HEARTBEAT OF THE NATION

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ISSUE 700 | OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

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Whodunnit?
Govt reckon they know and its not the KNU
BY MYANMAR TIMES EDITOR THOMAS KEAN tdkean@gmail.com

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SPECIAL REPORT 6

In Thandwe, Muslims still living in fear

Afraid to leave their homes, their businesses shuttered or shunned, Thandwes Muslims face an uncertain future in the aftermath of recent riots.
FEATURE 18

THE bombings that returned with a vengeance last week are hardly new phenomena in Myanmar. For years, small crude devices were a regular threat in major cities, occasionally claiming lives and more often baffling observers, for the perpetrators were rarely caught. But if those attacks were mysterious, last weeks could only be described as mystifying, taking almost everybody by surprise. Where there was an air of normalcy around previous bombings, the events of last week the seemingly indiscriminate nature, the wide distribution of the explosives, the focus on restaurants and hotels generated understandable fear and confusion. The panic was real and of a level not seen for a number of years. Obviously this is not the first time there have been unexplained bombings, but there has never before been a coordinated campaign of this geographic breadth over such a relatively extended period of time, said Anthony Davis, a Bangkok-based security analyst with IHS Janes. Relations with most armed ethnic groups and the democratic opposition have not been better since the advent of military rule in 1962. Who would want to so publicly and dramatically express dissatisfaction with Myanmars much-lauded democratisation process? And, just as importantly, who would have both the motivation and capacity to pull off such a coordinated series of attacks?
MORE ON NEWS 4

Bagans horse carts face a two-wheeled threat

The recent arrival of electronic bikes has Bagans horse cart drivers wondering if their days as tourists top transportation choice are numbered.
BUSINESS 24

Protests over proposed US$15m Hpa-an hotel

Plans to build a new hotel in the Kayin State capital Hpa-an on the site of a park with links to Bogyoke Aung San are at risk over public opposition.
PROPERTY 28

Signing a lease: What you need to know

From high rent to bad landlords, its essential you cover your bases when it comes time to sign a new lease on an apartment or house.
THE PULSE 44

Me N Ma Girls set to take on the world

More Reports
P 3, 4, 5, 20, 22-23
PHOTO: AFP

Bursting onto the international music scene, Myanmars own Me N Ma Girls have released their first single, Girl Strong, on iTunes and Amazon.

Attacks aim to deter investors

Tourism and foreign investment are the targets as bombers create panic ahead of Thadingyut

2 THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

Page 2

online editor Kayleigh Long | kayleighelong@gmail.com

THE INSIDER: The local lowdown & best of the web

AINT NOTHIN BUT MAMMALS
After what must have been a bumper year for taxidermists in western Germany, an exhibition on sex in the animal kingdom has drawn to a close. The LWL Museum of Natural History in Mnsters latest exhibition explored the role of sex in the animal kingdom, with some 450 items going on display. The exhibition shed light on the logistics of animal sex, allowing visitors to bear witness to scenes of myriad taxidermied beasts, including foxes, deer and hedgehogs, in flagrante delicto. The exhibition also drew attention to incidences of homosexuality in the animal kingdom, and went into some detail about the gleeful abandon with which dolphins approach aquatic recreational lovemaking. The museum said the exhibits main function was to examine evolutionary reproductive parallels between humans and animals, and included an artists interpretation of a Neanderthal couple. intention is to remove the manual aspect to categorising content that currently exists with the product. The commands patented include forming a heart shape with ones hands, which could indicate that content has been liked and would then see it shared on social media platforms such as Facebook. Similarly, taking a photo with Headmounted Devices (HMDs) could one day be as simple as framing and capturing an image by outlining the corners of a scene using the thumbs and index fingers. However, the patent was filed in 2011 and there is still no indication of when or if these futuristic functions will ever be integrated.

SINGULARITY WATCH: GOOGLE PATENTS PHYSICAL GESTURES Tech site Engadget last week
unearthed some interesting findings in Google patent applications, with the web giant having claimed several physical gestures presumably for the development of its Google Glass software. Pundits have speculated that the

SE-ME-WE-3S UNLUCKY STREAK CONTINUES

When Myanmar was Burma...

Archival material provided by Pansondan Gallery

The beleagured internet cable servicing Myanmar, SE-MEWE-3, has suffered another blow, with Myanma Posts and Telecommunications announcing it will undergo repairs. A disruption occurred with the fiber-optic linking with international cable networks, The New Light of Myanmar explained However, MPT has offered its reassurance that it should soon be business as usual. The link with international network can be normalized as onland cross-border fiber-optic will be connected to the underwater cable.

POLICE-CRAFT

A 70s print ad for the V cigarette brand

A press conference was held late last week by Myanmars police force, presenting their findings on the spate of recent bombings across the country. The statement from police detailed progress of the investigation, and was accompanied by an exhibition of sorts which presented stills from CCTV, diagrams depicting the connections between suspects, images of the blast sites, as well as physical evidence including the types of devices used in each attack. The police get an A+ for presentation, with the picture boards not just displaying the above but also decorated with ribbon rosettes and bows.

Style

Statement

Nang Su Yadi Soe for NOW! magazine. Photo: Pyae Han (colormax)

NOW!

www.mmtimes.com

News 3

US urges caution, denounces acts of terror

TIM MCLAUGHLIN timothy.mclaughlin3@gmail.com THE United States embassy in Yangon has urged its citizens to take extra caution while travelling in Myanmar but said a series of bombings that left one American injured were not targeting US citizens. In a statement released on October 15, the embassy said citizens should be particularly cautious in public areas, including parks, markets and bus stops. While there is no indication at this time that any of these [bombs] were specifically directed toward US citizens, the embassy asks that all US citizens exercise an appropriate level of caution when travelling around Rangoon and/or Burma, the statement said. The warning was issued a day after a 43-year-old American woman was injured when a bomb exploded in her hotel room on the ninth floor of Yangons Traders Hotel. The woman was transported to Yangon General Hospital for treatment. Her two children and husband, also in the room, were uninjured. A US embassy spokesperson said that consular officers from the embassy had visited the woman but declined to provide further information, citing privacy concerns. The embassy is in close contact with the local police authorities, who have advised that they have no specific threat information related to any potential additional targets, the statement added. Police said one man was arrested on October 15 in Mon State in connection with the blast. The explosion at Traders Hotel was the latest in a string of bombings that began on October 9 when an improvised explosive device (IED) was found on a bus traveling from Nyaunglebin to Pyu in Bago Region. On October 11, two people were killed in a bombing at a guest house in Taungoo, Bago Region. Two bombs exploded in Yangon on October 13, while two more went off in the early hours of October 15 in Sagaing. The US condemned the attacks on October 17, saying in a statement that acts of terror had no place in civilised society. The US said it believed that Myanmar would respond with strength, determination and a continued commitment to national peace, development, and reconciliation.

Deputy Minister for Information U Ye Htut (centre) comments on recent attacks during a press conference at the Yangon Region Hluttaw on October 18. Photo: AFP

Alleged bombers wanted to deter investors, tourists

Bombers had past links to the Karen National Union but armed ethnic group was not involved, says U Ye Htut
NYAN LYNN AUNG mar and potentially competing with TOE WAI AUNG businesses in Kayin State. They also newsroom@myanmartimes.com.mm said they wanted to deter tourists, although the reason for this was not THE alleged masterminds of last immediately clear. weeks bombings were seeking to We understand that foreign indeter foreign investors and tourists, vestors may be concerned [about the particularly enterprises that would bombings] but we will ensure their compete with economic interests in security and plan to cooperate more Kayin State, the chief of police says. with the International Criminal PoGovernment officials also lice Organization [INTERPOL], Pol ruled out the possibility of the Maj Gen Zaw Win said. Karen National Union being forHe declined to comment on a mally involved, despite a num- series of three explosions that hit ber of those arrested having links Namhkam in northern Shan State on to the organisation, and said the October 16 and 17, saying the investiarmed ethnic group is assisting the gation is ongoing. investigation. In the most high-profile attack, Eight men have been arrested a 43-year-old American woman was in connection with six bombings injured when a bomb exploded in and four attempted attacks in Yan- her hotel room on the ninth floor gon, Mandalay, Taungoo, Sagaing of Yangons Traders Hotel. She was and Pyu between October 9 and 15 transferred to Yangon General Hosthat left two dead and four injured, pital and has since left the country Police Major General Zaw Win said for further treatment. at a press conference in Yangon on The first arrest was made on OcOctober 18. tober 15, when Saw Myint Lwin was He said that the men had con- detained in Bilin township in Mon fessed to organising and carrying out State. He has been accused of orchesthe bombings in order to deter for- trating the blasts at Traders Hotel eign investors from entering Myan- and Western Park II restaurant. All cases are similar and all of the mines are homemade, Pol Maj Gen Zaw Win said. Saw Myint Lwin confessed that he detonated two bombs in Yangon on the order of Nay Toe. Saw Myint Lwin had been a member of the Karen National Union for five years and left in 2008, while Nay Ye Htut emphatically rejected any suggestion the group, which has been in peace negotiations with the government since January 2012, was formally involved. We do not believe that the KNU is involved, even though one of the bombers is a former member, he said. We are cooperating with the KNU and we have agreed to meet a member of their executive committee We firmly believe that despite these challenges we will continue to make progress on the peace process. On October 17, the KNUs fifth brigade, which is considered the least supportive of the approach that the groups leadership is adopting in regard to the peace process, issued a statement condemning the bombings. We categorically condemn all acts that attempt to disrupt the peace building efforts and reject all kinds of violence aimed at harming or threatening innocent civilians, the brigade said in a statement, according to Karen News. Pol Maj Gen Zaw Win said two men, Zaw Latt Maung and U Mya Phu, had been arrested thanks to the cooperation of the KNU.

We do not believe the KNU is involved.

U Ye Htut Deputy Minister for Information

Toe, who is also known as Saw Shwe Htoo, worked with a KNU economic organisation, he said. Pol Maj Gen Zaw Win said police expect to make further arrests but refused to give any more details because the investigation is ongoing. Despite the links to the KNU, Deputy Minister for Information U

Attacks can strengthen A week of attacks Myanmars peace efforts

CONTINUED FROM NEWS 1 A number of possibilities immediately became clear. Factions of armed ethnic groups or disaffected members appeared the most likely possibility. Domestic extremists, in the mould of the Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors, could also have been responsible. Other possibilities included political actors or rogue government soldiers seeking to create instability. At the more unlikely end of the spectrum stood statesponsored terrorists or religious most likely Islamist extremists. That no one claimed responsibility or tried to use the attacks as a platform to push forward a political agenda, message or demand discounts some of these possibilities immediately. For underground groups opposed to military rule, an attack at a time when the Tatmadaw appears to be considering when to begin slowly withdrawing from politics and governance seems illogical, although not impossible. As has now become clear, a group of people acting independently but with links to armed ethnic groups were allegedly responsible for at least a significant proportion of the attacks perpetrated last week. The precise motivations of the attackers remain uncertain. At least some appear to have been paid to participate and the motive at the top appears to have been money as well. Yet the alleged masterminds links to the Karen National Union should not be overplayed. It is no surprise that the KNU has come out and not only denied any direct involvement or complicity but also promised to investigate its ties with those who have been apprehended. For the KNU, and even those in the organisation who question

Thirteen bombs between October 9-17 have left three dead

Oct 15: Two bombs explode in Sagaing township: one at Shwe Pyie Sone Hotel at about 3am and a second at Swan Oo Pon Nya Shin Pagoda at around 5:45am

ANALYSIS
the path that the groups current leadership is taking, there is little to gain from attacks like those seen last week. For any Myanmar-based organisation, direct involvement in such a brazen series of attacks on the population a bombing campaign that appears to have designed solely to generate fear and uncertainty would likely sow the seeds for their own demise. Some questions were immediately asked about the groups fifth brigade and its former leader, Karen National Liberation Army deputy chief of staff General Baw Kyaw Heh, a noted critic of the peace process. However, given the lack of a clear political agenda to the attacks, a direct link to anyone in the KNU leadership appears illogical. Why orchestrate bombings for political reasons but neither claim responsibility nor issue demands? There is also no evidence to suggest that dissatisfaction with the peace process is anywhere near the level required to prompt such an extreme course of action. Kim Jolliffe, an independent research consultant who has studied ethnic conflict in Myanmar for the past five years, dismissed the possibility of segments of the KNU, including the fifth brigade, being involved in the attacks as not very plausible. I know the dissatisfied elements well and they recognise that being involved with anything of this nature would do them more harm than good, said Mr Jolliffe, who recently published a paper on the peace process, Peoples War, Peoples Peace: Fostering a Social

Contract for Myanmars Karen Civil War. He said the so-called hardline elements within the KNU are not against the peace process. They are only in relatively minor disagreement about the negotiation strategy that should be taken. They are not even more hardline than other armed groups its just that the KNU leadership has done a complete U-turn after 50 years of war, and some elements are concerned its moving too fast. No doubt there has been flurry of phone calls between the KNU and Nay Pyi Taw to keep one another abreast of developments. Open and clear communication will be essential to avoid any misunderstandings at this potentially sensitive time. There is also reason to hope that the tragedy of the past week, which has seen three lives lost and numerous people injured, can be harnessed so that it becomes another victory for the peace process. At a press conference on October 18, Deputy Minister for Information U Ye Htut said the KNU had agreed to work with the government on its investigation but emphatically ruled out any link between the bombers and the organisation. There is no reason why this collaboration cannot bring both sides closer and galvanise their commitment to resolving differences at the negotiating table. Trust can be built from potential disaster. The genuine complaints of factions on both sides who are questioning the peace process can be better understood and possibly addressed, strengthening the peace process. For the innocent victims of last weeks acts of terrorism, it would be a fitting tribute.

Oct 11: A bomb explodes at a guest house in Taungoo, Bago Region, killing two people and injuring one

Oct 13: A bomb explodes at a bus stop on Pyay Road in Yangon. A second, unexploded device is found nearby

Defiant response from authorities

AUTHORITIES have responded defiantly to the bomb blast that rocked a Yangon hotel last week, stressing the governments resolve to continue as normal. As the search for the perpetrators continued, the public were advised to keep calm and alert during the Thadingyut season. Whatever the motive, the bombings will not affect the peace process, said deputy information minister and presidential spokesperson U Ye Htut. The peace process will take its course ... If the intention of the bombers was to delay the process, they will fail, he said. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who chairs the Pyithu Hluttaw Rule of Law, Stability and Peace Committee, called for cool heads and urged people not to fall into the trap set by the bombers. Vice chair of the Union Solidarity and Development Party U Htay Oo said, Whoever did this seems to be familiar with bombs. But whatever their motive, it will not affect the reform process. Soe Than Lynn, translation by Thiri Min Htun

Oct 14: An unexploded bomb is found under a table in Western Park II restaurant in Ahlone township at about 10am

Oct 14: A bomb explodes on the ninth floor of Traders Hotel, injuring one American citizen

Vox Pop Yangon

Ma Su Wai, 27, accountant, Insein I was scared by the bombings, and now I dare not go to crowded places. My parents are worried about me every time I go to work. Now I avoid visiting some places altogether. U Soe Min Myo, 35, taxi driver, South Okkalapa Im so scared and worried about the recent bombings. Im worried one of my passengers might leave a bomb in my taxi. Now people are afraid to go to crowded places because they might be targets. Tin Yadanar Htun

Ma Tharaphy, 20, freelance journalist, Latha For the past year Ive been earning my living as a freelance reporter. Im afraid because for my job I have to attend press conferences at hotels and restaurants. What happened at Traders Hotel is very scary and now I dont want to go to news conferences or places that are crowded with people. Ma Su Thandar Hlaing, 20, graduate, Tarmwe This news frightened me so much that Ive been avoiding going out. Before I would go to the cinema or game shop with my friends but now Ive decided not to go anywhere. My mum also doesnt allow me to go outside.

and 10 injured, including a tourist

Oct 16: A bomb explodes at around 10:45pm in Shan States Namhkam township

Youre safe with us: Government seeks to allay security fears

Analysts say they expect little impact on Myanmars foreign investment or tourism inflows, which were the two main targets of last weeks blasts
BILL OTOOLE botoole12@gmail.com AS details emerge about the alleged culprits and motives behind recent bombings, questions are being asked about what the violence could mean for Myanmars reform process, particularly with a series of major international events due to get underway in coming months. Officials have been quick to downplay the potential impact on tourism, while also stressing that they already have adequate security plans in place to ensure visitors to the Southeast Asian Games in December and ASEAN meetings next year will not be threatened. Asked about security for the SEA Games at a press conference on October 18, Police Major General Zaw Win, the head of Myanmars police force, said steps would be taken to tighten security around the events. He said tighter security regulations would soon be proposed to the parliament. We really do believe that we must keep on doing everything we can [to improve] security, Pol Maj Gen Zaw Win said. We have formed a National Security Committee including members of all relevant departments and are ensuring security at all venues. We have spent K6 billion purchasing and installing security equipment. Similarly, U Aung Htoo, the deputy director general of the Department of ASEAN Affairs, said he was confident that all necessary security measures are in place to ensure the ASEAN meetings are concluded safely. We have a security plan for the summits and other ministerial meetings, he said. We have already prepared for that. However, U Aung Htoo stressed he could not guarantee see security measures would be

Vox Pop MDY

U Zaw Win, owner, Win Win restaurant I have asked my waiters and waitresses to be more careful at this time, to even check underneath the tables regularly. Just about everyone who comes here are regular customers but we need to watch and be careful of unknown people behaving suspiciously. I think that the issue could be connected to politics but because most people are just struggling to make ends meet I think they are not worrying too much about the bombings. U Win Hlaing, property broker, Aung Thara Phu Estate Agency People need to take care not only when they visit crowded places but also even in their own homes, in their streets and wards and surrounding areas. I am always alert to the potential of danger these days because my house is situated beside a main road. The bomb blasts have frightened most of us. People are struggling for their living and this issue just makes things harder because it disrupts their routine. In the past the political situation was not good but now there is progress and transparency and it is time to move forward together. We have no idea who did [the bombings] but it should not happen at this time. U Ko Ko Aung, member, National League for Democracy The government is trying to get peace with armed ethnic groups but there is some way to go before the political situation is smooth. We have many questions about the bomb blasts. Are they related to politics? To religion? We still havent got answers but one sure thing is that it wont bring any advantages for the country or the people. The country is changing to democracy and the bomb blasts are out of step with that. Phyo Wai Kyaw

Oct 17: A bomb left in a trash can in Namhkam township explodes, killing one and injuring two people. Another bomb explodes in Namhkam, injuring four people

Oct 14: An unexploded bomb is found at Golden Duck Restaurant in Mandalay at about 2pm

Mandalay residents watch as officials search a suspicious package found on Mandalays 62nd Street on October 14. Photo: Si Thu Lwin

Oct 9: An unexploded bomb is found on a bus travelling from Nyaunglebin to Pyu in Bago Region

Oct 13: A bomb explodes in Thaketa township about 5:45pm, injuring two teenage boys

Explosion

Explosive device discovered

GRAPHIC: THE MYANMAR TIMES

in place across the country while the ASEAN meetings take place. We are just preparing for ASEAN summits and other meetings. A number of analysts contacted last week seemed untroubled by the attacks and said they would do little to deter either tourism or investment. Jeremy Rathjen, vice president of Thura Swiss, a Yangon-based consultancy firm, said that while the casualties from last weeks bombings three deaths and 10 people injured from 13 attacks were tragic, they needed to be considered in the context of Myanmars past. This has happened many times in the past its not a new phenomenon, he said. Myanmar is receiving more international media attention, but its nothing new. While the country will take some sort of reputational hit, he said, the bombings are unlikely to affect foreign investment. Similarly tourism will remain on an upward trend. Nevertheless the bombings have struck a nerve, prompting some tourists to cancel planned visits (see related coverage page 22). Inside the country, many urban residents say they are on high

alert and avoiding large gatherings and public places. Anthony Davis, a Bangkokbased security analyst with IHS Janes, said that the attacks appeared designed to generate fear. These are low-level, low-tech attacks designed to destabilise the country ... and to a degree they have succeeded, Mr Davis said last week. He said the main impact will be the light the bombings cast on Myanmars ongoing issues with domestic security. The very number of possible culprits being put forward ... reflects the serious instability that continues to plague Burma. Small-scale terrorist acts of the kind seen last week are almost impossible to prevent, he said. Any push for tighter security restrictions would be constrained by the limited resources of a police force that is already stretched thin across the nation. Mr Rathjen said Myanmar has a trump card up its sleeve to allay the security concerns of most visitors to the SEA Games and ASEAN meetings: its new capital. Ive rarely seen cities as secure as Nay Pyi Taw theres military everywhere and its quite spread out.

6 News
SPECIAL REPORT

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

After riots, fear stalks Thandwe Muslims

Their mosques shuttered and businesses shunned, Thandwes Muslim community is struggling to come to grips with recent violence

BILL OTOOLE
botoole12@gmail.com

THOUSANDS of Muslim men and women around the country celebrated Eid al-Adha on October 16, gathering at mosques in their finest clothes to pay tribute to the prophet Ibrahim. The main mosque in the Thandwe sat empty, however, as the towns Muslim population remained confined to their homes as they have been for the most part since deadly riots earlier this month left seven people dead. Muslim people are not leaving their homes for fear of danger, said one Thandwe resident, a student and activist. We were afraid a big group at a mosque would be a target. The rioting, which left an estimated 480 people homeless, prompted a large increase in numbers of police and the special security forces known as Lon Htein, while a curfew was also put in place to help maintain order. While the violence has stopped, the security presence has not brought peace for the towns many Muslim residents. U Nyi Nyi Shay, a Kaman Muslim who runs a bus station in Thandwe, said he and most other Muslim business owners have closed their businesses since the end of the riots. U Nyi Nyi Shay said he does not plan to reopen his anytime soon. He, and several other residents interviewed for this article, said the few Muslim businesses that remain open are being shunned by the community. Most Muslim businesses are suffering directly, said a Muslim farmer from Thandwes Thabuchai village, which bore the brunt of the violence. Though many schools in affected areas have reopened, U Nyi Nyi Shay and other residents said that Muslim children are staying home because their parents are afraid of them travelling to school through Buddhist neighbourhoods. In addition, Thandwe residents

Muslim residents of Thabuchai village gather in their home, a day after a Buddhist mob killed five people. Photo: Kaung Htet

have reported that, far from easing tensions, local police and security forces have been using the recently imposed 6pm curfew to harass and even arrest people in both villages and towns. A number of Muslim sources

Most Muslim businesses are suffering directly.

Muslim farmer Thabuchai village

said the curfew is only being applied to Muslim neighbourhoods. In separate interviews, U Nyi Nyi Shay and several other residents of Thandwe, who all spoke on condition of anonymity fearing reprisals, estimated that between 30 and 40 Muslims have been arrested in the last week on what they describe as trumped-up charges. They said the new tension is particularly disturbing given the Kaman Muslims of Thandwe have historically had peaceful relations with their Buddhist neighbours. In the past relations were harmonious, said one Thandwe resident. Before the riots it was not so bad. There was no discrimination ... Now its quite bad and the authorities dont seem interested in helping. The resident, who is staying with family in the town, said he feels outside groups have upset Thandwes

former peace. Some groups I dont want to name are bent on worsening the situation. One organisation that has shot into the spotlight for its members alleged involvement in the unrest is the Rakhine Nationalities Democratic Party. Twenty members of the party are being held for their alleged role in planning and leading the riots. The fear expressed by Muslim residents was echoed by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which completed a fact-finding mission in Thandwe from October 4-6. It warned of the likely economic impact for the township, particularly on Muslim families that rely on agriculture. All villagers felt afraid to move outside their villages since the violence occurred, the report said. Over 90 percent of affected families are farmers who are unable to participate

in the rice harvest which would be due in the next few weeks as they feel unsafe. They have also lost their farming tools and equipment along with their houses during the violence. It called for security to be provided so that farmers can immediately resume work, and also recommended tools be provided to replace those lost. Participation of the affected families on the November-December 2013 harvest and 2014 cropping season are critical to augment the income they receive and jumpstart their local economy. A spokesperson for the Rakhine State government could not be reached for comment last week. Asked how long he believed the heightened tension may last, the student activist said, I dont want to think about the future. I dont think life will return to normal for quite some time.

www.mmtimes.com

News 7
FEATURE

Human trafficking police to open border offices

CHERRY THEIN t.cherry6@gmail.com POLICE are to intensify their operations on the countrys borders to crack down on human trafficking. They will open new offices at Myawady and Mae Sot by the end of October, the police forces Anti Trafficking in Persons Division in Nay Pyi Taw has announced. The aim is to strengthen cooperation with the Thai police to prevent trafficking by improving communications between both our police forces so they can work together effectively on antitrafficking, Police Captain Min Naing told The Myanmar Times. When the traffickers cross the border with their victims, they disguise themselves in many ways and it is hard to trace them. Now, police from both countries can work together to arrest them, he said. Trafficking cases include fraudulent adoption and marriage, forced labour and medical treatment. The final destinations are normally Thailand and China, where women can be sold for marriage and there are markets for internal organs from children. The division, formerly known as the anti-human trafficking taskforce, opened offices in Tachileik and Chinyaing in March 2012 and at Kawthaung and Ranong in August 2012. On the Chinese border, offices are located at Muse, Shweli, Loikyawe, Kyanphone, Laukkai and Nahmsan. The police work with the UN anti-trafficking agency UNIAP and local NGOs, offering awareness-raising activities. Training, talks and other events focused on improving education about human trafficking have been or will be held in Nay Pyi Taw, Kyaikto and Mawlamyine this month, while police are planning another event in Pathein township, Ayeyarwady Region, in the second week of November. Pol Cap Min Naing said education was likely to prompt an increase in the number of cases being reported but this would not mean more trafficking was taking place. In the past five years, few cases of trafficking have been reported because of a lack of awareness. Now people are better informed so they tell us and we can take prompt action, he said. But it is still important to increase awareness so that the public cooperate against trafficking. Police Colonel Aye Thein from the divisions Mawlamyine branch said government departments and members of the public are only vaguely aware of the problem. People called us antismuggling police, which means they still need more awareness about trafficking, he said. We need to increase cooperation with civil society groups and the media to raise awareness. The division was established in January 2006 to prevent trafficking, protect those vulnerable, prosecute traffickers and enhance cooperation around the issue.

Worker organisations fight resistance from employers

Some employers are refusing to negotiate with worker organisations and even firing leaders, say activists

NOE NOE AUNG

noenoeag@gmail.com

Workers from Hlaing Tharyar Industrial Zone protest through the streets of Yangon on June 9 over wages and conditions in their factories. Photo: Boothee

MOST worker organisations formed under new labour laws are still facing strong opposition from factory owners, a number of activists and workers have told The Myanmar Times. They say factory owners regularly fire labour leaders and even start their own organisations to divide workers. But the organisations are also denied other basic rights outlined in the Labour Organisation Law, which reintroduced the concept of organised labour in 2012, decades after unions were declared illegal by the military government. Though workers organisations were formed under the labour law, most of them do not have full rights, said U Htay, a labour activist and lawyer who regularly helps workers involved in disputes. They dont get a chance to meet inside the factories, or make regular meetings. They also cannot meet with those on the management level. U Kyaw Myint, an activist from Action Labour Right, confirmed that progress is slow and intimidation in the factories and workplace is still a problem. It is still happening. I wont deny that the situation is better for many labour organisations. But a high percentage are still struggling under the pressure of factory owners, he said. U Kyaw Myint said in some factories, owners have also formed their own labour organisations using the new law to divide workers. Some owners create problems like this, U Kyaw Myint said. There are many other ways to pressure [labour] organisation members, such as cutting salaries if they leave the factory floor for a labour organisation-related issue. Many workers cant do anything when they are threatened with a salary cut.

The number of worker organisations formed to the middle of August

510

However, there is also some evidence that the Labour Organisation Law is slowly helping to improve conditions in factories, particularly around Yangon. Workers are starting to use the law to strike legally rather than embark on wildcat strikes, which have been a regular occurrence over the past two years. Both Ma Lei Lei Soe from the Sakura garment factory in Hlaing Tharyar township and Ko Myo Min Min from the World Fashion garment factory in Shwe Pyi Thar township said that workers have benefited through the formation of labour organisations. The situation is better than before, said Ma Lei Lei Soe, who is secretary of the Sakura garment factory workers organisation. We protested for 16 days in May and then demanded some labour rights through the organisation At first we also faced difficulties in negotiation with the owner. We struggled for a couple of months but then later the management and owner understood us and saw that we are not

demanding more than what we are entitled to. The workers sought not only pay rises but also for management to protect workers from mistreatment by supervisors and for an end to overtime on Sundays. Except for salary rises, we got much of what we demanded, Ma Lei Lei Soe said. Ko Myo Min Min said that workers at World Fashion garment factory have more freedom than before thanks to the efforts of their worker organisation. Its like we are building trust between owners and workers. At first factory owners disliked [the organisations]. They didnt recognise [us] and put pressure on us. But later, they reduced gradually. After by-laws for the labour legislation were enacted in March, more than 350 worker organisations were formed in 2012 and another 260 until midAugust this year, according to Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security figures. While they span the country, most are from factories in Yangon Region. But U Htay said the number of organisations did not give an accurate indication of whether the law is working in practice. Although organisations were formed easily almost all applications were approved by the Ministry of Labour most owners still dont recognise them, he said. Owners also frequently threaten to fire leaders of worker organisations or, if they have another premises, to relocate workers who participate in the organisations to a new workplace. Another intimidation tactic, he said, is to persuade other workers to form another labour group. If you want proof [of intimidation by owners], just ask how many workers who protested and led labour organisations are still in their original workplace or factory. Many of them, who I know personally, are all gone because they formed an organisation, said U Htay. Ko Aung Htut understands this intimidation all too well. In June 2012, when he was working at a car factory in Shwe Pyi Thar township, he was a

founding member of a worker organisation. After only a few months, however, Ko Aung Htut dissolved the organisation and quit his job because of pressure from management. When the law came out, we campaigned to form a labour organisation on our own, Ko Aung Htut said. At first, workers were afraid and the management told us not to do it. When we explained the law to them they relented but later they upset the organisations members by cutting their salaries and cutting their bonuses. Not all employers are opposed to the labour organisations. Some openly admit that conditions in their workplaces need to improve and believe that workers representatives can assist in this process. There should definitely be a worker organisation in every factory, said U Khin Maung Myat, managing director of the San Kaung factory in Hlaing Tharyar Industrial Zone 2. Factory owners dont know about every single problem workers face ... A

worker organisation can act as a bridge between owners and workers, he said. Like most factories in Yangon, San Kaung has had its share of labour disputes over the past two years. In May, employees stopped work for a whole month some even launched a hunger strike calling for 49 sacked workers to be reinstated and higher salaries. The dispute was eventually resolved through negotiation with the factorys worker organisation. U Khin Maung Myat said that employers generally want to resolve the disputes as quickly as possible to get production rolling again. We dont want problems inside our factories. Usually an owner will agree to the workers demands as much as they can, he said. However, he warned that labour representatives and workers should avoid being too confrontational in their negotiations with their employers. The aim of a workers union should be to create a better environment for workers. Just opposing whatever the owner says is not a good way to solve a problem.

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News 9

Ministry boosts support to rural health centres

SHWE YEE SAW MYINT poepwintphyu2011@gmail.com HEALTH centre staff numbers in rural areas are to be doubled and centres upgraded, the health ministry has announced. Six new staff members are to be trained and deployed in addition to the six or so already working in the rural centres, said Dr Nwe Ni Ohn, a director of the ministrys national planning department. Within 2013-14, the ministry will spend K168.63 billion on the upgrade project, she said. The ministry plan also entails upgrading facilities and building new premises, although she conceded that the department may not have the resources to implement it completely. Rural health centres are staffed by a health assistant, a nurse and five midwives. We are now adding five supervisory staff trained in disease control and a security guard, making a total of 13 people in each rural health centre throughout the country, Dr Nwe Ni Ohn told The Myanmar Times. Each centre serves up to 20,000 people but staffing the centres can be difficult, as some health workers are reluctant to leave the cities to work in remote locations. Figures from the ministry show that of the 1636 rural health centres, 33 have no health staff and 262 do not have a nurse. Doctors in particular dont want to go to the countryside, said Dr ranked among the lowest in the World Health Organizations listing of the health systems of 190 countries because of poor infrastructure and low public health expenditure. The major health challenges facing the country include life expectancy rates as low as 63 years for a man and 67 years for a woman; high morbidity for children under five years (62 per 1000 live births); and high maternal morbidity rate (200 per 100,000 live births). There are an estimated 4-8 million people living with malaria, as 75 percent of the population lives in high malaria prevalence areas. There are more than 500,000 cases of tuberculosis, as well as widespread poverty, lack of proper sanitation and water supply, malnutrition and poor health awareness. Dr Nwe Ni Ohn said by upgrading the rural centre the government hopes to increase average life expectancy to 70 years for both men and women by 2015, and reduce the number of women who die in childbirth.

Rain to continue despite close of monsoon season

AYE SAPAY PHYU ayephyu2006@gmail.com RAINY weather is likely to persist even after the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon season on October 12, meteorologists warn. The meteorology department announced last week that the monsoon season had officially ended, two days after its earlier October 10 forecast. Department director U Chit Kyaw said that most states and regions received more than their average rainfall in September. Yangon and Tanintharyi regions, Kayin and Kayah states had 10 inches (254 millimetres) more rainfall than their average, he said. As of October 14, records showed that rainfall in Kachin, Northern Shan, Rakhine, Kayah, Kayin and Mon states from January 1 to October 14 was greater than their average rainfall for an entire year. Meteorologists warned that storms in the Bay of Bengal would bring post-monsoon rains to much of the country for several more

The number of inches of rainfall above the average that Yangon Region received in September

10

A volunteer nurse examines an elderly patient in Yangon Regions Htantabin township. Photo: Staff

Nwe Ni Ohn. So we provide basic medical training to some local residents. Daw Hla Win, 72, from Tha Pyay Gnoe village in Ayeyarwady Regions Maubin township, said residents cannot rely on their local rural health centre because of a lack of staff. Instead, they normally travel to Maubin to see a private clinic if they have the money. Near our village we have a branch of a rural health centre which covers three villages but it only has a midwife, she said. If we fall sick we can go there but the midwife never comes to our house because she has her own baby to look after. Myanmar has traditionally been

weeks. October and November are the second storm season. We expected two low-pressure areas in the Bay of Bengal in October, said U Chit Kyaw. A low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal from October 20 to 31 could intensify into a depression, forecasters predicted, urging farmers to take precautions. Untimely rain could be useful for some growers, but could also damage crops, U Tun Lwin, a former director general of the department, said in mid-October. The department has forecast above-average rain for Shan, Kayah, Kayin and Mon states.

More than 1000 meet to discuss girls rights

FIONA MACGREGOR newsroom@myanmartimes.com.mm MORE than 1000 girls gathered in Yangon and Mandalay last week to call on the government to protect their rights and create a more equal future for young women. Gender equality, the right to free high school education, and protection from violence and exploitation were the key concerns raised by the adolescent members of the Colorful Girls organisation and discussed by young delegates at the two events. The group said that the statement issued following the events is the first document of its kind in Myanmar, having been developed by girls with the aim of highlighting their and their peers concerns and needs. There are specific laws on violence against women, but not against girls. Girls suffer the highest rate of violence, but they often dont know [their rights] because of a lack of education. So this statement calls on the government to protect girls with specific laws in relation to violence and discrimination and support educational and economic equality, said Wa Wa Sein, one of the teenagers addressing the meeting in Yangon. Colorful Girls is a Myanmar NGO that works alongside partner Girl Determined to support girls aged 12 to 17 in developing leadership skills to advocate for their own rights. The aim is to establish a future where girls do not face the risks their counterparts currently face, including high school drop-out rates, labour exploitation, violence at home and in their communities, trafficking and gender discrimination. Around 850 girls attended the Mandalay meeting on October 14 and about 400 others met in Yangon on October 18 for the public release of the Teenage Girl statement, which was drafted in March this year at a peace-building summer camp attended by 68 leaders representing more than 1000 Colorful Girls members. The original draft was then discussed by Colorful Girls groups around the country leading to the creation of the final statement. The group now plans to meet with members of the hluttaw and other senior government and nongovernment figures to further promote girl-led advocacy. During the meeting the young delegates discussed a number of important issues affecting girls in Myanmar including: exploitation in factories; sexual abuse; verbal and physical violence; and discrimination in the education system, along with social attitudes that hold girls back from achieving their academic potential. Girl Determined technical adviser Brooke Zobrist said she was so pleased at the open nature of the discussions that took place during the Yangon meeting. The girls were so active and honest in their discussions, which I think really brings out the common concerns and hurdles that they face as adolescent girls in Myanmar today, she said. In bringing all these girls together from some of Yangons very poor communities, I was also struck by the level of their motivation to improve the quality of their own lives and the lives of others in their communities. Since we started our work here in Yangon, the girls have really taken it in and are now clearly leading the conversation on girls rights.

10 News

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Co-ops and the credibility gap

Decades of state control over cooperatives could thwart the governments efforts to revitalise the sector

Views

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

MICHAEL WODZICKI
michael.wodzicki@coopscanada.coop

Photo: Hsu Hlaing Htun

IN conversations with people around Myanmar, you will be hard-pressed to find someone that admits to wanting to join a cooperative. Responses range from I do not want a friendship with the government to Cooperatives are for poor people. Such responses stand in contrast to recent high-profile government initiatives to spur development using cooperatives as a means to alleviate poverty and promote economic development. Ingrained scepticism in Myanmar about the cooperative business model is not surprising. Cooperatives were part of a state-planned economy until 1988. Memories persist of standing in line for poor-quality products or services from the local cooperative, which people had often been forced to join. In 1988, cooperatives were among the first state-led institutions to be targeted by the people. The government attempted to resurrect cooperatives after 1992, ostensibly with an orientation to a freer market. However, the repeated sale of cooperative assets by the government to raise revenue and increasing government involvement in the operations of cooperatives left them a bankrupt business model, both financially and in the minds of many people. Since 2011, cooperatives have regained prominence in Myanmar. They are identified explicitly in the governments five-year development plan, as well as its Rural Poverty Alleviation and Development Framework. Vast numbers of cooperatives still exist, many established more than 20 years ago, regulated by government and with members that participate in the cooperatives business. Cooperative societies, as they are known in Myanmar, are often touted as a bridge between government programs and the financial needs of Myanmars urban and rural poor. In August, Myanmars parliament approved, to both acclaim and criticism, a US$100 million loan from the Export-Import Bank of China. The money will be lent to people in thousands of towns and villages across the country through existing and new cooperatives that the government is encouraging. Cooperatives play key roles in many countries transitions to developed, market economies. Groups of individuals and entrepreneurs come together to form co-ops. It is an independent, democratically run, market-responsive business that provides needs or services that are unavailable in their communities. Rich, middle-class and poor

President U Thein Sein attends the launch of the governments US$100 million cooperative program in Nay Pyi Taw on August 19.

people alike benefit from their services and products. In places where there is no electricity, no financial institution or no grocery store, cooperatives have been formed to fill the void. When farmers need to reduce prices paid for their inputs or to market collectively to increase the value of their product, cooperatives emerge.

The collective assets of the worlds 300 largest cooperatives

$1

TRILLION

Cooperative businesses network to learn from each other, to lend each other money and to become a sector that operates differently from more traditional private sector actors. A cooperatives profit is returned to the members that use its services and the communities where it operates, and not to external shareholders. There is no single, simple approach to help build successful cooperatives, but there are common principles. Cooperative businesses need to be autonomous and independent. They need to be open to new members. All

members have an equal say in the democratic elections of the cooperatives leadership, no matter what the size of their business with the co-operative. Cooperatives need to succeed in their marketplace; they need business and marketing plans, good accounting and responsible management practices. The global cooperative success story is remarkable. The collective assets of the worlds 300 largest cooperatives are more than $1 trillion. This would make cooperatives and their members the worlds 10th largest economy. Co-operatives provide more than 100 million jobs at least 20 percent more than multinational corporations. In developing countries, cooperatives are changing the agricultural and financial marketplace, in similar ways to what occurred in the United States, Canada and Western Europe 75 years ago. Governments have an important role to play, putting in place tax and financing mechanisms that allow cooperative members to take on more risk and grow their business. For all the success, there are many harbingers of cooperative failure. Cooperatives fail for business reasons, like any private sector actor that competes in the marketplace. They have been used in many countries for political reasons, such as to distribute political favours, and this has destroyed their credibility in the process. Government encouragement for cooperatives cannot become interference in business operations or undermine member control. Given the success of cooperatives

in developed and developing countries, the potential of the cooperative model in Myanmar is apparent. The governments strong political and financial commitment to working with and through cooperatives to alleviate poverty has been made clear. The minister of cooperatives has repeated that the government is willing to learn from past mistakes made in Myanmar and how the model is nurtured in other countries, and has invited advice and support in this regard. The fact remains that cooperatives in Myanmar face a credibility gap. Using them as a bridge to alleviate poverty is commendable, particularly given the striking needs that exist. For this to be done sustainably, it needs to be accompanied by capacity building for local, regional, and national cooperative structures that prepare them to act as independent and autonomous cooperative businesses. The long-term sustainability of cooperative businesses in Myanmar will depend on individual members investing their time and money to make cooperatives work, supported by a regulatory framework that facilitates cooperative growth. This is a long-term process and if done right will go a long way to alleviating poverty and promoting economic development.
Michael Wodzicki is director for market relations at the Canadian Co-operative Association, Canadas national association of cooperatives.

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Press Council criticises media law amendments

SOE THAN LYNN soethanlynn@gmail.com MEDIA watchdogs have complained that a draft law now before the parliament could weaken their power and risk lowering standards, as well as reducing legal protections for publishers and journalists. Their complaints concern the media bill drafted by the Interim Press Council, which is now before the Pyithu Hluttaw after being approved in the Amyotha Hluttaw. But the Pyithu Hluttaw committee handling the bill has removed two necessary sections 12 and 32 from the draft, Press Council secretary U Kyaw Min Swe has told The Myanmar Times. We protest against the removal of those two sections of the media bill. We included the sections after consulting with legal advisers. These sections are really needed. Section 12 concerns [journalistic] standards and the role of our council. Removing it could weaken the role of the Press Council, he said. The council is the only group that can act on behalf of the media sector under the proposed law, he said. Section 32 provided legal protections of publishers and journalists, he said, by stipulating that any search or seizure of media property, or any proposed ban on a newspaper or publication should be conducted in accordance with the Code of Criminal Procedure. I think the hluttaw should have asked the original drafters of the bill for their opinion before they amended it, said U Kyaw Min Swe. The Amyotha Hluttaw Bill Committee met with us before the draft was submitted to Amyotha Hluttaw. The Pyithu Hluttaw hasnt had any meeting or discussion with us. We heard that they met with the Ministry of Information before amending the bill and they have had regular contact. U Kyaw Min Swe added, Our society had to live under a dictatorship for 50 years. The hluttaw should not allow any room for anxiety and doubt [over protections for the media]. They should at least invite us for negotiations. Translation by Thiri Min Htun

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The time for talk is over

Myanmars political leaders must stand up to those inciting religious violence

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News 11

ROGER MITTON
roger.mitton@gmail.com

During a recent trip to Mawlamyine, one of Myanmars most pleasant cities, it was a shock to discover how many shops and cafes displayed a 969 sign near the entrance. The little circular sticker, whose three digits allegedly signify aspects of Buddhist philosophy, indicates that Muslims are not welcome. When queried about it, one restaurant owner explained that it was just a reflection of patriotic sentiment. When pressed about what banning fellow citizens who happen to be Muslim had to do with patriotism, he frowned and said it was just better because they have their own places and we dont like to mix with them. In fact, many Myanmar Buddhists, who form three quarters of the population and hold all key posts in government and business, loathe their Muslim compatriots with a passion. It is a murderous passion that condones burning property, raping girls and beating up Muslim men, women and children and not only feeling no

shame, but actually boasting about it. That is the awful reality of modern day reformist Myanmar. In a Yangon taxi, the driver, a rare Muslim who retained his beard, skull cap and long shirt outside his longyi, told me, This is a bad place now. We are all scared. He said fellow Muslims have formed watch groups and are preparing to fight back if they are attacked again, as they were not long ago in Meiktila, Lashio, Yangon and of course Rakhine State. We have to defend ourselves, he said. The police do nothing. They just stand and watch. Even worse than the behaviour of the security forces is the response of the nations political leaders, who have done little else than make anodyne comments of concern.

