Over 50 Dead As Trawler Sinks: Foreign Banks Back After 50 Years

Heartbeat of the nation
1000
Ks.
www.mmtimes.com
DAILY EDITION
ISSUE 20 | friday, April 3, 2015
Foreign
banks
back after
50 years
Aye Thidar Kyaw
ayethidarkyaw@gmail.com
Jeremy Mullins
jeremymullins7@gmail.com
PAGE
Photo: EPA/LYNN BO BO
Myanmar government troops patrol Kokang region in northern Shan State in midFebruary. Yesterday Myanmar formally apologised to China for a cross-border bombing
which killed five Chinese farmworkers. Myanmar initially denied responsibility.
THE first three foreign banks to operate

in the country in over 50 years will open
their doors this month, after receiving
final regulatory approval from the Central Bank of Myanmar yesterday.
Japans Sumitomo Mitsui Banking
Corporation and The Bank of TokyoMitsubishi UFJ, as well as Singapores
OCBC, all said they received notices
yesterday giving them the green light
to open their branches.
A total of nine foreign banks won
provisional licences on October 1,
2014, following a heated race with a
number of large banks. The nine winners, from Singapore, Japan, Thailand,
Malaysia, China and Australia, have
since been busy preparing their operations to meet the approval of the Central Bank of Myanmar.
A Yangon-based official from the
Central Bank told The Myanmar
Times that the licences come with a
number of restrictions, such as preventing them from retail operations.
If foreign banks have operated in
the market for four or five years, the
Central Bank can decide the next step,
whether it will benefit the market or
not, he said.
Involvement in retail banking in
particular has been restricted as the
local banks are worried about being
out-competed. Some domestic banks
such as KBZ have also moved into corporate banking, part of preparations
to link up with foreign partners, he
said.
Continued on business 11
Over 50 dead as trawler sinks

Forty-two Myanmar fishermen were on board a trawler which sank in the freezing Northern Pacific Ocean off Russia.
Just 13 Myanmar crew have been confirmed alive among a total of 63 people rescued from the disaster. news 3
2 THE MYANMAR TIMES APRIL 3, 2015
Page 2
online editor Kayleigh Long |

kayleighelong@gmail.com
THE INSIDER: The local lowdown & best of the web

Trickyleaks
An intriguingly vague article from the
Global New Light of Myanmar earlier
this week entitled Union Information
Minister explains plans of ministries to
release information performed a truly
extraordinary feat, managing in no less
than 57 words to not actually convey
any actual information.
Behold, the article in its full glory:
A coordination meeting on release of
information took place at the Ministry
of Information here, on Monday.
Union Minister for Information U Ye
Htut explained arrangements for the
President office and ministries to release
information. Director U Zaw Htay of the
President Office explained release of
information. The Union Minister replied
to queries raised by media persons.
Its possible that whoever was sent
to cover the press conference may have
nodded off, as it doesnt sound like an
edge-of-your-seat affair to begin with.
And, given it was Ye Htut and Zaw Htay,
the proposed medium for disseminating
information could probably be summed
up in just one word: Facebook.
Speaking of explaining arrangements
for the release of information, theres still
no word on how journalists are supposed
to go about seeking comment from the
Tatmadaw.
Three spokespeople were appointed
late last year: Deputy Minister for
Defence Brigadier General Aung Thaw,
Vice Chief of Armed Forces Training
Brigadier General Soe Naing Oo
and Director of Public Relations and
Psychological Warfare (imagine having
that on your business card!) Major
General Aung Ye Win.
At present, there is still no direct
way for journalists to contact them and
any comment given to the media is
distributed via state media or in releases
made directly to the Interim Press
Council.
Punkd!
With Wednesday just gone having been
April Fools day, a good number of media
outlets around the world planted little
Easter eggs in their publications and on
their websites. And, as usual, people fell

for them. Our piece on Myanmar sending
election monitors to the UK was fairly
successful, with several journalists who
should know better emailing to ask if the
article was, indeed, a rile-up. The eagleeyed reader will also realise that Larry
Rockbottom is altogether too Dickensian
a name for a conflict archaeologist,
and that things havent progressed quite
so far with the Spitfire dig (do watch this
space, though).
It was with great anticipation that I
picked up my copy of the Global New
Light of Myanmar on April 1, the front
cover of which contained no less than
three articles about the fact that the
government and 16 ethnic armed groups
had bashed out the draft ceasefire
agreement which it turns out is not a
prank.
While its certainly a step in the right
direction, the draft still needs to be
submitted to the United Nationalities
Federal Council (UNFC) umbrella group.
Theres also the fact that the countrys
largest ethnic armed group, the Wa, are
not on board just yet nor are RCSS/
SSA, and the TNLA and AA dont even
get a look-in as theyre not recognised.
Anyway, thats neither here nor there.
An editorial called Dont let them
make a fool of you warned people on the
tradition of April Fools, urging caution
lest they be taken for a ride.
While this could not be confirmed,
some voiced suspicions that the piece
entitled Courts to win trusts of people
might have been it for the time-honoured
tradition of pranks in state-run media for
2015. I guess well never know.
Speaking of courts, Phil Blackwood of
the VGastro 3 (theyre now being referred
to like the Bali 9, or the West Memphis 3)
appears unlikely to appeal his sentence,
with his lawyer Mya Thway saying Mr
Blackwood doesnt believe he would
receive a fair trial.
And that seems quite possible, given
how politically charged the case is and
that no lawyers wanted to take the case
in the first instance because of the death
threats, among other things.
Mr Blackwood and his colleagues
Htut Ko Ko Lwin and Tun Thurein are not

being referred to as political prisoners by
any external monitoring groups, as they
dont meet criteria.
If the interview Mr Blackwoods
parents gave ABC Australia is anything to
go by, the treatment hes receiving is substandard even for Insein Prison. We
did manage, after about 50 days, to get a
blanket to him, his father Brian said.
It should be noted that 50 days is an
extremely long time several former
prisoners Ive spoken to said that after a
day or two in the slammer their families
were allowed to send in personal items
like a lid for the open toilet inmates have
to use.
And such rights are outlined in the
Jail Manual, an archaic colonial-era
document that was revised in the 60s.
No wonder faith in the justice system
has been shaken.
In brief:
Unconfirmed reports suggest the push
to establish a press pool came about
after Thura U Shwe Mann got really,
really into House of Cards
Westerner who talks about how
great it is to eat local produce completely
oblivious to the fact that any rocket
theyre eating has, in the very least,
travelled from Thailand
IDPs visibly deflated after realising
the white card expiry was not some
sort of sick, elaborate April Fools
jape, understandably concerned at
the prospect of handing in what little
documentation [they] have
Next week:
Taxi driver bewildered after Australian
tourist takes national habit of shortening
words way too far, contracting je zu tin
ba de or the also perfectly acceptable je
zu be to just jez
Golden Valley abuzz as beekeeping
social enterprise readies to open its
doors, one well-paid aid worker says hes
very excited at the prospect of finally
being able to get [his] hands on some
organic honey
Most tourists lie about enjoying their
time in Mandalay, study finds
Once was Burma ...

Archival material courtesy of
Pansodan Gallery
First floor, 286 Pansodan, upper block, Kyauktada township
A warning to would-be intransigents, from socialist-era Forward magazine
www.mmtimes.com
News editor: Thomas Kean | tdkean@gmail.com
Dozens dead
in Russian
trawler disaster
Wa Lone
Laignee Barron
AS many as 29 Myanmar seamen were

unaccounted for last night after a Russian fishing trawler sank in icy waters
off the Kamchatka Peninsula with 132
crew on board.
At least 56 crew members died and
another 15 are missing and presumed
dead in the freezing Okhotsk Sea waters, according to the Maritime Rescue
and Coordination Subcentre in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy which was
leading the rescue mission.
The Dalniy Vostok trawler had 132
crew members onboard when it sank
yesterday morning, 42 of whom were
Myanmar citizens between the ages of
20 and 35, the Myanmar embassy in
Moscow said. So far, just 13 of the Myanmar sailors have been found alive
and identified.
We dont yet have information on
how many Myanmar sailors involved
have died. We are still following up
with the Russian authorities, said Ko
Phone Lin Kying, administrative chancellor at the embassy in Moscow.
Another 50 sailors with nationalities yet to be confirmed were rescued,
but two later died of hypothermia, the
embassy said.
In addition to the Myanmar workers, the ship included crew from Russia, Ukraine, Latvia and Vanuatu.
The freezer trawler sank quickly

around 6:30am local time on April
2. It did not send a distress signal,
according to local Russian media,
which also reported the captain
among the dead.
Nearly 30 rescue ships battled
high winds and frigid waters to keep
the search-and-rescue mission going
throughout the night, according to
Russias Ministry for Civil Defence,
Emergencies and Elimination of Consequence of Natural Disasters.
Russia sent an Mi-8 helicopter with
emergency personnel and a medical
team to deliver assistance and transport survivors of the shipwreck to hospitals, the ministry said on its website.
However, a maritime rescuer told
the Russian state-funded TV network
RT that it is unlikely any more fishermen would be found alive. The chances of surviving more than 20 minutes
in the current conditions, even in a
wetsuit, are nearly impossible, the rescuer said.
At this time we do not know what
might have caused the tragedy, Viktor
Klepikov,a coordinating captain from
the maritime rescue coordination centre, told Reuters.
The Russian Investigating Committee suggested that the trawler collided
with an object, possibly drifting ice.
But a Russian marine navigator
said the theory was improbable, as
there are no icebergs or heavy ice in
the Okhotsk Sea.
Most probably, [the] sinking was
caused by a number of factors, faulty
ballasting plus lifting of the trawl[er]
News 3
A file picture taken on March

20, 2013, and provided by
ShipSpotting.com shows
the Stende trawler in Las
Palmas, Canary Islands. The
vessel, bought in 2014 by
Magellan LLC and renamed
Dalny Vostok, sank on April 2
with 42 Myanmar seamen on
board. Photo: AFP
being the main suspects, navigator

Mikhail Voytenko wrote yesterday on
his news website Maritime Bulletin.
But the vessel may have also flouted safety regulations and been over capacity with the cargo limits exceeded.
According to preliminary information, the shipwreck occurred while
hauling a 100-tonne fishing seine,
Sergei Khabarov, deputy head of the
Kamchatka region, told Russias TASS
news agency.
The Dalniy Vostok was built in
1963 by HDW Kiel in Germany, according to ship registries.
The trawlers home port was owned
by Magellan LLC, a private Vladivostok-based seafoods and freight business. The company did not return requests for comment yesterday.
Myanmar authorities said it was
extremely unlikely the Myanmar
migrants were legally employed by
Magellan.
Myanmar does not send workers
to fishing boats, said U Kyaw Htin
Kway, general secretary of the Myanmar Overseas Employment Agency

Federation, the leading industry body.
If they are illegal then they wont get
insurance or compensation. It is a
problem.
Migrants can work aboard cargo
ships, oil tankers or cruise ships, but
industry officials also said it was very
rare to send migrant workers to Russia.
Magellan LLC was not among the
161 international companies registered with the Myanmar Maritime Administration, said U Toe Myint, director of the seamen department.
We cannot give any guarantee
they were not been recruited by an unregistered company or fake agency. It
often happens here, he said.
Recruitment agencies told The
Myanmar Times they were not aware
of any firms sending migrants to Russian vessels on or off the books. But
an experienced Myanmar sailor said
he frequently encounters migrants
who pay brokers to arrange informal
employment on fishing trawlers, a

process that leaves them vulnerable
to exploitation and human traffickers.
All the Myanmar workers onboard
the Dalniy Vostok were listed in the
ships log as either engineers or processors, but The Myanmar Times was
told it has not been confirmed whether they were on the ship by force or
by choice.
Human Rights Watch said it had
not heard of Myanmar migrants being trafficked to Russian fishing vessels a more commonplace practice
in Thailand but that it would not be
surprised by such a finding.
The Myanmar government needs
to fully investigate how these men
were placed on this ill-fated vessel and
reform the burgeoning job brokerage
industry to ensure migrants are not
taken advantage of in overseas placements, said Phil Robertson, deputy
director of Human Rights Watchs Asia
division. Additional reporting by
Kyaw Phone Kyaw
Myanmar apologises to China over cross-border bombing

Lun Min Mang
lunmin.lm@gmail.com
Ye Mon
yeemontun2013@gmail.com
MYANMAR issued a formal apology to
China yesterday acknowledging that
one of its warplanes had killed five
Chinese farm workers in a cross-border
bombing attack last month during
fighting with Kokang rebels. It also said
it would punish those responsible.
On behalf of the Myanmar government and military, I officially apologise to China and express my deep
sympathy to the families of the victims
and the injured, Foreign Minister U
Wunna Maung Lwin said in talks in
Beijing with his Chinese counterpart
Wang Yi, according to Xinhua news
agency.
Chinas foreign ministry quoted U
Wunna Maung Lwin as saying Myanmar accepted the findings of a joint

investigation into the March 13 bombing, in which eight sugarcane workers
near Nansan town in Yunnan province
were also injured. He said Myanmar
would discuss compensation for the
victims, punish those responsible according to the law and act to prevent
similar incidents in the future.
Myanmar is willing to join with
China to strengthen stability in the
border area, he added.
Presidential spokesperson U Ye
Htut confirmed to The Myanmar
Times that a Myanmar military aircraft had been responsible for the
bombing.
According to the foreign minister
and the final result from the joint investigative team, we can confirm that the
bomb was from one of ours, he said.
The foreign ministry was handling the

compensation issue, he added.
The statement by U Wunna Maung
Lwin appeared to fulfill all the demands laid out by China when Fan
Changlong, deputy head of the Central
Military Commission, called Senior
General Min Aung Hlaing, commander-in-chief of Defence Services, the day
after the bombing.
Xinhua reported at the time that
Mr Fan warned that China would
take resolute and decisive measures
to protect the lives, property and security of Chinas people if such an
incident occurred again. Since then
China has established a heavy military
presence along the border in a show
of force.
The bombing and an exodus of
tens of thousands of ethnic Chinese
refugees from Myanmar triggered an
outpouring of criticism of Beijing on

Chinese social media that censors
struggled to control. Despite the obvious tensions, Myanmar and China
have made efforts to keep their diplomatic relations and strong commercial
ties on track.
Myanmar officials had initially
sought to blame the incident on the
rebel Myanmar Nationalities Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA),
which denied responsibility. The ethnic Chinese militia has been engaged
in often intense fighting with the
Tatmadaw since early February, with
both sides taking heavy losses in the
Kokang border region.
The renewed conflict had initially
provided the Tatmadaw with a rare
propaganda opportunity as many
Myanmar citizens some of them
previously fierce critics of the former
military junta expressed their support for the armed forces and donated
generously to families of the dead and
wounded. But nearly two months later there is a growing sense of unease
over the human and political costs of
the war.
A spokesperson for the MNDAA
said that according to his latest information fighting continued in the
Khote Htan area all day on April 1. He
gave no details of casualties.
Sporadic fighting had continued
during peace talks in Yangon between
the government and representatives of 16 armed ethnic groups that
culminated in the signing of a draft
nationwide ceasefire agreement on
March 31. The MNDAA was not represented at the talks. China has urged
Myanmar to open a dialogue with the
Kokang rebels.
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THE MYANMAR TIMES April 3, 2015
Government to form new

political prisoner committee
Activists say the previous committee, formed in January, sidelined members critical of government policies
Ye Mon
yeemontun2013@gmail.com
IN an apparent response to objections

from advocacy organisations, the government says it will form a new committee to secure the release of political
prisoners. But some members say the
change does not go far enough.
In January, the government abolished the Remaining Political Prisoner
Scrutiny Committee and replaced it
with a new body called the Prisoners of
Conscience Affairs Committee. But the
new body excluded former members
critical of the government, activists say.
Following a pledge made by President U Thein Sein in 2013, the government released more than 350 prisoners
of conscience. But the activist group
the Assistance Association for Political
Prisoners (AAPP) claimed that at least
30 eligible inmates were still behind
bars at the end of 2013, and the number continued to grow through 2014.
The issue is of great concern to
the international community, which
regards the release of political prisoners as a demonstration of the governments commitment to the transition
to democracy and the rule of law.
Earlier this month, committee
member U Sit Myaing, who is also
vice chair of the Myanmar National
Human Rights Commission, said the
Ministry of Home Affairs had written to the committee instructing it
to revert to its original name, the
Remaining Political Prisoner Scrutiny Committee. U Sit Myaing said
the letter had not given any reason
for the change, and the membership
remained unchanged.
Activists had complained that two
members of the 2013 committee who
have regularly criticised the governments handling of the issue, U Bo Kyi
and U Nyo Tun, were excluded from
its successor.
U Zaw Htay, director of the Office
of the President, told The Myanmar
Times yesterday that the committees

members were disappointed at the decision to abolish the committee.
Some members want to add representatives of political prisoners advocacy organisations. We have asked
those organisations to nominate members for the new committee, he said.
Committee member U Ye Aung
said the government had invited him
Im disappointed
that the government
keeps making these
changes, abolishing
and re-forming the
committee.
U Ye Aung
Remaining Political Prisoner
Scrutiny Committee
DIGITAL/ONLINE
Online Editors Kayleigh Long, Thet Hlaing
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Myanmar
and Russia
boost nuclear
cooperation
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U Htin Lin Oo arrives at Chaung-Oo Township Court on April 2 for his 13th hearing. Photo: Than Naing Soe

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to nominate representatives to be added to the new body.

I have already submitted names to
the government, but Im disappointed
that the government keeps making
these changes, abolishing and reforming the committee. When are we
going to discuss the political prisoner
issue? he said.
One of the excluded members, U
Bo Kyi, who is joint secretary of the
AAPP, has accused the government of
lack of interest in the issue, and cited
the involvement of the deputy home
affairs minister as an apparent conflict of interest.
How can he chair a political prisoner release committee when his ministry is arresting student protesters
and activists? he said.
The government insists that any
remaining inmates claiming political
status are in fact serving terms for
criminal offences. But according to
the AAPP there were still 170 political
prisoners incarcerated as of the end of
February, with another 238 activists
on trial for political actions.
NLD official denies charges at hearing

Than Naing Soe
thennaingsoe@gmail.com
NATIONAL League for Democracy official and writer U Htin Lin Oo yesterday
pleaded not guilty to insulting religion.
In the 13th hearing at Chaung-Oo Township Court, Sagaing Region, the defendants lawyer, U Thein Than Oo, cited in his defence the right of freedom
of expression, doctrines of the Buddha,
the constitution and the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights.

The remarks complained of were
not insulting or critical of the Sangha,
he told the court.
The trial follows remarks made
by U Htin Lin Oo in a speech in
Chaung-Oo last October critical of
nationalist movements. The speech
drew the ire of Buddhist nationalist
groups, including U Wirathus Committee for the Protection of Nationality and Religion and the Patriotic
Buddhist Monks Union.

Following a complaint to the
police, U Htin Lin Oo was charged
under section 295(A), banning deliberate and malicious acts intended to
outrage religious feelings of any class
by insulting its religion or religious
beliefs, and section 298, banning the
uttering of words with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings.
The hearing was adjourned until
April 18. Translation by Zar Zar Soe
DEFYING objections from Western

countries, Myanmar appears to be
stepping up its collaboration with
Russia in the nuclear field. Nay Pyi
Taw insists that the cooperation is entirely in the energy and health sectors.
On March 26, the deputy director
of the Russian atomic energy agency
Rosatom, Nikolay Spassky, told World
Nuclear News that Myanmar had
agreed to cooperate in nuclear matters. The statement came after a twoday visit to Myanmar by Mr Spassky.
The visit, the second by a Russian official, came despite objections from the
United States and the European Union.
Yesterday, Union Minister for Information U Ye Htut confirmed that
Myanmar was seeking to use nuclear
energy for peaceful purposes.
Ifwecollaboratewith Russia,
itwillbeonenergy, he said. Concerns
have been expressed in the past about
our supposed relations with NorthKorea, but we have given repeated guarantees that we have no such relations.
I can assure you that any cooperation
we may have with Russia will be in the
health and energy sectors.
The minister said the government
had collaborated closely with the International Atomic Energy Agency to allay
concerns onitsuseofnuclear power.
Two years ago, Russias defence
minister, Sergey Shoygu, met with
Vice President U Nyan Tun to discuss
military cooperation, and offered to
accept students from Myanmar at
Moscow State University. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called
on the EU and the United States to lift
sanctions on Myanmar.
The Pyidaungsu Hluttaw passed a
bill last November intended to pave
the way for an agreement aimed at
improving military ties with Russia,
including through cooperation on military information and electronic data,
and involving a program to train intelligence officers.
In 2007, Russia proposed building
a nuclear reactor in Myanmar and
training experts to run it, but no dates
or locations were discussed.
Mratt Kyaw Thu
News 5
www.mmtimes.com
High ambitions
for tourism in
Myeik islands
Ei Ei Thu
91.eieithu@gmail.com
A BEAUTY spot in Tanintharyi Region could rival Thailands Phuket as

a tourist attraction, officials are hoping. U Hlwan Moe, assistant director
of the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism
in Myeik, told The Myanmar Times
yesterday that Myeik Archipelago was
attracting increasing numbers of visitors year after year.
Drawing about 1 million tourists
would create significant business and
employment opportunities for Myeiks
140,000 inhabitants, he said, adding
that its closeness to Phuket was an
added advantage.
But theres a long way to go before
that benchmark is reached: Only 1158
tourists visited the archipelago in
2012, with numbers nearly doubling to
2162 in 2014
Authorities in Thailand and Myanmar have been discussing the possibility of a border pass that would allow
visitors to travel freely from one resort
to the other. Last year, 12.7 million
tourists, both Thai and foreign, visited
Phuket, he said.
Myeik Archipelago has little or
no future in the development of
natural resources or fisheries, so
tourism seems a viable alternative,
U Hlwan Moe said.

One initial step would be to persuade local residents. We have provided awareness training and organised a workshop, but residents arent
always open to the idea of tourism, he
said.
U Thaw Tar Nyunt, director of
Elegant Myanmar Travel and Tours,
told The Myanmar Times that many
residents saw no immediate benefit in
tourism.
2162
Tourists who visited Myeik
Archipelago in 2014
They wont be interested if theyre

not making a profit. We need to create a market by, for instance, certifying bed-and-breakfast houses in the
villages or encouraging people to open
traditional souvenir shops, he said.
Myeik Archipelago boasts more
than 800 islands rich in natural resources, corals and traditional cultures that could be attractive to tourists, given a more developed transport
system and permit issuance.
Myeik is becoming better known.
Some Myeik Archipelago locals are less than thrilled by the prospect of increased tourism in the region. Photo: Douglas Long
But the week-long delay in getting a

permit will discourage visitors who
think they dont need one because
they already have a visa. Cutting the
permit time would help attract more
people, he said.
U Thaw Tar Nyunt said restraint
would have to be exercised over
rubbish-tipping and the local practice

of using explosives to fish, which damages coral.
The time will come when people
have to rely on tourism, so they must
learn to value these natural resources.
We have to change the mindset, he
said.
The most attractive tourist package currently available is a five-night,

six-day tour for US$1607 a person, he
said. The Mergui Princess, a locally
owned cruise ship, can accommodate
only 16 passengers and operates only
between October and March because
of weather, he said.
New bridge opens up beach visitation in Mon State

Naw Say Phaw Waa
nawsayphawwaa@gmail.com
A NEW bridge has opened up new experiences and possibilities for people
in southern Mon State. The christening of the Kabyar Wa Bridge at the end
of last year by the state government
has increased the number of visitors
to what used to be a relatively remote
region south of the state capital of
Mawlamyine.
In particular, tourists are coming to
Kabyar Wa Beach in Ye township, said
U Aung Moe, who recently opened a
restaurant on the beach.

Kabyar Wa Beach is about 15 kilometres (8 miles) southwest of Ye,
where most visitors come from.
Before the bridge was open, no
one knew about this place. Now we
get maybe a dozen visitors a day, said
resident Daw Nge Win.
U Soe Tin, 45, said he bought land
on the beach for K500 25 years ago and
has now opened a restaurant there.
We were lucky we had this land
because prices have shot up since the
bridge opened, he said. Residents say
land prices have doubled in the past
three months. Villager Mi Than Htay

laments that she sold 5 acres of rubber trees for K10 million just before
learning of the bridge. If Id waited
another month I would have made
much more, she said.
Last April, the state government
permitted a domestic firm, Aurum, to
build a US$12 million resort on the
beach over the next two years, said U
Min Nwe Soe, minister for planning
and economics. There is not a lot of
paddy in Khaw Zar. There are more
jobs in tourism and transport, he said.
Ye is also benefitting from in-
creased visitor numbers, said Ma

Khine San Myint, owner of the Start
Light guesthouse in the township. She
said she had just bought a 4-hectare
(10-acre) plot of land to build more
bungalows to accommodate the anticipated throng.
Our guesthouse is full almost every day. Foreigners say Ye is very good
because of the natural environment,
she said.
Daw Myine, who lives in Yin Yae
village near Khaw Zar, added, The
transportation to the beach is quite
good now. Other residents say the
state government plans to build a new

road.
One possible disincentive to visitors could lie in the activities of a
notorious local gang known as Nai
Alon and Nai A Saung who make their
money by ransoming people they kidnap. The last kidnapping was only in
October, said residents.
Nai Alon and Nai A Saung took
five people from Khaw Zar five months
ago and demanded K10 million for
each one, said restaurateur U Soe Tin.
But I dont think theyll come back
once the resort opens.
6 News
Night commuters
resort to dangerous
unlicensed buses
Official bus companies say they do not have enough
customers or staff to offer evening routes
Aye Nyein Win
ayenyeinwin.mcm@gmail.com
SHIFT-WORKERS who live in the
outskirts of Yangon say they are at
the mercy of unlicensed private bus
drivers who provide the only available transportation in off-hours.
They say some drivers lack not only
a business licence to operate such a
service, but even a driving licence.
Drivers are often drunk and rude
to passengers, and they run away
when they get involved in the notinfrequent accidents.
Most buses in Yangon do not run
after about 8pm because owners say
there are not enough customers to
make an evening service profitable.
We are aware
that without these
operators many
commuters will not
be able to get home.
Colonel Win Lwin
Traffic police
Photojournalist Ko Sai Zaw, who

lives in South Dagon, said he had to
call the police after an incident last
week in which an angry bus driver
and crew beat him up for complaining about the drivers reckless
speed.
The driver and crew were drunk.
I told the driver to slow down, but he
replied very rudely. I asked him to
stop the car and I got off, along with
most of the other passengers. The
crew were so angry they attacked me,
he said. As a result of Ko Sai Zaws
complaint, the police arrested eight
people.
U Hla Aung, chair of the Yangon

Region Supervisory Committee for
Motor Vehicles, better known by
its Myanmar-language acronym Ma
Hta Tha, said the committee cannot
take action against these operators
directly.
We take the plate number and
inform the regional committee for
traffic rules enforcement, and the
committee takes action, he said.
The Ma Hta Tha chair said the
problem was difficult to solve.
We dont have enough bus workers to operate evening routes. The
crews are already overstretched,
and anyway we dont have enough
money to run two shifts.
One short-lived attempt to run a
night service ended as soon as the
bus owners decided it was unprofitable.
Traffic Police Colonel Win Lwin
of the Yangon force said those without a business licence face a fine of
up to K30,000 under 1989 by-laws.
Thats the highest fine, and we
cannot confiscate the vehicle, he
said. The police cannot enforce
these laws 24 hours a day, but we
are aware that without these operators many commuters will not be
able to get home.
Accountant Ko Zar Ni, who has
to use the late-night service to return home to South Dagon, said,
The government isnt doing anything for people in our situation, so
were left at the mercy of the private
operators.
Ko Sai Zaw said that some drivers do not have a driving licence.
They tell me they bribe the traffic
police so that they can keep operating, he said.
The drivers and helpers are bad
people and they run away when
they get in an accident. The commuters dare not complain, but were
risking our lives, and the charges
are high. But how else can we get
home at night?
Myanmar migrants search for sellable and edible items among the rubbish in Mae Sot. Photo: Si Thu Lwin
Myanmar refugees
scour Mae Sot rubbish
Si Thu
Lwin
sithulwin.mmtimes@gmail.com
EVEN before you see the mountain,

you can smell it. The enormous rubbish tip east of the Thai border town
of Mae Sot slowly rots under the sun.
Clambering over it are countless men,
women and children, entire families
armed with long sticks tipped with
a hook or using their bare hands to
search for usable or edible loot.
Bloated flies buzz above the melted wastes sounding like miniature
bombers on a raid, as small children
feast on garbage.
For the sprawling hills of waste
are a mine if not of gold, at least of
commodities whose resale sustains
scores of families, mostly refugees
from Myanmar. More than 600 people live in about 140 temporary huts
housing various Mon, Kayin, Bamar
and Shan people, says U Min Swe, a
community leader of what residents
call the dump ward. One or two of
the shacks fly tricolour Thai flags.
Some of the rag-pickers fled the
endless wars between ethnic armed
groups and the government military.
Others came to make money, selling
their skimpy homes to raise the travel expenses to get here. Their stories
are different, but their goal is the
same: to turn trash into cash.
We can earn about 100 baht
[more than K3000] a day, said Daw
Aye Htay.
If we find vegetables among the
rubbish, we just pick them up and
eat them, or save them to be cooked
later. My husband and I borrowed

money to come here. Now that weve
paid our debt, we can go home.
She and her husband brought
their two-month-old baby here 14
years ago. Now they have four children, but their hope of returning
home has not yet faded.
International aid agencies give
them occasional help, including educational support for the children.
Though inured to the stench, they
keep a wary eye out for the Thai police, as they are illegal immigrants.
During raids, they run away and
hide. If they arrest us, we would
lose all the money weve saved, said
one resident.
Ko Aung Aung, a teen father of
two children, sorts highly marketable plastic bottles scavenged from
the dump.
We have to endure the pains weve
suffered as long as we cant return
home. The Thai police come here occasionally. We just run into the forest.
Sometimes they smash up our kitchens. But we would starve to death if
we had to move anywhere else.
The scavengers suffer occupational ailments, skin disease and
diarrhoea, said U Ko Myo, a spokesperson for Yaung Chi Oo, a community organisation based at Mae Sot
that helps Myanmar migrants in
Thailand.
Access to family planning being
limited, children proliferate. Many
were born here, making their citizenship doubtful.
Ive managed to send three of
my four children to school, but at
some point I will ask them to join us
in collecting garbage when I can no
longer afford the tuition, said Daw
Aye Htay.
Most children born within sight

of the dump do not hanker for their
parents old home. They have little
interest in formal education, just
a keen desire to learn the ways of
the mountain of rubbish that supports them. Yet families here follow
Myanmar traditions, such as the
kahtein offering of robes to Buddhist monks. The dump ward has
even spawned a youth association
to provide social assistance to the
community.
Our young people elect community leaders and the youth asso-
If we find
vegetables among
the rubbish, we just
pick them up and
eat them, or save
them to be cooked
later.
Daw Aye Htay
Myanmar refugee
ciation provides social services, said

Ko Maung Tun.
When the dustcarts, laden with
the detritus thrown away by the respectable folk of Mae Sot, wind their
way to the stinking mountain, its
denizens roll up their sleeves and get
down to work. Its easier to make a
living here than in Myanmar, said
one. Translation by Zar Zar Soe
8 News
Views
Critical questions for free elections

Aung Tun
aungtunn@gmail.com
HE November general election will serve as a critical

test of the genuineness
of the transition toward
democracy. Many hope that
the National League for Democracy
(NLD) led by Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi will take the majority of seats,
carving out a better political space for
the current opposition to shape the
countrys future.
However, without a guarantee of
free and fair elections, these expectations might not materialise. Instead,
the country could face political chaos
as protests break out against apparent electoral fraud, casting a shadow
over the legitimacy of the next
government. It remains to be seen
whether the elections take the nation
a step further forward or are themselves a stumbling block to progress.
To mitigate this risk, now is the time
to answer critical questions about how
to guarantee free and fair elections, and
who should supervise the elections to
ensure maximum credibility.
First, the legal aspects must be
addressed, including the functioning of the election commissions set
up at different levels. At the Union
level, the Union Election Commission (UEC) was established by direct
appointment by President U Thein
Sein. Though the law stipulates that

commission members must not belong to any political party, a politician
wishing to become eligible for a seat
on the commission can simply resign.
In order to guarantee legitimately
free and fair elections, those provisions in the law should immediately
be amended by parliament so that
UEC members are chosen by parliament, subject to the scrutiny and approval of many parties. The commission members should still be able to
openly retain their political affiliation,
as political neutrality is not feasible.
This would lead to a multiparty commission as well as improved transparency and accountability.
Second, capacity matters. Myanmar has more than 70,000 villages.
Outreach activities on voter education
are key to the elections success, and
intensive voter education activities
should be initiated now. The UEC is
responsible for this training, along
with civil society groups and perhaps
also with the assistance of political
parties. The 135 officially recognised
ethnic minorities, each with its own
language and not necessarily fluent
in the Myanmar language, must be
included in this training. Voter education in ethnic languages, perhaps led
by ethnic civil society groups, would
be a good start. In addition, securing
an accurate voters list is admittedly
challenging. Many people, especially
in rural areas, do not have national

identification cards, making it difficult
to register them as eligible voters. To
resolve the identification issue, there
needs to be immediate, concrete collaboration between political parties,
election commissions and government
departments. In some areas, for instance in Mon and Kayin states, some
500,000 migrant workers do not yet
have access to information on how to
register and where to vote. They are in
great need of voter education too. Collaborative government-to-government
action between Nay Pyi Taw and Bangkok is needed to make it happen.
Third, independent observers
matter. Election observation cannot
be just a one-day occurrence. Instead,
it must be a long process. All aspects,
from the assembly of voters lists to
Outreach activities on
voter education are
key to the elections
success, and intensive
voter education
activities should be
initiated now.
the post-election fallout, must be

observed, including the vetting of the
candidates, the campaign methods,
the vote count, voter behaviour, the
announcement of results and so
on. Qualified observers are highly
needed. Many local observers do not
have any sound experience. Technical
and practical training is needed. The
2012 by-elections proved the amount
of work to be done. The international
observation team arrived in Yangon
just few days prior to election day
and did not know where to get started or how to set up an observation
structure. As a result, the observers
became like tourists. Time was quite
limited. Local knowledge was lacking.
The local network was very weak.
Fourth, conflict matters. Myanmar is now experiencing two kinds
of conflict that could interfere with
the election process: communal or
religious conflict, and civil wars.
Many constituencies in Kachin State,
for instance, did not have a chance
to hold elections in 2010 or 2012 due
to security concerns. The UEC has
ultimate power to decide whether
it is feasible to hold the elections.
However, it still needs to clarify
conditions that are feasible to hold
the election in line with international
standards. Communal or religious
conflicts could be expected during
the electoral process, especially when
the parties kick off their campaigns.
While the electoral law stipulates that

using religion violates the law and
merits harsh punishment, application
of the law remains to be seen.
Fifth, the post-election period
matters. In the end, the election is all
about how to hand over power to the
winning party. Myanmar had such a
problem in the 1990 elections. But the
election system itself needs to ensure
the systematic transition of power.
This job should be done through collaboration among all those concerned:
the parties, the army, civil society
groups and, of course, the people. So
far, the country has yet to look for a
platform to work on this.
Overall, Myanmars next election
will principally determine whether
the democratic transition is on the
right track. The election will not
only test the sincerity of the government and the UEC, but will also
assess the capability of international and national electoral teams.
Amid so many tests, the results of
the election and what it will mean
for the countrys transition will be
eagerly awaited.
Aung Tun is an independent consultant
for development organisations in
Myanmar. He is also involved in electoral
processes as a researcher He previously
worked as a journalist inside the country
for several years.
News 9
www.mmtimes.com
Views
All the presidents men

Fiona
Macgregor
fionamacgregor@hotmail.co.uk
THIS week President U Thein Sein

launched his very own press corps.
A coterie of 45 select reporters has
so far been accredited by the Presidents Office and will be allowed to
attend regular press briefings at the
presidents house.
Of those, according to the director
of the Presidents Office, just 11 about
one-quarter are female.
At first assumption this might
merely reflect a wider gender imbalance in the media, but it should be
considered that a report out this week
entitled Gender in the Myanmar Media Landscape found that women in
Myanmar are now well-represented
in newsrooms, forming over 50 percent of staff.
While this is in many ways good
news, the study, conducted by the
Sweden-based Fojo Media Institute,
went on to report that media institutions remain significantly male-dominated at decision-making level.
And it is worth considering that
if 50pc of newsroom staff are female,
why are women journalists are not
equally represented in being put
forward for the corps positions or
given access to the countrys senior
politicians?
Of course its not just in Myanmar
that this disparity arises. In much of
the developed world women are still
unequally represented in political
journalism, as well as at senior management level in the media. It was
only this week that Katherine Viner
was announced as the new editor-inchief of the UKs liberal newspaper
The Guardian the first woman to be
given the role in the papers 194-year
history.
But in Myanmar there are strong
cultural traditions that can make
it particularly difficult for those women
who seek a career in political journalism.
It remains to be seen whether the
newly established presidents press
corps will genuinely allow media
President U Thein Sein answers a question from a journalist in Nay Pyi Taw in October 2012. Photo: AFP
representatives closer access to senior politicians and the opportunity to

present questions and have them answered in a timely manner.
The prevailing attitude among
many politicians appears to be that
they feel entitled to be treated with
the utmost respect and should not
have to account for themselves to
those they see as being of lower status.
Too often, questions from reporters on
matters of import are treated as acts of
impertinence, not as a vital part of the
democratic process.
Younger female reporters from
Myanmar are particularly likely to be
subjected to such behaviour by politicians predominantly older males
given entrenched attitudes in which
younger women are expected to defer
to older men, even if the women in
question are representing the public
interest in their role as journalists.
Personal experience and anecdotal
evidence would suggest that foreign
women reporting in Myanmar are
not expected to conform to quite such
a submissive role, but that somehow
contrives to make it even more disturbing and dismaying to witness Myanmar colleagues being condescended
to in such a manner.
Of course, there are a number of

extremely strong female Myanmar
reporters who are very capable of
standing up for themselves in such circumstances. Those women who have
joined the presidents press corps,
and others working in politics, may at
times have to battle certain prejudices,
but they also have a real opportunity
to help address the gender imbalance
in the countrys political landscape
and ensure that womens voices are
heard. They should be supported in
doing so as much as possible.
As the report by the Fojo Media
Institute points out, A professional
media that respects gender equity,
promotes liberal values and a plural
society can positively contribute to a
country in transition like Myanmar
and help shape its future.
Our fashion-conscious friends at Agence
France-Presse have been at it again.
Readers of this column may remember
that last month, while covering Michelle
Obamas speech in Japan about millions
of girls across the world who are being
denied an education, the international
news agency chose to highlight Ms
Obamas choice of outfit.
Yesterday, the organisation re-
ported on the very serious problem of

schoolgirls in part of Africa who are
unable to attend school when they
are menstruating because they do
not have access to adequate sanitary
protection.
This problem, along with inadequate lavatory facilities at school in
many developing regions, affects millions of girls across the world and
severely hampers their educational
opportunities.
South African Sue Barnes has, according to AFP, come up with a kind
of washable, reusable pants-and-pad
combo to help address the problem. It
could potentially prove a life-changing
invention.
And so AFP delivered the following
gem:
In 2010, Barnes learned that girls
from poor families were skipping school
each time they were menstruating, because they cannot afford sanitary pads.
I just couldnt believe it, it blew my
mind, said Barnes, 49, wearing a
black shift dress and a pearl necklace.
Girls were missing a week of school a
month.
The report failed to inform us
whether she was also modelling her
own design of underwear.
editorial
Goals yet to
be achieved
THE
Nationwide
Ceasefire
Agreement has been the talk of
the town for weeks. The final
draft of the NCA was agreed
upon and approved by the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination
Team representing 16 ethnic armed groups waging war
against the central government
for decades and delegates of
the government on March 31.
Some claimed the event as
a historic one, and some, with
cautious optimism, regarded it
as a major step toward political
dialogue that might pave the way
for ultimate peace in this country. The draft NCA itself has to be
taken back to the ethnic leaders
for their approval and possible
amendments. President U Thein
Sein, who attended the final day
of the session, expressed his
hope that the final NCA might
be signed by all before the end
of April. That sounds a bit ambitious but he has every right to be
hopeful since his team has been
working day and night for nearly
two years.
People who act the same way
over a long period of time tend
to develop distinctive and persistent mindsets. Their unique
relationship with the world and
society gives them a particular
perspective in their rationalisation of their behaviour and role.
It is quite understandable that
for the ethnic armed groups and
the Myanmar military, who have
been facing off for more than
half a century, such engrained
ways of thinking might be hard
to change.
Still, this initial attempt to
start a political dialogue between
warring factions in Myanmar is
plausible. Formidable tasks lie
ahead, as everyone recognises,
but taking into consideration the
losses to all people over the decades, the price that has to be paid
is worthwhile. With a sincere desire to end armed conflicts, and
a political will to achieve the
elusive dream of peace, no goal
is unattainable.
Business
NAY PYI TAW
More people to take part in finance

HTOO THANT
thanhtoo.npt@gmail.com
Queen Mxima of the

Netherlands (centre) and
opposition leader Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi meet in
Nay Pyi Taw.
Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing
THE government intends to raise

by one-third the number of people
with access to financial services,
the Ministry of Finance announced
on April 1.
Union Finance Minister U Win
Shein said the proportion of adults
with access to such services would
be raised to between 30 percent
and 40pc over the next six years.
The minister was speaking at
a ceremony to launch the Financial Inclusion Roadmap at Nay Pyi
Taws International Convention
Centre. He added that efforts would
also be made to raise the number of
people using more than one financial service between 6pc and 15pc.
We will ensure
stronger financial
institutions, first
by enhancing the
strength of the
banks and second by
strengthening the
financial markets.
Dr Maung Maung Thein
Deputy finance minister
The roadmap was developed

with the collaboration of the UNDP
and the UNCDF. Her Majesty Queen
Mxima of the Netherlands, the UN

secretary-generals special advocate
for inclusive finance for development, attended the official launch.
The intention is to promote access to safe and affordable financial
services, she told participants.
Queen Mxima said most people had access only to illegal financial services, citing her visit to
Myaungdakar village in Hmawbi
Low-cost housing
now much cheaper
SU PHYO WIN
suphyo1990@gmail.com
A PLANNED low-cost housing
plan will sell units for between
K7.5 million (US$7200) and K9
million, a departure from other recent government low-cost
housing options which had been
several times more expensive.
Construction at the new project will begin in April on 15 acres
in Hlaing Tharyar townships
Shwe Lin Ban industrial zone,
said zone management committee
secretary general U Nay Lin Zin.
Everyone in the industrial
zone is interested to buy, he said.
We [factory] owners also want a
place for our workers to stay. And
workers are willing to buy in, but
the installments are in chunks of
30 percent, which may be difficult for them.
The contract is being run by
the Department of Human Settlement and Housing Development,
with work slated to be finished by
the end of the year.
Presidential advice to promote
the low-cost project was put in
place by deputy construction
minister U Soe Tint to rent the 15
acres on the Shwe Lin Ban industrial zone to put up 28 buildings,
each of five storeys, according to
industrial zone officials.

