flung flock
WHEN the supreme patriarch of the
Armenian Church looks back on the
day he joined the priesthood, the
main thing he remembers is his heart
pounding in his chest.
The nervousness stemmed not
from any doubts about joining the
clergy, but rather from anxiety about
what name the bishop would bestow
upon him.
As the supreme patriarch explained
during a recent visit to Yangon, the ac-
ceptance of a new name is one of the
sacred rites associated with becoming
a priest in the Armenian Orthodox
Church. We believe that by ordination
the person becomes a new person, by
the grace of God that he has received,
he said.
Like many other prospective
priests, he did not want to be branded
with a name that was too strange or
too evocative of the Old Testament, so
before the ceremony even occurred, he
brought his case before the bishop.
I went to the bishop who was go-
ing to ordain me and I said, Please.
There are two names I would like to
have. One is this, the other is this.
Could you choose one of those names?
[Its] very rare that the bishop is ac-
cepting, but in my case it happened.
On that day in 1972, the future
supreme patriarch became Karekin,
named after a 5
th
century Armenian
general and martyr.
The Central Asian pontif told this
story while sitting in a meeting room
at the Shangri-La Hotel in downtown
Yangon on October 1.
Wearing his heavy black robe and
hood, and holding a wooden walking
staf, he might have seemed out of place
in the brightly lit environs of a mod-
ern, corporate hotel, but the disparity
was wholly appropriate for a man who
leads a church that has been largely de-
ned by immigration and exile.
The majority of our people live in
diaspora, Karekin said. Only 3 mil-
lion live in Armenia itself, while the
rest [about 10 million] are scattered.
This dispersal dates back to the
Middle Ages when Armenians, weary
of the wars between the Persian and
Ottoman empires that so often en-
gulfed the region, established new
communities across Europe and Asia.
From the 17
th
century onward, Dha-
ka, New Delhi, Singapore and Yangon
hosted Armenian enclaves, each with
its own church.
Pierre Hennes a trustee of the Ar-
menian Church of St Gregory in Sin-
gapore who accompanied Karekin on
his visit to Yangon said all of these
communities once had Armenian
streets, Armenian culture, churches
and also had a very big inuence on
local life.
The Armenian community in Yan-
gon was never large, numbering sev-
eral hundred people at its peak in
the late 1800s. But as Pope Karekin
pointed out, the fact that such a small
community insisted on establishing
its own house of worship illustrated
the important role that the Orthodox
Church plays in Armenian culture.
It is well known that when one
Armenian comes to a place, the rst
thing he does is build a church, said
Karekin, quoting an old adage.
However, the historical turmoil of
the 20
th
century conspired to undermine
the integrity of these communities.
First came the Armenian Genocide
in 1915, when a faltering Ottoman Em-
pire enacted a regimen of mass mur-
der and displacement against the 2
million Armenians within its borders.
By the end of the decade 1.5 mil-
lion Armenians were martyred, said
Karekin.
These horrors were compounded
when Russias Red Army
invaded from the north and forcefully
incorporated Armenia into Bolveshi-
vik Russia in 1922, making it one of
the earliest Soviet states. The move
cut of many Armenians living abroad
from returning to their home country.
For more than half a century, the
Moscow-backed government enforced
a strict policy of atheism that limited
the activities of the church.
As he neared high school gradua-
tion, one of the administrators at his
secular school actively tried to lure
him away from a life in the church.
There were promises of higher
positions [in the Communist Party]
and so forth, something to excite me,
Karekin recalled.
But Karekin said his family con-
sisted of faithful people who steered
him toward a churchly life.
He rose through the ranks of the
church throughout the 1970s and
1980s, pursuing theological studies and
priestly work in Germany and Austria.
By 1990, he had been elected to the
churchs Supreme Spiritual Council, an
executive body working directly un-
der the patriarch. From this post, he
witnessed the fall of the Soviet Union
in 1989 and the rejuvenation of the
church.
Today our country is free, and to-
day we have more [opportunities] to
produce more clergy, with whom we
can reach out to our diocese around
the world, Karekin said.
Since being elected supreme pa-
triarch in 1999, Karekin has made a
point of reaching out to far-ung par-
ishes, regardless of the size of the local
Armenian community.
His visit to Yangon illustrates his
dedication to this pursuit: The citys
current Armenian population could
likely be counted on one hand, and
most have only arrived since the coun-
trys opening in 2010.
While it was the pontifs rst trip
to Myanmar, he has made many trips
to Asia since becoming the supreme
patriarch.
Ten years ago I visited Singapore
They said there were just about 12
people there, he said. After 10 years
I visited again and found the commu-
nity is sprouting [to well over 100].
His Holiness said the goal of this
trip, and others like it, was to en-
courage Armenians to return to the
Asian cities where strong communi-
ties once existed and build on the
foundations that were established
hundreds of years ago.
As the meeting at the Shangri-
La Hotel wrapped up, Mr Hennes
ofered a quote from the Armenian-
American writer William Saroyan that
points to the resilience of these com-
munities: I should like to see any
power of the world destroy this race,
this small tribe of unimportant people,
whose wars have all been fought and
lost, whose structures have crumbled,
literature is unread, music is unheard,
and prayers are no more answered. Go
ahead, destroy Armenia. See if you can
do it. Send them into the desert with-
out bread or water. Burn their homes
and churches. Then see if they will not
laugh, sing and pray again. For when
two of them meet anywhere in the
world, see if they will not create a New
Armenia.
FEATURE
BILL OTOOLE
botoole12@gmail.com
It is well known
that when one
Armenian comes
to a place, the rst
thing he does is
build a church.
Karekin
Armenian Church Supreme Patriarch
Armenian Church Supreme Patriarch
Karekin speaks during a visit to the
Armenian Apostolic Church of St John
the Baptist in downtown Yangon on
October 1 . Photos: Zarni Phyo
RELATED STORY PROPERTY 34
Lonely protester
attracts many police
POLICE last week stopped a Mandalay
man from staging an hour-long pro-
test against corruption in the judiciary
outside the regional court in Chan Aye
Thar San township, shifting it instead
to another location and halving the
time allowed to 30 minutes.
Surrounded by about 20 police of-
cers, U Myo Win marched through
the streets on September 29 wearing a
formal black jacket covered in K10,000
notes to protest against corruption. He
was also not allowed to hand out a leaf-
let detailing the seven judicial reforms
he is campaigning for.
I was not allowed to protest in
front of the regional court but [they]
allowed me to stage the protest in an-
other place My protest was to ask
the president and the hluttaw to en-
sure fairness in the judiciary, U Myo
Win said, adding that the restrictions
on his demonstration showed the need
for reform of the peaceful protest law.
The police defended the change of
venue, saying the original proposal
was unsuitable as it was in a crowded
area.
The place he wanted to protest is
in front of the ofce block for regional
level ofces. Moreover, it is situated
opposite the Central Womens Hospi-
tal. And we can say that it is a crowded
area because there is a high school. We
dont want the passers-by in trouble,
said Police Major Khin Maung Tint,
the head of Chan Aye Thar San town-
ship police ofce.
We have no other reason to change
the place in allowing the protest, he
added.
U Myo Wins protest followed a
similar solo protest in Mogok town-
ship on August 29.
The protester, U Soe Htay,
marched from Bogyoke Aung San
Road in Htawe ward to Mogok
Township Court. His 90-minute pro-
test against what he called rampant
bribery in the towns judicial system
was conducted with approval from
the local authorities. Mogok Town-
ship Court Judge U Moe Kyi Maung
rejected the allegations.
Electoral reform body battles deadline
PYITHU Hluttaw Speaker Thura U
Shwe Mann has instructed a commit-
tee examining electoral reform to pro-
pose at least seven potential systems
for use in Myanmar, but members
say they may not have enough time
to investigate so many options. Thura
U Shwe Mann made the request after
the body put forward three systems
for consideration on September 30.
The committee was established
after the Pyithu Hluttaw after U
Aung Zin, the representative for Pa-
zundaung, submitted a proposal sup-
porting the introduction of propor-
tional representation. The proposal
was approved in late July, with the
committee instructed to submit its
report within 60 days.
Its report, submitted on Septem-
ber 30, focused on three options:
rst-past-the-past, proportional rep-
resentation and a hybrid system com-
bining the two.
Thura U Shwe Mann instructed
the committee to examine at least
four more systems and submit the
report by the original deadline of Oc-
tober 21.
Three types of electoral system
have been proposed but we should
ofer more options for the public,
Thura U Shwe Mann said.
Committee member U Thein Tun
Oo said he was unsure whether the
task could be completed by the dead-
line.
We will keep working on it but
will have to take a time to complete
this task, he said.
The proposed introduction of pro-
portional representation is opposed
by most ethnic minority parties and
the National League for Democracy.
Committee member and NLD
representative U Zaw Myint Maung
said proportional representation
was both opposed by the public and
unconstitutional.
Proportional representation is
outside the constitution, he said. It
will be very difcult to use that sys-
tem but maybe it could be used if the
constitution is changed.
The proposal is also being con-
sidered by a committee in the upper
house, which in June passed a pro-
posal to introduce proportional rep-
resentation for the 2015 election.
Committee chair U Zaw Myint Pe
said members would nd a system
that the public supports.
He said that people were being
misled by opponents of proportional
representation.
Every democratic country must
have elections and the electoral sys-
tem must represent the public. We
are studying proportional represen-
tation in order to nd the most suit-
able system.
Translation by Zar Zar Soe
HTOO
THANT
thanhtoo.npt@gmail.com
U Myo Win stages a solo protest against judicial corruption in Mandalay on September 29. Photo: Si Thu Lwin
SI THU LWIN
Speaker asks for details on at least seven voting systems after recently formed committee submits report outlining just three options
Black hat hackers hit
Irrawaddy website
THE English-language website of
The Irrawaddy magazine was last
week hit by a cyber attack, appar-
ently in response to its coverage
of meetings between controversial
monk U Wirathu and his Sri Lankan
counterparts.
The site was hit by a collective
known as Blink Hacker Group (BHG)
early on October 2. The group posted
a message on The Irrawaddy home-
page that read, Irrawaddy supports
Jihad and Radical Muslims. For the
defend of Muslims and Allah, Ir-
rawaddy have shown attacking Bud-
dhists and others Non-Muslims with
Media News.
BHG members had apparently
taken umbrage at what they perceived
to be pro-Muslim bias in The Irrawad-
dys coverage of sensitive religious is-
sues, with editor Aung Zaws personal
website having come under attack
from them in the past.
The group claims to have actively
shut down a large number of Facebook
proles that they describe as Muslim
propaganda, as well as launching of-
fensive takeovers on websites promot-
ing anti-Buddhist material.
BHG has been active for more than
a year, and rst made headlines in
early 2013 when it hacked over 1000
websites.
The group identies as Black Hat,
which is a form of hacking that gener-
ally carries malicious intent.
BHG declares it is not politically
aligned, with its Facebook description
reading, We are not Government
hackers nor Anti-Gov hackers. Its
website serves as a log for its con-
quests, as well as posting warnings to
websites with security aws.
In the past Blink has taken down a
vast number of Southeast Asia-based
websites. Previous local targets includ-
ing Eleven Media Group, MRTV-4, The
Street View Journal, Red Link, Yatan-
arpon Teleport, the Southeast Asian
Games and more.
A warning issued to The Street View Journal by the Blink Hacker Group.
Photo: BHG website
KAYLEIGH
LONG
kayleighelong@gmail.com
New vessels handed over to MPA
THE Ministry of Transport has trans-
ferred ve new vessels to Myanma
Port Authority to expand and update
its service eet, announced Union
transport minister U Nyan Tun Aung.
Three of the new boats were built
in China, and the other two came from
Thein Phyu dockyard. The new addi-
tions are a tugboat with re-ghting
capability, two port service facility ves-
sels and two garbage collection vessels.
The 29-metre, twin-engine tugboat
will be the most powerful in Yangon
Port.
The tugboat can ofer great ser-
vice for 20,000-tonne ships and luxury
cruise liners docking at Yangon and
Thilawa ports, said U Nyan Tun Aung.
Pyay Naing Thu Company built
the US$3.2 million vessel in a dock-
yard owned by Yangzhou Top Niche
Ship Building in China under the su-
pervision of Bureau Varitas, an inter-
national classication agency. It has a
740-hp re-ghting pump capable of
delivering 250,000 gallons of water
an hour.
The vessels currently used to ser-
vice the port are 25 years old, said
MPA director U Kyaw Myint. The two
new port facility vessels were built in
Thein Phyu dockyard, owned by My-
anma Port Authority, for K40 million,
he said, adding that they would be
used for mooring, piloting, lighthouse
maintenance and surveying.
The two new $98,000 garbage col-
lection vessels were imported from
China. Translation by Thiri Min Htun
SHWEGU THITSAR
khaingsabainyein@gmail.com
TRADE MARK CAUTION
NOTICE is hereby given that TOTAL SA of 2, place Jean Millier,
La Dfense 6, 92400 Courbevoie, France is the Owner and Sole
Proprietor of the following trademark: -
(Reg: Nos. IV/4943/2003 & IV/12446/2014)
in respect of : - Chemicals used in industry and science, as well
as in agriculture, horticulture, forestry and aquaculture; unprocessed
plastics in any form; rubber in liquid form; artifcial and synthetic
resins; polymers used in industry; adhesives used in industry;
detergents for industrial purposes; chemical additives for motor fuel,
lubricants and fuel; chemical additives for insecticides, herbicides
and fungicides; solvents included in this class; anti-freeze; fuids
for hydraulic and transmission circuits; brake fuids; substances for
absorbing petroleum, oils and greases; oil dispersants - Class: 1
Petroleum (crude or refned); liquid, solid and gaseous fuels; motor
fuel; gas and liquid petroleum gas; lubricants; industrial oils and
greases; parafn and waxes; illuminants; non chemical additives for
motor fuel, fuel and lubricants - Class: 4
Insecticides, herbicides, fungicides; disinfectants; oils, greases, gels,
waxes for medical, pharmaceutical or veterinary purposes - Class: 5
Synthetic resins (semi-fnished products); all forms of unprocessed or
semi-fnished synthetic rubber (except in liquid form); unprocessed
or semi-fnished gums; semi-fnished plastics; insulating products and
materials; insulating oils and greases; oils for transformers; insulating
paints - Class: 17
Vehicle service stations; maintenance, washing and repair of vehicles
and vehicle parts; greasing, lubrication and tuning of motors and
engines; repair and ftting of tyres; maintenance and repair of heating
installations; hiring of drilling platforms; drilling of wells; construction
and maintenance of pipelines and oil rigs; asphalting - Class: 37
Transport, delivery, storage, packing and bottling of products, among
other petroleum products, gas and chemicals and derivatives thereof;
vehicle towing and rental; distribution, transmission and supply of
electricity. Refuelling services, vehicle refuelling station services -
Class: 39
Processing of petroleum products and chemicals, notably petroleum
refning, mixing lubricants for others; gas and electricity production;
vulcanisation of tyres Class: 40
Professional and technical consultancy, analysis, technical project
studies relating to the oil industry, the sale and distribution of
petroleum products and chemicals and derivatives thereof; engineering
(surveying); petroleum, gas and electricity exploration and production
services, notably petroleum, geological, geophysical and geochemical
research and prospecting, oil-well testing, production, oil-feld and
mineral deposit studies and surveys, laboratory analyses relating
to such activities; consultancy in the feld of security; research and
development of new processes and licensing of intellectual property to
others; computer programming; design, development, updating and
maintenance of computer sofware, sofware packages and computer
databases and databanks Class: 42
Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark
or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law.
U Kyi Win Associates
for TOTAL SA
P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon.
Phone: 372416 Dated: 6
th
October, 2014
TRADE MARK CAUTION
NOTICE is hereby given that SONY CORPORATION, a company
organized under the laws of Japan and having its principal ofce
at 1-7-1 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan is the Owner and Sole
Proprietor of the following trademark:-
SONY (logo)
(Reg: Nos. IV/5222/1999 & IV/12436/2014)
in respect of: - International Class:9
or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according
to law.
for SONY CORPORATION
Phone: 372416
Dated: 6
th
October, 2014
Ancient finger-marked
bricks found in Yangon
A COLLECTION of about 450 ancient
nger-marked bricks has been discov-
ered at Paw Taw Mu Sein Monastery in
Yangon Regions Kawhmu township a
nd that one ofcial said could pre-date
the Pyu period.
The bricks were found while work-
ers were clearing part of the monastery
compound to construct a new building.
Some of them had been used to repair a
village road by workmen who were not
aware of their signicance.
Researchers believe the nger
marks on the bricks helped to identify
the manufacturer that had contributed
them. Because the heavy bricks could
not easily be transported, numerous
brick-makers would contribute bricks
to a single project and the markings dif-
ferentiated them from each other. The
practice is thought to have spread to
Myanmar from India.
A retired assistant director of the
Ministry of Cultures Department of
Historical Research said the bricks pre-
date the rise of Bagan and could even
be from before the Pyu era, which spans
from the 4
th
to 9
th
centuries AD.
While nger-marked bricks are com-
monly found at Pyu sites, he said this
did not mean that the Kawhmu cache
was from the same period, particularly
given they were found further south
than most recognised Pyu sites.
People say Pyu whenever they nd
nger-marked bricks, but they could
have been used earlier, U San Win said.
It would not be a surprise if the
bricks were found in Sri Ksetra, Bagan
or Tagaung but they were found in Yan-
gon, he added, referring to archaeologi-
cal sites in central Myanmar.
The bricks are now on public display
at the monastery.
CHERRY THEIN
t.cherry6@gmail.com
People say Pyu
whenever they
nd nger-marked
bricks, but they
could have been
used earlier.
U San Win
Former Ministry of Culture director
Wirathu joins
fght against
Jihad threat
CONTROVERSIAL monk U Wirathu
announced on September 28 he is
linking up with counterparts in Sri
Lanka, alleging that Buddhism is un-
der threat from Islamic jihadists.
Addressing a convention in Co-
lombo of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) or
Buddhist Force, the Mandalay-based U
Wirathu said they would work togeth-
er to protect their common religion.
To protect and defend the threat-
ened Buddhist the world over, my
969 movement will join hands with
the BBS, he told a 5000-seat stadium
packed with monks and their lay sup-
porters.
He said Muslim extremists had
tried to scuttle his visit to Sri Lanka,
which shares close cultural and reli-
gious links with Myanmar.
I am thankful to the President
[Mahinda Rajapakse] for granting me
a visa in spite of attempts by Muslim
extremists to prevent my visit, he said.
Buddhists are facing a serious
threat today from jihadist groups,
the monk said, without giving details.
The patience of Buddhists is seen as
a weakness.
Buddhist temples have been de-
stroyed. There is a jihad against Bud-
dhist monks. Media organisations
along with world powers are using
technology to carry out a campaign
against Buddhists, he added.
The BBS has been accused of in-
stigating hate attacks against minor-
ity Muslims and Christians in mainly
Buddhist Sri Lanka over the past two
years.
The group has denied involvement,
but some of their members have been
seen on videos posted on social media
websites while engaged in violence
against minority religious places as
well as businesses.
The government has denied allega-
tions that it provided tacit support to
the BBS.
Sri Lanka sufered its worst reli-
gious violence in decades this June
when riots broke out in the resorts of
Aluthgama and Beruwala, leaving four
people dead.
The BBS has been accused of
instigating the attacks, a charge it
denies.
The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka
had warned the authorities that al-
lowing Wirathu to visit would pose a
serious threat to peace in our beloved
motherland.
BBS leader Galagodaatte Gnana-
sara has been compared to U Wirathu,
who has been accused of ratcheting up
tensions between Buddhists and Mus-
lims in his own country.
Mr Gnanasara has described both
of them as peaceful monks with no
blood on our hands. AFP
U Wirathu gestures during the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) convention in Colombo on September 28. Photo: AFP
Villagers thwart attempted rape
Villagers in Taikkyi township have
stopped a man who was allegedly at-
tempting to rape his sons girlfriend.
On September 11, the man, 46,
reportedly entered his sisters home at
about 11pm, where he found his son,
22, and his sons girlfriend, 27, discuss-
ing plans to elope.
The man, who is believed to have
been drunk at the time, kicked his
son and dragged the woman from the
house. Police said he attempted to
rape the woman on the road in front of
the house while saying that he loved
her.
The woman was able to escape but
was caught by the man, who again at-
tempted to rape her on a bridge in the
village. Villagers from the town were
able to stop the man and restrain him.
He has been charged by police ofcers
in Taikkyi.
Illegal reworks trade zzles
Police in Htaukkyant are conduct-
ing a crackdown on the sale of illegal
reworks.
A woman, 48, was busted by police
after they received reports that she
was storing and selling reworks. Of-
cers discovered a cache of 23 types of
reworks in her apartment.
In a separate bust, another woman,
22, was arrested for selling nine types
of reworks in Htaukkyant Yadanar
Market. Both women were charged on
September 26.
Grandfather killed child
he believed was possessed
A two-year-old has been killed by his
grandfather who believed the infant
was possessed by a demon.
The man was looking after the
child while her parents were away. On
September 25 neighbours reported
hearing the baby crying and went to
investigate. When they arrived the
man said that while he was feeding the
child, she bit him. Believing that the
child was possessed, the man took the
child outside and drowned her in water
near his home.
The man then left the childs body
on the side of the road. He has been
charged by Dagon Seikkan police.
Taxi driver and an accomplice
steal elderly womans jewellery
An elderly woman was robbed by a taxi
driver and an accomplice while travel-
ling to a monastery last week.
The woman, 76, hailed a taxi in
Yankin township on September 23 en
route to Mogok Vipissana Monastery.
The taxi driver and an accomplice,
who was also in the vehicle, drove the
woman through back streets before
robbing her of jewellery valued at
about K330,000. They then dropped
her near the Myasaryan Pagoda on
Waizayandar road in Thingangyun
township. Thingangyun police are
still searching for the suspects.
Woman, child found dead in pond
Police in Dala township are investi-
gating the death of a woman and her
young child, who were both found
drowned in a pond.
The woman, 38, and child, 2, were
discovered in a pond in Mhawset
Ward, Dala township, on September
23 after the childs grandmother had
reported them missing.
The mother is thought to have been
drunk when she left home with the
child. She had a history of struggling
with alcohol abuse, police said.
Good Samaritan stabbed
during domestic quarrel
A man attempting to break up a
quarrel between and husband and
wife was stabbed with a pair of scis-
sors last week.
Trishaw driver U Soe Naing Oo
dropped the woman at her home in
North Okkalapa township on Sep-
tember 28 at about 8:45pm after she
had been shopping.
The woman was confronted by her
husband and the pair began arguing.
U Soe Naing Oo stepped in to break up
the ght but the husband stabbed him
in the left arm with a pair of scissors.
U Soe Naing Oo was admitted to
North Okkalapa Township Hospital.
The man has been charged by police.
Teenager commits suicide after
uncle questions phone purchase
A student has killed himself after a
dispute with his uncle over the pur-
chase of a mobile phone. The boy,
15, was found dead in Mingalardon
township on September 30. He had
hanged himself using a strap on his
backpack.
A note was found in the boys bed-
room saying he didnt want to bother
his parents and no longer had a
desire to live.
Toe Wai Aung, translation by
Zar Zar Soe and Khant Lin Oo
CRIME IN BRIEF
Police seize
200kg of heroin
in Shan State
MYANMAR authorities have seized
more than 200 kilograms of heroin on
their side of the infamous Golden Tri-
angle, arresting three men armed with
guns and a grenade launcher, police
said on October 1.
The haul, worth around US$20 mil-
lion, was made on the afternoon of Sep-
tember 30 in a town in eastern Shan
State bordering Thailand as a part of
a wider crackdown on drug trafcking
across the country.
More than 200kg of heroin in the
form of 665 blocks were seized from a
truck, a senior anti-drugs squad police
ofcer said on condition of anonymity.
We arrested three men with two
pistols and one M79 grenade launcher,
he added.
Myanmar is the worlds second-larg-
est opium producer after Afghanistan
and Southeast Asias biggest synthetic
drug maker, according to the United
Nations Ofce on Drugs and Crime,
which has warned that criminal activ-
ity threatens the nations stability.
Police ofcers said the drug problem
has been growing around the country
and warned that inadequate assis-
tance from the state and international
community could lead to the problem
deepening.
The president has instructed us
to control the situation by arresting
drug trafckers, the police ofcer said.
Even though we are tackling them, the
problem is getting worse.
Drug production in the countrys
war-torn borderlands has surged in
recent years, particularly the manufac-
ture of methamphetamine tablets in
hidden jungle laboratories.
Residents in border towns say the
pills can be bought readily at roadside
stores.
The Golden Triangle region was
formerly one of the worlds top produc-
ers of opium and heroin. AFP
MANDALAYS rst oating hotel is
likely to open in time for this years
peak tourism season, its owners say.
The hotel, near Mayanchan jetty
on Strand Road, should open this
month, says GC company.
We have a place to dock the
ship, but no licence yet. Once we
get a ship licence, we will get a ho-
tel licence we hope to have it in
time for the tourist season, com-
pany director U Tun Tun said on
September 26.
He added that construction and
recruitment are nearly complete.
The international-standard hotel,
to be named Karaweik, is a three-
storey ship, 75 metres (250 feet)
long and 21m (70 feet) wide, with 39
rooms.
Floating hotel aims for October launch
KYAW KO KO
kyawkoko.mdy991@gmail.com
The 39-room Karaweik hotel is berthed
near Mayanchan jetty on Strand Road
in Mandalay. Photo: Kyaw Ko Ko
Government pushes for
end to UN rights resolution
THE government has used its United
Nations General Assembly address
to press the case that progress on re-
forms initiated by President U Thein
Sein mean the international commu-
nity should cease its annual resolution
on Myanmars human rights record
and drop the country from its broader
human rights agenda.
However, observers say the pitch
is likely to fall at given ongoing con-
cerns over communal conict in Ra-
khine State, with the European Union
expected to submit a resolution to the
assembly in coming weeks.
Foreign Minister U Wunna Maung
Lwin told ofcials at the General As-
sembly in New York that Myanmar
was now middle tier of the human
rights ladder and that it no longer
needed to be targeted by sponsored
resolutions or the UNs Human Rights
Council.
All major concerns related to hu-
man rights have been addressed to a
larger extent in the new Myanmar, U
Wunna Maung Lwin said during the
general debate.
The UN General Assembly has
adopted resolutions against Myanmar
over its human rights record every
year since 1992. Myanmar has for
years argued that the resolutions are
unwarranted and ofcials in Nay Pyi
Taw say that the UN should focus on
progress made during the three years
since President U Thein Sein came to
power rather than the countrys con-
tinued difculties.
The government made a similar
case last year but eventually the Euro-
pean Union, under pressure from ac-
tivists and the United States, drafted
a resolution that was later adopted.
In March the UN Human Rights
Council also extended the mandate
of the special rapporteur for human
rights in Myanmar.
In recent years the EU resolution
has been opposed by an increasing
number of member countries.
However, sources familiar with the
process told The Myanmar Times that
another resolution is likely this year
because several key issues in the past
two resolutions particularly steps to-
ward reconciliation in Rakhine State
and the opening of an in-country
branch of the Ofce of the United Na-
tions High Commissioner for Human
Rights (OHCHR) remain unresolved.
In his speech U Wunna Maung
Lwin downplayed the conict in Ra-
khine State, where violence in 2012
left about 200 dead and 140,000 dis-
placed in squalid camps. The majority
of the displaced are Muslims who self-
identify as Rohingya but are ofcially
referred to in Myanmar as Bengalis.
The foreign minister asked for pa-
tience and called on members of the
UN to understand the situation before
jumping to conclusions.
In addressing the root cause, we
are working for peace, stability, har-
mony and development of all people
in Rakhine State, U Wunna Maung
Lwin said.
The foreign minister also called for
increased support from the UN to aid
development in the region. However,
non-government aid groups and UN
agencies have faced serious difculties
working in Rakhine State because of
opposition from local Rakhine, who
accuse them of being biased toward
the states Muslim population.
In February, the government ex-
pelled Nobel Peace Prize-winning
aid group Mdecins Sans Frontires-
Holland from the state under pres-
sure from Rakhine nationalists. The
organisation signed a new memo-
randum of understanding with the
government in September to resume
work in Rakhine but the scope of its
operations and when they will start
remains unclear. In March, staf from
the UN and international NGOs were
forced to ee Rakhine State when
their ofces and residences were tar-
geted by Buddhist mobs.
Two days prior to U Wunna Maung
Lwins speech, UN General Secre-
tary Ban Ki Moon said he remained
deeply troubled by the situation in
Rakhine.
Rakhine State is not the only
rights-related issue of concern for the
international community. Another
major sticking point for the resolution
is Nay Pyi Taws continued reluctance
to permit an OHCHR ofce to open in
Myanmar despite an assurance from
President U Thein Sein in 2012 that he
would allow the UN to do so.
Matilda Bogner, regional repre-
sentative for OHCHRs Southeast
Asia ofce, said discussions with the
government were ongoing over the
opening of an ofce. She stressed that
despite the government making pro-
gress on human rights, an OHCHR
presence was necessary to further hu-
man rights protections.
If an ofce is established, OHCHR
will be able to provide more sound ad-
vice and more immediate assistance
and conduct better assessments and
evaluations to support the govern-
ment and the people of Myanmar to-
wards the promotion and protection
of human rights for all, Ms Bogner
said.
A new resolution would be widely
welcomed among Myanmar-focused
rights groups, as they consider it valu-
able leverage for forcing the govern-
ment to enact further reforms.
A resolution isnt a silver bullet
but its a link in the chain to a better
day, said Matthew Smith, executive
director at human rights group Fortify
Rights. Now is just not the right time
to break the chain.
Minister for Foreign Affairs U Wunna Maung Lwin (left) shakes hands with US
Secretary of State John Kerry in Washington on September 30. Photo: AFP
Obama
keeps child
soldier
sanctions
PRESIDENT Barack Obama has decid-
ed to keep Myanmar on the list of na-
tions that are subject to United States
sanctions over its use of child soldiers.
The decision, announced on Sep-
tember 30, came despite signs of pro-
gress in the discharge of underage re-
cruits from the Tatmadaw.
A US ofcial said that Mr Obama
had not granted Myanmar a waiver
from the sanctions applied under the
Child Soldier Prevention Act (CSPA).
The law prevents US military assis-
tance to or the sale of licences for com-
mercial military sales to cited nations.
In his annual determination, Mr
Obama also declined to grant waivers
to Syria and Sudan, which like Myan-
mar were among nine states named
on a CSPA list released by the State
Department in June.
Mr Obama did however grant waiv-
ers under the law to Rwanda, Somalia
and Yemen, and partial waivers to the
Central African Republic, the Demo-
cratic Republic of Congo and South
Sudan.
The United Nations praised Myan-
mar last week for making progress in
thinning the numbers of child soldiers
in the ranks of its armed forces.
The military released 109 children
and young people from service last
month, in the largest single release
of child recruits since the Tatmadaw
committed to ending the recruitment
and use of children in June 2012.
A total of 472 children and young
people have been released since then
as the military has slowed but not
yet completely halted its use of
children.
There are no veriable gures on
how many children are serving in My-
anmars military, which has faced a
slew of accusations over rights abuses.
A quasi-civilian regime led by Presi-
dent U Thein Sein has steered Myan-
mar out of decades of isolation and won
the support of the US, which has lifted
many of its economic sanctions. AFP
TIM
MCLAUGHLIN
A resolution isnt a
silver bullet but its
a link in the chain to
a better day.
Matthew Smith
Fortify Rights
Mangroves
return to life
IT is almost impossible to walk through
the rehabilitated mangrove plantation
in Kan Ngu village in southern Rakhine
States Gwa township. The mud sucks in
your boots at every step, while roots bar
your way. For the uninititated, its tough
to avoid stepping on the mangroves.
Please watch out, be sure you dont
step on the young plant, U Kyaw Win,
the plantation manager, warned me
as we passed a small sapling at below
knee height, hiding amongst the adult
trees that stand 1.8-2.1 metres (6-7 feet)
tall.
The 540-acre plantation is one very
local attempt to save a fast disappear-
ing global ecosystem. According to
The World Atlas of Mangroves, which,
published in 2010, was the rst global
assessment of the state of the worlds
mangroves, roughly a quarter of the
worlds mangrove cover has been lost
due to human activity.
However, estimates for Myanmar
put the rate of deforestation much
higher. A 2013 report from the Nation-
al University of Singapore estimated
through the use of satellite imagery
that mangrove cover in the Ayeyar-
wady delta had declined from 2623
square kilometres (650,000 acres) in
1978 to 938 square kilometres (230,000
acres) by 2011. Experts fear that if that
rate continues Myanmars mangrove
forests could disappear within a few
decades.
Mangrove swamps nurture greater
numbers of sh and shrimp and they
are also a good natural defence against
coastal erosion, tsunamis and storm
surges during cyclones. If fewer acres
hadnt been cut down before Cyclone
Nargis, conservationists say, fewer peo-
ple may have died in the subsequent
storm surge as mangroves would have
weakened the force of the waves.
Much of that habitat loss has oc-
curred in Rakhine State, where
mangrove cover declined from 1620
square kilometres (about 400,000
acres) in 1980 to about 600 square kilo-
metres (about 150,000 acres) in 2013.
The Kan Ngu rehabilitation project
was launched in 2011 with support
from the Coastal Livelihood and Envi-
ronmental Assets Restoration in Rakh-
ine (CLEARR). The larger project has
resulted in the creation of mangrove
and other types of community forests
in 42 villages in Gwa township and
Kyaintali sub-township over the past
three years.
While the mangrove forests had
originally been cut to meet demand
for wood and charcoal, residents found
that they had more income opportuni-
ties when the mangroves grew back,
said U Kyaw Win. The increased earn-
ings meant more people could aford to
use electricity and purchase consumer
goods, like televisions, he said.
Water resources such as sh,
prawn, crab and oyster are increasing
again because of the mangrove forest,
U Kyaw Win said. Now there are many
people who have their own boats and
shing net.
Some of the adult mangroves in the
Kan Ngu plantation can be cut down
for building materials with approval
from the forest department, while
branches can be taken sparingly for use
as rewood.
We patrol to protect our plantation
every day and we wish to extend more
plantations in the future.
One resident of Gyain Gyi vil-
lage in Gwa township said that the
village hopes to expand its com-
munity plantations even further in
future.
We have conserved 50 acres of
mangrove [community] forest since
2011 and another 70 acres of commu-
nity forest [on land] since 2013. We
benet from having rewood, food and
housing materials from the forest. The
forest also prevents erosion. We would
like to expand our plantation if we have
more land, U Myint Toe said.
CLEARR project manager U Win
Maung said the forests were important
for ending the cycle of poverty in Rakh-
ine State, which is the second-poorest
state or region in Myanmar.
The loss of habitat for aqua resourc-
es, such as sh, prawn and oysters, has
led to less income for the people who
rely on these resources, he said.
But without action, he said, Rakh-
ines mangrove forests would likely dis-
appear. Mangrove forests have been
cut down for many years. In the future,
unless there is some proper efort put
into conservation, it will be hard to nd
forests in good condition.
Men row a boat beside a rehabilitated mangrove forest in Rakhine States Gwa township. Photo: Aye Sapay Phyu
AYE SAPAY
PHYU
ayephyu2006@gmail.com
United Nations calls
for worldwide fund
to save mangroves
WORLD lenders should set up a
Global Mangrove Fund to protect
these hotspots of biodiversity and vital
sources of income, the UN Environ-
ment Programme said last week.
More than a quarter of the worlds
mangroves have already been lost, and
the current rate of destruction is more
than triple that of land forests, it said.
Greenhouse gas emissions have
increased as a result, as methane and
carbon dioxide are unlocked from veg-
etation and sediment, said the Nairo-
bi-based agency. Around one-fth of
carbon emissions from all forests de-
rive from mangroves, it said.
In the rst attempt to put a price
tag on the cost, the report estimated
economic damage at between US$6
billion and $42 billion annually.
Mangroves provide ecosystem ser-
vices worth around $33,000 to $57,000
per hectare [$13,200 to $22,800 per
acre] per year; add to that their supe-
rior ability to store carbon that would
otherwise be released into the atmos-
phere, said UNEP executive director
Achim Steiner.
The report called for mangroves
to join land forests in the growing
panoply of international conservation
incentives.
These include pledges to mitigate
carbon emissions under the UN cli-
mate talks and funding projects to en-
courage communities to preserve and
restore degraded mangroves.
One mechanism for this would be
a Global Mangrove Fund backed by
the World Bank, the Global Environ-
ment Fund (GEF), national govern-
ments and the United Nations.
Other economic incentives that
can help establish mangrove conser-
vation and/or restoration include the
provision of employment and income-
generating opportunities such as
sustainable sheries and prawn culti-
vation, marketing of mangrove prod-
ucts [sh, dyes and medicines] and
ecotourism and recreation, the report
said.
Thick forests of trees and shrubs
that thrive in warm, brackish tidal
waters, mangroves are the home to
many threatened species, and a direct
or indirect source of revenue for tens
of millions, the report said.
They also provide a shield against
storms and sea surges by absorbing
most of the shock of a wave before it
reaches the shore.
By 2050, Southeast Asia may lose
35 percent of the mangrove cover it
had in 2000, translating into potential
economic loss of more than $2 billion
a year, of which $1.7 billion would be
incurred in Indonesia alone, the new
report said. AFP
BILLION US$
42
Upper estimate for annual economic
toll due to loss of mangrove forests,
according to the United Nations
GWA, RAKHINE STATE
Thousands protest against forest reserve
ANGRY farmers have vowed to step up
their campaign for the repeal of a gov-
ernment designation of land as a for-
est reserve. They say they have worked
the land for years and should be given
the chance to own it.
The dispute centres on Pha-Yon,
in Sinbaungwe township, Magwe Re-
gion, which was designated as a forest
reserve in 2005.
About 1500 farmers staged a dem-
onstration in July that did not change
the governments position, while about
5000 protested in front of the forestry
department ofces in Magwe on Sep-
tember 25, according to organisers.
Farmers leader Ko Tin Tun Aung,
27, who was charged by police for
leading the protest, said most farmers
were unaware that the land they were
cultivating had been designated a for-
est reserve.
We have worked this land for
many years, he said.
No one came to talk to us about
the forest reserve, said farmer U Soe
Thu, of Khon Bo village.
He said he was angry that when
their local hluttaw representative
raised a question about Pha-Yone in
parliament, the deputy forestry minis-
ter said farmers were already aware it
was a forest reserve.
We rely on that farmland to cover
our living expenses ... We demonstrat-
ed because we are worried that now
we could lose it, he said.
The farmers are also upset at news
that township authorities will plant
150 trees an acre in the reserve lands,
which they say could afect their abil-
ity to grow crops.
While forestry ofcials have pre-
viously promised to give back about
9000 of the 35,000 acres inside the
reserve because they were being used
for agriculture and for residential and
religious buildings, residents say that
has not yet happened.
The latest protest may have brought
about a breakthrough. Two days after
the September 25 demonstration, of-
cials visited 10 villages inside Pha-Yon
and distributed forms to farmers so
they could apply for land tenure rights
under the Farmland Law, a process
that is likely to take several months.
Only about 4000 acres of land in
Pha-Yon is used to grow paddy, how-
ever, and rights to the other cultiva-
ble land used to grow crops such as
beans and maize cannot be secured
under the farmland law.
A separate argument is brewing
over how villagers could gain rights
to this non-paddy land, with the forest
department suggesting they apply for
community forest status.
Magwe Farmers Union adviser U
Aung Kyaw Kyaw said farmers could
be disadvantaged if they opted for a
community forest, as it would remain
under state ownership.
There are pros and cons to declar-
ing the land community forest. The
advantage is that farmers can sell the
timber, which is important for the
green economy, but the disadvantage
is they only have it for 30 years, he
said.
This means they would not be able
to sell the land or use it as collateral
to secure loans, although the 30-year
lease is extendable.
Singbaungwe Pyithu Hluttaw rep-
resentative U Aye Naing said the land
in question should never have been
designated part of the forest reserve in
the rst place.
These 9000 acres have been set-
tled for about 30 or 40 years they
have the tax records to prove it, he
said.
He added that it was possible
that the farmers didnt know the
land was designated forest in 2005.
There may also have been some
miscommunication.
Sinbaungwe residents protest on September 25 in Magwe. Photo: Supplied
KHIN SU
WAI
jasminekhin@gmail.com
Government responds by distributing forms that could enable farmers to acquire rights to 4000 acres under the 2012 Farmland Law
ACRES
9000
Land in Magwe Regions Pha-Yon forest
reserve that is currently cultivated, out
of a total of 35,000 acres
Monsoon
withdraws
from central
Myanmar
ITS over for another year. The 2014
rainy season is pulling out of town, an
ofcial from the Department of Mete-
orology and Hydrology conrmed on
October 2.