Imagine Nelson Mandela or Lech Walesa... standing back and saying they cannot learn how to stop the killings.

In volatile Rakhine State earlier this month, President U Thein Sein said, It is important not to have more riots while we are working very hard to recover the losses we had because of previous violent incidents. Well, yes, but far more important is for his government to take robust action against bigots like the anti-Muslim cleric U Wirathu, by delegitimising hate speech that masquerades as cultural nationalism. In doing so, he must be supported by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, whose own condemnations of anti-Muslim pogroms have been shamefully muted. As the International Crisis Group noted earlier this month, unless all Myanmars politicians unite and push for a fundamental change in social attitudes, anti-Muslim violence will probably escalate. The ICG report, which blamed the racist purges on reduced military control and endemic intolerance by the majority Bamar Buddhists, pointed out that continued anti-Islamic riots will have regional repercussions. Already, Myanmar nationals working in Malaysia have been murdered in reprisal attacks and there have been threats of a global jihad against Myanmar. That is why fellow ASEAN leaders must press U Thein Sein and Daw

Soldiers prepare to deploy in Thandwe township on October 3. Photo: Kaung Htet

Aung San Suu Kyi to get their act together or else this years Southeast Asian Games and next years hosting of the groups annual summit may be jeopardised. Those who spread messages of intolerance and hatred must not go unchallenged, said Jim Della-Giacoma, the ICG program director for Asia. Otherwise, this issue may come to define the new Myanmar. Instead of repeatedly stressing that the constitution must be amended to allow her to run for president in 2015, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi should concentrate on preserving racial harmony at home.

Yet during her recent visit to Eastern Europe, she repeated that it was not up to her to stop the anti-Muslim sectarian attacks. Its not something that I could learn to do, she said in Warsaw. The comment was shocking. Imagine Nelson Mandela or Lech Walesa, confronted with ethnic genocide, standing back and saying they cannot learn how to stop the killings. No, what can, and must, be done immediately is to outlaw the display of 969 signs and put U Wirathu and his ilk in jail. That would send a signal that might nip this evil in the bud once and for all.

12 News
ANALYSIS

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

Myanmar steps into ASEAN hotseat

The country will be chair of ASEAN at a crucial time for the 10-member bloc a challenge that will test its diplomatic skills TIM MCLAUGHLIN
timothy.mclaughlin3@gmail.com

TAKING hold of the ASEAN gavel from Bruneis Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah on October 10, the normally subdued President U Thein Sein sported an uncharacteristic grin. He had good reason to smile. For most of the past two decades Myanmar was the outcast of the 10nation bloc. In just a few years it has successfully transformed its image to the extent where Myanmars partners have agreed to let it take on the leadership of ASEAN at a time of unprecedented change. In 1995, under the rule of former Senior General Than Shwe, Myanmar was an outsider looking in at ASEAN, which was then a seven-nation group. Bolstered by the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest in July of that year, Myanmar managed to talk its way into the bloc. In 1996, Myanmar joined the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). It became an official member in July 1997, along with Laos. Cambodia, delayed by internal political turmoil, would join two years later as the 10th member. Despite its newfound status in the region, Myanmar remained aloof from ASEAN because of perceptions that other member nations were meddling in its domestic affairs. Senior General Than Shwe almost never attended ASEAN meetings, opting instead to send his prime ministers or foreign minister. According to the recently released Soldiers and Diplomacy in Burma, by academic Renaud Egreteau and journalist Larry Jagan, some observers believe Senior General Than Shwe created the prime minister post in 2003 precisely so that he did not need to attend ASEAN meetings. Under the ASEAN policy of rotating the chairmanship based on alphabetical order, Myanmar was finally tapped to lead the bloc in 2006. However, in

President U Thein Sein receives the ASEAN gavel from Bruneis Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah in Bandar Seri Begawan on October 10. Photo: AFP

July of the preceding year it bowed to intense international pressure to relinquish the position because of its poor human rights record. Given this history, the chairmanship will be a coming-out party for U Thein Sein and his government as they enter the second half of their five-year term. It will be a chance to showcase the governments steps toward democratic and economic liberalisation, as well as the development of Nay Pyi Taw, which was for years avoided by the international community. [The chairmanship] symbolically sanctions Myanmars re-entry into the concert of nations, with the veto from Western powers eventually

gone, said Mr Egreteau. Second, it will certainly enable the country and its leadership to draw attention [to] its needs as well as its commitment to change whatever form this political, social and economic change takes. Despite the excitement, however, Myanmar will face serious challenges as it attempts to successfully steer ASEAN through to 2016. Myanmars chairmanship is not an easy job at this moment, cautioned U Kyaw Lin Oo, an independent political commentator and coordinator of the Myanmar People Forum Working Group. To begin there is the logistics of hosting more than 1000 meetings of top diplomats, most of which will take place in the sprawling capital. The position will bring additional media scrutiny for a government that is only beginning to relax its attitude toward the press. Unwanted attention from the numerous human rights groups focused on Myanmar is already increasing. These domestic hurdles aside, there are larger regional issues at stake for the bloc. Myanmars turn as chair comes a year before the full implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), an economically integrated single market and production base. The AEC aims to turn ASEAN into a more competitive economic region by increasing business and trade cooperation among member nations through a number of measures including free trade agreements, abolishing import duties and streamlining of investment. More developed economies, notably Singapore, are critical of countries like Myanmar and Cambodia joining the community, arguing that less-developed nations are not yet ready. But no single issue has dominated previous ASEAN summits as much as the infighting over member states territorial disputes in the South China Sea. A small breakthrough came at the China-ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in June, when China agreed to conduct official consultations on a formal code of conduct for the South China Sea. Such a code would force China to deal with ASEAN as a whole, rather than Bejings preferred option of negotiating with individual

members. The code is yet to materialise, however, and the issue is certain to drag on into 2014. China has been one of Myanmars staunchest political and economic allies and U Kyaw Lin Oo said members of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were conscious of concerns in the region that China would be able to influence its handling of the issue in 2014. Fuelling these fears among some ASEAN members will be memories of 2012, when chair Cambodia was accused of censoring an ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting communiqu to remove references to the South China Sea at the behest of China. As the other members refused to issue the amended version, it became the first such meeting to end without an official communiqu. The dispute reflected concerns

Nay Pyi Taw will walk a careful line [on the South China Sea] and strive not to be seen as Cambodia was last year.
Nilanthi Samaranayake Analyst, CNA Strategic Studies

that Phnom Penh was using its position to push Beijings line rather than working as a mediator for its ASEAN counterparts. In an indication of the delicate nature of the South China Sea issue, five members of parliament contacted by The Myanmar Times for comment last week on how Myanmar could handle the dispute declined to comment. One of the few who agreed to comment was Pyithu Hluttaw representative for Mahlaing U Aye Mauk, who said he believes President U Thein Sein will seek to collaborate with both ASEAN members and China on the issue. I hope the president can [manage] it successfully because China is one of our neighbours and we have closer ties with them than most of our

ASEAN counterparts, he said. U Aung Lynn, director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ASEAN Affairs Department, said the government would work closely with its ASEAN neighbours on the code of conduct for the South China Sea that the regional bloc is discussing with China. He said Myanmar is also seeking to put other issues on the agenda that it believes are also important to the regions future. We are concerned about the effects of climate change, and we look forward to sharing our experience and discussing what to do about it, U Aung Lynn said. Last January, Myanmar set up groups of diplomats, professors and other specialists to discuss the South China Sea disputes. We have been observing the situation in the South China Sea, said retired ambassador U Nyunt Maung Shein, a group member. As a non-claimant country that is not in dispute with China over territory, Myanmar is seen as unlikely to come under the same kind of domestic pressure as claimant countries such as Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, said Kavi Chongkittavorn, an ASEAN expert and consultant for The Nation newspaper. U Thein Sein has offered little on the issue or how Myanmar will use its chairmanship role, saying only that the country will focus on moving forward in unity in a peaceful and prosperous community. Nilanthi Samaranayake, an Asia analyst at the US-based CNA Strategic Studies, said Myanmar will likely try to take a middle-of-the-road approach to the issue. Nay Pyi Taw will walk a careful line and strive not to be seen as Cambodia was last year with regard to China, she said. It [Myanmar] still appears to want strategic options other than China, and this will be a good opportunity to present its new orientation in a highprofile, multilateral setting. Both U Kyaw Lin Oo and Ms Samaranayake agreed that Myanmar would likely learn from Cambodias experience in 2012. ASEAN member countries were not satisfied by Cambodia, U Kyaw Lin Oo said. Myanmar must learn this lesson. Additional reporting by Nyan Linn Aung

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News 13

Wirathu gets around Sangha ban with new 969 group

The Organisation for the Protection of Nationalism and Religion permitted because it also includes laypeople

SI THU LWIN
sithulwin.mmtimes@gmail.com

U WIRATHU has circumvented a ban on monks forming 969-related groups by establishing an organisation with a mixture of clergy and laypeople. At a meeting earlier this month at Mandalays Masoeyein Monastery, U Wirathu announced his plan to form the Mandalay branch of what he called the Organisation for the Protection of Nationalism and Religion. He outlined a vision for a nationwide organisation of religious leaders and laypeople, including politicians, historians, lawyers, artists, journalists and civil society leaders. The organisation aims to protect Buddhism, avoid conflict based on religion or race, and to provide religionbased education, U Wirathu said. It will carry out social activities in cooperation with civil society groups, government officials and the Sangha, or clergy; lobby for the introduction of laws to protect Buddhists; and to open Buddhist teaching schools around the country to conserve

The ban [is] only [related] to monk associations.

U Wirathu Prominent sayadaw

traditional customs and culture. The announcement comes after the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee ordered a ban on the creation of organisations based around the 969 ideology, of which U Wirathu has been one of the main proponents. However, the controversial monk said the new organisation complied with the committees directive. Technically, the venerable monks from the National Sangha Nayaka Committee did not oppose 969 groups. The instructions and rules they issued are only related to monk associations. They do not have any impact on groups that include laypeople. We have the right to form this group independently, U Wirathu said. The organisation will feature executive members in each state and region, with all senior positions to be held by monks. It will also include an information team, a training and education team, an historical research and record team, audit body and a legal affairs committee. You cant get any title, power or authority from joining this organisation, he told supporters at the launch. Your involvement must be a sacrifice so that Mandalay can live forever in peace and tranquility. Daw Khin Mar Sari, a nun from Chan Mya Waddy Monastery at the foot of Yankin Hill, said she attended the meeting because she supported efforts to provide more comprehensive religious education to young people. I quite support this organisation, she said after the event. I believe it can spread religious and cultural knowledge widely to children who live in rural areas. Translation by Zar Zar Soe

Two arrested over killings at Panasonic office in Mandalay

MANDALAY police have arrested two people over the killing of three people at the office of Japanese electronics company Panasonic earlier this month. The bodies of night security guards U Han Thaung, 70, and U Tin Hlaing, 54, were found along with that of U Tin Hlaings wife, Daw Kyi Han, at about 6:45am on October 2 at the office, on the corner of Ninsi Street and 69th Street. The three had been knocked unconscious with rocks and then poisoned, police said. Police used security camera footage and traces of footprints to locate the two alleged perpetrators, one of whom was an employee of the company. The motive for the crime remains a mystery, as no property is thought to have been taken during the attack. Police Second Lieutenant Ye Myint from the special crime task force came to the [Panasonic] office on October 5 to conduct the investigation. Police found a 10.5-inch [26.7-centimetre] footprint downstairs so all of the staff were examined in the directors office, said company manager U Thet Naing Tun. The footprint was eventually matched to that of an employee, 19, who had also been absent without leave while the police conducted the investigation. The employees 20-yearold roommate was also arrested. Video footage from a security camera set up outside the office next door showed two young men driving a motorcycle on 69th Street at about 10:20pm on October 1. Both men have been charged with murder. Than Naing Soe and Kyay Mohn Win, translation by Zar Zar Soe

U Wirathu speaks at a press conference in Mandalay earlier this month. Photo: Si Thu Lwin

Kayin project a sign of peace

AUNG KYAW MIN newsroom@myanmartimes.com.mm A PROJECT to install a cable car to ferry visitors to the Buddhist monastery atop Kayin States Mount Zwegabin has been hailed as a mark of the renewed stability of the volatile region at a ceremony involving government and ethnic party leaders. Mount Zwegabin is 11 kilometres (7 miles) south of the state capital Hpaan and its peak is 720 metres (about 2362 feet) above sea level. Visitors to the monastery have to undertake a gruelling climb of several hours. In August, monks announced a project to install a cable car the countrys first to allow easier access to the monastery. Projected to cost US$22 million and funded by donations, the project is a venture between a Malaysian company, Special Methods and Engineering Techniques, and the Myanmar Engineering Society, with construction equipment to be imported from Switzerland and Australia. The cable-car committee includes representatives of a number of different organisations, including Phado Tue Tue Lay of the Karen National Union (KNU), U Saw Kyaw Than of the Democractic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), U Saw Chit Thu of a Kayin Border Guard Force (BGF) and more. At a ceremony earlier this month in Yangon, Phado Tue Tue Lay called the project a sign of peace in the wartorn state. U Saw Khin Maung Myint, an official in the states Ministry of Transport, told The Myanmar Times that the project will benefit residents, visitors and the tourism industry.

14 News

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

Campaign promotes childrens rights with workshops, theatre

CHERRY THEIN t.cherry6@gmail.com A CAMPAIGN is underway to raise awareness of the rights of children, whether in the home, on the street or being illegally trafficked from one place to another. Child on the Move aims to prevent child abuse, domestic violence, human trafficking and child homelessness, with a particular focus on the issues of those children who are in transit or lacking stable accommodation. It brings together United Against Child Trafficking, an organisation based in Mae Sot, Thailand; Equality Myanmar; and Burma Against Child Trafficking. U Ye Yint Naung, a member of United ACT, said the Child on the Move campaign is part of a larger movement to address the needs of one of the most vulnerable segments of the population. It is not a new issue, he said. But part of the principle of the [UN] Convention on the Rights of the Child [CRC] mentions protecting children on the move. We want to highlight the point. Preparation for the project began in June and it was launched in September. Running through to ASEAN Peoples Forum, scheduled for March 2014, the project includes a training program on the CRC, talks, workshops and seminars in cooperation with government sectors and civil society organisations. Whether looking at forced or voluntary movement, the program breaks down the issues facing children in transit into three areas of study: the childs starting point, their life on the move, and their final destination. We need to do more research on the root cause on why children are moving, their struggles and danger on the way, and whether their final destination ends with success or failure. From there we can make better approaches to fixing the problem, U Ye Yint Naung said. He said many children moving from one place to another face physical or emotional abuse whether they are alone or travelling with family. One part of the campaign, called Destination Unknown, will let childrens voices take centre stage literally. The organisations are seeking 25 interested children to participate in a play designed to spread knowledge about the issues in an entertaining way. Training will be conducted during October, with experienced facilitators sharing information about the CRC as well as leading the children in acting, singing and making decorations. The play will be recorded on video and presented on a number of significant dates, including International Childrens Day on November 20, International Anti-Human Trafficking Day on December 12 and International Migrant Day on December 18. The group will also perform live in Yangon in a number of townships, including Shwe Pyi Thar, Hlaing Tharyar, Mayangone, Dawbon and North Dagon. Daw Kyi Phyu of Burma ACT said the activities aim to send a message to government sectors that they must strengthen implementation of the convention. We will try to cooperate with government officials in every department to share awareness on CRC and help to implement it as much as we possibly can. We want them to know that they are responsible for children on the street and [those who are at] risk of human trafficking, she said. She also said it is not enough to simply round up children from the street for their own protection. Removing street kids doesnt mean putting them in prison. It is not the right solution to this issue. The organisations involved in Child on the Move plan to raise the issue of childrens rights at the ASEAN Peoples Forum, to be held in Nay Pyi Taw in March 2014.

A primary school teaher speaks to children in a rural classroom. Photo: Kaung Htet

MPs call for hurry-up on development budgets

WIN KO KO LATT
winkolatt2012@gmail.com

MONEY allocated to local development could go unspent because of delays in approving procedures for spending the funding, some MPs fear. Halfway through the current budget year, the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw has yet to agree on how to spend the K33 billion allocated to regional development K100 million for each of the countrys 330 townships. Observers say plans have been drawn up and are expected to be published before the end of October after hluttaw approval. That would leave about six months to implement local development plans. But any longer delay could mean that the budget will not be spent, some fear. The program gives MPs control over the use of the funds and is designed to allow them to respond promptly to requests from constituents regarding

small infrastructure projects rather than raising them in the hluttaw. The Pyithu Hluttaw planning committee has drawn up the procedures for regional development spending for release this month after approval from the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, said U Thurein Zaw, Pyithu Hluttaw representative for Kawkareik and chair of the public accounts committee. Its best if the procedures are released by the end of the month, which would give us six months to implement development plans, said Daw Nyo Nyo Thin, representative of No 2 constituency in Bahan township. Half the budget year has passed but we havent implemented anything yet. People are waiting, said U Sai Thiha Kyaw, Pyithu Hluttaw representative for Mong Yai. The sooner the budget procedures are approved the better, agreed U Hla Swe, an Amyotha Hluttaw representative from Magwe Region. He said he feared not being able to spend all the K100 million before the end of the current budget year, next March 31, a concern echoed by other MPs. If it takes until early 2014 to draw up the procedures, well only have three months to spend the

entire amount, said Daw Nyo Nyo Thin, adding that the time crunch could lead to plans being drawn up in haste. I dont want to be just a rubber stamp.

Half the budget year has passed but we havent implemented anything yet.
U Sai Thiha Kyaw Pyithu Hluttaw representative

To avoid this possibility, Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Speaker Thura U Shwe Mann has urged MPs to finalise spending plans in advance even before the money is distributed, said U Hla Swe. I have appropriated K5 million for 60 plans, including repairing school buildings and hospitals, he said. The 25 percent of military MPs, who represent no constituency, are not included in the regional development spending plan. Translation by Thiri Min Htun

UNESCO to assist with overhaul of university journalism program

SANDAR LWIN sdlsandar@gmail.com THE curriculum for a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism program offered by the National Management College will be completely overhauled with assistance from the United Nations, the colleges principal said last week. We are planning to use the new curriculum prepared by UNESCO in the coming 2013-14 academic year, principal U Than Win said on October 9. The colleges board of studies was to hold a workshop on October 20 to discuss the new curriculum. The details of the course will only be confirmed after workshop, he said. According to UNESCO, the curriculum is benchmarked against the UNESCO Model Curricula for Journalism Education and borrows concepts from curriculums used at institutions in neighbouring countries. The proposed courses in the UNESCO curriculum include Journalism and Society, Media Laws, Journalism Ethics, Writing News in English, and Translation for Journalists. The proposed specialised courses are Reporting Diversity, Economics and Business Reporting, and Public Affairs Reporting. The production courses are specialised and cover Newspaper Journalism, Radio Journalism, TV Journalism, Magazine Journalism and Interactive Journalism. The National Management College was established in 2007 and introduced its journalism program the same year, accepting up to 50 students each academic year. The college is conducting a journalism education improvement program in collaboration with UNESCO.

www.mmtimes.com

News 15

IN BRIEF
Shan leader praises transparency of Kachin talks
A leader of the Red Shan ethnic group from Kachin State has praised the government and the Kachin Independence Organisation for inviting it to observe recent peace talks in Myitkyina. U San Wai, the patron of a Red Shan militia in Kachin States Tar Law Gyi village near Myiktyina, was one of five Shan community leaders who observed the October 8-10 talks, which resulted in a sevenpoint agreement. Representatives from two Shan political parties, the Tai-Leng (Red Shan) Nationalities Development Party and the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party, were also present. This is the first time I was able to participate as an observer on behalf of Shan ethnic people in the peace talks between the government and KIO, U San Wai said. Before this, we never knew what they are doing, what they discussed. We can say that this has brought greater transparency to the peace talks. We also had the chance to give advice. I am very pleased to be able to participate. He said he was particularly pleased at the pledge to continue scaling back the conflict. Both sides concluded at the discussion that there had been less fighting between them, he said. They also agreed not to mine the railway and to reopen the Bhamo road within four months. Khin Su Wai

Hundreds of thousands enslaved in Myanmar: report

BRIDGET DI CERTO bridget.dicerto@gmail.com AS many as 400,000 people are trapped in modern-day slavery in Myanmar, a new index estimates. The inaugural Global Slavery Index 2013 released last week said between 360,000 and 400,000 of Myanmars estimated 52.8 million residents are hostage to slave-like conditions, placing it ninth out of 162 countries surveyed. Based on these estimates 0.7 percent of the population is enslaved or enduring slave-like practices. India had the highest proportion of its population enslaved at about 1.12pc, the index said. India and Myanmar are among a group of 11 countries that account for 76pc of the worlds 29.8 million people in modern-day slavery. Compiled by the Walk Free Foundation, the index estimates absolute numbers of people bonded in slavery and analyses the risk of slavery in a population. In the region Myanmar had the third-highest risk of slavery, behind Papua New Guinea and Afghanistan. Factors or risks considered by the index were anti-slavery policies, hua weighted ranking to each country, based on absolute numbers of the population in slavery and risk factors. Myanmar ranked 42, while Mauritania, which has deeply entrenched hereditary slavery, topped the list. Whether it is called human trafficking, forced labour, slavery or slavery-like practices [a category that includes debt bondage, forced or servile marriage, and sale or exploitation of children including in armed conflict] victims of modern slavery have their freedom denied, and are used and controlled and exploited by another person for profit, sex, or the thrill of domination, the index stated. The International Labour Organization (ILO) lifted all its remaining restrictions on Myanmar in June this year. The ILO in cooperation with the government operates a Forced Labour Complaints Mechanism. This complaints mechanism is designed to allow genuine victims of forced labour, with the assistance of the ILO liaison office, an opportunity to seek redress from the government authorities in full confidence that no retaliatory action will be taken against them, according to ILO documentation.

A worker digs out soil to to make bricks at a factory on the outskirts of Yangon last week. Photo: AFP

man rights, economic and social development, state stability, and womens rights and discrimination. Some countries, such as Myanmar, have well drafted laws so the challenge relates to implementation, the index stated.

Myanmar has ratified both the Forced Labour Convention and Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention but has been criticised in the past for flouting its obligations. The index additionally assigned

Minister pushes for agriculture co-ops

Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation U Myint Hlaing used his address on World Food Day on October 16 to call for the establishment of cooperative agribusiness associations to boost farming productivity and alleviate rural poverty. U Myint Hlaing said there is a clear need to form agro-based industries that can generate higher value finished products and in the process boost farmers incomes rather than relying on the current practice of exporting mostly raw materials. We need to create higher living standards and incomes for farmers by promoting the countrys agribusiness sector, he said. He added that Myanmar had once been the worlds highest exporter of rice and needs to find ways of again penetrating the international markets and boosting exports and export earnings. U Myint Hlaing added that years of low income for farmers have pushed many rural workers to find other professions. Pyae Thet Phyo, translation by Zar Zar Soe

Workshop on constitution held

Reducing the role of the military in politics, and other aspects of civil-military relations, were among the hot topics addressed in a public forum on the constitution. More than 300 people, many of them from political parties and civil society organisations, took part. Organised by the Peoples Network on the Constitution, the forum, at Yangons Royal Rose restaurant on October 17, focused on the process of amending the 2008 constitution. Other topics under discussion included the countrys federal structure, human rights including the rights of women and workers and land rights, and the qualifications of presidential candidates. Strong support was expressed for a reduction of the role of the military in politics and for a greater infusion of democratic ideals. The Peoples Network on the Constitution is sponsored primarily by young members of the National League for Democracy and other parties and civil society organisations. It has about 50 members. Sandar Lwin

16 News

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

Union Election Commission chairman U Tin Aye speaks at a meeting in Yangon on October 11. Photo: Zarni Phyo

IN BRIEF
Dolphins born in protected area
Three Irrawaddy dolphins born in a protected area in Mandalay and Sagaing regions in May are in good health, the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries says. U Han Win, assistant fisheries officer in the ministrys environment and endangered aquatic animal conservation unit, said further surveys later this month could uncover more baby dolphins in the area. He said the births were important given that the population of the critically endangered Irrawaddy dolphin appears to be on the decline. The three baby dolphins born last May are still alive. We will find out if there are more dolphins breeding in further surveys this month, he said. In December 2005, the ministry selected a 74-kilometre (46-mile) stretch of the Ayeyarwady River between Mingun and Kyaukmyaung in Mandalay and Sagaing regions as a protected area for the dolphins. Aye Sapay Phyu

Election commission agrees to review protest law instruction

Parties say decision to force them to apply for permission for political rallies through provisions in peaceful protest law has proved unworkable because township officials are not following the rules EI EI TOE LWIN
eieitoelwin@gmail.com

New Mandalay electricity minister appointed

UNION Election Commission chief U Tin Aye has agreed to review an instruction issued to political parties earlier this year forcing them to apply for permission under the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Protest Law to conduct public events. The law, introduced in 2012, gives township police discretionary powers to block applications to stage political rallies or processions, and applications must be submitted at least five days in advance. However, political party leaders said at an October 11 meeting with U Tin Aye that they normally have to submit applications weeks in advance to have any chance of approval. We have to request permission from the township administration or police force three weeks in advance, said U Sai Saw Aung, vice chairman of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy. We submit an application for permission according to the law but we receive permission just a day before the meeting. We have almost no time

to finalise our plans, he said. U Tin Aye said he would review the instruction because of the difficulties it is causing parties. We abolished the old instruction because it contradicted the law. I decided that everyone should follow the law but I didnt consider that you might face these problems as a result. I understand your problems now and will review it, he said. In July the commission informed parties they would have to follow the peaceful protest law to hold party gatherings rather than an instruction issued in 2010, under which they had to give the commission at least one weeks notice of their plan to hold a party event. Significantly, however, the commission had no right to stop them. U Myo Kyaw, general secretary of the Arakan League for Democracy, said it had become harder to find venues for events because of the change. The owners [of venues] ask us, Do you have permission from the township administrator [to hold the meeting]? Its not easy to get permission. [The police or township officers] dont want to grant permission easily, he said. We have to go to remote areas to explain about the current political process and we have many problems

getting permission there. But even if we want to hold a meeting in Yangon, we have to request permission about 20 days in advance. This delays our activities, he added. U Myo Kyaw said despite the difficulties most parties are careful to follow the law because of the stiff penalties for violations, which include a one-year jail term. There are many people who were charged under section 18 of the law because local authorities did not grant permission without giving any proper reason. U Han Shwe, a member of the

I decided that everyone should follow the law but I didnt consider that you might face these problems as a result. I ... will review it.
U Tin Aye Election Commission chairman

National Unity Partys executive committee, said parties are also confused about which of their events require prior permission. Section 2(b) states that people have the right to assembly peacefully in a public area. But the law doesnt state what a public area is. Sometimes, particularly in rural areas, we use a monastery or private property for party meetings. We are confused about whether we need to apply for permission, he said. We want to work under the commission and we request the chairman to review the instruction. A number of political parties are also pushing to amend the peaceful protest law to remove section 18, which lists the punishments for breaches. The National League for Democracy plans to submit the proposed changes during the eighth session of parliament, which began on October 1. But U Kyee Myint, chairman of the Lawyers Network, told The Myanmar Times that the government should abolish the law because rules, procedures and penalties for gathering are already included in section 141 of the Penal Code. This law should not be amended, U Kyee Myint said. The government enacted the law to restrict the freedom of the people.

The President Offices last week elevated Mandalay Region Hluttaw representative U Kyaw Myint to the position of regional minister for electricity and industry. The incumbent minister, U Myint Kyu, has been appointed Mandalay Region minister for finance and revenue, filling the position vacated on September 9 when U Phone Zaw Han, a former mayor of Mandalay, was appointed to the Nay Pyi Taw Council. The latest appointments were announced on October 15. U Kyaw Myint represents the seat of Yamethin 2 in the regional hluttaw. Si Thu Lwin, translation by Zar Zar Soe

Arrested Mandalay jade trader was set up, says family

Project to map quake risk in Sagaing, Bago, Taungoo

AYE SAPAY PHYU ayephyu2006@gmail.com SEISMIC hazard and risk maps now in the works for Sagaing, Bago and Taungoo will make it easier to identify areas and buildings most vulnerable to potential earthquakes, an official from the University of Yangons Department of Geology says. We are testing soil conditions and properties in those three cities, lecturer U Myo Thant said, adding that the maps should be finished by March. The project is a collaboration between the Myanmar Earthquake Committee, the Myanmar Geoscience Society and the geology department, with funding from the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UNHABITAT). The two maps hazard and risk will cover different data, U Myo Thant said. The seismic hazard map will include information on soil types, soil properties, the amplification factor of seismic waves and peak ground acceleration, while possible loss and damages to infrastructure, and social and economic sectors will be covered by the risk map. The maps can be used in urban planning and infrastructure development in the future, as well as retrofitting work to allow constructed buildings to be made more earthquake-resilient. The aim of developing these maps is to reduce loss and damages by earthquake. Daw Than Than Myint, a consultant with the Bangkok-based Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, said that disaster and climate risk management need to be integrated into mainstream planning and not left on the fringes of discussions around development. Developmental gains achieved by Myanmar are often reversed because of the impact of disasters, she said. Skewed development itself increases vulnerability and exposure to natural hazards. Development should be sustainable, by considering disaster and climate risk management as part of the mainstream process. At least 90 people died and more than 18,000 were affected by two 6.8-magnitude earthquakes which struck Myanmar in March 2011 and November 2012, according to a United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. OCHA said that Myanmar is vulnerable to a wide range of hazards, including floods, cyclones, earthquakes, landslides and tsunamis, and that historical data shows there is a high likelihood of a medium- to largescale natural disaster occurring every couple of years.

A family is fighting to clear the name of a man arrested for drug possession, saying he was set up. Jade dealer U Lin Tun Thein, 41, was arrested on August 21 at a Mandalay karaoke lounge allegedly in possession of 200 amphetamine tablets concealed in a cigarette packet. He and his family say the packet was placed in his pocket by a plain-clothed officer from Southern Mandalay special drugs group. They allege that the police were called by another man who, they say, provided the packet. U Lin Tun Thein, who lives in Sa ward, Pyigyitagun township, has been charged with possession and faces trial in Mandalay district court. At a press conference on October 15, his brother Ko Aung Tun Ngwe told reporters that the family has written to the president, the commander-in-chief and the minister for home affairs demanding that the truth come out. If we get no satisfaction, we will try to appeal to the hluttaw. Our family has committed no crime, and we will fight for our dignity, he said. U Lin Tun Theins wife, Ma Aye Mon, said she had no grudge against the police informant, and wanted the truth to come out. A local elder, U Than Tun Oo, said, Ive lived in the same ward as this family for 22 years and I know of no criminal activity that they are involved in. Phyo Wai Kyaw, translation by Thae Thae Htwe

www.mmtimes.com

News 17
88 Generation leader Min Ko Naing speaks at a press conference on October 14. Photo: Boothee

MMA to vote on headquarters plan in January

YAMON PHU THIT yamon89@gmail.com REPRESENTATIVES from Myanmar Medical Associations 88 branches will vote on a controversial plan to redevelop the associations Yangon headquarters at a meeting in January, chairman Dr Kyaw Myint Naing said. The voting will be conducted on January 11, the opening day of the associations 60th annual medical conference, which will run from January 11 to 17. A secret vote will be conducted to decide whether the MMA should proceed with a plan to form a joint venture with a private company to redevelop the Thein Byu Road site in Mingalar Taung Nyunt township. Representatives of its 88 branches will cast votes, association general secretary Dr Myint Thaung said. The official representatives will be elected from each branch by that branchs members. Their votes will therefore represent all the members, he said. The internal dispute over the central executive committees plan to work with a foreign company on the redevelopment has wracked the association since the plan was announced in Mawlamyine in January. CEC members said the move would create additional revenue for the association and allow it to conduct research, sponsor doctors for further study, improve association facilities for members and expand its public health activities. But the proposal proved controversial among some of the associations members, who questioned the motives of the central executive committee. In response to the anger, the CEC scheduled a vote for July 13 but it was delayed because, organisers said, there was not enough time to elect branch representatives. CEC member Dr Tin Aye said on October 15 that the vote would definitely go ahead and the result would be respected. Its all about the result. Whether we do the proposal depends on the result, he said. Dr Aung Khin Sint, chairman of the MMA Land and Building Protection Committee, which was formed by members opposed to the project, said his group is also watching the process carefully to ensure it is fair. We will observe how transparent the voting is and will continue our work based on the result, he said. The MMA was established in 1949 and has more than 18,000 members.

88 Generation unveils plan for monument to fight for democracy

EI EI TOE LWIN eieitoelwin@gmail.com THE 88 Generation is planning a monument potentially a museum to the 1988 uprising and all those who have given their lives for democracy since the advent of military rule in Myanmar. The group is seeking donations for the monument, which leader Min Ko Naing said will be a permanent reminder of a time when people united and fought to end oppression and injustice under the military regime. The group is not yet sure what form the monument could take but hopes it will be similar to a museum, with artifacts from 1988. We have to continue to move with the 88 spirit and we want to ensure that future governments dont act in the same oppressive and unjust way again, he said on October 14. The monument will honour all those who fought for democracy in Myanmar, said 88 Generation member Ko Zaw Thet Htwe. We consider it not only for the 8/8/88 students but all people who gave up their lives since the 1962 uprising, Ko Zaw Thet Htwe said. So far weve really only got the idea and we only have K20 million in our hands Its not enough Therefore we want to urge all, both local and international organisations, to give us as much support as they can. Anyone can give us ideas about the monument. We want to cooperate with everyone because we believe that the 8888 uprising concerned everyone.

18 News
FEATURE

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

Moving with the times: Bagans horse carts face a new threat
For years the horse cart was the only option for visitors to Bagan but tourists are increasingly exploring temples on electronic bikes

EI EI THU
91.eieithu@gmail.com

KO Ye has ferried tourists around the temples of Bagan in his horse cart for 11 years. Visitor numbers have boomed in the intervening years Myanmar welcomed 554,531 visitors through Yangon in 2012, up from 212,468 a decade earlier but business has never been worse. He is unequivocal when asked why: the arrival, in 2012, of electric bicycles, which are not covered by a municipal ban on tourists using motorcycles in the Nyaung Oo area. They [tourists] are allowed to take the electric bike because it has pedals, Ko Ye told The Myanmar Times as he waited for customers at the gates of Ananda Pagoda. That harms our income. The downturn in business has left Ko Ye and the 240 other horse cart drivers he estimates operate in Nyaung Oo wondering whether the horse carts days are numbered. He used to make about K25,000 a day before electric bicycles better known as e-bikes became popular in the middle of this year. Now, he said, a day can go by without one single passenger. He charges K10,000 for a half-day and K15,000 a day for locals, and K12,000 and K20,000 respectively for foreigners. When I earn K10,000 or more, I give K7000 [to the owner] for a day. If

Tourists take a horse cart through a gate in the walls of the old city of Bagan. Photo: Kaung Htet

More tourists are coming than last year but we are still sitting beside the road.
Ko Ye Bagan horse cart driver

I dont get any passengers the whole day I tell the owner and I dont need to pay money. But then I havent got anything for my family, either, he said. If I dont do this job I dont know what else I can do in Bagan. It costs about K2 million (US$2000) to buy a horse cart, he said. Like Ko Ye, about half of the drivers rent from other people. The owners have to pay K15,000 in tax each year to the municipal authorities. Ko Ye says no tax is being collected on electric bikes. The development committee said they plan to charge a tax of about K80,000 [a year] for electric bikes. But now they have been running for about five months without being taxed So more tourists are coming than last year but we are still sitting beside the road. But not everyone is unhappy about

the arrival of the new technology. U Than Soe, who rents out e-bikes and bicycles from a shop in front of Areindmar Hotel in New Bagan, agreed that e-bikes are a faster route to tourists wallets compared to horse carts. The horse carts are not hired as much now that e-bikes are popular, he said. He started offering e-bikes in March 2013 after tourists began to ask for them after seeing them elsewhere in Bagan. But hes quick to emphasise that business isnt always a smooth ride. E-bikes also have difficulties, said U Than Soe. We have to charge the battery all night so it can go the whole day. Sometimes an e-bike breaks a wheel and cant be used. Guests leave it somewhere and call me to pick it up. That is trouble for me. U Than Soe now oversees a fleet

of 17 bicycles and five e-bikes. A days rental of an e-bike brings in K8000 compared to K3000 for a regular bicycle, but electric bikes are a much bigger investment, costing nearly K400,000 to purchase. And despite the fact that they bring in more income, U Than Soe said they can be more costly to maintain than horse carts. E-bikes are very heavy to carry when their batteries run out. If that happens they are more trouble than horse carts. They need four batteries. Each costs K25,000, which is more than horse feed, he added. U Khin Maung Htwe, secretary of the Myanmar Restaurant Associations Bagan branch, said e-bikes are suited to the Bagan terrain. They dont emit exhaust like motorcycles, he said, and yet theyre small enough that they wont cause traffic jams on the areas narrow roads the

way cars and buses do. While he said authorities should encourage e-bikes as they blaze a new trail in the local economy, he also added that its important that the new technology doesnt rein in other local money-making opportunities. What we want to make sure is that all are doing business, said U Khin Maung Htwe. [The city] may need to issue licence plates for bikes to be systematic. He added that, e-bikes or no ebikes, hes not worried about the more traditional source of horsepower riding off into one of Bagans famous sunsets any time soon. Tourists arriving in Bagan might take a horse cart one day and then an e-bike on another, U Khin Maung Htwe said. The culture of riding horse carts will remain for a long time into the future.

Medical association trials new emergency ambulance hotline

YAMON PHU THIT yamon89@gmail.com 1830: That will soon be the number to call if you need an ambulance, the president of the Myanmar Medical Association says. Dr Kyaw Myint Naing said the number will summon ambulances at any hour of the day and replaces a series of tough-to-remember ninedigit numbers. The new hotline is more convenient than the previous numbers, which were difficult to memorise and were not widely known, he said. Emergency ambulance services commenced operating in Yangon in October 2012. The service provides free pre-hospital care and transportation services for emergencies, which include but are not limited to traffic accidents and natural or man-made disasters. People in emergencies suffer shock and have difficulty remembering anything, he said. So the fewer the digits in our hotline the easier it is to memorise. In August, Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Speaker Thura U Shwe Mann urged the Ministry of Communications, Posts and Telegraphs to issue a three- or four-digit number for the ambulance services following a recommendation from the medical association. Speaking during the seventh session of parliament, Thura U Shwe Mann said the long phone numbers currently in use made it harder for people to access help in an emergency. Ambulance service general manager Dr Aung Lin told The Myanmar Times that the four-digit hotline is being trialled and will be formally launched soon. In the meantime, phone calls to the hotline will be answered and ambulances despatched as necessary, he said. Operating from MMAs head office in Mingalar Taung Nyunt township, the service runs five ambulances. In the past 12 months the ambulances have been sent to render assistance to more than 460 people, of whom 66 were injured in traffic accidents, Dr Aung Lin said. He added that access to the hotline is critical because ambulance service operators also provide trauma guidance before the ambulance arrives. When we receive a call, we first ask what the problem is and provide what advice we can before the ambulance arrives, he said. If the patient is unconscious, we advice his or her companion to turn the patient on his or her side and check that the patients airway is not blocked. The service was established with

Photo: Staff

support from both the MMA and Max Myanmars Ayeyarwady Foundation. But its work is only just beginning, Dr Aung Lin said. We need to increase public

awareness and trust, he said. Some people would never dare to call our service because they are afraid that we will charge them money, even though it is totally free of charge.

www.mmtimes.com

News 19

Car dealers accuse Mandalay company of $3.1m fraud

THAN NAING SOE thennaingsoe@gmail.com A GROUP of car dealers in Mandalay who say they were duped out of K3 billion (US$3.1million) by a local import firm have appealed to President U Thein Sein and the Mandalay Region government for justice. The group, which sent request letters on September 28, has also threatened to report the Chan Aye Thar San township company to police and is consulting with lawyers about possible criminal and civil charges. The company, Lin Kabar, allegedly sold about 150 luxury cars to the dealers at a slight discount to the market price for registered vehicles. While the cars arrived in Mandalay, the company failed to arrange the registration of the cars leaving the owners with no licence plates, owner books or other registration documents. We are now negotiating a settlement. If no agreement can be reached, we will press charges against the company, car dealer Ko Aung said. We paid the full price for the cars on contract. But [the companys owners] suddenly disappeared when the cars were in our hands. The dealers said they have worked with the company for the past 10 years and never had problems. But now they have swindled us, Ko Aung said. Other buyers were told to contact car companies in Yangon to arrange the registration for the vehicles. These companies, however, said the process

We paid the full price for the cars on the contract ... They have swindled us.
Ko Aung Mandalay-based car dealer

would cost K3 million for each vehicle and require a car import permit valued at K11.5 million, said Ko Aung Naing Win, one of the aggrieved buyers. So now we are left having to pay an additional K14.5 million, he said. The companies in Yangon are asking us for more money [to arrange the registration], confirmed another cheated dealer, U Win Naing. If we dont pay the money we will have to sell the cars at a loss as unlicensed vehicles. Most of the car dealers involved in the dispute are from Mandalay, but others from nearby towns such as Madaya, Singu, Sagaing and Pakkoku are also involved.

I bought five cars. Buyers, including me, want to know when they will have vehicle licences for their cars, said U Maung Maung from Singu township. A spokesperson for the import company declined to comment. However, in September, one of the two partners in the business, Ko Aung Ye Lin, published a notice in state-run newspapers revealing that his other partner, Ko Kyaw Khaing Soe, had disappeared after selling the cars to the dealers. Ko Aung Ye Lin said he was no longer connected with Ko Kyaw Khaing Soe but was trying to resolve the dispute with those who were cheated. Translation by Zaw Winn

Taxi drivers push YCDC for clarity on registrations

A planned handover of taxi registration responsibilities to Ma Hta Tha never took place but drivers say they are still in the dark about the registration process

AYE NYEIN WIN

ayenyeinwin.mcm@gmail.com

YANGONS taxi drivers are asking the citys municipal and traffic authorities to improve their communication following a debacle over taxi registrations. Drivers say confusion over which body is in charge of handling registrations is costing them money, and have asked that future announcements be made through state-run newspapers and on television so that everyone gets the message. Taxi driver U Maung Maung said it is easy for the citys cabbies to not know about new notifications and end up paying for it in the form of fines. The relevant department should announce new rules and regulations for taxi drivers in newspapers and on television, he said. The notices should have a start and end date for the regulation, and there should be an education period where we are not penalised if were in the wrong.