Each building includes apartments measuring 18 by 18 square
feet, for a total of 324 square feet.
The costs will be between K7.5
million and K9 million.
The units are intended only
for people working at the industrial zone.
Human Settlement and Housing Development director general Colonel Min Htein said the
Shwe Lin Ban project began in
2012, with the first phase already
finished and work on the second
phase starting soon.
The government hired the
land for low-cost housing, aiming to allow industrial workers
to have their own house, he said.
Among the 28 buildings, four
will be built by the Department
of Human Settlement and Housing Development, and another
eight will be built by the industrial zone for its workers. The
others will be built by the construction company which wins a
later tender.
U Nay Lin Zin said 1200 people have applied for the 240 units
in the eight buildings.
The application rate for us is
high, but the list will be reduced
when we ask for installments,
he said.
township, Yangon Region.

She said women had mobile
phones but no bank account, adding that improved access to financial services would aid the countrys development.
U Maung Maung Thein, deputy
minister of finance, told The Myanmar Times that the ministry would
seek an improvement in qualified and
legal financial services by establishing
a steering committee. We will ensure

stronger financial institutions, first by
enhancing the strength of the banks
and second by strengthening the financial markets, he said.
He said the ministry would develop the agricultural, livestock and
fisheries sectors and SMEs, and create opportunities for lower-income
families to raise their income.
U Maung Maung Thein defended
the monthly 2.5pc interest rate set

by microfinance institutions.
They have to go to rural areas
to lend, so they face extra expense,
he said. Muhammad Yunus, who
founded microfinance and was
awarded the Nobel Prize, said the
rate set by our microfinance institutions was at a suitable level, he
said.
Translation by Thiri Min Htun
Private sector not ready

for 2015 economic area
KO KO
AUNG
pmkokoaung@gmail.com
THE countrys reforms are continuing and the economy is being

opened to the world, but it may be
too early for integration into the
ASEAN Economic Community, according to experts.
While the community is to begin
at the end of 2015, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam are not required to meet all the standards for
removing barriers to trade until 2018.
Proponents of the ASEAN Economic Community say it presents the
best opportunity for member states
for the 10 ASEAN member states to
integrate their economies, presenting a more favourable environment
for domestic and foreign investment
at home, and expanding market presence abroad.
Yet local businesses may not be
ready to compete with an expected
flood of tariff-free imports that will
come as Myanmar drops its trade
barriers.
Myanmar said its readiness level
to join the ASEAN Economic Community is at 82 percent, said U Thint

Swe, a businessperson and representative of business association UMFCCI.
Maybe it is [ready] on the government side, but the private side
is not ready for the community. We
businessmen are at the stage of selling raw materials, and we still cannot
produce finished goods, he said during a speech earlier this week held at
UMFCCIs Yangon headquarters.
A number of issues beset the economy. Infrastructure is poor, while a
lack of human resources also hampers growth, exacerbated by a braindrain to neighbouring countries with
higher wages.
Maybe it is [ready]
on the government
side, but the private
side is not ready for
the community.
U Thint Swe
Businessperson
Local private sector players still

lack experience and technology to
compete with regional companies,
said U Thint Swe.
Most sectors of the local economy
lag that of neighbouring countries,
after decades of isolation, internal
conflicts and economic hardship under military rule. A lack of knowledge
about the ASEAN Economic Community may also hamper the ability of
local firms to take advantage of more
opportunities.
The private sector knows little
about the AEC, said U Moe Myint
Kyaw, general secretary of UMFCCI.
The government side is preparing, but
the private sector sees it as a threat.
What is more, the private sector is not
yet ready for the community.
U Kyaw Soe Thein, retired director from the Ministry of National
Planning and Economic Development, said there is no need to be
afraid of the Economic Community,
though businesspeople keep raising
protectionism.
The private sector is the main
sector. Without including the private
sector we cant get to the ASEAN Economic Community, he said.
We have a great deal of difficulty
in areas like technology and skilled
labour, but it can be overcome.
11
BUSINESS EDITOR: Jeremy Mullins | jeremymullins7@gmail.com
Thaketa bridge expansion

plans fuels continued real
estate growth
McDonalds plans US
wage rise, but critics
say it is not enough
PROPERTY 12
BUSINESS 14
Exchange Rates (April 2 close)

Currency
Buying
Euro
Malaysia Ringitt
Singapore Dollar
Thai Baht
US Dollar
K1140
K280
K770
K32.5
K1085
Selling
K1150
K285
K775
K33.5
K1090
Foreign banks
to open after 50
year absence
JEREMY
MULLINS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Myanmar has not allowed onshore
banking by foreign institutions
since 1963, when 14 existing foreign banks were nationalised. The
Central Bank of Myanmars website
shows there are currently 43 foreign
banks with representative offices in
the country, though they are barred
from operating most services.
Many of these banks competed in
last years contest for licences, though
ultimately nine were selected.
Of the nine foreign banks that
were selected, the first three are set
to open on April 23, which is a yatyarzar day, or an auspicious day to
start new business ventures.
The three banks said yesterday
they welcomed the approval, adding it will allow them to play a
bigger part in Myanmars growing
economy.
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation said the growth of the
economy is expected to accelerate
with an increase in direct foreign
investment, such as the develop-
APRIL
23
Date the first three foreign banks are to

open their Myanmar branches
ment of Thilawa Special Economic

Zone.
With the opening of Yangon
Branch, SMBC will be able to better meet the diverse needs of clients
expanding their business in the
country through providing financial services in collaboration with
our local partner bank, Kanbawza
AYE
THIDAR
KYAW
ayethidarkyaw@gmail.com
Bank, which is the biggest local private bank in Myanmar, it said in

a press release. Sumitomo Mitsuis
local branch is in Strand Square on
Strand Road.
Singapores OCBC said that the
licence awarded by the Central Bank
of Myanmar has been expanded to
allow us to provide banking services
to local corporates in partnership
with local financial institutions.
Previously, under the provisional licence, it was allowed to support
foreign companies and joint ventures, as well as domestic banks in
Myanmar.
OCBC was one of the foreign
banks that had local operations
come to an end in 1963. It initially
opened in Yangon in 1923, and also
had a branch in Lashio.
This licence allows us to continue our support of foreign-related
investments and projects in the ongoing development of the Myanmar
economy as well as to support the
growth of its banking sector, said
Linus Goh, head of commercial
banking at OCBC, in a press release.
OCBC Yangon Branch is a significant addition to OCBCs regional footprint, in particular because
of the strong interest in Myanmar
from our customers across Southeast Asia and Great China.
OCBCs new Yangon branch is
located on the second floor of the
Union Financial Centre at corner
of Mahabandoola and Thein Phyu
streets.
The firm also highlighted two
other recent activities in Myanmar, including the financing of 100
Scania coaches for cross-country
transportation, and the first nonrecourse cross-border loan facility
for an independent telecommunications infrastructure provider in
Myanmar, Pan Asia Majestic Eagle
Limited.
Go Watanabe, chief executive officer for Asia and the Oeania Region
at the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ
said the bank is pleased it is one of
A pile of money is ready to be transported after being prepared by the Central Bank of Myanmar. The countrys lender of
last resort has now approved three of the foreign banks to open. Photo: AFP
the first foreign banks to open its

Yangon branch, coming within a sixmonth period of being selected to
receive a licence.
This is especially meaningful to
us given the banks involvement in
the early stages of reviews when the
Myanmar government first mooted
the idea to liberalise its financial
sector a couple of years ago, he
We recognised
that this is just
the beginning of a
long journey but
we are confident
that together, we
can help transform
Myanmars financial
sector into one that
is well-developed.
Go Watanabe
Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ
said in a press release.

We recognised that this is just the
beginning of a long journey but we
are confident that together, we can
help transform Myanmars financial
sector into one that is well-developed
and can effectively spur and drive
sustainable economic growth.
The companys new branch will assist cross-border trade flows, it added.
Yesterday the Central Bank of
Myanmar licensing committee
confirmed the three banks had received licences.
The three banks have undergone
a stringent entry process as defined
by the Central Bank of Myanmar in
November, 2014, it said in a statement. The Licensing Committee is

pleased to announce that the three
banks have successfully met all requirements, and have been granted
a final License to commence operations from April 22, 2015.
It added its thanks to the three
for their continuous commitment
to Myanmar, saying it looked forward to welcoming the banks as
members of Myanmars banking
community.
The remaining six foreign banks
are expected to go through a similar process in the next six months,
before opening.
Winning Foreign Banks

ANZ Bank
Australia
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China
China
The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ
Japan
Mizuho Bank
Japan
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
Japan
Maybank
Malaysia
OCBC
Singapore
UOB
Singapore
Bangkok Bank
Thailand
12 Property
THE MYANMAR TIMES APRIL 3, 2015
Thaketa bridge keeps property buoyant

TIN
YADANAR
HTUN
yadanar.mcm@gmail.com
THE property market in Thaketa

township, to the east of downtown
Yangon, has received a bump in interest from a planned bridge expansion to the area.
While much of the Yangon real
estate market has been quiet, Thaketa is opening up as transportation links improve, experts said.
Lots of people are moving to the
township because transportation
is improving, said U Mya Aung,
a local real estate agent. Thaketas property is cheap and close to
downtown its a 30-minute drive.
The township had previously
been home to a relatively quiet
property market, partly due to poor
transport links with downtown
though this will be partially eased
as one of the main bridges to the
area is replaced.
The Thaketa Bridge, a two-land
road stretching 284 metres, was
initially built in 1966 to provide
access across Pazundaung Creek.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) announced a
memorandum of understanding
in 2014 for funding of 4.216 billion yen (US$35 million) to replace
the structure with a new four-lane
bridge.
In the 2014 announcement, JICA
Plans to double the width of the Thaketa bridge have kept the Thaketa property market strong. Photo: Naing Wynn Htoon
said the bridge handled about 29,000

vehicles a day in 2013, adding there
was chronic congestion as there is

only one lane in each direction. It
also pointed out that the bridge is
a key transit point to Thilawa Special Economic Zone, which is to the
southeast of Thaketa.
METERS
284
Length of the existing Thaketa bridge,

which will be remade as a four-lane
bridge with funding from JICA
Traffic is often a problem on the existing Thaketa bridge. Photo: Naing Wynn Htoon
The bridge plans may have been

the single biggest factor propelling the local property market, but
agents say it is far from being the
only one.
Thaketa is notorious for flooding

from nearby Pazundaung creek during the rainy season. U Mya Aung
said usually up to 80pc of the streets
are flooded in the rainy season, slowing transportation.
After 2010, the roads began to be
improved, mitigating the flooding
problems, and combined with plans
to upgrade the bridge, has resulted
in increasing interest for the area.
Local resident U Thura Zaw said
he has noticed a significant pick-up
in business in the last year, following the bridge announcement.
After the new bridge is built,
Thaketa will be more accessible
and it will be easier for transportation without traffic problems.
Daw Thandar Swe has lived in the
township since 1960. Initially there
was no bridge at all over Pazundaung
creek, separating the township from
Yangon city. The initial 1966 bridge
caused rising prices at the time, a
situation replicated with the 2014
bridge announcement, she said.
YCDC promises 45-day wait for licences

MYAT NYEIN AYE
myatnyeinaye11092@gmail.com
NOE NOE AUNG
noenoeag@gmail.com
YANGON City Development Committee has pledged to lower the
wait time for applying for contractor licences from months to weeks,
partly as the number of applicants
decreases.
We were receiving between 80
to 100 contractor applications for
licences every month, but the number is now decreasing, YCDC deputy head of building department U
Nay Win said.
Now we receive about 20 licence
applications a month, and arrange
an interview before we give permission to them. Previously the
department had been too busy to
regularly hold interviews, meaning
as few as four a month were held.
Would-be contractors must sit
through an interview with YCDC officials to discuss their education, experience, ownership and citizenship
in order to receive a licence. Each
licensed contractor is allowed to

build 15 buildings in total over the
length of the licence, he said.
If a contractor applies for a licence, we will try to get it to them
in 45 days.
The number of applicants for
contractor licences shot up in 2011,
as the construction industry started
to boom. Recently, interest in the licences has waned, which U Nay Win
said is caused by a few factors.
YCDC has changed the amount
contractors must deposit for licences from K10 million (US$9670), to
K50 million which has priced some
would-be entrants out of the market.
Existing contractors were required to add in the additional
K40 million with the rule change,
though some contractors avoided
paying.
Some were absent [with payment], so we restricted the list by
cancelling the licences of the absent contractors, he said. Others
added K40 million to their deposits
as the construction industry started
to boom and lots of new buildings
went up, meaning contractors needed an official licence.

U Nay Win added there are other
reasons fewer businesspeople want
to enter the contracting business.
The dreary state of the construction industry may be another
reason for the decrease in licence
applicants, he said. Another may
be that there are already enough
contractors in the industry.
Contractors said they welcomed
the move to speed up licensing, as
it previously has taken significant
amounts of time.
U Yan Aung, general manager
of Asia Construction, said his firm
applied for a licence in June 2014
and received it that September a
three-month wait.
While the firm had to deposit
K50 million for a contractor licence
fee when it first received the licence,
it initially had to pay an additional
annual fee of K200,000. This fee has
since been increased and another
fee added to bring the total to about
K1.5 million, he said.
We are now paying more charges
for annual fees, as it has been increase from K200,000 to K500,000,

he said. They have also added another fee for registration K1 million so we are now paying around
K1.5 million a year.
Receiving contractor licences
requires a large amount of money,
though when the construction industry was quiet, contractor licences were easy to get, he said.
Many contractors entered into
the industry both legally and illegally because construction became so popular, and then YCDC
began scrutinising contractor applicants more closely on a step-by-step
basis.
The increase scrutiny is good
for the construction field. But the
increase of deposits and annual
charges is causing more difficulties
for contractors, he said.
Other contractors have also criticised some of the engineers used
for inspection as having little experience, often being freshly graduated, which causes delays for some
projects.
When Thaketa township was

first settled, transportation was difficult, and we could not go downtown easily even though its not far
away, because of the Pazundaung
creek, she said.
But the bridge was built, transportation improved, prices got
higher and many people moved in.
A contractor said that like the
rest of Yangon, interest in Thaketa
increased beginning in 2012. Now,
modern apartments are a common
sight in what was formerly a quiet
area, though prices so far have stayed
below other suburban townships.
Now Thaketa has become very
prosperous and it seems just like
downtown on the main streets, he
said. Property on the main roads
has become very expensive and
shops can get a lot of the market.
Thaketa township comprises 19
wards and share borders with Dawbon township in the south, Bago
River in the east and Thingangyun
township in the north and west.
No Colombo port
project despite visit
Sri Lanka has yet to resolve a
dispute with China over a $1.4
billion development in Colombo
despite a state visit to Beijing last
week, a minister said.
New Sri Lankan President
Maithripala Sirisena suspended
the Chinese-backed construction of a port city in the capital
following allegations that environmental clearances had not
been obtained.
Some reports had indicated
the project would go ahead following Mr Sirisenas three-day
visit to Beijing last week.
But Deputy Foreign Minister
Ajith Perera said the president
had not discussed the project
with his Chinese counterpart Xi
Jinping. We have given them
[Chinese companies] time to
produce the environmental approvals, but they have not done
that yet, the minister said.
AFP
International Business 13
www.mmtimes.com
Hanoi
Workers strike for better pension

Thousands of workers at a Ho Chi
Minh City factory are striking for a
sixth day over a government pension
change as officials moved to quell Vietnams worst labour unrest since Mays
anti-China riots.
Several thousand workers converged
outside the factory owned by Taiwanese
footware manufacturer Pou Chen on
the morning of April 1, chanting and
unfurling banners as police stood by. As
many as 90,000 of the workers went on
strike last week, VnExpress reported. It
is unclear which shoemakers the facility supplies to. Workers said they make
footwear for Nike and other companies.
Nike denied sourcing from the factories
affected.
The new pension rules will stop
many workers from being eligible for
lump-sum social insurance payments
when they leave a company, delaying
payouts until they retire. Workers have
said they are concerned the money may
not be there in the future. Vietnams
Communist government restricts large,
unsanctioned gatherings.
None of us has a house, striking
worker Nguyen Van Thu, 28, said outside the gates of the shoe factory on
the night of March 31. When we cant
work, we want to get our social insurance all at once so we can build a house
for the family. We struggle to make a
living. We have to pay for all kinds of
TOKYO
Line mobile
app reviving
IPO plans
Line, the popular messaging app
launched in the aftermath of Japans
earthquake and tsunami, is set for an
initial public offering as early as this
year, a report said April 2, after shelving plans for a listing in 2014.
The leading Nikkei business daily
reported that the company has applied to trade its shares in Tokyo
and may launch a separate New York
listing in a sale that could value it at
more than US$8.0 billion.
A Line spokesperson said the company would not comment on the Nikkei report, which did not cite sources.
Line applied in mid-2014 for a
share sale in Japan, and said it was
eyeing a US listing as well. But it
pulled back in September, saying
it needed to focus on growth first
some reports said the sale was cancelled due to disagreements with its
parent over details of the listing.
The company, which claims more
than 400 million registered members
in Japan and other parts of Asia, lets
users make free calls, send instant
messages, and post photos or short
videos. It combines attributes of Facebook, Skype and WhatsApp.
It reported sales of 86.3 billion yen
($722 million) in its latest fiscal year.
Best known for letting users send
each other cute cartoon stickers,
Line is hugely popular in Japan, particularly among teenagers.
About 88 percent of Japanese
smartphone owners use messaging
apps such as Line, according to a
survey by the Communications and
Information network Association of
Japan.
Its
messaging
service
was
launched in 2011 by the Japanese
unit of South Korean Internet service
provider Naver Corp after the quaketsunami tragedy damaged telecoms
infrastructure nationwide, forcing
millions of people in Japan to resort
to online resources to communicate.
Line is based in Japan, but is
owned by Naver. AFP
Female workers perform road maintenance work along a highway in Soc Son district on the outskirts of Hanoi. Photo: AFP
insurance, and were afraid well lose it

under the new law.
Dozens of workers sat outside the
plant gate, in a suburban district of Ho
Chi Minh City on the evening of March
31. The next morning, workers and police with batons crowded the factory
complex.
The workers want to raise their
voices and speak out on this government policy, Serena Liu, chair of the
Council of Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, said by phone. They

feel this is the only way they can do it.
Its not about working conditions.
Nike and Converse do not source
from the contract factories currently
affected by the strike and there has
been no impact to Nike or Converse
production at contract factories in Vietnam, Nike said in a statement. We
are aware of the situation and will
continue to monitor.
Pou Chen called on the Vietnamese
government to provide assurances to
workers on the social insurance issue,
Pou Chen spokesperson Amos Ho said
by phone. The work stoppage, which
began March 26, may cause some production delays, Mr Ho said.
The Vietnamese government has
pledged to prevent more labour unrest
after workers damaged foreign facto-
ries following Chinas placement of an

oil rig in contested waters off Vietnams
coast last year.
The labour ministry is in talks with
the shoe-factory workers and has ordered government agencies across the
country to explain the purpose of the
new policy, which goes into effect in
2016, to workers to head off further
protests.
Most strikes in Vietnam are focused
on the practices of a company rather
than the government. More than 100
Vietnam Airlines pilots called in sick
at the start of 2015 amid discontent
over salaries. Last May, two people died
during anti-Chinese protests at foreign
factories. More 1000 workers at Levi
Strauss & Cos factory in the northern
province of Ninh Binh engaged in a
three-day strike in November 2013 to
demand better working conditions.
This is a very complex issue involving the poor living and working
conditions of the workers and the poor
protections the government provides to
them in terms of social security, said
Alexander Vuving, a security analyst
at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security
Studies in Hawaii. There is a lack of
trust. Institutionally, nobody represents
the interests of the workers. There are
labour unions in Vietnam, but they are
part of the Communist Party system.
Bloomberg
14 International Business
New York
Wage deal not quite super-sized

FAST-FOOD giant McDonalds announced late April 1 that it would increase the wages of 90,000 employees in company-owned restaurants
in the United States and offer them
paid time-off.
The pay rise, however, will not
apply to workers in McDonalds
restaurants owned by franchisees,
which comprise some 90 percent of
the 14,000 McDonalds outlets across
the country.
McDonalds USA said that from
July 1 this year, the starting wages
for full- and part-time workers in its
own restaurants will be US$1 dollar above the local official minimum
wage.
The company gave no average
for that, but based on current state
standards, the new pay scale could
range from $6.15 an hour in Georgia
and Wyoming to $11.50 in Washington, DC.
This [wage plan]

barely affects
5 percent of
McDonalds workers
in this country.
Kendall Fells
Fight for $15 campaign
Steve Easterbrook, CEO of US fast food chain McDonalds, speaks during the re-opening of the McDonalds Restaurant at Frankfurt International Airport. Photo: AFP
Some cities have even higher local standards, so that a worker at a

McDonalds-owned restaurant in Seattle could earn $16 an hour.
On the other hand, five US states
have no minimum wage, and it was
not clear how McDonalds would set
pay in those.
The company said it expected
that by the end of 2016, the average
wage it pays workers at companyowned restaurants will be more than
$10 an hour.
It also said it will begin offering
paid time-off to full- and part-time
restaurant crew with at least one year

on the job, and expand educational
support for employees at all restaurants irrespective of ownership.
Weve been working on a comprehensive benefits package for our
employees the people who bring
our brand to life for customers every
day in our US restaurants, McDonalds president and chief executive
Steve Easterbrook said in a statement.
Weve listened to our employees
and learned that in addition to increased wages paid personal leave
and financial assistance for completing their education would make a real
difference in their careers and lives.
McDonalds said the 3100 franchisee companies that operate most
of the brands outlets around the
country will make their own decisions on wages.
The move comes as pressure
mounts on large employers in lowpaid service industries, from retail
chains to fast-food businesses, to
increase wages that have effectively
not risen for decades, when measured against the cost of living.
In February the countrys largest

private sector employer, Walmart,
which has long been criticised for
low wages that forced workers to
seek welfare assistance, said it would
boost the pay of 500,000 US workers
to at least $9 an hour.
Workers groups quickly assailed
the announcement as too limited,
and far below the target of a national
campaign to get $15 an hour for fast
food workers.
We know that McDonalds can
do much better, said Kendall Fells,
director of the Fight for $15 campaign.
This barely affects 5 percent of

McDonalds workers in this country.
There are still millions of families
living in poverty due to McDonalds
not raising the wages to $15, he said.
Cathy Ruckelshaus of the National Employment Law Project said
that because of low pay, McDonalds
workers cost the government over $1
billion a year in public assistance.
McDonalds is in a position to
take leadership on providing living
wages for its workers: It has plenty of
profits and revenues, she said.
AFP
Hong Kong
Trouble continues for

Macau casinos
IN PICTUREs
Photo: AFP
Cranes loom out of sight of passersby at a construction site in Beijing.

Chinas manufacturing activity expanded in March for the first time
since December, the government said on April 1, a bright spot as the
worlds second-largest economy fights a broad slowdown in growth.
MACAUS casino gambling revenue

fell 39 percent in March, the secondworst monthly decline on record, as
high-end players stayed away from
tables amid Chinas anti-corruption
crackdown.
Gross gaming revenue in the
worlds largest gambling hub fell to
21.5 billion patacas (US$2.7 billion)
last month, the 10th-straight month
of decline, according to data released
on April 1 by Macaus Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau. That
compared with a median estimate of
40pc from nine analysts surveyed by
Bloomberg.
Macau casinos are facing their lowest revenue since 2011 as the Chinese
economy slows and President Xi Jinpings nationwide graft crackdown
stretches into a third year. The campaign has hurt sales of luxury goods
and deterred high rollers from visiting
the countrys only legal enclave of casino gambling. A smoking ban in casinos and stricter visa rules have also
damped business.
The former Portuguese colony recorded its biggest-ever drop in monthly gaming revenue in February almost 49pc due to weak demand over
the Lunar New Year holiday, usually a
peak gambling period.

The latest data shows that revenue
for the first quarter fell 37pc to 64.8
billion patacas.
The contraction in Macau has led
analysts to cut their forecasts for casino receipts this year to about 278
billion patacas, which would be the
smallest take since 2011. Revenue was
expected to fall 21pc, according to the
median estimate of 13 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg, more than double the decline they had projected in
January.
Macaus government reduced its
average monthly forecast to a figure
that would represent a 32pc plunge
from last year, chief executive Fernando Chui said last week. The citys
trying to diversify its economy and
develop itself into a global tourism
center to cut its reliance on casino
gambling.
Casino operators are adding shops,
restaurants and other non-gaming
entertainment attractions to attract
more middle-class consumers. In May,
Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd will
be the first among the citys six major
casino operators to open a new wave
of new and expanded resorts.
Bloomberg
Job Watch
Embassy of Canada, Yangon
Ambassade du Canada, Yangon
invites applications for the positions of
Common Services (CS) Assistant
Salary: USD 11,167 per annum
(based on 37.5 hours work week)
Please read the detailed competition notice & job description available at
http://www.burma.gc.ca before applying
Last Date to Submit Application for this position:
14 April 2015; 16:00 hours Yangon local time
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in
Myanmar is seeking for qualified applicants to fill the following position:
1) Field Associate, GL-6

(UNOPS Contract - LICA, Sittwe)
2) Driver PN 10012506, GL-2

(UNHCR Contract - FTA, Sittwe)
Closing date: 13 April 2015
N e w V a c a n c i e s A P P L Y N O W!
The detailed Terms of Reference for these positions are available on request
from UNHCR offices in Yangon, Maungdaw, Buthidaung, Sittwe, Myitkyina,
Bhamo, Mawlamyine, Hpa-An, Loikaw, Dawei and Taungoo.
www.unhcr.org
Business Development manager

Marketing manager
Sales and distribution manager
Brand manager
Logistic officer
Medical doctor
Project manager
Sales engineer
Site engineer
Chief Accountant
Accountant
HR Manager
HR Executive
Legal executive
Secretary
Passenger service agent ( airline)
Receptionist
Customer service
Challenging Media Sales Position

MCM is looking for an excellent candidate to oversee our National

Sales Force. Successful candidates will have strong commercial management
experience, the vision to develop our business, and a track-record of B2B
Sales Management. Experience in the media sector will be a bonus.

The National Sales Director will oversee our Sales Departments
activities day-to-day, coaching the team towards strong sales performance
while overseeing the placement of advertisements into our products, and
reporting directly to top management.

Success in this challenging position will require going beyond weekto-week management and test your ability to chase new business, develop
new business opportunities, and inform the companys growth as a whole.
Your success in this position will pave the way towards a rewarding career
in Media. Are you ready to take your management career to the next level?
Remuneration will be commensurate with candidates experience.
Apply today:
Email our HR team at MCMHRD@mmtimes.com.mm for a full job
description and details on the application process.
No. 851/853 (A/B), 3rd Floor, Room (7/8),

Bogyoke Aung San Road, Lanmadaw Township,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel: (951) 229 437, 09 49 227 773, 09 730 94007
Email: esearch@yangon.net.mm, esearch.myanmar@gmail.com
www.esearchmyanmar.com
www.facebook.com/esearchmyanmar
The Human Resources Manager: Myanmar Consolidated Media Ltd.

379-383 Bo Aung Kyaw Street, Kyauktada T/S, Yangon
Email applications to: mcmhrd@myanmartimes.com.mm
16 THE MYANMAR TIMES April 3, 2015
World
World editor: Fiona MacGregor
HONG KONG
UK financier in court
over double murder
BRITISH banker Rurik Jutting appeared before a packed courtroom
in Hong Kong yesterday accused of
the murder of two young Indonesian
women whose mutilated bodies were
found in his apartment.
Wearing the same black T-shirt
and dark-rimmed glasses as in previous hearings, Mr Jutting, 30, returned to magistrates court after
being deemed fit to stand trial in November following psychiatric tests.
The former Merrill Lynch Bank of
America employee faces life in prison if he is convicted of the murder
charges.
But the case was adjourned until
May 8 after the prosecution asked for
more time.
One-time securities trader Mr Jutting, who has not yet entered a plea
in the case, was attentive but looked
tired. He spoke twice to say I do
when asked whether he understood
the two charges against him.
Seneng Mujiasih and Sumarti
Ningsih, both in their 20s, were
found dead in Mr Juttings upmarket
flat in the early hours of November 1
after he called police.
Ms Mujiasih was found in the
living room, naked and with knife
wounds to her legs and buttocks. The
British banker Rurik Jutting (right) sits

in a prison van leaving court in Hong
Kong on November 10, 2014.
Photo: AFP
decaying body of Ms Ningsih was

found hours later in a suitcase on the
balcony.
High-flying Cambridge graduate
Jutting is being held at Hong Kongs
maximum security Siu Lam psychiatric prison. It is a walled hilltop compound on the outskirts of Hong Kong.
Defence counsel Tim Parker
accused the prosecution of yo-yoing for initially saying that they
would need until July to present a
case, then coming back to court, only
to delay once more.
It was an unnecessary waste of
cost ... My client was forced to come
here, said Mr Parker, who added that
the prosecution had sent the defence
case documents too late.
Magistrate Jason Wan turned
down an application for costs, saying
that it was not unusual for a complex case to take time.
Once all the evidence is submitted,
after being reviewed by both sides,
the magistrate will commit the case
to the High Court, which handles
murder cases and where an official
plea must be entered.
In a city generally regarded as safe
by residents and known for its highend shops and glitzy skyscrapers, the
killings were unusually brutal and
shone a spotlight on the seedy underbelly of the finance hub.
Police have said they were investigating whether the two women were
sex workers after cocaine and sex toys
were found in the apartment, just a
few streets away from Hong Kongs
red-light district, where Mr Jutting
was reportedly a regular.
But their distraught parents said
they believed their children had been
working at restaurants.
Ms Mujiasih had entered the city
on a domestic worker visa in 2010,
but that had lapsed in 2012, while Ms
Ningsih came in on a tourist visa in
October last year. AFP
TOKYO
Japan politicians debate

Extraterrestrial invasion
ALIEN spaceships have never entered
Japanese airspace, the countrys defence minister has told parliamentarians, after being questioned about a
possible aerial invasion by little green
men.
Gen Nakatani said the nations war
planes can be scrambled whenever
there is a report of an unidentified flying object (UFO) but, so far, they had
not encountered visitors from space.
When the Air Self Defence Force
detects indications of an unidentified
flying object that could violate our
countrys airspace, it scrambles fighter
jets if necessary and makes visual observation, he said.
They sometimes find birds or flying objects other than aircraft but I
dont know a case of finding an unidentified flying object believed to have
come over from anywhere other than
Earth, he said.
Mr Nakatani, a sober politician
with a reputation for thorough understanding of his brief, was responding
to a question from flamboyant wrestler-turned-lawmaker Antonio Inoki.
At a meeting of the budget committee in Japans upper house, Mr Inoki
had asked if aircraft were dispatched

to meet extra-terrestrial visitors and
whether studies [into them] are going on.
Mr Inoki, known for his outsized
chin and trademark red scarf, said he
did not know whether or not aliens existed, but he had once seen a mysterious flying object rocket into the air on
the horizon and disappear.
The exchange was not the first official Japanese pronouncement on
spacemen and their aircraft.
A 2007 statement said the government has not confirmed the existence
of unidentified flying objects believed
to have come from anywhere other
than Earth.
But the statement, formally endorsed at a cabinet meeting, prompted a surprise rebuttal from the top
government spokesperson.
Nobutaka Machimura, chief cabinet secretary at the time, said: Personally, I absolutely believe they exist.
Then-defence minister Shigeru
Ishiba also said that in his personal
opinion there were no grounds to
deny that there are UFOs controlled
by alien life-forms. AFP
BANGKOK
US leads criticism of martia

THE Thai juntas decision to lift
martial law was denounced by
critics yesterday as cosmetic, with
key ally Washington warning that
replacement emergency security
measures would do little to loosen
the militarys grip on power.
In an announcement late on
April 1 Thailands generals officially lifted martial law 10 months
after seizing power in a coup.
But the controversial law,
which Western allies had urged
Bangkok to revoke, was replaced
with a new executive order retaining sweeping powers for the
military and junta chief Prayut
Chan-O-Cha.
Those measures were passed
under section 44 of the junta-written interim constitution, a controversial provision handing Gen Prayut power to make any executive
decision in the name of national
security.
The new order includes a continuance of a ban on political
gatherings of more than five people, while the military retains the
right to arrest, detain and prosecute people for national security
crimes or those who fall foul of
the countrys strict royal defamation laws.
A new rule also appears to
deepen censorship of the media,
by allowing military officers to
stop the publication or presentation of any news they deem
to be causing fear or distorted
information.
A US State Department official
said Washington expected the Thai
military to end trials of civilians in
military courts, detention without

charge and to allow people to express their opinions freely.
We are concerned that moving
to a security order under article 44
will not accomplish any of these
objectives, the official said.
Inside Thailand, analysts and
critics pilloried the replacement
measures as martial law in all but
name.
Section 44 is actually worse
[than martial law], constitutional
scholar Khemthong Tonsakulrungruang of Bangkoks Chulalongkorn University said, adding that
the new order allows Gen Prayut
to execute key decisions without
the oversight of a military court.
When they ask for the martial
law to be lifted, what the public is
really asking for is the return of
Section 44 is
actually worse
[than martial law].
Khemthong Tonsakulrungruang
Constitutional scholar
basic rights and liberties to Thais.

Gen Prayut fails to understand
that, he said.
Political commentator Verapat
Pariyawong described the move to
replace martial law with something even worse as an April
Fools day trick.
The junta realises the situation
is very unstable at the moment.

They know they lack legitimacy.
That is why they have to maintain
such a tight grip, the Londonbased analyst said.
But some defended the military
saying the potential remained for
anti-coup protests to upset the
uneasy peace imposed since the
coup.
The powers have been reduced, former prime minister
Abhisit Vejjajiva, a staunch proestablishment politician, said adding that those who criticise the
new order as the same as martial
law are being unfair.
They [the military] are looking for a way to try and relax but
they are doing it at their own pace
and they still feel that they are not
yet secure, he added.
Thailands generals had been
under pressure from western allies, businesses and tour operators
to rescind martial law.
The tourism industry, which
usually accounts for around 10
percent of GDP, said the law put
tourists off and made it difficult
for some visitors to obtain insurance.
Earlier this week junta officials
told reporters that Gen Prayut was
inclined to lift martial law because
of pressure from foreign governments.
Thailands generals took over
last May after months of often
violent street protests that led
to the ousting of Yingluck Shinawatras democratically elected
government.
It marked the latest chapter in
17
Celebrations as
Tikrit reclaimed
from rebels
Indias elderly
choosing retirement
homes over family life
world 21
World 23
HAGATNA, Gua
IN PICTUREs
Photo: AFP
South Korean
protestors cut an
effigy of Japans
Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe with a
saw during an antiJapan rally outside
the Japanese
embassy in Seoul
on April 1. Mr Abe
described comfort
women mainly
Koreans who were
forced to serve
as sex slaves for
Japanese troops
during World War
II as victims of
human trafficking
in a recent
interview with a US
newspaper.
Micronesians plead for aid after storm

RESIDENTS in storm-wrecked areas of Micronesia appealed for help
yesterday as a clean-up began on
the worst-affected islands after Super Typhoon Maysak swept through
the region on its way toward the
Philippines.
We can do with all the help we
can get, Courtney Stinnett at the
Truk Stop Hotel dive shop on the
main island of Weno in Chuuk state
said.
A state of emergency has been
declared in Chuuk, the largest region in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) where five people
were killed and houses and crops
destroyed by Maysak.
The super typhoon took three
days to cross the central Pacific
archipelago before heading out to
sea and towards the Philippines,
but relief workers said it could be
a year before some land is restored
enough to plant crops again.
The storm ripped the iron roofs
off houses. About 95 percent of the
homes were damaged, Ms Stinnett
said, adding that residents were
gathering scattered sheets of iron to
hastily make their wrecked homes
rainproof.
There are fallen trees and you
cant get through many back roads,
she said.
There are two live aboards [vessels] which have significant damage
after being swept on to the reef. The
crew had to jump off and swim to
land. Quite a few were injured but
all survived.
The Pacific Maritime Association
(PMA) sent an aircraft to survey the
damage on Ulithi atoll which was
hit hard when the eye of the storm
passed over on the night of March
31 with sustained winds of 260 kilometres (160 miles) per hour.
Most concrete structures withstood the fury but everything else
was damaged, PMA Pacific administrator Melinda Espinosa said in
an email.
Because Ulithi is just a little
above sea level, in some areas the
sea rose, destroying crops and the
soil. It will take time to desalinate
the soil, approximately a year until
the crops can be re-planted, she
said.
In Chuuk, Ms Stinnett said they
were reliant on ships to bring in
relief supplies but they may first be

diverted to the many small islands
where residents lost their boats and
had no way of going for help.
On neighbouring Guam, the
Bank of Guam and the Ayuda Foundation have teamed up to prepare
medical packages which will either
be air-dropped or delivered by boat
to the worst-hit islands.
We are saddened to learn of
the deaths and devastation to our
neighbouring islands and send
our support for a speedy recovery.
Bank of Guam President Lou Leon
Guerrero said.
The Guam weather office said
the maximum sustained winds of
Maysak had decreased to 140 mph
yesterday and it would continue to
weaken before hitting the Philippines at the weekend.
The typhoon is expected to hit
the northern Philippines late tomorrow or early Sunday as millions
of Filipinos enjoy the Easter weekend holiday.
Last month, Cyclone Pam
slammed into the Pacific nation of
Vanuatu, leaving 11 dead.
AFP
ial law replacement

a decade of political conflict broadly pitting Bangkoks middle classes
and the royalist elite, backed by
parts of the military and judiciary, against pro-Shinawatra urban
working-class voters and farmers
from the countrys north.
Gen Prayut has vowed to return
power to an elected civilian government, but only once reforms to tackle corruption and curb the power of
political parties are codified in a

new constitution.
Critics say those reforms are
aimed at neutering the power of the
Shinawatras, ensuring that they and
parties linked to them can never
take office again.
Parties run by or allied to the
Shinawatras have won every election since 2001.
AFP
Structures damaged during storms brought on by Super Typhoon Maysak lie broken near the village of Mwan on the
island of Weno in the Micronesian state of Chuuk on March 29. Residents were struggling to clear the roads of huge
pieces of debris and return to damaged homes on April 1. Photo: AFP
18 World
LAUSANNE
Seize the moment, Iran tells leaders

ROLLERCOASTER talks with Iran
stretched deep into the early hours
of yesterday as the countrys foreign
minister told world powers to seize
the moment to clinch a groundbreaking deal with Tehran to curtail
its nuclear program.
We are a few metres ... from the
finishing line, but we are well aware
that the final metres are the hardest, French Foreign Minister Laurent
Fabius told reporters, as he arrived
back in Switzerland to rejoin the
negotiations.
The stakes were very high, he said,
adding at issue was the question of
non-proliferation, and Irans reintegration into the international community.
Mr Fabius was re-joining US Secretary of State John Kerry and their
counterparts from Germany and Britain, as well as political directors from
Russia and China.
A US official confirmed Mr Kerry
held four hours of late-night talks
with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif and EU deputy
foreign policy chief Helga Schmid,
adding to days of already bruising
negotiations.
In back-to-back talks, the top US
diplomat then went straight into a
meeting with Mr Fabius and German
Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier at 1:20am before just a few
minutes later resuming negotiations
with Mr Zarif and Ms Schmid.
Iran has shown its readiness
to engage with dignity and its time
for our negotiating partners to seize
the moment, Mr Zarif told reporters
earlier.
Iran had shown it wants an entente with the world, but it will
not accept submitting to force and
British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond (left), senior director at the National Security Council Robert Malley (centre) and
US Secretary of State John Kerry stand on the terrace of the Beau-Rivage Palace hotel in Lausanne on April 1. Photo: AFP
excessive demands, Mr Zarif said.

