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DAILY EDITION

ISSUE 65 | TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2015

Thais shatter
Myanmars SEA
Games dream
Mens football team outclassed by Thailand
3-0 in first final appearance since 2007.
FULL COVERAGE BACK PAGE

Myanmar supporters gathered at Yangons Mahabandoola Park react during the SEA Games final against Thailand last night. Photo: Aung Khant

Sayadaw in spotlight
ahead of conference
Speculation that Sitagu Sayadaw has quit the Committee for the Protection of Nationality and
Religion, better known as Ma Ba Tha, to be clarified at its annual conference this week. NEWS 3

BUSINESS 8

Ministry, businesses meet

on foreign exchange rate
The government is holding meetings to
explain recent instability in the foreign
exchange market that has hurt both
importers and exporters.
BUSINESS 9

OPIC approves first loan

US government financing arm
Overseas Private Investment
Corporation has approved its first loan
in Myanmar, to Apollo Towers.

2 News

THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 16, 2015

Myanmar rejects Mahathirs

push for ASEAN expulsion
Former Malaysian PM said Myanmar should leave ASEAN unless it improves its treatment of the Rohingya

Ministry to
subsidise
hepatitis
treatment
SHWE YEE SAW MYINT
poepwintphyu2011@gmail.com

NYAN LYNN
AUNG
29.nyanlynnaung@gmail.com

SENIOR government officials yesterday reacted strongly to a suggestion

by former Malaysian prime minister
Mahathir Mohamad that Myanmar
should be punished and even expelled from ASEAN for its policies
toward the Rohingya.
Deputy Foreign Minister U Thant
Kyaw told The Myanmar Times that
Mr Mahathirs views, set out in a
speech in Kuala Lumpur on June 12,
showed the former premier was out
of touch with the situation, possibly
on the grounds of his age. Mr Mahathir is 89.
ASEAN recognises Myanmar as a
member that brings benefits to all in
the region, U Thant Kyaw said.
U Hau Khan Sum, director of the
ASEAN Affairs Department, said he
was surprised by Mr Mahathirs comments because the former premier
understood well the importance of
unity in ASEAN and how the regional
grouping was moving forward to a
peaceful and prosperous community.
I dont understand why he spoke
like that because Myanmar has been

Myanmar has been

cooperating with all
member countries
for resolving those
problems right now.
U Hau Khan Sum
Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad speaks at an event in Kuala Lumpur on June 5. Photo: EPA

cooperating with all member countries for resolving those problems

right now and Myanmar has already
stated that no country should be singled out through finger-pointing, he
said.
As you know, ASEAN does not
make decisions without consensus.
Therefore, it is impossible to expel
Myanmar from ASEAN, U Hau Khan
Sum said.
Mr Mahathir slammed Myanmars
treatment of the Rohingya Muslim
minority in a keynote address at a
conference titled Plight of the Rohingya, Part II Crime Against Humanity held at Kuala Lumpurs Islamic
Arts Museum.
He said ASEAN countries had
throughout the years taken a

diplomatic approach in trying to engage Myanmar over the issue. However, Myanmar has failed to respond
to an appeal to be more humane to
their own people. If they do not respond, I think they have no right to
be recognised as a member of ASEAN, he said.
Other politicians and commentators noted however that it was Mr
Mahathir, then prime minister, who
had played a major role in 1997 in
pushing for Myanmars admittance
into ASEAN while the country was
under military rule.
U Soe Aung, an activist for the
Thailand-based opposition Forum for
Democracy in Burma, said ASEAN
had made one of its biggest mistakes
in admitting Myanmar instead of

supporting the countrys democracy

movement.
Now they all are facing the consequences of what they did, said U Soe
Aung. Myanmars deplorable acts
against the Rohingya were a giant
black spot for ASEAN, he said.
But U Kyaw Lin Oo, an analyst
of regional affairs, said Mr Mahathir
had been speaking nonsense on the
Rohingya issue for a long time. He
should know about Myanmars current situation and solution on that
issue, he said.
Mr Mahathir said he had personally sent a letter to opposition leader
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on the Rohingya issue. The National League for
Democracy confirmed receiving the
letter but said she had not replied.

A NEW health scheme aims to reduce

the cost of treatment for sufferers of
hepatitis. The Ministry of Health is
drawing up a program for prevention,
awareness and treatment of the disease in conjunction with an American
pharmaceutical company.
The government needs a policy,
national
standardised
treatment
guidelines and a national survey to
find out how many people are infected with hepatitis, Daw Khine San
Tin, country director for the Clinton
Health Access Initiative (CHAI), told
The Myanmar Times yesterday.
She said her organisation and the
National Liver Foundation were providing technical assistance to the Ministry of Health program.
The ministry will establish national
standard treatments and the Department of Medical Research will carry
out the national hepatitis survey.
Daw Khine San Tin said the policy,
the plan and the guidelines would be
complete this month and the treatment plan would be in place by the
end of the year.
According to Daw Khine San Tin,
the Clinton Health Access Initiative
said it had negotiated with American pharmaceutical companies to be
able to offer a course for hepatitis C
patients that would cost US$980, but
that in future they would provide a generic drug costing about $300.
She added that the health ministry
had said they would try to fund the
program from the government budget, with a view either to providing the
drug to sufferers free of charge, or at
reduced rates.
A spokesperson for the health department said the program would
improve access to treatment. Most
patients with hepatitis dont receive
treatment because of the cost, Dr Toe
Thiri Aung said. This program will
help them get treatment.

www.mmtimes.com

NEWS EDITOR: Thomas Kean | tdkean@gmail.com

News 3

PEACE PROCESS

As peace talks stall,

ceasefire draft text
leaked to Facebook
Myanmar Peace Center says ethnic leaders had
earlier resisted suggestions to make the draft public
SANDAR LWIN
sdlsandar@gmail.com

Sitagu Sayadaw speaks at the opening of a university campus in June 2011. Photo: Hein Latt Aung

Ma Ba Tha meet to
resolve questions over
Sitagu Sayadaw role
Prominent monk is officially deputy chair of the Committee for the Protection of
Nationality and Religion but is believed to have avoided its activities this year
AUNG KYAW MIN
aungkyawmin.mcm@gmail.com
A PROMINENT cleric appears to
have distanced himself from a group
of monks associated with hard-line
Buddhist and nationalist positions.
Doubts have arisen over whether
Ashin Nyanissara, widely known
as Sitagu Sayadaw, will attend this
weeks national conference of the
Committee for the Protection of Nationality and Religion.
The June 19-21 conference, to be
held at Aung San Tawya monastery in
Insein township, will mark the second
anniversary of the groups founding.
The Committee for the Protection of
Nationality and Religion, better known
as Ma Ba Tha, has actively supported
the passage of laws it argues are necessary to protect Buddhism and Myanmar national identity, though many
local and international critics accuse
them of being anti-Muslim. The leading role played by many monks in protests over the boat people has served
to deepen the controversy.
On June 14, Magwe monastery sayadaw U Parmaukkha, a leading member of Ma Ba Tha, told The Myanmar
Times that it was 90 percent certain
that Sitagu Sayadaw would attend the
conference. Participation in the event
would confirm Ashin Nyanissaras
continued adherence to Ma Ba Tha.

But if he has something else to do,

he wont turn up, added U Parmaukkha. The question is whether he will
appear as a representative of Ma Ba
Tha or in his personal capacity as Sitagu Sayadaw. We will welcome him in
either case. Other comments are just
speculation. The sayadaw is still a
nationalist.
Sitagu Sayadaws office declined to
comment when contacted yesterday.
Last year, Sitagu Sayadaw was
closely associated with the leading
monks of Ma Ba Tha. But in January, the management body of the
International Association of Theravada Buddhist University, of which
he is chancellor, issued a statement
to the effect that he held no official
position with any other religious,
social or political association. It is
understood that the statement was
issued on the instructions of Sitagu
Sayadaw himself.
The January statement, and the
fact that Sitagu Sayadaw seems not to
have been publicly associated with Ma
Ba Tha activities this year, has raised
questions about his role as deputy
chair of Ma Ba Tha. U Parmaukkha
said Sitagu Sayadaws intentions were
likely to be clarified at the conference,
if he attends.
The first two days of the conference
are expected to be held behind closed
doors. On the last day, Hinthada Moe

MANDALAY

Health staff conduct raids

NEARLY every chemists shop in Mandalay inspected by Food and Drug Administration officials was found to be
selling illegal medicines, the FDA said
last week.
Dr Kyaw Kyaw, deputy director
of the department in Mandalay, said
more than 30 kinds of unregistered
medicines and counterfeit or substandard drugs were found during checks
at about 30 pharmacies in Aung Mye
Thar San, Chan Aye Thar San, Pyigyitagun and Patheingyi townships.
We found illegal medicines in

nearly all drugstores. We advised

pharmacists to return expired drugs
to the township health department.
We also told them to store medicines
in proper conditions. We will continue our checks to ensure the safety of
drugs on sale, he told The Myanmar
Times yesterday.
Chemists should check medicines
for Myanmar Registration Numbers
and expiry dates before buying from
suppliers, he said after the June 8-12
inspections. Si Thu Lwin, translation by Zar Zar Soe

Kaung Sayadawgyi, Sitagu Sayadaw

and Mya Sedi Sayadaw will give
speeches, along with members of the
State Sangha Maha Nayaka.
Topics expected to be discussed
include the improvement of culture,
moral character and education, raising mass education, information and
international relations, research and
history, legal affairs, and other activities of Ma Ba Tha. The conference is
expected to issue a final statement.
The conference will be concerned
with the drawing up of by-laws for the
implementation of the four laws related to the Interfaith Marriage Law,
said U Parmaukkha.
We will also discuss peaceful coexistence between different communities and conflict prevention. The issue
of the boat people will be discussed.
Translation by Thiri Min Htun

THE text of the provisional ceasefire

agreement approved between government and ethnic armed-group
negotiators has been leaked and
posted to the social media.
However, the status of the text is
now unclear as armed-group leaders
who met last week to sign it have
proposed numerous changes, and
appointed a new negotiating team
to push the government to accept
the changes.
The existing draft, which has
reportedly attracted thousands of
likes since being posted, was approved by the two negotiating teams
last March for submission to the
group leaders.
Despite initial indications that
it could be signed with little or no
alteration, the armed-group leaders,
meeting at Law Khee Lar in Kayin
State last week, declined to sign.
They insisted that the three armed
groups fighting the government in
Kokang, northern Shan State, be
incorporated into the peace process.
The ethnic armed-group summit
also proposed changes to 15 points in
the draft, including on major policy
matters like security sector reform.
They also set up a new 15-member
group to lead further negotiations
with the government.
The 17-page draft is divided into
seven sections covering 33 items.
Myanmar Review editor in charge
U Ye Moe, a former Tatmadaw officer, said the public should have
the chance to discuss the NCA draft,
which he said had been prepared
furtively. He said it had been in his
possession for about two months.
U Min Zaw Oo, a director of
the Myanmar Peace Center, said
it had been kept under wraps because some ethnic armed groups
that had refused a request to publicise the draft. We thought people
should know its content before it
was signed, but some ethnic leaders
wanted to release it only after their
superiors had approved it, he said.

Padoh Kwe Htoo Win, a peace

negotiator from the Karen National
Union, said the armed groups had
planned to release the ceasefire after
they have reached complete agreement on the text, but before signing.
He said he was not surprised
the draft had been leaked earlier,
however, as it had been distributed
widely at each round of peace talks.
He refused to say why ethnic
leaders did not want to release it
earlier.

15

Changes to the ceasefire signed on

March 31 that were proposed at the
Law Khee Lar talks last week

I have no authority to answer

that. You had better call the negotiating committee, he said.
According to the leaked draft,
armed groups that signed the NCA
would have been removed from the
blacklist and allowed to work for the
development of their home states.
As for security sector reform,
the draft said the political dialogue
would address the status of the Union military.
The countries and organisations
that sent representatives to the
peace negotiations would have been
included in the ceasefire monitoring
committees. The ethnic summit decided to invite more countries and
organisations to witness the NCA
signing ceremony, something the
government had refused in previous
meetings.
Under the political dialogue section, the draft says the 2008 constitution and other existing laws would
be amended in light of decisions to
be made during political dialogue.
Additional reporting by Wa Lone

4 News

THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 16, 2015

Chief Executive Officer

Tony Child
tonychild.mcm@gmail.com
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Sub-Editors Peter Swarbrick, Laignee Barron
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A woman rides a bicycle past fields slated for a US$8 billion development in Yangons Twante township. Photo: Yu Yu

MPs breathe life into suspended

Yangon new city development
Halted in September 2014 following a public outcry, controversial project gets backing of Yangon Region Hluttaw

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YE MON
yeemontun2013@gmail.com

YANGON new city is back. The huge

project suspended last year was yesterday approved by the regional
parliament.
Yangon hluttaw approved a proposal from U Myint Lwin, MP for
Kyeemyindaing township, to implement the Yangon new city project immediately on the basis of a proposal
submitted on June 11.
The vote was carried against the
objections of 10 MPs who said the
project resembled the South West
Yangon new city project included in

the Greater Yangon Strategic Plan

2040 as the second priority project.
Yangon Mayor U Hla Myint told reporters yesterday that the government
would carry out the proposal transparently. We will not reselect Myanma
Saytannar Myothit Public Company
for this project, he said, referring to
the firm that had been awarded last
years cancelled project. We will invite
tenders for the project, but we cant
say when. I think this project could
take time, and will be implemented by
the next government.
With an estimated price tag of
US$8 billion, last years project
covered 30,000 acres between the
Pan Hlaing and Hlaing rivers and
Twante Canal. It was suspended in
September last year due to concerns
over transparency, after the regional
government had hand-picked the

previously unknown Myanma Saytannar Myothit Public Company to

implement it.
Kyeemyindaing MP Daw Kyi
Kyi Mar told parliament during the
debate that the new project was
needed for the people who lived in
the area. Referring to a number of

BILLION US$

Estimated price tag of the Yangon new

city project in Twante township

demonstrations they had held, she

added, We should listen carefully to
the publics voices. The people who
live in the project are very poor. They
need the development.
But Bahan MP Daw Nyo Nyo Thin,
who has been the most outspoken
critic of the plan, accused Myanma
Saytannar Myothit company of paying the demonstrators.
We shouldnt approve this project. When the government announced the project last September,
property prices went up, she said.
Union Solidarity and Development Party MP U Win Tun Naing,
representing Kawhmu township, said
if parliament approved the project,
the next government would face difficulties in implementing it. But it is
important to develop the other side of
the Yangon River, he said.

How to fix the citys traffic jams? Consumer

group puts forth a colourful solution
AYE NYEIN WIN
ayenyeinwin.mcm@gmail.com
DRIVERS who paint the town red are
a known safety risk. But what about
painting the town yellow? Consumer
advocates believe traffic jams can be
cut by up to 80 percent simply by enforcing the thousands of Dont Block
the Box grids at intersections.
Myanmar Consumers Union made
its case at the Conference on Transport at City Hall, which was held with
the slogan Yangon without Traffic
Jam? Yes We Can!
The grids of yellow lines can be seen
at traffic lights, as well as the entrances
to hospitals and other major buildings
with significant traffic flow-through.
Motorists are supposed to keep the
boxes clear to allow access even when
traffic is stopped. But many drivers
dont know, or dont seem to care about
the rules, the June 12 conference heard.

This system is in use internationally, and has been used in Myanmar

since 1965. But many of the yellow
lines have faded. YCDC should re-draw
them, said U Yang Lin, president of
the consumers union and a project
manager with the EU.
Traffic police should educate drivers about the boxes, and take action in
case of violations. It would only take
about a week to re-draw all the faded
yellow lines. We hope to reduce congestion by nearly 80pc, he added.
Whether redrawing the lines would
improve enforcement is unclear, however. While traffic police support the
plan, they seemed doubtful that it
would make a significant difference.
The yellow-box rules are already
enforceable by law, Traffic Police Captain Win Lwin said. Drivers are prohibited from stopping within them,
but many do so anyway.
Traffic police have, though,

requested YCDC to re-draw the yellow

lines, he said.
Weve also asked YCDC to repaint
road signs, but perhaps theyre busy or
lack the funds. We agree that obeying
the yellow-box rules could reduce congestion, but traffic jams will continue
to exist as long as there are too many
cars for the roads.
The consumers union says it will
continue to campaign for yellow boxes
through the media and by a driver
education program, saying it would
represent a low-cost way of improving
road safety and saving time.
Only YCDC has the authority to
draw these lines, though perhaps
private companies could offer assistance. It could be done within
a week. Add to that a few weeks to
educate drivers and the whole program would be complete within two
months. Im sure drivers would cooperate if the benefits were explained

to them, said U Yan Lin.