When taxis drivers break the rules we can be fined I got a fine of K51,500 from the Yangon Region Supervisory Committee for Traffic Rules Enforcement, U Maung Maung said. It would be best if the notifications were broadcast for five days continuously. He added that some processes are needlessly difficult and expensive. Now, all taxi drivers are trying to do their registrations at once, so it is overcrowded. Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) is in charge of taxi registration but earlier this year the Yangon Region Buses Control Committee, better known by its Myanmar acronym of Ma Hta Tha (central), announced it would take over responsibility from April 1. When the transfer of responsibility did not eventuate, a clarification was published in state media but many drivers did not know about it until they were fined, said driver U Ko Ko. We have been changing our old cars for newer ones and we asked YCDC for a city taxi registration, he said. But the officials we spoke to said they were no longer in charge and referred us to Ma Hta Tha. We had no idea which department we needed to contact, and

A Suzuki R+ taxi stops at a traffic jam in Yangon last week. Photo: Zarni Phyo

only found out that YCDC remains in charge of registrations when we are fined. U Nyi Nyi Oo, deputy head of YCDCs Revenue Department, admitted that the committee had erred in not better publicising the decision to keep taxi registration in-house. We planned to shift taxi registra-

tion to Ma Hta Tha but we did not follow through, and we didnt announce that decision widely enough, he said. The committee is processing about 150 to 200 registrations a day but this is nowhere near enough to cope with demand. To avoid wasting time in queues, some drivers have resorted to a time-honoured tradi-

tion of paying an agent to complete the registration for them, paying from K20,000 to K30,000. This is the first time Ive needed to register my taxi and I didnt want to do the process myself, said taxi driver U Myint Oo Naing. I hired an agent who got it done in a day. It cost me K30,000. If you do it yourself it is K10,500.

20 News IN BRIEF
Nok Air to begin YangonBangkok service
Thai carrier Nok Air will launch flights between Yangon and Bangkoks Don Mueang International Airport on November 1, an official from the Thai embassy in Yangon said last week. Charg daffaires Chainarong Keratiyutwong said the expansion was made possible by the governments efforts to encourage more airlines to enter the market to meet demand from business travellers and foreign tourists. However, he said Thailand want[s] to see more competition in Myanmars skies, adding that this would bring better quality services, reasonable prices and more choice for consumers. The new airline will start with four flights a week from Yangon to Don Mueang. All services will use a Boeing 747-800 with 189 seats. The airline began services between Yangon and the Thai border town of Mae Sot on October 1 using a SAAB 340B aircraft with 34 seats. Wa Lone

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

Speaker pushes govt to stabilise, develop Rakhine

WIN KO KO LATT winkolatt2012@gmail.com PYIDAUNGSU Hluttaw Speaker Thura U Shwe Mann has urged President U Thein Sein to stabilise unrest-hit Rakhine State by better implementing the rule of law, preventing illegal immigration and bringing socio-economic development. Thura U Shwe Mann said development would decrease poverty and must be considered a priority to end the communal violence in the state, he wrote in a letter to the president dated October 15. [The] hluttaw will also promptly implement the cases [that are presented] to it, the letter states. His letter comes following a meeting in Yangon on September 29 at which Thura U Shwe Mann promised support for Rakhine efforts to safeguard the countrys borders from illegal immigrants. The meeting was attended by more than 500 people and touched on a range of issues, including stability, security, development, the rule of law and a proposal to form a local militia in Rakhine State. The speaker promised participants that he would forward the issues raised to the government. U Zaw Aye Maung, a minister for Rakhine affairs in the Yangon Region government, said last week Thura U Shwe Manns letter also touched on the need to find ways to solve the conflict in a democratic manner. U Zaw Aye Maung thanked the speaker for sending the letter to the president and particularly for highlighting the issue of illegal migration. He estimated there are more than 500,000 illegal immigrants in Rakhine State. A meeting concerning poverty and development in Nay Pyi Taw in September 2012 suggested the formation of industrial zones in Rakhine State could help to develop the state and alleviate widespread poverty. Translation by Thiri Min Htun

UNESCO launches peace education in Rakhine State

Education for peace that is the aim of a US$300,000 program that will train teachers in conflict-hit Rakhine State. The UNESCO project will operate in 40 schools in Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung townships, and planning is already under way. The Ministry of Education announced its approval of the scheme on September 21 the International Day of Peace. The project has started operations and is in its initial design phase, said Daw Khin Khin Lwin, a program officer at UNESCO Myanmar. The aim is promoting education for all and providing access to all, she said. The program will train 350 basic education school teachers, reactivate 40 parent-teacher associations and set up three community learning centres in each township. UNESCO said the project would also help facilitate civic dialogues on inter-cultural awareness and peaceful co-existence. Initial funding is being provided by the Belgian government, and funding is likely to be increased as various foreign donors show interest in the project, said Daw Khin Khin Lwin. Sandar Lwin

Mandalay residents walk past shops and houses built illegally on the banks of the Ayeyarwady River. Photo: Phyo Wai Kyaw

Confrontation looming over riverside homes

PHYO WAI KYAW pwkyaw@gmail.com HLAING KYAW SOE hlaingkyawsoe85@gmail.com FAMILIES living in temporary huts and houses along the Ayeyarwady River in Mandalays Chan Aye Thar San township are petitioning the municipal authorities not to follow through with a threat to evict them. In the first week of October, Mandalay City Development Committee sent notifications to residents in the area ordering them to move by the end of the month. It also warned that those who refuse to leave will face legal action under municipal laws. Residents, however, say they are doing everything they can to make their presence permanent. Weve sent petitions to the mayor, the office of the chief minister of Mandalay Region and other relevant officials asking them to take into account the fact that we rely on the river for our livelihoods We will get into trouble if we have to move from here, said resident Ma Kay Thwe. Thousands of people live illegally along the Ayeyarwady River bank, with the area between Nyaungkwal and Kywalsun ports the most densely populated. The majority earn their living as casual labourers carrying goods from ships that dock along the river. The Myanmar Times contacted the deputy head of the cleaning department, U Soe Tint Aung, for comment but he said he did not know about the eviction order. Some residents said they have lived legally in the area for the past two decades by paying land tax to MCDC. Beside the riverbank its easier for us to earn money, said one female labourer, as she carried a bag of charcoal to the shore. We have children attending the local school so it is hard to move. We have been warned countless times to move If we have to go somewhere else we will just return again because well be destitute in any other place. The threat rings true: After the committees Cleaning Department and local government officials demolished illegal homes in the area in June 2011, evicted families promptly returned to the site. In 2011, officials evicted us from this site as part of a plan to beautify Strand Road, said the 45-year-old owner of a roadside restaurant, who asked not to be named. There are 90 huts around my shop. Those people are really poor so they will live here as long as they can. Translation by Zar Zar Soe

Sagaing residents to appeal trespassing jail term

Three people who lived on vacant land in Sagaing Region with permission from local officials for more than 10 years have been given a one-month jail term for trespassing. Their supporters have sent an appeal to Nay Pyi Taw against the verdict, which was handed down on October 10. U Kyaw Kyaw, head of Htut Khaung village, said the 1.15-acre site was formerly used for a failed castor oil plantation. People living there are not squatters. The former heads of the village allowed them to live there more than 10 years ago, he said. The officials who charged them didnt even come to look at the village The residents should not be sentenced to one months imprisonment. The villagers will send a complaint letter to Nay Pyi Taw because it is not fair. In 2011, residents applied to the township Settlements and Land Records Department for permission to live permanently on the land. Later, a nunnery from Sagaing also applied to use the land. Local administrators, however, asked the department to issue the permit to the residents. Hlaing Kyaw Soe

Multiple false alarms as fear rises after bombings

PHYO WAI KYAW SI THU LWIN TOE WAI AUNG newsroom@myanmartimes.com.mm POLICE have investigated a string of suspicious objects amid heightened anxiety over a series of blasts and unexploded devices found in Yangon, Mandalay and Sagaing. At least 12 explosive devices were detonated, discovered or defused between October 9 and October 16, but several more suspected bombs turned out to be false alarms. On October 16, a cardboard box was spotted in an external corridor on the first floor of Mandalays Zaygyo Market. After a careful examination, police confirmed it was empty. Its just a symptom of peoples anxiety at this time, a senior police official from Chan Aye Thar San township said. The potential impact of an explosion in the Zaygyo Market, particularly in the lead-up to a festival like Thadingyut, when there is a higherthan-normal number of customers, could be devastating. Business could be hurt if people think the market is not safe so officials should handle these frightening incidents carefully, said the 55-year-old owner of a wholesale slipper shop in the market. Similarly, a suspicious cardboard box was found in Pyinmanas Myoma Market at about 11am on October 15. The box contained sand and sheets of cardboard, a spokesperson from the market said. A similar scare occurred on October 15 on Yangons Mahabandoola Road, a busy shopping street, when a leather bag was found discarded in a rubbish bin in front of a computer shop. Police removed the bag, which is not thought to have contained explosives. It was first noticed at about 10am and we informed the police station because we were unsure about it, said one resident of 37th Street. Police set up sandbags and tyres around it and then called an engineer unit. They used their sniffer dogs to investigate the bag. After checking it ... they took it away. Other incidents were also reported in Yangon, where social media fuelled rumours of further bombings. Ko Aung Soe from Thaketa township, where a

Correction

A police officer hold an empty cardboard box that sparked a bomb scare in Mandalays Zaygyo Market on October 16. Photo: Si Thu Lwin

The article Despite violence, Muslims to press on with Eid festivities this week, published in the October 1420 edition (No 699) of The Myanmar Times, said U Myo Win is a member of Yangons Islamic Centre. U Myo Win is no longer associated with the centre. We regret the error.

bomb went off on October 14, injuring two teenage boys, said numerous rumours were spreading about further devices having been uncovered, most of which turned out to be false. Im just trying to listen to the statements that are released by the officials and what is reported on FM

radio stations. Despite the false alarms, Mandalay City Development Committee has urged those working in hotels and public places, such as markets or highway bus terminals, to remain vigilant and report any suspicious objects or people. Translation by Zar Zar Soe

www.mmtimes.com
Residents of Shid Ein Dan village in Yesagyo township sit beside a recently eroded stretch of the riverbank this month. Photo: Wa Lone

News 21

Gangaw residents oppose Myitthar dam plan

THAN NAING SOE thennaingsoe@gmail.com RESIDENTS of four villages in Magwe Regions Gangaw township said they will not move from their settlements to make way for the proposed Myitthar hydroelectric dam project until they receive sufficient compensation. The government is preparing planning for a new town Sanpya Myitthar Myothit to house those due to be resettled from Sabei, Panan, Yinmar and Sinpone villages. A total of 5788 acres, including more than 1600 acres of farmland, will be included in the dams floodway. However, the residents said the new town does not have enough farmland and lacks the basic features of a town. Residents are yet to receive information about how much money they will be compensated for their lost houses and land. We have yet to negotiate about compensation, said U Than Swe from Panan village. Residents have demanded that the new town include a monastery, school, hospital, crematorium, playground, roads and other basic amenities. The Myitthar dam project was announced in the 2001-02 financial year, with an installed capacity of 40 megawatts. It will also be used to irrigate 12,000 acres of farmland, official documents for the dam project show. Residents, however, say they are sceptical the dam will be able to fulfil its intended function. The Myitthar River typically runs dry in the summer but floods in the wet season, said U Shwe Ko from Panan village. Its impossible that the dam can irrigate 12,000 acres of farmland given the geography of this area. Other residents said the dams spillway collapsed in 2006, and its temporary dyke was breached in 2007 and 2008 during floods. Translation by Zar Zar Soe

In Magwe, a village under threat

WA LONE
walone14@gmail.com

THE Chindwin River is devouring neighbouring farmland as erosion sweeps away hundreds of acres, destroying homes and bringing poisonous snakes and disease. Local residents have appealed to the regional authorities for help but say they are being ignored. Every year the west bank of the Chindwin, as it flows through Pakokku and Yesagyo townships in Magwe Region, crumbles further as the swollen waters claim more land. Villages have been repeatedly displaced and farmers reduced to ruin as their lands are washed away. Shid Ein Dan village, in Yesagyo township, has about 200 houses. The village has been uprooted twice as the nearby riverbank collapsed, taking with it 300 acres of land. Resident Ko Htain Oo, 42, said he once had 5 acres but lost all of it last year through erosion. My family has been displaced three times, he said. And 95 houses of my village have collapsed into the river, including my house last year. Every time the bank collapses it takes

15 to 20 houses with it. This has been going on since 1997. Landless villagers are reduced to working as labourers for other farmers, growing onions on alluvial land, or even making sticks of incense for K1000 a day or less. Shid Ein Dan village has relocated itself further from the river onto what was previously farmland. But villagers say they have to pay K20,000-K50,000 annual rent, and are not allowed to dig wells or latrines. They also fear snakes. Daw Saw Shwe, 62, told The Myanmar Times that a pregnant woman was bitten by a venomous snake while she slept in her bed. The snake floated in with the tide when the river flooded, she said. Two other villagers have been bitten since we moved here. Old people and children are suffering severe health problems, including dengue haemorrhagic fever and diarrhoea because of the bad water. They cannot even bury their dead safely since the cemetery was swept away. I dont think we will be allowed to burn dead bodies on these farmlands if somebody dies in this village, one resident said. When an old man died of a broken heart after his house had been swept away by the flood, we had to burn his body on a hill near the river. U Ohn, of the Forest Resources Environment Development and

Every time the bank collapses it takes 15 to 20 houses with it. This has been going on since 1997.
Ko Htain Oo Resident of Shid Ein Dan

Conservation Association (FREDA), said the erosion and landslides were due to deforestation and the changing climate. Its about the deforestation of tidal areas and 80 percent deforestation along the Ayeyarwady River, he said. Villagers were expecting a visit from Magwe Region Chief Minister U Phone Maw Shwe on October 3 but it was later cancelled. The regional authorities had promised to dig two 500foot (152-metre) sluiceway pools to reduce erosion but instead are investigating other, more modern measures

to stem the erosion, a local water resources department official said. We dont have an emergency rescue committee for erosion and landslide areas, but our regional department is taking steps to deal with this problem on an urgent basis, he said. But village administrator U Thaung Htay said the regional government was hampering local efforts to resettle the displaced. The village and township level administration have agreed to resettle the villagers, but there is a dispute at the regional level over where they should go, he said. Our villagers have been suffering a decline in their social and economic conditions as the river bank has collapsed, and we need support from the regional authorities. U Khay Meinda, a Buddhist monk, said most residents have been reluctant to leave until right before their homes topple into the river. Some villagers can afford to buy land elsewhere, he said. But they have lived with the threat of this natural disaster for many years because they wanted to save their village.

22 THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

Business
Hotel bomb takes toll on business
AYE THIDAR KYAW ayethidarkyaw@gmail.com THE bombing at Traders Hotel that injured one American national has already tarnished the Yangon staples business, a hotel director said. Daw Yin Mar Nyo, director of sales and marketing at the Shangri-Laowned luxury hotel, said while the hotel is operating as usual, there had been a small number of cancellations from concerned tourists. We are still getting regular customers in check-in and check-out, and in the restaurant as well, she told The Myanmar Times, declining to comment in detail about the cancellations. Due to the ongoing investigation, Daw Yin Mar Nyo said she could not speculate about the series of bombings that rocked Yangon last week. A few of our customers worry about that, but the issue is in many places at the moment, not just [at Traders], she said. She said the explosion that occurred in a 9th level hotel room is under investigation. The local authorities and ShangriLa International Hotel Management Limited, which sent additional security personnel from Hong Kong, have both cleared, swept and secured the building. In addition, the analysis of the hotels CCTV footage and profiling by the police assisted the arrest of a suspect, she said in a later statement emailed to The Myanmar Times. In line with advice from our security experts and the prevailing situation, the hotel is supplementing its existing comprehensive security surveillance systems and will deploy enhanced security controls in the form of specialised technical equipment. AYE THIDAR KYAW EI EI THU HOTEL and tourism-reliant businesses have begun to feel the fallout from the bombings in Yangon and across the country last week, including one at Traders Hotel, while others in the private sector are concerned about lasting damage to tourism as the country approaches the high season. With a dozen bombs found or exploded last week, several embassies have already issued travel warnings advising against travel to Myanmar as the government has alluded that some of the attacks were aimed at foreigners. Parkroyal Hotel marketing manager Ma Michelle Win said her hotel has already experienced cancellations and would likely see more in coming weeks due to the high-profile bombing at Traders Hotel. We have experienced bombings [in Yangon] before, but not in a hotel. This is the first time in a hotel and we are quite concerned. We have attended emergency meetings about the impact on tourism and we have increased [the number of] security guards, checking all guests bags. The only thing hotels can do is to increase security, she said. Tourists [coming to Yangon] should insist that security guards are checking their bags and their rooms. Governors Residence sales coordinator Ma Shwe Sin also said there has been some cancellations at the hotel. We have had a group tour cancel, she told The Myanmar Times. We have had some cancellations from people who were supposed to come in December or even next year. But, perhaps the most heavily impacted business is the high-end Traders Hotel, where an American tourist was injured by a bomb blast October

Bomb fallout hits touris

A passenger arrives at Yangon International Airport last week. Tourism experts believe recent bomb attacks in Myanmar may impact local businesses. Photo: Thiri Lu

14. The blast made international headlines and the hotel issued a statement online to allay fears over hotel safety. Ministry of Hotels and Tourism director general U Aung Zaw Win said the explosions in hotels in Yangon and other towns were the result of weaknesses in CCTV security and hotel housekeeping. Speaking at a televised press conference October 15, the director general said the focus of the ministry would be ensuring the safety of the 33 hotels in Yangon and other towns that will be linked to the SEA Games visitors in

December. U Aung Zaw Win said the ministry held concerns that the image of Myanmars tourism sector would be tarnished in the minds of foreign visitors and that increased hotel security vigilance would be seen across the country. The bombings come on the cusp of Myanmars tourism high season, which also boasts several major festivals, as well as the SEA Games. Myanmar Travel Association union secretary U Naung Naung Han said he believed the nations tourism industry

would be tainted by the bombings. Due to the explosion other countries think Myanmar is not safe and secure so we will lose the kinds of opportunities that developed in the years when the country was viewed optimistically, he said. Tourists can change their plans and visit other countries they view as safer, he said. We need proper management to ease concerns about security or natural disasters when the incidents occur. That is very important, he said. U Phyo Wai Yaza, All Asia Exclusive Travel Company managing director,

BUSINESS EDITOR: Philip Heijmans | pheijmans13@gmail.com

23

Rubber exports to double

BUSINESS 25

Signing a lease: know your rights

PROPERTY 29

Exchange Rates (October 19 close)

Currency
Euro Malaysia Ringitt Singapore Dollar Thai Baht US Dollar

Buying
K1310 K300 K780 K31 K970

Selling
K1325 K305 K785 K31.50 K972

sm sector
educating restaurateurs on correct procedures for bomb location and removal inside a dining environment. We dont hold legal authority like the police so we have been educating members on what to do in a situation where there is a suspicious person in the restaurant, U Nay Lin, vice chairman of the association, told The Myanmar Times. The governments of Australia, Britain, France and the United States all issued travel alerts in the wake of the bombings, which killed two people and injured four others. All travel alerts urged vigilance, but stopped short of advising against travel to the country. Outside of Yangon, other tourism operators were reporting business as usual. We are not affected in any way, said Ma Thin Sande, marketing manager with Air Mandalay. The passengers are only worried about staying in Yangon hotels, she said, adding that the airline had not seen a drop in reservations or increased cancellations. An unattributed op-ed in the government-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper last Thursday aimed to dispel fears. All the hotel rooms have been booked. The airports have been busy with tourists flooding into the country which has just woke up from a nightmare to see a beautiful morning, the op-ed read. The recent blasts suggested that the bombers targeted tourist spots, including hotels and a pagoda parking lot in Sagaing, a town with abundant temples, pagodas and tourist spots near Mandalay. The newspaper also issued a call from police for anyone with information about the bombings or named suspects to come forward to authorities. The tourism industry generated about US$956 million in the 2012-13 fiscal year, Ministry of Hotels and Tourism statistics showed. Additional reporting by Bridget Di Certo

Firms face financial accuracy issues ahead of bourse launch

AYE THIDAR KYAW ayethidarkyaw@gmail.com MYANMAR companies might not be ready for the scheduled launch of the countrys stock exchange in 2015, officials and experts are warning. The lack of transparency and accounting efficiency on the part of firms wishing to develop initial public offerings could contribute to the slowdown of the much-anticipated launch, they say. Last month, officials developing the exchange said they were facing delays due to being unable to get a legal framework up and running. Even with an operational stock exchange, firms are still a long way from being able to list because they have not been subjected to modern auditing practices, the full and accurate disclosure of their finances or pressure to offer investor-oriented business planning, Myanmar Securities Exchange Centre executive director U Soe Thein told The Myanmar Times. Public companies should begin offering accurate financial statements and to avoid [being seen as not] paying taxes, or tricking their auditors and financial regulators, he said. He added that even with a regulatory framework in place, there has been little in the way of enforcement to prevent illicit activity. Law enforcement is not effective and most public companies do not follow the rules and regulations, he said. During a press conference in September, Deputy Finance Minister Maung Maung Thein expressed similar thoughts and voiced doubt as to whether any company had the capacity to restructure the way it does business in just two years. Stock exchanges historically took many years to set up in other countries but weve just started and I cant say we will complete ours in time, he said. Tatsuo Murao, founder of CAST Consulting, a firm that helps Japanese firms invest in local businesses, said inefficient accounting and transparency practices stemmed from a lack of skilled professionals able to bring businesses up an international standard. Human resources staff equipped with the required financial skills need time to develop, so it would be difficult for Myanmar to be fully prepared for the start of the new stock exchange, he said. Water and soda manufacturing conglomerate Loi Hein plans to open its books next March to the Daiwa InstituteofResearch, which is providing IT support to help develop the exchange, said the companys chairman Sai Sam Htun. We will face some problems and we have to be sure of the strength of our funding through exchange rate fluctuations and other issues. The bigger a public company is, the bigger those impacts are, he said. At this point, it is too early to say whether we would be able to achieve

Sai Sam Htun. Photo: Staff

said that while other ASEAN countries experienced bombings, such as in Thailands volatile south or in Indonesia, Myanmars speedy and transparent government announcements on the situation would help to ease tourists worries. The important thing is how government and authorities handle and investigate [the bombings], raise security precautions and make transparent and timely announcements to the media, he said. The Myanmar Restaurant Association also held briefings for members,

listing in time for the launch, he said. On July 31, President U Thein Sein signed the Securities Exchange Law, which allows for the establishment and operation of a securities regulator. Laws that will outline how the bourse will be regulated are still not yet in place, the Central Bank has said. According to media reports last month, the managing director ofthe Myanmar Securities Exchange Centre, Shigeto Inami, said that only about eight companies might be listed on the exchange when it opens. These are expected to include First Myanmar Investment (FMI), First Private Bank and Asia Green Development (AGD). Myanmar Citizens Bank and Forest Products Joint Venture Corp are currently traded over-the-counter and are also considered to be among those that would list.

New trade program on way

AYE THIDAR KYAW ayethidarkyaw@gmail.com AN internationally backed export support program will be implemented next month to help reduce the countrys trade deficit, the Ministry of Commerce says. The program will follow completion this month of the National Export Strategy Workshop called to discuss the export deficit Myanmar has run up over the past two years. Norway, Germany, Japan and China will provide financial and technical assistance, said commerce ministry spokesperson U Win Myint. We know how to solve the problems of the lack of capital and technology in our domestic market through the workshop, he said. We will announce in November what the solutions are, he said. Total trade volume in the current year is more than US$11 billion, of which exports amount to $5.4 billion, leaving a $500 million trade deficit, mainly because of the import of vehicles and construction materials for investment, the ministry said. Spokesperson U Win Myint added that trade regulations governing remittance services and interest rates would be required.

Value of exports thus far this year

$5.4

MILLION

The deficit has occurred since export credits were abolished two years ago, ending a practice by which importers bought the credits, which were priced 10 percent higher than the US dollar value, to buy products, he said.

24 Business

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

Protests held over proposed hotel at Aung San speech site

WA LONE walone14@gmail.com PLANS to build a new hotel in Hpaan in a historic park with links to Bogyoke Aung San are at risk following an outbreak of public opposition. Managing director U Moe Kyaw of Sone Ye Construction said his company had received legal permission from the Kayin State government to develop the US$15 million hotel on the corner of Kantharyar and Strand roads in the Kayin State capital. He dismissed demonstrators claims that the site had historical significance and should be left as a public park. But after more than 1000 people, including Buddhist monks, staged a rally demanding a halt to the project, and after a flood of petitions and written complaints, he may be forced to reconsider. At the demonstration in Hpa-an on October 6, protesters said the site had been used by Bogyoke Aung San to deliver a message of unity to ethnic Kayin prior to independence. They carried placards bearing the message, Get Out. Local Amyotha Hluttaw representative U Saw Aung Kyaw Naing of the Phalon-Sawaw Democratic Party said he had raised the issue with Thura U Shwe Mann when the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw speaker visited Hpa-an in November 2012. The speaker ordered the Kayin State chief minister and the Ministry of Home Affairs to halt the development immediately in line with the peoples wishes.

Demand for energy will double, ADB

PHILIP HEIJMANS pheijmans13@gmail.com ENERGY demand in Myanmar is expected to double by 2035 as economic progress continues, according to a report issued last week by the Asian Development Bank. Energy demand is expected to rise at an annual rate of 3 percent on the heels of a growing need for electricity throughout the country, according to the regional report Energy Outlook for Asia and the Pacific. As of 2010, energy consumption in Myanmar per capita was among the lowest in the region, at just 0.29 tonne of oil equivalent (toe), compared to a regional average of 0.92toe. The government has stated that only about 30pc of Myanmars population has access to electricity. While Myanmar is on the way to developing its potential, the country is expected to see soaring demand for electricity, which is a fundamental input to every modern economy, the report states. Of the total amount of energy consumed, the residential, commercial, agricultural and fisheries industries will see a decline from 82.9pc in 2010 to 64.6pc as energy will be utilised elsewhere, the report states, adding that transportation is expected to account for 23.4pc of total energy consumption in 2035. Income growth will boost the countrys motorisation, which entails fast growth of energy demand in the transport sector at a rate of 7.5pc per year, it continues.

Protestors at the construction site in Hpa-an hold signs that read Get out. Photo: Saw Sein Win

But U Moe Kyaw of Sone Ye said the company had already paid $8.7 million in taxes and signed a contract with the Hpa-an district administrative office to complete the project within a year. The project is being developed by three firms. One of those is Mya Htay Kywe Lin, a company run by the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army that bought a 90-year lease on the land from the district administration

office in 2000. The other Amyotha Hluttaw representative for Hpa-an, U Mann Kan Nyunt of the USDP, said the DKBA company then sold shares in the property to Yaung Ni Oo and Sone Ye Construction as part of an agreement to jointly develop the hotel. He said a complaints committee set by the Amyotha Hluttaw had forwarded several letters about the project to parliament for further

investigation. The Kayin State government did not respond when contacted for comment but the companies involved said they would respect the decision of the Presidents Office and parliament. We will stop this project if they decide we are wrong, said U Moe Kyaw. But if they decide we are right we will continue. It should be by the law.

IN BRIEF
Google shares soar past $1,000 on strong earnings
Shares of Internet search and advertising titan Google soared more than 13 percent to pass the US$1,000 mark for the first time at the close of the week after a strong earnings report. The earnings demonstrated that Google was smoothly building its presence in the mobile area.

Kyauktan shrimp farmers consider quitting

MYAT NYEIN AYE myatnyeinaye11092@gmail.com ITS hard to see where it has gone all gone wrong: 7000 acres of prime aquaculture farmland only 30 miles or (48 kilometres), from the countrys biggest city and market, Yangon, but nearly half of the zones farmers are giving up. The zone, at Mayan Zwebar village in Kyauktan township in Yangon Region, includes nearly 50 farmers, but 22 say they must soon stop working because they are not making money. The Myanmar Fisheries Federation (MFF) says it will do what it can to provide technology and attract foreign investment, said the bodys vice president, U Kyee Ngwe. This is a good place for farming because we can farm prawn and marine fish species such as long-finned eel [ngalin ban], giant seabass (ka ka tit) and crab, he said. All of those species can fetch good prices locally and internationally. But to do so we need good infrastructure and some capital. Tiger prawns are selling for between K15,000 and K20,000 a viss (1.6 kilograms or 3.6 pounds), while long-finned eel trades for about K24,000 a viss and giant seabass sells for about K10,000 viss. U Kyee Ngwe added that farmers face high production and transport costs, and do not have the capital needed to improve their operations. There are no good highway roads and no electricity, which makes life difficult for farmers, he said. And farmers cannot upgrade their farms. Only about 700 acres of the zone can be said to have really good production. When farmers sell their produce nearby they are unable to get the best prices because the goods must be transported to Yangon, said U Thein Kyaw Nyunt, owner of a 200acre prawn farm. We cannot sell our products in Yangon markets because transport and freezing is expensive, he said. Ice sells for K1000 a pound in Yangon but its K3000 here. He said that farmers must instead accept lower prices, up to K2000 a viss, and sell to traders who transport to markets in town. U Thein Kyaw Nyunt said farmers need to invest K500,000 an acre and in a good year when shrimp prices are high might earn K1 million an acre. Most farms produce yields of between 20 and 50 viss an acre. A Myanmar Shrimp Association spokesperson said farms that used technologically advanced farming techniques could significantly increase yields but the cost of production could be 30 times higher when the capital investment was included. Current plans to attract foreign investment are based on government-to-government assistance programs or direct joint ventures between companies, said U Kyee Ngwe. If other countries want to assist the ministry, we will help that process. Currently Japan, Vietnam and Indonesia are interested in investing, he said. U Han Htun, MFF executive vice president, said an efficient prawn farming zone in Yangon could supply the nations needs.

Frances Dumex pledges change after China bribery claims

French baby formula maker Dumex has pledged disciplinary action and management changes in China after state media accusations surfaced recently that staff offered healthcare workers bribes to promote its products. State television reported last month that Dumex employees made payments to doctors and nurses at hospitals in the northern city of Tianjin to provide Dumex formula to newborn babies. AFP

Possible earnings for shrimp farmers per acre during a good year

K1

MILLION

UNFPA Vacancy Notice Want to be part of a team bringing positive impact directly to families within Myanmar? Join us and you will too, because at UNFPA, everyone counts. Applications are invited from interested Myanmar Nationals for the following positions. Sr. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Title and Level Type of Contract Duty Station National GBV Field Officer, Kachin (SC- 9) Service Contract Myitkyina National GBV Field Coordinator, Yangon (SC-9) Service Contract Yangon National RH Field Officer, Kachin (SC-9) Service Contract Myitkyina National GBV Field Officer, Rakhine (SC-9) Service Contract Sittwe Programme Assistant, Kachin (SC-5) Service Contract Myitkyina Programme Assistant, Rakhine (SC-5) Service Contract Sittwe Deadline 4 November 2013 4 November 2013 4 November 2013 4 November 2013 4 November 2013 4 November 2013

Petronas to begin exploration in Pakokku and Myaing blocks

MALAYSIAS Petronas Carigali plans to drill exploration wells in January at the two onshore blocks it acquired in a 2011 block tender, the companys general manager, Ahmad Lutpi Haron, said last week. The RSF-2 and -3 blocks are located in upper Myanmar, he said. We have already finished early exploration and geophysical analysis and we can soon start drilling exploration wells early next year, he said. We might be operating the blocks by 2018. Petronas has exported 400 million cubic feet of natural gas through Thailands PTTEP company from the Yetagun offshore block, which the company started operating with the government via a joint venture in 1997. We dont know exactly how long we can extract gas from the Yetagun block but we have signed a 30-year production sharing contract, said Petronas manager Edward Zan. The company also won the right on October 10 to explore for oil and gas at two onshore blocks that were part of an 18-plot tender announced in January. But Ahmad Lutpi Haron told The Myanmar Times on October 17, We havent received any official letter yet. When we get one, we will sign immediately. Nyan Lynn Aung

Applications should be addressed to UNFPA Representative. Attention: International Operations Manager, Room A-07, UNFPA, No.6, Natmauk Road, Yangon. Email : myanmar.ofce@unfpa.org For further details, please see the vacancy announcement posted at UN billboard. No.6, Natmauk Road, Yangon and also at UNFPA website (http://myanmar.unfpa.org) Applications will be considered only when meeting all requirements set in detailed vacancy announcement.

www.mmtimes.com

Business 25

Garment sector faces challeges

NYAN LYNN AUNG 29.nyanlynnaung@gmail.com BURSTING order books and an influx of big-name manufacturers are boosting the fortunes of the countrys garment industry. Myanmar is attractive to investors as wages rise in China, factory fires taint the reputation of Bangladesh and investors in Cambodia face political problems. But factory owners also face a range of obstacles, including unreliable electricity, expensive transportation and workers demands for more pay and rights. The apparel boom in Myanmar began when the European Union lifted sanctions in April last year, ushering in major European brands, including Spains Zara, to join the Japanese and Korean companies already established here, said U Myint Soe, chairman of the Myanmar Garment Association. Longshuttered local firms could also reopen. Speaking to The Myanmar Times, U Myint Soe said, Japan and Korea occupy most of the market, but now the EU is next. Major Western factories are starting to place orders here. According to the MGA, 283 garment factories are operating in Myanmar, of which 25 have opened recently, including 16 foreign direct-investment companies, mostly based in Japan, Korea, the EU, China and Singapore. Since sanctions were lifted, nine local companies have been launched. We cant take any more orders until March next year because our books are full. All the garment factories have a heavy workload, said U Myint Soe.

Rubber exports set to double

SU PHYO WIN suphyo1990@gmail.com RUBBER exports are set to soar, and could even double within three years, say some industry experts. Plans to diversify the rubber market and improve the quality and added value of the product are being studied following a national export strategy workshop held from October 7 to 9. But Myanmar is far from posing a threat to the worlds top rubber producer, Thailand. The rubber sector has been growing rapidly since 2005, but still needs to improve the quality of its product and to develop export strategies, said U Khaing Myint, secretary general of the Myanmar Rubber Planters and Producers Association. I think production could double by 2016. But we exported only 160,000 tonnes last year, while Thailand exported 3.7 million tonnes, he said. About 70 percent of Myanmars rubber exports go to China, Malaysia,

Rubber trees grow on a plantation near Lamine village in Mon State. Photo: Tin Moe Aung

160,000
Tonnes of rubber exported by Myanmar last year

Korea and Singapore, leaving only 8pc for local use. Throughout the country some 1,430,000 acres are devoted to rubber, though latex production occupies just 520,000 acres, the association says. Paul Baker, chief executive of International Economics, noted that Myanmar rubber had huge potential, but relied too much on the Chinese

and Malaysian markets. Its product was too low-grade and needed diversification. Were looking at how we can upgrade and add value to the product. Thailand is more diversified in terms of both products and market, he told The Myanmar Times. Because of its quality, the price of Myanmar rubber is far lower than the

world rubber price, and despite the lifting of sanctions, Myanmar can export only 20 tonnes of rubber to Europe, said U Khaing Myint. The world price is US$2500 per tonne this week, but we can get less than $2200. We export RSS1, RSS3, RSS5, MSR20 and MSR50 grades of rubber, mostly RSS3 and MSR20, he said.

Number of garment factories operating in Myanmar

283

But problems abound. Our main challenge is labour. Skilled workers leave to earn more money, or demand higher wages and more rights, said Ma Khine, a staffer at Apt Land Garment Manufacturing. Our garment industry faces great opportunities said, U Myint Soe. Were getting lots of orders, but we also have to contend with shipping bottlenecks, bad transportation, unreliable electricity and port congestion. Ports are the main obstacle. The country doesnt have a proper port for shipping. And we have to pay as much to transport goods from the factory to the port as it costs to ship from Myanmar to Singapore.

IN BRIEF
Magnate Batista sells 65pc stake in Brazil iron port
Embattled Brazilian tycoon Eike Batista says he has sold a 65 percent stake in an iron ore port for US$400 million to an Abu Dhabi fund and a Dutch firm. In a statement last week, Batistas MMX mining company said it ceded control of the port, located in Rio de Janeiro state, to Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Development Co and to Trafigura, a Dutch commodity trading company. The $400 million will be invested in Porto Sudeste Ltda, an iron ore port currently under construction and due to begin operations next year. AFP

26 Business

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

E-shopping slowly taking hold

TIN YADANAR HTUN yadanar.mcm@gmail.com MYAT NOE OO myatnoe.mcm@gmail.com ONLINE retailing is beginning to take hold of young consumers in Myanmar thanks to a growing awareness of social networking websites as well as a growing taste for the finer things. For 20-year-old student Ma Su Thandar Hlaing, shopping online is the cheapest and best way to get cutting edge goods. I started using online shopping websites last year, she said. I always buy shoes, bags and accessories from shopping websites. I like shopping online because I can get the newest items and imports. E-commerce cuts the overhead costs of traditional shops but comes with its own challenges, including low internet penetration, an unsophisticated payments system and high Yangon delivery cost, shop owners say. Although online retailing has become big business in many markets around the world, domestic online shop owners said internet-based commerce is still in its infancy in Myanmar and most run the business on a part-time basis. People can purchase anything they want after reading the descriptions by simply clicking, said U Pyae vent further expansion. Daw Myint Myint Wai said deliveries are slow and expensive given the heavy traffic in Yangon, which is home to the majority of the countrys online shops. Payments also present a challenge, with online transfers rare, inefficient and deemed unreliable. As a result, shops rely on the same person-to-person method used to deliver goods. However, there are hopes that electronic payments will improve in future. Co-operative Bank media and marketing manager U Thein Myint said online shopping is slowly catching on, adding that customers can make payments through the bank with MasterCard and Visa. U Kyaw Aye Naing added another issue, although one that is common everywhere: Customers often complain that the products they receive do not match the descriptions online, despite the firms attempts to explain details clearly. I prefer traditional shops because I can see and touch the things I want to buy, said 20-year-old Ko Ye Min Htut. Traditional shop owners say the marketplace is changing in Myanmar. Pinky Fashion shop in busy Mingalar Market has contemplated offering online sales to complement its traditional street-front operations, said manager Ma Nilar. So far it seems too expensive to create an online presence due to delivery costs, difficulty making payments and ensuring that products meet customers demands, she said. However, if these barriers are addressed, Ma Nilar said it is likely the firm will move at least partly online. If online shopping keeps on developing, I will use online shopping as my secondary business, but its a ways away from becoming my main business.

Online shopping on social media websites such as Facebook is becoming popular among Myanmars growing population of internet users. Photo: Ko Taik

People can purchase anything they want after reading the descriptions by simply clicking.
U Pyae Phyoe Owner of Yangon Online Store

Phyoe, the owner of Yangon Online Store, which operates through its stand-alone website. But Myanmar people do not have much experience with online shopping, and continue visiting stores. U Kyaw Aye Naing, owner of Shwe 99 online store, said e-commerce spending habits tend to match those in the real world and increase markedly around major holidays such as Christmas and Thadingyut. Daw Myint Myint Wai, owner of

Sin Min Pasoe Myanmar, said she opened the store in 2011 after witnessing growing public interest. The site initially focused on selling longyis but expanded into goods aimed at young people after a number of customer requests, she added. Many customers are between 15 and 25 years old, so I began selling the accessories that these customers want to buy, she said. Customers looking to purchase clothes over the internet can browse

through photos of items on websites or Facebook pages. After placing an order via email or phone call, the store owner will then send a courier to the customers door to collect payment. If the goods must be imported it can take two more weeks for it to be delivered, although some stores keep inventory on hand in Myanmar and can deliver faster. Although it costs significantly less to open and operate an online shop, owners said a number of barriers pre-

The Fine Print

Legal & tax insight

HELSINKI

Salient provisions of the telecommunications law

tion by any means of communication. Obligations of licensees Apart from compliance with applicable laws, procedures and conditions upon which a licence has been granted, the licensee shall be obliged, among other things to (a) comply with the radio frequency spectrum plan approved under the Telecommunications Law; (b) apply for a licence/permission to provide additional services or to cooperate with other licensees; and (c) abide by MCITs instructions for network suspensions. Spectrum and interconnection MCIT shall determine a national frequency spectrum plan and shall prescribe rules and regulations on matters concerning access to and interconnection of network facilities. Disputes settlement The Telecommunications Law provides for a disputes settlement mechanism by which licensees may refer disputes arising from the operation or the provision of telecommunications services or network facilities or services to MCIT. A right of appeal against MCITs decision to a tribunal to be formed at the Union government level is also provided.
Alessio Polastri, Managing Partner and Karina Peng, Partner, Polastri Wint & Partners.

Japanese firms pay $1.5B in Clash of Clans game swoop

TWO Japanese companies have bought control of Finnish computer game maker Supercell for 1.1 billion euros (US$1.5 billion), the Helsinki-based firm said on its website last week. The Japanese investors SoftBank and GungHo have bought 51 percent of Supercell, known for its game Clash of Clans. The transaction, which one source said doubled the value of Finlands game industry overnight, is aimed at exploiting synergies that can help both sides expand globally. This new partnership will accelerate Supercell towards our goal of being the first truly global games company, the companys chief executive Ilkka Paananen said in a statement announcing the sale. The objective is for Supercell to have a strong foothold in both the West and the East, including Japan, South Korea and China, he said, suggesting the company could become a new Nintendo. over the globe, he added. While Supercell, a relatively new start-up from 2010, aims to expand into new Asian markets, its new investors see an opportunity to grow globally. In our quest to become the no. 1 mobile Internet company, we scour the globe in search of interesting opportunities and right now some of the most exciting companies and innovations are coming out of Finland, said the founder of SoftBank, Masayoshi Son, in a statement. SoftBank said it provided 80pc of the financing for the investment and GungHo the rest. The deal follows SoftBanks move earlier this year to secure a controlling stake in number three US mobile carrier Sprint. AFP
Finnish game company Supercell CEO and founder Ilkka Paananen poses for a photographer at the companys head office in Helsinki. Photo: AFP

ALESSIO POLASTRI AND KARINA PENG alessio@pwplegal.com karina@pwplegal.com WITH the promulgation of the Telecommunications Law of October 8, 2013, Myanmar is seeing through its plan for wider economic development through the liberalisation of its telecommunications sector. The Telecommunications Law provides a broad-based framework governing the conduct of telecommunications-related activities in Myanmar. This article looks at several salient provisions of the Telecommunications Law. Licence categories No entity shall be permitted to provide, network facilities or network services in Myanmar unless a licence has been obtained from the Union Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT). Network facilities means any element or combination of such elements of infrastructure, used for the provision of network services. Network services means services pertaining to the transmittal of informa-

IN BRIEF
Chinese Lenovo mulls buying BlackBerry: report shows
Chinese computer and phone maker Lenovo is considering a counter bid to buy all of Canadian smartphone manufacturer BlackBerry, the Wall Street Journal reported last week. The newspaper, citing unnamed sources close to the matter, said that Lenovo had signed a confidentiality agreement to access BlackBerrys accounts. AFP

SoftBanks side of the financing for the new Supercell investment

80%

We want [people to] look back in 30 years and talk about all the great games that we developed and the impact they had on peoples lives, the same way I personally feel about Nintendo, for example, he said. The Japanese investment provides a massive selection of strategic resources which will help Supercell with the distribution of its games to hundreds of millions of new consumers all

www.mmtimes.com

Business 27
PARIS SAN FRANCISCO

Burberry CEO resigns, joins Apple

BRITISH luxury fashion group Burberry said on October 15 that its longserving chief executive Angela Ahrendts will step down next year to take up a newly created position with Apple. Burberrys chief creative officer Christopher Bailey will take over from the 53-year-old US national, adding chief executive to his title, the company said in a statement to the London Stock Exchange.