After 18 months of intense negotiations, it remained unclear if the six
world powers and Iran will pin down
the main contours of a deal to put a
nuclear bomb out of Irans reach.
The aim is to turn this into a comprehensive accord backed by specific
technical commitments by June 30
when an interim deal struck in November 2013, which saw Iran freeze
certain nuclear activities in return for
GENEVA
Ebola vaccine trials

show early success
AN experimental Ebola vaccine tested on humans in Europe and Africa
sparks the production of the antibodies needed to neutralise the deadly virus, a Geneva hospital said on April 1.
There is no licensed treatment
or vaccine for Ebola, and the World
Health Organization last year endorsed rushing potential ones through
trials in a bid to stem the epidemic
still simmering in west Africa.
Initial clinical trials of the VSV-ZEBOV candidate vaccine, manufactured
by the Public Health Agency of Canada
and developed by Merck, show that it
triggers the production of antibodies
capable of neutralising the Ebola virus, the Geneva University Hospitals
(HUG) said in a statement.
A study of the phase 1 clinical trials on 158 volunteers in Switzerland,
Germany, Gabon and Kenya, published in the New England Journal of
Medicine, also showed that the even
small amounts of the vaccine could be
effective. The phase 1 trials are aimed
at testing for safety.
The study compared the doses tested by the various teams, ranging from
300,000 to 50 million vaccine particles, and found that even low doses
of this experimental vaccine are able
to trigger the production of antibodies
against the Ebola virus.
Follow-up analysis six and 12
months after the volunteers took the
shot should determine whether a
single injection is enough to induce a
lasting immune response or if booster injections would be needed, HUG
said.
Since the Ebola outbreak began in
Guinea in December 2013, more than

25,000 people in nine countries have
been infected with the virus, and over
10,400 of them have died. All but a
handful of those deaths have occurred
in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
HUG stressed on April 1 that phase
III clinical trials underway in Guinea,
which are aimed at testing for efficacy,
will determine whether the immune
response triggered by this vaccine is
able to protect the population against
the Ebola virus.
Those trials would also show
whether large-scale vaccination campaigns were feasible, it said.
The trials at HUG were briefly suspended late last year after several volunteers experienced unexpected joint
pains, but resumed after it cut the
doses used.
The hospital said on April 1 that
VSV-ZEBOV provoked inflammatory
reactions like fever and muscle pain
in almost all the volunteers, which is
common in live vaccines.
In one in five volunteers however,
the vaccine particles reached joints
and caused pain similar to rheumatism for about 10 days, mostly in
hands, feet, knees and elbows.
Some volunteers also developed
rashes for a few weeks, it said.
But not a single volunteer had to
miss work or be hospitalised, HUG
said.
Another experimental vaccine,
ChAd3, made by Britains GlaxoSmithKline, is also undergoing phase 1 trials in a range of countries and started
phase 3 trials in Liberia in February.
AFP
minor sanctions relief, expires.

Success would end a 12-year-old
standoff. Failure may set the United
States and Israel on a road to military
action to thwart Irans nuclear drive.
The White House said the talks
were still productive and progress
was being made.
But if we are in a situation where
we sense that the talks have stalled
then yes, the United States and the
international community is prepared
to walk away, said White House

spokesperson Josh Earnest.
Despite missing the March 31 midnight deadline, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had raised hopes
of an agreement in principle on all
key aspects of the final settlement
before leaving on April 1.
Irans chief negotiator Abbas
Araghchi had also appeared hopeful,
saying he believed that at the end of
the day we will be able to come to a
conclusion and a resolution for all issues.

He said there were two main
sticking points: a mechanism for lifting crippling sanctions against the
Islamic republic; and the countrys
research and development of new nuclear machinery.
Global powers want Iran to scale
down its nuclear program to extend
the breakout time needed to assemble enough nuclear material to make
a bomb.
Iran denies wanting the bomb and
its negotiators are under strict orders
from supreme leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei to refuse any curtailing of
its program without sanctions relief.
Global powers have always refused
an immediate lifting of all sanctions,
preferring instead a phased suspension to enable them to be put back in
place if Iran violates the deal.
If the outlines under negotiation
fall short of firm commitments by
Iran, US President Barack Obama
could find it hard to fend off attempts
by his Republican opponents to pass
fresh sanctions on Tehran.
Irans negotiators are also under
pressure from domestic hardliners
not to give too much away while also
delivering on President Hassan Rouhanis promise to win the lifting of
sanctions.
US Republicans fear that Iran
will still be able to get the bomb.
That concern is shared by Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,
whose country is widely assumed to
have nuclear weapons itself.
Mr Netanyahu, in his fourth
broadside in as many days, warned
against a bad deal that would endanger Israel, and the Middle East and
the peace of the world. AFP
in BRIEF
ARISSA
Students killed in gun attack
Masked gunmen stormed a

university in northeast Kenya at
dawn yesterday, killing at least
two people at the campus not far
from war-torn Somalias lawless
border.
Gunmen forced their way into
Garissa University by shooting at the guards manning the
main gate at around 5:30 am,
said Kenya Police Chief Joseph
Boinet.
The gunmen shot indiscriminately while inside the university
compound, he said.
The number of students and
teachers trapped inside the
campus was unclear and gunfire
and explosions could be heard
coming from the site.
At least two people have been
killed and four injured in the attack, according to Kenyas official
National Disaster Operations
Centre said.
There was no immediate claim
of responsibility but the town
lies roughly 150 kilometres (90
miles) west of Somalia and has
in the past been targeted by militants from the al-Qaeda-linked
Shebab.
A witness, Ahmed Nur, said he
saw the bodies of two university
guards, shot by the attackers.
Kenyas Red Cross is evacuating
the wounded.
Students reported seeing up
to four masked gunmen entering
the university compound before
dawn on yesterday.
The area surrounding the
university has been sealed off by
the Kenya security forces and the
army has been called in.
AFP
SYDNEY
Special needs pupil kept in cage
An Australian principal was suspended yesterday after a primary school

child with special needs was allegedly
put in a cage-like structure inside a
classroom.
Australian Capital Territory Education Minister Joy Burch said she was
immensely disappointed, disturbed
and quite frankly disgusted that the
2-metre withdrawal space, made of
metal fencing, was allowed in school.
It was reportedly built for a 10-yearold autistic student, who was placed
in it between March 10 and 27. Media
reports referred to it as cage-like.
An independent inquiry has been
launched and two extra teachers
qualified in disability education assigned to the school.
Whether it was in the school for
17 days, 17 minutes or 17 seconds,
it had no place there, Ms Burch told
reporters.
Words cant put into place the
absolute disappointment and horror I
have that, in our schools, that anyone
would consider a structure of this
nature in any way, shape or form acceptable. The Canberra school was
not named but the childs concerned
family contacted the Human Rights
Commission.
The ACT Education Directorate said
it was an isolated example of very
poor decision-making.
A withdrawal space was erected
inside a classroom for a student with
behavioural challenges and special
needs. The space was a fenced-in
structure inside a classroom, it said
in a statement. It was entirely inappropriate and unacceptable. This
is an isolated example of very poor
decision-making and of the upmost
seriousness, it added.
AFP
MANILA
Top militant confirmed killed
The FBI confirmed yesterday that a

senior Malaysian militant with a US$5
million reward on his head was killed
in a January raid in the Philippine that
also left 44 police commandos dead.
The confirmation provides some
validation for the botched raid that
plunged President Benigno Aquinos
administration into crisis and jeopardised efforts to end a decades-long
Muslim separatist insurgency.
After a thorough review of forensic data and information obtained
from our Philippine law enforcement
partners, the FBI has assessed that
terrorism subject, Zulkifli Abdhir, also
known as Marwan, is deceased and
has been removed from the FBIs list
of Most Wanted Terrorists, the US
law-enforcement agency said in a
statement.
The raid claimed the lives of 44
members of the Philippine police
Special Action Force (SAF) who were
attacked by Muslim gunmen after
they raided Zulkiflis hideout on January 25. The SAF commandos were
sent to the troubled southern island
of Mindanao get Zulkifli and a senior
Filipino militant leader Abdul Basit
Usman, who escaped.
The high death toll caused Mr
Aquinos approval rating to tumble to
its lowest level since he took office in
2010 and prompted questions about
the nature of US-Philippines cooperation on military operations.We have
got our man and (the operation) was
a success, Philippine national police
spokesperson Chief Superintendent
Generoso Cerbo said.
Zulkifli was a top militant in the
Southeast Asian terror group Jemaah
Islamiyah (JI) which is suspected of carrying out the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings which killed 202 people. AFP
20 World
SANAA
Humanitarian crisis feared as dozens

of civilians killed in single air strike
DOZENS of civilians were reported
killed on April 1 when a dairy was
bombed in Yemen, as aid groups
warned of a brewing humanitarian crisis from the Saudi-led coalitions strikes
on Shiite rebels.
Yemens foreign minister called for
the coalition to send in ground troops,
saying that at some stage, air strikes
will be ineffective.
Diplomats said meanwhile that Gulf
countries were locked in tough negotiations with Russia on a UN draft resolution to impose an arms embargo and
sanctions on the Huthi Shiite rebels.
But rights groups have voiced growing alarm about civilian casualties
from the nearly week-old air war aimed
at preventing the fall of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.
At least 37 workers were killed and
80 wounded overnight at the dairy in
the Red Sea port of Hodeida, Governor
Hasan al-Hai said, without specifying
whether the plant was hit by an air
strike or rebel shelling.
Health authorities said 35 people
were killed and dozens wounded, and
that rescuers had to search for survivors under the rubble of the partly destroyed factory.
The circumstances of the bombing were unclear, with some witnesses
saying the dairy was hit by a coalition
strike and others blaming rebels loyal
to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Coalition spokesperson Brigadier
General Ahmed Assiri accused the Huthis of targeting the site, using mortar
shells and Katyusha rockets ... in a bid
to create unrest among the Yemeni
society.
The Arab forces would continue
to evaluate targets and lower the
chances of targeting civilians or aid
workers, he said, urging humanitarian
organisations to contact concerned
parties in order to facilitate this process.
Brig Gen Assiri said the latest Saudi-led operations targeted rebel brigades in Daleh, Aden and Shabwa, all
provinces in Yemens south.
Pro-government forces had seized
the town of Daleh, and a bid to also
take Shabwa was showing positive
A wounded Yemeni man receives treatment on April 1 at the burn unit of a hospital in Yemeni capital Sanaa, following a reported airstrike by the Saudi-led coalitions
in the area of Yarim south of the capital the day before. Photo: AFP
results, he added, urging the renegade

troops to rejoin forces of the legitimate government.
The coalition bombarded rebel positions in the main southern port city
Aden in a seventh night of raids that
also targeted the capital and other areas.
Those strikes focused on the rebelheld provincial administration complex in Dar Saad in the citys north, said
a military official.
Clashes on April 1 pitting rebels
against residents and militias, sparked
by a Huthi advance on Adens Khor
Maksar district killed at least 19 people,
six of them civilians, officials said.
The coalition has vowed to keep
targeting the Huthis and allied army

units loyal to Saleh until they end their
insurrection.
Air strikes targeting military bases
in Sanaa resumed later on April 1 as
rebel air defence systems fired back,
residents said.
The United Arab Emirates said its
fighter jets carried out successful
raids against Sanaas Huthi-held airport, and arms depots in the capital
and third city Taez.
A medic at the University Of Science & Technology Hospital said a
mortar landed at the facilitys entrance,
wounding five civilians.
Six other civilians were killed in
an air raid on Maydi in the northwest
province of Hajjah, officials said.

After entering the capital in September, the Huthis and their allies
gradually conquered areas in the centre, west and south before bearing
down on Aden last month, prompting
Mr Hadi to flee to Saudi Arabia.
The embattled president had taken
refuge in Aden in February after escaping house arrest in the capital.
Since March 27, at least 93 civilians
had been killed and 364 wounded, the
UN said on March 31.
We have reports that the hospitals
are really full of dead and injured people, spokesperson Cecile Pouilly said.
We have heard about lots of dead bodies.
UN human rights high commissioner Zeid Raad Al Hussein warned

Yemen seems to be on the verge of total collapse.
Yemens Foreign Minister Riyadh
Yassin said sending ground troops
would cause less civilian casualties
and enable aid deliveries.
A Western diplomat said a land offensive would be complicated because
it would have to pass through northern
mountains, with which the Huthis are
highly familiar.
Meanwhile, al-Qaedas Yemen franchise, seen by the US as the networks
deadliest, said it killed eight Huthis in
a bomb attack on their vehicle in the
central province of Bayda. AFP
DAMASCUS
Al-Qaeda, rebels seize last Syria-Jordan border crossing

REBELS backed by Syrias al-Qaeda
affiliate have seized control of the last
border crossing with Jordan that had
been under regime control, dealing
a major blow to President Bashar alAssad.
Armed groups, joined today by alQaeda affiliate al-Nusra Front, took
over the Nasib border point from regime soldiers on the Syrian side of
the frontier, said Rami Abdel Rahman
of the Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights on April 1.
A coalition of rebel groups had
launched the offensive March 31, and
al-Nusra joined them late the following day.
A pro-regime security source said
the Syrian army withdrew from the
Nasib border crossing.
Abdel Rahman said the takeover
meant there was no longer a regime
presence on the border with Jordan.
Shortly afterward, regime helicopters began dropping barrel bombs
crude weapons made of oil drums or
barrels stuffed with explosives on
rebel positions near Nasib, said the
Observatory director.
There was no immediate information on any casualties.
Jordan had said earlier it closed
the crossing, which leads to Syrias

Daraa province, to both travellers and
goods.
It was a preventive measure to
safeguard the lives and security of
travellers due to the fighting underway on the other side of the border,
Interior Minister Hussein Majali said.
Rebels have been gaining territory
in the southern province of Daraa,
cradle of the 2011 Arab Spring-inspired uprising against Mr Assad that
triggered Syrias civil war.
Last week they seized full control
of the ancient town of Bosra al-Sham,
pushing pro-regime forces out after
days of heavy fighting.
In January rebels, including alNusra Front, seized an important government army base in the province.
In another upset for the regime,
the extremist Islamic State group
stormed a refugee camp in Damascus,
its first assault inside the capital.
Clashes between armed factions
and IS jihadists raged in the Yarmuk
refugee camp in southern Damascus
after the jihadists overran much of
the Palestinian haven in a lightning
assault.
Fighters from IS launched an assault this morning on Yarmuk and
they took over the majority of the

camp, said Anwar Abdel Hadi, the
Palestine Liberation Organisations
political affairs director in Damascus.
They reached the Palestinian hospital and 15th Street, which are in the
centre of the camp, he said.
[There is] no longer

a regime presence
on the border with
Jordan.
Rami Abdel Rahman
Syrian Observatory
for Human Rights
The Observatory said IS took control of a large part of Yarmuk during

fighting with Palestinian groups also
opposed to Assad.
According to the Observatory, the
jihadists had infiltrated the camp from
the rebel-held town of Hajar al-Aswa.
But by the evening of April 1, an
armed group loyal to Palestinian
movement Hamas had regained some

of these areas, said the Britain-based
monitoring group.
It said three people had been killed
in the fighting.
The UN agency for Palestinian
refugees, UNRWA, said it was extremely concerned about the safety
of civilians in Yarmuk and that some
3500 children were in extreme risk
of death, serious injury, trauma and
displacement.
Yarmuk, located only 6 kilometres
(3.7 miles) from downtown Damascus,
was once a thriving home to 160,000
Palestinian refugees and Syrians.
But it has been devastated
by fighting and a tight blockade
imposed by the army nearly two years
ago that created dire humanitarian
conditions.
The camp, covering an area of
just 2 square kilometres (less than a
square mile), has seen its population
dwindle to only about 18,000.
Last year, it witnessed scenes of
desperation as thousands of people
crammed into devastated streets
to queue for food distributed by
UNRWA.
Rebel fighters had withdrawn
from Yarmuk in February 2014 under
a deal that left only Palestinian antiregime groups inside.

IS, which declared a self-styled
caliphate last year over large parts
of Syria and Iraq under its control,
has fought against the Assad regime
and rebel groups as it seeks to gain
territory.
A Yarmuk activist said IS launched
the attack after some of its members
were detained following the murder
there of a leader of the Palestinian
Islamist movement Hamas on March
30.
In other developments on April 1,
Islamist groups attacked regime positions south of the northwestern city of
Idlib, now under the control of rebels,
the Observatory said.
Islamists have taken control of
one-third of Al-Mastumah, where regime forces fled after leaving Idlib,
Abdel Rahman said.
The Syrian army captured a strategic position in the rebel-held town of
Zabadani, northwest of Damascus on
the road to Beirut.
More than 215,000 people have
been killed and more than half of the
countrys population has been displaced since the Syrian conflict erupted in March 2011. AFP
World 21
www.mmtimes.com
TIKRIT
Success over IS
at Tikrit boosts
liberation plans
IRAQ has vowed to reclaim the entire country from jihadists after retaking Tikrit from the Islamic State
group, as its forces fought to consolidate control of the city.
Speaking on April 1 from a newly
recaptured area of central Tikrit
after a month-long operation that
was Baghdads biggest success yet
against IS, Prime Minister Haider
al-Abadi said the government was
determined to liberate every inch
of Iraqi land.
But Tikrit is far from secure,
with various officials saying that IS
militants were still present in the
city, while bomb-rigged houses and
buildings also pose a major threat.
Interior Minister Mohammed
al-Ghaban told journalists in Tikrit
that there were a few pockets [of IS
fighters] remaining in some of the
neighbourhoods.
And a commander from the Ketaeb Imam Ali militia, one of the
paramilitary forces fighting alongside police and soldiers, reported
clashes with IS in the citys north
on the morning of April 1.
They tried to advance on the
university, Rasul al-Abadi said, referring to Tikrit University on the
northern edge of the city that has
served as a base for pro-government
[The government
is] determined to
liberate every inch
of Iraqi land.
Haider al-Abadi
Iraq prime minister
forces.
Mr Ghaban said IS fighters were
trying to cross the Tigris river, east
of the city, to escape.
Supporting that assertion, a
paramilitary commander said the jihadists launched an attack on April
1 from a mountain hideout northeast of Tikrit in an attempt to open
a safe passage for fleeing militants.
There has been concern that Iraq
does not have enough specialised
ordnance clearance teams to handle
the large quantity of traps left by IS
fighters.
Mr Ghaban said security forces
had so far found 185 rigged houses
and about 900 other bombs.
Exploding bombs periodically
sent clouds of dust rising over
Tikrit, apparently detonated intentionally by forces working to clear
the city.
One militiaman said he fired a
rocket-propelled grenade to dispose
of a suspected car bomb in central
Tikrit.
Columns of black smoke rose
from various burning houses and
buildings in the city.
Some of the dozens of palaces
in dictator Saddam Husseins massive complex on the eastern side
of the city were smashed by shelling or air strikes, but other areas
of Tikrit were comparatively lightly
damaged.
Militia have quickly set about
spray painting the names of their
groups on walls and windows, and
also looted items including clothes,
shampoo and shaving cream from
shops in central Tikrit.
There is still evidence of ISs
almost 10-month presence in the
city, including the groups black
flag painted on walls and writing
Shiite fighters from the Popular Mobilisation units flash the sign for victory in Tikrit on April 1. Photo: AFP
identifying some buildings as properties of the jihadists self-declared

state.
On March 31, Mr Abadi claimed
the city was retaken but the US-led
coalition supporting Baghdad from
the air said IS still held parts of
Tikrit.
Defence Minister Khaled alObeidi vowed on April 1 to press on
with offensive operations.
We are coming, Anbar. We are
coming, Nineveh, he said in a recorded address, referring to the
last two provinces still largely controlled by IS.
The loss of Tikrit further isolates
Mosul, the capital of Nineveh and
the main IS hub in Iraq, with Baghdads forces now poised to push
north while Kurdish forces close in
from the three other directions.
Zaid al-Ali, author of The
Struggle For Iraqs Future, said however that the fighting in Tikrit was made
easier because the city was largely emptied of its population even before the
operation began on March 2.
Mosul still has a large civilian
population, which will make things
very complicated, the analyst said.
The government has provided
no information on how many of its
fighters were killed, wounded or
captured in the battle, but Baghdads forces are believed to have
suffered significant casualties.
The army and police, as well as
pro-government paramilitary forces
dominated by Iran-backed Shiite
militias, completely surrounded
Tikrit within two weeks of launching the operation, but it then stalled
and Abadi requested coalition
strikes, which began on March 25.
Iran was Baghdads top foreign
partner for much of the operation

involvement evidenced by graffiti in
Persian in the city.
The Iraqi government had tried
and failed several times to retake
Tikrit, but the latest operation was
much larger and better organised.
When Iraqi forces retook
Saddams palace complex, they also
found sites believed to contain the
bodies of mainly Shiite recruits executed by IS last year in a massacre
that stoked widespread anger and
helped rally support for the battle
against the jihadists.
Blood still stains a concrete waterfront police post where the killings took place.
This place reminds us of those
who were unjustly killed. It reminds
us of the massacre, Ghaban said at
the execution site, sobbing. They
were innocent people. AFP
22 World
ABUJA
Newly elected Buhari vows to rid

Nigeria of Boko Haram terror
PRESIDENT-ELECT Muhammadu
Buhari has vowed to rid Nigeria of
the terror of Boko Haram after his
historic election victory marking
the first democratic transfer of power in Africas most populous nation.
The 72-year-old former military
ruler also pledged reconciliation
with political opponents who fear
a return to his autocratic regime of
the 1980s, and a government representing all Nigerians.
I assure you that Boko Haram
will soon know the strength of our
collective will and commitment to
rid this nation of terror and bring
back peace, Mr Buhari said in an
acceptance speech after his dramatic win.
We shall spare no effort until we
defeat terrorism.
Boko Haram, whose rampage
through northeastern Nigeria has
left more than 13,000 people dead
in six years, is Mr Buharis most
pressing security problem.
He also promised to address a
culture of political impunity and the
evil of rampant corruption, but
said there would be no witch-hunt
and his beaten opponent Goodluck
Jonathan had nothing to fear.
Our long night has passed and
the daylight of new democratic
government has broken across the
land. Democracy and the rule of law
will be established in the land.
Lets put the past behind us,
especially the recent past. We must
They have set a

huge, huge example
across Africa
that democracy
and change of
government can
work.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield
US assistant secretary of state for
African affairs
forget our old battles and past grievances and forge ahead.
Mr Buharis victory wrote a new
chapter in Nigerias often turbulent
political history, after six military
coups since independence in 1960
and 16 years of unbroken civilian
rule by Mr Jonathans Peoples Democratic Party.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon and US
President Barack Obama led the
congratulations for Mr Buhari.
But it was Nigerias unprecedented democratic transfer of
power that won the most plaudits
internationally.
The last few days have shown
the world the strength of Nigerias
commitment to democratic principles, Mr Obama said, while his top
Africa diplomat said Nigeria had
raised the bar for the continent.
Nigeria is a trailblazer, Assistant
Secretary of State for African Affairs
Linda Thomas-Greenfield saud,
They have sent a huge, huge example across Africa that democracy
and change of government can work
and it can work in a free and fair
election.
The US president later telephoned both President-elect Mr Buhari and outgoing leader Mr Jonathan, praising both for their role
in the historic democratic power
transfer.
Mr Obama spoke to the men separately to commend them for their
leadership during Nigerias election, the White House said.
Mr Buhari had praised Mr Jonathan for his statesmanship in conceding defeat before the final result
was declared, helping to defuse the
potential for poll-related violence
and lengthy legal wranglings.
In a statement, the heads of international election observation
missions including the African Union and the European Union congratulated Nigeria and its people
for their commitment to a peaceful
response to the election results.
Mr Buharis victory by 2.57 million votes, confirmed early on April
1, came after a gripping weekend
contest hit by glitches with new voter technology, claims of irregularities and Boko Haram fears.
Nigerias President-elect Mohammadu Buhari (right) and his deputy Yemi Osinbajo pose after receiving their certificates of
return from the Independent Nigeria Electoral Commission on April 1. Photo: AFP
Political violence which has

blighted the aftermath of previous
votes in the country of 173 million
people failed to materialise.
Instead Mr Buharis supporters
thronged the streets, many chanting change, change and brandishing wicker brooms, his partys symbol, with which they have pledged
to sweep away years of government
corruption and waste.
In Kaduna, a flashpoint state
in the north central region where
many of the 1000 people who lost
their lives after the last elections in
2011 were killed, there were jubilant
scenes.
Muslims in the religiously mixed
state brought cows, chickens and
sheep to slaughter, but some reflected on the huge challenges that lie
ahead for the incoming president.
Today its like weve gotten our
freedom, student Muhammad Sani
president was not enough for him

to cling on to power.
Since it is the will of God that
Buhari should win, we have no
choice than to accept, said Elijah
Ateki, chair of the Otuoke community development committee.
We are not going to cause any
trouble over it because we cannot
question God and the voice of the
people.
But others in the Christian south
raised fears of marginalisation by
Mr Buhari, a northern Muslim, laying bare Nigerias religious and ethnic faultlines that he will have to
work hard to overcome.
Niger Delta militants, who
wreaked havoc in the maze of creeks
and rivers of the Delta in the 2000s,
have threatened to take up arms
again if a government amnesty that
paid them off is not renewed later
this year. AFP
MUMBAI
MEXICO CITY
Desperate parents turn to drug lord

for help in finding missing students
SOME desperate parents of 43 missing Mexican students have turned to
a drug gang leader for help to locate
the young men, saying the government has failed them.
A group of parents put up a sign
on March 31 outside the southern city
of Iguala, where the students vanished in September, asking alleged
Rojos gang leader Santiago Mazari
for his assistance.
Bernabe Abraham, whose phone
number appears on the sign, said
parents decided to put Mr Mazaris
name because he had posted his own
signs earlier this year offering to help.
We dont know if hes a Rojo or
a drug trafficker, Mr Abraham told
AFP on April 1. Its a message to citizens [of Iguala] for them to tell us if
they know where they are.
Mr Abraham said he has not yet received any phone call from Mr Mazari.
Parents of the 43 students have rejected the governments conclusions on
Albari said.
We have been ruled for the
past 16 years by the ... PDP. They
have been ruling us and no jobs,
no good roads, no hospitals, no
infrastructure.
There is nothing here to talk
about.
Celebrations extended into a second day in Buharis home town of
Daura in northern Katsina state,
but residents said they were not
expecting any special favours from
their favourite son.
Buhari never gave Daura any
preferential treatment when he was
head of state or when he was chairman of the PTF [Petroleum Trust
Fund], said resident Ahmad Tijjani.
Im sure he will not do it now.
There was disappointment in Mr
Jonathans home town of Otuoke in
the oil-rich southern Delta region,
where near total support for the
what happened in southern Guerrero

state on September 26, insisting that
they believe their sons are still alive.
We are desperate. The government is doing nothing. We have to
act, said another father, Epifanio
Alvarez, who said the sign was directed at civil society in general.
We are desperate.
The government is
doing nothing. We
have to act.
Epifanip Alvarez
Father of missing student
The handwritten sign says, Mister Santiago Mazari Hernandez. We
parents read the message in [your]

sign. We ask you to help us locate our
sons because this bad government
has not been serious with us. To the
contrary, it has harmed us with its
lies.
A picture of the message was published by Reforma newspaper.
Prosecutors say Igualas mayor
ordered police to confront the young
men, who were riding stolen buses, a
common practice among students of
their rural teacher training college in
Ayotzinapa.
The officers shot at the buses, killing six people at the scene, abducted
the 43 and handed them over to the
Guerreros Unidos drug gang, which
slaughtered them, prosecutors say.
Witnesses told investigators that
the Guerreros Unidos (United Warriors) believed that the Rojos (Reds)
were among the students. Some 100
people, including officers and Igualas mayor, have been arrested. AFP
Modi urges farmer loans

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi yesterday urged Indias banks to lend more to
the countrys millions of impoverished
farmers in a bid to halt suicides by debtladen agricultural workers.
Speaking at an event on increasing financial inclusion, Mr Modi said
he was pained to hear of increased reports of farmers taking their own lives
after being unable to repay unscrupulous money lenders.
Cant we ask ourselves how we can
make our banking system so strong that
no farmer is forced to give up his life just
because he cant repay the loan [from
money lenders]? Mr Modi said.
We have to change mindsets. We
have to think on ways to include the
poor as we move forward, Mr Modi
said at the event at the Reserve Bank
of India (RBI) in Mumbai, alongside
its governor Raghuram Rajan and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
We can pull the poor out of poverty. They just need a bit of hand holding, he said.
Local media have reported scores
of farmer suicides in recent weeks.
Families say they were left with
no choice after crop damage from
unseasonal storms along with poor

market prices for produce and other
reasons compounded already dire financial problems.
Mr Modi said 140 million people
have opened bank accounts since his
reformist government launched a major
financial inclusion initiative last year.
But he stressed that more needed
to be done, and asked the RBI to come
up with a 20-year roadmap for greater
access to the formal banking system.
Farmers and other poor have long
been unable to borrow from traditional banks because of a lack of capital,
forcing them to become dependent
on loan sharks and other lenders who
often charge exorbitant interest rates.
Indias poor but powerful farming
lobby flocked to Mr Modis party at
the general election last May when the
Hindu nationalist premier won the
biggest mandate in 30 years.
But anger in rural areas has recently been mounting over his governments bid to overhaul land purchasing laws making it easier for
businesses to buy farming and other
plots for much-needed infrastructure,
defence and other projects. AFP
World 23
www.mmtimes.com
NERAL
Indians opting for retirement peace

WHEN Usha Mantri brushed off
frowning traditionalists and moved
into a retirement village, she became
a pioneer for a generation of Indians
who are increasingly breaking the custom of multi-generational households.
She is now happily settled in the
peaceful retreat by Indias western
mountains, which has an on-site Hindu temple and offers ayurvedic massage and is a two-hour drive from
her son in Mumbai.
I have a very different type of
thinking, the 69-year-old said speaking in her studio apartment at the Dignity Lifestyle Retirement Township,
one of the first of its kind in India.
I want to give full freedom to my
child, and I want full freedom for
myself.
Ms Mantri was the first resident to
move into the Dignity complex, which
looks more like a modest holiday resort, nine years ago. She now has
more than 60 neighbours, while other
retirement communities are springing
up around India.
While most senior citizens still
prefer to live with their families, alternative options are increasingly in
demand as the country develops, children migrate and their parents live for
longer.
I think very slowly minds are getting changed, said Hemlata Parekh,
one of Ms Mantris neighbours at Dignity and a former teacher.
Ms Parekh, 82, has siblings in
Mumbai but no children, and said it
It's a hasslefree retirement

township, in a real
sense.
Hemlata Parekh
Retirement township resident
would be difficult for her to manage

household chores and transport in
the city. Dignity, however, has a communal dining room, round-the-clock
security and an in-house doctor.
There is a wing with special care
for those with dementia, while for the
more active retirees there are monthly
shopping trips and occasional picnics.
It is a hassle-free retirement township, in a real sense, said Ms Parekh.
There are currently more than 100
million Indians aged 60 and above,
and that is projected to rise to more
than 300 million by 2050, when they
will make up about 20 percent of the
population, according to the charity
HelpAge India.
This growing dependency ratio,
along with better purchasing power
among the elderly, are among the factors said to be fuelling the demand for
senior housing.
Manish Kumar, a strategic consultant with real estate company Jones
Lang LaSalle India, said the current
annual demand for such projects was
estimated to be at 312,00 units, but
only 10,000 to 15,000 units of new
supply are being planned.
Of late we have seen a good number of reputed real estate developers
and hospitals entering into this segment, Mr Kumar said, citing projects
being developed by the property arm
of the giant Tata conglomerate.
Elderly residents either buy a property in a township or, as is the case at
Dignity, put down a partly refundable
deposit to rent a living space and pay
monthly charges.
Top-end housing at Dignity requires a deposit of about 3.5 million
rupees (US$56,000) 75 percent refundable if the resident leaves or dies,
when it goes to an heir and fees of
10,000 rupees a month, plus meals.
Mr Kumar said most projects to
date were in western and southern
India, areas which have more nuclear
families, higher education levels and a
greater number of emigrating young
Residents arrive at the dining hall at the Dignity Lifestyle Retirement Township in Neral some 50kms east of Mumbai in the
western Indian state of Maharashtra on March 10. Photo: AFP
people, but developers are now also

targeting second and third-tier cities
in the north and east.
Perhaps surprisingly, only one of
the projects so far, Antara Senior Living near the Himalayas, is targeting
the very top end of the Indian market,
with most developers focused on the
middle and upper middle-class.
If a rich man sends his father to
a senior citizens home, he will be
looked down upon, explained Gopal Srinivasan, a trustee at Dignity
Lifestyle.
Therefore the very rich keep their
parents in their house, have a 24-7
nurse, have a doctor coming in every

day, but they wont admit their parents
to senior citizens houses, he said.
At the other end of the scale are the
many who cannot afford such care.
Mr Srinivasan said state-run homes
for the aged were in a pathetic condition, while abuse of senior citizens by
their children had become rampant.
On top of this, about 90 percent
of Indias elderly worked in the unorganised sector such as small farms
or family enterprises, which has left
most without pensions, said Prakash
Borgaonkar, Mumbai director of
HelpAge India.
The government offers regular social security payments only to those

below the poverty line, a minority of
Indias elderly, and even then the benefits are difficult to access, Mr Borgaonkar said.
Society is changing fast, and because of this joint family system which
is breaking, these elderly are again isolated, they are neglected, he said, calling for government policies to support
the elderly as demographics swiftly
change.
Are we ready to take up this challenge? Today we have to think on
that. AFP
TOKYO
Japan begins to tackles child poverty rate of one in six

PRIME Minister Shinzo Abe was yesterday set to announce a fund to help
alleviate child poverty in Japan, in a
country where one in six children is
classed as poor.
The move follows a law passed by
parliament last year aimed at tackling an issue that critics say has long
been swept under the carpet in the
worlds third-largest economy.
The fact that the government recognises child poverty as a national
issue is a big step, Aya Abe, a professor at Tokyo Metropolitan University
who has been researching child poverty in Japan, said.
But the government should also
make a financial commitment or set
a goal of how much they want to reduce the poverty rate.
In 2012, a record high 16.3 percent
of children aged 17 or under were living in poverty, which is defined as
surviving on funds half that of the
average disposable income.
That compares with 9.8pc in Britain and 21.2pc in the United States,
according to the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a grouping of rich
countries.
The poverty rate jumped to 54.6
percent for single-parent households
in Japan, the worst in the OECD.
As part of the governments efforts, Mr Abe was due to meet business leaders and support groups
on yesterday evening to hammer
out a strategy, including setting up
a private fund to bolster welfare
University students who are receiving student loans to pay for living costs attend an interview in Tokyo on March 1. Photo: AFP
payments criticised by campaigners

as too small.
They cite the cash allowances currently given to low-income singleparent households of up to 40,000
yen (US$330) a month for the first
child topping up an earned annual
income of just 1.18 million yen onefifth of the national average.