U Kyaw Lwin Oo, deputy director
of the department, said the south-
western monsoon wind had already
withdrawn from the northern and
central parts of the country as of Sep-
tember 28 and 29 respectively.
The monsoon withdrawal is fore-
cast to continue in the delta area in
the next day or two, proceeding to
southern Myanmar about October 10,
he said.
He said cumulonimbus clouds and
related weather conditions, such as
heavy rain, lightning and strong winds
due to unstable air conditions, could
occur in the Ayeyarwady delta and
southern areas until October 15.
Cumulonimbus cloud has been
also seen in central Myanmar, where
cold air from China meets warm air
from the south, resulting in torrential
rain in isolated areas, he said.
Many Yangon residents reported
fears that a major storm was ap-
proaching when strong winds struck
on the night of September 29. The
wind was violent enough to slam
the doors of the apartments in my
quarter and to shake the branches of
a big tree in front of my house. The
wind howled for about 10 minutes,
said U Maung Maung, of Sanchaung
township.
U Kyaw Lwin Oo also said calm
conditions in the Bay of Bengal and
the South China Sea indicated that the
monsoon would continue to withdraw
on schedule. But the department has
forecast that two low-pressure areas
could form over the bay in October,
one of which could further intensify
into a depression.
The department expects above-
normal rainfall in Tanintharyi Region
in October and normal levels in the
rest of the country. Aye Sapay Phyu
Views
Beneath the Prayuth bikini controversy
A FUNNY thing happened to Thai-
lands General Prayuth Chan-o-cha
after he mounted a coup in May
and later assumed the post of prime
minister.
He discovered that his remarks,
even of-the-cuf asides delivered
with a friendly smile, could land
him in hot water as several have
recently.
The most damaging occurred
earlier last month, soon after the
bodies of a slain young British
couple were found on a beach in
southern Thailand.
The woman, Hannah Wither-
idge, 23, had been raped before
being bludgeoned to death.
In reacting to the crime, Prayuth
said, There are always problems
with the safety of tourists. They
think our country is beautiful and
is safe so they can do whatever they
want. They can wear bikinis and
walk everywhere.
That notion that Witheridge, an
attractive, bikini-wearing blonde,
might perhaps be partly to blame
for being attacked was bad enough,
but Prayuth made things worse by
pondering whether any women are
safe in bikinis, unless they are not
beautiful.
His comments created a furore,
both overseas and within Thailands
tourism industry, which has already
taken a battering due to the military
coup mounted by Prayuths men.
After all, most tourists visit
Thailand for the beaches, and 50
percent of those visitors are women
many of whom don bikinis. And
now you are saying all the pretty
ones are in danger of being raped
and murdered.
It was the kind of reexive re-
mark one often gets from older men
who have not lived abroad and who
have been closeted in an insular
male-dominated community, in this
case the military.
And it was doubly curious,
because at the same time, the local
press was full of pictures of beauti-
ful Thai athletes competing in track
and volleyball events at the Asian
Games and wearing little more than
skimpy bikinis.
No one suggested Thailands n-
est sportswomen were in danger of
being grabbed by randy male coun-
terparts and physically violated.
Of course, Prayuth later apolo-
gised and appeared quite sincere.
Fine. All of us make silly mistakes
and hopefully learn from them.
What has not been properly
addressed, however, is whether, in
a regional Asian context, Prayuths
remarks had some validity.
Sure, we can agree that, except
for Brunei and parts of Muslim-
majority Malaysia and Indonesia, an
itsy bitsy bikini is ne at the beach
or by a hotel pool, whether the
wearer is pretty or not.
Just as theres nothing ofensive,
although some may regard it as
rather naf, for men to sport brief
skin-tight swimming trunks so-
called budgie smugglers at the
seaside.
The problem comes when they
move away from the water and
head into town and go into shops
and restaurants while still wearing
what amounts to nothing but scanty
underwear.
That, it seems, was Prayuths
point when he queried whether its
apt for women to wear a bikini and
walk everywhere.
In conservative societies like
Thailand, and across most of this
region, it is often regarded as deeply
ofensive.
And the young folks doing it
tend to compound the ofence by
glaring back at, or even reproach-
ing, local people who look askance
at their insensitive behaviour.
It bears stressing, of course, that
insensitive behaviour and the wear-
ing of provocative clothing does not
constitute an invitation to rape, let
alone murder.
But it does signify a certain cul-
tural boorishness and a lack of civic
awareness that warrants an ofcial
reprimand.
The overseas media, which
gleefully pounced on Prayuths
verbal gafe, are also partly to blame
because of their insensitive and
crass portrayals of countries in this
region.
Thailand, in particular, is rou-
tinely described as a kind of Sodom
Thailands junta chief and prime minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha makes a traditional greeting as he leaves a venue after apologising
on September 18 for earlier comments sug gesting tourists in bikinis could be more vulnerable to attack. Photo: AFP
ROGER
MITTON
rogermitton@gmail.com
The overseas
media, which
gleefully pounced
on Prayuths verbal
gafe, are also partly
to blame because
of their insensitive
and crass portrayals
of countries in
the region.
Rights-compliant investment
needed to keep SEZs fair for all
THE village elder from Mutu, a
small village near Dawei, in south-
ern Myanmar, held out the 30 com-
plaint letters residents had sent to
Tanintharyi Region Chief Minister U
Myat Ko.
The letters sought to highlight
alleged human rights violations
related to the development of the
Dawei Special Economic Zone (SEZ)
and requested that adequate com-
pensation be paid to those afected.
In Mutu and neighbouring villag-
es, farmers and shermen lamented
the displacement of communities,
loss of livelihoods and culture,
and forced relocations due to the
development of the Dawei SEZ and
related infrastructure. Some told
us they were being charged with
trespassing on government land
because they had refused to leave
their homes after their land had
been conscated.
While the Dawei SEZ has been
stalled for some time, Thai Prime
Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will
visit Myanmar his rst ofcial
overseas trip and is expected to
hold talks aimed at reviving the
project.
But the complaints emanat-
ing from Dawei are not isolated
incidents. Amid the euphoria of the
investment gold rush, Myanmar
faces an epidemic of land disputes
exacerbated by the development of
SEZs.
With reforms underway, the
government has sought to shed its
pariah image and promote SEZs
that combine industrial estates and
deep-sea ports in order to attract
foreign investment, boost the job
market and shift its economic de-
pendence away from the dominant
agricultural sector.
But without proper environ-
mental and land laws, as well as an
efective judiciary to enforce these
laws and provide appropriate judi-
cial remedies, these development
projects risk being counterproduc-
tive for sustainable development
and the protection of human rights
in Myanmar.
For Myanmar to embark on a
path of sustainable development
that advances, rather than under-
mines, the rights of its people, it
must create a legal framework
consisting of primary laws and
secondary regulations.
Two components are crucial in
such a framework. First, it must
ensure there are robust procedures
to ensure justice and efective rem-
edies for those harmed by develop-
ment projects including investors
by strengthening the ability of
courts and administrative bodies to
hear such cases.
Second, it must prevent viola-
tions by creating an obligation to
undertake environmental and social
impact assessments, particularly hu-
man rights impact assessments.
There are some indications that
the judiciary is beginning to act
more independently. The use of liti-
gation against the government for
human rights violations unheard
of in Myanmar under military rule
seems to be gaining some traction.
The ICJ met villagers suing state-
owned Mining Enterprise 2 which
operates the Heinda mining project,
one of the biggest in Myanmar, with
a Thai rm for damage to their
homes and crops. The lawsuit has
been accepted for trial by the Dawei
District Court. This is believed to
be the rst time that a lower-level
court in Myanmar has accepted a
case of this nature against a govern-
ment entity.
Up in northern Shan State, a
cofee plantation company recently
announced that it plans to take
legal action against the Ministry of
Agriculture and Irrigation, which
has allegedly failed to take adequate
steps to resolve a land dispute with
local farmers.
These cases are a test of the
efectiveness and independence of
Myanmars judiciary, and its capac-
ity to fairly administer justice, as it
seeks to emerge from years of re-
pression and submission to military
rule. It remains unclear whether
they will be efective.
Villagers are now turning to
the courts to seek justice but we
may be ghting a losing battle, U
Thant Zin, a senior coordinator of
the Dawei Development Association,
told us during a visit to the site of
the proposed SEZ.
But such problems can be pre-
vented in the rst place if robust
environmental and social impact
assessments are contemplated in
the investment process.
Impact assessments are impor-
tant before a project is approved in
order to identify potential impacts,
assess alternatives, and avoid or
mitigate serious human rights and
environmental violations. Typically,
they would lead to the formula-
tion of environmental and social
management plans to be applied
throughout the duration of a project
to identify specic risks and deal
with them efectively.
In Myanmar, there is still ambi-
guity about the roles of environmen-
tal impact assessments and envi-
ronmental management plans. The
Environmental Conservation Law
enacted in 2012 requires signicant
renements. Even though impact as-
sessments are required for all major
development projects under the new
Foreign Investment Law, the precise
environmental and social standards
expected for investors have yet to
be articulated. The procedures for
impact assessments remain in draft
form.
Domestic environmental legisla-
tion must be further improved and
nalised to protect the environment
and human rights. Meaningful
steps to mitigate risks relating to
corruption and unjust land acquisi-
tions are urgently needed to protect
Myanmars vulnerable communities
and ensure environmentally benign
outcomes from investment deals.
These include environmental and
human rights impact assessments to
address forced evictions and reset-
tlement, and conducting public con-
sultations with potentially afected
communities. Investment permits
should be approved only after such
strategic assessments are undertak-
en and the results are publicly and
transparently disclosed.
Regional and global stakeholders
must also support this rights-com-
pliant investment culture, as part of
their international duty to promote
the realisation of human rights
through international cooperation.
In the absence of a robust system
of impact assessments, Myanmar
civil society has taken some encour-
aging steps to enforce the rights
of people afected by development
projects. Environmental groups
have challenged the Letpadaung
copper mine in Monywa for the fail-
ure of developers to undertake an
environmental impact assessment.
Displaced villagers from Thilawa re-
cently travelled to Tokyo to demand
adequate compensation and due
process from the Japanese Interna-
tional Cooperation Agency, which is
supporting the development of the
SEZ. Dawei residents have also met
Niran Pitakwatchara, the manag-
ing director of the National Human
Rights Commission of Thailand, and
a public hearing is expected later
this month in Bangkok.
The approval of investments
without requisite legal safeguards
and enforcement mechanisms
clearly has undesirable efects for
the country. On the other hand,
well-regulated investment may be
harnessed to help realise the rights
of the people of Myanmar. The My-
anmar government must do more
to full its responsibility to protect
human rights and the environment
instead of derogating that duty to
investors.
Vani Sathisan is the international legal
adviser in Myanmar for the International
Commission of Jurists.
VANI
SATHISAN
A resident of Thanlyin township sits inside her home after officials posted an
eviction notice in February 2013. Some of those displaced for the Thilawa Special
Economic Zone in Thanlyin have submitted a formal complaint to the Japan
International Cooperation Agency, which is a partner in the project. Photo: Aung
Htay Hlaing
Views
Beneath the Prayuth bikini controversy
Thailands junta chief and prime minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha makes a traditional greeting as he leaves a venue after apologising
on September 18 for earlier comments sug gesting tourists in bikinis could be more vulnerable to attack. Photo: AFP
and Gomorrah, where go-go danc-
ers, ping pong shows and ladyboys
are the order of the day.
In truth, except for the more
doctrinaire Islamic states, there are
few places on earth more conserva-
tive than Thailand. You will never
see a nipple or bum cleavage on
Thai television.
In tness centres, expat women
routinely complain of having to wait
ages for a shower, because local girls
insist on getting changed in the
shower cubicles to avoid dressing
and undressing in front of others.
In my own sports club, Thai men
often almost topple over as they
try to pull up their underpants un-
derneath a towel wrapped around
their waist, since they regard it as
unseemly to appear naked in front
of others.
This, and even stranger behav-
iour, at least in the eyes of many
foreigners, occurs all across South-
east Asia.
In Vietnam, despite being one
of the regions most sexually open
societies, models and singers are
often ned for wearing revealing
clothes.
Last year, the organisers of a Ho
Chi Minh City fashion show called
The Long-legged Bash 7 were ned
more than US$1500 for featuring
models in underwear.
In Malaysia and Indonesia,
beauty pageants are regularly raided
and contestants are often carted of
to spend a night in the lockup.
Any level-headed tourist will
quickly suss out the local customs
and sensibilities, and act
accordingly.
Whether the tragic victims in
Thailand behaved appropriately is
unclear, but what is clear is that the
lacerating criticism that Prayuth
received was over the top.
The reason he came in for such a
strong rebuke is probably twofold.
Firstly, his remarks coincided
with an incomprehensibly stupid
advert that Durex, one of the worlds
top condom manufacturers, put on
its Facebook page.
The advert, apparently intended
as a kind of joke about girls who
resist aggressive sexual advances,
claimed that, Twenty-eight percent
of women that fought ended up
consenting.
Naturally, it drew strong
condemnation and was viewed as
urging men to force themselves on
women, if not actually encouraging
rape.
Durex quickly pulled the ad, and
much like Prayuth, apologised pro-
fusely for the mistake and insisted
that it never condoned non-consen-
sual sex.
Another reason for the tongue-
lashing of the PM, though this could
be wishful thinking, may be that
Thai society has collectively learned
a lesson from the nauseating mi-
sogynistic slurs his predecessor had
to endure.
When protesters campaigned to
unseat Yingluck Shinawatra, Thai-
lands rst female prime minister,
they called her a stupid bitch and
a slut, and made vile comments
at public events about her sanitary
napkins.
Even more shocking was that
these disgusting insults were made
by supposedly educated Thais,
including a doctor, and that they
were applauded, even by women in
the crowd.
And they were reported in the
local media, often by female journal-
ists, without condemnation in-
deed, it was not until days later that
the press got around to castigating
these comments.
So perhaps progress has been
made in that Prayuth, after ap-
parently speaking instinctively
and without proper thought, did
promptly apologise and make
amends.
Its not much but it is something.
Yangon mayor misleads
on new city project
SITHU AUNG
MYINT
ON September 22, the Yangon Region
Hluttaw convened a special session
to discuss the Yangon new town plan,
which has been widely criticised by
some MPs and observers. The inten-
tion of holding the session was to ex-
plain more about the project and get
approval from MPs. Yangon Mayor
U Hla Myint discussed the plan but
was accused by Daw Nyo Nyo Thin,
a hluttaw representative from Bahan
township, of misleading MPs.
At the previous Yangon Region
Hluttaw session, U Hla Myint submit-
ted the plan on behalf of Yangon
Region Chief Minister U Myint Swe.
Broadly, the plan would see Yangon
expanded to the west in an area
covering more than 30,000 acres
between the Pan Hlaing River, Hla-
ing River, Twante Canal and Hlaing
Thar Yar-Twante Road. The cost was
estimated at US$8 billion and K7
trillion ($7.07 billion). The mayor told
the hluttaw that the government had
selected Myanma Saytannar Myothit
Public Company to implement the
project.
After the plan was presented, MPs,
media and other observers criticised
the governments lack of transpar-
ency, particularly in awarding a
$15-billion project to an unknown
company.
After the backlash, the regional
government announced it would
conduct a tender rather than award
it to Myanma Saytannar Myothit. In
its presentation to the hluttaw, the
regional government said this tender
would be conducted transparently.
When U Hla Myint discussed the
plan with MPs, he said that it was
part of the Strategic Urban Develop-
ment Plan of the Greater Yangon
better known as the Yangon 2040
plan drawn up by Yangon City
Development Committee with as-
sistance from the Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA). He also
said that many workshops were held
to discuss the plan, which has also
been presented to the president and
the Union government.
Daw Nyo Nyo Thin drew atten-
tion to his claim that the plan tted
into that drawn up with help from
JICA. Actually, the new town plan is
not written by JICA or any plan-
ning expert, for that matter. YCDC
secretary U Kyaw Soe told journalists
that it was the idea of one person,
a man named U Aung Kyaw Lwin,
who had presented it to the Yangon
Region government. Mixing the city
expansion project with the Yangon
2040 plan appears a deliberate step to
mislead the people. JICAs plan covers
the entirety of urban Yangon, from
downtown to each of its extremities.
Ultimately, the criticism resulted
in the government announcing on
September 26 that it was suspending
the plan indenitely. If the regional
government wants to make the new
city plan a reality during its term, it
had better ask experts for help. They
should not simply point to the place
where their friends have coincidental-
ly bought land prior to the announce-
ment of the new city plan.
With a $15 billion price tag, this
would be the biggest project imple-
mented in Myanmar to date. The
government should hire an interna-
tional consulting rm to oversee the
tender selection process. It should not
form a tender selection commission
of people friendly to the government.
It should also invite foreign compa-
nies to assist with the project and
then choose a company with a good
reputation, relevant experience and
adequate nancial resources.
The debate over this project
has also highlighted the important
role of the parliament. MPs have
been essential for furthering debate
on whether the project will really
benet the state and the people. If
the project moves forward, the hlut-
taw should oversee a plan to ensure
those whose lands are conscated
are adequately compensated, and
also introduce legislation to limit
land price speculation.
24 THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 6 - 12, 2014
Business
JAPAN was the big winner in the for-
eign banking licence contest, securing
three of the nine licences awarded on
October 1.
A total of 25 foreign banks had en-
tered the race for the licences by July 14.
One winner each comes from Aus-
tralia, Thailand, China and Malaysia,
while Singapore boasted two successful
banks and Japan claimed three win-
ners. The banks now have a year to get
their branch up and running before re-
ceiving a permanent licence.
Now comes the hard part, said
Sean Turnell, a Myanmar-focused econ-
omist at Macquarie University.
How to come up with a viable busi-
ness plan that will generate protable
return on the minimum capital require-
ment of US$75 million. It will be tough,
especially in the early years.
This will be a long-term bet for
them all, he said.
The move to allow foreign banks
into the country has been controver-
sial, with some local banks opposing
the move, claiming they are not ready
to compete.
Mr Turnell also noted that all three
Japanese banks that entered Bank
of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Mizuho Bank and
Sumitomo Mitsui had received a slot.
So, despite some disappointments
in other sectors, Japans substantial
investments in their relationship with
Myanmar is now paying dividends, he
said.
DBS was a notable omission from
the list of winners, as the Singapore-
based bank is one of the largest and
most inuential in the area, with great
regional ambitions, he added. Two of
the three Singaporean entrants UOB
and OCBC won preliminary licences.
Edwin Vanderbruggen, senior part-
ner at legal and tax advisors VDB Loi,
said there were some surprises among
the banking winners and losers.
Three South Korean banks Indus-
trial Bank of Korea, Kookmin Bank and
Shinhan Bank had submitted propos-
als to the CBM, but none of them had
made the cut.
We were expecting that at least one
Korean bank would be able to clinch
the licence, he said.
Similarly, no Vietnam, Taiwan or
India bank is in the line-up, which is
denitely a pity.
Of the winners, Mr Vanderbruggen
said ANZs strong presence in Asia and
ICBC being the only entrant from China
likely helped them both, while Bangkok
Bank and Maybank managed to beat
out competitors from their own coun-
tries of Thailand and Malaysia.
The winning banks were selected by
a tender process from among a short-
list of 25 candidates released on July
14. The shortlist was composed from
expressions of interest from the 42 for-
eign banks with Myanmar representa-
tive of ces.
Central Bank of Myanmar governor
U Kyaw Kyaw Maung said licences were
awarded on the basis of technical skill,
service and discipline, capability in their
home country and regional footprint.
Assessing how much the banks will
contribute to develop the domestic
economy was also important.
After a detailed analysis I am sure
these nine banks are perfect for the
country, he said. There are many oth-
ers we could have chosen, but I hope
the winners will assist with developing
the economy.
The preliminary approvals are valid
for 12 months, during which the banks
must prepare to open their branches.
After a year the Central Bank will grant
the nal licences.
The banks will face restrictions, such
as being barred from retail banking, be-
ing limited to one branch and not being
allowed to lend to local companies.
However, the foreign banks will be
able to use both dollars and kyats, ac-
cording to local media, and will be able
to lend to local banks and foreign com-
panies.
KPMG Myanmar managing director
Yasuhide Fujii said the winners all have
local representative of ces, so have ex-
perience working in Myanmar and un-
derstanding the practical dif culties.
However, they also have great faith
in the Myanmar growth story as well as
the Myanmar peoples ability to over-
come these dif culties with some help,
he said. Myanmar is seen as a key mar-
ket going forward, and could support
pan-Asian growth strategies and service
existing customers into Myanmar as a
natural extension of their operations
within the region, he added.
Winning banks welcomed the selec-
tion. Singapores OCBC Bank head of
global commercial banking Linus Goh
said it will be able to ofer more services
with the branch.
Foreign companies will soon be
able to open an OCBC bank account in
Myanmar and be supported by an expe-
rienced team of commercial bankers in
Yangon to support their banking needs
for their local projects and operations,
he said in a press release.
The banks that lost out on licences
will also likely have future opportuni-
ties to enter the market, through av-
enues such as joint ventures or possible
future licensing.
Some local bankers have also op-
posed the recent licensing round, claim-
ing it is too much competition too early
in the development of the sector.
Joe Barker-Bennett, a consultant
with Tun Foundation Bank which
shares ownership with The Myanmar
Times said to date it is unclear what
foreign banks will be able to do with
their licences.
However it is vital for the future of
Myanmar and its domestic banking in-
dustry that anything that foreign banks
can do, so can all the local banks and
more, otherwise local banks, Burmese
companies and citizens will be disad-
vantaged in favour of foreigners, he
said.
The Central Bank needs to engage
with the local banking industry to un-
derstand its concerns, as well as what
is holding back the development of the
domestic banking industry.
Much of this is the restrictive
Central Bank regulations on banks
concerning interest rates, operations,
products and loan security require-
ments amongst many others, which has
prevented local banks giving the full
range of products and services custom-
ers need, he said.
This has driven people and busi-
nesses into the arms of loan sharks and
the informal nancial sector.
Creating a strong dynamic local
banking industry, t for purpose, must
be the top priority for the Central Bank
over the next few years and in negoti-
ating the terms under which foreign
banks can operate here, said Mr Bark-
er-Bennett.
Other Asian countries have also reg-
ulated their banking industry, provid-
ing advantages to local banks to protect
them, he added. Translation by Aye
Thidar Kyaw
Related article on Page 28 May-
bank talks future after licence win
Foreign banking winners revealed
Some surprises in store as the Central Bank of Myanmar unveils its selection of nine foreign banks permitted to set up shop in the country
JEREMY
MULLINS
PYAE
THET PHYO
jeremymullins7@gmail.com pyaethetphyo87@gmail.com
Winning banks
Australia Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ)
China Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC)
Malaysia Malayan Banking Berhad (Maybank)
Thailand Bangkok Bank
Singapore Overseas-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC),
United Overseas Bank (UOB)
Japan Bank of Tokyo - Mitsubishi UFJ, Mizuho Bank,
Sumitomo-Mitsui Banking Corporation
Losing banks
France BRED
India State Bank of India
Malaysia CIMB Bank, RHB Bank
Mauritius State Bank of Mauritius
Singapore DBS Bank
South Korea Industrial Bank of Korea, Kookmin Bank, Shinhan Bank
Taiwan Cathay United Bank, E.SUN Commercial Bank,
First Commercial Bank
Thailand Kasikornbank, KrungThai Bank, Siam Commercial Bank
Vietnam BIDV
Which foreign banks won licences?
Creating a strong
dynamic local
banking industry, t
for the purpose, must
the top priority.
Joe Barker-Bennett
Tun Foundation Bank
25 BUSINESS EDITOR: Jeremy Mullins | jeremymullins7@gmail.com
Motorbike importers
lot eased by telegraphs
Low income home
project may be too
good to be true
Exchange Rates (October 3 close)
Currency Buying Selling
Euro
Malaysia Ringitt
Singapore Dollar
Thai Baht
US Dollar
K1244
K303
K775
K30
K990
K1262
K304
K780
K31
K993
BUSINESS 29 PROPERTY 34
THE purveyor of used books is not
happy.
It is nearly 1pm and the vendor,
set up on the sidewalk in Pabedan
township since the early morning,
has not yet sold a single copy.
People are always using the inter-
net these days, he said angrily. They
just dont buy books anymore.
His concerns are not unique to
Myanmar. Readership of traditional
books has been in decline interna-
tionally, as more diversions compete
for attention and Myanmar is no
diferent, as rst radio and television
and now the internet have taken hold.
Students dont read books for fun
anymore even comic books, said
school teacher Daw Khin Mar Lwin.
Instead they are busy with their
mobile phones and listening to mp3s.
Unless forced to read by their par-
ents, who are too often distracted by
their own work, children have little
inclination to crack open a novel, she
said.
Local vendors say they are suf-
fering. A host of shops depended on
high readership, and their market
seems to be shrinking.
U Phoe Htaung in Thingangyun
township opened a book-binding
business ve years ago. Business is
strong when schools are in session,
but weak when it is closed, as most of
its customers buy school books.
The market is so poor when school
is out that U Phoe Htaung says he
must nd other work.
Even admitted bookworms say
they are drifting away from physical
books. Ma Shwe Yee Win is an avid
reader, but has switched to e-books
on her laptop.
I never buy Myanmar books
because theyre too expensive, so I
download what I want, she said. She
added she only buys school books be-
cause she cannot download them.
Yet considering the peril busi-
ness are put in by the drift toward
e-books and the general downturn in
readership, the market is not with-
out its bright spots. Workers in the
book industry say there is robust and
growing demand for educational and
English-language books, as people
are increasingly keen to access more
knowledge.
Myanmar Book Center owner U
Thant Kyaw Kaung said that with
Myanmars opening there is growing
interest in English books not just
language instruction books, though
those are popular, but also general
topics.
The rm operates a wholesale di-
vision selling English books directly
to local schools, which is becoming a
more lucrative business as more pri-
vate schools open in the country.
U Thant Kyaw Kaung said he esti-
mates he presently supplies about 90
percent of the educational market.
In my shop there are only English
books though I plan to sell rare My-
anmar books, he said. The tourist
market is also picking up, but near
80pc of my customers are students.
Its competitor Monument Books is
also moving into the educational and
school market.
Monuments books and ELT man-
ager U Pye Phyoe Min said a lot of the
rms revenue comes from interna-
tional schools where students study
in English, as well as from expats and
tourists.
Piracy such as illegally photocop-
ying books is less of a problem for
its retail sales and a bigger concern
for its business in education books.
It does hurt our business a bit
when a school of a thousand buys one
Bookshops face
a tough sell as
reading habits
start to change
English books and educational material are bright spots
in an otherwise gloomy market
THE domestic market is still under-
served by local banks despite a large
number being approved to open in re-
cent years, according to experts.
Shwe Rural and Urban Develop-
ment Bank, tied by local media to
conglomerate Shwe Thanlwin led by
tycoon U Kyaw Win, is the latest lo-
cal bank to receive a private banking
licence in Myanmar.
There are now 23 commercial
banks and four state-owned banks li-
censed to operate in the country, with
eight of them added between 2010
and 2014. Sources have said even more
local banks are likely to be approved
soon.
However, some banking insiders
say there are too many banks ofer-
ing not enough services, pushing for
fewer, stronger nancial institutions
in the country.
Global Treasure Bank director U
Kyaw Lwin said some banks are not in
a strong enough position to add many
branches, while there is a shortfall of
banking infrastructure in rural areas.
Global Treasure Bank was known as
Myanmar Livestock and Fisheries De-
velopment Bank before rebranding
two years ago.
Creating stronger local banks could
involve mergers among diferent insti-
tutions, but it will be tricky to nego-
tiate policies and balance leadership
that is acceptable to both parties.
I havent heard of a bank that has
designs to merge so far, even if their
capital is very low, said U Kyaw Lwin.
Diferent banks often have difer-
ent specialties, such as deposits, re-
mittances or loans, said U Soe Thein,
executive director of Asia Green De-
velopment Bank.
Banks could potentially comple-
ment each other were they to merge,
while staying separate means they are
often weaker, he said.
Each bank has ability and is strong
in a specic area, he said. Rather than
try to develop areas in which they are
weak, the banks could improve by
merging with other banks that have
complementary strengths.
Many of the recently approved
banks are specialist institutions.
Three of the last four were Nay Pyi
Taw Sibin, Myanmar Micronance
and the Construction and Housing De-
velopment banks, which all received
their licences in 2013. However, some
have questioned the need for many
specialised banks, claiming fewer,
larger-scale banks could better meet
consumers needs.
A manager with state-owned
Myanma Economic Bank said even
though there are specialised banks
in sectors like rural development and
construction, many borrowers dont
bother with them and use the larger
banks instead.
It will be hard for the Central
Bank to control the banks if the num-
ber keeps on growing, he said.
While Myanmar will have 23 pri-
vate commercial banks when Shwe
bank opens, other more developed
economies in the region have fewer
Thailand for instance has 14 Thai com-
mercial banks.
However, a Central Bank of cial
downplayed concerns there are too
many banks in the country, claiming
the current number is appropriate for
51 million people and adding there
were about 28 in the colonial period.
We plan to extend [the Central
Bank] and hire more experts, so I think
we can handle the situation, he said.
But, in the longer run each com-
mercial bank needs to target stronger
assets and capital levels.
Economist and writer U Hla
Maung said domestic banks have not
been able to assist the public despite
being open near 20 years. He said the
Central Bank should be vigilant on
checking nancial statements and ac-
tively encourage local banks to merge.
Local banks need to practice poli-
cies of merger and acquisition instead
of creating confusion with new chal-
lenges, he said.
Myanmar banks also face a number
of restrictions on the products they
can ofer as well as interest rates on
loans and deposits.
Too many banks in town?
AYE THIDAR KYAW
ayethidarkyaw@gmail.com
MYAT
NOE OO
myatnoe.mcm@gmail.com
MORE ON BUSINESS 26
Selling e-books street-side is a little tougher. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing
The approval of a licence for Shwe Rural and Urban Development Bank brings the total
number of commercial banks to 23 yet demand for banking service is still not being met
Local banks need
to practice policies
of mergers and
acquisition instead of
creating confusion.
U Hla Maung
Economist
26 Business THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 6 - 12, 2014
CONTINUED FROM BUSINESS 25
copy, he said. Still, U Pye Phyoe Min
said parents are looking for genuine
products when choosing a school for
their children.
On the retail front, the rm has
regular sellers like Game of Thrones
and the Hunger Games series, though
they are generally popular because
they have been portrayed in other
media such as movies or television
series.
Fault in our Stars is another re-
cent title with a movie version that
has been quite popular, he said.
U Pye Phyoe Min said some books
get overlooked as there is no lm ver-
sion, despite being a strong title with
its own merits. However, with the
growth of the internet it is becoming
easier to research titles.
Monument also contends with
concerns the shop is too expensive.
But its not true, he said. We sell
anything from US$1 up to US$100.
Although the English and edu-
cation market segments are seeing
growth, there are still limits. U Thant
Thaw Kaung said the company has
tried to donate English books to rural
villages, which did not work out, so it
instead holds a book fair and donates
the proceeds.
The book business can be chal-
lenging, but U Pye Phyoe Min said it
is ultimately about the reward.
In the book business youre not
going to make millions and millions
of dollars, so you can forget about
that, he said. But what you dont
make in millions you get back in your
soul.
Additional reporting by Jeremy
Mullins
Find the best of Yangons English
book shops on Page 55
Bookshops adapt to a changing marketplace
THE Securities and Exchange Com-
mission (SEC) will operate under the
Ministry of Finance at rst, not re-
ceiving independence for up to ve
years, according to insiders.
The SEC, which is to oversee the
Yangon stock exchange planned for
2015 along with other exchanges,
will take time to become an autono-
mous body as it must develop its
hard and soft infrastructure, said an
SEC executive director who request-
ed anonymity.
The Ministry of Finance will keep
an eye on our performance during the
ve-year period, he said. Whether
we are set free depends on market
tempo and the rules developed.
He added it is the same situation
for the Central Bank of Myanmar,
which was under the Ministry of Fi-
nance before becoming independent.
Deputy Minister of Finance U
Maung Maung Thein is the head of
the SEC.
The SEC has much to do, as it
must nalise the rules and regula-
tions under which the Yangon stock
exchange operates when it launches.
The government has targeted Octo-
ber 2015 for its launch, though some
have questioned whether this is an
achievable target.
There has been a Myanmar Se-
curities Exchange since 1996 as a
joint venture between the Myanma
Economic Bank and Daiwa Inter-
national Holding of Japan, though
trading is light and facilities are out-
dated. Plans call for a modern stock
exchange to open next year, with
Japanese assistance.
There are now about 160 public
companies in Myanmar, which could
potentially list on the updated ex-
change, provided they can meet the
listing criteria.
Some public companies such as
Asia Green Development Bank, First
Private Bank and Myanmar Agribusi-
ness Public Company have publically
stated they are interested in listing.
The SEC ofcial said its too early
to tell which companies will list, as
the criteria has not even been of-
cially set. The SEC is also planning
to encourage public utility compa-
nies in areas such as telecoms, water
and electricity to list, he said.
If theres a share increase in the
value of these kinds of companies
[by listing], they can produce more
products more cheaply, which will
help the economy, he said.
In countries like Nepal and Sri
Lanka we have examples where
stock exchanges are not very active,
as most of their listed companies are
banks.
Securities
regulator to be
under ministry
AYE THIDAR KYAW
ayethidarkyaw@gmail.com
NYAN LYNN AUNG
29.nyanlynnaung@gmail.com
China rice
hits hurdle
as talks
continue
THE seizure last month by Chinese
authorities of Myanmar rice across the
border from Muse has devastated the
rice export market, industry experts
say. Myanmar rice exporters are now
discussing an agreement with China
to legalise the trade.
The crackdown occurred because,
while the activities on this side of
the border are legal, the same is not
true for the Chinese side, say industry
sources, who blame Chinese smug-
glers for the problem.
Last week, deputy commerce min-
ister U Pwint San said government-to-
government negotiations were pro-
ceeding to put the cross-border rice
trade back on track, but the process
was complicated.
U Lu Maw Myint Maung, joint
secretary of the Myanmar Rice Asso-
ciation, said the impact of last months
seizure on the local rice exporting in-
dustry had been very serious, estimat-
ing that exports had fallen by 90pc.
Chinas Administration of Quality
Supervision Inspection and Quaran-
tine insists that exported rice should
be free from insect infestation, prop-
erly packed and meeting quality
standards. Exporters who met those
standards could export rice to China,
said U Soe Tun, chair of the Chambers
of Rice Industry.
TRADE MARK CAUTIONARY NOTICE
T.C. Pharmaceutical Industries Co., Ltd., a company organized
under the laws of Thailand, carrying on business and having its
principal offce at 288 Ekachai Raod, Bangbon Sub-District,
Bangbon District, Bangkok 10150, Thailand owner and sole
proprietor of the following Trademark-
Myanmar Registration Number- 4/13078/2013
Used in respect of:
Electrolyte beverages; beers; mineral and aerated waters and other
non-alcoholic drinks; fruit drinks and fruit juices; syrups and other
preparations for making beverages; whey beverages; fruit nectar
(non-alcoholic); soya-based beverages; plant beverages; herbal
drink not for medical purposes; isotonic beverages; spring water;
vegetable juice; non-alcoholic aperitifs all in Class 32.
Any unauthorized use, imitation, infringements or fraudulent
intentions of the above mark will be dealt with according to law.
Tin Ohnmar Tun, Tin Thiri Aung & The Law Chambers
Ph: 0973150632
Email:law_chambers@seasiren.com.mm
(For. Domnern Somgiat & Boonma,
Attorneys at Law, Thailand)
Dated. 6
th
October, 2014
TRADE MARK CAUTION
NOTICE is hereby given that TOTAL SA a company organized
under the laws of France and having its principal offce at 2, Place
Jean Millier, La Dfense 6, 92400 Courbevoie, France is the Owner
and Sole Proprietor of the following trademark: -
(Reg: Nos. IV/7353/2008 & IV/12445/2014)
in respect of:- Petroleum (crude or refned); solid, liquid and
gaseous fuels; motor fuel; racing fuels; gas and liquefed petroleum
gas; lubricants; industrial oils and greases; non chemical additives
for motor fuel, fuels and lubricants Class: 4
Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark or
other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law.
for TOTAL SA
th
October, 2014
TRADE MARK CAUTION
NOTICE is hereby given that Mitsubishi Plastics, Inc. a company
organized under the laws of Japan and having its principal offce
at 1-1-1, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8252, Japan is the
owner and sole proprietor of the following trademark:-
ALPOLIC
(Reg: No. IV/4833/2013)
in respect of:- Metal composite materials laminated with plastics
for buildings or constructions; metal materials for building or
construction; prefabricated building assembly kits of metal
Class:6
Plastic composite material laminated with metals for buildings
or constructions; plastic building materials: synthetic building
materials; prefabricated building kits [not of metal] Class:19
For Mitsubishi Plastics, Inc.
th
October, 2014
THE EU Delegation has tentatively
chosen a candidate to launch and op-
erate a forthcoming EU Chamber of
Commerce in Myanmar though not
an organisation which had been hop-
ing for the European business cham-
ber mantle in the country for years.
Euro Business Forum founder Luc
de Waegh said his organisation could
have completed the project without
cost to the European Union, adding
the EU tender process to launch the
business chamber lacked transpar-
ency, a claim rejected by a senior EU
of cial.
That the organisation had not
been preselected had surprised eve-
ryone, said Mr de Waegh. He added
the French business chamber had
ultimately been chosen to launch
the chamber, though an EU of cial
declined to conrm the selection. A
French chamber of cial said it is still
involved in the process but directed
further questions to the EU.
The Euro Business Forum was one
of four groups that applied earlier this
year to an EU tender to build and op-
erate the European business chamber,
according to an EU of cial. But Mr de
Waegh said it received word in June
it had received a score of 25.34 out of
50, below the minimum 30 points re-
quired to advance to the second stage
of the competition.
It then sought more information to
clarify its nal mark. We got the reply
that under no circumstance any details
can be provided, Mr de Waegh said.
That sounds like what, North Korea?
Before the EU established an Of-
ce in Myanmar, the Euro Business
Forum enjoyed support from the EU
Delegation of Bangkok, he said at a
recent Euro Business Forum event.
Mr de Waegh later told The Myanmar
Times in an interview his group also
had very good contact with the EU
Of ce that opened in Myanmar.
The line of communication be-
tween the Euro Business Forum and
the EU in Yangon then went dead
when the outpost became a Delegation
with an ambassador, according to Mr
de Waegh.
However, the EU Delegation to
Myanmar rejected the claim its ten-
der lacked transparency and said it
has been conducted in line with rules
which it applies around the world.
If you ask me who in this case
looks like somebody who is not play-
ing fair, you have the answer. I can
assure ... this process has been led in
a transparent way, EU Ambassador
to Myanmar Roland Kobia said in an
interview. We are here to defend Eu-
ropean interest and, well, some people
just dont like to lose, it seems.
The tender was split into two stag-
es. Four diferent candidate groups
had initially thrown their hat in the
ring, with two groups advancing to the
nal stage, Mr Kobia said.
An evaluation committee separate-
ly judged proposals based on quanti-
able, technical parameters, according
to Mr Kobia.
A communication shutdown had
been implemented to ensure a level
playing eld. That was part of my
strategy to be neutral and fair in this
issue, he said. If I had seen all these
people and answered, I would have
been criticised. Now Im criticised be-
cause I wanted to be fair and not see
people who were contending.
Mr Kobia added the EU had been in
touch with the Euro Business Forum,
with its backandforth showing the
EU has been proceeding in a transpar-
ent way.
We are an administration that has
a duty to answer to people and we
have answered, he said.
Mr de Waegh, though, remains
unconvinced. He has said he hopes
transparency will play a larger role
in the EU chambers future. The Euro
Business Forum had planned to operate
the chamber without funding, though
the initiative is now expected to cost
about 2.7 million (US$3.4 million)
invested over four years, according to
the EBF.
A big budget for chambers could
create problems, he said.
First of all you attract the wrong
candidates to run it, because they
just want to put their hands on the
money, he said. Then you cre-
ate what I call an assisted mental-
ity, instead of an entrepreneurial
mentality.
Mr de Waegh is not the only per-
son to cast doubt on the decision not
to choose the existing Euro Business
Forum.