Shares fall for Louis Vuitton

A women peers into a Louis Vuitton outlet in Paris. Photo: AFP

Yahoo holds onto Alibaba

YAHOO last week took attention off a lackluster quarterly report with word that it plans to hold onto a larger chunk than originally planned of Chinese e-commerce powerhouse Alibaba. The California-based internet pioneer that has been struggling for years to reinvent itself after withering in Google shadow said that its profit in the recently-ended quarter slipped from the same period a year ago, when its coffers were swelled by the sale of shares in Chinas Alibaba. Yahoo reported earnings of US$297 million on revenue of $1.139 billion in the quarter that ended September 30. The profit was a steep drop from what was posted in the same period last year, when Yahoo sold part of its stake in the Chinese e-commerce giant. Im very pleased with our execution, especially as weve continued to invest in and strengthen our core business, said Yahoo chief Marissa Mayer. Now with more than 800 million monthly users on Yahoo -- up 20 percent over the past 15 months -- were achieving meaningful increases in user engagement and traffic. AFP

British luxury fashion group Burberry last week said its chief executive officer Angela Ahrendts will step down to take up a new position with Apple. Photo: AFP

Burberrys share price slumped 6 percent at the open in reaction to the surprise announcement. It later stood down 4.23pc on Londons FTSE 100 index, which was 0.65pc higher. Apple said Ms Ahrendts would oversee the strategic direction, expansion and operation of its retail and online stores. I am thrilled that Angela will be joining our team, said Apple chief executive Tim Cook. She shares our values and our focus on innovation, and she places the same strong emphasis as we do on the customer experience. She has shown herself to be an extraordinary leader throughout her career and has a proven track record. Ms Ahrendts will have been chief executive of Burberry for about eight years by the time of her departure in 2014. The London-listed firm, famous for its trademark red, camel and black check design on clothes and handbags, has undergone huge expansion into emerging markets with Ms Ahrendts at the helm. Mr Bailey, who has been at Burberry since 2001 and chief creative officer for the past six years, said he was profoundly moved and humbled to be asked to take on the CEO role. Burberry chairman John Peace described the appointment as a natural progression. Separately last week, Burberry reported sales of 1.03 billion (US$1.65 billion) in the groups first half, up 14pc compared with the six months through to the end of September 2012. AFP

FRENCH luxury goods giant LVMH fought off a plunge in its shares last week, reassuring that Chinese consumers were still hungry for goods from the key Louis Vuitton part of the business where sales flagged. The price of shares in the global group was showing a fall of 6.42 percent in an overall French market down 0.7pc. Analysts at Bank of America-Merrill Lynch lowered their investment

recommendation for the shares last week. At brokers Aurel BGC, analyst David Da Maia said: The setback for Louis Vuitton in the third quarter is likely to weigh on all luxury company shares. LVMH also said that currency factors did play a role in the performance of sales by the high-end clothes maker. The Louis Vuitton range of products again lagged those of the fash-

ion and leatherware brands. Louis Vuitton accounts for more than 70pc of annual sales of the fashion and leatherware division which also includes the brands of Celine, Givenchy, Fendi and Kenzo. Vuitton is the main profit driver of the entire LVMH group. It turned in sales estimated to total 7.3 billion euros (US$9.9 billion) last year but since then has had difficulty in generating growth. AFP

IN BRIEF
International tribunal prevents Laos from seizing property
Members of an international arbitral tribunal have ordered the government of Laos not to seize assets or take other adverse actions that would aggravate a dispute between Netherlands-based Lao Holdings, NV and Laos, pending resolution of that dispute. The award of provisional measures against Laos prevents the Lao government from seizing a resort hotel and casino in Savannakhet, Savan Vegas; from further interfering with the business operations of Lao Holdings; and from implementing a new, confiscatory 80 percent tax on gross casino revenue. AFP

28 THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

Property
Job watch
SEOUL
Job Vacancy
The Department for International Development (DFID) is currently looking to recruit 02 (two) highly motivated and energetic individuals to join our team as Programme Officers. DFID is based at the British Embassy, Yangon. For more information and details on how to apply, please visit the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/world/organisations/ british-embassy-rangoon/about/recruitment Deadline for submission of applications will be on 25 October 2013.

N Korea gets new Kaesong venture

Deal involves partnership with foreign investors for new hightech industrial zone
NORTH Korea has agreed with an international consortium to develop a new high-tech district in Kaesong, close to the newly reopened industrial zone it operates with the South, state media said last week. The jointly run Kaesong industrial zone was shut in April amid high cross-border tensions. Seoul and Pyongyang agreed last month to reopen the park, but relations have since soured again. The Norths announcement of a new international deal came after South Korea said October 14 it had postponed a planned investment road show aimed at drumming up foreign interest in Kaesong. Seoul said the move reflected a recent downturn in relations and slow progress at talks aimed at resuming full operations at the complex. Pyongyangs Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the North had reached an agreement on building a high-tech development district in Kaesong with a consortium of East Asian and Middle Eastern companies including Singapores Jurong Consultants and OKP Holdings, and Hong Kongs P&T Architects & Engineers Ltd. They will soon enter the implementation phase of the project, it said, adding that the consortium also agreed to enter a joint venture with the North to build a highway linking Pyongyangs airport to the city. South Koreas Unification Ministry spokesman said it had no official comment, but stressed the project had nothing to do with the existing Kaesong zone. The firms named by KCNA were also tight-lipped about their participation. OKP Holdings said its involvement was in the preliminary stages, while Jurong and P&T both declined to comment. AFP

Signing a lease
Whether it is high rent, substandard living conditions or bad
BRIDGET DI CERTO Bridget.dicerto@gmail.com THE house was perfect. Artfully revamped, the colonial villa emerged from lilting greenery on the large estate. The rent was high about US$2500 per month and the landlord was happy to make a quick deal provided he was paid 12 months rent up-front. But something was not right with this guy, said U Robin Saw Naing, managing director of Pronto Services real estate agency. So I had my legal adviser examine the ownership title, and it was fake. Its not his property but his friends who is not in the country. While rental scams like this are rare, middlemen soliciting rental properties are not unheard of, U Robin Saw Naing told The Myanmar Times. He stressed that tenants must ensure they are dealing with the actual landlord during negotiations, as often when landlords live overseas it can be hard to resolve problems. Yangon expat Eileen Lui learned this lesson the hard way. When the rainy season started, the apartment leaked everywhere. Ceiling, walls, windows It was a nightmare, Ms Lui said. I literally had to clean up flooding in the apartment. Ms Lui had signed a standard rental contract with her landlords, who lived overseas. They kept saying they were not in the country and [could not help]. They passed us over to a contractor who we found out later was just a friend helping the landlord, she said. It was very difficult getting anything done. Not all agents are necessarily on the side of the tenants, warned U Moe Lwin, senior consultant at Moe & Tun

Save the Children is one of the two designated Principal Recipients (PR) for Myanmars three successful Round 9 Global Fund (GFATM) proposals in HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Save the Children is seeking to recruit the Procurement & Supply Management (PSM) Officer for GFATM (PR). Summary of Key Tasks Conduct local procurement activities Review shipping documents and prepare necessary documents for receiving cargo Keep update procurement filing system and send weekly report Develop and foster relationships with partners and suppliers Detailed job descriptions for this position will be available at the Save the Children office or www.themimu.info/jobs/index.php. Interested and qualified candidates are requested to send an Application Letter, Curriculum Vitae and Clearance of Criminal Record to: Human Resources Department, Save the Children, Wizaya Plaza-First Floor, 226 U Wisara Road, Bahan Township, Yangon, Myanmar(or) recruitment.myanmar@savethechildren.org not later than 5 P.M., 25 Oct 2013 (Friday) Phone: 375 791, 375 801, 375 739, 375 796, 375 747, 537 387, 536 732, 537 092 Ext: 106,129 Note: Only short-listed candidates will be contacted

Examining the lease with a trusted set of eyes

Associates. Devious brokers are out to cream you, and landlords who dont appreciate complaints about dirt, breakages and rats are just some of the problems foreigners face while renting in Yangon, the lawyer told The Myanmar Times via email. Choosing a broker you trust is important when things go south, U Moe Lwin said. Look at 10-plus sites before you decide. You will gain experience and start noticing patterns and

Urbanisation
The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in Myanmar is inviting qualified candidates to apply for the following positions: Sr. Title and level 1. Programme Assistant (LICA3) 2. Field Finance Assistant (Roving) (LICA3) Duty Station Yangon Yangon Position National National Deadline 22 October 2013 28 October 2013

is why more than 500,000 readers choose the two newspapers that have the nation covered 24 hours a day. 7 days a week. 365 days a year.
Advertising & Subscription Hotline: +951 392 928 email: advertising@ myanmartimes.com.mm circulation@ myanmartimes.com.mm

Which

BILL OTOOLE
botoole12@gmail.com

The benefit package for the above positions includes an attractive remuneration, 30 days annual leave and 10 holidays per year, medical insurance, learning and development opportunities and a challenging working environment with 200 national and international colleagues. All applications must be made through the UNOPS E-recruitment System (https://gprs.unops.org) and click on the post you are interested in applying for. If you have further queries, please contact 95 1 657 281-7 Ext: 149

A DELEGATION from the United Nations Human Settlements Programme wrapped up its visit to Yangon and Nay Pyi Taw last week with a vow to assist the government as it grapples with the problems and opportunities afforded by the nations rapid urbanisation. Joan Clos, the executive director of UN-HABITAT, spent most of the week in Nay Pyi Yaw meeting members of

Request for Proposal (RFP)

Reference No.: UNFPA/MMR/13/01
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Myanamr Country Office cordially invites the potential suppliers to submit the proposal for printing services (under the UNSPSC code - Printed Media, Signage and Accessories, Advertising, Reproduction Services, Graphic Desigh). The suppliers can register and submit the proposal through www.ungm.org before 13:00 hrs. on 25 October, 2013

The one law of urbanisation is you need to be patient, not to expect miracles in a short period of time.
Joan Clos Executive director, UN-HABITAT

BUSINESS EDITOR: Philip Heijmans | pheijmans13@gmail.com

29

70% construction increase in Israeli territories

PROPERTY 30

Plane crash in Laos kills 49

WORLD 34

Property bounces back in Dubai

PROPERTY 30

se: What you need to know

landlords, it is essential for you to cover your bases when it comes time to sign a new lease on an apartment or house
no responsibility for problems later. Given the unsophisticated state of the residential rental market in Yangon and other major cities, there are no official channels for dispute resolution and the matter often falls to the intervention of a diplomatic real estate agent. In transactions between local landlords and local renters, the landlords care for the apartment is negligible and they dont always follow the rental agreement. Renters are responsible for [upkeep], said U Robin Saw Naing. Despite this custom, landlords are slowly modernising their approach to rental arrangements. Ample negotiation and discussion of rental terms between a lessor and a lessee can ward off much trivial wrangling over responsibilities down the line, he added. Foreigners may want to include an early termination-of-lease clause that provides for the transfer of the remaining rental period and/or the refund of rent already paid. This is particularly important for foreigners, who cannot stay here forever, said U Robin Saw Naing. In 2008, renters discovered a beware of [agents or brokers] who dont speak much English. Standard rental agreements are loaded against foreign tenants, U Moe Lwin said. Under the standard contract the tenant is fully and absolutely responsible for all repairs, which must be an exact replica of anything broken or damaged, the lawyer said. Normally you can buy [a contract] at a local photocopy shop and fill in the blanks and you are good to go. [But] some sorry, poor, street-mouse lawyer probably wrote it up for a cup of tea and now its used throughout [the country]. U Robin Saw Naing agreed the choice of agent and contract could make a sweeping difference in a foreigners rental experience. Its very important for a foreigner to choose an agency that is a registered company [for renting an apartment]. My advice is to not choose a broker from the street corner as they will take critical and often overlooked rental term. When Cyclone Nargis wreaked havoc on the country, renters found themselves stranded in unlivable properties with landlords unwilling to begin repair work or refund advance rental payments. It must be in the contract that in the event of natural disasters, it is the owners responsibility to repair immediately just like with wear and tear, he said. Sky Bridge Real Estates Ko Thurane Win agreed that as Myanmar continued reforming, logistics for residential renting would continue to streamline, including the process for foreigners registering with the local authorities. You need to register as a foreigner, but the landlord as well as the agent themselves would register for you as a duty of real estate policy, Ko Thurane Win said adding that he expected regulation of foreign visitors accommodation in Yangon to be relaxed. There are not too many disputes between tenants and landlords. The main differences occur when the rent goes up by 10pc or 15pc from one year to the next.

Upgrades for public housing

KYAE MONE WIN kyaymonewin@gmail.com A SIXTY-YEAR OLD public housing project is to be redeveloped in a joint project by government and developers, and the homes rented out to civil servants. The Department of Human Settlements and Housing Development in Mandalay Region has announced that work will begin next month to upgrade the citys Sate Ta Ya Mahi complex. Once redevelopment is complete, we will let the rooms at a fixed rent to the civil servants already living in the apartments. The government will keep it as public rental housing and has no plans to sell, said the spokesperson. The redevelopment will feature elevators and an underground car park. The housing official told The Myanmar Times that the complex will be completely rebuilt within one year, and the entire redevelopment is projected to be finished within two years. Demolition will start on November 1 and soil studies will be conducted on November 25. The Sate Ta Ya Mahi redevelopment project drew 13 bidders, including public developers. Myanmar Mandalay, United Pacific, New Innovation, New Starlight and MGW won the government auction. This redevelopment project includes six condo buildings, five eightstorey public residential buildings and one commercial five-storey building. The rooms will be shared 48 percent to private companies and 52pc to the housing department. This will be first condo project for Mandalay, said U Than Win of Myanma Mandalay Company. Translation by Zar Zar Soe

s will help protect you from possible scams. Photo: Staff

Devious brokers are out to cream you, and landlords who dont appreciate complaints about dirt, breakages and rats are just some of the problems foreigners face while renting in Yangon.
Moe Lwin Senior consultant, Moe & Tun Associates

on UN-HABITAT agenda

HOUSE OF THE WEEK

One size fits all

This beautiful white modern house with long windows is located in Mayangone township. Not too close to downtown, this 7650-square-foot privately located two-storey home contains a renovated and lovely interior complete with a winding staircase, very high ceilings and a subtle yet elegant chandelier. Altogether, this home contains six double bedrooms, two kitchens and two small maid rooms, but the main attraction is in the living room. Long, white curtains drape over 20-foot-tall glass windows above refined wooden floors, creating the feeling of a grand ballroom. Ei Thae Thae Naing Location : 7 Mile, Thirimarlar Street, Pyay Road, Mayangone township Price : US$5000 a month (for rent) Contact : Estate Myanmar Phone : 09 73114860, 09 43118787

UN-HABITAT director Joan Clos speaks in Yangon last week. Photo: Staff

several government ministries, including the ministries of forestry and construction, although he said no specific initiatives were discussed. He did, however, advise on interim policy changes that could provide some relief in overcrowded Yangon, including limiting the number of vehicles on its roads as well as quickly expanding the number of residential homes in order to accommodate a rapidly increasing population. The infrastructure cant cope with the elevated population of this city. We need to try to see the possibility of the government planning the

expansion of the city, he said. While quick-fix policies do exist to alleviate the city from the pressures that come with a growing economy, he said that long term growth would take more time. The one law of urbanisation is you need to be patient, not to expect miracles in a short period of time. UN-HABITAT has been active in Myanmar since the early 1990s, and continues to run dozens of small projects in rural Chin, Shan and Kachin states, mainly focused on smallscale infrastructure and disaster risk reduction.

30 Business Property
JERUSALEM

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

70% rise in construction in disputed territories

New settlement construction starts rose by 70 percent in the first half of 2013 compared with a year earlier, an Israeli NGO said last week, describing the increase as drastic. According to figures released by Peace Now, the construction of 1708 new homes in the West Bank and east Jerusalem began between January and June 2013, compared with 995 in the same period last year.

Proportion of new developments being carried out without tenders

86%

Billing the figures as a drastic rise Peace Now said 44pc of the new construction had taken place east of Israels vast separation barrier which cuts through the West Bank, and 32pc fell to the east of it. And 86pc of the new construction was carried out in areas where tenders were not required, it said, meaning it did not technically flout the quiet freeze on tenders Israel reportedly agreed to this year as Washington pushed for a resumption of direct peace talks. AFP

IN PICTURES

Workers load bricks onto a truck at a factory on the outskirts of Yangon on October 13. Sales prices have doubled or even trebled over the past two years in some neighbourhoods and developers are scrambling to build new properties. Photo: AFP

BEIJING

Chinese firm in $1.2b British airport deal

CHINESE construction giant Beijing Construction Engineering Group (BCEG) has signed a deal with British firms to develop a business district around Manchester airport, the companies involved in the project announced on October 13. The development of Britainsthird busiest airport described as one of the largest construction projects in the United Kingdom since the 2012 London Olympics will cost 800 million (US$1.27 billion). MAG, the operator of Manchester airport; GMPF, a pension fund; and the British construction group Carillion will work alongside BCEG in the joint project, a statement released by the companies said. A breakdown of each companys investment in the business district, dubbed Airport City, was not given in the statement. British finance minister George Osborne, who is currently on a trip to China hoping to boost trade ties between the two nations, wrote on his verified Twitter account that the development is one of the largest in Britain since the Olympics, and would eventually create 16,000 jobs for the region. The deal comes at a time when Britain is seeking to bolster trade with China, with both nations agreeing in 2010 to double their trade to $100 billion by 2015. London Mayor Boris Johnson was also in Beijing Sunday in what Chinese state media said was a campaign to lure Chinese sovereign funds, banks and developers to fund an overhaul of the British capital in the years to come. Our mayors interest is about new infrastructure, a member of the delegation was quoted by state news agency Xinhua as saying. The mayor identified 33 areas across the city where we will be intensifying the density of [housing] and putting in new infrastructure. Kit Malthouse, the London deputy mayor for business, told Xinhua that London officials were hoping to attract lots and lots of capital to help the city deal with population growth. Chinese investment in Britain rose to $4 billion in 2012, up 80 percent from a year ago, Xinhua reported. Deals such as that struck over Manchesters Airport City are seen as an extension of the memorandum of understanding between China and the UK, where we have been looking to further explore joint infrastructure opportunities for some time, Xing Yan, managing director of BCEG, said in the statement announcing the agreement. Charlie Cornish, chief executive of MAG, added, The inclusion of BCEG is significant because as a Group, we have been keen to forge greater links with the Far East and this gives us an opportunity to strengthen vital business links with China.

Property bounces back in Dubai, fears remain

THE property sector in Dubai is making a strong comeback five years after prices in the emirate nosedived, but a surge in demand and bouncing prices have triggered calls to remember the crisis. Scale models of grandiose developments rolled out at the three-day Cityscape property show, which ended last week, showed the renewed confidence in a market that shed around half of its value. But Ali Lootah, chairman of Nakheel, the giant developer behind a clutch of landmark projects in the Gulf emirate including its famous palmshaped man-made islands, was bullish. Dubai is booming again, he said. He was speaking as Nakheel launched a new seafront development on reclaimed land, along with a handful of residential projects. We have a lot of people moving to Dubai. Dubai is back in business, and Im not really worried about speculations, he said. Speculation on the market pushed

DUBAI

Visitors look at one of the many models of development projects showcased at the annual Cityscape Global show on October 8, which showed the renewed confidence in a market that shed around half of its value in the Gulf emirates of Dubai. Photo: AFP

Expected bilateral trade between Britain and China by 2015

$100

BILLION

We have a lot of people moving to Dubai. Dubai is back in business, and Im not really worried about speculations.
Ali Lootah Chairman of Nakheel

property prices to record highs before sending them tumbling during the global financial crisis. Dubais property market grew rapidly during the five years before the crash as the sector became a magnet for foreign investors. But foreign financing dried up when the global financial crisis hit the sector, just as it struck the heavily indebted government-related companies, while the economy contracted in 2009 and 2010. Dubai has weathered the debt crisis, leaning on its robust trade, tourism and transport sectors, although the citystate still carries a large burden of debt

exceeding US$100 billion. Its economy grew 3.7 percent in 2011 and 4.4pc in 2012, and is expected to expand by 4.1pc this year. Some residential property has bounced by about 20pc, said Alan Robertson, chief executive officer for the Middle East-North Africa region at Jones Lang LaSalle property consultancy. We think prices will continue to grow quite quickly over the next 12 months, but over the next 24 months we will see the rate of growth slow down, he told AFP, adding that prices were still 20 to 30pc below their 2008 peak. AFP

These 8 have more than 50 years of experience working with us.

AUNG TUN - Image Setter Operator, Printing Factory 5 years & 11 months KAY KHINE OO Sales & Marketing Representative 6 years & 6 months

'I'm proud of the quality of the newspaper we produce. We have always embraced technology and I hope soon to be training on new state-of-the-art equipment.'

'We are the engine room of the paper and keep it fed by selling advertising. That's important and I take my job very seriously.'

U THANT ZIN - DTP Operator 12 years & 7 months

MOE THUZAR Finance Department 11 years & 4 months

'I'm happy at my job and I enjoy working with so many people for such a long time now. Even those who have left the company never forget it. They always come back to visit us.'

'I've seen the company grow from 30 people to more than 300. Everyone gets paid well and on time at The Myanmar Times.'

KHINE SU YIN Deputy HR Manager 6 years & 7 months

'I started in the distribution department, then became an editorial secretary and now I'm a deputy manager in HR. I love working at The Myanmar Times.'
THOMAS KEAN - Editor 5 years & 6 months

'I've chronicled the changing face of Myanmar through The Myanmar Times. We have been at the forefront of publishing here for a long time now and you could say that we have been a benchmark for the sector. That is quite an achievement.'
U KO KO - Senior Translator 7 years & 1 month

NAN TIN HTWE - Reporter 3 years

'My career is moving forward rapidly and I am now a senior reporter.'

'We are wordsmiths and it is here that new words in the Myanmar language are first born. We are at the epicentre of this continuing evolution.'

Another good reason why we treasure our greatest asset.

Celebrating our 15th year in 2014

www.mmtimes.com

Science & Technology 33

a 40-year-old old Bangladeshi immigrant carries a sack of recyclable material as he walks in the countrys largest trash dump Photo: AFP

Toxic bomb ticks on Maldives isle

DESCENDING by plane into the Maldives offers a panoramic view of azure seas and coral-fringed islands, but as the tarmac nears, billowing smoke in the middle distance reveals an environmental calamity. Thilafushi Island, a half-hour boat trip from the capital, is surrounded by the same crystal clear waters and white sand that have made the Indian Ocean archipelago a honeymoon destination for the rich and famous. But no holidaymaker sets foot here and none could imagine from their plane seats that the rising smoke is the waste from residents and previous visitors being set alight by men like 40-year-old Fusin. A migrant from Bangladesh, he is one of several dozen employees on Rubbish Island the biggest waste dump in the country where hes paid US$350 a month for 12-hour shifts, seven days a week. With no safety equipment bar a pair of steel-capped boots, he clambers over a stinking mountain of garbage, eyes streaming and voice choked after four years exposure to thick, toxic fumes. Beneath his feet lie the discards of the cramped capital Male and the local tourism industry that has helped turn the collection of more than 1000 islands into the wealthiest country in South Asia. Bottles of beer illegal for local Muslims but ubiquitous on tourists islands lie scorched next to piles of half-burnt hotel forms requesting speed boat transfers. A discarded plastic diving mask lies in a heap of packets of juice, plastic bags and rotting vegetables that awaits Fusins attention. Before we used to separate cardboard and glass, but now the company is not so strong, says site manager Islam Uddin, a friendly man who has worked here for 16 years. He complains of neglect from successive governments and laments that a privatisation deal signed in 2008 with a German-Indian waste management company has stalled as a result of local political upheaval. Only plastic bottles, engine oil, metals and paper are collected, with the waste sent by boat to India, forming the biggest export from the Maldives to its giant neighbour to the northeast. All of the rest, including electronics that escape the attention of hundreds of human scavengers and batteries, go up in flames with no sign of the high-

MALE

tech incinerators promised as part of the privatisation deal. The batteries contain lead. There are products with mercury in them. All of these can easily get into the food chain, says Ali Rilwan, an environmentalist with local organisation Bluepeace Maldives. Unlike landfill, this is the ocean they are filling. As he speaks, waves lap at the edge of the dump which has been expanding steadily into the sea since 1993 and upwards forming one of the highest points in the whole country, 80 percent of which is less than one metre

above sea level. He cites government figures showing visitors to the Maldives created on average 7.2 kilograms of waste per day, compared with 2.8 kg for residents of Male, which make up a third of the 350,000-strong population. Tourists, at nearly a million last year, outnumber locals by a ratio of about three-to-one. Local authorities plan to stop the toxic open burning on the island and the private operator of the site, finally set to start work after a five-year delay, will build an incinerator. Better waste management in the

capital Male through door-to-door collection and recycling will also help to reduce environmental damage, says a city councillor from the capital, Ahmed Kareem. The project that is going ahead will monitor air pollution and also the sea pollution near Thilafushi Island and so no further expansion by waste will be done for Thilafushi, Mr. Kareem told AFP. The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry declined repeated interview requests from AFP seeking comment on efforts of resorts to reduce their environmental impact. AFP

NAIROBI

Kenya to microchip all rhinos to stop poachers

KENYA will place microchips in the horn of every rhino in the country in a bid to stamp out a surge in poaching the threatened animals, wildlife officials said Wednesday. Poachers are getting more sophisticated in their approach, Paul Udoto, spokesman for the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), told AFP. So it is vital that conservation efforts also follow and embrace the use of more sophisticated technology to counter the killing of wildlife. Kenya has just over 1000 rhino, and the tiny chips will be inserted and hidden in the horn, which is made of keratin, the same material as fingernails or hardened hair. The World Wildlife Fund donated the chips as well as five scanners at a cost of US$15,000 (11,000 euros), although tracking the rhino to dart them and fit the device will cost considerably more. However, it will boost the ability of police to prosecute poachers or traffickers, allowing for all animals to be traced and providing potential vital information on poaching and smuggling chains. Investigators will be able to link any poaching case to a recovered or confiscated horn, and this forms crucial evidence in court, contributing towards the prosecutions ability to push for sentencing of a suspected rhino criminal, KWS said in a statement. Poaching has risen sharply in Africa in recent years. Elephants and other large mammels are also targeted. AFP

IN PICTURES

This new picture from the VLT Survey Telescope (VST) at ESOs Paranal Observatory released on October 14, 2013, shows the remarkable super star cluster Westerlund 1 (eso1034). This exceptionally bright cluster lies about 16,000 light-years from Earth in the southern constellation of Ara (The Altar). The biggest known star in the cosmos is in its death throes and will eventually explode, astronomers said on October 16, 2013. Photo: AFP

Private browsing: Redlink to expand service in joint venture operation

AUNG KYAW NYUNT zeezee383@gmail.com INTERNET provider Redlink says it has big plans to expand its business as soon as the laws allow private companies to offer online access independent of state-run Yadanarpon Teleport. Now, Redlink Company is giving service [in a joint venture] with Yadanarpon Teleport, said U Thein Than Toe, the companys vice chairman and co-founder in a workshop at October 4. He said, We will expand our current service, and we will try to get an ISP [Internet Service Provider] licence at the same time. Once granted an ISP licence, Redlink said, it will build more towers in the three cities it already services Yangon, Mandalay and Bagan.The company plans to have over 50 towers total by the end of 2013, said U Myo Myint Nyunt, assistant general manager of sales and marketing. U Myo Myin Nyunt said the extra towers will help bring better signals in crowded urban spaces where signals are often blocked by buildings. After we have got an ISP license and the law [allowing private internet providers] has been enacted, we will offer Wi-Fi service in public areas such as parks, shopping centres, Yangon University, the University of Foreign Languages, the University of Medicine ... the railway station and the airport, U Myo Myint Nyunt said. Redlink also announced plans to expand its service to other cities in the future.

34 THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

World
DAMASCUS

WORLD EDITOR: Bridget Di Certo | bridget.dicerto@gmail.com

Rebels kill top officer, Syria says peace talks possible

WAR-TORN Syria says peace talks could be possible next month amid international efforts to push for a conference in Geneva as a top military intelligence officer was killed in clashes with rebels. Syrian state television announced on Thursday that Major General Jamaa Jamma was martyred while carrying out his national duties to defend Syria and its people and pursuing terrorists in Deir Ezzor. Mr Jamaa was in charge of military intelligence in the eastern province, where jihadist forums said he was killed in clashes with radical Islamist fighters. The peace process will get a renewed push from US Secretary of State John Kerry, who will travel to London next week for a meeting of the core countries making up the Friends of Syria, the State Department said. We are trying to move the process forward. Ill have meetings next Tuesday in London with the support group of the [Syrian] opposition, Mr Kerry said. Were working towards this Geneva conference, not that we know what the outcome is, he said in an US radio interview. In Moscow, Syrian Deputy Prime Minister Qadri Jamil said a proposed peace conference in Geneva could take place November 23-24, saying, We are closer than ever to holding the Geneva 2. Both the Russian foreign ministry and the United Nations said the date of the conference would be decided by UN chief Ban Ki-moon. When it is time for an announcement, the secretary general will make one, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters in New York. And I would remind you and everybody that it is the secretary general who will be convening the conference and it will be the secretary general who invites the different parties to attend. Russia and Western nations have been pushing since May for new talks between the Syrian regime and rebels on a negotiated solution to the conflict, which has killed more than 115,000 people since March 2011. The Syrian opposition is divided on attending the conference, and President Bashar al-Assads regime says his removal from office will not be on the table at any talks. The National Coalition, the opposition umbrella group, said it would hold internal discussions next week culminating in a vote on whether to attend the gathering. But Mr Jamil said there was no alternative to the peace conference and that the absence of parts of the Syrian opposition would not affect the timing or format. The international community has renewed its push for the Geneva conference following a deal under which Syria will turn over its chemical arsenal for destruction. The agreement, enshrined in a UN Security Council resolution, staved off threatened US military action against the Assad regime after an August 21 sarin attack outside Damascus that killed hundreds. Under the resolution, a team from the United Nations and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has been in Syria overseeing the destruction of its chemical arms. On Thursday, the OPCW, which was awarded the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize, said nearly half its inspections of the arsenal were complete. We have done nearly 50 percent of the verification work of the facilities that have been declared to us, Malik Ellahi, a political advisor on Syria for OPCW, told journalists in The Hague. Despite the progress, Mr Ellahi said security remained a concern for the unprecedented mission in wartorn Syria, with mortar and car bomb attacks taking place in areas near to the inspectors Damascus hotel. There have been a number of incidents over the last few days which gives some cause for concern, Mr Ellahi said. So far Damascus has won praise for its cooperation with the inspectors, but the United Nations has stressed that key deadlines be met. Inspectors have until June 30 next year to complete the destruction of Syrias chemical arsenal. AFP

17 bodies found afterL

LAOSon Friday said rescuers had recovered at least 17 bodies after a plane plunged into the Mekong River in the countrys worst ever air disaster, with one corpse found miles downstream from the crash site. All those on board the plane died when the Lao Airlines turboprop ATR72 went down in stormy weather on Wednesday, September 16. Of the 49 passengers and crew, more than half of them were foreigners from nearly a dozen countries. Volunteers searched the river on boats of all sizes, mustered for the grim task of plucking the dead from the turbulent waters and its muddy banks. The aircraft sank to the bottom of the river. Rescuers said that recovering the wreckage would be an extremely difficult task, complicated by raging currents. Soubinh Keophet, a former national footballer and a volunteer with aLaos rescue foundation, said one body was discovered as far as 30 kilometres (19 miles) from the crash site. We travelled 50 kilometres (31 miles) along the river and found four bodies, he said, after he pulled a recently discovered limb from the water. Although they know the location of the crash, they still cant find the main body of the plane because it has broken up into small parts and spread everywhere and the current is very strong, he added. A witness recounted a desperate attempt to rescue passengers after the plane dived nose-first into the river. The front of the plane went under but the tail was still floating. There was smoke coming out, Pham Quang Nhat told Vietnams Tuoi Tre newspaper. We waited to be sure the plane would not explode then some people used boats to approach the plane, climbing on the wings hoping to find survivors. But we couldnt get inside, the Vietnamese worker said. Sommad Pholsena,Laossminister of public works and transport, told reporters that 17 bodies had been found so far.

PAKSE

Soldiers stand next to pieces of a Lao Airlines plane after it crashed into the Mekong river near Pakse, on October 17, 2013. Photo: AFP

We have to investigate about the cause of the accident but initially I think it was caused by bad weather, he said. A largeLaosnaval vessel, several smaller Thai andLaosrescue boats, dinghies and a jet ski were seen on the waters on Friday. Thai Transport Minister Chatchat Sitthipan said that the rescue operation was being led by local authorities with the support of the Thai navy, airforce and volunteer rescue teams. We stand ready to supportLaoswith

whatever it needs, he said. The flight from the capital Vientiane was carrying 44 passengers and five crew, including 28 foreigners, when it crashed near Pakse airport in Champasak province, according to officials. Rows of wooden coffins were seen at a mortuary in Pakse, which is a hub for tourists travelling to more remote areas in southernLaos. Lao Airlines said the aircraft hit extreme bad weather, while witnesses described seeing the plane buffeted by strong winds from tropical storm Nari.

MOSCOW

Russiasays diplomats apartment broken into in The Hague

RUSSIAsaid Friday that unknown intruders had broken into the apartment of one of its embassy staff in The Hague, in the latest incident to spike tensions between the two countries. The break-in occurred on Thursday evening at an apartment complex housing foreign dignitaries located outside theRussian embassys grounds, the foreign ministry said in a statement. Returning home from work, Russian embassy staff in The Netherlands ... discovered traces of an illegal entry into one of the apartments, theRussian ministry statement said. The apartment is occupied by a staff member of the embassys administrative-technical personnel, who is currently on vacation. The statement added thatRussiaexpected the Dutch authorities to take exhaustive measures in o rder to establish the culprits of this crime. The statement came just three days after a senior diplomat at the Dutch embassy in Moscow was beaten up at his home residence in theRussian capital by unknown attackers. Relations betweenRussiaand The Netherlands have deteriorated recently over Moscows arrest of the 30-member crew of a Dutch-flagged Greenpeace ship and an earlier detention of aRussian diplomat in The Netherlands. The deputy head of the Dutch mission in Moscow was approached at his home on Tuesday by two men who presented themselves as electricians and then beat him up. The 60-year-old diplomat was not badly harmed and did not seek medical attention. Last week, police in The Hague detained aRussian diplomat over

A police officer stands guard on October 17 outside a building in The Hague, that was broken into. Photo: AFP

ccusations he was mistreating his a two young children. The Netherlands later apologised

for breaching the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations, which grants diplomats immunity from

a rrest, but said police had acted out of professional responsibility when detaining the diplomat. AFP

35

Dalai Lama professes support for medical marijuana use

WORLD 37

NSA survelliance feeding CIA attacks

WORLD 35

Rare Rio Tinto pink diamonds fetch record price

WORLD 33

Laosair crash

PHNOM PENH

Ex-Khmer Rouge leaders killed for power

FORMER Khmer Rouge leaders on trial for crimes against humanity spilt blood for power in their quest to make the country a slave state, Cambodias UN-backed war crimes court heard last week. Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan killed for power. They spilt blood for it. They brutalised and dehumanised their own people and kept spilling blood for power, prosecutor William Smith said in closing statements atthe court. But he said the two leaders ordered others to do their very dirty work for them. Seeing your victims eyes makes it hard to kill, Mr Smith said. If you look close enough you see your own humanity in their eyes. Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan chose not to see the eyes of their victims. They chose not to see their own humanity. More than three decades after the countrys Killing Fields era, the UNbacked court is moving closer to a verdict in their complex case, which has been split into a series of smaller trials. The first trial has focused on the forced evacuation of people into rural labour camps and the related charges of crimes against humanity. The evacuation of Phnom Penh in April 1975 was one of the largest forced migrations in modern history. More than 2 million people were expelled from the capital at gunpoint and marched to rural labour camps as part of the regimes plan to forge an agrarian utopia. Mr Smith said Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan were prepared to do whatever it took to realise their radical vision ofCambodiaas a slave state. Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan and their criminal partners were the masters and theCambodian population were their slaves. They were dictators who controlledCambodians by brutal force and fear, he added The defendants deny charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Other allegations are due to be heard in later hearings although no date has yet been set. AFP

IN BRIEF
RIYADH Saudi turns down UN Security Council membership
Saudi Arabia on Friday turned down membership in the United Nations Security Council, accusing the powerful body of double standards a day after it won a seat on it. Therefore Saudi Arabia ... has no other option but to turn down Security Council membership until it is reformed and given the means to accomplish its duties and assume its responsiblities in preserving the worlds peace and security, the Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement.

PARIS French mayors cant refuse to marry gay couples, court says

Frances top court ruled on Friday last week that mayors cannot refuse to conduct same-sex marriages on the ground it goes against their religious or moral beliefs. The Constitutional Councils ruling followed an appeal by mayors and registrars opposed to pathbreaking legislation legalising gay marriage on May 18. A five-page judgement said their contention was not valid as the freedom of conscience clause they evoked as a constitutional right was not present in the legislation.

BEIJING China summons Japan ambassador over Yasukuni visit

China summoned Tokyos ambassador Friday to protest over visits by a Japanese cabinet minister and scores of parliamentarians to the controversial Yasukuni war shrine, Beijings foreign ministry said. Vice Chinese Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin has summoned the Japanese ambassador to China for a solemn protest and a strong condemnation, spokeswoman Hua Chunying said. The visit is a blatant attempt to whitewash Japanese militarisms history of aggression and to challenge the outcomes of the Second World War, Hua added. AFP

According to an updated passenger list from the airline, there were 16 Laotians, seven French travellers, six Australians, five Thais, three South Koreans, three Vietnamese, and one national each from the US, Malaysia, China and Taiwan. Australia said a family of four was among its nationals feared dead. The pilot was a Cambodian national said to have many years of flying experience. French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR said the twin-engine turboprop

aircraft was new and had been delivered in March. Witnesses recounted seeing the plane in trouble before it came down. I heard a boom, a sound like a bomb going off. There was smoke and flames before it crashed, local village chief Buasorn Kornthong, 37, told AFP. Founded in 1976, Lao Airlines serves domestic airports and destinations in China, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. ImpoverishedLaos has seen 29 fatal air accidents since the 1950s. AFP

This April 17, 1975 picture showspeople leaving Phnom Penh after Khmer Rouge forces seized the capital. PHOTO: AFP/Documentation Centre ofCambodia.

TAGBILARAN

Philippine earthquake death toll rises to 172

THE death toll from a 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck the central Philippines rose to 172 on Friday last week as authorities warned the number of dead would probably climb even higher. The tourist island of Bohol, which was the epicentre of Tuesdays quake, suffered the most with 160 people dead, the civil defence office for the region said. Twelve others were killed on other central islands. Bohol police commander Senior Superintendent Dennis Agustin said 22 people were missing on the island, including five children who were playing by a waterfall when the quake hit. It was unlikely many of them would be found alive, he warned. It looks doubtful. This is the fourth day since the quake. It is an [extremely unlikely] possibility they will be recovered alive, he said. Some are believed buried under landslides, some are under fallen structures. We will likely get more reports of deaths. Bohol, an island of about a million people around 600 kilometres (370 miles) from Manila, is known for its beaches, its rolling Chocolate Hills and tiny tarsier primates. It suffered huge landslides, fallen bridges, shattered roads and collapsed structures during the quake. Government and aid groups have been rushing to deliver assistance to the affected areas, but travel has been hampered by the bridges and roads that have been rendered impassable by the quake. Fearing the many aftershocks could cause their homes to collapse, many Bohol residents have been living in tents. AFP

36 World International
WINMALEE

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

Bushfires ravage southeast Australia

RESIDENTS faced scenes of devastation Friday after bushfires ravaged communities and destroyed hundreds of homes in southeastern Australia, leaving one man dead with dozens of blazes still out of control. Cooler temperatures and a drop in wind offered firefighters some relief after an intense battle Thursday but nearly 100 fires were still raging across the state of New South Wales. NSW Rural Fire Services Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said the situation was still very active, very dynamic, very dangerous. We are going to ... continue to save life and to protect as much property as possible, but at the same time slowly take advantage of the weather conditions that are more favourable than was otherwise presented yesterday, he said, adding that 91,000 hectares (224,000 acres) had been burnt out so far. Several major blazes fanned by high, erratic winds in unseasonably warm weather ripped through communities in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney on Thursday with whole streets razed. One fatality has been reported so far. A 63-year-old man died from a heart attack as he defended his home on the Central Coast, north of Sydney. Thats the worst that anyone wants to happen and we send our sympathy to his family, said NSW state Premier Barry OFarrell, adding that two firefighters were in hospital with one undergoing an operation. The Central Coast blaze was described as apocalyptic by residents, with at least five historical buildings in the seaside town of Catherine Hill Bay reduced to charred ruins or badly damaged. It was huge, strong southerly winds and flames as high as trees, said long-time Catherine Hill Bay resident Wayne Demarco. Hundreds of residents spent the night in evacuation centres in the Blue Mountains and awoke Friday morning to confront the extent of the disaster. Ron Fuller was one of those who lost his home in Winmalee, a town with a population of about 6000 located 80 kilometres (50 miles) inland from Sydney. Weve had a number of fires through here before but this was an extraordinary fire. The speed was extraordinary. It just raced through this whole area, took out some houses, left other ones standing, he said. Blue Mountains Mayor Mark Greenhill said the enormity of the catastrophe was only now being fully realised. I think people who lost their homes yesterday are hitting reality today, he told ABC radio. You can see the devastation on their faces. Its very, very difficult. The Rural Fire Service said in a tweet that crews were assessing the damage across the state street by street. It appears there may be hundreds of homes destroyed, the service said. Prime Minister Tony Abbott, himself a volunteer firefighter, visited some of the worst-affected areas, warning there has already been loss of life, and we fear more. Australia is a country that is prone to natural disaster but every time it strikes it hurts, and we grieve for those who are now hurting because of what has happened in New South Wales, he said while authorising disaster recovery payments to help people get back on their feet. Mr OFarrell praised the response from fire crews, many of whom are local volunteers battling the blazes as their own homes go up in flames. I think the planning, preparation and response has been some of the best weve seen, he said, calling the fires some of the worst we have experienced around Sydney in living memory. Were in for a long, tough summer, he added. Wildfires are common in Australias summer months between December and February, and authorities are expecting a rough fire season this year due to low rainfall throughout the winter and forecasts of hot, dry weather ahead. AFP

SYDNEY

Tough laws target Aus iker gangs

TOUGH new laws to combat biker gangs were passed in an Australian state Wednesday as authorities seek to destroy these criminal organisations that have become a growing menace across the country. Outlaw motorcycle gangs linked to organised crime, particularly drugs and guns, are an increasing problem across Australia with recent brazen violence and intimidation on the Gold Coast tourist strip proving the last straw for Queensland politicians. In a marathon overnight session of the state parliament new legislation was unanimously passed that includes mandatory sentences of 15 years or more for crimes committed as part of gang activity, in addition to the usual penalty for the offence. Those found guilty also face incarceration in a bikers-only prison with no gym facilities or television access and having their motorcycles destroyed, while being banned from owning or working in tattoo parlours. Queensland Premier Campbell Newman said, The unequivocal purpose of these laws is to destroy these criminal organisations, vowing to pursue gang members relentlessly. This is not some flash-in-the-pan or momentary phase. We are going to hunt you down, he said. Mr Newman suggested bikers should take off your colours, get a real job, act like decent, law-abiding human beings and become proper citizens in the state of Queensland and you will not have to go to jail. The legislation names 26 criminal organisations, including well-known gangs such as the Bandidos, Hells Angels, Rebels and the Finks as well as lesser-knowns like the Muslim Brotherhood, Iron Horsemen, Mongols, Fourth Reich, and Life and Death. AFP

www.mmtimes.com
SURABAYA

Asia-Pacific World 37

TRADE MARK CAUTION

Chrysler Group LLC, a limited liability company organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America, of 1000 Chrysler Drive, City of Auburn Hills, State of Michigan 48326, United States of America, is the Owner of the following Trade Mark:-

Second orangutan dies at Indonesian death zoo

AN endangered Borneo orangutan died Thursday at Indonesias death zoo, the latest in a series of suspicious animal deaths prompting calls to close the notorious facility. Fifteen-year-old Betty the orangutan had difficulty breathing before she died, Surabaya Zoo spokesman Agus Supangkat said, adding she had just undergone a week of intensive treatment. Based on her medical records, she was suffering from inflammation of the lung. Mr Supangkat said the inflammation was caused by extreme hot weather that has hit Surabaya city. The apes death comes two weeks after a 12-year-old Borneo orangutan named Nanik died from an intestinal tumour and liver problems. Orangutans typically live between 50 and 60 years. Mr Supangkat denied any negligence by the zoo, saying the orangutans lived in a leafy outdoor enclosure and were given healthy diets of fruit, milk and multivitamins. The Surabaya Zoo is Indonesias largest and has been dubbed a death zoo as hundreds of animals have died prematurely or suffered abuse there in recent years. In July last year a 15-year-old endangered orangutan at the zoo named Tori was forced to quit smoking. Management had allowed visitors to throw lit cigarettes at her for 10 years, making the smoking orangutan the zoos star attraction. Also last year a 30-year-old male giraffe died at the zoo with a 20-kilogram (44 pound) beachball-sized lump of plastic in its stomach from food wrappers thrown into its pen by visitors. Animal welfare groups have been campaigning for the zoos closure. There are an estimated 45,000 to 69,000 Borneo orangutans left in the wild. They are native to the vast island of Borneo, shared among Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. AFP

MOPAR
Reg. No. 3152/1991 in respect of Motor vehicles, parts and accessories thereof. 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 Chrysler Group LLC P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 21st October, 2013

TRADE MARK CAUTION

Four-month-old orangutan Rizki is seen inside his cage at the Surabaya zoo. Photo: AFP

Schering-Plough Ltd., a Company incorporated in Switzerland, of Weystrasse 20, CH-6000 Lucerne 6, Switzerland, is the Owner of the following Trade Mark:-

SYDNEY

Rio Tinto pink diamonds fetch record prices

THE annual sale of Rio Tintos rare pinkhued diamonds attracted unprecedented interest with at least two of the stones fetching record prices of over US$2 million, the mining giant said last week. The 2013 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender of 64 red, pink and blue stones drew a record number of bids over $1 million from established markets Japan and Australia and emerging markets China and India. The highlight was the Argyle Phoenix, a 1.56 carat gem and one of three Fancy Red diamonds on offer, which sold for more than $2 million to a Singaporebased jeweller, the highest per carat price paid for any diamond ever produced from Rios Argyle mine in Western Australia. The exact price was not disclosed due to client confidentiality. Another record was set for the Argyle Dauphine, a 2.51 carat Fancy Deep Pink diamond, which also sold for more than $2 million, to a US-based dealer. AFP

PEG-INTRON
Reg. No. 9449/2005 in respect of Class 5: long-acting broad spectrum antiviral and immunomodulating agent. 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 Schering-Plough Ltd. P. O. Box 60, Yangon. Email: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 21st October, 2013

BANGKOK

Rhianna tweets lead cops to Thaisex show

THAI authorities last week arrested the owner of a sex show visited by pop icon Rihanna the latest crackdown inadvertently triggered by the singers tweets. The bar owner on the island of Phuket has been charged in connection with the lewd performance, local district chief Veera Kerdsirimongkol told AFP, following an operation involving undercover officials. It was the result of the visit by Rihanna. The authorities will be more strict towards inappropriate shows or wildlife attractions, he said. Thaitourist officials were left red-faced after Rihannas tweets last month drew worldwide attention to the kingdoms seedier side. Either I was phuck wasted lastnight, or I saw aThaiwoman pull a live bird,2 turtles, razors, shoot darts and ping pong, all out of her pu$$y, she wrote in a message in September to her more than 32 million followers on Twitter. The birds feathers were all damp! Lol. Only in #Thailand, she added. And THEN she tried to turn water into coke in her $!! Uhh yea, all Im saying is water went in and soda came out! Im traumatized!!! It is the second time the pop diva has unwittingly helped to clean up Phuket, one ofThailands top tourist destinations. Last month two men were arrested for possessing a protected slow loris after Rihanna posted a picture of herself with the primate on a night out during the same visit to the island. The image captioned Look who was talkin dirty to me! generated outrage from wildlife activists about rampant exploitation of animals inThaitourist areas. Use of the slow loris and other protected species for tourist snaps while common inThaitourist resorts is officially illegal. According to wildlife protection campaigners, mother lorises are often killed while the young are stolen. The primates teeth are also removed due to their toxic bite. Local tourist police volunteers warn against venturing into strip clubs offering pingpong shows due to the risk of overpriced drinks and threats of violence against people who refuse to pay the exhorbitant bills. AFP

TRADE MARK CAUTION

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

TRADE MARK CAUTION

MSD Oss B.V., a company organized and existing under the laws of the Netherlands, of Kloosterstraat 6, 5349 AB Oss, The Netherlands , is the Owner of the following Trade Marks:-

COFFRET DOR
Reg. No. 4427/2007 in respect of Intl Class 3: Soaps; perfumery; essential oils; cosmetics; hair lotions; dentifrices. Intl Class 21: Household or kitchen utensils and containers (not of precious metal or coated therewith); combs and sponges; brushes (except paint brushes), perfume atomizers (containers), cosmetic brushes, eye brow brushes, hair brushes, nail brushes, shaving brushes, hair combs, powder compacts not of precious metals (containers), dispensers for liquid soap, soap holders, sponge holders, powder puffs.