Previous moves by the government cannot be called big progress,
said Koji Ogawa, a former spokesperson for Ashinaga, a nonprofit group
that provides grants to children who
have lost one or both parents, because the government is not promising any financial contribution.
But, he said, a national
campaign could be meaningful because it might improve the discrimination and prejudice against people in
poverty.
Single parents face strong social
stigma in conservative Japan.
Most recently, the mother of
a 13-year-old schoolboy who was
murdered in February, probably by
a gang of youths, publicly blamed
herself for his death, saying he
would not have died if she had kept
an eye on him.
She said she had not known what
her son was doing because she was
working day and night to raise her
five children alone.
University student Ryohei Takahashi, who grew up in a single-parent
household, welcomed the idea of a
private fund to reduce child poverty.
Mr Takahashis father committed
suicide when he was 13 and, since
then, his mother has had to provide
for the family.
I consider myself lucky, said Mr
Takahashi, now 22. His mother did
not have money for tuition but he
won a scholarship and lives in an
Ashinaga-funded dorm that serves
breakfast and dinner.
Not many single-parent families
can afford expensive university fees,
he said. Even if children manage to
get into university, some still have to
juggle part-time jobs to send money
to their families.
I want companies to make an
investment [in helping under-privileged children] because well definitely contribute to society in the future,
he added.
AFP
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Access
Int'l Co., Ltd provides
the following services.
ISO
Implementation
Programme, HR Develop
ment
Programme,
Hospitality
Manage
ment
Programme,
Project
Management
Programme,
English
Training Programme.
Ph: 09-731-18749, 09732-40764 or email :
zinminpon@gmail.com,
kaungsanthu1994@
gmail.com
For Rent
Cars,
(Expert use
only). Mid size wagon.
Now only350.000kyats
per month with deposit
for long term. company
ID required. Call 09 730
33776.
For Sale
AIR
COMPRESSOR,
Product type: GA 907.5,
Serial number: ARP
881188, Max. final

pressure (e) .. bar 7.5
Interstage pressure (s)
(e) .. bar, Motor power:
kW....... 90 Max. speed:
..... r/min.... 1500, Year of
manufacture: .... 19 90,
Made by Atalas Copco
Airpower n.v. Wilrijk
Belgium. Ph: 09-4217
-44300
Red link Yadnapon
internet, Ph:09-421744300.
Embassy's Furniture
(second hand) Please
contact Tel: (01)652-344,
mobile : 09-503-3739
Email: tztztz780@gmail.
com
General
GLOMED Pharmaceutical
Co., Inc. www.glomedvn.
vn
Language
English ( home tuition)
speaking,
grammar,
issue. letter, academic
writing. SAT. TOEFL.
IELT. GCE, IGCSE.
GMAT four skills. local
and international school.
Property
English for Japaneses
children & adult - home
tuition: courses
are
avail e now. you Can
contact to Saya U Kyi
Sin (MUMYIT THAR) Ph:
09-4210-67-375, www.
kyisinplb.blogspot.com
English for professional
purpose is the need
of principle of written
English.Writing ought to
be easiest of the four skill
for students of English
as a Second language,
unlike listening & reading,
the student is control
with the words. However
writing class often the
opportunity to see growth.
to share important ideas
and to develop sense of
community. . If you had
tried as much as you
can to follow the lesson
and you will get good
experiences and skill.
Middle school students
can study in a small class.
Spanish is also inquired.
U Thant Zin, 28-3B, Thati
Pahtan St, Tamwe. Ph:
09-503-5350, 31021314,.
an
experienced
Chinese
(Mandarin)
teacher here in Yangon,
Myanmar. I have over
6 years teaching in
Singapore. Please do
not hesitate to contact
me for an evaluation. Im
a professional teacher
who will help you improve
your speaking, reading
and writing skills. I use
Singaporean text books
and Chinese speaking/
conversation
books
for teaching speaking,
reading and writing in
Mandarin. Im available
Monday-Sunday with
a flexible schedule. I
also teaching Myanmar
language to all Foreigner.
Elizabeth Bao Shi :09516-2988, also SMS.
A TWO MONTH English
specking
classes,
Parents desiring to hire a
tutor or send their children
to teacher's classes
(Tamwe/Downtown) are
requested to contact
soon. Limited learners
only. Ph: 09-301-99028.
English for int'l school
students who want to
practice or improve
their English including
literature and language
art (principle of written
English) for SAT . If you
had tried as much as you
can to follow the lesson
and you will get good
experiences and skill.
This program will help
you capability and fill
your luck of knowledge..
Middle school students
can study in a small
class. U Thant Zin,
28-3B,Thatipa Htan St,
Tamwe. Ph:09- 5035350, 09-310-21314,
09-319-24423
LEARN
French,
Myanmar, English and
Tamil in a month. Limited
seats. Ph: 09-30199028.
Im an experienced
Chinese
(Mandarin)
teacher here in Yangon,
over 6 years teaching in
Singapore. Please do not
hesitate to contact me
for an evaluation. Im a
professional teacher who
will help you improve
your speaking, reading
& writing skills. I use
Singaporean text books
& Chinese speaking/
conversation
books
for teaching speaking,
reading & writing in
Mandarin.
MondaySunday with a flexible
schedule. I also teaching
Myanmar language to all
Foreigner. Ph : 095-95162988
AN ex- English high
school master is tutoring
in English and Myanmar

languages for individuals
or a small group. For
further details, pls phone:
09-301-99028.
WITHIN 24 hours can
make you confident
in Myanmar language
speaking scripts! Teacher
Phyu Phyu Khin : 09-49308926, phyuporcupine@
gmail.com, Add : 56/I,
Thiri Marlar Lane, 7.5
mile, Pyay Rd, Yangon.
Teaching Myanmar
language for adults Near
Myay Ni Gone City Mart,
Sanchaung. Tel: 09-420030782, 09- 972 148 283
http://www.facebook.
com/ronald.large.92
Travel
SMILE
PANORAMA
Travels & Tours Co., Ltd,
Car rental services. Ph:
09-505-3004, 09-250605665.
09-4440-11279
(Mandalay)
JPM Journeys Princess
Myanmar Travel & Tours
: Domestic & Int'l ticketion,
Hotel accommodation
bookings,
Package
tours, Visa on arrival,
Publics buses, trains,
river boats, Off the beaten
track, Individually tailored
incentive tours, Special
event tours, Expert
guides for all journeys
princess Myanmar tours.
Ph: 09-731-45835, 09-
We provide the following

Training, CISCO, CCNA,
CCNP,
MICROSOFT,
MCSA, MCSE, LAB,
EC-COUNCIL
CEH,
SECURITY
ADMIN.
w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m /
imcscompany, 09-450016040.
252-030997. Email : jpm.

sales3@gmail.com, jpm.
rsvn@gmail.com
Training
Mandalay Computer:
Computer for Kids,
Basic Accounting for Job
I-Office , Advanced Excel
Course, DTP Course
MYOB Software, Peach
Tree Software, Window
Shortcut Course, Email
& Internet Course Mp3,
Mp4, Video Editing,
Multimedia
Course.
Ph:09-4440-11279(MDY)
Art Basic, Perspective,
Interior Design, Exterior
Design & Colour Theory.
Learn Art 5 months to be
a professional architect.
Only 2 months for Special
classes. Home tuition also
available. New Vision Art
Gallery and Center,No
132 lift no: 4 Bagaya Rd,
Sanchaung, Shann Lann
Bus top, Ph: 09-254257911
Public Notics
Physics Tutor needed
for Year 12 International
School student. Ph: 09502-2834
Community Partners
International, Yangon
office relocated to the
following address- No.
(12/B), Hnin Si Lane,
Parami Road, Chaw dwin
gone, Yankin Township,
Yangon, Myanmar. Ph: +
95 1 657909
Sell / Rent
KAMAYUT,
Diamond
Condo, Pyay Rd, 1600
sqft, 1MBR, 2BR, 3A/C,
f.f, 4300 Lakhs & 35
lakhs, Call owner: 09518-8320
Housing for Rent

(1)nawarat Condo,
1200 Sqft, 1MBR,
1BR, f.f, $1500. (2)Kan
Yeik Mon Condo, 1500
Sqft, 2MBR, 1BR, f.f,
$1500.
(3)University
Yeik Mon Condo, 1500
Sqft, 1MBR, 1BR, lift,
$1500. (4) Yadanar Htun
Condo, 1360 Sqft, 2BR,
2AC, Ph, lift, $850. (5)
Classic standard Condo,
2000 Sqft, 2MBR, 1BR,
f.f, $2500. Ph: 09-421072150, 09-7963-02109.
7 Mile (Near - Bank
/ Market / Shop)
Bungalow Type, One
Bed Room, Two Beds
Room, Fully furnished,
Car Parking / Laundry
Service / Cleaning
Service are available.
Weekly, Monthly, Yearly
For 1 Month Rental : 900
USD. Enquiry (Office
Hour 9 am to 5 pm)
Contact : 09-4217-43
770.
BAHAN, (1)Shwe gone
daing Rd, new condo,
20'x70', 1MBR, 2SR, ph
line, aircons, good for
both residence & office
USD 1000 per month.
(2)Pent house condo
near Kandawkyi lake.
lake view. 5 bedrooms,
furnished, wooden floor.
aircons. USD7000 Per
month. - 09-9769-05901
Kamayut, (1)Pyay Rd,
70'x75', 2 storey building.
3MBR, good for either
office, showroom or
shop, ph line, waircons,
US 10000 per month.
(2)University Rd, new
condo, 2000sqft. 1MBR,
2SR. furnished, hot
water system. generator
line. Security system.
USD 3700 per month. (3)
Inya Rd, 50'x50' 2 storey
new house. 1MBR, 2SR.
furnished. car garage.
US 4000 per month. Ph:
09-9769-05901
Mayangone, 7 Mile,
Pyay Rd. t/sp, 0.7 acre
land, nice lake view, big
lawn. 2 storey nice old
house, 3MBR, ph line,
semi furnished, USD
5000 per month. Ph:099769-05901
(1)7 Mile, single house,
2 RC, 2MBR, 1SR, fully
furniture, USD 4500. (2)
8 Mile, single house, 2
RC, 2MBR, 1SR, fully
furniture USD 7000. (3)
Near Russian Embassy,
2 RC, 2MBR, 1SR , fully
furniture USD 15000. Ph:
09-2527-03331
(1)Bo Yar Nyunt St,
2500 sqft, 1MBR, 2SR,
fully furniture USD 3000.
(2)Near United Living
Mall, 1500sqft, 1MBR,
2SR, USD 1500 (3)
Shwe Ohn Pin housing,
no furniture. USD 1500.
(4)8 Mile, Prom condo,
2500sqft, 1MBR, 2SR,
fully furniture, USD
4000. (5)Near China
Embassy, Golden rose
condo, 2500 sqft, 2MBR,
1SR, fully furniture USD
4000.(6)Chanthar Gone
Young condo, 2500 sqft,
1MBR, 2SR, USD 2500.
(7)University Avenue Rd,
Takatho Yeikmon Condo,
1250 Sqft, 1MBR, 2SR,
fully furniture, 2500 USD.
Ph: 09-2527-03331.
BOTATAUNG, 46th St,
6 Flr, 25' x 60', 1500
sqft, 3 Bedrooms, 2
toilets, 3 A/C & fully
furnitures. US$ 700 or

kyat 750,000/month. Ph:
09-514-2988.
Hlaing Thar Yar,
Punhlaing Golf Estate,
Lake view condo(C),
702, 2255 sqft, 2 Bed
Rooms + 1MBR, fully
funished, direct ph line
+ extation line, (2)Lake
view condo(C), 802,
4176 sqft, 3 Bed Rooms
+ 1MBR, fully funished,
direct ph line + extation
line, Negotiable. Ph: 09730-26390 (Nilar Win
Maung) 09-2543-11756
(Aung Lwin).
BAHAN, Near Chatrium
Hotel, Po Sein Rd, 2
RC house, 3 rooms
with toilet, 3 AC, 2
Cable phones, internet
available, wide car
parking. US$ 2300 per
month. Please contact
:09-7944-40510, 09312-87827.
condotel , Condo with
hotel services: (1)1850
sqft 1MBR, 1SR@
Bahan. 2800US$/ month.
(2)1750sqft
2MBR,
2SR@Tamwe. 2800US$/
month. (3)1650 sqft
1MBR, 2SR@ Tamwe.
2800US$/ month. (4)
1650 sqft 1MBR, 2SR
@ Mayangon. 4000US$/
month.
(1)Near 50 St, 1200
sqft, 1MBR, 1SR, fully
furniture. USD 1200. (2)
Near Park Royal Hotel,
1850 sqft , 2MBR, 1SR,
(3)Near Park Royal
Hotel, 1875 sqft, Hall
type ,1 1/2 storey, G flr,
good for open shop, USD
5800. (4)Near United
Living Mall, 1200 sqft,
2MBR, fully furniture
USD 1500. (5)Pearl
Condo, 1800 sqft, 2MBR,
1SR, fully furniture, USD
2500. (6)7 Mile, U Kyaw
Hla St, 3 RC, Hally type,
good for office, USD
4000. (7) New University
Avenue Rd, Ag Da Kong
condo 1200 sqft, 1MBR,
1SR, fully furniture
USD 2500. (8)New
University Avenue St,
(9) Minda Ma condo,
2200 sqft, 3MBR, fully
furniture, USD 5000. Ph:
09-2527-0 3331.
Retail Shop Space
Available, 250 sqft.
Heavy
foot
traffic.
Suitable for takeaway,
beauty saloon and
fashion shops. Bahan
Township.Prominent
Center. Ph:09-4303-0
288. Email : slee888@
gmail.com
Office
Space
Downtown, Modern office
space at an affordable
price. 1,356 sqft, so
would be large enough
for staff and to facilitate
a meeting room and a
kitchen. Located on the
11th floor it has 24 hours
security and a back-up
generator. Price- $3,500.
Ph :09- 314-91678.
Bahan
Condo:
Conveniently located in
Pearl condo, a 20 minute
drive from downtown or
from the airport. There
are many shops and
restaurants in the building
and the property can be
used for both commercial
and residential purposes.
It has 2 master bedrooms,
one single bedroom with
one common bath and
has 1,550 Sqft of living
space with a great view.
Price:$2,600.
Ph:09314- 91678
Bahan, Affordable Single
family home: off Sayasan
Rd, in residential area, it
is completely remodeled
recently in western style.
3MBR, 2SR, 4 bathrooms

total with A/C in every
room. It has a nice lawn
with space large enough
for 7-8 car parking. Home
size is about 3500 sqft,
land size is about 7,000
sqft Price- $3,500. Ph :
09 2543 82482.
bAHAN, Near Chatrium
hotel, Po Sein Rd, 2
RC house, 3 Rooms
with toilet, 3 AC, Cable
phone, wide car prking,
US$ 2150 per month.
Ph:09-794440510, 09312-87827.
Pabedan, 3rd Flr, 27th St
(Middle), , 25'x50' (Lift),
2SR, 1MBR, 2 aircon, 7
Lakhs, Ph: 09-510-4881,
09-730-73226.
BAHAN, (1)Pearl Condo
New Bld. 1600sqft,
1MBR, 2SR, f.f, 25
Lakhs. (2)New University
Ave Rd, 2 Flr, 40' x 60',
3MBR, 5A/C, Ph, f.f, 25
Lakhs, (3) Yankin Centre,
Ph, 4A/C, f.f, 15 Lakhs (5)
New University Ave Lane,
2Flr, 22'x55', 1MBR, 1SR,
f.f, 15 Lakhs, Maureen:
09-518-8320.
office space to let
3100 sqm available over
5 floors in a 12-storey
building with car park,
restaurant, multi function
hall and apartments.
Please contact - Ph:
09-2523-59355.
Email : office-mm@
uniteammarine.com,
web: www .facebook.
com/officespaceyangon
Housing for Sale

2 Taunggyi Plots for Sale
(1)Regularly-shaped plot
of 0.25 acres @ Yay Aye
Kwin Ward for MMK
9,000 Lakhs ; (2) 0.11
acres @ Yay Aye Kwin
Ward with 2-storey house
and good view for MMK
3,000 Lakhs. Interested
buyers
or
brokers
in Taunggyi, please
email to pdecfinance@
gmail.com or call 09262702844.
EAST DAGON, VIP 11
quarter, 40' x 60', Gayan,
550 Lakhs. Negotiable,
Ph: 01-500064, 09-448003146.
(1)Bahan, 483, Ayeyeik
thar
Condo
(2-B),
Ayeyeikthar 2nd St, New
University Ave,, 2000 sqft,
2nd flr, 2MBR, Kitchen
Room, Living room, Fully
decorated, Tile/ Parquet
flooring, Own meter, Own
generator/ Motor, Utilities
fully equipped, Own car
parking. Price 4950
lakhs. (2)Sanchaung,
39, Zayyathukha St, 4th
Flr, 625 sqft, Hall type,
Tile/ Parquet flooring,
450 Lakhs. Tel: 09-5135533, 09-510-3053, 092505-74308.
TAUNG GYI, Bayar Phyu
Quarter, 50' x 55', 150
lakhs, Negotiable, Ph:
01-500064, 09-448003146
Luxury
Condo,
Between Mahabandoola
Rd & Merchant St,
Nawarat Condo, Big
car parking, Lift 5 no,
security- Satellite TV
System, firesafety, gym,
Spa Room; Function
Room, Libary, Coffee
Lounge, 1450 sqft, Ph
:09-519-7133, 09-5173086
Want to Hire
Expat
working
in
Yangon looking for
accommodation to share
with other Expats. If you
want to rent a bedroom in
your house or flat please
contact me through my
email at biscay.world@
gmail.com
FREE
THE MYANMAR TIMES april 3, 2015
Employment
UN Position
The United Nations
World Food Programme,
is seeking 1) Programme
Assistant GS-5, Hakha
(Re-advertise). For more
information, please visit
to http://www.themimu.
info/jobs-for-myanmarnationals. Please email
the applications with UN
P-11 to wfpmyanmar.
vacancy@wfp.org COB
7 April 2015.
Embassy
Embassy of Egypt is
seeking an experienced
staff to work as Bearer
at the Ambassador's
Residence. Must be able
to speak English well and
have experience in the
same field. Qualified and
Interested candidates
should submit CV and
copies of testimonials
as soon as possible
to Embassy of Egypt,
No.81
Pyidaungsu
Yeiktha Rd, Dagon
Township or to email:
egyptembassy86@
gmail.com.
Ingo Position
the Int'l Rescue
Committee (IRC) is
seeking
(1)Project
Officer Infrastructure
1 Post in Myebon/
Minbya, Rakhine State:
Bachelor's degree in
related field. 2 years
experience. Skilled in
Excel, Word software.
Very good command
of English & Myanmar.
(2)Project
Officer
Agriculture 1 post in
Myebon, Rakhine State
: Bachelor's degree in
related field. 2 years
experience in relevant
field. Skilled in Excel,
Word software. Very
good command of
English. (3) Health
Service Quality Officer
: B.NSc/ B.CommH/
Diploma in Nursing.
2 years experience in
primary health care and
sexual and reproductive
health care services.
Good command of
English & Myanmar.
Chin (Khumee) Ethic
language(s) written and
verbal skill is favourable.
Please submit a Cover
letter & CV to the Human
Resources Department
by email at: WaiMar.
Naing@rescue.org
Closing date : 13 April
2015.
terre des hommes
Italia (TDH-It) is seeking
MCN Field Officer
(Based in Yenanchaung
&
Natmauk)
:
Experienced Midwife,
Nurse or Medical Doctor.
3 years of experience in
Maternal and child health
& nutrition programmes.
Good written and spoken
English & Myanmar. Fully
computer literate in MS
Office Package. Please
submit application with
completed information
about current job and
expected salary incl.
CV, photo, references
by e-mail or by postal
service to Terre des
Hommes Italia: TDH-It
Country Office: 48, Shwe
Hinn Thar St, 11 Ward,
Hlaing, Yangon. Tel:
654604. Email: hr.tdhit.
mya@gmail.com
C a r e e r
Opportunities(1)Field
Supervisor 1Post (2)
Branch WASH Officer3
Posts
(3)WASH
Coordinator - 1 Post (4)
WASH Manager-1 Post.
Please send application
letter, CV & related
documents to Myanmar
Red Cross Society (Head
Office)
Yazatingaha
Rd,
Dekkhinathiri,
Nay
Pyi
Taw.
Ormrcshrrecruitment@
gmail.com
www.
myanmar
redcross
society.org
(1)Logistics
Deve
lopment
Officer
(NayPyiTaw) 1 Post.
Please send application
letter, CV & related
documents to Myanmar
Red Cross Society (Head
Office)
Yazatingaha
Rd,
Dekkhinathiri,
Nay
Pyi
Taw.
gmail.com
www.
myanmarredcross
society.org
(1) Branch Project
Officer
(Myitkyina)
1 Post (2)Program
Coordinator (Nay Pyi
Taw / Yangon)1 Post
(3)Program Assistant
(Myitkyina) 1 Post (4)
Program
Support
Officer (NayPyiTaw /
Yangon) 1 Post. Please
send application letter,
CV & related documents
to
Myanmar
Red
Cross Society (Head
Office)
Yazatingaha
Rd,
Dekkhinathiri,
Nay
Pyi
Taw.
gmail.com
www.
myanmarredcross
society.org
(1) Branch Project
Officer
(Myitkyina)
1 Post (2)Program
Coordinator (Nay Pyi
Taw / Yangon) 1 Post
(3)Program Assistant
(Myitkyina) 1 Post (4)
Program
Support
Officer (Nay Pyi Taw /
Yangon) 1 Post: Please
send application letter,
CV & related documents
to
Myanmar
Red
Cross Society (Head
Office)
Yazatingaha
Rd,
Dekkhinathiri,
Nay
Pyi
Taw.
gmail.com
www.
myanmarredcross
society.org
Local Positions
We are seeking (1)
Production Manager
- M 1 post : Need to
hold a degree of A.G.T.I
(Mechanical), 3 years
experience in related
field, Age 30 ~ 55 years
old, Well knowledge
in modern furniture &
furniture
installation
&
production.
(2)
Marketing Manager
- M/F 1 post : Have
to understand project
sales, retail marketing
& other marketing
tools and technique.
Decorative Materials
and
Construction
materials industry. (3)
Project Coordinator
(Interior)- M/F 1 post
: Able to set
project
timelines & coordinate
different parties. Well
knowledge in modern
furniture & furniture
installation & production.
interior scope of work. (4)
Project Manager- M/F 1
post : Have to manage
the projects (Interior
Decoration, Renovation,
and Construction) also
timelines, procurement,
materials and labor.
A.G.T.I (Civil) or B.E
(Civil). 5 years experience
in related field. Well
experience in high-rise
construction, at least 6
storey. Well knowledge
in steel structure, precast building & modern
building
techniques.
Able to set project
timelines & coordinate
different parties. Familiar
with
construction
methods & building
codes.
(5)Assistant
HR Manager - M/F 1
post : Any graduate, 5
year experience, Must
have HR knowledge,
Computer
skills
&
also reporting skill.
Good communication
skills. Self-motivated,
independent thinkers and
willing to work under team
environment.
Please
submit CV, photo with
necessary documents
to HR Department Zware
Group of Companies
(DeArch Co., Ltd, Live
Life Co., Ltd, Builder
Group Co., Ltd, MBIG)
440,
Waizayantar
Rd (at the corner of
Waizayantar Rd & Thit
Sar Rd), South Okkala,
Yangon.
Tel:
951565911, +951-8551294,
+959-73117966 www.
zwaregroup.com
Email: recruitment@
zwaregroup.com
hogo
is
seeking
Technical Marketing/
Sale Marketing, 3~5
Posts in Yangon : Any

Bachelor's degree or
diploma in any field
with good command
in
IT.
Candidates
have excellent using
experience at iPad,
iPhone, Android Smart
phone and Smart TV
will be an advantage.
Minimum
2
years'
experience with sale or
marketing in networking/
CCTV
field.
Any
interested candidates
should submit not later
than 30th April along with
CV and recent passport
photo to HOGO Yangon
Business Consulting
Co., Ltd. No.(71), Ground
Floor, (5th) St, (2) Ward,
Lanmadaw, Yangon.
Email : hogobusiness@
gmail.com
Singaporean
Construction Company
in newly, will be starting
project in Myanmar soon
is seeking QS Engineer
1 Post M/F : Minimum
related fields, Preparing
BoQ, doing bills payment,
Providing local supplier
contacts. Please send
CV to 2014thanda@
gmail.com within two
weeks.
Asia Plaza Hotel
is seeking (1) Sale &
Marketing Manager
- M/F 1 Post. (2)
Assistant FO manager
- M/F 1 Post. (3)Sales &
Marketing Executive M/F 2 Posts. (4) FO
Supervisor - M/F 2
Posts. (5) F&B Manager
M/F 1 Post. (6)Chief
Accountant - M/F 1
Post. (7) G.S.O (Guest
Service Officer) - M/F 1
Post. (8) HR Assistant
- F 1 Post. Must be
interesting, strive and
in the long term for this
position. Please can
apply with CV form,
Photo, Expect salary,
Certificate &
other
attachement copy. Asia
Plaza Hotel, Yangon,
No(277), Corner of 38th
& Bogyoke Aung San Rd,
Kyauktada, Yangon. Ph:
391070, 391071.
Singaporean
Construction Company
in newly, will be starting
project in Myanmar soon
is seeking QS Engineer
- M/F 1 Post : Minimum
related fields, Preparing
BoQ, doing bills payment,
Providing local supplier
contacts. If you interest,
please send your CV
to 2014thanda@gmail.
com not later than within
two weeks.
MYTCL is currently
seeking (1)Document
Assistant/Warehouse
Assistant - M/F 3 Posts
:Age 23 ~ 35 years, Any
University
graduate,
Good communication
skills both in Myanmar
and English. Fluency
in
Myanmar
and
English
language.
Good Computer skills
in particular for Data
processing & analysis,
MS Office, Email and
Internet, etc. Honesty,
reliability, hardworking
and be a good team
player.
One
year
experience.
Please
submit the application
letter with full CV
detailing experience,
knowledge & skills, one
passport photo, copy of
all relevant certificates,
labour
registration
card, NRC card &
recommendation letter
from police station to
Administration Depart
ment : Myanmar Yang Tse
Copper Limited, Yangon,
70(I) Bo Chein St, Pyay
Rd, Hlaing, Yangon. Tel:
01-514194~7, Email:
yangtse@yangtse.com.
mm , Note: Employment
is always subject to
passing an MYTCL
Medical Examination.
Colsing date : 24 April
2015.
English Teacher
in Language School :
Responsible & reliable,
Efficient and resultoriented, At least 3
years in teaching,
Willingness and capacity
to accommodate when
faced with difficult and
frustrating
working
conditions, Able and
willing to travel in
Yangon.
Interested
applicants are to send
their current C.V with
recent photo and fixed a
day for interview. Send to
jatojamie@gmail.com or
call 09-4500-50725.
EXO Travel is seeking
(1)Admin Assistant
(Logistics) : Any degree
holder or equivalent
qualifications, Able to
use Microsoft office
programs comfortably.
Relevant
work
experiences would be
advantageous.
Hard
working and team player.
Able to commit overtime
when necessary. (2)
Travel Consultant : 2
years
experience in
tourism related field, Proactive & Team spirit, good
organizational & problem
solving skill, Excellent
interpersonal skills &
communication skills,
Strong sales & customer
service focus, Computer
proficiency : Microsoft
word, Excel, & Outlook,
Good communication in
English/French (Written
& Spoken ). (Only those
with a genuine interest
in joining a professional
travel company for
long-term commitment
need apply.) Interested
candidates are invited
to send a detailed
resume HR Manager at
memecho@exotravel.
com or mail to 147.
Shwegonedaing
St,
West Shwegonedaing,
Bahan, Yangon, Tel: +
95 (0) 1 8604933
able to speak & write

English, Must be able
to use Ms & Power
point, Well organized &
result-oriented. Contact
us- zinminpon@gmail.
com, sunandar91072@
gmail.com. Ph:09-253062042, 09-732-40764.
C o n s tru c t i o n
company is urgently
seeking for Office
staffs - 3 posts : Male
or Female, Age between
25-35, Any Graduate/
Degree Holder, Minium
(2 ~ 3) years working
experience, for the
materials in construction
field, computer skills,
internet, email, Able
to speak Myanmar &
Chinese OR Myanamr &
English. please contact
09 - 4303-1641
WE
Are
seeking
Experience Teacher :
Yanagon English centre
run by ex-pats requires
teachers with skills in
delivering
corporate
training. Contact think
in English @ 09-425026102, for ph interview.
KH Hotel Yangon is
currently seeking self
motivated, dedicated
and potential candidates
for the following posts;
(1)Sale & Marketing
Manager - M/F 2 posts
: University graduate,
Excellent
English
communication
skill,
written & spoken, 3 years
experience in relate
field, Good personality.
(2)M&E Technicians M 3 Posts : Must have
related certificates or
Diploma or B.Tech, 2
years experience in
Zware Group is
seeking (1)Marketing
Manager - M/F 1 post
(2)Project Coordinator
(Interior) - M/F 1 post
(3)Project Coordinator
(Civil Structure) - M/F
2
posts
(4)Admin
Assistant - M/F 2 posts
(5)Civil Engineer M/F 2 posts (6)Office
Secretary M/F 1
post (7)Assistant HR
Manager - M/F 1 post
(8)Marketing Assistant
- M/F 3 posts (9)Office
Staff - M/F 2 posts
(10)Senior Quantity
Surveyor (Head of QS)
- M/F 1 post (11)Project
Coordinator - M/F 1 post
(12)Sales Engineer M/F 1 post (13)Driver
- M 1 post (14)General
Helper - M 1 post (15)
Store Keeper - M/F 2
posts. Please submit CV,
photo with necessary
documents to 440,
Waizayandar St, Corner
of Thitsar Traffic point,
South Okkalarpa. Ph :
01-565911, 01-8551294.
Email: recruitment@
zwaregroup.com
Int'l Accounting &
Law firm is seeking (1)
Junior Associates, LL.
B or LL. M - F 3 posts.
(2)CPAs - F 2 posts. (3)
Accountants, B Com,
Level II, Level III - F 3
posts. (4) Receptionist
& Secretary - F 2
post.
For all posts:
Ages between 22 and
35, Fluent in English,
Excellent negotiation &
Computer skills. Please
submit CV to alex.
hwang@polaris.com.
mm
Myanmar Access
International Co., Ltd
is seeking Marketing
Executive : 2 year
experience in marketing
field, Age 25 years
and above, Must be
hospitality
industry,
Must work shift duty.
Interested candidates,
please submit CV with
relevant documents to
KH Hotel : 28, 7 Miles,
Pyay Rd, Mayangone,
Yangon. Ph: 01-652989,
01-653358, 01-653359.
JAPFA
COMFEED
Myanmar Pte Ltd is
seeking
(1)Senior
Accountant : B.Com
(or) CPA, Age under
50, Have knowledge
& experience on tax &
regulation of Myanmar,
(2)Accountant : B.Com
(or) LCCI level 3, 3 years
experience, Computer
literate & accounting
knowledge
(3)Chief
Finance : B.Com, 4 years
experience, Knowledge
& experience on cash
& finance, Knowledge
on banking sustem.
(4)Office staff : Any
graduate,
Computer
literate (Microsoft office),
(5)Driver : 3 years
experience in driving, can
drive for ferry / foreigner,
English literate. Contact
01-652536,
652544,
or submit CV to 37,
Kabaaye
Pagoda
Rd, Inya Lake Hotel
Compound, East Wing.
SITUATION WANTED,
A Freelance Licensed
guide (Eng) Wishes to
serve in any position
with any reputable tour
agency.
Prospective
employers may contact
soon. Ph: 09-301-99028.
DVB MultimediaGroup
Co., Ltd is seeking Team
development Lead :
Fluency in both English
& Myanmar language,
2 ~ 4 years working in
a quota- driven sales
environment, 2 ~ 4 years
working in an office/
business environment
(multi-national company
expsrience a plus), 2 ~
4 years managing office
or sales staff, 1 ` 2 years

working with structured
sales process steps &
practices, 1 ~ 2 years
working with MS office
programs and email
communications, 1 ~
2 years working with
sales reporitng tools
and / or CRM software.
DVB has a competitive
compensation package.
Intersted candidate may
submit CV & cover letter
to admain@dvb.no.
NITIPON is seeking (1)
Shop Manager - F 1
post in Mandalay : Must
have
management
skills, experience for
customer
service,
Graduated,
Good
English communication,
Age 28 ~ 35, Sign in 2
years contract, (2)Sales
- F 2 posts in Yangon :
Basic knowledge of
English & understanding
skill, Any graduate,
Age 18 ~ 30, For all
posts : Expesrience in
cosmetic field/service
filed, Salary negotiable,
Please send resume with
supporting documents to
sabaephyu26@gmail.
com
KELVIN CHIA Yangon
Ltd is a foreign legal
consultancy firm. We
invite motivated &
committed individuals
who are able to work
as: Account cum Admi
nistrative Assistant :
Good written and spoken
communication skills in
English. Must be wellorganized, meticulous,
have initiative & execute
instructions promptly.
Accounting background
& experience preferred.
Interested applicants are
invited to send their full
resume together with a
recent photograph to
ppo@kcyangon.com
we regret that only
shortlisted candidates
will be notified.
Companies who are
looking for Singapore
telecommunications,
Computers, Computer
networks and Electronic
products.
Please
drop me an email,
message or contact me.
Chris WongHP: +65
81202496YgnSing@
hotmail.com
We are seeking find
staff in Yangon for
expand our business.
(1). Sale executive
: English skill, Man ,
have driving licene. (2).
Secretary : English
language.
Please
contact to our email for
send CV/ Resume at
zupasit@gmail.com
WE
are
seeking
Limousine
drivers,
full time, 6 days week,
starting from K 350,000,
Must speak Englih or
other foreing language,
Minimum 3 year driving
experience. Contact :
09-4201-65678, 09-5197354, 09-4317-9011.
aungChanThaTrading
Co., Ltd. is seeking (1)
Sales Executive - M 5
Posts: Any graduate, BE
or B Tech (Mechanical)
is preferable. 3 years
experience. Age 25~30.
(2)Sales Executive M 5 Posts (Industrial
Dept) : Any graduate:
Preferable BE or B Tech
(Mechanical).Age 25~30.
(3)Sales Engineer - M
10 Posts (Sales Dept) :
Any graduate: Preferable
A.G.T.I or B Tech). Age
20~25
(4)Engineer
Trainee - M 15 Posts
(Sales & Industrial Dept) :
BE, B Tech orAGTI (Fresh
Graduate), Age 20~25.
(5)Senior Engineer M 10 Posts (Service &
Industrial Dept) : Any
graduate, Preferable BE
or B Tech (Mechanical).
Age 25~35. (6)PSSR M 10 Posts (Spare part
& Industrial Dept) : Any
Age 25~35. (7)Local
Purchaser - M 3 Posts
(Spare part Dept) Any
Age
25~30.
(8)
Machanic Helper / Tool
Room - Store - M 5
Posts : 1 year experience
Age 25~30. (9)Office
Driver - M 5 Posts : 5
years experience. Kha
- valid driving license.
Age 30~40. Please
email covering letter,
CV, 2 passport photo
& photocopies of the
graduation certificates,
national
registration
card, labor registration
card, police clearance,
household
census
list to Aung Chan Tha
Trading Co., Ltd :HR
Manager, 54, Kaba
Aye Pagoda Rd, Near
Nawaday Intersection,
Mayangone, Yangon,
Email: hr.aungchantha@
gmail.com within 2
weeks.
TRAVEL
companies
is looking for Senior
travel assistant cum
authorized
tourist
guide, wth three foreign
languages, may please
contact to 09-30199028.
myanmar
Travel
is seeking 3 Tour
Operation & Reser
vation (Myanmar Citizen
only) : 1 year experience
as Tour Operator for the
inbound travel company.
Fluency in English both
speaking & writing.
Possess
computer
proficiency: Microsoft
office, Excel. Interested
person send CV (with
photo attached) to Ma
Nway Nway Eai, Country
Manager, Email: resal@
myanmartravel.com, Ph:
09-430-74201.
Myanmar
Food
Co., Ltd is seeking (1).
Brand manager (2).HR
assistant - M/F 1 post (3).
Store Keeper - M/F (4).
Service Provider - M/F
20 posts (5).Customer
Service
Executive
(Hostess) M/F 2 posts
(6).Admin Executive M/F 1 post (7).Quality
Control - M/F 1 post (8).
Service Engineer - M 1
post . Plese cubmit to
Myanmar Food Co., Ltd ,
ph: 09- 730- 99383, mfft.
hr@gmail.com
Myanmar Lifestyle
Co.ltd, is seeking (1).
Marketing
Manager
- M/F 1 post (2).Retail
Operation Manger - M/F
1 post (3).Brand Manager
- F 3 posts (4).Sales &
Marketing Operation
Assistant - F 1 post (5).
Admin Executive - M/F
1 post (6).Operation
assistant - M/F 1 post
(7). Graphic Designer
- M/F 1 post: Age 20 ~
35, 1 year experiences.
Please
submit
to
Myanmar Lifestyle Co.
Ltd., Ph:09-3361-1110,
Email : sevenfridaymm@
gmail.com
(1) TraineeAccountant
- M/F 1 Post (2)
Assistant AccountantM/F 1 Post (3) Senior
Accountant- M/F 1 Post
(4) Office Secretary /
Executive SecretaryF 1 Post (5) Estate
Coordinator - F 1 Post
(6) Technical Assistant
M 1 Post. For all posts
must be speak English.
Please submit CV with
necessary documents
to 17, Shwe Tha Pyay
Yeik Mon 2, Nawarat St,
10 South/North quarter,
Thaketa. Email : wai.
strategypartner@gmail.
com Ph: 09-4211-66892
INTER
GROUP
of
companies is seeking
(1)Administrative
Assistant - F : Degree
Holder,
3
years
experience, Excellent
in English, Computer
literate. (2)Accounts
Executive - M/ F :ACCA
or B.Com, 3 years
experience in full set of
Accounts preparation,
Experience in MYOB,
Great team player with
excellent communication
& interpersonal skills, Able
to multi-tasks and meet
tight reporting deadlines,
Excellent in English,
Computer literate, Willing
to travel overseas for
training and must hold
valid passport. Please
submit detailed CV in
person or by email, stating
your current & expected
salary, date of availability,
reason for leaving and a
recent passport photo to :
7(D), 1st Flr, 6 Miles, Pyay
Rd, Hlaing, Yangon, Tel:

09-731-05353, 09-7310 5340 Email:hr-ygn@
icononline.net
( 1 ) M a rk e t i n g
Manager - F 5 posts
must be interesting in real
estate business, Age
between 25 to 35, good
looking (2)Computer F 3 posts word, Excel,
page maker, photo shop
(3)Driver - M 3 posts
5 years license, Age
between 30 ~ 45 years
old. contact : 09-420114749, 09-4211- 77105.
wanted Office Staff.
Must be graduated.
Fluent
in
English,
Good knowledge in MS
word/ excel. Able to
work in door/ out door.
Interested person apply
CV to No.243, 4th Flr, Bo
Aung Kyaw St, Middle,
Kyauktada, Tel: 09-420
731246.
A restaurant is
looking for a general
manager. 300,000 450,000 ks/month & 5%
profits, cookiehustler@
gmail.com, 09-972993330
Turquoise mountain
is seeking experienced
architect (individual
or practice) required to
under take full measured
and condition survey of
historic building. Please
contact, email: harry@
turquoisemountian.
orgtel: 09-979-786 575.
English
speaking
& writing staff for
English
magazine.
cnucontents@hanmail.
net ph: 09-4500-65916
GYMBOREE
PLAY
& Music is seeking
Marketing : 1 year
experience, Good English
speaking, Basic computer
skill, Good character &
responsibility. Job Details:
to initiative business
development activities.
Conduct market research
Contacting prospects,
negotiation and clients
visit. Job Location: Pearl
Condo, Kabar
Aye
Pagoda Rd, Yangon.
Type of Employment: Full
time. About the company:
Gymboree Play & Music
is the worlds leading
parent-child interactive
play, music and arts
program for children ages
newborn to five years.
Address : Block C, Pearl
Condo, 2 Flr, Bahan. Ph:
09-259-999113.
Exo Travel is seeking
(1)French Speaking
Travel Consultant :
2 years experience
in Tourism Industry
or Related field, Proactive, team spirit,
good organisational &
problem solving skill,
service focus, Possess
computer proficiency:
MS office, Excellent
command of written &
spoken in French. (2)
English
Speaking
Travel Consultant : 2
years experience, Proactive & Team spirit, good
organizational & problem
solving skill, Excellent
inter personal skills &
service focus, Possess
computer proficiency.
Good communication
in English. (Only those
with a genuine interest
in joining a professional
travel company for
long-term commitment
need apply.). Please
send a detailed resume
mentioning the reason
of leaving and attached
recent photo and other
relevant documents to HR
Manager at memecho@
exotravel.com.
Golden Hill Tower is
seeking F&B Manager
- M/F 1 post : Proficient
in English four skills.
Proven experience using
computers especially
Office
Application.
University degree holder.
2-3 years experience.
Excellent interpersonal
& communication skills.
Able to work under
pressure. Commencing
Salary US$600 Please
submit to HR Dept of
Golden Hill Tower No.
24-26, Kaba Aye Pagoda
Rd, Bahan.
26 Sport
THE MYANMAR TIMES APRIL 3, 2015
UKRAINE
No winners among east Ukraines war-hit athletes

IGOR Moiseyev should now be practising karate with a Japanese master on Okinawa Island, but instead
the black belt is having to repair his
war-damaged gym in Donetsk, east
Ukraine.
He is just one of many local athletes hit by the year-long conflict between pro-Russian separatists and
Ukrainian forces that has left more
than 6000 dead.
In our village, which is 2 kilometres [over a mile] from Donetsk airport, there is not a single house intact,
and our home and our dojo [training
place] were hit, explained the karate
teacher.
Before the war, my club was very
strong. We won many trophies at
world and European championships.
Now, due to the military activities, we
only have 10 percent of the students.
The self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples Republic that took power in the

region last year is not recognised by
the international community, making
it impossible to compete abroad.
We try to participate in local competitions to keep the children active,
Moiseyev said.
If parents dont have money to pay
for training, we do it for free, despite
our running costs.
Only the help of colleagues in Russia and the Czech Republic has kept
the clubs doors open, said Moiseyev,
adding that counterparts in Ukraine
had offered little support.
We often went to competitions
in Lviv and in the Carpathian Mountains [both in western Ukraine], but
no Ukrainian club has offered to help.
Basketball player Oleg Golovin, 34,
has been training for a year ahead of
the EuroBasket 2015 biennial tournament, which was initially meant to

take place in Ukraine, but which will
now be hosted by France, Croatia, Germany and Latvia in September.
He too revealed frustrations at authorities in Kiev.
I didnt take any sides when all
this political unrest began and took
care of my business, developing basketball among children, he explained.
Ukraine considered attempts to
keep my business running as a criminal activity, and now I no longer have
any contact with Ukraine, he added.
For race car driver Vasyl Kobenok,
28, the unrecognised DNRs exclusion
from international sporting bodies is
a big problem.
Even the Russian Automobile Federation has not officially accepted us,
he lamented.
But scraping together enough

money to buy fuel and get his car on
the starting grid is now the biggest
challenge facing Kobenok, a past winner in Ukraine.
Preparing the car has become two
to three times more expensive, he
said.
Last year, competing in a rally
in Odessa would set us back around
10,000 hryvnias [US$425] and now
it is between 20,000 and 22,000
hryvnias.
But a short stay to take care of
his daughter in Crimea the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia in
March 2014 at the height of the
fighting in eastern Ukraine has convinced him to stay at home, despite
the obstacles.
Living in Crimea, I realised how
difficult it is to live in another state,
OLYMPICS
away from home, he said.

