April 30 - May 6, 2012

myanmartimes
Myanmars first international weekly Volume 32, No. 624 1200 Kyats

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End of the road for Yangons clunkers

Old vehicles surrendered in exchange for an import permit under a car substitution program launched in September 2011 sit on a scrap heap at No 3 Steel Mill in Insein townships Ywarma ward last week. More than 46,000 'overage' vehicles had been submitted nationally to the end of March, according to Directorate of Transport Administration figures. Pic: Kaung Htet

Hluttaw oath standoff continues

Representatives in Nay Pyi Taw urge fast resolution to dispute that has overshadowed hluttaw resumption
By Soe Than Lynn in Nay Pyi Taw THE absence of the National League for Democracy representatives overshadowed events in parliament last week, with representatives telling The Myanmar Times that they wanted to see the dispute over the parliamentary oath resolved as soon as possible. While most stopped short of criticising the NLDs stance, they said the partys representatives would be better placed to amend the oath by first taking their seats in parliament. Rumours drifted around Nay Pyi Taw all week that a breakthrough was imminent and the NLD would soon enter parliament but no resolution had been reached by deadline. Representatives said they expected the third session to conclude on May 3 or 4, which would leave open the possibility of the NLD making its parliamentary debut this week. The NLD had been expected to attend the hluttaw when the third session resumed on April 23 but less than a week before the restart, the party announced its 41 newly elected representatives would not take their seats until the wording of the parliamentary oath was changed to make it consistent with the amended Political Parties Registration Law. The party argued that taking the oath, which requires its representatives to uphold or defend rather than abide by or respect the constitution, could hinder its program to amend the constitution in the future. But Daw Nan Wah Nu, the Pyithu Hluttaw representative for Konhein, told The Myanmar Times the NLDs presence was needed to strengthen the hand of opposition representatives. Previously we heard that Aunty Suu and her party would attend the hluttaw. All of us welcomed this. We can definitely make much more progress in amending laws with their strength and organisational skills so we would like them to enter hluttaw politics instead of staying outside, the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party member said. What the NLD said is correct: that uphold and respect do not have the same meaning. But if they want to amend it, they should come to the hluttaw first. At present, the strength of democratic [parties] is less than one-third of the hluttaw. There are issues that we will be able to resolve with better outcomes [if] Aunty Suu and her party are present. More page 4

Dispute not a 'political issue': NLD leader

CONTINUING the week-long focus on semantics, the leader of the National League for Democracy insisted on April 26 that her partys demand to change the wording of the parliamentary oath was a technical rather than political issue. NLD representatives who won seats in national and regional legislatures on April 1 have refused to enter parliament until the oath is changed to conform to the Political Parties Registration Law. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said the NLD was trying to work with the government to change the wording of the oath from safeguard to respect. We would like to think that [this issue is] purely a technical one. We will not like to expand it to the point that it becomes a political issue. And we hope that others look upon it this way and not try to push it to the extent that it becomes a political deadlock, she said. More page 4

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Pyu cities in line for heritage list

UNESCO and Italian government to provide assistance for application that could see Pyu cities of Sri Ksetra, Beikthano and Hanlin become Myanmars first entries on World Heritage List
By Cherry Thein THREE ancient Pyu cities will be nominated for inclusion on the World Heritage List, archaeological experts decided at a workshop on safeguarding the countrys cultural heritage held earlier this month. The April 4-6 capacity building workshop, which was jointly organised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the Ministry of Information and Culture, brought together a range of experts, who discussed plans for safeguarding the sites and preparations for undertaking the heritage listing process. Sri Ksetra in Bago Regions Pyay township, Hanlin in Sagaing Regions Shwebo township and Beikthano in Magwe Regions Taungdwingyi township were selected for nomination on the list, said U San Win, chairman of a committee tasked with preparing the nominations. He said nominating the sites was one of three priorities under a new project that runs until 2013. Other objectives include the conservation and management of archaeological sites and establishment of cultural heritage information management systems. We have launched a project with technical contribution from UNESCO and financial support from the Italian government, U San Win said. The project will allow UNESCO to mobilise international expertise to assist Myanmar in strengthening its ability to safeguard its cultural heritage in accordance with standards set by the World Heritage Convention, he said. From May, UNESCO will conduct three training courses on technical conservation that will be delivered through on-site demonstration of restoration activities. We will try to complete activities and trainings within the project period but we cant fix the date because it is hard to work during the monsoon, he said. Mr Tim Curtis, chief of the

Canada lifts most of its sanctions, applauds reformers

OTTAWA Canada last week lifted most sanctions against Myanmar, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird announced, saying that the nation had changed course in a major way. The move by Canada on April 24 came one day after the suspension by the European Union of most sanctions against Myanmar. Effective immediately, Canada is suspending our sanctions on Burma, Mr Baird said. Prohibitions on imports, exports and investment have for the most part been removed, as well as individual sanctions, he said. But a Canadian arms embargo against the country was left intact. Suspension of the sanctions is intended to bolster sweeping reforms in the one-time pariah nation. The measures were imposed on Myanmar starting in 1988 to try to encourage the government to change course, and theyve changed course in a major way, Mr Baird said. Given that the government has taken such significant reforms, were prepared to give them a shot, he said. Mr Baird pointed to a very real pace and scope of changes taking place in Burma. He said this progress included the release of political prisoners, a by-election seemingly free of intimidation or violence, and Daw Aung San Suu Kyis election victory that happened largely without problems. We want to see reforms continue, he said. As well, he encouraged people sitting on the fence to join the camp for reform. But Mr Baird added that Canada would not hesitate to re-impose sanctions if Myanmar backslides. Were very hopeful and optimistic, at the same time were not naive, well be watching, very, very closely, along with the international community, as events unfold in the still army-dominated nation, he said. AFP

A carving of a Buddha image at a temple in the Pyu city of Sri Ksetra in Bago Region. Pic: Douglas Long Culture Unit at UNESCO Bangkok said the project aimed to develop the knowledge of preservation and management techniques of government staff at the three Pyu sites. First [priority is] building capacity in managing and conserving heritage sites and this component will ensure that the highest standards of conservation and management will be shared and applied, Mr Curtis said. Field activities will be carried out at two main sites, the ancient Pyu settlement [of Sri Ksetra] and Bagan. Training at Bagan will focus on mural and stucco conservation, while training at the Pyu cities will focus on architectural and archaeological conservation, he said. He said the project would also focus on the development of geographic information systems in order to collate existing data and identify key physical attributes that will help to better understand the scope and significance of the sites. The information database will also help users and decision makers from various concerned agencies to better protect the sites, he said Mr Curtis said international and national experts would cooperate closely with the government to undertake the research and analysis required for the Pyu cities to be considered Tentative List sites deemed of high priority. He said UNESCO was delighted to once again be working closely with Myanmar after a decade-long gap. Deputy Minister of Culture Daw Sandar Khin said at the opening ceremony of the workshop that she appreciated the technical and financial contributions from foreign donors. However, she reiterated that Myanmar must take an active role in preservation. I feel thankful to both contributors for safeguarding our cultural heritage, she said. Unless we cherish [the] value [of our heritage sites], it is impossible to preserve them. It is very important to cherish and protect them. Myanmar ratified the World Heritage Convention in April 1994. While it has no sites on UNESCOs World Heritage List, in 1996 Myanmar submitted a tentative list of eight cultural sites with technical support from UNESCO. Minister for Information and Culture U Kyaw Hsan said the government planned to register Bagan and Mrauk-U after the Pyu cities had been included.

Trade Mark CauTion

NOTICE is hereby given that renauLT s.a.s. a company organized under the laws of France and having its principal office at 13-15 quai Alphonse Le Gallo, F-92100 Boulogne-Billancourt is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trademark:-

(reg: nos. iV/356/2009 & iV/2812/2012) in respect of:- Motor vehicles and parts thereof Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. U Kyi Win Associates for renauLT s.a.s. P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 30th April, 2012

RENAULT

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A Pyithu Hluttaw representative leaves the chamber after attending the third regular session in Nay Pyi Taw on April 23. Pic: AFP

April 30 - May 6, 2012

UN leader to meet the president, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

UNITED NATIONS UN leader Ban Ki-moon on April 23 called for a harmonious deal allowing Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to take an oath and enter parliament, ahead of his visit this week. Mr Ban was expected to arrive in Yangon on April 29 to meet with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for the first time as well as President U Thein Sein. Mr Ban told reporters Myanmars transition has reached a critical moment.

Entering parliament up to NLD: U Thein Sein

TOKYO President U Thein Sein said last week that Daw Aung San Suu Kyis decision on whether to take her seat in parliament rested with her, media in Japan reported amid a spat over a loyalty oath. U Thein Sein told reporters in Tokyo on April 23 that the Nobel Peace Prize winner would be welcomed into the chamber but that taking the seat she won earlier this month was up to her. Ms Suu Kyi needs to decide whether she wants to enter parliament or not, U Thein Sein said, when asked in a group interview in Tokyo about the possibility of revising the wording of a contentious oath, Kyodo reported. Myanmars parliament is all in favour of her entrance and very much welcoming her. The National League for Democracy has refused to swear to safeguard the army-written constitution. The president, who was on a five day visit to Japan that ended April 24, also affirmed that the process of democratisation in the country would not be reversed. There wont be any U-turn, U Thein Sein said. We would like to cooperate [with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi] by heading in the same direction, in the interest of the people, the Mainichi Shimbun reported. U Thein Sein also left open the door for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to enter government, but said she had to decide where her priorities lay. Noting that the constitution does not allow lawmakers to become members of the cabinet, he said: Suu Kyi has to make her own decision. Suu Kyi should work for the people, rather than her own party, Jiji press cited him as saying. Asked about any change to the constitution, the president said: It will be decided by the wishes of the people, the opinions of the people. U Thein Seins comments, on a visit to Japan that has seen Tokyo promise to forgive US$3.7 billion of debt and restart aid programs, were his first since the NLD threatened to boycott the resumption of parliament on April 23. AFP

is Nowfor the time the international community to stand together at Myanmars side.

Despite concerns, NLD stands by oath refusal

By Yadana Htun and Sandar Lwin THE National League for Democracy last week stood by its refusal to enter parliament until the oath for representatives has been amended, despite growing calls for a resolution to the deadlock. U Ohn Kyaing, a spokesperson for the party and representative for Maha Aung Myay, reiterated that MPs, including leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, would attend parliament only after the NLDs demand had been met. Earlier, another NLD spokesperson, U Nyan Win, said the party had sent two letters concerning the oath issue to the presidents office, constitutional tribunal and Amyotha and Pyithu Hluttaws. We cant say exactly when it will be solved. Its not something that we can do alone. Everyone has to cooperate. We are trying so that this does not become a political crisis, U Nyan Win said. According to section 125 of the 2008 constitution, new representatives have to read the oath in schedule 4, which swears them to safeguard or protect the constitution. This contradicts the amended Political Parties Registration Law, which requires parties to abide by or respect the constitution. Pyithu Hluttaw Legal Affairs and Special Cases Committee member U Than Maung (Sittway) said at a committee meeting last week that the oath could only be changed through submission of a bill to the parliament. The oath is in the constitution. If you want to change something from [the constitution], the way in which to do it is stated in chapter 12. It doesnt say that specific sections can be changed and others not. You can change anything by following its instructions, U Than Maung told reporters on April 24. However, representatives said they believed the party should work to amend the oath by first entering parliament. They will get the opportunity to change the constitution when they are in the parliament, said U Thein Nyunt, a former NLD member who now chairs the New National Democracy Party and represents Thingangyun. Rather than facing difficulties because of the oath, the NLD should work for the people who voted for them. Analyst Aung Thu Nyein, of the Thailand-based Vahu Development Institute, told AFP that the NLD had made the wrong move in making a stand over the oath. I think the NLD should participate in the parliament and then they should propose comprehensive political and economic reform strategies, he said. Some also expressed concerns that the dispute could escalate and threaten the countrys political stability. Writer and journalist Maung Wuntha said he expected NLD and the government to reach an agreement but he was worried about a repeat of 1990, when the NLD won a landslide but was later frozen out of the political process. As the oath is in the constitution it needs to be changed according to the procedure for amending the constitution. Its not possible to change it based on the order of a single person, he said. For the sake of people, it will be best if this problem doesnt become bigger and that an agreement is reached.

Now is the time for the international community to stand together at Myanmars side, he added, hailing landmark byelections on April 1. But this fresh start is fragile. The UN secretarygeneral welcomed moves by the European Union and United States to suspend sanctions and said he would discuss ways the United Nations could help the country. They deserve our full support, he said. Asked about a dispute between Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the president over taking the oath of office, Ban said: I sincerely hope they are able to find a mutually harmonious way to have smooth proceedings of the parliament. The dispute is the first sign of tension with the government since the democracy icons electoral victory. AFP

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Stability of the State, community peace and tranquillity, prevalence of law and order Strengthening of national solidarity Building and strengthening of disciplineflourishing democracy system Building of a new modern developed nation in accord with the Constitution

Four political objectives

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

Four economic objectives

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

Four social objectives

Fire-hit market to be rebuilt within two months

By Htoo Aung ALL 893 stalls destroyed in a fire at a market in South Okkalapa township on April 10 will be rebuilt at no cost to their owners, an official said last week. An unattended mosquito coil is thought to have started the fire at Hay Ma Wun Market in South Okkalapas ward 10, with security guards apparently lighting the coil to ensure a mosquito-free sleep. The blaze was the third to have occurred at the market, according to the Yangon Region Fire Services Department, and caused estimated damage of K61.3 million. Hay Ma Wun Market official U Khin Maung Win told The Myanmar Times last week that all of the stalls would be rebuilt From page 1 stalls would be rebuilt first because they were previously of a standard size, while the other stalls mostly selling stationery, plastic goods and textiles were of varying sizes. He said the stalls would be rebuilt as 5 feet by 6 feet. Aunt Pyone, owner of Aunty Pyone garment shop, said she lost goods valued at K10 million in the fire. She blamed the fire on the security contractor and said the guards hired were not up to standard. The contractor told us they would hire 15 security guards but only five were ever hired, she said. Cosmetic store owner Ma Nge Nge Kyaw said it was the second time her stalls at the market had been burnt. I lost 20 stalls, Ive been selling cosmetics here for years. In the 2001 fire, I lost all five of my stalls.

Fire brigade members stand in front of the flames at Hay Ma Wun Market in South Okkalapa township on April 10. Pic: Kaung Htet within two months. The owners of the stalls that were burnt will not have to pay any fees or taxes, he said. In the meantime, about 70 of the shop owners will be able to rent vacant stalls elsewhere in the market, which has 1950 altogether. U Kin Maung Win said gold

Reps urge resolution

As with other sections of the constitution, the oath can only be amended with a 75 percent majority vote, while 20pc of representatives must be in favour of a change for it to go to a debate and vote. That means the NLD would need the backing of the Union Solidarity and Development Party the party it trounced in the by-elections and at least a handful of military representatives to change the oath. But USDP general secretary U Htay Oo said he saw little need to support the amendment. Are representatives functions affected, hurt or hampered if the wording of the oath is not amended? If so, it will be [amended]. If not, are they [NLD representatives] going to be preoccupied with this issue without doing other things that are more pressing? This is how I see it, he said. By contesting the election, were they only trying to amend the wording [of the oath] or to engage in hluttaw politics? Theres no way they didnt know about the wording [before the by-election]. It is not hidden. If the wording has to be amended, will all the representatives who are already in the hluttaw have to take oath again? Because [small number of] representatives want to change the oath, will hundreds of representatives have to change it? The bottom line is that they [NLD representatives] should enter politics in the hluttaw. Representatives across the political spectrum expressed frustration at the timing of the NLDs demand and its apparent reticence to compromise. Only the hluttaw can amend that wording. It would be better if the NLD enter hluttaw first and it would have been even better if they had noticed the wording and demanded it to changed before

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the by-elections, said U Ye Tun, the Shan Nationalities Democratic Partys Pyithu Hluttaw representative for Hsipaw. Getting into politics entails patience, tolerance and an ability to lead the public without taking unnecessary risks. Only then can one be regarded as the true leader. So they [NLD representatives] will have to come to the hluttaw first and then proceed [with their agenda] with great patience. U Thein Nyunt, a former NLD legal adviser who won a seat with the NLD in the 1990 election, said the party needed to show more respect for those who voted for its representatives on April 1. Today we discussed about fixing the judiciary and if they [NLD representatives] were here, there would have been a more lively debate. If they put off entering the hluttaw despite being allowed, it amounts to neglecting the publics desire. We have to do things according to the mandate given by the public, the Pyithu Hluttaw representatives for Thingangyun said. U Thein Nyunt also questioned the partys decision-making process over the issue. Its a matter that should be figured out prior to running for election instead of talking at the last minute before going to the hluttaw. They should have read the constitution and hluttaw laws and by-laws didnt the NLDs legal advisers learn the law thoroughly? Or is this being done for political reasons? I have no idea, he said. Why dont they come to the hluttaw even after being elected? In 1990 when they won the election no hluttaw was convened and there was no constitution so we remained MPs-elect for 20 years. We should take this as a lesson. While the partys new representatives have refused to take the oath, Amyotha

Hluttaw representative Dr Myat Nyarna Soe, who jumped ship from the National Democratic Force to the NLD after it decided to re-register, has retained his place in parliament. I have the guidance of the chairman and the central executive committee of NLD, he said. I am allowed to continue to attend hluttaw sessions because I took oath. NLD instructed me to continue hluttaw politics. Asked his opinion of NLD chair Daw Aung San Suu Kyis stance on the issue, he said: People like our leader Aunty Suu want to use firm wording and she should not be blamed for that she follows in her fathers footsteps. I am a member of the Amyotha Hluttaw Bill Committee so my line of thinking is that laws should be consistent so this issue can be resolved if the remaining laws are amended to match the Political Parties Registration Law. Now the country is going the democratic way so its not always going to be a bed of roses there will be many conflicts like this for sure. But all sides have a duty to overcome them. While the NLD representatives baulked at taking the oath, there were no such problems for U Sai San Min, who narrowly won Shan State Amyotha Hluttaw Constituency 3 on April 1. The SNDP representative told The Myanmar Times shortly after taking the oath that he was pleased that as a public representative I can now do things in the public interest, before adding: But I would be happier if my political colleagues from NLD were here too. Translated by Thit Lwin

Political issue
Because of the dispute, the 41 NLD representatives who won constituencies in the two

national legislatures were unable to take their seats when parliament resumed on April 23. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who was speaking to reporters after meeting Italian Foreign Minister Mr Giulio Terzi di SantAgata at her residence, said she had confidence that President U Thein Sein and the party could solve the problem smoothly. We believe that President U Thein Sein is sincere. He will truly like to see Myanmar as a progressive and prosperous nation. Because of that we [NLD] will increase efforts to collaborate with the president in the democratisation works of this country, she said. We hope that the present problem will be smoothed over without too much difficulty before too long. And that we will be able to serve our country, not just outside parliament as we have been doing for the last 20 odd years, but also from within the national assembly. The president and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi have met two times since the government took office on March 30, 2011. The first meeting eventually led to the partys decision to contest the April 1 by-elections. However, during a visit to Japan last week the president said changing the constitution was the responsibility of the parliament rather than the government. Changes require a 75 percent majority and, in some cases, a national referendum. The NLD leader played down the likelihood of confrontation with appointed military MPs in parliament when her party eventually takes its place. I wont think of this as confrontation. I will think of it as opportunity to get on closer terms with the military. I hope that through closer cooperation, we will learn to understand one another better. And that we will be able to get the benefit for our own country. Yadana Htun

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EU halts sanctions but little relief for exporters

By Zaw Win Than BUSINESS leaders have welcomed the European Unions decision to suspend sanctions but urged the reinstatement of trade preferences to assist the countrys job-creating export industries. The EUs Foreign Affairs Council announced the widely anticipated suspension at a meeting in Luxembourg on April 23, saying the move was intended to encourage the reform process. Only an arms embargo will remain in place. The blocs High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton said in a statement that the Foreign Affairs Council took a decision to open a new chapter in our relations. The council welcomed the truly remarkable changes we have seen in the country in recent months, including the by-elections, the release of some of the political prisoners and efforts that are being made for national reconciliation, she said. While the council also supports reinstating the Generalised System of Preferences, which would reduce tariffs on Myanmars exports to the EU, as soon as possible, it could only do so following an assessment by the International Labour Organisation, she said. U Aung Lwin, a vice president of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI), told The Myanmar Time last week that the sanctions suspension was a very positive step for encouraging economic development in Myanmar. As a primary move the EU suspended sanctions on Myanmar but after the assessment of the ILO they may [reintroduce] GSP for Myanmar. The suspension of sanctions is a very positive EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton talks to the press in Luxembourg on April 23. Pic: AFP million euros (about US$200 million), half of which is new money. Over the course of the next few months well see about 100 million euros ($133 million) available for health, for education, alleviation of poverty, support for civil society and so on, she said. We will continue to support the democratic transition, including through electoral assistance and we are encouraging trade and investment in the country. British Prime Minister David Cameron said in a statement that it was right for the world to respond to positive changes in Myanmar. President Thein Sein has taken important steps towards reform in Burma, he said, according to AFP. But those changes are not yet irreversible, which is why it is right to suspend rather than lift sanctions for good. While sanctions could be reinstated in one year, Derek Tonkin, chairman of the nonprofit Network Myanmar, said it was unlikely. To reinstate EU sanctions would require the unanimous consent of all 27 EU members, he said in a statement. Without the support of all EU members, sanctions would remain suspended. He also said the Foreign Affairs Council had dodged the GSP issue in its statement. The withdrawal of GSP primarily affected export sectors like garments and seafood from private, non-crony enterprises where there is no forced labour and for that reason withdrawal should not have been imposed in the first place.

US reiterates concerns over ethnic violence

WASHINGTON The United States last week ruled out an immediate end to its main sanctions on Myanmar, saying it wanted to preserve leverage to push the government on ending ethnic violence and other key issues. The European Union and Canada suspended most sanctions and Japan waived Myanmars debt as rewards after a dramatic year of reforms in which President U Thein Sein freed political prisoners and reached out to opponents. President Barack Obamas administration has taken a lead in negotiating with Myanmar and has eased some restrictions, including ending a ban on financial transactions by US non-governmental organisations. But Kurt Campbell, a key architect of the US outreach to Myanmar, told cautious lawmakers on April 25 that the administration had no gauzy gaze and rose-colored glasses and would only ease sanctions in certain prescribed areas. I would simply say that there is no intention to lift sanctions, Mr Campbell, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian affairs, told the House Foreign Affairs Committee. We recognise very clearly that there have to be provisions and capabilities to be able to respond if there is a reversal or a stalling out [of reforms], that leverage is an essential component of our strategy, he said. Mr Campbell hailed actions taken by U Thein Sein, including the decision to hold April 1 by-elections that saw Daw Aung San Suu Kyi win a seat in parliament. But Mr Campbell said reforms have mostly impacted urban and Burman-majority areas and have not been felt by ethnic minorities. We need to ensure that that process extends into the country as a whole and we are troubled by very clear and we believe reliable reports of continuing attacks and atrocities that are completely antithetical to the overall effort that were seeking to achieve, he said. Mr Campbell also warned Myanmar to sever any lingering relationship with North Korea, warning

step for future economic development in Myanmar, U Aung Lwin said. He said European companies interested in investing in Myanmar would face stiff competition from their counterparts from Japan, China, Vietnam, South Korea and Thailand. We are very busy with business delegations from different countries. They are interested in almost every sector, he said. U Myint Soe, chairman of Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association, said the suspension of EU sanctions would have a huge impact on economic development once the GSP suspension was lifted. After the GSP suspension is lifted we will have more business opportunities in Myanmar, he said. Economist Dr Maung Aung said the move would open up another export market to Myanmar businesses and encourage greater investment from European firms, even in sectors that have not been subject to EU sanctions. Before we exported our products mainly to regional countries but the suspension of the EU sanctions will open up Myanmars export products, such as forestry and gems, to European countries. It means we now have new markets to export these products, he said.

The EU sanctions on Myanmar blocked the investment opportunities the suspension of sanctions will also attract more investors from EU countries to Myanmar. Ms Ashton, who was due to visit Myanmar from April 28 to 30, said the EU wanted to see the government take further steps, including the release of remaining political prisoners and the removal of all restrictions placed on those already released. The council also raised concerns about ongoing conflict with armed ethnic groups, access to Kachin State for humanitarian organisations and the status and welfare of the Rohingya group. Of course reforms in that country need to continue we need to see further progress, in particular the unconditional release of all political prisoners and efforts to end ethnic conflicts, Ms Ashton said in the statement. She said the EU had announced a significant increase in funding for Myanmar targeting economic and social development, democratic transformation and the strengthening of civil society and government capacity. We are ready to assist with these efforts as well as with economic and social development. We have 150

recognised We clearly that very there have to be provisions ... to respond if there is a reversal [of reforms].

that any signs of military cooperation will put a brake on US engagement. I cant say it any more directly that countries are judged by the company they keep, he said. The US maintains strict sanctions against exports from Myanmar, including gems, lumber and other lucrative products seen as sources of funding for the military. Representative Don Manzullo, a Republican who heads the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on East Asia, questioned whether our European and Asian allies have gone too far by rushing head-long into suspending all sanctions and immediately boosting assistance. AFP

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MyanMar tiMes April 30 - May 6, 2012

WHO hopeful drugresistant malaria can be contained

BANGKOK The World Health Organisation said last week it was optimistic drugresistant malaria that has emerged along Thailands borders with Cambodia and Myanmar could be contained within the region. Malaria that was resistant to the commonly used anti-malarial artemisinin emerged on the Thailand-Cambodia border eight years ago, and has since also been discovered along the Thailand-Myanmar border, scientists say. This emerged around eight years ago, and so far we havent found any artemisinin resistance outside the Mekong region, WHO expert Pascal Ringwald told reporters in Bangkok on April 24, noting containment efforts were also in place. I think we have good chances to keep it in the Mekong region, he added. But he also said the drug resistance on the two Thai borders appeared to be totally independent, and it raises a concern that it could emerge anywhere. A pair of studies published in The Lancet and the journal Science earlier this month of 3202 patients along the northwestern border of Thailand near Myanmar from 2001 and 2010 indicated a steady increase in drug resistance. Resistance to artemisinin does not prevent patients being cured thanks to partner drugs, but treatment typically takes a few days instead of 24 hours, said Ringwald. Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted through the bites of infected mosquitoes. AFP

Environment law deterrents not strong enough: activists

By Ei Ei Toe Lwin FINES and jail terms specified in a new law designed to safeguard the countrys natural environment may not be strong enough to deter foreign and local businesses, environmentalists have warned. They have also reiterated that the Environmental Law, promulgated on April 1, must be properly implemented in order to be effective. While individuals who violate the law face a jail term of up to five years, fines range from just K100,000 to K2 million (about US$2500). I think the fine does not match the offence. The Environmental Law was designed to deal with large projects implemented by local and foreign investors. However, this fine amount is nothing compared to the size of the investment, said Daw Davi Thant Sin, an environmental activist and chief editor and publisher of monthly magazine Aungpinlae. All [environmental activists] agree that this law needs to enforced practically. This law is meaningless without enforcement, she said. U Soe Nyunt, chairman of Myanmar Birds and Nature Society (MBNS), also expressed concern over how the law would be enforced. He said the law was not perfect and activists planned to lobby parliament and the government for amendments. We welcome the environmental law; it is certainly better than nothing. But there are also weak points we need to add additional points gradually, U Soe Nyunt said. The most important is that government staff and public obey the law. Law enforcement is weak in Myanmar so civil society organisations should monitor government staff and the public to ensure they are complying. [Myanmar Bird and Nature Society] will participate in [an informal] monitoring system and we will speak out truthfully about what we find, he added. Also important are the by-laws and other rules and regulations that determine how the law operates, said U Ohn of the Forest Resource and Environmental Development Association. I am optimistic about the law although there are some weak points. I agree that punishment is weak. We need to change some points in the law later, he said. The Environmental Law contains 14 chapters that define the rights and responsibilities of the Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry, environmental standards, environmental conservation, management in urban areas, conservation of natural and cultural resources, process for businesses to apply for permission to engage in an enterprise that has the potential to damage the environment, prohibitions, offences and punishments. The new law is a revised version of an earlier draft that was written by the the Ministry of Forestry, the precursor to the Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry, from 1998 to 2000 in cooperation with other government departments. The draft was never promulgated by the State Peace and Development Council. An official from the Natural Resource and Environmental Conservation Committee, a parliamentary committee established in September 2011, said the law had some weaknesses because it was rushed through parliament and was mostly based on the earlier draft. He said amendments would be made based on the suggestions of environmental specialists and other experts. We are not 100 percent satisfied with the promulgated law. Representatives from the two hluttaws discussed [the law] and tried to promulgate it as soon as possible because of the situation in Myanmar, said committee secretary U Thein Lwin. We will identify where the weaknesses are and then we will amend the law so that it reaches international standards.

Depression expected to bring cooler weather

By Aye Sapay Phyu A WEATHER depression in the Bay of Bengal is expected to bring relief from the intense heat of the past few weeks, meteorologists said last week. The Department of Meteorology and Hydrology forecast for the final 10 days of April stated that a low pressure system could form over the southern section of the bay and is likely to intensify into a depression. This was confirmed by Dr Tun Lwin, a former director general of the department, who posted on his website on April 23 that unstable weather conditions in the southwest Bay of Bengal were expected to cause a depression to form near the eastern coast of India on April 28 to 29. He said cumulonimbus cloud would bring rain and lower temperatures, particularly in central Myanmar. The forecast comes after temperatures soared in many parts of the country, which the DMH said resulted in a new record high being set in Magwe Regions Chauk. The mercury hit 46.1 Celsius (115 Fahrenheit) at Chauk on April 17, beating the old April record of 45.9C set in 2008. It is unclear whether the depression could form into a storm but most storms that cross the Myanmar coast occur in the pre-monsoon period of April and May and post-monsoon season from October to December.

CommeNt
April 30 - May 6, 2012
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A time for informed decision making

By Ramesh Shrestha MYANMARS political landscape is changing. The speed of change is debatable; for some it is too fast, while for others it is too slow and nothing has changed on the ground. I believe that as long as commitments to reforms are followed through on a continual basis, speed of change should not matter so much. The challenge for Myanmar is not the speed of change but the types of changes that are introduced. While reforms are introduced to bring democracy, how can Myanmar maintain its cultural and traditional characteristics and social values? Will the unique cultures of its many ethnic groups be preserved? How can Myanmar make sure that its cities do not become run-of-the-mill Southeast Asian metropolises? It is one year since a new chapter began in the contemporary history of Myanmar with the transition of power to a mostly civilian government consisting of many ex-military officials. It was seen as a farce by almost everyone inside and outside the country. But the sweeping political reforms introduced by this new government caught everyone by surprise. It is clear that the seven-step Roadmap to Democracy was implemented as planned. The new government is firmly committed to addressing the shortcomings in governance and administration of the former military regime. Myanmar is gradually facing up to its development challenges. There is still scepticism in some quarters and this is unlikely to disappear any time soon. But it is time for the international community to move on and accept the fact that changes taking place in Myanmar are real. This must be taken at face value. Over the past few decades the world has seen a massive shift in international development policy. The neoliberal concept of democracy, individual freedom and a free market economy have been marketed globally as an interlinked commodity without which mankind could not survive. China, which was treated as a pariah state and is still criticised for its Communist political system, is now the biggest international lender and holds shares in almost all major multinational companies. Malaysia and Singapore have also flourished with a governance system that is distinctly different from the Western concept of democracy. Vietnam is yet another case where a country has defied some widely held democratic principles but still made economic progress. As Myanmar opens its doors to the international community especially for political dialogue, trade and commerce there is a need to take rational and not emotional decisions to entice investors. As we have discovered in recent years, democracy promoted as a package with free trade and a market economy has simply promoted individualism, inequity, and an economic survival of the fittest. The problems of Greece, Ireland and Iceland are glaring examples of the failures of modern-day economies tied to free trade and democracy. For Myanmar, as a newcomer to the democratic stage, there are many examples from which it could learn and avoid becoming subservient to the preachers of democracy and neo liberal free market economists, a fate that many have succumbed to. Myanmar has always been a recipient of low levels of official development assistance. Despite six decades of neglect by the international community, Myanmars infrastructure and social indicators, while not without problems, still compare favourably to countries with similar economies in Asia and Africa where billions of dollars have been invested. Now that Myanmar has embarked into political and economic reforms, greater development efforts are bound to appear. Myanmar's leadership must make sure that the negative impacts of these programs are mitigated and minimised to the largest extent possible by putting in place strict regulatory mechanisms. It might put off some foreign governments and activist groups, but that is the price Myanmar has to pay. The neo liberal economist recommends excess choice in the name of freedom to choose but this only encourages excess consumerism, widens social division and relies upon linear growth (which is impossible) without consideration for the spread of wealth. Myanmar has great potential to grow on its own as it has abundant natural resources for which there are competing buyers. There are many companies that will soon be on Myanmars doorstep to sell their products. Myanmar needs technical know-how and high-tech products to develop its industries and benefit its population. Myanmar should not fall into the trap of consumerism. P r o t e c t i o n o f indigenous companies and the environment is unfortunately not part of the free trade model. Selling natural resources and in return importing finished product would be suicidal for Myanmar. As Myanmar liberalises its economy, the focus must be on job creation and fair trade. This job creation must aim at medium to high end products for both local and export markets and not exploitative jobs for teenagers to languish in sweatshops. With labour costs climbing in China, Myanmar would easily be the next target for cheap labour but this is something Myanmar must try and avoid. The first step for Myanmar should be to create a legislative environment that protects its natural resources, people and investors on equal terms. Myanmar still has time to take control of the situation and make a balanced decision. This may be difficult because many will want to make a quick buck, including those local business owners who plan to partner with external companies. The government is sure to be criticised as going back to its old habits. This is the criticism that the government will have to live with in order to build its economy and protect its citizens in order to achieve long term benefits. Actions taken now will protect Myanmar from long term negative consequences for generations to come. In developing countries, the development of private companies and civil society organisations is seen as a cure-all. Civil society organisations are certainly important as they complement the efforts

Pic: Kaung Htet A mother and her child sit on the pavement near Sule Pagoda in downtown Yangon. of the government but providing basic services to the public is primarily the governments responsibility, especially when it comes to health and education. Myanmar needs to fix some basic issues as an urgent priority. There is a wide gap in transition from primary to secondary to higher education. Myanmar needs to prepare a human resources development plan that realistically complements the presidents stated vision for a knowledgebased society. The basic infrastructure exists for the primary education but massive investment is needed to improve the quality of secondary and tertiary education. Similar investment will be needed in the health sector. To develop and maintain democratic governance a strong and skilled middle class will be required, and it can only be built through high-quality education. Myanmars mosaic of 135 ethnic groups, each with their own traditional practices, cultures and languages, must be preserved. The recent past may not have created the best environment for collaboration and cooperation but there is little choice for Myanmar as a union. The recent ceasefires with some of the most heavily armed ethnic groups are encouraging. All ethnicbased leaderships must develop a political agenda that includes cooperation with the national and state governments. Thus far we have seen mostly a push for independence or autonomy to gain financial control in the areas under their jurisdiction. The current level of loose association based on local economic interest is no longer sufficient to build a union as declared in the constitution. There must be give and take from all parties concerned. There are also still many spoilers external and internal who are benefiting from a divided Myanmar. The blind support that these groups have received from the international community despite their lack of political will to settle the differences must come to an end. The promulgation of the new constitution with decentralised administration is a good step that will allow for the devolution of authority to clean and transparent governments at the region and state level. These local assemblies must exercise their authority in the interests of the nation and their constituents. However, the central government needs to ensure that income from natural resources is shared equitably with regional governments to fuel their development agendas. This kind of distribution of wealth is essential to encourage fairness and build trust. No government can fully meet the expectations of its people and Myanmar will be no exception. There will be high expectations, there will be external pressure to do more and there will be pressure to open up for trade and investment. All decisions must be rational and informed. Emotions and pressure should not get in the way of making the right choices. The government must take the time to bring about proper regulatory mechanisms and legislation before taking serious decisions on trade, investment and other national policies. An immediate national issue is energy. Myanmar needs a huge supply of energy to sustain industrialisation and economic growth for the millions of people whose homes are dark every evening when the sun goes down. Myanmar immediately needs a national energy policy to make sure that its hydropower potential is fully utilised both for domestic consumption and for export of excess power generated to neighbouring countries. This national policy need to make sure that proper environmental assessments are conducted and mitigation measures introduced. There should be a proper compensation plan for people who are likely to be displaced as a result of these projects. I believe that these issues are already in the minds of bureaucrats and technocrats, who are the custodians of Myanmars future. There will be opposition from environmentalists but we need to use our heads and not our hearts for some of these hard choices. The bottom line is that Myanmar has to move on but at its own pace and with the welfare of its 60 million people in mind. Short-term benefits should not be sought at the expense of long term economic gains and political stability. (Ramesh Shrestha is the representative of the United Nations Childrens Fund in Myanmar.)