I nd it a bit odd that the European
Commission couldnt have continued
to work with an existing business
driven local initiative with a successful
track record which required no public
funding, said an observer who has
worked with the EU for many years.
Instead they decided, for their own
reasons which are not entirely clear,
that they had to establish their own
Chamber, for [about] 3 million.
That risks attracting those hunt-
ing funding opportunities rather than
those genuinely committed to promot-
ing EU business in Myanmar, the ob-
server said.
Mr Kobia said the budget is seed
money and the EUs funding policy is
based on precedent.
This is a system we have used in
other countries...We want to ensure
that Euro Cham gets a good kickstart
at the beginning, he said, also stat-
ing that leaving the newborn chamber
without subsidy would be a major risk.
After a few years, the chamber
should operate on its own two feet, but
until the subsidy is spent, the EU will
participate directly.
We dont want to be the director,
he said. We just want to sit there to
support, to help and also to moni-
tor the use of the funds because
as I was saying this is ... taxpay-
ers money, and we have a duty
to control how the moneys used.
Both Mr de Waegh and Mr Kobia
are looking ahead. I want to come
across as positive, not as somebody
who is angry because he lost out some-
thing ... You can feel Im not angry, said
Mr de Waegh. But lets make sure that
now that the moneys involved and that
theres a bit more transparency.
Mr Kobia said the EU is in My-
anmar to work. We want to see
progress, we want to see reform, we
want to see a democratic path, but
all this will happen if people stop be-
ing cynical and start working in a
positive spirit.
EU business chamber choice questioned
Candidate group points to a lack of transparency after its costless bid isnt selected a claim rejected by the European ambassador to Myanmar
CATHERINE
TRAUTWEIN
SU
PHYO
WIN
newrooms@mmtimes.com suphyo1990@gmail.com
We are an
administration that
has a duty to answer
to people and we
have answered.
Roland Kobia
EU ambassador to Myanmar
IN PICTURES Train ofloading goes low-tech at the Yangon railway station.
Photo: Zarni Phyo
Why do you think Maybank was se-
lected over the other competitors,
particularly over its two Malaysian
rivals in the race?
We believe that being a leading re-
gional nancial services leader, our
regional capabilities and extensive
global network via over 2400 of ces in
more than 20 countries, including all
10 ASEAN countries, had helped dif-
ferentiate us in the selection process.
In addition, Maybank is amongst
the earliest foreign banks to set up
representative of ce in Myanmar since
1994. We have participated in the -
nancing of various infrastructure devel-
opment projects in Myanmar. We have
remained steadfast in our commitment
to partner Myanmar in the develop-
ment of nancial sector and socioeco-
nomic growth.
What will go in to setting up the My-
anmar of ce how many staf will
be hired, what systems need to be
put in place, how long will it take,
etc?
For a start, we will focus on the set-up
of the of ce premises of Maybank My-
anmar branch, staf recruitment and
training, adaptation of business pro-
cesses for local operating environment
in Myanmar, as well as the implemen-
tation of IT systems.
Maybank Myanmar branch is ex-
pected to be operationally ready for
the timeline set by Central Bank of
Myanmar.
What does Maybank hope to do bet-
ter than its rivals in Myanmar?
At Maybank, we can leverage on our
greatest assets our regional presence,
strength and experience in wholesale
and investment banking and global
network to facilitate endtoend trans-
action banking services. We also have
our strong and reputable regional cli-
ent base and partners as potential in-
vestors in Myanmar to diferentiate
ourselves from the rest.
Within the region, Maybank is a
key wholesale and investment bank-
ing player. Beside our strong presence
in core markets in Malaysia, Singapore
and Indonesia, we are the only regional
bank with wellestablished wholesale
presence in the Greater Mekong Subre-
gion. Moving forward, we hope to facili-
tate greater crossborder trade between
Myanmar and our core markets as well
as Greater Mekong Subregion, particu-
larly in Yunnan with the opening of our
third China branch in Kunming.
I understand the foreign bank-
ing licences will limit lending to
[only] foreign companies and lo-
cal banks, restrict foreign banks to
one branch and prohibit involve-
ment in the retail trade. Are these
restrictions too onerous? Do you
foresee them changing?
Myanmar is taking a very encouraging
step forward in opening up its bank-
ing system to foreign banks. It is un-
derstandable that the pace of change
needs to be managed on a gradual
basis, and ensure that both the local
and foreign banks can work in part-
nership for the benet and growth of
the country.
Nevertheless, we believe that the
Central Bank of Myanmar would pro-
gressively liberalise its banking system
over time, as the domestic nancial
sector continues to strengthen.
Foreign banks have to make a sub-
stantial investment of US$75 mil-
lion. How can that investment be
recouped? How long will it take?
The investment of US$75 million may
be considered substantial. However
Maybank Group is built on the com-
mitment that we would serve as a
catalyst for economic and social de-
velopment wherever we operate and
our involvement in Myanmar would
be a long-term journey.
We will focus on growing Myan-
mars economic links and Foreign
Direct Investments (FDI) through
trade and investment solutions, fa-
cilitating key growth industries and
achieving the sustainable develop-
ment of its nancial sector and so-
cio-economic growth.
On that premise, Maybank is
condent that we can work with
Myanmar on a winwin basis to
propel the growth and development
of the country ahead.
Obviously, one role of Maybank
here will be to facilitate Malaysian
investment in Myanmar. What ar-
eas are Malaysian companies in-
terested in and why?
Maybank specialises in nancing of
power, utilities, oil and gas as well
as the telecommunications sectors,
which are also priority growth areas to
cater to Myanmars immediate needs.
We have major players in these sec-
tors across the ASEAN region, whom
we hope to bring into Myanmar to
participate in the exciting infrastruc-
ture development ahead.
This interview has been edited for
length and clarity.
Maybank talks future
after its licence win
INTERVIEW
WITH the hotly contested race for a foreign banking licence complete, bankers are
now taking stock of what, exactly, they have won. Maybank is the largest bank-
ing group from Malaysia and the only one from the country to win a Myanmar
licence. The Myanmar Times spoke with Maybank International CEO Pollie Sim
about the race and what comes next.
Pollie Sim. Photo: Supplied
Business 29 www.mmtimes.com
TRADERS are now able to use
telegraphs to speed up motorbike
imports, according to U Myint
Thein, deputy minister of Rail
Transportation.
While much of Myanmar has been
caught up with the beginnings of an
internet boom, with three modern
telcos and a swath of tech startups
now operating, of cials are counting
on a technology which came into its
own in the 1830s to ease the process
of importing motorbikes.
Speaking on behalf of the Minis-
try of Commerce at a session of the
Pyithu Hluttaw, U Myint Thein said
motorbike importers previously
had to travel to the Department of
Commerce and Consumer Afairs
of ce in Nay Pyi Taw to receive an
import licence.
Now motorbike import licenc-
es can be granted at the border
gate by sending a telegram to [gov-
ernment of ces] from the border
gate, he said.
The move comes as the govern-
ment looks to regulate a growing
number of vehicles on the road and
stem illegal trading.
Government of cials had been
cracking down on illegal motor-
bike imports during the rst half
of the year.
U Myint Thein said importing li-
cences for motorbikes are now cheap,
costing a 5 percent import tax and
additional 5pc custom fee. However,
the penalty for not properly licensing
imports is steep up to 50pc of the
total price of the motorbike.
Some parliamentarians said they
oppose high tax penalties that could
hit the poorer people.
Pyithu Hluttaw member U Myint
Soe said motorbike owners could
face tax penalties for driving without
licences and meeting other require-
ments, adding the penalties are often
too expnsive.
U Myint Thein said in response
that high nes are meant to ensure
people follow the road rules and de-
crease accidents.
Still, Nay Pyi Taw area of cial U
Win Swe, who is tasked with over-
seeing motor vehicles in the capi-
tal, said it is important to promote
safer driving and also issue driving
licences in line with the increased
number of vehicles on the road, as
some people are prone to driving
recklessly.
Translated by Khant Lin Oo
Telegraphs to give motorbike
importers a technological leg up
A STATE-RUN sh farm in Mandalay
has been contaminated with waste
water from a nearby industrial zone,
the head of Mandalay Regions De-
partment of Fisheries has revealed.
U Hla Htay said the Union gov-
ernment had agreed to provide be-
tween K40 million and K80 million
for a two-month rehabilitation pro-
ject at Nat Yay Kan in Mandalays
Industrial Zone.
There have been problems with
breeding and stocking [sh] because
of the waste water problem. Because
of that weve had to pump water to
the ponds from [Mae Taw Su village],
which is about 3 miles [4.8 kilome-
tres] away, U Hla Htay said.
It is not yet publicly known what
chemicals might have been ingest-
ed by the sh, whether anyone has
eaten potentially contaminated sh,
or what danger the chemicals might
pose to public health.
Nat Yay Kan, which occupies 154
acres of land and 80.60 acres of
water, is also sufering water short-
ages. Lack of water is also a problem
at the Shwe Bo and Kume sheries,
U Hla Htay said.
For Mandalay, there have been
three or four rainy days. For breed-
ing, we need water and it must be
clean, he said.
While inland shery production
is normally overseen by the regional
government, U Hla Htay said the
three Mandalay sh farms will in
future be administered by the Un-
ion government in order to improve
production through more techno-
logically advanced practices.
Nationally 12 sh farms are to be
managed by the Union government
after receiving approval from par-
liament and the Presidents Of ce.
Mandalay
fsheries
swamped
by waste
KHIN SU WAI
jasminekhin@gmail.com
IN BRIEF
Forum aims to narrow
government-business gap
A forum planned for December aims
to bridge the gap between business-
people and government ofcials, said
Ministry of Commerce deputy minister
U Pwint San.
It will provide an opportunity for
business to present policies and
international best-practices that can be
applied to Myanmar, he said.
The forum is also supported by the
International Finance Corporation.
Ministry of Commerce director U
Win Myint said the government has
worked to ease restrictions but realises
more must be done.
If someone wants to open a hotel
at Inle Lake, they need approval from
the Shan State government, but those
opening a hotel in Bagan need approval
from the Ministry of Culture while
those at Mount Popa need approval
from the Ministry of Forestry, he said.
Aye Thidar Kyaw
Summit for ASEAN business com-
ing to Nay Pyi Taw in November
The 11
th
ASEAN Business and Invest-
ment Summit will be held November
11 to 13 in Nay Pyi Taw, addressing a
range of issues related to economic
development, said U Wai Phyo, vice
chair of the ASEAN Business Advisory
Council.
The forum will tackle a number of
issues relevant to regional business,
aiming to support regional growth and
promote local business, he said.
Nyan Lynn Aung
Motorbikes crowd the streets of Mandalay. Photo: Staff
HTOO
THANT
thanhtoo.npt@gmail.com
NAY PYI TAW
TRADE MARK CAUTION
SHANGRI-LA INTERNATIONAL HOTEL
MANAGEMENT LIMITED, a company incorporated
under the laws of the British Virgin Islands and having
its registered offce at Trident Chambers, P.O.Box 146,
Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands, is the Owner
and Sole Proprietor of the following Trade Marks:-
(Pantone Colour: C 30%, M 40%, Y 80%)
(Pantone Colour of the Logo: PMS: 871c)
Reg. No. 4/10082/2014
in respect of:-
Intl Class 35: Business management and business
operation of hotels, motels, apartment and condominium
services, guest house/accommodation, time-share
resorts, spa, beauty services, bar, cafe, cafeteria, coffee
shop, catering, restaurants, club, wine club, cocktail
lounge services and snack-bar for others; provision of
business services and business information; promotional
material and advertising services; advertising agency
services; outdoor advertising, demonstration of goods,
dissemination of advertising matter, distribution of
samples, shop window dressing; updating of advertising
material; rental of advertising space; services of publicity;
organization of exhibitions for commercial or advertising
purposes; organization of trade fairs for commercial or
advertising purposes; professional business consultancy;
business organization consultancy; business research;
economic forecasting; business management assistance
for the sale of goods, business management consultancy
for the sale of goods, commercial management assistance
for the sale of goods; sales promotion; retail store
services relating to souvenirs in hotels and guesthouse,
food and beverages, goods for spa, beauty services; direct
selling services by home party, wholesaling services;
provision of information, management, consultancy and
advisory services for the aforesaid services; business
management; business operation; business management
services for others in the feld of hotels, apartments,
resort recreation clubs, vacation clubs, real estate time
sharing projects, undivided deed interest clubs, private
residence clubs, right to use clubs, and long term lease
projects, restaurants, night clubs, bars, spas, recreational
and ftness facilities, retail stores, condominium services;
business meeting and planning services; franchise
of hotels and businesses; business center services
(provision of business bureau facilities); promotion of
apartments, fats, condominiums, time-share properties
and real estate; direct mail advertising; operation of
loyalty and reward programs and customer loyalty
schemes; customer loyalty services and customer club
services (operation of customer loyalty schemes) for
commercial, promotional, and/or advertising services;
promoting hotel and restaurant services; internet retail
store services; on-line retail services; providing offce
facilities for the use of offce equipment and machinery;
management, rental and leasing of offce and retail space;
wholesaling and retailing in the felds of foods and drinks
(alcoholic and non-alcoholic), footwear, headgear,
muffers, scarves, gloves, handbags, totebags, luggage,
wallets, keychains; clothing and clothing accessories,
jewelry and precious metals, clocks and watches,
stationery and postcards, toys and games, perfume,
books, newspapers, magazines, pillows, blankets, sheets
pillow cases, mattresses, smokers articles, electric
and electronic appliances, cameras, retail of drinking
Reg. No. 4/10081/2014
in respect of:-
Intl Class 35: Business management and business
operation of hotels, spa, beauty services, bar, cafe,
restaurants and snack-bar for others; dissemination of
advertising matter, distribution of samples, shop window
dressing; rental of advertising space; organization of
exhibitions for commercial or advertising purposes;
commercial management assistance for the sale of
goods; sales promotion; operation of loyalty and reward
programs; customer club services; internet retail store
services; on-line retail services.
Intl Class 36: Real estate development; real estate
brokerage; real property investment; real property
investment management; real estate agency; real estate
consultancy; real estate management; apartment house
management; rental of real estate; renting of apartments;
rental of offces [real estate]; sales and letting of real estate
for and on behalf of others; administration; real estate
appraisal; valuation of real estate; fnancial evaluation
of real estate; rent collection; provision of information
relating to real estate; provision of information relating
to the property market; investment advisory services
relating to real estate; fnancial advisory services relating
to real estate development; fnancial advisory services
relating to real estate property; research services relating
to real estate acquisition; research services relating to
real estate selection; computerised information services
relating to real estate; arranging the provision of fnance
for real estate purchase; assisting in the acquisition of and
interests in real estate; administration of fnancial affairs
relating to real estate; all included in Class 36.
Intl Class 37: Real estate maintenance; construction
information; repair information; building construction
supervision; construction; masonry; plastering;
demolition of buildings; building of fair stalls and
shops; upholstering; electric appliance installation
and repair; sanitary apparatus installation and repair;
lighting apparatus installation and repair; interference
suppression in electrical apparatus; rustproofng; painting
services; furniture maintenance; cleaning of buildings
(interior); disinfecting; elevator installation and repair;
fre alarm installation and repair; telephone installation
and repair; pump repair; installation and maintenance
of entertainment or sports apparatus; rat exterminating;
vermin exterminating, other than for agriculture; repair
information; plumbing; all included in Class 37.
glasses, mugs and cups made of glass or earthenware,
dishes of glass, chinaware or earthenware, vases for
fowers, pots for plants, fgurines of glass, chinaware or
earthenware, sporting equipment, cosmetics, goods for
spa and beauty services, entertainment and recreational
products, hardware and household daily necessities
(household utensils), interior decorations, candles; retail
of razors, lighting fxtures and light bulbs, batteries, tooth
brushes, trunks and travelling bags, handbags, tote bags,
walking sticks, picture frames, mirrors, combs, sponges,
brushes, bed and table covers, artifcial fowers, mail
order and internet sales; retail of souvenirs relating to
stationery, notepads, postcards, handicrafts, clothing,
footwear, headgear, cups, dishes, cutlery, watches,
personal accessories, key chains, key rings, photo
frames, umbrellas and magnets for tourists.
Intl Class 43: Hotels and motels, apartment and
condominium services, guest house services; hotel
accommodation reservation; bar, cafe, cafeteria, snack
bar, coffee-shop, restaurant and catering services; hotel
lounge services; providing facilities for conferences
and exhibitions; booking agency services for hotel
accommodation, arranging of and letting of holiday
accommodation, letting and/or reservation of tourist
accommodation, tourist office and travel agency
services for booking accommodation; provision of
food and beverages services, preparation of food and
drink, self-service and/or fast food restaurant; provision
of banquet and social function facilities for special
occasions; providing information relating to hotel
services on-line from a computer database or via the
Internet or extranets; providing information relating to
preparation of foods and beverages and catering services
on-line from a computer database or via the Internet or
extranets; providing information relating to restaurants
and bars services on-line from a computer database or
via the Internet or extranets; provision of information,
management, consultancy and advisory services for the
aforesaid services.
Intl Class 44: Resort and spa services; forist and
fower arranging services; provision of sauna, solarium
and sun deck facilities; beauty salon services, skin care
beauty treatment services, hairdressing services, massage
services, physical ftness services, weight losing and/
or gaining and/or controlling services; pedicure and
manicure services, provision of information and advisory
relating to the use of skin, beauty treatment and cosmetic
products, health care services; providing information
relating to beauty and hair salon services on-line from
a computer database or via the Internet or extranets;
providing information relating to medical services on-line
from a computer database or via the Internet or extranets;
provision of information, management, consultancy and
advisory services for the aforesaid services.
Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the
said Trade Marks will be dealt with according to law.
U Nyunt Tin Associates International Limited
Intellectual Property Division
Tel: 959 4500 59 247, Email: info@untlaw.com
For SHANGRI-LA INTERNATIONAL
HOTEL MANAGEMENT LIMITED
Dated: 6 October, 2014.
Business 31 www.mmtimes.com
The Fine Print
Legal & tax insight
Cross-border loans catch up
THE realisation of big investment
projects often depends on wheth-
er banks are willing to grant
loans in sufficient amounts to fi-
nance the project.This depends on
whether they can obtain security.
Investors who can offer security
in jurisdictions with a stable le-
gal system are more likely to find
someone interested in bankroll-
ing their projects than those who
cannot.
An investor with a portfolio of
assets abroad such as hotels, tele-
com towers, power plants or office
buildings can mortgage them to a
bank in order to obtain financing
to pursue a project in Myanmar.
An investor who can only offer
assets in Myanmar, such as the
rights under a lease agreement,
a bank account containing the
proceeds of the investment, the
machines in a factory, receivables
from customers or the inventory
of a warehouse will have much
more difficulties.
The rst cross-border loan
agreements have been concluded
recently and more are presently
being negotiated. Security for these
loans is a mix of assets inside and
outside of Myanmar. Banks and
other nancers will, for the fore-
seeable future, consider it too risky
to rely on Myanmar assets alone as
enforcement mechanisms are still
untested.
As such, there is a set of laws
in Myanmar that govern the
granting of securities, includ-
ing the Transfer of Property Act
1882, the Registration of Deeds
Act 1908, the Companies Act 1914,
and, more recently, the Foreign
Investment Law 2012 and the For-
eign Investment Rules 2013. How-
ever, this legal framework has not
been put to the test yet in modern
times.
According to the Companies
Act, mortgages or charges cre-
ated by a company must in many
cases be registered with DICA
otherwise, they are void. However,
DICA has no registration system
in place. Some advisers claim that
they have managed to register
collaterals, but this is nonsense:
The only thing that DICA does is to
physically insert the security agree-
ment into the le of the borrowing
company. This is no registration.
Obviously, lenders feel uncom-
fortable if the law says that reg-
istration is a requirement for the
validity of the security agreement,
but there is no way to fulfill this
requirement. A new company act
in the making, apparently may
improve things.
Security agreements can theo-
retically be registered voluntarily
with the Registration of Deeds Of-
fice, although officers there say
that they have no experience with
the registration of these kinds of
documents.
With the exception of mortgag-
es over immovable property in
this case, registration is manda-
tory according to the Registration
of Deeds Act it is, however, dif-
ficult to see the practical merits of
registration.
For all practical purposes, se-
curity over immovable property
usually much sought-after by
lenders is out of the reach of
foreign lenders.
If the borrower is a foreign-in-
vested company operating under
an MIC permit and has concluded
a lease agreement, it can, with ap-
proval of the MIC, theoretically
mortgage its rights under the
lease agreement. However, as of
today, there has been no case in
practice where a mortgage would
have been established in favour of
a foreign lender.
If the borrower assigns the
rights under a contract as securi-
ty, such as the right to payment of
the purchase price under a power
purchase agreement with the gov-
ernment, the lender will, as a mat-
ter of precaution, always seek the
consent of the other party to the
contract. Especially government
entities are not always willing to
grant this consent.
Taking security in Myanmar
although possible, within limits
is still a complex issue.
Sebastian Pawlita and Kyaw Zay Ya
are consultants with Polastri Wint &
Partners Legal and Tax Advisors.
SEBASTIAN PAWLITA
sebastian@pwplegal.com
KYAW ZAY YA
kyaw@pwplegal.com
However, this legal
framework has
not been put to the
test yet in modern
times.
IN BRIEF
Vietnam economy grows despite
violent anti-Chinese riots
Vietnams economy grew at its fastest
rate for three years in the rst nine
months of 2014, government gures
showed, despite deadly anti-China riots
that targeted factories and threatened
to dent foreign investment.
Gross domestic product (GDP) grew
at 5.62 percent between January and
September this year, up from 5.14pc
in the rst three quarters of 2013 and
4.73pc over the same period in 2012.
While noting the gures marked
a positive change, Prime Minister
Nguyen Tan Dung called for further
measures to boost the countrys
economy. AFP
Korean won losing its steam
South Koreas won is losing its appeal
to a growing number of global inves-
tors who detect signs the central bank
will step up efforts to weaken the cur-
rency as it marches to a third straight
year of gains versus the yen.
Japan and South Korea are major
competitors in the global market for
shipments of electronics, automo-
biles and other products, making the
exchange rate between the two nations
vital to companies from Hyundai Mo-
tor to Samsung Electronics. The won
reached a six-year high of 9.5129 per
yen on September 25, near the strong
end of the 9.5 to 9.6 range that Seoul-
based broker Meritz Securities says
exporters can bear.
Bloomberg
Explosives share blow up big
Shares of Indias biggest maker of
explosives have rallied 171 percent
this year, more than double the gains
of the best performer on the bench-
mark stock index. The reason: Prime
Minister Narendra Modis infrastruc-
ture push.
Solar Industries Indias prot may
double in three years on Mr Modis plan
to upgrade Indias defense capability,
build power plants and 100 new cities,
its chief nancial ofcer Nilesh Panpal-
iya said. Theres a massive opportunity
with the new government, he said.
The rst thing you need is explosives,
making us the obvious beneciary.
Bloomberg
UKs Tesco under investigation
from British regulator on prots
Britains nancial regulator launched a
probe into Tesco on October 1 after the
troubled supermarket chain massively
overestimated its half-year prots
forecast.
Tesco said the Financial Conduct
Authority (FCA) has commenced
a full investigation following the
overstatement of expected prot for
the half year after the error was
revealed last week. AFP
Buffett enters the auto business
Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway
said it is buying Van Tuyl Group, the
largest private US auto dealer, putting
the investment conglomerate into the
auto business for the rst time.
The group will be renamed Berk-
shire Hathaway Automotive, and Mr
Buffett told CNBC it could be a launch-
ing point to buy other car dealerships.
Were in planes, trains and auto-
mobiles now ... It took a little while, Mr
Buffett said on October 2.
AFP
Putin unconcerned by prospect of
economic slowdown in Russia
President Vladimir Putin dismissed
concerns that Russias development
was heading in the wrong direction
as ofcials sounded the alarm over
the economic outlook. Mr Putin spoke
at an investor forum after Russias
economy minister said a combination
of high ination and low growth was
explosive and the head of the coun-
trys largest bank warned Russia could
repeat the fate of the Soviet Union.
Mr Putin chose to make light of the
doom-and-gloom predictions, pledging
Russia would remain an investor-
friendly economy.
AFP
IF theres any likely winner from
Chinas unprecedented clampdown
on Hong Kong, its Singapore.
All the tiny citystate needs
to do to attract the giant banks,
hedge funds and multinational
rms currently clustered in Hong
Kong is sit back quietly as Beijings
henchmen do their worst. The r-
ing of teargas at peaceful demon-
strators over the weekend marked
a chilling assault not just on Hong
Kongs civil liberties, but on the
citys economic future.
Lets rst dispense with the c-
tion that Hong Kong authorities
arent doing Beijings bidding. The
Communist Party set the stage for
student-led demonstrations last-
week when it rejected any compro-
mise to open up Hong Kongs politi-
cal system in 2017, when voters are
supposed to elect their Chief Execu-
tive directly for the rst time. Chi-
nese President Xi Jinping has taken
a similarly hardline stance toward
every perceived challenge to his rule
whether from disgruntled Uighurs
in Xinjiang, former Party bigwigs
or popular microbloggers. Hong
Kongs top ofcials had every reason
to assume their superiors in Beijing
would want them to suppress ini-
tial student demonstrations quickly,
before the October 1 National Day
holiday.
All the Chinese regime is demon-
strating, however, is why Shanghai
will probably never replace Hong
Kong as a global nancial hub. The
clampdown in Hong Kong comes
just as Mr Xis government is tight-
ening the screws on the global me-
dia on the mainland, investigating
a fast-growing list of foreign com-
panies and making it harder to
discern which politicians families
own which assets. For all the talk of
bold reforms and accepting a new
normal of lower growth, Mr Xi has
tightened rather than loosened the
governments hold over the econo-
my and society.
China should be learning from
Hong Kongs rst-world institu-
tions. It should emulate the laissez-
faire ethos, rule of law, open capital
accounts and freewheeling media
environment that underpin Hong
Kongs success not stamp them
out. Instead, Mr Xis government
appears to be intent on remaking
Hong Kong in Chinas deteriorating
image.
If Beijing continues to erode
the liberties and institutions that
have made Hong Kong such a great
place to do business, multinationals
arent suddenly going to shift base
to Shanghai. Indeed, by the time
the mainlands favored hub reaches
Hong Kongs current level of trans-
parency and nancial sophistica-
tion if it ever does all the banks
and household corporate names
wouldve already moved to Singa-
pore, or elsewhere in the region.
Those asking whats next for
Chinas one country, two systems
doctrine are pondering the wrong
question. This pipedream, one that
seduced Margaret Thatcher into
returning Britains former colony
to Beijing, is unraveling before our
eyes. Chinas decision to renege on
its promise to let Hong Kong pick
its own leader by 2017 comes as
political frustrations rise in Macau
as well. One can only imagine how
darkly Taiwanese now view the
prospect of the mainlands embrace.
No, the real question is where
Mr Xi is taking the worlds most
populous nation. Rather than adapt
to international standards, China
is becoming even more of a black
box. Meanwhile, investors can only
fret about runaway debt, a growing
shadow-banking system and ofcial
corruption. Mr Xis policies smack
more of fear than strength. In the
long run, its China that will pay the
price for them. Bloomberg
Hong Kong turmoil puts status
as a fnancial hub up for grabs
OPINION
MARK Moehlman didnt waste time
before pulling his clients money out
of Pacic Investment Management Co.
after Bill Gross shocked investors with
news of his departure.
We sold out of our positions within
the rst couple of hours, said Mr Moe-
hlman, managing director at Newport
Beach, Californiabased Beacon Pointe
Wealth Advisors. Then we elded
calls all afternoon and the evening and
through the weekend.
The money, tens of millions of dol-
lars, ended up in funds managed by
TCW Group Inc. and Loomis Sayles &
Co. Both rms have competing prod-
ucts that are beating the $222 billion
Pimco Total Return Fund this year.
Mr Grosss departure is also open-
ing the door for smaller competitors
to break Pimcos dominance after the
worlds biggest bond rm quintupled
assets to $2 trillion over the past dec-
ade. TCW, Legg Mason and DoubleLine
Capital all ofer funds that are appeal-
ing alternatives to Pimcos Total Return
Fund, which has stumbled amid Mr
Grosss bets and lagged rivals for three
of the past four years.
Pimco CEO Douglas Hodge said this
week during a conference call that the
rm is expecting and is ready for client
redemptions. Pimco could see with-
drawals of 10 percent to 30pc, Sanford
Bernstein said in a report. Pimco has
not disclosed how much money has left
the rm since Mr Grosss departure.
Pimcos largest competitors had
already been beneting this year as
investors have moved away from the
rms Total Return into top-perform-
ing rivals as well as exible funds that
can protect from rising interest rates.
Pimcos Total Return Fund has lagged
behind competitors this year.
Morningstar, the Chicago-based re-
searcher, cut the Total Return mutual
funds rating to bronze from gold after
Mr Grosss departure. The downgrade
was prompted by uncertainty regard-
ing potential capital outows and the
reshufing of management responsibil-
ities at the company, Morningstar said.
Investors have moved money away
from traditional xed-income manag-
ers this year in anticipation of rising
interest rates. Pimco Total Return Fund
has sufered withdrawals of more than
$65 billion since the beginning of 2013,
according to Morningstar.
Pimco named Daniel Ivascyn as
group chief investment ofcer follow-
ing Mr Grosss departure, and appoint-
ed Mark Kiesel, Scott Mather and Mihir
Worah to take over management of the
Pimco Total Return Fund.
The Pimco Total Return Fund is the
largest fund held in 401(k) plans by
assets, according to San Diego-based
BrightScope Inc, and at some employ-
ers its the only bond-fund option for
workers. Bloomberg
Pimcos
position in
question
as clients
fee funds
NEW YORK
This is not what a well-functioning financial hub normally looks like. Photo: AFP
Bill Gross auditions for a role as a
Bond villain. Photo: Bloomberg
TRADE MARK CAUTION
United Life Sciences PTE., Ltd., a corporation duly organized in
the Republic of Singapore, of 152 Beach Road, #10-03/-04 Gateway
East, Singapore 189721, is the Owner of the following Trade Marks:-
Reg. No. 4307/2014
in respect of Intl Class 5: Pharmaceutical preparations, used as
Food Supplements.
Reg.No. 4308/2014
in respect of Intl Class 5: Pharmaceutical preparations, used as
food supplement for immune system.
Reg. No. 4309/2014
in respect of Intl Class 5: Pharmaceutical preparations used as
prevents and treats anaemia.
Reg. No. 4310/2014
in respect of Intl Class 5: Unique Taste Rite Technology of Pedia
Tech.
Reg. No. 4311/2014
in respect of Intl Class 5: Pharmaceutical preparation containing
Pyridoxin Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin
B12), Folic Acid, Natural Vitamin E for use as vitamin supplement.
Reg. No. 4312/2014
in respect of Intl Class 5: Pharmaceutical preparation, containing
multivitamin and mineral with Gingseng.
Reg. No. 4313/2014
in respect of Intl Class 5: Pharmaceutical preparations, containing
retinol palmitate (Vitamin A), dl-alpha Tocopheryl acetate (Vitamin
E), Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), Selenium, lecithin, Zinc, Soya.
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 United Life Sciences PTE., Ltd.
P.O. Box 60, Yangon
E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm
Dated: 6 October 2014
JOB WATCH
JOB VACANCY
About FOUR RIVERS
Four Rivers was founded in 2013 by a team of executives driven by a passionate belief in Myanmars future.
We are a proven team of Myanmar and frontier market investment and managerial experts, including over
two decades in-country experience. We have successfully launched businesses in countries such as Rus-
sia, Iraq and India. We have also advised hundreds of the worlds leading corporations and investment frms
on their global strategies in over 100 countries. Four Rivers is based in Yangon and New York City, USA,
with full-time staff and offces in both locations.
Senior Accountant
Job scope
Verifcation and preparation for payment authorization
Full set of account for one or more projects
Liaise with project, supplier, subcontractor and others
Monitoring awarded contract sum, progress claims and variation of orders
Verifcation, validation in sub-contractor fnal account submission for approval
Monthly project costing and fnancial statement preparation
Month end, year-end closing and auditing
Assist in budgeting and project cost analysis
Assist in MIC application process
Reporting to Financial Controller and other ad-hoc request as and when required
Requirements
Minimum accounting degree/ diploma holder with CPA or ACCA or equivalent and above
Who has relevant working experience also encourage to apply
At least 5 years working experience in accounting
Bilingual in English and Myanmar
Profcient in MS Offce application and accounting software
Ability work independently with high level of motivation and service mindset
Good communication and interpersonal skills
Interested candidate please send your CV in MS Words format indicated with expected salary, last drawn
salary, reasons for leaving, date of availability and recent photo to hr@fourriversasia.com not later than
31
st
October 2014. We regret that only short listed will be notifed.
Job Vacancy
The Department for International Development (DFID) is currently
looking to recruit a highly motivated and energetic individual to join our
team as a Finance Analyst and Information Manager.
DFID is based at the British Embassy in Yangon.
For more information and details on how to apply, please visit the link
below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/world/organisations/british-em-
bassy-rangoon/about/recruitment
The deadline for submission of applications is on 12 October 2014.
Job Vacancy
The British Embassy is currently looking to recruit a highly motivated and energetic
individual to join our team as a UKVI Country Manager.
For more information and details on how to apply, please visit the link below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/world/organisations/british-embassy-rangoon/
about/recruitment
The deadline for submission of applications is on 13 October 2014.
Sales Director ( FMCG)
Sales manager ( Freight forwarding)
Sales and marketing manager ( Telecommunication)
Sales manager ( FMCG)
Business Development Engineer
Marketing manager ( Stationary)
Reservation manager ( Travels & Tours)
Project administrator
Chief accountant
Head of recruitment
Human Resources manager
Restaurant manager
Chef
Front office manager
Waiter/ waitress
Hotel accountant ( Nyaung Shwe)
Warehouse manager
Ticketing staff ( Travels & Tours)
Project engineer
Project administrator
Credit controller
NOC Engineer
Legal director
Site Engineers ( Civil)
Accountant
Customer service
Secretary
Administrative executive
For more information, please contact Executive Search
01-222963/ 229406/ 09250795701
0943227771/ 0943206933
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
BUSINESS EDITOR: Jeremy Mullins | jeremymullins7@gmail.com
Property
A SCHEME to allow would-be home-
owners to make small monthly pay-
ments to purchase apartment units
was attacked by Yangon Region parlia-
mentarians last week, who warned of
the possibility of fraud.
A plastics company has been ad-
vertising in local publications that
interested buyers could purchase
apartment units by paying K30,000 a
month for 30 years. However, its back-
ers have said work on the project will
not to begin for two years, adding they
are not sure where it will be built.
Parliamentarians say the scheme
doesnt add up.
Bahan township representative
Daw Nyo Nyo Thin said prospective
investors should check to make sure
the plan is genuine.
People who want to buy a house
should get detailed information about
this instalment plan to avoid the possi-
bility of fraud. They should also check
whether the government has approved
the plan, and whether the companys
nances are sound, she told The My-
anmar Times.
At a Yangon Region hluttaw meet-
ing last week, the MP said the gov-
ernment should take a stand on the
project, adding that many squatters
and homeless people living in poverty
might respond to the adverts.
The advertisements were placed
by a plastics company called Royal
Summit, which has not carried out
any building projects before, said
the companys managing director U
Than Oo. On September 13 he told a
press conference in Yangon that the
company would build in all seven
regions and seven states, but would
need to do further research into local
requirements before they could say
exactly where.
He said a total of 2 million
600-square-foot apartment units
would be built, and that planning
permission was now under discus-
sion with regional governments across
the country. Applicants would pay
K30,000 a month as soon as the gov-
ernment had issued a building permit,
paying for the apartment within two
years after enrolment.
The advertisements do not contain
a company address or contact number,
but just a post of ce box number to
send the installment payments.
Developers have also criticised the
scheme. U Aung Min, managing direc-
tor of Myat Min Construction, told The
Myanmar Times, There is no detailed
information about the apartments or
the company in the application form
in the media. Buyers cannot know who
will build the apartments, and have no
address or phone number to contact.
This project is dif cult to believe
in. Buyers should wait until they have
exact information, he said.
U Aung Min added many low-
income and homeless people could
be interested in this project, so the
responsible government department
should advise them to beware of pos-
sible fraud.
Dala township resident Daw Khin
Htwe, who says she is an illegal ten-
ant, said she is excited by the journal
advertisement stating she could buy a
house by paying K30,000 a month.
I never dared to hope I could buy
an apartment in my life because I am
very poor. All the people in my ward are
also interested this project, she said.
However, Daw Khin Htwe added
she has grown sceptical of the plan, as
it may be too good to be true.
I dont know if this plan is real or
not, but I am worried that I wouldnt
own the home even if the plan was re-
ally implemented. I dont think home-
less people really have the chance to
buy their own homes.
The company has not responded
to several attempts by The Myanmar
Times for further details.
U Nay Win, deputy director of Yan-
gon City Development Committees de-
partment of building engineering, said
Royal Summit has not applied for a
construction licence at the department.
We dont have any data about this
company. We dont know anything
about it, and they have submitted no
proposal to YCDC, he said.
This is an impossible housing pro-
ject plan.
Would-be buyers say they agree
with U Nay Wins assessment.
Daw Mya Mya Win, a resident of
Dagon Seikkan township, said the ad-
vertisements had caught her eye, but
workers at the Department of Human
Settlement and Housing Development
had warned her of the project.
I went to the of ce, but the civil
servants told me to not believe the
project, she said. They said if I buy
this apartment, I will lose all my mon-
ey. Additional reporting by Myat
Nyein Aye
Low-cost project called
a possible fraud scheme
We dont have any
data about this
company ... this is an
impossible housing
project.
U Nay Win
Senior YCDC ofcial
TIN
YADANAR
HTUN
yadanar.mcm@gmail.com
THE Armenian Church of St John the
Baptist saw its biggest crowds in living
memory and it wasnt even a Sunday.
The visit of His Holiness Karekin
II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholi-
cos of All Armenians, on October 1,
brought a standing-room only crowd
to a little-visited corner of Yangon.
Ive never seen such a large group
of people coming to the church, said
a surprised church-goer one of only
a few who now show up for Sunday
service.
The Merchant Road churchs ock
has slowly dwindled, but it has a long
history in Yangon, now denoted by the
third historical plaque put up by Yan-
gon Heritage Trust.
Built in 1862, it began serving Yan-
gons once-thriving Armenian commu-
nity in 1863.
U Richard Minus, a trustee of the
church, said it had been honoured by
King Mindon.
According to our ancestors, many
Armenians in Burma used to come
and pray, he said. But now there are
only x or six who come regularly, in-
cluding us.
U Richard Minus is a Myanmar
citizen, and became a trustee of the
church in 1976. Now he and his daugh-
ter Rachel are trying to maintain the
church and the Armenian traditions.
Four years ago, the church was in
terrible condition. We had to gradual-
ly restore it with funds not only from
Yangon but also from Singapore, he
said.
It had always been a personal
dream to pray with the spiritual Ar-
menian leader.
Yangon Heritage Trust installed
the historical plaque on October 1
during the Patriarchs visit, as part of
a program funded by Royal Philips
company to note important sites in
the city.
The Armenian Church is the rst
of many religious sites of all faiths we
hope to recognise through our blue
plaques over the coming years. Yan-
gons historic city centre is home to a
greater diversity of religious sites than
almost any other place in the world,
said U Thant Myint-U, founder and
chair of the trust.
The trust said the Armenian church
is the oldest surviving Christian house
of prayer in Yangon.
Armenians settled in the city in
the 18
th
century, when it began to
prosper as a major seaport. The citys
rst Armenian church came in 1766,
and was located near the river.
Sharman Minus, who visited
from Canada for the occasion, said
Armenians had come to Myanmar
as merchants and engineers for a
long time.
There are still many Armenians
from Myanmar around the world
even though they cant speak English,
they can speak Armenian and Bur-
mese, she said.
Related article on Page 23: A rov-
ing pontif for a far-ung ock
Oldest church celebrates heritage
U Richard Minus. Photo: Zarni Phyo
NOE NOE AUNG
noenoeaung@gmail.com
MYAT NYEIN AYE
myatnyeinaye11092@gmail.com
THE developers of Dagon City 1
are expecting a Yangon City Devel-
opment Committee permit as soon
as this month, which will allow
work to begin on the large project,
said a spokesperson for developers
Marga Landmark.
We have submitted the master
plan of our Dagon City proposal to
YCDC, said Ko Thein Aung Tan,
a Marga public relations of cer.
We are ready to build when we
get the permit.
The proposal includes build-
ings that are 10 and 12 storeys
high, he added.