I will stay in Donetsk and I plan
to continue my career here. I want to
develop the sport in my hometown,
teaching motorsports to children.
Equestrian centre director Irma
Svetlichnaya has also vowed to stay,
despite choosing to take an indefinite
break from competition.
We do not participate in competitions because we dont want the
horses to get hurt, she explained. We
dont want them to go through the
checkpoints and conflict zones. No
medal is worth it.
All the fields are mined and we
also have huge problems getting food
for the horses.
We only survive thanks to caring
people, added the 25-year-old, who
now spends her time looking after the
centres 26 horses. AFP
SQUASH
Sustainability
beyond 2015
SEA Games
KYAW ZIN HLAING
kyawzinhlaing.mcm@gmail.com
Militarised police commandos patrol the Praia de Ramos and Roquette Pinto communities, part of the Mare Complex in Rio de Janiero. Photo: AFP
Police take over from

military at Rio slum
D
ESPITE a recent upsurge
in urban violence, Rio de
Janeiro officials insisted
April 1 they will manage
to pacify slum areas in the
run-up to next years Olympics.
Gang warfare saw three people
killed and 22 wounded by stray bullets in January.
Last weekend, six people including two police officers, were hurt
in clashes in the Rocinha slum
overlooking some of Rios chic-est
districts.
Police killed four suspects in two
more slums, known as favelas, and
reported that 100 firearms had been
seized since the turn of the year.
Yet, despite the ongoing violence,
authorities believe a program started

seven years ago to bring peace to the
favelas is bearing fruit.
On April 1, Brazilian soldiers began to withdraw from one sprawling
group of slums, a year after being
deployed to help clean up the neighborhood ahead of last years World
Cup and South Americas first-ever
Olympiad.
An estimated 3000 soldiers were
initially sent a year ago into Mare, a
group of 16 slums near Rios international airport and home to some
140,000 people.
The military operation was part
of a strategy rolled out across the city
to ramp up security in an area prone
to gang warfare and drug trafficking.
Now they are handing back responsibility for law and order to
military police.
We started with the Praia de
Ramos and Roquette Pinto favelas,
which are the quietest, military
police colonel Frederico Caldas told
AFP as troops began a phased withdrawal which will wrap up in June.
By June, four so-called Police
Pacification Units will be established
in Mare comprising 1620 police officers, a figure which could change as
needs dictate, Colonel Caldas said.
He insisted that if the program
does not succeed then everyone will
lose out.
After winning the right to stage
two showpiece international sports
events the city government in 2008

launched a coordinated attempt to
pacify favelas in thrall to drug traffickers for decades.
By last year they had stationed
some 10,000 police at 38 UPPs set
up in 264 favelas home to around 1.5
million people.
Rio state security secretary Jose
Mariano Beltrame said March 31 the
state government had a duty to weed
out areas subjected to decades of
gang violence.
Raimundo Donato, a 57-year-old
lorry driver living in Praia de Ramos,
said he was optimistic.
Things will improve with the arrival of the UPPs its really going to
get better, he said. AFP
MYANMARS participation in squash

at the SEA Games will not be a one-off
but is the catalyst for a sustainable development of the sport says Daw Aye
Aye Maw, general secretary of the Myanmar Squash Federation.
Speaking to The Myanmar Times
yesterday, Daw Aye Aye Maw confirmed the countrys intent to hold the
second edition of the Southeast Asian
Cup in 2016, after having competed in
the inaugural contest held in Singapore in March.
The secretary added that they
were in discussions with other Asian
nations to also join as guests for the
tournament but the final details such
as the date of the contest had yet to be
finalised.
But for now, after struggling in
Singapore, the squad has set a modest target of one bronze medal from
Junes SEA Games, also to be held in
the city-state.
We will also face stiff competition
from host Singapore and Malaysia. It
will not be easy, Daw Aye Aye Maw
added.
In the Southeast Asian Cup a team
event played across two mens single
games, two womens singles and one
mens jumbo doubles it was those
two nations who dominated the event,
with Malaysia coming out on top. Myanmar struggled, losing all three of their
matches 5-0, to Indonesia, Thailand 2
and Singapore respectively.
Only Than Than Soe, the womens
second seed, managed to put Myanmar
on the scoreboard as the only player to
take a match to a fourth game.
This tournament was important
for our squad to develop international
match experience and they have returned improved players for it. said
Daw Aye Aye Maw.
Since the Federation is only recently founded, the eight junior tennis
players four male, four female selected transfer to the sport continue
to train and are based alongside the
current crop of junior tennis players
based in Nay Pyi Taw.
Our team is based on junior tennis
athletes because the two sports have
such commonality but these players
will continue to be squash players after the 2016 SEA Games.
Sport
SPORT EDITOR: Matt Roebuck | matt.d.roebuck@gmail.com
The Olympic effort

to pacify Rio
SPORT 26
FOOTBALL
MFF must rise to SEA

Games expectations
MATT ROEBUCK
matt.d.roebuck@gmail.com
YANMARS U23 side

hope to take lessons
from the success of
their younger compatriots and follow the
U20 side to Europe in preparation
for the SEA Games, a Myanmar Football Federation spokesperson told
The Myanmar Times yesterday.
Coach Kyi Lin hopes that we
might be able to take the SEA Games
team on a trip to Europe or possibly
Japan, though this has not been confirmed yet, said the spokesperson.
German Gerd Zeise, coach of the
U20 team, took his side on a warmup tour of Germany in advance
of their success in the Asian U19
Championships held last October in
Myanmar, when they qualified for
this years FIFA U20 World Cup in
New Zealand.
But success breeds expectation
and that is a lesson the Myanmar
Football Federation have learned after Deputy Sport Minister U Thaung
Htike demanded more of the U23
side as they prepare for Junes SEA
Games.
In mid-March, the Deputy Minister called all the sports federations
that will be representing Myanmar
in this years regional event to a twoday target setting meet at Thuwunna
Stadium.
As the sports listed their expectations of gold, the total came to 49,
but the deputy minister insisted that
figure be rounded up by increasing
the ambition of the MFF. The body
that governs the nations football had
initially set out the target of a semifinal berth, an ambition that would
be a step beyond the teams achievements in the 2013 SEA Games, when
The Myanmar U20 side are currently in Macedonia as part of their pre-World Cup preparations. Photo: MFF/Facebook
as hosts the mens team crashed out

at the group stage.
So the team that this week capitulated to Australia 5-1, a result that ruined their chances of qualification as
a second-place runner-up to the AFC
U23 Championship, must now aim
for gold.
The deputy minister insisted
they bring credit to the nation just
as their younger counterparts have
done. After their performance at the
last SEA Games, Myanmars football
fans lost faith in their team. But I
think the side will emulate the U20
team. I know this is a tough ask, said
U Thaung Htike on March 16. But
I believe they will try their best and
that is what I ask.

The MFF spokesperson added
that U Kyi Lin, manager of the U23
side, had always targeted a place in
the SEA Games final and therefore
would naturally be targeting the top
spot.
But U Kyi Lin probably wishes he
had at his disposal those players that
will follow Zeise in late May to New
Zealand for the World Cup. In March
both the U20 and U22 sides played
against the Malaysian U22 side, the
former running out 3-0 victors, the
latter struggling to a 1-1 draw.
Ziese has worked with his young
guns to develop both their footballing ability and their team ethic for
two years now. Recently both he and

senior side coach Raddy Avramovi
told The Myanmar Times that they
fully expect after the New Zealand
trip for at least half a dozen of the
youngsters to be instrumental in the
nations attempts to qualify for the
senior-level 2018 World Cup, a campaign that will also begin in June.
But unfortunately for U Kyi Lin,
the SEA Games and the U20 World
Cup the first football World Cup
that Myanmar has qualified for at
any level will clash and the latter
been prioritised. U Kyi Lin and his
charges who have been together for
less than a month must deliver the
success now expected of them.
MYANMARS
2015
SEA GAMES
GOLD MEDAL TARGETS
Dragon Boat
Canoeing
Wushu
Judo
Archery
Cue Sports
Rowing
Athletics
Boxing
Chinlone
Sepak Takraw
Shooting
Taekwondo
Fencing
Football
Golf
Gymnastics
Petanque
Sailing
Total
50
wEEKEND
THE MYANMAR TIMES ISSUE 04 I APRIL 3-9, 2015
Lit up your life

From comic strips to
bookish trips
WWW.MMTIMES.COM
contents
t
ho
s
p
To
An Indian devotee
dressed as Hindu deity
Shiva holds a snake
as he participates
in a Hindu religious
procession on the
occasion of the Ram
Navmi festival in Amritsar
on March 28. Ram Navmi
commemorates the birth
of Hindu deity Rama.
Photo: AFP/Narinder
Nanu
For stories accidentally left out of last

weeks edition, see pages 14, 18, 20.
Enjoy the long WEEKEND!
FEATURE
12-13
Hot off the press

The days of
pre-publication
censorship may be
over, but printing
presses now face
new challenges
FEATURE
14-15
Recollections of a
military life
Army memoirs
provide another
piece of Myanmars
complex and
contentious history
TRAVEL
16-17
Book your
vacation
Literary festivals
around Asia

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6
8
9
10
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23
24
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arts & entertainment

Third Irrawaddy Literature Festival sees numbers fall
FOOD & DRINK
Hummingbird restaurant reviewed
healthy & beauty
Is hormone therapy worth the risk?
STYLE
Comic book cool sweeps the catwalk
FAMILY
Raising joyful readers: Its a family affair
HOME & GARDEN
The souvenir hunters guide to avoiding the elephant
in the room
TRAVELSCHEDULES
Domestic and international flight times
fiction
Chronicles of Bei Ka Street
PUZZLERS
Comics, crosswords and predictions
socialite
Fabulous photos from the biggest bashes around town
whaTSON
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wEEKEND ARTS&entertainment
THE MYANMAR TIMES ISSUE 04 I APRIL 3 - 9, 2015
Lit festival down on numbers but not on talent

BY JOE WOODS
ITTING comfortably in the

air-conditioned Alaungphaya
room of the Mandalay Hill
Resort Hotel last Monday morning
and listening to Yangon poet Nyein
Way outline his collaboration
with Australian performance
artist Jan Cornell made me reflect
on the quality of the weekends
programming and on the writers and
artists who appeared at this years
Irrawaddy Literary Festival, now in
its third year.
The Mandalay Hill Resort Hotel,
opened its doors and grounds for
the second time to almost 100
Myanmar writers and international
writers, bookstalls and exhibitions
of paintings, photographs and
cartoons.From a packed program
spread over three days you could
choose from four separate streams
of events. Unless you had the power
of bilocation it was only possible to
catch a fraction of what was available
on this literary smorgasbord of talks,
lectures, readings and performances.
At the pre-festival reception,
courtesy of the Jefferson Centre
Colin Falconer (left), Anne Enright (centre) and Louis de Bernieres speak on a panel at the
Irrawaddy Literary Festival on March 28. Photo: Joe Woods
and the American Embassy, festival

Director Jane Heyn outlined in her
speech the difficulties the festival
has faced over the past year and in
securing funding. She indicated
that the festival was at a crossroads.
Most notably, the festivals patron
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was unable to
attend this year.
Rupert Arrowsmith kicked off
proceedings with a fascinating talk
on The Face of Buddha, based on a
E-books
still a long
way off
ambassadors Andrew Heyn and Giles

Fitzherbert and the current Indian
ambassador Gautam Mukhopadhaya
discussed their experiences of
culture impacting on diplomacy and
visa versa. Andrew Heyn cited the
case of the first Irrawaddy Literature
Festival in Yangon, which more than
10,000 people attended.
There were many other authors
and speakers who excelled,
delighted and gave pause for
thought but it was clear that, this
year, audience numbers were down.
Despite talking to one woman
who had come all the way from
Singapore, many non-attenders
have told me they didnt opt to
make the trip from Yangon,
blaming a lack of publicity and the
initial change of festival dates and
location.
One thing is certain: For a
country as literary and literate as
Myanmar, a vibrant national and
international literary festival is
required as a forum for free speech,
exchange of ideas and as a showcase
for the countrys far-reaching talent.
Whatever form it takes, I hope the
Irrawaddy Literary Festival will
continue for many years to come.
Obscenity: Theres a *ing app for that

BY RON CHARLES
BY CHIT SU
HE market for e-books in

Myanmar is moving slowly,
and through muddy waters.
Copyright laws are imprecise and
not well understood, and payment
systems are rickety. But if one thing is
clear, it is that readers are interested,
and therefore authors, publishers and
service providers have the incentive
to devise a workable system.
A deal proposed early last year
did not get very far off the ground. In
February 2014, Myanmar Publishers
and Booksellers got together with
JAS phone (Internet Wallet) to talk
about selling e-books in the Myanmar
language. They agreed to split profits
80 percent for the publishers and
authors, and 20pc for JAS. But then
the phone companies chimed in, with
MPT demanding 50pc of the profit,
swiftly followed by Ooredoo asking
60pc and Telenor demanding 65pc.
For publishers and writers, this
was not OK, said U Myo Aung, vice
president of Myanmar Publishers and
Booksellers.
So all eyes now are on Wun Zin, a
book-selling application launched at
the end of 2014.
We are waiting and watching the
results, U Myo Aung said.
The app allows users to read books
as soon as they are published at a
much lower price than a hard copy. A
book selling for K6000 in a shop costs
only K900 on Wun Zin.
lost and recently discovered text by

poet William Empson. Arrowsmith
deftly chaired a number of further
sessions including one with Booker
Prize-winner Anne Enright who
presented an articulate and darkly
hilarious reading from her prizewinning novel The Gathering
as well as a preview of her
forthcoming book The Green Road.
Enright was also later in discussion
with Louis de Bernieres of Captain
Corelli fame discussing Love and

its Discontents; de Bernieres is
clearly a fan of the festival as this
was his second year.
One thing thats become
apparent is the range of scholarship
here and abroad now focusing
on Myanmar and Myanmar
studies. A contingent of writers
and academics from Melbourne
University were in attendance and
giving talks. Hong Kong publisher
Christopher Mattison spoke on
Worlding Burmese Literature
while Kaung Thant focused on the
spread of Burmese literature in
Asia. Simultaneous translations
were provided throughout and
one Myanmar poets event saw a
very lively exchange of views and
statements about poetry.
Literary agent Kelly Falconer,
who was clearly being side-barred
into many conversations with
prospective authors, gave a talk
chaired by Colin Falconer, a
prolific author and veteran of the
publishing scene entitled How
a book is created and how it can
be successful.The discussion was
full of sound advice. At the Culture
& Diplomacy talk, former UK
Publishers know how much we

invest to produce a book. There is no
profit in the internet, but we want
to sell ebooks to retain intellectual
property rights, said U Thar Tun Oo,
president of Myanmar Publishers and
Booksellers.
If the system can be made to work,
publishers and readers will gain, as
many would-be readers are deterred
by the high prices of print books. I
never buy Myanmar books because
theyre too expensive, so I download
what I want, said one reader.
Forever Group used to sell books
online, but its efforts were hampered
by inadequate payment systems.
Writers want to sell online, provided
they get paid.
I am involved in selling e-books.
We get paid at the end of the year. I
want my audience to read my books
and I think readers want to buy the
books they want easily. But publishers
will fail and the book market will be
ruined if books can be had for free,
said novelist Mi Chan Wai.
We cannot depend only on
bookshops for sales. But we dont
know who is downloading our
books without permission. We
are responsible to get books to the
readers, and we should create an
e-book market, said U Myo Aung.
N 2011, an English professor

in Alabama published a
version of Huckleberry
Finn which omitted all uses of the
n-word, to make Mark Twains
classic more palatable to public
schools.
Now, naturally, theres an app for
that.
In fact, Clean Reader can
instantly sanitise any e-book
purchased through its store of more
than 1 million titles.
For readers who think our culture
is going to H-E-double-hockey-sticks
in a hand basket, this is a frakkin
miracle.
Enjoy great books, the app
announces, without the profanity!
The interface is easy to use
and much quicker than wielding
your own black Sharpie. Once you
download an e-book, the app asks,
How clean do you want this book to
appear?
East Coast liberals in cahoots
with Satan can choose Off, in
which case the book will appear in all
its original explicitness. But readers
with more delicate sensibilities
can pick Clean, Cleaner or the
blindingly pure Squeaky Clean.
Clean Reader available for
free from the Apple store or Google
Play is the brainchild of Jared
and Kirsten Maughan from the US.
The idea came to them when they
were trying to find books for their
precocious fourth-grade daughter.
In order to challenge her as
a reader, Jared says, we had to
present her with books that were

a little bit older. But after starting
a book she had checked out of the
library, she told her parents it had
some pretty significant swear words
in it.
They searched for an app to
automatically remove profanity
from e-books, but they couldnt find
one. Well, shoot, Jared thought,
maybe we could do something like
this.
Readers with more

delicate sensibilities
can pick Clean,
Cleaner or the
blindingly pure
Squeaky Clean
The app automatically obscures
the F-word and all its remarkable
permutations, along with the
S-word, different names for
deities, racial slurs and, Jared says,
anatomical terms that can be a little
racy.
We keep finding new spellings,
Jared says, and authors using
different spaces, so we have to keep
putting in different words and
arrangements of words, different
endings, slang terms and slang
ways of using them. So its an evergrowing list.
A quick look at Colson

Whiteheads Sag Harbor illustrates
the challenge a computer-controlled
profanity scrubber faces. Early in
this autobiographical novel about
a black boy on vacation on Long
Island, Colson explains the arcane
grammatical acrobatics of insults:
One smashed a colorful and
evocative noun or proper noun into
a pejorative, gluing them together
with an -in verb.
Unfortunately or fortunately,
depending on your depravity
Whiteheads hilarious handwritten
chart appears unfiltered in the
Clean Reader app. But the naughty
words in the text itself are effectively
replaced with little blue dots:
At times, those elisions render
passages downright mystical. The
narrators friend NP a nickname
Clean Reader would instantly
obscure if it were written out
had put-downs to spare. In one
particularly fine moment, he says,
I could hit your fat * * fine, you *
Rerun from Whats Happeninglooking *.
What the * did you say? his
friend asks.
You * biscuit-eatin *!
Tap on those blue dots, and
the app reveals close if bland
approximations: butt, freaking,
jerk and witch.
Jared knows this service isnt for
everybody, but he also knows there
is an audience out there. Weve got
friends who tell us, Weve always
wanted to read this book, but we
didnt want to read all those swear
words.
The Washington Post
Man Booker Intl finalists announced

T
HE finalists for the prestigious

Man Booker International
Prize were announced in Cape
Town on March 24, with 10 authors
from around the world contending
for the US$90,000 prize.
The prize is awarded every two
years to an author who has published
fiction either originally in English or
whose work is generally available in
English.
The Man Booker International
Prize is significantly different from
the annual Man Booker in that the
judges consider a writers body of
work rather than a single novel.
The finalists are: Cesar Aira

(Argentina), Hoda Barakat
(Lebanon), Maryse Conde
(Guadeloupe), Mia Couto
(Mozambique), Amitav Ghosh
(India), Fanny Howe (US),
Ibrahim al-Koni (Libya), Leszlo
Krasznahorkai (Hungary), Alain
Mabanckou (Republic of Congo) and
Marlene van Niekerk (South Africa).
This is a most interesting and
enlightening list of finalists. It
brings attention to writers from
far and wide, so many of whom
are in translation, said Jonathan
Taylor, chair of the Booker Prize
Foundation.
The list of finalists was
announced at the University of Cape
Town, South Africa, by writer and
academic Professor Marina Warner,
chair of the five-person judging
panel.
The judges have had an
exhilarating experience reading for
this prize. We have ranged across
the world and entered the vision of
writers who offer an extraordinary
variety of experiences, she said.
The winner will be announced at
a ceremony in London on May 19.
AFP
WWW.MMTIMES.COM
wEEKEND ARTS&entertainment
BOOK REVIEW
Vibrant tales of real lives get to the heart of modern Myanmar

Burmas Spring: Real Lives in Turbulent Times
Rosalind Russell
BY JOE WOODS
OR many expats who

end up in Burma, the
country has seeped
into their consciousness
beforehand. In journalist
Rosalind Russells case, it was
the heroic wartime feats of
her aging relatives, who lived
the idyll in pre-war Rangoon
until the Japanese invaded
in 1942, that inspired her
wanderlust.
Russells family were
forced to escape to Mandalay
and crossed over the border
to Calcutta. Thousands died
on this exodus but the couple
survived with only their
clothes and an unfinished
6-by-4-foot tapestry depicting
St George styled as a classical
Burmese warrior and
spearing a mythical dragon.
That silk tapestry, eventually
completed, hung in her greataunts house and haunted the
young Russell who on the
evidence of this book went
to Myanmar to weave a rich
tapestry of her own.
Her narratives explore the
lives of ordinary and not so
ordinary people that make
up modern Myanmar. Its
perhaps the best approach
to understanding the recent
history and developments

here and a scheme similar
to Rory Macleans Under
the Dragon, but whereas
Macleans characters were
fictionalised, Russells are
more real, current and even
identifiable when unnamed.
Russell almost accidently
found herself covering the
Saffron uprising in 2007.
Living in Bangkok with her
family, she applied for a visa
and received it in advance of
the uprising during which
journalists were denied visas.
She covered the story for her
newspaper and it was her first
visit to Myanmar.
Months later, Myanmar
was to find itself back in the
headlines when Cyclone
Nargis struck and Russells
husband travelled to Yangon
with his organisations relief
and rehabilitation program.
Thus begins Russells dual
identity of trailing spouse
with two young daughters,
living the expatriate life on
the one hand and twilighting
under many constraints
as a serious investigative
journalist on the other.
In the first chapter,
The Storm, Zeyar, a junior
reporter, is sent by his editor
to report on Nargis in the
delta. Hes given a phone
worth US$2500 the most

expensive item hes ever
handled and a bundle of
Kyat, and heads by bus, and
eventually by barge, to the
island of Hainggyi where he
witnesses scenes of terrible
destruction.
Having been to the eye
of the storm and back, he
returns home to Yangon in
darkness and soon realises
the city has been struck
in his absence. Streets are
strewn with lamp posts and
fallen trees and he wanders
ankle-deep in mud back to his
flooded house where his wife
and young baby are waiting.
Zeyar filed his story next day
one of the first reports of
the disaster in the delta. The
narrative revisits Zeyar years
later and finds him editor of a
political magazine, something
unthinkable before 2012.
The book paints a
wonderful portrait based
on a series of encounters
with Win Tin, the brave
and principled journalist,
politician and former
political prisoner who
passed away last year and
who has already moved into
Myanmar iconography.
Russell, anticipating this,
describes him as glamorous,
with a handsome square face
and glasses with chunky,

black frames which were
back in fashion, though
whether he knew it or not,
he wouldnt have cared.
During her five-year stay
in Yangon, Russell saw the
release of Aung San Suu Kyi in
November 2010, commenting
that she emerged radiant
and calm, as if she never
doubted this day would come.
A few days later Russell was
permitted to interview her.
The Lady was remarkably
calm, professional and on
message for someone just
released from seven years of
incarceration, and stressed
that her personal cost was
nothing compared with what
was endured by political
prisoners. Russell closes
the chapter with a touching
account of Aung San Suu Kyis
reconciliation with her son
Kim at Mingalardon airport
for the first time in years.
While recording this
family moment she manages
not to intrude, and its
testament to her prose style
and empathy with her subjects
who include a monk, a punk,
King Thibaws grandson and
a girl band all of whom have
allowed Russell to get to the
heart of modern Myanmar.
Price: $14
wEEKEND FOOD&DRINK
Gum control: How

Lee Kuan Yew kept
chewing gum off
Singapores streets
RECIPE
A delish
fish dish
S
ET aside any fears of frying

and have fun with this one.
The batter is a quick blend of
sparkling lemonade, lemon zest and
seasoned flour. If young eaters are
around, get them to do the mixing
and dipping.
Serve with a lightly dressed salad
of apples or Asian pears, grapes and
walnuts.
Youve probably heard it said that

you can get arrested and flogged
for chewing gum in Singapore.
The truth, as usual, is more
complicated than that but there
certainly are strict rules about
mastication within the city limits
Crispy lemon fish

4 servings
Safflower or vegetable oil, for frying
3/4 cup flour
Pinch fine sea salt, plus more as
needed
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
2 lemons
3/4 cup sparkling lemonade
1/2 kilogram (1 pound) piece white
fish fillet
Tartar sauce, for serving
Heat about 3 inches of oil in a deep,
heavy saucepan over medium-high
heat to 365 degrees F. Seat a wire
cooling rack over a rimmed baking
sheet.
Meanwhile, combine the flour,
salt and pepper in a mixing bowl.
Finely grate the zest of one of
the lemons over the bowl; wrap
and reserve the zested lemon for
another use. Cut the remaining

lemon into wedges.
Stir the sparkling lemonade into
the flour mixture to form a thick,
lump-free batter. Cut the fish into
1/2-inch-wide slices.
Once the oil is ready, dip 3 or 4
pieces of fish into the batter; shake
off any excess batter, then carefully
drop the coated fish into the oil.
Fry for 4 minutes or until golden

brown, turning the pieces over as
needed. Transfer them to the rack
to drain; season lightly with salt
right away.
Repeat to batter and fry all the
fish. Discard any remaining batter.
Serve warm, with tartar sauce
and the lemon wedges.
Washington Post
Singapores former prime minister and elder stateman Lee Kuan Yew attends the
Standard Chartered Forum in Singapore on March 20, 2013. Photo: AFP/Mohd Fyrol
LEO BENEDICTUS
T is the one thing you can

expect foreigners to know
about Singapore. Not
that its a tiny island-city that
experienced perhaps the greatest
economic miracle of all time under
the authoritarian stewardship
of Lee Kuan Yew, who died on
March 23. Not, any more, that the
island was the scene of the British
Empires greatest humiliation,
when it was conquered by Japan
in 1942. No, the thing everybody
knows about Singapore is that
theyll flog you if you drop your
chewing gum. Or that chewing
gum is banned. Or something.
Basically the country is fastidious
as hell.
As usual, the truth is not quite
as advertised. Strictly speaking,
the possession of chewing gum
(and the chewing of it) has
never been illegal in Singapore.
What was outlawed, in 1992,
was its sale or importation. The
trigger, apparently, was the havoc
that gum could cause on the
countrys extremely expensive
new underground system by
covering the door sensors, or
simply making a mess of the seats.
The punishment for illegal gum
trafficking was never corporal,
but even for a first offence it can
include a fine of up to S$100,000
(US$73,000) and up to two years
in prison. (In 2004, a minor
exemption was introduced for
chewing gum with therapeutic
value deemed to include
Wrigleys Orbit essentially as a
favour to the US, in order to close a
bilateral trade deal.)
The effect of the original ban
was immediate. Within a few
months, chewing gum more or

less disappeared from Singapore.
Flattened clots vanished from
pavements. Train doors went
about their business unimpeded.
Indeed, this is probably why the
ban so resonates with people.
For anybody with at least the
occasional authoritarian twinge
(which is, Im guessing, all of us),
Singapore offers hope that you
can stamp out even the mildest
forms of antisocial behaviour.
Because gum was not the only
target. You can indeed be judicially
flogged, with a cane, in Singapore,
if you are male and under 50.
The punishment applies to many
crimes, but these potentially
include fairly minor matters such
as vandalism and take note
overstaying your visa. If convicted,
you will be stripped naked in a
prison room, strapped across a
frame, and hit across the buttocks
several times with a wet rattan
cane not exceeding 1.27cm (0.5
inches) in diameter. (Let us here
pause to note that caning was also
practised in Singapore, for many
years, by the British.)
All pornography is illegal,
naturally, including Playboy. In
the past, even Cosmopolitan and
Sex and the City were banned.
It is illegal to drop litter, and
to spit any substance or expel
mucus from the nose upon or on
to any street or any public place.
Penalties for a first offence can be
as much as S$2000 (US$1450) or
S$10,000 (US$7300) for doing it
three times. In both cases you may
also be forced to clean the streets
wearing a green vest. Whether
because of its laws, or because
of its people, Singapore is by all
accounts extremely clean.
The Guardian
WWW.MMTIMES.COM
wEEKEND FOOD&DRINK
Prosecco
bubbles over into
Southeast Asia
I
Hummingbird soars
BY CHARLOTTE ROSE
HEARD the buzz long before

I heard the name. For weeks,
edgily dressed, moustached
20-somethings have been talking
about that new place on Phone
Gyi Street over cocktails in the
citys overpriced, borderline-hip
hotspots.
Before you even step inside the
stunningly renovated colonialera building, its easy to see that
Hummingbird lives up to the
hype. Set over three floors, the
venue boasts a trendy roof terrace
that wouldnt look out of place in
Shoreditch or Williamsburg. The
interior is, as yet, still unfinished
(I have a bandaged toe to prove
it) with the restaurants official
opening set for early April. But,
save for the odd perilous concrete
step and a few sheets of clear plastic
which give a glimpse into a lively
kitchen, the high ceilings and sleek
decor exude an elegance that is
both unpretentious and effortless
(though, undoubtedly, the result of
a great amount of effort).
The food is as well-designed
as the interior. Chef Wayne
Third has created an array of
Latin American inspired dishes,
all beautifully presented with
glorious combinations of flavours
and textures. The seared cubes of
salmon (US$6) were magnificent,
and the red snapper ceviche ($7)
is all one could want from an
appetizer: light, bright, tangy and
perhaps distinctive given todays
super-size-me culture in that it is
actually appetizer-sized. A minor
detail, yes, but just one of the signs
that Third understands how food is
supposed to be served.
By the time the main courses
arrived, it was difficult to imagine
things could get any better. Im
a tough customer when it comes
to steak: Perhaps Im a maverick
but I dont think my philosophy
if you cant cook it right, dont
cook it at all is all that out there.
Hummingbird keeps it simple: no
heavy seasonings or thick sauces,

just the medium-rare New Zealand
rib-eye I ordered served shock-ofshocks medium-rare, with a side
of tangy chimichurri. Ok, so at $26
one might expect a decent steak,
but experience has taught me not
all Yangon establishments agree
with my radical views. My guest
opted for the pan seared seabass
accompanied by beetroot risotto
on a bed of chimichurri ($14) a
considered, delicate combination
that was enough to leave you dizzy
with pleasure.
Hummingbird doesnt yet
have a wine list, though the house
wine on offer isnt bad. The real
magnum opus, however, is the
thoughtfully concise selection of
classic and bespoke cocktails ($67). Best enjoyed in the upstairs bar,
where you can watch staff lovingly
shaking, stirring and slicing to
hip electro-swing as if each drink
were a work of art, the signature
cocktails (in the name of research
we tried them all) were both subtle
and exciting. My favourite: an
unusual combination
of lychee and
lemongrass
which, by
the time Id
worked my
way through
the list, I couldnt remember the

name of.
Dessert lovers will be unable
to contain their excitement when
they see the menu. Suspecting
it rather uncouth to order all
the options, I chose the espresso
cheesecake and chocolate brownie
and Anglaise ($7). And that as
we at Weekend like to think of
ourselves as a family magazine is
all I can say about that.
Its not just Hummingbirds food
that makes it feel like the Yangons
dining scene may finally have
caught up with the rest of the world.
The warm and enthusiastic service,
buzzing atmosphere, cool-but-nottoo-cool vibe and snazzy rooftop
bar hip in a breezy, laid-back way
rather than an OMG you can see
Shwedagon way lend the pice
de rsistance. Its only undoing?
The music in the downstairs dining
room was a little too loud. A minor
failing, a better person than me
wouldnt have mentioned it.
Certain to become an
institution among au courant
Yangonites, Hummingbird has
raised the bar when it comes to
value-for-money fine dining. Until
now, Western restaurants have
been able to get away with hiking
up prices in exchange for offering
the novelty factor of trendy
lighting and fairly-decent Western
fayre. When Hummingbird
officially opens in April, such
establishments may find their
number is up.
Hummingbird
76 Phone Gyi Street, Yangon
Restaurant Rating:
Food
Beverage
Service
Value
X-factor
10
8
9
8
10
F there was one tipple wine

lovers couldnt get enough of
last year it was prosecco, the
Italian sparkler that has outstripped
champagne as the worlds favourite
bubbly.
And listening to industry insiders
assembled in the city of Romeo and
Juliet for the VinItaly wine fair, the
global love affair with the countrys
finest fizz is not about to go flat.
A disappointing 2014 harvest
means producers could soon
be struggling to keep pace with
expanding demand as consumers in
China where the wine industry is
burgeoning and Southeast Asia look
to join a party already in full swing in
the English-speaking world.
Giancarlo Vettorello, the head
of the consortium of producers
of Prosecco Superiore, says his
members success can be put down to
the fact that it is not a wine that takes
itself too seriously.
It is ideal for a little refreshment,
a little break in the day, he said.
To drink champagne you have
to put on a dinner jacket. Prosecco is
more casual and relaxed.
Lighter, generally less dry and
significantly less expensive than its
French rival champagne, prosecco
has seen its overseas sales surge at a
time when a grim economic backdrop
has left domestic consumption flat in
volume terms and shrinking in value.
I think its got to do with the
recession, and the price, said Angela
Lynas, a Scottish wine merchant who
was one of thousands of professionals
attending VinItaly.
Also, some of the lower range
champagnes are quite acidic and I
think when people are faced with a
choice, they would choose prosecco.
Delysia Grewal, of British
marketing group DiGiadvertising, said
prosecco producers have been wise not
to compromise standards as they seek
to expand production to keep up with
demand from markets such as Britain
and the United States, avoiding a trap
some Spanish cava producers are seen
as having fallen into.
I would say its going to be a long
term product [in Britain], I dont think
its a one-off trend, Grewal said.
Produced in a small, hilly corner
of the Veneto region of northeastern
Italy, prosecco was a well-kept secret
until a decade ago, with only a tiny
proportion of output heading to
Germany and Switzerland.
Nowadays total production of the
different categories of the fizz totals
some 380 million bottles per year

with the value of sales at the point of
consumption in the region of US$3.2
billion.
The bulk of the output is classed
as Prosecco DOC which means it
must be produced in the designated
production area around 70 kilometres
(42 miles) north of Venice.
Exports to the US were up 34pc
last year while the British market
grew 60pc.
Now all the signs are that the
regions dynamic, quality-focused
producers could be on the verge of
repeating that success in China and
elsewhere in Asia.
China is today the worlds fifth
largest consumer of wines in general,
after France, Italy, the United
States and Germany. Whereas early
customers were well-heeled, the
countrys emerging middle class has
acquired a growing taste for wine and
wants value for money.
To drink champagne
you have to put
on a dinner jacket.
Prosecco is more
casual and relaxed
Giancarlo Vettorello
The Chinese consumer is looking

for easy-drinking, straightforward
wines, preferably a little off dry and not
too expensive, explained a buyer for a
major Chinese wine operation who did
not want to be quoted by name.
Champagne is only for the elite
and sparkling wines are catching on
with the middle classes, she said.
Also in Verona was Clinton Ang,
managing director of Singapores
Corner Stone, a major importer of
wine to Southeast Asia who said he had
said he had come specifically in search
of a prosecco suitable for his markets.
The objective we set ourself
before leaving was to find a prosecco
that met certain characteristics, he
told VinItalys website.
Not only did I find what I was
looking for, but the meeting has led to
a joint venture with the producer.
AFP
wEEKEND HEALTH&beauty
LIVING WELL IN MYANMAR
The challenges of
hormone therapy
CHRISTOPH GELSDORF, MD
livingwellmyanmar@gmail.com
HIS week I had a 49 year-old

female patient in Yangon
who in the last several weeks
has suddenly become extremely
anxious about completing daily tasks,
is having trouble with colleagues
at work, is finding it difficult to
sleep, and is having bouts of body
temperature swings in which she
suddenly felt extremely warm. She
wanted to know if she was going crazy.
Her menstrual cycle was unchanged,
but could this be menopause? If so,
what should she do?
Menopause and its treatment
has been a vexing issue for patients
and doctors for more than 10 years
now. In the decades prior to the early
2000s it was widely accepted that
once women reach menopause and
start losing the hormone oestrogen,
it should be replaced with a daily pill
in order to cure hot flushes, protect
the heart and bones, and reduce
mood swings. Then, in 2002, a large
United States-based research study,
the Womens Health Initiative (WHI),
revealed that oestrogen replacement
therapy actually harmed womens
hearts, increased the risk of stroke,
increased the chance of blood clots,

and raised the risk of breast cancer
by 24 percent. Readers of Living Well
in Myanmar will remember that I
recently wrote about heart disease as
the number one killer of women. The
WHI study was a bombshell, causing
millions of women globally to give up
hormone replacement therapy.
But the story doesnt end there.
Women and their physicians were
still faced with the problem of how to
treat the symptoms of menopause,
which can be physically and
psychologically traumatic. Oestrogen
replacement is up to 90pc effective
for those symptoms. Researchers
therefore re-evaluated the data (and
continue to do so to this day). It
turned out most of the women in
the WHI study started oestrogen
therapy about 10 years after their last
menstrual cycle. This doesnt really
reflect the timing at which most
women look for symptom control,
which is instead around the time of
menopause onset.
So perhaps the threatening data
weve used to discourage hormone
use doesnt perfectly apply to the
women who might benefit from it.
In addition, bits and pieces of new
evidence have emerged in recent
years that taking oestrogen early (ie
Hormone replacement therapy: Is it worth the risk?
just prior to the start of menopause)

might provide some protection
against heart attack and perhaps early
cognitive decline. This is the so-called
Timing Hypothesis proponents of
which feel that, at some point, we will
collect enough research to identify
select groups of women for whom the
early initiation of hormone therapy
will provide a favourable risk/benefit
profile when it comes to thinking
about chronic disease.
So whats the right choice for my
patient? For the time being, because we
have inconclusive research that doesnt
provide clear guidelines, the decision
requires a good conversation between
the individual woman and her doctor.
Starting hormone replacement therapy
should be reserved for women who
experience peri-menopausal symptoms
that are suddenly debilitating enough
to disrupt what was previously a
generally fulfilling or productive life.
In the future we may also find that

the dangers of estrogen therapy can
be outweighed by benefits to certain
women at high risk of osteoporosis or
Alzheimers disease.
It should also be remembered that
there are other treatment choices for
uncomfortable menopause. These
include antidepressant medication,
herbal supplements, and a series
of lifestyle choices that are good
for you anyway: regular exercise,
maintaining a healthy weight,
not smoking. If hormones are
selected, many practitioners follow
a generalised approach in which we
try to use the lowest dose of hormone
possible and hopefully limit total
treatment time to five years.
Of course, in Myanmar for
socioeconomic reasons only a
small fraction of women are even
able to engage in this conversation.
It therefore remains important
for health workers at all levels to

normalise the bodily and emotional
impacts of hormone fluctuation. We
want to avoid misdiagnosing the
symptoms of menopause as acute
physical or psychiatric disease. As we
improve the primary care capacity
and funding in Myanmar, hopefully
well also be able to include rational
decision-making of pharmaceutical
use for menopause.
Christoph Gelsdorf is an
American Board of Family
Medicine physician who sees
patients in Yangon and California
(www.gelsdorfMD.com). He
is a member of the Myanmar
Academy of Family Physicians.
Reader thoughts and questions
are welcomed.
Caveat eater: Experts warn of sweet-tooth danger

U
N recommendations to curb
sugar intake may face an uphill
battle for acceptance, experts
say confronted by an ingrained
human yearning for sweetness.
Sugar is laden with energy, which
we are genetically geared to want
a craving the food industry has
cultivated to keep consumers coming
back for more, they point out.
On March 11, the World Health
Organization (WHO) reiterated
its advice that added sugar should
comprise less than 10 percent of daily

calorie intake, but said consumers
should ideally strive for half that
amount.
Experts question the attainability
of these goals given that sugar is
added to everything these days from
tomato-based sauces and bread to
charcuterie.
There is a collusion between
manufacturers and consumers,
said Jean-Michel Lecerf, head of
nutrition at the Pasteur Institute in
Lille, northern France pointing to a

shared responsibility for the sharp
rise in added sugar in food.
Manufacturers like to sell their
products and consumers like the taste
of sugar.
The UN guidelines apply to socalled free sugars added to food and
drink by the manufacturer, cook or
consumer, and naturally present in
honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit
juice concentrates.
These are said to have contributed
to a global rise in obesity, diabetes,
cardiovascular disease and other
health problems.
Food manufacturers will be hardpressed to find a cheaper, easier and
more popular flavour-booster, say the
experts. Not only does sugar provide a
quick energy boost, it is also a natural
mood-lifter.
We want it because we get
pleasure from it, said Lecerf. It has
a psychotropic effect when you have
the blues.
Michael Moss, awarded a Pulitzer
prize for his book Salt Sugar Fat:
How the Food Giants Hooked Us, calls
sugar the miracle ingredient for the
food companies.
They use it to save money. When
youre making a tomato sauce,
instead of using naturally red, sweet
tomatoes, you can buy cheap, green
tomatoes and add sugar to make up
for the natural flavour, he said.
The food industry has developed
a bliss point measure for the ideal
sugar content not too little and not
too much, said Moss, to make sure
consumers are always left wanting
more.
One of the biggest problems for
consumers, he added, was the hidden
sugar in savoury products like bread
and processed meat.
What it does is create the
expected wish that everything you eat
is sweet.
The UN advice does not cover
sugar in fresh fruit or vegetables.
According to Nita Forouhi, a
nutritional epidemiology researcher
The average can of soda packs up to 10 teaspoons of sugar. Still want that? Photo: Staff
at the University of Cambridge,

sugar-sweetened beverages may be
the low-hanging fruit for achieving
the UNs objective.
The 10pc goal amounts to about 50
grams (1.8 ounces) or 12 teaspoons of
sugar for an adult consuming 2000
calories per day.
The average can of soda packs up
to 10 teaspoons, so switching to water
or a non-sweetened beverage will
swiftly cut sugar intake.
The tougher five-percent ideal,
aimed at reducing tooth decay, will
be much harder to meet, said Tom
Sanders, a professor emeritus on
nutrition at Kings College London.
It would involve not eating cakes,
biscuits, confectionary and all sugarsweetened beverages, including fruit
juice, he told Britains Science Media
Centre.
Sugar consumption patterns vary
hugely between countries.
It accounts for about 7 or 8 percent
of the adult daily calorie intake in
Norway and Hungary, for example,
but in Spain and Britain, it is more
than double that.
On average, South America
consumes two-and-a-half times the
WHOs 10-percent recommendation,

and sub-Saharan Africans less than
the 50-gram goal.
Todays food environments
exploit peoples biological,
psychological, social and economic
vulnerabilities, making it easier for
them to eat unhealthy foods, said a
paper in The Lancet last month.
Regulatory actions from
governments and increased efforts
from industry and civil society will
be necessary to break these vicious
cycles.
In the global fight against obesity,
more than 50 countries now require
nutritional labelling on pre-packaged
foods, and hard-hit Mexico has
imposed a tax on sugar-sweetened
beverages.
The UNs guidelines are nonbinding.
The International Council of
Beverages Associations (ICBA), said
the WHOs 5pc goal was unscientific.
But, it undertook to help consumers
to achieve calorie balance through
smaller portion sizes, no- and lowcalorie beverages and transparent,
fact-based nutrition information.
AFP
WWW.MMTIMES.COM
wEEKEND STYLE
With cartoons hitting the headlines in 2015, designer