IMPLANON NXT
Reg. No. 744/2010

CYTODINE
Reg. No. 5963/2010 Reg. No. 5964/2010 in respect of Intl Class 1: Chemical preparations for use in the manufacture of cosmetic products. Fraudulent imitation or unauthorised use of the said Trade Marks will be dealt with according to law. Win Mu Tin, M.A., H.G.P., D.B.L for Kao Kabushiki Kaisha P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 21st October, 2013

CARNI-VITAL

(IMPLANON NXT Logo) Reg. No. 745/2010 in respect of Class 5: Medicines and pharmaceutical preparations for human use, among which contraceptives; contraceptive pharmaceutical preparations contained in or released from contraceptive sub-dermal implant. Class 10: Sub-dermal implant. 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 MSD Oss B.V. P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 21st October, 2013

38 World International
WELLINGTON

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

Pacific man bids to become the worlds first climate change refugee
A PACIFC islander is attempting to become the worlds first climate change refugee in New Zealand as rising seas threaten his low-lying homeland, the mans lawyer said last Thursday. Ioane Teitiota, 37, launched an appeal this week against a decision by New Zealand immigration authorities to refuse him refugee status and deport him to Kiribati in the central Pacific, lawyer Michael Kitt said. Mr Kitt acknowledged Mr Teitiotas New Zealand visa had expired but said he should not face deportation because of the difficulties he would encounter in Kiribati, which consists of more than 30 coral atolls, most only a few metres above sea level. He said rising seas had already swamped parts of Kiribati, destroying crops and contaminating water. Fresh water is a basic human right. The Kiribati government is unable, and perhaps unwilling, to guarantee these things because its completely beyond their control, Mr Kitt told Radio New Zealand. He said Mr Teitiotas case had the potential to set an international precedent, not only for Kiribatis 100,000 residents but for all populations threatened by man-made climate change. As the environmental problem worsens a new class of refugee emerging that is not properly covered by existing international protocols, Mr Kitt said. Its a fluid situation. Eventually the courts and legislatures are going to have to make a decision on how we deal with this, he said. Mr Kitt said deporting Mr Teitiota to Kiribati was like forcing a gay person to return to a country where they faced persecution or a domestic violence victim to go somewhere which offered no protection of womens rights. In refusing Mr Teitiotas application earlier this year, immigration authorities argued that he could not be considered a refugee because no one in his

Thousand Kiribati island inhabitants threatened by climate change

100

homeland was threatening his life if he returned. Mr Kitt countered by arguing that the environment in Kiribati was effectively a threat to Mr Teitiota and the three children he fathered in New Zealand, who will have to return with him if he is deported. Mr Teitiota is being persecuted passively by the circumstances in which hes living, which the Kiribati government has no ability to ameliorate, he said. A decision from the Auckland High Court is expected to be released before the end of the month. AFP

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that Morinaga Nyugyo Kabushiki Kaisha ( also trading as Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd.) a company organized and existing under the laws of Japan and having its principal office at 33-1, Shiba 5-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trademarks:-

Carbonated drinks; Non-alcoholic beverages; Fruit juices; Vegetable juices; Mineral water; Whey beverages; Soybean beverages; Syrups for beverages

(Reg: No. IV/6760/2013)

(Reg: No. IV/6758/2013) in respect of:- Powdered milk for babies, infants and children; Powdered milk for pregnant and nursing women; Powdered milk for middle-aged people and elderly people for medical use; Pharmaceutical preparations; Veterinary preparations; Sanitary preparations for medical purposes; Dietetic food and substances adapted for medical use; Food for babies; Dietary supplements for humans and animals; Medicated confectionery; Liquid food supplements for humans and animals; Nutritional additives for medical use; Dietetic food for pregnant and nursing women for medical use; Dietetic beverages for babies, infants and children for medical use; Dietetic beverages for pregnant and nursing women for medical use; Dietetic beverages for middleaged people and elderly people for medical use; Food for infants and children for medical purposes; Additives to fodder for medical purposes; Chemical reagents for medical or veterinary purposes; Chemical contraceptives; Chemical preparations for the diagnosis of pregnancy; Diagnostic preparations for medical purposes; Medicated baby care products; Bacteria for medical use; Antiseptics; Fungicides; Disinfectant bactericides; Detergents for medical purposes; Disinfectants for hygiene; purposes; Germicides; Lotions for pharmaceutical purposes; Cattle washes; Disinfectants for chemical toilets; Animal washes; Biocides; Soil-sterilizing preparations; Germicides for agriculture purposes; Milk; Milk beverages; Milk drinks with honey flavors and tastes; Milk drinks with vanilla flavors and tastes; Milk drinks with chocolate flavors and tastes; Milk drinks with strawberry flavors and tastes; Lactic acid bacteria drinks; Cream; Whipped cream; Cheese; Butter; Buttercream; Powdered milk(except for infants); Powdered milk for middle-aged people and elderly people; powdered milk as food supplements; Condensed milk; Yoghurt; Yoghurt drinks; Yoghurt-based beverage; Milk products; Margarine ; Soya milk(milk substitute); Tofu ; Soup mixes; Black tea [English tea]; Japanese green tea; Oolong tea [Chinese tea]; Coffee; Coffee-based beverages; Cocoa ; Chocolatebased beverages; Confectionery; Ice candies; Ice cream; Sherbets; Frozen yoghurt; Pudding; Jelly; Instant pudding mixes; Cookies; Biscuits; Crackers; Cones for icecream; Chocolate; Doughnuts; Instant ice cream mixes; Instant sherbet mixes; Instant soft cream mixes; Processed food;

(Reg: No/ IV/6759/2013) in respect of:- Powdered milk for babies, infants and children, powdered milk for pregnant and nursing women, pharmaceutical preparations, veterinary preparations, sanitary preparations for medical purposes, dietetic food and substances adapted for medical use, food for babies, dietary supplements for humans and animals, powdered milk for middle-aged people and elderly people for medical use, medicated confectionery, liquid food supplements for humans and animals, nutritional additives for medical use, dietetic food for pregnant and nursing women for medical use, dietetic beverages for babies, infants and children for medical use, dietetic beverages for pregnant and nursing women for medical use, dietetic beverages for middle-aged people and elderly people for medical use, food for infants and children for medical purposes, additives to fodder for medical purposes, chemical reagents for medical or veterinary purposes, chemical contraceptives, chemical preparations for the diagnosis of pregnancy, diagnostic preparations for medical purposes, medicated baby care products, bacteria for medical use, antiseptics, fungicides, disinfectant bactericides, detergents for medical purposes, disinfectants for hygiene purposes, germicides, lotions for pharmaceutical purposes, cattle washes, disinfectants for chemical toilets, animal washes, biocides, soil-sterilizing preparations, germicides for agriculture purposes Class:5 Milk drinks with honey flavors and tastes, milk drinks with vanilla flavors and tastes, milk drinks with chocolate flavors and tastes, milk drinks with strawberry flavors and tastes, milk, milk beverages, lactic acid bacteria drinks, cream, whipped cream, whipped cream, cheese, butter, buttercream, powdered milk (except for infants), powdered milk for middle-aged people and elderly people, powdered milk as food supplements, condensed milk, yoghurt, yoghurt drinks, yoghurt-based beverage, milk products, margarine, soya milk(milk substitute), tofu, soup mixes Class:29 Black tea [English tea], Japanese green tea, oolong tea [Chinese tea], coffee, coffee-based beverages, cocoa, chocolate-based beverages, confectionery, ice candies, ice cream, sherbets, frozen yoghurt, pudding, jelly, instant pudding mixes, cookies, biscuits, crackers, cones for icecream, chocolate, doughnuts, instant ice cream mixes, instant sherbet mixes, instant soft cream mixes, instant soft cream mixes, processed food Class: 30 Milk drinks with honey flavors and tastes, milk drinks with vanilla flavors and tastes, milk drinks with chocolate flavors and tastes, milk drinks with strawberry flavors and tastes, carbonated drinks, non-alcoholic beverages, fruit juices, vegetable juices, mineral water, whey beverages, soybean beverages, syrups for beverages Class: 32

(Reg: No. IV/6761/2013)

(Reg: No. IV/6762/2013) the above three trademarks are in respect of:Powdered milk for babies, infants and children, powdered milk for pregnant and nursing women, pharmaceutical preparations, veterinary preparations, sanitary preparations for medical purposes, dietetic food and substances adapted for medical use, food for babies, dietary supplements for humans and animals, powdered milk for middleaged people and elderly people for medical use, medicated confectionery, liquid food supplements for humans and animals, nutritional additives for medical use, dietetic food for pregnant and nursing women for medical use, dietetic beverages for babies, infants and children for medical use, dietetic beverages for pregnant and nursing women for medical use, dietetic beverages for middle-aged people and elderly people for medical use, food for infants and children for medical purposes, additives to fodder for medical purposes, chemical reagents for medical or veterinary purposes, chemical contraceptives, chemical preparations for the diagnosis of pregnancy, diagnostic preparations for medical purposes, medicated baby care products, bacteria for medical use, antiseptics, fungicides, disinfectant bactericides, detergents for medical purposes, disinfectants for hygiene purposes, germicides, lotions for pharmaceutical purposes, cattle washes, disinfectants for chemical toilets, animal washes, biocides, soil-sterilizing preparations, germicides for agriculture purposes Class:5 Milk drinks with honey flavors and tastes, milk drinks with vanilla flavors and tastes, milk drinks with chocolate flavors and tastes, milk drinks with strawberry flavors and tastes, milk, milk beverages, lactic acid bacteria drinks, cream, whipped cream, whipped cream, cheese, butter, buttercream, powdered milk (except for infants), powdered milk for middle-aged people and elderly people, powdered milk as food supplements, condensed milk, yoghurt, yoghurt drinks, yoghurt-based beverage, milk products, margarine, soya milk(milk substitute), tofu, soup mixes Class:29 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 Morinaga Nyugyo Kabushiki Kaisha (also trading as Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd.) P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 21st October 2013

www.mmtimes.com
WASHINGTON

International World 39

TRADE MARK CAUTION

Philip Morris Global Brands Inc., a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Delaware, United States of America and having its principal office at 9711 Farrar Court, 23236 Richmond, Virginia, USA, is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following Trademark:-

NSA intelligence behind drone attack that killed al-Qaeda official

Muslims. When Mr Ghul made another attempt to enter Iraq in IT was an innocuous email, 2004, he was detained by Kurdone of millions sent every day ish authorities in an operation by spouses with updates on the directed by the CIA. Almost imsituation at home. But this one mediately, Mr Ghul provided a was of particular interest to piece of intelligence that would the National Security Agency prove more consequential than (NSA), and contained clues that he may have anticipated: He put the senders husband in the disclosed that Mr bin Laden recross hairs of a CIA drone. lied on a trusted courier known Days later, Hassan Ghul an as al-Kuwaiti. associate of Osama bin Laden The ripples from that revelawho provided a critical piece of tion wouldnt subside for years. intelligence that helped the CIA The CIA went on to determine find the al-Qaeda leader was the true identity of al-Kuwaiti killed by a drone strike in Pakiand followed him to a heavily stans tribal belt. fortified compound in AbbotThe US government has tabad, Pakistan, where Mr bin never publicly acknowledged Laden was killed in 2011. killing Mr Ghul. But documents Because of the courier tip, provided to The Washington Keith Alexander Mr Ghul became an unwitPost by former NSA contractor NSA director ting figure in the contentious Edward Snowden confirm his debate over CIA interrogation demise in October 2012 and measures. He was held at a reveal the agencys extensive CIA black site in Eastern Euinvolvement in the targeted rope, according to declassified killing program that has served The unit spent a year tracking experience, referring to the Justice Department memos, as a centrepiece of President Mr Ghul and his courier net- Federally Administered Tribal where he was slapped and Barack Obamas counterterror- work, tunnelling into an array Areas, the region in northwest subjected to stress positions ism strategy. of systems and devices, before Pakistan where al-Qaedas lead- and sleep deprivation to break The documents provide the he was killed. Without those ership is based. his will. most detailed account yet of penetrations, the document But if you wanted huge The George W Bush adminthe intricate collaboration be- concluded, this opportunity coverage of the FATA, NSA istrations decision to close tween the CIA and the NSA in would not have been possible. had 10 times the manpower, the secret CIA prisons in 2006 the drone campaign. Ours is a noble cause, 20 times the budget and 100 set off a scramble to place In the search for targets, NSA director Keith Alexander times the brainpower, the prisoners whom the agency the NSA has draped a surveil- said during a public event last former intelligence official did not regard as dangerous lance blanket over dozens of month. Our job is to defend said, comparing the surveil- or valuable enough to transfer square kilometres of northwest this nation and to protect our lance resources of the NSA to to Guantanamo Bay. Mr Ghul Pakistan. In Mr Ghuls case, the civil liberties and privacy. the smaller capabilities of the was not among the original 14 agency deployed an arsenal of The documents do not ex- CIAs operations center. high-value CIA detainees sent cyber-espionage tools, secretly plain how the Ghul email was We provided the map, the to the US installation in Cuba. seizing control of laptops, si- obtained or whether it was in- former official said, and they Instead, he was turned phoning audio files and other tercepted using legal authori- just filled in the pieces. over to the CIAs counterpart messages, and tracking radio ties that have emerged as a Mr Ghul, who is listed in in Pakistan, with ostensible transmissions to determine source of controversy in recent other documents as Mustafa assurances that he would rewhere Mr Ghul might bed months and enable the NSA to Haji Muhammad Khan, had main in custody. down. compel technology giants in- surfaced on US radar as early A year later, Mr Ghul was The email from Mr Ghuls cluding Microsoft and Google as 2003, when an al-Qaeda de- released. There was no pubwife about her current living to turn over information about tainee disclosed that Mr Ghul lic explanation from Pakistani conditions contained enough their users. escorted one of the intended authorities. CIA officials have detail to confirm the coordiNor is there a reference to hijackers to a Pakistani safe noted that Mr Ghul had ties nates of that household, ac- another NSA program facing house a year before the Sep- to Lashkar-e-Taiba, a militant cording to a document summa- scrutiny after Mr Snowdens tember 11, 2001, attacks. group supported by Pakistans rising the mission. leaks: its metadata collection of A trusted facilitator and cou- intelligence service. By 2007, This information enabled a numbers dialled by nearly eve- rier, Mr Ghul was dispatched to he had returned to al-Qaedas capture/kill operation against ry person in the United States. Iraq in 2003 to deliver a mes- stronghold in Waziristan. an individual believed to be Even so, former CIA offi- sage to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, In 2011, the Treasury DeHassan Ghul on October 1, it cials said the files are an ac- the al-Qaeda firebrand who an- partment named Mr Ghul a said. curate reflection of the NSAs gered the networks leaders in target of U.S. counterterrorism The file is part of a collection contribution to finding targets Pakistan by launching attacks sanctions. of records in the Snowden trove in a campaign that has killed that often slaughtered innocent Since his release, the department said, he had helped al-Qaeda re-establish logistics networks, enabling al-Qaeda to move people and money in and out of the country. Captured in Iraq and eventually The NSA document demoved to a secret CIA prison scribed Mr Ghul as al-Qaedas RUSSIA Moscow in Eastern Europe. chief of military operations, Eastern RUSSIA and detailed a broad surveilEurope lance effort to find him. Moved to a prison in The most critical piece KA Pakistan after the closure TU came with a discovery that Z A RK KHST EY provided a vector for comAN of CIA secret prisons. pounds used by Mr Ghul, the document said. After months of Released from Pakistani IRAQ investigation, and surveillance CHINA detention. by CIA drones, the email from IRAN AFGH. SAUDI his wife erased any remaining Mir Ali ARABIA doubt. Named as a senior Al-Qaeda Even after Mr Ghul was facilitator in a terrorism list INDIA killed in Mir Ali, the NSAs role who launched attacks against in the drone strike wasnt done. PAKISTAN Although the attack was aimed YEMEN aircraft in Yemen. at an individual believed to be the correct target, the outIndian Named by U.S. Treasury as a target come wasnt certain until later Ocean when, through SIGINT, it was of U.S. sanctions. confirmed that Hassan Ghul was in fact killed. Killed in a drone strike in Mir Ali, Pakistan. The Washington Post GREG MILLER, JULIE TATE AND BARTON GELLMAN that make clear that the drone campaign often depicted as the CIAs exclusive domain relies heavily on the NSAs ability to vacuum up enormous quantities of email, phone calls and other fragments of signals intelligence, or SIGINT. To handle the expanding workload, the NSA created a secret unit known as the Counter-Terrorism Mission Aligned Cell, or CT MAC, to concentrate the agencys vast resources on hard-to-find terrorism targets. an estimated 3000 militants, as well as hundreds of civilians, in Pakistan, according to independent surveys. The officials said the agency has assigned senior analysts to the CIAs Counterterrorism Center, and deployed others to work alongside CIA counterparts at almost every major US embassy or military base overseas. NSA threw the kitchen sink at the FATA, said a former US intelligence official with Afghan istan and Pakistan

MARLBORO CLASSICS
(Reg. No. 3157/2002) In respect of:International Class 18: LEATHER AND IMITATIONS OF LEATHER, AND GOODS MADE OF THESE MATERIALS AND NOT INCLUDED IN OTHER CLASSES; ANIMAL SKINS, HIDES; TRUNKS AND TRAVELLING BAGS; UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS AND WALKING STICKS; WHIPS, HARNESS AND SADDLERY; International Class 25: CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND HEADGEAR. Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said Trademark will be dealt with according to law. U Kyi Naing, L.L.B, L.L.M, H.G.P For Philip Morris Global Brands Inc. Tilleke & Gibbins Ltd., 17th Floor, Sakura Tower, 339 Bogyoke Aung San Road, Kyauktada Township, Yangon, Republic of the Union of Myanmar Dated : 21st October, 2013

Ours is a nobel cause. Our job is to defend this nation and to protect our civil liberties and privacy.

TRADE MARK CAUTION

Philip Morris Products S.A. a corporation organized under the laws of SWITZERLAND and having its principal office at Quai Jeanrenaud 3, 2000 Neuchatel, Switzerland, is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following Trademark is the Owner of the following Trade Marks:-

MARLBORO
(Reg. No. 7139/2009)

(Reg. No. 7140/2009) In respect of:International Class 34: Tobacco, raw or manufactured; tobacco products, including cigars, cigarettes, cigarillos, tobacco for roll your own cigarettes, pipe tobacco, chewing tobacco, snuff tobacco, kretek; snus; tobacco substitutes (not for medical purposes); smokers` articles, including cigarette paper and tubes, cigarette filters, tobacco tins, cigarette cases and ashtrays, pipes, pocket apparatus for rolling cigarettes, lighters; matches.

Tracking Hassan Ghul

2004 2006 2007 2008

Me d . S

(Reg. No. 742/1986) International Class 34:Tobacco products (cigarettes). Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said Trademarks will be dealt with according to law. U Kyi Naing, L.L.B, L.L.M, H.G.P For Philip Morris Products S.A. Tilleke & Gibbins Ltd., 17th Floor, Sakura Tower, 339 Bogyoke Aung San Road, Kyauktada Township, Yangon, Republic of the Union of Myanmar Dated : 21st October, 2013

ea

2011 2012

www.mmtimes.com

International World 41 IN BRIEF

Seoul Thousands of N Korea cyber attacks on South: ministry Tokyo Japanese doctor with TB saw over 600 patients

Nazifuneral called off in Italy as clashes erupt

THE funeral of aNaziwar criminal was cancelled in Italy last Tuesday after clashes broke out between protesters and farright activists on the eve of a major Holocaust ceremony. Catholic breakaway traditionalists from the ultraconservative Society of St Pius X had agreed to hold the funeral of former SS officer Erich Priebke at their seminary in Albano, a town near Rome. But mayor Nicola Marini and hundreds of local residents turned out to complain about the last-minute decision, following Mr Priebkes death last Friday in Rome, where he had been under house arrest. Assassin! the protesters shouted as the hearse drove into the religious compound for the start of the ceremony, which was quickly suspended by a police order when neoNazis broke into the area. Take him to the landfill! one man shouted as the hearse passed through the crowd, while others sang the Italian partisan song Bella Ciao and held up a banner reading Priebke the Hangman. The far-right militants, some 30 of whom had gathered, gaveNazisalutes and fascist chants. We are here to celebrate his memory because he was part of our world, said Maurizio Boccacci, head of the extreme-right Militia movement. Mr Marini issued a lastminute decree to try to prevent the hearse crossing his town, saying it had been a centre of the resistance during World War II. But the ruling was struck down in Rome. Dozens of riot police pushed about 500 protesters back and later fired tear gas after clashing with a few dozen neo-Nazis who attacked with glass bottles and chains, shouting, He was a hero! A priest from the Society of St Pius X also had to be protected by police as he tried to enter the seminary after being shoved by the protesters. The controversial funeral was called off, with Italian

ALBANO

North Korea has staged thousands of cyber attacks against the South in recent years, caus ing financial losses of around US$805 million, a Seoul lawmaker said citing government data last week. A lot of data related to our national infrastructure, including chemical storage facilities and information relating to personal financial dealings have been stolen, ruling party MP Chung Hee-Soo said. Mr Chung told parliament that the South Korean military alone had been the target of 6392 North Korean cyber attacks since 2010. The included website intrusions, malware deployments and the use of virus-carrying emails. Our militarys cyber warfare ability to fend off such attacks is incomparable to the Norths, which is known to be one of the worlds best, Mr Chung said. North Korea is believed to run an elite cyber-war unit of 3000 personnel, while the South has only 400 specialised staff. North Korea has denied any involvement.

A doctor infected with tuberculosis examined more than 600 patients without wearing a mask, an official said last week. The doctor, who is in his 50s and runs a clinic in central Ito city, began displaying symptoms of the potentially lethal airborne disease in mid-August, but brushed them off as a common cold, authorities said. He continued to see patients, without wearing a face mask, until he was diagnosed with tuberculosis earlier this month. During that time he had contact with 658 people, including family members, clinic staff and more than 600 patients, five of whom were children. Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that attacks the lungs and can be transmitted by coughing or sneezing. It kills approximately a million people around the world every year, according to the World Health Organization. Letters were being sent to all patients examined by the doctor, the health authority spokesman said. AFP

People protest as the hearse carrying the coffin ofNaziwar criminal Erich Priebke arrives in Albano Laziale near Rome last week. Photo: AFP

authorities particularly concerned as tensions were already running high ahead of the 70th anniversary of a raid byNazitroops that cleared out the citys historic Jewish quarter. The ceremony was suspended in the afternoon, then Mr Priebkes lawyer Paolo Giachini decided later to call off the private religious ceremony to avoid further trouble. Mr Priebke, who was 100 when he died, was convicted of the 1944 massacre of 335 people, including 75 Jews, at the Ardeatine caves near Rome in aNazi retaliation for a partisan attack. The unrepentant Holocaust denier, who claimed he was only following Gestapo orders, has continued to cause uproar even in death with an international controversy over his funeral and final resting place. This is a moment of mourning and has nothing to do with politics. We have done our best to respect the feelings of his critics, the lawyer Mr Giachini told reporters before the funeral

ceremony got underway. The Society of St Pius X is a Catholic conservative group that broke from the Vatican in 1970 over opposition to reforms and is often accused of far-right and anti-Semitic leanings. Father Floriano Abrahamowicz, a St Pius X priest, defended the controversial decision to host the funeral, telling Radio 24 Priebke was a friend of mine, a Christian, a faithful soldier. His was the only case of an innocent man behind bars. Its a scandal how he was persecuted in Italy while immigrants are received with dignity, he said. The funeral coincided with a silent procession through the Rome Ghetto in honour of the more than 1000 Jews who were taken away to concentration camps of whom only 16 came back alive. Italian media reports suggested that the authorities wanted Mr Priebke cremated, amid fears a burial could become a rallying point for farright groups.

Argentina, where Mr Priebke lived for nearly 50 years before being extradited to Italy and where he wanted to be buried, has refused to take the body. The body was left at the seminary overnight, but the next moves, towards a probable cremation, were undecided. The Vatican also issued an unprecedented ban on celebrating the funeral in any Catholic church in Rome, although it said a priest could officiate a private ceremony at home. Jewish groups and relatives of the massacre victims have said the body should be cremated and the ashes scattered to erase his memory forever. Mr Priebke escaped from a British POW camp in Italy immediately after World War II and was supplied with Vatican travel documents by aNazisympathising Catholic bishop. He was sentenced to life in prison in 1998, but because of his age and ill-health was allowed to serve out his sentence at home. AFP

TRADE MARK CAUTION

Philip Morris (Pakistan) Limited., a corporation organized under the laws of the Pakistan and having its principal office at 4th Floor, Bahria Complex 3, M.T. Khan Road, Karachi, 74000 PAKISTAN, is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following Trademarks:-

MORVEN GOLD
(Reg. No. IV/5515/95)

PARK LANE
(Reg. No. IV/5518/95) In respect of International Class 34: Tobacco products; smokers articles.

KENMORE
(Reg. No. IV/5516/95) In respect of International Class 34: Cigarettes, cigars, tobacco manufactured and raw, matches, cigarettes lighters and smokers articles

MORVEN
(Reg. No. 6898)

K2
(Reg. No. 6890) In respect of International Class 34 : Tobacco, raw or manufactured; tobacco products, including cigars, cigarettes, cigarillos, tobacco for roll your own cigarettes, pipe tobacco, chewing tobacco, snuff tobacco, kretek; tobacco substitutes (not for medical purposes); smokers` articles, including cigarette paper and tubes, cigarette filters, tobacco tins, cigarette cases and ashtrays, pipes, pocket apparatus for rolling cigarettes, lighters; matches. Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said Trademarks will be dealt with according to law. U Kyi Naing, L.L.B, L.L.M, H.G.P For Philip Morris (Pakistan) Limited. Tilleke & Gibbins Ltd., 17th Floor, Sakura Tower, 339 Bogyoke Aung San Road, Kyauktada Township, Yangon, Republic of the Union of Myanmar Dated : 21st October, 2013

SAN FRANCISCO DEL RINCN

Dalai Lama backs medical marijuana

THE Dalai Lama weighed in on Mexicos marijuana legalisation debate last Tuesday, telling an audience that he backs the drugs use for medicinal purposes. The Tibetan spiritual leader, speaking at an event hosted by former Mexican president Vicente Fox, said that the exception for smoking marijuana would be if its use has pharmaceutical virtues. But otherwise if its just an issue of somebody [using the drug to have] a crazy mind, thats not good, he said after being asked his position on legalisation at the outdoor event at the ex-presidents Fox Center in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato. Mr Fox, who laughed when the question was asked to the Dalai Lama, has become a leading voice in favour of legalising the narcotic in order to cut down a major revenue stream for ultra-violent drug cartels. The Dalai Lama has been touring Mexico since last Friday but the government of President Enrique Pena Nieto, who has sought closer ties with China, has decided not to meet with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader. TheDalaiLama also told Mexicans that Christianity and Buddhism coincide in their pursuit of human happiness. Both religions promote love, compassion and self-discipline that lead to happiness, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader told some 3000 people. More than 90 percent of Mexicos 118 million people are Catholic. With his usual smile and good humor, theDalaiLama said that for decades, Christian leaders have been interested in some Buddhist teachings. Christianity promotes the concept of a transcendent and unique God as creator, while Buddhism refutes the existence of a creator. AFP

Exiled Tibetan Buddhist leader Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, wears a Mexican charro hat during a conference in Mexico. Photo: AFP

42 World International
RIO DE JANEIRO

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

An employee of Carteiro Amigo, a local postal service, delivers letters in Rocinha slum in Rio de Janeiro on October 4, 2013. Photo: AFP

For postal workers, delivering mail is akin to detective work in Brazilian slum
TWISTING their way through labyrinthine alleys, postmen in the Rio favela of Rocinha have to resort to detective work as they figure out where to deliver mail. Police and the army moved in to clean up the sprawling mini-city of some 150,000 two years ago in a bid to rid Brazils biggest slum of the scourge of drug dealers. But even after pacification of the area, doing the rounds here can still be risky business. Theres one house with a dog called Warrior, said postal official Edson Martins. Mailmen, no matter where, have long had to deal with vicious dogs. But their routes here are also rendered dangerous by Rocinhas maze of narrow streets and steep cliffside drops. And then theres the fact that, as the area develops, some ramshackle abodes vanish and new ones spring up. Just finding an address often requires a real sleuth. Sometimes to get to a resident you have to go through the kitchen of another house, Mr Martins told AFP. Shanty houses dot the Rio hillside, with the structures providing shelter to tens of thousands many work-hungry migrants from Brazils poverty-stricken northeast. Rocinha was a lawless bastion of drug dealers for some 30 years until troops and police, backed by helicopters and armoured vehicles, moved in two years ago. Since then, authorities have attempted to modernise the area and draw up a registry of streets, number houses and generally make some sense of the maze of paths and the jumble of electrical wires. The postal service, for one, is tasked with attributing a zip code to each region to enable residents to get their mail at home. Before, road number 4 was just a simple pathway; today its a real road, wider. That makes our job easier, says mailman Ricardo Pinto, 52. Previously, Mr Pinto and his colleagues would barely venture into Rocinhas main street for fear of coming face to face with armed men. Instead, they would drop the mail off with traders or residents would come pick it up. Today, six mailmen do the rounds on foot, delivering some 5200 items per day to houses on streets with a designated name. A truck, meanwhile, serves as a poste restante, where people can come and collect items. Even so, Mr Martins said, these postmen still only cover around 30 percent of Rocinha. One particularly tough neighborhood to navigate is above the Valao Rocinhas open sewer system where the roads are unnamed. Our work starts where that of the postal service stops, Silas Vieira, 44, told AFP. We go into little alleyways which havent been registered, to houses with no number. Along with Carlos Pedro, 43, Mr Vieira founded Carteiro Amigo (Friendly Postman) 13 years ago with an unemployment insurance payout. Today, their small company employs seven mailmen albeit ones who are not recognized by the official postal service. They deliver mail to more than 8000 households, which each pay around US$7 a month for the service. Mr Vieira and Mr Pedro both hail from Rocinha and have drawn up their own address registry based on names given by locals to some 3000 pathways, alleyways, squares and even staircases. Creating that was a real detectives job, they said. Neither Mr Vieira nor Mr Pedro will say what kind of revenue their fledgling firm has but they do let on that turn over has tripled in 10 years. They have also opened franchises in 10 other favelas. Another colleague, a 32-year-old who only gave his name as Max, finds the work keeps him in shape as he logs some 10 kilometres (6.25 miles) a day on his route. His work is highly appreciated by the locals. He has changed my life, said Norma Lucia, a woman in her 50s, as Max handed her a letter. Yet some complain about having to pay for a service that elsewhere in Rio de Janeiro is provided for free. The post is a public service, complained a man who identified himself as Jose, 55. Some two million people live in Rios favelas. Those in the southern part of the city have gradually been pacified since 2008 as authorities try to spruce up the metropolis ahead of next years World Cup and the 2016 Rio Olympics. Even so, many slum residents still lack basic services such as drinking water, sewage systems, refuse collection and mail delivery. AFP

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that The Singer Company Limited, S.a.r.l a company organized under the laws of Luxembourg and having its principal office at 1, rue des Glacis, L-1628 Luxembourg is the owner and sole proprietor of the following trademark:(Reg: No. IV/8281/2013) in respect of:- Washing machines; sewing machines and parts; vacuum cleaners; power drive saws; cordless power drills; cordless power wrenches; power driven sanders and grinders. Class: 7 Televisions; stereo and mini component; video players and recorders; iron press and dry iron (electric flat iron); fax machines. Class: 9 Refrigerators; air conditioners; air cleaners; freezers; microwave ovens; wine cellar (refrigerator for wine bottles); gas cookers and gas ranges; water coolers; water filters and water electrolysers; vacuumizer (to keep food in a refrigerator); electric fans; rice cookers; water heaters; vapoclean (cleaner using steam); electric thermo pots. Class: 11 Chairs; tables; cabinets; beds; shelves for storage; entertainment cabinets (furniture); show cases; furniture. Class: - 20 Freezers and coolers. Class: 21 Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. U Kyi Win Associates for The Singer Company Limited, S.a.r.l P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 21st October 2013

SINGER

An employee of Carteiro Amigo --a local postal service-- delivers letters in Rocinha slum in Rio de Janeiro. Photo: AFP

www.mmtimes.com
BERLIN

International World 43

EU embraces crooked fruit, ugly veggies

ANY takers for blemished apples, misshapen carrots and bent cucumbers? Some European retailers are entering the market of ugly fruits and vegetables, positioning themselves as crusaders against food waste. This week Edeka of Germany started selling the flawed items in some of its stores across the country, as part of a four-week pilot project. Normally the crooked veggies would end up thrown away or as animal feed, because consumers buy with their eyes too, and have gotten used to certain norms of shape and colour, said Gernot Kasel, a spokesman for Germanys number one retailer by market share. Branded nobody is perfect, the illproportioned apples, potatoes and carrots sell cheaper than their normal counterparts. Swiss market-leader Coop entered similar new ground in August with a range called Unique, on offer in about a third of its stores. After blemished apricots and freckled cauliflowers, three-legged carrots are vying for buyers favours, said Coop spokeswoman Nadja Ruch. They are priced about 60 percent cheaper than first-class carrots. There would be scope for selling many more of these products, as demand has certainly exceeded our hopes, said Ms Ruch. But there is simply no more supply of these moods of nature, as Coop likes to refer to them. German retailer Rewe launched its own Wunderling range last week in its Austrian stores. The name is a cross between the words anomaly and miracle. British retail giant Sainsburys had paved the way last year. Adverse weather conditions translated into a

Billion dollars of food thrown away annually worldwide

750

dramatic drop in the countrys fruit and vegetable production, and a high rate of misshapen and damaged goods. Sainsburys nevertheless committed to buying all the output, including ugly specimens. They found their way onto the shelves or as ingredients in readymade meals or pastries. For retailer Rewe, entering that market isnt a decision based on economic considerations, the company said. It sees the project, which will be extended to other markets if the Austrian experiment is a success, as a concrete step against the food waste culture. According to recent figures by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, over a billion tons of food is

thrown away each year, costing the world about US$750 billion. Environmental and anti-poverty groups have long highlighted the problem, and 2014 has been labelled the European Year against Food Waste by the European Union. With their ugly fruit and veg action, Edeka, Coop and the others have clearly embraced a trend. The products are optimal in quality and taste, says Rewe. Growers welcome the new market for their flawed pieces of fruit and vegetable, especially if the arrival of strange-looking potatoes and zucchinis on supermarkets shelves raises real questions about nature for the consumers. AFP

VILNIUS

Lithuania moves to legalise ritual slaughter amid Polish ban

EASTERN European country Lithuania last week took the first step toward legalising the ritual slaughter of livestock for food, seeking to expand its exports after neighbouring Poland imposed a ban. Arab countries and Israel represent new opportunities for meat exporters, lawmaker Vytautas Gapsys, who tabled the draft legislation, told Lithuanian parliament. In the first reading, 51 lawmakers in the 141-seat parliament voted in favour of legalisation and two against, with seven abstentions. According to EU law, animals in Lithuania and other member countries must be stunned before slaughter. Kosher and halal slaughter require that an animal be killed by slitting its throat without first being stunned. Two more parliamentary votes and a presidential signature are needed to approve the law that would exempt religious communities from the requirement. Lithuanias tiny Jewish community on Tuesday welcomed the move. We would be pleased if the law is adopted, community

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that STL Commercial Co., Ltd. a company organized under the laws of Thailand and having its principal office at 558 Moo 2, Tasailuad, Maesot, Tak 63110 is the owner and sole proprietor of the following trademark:-

Animals are slaughtered on October 15, 2013, on the first day of the Muslim Eid al-Adha or the Festival of Sacrifice holiday in Islamic communities and countries. Photo: AFP

leader Faina Kukliansky told AFP. It could encourage exports and would also be important for the local community. The Jewish and Muslim communities total about 3000 people in the Baltic nation of

3 million people, which joined the European Union and NATO in 2004 and currently holds the EU presidency. Ritual slaughter was banned in EU neighbour Poland on January 1 after its Constitutional Court deemed it incompatible

with animal rights legislation. Polish farmers and exporters of meat to Israel and Muslim countries exported up to 350 million euros (US$460 million) worth of kosher and halal meat a year before the ban. AFP

(Reg: No. IV/10020/2013) In respect of: - Electric rice cooker, blender, hot pot, iron, electric pan, fan, hot plate, electric kettle, power strip, tablet, cable and wire , DVD player, EVD player, television, home theater system Class: 9 STL Commercial Co. Ltd. has registered the Nakita trademark in Thailand on 17th March, 2008. Distributorship and representation rights to sell and distribute the above listed items in the whole of Myanmar has been awarded by STL Commercial Co. Ltd. to Sein Thein Lin Myanmar Co. Ltd. in Yangon and Myo Thein Electronic in Mandalay. 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 STL Commercial Co., Ltd. P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 21st October 2013

Nakita

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that ACE CANNING CORPORATION SDN. BHD. of Lot 33 37, Lengkuk Keluli 1, Kawasan Perindustrian Bukit Raja Selatan, Seksyen 7, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trademark:

IN BRIEF
ROME World food aid chief warns against donor fatigue in ongoing crises
contribution in the next months we will be forced to suspend our operation at the end of January, she added. gave Mr Wang another piggyback ride as they left the house, the agency said.