Trade Mark CauTion

uHin HoLdinG PTe LTd, a Company incorporated in Singapore of 27 Kaki Bukit Place, Eunos Techpark, Singapore 416205, is the Owner of the following Trade Mark:-

reg. no. 602/2003 in respect of Furniture. Fraudulent imitation or unauthorised use of the said Trade Mark will be dealt with according to law. Win Mu Tin, M.A., H.G.P., D.B.L for uHin HoLdinG PTe LTd. P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 30th April, 2012

Japan to waive $3.7b in debts IMF chief lauds

Tokyo moves to cancel debts, restart loans as European Union suspends economic sanctions
TOKYO Japan will write off billions of dollars in debt owed by Myanmar and restart development loans, the leaders of the two countries said on April 21, in a further move to end the Southeast Asian nations isolation and strengthen its nascent democracy. The agreement to waive the 303.5-billionyen (US$3.72 billion) debt and overdue charges was reached during President U Thein Seins visit to Tokyo, the first by a Myanmar head of state in nearly three decades, signalling its steady return to the international fold after decades of military rule. In order to support Myanmars efforts for reforms in various areas towards its democratisation, national reconciliation and sustainable development, Japan will extend economic co-operation ... while continuously observing the progress of these efforts, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said in a statement. Myanmar, run by the military for five decades until a year ago, has undertaken a series of suspended and not lifted billion yen ($1.56 billion) but held off on the waiver r e f o r m s , a l l o w i n g t h e altogether. In our meeting, I citing human rights main opposition to run in parliamentary by-elections, w e l c o m e d M y a n m a r s conditions in Myanmar. releasing political prisoners v a r i o u s r e f o r m s t e p s Another 176.1 billion yen and easing restrictions on including the by-elections. ($2.16 billion) in overdue P r e s i d e n t U T h e i n charges will be waived after the press. U Thein Sein has stunned S e i n e x p r e s s e d s t r o n g monitoring the countrys critics with bold moves that commitment to continuation reform effort for one year. Japan also decided were unthinkable just a of democratisation, national year ago, prompting the reconciliation and economic to restart development loans to Myanmar to West to ease sanctions on reforms, Mr Noda said. U Thein Seins five-day help upgrade the nations a nation rich in untapped infrastructure. r e s o u r c e s Myanmar and seen as is planning to one of Asias This shows a new page has been establish special last frontier economic zones markets. in Thilawa, The European turned in Japan-Myanmar ties. south of Yangon, Union and Kyaukpyu, Canada last w e e k s u s p e n d e d m o s t visit to Tokyo was his first on the Bay of Bengal in sanctions but the United to a major industrialised western Rakhine State States on April 25 ruled power since reforms were and a $50-billion project to o u t a n i m m e d i a t e e n d introduced, though he has the south in Dawei, which to its main sanctions on already been to China, could become Southeast Asias biggest industrial Myanmar, saying it wanted India and Singapore. This shows a new page estate. to preserve leverage to Tokyo will reportedly push the regime on ending has been turned in Japanethnic violence and other Myanmar ties, he told help draw up a blueprint for the Thilawa Special reporters. key issues. Myanmar owes Japan Economic Zone, potentially B u t W e s t e r n governments are keen to a b o u t 5 0 0 - b i l l i o n y e n giving Japanese firms a legmaintain pressure on the [$6.13 billion] as a result of up over rivals in winning countrys quasi-civilian delayed repayment of past infrastructure projects for the area. government to keep up development loans. Japanese companies have A decade ago Japan democratic transition and say sanctions are being decided to forgive 127.4 long conducted business in Myanmar, but interest has grown since the reformminded government took office, particularly in its planned industrial zones. The limitations of Myanmars transport system could present logistical problems for investors planning to use the country as a manufacturing base. Railways cover only a handful of routes and many roads are in poor condition, even its new ones, while an estimated 75 percent of the country is without access to reliable electricity. U Thein Sein joined a sixway summit meeting earlier on April 21 with Mr Noda and top leaders from the Mekong region countries Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. Following the morning meeting, Mr Noda announced Japan will provide 600 billion yen ($7.35 billion) in official development aid to the Mekong region countries in three years from April 2013 to help improve their infrastructure and boost the areas economy. Reuters, AFP

TiMESbusiness

April 30 - May 6, 2012

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MyanMar tiMes

Myanmar currency reform

WASHINGTON IMF chief Christine Lagarde on April 21 praised Myanmars overhaul of its complex exchangerate system, the new governments most radical economic reform yet in a bid to lure investors. The International Monetary Fund has been working discreetly with the Myanmar monetary authorities, particularly on the recent currency reform, Ms Lagarde said at a news conference. Weve been working with the Central Bank of Myanmar on that very, very actively, she said in response to a reporters question. Its a tribute to them that they have made this change ... and that theyve been so successful. AFP

BusiNess
April 30 - May 6, 2012
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MyanMar tiMes

Job watch

Forex troubles for users continue

Floating currency fails to erase bottlenecks at foreign exchange counters
By Aung Kyi DAILY Central Bank of Myanmar currency auctions may have floated the kyat from April 1 but businesspeople and other foreign currency holders say the foreign exchange market is still deeply flawed. The Central Bank posts the results of the auctions participated in by 11 private banks on its website every day. On April 24 the Central Banks website stated that US$1 was selling for K821, compared with K814 offered at exchange counters run by private banks, which itself was slightly higher than the open market. The exchange counters were selling dollars for K828 on the same day. The April 1 float also abolished the former official rate of K6 to the dollar, which had been used by the government for decades. But foreign currency sellers say little has changed in their day-to-day interactions with the foreign exchange counters operated by the private banks. We are still finding limitations and difficulties in exchange US dollars for kyat at foreign currency exchange counters on Theinbyu Road, even though theres a daily exchange rate, said U Myo Naing, an overseas worker who recently returned to Myanmar. I had to go to six exchange counters run by different private banks to sell $1000, said U Myo Naing. U Soe Myint, an employee of a domestic NGO, said he visited a number of exchange counters on April 10 but only two Myanmar Oriental Bank and Innwa Bank were willing to accept Foreign Exchange Certificates (FEC). from each customer. The counters also buy and sell euros, Singapore dollars and other currencies, although US dollars, FEC and kyat are the dominant currencies. On April 10, 1 euro was selling for K1070, while S$1 fetched K647. However, some wily customers are trading currencies with others users who are refused by the exchange counters. One day I went to sell some dollars but the staff told me they had stopped buying. As I was walking out a businessman approached me and offered to buy my dollars at K815 and I immediately accepted, said another overseas worker. Other customers told The Myanmar Times that the exchange counters have retained strict rules regarding the acceptance of notes any imperfections, marks, folds or nicks and the counters will not take the bills. And some black market currency traders are exploiting the demand to change money by scamming unprepared customers out of their cash. I also had a terrible experience with a money changer at the corner of Maha Bandoola Garden Street, said U Win Aung, who works for an NGO. I lost about K50,000 in one exchange because they folded a number of notes to make it appear that there was more money in each packet than there really was. When I realised that I had been conned I called the police but the changers had disappeared. After my mishap, I heard from a number of other people who had been cheated in similar ways but none had managed to recover their money, he said.

Pic: Kaung Htet Tourists line up to exchange foreign currency at a Kanbawza Bank exchange counter on Theinbyu Road in Yangon recently. I sold FEC700 at Innwa Banks counter in the morning but when I came back in the afternoon at 2pm, the counter staff told me that they had stopped buying FEC. I also tried other counters but none of then would buy, he said. U Win Kyaw, the manager of a trading company, said the auctions were too restricted. The Central Bank of Myanmar organisations and individuals to take part in the currency auctions eventually. The currency float is the first step in unifying the many different exchange rates used in Myanmar, forming a vital part of reforms aimed at stimulating Myanmars moribund economy, state-run newspapers said in early April. U Win Kyaw said each

I had to go to six exchange counters run by different private banks to sell $1000.
is just purchasing foreign currency from authorised banks and not from other sources. It would be better if the Central Bank allowed other sources, such as foreign investors and export-import businesses, to take part as well because the private banks cannot manage the market properly, he said. However, MRTV-4 on April 25 carried a report quoting a senior official from the Central Bank of Myanmar as saying that the bank would allow other currency exchange counter had its own rules, which frustrated users. We are not buying FEC today and we have also stopped purchasing US dollars since 1:30pm. But if you are buying FEC or US dollars from us, we will sell them until 3pm, said a counter staff run by Co-operative Bank. A counter staff from Kabawza Bank said on the same day: We are not buying FEC today and are buying a maximum of $100

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April 30 - May 6, 2012
rate. However, economists predicted that some stateowned industrial businesses, especially those run by the Ministry of Industry, would begin showing large losses. A Central Bank of Myanmar consultant and former deputy governor, U Than Lwin, said the abolition of the official rate will greatly impact the national budget and urged the government to transparently privatise loss-making state-owned enterprises. However, in some areas, such as the production of necessary pharmaceuticals, the governments motive should not be profit because the people need these commodities to be cheaply and widely available, he said. of these interventions is critical, he added. A Ministry of Commerce official said most of the ministrys trade figures would not change greatly because they were already calculated at the market rate. However, trade and investment statistics collated by the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) would change. Government departments used different exchange rates during the multiple exchange rate era, he said, adding that CSO used an exchange rate of K5.39 during the 2011-12 fiscal year trade. Commerce consultant and economist Dr Maung Aung said future foreign direct investment would also boost the governments budget. The rise in national income will greatly increase our gross domestic product, he added. The Ministry of Finance and Revenue also adjusted some taxes in March in line with the change in exchange rates, an official in Nay Pyi Taw said. The tax changes are not particularly extensive for most things but it does impact on cost, insurance and freight [CIF] values for imports, he said. He said the Customs Department had previously taxed imports at K450 to the dollar when calculating CIF values. He said the department was still discussing how it would calculate these values in future.

MyanMar tiMes

Kyat float to hit public sector hard: sources

By Aye Thidar Kyaw THE governments decision to float the national currency will have a huge impact on the public sector, government officials, bankers and economists said last week. The floating of the kyat, which started on April 1, abolishes the decades-old official exchange rate that was pegged to the International Monetary Funds Special Drawing Rights a basket of currencies and valued each dollar at about K6.4. From April 1, the daily rate has hovered at about K820. The float has had little impact on the private sector, which already used the prevailing market exchange

Pic: Aye Zaw Myo The greatest impact of the April 1 floating of the kyat will be felt in the public sector, sources say. On the other hand, economists said valuing of exports of natural gas and minerals at close to K800 to the dollar would greatly increase budget revenues. The Central Bank can do many ways if it can really manage the market. If the [exchange] rate needs to be changed because its not appropriate for all sectors, the bank can intervene by buying or selling different currencies, he said. However, the timing

Rice exporters target 1m tonnes in 2012-13

MYANMAR Rice Industry Association (MRIA) has set an export target of one million tonnes for the 2012-13 financial year, the associations secretary said last week. He said the country exported about 850,000 tonnes of rice in the 2011-12 fiscal year, earning about US$324 million. We will start exporting rice after Thingyan and expect that we will easily surpass the amount we exported last financial year, he said. We are going to expand our efforts in contract farming that helps farmers to boost yields by improving their techniques and giving them more inputs of fertiliser. About 90 percent of rice exported last year was low-quality ehmeta, which includes 25pc broken grains, MRIA statistics show. Our project for contract farming will include providing more inputs, such as money to pay for labour during planting, interest-free finance and the provision of exportquality seeds, he said. We have agreements in place to pay the highest prices for crops after they are harvested. Dr Soe Tun, an MRIA central executive committee member, said: We call this kind of project contract farming but its more like a prepaid system. We give money and assistance [to farmers] and they use their workforce, he said. MRIA will manage for this project and special rice company will give loans to farmers. If they dont have enough money to support farmers, they will take the loans from Myanmar Agricultural Development Bank at 12pc annual interest. I would like to say that this is the association cooperating with farmers, and hope that its more effective than just providing them with loans, he said. The contract farming system and loans will be managed by more than 50 special rice companies. Myat May Zin

Trade Mark CauTionary noTiCe

Notice is hereby given that our client, HARMONY VENTURE HOLDINGS PTE. LTD., a company registered at 30 Robinson Road, #11-01 Robinson Towers, Singapore 048546 is the owner and sole proprietor of the following Trade Mark:

real Fresh
Registration No. 4/2445/2012 To be used in connection with Beers; mineral and areated waters and other non-alcoholic drinks, fruit drinks and fruit juices; syrups and other preparations for making beverages. Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said Trade Mark or infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. Soe Win Advocate #0502/5 Sakura Tower Ph:255055/255407 For HARMONY VENTURE HOLDING PTE LTD. Dated: 30th April, 2012

ProPerty
April 30 - May 6, 2012
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MyanMar tiMes

Iraq aims to revive famous gym

BAGHDAD Designed by the famed architect Le Corbusier, built under Saddam Hussein then forgotten: such was the fate of a gym in Baghdad that Iraq now wants, with the help of France, to restore to its former stature. Located in the east of the capital, the massive concrete structure has surprisingly withstood the decades of war, internecine fighting and sanctions that have hit the country. Commissioned in 1957 by an Iraq that was then open and rich in oil, the Baghdad Gymnasium was at the time only a small part of a planned Olympic city. Le Corbusier, who is considered one of the greatest architects of the 20th century and was at the height of his fame, designed the structure. But the 1958 revolution, in which Iraqs monarchy was overthrown and leading officials including the king were killed, saw the project neglected. It was only completed in 1982, under the rule of Saddam Hussein. It was finished years after the 1965 death of Le Corbusier under the guidance of one of his associates, Georges-Marc Presente, who ensured the strict application of Le Corbusiers clean, industrial, modernist principles. Charles-Edouard Jeanneret, known as Le Corbusier, was deeply involved in the project in Baghdad for which around 500 drawings bear his personal signature, said Mina Marefat, a Washington-based architecture historian who is an expert on Le Corbusier. The architect went to Baghdad in 1957, then was extremely disappointed to learn that the project had been called into question the following year, Marefat said. The most surprising thing about Le Corbusiers Baghdad work is that it has received so little scholarly attention,

Philippines sells off Marcos property

MANILA The Philippine government last week auctioned off a prime property once owned by the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos for more than US$2 million. The 3900-square-metre (41,000-square-foot) lot in the mountain resort city of Baguio was acquired by a real estate firm for 93 million pesos ($2.16 million), said Nick Suarez, of the Presidential Commission on Good Government. It was a very successful, transparent bidding, and the final price was more than three times the minimum bid, added Suarez, whose agency is tasked with recovering the ill-gotten wealth of Marcos. However another Marcos property, a 4000-square-metre lot on Manila bay with a minimum price of 278.6 million pesos ($6.47 million), failed to sell after no bidders showed up, he said. Both properties were surrendered to the government by Marcos crony Jose Yao Campos in 1986 in exchange for immunity after a popular revolt toppled the regime earlier that year. Marcos ruled the Philippines from 1965 to 1986, much of the time as a dictator. His family and their henchmen are accused of stealing billions of dollars in state funds during this period. While Marcos and his family fled abroad after his downfall, some of his key allies surrendered assets they were holding for the ex-president as part of settlements with the new government. Although Marcos died in exile in 1989, his family has since returned to the Philippines. His widow Imelda and their son, also named Ferdinand, were elected to parliament in 2010. It is not the first time the commission has sold off assets recovered from the Marcoses and their cronies, with the funds raised previously used for land reform. In October, a lot in an upper-class enclave of Manila also surrendered by Campos was sold for 127 million pesos ($2.95 million). The commission said that at least 93.4 billion pesos ($2.17 billion) have been recovered from the Marcoses and their allies so far. But it has long complained that the lack of a paper trail and delaying tactics by lawyers for the Marcos estate have hampered its efforts. AFP

Iraqi security guards walk past the back of the French-designed gymnasium in Baghad on April 12. Pic: AFP Marefat said. Once completed, the Gymnasium hosted generations of Iraqi athletes basketball and volleyball players, gymnasts and a number of international competitions, said its current director Wasfi al-Kinani. For Iraqi sports, this is an historic inheritance, a symbol, he said. Caecilia Pieri, a researcher for the Institut Francais du Proche-Orient (French Institute for the Near East), discovered the forgotten Gymnasium in 2005 while working on her thesis on modern architecture in Baghdad. She decided to contact the Le Corbusier Foundation in France. It did not have any recent photos. This is a posthumous work, and researchers did not have access to Iraq. They did not even know if it was properly built, as they had never seen it, Pieri said. She has since made several visits, including one last May with the vice president of the Le Corbusier Foundation, Jacques Sbriglio. The visit resulted in a FrenchIraqi project that aims to raise the buildings profile by publishing a book and holding a colloquium on the gym. In addition to Le Corbusier Foundation and the French Institute for the Near East, the project involves Baghdad University, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation and the French embassy. Pieri, who from trip to trip has watched the architectural degradation of Baghdad thanks to violence, poverty and errors in reconstruction, now sees signs of what she calls a small simmering of change. After all this upheaval, we are witnessing the renaissance of new awareness about the [countrys] modern heritage, and it can lead to similar movements, sparking positive momentum for other major modern buildings, she said. These include the finance ministry headquarters and Mustansiryia University, both of which Pieri calls symbols for the visual identity and international image of Baghdad. They show that there was modern architecture of very high quality, with a specific Iraqi style, she said. But for now, nothing is simple. The gym, under renovation for a year, is far from the clearcut almost ascetic vision of its designer. Its seats are brightly coloured and the roof over the locker rooms, designed to allow in natural light, is blocked by a false ceiling holding overhead lights. The perspective around the gym has also been crowded with newer constructions. But the buildings exterior still holds Le Corbusiers motto: Where order is born, well-being is born. AFP

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carbon emissions. While the city-state contends that the WWFs per capita measurement of carbon emissions disadvantages countries with small populations compared to the likes of rapidly industrialising China it has nevertheless been spurred into action. In 2005, the government embarked on a project to promote the development of high-tech, low-energy buildings and the retrofitting of older ones in a push to green at least 80pc of all buildings by 2030. Since then 1000 government-certified green buildings have been built in Singapore, accounting for 13pc of gross floor space in the country. Along with cash incentives, developers who meet targets set by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) are given more leeway to have bigger floor areas. United World College Southeast Asia, an international school, is one of the torchbearers of the drive. Many new buildings are savagely over-designed, wasting capital and upkeep costs. If you rationalise your design and spend on green technology, the savings are Despite the cost of solar panels falling by about 4pc every year, solar-derived electricity remains more expensive than that from the power grid. This is mainly due to its relatively high capital costs as well as maintenance costs, according to Singapores Energy Market Authority. City Developments Limited, one of Singapores top property groups, is nevertheless confident that environmentally-friendly buildings will become the norm as green consumerism gains traction. Its City Square Mall has an integrated park and solar-panelled roof. Some tenants sell eco-friendly products and offer discounts to customers who bring their own shopping bags. With Singaporeans increasingly aware of environmental issues, there will be greater demand for investments in green innovations and technology, said Esther An, the companys head of corporate social responsibility. In addition to making buildings more energyefficient, Singapore is also aggressively developing desalination and sewagerecycling technology to address its chronic water shortages. AFP

MyanMar tiMes

Singapore tries to repair bad energy image

By Bhavan Jaipragas SINGAPORE From the bone-chilling air conditioning that pumps through Singapores malls and offices to lights that burn all night, the city state is one of Asias most intensive energy users. Nearly all electricity used by the industrialised island is produced by burning fossil fuels, which in 2010 contributed to the largest carbon footprint per head in the Asia-Pacific region, according to conservation group the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). South Korea and thirdplaced Japan follow close behind. For environmentalists, the scenario is all too familiar in the Asia region whose urban population is set to soar from 1.9 billion to 3.3 billion by 2050 according to United Nations data. Such growth puts sustainability on top of the agenda but critics say Asias megacities are not doing enough to curb their voracious appetite for energy, with Singapore having been recognised as one of the worst offenders. The WWF added that buildings contribute some 16 percent of Singapores

Simon Thomas, director of facilities and operations at United World College Southeast Asia, explaining the functions of the solar panels installed on the roof of the building in Singapore on February 10. Pic: AFP going to be immense, said Simon Thomas, its director of operations and facilities. Features like rooftop solar panels, cascading walls that block off heat and optimal use of natural light make the campus about 30pc more energy-efficient than conventional buildings of similar size, Thomas told AFP. The college worked closely with architects to design a building that had energy efficiency as a central objective, he said. The 2500 students are also kept aware of daily water and electricity consumption levels, thanks to prominently displayed meters on every floor. Its 5.5-hectare (13.5 acres) campus in Singapores eastern region was awarded the nations Green Mark Platinum award in 2011, the highest accolade in the official rating system. Despite the surge in the development of such buildings, BCA chief executive John Keung said some developers are still averse to riding the green wave, due to what they see as relatively high costs of technologies such as solar. Although there are some who see great value in going green for their own corporate branding, others are discouraged by its perceived high upfront costs and low return on investments, Keung told AFP. Developers who shun green technologies may not be fully aware of the scale of savings they are missing out on, according to Keung. The cost premium involved in green buildings is gradually decreasing with greater economies of scale and the industrys familiarity with green building design.

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SUV makers flock to China as sales boom

BEIJING Automakers are rushing to cash in on Chinas growing passion for SUVs, with sales up five-fold in the past five years, as increasingly affluent urban consumers seek to showcase their wealth. Once associated with rural life in China, the SUV, or sports utility vehicle, is increasingly favoured by citydwellers, and manufacturers flocked to Beijing to display their models at the countrys largest auto show this week. Zheng Chengfei, editor of the China SUV Weekly, forecasts sales in China will grow between 20 and 30 percent in 2012, with more energy-efficient urban and compact models likely to lead the market. Chinas SUV buyers want a powerful car that reflects their rising social status, Zheng told AFP, adding that most SUVs were sold to successful urban professionals. They are looking for a big car with lots of space so they can get away for a relaxing weekend with the entire family, including grandparents. The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers says sales of the powerful off-road vehicles topped 1.59 million last year up 20pc from 2010 and five times higher than five years earlier. Daimler AG, which owns the Mercedes-Benz brand, is among the foreign carmakers seeking to further tap into the lucrative sector in China . Its a combination of emotion and utility which ultimately leads to this strong development of SUVs around the globe, including China, said Dieter Zetsche, chairman of Daimler AG. The main purpose is not to get off road onto the top of mountains, but to differentiate yourself from others, with the additional benefit that you have this higher seating position that gives you this kind of in control feeling. China emerged as the worlds top car market in 2009, but the sector stalled dramatically last year, with sales rising just 2.5pc to reach 18.51 million units after the government rolled back autopurchase incentives. Nonetheless, carmakers remain confident of continued steady growth in the Asian nation, where three out of every four new car purchases are by first-time buyers. Beijing has implemented several policies to try to wean the country away from its growing dependency on oil one of which has been to try and promote new energyefficient vehicles. It has put pressure on foreign car makers to invest in the clean energy field in cooperation with their Chinese joint-venture partners, and is pushing for more transfer of technology. B u t s a l e s o f environmentally-friendly, fuel-efficient vehicles in China have been sluggish, prompting foreign carmakers to step up their focus on the SUV market. Mitsubishi president Osamu Masuko said at the Auto China 2012 show the Japanese company was setting up a joint venture with Chinas Guangzhou Automotive this year to produce up to 300,000 SUVs annually within five years. US auto giant Ford plans to introduce three new SUVs in China this year, including its new compact model, the

A model poses with the latest Jeep on display at the Auto Beijing on April 22. Pic: AFP Ford EcoSport, and its Ford brand reputation, said Joe Explorer the epitome of a Hinrichs, president of Ford rugged gas-guzzling off-road Asia Pacific. Chinese automakers are vehicle. The Chinese consumer also making a range of SUVs, continues to be very interested with Changchun, BYD and in international brands for Chery all selling home-grown the technology, the quality compact vehicles, China SUV of the craftsmanship, the editor Zheng said.

China 2012 exhibition in Although most SUVs are being sold in urban areas, we are expecting to see solid growth in the mountainous and desert regions in [Chinas] west, where the need for all terrain vehicles are especially strong, he said. AFP

Google joins cloud battle against Microsoft, Apple

SAN FRANCISCO Google on April 24 launched a longanticipated Drive service that lets people store photos, videos, and other digital files in the internet cloud. Google Drive accounts with five gigabytes of storage were available free at drive. google.com and upgrades to more space on servers in the California companys data centres were available at rates set by size and country. The model is really designed at the core to help people live their lives in the cloud, Google vice president for Chrome and Apps Sundar Pichai said. Google Drive is something we see as central to the online experience at Google. Google Drive software has been tailored for Windows and Macintosh computers as well as smartphones or tablets powered by Googlebacked Android software. A version tailored for Apple mobile gadgets will be released soon, according to Pichai. We want to make sure that all our users data are available wherever they are, he said. Google Drive data can be reached from various devices, and deleting it from one deletes it from all. Scanned letters can be saved under the new service and fax messages can be sent or received. Google Docs online text program was described as an integral component of Drive, letting people create and collaborate on documents. Google put its search expertise to work to provide tools for people to quickly find files in their Drive accounts, according to Pichai. Included was Google technology to power searches using images instead of key words. Autodesk and some other third-party program creators have collaborated with Google to make it possible for people to use their software in Drive accounts, where teams can join forces online to handle projects. We have only shared it with a few developers so far, Pichai said. Over time, we want Drive to be thought of as a place where you can create anything and collaborate with anyone, and the devices or apps are up to you. Google Drive will be built into a new generation of Chrome laptop computers. A version of Google Drive geared for businesses will have a different pricing structure and offer 24-hours technical support. Drive will compete with Microsofts SkyDrive and Apples iCloud online data repository for users of its devices, and popular webbased file hosting service startups such as Dropbox and SugarSync. AFP

Trade Mark CauTion

Johnson & Johnson, a corporation incorporated in the United States of America, of One Johnson & Johnson Plaza, New Brunswick, NJ, U.S.A., is the Owner of the following Trade Mark:-

Apple profit soars on iPhone-iPad sales

SAN FRANCISCO Apples coffers continued to swell in the first three months of the year due to record sales of iPhones and iPad tablet computers, particularly in China and other parts of Asia. Apple reported on April 24 that it made a profit of US$11.6 billion on revenue of $39.2 billion in the quarter ended March 31. The amount of cash Apple had on hand grew $12 billion to $110.2 billion. Sales of iPads more than doubled from the same quarter the previous year and iPhone sales surged 88 percent. Were thrilled with sales of over 35 million iPhones and almost 12 million iPads in the March quarter, said Apple chief executive Tim Cook. The new iPad is off to a great start, and across the year youre going to see a lot more of the kind of innovation that only Apple can deliver. Apples net income for its second fiscal quarter was nearly double that seen in the same period a year earlier, when sales tallied $24.7 billion. The Cupertino, California-based company released the third-generation of its market-ruling iPad tablet computer in March, meaning its blockbuster sales have only begun to pump up Apples bottom line. Looking ahead to the third fiscal quarter, we expect revenue of about $34 billion and diluted earnings per share of about $8.68, said Apple chief financial officer Peter Oppenheimer. While Apple gadgets were hot in markets around the world, demand was mind-boggling in China, where revenue for the quarter was a recordhigh $7.9 billion, Cook said in an earnings conference call. Apple took in $12.4 billion in China in the six months that mark the first half of its current fiscal year, promising that the company will easily eclipse the $13.3 billion in sales in that country in the entire prior fiscal year. China has an enormous number of people moving into higher income groups, middle-class if you will, and this is creating a demand for goods, Cook said. There is tremendous opportunity for companies that understand China, and we are doing everything we can to understand it. Cook said that Apple had the mother of all Januaries that included tending to a huge backlog of gadget orders and launching the iPhone 4 in China. Apple is scrambling to keep up with demand for iPads around the world. The new iPad is on fire, Oppenheimer said. We are selling them as fast as we can make them. The tablet computers are being embraced by companies, schools and governments as well as by gadget lovers, according to Apple. Apple sold two iPads for every Macintosh computer sold in the education market while still reporting record Mac sales. About 75 percent of the worlds top corporations are either using or testing iPads, according to Cook. AFP

reg. no. 3118/2008 in respect of intl Class 3: Baby powder; toiletries, namely, hair shampoo, hair conditioner, hair detanglers, hair spray, body wash and skin cleansers, body lotion, moisturizers and skin cream, body soap, body powder and body oil; baby cologne; baby oil; cotton swabs; pre-moistened washcloths. Fraudulent imitation or unauthorised use of the said Trade Mark will be dealt with according to law. Win Mu Tin, M.A., H.G.P., D.B.L for Johnson & Johnson P. O. Box 60, Yangon Dated: 30th April, 2012

Post-paid GSM system to start May 1: MPT

POST-PAID GSM users will switch over to a prepaid system on May 1, a text sent by Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications to all GSM users last week said. The text, which was sent on April 25 or 26 said users switching over to the service would be given an opening balance of K1000 to insure [sic] continue service and it will be detected once you recharge ur account. The text stated that phone numbers would not be changed but urged interested users to call Yatanarpon Call Center on 1876 for further information. A Yatanarpon Call Center operator said users will be able to buy credit through top-up cards available at mobile phone shops. The switch from postpaid to prepaid billing began in January, also via text messages sent out to all GSM users. Htoo Aung

There was a cover-up, Murdoch tells media inquiry

LONDON Rupert Murdoch admitted on April 26 there was a cover-up over phone hacking at Britains News of the World tabloid, but said he too was misled over a scandal that would blot his reputation for ever. The News Corp chairmans comments at an inquiry in London were branded a shameful lie by the tabloids former lawyer, who said Murdoch was referring to him and to the newspapers last editor before it closed in July 2011. Murdoch, 81, told the Leveson inquiry into press ethics he had failed in his handling of the crisis at the News of the World yet insisted that staff had hidden the extent of its wrongdoing from him and other executives. Theres no question in my mind that, maybe even the editor but certainly beyond that, someone took charge of a cover-up which we were victim to, and I regret that, Murdoch said in his second and final day of testimony. I do blame one or two people for that, whom perhaps I shouldnt name because for all I know they may be arrested yet, he said, adding that as well as the editor he was thinking of a clever lawyer. Tom Crone, the former legal director of the News of the World, later issued a statement saying the media moguls evidence can only refer to me and that he believed the papers final editor Colin Myler was also fingered. His assertion that I took charge of a cover-up in relation to phone hacking is a shameful lie, Crone said. Crone added that it was perhaps no coincidence that he and Myler had both cast doubt on evidence given by Murdochs son, James, to a British parliamentary committee on hacking. The parliamentary committee is due to report on May 1. The News of the Worlds royal editor and a private investigator were jailed in 2007 for phone hacking but the vast scale of the practice at the paper did not emerge until a new police probe in January 2011. The scandal snowballed in July when it emerged the News of the World had illegally accessed the mobile phone voicemail messages of Milly Dowler, a murdered British schoolgirl, sparking public outrage. Murdoch abruptly shut the Sunday tabloid when advertisers boycotted it, and Prime Minister David Cameron subsequently set up the Leveson inquiry to probe the ethics of the press and its relations with politicians and police. The News of the World, to be quite honest, is an aberration and its my fault. Its going to be a blot on my reputation for the rest of my life, Murdoch said in his sworn testimony. Murdoch said the word sorry 17 times during his testimony and apologised to all the innocent people in the News of the World who lost their jobs. AFP

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Taylor convicted of war crimes

Briefly
TOKYO Japan and the United States announced on April 27 that 9000 Marines would be redeployed from Okinawa in a move Washington hopes will improve ties with its ally. A total of approximately 9000 US Marines, along with their associated dependents, are to be relocated from Okinawa to locations outside of Japan, a joint statement issued in Washington and Tokyo said. DAMASCUS UN leader Ban Ki-moon said on April 26 that the Syrian government is in contravention of an agreed peace plan by keeping troops and heavy weapons in cities. Ban also said he was gravely alarmed by reports of shelling of populated areas in Syria. ABUJA A suicide attack at the Abuja bureau of a top Nigerian newspaper and an attempted car bombing at another of its offices killed nine people on April 26 in the first such strikes on the countrys media. The attacks came after the Islamist group, Boko Haram, issued threats against news outlets. AFP Prosecutors alleged that the RUF paid LEIDSCHENDAM, Netherlands Former Liberian leader Charles Taylor was Taylor with illegally mined so-called blood convicted on April 26 of arming rebels diamonds worth millions. The diamonds would be smuggled who killed and mutilated thousands in Sierra Leone, in an historic verdict for through a guest house used by the RUF in the Liberian capital, Monrovia, in return international justice. Taylor, 64, was found guilty on all counts for arms and ammunition provided by including acts of terrorism, murder and Taylor. Lussick said the stones were gathered by rape committed by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels, who paid him the RUF in Sierra Leone, who used slave for arms with diamonds mined by slave labour and enlisted child soldiers. Children under the age of 15 were labour. In the first judgement against a former abducted and conscripted. They had the head of state by a world court since the letters RUF carved into their foreheads World War II Nuremberg trials, Taylor was and backs to prevent escape, the judge found guilty of 11 counts of war crimes and said. Taylor, Liberias president from 1997 crimes against humanity by the Special to 2003, had dismissed the charges as Court for Sierra Leone. lies and claimed to be The trial chamber the victim of a plot by finds you guilty of aiding and abetting of all these Today is for the people powerful countries. 81 During his own crimes, presiding judge hours of testimony, Richard Lussick told the of Sierra Leone which began in July UN-backed court. 2009, he called the trial Taylor, who once notoriously compared himself to Jesus, a sham and denied allegations that he had stood motionless as the verdict was read eaten human flesh. These convictions were obtained with and showed no emotion afterwards. He will be sentenced by the same court corrupt and tainted evidence effectively on May 30. If sent to jail as expected he will bought by the prosecution, his lawyer be held in a British prison. His lawyers and Courtenay Griffiths told a news conference the prosecution will have two weeks to file on April 26. Prosecutor Brenda Hollis however lauded an appeal after sentencing. Taylor faces the possibility of spending the rest of his the verdict as another victory for the fight against impunity. life behind bars. Today is for the people of Sierra Leone The trial chamber found that the accused was instrumental in procuring and who suffered horribly at the hands of transporting arms to RUF rebels, that he Charles Taylor and his proxy forces, she was paid in diamonds and kept some for told reporters. The US said Taylors conviction delivers a himself, the Samoan judge Lussick said: The hearings, which saw model Naomi strong message to all war criminals, while Campbell testify she had received diamonds British Foreign Secretary William Hague said from Taylor, lasted nearly four years, ended it was proof that heads of state cannot hide behind immunity. AFP in March 2011.