Driver education would be backed
by more rigorous police enforcement,
increased media scrutiny, and, most
visibly, a canary-hued repainting operation. The Road Transport Administration Department could also be
encouraged to make compliance with
yellow boxes part of the new computerised driving test.
Taxi driver U Moe Thee said only a
combination of education and enforcement would help clear up the roads. I
know what yellow boxes are, and I stay
out of them. But it doesnt work unless
all drivers do the same, he said.
Ko Thaung Htut Aung, a driver
from North Dagon township, said,
Drivers break the law because other
drivers break the law. Everybody wants
to get through the traffic lights as fast
as possible, so you go into the box.
Then youre stuck there for another 10
or 15 minutes till the light changes.

News 5

www.mmtimes.com

Election fever prompts large

rise in electoral roll complaints
More than 87,000 corrections submitted after voter lists go on display in 14 Yangon Region townships

LUN MIN
MANG
lunmin.lm@gmail.com

AFTER a slow start, complaints are

pouring into Yangon Regions election administrators with more than
87,000 people submitting formal
objections to voter lists posted in 14
townships.
Voter lists were put up for public
viewing in the townships from May
25 to June 7. U Tin Win, deputy director of the regional electoral subcommission, said the number of objections had increased, both in total
and as a percentage of eligible voters,
compared with the 8700 complaints
registered in 10 other Yangon townships that had earlier displayed voters lists.
I think public interest this time
has increased. This could be because
we are getting closer to the general
elections, U Tin Win said yesterday.
The accuracy of voter registration has emerged as one of the most
contentious issues so far in the planning for the November elections.
The National League for Democracy
has claimed that up to 80 percent of
names on lists were entered incorrectly such as spelling or date of
birth or not at all. The Union Election Commission (UEC) said this
might be the case in individual townships but not across the nation.
Out of the more than 87,000 residents who registered formal complaints in the latest Yangon townships to post lists, more than 48,000
requested that their names be added.
Some 28,000 requested correction
of wrong information, while about
11,000 registered objections to people they considered unsuitable on
the lists.
The 14 townships include Dagon
Seikkan, North Dagon, South Dagon,
North Okkalapa, Thingangyun, Thanlyin, Kyauktan, Thongwa, Kayan,
Insein, Mingalardon, Shwe Pyi Thar,
Hlaing Tharyar and Htantabin.
Because of complaints and requests after the first round, the time
of display was extended by sub-commission offices beyond the official
hours of 9am to 4pm.
More than 1.8 million eligible voters live in the 14 townships, meaning

A representative from the International Foundation for Electoral Systems speaks at a meeting between civil society
groups and the Yangon Region Election Sub-commission yesterday. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing

that 4.8pc registered formal objections. The rate in the first 10 townships which were much smaller, and
clustered around downtown was
4.3pc out of 200,000 eligible voters.
The UEC has provided the media
with short videos for voter education
broadcast on state-owned television
and is urging voters to check their
names.
U Min Thu Zin said his Civil and
Political Rights Group had observed
that public interest in the elections
was growing.
For the second step of 14 townships, public interest has grown because the public knows that the elections are drawing nearer, he said.
His group carried out voter education and observation of the posting
of lists in Thongwa township.
Other states and regions started
the third step of voter list displays on
June 8. Voter lists will be posted in
Yangon Regions final 21 townships
on June 22.
Election officials in three

townships of Twante, Kawhmu and

Kungyangon said yesterday they
would have problems displaying lists
on time.
We have completed listing the
eligible voters names and facts on
paper. But we have a little problem.
We still dont have the [International
Foundation for Electoral Systems]
software in computers to enter
names and data of voters, U Khin
Maung Cho, chair of the Twante

Public interest has

grown because the
public knows that
the elections are
drawing nearer.
U Min Thu Zin
Civil and Political Rights Group

township sub-commission, told The

Myanmar Times.
If we are supplied with software
in time, we would be able to display
the voters in line with the June 22
deadline, he said.
Later in the day he was told by
district commission officials that an
IFES team would come today for the
software installation.
Yangon Region election sub-commission chair U Ko Ko urged subcommissions at township levels to
cooperate with civil society organisations (CSOs) and inform local authorities, especially police departments,
about the voter education process.
Since the voter education process by CSOs might use loudspeakers encouraging voters to check their
names, there could be some kind of
misunderstanding between them
and police. You must inform the police about the education process, he
told sub-commission officials, adding that police could also be asked to
provide security for CSOs.

Mandalay
voters
correct
mistakes
ATTENTIVE voters have been sending in their complaints to local electoral officials following the display of
voter lists in Mandalay. Nearly every
township in Mandalay Region where
the lists have been on display has produced a crop of requests for corrections, observers said.
Errors include incorrect ward listings and double postings of some
names, voters said yesterday.
The voter lists are being displayed
on a staggered basis throughout the
country to give voters the opportunity
to scrutinise them and correct any errors before the final lists are posted
in advance of the November election.
The lists have already been displayed
in 24 townships in Yangon.
In our ward, some names were
included twice. Some voters found
that their ward was incorrectly listed.
We informed the ward administrative
office so that they could amend the
data, said one voter from Thin Pan
Gone ward, Pyigyitagun township, on
June 13.
Mandalay Region Election Monitoring Network says mistakes have
been reported in every township since
the lists were put on display one week
ago. Network member U Nyi Nyi Kyaw
said most of the errors appeared to
be due to the inexperience of election
commission staff.
Ive lived in this ward for ages. I
cast my vote on the 2008 constitution,
the 2010 election and the 2012 by-election in this ward. Now I find that the
2015 election voter list has me down
in some other ward, said a resident
of Maha Myine ward in Maha Aung
Myay township.
The current display is restricted
to four districts in Mandalay Region,
namely Mandalay, Pyin Oo Lwin,
Kyaukse and Myingyan. The display
for the remaining three districts of
Meiktila, Nyaung Oo and Yamethin
will open on June 22.
Voters who detect an error can report it to their local administrative office and fill in an amendment form.
We knew there would be errors.
Please inform us where we got it wrong
so that we can correct it. The compilation was done in a rush, and our staff
were not very experienced at word-processing, the deputy director of Mandalay Region Election Commission, U
Kyaw Kyaw Soe, said yesterday. Mg
Zaw, translation by Thiri Min Htun

6 News

THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 16, 2015

Mandalay hospital boss seeks expansion

The citys general hospital is bursting at the seams and administrators are seeking funding to boost the number of beds by 50 percent
blood tests arises from the need to test
samples with cutting-edge technology
in phases to ensure that the blood is
clean, said Dr Tin Tin Moe.
Dr Khin Myat Mon from the blood
bank said the hospital receives about
150 to 200 blood donors each day, but
more are needed. About two-thirds of
the blood needed for the hospital was
received from blood donation groups,
with the remaining one-third being
provided by individual donors.

SI THU
LWIN
sithulwin.mmtimes@gmail.com

MANDALAY General Hospital wants

to add 500 beds, increasing its current 1000-bed capacity by 50 percent.
Hospital chief Dr Tin Tin Moe told a
ceremony to honour blood donors on
June 13 that the hospital had already
submitted a request to the Ministry of
Health to approve the expansion.
The 41-ward hospital, which
started as a 250-bed facility in 1925
and was upgraded to 1000 beds in
2012, is also asking for more equipment, specialists and staff.
If we want to run the hospital
to international standards, we need
many more doctors. We now have only
half the number we need. As far as Xray, radiotherapy and laboratory specialists are concerned, we have only a
third of the number required under
international standards, he said.
Reductions in the cost of treatment
and some medicines has prompted
significant growth at many of Myanmars better-equipped state hospitals.
According to the Ministry of Health,
patients at Yangon General Hospital
had increased almost three-fold between 2008 and 2014, from 25,740 to
62,478. Because of overcrowding some
patients had to be accommodated in
classrooms, he said.
Authorities in Mandalay could

1200

Estimated number of people treated

each day at Mandalay General Hospital

Mandalay General Hospital chief Dr Tin Tin Moe leads staff through the wards on June 14. Photo: Si Thu Lwin

not provide detailed figures, but

said the hospital treats about 1200
people each day.
Ma Khine Thazin, who was admitted to the hospital after a motorcycle
accident, said Mandalays hospital was
struggling to cope with the influx of
new patients.
People dont need to pay the

TRADEMARK CAUTION
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registered office at 2000 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, New
Jersey 07033, United States of America, hereby declares that
the Company is the owner and sole proprietor of the following
Trademarks:

DIPROSPAN
Reg. Nos. IV/573/1982 (31 July 1982)
IV/3911/2009 (3 June 2009)
The above trademark is used in respect of Corticosteroid
preparations in Class 5.

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Reg. No. IV/874/1982 (2 July 1982),
IV/3912/2009 (3 June 2009)
The above trademark is used in respect of Corticosteroid
preparations in Class 5.

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Reg. No. IV/2231/1996 (2 February 1997),
IV/3913/2009 (4 June 2009)
The above trademark is used in respect of Pharmaceutical long
acting dosage preparations in Class 5.
Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the above marks or
other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law.
Daw Thit Thit Kyaw, (H.G.P.)
For Schering Corporation,
c/o BM Myanmar Legal Services Limited (Baker & McKenzie)
# 1206, 12th Floor, Sakura Tower,
339 Bogyoke Aung San Road,
Kyauktada Township, Yangon,
The Republic of the Union of Myanmar.
Dated: 16 June 2015

emergency department as they did before but there are too many beds for
the space available, and its too crowded with patients and family members,
she said. We cant stand the smell of
medicines and people. It would be better for all if the hospital were expanded to 1500-bed capacity.
The hospitals management has

also requested the ministry give permission to set up a blood bank independent of the hospital to ease the
pressure on its 20 laboratory staff.
The blood bank should have an independent management. Currently it
shares its workforce with the laboratory. I want blood donors to understand
that the delay we experience in doing

Id like to ask them to donate

blood regularly every four months,
said Dr Khin Myat, citing the need for
a reliable supply.
The new nine-storey Man Taung
Yate building was constructed in the
Mandalay General Hospital compound
at a cost of K3 billion, comprising state
financing and public subscription. It
opened under health ministry auspices
on March 28 and features a nuclear
medicine department, the renal medical
department, a gastrointestinal department, teaching halls and intensive care
units. Translation by Thiri Min Htun

Police probe demolition of homes

in industrial zone by hired gang
TOE WAI AUNG
linnhtet.lt@gmail.com
VIOLENT clashes broke out in northern Yangon as armed men, apparently hired by a landowner, forcibly
drove off residents before destroying
their homes with bulldozers. The men
later attacked a monastery where the
residents had taken refuge, damaging
some of the monastery buildings, according to eyewitnesses.
The clashes occurred in the industrial zone near Sin Phone village in
Mingalardon township, Yangon Region, on the morning of June 12, according to Police Captain Win Myint,
head of Mingalardon township police.
The area is quiet now. We are investigating allegations made by both
sides, he said.
On June 12, at about 7am, a group
of men allegedly hired by the owner of
plot 236/237 in Mingalardon Industrial
Zone started to destroy the huts in the
plot using three excavators. Of the 78
homes, 48 were demolished, according
to police.
According to a statement issued by
the township General Administrative

Department on June 13, entrepreneurs

granted working permits for plots in the
industrial zone were required to develop
buildings on their sites not later than
November 6. The statement said it was
necessary to remove people living in the
industrial zone in line with the law.
A villager who witnessed the scene
but declined to be identified due to
safety concerns said, First, two excavators came, each with about five men
aboard, and accompanied by about
50 people carrying sticks, knives and
catapults. They destroyed the fence of
Ko Tun Tuns house with the excavator, then used it to knock down three
houses in front of his house. While Ko
Tun Tun and the villagers were negotiating with that group, a person who
appeared to be the leader continued to
destroy property, saying it was being
done on the orders of their superior.
During the fighting, one of the armed
gang threw something at the villagers,
injuring three of them.
The eyewitness said the leader of
the group fired into the air twice with
what appeared to be a gun.
Pol Capt Win Myint said that if a
gun was really fired then police would

take serious action.

About 300 people armed with sticks
and knives arrived at the nearby Dekhinaryone monastery, where villagers
whose houses were destroyed had assembled for temporary shelter, on June
13 at about 11am and fired stones at the
monastery with catapults.
They entered the monastery with
catapults and knives and fired stones
at the buildings in the monastery compound and at the villagers staying in
the monastery, injuring four of them.
When township police and civil society organisation members arrived, they
ran away, Ma Than Than Win from Sin
Phone village said.
The owner of the land, U Tun Tun
Win, has also filed a complaint with police. According to police, he has admitted hiring the people to clear the homes,
but said he did not condone or promote
the use of violence or threats. He could
not be reached for comment yesterday.
The land is inside an industrial
zone developed by Zaykabar company,
owned by prominent business identity
and upper house parliamentarian U
Khin Shwe.
Translation by Thiri Min Htun

Weather prompts rise in snakebite patients

FARMERS in the countrys midsection
have been warned to beware as unstable weather conditions are driving
snakes from their hibernation holes
in the fields. The number of snakebite
patients is rising, with new victims
coming in almost every day, say hospital chiefs.
People bitten by a snake can be
saved if they are rushed to hospital
without delay. Farmers should be particularly careful at the moment, Mandalay General Hospital official U Min
Lwin said on June 10.

As of June 9, the number of snakebite patients rushed to hospital had

reached nearly 50 since late May, he
said, adding that other victims had
died because they received traditional
remedies in their villages.
Over the same period last year,
about 35 patients sought treatment for
snakebites.
The increase has been attributed to
the unstable weather, which saw significant rainfall in early-to-mid-May
followed by hot and dry weather in
late May and early June.

The weather has changed a lot.

It brings animals out of their holes.
When they meet people in the fields,
they bite them. People should take
care to protect their feet and legs
while walking in the forest at night,
he said.
Some people die of snakebite because they accept traditional quick-fix
treatments instead of an antidote. A
victim in Madaya township died for
this reason.
Maung Zaw, translation by
Thiri Min Htun

News 7

www.mmtimes.com

Views

Where do ethnic politics go after 2015?

Ethnic parties face formidable challenges if they are to maintain their important role in Myanmars political system after the election
MARIE LALL
mariecarine.lall@gmail.com

THNIC political parties represented the first legitimate

opposition to the Union
Solidarity and Development
Party-dominated parliaments
following the 2010 election. Despite
their thin representation at the centre, ethnic parties won a reasonable
number of seats in some of the state
legislatures. At first, these new bodies
seemed to have little power or influence, yet over the past three years
there has been a quiet yet important
revolution, where ethnic parties at
state level have been able to influence
local politics, starting with the debate
on ethnic language of instruction in
government primary schools, to questions related to service delivery and
resource sharing.
Ethnic party parliamentarians
have been calling for a greater role
in the peace process and should be
important players once the political dialogue starts. However, recent
research reveals that this new and
important role they have played is
now under threat. Ahead of the 2015
election, research was undertaken
over five months to understand the
role that ethnic parties play in Myanmar politics today, their views on
the reform and peace processes, their
thoughts about the ethnic armed
groups, and the challenges they face
in view of the polls. Interviews and
focus groups were conducted with
a total of 218 people at the headquarters of 36 parties in all ethnic
states. The conversations revealed a
complex yet vibrant ethnic political
scene.
Starting out in 2010 was not an
easy task. There was no recent precedent for ethnic party politics, as men
with guns had represented most ethnic grievances. While ceasefires were
mostly in place, the needs of ordinary
ethnic citizens had not been met. The
ethnic parties saw it as their responsibility to change how ethnic issues
were viewed and presented to the
government. The role of local NGOs,
such as Myanmar Egress, Shalom and
Metta, were invaluable in helping
fledgling parties build capacity both
before the 2010 elections and after,
helping them to build a solid political
base and a mechanism to respond
to local needs. Ethnic parties have
become part of an important new
movement of grassroots democracy
across the country.
Whilst ethnic parties are mostly
concerned with local issues and
problems, many do not subscribe
to only supporting the ethnic group
they officially represent. They work
for all their constituents, regardless
of ethnicity, often in cooperation
with civil society groups. Beyond
ethnic- and state-based issues, their
national role has become particularly important as they have been
able to express and represent ethnic
issues at the state and national level
differently from the ethnic armed
groups, whose mission more often
than not has been to fight the state.
Their political contribution to the
debate on equality, federalism and
a decentralisation process had been
invaluable.
In light of the 2015 elections, one
would hope that the ethnic political
scene would emerge stronger than
in 2010. Given the past five years
of reforms and the steep learning
curve many party members have
been through, we should be looking
forward to ethnic voices being better
represented than ever. There are,

Members of the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party hold a meeting in Pyin Oo Lwin shortly before the 2010 general election. Photo: Christopher Davy

however, threats and challenges that

could mean the end of ethnic politics
as we have known it for the past few
years.

met, the elections will not be fair, as

small ethnic parties will be severely
disadvantaged compared to the wellfunded ethnic Bamar parties.