(Reg: No. IV/12139/2012) In respect of:- Preparation of soya bean, soya milk. Class: 29 Mineral and aerated waters and other non-alcoholic drinks; fruit drinks and fruit juices; carbonated and non-carbonated drinks, soft drinks; soy based nonalcoholic drinks; syrups and other preparations for making beverages Class: 32 Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark will be dealt with according to law. U THAN WIN, B.Com, B.L. for ACE CANNING CORPORATION SDN. BHD. By its Attorneys Ageless P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 21st October 2013

HOMESOY

Conflicts around the world mean there must be no donor fatigue, the head of the World Food Programme said, as the United Nations marked World Food Day last week. Ertharin Cousin warned aid funds were running out for forgotten but ongoing humanitarian crises like North Korea. There is no room for donor fatigue, Ms Cousin said at the UN food aid agencys headquarters in Rome. The biggest challenge is ensuring we dont forget conflicts that are beyond the attention of the media. WFP supplies aid to about 97 million people in 80 countries. With an annual budget of around US$5.0 billion (3.7 billion euros), the organisation last year spent $1.2 billion buying emergency food supplies. WFP operations in and around Syria are costing around $31 million a week, but Ms Cousin said this could not come at the expense of other crises. In North Korea, without significant

BEIJING Chinese official sacked after piggyback to protect his shoes

DUBAI Amnesty slams plan for tests to ban homosexuals from Gulf

A Chinese official was removed from his post after a picture of him being given a piggyback sparked an online uproar, state media reported. The image, published on the Twitter-like Sina Weibo, showed the local official being carried on a villagers back while visiting flood victims in Zhejiang province. A post published with the image said the official, surnamed Wang, was being carried because he was wearing high-end shoes. Mr Wang, who was wearing shoes made of cloth, was set to take them off and walk barefoot over a small pond to reach a victims house, the Sanqishi Township government told Xinhua. However a villager lifted Wang on his back despite Wang insisting on walking barefoot, Xinhua reported. The villager

A Kuwaiti proposal to require medical tests to prevent homosexual or transgender migrants from entering Gulf countries is outrageous and should be rejected, Amnesty International said last week. This proposal will only further stigmatise people who already suffer extremely high levels of discrimination and abuse, said Philip Luther, the rights groups Middle East and North Africa director. Amnesty said the proposal, put forth earlier this month by Kuwaits director of public health, would ban anyone found to be homosexual, transgender or a crossdresser from entering the country. The proposal will be debated by the expatriate labour committee of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Oman on November 11. AFP

U
GE T

GERS O FIN N

THE PULSE EDITOR: MANNY MAUNG manny.maung@gmail.com

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

IT

YO

Me N Ma Girls have released their international debut single, Girl Strong . Photo: Supplied

URSTING out into the international scene, Myanmars own Me N Ma Girls released their hit single Girl Strong through iTunes and Amazon on October 10. This is the biggest thing in our lifetime. There are many more famous singers in Myanmar than us. Weve been performing for three years, but we didnt have a producer, band member Ahmoon told The Myanmar Times. Then, thank heavens, we got an offer from Daniel Hubbert and this single is the result. Were very happy and proud of it. The break came just at the right time, as their Australian agent Nicole May had just had a baby and could no longer work with them. Our producer doesnt act like the big boss. He treats us like part-

NUAM BAWI
hknuambawi@gmail.com

ners. We just do our best, Ahmoon said. The band now has four members Htike Htike, Ahmoon, Cha Cha and Kimmy since Wai Hnin left the group in June to spend more time with her parents. The electro-pop Girl Strong was composed by Richard Harris and its music video directed by Joseph Toman, best known for his video work with Justin Timberlake, Nicole Scherzinger and David Guetta. Backed by world-famous professionals, and using high-quality

sound techniques, the sweetly melodic intro works up into a noisy chorus. Me N Ma Girls released their first album Year of the Tiger in Myanmar in 2010 under the name Tiger Girls. Following disagreements with their original producer, the band changed its name to Me N Ma Girls and self-produced their second album, Mingalaba, which was released at the end of 2011. The girls signed up with Power Music in Los Angeles, whose chairman and CEO is Daniel Hubbert, in mid-2012. At first, critics in Myanmar said we were ugly and our skin too brown, not like Korean bands, so we wouldnt succeed. We put that in the song, Ahmoon said. The video shows Korean-style people enjoying life at the K-pop factory. At first they look at the girls as if they are strange, but Me

www.mmtimes.com

the pulse 45

Of Gods and men

Each year, the Manuhar Buddhist festival in Bagan celebrates the creation of the Manuhar pagoda in a colourful, yet reverent affair
EI EI THU name@myanmartimes.com.mm EACH year on September 18 or, in the Myanmar calendar, the 14th waxing of Tawthalin a curious thing happens at Manuhar Pagoda in Myingabar village, Bagan. And neither a sea of umbrellas a colourful sight, but also by now mundane nor the drizzle itself were able to drown out the excitement this year, as enormous papier-mch figures of everyone from The Lady to a lady-eating tiger paraded through the admiring crowds. Only Manuhar Temple has a c event, said U Tin Nyunt, financial officer of Bagans Myanmar Restaurant Association, one of the organisers. The tradition of the papiermch event used to be widespread in the Bagan region, but now just the one parade is held to celebrate the pagoda raised by the ancient King Manuharmin. U Tin said the figures are made by contestants from the area, and the festival even attracts entries from monasteries. Paper and bamboo pulp are glued together and then painted. But its the creativity behind them which transforms the raw materials into something magical. One entry depicted figures from a folk tale: a woman named Ma Pa Dar who lost her mind after her husband and children were killed by an eagle. The giant eagle itself, modelled in black, stalked her as part of the same float. In another, a giant ogre, frighteningly lifelike, was carrying off a princess in his mouth. The other entries included figures of monks and of a folk tale from

the Bagan region where a tiger eats a woman, Shwe Oo. The average papier-mch figure would take at least a month to create, U Tin Nyunt said, adding that organisers didnt put limits on either the size of the figures or the ages of those creating them, so that anyone would be able to enter. One entry of a man dressed in a traditional Myanmar costume had been made by a group of 11-year-olds. In past years the festival has been simply a celebration. This year, however, it also became a competition. The organisers the Myanmar Tourism Federation, the Myanmar Travel Association, the Myanmar Hotelier Association (Bagon Region), the Myanmar Restaurant Association and the Myanmar Lacquerware Association said they believed this was a way to both retain the tradition and also draw more tourists to the spectacle. The competitive format seemed to bring out more diversity in the entries, with each group trying to differentiate themselves from the others. It also meant awards could be given to the lucky winners. First prize earned K300,000, second prize K200,000, third 100,000, and five other prizes of K50,000 each were given out. And in another twist, organisers decided that some of the tourists who had come to see the festival should be the ones who handed over the prizes. We like it. Were happy, Spanish visitors Feliz and Carmen told The Myanmar Times. We Spanish people like to live happily so we love all festivals, especially spiritual celebrations.

At first, critics in Myanmar said we were ugly and our skin too brown, not like Korean bands, so we wouldnt succeed
Ahmoon Singer

N Ma Girls just get on with what they have to do. The song is quite commercial and it shows that we are different from the K-pop style, she added. Although the song is called Girl Strong, its not just about girls, but is about empowerment. The message is: Dont give up. Everyone faces problems and challenges. But this song empowers us to deal with whatever situation we face, said Ahmoon. The single was downloaded by more than 10,000 people on the first day. Were off to a good start. I hope we can succeed in Southeast Asia and then move on to the US and Europe, Daniel Hubbert told The Myanmar Times. The girls are great to work with and everyone is professional. We plan to be together for a long time.

A tiger takes steals a woman in the papier-mch festival Photo: Ei Ei Thu

46 the pulse local

BOOK REVIEW: Nor Iron Bars a Cage (2013) by Ma Thanegi

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

Prison life and the art of joyful rebellion

DOUGLAS LONG
dlong125@gmail.com

ITH the end of direct pre-publication censorship in August 2012 came the proliferation of a previously stifled genre of Myanmar literary nonfiction: the prison memoir. Within months, a flood of books and articles by ex-political prisoners hit the market. Most of these accounts were written in the Myanmar language, with one notable exception being Ma Thanegis book Nor Iron Bars a Cage, released earlier this year by San Francisco-based Things Asian Press. Ma Thanegi is an artist and writer who, before her arrest in

endured, and she also describes how some pro-democracy political prisoners and Burma Communist Party members were subject to occasional beatings, she shows little interest in exaggerating to fulfill popular notions of what life in Insein Prison was supposed to have been like. There are some readers who, even now, are bound to feel let down by the dearth of over-the-top brutality aimed at the women who spent time in jail following the 8/8/88 uprising. As Ma Thanegi complains in the Foreword, What disgusts me is the number of people I have met who were actually disappointed or upset that we werent raped by the male guards. Instead, the book focuses on dayto-day life in the jail, in particular the steady, strong and warm friendships that formed within the community of inmates, and their relations with the guards and prison administrators. The cast of

learned how to improvise in an environment designed to quell creative thought, and discovered in their own ways how to find small bits of happiness in the dark corners of a setting meant to destroy all enjoyment. Structurally, Nor Iron Bars reads more like a collection of anecdotes than a coherent narrative. There is little in the way of plot to pull readers through the book, but the stories and character profiles are united by the overarching theme, which is clearly expressed in the books most oft-quoted sentence, We were supposed to be miserable, and we were damned if wed oblige. You might not plough straight through the book without interruption I finished two other novels in the same period that I read Nor Iron Bars but like a collection of poetry, it will pull you back again and again for its inspirational tales of rebellious joy and optimism.

Daw Suu Kyi was merely human and not an infallible demigod. Ma Thanegi also challenged the National League for Democracys unbending junta-era doctrine by suggesting that economic sanctions and tourism boycotts might not be doing much to uplift the countrys poor
1989, worked as a personal assistant to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. But in the years following Ma Thanegis 1992 release from Yangons Insein Prison, she was accused by a particularly rabid element of the Myanmar exile community of being a traitor to the pro-democracy cause. Among Ma Thanegis supposedly traitorous ideas was daring to realise earlier than most that Daw Suu Kyi was merely human and not an infallible demigod. The artist/ writer also challenged the National League for Democracys unbending junta-era doctrine by suggesting that economic sanctions and tourism boycotts might not be doing much to uplift the countrys poor. Ma Thanegis approach in Nor Iron Bars likewise would have irked certain political zealots of years gone by, who might have preferred their prison narratives to be jampacked with titillating torture porn whether fact or fiction meant to showcase the malevolence of the military regime. Fortunately, Ma Thanegi does not indulge. While she does dedicate some time in Nor Iron Bars to detailing the belligerent and psychologically taxing interrogation sessions she characters includes accessories to murder, student political prisoners, parliamentarians elected in 1990 and never allowed to take office, prison guards both cranky and sympathetic, and young women repeatedly jailed for prostitution. Of course, not everything was rosy in Insein Prison. There were, among other hardships, the gruelling interrogation sessions, the sadistic lack of adequate healthcare, and acute feelings of boredom and depression with which to contend. One of Ma Thanegis great themes as an author has always been food, and here she writes at length about the subpar prison rations and the never-ending efforts by inmates to procure proper ingredients for adequate meals. Despite the subject matter, there is simple beauty in these stories, a matter-of-fact frankness and sincerity that sometimes borders on the childlike, especially when the author writes about her affinity for cats, dogs, birds and butterflies. There are practical jokes, real-life ghost stories and recitals of verse composed entirely in the head of the poet. The overall tone is one of resilient optimism in the face of deprivation. The prisoners quickly

A winning Kachin-inspired design scores the highest bid at a fundraising auction on October 15 in Yangon. Photo: Thirilu

Kachin-design nabs highest price

NANDAR AUNG nandaraung.mcm@gmail.com A KACHIN-INSPIRED design has won the highest bid at a fundraising auction in Yangon, at US$1000 for a Sann Bawk Rar designed two-piece outfit. Coordinated by the Charmz Charity Group, the fashion show and auction, held at the Parkroyal Hotel on October 15, raised funds for several charities including a school for the hearing impaired, aged care facilities and monasteries in Yangon. The local designers who exhibited their collection 39 pieces in total included Myint Zu from Zu Zu Collection, Ma Latt from Latt Latt Fashion, Ma Pont from My Favourite and Pyae Soe Aung from Exclusive Bridal Creations. Bids for each dress started from $500, with bids rising in increments of $100. San Bawk Rar who runs the label, SHAYI, and whose dress raised the highest bid said she created 10 dresses for the fashion show and one dress specifically for the auction. I was afraid and thought that no one would be interested in my design, she said. I was so surprised when I won, especially since I was invited under my label. Im really pleased this money is being raised for charity.

www.mmtimes.com

the pulse local 47

Art for arts sake

The results of artwork by sculptor, Kyaw Kyaw Min and painter, Shwe Myint. Photo: Thiri Lu

ZON PANN PWINT zonpann08@gmail.com CULPTOR Kyaw Kyaw Min wants to bring recognition to the wealth of underrecognised artistic talent in Myanmar. Artist Shwe Myint thinks there is no substitute for painting a portrait in the presence of the model. Together, the artistic duo are collaborating on an unusual project: a series of sculptures and paintings all done gratis of ageing writers, cartoonists, filmmakers and painters. My father is a sculptor. I wanted to follow in my fathers footsteps and be a sculptor. But it is difficult to earn a living as an artist, Kyaw Kyaw Min told The Myanmar Times at their recent event at Tatmadaw Hall where, from October 10 to 13, he and Shwe Myint

created clay busts and oil paintings of elderly writer Sin Phyu Kyun Aung Thein and artists Maung Maung Thein (Pathein), Hla Tin Htun and Mya Han. Kyaw Kyaw Min spent his youth travelling with his father, sculptor Lwin Maung, known for his sculpture of Bogyoke Aung San riding on a horse, in Kanthaya Park in North Okkalapa township. But it was only when Kyaw Kyaw Min started to work for a company that imported and exported cars that he had enough steady income to indulge his passion for art. That struggle and the respect it gave him for other artists provided his subject matter: those he calls self-effacing artists. They are each recognised individuals in their respective fields and they do wonderful works in a quiet and unassuming way, Kyaw Kyaw Min said.

I want to show respect for these artists who are very humble about their success and record them in sculpture while they are alive rather than looking at photographs of them after they die, he added. The project started in 2011, Kyaw Kyaw Min said, when he and Shwe Myint sat down with contemporary artist Khin Maung Yin as their subject. Everyone in art circles is respectful [toward Khin Maung Yin] for his modesty that always forbids him from talking about his achievements, Kyaw Kyaw Min said. Khin Maung Yin, who lives a quiet life and rarely goes out, readily agreed to pose in his own home. Kyaw Kyaw Min created a clay sculpture of the artist, while at the same time Shwe Myint painted his portrait. The process took one day, at the

end of which the results a finished painting and clay bust were offered to their subject as a token of respect. Kyaw Kyaw Min said it costs about K100,000 for the materials required. But he said the results are priceless. The reward for our efforts is intangible. Its happiness. Shwe Myint said news of their work spread rapidly in art circles. In 2011 we created sculptures and paintings of another four artists at Lawkanat gallery on Pansodan Street. A visit of elderly artist U San Hlaings daughter to the gallery coincided with our event and she told the news [of our project] to her father, Shwe Myint said. U San Hlaing was very depressed about the news because he thought he was forgotten by the people. And he paid a visit to Kyaiktiyo Pagoda and made a wish

that he could be sculpted too. The duo soon corrected their omission and invited U San Hlaing to sit for them. But they said not every artist appreciates their intentions. One artist they approached asked if they wanted to grow famous because of this project. We were not satisfied with his response and didnt paint and sculpt him, Shwe Myint said. Together, Kyaw Kyaw Min and Shwe Myint have collaborated to create tandem two- and threedimensional portraits of 27 artists, charity founders, writers, politicians and cartoonists, two of whom are deceased. Every artist seemed blissfully happy about the complete artworks, Shwe Myint said. These were the happiest times of our lives.

48 the pulse local

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

Generation Wave uncovered

LWIN MAR HTUN lwinmarhtun.mcm@gmail.com

FTER six years, the masks are off. Generation Wave, a political organisation launched in 2007 in the wake of the popular uprising against the then- military government, is celebrating its sixth anniversary this month. And they are proud to be able to do so in public. For the first time since the group formed, they will campaign publicly without covering their faces, as they have done previously. An early adherent, Ko Bo Bo, said last week that no great ceremony was involved. Were not a big organisation, just a movement that expresses our desires through poems and songs, he told The Myanmar Times on October 9 at the Pansodan Gallery in Yangon. Generation Wave was founded by Zayar Thaw, Moe Thway, Win Htut

and Aung Si Phyo. Zayar Thaw, now a member of parliament, is no longer actively involved. Weve been friends since childhood, and we participated in the 2007 Saffron Revolution. A lot of monks and other citizens were arrested and we felt we had to stand up for the public, said Moe Thway. The groups name derives from the successive advance of waves on the shore, he said. Political movements have sprung up since 1962, but none of them made much progress. When they fail, another one comes along. In the early days, GW activists wore masks for fear of arrest when distributing their members poems and songs to the public, said Ko Bo Bo. But now, there is no fear of retribution against their political stance. Now the country is on the road to democracy. But our focus remains on human rights.

Political rights group, Generation Wave, say they will continue to fight for human rights. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing

www.mmtimes.com

the pulse local 49

Myanmar takes up PEN

S
CHIT SU suwai.chit@gmail.com INCE her release from prison in 1999, Myanmar writer and doctor, Ma Thida (Sanchaung), has dreamt of a day when Myanmar writers would be able to join colleagues around the world and establish an internationally recognised forum in which to develop creative literature and critical thinking. Her dream came true last month with the founding of a new PEN International centre in Myanmar. The centre, with 23 active members, will serve as an NGO for writers and for advocacy and education about literature, helping aspiring writers from all backgrounds in Myanmar. The effort to open the PEN Centre was nearly 15 years in the making and came about through the persistence and steadfast effort of Dr Ma Thida. Speaking at a ceremony at the 79th International Congress in Reykyavik, Iceland, writer Nay Phone Latt outlined Ma Thidas efforts, citing her string of visits since 2005 to several PEN offices around the world where she tried to convince PEN to assist in the effort to open a Myanmar office. It wasnt until last year, however, that the effort gained the momentum necessary to make the dream a reality. PEN Myanmar received official permission to form the centre during the 79th Pen International Congress in

We didnt have the chance [under the former government] to form that kind of organisation or to connect with international organisations.
Nay Phone Latt Writer
Iceland on September 9-13, 2013. We didnt have the chance [under the former government] to form that kind of organisation or to connect with international organisations, Nay Phone Latt told the PEN Congress.

But now, we have a chance and we need to grab it firmly. So this is the time to start. As an organisation, PEN is not unknown to Myanmar. Several Myanmar writers including Ma Thida and Nay Phone Latt have already received awards from PEN international for their literary and journalistic work. Ma Thida won the PEN/Barbara Goldsmith (Freedom to Write Award) in 1996, while she was incarcerated and Nay Phone Latt won the same award in 2011, also while he was in prison. Nay Phone Latt told the PEN Congress that winning the award inspired him and fellow prisoner, Zaganar to create a PEN chapter in Myanmar. When I heard the news that I was awarded the PEN Barbara Goldsmith award by PEN America, we [he and Zaganar] were told that in the near future we will have to form that kind of organisation in our country and we also have to support other countries worse off than ours, he said. PEN Myanmar is our dream. In the bitter past, we had to be the object just accepting the others support. For the brighter future, we want to be the subject that can support and help the victims around the world. The mission of the Myanmar PEN Centre is threefold: to conduct a media watch on issues related to freedom of expression; to organise

discussions about literature with the public and develop a culture of literature in Myanmar; and to make literature a part of the educational curriculum in the country, promoting creative writing. Prominent author U Pe Myint said the years spent under censorship took its toll on the countrys writing community. Myanmar was blocked from developing for the ages by the junta, he said. We didnt know the situation of the worlds literature and the activities of international writers. Myanmar people need to know about the world more, so we need to join this kind of international organisation, he said. Myo Myint Nyein, who is an honorary member of PEN

International, also expressed his excitement about the new PEN Centre. PEN Myanmar is not a political organisation. It is just for us to meet international writers, he said. I think it is the first step we need to enter into the worlds literature for Myanmar writers. PEN Myanmar is accepting member applications from this month and will hold an official PEN Myanmar Congress in November to choose a director and board, although the dates are yet to be confirmed. PEN International was founded by writer and poet CA Dawson Scott in London in 1921 and is the one of the earliest non-governmental organisations. There are 145 PEN centres in the world.

Aung San on film

THE Bogyoke Film Board Committee confirmed last week that the film of the life of Myanmar national hero, Bogyoke Aung San, will be called Aung San. Zaw Thet Htwe, information officer of the film board, said members decided to drop the military honorific, Bogyoke, to cast Aung San in a more humanising light. Zaw Thet Htwe added that once filmed, the plan was to screen the movie abroad to an international audience. Its yet to be decided whether a film crew from either Italy or the United States will direct the production, with the main cast all being non-professional actors, he said. Lwin Mar Htun

50 the pulse tea break

Universal Crossword
Edited by Timothy E. Parker

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

SUDOKU PACIFIC

WHERES A GOOD PLACE TO EAT? By Rob Lee

ACROSS 1 Ruler over Tolstoy 5 Koi habitats 10 This ride is great! 14 Prefix for space or plane 15 Haberdashery item 16 Use one of the senses 17 Good eating in Tennessee 20 Farewell, mon ami 21 Athens rival of yore 22 Spy thriller author Deighton 23 Nutmeg-topped drink 26 Airport limo drivers concern, briefly 27 Twitch 30 Centimeter-gramsecond unit of work 31 Added inches 33 Silky sweater 35 Ars ___ artis 37 Send forth, as a sound 38 Stately delicacy? 42 Gray wolf 43 Half of a magic duo 44 Underground transportation 47 Gone to glory 48 Show piece? 51 Almost failing grade 52 Scrap of cloth 54 Bread type 55 Common article 56 Confidential matter 59 Fruity-smelling compound 61 Some northern desserts 65 Arabian Gulf port 66 Barely making it (with out) 67 Language that gave us the word whisky 68 Costa ___, Calif. 69 Concealed, informally 70 Creature in the woods DOWN 1 Wrapped Tijuana treat 2 Piece of farm equipment 3 Activating, as a fuse 4 Boxing ring encloser 5 Beatles tune ___ Love You 6 Cries of excitement 7 Points for writers? 8 Hang loose? 9 Archaeological layers 10 Stimulate, as ones appetite 11 Large-scale sacrifice of old 12 Dijon thirst-quencher 13 Able was I ___ I ... 18 Want to grab a bite? 19 Muffin material 24 Exam sans pencils 25 Try to make clear 28 Colored portion of the eye 29 Feline 32 Dined partner 34 Transmission component 35 Get taller 36 Alfred who coined the term inferiority complex 38 Pouting expression 39 Convent heads 40 Potters purchase 41 Exchange for money 42 Flashback drug 45 With the bow, to a violinist 46 Spun, as a story 48 What one wears 49 Brie or feta 50 More blunt and to the point 53 Lizard that can regenerate its tail 57 Sicilian volcano 58 HS math course 60 Attracted a trooper, maybe 61 Old Batman word 62 Commemorative for Billie Joe 63 Siamese twin name 64 George Harrisons All Those Years ___

DILBERT

BY SCOTT ADAMS

PEANUTS

BY CHARLES SCHULZ

CALVIN AND HOBBES

BY BILL WATTERSON

PUZZLE SOLUTIONS

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

Telephone us now on +951 392 928

www.mmtimes.com

the pulse food and drink 51

PHYOS COOKING ADVENTURE

You cant make a frittata without breaking a few eggs

phyocooking@gmail.com

OU can probably guess from the name of the famous Asian snack called son-in-laws egg that it comes with a side of story. There are a number of variations, but the important details are that a mother-in-law cooks an egg for her daughters husband, but as a warning: If he is not good enough for her little girl, hed better sort it out quick, otherwise, some part of his body will end up being cooked like this egg. Since son-in-laws eggs are boiled,

deep-fried until golden and blistered, then dipped in sweet-and-sour chilli sauce, thats an image vivid enough to put any wayward husband off his dinner. But those with cleaner consciences all my readers, I hope should find this dish delicious. This weeks second recipe is another cracker: a frittata-inspired Myanmar omelette. People here love their omelettes with onions, tomatoes, chillies and duck eggs. I havent used chilli in this recipe but you can if you want.

SON-IN-LAWS EGG WITH CARAMEL CHILLI SAUCE SERVES 4 5 organic eggs Vegetable oil (enough to fry the eggs) 2 tablespoons fried onions 2 tablespoon tamarind paste 1/3 cup sugar 4 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped 2 tablespoons palm sugar or jaggery, finely grated 1/3 cup water cup fish sauce Coriander to garnish Onions or shallots, fried, to garnish Start by preparing the soft-boiled eggs. Gently place the whole eggs into a saucepan and cover them with cold water, then turn on heat. As soon as water boils, remove saucepan from stove and cover with lid for 3 minutes. Carefully spoon out eggs from hot water and transfer into cold water. Leave for 6-8 minutes, remove, shell and pat dry. For the caramel chilli sauce, add the sugar into the saucepan and dissolve on high heat. Shake the saucepan in circle so as not to burn the bottom. When caramelised, remove saucepan from heat and add fish sauce slowly and carefully. The mixture will be bubbling and smoky. Add the water, then bring the saucepan back to the stove and mix well. All the caramel should be mixed in the water

and fish sauce, and the result should be neither sticky nor runny. Add tamarind paste, grated palm sugar and chillies into the caramel sauce. Adjust proportions depending on your tastes. Fry eggs by adding enough vegetable oil to a pot to cover half of the eggs.Heat on medium-high. When the oil is ready, fry the eggs carefully, one at a time if you prefer. The white skin should become golden and blistered. Turn the egg slowly to gain an even golden honeycomb surface. Be very careful during this stage as oil may spit. If you want runny yolks, dont fry more than 5 minutes. Remove and leave on kitchen paper to drain excess oil. To serve, dip egg into sauce and rub around. Then slice into halves, drizzle sauce on the yolks and garnish with coriander and fried onions or shallots. HAM AND SAGE FRITTATA SERVES 6 5 organic eggs cup milk Salt Black ground pepper 6 sage leaves, large 100 grams ham or salami, shredded 3 tomatoes, sliced 4 spring onions, whites only, sliced 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 tablespoons hard cheese, grated Crack eggs into a bowl and beat. Add milk and beat again. Add salt and freshly crushed black pepper to taste.

Add olive oil to a nonstick frying pan and place over medium heat. Fry sage leaves for 10 seconds and place them around the pan. Pour egg mixture into pan and make sure it is spread evenly. Add spring onions, ham or salami, and tomatoes. Cover with lid and fry for 10 minutes or until the eggs are cooked. When the eggs are cooked, flip them and fry them for 5 more minutes without lid until golden. Serve with green salad leaves and chutney. TIPS When making fritattas, try using duck eggs, which have richer flavours. To flip eggs in a frying pan, slide a thin spatula under the egg along the edge of the pan, then push it toward the middle. When separated from the pan, transfer it upside down onto a plate. Then bring the plate back to the edge of the pan and push the eggs back in the pan. FOODIE QUOTE An egg is always an adventure; the next one may be different. Oscar Wilde NEXT WEEK Desserts with egg

Wine Review
W RE IN D E 1
Villa Ponciago, Millesime 2011

Son-in-laws eggs with caramel chilli sauce. Photos: Phyo

Indian fare in Malaysian Chinatown

MANNY MAUNG manny.maung@gmail.com WANDERING through the streets of Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur, I found myself craving a curry. Walking away from the busy hub of the Chinatown markets, I headed towards my accommodation, the Backhome hostel. I had managed to secure a double room to myself in the recently established hostel and I highly recommend it. Located in the heritage precinct of Kuala Lumpur, the area has far more life and grunginess than the sterile, commercial precinct of Bukit Bintang. Because the hostels location is away from the busier end of Chinatown, its also a quiet oasis thats clean and comfortable. I went back thinking Id drop off my things and head to the opposite side of town to Little India. But after asking the helpful front-of-house staff about where people went locally to eat, they suggested I walk just five minutes around the corner to try out some Indian restaurants. Voila! They suggested I try a place called Kader which was a vegetarian restaurant. In fact, that whole end of town seemed to have a multitude of vegetarian fare. Just across the street was a Chinese vegetarian restaurant, and as I walked up Leboh Ampang, there were a number of vegetarian Indian diners I would have been happy to try. Instead, I headed to Kader, which from the outside didnt look like much. The floors were quite dirty and not all the tables had been wiped down, but there were a number of people in the small dining area. I couldnt make up my mind so settled for a mixed vegetarian tali (5 ringit) which turned out to be a massive serve of rice, dahl, spinach, paneer and cabbage all served on a banana leaf proper Bombay style. In India, they throw the leftovers out on the street for a sacred cow to eat up. No cows wandered the streets here, but I felt good knowing I had a biodegradeable platter. Just as I was thinking there was enough food in front of me for at least two people, the waiter dropped some piping hot pappadoms and a large serving of raita in front of me. I had also ordered a glass of mango lassi (4.50 ringit) which also came out in a super-sized serve. The food was cheap and nourishing, and even though I thought I couldnt possibly finish all of it, the majority of the serving disappeared easily enough. Recommended.

This wine is like someone you meet often, but can never remember their name. A weak nose, strong tannins and a cranberry tart finish. Unmemorable, but not entirely offensive.

6.5/10
K

Score

15,000

A polished-off vegetarian tali at Kader restaurant, Kuala Lumpur. Photos: MM

Ferraton Cotes Du Rhone Samorens Rouge 2009

Kader Indian restaurant

Leboh Ampang [Street], Chinatown precinct, Kuala Lumpur Food: 8 Drink: 9 Atmosphere: 7 X-factor: 7 Service: 9 Value for money: 9 Total Score:

8/10

W RE IN D E 2

Black and red berries with a medium body and a strong liquorice finish. Ensure to air for a few minutes before drinking. Not the best to cellar.

Score

6/10
K

16,000

52 the pulse socialite

JVC product launch

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21-27, 2013

Ocean Super Center (Naypyidaw) launch

Ko Aung Htet Myat, Ma May Myat Kyaw, Daw Khin Malar Daw Win Win Tint Poonpat, Chaiwat, Steven, Suporn and Jittisale

The Rich Gems Thidingyut sale promotion

Ni Ni and Angela

Ma Pyone Pyone and Ma Mya Man Maung Maung

Sweety Home new branch launches

Ma Shwe Yee, Daw Yee Yee Tun, Aunty Cho, Daw Lu Lu and Ma Poe Phyu

Daw Khin Thiri Win, Daw Thu Thu Win and Daw Lu Lu Win

Daw Khaung Bu

Michelle

May Than Nu and May Thinzar Oo

Swiss Time Square grand opening

Ko Thet Myo and Dr Khin Zaw Hein

Ko Arkar, Ko Tun Tun and Ko Kyaw Naing Oo

San Yati Moe Myint

www.mmtimes.com
German Unity Day

the pulse socialite 53

NYEIN EI EI HTWE
nyeineieihtwe23@gmail.com

A BUSY week (as ever) for Socialite kicked off with the German Unity Day occasion at the Strand Hotel on October 7. Taking a break from mere office work, she slipped out for the JVC new products launch at Parkroyal Hotel and the grand opening of Swiss Time Square in Bahan township on October 11. Next day saw her at the Xperia Z launch at the Sony showroom, and then at the promotion sale of The Rich Gems. On October 13, she popped into the opening ceremony of My Princess Clinic at U Chit Maung Housing, Tarmwe township. Needless to say, she prominently attended the Zar & Diamonds promotion fair at Junction Square before jetting to Nay Pyi Taw for the launch of the Ocean Super Centre.

U Hla Tun and HE Weber-Lortsch

U Zaw Zaw and Ruud JM Von Martels

Charmz Charity Auction

Ma Mee Nge and Colonel Bill Dickey

Svea, Lisa, Vanessa and Vonne

Daw Nwe Nwe Soe and Ashley Pritchard

San Bauk Yar

Poe Ei Phyu Sin

Arier Thuta

British Embassy gathering

John Frew and Sherazade Delhoume

Peter Crowhurst, Le Giang, James R Pitchon

Brooke Zobrist and Nant Thazin Min

Sony Xperia Z product launch

Mr Miura, Mr Eithan and Ms Karan

54 the pulse travel

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

DOMESTIC FLIGHT SCHEDULES

YANGON TO NAY PYI TAW Flight FMI A1 FMI A1 FMI B1 FMI A1 FMI C1 Days 1,2,3,4,5 6 1,2,3,4,5 7 1,2,3,4,5 Dep 7:30 8:00 11:30 15:30 16:30 Arr 8:30 9:00 12:30 16:30 17:30 MANDALAY TO YANGON Flight YJ 902 YJ 902 YH 910 Y5 233 YJ 892 YH 918 YJ 143/W97143 Arr 9:50 11:00 14:00 18:00 19:00 6T 402 K7 223 W9 201 W9 144 W9 201 YJ 002 Y5 132 YJ 002 YANGON TO MANDALAY Flight W9 512 YH 917 YJ 901 YJ 891 Y5 234 6T 401 K7 222 YH 909 K7 626 K7 226 YJ 201 W9 251 6T 401 YJ 001 YJ 001 W9 201 8M 6603 W9 251 K7 624 YJ 751/W9 7751 YJ 201 YJ 211 YJ 761 YJ 751/W9 7751 YH 727 YH 729 YH 737 YH 737 YJ 191 YJ 601 W9 129 K7 224 6T 501 YH 731 6T 501 YJ 005 Days 3 Daily 2,3,4,7 Daily Daily Daily Daily 1,2,4,6 1,5 2,4 1 Daily 1 2,4 3 1,2,3 2,4,7 2 Daily 7 2,3,4 7 1,2,4,6 5 1 2,4,6 3,5 7 2 6 1,2,3 Daily 2,3,4,5,6,7 Daily 1 3 Dep 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:10 6:15 6:20 6:30 6:15 6:45 6:45 7:00 7:00 7:00 7:30 7:30 7:45 9:00 10:30 10:30 10:30 11:00 11:00 11:00 11:00 11:00 11:00 11:00 11:00 12:00 12:15 14:45 14:30 13:45 15:00 15:30 15:30 Arr 8:05 8:20 7:25 8:15 7:30 8:25 8:40 7:55 8:10 8:10 8:25 9:05 9:40 9:35 8:25 9:10 10:10 11:55 11:55 12:25 12:25 12:25 12:55 12:55 13:10 14:00 13:10 13:40 12:55 13:40 16:40 16:35 15:45 17:10 17:30 16:40 YANGON TO NYAUNG U Flight YH 917 YJ 901 YJ 901 YJ 891 YH 909 YH 909 6T 401 K7 222 YH 909 YH 921 Days Daily 2,4,6 3 Daily 5,7 1,2,4,6 Daily Daily 3 4 Dep 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:10 6:15 6:15 6:20 6:30 6:30 6:30 Arr 7:35 8:10 9:05 7:30 7:50 8:40 7:40 7:50 8:10 8:05 YANGON TO HEHO Flight Days Dep YH 917 Daily 6:00 YJ 891 Daily 6:10 6T 401 Daily 6:20 K7 222 Daily 6:30 W9 201 4,5,6,7 7:30 K7 828 1,3,5 7:30 W9 201 1,2,3 7:45 YJ 751/W9 7751 7 10:30 W9 119 1,3, 10:30 YH 505 4,6 10:30 Arr 9:05 9:00 9:20 9:30 9:40 8:45 9:55 11:40 11:40 11:55 YJ 202 K7 227 K7 627 YJ 202 K7 845 YH 730 YJ 202 W9 120 YJ 202 6T 502 YH 728 YJ 762 W9 129 K7 225 YJ 006 W9 129 YJ 602 YH 732 K7 625 YH 738 8M 6604 YH 738 YH 730 W9 511 W9 252 YJ 752/W9 7752 YJ 192 6T 502 Days 2,7 3,4 1,2,4,6 Daily Daily 1,2,3,5,6,7 1,2,3 Daily Daily 4,5,6,7 Daily 1,2,3 3 3,5,6,7 2 6 2,4 1,5 1 2,4,7 4 4 1,3 2,3 2,3,4,5,6,7 1 1,2,4,6 4,5,6,7 Daily 3 1,2,3 6 Daily Daily 3,5 2,4,7 7 2 2 2 5 2 1 Dep 7:40 7:40 7:55 8:10 8:30 8:20 9:20 8:45 8:55 9:10 9:20 9:25 9:25 9:30 9:50 10:30 10:35 10:55 11:30 12:50 14:00 15:30 15:45 15:30 16:05 16:30 16:35 16:40 16:50 16:55 16:55 16:55 17:10 17:10 17:10 17:20 17:40 17:45 17:30 17:35 17:30 17:45 17:50 Arr 9:45 10:40 10:00 9:25 10:25 10:15 10:45 10:45 11:00 11:05 10:45 11:20 10:20 10:30 10:45 11:55 12:00 12:20 12:55 16:00 17:45 17:35 17:10 16:55 18:10 17:55 18:00 18:45 19:00 18:45 19:00 18:20 19:15 18:35 18:35 18:30 19:05 19:10 19:35 19:00 18:55 18:40 19:55 NYAUNG U TO YANGON Flight Days Dep YH 917 Daily 7:35 YJ 891 Daily 7:45 6T 401 Daily 7:55 K7 222 Daily 8:05 YH 910 3 8:10 YJ 902 2 8:25 YJ 902 4 8:25 YH 910 1,2,4,6 8:40 YJ 902 3 9:20 YH 910 5,7 9:40 6T 502 2,3,4,5,6,7 16:50 W9 129 Daily 17:25 W9 129 1,2,3 17:40 K7 225 Daily 17:45 YH 732 Daily 17:55 6T 502 1 18:35 YANGON TO MYITKYINA Flight Days Dep YJ 201 6 6:00 YJ 211 5 7:00 YJ 201 1 7:00 K7 844 2,4,7 7:30 W9 251 2 10:30 K7 624 Daily 10:30 YJ 201 2,3,4,7 11:00 MYITKYINA TO YANGON Flight Days Dep YJ 202 6 9:05 YJ 202 1 10:05 YJ 202 7,4 14:05 YJ 211 7 14:05 YJ 211 5 10:05 YJ 202 2,3 14:05 K7 625 Daily 15:40 W9 252 2 16:05 Arr 10:15 10:25 10:45 11:00 9:30 9:45 10:45 10:00 10:40 11:00 18:10 18:45 19:00 19:00 19:15 19:55 6T 501 W9 129 W9 129 K7 224 YH 731 6T 501 2,3,4,5,6,7 4,5,6,7 1,2,3 Daily Daily 1 13:45 14:30 14:45 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:35 17:10 17:25 17:25 17:55 18:20 YJ 761 YJ 751/W9 7751 YH 505 YH 737 YH 727 K7 826 6T 501 W9 129 W9 129 K7 224 YH 731 6T 501 1,2,4,6 3,5 7 3,5,7 1 2,6 2,3,4,5,6,7 1,2,3 4,5,6,7 Daily Daily 1 11:00 11:00 11:00 11:00 11:00 11:45 13:45 14:45 14:30 14:30 15:00 15:30 12:10 12:10 12:25 12:25 12:25 13:00 14:55 15:55 15:40 15:45 16:25 16:40 YANGON TO THANDWE Flight Days Dep YH 505 4,6 10:30 YH 505 7 11:00 6T 605 2,4,5,7 11:15 6T 607 1,4 11:15 6T 607 6 11:15 YH 511 5 11:30 THANDWE TO YANGON Flight Days Dep 6T 605 2,4,5,7 12:25 YH 512 5 12:35 YH 506 4,6 13:10 YH 506 7 13:40 6T 608 1,3,6 14:05 Arr 13:10 13:40 12:10 13:50 12:40 12:35 Flight YH 634 K7 320 MYEIK TO YANGON Days Dep 5,7 11:25 Daily 11:30 Arr 13:25 13:35

NAY PYI TAW TO YANGON Flight FMI A2 FMI A2 FMI B2 FMI A2 FMI C2 Days 1,2,3,4,5 6 1,2,3,4,5 7 1,2,3,4,5 Dep 8:50 10:00 13:00 17:00 18:00

HEHO TO YANGON Flight YH 910 YH 918 YJ 892 6T 402 K7 223 W9 201 W9 201 YH 506 YH 506 K7 829 6T 501 W9 120 YH 728 YJ 762 W9 129 K7 224 W9 129 YH 731 YH 738 YH 730 YH 730 YJ 752/W9 7752 YH 738 6T 501 YJ 752/W9 7752 K7 827 Days 5,7 1,2,3,5,6,7 Daily Daily Daily 4,5,6,7 1,2,3 4,6 7 1,3,5 2,3,4,5,6,7 1,3 1 1,2,4,6 4,5,6,7 Daily 1,2,3 Daily 3,5 4 6 5 7 1 3 2,6 Dep 8:45 9:05 9:15 9:35 9:45 9:55 10:10 11:55 12:25 13:50 15:10 15:00 15:45 15:50 15:55 16:00 16:10 16:25 16:25 16:35 17:45 16:45 16:55 16:55 17:15 17:25 Arr 11:00 10:15 10:25 10:45 11:00 11:05 11:20 14:00 14:30 15:05 18:10 17:10 17:55 18:00 18:45 19:00 19:00 19:15 18:35 17:45 19:10 18:55 19:05 19:55 18:25 18:40

Arr 15:00 14:55 14:00 14:30 15:00

Domestic Airlines
Air Bagan Ltd. (W9) Air KBZ (K7)
Tel : 513322, 513422, 504888, Fax : 515102 Tel: 372977~80, 533030~39 (Airport), Fax: 372983

Arr 8:50 9:50 9:50 11:05 13:25 13:25 13:50

Air Mandalay (6T)

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

Asian Wings (YJ)

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

Arr 11:55 12:55 17:35 18:05 13:25 16:55 18:35 19:00

Golden Myanmar Airlines (Y5)

Tel: 95 9 400446999, 95 9 400447999, Fax: 01 860 4051

Yangon Airways(YH)

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

YANGON TO SIT T WE Flight 6T 605 K7 426 6T 607 Days 2,4,5,7 Daily 1,3,6 Dep 11:15 12:30 11:15 Arr 13:15 13:50 12:40

FMI Air Charter - Sales & Reservations

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

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

SIT T WE TO YANGON Flight 6T 606 K7 427 6T 608 Days 2,4,5,7 Daily 1,3,6 Dep 13:35 14:05 13:00 Arr 15:00 15:25 15:00

YANGON TO MYEIK Flight K7 319 YH 633 Days Daily 5,7 Dep 7:00 7:00 Arr 9:05 9:15

Subject to change without notice

www.mmtimes.com

the pulse travel 55

INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT SCHEDULES

Flights PG 706 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 TG 302 8M 331 PG 704 Y5 237 TG 306 YANGON TO BANGKOK Days Dep Daily 7:15 Daily 8:20 Daily 9:50 Daily 10:30 Daily 14:55 Daily 16:30 Daily 18:20 Daily 18:05 Daily 19:45 Arr 9:30 10:05 11:45 12:25 16:50 18:15 20:15 19:50 21:40 Arr 10:20 14:05 19:35 Arr 5:00 12:25 14:40 14:45 16:05 16:05 21:15 23:35 20:05 Arr 11:50 12:50 16:30 20:00 Arr 21:55 Arr 13:15 15:50 22:15 Arr 16:15 Arr 18:35 18:00 17:35 Arr 16:10 Arr 21:30 MANDALAY TO KUNMING Flights Days Dep MU 2030 Daily 14:40 Flights 8M 336 TG 303 PG 701 TG 301 PG 703 TG 305 8M 332 PG 705 Y5 238 BANGKOK TO YANGON Days Dep Daily 11:30 Daily 7:55 Daily 8:50 Daily 13:00 Daily 16:45 Daily 17:50 Daily 19:15 Daily 20:15 Daily 21:10 Arr 17:20 Arr 0:15 8:50 9:40 13:45 17:35 18:45 20:00 21:30 21:55 Arr 8:00 17:20 11:45 Arr 9:20 10:45 10:40 14:50 15:45 17:05 23:35 18:25 14:45 Arr 13:15 Arr 8:00 11:15 13:50 14:40 Arr 10:30 16:35 15:50 Arr 9:55 Arr 11:30 13:15 13:55 Arr 18:10 Arr 18:10 DON MUEANG TO MANDALAY Flights Days Dep Arr FD 2760 Daily 10:50 12:15 KUNMING TO MANDALAY Flights Days Dep MU 2029 Daily 13:55 Arr 13:50

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

YANGON TO DON MUENG Flights Days Dep FD 2752 Daily 8:30 FD 2756 Daily 12:15 FD 2754 Daily 17:50 YANGON TO SINGAPORE Flights Days Dep MI 509 1,6 0:25 8M 231 Daily 8:00 Y5 233 Daily 10:10 SQ 997 Daily 10:25 8M 6232 Daily 11:30 3K 586 Daily 11:30 MI 517 Daily 16:40 TR 2827 2,3,4,5,7 19:05 TR 2827 1,6 15:35 YANGON TO KUALA LUMPUR Flights Days Dep 8M 501 1,3,6 7:50 AK 1427 Daily 8:30 MH 741 Daily 12:15 MH 743 Daily 15:45 Flights CA 906 YANGON TO BEIJING Days Dep 2,3,4,6,7 14:15

Culture war as the Maldives opens up to backpackers

MALE

DON MUENG TO YANGON Flights Days Dep FD 2751 Daily 7:15 FD 2753 Daily 16:35 FD 2755 Daily 11:10 Flights SQ 998 3K 585 8M 6231 8M 232 MI 518 Y5 234 MI 520 TR 2826 TR 2826 Flights CA 905 SINGAPORE TO YANGON Days Dep Daily 7:55 Daily 9:20 Daily 9:10 Daily 13:25 Daily 14:20 Daily 15:35 5,7 22:10 2,3,4,5,7 17:00 1,6 13:15 BEIJING TO YANGON Days Dep 2,3,4,6,7 8:05

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

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

Bangkok Airways (PG) Condor (DE)

Tel: 255122, 255 265, Fax: 255119 Tel: + 95 1 -370836 up to 39 (ext : 810)

ADAM PLOWRIGHT

Dragonair (KA)

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

Golden Myanmar Airlines (Y5)

Tel: 95 9 400446999, 95 9 400447999, Fax: 01 860 4051

YANGON TO GAUNGZHOU Flights Days Dep 8M 711 2,4,7 8:40 CZ 3056 3,6 11:20 CZ 3056 1,5 17:40 Flights CI 7916 Flights MU 2012 MU 2032 CA 906 YANGON TO TAIPEI Days Dep 1,2,3,4,5,6 10:50 YANGON TO KUNMING Days Dep 1,3 12:20 2,4,5,6,7 14:40 2,3,4,6,7 14:15

KAULA LUMPUR TO YANGON Flights Days Dep AK 1426 Daily 6:55 MH 740 Daily 10:05 8M 502 1,3,6 12:50 MH742 Daily 13:30 GUANGZHOU TO YANGON Flights Days Dep CZ 3055 3,6 8:40 CZ 3055 1,5 14:45 8M 712 2,4,7 14:15 Flights CI 7915 Flights MU 2011 CA 905 MU 2031 TAIPEI TO YANGON Days Dep 1,2,3,4,5,6 7:00 KUNMING TO YANGON Days Dep 1,3 8:20 2,3,4,6,7 12:40 2,4,5,6,7 13:30

Malaysia Airlines (MH)

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

Myanmar Airways International(8M)

Tel : 255260, Fax: 255305

Silk Air(MI)

Tel: 255 287~9, Fax: 255 290

Thai Airways (TG)

Tel : 255491~6, Fax : 255223

Vietnam Airlines (VN)

Fax : 255086. Tel 255066/ 255088/ 255068.