The master plan has several parts
to it, including a 5-star hotel, of ces
and shops, a mall and residential
apartments on 22 acres near the U
Htaung Bo traf c circle.
If YCDC changes parts of our
proposal, we will follow YCDCs
rules and build according to their
regulations, he said.
The project is located near
Shwedagon Pagoda, which has
height restrictions to avoid blocking
views of the monument.
The plan is currently being exam-
ined by the high-rise committee of
YCDCs department of building en-
gineering, according to a spokesper-
son. Once the examination is com-
plete, the committee will pass it to
higher authorities for nal approval.
The proposed heights of 10 to
12 storeys should be acceptable for
the Shwedagon area, he said, as the
buildings will be under the limit of
190 feet (58 metres) above sea level.
We are now examining their
drawings in detail, he said.
Marga chair Stephen Suen said it
is important to have quality housing
projects near Shwedagon, as it is a
iconic place.
We need to keep in mind the
maintenance of the Yangon Her-
itage Pagoda, he said. We are
considering in depth to make
sure our project wont disrupt
this heritage.
Dagon City expects
build permit soon
A child takes in a mock-up of Dagon City 1. Photo: Yu Yu
35
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
What you dont make in millions you get back in your soul.
U Pye Phyo Min, Monument Books, on being in the book business
Two Myanmar suspected
in Thai murder search
WORLD 42
HOUSE OF THE WEEK
HAVING just watched Jurassic Park,
House of the Week was a little hesitant
when navigating the foliage out front of
this weeks home. But after certifying
the bushes to be free of velociraptors,
we went inside to check out the im-
pressive home.
With a modern build, the house
has a total size of 4000 square feet.
Its designed for a large family, with
four big bedrooms as well as other
rooms when youre done, in the words
of Homer Simpson, either sleeping,
eating or maybe building a little fort in
your bed.
The outdoor land is impressive, sit-
ting on 7200 square feet a ne place
for a party. Theres also lots of room
indoors, and a nice balcony as well.
A number of amenities are includ-
ed, such as seven air conditioners,
a well and piped water, and a phone
line. Furnishings are a mix-and-match
situation, with some beds and chairs
included and the rest up to you.
Its a suitable place for an ofce as
well, with a good location and large
area. Its not too far from downtown,
and near public transportation links.
The price is high but negotiable. If
youre looking for a big house in a quiet
location with some nice, velocirap-
tor-free bushes the premium may be
worth it. Tin Yadanar Htun
Location : Thiri Mon Housing,
Hlaing township
Price : K4.5 million per
month (negotiable)
Contact : Estate Myanmar
Real Estate Agency
Phone : 09-43118787,
09-43031699
Beat around the bush
MARKET prices have collapsed
west of Yangon after region of cials
shelved controversial plans for a
massive city expansion in the area.
There are no more buyers, said
U Hla Chit, a broker who had chased
opportunity to the area. The market
has totally stopped and farmers are
quiet about selling the land, and lo-
cal brokers have no more clients.
Land prices have declined by
about 50 percent since Yangon May-
or U Hla Myint told a special session
of the Yangon Region Hluttaw on
September 26 the regional govern-
ment had decided it needed more
time to study the US$8 billion plan
and whether it was viable.
The project had come under
criticism almost immediately after
being announced without prior no-
tice in August. Speculators, though,
had sensed opportunity, rushing in
and bidding up local prices. Some
reports have claimed land cost as
much as K1 billion (US$1 million) an
acre, though the agents told The My-
anmar Times it had cost up to K170
million if it had road access.
The decision to shelve the project
indenitely has been likened to an
earthquake among the speculators,
who in some cases are now stuck
with land worth signicantly less
than what they paid for it several
days ago.
After the project was nished,
some buyers are selling at a loss of
up to K25 million, and some dealers
cant even sell their land despite
investing in it heavily, said Ko Min
Min So, an agent from Mya Pan Tha
Khin real estate.
Brokers claim they made out well
during the speculation frenzy.
U Hla Chit said brokers were able
to generate business from the local
farmers and villagers, who had lit-
tle experience in property. He added
the agents were charging between
K200,000 and K10 million for each
deal they brokered.
Now, however, business has
turned sour, he said.
He claimed many of the buyers
were Chinese and Korean business-
people, adding he reckoned about
10,000 acres of the proposed 30,000
acres new city site changed hands af-
ter the project was announced.
Agents also claimed that foreign
buyers had begun purchasing land
in the area in the advance of the
new city announcement, apparently
aware it was coming and hoping to
cash in on the expected price boom.
An agent with Tawwin Nan real
estate said over the past three years,
buyers from two companies in par-
ticular had been snapping up land
for as little as K3 million an acre.
Local villagers also say they had
similar experiences, though the
price had risen to K50 million an
acre by last year.
They persuade us to sell, and we
signed the land over, and shortly after,
out came the new city project, said U
Win Myint, a resident of Tamarkaw
village in Twante township.
Although the apparent end of the
new city scheme may have stopped
hopes for local development, other
residents say the area still has plenty
of potential.
All we need is a bridge over the
Hlaing river and the area will devel-
op, said local resident Ma Han Soe.
The area of the new city project
to the southwest of Yangon city
is near Dala township, which saw
a similar property price spike. Last
year, an announcement of a possible
bridge across the Yangon river set
of a speculation wave, though inter-
est waned as a year passed without
any sign of the bridge actually being
built.
Prices in Dala in some cases
jumped from K3 or K4 million an
acre to more than K100 million af-
ter the bridge project. But after the
project petered out, the property
market was stuck with high asking
prices and no one buying, said U
Khin Maung Aye, senior agent at
Shwe Kan Myae real estate.
Although the new city scheme
may have been poorly implement-
ed, developers say they are keen
to see Yangons outskirts witness
development.
The outskirts are getting the
same nice infrastructure as the city.
Some of the lands are just being used
as a playground for property dealers,
and the government should look to
lower prices for lower-income peo-
ple in these areas as well as provid-
ing good infrastructure, said U Yan
Aung, general manager of Asia De-
veloping Company.
Prices plummet after
new city plans halted
myatnyeinaye11092@gmail.com yeemontun2013@gmail.com
MYAT
NYEIN AYE
YE MON
38
Science & Technology
Roundup: idol-atry
by Myo Satt
Available: Yangon Distribution - 1103/1104, Building D, Bandola Condo,
Mahabandula St, Pazundaung, Yangon. Ph: 01-8610253, 01-8610254
idol Alpha
The metal cover gives this handset
a smooth and sophisticated
appearance with its 4.7-inch
HD display. The battery holds
2000mAH and yet its a slim
7.4mm thick.
K285,000
idol 2
This handset is thin and compact,
yet it boasts a 5-inch display and
a Quad Core 1.3GHz processor.
K220,000
Pop C7
This handset is suitable for those who want to use a bigger screen at a
cheap price. With a 5-inch display, it runs on a Quad Core 1.3 GHz
processor. Its main camera is 5MP and the phone can hold two SIMs.
K140,000
idol Mini
This small and light handset has a
4.3-inch display with excellent resolu-
tion, while running a Dual Core
1.3GHz processor and a 1700mAH
battery.
K155,000
ENTREPRENEURS in Myanmar
are hurt by high costs and high
expectations when starting up
businesses, according to tech en-
trepreneur Ko Thar Htet.
The Zwenexsys founder warned
those that attended Mobile Mon-
day a tech networking event
that this month focused on Myan-
mars past, present and future
of unique challenges and dangers
faced by the nations innovators.
Issues for business builders
in Myanmar crop up right from
the beginning. If investors pro-
vide US$2000 in funding, entre-
preneurs are left with $500 after
registering to get a company off
the ground, Ko Thar Htet said.
Costs present a major obstruction
for startup workers, he added, as
overhead rates here are higher
than elsewhere.
In its Doing Business 2014 re-
port, World Bank Group ranked
Myanmar last in the category of
Starting a Business 189
th
out
of 189 economies.
People are part of the prob-
lem as well, according to Ko Thar
Htet. While new hires arent ready
to work and require training,
technical talents are leaking out
of Myanmar to other countries, he
said. Meanwhile, competitor busi-
nesses offer workers larger sala-
ries and guidance.
The real tigers are [here] right
now. The Japanese companies are
here, Ko Thar Htet said, noting
these businesses can pay $500 a
month. You couldnt afford to
pay like that. Theyre here and
theyre going to eat all the human
resources.
Meanwhile, the state of the
union, especially with regard to
infrastructure both physical and
institutional, drives frustration.
Every day youre angry once
youre start-stopping your pedal
in your car, Ko Thar Htet said.
Three images a wheel that in-
dicates a page is loading, a small
exclamation point on a web page,
and a blank, black square of a
slide illustrate major problems
entrepreneurs deal with: connec-
tivity issues; access to interna-
tional internet services like PayPal
and Google Cloud; and blackouts.
They seem all too familiar to the
crowd, which applauds the first
and laughs heartily at the third.
Past roads and internet infra-
structure, plus legal frameworks,
hamper the way forward as well.
The laws are not in your favour,
Ko Thar Htet said, giving an ex-
ample where a locally registered
company cant pocket funding from
a foreign investor under the For-
eign Investor Law.
The startup founder also
named two fictional syndromes
that imperil innovators: Silicon
Valley Syndrome and Crony Wan-
nabe Syndrome.
For the first, he prescribes a
practical attitude: Get real. For
the second, he presents a choice
between the Red Pill and the Blue
Pill, an allusion to The Matrix.
You could make money but you
have to make a choice, he said.
Ko Thar Htet also offered his
audience advice that dealt with
managing expectations and stay-
ing realistic. Some tips: Reduce
your expectations to 10 percent,
triple the amount of your ex-
pected cost, and double the time
required to stability, his presenta-
tion read.
Progress is coming to Myan-
mar, and entrepreneurs will be
part of the movement, despite
the hurdles they ll have to jump.
Their reason for being here: they
believe, with Ko Thar Htet, they
can foster Myanmars change, he
said.
He shows an equation his fa-
ther gave him, which reads 0
x 100 = 0 and illustrates that a
weak base undermines a result.
You are the multiplier, Ko Thar
Htet said and according to him,
they are building the base.
Road to success a
challenging slog for
local start-ups
CATHERINE
TRAUTWEIN
newroom@mmtimes.com
The real tigers are [here] right now. The
Japanese companies ... theyre going to
eat all the human resources.
Ko Thar Htet
Founder of Zwenexsys tech
39
Science & Technology
Mobile shops in Mandalay are reporting a hot market that has
already cleaned out their supplies of Telenor SIMs. U Nay Myo
Htet, a worker at 555 Mobile Shop in downtown Mandalay, told
The Myanmar Times his entire stock of SIMS sold in less than two
days. While some consumers reported nding black market SIMs
being sold for K12,000, U Nay Myo Htet and other merchants said
they would continue selling the cards at the standard K1500 rate,
as many thousands more are expected to enter the market in the
coming weeks. Aung Kyaw Nyunt
IN BRIEF
Internet, tablets coming to a public library near you
Libraries (and the books in them) can take you anywhere: space, a pirate ship,
King Arthurs court. Now, Myanmar looks to bring its public libraries into
the present, with Ooredoo-provided internet services and tablet computers
through the Beyond Access Myanmar initiative.
The Myanmar Book Aid & Preservation Foundation (MBAPF) is working with
the Qatar-based telco, as well as the Myanmar Ministry of Information and global
nonprot IREX, to modernise the countrys network of public libraries.
Fifty-ve of these institutions will gain free-to-use tablets and internet
from Ooredoo by the rst quarter of 2015. Meanwhile, librarians will obtain
training and become the programs ambassadors, helping kids learn to read
on fresh tech and others to get government services online, according to a
press release.
At the outset, the Beyond Access program will serve library clusters,
11 in all, consisting of one large district or township library and three to ve
smaller libraries. The chosen libraries will be revealed in mid-October, ac-
cording to Ooredoo representative Thiri Kyar Nyo. A broader rollout is expected
to rope in many more libraries and communities next year, according to the
press release.
Making the internet access available to the people of Myanmar is educat-
ing the people of Myanmar in a way, said U Ye Tint, director general of the
Union Ministry of Information, in a press release. Were giving our support for
the rst 55 libraries and well support more libraries in the future as well.
Catherine Trautwein
Ooredoo runs into network rollout issues
Ooredoos bid to cover Myanmar with its services has run into difculties,
though Ooredoo Myanmar CEO Ross Cormack is more than satised with the
headway the telco is making, according to the company.
Yes, we have encountered some difculty in obtaining permits to build
and yes, the weather has proved challenging at times, said Mr Cormack in
a press release. But where there is a will there is always a way and we have
received great support on the ground from people who recognise the benets
our network will bring.
Seventy-eight townships around Mandalay, Nay Pyi Taw and Yangon were
the rst to feel the effects of Ooredoos mid-August rollout. Now, the company
claims more than 14 million people could potentially use its voice and internet
services. Ooredoo also said it is gaining ground on its rollout in Bago, Kyaukse,
Pyay, Taungoo, Thayarwaddy and areas like it.
The Qatar-based telecom intends to offer coverage to nearly all Myanmar
97 percent of the population inside of ve years, according to the company.
Mr Cormack said Ooredoo is on track to cover 25 million people before 2015.
Catherine Trautwein
IN PICTURES
WorldWORLD EDITOR: Fiona MacGregor
TRADE MARK CAUTION
FEDERAL-MOGUL SEALING SYSTEMS LIMITED, of
Manchester International Offce Centre, Styal Road, Manchester,
M22 5TN, England, is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the
following Trade Mark:-
PAYEN
Reg. No. 7901/2011
in respect of Class 06: Gaskets made of metal; cylinder head
bolts made of metal. Class 07: Gaskets, seals and cylinder head
bolts for motors and engines. Class 17: Gaskets and seals; gasket
and sealing materials.
Fraudulent imitation or unauthorised use of the said Trade Mark
Win Mu Tin, M.A., H.G.P., D.B.L
for FEDERAL-MOGUL SEALING SYSTEMS LIMITED
P. O. Box 60, Yangon
MURSITPINAR
TURKEY has authorised military ac-
tion against the Islamic State jihad-
ist group, whose ghters have battled
their way to the doorstep of a key town
across the border in Syria.
The move on October 2 allows the
deployment of armed forces in Syria
and Iraq, as well as the transit of for-
eign forces in Turkish territory for op-
erations against IS militants.
The broad mandate does not com-
mit Turkey to sending soldiers into the
two neighbouring countries, where IS
has captured large areas, declaring an
Islamic caliphate and committing
widespread atrocities.
Washington, which has been striv-
ing to build an international alliance
against the jihadists, welcomed Turk-
ish lawmakers decision.
State Department spokesperson
Jen Psaki said there have been numer-
ous high-level discussions with Turk-
ish ofcials on ghting the IS threat,
and that Washington looks forward
to strengthening that cooperation.
But Iran warned Ankara against
further stoking tensions in the region,
with Foreign Minister Mohammad
Javad Zarif telling his Turkish coun-
terpart that countries in the region
must act with responsibility and avoid
aggravating matters.
Five Arab nations have participat-
ed in the US-led strikes on Syrian soil
while the same number of European
countries have committed aircraft to
Iraq.
Following talks with Frances de-
fence minister, US Defence Secretary
Chuck Hagel said the two discussed
the possibility of Paris extending its
participation in the American-led
air war to include action on Syrian
territory.
But Jean-Yves Le Drian would
not conrm or deny that the subject
came up during his talks at the Pen-
tagon.
He would only say that France had
joined the air strikes in Iraq because
Baghdad had made a formal request
under the UN charter.
Fresh US-led raids in Syria on Octo-
ber 2 destroyed an IS checkpoint near
the besieged Syrian border town of
Kobane and hit two tanks elsewhere,
the Pentagon said.
In Iraq, coalition air strikes hit
a number of IS vehicles as well as a
building used by the jihadists.
Britain said it was sending two
more ghter jets on October 3 to join
in the battle, but despite the air sup-
port, the ghtback is proving slow.
At least 17 members of the Iraqi se-
curity forces were killed along with 40
jihadists in overnight attacks on two
security force bases in the west of the
country.
Kurdish militiamen, meanwhile,
were locked in erce ghting to pre-
vent Kobane, also known as Ain al-
Arab,from falling to IS.
Heavy mortar re around the town
was heard across the border, an AFP
correspondent reported.
There are real fears that the IS
may be able to advance into the town
of Kobane itself very soon, the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights moni-
toring group warned.
The town would be a major prize
for IS, giving it unbroken control of a
long stretch of the border.
A Kurdish ofcial inside Kobane
acknowledged that the better-armed
IS ghters had advanced during the
night.
They are closer, 2 to 3 kilometres
[less than two miles] in some places,
Idris Nahsen told AFP by telephone.
Compared to IS, our weaponry
is simple. They have cannons, long-
range rockets and tanks.
The UN human rights chief de-
scribed the array of violations and
abuses perpetrated by IS and associ-
ated groups as staggering.
Many of their acts may amount to
war crimes or crimes against human-
ity, Zeid Raad Al Hussein said.
His ofce accused the jihadists of
crimes on a massive scale, including
beheadings, abductions, torture, and
forcing women and young girls into
sexual slavery.
As the jihadists neared the outskirts
of Kobane, there was a quickening of
the exodus of civilians which had al-
ready seen tens of thousands take refuge
across the border in Turkey.
Kobane is practically empty of its
residents now, Observatory director
Rami Abdel Rahman said.
The United States is pressing Anka-
ra for the use of the Incirlik air base in
southern Turkey by US jets launching
assaults on IS in Syria.
But it is unclear if Turkey will al-
low the transit of lethal weaponry
and may restrict the authorisation
to humanitarian aid and non-lethal
supplies.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan pressed the West on October
1 to nd a long-term solution to the
crises in Syria and Iraq, saying drop-
ping tonnes of bombs on IS would
provide only temporary respite.
US ofcials kept up their warnings
that such a solution would take time.
Retired US general John Allen,
who is leading the international ef-
fort against IS, told CNN it could take
years to train a Syrian rebel force to
take on the jihadists.
Mr Allen arrived in Iraq on October
2 to meet government ofcials and re-
gional leaders on the ght against IS,
the US State Department said.
Washington is counting on de-
feating IS ghters rst in Iraq
through a combination of Kurdish
forces, Iraqi army troops, Shiite vol-
unteers and a militia or national
guard of Sunni Arab tribes which
does not yet exist.
In Syria, the US is pinning its hopes
on training and arming a new rebel
army composed of vetted moderate
recruits, at a rate of about 5000 ght-
ers a year. AFP
Boost for alliance as Ankara backs
military moves against Islamic State
AN eleventh-hour agreement for
talks aimed at ending pro-democracy
protests in Hong Kong did not pre-
vent campaigners clashing with po-
lice outside government ofces on
October 2 as tensions continued to
run high ahead of the weekend.
Although most overnight demon-
strators had gone home by the morn-
ing, more than 100 remained outside
the government complex which has
been the focal point of protests that
have brought parts of the city to a
standstill for ve days.
Demonstrators are sceptical
over what can be gained by the dis-
cussions with the government of
Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying,
which were agreed late on Octo-
ber 2 to defuse escalating tensions
as crowds demanded Mr Leungs
resignation.
On October 3 China reiterated its
tough stance ahead of the rst popu-
lar ballot in 2017 to choose the Hong
Kong leader, saying there was no
room to make concessions on impor-
tant principles.
Police pushed through around
100 demonstrators who were block-
ing an exit in the morning, saying
that a seriously ill ofcer needed to
be let out in an ambulance.
In chaotic scenes, protesters re-
fused to move, shouting liar, liar, in
response to the request to move, with
police nally forcing a way through
for the ambulance.
Relations between protesters and
police deteriorated after tear-gas was
red to disperse crowds on Septem-
ber 28. Students vowed to continue
their occupation after Mr Leung said
the government was willing to hold
talks with them.
Many are still demanding that
the leader step down and are not
impressed by his nomination of his
deputy to represent the government
in the talks.
I think he is avoiding people who
are voicing their views, said Abigail
Hon, 19, on October 3.
From now on I am going to stay
overnight. We hope that Leung can
face the problem and respond to
what we demand right now, she
said.
The Occupy Central group said it
welcomed the talks, adding it hoped
they would provide a turning point
in the current political stalemate.
It was not immediately clear
when the talks would start.
On August 31, China said Hong
Kongs people would be able to vote
HONG KONG
Talks deal fails to quash HK protests
Many of their
acts may amount
to crimes against
humanity.
Zeid Raad Al Hussein
United Nations
Syrian Kurds take cover from the rain in the Turkish town of Suruc. Photo: AFP
41
At least 48 killed as
volcano erupts in
Japan
WORLD 51
Extreme face piercing
at Thai vegetarian
festival
WORLD 44
Toilet guru hopes
to solve Indias
sanitation woes
WORLD 49
DONETSK
A SWISS Red Cross worker was killed
last week when shells burst through
the heart of Ukraines main pro-Rus-
sian stronghold for the rst time since
the foes struck a September 5 truce
aimed at ending Europes worst crisis
in decades.
Parts of the eastern coal mining
hub of Donetsk, once home to nearly
a million Russian speakers but now
half-abandoned, were on re on Octo-
ber 2 after heavy rockets slammed into
a 14-storey central shopping centre
shortly before 6pm local time.
AFP reporters saw another shell
shatter the windows of the Donetsk
headquarters of the International
Committee of the Red Cross and the
body of a man lying face down nearby.
A Donetsk emergencies worker
said the victim was an employee of the
global humanitarian organisation who
was based in Geneva. Rebel websites
also posted what they said were pic-
tures of the Swiss mans passport.
It was not immediately clear who
staged the attack.
But it represented a dangerous new
escalation in a conict that, despite
intensied European mediation, has
entered its sixth month with the death
toll climbing above 3200 and East-
West relations at a post-Cold War low.
Smoke billowed over the northern
half of Donetsk as resurgent rebels
backed by what NATO claims are hun-
dreds of elite Russian forces also tried
to stage a nal push on the devastated
Donetsk airport, their target since
May.
There is a huge re burning at the
airport. It is probably due to the fuel,
a representative at the Donetsk sepa-
ratist headquarters said as periodic
rounds of machine gun re echoed
through deserted streets.
The rebel representative said gun-
men had briey entered a section of
the main terminal of what was once
the easts busiest air hub before they
were repelled.
Nearly 70 Ukrainian troops and
civilians, along with an undisclosed
number of separatist gunmen who
control swathes of eastern Ukraine,
have been killed since Moscow and
Kiev signed the 12-point peace pact on
September 5.
But the ghting has barely slowed.
The rebels continue to reject Ukrain-
ian President Petro Poroshenkos
eforts to save the ex-Soviet country
from disintegration by ofering au-
tonomy to its ethnically Russian parts.
The upsurge in violence prompted
German Chancellor Angela Merkel,
viewed as Kievs closest and most
powerful European ally, to call Rus-
sian President Vladimir Putin and re-
mind him of Moscows responsiblity
to rein in the rebels.
Ukraines security concerns have
been exacerbated by a new gas war
with Russia that threatens to leave
parts of the near-bankrupt country
without heating through the long win-
ter months.
Russia nearly doubled Ukraines
gas price a few weeks after the Febru-
ary ouster in Kiev of a Kremlin-backed
president who had earlier rejected a
historic EU trade and political associa-
tion deal.
Kiev refused to make the extra
payment and Russias decision in
June to cut Ukrainian shipments has
fuelled an economic meltdown that
has forced world powers to cobble to-
gether US$27 billion in emergency aid.
The World Bank downgraded
Ukraines 2014 economic growth fore-
cast to an 8 percent contraction, 3 per-
centage points lower than its previous
outlook and more in line with the view
taken by other institutions.
There is no easy way out of the
current crisis, regional World Bank
director Qimiao Fan warned.
Ukrainian energy chiefs meanwhile
travelled to Brussels ahead of what
both Kiev and Moscow said would be a
new round of EU-brokered talks about
the energy dispute.
But talks expected to take place on
October 3 were postponed. A Euro-
pean source told AFP that now there
will not be a trilateral meeting until at
least the end of the weekend. AFP
Donetsk under shellfire
as conflict esculates
Smoke rises from around Donetsks
airport following heavy shelling
October 2. Photo: AFP
Afghan
president-elect
Ashraf Ghani
looks on during
his swearing in
ceremony as the
countrys new
president at
the Presidential
Palace in Kabul
on September
29. The former
US-based
academic takes
power as NATO
troops end
their 13-year
war without
defeating the
erce Taliban
insurgency.
IN PICTURES
PHOTO: AFP
Talks deal fails to quash HK protests
for their next chief executive in 2017
but that only candidates vetted by a
loyalist committee would be allowed
to stand, a decision dismissed as fake
democracy by campaigners.
Their protests have attracted sup-
port from people and politicians
around the world.
Huge crowds shut down central
areas of the Chinese city with mass
sit-ins all week. Demonstrators had
set a midnight October 2 deadline for
Mr Leung to quit and for Beijing to
guarantee full democracy to the for-
mer British colony.
But China has strongly backed Mr
Leung and pledged support for police
over the protests, which pose a huge
challenge to its rule at a time when the
Communist Party is cracking down on
dissent on the mainland.
In an editorial on October 3 the
Peoples Daily, the Communist Party
mouthpiece, repeated Beijings un-
bending response.
Upholding the [August 31]
decision of the standing committee
of the National Peoples Congress is
the necessary decision, and the only
decision, it said, adding that the pro-
tests are against legal principles, and
doomed to fail.
Analysts say it is unlikely Mr Le-
ung will step down, in what would be
a massive loss of face for Beijing and
the Hong Kong establishment.
If Beijing forces him to resign,
they will be seen to be buckling un-
der pressure from the protesters, said
Willy Lam, a China scholar at the Chi-
nese University of Hong Kong.
Authorities have scrubbed men-
tions of the protests from Chinese
social media, while rights groups say
more than a dozen activists have been
detained on the mainland.
Beijings latest comments came
after Chinas foreign minister issued a
stern warning to the United States not
to meddle in its internal afairs.
But international concern contin-
ues to grow, with the European Union
calling on all sides to remain calm.
In the light of the ongoing dem-
onstrations, we welcome the re-
straint shown by both sides. We urge
all sides to continue to exercise this
restraint, an EU spokesperson said
on October 2. AFP
Pro-democracy protesters face police as they wait for Hong Kongs chief
executive outside the Legislative Counsel Office on October 2. Photo: AFP
42 World THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 6 - 12, 2014
BANGKOK WASHINGTON
IN a decision likely to anger China, the
US is partly lifting a 40-year ban on
arms sales to former foe Vietnam to
help boost defences in the tense South
China Sea.
The historic easing of the ban
which has been in place since the end
of the Vietnam War in 1975 will only
apply to maritime equipment, State
Department ofcials stressed, and
comes amid warming ties and as Ha-
noi makes modest improvements to
human rights.
Whats driving this is not a sudden
desire to transfer military equipment
to Vietnam writ large, but a specic
need in the region, said one ofcial,
highlighting what he called Vietnams
lack of capacity in the disputed waters
and Americas own national security
interests.
Its useful in trying to deal with
the territorial disputes in the South
China Sea to bolster the capacity of
our friends in the region to maintain
a maritime presence in some capacity.
Some 40 percent of the worlds
seaborne trade passes through the sea
which is claimed in part by Vietnam,
Taiwan, Brunei and Malaysia, as well
as China and the Philippines.
Although the United States has not
taken sides in the territorial disputes,
it has warned Beijing against destabi-
lizing actions amid a series of tense
maritime incidents.
Earlier this year, Beijing placed
an oil rig in waters also claimed by
Vietnam, sparking deadly riots in the
Southeast Asian nation.
Secretary of State John Kerry in-
formed his Vietnamese counterpart
Pham Binh Min during talks on Octo-
ber 2 of Washingtons move to adjust
the current policy to allow the trans-
fer of defense equipment, including le-
thal defense equipment, for maritime
security purposes only, a senior State
Department ofcial said.
Mr Kerry later praised the trans-
formation in Vietnam since the US
normalised diplomatic relations two
decades ago, calling it nothing short
of amazing. A prohibition on sales of
other kinds of lethal weapons, such as
tanks, will stay in place as Washington
pushes Hanoi to improve its human
rights record. AFP
US lifts Vietnam
arms sales ban
US Secretary of State John Kerry
meets with Vietnamese Deputy PM
Pham Binh Minh in Washington on
October 2. Photo: AFP
THAI police have charged two Myan-
mar men with murder and rape after
the killing of two British tourists on a
southern island last month, in a case
that has severely dented the king-
doms image as a holiday haven.
The charges on October 3 came after
police said the undocumented migrant
workers had confessed to murdering
David Miller, 24, and Hannah Wither-
idge, 23, whose battered bodies were
found on Koh Tao on September 15.
The men have been charged with
the murder of both Britons, a charge
which carries the death penalty, and
the gang rape of Witheridge, with po-
lice saying that their DNA matched
samples taken from her body.
The two Myanmar nationals are
charged with murder [of both tour-
ists], gang rape [of Witheridge] and
stealing, Prachum Ruangthong,
police chief of neighbouring Koh
Phangan island, told AFP.
The breakthrough follows intense
scrutiny of Thai authorities, which
had been accused in criticism led by
the British media of bungling the in-
vestigation in the days after the crime.
Earlier on October 2 police said the
two men had admitted to killing the
Britons and raping Ms Witheridge.
Two Myanmar suspects have
confessed to killing the pair, Thai na-
tional police chief Somyot Poompan-
moung said. DNA test results [from
the two men] conrmed that the same
DNA was found in the body of the [fe-
male] victim.
The two men were among three
nationals from Myanmar held since
October 2 on suspicion of involvement
in the crime.
The third suspect, believed to be a
witness, is currently under police pro-
tection on Koh Tao, provincial police
chief Kiattipong Khaosamang said
The two Myanmar men, whose
names police did not conrm, were
taken to the island by investigators to
recreate the crime scene on October 2, a
common practice in Thai murder cases.
Hundreds of onlookers watched
as the handcufed men, wearing bul-
letproof vests and white helmets,
walked along the beach where the
Britons were found dead, surrounded
by scores of police ofcers on the nor-
mally tranquil island.
Both men raped the female vic-
tim, Mr Kiattipong said earlier, add-
ing the British pair were killed with a
wooden stick and a garden hoe, which
was found bloodied at the scene.
Thai authorities dismissed con-
cerns that they have arrested scape-
goats when questioned by reporters.
Please be reassured that police
have worked to their best ability so its
not possible that they have arrested
scapegoats, Deputy Prime Minister
Prawit Wongsuwon said.
In the weeks since the crime, police
have DNA-tested hundreds of people
in and around Koh Tao and ques-
tioned dozens of people, including
friends of Mr Miller.
They had come under intense
pressure to solve the case after being
criticised for mismanaging the probe
by chasing the wrong leads and failing
to lock down the island in the hours
following the killings.
Journalists were allowed to tram-
ple all over the crime scene hours after
the murders, while information, often
erroneous, owed out unltered until
the intervention of the nations top po-
lice ofcer.
The grisly double murders have de-
livered a fresh blow to Thailands im-
age as a tourist haven after months of
political protests that ended in Mays
army coup.
Days after the murders, Thailands
gruf junta chief was forced into an
apology after he suggested tourists in
bikinis could be more vulnerable to at-
tack, comments that caused an inter-
national outcry.
With the peak tourist season fast
approaching, Thai authorities are
desperate to draw a line under the
incident.
I think the tourist condence
will improve, Minister of Tourism
and Sports Kobkarn Wattanavarang-
kul said hours after the purported
confessions.
Thailands once-booming tourism
industry was already scrambling to re-
bound from a slump in foreign visitor
numbers after the coup and a night-
time curfew tarnished its reputation
as the Land of Smiles.
The tourism ministry has esti-
mated a more than 8 percent drop in
revenue from tourism this year down
from 1.2 trillion baht ($37 billion) in
2013 to 1.1 trillion baht this year. AFP
Two Myanmar men face death
penalty over Thai island murders
PHUKET DHARAMSALA
THERE is no pain once the gods enter
your body, said Jampen Deebuk, after
puncturing the cheeks of a young dev-
otee with metal skewers at Thailands
bloody vegetarian festival.
Bearing fresh wounds from his own
act of devotion, Mr Jampen is follow-
ing an ancient Chinese Taoist ritual on
the island of Phuket where celebrants
eschew meat and undergo public self-
mutilation in search of virtue.
I dont feel any pain. It doesnt
hurt. Once the gods have arrived you
dont feel anything, said the 49-year-
old, who, like other participants, be-
lieves he is possessed by spirits and
imbued with special powers during
the rites.
But shrieks can be heard from
some other devotees as their blood-
ied faces are skewered with knives
and swords, or more obscure objects
including household ornaments and
cardboard cut-out signs.
Phuket, which has a sizeable ethnic
Chinese population, is thought to have
started the annual festival in honour
of Taoist gods in 1825 after a plague-
stricken opera troupe from China was
cured by adopting a vegetarian diet.
On September 29 thousands of
white-clad believers lled the streets
of Phuket town to seek blessings
from participants, who are thought to
cleanse the sins of the entire commu-
nity through their devotion.
The devotees receive the pain on
behalf of the people. They get rid of
any bad luck for all of the followers,
said Teeravut Sritularak, chief of local
Jui Tui shrine.
Participants, who must adhere to
strict rules, including abstinence from
meat and sex, during the festival, are
mostly male. At night some devotees
test their faith by running barefoot
across burning coals.
I didnt feel hot at all while I was
running on it. I felt like the gods are
protecting me, Chaowarit Attatham,
29, said after braving the re.
You have to follow the rules. You
have to be very pure, he added.
The festival is expected to attract an
extra 300,000 tourists to the already
popular resort island, according to
Anoma Vongyai, director of the Tour-
ism Authority of Thailand in Phuket.
She said the majority of visitors
are ethnic Chinese from Malaysia but
also come from Singapore, Taiwan and
China.
We expect 1.5 billion baht [US$46.3
million] will be spent by visitors dur-
ing the festival, Ms Anoma said.
The spectacular festivities
have drawn strong reactions from
onlookers.
It is exciting, fun, a miracle, said
local Thai Sakchan Pongthepparak
who brought his seven-year-old daugh-
ter to see the re-walking ceremony.
But the procession of pierced devotees
has evoked more mixed feelings.
Some are awesome, but with re-
spect, I cant bear [to watch] it, said
Samira Halih, 32, from Iran.
The nine-day festival, which ended
on October 2, had by the previous day
received reports of fewer than 20 inju-
ries, according to the head of the local
rescue team Santan Sanguanngam.
The most harm sufered by devo-
tees involved stitches to their cheeks
after their piercings were cut too
wide, he said.
The risks of self-mutilation seem
far from the minds of the near 2000
faithful actively participating in the
ritual.
I feel good, Mr Chaowarit said af-
ter his walk across the scorching coals.
It felt like I just threw away bad luck
in the re.
Extreme piercing purifes
Thais in vegetarian festival
A devotee of the Chinese Jui Tui Shrine has metal rods inserted into his cheeks ahead of a street procession during
the annual Vegetarian Festival in the southern Thai town of Phuket on September 30. Photo AFP
THE Dalai Lama has indicated he is in
informal talks with China to make a his-
toric pilgrimage to Tibet after more than
half a century in exile.
The Tibetan spiritual leader said last
week he had made clear his desire to
undertake the pilgrimage to a sacred
mountain in his homeland to contacts
in China, including retired Communist
Party ofcials.
Its not nalised, not yet, but the
idea is there, the 79-year-old said dur-
ing an interview in the northern Indian
hill station of Dharamshala, where he
lives.
Not formally or seriously, but infor-
mally ... I express, this is my desire, and
some of my friends, they are also show-
ing their genuine interest or concern,
he added.
Recently, some Chinese ofcials, for
example the deputy party secretary in
the autonomous region of Tibet, he also
mentioned the possibility of my visit as a
pilgrimage to that sacred place.
The Dalai Lama has long expressed a
desire to visit the Wutai Shan mountain,
considered sacred by Tibetans.
His comments on October 2 come
amid speculation of an easing of ten-
sions with China, which in the past
has decried the spiritual leader as a
splittist and accused him of seeking
secession.
The exiled monk, who retired from
politics in 2011, says he is ghting for
greater autonomy for Tibetan areas.
Last month, an anonymous blog post
appeared briey on a Chinese-run web-
site describing the Dalai Lamas return
in positive terms, before it was taken
down.
It was seen by some experts as an
indication that Chinas tone may be sof-
tening, a view shared by the Dalai Lama.
On October 2, he welcomed recent
comments by Chinas President Xi Jin-
ping on the importance of Buddhism in
Chinese society and said he was opti-
mistic about the current leadership in
Beijing.
This is something very new, a
Communist Party leader saying some-
thing about spirituality, said the ex-
iled leader, who recently described Mr
Xi as more open-minded than his
predecessors.
The Dalai Lama, who enjoyed a close
relationship with Mr Xis father before
he ed Tibet in 1959 after a failed upris-
ing, also praised the Chinese leader for a
crackdown on ofcial corruption.
These things show he [Mr Xi] is ap-
proaching these problems more realisti-
cally, said the Dalai Lama.
But he criticised Chinas treatment of
dissidents, including the Uighur writer
Ilham Tohti, who was recently sen-
tenced to life in prison for separatism.
There is some arrest of dissidents,
some intellectual people, such as very
recently a Uighur writer, he said.
These people rstly are not anti-
government, not anti-people. So I think
not necessary ... I think actually long
run, harmful.
AFP
Dalai Lama
discusses
return to
Tibet with
China
His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaks
during an inter-religious meeting for
harmony in New Delhi on September
20. Photo: AFP
World 45 www.mmtimes.com
INDONESIAS opposition politicians
won key posts in parliament last week
after new leader Joko Widodos support-
ers stormed out of a rowdy opening ses-
sion, heightening fears a divided legisla-
ture will hinder his ambitious reforms.
Parliament convened for a new term
on October 1, dominated by parties that
backed ex-general Prabowo Subianto in
Julys presidential election, which he lost
to Widodo, the countrys rst leader with-
out deep roots in the autocratic past.
Prabowos backers had already exed
their muscles in the nal days of the
previous parliament last week by vot-
ing to abolish the direct election of local
leaders, a heavy blow for Widodo who
described it as a step back for the young
democracy.
They sought to keep up the momen-
tum at the 560-member legislatures
opening by ensuring their supporters
were chosen as the speaker and four
deputy speakers, key gures as they
steer debates on new laws.
The opposing sides locked horns in a
heated, all-night debate, with the Indo-
nesian Democratic Party of Struggle of
Widodo, known by his nickname Joko-
wi, demanding that the nomination of
the posts be delayed due to the late hour.
But the opposition insisted the jobs
be picked immediately, prompting
Widodos supporters to storm the speak-
ers podium in the early hours, and to
walk out shortly afterwards.
This left the parties backing Prabowo,
which control 63 percent of seats, with
no opposition to their choices, which
were conrmed early on October 2.
Setya Novanto, a senior gure from
the Golkar party, the former political
vehicle of dictator Suharto, who was
toppled in 1998, was selected as speaker
and three other opposition politicians
were named as his deputies.
The stormy opening session was a
bad omen for Widodo, who will be in-
augurated as president on October 20,
as he will need parliamentary support
to push through reforms aimed at reviv-
ing the economy and helping the poor,
analysts said.
The relationship between the presi-
dent and parliament will be marked by
conict in the coming ve years, said Sy-
amsuddin Haris, a political analyst from
the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, refer-
ring to the length of Widodos term. AFP
JAKARTA
More woes for Widodo
as parliament opens
The relationship
between the
president and
parliament will be
marked with conict
in the coming ve
years.
Syamsuddin Haris
Indonesian Institute of Sciences
TRADE MARK CAUTION
Notice is hereby given that PRA FMI PANSEA HOTEL
DEVELOPMENT CO. LTD of No 35 Taw Win Road Dagon
Township, Yangon, Myanmar is the Owner and Sole Proprietor
of the following trademarks: _
(Reg: No.IV/10658/2014)
In respect of: -
Hotel Business. In International class 43
to law.
U Nyein Kyaw
B.Sc., Dip Engg., R.L., D.B.L.