A woman lays flowers on the Chernobyl victims memorial in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, on April 26 during a ceremony to mark the 26th anniversary of the worlds worst nuclear disaster. At another ceremony at Chernobyl, 100 kilometres from Kiev, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych launched the start of work on a US$1.5 billion shelter to permanently secure the stricken nuclear plant. Although only two workers were killed in an explosion which crippled the plant in 1986, Ukrainian figures show that more than 25,000 of the workers from then-Soviet Ukraine, Russia and Belarus who involved in a subsequent clean-up at the site have died since the disaster. Pic: AFP

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Khartoum has declared war, says South Sudans leader

BENTIU, South Sudan Khartoums warplanes bombed border regions, leading South Sudans leader Salva Kiir on April 24 to accuse Sudan of declaring war, as the United States condemned the provocative strikes. The overnight raids, launched in defiance of global calls for restraint, wounded several people in the villages in the Souths oil-rich border regions, reaching about 25 kilometres (15 miles) from the front line between the rival armies. Salva Kiir, on a visit to Beijing where he met President Hu Jintao, said his neighbour in Khartoum has declared war on the Republic of South Sudan. The previous week, Sudans President Omar al-Bashir threatened to crush the insect government of the South, and said the time for talks was over. Beijing a key Khartoum ally but also the main buyer of the Souths oil has repeatedly called for an end to weeks of border fighting which saw the South seize and hold the Heglig oil field from Sudanese troops for 10 days. Washington, the driving force behind South Sudans struggle for statehood, condemned the norths incursion and urged the former civil war foes to recommit to talks. Those are provocative and unacceptable actions, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said. South Sudan did withdraw from Heglig. It presented an opportunity for Khartoum to resume negotiations and to make real progress between North and South, and we urge both parties to undertake that as soon as possible. Adding to the pressure for a resolution, the African Union gave Sudan and South Sudan three months to reach a peace deal or face appropriate measures, AU security commissioner Ramtane Lamamra said on April 24. Despite the Souths withdrawal from the key Heglig field on April 21 and 22, both armies are reportedly reinforcing troop numbers and digging

Egypt refuses approval for American NGOs

CAIRO Egypt has refused to license eight US civil groups, including the election-monitoring Carter Centre, amid a crackdown on foreign NGOs and a month before presidential polls, state media reported on April 23. Should they continue operating, the groups would be subject to Egyptian law which bans non-goverment organisations from operating without licences or from receiving foreign funds, the official MENA news agency reported. The news agency quoted a government source as saying it refused to license the groups because their activities were inconsistent with the states sovereignty on its lands. An official with the Carter Centre, which observed Egypts parliamentary elections, held in stages between November and January, said the government had not yet contacted the group. The NGO, founded by former US president Jimmy Carter, had no permanent presence in Egypt, she added, on condition of anonymity. Egypt placed workers with five foreign NGOs, including Americans, on trial for operating without licences and receiving foreign funding, sparking a crisis in relations with the US. The American defendants, and those from other foreign nationalities, were allowed to leave the country in March after posting bail. The other groups mentioned in the MENA report include Seeds of Peace, which tries to promote dialogue among young people in conflict zones. AFP

Chinese President Hu Jintao toasts his South Sudan counterpart, Salva Kiir, after a signing ceremony in Beijing on April 24. Beijing, a key ally of Sudan and a major buyer of oil from South Sudan, has been urging dialogue to end the fighting between the two countries. Pic: AFP into trenches along their contested border. Overnight on April 23, bomber aircraft hit border villages in the Souths Unity state after earlier air strikes on the state capital, Bentiu, governor Taban Deng said. Khartoum has repeatedly denied it has launched air strikes on the South, but United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon on April 23 deplored the cross-border air raids and called on both nations to prevent the fighting from escalating further. Kiir was pleading his case to Chinese authorities, but analysts said Beijing was unlikely to take sides and would keep pushing for dialogue. Border tensions are high, although Deng said that at present with the exception of aerial bombardment, the front line is quiet. Bentiu lies at least 60 kilometres (40 kilometres) from the front line with Sudans army, and large numbers of Southern troops and tanks have moved into the border zone to bolster defences. South Sudan has warned it will fight back if Sudan does not end its aerial attacks. Southerners are furious at what they see as international inaction against Khartoum, after they complied with the demands to withdraw from Heglig. We were asked to withdraw from Heglig: we did. They have been asked to stop the aerial bombardment and incursions into South Sudan: they have not done so, Deng said. We are capable of defending ourselves, including going back to Heglig. ... I think you people should take us seriously on this. The underdog can also bite. Sudan accuses the South of supporting anti-government rebels from its conflicthit western region of Darfur as well as those fighting in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states. The South, which split from Sudan in July 2011 following an independence referendum, denies backing opposition movements in the north, but in turn accuses Khartoum of supporting rebels in its own territory. The recent violence is the worst since South Sudan won independence after the civil war. AFP

Libya bans foreign funding for political organisations

TRIPOLI Libyan authorities on April 24 passed legislation governing the formation of political organisations which rules out religious, regional and tribal platforms and bans foreign funding. Political parties and associations should not be built on the basis of regional, tribal or religious affiliation, a member of the ruling National Transitional Council told AFP. They cannot be an extension of a political party abroad or receive foreign funding, said Mustafa Landi, a member of the legal committee. Political parties must have a minimum of 250 founding members while associations need only 100, said legislation agreed late on April 24, he said. Libyas electoral committee warned on April that legislation on forming political parties must be adopted soon if June 19 elections for a constituent assembly are to go ahead as scheduled. But even without it, dozens of parties have launched in the past months with the intention of contesting the elections. A full 120 of the assemblys seats are reserved for independent candidates but political associations are to contest the remaining 80. Political organisations of any kind were banned for decades under the rule of Moamer Kadhafi, who was toppled and killed in last years popular uprising. AFP

Trade Mark CauTion

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US chides Israel over outposts decision

W A S H I N G T O N T h e reiterates that all settlement holds the European Union United States on April 24 activity is illegal under presidency. The Palestinian raised concern to ally Israel international law, said UN over a decision to legalise deputy spokesman Eduardo leadership said the decision was expected and said it three settler outposts, del Buey. The reactions from the US was the Israeli answer calling the move unhelpful to making peace with the and the UN came after Israel to a letter from Abbas to said it had decided to legalise Netanyahu, in which he laid Palestinians. out Palestinian grievances S t a t e D e p a r t m e n t three settler outposts. The office of Prime Minister over the collapse of the spokeswoman Victoria N u l a n d r e i t e r a t e d Benjamin Netanyahu said a peace process and outlined Washingtons opposition ministerial committee had his demands for restarting to settlement activity on decided to formalise the negotiations. Central to the letter was the West Bank and said status of three communities the United States asked Israel, through its embassy in Tel Aviv, for The decision on the settlements is the clarification. We dont think this Israeli answer to president Abbass letter. is helpful to the process, and we dont accept the legitimacy of continued which were established in the demand for a settlement freeze. settlement activity, Nuland the 1990s. The decision on the The three outposts had told reporters. We make this case every time we have no Israeli legal status when settlements is the Israeli an incident like this that it is they are set up. They will join a n s w e r t o p r e s i d e n t not helpful to the process it the 120 official settlements Abbass letter, presidential doesnt get us where we need in the occupied West Bank s p o k e s m a n N a b i l A b u that are home to more than Rudeina told AFP. to go, she said. But an Israeli official A spokesman for UN 342,000 people. T h e m o v e s p a r k e d denied the move was secretary general Ban Kimoon said he was deeply an angry reaction from tantamount to creating new t r o u b l e d b y I s r a e l s the Palestinians, Israeli settlements. This decision does not settlement watchdog Peace decision. The secretary-general Now and Denmark which change the reality on the ground. It does not establish new settlements or expand existing settlements, he said. His remarks were denounced by Peace Nows Hagit Ofran, who accused the government of creating a smoke screen. This is the first time since 1990 that the government decides on establishing new settlements, and the governments manoeuvre establishing a committee to establish the settlements is a trick aimed at hiding the true policy from the public, she said. Current EU president Denmark said the Israeli move represents a fundamental threat to a two state solution to the Middle East conflict. Foreign Minister Villy Soevndal expressed great disappointment at what he called Israels tactic of constantly nibbling away, establishing real and concrete facts on the ground on Palestinian territory that are illegal. AFP

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Briefs
US Houses passes cybersecurity bill
WASHINGTON The House of Representatives on April 26 passed legislation protecting US businesses and agencies from cyber-attacks. The Republican-controlled chamber defied a veto threat by the White House to pass the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act in a 248-162 vote, but its fate is less assured in the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats. The bill would allow private companies to exchange confidential personal information with the federal government.

I am not irrational, insists Norwegian mass killer

OSLO Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people in Norway last July, insisted on April 25 he was of sound mind and accused a team of psychiatric experts of making things up to prove him insane. I think that all of Norway has seen I am not irrational, the rightwing extremist said on the eighth day of his trial, adding: So I am not worried anymore about being sent to a psychiatric institution. Breivik, 33, who has been charged with acts of terror, is seeking to convince an Oslo court that he is sane so that his anti-Islam ideology will be taken seriously and not considered the ravings of a lunatic. A first psychiatric evaluation last year concluded he was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, but a second opinion found him of sound mind, and it will ultimately be up to the judges to determine the question of his sanity when they hand down their verdict in July. If the court finds him sane, Breivik will face Norways maximum 21year prison sentence, but that term can be extended for as long as he is considered a threat to society. If he is found criminally insane however, he will be sent to a closed psychiatric care unit for treatment a fate he has described as worse than death. For a political activist, the worst thing that can happen is to land in a mad house because that would delegitimise everything one believes in, he said. Psychiatrists Synne Soerheim and Torgeir Husby were appointed by the Oslo district court to carry out the first evaluation of Breivik and they concluded in November he was psychotic. Their diagnosis caused an uproar in Norway, where many were astounded that the man who methodically planned his attacks for years and then executed them with precision could be found not responsible for his actions. The court therefore ordered a second opinion by two other experts, Terje Toerrissen and Agnar Aspaas, who concluded earlier in April that Breivik was sane. Their evaluation, which a commission found to have some weaknesses, concluded that the confessed killer was narcissistic and asocial but not psychotic. On July 22, Breivik set off a bomb near government offices in Oslo, killing eight people, before going to nearby Utoeya island where he killed 69 people, mostly teens, attending a Labour Party youth camp. Breivik, who has confessed to carrying out the twin attacks but refuses to plead guilty, has said his attacks were cruel but necessary to stop the ruling Labour Partys multicultural experiment and the Muslim invasion of Norway and Europe. AFP

British ministers adviser quits over Murdoch leaks

LONDON An adviser to Britains culture minister quit on April 25 after Rupert Murdochs son James revealed the government leaked details to the Murdoch empire about its bid for control of pay-TV giant BSkyB. Adam Smith, a special advisor to Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt, said he was stepping down from the role, saying: I appreciate that my activities at times went too far. Emails released to the Leveson inquiry on press ethics on April 24 showed that Smith effectively supplied the Murdochs News Corp with information about the progress of its bid to take full control of BSkyB. It was Hunts job to assess whether the government should approve the BSkyB bid for complete control in the face of opposition from other media groups who feared it would give the Murdochs too much influence over the British media. News Corp withdrew its bid for BSkyB in July last year after a public uproar over allegations of phone hacking at the Murdochowned News of the World tabloid. In his resignation statement, Smith said his relations with Frederic Michel, a lobbyist for News Corp, had given the impression that News Corporation had too close a relationship with the department. Smith insisted the content and extent of his contact with Michel had not been authorised by Hunt, who on April 25 rejected calls from the opposition to resign. AFP

WikiLeaks suspect loses bid on charge

FORT MEADE, Maryland A US military judge ruled on April 26 that WikiLeaks suspect Bradley Manning can be tried for aiding the enemy over allegedly leaking documents to the site. Mannings lawyers had argued for the espionage charge to be tossed out unless the government was prepared to prove the US Army private had intended to help al-Qaeda when he allegedly passed files to WikiLeaks. Aiding the enemy was one of 22 criminal charges that judge Colonel Denise Lind let stand at pre-trial hearings last week.

Muslims in Europe face prejudice: report

LONDON European countries are discriminating against Muslims for demonstrating their faith, especially in education and employment, rights group Amnesty International said on April 24. In a report focusing on Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland, Amnesty urged European governments to do more to challenge negative stereotypes and prejudices against Islam. The report was particularly critical of countries that have introduced bans on face-covering veils or on the wearing of religious symbols in schools.

A multiple exposure image of campaign posters taken on April 24 showing French presidential candidates, President Nicolas Sarkozy (left) of the ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) and Francois Holland, his Socialist Party rival. Holland won the first round of the presidential election on April 22 with 28.6 percent of the vote, to 27.2pc for Sarkozy, with the leader of the far right National Front, Marine Le Pen, third on 18pc. The final round of the election will be held on May 6, with opinion polls tipping that Hollande will win. Sarkozy and Hollande stepped up campaigning last week in a bid to win the six million votes that went to the far right in the first round. Pic: AFP

Israeli general casts doubt on Iranian nuclear bomb threat

JERUSALEM Israels military chief toned down the rhetoric over Irans nuclear program on April 25, describing the Iranian leadership as very rational and unlikely to take the decision to build a bomb. Speaking to Haaretz newspaper, Lieutenant General Benny Gantz said Iran was approaching the point at which it would be able to decide whether to build a bomb, but that Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had not yet decided whether to go the extra mile. So far, Israel and Washington do not believe that Tehran has taken the decision to develop a nuclear bomb, a decision which would require the ability to quickly produce weapons-grade uranium. I think the Iranian leadership is composed of very rational people, Gantz said, indicating that the international regime of hard-hitting sanctions was starting to bear fruit. Defence Minister Ehud Barak also took a softer line on Iran, saying it had not yet decided to manufacture atomic weapons and suggesting the sanctions could work. If the Americans, and the Europeans and we ourselves are determined, there is a chance of stopping the Iranians before they acquire the atomic bomb, he told Israeli public radio. Israel and much of the West suspect Iran is using its civilian nuclear program as a cover for a weapons drive a charge which Tehran vehemently denies, and Israeli officials have refused to rule out a pre-emptive strike to prevent it from happening. But there was no sign of any change in the hardline approach of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said Tehran should remain under biting sanctions until it halts all uranium enrichment. They have to stop all enrichment, he told CNN, saying he would not accept Iran enriching uranium to even three percent, which is near the level required for peaceful atomic energy. Iran has already developed the capacity to enrich uranium to 3.5pc, and to 20pc, which is used to create medical isotopes, but it would have to enrich to 90pc to make nuclear weapons. The attempt by both Gantz and Barak to tone down the rhetoric on Iran follows media reports suggesting a division within the Israeli leadership over the Iranian issue. Two months ago, Netanyahu and Barak appeared to agree that the sanctions imposed on Iran would not work, Haaretz reported, describing the political leadership as divided between the premier and the defence minister, and other top ministers who wanted to give the sanctions time to work. AFP

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Dull and Boring plan partnership

LONDON A Scottish village named Dull is seeking to twin with the US town of Boring, British media reported on April 25. The two places have already declared themselves sister communities after a Scottish cyclist travelled through Boring in Oregon, a town of 12,000 people, on holiday, the Daily Telegraph said. Borings newspaper, the Sandy Post, quoted lifelong resident Bob Boring as saying: I think this is one of those fun things that communities do. AFP

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Romney claims nomination after victories in five states

W ASH I N G T O N M i t t Romney effectively claimed the Republican presidential nomination last week as he revelled in a five-state primary sweep and urged voters to help him oust President Barack Obama in November. With US media forecasts showing wins for Romney in Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island on April 24, he essentially kicked off his general election campaign after months of tangling with Republican rivals. Tonight is the start of a new campaign, Romney told ecstatic supporters in New Hampshire scene of his first Republican primary victory in January and a potentially pivotal general election battleground. Tonight is the beginning of the end of the disappointments of the Obama years and its the start of a new and better chapter that we will write together. He trounced former House speaker Newt Gingrich and congressman Ron Paul, the two remaining Republicans in the race, in northeastern states that are largely friendly territory for Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts. Romney basked in the glow of the clean sweep and effectively staked his claim to the nomination. After 43 primaries and caucuses, many long days and not a few long nights, failed to turn around the US economy. The Obama White House which has treated Romney as its main opponent for months also appeared to formally kick off its general campaign. Mitt Romney has spent the past year out on the campaign trail tearing down the president with a negative message that even Republicans who have endorsed him have criticised, said Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt. This marks the end of that monologue. Now he must put his record and his agenda next to the I can say with confidence told AFP. After April 24, Madonna presidents. and gratitude that you Obamas supporters have have given me a great honour said, he stays on that and solemn responsibility, message. Its the general warned that Republicans election day in and day would return to the policies Romney told supporters. of the George W. Bush Together, we will win on out. Romney sought to assure administration, which it November 6! Romney is still short of struggling Americans says favoured the wealthy, the 1144 delegates needed the thousands of good and worsened inequality and to be crowned the official decent Americans Ive met caused the 2008 economic nominee at the Republican who want nothing more collapse. The title for Governor convention in late August, than a better chance Romneys speech tonight should have been Back the Future Tonight is the beginning of the end of the to has proposed because he a return to the same policies that disappointments of the Obama years got us into the economic crisis in the first place, but most campaign watchers that he was the candidate LaBolt said. Romney has 683 are treating him as the ready to fight for a fair and delegates, compared with Democratic incumbents improving economy. To all of you, I have a 141 for Gingrich and 84 challenger. The nomination struggle simple message: hold on for Paul, showed a tally by is over, G. Terry Madonna, a little longer. A better RealClearPolitics.com. Rick Santorum has 267 director of the Center for America begins tonight, he Politics and Public Affairs said, reprising the central delegates, but he bowed at Franklin & Marshall theme of the Republican out of the race two weeks College in Pennsylvania, campaign that Obama has earlier. AFP

US company plans to mine asteroids

WASHINGTON A new US company backed by film director James Cameron and Googles top executives on April 24 unveiled bold plans to mine asteroids for precious minerals and water. Heralding a new frontier space exploitation, Planetary Resources announced plans to send a swarm of robot miners into space to prospect resource-rich chunks of rock not far from Earth. The firms co-founder Peter Diamandis said he wanted to make the resources of space available to humanity, and add trillions of dollars to global wealth in the process. Among the minerals to be found on near-earth asteroids are much-soughtafter platinum, iron, nickel and sulfur as well as more obscure minerals that make excellent semi-conductors. The equipment could also harvest water, which scientists believe holds the key to building propellants that will allow deep space exploration. The first step will be to send a telescope into space in the next 18 to 24 months to detect which asteroids may be useful. Admitting the project was difficult, Diamandis and his colleagues tried to silence claims that it was a flight of fantasy, assembling a veritable fantasy team of investors. They include Google executives Larry Page and Eric Schmidt and Titanic filmmaker Cameron, as well as the son of one-time presidential candidate Ross Perot. Cameron has a longstanding interest in exploration and recently carried out a solo submarine dive to bottom of the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean. It is not the first time humans dream about taping resources beyond the bounds of Earth. A range of visionaries from Soviet rocket scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, who considered the idea in 1903 book about space exploration, to makers of the 2009 film Moon have imagined such a future. Scientists at the Keck Institute for Space Studies have judged it feasible to drag a more sizeable asteroid to high lunar orbit for harvesting, but at a cost of about US$2.7 billion. Former NASA astronaut Tom Jones, an advisor to the startup, said the firm was trying to develop a cost-effective, productionline spacecraft that will visit near-Earth asteroids in rapid succession. A single 500-metre platinum-rich asteroid contains the equivalent

Eros, an asteroid with an orbit that it takes it close to Earth, in a NASA image released on January 31 and taken by the agencys Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous mission in 2000. Pic: AFP of all the platinum group metals mined in history, said the firm. Of about 9000 known near-Earth asteroids, more than 1500 are as reachable as the moon in terms of how much energy it would take for the trip. Experts such as Jeffrey Kargel of the University of Arizona warn the project, while exciting, is enormously difficult. Kargel said the first step, launching a space telescope makes sense and could be done with relative ease, but mining and returning the minerals to earth would be a formidable challenge. Its not a three year profit line, he said. AFP

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reg. no. 4744/2008 in respect of intl Class 5: Human pharmaceutical preparations. Fraudulent imitation or unauthorised use of the said Trade Mark will be dealt with according to law. Win Mu Tin, M.A., H.G.P., D.B.L for Johnson & Johnson P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 30th April, 2012

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Pakistans unplanned revolution

by Pankaj Mishra
RETURING in midApril from an instructive three weeks in Pakistan, I was detained briefly at Islamabads chaotic airport after an X-ray machine showed two highly suspicious music CDs and a USB memory stick in my check- in bag. The music was of Mehdi Hassan, my favourite singer in South Asia, and the USB was part of a PR packet given to me by a Bangkok hotelier. It didnt matter. For nearly three hours, two men in shalwar kameez members of one of Pakistans intelligence agencies supervised customs and immigration officials, and even the staff of my Middle Eastern airline, through an extensive scrutiny of my bags and the many visas in my passport. These plain clothed, thuggish-looking men seemed to confirm the popular Western stereotype of Pakistans deep state, a vast subterranean network of soldiers, spies, and militants-for- hire that A model on a board walk during the actually runs the country first day of Islamabad Fashion Week on while the state fails to April 10. Pakistan is a society in rapid provide health care and socioeconomic and political transition, education to a largely poor says Pankaj Mishra. Pic: AFP and illiterate population of nearly 190 million. I had last visited Pakistan in 2009, just as a near- credit-fueled consumerism writers, Oscar-winning architect and social scientist countrys overwhelmingly or even ordinary efficiency. hysterical Western media among the Indian middle filmmakers and the bold Arif Hasan calls Pakistans youthful population. The When I confronted one, was trumpeting that the c l a s s a p p e a r s a m u c h anchors of a lively new unplanned revolution. few unbiased commentators demanding to know his Karachi, where a mall of on Pakistans new television name and employers, he Taliban was only about bigger phenomenon than electronic media. This is the glamorously Dubai-grossness recently channels seem outnumbered scurried away. 100 kilometres (60 miles) the extraordinary Maoist His deep state seemed liberal country upheld by erupted near the citys b y t h e c r a z e d z e a l o t s from Islamabad. In the uprising in Central India. Likewise, a bloody anti- English-speaking Pakistanis main beach, now boasts a peddling visions of Hindu a bit shallow then. In any years since then, the Taliban has plainly failed state insurgency has raged fretting about their national first world economy and and Jewish malevolence. case, as Indonesia, Turkey sociology, but with a third A c a m p a i g n a g a i n s t and, most recently, Egypt to overrun Pakistan. Still, in Pakistans resource- image in the West. But much less conspicuous world wage and political corruption in public life and Tunisia have proved, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, rich Balochistan province may alert millions of young d e e p s t a t e s , h o w e v e r the founder of the banned for much of the previous and more significant, other structure. Even in Lyari, Karachis Pakistanis to the possibility c a n n i l y s t r u c t u r e d , terrorist group Lashkar- decade; it has merited little signs of a society in rapid e-Taiba, on whom the US attention since Western socioeconomic and political diseased old heart, where of participatory democracy; can no longer bottle up government placed a US$10 military objectives have transition abounded. The y o u n g g a n g s t e r s w i t h it may also turn them into political pressures created million bounty on April been more directly at stake elected parliament is about K a l a s h n i k o v s l u r k e d foot soldiers of an anti- by globalised economies, to complete its five- year term in the alleys, billboards political and authoritarian modern communications 2, remains depressingly in other parts of Pakistan. and raised expectations. T r a v e l l i n g t h r o u g h a rare event in Pakistan vended quick proficiency populism. ubiquitous. His defiant and Sustained by powerful Clearly, Pakistan widely reported speeches Pakistan, I realised how and its amendments to the in information technology could seem further proof of, if much my own knowledge constitution have taken and the English language. w o n t e a s i l y e s c a p e Pakistanis, demagogues not rampant Talibanisation, of the country was partial, away some if not all of the Everywhere, in the Salt the consequences of the such as Hafiz Saeed and then the indispensability d e f e c t i v e o r s i m p l y near- despotic prerogatives Range in northwestern delusions and follies of its many other plump-cheeked Punjab as well as the long security establishment and professional jihadis and of extremists to Pakistans useless. Certainly, truisms of the presidents office. anti-Shiite ruling classes. bigots will However, I o also saw much The unplanned revolution can come grievously unstuck if Pakistans economy fails c orn tsi n u e t a p e ent in this recent disagreeable visit that did to generate enough jobs for the countrys overwhelmingly youthful population. f a c e o f not conform Pakistan to to the main P o l i t i c a l p a r t i e s a r e corridor between Lahore its foreign patrons. The the world. Western narrative for South about the general state But their frenetic attempts Asia one in which India is of crisis were not hard scrambling to take advantage a n d I s l a m a b a d , w e r e suicide attacks that killed steadily rising and Pakistan to corroborate. Criminal of the strengthening ethno- gated housing colonies, thousands of Pakistanis at political alliance-building gangs shot rocket-propelled l i n g u i s t i c m o v e m e n t s p r i v a t e u n i v e r s i t i e s , i n r e c e n t y e a r s h a v e reveal that they, too, are rapidly collapsing. Born of certain geopolitical grenades at each other and for provincial autonomy f a s t - f o o d r e s t a u r a n t s decreased. But the army, struggling to stay relevant n e e d s a n d e x i g e n c i e s , the police in Karachis i n P u n j a b a n d S i n d h a n d o t h e r m a r k e r s o f though overstretched and i n a r a p i d l y c h a n g i n g this vision was always L y a r i n e i g h b o r h o o d . provinces. Young men and P a k i s t a n s b r e a k n e c k exhausted by the war on society. Foreign policy makers and terrorism and increasingly most useful to those who Shiite Hazaras were being women, poor as well as suburbanisation. None of t h e s e challenged by politicians commentators especially have built up India as an assassinated in Balochistan upper middle class, have investment destination and every day. Street riots broke suddenly buoyed the anti- developments conform to and the news media, still those for whom the Taliban a strategic counterweight out in several places over corruption campaign led by a clear pattern of linear seems far from giving up are forever only about to China, and who have severe power shortages Imran Khan, a cricket star m o v e m e n t a s c e n t t o its proprietary rights over 100 kilometres away from greatness or descent into Pakistans politics and Islamabad would do well sought to bribe and cajole indeed, the one sound turned politician. to recognise this ferment of After radically increasing chaos popularised by economy. P a k i s t a n s m i l i t a r y - that seemed to unite the Old habits will die hard, as Pakistan, even if they cant intelligence establishment country was the groan of the size of the consumerist recent accounts of South diesel generators, helping middle class to 30 million, Asia, which rest on simple- indicated by the intelligence yet assess its scale and into the war on terrorism. Seen through the narrow the more affluent cope with Pakistans formal economy, m i n d e d n o t i o n s a b o u t agents trying to decipher complexity. Bloomberg which grew only 2.4 percent Europe and the USs deeply my notebook. But they may News lens of the Wests security early summer heat. (Pankaj Mishras new In this eternally air- in 2011, currently presents traumatic experience of grow obsolete and futile and economic interests, the first: Mechanically sifting book, From the Ruins of nation-building. great internal contradictions c o n d i t i o n e d P a k i s t a n , a dismal picture. The unplanned revolution through my faded credit Empire: The Revolt Against But the informal sector of and tumult within these meanwhile, there exist two large nation-states f a s h i o n s h o w s , r o c k the economy, which spreads can come grievously unstuck card receipts and weeks- the West and the Remaking bands, literary festivals, across rural and urban if Pakistans economy fails to old laundry, the spooks of Asia, will be published in disappear. In the Western view, the internationally prominent areas, is creating what the generate enough jobs for the conveyed little conviction August).

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Son of disgraced Chinese leader breaks his silence

BEIJING The son of a disgraced Chinese leader being investigated for massive corruption has denied reports he drove a Ferrari and said his expensive overseas education was funded by scholarships and family savings. Bo Guagua, who is studying at Harvard University in the United States, has come under intense scrutiny since his father Bo Xilai and mother Gu Kailai became implicated in the biggest political scandal to hit China in decades. His partying and alleged extravagant lifestyle have triggered criticism in a country where the rich-poor divide is widening and anger over corruption and perceived impunity among leaders and their children is on the rise. In a statement to The Harvard Crimson Harvards university newspaper Bo, 24, broke his weeks-long silence and tried to address questions about how his parents managed to fund his prestigious education overseas. My tuition and living expenses at Harrow School, University of Oxford and Harvard University were funded exclusively by two sources scholarships earned independently, and my mothers generosity from the savings she earned from her years as a successful lawyer and writer, he wrote. Gu is under investigation in China for the suspected murder of British national Neil Heywood, who reportedly facilitated Bo Guaguas entry into Britains exclusive Harrow School. Bo Xilai, meanwhile, was sacked from his post as boss of Chongqing city in March and then suspended from the Communist Partys hugely powerful, 25-member Politburo for serious discipline violations code in China for graft. Even before his fathers ouster, pictures of Bo Guagua had emerged online showing him partying at Oxford and rumours spread that he drove a Ferrari. But in his statement published on April 24 in the United States, he said he had never driven a Ferrari. When it announced his mothers probe for murder earlier this month, the official Xinhua news agency also implicated Bo Guagua, saying he and Gu had conflict with Heywood over economic interests, which had been intensified. But in the statement, Bo Guagua said he had never lent his name or participated in any for-profit businesses or ventures in China or abroad. He also sought to quell reports that he had been a bad student, and said he had obtained top grades in 11 subjects in public exams taken in Britain. He added he had been awarded a 2:1 in his Politics, Philosophy and Economics degree at Oxford the second best class of degree. AFP

VN hosts visits by US, China warships

Shots, tear gas fired in Vietnam land protest
HANOI Vietnamese riot police fired warning shots and tear gas to break up a protest by hundreds of angry farmers against a forced eviction on the outskirts of the capital Hanoi on April 24, witnesses said. About 700 farmers gathered from late the previous day in the culmination of a six-yearlong dispute over the confiscation of land for a planned satellite city, after hearing the longthreatened eviction would go ahead. Authorities blocked all the roads leading into the area in Hung Yen province where the farmers gathered and were believed to have seized some 72 hectares (178 acres) of land, which was home to 166 households. Gunshots were fired in the air... Police used tear gas and beat some people, then took them away. They have cleared all our farmland, said a 51-yearold protester whose name AFP has withheld to protect her security. Land disputes with local authorities are an increasingly contentious issue in communist Vietnam, where all land is owned by the state and usage rights are not always clear or protected. More than 70 percent of all complaints lodged with authorities nationwide concern land. The area is to be developed by EcoPark, a satellite city being built by a private company, Viet Hung Co Ltd, which the farmers say was granted 500 hectares of their land without proper negotiations. The Viet Hung company has been trying since 2004 to build the new city on the land for a total investment estimated at about US$250 million. EcoPark offered residents of the area 36 million dong ($1700) as compensation for every 360-square-metre plot of land. A number of households refused to accept, saying the compensation was too low, farmers said. After a series of protests staged by the farmers in 2006, the project was temporarily suspended, but work has since restarted. AFP

HANOI A Chinese naval ship was visiting Ho Chi Minh City last week, state media said, as the US and Vietnam continued a separate week-long naval exchange amid rising tensions in the South China Sea. The Chinese vessel, which arrived in Vietnams southern port city on April 23 on a threeday visit, will carry out professional exchanges to share experience and foster friendly relations, the official Vietnam News Agency said on April 25. In central Danang city, the US and Vietnam were on the third day of preplanned non-combatant naval exchange activities, which will include disaster control training aboard the guided missile destroyer USS Chafee. On April 24, Vietnam said it held indisputable sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Islands, responding to what it said was a new Chinese drive to implement a nationwide plan for islands protection. The new plan seriously violates Vietnams sovereignty over the two archipelagoes and China must immediately cancel the effort, said foreign ministry spokesman Luong Thanh Nghi.