Qatar Airways (Temporary Office)

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

YANGON TO CHIANG MAI Flights Days Dep W9 9607 7 14:20 Flights VN 956 YANGON TO HANOI Days Dep 1,3,5,6,7 19:10

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

CHIANG MAI TO YANGON Flights Days Dep W9 9608 7 17:20 Flights VN 957 HANOI TO YANGON Days Dep 1,3,5,6,7 16:35

YANGON TO HO CHI MINH CITY Flights Days Dep Arr VN 942 2,4,7 14:25 17:10 Flights QR 619 YANGON TO DOHA Days Dep 1,4,5 8:15 Arr 11:15

HO CHI MINH CITY TO YANGON Flights Days Dep Arr VN 943 2,4,7 11:40 13:25 BANGKOK TO MANDALAY Flights Days Dep TG 781 2,3,5,6,7 7:25 PG 709 1,3,5,7 12:00 Flights QR 618 Arr 8:50 13:20

HE Maldives is one of the worlds most exclusive holiday destinations but it has quietly opened up to backpackers in the last five years with a reform that has upset religious hardliners. Most visitors arrive at the countrys airport island, take a speed boat or seaplane to their expensive coralfringed private resort and spend the next week relaxing in blissful ignorance of the country around them. It has been this way for decades, the result of a deliberate policy of keeping the wealthy holidaymakers mostly Westerners and often newly-weds on uninhabited islands separate from the local Muslim population. The Islamic Republic applies different laws to each: Travellers are free to drink alcohol, eat pork, and, for those not on their honeymoon, enjoy pre-marital sex. Elsewhere, Maldivian women can be flogged in public for fornication. Since Maldives is a Muslim country, we have always supported the idea that the tourism industry should be separate from the inhabited islands, says Mauroof Hussain, vice president of the conservative Adhaalath Party. If the hippy type of travellers come, along will come drugs and narcotics which even now our society is suffering from, says Hussain, whose party has been a minority partner in successive governments since 2008. While the archipelago is still far from the hippy trail, the sight of backpackers wandering around Male and the nearby island of Maafushi is growing thanks to a new policy to attract budget travellers.

Things like nudity are not acceptable in a place where people are living, adds Mauroof. The people complain that they are praying in the mosque and just outside there are tourists in bikinis. Since a reform under the countrys first democratically elected president Mohamed Nasheed in 2009, Maldivians have been allowed to open their own guest houses on populated islands. What started as a trickle of guest houses has become a torrent, with entrepreneurs like 25-year-old Ibrahim Mohamed converting properties and profiting from what is the islands biggest business and foreign exchange earner. Maldivians are very welcoming people. It wasnt Maldivians that wanted separation. It was the government and a few businessmen saying that they should be isolated, Mohamed said. The Maldives cant hide from the world anymore. One of the people to take advantage of the changes is Dutch tourist Chris Constandse, a 27-year-old web designer who works for a travel website in Amsterdam. He booked a few nights at a hotel in the capital, but plans to spend the rest of his two-week holiday staying in guest houses dotted around the country of more than 1000 islands. Backpackers go to India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and I was like I always do things different, so I thought Id go backpacking in the Maldives, he said shortly before leaving on a ferry for one of the nearby islands. The most important thing is that you get in touch with the people. Ive stayed in Male for three nights and Ive already met some people and made some friends. AFP

YANGON TO PHNOM PENH Flights Days Dep Arr 8M 403 3,6 16:50 19:15 Flights 0Z 770 KE 472 YANGON TO SEOUL Days Dep Arr 4,7 0:35 9:10 Daily 23:35 08:05+1 Arr 06:00

DOHA TO YANGON Days Dep Arr 3,4,7 21:05 07:00+1

YANGON TO HONG KONG Flights Days Dep KA 251 1,2,4,6 01:10 Flights NH 914 Flights AI 228

PHNOM PENH TO YANGON Flights Days Dep Arr 8M 404 3,6 20:15 21:40 Flights KE 471 0Z 769 Flights NH 913 Flights KA 250 Flights AI 227 SEOUL TO YANGON Days Dep Daily 18:40 3,6 19:50 TOKYO TO YANGON Days Dep Daily 10:30 HONG KONG TO YANGON Days Dep 1,3,5,7 21:45 KOLKATA TO YANGON Days Dep 1,5 10:35 Arr 22:30 23:25 Arr 15:30 Arr 23:30 Arr 13:20

YANGON TO TOKYO Days Dep Arr Daily 21:45 06:50+1 YANGON TO KOLKATA Days Dep 1,5 14:05 Arr 15:05 Arr 11:55 16:35

MANDALAY TO BANGKOK Flights Days Dep TG 782 2,3,5,6,7 9:30 PG 710 1,3,5,7 14:10

Subject to change without notice

Day 1 = Monday 2 = Tuesday 3 = Wednesday 4 = Thursday 5 = Friday 6 = Saturday 7 = Sunday

MANDALAY TO DON MUENG Flights Days Dep Arr FD 2761 Daily 12:45 15:00

The Malidives is undergoing a tourism transformation as the country opens up to backpackers. Photo: AFP

56 the pulse international

FILM REVIEW
OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013
AQUARIUS | Jan 20 - Feb 18

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

WEEKLY PREDICTIONS
LEO | Jul 23 - Aug 22 Great people talk about ideas, average people talk about themselves and small people talk about others because of different aspirations. There really is no upside to gossip. Thats why you should avoid not only spreading gossip but also being the recipient of it. Know that in the long run, integrity, consistency and productivity always pay off. Base your decisions on principles and work to control your own destiny. VIRGO | Aug 23 - Sep 22 The only way to improve is to practice your craft until you know it inside and out. By improving yourself, your world is made better also. Dont be afraid of growing slowly, but be afraid only of standing still. Forget your mistakes but remember what they taught you and why. Send an anonymous gift to someone you love and hope to be loved back. LIBRA | Sep 23 - Oct 22 No two things in the scheme of nature are equal and no two leaves of the same tree are equal. You can make something equal according to your different experiences and knowledge. Equality is an attitude of your intellectual mind. The right or wrong decisions will affect not only the present generation but the following generations as well. Love never comes from different golden hearts but from the simple heart. SCORPIO | Oct 23 - Nov 21 If you lack a deep inner sense of self-esteem and self-worth, you will constantly have problems with other people. Worry, anxiety, pressure and frustration all of these can cause you to be blinded by the real world all around you. Try to test your strength of intuitive drive to be wise. In a romance, what you see is what you get. SAGITTARIUS | Nov 22 - Dec 21 The number one characteristic of a leader is to make things happen. Learn to lead despite the restrictions others have placed on you and take final responsibility to live a life of integrity. Over the course of your leadership journey, your character and integrity will invariably be tested. You will never completely acclimatise to stress or tension, so you need to find a way to relieve it. CAPRICORN | Dec 22 - Jan 19 Draw people with a high potential into your inner circle so you can give your best to the best people. Know what people want in order to be effective and to be in the picture, and to be a part of the celebrations. Your resourcefulness can find creative ways to make things happen. Clean up negative emotions within you that are blocking you in your personal relationship.

One of the most frustrating aspects of your life is not being able to understand other peoples behaviour. Practise the habit looking beyond the short fallings of others and letting go. It will make your life easier and not cause undue worry. The greatest reason to practice random acts of kindness is that it brings great contentment into your life.
Sandra Bullock plays a survivor in space in the film Gravity. Photo: The Washington Post

Gravity takes hold in cinemas

N Alfonso Cuarons sublime space thriller Gravity, teardrops dont roll, they float, perfect little spheres drifting toward our 3-D glasses with heartbreaking delicacy. The films visual grace notes are as breathtaking as the big, sweeping effects that launch this work into a galaxy as stunning in its way as Stanley Kubricks 2001: A Space Odyssey. In his first feature film since the 2006 sci-fi drama Children of Men, Cuaron has broken extraordinary ground here, creating a film-going immersion in outer space that, at least for those of us whove gotten no closer than an airplane allows, feels unfailingly right. Written by the director and his son Jonas Cuaron, Gravity uses cutting-edge visual and sound effects to tell a deceptively simple story. The sole survivors of a shuttle obliterated (onscreen) by a debris field of junk, space-newcomer Dr Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and right-stuff astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) are adrift in space. Tethered together, their oxygen running low and all communication with Earth disabled, the pair, with one jet pack between them, sets off for a distant space station before the next wave of trash arrives. As Clooneys cool-headed Kowalski draws out the terrified Stones tragic backstory, Gravity meshes the sci-fi operatics with some very human existential angst. Playing out in near-real time, the 90-minute adventure (the 3-D version is highly recommended) contains one horrifying setback after another. In one of the most glorious sequences - Tim Webbers visual effects are bar-raising - the duo gets tangled in the long, undulating ropes of a shuttles deployed parachute, as if caught in the tentacles of a giant, billowing sea anemone. Even as Emmanuel Lubezkis cinematography swoops and swirls to mimic disorientation, Gravity never dissolves into trippiness. The narrative is clean and straightforward, the visuals as realistic as the view from a telescope. The sound design is no less awesome, shifting among the tinny crackle of mission control, the heavy breathing inside the space helmets and Steven Prices lovely, forceful score. Gravity often switches to abrupt dreamy silences. In a remarkable scene, the humongous space station is soundlessly reduced to rubble behind Bullocks back. Bullock fulfills the promise of her earliest, smartest self, in a performance thats emotional and flinty but without her late-career sap. Clooney is a star without rival in a perfect-fit role. Cuaron gets so much right with the tough-minded Gravity that a late-in-coming nod to spirituality feels like a sop, an unnecessary bow to foxhole enlightenment. He asks for the moon when he already has the stars. Bloomberg Gravity in Digital 3D is currently playing at Shae Saung Cinema (Yamgon) and Mingalar Diamond Cineplex (Mandalay).

PISCES | Feb 19 - March 20 Learn to be pleasantly surprised and even grateful when you receive compliments from others. Develop a logical perspective to assist your lifes journey. Remember to start your day thinking of someone to thank and thank a higher power for the gift of life itself or for the beauty of unexpected beauty in nature. Your sense of gratitude will replace resentment and frustration. ARIES | Mar 21 - Apr 19 Pride is really nothing more than a form of selfishness and is the only a way to keep people at arms length. Avoid office politics which are naturally complicated and difficult to understand clearly. I recommend that you approach getting real in your competitive environment to become more effective in dealing with it. Love needs emotional risk and practical responsibility at all times. TAURUS | Apr 20 - May 20 Learn to be happy with what you have by becoming more present in the moment and by not focusing so much on what you want. An excellent measure of happiness is the difference between what you have and what you want. Give up on the idea that more is better. Open your heart to the difficulties of daily life, and cease your desires that focus on greed and discontent. Deepen your perspective into high spirits. GEMINI | May 21 - June 20 Developing a more tranquil outlook on life requires that you know your own limits and that you take responsibility for your part in the process. Dont let anyone drive you crazy or to become frustrated. Remember, life isnt an emergency unless you make it so. Listen to your feelings which will act as a barometer letting you know what your internal weather is like. Passion that nearly drives one mad is always far from love. CANCER | Jun 21 - Jul 22 Learn to keep your perspective and to stay loving toward yourself, and dont worry about being perfect. Keep calm and stay open to possibilities, remembering that something may be so and something may be not. What you receive is directly proportional to what you give. Give more freely of yourself in your own unique way, and you will experience more peace than you ever thought possible.

London eats up new baking craze

ROBERT LESLIE FIRST there was the Cronut. Now theres the Dosant and the Crodough. Londoners, it seems, just cant get enough of doughnutcroissant crossovers. From hip east London to tea rooms, high-street cafes and sky-rise restaurants, the high-calorie hybrids are flying off the shelves like the proverbial hot cakes. The craze was dreamed up earlier this year by French chef Dominique Ansel at his bakery in New York, but across the Atlantic it has taken on a life of its own. Jennifer Rinkoff, the fourth generation of her family working in their bakery in east London, claims to have been the first to import the doughnut-croissant into Britain. She worked for three days with a 100-year-old family dough recipe to perfect what she calls a Crodough the name Cronut already being under US trademark protection. Made from laminated dough flattened and folded into countless layers it is deep fried and then filled with a choice of custard, raspberry coulis or toffee apple crumble. I saw on Twitter that people were asking where they could get a Cronut in London, she said, as a queue began to form in the small bakery. So I played with the dough and by the third day it was exactly how I wanted it. Among those eyeing up the fresh, warm Crodoughs lining the counter was student Abi, 19, who

Crodoughs are a cross between a croissant and a doughnut. Photo: AFP

heard about the phenomenon online. We decided to hunt them out and they are just so tasty we had to have them. Its like a custard explosion, like donut and croissant together what more could you want? she said.

Rinkoff started off baking just a few Crodoughs as a trial, but now sells about 200 a day. I wanted to inject a new trend into the business. I think its maybe more of a craze at the moment but I dont think its a fad, she said. I want it to be the next cupcake. AFP

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

The Essentials
EMBASSIES Australia 88, Strand Road, Yangon. Tel : 251810, 251797, 251798, 251809, 246462, 246463, fax: 246159 Bangladesh 11-B, Than Lwin Road, Yangon. Tel: 515275, 526144, fax: 515273, email: bdootygn@ mptmail.net.mm Brazil 56, Pyay Road, 6th mile, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 507225, 507251, 507482. fax: 507483. email: Administ.yangon@ itamaraty.gov.br. Brunei 17, Kanbawza Avenue, Golden Velly (1), Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 566985, 503978, fax: 512854 email: bruneiemb@ bruneiemb.com.mm Cambodia 25 (3B/4B), New University Avenue Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 549609, 540964, fax: 541462, email: RECYANGON @ mptmail.net.mm China 1, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. Tel: 221280, 221281, fax: 227019, 228319 Danmark, No.7, Pyi Thu St, Pyay Rd, 7 Miles, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 01 9669520 - 17, Fax 01- 9669516 Egypt 81, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. Tel: 222886, 222887, email: egye mbyangon@ mptmail. net.mm France 102, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. Tel: 212178, 212520, email: ambaf rance. rangoun@ diplomatie.fr Germany 9, Bogyoke Aung San Museum Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 548951, 548952, email: info@rangun. diplo.de India 545-547, Merchant St, Yangon. Tel: 391219, 388412, email: indiaembassy @ mptmail.net.mm Indonesia 100, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Rd, 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 Rd, Yangon. Tel: 549644-8, 540399, 540400, 540411, 545988, fax: 549643 Embassy of the State of Kuwait Chatrium Hotel, Rm: 416, 418, 420, 422, 40 Natmauk Rd, Tarmwe Tsp, Tel: 544500. North Korea 77C, Shin Saw Pu Rd, Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 512642, 510205 South Korea 97 University Avenue, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 5271424, 515190, fax: 513286, email: myanmar@mofat. go.kr Lao A-1, Diplomatic Quarters, Tawwin Road, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 222482, fax: 227446, email: Laoembcab@ mptmail. net.mm Malaysia 82, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. Tel: 220248, 220249, email: mwkyangon@ mptmail.net.mm Nepal 16, Natmauk Yeiktha, Yangon. Tel: 545880, 557168, fax: 549803, email: nepemb @mptmail.net.mm Norway, No.7, Pyi Thu St, Pyay Rd, 7 Miles, Mayangone Tsp,Yangon. Tel: 01 9669520 - 17 Fax 01- 9669516 New Zealand No. 43/C, Inya Myaing Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 01-2305805 Netherlands Diplomatic Mission No. 43/C, Inya Myaing Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 01-2305805 Pakistan A-4, diplomatic Quarters, Pyay Rd, Yangon. Tel: 222881 (Chancery Exchange) fax: 221147, 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, Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia No.287/289, U Wisara Rd, Sanchaung Tsp. Tel : 01-536153, 516952, fax : 01-516951 Serbia No. 114-A, Inya Rd, P.O.Box No. 943, Yangon. Tel: 515282, 515283, email: serbemb @ yangon.net.mm Singapore 238, Dhamazedi Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 559001, email: singemb_ ygn@_ sgmfa. gov.sg Sri Lanka 34 Taw Win Road, Yangon. Tel: 222812, The Embassy of Switzerland No 11, Kabaung Lane, 5 mile, Pyay Rd, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 534754, 512873, 507089. Fax: 534754, Ext: 110 Thailand 94 Pyay Rd, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 226721, 226728, 226824 Turkish Embassy 19AB, Kan Yeik Thar St, Mayangone Tsp,Yangon. Tel : 662992, Fax : 661365 United Kingdom 80 Strand Rd, Yangon. Tel: 370867, 380322, 371852, 371853, 256438, fax: 370866 United States of America 110, University Avenue, Kamayut Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 536509, 535756, Fax: 650306 Vietnam Bldg-72, Thanlwin Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 511305 UNITED NATIONS ILO Liaison 1-A, Kanbae (Thitsar Rd), Yankin Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 01-566538, 566539 Fax : 01-566582 IOM 12th Flr, Traders Hotel, 223, Tel: 252560 ext. 5002 UNAIDS 137/1, Thaw Wun Rd, Kamayut Tsp. Tel : 534498, 504832 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., Bahan, tel: 52910~19 UNICEF 14~15 Flr, Traders Hotel. P.O. Box 1435, Kyauktada. tel: 375527~32, fax: 375552 email: unicef. yangon@unicef. org, www.unicef.org/myanmar. UNODC 11-A, Malikha Rd., Ward 7, Mayangone. tel: 01-9666903, 9660556, 9660538, 9660398, 9664539, fax: 651334. email: fo.myanmar@unodc.org www.unodc.org./myanmar/ UNOPS Inya Lake Hotel, 3rd floor, 37, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Mayangone Tsp. tel: 951657281~7. Fax: 657279. UNRC 6, Natmauk Rd, P.O. Box 650, TMWE tel: 542911~19, 292637 (Resident Coordinator), fax: 292739, 544531. WFP 3rd-flr, Inya Lake Hotel, 37, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd. tel: 657011~6 (6-lines) Ext: 2000. WHO 12A Fl, Traders Hotel. tel:250583. ASEAN Coordinating Of. for the ASEAN Humanitarian Task Force, 79, Taw Win st, Dagon Tsp. Ph: 225258. FAO Myanma Agriculture Service Insein Rd, Insein. tel: 641672, 641673. fax: 641561.

General Listing
ACCOMMODATIONHOTELS
Hotel Yangon 91/93, 8th Mile Junction, Tel : 01-667708, 667688. Inya Lake Resort Hotel 37 Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd. tel: 662866. fax: 665537. Golden Hill Towers 24-26, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp. tel: 558556. ghtower@ mptmail.net.mm. Marina Residence 8, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Mayangone Tsp. tel: 6506 51~4. fax: 650630. MiCasa Hotel Apartments 17, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Yankin Tsp. tel: 650933. fax: 650960. Sakura Residence 9, Inya Rd, Kamaryut Tsp. tel: 525001. fax: 525002. The Grand Mee Ya Hta Executive Residence 372, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Pabedan Tsp. tel 951-256355 (25 lines).

YANGON No. 277, Bogyoke Aung San Road, Corner of 38th Street, Kyauktada Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : (951) 391070, 391071. Reservation@391070 (Ext) 1910, 106. Fax : (951) 391375. Email : hotelasiaplaza@gmail.com

Asia Plaza Hotel

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

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

ACCOMMODATIONHOTELS (Nay Pyi Taw)

(Nay Pyi Taw)

No.7A, Wingabar Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : (951) 546313, 430245. 09-731-77781~4. Fax : (01) 546313. www.cloverhotel.asia. info@cloverhotel.asia Clover Hotel City Center No. 217, 32nd Street (Upper Block), Pabedan Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 377720, Fax : 377722 www.clovercitycenter.asia Clover Hotel City Center Plus No. 229, 32nd Street (Upper Block), Pabedan Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 377975, Fax : 377974
www.clovercitycenterplus.asia

Royal White Elephant Hotel No-11, Kan Street, Hlaing Tsp. Yangon, Myanmar. (+95-1) 500822, 503986. www.rwehotel.com MGM Hotel No (160), Warden Street, Lanmadaw Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. +95-1-212454~9. www. hotel-mgm.com Savoy Hotel 129, Damazedi Rd, Kamayut tsp. tel: 526289, 526298, Sedona Hotel Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Yankin. tel: 666900. Strand Hotel 92 Strand Rd. tel: 243377. fax: 289880. Summit Parkview Hotel 350, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp. tel: 211888, 211966. Traders Hotel 223 Sule Pagoda Rd. tel: 242828. fax: 242838. Winner Inn 42, Than Lwin Rd, Bahan Tsp. Tel: 503734, 524387. email: reservation@winner innmyanmar.com Windsor Hotel No.31, Shin Saw Pu Street, Sanchaung. Yangon, Myanmar. Ph: 95-1-511216~8, www. hotelwindsoryangon.com Yuzana Hotel 130, Shwegondaing Rd, Bahan Tsp, tel : 01-549600 Yuzana Garden Hotel 44, Alanpya Pagoda Rd, Mingalar Taung Nyunt Tsp, tel : 01-248944

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

RESORTS

Confort Inn 4, Shweli Rd, Bet: Inya Rd & U Wisara Rd, Kamaryut, tel: 525781, 526872

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

AIR CONDITION

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

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

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

The First Air conditioning systems designed to keep you fresh all day Zeya & Associates Co., Ltd. No.437 (A), Pyay Road, Kamayut. P., O 11041 Yangon, Tel: +(95-1) 502016-18, Mandalay- Tel: 02-60933. Nay Pyi Taw- Tel: 067-420778, E-mail : sales.ac@freshaircon. com. URL: http://www. freshaircon.com

ACCOMMODATION LONG TERM

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

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

HAPPY HOMES
REAL ESTATE & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

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

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

THE MYANMAR TIMES october 21 - 27, 2013 car rental

Lobby Bar Parkroyal Yangon, Myanmar. 33, Alan Pya Phaya Road, Dagon Tsp. tel: 250388. Lemon Day Spa No. 96 F, Inya Road, Kamaryut Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 514848, 09-732-08476. E.mail: lemondayspa.2011 @gmail.com
MYANMAR EXECUTIVE LIMOUSINE SERVICE

Construction

ENTERTAINMENT

GAS COOKER & Cooker Hoods

HOT LINE: 959 - 402 510 003 First Class VIP Limousine Car Rental. Professional English Speaking Drivers. Full Insurance for your Safety and comfortable journey Call us Now for your best choice www.mmels.com International Construction Material Co., Ltd. No. 60, Sint-Oh-Dan St, Lower Block, Latha Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 01-2410292, 243551, 09-431-83689, 09-448033905.

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

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

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

Advertising
WE STARTED THE ADVERTISING INDUSTRY IN MYANMAR SINCE 1991

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

One Stop ENT Center No. (68), Tawwin Street, 9 Mile, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : (951) 9 666141 Fax : (951) 9 666135 Email : info@witoriyahospital.com Website : www.witoriyahosptial.com

Engineering

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

A d v e r t i s i n g

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

Spa Paragon Condo B#Rm-106, Shwe Hinthar Condo, Corner of Pyay Rd & Shwe Hinthar St, 6Mile, Yangon. Tel: 01-507344 Ext: 112, 09-680-8488, 09-526-1642.

Car Rental Service No. 56, Bo Ywe St, Latha Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 01-246551, 375283, 09-2132778, 09-31119195. Gmail:nyanmyintthu1983@ gmail.com,

coffee machine

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

One-stop Solution for Sub-station, M&E Work Design, Supply and Install (Hotel, High Rise Building Factory) 193/197, Shu Khin Thar Street, North Okkalapa Industrial Zone, Yangon. Tel: 951-691843~5, 9519690297, Fax: 951-691700 Email: supermega97@ gmail.com. www.supermega-engg.com

Yangon : A-3, Aung San Stadium (North East Wing), Mingalartaungnyunt Tsp. Tel : 245543, 09-73903736, 09-73037772. Mandalay : No.(4) 73rd St, Btw 30th & 31st St, Chan Aye Thar Zan Tsp. Tel : 096803505, 09-449004631.

Gems & Jewelleries

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

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

courier Service
DTDC Courier and Cargo Service (Since 1991) Yangon. Tel : 01-374457 Mandalay. Tel : 09-43134095. www.DTDC.COM, dtdcyangon@gmail.com Door to Door Delivery!!!

FITNESS CENTRE

BEAUTY & MASSAGE

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

150 Dhamazedi Rd., Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 536306, 537805. 15(B), Departure Lounge, Yangon Intl Airport. 45B, Crn of 26th & 68th St, Mandalay. Tel: (02) 66197. Email : yangon@ monument-books.com #87/2, Crn of 26th & 27th St, Chan Aye Thar Zan Tsp, Mandalay. Tel : (02) 24880. MYANMARBOOKCENTRE Nandawun Compound, No. 55, Baho Road, Corner of Baho Road and Ahlone Road, (near Eugenia Restaurant), Ahlone Township. tel: 212 409, 221 271. 214708 fax: 524580. email:info@ myanmarbook.com

No. 44, Inya Road, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 01-2305811, 2305812. email : info@bestjewels myanmar.com, Bestjewelsmyanmar.com

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

communication

Duty free

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

n oo !! ns ns Mo otio m o Pr

International Calling Card No.004, Building (B), Ground Floor, Yuzana St, Highway Complex Housing, Kamayut Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 01-230-4379, 09-731-74871~2 Email : info@vmg.com mm, www.vmgtelecoms.com, www.ytalk.com.mm

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

Duty Free Shops Yangon International Airport, Arrival/Departure Tel: 533030 (Ext: 206/155) Office: 17, 2nd street, Hlaing Yadanarmon Housing, Hlaing Township, Yangon. Tel: 500143, 500144, 500145.

co working space

FASHION & TAILOR

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

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

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

Tel: 549612, Fax : 545770.

24 Hour International Medical Centre @ Victoria Hospital No. 68, Tawwin Rd, 9 Mile, Mayangon Township, Yangon, Myanmar Tel: + 951 651 238, + 959 495 85 955 Fax: + 959 651 398 24/7 on duty doctor: + 959 492 18 410 Website: www.leo.com.mm One Stop Solution for Quality Health Care

CONSULTING
Sein Shwe Tailor, 797 (003-A), Bogyoke Aung San Rd, MAC Tower 2, Lanmadaw Tsp, Yangon, Ph: 01-225310, 212943~4 Ext: 146, 147, E-mail: uthetlwin@gmail.com No. 20, Ground Floor, Pearl Street, Golden Valley Ward, Bahan Township, Yangon. Tel : 09-509 7057, 01220881, 549478 (Ext : 103) Email : realfitnessmyanmar @gmail.com
www.realfitnessmyanmar.com

Myanmar Research | Consulting | Technology

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

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

The Lady Gems & Jewellery No. 7, Inya Rd, Kamayut Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 01-2305800, 09-8315555 The Lady Gems & Silk Co operative Business Centre, Room No (32/41), New University Avenue Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 09-5200726 theladygems@gmail.com www.thelady-gems.com

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

Home Furnishing

FLORAL SERVICES

GENERATORS
22, Pyay Rd, 9 mile, Mayangone Tsp. tel: 660769, 664363. No. 589-592, Bo Aung Kyaw St, Yangon-Pathein highway Road. Hlaing Tharyar tsp. Tel: 951645178-182, 685199, Fax: 951-645211, 545278. e-mail: mkt-mti@ winstrategic.com.mm

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

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

GLASS

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.

Foam spray Insulation

International Construction Material Co., Ltd. No. 60, Sint-Oh-Dan St, Lower Block, Latha Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 01-2410292, 243551, 09-431-83689, 09-448033905.

HEALTH SERVICES

European Quality & Designs Indoor/ Outdoor Furniture, Hotel Furniture & All kinds of woodworks No. 422, FJVC Centre, Ground Floor, Room No. 4, Strand Road, Botahtaung Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: 01-202063-4, 09 509-1673 E-mail: contact@ smartdesignstrading.com www.royalbotania.com, www.alexander-rose.co.uk

Foam Spray Insulation No-410, Ground Fl,Lower Pazuntaung Rd, Pazun taung Tsp, Yangon.Telefax : 01-203743, 09-5007681. Hot Line-09-730-30825.

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

S.B. FURNITURE

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

OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013 THE MYANMAR TIMES INSURANCE REMOVALISTS

Quality Chinese Dishes with Resonable Price @Marketplace by City Mart. Tel: 01-523840 Ext.109 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 Horizon Intl School 25, Po Sein Road, Bahan Tsp, tel : 541085, 551795, 551796, 450396~7. fax : 543926, email : contact@horizonmyanmar. com, www.horizon.com City Mart (Myaynigone Branch) tel: 510697. (9:00 am to 10:00 pm) City Mart (Zawana Branch) tel:564532. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (Shwe Mya Yar) tel: 294063. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (Chinatown Point) tel: 215560~63. (9:00 am to 10:00 pm) City Mart (Junction Maw Tin) tel: 218159. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (Marketplace) tel: 523840~43. City Mart (78th Brahch-Mandalay) tel: 02-71467~9. IKON Mart No.332, Pyay Rd, San Chaung. Tel: 535-783, 527705, 501429. Email: sales-ikon@ myanmar.com.mm

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

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

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

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

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

International Construction Material Co., Ltd. No. 60, Sint-Oh-Dan St, Lower Block, Latha Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 01-2410292, 243551, 09-431-83689, 09-448033905.

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

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

PLEASURE CRUISES

MARINE COMMUNICATION & NAVIGATION

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

Moby Dick Tours Co., Ltd. Islands Safari in the Mergui Archipelago 5 Days, 7 Days, 9 Days Trips Tel: 95 1 202063, 202064 E-mail: info@islandsafari mergui.com. Website: www. islandsafarimergui.com

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

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

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

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

WATER SOLUTION

SERVICE OFFICE

Company Limited

Aekar

OFFICE FURNITURE

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

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

Crown Worldwide Movers Ltd 790, Rm 702, 7th Flr Danathiha Centre, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Lanmadaw. Tel: 223288, 210 670, 227650. ext: 702. Fax: 229212. email: crown worldwide@mptmail.net.mm

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

Executive Serviced Offices

www.hinthabusinesscentres.com

Tel : 01-4413410 The Emporia Restaurant Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon 40, Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp. Lobby Level, Tel: 544500 Ext 6294

Water Treatement Solution Block (A), Room (G-12), Pearl Condo, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp. Hot Line : 09-4500-59000

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

PE WATER TANK

REAL ESTATE
Your Most Reliable & Friendly Real Estate Agency Tel : 09-7308848 01-242370, 394053

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

Enchanting and Romantic, a Bliss on the Lake 62 D, U Tun Nyein Road, Mayangon Tsp, Yangon Tel. 01 665 516, 660976 Mob. 09-730-30755 operayangon@gmail.com www.operayangon.com 1. WASABI:No.20-B, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Yankin Tsp,(Near MiCasa), Tel; 09-4250-20667, 09-503-9139 Myaynigone (City Mart) Yankin Center (City Mart) UnionBarAndGrill 42 Strand Road, Botahtaung, Yangon. Tel: 95 9420 180 214, 95 9420 101 854 www.unionyangon.com, info@unionyangon.com

TRAVEL AGENTS

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

WATER TREATMENT

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

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.

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

Real Estate Agent Agent fees is unnecessary Tel : 09 2050107, 09 448026156 robinsawnaing@gmail.com

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

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

SUPERMARKETS
Capital Hyper Mart 14(E), Min Nandar Road, Dawbon Tsp. Ph: 553136. City Mart (Aung San Branch) tel: 253022, 294765. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (47th St Branch) tel: 200026, 298746. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (Junction 8 Branch) tel: 650778. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (FMI City Branch) tel: 682323. City Mart (Yankin Center Branch) tel: 400284. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm)

WATER HEATERS

RESTAURANTS

Real Estate Agency

Bld-A2, Gr-Fl, Shwe Gabar Housing, Mindama Rd, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. email: eko-nr@ myanmar.com.mm Ph: 652391, 09-73108896 Email : realwin2012@ gmail.com Tel : 09-732-02480, 09-501-8250

Good taste & resonable price @Thamada Hotel Tel: 01-243047, 243639-41 Ext: 32

G-01, City Mart (Myay Ni Gone Center). Tel: 01-508467-70 Ext: 106

G-05, Marketplace by City Mart. Tel: 01-523840 Ext: 105 Sai Khung Noung Real Estate Co., Ltd. Tel : 541501, 551197, 400781, 09-73176988 Email : saikhungnoung 1995@gmail.com. www.saikhungnoung.com a drink from paradise... available on Earth @Yangon International Hotel, No.330, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 09-421040512

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

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

PAINT
Worlds No.1 Paints & Coatings Company

Made in Japan Same as Rinnai Gas Cooker and Cooker Hood Showroom Address

Water Heater

Monsoon Restaurant & Bar 85/87, Thein Byu Road, Botahtaung Tsp. Tel: 295224, 09-501 5653.

No. 372, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Pabedan T/S, Yangon. Tel : 01-380 398, 01-256 355 (Ext : 3027) Email : zawgyihouse@ myanmar.com.mm

VISA & IMMIGRATION

SANITERY WARE
Get your Visa online for Business and Tourist No need to come to Embassy. #165. 35th Street, Kyauktada Tsp, Yangon. Tel: +951 381200, 204020 travel.evisa@gmail.com

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

SCHOOLS
For House-Seekers 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. INTERNATIONAL MONTESSORI MYANMAR (Pre-K, Primary) 55 (B) Po Sein Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon, Tel: 01-546097, 546761. imm.myn@gmail.com Bath Room Accessories 79-B3/B3, East Shwe Gone Dine, Near SSC Womens Center, Bahan. Tel : 01-401083, 0973011100, 09-73056736

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

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

Ocean Center (North Point), Ground Floor, Tel : 09-731-83900 01-8600056

HOW TO GET A FREE AD

FREE
General
Computer Education
ISM, network, MIS, MLA, ES4E, DSY RV). All grades, All Subjects ..... Singapore MOE Exams (AEIS, S-AEIS, IGCSE, IELTS, TOFEL..Tr.Daniel Caulin : 09-215-0075. Tr.Bryan :09-4200-70692. GIVE your child the best possible start to life at International Montessori Myanmar (English Education Center), Accredited by IMC Bangkok (Since 1991), Our Montessori curriculum includes: Practical Life Exercises, Sensorial Training. Language Development, Mathematics, Cultural Studies, Botany & Zoology, History, Creative Art, Music and Movement, Cooking, Physical Development, Social & Emotional Development, Learning through play, 55(B), Po Sein Rd, Bahan, Tel: 546097, 546761, Email: imm.myn@gmail.com EXPERIENCE SAT English teacher, who can come to home, needed for 2 International school students. Pls contact 09501-4443, Between 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM. IGCSE, Secondary 3, 4 Physics, Maths B, Pure Maths Practice with 15 years old questin. Ph: 09-4500-23213. STUDY HOME for General English (4 skills) Language from Basic. Who want to study home in private time and need study guide only English Grammar for children. Let's join us Now! Contact: 09-4210- 37619. IGCSE : For those who are going to take Cambridge IGCSE coming October/ November will be tutored and trained by a professional straight A*s holder with twelve years of teaching experience & an international school graduate. Hp: 09-5139298 MATHEMATICS : If your child (Grade 9 to 10 from YIS , ISM , ISY & Yangon Academy) is difficult to learn in Algebra 1, 2 & Geometry, pls contact : Daw Naing Naing Aung, B.Com (Q)No. (6), Thuketa St, Baukhtaw, Yankin. Ph : 544594, 09500-4993. SPECIAL for Maths : For Int'l School - Grade IX, X, XI & XII, Geometry, Algebra I & II, Calculus. Tr.Kaung Myat : BE(PE) Ph-09-731-42020.

BY FAX : 01-254158 BY EMAIL : classified@myanmartimes.com.mm, advertising@myanmartimes.com.mm BY MAIL : 379/383, Bo Aung Kyaw St, Kyauktada Township, Yangon.

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

BUY SPACE ON THESE PAGES CALL: Khin Mon Mon Yi - 01-392676, 392928

Property
Language
FOR FOREIGNERS Want to learn Myanmar speaking at your home? Contact : 09-517-9125 FRENCH .a small class for reading .writing. speaking and listening can be inquired. You can practice study or reading skill if you need. French language and civilization get more knowledge for further study. Colledge and University students also study for extra curriculum. Spanish can be in quired. U Thant Zin 28, 3-B, Thatipahtan St, Tamwe. Ph:09-5035350, 09-310-21314. w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / shaping the way BZM English language center. English speaking, listening & grammar class. Only 6 students for one section. Students comfortably can learn in the cozy atmosphere classroom with air-conditioning, sophisticated classroom facilities & lecture chairs. 3 to 5 pm, except saturday. 3 days a week for one section. Also allow one- to - one (home tuition).Teacher Zin Mar Myint (got certificate from British council & TKT certificate from cambridge) Ph:094302-6789. Shwe ohn pin villa (new) , Yanshin Rd, Yankin. MCP English Classes (taught by native speakers) Fees: 25000 ks. Duration: 10 weeks per level. Add: 277, BPI Rd, Insein Ph:01646474,646397, 09400534734. email: mcp. lifeskill@gmail.com. (Enroll now for October) TO FOREIGNERS : If you want to learn Myanmar Language at your home. Contact : 09-730-85929. THE GREAT New for Foreigners : We are offering easiest way to learn Myanmar language at your home. If you would like to learn it, join us Now! we are offering fair fees for you! Ph: 09 -4210- 37619. Aung) Guide or English translator/Interpreter ] !!! I can assist you as your best Tour Car Rental Service. Mr. Sonny: 094200-48040 VIRGIN LAND Tours :Visa Services, Worldwide Air Ticketing, Worldwide Hotel Reservation, All Kind Transportation Rental, Inbound & Outbound Tour Operator, Tour Guide Services , Ph: 01-8610252, 09-5123793, 09-520-2643 GREAT ESCAPE Travels & Tours Our services : (1). FIT tour & Group tour package, (2).Hotel reservation, Guide services, (3).Chinese to Mynamar to Chinese translation service (4). Car rental service (5). Visa Application. Contact person : Kelly Dong : 094301-8077 FUTURE WINGS Travels & Tours Co., Ltd, Akhoon Int'l Trading Co., Ltd. Authorized Money Changer : 25, Konzaydan St, Pabedan Tsp. Ph: 243441, 249189, Email: akhoon.maneychanger @gmail.com NYAN MYINT THU Car Rental Service : Ko Nyan Myint Win Kyi (MD) 56, Bo Ywe St, Latha, Yangon, Myanmar. Ph : 01-246551, 01375284. Hp:09-2132778. il:nyanmyintthu1983@ gmail.com, nmt@nyan myintthucarrental. com, colwinkyi@ gmail.com. Web:www. nyanmyintthucarrental. com

SOFTWARE (POS, Money Changer, Travel & Tour Booking), Cable & Wireless Networking Service (CPE, RT, AP), Hardware & Maintenance Service, Computer Training Service. Contact: 09- 730-75931, zinmyintzx@gmail.com

Expert Services
AIR POWER, M & E Engineering Services Pte, Ltd. (Air Con & Electrical - Installation & Services) : 124, Rm 4, Padamya St, Yenatha, Thuwunna. Ph: 01-709-717, 570-086, 09501-4435. AUNG Professional Translation Professional Translation from Myanmar to English and English to Myanmar. For Legal translation, Technological, Diplo matic, Contract, Advertis ing, Movie, Literature, etc. With various services on paper, electronic file, recording & other relevant matters, both regular & express with expert service. 139, 2nd Flr, Bargayar Rd, Sangyoung, Yangon. Ph: 09-732-11907, aung. translation@gmail.com REAL ESTATE AGENT If you're an expatriate needing to find an apartment or house in Yangon, Min Thu can help. He has experience & is very reliable. Call Min Thu on 09-731-38659 or email : thecleverson@ gmail.com

FOR IGCSE (Edexcel & Campridge) & Secondary level Regular tuition classes Home tuition Exam preparation classes All subjects available Contact: 09508-8683. LCCI,Level I, II & III, MYOB. Ph:09-520-0974 ENGLISH literature & language arts for middle school in touch with SAT. setting.plot.maintheme writing .All kinds of student can be learnt. U Thant Zin, 28,3 B, Thatipahtan St, Tamwe. Ph: 09-5035350,09-3102-1314. w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / shaping the way SPECIAL for Maths Algebra I&II, Geometry, Calculus Pre- University Level Tr.Kaung Myat: BE(PE) Ph:09-73142020. TEACHING ENGLISH: English for Young Learners and High School Graduates Qualified and experienced teacher. Using International Syllabuses. Available for small groups or Individual. Ph: 01- 291-679 , 09-250136695. TEACHERS who have got Teaching experience in Singapore, Int'l School (primary & seconday levels) AEIS, PSLE, GCSE, SAT, IELTS, TOEFL, English-Myamar Speaking Class for company, Sayar Bryan, (ME) 09-4200-7 0692. "SCHOLAR Teaching Organization" founded with ME,BE & Master Degree holder with 12 years experience in teaching field. Role and Responsibility: Making the students develop problem solving skills, critical thinking skills and I.Q & E.Q enriching skills, Int'l School (ILBC, Total, MISY, ISY, PISM, Horizon,

For Rent
NEW BELTA Saloon Car (Model:2008) with English speaking driver who own his car No. 6F/8728 by monthly payment price 5.5 lakhs Kyats only. Contact : Ms Mya Mya Aung : 09-4200-48040, 09-4015-43732.