For PRA FMI PANSEA HOTEL DEVELOPMENT CO. LTD
Room 007, Inya Lake Hotel
37, Kaba Aye Pagoda Road
Mayangone Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar
Tes: (951) 9662866
E-mail: nyeinkyaw9@gmail.com
Date: 6
th
October, 2014
TRADEMARK CAUTIONARY NOTICE
Saber International Enterprise Pte. Ltd, a company organized
under the laws of Singapore and having its principal offce at 101
Thomson Road, #23-02/03 United Square, Singapore 307591 is
the owner and sole proprietor of the following Trademark : -
OK NO.1
Myanmar Registration Number. 4/310/2013
Used in respect of : -
Edible vegetable oil (International Class 29)
Non-medicated candies, non-medicated sweets (International
Class 30)
Fruit beverages and fruit juices; syrups, fruit vinegar, vinegar
(non-alcohol); energy drink (International Class 32)
Any unauthorised use, imitation, infringements or fraudulent
intentions of the above mark will be dealt with according to law.
Tin Ohnmar Tun, Tin Thiri Aung & The Law Chambers
Ph: 0973150632
Email:law_chambers@seasiren.com.mm
(For. Allen & Gledhill LLP, Singapore)
Dated. 6
th
October, 2014
TRADE MARK CAUTION
NOTICE is hereby given that Beiersdorf AG a company organized
under the laws of Germany and having its principal offce at
Unnastrasse 48, D-20253 Hamburg, Germany is the Owner and
Sole Proprietor of the following trademark:-
(Reg: Nos. IV/5316/2008 & IV/12443/2014)
in respect of :- Plasters, spray-plasters, fever-plasters, plasters
to relieve pain (heat plaster); bands and bandages, dressing and
bandaging material, ready-to-use bandages; disinfectants; medical
preparations for body and beauty care, medical preparations for
the improvement of well-being; hygiene products (cotton wool,
cotton pads, cotton swabs); preparations for footcare in form of
creams, ointments, baths, powder and sprays; corn-plasters, callus-
plasters, blister-plasters, felt rings
for Beiersdorf AG
th
October, 2014
SEOUL
ONE of three Americans detained in
North Korea has made a fresh plea
for his governments help ahead of a
trial that will likely end with a lengthy
prison term and hard labour.
In an interview published on Octo-
ber 2 by the pro-North Korean Japa-
nese newspaper Chosun Sinbo, Jefrey
Fowle said he was extremely anxious
that he would share the fate of his al-
ready tried and jailed fellow detainees
Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller.
Mr Fowle, 56, entered the North in
April and was detained after appar-
ently leaving a bible in the bathroom
of a nightclub in the northern port of
Chongjin.
Although religious freedom is en-
shrined in the North Korean constitu-
tion, it does not exist in practice and
religious activity is severely restricted
to ofcially recognised groups linked
to the government.
The authorities have said Mr Fowle
will be tried for perpetrating hostile
acts but no date has yet been set.
In his interview on Septmber 30
with the Tokyo-based newspaper, Mr
Fowle did not detail his alleged of-
fence but acknowledged it had been
thoroughly prepared.
I feel so anxious that I will be
punished for my ofence once the trial
opens, he was quoted as saying.
I hope that the US government
will make constructive eforts to se-
cure our release.
As an American citizen, I am left
with no choice but to plea for help
from the US government, he said.
His plea came two weeks after Mr
Miller was sentenced to six years hard
labour by the North Korean Supreme
Court.
The 24-year-old was arrested in
April after he allegedly ripped up his
visa at immigration and demanded
asylum.
The third detainee, 42-year-old
Korean-American Kenneth Bae, was
arrested in November 2012 and later
sentenced to 15 years hard labour.
Mr Bae was accused of being a mili-
tant Christian evangelist and charged
with seeking to topple the regime.
All three men have pleaded for the
US government to secure their release
in a series of interviews including with
US media outlets.
Washington has condemned what
it says is a clear case of Pyongyang us-
ing the detainees as political hostages
to extract diplomatic concessions.
The nuclear-armed North wants
a resumption of stalled six-party ne-
gotiations, but the United States and
South Korea insist it must rst show a
tangible commitment to denuclearisa-
tion. Washington has ofered to send
a number of envoys to negotiate the
Americans release, but Pyongyang has
rejected each one.
Observers say the North is holding
out for a high-prole visit. Former US
presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clin-
ton have both travelled to Pyongyang
in the past to secure the release of de-
tained US citizens. AFP
Bathroom bible prisoner
pleads for US assistance
I hope that the US
government will
make constructive
eforts to secure our
release.
Jeffrey Fowle
Prisoner in North Korea
Muslim pilgrims
on October 2
circumambulate the
Kaaba, or House of God,
that Muslims believe was
built by Abraham 4000
years ago. Hundreds of
thousands of worshipers
last week started pouring
into the holy city of
Mecca for the annual Hajj
pilgrimage.
IN PICTURES
Photo: AFP
TRADE MARK CAUTION
Marriott Worldwide Corporation, a Maryland (USA)
Corporation, of 10400, Fernwood Road, Bethesda, Maryland
20817, U.S.A., is the Owner of the following Trade Marks:-
Reg. No. 1314/2014
MARRIOTT EXECUTIVE APARTMENTS
Reg. No. 1315/2014
in respect of Class 36: Real estate services, namely services relating
to the development, leasing, rental, management and operation
of apartments, fats, condominiums and serviced apartments, and
facilities and amenities relating thereto. Class 43: Hotel services;
restaurant, catering, bar and lounge services; provision of general
purpose facilities for meetings, conferences and exhibitions; provision
of banquet and social function facilities for special occasions; and
reservation services for hotel accommodations.
for Marriott Worldwide Corporation
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GENERAL MOTORS LLC, a limited liability company
organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware,
of 300 Renaissance Center, City of Detroit, State of Michigan
48265-3000, U.S.A., is the Owner of the following Trade Marks:-
CHEVROLET
Reg. No. 1109/2013
Reg. No. 1110/2013
in respect of Class 12: Motor vehicles and parts of motor vehicles.
Class 37: Maintenance, repair and servicing of motor vehicles,
engines and parts of motor vehicles.
for GENERAL MOTORS LLC.
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Belgium, is the Owner of the following Trade Mark:-
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in respect of Class 09: Safety clothing; head protection, including
safety helmets and caps; safety footwear; goggles; safety gloves,
all aforesaid goods for protection against accident or injury. Class
25: Clothing; footwear; headgear; gloves; boots; sandals; sport
shoes; leg warmers; belts; fttings of metal for footwear; soles for
footwear, tips for footwear; galoshes; socks.
for CORTINA NV
P. O. Box 60, Yangon.
HIKKADUWA
IT has taken a decade for Sarath Ku-
mara cinnamon plantation in Sri Lanka
to recover from the devastation wrought
by the massive 2004 Indian Ocean tsu-
nami, but now the farmer faces a new
threat to his livelihood.
Sri Lanka is the worlds leading cin-
namon supplier thanks to its centuries-
old industry, whose lush, green plan-
tations are strung along the islands
southern coast where European colo-
nists and Arab traders once ocked.
But the industry says its product
known as Ceylon cinnamon is being
undermined by a cheaper rival called
cassia cinnamon grown mostly in
China, Southeast Asia and neighbouring
India.
It took about four years before I
could get any crops from new trees and
it is only now they are giving a full yield,
Mr Kumara, 54, said at his ancestral
farm in Hikkaduwa, 100 kilometres (60
miles) south of Colombo.
I have not seen cassia, but we know
that some people [abroad] adulterate
our cinnamon with cassia or sell cassia
as Ceylon cinnamon.
Mr Kumara lost a brother and a
sister-in-law in the 2004 tsunami. Half
of his 9000 trees were uprooted, when
walls of water destroyed plantations in
the disaster that left 31,000 people in
Sri Lanka dead and a million homeless
across the country.
The industry eventually recovered
to become stronger than ever thanks to
international donors and a herculean ef-
fort by its farmers who replanted half a
million cinnamon trees in Hikkaduwa,
and adjoining Balapitiya area.
With cinnamon prices now soaring,
the Sri Lankan industry fears wholesal-
ers will increasingly turn to the cheaper
product which is darker in colour and
according to purists leaves a bitter after-
taste, but still label it Ceylon cinnamon.
The Spice Council of Sri Lanka wants
to protect the brand Ceylon cinnamon
and has approached the World Trade
Organization and the European Union
about gaining copyright or a patent.
In many Western countries, cassia is
passed of as Ceylon cinnamon [in su-
permarkets and other shops], council
head Sarada de Silva said. The true cin-
namon is Ceylon cinnamon.
The council wants the WTO to de-
clare Ceylon cinnamon a specic prod-
uct based on a geographical indication
along the same lines as Champagne.
Under Portuguese, Dutch and nally
British colonial rule from the 1500s, the
Indian Ocean island was called Celyon
and switched to Sri Lanka upon becom-
ing a republic in 1972. The aromatic
spicegrew naturally in Sri Lanka for
centuries before Dutch invaders started
commercial crops in the 17th century.
Sri Lankas industry, which supplies
80 percent of the world market, is en-
joying record export earnings for the is-
land. High-grade cinnamon oil, extract-
ed from the bark, has been fetching up
to 65,000 rupees (US$510) a kilogram.
Cinnamon earned Sri Lanka a re-
cord $135 million from 13,866 tonnes
exported last year compared to $47 mil-
lion from 12,000 tonnes in 2005, with
Mexico, Colombia, Peru and the US the
major buyers.
Prices have never been so good, Ms
de Silva said. The challenge is to get our
geographical indication recognised [by
the WTO and others]. That is the best
way to deal with cassia.
The tsunami tragedy pushed dev-
astated cinnamon farmers to invest in
better technology upon rebuilding their
farms and oil mills.
After replanting, it took me four
years to make money again, farmer
Upul Asanka, who lost his farm in the
tsunami, said. Initially there was salin-
ity in the soil, but it is better now, the
38-year-old added.
Mr Kumara said he harvests his
9000 trees every eight months, com-
pared to every 18 months before the
tragedy. Since the tsunami our agri-
cultural practice has improved. I notice
that the replanted trees give a better
crop, he added.
Improved productivity has also al-
lowed farmers to produce more of the
lower-grade oil extracted from cinna-
mon tree leaves for use in balms, disin-
fectants, detergents and soap. The more
expensive bark oil, meanwhile, is being
sold for addition to high-end perfumes
and even zzy drinks. AFP
Cinnamon peeler Lal prepares a bundle of cinnamon sticks on a farm in the
Hikkaduwa region of Sri Lanka on August 29. Photo: AFP
Sri Lankas cinnamon
growers face new threat
NEW DELHI
SURROUNDED by latrines and soap
dispensers, sanitation charity founder
Bindeshwar Pathak is most at home in
the lavatory, which he vows to build in
every impoverished home in India.
Afectionately known as Indias toi-
let guru, Mr Pathak, 71, has spent four
decades working to improve sanitation
in a country where half of the popula-
tion relieve themselves in the open air.
Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, a
champion of cleanliness, Mr Pathak
has more recently been spurred on by
new Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
who wants to make India free of open
defecation by 2019.
India has the technology and the
methodology. What we lack is infra-
structure, Mr Pathak said of Mr Modis
vision, as he showed of the cheap,
eco-friendly toilets that his New Delhi-
based charity has developed.
We also need funds to the tune of
US$42.3 billion, considering each toilet
will cost about $320, he said, making
quick calculations on a piece of paper.
We cant claim to be the next su-
perpower when we dont even have
something as basic as a toilet for eve-
ryone, he said.
Mr Modi launched a national clean-
liness drive on October 2, after pledg-
ing in August to ensure all households
have toilets in the next ve years.
Government workers from top
ministers to lowly ofcials, were ex-
pected to turn up to work that day to
clean up their buildings including
their toilets many of which stink of
stale urine and are littered with rub-
bish and spit.
This mission ... aspires to realise
Gandhi-jis dream of a clean India,
Mr Modi said recently after pledging
during the May election campaign to
build toilets rst, temples later.
Together we can make a big difer-
ence, the Hindu nationalist said.
UNICEF estimates that almost 594
million people, or nearly 50 percent
of Indias population, defecate in the
open, with the situation acute in dirt-
poor rural areas.
Some 300 million women and girls
are forced to squat outside normally
under the cover of darkness, exposed
not only to the risks of disease and
bacterial infection, but also harass-
ment and assault by men.
The issue was thrown into the spot-
light in late May when two girls, aged 12
and 14, were allegedly attacked as they
went into the elds to relieve them-
selves. Police are investigating if they
were gang-raped before being lynched.
Mr Pathak, the founder of sanita-
tion charity Sulabh International, has
already constructed 1.3 million toilets
for households using his cheap, two-
pit technology.
When one pit is lled, it is covered,
and the other pit is used. Within two
years, the waste in the covered pit
dries up, ridding itself of pathogens
and ready for use as fertiliser.
Such toilets use less than a gallon
of water per ush compared to 2.6
gallons (10 litres) for conventional la-
trines and do not require attachment
to underground sewer lines, which are
nonexistent in most villages.
Pit toilets also eliminate the
need for the degrading task of
manually removing toilet waste by
workers who are seen as the ultimate
untouchables in caste-ridden India.
Mr Pathak is determined to ban-
ish the need for such manual scaven-
gers, who often scoop out excrement
with their hands into wicker baskets,
a campaign also pushed by Gandhi be-
fore his death in 1948.
As an upper-class Brahmin,
Mr Pathak recounted how, as a
10-year-old boy, he was made to
consume cow dung and urine as
part of a purication ritual after he
touched a woman who used to clean
latrines. This moment has stayed
with me, he said.
Mr Pathaks charity has also har-
nessed bio-gas produced from hu-
man waste which is used to generate
electricity to power the charitys
ofces. The gas has also been bottled
for use as fuel for cooking.
Despite his achievements, Mr Pathak
said his task is far from complete, and
he was determined to change cultural
and social attitudes against toilets.
Many people in India consider toilets
unhygienic and prefer to squat in the
open, believing it is more sanitary to
leave waste far from your home. AFP
Toilet guru hopes to flush out bad sanitation
Bindeshwar Pathak (centre), founder of the Indian sanitation charity Sulabh International, demonstrates his low-cost and
environmentally-friendly, two-pit toilet technology to former manual scavengers at the charitys campus in New Delhi on
September 22. Photo: AFP
THE death toll of Japans worst vol-
canic disaster in nearly 90 years hit 48
last week with 24 people still missing
on October 2.
Rescuers searching the volcano
that erupted without warning found
dead hikers wedged between huge
rocks and people half buried in ash.
It is feared some bodies could be
entombed in the thick, sticky ash that
has coated the peak since eruption on
September 27.
Heavy rain forced police, troops
and reghters to abandon their
search of Mount Ontake on October
2, the latest reminder of the ongo-
ing danger posed by the 3067-metre
(10,121-foot) mountain, which is still
billowing steam and toxic gas.
Police rescuers found ash 40-50
centimetres (16-20 inches) deep at
a shrine on the peak when they rst
arrived, with some of those killed
found collapsed and half-buried, the
Mainichi newspaper reported.
Five bodies were stuck in between
jagged boulders up to 3m (9ft) across,
which emergency workers had to
smash using specialist rock-breaking
tools to free them, the paper said.
Another rescuer told the Nikkan
Sports daily that moving around on
the bed of ash was difcult because of
the way it had mixed with steam.
It sticks like damp concrete, he
said.
Rescue workers are having to tread
extremely carefully because of worries
that the blanket of ash they are walk-
ing on could be hiding crevices, or un-
stable rocks.
Autopsies have revealed that hik-
ers, many of whom had been enjoy-
ing lunch at the peak in the autumn
sunshine, died largely from injuries
caused by stones hurled out in the
initial explosive eruption at up to 300
kilometres (190 miles) an hour.
The bulk of the rocks are esti-
mated to be between the size of a hu-
man st and a head, said Takayuki
Kaneko, a vulcanologist at the Univer-
sity of Tokyos Earthquake Research
Institute.
They fell so densely that some
broke up [after hitting other rocks
and objects)]and scattered, he told
public broadcaster NHK.
I think people there must have
had no idea where to run and been
plunged into panic, he said.
Among those conrmed dead was
a 42-year-old deaf woman, Hiromi In-
ooka, who was out for the day with her
hearing-impaired husband, Tetsuya, 45.
His body has still not been found.
Toshihiro Ono, a fellow member of
a drum performance group the couple
was involved in, said he was shocked
to hear they had been caught up in
the tragedy.
Everyday life was hard enough
for them because of their disability,
he said. Its difcult to imagine how
frightened they must have been up
there.
Mount Ontake was packed with
hikers when it burst angrily to life
at lunchtime on September 27. Many
would have been there to witness the
spectacular colours of the countryside
as it turned to autumn.
All 47 dead have been identied,
but local authorities say based on
notications they have received from
family and friends, 24 people remain
unaccounted for. However, they cau-
tion the number may include people
who did not climb on September 27 or
who got down safely. AFP
TOKYO
Volcano claims at least 48
Smoke rises from Mount Ontake as it erupts on September 27. Photo: AFP
TRADE MARK CAUTION
NOTICE is hereby given that Aspen Global Incorporated a company
organized under the laws of Mauritius and having its principal offce
at c/o Kross Border Trust Services Limited, St Louis Business Centre
Cnr Desroches & St Louis Streets Port Louis Mauritius is the Owner
and Sole Proprietor of the following trademark: -
LAURINA
(Reg: Nos. IV/3543/1998 & IV/12454/2014)
in respect of:- Class 5 & 10 - Contraceptives, Contraceptives for
delivery via device
for Aspen Global Incorporated
th
October, 2014
TRADE MARK CAUTION
NOTICE is hereby given that Aspen Global Incorporated of c/o
Kross Border Trust Services Limited, St Louis Business Centre,
Cnr Desroches & St Louis Streets, Port Louis, Mauritius is the
Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trademark:-
OVESTIN
(Reg: Nos. IV/3542/1998 & IV/12444/2014)
in respect of :- Goods falling in International Class:5
to law.
for Aspen Global Incorporated
Phone: 372416
Dated: 6
th
October, 2014
TRADE MARK CAUTION
MUNDIPHARMA AG, a company incorporated in Switzerland,
of St. Alban-Rheinweg 74, CH-4020 Basel, Switzerland, is the
Owner of the following Trade Mark:-
TRANSTEC
Reg. No. 12122/2014
in respect of Class 05: Pharmaceutical preparations and
substances, namely for analgesics .
for MUNDIPHARMA AG
TRADE MARK CAUTION
Alza Corporation, a corporation incorporated in the United States
of America, of 700 Eubanks Drive, Vacaville CA 95688, U.S.A.,
is the Owner of the following Trade Mark:-
D-TRANS
Reg. No. 6826/2004
in respect of Transdermal patches for testosterone hormone
therapy and for the treatment of pain.
for Alza Corporation
THE PULSE EDITOR: WHITNEY LIGHT light.whitney@gmail.com THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 6 - 12, 2014

G
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F
I
N
G
E R
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O
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NYEIN EI EI HTWE AND LUN MIN MANG
A
R Lee was born and raised in Myitkyina in Kachin State, but at the tender age
of 12 his parents sent him away to live in Yangon.
It was not out of spite that these parents sent their son out into the world
alone, but rather out of love: They wanted to help him escape the trap of drug
addiction afecting so many other young ethnic Kachin around Myitkyina.
Most guys my age try drugs, and some of them become junkies, Ar Lee said. My parents
thought this might pose a threat for me, so they sent me to Yangon so I could focus on my
education.
Ar Lee moved to Yangon in 2010 with help from other students from Myitkyina who had
preceded him to the city.
Now 16, he lives and studies at the Hosanain Christian charity hostel in Insein township
part of the citys extensive network of Christian hostels, Buddhist monasteries, social help
centres and orphanages that accept young students from around the country.
Ar Lee said one of the main difculties has been adjusting to speaking in Burmese rather
than his native Kachin language.
At rst it was hard to communicate with some of the other students, but we were able to
quickly build relationships because we came from similar backgrounds. We are all orphans
or living far away from our parents, he said.
These days I often get homesick, but its not as bad as before. I always try to encourage
myself to settle into my new situation.
He explained that he is inspired by the stories of successful people who came from
backgrounds similar to his own.
Families put a large amount of trust in their kids when they send them to Yangon, and
this is a key factor in their later success, he said.
There are people like me who lived far away from their homes and families when they
were young, and who later found success in politics, business and education. I think they
must have faced the same challenges I am now facing, and they found a way to break through
these situations. I want to succeed like them some day.
Ar Lees situation is not unusual. Many young people from border regions relocate to
Yangon for reasons that include avoiding drugs, eeing civil wars or simply gaining access to
better educational opportunities.
Khun Yan Aung is a young ethnic Pa-O from Pinlaung township in northern Shan State.
His home village has no basic education school, so his father sent him to Yangon to pursue
a better education.
But Khun Yan Aung developed a diferent goal along the way: He dropped out of school
before nishing Grade 10 to follow his dream of becoming a football star. He now trains at
the Nay Pyi Taw Football Academy in South Okkalapa township under a team of experienced
coaches.
Im the ninth of 10 children in my family. All of my older siblings are still in Shan State,
but my father wanted me to come to Yangon and become an educated person, Khun Yan
Aung said, speaking Burmese with a heavy ethnic accent despite his six years living in Yangon.
When he rst came to Yangon, keeping in touch with his family was difcult. Last year he
made only one visit to his village. But improved telephone connections are now facilitating
easier communication.
Sometimes I get very tired, both physically and mentally. I feel fed up with life and I
want to go home. But now I can talk with my mother on the phone whenever I want, and it
decreases my homesickness, the 17-year-old said.
Another source of inspiration was a meeting with a physically disabled swimmer who
represents Myanmar in international competitions.
This swimmer visited the monastery where I am staying. He has no arms, and yet he is
a champion swimmer who has even competed overseas, Khun Yan Aung said. Whenever
Escape plan
the pulse 53
www.mmtimes.com
Young people from border areas
are moving to Yangon to seek
opportunities absent in their home
villages, though not without struggle
I feel depressed, I think about him and my mental strength is replenished. I want to be
successful like him.
Although Khun Yan Aung has stopped attending school, he sometimes uses the wages he
earns working at a soy-milk factory to take computer courses at local training centres. He
spends his evenings training at the football academy.
All of us at the football academy are like a family, so there is not much competitiveness
or conict among us, he said. Were all trying to establish ourselves and become self-reliant,
so we avoid the aggressive behaviour common among teenage boys.
To become a famous guitarist is the deepest desire of Thang Boih, a 14-year-old Chin from
Nan Myint Han village in Sagaing Regions Tamu township.
Both of his parents died two years ago. His two younger sisters went to live with close
relatives in the village, while he came to Yangon and moved into a hostel in North Dagon
township.
The hostel is an orphanage for parentless youth of Chin ethnicity. With nancial assistance
from international organisations, it provides water, food and healthcare to the young people
staying there.
This support allows them to live in comfort while they focus on studying at basic education
high schools, and the help continues until they pass their matriculation exams.
This is a new place for all of us, but the fact that we all speak the same dialect makes it
easier, Thang Boih said using Chin language.
That doesnt mean conicts are entirely nonexistent. When teenage boys live in the same
hostel and see each other every day, quarrels are inevitable.
I always try to speak with the headmaster about what I feel or what I see in the hostel
because there have been a few ghts here, he said.
Despite the fact that he lives in a strange environment far from his relatives, he said his
main worry is preparing well for school examinations.
Im not happy when my scores dont meet my expectations. I get very excited and worried
whenever examinations draw near, he said.
Still, he misses the days when his family was all together in Nan Myint Han village.
I especially want to go home when Im ill and during Christmas. But Im very happy
here, he said, adding that he telephones his sisters once a month.
Thang Boih said he nds comfort by attending Christian worship services with this friends
every Sunday, as well as by learning to play guitar.
The brother-in-law of our headmaster is a good guitar player. Hes a pro. I want to be a
good guitarist like him in the future, he said.
Monk U Jotika, the headmaster of Nan Oo Priyatti Monastic Institution in Mayangone
township, said he cares for 180 youths who are orphans or living away from their families.
He said there are many reasons for young ethnic minorities to move to Yangon, including
the desire to increase their literacy in Burmese language.
They have many diferent kinds of dreams, but rst they need good writing and speaking
skills in Burmese to learn the subjects they need to learn, he said.
U Jotika said the students come from many diferent areas of the country, so it was
important to impose strict discipline and give them responsibility.
We have strictly scheduled times for studying, playing and cooking in groups. After this,
they feel they are part of a unit and they want to be more dutiful toward each other, he said.
However, U Jotika said the school has trouble raising the donations to provide enough
food, clothes and educational materials.
In recent years, an increasing number of young people have been moving here from
border areas, he said. Now most villages have telephone connections so students can stay
in touch with their relatives. But most of them are from poor families, and its rare that they
have the resources to make donations.
Escape plan
Students, most of them from Shan State, live together at Nann Oo Monastery in Mayangone while pursuing
education and other opportunities in Yangon. The monastery is home to 180 monks and boarding students,
who range from kindergarten to high-school age. Photos: Yu Yu
54 the pulse THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 6 - 12, 2014
RAISE your glasses to welcome the
arrival this week of Oktoberfest,
the German beer festival that is
returning to Myanmar. Among other
celebrations, a party will be held at
Yangons Inya Lake hotel on October
10-11 and attended by Prince Luitpold
von Bayern.
The Munich-based festival is the
worlds largest, attracting more than 6
million visitors a year, and dates back
to the wedding bash of King Ludwig I
of Bavaria in 1810.
The prince, who will attend
Oktoberfest in Myanmar for the rst
time, said he hoped the festival would
strengthen the relationship between
the two countries and foster cultural
exchanges.
Today, Oktoberfest is celebrated
all over the world as a typical German
festivity creating friendship and
happiness, Prince Luitpold told The
Myanmar Times by email, adding
that he hoped to see new friendships
founded and existing friendships
stabilised to build up trust, peace
and commercial success.
Comparing Oktoberfest with Brazils
carnival, he added, The big beer tents
with thousands of cheerful people
from all over the world create a unique
atmosphere. Language and class
barriers fall away, and thousands eat,
drink, dance and have a great party.
The prince promised beer from the
royal Kaltenberg brewery in Bavaria
and authentic German food.
German prince will attend
Oktoberfest in Yangon
ART
Sept 26-Nov 1 The Mirror: Refecting
Society. Painting, sculpture, installation
and photography by four Myanmar
contemporary artists. TS1 Gallery,
between Lanthit Jetty and Kaing Dan
No 1 Jetty, Seikkan 10am-6:30pm
FILM
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, by Sule Pagoda
Sming: The Hunt Begins. Directed by
Pan Visitsak. A Thai horror flm about a
supernatural legend.
Minuscule: Valley of the Lost Ants.
Directed by Helene Giraud and Thomas
Szabo. Rival ant colonies battle for the
remains of a picnic (animation).
Step Up All In. Directed by Trish Sie.
The ffth installment of the American
dance series.
Mingalar Cinema 2, at Dagon Center
2, Myaynigone
Sming: The Hunt Begins.
Shae Shaung Cinema, Sule Pagoda
Road, Kyauktada
The Maze Runner. Directed by Wes
Ball. A group of boys trapped in a maze
must fnd an escape.
The Swimmers. Directed by Sophon
Sakdaphisit. A Thai horror flm with
English subtitles.
Junction Square Cineplex, Kamaryut
The November Man. Directed by
Roger Donaldson. American spy thriller
starring Pierce Brosnan.
Way of the Wicked. Directed by Kevin
Carraway. Father Henry thinks he
can explain a series of inexplicable
murders.
Mingalar San Pya Cineplex, Phone
Gyi Street and Anawrahta, Lanmadaw
Sming: The Hunt Begins.
The Maze Runner.

MUSIC
Sept 5-Dec 31 Live music. Thiripyitsaya
Sky Bistro, 20
th
Floor, Sakura Tower
7-10pm
Oct 8 Thadingyut Music Festival with Sai
Sai, Snare, Jouk Jack, Hlwan Paing, Yair
Yint Aung and Bobby Soxer. Tickets at
City Mart, Orange and Ocean for K7500.
Kandawgyi Myaw Zin Island, Nat Mauk
Road, 5pm
Oct 18 Jam It! On the Beat. Zeal Coffee
Lounge & Restaurant, 99 Myay Nu Street,
Sanchaung 6pm
MISC
Oct 11 Yachtoberfest. Yangons frst on-
the-water Oktoberfest. Tickets K25,000.
RSVP to yangonboatparty@gmail.com.
Wardan Jetty, Seikkan, boat departs at
5pm
Oct 8-12 Disney Live! Performances
of three classic fairytales: Snow White,
Cinderella, and Beauty and the Beast.
Tickets K10,000-K100,000 at myasiaticket.
com. Myanmar Event Park, Shin Saw Pu
Street, Sanchaung 10am-6pm
Got an event?
List it in Whats On!
whatsonmt@gmail.com
OCTOBER 6 - 12
2 x 3
NYEIN EI EI HTWE
nyeineieihtwe23@gmail.com
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Oktoberfest Yangon 2014
Venue: Inya Lake Hotel
October 10-11
Tickets available for K35,000 at
Inya Lake Hotel, Strand Hotel, the
Governors Residence, & Savoy
Hotel until October 9
Door sales: K40,000
For group tickets call
+95 9 2502 59418 or email
matthew.fennessy@hss.de
S
treet
S
een
Monks collect
breakfast alms
in Mayangone
township on
October 3, during
the last week of
Buddhist lent
for 2014.
Photo: Yu Yu
the pulse 55 www.mmtimes.com
Searching out
the best of Yangons
English bookstore
JEREMY MULLINS
jeremymullins7@gmail.com
MYAT NOE OO
myatnoe.mcm@gmail.com
S
MARTPHONES and
e-readers may be growing
competition for old-
fashioned book shops but,
at least in Yangon, reports
of their death have been greatly
exaggerated.
Readers may appreciate
electronic gadgets for their
portability and convenience, but a
physical book can be hard to beat.
They add an air of edication to a
room just by sitting on the shelf;
low-cost and structurally sound,
they have the right qualities for use
as an impromptu projectile or y
swatter; and, most importantly, they
are just more fun to read.
The Myanmar Times has visited
the citys book shops and libraries
and compiled a list of some of our
favourites.
BOOK STORES
Monument Books
150 Dhamazedi Road, Bahan
With perhaps the widest array of
ction and non-ction titles for
sale in the city, this shop focuses
its selection on Myanmar and Asia
but provides many international
options as well. The books are
genuine (ie, not photocopies) and
reasonably priced, considering the
quality. Monument also has quite an
extensive selection of educational
material.
Myanmar Book Centre
Corner of Baho and Ahlone roads,
Ahlone
Merchant Street near Mahabandoola
Park Street, Kyauktada
Opened in 1995, the centre broke
ground and drew plaudits for
importing English books when that
wasnt easy to do in Myanmar. Its
selection now focuses mostly on
educational books, though there are
a few shelves of classics, English
books on Myanmar, and ction and
non-ction titles reecting the list
of authors who appeared at this
years Irrawaddy Book Festival in
Mandalay.
Innwa Books and nearby stores
Pansodan Street near Bogyoke Aung
San Street, Kyauktada
The English book selection here
is eclectic. These shops are also
heavy on Myanmar and textbooks,
ofering a smattering of other titles.
Because many of the books are locally
manufactured, the prices are often
lower than elsewhere. Innwa also
carries several English periodicals to
pick up along with your copy of The
Myanmar Times.
Bagan Book House
100 37
th
Street, lower block,
Kyauktada
A welcoming shop tucked away
downtown, the main attraction here
is the owner, who knows whats what
about English-language material on
Myanmar.
Honourable mentions
Popular Books boasts three Yangon
branches. It has a small but strong
selection of English books, as well
as a more extensive list of Myanmar
language titles.
Bookworm Books is the new kid on
the block in Thingangyun townships
Waiyzantar Orange Plaza. It has a
robust selection of English books
given its small size.
LIBRARIES
Baldwin Library at the American
Center
14 Tawwin Road, near the Russian
Embassy, Dagon
Ofering a pleasant atmosphere for
reading or studying, this library
carries a wide selection of ction
and non-ction books for lending,
albeit with an American emphasis. A
membership costs K5000, which is
quite a reasonable investment for the
choice it brings. However, the hours
8am to 4:30pm, Monday through
Saturday, except for a half day on
Thursday are a little restricting.
British Council
78 Strand Road inside the British
Embassy, Kyauktada
The council library boasts 30,000
books, though its adult ction
collection falls a little short of its
American counterpart. Its oriented
toward scholarly titles and British
authors, claiming the American-
born Henry James among them.
Membership is a bit pricey at
K25,000, but its convenient for those
working downtown. It also has better
hours than the American Center,
being open until 6pm every day but
Sunday, when it closes at 1pm.
For more on Yangons book
business, check out Page 25
Bookshops face a tough sell as
reading habits start to change
Monument Books. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing
Pretty in pink: Girls Generation. Photo: AFP
K-pop super group ousts star
ONE of K-pops marquee acts, the girl
band Girls Generation, has kicked
out one of its star members, sending
surprise through the groups devoted
fan base in South Korea and beyond.
Jessica Jung, a prominent member
of the nine-girl act that has toured to
stadiums around the world, said she
had been shockingly informed by
her colleagues and agency that she
was no longer part of the band.
I am devastated. My priority and
love is to serve as a member of GG but
for no justiable reason, I am being
forced out, the 25-year-old wrote on
her microblogging Weibo account.
Her agency SM Entertainment
insisted Jessica had expressed an
intention to quit earlier this year to
focus on her new fashion business.
As the band had conicting
priorities and interests, and Jessica
started her own fashion business
... we came to a conclusion that we
can no longer continue the band like
this, SM said in a statement.
We made a decision on her
departure earlier than originally
planned, it said, without going into
detail.
The agency stressed that Girls
Generation would keep going with
the remaining eight members.
The news made headlines in South
Korea and immediately began trending
on social networks as messages poured
in from devastated fans.
They kept saying that they were
like family, and they would sing and
stick together until they became
grannies, said one disillusioned fan.
But they were just business partners
after all.
Formed in 2007, Girls Generation
had a breakout hit two years later
with Gee, and morphed into one of
the biggest acts the K-pop juggernaut
has ever produced, with a huge
following in China and Japan.
A Korean-American, who was born
and raised in San Francisco, Jessica
launched her own fashion line,
BLANC, in August of this year. AFP
SEOUL
They were
just business
partners after all
Anonymous
Disillusioned fan
HELSINKI
Angry Birds maker cuts 130 jobs
Rovio, the Finnish maker of the popular mobile
game Angry Birds, announced on October 2 up to
130 job cuts, blaming agging sales growth.
The company has been trying to expand
beyond the video-games business to become
a global entertainment rm, opening
amusement parks in Europe and China,
publishing childrens books and producing
feature lms.
We have been building our team on
assumptions of faster growth than has
materialised, Rovio chief executive Mikael Hed
said in a statement, adding that the company
would now focus on consumer products with
the highest growth potential.
The companys workforce grew by 500
people last year to total 800 employees.
The Angry Birds series of games use
slingshots to launch little birds at fortresses
built by green pigs.
It quickly became the most successful
mobile game in history, spawning an entire
franchise of merchandise and media tie-ins.
The Global Gossip
WEEKLY PREDICTIONS
OCTOBER 6 - 12, 2014
PISCES | Feb 19 March 20
Sometimes you dont have
control over how youre
feeling, but worrying about a
situation accomplishes and
changes nothing. Make sure
that your passions constantly evolve as
you grow and learn more about the
nature of humanity. True love should be a
wealth of happiness rather than riches
gained by marriage.
AQUARIUS | Jan 20 Feb 18
Integrity requires consistency
between your public
statements and your private
thoughts. Treat people
without judgment, and they
will more readily support your dreams. If
you run your business based on principles
and commitments, your efforts will produce
more consistent results. Eliminate your
distractions. You may suffer a hitch before a
owering.
ARIES | March 21 April 19
Weigh the cost of the worst
thing that could happen
against the benets of the
best thing. Choose the risk
where the value of the positive
outcome outweighs what you might lose.
But acknowledge that not doing anything
also has a cost. Redirect your mental
energy by continuously reminding yourself
of all the things you do right.
CAPRICORN | Dec 22 Jan 19
Favourable and odd things
may happen according to
your diplomatic power.
Thoughts of courage and
determination will drive
away your worry and fear. In the same
way, love will drive out hatred and
jealously. Every day should be a chance to
show your sincerity. Dont be shy to learn
from daily experience with others.
SAGITTARIUS | Nov 22 Dec 21
All relationships are saturated
with power issues that arise
in subtle and unsubtle ways.
Responding to a question with
another question could be
your way to get right answers from others.
Never forget to analyse the information you
receive daily and consider its value.
Emotional differences are because of
different ideas about life.
SCORPIO | Oct 23 Nov 21
Self-help is an ally of
competence. Things cannot
always be the best for all of
us at all times. Dont give up
though the pace seems
slow. You should endeavour to build your
self-esteem all the time, in all possible
ways. Keep your actions in harmony with
your beliefs. Use your intellect to help you
create a new image of yourself.
LIBRA | Sept 23 Oct 22
Everything has its
importance and value.
Do things in order of
their priority and effect.
Aim for something that
will call for the fullest
use of all your abilities,
for hard work, courage and perseverance.
Begin with an assessment of yourself, and
you should keep your mind active all the
time. Deny emotional power over you.
TAURUS | April 20 May 20
Deal more honestly with
what people are actually
saying to you both verbally
and through body language
to get good results. Know
that the virtue of your actions lies in how
honest you are to others about who you
are and to yourself about what you want.
Your lost credibility is too costly and too
difcult to regain.
CANCER | June 21 July 22
Never reveal what is most
important to you at the start.
Know that most decisions in
a negotiation are made
emotionally and rationalised
later. The more options the other side
believes you have, the more leverage you
will gain in your negotiations. Learn more
by listening than by speaking.
GEMINI | May 21 June 20
Once you say something, it
can never be taken back. If
your reputation is that you
subscribe to the status
quo, opportunity will avoid
you. Deliver more than you get paid for,
and your reputation will bring you more
business. Think through your actions
before taking them.
LEO | July 23 Aug 22
Enjoy your sense of courage
and condence. Know that
one trait shared by all
leaders is the ability to make
shrewd observations. Know
clearly about what youre looking ahead
for, and be ready to make quick decisions.
Keep making decisions with a wide and
awake mind, and see yourself as the hero
of a better future.
AUNG MYIN KYAW
4
th
oor, 113, Thamain Bayan Road, Tarmwe township, Yangon.
Tel: 09-731-35632, email: williameaste@gmail.com
VIRGO | Aug 23 Sept 22
An uncertain part of your life is
now in better perspective, and
you need to keep safe from
destructive forces. A wonderful
event will bring you renewed
confidence. Keep your wits about you, and
behave tactfully to get whatever you wish for.
Your love life may develop slowly. A marriage
proposal may be acceptable, but jealousy
could be an obstacle.
WASHINGTON
Twitter-funded lab to seek social
media insights
A new Twitter-funded research project unveiled
October 1, with access to every tweet ever sent,
will look for patterns and insights from the
billions of messages sent on social media.
The MIT Media Lab said the new Laboratory
for Social Machines would be funded by a ve-
year, US$10-million commitment from Twitter,
which will also provide access to its real-time,
public stream.
The new lab will examine semantic and
social patterns across the broad span of public
mass media, social media, data streams, and
digital content, according to a statement from
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Researchers will study interaction patterns
and shared interests in relevant social systems,
to gain fresh insights into how and why people
use social media. The lab will be independent
of Twitter and will examine numerous social
networks, according to the university.
Dog Lotti wears a
traditional Bavarian
dirndl dress, a creation
of fashion designer
Hildegard Bergbauer,
in Straubing, Germany,
on September 29. Photo:
AFP/Armin Weigel
NEW YORK
Netix signs Adam Sandler to make
four lms
Netix announced October 2 it has signed
comic actor Adam Sandler to produce
four lms for the streaming video group,
expanding its foray into cinema.
Sandlers Happy Madison Productions
will work alongside Netix to develop the
four lms and to premiere them exclusively
to members in the nearly 50 countries
where Netix operates, according to a
Netix statement.
Sandler, a former stand-up comic known
for his roles in The Wedding Singer, Big
Daddy, and Anger Management, said he
was pleased with the new deal.
When these ne people came to me
with an offer to make four movies for them,
I immediately said yes for one reason and
one reason only ... Netix rhymes with wet
chicks, he said in the statement. AFP
Executive producer and
actor Robert Downey
Jr attends the premiere
of The Judge at AMPAS
Samuel Goldwyn Theater
in Beverly Hills on
October 1. Photo: AFP/
Kevin Winter
LOS ANGELES
Classic videogame Tetris to be
made into a movie
The classic videogame Tetris, in which
players slot together a cascade of tumbling
blocks, is being turned into a sci- movie,
the projects developers said September 30.
Tetris has been a mainstay of computer
gaming since it was created 30 years ago,
but the shape-slotting puzzle may not seem
like an obvious subject for a big-screen
adaptation.