Vietnamese police watch as the US Seventh Fleets USS Blue Ridge enters the port of Tien Sa at Danang on April 23. The USS Blue Ridge was visiting Vietnam with the guided missile cruiser USS Chafee and the rescue and salvage ship, USNS Safeguard. Pic: AFP China and South Vietnam once administered different parts of the Paracels but after a brief conflict in 1974 Beijing took control of the entire group of islands. Vietnam holds several of the larger Spratly Islands which China claims, and the neighbouring countries have recently been locked in a string of diplomatic rows over their conflicting claims. In another development involving territorial tensions, China on April 25 warned the Philippines not to internationalise the two countries simmering territorial dispute in the South China Sea, as US and Philippine forces staged war games in the area. China has been locked in a maritime dispute with the Philippines over the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, a body of water considered a potential Asian flashpoint due to the overlapping claims of several nations. Internationalising this issue will only complicate and magnify the situation, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Weimin told reporters in response to a question about the current situation in the dispute. We do not wish to see the Philippines get other countries involved and get them to take sides over the issue. He spoke as US and Filipino soldiers staged an operation in which they stormed the Philippine island of Palawan in a military exercise. A Philippine military official stressed the exercise was not a veiled threat against China, which has protested against US moves to boost its military presence in the region. AFP

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niSa Co., LTd., of 1078/181-184 Soi Sudsakorn Prannok Rd. Bangkoknoi, Bangkok, Thailand, is the Owner of the following Trade Marks:-

Trade Mark CauTionary noTiCe

Notice is hereby given that our client, HARMONY VENTURE HOLDINGS PTE. LTD., a company registered at 30 Robinson Road, #11-01 Robinson Towers, Singapore 048546 is the owner and sole proprietor of the following Trade Mark:

Trade Mark CauTionary noTiCe

Notice is hereby given that our client, HARMONY VENTURE HOLDINGS PTE. LTD., a company registered at 30 Robinson Road, #11-01 Robinson Towers, Singapore 048546 is the owner and the sole proprietor of the following trade mark:

reg. no. 838/2002

rangoon Beer
Registration No. 4/2446/2012 To be used in connection with Beers; Wine and Alcoholic beverages.

yangon Beer
Registration No. 4/2447/2012 To be used in connection with Beers; Wine and Alcoholic beverages. Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trade mark or infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. Soe Win Advocate #0502/5 Sakura Tower Ph:255055/255407 For HARMONY VENTURE HOLDINGS PTE LTD. Dated: 30th April, 2012

reg. no. 839/2002

reg. no. 840/2002

in respect of Underwear, shirt , pant. 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 niSa Co., LTd. P. O. Box 60, Yangon. E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 30th April, 2012

Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said Trade Mark or infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. Soe Win Advocate #0502/5 Sakura Tower Ph:255055/255407 For HARMONY VENTURE HOLDING PTE LTD. Dated: 30th April, 2012

23
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Briefs
Former rebel village officials punished
BEIJING China has punished former officials of the Guangdong village of Wukan for corruption, state media said on April 23 after their land grabs sparked an unprecedented uprising that began last September. Guangdong party authorities said eight Wukan officials had been punished for corruption following a three month inquiry, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. They included former party secretary Xue Chang, who was formally expelled from the party and had 189,200 yuan (US$30,000) in illegal income confiscated, Xinhua said.

Pakistan test-fires nuclear-capable missile

ISLAMABAD Pakistan successfully test-fired a nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile on April 26, the military said, less than a week after India launched a long-range missile. The exact range of Pakistans missile was not revealed, but retired General Talat Masood, a defence analyst, told AFP intermediate-range ballistic missiles could reach targets up to 2500-3000 kilometres (15501850 miles) away which would put almost all of arch-rival India within reach. On April 19, India test-fired its long-range Agni V missile, which can deliver a one-tonne nuclear warhead, bringing anywhere in China into range. Pakistan today successfully conducted the launch of the intermediate-range ballistic missile Hatf IV Shaheen-1A weapon system, Pakistans military said in a statement. India and Pakistan which have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947 have routinely carried out missile tests since both demonstrated nuclear weapons capability in 1998. Pakistans most recent missile test came in March with the launch of the short-range nuclear-capable Abdali, while in April 2008 it tested the Shaheen II, or Hatf VI, missile with a range of 2000 kilometres. The missile fired last week, which landed in the sea, was a version of the Shaheen-1 with improvements in range and technical parameters, the military said, and can carry nuclear and conventional warheads. This is part of Pakistans program to develop nuclear and missile deterrence. It has a series of missiles in its inventory. This is perhaps the longest-range missile in its program, retired general Masood told AFP. The whole object is essentially India-centric while Indias own program is directed towards China. Pakistan is engaged in improving its missile system as India continues to increase its capability. Indias missile test the previous week brought a muted international response, with China downplaying its significance, insisting the countries were partners not rivals, and Washington calling for restraint among nuclear powers. This was in sharp contrast to the widespread fury and condemnation that greeted North Koreas unsuccessful test launch of a longrange rocket on April 13. AFP

Conviction puts PMs future in doubt

ISLAMABAD Pakistans prime minister was convicted of contempt of court by the countrys highest court on April 26 but given only a token sentence in a case that could still see him thrown out of office. The Supreme Court found Yousuf Raza Gilani guilty of contempt over his refusal to obey an order to write to the authorities in Switzerland to ask them to re-open corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari. Gilani had faced a maximum sentence of six months in prison, but the court ordered him to be imprisoned until the hearing adjourned and he emerged shortly afterwards smiling and waving to supporters. The conviction raised the possibility that Gilani Pakistans longest serving prime minister could be disqualified from office. Under Pakistans constitution anyone convicted of defaming or ridiculing the judiciary is barred from being an MP, but legal experts say the process to disqualify Gilani could be a lengthy one, involving the parliamentary speaker and the Election Commission. For reasons to be recorded later Prime Minister and chief executive Yousuf Raza Gilani is found guilty and convicted for contempt of court, Justice Nasir ul Mulk, the head of the seven-judge Supreme Court bench, said. The judge said Gilanis offence tends to bring this court and the judiciary of the country into ridicule. The conviction was likely to entail serious consequences for Gilani under the section of the constitution covering the disqualification of MPs, Mulk said, and this was taken as a mitigating factor in sentencing. He is therefore punished under section five of contempt of court ordinance with imprisonment till rising of the court, the judge said. The case has been highly politically charged, with members of the government accusing judges of over-stepping their reach and of trying to bring down the prime minister and president, a year before the administration would become the first in Pakistan to complete an elected term. AFP

Italy compensates fishermens families

T H I R U V A N A N THAPURAM, India The Italian government has paid compensation of US$190,000 each to the families of two Indian fishermen allegedly shot dead by Italian marines in February, lawyers said on April 24. The two marines, who are in custody in the southern Indian state of Kerala and face murder charges, were deployed as guards on an Italian oil tanker when they were accused of shooting dead the fishermen after mistaking them for pirates.

Security guards and supporters surround Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on April 26 as he leaves the Supreme Court in Islamabad after being convicted of contempt of court. Pic: AFP

Mystery disease kills 19 in Vietnam

HANOI The World Health Organisation said on April 23 it was concerned about an outbreak of a mysterious skin disease in central Vietnam which has killed 19 people, mostly children. Nearly 200 people have fallen ill with the unidentified illness, which causes stiffness in the limbs and ulcers on victims hands and feet that look like severe burns. AFP

Ozawa cleared in funding scandal

TOKYO One of the most powerful men in Japanese politics was found not guilty on April 26 of a major funding scandal. Ichiro Ozawa, 69, was cleared by the Tokyo District Court of allegations he conspired with aides to hide 400 million yen (US$4.9 million) he lent to his political funding body in 2004 for a land deal. His aides had said the mistake was purely technical and their boss a former Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) leader who engineered the partys 2009 election victory had not been aware of it. NHK quoted presiding Judge Fumio Daizen as telling the court: It has been decided that he is innocent because there is no evidence proving his conspiracy. In a brief statement after the hearing, Ozawa said: The court ruling is in line with my assertion that there was no conspiracy related to a false statement. I pay my respects to the court for showing its common sense and fairness, and I am grateful for people who have supported me. Ozawa is the head of the largest grouping in the DPJ, and the verdict clears the way for him to confront Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda over controversial plans to double sales tax by 2015. Ozawas faction opposes the move. AFP

Trade Mark CauTion

NOTICE is hereby given that de rigo S.p.a. of Zona Industriale Villanova 12, 32013 Longarone (BL), Italy is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trademarks:-

(reg: no. iV/367/1995) in respect of:- eye glasses, sun glasses, eye glass frames, eye glass chains, eye glass cases, eye glass cords, eye glass lenses, contact lenses, containers for contact lenses The said trademark is registered under registration number iV/4645/2009 in respect of:Precious metals and their alloys and goods in precious metals or coated therewith, not included in other classes; jewellery, precious stones; horological and chronometric instruments Class: 14 iV/4646/2009 in respect of:Leather and imitations of leather, and goods made of these materials and not included in other classes; animal skins, hides; trunks and travelling bags Class: 18 iV/4647/2009 in respect of:Clothing, footwear, headgear Class: 25 Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademarks or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. U Kyi Win Associates for de rigo S.p.a. P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 30th April, 2012

Trade Mark CauTion

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

Trade Mark CauTion

NOTICE is hereby given that astellas Pharma inc. a company organized under the laws of Japan and having its principal office at 3-11, NihonbashiHoncho, 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Japan is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trademark:-

POLICE

(reg: nos. iV/5007/2001 & iV/2808/2012) in respect of:- Passenger cars, tires, tubes, flaps, wheels for tires in Class: 12 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 Hankook Tire Co., LTd P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 30th April, 2012

(reg: nos. iV/9329/2005 & iV/2810/2012) in respect of:Pharmaceutical preparations and substances Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. U Kyi Win Associates for astellas Pharma inc. P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 30th April, 2012

oMniCeF

asia
April 30 - May 6, 2012
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UK to put more emphasis on ties with Asia: Hague

HANOI Britain is giving increased emphasis to its relationship with Asia and is expanding its diplomatic presence in the region, Foreign Secretary William Hague said in Vietnam on April 25. Hague, the first British foreign secretary to visit Hanoi in 17 years, said the two-day visit was part of a new drive to bolster the very important relationship between the two countries, particularly improving business ties. Our bilateral trade increased 33 percent last year in 2011. We now have two and a half billion dollars of investments by British businesses in Vietnam, he said. The countries are also looking at a stronger dialogue and cooperation on defence in the future, he said, but added this was at an early stage. Hague, who was to travel on to Singapore and Brunei later last week, said Britain was expanding its diplomatic British Foreign Secretary William Hague gestures during an address to Vietnamese students at the British Council in Hanoi on April 25. Hague is the first British foreign secretary to visit Hanoi in 17 years. Pic: AFP

Swedish whistleblower tells why he leaked Bofors scandal papers

NEW DELHI The whistleblower in one of Indias biggest corruption scandals in the 1980s, which tarnished then-prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, broke cover on April 26 to explain why he leaked crucial documents to the media. Sten Lindstrom, head of the Swedish police when the Bofors scandal broke in 1987, handed evidence seized during his investigation to Indian newspapers, including to journalist Chitra Subramaniam-Duella. The case revolved around the sale of 410 artillery guns to India by Swedish group AB Bofors, which was subsequently accused of paying millions of dollars in bribes to secure the US$1.3 billion deal, notably to a businessman with links to Gandhi. I could not count on my government or Bofors or the government of India to get to the bottom this, Lindstrom said in an interview with Subramaniam-Duella on The Hoot media website. My only option was to leak the documents to someone we could trust, he said. Lindstrom said that there was no evidence that Gandhi had received a bribe, but the leader watched the massive cover up in India and Sweden and did nothing which meant innocent people were punished while the guilty got away. In comments that raise more questions about the investigation into the scandal, Lindstrom added that there was conclusive evidence against Ottavio Quattrocchi, the Italian middleman linked to Gandhi. In March last year, Indian police definitively closed down their probe saying they did not have enough evidence to prosecute anyone and that further enquiries were a waste of taxpayers money. Rajiv Gandhi was voted out of office in 1989 largely over the Bofors deal. He was assassinated in 1991 by ethnic Tamil extremists. His Italian-born wife Sonia today heads the Congress party, which is again embroiled in a host of corruption scandals. AFP

network in the region. Vietnam and Britain have important differences, over human rights and democracy, Hague said, adding that by engaging with the communist regime Britain hopes to influence the country in a positive direction.

Some of this work may take a long time but it is very important that we are engaged in it, he added. On April 25, Human Rights Watch said the Vietnamese government systematically suppresses freedom of expression, association and

peaceful assembly. In a briefing paper sent to the Australian government ahead of an annual bilateral rights dialogue which opened in Hanoi on April 26, the New York-based group urged Canberra to call for the release of all political prisoners. AFP

Trade Mark CauTion

MerCk kGaa, a partnership limited by shares, of Darmstadt, Germany, is the Owner of the following Trade Marks:-

MerCk Serono
reg. no. 8582/2006

reg. no. 2636/2007 in respect of Class 01: Chemicals used in industry, science and photography, as well as in agriculture, horticulture and forestry; unprocessed artificial resins, unprocessed plastics; manures; fire extinguishing compositions; tempering and soldering preparations; chemical substances for preserving foodstuffs; tanning substances; adhesives used in industry. Class 02: Paints, varnishes, lacquers; preservatives against rust and against deterioration of wood; colorants; mordants; raw natural resins; metals in foil and powder form for painters, decorators, printers and artist. Class 03: Bleaching preparations and other substances for laundry use; cleaning, polishing, scouring and abrasive preparations; soaps; perfumery, essential oils, cosmetics, hair lotions; dentifrices. Class 05: Pharmaceutical and veterinary preparations; medical products (included in Class 5); sanitary preparations for medical purposes; dietetic substances adapted for medical use, food for babies; plasters, materials for dressings; material for stopping teeth, dental wax; disinfectants. Class 09: Scientific, nautical, surveying, electric (included in Class 9); photographic, cinematographic, optical, weighing, measuring, signalling, checking (supervision), life-saving and teaching apparatus and instruments; apparatus for recording, transmission or reproduction of sound or images; magnetic data carriers, recording

discs; automatic vending machines and mechanisms for coin operated apparatus; cash registers, calculating machines, data processing equipment and computers; fire-extinguishing apparatus. Class 10: Surgical, medical, dental and veterinary apparatus and instruments, artificial limbs, eyes and teeth; orthopedic articles; suture materials. Class 16: Paper, cardboard and goods made from these materials, not included in other classes; printed matter; bookbinding material; photographs; stationery; adhseives for stationery or household purposes; artists materials; paint brushes; typewriters and office requisites (except furniture); instructional and teaching material (except apparatus); plastic materials for packaging (not included in other classes); printers type; printing blocks. Class 29: Meat, fish, poultry and game; meat extracts; preserved, dried and cooked fruits and vegetables; jellies, jams, compotes; eggs, milk and milk products; edible oils and fats. Class 30: Coffee, tea, cocoa, sugar, rice, tapioca, sago, artificial coffee; flour and preparations made from cereals, bread, pastry and confectionery, ices; honey, treacle; yeast, baking-powder; salt, mustard; vinegar, sauces (condiments); spices; ice. Class 35: Advertising; business management; business administration; office functions. Class 42: Providing legal advice and representation; scientific and industrial research; development of computer programs for data processing; leasing of access time to medical electronic databases; providing scientific advise; furnishing of scientific opinions; design, execution and analysis of scientific studies. Class 44: Health care services; hygienic and beauty care; veterinary and agricultural services; providing information and advise in the field of health care; medical and pharmaceutical advise; furnishing of medical and pharmaceutical opinions; design, execution and analysis of clinical trials. 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 MerCk kGaa P.O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 30th April, 2012

War hero elected president

DILI Former guerrilla fighter Taur Matan Ruak has officially won East Timors presidential election, showed a court statement that confirmed preliminary results announced earlier. The Supreme Court of Appeals said in a statement dated on April 23 that Ruak had won 61.2 percent of the vote, beating rival Francisco Guterres Lu Olo in the April 16 run-off ballot. Ruak, a hero of the 24year war against Indonesian occupation and a former army chief, will replace Nobel Peace Prize winner Jose Ramos-Horta, who trailed in third place in the first round of voting on March 17. Ruak, 55, will lead an impoverished and oildependent country which this month celebrates a decade of formal independence, and later this year bids goodbye to UN peacekeepers stationed on the half-island nation since 1999. On July 7, voters will also choose a new government in a general election. Ruak resigned as defence chief to run for president. He had vowed to introduce mandatory military service if elected. While the presidency is largely ceremonial, it has enjoyed a high profile under Ramos-Horta. AFP

Trade Mark CauTionary noTiCe

Notice is hereby given that our client, HARMONY VENTURE HOLDINGS PTE. LTD., a company registered at 30 Robinson Road, #11-01 Robinson Towers, Singapore 048546 is the owner and sole proprietor of the following Trade Mark:

real Cow
Registration No. 4/2448/2012 To be used in connection with milk and milk products (Condensed Milk, Evaporated Milk, Milk Powder, Sweetened Creamer). Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said Trade Mark or infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. Soe Win Advocate #0502/5 Sakura Tower Ph:255055/255407 For HARMONY VENTURE HOLDING PTE LTD. Dated: 30th April, 2012

Time out
Myanmar gets its own drama series
By Nyein Ei Ei Htwe MYANMAR will finally have its own locally produced dramatic television series when MRTV-4 launches A Chit Thin Kay Ta (The Sign of Love) on April 30, directors at the TV station told The Myanmar Times last week. The series is being produced by local directors from MRTV-4 in cooperation with French director Benoit de Lorme and his team, along with technological support from France. Production on the series started in early 2012, and shooting for Part 1 has now been completed. The entire series will consist of five parts, each with 26 episodes of 20 minutes apiece. Almost all countries with television channels broadcast their own dramatic series, but since the 1990s the local stations in Myanmar have only broadcast series from China and South Korea, said U Htin Kyaw, a director at MRTV-4. He said one of the challenges of shooting the first part was dealing with new actors. There are a lot of difficulties shooting with newface actors for a long drama series, but they all tried very hard. They understand that if they arent good actors, no one will know them. But as a director, I am satisfied with their performances, he said. Another challenge was working under the strict schedule set by the French directors to ensure that they finished by the deadline. Under their schedule we finished 26 episodes in five weeks, which as a new experience for the local directors and actors, U Htin Kyaw said. The French directors called all the participants, including the actors and camera men, to meet at 6:30am every day and try to arrive at the shooting location on 7am. They allotted one hour for make-up, and then we shot from 8am to 5:30pm, he said. He said the strict schedule was one of the reasons why they avoided hiring wellknown actors for the series. The local superstar actors cant accept such a schedule. Most of them are accustomed to arriving on the set at 9am and starting work at 10am or 11am, he said. Also, the series requires a big time commitment that might not be okay for wellknown actors who have to work for other directors. Thats why we didnt offer them any parts. U Htin Kyaw said A Chit Thin Kay Ta includes plot elements based on Myanmar beliefs and traditions, such as connections between past and present lives, and combines them with both local and international filmmaking techniques. We cant show all of our beliefs and all of our culture in every scene, and most people, including the actors, enjoy South Korean movies and want to act like Korean actors, but we encouraged them to give a local feel to their performances, he said. There is some similarity

25
The Myanmar Times April 30 - May 6, 2012

Actress Soe Nandar Kyaw portrays a Konbaung-era princess on the set of A Chit Thin Kay Ta (The Sign of Love). Pic: Supplied with South Korean dramas because we used internationalstandard lighting and editing techniques. If there are some mistakes and additional needs, well try to improve for the last four parts, he said. U Htin Kyaw added that he hoped Myanmar would develop film studios in the future because they faced many difficulties shooting on location. The lead actor in A Chit Thin Kay Ta, Myat Thu Kyaw, said he was glad to play a prominent role in the series, although he added that his hopes for the project were modest. Because the series will be broadcast weekly on MRTV-4, the audience will have the chance to watch us perform more than if we were in a movie, he said. I tried my best but I feel that I still need to do a lot of work on my acting, he added. The directors have tried to teach us how to fix our weak points, and now we are preparing to shot the next parts of the series. U Htin Kyaw said MRTV-4 has also issued a call for new actors to audition for supporting roles for upcoming parts of the series. Episodes of A Chit Thin Kay Ta will be broadcast every Monday and Tuesday following the 8pm news, and every Thursday and Friday at 12 noon. on May 1 and 2 at CDEC (Big Room), 2nd Floor, Tower (B), Diamond Condominium, Pyay Road, Kamayut township, Yangon. The exhibition will open from 9:30am to 5pm.

Artists call for new organisational meeting

By May Sandy ARTISTS unsatisfied with a recent reorganisation of the Traditional Arts and Artisans Association say they are planning to hold a conference later this year aimed at decentralising management of the arts in Myanmar. The proposed conference, in which all artists throughout the country will be invited to participate, will also seek to recruit a more effective executive committee for the association and ensure that the organisation releases accurate financial statements annually, artist U Nay Aung Shu said last week. He said that many artists were unhappy with the results of a meeting held by the Traditional Arts and Artisans Association at the National Museum in Yangon at the end of March. At that meeting, U Maung Maung Hla Myint was elected chairman of the association, and 46 new executive committee members were also named. The new chairman is a very good person. We all like and respect him but there are still many old people in the committee, and we want to change these people, Nay Aung Shu said. Also, the meeting was unfair because for every 50 member artists in each township throughout the country, only one artist was allowed to attend. Association secretary U Ni Po Oo acknowledged that the number of invitees had been limited. Based on our list of the number of artists in each township, we sent out invitations saying that each township could send one representative for every 50 artists in their area. It would not have been easy for us to accommodate all artists at the meeting, U Ni Po Oo said. All the other artists must give duties to their representative. Since our association is under the Ministry of Culture, the decision of the election is administered by the director general, director, professors and lecturers. U Nay Aung Shu was part of a group of 400 artists from throughout Myanmar who on February 23 had sent a letter to Parliament asking for an explanation of the accounts of the association, as well as a restructuring of the organisation based on democratic principles through which effective executives members could be elected. At a press conference held in Yangon on March 17, the disgruntled artists called for the associations activities, including the meeting at the National Museum, to be suspended until the government made a decision on the situation. Parliamentary officials supported our case, but the meeting was held anyway, Nay Aung Shu said. Another member of the group asking for a new meeting, artist Ko San Oo, said no date had been picked for the proposed conference but they already had enough financial support to hold the event. Many artists do not accept the results of the [late March] meeting. A lot of them did not attend. This time we are organising a nationwide conference that everyone working in the industry will be invited to attend. Many people have already pledged financial support, he said.

Events Flash
with ...

Nuam Bawi

Mothers Day show

A free concert featuring Phyu Phyu Kyaw Thein, Chan Chan and others will be held at Myawsinkyun, Kandawgyi Park, on May 13 from 2pm to 6pm. Bone scan tests will also be available at the concert courtesy of Anlene milk company.

Hair care concert

Yone Lay, Cyclone, G Tone, Snare, G Family, Jauk Jack, Kyaw Htut Swe, Sandi Myint Lwin, Yadana My, Eaint Chit, Ni Ni Khin Zaw and many others will perform live at Mya Yeik Nyo Hotel on May 5, starting at 5:30pm. Tickets cost K5000, or two packages of Silk N Shine hair products can be exchanged for one ticket at City Mart, Ocean Super Market, Orange Super Market and Ruby Mart.

Recycled art
A Recycled Art Exhibition, organised by I-Green Organisation, will be held

timeout 2
April 30 - May 6, 2012
the

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Vogue article on Syrian first lady backfires

By Paul Farhi IT may have been the worst-timed, and most tineared, magazine article in decades. Asma al-Assad is glamorous, young and very chic the freshest and most magnetic of first ladies, writer Joan Juliet Buck began her profile of Syrias first lady in Vogue last year. Amid descriptions of Assads energetic grace and Christian Laboutin shoes, Buck wrote: The 35-year-old first ladys central mission is to change the mindset of six million Syrians under 18, encourage them to engage in what she calls active citizenship. Well, perhaps. But just as Bucks profile appeared, her husband, Bashar al-Assad, began a bloody crackdown on his opponents. Since then, about 9000 Syrians have been slaughtered by security forces loyal to Assad, Syrias hereditary president. Rather than the progressive, arts-loving, British-educated banker of Bucks telling, meanwhile, Asma al-Assad has emerged as the Marie Antoinette of the Arab Spring. E-mails leaked by Syrian opposition groups last month showed B u c k s s t o r y i s s t i l l available on the subscribersonly Nexis database, which archives published articles and broadcast transcripts. According to The Atlantic magazine, the only freely available copy of A Rose in the Desert is on a site maintained by a Syrian journalist (Presidentassad. net, which calls Bashar the President of a Just & Comprehensive Peace). The site is based in Syria, which places it beyond the reach of Vogues owner, Conde Nast. Vogues editors arent eager to talk about the story or their efforts to make it disappear. Editor Anna Wintours office and Vo g u e . c o m s m a n a g i n g editor, Alexandra Macon, both referred calls to the magazines spokesperson, Megan Salt, who didnt respond to calls and emails requesting comment. Buck also did not reply. Although the Vogue piece didnt mention it, the photos that accompanied the article of Asma, her husband and two of their children at home in Damascus were facilitated by an American public-relations firm working for the Syrian government. The firm, Brown Lloyd James, was paid US$25,000 to set up a photo session with James Nachtwey, the famed war photographer who shot the pictures for Vogue. Our firms role was limited to liaising between the two sides to schedule logistics for the piece in November 2010, the company said in a statement on April 26. It said it began working for the Syrian government during a thaw in relations with the US and during a period when the international community was encouraging increased engagement with Syria. Asma al-Assad was briefly in the news again last month when the wives of the British and German ambassadors to the United Nations released a video and online petition calling on her to use her influence with her husband to end the bloodshed in Syria. The video mixes glamorous photos and footage of the Syrian first lady including one of Nachtweys photos from Vogue with clips of dead and injured Syrian children. Stand up for peace, Asma, says the voiceover. Stop being a bystander. Asma al-Assad has not replied. Buck, the storys author, suggested in an interview with NPR last month that the children who appeared in the Vogue photos probably werent the Assads real children, but decoys planted for security purposes. Buck said it was horrifying to have been near the Assads. Her biggest regret: that Vogue chose to call her profile A Rose in the Desert. The Washington Post

Wu Tim, grandson of Chinese artist Wu Guanzhong, views the exhibit of works by his grandfather at the Asia Society in New York on April 24. Pic: AFP

US exhibition opens for Chinese artist Wu

By Sebastian Smith NEW YORK The first major US retrospective of Chinese artist Wu Guanzhong opened last week in New York, fulfilling the painters dying wish to be better known in the West and signalling the continued rise of Chinese art on the international stage. Wu, whose 1919 to 2010 life spanned nearly all of Chinas tumultuous 20th century and rise as a world power in the 21st, had previously been shown in Europe but never in a serious way in the United States. Officials from Shanghai, where the Shanghai Art Museum houses much of Wus work, on April 24 also used a preview of the exhibition at the Asia Society in Manhattan to announce a major expansion of museum space this October, underlining the energy being put into Chinas art presence. In fact, Wus story mirrors much of Chinas modern relationship with art and the outside world. Although he eventually became one of Chinas most celebrated painters, breathing new life into traditional ink techniques, Wu long struggled to gain recognition in the West while suffering persecution at home. Most importantly, he wanted to be appreciated and recognised from the Western point of view and perspective, said Wus son, Wu Keyu, his remarks translated into fluent English by Wus grandson. This opportunity here, I think, is really the kind of platform that I think he himself wants to showcase his works. Wu said at the preview that his father suffered banishment and obscurity in the Cultural Revolution, but was also lucky to live when China started to open its doors, especially to the Western world. Works of his went from being worth nothing to something thats worth millions of dollars today. The exhibition, set to run through August 5, focuses on Wus ink works, which are unusually large and bright. He ran counter to what all the other artists in China were interested in, Melissa Chiu, the Asia Society museum director, said at the preview. He really did reenergise this traditional medium. Chiu indicated that the arrival of the Wu exhibit in New York reflected a new relationship between Western and Chinese curators. For a long time, American museums have worked in such a way where we borrow objects. We control the curatorial, really produce the exhibitions ourselves, she said. Now Chinese museums want to be equal partners, she said, and this was truly a partnership. The Shanghai Art Museum is to open new premises on October 1 in the building previously used as the China Pavilion in the World Expo, Shanghai 2010, making it one of the largest such institutions in the country. An entirely new Shanghai Contemporary Art Centre will be opened at the same time in a former electrical power plant. I think more and more an internationalised metropolis must be living under continuous development of culture, said Teng Jungjie, artistic director of the Shanghai Municipal Culture Administration. AFP

Asma al-Assad has emerged as the Marie Antoinette of the Arab Spring.
that she was involved in shopping online for jewellery, chandeliers and designer shoes in boutiques in Paris and London while her governments violent repression was underway. Bucks article, in the March 2011 issue of Vogue, drew widespread surprise and ridicule, especially among Washingtons foreign-policy community, which had long regarded Syria as a regional troublemaker and leading violator of human rights. It contained little hint of the Assad familys history of repression, offering only that Syria is a country full of shadow zones. And then the story disappeared. The 3200-word article apparently proved so embarrassing to the magazine that it scrubbed it from its website, an almost unheard-of step for a mainstream media organisation and a generally acknowledged violation of digital etiquette. Today its impossible to find the article, A Rose in the Desert, on Vogues website. Links to it lead to a notice on Vogue.com reading, Oops. The page youre looking for cannot be found, next to a photo of a fashion model looking sternly into the camera.

Land allotted for film studio in Yangon

By Zon Pann Pwint THE Myanmar Motion Picture Organisation has been granted 100 acres of land by the government, on which to build a studio for use by the domestic film industry. The parcel of land, located at 10 Mile in Mayangone township in Yangon, was presented to the organisation by Minister of Industry (1) U Soe Thein on April 10. We will build the studio on the land, which is a fundamental requirement of the film industry, said actor U Zin Wyne, who was recently elected as the new chairman of the Myanmar Motion Picture Organisation (MMPO). Investors have offered to build the studio on the land, so we dont need to bear the full cost of construction. We will start as soon as possible. Director Myo Zaw Aung, assistant secretary of the organisation, said the studio would not be as high quality as those in Hollywood but would match the standards of others in Southeast Asia. In the past, Myanmar had prominent studios such Nyunt Myanmar, A1 and Mahar Tun. For example, A1 studio was 30 acres in size, and famous films based on history were made there, not to mention romantic films, he said. A1 Studio was established in Mayangone township in the 1930s, and the complex included a lake, forestland, a barn and rows of houses where members of film crews could live while they made movies. It was called Burma Hollywood because it represented the excitement and glamour of the film industry, said actor U Ko Myint, a great-grandson of U Ba Nyunt, who in 1908 founded Myanmar Aswe Company, out of which A1 Studio grew. But the older studios are now used for housing or other purposes. There are three studios at the Myanmar Motion Picture Enterprise headquarters on Golden Valley Road in Bahan township, Myo Zaw Aung said. Studio 1 was damaged in a fire, and Studio 2 and 3 currently function as office space. They dont know the worth and usefulness of these spaces. The two studios should be reverted to their original use. U Zin Wyne said MMPO will also work toward renovating the Myanmar Motion Picture Museum in Yangon, which is now in a poor state of repair. While the former executive members of MMPO were inviting tenders for the museums preservation, an election to restructure the organisation occurred. They had already raised funds, and they handed over the work of preserving the museum to us, he said.