For Sale
ALPHARD, Mark X, Mark II, Crown. Ph: 09-5188320. MARK II, Regalia (99mdl), 165 lakhs. Ph: 09-5188320. WIMAX (Bagan). Ph: 0944-800-6520. ENGLISH literature & language arts for middle school in touch with SAT. French class & Spanish can be inquired. U Thant Zin:09-503-5350, 09-3102-1314. www.

facebook.com/shaping the way. USED Dell, Acer, ASUS Lenovo, & More Laptops Core i3, i5, i7. Ph : 094500-39844 99% NEW SAMSUNG Series 5 Ultra Book Intel Core i5 Ram 8GB H.D.D + SSD Display 13.3 1 Year 6 Month International Warranty. Price : 630000. Ph : 09-4200-50651. MACBOOK Pro 13" Intel Core 2 Duo Ram 4GB H.D.D 750GB Mac OS 10.8.5 + Windown 7. Price : 685,000. Ph : 09-420050651. ORIGINAL 3DS Game Cartridges & accessories - Spirit Camrea: The Cursed Memoir (with box & user guide booklet) - 20000 Kyats, Rabbid Rumble (with box & user guide booklet) - 20000 Kyats, Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition (with box and user guide booklet) - 24000 Kyats, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (with box & user guide booklet) - 30000 Kyats, - Project X Zone (with box and user guide booklet) - 30000 Kyats, 3DS Game Cartridge Holder (24 Slots) - 17000 Kyats, Circle Pad Pro for 3DS XL - 30000 Kyats. Prices are negotiable. Ph: 09-507-9980". ASUS A42J Intel Core i7 Ram 4GB H.D.D 500GB Garaphic 2GB Price : 435000. Ph : 09-501-6694 SAMSUNG Galaxy S3 LTE (3G/4G LTE Network) 1.5 GHz Processor Quad Core 8MP LED Flash Camera & Camcorder Android 4.1 Jelly Bean 4.8" Touchscreen-Super AMOLED Plus Display Very good internet speed Brand New. Good Price: 440000 Ks. Negotiable. Ph:09-507-4152.

HousingforRent
KAMAYUT, YANKIN, (1) Diamond condo, (1250) Sqft, 1 MR, 1 SR, 1500 USD. (2)Near Yankin center, condo, 1250 Sqft, 2 SR, 1 MR, fully furnish, 1600 USD. (3) Near Yankin centre, 2stories, 2 MR, 2 SR, 1500 USD. Ph: 09-4921-4276. BAHAN : A European Style fully furnished apartment at Pearl Condominium, 12th flr, 1700 sqft. Most modern interior decoration. Fully Air conditioned. Best for foreigners. Rent expected USD 2500 per month. Can also sell for USD 3,50,000. Call owner (English speaking 09508-2244) or (Myanmar speaking 09-735-67890) A CONDO, 7th Floor + Pent House. Bogyoke St & Yee Kyaw St Corner 1700 Sqft, Fully Decorated AC/Hot Water / Lift / Best View. Suitable for office and foreigner. Ph: 09-519-7133. MAYANGONE, (131), Cheery St, Thamine, Double Slab (4th Floor) (23 ' x 48'), 1 MBR, 1SR, Dinning Room, Air Con, Refrigenerator, TV Stan. Ph: 09-4293-33333, 01680-699, 687-376. BAHAN , (1)New University Avenue Rd, new condo, 1500sqft, f.f, US$ 3000 (2)New University Avenue condo, 2000 sqft, f.f US$ 3000. Maureen : 09-518-8320. BAHAN, (1)Near Chatrium hotel, condo 1500 Sqft, 2 MR, 1 SR, 3200 USD. (2). Near Japan Embassy, condo 1200 Sqft, 1 MR, 2 SR, 1500 USD. (3).Near Sedona hotel, apartment, 1100 Sqft, 1 MR, 2SR, fully furnish, 800 USD. (4).Golden velley, 1 storie, 2 MR, fully furnish, 2500 USD. (5).Golden velley, near pearl condo,3 stories, 3 MR, 4000 USD. Ph : 09-4921-4276. CLASSIC STRAND, 3 bed 2 bath, 1600 square feet, 8th floor corner unit full riverview. $3800/month. Strand Rd, 5min walk to Hilton/ Center Point offices. jasonwongjp@gmail. com, 09-4211-02223. MAYANGONE , (1) Kabaraye Pagoda Rd, Ga Mon Pyint condo, 2500 Sqft, 2 MR, 1 SR, fully furnish, 4000 USD. (2).9 mile , Ocean condo, 1500 Sqft, 1 MR, 2 SR, 2500 USD. (3).Kabaraye Pagoda Rd, near Parami Rd, 2 stories, 3 MR, fully furnish , 3500 USD. (4). 7 Mile, U Kyaw Hla St, 3 stories, 5 MR, fully furnish, 8000 USD. (5).9 Mile, 2 stories, 4 MR,USD 2500. Ph:Ph : 09-4921-4276. MAYANGONE, (1)Nice apartment, 1300 sqft, 1 MBR, 2 SR, furnished, ph line, good electricity, US$ 2500 per month,

Public Notices
CASH REWARD for 13" MacBook Pro that was left behind in a taxi on Bor Yar Nyunt Street at 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday October 1st. No questions asked but must include all original data. Pls contact 09-4211-67228 (English & Burmese speaker available.

General
GUEST Care Hotel : 107(A) Dhamma Zedi Rd, Bahan, Yangon. Tel: 511118, 526902, 527770. Email: reservations@ guestcarehotel.com. www.guestcarehotel.com COFFEE CIRCLES Coffeehouse & Restaurant. Menu: Excellent Coffee (InHouse Roasting), European & Asian Cuisines, Wines, Cocktails, Bakery & Pastry. Open daily: 7:00 am to 12:00 midnight. 107(A) Dhamma Zedi Rd, Bahan, Yangon, Tel: 525157, CoffeeCircles@ gmail.com www. theCoffeeCircles. com Facebook.com/ CoffeeCirclesMyanmar NEO Coffee and Food. Menu: Coffee, Bakery & Food. Open Daily: 9:00 am to 10:00 pm. Junction Square Shopping Center and City Mart@ Thamine Junction, Yangon Facebook.com/ NeoCoffeeandFood

Want to Buy
APPLE : Macbook Pro, Macbook Air, iMac, Mac Mini iPhone 5, 4S, 4, iPod 5, 4 iPad 2, 3, 4, Mini Wifi Only & Wifi + 4G, Apple TV, Apple Mouse A.K Mobile Ko Myo San. No 124, 31 St(Middle) Pabedan. Ph: 09-450039844. USED Or Brand New Macbook Pro , Macbook Air, iMac, Mac Mini iPad 4 Wifi Only & Wifi + 4G iPhone 5, iPod 5 Samsung S4 HTC One . Ph : 09-501-6694 CHERRY QQ3 (Taxi). Pls contact; 09-4211-31257 WE want to buy Marine Generator operation and maintenance manual books and Marine main engines operation and maintenance manual books(B&W or Yanmar Or UEC , etc..Pls contact 09-518-4314

Training
BOXING: Do you want to learn international boxing. With properly methods from several ages. Contact: Master high class School cuba boxing, osmarino09@ gmail.com, Phone: 09313-29605, 09-425360719.

(2)Mindama Rd, 2300 sqft, Mindama Condo, good electricity, 1 master bedroom, 2 single rooms, ph line, furnished , US Dollar 3800 per month, ph: 09-507-4241. YANKIN, Near Yankin Centre, 1450 sqft, Fully furnished, 1 MB, 2 BR, No need to pay agent fee, 09 430 83781 BAHAN,(1).Near Sedona hotel, 1100 Sqft, 1 MR, 2SR, fully furnish, USD 800. (2).Near Japan Embassy , 1100 Sqft, 1 MR, 2 SR, fully furnish, USD 1600. (3).Near Park Royal hotel, 1200 Sqft, 1 MR, fully furnish, USD 2500.(4).New University avenue Rd, 1500 Sqft, 1 MR, 2 SR, fully furnish, USD 1600. (5).Near Kandawgyi Lake, 20' x 80', 2MR, 1 SR, fully furnish, USD 2500. (6). Golden velly, 2500 Sqft, 2RC, 1 MR, 2 SR, USD 2500. Ph : 09-4921-4276. MAYANGONE, Double Slab, 4th Flr :131, Cheery St, Thamine, 23' x 48', MBR 1, Single Room 1, Dinning Room. Air Con, Refrigenerator, TV. Ph: 09-429-333333, 01680699, 687376 40 X 60, 2 RC, Typical classic Myanmar style with 2 MB, 2 BR, teak parquet floor, fully furnished with teak furniture, Newly installed wiring & voltage regulator. Bathrooms have heaters. No need to pay agent fee, Ks. 20 lakhs per month, 09 430 83781. BAHAN, (1)University Avenue Condo - 1900 sqft fully furnished (2) University Avenue Condo, 1350 sqft, fully furnished (3)University Avenue Condo, 1200 sqft, fully funished (4) Shwe Ohn Pin Housing, 900 Sqft, fully furnished (5)Mya Thida Housing, 2 Storey house (6)Pyin Nya Waddy Condo, 1650 sqft. fully furnished. Ph: 09-732-41848, 09-8601042 . KYAUKTADA, 6 Stories building : Bogyoke main Rd, near to Department of Human Settlement & Housing. directly opposite Saint Marys Cathedral Church, Yangon city, 18' x 53'. Ph:09-730-82961

HousingforSale
INSEIN, Free hold land, 1.5 acre, Price negotiable. Contact.: 09-505-3342 KAMAYUT, Pyay Rd, Diamond Condo, Nicely viwe, new, ph, 4 A/C, own meter, 3600 Lakhs. Maureeen : 09-5188320.

Travel
"ASIAN BLISS MYANMAR'' Car Rental Service. Ph:01-543-942, 09-519-1785, 09-73118957. PROFESSIONAL English Speaking Tour Car Driver Mr. SONNY Car Rental Service [Maw @ AUNG (Mya Mya

Want to Buy
WE want to buy about (100 ft x 100 ft), (Need to join ownerself), Ph: 09-566-1037.

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

FREE
Employment
concept for economic reintegration. Good knowledge & experience in market assessment training modules. Good training facilitation skills. Fluency in Myanmar & English. Experience in working with different UN, NGOs (desirable). Pls submit resume & proposal including consulting service cost addressing to Seng-Hkawn@wvi. org and copy to Nyi Nyi Khine@wvi.org by email 23th October, 2013. Ph: 09-910-350-84 attentions to Daw Seng Hkawn (Project Coordinator). MYANMAR Red Cross Society is seeking(1) Finance Officer - 1 post in Sittwe: CPA or B.Com/ B.Accounting, LCCI III (or) other equivalent accounting degree. High level of computer skills. 3 years experience. Experience in the use of accounting software is an asset. (2)CBDRM Field Officer 1 post in Tarchileik: Bachelor's degree. 2 years experiences. Effective English language skill & computer knowledge.(3) Program Manager 1 Post in Nay Pyi Taw: 10 years experience in programme management with proven competences in planning, imple mentation, monitoring & reporting & in budget control. Proven computer skills in both Myanmar & English. For all posts : Red Cross Volunteers & preferable. Pls send application letter, CV & related documents to Myanamr Red Cross Society Head Office, Yazathingaha Rd, Dekkhinathiri, Nay Pyi Taw. Or mrcshrrecruitment@ gmail.com CROIX-ROUGE francaise is seeking Hygiene Promotion Trainer Specialist in Yangon: A degree in Public Health and/or related technical field, supplemented by trainings in participatory hygiene methodologies e.g. PHAST, CHAST, CLTS & SLTS. 5 years professional experience in hygiene trainings in developing countries. Computer literacy. Applications (including CV & letter) should be submitted by email: rhrecrut.asia@gmail. com MEDECINS du Monde (MDM) is seeking(1) Nurse 4 posts in Myitkyina and IDP Camps (Kachin State): B.N.Sc or Diploma in nursing. 1 year experience as a nurse. Basic English (oral & written). (2)Pharmacist in Myitkyina and IDP Camps (Kachin State): Diploma in Pharmacy or Nurse. 1 year experience as Pharmacist or 2 years experiences as nurse. Basic English. Specific technical skills. Basic computer skills computer. Pls submit CV & a cover letter to MDM Country Coordination Office, Yangon, 47-B, Po Sein St, Bahan, Ph: 542830, 09-731-71002, Email: office.mdmmyanmar@ gmail.com MYANMAR Red Cross Society is seeking (1) PMER Coordinator 1 post in Nay Pyi Taw: Bachelor's degree. (2) Program Coordinator 1 post in Nay Pyi Taw: Bachelor's degree and Diploma related to the position. 3 years experience. (3)Field Coordinator (CBHD focus on MNCH) 1 post in Mindat, Southern Chin State: University graduate. 3 years experience. (4)Finance & Admin Assistant (Township Branch Project) 2 posts in Mindat & Matupi Tsp with frequent travel to project sites : Relevant educational background (accounting, finance, administration or equiva lent). For all posts : Effective English language skills & computer knowledge. Pls send application letter, CV & related documents to Myanmar Red Cross Society Head Office, Yazathingaha, Dekkhinathiri, Nay Pyi Taw. Or mrcshrrecruitment@ gmail.com, Closing date for 1 & 2 : 21.10.2013, for 3 & 4 : 23.10.2013. ACTED is seeking (1) 1 Senior Finance Office (Yangon Office). (2) 1 Monitoring & Evaluation Officer (Yangon Office). (3) 1 DRR Officer (Gwa Office). (4) 1 Senior Engineering Expert (Myitkyina Office). (5) 1 Admin/ Finance Officer (Myitkyina Office). (6) 1 Logistics Officer (Myitkyina Office). (7) 1 CBOs Capacity Specialist (Myitkyina Officer). (8) 3 Field Officers (Myitkyina Office). Salary & benefits: Competitive salary package based on level of skills and experience. Office: 661 (A), Mya Kan Thar Lane 1, Kamaryut, Ph: 09-8631672 or 525617. Email: actedmyanmarjobs@ gmail.com or yangon. compliance@acted.org. SOLIDARITES is seeking Deputy Logistics Manager (Operationial) in Sittwe, Rakhine State: 4 years professional experience in Logistics field with INGO/ NGO. University Degree or Diploma (preferably in Logistics or related proven experience in similar area.). Knowledge of IT management & MS office. Fluent in English & Myanmar. Pls submit application (CV, cover letter, references) to HR Department Solidarites Int'l/ Or drop application on an envelope at Solidarites Int'l Office: 44 A, Tharyarwaddy Lane, Bahan, or email: recruitment@solidaritesmyanmar.org, cc: to rks.admassist.stw@ solidarites-myanmar.org, Closing date : 21 October, 2013. (ALBA) urgently requires part-time English native teacher for our Weekend program.Pls contact: 384055, 376236, 376314.Email: admin@ albaedu.com BC FINANCE LIMITED, a licensed microfinance provider, is seeking Office Manager : (Yangon, Magwe Mandalay, Sagaing, Mon, Tanintharyi, Shan) Duties: Supervise staff. Maintain office records, supplies and equipment. Manage, collect and organize accounts and receipts. Organize office operations and systems. Native Myanmar fluency, working knowledge of written and spoken English, experience using computer software (Word, Excel), able to type in Myanmar, basic accounting and mathematical skills, good communication and time management skills. Must provide own accommodation. No criminal record. Email CV to: recruitment@ bcfmyanmar.com Loan Officers: (Yangon, Sagaing, Bago, Magwe, Tanintharyi, Shan, Mandalay, Mon) Duties: Execute all aspects of loan and savings process. Maintain a low loan delinquency rate. Native Myanmar fluency, working knowledge of written and spoken English, experience using computer software (Word, Excel), able to type in Myanmar, willing to travel. Minimum 1 year field experience as a loan officer in a microfinance organization in Myanmar with personal portfolio of at least 200 clients and low loan delinquency rate. Bachelors degree required, preferably numerate degrees. Must provide own accommodation. No criminal record. Email CV to: recruitment@ bcfmyanmar.com OFFICE RECEPTIONIST - F1 Post : Able to speak English fluently, Able to handle phone complaint, Receive & direct telephone messages to the appropriate person, Be respectable, Answer all incoming calls, re-direct calls as appropriate,take message & handle callers inquiries, Greet & assist visitors, 1 year experience, Age under 25 (2)Drivers - Can speak English a little, Possess licence ( black or red), Follow traffic rules & regulations and maximum speed limit, 2 years driving experience, Age under 50 (3) Project Admin (Temporary PositionAbout 5-months) : Able to type fluently in both English & Myanmar, Able to use Adobe Photoshop & Page Maker, Able to communicate in English, Able to communicate with Government departments & travel around Yangon. Pls submit CV, 2 passport photos, with necessary documents to HR Dept 380, 10 th flr, FMI Center, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Pabedan, Yangon or email: khinnyeinaye@ spa.com.mm Closing date : 10.11.2013. KELVIN CHIA Yangon Ltd is a foreign legal consultancy firm is seeking (1) Lawyers who will work on a variety of corporate & commercial matters & transactions in Myanmar. If you are a Myanmarqualified lawyer with strong English language skills, you are invited to apply to join our Myanmar practice group. Myanmar nationals admitted to intl bars are also welcome to apply. Training will be provided. Applicants may email to klm@kcyangon. com and submit your curriculum vitae. (2) Corporate Affairs Executive/Assistant As a corporate affairs executive/assistant, you will be involved with business development, networking, market research & liaison work. Proficient in English, energetic & selfmotivated. All nationalities are welcome (Myanmar, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese, etc). Pls email to kk@ kcyangon.com AYAR SWAN AH Co., Ltd. is seekning (1).Business Analyst - M/F 1 post : To assist with the business planning, market research & business analysis, Preparing presentations, emails & other documentation for business development and implementation. (2). Business Development Executive - M/F 3 posts :Any graduate, 3 ~ 5 years experience, Knowledge in tender project is a must, Can stay in Nay Pyi Taw & travel (Domestic/ Aboard) (3).Senior Accountant F 1 Post :B.Com/ LCCI III, 3 years experiences, Age 27~33, To handle full spectrum of accounts and payroll (4).Network Engineer - M 1 post : Diploma in Networking, To develop and control the IT security policy, To maintain & develop the company internal network systems. Email : hr.ayarswanah@gmail. com Closing Date: 31 October 2013. MYANMAR GOLDEN Heart Co., ltd is seeking (1)Computer Data Operator - F 1 Post : Age 20 ~ 28, Any graduate, more preferable LCCI (3), 1 year experience in account, good in any accounting software or more preferable in UBS Software, Microsoft Outlook (2).Sales & Marketing Supervisor - M 3 Posts : Age 23 ~ 28 (3).Sales & Marketing Supervisor (AGTI B-Teach) - M 1 Post : Age 23 ~ 28. For 2 & 3 : Any graduate,1 year experience in sale & marketing filed, (4). Driver - M 1 Post : Age 25 ~ 40. 5 years experience in driving skill. Pls contact with updated CV in English, with 1 passport photo, copy of labor registration card, NRC card and other supportive documents to 103/104, Kyun Shwe Myaing St, Thuwunna. Yangon, Ph : 09-73127269, 09-4211-56774 or Email: nilar.vimpex@ gmail.com DZ CARD Myanmar Technology Company is seeking Office Staff - F 2 Posts : University degree. Diploma in IT will be preferred. Communication in English. Computer skill MS, Excel, Power Point & using with office equipment. Working experience with Sales & Marketing and Computer Technology preferred. Pls send in complete resumes along with date of availability to email: sangmin.kim02@ gmail.com not later than 30.10.13. Ph: 228004. (1) TOUR OPERATION Manager M/F 1 Post : 3 years experience in travel & tours company. Perfect English language. Able In-bound and Out-bound tours. Strong sales and customer service focus. Above to handle group & individual tour, package & highly motivated & resourceful. (2)Tour Reservation International/ Domestic M/F 1 Post : Any graduate. 1 year experience. Strong sales & customer service focus. Good communication in English. (3)Tour Operation Staff - M/F 1 Post : 1 year experience. Computer proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel & Outlook. Strong attention to detail while working in fast paced environment. Good communication in English. Pls send a detailed resume with recent photo & other relevant documents to HR Manager in person at 140(B) Damazadi Rd, West Shwe Gone Dine Quarter, Bahan, Yangon. Ph: 510972. LEGENDARY Myanmar Co.,Ltd. Export/ Import Department (1) Customer Clearance - M/F 2 Post. Travel & Tour Department: (2)Tour Operator - F 2 Posts. (3)Office Staff - M/F 2 Posts. All applicant s must have: 1 year experience. University graduate, Spoken & written English, Good computer knowledge. Pls apply CV, 2 recent photo with necessary documents to 9, Rm (A-4), 3rd Flr, Kyaung St, Myaynigone, Sanchaung. YOUNG Investment Group is looking for (1) Executive Secretary - F 5 Posts : Any graduate plus M.B.A or M.P.A or D.M.A is prefer. 2 years experience. Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office & English 4 skills. (2) Chinese Translator M/F 5 Posts : Age under 30. Fluent in Chinese language. (high level in Chinese high school from Mandalay, Lashio, Taunggyi). Must have matriculation level. (3) Receptionist - F 5 Posts : Any graduate. 2 years of relevant experiences. Good computer skills & English 4 skills. (4) Procurement Staff M 5 Posts : Any graduate. Age 22 ~ 24. Good computer skills & English 4 skills. 2 years of relevant experience. (5)Cashier F 5 Posts : Any graduate. 2 years experiences. Good computer skills & English 4 skills. (6) Office Staff - M/F 20 Posts: Any graduate. Prefer Proficient in English & Chinese 4 skills & in the use of Microsoft Office. (7)Car Painting & Body - M 5 Posts : B.E.H.S. Experience in car painting & body. (8)Driver - Age 25 ~ 45. B.E.H.S. Must Drive Auto & Manual. Able to travel & drive within the country. Pls submit CV form with a passport photo, NRC card copy, labor registration card copy, other educational certificates copies, quarter & police recom mendation letters to 647 (A), Pyay Rd, Kamayut, Ph: 526626, 512128. VICTORY MYANMAR Group Co. Ltd is seeks suitably qualified candidate to fill position of Human Resource Manager. Pls send CV to philip@victorymyanmar. com. GENERAL Manager :Graduate in Management, 3 years experience in management field, Excellent interpersonal, communication skills and strong organizational skills, Ability to work under pressure & work independently to be a high professional standard, Fluent in spoken & written English. Must have ability to plan, execute and meet target. Must be computer literate. Having experience in Marketing will be given priority. Pls submit CV to A3 Rm(002), Shwe Gabar Housing, Mindama Rd, Ph : 01-1223333 OR email to cntenterpriseltd@gmail. com. FAMILY Entertainment Group Co., Ltd (5 Network) is seeking (1).Regional Sales Manager - M 5 Posts (2)Area Sales Manager - M 5 Posts (3)Senior Accountant - F 2 Posts (4)Sr. News Reporter - M/F 5 Posts (5) Jr.News Reporter - M/F 5 Posts (6)Apprentice News Repoter - M/F 5 Posts (7)Animator M 2 Posts (8)English Translator M/F 2 Posts (9)Chinese Translator - M/F 2 Posts (10) Network Administrator - M 2 Posts (11)System Administrator - M 2 Posts (12)Database Administrator - M 2 Posts (13)Helpdesk Operator - M 2 Posts (14)Showroom Sales - F 2 Posts (15)Office Staff - M/F 5 Posts (16)Driver - M 5 Posts. 34/B, New University Avenue St, Yangon. Ph:01-400878 Email: jobs.5nw@gmail. com MAGNA Children at Riskis seeking: (1) Administration & Finance Officer - 1 post in Yangon: Bachelor degree or equivalent. 2 years experience in logistics, finance, and/ or human resources and administration. Excellent command of English & Burmese. Proficiency in Microsoft Office. (2) Mobile Health & Nutrition Team Leader - 1 post in Yangon with frequent travel to the field: Bachelor degree or equivalent in medical sciences, nursing, or social sciences. Masters degree in public health an asset. 3 years experience working on nutrition programs. Experience with health worker capacity-building. Strong coordination, human resource management, & training skills.Excellent command of English & Myanmar. Pls submit an updated CV including education, qualifications, contact number & contact details of at least 2 professional references to: augustin@magna. skand cashin@magna. sk.

UN Positions
IOM Int'l Organization for Migrationi is seeking (1) Client Service Assistant 1 post in Yangon. (2) Finance Assistant 1 post in Yangon. (3)Medical Doctor - HIV/ AIDS 1 post in Mawlamyine. (4) Logistics Assistant 1 post in Thaton. (5) Database Assistant 1 post in Myawaddy. Pls submit an applicatioin letter and an updated CV with a maximum length of 3 pages including names & contact details of 3 referees (copies of certificates & further documents are not required) to : 318-A, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp, Yangon, Email:hryangon@ iom. int, Closing date : 21.10.2013. IOM Int'l Organization for Migration is seeking(1) Project Evaluator in Yangon: Advanced degree in public health, development, or related field. 7 years experience in programme manage ment, research, and/ or evaluation. Excellent writer to technical documents in English. (2)Community Service Provider in Thaton, Mon State: Must have a client-oriented, resultoriented mind-set and uphold the programme values of caring, innovating, partnering, demonstrating compe tence & working for positive change. Able to spend up to 80% of the time travel to remote, hard-to-reach areas to accomplish his/her responsibilities as noted in this TOR. Background in community development programming. Myanmar plus Kayin and/ or Mon language proficiency. Must have a valid driver's license & able to drive motorcycle. Strong background in malaria project implementation. University degree. Pls submit CV to 318 (A), Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 210588, Email: hryangon@iom. int.

Ingo Positions
MYANMAR RED Cross Society is seeking(1) Assistant Project Coordinator 1 post in Nay Pyi Taw: University graduate. 3 years experience in relevant project with NGO or INGO. (2) Community Based Health & First Aid Coordinator 1 post in Nay Pyi Taw (HQ): Relevant University Degree/ Any Degree or Diploma in health related field. Having broad experience working in INGO & NGO exposure is desirable. 5 years experience in community based health program.For all posts : Effective computer skills & English language skills. Red Cross Volunteers are preferable. Pls send application letter, CV & related documents to Myanmar Red Cross Society Head Office, Yazathingaha Rd, Dekkhinathiri, Nay Pyi Taw. Or mrcshrrecruitement@ gmail.com, Closing date : 24.10.2013. DANISH Red Cross Country Office - Yangon is seeking Driver in Yangon with frequent travels to project sites in Chin State and Mandalay & Sagaing Regions. Person Specification: In good mental & physical health. Fleet/ Transports/ Workshop management practical knowledge. 2 years experience on the vehicle types for which the driver has the license. Driving experiences in hilly regions. Pls submit applications including cover letter, CV, references and copies of education certificates to: Danish Red Cross, att.. Office Manager, Red Cross building 1st Flr. 42

Strand Rd, Botahtaung, Yangon, or email: drcs02-ifrc@redcross. org.mm Closing date : 28th October 2013 WORLD VISION Myanmar is seeking(1) Government Relations Assistant in National Office, Yangon : University Bachelor Degree in any discipline. 1 year experience in related area. Computer literacy in Microsoft applications and good typing skill is preferable. Good command of Myanmar & English. Must provide a clean criminal background. Pls submit resume (clearly identify the post you apply) by post to HR Department, World Vision Myanmar or in person to application drop-box at No (18), Shin Saw Pu Rd; Ahlone, Sanchaung PO or send to myajobapps@wvi.org Closing date : 23, 2013. WORLD VISION Myanmar is seeking (1)Community Deve lopment Facilitator (Child Protection & Advocacy Project) in Mawlamyaing - Mon State : University degree & Bachelor in Law or Human Rights is desirable. (2) Community Develop ment Facilitator 3 posts in Thanbyuzayat - Mon State, Chauk Magway: University degree.(3)Cashier cum Bookkeeper (Re-Open) in Seik Phyu - Magway: University Bachelor Degree in accounting/ finance or related subject. 2 years experience. (4)Program Finance Coordinator (Re-Open) in Tachiliek - Shan (East) State : Bachelor University Degree in Accounting/ Finance or related subject. 3 years experience. Good knowledge of computerize accounting Communicate in English & Myanmar. For all posts :Competent in used of Microsoft Word, Excel & Power Point. Must provide a clean criminal background. Pls submit resume (clearly identify the post you apply) by post to HR Department, World Vision Myanmar or in person to application drop-box at No (18), Shin Saw Pu Rd; Ahlone, Sanchaung PO or send to myajobapps@wvi.org Closing date : October 22, 2013. MYANMAR RED Cross Society is seeking (1)Supply Change Management Officer 1 post in Mindat, Chin State: Any graduate. 1 year experience. (2) Operation Assistant 1 post in Mindat : Relevant educational background (accounting, finance, administration or equivalent). 2 years' experience in a similar position. (3)Village Health Committee Officer 2 posts in Mindat & Matupi : Bachelor or equivalent degree in public administration, community develop ment, social or develop ment related studies. 1 year experience & proven skills in facilitation of VHC or VTHC at township level. For all posts : Effective English language skills & computer knowledge. Red Cross Volunteers are preferable. Pls send application letter, CV & related documents to Myanmar Red Cross Society Head Office, Yazathingaha Rd, Dekkhinathiri, Nay Pyi Taw. Or mrcshrrecruitment@ gmail.com, Closing date : 25.10.2013. WORLD VISION Int'l - Myanmar is seeking Consultant - Developing Reintegration Economic Program Training module & learning aid materials for Mandalay St & Working Children Project and handbook reference documents. Selection Criteria: Basic

Local Positions
AVENUE 64 Hotel is urgently looking for Assistant Sales Manager : Must have at least 3 years experiences in hotel field, strong interpersonal & communication skill. Interested candidates pls submit your resume with recent photo to No. 201, Building A, Shwehinthar Condo, Pyay Rd, 6 miles alternatively info@ avenue64hotel.com. All applications will research by 28 Oct 2013, we will contact short listed for interview. ASIA LANGUAGE & Business Academy

GOLDEN ROCK TRAVEL & TOURS TOUR OPERATOR The candidate for the Tour Operator position should : Have a good command of English and Computing Skills Be between the ages of 20 and 30 Be a team player with a good personality

Interested candidates can call 01 527 379 or e-mail to sashan @ visitmyanmar.com

62 Sport
MEXICO CITY

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

Mexico finds unlikely World Cup saviour

M
EXICANS never imagined being in this position: having to shamefully say gracias to bitter rivals the United States for helping their football team stay in contention for next years World Cup. Losing 2-1 to Costa Rica on October 15, Mexico was flirting with disaster until Uncle Sam, who had already qualified, rode to the rescue by scoring two stoppage time goals to defeat Panama 3-2. The US victory torpedoed Panamas dream of qualifying for the World Cup for the first time while helping Mexico finish fourth in the CONCACAF regional group and secure a two-leg playoff against Oceania champions New Zealand next month. More than a year after Mexico celebrated winning the gold medal at the London Olympics, Mexican media berated El Tri while running headlines in English to express gratitude to adversaries they regularly disparage as gringos. Gracias Uncle Sam, Thank you, USA! and God bless America were some of the front-page news hours after the federation US Soccer had cheekily tweeted #YoureWelcomeMexico. The sports daily Record published a photo montage of Manchester United forward Javier Chicharito Hernandez holding a US flag, with the purposely misspelled headline WE LOVE YOU! AMIGOUS. The Cancha sports pages said Mexicos qualifying campaign had been one of the most shameful performances in its history after the broken team played with no courage. Missing out on the World Cup in Brazil next year would be emotional and financial torment for Mexico. The country has seen its team play in 14 of the last 19 tournaments and last missed qualifying in 1990 because the Mexican football federation had fielded over-aged players in a youth championship. The sports marketing firm Dreamatch Solutions estimates that broadcasters, sponsors and other businesses stand to lose up to

The team is worthless. They make a lot of money and do nothing.

Angel Hernandez Mexico football fan

Michael Orozco (3) of the United States celebrates after scoring a goal against Panama on October 15. Photo: AFP

US$600 million if Mexico fail to qualify. Former Mexican president Felipe Calderon, recalling that he had met the gold medal winners last year, tweeted, What happened? Shouts of joy were heard in Mexico City bars when the US scored, but fans were angry at their teams performance, especially since some make millions playing for wealthy European clubs. In 10 qualifiers, Mexico won just twice and scored a paltry seven goals. Mexicans expected better after Raul Alonso Jimenez scored a memorable bicycle kick last Friday to beat Panama. The team is worthless. They make a lot of money and do nothing, said Angel Hernandez, 30, eating an orange at a taco stand in a market. Across his stall, 40-year-old Ivan Pena sliced jalapeno peppers as he wondered how Mexico could have lost when all they needed was a draw

to secure the fourth spot. Its to cry for. We barely made it, Pena said. Its embarrassing. How can we be in the playoff when we had the opportunity to do better. Defeating New Zealand who

drew with then-defending world champions Italy in the 2010 finals in the group stage will be difficult, he added, but we hope Mexico wins for their own good and for the good of all Mexicans. AFP

McDermott returns as Australia Test bowling coach

FORMER paceman Craig McDermott was on October 17 appointed bowling coach for Australias Test team ahead of the Ashes series against England, barely a year after quitting the role. The 48-year-old shocked Cricket Australia when he resigned in May 2012 after a successful 12 months in the job, which then also included coaching the one-day and Twenty20 bowlers, citing the conflicting demands of touring with family life. But he has been enticed back in a revised role in which he will focus on the Test team, with the incumbent Ali de Winter moving into a new position overseeing the limited overs bowlers only. McDermott, who has been prominent in the development of young fast bowlers James Pattinson, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, along with the renaissance of Peter Siddle, said he was looking forward to the challenge. There is obviously a huge focus on regaining the Ashes this summer and Ill work as hard as possible to prepare our bowlers for the challenge ahead, he said. Cricket Australia team performance manager Pat Howard said they had been considering splitting the bowling coach roles for some time, given the amount of cricket played. We feel that with the amount of touring now it is extremely difficult for every member of the support staff to be on every tour, he said. McDermott took 291 wickets at 28.63 in 71 Tests between 1984 and 1996 and with five Ashes Tests against arch-rivals England starting on November 21 in Brisbane, coach Darren Lehmann said it was good to have him back in the fold. Less time travelling for both Ali and Craig also means more time at home to plan, work with the states or Big Bash League teams and also directly with the bowlers on technical aspects or other areas for improvement, he said. AFP

SYDNEY

IN PICTURES

Up and over: Eric Griffin (17) of the Miami Heat jumps over Mason Plumlee (1) of the Brooklyn Nets during a game at Barclays Center on October 17 in Brooklyn, New York. Photo: AFP

www.mmtimes.com

Sport 63

A bluffers guide to th the 27 Southeast Asian Games

27 TH SEA GAMES MYANMAR 2013

KARATE-DO
KARATE-DO, or, as it is more commonly known, karate, first appeared at the Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand in 1985. It has seen international competition at 12 times since, including all six of the most recent events. Where does it originate? Famous for its use in films and popular culture since the 1960s, and especially films like 1984s The Karate Kid, karate is arguably one of the most recognised of the Asian martial arts. Most think of the practice as a Japanese one but although the form developed in what is now Okinawa, Japan, it actually originated in the then-independent Ryukyu Kingdom. Karate mixed local martial arts styles with popular Chinese influences to develop a martial art that only reached the Japanese mainland in the early 20th century. Whats it all about? Most people think of karate as all about the combat, but while there are direct combat or kumite events, the SEA Games also includes individual and team kata events. Translated from the Japanese, kata refers to form and in these competitions the focus is a demonstration of control, expertise and mastery of the art of karate. Kumite can involve various levels of contact including fights that continue until knock-down, although within sport karate this is rarely the case. How do you play? The fights and displays will take place on a flat, matted surface where all sides measure 8 metres long. Attacks are limited to the head, face, neck, abdomen, chest, back and side but can be delivered by hand, kick or throw. In the fights there will be a referee controlling proceedings and three judges with blue and red flags. One judge will sit behind each of the competitors and one will face the referee. These judges will indicate if they believe a score with a wave of their flag. Fights last three minutes for men, two for women. The clock is stopped whenever the fighters are not in com-

MATT ROEBUCK
matt.d.roebuck@googlemail.com

to the player who has the most points at the end of the bout. Should scores be level then a sudden-death, nextpoint wins system is introduced, with a maximum of one minute added to the battle. What should you be saying? That jodan kick must be worth sanbon a kick to the face, head or neck of your opponent is worth the maximum three points. Karate may be considered as the conflict within oneself or as a life-long marathon which can be won only through self-discipline, hard training and ones own creative efforts. Shoshin Nagamine, karate master. Where is it played? Sources associated with the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs claim that there are approximately 50 million karate participants worldwide. The World Karate Federation (WKF) is more exuberant in its claims, suggesting that up to 100 million people are involved in the martial art. The WKF has affiliates in 188 countries Undoubtedly a genuinely worldwide sport, on the back of this popularity karate made a push for inclusion in the Olympic program at the 2020 Games but, unfortunately for it, failed to meet the shortlist. How many medals are available? There are four gold medals available for the kata events, with male and female, individual and team

Our bluffers guide to the SEA Games focuses on those sports that may never make it to the Olympics but whose elite will get their chance to compete for international gold this December. This week we focus on perhaps the most widely known of the many varieties of combat sport on display in the 2013 Southeast Asian Games, karate.

Myanmar athletes particiapte in a karate event in Ynagon. Photo: Thet Htoo

competitions. The individual kumite competitions will see six weight categories for the men, from 55kg and under to 84kg and above, and five categories for women, between 50kg and below and 68kg and above. The combat version of the sport will also feature a male and female team competition. In total there will be seventeen medal events on the karate mats. Whats the betting? Karate during the last SEA Games were dominated by Indonesia, whoat their home event claimed 10 of the 16 golds as their own. This year the head of the Indonesian Karatedo Federation insists that their target is a mere seven golds, a figure he believes is reasonable considering their non-host status. Vietnam collected a large number of silver medals last time around though they have been reporting both injuries to their rising 21-year-old star Phuong as well as the return to fitness of past SEA Games winner Vu Nguyet Anh and former world kata champion Nguyen Hoang Ngan.

Malaysia are the other primary force that Myanmars karate athletes will have to compete with. Myanmars history in this event would suggest that the home nations greatest medal hopes are in the team kata events, both of which were medalled in by Myanmar in 2011 and in this Augusts pre-SEA Games test event. Where will it all happen? Karate will last for three days, December 13-15. All the action will be staged at the Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium in Nay Pyi Taw. Did you know? Kara-te originally meant Chinese hand until the alternative meaning for the Chinese character kara was adopted and karate was translated as empty hand. Matt Roebuck is a sports writer and sports development consultant based in Yangon. He is the author of the book The Other Olympics, published in 2012.

bat at which point the referee will declare yame as an indication to stop the clock. How do you win? In the kata competitions judges will mark on a variety of categories including position and balance, stance, use of the correct power and speed of motion, interpretation and continuity of movement. Those in the team competitions will also need to ensure synchronicity to avoid mistakes that judges will penalise, including poor technique and omission of movements. In the kumite competitions scores are awarded when combat techniques are performed by successfully attacking a scoring area with good form, sporting attitude, vigorous application, good timing, distance and awareness or zanshin. If players score ippon, they are awarded one point. Actions such as unbalancing an opponent, a combination of successful hand techniques or punches to the back will score nihon or two points. Kicks to the head or taking your opponent to the floor via a throw or leg sweep will deliver sanbon and three points are added to the score. If an athlete takes a lead of eight points then they will be awarded the contest. Victory will also be delivered

Myanmar karate athletes fight during a regional tournament. Photo: Thet Htoo

Sport
64 THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

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

A bluffers guide to the SEA Games

SPORT 63

BRIEFS

Berlin Puma ends S.Africa football sponsorship over fixing claims

German sportswear giant Puma said last week it had terminated its partnership with the South African Football Association (SAFA) in response to match-rigging claims against the national team. Following match-fixing allegations made against SAFA along with inappropriate responses from within the football organisation ... Puma terminated the contract with immediate effect, the worlds third-biggest sportswear maker said. A FIFA report had concluded there was compelling evidence that friendlies had been fixed before the 2010 World Cup.

London Liverpool announces India academy plans

Liverpool is preparing to launch a new youth academy in India next year, the Premier League giants announced last week. The five-time European champions will work with Indian club DSK Shivajians to set up the facility, which will open in January and will be known as The LFC International Football Academy DSK. Accommodating players up to the age of 18, it will feature a residential complex, full-size pitches, practice areas, classrooms, locker rooms, a gym, a canteen, a lecture theatre and medical facilities. Liverpool have also committed to providing coaches to help run the project.
Vietnam U23 goalkeeper Tran Nguyen Manh makes a save during the teams match against Myanmar U23 on October 15 in Yangon . Photo: Boothee

Vietnam U23 downs Myanmar

KYAW ZIN HLAING kyawzinhlaing91@gmail.com ESPITE an early lead the Myanmar U23 football team was unable to hold on for a win last week, falling 3-1 to their Vietnam counterparts during their October 15 match in Yangon. Led by the promising foursome of Kyaw Ko Ko, Kyi Lin, Kyaw Zeyar Lin and Zaw Min Tun, Myanmar started strong and was helped when Que Ngoc Hai tackled striker Kyaw Ko Ko from behind in the 32nd minute. Kyi Lin sent the ensuing penalty kick to the back of the net, putting the home side up 1-0. Vietnam countered at the start of the second half, substituting five players including striker Nguyen Van Quyet who quickly capitalised, scoring the games equaliser in the 52nd minute. Vietnam continued to pressure Myanmar throughout the second

Kuala Lumpur Badminton finals return to Malaysia

The finals of the 12-round badminton World Superseries will be played in Malaysia in December, returning to the country after three years, the sports governing body said on October 17. The season-ending tournament, which carries US$500,000 in prize money, will be held in Kuala Lumpur from December 11-15, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) said in a statement. It will bring together the top eight in five categories: mens and womens singles and doubles and mixed doubles, the BWF said. AFP

half, looking far faster and more physically imposing than the home side. Tran Nguyen Manh put Vietnam ahead at the 80 minute mark. The game was put out of reach in the 85th minute when Myanmar goalkeeper Pyae Phyo Aung tackled striker Tran Phi Son. Le Quang Hung converted the penalty, putting Vietnam up 3-1. Although we had prepared well for this match best, Im disappointed by the result. Vietnam was the better team this match, said Park Sung Wha, Myanmars U23 coach. Park Sung Wha said that better conditioning was needed if the team is to find success on the pitch. Vietnamese coach Hoang Van Phuc praised Myanmar for its improvements, but said that ultimately the better side prevailed. Although the Myanmar team played better during the first half of the match, our team had a better match overall, he said.

Myanmar U23 player Kyaw Ko Ko (red) tackles Vietnams Nguyen Thanh Hien (white). Photo: AFP