Challenges
First of all ethnic parties suffer from
a severe financial crunch that is
particularly challenging in light of the
costs they will have to bear during the
elections. Very few parties have any
idea how they will cover candidate
registration fees or costs associated
with the electoral campaign. How
parties are supposed to communicate
with far-flung constituents if they do
not even have a car or money for fuel
is unclear.
This affects new parties and
old ones alike. As one respondent
explained, As you know, all the parties have funding problems. For our
party, we are currently relying on the
membership fees. Our party has been
officially registered just five months
ago and funding issue is a headache
for us. We are now thinking if we
should establish a business company
to find funds for the party. At the
moment, we are just running on
our own contributions and are still
struggling.
Ethnic parties need practical help
in how to raise funds; in transportation, especially in remote areas, so as
to access their constituents; and in
running their electoral campaign as
efficiently as possible. All parties also
need a range of capacity building and
training, preferably from local NGOs
that understand the local political
context. Unless these challenges are

The National League for Democracy

Finance is not the only - and not even
the primary - concern that the parties
expressed. The most important threat
is the re-emergence of the NLD in the
ethnic states and the potential splitting of ethnic votes.

Armed groups will

have to join formal
politics in the future.
This, some ethnic
parties feel, could
lead to more splits in
ethnic politics and to
new power struggles.

The parties all acknowledge that

the NLD has a right to contest the
elections in ethnic states but believe
doing so is unfair. One respondent expressed a view held across
almost all ethnic political parties
interviewed: The NLD used to shout
ethnic solidarity everywhere they
have done their campaigns and advocacy. If they sincerely respect ethnic

solidarity, they should not come and

compete in ethnic areas. It is their
right to compete in ethnic areas, but
it is heavily challenging for other
ethnic parties. Even though there
might not be visible conflicts, ethnic
parties will mentally suffer from this
unfair act.
The peace process
The ethnic parties are desperately
needed and a reduction of ethnic
politics would be a tragedy. Their
part in the peace process is essential. One respondent spoke of the
mediating role that ethnic parties
could play between the ethnic armed
groups and the government as the
peace process moves forward. In
peace discussions, there should be
three parties: ethnic armed groups
on one side, the parliament on other
side, and the rest for the political
parties. Here, political parties can
play a role mediating political disagreements between the government
and armed groups.
The ethnic parties are acutely
aware that the armed groups will
have to join formal politics in the
future. This, some of them feel, could
lead to more splits in ethnic politics and to new power struggles in
the future. In many areas, relations
between ethnic parties and armed
groups are already complex. However,
at this moment peace is the main
priority for all and the parties could
well be at the foundation of a stable
peace agreement once the nationwide
ceasefire is signed.
The elections will be a test of

Myanmars democracy. The ethnic

parties express the hope that the
elections will be free and fair. For this
to happen they felt there is a need for
observers to be dispatched across the
ethnic states, including to the more
remote regions. Their hope is that the
international community will play
a role in this. They also expressed
the need for an extended campaign
period to create a more level playing
field, given that they operate mostly
in rural, difficult-to-access areas, and
not in urban areas like most of the
Bamar parties.
The issue at stake here is not only
free elections, but also fair elections
for those representing the ethnic
minority constituencies. Myanmar
needs the ethnic parties for a fair
balance of politics and power, so that
the centre does not overrun ethnic
communities, and that ethnic voices
continue to be heard. It is clear that
if the ethnic parties lose the political
ground that they have gained over the
past few years, ethnic oppression will
continue after the next elections, no
matter which of the two main Bamar
parties wins. For Myanmar to become
a true democracy, it is essential that
ethnic parties retain influence over
the area of politics in which they are
the greatest stakeholders.
Marie Lall is reader in education and
South Asian studies at the UCL Institute
of Education, London. More of her work
can be found at www.marielall.com. Those
interested in a copy of the report can
email her on mariecarine.lall@gmail.com

8 THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 16, 2015

Business
Ministry, traders discuss the forex rate
AYE
THIDAR
KYAW
ayethidarkyaw@gmail.com

HTIN
LINN
AUNG
htynlynnaung@gmail.com

THE unstable exchange rate has

significantly affected imports and
exports, making business difficult,
according to traders.
The kyat had depreciated for
most of the year, but has been particularly volatile in June.
On June 1 the kyat stood at
about K1137 per US dollar on informal markets, before depreciating
to a low of K1276 on June 12, the
same day it began recovering. Yesterday it traded at about K1187 on
informal exchanges, though many
displayed outward rates at K1113,
within the Central Bank of Myanmars legal band.
Given low levels of domestic production in items such as electronics, pharmaceuticals and edible oil,
many of these goods need to be imported from abroad. However, rapid
swings in the kyat-dollar exchange

rate severely impact businesses dependent on importing these products, as well as on shipping goods to
foreign buyers.
Businesspeople say that consumers suffer when the dollar strengthens against the kyat, as dollar-denominated imports become more
expensive. The opposite is true for
exporters when the kyat weakens
against the dollar, foreigners are
keener to purchase products that
are made in Myanmar. But when
the kyat strengthens against the
dollar, Myanmar goods become less
attractive.
The Ministry of Commerce held
a meeting with importers and exporters to discuss the problem at
domestic business association the
Union of Myanmar Federation of
Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) on June 13.

UMFCCI vice chair U Maung

Maung Lay said at the June 13
meeting the government is looking
for solutions, and that a separate
meeting will be held this week in
Nay Pyi Taw with commerce ministry officials and Central Bank of
Myanmar staff, who will discuss the
situation in further detail.
Trade is the area that suffers
the most impact from swings in exchange rates, he said. Particularly
imports.
The exchange rate can also lead
to higher prices which are stickier
than the exchange rate itself. Traders sometimes increase prices due
to exchange rates, but then do not
reverse the rise when the exchange
rate moves the other way, as they expect similar movement in the future.
U Maung Maung Lay said traders
think about the many ways not to
lose on current fluctuations, which
end up impacting consumers.
A Central Bank of Myanmar official yesterday confirmed the separate meeting between government,
Central Bank and private sector officials to be held today. He added
that dollars that are required for

imports will be sold immediately

through the domestic banks.
At the June 13 meeting, U Nay
Lin Zin, exporter and co-secretary
of the Myanmar Rice Federation,
said the requirement for dollars
is a huge problem for private sector traders. He added that they
are keen to hear the governments
plans to address the rapid changes
in exchange rates.
We have yet to receive an accurate answer in meetings. The current
instructions for traders are not possible and are ineffective, he said.
The Central Bank issued an announcement in late May that limited withdrawals of US dollars to
US$5000, twice a week. This, some
believe, led the kyat to weaken further. Industry website naungmoon.
com placed the rate at K1187 to the
US dollar yesterday. The Central
Bank reference rate on the same
day was K1105.
Chair of the Myanmar Automobile Manufacturers and Distributors Association U Soe Tun said he
objected to the Central Banks announcements restricting dollar withdrawals. They placed restrictions

even on exporters. Its impossible to

fulfil US dollar requirement for importers, he said.
The government held meetings
about the depreciating kyat last
week, which were attended by parliamentary committees, ministers,
representatives from the Central
Bank, as well as from private and
public banks.
Central Bank sources said that
the results of the meeting and subsequent instructions will be announced in the coming days.
Myanmars total trade target is
around $30 billion for the 2015-16
fiscal year, compared to $27 billion
in 2014-15. However, statistics show
that trade declined in the first two
months of the fiscal year, April and
May, compared to the same months
last year.
U Win Myint, director of the
Trade Promotion Department, said
exports from sectors such as agriculture, fishery, mining and forestry have increased since April
this year, though exports of some
products such as natural gas and
garments did not increase in April
and May.

SMALL BUSINESS

Entrepreneurs cash in on craze for football matches

Fans say they want to go to where the action is. When the action is in Singapore, local tea shops are often the next best thing

MYAT
NOE OO
myatnoe.mcm@gmail.com

WHILE last nights Myanmar-Thailand gold medal game was sure

to be a heated contest, there was
one guaranteed winner the tea
shops, restaurants and bars that
are packed to the overflowing with
high-profile sports matches.
Downtown shops equipped with
televisions see significant surges
with the most important sports
games, though those further afield
garner the most business.
There have been more customers during the SEA Games than is
normal at Seven Eleven tea shop
on Bo Aung Kyaw Street. With all
the extra customers and distracting
sports on the television, the waiters
must work hard to meet the excess
business while still keeping an eye
on the screens.
Football matches are great, as
they bring in more business, but
mostly for tea and cold drinks rather than for food, said Seven Elevens shop owner.
My waiters and I also want to
watch, so we try to balance watching with service. At the end, were
very tired.
For important matches, the shop
takes out its big tables and trucks in
small tables to free up space. During game time, there are no places
for families in the shop. They have
to stay outside, he said.
While business is good downtown, in suburban areas custom
is even better during important
matches. The reason is that more
locals do not have televisions and

so must go to tea shops to watch

matches.
If shops dont have televisions,
their business isnt good, said Ko
Zarni, a resident of South Okkalapa
township.
In our ward, everybody goes to
the tea shops to watch football. We
have to get there early or there is no
seat though my friends can save
me a place.
The owner of Aye Chan Moe tea
shop in South Okkalapa township
said all the shops will be full of
people with the Myanmar-Thailand
match, though any night with football draws the crowds.

My waiters and I
also want to watch,
so we try to balance
watching with
service. At the end,
were very tired.
Owner of Seven Eleven tea shop

Often people wait around between regular league matches on

television and order food, though
sales drop off during game time.
On those days we have no time
to rest and are always busy. The
next day we open the shops late,
he said.
Tea shops are not the only small
businesses that do well with highprofile sports games.
Some matches are shown outdoors
on large screens in public areas, and

Football fans take in the Myanmar-Cambodia game on June 9 in downtown Yangon. Photo: Zarni Phyo

car owners sometimes turn into impromptu taxis to take people to see
the games.
U Aye, a car owner in Yankin
township, said he will go down to
watch the game at Peoples Park,
and bring a car-load of passengers
at K1000 a head.
The price isnt too bad. Its only
K500 for each direction, he said. I
also want to watch matches in the
park, so its a good system for me.

Women are also increasingly

keen to take in games at the tea
shop.
Watching games at home is boring. I dont want to watch them at
home, said 20-year-old Ma Nay Chi.
I go with my brothers to watch
football at the tea shop.
Fans say they want to go to where
the action is. When the action is in
Singapore, local tea shops are the
next best thing.

Ko Sithu, another football fan,

said he appreciates the camaraderie that comes with watching games
live in a share space.
We can shout as much as we
want at the tea shop and we feel like
no one cares. There is no need for
shame, because everybody is doing
it, he said.
I cannot watch the game at home,
because my mother wants me to be
silent. But Im always shouting.

BUSINESS EDITOR: Jeremy Mullins | jeremymullins7@gmail.com

Two Kingdoms of Thailand

and Cambodia launch dual
visas for tourists

Difficult choices face

Greece and its creditors
as talks collapse

BUSINESS 12

BUSINESS 13

Exchange Rates (June 15 close)

Currency
Euro
Malaysia Ringitt
Singapore Dollar
Thai Baht
US Dollar

Buying
K1230
K294
K813
K33
K1112

Selling
K1250
K305
K827
K35
K1114

Myantrade
promotion
agency to
start

IN PICTURES

Photo: Kaung Htet

Property projects are popping up across the country, and the Myanmar Property Awards
aims to highlight those doing the best job in building.
For a look at some of the contenders, see page 10

Local directories
move to online apps
AUNG KYAW NYUNT
aungkyawnyunt28@gmail.com
MYANMAR Marketing Research and
Development (MMRD) company has
rolled out a Yangon Directory online
mobile app, joining a growing number
of directories heading online.
The firm has been making its Yangon Directory business and information directories in paper form since
2012, listing phone numbers and addresses. But company officials say it is
time to enter the digital age.
MMRD digital marketing manager U Yan Aung said the app, which is
presently only available on Android devices, will allow users to avoid flipping
through the giant books. The initial version is only in English, but a Myanmarlanguage version and iOS version will
be released later this year.
Currently the Yangon Directory app
functions similarly to the Yangon Directory book, he said. But later, the app
user will be able to check out a location
with GPS.
The firm claims about 135,000 Yangon listings with over 600 business
headings. Competitors such as Myanmar Yellow Pages have also recently
released directory apps.
Meanwhile, online firm Zwenexsys plans to launch an iOS version
of its app for purchasing Express

bus tickets in four months, said its

managing director U Thar Htet. It
launched an English-language version for Android about four months
ago. U Thar Htet also said there is
something of a generational shift, with
middle-age people increasingly using
the internet, but older people still slow
on the take-up.

Mobile users are

keen on having
apps, but the key
is strong internet
connections.
U Kyaw Kyaw Aung
Mobile phone user

The number of such tech offerings is growing rapidly in the country,

though many depend on good online
connections.
Operators are reducing data charges and more people are using phones,
said U Kyaw Kyaw Aung, Yangon mobile phone user. Mobile users are keen
on having apps, but the key is strong
internet connections.

A ONE-STOP trade promotion authority called Myanmar Trade, or Myantrade, is slated to open in the current
fiscal year, according to Ministry of
Commerce adviser U Maung Aung.
The centre is modelled on intenriatonal counterparts such as South
Koreas KOTRA, Malaysias MATRADE
and Japans JETRO. It is intended to
hold business matching events, trade
fairs, showcase export items and also
search for new markets.
We have already submitted a proposal to the government to open this
centre. This is the most suitable time
to promote our exports, as our exporters will benefit from the currencys devaluation, he said.
Ministry of Commerce trade figures show Myanmar had a US$4.9 billion trade deficit in the 2014-15 fiscal
year with overall trade volumes of $28
billion. This year it expects to hit $30
billion in total trade.
Myanmars agricultural exports,
particularly goods such as rice, beans
and pulses, and rubber benefit from
the weakening kyat. On the other
hand, imports of goods such as electronics, consumer products and pharmaceutical goods generally become
more expensive.
The Ministry of Commerce is receiving assistance from regional trade
promotion agencies in launching. It
had hoped to open the centre since
last year, but faced obstacles from a
constrained budget and finding the
right staff.
Aye Thidar Kyaw

OPIC approves large

loan to Apollo Towers
CLARE
HAMMOND
clarehammo@gmail.com

THE US governments development

finance institution, Overseas Private
Investment Corporation (OPIC), has
approved up to US$250 million in financing for Apollo Towers Myanmar.
The direct loan will be used for the
development of a network of 2500 telecommunications towers, according
to OPIC. Apollo Towers has built 1080
towers in Myanmar to date, and has
an order from Norwegian operator
Telenor Group to build 717 more.
OPICs support to Apollo Towers
is expected to create the infrastructure
that will contribute to a goal of 75 percent mobile access for Burmas people
by 2016, said a note published by
OPIC on 11 June. In addition to bringing widespread information access to
millions of people, OPICs support to
Apollo Towers will provide a valuable
demonstration effect for development
in this newly-opened market.
The demonstration effect is important this is the highest direct

US government financial support in

Myanmar to date, said Philippe Luxcey, chief executive officer at Apollo
Towers.
The biggest challenge was the
time it took to prove that our business is in line with all of OPICs requirements the processes, transparency, compliance with international
standards for everything, including
security and human resources, said
Mr Luxcey. It was a lot of work but
it gave OPIC the confidence that they
needed.
While receiving financing from
OPIC, Apollo Towers will be required
to follow the International Finance
Corporations (IFC) 2012 Performance
Standards. Apollo Towers was also offered a loan by the IFC, said Mr Luxcey, but chose OPIC instead.
Its very difficult to find international banks ready to lend money in
Myanmar. In the end, we had two
offers, but the maximum amount
we could draw from OPIC was
higher than the IFC, and for us its
good to have that guarantee in the
mid-term.
The cost of financing offered by
both institutions was similar, he added, though he declined to elaborate
on the terms of the loan.

Henry Butler, head of corporate finance at Apollo Towers, said the next
step is to obtain approval from the
Central Bank of Myanmar.
We will work closely with the
Central Bank before any money
comes into the country or is remitted
as part of the repayment, he said.
In addition, Mr Luxcey said Apollo
Towers will have to put in place a
process to ensure the company will
be able to repay the loan in US dollars. OPIC is the development finance
arm of the US government. It works
with the US private sector and helps
to fund US businesses operating in
emerging markets. It had its operations suspended in Myanmar in the
1990s due to concerns over human
rights issues, but took its first step
toward resuming operations in May
2013, when Deputy Minister for Commerce U Pwint San signed an Investment Incentive Agreement with
the group during President U Thein
Seins visit to Washington.
Apollo Towers was founded by
Sanjiv Ahuja, former CEO of Orange
Group, who is the companys primary
investor, along with US private equity
firm TPG. TPG is invested via its Global Growth Fund, which manages more
than $59 billion of capital.