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Not all in Asia are gaga over Lady Gaga

By David Watkins HONG KONG Accused of contaminating youngsters with satanic dance moves and intolerable outfits, the cult of Lady Gaga is on a collision course with Asias moral guardians ahead of her mammoth world tour. In other words, the performer who goes by the name of Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta when not clad in outfits made of raw meat or tottering on vertigo-inducing footwear is doing her job as a provocative pop star. The multi-million-selling artist arrived in South Korea several days ahead of the first date of her Born This Way Ball at Seouls 70,000 seat Olympic Stadium on April 27, the start of a touring juggernaut encompassing 110 dates. I will perform the tour of your life, the performer tweeted to her 23 million Twitter followers. The tour, featuring elaborate sets designed by in-house team Haus of Gaga, follows up on the success of her album Born This Way, which has sold nearly six million copies worldwide since it was released in May 2011. But amid the hype and clamour for tickets is a drum beat of protest from those who do not take the gender-bending antics of the frequently scantily clad US performer lightly. In June Gaga will head to Indonesia, the worlds biggest Muslim nation, where Islamic leaders have said her risqu outfits will not be tolerated. I call on Lady Gaga to respect our cultural and traditional values. Most people here are Muslims and we cannot tolerate her revealing outfits and sexy performances, said Indonesia Ulema Council leader Amidhan. He added, however, that the countrys highest Islamic body has no plan to issue a fatwa against her performing. Its better for Lady Gaga to cancel her show in this country if she has no willingness to respect our demand. Please do not destroy our nations morality and ruin our dignity, said Amidhan, who goes by one name. Big Daddy, the promoters for the concert in Jakarta, said tickets began selling in early March and were sold out within two weeks. We have informed Lady Gagas management [about these concerns], and they said that they will respect the country where she will perform, said Hanny Marpaung, corporate secretary for Big Daddy. But he added we still dont have any clue about what she will wear. Four of the Giorgio Armani outfits Lady Gaga wore for her Seoul concert were unveiled a few days ahead of the show, including a leotard fashioned from guitars and black body suit made of hundreds of glittering vinyl tubes sewn together with metal studs. Conservative Christian groups in South Korea rallied against the self-styled Mother Monster, accusing her of promoting pornography and homosexuality on malleable young minds. South Korea has East Asias largest Christian community after the Philippines, with about 8.6 million Protestants and 5.1 million Catholics. About 10 million South Koreans are Buddhists. Scores of Protestant church members held a group prayer

Filmmakers blame losses on YouTube

HONG KONG Hong Kong filmmakers on last week urged YouTube to do more to protect copyright, claiming losses of US$308 million due to pirated movie clips posted on the American video-sharing site. The Hong Kong Motion Pictures Industry Association (MPIA) accused the Googleowned company of severe copyright infringements after it found more than 500 illegally uploaded clips from 200 Hong Kong films including new releases. The videos had been viewed about 40 million times, the association said. This is a big blow to the Hong Kong film industry, MPIA chief executive Brian Chung said. If copyright infringement is allowed to continue, it will deter film investors from investing in local films and it will badly affect the quality and quantity of Hong Kong films. Movie producers in the southern Chinese city home of the late kung fu legend Bruce Lee and beloved of US directors such as Quentin Tarantino said the problem affected classics as well as new releases. Romantic comedy Love in the Buff, directed by Pang Ho-Cheung and starring Miriam Yeung, was uploaded in its entirety on YouTube within days of its release last month. It was removed after distributor Media Asia filed a complaint. Clips of award-winning A Simple Life, which is still showing in Hong Kong cinemas, were also on YouTube, along with comedy-action film Shaolin Soccer and martial arts flick Ip Man. As the worlds biggest video-sharing site, YouTube should ensure it will do all it can to protect copyrights, such as installing filters to prevent users from uploading copyrighted videos without permission Chung said. Google representatives were unavailable to comment. A German court earlier this month ruled that YouTube is responsible when users post copyrighted music clips without permission. AFP

A member of South Koreas Alliance for Sound Culture In Sexuality puts up a street banner against Lady Gagas Seoul concert in downtown Seoul on April 23. Pic: AFP on April 22 against the concert, calling her dance moves satanic performances that contaminate souls of the countrys youth. South Koreans aged under 18 were banned from the show, Lady Gagas second concert in the country, after the government rated it unsuitable for younger audiences. Internet portals and social network sites have been abuzz with intense debates, with most commentators accusing the religious groups of bigotry. What an international embarrassment they are! Do they really believe they can violate other peoples right to enjoy her show? said one anonymous user. In the Philippines, a youth organisation urged people to stay away from Gagas May 21 concert, saying it poses a threat to moral values in Asias largest Catholic nation. Organisers said fans have swiftly snapped up most tickets for the show, including the highest-priced 15,850peso (US$372) options. But Laurence Pintero, head of the Manila-based Youth for Christ, criticised the government for allowing the concert to take place. If the government thinks she is a threat, first and foremost they should stop it, he said. I think we should be bold. We discourage [people from] attending her concert. Elsewhere in the region, Gaga has been embraced. In Japan, whose Manga art and cosplay a phenomenon in which participants wear costumes representing a character or trend are clearly some of her biggest influences, she is affectionately known as Lady Gaga-san. Gaga won more friends after declaring Japan is safe when she visited three months after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that left 19,000 dead and sparked the Fukushima nuclear crisis that helped decimate tourism. And in Australia she was crowned Honorary Citizen of Sydney for using her star power against prejudice directed at gay men and women. Then theres the tiny Pacific atoll of Niue, about 2500 kilometres (1500 miles) northeast of New Zealand, which pledged that all of its 1600 inhabitants would attend a Lady Gaga concert in a bid to lure her to its shores. Tickets for Lady Gagas shows in Singapore and Hong Kong sold out within hours, with three extra dates shows added at the Chinese territorys Asia World-Expo venue as buyers queued for days for tickets. AFP

Russia bans rockers concerts

SAINT PETERSBURG Yury Shevchuk, lead singer of the Russian rock band DDT and a fierce Vladimir Putin critic, said last week the authorities had banned several of his concerts even though tickets sold out. Shevchuk, one of the most charismatic figures in the opposition movement who has publicly clashed with the president-elect, said that local authorities had unexpectedly cancelled concerts in the Siberian cities of Kemerovo and Yurga. In two other Siberian cities, Tyumen and Omsk, the band was not allowed to perform on various pretexts, he said. F r i e n d s ! T h e Ke m e r o v o r e g i o n a l administration cancelled our concerts on its territory, even though the tickets were practically sold out in Kemerovo and Yurga, Shevchuk said in a statement on April 24. Apparently our new program did not have enough patriotic erotica, said Shevchuk, who is famous for his dry, sarcastic style. The authorities in the oil-producing city of Tyumen said they could not find a venue for the band, he complained, while in Omsk some local minister also forbade concert halls to put on our daring show. The rocker lamented that the group would not be able to sue the officials because all the orders had been given by phone, making it impossible to prove anything in a court of law. We are not despondent, despondency is a sin, he added. We believe that all the beefy herd of zealous champions of a rotten order will soon disappear into the arms of a new future. The protest movement staged a series of unprecedented rallies in Moscow this winter but lost much of its momentum after strongman Vladimir Putin won a crushing victory in March presidential polls. The opposition hopes however to muster another major protest in Moscow the day before Putins Kremlin inauguration on May 7. AFP

eNtertaiNmeNt News
April 30 - May 6, 2012
Welcos Cosmetics New Product Launch
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Official

HAPPY Myanmar New Year to all my readers! The long Thingyan holiday had Socialite feeling very tired and, yes, even a little bit lazy, but she still managed to pop by a few events during the period. She started with the Zifam product launch and Thingyan welcome event at Mya Yeik Nyo Hotel on April 6, and the next day she went to Junction Maw Tin Centre to take part in the Eushido & Insin New Year Sale. On April 11 Socialite attended the Samsung Dealer Convention 2012 at Park Royal Hotel. She ended the holidays at the Nemo Footwear opening ceremony at Taw Win Centre, and the Classify, Nobody and Blue Corner branch launches at Junction Square on April 18.

San Htut

Yu Thandar Tin

A Thin Cho Swe

Samsung Dealer Convention 2012

Thet Mon Myint Hlwan Paing

U Kyaw Kyaw Naing

Mr Gwihan Lee

Ma Naw Khin Thi Paing

Nobody, Blue Corner and Classify Brand Branch Opening

M Seng Lu

Guests

Ei Chaw Po

Moe Hay Ko and Chit Thu Wai

Christina Rebecca Win

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soCialite
April 30 - May 6, 2012
Nemo Footwear Branch Opening

MyanMar tiMes

Zifam Medical Products Launch

Dr Khin Maung Win and Mr Chandar Khanna

Ma Cherry Myint Aung and guest

Dr Thin Thin Set and Daw Khin Moe Aye

Eushido & Insin New Year Sale

Poe Darli and Su Nandar Win Ma Hnin Wutt Yi

May Phyu Phyu

Hnyin Thar Phyo Mg Mg

Hae Lay

Kaung Pyae

Phyu Nwe Khine

Khine Thazin Yu War

travel
April 30 - May 6, 2012
the

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First Asia Legoland Hotel to open in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR Asias first Legoland Hotel is to open in Malaysia in 2014 next to a theme park dedicated to the popular childrens building bricks, the developers said on April 24. Groundwork for the hotel located in southern Johor state the worlds fourth Legoland hotel began last month, developer Merlin Entertainments Groups and LL Themed Hotel said in a statement. The hotel will be constructed out of more conventional building materials. It will be built next to the Legoland theme park, which is due to open at the end of this year. The developers said they were hoping to attract local and international travellers. It will bring Lego to life with imaginative theming and a host of child friendly features from low counters in the restaurant to treasure chests full of Lego in the bedrooms, the statement said. When completed, Legoland Malaysia will be the sixth of its kind in the world after those in Denmark, Britain, California, Florida and Germany. The 31-hectare (76-acre) park, which will offer 40 rides, shows and displays featuring the Danish toy bricks, will be one of the main attractions of Iskandar Malaysia a dedicated economic development zone bordering Singapore. About 30 million Lego bricks will be used in attractions at the theme park. Other Legoland Hotels are located in Denmark and Britain, and a third will open in California in 2013. AFP

Dead mobsters featured in US$42m Vegas museum

By Mike Di Paola THE visit starts with a familiar litany: You have the right to remain silent The creators of the National Museum of Organised Crime and Law Enforcement in Las Vegas want visitors to have the full outlaw experience. So instead of Muzak, the elevator offers a stern-voiced rendition of the Miranda warning. Getting off at the third floor, I started with a primer on the history of the Mafia in the United States, going back to certain 19th century immigrants who pursued the American dream by any means necessary. The museum opened on Valentines Day, the anniversary of the 1929 massacre in which Al Capones soldiers lined up seven men from Bugsy Morans gang against a garage wall and gunned them down. The wall is preserved here and used as a projection backdrop for a short film describing the choreographed hit. The collection is housed in the former federal courthouse where Tennessee Senator Estes Kefauver held one of his hearings on organised crime in 1950. This is first a historic preservation project, says Robert Chattel, a consulting architect for the museum. All of the historic features are intact and in place. The exhibits are like a scrim, a theatrical face on that. The restored secondfloor courtroom is itself an exhibit. A short film that explains the hearings uses television footage from the sessions. They were viewed by about 30 million people at the time, introducing much of the US to the world of organised crime. Other artefacts include the barber chair from the Park Sheraton Hotel in New York where mob boss Albert

AIRLINE OFFICES
Air Bagan Ltd.(W9)

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

Air China (CA)

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

Bangkok Airways (PG)

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

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

Air India

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

Myanmar Airways International(8M)

A Tommy gun, a fixture of Prohibition-era shoot-outs. Pic: Eric Jamison/Studio J Inc Anastasia met his bloody end in 1957. Before entering one room, the visitor is warned that scenes therein arent for the squeamish and an alternative route is available. Those made of sterner stuff can enter and contemplate the using a firearm training simulator, crawled inside a packing crate just as federal agents did to snoop on bad guys, and listened to surveillance recordings of John Gottis tapped phone, in which the Dapper Don gives the OK to whack a think tank. Either the taxpayers are going to end up funding a boondoggle, or the museum will draw tourists away from privately owned attractions in the area, and that is fundamentally unjust. The City of Las Vegas took over the federal building in 2002, and put up most of the US$42 million to rehabilitate and restore the 41,000-square-foot building. The city is hoping the investment will help revive its drooping downtown. Thats a big bet on a long shot, but if any town is up for it, its Vegas. The museum is open Sundays through Thursdays 10am to 7pm, and Fridays and Saturdays 10am to 8pm. Admission is US$18, $10 for Nevada residents. Information: (01) 702-2292734; themobmuseum.org. Bloomberg News

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

Malaysia Airlines (MH)

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

Silk Air(MI)

Before entering one room, the visitor is warned that scenes therein arent for the squeamish and an alternative route is available.
murder of Bruno Facciola, who was shot, stabbed and stuffed with a canary in 1990 in New York. O ther imag es in th e museum are lighter: Ronald Reagan hamming it up onstage at the Last Frontier casino in 1954, hawking Pabst Blue Ribbon beer; a photograph of Catholic Church bishops posing with casino executives. The interactive exhibits are wickedly entertaining. I plugged a couple of thugs rival. Not everyone is happy with the mob showcase. Funding a museum dedicated to organised crime is not a function of government, says Victor Joecks, spokesman for the Nevada Policy Research Institute, a free-market

Thai Airways (TG)

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

Vietnam Airlines (VN)

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

Domestic Airlines
Yangon Airways(YH)

Borat boosted tourism to Kazakhstan tenfold

ALMATY Kazakhstans foreign minister last week thanked Borat, the Sacha Baron Cohen comedy that the Central Asian nation once banned for lampooning its people, for massively boosting its tourism. With the release of this film, the number of visas issued by Kazakhstan grew tenfold, local news agencies quoted Foreign Minister Yerzhan Kazykhanov as telling a session of parliament. I am grateful to Borat for helping attract tourists to Kazakhstan, the foreign minister said. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan became a hit with critics and viewers alike upon its release in 2006. But its mocking depiction of Kazakh rural life and the main characters difficult adaptation to the United States created outrage in the former Soviet republic, which had no independent history prior to 1991. The films distribution was banned in the nation of 16 million and the authorities even blocked local access to Baron Cohens website. Officials have previously bristled at public mentions of the film and Kazakhstan last month lodged a formal complaint with the Olympic Committee of Asia after a spoof Kazakh anthem from Borat was played at a sports event in Kuwait. But Kazykhanov said he approached the film philosophically, noting that all Kazakh embassies abroad were under strict instructions to provide the state anthem and other insignia to local officials to avoid any confusion. AFP

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

Air Bagan Ltd.(W9)

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

AIR KBZ (K7)

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

Air Mandalay (6T)

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

Asian Wings (AW)

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

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DOMESTIC FLIGHT SCHEDULES

DAYS
FRI FRI MON

INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT SCHEDULES

DAYS
SAT

Flight
K7 244 K7 245 AW 891 6T 405 AW 911 6T 401 W9 011 6T 801 AW 761 6T 351 K7 824 AW 791 6T 501 K7 228 YH 909 6T 405 AW 891 AW 901 W9 251 6T 401 6T 801 YH 729 AW 761 K7 622 6T 501 AW 891 AW 911 6T 401 6T 331 6T 801 AW 751 YH 737 K7 824 W9 261 AW 791 YH 731 6T 501 K7 228 YH 909 AW 891 AW 901 6T 401 W9 255 6T 331 YH 729 AW 201 K7 622 K7 226 6T 501 YH 731 AW 891 W9 251 6T 401 YH 917 6T 331 AW 751 K7 824 AW 211 K7 224 6T 501 YH 731 W9 271 6T 403 YH 909 AW 891 AW 911 6T 401 YH 729 6T 801 AW 601 K7 622 6T 501 AW 891 YH 909 AW 891 6T 401 W9 255 6T 801 AW 211 AW 751 K7 622 6T 501

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

DAYS
TUE

Flight
W9 009 AW 902 AW 892 6T 402 YH 910 W9 011 K7 229 YH 812 6T 802 W9 251 W9 150 AW 762 YH 730 6T 502 W9 009 AW 892 6T 332 6T 402 W9 021 6T 802 AW 792 YH 738 AW 752 K7 825 6T 502 W9 009 AW 892 6T 332 AW 902 6T 402 YH 812 W9 021 K7 229 AW 202 YH 730 6T 502 W9 009 AW 892 6T 332 YH 918 6T 402 W9 251 AW 212 YH 731 6T 502 W9 232 YH 728 6T 404 AW 892 6T 402 W9 011 W9 262 YH 812 6T 802 AW 602 K7 623 YH 730 6T 502 W9 009 YH 910 AW 892 6T 402 W9 011 W9 256 YH 812 6T 802 AW 212 K7 623 YH 738 6T 502

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

DAYS
SAT

Flight
AW 891 6T 403 W9 009 6T 401 K7 222 YH 917 6T 801 W9 143 AW 891 YH 909 W9 009 6T 401 K7 222 YH 917 AW 792 K7 223 W9 109 YH 732 6T 502 K7 223 YH 910 AW 762 W9 109 AW 792 6T 502 YH 732 K7 223 W9 109 AW 792 YH 732 6T 502 K7 223 YH 910 W9 109 YH 732 6T 502 K7 223 W9 109 YH 732 6T 502 K7 223 YH 910 6T 404 W9 109 YH 732 6T 502 K7 223 YH 910 W9 109 YH 732 6T 502 W9 255 W9 251 AW 201 W9 255 W9 251 AW 211 W9 255 W9 256 W9 252 AW 202 W9 256 W9 252 W9 256 W9 119 AW 761 YH 727 K7 224 6T 501 YH 731 K7 822 6T 801 W9 115 AW 761 YH 811 K7 224 6T 501 YH 731 AW 911 W9 119 YH 737 K7 224 AW 791 6T 501 YH 731 AW 761 AW 201 YH 811 K7 224 W9 109 6T 501 YH 731 AW 211 K7 224 W9 109 6T 501 YH 731

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

Flight

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

Flight
MON FD 3771 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 TG 306 TUE FD 3771 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 TG 306 WED FD 3771 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 TG 306 THUR FD 3771 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 TG 306 FRI FD 3771 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 TG 306 SAT FD 3771 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 TG 306 SUN FD 3771 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 TG 306

Dep
YANGON TO BANGKOK

Arr

Flight
SAT 8M 231 MI 511 8M 6232 MI 517 SUN 8M 231 MI 511

Dep

Arr

Flight
MON 8M 336 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 TUE 8M 336 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 WED 8M 336 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 THUR 8M 336 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 FRI 8M 336 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 FD 3772 PG 703 TG 305 8M 332 SAT 8M 336 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 SUN 8M 336 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332

Dep
BANGKOK TO YANGON

Arr

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

Dep

Arr

YANGON TO NAYPYITAW NAYPYITAW TO YANGON YANGON TO MANDALAY

K7 822 AW 751 W9 119 YH 811 K7 224 6T 501 YH 731 AW SPL AW 751 W9 115 YH 811 K7 826 K7 224 6T 501 YH 731 YH 737 W9 143 AW 892 YH 918 W9 011 6T 402 K7 223 AW 792 AW 892 YH 918 W9 011 6T 402 K7 223 K7 823 W9 116 W9 143 AW 892 YH 918 6T 402 K7 223 W9 143 AW 892 YH 918 6T 402 K7 223 W9 143 AW 892 YH 918 6T 402 K7 223 AW 911 W9 143 AW 892 YH 918 6T 402 K7 223 K7 823 AW 752 AW SPL AW 892 YH 918 W9 011 6T 402 K7 223 AW 752 W9 116 YH 738 6T 611 W9 309 6T 611 W9 309 6T 611 W9 309 6T 611 W9 309 6T 607 W9 309 6T 611 W9 309 6T 611 W9 309 6T 612 W9 310 6T 612 W9 310 6T 612 W9 310 6T 612 W9 310 6T 608 W9 310 6T 612 W9 310 6T 612 6T 707 AW 301 6T 707 K7 317 6T 707 6T 707 K7 317 AW 301 AW 301 6T 707 6T 707 K7 317 6T 707 AW 301 6T 708 6T 708 K7 318 AW 302 6T 708 AW 302 6T 708 K7 318 6T 708 6T 708 K7 318 6T 708 AW 302

08:00 12:25 10:10 14:45 11:25 15:50 16:40 21:15 08:00 12:25 10:10 14:45

07:55 09:20 09:10 10:35 14:10 15:35 14:20 15:45 15:20 16:40 07:55 09:20 14:10 15:35 14:20 15:45 15:20 16:40

08:30 10:15 08:50 10:35 09:50 11:45 10:55 12:50 16:30 18:15 16:40 18:35 17:40 19:25 19:45 21:40 08:30 10:15 08:50 10:35 09:50 11:45 10:55 12:50 16:30 18:15 16:40 18:35 17:40 19:25 19:45 21:40 08:30 10:15 08:50 10:35 09:50 11:45 10:55 12:50 16:30 18:15 16:40 18:35 17:40 19:25 19:45 21:40 08:30 10:15 08:50 10:35 09:50 11:45 10:55 12:50 16:30 18:15 16:40 18:35 17:40 19:25 19:45 21:40 08:30 10:15 08:50 10:35 09:50 11:45 10:55 12:50 16:30 18:15 16:40 18:35 17:40 19:25 19:45 21:40 08:30 10:15 08:50 10:35 09:50 11:45 10:55 12:50 16:30 18:15 16:40 18:35 17:40 19:25 19:45 21:40 08:30 10:15 08:50 10:35 09:50 11:45 10:55 12:50 16:30 18:15 16:40 18:35 17:40 19:25 19:45 21:40 Mon FRI TUE SUN SAT FRI THU TUE

07:10 07:55 07:10 07:55 07:55 08:50 09:15 10:05 15:00 15:50 16:25 17:10 17:50 18:45 19:25 20:10 07:10 07:55 07:10 07:55 07:55 08:50 09:15 10:05 15:00 15:50 16:25 17:10 17:50 18:45 19:25 20:10 07:10 07:10 07:55 09:15 07:55 07:55 08:50 10:05 TUE

SUN

SUN

8M 233
MI 517

14:15 18:40
16:40 21:15

WED

NYAUNG U TO YANGON
MON MON

HEHO TO YANGON
10:15 10:30 10:45 10:35 10:55 11:15 19:10 10:30 10:45 10:35 10:55 11:15 16:30 17:55 10:15 10:30 10:45 10:55 11:15 10:15 10:30 10:45 10:55 11:15 10:15 10:30 10:45 10:55 11:15 11:05 10:15 10:30 10:45 10:55 11:15 16:30 18:25 10:05 10:30 10:45 10:35 10:55 11:15 17:55 17:55 18:35 12:40 14:45 12:40 14:45 10:25 14:45 12:40 14:45 12:40 14:45 12:40 14:45 12:40 14:45 14:20 16:45 14:20 16:45 12:05 16:45 14:20 16:45 14:55 16:45 14:20 16:45 14:20 13:30 09:05 13:30 14:00 13:30 13:30 14:00 14:50 09:05 13:30 10:00 14:00 13:30 14:50 17:55 17:55 18:10 19:20 17:55 13:35 17:55 18:10 17:55 14:25 18:10 17:55 19:20

YANGON TO SIEM REAP

WED 8M 401 SAT 8M 401 08:50 11:25 08:50 11:25

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

19:40 21:05
10:05 11:15 14:00 15:00 15:40 16:45 10:05 11:15 14:00 15:00 15:40 16:45 10:05 11:15 15:40 16:45 10:05 11:15 14:00 15:00 15:40 16:45 10:05 11:15 14:00 15:00 15:40 16:45 10:05 11:15 15:40 16:45 10:05 11:15 14:00 15:00 15:40 16:45

KAULA LUMPUR TO YANGON

TUE

YANGON TO KUALA LUMPUR

MON 8M 501 MH 741 AK 851 8M 501 MH 741 AK 851 WED MH 741 AK 851 8M 501 MH 741 AK 851 8M 501 MH 741 AK 851 MH 741 AK 851 8M 501 MH 741 AK 851 WED CZ 3056 THUR 8M 711 SAT CZ 3056 09:00 13:00 12:15 16:30 18:50 23:05 09:00 13:00 12:15 16:30 18:50 23:05 12:15 16:30 18:50 23:05 09:00 13:00 12:15 16:30 18:50 23:05 09:00 13:00 12:15 16:30 18:50 23:05 12:15 16:30 18:50 23:05 09:00 13:00 12:15 16:30 18:50 23:05 11:20 15:50 08:45 13:15 11:20 15:50 08:45 13:15

TUE

TUE

THUR

WED

WED

WED

THUR

THUR

15:00 15:50 16:25 17:10 17:50 18:45 19:25 20:10 07:10 07:10 07:55 09:15 07:55 07:55 08:50 10:05

FRI

FRI

FRI

SAT

SAT

THUR

SAT

SUN

15:00 15:50 16:25 17:10 17:50 18:45 19:25 20:10 07:10 07:10 07:55 09:15 07:55 07:55 08:50 10:05

SUN

YANGON TO MYITKYINA
MON TUE THUR FRI SUN

GUANGZHOU TO YANGON
WED CZ 3055 THUR 8M 712 SAT CZ 3055 08:50 10:30 14:15 15:45 08:50 10:30 14:15 15:45

YANGON TO GAUNGZHOU

FRI

SUN

YANGON TO SITTWE
MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT

16:25 17:10 15:00 15:50 17:50 18:45 19:25 20:10 07:10 07:10 07:55 09:15 07:55 07:55 08:50 10:05

SUN 8M 711

SUN 8M 712

MYITKYINA TO YANGON
MON TUE THUR FRI SUN MON

YANGON TO TAIPEI
MON CI 7916 WED CI 7916 FRI CI 7916 14:00 19:25 14:00 19:25 14:00 19:25

TAIPEI TO YANGON
MON CI 7915 WED CI 7915 FRI CI 7915 09:55 12:45 09:55 12:45 09:55 12:45

SAT

YANGON TO NYAUNG U
MON W9 143 AW 891 YH 633 6T 401 K7 222 YH 917 W9 143 AW 901 AW 891 6T 401 K7 222 YH 917 W9 143 AW 891 6T 401 K7 222 YH 917 K7 242 AW 781 AW 891 W9 009 AW 901 6T 401 K7 222 YH 917 AW 891 W9 009 6T 401 K7 222 YH 917 K7 242 06:00 06:15 06:15 06:30 06:30 06:30 06:00 06:15 06:15 06:30 06:30 06:30 06:00 06:15 06:30 06:30 06:30 07:00 15:00 06:15 06:30 06:30 06:30 06:30 06:30 06:15 06:30 06:30 06:30 06:30 07:00 07:20 07:35 07:50 07:50 07:50 08:05 07:20 07:35 07:35 07:50 07:50 08:05 07:20 07:35 07:50 07:50 08:05 08:20 17:10 07:35 07:25 07:50 07:50 07:50 08:05 07:35 07:25 07:50 07:50 08:05 08:20

YANGON TO HEHO
12:10 12:10 12:25 15:15 16:10 16:25 09:15 10:20 12:10 12:10 12:40 15:15 16:10 16:25 08:40 12:10 12:25 15:15 15:40 16:10 16:25 12:10 12:10 12:25 15:15 15:25 16:10 16:25 12:10 15:15 15:25 16:10 16:25

YANGON TO KUNMING
CA 906 14:15 17:35 14:15 17:35 14:15 17:35 14:15 17:35 14:15 17:35

15:00 15:50 16:25 17:10 17:50 18:45 19:25 20:10 07:10 07:55 07:10 07:55 07:55 08:50 09:15 10:05 15:00 15:50 16:25 17:10 17:50 18:45 19:25 20:10

KUNMING TO YANGON
TUE CA 905 12:35 13:15 12:35 13:15 12:35 13:15 12:35 13:15 12:35 13:15

SUN

WED CA 906 THUR CA 906 SAT SUN CA 906 CA 906

WED CA 905 THUR CA 905 SAT SUN CA 905 CA 905

SITTWE TO YANGON
MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN MON TUE

TUE

TUE

SUN

YANGON TO KOLKATA
IC734 IC734 13:30 16:40 13:30 16:40

KOLKATA TO YANGON
Mon FRI IC733 IC728 10:00 14:55 15:50 16:40

WED

WED

YANGON TO SINGAPORE
MON 8M 231 MI 511 08:40 13:05 10:10 14:45

YANGON TO CHIANG MAI

THUR W9 9607 SUN W9 9607 12:00 13:30 12:00 13:30

SINGAPORE TO YANGON
MON MI 512 8M 232 MI 518 07:55 09:20 14:10 15:35 14:20 15:45

CHIANG MAI TO YANGON

THUR W9 9608 SUN W9 9608 14:30 15:00 14:30 15:00

MANDALAY TO YANGON
MON YH 634 AW 892 6T 402 W9 262 6T 802 W9 021 YH 728 AW 762 6T 502 K7 825 08:35 08:35 08:55 10:50 13:20 14:10 16:30 16:35 17:20 17:50 10:00 10:30 10:55 12:15 14:45 15:10 17:55 18:00 19:25 19:15

THUR

YANGON TO MYEIK

THUR

8M 233
MI 517 TUE 8M 231 MI 511

14:15 18:40
16:40 21:15 08:00 12:25 10:10 14:45

YANGON TO HANOI
MON VN 956 WED VN 956 FRI SAT VN 956 VN 956 19:10 21:30 19:10 21:30 19:10 21:30 19:10 21:30 TUE

8M 234
MI 512 8M 232 MI 518

19:40 21:05
07:55 09:20 14:10 15:35 14:20 15:45

HANOI TO YANGON
MON VN 957 WED VN 957 FRI SAT VN 957 VN 957 16:35 18:10 16:35 18:10 16:35 18:10 16:35 18:10

WED THUR

FRI

FRI

FRI SAT SUN

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

14:15 18:40
16:40 21:15 08:00 12:25 10:10 14:45 11:25 15:50 16:40 21:15 08:00 12:25 10:10 14:45

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

19:40 21:05
07:55 09:10 14:10 14:20 09:20 10:35 15:35 15:45

YANGON TO CHI MINH

TUE VN 942 14:25 17:10 14:25 17:10 14:25 17:10

HO CHI MINH TO YANGON

TUE VN 943 11:40 13:25 11:40 13:25 11:40 13:25

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

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

MYEIK TO YANGON
MON TUE

THUR VN 942 SUN VN 942

07:55 09:20 14:10 15:35 14:20 15:45 15:20 16:40

THUR VN 943 SUN VN 943

YANGON TO PHNOM PENH

WED 8M 401 SAT 8M 401 08:50 12:50 08:50 12:50 FRI

PHNOM PENH TO YANGON

WED 8M 402 SAT 8M 402 13:50 15:15 13:50 15:15

WED THUR

8M 233
MI 517 FRI 8M 231 MI 511 8M 6232 MI 517

14:15 18:40
16:40 21:15 08:00 12:25 10:10 14:45 11:25 15:50 16:40 21:15

8M 234
MI 512 8M 6231 8M 232 MI 518 MI 520

19:40 21:05
07:55 09:10 14:10 14:20 15:20 09:20 10:35 15:35 15:45 16:40

Subject to change without notice

FRI SAT SUN

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

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

tea Break
April 30 - May 6, 2012
the

32
MyanMar tiMes

How Japan came to prefer wheat over rice

By Nadia Arumugam UNLIKE other popular Japanese gadgetry, the Gopan bread maker isnt sleek, nor does it fit in a trouser pocket. But Panasonics US$600 kitchen aid does boast a trump card: It produces freshly baked loaves from raw, whole grains of rice. Since its launch in November 2010, the appliance whose name is an inspired play on gohan, meaning cooked rice, and pan, meaning bread has been selling like hotcakes in Japan (the only country where its currently available). You might not be surprised that a rice-oriented appliance is popular in Japan it is, after all, the home of sushi and okayu. But you should be. The engineers behind the Gopan were tasked to come up with a machine to encourage consumers to eat more rice. Thats because over the last 40 years, the Japanese have increasingly favoured wheat-based foods like bread, pasta, pizza and noodles, while rice consumption has declined by more than 50 percent. How did Japan come to be a wheat-obsessed nation that needs gimmicks like the Gopan to eat rice disguised as wheat flour? The story of Japans conversion from rice to wheat involves a long, relentless campaign by the best propagandists in the business the US government, of course. Back in the early 1900s, the Japanese consumed some wheat, but in small quantities, and certainly not as a staple. The aspiring middle classes frequented fashionable Western-style cafes that served pastries, cakes and sweet buns called anpan filled with black bean fudge. Urban working-class folks also encountered wheat, but mostly in the form of udon noodles from street stalls or restaurants, and even then as a snack rather than a main meal. (Soba noodles, made from buckwheat a flowering plant unrelated to wheat were also a traditional snack.) Farmers and the rural population were almost entirely unfamiliar with wheat; they subsisted on a combination of rice, barley and millet supplemented with vegetables and fish. And most Japanese liked it that way when the Japanese Navy tried to introduce a Western-style diet including bread and a hard, dry wheat cracker called kanpan in 1890, the servicemen went on strike. Wheat began featuring more prominently in the civilian diet during SinoJapanese War (which began in 1937) and World War II but out of necessity, not desire. Wartime meant extreme rice shortages and meagre rations at home, and much of what rice was available went to troops. In addition to fuelling the local diet has led to a plethora of problems that Japanese government didnt have the luxury of deliberating over when it first accepted food aid to relieve its starving postwar population. First up, a dangerous reliance on foreign food imports: More than 90 percent of the wheat consumed in Japan is imported, mostly from the US, and Japans food se lf- su ffi c i e n c y ra t e i s the lowest among all the developed countries. As rice consumption has declined, low prices and huge surpluses have crippled domestic rice farmers. Then, of course, there are the burgeoning health problems that tend to come along with a diet heavy in Western-style wheaten fare and its fat-laden accompaniments, such as burger patties, cheesy pizza toppings and creamy pasta sauces. Which is why the Japanese government and advocacy groups have reversed tack in recent decades by making several attempts to steer new generations back to rice. In 1976, the National Union of Agricultural Cooperatives declared a US$400 million war on bread, pushing quick-to-prepare instant and frozen rice and campaigning for schools to serve rice, not bread, as part of subsidized lunches. In 2008, the Japanese government took a if you cant beat them, join them tactic. Reconciled to the fact that the nation wasnt going to relinquish its appetite for foreign fare, it launched a massive media drive with TV ads, cooking classes and public demonstrations showing how conventional wheat foods like pasta, dumplings and bread could be made from rice flour instead hence the Gopan. In conceiving of the idea for instant ramen in the late 1950s, Momofuku Ando wanted to find a massproduced wheaten food in line with traditional Japanese culinary culture after all, udon and soba noodles had been consumed for centuries in Japan. Its ironic, then, that just 50 years later, innovators of the Gopan are tempting Japanese consumers back to rice the most traditional Japanese ingredient of all by disguising it as the poster food of the Western diet. So far, the tactic looks to be working. By September of last year only 10 months after its initial release the Gopan had sold over 160,000 units. The newfangled machine has even incited a craze for packaged ricebased noodles, cakes, pastries and pasta. But the biggest indicator that rice is back on the menu? Since 2010, Japanese outlets of Pizza Hut have incorporated rice flour into their pizza dough. Slate

YOUR STARS
By Astrologer Aung Myin Kyaw Aquarius
Leading successfully at one level is a prerequisite for leading at the next level. Try to become more compatible with other people, and make them feel good about doing business with you. Also try to be receptive to new ideas in family relations, and take advantage of the opportunity to learn from parents and elders. Discover what inspires you, and make time to inspire yourself with confidence.