Threshold Entertainment said in a
statement that it was partnering with The
Tetris Company to develop the lm.
Everyone knows that Tetris is one of the
best-known, most beloved brands in the
world, Threshold chairman Larry Kasanoff
said. What everyone doesnt know yet is
this epic sci- story that were going to tell.
Youll soon nd out, theres much more
to Tetris than simply clearing lines, said
Henk Rogers, the managing director of The
Tetris Company.
Tetris has been downloaded more than
425 million times as a paid-for mobile app,
according to the statement.
South Korean actress and
singer Lee Jung-Hyun
poses on the red carpet for
the opening ceremony of
the 19
th
Busan International
Film Festival (BIFF) at the
Busan Cinema Center on
October 2. Photo: AFP/Jung
Yeon-Je
Photo: AFP
the pulse 57 www.mmtimes.com
A
RT galleries attracts few
visitors in Myanmar, and
art dealing often isnt
a nancially lucrative
venture unless youre
selling work by international art stars.
Yet photographer Ko Aye Saung has
taken that risk, setting up a gallery
that will feature lesser-known artists.
Named Think, its located in the
basement of a six-storey building
on Nawaday Street, Dagon, that was
previously used, at diferent times, as
a garage, a restaurant and a language
school.
The space is about 55 by 100 feet
(17 by 30 metres) wide and has been
painted white and decorated with
bonsai and potted plants. Here owner
Ko Aye Saung, 50, wants to share his
passion for art.
Being a photographer, I love art,
and I know how some struggling
artists live, as I am friendly with
them, he said. I wanted to convert
my basement into an art gallery
for those artists to use as a place to
showcase their artworks.
Yet its a dif cult and uncertain
business. Several galleries have
opened in recent years but almost as
many have closed, due to the high
cost of rent and lack of art buyers.
The short-lived Culture Bridge gallery
in Pazundaung township is just one
example.
As an owner of the space, however,
Ko Aye Saung has a better position
than most from which to indulge his
passion.
Since its opening in late August, he
has held three art shows. The latest
was Wild Eye X11, a contemporary
art exhibition of 105 paintings by 43
artists. Only eight paintings sold, but
Ko Aye Saung isnt worried yet.
My passion for art can resist the
other dif culties of perpetuating a
gallery, he said.
According to a guidebook about
the Yangon art scene, there are nearly
80 galleries open in the city. Some are
basically studios attached to homes
that artists have given a name to and
made public. This is common practice
among artists who live far away from
downtown.
The galleries that are open in
artists homes are rarely visited, Ko
Aye Saung said. The artists paint, but
they dont receive regular exposure in
the galleries downtown where most
art collectors and foreign visitors go.
For these artists whose work
is not in high demand, the task of
seeking buyers falls on them, he
said, explaining that he thinks their
artwork deserves to receive greater
exposure and a chance of becoming
known in the industry.
Only artworks by famous artists
are valued, appreciated and bought.
Last month, 15 paintings by Win Pe
were displayed, and all paintings sold
because the buyers see a potential
benet in collecting the artworks of
famous artists, he said.
Studio galleries tend to be visited
by local gallery owners who want
to collect paintings that have the
potential to increase in value, as well
as by foreign visitors who have a
passion for art, he said.
Artist Hla Toe, who was displaying
four paintings at Think, said he sees a
lot of galleries opening but few locals
enjoying them.
Few people express interest in
art rather than music, movies and
stage shows, he said, observing that
although there are many wealthy
businesspeople, only a tiny number of
them have the idea to hang paintings
on the walls of their homes.
Many people have a poor
aesthetic appreciation of the visual
arts. They still hang calendars on
the walls of their houses, he said.
It happens because the country has
never promoted art education.
Apart from art shows, the gallery
will also be hired out to host book
launches and photography shows.
Think Gallery is located at 23
Nawaday Street, Dagon township
It is open daily 9am-5pm.
New gallery
hopes visitors
will Think
about art
ZON PANN PWINT
zonpann08@gmail.com
Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing
Sporting a vanishing coiffure
I
HAVE been to Bagan countless
times, and Ive always intended
to visit the nearby village of
Set Set Yo, where the children
still wear their hair in yaung
pay soo, the traditional topknot
style with a circular fringe.
In August, while on assignment
in Bagan, I nally made it there
with three friends.
A local contact had given us the
directions to the village. We started
on Byatta Pan Set Street, going the
way to Popa and then followed a
rough dirt road past Gyam Hlee
village. After 40 minutes of driving
through beautiful scenery, and
with Popa Taung Kalat and the
mountains at our back, we saw a
signpost for Set Set Yo.
Then our vehicle got stuck in the
sand.
Some men from the village
came to help, digging the sand
from under the vehicle. While they
worked, a few children wearing
yaung pay soo came to see us, and
one of my friends began taking
photos. Later we saw some more
children with the topknots at the
monastery, while we were paying
respects to Sayadaw U Nar Ra Da.
Their hairstyles were fascinating.
Some untied their knots to show me
how they oil and tie the hair; their
tresses fell to their waists.
I felt immediate respect for
them all, who appeared to keep this
hairstyle willingly although it is
very rare these days.
I told the children and their
parents to keep the hairstyle to show
the children today what is tradition,
said U Nar Ra Da, 76. I dont want
our tradition to disappear.
According to ancient records,
unique hairstyles developed in what
is now Myanmar during the Bagan
dynasty and in each period after.
Yaung pay soo is associated with the
Konbaung dynasty, which existed
right before colonial times.
During this era, ordinary citizens
wore their hair in this fashion, using
coconut oil to care for the long
locks. Royals and wealthy families
would also adopt the style for fairs
and ceremonies, adding decorative
combs.
Throughout this history, the
hair bun was considered one of
womens most glorious attributes, in
part because the head, in Buddhist
religious expression, is the highest
point of the body. An old Myanmar
proverb goes, The glory of women
is the hair bun, and the glory of
men is the upper arm, the latter
phrase being in praise of strong,
dependable males.
The British never banned the
hairstyle, but the inuence of their
culture led people away from yaung
pay soo.
Set Set Yo is located in
Kyaukpadaung township, far from
any large town. There are about
170 houses in the village and a few
hundred people. But there are only
15 children who wear yaung pay
soo: 11 boys and four girls.
There are some problems. If
their parents want them to wear
yaung pay soo, the children dont
want to. I give them razors, combs,
coconut oil, mirrors and shampoo.
I take care of them as their parents
would although they are not my
relatives. They help each other to
shave their heads, the sayadaw
said.
As social life has changed thanks
to technological advancement,
villages are also witnessing the
degeneration and globalisation of
traditon. The rising popularity of TV
dramas and Korean movies appears
to have something to do with why
just 15 children wear yaung pay soo.
At the time I followed my
senior monk, 25 years ago, the
whole village wore yaung pay soo.
All the girls and boys wore it. It
was graceful to see them. But now,
the number of children with that
hairstyle is decreasing day by day.
Girls dont keep it after they are 15.
Boys can be seen in yaung pay soo
before they became novices. After
that, its difcult to keep it, the
sayadaw said.
The village children help the
monks to hold their alms bowls or
curry dishes and trays while the
monks go around the village to
accept oferings of food.
Ive kept this hairstyle since I
was young. I want to have short
hair, but Sayadaw doesnt allow me,
said Ko Ko Naing, who lives at the
monastery.
Yaung pay soo used to exist in
four or ve villages in the Bagan,
Nyaung Oo and Popa area. Now it is
only in Set Set Yo, which makes it a
kind of model village for foreigners
who want to observe a historical
aspect of Myanmar culture.
U Nar Ra Da said that he will try
to prevent the disappearance of the
hairstyle as long as he is alive.
After a long day in Set Set Yo, my
friends and I had gathered many
photos, and the setting sun told us
it was time to say goodbye. We paid
respects to the sayadaw, and the
children with their beautiful smiles
and top knots waved us goodbye.
We left the village wondering
whether the Myanmar traditional
hair style will persist after the
sayadaw has left this world.
SITHU LWIN
At the time I
followed my
senior monk,
25 years ago,
the whole village
wore yaung pay
soo
U Nar Ra Da
Sayadaw in Set Set Yo
A remote village near Bagan is a last bastion of yaung pay soo
Children of Set Set Yo village sport yaung pay soo hairstyles. Photo: Si Thu Lwin Boys and girls adopt variations of yaung pay soo as they grow to adolescence. Graphic: Thein Tun Oo
the pulse food and drink 59 www.mmtimes.com
L
AST weeks menu was
dictated by my upset
tummy. I didnt really want
to follow its orders, but I
couldnt take any protest
from it either.
Now Im feeling better, and my
taste buds are working again. Im
back in the kitchen to continue
my cooking adventure, this time
with sambal chilli sauce, which
is an Indonesian-style chilli and
sh-paste sauce. The packaging
suggests to use it with meat, but
I love it with seafood. Ive used
coconut milk to dilute the strong
avours and tone down the
spiciness.
I also bought some pumpkin
blossoms, which are similar to
zucchini owers. A vendor was
selling them in front of Parkson
department store, near Bogyoke
Market. You can nd them at some
wet markets, too. The pumpkin
owers I bought were smaller than
zucchini owers, so I couldnt stuf
anything into them. As a test, I
decided to fry them plain. Not bad.
SAMBAL PRAWN CURRY
Serves 6
12-14 prawns
4 spring onions
4 shallots
1 tbsp sambal chilli sauce
2 onions
1 tbsp vegetable oil
5 tbsp coconut milk
1/3 cup water
Pinch of salt
Wash the prawns, remove the shells
and discard the black lines from the
backs. Sprinkle them with a couple
of pinches of salt and mix well. Set
aside.
Chop the onions roughly and slice
the shallots. Mix the coconut milk
and water in a bowl and set aside.
Add oil to a wok and heat it on
medium-high. Saut the onions.
When they are translucent, add the
shallots and saut a few seconds
more.
Add the sambal chilli sauce. Be
careful because it will spit. Turn down
the heat if necessary. Saut the paste
for half a minute.
Bring the prawns into the wok and
mix to cover them with sauce. Fry for
2 minutes.
Add the coconut milk and stir
well. Salt to taste.
Bring the liquid to a gentle boil,
then cover and simmer for 7 to 10
minutes.
Serve with plain steamed rice.
PUMPKIN CHIPS
Serves 6
450-500g pumpkin
4 small bunches of pumpkin
owers
1/3 cup vegetable oil
Discard the seeds and interior bres
of the pumpkin and cut it into
wedges 5cm (2 inches) wide. Slice
each wedge into thin chips and lay
them out to dry.
Prepare the wok for deep
frying. Heat the oil on high. When
it starts to steam, turn down the
heat.
Fry the chips, stirring
occasionally and frequently turning
them over. When they become
golden and stif, transfer to a plate
lined with kitchen paper to absorb
the excess oil. Serve immediately.
For the pumpkin owers, wash
and dry them well. Remove the
stamens and trim the stems, leaving
about 4cm (1.5 inches).
Deep fry until golden and crisp.
Drain on kitchen paper, and serve
immediately.
PHYO ARBIDANS
phyo.arbidans@gmail.com
Restaurant Review
Food 8
Beverage NA
Service 8
Value for money 7
X-factor 10
Restaurant Rating
Artisanal ice-cream parlour spoons up gelato

the Italian way via Singapore
RARELY does indecision seem as
overwhelming, albeit triing, as when
one is faced with a case of sweet
delights. On this occasion, it was all
gelato: peanut butter, biscotti, Nutella,
coconut, strawberry cheesecake,
melon and, of course, chocolate and
more. At the behest of eager staf, we
sampled almost all before choosing
bowls of two avours each (K3800 for
premium avours, K4800 for super
premium).
Frozee, a gelato bar and
restaurant, opened in mid-September
and is run by two Singaporeans ice
cream chef Francis Lee and business
partner Jamie Teo keen to make
inroads into Yangons inchoate
market for ne frozen confections.
Without question, the quality
of the product was high enough
to entice repeat visits. And repeat
visitors will be rewarded, as Lee
emphasised that the menu of avours
will be changing monthly to keep
customers interested and make use
of fruits that are locally in season.
Makers of gelato prize freshness, after
all, with avour and colour derived
only from natural ingredients.
Besides fruit, other avours are
concocted from pastes imported from
Italy, where in 2007 Lee attended a
professional course in gelato making.
Previously hed worked for many
years in Singapore at Swensens, the
American ice cream chain which is
now one of Frozees few competitors
in Yangon.
Yet the product Frozee ofers is
of a decidedly diferent nature. Yes,
there is a diference between your
average supermarket variety ice
cream and gelato, Lee explained. Ice
cream is made with, surprise, cream,
as well as eggs, which results in ufy
frozen billows of up to 40 percent
milk fat that can be stored for weeks
or months in a freezer. Not so for
gelato, which is made from milk and
must be consumed within one week
or thrown out, Lee said.
The gelato-making process
results in a dessert that is both
lighter and denser than ice cream,
ranging from 7 to 14 percent milk
fat.
Like other gelato makers
in both Singapore and
Italy, Lee said his dairy-
based gelatos are made
from UHT milk. This
came as a surprise, because
the avour one typically
associates with UHT milk as
opposed to fresh milk was
undiscernable in the
nished product. A
couple non-dairy
avours on
our visit,
strawberry
and melon
are also
on ofer and
categorised as sorbets.
In addition to ofering gelato by
the cup, Frozee ofers take-home pails
and a few special desserts featuring
goodies such as brownies and apple
pie. There are also novelty ice cream
cakes, ranging in price from K27,000
to K72,000 for a 12-inch custom two-
avour pie.
If youre worried about your cake
melting as soon as you get out the
door, youll be relieved to learn
the restaurant itself is designed to
be a special-enough location for
its consumption, especially if the
occasion is a childs birthday party.
Teo partnered with a local artist
to cover the walls with a mural
depicting a whimsical fantasy
forest: colourful exotic
birds and panda bears sit
in willowly blue trees. The
ceiling is painted with
clouds.
The dining room,
which has adequate
space for groups,
is also fully air-
conditioned and
Wi-F i equipped.
Samba for
sambal
curry
food
Photos: Phyo
An Indonesian-style chilli sauce inspires a
spicy take on prawn curry while
pumpkin blossoms make a
pretty and edible garnish
WHITNEY LIGHT
light.whitney@gmail.com
Francis Lee is an expert in the art of gelato-making. Photos: Yu Yu
Frozee
23 Nawaday Road, Dagon
www.frozeegelato.com
THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 6 - 12, 2014
Socialite
SONY XPERIA Z3 Launch
Sithu and Htay Win
Erwin Su Santo, Thomas Sim and Karam Sam
Sony introduced its Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact models
of smartphone at a reception at Sule Shangri-La Hotel
on October 2.
April Lim and friend
Wai Thit Lwin and friend
Tin Moe Lwin and model
Side Effect at MOJO
The indie musicians rocked the house, yet again, at
Mojo Bar on October 2.
www.mmtimes.com
Socialite
Lucy, Fabienne,Therese and Lynn
Steven,Jess and Phyu Hnin Nyein
Documentary screening at Deitta
Art show at Pansodan Scene
Artist Zwe Yan Naing
Artist Zwe Yan Naing and his friends
Khin Thandar Myint and Shwe Yee
Ko Htet, Thaw Gyi and Si Thu
BBC reporter Becky Palmstrom was on hand on October 2 to intro-
duce her lm Thailands Slave Fishermen, which investigates human
trafcking and forced labour often of Myanmar migrant workers in
Thailands shing industry, one of the largest in the world.
Artist Zwe Yan Naing celebrated the opening of his solo exhibition To
Value Something with friends and family on October 1. The Rakhine-born
artist studied ne arts in Yangon in 2007-08 and had his rst show, A
Burmese Girl, at Pansodan Gallery in 2011.
62 the pulse travel THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 6 - 12, 2014
DOMESTIC FLIGHT SCHEDULES
Airline Codes
6T = Air Mandalay
7Y = Mann Yadanarpon Airlines
FMI = FMI Air Charter
K7 = Air KBZ
W9 = Air Bagan
Y5 = Golden Myanmar Airlines
YH = Yangon Airways
YJ = Asian Wings
Subject to change
without notice
Day
1 = Monday
2 = Tuesday
3 = Wednesday
4 = Thursday
5 = Friday
6 = Saturday
7 = Sunday
Domestic Airlines
Air Bagan (W9)
Tel: 513322, 513422, 504888. Fax: 515102
Air KBZ (K7)
Tel: 372977~80, 533030~39 (airport), 373766
(hotline). Fax: 372983
Air Mandalay (6T)
Tel: (ofce) 501520, 525488, (airport)
533222~3, 09-73152853.
Fax: (ofce) 525937, 533223 (airport)
Asian Wings (YJ)
Tel: 515261~264, 512140, 512473, 512640
Fax: 532333, 516654
FMI Air Charter
Tel: 240363, 240373, 09421146545
Golden Myanmar Airlines (Y5)
Tel: 09400446999, 09400447999
Fax: 8604051
Mann Yadanarpon Airlines (7Y)
Tel: 656969
Fax: 656998, 651020
Yangon Airways (YH)
Tel: 383100, 383107, 700264
Fax: 652 533
YANGON TO NAY PYI TAW NAY PYI TAW TO YANGON
Flight Days Dep Arr Flight Days Dep Arr
FMI A1 1,2,3,4,5 7:15 8:15 FMI A2 1,2,3,4,5 8:35 9:35
FMI B1 1,2,3,4,5 10:45 11:45 FMI B2 1,2,3,4,5 13:30 14:30
FMI C1 1,2,3,4,5 17:00 18:00 FMI C2 1,2,3,4,5 18:20 19:20
YANGON TO MANDALAY MANDALAY TO YANGON
YH 909 5,6,7 6:00 7:40 YH 910 5,6,7 7:40 9:45
YJ 891 2,4,5,6,7 6:00 8:05 Y5 233 Daily 8:05 9:15
YH 917 Daily 6:10 8:30 YH 910 3 8:10 9:35
Y5 775 Daily 6:15 7:25 YJ 891 2,4,5,6,7 8:20 10:15
6T 401 3,4,6,7 6:20 8:30 YH 918 Daily 8:30 10:45
YH 909 3 6:30 8:10 6T 402 3,4,6,7 8:45 10:50
YJ 891 1,3 6:30 8:35 YJ 891 1,3 8:50 10:45
YH 831 4,6 7:00 8:40 7Y 661 1,3,4,6,7 9:50 13:55
YH 835 1 7:00 12:55 7Y 132 Daily 10:30 12:25
7Y 651 2,5 8:00 12:48 YH 836 7 12:10 17:50
7Y 131 Daily 8:10 10:15 YJ 201 2 13:10 17:25
YH 835 7 10:30 12:10 YH 832 6 13:50 15:15
YJ 211 5 11:00 12:25 YH 832 4 14:50 16:25
YJ 761 4 11:00 12:25 YJ 202 1 15:45 17:10
YJ 201 2 11:00 12:55 YH 836 1 15:45 17:10
YJ 201 1 11:15 12:40 YJ 212 5 16:00 17:25
YH 727 1 11:15 13:25 7Y 241 Daily 16:10 18:15
YH 729 2,4,6 11:15 14:15 YJ 762 4 16:40 18:05
YH 737 3,5,7 11:15 13:25 YH 728 1 16:45 18:10
YH 911 2 12:30 14:10 YH 912 2 17:00 18:55
YH 829 5 12:30 14:10 YH 830 5 17:00 18:25
7Y 652 2,5 13:00 17:45 YH 732 Daily 17:10 19:15
7Y 241 Daily 14:00 15:55 YH 738 3 17:25 18:50
7Y 662 1,3,4,6,7 14:10 18:25 YH 738 5 17:35 18:45
YH 731 Daily 15:00 17:10 YH 738 7 17:55 19:20
Y5 234 Daily 17:45 18:55 YH 730 2,4,6 18:00 19:25
Y5 776 Daily 19:35 20:45
YANGON TO NYAUNG U NYAUNG U TO YANGON
YJ 891 2,4,5,6,7 6:00 7:20 YJ 891 2,4,5,6,7 7:35 10:15
YH 909 5,6,7 6:00 8:25 YH 918 Daily 7:45 10:45
YH 917 Daily 6:10 7:45 6T 401 3,4,6,7 7:55 10:50
6T 401 3,4,6,7 6:20 7:40 YJ 891 1,3 8:05 10:45
YJ 891 1,3 6:30 7:50 YH 910 5,6,7 8:25 9:45
6T 411 5 7:00 8:20 6T 412 5 8:40 10:00
7Y 131 Daily 8:10 9:30 7Y 132 Daily 9:45 12:25
7Y 241 Daily 14:00 16:40 7Y 242 Daily 16:55 18:15
YH 731 Daily 15:00 17:55 YH 732 Daily 17:55 19:15
YANGON TO MYITKYINA MYITKYINA TO YANGON
YH 835 1 7:00 9:40 7Y 661 1,3,4,6,7 8:25 13:55
YH 831 4,6 7:00 10:35 YH 832 6 12:25 15:15
YH 835 7 10:30 13:35 YH 832 4 13:25 16:25
YJ 211 5 11:00 13:50 YJ 212 5 14:05 17:25
YJ 201 2 11:00 14:20 YH 836 1 14:20 17:10
YJ 201 1 11:15 14:05 YJ 202 1 14:20 17:10
YH 829 5 12:30 15:35 YJ 202 2 14:35 17:25
YH 826 3 14:00 16:40 YH 836 7 15:25 17:50
YH 830 5 15:35 18:25
YH 827 3 16:40 19:05
YANGON TO HEHO HEHO TO YANGON
YJ 891 2,4,5,6,7 6:00 8:50 7Y 651 2,5 8:45 12:48
YH 917 Daily 6:10 9:35 YJ 891 2,4,5,6,7 9:05 10:15
6T 401 3,4,6,7 6:20 9:20 YH 918 Daily 9:35 10:45
YJ 891 1,3 6:30 9:20 6T 402 3,4,6,7 9:35 10:50
7Y 131 Daily 8:10 11:00 YJ 891 1,3 9:35 10:45
YH 505 1,2,3,4,5,6 10:30 11:55 7Y 132 1,3,4,6,7 10:35 13:55
YJ 201 2 11:00 12:10 7Y 661 Daily 11:15 12:25
YJ 761 4 11:00 13:10 YH 506 1,2,3,4,5,6 11:55 14:00
YJ 751 3 11:15 12:25 YJ 201 2 12:25 17:25
YH 727 1 11:15 12:40 7Y 241 Daily 15:25 18:15
YH 737 3,5,7 11:15 12:40 YJ 762 4 15:55 18:05
YH 911 2 12:30 17:45 YH 728 1 16:00 18:10
7Y 652 2,5 13:00 17:03 YH 732 Daily 16:25 19:15
7Y 241 Daily 14:00 15:10 YH 738 3 16:40 18:50
7Y 662 1,3,4,6,7 14:10 17:40 YH 738 7 17:10 19:20
YH 731 Daily 15:00 16:25 YJ 752 3 17:30 18:40
YH 738 5 17:35 18:45
YH 912 2 17:45 18:55
YANGON TO MYEIK MYEIK TO YANGON
YH 633 3,7 7:00 9:15 YH 634 3,7 11:25 13:25
YANGON TO THANDWE THANDWE TO YANGON
YH 505 1,2,3,4,5,6 10:30 13:10 6T 605 3,4,5,6,7 12:25 14:45
6T 605 3,4,5,6,7 11:15 12:10 YH 506 1,2,3,4,5,6 13:10 14:00
YANGON TO DAWEI DAWEI TO YANGON
YH 633 2,5 6:30 7:55 YH 634 2,5 10:45 11:55
YH 633 3,7 7:00 8:25 YH 634 3,7 12:15 13:25
YANGON TO LASHIO LASHIO TO YANGON
YJ 751 3 11:15 13:30 7Y 651 2,5 11:10 12:48
YH 729 2,4,6 11:15 13:15 YJ 752 3 16:25 18:40
7Y 652 2,5 13:00 14:38 YH 730 2,4,6 17:00 19:25
YANGON TO PUTAO PUTAO TO YANGON
YH 831 6 7:00 11:30 YH 836 1 10:35 17:10
YH 835 1 7:00 10:35 YH 832 6 11:30 15:15
YH 835 7 10:30 14:30 YH 836 7 14:30 17:50
YANGON TO CHIANG MAI CHIANG MAI TO YANGON
W9 9607/ YJ 7607 4,7 14:20 16:10 W9 9608/ YJ 7608 4,7 17:20 18:10
the pulse travel 63 www.mmtimes.com
Airline Codes
3K = Jet Star
8M = Myanmar Airways International
AK = Air Asia
BG = Biman Bangladesh Airlines
CA = Air China
CI = China Airlines
CZ = China Southern
DD = Nok Airline
FD = Air Asia
KA = Dragonair
KE = Korea Airlines
MH = Malaysia Airlines
MI = Silk Air
MU = China Eastern Airlines
NH = All Nippon Airways
PG = Bangkok Airways
QR = Qatar Airways
SQ = Singapore Airways
TG = Thai Airways
TR = Tiger Airline
VN = Vietnam Airline
Y5 = Golden Myanmar Airlines
Subject to change
without notice
International Airlines
Air Asia (FD)
Tel: 251885, 251886
Air Bagan Ltd.(W9)
Tel: 513322, 513422, 504888. Fax: 515102
Air China (CA)
Tel: 666112, 655882
Air India
Tel: 253597~98, 254758. Fax 248175
Bangkok Airways (PG)
Tel: 255122, 255265. Fax: 255119
Biman Bangladesh Airlines (BG)
Tel: 371867~68. Fax: 371869
Condor (DE)
Tel: 370836~39 (ext: 303)
Dragonair (KA)
Tel: 255320, 255321. Fax: 255329
Golden Myanmar Airlines (Y5)
Tel: 09400446999, 09400447999
Fax: 8604051
Malaysia Airlines (MH)
Tel: 387648, 241007 (ext: 120, 121, 122)
Fax: 241124
Myanmar Airways International (8M)
Tel: 255260. Fax: 255305
Nok Airline (DD)
Tel: 255050, 255021. Fax: 255051
Qatar Airways (QR)
Tel: 379845, 379843, 379831. Fax: 379730
Singapore Airlines (SQ) / Silk Air (MI)
Tel: 255287~9. Fax: 255290
Thai Airways (TG)
Tel: 255491~6. Fax: 255223
Tiger Airline (TR)
Tel: 371383, 370836~39 (ext: 303)
Vietnam Airlines (VN)
Tel: 255066, 255088, 255068. Fax: 255086
Day
1 = Monday
2 = Tuesday
3 = Wednesday
4 = Thursday
5 = Friday
6 = Saturday
7 = Sunday
INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT SCHEDULES
YANGON TO BANGKOK BANGKOK TO YANGON
Flights Days Dep Arr Flights Days Dep Arr
PG 706 Daily 6:15 8:30 TG 303 1,2,3,5,6,7 7:55 8:50
8M 335 Daily 7:40 9:25 PG 701 Daily 8:50 9:40
TG 304 1,2,3,5,6,7 9:50 11:45 8M 336 Daily 10:40 11:25
PG 702 Daily 10:30 12:25 TG 301 Daily 13:00 13:55
TG 302 Daily 14:55 16:50 PG 707 Daily 13:40 14:30
PG 708 Daily 15:20 17:15 PG 703 Daily 16:45 17:35
8M 331 Daily 16:30 18:15 TG 305 Daily 17:50 18:45
PG 704 Daily 18:20 20:15 8M 332 Daily 19:15 20:00
TG 306 Daily 19:45 21:45 PG 705 Daily 20:15 21:30
YANGON TO DON MUEANG DON MUEANG TO YANGON
DD 4231 Daily 8:00 9:50 DD 4230 Daily 6:20 7:05
FD 252 Daily 8:30 10:15 FD 251 Daily 7:15 8:00
FD 254 Daily 17:50 19:10 FD 253 Daily 16:20 17:00
DD 4239 Daily 21:00 22:45 DD 4238 Daily 19:30 20:15
YANGON TO SINGAPORE SINGAPORE TO YANGON
Y5 233 Daily 10:10 14:40 SQ 998 Daily 7:55 9:20
SQ 997 Daily 10:35 15:10 3K 581 Daily 8:50 10:30
3K 582 Daily 11:20 15:50 MI 533 4,6 11:35 12:55
8M 231 Daily 12:45 17:10 MI 518 Daily 14:20 15:45
MI 533 4,6 13:45 20:50 TR 2826 Daily 17:05 18:25
MI 517 Daily 16:40 21:15 Y5 234 Daily 15:35 17:05
TR 2827 Daily 19:05 23:40 3K 583 Daily 18:00 19:30
3K 584 Daily 19:15 23:45 8M 232 Daily 18:15 19:40
YANGON TO KUALA LUMPUR KUALA LUMPUR TO YANGON
8M 501 1,3,5,6 7:50 11:50 AK 504 Daily 6:55 8:00
AK 505 Daily 8:30 12:50 MH 740 Daily 10:05 11:15
MH 741 Daily 12:15 16:30 8M 9505 Daily 10:05 11:15
8M 9506 Daily 12:15 16:30 8M 502 1,3,5,6 12:50 13:50
8M 9508 Daily 15:45 20:05 8M 9507 Daily 13:30 14:40
MH 743 Daily 15:45 20:05 MH 742 Daily 13:30 14:40
AK 503 2,4,6 19:30 23:45 AK 502 Daily 17:50 19:00
YANGON TO BEIJING BEIJING TO YANGON
CA 716 3,7 23:50 0550+1 CA 715 3,7 19:30 22:50
YANGON TO GUANGZHOU GUANGZHOU TO YANGON
8M 711 2,4,7 8:40 13:15 CZ 3055 3,6 8:40 10:25
CZ 3056 3,6 11:25 16:15 CZ 3055 1,5 14:40 16:30
CZ 3056 1,5 17:30 22:15 8M 712 2,4,7 14:15 15:50
YANGON TO TAIPEI TAIPEI TO YANGON
CI 7916 1,2,3,5,6 10:50 16:15 CI 7915 1,2,3,5,6 7:00 9:55
YANGON TO KUNMING KUNMING TO YANGON
CA 906 Daily 12:15 15:55 MU 2011 3 8:25 11:40
MU 2012 3 12:20 18:25 CA 905 Daily 10:45 11:15
MU 2032 2,4,5,6,7 14:50 18:20 MU 2031 2,4,5,6,7 13:30 14:00
YANGON TO HANOI HANOI TO YANGON
VN 956 1,3,5,7 19:10 21:30 VN 957 1,3,5,7 16:50 18:10
YANGON TO HO CHI MINH CITY HO CHI MINH CITY TO YANGON
VN 942 2,4,7 14:25 17:15 VN 943 2,4,7 11:50 13:25
YANGON TO DOHA DOHA TO YANGON
QR 919 1,4,6 8:00 11:10 QR 918 3,5,7 20:20 6:25+1
YANGON TO SEOUL SEOUL TO YANGON
0Z 770 4,7 0:35 9:10 KE 471 Daily 18:45 22:35
KE 472 Daily 23:35 7:50 0Z 769 3,6 19:50 23:25
YANGON TO HONG KONG HONG KONG TO YANGON
KA 251 1,2,3,4,5,7 01:10 05:45 KA 250 1,2,4,5,6,7 21:45 23:30
YANGON TO TOKYO TOKYO TO YANGON
NH 914 Daily 21:45 06:50+1 NH 913 Daily 11:00 15:40
YANGON TO GAYA GAYA TO YANGON
8M 601 3,5,6 7:00 8:20 8M 602 3,5,6 9:20 12:30
YANGON TO DHAKA DHAKA TO YANGON
BG 061 4 19:45 21:00 BG 060 4 16:30 18:45
BG 061 1 21:45 23:00 BG 060 1 18:30 20:45
YANGON TO INCHEON INCHEON TO YANGON
8M 7702 Daily 23:35 8:05 8M 7701 Daily 18:45 22:35
8M7502 4,7 0:35 9:10 8M 7501 3,6 19:50 23:25
MANDALAY TO BANGKOK BANGKOK TO MANDALAY
PG 710 Daily 14:05 16:30 PG 709 Daily 12:00 13:20
MANDALAY TO SINGAPORE SINGAPORE TO MANDALAY
MI 533 4,6 15:55 20:50 MI 533 4,6 11:35 15:00
Y5 233 Daily 8:05 14:40 Y5 234 Daily 15:35 18:55
MANDALAY TO DON MUEANG DON MUEANG TO MANDALAY
FD 245 1,2,4,6 12:45 15:00 FD 244 1,2,4,6 10:50 12:15
MANDALAY TO KUNMING KUNMING TO MANDALAY
MU 2030 Daily 14:40 17:30 MU 2029 Daily 13:55 13:50
MU 7524 1,3,5 18:20 21:00
MANDALAY TO GAYA GAYA TO MANDALAY
8M 603 4 11:10 12:15 8M 604 4 13:15 16:20
NAY PYI TAW TO BANGKOK BANGKOK TO NAY PYI TAW
PG 722 1,2,3,4,5 19:30 22:30 PG 721 1,2,3,4,5 17:00 19:00
L
AST April, Vice President Dr
Sai Mauk Kham said that
every year Myanmar citizens
have been spending US$200
million on out-of-country
medical treatment, much of it in
Bangkok and Singapore.
They prefer to access these cities
superior healthcare facilities and
human resources, he said.
Despite eforts by stakeholders
government, civil society and NGOs
the trend toward medical tourism
started about 15 years ago and
seems not to be receding. Now some
patients are going to Malaysia as well.
Thailand, in fact, leads the world
as a destination for medical tourism.
In 2013, the industry earned $4.31
billion in revenues. Out of 26.5
million people who visited Thailand
that year, 2.5 million came for
medical reasons alone. And that
number has been growing each year
at an average of 15 percent over the
past decade, according to a report in
www.news.com.au.
Dr Bruce Mo Ye Kyaw, managing
director of Yangon International
Medical Services, an independent
entity that works with Bangkoks
Bumrungrad Hospital, said the
market for medical tourism will
continue to grow, with Bangkok
followed by Singapore being the
primary destinations for Myanmar
people.
I think about 2500 to 3000 people
are visiting the hospitals in Bangkok
[each month] for treatment as well
as for medical screening, he told
The Myanmar Times, speaking in
Bangkok last month. About 1000
people from Myanmar are coming
to Bumrungrad every month for
healthcare services.
Chiang Mai is also attracting
medical tourists.
They come for medical treatment
as well as for other purposes,
including pilgrimage, business and
shopping, said Dr Mo Ye Kyaw.
He explained further that Thailand
is appealing to Myanmar patients
because we share similar culture.
Bangkok is a one-hour ight [away].
The rates for medical treatment
[there] are generally half of those in
Singapore.
For a man to undergo a general
health screening including an
electrocardiogram (ECG) in Bangkok
costs just $250. For a woman the
cost is $300, which includes a
mammogram and tests for cervical
cancer.
Dr Mo Ye Kyaw said that medical
services and facilities in Myanmar
are getting better but still require
improvement.
Patients who need radiation have
to wait for several days, he said.
In Bangkok, in contrast, its not
necessary to wait.
Moreover, Thailand boasts the
best-trained doctors. At Bumrungrad,
almost all the doctors received their
training in the US, which is ve or six
years more advanced than the UK,
where most Singapore doctors train,
Dr Mo Ye Kyaw said.
About 60pc of Myanmar patients
at Bumrungrad are seeking general
medical screening, including
treatment for backache, he said.
The other 40pc come with chronic
diseases, such as cancer or liver
disease. A small percentage come for
beauty treatments, including skin
care and weight-loss.
Young people realise [the
meaning of ] the popular proverb,
Prevention is better than cure, he
said. They need to be healthy for
their future. Most Myanmar people
spend about 10,000 baht to 20,000
baht [about $300 to $600] on their
health screenings, including heart
checks.
An outpatient from Myanmar,
Daw Hla Moe, said she has been to
Bumrungrad three times for regular
checks and that she has come many
more times to accompany other
Myanmar patients.
I had been sufering from
breathing difculties since I was very
young. I was not able get the right
treatment in Myanmar, said the
63-year-old from South Okkalapa.
And then, I decided to get treatment
here in Bangkok in 2010 and
discovered my problem. It was my
narrow windpipe, and an inhaler is
the solution.
She had allowed three days for
her rst medical trip, she said, but
the health check took only half a
day. She had the other two days to
go shopping and site-seeing, while
her breathing problem was already
improving, she said.
It was treatment and travel, she
said, smiling.
There are about 10 hospitals
in Bangkok where most Myanmar
tourists go for health care, among
them Bangkok Hospital, Phyathai
Hospital and Bumrungrad Hospital,
which have referral centres in
Yangon.
In 2013, Bangkok Hospital treated
800,000 patients, of which 200,000
were medical travellers, according to
www.news.com.au.
Medical tourism
continues to grow
MYO LWIN
myolwin286@gmail.com
Bumrungrad Hospital, Bangkok. Photo: Myo Lwin
BANGKOK
64 the pulse tea break THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 6 - 12, 2014
ACROSS
1 Under siege
6 Environmental
problem
10 Kaffiyeh wearer
14 Old cry before
Read all about it!
15 Sandwich fish
16 Anti-attacker
spray
17 You may see some
with peripheral vision
20 20 hundredweight
21 Thousands of
years
22 Defensive
ditches
23 Cautionary data-entry
acronym
24 Hamsters,
often
25 In the ___ (likely to
happen)
28 Gorillas in the ___
29 Book balancer,
briefly
32 Croat, e.g.
33 Object of worship
35 Yellowish brown
37 No matter what
40 Sports facility
41 Block, as a bill
42 South American
empire of yore
43 Physicists unit
44 Its now or never
time
46 Bark boats
48 Dignified manner or
conduct
49 Cajun cooking pod
50 Exit, to Barnum
53 Daily fare
54 Aspen runner
57 Once-promising
failures
60 Actions on
shirtsleeves
61 Private or general, e.g.
62 About-face
63 Hosts request
64 Boot tips
65 Bellows
DOWN
1 Better than better
2 Worlds Fair,
for one
3 Ollies partner in
old comedy
4 Get it wrong
5 Adopt, as a stray
6 Testimony taker
7 Dishevel,
as hair
8 Yoko who married
Lennon
9 Missteps
10 Out of place
11 Dipstick wipers
12 Result of too much
exercise
13 Casino
transactions
18 Hanks Big
keyboard dance
partner
19 Games of chance
23 Assumed as fact
24 Furnace light
25 Movie award
26 Botanists
expertise
27 Widely known and
esteemed
28 Put it where your
mouth is
29 Trousers material
30 U.K. cents
31 Fields of study
34 A long, backless
sofa
36 Long March site
38 Relish-tray item
39 Powerful
projectile
45 Barren area
47 Round Table
king
48 Far from spiffy
49 Porkers patter
50 Juvenile newt
51 Excessive
supply
52 Muffin starter
53 Wine counterpart
54 Went around in
circles
55 Go-___ (kids vehicle)
56 Places to overnight
58 ___ Tome and
Principe
59 Airport listing,
for short
Universal Crossword
Edited by Timothy E. Parker
BRIGHT IDEAS By Gary Cooper
SUDOKU PACIFIC
PUZZLE SOLUTIONS
DILBERT BY SCOTT ADAMS
PEANUTS BY CHARLES SCHULZ
CALVIN AND HOBBES BY BILL WATTERSON
Avenue 64 Hotel
No. 64 (G), Kyitewine
Pagoda Rd, Mayangone Tsp,
Yangon. Tel : 09-8631392,
01 656913-9
Asia Plaza Hotel
YANGON
No. 277, Bogyoke Aung
San Road, Corner of
38
th
Street, Kyauktada
Township, Yangon,
Myanmar.
Tel : (951) 391070, 391071.
Reservation@391070
(Ext) 1910, 106.
Fax : (951) 391375. Email :
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
Canada
9
th
Floor, Centerpoint
Towers, 65 Sule Pagoda
Road, Yangon, Tel :
01-384805 , Fax :01
384806, Email : yngon@
international.gc.ca
China 1, Pyidaungsu
Yeiktha Road, Yangon. Tel:
221280, 221281.
Denmark, No.7, Pyi Thu
St, Pyay Rd, 7 Miles,
Mayangone Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 01 9669520 - 17.