Gems rises to the top

Checking out
the contenders
for the 2015
Myanmar
Property Awards
The Myanmar Property Awards 2015
are to be held on June 17, revealing
the judges picks for the top in each of
the nearly two-dozen categories.
Part of a regional network of
property awards, the Myanmar
version will feature 22 awards for
the best developer, developments
and design in the local real estate
sector, covering residential, office, hotel, serviced and renovated
properties. The contenders are:
Best Developer
Green Vision
Naing Group
SPA Myanmar
Best Condo Development
Diamond Inya
Star City
The Gems
The Illustra
The Infinity
Best Office Development
OEPG Office
Parkside One
Vantage Tower
Best Hotel Development
Kempinski (NPT)
NgweSaung Yacht Club
Rose Garden Hotel
Best Serviced Apartment
Inya Myaing Serviced Residence
Residence at 26
The Shangri-La Residence

Nominated for: Best Residential Architectural Design

and Best Condominium Design
GEMS Garden Condominium in Hlaing township comprises four 21-storey
apartment blocks. Arranged in a Ushape to conform to the site, the project is designed with views and orientations of the main living spaces for its
residents in mind.
Work on the project launched in
September 2013, with the first two towers now complete and the last two towers almost finished.
It is Capital Development Ltds
maiden property development project in Yangon city, according to a
company official, and is envisioned
as part of a modern and prestigious

Golden City gardens

with French inspiration
Nominated for: Best Landscape Architecture Design
THE joint Singapore-Myanmar developers behind Yankin townships ambitious US$230 million Golden City project are proud of the area set aside for
outdoor gardens.
The project is slated to eventually
include residential buildings, a five-star
hotel and a shopping mall, as well as
the open spaces.
Jeffrey Lu, an official with the developers, said the planners of its gardens
have turned to France for inspiration.
The gardens principles of symmetry, fine proportions of landscaping,
bountiful vegetation, flowing fountains,

majestic statues, and elegant trails

throughout the lush lawns recall the
great romantic scenes from 17th century
France, said Jeffrey Lu, a developer
with Golden City.
The firm aims to provide residents
with a relaxing and green home environment that is essential to a healthy
and enjoyable lifestyle, he added.
The projects high rises will join
those of others such as the Yangon
Sedona and Vietnam-owned HAGL
that are rising to the east of Inya
Lake.
Tin Yadanar Htun

Rose Gardens modern

spaces to evoke the past

Best Serviced Office Development

Hinthar Office
Keier Group
My Yangon Office

Nominated for: Best Hotel Development, Best Hotel

Architectural Design, Best Hotel Interior Design

Best Renovated Property

InyaMyaing Serviced Residence
Parkside One
Rangoon Tea House
The Strand Mansion
Union Bar

THE Rose Garden Hotel on Upper Pansodan Street had its soft opening a year
ago, and has gradually been opening
additional rooms, adding much-needed
hotel space to Yangon.
Developed by Hong Kong firm Emerald Development, it sits on 4.4 acres
near the Yangon zoo and Kandawgyi
Lake.
The most interesting part of the
hotel is the inspiration for the design,
which is rooted in Myanmars ancient
culture, said human resources manager U Soe Tint. It draws on the style of
buildings constructed by the Kingdom
of Bagan while meeting modern design,
he said.
The appearance ties together the

Best Residential Architectural

Design
Diamond Inya
Infinity
May Inya
The Gems
The Illustra
Best Residential Interior Design
Diamond Inya
Infinity
Star City - Galaxy Condo
The Illustra
The Shangri-La Residence
Best Office Architectural Design
OEPG Office
Parkside One
ShweGone Emotion Tower
Vantage Tower
Best Hotel Architectural Design
Kempinski (NPT)
NgweSaung Yacht Club
Rose Garden Hotel
Best Hotel Interior Design
Kempinski (NPT)
Ngwe Saung Yacht Club
Rose Garden Hotel
Best Landscape Architecture
Design
Golden City
Kempinski (NPT)
Star City
Yacht Club
Photos Supplied

high-rise residential project.

It is part of Capital City, an ambitious mixed use development which
will revitalise the Insein Road vicinity,
the official said.
The condos come with a range of
amenities including a gate and guarded living environment that is safe for
families, a grand entrance with quality landscaping and water-related features, as well as parking, pools, outdoor
BBQ and recreational areas, a hall, a
gym, outdoor exercise areas among
other amenities.
RSP Architect is the architect for
the project. Myat Nyein Aye

Tea Houses classic look

Nominated for: Best Renovation
SITUATED on the first floor of an early1900s colonial building, the Rangoon
Tea House has built a reputation as
home to a quality twist on local cuisine.
While sipping a cuppa in a local
tea shop is a deeply ingrained part of
Myanmar, sometimes it is a little more
pleasant with modern amenities like air
conditioning and high-speed internet.
Rangoon Tea House was designed as
a busy bistro, mimicking the life inside
local tea houses, and not intended as a
fine dining restaurant. It aims to allow
locals and foreigners alike to eat without the frills of dressing up and spending exorbitant amounts of money.
Ma Mya Myitzu, the interior designer for Rangoon Tea House, said she
left the US for Myanmar in 2011, and
noticed a lot of new spaces were under construction, but not many people
were fixing up and restoring old places.
Before starting the project, she

asked, What is contemporary Myanmar style and who is going to reinvent

and revive it? Ma Mya Myitzu said she
had a chance to answer this question,
while also working to push forth her
generations take on Myanmar culture.
Yet while the Rangoon Tea House
has a classic feel, a lot of modern technology went in to the project.
Although the loft is very old and
there were termite issues, the walls
were opened up and enveloped with
water proof, anti fungus quality Shera
[fibre cement] boards for functionality
and safety yet one would never know
this unless you knocked on the boards.
It just looks like an old loft, painted
white, she said.
A lot of thought also went into the
furnishings. The seating is a mix of British bent wood Thornet chairs, juxtaposed against local 1080s style Burmese
chairs. Tin Yadanar Htun

clean lines of the 21st century and the

textual richness of the 11th century.
The Rose Garden has worked to
preserve large trees on its property.
The guest rooms and public areas themselves have an interior
design that make extensive use of
wood, rattan and bamboo, along
with matching soft furnishings, said
U Soe Tint.
Most of this material was locally
sourced and hand crafted, he said,
pointing to items such as the doors,
rattan chairs and sofas. The hotel also
comes equipped with modern conveniences, such as WiFi and energyefficient electronics and lighting.
Tin Yadanar Htun

12 International Business

THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 16, 2015

PHNOM PENH

Thailand, Cambodia
issue joint tourist visas
CAMBODIA and Thailand have
joined hands to increase foreign and
inter-ASEAN tourism under the Two
Kingdoms, One Destination tourism
pact.
Tith Chantha, secretary of state at
Cambodias Ministry of Tourism, said
Cambodia and Thailand have already
created a single-visa option for tourists looking to explore both countries
in one trip.
Now, were joining with Thailand
to promote Two Kingdoms, One Destination. It will make it much easier
for tourists who dont want to visit
only one country during their trip,
he said.
Thailand has a lot of airlines operating long-haul to Europe or the
United States we dont have many
of those long flights, so we will benefit from this once the campaign
kicks in.
Thailands minister of tourism and
sports, Kobkran Wattanakvrangkul,
told the Bangkok Post that the campaign would run from 2015 to 2017.
The collaboration looks forward
to exchanging foreign travellers and
facilitating travel across both countries. The plan also promotes intraASEAN tourism, Mr Kobkarn was
quoted as saying.
The campaign will promote two
major tourist routes. One will run
along the Gulf of Thailands coastline,

Tourists take
in Cambodias
Angkor Wat
temple. Photo: AFP

going through Bangkok, Rayong and

Trat in Thailand to Koh Kong, Sihanoukville, Kampot and Phnom Penh.
The other will also originate in
Bangkok and end in Phnom Penh,
but will go through further inland
from Aranyaprathet in Thailand to
Poipet, Battambang and Siem Reap.
Ho Vandy, co-chair of the Government-Private Sector Working Group
on Tourism, welcomed the initiative.
He said that Cambodia had been cooperating with Thailands tourism association since 2008.
Now that this is being done on

a governmental level, it will be a big

boost because it will share benefits
with both countries, he said.
We have observed that we got
more than 30 percent of [Cambodias] tourists from Thailand since
the promotion began.
Tourist arrivals to Cambodia from
Thailand were up 37pc to 71,572 visitors during the first quarter of 2015,
ranking fifth, while Vietnamese tourists still ranked first followed by China, South Korea and Laos, according
to the Ministry of Tourism.
The Phnom Penh Post

HONG KONG

Dutch fund backs

activist in Samsung fight
THE manager of the worlds secondlargest pension fund is siding with
billionaire shareholder activist Paul
Elliott Singer in his fight against Samsung Group.
Builder Samsung C&T Corp burned
a bridge with investors when it agreed
last week to sell treasury shares to an
ally to win support for a US$9 billion
merger, said Park Yoo-Kyung, a director at APG Groep. Though APG owns
only 0.3 percent of C&T, it has influence given it manages more than 432
billion euros ($485 billion) of assets.
Treasury stock is not to be used
as ammunition to protect controlling
shareholders control in the upcoming
succession, Mr Park, director of sustainability and governance at APGs
Asian asset management arm in Hong
Kong, said in an interview. Are they
listening to shareholders concerns?
They burned the bridge.
Mr Park said APG will vote against
the offer from Samsungs de facto
holding company, joining Mr Singers
Elliott Associates in defying the controlling Lee family. The Lees have
much riding on the deal as they seek
to solidify control over South Koreas
largest conglomerate amid a once-ina-generation leadership transition.
Samsung C&T said on June 10 it
will sell all its 8.99 million treasury
shares, equal to a 5.8pc stake, to KCC
Corp, a construction material maker
linked to the Hyundai conglomerate.
Treasury shares are useless in a proxy
contest since companies cant vote for
themselves.

KCC is not a good friend, because

they have their own corporate governance problem theyre not returning
the cash to shareholders, Mr Park
said. Getting help from them is not
helpful for Samsungs image.
Moodys Investors Service said on
June 12 that KCCs purchase reinforces
its concerns about the companys uncertain investment strategy.
The sale, which unlocks voting
rights the Lee family can use to push
through the merger, brought an immediate legal challenge from Mr Elliott. The activist investor, which opposes the bid by Cheil Industries as too
low, called the disposal a desperate
and unlawful attempt by Samsung to
strengthen support for the takeover
effort.
The sale of treasury shares was a
legitimate and fair move that was
made with the best interests of the
company and shareholders in mind,
Samsung C&T said in a statement.
The boards decision to sell the
treasury shares is to achieve diversification and synergy through the merger, protect the company and shareholders from hedge funds who seek
short-term profits and secure funds
to improve the companys financials,
Samsung C&T said.
Cheil Industries said it is inappropriate for the company to comment, as
the issue is a matter between Samsung
C&T and its shareholders. A Hong
Kong-based external spokesperson for
Mr Elliott declined to comment.
Bloomberg

International Business 13

www.mmtimes.com
BRUSSELS

BRUSSELS

Difficult choices face

Greece and creditors
CRUNCH talks between Greek and EUIMF officials broke off with no deal late
on June 14, making a Greek default an
imminent danger and increasing the
threat of Greece leaving the eurozone.
Success in the talks still remains
possible, though the chances are fading fast.
Deal or no deal, here is a review of
the possible scenarios in the coming
days or months:
Deal and lifeline maintained
It would be a shock if leftist-led Greece
fully satisfied its EU-IMF creditors, but
if it were to do so, the 7.2 billion euros
(US$8.0 billion) remaining in its current rescue program would be enough
to pay off looming debts to the IMF and
ECB, as well as pay state salaries and
pensions.
But any satisfaction would be shortlived. Greece is buried under a colossal pile of debt, about 180 percent of
annual output, almost double what
the national economy produces every
year and largely seen as unsustainable without the economy growing far
faster than even the most optimistic
forecasts.
Bailout extended
Before the radical left Syriza party
swept to power in January, Greece
seemed on its way to a third bailout
financed by fresh cash, but Germany
has slammed the door shut to this
possibility.
What is far more likely is that
Greece wins an extension to the current bailout, its third since December,
which would allow more time to talk
and keep vital funding flowing from
the ECB to the teetering Greek banks.
The extension would probably last
nine months from its current June 30
end date.
During that time, the Greek government would receive in instalments the
7.2 billion euros still owed them, conditioned on the Tsipras government
pushing through any reforms agreed to
in the talks under way.
The Greek government would also
like to tap into the 10.9 billion euros set
aside to finance Greeces banks, though
the eurozone ministers have already
once refused them this.
In addition, Greece would like to
transfer all remaining debt owed the
European Central Bank to the eurozones new bailout fund, which is controlled by the member states.

Athens, perhaps inaccurately, sees

the European Stability Mechanism as
more flexible than the German-influenced central bank and the debt would
be spread much longer over time.
Debt reduction
In 2012, eurozone ministers raised the
possibility that in return for reforms,
Greece could see some debts forgiven
and in Athens, no matter the party in
power, no one has forgotten this.
But it remains extremely unlikely
that Greeces eurozone partners will
return to this idea any time soon, especially with the current talks turning
so sour.
The European partners have already done a lot with their loans to
Greece: extending maturities for even
longer than 30 years, slashing interest
rates as well as other measures.
Many economists advocate for debt
forgiveness, as does the IMF, but the
debt cut, known as a haircut, is for now
a non-starter.
Default
The idea that Greece will miss a debt
payment to the IMF on June 30 is
no longer taboo and was raised at a
meeting of top eurozone officials at
their annual meeting in Bratislava
last week.
While not an official default, the
missed payment would trigger panic
on the markets for everything Greek,
including a run on Greeces barely
standing banks, if the failed talks over
the weekend do not trigger that already.
Once the bleeding begins, emergency measures could include the introduction of strict capital controls, closure of the banks, and the government
issuing IOUs to finance the public sector, while preserving every last euro to
pay off more debt.
Grexit
Greece exiting the eurozone is the
one scenario that few want to imagine, as it would not only bring damage to the single currency but also
to the European Union project as a
whole, just as Brussels faces threats
from Putins Russia over Ukraine and
talk of an EU divorce by Britain.
But beyond the crushing embarrassment, it would also risk contagion,
with market players on the hunt for the
next weakest link in the eurozone.
AFP

Greek debt talks

collapse near deadline
DEFAULT by debt-wracked Greece
loomed dangerously closer after lastditch talks between Athens and its
EU-IMF creditors collapsed on June
14, bringing the threat of a Greek
exit from the euro closer than ever.
The crunch negotiations failed
in their second day, heaping worry
that the cash-starved Greek government was heading irreversibly into
a financial abyss with a huge IMF
debt payment due at the end of the
month.
They came with their hands
in their pockets, a furious EU
source close to the negotiations
said, while Greek officials said
the failure was the fault of the
International Monetary Fund, the
countrys most hardline creditor.

The demands of the creditors

are irrational. The discussions lasted
45 minutes, an irate Greek government source said.
The deadlock drove the euro
down in Tokyo morning trade yesterday, with the single currency
dropping to $1.1213 and 138.50 yen
from US$1.1260 and 138.92 yen in
New York late on June 12.
However analysts said it was unlikely the euro would take a plunge
as investors were in a wait-and-see
mood.
All sides had agreed that the
talks were the last chance for Athens
to unlock vital bailout cash in return for tough reforms that Greeces
40-year-old Prime Minister Alexis
Tsipras still doggedly refuses.

The IMFs position was intransigent and tough because it was insisting on further pension cuts and
a rise in value-added tax on basic
goods, like electricity, the Athens
source added.
But in a rare statement on their
position in the talks, the IMF took
a conciliatory approach, writing in
an official blog that a deal would
require difficult decisions by all
sides including Greeces European partners.
Nevertheless chief economist Olivier Blanchard insisted that Greece
must tackle its bloated pension system, which he said accounted for a
whopping 16 percent of the countrys economy. AFP

U.S. Soybean Export Council Southeast Asian Regional Office (USSEC SEA) Seeking
Applicants for a Full Time Aquaculture Technical Manager Position in Myanmar
Are you a professional in the Myanmar aquaculture industry and looking for an exciting and challenging new position? The
USSEC SEA Regional Office is seeking applicants for the position of USSEC Myanmar Technical Manager Aquaculture
(USSEC MM TM). Our aquaculture program has been in existence since 1985 and specifically growing in SEA since
2002 - and we are now expanding our professional staff in the SEA region. We are seeking someone who is wellconnected, self-motivated, and looking to continue to develop our national program for the USSEC in Myanmar. This
position will require an independent work approach, significant domestic and international travel, and will expose the
successful candidate to international experts, training and experiences. The USSEC SEA Office has an established,
long-term program and a strong team of experts that work to promote a profitable, sustainable, soy-optimized, feed-based
aquaculture industry in SEA.
We are seeking a person who is innovative, proactive, flexible and committed to helping the USSEC to develop a long
term program in Myanmar and region-wide.