Jan 20 - Feb 18

Pisces

Turn disappointments into appointments. Have a good word for everybody, and if you dont have anything nice to say about anyone, then dont say anything at all. A big opportunity awaits, but you must make a supreme effort to overcome the challenges that stand in the way of a brighter, more creative future. A misunderstanding among friends will require a long time to correct.

Feb 19 - Mar 20

Aries

You should keep a journal of your dreams and experiences to help tap into your spiritual side. Your challenge is to learn forgiveness and work on ways to show clemency to others. Minimise negativity and maximise positivism in your outlook. Say little about what you know until you have heard the responses of others.

March 21 - April 19

Taurus

up on new substitutes like soybeans, squash and sweet potatoes, civilians resorted to crude bread, kanpan, dumplings and homemade udon noodles. Shortages worsened after World War II in the postwar period Japan approached the brink of mass starvation and American emergency aid began to arrive in the form of wheat flour and lard. (Beyond humanitarianism, the Truman Administrations motives included winning over Japans working classes and deterring Japan from communism.) As bread became popular, so did cheap, belly-filling Chinese-style fare made from wheat. As Japanese historian George Solt argues, the abundance of merikenko (American wheat flour) combined with war vets returning from China with knowledge of that countrys cuisine led to a flourishing of gyoza (dumplings) and chuka soba (wheat noodles in broth, which were eventually known as ramen). In the mid-1950s, having a v e r t e d a r e d scare in Japan, Americas rationale for providing aid to Japan took on a more commercial dimension and the Japanese government, eager to rebuild its arms industry, was happy to strike a deal. Between 1954 and 1956, the two nations signed a series of agreements in which Japan consented to buy US surplus wheat, of which there was plenty. In return, through a series of clever manoeuvres, the United States loaned money to the Japanese weapons industry. It was during this phase that the propaganda came out in full force, starting with a nationwide campaign led jointly by the Japanese and American governments to persuade the Japanese to trade their rice for bread. Nutritionists told citizens that a rice-based diet was not only incomplete, but it actually caused brain damage a thesis they were fed by American scientists. Advocates from the Oregon Wheat Growers League travelled

to Japan to promote trade fairs, taste-testing in department stores, training of Japanese millers and bakers, and nutritional seminars for Japanese home economists. The League sent 12 kitchen on wheels demonstration buses throughout rural areas of Japan to show hundreds of thousands of Japanese housewives how to prepare meals from imported bleached flour. There was, however, an unexpected setback: Few Japanese households had ovens, which rendered the Leagues best baking recipes irrelevant. What made the biggest impact of all was the school lunch program. The project, initiated by the US government during the occupation, guaranteed that Japanese schoolchildren were provided a daily meal that included bread, powdered milk and a meatbased stew. The program moulded the taste buds and dietary preferences of a whole generation of Japanese youth to accommodate American imports, particularly wheat. The lunch program was so successful that the United States continued to provide free wheat for the program even after the occupation ended in 1952. Once instant ramen entered the scene, there was no going back. Created in 1958 by Taiwanese-born businessman Momofuku Ando to absorb the influx of American wheat, instant ramen was at first much more expensive than a bowl of fresh noodles from a street stall. But it quickly evolved from a middle-class novelty to an economical and convenient staple for time-strapped workers. In 1961, Andos company Nissin sold 500 million packets; by 1966 that figure had eclipsed 2.5 billion. In 1956, Japan imported 1.28 million metric tonnes of wheat from the US. By 1974 the figure had risen to 3.24 million metric tonnes, a rate thats remained fairly steady since then. The Westernisation of

You will have to wait for a personal favour in your love life. You will face changes in your family life that will cause small disturbances to which you must learn to adjust. Pay attention to your old friends, and continue to work toward building long-term relationships with them. You will be not be satisfied with taking action for your own benefit because of your philosophy of being the axle of society.

April 20 - May 20

Gemini

You will be more popular this week as you put the interests of others above your own. You and your family will be on the same page when it comes to mutual understanding. Your hard exertions will keep you working at a frenetic pace. Maintain compatibility with old friends with whom you have had relations for years.

May 21 - June 20

Cancer

The mental balance that you have developed will help you make correct decisions based on a combination of logic and emotion. Be sure to maintain a similar system of checks and balances as you juggle risks and opportunities in your quest to attain success in your family business.

June 22 - July 22

Leo

Self-esteem and feelings of self-worth are of great value when you require strength in the face of adversity. If you do the best job you can possible do without any doubts or fears, you will be able to take care of your responsibilities and achieve positive change. Your social position will become illustrious and honourable, and you will find yourself on an upward trajectory toward greatness.

July 23 - Aug 22

Virgo

Show your desire for pure expression of the ideal, and try to apply the idea of purity to your thought processes and emotional life. Impurities are the beginning of disorder, unhappiness and uneasiness. Performing good deeds in your daily life will help expand your mind. You will be lucky in your quest to find a life partner with an easygoing and tolerant nature.

Aug 23 - Sept 22

Libra

Your innate aesthetic sense will help you focus on finding beauty and harmony in social relationships. You will enjoy comfort and prosperity in the company of old friends, especially those to whom you have shown favour and with whom you have forged close bonds over the years.

Sept 23 - Oct 22

Scorpio

Perpetual transformation is not something to be feared. Give everyone around you the freedom to move as far away as they like, and then take a look and see who is still standing by your side. Develop the courage to face the important struggles in your life, and gain strength and support by collaborating with old, trusted partners.

Oct 23 - Nov 21

Sagittarius

This is a lucky and favourable time to perform great deeds. Your material successes will be a clear reflection of your right thoughts and ideas. Encourage yourself and others to do their best according to the qualities they possess. Follow the rules of social diplomacy and uphold morality in all your relationships. Avoid blaming others for your own feelings of heartache and sorrow.

Nov 22 - Dec 21

Capricorn

Self-examination can improve relationships in many areas of your life. Make the decision to stop wallowing in non-constructive sorrow mixed with self-pity, and instead work toward making yourself more compatible with others. Love is not a game to be played; if you treat it like a game, you will surely get played by Venus or your angel of love. For a personal reading contact Aung Myin Kyaw, 4th Floor, 113 Thamain Bayan Road, Tamwe Township, Yangon. Tel: 0973135632, Email: williameaste@gmail.com

Dec 22 - Jan 19

Computer
dyNAsTy: Computer Designing & Training Centre. I-Office-18000, Advanced Course25000, Business in Excel Special-15000, DTP-20000, A+-25000, A+ Advanced Course30000, Photoshop Only25000, Professio-nal Graphic Design-30000, Auto CAD (2D/ 3D) Intermediate-40000, Internet & E-mail-5000, Networking-50000, Ph: 09-431-54613. sAi PoN PoN Computer Services (On Call) Networking & CCTV installation ph :09-43052564, 09-730-85511. R.V Networking & computer maintenances Windows installation , software, game, internet, network, virus cleaning, Ph :09-420-033781. Add: 75 (d), Thitsar Rd, 13 Block, Yankin, Yangon high Performances Computer System. Computer and Network service/ Operation System, Application Software, Virus cleaning, Internet services, Microsoft Server Configuration, Wire & Wireless Network Installation, Configu-ration, Ph: 09431-82486. i.C.s system solution (Online services) Computer Maintenance, Wireless Router Configuration, Window OS & Software Installation, Netowrk services direct to the Company , Office & Home. Available contract service. Antivirus Software (License) : 8,500 Ks. Ph: 09 540 9712

pace you can achieve, See for yourself at ease! (Home tuition available) Teacher Moe (Retired Lecturer) Ph: 09-560-0747. ABC PREsChooL, Subjects : English 4 skills, Science, Basis Mathematics, Concepts, Myanmar, Hand Work, Drawing & Colouring, Performing Art, Social Studies, Poems , Songs & Rhymes, Excursion. Time Duration ; School hour:9:00~15:00(Close only Sat & Sun). English, Chinese language, Computer course : Sat & Sun. 17, Kamarkyi Rd, Thuwunna .Email : preschoolabc@gmail. com

ments & transportation. (6) Distribution services. (7) Finding oversea customers. (8) Air Cargo & Sea Cargo services. (9) Services for Trading, Banking and Shipping to any country via Singapore. Winner Ocean Trading Co., Ltd :75/B, 15 St, Middle Block, Lanmadaw. Ph: 01-03450030, 212985, 09-430-88422, 09-5161716. TRANsLATioN: Those who are looking for a competent translator; I provide English to Myanmar and Myanmar to English. Specialize in Novel, business and ngos materialsetc: Pls Contact Daw Maw Maw San ph: 09-431-97513

Education
MAThEMATiCs : If your child (Kg to Sec-3) from ILBC passed with D & E in Maths, Pls contact. Ph: 09-500-4993, 544594. ENgLish to MyANMAR, is available...Ph : 09420-070692. WoULd you like to apply for scholarships? College admission essay and personal statement writing. U Thu Ya 09-506-6913 i N T E R N AT i o N A L Schools Subjects : English, Maths, Science, Hindi & Social. Will coach your MAThEMATiCs : If your child (Kg to Sec-3) from any international schools, is very weak in Mathematics, pls contact : 09-500-4993, 544594. sTUdy gUidEs for Grade 10, 11 & Intl school (ISY, MISY, ILBC, Total, PISM, Crane, MLA, Diplomatic, RV) GCSE, SAT , IELTS, TOEFL, Teachers who have got Teaching experience in Singapore, Now back to Myanmar/ Teaching combination of Foreign & Myanmar Style/ Skillful Teachers, Saya Bryan M.E(IT) 09-2150075 , Tr. Ahme B.Sc ( IC) Ph: 09-730-592 65, Saya Htet B.E(IT) Ph: 09-215-0075, 09730- 35744, Saya Thet (MBBS) 09-731-11782, Korean Native English Teacher Tr. Kim (after 6 p.m) 655647 , Tr. Phyu 09-430-83117 , Sayar Min Aung 09-492-80 490 sPARE just a few hours every week. With steady

sUMMER and regular English Classes: Four skills and grammar will be taught by an experienced teacher with int'l exposure: An ideal home tutor & will guide your children with special care and attention: Teacher Maw Maw:ph 09-431-97513 maw. san@gmail.com

Expert Service
LiCENsEd Tour Guide English - Italian - Malay. Khine Tint (O) Gianni. No.11, 5th Flr (Left), Kyun Taw Kyaung St, Kyun Taw Ward (South), Sanchaung, Yangon. Ph: 09-420-030798. REAL EsTATE or Landhousing investment in Myanmar. We coordinately invite Myanmar citizens or nons to cooperate with us as w will take responsibilities with our citizenship scrutiny For those who interest and want to cooperate with us may contact Htet Oo Lwin (Engineer) 09-215-0075 ioLAR Translation Service Ph : 09-73172792, 229301 Email: i o l a r. t r a n s l a t i o n @ gmail.com iP CCTV Camera , IP Video Door Phone, IP Finger Print Time Access Control System, IP Video Door Phone, Car DVR, Car GPS Tracking System, IP PABX Device Sales, Services and Renter 09-537-3222,09-43067778 sEARCh PRoPERTy Online : Are you looking to buy, rent, sell or rent out your property? Please visit us at: www.eainsearch.com or call: 09 732 493 78 WE provide:(1) Buying vehicle One stop service for Scrapped-earowners & tax-payers. (2)Courier service for documents & goods to Singapore. (3) Applying Licence in Nay Pyi Taw. (4) Arranging Bank documents. (5) Arranging shipping docu-

mail: maw.san @ gmail. com REAL PRoPERTy Service If you want to buy, sell or rent Land, Condominium, apartment, house Office and need advice regarding with property, contact 0973135900,01-569448. doWNLoAdiNg Service :We offer services for downloading large file with fair price. Just contact us. info. futuretech. mm@ gmail. com Ph: 09-5160225,09-515-0720

Language
RUssiAN : speaking , reading, writing. ph; 09-731-61269. PRiVATE Myanmar Language classes for foreigners who live in Myanmar. Progressive and effective teaching systems are available. For details, pls contact to keencentre @gmail. com. MyANMAR Language Guide (For Embassy family and others) When you stay in Myanmar, do you want to ask to your children to learn Myanmar language? Call: 09514-6505,501846 Ext:191 (Christine) hoME TUTioN japanese language regular course (basic, inter) jpn going course, myanmar language for japanese, japanese language for kids 09-7303-2296 gRACEs sPEECh and Drama Academy. Class available for Business Communication Course , Speech and Drama , Effective Reading class, and Ballet class. For more information , please contact to Graces Academy, Tel : + 730 97836, Email : annie. san@graces-studio. net. ENgLish language at your home. Interested persons kindly contact ph : 09-430-57719, 09730-21435.

MyANMAR for foreigners. Ph: 09-73161269. gUidE (For Embassy family and others) When you stay in Myanmar,do you want to ask to your children to learn Myanmar language ? Call-09-732-23668 (ko soe thi aung) FoR FoREigNERs Interested in learning Myanmar Speaking easily & effectively in a short time with Myanmar English Teacher. Save your time & money. Contact : 09-517 9125. KEEN Intl Language Centre - Progressive Myanmar Language Private Classes for Foreigners who live in Myanmar. Effective Program for new sections are available. For more information, pls contact : keencentre @gmail. com TEAChER Daw Khin Thawda Aung, English Grammar & Speaking in 60 hrs. IELTS, TOEFL, GCE & SAT in 120 hrs. Tel: 556571, 09-5089368. MyANMAR LANgUAgE Guide (For Embassy family and others) When you stay in Myanmar, do You want to ask to your children to learn Myanmar language? Call: 09-514-6505, 09730-75265. 501846 Ext:191 (Christine) LEARN ENgLish! In a quiet atmosphere and fun with an experienced teacher Certified in TEFL patient, friendly, organized Enjoys English language: daily conversations, business issues, preparation for examinations. Develop your skills: reading, writing, listening comprehension, conversation, grammar and vocabulary. Mode of work: textbooks, novels, magazines, newspapers, audio, video, etc. To all levels & ages individual classes or groups reviews of leveling! Calls Teacher Min Thant Ph: 0973173175. Email: khinmin@gmail. com

For Sale

hR software Package: Price 200,000. Modules: Employee Management, Time Attendance, Payroll. (Available : Finger Print/ Card). POS Soft-ware Package: Price 150,000. Modules: Inventory Control, Purchase, Sale, Account Payable (Available : Barcode Printer / Scanner). Ph: 09-504-2775. FAMoUs PiZZA RESTAURANT FOR SALE Siem Reap, Cambodia. Profitable & popular restaurant in great downtown location near Old market. All equipment & inventory included. Est. 2001. 4 years remaining on lease. Low monthly rent. Turn-key operation. USD$ 96,000. For details, contact: E-mail: cs_clark@yahoo.com Tel: +855-11-590463 hR soFTWARE Package: Price 200,000. Modules: Employee Manage-ment, Time Atten- dance, Payroll. (Available : Finger Print/ Card). POS Software Package: Price 150,000. Modules: Inventory Control, Purchase, Sale, Account Payable (Available :Barcode Printer/Scanner). Ph:09-504-2775

hd gAME, app (install) iPhone, iPod touch 6000ks, iPad 8000ks, iTunes account open (free game, app download), All iDevices iOS 5.0.1 version upgrade full untethered jailbreak (power off) iPhone 4s, iPad 2 available. contact : 09514-7480 ZTE C-R 750 (CDMA 800 + GSM) Handset ph : 09-428-125107 NEW iPAd (white) 16gb, Razer Starcraft 2 Headphone, Apple Superdrive New Ph: 09-730-48374 TAiWAN use Generator Sale : 60 KVA 400V Mitsubishi 7500 US$ 60 KVA 400V Iveco 7500 US$ 60 KVA 400V johndeere 8100 US$ 30 KVA 400V Mitsubishi 5500 US$ 25 KVA 400V Mitsubishi/Nissan 4200 US$ contact number 09-510-3439 VoLVo 740 GLE (1990 Model) [ New Body with WRTA ] [ 4u/ ] [ ABS Airbag, AC, PS, PW, MP3 Player ] [ Mileage : 53000 Km ] Contact : 09-492-75744 AdsL (Bagan/MPT), WiMax (Bagan), Broadband (Bagan), McWill Contact : 09730-84143 hR soFTWARE Package: Price 200,000. Modules: Employee Manage-ment, Time Atten- dance, Payroll. (Avail-able: FingerPrint/ Card). POS Software Package: Price 150,000. (Modules: Inventory Control, Purchase, Sale, Account Payable. (Available :Barcode Printer/ Scanner). Ph:09-504-2775. shARP Aircon (1.5 HP), Window Type, Brand new special price/offer for projects & hotels. Ph: 206001. URgENT To sell foe Internet cafe shop At main road (Ba Ho road), Sanchang. 33 computers sets,15kv generator, 4 air conds. 100 Lakhs, Negotiable, Contact : 01-502928, 09-540-8250. RAZER Starcraft 2 Headphone , Apple Superdrive New, HTC sensation XE Beat, Dual Core 1.5mhz, Memory 768mb, 8MP Camera with beat earphone Used Price - 380000. Ph: 09-73048374 CANoN digiTAL Camera EOS:50D (Body only) + 1extra battery and battery grid (BG E2N) In original package and Camera Guide Magazine. @ 600,000-Kyats (Fixed price) ph:09-49243310. 2 TEA-CUPs Yorkshires Free To Re-Homing Contact: xtionbert@ gmail.com (1) CdMA 800 MHz (09730xxxxx) and used Genuine Samsung Coby SCH-F339 Touchscreen Handset with three colored back cover : 650,000 Ks. (2) USED Geniune SonyEricsson W595 GSM handset with 2GB Memory card : 70,000 Ks. Contact - Ko Sai : 510770 iPhone 4S - 16G Black Brand new. ph:09- 43184138. TV 21" Toshiba 218*8m + VCD : 80000 SONY 21": 80000/- Sansung oneset 21": 30000/ 1G, ph; 09501-0830

of Sudi Arabia is pleased to invite pre-qualified companies to tender for the Custodial Services at Embassy building and Ambassa-dor's Rsidence building. All interested Tenders are required in advance to purchase the documents for specification and General contractual terms, which will be obtained from : The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia : 287/289, U Wisara Rd, Sanchaung, Yangon. AN iNdiVidUAL VB.net trainer who can teach during Water Festival Holidays can call: 09500-6752, 09-5187487.

PROPERTY
HousingforRent
BAhAN, Apartment along New University Ave Rd, Good electricity & water essential. Fully furnished with 2-3 rooms with attached toilet. Rent Rate - USD500 to USD700 per month. (6 month advance rental). Rental period 1 to 3 years. Pls contact : 09512-8095 - Ma Thinzar Oo BAhAN: Golden Valley, Two Story Building, Fully Furnished, Fully Furniture, 2MB, 2SB, Ph,A/C,GoodNeighborhood, 20 Lakhs, Foreigners welcome. Call - 09-432-00669 BAhAN, Takathoyeik mon condo, 7F, 1500 Sqft , Fully Furnished, Fully Furniture, 3 A/C, 1 MBR, 2 SBR ,1PH, 6 Lakhs, Ph : 09-73135900 ThiNgANgyUN, 40 x 60 3RC ThuMinGaLar Rd, Good location for car show room & business. ph: 09-430-80638. BAhAN, Golden Valley, 0.35 acre Land, big garden, 2 storey, ph line, semi-furnished, 4 MBR, US$ 3000 per month, Ph: 09-5020969 ChiNA ToWN apartment, lift, 17x 59', Ph line, 2AC, 2MBR, Jacuzzi, Funished Room, water heater, US$ 1000 / 8 Lakhs per month, Ph: 09-502-0969 MAyANgoNE, Pyay Rd, 0.5acre land, 2RC Storey new house, 5 master bed rooms, ph, Fully furnished, big garden, US$ 3500 Per month, Ph: 09-5034954 KAMAyUT , Inya Rd 0.3acre land, 2.2RC Storey, 2MBR, 7BR, garden, ph line, US$ 3200 per month, Pls call 09-503-4954 BAhAN, : Shwe Gondaing, Condo, 7F, 1500 Sqft , Fully Furnished, Fully Furniture, 3 A/C, 1 MBR, 2 SBR ,1Ph, 750 USD, (Suitable to Rent for Foreigner), near down town, near golden Vally Call-01-569448, 09-731-35900 BAhAN : New University Avenue Lane, Condo, 7Flr, 1500Sqft , Fully Furnished, Fully Furniture, 3 A/C, 1 MBR, 2 SBR, 1Ph, (Suitable to Rent for Foreigner), 800USD. Call-01569448, 09-731-35900 500 sewing machines all ready and set to run, well suited for someone who is interested in starting a garment factory.Please contact Bill on 525746 , 09550-5220 or email gthreds33@gmail. com,all inquiries are welcome. BAhAN, (1) Pho Sein Rd, 100' x 80' Land (2) Shwegondine Rd, 30 x 90' Land, Kabaaye Pagoda Rd, 30 x 90' Land. Ph: 09-731-05296, 09-540-5482. hLAiNg, Aye Yeik Mon Sakawar St, 74' x 96', RC 2 storey, 4 MB, Ph, AC, Ph; 684936, 09-5120747. PWiN oo LWiN, 170' x 70', 1 RC, price : 2300 Lakhs. Ph: 09-5055522 MAyANgoNE, 9 mile, 50' x 60', 2 RC, 3 MBR, 4500 Lakhs. Ph: 09-5055522 100 160 ft in Mawhbi area , near by Htin Son village.Hp:09-43109290. LAshio : 2Acres Land including the main house and 2storey building. In downtown and Very Good place for business. Price: negotiable Ph: 09515-8738 MANdALAy : 26(B) Rd, between (86/87) Aungmyaytharsan Township. (22 feet X 75 feet ) Ph: 09-504-8704, 02-21915.

Training
sMART Body Fitness: We need to care for our parents at home. Also, we want to care for your health. Please, come to visit our fitness center. To get smart and healthy body. Teach in systematically. Pls Contact: 09-730177209. siNgiNg Lessons: Professionally trained singing teacher for students of all levels. Please contact 665648. gUiTAR Class To Home Ph-09-731-94925 .NET Programming : Home (1) C#.Net, (2) Asp.Net, (3) Sql Server, (4) Other Programming Concept with project contact me:Thanda 09731-63643 MAKEUP Artist from Bangkok is in Yangon for 2 months and avaliable to give private makeup classes in both English and Burmese in request. Availiable subjects are Basic Makeup Application, Products Information & Usageof Knowledge, Highlighting & Contouring, Film/TV makeup, Photography makeup, Events makeup, Bridal makeup, Male grooming and so on for both Pro and Begginer level. My works can be seen on www. facebook. com/Makeup.Flora and you can contact me directly at 01 80 10 912. Flora (Thet Thet )

Rent / Sale
TAMWAE : Lovely Banglow, 2 Story, 1 MB, 2SB, 50x100' Yard, Fully Furnished, 1Ph, 9 Lakhs, Foreigners welcome. Call - 01-569448, 09731-35900

Want To Hire
NEW ZEALANd businessman seeking apartment/condo/house sharing arrangement with one or two other people. Ph: 09-41011547. A MNC that is planning to open an office in Yangon is seeking the following for short term and long term lease; Land Crusier, Pajero, and Toyota Hiace, aircon, and must be clean, to include driver. Pls quote on a daily, weekly & monthly lease terms. ViLLA oR CoNdo (for foreigner) Bahan, Mayankone, Hlaing, Kamayut,Thingankyun, Yankin. RC, MB, SB, Water-Well & YCDC, Good Electricity, A/C, Ph, Attached to Garden, Furnished, Rent Rate - $600 ~ $1000. Pls contact by house owner to Ms. Hnin Si within office hours 9AM to 5PM556692, 540995 NEAR yUZANA PLAZA, warehouse to hire. Ph: 546309.

Travel
ChAUNg ThA vacation stay at a wooden house for a family for a very cheap price. 3 nigths, 4 days - 30,000 kyats per night Maximum 5 people. Need to bring your own beddings and kitchen wares. Contact - 561899 ext-119. Additional fee of 5000 - 10,000 kyats involved for cleaning fee. Only house and compound with a fence offered. NyAN MyiNT ThU Car rental service : 56, Bo Ywe St, Latha. Ph: 246551, 375283, 09645-0599

Housing for Sale

hLAiNg ThAR yAR, Large sewing factory ideally located in Hlaing Thar Yar industrial zone one is available for rental ,the factory is well equipped with boilers, generator, large cutting, packing and material storage areas, plus

Want To Buy

Public Notice

ThE RoyAL EMBAssy

UsEd LAPToP, Desktop, Notebook , Netbook, MacbookPro, Samsung Galaxy Tablet, Digital Camera, External Hardisk,Used Phone Nokia Blackberry Motorola LG HTC SonyEricssonSamsung Galaxy S2 Galaxy Note Galaxy Nexus, (Huawei CDMA800 latest Handset) Apple Ipod Touch 4G Iphone 3gs iphone 4, 4s handset Ipad Ipad2 ipad3 All kind of electronic device can buy and sell at resonable price. Ph: 09-517-8391