Tsumori Chisato got in on the act with her comic
strip-inspired show for Paris Fashion Week on March
7. From full-on Catwoman designs to simple speech
bubbles, Chisato proved that comics arent just for kids.
Photos: AFP/Miguel Medinad
10
wEEKEND Family
Love of letters: 70-year

family saga stars Twain,
Zola and three sisters
A picture of French author Emile Zola together with correspondence he sent to Antonia
Schwartz, one of three Romanian Jewish sisters, who had had a correspondence with
19th-century French authors. Photo: AFP/Daniel Mihailescu
N a Romanian town on the

Danube river, three sisters
in love with great writing
jumped for joy whenever the
postman delivered a new letter from
giants Mark Twain, Emile Zola or
Jules Verne.
Born in the second half of the
19th-century, Antonie, Rovena and
Emilia Schwarz devoted their lives
to reading and building a treasure
trove of autographs and photos,
said Ilie Zanfir, director of the V A
Urechia library in the eastern city
of Galati.
The youngest sister, Emilia,
donated 714 letters to the library in
1965.
Zanfir said the first letter dates
from 1891 and the last from 1961,
but the majority of exchanges
occurred during the womens youth,
between the end of the 19th century
and the beginning of the 20th.
Little is known about the
womens private lives, except that
they are of Jewish origin, never had
any children, and that they founded
and ran a school dedicated to giving
young girls an education.
In their spare time they wrote to
famous writers, seeking their advice
on reading and current affairs. Not
without a little cheek, they also
asked them for their photos.
Delighted, the literary stars
wrote back. Their replies varied
in length from just a few lines to a
whole page of reflections on the role
of women in society, literature or
astronomy, the great passion of the
first-born Antonie, who died in 1912
at an unknown age.
In response to Rovena, who died
in 1955 aged 87, French writer Emile
Zola (1840-1902) wrote, My advice
to you is that you should read my
work when either your parents or
your husband allow you to.
In January 1896, French novelist
Jules Verne, who is known for his
lasting influence on the science
fiction genre, apologised for
refusing to send his picture. At
my age, I wont disturb the sun any

more to ask it to fix my traits on the
viewfinder, he wrote.
Novelist Mark Twain, whose
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has
been named the great American
novel, also politely refused,
but with pleasure, he sent an
autograph instead.
Just months before his death,
Alexandre Dumas, fils son of the
author of The Three Musketeers
wrote to Antonie, Whoever has
loved twice hasnt loved at all.
Asked how the women managed
to find the celebrities addresses, a
French expert who has examined a
dozen of Rovenas letters kept at the
Mejanes library at Aix-en-Provence
said they likely consulted Paris
main directories.
Tout Paris and Paris Hachette are
both ... rich in personal data, said
Herve Duchene, referring to city
directories of the time, who teaches
at the University of Burgundy.
Exchanges on anti-semitism also
had a special place in the letters,
at the height of the Dreyfus affair
that divided France. Captain Alfred
Dreyfus, a young French soldier
of Jewish descent, was wrongly
convicted of treason, and it later
emerged that his sentencing was
rooted purely in anti-semitism.
Rovena asked Zola to expose
the tragedy in a daily newspaper,
without success.
Years after the sisters deaths,
local researcher Delia Pohrib
says the correspondence enriches
Europes cultural heritage.
She said the letters are a
treasure inherited by Galati.
Visiting the Galati library,
Dragos Ciuperca, 15, says he
dreams of following the Schwarz
sisters example and contacting his
favourite actor Jean Reno.
But Ciuperca isnt too hopeful that
the French actor will ever write back.
Hes very busy, so I think his
secretary might reply to me, he
says.
AFP
Raising joyful readers:
Its a family affair

BY SHARON HOLBROOK
MIGHT not be good at some parts of this

parenting gig: My son is more obsessed with
screens and technology than Id like, and the
whining in this house regularly makes me want to
cover my ears and lock myself in the bathroom. But,
much to my delight, all three of my kids are avid booklovers, and part of me wants to take credit for that.
(Thats always much more fun than taking credit for
the less-desirable traits of our children, isnt it?)
Maybe part of it is luck and the personalities of our
kids, but much of it is not, and we parents can do a lot
to cultivate a lifelong love of books in our children.
1. Start early. From birth (yes, birth!) we can read
to our children. My mother has commented that there
were very few board books available when my siblings
and I were babies, and it never occurred to her to read
us books at that age. Yet, she marvelled to see my
infants light up with curiosity and joy at the familiar
rhymes and colorful pages of their board books. If you
read to your babies regularly, they will engage with
the books, most even trying to turn the pages in the
second half of first year. A kindergarten teacher friend
has told me that she sometimes has incoming students
that is, five- to -six-year-olds who do not even how
to hold a book and navigate through it. This pains my
book-loving (and kid-loving) heart. If your baby or
toddler does not want to sit still, just read a page or
two, and do not force the finishing of a book. Or read a
few short rhymes while your baby plays nearby. Even a
little bit each day will help to make a practice of loving
words, language and books.
2. Stock your home. Im all for decluttering toys and
tchotchkes and even grown-up books, but dont touch
the childrens books. In fact, lets add more! Childrens
books are meant to be treasured and read over and
over, which makes them ideal to own and love. Access
should be easy, allowing your child to pull out stacks
of books to page through. (I know its annoying to pick
up the entire contents of a toddler-emptied bookshelf,
but think of the sad alternative of an untouched row
of books. Its a good thing to find books strewn all over
the floor, courtesy of a little one.) Tuck them all over
in the bedrooms, in the play area, in the living room,
in the car. Saturate your childrens environment with
quality books, and their memories of childhood will be
forever interwoven with those stories and pictures.
3. Become a regular at the library. We are fortunate
to have a wonderful library. Not only does it have a
great selection of kids books and helpful childrens
librarians, it also has infant and toddler playroom
hours and terrific story and song programs starting at
the baby age. And, of course, its all free. If your library
is less than stellar, visit another town. Its worth
finding the right fit.
My kids know their way around the stacks, the
librarians all know us, and thanks to my eager
children, I regularly hit the checkout maximum of 50
books per patron. It has been a part of our family life
since they were born, and they beg me to stop there on
our rounds of errands.

4. Read to calm and reconnect. Nothing, and I
mean nothing, is better at my house than reading
together when the day has gone sour with little ones:
the tantrums (theirs, and maybe mine), the messes,
the potty training accidents, the sibling bickering.
In these moments, reading to my children is a bit
of a rescue for all of us. The gift of the book is that
whenever I open it, it calms all the raw nerves,
including mine, and rubs out the hard edges of the day
into something soothing, quiet and close. Sometimes
reading cant wait for naptime or bedtime, and I
need to drop the vacuum or the iPhone and just be
physically and emotionally close with my children,
shepherded by a book.
5. Skip the learn-to-read books. You are eager
for your child to read, and he knows his letters and
sounds, so you sit down with the easiest learn-toread set you can find and try to get him to sound
out each word. Please, dont. In these little books,
any semblance of an interesting story is sacrificed
in the name of short sentences and the awkward and
repetitive use of one syllable short a or long U
words, or whatever fits the theme of that volume. My
older two had no patience for sitting and sounding
out boring books when they were kindergarten-ish
age, so we quickly dropped them and just continued
to read aloud while they naturally became more
developmentally ready to read. And each one did,
in his or her time, mostly skipping over the painful
sounding-out process altogether. Even better, they
continued to love books, since reading never stopped
being associated with engaging stories and nopressure togetherness.
6. Read even to the reading child, and read a level
up. Kids are usually ready to comprehend much more
sophisticated plot and vocabulary than they can read
by themselves. My husband still reads to our two
older children, ages 7 and 9, every night before bed.
Its a daily opportunity to connect, to expose them
to advanced texts, and to open conversations about
tough moral issues. Over the course of a year, they
read the entire Harry Potter series when my daughter
was just 5 to 6 years old. There is some heavy stuff
in there, but she had her Daddy chaperoning the
whole way, and she understood it and she loved it.
Down the hall, I read to my 4-year-old. Starting a year
ago, we kicked off chapter books with Stuart Little,
followed by Mr. Poppers Penguins, the entire Little
House series, and many others. I stop often, making
sure she understands, commenting, and asking her
what she thinks will happen next. Wow, Templeton
really doesnt want to help Charlotte and Wilbur, does
he? Why not? What do you think he will do? Dont
underestimate your kids but stay with them.
7. Enjoy it. At our house, reading is not a milestone
to check off, but a beloved part of family time for all
of us. Of course, I still have to fight the screens, and
the whining, and whatever else is coming down the
parenting pike. But the books are here to stay to
teach us, to foster connection, to inspire and delight
us, to see us through.
The Washington Post
WWW.MMTIMES.COM
wEEKEND HOME&GARDEN
11
A souvenir hunters
guide to avoiding the
elephant in the room
BY VERN YIP
RACTICALITY often trumps

the desires of the heart when it
comes to selecting a souvenir to
commemorate a long-planned trip or
that once-in-a-lifetime vacation.
We talk ourselves into getting
something that will slide into the
suitcase nicely, is lightweight enough
to carry during the rest of the journey
or passable enough to justify checking
bring something home off the list.
In some cases, were so engaged
in sightseeing and activities that we
cant be bothered to detour to that
famous handicraft market or off-thebeaten-path artisan store to treasurehunt for that special something to
bring home.
I put treasure-hunting for the
finest examples of local handcrafted
traditions high on the list of things
to do while on a special journey. The
best examples of local crafts act as
storytellers that give unique insight
into the place Im visiting. In many
cases, these handicrafts involve
skills that have been passed on for
centuries. They have a way of imbuing
a home with soul.
TOKYO
Bonsai plants
take root among
foreigners in
Japan
OW about trimming this

branch? and other English
sentences flew around a
Japanese garden this month as a large
group of people, mainly foreigners,
tried to shape Japanese white pines.
The venue was the Shunkaen
Bonsai Museum in Tokyo, where
bonsai artist Kunio Kobayashi, 66,
serves as a curator. About 500 bonsai
pots are displayed on its premises.
On March 18, a group of 18 people
on a tour organised by a travel
company visited the museum and
experienced pruning and wiring
bonsai. Bonsai miniature potted
plants have become popular abroad.
About 10,000 people visit the
museum annually, with foreigners
accounting for 70 percent, according
to Kobayashi.
Although [bonsai] used to be
regarded as a hobby for elderly people,
Ive learned how good it is to touch
the soil, said Nobuyoshi Goto, 39, a
company employee from Saitama.
The eighth World Bonsai
Convention is scheduled to be held
in Saitama in 2017. The convention
is held every four years, and it will
be the first time for it to take place in
Japan since the first event was held in
Saitama 28 years earlier.
The Washington Post
Curating that home with

thoughtfully selected purchases
from each special place youve visited
is a wonderful way to manifest
your life experiences and make
walking through your front door a
daily highlight. Follow some of my
guidelines below and youll soon be
treasure-hunting like a pro.
Do some homework: A little research
ahead of time can point you in the
right direction when it comes to
figuring out what to purchase versus
what to forgo. Pass on goods imported
to that location (Made in China
is not a good sign unless youre in
China) and concentrate on what the
local culture excels at producing.
Assess the opportunities in your
home: Before you leave on vacation,
take a look around your home for
empty spots or areas where youve got
temporary placeholders. Its always
easier to justify something from a trip
if youve bought it for a specific place.
Take some basic measurements and
an empty suitcase with you: To make
the process more efficient, take critical
measurements (and a lightweight
An Atlanta living room boasts objects from eight different journeys including ones to India, Thailand, Bali and Tibet.
Photo: Washington Post/Vern Kip
measuring tape too if you have room)

so that you can quickly focus on those
items that will actually work and
dismiss the rest. Bring empty suitcases
with you to carry home reasonably
scaled or fragile items.
Seek the real deal: Research where
to get first-quality specimens ahead
of time so that youre not wasting
valuable time in tourist traps. If you
forget, or cant seem to figure it out,
ask locals where they shop once youre
on the ground.
Stick to neutrals or a palette
you know will work for you: Its
easy to get distracted by dynamic

colours when youre on vacation.
That multicoloured tapestry might
look special while youre wandering
the markets of Mexico but end up
clashing terribly once you get it home.
Keep the colours of your existing
decor in mind to help you make
selections that will seamlessly work
with what youve already established.
When in doubt, purchase items in
white, shades of neutrals or made
with materials in their natural state.
Bring back one great thing:
Small items that slip into your
primary suitcase are tempting
purchases because they require no

extra planning or shipping. Their
diminutive scale, however, doesnt
result in much of an impact. They
can litter the landscape of a room
and cause it to look cluttered rather
than purposeful. Instead, consider
purchasing one exemplary item with
some scale to it so that it has presence
and impact in your space.
Embrace shipping: Keep in mind
that FedEx, UPS and DHL (among
others) are just about everywhere
and can help you ship most anything
home.
Washington Post
12
wEEKEND FEATURE
The first Sar Pae Law Ka bookshop was opened in the early 1960s. There are now several branches in Yangon. Photo: Zarni Phyo
Hot off the press

The days of pre-publication censorship may be over,
but printing presses now face new challenges
wEEKEND FEATURE
WWW.MMTIMES.COM
BY ZON PANN PWINT
HOUGH sales are far from robust, the abolition of censorship

by the present government has allowed the book-printing
industry to flourish, says the founder of a major publishing
house. U Myo Nyunt, who started Sar Pae Law Ka (The Literary
World) in the early 1960s with a K10,000 manual press, was reflecting
on the progress made since then.
The printing industry was poor in the 1950s. We had to use
moveable type, in which the workers arranged the letters made of lead
in a letter case and operated the press by hand, he said.
There were about 10 book publishers who owned manual presses at
that time, mostly recycled from an earlier era.
Publishers who didnt own a press had to join the queue to get
their books printed at other printing houses. It took longer, and the
quality was sometimes variable. Some publishers bought their own
printing machines, he said.
U Myo Nyunt, husband of the late author Moe Moe (Inya), opened
Sar Pae Law Ka bookshops on Pansodan Road and reprinted several
novels written by his wife and other writers commissioned by his
press.
The old ways of printing were dirty and time-consuming.
Each step of the process was manual. Conditions were filthy
because of the inks and the lead, said U Myo Nyunt whose printing
house is located on 33rd Street.
Printing was a precarious business even before press censorship
was imposed after the military coup in 1962. Writers deemed to
threaten peace and stability, to defy the constitution, to insult religion
or to destroy the unity of ethnic minorities suffered the consequences.
In the early 1960s, U Myo Nyunt published a religious book to which
the authorities took exception, and they seized all copies. Fortunately,
the punishment for the printing house was petty.
In the late 1980s, the introduction of the offset printing process,
along with computerisation, made a huge difference to the industry.
Today, all publishers print with used offset machines from Japan.
When offset was introduced, people in the industry thought it
wouldnt work. But offset replaced all existing presses within a year,
and auto and manual presses disappeared, he said.
Offset has dramatically improved productivity. Modern
technology has changed the printing industry, he said.
In the years of strict censorship, printers had to wait for a book to
get passed by the censors for printing, and if a word gave offence, they
had to cover it up with ink.
Printing houses could be closed down for publishing a book that
infringed religion or politics, said U Myo Nyunt.
Now, the Printing and Publishing Enterprise Law has implications
for printers.
Thu Kha Shwe Sin printing house has been sued for printing Ye
Baw Kyin Hlas Ba Ka Tha (Burma Students Union) on the grounds of
breaching peace and stability.
The end of pre-publication censorship in August 2012 resulted
in the emergence of new literary genres, such as prison memoirs,
biographies and books on politics. Printing and binding houses have
been producing one book after another.
Political books, memoirs and biographies wouldnt have been
published under censorship. Still, people say appreciation of literature
has fallen, he said.
His company produces about 100 books a month. In the literary
field, about five or six books in different genres are produced each day.
The days of manual printing are long gone: An employee operates an offset printer at Thu Kha Shwe Sin printing house. Photo: Thiri Lu
13
Book publication is very strong. Normally, book printing houses

produce two books a day. We have no rest days, and are burdened with
work, he said.
Another factor that limited profits under censorship was the
irregular electricity supply.
Writer Myay Hmone Lwin, the publisher of Ngar Doe Sar Pae (Our
Publishing House) bought a printing press six years ago to print the
books his publishing house produces. But he sold it two years later
because the electricity was so inadequate.
I was struggling to run the press. Even if the power was on, the
voltage was too low to operate the machine, he said.
He founded his publishing house in 2003, even before he bought
the press, asking other houses to print his books. But he bought a press
himself in 2013 to ensure better quality and timeliness.
Most publishers dont have presses because they want to devote
their attention to the book rather than the housing and maintenance
of the machinery, said Myay Hmone Lwin.
He agrees that the end of censorship had a healthy impact on the
printing and binding businesses. Books in a wide range of literary
genres are published every day, increasing the choices before readers.
However, the existing Printing and Publishing Enterprise Law is
still a source of trouble for printers.
Recently, the Ministry of Information sued a printing house in
Yangon. As a result, some houses darent print books on politics. Ive
been asked to print books that other houses have turned down, said
Myay Hmone Lwin.
Every printing press in the country is second-hand, he said.
We have no skilled workers who can operate technologically
advanced machines, so were still using second-hand printing presses
from Japan, he said.
Globally, the printing industry faces challenges from the internet
less of a threat in Myanmar because of slow connections.
U San Oo, an artist and owner of Seikku Cho Cho (Sweet Thought)
publishing and printing house, said, The printing business is not so
booming for me. All I do with my profits is to invest in producing more
books.
Each step of the process was

manual. Conditions were filthy
because of the inks and the lead.
When offset was introduced,
people in the industry thought it
wouldnt work. But offset replaced
all existing presses within a year,
and auto and manual presses
disappeared
U Myo Nyunt
Founder, Sar Pae Law Ka bookshops
14
wEEKEND FEATURE
Recollections of a
Author U Maung Swe Thet holds a copy of his 2010 memoir From Kaduma to Mawpha. Photo: Zon Pann Pwint
BY ZON PANN PWINT
Army memoirs
provide
another piece
of Myanmars
complex and
contentious
history
ETIRED military officers have been reliving

in print their hardest battles. The old soldiers
describe the heat of combat, commanders ruses
to trap the enemy and the unsung heroes who risked
their lives on the battlefield.
The memoir Kaduma Hma Mawpha Tho (From
Kaduma to Mawpha) penned by U Maung Swe Thet,
whose real name is U Nyunt Swe, a retired colonel,
weaves tales of soldiers families into stirring accounts
of the clash of arms. The book, written in 2010, is now
in its third edition.
U Maung Swe Thet joined the army in 1954 and
studied at the Defence Services Academy. Three years
later, he was sent into battle.
During my 28-year career as a military officer, I
fought many battles. At that time, there were many
armed rebel groups like the Burma Communist Party.
We fought them to protect the lives of civilians. My
book is for people who remember those times, said U
Maung Swe Thet.
The warriors lives were hard. He and his comrades
still remember stalking through snake-infested
minefields, tormented at night by malarial mosquitoes
and surviving on starvation rations. But the peace they
fought for now prevails over much of the country.
U Maung Swe Thet took part in missions in 1957 and
1979 to seize BCP headquarters and arrest the partys
leaders. His quest began in Kaduma, Shwebo district,

Sagaing Region, and ended in the Communist bastion of
Mawpha in southern Shan State, with the destruction of
their base and the capture or death of their leaders.
His book also portrays life in the villages occupied by
the Communists.
In todays more peaceful country, people no longer
have to face that kind of enemy, the 80-year-old retired
colonel said.
One unusual feature of his book is the spotlight he
shines on the wives and families left behind. I have
read a number of memoirs but they pass over the
worries, the hopes and the poverty of the soldiers wives
who were left behind with the children. So I described
the anxiety they experienced over the fate of their
husbands fighting at the front their feelings and the
hard lives they led at home, he said.
While I was stationed in Mandalay, the soldiers and
their wives were dancing to celebrate the water festival.
Then came the sudden order to deploy to the front. How
sad that was for the wives.
Ever since his childhood, U Maung Swe Thet says, he
loved soldiering. Nothing tastes sweeter than the water
I drank from the creek when I was a soldier, he said.
He expanded subsequent editions of his book by
including accounts of his comrades experiences and
even featured quotations from the enemy.
We were enemies on the battlefield, but friends
when we were in town. I met the son of Communist
Thakin Than Tun, who took great pleasure in telling me
WWW.MMTIMES.COM
wEEKEND FEATURE
military life
Former Prime Minister U Khin Nyunt signs a condolence book at family home of Bo Ye Htut, the last of the 30 Comrades in November 2013. Photo: Thiri Lu
how their forces evaded our men. I described what he

said in my third edition, he said.
Once the peace talks being held today are
completed, we will see former enemies shaking hands.
We didnt fight because of hatred, U Maung Swe Thet
said.
Many memoirists were born before Independence,
and joined the Burma Defence Army. They include the
National Literary Award winner U Hmu Thamain (the
late Colonel Saw Myint); U Theitpan Hmu Tin (retired
Colonel Tin Maung), who is still writing memoirs;
and U Myat Htan Maung, whose book Tinepyi Ka Nu
Nu, Mondine Ka Htan Htan (The State Is Fragile, The
Storm Is Violent) is well regarded.
Their works provided thrilling accounts of the
battles in which they fought and the obstacles they
overcame, and their experiences of military life.
The 2010 memoir Kyaw Boe Eait Kalay Ko Chi Kar
Lwe (Carrying a Backpack) is dedicated to the wife of
retired Brigadier General U Tint Swe. He wrote it with
encouragement from his friends at the age of 84, just 25
days after the demise of his beloved Daw San, as a way
of coming to terms with his anguish. They were married
for 60 years.
I wrote the book in memory of her. My wife used
to say she was my backpack because she accompanied
with me wherever I was assigned, he said. Though
an assiduous diarist since his youth, it was not until
his wifes death that he first wrote a book. It describes
his passage from soldier to brigadier general, deputy
defence minister, deputy minister in the Prime

Ministers Office and finally minister for industry,
guided throughout by his wifes counsel.
As literary genres go, army memoirs are not the
most popular. But the recent Kyawtaw Bawa Atway
Akyone Myar (My Life Experience) by U Khin Nyunt,
former head of Military Intelligence and former prime
minister of the State Peace and Development Council,
is in great demand. The 1000 copies of the first edition,
priced at K8000, sold out within a month, and every
bookstore downtown has asked for more. The second
edition comes out this week.
I havent read it, but I must, said comedian U
Zaganar, one of the most outspoken critics of the
military regime.
Reading an army memoir is not like reading a novel.
We have to apply rational analysis and thought to decide
whether it is right or wrong. I welcome his memoir. We
shouldnt neglect books written by our opponents.
U Zaganar said some memoirs provide a revealing
insight into the former military governments secret
plots. I learned from Dr Maung Maungs Burma
Political Journey and General Ne Win that they plotted
a coup in 1988 and were about to announce it. We knew
nothing at the time, he said.
He has read many memoirs, including U Tint Swes
Carrying a Backpack and U Soe Wins Ma Hmaw Lint
Thaw Khayee Shay (Unexpected Long Journey).
Im interested in history, he said. The memoirs
are evidence. We must study them.
Reading an army memoir

is not like reading a novel.
We have to apply rational
analysis and thought to
decide whether it is
right or wrong
U Zaganar
Comedian and political dissident
15
16
wEEKEND TRAVEL
Book your vacation
Literary festivals
around Asia
BY RACHNA SACHASINH
SIA holds the worlds oldest civilizations, with a vibrant tradition of creative
arts. As trading caravans and warring dynasties criss-crossed the continent,
they left their cultural imprint and took home new ideas. In this way, the culture
and arts of Asia have influenced one another and evolved throughout the centuries.
With colonialism, the direction of cultural exchange in Asia shifted. In subsequent
years, contemporary Asian writers enjoyed notoriety in their home country and the
West, but remained largely unknown to their Asian neighbours.
All this is changing, however, and changing fast. Open borders, trade agreements,
accelerating economies and lets not forget the internet and discount airlines are
giving Asian nations another opportunity at cultural give-and-take. Literary festivals
are one form of this cultural barter, creating space for dialogue and discovery between
neighbouring and far-flung countries. Most are free and open to the public, allowing
the people of Asia to bridge borders and transcend class boundaries.
[Literary] festivals have created aplatform for debate, discussion and dialogue.
The growth of literary gatherings are vital as they allow us a window into different
cultures, philosophies, religions and economies, and bring a greater understanding of
the world we inhabit, said Sanjoy Sethi, director of the Jaipur International Literature
Festival.
Each year, literary festivals report record attendance. Asia boasts an estimated 60
literary festivals, making it clear that new generations of writers and readers are still
moved by the written word.
It is these conversations that have huge potential impact, because writers make
culture and readers shape culture, which in turn can shape and mould society. What
is most exciting is how these exchanges inspire something new and unexpected, said
Australian-Myanmar writer Michelle Aung Thin, who attends several literary festivals
each year.
If you too want to find something new and unexpected, here are some of the regions
best literary festivals. So go ahead get booking!
George Town Literary Festival
George Town, Malaysia
British sovereign King George III gave George Town its name, although its proper
Malay name is Tanjung Penang or Cape Penang. One of two UNESCO World Heritage
cities along the Strait of Malacca (the other is Melaka), George Towns colonial
grandeur endures. Here, native Malay, Tamil, Chinese, Thai, Portuguese and English
have contributed to the citys rich architecture, cuisine and cultural life, making this
one of the most engaging and fun places to visit in Asia. It is no wonder the city hosts a
home-grown literary festival with film screenings and even a comedy show. Attended
mostly by Malay writers, the festival provides a window into the Malay experience,
one that has absorbed various influences to forge a national identity. The relaxed
atmosphere allows you to duck into any one of the free workshops or lectures, and then
step back out to enjoy the sights such as the Camera Museum, the Botanical Gardens,
the Dharmikarana temple and the Protestant Cemetery.
When: October 27 November 1, 2015
WWW.MMTIMES.COM
Adam Tanner talks about his book What stays in Vegas at the Hong Kong Literary Festival 2014.
wEEKEND TRAVEL
17
Ira Trivedi reads from her book India in Love at the Hong Kong Literary Festival 2014. Photos: Supplied
Ubud International Writers Festival

Ubud, Bali
This years theme 17,000 Islands of Imagination honours the cultural and
geographic riches of the Indonesian archipelago. Ubud hosts over 165 authors from
over 25 countries who lecture, workshop and chat with other writers and readers.
The festival takes place amidst lush tropical gardens and riverside terraces, often
overlooking centuries-old temples and terraced rice fields. Youth and childrens
programs make it fun for the family, and nearby hiking trails and nature walks are
accessible by foot or bike. The Camphuhuan ridge trail gives uninterrupted vistas of
the countryside, and the Tegalalang rice terraces are spectacular. The Gerung Leban
temple complex and Ubud Palace are a glimpse into Ubuds past and the influence of
Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam. Ubuds central market and the Agung Rai Museum
of Art are must-sees. You can stay at one of the posh resorts or a village homestay for
authentic local experience.
When: October 28 November 1
Hong Kong International Literary Festival
Hong Kong
The HKILF is celebrating its 14th year, making it one of the oldest literary festivals
in Asia. This year, the festival pairs one local and one international author for a series
of events, underscoring its mission to foster the Asian voice in creative writing. The
10-day festival is open to all, and offers a mix of public and private, paid and free
events. Many events take place right in the center of Hong Kong, including interesting
tourist sites. After flexing your literary mind, take walk through Sheung Wans back
stairs and alleyways, where the walls are covered in Chinese banyan trees, or through
the narrow streets a little further down the hill where dried seafood is sold. The citys
central park is an oasis, and nearby hills offer vistas of a port where centuries-old
junks drift alongside modern ships. These quintessential Hong Kong locales inform
the citys dynamic culture as much as the literature being written and read here.
Singapore Writers Festival
Singapore
The Singapore Writers Festival is where the literati of Asia have been going since
1986. One of the few multi-lingual festivals in the world, the SWF features writers
and books in the city-states official languages, including English, Malay, Chinese and
Tamil. Asian writer and renowned international authors attend. The festival talks
place in its own campus with a management school, arts museum and theatres
serving as venues. The 10-day program allows plenty of time to hit some book readings
and still get in some sightseeing. A literary walk and Little Lit! a program for
children draw crowds year on year.
Jaipur Literature Festival
Jaipur, Rajasthan India
The Jaipur Literature Festival is easily the most attended literary festival in Asia.
According to festival organisers, the festival hosted 450 speakers and performers
and over quarter-million attendees earlier this year. The festival is free to all, making
the events accessible to anyone, regardless of income or social status. This mixing
of people from all walks of life gives the Jaipur Literature Festival an energetic
and cultural vibe that is unmatched. The festival is held in the royal city of Jaipur,
where pink palaces, markets teeming with colourful bangles and textiles, and even
more colourful characters make this one of the worlds most unforgettable places. If
literature here doesnt manage to take hold of you, the City Palace, the Hawa Maha and
Amber Fort surely will.
When: January 21 25, 2016
ASEAN Literary Festival
Jakarta, Indonesia
Launched in 2014, the ASEAN Literary Festival is fast becoming the must-go
venue for Southeast Asias lit-lovers. Building on the momentum of ASEAN unity,
this festival puts particular emphasis on the shared heritage of ASEANs 10 member
nations. Themes like Questions of Conscience allow writers to openly discuss their
work and ideas. The events are open and free to all, and participation from writers and
readers is highly encouraged. The diverse line-up includes lectures and workshops,
along with music and dance performances and film screenings. A stroll through
any part of Jakarts is akin to reading its history. There are elegant museums and
sculptures, and a mix of mosques, Hindu and Buddhist temples, and Orthodox and
Catholic churches. Palau Seribu (Thousand Islands) in Jakarta Bay is a fun excursion
with plenty of swimming and snorkelling.
When: March 2016 (exact dates TBC)
Visiting an international literature festival isnt just about the books: It offers a great opportunity to see the local sights,
like the Jal Mahal (Water Palace) on Man Sagar Lake in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
18
wEEKEND FEATURE
blood and fire amid the

sound of gunfire
Mauk Yone
Seng wishes
for peace but
trains for war
with the Shan
State Army
Photos: Kaung Htet
wEEKEND FEATURE
WWW.MMTIMES.COM
BY EI EI TOE LWIN
UT for a classroom incident, Mauk Yone Seng would

be a teacher now. Shamed by an undeserved tonguelashing from her teacher, the 15-year-old left school
never to return. She exchanged her dream career for
something she had never dreamed she would do.
Mauk Yone Seng, now 25, is a soldier at the headquarters of
a Shan armed group.
After the experiences of the past three years, she said she is
now not so easily embarrassed as she once was.
Ive matured a lot, Mauk Yone Seng said as she swept
off her sunglasses. Without them, she suddenly looks
younger, but retains a military bearing in her uniform.
Immediately after leaving school, she made a living from
teaching Chinese, a vital skill in the border region. A lot of
people want to learn Chinese to do business. I did various
jobs: selling cosmetics, trading in clothing and brokerage,
she said.
She was struck by the number of young people, including
her friends, who became involved with drugs, and resolved
to fight drug abuse through education.
Young people in my region are relatively degenerate.
They are not doing well at school. Some groups have passed
through, trying to educate people about drug use. I attended
the training but it was not effective. I tried to keep my
friends off drugs, but I failed, she said sadly.
Muse in Shan State, her home town and the booming hub
of trade with China, is disgusting, she says. Its good that
the region is booming. We need to have enough money. But
Im not happy about my peoples situation. Military clashes
take place near the border. Drug abuse and torture are
common, she said.
The day came when Mauk Yone Seng realised there
should be more to life. After deep thought, she decided to
make for the headquarters of the Restoration Council of
Shan State/Shan State Army-South (RCSS/SSA) at Loi Tai
Leng. I had no money, so I sold my motorcycle. I had to

change myself first if I wanted to change others. I need to
struggle first. Its not easy to help others if I dont seek to
develop myself, she said of her decision.
It took her three days to get to Loi Tai Leng, deep in the
mountains, in early 2012. The RCSS welcomes women, but
they are not allowed to serve in the military right away. First
she had to undergo training in military skills, computer
knowledge and English.
The training was exhausting, but it helped to harden me. I
have more self-confidence. I can do things a man can do, she
said.
The other women soldiers serving at Loi Tai Leng have
come for various reasons. According to the estimate of
Burma News International, there are 6000 RCSS soldiers,
including females (RCSS refuses to disclose the exact
number).
Women receive military training, but are never ordered
to serve in the front lines. They are assigned instead to
office work and headquarters management. For security
reasons, Mauk Yone Seng will not disclose the exact nature
of her work.
Women are housed in separate hostels, some with their
families. Office hours are nine-to-five, as in any bureaucracy, but
occasional unpaid overtime is compulsory. Were not here for
the money. All we get is pocket money, no salary, said Mauk Yone
Seng.
Her elder brother and elder sister are married, but her
younger brother and younger sister are students. She sends her
earnings to her mother for their benefit.
At first, my family didnt know I was here. I told them I was
just doing business so they wouldnt worry. They know now. My
elder sister is married to a Chinese man, and the family doesnt
have to worry about money as much as they did before, she said.
Though at headquarters she faces no direct risk, the war
news sometimes distresses her.
I feel sorry when someone asks for financial aid,
because I have no money. It bothers me to hear of the
19
The training was exhausting, but it

helped to harden me. I have more
self-confidence. I can do things a
man can do
Mauk Yone Seng
Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army
soldier
conduct of army soldiers, she said, referring to reports

of the rape and murder in January of two female teaching
volunteers in Shan State. Investigations of the crime are
still continuing.
Female soldiers like Mauk Yone Seng are also concerned
that the two sides have not yet signed a long-awaited
national ceasefire agreement. Skirmishes continue even as
the two sides continue negotiations in Yangon.
All we can do is pray. Id like to see everything settled
peacefully. I want to ask the leaders for peace, because what
we see is blood and fire amid the sound of gunfire. If they
want peace, why is the fighting continuing?
Until peace comes, Mauk Yone Seng is content to stay at Loi
Tai Leng.
My life is more meaningful serving here as a soldier rather
than living in Muse, she said, with evident pride. I am very
pleased to support those who are fighting for the rights of the
Shan people. I have no plans to go back home.
20
wEEKEND TRAVEL
Blitzkrieg
A lightning-fast tour of the
Defence Services Museum
BY DOUGLAS LONG
EARS ago when it was located in Yangon, the Defence

Services Museum was second only to the Drug
Elimination Museum in weirdness.
A posted sign requested a US$50 camera fee from foreigners,
and an old army helicopter on display in the compound had
been turned into a grimy, miniature shantytown with museum
employees living inside and tattered laundry hanging from the
rotor blades.
Bored gallery attendants sometimes caught afternoon naps
in the back seat of the Rolls Royce Phantom that had belonged to
Sao Shwe Thaik, the first president of Burma (1948-1952). One
friend of mine who visited was told that if he brought his own
can of petrol, he could start the car and take it for a quick spin.
More alarmingly, a young expat acquaintance who ventured
to the museum alone in 2005 was pulled into the gatehouse by a
female security guard and subjected to a hostile interrogation,
with questions ranging from why she wanted to visit the
museum to whether she was a virgin.
Alas, the day finally came when the government announced
that the museum would be relocated to Nay Pyi Taw, thereby
depriving Yangon of one of its greatest wonders.
Construction on the Nay Pyi Taw venue started in May 2010,
and the new Defence Services Museum was opened to the public
on March 18, 2012, to hail the 67th Anniversary [of] Armed
Forces Day, The New Light of Myanmar reported at the time.
At the ceremony, Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services
General Min Aung Hlaing pressed the button to unveil the
stone inscription of the Defence Services Museum and sprinkled

scented water on it before touring the sprawling 603.68-acre
compound, which included separate buildings dedicated to the
Army, Navy and Air Force with encouraging exhibition.
I was unable to make it to Nay Pyi Taw for the opening, as
much as I longed to be there. But last month I finally visited with
a local friend to see how Defence Services Museum version 2.0
compares with the original.
Outside, a work crew was cleaning and repainting the
numerous helicopters and airplanes on display. Two uniformed
guides who met us upon arrival explained that the aircraft are
maintained once a year, a process that takes about one month.
Everything looked new and clean, and while we saw a few
workers taking lunch breaks in the shade of jet fighters, no one
appeared to be using the cockpits as a permanent dwelling.
I had been warned ahead of time that seeing everything at
the museum would require more than a day. With only about
three hours to spare, our first choice was the monolithic Army
building. Our car was the only vehicle in the large parking
lot. My Myanmar friend remarked, All the buildings look
impressive, but no one comes to see. Its a waste.
In direct opposition to the old museum, the new one is
sparkling clean, with adequate lighting and galleries staffed by
attendants in military uniform. The exhibits are well-labelled in
Myanmar and English, and the section on Myanmars ancient
kingdoms is particularly informative: A large wall chart lays out
the accession of kings, and detailed maps illustrate the extent
of various kingdoms throughout history. There are diagrams of
ancient battle formations and displays of armour and weapons.
The purpose of the museum, however, is to create and cement
WWW.MMTIMES.COM
historicising myths of Myanmars military

might, and as we advanced chronologically
through the encouraging exhibition, the
information gaps became increasingly obvious.
This first became apparent to me while
viewing two huge paintings depicting a couple
of battles the British lost to the Burmese in 1824
and 1825. Nothing wrong with highlighting a
few rare victories, but there is a noticeable lack
of context: in particular, the fact that although
these skirmishes were won by the Burmese, they
were part of a larger war that was ultimately lost,
as were the two wars that followed against the
same opponents.
The sections on the Burma Independence
Army and the Burma Defence Army include maps
of marching routes and impressive displays of
weapons and other equipment, but the role that
the British and US armies played in driving the
Japanese out of the country is unacknowledged.
World War II was won, it appears, solely through
the efforts of Burmese freedom fighters.
An odd shift occurs in the post-1962
era, where display cases detail Tatmadaw
operations against Communists and ethnic
minority groups year-by-year: While the
Myanmar-language labels are significantly
longer and more detailed than elsewhere
in the museum, English translations are
suddenly nowhere to be seen. Foreign visitors
are therefore kept in the dark concerning the
Armys take on subjects such as The 1988
Affair, Internal Peace Negotiations and
Ceremony of Cadet Passing Out Parade.
We spent more than two hours in this
first gallery, and with time running out we
practically sprinted through rooms dedicated
to engineering (displays included road and
bridge projects, knot-tying techniques and
landmine-clearing technology), ordnance and
psychological warfare. Other galleries in the
Army building were left unexplored, and we
didnt even think about entering the Air Force
and Navy buildings.
In virtually every aspect but quirkiness, the
Nay Pyi Taw Defence Services Museum is vastly
superior to the old one in Yangon, but one thing
has not changed: the paranoia that comes with
wondering whether one is being baited by gallery
attendants.
One friend who visited the Yangon museum
wEEKEND TRAVEL
21
in 2009 was followed around by an in-house

guide who made jokes about the decrepit state of
Myanmars naval armada, and also commented
sarcastically on the fact that all photographs of
former Prime Minister U Khin Nyunt had been
removed from the galleries following his arrest
in 2004.
I had a similar experience in Nay Pyi Taw.
One gallery attendant, indicating the long series
of displays recounting Tatmadaw operations,
commented, Some of these photos are just for
show. Theyre a little different from what really
happened.
Another attendant, resplendent in his freshly
pressed Army uniform, told us that he felt bad
for the Tatmadaw soldiers who died fighting in
Kokang, but that he was not proud of what was
The role that the British

and US armies played
in driving the Japanese
out of the country is
unacknowledged. World
War II was won, it
appears, solely through
the efforts of Burmese
freedom fighters
occurring in that region.
The Kokang leader is just a drug dealer, but
our army started the fight in the name of selfdefence so we could get popular support from the
people. The fighting is not necessary, he said.
Me and my Myanmar friend listened politely,
nodding but keeping our comments to ourselves.
Like many things in this country, where
obfuscation so often trumps transparency, it
was impossible to know where our conspirators
really stood.
Photos: Douglas Long
the pulse travel

4
wEEKEND travel schedules
22
THE MYANMARTHE
TIMES
ISSUE 04 I APRIL 3 - 9, 2015
MYANMAR TIMES FEBRUARY 3 - 9, 2014
DOMESTIC FLIGHT SCHEDULES