MUMBAI

Indias Agarwal to
merge Vedanta unit
INDIAN billionaire Anil Agarwal,
owner of London-listed conglomerate
Vedanta Resources, announced plans
on June 14 to merge his cash-rich energy company with his struggling resources arm, a move aimed at streamlining debt.
Shareholders in Cairn India, Indias
top private oil producer, will get one
share in Vedanta Limited, the countrys biggest producer of aluminium
and copper, for every share held, the
companies said in a statement.
The boards of both companies approved the move to be completed in
the first three months of 2016 after
meeting regulatory requirements and
any concerns from shareholders.
Mr Agarwal said the move was a
significant step toward simplifying
Vedanta Resources structure and creating long term sustainable value.
Vedanta Limited chief executive
Tom Albanese said the deal moved the
companies closer to building an Indian

Protesters take down a huge banner bearing a picture of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on a European Union
flag from the Ministry of Finance in Athens as they end the occupation of the building on June 11. Photo: AFP

integrated resources group such as

Rio Tinto or BHP Billiton.
I am quite excited by this deal and
it marks another step toward forming
a first natural resource giant from India, Mr Albanese told reporters.
Ahead of the merger, analysts said
Vedanta Resources could be using the
deal to cut debt. Cairn has US$2.7 billion in cash while Vedanta Limited,
whose profits have been hit by global
slumps in metal prices, has debts of
more than 777 billion rupees ($12 billion), according to Bloomberg.
This consolidation makes good
sense for Vedanta because as a natural resource company its projects are
typically high-risk and highly capital
intensive, PriceWaterhouseCoopers
India analyst Kameswara Rao said.
To manage such risks, it makes
sense to consolidate and get the ability
to allocate the right amount of capital
when needed while keeping cash flows
stable. AFP

The USSEC is a non-profit organization that promotes sustainable, feed-based aquaculture production approaches
through knowledge transfer, on-site trainings, seminars, workshops, conferences, industry tours and demonstrations.
The specific goal of the USSEC aquaculture program is to promote the use of soy, and specifically U.S. soy products,
in aquaculture feeds. However, as all aspects of aquaculture are interlinked, the work will include a broad variety of
responsibilities and knowledge, from broodstock and hatchery operations, to feedmill and production operation and even
up to the processing and marketing side of seafood.
Minimum applicant requirements:
Myanmar national with established aquaculture industry experience. Technical skills in the hatchery, feed, production
and health management aspects are desired, particularly for freshwater and marine fish. Undergraduate students and
non-Myanmar citizens should not apply.
Based in or near Yangon with a current passport and consistent good access to the internet. Drivers license is
appreciated but not needed.
Must have a desire to travel extensively domestically and internationally for training and work assignments and be
physically able to maintain an aggressive travel schedule and to conduct technical servicing in remote locations under
challenging conditions
Good English language ability (speaking/reading/writing). Ability to speak several national dialects is an advantage.
Ability to follow required accounting and administrative tasks. Contractors working for USSEC are expected to work on
a reimbursement model for project activities, therefore it is critical that accounting and administration be done quickly
and accurately (training will be provided by our Singapore office).
Ability to work largely independently with remote supervision by the USSEC SEA Technical Director Aquaculture
(USSEC SEA TD). Will also work on team activities with regional aquaculture staff.
The USSEC MM TM will be trained extensively and will be specifically expected to work with the Myanmar aquaculture
industry to identify where the USSEC can be most effective in promoting good aquaculture practices, feed-based systems
and use of U.S. soy. It is expected that the successful candidate will be hired on probationary basis during training until
October 31, 2015 after which a one year contract will be offered. An attractive/competitive compensation package will be
offered to the successful finalist.
Please send a brief introduction letter detailing experience that matches the requirements above, a current CV and two
English speaking references to Ms. May Myat Noe Lwin- Myanmar Aquaculture Local Technical Support
(noenoeinbk@gmail.com) with the words USSEC MM TM 2015 in the subject line. Applications that do not follow this
format and submit all required documents will not be considered - following this format is part of the application process.
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled, target start date is by or before June 30, 2015 if the appropriate
candidate is identified. USSEC plans to conduct in-country interviews on June 24, 2015 in Yangon.

14 THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 16, 2015

World

15

WORLD EDITOR: Kayleigh Long

SEOUL

Greece talks fall

apart as deadline
approaches

Amnesty slams
international response
to migrant boat crisis

WORLD 17

WORLD 16

SEOUL

SYDNEY

Korea talks: North open to dialogue

NORTH Korea said yesterday that it is
ready to restart talks with the South
if Seoul scraps joint military exercises
with the United States.
The offer came on the 15th anniversary of a landmark summit between
then South Korean president Kim
Dae-Jung and North Koreas late leader Kim Jong-Il which saw a joint declaration issued on reconciliation and
cooperation.
There is no reason to avoid dialogue and negotiations if an atmosphere for trust and reconciliation is
created, the North said in a government statement carried by its official
Korean Central News Agency.
The South should take bold steps
to remove obstacles hampering dialogue by scrapping joint military drills
with the United States and should
stop slandering Pyongyangs leadership, the statement said.
North Korea sees annual joint USSouth Korean military exercises, most
recently carried out in March and
April, as a rehearsal for invasion. It

has previously stipulated an end to the

drills are a condition for talks.
Cross-border tensions remain
high this year due to a series of
North Korean ballistic missile
tests as well as nuclear threats.
The Souths defence ministry said the
North had tested three short-range
missiles with a range of nearly 100
kilometres (62 miles) on June 14 off its
east coast.
North Korea appears to be
developing new missiles that would
replace its old Soviet-designed antiship missiles, ministry spokesperson
Kim Min-Seok told reporters.
The test was the latest since Pyongyang claimed on May 9 it had successfully test-fired an SLBM a technology that could eventually offer the
nuclear-armed state a survivable second-strike capability.
A fully developed SLBM capability
would take the North Korean nuclear
threat to a new level, allowing deployment far beyond the Korean peninsula.

Indonesia and Australia in stoush

over border protection policies

But some experts have questioned

the authenticity of the May test, saying
photos of the launch might have been
digitally manipulated.
In a January 1 message North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un proposed the
highest-level talks with the South.
The last round of high-level talks
was held in February 2014 and resulted in the North hosting a reunion
between separated families the same
month the first such event for three
years.
Seoul has separately suggested
holding talks with the North, but the
prospect for any meaningful dialogue
is still unclear.
Seoul has rejected the Norths frequent calls to halt military drills with
key ally, the US.
It has also refused to pave the way
for talks by lifting sanctions imposed
in 2010, saying its desire to resume
dialogue does not extend to coaxing
Pyongyang to the negotiating table.
AFP

PHNOM PENH

HRW slammed over Sim allegations

AS CAMBODIAS ruling party prepares
this week to elect a president and deputy president following Chea Sims death
on June 8, the Ministry of Interior has
lashed out at an international rights
group that last week linked Mr Sim to
Khmer Rouge abuses.
Though he was lauded by some as a
national hero, New York-based Human
Rights Watch (HRW) accused Mr Sim
of committing serious international
crimes during his years as a Khmer
Rouge official.
HRW said Mr Sim was never
charged despite his complicity in the
arrest, torture and execution of political opponents, ethnic minorities and
members of the Kingdoms pre-revolutionary upper-class during his tenure
as secretary in Ponhea Krek district
in Democratic Kampucheas Eastern
Zone.
Chea Sims passing is a reminder
that virtually all former Khmer Rouge
officials have gone unpunished for the
millions of deaths and incredible suf-

fering of ordinary Cambodians during

Khmer Rouge rule, said Brad Adams,
HRWs executive director of its Asia
division.
The Ministry of Interior on Saturday wrote to Adams in response to
his article published the week prior
and titled Cambodia: Chea Sim Death
Shows Failings of the Khmer Rouge
Court, accusing HRW of skewing the
facts about Mr Sims past.
The article was premeditated with
the intent to distort the facts and displayed a personal anger towards the
top leadership of the Kingdom of Cambodia, the letter read. [Sim] is a well
regarded patriot who helped rebuild,
restore, develop and maintain peace
and security of the nation with all his
sincerity.
The letter also stressed that Mr
Sim was merely a district official during the Khmer Rouge and not a senior
leader. It also said that Mr Sim, as well
as his family, were along with millions
of other Cambodian citizens victims of

the murderous regime, and went on to

suggest that HRW might be better off
without Adams.
Human Rights Watch knows better about the human rights situation in
Cambodia. The organisation may have
a better reputation without your representation as your action has deviated
far from moral principles and brought
shame to Human Rights Watch.
Meanwhile, CPP spokesperson Sok
Eysan yesterday confirmed that 545
members of the CPPs Central Committee will convene soon to select a new
leader. He declined, however, to name
candidates the party was considering.
Before the Central Committee congress, the partys standing committee
would [usually] meet to prepare the
list of candidates, he said. So far, that
meeting has yet to take place because
of the funeral.
Prime Minister Hun Sen announced
in April that he would take over the
party presidency in the event that Mr
Sim passed away. Phnom Penh Post

SEOUL

Soldier crosses DMZ to defect

A YOUNG North Korean soldier walked
into South Korea yesterday in a rare defection through one of the worlds most
fortified frontiers, saying he deserted
his camp because of habitual beating,
military officials said.
The 19-year-old soldier surrendered
to South Korean border guards around
8am (11pm GMT) after crossing the
frontier northeast of Seoul, the Souths
defence ministry said.
Weve confirmed his will to defect
after he reached our guard post, a ministry spokesperson told AFP.
The North Korean soldier told investigators that he had decided to
defect because of habitual beating at
his camp while harbouring complaints
about the reality of his homeland, the
spokesperson added.
The defection sparked a tense
stand-off between North and South
Korean border guards across the 4-kil-

ometre-wide (2.5-mile) and 248km demilitarised zone (DMZ), but there was
no conflict, the Yonhap news agency
reported.
The man identified himself as a
private, the lowest rank among the
Norths enlistees.
Hundreds of North Koreans flee
their isolated homeland each year but
it is rare for defectors to cross the land
border, marked by barbed wire and
guarded by thousands of troops on
both sides.
Despite its name, the DMZ is one
of the worlds most heavily militarised
frontiers.
Most North Koreans who flee repression and poverty at home cross the
porous frontier with China first before
travelling through a Southeast Asian
nation and arriving in South Korea.
In 2012, a North Korean soldier
walked unchecked through rows of

electrified fencing and surveillance

cameras, prompting Seoul to sack three
field commanders for a security lapse.
In August last year, two North Koreans swam across the Yellow Sea border
to a South Korean frontline island.
So far about 28,000 North Koreans
have resettled in the South since the
end of the 1950-53 Korean War, mostly
after the great famine in the 1990s.
But the number of escapees has
decreased sharply since North Korean
leader Kim Jong-Un took power following the death of his father in late 2011.
Under Kim, the state has tightened border security, while China has
launched a crackdown on North Korean escapees on its side of the border.
China typically considers them illegal economic migrants and repatriates
them despite criticisms from human
rights groups.
AFP

A South Korean health worker wearing protective gear sanitises a grip handle in a public bus at a transport company in Seoul on June 15. Photo: AFP

AUSTRALIA has told Indonesia to

better secure its borders in a stinging rebuke after Jakarta demanded
answers to allegations Canberra paid
to turn back a boat of asylum seekers.
The response from Foreign Minister Julie Bishop yesterday came after
the Indonesian foreign ministry on
June 13 said if the claims were true, it
would be a new low for the way that
the Australian government is handling this issue, while asking for an
explanation.
Claims that the captain and five
crew of a boat, carrying migrants
from Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri
Lanka, were each paid US$5000 by
an Australian immigration official to
turn back to Indonesia were made to
Indonesian police on Rote Island in
the countrys east last week.
Australian Prime Minister Tony
Abbott has refused to deny the allegations, with the opposition Labor
Party writing to the auditor-general
requesting an urgent investigation.
The Greens party was also due
yesterday to ask the upper house Senate to demand the government table
documents detailing any payments.
Ms Bishop suggested in an interview with The Australian newspaper
that Indonesia was to blame for failing to properly manage its borders.
I look forward to hearing the full
results of Indonesias investigation of
the people-smuggling crimes committed in Indonesia, she said.
This, she added, should include
any breaches of passport and visa
laws, and establishing whether the
captains and crews of these boats are
part of people-smuggling syndicates
or are paid by them.
The best way for Indonesia to

resolve any concerns it has about

Operation Sovereign Borders is for
Indonesia to enforce sovereignty over
its borders, Ms Bishop said, referring
to Australias anti-people smuggling
policy.
Operation Sovereign Borders is
necessary because Indonesian boats
with Indonesian crews are leaving Indonesia with the express intention of
breaching our sovereignty, facilitated
by illegal people-smuggling syndicates.
Agus Barnas, a spokesperson for
Indonesias security ministry, said
Bishop was wrong to simply blame
his country and warned that if the
payment allegations were true it will
drive Indonesian crew and fishermen
to race among themselves for extra
money.
Indonesian waters are vast and
we have limited manpower, he told
AFP.

The best way for

Indonesia to resolve
any concerns it has
about Operation
Sovereign Borders
is for Indonesia to
enforce sovereignty
over its borders.
Julie Bishop
Australian foreign minister

And we are not talking about one

or two migrant boats, but many. They
are run by syndicates and they enter
illegally so we cannot deal with this
matter on our own.
The migrant issue must involve
cooperation among source, transit
and destination countries. Do not just
blame Indonesia.
Mr Abbotts conservative coalition
implemented a tough immigration
policy after coming to power in September 2013 that included militaryled efforts to turn back such boats,
which mostly come from Indonesia.
The hardline policy also involves
sending asylum seekers that arrive by
boat to camps on the Pacific islands of
Nauru and Papua New Guinea despite
strong criticism from rights groups.
They are banned from settling in
Australia even if found to be genuine
refugees.
Only one boat with asylum-seekers
has reached the Australian mainland
since December 2013. Before the
policy was introduced, boats were
arriving almost daily, with hundreds
drowning en route.
Mr Abbott on June 14 said the
key message for Indonesia was that
his government was prepared to do
whats necessary to prevent unwanted boats arriving in Australian waters.
Labor immigration spokesperson
Richard Marles said the claims were
affecting bilateral ties which were
already strained after Indonesia executed two Australian drug-smugglers
in April, with Canberra recalling its
ambassador in protest.
Asked if he agreed with Ms Bishop,
he replied, I dont think now is the
time for the Australian government
to be walking down that path. AFP

Park under pressure as MERS

death toll climbs to 16
SOUTH Korea yesterday reported
its 16th death in an expanding
MERS outbreak, as President Park
Geun-Hye called for efforts to
shore up the economy against what
she called excessive public alarm.
Seoul also declared five new patients bringing the total number
of cases including the deaths to 150
as fears grew over the impact of
the outbreak on Asias fourth-largest economy.
Ms Park, whose popularity has
plunged due to the crisis, urged
efforts to minimise the damage
to the economy, saying consumer
spending had dipped and the number of foreign tourists had plunged.
I am afraid the unexpected
outbreak of MERS will quash the
momentum of economic recovery,
she said at a meeting with advisers.
It is important to prevent the
spread of excessive public anxiety
and allow normal economic activities to resume quickly.
More than 100,000 foreigners
have cancelled trips to Seoul since
the beginning of June and more are
expected to follow suit, Seouls vice
tourism minister warned yesterday.
We estimate that our foreign
currency earnings will dwindle ...
by US$2.3 billion if the number

plunges by 50 percent, Kim Chong

said. Our tourism industry is faced
with a very dire situation, Mr Kim
added.
He promised financial aid worth
72 billion won ($64 million) to help
tourism-related businesses as more
trip cancellations were expected in
the peak tourist season of July and
August.
About 14.2 million foreigners, or
about 1.18 million a month on average, visited the country last year.
A 58-year-old man who had
been suffering from diabetes was
the latest victim of Middle East
Respiratory Syndrome, which
broke out in South Korea less than
a month ago.
The country now has the largest
outbreak outside Saudi Arabia and
it is spreading unusually rapidly.
The five new patients aged
from 39 to 84 were infected in
hospitals in cities including Seoul
and Daejeon, 140 kilometres (90
miles) south of the capital.
Among them was a nurse who
had performed CPR on an infected
patient in Daejeon and a man who
was infected at Samsung Medical
Centre in Seoul after accompanying his sick mother there. She later
died of MERS.