Employment
INGO Position
MsF-Ch, Switzerland is looking a suitable candidate for Phamacy Stock Manager 50% position in the project of Yangon. Pls kindly put the announcement on your office notice board and distribute it to those who are interested in it. The application closing date : 30th April 2012. CARE MyANMAR organization is seeking (1) Finance Assistant (Cashier) - Yangon - 1 post. Closing date: 9th May 2012 (2) Field office Coordinator (Mawlamyine) - 1 post Closing date: 8th May 2012 (Tuesday) Qualify women are strongly encourage to apply Pls request the detailed Terms of Reference at the CARE Myanmar office during office hours (8:30 ~ 5:00) between Monday to Friday or can obtain by email:recruitment @ care.org.mm 17A, Pyi Htaung Su St, Sayarsan Rd, Sayarsan North-west ward, Bahan, Yangon. Tel: 401419, 401420, 401421 MEdECiNs sans Frontieres-Switzerland (MSF-CH) is looking for motivated and experienced candi-dates for its HIV activities in Yangon for the following position: Pharmacy Stock Manager - Recruitment Criteria: Paramedical background is preferable, Stock management expe-rience is preferable Computer skills, English (required) and Myanmar, Mature,open-mindperson with good planning and organization, problem solving andInitiative, and communication skills, ability to listen, service and solution oriented. Flexibility, ability to work in a multidisciplinary and multicultural environment. Pls submit your application (motivation letter, updated CV and copy of professional diplomas) to Human Resources Officer : MSF Switzerland No.101, Dhamazedi Rd, Kamayut, Yangon, E-mail: msfchrangoon-web@geneva. msf.org Ph: 502509, 503548 before closing date: 30 April 2012. CARE Myanmar organization is seeking (1) M & E data Administrator - Yangon - 1 post Closing date: 11th May 2012 (Friday) (2) Monitoring & Evaluation Data Administrator Yangon - 1 post Closing date: 11th May 2012 (Friday) Qualify women are strongly encourage to apply Please request the detailed Terms of Reference at the CARE Myanmar office during office hours (8:30 to 5:00) between Monday to Friday or can obtain by email: recruitment@ care.org.mm Care Int'l in Myanmar : 17A, Pyi Htaung Su St, Sayarsan Rd, Sayarsan North-West Ward, Bahan, Yangon. Tel: 401419, 401420, 401421 (1)dRR Education Training Officer - (DM Division_DRR Unit)- 1 post : Selected townships for the DRR MRCS/FRC Program (2) Admin & Finance Officer (Health Division) - 1 post : Tauggyi with frequent visit to HQ Nay Pyi Taw and project townships. (3)Consultant (Health Division) - 1 post, Naypyitaw. Pls submit CV , passport phto with other documents to Myanmar Red Cross Society (Naypyitaw) mrcshrrecruitment@ gmail. com preferable), Age between 25 to 30 years old, 2 years experience in related field with Int'l, Must be able to travel (Domestic / Abroad) and excellent public relation skills. (2) Management Trainee -3 posts : Myanmar National, Age 20 ~ 27 years, Graduate with (B.Com/ B.Econ/ B.B.A/ B.B.M), Must have good practice on Mathematic & Knowledge of Microsoft office sorfware package. All candidates above must have: Good communication skill, Strong negotiation skill, Analytical skill, Initiative skill, Good in health & pleasant personality, Willingness to travel and work in difficult setting, Able to work as gracefully under pressure, Be proficient in both English & Myanmar languages, Computer literate. Pls send CV together with copies of academic certificates, Original & Update police clearan-ce form, a copy of Family registration. form (10), 1 passport sized photo and a copy of NRC to : HR Manager. Business Development Team. Creation (Myanmar) Co.,Ltd : 15~18, Thamain Bayan Rd, Myittar Yeik Mon Housing, Tarmwe Ph: 09-202-7604. Email: bdthrmanager@ goldenland.com.mm URgENT Vacancy: (1) Reservation for hotel & flight 1 post Female- twoyear experience in travel agency. (2)Admin & Guest relation staff 1 post Male/ Female- Who can speak English very well, twoyear experience in travel agency. Please contact AZURE SKY Travel. Room No (02-01) Asia Plaza Complex. Seikkan Thar St, Kyauktada Tsp, Ph: 379304, 703526. WE are now looking for a motivated, qualified, experienced & independent. service Technician 1 post: Any University graduate in science (or) AGTI diploma holder. 2 years relevant experience in similar position. Good command of written and spoken English (or) Chinese language. Must have basic computer skills for reporting. Mechanical/ Hydraulic/ Electronic background required (Further technical training would be provided). Male. Pls submit application in English together with C.V copies of certificates, copy of labour registration card, expected salary, recent photo and a contact phone number to 47 C, Inya Myaing Rd, Shwe Taung Kyar, Bahan, Ph: 513346. Closing date: 4.5.2012. WE WELCoME applications from motivated people for the following vacancies at our international education group? Registrar. Admin Managers/ hR Manager. Education Counsellors. Course Co-ordinators. secre-taries. Marketing Manager/ Executives. Accounts officers. Admin Assistants. Receptionist. Require ments: High level of motivation. Pleasant personality. Good command of English for senior posts. Excellent social & communications skills. Good MS Office & Internet skills. Pls post CV with a colour photo, expected salary, educational documents, & testimonials to: Regent Education Group. B-13+18, Shwe Keinayee Estate, Narnattaw St, Kamar-yut, Ph: 514101. AyER shWE WAh Co., is now seeking (1) health & Safety Officer - M/F 1 post : Possess technical or engineering diploma / degree, have received approved safety course and training with an institution, Knowledge in HR Management, 7 ~ 8 years experience in manufacturing & construction industry with a large company, Age 25 ~ 40, Good personality and public relation. Good English writing & speaking skills essential, Good communication skills & strict in enforcing discipline. (2) Corporate sales & Marketing Manager M/F 1 Post : Possess a good University degree in any discipline, have Marketing Diploma preferred. 5 years selling experience in consumer goods with a large Company & experience in leading a team. Age 25 ~ 35 years. Excellent English written and oral communication skills & interpersonal skills. (3) iT Manager - M/F 1 post: Possess B.C.Sc, MCSE, CCNA, Microsoft SQL Server, have CCNP, Micorsoft VB, Microsoft ASP.Net, Linux preferr-ed. 5 years experience in IT Field & 3 years experience in IT Management.Excellent English written and oral communication skills & interpersonal skills. Age 25 ~ 35. Typically experience in MS windows servers environment & infrastructure. Pls submit the resume CV with 3 recent photos, labor registration card, copy of NRC, copy of educational certifi-cates, copy of house-hold registration and recommendation letter from police station to : HR Department, Bldg A-10, Min Dhamma Rd, Shwe Kabar Housing, Mayan-gone, Ph: 656832, 656835. ihosT Myanmar is seeking (1) Marketing & sales Executive 2 posts : Must have skills for Web: Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal. Enthusiasm, both written and verbal. Enthusiasm, drive and determination, with a strong desire to meet targets. (2) Web designer 1 post: Must have skills for web designer: Minimum of 2 years commercial design experience, ideally at least 8 months web design experiences. Very skilled in Photoshop. (3) Front -end Web developer 1 post: Must have skills for web developer: Minimum of 1 year commercial web development experiences. Solid experience in developing with HTML, CSS, Javascript and jQuery. Team player who can work under pressure; flexible and can deliver on schedule. (4) PHP developer 2- Must have skills for PHP developer: Minimum of 2 years commercial development experiences with PHP. Solid experience in developing in a Unix/ Linux or LAMP environment. Strong database experience. Know-ledge of object oriented design and development. A very competitive salary will be paid for all positions based on skills and experience. Rm 010-A, Bldg B, Hnin Si Lane, Narnattaw Rd, Highway Complex, Kamayut. Ph: +959 5152331, +959 421084306. (1)REsERVATioN for hotel & flight - Female 1 post : 2 years experience in travel agency (2) Admin & guest relation staff Male/Female 1 post : who can speak English very well 2 years experience in travel agency. Pls contact AZURE SKY Travel: Rm (02-01), Asia Plaza Complex Seikkan Thar St, Kyauktada. Ph: 379304, 703526. QUALiTy Control Surveyor Civil Engineer ( or ) Diploma in Civil Engineering 1 person Contact Ph: 09 -73094957 MyANMAR BLUE Ocean Travels & Tours Co., Ltd (1) sales and Marketing Manager (Outbound) M/F 2 Post : Must have 4 years above experience in related field. Able to handle group & individual Tour Pack-age, highly motivated & resourceful. All applicants must be University Graduate, fluent in spoken & written English, must have excellent interper-sonal skill and good computer knowledge. Pls apply CV with one recent photo, other certificates , NRC copy, Labour registration card, police recommendation letter to Email : snow whitemay 56 @ gmail.com Closing date : within two weeks. Add : Rm (611), La Pyayt Wun Plaza, 37, Alan Pya Pagoda Rd, Dagon Tsp. Yangon. WE ARE looking for sale girl - 2 posts : speak English & Chinese languages, must have any graduate, age is 19 year, 23 years, prefer location is 8 mile,9 mile 10 mile and downtown area in Yangon. Ph: 09516-7734. (1) gENERAL Manager M 1 post :Any Graduate or higher Degree (MBA is more preferable). Age 40 ~ 50. 4 years experience at senior management level. Ability to manage business development and operation. Must be able to responsible for Planning, Implementation and short staying at work place. Excellent knowledge in English 4 skills. (2) Admin & hR Assistant - F 1 post : Any graduate, Age 25 ~ 30. 2 years experience in administrative field. Can use Microsoft Software (word, excel, pagemaker) to type Myanmar/ English. To provide administrative support to the Manager. Interest in job, self development, motivated & hardworking. Good personality, communication & reporting skill. Pls submit CV with other documents to 53/54, Pyay Rd, Mayangone, near A-1 bus stop, Ph: 651696, 652730. dREAM Paradise Travels & Tours: (1) Language guides - M/F : Hold the Guide Licence. (2) operation staff - M 1 post : Must able to use ticketing software e.g Galileo, Amadeus, Abacus. Good communication skill. Must have any graduated. Add: 84, R.13, Anawratha Rd, Corner of 39 St, Kyauktada, Yangon. Ph: 374370, 09-730-43408, Email: dreamparadise. sale@ gmail.com BEAUTy Paradise Manufacturing & Industrial Co., Ltd. (1) Asst; Accountant - F 3 Posts : Minimum LCCI Level II. Age 18 ~ 28 . 1 year experience in any field. Able to use Microsoft Office. Able to work overtime when needed. Good interper-sonal skill, good analytical skill and mathematical skill preferable. (2)Cashier - F 2 Posts : Minimum LCCI Level II. Age 20 ~ 28. Able to collect cash to collection points. 1 year experience in any field. Preferred outgoing personality and good interpersonal skill. (3) sales Leader - M 5 Posts : Age 18 ~ 30 years. Must be Dynamic, challenging & hard-working. Driving skill would be an advantage. (4) sales Promoter - F 10 Posts : Age between 18 ~ 25 years. Pleasant personality & good interpersonal skill. (5) graphic designer - M/F 2 Posts: For 3 & 4 : 10th Standard pass/ Preferable graduate. 2 years experience. Closing date: 30.4. 2012. No.1-A, May Aye Myaing Park, Near Ta Tar Phyu Bus-stop, 5.5 mile, Pyay Rd, Hlaing. Ph: 512307, 09-732-45777. LEgENdARy Myanmar Travel & A LA CARTE. (1) Office Staff - F 2 Pax: The applicants must have minimum 1 year experience in Office. All applicants must be University Graduate, Spoken & written English, must have excellent interpersonal skill and good computer knowledge. Pls apply CV with one recent photo, other certificate NRC copy, Labour registration card, Police recommendation letter to : 9, Rm (A-4), 3rd Flr, Kyaung St, Myaynigone, Sanchaung . Ph: 523652, 516795, Closing date: within 2 weeks. (1) sToRE Manager Male - 1 post. (2) Account - F 2 post. (3) sale - F 2 post. 24, Inya Rd, Kamayut , Yangon My 534654, mail: theredscarf99@ gmail. com. LEo Medicare 24hour Medical Assistance Service : Our organization is 24 hour medical assistant company; operating 24 hour international medical center, 24 hour diagnostics centre, 24 hour daycare centre, 24 hour assistant service and remote site medical services in Myanmar. Our organi-zation is looking for efficient & competent employees for follow-ing positions. For all posts require mandatory criteria of minimum 2 to 5 years working experience in related job, computer skills, language proficiency for both Myanmar and English. (1). Receptionist - F 2 posts : Any graduate with good communication skills & good personality, Prefer multilingual candidate (Chinese, Japanese, Korea) (2). Marketing Manager/ Marketing Executive - M/F 2 posts : Medical Doctor (or) Medical Technolo-gist (or) Pharmacist, Able to travel within country (3). Clinic Manager - M/F 1 post: Medical Doctor (or) Nurse (4). graphic designer cum Admin Assistant - M/F 1 post: Any graduate with creative thinking, Candidate with avail-able driving license in favor. (5). site Medical Officer - M 20 posts : Medical doctor with 5 years experience, Prefer any candidate who has experienced in Oil and Gas (onshore & offshore), mining industries & construct-ion industries. Age not older than 55 years Requirements:Applicant should submit application letter, current CV with passport size photo, contact details, copy of professional license, certificates, referees and copy of any testimonies in a sealed envelope indicating Position applied to LEO Medicare Medical Center , G Flr, Yangon Int'l Hotel, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Fax: (951) 218389, E-mail: leo.myn@gmail. com,ops@leo.com.mm Closing date: 15.5.2012 QUARTo Products is one of the leading Fine Food & Wine Distribut-ion Company in Myanmar. We are looking forward to the applicants for our QP Inya Shop ; Retail sales Assistant - Male 1 Post: Responsibilities: Perform excellent customer service, Build rapport and customer service, Proactively follow-up customer quires and needs, Responds positively to customer complaints, Perform cashiering duties, Perform daily closing balancing of cash collections, Ensure that visual merchandising standards are adhered to all times Require- ments: Any graduate, Able to work retail hour,Age under 25, Well groomed, Retail sales experience will be preferred, driver - Male 1 Post : Responsibilities - Drive vehicle safely for the transport of collection & deliveries, Develop & implement vehicle management and maintenance system, Take care of day-to-day maintenan-ce of vehicles, check oil, water, battery , brakes, tires, etc. and perform minor repairs and arrange for the repairs and ensure that the vehicle is kept clean, Log official trips, daily mileage, gas consumption, oil changes, greasing, etc. Ensure that the steps required by rules and regulations are taken in case of involvement in anaccident Requirements: 10th Standard passed or Any graduate, Valid driving license, At least 2 years work experience as a driver with safe driving record, Skills in motor vehicle repairs You can apply with cover letter, CV with 2 recent photos, copies of NRC card, labor registration card, Police recommendation letter, others educational references & experien-ce to : 5 (B/ D), Bayint Naung Lane (1), Thurein Yeik Mon Housing , Ywar Ma Curve, Hlaing, Yangon. Ph: 530 768, 530 237, 706 113, 09- 861-7759. CoMPANy Dealing in Foreign Brand Product is looking for Sales & Marketing Manager & staff - M/F 3 psts : Graduate. At least 2 years experience. Age between 25 ~ 30 years. Experience preferred. Pls, send application together with update CV, Photo & other data reference to gimperial @myanmar. com.mm, Ph:523536,09730-08077 iNTER Consulting is an int'l management consulting company. Aiming to provide a complete solution to its corporate & individual clients because from the starting of their businesses and services to the growth stage. With wide range of expertise in industrial, commer-cial & operational knowledge, Inter Consulting delivers success in terms of efficiency, innovation & higher performance to our clients businesses. We are looking for a suitable & qualified individual to fill the position to perform duties in Myanmar for our corporate client, a global leader in specialty chemicals which is active in over 100 countries around the world and operates 15 state-ofthe-art manufacturing sites, labs and offices across South East Asia, Australia & New Zealand. sales Executive : University degree in Life Science/ Agricultural, Experience in sales (preferably in feed business/ livestock industry), Mature & able to work independently and trustworthy, Good in oral & written English communications,Excellent organizational and people skills, Proficient in computer applications (MS office, Lotus Notes Mails etc.) Knowledge of int'l trading & supply chain, Experience with working in a multinational company is an advantage. Pls submit application together with details resume to hr@icononline.net or Inter Consulting Co., Ltd : 30 (B-1), Rm 601, 6th Flr, Yadanar Innya Condo, Golden Valley 2, Than Lwin Rd, Bahan, Tel: 09-7310 5353, 097310 5340 WE ARE urgently seeking for deputy director and Chief Engineer post, the person will be responsible for Projects, Contracts & Public relations : Engineering graduate with sound knowledge of Building, Industrial plants, Marine & Road Con-struction. proficiency in English (Any other additional languages will be an advantage) must have effective communication skills with strong leadership & negotiatory skills, Highly experienced in planning, organizational and analytical skill, possess excellent interpersonal skill and computer literate. Pls send application & CV with two recent photos, copy of NRC and all relevant certificates to Dawn (Ah Yone Oo) Construction Co.Ltd., 608(B), 609(A) Yuzana Tower, Shwe Gon Dine, Bahan, Ph. 551765, 558231. Closing date : April 30, 2012. hoRiZoN Int'l School is looking for (1).Teacher (for secondary & high school: Geography, IGCSE Chemistry & English language); Near-native English speaking teachers with a university degree in relevant subjects , 5 years experience in IGCSE classes, The successful applicant should be enthusiastic, have excellent subject knowledge, be supportive of students & offer challenging but fun lessons. Strong classroom management skills (2). secretary/ receptionist - F 3 posts : Age 20 ~ 40, University graduate, Proficient in English, Computer & Microsoft Office literacy, All candidates should have good communication & inter-personal skills. (3). supervisor/ Cleaner/ Electrician -M/F 4 posts : Age 25 ~ 40 , Passed matriculation examinat ion, Good command of English, Pleasant & helpful skills, Can work under pressure, Must have supervisory skill and 2 years experience. All candidates should be good in communication & interpersonal skills. Pls submit a cover letter, a resume/CV, a copy of relevant diploma (certificate) and a current photo to the Recruitment team at contact.skt@ horizon myanmar. com or to Horizon Shu Khinn Thar campus, Myo Patt Rd, Thaketa, Yangon on/before May 11, 2012. Email:skt@ horizon myanmar.com or Horizon Shu Khinn Thar campus, Myo Patt Rd, Thaketa, Ph: 450396, 450397.

Local Position
dAPPER is seeking (1) Marketing Executive -1 post : Myanmar National, Any Graduate or MBA is higher Degree (MBA is

The Essentials
EMBASSIES Australia 88, Strand Road, Yangon. tel : 251810, 251797, 251798, 251809, 246462, 246463, fax: 246159 Bangladesh 11-B, Than Lwin Road, Yangon. tel: 515275, 526144, fax: 515273, email: bdootygn@mptmail.net. mm Brazil 56, Pyay Road, 6th mile, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon. tel: 507225, 507251, 507482. fax: 507483. email: Administ.yangon@ itamaraty.gov.br. Brunei 317/319, U Wizara Road, Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon. tel: 526985, 524285, fax: 512854 email: bruneiemb@ bruneiemb.com.mm Cambodia 25 (3B/4B), New University Avenue Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. tel: 549609, 540964, fax: 541462, email: RECYANGON @mptmail. net.mm China 1, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. tel: 221280, 221281, 224025, 224097, 221926, fax: 227019, 228319 Egypt 81, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. tel: 222886, 222887, fax: 222865, email: egye mbyangon@mptmail. net.mm France 102, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. tel: 212178, 212520, 212523, 212528, 212532, fax: 212527, email: ambaf rance. rangoun@ diplomatie.fr Germany 9, Bogyoke Aung San Museum Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. tel: 548951, 548952, fax: 548899 email: info@rangun. diplo.de India 545-547, Merchant Street, Yangon. tel: 391219, 388412, 243972, fax: 254086, 250164, 388414, email: indiaembassy @mptmail. net.mm Indonesia 100, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. tel: 254465, 254469, 229750, fax: 254468, email: kukygn @indonesia.com.mm Israel 15, Khabaung Street, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon. tel: 515115, fax: 515116, email: info@ yangon.mfa.gov.il Italy 3, Inya Myaing Road, Golden Valley, Yangon. tel: 527100, 527101, fax: 514565, email: ambyang.mail@ esteri.it Japan 100, Natmauk Road, Yangon. tel: 549644-8, 540399, 540400, 540411, 545988, fax: 549643 Embassy of the State of Kuwait Chatrium Hotel, Rm: No.416, 418, 420, 422, 40 Natmauk Rd, Tarmwe Tsp, Tel: 544500. North Korea 77C, Shin Saw Pu Road, Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon. tel: 512642, 510205, fax: 510206 South Korea 97 University Avenue, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. tel: 527142-4, 515190, fax: 513286, email: hankuk@ kore mby.net.mm Lao A-1, Diplomatic Quarters, Tawwin Road, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. tel: 222482, fax: 227446, email: Laoembcab@ mptmail. net.mm Malaysia 82, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. tel: 220248, 220249, 220251, 220230, fax: 221840, email: mwkyangon@mptmail. net.mm Nepal 16, Natmauk Yeiktha, Yangon. tel: 545880, 557168, fax: 549803, email: nepemb @mptmail.net.mm Pakistan A-4, diplomatic Quarters, Pyay Road, Yangon. tel: 222881 (Chancery Exchange) fax: 221147, email: pakistan@ myanmar. com.mm Philippines 50, Sayasan Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. tel: 558149-151, fax: 558154, email: p.e. yangon@gmail.com Russian 38, Sagawa Road, Yangon. tel: 241955, 254161, fax: 241953, email: rusinmyan@mptmail .net.mm Serbia No. 114-A, Inya Road, P.O.Box No. 943Yangon. tel: 515282, 515283, fax: 504274, email: serbemb@ yangon.net.mm Singapore 238, Dhamazedi Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. tel: 559001, fax: 559002, 559922, email: singemb_ ygn@_ sgmfa. gov.sg Sri Lanka 34 Taw Win Road, Yangon. tel: 222812, fax: 221509, email: slembassy. yangon@gmail.com, info@slembyangon.org, www.slembyangon.org Thailand 94 Pyay Road, Dagon Township, Yangon. tel: 226721, 226728, 226824, fax: 221713 United Kingdom 80 Kanna Road, Yangon. tel: 370867, 380322, 371852, 371853, 256438, 370863, 370864, 370865, fax: 370866 United States of America 110, University Avenue, Kamayut Township, Yangon. tel: 536509, 535756, 538038, fax: 650306 Vietnam Building No. 72, Thanlwin Road, Bahan Township, Yangon. tel: 511305, fax: 514897, email: vnemb myr@ cybertech.net.mm Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia No.287/289, U Wisara Rd, Sanchaung Tsp. tel : 01-536153, 516952, fax : 01-516951 UNITED NATIONS ILO Liaison Officer Rm (M1212~1220), 12 Fl-A, Traders Hotel. 223, tel: 242 393, 242811. fax: 242594. IOM 12th Flr, Traders Hotel, 223, tel: 252560 ext. 5002 UNAIDS Rm: (1223~1231), 12 Fl, Traders Hotel. tel: 252361, 252362, 252498. fax: 252364. UNDCP 11-A, Malikha St, Mayangone tsp. tel: 666903, 664539. fax: 651334. UNDP 6, Natmauk Rd, Bahan tel: 542910-19. fax: 292739. UNFPA 6, Natmauk Rd, Bahan tsp. tel: 546029. UNHCR 287, Pyay Rd, Sanchaung tsp. tel: 524022, 524024. fax 524031. UNIAP Rm: 1202, 12 Fl, Traders Hotel.tel: 254852, 254853. UNIC 6, Natmauk St., BHN tel: 52910~19 UNICEF 14~15 Flr, Traders Hotel. P.O. Box 1435, KTDA. tel: 375527~32, fax: 375552 email: unicef.yangon@unicef. org, www.unicef.org/myanmar. UNODC 11-A, Malikha Rd., Ward 7, MYGN. tel: 666903, 660556, 660538, 660398, 664539, fax: 651334. email: fo.myanmar@unodc.org www. unodc.org./myanmar/ UNOPS Inya Lake Hotel, 3rd floor, 37, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Mayangone Tsp. tel: 951657281~7. Fax: 657279. UNRC 6, Natmauk Rd, P.O. Box 650, TMWE tel: 542911~19, 292637 (Resident Coordinator), fax: 292739, 544531. WFP 3rd-flr, Inya Lake Hotel, 37, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd. tel: 657011~6 (6-lines) Ext: 2000. WHO 12A Fl, Traders Hotel. tel:250583. ASEAN Coordinating Of. for the ASEAN Humanitarian Task Force, 79, Taw Win st, Dagon Township. Ph: 225258. FAO Myanma Agriculture Service Insein Rd, Insein. tel: 641672, 641673. fax: 641561.

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

ACCOUNTANTS AND CONSULTANTS

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

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

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

ACCOMMODATIONHOTELS (NAy PyI TAw)

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

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

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

Tel: 95-67-422088, 422099

ACCOMMODATION LONG TERM

No. 205, Corner of Wadan Street & Min Ye Kyaw Swa Road, Lanmadaw Tsp, Yangon. Myanmar. Tel: (95-1) 212850 ~ 3, 229358 ~ 61, Fax: (95-1) 212854. info@myanmarpandahotel .com http://www. myanmarpandahotel.com Panorama Hotel 294-300, Pansodan Street, Kyauktada Tsp. tel: 253077. PARKROYAL Yangon, Myanmar 33, Alan Pya Pagoda Rd, Dagon tsp. tel: 250388. fax: 252478. email: enquiry.prygn@ parkroyalhotels.com Website: parkroyalhotels. com. Savoy Hotel 129, Damazedi Rd, Kamayut tsp. tel: 526289, 526298, Seasons of Yangon Yangon Intl Airport Compound. tel: 666699. Sweet Hotel 73, Damazedi Road, San Chaung Tsp, Ph: 539152 Sedona Hotel Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Yankin. tel: 666900. Strand Hotel 92 Strand Rd. tel: 243377. fax: 289880. Easy Expat Accommodation Specialist in Yangon. Tel: 09-730-33776. Eco-Apartment Fully Furnished Ga 21, Pearl Centre (Pearl Condo), Bahan Tsp. Tel: 557488. Espace Avenir No 523, Pyay Rd, Kamaryut Tsp. tel: 505213-222. Golden Hill Towers 24-26, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp. tel: 558556. ghtower@ mptmail.net.mm. Marina Residence 8, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Mayangone Tsp. tel: 6506 51~4. fax: 650630. MiCasa Hotel Apartments 17, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Yankin Tsp. tel: 650933. fax: 650960. Sakura Residence 9, Inya Rd, Kamaryut Tsp. tel: 525001. fax: 525002. The Grand Mee Ya Hta Executive Residence 372, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Pabedan Tsp. tel 951-256355 (25 lines). fax: 951-256360. email: gmer@ mptmail.net.mm, www. grandmeeyahta.com Yangon City Villa (Residence) Pyay Rd, 8 Mile Junction, MYGN, tel: 513101

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

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

Emergency Numbers
Ambulance tel: 295133. Fire tel: 191, 252011, 252022. Police emergency tel: 199. Police headquarters tel: 282541, 284764. Red Cross tel:682600, 682368 Traffic Control Branch tel:298651 Department of Post & Telecommunication tel: 591384, 591387. Immigration tel: 286434. Ministry of Education tel:545500m 562390 Ministry of Sports tel: 370604, 370605 Ministry of Communications tel: 067-407037. Myanma Post & Telecommunication (MPT) tel: 067407007. Myanma Post & Tele-communication (Accountant Dept) tel: 254563, 370768. Ministry of Foreign Affairs tel: 067-412009, 067-412344. Ministry of Health tel: 067-411358-9. Yangon City Development Committee tel: 248112. HOSPITALS Central Womens Hospital tel: 221013, 222811. Children Hospital tel: 221421, 222807 Ear, Nose & Throat Hospital tel: 543888. Naypyitaw Hospital (emergency) tel: 420096. Workers Hospital tel: 554444, 554455, 554811. Yangon Children Hospital tel: 222807, 222808, 222809. Yangon General Hospital (East) tel: 292835, 292836, 292837. Yangon General Hospital (New) tel: 384493, 384494, 384495, 379109. Yangon General Hospital (West) tel: 222860, 222861, 220416. Yangon General Hospital (YGH) tel: 256112, 256123, 281443, 256131. ELECTRICITY Power Station tel:414235 POST OFFICE General Post Office 39, Bo Aung Kyaw St. (near British Council Library). tel: 285499. INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Yangon International Airport tel: 662811. YANGON PORT Shipping (Coastal vessels) tel: 382722 RAILWAYS Railways information tel: 274027, 202175-8.

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

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

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

mt QuiCk guide
April 30 - May 6, 2012
ADvERTISING
WE sTARTEd ThE AdVERTisiNg iNdUsTRy iN MyANMAR siNCE 1991

36
the

MyanMar tiMes

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

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

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

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

CONSTRUCTION

ENTERTAINMENT

GAS COOKER & COOKER HOODS

24 hours Laboratory & X-ray No. 330, Ground Flr, Yangon Intl Hotel, Ahlone Road, Dagon Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: (951) 218388, (951) 218292 Fax: (951) 218389

CAFS

BEAUTY & MASSAGE

Qi Foot Spa At Inya Lake Hotel, Yangon. Tel: +951-662866, 662857 Ext: 1725 Zen Wellness Care No.62 (A), Rm-3, Yaw Min Gyi St, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel: +951-252939.

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

Dance Lessons Mon-Fri 12:00 to 23:00. Sat-Sun 10 am to 8 pm Fun dancing Friday nights with Filipino musicians 4, U Tun Myat St, Tamwe. Tel: 01-541 550 The Uranium Dance Studio Pearl condo Bldg (C), 2nd flr, Bahan Tsp. Tel: 09731-42624, 09-514-0404.

Yangon : A-3, Aung San Stadium (North East Wing), Mingalartaungnyunt Tsp. Tel : 245543, 09-730-37772. Mandalay : Room No.(B,C) (National Gas), 35th St, Btw 80th & 81st, Chanayetharzan Tsp. Tel : 09-6803505, 02 34455, 36748, 71878.

La Brasserie (International) PARKROYAL Yangon. 33, Alan Pya Phaya Road, Dagon Tsp. tel : 250388. Cafe de Angel Always Pure & Fresh No.24, Baho Rd, Ahlone Tsp. tel : 703449 Opening Hour: 9 am to 11 pm

DOMAIN

GENERATORS
Heavy Equipments & Genset

FITNESS CENTRE
.biz.mm .per.mm .com.mm .org.mm
No. (8), Panchan Tower, Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 951-516891~3 sm@mtg.biz.mm, www.mtg.biz.mm

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

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

DUTY FREE
INYA1 Resturant & Bar No.(1), Inya Road, Kamayut Tsp. Tel: 01-527506 email: inyaone@gmail.com www.inya1.com Traders Caf Traders Hotel, Yangon. #223, Sule Pagoda Rd. Tel: 242828 ext: 6519

Espace Avenir 523, Pyay Rd, Kamayut Tsp, Tel : 505214, 505222 FIT Club - Rm 101~3, Marina Residence, 8, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Mayangone Tsp, Tel : 650634, 650651 Ext:102 Parkroyal Fitness & Spa Parkroyal Yangon. 33, Alan Pya Phaya Road, Dagon Tsp. Tel: 250388.

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

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

HOME FURNISHING

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

BATTERY

We are moving to: 17, 2nd street, Hlaing Yadanarmon Housing, Hlaing Township, Yangon. Tel: 500143, 500144, 500145.

CHOCOLATE
ISO 9001:2008 (QMS)

EDUCATION CENTRE
MHR Business & Management Institute 905, 9th floor, Modern Iron Market(Thanzay Condo) Lanmadaw St. tel: 707822. NLEC 82 Anawrahta Rd, Corner of 39 St, Kyauktada Tsp. tel: 250225. The British Council 92, Strand Rd, Kyauktada Tsp. tel: 254658.

Mr. Betchang No.(272), Pyay Rd, DNH Tower, Rm No.(503), 5th flr, Sanchaung Tsp, Tel: 095041216 The Yangon GYM Summit Parkview Hotel 350, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp. tel: 211888, 211966. Traders Health Club. Level 5, Traders Hotel Yangon#223 Sule Pagoda Rd, Tel: 951 242828 Ext: 6561

22, Pyay Rd, 9 mile, Mayangone Tsp. tel: 660769, 664363. Home Plus Trading Co., Ltd. No. 457, Aung San Stadium, Mingalartungnyunt Tsp. tel: 394888. Fax: 393008.

24 hours Medical centre No. 330, Ground Flr, Yangon Intl Hotel, Ahlone Road, Dagon Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. 24 hour Call Centre : (951) 218 445 Clinic : (959) 4921 8159 Office : (951) 218 446 Fax : (951) 218 389 www.leomedicare.com
Shimmering Gold Services Co., Ltd.
ViCToRy FoR LiFE

BANGKOK, THAILAND

HEALTH SERvICES

SR 22/1, Next to the Pearl Shopping Centre, Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 544297, 549527, 700777. email: eros@ mptmail.net.mm.

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

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

FLORAL SERvICES

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

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

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

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

BOOK STORES

COLD STORAGE

ELECTRICAL

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

Est. 1992 in Myanmar Cold Storage Specialist, Solar Hot Water Storage Solutions. Tel: 09-504-2196, 09-73194828. E-mail: gei.ygn2@ gmail.com, glover2812@ gmail.com

Est. 1992 in Myanmar Electrical & Mechanical Contractors, Designers, Consultants. Tel: 09-504-2196, 09-73194828. E-mail: gei.ygn2@ gmail.com, glover2812@ gmail.com

Floral Service & Gift Shop No. 449, New University Avenue, Bahan Tsp. YGN. Tel: 541217, 559011, 09-860-2292. Market Place By City Mart Tel: 523840~43, 523845~46, Ext: 205. Junction Nay Pyi Taw Tel: 067-421617~18 422012~15, Ext: 235. Res: 067-414813, 09-49209039. Email : eternal@ mptmail.net.mm

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

MARINE COMMUNICATION & NAvIGATION

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

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

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

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

MARKET RESEARCH

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

FOAM SPRAY INSULATION

Acupuncture, Medicine Massage, Foot Spa Add:No,27(A),Ywa Ma Kyaung Street, Hlaing Township, Yangon. Tel: 01-511122, 526765. Piyavate Hospital (Bangkok) Myanmar Represent ative (Head office) Miba Gon Yee Business Group, No.506, 5th-fl, Yuzana Twin Tower, (No.8, Pangyan Tower) Cor of Dhama Zedi & Bargayar Rd, SCHG Tsp. Tel: 500600, 500800, 500900. Fax: 539799. hotline: +9595018777. piyavate@ myanmar.com.mm www.piyavate.com PHIH-Specialist Clinic FMI Centre (4th Floor) #380, Bogyoke Aung San Road, Pabedan Tsp. tel: 243 010, 243 012, 243 013

Media & Advertising

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

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

Intuitive Design, Advertising, Interior Decoration Corporate logo/Identity/ Branding, Brochure/ Profile Booklet/ Catalogue/ Billboard, Corporate diary/ email newsletter/ annual reports, Magazine, journal advertisement and 3D presentation and detailed planning for any interior decoration works. Talk to us: (951) 430-897, 553-918 www.medialane.com.au 58B Myanma Gon Yaung Housing, Than Thu Mar Road, Tamwe, Yangon.

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April 30 - May 6, 2012
SCHOOLS
ASIA Language & Business Academy (All classes are taught by native English-speaking teachers), No-66, Shwedagon Pagoda Road, Dagon Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel:+95-1376236, 376314, 384055. Streamline Education 24, Myasabai Rd, Parami, Myangone Tsp. tel: 662304, 09-500-6916. No.35(b), Tatkatho Yeik Mon Housing, New University Avenue, Bahan Township, Yangon. Tel: 951-549451, 557219, 540730. www.yangon-academy.org Myanmar. Tel: 95-1-535783, 527705, 501429. Fax: 95-1-527705. Email: salesikon@myanmar.com.mm Junction Mawtin Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Cor of Wadan St. Lanmadaw Tsp. Tel: Junction Square Pyay Rd, Kamayut Tsp. Tel: Ocean Supercentre (North Point ), 9th Mile, Mayangone Tsp. Tel: 651 200, 652963. Pick n Pay Hyper Market Bldg (A,B,C), (14~16), Shwe Mya Yar Housing, Mya Yar Gone St, Mingalartaungnyunt Tsp. Tel: 206001~3, Fax: 9000199 Sein Gay Har 44, Pyay Rd, Dagon Tsp. Tel: 383812, 379823. Super 1 (Kyaikkasan) 65, Lay Daunt Kan St, Tel: 545871~73 Super 1 (Shwe Bonthar) 397, Bogyoke Aung San St, Pabedan. Tel: 250268~29 Victoria Shwe Pone Nyet Yeik Mon, Bayint Naung Rd, Kamaryut Tsp. Tel : 515136. 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. Kan Yeik Tha Road Mingalar Taung Nyunt Tsp. Yangon, Myamar. No. 105/107, Kha-Yae-Bin Road. between Pyi Daung Su Yeik Tha (Halpin) and Manawhari Road/Ahlone Road, Dagon Tsp. Tel/Fax: 538895, Tel: 09730-29973, 09-540-9469.
padonmar.restaurant@ gmail.com. www.myanmarrestaurantpadonmar.com

MyanMar tiMes

OFFICE FURNITURE

Monday to Saturday (9am to 6pm) No. 797, MAC Tower II, Room -4, Ground Floor, Bogyoke Aung San Road, Lamadaw Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: (951) 212944 Ext: 303 sales.centuremyanmar@ gmail.com www.centure.in.th

PLEASURE CRUISES

24 hours open. 5, Alan Pya Phaya Rd, Dagon Tsp, inside Thamada Hotel. tel 243640, 243047, Ext: 32.

Tel: 299255~9, Ext: 7801, 7802 Fax: 382917 reception@ kandawgyipalace-hotel. com www.kandawgyipalacehotel.com

RESTAURANTS
Kan Yeik Tha Road Mingalar Taung Nyunt Tsp. Yangon, Myamar. Taste Paradise Chinese Restaurant

Horizon Intl School 25, Po Sein Road, Bahan Tsp, tel : 541085, 551795, 551796, 450396~7. fax : 543926, email : contact@horizonmyanmar. com, www.horizon.com Bldg No. 12, Yangon Intl Compound, Ahlone Road. Tel: 09-431-85008, 09-731-60662. sales@corrianderleaf.com ILBC 180, Thunandar 9th Lane, Thumingalar Housing, Thingungyung.tel: 562401.

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

STEEL CONSTRUCTION

Moby Dick Tours Co., Ltd. Islands Safari in the Mergui Archipelago 4 Days, 6 Days, 8 Days Trips Tel: 95 1 202063, 202064 E-mail: mobydicktours@ gmail.com. Website: www. moby-dick-adventures.com

Lunch/Dinner/Catering 555539, 536174 Black Canyon Coffee & International Thai Cuisine 330, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp. Tel: 0980 21691, 395052. email: blackcanyon@ yangon. net.mm.

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

Tel: 299255~9, Ext: 7778 Fax: 382917 reception@ kandawgyipalace-hotel. com www.kandawgyipalacehotel.com

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

ILBC IGCSE SCHOOL No.(34), Laydauntkan Road, Tamwe Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 542982, 545720, 549106,545736,400156 Fax: 541040 Email: info@ilbc.net.mm www.ilbcedu.com ISM Intl School W 22/24, Mya Kan Thar Housing, Hlaing Tsp. tel:530082, 530083. International School Yangon 20, Shwe Taung Kyar St, Bahan Tsp. Tel: 512793.

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

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

TRAvEL AGENTS

No.430(A), Corner of Dhamazedi Rd & Golden Valley Rd, Building(2) Market Place (City Mart), Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 01-523840(Ext-309), 09-73208079. Kohaku Japanese Restaurant Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon 40, Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp, Lobby Level, Tel: 544500 Ext 6231

PAINT

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

REMOvALISTS

Italian delicatesse & Ice-cream No.150, Dhamazadi Rd, Bahan Tsp. (Monunent Book Shop) Open Daily 9:00am to 7:00pm. Italian Ice-cream, Pasta, Pizza & Bar (2) G/F, City Mart, Myaynigone Centre. tel : 508469, 508470 ext. 113 Open Daily 9:00am to 10:00pm.

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

Asian Trails Tour Ltd 73 Pyay Rd, Dagon tsp. tel: 211212, 223262. fax: 211670. email: res@ asiantrails.com.mm Htoo Travels 209/c, first flr, Shwe Gonedaing Rd, Bahan. Tel: 548554, 548039. Sun Far Travels & Tours 27, Ground flr, 38th st, Kyauktada Tsp. Tel: 380888.

Admissions Office: No. 44, Than Lwin Road, Bahan Township, Yangon. Tel: 535433, 09-850-3073. Email: rviacademygn@ rvcentre.com.sg

WATER HEATERS

Enchanting and Romantic, a Bliss on the Lake 62 D, U Tun Nyein Road, Mayangon Tsp, Yangon Tel. 01 665 516, 660976 Mob. 09-512-7795 operayangon@gmail.com www.operayangon.com

95, Anawrahta Rd. Tel:296552, 293754. 336, Pyay Rd, Sanchaung Tsp. Tel: 526456. New University Avenue, 551521, 551951, 553896. U Wisara Rd, Tel: 524599, 501976.

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

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

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

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

Kan Yeik Tha Road Mingalar Taung Nyunt Tsp. Yangon, Myamar. Legendary Myanmar Intl Shipping & Logistics Co., Ltd. No-9, Rm (A-4), 3rd Flr, Kyaung St, Myaynigone, Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 516827, 523653, 516795. Mobile. 09-512-3049. Email: legandarymyr@ mptmail.net .mm www.LMSL-shipping.com

No.5, U Htun Nyein St, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 656611, 09-431-35406. Email: info@ mesamisyangon.com

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

French Restaurant Tel: 299255~9, Ext: 7776 Fax: 382917 reception@ kandawgyipalace-hotel. com www.kandawgyipalacehotel.com

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

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

Yangon International School Fully Accredited K-12 International Curriculum with ESL support No.117,Thumingalar Housing, Thingangyun Township, Yangon. Tel: 578171, 573149 www.yismyanmar.net Yangon International School New Early Childhood Center Pan Hlaing Golf Estate Housing & U Tun Nyo Street, Hlaing Thar Yar Township, Yangon. Tel: 687701, 687702 Kangaroo Child Care 55, Aung Min Gaung 1st Rd, Kamayut Tsp. Tel: 501 568, 09 504 7732.