YANGON TO MANDALAY
Flight
Y5 775
W9 515
YH 909
YH 917
YJ 891
YJ 891
YJ 891
K7 282
W9 201
YH 826
YH 835
YH 909
YH 831
YH 911
W9201
YH 829
7Y 131
K7 266
8M 6603
YJ 751
YJ 201
YJ 211
YJ 601
YJ 761
YJ 761
YJ 233
YH 729
YH 737
YH 727
W9 251
K7 822
YJ 151/W9 7151
K7 622
K7 226
YH 731
Y5 234
W9 211
Days
Daily
1
1,2,3,5,6
Daily
3,7
4
1,2,5,6
Daily
Daily
3
1,7
7
4,6
2
1
5
Daily
Daily
4
5
1,2,3,4
5,7
6
1,2
4
6
2,4,6
3,5,7
1
2,5
4,7
1
1,3,5,7
2,4,6
Daily
Daily
4
Dep
6:00
6:00
6:00
6:10
6:00
6:30
6:30
6:00
7:00
7:00
7:00
7:00
7:00
7:00
7:00
7:00
7:15
8:00
9:00
10:45
11:00
11:15
11:15
11:15
11:00
11:00
11:00
11:15
11:15
11:30
12:30
13:00
13:00
13:30
14:30
15:20
15:30
Arr
7:10
7:25
7:40
8:30
8:05
7:55
8:35
8:10
8:25
8:40
8:40
8:40
8:40
8:40
8:25
11:05
9:20
10:05
10:10
14:50
12:25
12:40
12:40
13:10
12:55
12:55
14:00
13:25
13:25
12:55
16:55
16:45
14:25
14:55
16:40
16:30
16:55
MANDALAY TO YANGON
Flight
Y5 233
YJ 891
YJ 891
K7 283
YH 918
YH 910
W9 201
YJ 891
7Y 132
K7 267
YH 830
YH 912
YJ 762
YH 832
YH 827
YH 836
YH 910
YJ 212
YJ 212
YJ 752
YJ 202
YJ 602
YH 732
YH 732
YH 728
YJ 762
W9 152/W97152
Y5 776
W9 211
K7 823
8M 6604
K7 227
8M 903
YH 738
K7 623
YH 730
YJ 234
W9 252
Days
Daily
4
3,7
Daily
Daily
7
Daily
1,2,5,6
Daily
Daily
5
2
4
4,6
3
1,7
1,2,3,5,6
7
6
5
1,2,3,4
6
6
Daily
1
1,2
1
Daily
4
2,4,7
4
2,4,6
1,2,4,5,7
3,5,7
1,3,5,7
2,4,6
6
2,5
Dep
7:50
8:10
8:20
8:25
8:30
8:40
8:40
8:50
9:35
10:20
11:05
11:30
13:10
13:20
13:20
13:20
13:20
15:00
15:15
15:05
15:30
15:55
16:40
16:40
16:45
16:50
17:05
17:10
17:10
17:10
17:20
17:20
17:20
17:25
17:40
17:45
17:45
18:15
Arr
9:00
10:05
10:15
11:30
10:45
10:05
10:35
10:45
11:30
12:25
14:55
13:25
17:00
14:45
14:45
14:45
14:45
16:25
16:40
16:30
16:55
17:50
18:05
18:45
18:10
18:15
18:30
18:20
19:15
18:35
18:30
18:45
18:30
18:50
19:05
19:10
19:10
19:40
YANGON TO NAY PYI TAW
NAY PYI TAW TO YANGON
Flight
FMI A1
FMI B1
FMI C1
Flight
FMI A2
FMI B2
FMI C2
Days
1,2,3,4,5
1,2,3,4,5
1,2,3,4,5
Dep
7:15
10:45
17:00
Arr
8:15
11:45
18:00
YANGON TO NYAUNG U
Flight
K7 282
YJ 891
YH 909
YH 917
YJ 881
YJ 891
YH 909
YJ 881
K7 242
7Y 131
K7 264
YH 731
W9 129
W9 211
Days
Daily
3,7
1,2,3,5,6
Daily
7
1,2,5,6
4
4
Daily
Daily
Daily
Daily
1,3,6
4
Dep
6:00
6:00
6:00
6:10
6:30
6:30
6:30
6:45
7:00
7:15
14:30
14:30
15:30
15:30
Days
5
3
1,7
4,6
1,2,3,4
2,5
Dep
7:00
7:00
7:00
7:00
11:00
11:30
Dep
8:35
13:30
18:20
Arr
9:35
14:30
19:20
NYAUNG U TO YANGON
Arr
7:20
7:20
8:25
7:45
7:50
7:50
8:05
8:05
8:20
8:35
16:40
17:25
17:35
17:40
YANGON TO MYITKYINA
Flight
YH 829
YH 826
YH 835
YH 831
YJ 201
W9 251
Days
1,2,3,4,5
1,2,3,4,5
1,2,3,4,5
Arr
9:40
10:05
10:05
10:05
13:50
14:25
Flight
YJ 891
YH 918
YJ 881
YJ 891
YH 910
YJ 881
YH 910
K7 242
7Y 131
K7 283
K7 265
YH 732
W9 129
Days
3,7
Daily
7
1,2,5,6
4
4
1,2,3,5,6
Daily
Daily
Daily
Daily
Daily
1,3,6
Dep
7:35
7:45
8:05
8:05
8:05
8:20
8:25
8:35
8:50
10:10
16:55
17:25
17:50
Arr
10:15
10:45
10:10
10:45
9:25
10:25
9:45
11:45
11:30
11:30
18:15
18:45
19:10
MYITKYINA TO YANGON
Flight
YH 827
YH 832
YH 836
YH 830
YJ 202
YJ 234
W9 252
Days
3
4,6
1,7
5
1,2,3,4
6
2,5
Dep
11:55
11:55
11:55
12:30
14:05
16:20
16:45
Arr
14:45
14:45
14:45
14:55
16:55
19:10
19:40
YANGON TO HEHO
Flight
YJ 891
YJ 891
K7 282
YH 917
YJ 881
YJ 891
YJ 881
K7 242
7Y 131
K7 266
Y5 649
YH 505
YJ 751
YJ 751
YJ 761
YJ 233
YJ 761
YH 727
YH 737
YH 727
K7 828
K7 822
K7 264
YH 731
W9 129
Days
4
3,7
Daily
Daily
7
1,2,5,6
4
Daily
Daily
Daily
Daily
1,2,3,4,5,6
3,7
5
4
6
1,2
1
3,5,7
3
1,3,5
2,4,7
Daily
Daily
1,3,6
Dep
6:00
6:00
6:00
6:10
6:30
6:30
6:45
7:00
7:15
8:00
10:30
10:30
10:30
10:45
11:00
11:00
11:15
11:15
11:15
11:15
12:30
12:30
14:30
14:30
15:30
HEHO TO YANGON
Arr
8:40
8:50
9:00
9:35
8:50
9:20
9:00
9:15
10:05
9:15
12:45
11:55
11:40
11:55
12:10
12:10
12:25
12:40
12:40
12:40
13:45
13:45
15:45
15:55
16:40
Flight
YJ 891
YJ 881
YJ 891
K7 283
YJ 881
W9 201
K7 243
YH 918
YJ 891
7Y 132
K7 267
YH 506
YJ 752
YJ 762
YH 732
YJ 762
K7 829
YH 728
YJ 602
K7 264
YH 738
YJ 752
W9 129
Arr
8:15
9:05
13:50
17:00
Flight
Y5 326
7Y 532
K7 320
Y5 326
YANGON TO MYEIK
Flight
Y5 325
K7 319
7Y 531
Y5 325
Days
1,5
1,3,5,7
2,4,6
2
Dep
6:45
7:00
11:45
15:30
Days
1,3,6
Daily
1,3,5,7
Dep
11:30
11:45
12:00
Days
Daily
1,2,3,4,5,6
1,3,6
1,3,5,7
Daily
1,3,4,6
Dep
7:00
10:30
11:30
12:00
13:00
15:45
Days
1
2,4,6
Dep
7:00
11:45
Flight
W9 309
6T 612
K7 423
Arr
10:35
13:10
13:50
12:50
13:35
16:40
Flight
K7 243
YH 506
7Y 413
W9 309
K7 422
Y5 422
Days
3,7
5
2,4,6
1,3,5
Dep
10:30
10:45
11:00
12:30
Days
3
4,6
1,7
2,5
Dep
7:00
7:00
7:00
11:30
Days
1,5
2,4,6
1,3,5,7
2
Dep
8:35
16:05
11:30
17:15
Arr
10:05
18:10
13:35
18:45
Days
1,3,6
Daily
Daily
Dep
13:10
13:15
15:10
Arr
14:55
14:20
16:30
Days
Daily
1,2,3,4,5,6
1,3,5,7
1,3,6
Daily
1,3,4,6
Dep
10:50
13:10
13:05
14:05
14:10
16:55
Arr
11:45
14:00
15:25
14:55
16:30
17:50
Tel: 513322, 513422, 504888. Fax: 515102
Air KBZ (K7)

Tel: 372977~80, 533030~39 (airport), 373766
(hotline). Fax: 372983
Asian Wings (YJ)

Tel: 515261~264, 512140, 512473, 512640
Fax: 532333, 516654
Golden Myanmar Airlines (Y5)

Tel: 09400446999, 09400447999
Fax: 8604051
Mann Yadanarpon Airlines (7Y)

Tel: 656969
Fax: 656998, 651020
Arr
8:10
12:50
Flight
K7 320
7Y 532
Arr
12:45
13:00
13:00
14:50
Flight
YJ 752
K7 829
K7 829
YJ 752
YH 730
Arr
11:00
11:00
11:00
15:25
Flight
YH 836
YH 832
YH 827
W9 252
Days
1,3,5,7
2,4,6
Dep
12:25
17:05
Arr
13:35
18:10
LASHIO TO YANGON
Days
5
1,3
5
3,7
2,4,6
Dep
13:15
15:05
15:05
15:40
16:45
Arr
16:30
15:55
17:25
17:55
19:10
PUTAO TO YANGON
Days
1,7
4,6
3
2,5
Dep
11:00
11:00
11:00
15:45
FMI Air Charter

Tel: 240363, 240373, 09421146545
Airline Codes
7Y = Mann Yadanarpon Airlines
K7 = Air KBZ
W9 = Air Bagan
Y5 = Golden Myanmar Airlines
YH = Yangon Airways
YJ = Asian Wings
FMI = FMI Air Charter
DAWEI TO YANGON
YANGON TO PUTAO
Flight
YH 826
YH 831
YH 835
W9 251
Air Bagan (W9)
Tel: 383100, 383107, 700264

Fax: 652 533
THANDWE TO YANGON
YANGON TO LASHIO
Flight
YJ 751
YJ 751
YH 729
K7 828
Domestic Airlines
Yangon Airways (YH)
Arr
12:55
12:55
13:50
YANGON TO DAWEI
Flight
K7 319
7Y 531
Arr
10:05
10:15
10:15
11:30
10:25
10:35
11:45
10:45
10:45
11:30
12:25
14:00
16:30
17:00
18:45
18:15
17:25
18:10
17:50
18:15
18:50
17:55
19:10
SITTWE TO YANGON
YANGON TO THANDWE
Flight
K7 242
YH 505
W9 309
7Y 413
K7 422
Y5 421
Dep
8:55
9:05
9:05
9:15
9:15
9:25
9:30
9:35
9:35
10:20
11:10
11:55
14:20
15:50
15:55
16:05
16:10
16:00
16:40
16:30
16:40
16:45
16:55
MYEIK TO YANGON
YANGON TO SITTWE
Flight
W9 309
6T 611
K7 413
Days
4
7
3,7
Daily
4
Daily
Daily
Daily
1,2,5,6
Daily
Daily
1,2,3,4,5,6
5
4
Daily
1,2
1,3,5
1
6
Daily
3,5,7
3,7
1,3,6
Arr
14:45
14:45
14:45
19:40
Subject to change
without notice
Day
1 = Monday
2 = Tuesday
3 = Wednesday
4 = Thursday
5 = Friday
6 = Saturday
7 = Sunday
WWW.MMTIMES.COM
wEEKEND fiction
CHRONICLES OF BEI KA STREET
INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT SCHEDULES

Flights
PG 706
8M 335
TG 304
PG 702
TG 302
PG 708
8M 331
PG 704
Y5 237
TG 306
YANGON TO BANGKOK
Days
Dep
Daily
6:05
Daily
7:40
Daily
9:50
Daily
10:30
Daily
14:50
Daily
15:20
Daily
16:30
Daily
18:35
Daily
19:00
Daily
19:50
YANGON TO DON MUEANG

Flights
Days
Dep
DD 4231
Daily
8:00
FD 252
Daily
8:30
FD 256
Daily
12:50
FD 254
Daily
17:35
FD 258
Daily
21:30
DD 4239
Daily
21:00
Arr
8:20
9:25
11:45
12:25
16:45
17:15
18:15
20:30
20:50
21:45
BANGKOK TO YANGON
Flights
Days
Dep
TG 303
Daily
8:00
PG 701
Daily
8:45
Y5 238
Daily
21:30
8M 336
Daily
10:40
TG 301
Daily
13:05
PG 707
Daily
13:40
PG 703
Daily
17:00
TG 305
Daily
18:05
8M 332
Daily
19:15
PG 705
Daily
20:15
Arr
8:45
9:40
22:20
11:25
13:50
14:30
17:50
18:50
20:00
21:30
Arr
9:45
10:20
14:40
19:25
23:15
22:55
DON MUEANG TO YANGON

Flights
Days
Dep
DD 4230
Daily
6:30
FD 251
Daily
7:15
FD 255
Daily
11:35
FD 253
Daily
16:20
FD 257
Daily
20:15
DD 4238
Daily
19:25
Arr
7:15
8:00
12:20
17:05
20:55
20:15
YANGON TO SINGAPORE
Flights
Days
Dep
Arr
8M 231
Daily
8:00
12:25
Y5 2233
Daily
9:45
14:15
TR 2823
Daily
9:45
2:35
SQ 997
Daily
10:25
15:10
3K 582
Daily
11:45
16:20
MI 533
2,4,6
13:35
20:50
8M 233
5,6,7
14:40
19:05
MI 519
Daily
16:40
21:15
3K 584
2,3,5
19:30 00:05+1
YANGON TO KUALA LUMPUR
Flights
Days
Dep
Arr
8M 501
1,2,3,5,6
7:50
11:50
AK 505
Daily
8:30
12:45
MH 741
Daily
12:15
16:30
8M 9506
Daily
12:15
16:30
8M 9508
Daily
15:45
20:05
MH 743
Daily
16:00
20:15
AK 503
Daily
19:05
23:20
YANGON TO BEIJING
Flights
Days
Dep
Arr
CA 906
3,5,7
23:50 0550+1
SINGAPORE TO YANGON
Flights
Days
Dep
TR 2822
Daily
7:20
Y5 2234
Daily
7:20
SQ 998
Daily
7:55
3K 581
Daily
9:10
MI 533
2,4,6
11:30
8M 232
Daily
13:25
MI 518
Daily
14:20
3K 583
2,3,5
17:20
8M 234
5,6,7
20:15
KUALA LUMPUR TO YANGON
Flights
Days
Dep
AK 504
Daily
6:55
8M 9505
Daily
10:05
MH 740
Daily
10:05
8M 502
1,2,3,5,6
12:50
8M 9507
Daily
13:40
MH 742
Daily
13:55
AK 502
Daily
17:20
BEIJING TO YANGON
Flights
Days
Dep
CA 905
3,5,7
19:30
YANGON TO GUANGZHOU
Flights
Days
Dep
8M 711
2,4,7
8:40
CZ 3056
3,6
11:35
CZ 3056
1,5
17:40
YANGON TO TAIPEI
Flights
Days
Dep
CI 7916
Daily
10:50
GUANGZHOU TO YANGON
Flights
Days
Dep
CZ 3055
3,6
8:35
CZ 3055
1,5
14:40
8M 712
2,4,7
14:15
TAIPEI TO YANGON
Flights
Days
Dep
CI 7915
Daily
7:00
YANGON TO KUNMING
Flights
Days
Dep
CA 416
Daily
12:30
MU 2012
3
12:40
MU 2032
1,2,4,5,6,7 14:50
YANGON TO HANOI
Flights
Days
Dep
VN 956
1,3,5,6,7
19:10
Arr
13:15
15:55
22:10
Arr
16:10
Arr
15:55
18:50
18:15
Arr
8:00
11:15
11:15
13:50
14:50
15:05
18:25
International Airlines
All Nippon Airways (NH)
Tel: 255412, 413
Air Asia (FD)
Tel: 09254049991~3
Air China (CA)
Tel: 666112, 655882
Air India
Tel: 253597~98, 254758, 253601. Fax 248175
Bangkok Airways (PG)
Tel: 255122, 255265. Fax: 255119
Biman Bangladesh Airlines (BG)

Tel: 371867~68. Fax: 371869
Condor (DE)
Tel: 370836~39 (ext: 303)
Dragonair (KA)
Tel: 255320, 255321. Fax: 255329
Golden Myanmar Airlines (Y5)

Tel: 09400446999, 09400447999
Fax: 8604051
Arr
22:50
Malaysia Airlines (MH)
Arr
10:35
16:40
15:50
Myanmar Airways International (8M)
Arr
9:50
Arr
11:50
11:30
14:00
Tel: 387648, 241007 (ext: 120, 121, 122)

Fax: 241124
Tel: 255260. Fax: 255305
Nok Airline (DD)
Tel: 255050, 255021. Fax: 255051
Qatar Airways (QR)
Tel: 379845, 379843, 379831. Fax: 379730
Singapore Airlines (SQ) / Silk Air (MI)

Tel: 255287~9. Fax: 255290
Thai Airways (TG)
YANGON TO HO CHI MINH CITY

Flights
Days
Dep
Arr
VN 942
2,4,7
14:25
17:05
HO CHI MINH CITY TO YANGON

Flights
Days
Dep
Arr
VN 943
2,4,7
11:45
13:25
Tiger Airline (TR)
YANGON TO DOHA
Flights
Days
Dep
QR 919
1,4,6
7:55
DOHA TO YANGON
Flights
Days
Dep
Arr
QR 918
3,5,7
19:45 0459+1
YANGON TO HONG KONG

Flights
Days
Dep
KA 251
Daily
1:10
Flights
NH 914
YANGON TO TOKYO
Days
Dep
Daily
22:10
Arr
11:40
Arr
8:50
07:45+1
Arr
5:25
Arr
06:45+1
SEOUL TO YANGON
Flights
Days
Dep
KE 471
Daily
18:30
0Z 769
3,6
19:30
Arr
22:30
23:40
HONG KONG TO YANGON

Flights
Days
Dep
Arr
KA 252
2,4,6
22:20 00:15+1
KA 250
1,3,5,7
21:50
23:45
Flights
NH 913
TOKYO TO YANGON
Days
Dep
Daily
11:45
Arr
17:15
Arr
10:45
18:45
Tel: 255491~6. Fax: 255223

Tel: 371383, 370836~39 (ext: 303)
Vietnam Airlines (VN)
Tel: 255066, 255088, 255068. Fax: 255086
Airline Codes
3K = Jet Star
8M = Myanmar Airways International
AK = Air Asia
BG = Biman Bangladesh Airlines
YANGON TO DHAKA
Flights
Days
Dep
BG 061
2
11:45
BG 061
5
19:45
Arr
13:00
21:00
DHAKA TO YANGON
Flights
Days
Dep
BG 060
2
8:30
BG 060
5
16:30
YANGON TO INCHEON
Flights
Days
Dep
PG 724
1,3,5,6
12:50
W9 607
4,7
14:30
8M 7702
Daily
23:55
Arr
14:45
16:20
07:50+1
INCHEON TO YANGON
Flights
Days
Dep
PG 723
1,3,5,6
11:00
W9 608
4,7
17:20
8M 7701
Daily
18:45
Arr
11:55
18:10
22:05
Arr
8:05
12:50
16:20
CHIANG MAI TO YANGON

Flights
Days
Dep
Y5 252
2,4,6
9:25
7Y 306
1,5
13:45
W9 608
4,7
17:20
Arr
10:15
14:35
18:10
Arr
8:20
14:10
15:05
GAYA TO YANGON
Flights
Days
Dep
AI 235
2
9:10
8M 602
3,5,6
9:20
AI 233
5
15:00
Arr
12:10
12:30
18:00
MI = Silk Air
Flights
AI 236
YANGON TO DELHI
Days
Dep
2
13:10
Arr
16:30
Flights
AI 235
DELHI TO YANGON
Days
Dep
2
7:00
Arr
12:10
PG = Bangkok Airways
Flights
AI 234
AI 228
YANGON TO KOLKATA
Days
Dep
1
14:05
5
18:45
Arr
17:20
19:45
Flights
AI 227
AI 233
KOLKATA TO YANGON
Days
Dep
1
10:35
5
13:30
Arr
13:20
18:00
SQ = Singapore Airways
Arr
16:40
BANGKOK TO MANDALAY
Flights
Days
Dep
PG 709
Daily
12:05
Arr
13:25
TR = Tiger Airline
YANGON TO CHIANG MAI

Flights
Days
Dep
Y5 251
2,4,6
6:15
7Y 305
1,5
11:00
W9 607
4,7
14:30
YANGON TO GAYA
Flights
Days
Dep
8M 601
3,5,6
7:00
AI 236
2
13:10
AI 234
1,5
14:05
MANDALAY TO BANGKOK
Flights
Days
Dep
PG 710
Daily
14:15
SINGAPORE TO MANDALAY
Flights
Days
Dep
Arr
Y5 2234
Daily
7:20
16:30
MI 533
2,4,6
11:30
14:50
MANDALAY TO DON MUEANG

Flights
Days
Dep
Arr
FD 245
Daily
12:50
15:15
DON MUEANG TO MANDALAY

Flights
Days
Dep
Arr
FD 244
Daily
10:55
12:20
MANDALAY TO KUNMING
Flights
Days
Dep
MU 2030
Daily
13:50
Arr
16:40
NAY PYI TAW TO BANGKOK

Flights
Days
Dep
Arr
PG 722
1,2,3,4,5
19:45
22:45
KUNMING TO MANDALAY
Flights
Days
Dep
MU 2029
Daily
12:55
CA = Air China
CI = China Airlines
CZ = China Southern
MANDALAY TO SINGAPORE
Flights
Days
Dep
Arr
MI 533
2,4,6
15:45
20:50
Y5 2233
1,2,4,5,6
7:50
14:15
Arr
12:50
BANGKOK TO NAY PYI TAW

Flights
Days
Dep
Arr
PG 721
1,2,3,4,5
17:15
19:15
DD = Nok Airline
FD = Air Asia
KA = Dragonair
KE = Korea Airlines
MH = Malaysia Airlines
MU = China Eastern Airlines

NH = All Nippon Airways
QR = Qatar Airways
TG = Thai Airways
VN = Vietnam Airline
AI = Air India
Y5 = Golden Myanmar Airlines
Subject to change
without notice
Day
1 = Monday
2 = Tuesday
3 = Wednesday
A Study in
Saffron
CHAPTER 3
Air Bagan Ltd.(W9)
Tel: 513322, 513422, 504888. Fax: 515102
Arr
18:10
YANGON TO SEOUL
Flights
Days
Dep
0Z 770
4,7
0:50
KE 472
Daily
23:55
Arr
21:25
KUNMING TO YANGON
Flights
Days
Dep
MU 2011
3
8:25
CA 415
Daily
11:10
MU 2031
1,2,4,5,6,7 13:30
HANOI TO YANGON
Flights
Days
Dep
VN 957
1,3,5,6,7
16:40
Arr
8:45
8:50
9:20
10:40
12:45
14:50
15:45
18:50
21:40
23
4
5
6
7
=
=
=
=
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
EDITED BY KO NAN DOI
ITH a casual hand, U Sha

Lok cast onto the breakfast
table the note that sought
to summon him so urgently.
U Lek Trey is one of our better
official detectives. For all his skills,
though, and the vast organisation
of the Yangon Metropolitan Police
at his disposal, he often draws a
blank in his investigations. That
is when he calls on me for help, U
Sha Lok said rather dismissively.
He finished his mohinga and
pushed away the bowl. This
matter may be a mere trifle. I
cannot decide whether to involve
myself or not.
But you must, surely! A man
has met his death in bizarre
circumstances. You clearly have a
certain skill in these matters, and
the police are asking your help.
Will you not go?
He considered me for a while,
his hawk-like face expressionless.
Well, perhaps I will. If you are
not engaged, would it amuse you to
come with me?
By all means! I cried, seizing
my umbrella. A moment later we
were aboard a sidecar, rattling
briskly toward Anawrahta Street.
On the way, my companion
discoursed idly about the virtues
of the Burmese harp and its
superiority over the Japanese
shamisen.
You dont seem very
concerned about this matter, I
remarked.
On the contrary. But I decline
to speculate. It is a capital mistake
to theorise before you have all the
data, he replied.
As we sped along Anawrahta
Street, almost empty of traffic at
this hour of the mid-morning,
U Sha Lok suddenly ordered the
sidecar driver to stop at the corner
of Ba Thoun Street. Fully 200
yards short of No 3, we got off and
walked the rest of the way. At the
door, U Sha Lok halted me with an
imperious hand and, adopting an
odd crouching gait, sidled along
the path that led past the building,
scrutinising it with care. Ignoring
the uniformed officer standing at
the entrance, he beckoned to me
and we entered.
No 3, Ba Thoun Street, was
one of a terrace of shabby and
unsightly buildings thrown up
in the mid-70s, judging by the
banality of their appearance
and the shoddiness of their
construction. Passing beneath
an archway between a grimy
but teeming teashop and an
emporium of religious artefacts
and attire, we climbed narrow
concrete steps that led upward
through gloom into a cramped and
foetid passage.
As we stepped into the main
front room, I had to stifle a
gasp of horror at the sight
that awaited us. As a mid-level
official working with a major
international NGO I am of course
accustomed to scenes of violent
death, but the spectacle before us
surpassed even the worst of my
experience.
The room itself, I should tell
you, was square and empty under
its high ceiling. The walls were
covered with a dingy grey paint
dripping in places with damp
and decay. The rough floorboards
were coated with a film of dust.
On the windowsill stood a stubby

red candle, unlit, held in place by
its own melted wax.
All of that I noted later.
What struck me at once, with
tremendous force, as I stood in
the doorway looking over U Sha
Loks shoulder, was the sight of the
sprawling body of a middle-aged
man, his arms splayed wide. In life
he had been tall and strongly built.
He was wearing a black leather
jacket decorated with steel studs,
leather trousers and calf-length
leather boots. His hands were
heavily tattooed and his black
hair long and greasy. He wore a
red and white bandana around his
head, and there was the stubble
of several days on his chin. And
to this day I shudder as I recall
the worst of it the expression
on that lifeless face was one of
unimaginable horror, his mouth
agape, his lips drawn back from
his teeth, his sightless eyes staring
madly at the ceiling.
Even in happier moments
than this, he could not have been
a pleasant-looking man. Setting
aside the expression he bore
in his final extremity, his low
forehead and bristling eyebrows,
his thick and stubby nose, his
thin lips all bespoke a cruel,
narrow and perhaps violent
character.
As I contemplated the terrible
scene, U Sha Lok was constantly in
motion, now examining the walls
with the aid of his magnifying
glass, now on his knees intently
studying the dusty surface of the
floorboards, now beside the body.
He appeared to be sniffing its dead
lips. No wound, you say, he said
crisply.
Our medical examiner has
not been able to determine cause
of death so far. There is no visible
wound on the body.
Has he been turned over? I
have seen all I need to see. You
may do it now, said U Sha Lok.
Two constables stepped forward
and took the dead man by the
shoulders. As they struggled to lay
his heavy body face down, I heard
a tinkling sound as a ring fell from
the mans clothing and, a dancing
twist of gold, spun briefly on the
bare boards. U Sha Lok snatched
it up.
No stone, no date, no
inscription. And yet, I fancy this
mute token may lead us to the
killer, he said, holding the ring in
the palm of his hand.
And so might this! cried
U Lek Trey suddenly from the
corner of the room. Come and
look at this, U Sha Lok, if you
please! And holding up his plastic
cigarette lighter, he illuminated a
patch on the wall by the smeared
window-pane. Daubed there in
some orange-brown substance,
illuminated by the flickering flame
of the lighter, was the word yg&rD.
There! exclaimed the
detective, in tones of great
satisfaction. Parami! Why,
this explains it all. Oh, U Sha
Lok, we know all about your fine
theories and your exotic methods.
Observation and deduction! Ho
yes, thats all very well. But at the
end of the day, you know, nothing
beats plain ordinary foot-slogging
police work. The ferrety little
man positively bulged with selfindulgence.
Next week: U Sha Lok sets his trap
24
wEEKEND PUZZLERS
SUDOKU PACIFIC
Universal Crossword
Edited by Timothy E. Parker
BETWEEN THE LINES By Lester J. White

ACROSS
1 Flowerpot
material
11 Hung up on
esses
15 Communism and
others
16 Excited by
17 Letters to the
editor
19 Draws to a close
20 Bold and sassy
21 Superman actor
Christopher
22 Brazen one
23 Supply
provisions
24 ___ well
27 Figure to shoot for
28 Bundle
29 Common carrier
32 Early afternoon
hour
35 Monopoly
square
39 Baby sitters
handful
40 007
41 Eagles home
42 Amniotic ___
44 Fix firmly,
in a way
45 Boozehound
48 Demolished a
London flat
51 Acclaim
52 Boola Boola
collegians
53 The fat in Fat
Tuesday
57 Lets have it
60 Famous clinic
61 Used Western Union
62 Negotiation
problem
63 Providing
support
9 Cantankerous
10 Fanged Nile
menace
11 Like some
equations
12 Map inside a map
13 Carell of
Hollywood
14 Baffling problem
18 Blackfish
animal
22 Bygone music
system
24 Dont forget
about me
25 Go bungee jumping
26 Man in the making
27 Islands dish
28 ___ Lanka (Ceylon)

29 It may come after
many moons?
30 Coffee
container
31 Young boy
32 Ripped
33 Bide ones time
34 Poem with complex
stanza forms
36 Major network
37 ___ an egg
(bombed)
38 Increase motor speed,
briefly
42 Skilled mariner
43 Word with industrial
and martial
44 Dwell permanently
45 Contract
conditions
46 Deep blue sea
47 Costa del Sol
feature
48 Strike anew
49 Last Olds model
produced
50 Cops sound
53 60s sports cars
54 Indian royal
55 Breezed through,
as an exam
56 Eyelid affliction
58 Pan Am alternative
59 Mantra
syllables
DOWN
1 Grow bored or
impatient
2 Adam lived there
3 This puzzles theme
word
4 Towel holders
5 Pub favorite
6 ___ Christi
7 Baddies
8 Wedding cake
parts
DILBERT
BY SCOTT ADAMS
PEANUTS
BY CHARLES SCHULZ
CALVIN AND HOBBES
BY BILL WATTERSON
PUZZLE SOLUTIONS
WWW.MMTIMES.COM
wEEKEND PUZZLERS
WEEKLY PREDICTIONS
25
AUNG MYIN KYAW

4th Floor, 113, Thamain Bayan Road, Tarmwe township, Yangon.
Tel: 09-731-35632, Email: williameaste@gmail.com
APRIL 3 - 9, 2015
AQUARIUS | Jan 20 Feb 18
GEMINI | May 21 June 20
LIBRA | Sept 23 Oct 22
Self-blaming is highly destructive. It deepens

your self-doubt and inhibits you from asserting
yourself and your needs. Try to avoid feeling
guilty, and strive to suppress the nagging feeling
that it probably really is all your fault. If little
problems seem much bigger than they should
be, put it down to distortions in your viewpoint.
Nothing deflates like low self-esteem.
For every happy twin there is an unhappy

twin, each mournful or felicitous in his or
her own different way. Your problem is not
so much divining which you are, as wrestling
with the suspicion that you may be both at
the same time. But be comforted. It is not
given to everyone to see both sides of the coin
simultaneously.
Awaken your mind without fixing it on anything

in particular, and look at life with the eyes of
respect and understanding. Rise above petty
concerns for your own welfare to grasp the
value of the concept of others. If your income is
meagre, at least your travel plans are sound. A
chance will come unlooked-for to burnish your
personal aura, probably on Wednesday.
PISCES | Feb 19 March 20
CANCER | June 21 July 22
SCORPIO | Oct 23 Nov 21
Your grey matter is tuned into the Information

Age, but you should acquire more intellectual
capital. One thing you do know is that friends
of all ages want to live in plenty and relish
peace. Let love and business flourish all
around you. Invite Cupid into your emotional
atmosphere and be prepared to insist.
It may not be divinity that shapes your ends,

rough-hew them how you may. Sometimes
blind chance alone puts you in exactly the
right spot to claim what is rightfully yours, or
at least to get off lightly if it is not. People may
say you wall yourself off from others. But have
they taken a good look at those others?
You may feel a presence that disturbs you with

the joy of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime
of something far more deeply interfused,
whose dwelling is the light of setting suns,
and the round ocean and the living air, and the
blue sky, and in the mind of man. I perceive
an incident requiring the use of stain remover.
Better get some in.
ARIES | Mar 21 Apr 19
LEO | July 23 Aug 22
SAGITTARIUS | Nov 22 Dec 21
You seem a little beset this week. You must be

resolute, for if you do not trust your instincts,
who will? Shun the hoity-toity and eschew the
namby-pamby. Have no truck with jiggerypokery, and cut through the hocus-pocus with
a logic of steel. Prepare to make mad the
guilty and appal the free. In short: be yourself.
Pursue tranquillity relentlessly.
In the world of reality, there is no self and

there is no other than self. Luckily, we dont
all have to live in that world all the time. But
ask yourself this: If even a plaice or a turbot
can get lost in the water, how can a man or
a woman steer a straight course amid lust
and luxury? In case lust comes your way this
week, consider investing in some fancy soap.
Ask not what antidisestablishmentarianism can

do for you, but what it can do for others. Know
that no one is completely useless in the world
who lightens the burdens of another. Isnt that a
comfort? Be always confident between the rich
and the poor. If you can keep your head when all
around you are losing theirs, it may just be that
you dont realise how bad things are.
TAURUS | Apr 20 May 20
VIRGO | Aug 23 Sept 22
CAPRICORN | Dec 22 Jan 19
Ignore those who claim the bull is placid and

bovine when not maddened by rage. Your avatar
is the star of the ring, pawing the spattered sand
and sniffing new victories. It is no dilemma that
rests upon your horns, but the coloured raffia
tied there by brave, if slightly apprehensive,
admirers. When you are on the right track, none
dare stand in your way.
The practice of self-administered pep talks is

the key to enhancing self-respect, though its
best not to do this aloud. Envelop yourself in
positive thoughts about your accomplishment
and performance be as inventive as you need
to be. Keep your heart free from hate and your
mind from worry lines should mark your
future path, not your forehead.
The will and strength of inner character can

build what the force may destroy. You should
keep your mind active all the time. Time is as
important as your destiny. Mentally minimise
difficulties but morally maximise your
intellectual strengths. Keep on learning and
listening. A burning desire to win is the one
true basis of genuine success.
26
wEEKEND QUICK GUIDE
General Listing
The Essentials
EMBASSIES
Australia 88, Strand Road,
Yangon. Tel : 251810,
251797, 251798.
Bangladesh 11-B, Than
Lwin Road, Yangon.
Tel: 515275, 526144, email:
bdootygn@mptmail.net.mm
Brazil 56, Pyay Road,
6th mile, Hlaing Tsp,
Yangon. Tel: 507225,
507251. email: Administ.
yangon@itamaraty.gov.br.
Brunei 17, Kanbawza
Avenue, Golden Velly (1),
Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel:
566985, 503978.
email: bruneiemb@
bruneiemb.com.mm
Cambodia 25 (3B/4B),
New University Avenue
Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 549609, 540964.
email: RECYANGON @
mptmail.net.mm
Canada
9th Floor, Centerpoint
Towers, 65 Sule Pagoda
Road, Yangon, Tel :
01-384805 , Fax :01
384806, Email : yngon@
international.gc.ca
China 1, Pyidaungsu
Yeiktha Road, Yangon. Tel:
221280, 221281.
Denmark, No.7, Pyi Thu
St, Pyay Rd, 7 Miles,
Mayangone Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 01 9669520 - 17.
Egypt 81, Pyidaungsu
222886, 222887,
Egyptembassy86@gmail.
com
France 102, Pyidaungsu
212178, 212520, email:
ambaf rance. rangoun@
diplomatie.fr
Germany 9, Bogyoke Aung
San Museum Road, Bahan
Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 548951, 548952, email:
info@rangun. diplo.de
India 545-547, Merchant
St, Yangon. Tel: 391219,
388412,
email:indiaembassy
@mptmail.net.mm
Indonesia 100, Pyidaungsu

Yeiktha Rd, Yangon. Tel:
254465, 254469, email:
kukygn @indonesia.com.
mm
Israel 15, Khabaung
Street, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 515115, fax: 515116,
email: info@yangon.mfa.
gov.il
Italy 3, Inya Myaing Road,
Golden Valley, Yangon.
Tel: 527100, 527101, fax:
514565, email: ambyang.
mail@ esteri.it
Japan 100, Natmauk Rd,
Yangon. Tel: 549644-8,
540399, 540400, 540411,
545988, fax: 549643
Kuwait
62-B, Shwe Taung Kyar St,
Bahan Tsp.
Tel : 01-230-9542, 2309543. Fax : 01-230-5836.
Laos A-1, Diplomatic
Quarters, Tawwin Road,
Dagon Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 222482, Fax: 227446,
email: Laoembcab@
mptmail. net.mm
Malaysia 82, Pyidaungsu
220248, 220249,
email: mwkyangon@
mptmail.net.mm
Nepal 16, Natmauk
Yeiktha, Yangon. Tel:
545880, 557168, fax:
549803, email: nepemb @
mptmail.net.mm
Norway, No.7, Pyi Thu
St, Pyay Rd, 7 Miles,
Mayangone Tsp,Yangon.
Tel: 01 9669520 - 17 Fax
01- 9669516
New Zealand No. 43/C,
Inya Myaing Rd, Bahan Tsp,
Yangon.
Tel : 01-2306046-9
Fax : 01-2305805
Netherlands No. 43/C, Inya
Myaing Rd, Bahan Tsp,
Yangon. Tel : 01-2305805
North Korea 77C, Shin
Saw Pu Rd, Sanchaung
Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 512642, 510205
Pakistan A-4, diplomatic

Quarters, Pyay Rd, Yangon.
Tel: 222881 (Chancery
Exchange)
Philippines 7, Gandamar
St, Yankin Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 558149-151, Email:
p.e. yangon@gmail.com
Saudi Arabia No.6/S,
Inya Yeiktha St, 10th Qtr,
Mayangone Tsp, Yangon,
Tel: (951) 652-344, 652-344,
Fax: (951) 657-983
Russia 38, Sagawa Rd,
Yangon.
Tel: 241955, 254161,
Serbia No. 114-A, Inya
Rd, P.O.Box No. 943,
515283, email: serbemb @
yangon.net.mm
Singapore 238, Dhamazedi
Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 559001, email:
singemb_ ygn@_sgmfa.
gov.sg
South Korea 97 University
Avenue, Bahan Tsp,
Yangon. Tel: 527142-4,
515190, fax: 513286, email:
myanmar@mofat.go.kr
Sri Lanka 34 Taw Win Rd,
Switzerland
No 11, Kabaung Lane, 5
mile, Pyay Rd, Hlaing Tsp,
Yangon.
Tel: 534754, 507089.
Thailand 94 Pyay Rd,
Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel:
226721, 226728, 226824
Turkey
19AB, Kan Yeik Thar St,
Mayangone Tsp,Yangon.
Tel : 662992, Fax : 661365
United Kingdom 80 Strand
Rd, Yangon.
Tel: 370867, 380322,
371852, 371853, 256438,
United States of America
110, University Avenue,
Kamayut Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 536509, 535756, Fax:
650306
Vietnam Bldg-72, Thanlwin
Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel:
511305
UNITED NATIONS
ILO Liaison 1-A, Kanbae
(Thitsar Rd), Yankin Tsp,
Tel : 01-566538, 566539
IOM 318 (A) Ahlone Rd, Dagon
Tsp, Yangon.Tel 01-210588,
09 73236679, 0973236680,
Email- iomyangon@iom.int
UNAIDS 137/1, Thaw Wun Rd,
Kamayut Tsp.
Tel : 534498, 504832
UNDCP 11-A, Malikha St,
Mayangone tsp.
Tel: 666903, 664539.
UNDP 6, Natmauk Rd, Bahan
tel: 542910-19. fax: 292739.
UNFPA 6, Natmauk Rd,
Bahan tsp. tel: 546029.
UNHCR 287, Pyay Rd,
Sanchaung tsp.
Tel: 524022, 524024.
UNIAP Rm: 1202, 12 Fl,
Traders Hotel.
Tel: 254852, 254853.
UNIC 6, Natmauk St., Bahan,
tel: 52910~19
UNICEF 14~15 Flr, Traders
Hotel. P.O. Box 1435,
Kyauktada. Tel: 375527~32,
unicef.yangon@unicef. org,
UNODC 11-A, Malikha Rd., Ward
7, Mayangone. tel: 01-9666903,
9660556, 9660538, 9660398.
email: fo.myanmar@unodc.org
UNOPS 120/0, Pyi Thu Lane,
7 Miles, Mayangone Tsp.
Tel: 951-657281~7.
Fax: 657279.
UNRC 6, Natmauk Rd, P.O.
Box 650, TMWE Tel: 542911~19,
292637 (Resident Coordinator),
WFP 5 Kan Baw Za St, Shwe
Taung Kyar, (Golden Valley),
Bahan Tsp. Tel : 2305971~6
WHO No. 2, Pyay Rd, 7 Mile,
Mayangone Tsp, Tel : 6504056, 650416, 654386-90.
ASEAN Coordinating Of. for
the ASEAN Humanitarian
Task Force, 79, Taw Win st,
Dagon Tsp. Tel: 225258.
FAO Myanma Agriculture
Service Insein Rd, Insein. tel:
641672, 641673.
For more information about these listings, Please Contact - classified.mcm@gmail.com
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.
Panda Hotel
Min Ye Kyaw Swa Road,
Lanmadaw Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: (95-1) 212850 ~ 3,
229358 ~ 61,
ACCOMMODATIONHOTELS
AsiA PlAzA Hotel
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
Avenue 64 Hotel
No. 64 (G), Kyitewine
Pagoda Rd, Mayangone Tsp,
Yangon. Tel : 09-8631392,
01 656913-9
No.1, Wut Kyaung St,