The hospital is the epicentre

of the outbreak and more than 70
patients, visitors and medical staff
there have contracted the virus.
The health ministry said 17 patients remained in an unstable condition.
The outbreak started on May 20
when a 68-year-old man was diagnosed after returning from a trip to
Saudi Arabia.
Since then more than 5200 people have been placed in quarantine.
Ms Parks administration has
suffered a storm of criticism for
what critics describe as a slow and
inadequate response to the crisis.
A survey by polling agency Realmeter showed yesterday Ms Parks
job approval ratings had plummeted by 10 percentage points over the
past two weeks to 34.6 percent.
Local businesses have reported
a sharp drop in sales as people
shunned crowded venues.
Sales at department stores in
the first week of June fell 25 percent from a month earlier, while
the number of moviegoers dropped
55 percent, according to data from
the finance ministry.
The outbreak if sustained for
a month could trim the countrys
growth by 0.15 percentage points

for this year, Morgan Stanley said

last week.
Concern over economic damage
prompted the central Bank of Korea to slash its key interest rate by
0.25 basis points late last week.
However experts from the
World Health Organization said
on June 13 they had found no evidence to indicate transmission of
the virus in communities outside
hospitals.
The Samsung hospital one of
the countrys largest suspended
most services on June 14 to help
curb the spread of the virus.
There is no vaccine for MERS
which has a mortality rate of 35
percent, according to the WHO.
In Saudi Arabia more than 950
people have been infected and 412
died from the disease.
The South Korean outbreak has
triggered concern elsewhere in
Asia. Hong Kong last week advised
its residents against non-essential
travel to the South.
North Korea has urged the
South to ban trips to the Kaesong
joint industrial zone in the North
by southerners who had visited
MERS-affected venues, Seouls unification ministry said yesterday.
AFP

IN PICTURES
Photo: AFP

A motorcyclists face is covered by ash spewed by the Mount

Sinabung volcano as he rides his vehicle in Karo district, North
Sumatra province, on June 13. Nearly 3000 people have been
evacuated from their homes after Indonesia upgraded the
threat posed by a volcano on Sumatra island to the highest
possible level, an official said on June 4.

16 World

THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 16, 2015

LONDON

Amnesty slams
intl response to
refugee crisis
RIGHTS group Amnesty International yesterday slammed world leaders
for condemning millions of refugees
to an unbearable existence and demanded they work closely to resolve
the worst crisis since WWII.
From the Andaman to the Mediterranean people are losing their lives
as they desperately seek safe haven,
said Salil Shetty, Amnestys secretary
general, as the group published a report ahead of World Refugee Day on
June 20.
The current refugee crisis will
not be solved unless the international
community recognises that it is a
global problem that requires states
to significantly step up international
cooperation, he added.
In its report, the London-based
group urged the international
community to establish a fund for

refugees and collectively commit to

resettling 1 million refugees over the
next four years.
The refugee crisis is one of
the defining challenges of the 21st
century, but the response of the international community has been a
shameful failure, said Mr Shetty.
We need a radical overhaul
of policy and practice to create a
coherent and comprehensive global
strategy.
The situation is particularly desperate for four million Syrian refugees, 95 percent of whom live in five
countries neighbouring Syria (Turkey,
Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt).
Amnesty warned that these countries were being overwhelmed by
such huge burdens.
No country should be left to deal
with a massive humanitarian emer-

A man carries a girl as Syrians fleeing the war pass through broken-down border fences to enter Turkish territory illegally,
near the Turkish Akcakale border crossing in the southeastern Sanliurfa province, on June 14. Photo: AFP

gency with so little help from others, just because it happens to share
a border with a country in conflict,
said Mr Shetty.
On the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean, Amnesty welcomed meas-

ures taken by European Union members to strengthen the Triton border

security operation but called for further action, notably by creating more
legal avenues for resettling refugees.
Triton was launched in November

2014 to help Italy control its sea borders and assist migrants.
After a series of devastating
wrecks, the European Commission
decided in April to triple its budget.
AFP

HONG KONG

Nine arrested ahead of controversial reform vote

HONG Kong police said yesterday
they had made nine arrests after discovering suspected explosives, with
media reports linking the find to this
weeks legislative vote on a controversial political reform package.
The Organised Crime and Triad

Bureau has conducted an operation

and discovered a certain amount of
suspected explosives in Sai Kung, a
spokesperson told AFP.
Police confirmed nine people had
been arrested in connection with the
explosives, but gave no details.

Guy Fawkes masks and other seized items are displayed before a press
conference at the police headquarters in Hong Kong on June 15. Photo: AFP

Media reports said the explosives

had been found at an abandoned
television studio in the east-coast
district of Sai Kung in the New Territories.
The South China Morning Post
and the Oriental Daily said those
arrested were activists from prodemocracy localist groups, which
have emerged in the wake of a battle over the governments electoral
roadmap.
The South China Morning Post
said police suspect the explosives
were intended to be detonated before the Legislative Council debates
on the governments political reform
package this week.
The reform bill lays out a plan
for choosing the citys next leader by
public vote for the first time in 2017.
But it sticks to a ruling from Beijing which stipulates that candidates
must be vetted by a loyalist committee.
That ruling sparked mass rallies
and roadblocks toward the end of
last year, with campaigners dismissing it as fake democracy.

Lawmakers will vote on the bill

by the end of this week, with pro-democracy legislators vowing to block
it. There will be nightly rallies ahead
of the vote.
Hong Kong is semi-autonomous
after being handed back to China by
Britain in 1997 and sees much greater freedoms than on the mainland,
but there are fears that those are being eroded.
Localist groups are frustrated
with the lack of progress on electoral
reform and have argued that Hong
Kong should distance itself from Beijing to forge its own political future.
Officials from two localist groups
told AFP they had no knowledge
of the arrests and did not condone
violence.
Police said localist activists are
making bombs, but I am not sure if
its real or not. We have nothing to do
with that, said Jon Ho of Hong Kong
Localism Power.
People Powers Tam Tak-chi
added, People Power did not do
that. Our group does not believe in
violence. AFP

Rifles and other seized items are

displayed before a press conference at
the police headquarters in Hong Kong
on June 15. Photo: AFP

World 17

www.mmtimes.com
BENGHAZI

US claims strike killed al-Qaeda target

The
al-Qaeda-linked
jihadist
Mokhtar Belmokhtar, who allegedly masterminded the siege of an
Algerian gas plant in which 38 hostages died, has been killed in a US
air strike, Libyas internationally
recognised government said.
American jets conducted an
operation which resulted in the
deaths of Mokhtar Belmokhtar and
a group of Libyans belonging to a
terrorist organisation in eastern
Libya, said a statement posted on
Facebook.
The Pentagon said Mr Belmokhtar
had been the target of the strike but
did not confirm he had been killed.
His death has been reported
many times in the past.
Islamist
commander
Mr
Belmokhtar, nicknamed variously as
The Uncatchable, Mr Marlboro
and The One-Eyed, was the leader
of the north African Al-Murabitoun
militant group and a former chief of

al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

Wanted in several countries,
he was the alleged mastermind of
the 2013 siege of an Algerian gas
plant in which 38 hostages, mostly
Westerners, were killed.
I can confirm that the target of
last nights counterterrorism strike
in Libya was Mokhtar Belmokhtar,
Pentagon spokesperson Colonel Steve Warren said in a statement.
The strike was carried out by
US aircraft. We are continuing to
assess the results of the operation
and will provide more details as appropriate.
Washington has in the past used
drones to strike targets in North
Africa, but the New York Times
reported this was the first US air
strike of any kind carried out in Libya since the fall of Moamer Kadhafis
regime in 2011.
The last US operation in Libya
was in 2014, when special forces

2013 Algerian hostage crisis

Thirty-eight gas plant workers were killed in attack and kidnapping
Tiguentourine
gas plant

ALGIERS

January 16

400 km

MOROCCO

ALGERIA

Gunmen attacked
a bus carrying
workers
1 Briton and
1 Algerian killed

TUNISIA

Algerian military
camp
In Amenas

Gas field
Attackers then headed
to the gas plant
Jointly run by BP,
Statoil of Norway,
residential area,
Sonatrach of Algeria
taking hundreds of
hostages

Living
quarters

LIBYA
500 m

January 17

MALI

Algerian troops mount

rescue mission,
hostages and kidnappers
were killed

MAURITANIA

Timbuktu

January 19
Militants had
entered from
Mali, according
to Algerian
PM
Abdelmalek Sellal

Responsibility
was claimed by
Signatories
in Blood Islamist
group led by
Mokhtar Belmokhtar

Nationalities of
foreign hostages
killed included:
Japan, Philippines,
Britain, American,
Romanian, French

Final assault by troops on

gas plant.
Official media said
11 kidnappers killed the
last seven hostages before
they were killed by the army,
hundreds of others rescued

captured Ahmed Abu Khattala,

one of the alleged organisers of the
attack against the US consulate
in Benghazi in 2012 that killed
ambassador Chris Stevens and three
other Americans.
The Libyan statement said the
operation took place after consultation with the Libyan transitional
government based in the countrys
east.
Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thani voiced his support, saying the
operation was part of international
aid that has long been sought in the
fight against terrorism.
Libyas Lana news agency cited
an official from the internationally recognised government as
saying the strikes had targeted a
farm south of Ajdabiya, some 160
kilometres (100 miles) west of
Benghazi, as Mr Belmokhtar held
a meeting with leaders from other
extremist groups including Ansar
al-Sharia, listed by the US as a terrorist organisation.
Mr Belmokhtar was previously
thought to have been killed in Mali,
but security sources told AFP last
year that he had moved into Libya.
Born in 1972 in Algeria, he said
in a rare 2007 interview that he was
drawn away from home by his fascination with the exploits of the mujahedeen combating the Soviet invaders of Afghanistan, whom he joined
in 1991 when he was barely 19.
It was in Afghanistan that he
claims to have lost his eye when it
was hit by shrapnel and where he
had his first contact with al-Qaeda .
He returned to Algeria in 1993,
eventually joining the group that
became al-Qaeda in the Islamic
Maghreb.
But he was pushed out as one of
AQIMs top two leaders in northern
Mali for what one regional security official said were his continued
divisive activities despite several
warnings.
A Malian official cited AQIM as

AGADEZ, NIGER

Border runs a profitable trade

HOSSEINI not his real name handles the steering-wheel deftly. A onetime tourist chauffeur, he makes his
living smuggling African migrants
from his hometown of Agadez, in
northern Niger, to the Libyan border.
See the bands of white sticky-tape
stuck to the back of the pick-up? he
says. Thats because its used for migrants and it stops them scratching
the paint when they sit at the back
with their legs hanging out.
A blue turban wrapped around his
head, Hosseini, a member of Nigers
ethnic Tuareg people, talks about his
job calmly and with little emotion.
A driver can earn 250,000 CFA
francs ($430, 380 euros) for bringing
a truckload of migrants to the Libyan
border. If theyre willing to shoulder the extra risks of entering Libya,
where bandits work the roads, that
rises to 400,000 CFA francs.
In Niger, a country where two
thirds of the population lives on less
than a euro a day, the appeal was obvious to Hosseini.
I prefer being a driver to working
in tourism, he says, adding his old job
was less lucrative. He has completed
two trips to the Libyan border so far,
and plans to buy his own pick-up.
In Agadez, the smugglers vehicles
known as Taliban 4X4s are legion.
Few of them carry license-plates,
though some have Libyan ones, and
the sight of them speeding through
the dusty streets of the ancient town
are a constant reminder of the busy

human trafficking trade.

You leave in a convoy on a Monday night. You arrive on Wednesday
morning at the Libyan border, 900
kilometres (560 miles) away. When
night falls you park in the dunes to
avoid the bandits, said Hosseini, who
is in his 30s.
The return journey starts on a
Thursday with the cars back in Agadez every Friday night.
You have to drive as fast as possible. Youre doing a steady 140 kilometres per hour, sometimes hitting 160
kilometres an hour, with 300 litres of
petrol on board that you use on the
way. At that speed, if a tyre blows out,
youre finished.
Pick-ups screech around the towns
outskirts, dust flying, engines roaring.
And theres a reminder that the
traffic is two-way: on Friday nights
taxis and tuk-tuks gather to pick up
destitute migrants returning from
Libya, who have found that the dangerous and expensive journey was
not, after all, the answer to their problems.
An amateur video of an accident
near the border two months ago
shows three 4X4s. The first is bogged
down in sand, the second hits it, the
third is parked some way away.
soldiers are present at the accident
site. One of them grabs the foot of a
migrant sliced off neatly during the
collision. A crowd of around 50 others stand about watching. Coloured
heaps are strewn in the white sand in

the background. Corpses, says Hosseini.

A parent, he doesnt see himself as
a criminal, or a member of the mafia.
The key thing for me is to bring
my customers to the port, he says.
There are people who leave and
manage to get to Europe without any
problems, and there are those who
die. Thats life.
A pick-up bound for Libya will be
packed with 25 migrants hoping to
start a new life in Libya or beyond.
Eight will be squashed into the cab:
two in the front, six jammed in the
back. We take the seats out to make
more room, explains Hosseini.
The other 17 migrants are piled
into the back of the pick-up, hemmed
in with sticks of wood to stop them
falling out.
If one of them falls, the others tap
on the roof and I stop the van, says
Hosseini.
His passengers, then, might be
considered amongst the luckier ones.
There are many tales of migrants
abandoned in the desert, left to face a
slow and certain death.
Agadez expects the arrival of
150,000 migrants in 2015. Many of
them will be from West Africa Senegal, Gambia or Mali. Some will be
hoping to find work in Libya; others
intend to set sail from there to Europe, despite the risks. The perilous
sea journey has cost some 1,800 migrants their lives this year.
AFP

A file picture taken on January 17, 2013, an undated grab from a video obtained
by ANI Mauritanian news agency reportedly shows former Al-Qaeda in the
Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) emir Mokhtar Belmokhtar speaking at an undisclosed
location. Photo: AFP

saying that Mr Belmokhtar, whose

nickname Mr Marlboro came from
his reputation as a cigarette smuggling baron, had been dismissed for
straying from the right path.
A scathing al-Qaeda letter criticising him hit the headlines in 2013
after it was found in the wake of
French armed intervention Mali.
Belmokhtar founded his al-Qaeda
breakaway group Signatories in
Blood in 2012, later merging it with
MUJAO, one of the jihadist groups
that seized control of northern Mali
in early 2012, to form the Al-Murabitoun group.
Along with the Algerian siege, Mr
Belmokhtar also claimed a double
suicide bombing in Niger that killed
20 people in May 2013.
Al-Murabitoun last month said
it had pledged allegiance to the Is-

lamic State jihadist group, but Mr

Belmokhtar immediately distanced
himself from the declaration. He
vowed continued backing for alQaeda in what was interpreted as
evidence of a serious power struggle
within the organisation.
Libya has descended into chaos
since a NATO-backed revolt unseated longtime dictator Mr Kadhafi in
2011. It has rival governments and
parliaments, and powerful militias
are battling for influence and a share
of its oil wealth.
Jihadist groups have exploited
the lawlessness, which has also
prompted a huge influx of migrants
trying to make the dangerous Mediterranean crossing to Europe, with
shipwrecks leaving hundreds dead
and the EU straining to respond.
AFP

TRADE MARK CAUTION

Notice is hereby given that BIOFARMA of 50, rue Carnot 92284
Suresnes cedex,FRANCE , is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of
the following trademarks:

CARIVALAN
(Registration No : IV/6911/2015)
In respect of: Pharmaceutical preparations ; veterinary preparations; sanitary
preparations for medical purposes; pharmaceutical implants;
implantable medicines; dietetic substances adapted for medical use
; dietetic substances adapted for veterinary use ; food for babies;
dietary supplements and dietetic preparations ; dietary supplements
for animals; plasters, materials for dressings ; material for stopping
teeth ; dental wax ; disinfectants; preparations for destroying
noxious animals ; fungicides; herbicides ; International class 05
Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark
or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according
to law.
U Nyein Kyaw
B.Sc., Dip Engg., R.L., D.B.L.
For BIOFARMA
Room 007, Inya Lake Hotel
37, Kaba Aye Pagoda Road
Mayangone Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar
Tes: (951) 9662866
E-mail: nyeinkyaw9@gmail.com
Date: 16 June, 2015.