Egypt 81, Pyidaungsu
222886, 222887,
Egyptembassy86@gmail.
com
France 102, Pyidaungsu
212178, 212520, email:
ambaf rance. rangoun@
diplomatie.fr
Germany 9, Bogyoke Aung
San Museum Road, Bahan
Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 548951, 548952, email:
info@rangun. diplo.de
India 545-547, Merchant
St, Yangon. Tel: 391219,
388412,
email:indiaembassy
@mptmail.net.mm
Indonesia 100, Pyidaungsu
Yeiktha Rd, Yangon. Tel:
254465, 254469, email:
kukygn @indonesia.com.
mm
Israel 15, Khabaung
Street, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 515115, fax: 515116,
email: 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.
Laos A-1, Diplomatic
Quarters, Tawwin Road,
Dagon Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 222482, Fax: 227446,
email: Laoembcab@
mptmail. net.mm
Malaysia 82, Pyidaungsu
220248, 220249,
email: mwkyangon@
mptmail.net.mm
Nepal 16, Natmauk
Yeiktha, Yangon. Tel:
545880, 557168, fax:
549803, email: nepemb @
mptmail.net.mm
Norway, No.7, Pyi Thu
St, Pyay Rd, 7 Miles,
Mayangone Tsp,Yangon.
Tel: 01 9669520 - 17 Fax
01- 9669516
New Zealand No. 43/C,
Inya Myaing Rd, Bahan Tsp,
Yangon.
Tel : 01-2306046-9
Fax : 01-2305805
Netherlands No. 43/C, Inya
Myaing Rd, Bahan Tsp,
Yangon. Tel : 01-2305805
North Korea 77C, Shin
Saw Pu Rd, Sanchaung
Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 512642, 510205
Pakistan A-4, diplomatic
Quarters, Pyay Rd, Yangon.
Tel: 222881 (Chancery
Exchange)
Philippines 50, Sayasan
Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 558149-151,Email: p.e.
yangon@gmail.com
Saudi Arabia No.6/S,
Inya Yeiktha St, 10
th
Qtr,
Mayangone Tsp, Yangon,
Tel: (951) 652-344, 652-344,
Fax: (951) 657-983
Russia 38, Sagawa Rd,
Yangon.
Tel: 241955, 254161,
Serbia No. 114-A, Inya
Rd, P.O.Box No. 943,
515283, email: serbemb @
yangon.net.mm
Singapore 238, Dhamazedi
Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 559001, email:
singemb_ ygn@_sgmfa.
gov.sg
South Korea 97 University
Avenue, Bahan Tsp,
Yangon. Tel: 527142-4,
515190, fax: 513286, email:
myanmar@mofat.go.kr
Sri Lanka 34 Taw Win Rd,
Switzerland
No 11, Kabaung Lane, 5
mile, Pyay Rd, Hlaing Tsp,
Yangon.
Tel: 534754, 507089.
Thailand 94 Pyay Rd,
Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel:
226721, 226728, 226824
Turkey
19AB, Kan Yeik Thar St,
Mayangone Tsp,Yangon.
Tel : 662992, Fax : 661365
United Kingdom 80 Strand
Rd, Yangon.
Tel: 370867, 380322,
371852, 371853, 256438,
United States of America
110, University Avenue,
Kamayut Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 536509, 535756, Fax:
650306
Vietnam Bldg-72, Thanlwin
Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel:
511305
ACCOMMODATION-
HOTELS
No.7A, Wingabar Road,
Bahan Tsp, Yangon.
Tel : (951) 546313,
430245. 09-731-77781~4.
Fax : (01) 546313.
www.cloverhotel.asia.
info@cloverhotel.asia
Confort Inn
4, Shweli Rd, Bet: Inya Rd
& U Wisara Rd, Kamaryut,
tel: 525781, 526872
No. (356/366), Kyaikkasan
Rd, Tamwe Township,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Ph: 542826, Fax: 545650
Email: reservation@
edenpalacehotel.com
M-22, Shwe Htee Housing,
Thamine Station St., Near
the Bayint Naung Point,
Mayangone Tsp., Yangon
Tel : 522763, 522744,
667557. Fax : (95-1) 652174
E-mail : grandpalace@
myanmar.com.mm
Clover Hotel City Center
No. 217, 32nd Street
(Upper Block), Pabedan Tsp,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 377720, Fax : 377722
www.clovercitycenter.asia
Clover Hotel City Center Plus
No. 229, 32nd Street
(Upper Block), Pabedan Tsp,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 377975, Fax : 377974
www.clovercitycenterplus.asia
No. 12, Pho Sein Road,
Tamwe Township, Yangon
Tel : (95-1) 209299, 209300,
209343 Fax : (95-1) 209344
bestwestern.com/
greenhillhotelyangon.com
No. 205, Corner of Wadan
Street & Min Ye Kyaw
Swa Road, Lanmadaw
Tsp, Yangon. Myanmar.
Tel: (95-1) 212850 ~ 3,
229358 ~ 61,
Fax: (95-1) 212854.
info@myanmarpandahotel
.com http://www.
myanmarpandahotel.com
PARKROYAL Yangon,
Myanmar
33, Alan Pya Pagoda Rd,
Dagon tsp.
tel: 250388. fax: 252478.
email: enquiry.prygn@
parkroyalhotels.com.
Royal White Elephant Hotel
No-11, Kan Street, Hlaing
Tsp. Yangon, Myanmar.
(+95-1) 500822, 503986.
www.rwehotel.com
Hotel Yangon
91/93, 8
th
Mile Junction,
Tel : 01-667708, 667688.
Inya Lake Resort Hotel
37 Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd.
tel: 662866. fax: 665537.
KH Hotel, Yangon
28-A, 7 Miles, Pyay Rd,
Ph: 95-1-652532, 652533
MGM Hotel No (160), Warden
Street, Lanmadaw Tsp, Yangon,
Myanmar. +95-1-212454~9.
www. hotel-mgm.com
ACCOMMODATION
LONG TERM
No.6, Botahtaung Jetty,
Botahtaung Township,
Yangon. Tel: (951)9010555,
9010535 Fax : (951) 9010536
info@vintageluxuryhotel.com
www.vintageluxuryhotel.com
Marina Residence
8, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd,
Mayangone Tsp.
tel: 6506 51~4. fax: 650630.
Novotel Yangon
Pyay Rd, Near Hledan
Bridge, Kamayut Tsp,
Tel: 951- 255 819~838
Tel: 09-7349-4483,
09-4200-56994.
E-mail: aahappyhomes@
gmail.com, http://www.
happyhomesyangon.com
happy homes
REAL ESTATE & PROPERTY
MANAGEMENT
Golden Hill Towers
24-26, Kabar Aye Pagoda
Rd, Bahan Tsp.
tel: 558556. ghtower@
mptmail.net.mm.
Hotel Grand United
(Chinatown)
621, Maharbandoola Rd,
Latha Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: (95-1) 372256-58
(21
st
Downtown)
66-70, 21
st
Street (Enter
from Strand Rd), Latha
Tsp, Yangon. Tel: (95-1)
378201
(Ahlone Branch)
35, Min Ye Kyaw Swar
Rd, Ahlone Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: (95-1) 218061-64;
Email: grandunited.
head@gmail.com, www.
hotelgrandunited.com
No.1, Wut Kyaung St,
Yay Kyaw, Pazundaung Tsp,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Ph: 01-8610640, 01-202187,
www.mkhotelyangon.com
Savoy Hotel
129, Damazedi Rd,
Kamayut tsp.
tel: 526289, 526298,
Sedona Hotel
Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd,
Yankin. tel: 666900.
Strand Hotel
92 Strand Rd. tel: 243377.
fax: 289880.
Summit Parkview Hotel
350, Ahlone Rd, Dagon
Tsp. tel: 211888, 211966.
Sule Shangri-La Hotel
223 Sule Pagoda Rd. tel:
242828. fax: 242838.
Winner Inn
42, Than Lwin Rd, Bahan
Tsp. Tel: 503734, 524387.
email: reservation@winner
innmyanmar.com
Yuzana Hotel
130, Shwegondaing Rd,
Bahan Tsp, tel : 01-549600
Yuzana Garden Hotel
44, Alanpya Pagoda Rd,
Mingalar Taung Nyunt Tsp,
tel : 01-248944
186, Lu Nge Thitsar
Street, on Thitsar Road,
Yankin Township, Yangon,
Myanmar. Ph: +951-8550
283, +951-8550 284,
+959-2540 63632, E-mail:
enquiry@hotelyankin.com,
www.hotelyankin.com
17, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd,
Yankin Tsp.
Tel: 650933. Fax: 650960.
Email : micprm@
myanmar.com.mmwww.
myanmar micasahotel.com
Sakura Residence
9, Inya Rd, Kamaryut Tsp.
tel: 525001. fax: 525002.
Crockery
No.196/198,
Ground Floor,
Shwe Bon Thar St(Middle),
Pabedan Tsp, Yangon,
Tel: 253214, 0973098782,
09420049459
DELIVERY SERVICE
CROCKERY
Express Courier & Cargo
One Stop Logistic Solution
Ygn, Hot Line: 01-374457
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
No. 20, Ground Floor, Pearl
Street, Golden Valley Ward,
Bahan Township, Yangon.
Tel : 09-509 7057, 01-
220881, 549478 (Ext : 103)
Email : realtnessmyanmar
@gmail.com
www.realtnessmyanmar.com
FLORAL SERVICES
Floral Service & Gift
Centre 102(A), Dhamazaydi
Rd, Yangon.tel: 500142
Summit Parkview Hotel,
tel: 211888, 211966 ext. 173
fax: 535376.email: sandy@
sandymyanmar.com.mm.
ENTERTAINMENT
Learn to dance with
social dancing
94, Bogalay Zay St,
Botataung T/S,
Yangon.
Tel : 01-392526,
01-1221738
DUTY FREE
Duty Free Shops
Yangon International
Airport, Arrival/Departure
Mandalay International
Airport, Departure
Ofce: 17, 2
nd
street,
Hlaing Yadanarmon Housing,
Hlaing Township, Yangon.
Tel: 500143, 500144, 500145.
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.
GEMS & JEWELLERIES
Best Jewels
No. 44, Inya Road,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 01-2305811, 2305812.
Yangon : A-3, Aung San
Stadium (North East Wing),
Mingalartaungnyunt Tsp.
Tel : 245543, 09-73903736,
09-73037772.
Mandalay : No.(4) 73rd St,
Btw 30th & 31st St, Chan
Aye Thar Zan Tsp. Tel : 09-
6803505, 09-449004631.
Naypyitaw : Level (2),
Capital Hyper Mart,
Yazathingaha Street,
Outarathiri Tsp. Tel : 09-
33503202, 09-73050337
GAS COOKER &
COOKER HOODS
Worlds leader in
Kitchen Hoods & Hobs
Same as Ariston Water
Heater. Tel: 251033,
379671, 256622, 647813
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
Kham Le
22, Thukha Waddy St,
Suneyan Park, Yankin, Ph:
01-8605223, 8605224.
COFFEE MACHINE
illy, Francis Francis, VBM,
Brasilia, Rossi, De Longhi
Nwe Ta Pin Trading Co., Ltd.
Shop C, Building 459 B
New University Avenue
01- 555-879, 09-4210-81705
nwetapintrading@gmail.com
COMPUTER
CONFERENCE
Your Partner in Myanmar
for Investment Advisory, JV,
Management & Engineering
Consulting and Recuitment
https://mitaservices.com.sg
isbc@mitaservices.com.sg
09420110451, 09420110666
MiTA
Myanmar
@ISBC
Since 2009
ARCHITECTS &
MODULAR BUILDINGS
contactus@greenarc.net.au
Tel : 09-730-22820
No. 52, Royal Yaw Min Gyi
Condo, Room F, Yaw Min
Gyi Rd, Dagon Township,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel: 09-425-307-717
AUTO LEASING
Vehicle Operating Leases:
Trucks

Semi trailers

Vans and Minibuses

Tractors

Pickups
aung@yomaeet.com
www.yomaeet.com
BEAUTY & MASSAGE
Marina Residence, Yangon
Ph: 650651~4, Ext: 109
Beauty Plan, Corner of
77th St & 31st St, Mandalay
Ph: 02 72506
Lemon Day Spa
No. 96 F, Inya Road,
Kamaryut Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 514848, 09-732-08476.
E.mail: lemondayspa.2011
@gmail.com
YANGON
La Source Beauty Spa
80-A, Inya Rd, Kamayut Tsp.
Tel: 512380, 511252
Beauty Bar by La Source
Room (1004), Sedona Hotel,
Tel : 666 900 Ext : 7167
MANDALAY
La Source Beauty Spa
13/13, Mya Sandar St,
bet: 26_27, bet: 62_63,
Chanaye Tharzan Tsp.
Tel : 09-4440-24496.
www.lasourcebeautyspa.com
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
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
Dent Myanmar
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)
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
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
HEALTH SERVICES
GLASS
98(A), Kaba Aye Pagoda
Road, Bahan Township,
553783, 09-732-16940.
Fax: 542979
Email: asiapacic.
myanmar@gmail.com.
International
Construction
Material Co., Ltd.
No. 60, G-Fl, Sint-Oh-Dan St,
Lower Block, Latha Tsp,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 01-245112,
09-730-22820
Email : intconstruction
material@gmail.com
Zamil Steel
No-5, Pyay Road,
7 miles,
Tel: (95-1) 652502~04.
Fax: (95-1) 650306.
Email: zamilsteel@
zamilsteel.com.mm
CONSTRUCTION
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
CO WORKING SPACE
No. (6), Lane 2
Botahtaung Pagoda St,
Yangon.
01-9010003, 291897.
info@venturaofce.com,
www.venturaofce.com
Business Consulting
info@rstrangoon.com
www.rstrangoon.com
ADVERTISING & MEDIA
SAIL Marketing &
Communications
Suite 403, Danathiha Center
790, Corner of Bogyoke Rd
& Wadan Rd, Lanmadaw
Township, Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel: (951) 211870, 224820,
2301195. Email: admin@
advertising-myanmar.com
www.advertising-myanmar.
com
WE STARTED THE ADVERTISING
INDUSTRY IN MYANMAR SINCE 1991
MAR K E T I NG & COMMUNI CAT I ONS
A D V E R T I S I N G
The First Air conditioning
systems designed to keep
you fresh all day
Zeya & Associates Co., Ltd.
No.437 (A), Pyay Road,
Kamayut. P., O 11041
Yangon, Tel: +(95-1)
502016-18,
Mandalay- Tel: 02-60933.
Nay Pyi Taw- Tel:
067-420778, E-mail :
sales.ac@freshaircon.
com. URL: http://www.
freshaircon.com
AIR CONDITION
ACCOMMODATION-
HOTELS (Nay Pyi Taw)
Reservation Ofce (Yangon)
123, Alanpya Pagoda Rd,
Dagon Township
Tel : 951- 255 819~838
Royal Kumudra Hotel,
(Nay Pyi Taw)
Tel : 067- 414 177,
067- 4141 88
E-Mail: reservation@
maxhotelsgroup.com
Royal Ayeyarwaddy
Co.,Ltd.
No.(7) , 87
th
St, Mingalar
Taung Nyunt Tsp, Yangon.
Tel : 09-254249628, 09-
254296248, 09 254249629.
(Mdy Ph: 09 73103051,
73103052) www.pqi-group.
com, www.royal-
ayeyarwaddy. com
Royal Ayeyarwaddy
Co.,Ltd.
No.(7) , 87
th
St, Mingalar
Taung Nyunt Tsp, Yangon.
Tel : 384850, 389366,
394494 , 09-421132002,
Fax : 384850 (Mdy Ph: 09-
73103051, 09-73103052)
www.viewsonic.com, www.
royal-ayeyarwaddy.com
The Natural Gems of
Myanmar & Fine Jewellery.
No. 30(A), Pyay Road,
(7 mile), Mayangone Tsp,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 01-660397, 654398
spgems.myanmar@
gmail.com
Your Most Reliable Jeweller
Ruby & Rare Gems
of Myanamar
No. 527, New University
Ave., Bahan Tsp. Yangon.
sales@manawmaya.com.mm
www.manawmayagems.com
Tel: 549612, Fax : 545770.
CAR RENTAL
No. 56, Bo Ywe St,
Latha Tsp, Yangon.
Tel : 01-246551, 375283,
09-2132778, 09-31119195.
Gmail:nyanmyintthu1983@
gmail.com,
Car Rental Service
BOOK STORES
First Class VIP
Limousine Car Rental.
Professional English
Speaking Drivers.
Full Insurance for
your Safety and
comfortable journey
Call us Now for your
best choice
www.mmels.com
MYANMAR EXECUTIVE
LIMOUSINE SERVICE
HOT LINE:
09 - 402 510 003
01-646 330
MYANMAR BOOK CENTRE
Nandawun Compound,
No. 55, Baho Road,
Corner of Baho Road
and Ahlone Road, (near
Eugenia Restaurant),
Ahlone Township. tel:
212 409, 221 271. 214708
fax: 524580. email: info@
myanmarbook.com
BOOK STORES
150 Dhamazedi Rd.,
Bahan Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: (01) 536306, 537805.
Email: mbt.marketing.
mgr@gmail.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
ELT Showroom:
# 43, 165 St, Tarmwe Tsp,
Yangon.
Tel: (09) 5116687
English I Wi-Fi I Insured I
Concierge I Refreshment
Tel: 571586, 09-250188232,
www.centurionauto.com
Executive Serviced Ofces
www.hinthabusinesscentres.com
Tel : 01-4413410
SERVICE OFFICE
Capital Hyper Mart
14(E), Min Nandar Road,
Dawbon Tsp. Ph: 553136.
City Mart (Aung San) tel:
253022, 294765.
City Mart (47
th
St Branch)
tel: 200026, 298746.
City Mart (Junction 8)
tel: 650778.
City Mart (FMI City Branch)
tel: 682323.
City Mart (Yankin Center
Branch) tel: 400284.
City Mart (Myaynigone)
tel: 510697.
City Mart (Zawana Branch)
tel:564532.
City Mart (Shwe Mya Yar)
tel: 294063.
City Mart (Chinatown Point)
tel: 215560~63.
City Mart (Junction Maw Tin)
tel: 218159.
City Mart (Marketplace)
tel: 523840~43.
City Mart
(78
th
Brahch-Mandalay)
tel: 02-71467~9.
IKON Mart
No.332, Pyay Rd, San
Chaung. Tel: 535-783, 527705,
501429. Email: sales-ikon@
myanmar.com.mm
Junction Maw Tin
Anawrahta Rd, Lanmadaw,
Ph: 01-225244.
SUPERMARKETS
STEEL STRUCTURE
Design, Fabrication,
Supply & Erection of Steel
Structures
Tel : (+95-1) 122 1673
Email : Sales@WEC-
Myanmar.com
www.WEC-Myanmar.com
English Education Centre
Nursery - Primary
(15 months - 12 years)
55 (B), Po Sein Road,
Bahan Township.
Tel : (951) 546097, 546761.
Email: imm.myn@gmail.com
I nternational
M ontessori
M yanmar
Executive Serviced
Ofce, Registered
and Virtual Ofce, Hot
Desking, Meeting Rooms
Tel: +(95) 1 387947
www.ofcehubservices,com
REAL ESTATE
Heaven Pizza
38/40, Bo Yar Nyunt St.
Yaw Min Gyi Quarter,
Dagon Township.
Tel: 09-855-1383
Horizon Restaurant & Bar
KH Hotel Roof top
No. (28-A), 7 Miles,
Pyay Road, Mayangone
Township, Yangon.
Ph: 95-1-652532, 652533
Legendary Myanmar Intl
Shipping & Logistics Co.,
Ltd.
No-9, Rm (A-4), 3
rd
Flr,
Kyaung St, Myaynigone,
Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 516827, 523653,
516795.
Mobile. 09-512-3049.
Email: legandarymyr@
mptmail.net .mm
www.LMSL-shipping.com
Schenker (Thai) Ltd.
Yangon 59 A, U Lun
Maung Street. 7 Mile
Pyay Road, MYGN. tel:
667686, 666646.fax:
651250. email: sche
nker@mptmail.net.mm.
a drink from paradise...
available on Earth
@Yangon International
Hotel, No.330, Ahlone Rd,
Dagon Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 09-421040512
Quality Chinese Dishes
with Resonable Price
@Marketplace by City Mart.
Tel: 01-523840 Ext.109
Good taste & resonable
price
@Thamada Hotel
Tel: 01-243047, 243639-41
Ext: 32
RESTAURANTS
Bo Sun Pat Tower, Bldg
608, Rm 6(B), Cor of
Merchant Rd & Bo Sun
Pat St, PBDN Tsp. Tel:
377263, 250582, 250032,
09-511-7876, 09-862-4563.
Crown Worldwide
Movers Ltd 790, Rm 702,
7
th
Flr Danathiha Centre,
Bogyoke Aung San Rd,
Lanmadaw. Tel: 223288,
210 670, 227650. ext: 702.
Fax: 229212. email: crown
worldwide@mptmail.net.mm
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)
REMOVALISTS
Relocation Specialist
Rm 504, M.M.G Tower,
#44/56, Kannar Rd,
Botahtaung Tsp.
Tel: 250290, 252313.
Mail : info@asiantigers-
myanmar.com
MARINE
COMMUNICATION &
NAVIGATION
Top Marine Show Room
No-385, Ground Floor,
Lower Pazundaung Road,
Pazundaung Tsp, Yangon.
Ph: 01-202782, 09-851-5597
LANGUAGE
Master Burmese Faster!
Professional Burmese
Language Course for All
Levels
436, Top r, Thein Phyu Rd,
Mingalar Taung Nyut Tsp,
Yangon.
Tel : 09-4316 8422
www.moemyanmar.com
Email: register.mmlc@
moemyanmar.com
Mon - Sat (9am to 6pm)
No. 797, MAC Tower II,
Rm -4, Ground Flr,
Bogyoke Aung San Rd,
Lamadaw Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: (951) 212944 Ext: 303,
09-4200-91393.
info@centuremyanmar.
com.
www.centure.in.th
OFFICE FURNITURE
Tel : 01-9000712~13 Ext : 330
09-4200-77039.
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
Bldg-A2, G-Flr, Shwe
Gabar Housing, Mindama
Rd, Mayangone Tsp,
Yangon. email: eko-nr@
myanmar.com.mm
Ph: 652391, 09-73108896
Bld-A2, Gr-Fl, Shwe
Gabar Housing, Mindama
Rd, Mayangone Tsp,
Yangon. email: eko-nr@
myanmar.com.mm
Ph: 652391, 09-73108896
Matrix System
No.77, Lanthit Street,
Lanmadaw Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 01-221944, 225374.
matrixoffice.mm@gmail.com
150 Brand NEW
International Standard
Rental Apartments
Hotline : 09 43 200 845
09 250 516 616
email : rental.starcity@
gmail.com
www.starcityyangon.com
HOUSING
Pun Hlaing Golf Estate
Gated Golf Community
HOUSE RENTAL
APARTMENT RENTALS
SERVICED APARTMENTS
Available Immediately
RENTAL OFFICE
OPEN DAILY 9-5
PHGE Sales & Marketing,
Hlaing Tharyar Tsp, Yangon.
Tel : 951-687 800, 684 013
phgemarketing@gmail.com
www.punhlainggolfestate.com
Franzo Living Mall
15(A/5), Pyay Rd, A1(9miles),
Tel : 01-664026, 01-656970,
09-43205018
www.facebook.com/franzo
livingmall.
Email:palazzofurniture@
gmail.com
HOTEL SUPPLY
Premium Chef Uniform
Building B-1, Room 001,
Myittar Street, TamweLay,
TamweTsp, Yangon.
Tel: 01-556703, 09-
5408885, 09-5067816
Email:
theworkwearmyanmar@
gmail.com
INSURANCE
Fire, Motor and Life
Insurance
44, TheinPhyu Road,
Tel : 01- 8610656
Mob : 09-5055216
Email: maythet@gw-
insurance.com
www.gw-insurance.com
HOME FURNISHING
22, Pyay Rd, 9 mile,
Mayangone Tsp.
tel: 660769, 664363.
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
22, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd,
Bahan Tsp. tel 541997.
email: leplanteur@
mptmail.net.mm.
http://leplanteur.net
G-01, City Mart
(Myay Ni Gone Center).
Tel: 01-508467-70 Ext: 106
G-05, Marketplace by
City Mart.
Tel: 01-523840 Ext: 105
Monsoon Restaurant
& Bar 85/87, Thein Byu
Road, Botahtaung Tsp.
Tel: 295224, 09-501 5653.
Delicious Hong Kong Style
Food Restaurant
G-09, City Mart (Myay Ni
Gone Center).
Tel: 01-508467-70 Ext: 114
No. 5, U Tun Nyein
Street, Mayangone T/S,
Yangon.
Tel : 01-660 612, 657928,
01-122 1014, 09 508 9441
Email : lalchimiste.
restaurant@gmail.com
UnionBarAndGrill
42 Strand Road,
Botahtaung, Yangon.
Tel: 95 9420 180 214, 95
9420 101 854
www.unionyangon.com,
info@unionyangon.com
SCHOOLS
World famous Kobe Beef
Near Thuka Kabar
Hospital on Pyay Rd,
Marlar st, Hlaing Tsp.
Tel: +95-1-535072
The Rih Lake
No. 67B, Dhama Yone St.,
near (Blazon) U Wisara Rd.,
Myaynigone, Sanchaung
Tsp. Tel: 01-502761
PAINT
TOP MARINE PAINT
No-410, Ground Floor,
Lower Pazundaung Road,
Pazundaung Tsp, Yangon.
Ph: 09-851-5202
Sole Distributor
For the Union of
Myanmar Since 1995
Myanmar Golden Rock
International Co.,Ltd.
#06-01, Bldg (8), Myanmar
ICT Park, University Hlaing
Campus, Hlaing Tsp,
Yangon. Tel: 654810~17.
Worlds No.1 Paints &
Coatings Company
Moby Dick Tours Co., Ltd.
Islands Safari in the Mergui
Archipelago
No.89-91, Rm No.2, Gr Fr,
32
nd
St (between Maha
Bandoola Rd and Merchant
Rd), Pabedan Tsp, Yangon.
Tel / Fax: 01-380382
E-mail: info@islandsafari
mergui.com. Website: www.
islandsafarimergui.com
PLEASURE CRUISES
International
Construction
Material Co., Ltd.
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 01-245112,
09-730-22820
material@gmail.com
Ofce Culture Co., Ltd
Taw Win Center, 3
rd
Flr,
Rm 4031/4033, Pyay Rd,
Dagon Tsp, Yangon.
Ph: 09-2540 14097
Email: bd1@bristol.com.mm
www.bristol.com.my
Room No. 1101, 16
th
Flr,
Tower B, Maw Tin Tower,
Corner of Anawrahta Rd
& Lanthit St, Lanmadaw
Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : (95-1) 218489. 218490
218491
Fax : (95-1) 218492
Email : marketing @
kaytumadi.com, contact@
kaytumadi.com,
kaytumadi@gmail.com.
web : www.rockworth.com
European Quality
& Designs Indoor/
Outdoor Furniture, Hotel
Furniture & All kinds of
woodworks
Ofce Tel: 01-380382,
09-509-1673, Show Room:
No. 123-124, Shwe Yin Aye
(2) Street, Industrial Zone
5 (Extension), Hlaing Thar
Yar Township, Yangon,
Myanmar. E-mail: contact@
smartdesignstrading.com,
www.royalbotania.com,
www.alexander-rose.co.uk,
Please call for any enquiry.
Horizon Intl School
235, Shukhinthar Myo Pat
Rd, Thaketa Tsp, Yangon,
Ph: 450396~7, 25, Po Sein
Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon,
Ph: 543926, Fax: 543926,
email: contact@
horizonmyanmar.com
Shan Yoma Tours Co.,Ltd
Ph: 01-9010378, 9010382,
www.exploremyanmar.com
www.exploreglobaltravel.
com
TRAVEL AGENTS
Asian Trails Tour Ltd
73 Pyay Rd, Dagon tsp.
tel: 211212, 223262.
fax: 211670. email: res@
asiantrails.com.mm
WATER TREATMENT
Get your Visa online for
Business and Tourist
No need to come to
Embassy.
#165. 35th Street,
Kyauktada Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: +951 381200, 204020
travel.evisa@gmail.com
VISA & IMMIGRATION
WEB SERVICE
WATER SOLUTION
Water Treatement Solution
Block (A), Room (G-12),
Pearl Condo, Kabar Aye
Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp.
Hot Line : 09-4500-59000
Aekar
Company Limited
Web Services
All the way from Australia
world-class websites/
web apps for desktop,
smartphone & tablets,
online shopping with
real-time transaction,
news/magazine site,
forum, email campaign
and all essential online
services. Domain
registration & cloud
hosting. Talk to us: (01)
430-897, (0) 942-000-4554.
www.medialane.com.au
WATER HEATERS
The Global leader in
Water Heaters
A/1, Aung San Stadium
East Wing, Upper
Pansodan Road.
Tel: 01-256705, 399464,
394409, 647812.
Water Heater
Made in Japan
Same as Rinnai Gas Cooker
and Cooker Hood
Showroom Address
WATER PROOFING
International
Construction
Material Co., Ltd.
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 01-245112,
09-730-22820
material@gmail.com
Water & Wastewater
Treatment (Since 1997)
Amd Supply Package
Fiberglass Wastewater
System for Ofces,
Condominiums & Hotels
Project. Can Design for
YCDC Permit Application.
39-B, Thazin Lane, Ahlone.
09-5161431, 09-43126571,
01-218437~8
Residence rooms for
rent. Fully furnished,
(long term). Convenient,
pleasant environment to
stay.
No.12/B 43, Shwe Kainnayi
Housing Complex, Nanataw
Street, Kamayut Tsp,
Yangon.
Tel: (959) 731 46086, (959)
5040247,
E-mail: chitsu.win@gmail.
com
Real Estate Service
Selling, Buying, Renting,
Tel: 09 2500 08127, 09 2541
46420, 09 2541 46421.
Re a l Es t a t e Age nt
No Fees for Cl i ent s,
Contact Us : 09 2050107,
robin@prontorealtor.com
Snack Bar
Shop: No.150, Dhamazedi
Road, Bahan Township,
Yangon, Myanmar, Tel:
09 3621 4523, gustocafe.
yangon@gmail.com
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
Housing for Rent
YANKIN, Thit Sar St,
Ground Flr, 25'x50',
included Garden, Higher
prepair fnished, Ph: 09-
2510-27176.
BAHAN, Inya Rd House,
2 RC, Area..3008 sqft,
3MBR, 2SR, 1 living,
1 dinning, 1 praying,1
kitchen, 1 common
toilet, 1 car garage, 2
store room, 1 ph line,
AC 6, water heater 5,
Internet line, All bedroom
are bathroom attached.
Price 3000 U$, quite and
power save place. Near
by Inya hotel. Ph:09-512-
6285, 09-731-74306.
OFFICE SPACE TO LET
3100 sqm available over
5 foors in a 12-storey
building with car park,
restaurant, multi function
hall and apartments.
Please contact -
Ph : 09-431-34381.
Email : offce-mm@
uni t eammari ne. com,
web : www .facebook.
com/offcespaceyangon
BAHAN, University Rd,
University Yeik Mon
Condo, Condo(B), 3BR,
1 living room,1 kitchen
room, ph line. 20 lakhs.
Ph:09-512-6285, 09-
731-74306.
HLAING, Shwehinthar
condo, (1)Tower C1,
2200sqft, 2MBR, 2SR,
6AC, 2 lift, basement
car park, generator,
fully furnished, USD
5000/month. (2)Tower
B, 2200sqft, 1MBR, 2SR,
5AC, 2lift, basement car
park, generator, fully
furnished, USD 5000/
month (3)Tower C2,
2220sqft, 2MBR, 2SR,
6AC, 2lift, basement car
park, generator, fully
furnished, USD 6000/
month. Ph: 09-4210-
21621, 09-2540-01189.
OFFICE SUITES for
Lease, Pearl Centre,
Bahan Township, Kabar
Aye Pagoda Road, 500-
10,000 sq-ft available
at affordable rates.
Contact: 09 430 30 288
slee888@gmail.com
HLAING THAR YAR,
(Ware huse & Factory)
(1)11000 sqft, 315 KVA
(2)12000 sqft, 315 KVA
on land 2 Acre. Ph: 09-
4237-55335.
ON PYAY ROAD, 7 mile,
single house, land (60 x
90), teak wood ceiling
& flooring, 2MBR,
3AC, near Norwegian
Embassy & UNOPS,
quiet residential area,
suitable for expats, USD
2,500. No agent. Ph: 09-
515-6769.
THANGAN GYUN, Mya
Yamon Water Front
Villa, 3 Storey with fully
furniture, swimming
pool, steam room, water
fall. For foreiner only. Ph:
320334, 09-510-3207,
BAHAN, Near Chatrium
Hotel, Po Sein Road,
Quiet Surrounding,
Small two-storeys
house, 3 rooms, with
toilet, AC, teak parquet
fooring, with cable
phone., with wide
carparking, with mate
room. USD 2500 per
month, No brokers
sees, Contact: 09-430-
24808, 09-2500-26350.
DAGON, Near Parkroyal
Hotel, Condo with lift,
1250 sqft, 3 AC, fully
furnished, with cable
phone, 1MBR, 1 SR
with balcony, 250 USD
per month, Contact: 09-
430-24808.
(1)PANSODAN Tower
1800 sqft, 2 Rooms,
2-lifts, New building (2).
Hledan, Near Diamond
Condo, 2RC (3).
Mingalardon Industry
zone factory, 100'x100',
store 80'x80', New
building (4).7 miles,
Si Taw Gyi Condo,
3400Sqft, Hall. Ph: 09-
731-54071, 514802.
(1).NEAR PARK ROYAL
Hotel, 1500 Sqft, 2MBR,
1SR, fully furnish,
USD 1500 (2).Near
Yuzana Plazza, condo,
1700Sqft, 1MBR, 2
SR, fully furnish, USD
2300. (3).Near Kandaw
Gyi Park, condo, 1500
Sqft, 1MBR, 1SR, 1500
USD. (4).Near Kabaraye
Pagoda, Ga Mon Pwint
condo, 1800 Sqft, 2MBR,
1SR, fully furnish USD
4000. Ph : 09-4921-
4276, 09-4211- 77105
CLASSIC STRAND
Condominium, (1)
suitable for offce,
2280 sqft (2,500 sqft
with mezzanine), 3rd
foor, wide open space,
14 ft ceilings, face
river. New building
with gym, car park,
cafe, facilities. Prime
downtown location
between Strand Rd and
Merchant St, close to
strand hotel/union bar.
6,000 USD per month.
(2) 1,500 sqft, 8th foor,
3 bedroom corner unit
with excellent view
of river. New building
with gym, car park,
downtown location
3,600 USD per month.
wongyfj @gmai l .com.
Ph: 09- 4200- 04585,
09-4211-02223, 09-
2544-08789
M Y A Y N I G O N E ,
Sanchaung, Min St, First
Flr, All furniture. One bed
room, one kitchen, one
bathroom (The balcony),
1 RC, 1 (month) 600 US,
Shan Shan, Ph: 09-731-
92603, Moe Hein, Ph:
09-4250-18442.
Housing for Sale
SANCHAUNG, 5th Floor,
Tha Yett Taw St, 12.5' x
50', Hall type, Other
Inclusive: Sunshade &
Iron Bars on all windows
& doors.Negotiatable
price: MMK 550 Lakhs.
Ph: 09-500- 2313
DAGON Tsp, Fatherland
condo, No 51 Boyarnyunt
St, 1200sqft, 1Toilet, Hall
Type, 3000lks. Ph: 09-
4210-21621, 09-2540-
01189.
CONDO, 650 sqft.
Star City Building 1.
Including Well furnished.
Offer price: 1250 lkhs.
Contact: 09-2506-38104
(Aung San Htun)
CLASSIC STRAND
Condominium suitable
for offce, 2280 sqft (2,500
sqft with mezzanine), 3rd
foor, wide open space,
14 ft ceilings, face river.
New building with gym,
car park, cafe, facilities.
Prime downtown location
wongyfj @gmai l .com.
09-4200-04585, 09-
4211-02223, 09-2544-
08789.
CLASSIC STRAND
Condominium suitable
for offce, 2280 sqft (2,500
sqft with mezzanine),
3rd foor, wide open
space, 14 ft ceilings,
face river. New building
with gym, car park,
downtown location,
close to strand hotel/
union bar. wongyfj@
gmail.com. 09-4200-
04585, 09-4211-02223,
09254408789
Education
LCCI Level I,II & III,
Teaching, Study guide
& Old questions. Ph:
09-4211-34427.
ENGLISH (home tuition)
speaking, grammar,
issue. letter, academic
writing. SAT. TOEFL.
IELT.GCE, IGCSE.
GMAT 4 skills. local &
international school
English. English for
Japaneses children
and adult. Home tuition,
courses are avail e now.
you can contact to Saya
U Kyi Sin (Mumyint Thar)
Ph: 09-4210-67375.
www.kyisinplb.blogspot.
com
ENGLISH teaching.
Chinatown area.
1 year teaching
Myanmar students,
20 years experience.
Conversation, listening
& IELTS training. Please
call 09-517-3255.
CHEMISTRY TUTOR
required for international
high school student.
Must speak English. Ph:
09-502-2834
TEACHER MYO (G.C.E
O/A, U.K) (1) Grade X.XI
(All Subjects). (2) IELTS,
Interview. (3)IGCSE,
BCA (All Subjects).
No.37, 4 Flr, Yay Kyaw
St. Ph: 09-732-21317,
09-513-2373
HOME Tuition: For
students from Int'l
schools such as
Horizon, ILBC, YIES,
ISY, MIS, MISY, PISM.
All subjects for Primary
and Secondary Classes.
Tel: 09-4200-84493.
PHYSICS HOME
Tution, Saya U Myint
Thein, Physics, Yangon
University. Sule Pagoda
Rd, Kyauktada, Yangon.
(Since 1984) Ph: 09 730
52859. Email: umtedu@
gmail.com
SAT, TOEFL, Study in
USA Connect Institute.
Improve critical thinking
and English skills, win
scholarships and study
in US colleges. Learn
and consult with our US
graduates. Come check
out our free Discussion
in English every Sunday
9-11 am. Call 09-255-
959-944 or email at
info@connect.com.mm.
MGW Tower, Rm 503,
Lower Bo Aung Kyaw
St, Botahtaung, Yangon
MATHEMATICS, Is
your child from ILBC,
YIS, ISY, ISM, Yangon
Academy, MIS, MISY,
SIS, PISM, ALBA,
DSY or all international
schools (KG to Sec 3 or
Grade 9) weak in Maths,
doesnt understand
problem solving, no one
can help him or her in
practicing or learning?
If your child is willing
to learn & practise, I
will teach him or her to
develop the required
skills to improve in
Maths from present
situation. Please
contact and come to
Daw Naing Naing Aung,
B.Com (Q), No.(6),
Thuketa St, Baukhtaw,
Yankin. Ph: 09-500-
4993, 544594.
Expert Services
FOC Rental Services of
condos, landed houses,
offces and commercial
properties. Our listings
can be checked in http://
goo.gl/tyCuoe, Email:
dr.thihathit@icloud.com,
09-430-83781.
ZCL(Y.U.F.L)Translation
Service. Ph: 09-
2506-66325. email:
atar1990@gmail.com
CORPORATE Banking,
Finance, Advisory,
Capital Raising Services
and help with foreign
investment, private
equity for Myanmar
companies; pls contact
info@frstrangoon.com
WE PROVIDE stay in
Domestic Helper to do all
your household chores.
If you need please call
09-2506-49927
EFFICIENT Goldsmith
Software Effective for all
goldshops & goldsmiths
@ Effcient Soft. Ph: 09-
505-3762, 09-517-1061,
09-2503-54344.
BANKING service, HR
service, Local travel
service (Flight or air
plane, hotel booking,
car service on trip
etc.), Wedding planner,
Household cleaning
service, Teaching
English to Myanmar,
Guide to High School
Student, Taxi service,
General service. Formal
learning Eng to Myan is
1:30 hr only Sunday,
10 weeks per course
charges is 100$. Ph:09-
4201-64934
GOLDEN LAND Real
Estate : For sale, buy
& rent, Pls contact to
Ph: 3940532, 09-730-
08848, 3920853
I DO translate
English ~Myanmar &
Myanmar~English and
also teach Myanmar
language (4 skills) for
foreigners. If you want
to contact, call me,
Katherine Ph:09-516-
8697.
REGISTERED Tourist
guide in English, French
is available for immediate
appoint ment, please
ring 09-3019-9028.
CORPORATE Profile
Writing Service, Wanting
to have a business profle
which does not merely
give information about
your business yet it goes
an extra mile to seal new
business opportunities in
a professional manner?
Golden Miracle Co.,
Ltd: 09-512-0462 for
professional profile
writing service.
Experienced business
profle writers across
different industries.