Yay Kyaw, Pazundaung Tsp,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Ph: 01-8610640, 01-202187,
www.mkhotelyangon.com
Sedona Hotel
Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd,
Yankin. tel: 666900.
Excel Treasure Hotel

Yangon
No.520, Kaba Aye Pagoda

Road, Bahan Township,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel: 01-559150 to 7
Fax: 01-559150
Excel River View

Hotel
No.(3) Block (1 to 4), Near

Thanlyin Bridge, Thanlyin
Township, Yangon Myanmar.
Tel: 056-22550, 09-8601892,
Fax: 056-22546,
No. 12, Pho Sein Road,
Tamwe Township, Yangon
Tel : (95-1) 209299, 209300,
209343 Fax : (95-1) 209344
bestwestern.com/
greenhillhotelyangon.com
Chatrium Hotel
40 Natmauk Rd, Tarmwe.
tel: 544500. fax: 544400.
Clover Hotel City Center

No. 217, 32nd Street
(Upper Block), Pabedan Tsp,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 377720, Fax : 377722
www.clovercitycenter.asia
Clover Hotel City Center Plus
No. 229, 32nd Street
(Upper Block), Pabedan Tsp,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 377975, Fax : 377974
www.clovercitycenterplus.asia
No. (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
Strand Hotel
92 Strand Rd. tel: 243377.
fax: 289880.
Summit Parkview Hotel
350, Ahlone Rd, Dagon
Tsp. tel: 211888, 211966.
Winner Inn
42, Than Lwin Rd, Bahan
Tsp. Tel: 503734, 524387.
email: reservation@winner
innmyanmar.com
Excel Palace Hotel
No.(25, D1), New University

Avenue Road, Bahan Township, Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel: 01-544491, 01-556601
Fax: 525028, 01-544604
excel@myanmar.com.mm
autospeed123@gmail.com
www.exceltreasurehotel.com
Confort Inn
4, Shweli Rd, Bet: Inya Rd
& U Wisara Rd, Kamaryut,
tel: 525781, 526872
Clover Hotel
No.7A, Wingabar Road,
Bahan Tsp, Yangon.
Tel : (951) 546313, 430245.
09-731-77781~4. Fax : (01)
546313.
www.cloverhotel.asia.
info@cloverhotel.asia
Parkroyal Yangon,
Myanmar
33, Alan Pya Pagoda Rd,
Dagon tsp.
tel: 250388. fax: 252478.
No.183, 35th St; Bet; 77th

&78th Street, Mahar Aung
Myae Tsp, Mandalay. Ph: 02
67 404, 67 405, 67 406, 67
407, 67 408, website:www.
yuanshenghotel.com,
Email: sale.yuanshenghotel
@gmail.com
ACCOMMODATIONHOTELS (NAy PyI TAw)

153/159,Bogyoke Ag San Rd,
(Cor of 46 st),Botataung Tsp.
Yangon, Myanmar,
Tel: 951-298986,296209,
www.grandlaurelhotel.com
Hotel Grand United
(Chinatown)
621, Maharbandoola Rd,
Latha Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: (95-1) 372256-58
(21st Downtown)
66-70, 21st Street (Enter
from Strand Rd), Latha
Tsp, Yangon. Tel: (95-1)
378201
(Ahlone Branch)
35, Min Ye Kyaw Swar
Rd, Ahlone Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: (95-1) 218061-64;
Email: grandunited.
head@gmail.com, www.
hotelgrandunited.com
186, Lu Nge Thitsar

Street, on Thitsar Road,
Yankin Township, Yangon,
Myanmar. Ph: +951-8550
283, +951-8550 284,
+959-2540 63632, E-mail:
enquiry@hotelyankin.com,
www.hotelyankin.com
Inya Lake Resort Hotel
37 Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd.
tel: 662866. fax: 665537.
Novotel Yangon Max
Pyay Rd, Near Hledan
Bridge, Kamayut Tsp,
Tel: 01 230 5878, 01 230 5912
Excel Capital Hotel

Nay Pyi Taw
No.(23/24), Yarza Thingaha

Rd, Dekhina Thiri Township
Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar.
Tel: 067-8106011 to 17,
Fax: 067-8106020,
excel@myanmar.com.mm
autospeed123@gmail.com
www.exceltreasurehotel.com
Reservation Office (Yangon)

123, Alanpya Pagoda Rd,
Dagon Township
Tel
: 951- 255 819~838
Hotel Max, (Nay Pyi Taw)
Tel
: 067- 414 177,
067- 4141 88
E-Mail: reservation@
maxhotelsgroup.com
ACCOMMODATION
LONG TERM
HAPPY HOMES
REAL ESTATE & PROPERTY
MANAGEMENT
Tel: 09-7349-4483,
09-4200-56994.
E-mail: aahappyhomes@
gmail.com, http://www.
happyhomesyangon.com
WWW.MMTIMES.COM
wEEKEND QUICK GUIDE
27
THE MYANMAR TIMES MARCH 20 , 2015

Hotel Yangon
91/93, 8th Mile Junction,
Tel : 01-667708, 667688.
AGRICULTURAL
TRACTOR
KH Hotel, Yangon
28-A, 7 Miles, Pyay Rd,
Ph: 95-1-652532, 652533
17, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd,

Yankin Tsp.
Tel: 650933. Fax: 650960.
Email : micprm@
myanmar.com.mmwww.
myanmar micasahotel.com
Marina Residence
8, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd,
Mayangone Tsp.
tel: 6506 51~4. fax: 650630.
Sakura Residence
9, Inya Rd, Kamaryut Tsp.
tel: 525001. fax: 525002.
The Worlds Best Selling

Tractor
Bldg No. F/S (2),
ShweMarlar Housing,
Bayintnaung Rd.,
Kamaryut Tsp., YGN
Tel: +95 9 4302 4615
(English Speaking)
+95 9 508 5217
(Myanmar Speaking)
Email : utsales@
universaltractormyanmar.
com
AIR CONDITION
Sule Shangri-La Hotel

223 Sule Pagoda Rd. tel:
242828. fax: 242838.
Yuzana Hotel
130, Shwegondaing Rd,
Bahan Tsp, tel : 01-549600
ADVERTISING & MEDIA

WE STARTED THE ADVERTISING
INDUSTRY IN MYANMAR SINCE 1991
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
A D V E RT 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
ARCHITECTS &
MODULAR BUILDINGS
contactus@greenarc.net.au
Tel : 09-730-22820
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
MYANMAR BOOK CENTRE

Nandawun Compound,
No. 55, Baho Road,
Corner of Baho Road
and Ahlone Road, (near
Eugenia Restaurant),
Ahlone Township. tel:
212 409, 221 271. 214708
fax: 524580. email: info@
myanmarbook.com
BEAUTY & MASSAGE

Beauty 49
49 street (middle),
Botataung Tsp. Tel:292650
COLD STORAGE
Car Rental Service
No. 56, Bo Ywe St,
Latha Tsp, Yangon.
Tel : 01-246551, 375283,
09-2132778, 09-31119195.
Gmail:nyanmyintthu1983@
gmail.com,
Moe Car Rental
Than Thu Mar Rd,
Thuwunna, Thingangyun.
Tel: 09-2540-07712, 0949570697, 09-799658370.
YANGON
La Source Beauty Spa
80-A, Inya Rd, Kamayut Tsp.
Tel: 512380, 511252
Beauty Bar by La Source
Room (1004), Sedona Hotel,
Tel : 666 900 Ext : 7167
MANDALAY
La Source Beauty Spa
13/13, Mya Sandar St,
bet: 26_27, bet: 62_63,
Chanaye Tharzan Tsp.
Tel : 09-4440-24496.
www.lasourcebeautyspa.com
Marina Residence, Yangon

Ph: 650651~4, Ext: 109
Beauty Plan, Corner of
77th St & 31st St, Mandalay
Ph: 02 72506
BUSINESS SERVICE
HOT LINE:
09 - 402 510 003
01-646 330
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
Self Drive Daily Rental

Brand New Left Hand
Drive
Comprehensive Insurance
Daily Rental (24 hours)
Unlimited Kilometres
24/7 Roadside Assistance
www.yomafleet.com
soe@yomafleet.com
+95 9 4500 35280
COFFEE MACHINE
News & Business Ideas
facebook box.com.mm
http://box.com.mm
CAR RENTAL
CENTURION AUTO GROUP
Corporate Car Rental
Transfer | Daily | Monthly| Fleet
English Speaking Driver

On-board Wi-Fi
$1-million Insurance
Concierge & Refreshment
Defensive Driver Training
Tel: 571586, 09 250188232
www.centurionauto.com
www.realfitnessmyanmar.com
Worlds leader in
Kitchen Hoods & Hobs
Same as Ariston Water
Heater. Tel: 251033,
379671, 256622, 647813
GEMS & JEWELLERIES
FLORAL SERVICES
CONSTRUCTION
MYANMAR EXECUTIVE
LIMOUSINE SERVICE
BOOK STORES
150 Dhamazedi Rd.,

Bahan Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: (01) 536306, 537805.
Email: mbt.marketing.
mgr@gmail.com
15(B), Departure Lounge,
Yangon Intl Airport.
# 87/2, Crn of 26th & 27th
St, 77th St, Chan Aye Thar
Zan Tsp, Mandalay.
Tel: (02) 24880
ELT Showroom:
# 43, 165 St, Tarmwe Tsp,
Yangon.
Tel: (09) 5116687
Est. 1992 in Myanmar

Cold Storage Specialist,
Solar Hot Water Storage
Solutions.
Tel: 01 663656,
09 73164485, 09 252395198
Email: sales@glovermkm.
com.mm
No. 20, Ground Floor, Pearl

Street, Golden Valley Ward,
Bahan Township, Yangon.
Tel : 09-509 7057, 01220881, 549478 (Ext : 103)
Email : realfitnessmyanmar
@gmail.com
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
DELIVERY SERVICE
Express Courier & Cargo

One Stop Logistic Solution
Ygn, Hot Line: 011224270
Zamil Steel
No-5, Pyay Road,
7 miles,
Tel: (95-1) 652502~04.
Fax: (95-1) 650306.
Email: zamilsteel@
zamilsteel.com.mm
CO WORKING SPACE
No. (6), Lane 2

Botahtaung Pagoda St,
Yangon.
01-9010003, 291897.
info@venturaoffice.com,
www.venturaoffice.com
CONSULTING
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.
DUTY FREE
sales@manawmaya.com.mm
www.manawmayagems.com
Tel: 549612, Fax : 545770.
Floral Service & Gift Shop

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

Capital Markets
Shwe Hinthar B 307, 6 1/2

Miles, Pyay Rd., Yangon.
Tel: +95 (0)1 654 730
info@thuraswiss.com
www.thuraswiss.com
Ruby & Rare Gems

of Myanamar
No. 527, New University
Ave., Bahan Tsp. Yangon.
Foam Spray Insulation

No-410, Ground Fl,Lower
Pazuntaung Rd, Pazun
taung Tsp, Yangon.Telefax
: 01-203743, 09-5007681.
Hot Line-09-730-30825.
GENERATORS
Your Most Reliable Jeweller
The Natural Gems of

Myanmar & Fine Jewellery.
No. 30(A), Pyay Road,
(7 mile), Mayangone Tsp,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 01-660397, 654398
spgems.myanmar@
gmail.com
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
FORKLIFT
Duty Free Shops

Yangon International
Airport, Arrival/Departure
Mandalay International
Airport, Departure
Office: 17, 2nd street,
Hlaing Yadanarmon Housing,
Hlaing Township, Yangon.
Tel: 500143, 500144, 500145.
ELECTRICAL
Est. 1992 in Myanmar

Electrical & Mechanical
Contractors, Designers,
Consultants.
Tel: 01 663656,
09 73164485, 09 252395198
Email: sales@glovermkm.
com.mm
ENTERTAINMENT
Learn to dance with

social dancing
94, Bogalay Zay St,
Botataung T/S,
Yangon.
Tel : 01-392526,
01-1221738
FITNESS CENTRE
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
Made in Taiwan
Bldg No. F/S (2),
ShweMarlar Housing,
Bayintnaung Rd.,
Kamaryut Tsp., YGN
Tel: +95 9 4302 4615
(English Speaking)
+95 9 502 1312
(Myanmar Speaking)
Email : utsales@
com
Your Lifting Solution
Made in Spain
Bldg No. F/S (2),
ShweMarlar Housing,
Bayintnaung Rd.,
Kamaryut Tsp., YGN
Tel: +95 9 4302 4615
(English Speaking)
+95 9 502 1312
(Myanmar Speaking)
Email : utsales@
com
Your Power Solution
HEALTH SERVICES
GLASS
International
Construction
Material Co., Ltd.
No. 60, G-Fl, Sint-Oh-Dan St,
Lower Block, Latha Tsp,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 01-245112,
09-730-22820
Email : intconstruction
material@gmail.com
GAS COOKER &

COOKER HOODS
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.
Naypyitaw : Level (2),
Capital Hyper Mart,
Yazathingaha Street,
Outarathiri Tsp. Tel : 0933503202, 09-73050337
98(A), Kaba Aye Pagoda

553783, 09-732-16940.
Fax: 542979
Email: asiapacific.
myanmar@gmail.com.
Japan-Myanmar
Physiotherapy Clinic.
Body Massage - 7000 Ks
Foot Massage - 6000 Ks
Body & Foot Massage 12,000 Ks
No.285, Bo Aung Kyaw Rd,
Kyauktada Tsp, Yangon.
09:00 AM - 09:00 PM
Tel : 09-8615036
24 Hours Laboratory
& X-ray, CT, MRI, USG
Mammogram, Bone DXA
@ Victoria Hospital
No. 68, Tawwin Rd, 9 Mile,
Mayangon Township,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel: (951) 9 666141
Fax: (951) 9 666135
28
wEEKEND QUICK GUIDE
THE MYANMAR TIMES MARCH 20, 2015

HOUSING
24 Hrs International Clinic
Medical and Security
Assistance Service
@ Victoria Hospital
No.68, Tawwin Rd, 9 Mile,
Mayangon Township,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel: +951 651 238
+959 495 85 955
Fax: +959 651 398
www.leomedicare.com
NO.61, 2nd Floor, 101 Street,

Kandawlay, Mingalar
Taung Nyunt Tsp, Yangon,
Myanmar.
Ph: 01-205102, 09 2603
60932, 09 2603 60933,
09 3334 6666
No.(68), Tawwin Street,

9 Mile, Mayangone Tsp,
Yangon.
Hunt line: +95 1 9666 141,
Booking Ext : 7080, 7084.
Fax: +95 1 9666 135
Email:
info@witoriya hospital.com
www.victoriahospital
myanmar.com,
Facebook :
https://www.facebook.com/
WitoriyaGeneralHospital
HOME FURNITURE
01 9000 712~3, Ext 330/332,

Email: enquiries.HM@
mmrdrs.com, www.
hermanmillerasia.com
Pun Hlaing Golf Estate
Gated Golf Community
HOUSE RENTAL
APARTMENT RENTALS
SERVICED APARTMENTS
Available Immediately
RENTAL OFFICE
OPEN DAILY 9-5
PHGE Sales & Marketing,
Hlaing Tharyar Tsp, Yangon.
Tel : 951-687 778, 684 013
phgemarketing@
spa-mm.com,
www.punhlainggolfestate.com
MARINE
COMMUNICATION &
NAVIGATION
Franzo Living Mall

15(A/5), Pyay Rd,
A1(9miles),Mayangone Tsp,
Yangon.
Tel : 01-664026, 01-656970,
09-43205018
HOTEL SUPPLY
Intl Quality Uniform &

Promo Gifts
for Corporate, Hotel, F&B
Tel: (959) 972 154 990,
Email: suchada@
stgroupholdings.com
Premium Chef Uniform
No. H-8, May Kha Housing,

May Kha St., Thingangyun
Tsp, Yangon.
Tel: 01 855 0105, 09 506
7816, 09 254443366
Email: theworkwear
myanmar@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/
workwearmyanmar
LIGHTING
99 Condo, Ground Floor,

Room (A), Damazedi Rd,
Kamayut Township,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 09-2504-28700
info@decorum.mm.com
PAINT
SUPPLIER of Quality Paints

DECORATIVE COATINGS
PROTECTIVE COATINGS
MARINE COATINGS
POWDER COATINGS
Jotun Myanmar (Services)
Co. Ltd.
G-7, May Kha Housing,
Lay Doung Kan Road,
Thingangyun Township,
Yangon-Myanmar
Tel: +95 1 566716, 566843
jotun.com
Relocation Specialist
Rm 504, M.M.G Tower,
#44/56, Kannar Rd,
Botahtaung Tsp.
Tel: 250290, 252313.
Mail : info@asiantigersmyanmar.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
Worlds No.1 Paints &

Coatings Company
Top Marine Show Room
No-385, Ground Floor,
Lower Pazundaung Road,
Pazundaung Tsp, Yangon.
Ph: 01-202782, 09-851-5597
OFFICE FURNITURE
Tel : 01-9000712~13 Ext : 330

09-4200-77039.
direct2u@mmrdrs.com
22, Pyay Rd, 9 mile,

Mayangone Tsp.
tel: 660769, 664363.
99 Condo, Ground Floor,

Room (A), Damazedi Rd,
Kamayut Township,
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 09-2504-28700
info@decorum.mm.com
REMOVALISTS
Bldg-A2, G-Flr, Shwe

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

Gabar Housing, Mindama
Rd, Mayangone Tsp,
Yangon. email: eko-nr@
myanmar.com.mm
Ph: 652391, 09-73108896
Room No. 1101, 16th Flr,

Tower B, Maw Tin Tower,
Corner of Anawrahta Rd
& Lanthit St, Lanmadaw
Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : (95-1) 218489. 218490
218491
Fax : (95-1) 218492
Email : marketing @
kaytumadi.com, contact@
kaytumadi.com,
kaytumadi@gmail.com.
web : www.rockworth.com
Sole Distributor
For the Union of
Myanmar Since 1995
Myanmar Golden Rock
International Co.,Ltd.
79-D, Bo Chein St, Pyay Rd,
6 Mile, Hlaing Tsp,
Tel: 654810~654819
654844~654848
TOP MARINE PAINT

No-385, Ground Floor,
Lower Pazundaung Road,
Pazundaung Tsp, Yangon.
Ph: 09-851-5202
International
Construction
Material Co., Ltd.
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 01-245112,
09-730-22820
material@gmail.com
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
REAL ESTATE
World famous Kobe Beef

Near Thuka Kabar
Hospital on Pyay Rd,
Marlar st, Hlaing Tsp.
Tel: +95-1-535072
No. 5, U Tun Nyein

Street, Mayangone T/S,
Yangon.
Tel : 01-660 612, 657928,
01-122 1014, 09 508 9441
Email : lalchimiste.
restaurant@gmail.com
Enchanting and Romantic,

a Bliss on the Lake
62 D, U Tun Nyein Road,
Mayangon Tsp, Yangon
Tel. 01 665 516, 660976
Mob. 09-730-30755
operayangon@gmail.com
www.operayangon.com
22, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd,

Bahan Tsp. tel 541997.
email: leplanteur@
mptmail.net.mm.
http://leplanteur.net
American best practices

Pabaedan Township.
09 253 559 848
info@PathwayMoving.com
www.PathwayMoving.com
Yangons premier mover
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.
G-01, City Mart

(Myay Ni Gone Center).
Tel: 01-508467-70 Ext: 106
Monsoon Restaurant
& Bar 85/87, Thein Byu
Road, Botahtaung Tsp.
Tel: 295224, 09-501 5653.
Delicious Hong Kong Style

Food Restaurant
G-09, City Mart (Myay Ni
Gone Center).
Tel: 01-508467-70 Ext: 114
Quality Chinese Dishes

with Resonable Price
@Marketplace by City Mart.
Tel: 01-523840 Ext.109
European Quality
& Designs Indoor/
Outdoor Furniture, Hotel
Furniture & All kinds of
woodworks
Office Tel: 01-380382,
09-509-1673, Show Room:
No. 123-124, Shwe Yin Aye
(2) Street, Industrial Zone
5 (Extension), Hlaing Thar
Yar Township, Yangon,
Myanmar. E-mail: contact@
smartdesignstrading.com,
www.royalbotania.com,
www.alexander-rose.co.uk,
Please call for any enquiry.
For House-Seekers
with Expert Services

In all kinds of Estate Fields
yomaestatemm@gmail.com
09-332 87270 (Fees Free)
09-2541 26615 (Thai Language)
Coffee & Snack Bar

Shop: No.150, Dhamazedi
Yangon, Myanmar,
09-3621-4523, gustocafe.
yangon@gmail.com
Heaven Pizza
38/40, Bo Yar Nyunt St.
Yaw Min Gyi Quarter,
Dagon Township.
Tel: 09-855-1383
SC STORAGE YANGON
Monthly storage available
Transportation of goods
provided,
Mobile: 09-253 559 848,
Email: YangonStorage@
gmail.com
TRAVEL AGENTS
Yangon International
School (YIS)
Grades, Pre-school Grade 12.
American Curriculum.
117, Thumingalar Housing
Thingangyun Tsp
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 95 1 578171, 573149
Fax : 95 1 578604
Website :
www.yismyanmar.com
SERVICE OFFICE
Executive Serviced Offices
Asian Trails Tour Ltd

73 Pyay Rd, Dagon tsp.
tel: 211212, 223262.
fax: 211670. email: res@
asiantrails.com.mm
Shan Yoma Tours Co.,Ltd
Ph: 01-9010378, 9010382,
www.exploremyanmar.com
www.exploreglobaltravel.
com
WATER HEATERS
The Global leader in

Water Heaters
A/1, Aung San Stadium
East Wing, Upper
Pansodan Road.
Tel: 01-256705, 399464,
394409, 647812.
www.hinthabusinesscentres.com
Tel : 01-4413410
Made in Japan
Same as Rinnai Gas Cooker
and Cooker Hood
Showroom Address
Executive Serviced
Office, Registered
and Virtual Office, Hot
Desking, Meeting Rooms
Tel: +(95) 1 387947
www.officehubservices,com
STEEL STRUCTURE
Design, Fabrication,
Supply & Erection of Steel
Structures
Tel : +95 9 252399569
Email : Sales@WECMyanmar.com
www.WEC-Myanmar.com
Reservation Office (Yangon)

123, Alanpya Pagoda Rd,
Dagon Township
Tel
: 951- 255 819~838
Max Resort (Chaung Tha)
Tel
: 042 42346~9
E-Mail: reservation@
maxhotelsgroup.com
Faucets | Showers |
Sanitarywares | Bathroom
Accessories, Ph: 379671,
256622, 399464, 09 9771
09852. Address: Same
as ARISTON
Grohe
Bath Room Accessories,
79-B3/B3, East Shwe Gone
Dine, Near SSC Womens
Center, Bahan.
Tel : 01-401083,
WATER PROOFING
International
Construction
Material Co., Ltd.
Yangon, Myanmar.
Tel : 01-245112,
09-730-22820
material@gmail.com
WATER TREATMENT
SPORTS
Premium Trophies
From Malaysia/Italy
RESORT
SANITARY WARE
Real Estate Agent

N o Fe e s fo r C l i e n t s ,
Contact Us : 09 2050107,
robin@prontorealtor.com
Horizon Intl School

235, Shukhinthar Myo Pat
Rd, Thaketa Tsp, Yangon,
Ph: 450396~7, 25, Po Sein
Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon,
Ph: 543926, Fax: 543926,
email: contact@
horizonmyanmar.com
Water Heater
RESTAURANTS
Good taste & resonable

price
@Thamada Hotel
Tel: 01-243047, 243639-41
Ext: 32
STORAGE
SC STORAGE YANGON
G-05, Marketplace by
City Mart.
Tel: 01-523840 Ext: 105
PLEASURE CRUISES
Moby Dick Tours Co., Ltd.

Islands Safari in the Mergui
Archipelago
No.89-91, Rm No.2, Gr Fr,
32nd St, Pabedan Tsp, Ygn.
Tel / Fax: 01-380382
E-mail: info@islandsafari
mergui.com. Website: www.
islandsafarimergui.com
SCHOOLS
No. H-8, May Kha Housing,

May Kha St., Thingangyun
Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 01 855
0105, 09 540 8885. Email:
trophystudio@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/
trophystudio.mm
Water & Wastewater

Treatment (Since 1997)
Amd Supply Package
Fiberglass Wastewater
System for Offices,
Condominiums & Hotels
Project. Can Design for
YCDC Permit Application.
39-B, Thazin Lane, Ahlone.
09-5161431, 09-43126571,
01-218437~8
WATER SOLUTION
Aekar
Company Limited
SUPERMARKETS
Capital Hyper Mart
14(E), Min Nandar Road,
Dawbon Tsp. Ph: 553136.
City Mart (Aung San) tel:
253022, 294765.
Junction Square
Pyay Rd, Kamayut,
Ph: 01-527242.
Junction Zawana
Lay Daung Kan St,
Thingangyun, Ph: 573929.
Ocean (North Point)
Pyay Rd, 9 mile,
Ph: 01-652959.
Ocean (East Point)
Mahabandoola Rd,
Ph: 01-397146.
Orange Super Market
103, Thu Damar Rd,
Industrial Zone, North
Okkalar, Ph: 9690246
Water Treatement Solution

Block (A), Room (G-12),
Pearl Condo, Kabar Aye
Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp.
Hot Line : 09-4500-59000
WEB SERVICE
Web Services
All the way from Australia
world-class websites/
web apps for desktop,
smartphone & tablets,
online shopping with
real-time transaction,
news/magazine site,
forum, email campaign
and all essential online
services. Domain
registration & cloud
hosting. Talk to us: (01)
430-897, (0) 942-000-4554.
www.medialane.com.au
WWW.MMTIMES.COM
wEEKEND SOCIALITE
29
All about the rhyme
Over 400 people gathered at the Institut Francais on March 27 for The Cluster Art, a poetry event featuring performances
by 20 young Myanmar poets as well as live graffiti, performance art and music courtesy of punk-rock band Big Bag.
Sayar Zayar Linn
G Latt and his wife
Maw Nway, Thu Khu Ma, Hmuu Thit
Come fly with me
Guests celebrated the launch of Apex Airlines at Yangons Novotel on March 25.
Mr Selvakmar
Sandar Win and guests
Love is on
Guests got glammed up to celebrate

the launch of Revlons new Love
is on campaign with a bash at the
Chatrium on March 25th.
30
Events
FRIDAY 3
MUSIC
Aaron Gallegos Trio. Blending diverse
influences from Flamenco, jazz and world
music. Gekko, 535 Merchant Road 7pm
Acoustic music show. Off The Beaten
Track Cafe, Kandawgyi Park (near
childrens playground), Mingalar Taung
Nyunt 7-9:30pm
ART
The Past is the Present. Indian
photographer Pablo Bartholomew delves
into personal histories of Myanmar,
featuring old family albums, holiday
snaps and private photo collections.
Myanmar Deitta, 49 (3rd floor) 44th Street,
Botahtaung 10am-5pm daily
New Face Art Exhibition. 1st solo show
by artist Hmaw Sayar (Phone Myint)
featuring over 50 paintings. Gallery 65, 65
Yaw Min Gyi Road, Dagon 9am-5pm
Burma: An Enchanted Spirit. Photo
exhibition by American photographer
David Heath. Gallery 65, 65 Yaw Min Gyi
Road, Dagon 10am-6pm
Artist Win Pes third solo exhibition.
Featuring 52 watercolour paintings.
River Ayeyarwady Gallery, 134 35th Street
(middle block), Kyauktada (until April 5)
NIGHTLIFE
The Yangon Vibe. Mojo Bar, 135 Inya
Road, Bahan 10pm
Friendly Friday Latin dance competition.
Club Rizzoli, Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake
Yangon, 40, Natmauk Road, Tarmwe
7-9pm
Bollywood Neon Party. Dress in white.
Featuring a DJ from India. For tickets
contact 09420187010 or 9420205023.
Entry K12,000 with free flow beer.
Adamas Seafood & Coffee, 14 Golden

Valley Road, Bahan 9pm
SATURDAY 4
MUSIC
Live Music. Kokine Bar & Restaurant
(near Kokine swimming club) 6-11pm
Live Jazz. Sky Bistro Bar and Restaurant,
20th floor, Sakura Tower, 339 Bogyoke
Aung San Road, Kyauktada 7-10pm
4 Minute music concert. Female Korean
pop group will perform in Myanmar for
the first time. Tickets available at Taw
Win Center, Nay Pyi Taw Cinema, Shae
Saung Cinema, San Pya Cinema, Dagon
Center and Monument Books & Toys
(K25,000-K600,000). Myanmar Event Park,
Shin Saw Pu Street, Sanchaung, 7pm
The Evolution: EDM Attack. DJ Wine, DJ
Nway Oo, DJ Icez and DJ Mickey will be
performing. Tickets available at Vista Bar,
Ginki Kids, Escape Gastro bar, Brave Bar
(K Bar), Turbo De Bar, The 1st Container,
Mojo, Union Bar, Gekko, DJ Bar, Sport Bar
1, Sport Bar 2, 50th Street Bar, V6 (BME)
(K6000). Shwe Htut Tin Compound (in
front of Sky Star Hotel), East Horse Race
Course Road, Tarmwe 6pm
NIGHTLIFE
Love to Reggae. Kandawgyi Park (Sushi
Boys), Kan Yeik Tha Road 8pm
The Jungle II. Let your animal spirit
take control, and get lost in The Jungle
for Yangons new landmark event. Free
entrance until midnight for people in
jungle outfits. Mojo Bar, 135 Inya Road,
Bahan 10pm
BY ZON PANN PWINT
IS circuitous route to his hearts

desire has taken the artist
through many occupations
that others would consider a
lifetime goal. U Win Pe, a Myanmar
Academy Award winner, who has
been at various times radio reporter,
cartoonist, writer and director, is
now doing what he always wanted
to do: mount a solo exhibition of his
watercolours.
He could draw before he learned to
read and write. As a student, he was
already the most popular artist of his
day.
But life intervenes. As a family
man, he found it necessary to yield
to the temptation of better career
opportunities. Stranded in America
for 18 years, he worked at RFA, VOA
and the BBC, just filling in time.
Back in Myanmar since 2012,
the 80-year-old finally turned his
attention back to painting.
His third solo exhibition since his
return, featuring 52 watercolours, is
being held at River Ayeyarwady gallery
from April 1 to 5. The opening day
was marked by the issue of Win Pes
Watercolours, cataloguing his work.
Opportunities kept coming up
that made me go weak at the knees,
he said, explaining the delay in
getting down to business. The media
Yangon Animal Shelter. New home

fundraising party for 500 lovely dogs.
Yangon Sailing Club, 132 Inya Road
5:30-8pm
Yangon Food Fight. Four chefs, from four
of the finest restaurants in Yangon, will
go head-to-head in the tastiest event
Yangon has seen for some time. Set in
the beautiful gardens of a colonial villa,
guests will enjoy four delicious culinary
creations, then vote for their favourite.
Port Autonomy, 22 Kabar Aye Pagoda
Road, Bahan 5-9pm
ART
1st solo show by artist Soe Soe (Laputta).
Featuring his famous 3D effect paintings.
Yangon Gallery, Peoples Park, corner of
Ahlone Road and Pyay Road 10am-6pm
SUNDAY 5
MUSIC
Easter Cantata (Musical opera). Organised
by the Myanmar Gracias Choir. Tickets
K3000, K5000, K8000. Myanmar
Convention Center, Mindhamma Street,
Mayangone 6:30-9pm
NIGHTLIFE
Salsa beginners workshop. Club 5,
Parkroyal Hotel, 33 Alan Pya Pagoda
Road, Yan Min Gyi, Dagon 5:30-7pm
Karaoke Nite. Club Rizzoli, Chatrium Hotel
Royal Lake Yangon, 40 Natmauk Road,
Tarmwe, 7-9pm
MONDAY 6
MISC
New Year-Welcoming Sundowner
Meetup. Get to know both local and
foreign businesspeople and enjoy
complimentary drinks and snacks.
Officecubed, 7 Lay Daung Kan Road,
Thingangyun 6pm
WHATS ON PICK OF THE WEEK
wEEKEND WHATSON
MUSIC
Monday Blues. Mojo Bar, 135 Inya Road,
Bahan 9:30pm
MISC
Trivia night. Free beer pitcher for
round winners and winning team gets
aK30,000 bar tab. 50th Street Bar, 50th
Street (lower block) 8pm
TUESDAY 7
ART
Tuesday snippets. Gallery conversation
and drinks. Pansodan Gallery, 289
Pansodan Street, Kyauktada, 7pm-late
MISC
Wine-tasting: Bottomless glass. Two reds
and one white French wine. K15,000. Mojo
Bar, 135 Inya Road, Bahan 9:30pm
Entrepreneurs Breakfast Club. Join
our breakfast meeting and be part of
creating a friendly environment for fellow
entrepreneurs of all ages and nationalities
to meet. Breakfast buffet US$12 per
person. Inya Lake Hotel, 37 Kabar Aye
Pagoda Road 8-9am
WEDNESDAY 8
NIGHTLIFE
Mojito Night. The Lab, 70A
Shwegonedaing Road, Bahan, 5:30-10pm
Girls night out. Mojo Bar, 135 Inya Road,
Bahan 8pm
MUSIC
Jazz music and dinner. Rendez-Vous
restaurant and bar, Institut Francais, 340
Pyay Road 7:30-9:30pm
THURSDAY 9
MUSIC
Folk on Fire with LNR band. Mojo Bar,
135 Inya Road, Bahan 9:30pm
FILM
APRIL 3 9
Start times at Mingalar (1, 2), Top Royal,
Shae Shaung (1, 2) and Nay Pyi Taw
cinemas are 10am, 12:30pm, 3:30pm,
6:30pm and 9:30pm.
Start times at Junction Square and
Junction Maw Tin are 9:30am, 12:30pm,
3:30pm and 6:30pm daily, and 9:30am,
12:30pm, 3:30pm, 6:30pm and 9:30pm
on Friday and Saturday.
Start times at Mingalar San Pya are
10am, 12:30pm, 3:30pm, 6:30pm and
9:30pm.
Nay Pyi Taw Cinema, near Sule Pagoda
Cinderella. Directed by Kenneth Branagh.
British romantic fantasy.
Gangnam Blues. Directed by Yooha. South
Korean action film.
The Eyes Diary. Directed by Chookiat
Sakveerakul. Thai horror film.
Mingalar Cinema 1, at Thein Gyi Zay
Kungfu Jungle. Directed by Teddy Chan.
Hong Kong-Chinese action thriller film
Mingalar Cinema 2, at Dagon Center 2,
Myaynigone
Cinderella.
Shae Shaung Cinema, Sule Pagoda Road,
Kyauktada
Insurgent. Directed by Robert Schwentke.
American science-fiction film.
The Eyes Diary.
Junction Square Cineplex, Kamaryut
Cinderella.
Big Match. Directed by Ho Choi. South
Korean action comedy film.
Junction Mawtin, Lanmadaw
Cinderella.
Mingalar San Pya Cineplex, Phone Gyi
Street and Anawrahta, Lanmadaw
Cinderella.
Insurgent
Artist U Win Pe makes up for lost time
career was not a hobby. Since I wasnt

a good reporter, I worked in radio,
he said.
U Win Pe, a man of many talents,
worked for Ludu magazine as an
editor and satirical cartoonist.
He unexpectedly became a
scriptwriter and film director. His
1980 film Hninsi Ni Eain Mat
(Dream of a Red Rose) earned him

a Myanmar Academy Award for
best director in 1981. He started
writing short stories in the late 1980s
and became the first writer from
Myanmar to be invited to attend the
University of Iowas International
Writing Program.
Taking the opportunity, while
there, of speaking out about freedom

of expression, he then found he
could not return home again He
tried to find odd jobs to survive in
America, and co-founded Radio Free
Asia (RFA) instead. Other odd jobs
included reporting for the VOA and
the BBC.
His three-month stay in America
CAP: A visitor examines a watercolour painting by artist U Win Pe at the River Ayeyarwady gallery exhibition, on until April 5. Photo: Aung Khant.
lasted 18 years.
An internationally known artist,
U Win Pe painted 60 watercolours
for the exhibition, but his foreign
customers bought eight of the works
before the opening day.
I have a family. If I was offered
a better chance, I would go for it, U
Win Pe said.
Throughout my life, I found the
temptation to pass up an opportunity
too hard to resist. Because they
earned a fortune, it didnt seem like a
weakness when I took the chance to
make films, he said.
He said the art of filming
encompasses painting, music and
writing. Along the way, he studied
classical music.
I dont regret the filming. My
friend Paw Oo Thet asked me why I
stopped painting at that time, and
I told him that I was painting by
camera. My artist friends thought it
was just an excuse, he said.
His home in Yankin township
houses his studio, where he devotes
days and nights to painting.
Fellow artist Khin Zaw Latt said,
I saw his paintings posted on the
internet. I love them. Whenever he
has exhibitions, I usually visit. I find
a different style and an originality in
his artworks. I respect him and love
his work. He is 80 but his paintings
are fresh, as if they are the vision of a
young artist.

Over 50 Dead As Trawler Sinks: Foreign Banks Back After 50 Years

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Over 50 Dead As Trawler Sinks: Foreign Banks Back After 50 Years

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Heartbeat of the nation

ISSUE 20 | friday, April 3, 2015

THE first three foreign banks to operate

Over 50 dead as trawler sinks

2 THE MYANMAR TIMES APRIL 3, 2015

online editor Kayleigh Long |

THE INSIDER: The local lowdown & best of the web

their websites. And, as usual, people fell

Htut Ko Ko Lwin and Tun Thurein are not

Once was Burma ...

A warning to would-be intransigents, from socialist-era Forward magazine

News editor: Thomas Kean | tdkean@gmail.com

AS many as 29 Myanmar seamen were

The freezer trawler sank quickly

A file picture taken on March

being the main suspects, navigator

Kway, general secretary of the Myanmar Overseas Employment Agency

employment on fishing trawlers, a

Myanmar apologises to China over cross-border bombing

Wunna Maung Lwin as saying Myanmar accepted the findings of a joint

The foreign ministry was handling the

outpouring of criticism of Beijing on

THE MYANMAR TIMES April 3, 2015

Government to form new

IN an apparent response to objections

Times yesterday that the committees

Myanmar Consolidated Media Ltd.

to nominate representatives to be added to the new body.

NLD official denies charges at hearing

Declaration of Human Rights.

Buddhist Monks Union.

DEFYING objections from Western

A BEAUTY spot in Tanintharyi Region could rival Thailands Phuket as

U Hlwan Moe said.

They wont be interested if theyre

But the week-long delay in getting a

rubbish-tipping and the local practice

The most attractive tourist package currently available is a five-night,

New bridge opens up beach visitation in Mon State

restaurant on the beach.

three months. Villager Mi Than Htay

creased visitor numbers, said Ma

state government plans to build a new

THE MYANMAR TIMES April 3, 2015

Photojournalist Ko Sai Zaw, who

U Hla Aung, chair of the Yangon

EVEN before you see the mountain,

later. My husband and I borrowed

Most children born within sight

ciation provides social services, said

THE MYANMAR TIMES April 3, 2015

Critical questions for free elections

HE November general election will serve as a critical

Sein. Though the law stipulates that

in rural areas, do not have national

the post-election fallout, must be

While the electoral law stipulates that

All the presidents men

THIS week President U Thein Sein

representatives closer access to senior politicians and the opportunity to

Of course, there are a number of

ported on the very serious problem of