18 World

THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 16, 2015

STOCKHOLM

Nuclear states continue

to upgrade stockpiles
NUCLEAR-ARMED states continue
to upgrade their stockpiles despite an
international trend toward disarmament, the Stockholm International
Peace Research Institute reported
yesterday.
Between 2010 and 2015 the number of warheads fell from 22,600 to
15,850 according to the institutes annual disarmament report, which said
the US and Russia represented the
bulk of the reduction.
The institute also pointed to extensive and expensive long-term modernization programs in the worlds

two largest nuclear powers, which account for 90 percent of the weapons.
Despite renewed international
interest in prioritizing nuclear disarmament, the modernization program
underway in the nuclear weaponpossessing states suggests that none
of them will give up their nuclear
arsenals in the foreseeable future, SIPRI researcher Shannon Kile said in a
statement.
The other three nuclear armed
states legally recognised by the 1968
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
China, 260 warheads; France, 300

Nuclear arsenal 2015

Between 2010 and 2015, the number of nuclear warheads worldwide fell from 22,600 to 15,850,
according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
Russia 7,500
(8,000 in 2014)

United States

7,260
(7,300)

France 300
(300)

India 90-110
(90-110)

China 260
(250)

Israel 80
(80)

Britain 215
(225)

North Korea

Declining nuclear forces

22,600
20,530

19,000

17,270

16,350 15,850

6-8

(6-8)

Pakistan

100-120
(100-120)
Source : SIPRI Yearbook 2015

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

warheads; Britain, 215 warheads are

either developing or deploying new
nuclear weapon systems or have announced their intention to do so according to the Stockholm-based peace
institute.
China was the only state among
the five global nuclear powers to have
a modest increase in the size of its
arsenal.
While the remaining nuclear states
India (90 to 100 warheads), Pakistan
(100 to 120 warheads) and Israel (80
warheads) have considerably smaller stockpiles, India and Pakistan continue to increase their arsenals while
Israel has tested long-range ballistic
missiles.
North Korea is believed to be developing its arsenal of six to eight
warheads but SIPRI said technical
progress was difficult to assess.
Reliable information on nuclear
stockpiles varied greatly between
states with the US getting top marks
for transparency in the report, while
Britain and France were more restrictive and Russia divulged nothing officially, except in bilateral contacts with
the US.
In Asia, China revealed little about
its arsenal and the only information
made public by nuclear rivals India
and Pakistan was announcements of
missile tests.
The five nuclear powers and members of the UN Security Council US,
Russia, China, Britain and France
along with Germany are in ongoing
talks with Iran to persuade the Islamic
Republic not to develop nuclear weapons in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions. AFP

TEHRAN

Rouhani speaks out

as deadline looms
on nuclear talks
IRANIAN President Hassan Rouhani hit out at critics of his drive for
a nuclear deal with major powers,
saying they belittled the impact of
sanctions on ordinary people.
Those who say that sanctions
are not important probably dont
know anything about peoples wallets, Mr Rouhani said in a televised
speech on June 14, adding that they
had raised the cost of imported
goods by 10 to 15 percent.
In recent weeks, the presidents
conservative critics have claimed
that the main cause of Irans economic woes is not Western sanctions imposed over its controversial
nuclear program but failings in
government policy.
Tehran Mayor Mohammad
Bagher Ghalibaf said earlier this
mont, Mismanagement and a lack
of planning in the current and pre-

vious governments have had more

impact than sanctions.
Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said only 20 to 30 percent
of the economic problems of the
country were due to international
sanctions.
Mr Rouhani has made the quest
for a deal lifting the sanctions in
return for reining in Irans nuclear
program the centrepiece of his two
years in power.
Iran and world powers are
working to a June 30 deadline for a
comprehensive agreement.
Sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United States
on Irans oil and financial sectors
since 2012 have plunged the country into a deep economic crisis with
inflation rising to more than 40pc.
AFP

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani waves to journalists next to a portrait of

supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the end of a press conference in
Tehran on June 13. Photo: AFP

IN PICTURES

Photo: AFP

Workers pull
the body of
a bear out of
a building at
a flooded
zoo in the
Georgian
capital Tbilisi
on June 15.
Lions, tigers
and even a
hippopotamus
escaped
from the zoo
on June 14,
adding to
chaos caused
by severe
flooding that
killed at least
12 people,
officials said.

THE MYANMAR TIMES June 16, 2015

www.mmtimes.com

the pulse 21

it

ge
t

yo

gers o
n
i
f
n

DePuTY Pulse eDiTor: ToM BArTon tom.a.barton@gmail.com

Parliament tour reveals high ceilings and closed doors

Photo: Soe Than Lin

Clare Hammond
clarehammo@gmail.com

N what has the potential to become an important step for

transparency in Nay Pyi Taw, the government has opened
the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw to local and foreign tourists on
the condition that they bring their passports and do not
drink alcohol for the duration of the tour.
The decision to open parliament is part of a major effort to
attract visitors to Nay Pyi Taw, which is struggling to populate its
wide streets and empty hotels. Tours, which began several weeks
ago, will be held three times a month. Unsure of what to expect, I
signed up to the visit, as part of a conference held by the Ministry
of Hotels and Tourism.
I was asked to submit my passport details a week before the
trip. On the day, around 100 people gathered in the lobby of
Kempinski Hotel to be registered, before leaving in a convoy of
rickety Japanese buses, led by a policeman on a motorbike.
After a long drive, past endless hotels, gardens and golf courses,
we stopped in front of the gates to parliament. Ten minutes passed
and then 10 more, while we stared out of the windows at the
fairytale buildings beyond a drawbridge and a wide moat. It was
very hot. There was nobody else on the 20-lane highway.
Our bus drivers stood on the road, chewing quids of betel.
After a long wait, a lady with nails painted in five shades of pink
stepped onto the bus with armfuls of lanyards and we drove on.
When we finally reached the chinthe-lined steps leading to the
lower house, everybody leapt from the buses, wielding cameras

and smartphones, taking photographs of the buildings and each

other at top speed, as if they feared someone was about to tell
them it was all a grave mistake and send them away.
Through doors of beautifully carved teak, we took more
photographs of the marble floors, mirrored columns, chandeliers
and golden ceilings. Our tour guide turned on his microphone
and began to say something which was obscured by a cacophony
of ear-splitting squeaks. I have no idea what hes telling us,
mouthed one of the visitors above the noise.
When he had finished, he steered us toward a large projector
screen where a lady dressed in gold reeled off a list of facts and
figures about the number of MPs in parliament and who they
each represented, to the accompaniment of a song about the
Pyidaungsu Hluttaw. Then we were shown a series of images of
MPs engaged in lively debate.
Last month, after newspapers published pictures of officials
sleeping on the job, journalists were banned from the media
facility, a glass-walled room with a view of the chamber, and
forced instead to watch proceedings on a television set in a
corridor outside. MPs are old. Sometimes they fall asleep in the
hluttaw, said U Kyaw Soe, director general of the Pyidaungsu
Hluttaw. In the video for tourists, sleeping MPs were nowhere to
be seen.
We were ushered through security gates and along empty
halls, to the chamber of the lower house. I walked with the tour
guide and asked him a question. In response, he pulled out
several sheets of paper a list of questions and answers, written
in English and Myanmar. Someone had edited the text in pencil.

He pointed to the first question on the sheet, which related to the

height of the building, and asked whether that was the right one.
I told him it was not. He pointed to each question in turn. The
question I had asked was not there.
The lower house chamber was an opportunity to take more
pictures. People posed on the seats, pretending to be MPs, holding
up Nay Pyi Taw-branded bottles of water. Please, bellowed the tour
guide through his microphone. Do not sit on the chairs.
I decided to attempt another conversation with him, and
learned that the Speaker of the lower house had deemed it
important to open parliament to the public, to show that there
was nothing to hide. We will let people watch the parliament in
session, he said. Unfortunately today there are time constraints.
We were also supposed to see the theatres and libraries and
other government facilities, he said, but due to time constraints,
were instead sent straight to our final destination the banquet
hall, which is used six or seven times a year. I tried to escape
to explore a little more, but met with closed doors and a man
who sent me back to where I had come from. The banquet hall
is dominated by a vast painting of Bagan depicting life-sized
temples. The ceiling, like the other ceilings, is very high.
On the way out, our buses pulled over to make way for a
procession of cars. Through the windows I spotted MPs who had
been in another wing of the building and had just finished their
business for the day. Most drove Toyotas Harriers and Land
Cruisers and at the very end of the line was a white Rolls Royce.
I looked to where the tour guide had been, to ask him who it
belonged to, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Photos: Aung Htay Hlaing

22 the pulse

THE MYANMAR TIMES June 16, 2015

Cottoning on to new
concepts in design
NANdAr AuNG
nandaraung.mcm@gmail.com

HeAP, cheerful, cotton. The

three Cs approach seems
to be working for local
entrepreneur Ma Su, who
has just opened her third

outlet.
Ma Su got her bag know-how
in Bangkok where, spurred by an
interest in reticules dating back to
her teenage years, she completed a

design course in 2012. She returned

to Bahan township to open her first
shop, Cotton Concept, to put her bag
theory into practice.
That was January last year. Since
then she has created new cotton bag
designs by herself, taking on a few
local staff. She runs to shopping and
travel bags, purses, visiting-card cases,
tissue cases, laptop cases and other
items defined by uniform cuteness.
Most women prefer their bags to
be leather, so at first it was a struggle.

But now Ive built up a regular

clientele of local and a few foreign
customers who like my items because
of the cute designs, said Ma Su
Nandar Aung, also known as Ma Su.
At first I made my own designs
because most people cant make bags.
I tried harder and taught my staff
how to make those items.
She orders the raw materials for
her products from Bangkok and
scours Thai and Japanese catalogues
on the internet for design ideas. Its
hard to beat her prices, which start
at K500 (US$4) and dont go much
beyond K15,000 ($13).
With that approach she was able
to open a second shop, in Hledan
township, on May 30, closely followed
by a third, with her business partner
at the Parami Sein Gay Har shopping
centre on June 10. She employs 10
staff.
I was surprised that my
customers liked my designs. That
inspired me to create new items. I
used to post on my shops Facebook
page, Cotton Concept, when new
items were coming out, and I
accept wholesale orders from local
companies, said the 33-year-old, who
is now looking to branch out into
bedding and kitchenware.

Photos: Supplied

LOS ANGELES

Jurassic World devours box office record

THe fearsome Jurassic Park dinosaurs
have done it again, gobbling up the
competition to score the biggest
worldwide box-office opening weekend
ever with the latest franchise.
Action-packed Jurassic World,
featuring a new and particularly lethal
hybrid dino, raked in a whopping
US$511 million globally in its debut at
cinemas, according to box-office tracker
exhibitor Relations on June 14.
That was the largest weekend take
in history, eclipsing Harry Potter and
the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 ($483
million in 2011), according to The
Hollywood Reporter.
The unprecedented haul for
Jurassic World which has had
largely good if not sparkling reviews
was boosted by the $100 million
earned in China alone and the
blockbuster topped the box-office in
66 countries.
In North America, Jurassic World
made $204.6 million, just short of the
record for an opening weekend in the
region, held by Marvels The Avengers
at $207.4 million in 2012.
This is absolutely a four-quadrant
movie and is working on so many
levels. The release date was awesome
and everybody stayed off of our date,
The Hollywood Reporter quoted

Universal domestic distribution chief

Nick Carpou as saying.
In addition to Chris Pratt as chief
dinosaur-keeper and Bryce Dallas
Howard as the parks overzealous
marketing guru, the cast of the film
includes a multi-ethnic array of
actors.
Paul Dergarabedian, a media
analyst at Rentrak, said that Jurassic
World benefited from something of a
perfect box-office storm.
Nostalgia, legacy, pedigree: Three
things that can make a newly updated
franchise a monster, he said.
There are many reasons Jurassic
World is eating box-office records
like a hungry Indominus Rex: The
original Jurassic Park was the second
coming of Jaws and was for many the
film that defined in the psyche their
personal definition of the summer
movie experience.
At the time 1993s Jurassic Park
was released it was the first film
to ever open with over $50 million
and as such was seen and loved by a
massive audience that were at once
repelled and thrilled by its sciencerun-amok premise, its homage to
the dinosaurs that everyone grew up
learning about and were intrigued by
in grade school. AFP

Actor Chris Pratt attends the Universal Pictures Jurassic World premiere at the
Dolby Theatre on June 9 in Hollywood, California. Photo: AFP/Kevin Winter/Getty
Images

the pulse 23

www.mmtimes.com
LODENICE

Czech village spins

retro vinyl records
comeback
JAN MArChAL

small Czech village has

become a centre of the
global boom in retro
records as antiquated
vinyl-pressing machines
turn out the tunes of rock stars from
Madonna to The Rolling Stones.
Despite the rise of CDs and
digital music, a local company GZ
Media decided to hold onto those old
machines which are now paying off,
as they press millions of vinyl records
sold each year around the world.
Record collectors and music
hipsters have fuelled a revival of vinyl
in the West and Japan with claims
that the format offers warmer sound
and greater aesthetics.
We pressed around 14 million
records last year, the most in the
world, said Michal Nemec, sales and
marketing director for GZ Media,
based in the village of Lodenice
outside Prague.
Despite the CD boom in the 1980s
and 90s, someone with foresight
decided to save the old vinyl record
presses and store them in a warehouse,
he said. A good decision.
That is how a dizzying number of
the worlds vinyl records featuring
Michael Jackson, Queen, U2 and
other top artists has ended up
coming out of this village of 1800
people tucked away in a valley in the
Czech Republic.
GZ Media pressed its first record
there in 1951. Most of the equipment
dates back to the 1960s and 70s.
Vinyl is making a comeback,
the local branch of the worldwide
recording industry organisation IFPI
said in its 2014 annual report.
It represents around 7 percent
of total physical album sales in the
Czech Republic, and 6pc in the United
States, the biggest vinyl market, the
report said.
No major band or singer puts out
a new album today without releasing
some copies on vinyl, the IFPI said.
With a dense network of
pipes below the ceiling, the noisy
production hall at GZ Media
resembles the insides of a submarine
and feels about as hot as in a
tropical climate.
At regular intervals, workers feed
the hydraulic presses with a vinyl
biscuit kolacek, or small round
cake in Czech that is made of a
polycarbonate mixture.
Weighed down by 150-200 tonnes,
the kolacek only needs a few seconds
to become a record.
Weve recorded annual growth
of 25-30pc in our vinyl production

over the past four years, and we

dont expect the situation to change
dramatically at least not in the next
two years, Nemec said.
While he declined to reveal sales
figures, he said the companys largest
contract to date has been a deluxe
collection of reissues of around 30
Rolling Stones albums sent to the
rock legends fan clubs.
But vinyl fans arent just into
records because of nostalgia. There are
quite a lot of young people who want to
be countercultural, Nemec said.
CDs havent wiped out vinyl, just
like e-book readers didnt wipe out
paper books.
Nemec attributed this contrast in
quality of sound to the fact that the
two formats contain differing ranges
of the frequencies that the human ear
can detect.
Vinyl is biased toward the
medium frequencies of the spectrum,
which are warmer and more
enjoyable to listen to, he said.
CDs on the other hand have the
entire range of frequencies, which
results in a colder sound.
Vinyl record enthusiast Petr Vacha,
a young Prague resident with long
dreadlocks, says he is sick of digital
music: You get everything except soul.
A new wave of buyers have caught
on to vinyl, long valued only by
collectors and purists who appreciate
the acoustic richness of an analogue
recording.
In the United States alone, 9.2
million records were sold last year.
US sales went up by 52pc against
2013, according to Nielsen SoundScan
the best result for vinyl since
the music industry monitor began
tracking sales in 1991.
Reflecting the 20-year high
in sales, Britains chart compiler
launched the countrys first official
ranking of vinyl records in April.
The US market is crucial for GZ
Media, with some 5 million 33rpm
discs exported there in 2014, followed
by Britain and Germany.
Every Friday, a plane takes off for
California, carrying 8 to 10 tonnes of
records, says the firms marketing
manager Jana Brezinova.
The days are long gone when vinyl
meant a black disc: About a quarter of
the factorys output consists of shapes
such as hearts or stars, often in bright
colours or with splatter patterns.
One of their Bob Dylan records, for
example, was shaped like a light-blue
guitar pick.
Speaking of special requests, an
American rock group once asked us to
incorporate the ashes of a late guitar
player in a record, Nemec said. AFP

A GZ Media employee handles records fresh from the press.

A GZ Media employee inspects newly minted records. Photos: AFP/Michal Cizek

Different types of vinyl records are displayed at the GZ Media vinyl record factory.