Same as Rinnai Gas cooker and cooker Hood Showroom Address

Water Heater

WEB SERvICES

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

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April 30 - May 6, 2012
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Reforms reveal strong golf culture

By Talek Harris SINGAPORE After decades in the shadows, Myanmars sudden opening-up to the outside is shining a new light on the country and revealing, amongst other things, one of Asias most vibrant golf communities. Behind Myanmars bamboo curtain, golf, a relic of British colonialism, has been an enduring pastime with scores of public courses often with green fees as low as US$5 and a dozen driving ranges in Yangon alone. According to Asian Tour executive chairman Kyi Hla Han, a highly successful Myanmar golfer who first represented his country at the 1980 World Cup, many visitors are taken aback when they see the extent of the countrys facilities. People dont realise how popular golf is in Myanmar. They dont know that we already have such a strong golf culture, Han said. There are lots of public courses. Its like Scotland, or Australia. You dont have to be a member, you can just turn up and play. Han estimated there were up to 80 courses in Myanmar, which borders Thailand and has an estimated population of 54 million. Its golf-playing history of 100 years is among the longest in Asia. Now the relaxation of military-ruled Myanmar in politics and border controls is expected to bring an influx of investment including plush new golf resorts, greater prize money and more opportunities for the countrys players. Its great news now that the country is opening up for business and I think once the economy gets better and a lot of middle class people are able to afford playing, Im sure theyre going to pick up golf, said Han. Because theres a lot of facilities. Most of the courses are actually public courses so you can just pay and play. So its just a matter of the economy getting better and people being able to afford to play. But weve always had a good history of golf being played there so its not like Vietnam, or Cambodia, or even China weve been playing golf for the last 100 years. So the potential is great. Golf was first played in Myanmar by the British military, who left behind several courses when the country gained independence in 1948. Since then, it has remained mainly the preserve of the military and business elite. But Han said it was just a matter of time before Myanmars economy improves, swelling the middle class and leading more people to seek out golf, as has happened in other growing Asian countries. Zaw Moe, another of Myanmars golf exports, said the country already had lots of talented young players who were working with coaches and benefiting from modern training methods and facilities.

China football official claims torture in graft trial

BEIJING - The former head of Chinas soccer association alleged on April 24 he was tortured into confessing to bribe-taking as he and other officials faced trial in a crackdown on graft in Chinese football, reports said. Xie Yalong, ex-chief of the Chinese Football Association (CFA), went on trial in the northeast city Dandong for allegedly receiving bribes, state media said, becoming the highest-ranking former soccer official to face justice. But Xie told the court he was tortured with electric shocks, beaten, and doused with water while being interrogated during investigations, state media reports said. The Peoples Daily quoted Xies lawyer Jin Xiaoguang as saying his defendant feared for his life during the interrogation and confessed to crimes he did not commit because he wanted to stay alive. The popular Chinese web portal QQ.com reported Xie was beaten so hard in the head his ears bled. Dozens of CFA and club officials, referees, and players have been ensnared for their roles in a matchfixing and gambling scandal exposed two years ago, which has rocked Chinese football by lifting the lid on deep-rooted corruption. The revelations have combined with poor play by Chinas national squad to repel increasingly indifferent Chinese fans, threatening the future of the worlds most popular game in the worlds most populous country. Xie, 56, was charged with 12 counts of accepting bribes, which totalled more than 1.7 million yuan (US$273,000), Xinhua said. Xinhua said the court in Dandong also began the trials of Wei Shaohui, former manager of the Chinese national soccer team, and Li Dongsheng, former head of the CFAs referee committee. Wei was accused of taking 1.23 million yuan in bribes, including 100,000 yuan from a player, Yan Feng, to help secure a spot on the national team. A court in Tieling also tried four former Chinese internationals Shen Si, Qi Hong, Jiang Jin and Li Ming on April 25 for taking bribes, the news agency added. Corruption has long blighted football in Asia, with the Asian Football Confederation describing match-fixing as a cancer that is destroying the game. Efforts to clamp down on illegal sports betting in Asia have seen hundreds of people arrested and millions of dollars confiscated, notably in China, Hong Kong and Malaysia. AFP

A golfer takes a swing on the driving range at the Xan golf club in Yangon on April 26. Pic: AFP Its a far cry from Zaw Moes early days, when he hit balls into the jungle and picked up tips from caddies after starting to play at the age of 13. In my home town we have a nine-hole golf course and my father and mother played so I went with them. Somebody taught me the grip and I just picked it up, he said. My course didnt have a driving range. We just hit our own balls and asked the caddie to pick them up. Wed hit it into the jungle or on the fairway. Wed go and practise when the members werent playing, so I would play in the early mornings or sometimes at night. When the members had finished, I could hit balls on the fairway. Moe was forced to leave Myanmar in 1990 to seek out playing opportunities, and he moved to Malaysia, before spending 11 years on the Japanese tour. But he believes the next generation of Myanmar golfers will have it easier. It will take time. At the moment only the politics has changed. Everything will have to settle down and afterwards they [players] will come up. But its looking very good for the future in Myanmar at the moment, he said. Han said he now expected more prize money for the Asian Tours $300,000 Myanmar Open, currently backed by domestic companies, as multinationals become involved. There are also about eight domestic events. We have our Myanmar Open and we hope to make that a bigger and better tournament next year. I think it will grow more, said Han. The businessmen there have been supporting it to help Myanmar and if multinationals come in ... and Im sure its well supported by government officials. We see a good future for golf in Myanmar. Hopefully they can get one more [international] tournament in Myanmar. That would be nice for Myanmar and all the players over there. AFP

Lowly Arema hand Ayeyawady United shock lesson

By Aung Si Hein INDONESIAS Arema FC dealt an unexpected lesson to Ayeyawady United, beating them 3-0 in the second leg of their 2012 AFC group stage tie on April 24 at Yangons Thuwanna Stadium. Ayeyawadys first-time appearance in the AFC Cup have seen them rise to joint top of the group on seven points and could yet make it through to the next stage after two more matches, while lowly Arema lagged behind having previously gained one point and faint chance of proceeding to the knock-out stage. Todays match was very hard for us, said Ayeyawady coach Josef Herel. Our team are under a lot of pressure at the moment because my players want to get to the next stage. We lost not because Arema changed their technique but because our mistakes were big, he said. Within 30 minutes Ayeyawady United were forced to make two major substitutions when the teams main defender, Zaw Zaw Oo, received a serious injury and their midfielder, Min Min Thu, struggled to get in the game. Our team does not have enough good players to substitute our best players. I had to use inexperienced players in place of those injured, Josef Herel said. Dejan Antonic, Arema 's coach, said he can now be proud of his players after this performance. We played very well. We prepared very hard for the game. The boys were tactically very good, so they deserved the win. I am proud of them for todays success as I was sorry for the boys in Vietnam where we led the game by one goal, and then lost 1-3, while in Malaysia we missed so many chances on goal and lost, Dejan Antonic said. Antonic said that he came to this game after studying how Ayeyawady played in their first match and changed his tactics for the second leg. I know Ayeyawady depend a lot on their forward Jupiter. Therefore we decided to mark him closely. We cut them off in the centre and only allowed them to operate on the left and right wings. Thats why they didnt have many chances except in the last 15 minutes, he said. Ayeyawady at first tried to play their usual passing game and play the ball into Aremas penalty area but were faced with a resolute Arema who looked to steal the ball and launch a counter attack. Aremas defender Putut Waringin Jati opened the scoring on 10 minutes, but at a cost as he received a cut to the back of the head, which needed three stitches. On 13 minutes, Ayeyawadys goalkeeper Thiha Si Thu had to make three consecutive saves to keep Ayeyawady from going further behind when another Arema defender, Ahmad Amiruddin, followed up a stinging shot that the keeper parried and tried to bundle the ball into the back of the net. Ahmad got it right on 27 minutes when he was involved in another counter attack, taking the ball up the left wing and slipping it into the net from a tight angle. Near the close of the first half Ayeyawady upped their game to chase the two-goal deficit, but increasingly looked like a team of individuals each looking to score on their own rather than work as a team. Ayeyawadys Miroslav Latiak wrong-footed a defender and immediately shot for goal, only for Arema keeper Deniss Romanovs to save. Then on 44 minutes it unravelled for Ayeyawady as Abdulmushafry, another Arema defender, capitalised on a moment of indecisiveness among the home defenders to score his team's third goal. The second half offered more chances for Ayeyawady as Arema settled in to defend, but Ayeyawady kept making mistakes and hesitated when opportunities arose. The only real chances came in the last 10 minutes. Forward Ngangue Jupiter Yves and defender Karangwa John both missed easy chances, while Aremas keeper set a standout performance making several crucial saves.

An Arema Indonesia player vies for the ball with Ayeyawady midfeilder Nanda Lin Kyaw Chit at Thuwanna Stadium on April 24. Pic: Boothee

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April 30 - May 6, 2012

MyanMar tiMes

Neuer the hero as Bayern defeat Real

By Dermot Ledwith MADRID Manuel Neuer was the hero for Bayern Munich on April 25 as his side went through to the Champions League final after beating Real Madrid 3-1 on penalties in the Santiago Bernabeu. They will face Chelsea in their own Allianz Arena in Munich on May 19 after losing their return leg 2-1 after extra-time, to send the tie into penalties with the Germans having won by the same score in the first game. The keeper stopped Madrids two initial spotkicks from Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka, and Sergio Ramos blazed one over the bar before Bastian Schweinsteiger held his nerve to put the fourtimes European Champions through to the final. They last appeared in a final two years ago losing 2-0 on this same stage to Jose Mourinhos Inter Milan. Earlier Ronaldo had scored twice for Real before Arjen Robben grabbed one back in a frantic first half-hour to level the tie. As the players gradually tired penalties loomed ever larger for only the third time in a semi-final in the Champions League era. Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes was delighted on the final whistle. We played a great game against an extraordinary opponent who went 2-0 ahead tonight but we have managed to get a goal back, our goalkeeper has been great at the end and weve had a bit of luck. I told them before we may have to play for 120 minutes but I did not expect the penalties. My players are tired, the tension was high, but weve achieved our main objective of the season, it was almost an obsession for us to play the final in our stadium, he said. Counterpart Mourinho was philosophical about the defeat. You have to be levelheaded about it when you win and lose, football is like that. My team had a huge game in our league [against Barcelona] at the weekend while they were able to rest players and it was noticeable towards the end. At 2-1 any mistake would have lost the game but Im proud of my players and we have to be strong. If we win our league its a big step forward for us and we need six points for that, he said. He went on to analyse the final between Bayern and Chelsea. I hope its a good game but I obviously want Chelsea to win, they were heroes to beat Barcelona with 10 men, he continued. The game started at a furious pace and German international Sami Khedira had the first chance of the game on three minutes for Real forcing a save from Neuer in the Bayern goal. Two minutes later and Madrid were ahead thanks to Ronaldo from the penalty spot after Angel Di Marias shot had fortuitously hit the outstretched arm of David Alaba. Alaba was booked for that and will miss the final later

Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer (right) saves a penalty from Real Madrid midfielder Kaka during their UEFA Champions League semi-final at the Santiago Bernabeu on April 25. Pic: AFP bookings for Luiz Gustavo and Holger Badstuber means they will also miss the big game. Bayerns response was immediate and Robben should have levelled the game when he met Alabas cross in the six-yard box. Iker Casillas in the Madrid goal did enough to hurry the Dutchman, whose shot spun over the bar when it seemed certain he would score. On 12 minutes Casillas blocked a shot from Toni Kroos and just when it seemed Bayern would quickly get back into the game Ronaldo struck again. Khedira was quick in the tackle deep in Bayerns half to allow Mesut Ozil time to supply the Portuguese with a perfect pass that he converted with a well placed left footed shot. Bayern fought back and their reward came from the penalty spot after Pepe pushed Gomez, Robben levelling the tie at 3-3 on aggregate. Ronaldo had a shot that fizzed past the post and then Karim Benzema curled a right footed shot wide for Madrid. Then Gomez should have done better for Bayern when put clear by Kroos, his shot easily blocked by Casillas. Gomez glanced a header wide for Bayern on the restart as the Germans seemed to have halted the home teams early dominance. Mourinho was the first to shuffle his pack, replacing Di Maria with Kaka, but as full-time approached players began to tire and passes went astray. Gomez could have sealed it for Bayern with four minutes of normal time remaining if hed reacted quicker to Robbens pass. Bayern continued to look the fresher side in extra-time but the game had slowed to a walking pace as the shootout loomed. AFP

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Tsunami football found in Alaska
TOKYO Retrieving a lost football is standard fare for many teenagers, but one Japanese schoolboy is getting his ball back all the way from Alaska, where it drifted following last years tsunami. Misaki Murakami, 16, lost his house and all its contents when the massive waves of last March crushed his hometown of Rikuzentakata in Japans northeast. But now, thanks to an observant beachcomber in the Gulf of Alaska, he is set to have his football returned to him, identified by the good luck messages scrawled on it by former schoolmates. Im very grateful as Ive so far found nothing that Id owned, the youngster told broadcaster TBS on April 22. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said the finder, identified by Japanese media as 51year-old David Baxter, had spotted the ball on a beach on Middleton Island. A school name is stencilled on the soccer ball, and his [Japanese] wife was able to translate the writing to trace it to a school, the agency said. This may be one of the first opportunities since the March 2011 tsunami that a remnant washed away from Japan has been identified and could actually be returned to its previous owner, NOAA added. The balls journey made national news in Japan, and an accompanying detail that Baxter had also found a volleyball with Japanese writing prompted Japanese media to hunt for its owner. By April 23, they had found Shiori Sato, 19, who previously lived in tsunamihit Iwate prefecture. Sato pronounced herself grateful for the discovery of the lost ball. Earlier this year the US coastguard scuttled a 65metre (210-foot) fishing boat that had slipped its moorings in the tsunami and was spotted floating off the North American coast. AFP By Rob Woollard BARCELONA Lionel Messi missed a penalty as holders Barcelona were sent crashing out of the Champions League semifinals after 10-man Chelsea battled to a 2-2 draw at the Camp Nou here on April 24. Chelsea, leading 1-0 from the first leg, snatched a 3-2 aggregate win on a night of extraordinary drama which saw the Premier League side recover from 2-0 down and the dismissal of captain John Terry to reach next months Munich final. Barcelona looked to be cruising to victory after goals from Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta put them 2-0 up in the first half either side of Terrys red card for a foul on Alexis Sanchez. But a superb counterattack and chip from Ramires put Chelsea ahead on away goals, and in the dying seconds substitute Fernando Torres completed an unlikely fightback to kill off an unforgettable contest. Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo hailed his sides incredible achievement in reaching the final, where his side will face Bayern Munich. A lot of people had written us off and we showed again what kind of character these players have, Di Matteo said. We didnt expect to play with 10 men and we knew it was going to be tough. It was even more difficult than we expected. Theyre a great team, with some fantastic players. We just showed what were made of. Disappointed Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola a t t e m p t e d to strike a philosophical note after a traumatic exit. The first thing I feel is huge sadness, Guardiola said. I think we played exceptionally well. We have done everything we possibly could to reach the

April 30 - May 6, 2012

Ten-man blues battle past Barca

Chelsea forward Fernando Torres (left) runs past Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes to score during their UEFA Champions League second leg semi-final at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on April 24. Pic: AFP final. Finals are great but well have to watch this one on TV. We have played well recently but it wasnt enough. Sometimes football is like this. This year it was not our turn. This year it seems like we couldnt win. An extraordinary first half had seen Chelsea manage to frustrate Barcelona in the face of remorseless pressure despite the setback of losing Gary Cahill to injury after only 12 minutes. Cahill was replaced by Jose Bosingwa, with Branislav Ivanovic moving to centre-back. Despite the defensive reshuffle Chelseas thin blue line held firm, with Petr Cech saving brilliantly with his leg from Messi on 19 minutes before Terry slid in desperately to block Iniestas follow-up. At the other end Chelsea were limited to pumping long clearances for Didier Drogba, who, just as he had done at Stamford Bridge a week earlier, was forced to plough a lonely furrow up front. It was only to be a matter of time before Barcelonas monopoly of possession yielded its reward and the breakthrough came on 35 minutes, the start of a catastrophic period for Chelsea. A headed Drogba clearance fell only as far as Dani Alves on the edge of the area who picked out Isaac Cuenca on the left, who in turn rolled his pass across the six-yard box for an unmarked Busquets to sidefoot home. It got worse for Chelsea a minute later with Terrys dismissal, which left the English side with neither of their starting centre-backs. It was not long before the makeshift nature of Chelseas defence was exposed and Barcelona struck what looked to be the killer blow on 43 minutes. Careless play from Raul Meireles saw Messi dart forward and feed Iniesta, who sprang Chelseas defence and prodded past Cech for 2-0. Camp Nou rocked with delight but incredibly, within minutes, Chelsea were back in the game and ahead on away goals as Ramires scored. Lampards magnificent pass sent the Brazilian racing in behind the Barcelona back four and when Victor Valdes advanced the rangy midfielder clipped an exquisite chip into the net to make it 2-1 on the stroke of half-time. The Catalans were swiftly back into their stride in the second half, however, and when Drogba brought down Cesc Fabregas to concede a penalty the match again seem to have swung in Barcelonas favour. Yet Messi, the most prolific scorer in Europe this season with 63 goals, implausibly crashed his spot-kick against the bar and Chelsea were let off. But the pattern of the game had been set, and what followed was 40 minutes of excruciating tension as Barcelona took up permanent residence on the edge of Chelseas penalty area. Chelsea, however, somehow managed to thwart their tormentors, closing down relentlessly and never allowing Messi, Xavi and Iniesta the freedom to work the ball into dangerous positions. All too often Barcelonas artful probing led to nothing as they cut the ball back from wide positions where Chelseas wall of bodies stood firm. Sanchez had a goal disallowed before Cech tipped a shot from Messi onto the post in a frantic finale. Then with Barcelona caught pressing upfield, Torres darted clear of the home sides defence and touched round Valdes to score and Chelsea were through. The win came at a cost, however, with Terry, Ramires, Ivanovic and Meireles all picking up bookings that will keep them out of the final. AFP

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Magwe Region, said the NLD had offered residents of Minbu and Yenangyaung townships K2000 each to participate in the partys campaign activities in nearby Pwinbyu. They used sound systems and shouted aloud around the township about how their party must win. But for us, I just said to the villagers to watch my campaign program that night [on state television] and they didnt really even know what I was talking about thousands of villagers do not even own a television so they can watch the news. We couldnt spend a lot of money like the NLD, said U Kyaw Swar Soe. U Kaung Myint Htut, chairman of the Myanmar National Congress and a candidate for Mingalar Taung Nyunt, said a combination of factors had contributed to the NLD win, including greater financial resources, lack of political knowledge among voters and blanket coverage in news journals. Politics is not like building a company; we do it because we love our country so much. But if Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and I compete together, who do you think will be the winner? he said. I feel that no one won [the by-elections] and each side lost people who can work for the country. I wasnt the child of our General [Aung San] so I didnt get any special opportunities in life but I love our country, he said. But NLD patron U Tin Oo said his party had won because they had gained the trust of the people by working for them for more than 20 years. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi had shown her abilities to the public and worked tirelessly for national unity, he added. As our party won, there are so many people who will talk and seek out our mistakes. But the public has sunk into poverty and they hope for even a small change so they express their wishes proudly [by voting]. In the past, they may have been afraid to show what they believe but now they have the chance to show it openly and gave a lot of votes to us. Everyone has the right to speak freely in a democracy but I dont think they should use this freedom to try and destroy the efforts of others, U Tin Oo said. Concerning the allegations of poor behaviour of NLD supporters, he suggested that not all of the people wearing red T-shirts with the partys logo were NLD supporters. He added though that the party was aware of the issue, pointing out that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi had instructed party members to be disciplined and not annoy others while celebrating the April 1 win. We saw a lot of young party members celebrate the victory. If the winners pride is beyond acceptable limits it will annoy and disappoint the public but also the losers shouldnt blame others and should instead try to understand why they lost, he said. The 2015 election will come soon so instead of fighting each other, all parties should work together, communicate warmly and try to get the trust of voters.

Parties criticise NLD over by-elections

By Nyein Ei Ei Htwe A GROUPING of small political parties that failed to win seats in the by-elections said last week that the National League for Democracy had an unfair advantage over other parties in the April 1 vote, and also accused some NLD supporters of poor behaviour during the campaign period. Following the election loss, the Unity and Peace Party, Myanmar National Congress and National Politic Alliance League created the Burma Political Friendship Parties grouping. On April 20 members of the three parties held a press conference to air their views on the by-elections. U Tin Yee, a Unity and Peace Party candidate for Kawhmu, said that the government had favoured the NLD over other parties and this assisted its landslide win. He said some NLD supporters had also behaved badly while canvassing for votes. In the past one political group was renowned for having groups of bad young guys but now I think the public knows that the canvassers who wear a red handkerchief with the NLD logo are worse than that lot, U Tin Yee said. And coverage of Daw Aung San Suu Kyis campaign trips on the front page of almost all news journals every week was also a kind of unfair advantage that helped the NLD win. Myanmar National Congress candidate U Kyaw Swar Soe, who lost the seat of Pwinbyu in

EUs Ashton urges irreversible reforms

YANGON The European Unions top diplomat urged the government to make political reforms irreversible and called for an end to ethnic conflict after talks with pro-democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on April 28. Catherine Ashtons visit for meetings with the opposition leader and the government follows the recent suspension of EU sanctions against the country to reward political changes. It also comes amid a political stalemate as Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her party refuse to take their seats in parliament over a dispute about the swearing-in oath an issue Ms Ashton said she hoped would be resolved to allow reforms to progress. This is a process of change. I hope that we will see all the elements come into place to make it an irreversible process that can move forward, she said at a press conference. On that journey there will be many things that need to be done, many things that need to be worked out, the EUs high representative for foreign affairs added. The European Union has responded to what it said were historic changes by suspending for one year a wide range of trade, economic and individual sanctions, although it left intact an arms embargo. In a first step towards establishing a full diplomatic mission, Ms Ashton on April 28 opened a new EU office in Yangon that will mostly oversee the management of aid programs but also have a political role. The top diplomat, who is scheduled to hold talks with President U Thein Sein in Nay Pyi Taw on April 30, told reporters that she would welcome the way in which he is moving forward and urge him to do more at the meeting. A major concern for the West is the fighting between the military and the Kachin Independence Army in Kachin State, despite the governments insistence that it wants peace with the countrys various armed groups. The killing has to stop, Ashton said. It is important and the president will be the one I hope, when I discuss with him to tell me how he sees that going forward. U Thein Sein has ushered through a broad range of changes since coming to power last year, including welcoming of the National League for Democracy into the political mainstream and freeing prisoners of conscience. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on April 28 reiterated hopes of a resolution to the standoff over the NLDs refusal to swear to safeguard the 2008 constitution. Asked what would happen if the Union Solidarity and Development Party did not support a parliamentary vote to alter the oath, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said: We have not yet got to the point so I think it would be a bit premature to discuss this matter. AFP

Reps slam ruling on status of committees

AN ONGOING dispute between parliament and the government over the status of parliamentary committees has taken a new twist. In response to a recent Constitutional Tribunal ruling that the definition of the committees as union-level bodies does not conform with clauses in the constitution, the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw last week approved a Joint Bill Committee finding that the committees had Speaking on April 24, committee chairman and Amyotha Hluttaw Deputy Speaker U Mya Nyein told the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw that the union-level status of parliamentary committees was supported by sections of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Law, Amyotha Hluttaw Law, Union Attorney-General Law and Union Auditor-General Law, which state that union-level bodies are those formed according to the constitution, like the Union Government and National Defence and Security Council and the bodies formed by the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, Pyithu Hluttaw and Amyotha Hluttaw. He cited section 47 of the constitution, which states that the term union means person or body exercising the legislative or executive authority of the union under this constitution as the context may require. So the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, Pyithu Hluttaw and Amyotha Hluttaw and committees and commissions that are exercising legislative authority and the bodies they form can be designated as up to union level, he said. He argued that the Constitutional Tribunal had no right to scrutinise whether the committees are unionlevel bodies as this was contrary to section 46 of the constitution, which outlines the tribunals responsibilities. The committee also reported that 22 laws issued by the State Peace and Development Council in 2010, including the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Law, Pyithu Hluttaw Law and Amyotha Hluttaw Law, should be scrutinised to ensure they conform with the constitution so as to avoid a constitutional crisis. Ten representatives discussed the committees report on April

The Constitutional Tribunal assessed

something it has no authority to look at and its decision does not conform with the constitution.

Military representatives take an oath during a session of the Amyotha Hluttaw on April 23 Pic: AFP 26 and all voiced support for its findings. U Ye Tun from Hsipaw said the Constitutional Tribunal had misinterpreted the attorneygenerals reasons for referring the matter for adjudication. On behalf of the president, the attorney-general submitted an application to the Constitutional Tribunal to define the term unionlevel body so as to make it clear and accurate because it is not separately defined in the constitution. The constitutional tribunal then decided that defining committees, commissions and bodies formed by different hluttaws as union level does not conform with the clauses in the constitution, he said. The president asked [the tribunal] to do one thing but it did something else instead. To support the union-level status of committees, U Ye Tun cited section 71 of the constitution, which states that a body formed by a hluttaw can ask the respective hluttaw to investigate and take legal action against people, including the chairman and members of the Constitutional Tribunal, members of union-level bodies formed according to the constitution and the president and vice presidents to impeach them for one of reasons mentioned in section 71(a). According to section 71 and its sub-sections, the bodies of the different hluttaws of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw can form can be considered as union level or even higher. Since section 324 of the constitution states that the decision of the Constitutional Tribunal is final, we should not proceed with the matter any more but should amend the constitution so that it expressly states that [parliamentary] committees, commissions and bodies are union-level organisations, U Ye Tun said. Daw Tin Nwe Oo from North Dagon was slightly more succinct. The Constitutional Tribunal assessed something it has no authority to look at and its decision does not conform with the constitution, so [the decision] is incorrect, she said. No objections were raised so Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Speaker U Khin Aung Myint said a strong motion should be submitted based on the discussions. The proposal is scheduled to be discussed on April 30. Translated by Thit Lwin

been formed in conformity with the law and were union level. Lawmakers have interpreted the ruling and the wrangling that preceded it as an attempt to reduce parliamentary oversight of government activities. While discussing the issue last week, some representatives suggested the hluttaw should seek to change the constitution so as to enshrine the status of the committees and further discussions on the issue are due to take place on April 30.

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World Bank to return, enter talks on debt

WASHINGTON The World Bank announced last week it will open an office in Yangon in June, a quarter century after it ended aid programs to Myanmar. The bank said it would staff the office with a new country manager and begin collecting the economic data needed to support an aid program for the impoverished country. Our primary goal is to help the people of Myanmar, said Pamela Cox, vice president for East Asia and the Pacific. But restarting any aid program will first require talks on how to handle Myanmars hundreds of millions of dollars worth of unpaid debts to the World Bank and other development lenders, said Ms Cox. This is a country which has been closed to the outside world for decades so were now preparing a strategy to guide our work with the government to improve services for the people and assist in tackling the countrys development challenges. However, she added, before we can launch a full-fledged program, we would need to clear our arrears. The development lender will begin talks with other aid donors to Myanmar to determine how to best deal with debts left unpaid from previous programs: US$393 million to the World Bank, some $500 million to the Asian Development Bank, and others. The World Bank froze its Yangon program in 1987 after the country, then known as Burma, stopped making payments on its debt to the bank. Last week Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said Tokyo will waive about 300 billion yen ($3.7 billion) of Myanmars debt and resume suspended assistance to the country, partly contingent on progress in democratisation in the country. The World Bank move followed the European Union on April 23 suspending a wide range of trade, economic and individual sanctions against Myanmar in response to moves to open up the government and institute democratic reforms. Other countries have also moved to drop or reel back sanctions, but the United States has yet to do so. Ms Cox said the bank does not want to get out ahead of the international view of whether Myanmars reforms will stick. Weve all been heartened by the governments steps in Myanmar, she said. We also realise that there are risks. We will move with the consensus of other key stakeholders. I think the mood of the whole development community is that we have measured progress. We are not linked to sanctions per se. We are linked more to the fact that we need to get basic data and knowledge. Ms Cox will travel to Myanmar in June with a team including representatives of the World Banks private-sector investment arms, including the International Financial Corporation, for talks with the authorities to get an assessment of what needs to be done. We need to understand what are the development needs, what are the priorities. What we want to focus on are issues around poverty, around creating jobs, around livelihoods ... the sorts of things that we can do as development partners to help kick-start higher incomes for local people, so that they receive some of the benefits of the reform measures that their government is undertaking. AFP

Volunteer novice health program gains support Farmers

By Cherry Thein THE Shwe Parami Healthcare Foundation will provide K300,000 a month to an association that runs a mobile clinic that provide free healthcare to Buddhist novices and orphans in Yangon. Foundation official U Min Lwin told The Myanmar Times that the regular donation was aimed at encouraging the Association for Healthcare Assistance to Novices (AHAN) to continue its activities. We want AHAN to continue as well as improve their services for the benefit of all needy religious clergy, he said. AHAN president U Min Lwin said his association would be able to expand its activities with the extra cash. It is very hard to collect donations because there are many organisatons seeking funds from donors. I sympathies with donors that is why we rarely ask for donations and instead use our own funds, he said. It is a blessing that we can have regular donors for our work and we can expand and improve our services. U Min Lwin said the mobile clinic started in 2008 to provide healthcare and hygiene knowledge to Buddhist novices so they could feel comfortable and energetic in their daily life. It conducts two trips a month and provides basic healthcare and hygiene services, such as dressing open sores, treating dandruff, washing robes, cleaning beds and sterilising monastery compounds. The group also donates stationery, medicine and food, and gives health talks during visits. Our association is not very famous but we are working as much as possible and now it is operating well, U Min Lwin said. AHAN comprises five doctors, four nurses and up to 350 volunteers. Almost 70 trips have been made since the group was founded and it has started receiving requests from monasteries outside the city. Although we wish to expand our coverage area it is hard to raise funds. We are offering these services not because we are rich but because we cant stand seeing sick and sore [novices and orphans]. But we need more funds to meet demand, he said. For more information about the association and its activities, visit Thayet Taw Monastery on Dhamma Yone Street in Yangons Lanmadaw township or call 09-7313-4340, 09-7303-9182 or (01) 216-963.

take land fight to DHSHD

By Noe Noe Aung FARMERS in Hlaing Tharyar township who lost 800 acres of land to a long-dormant industrial zone are lobbying to have their land tenure rights reinstated. A group of more than 20 farmers from Atwin Padan village in Hlaing Tharyar took their case to the steps of Department of Human Settlement and Housing Development (DHSHD) on the morning of April 26, asking which entity was responsible for the land being confiscated. While there was no immediate answer, an official from the department, Daw Khin May Aye, promised to look into the case, said U Win Cho, a politician assisting the farmers. She said that they will try to solve this issue, said U Win Cho, who stood as an independent in Dala township in the 2010 election. I just want to know who is really responsible for the unemployment of several farmers and their families. I asked this question to the administrative office of Hlaing Tharyar township but no one can answer the authorised person of the township told me to speak with DHSHD. So we are here. He said that 14 years ago a company took more than 800 acres of farmland in Hlaing Tharyar for an industrial zone project, apparently in cooperation with DHSHD. Some of the farmers continued to occupy and use their former lands but in April were evicted by a new owner. [The company] took the lands without any compensation but they did not do anything to build an industrial zone so some farmers managed to get permission from the company to keep farming their [former] land, he said. For the past 14 years the farmers have been living like that. But in early April, the person who bought the land from [the original company] forced the farmers to move out. Thirty-three farmers came to me and asked me to help them so I am on it now.

Members of the Association for Healthcare Assistance to Novices at a monastery in Yangon. Pic: Supplied

UN calls for $12 million to fund Kachin IDP program

By Nan Tin Htwe THE United Nations needs another US$12 million to assist up to 60,000 displaced people in Kachin State this year, an official said last week. Mr Hans ten Feld, representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Myanmar, told The Myanmar Times on April 27 that the UN expected 60,000 people in Kachin State to require support from March 2012 to February 2013 as a result of the ongoing conflict. UNCHR, UN Childrens Fund, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and World Food Program have put together a $22 million humanitarian response plan, which will be implemented in conjunction with local partners, Mr ten Feld said. We have received $10 million from different donors [so far]. UNHCR made an important contribution of $1.5 million, he said. The funding is only for immediate humanitarian needs and does not include development or long-term assistance. This is purely for humanitarian needs, such as temporary shelter, f o o d , h e al th a n d w ate r an d sanitation, Mr ten Feld said. He said UNHCR had also been forced to halt assistance in the region because of security issues. We hope that security situation will improve again so we can continue to reach [internally displaced people] wherever they are not only in government-controlled areas but also [Kachin Independence Organisation]-controlled areas. What we are worried about now is rain, as the monsoon season is starting quite soon. Its important that we are able to provide the proper shelter. It [the weather] can also affect our ability to reach IDPs.

Britain relaxes trade policy, to open NPT office

LONDON Britain will no longer discourage trade with Myanmar, Foreign Secretary William Hague said last week, after British Prime Minister David Cameron made a landmark trip to the country. The change in British policy comes after Mr Cameron made a joint call with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for the European Union to ease sanctions against Myanmar. After discussion with Aung San Suu Kyi and very careful consideration, I can announce that the British government will lift its policy of discouraging trade with Burma, Mr Hague said on April 26. We believe that at this moment in time, the right kind of responsible trade and investment can help aid the countrys transition, he said in a lecture in Singapore. Britain is also opening a branch of its Foreign Office in Nay Pyi Taw, Hague also announced. A British interests office in the administrative capital would strengthen the work of our embassy in Rangoon and demonstrate our intention to step up engagement with the Burmese government and people, he said. The office would provide enhanced access to government interlocutors who are based in Nay Pyi Taw, he added in a statement to British lawmakers. This access would be vital for UK/Burmese relations and for encouraging democratic reform in the country. Mr Cameron this month became the first Western leader in decades to visit Myanmar. AFP