A business profle is
more than a bunch of
information, rather, it
is something which
gives you a head start
to limitless stream of
opportunities.
For Rent
COLD STORAGE 100
M/T capacity situated at
Hlaing Thar Yar Industrial
area at reasonable rate.
Please Contact: 682011,
685846, 09-500-8845,
09-500-8843.
For Sale
SAMSUNG GALAXY
Tablet 7.7. With phone,
3G. Similar to current
Samsung Note 8, which
costs usd 380. Two years
old. Price usd 150 or
offer. Phone 10 AM, Mr
Ansar, Rm 503, Ph: 01-
246030, 242094.
H A R L E Y - R E G A
Motorcycle built in
Japan 1950 years. Rare
Motorcycle USD - 7500.
Ph:09-505-4880
HONDA FIT 2009 Model,
GE-6, 1300 CC, (White),
Auto Gear, 1H/3---
(YGN), 99 lakhs, Ph:
09-312-87827.
CAMERA f rom
Singapore, used Nikon
D-7000, Canon 60D,
600D, 550 D,450D &
Fujiflm S 9100 cameras
for sale. Ph:09-512-
8713
Language
I AM a Professional
Japanese and English
Translator and Teacher
based in Yangon. I am
Certifed with B.A (JAP)
MUFL with JLPT Level
2 and IELTS with Band
7. I have 4 years of
experience in Freelance
Japanese translation,
interpretation and
teaching. Please do not
hesitate to contact me
for an evaluation. I have
many foreign students
such as Japanese and
Indians and I use all the
reference that is base on
language learning. For
more information, please
contact me to 09-4283-
50386 and email me to
j asmi ne5842@gmai l .
com.
IM AN experienced
Chinese (Mandarin)
teacher here in Yangon,
Myanmar. I have over
6 years teaching in
Singapore. Please do
not hesitate to contact
me for an evaluation.
Im a professional
teacher who will help
you improve your
speaking, reading and
writing skills. I use
Singaporean text books
and Chinese speaking/
conversation books
for teaching speaking,
reading and writing in
Mandarin. Im available
Monday-Sunday with
a fexible schedule. I
also teaching Myanmar
language to all Foreigner.
For more details please
call the number below.
If I dont answer please
send me a SMS and I
will get back to you as
soon as possible. May:
095-9-516-2988.
P R O F E S S I O N A L
English Teacher (MBA,
UK), MA (English), BA
(English), Dip: ELT
09-254214864. Only
Evening and Weekend
class available.
I AM available to teach
English to any and all
ages. I have experience
with students in primary,
secondary school and
Asian adults wanting
to enter the global
workforce. I can also do
SAT prep for secondary
students who are
trying to build their
international college
resume. I am able to
design a curriculum
based on your
particular needs. Email:
steffanilorraine@gmail.
com
TEACHING Myanmar
language for foreigners
Near Myay Ni Gone City
Mart, Sanchaung. Ph:
09- 4200-30 782.
TEACHING English
for adults Near Myay
Ni Gone City Mart,
Sanchaung. Ph:09-
4200-30782
Training
ROYAL JOURNEYS,
Learn English for life :
How to make English
part of your lifestyle,
English communication
skills, Business
English, Hospitality &
tourism Management,
Management leadership
& superior training. 61, 1A
Flr, 13 St, Bet : Anawrahta
Rd & Mahabandoola Rd,
Landmadaw tsp. Ph: 09-
4316-6443.
Travel
CENTURION AUTO :
Corporate Car Rental
offers transfer / daily
/ monthly / feets
throughout Myanmar.
Vehicle amenities
i ncl ude Engl i sh-
speaking drivers,
Wi-Fi Internet, full
international insurance
and full time concierge.
Contact us anytime
for further info.(p)+
95. 1. 571. 586*i nf o@
centurionauto.com *
www. cent ur i onaut o.
com.
TESUAN Travel &
Tour, Travel Agent
License: Kha-2375,
Tour programs -
Yangon & Environs
1 Day Tour. Yangon
& Pyu city Package
Tour. Yangon-Golden
Rock Optional Tour.
Buddhist Pilgrimage
Tour, Adventure & Eco
Tour, Hotel & Air Ticket
Reservation, Car Rental
& Travel Insurance,
Offce: 3/B, Ground Flr,
Hledan 1
st
St, 3
rd
Qtr,
Kamayut, Yangon, Tel:
511298, 09-302-85183,
09-732-38306, Email:
t esuant our. co. mm@
gmail.com, www.
tesuanmyanmar.com
SWAN SAUNG YEE
Travel & Tours Co., Ltd.
Bldg (D/B), Rm (002),
Thitsar Residence,
South Okkalapa,
Yangon. Kyaik Hti Yoe
( 1N/ 2D) - 80, 000/ - ks
per pax. Chaung Tha
( 2N/ 3D) - 93, 000/ - ks
per pax. Bagan-Popa
(3N/ 4D)-138, 900/ -ks
per pax. Mandalay-Sa
gaing-Innwa-(3N/4D)-
156,000/-ks per pax.
Ph: 01-562917, 09-
8611-864
TAXI, Service Near,
Parkroyal Hotel, Air
Conditioner Car, English
Speaking Driver, One
hour 5000 kyats, 09-
317-75734.
Public Notics
TRAINED Domestic
Helper available.
Knowledge of all
household works,
including infants and
elderly people care. Tel :
09-315-75765, 09-2506-
49927.
MiTA Myanmar
Investment, Trade
& Technol ogy
Conference, Workshop
and Exhibition will be
held during 25-27 Sept
2014 UMFCCI, Yangon.
The Best Conference,
Exhibition & Workshop
@ Reasonable Fees
in Myanmar! for more
info, please visit: www.
Mi t a My a n ma r I n v e
s t m e n t T r a d e
Technology Conference.
com, Ph: 09420110451,
09-4201-10666, Email:
maizar@mitaservices.
com.sg
We provide the following
Training, CISCO, CCNA,
CCNP, MICROSOFT,
MCSA, MCSE, LAB,
EC-COUNCIL CEH,
SECURITY ADMIN.
www. f acebook. com/
imcscompany, 09-4500-
16040.
JOB VACANCY
PSI/Myanmar is looking for an Internal Audit
Manager / Senior Manager
The Internal Audit Manager/Sr. Manager will
be to work under the supervision of the Senior
Director of Admin and Finance and the main re-
sponsibilities are;
Assessing PSI/Myanmar compliance with
both PSIs and local policies and with certain
key donor requirements;
Supporting and performing investigations
into suspected fraud;
Identifying process and control improve-
ments required to address any identifed
weaknesses;
Developing an annual internal audit plan
which support monitoring compliance with
PSI and donor and local legal requirements
based on risk prioritization, and including
both PSI/Myanmars local operation and
sub-awardees;
Perform internal audits of PSI/Myanmars op-
erations in line with the agreed annual plan
to assess the effectiveness of PSI/Myanmar
internal controls and compliance with PSI/
Myanmars policies and procedures;
Identify control weakness and areas of
actual or potential non- compliance with PSI
and donor requirements and summarize
these in an internal audit report, containing
observations and internal control and proce-
dural improvement recommendations;
Monitor the implementation status of
recommendations made by PSI/Myanmars
internal audit team, PSIs Global Internal
Auditors, donor auditors, fnancial statement
external auditors, and other audit recom-
mendations as applicable;
Support and report key risk and compliance
issues to Senior Management Team;
He/She must be B.Com, C.P.A and should be at
least three years post qualifcation experience in
internal or external audit. Computer literacy and
familiarity with excel and QuickBooks would be
benefcial.
If you are interested in the above position,
please send your CV and Cover Letter to the
following address not later than 20
th
October
2014 (Monday).
PSI/Myanmar Headquarters:
No. 16, West Shwe Gone Dine 4
th
Street, Ba-
han Township, Yangon. Telephone: 0 1 -
375 854, 01- 375 855, 01- 375 856, 01- 375 857,
01- 375 858. Email: hr@psimyanmar.org

Employment
FREE THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 6 - 12, 2014
Ingo Position
THE INT'L Rescue
Committee (IRC) is
seeking (1)Finance
Offcer 1 post in Muse,
Northern Shan State:
University degree in
Accounting, Business
Administration, Commer
ce or Finance with a
recognized profession
certifcate in accounting
(CPA or equivalent
certifcate). 3 years of
accounting professional
experience & 1 year direct
supervisory experience.
Experience with various
PC and fnancial related
software (spreadsheets,
accounting packages).
Able to communicate
effectively in English
& Myanmar. (2) Field
Manager 1 post in
Muse, Northern Shan
State : University
degree in Management,
Community Develop
ment or equivalent
feld. 5 years of senior
management experience
and/or community
development. Fluently
in English/ Burmese and
excellent report writing
skills. Strong Computer
skill. Please submit a
Cover letter & CV to the
HR Department by email
at: WaiMar.Naing@
rescue.org or by delivery
to the IRC offce : 33/A,
Natmauk Lane Thwe
(1), Bocho (2) Quarter,
Bahan, Yangon. Closing
date : 14 October 2014.
THE INT'L Rescue
Committee (IRC) is
seeking (1)Health
Promoter in Muse,
Northern Shan State:
1 year experience
in health education
or community health
promotion. Ability to
travel by motorcycle/ car
& work long continuous
days in remote IDP
camps. Fluent in
Myanmar language.
(2)Field Manager 1
post in Muse, Northern
Shan State : University
degree in Management,
Community Develop
ment or equivalent
feld. 5 years of senior
management experience
and/or community
development. Fluently
in English/ Burmese and
excellent report writing
skills. Strong Computer
skill. (3)Health
Promotion Offcer in
Muse, Northern Shan
State: 2 years of practical
experience in appropriate
commu nity health
programs. Familiarity
with hygiene promotion
methodologies including
PHAST (Participatory
Hygiene and Sanitation
Tr a n s f o r ma t i o n ) .
Fluency in English.
Please submit a Cover
letter & CV to the HR
Department by email at:
WaiMar.Naing@rescue.
org or by delivery to
the IRC offce : 33/A,
Natmauk Lane Thwe
date : 6 October 2014
THE INT'L Rescue
Committee is seeking
(1)AEI Manager
(Health Governance) 1
post in Loikaw, Kayah
State: Bachelor of
Development Studies or
health related science,
with post graduate
degree in Development
Studies/ Social Science/
Public Administration/
Public Health or other
related community
development science.
3 ~ 5 years of
experience. Excellent
communication skills,
Fluent in Myanmar
& English. Good
computer literacy. (2)
Operation Assistant 1
post in Muse, Northern
Shan State: University
Degree or Diploma in
related feld and/ or
related training course.
Prior work experience in
logistics & procurement.
Computer literate with
strong MS offce. Good
communication in both
Burmese & English. (3)
(1) HR/ Admin Offcer 1
post in Sittwe, Rakhine
State: Diploma in HR
Management, Business
Administration or related
feld. 2 years experience
in the HR function or
Administration or an HR
related feld. Very strong
profciency in MS Word,
Excel, & PowerPoint. (2)
Admin HR Assistant 1
post in Loikaw, Kayah
State: Diploma in HR
Management, Business
Administration or related
feld. 1 year experience
in the HR function or
Administration or an
HR related feld. Fluency
in English. Strong
profciency in MS Word,
Excel. Please submit a
Cover letter & CV to the
HR Department by email
at: WaiMar.Naing@
rescue.org or by delivery
to the IRC offce :33/A,
Natmauk Lane Thwe
date : 9 October, 2014.
FONDAZIONE Terre des
hommes Italia (TDH
Italia) is seeking Civil
Engineer (Based in
Magway & Mandalay
Regions) : Bachelor's
or diploma in Civil
Engineering. Command
of English. Command of
Microsoft Offce. Please
submit application with
completed information
about current job and
expected salary incl.
CV, photo, references
by email or by postal
service to Terre des
Hommes Italia Main
Office: TDH Italia
Main Offce: 48, Shwe
Hinn Thar St, 11
Ward, Hlaing, Yangon.
Tel: 654604, Email:
hr. t dhi t . mya@gmai l .
com Closing date: 15-
10-2014.
(1)FIELD SUPERVISOR
(KyaingTone) 1 Post.
Please send application
letter, CV & related
documents to Myanmar
Red Cross Society (Head
Office) Yazatingaha
Rd, Dekkhinathiri,
Nay Pyi Taw.
Ormrcshrrecruitment@
gmail.com www.
my a n ma r r e d c r o s s
society.org Please
mention Position title
in subject if you apply.
THE Association of
Medical Doctors of Asia
is seeking Medical
Coordinator 1 post
in AMDA Laukai Field
Offce : M.B.B.S, 2
years experience
(INGO experience
would be an asset).
Strong data analysis
skills. Good command
in English. Strong
computer skill. Senior
Offcer, Admin/ Finance
Unit, AMDA Myanmar
Program Offce, 19/B,
Thukhawaddy Rd,
Yankin, Yangon. Email:
sr. af o. amda@gmai l .
com
(1)BRANCH WASH
Offcer (Falam, Mogok,
Sagaing, Matupi)-
4 Posts (2)Field
Supervisor (DeMawSo)
- 1 Post (3)Assistant
Field Supervisor -
(LoiKaw) 1 Post (4)
Program Assistant
(Yangon) - 1 Post (5)M
& E Offcer - (Matupi)
1 Post. Please send
application letter,CV
& related documents
to Myanmar Red
Cross Society (Head
Office) Yazatingaha
Rd, Dekkhinathiri,
Nay Pyi Taw.
gmail.com www.
society.org
(1)ASSISTANT Manager
(IT) 1 Post (2)Livelihood
Project Coordinator
1 Post. (3)Program
Support Offcer(CBHD-
MNCH) 1 Post. Please
send application letter,
CV & related documents
to Myanmar Red
Cross Society (Head
Office) Yazatingaha
Rd, Dekkhinathiri,
Nay Pyi Taw.
gmail.com www.
society.org Please
mention Position Title
in subject if you apply.
Local Positions
SASAZU Restaurant is
coming soon in Yangon.
Asian/western Fusion in
the heart of the city. So
we are currently seeking
for (1).Restaurant
Manager - M/F 2 posts
: 5 ~ 8 years experience
(2).Supervisor - M/F
2 posts : 4~ 8 years
experience. (3).Captain
- M/F 2 posts : 3~ 8
years experience (4).
Accountant - M/F 2post
(5).Cashier - M/F 2 posts
(6).Bar Tender - M 3 post
: 3 ~ 5 yrsexperience (7).
Waiter/Waitress - M/F
12 posts : 2 ~ 5 years
experience (8).Sambal
Sauce - M/F 3 posts :
2 ~ 5 years experience
(9).Tempura - M/F
experience (10).Pastry
- M/F 1 post : 2 ~ 5
years experience (11).
Cook - M/F 5 posts : 2 ~
5 years experience (12)
Wok - M/F 2 posts : 2 ~
5 years experience (13).
Restaurant/Kitchen
cleaner - M/F 6 posts
: 1~ 3 years experience
(14).Laundry - M/F
experience (15).
Security - M 4 posts:
3 years experience. For
(1)~(5) : Any graduate,
Can speak English,
Computer literate, For
(6) ~ (10) High school
passed, Cans speak
English. For (11) ~ (15)
High school, Please
submit CV, Photo with
relevant documents
to 52, Yaw Min Gyi St,
Dagon tsp, 404, 4 Flr,
Yaw Min Gyi Condo,
Yawmingyi St, Dagon
tsp. Ph: 01-393112, 01-
393113. Email:sasazu.
yangon@gmail.com
A WELL-established
company is looking
for highly-motivated
engineers. Successful
candidates will be
employed as service
engineers for installation
and maintenance of
advanced medical
equipments including
CT scanner. Candidates
must: A Bachelor
Degree in Electronics or
equivalent, Have a good
command of written and
spoken English, Have
good basic knowledge of
electronics, Be willing to
travel within and aboard
Myanmar, Be hard-
working and adaptable.
Previous working
experience is preferable,
but not a necessity as
the company will provide
the necessary training.
Interested persons
(Male only) can submit
their application form
along with the C.V
and recent photograph
to Rm 2-C, Shwe
Padauk Condominium,
99/A, Myay Nu St,
Sanchaung, Yangon.
Ph.01-525748. Within
two weeks.
THE KT GROUP is
seeking enthusiastic and
career-driven individuals
to join our team for the
following positions: (1)
Business Development
Analyst (2)Executive
Assistant to CEO (3)
Real Estate Marketing
Manager (4)Real
Estate Sales Manager
(5)HR Manager (6)
Senior Accountant (7)
Accountant. Qualifca
tions & Requirements :
Professionally mature,
Knowledge of the
Yangon Real Estate
market, Bachelors
Diploma in Business or
Sales & Marketing, MBA
preferred, 3-5 years
experience in Sale &
Marketing or Business
Development, Fluent in
English, Knowledge of
using MS Offce Suite
(particularly Word,
Excel and PowerPoint),
Ability to organize and
prioritize tasks from
different stakeholders.
Please send CV to
recruitment@ktgroup.
com.
SALE EXECUTIVE
wanted (For made
in USA, Patented
Product), Any graduate,
3 posts, Age 20~25,
Male 1 post, Female 2
posts, Must have result
oriented, winner attitude,
2 years sales experience
will be advantage, High
sal ar y+commi si on,
Email your CV to info.
wel f l ex@gmai l . com,
wynnpw@gmail.com
TSC Enterprises
is a Development
Consul tancy &
Professional Property
Marketing Firm. We
are looking for energetic
young professionals
to for a number of
exciting new property
development projects
in Yangon for Sale and
Marketing Executives
10 posts : Degree
holder, Profcient in
English & Microsoft
Offce applications, Must
possess a pleasant and
outgoing personality,
Ability to work
independently and under
pressure, Willing to work
on weekends and public
holidays, Prior relevant
sales experience in
property, hospitality
or lifestyle industries
will be an advantage,
Enjoy fexible working
hours with attractive
compensation in basic
salary plus commission
and bonuses. Interested
candidates are invited
to submit resumes
in MS word with a
recent photograph and
expected salaries to
info@tscmyanmar.com.
(1)SALES GIRLS - F 2
Posts (2)Accountant
- F 1 Posts : Graduate,
neat and tidy person . No
need to have experience.
Contact here - No . 40
Aung Myay Yadanar St,
Thu Mingalar housing,
Thingangyun, Yangon.
Ph : 09-732-20460, 09-
2540-45560.
AVER ASIA (Myanmar)
Ltd is seeking
Technician. Able to
communicate in English
preferred. Training
will be provided for
technician. Interested
candidates can apply
through rebecca.htoo@
averasia.com or Offce:
Unit 514, Hledan Center,
Corner of Pyay Rd and
Hledan Rd, Kamayut.
Tel: 01-2305629, 09-
3150-1567.
BLACKBOX Media
& Advertising is
looking for a young &
aggressive creative
graphic designer with
good creative concepts
and graphic ideas. You
will work on a variety
of products, including
websites, product
packaging, exhibitions,
corporate identity etc.
2 years related working
experience. Ability to
interact, communicate
and present ideas. Up-
to-date with industry
leading software and
technologies (In Design,
Illustrator, Photoshop,
Desktop Publishing
etc). For immediate
employment, interested
candidates, please
send your resume and
expected salary to :
bl ackbox. t p@gmai l .
com or naychi-mgt@
myanmar.com.mm Or
call : 09 -506-9346 for
an appointment.
GREEN GLASS Door
Marketing Services
Co.,Ltd is seeking(1)
Senior Head Designer
1 Post : Bachelors
degree (or) certifcate
in a feld of study similar
to the Responsibilities
of this position, A good
command of the English
language in both writing
and speaking. 5 years
experience in related
field. (2)Billboard
Marketing executive -
M/F 5 Post : Any graduate,
English language skills,
3 years experience,
Computer use Excel,
Word, Powerpoint,
Internet, Email,
Basic pay K 100,000.
Please submit CV with
necessary documents
to (148/B), 2nd Floor,
BogyokeAung San Rd,
Botahtaung, Yangon.
Ph : 09-2507-30521,
09-4200-43696. Email:
greenglassdoorhrca@
gmail.com
WE ARE seeking (1)
Waiter/ Waitress - 5
posts : F & B certifcate
(2)Cashier - 3 posts (3)
Bakery Chef - 1 post.
Please contact to Ph:
09-4210-50413.
GOLDEN CLOVER
TRAVEL is looking
for Tour Operation
Manager M (1) Post:
At least 5 years of
experience in tourism
feld. Chief Accountant
M/F (1) Post: At least 5
years of experience.
Programmer M/F (1)
Post: At least 5 years of
experience in ICT feld.
For all positions: Any
graduate with certifcate.
English language (Four
skills) must be fuent.
Good communication
and skills social dealing.
Computer literate (very
good knowledge of
Excel/ PowerPoint/
Word/Internet/Email).
Interested candidate
shall submit an
application letter, CV
with recent photo,
Copies of NRC,
Educational certifcate
and other testimonial
to Golden Clover Travel
& Tours, No.48, Room
(E-3), 2
nd
Floor, Gyar
Taw Ya Oat Road,
Shwe Nanthar Quarter,
Bahan Township,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel: +95-18603244/45,
0949297848, E-mail:
info@goldenclover.com.
mm
WE ARE a GERMAN
company and we
are looking for new
employees to be based
in our new Yangon
Offce that we are
going to set up very
soon! We are looking
for sales Engineers
to fll the following
positions. 1. Graphics
and Printing Supplies.
2.Food Processing
Equipment. 3.Plastic and
recycling Equipment.
4 . Ph a r ma c e u t i c a l
Equipment. 5.Building
Equi pment &
Preparation Equipment.
6.Machine Tools & Metal
Production Equipment.
The candidates should
be profcient in English
as well as Burmese.
C o m p r e h e n s i v e
training will be given
to the right candidates.
Please send CV to the
following email address
h . s h w e y e e m g @
rieckermann.com
BUSINESS Develop
ment Executive (50
positions) A Multi
National Company
in collaboration with
Royal Futures Trading
Co, require candidates
who has passion and
talent. Requirements:
Candidate must
possess a Degree or at
least a Pre-U, Diploma
in any feld. Fresh
Graduate from oversea
is encourage to apply.
No work experience
required. Must be able
to speak and understand
simple English Speaking.
Beneft: Lucrative income
highly achievable. Good
Career Advancement
Opportunity. Overseas
working opportunity.
Intensive training
provided. Other benefts
& rewards are subjected
to companys approval
based on performance.
Please send CV with
recent photograph;
Closing Date : 7th
October 2014 Attention
To: Mr. Chris Hunter
Lee, Senior Business
Manager, Royal Futures
Trading Co., Ltd. No.
166, 12 Fl, MMB Tower,
Upper Pansoden Rd,
Mingalar Taungnyunt,
Yangon.
WE ARE a leading
tour company and
are looking for 1.) A
sale representative
for Outbound trips to
Cambodia 2.) A junior
accountant. Interested
candidates can contact
the following details.
email: info@enchanting-
myanmar.com, Ph: 09-
4211-40414, 09-316-
09262, 011-221570.
Ph/Fax: 01-370-836~9
Ext:806
ESSENCE of Myanmar
is seeking (1)Tour
Operations Manager
- M/F 1 Post : Any
graduate with certifcate,
5 years experience in
tourism feld, English
language (Four Skills)
must be fuent (French
language ability will be
an advantage), Good
communication and
skills social dealing,
Computer literate (Very
good knowledge of
Excel/ PowerPoint/
Word/Internet/Email),
Fully give back the time
on the job if necessary
many working. (2)
Assistant Tour
Operations Manager
- M/F 1 Post : Any
graduate with certifcate,
tourism feld, English
language (Four Skills)
must be fuent, Good
communication and
skills social dealing,
Computer literate (Very
good knowledge of
Excel/ PowerPoint/
Word/Internet/Email),
Fully give back the time
on the job if necessary
many working. Please
submit an application
letter, CV with recent
photo, copies of NRC.
Educ& and other
testimonial to : 6 Shwe
Gong Daing Rd (Near
SSC Women Center)
Bahan, Yangon. Tel:
01-8604279 or 01-
401589. Email: zani@
i nspi rat i onmyanmar.
com.mm, znb197@
gmail.com
CARDNO EMERGING
Markets has been short
listed by the Department
of Rural Development to
tender for two townships
as part of the Myanmar
National Community
Driven Development
Project funded by the
World Bank and are
looking for Myanmar
consultants for the
following positions: (1)
Finance Offcer - 2 posts
(2)Procurement Offcer
- 2 posts (3)Monitoring
& Evaluation & MIS
Offcer 2 posts (4)
Infrastructure &
Safeguards Specialist
2 posts (5)Social
Accountability &
Gender Specialist
2 posts. The two
townships that we are
bidding for are Tatkon
Township, Nay Pyi Taw
and Htantabin, Yangon.
Cardno Emerging
Markets is an equal
opportunity employer
and is committed to
child protection in all
felds. Apply with CV
and cover letter to
cardnorecrui t ment @
icloud.com ASAP.
SALES GIRLS - Female
2 posts (2)Accountant
- Female 1 post :
Graduate, neat and
tidy person . No need
to have experience.
Pleae contact: 40 Aung
Myay Yadanar St, Thu
Mingalar housing,
Thingangyun, Yangon.
Ph:09-732-20460, 09-
2540-45560.
PARKWAY CANCER
Centre, is seeking (1)
Medical Doctor - F 1
post : M.B,B.S Graduate
with SA MA registration,
medical feld, Good
communication in
English, Must be able
to use computer,
internet and Microsoft
application with excellent
skills. (2)Accountant
- F 1 post : A minimum
degree from university
preferably accounting &
marketing background.
(LCCI Level - 3 ),
Age above 35, Good
communication in
English, 2 years
experience, Able to
use computer, internet
& Microsoft application
with excellent skills.
We welcome the
candidates who are trust
worthy, self-motivated
& outstanding, willing
to learn and able to
focus on work, be
polite and hospitality,
able to communicate
in courteous manners
and must have positive
working attitude. Pease
submit: CV with relevant
certifcates, documents,
recommendation letter
attach, documents &
expected salary to Rm
(G-07), G Flr, Diamond
Center, Pyay Rd,
Kamayut. Tel : 532-438.
GOLDEN CLOVER TRAVEL is looking for
Tour Operation Manager M (1) Post
At least 5 years of experience in tourism feld.
Chief Accountant M/F (1) Post
At least 5 years of experience.
Programmer M/F (1) Post
At least 5 years of experience in ICT feld.
For all positions:
Any graduate with certifcate.
English language (Four skills) must be fuent.
Good communication and skills social dealing.
Computer literate (very good knowledge of Excel/ PowerPoint/Word/
Internet/Email)
Interested candidate shall submit an application letter, CV with recent
photo, Copies of NRC, Educational certifcate and other testimonial to
Golden Clover Travel & Tours.
No.48, Room (E-3), 2nd Floor, Gyar Taw Ya Oat Road, Shwe Nanthar
Quarter, Bahan Township, Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel: +95-18603244/45, 0949297848
E-mail: info@goldenclover.com.mm
70 Sport THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 6 - 12, 2014
PAKISTAN coach Waqar Younis has
questioned the timing of cricket au-
thorities crackdown against chucking
just months away from the World Cup,
and suggested that rules on bowling
actions be relaxed for spinners.
In an interview with AFP, the for-
mer pace great said key all rounder
Mohammed Hafeezs condence was
left shattered after he was reported for
a suspect action in an Indian domestic
tournament, a fresh blow to Pakistan
following the loss of Saeed Ajmal to a
chucking ban.
Ajmal, the worlds leading one-
day bowler, faces a race against time
to complete remedial work by the
World Cup, to be held from Febru-
ary to March in Australia and New
Zealand.
He was suspended earlier
this month after he was found to
straighten his elbow up to 43 degrees
well beyond the 15 degree limit
prescribed under the rules, the point
where a kink becomes noticeable to
the naked eye.
Since then, Hafeez and Sunil
Narine have been among four play-
ers reported during an Indian
tournament.
Though the action has no direct
bearing on international cricket,
Waqar said the bowlers would now be
under intense scrutiny.
Is this the right time to enforce
the protocols and the technology? he
said.
I am asking this because every
team plans ahead of the World Cup,
and the suspensions will badly hit the
teams whose bowlers got suspended
or questioned.
I mean the protocols and the tech-
nology should have been enforced af-
ter the World Cup, he added.
Ajmals suspension came as part
of a wider drive by the International
Cricket Council against bowlers with
suspect actions, with Sri Lankas
Sachitra Senanayake and Kane Wil-
liamson being suspended in July this
year.
Bangladeshs Sohag Gazi and Al-
Amin Hossain along with Zimbabwes
Prosper Utseya were all reported after
Ajmal.
The bans have thrown a spotlight
on the controversial doosra delivery,
which turns in the opposite direction
to orthodox ofspin but is delivered us-
ing the same wrist action.
Waqar suggested that the delivery
could not be bowled legally and the
ICC should amend their laws to ac-
commodate it.
When a bowler bowls a doosra, his
elbow must bend beyond limits. Thats
natural and I think a solution must be
found.
Waqar added that Hafeez, who is a
major part of Pakistans limited overs
teams, had been left scarred by the ex-
perience of being reported.
I know they have reported him
under a process but that is condence-
shattering for one of our key bowlers.
The Pakistan Cricket Board is fac-
ing something of a chucking crisis
at home, suspending 16 bowlers last
week after 30 were reported for sus-
pect actions. AFP
KARACHI
Waqar questions timing of ICC crackdown
VICTORIOUS European captain Paul
McGinley insisted on September 29
his involvement in the Ryder Cup
was at an end, saying that like a good
heavyweight boxing champion he
wanted to quit with an undefeated
record.
The Irishman, who led his side to a
convincing 16 1/2 points to 11 1/2 win
over the United States in the biennial
contest following three days of compe-
tition at Scotlands Gleneagles course
on September 28, was widely praised
for his work by European team
members.
But while McGinleys vice-captains
included a former European captain in
Sam Torrance, McGinley ruled himself
out of both that role and leading the
team again come the 2016 Ryder Cup
at Hazeltine in Chaska, Minnesota.
I dont think Id be vice-captain to
anybody going forward to be honest,
said the 47-year-old.
Im very happy to help in an un-
ofcial capacity but I dont think I
have the personality to go back in as
vice-captain.
I would like to be able to support
the new captain in whatever direction
he went, and if I had a belief about a
diferent area, Im afraid there would
be a conict.
McGinley then made it clear a Ry-
der Cup career encompassing three
wins as a player (2002, 2004 and
2006), two as a vice-captain (2010 and
2012) and one as captain was at an
end.
Thats six I have been involved in
and six wins, he said. Like a heavy-
weight ghter, I will retire undefeat-
ed.
However, McGinley did not rule
out the possibility of an unofcial
role, similarly to the motivational one
he asked former Manchester United
manager Alex Ferguson to play by ad-
dressing the team on September 30.
I would certainly like to play a
role, if required, a little bit like Alex
Ferguson did this week for me, he
added. I bounced ideas of him. He
didnt preach to me. He didnt tell me
what to do, but what he did was he so-
lidied my ideas and he gave me con-
dence that, yeah, my hunches were
right, McGinley explained.
I certainly wont be pushing my-
self forward [but] whoever the next
captain may be, if he has any ques-
tions, Ill help in any single way I can.
Defeated US captain Tom Watson
found himself under re from senior
team member Phil Mickelson, contro-
versially benched for the second day,
almost as soon as Europe had retained
the Ryder Cup with their eighth win in
the past 10 contests.
McGinley was reluctant to be
drawn into the controversy involving
Watson, the eight-times major win-
ner whom he cited as his golf hero,
but pointed to the way in which Eng-
lands Ian Poulter, one of the stars of
Europes 2012 Ryder Cup win, had re-
acted to his omission on September 27
as one of the things that had pleased
him most as captain.
All along I had thought that Ian
Poulter was going to play in the sec-
ond afternoon, and he thought he was
going to play, and at the 11
th
hour I de-
cided on Martin Kaymer instead and
to break up that dynamic of Poulter
and [Justin] Rose which has been so
successful. That was a big call, McGin-
ley said.
But the way Ian accepted that de-
cision, I mean, he came out to me on
the golf course in the afternoon and he
was consoling me. That means more
to me than the Ian Poulter banging
on his heart and what he did in Medi-
nah. AFP
A
N ancient contact sport
rooted in Indian my-
thology and said to date
back 5000 years, kabad-
di is proving a knockout
at the Asian Games as its popularity
spreads.
Fans in South Korea enthusiasti-
cally turned out to watch the game,
which requires yoga-like breathing
skills as two seven-player teams send
a raider into their enemys half of the
court to tag an opponent before re-
turning to safety in just one breath.
Attackers chant kabaddi, kabad-
di to prove they are not inhaling,
the top players capable of doing it for
several minutes.
But India coach Balwan Singh,
whose team rule the roost on the
world stage, told AFP that kabaddi
can be a perilous business.
Everyone loves kabaddi it is
more popular than cricket, he said
in an interview.
Its very thrilling, very exciting.
In India, everyone stops to watch
kabaddi children and old people.
But its also dangerous. You can
break bones very easily.
The epic poem Mahabharata
tells of a doomed raid on an enemy
camp by the heir of the Pandava
kings, while legend has it that Indian
princes played the game as a court-
ing ritual to show of their strength
and win their brides.
Originating in rural India, the
country has captured all six mens
Asian Games gold medals in kabaddi
since it rst appeared in 1990 -- in-
cluding double gold in Guangzhou
four years ago when the women
made their debut.
But other teams, including Pa-
kistan and Bangladesh, are slowly
catching up.
Pakistan and Bangladesh are
stronger but we just get stronger
too, said Singh. There is no enjoy-
ment without competition. Its a
tough sport and you have to be brave.
It is man-to-man combat.
Kabaddi, which was demonstrat-
ed at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, is
also used by British army troops as a
technique to keep t.
It makes your stomach strong,
your kidneys, heart, breathing, Sin-
gh. You get more oxygen into your
lungs. Its a combination of wres-
tling, judo, boxing, rugby, athletics.
While a Western kabaddi invasion
is unlikely anytime soon, a recent
professional league attracted 435
million television viewers in India.
More than 80 million were glued to
their screens for Augusts champion-
ship game, more than the gures for
the World Cup or Wimbledon nals.
As their raiders entered enemy
territory during a 30-15 mugging of
Bangladesh, bobbing from side to
side like boxers looking for the right
moment to strike, teammates stood
around sharing a joke.
It is not for the faint-hearted, how-
ever. When they catch a raider, they
pounce, cobra-like, and gleefully pile
on him as if in a school playground.
Kabaddi is in the Indian DNA,
said Malaysia team manager Engaitt-
araman Padmanathan. India has
two sports cricket and kabaddi. In
Malaysia everyone plays football. It
is a developing sport in Malaysia. We
used to play it in the evenings 30,
40, 50 years ago.
We have targeted fourth place
at this Asian Games, he added. But
we would like the silver in Jakarta in
2018.
Kabaddi, also known as kodikodi
in Pakistan, hadudu in Bangladesh
and baibalaa in Maldives, has al-
ready reached the East Asia with
Japan and home nation South Korea
entering teams in the Asian Games.
I rst tried kabaddi four years ago
and something just clicked, South Ko-
rean womens captain Jo Hyu-Na told
AFP. Ive seen people break bones and
get knocked out. I love it.
At the last Asian Games we just
put a team in with about two months
of preparation but we want a silver
medal this time. I think we have
opportunities. AFP
INCHEON
Bone-crunching kabaddi a
hit at the Asian Games
LONDON
McGinleys
Ryder Cup
ride comes
to an end
Yumi Kaneko (left) of Japan is tackled by Thailands players during their womens kabaddi match at the Asian Games in
Incheon on September 29. Photo: AFP
Sport
72 THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 6 - 12, 2014 SPORT EDITOR: Tim McLaughlin | timothy.mclaughlin3@gmail.com
Kabaddi gains fans
at Asian Games
SPORT 70
J
UST a few years ago, Den-
nis Kimetto was working
on his familys farm in Ken-
yas Rift Valley highlands,
growing potatoes and
maize and taking care of livestock.
He would watch from the elds
as groups of runners sped by in their
pursuit of international stardom,
before an opening with a local train-
ing group set him on a course that
on September 28 saw him smash the
marathon world record and become
the rst man to break the 2hrs 03min
barrier.
I used to watch a lot of athletics
on television, I was inspired, he said.
Family hardship meant Kimetto
had to drop out of school at 14 to help
on the farm and at the local market,
but he eventually struck up a conver-
sation with Geofrey Mutai already
one of the worlds fastest road racers.
I was invited to join the athletics
training camp at Kapngetuny, which
is only a few kilometres from my
home, the quietly spoken 30-year-
old recalled. Through running with
Mutais group he gained access to
running kit and shoes, which cost a
small fortune in Kenya, and an over-
seas manager and agent.
Long-inspired by Ethiopian Haile
Gebrselassie and Kenyan Paul Ter-
gats epic 10,000m duel at the 2000
Sydney Olympics, Kimetto threw
himself into the group training regi-
men that -- when coupled with their
unique physiology puts Kenyas
runners on a level above the rest.
Living in humble dormitories,
eating simple food Kimetto recom-
mends plenty of fruit, vegetables,
fermented milk and ugali, the lo-
cal maize-our mash and running
huge training volumes of close to 250
kilometres (160 miles) a week, his
talent soon became evident.
His rst major win came in Nai-
robis Half Marathon in 2011, and
he went on to nish second behind
mentor Mutai in the Berlin Mara-
thon in 2012 his 2:04.16 was the
fastest debut in history.
Kimettos performance was also
notable because he represented a
new breed of Kenyan road racers
who one coach has described as
turbo diesels -- who have no track
pedigree, modest top-end speed yet
have the speed endurance to excel on
the roads.
In 2013 he won the Tokyo Mara-
thon, setting a course record of
2:06.50, and then the 2013 Chicago
Marathon, where he set another
course record of 2:03.45.
On the fast-and-at Berlin course,
he raised the bar even higher, taking
26 seconds of the marathon world
record of his neighbour and training
partner Wilson Kipsang.
His 2:02.57 also made him the
rst man to break the 2:03 barrier,
and has again prompted fresh debate
over whether a sub-two hour mara-
thon may one day be possible.
I didnt expect to run a new
world record when we started the
race. But at the 21km mark I realised
it was possible, he said.
The race netted him US$154,000,
not including appearance fees or bo-
nuses from sponsors. He is also well-
placed to win the World Marathon
Majors title for 2013-2014, which
would earn him another $500,000.
His winnings, he said, will be
ploughed back into school and col-
lege fees for young family members,
and support for his community and
training group all keeping with the
runners tradition of Harambee, or
pulling together.
Kimetto only smiled when asked
about breaking the two-hour bar-
rier, but said he thinks he can still go
faster.
Im going to run harder. Im go-
ing to run faster. AFP
Rags to riches runner
says he can go faster
Dennis Kimetto crosses the finish line to win the Berlin Marathon September
28. Photo: AFP
NAIROBI
IN BRIEF
LONDON
Park named Man United
ambassador
Former South Korea captain Park
Ji-sung has been appointed as an
ambassador by his former club
Manchester United, the Premier
League giants announced on
October 2.
Park, now 33, played for United for
seven years, winning four Premier
League titles, three League Cups,
one Champions League title and one
Club World Cup, making him the
most decorated Asian footballer in
history.
He joins United greats such as
Bobby Charlton and Alex Ferguson
on the list of the clubs ambassadors
and will make an appearance at Old
Trafford before their league game
against Everton on October 5.
WASHINGTON
Phelps red-eyed, slurring at DUI
arrest: report
Olympic swimming superstar Michael
Phelps had bloodshot eyes and
mush mouth diction when he was
pulled over and arrested for drunk
driving, according to police documents
obtained by The Baltimore Sun on
October 1.
Phelps was arrested September 30
in his home state of Maryland, and the
documents detail the probable cause
for his arrest as reported by the ofcer
on the scene.
That included a breathalyzer test
showing a blood-alcohol level of .14
well above Marylands legal limit of .08.
YANGON
Myanmar, Thai boxers set to square
off in Yangon
Myanmar traditional boxers will
take on Thai challengers at Thai
Theinphyu indoor stadium in Yangon
on October 12.The card will include
ve professional bouts and six junior
ghts.
Golden Belt Champion Soe Lin Oo
will take on Thailands Petsanguan.
Fellow Golden Belt Champion Thetti
Aung will face Thitipetch.
We wanted to include junior boxers.
They will get a chance to take part in
an international match, said Ko Aye
Thein, managing director of Doe Yoe
Yar traditional boxing club.
Kyaw Zin Hlaing

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