24 the pulse

THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 16, 2015

DOMESTIC FLIGHT SCHEDULES

YANGON TO MANDALAY

MANDALAY TO YANGON

Flight

Days

Dep

Arr

Flight

Days

Dep

Arr

Y5 775

Daily

6:00

7:10

Y5 233

Daily

7:50

9:00

W9 515

6:00

7:25

W9 201

Daily

8:40

10:35

YH 917

Daily

6:10

8:30

7Y 132

2,4,6,7

8:50

10:45

7Y 131

2,4,6,7

6:30

8:35

K7 223

1,3,5

8:55

11:00

K7 222

1,3,5

6:30

8:40

YH 918

Daily

8:30

10:25

6T 805

2,4,6

6:30

7:40

6T 806

2,4,6

10:30

11:40

YJ 201

1,2,3,4

7:00

8:55

YJ 202

1,2,3,4

12:00

13:25

W9 201

Daily

7:00

8:25

YJ 761

1,2,4

13:10

17:00

W9201

7:00

8:25

YJ 212

15:00

16:25

8M 6603

9:00

10:10

YJ 212

15:00

16:55

YJ 601

11:00

12:25

YJ 602

15:40

17:35

YJ 211

5, 7

11:00

12:25

7Y 242

1,3,5

16:40

18:45

YJ 761

1,2,4

11:00

12:55

K7 225

2,4,6,7

16:50

19:00

YH 729

2,4,6

11:00

14:00

YH 728

17:00

18:25

YH 737

3,5,7

11:00

13:10

W9 152/W97152

17:05

18:30

YH 727

11:30

13:40

Y5 776

Daily

17:10

18:20

W9 251

2,5

11:30

12:55

W9 211

17:10

19:15

7Y 241

1,3,5

14:30

16:25

YH 738

3,5,7

17:10

18:35

K7 224

2,4,6,7

14:30

16:35

8M 6604

17:20

18:30

Y5 234

Daily

15:20

16:30

8M 903

1,2,4,5,7

17:20

18:30

W9 211

15:30

16:55

YH 730

2,4,6

17:45

19:10

W9 252

2,5

18:15

19:40

YANGON TO NAY PYI TAW

NAY PYI TAW TO YANGON

YANGON TO HEHO
Flight
YH 917
YJ 891
7Y 131
YJ 891
K7 222
7Y 131
Y5 649
YJ 751
YJ 761
YJ 751
YH 737
YH 727
K7 224
7Y 241
W9 129

Days
Daily
6
2,4,6,7
1
1,3,5
Daily
Daily
3,5
1,2,4
7
3,5,7
1
2,4,6,7
1,3,5
1,3,6

Dep
6:10
6:20
6:30
6:30
6:30
7:15
10:30
10:30
11:00
11:00
11:00
11:30
14:30
14:30
15:30

HEHO TO YANGON
Arr
9:15
9:10
9:20
10:10
9:30
10:05
12:45
11:40
12:10
12:10
12:25
12:55
15:45
15:40
16:40

YANGON TO MYEIK
Flight
Y5 325
K7 319
6T 705
7Y 531
Y5 325
SO 201

Days
1,5
1,3,5,7
2,4,6
2,4,6
2
Daily

Dep
6:45
7:00
7:30
11:15
15:30
8:20

Flight
YJ 891
YH 918
YJ 891
W9 201
7Y 132
K7 223
YJ 761
YJ 752
YJ 762
7Y 242
K7 225
YH 728
YH 738
YJ 602
YJ 752
W9 129

Days
1
Daily
6
Daily
2,4,6,7
1,3,5
Daily
7
1,2,4
1,3,5
2,4,6,7
1
3,5,7
6
3,5
1,3,6

Dep
9:00
9:15
9:25
9:25
9:35
9:45
12:25
12:25
15:00
15:55
16:00
16:15
16:25
16:25
16:45
16:55

Arr
10:10
10:25
10:35
10:35
10:45
11:00
17:00
17:55
17:00
18:45
19:00
18:25
18:35
17:35
17:55
19:10

MYEIK TO YANGON
Arr
8:15
9:05
8:40
13:20
17:00
10:40

YANGON TO SITTWE

Flight
Y5 326
6T 706
7Y 532
K7 320
Y5 326
SO 202

Days
1,5
2,4,6
2,4,6
1,3,5,7
2
Daily

Dep
8:35
8:55
15:35
11:30
17:15
13:20

Arr
10:05
10:05
17:40
13:35
18:45
15:40

SITTWE TO YANGON

Flight

Days

Dep

Arr

Flight

Days

Dep

Arr

Flight

Days

Dep

Arr

Flight

Days

Dep

Arr

YJ 201

1,2,3,4

7:00

7:55

SO 101

Daily

7:00

8:00

K7 422

2,4,6

8:00

9:55

K7 423

2,4,6

10:10

11:30

ND 910

1,2,3,4,5

7:15

8:15

YJ 201

1,2,3,4

8:10

13:25

7Y 413

1,3,5,7

10:30

12:20

7Y 414

1,3,5,7

12:35

13:55

1,3,6

11:30

12:55

W9 309

1,3,6

13:10

14:55

Daily

11:45

12:55

6T 612

Daily

13:15

14:20

Domestic Airlines
Air Bagan (W9)
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

Yangon Airways (YH)

Tel: 383100, 383107, 700264
Fax: 652 533

FMI Air Charter (ND)

Tel: 240363, 240373, 09421146545

APEX Airlines (SO)

Tel:95(1) 533300 ~ 311
Fax : 95 (1) 533312

Air Mandalay (6T)

Tel: (+95-1) 501520, 525488,
Fax: (+95-1) 532275

ND 105

1,2,3,4,5

10:45

11:40

ND 9102

1,2,3,4,5

8:35

9:35

W9 309

YJ 211

11:00

15:45

ND 104

1,2,3,4,5

9:20

10:15

6T 611

ND 107

11:25

12:20

ND 106

10:00

10:55

ND 109

1,2,3,4,5

14:55

15:40

ND 108

1,2,3,4,5

13:30

14:25

Flight

Days

Dep

Arr

Flight

Days

Dep

Arr

ND 9109

1,2,3,4,5

17:00

18:00

YJ 212

16:00

16:55

K7 422

2,4,6

8:00

8:55

K7 422

2,4,6

9:10

11:30

ND 111

18:25

19:20

ND 110

17:00

17:55

7Y 413

1,3,5

10:30

11:20

7Y 413

1,3,5

11:35

13:55

SO 102

Daily

18:00

19:00

ND 9110

1,2,3,4,5

18:20

19:20

W9 309

1,3,6

11:30

13:50

7Y 413

12:05

14:20

K7 = Air KBZ

7Y 413

11:00

11:50

W9 309

1,3,6

14:05

14:55

W9 = Air Bagan

Y5 421

1,3,4,6

15:45

16:40

Y5 422

1,3,4,6

16:55

17:50

Y5 = Golden Myanmar Airlines

YANGON TO NYAUNG U

NYAUNG U TO YANGON

Flight

Days

Dep

Arr

Flight

Days

Dep

Arr

YH 917

Daily

6:10

7:45

YH 918

Daily

7:45

10:25

YANGON TO THANDWE

THANDWE TO YANGON

YANGON TO DAWEI

DAWEI TO YANGON

YJ 891

6:20

7:40

YJ 891

7:55

8:25

Flight

Days

Dep

Arr

Flight

Days

Dep

Arr

6:30

7:50

YJ 891

8:05

10:10

K7 319

1,3,5,7

7:00

8:10

YH 634

2,4,6

12:15

13:25

K7 222

1,3,5

6:30

7:50

7Y 132

2,4,6,7

8:05

10:45

YH 633

2,4,6

7:00

8:25

K7 320

1,3,5,7

12:25

13:35

7Y 131

2,4,6,7

6:30

7:50

K7 223

1,3,5

8:05

11:00

SO 201

Daily

8:20

9:40

6T 708

3,5,7

14:15

15:15

K7 224

2,4,6,7

14:30

17:25

K7 225

2,4,6,7

17:40

19:00

7Y 241

1,3,5

14:30

17:10

W9 129

1,3,6

17:50

19:10

7Y 242

1,3,5

17:25

18:45

W9 129

1,3,6

15:30

17:35

15:30

17:40

W9 129

15:30

17:35

YANGON TO MYITKYINA

6T 707

3,5,7

10:30

11:30

SO 202

Daily

14:20

15:40

7Y 531

2,4,6

11:15

12:20

7Y 532

2,4,6

16:35

17:40

YANGON TO LASHIO
MYITKYINA TO YANGON

LASHIO TO YANGON

Flight

Days

Dep

Arr

Flight

Days

Dep

Arr

YJ 751

3,5

10:30

12:45

YJ 752

3,5

15:40

17:55

Flight

Days

Dep

Arr

Flight

Days

Dep

Arr

YH 729

2,4,6

11:00

13:00

YJ 752

16:10

17:55

6T 805

2,4,6

6:30

8:55

6T 806

2,4,6

9:10

11:40

YJ 751

11:00

13:15

YH 730

2,4,6

16:45

19:10

YH 826

1,3.5.7

7:00

9:40

YJ 202

1,2,3,4

10:35

13:25

YJ 201

1,2,3,4

7:00

10:20

YH 827

1,3,5,7

11:30

13:55

Dep

Arr

Flight

Days

Dep

Arr

YJ 233

11:00

15:10

YJ 234

15:25

W9 251

2,5

11:30

14:25

W9 252

2,5

16:45

YANGON TO PUTAO

SO = APEX Airlines
7Y = Mann Yadanarpon Airlines

YH = Yangon Airways

YJ 891

W9 211

Airline Codes

PUTAO TO YANGON

Flight

Days

18:15

YH 826

1,3,5,7

7:00

10:35

YH 827

1,3,5,7

10:35

13:55

19:40

W9 251

2,5

11:30

15:25

W9 252

2,5

15:45

19:40

YJ = Asian Wings
6T = AirMandalay
FMI (ND) = FMI Air Charter

Subject to change
without notice
Day
1 = Monday
2 = Tuesday
3 = Wednesday
4 = Thursday
5 = Friday
6 = Saturday
7 = Sunday

the pulse 25

www.mmtimes.com

InternAtIonAl FlIGHt SCHeDUleS

Flights

YANGON TO BANGKOK
Days

Dep

Arr

PG 706
Daily
6:15
8M 335
Daily
7:40
TG 304
Daily
9:50
PG 702
Daily
10:30
TG 302
Daily
15:00
PG 708
Daily
15:15
8M 331
Daily
16:30
PG 704
Daily
18:20
Y5 237
Daily
19:00
TG 306
Daily
19:45
YANGON TO DON MUEANG

8:30
9:25
11:45
12:25
16:55
17:10
18:15
20:15
20:50
21:40

DD 4231
Daily
8:00
FD 252
Daily
8:30
FD 254
Daily
17:30
DD 4239
Daily
21:00
YANGON TO SINGAPORE

9:50
10:15
19:05
22:45

8M 231
Daily
8:25
Y5 2233
Daily
9:45
TR 2823
Daily
9:45
SQ 997
Daily
10:35
3K 582
Daily
11:15
MI 533
2,6
13:45
MI 519
Daily
17:30
3K 584
2,3,5
19:15
YANGON TO KUALA LUMPUR

12:50
14:15
14:25
15:10
15:45
20:50
22:05
23:45

8M 501
AK 505
MH 741
MH 743
AK 503

11:50
12:50
16:30
20:05
23:45

Flights

Days

Flights

Days

Flights

Days

Dep

Arr

Dep

Arr

Dep

Arr

1,2,3,5,6
7:50
Daily
8:30
Daily
12:15
Daily
15:45
Daily
19:30
YANGON TO BEIJING

Flights

Days

Dep

Arr

Flights

BANGKOK TO YANGON
Days

Dep

Arr

TG 303
Daily
7:55
PG 701
Daily
8:50
Y5 238
Daily
21:30
8M 336
Daily
10:40
TG 301
Daily
13:05
PG 707
Daily
13:40
PG 703
Daily
16:45
TG 305
Daily
17:50
8M 332
Daily
19:15
PG 705
Daily
20:15
DON MUEANG TO YANGON

8:50
9:40
22:20
11:25
14:00
14:30
17:35
18:45
20:00
21:30

DD 4230
Daily
6:20
FD 251
Daily
7:15
FD 253
Daily
16:20
DD 4238
Daily
19:30
SINGAPORE TO YANGON

7:05
8:00
17:00
20:15

TR 2822
Daily
7:20
Y5 2234
Daily
7:20
SQ 998
Daily
7:55
3K 581
Daily
8:55
MI 533
2,6
11:35
8M 232
Daily
13:50
MI 518
Daily
15:15
3K 583
2,3,5
17:05
KUALA LUMPUR TO YANGON

8:45
8:50
9:20
10:25
12:55
15:15
16:40
18:35

AK 504
MH 740
8M 502
MH 742
AK 502

8:00
11:15
13:50
14:50
19:00

Flights

Days

Flights

Days

Flights

Days

Dep

Arr

Dep

Arr

Dep

Arr

Daily
6:55
Daily
10:05
1,2,3,5,6
12:50
Daily
13:40
Daily
17:50
BEIJING TO YANGON

Flights

Days

Dep

Arr

CA 906
3,5,7
23:50 05:50+1
YANGON TO GUANGZHOU

CA 905
3,5,7
19:30
GUANGZHOU TO YANGON

22:50

8M 711
CZ 3056
CZ 3056

3,6
8:40
1,5
14:40
2,4,7
14:15
TAIPEI TO YANGON

10:25
16:30
15:50

1,2,3,5,6
7:00
KUNMING TO YANGON

9:55

Flights

Flights

CI 7916
Flights

Days

Dep

Arr

Flights

2,4,7
8:40
3,6
11:25
1,5
17:30
YANGON TO TAIPEI

13:15
16:15
22:15

CZ 3055
CZ 3055
8M 712

1,2,3,5,6
10:50
YANGON TO KUNMING

Arr

16:15

Flights

CI 7915

Arr

Flights

CA 416
MU 2012
MU 2032
Flights

Days

Dep

Days

Dep

Daily
12:15
3
12:40
1,2,4,5,6,7 15:20
YANGON TO HANOI
Days

15:55
18:45
18:40

Dep

Arr

Days

MU 2011
CA 415
MU 2031
Flights

Dep

Days

Dep

Days

Dep

Arr

Arr

Arr

3
8:25
Daily
10:45
1,2,4,5,6,7 13:55
HANOI TO YANGON
Days

11:50
11:15
14:30

Dep

Arr

VN 956
1,3,5,6,7
19:10
21:30
YANGON TO HO CHI MINH CITY

VN 957
1,3,5,6,7
16:50
18:10
HO CHI MINH CITY TO YANGON

VN 942

VN 943

Flights

Flights

QR 919
Flights

Days

Dep

Days

Dep

Days

Dep

Arr

2,4,7
14:25
YANGON TO DOHA

17:15

1,4,6
8:00
YANGON TO SEOUL

11:10

Arr

Arr

Flights

Flights

QR 918
Flights

Days

Dep

Days

Dep

Days

Dep

KA 252
KA 250

Arr

Flights

Days

5
1,2,3,4,6,7

Arr

YANGON TO TOKYO

Flights

Days

NH 814

Daily

Dep

21:45

06:50+1

YANGON TO DHAKA

Flights

Days

BG 061
BG 061
Flights

Dep

1:30
1:10

1,6
4

Dep

15:35
13:45

YANGON TO INCHEON
Days

Dep

Days

Dep

Arr

Arr

Flights

Y5 251
7Y 305

8:05
12:50

2,4,6
1,5

YANGON TO GAYA

Flights

Days

8M 601
AI 236
Flights

Days

2
1,5

Dep

13:10
14:05

YANGON TO KOLKATA
Days

AI 228
Flights

Dep

3,5,6
7:00
2
13:10
YANGON TO DELHI

AI 236
AI 701
Flights

6:15
11:00

1,5

Dep

14:05

YANGON TO MUMBAI

AI 773

Days

1,5

Dep

14:05

MANDALAY TO BANGKOK

Flights

PG 710

Days

Daily

Dep

14:05

MANDALAY TO SINGAPORE

Flights

MI 533
Y5 2233

Days

2,6
1,2,4,5,6

Dep

15:55
7:50

MANDALAY TO DON MUEANG

Flights

FD 245

Days

Daily

Dep

12:45

MANDALAY TO KUNMING

Flights

MU 2030

Days

Daily

Dep

13:50

NAY PYI TAW TO BANGKOK

Flights

PG 722

Days

1,2,3,4,5

Dep

19:30

Arr

Arr

8:20
15:05
Arr

Dep

Days

Dep

Flights

9:25
13:45

GAYA TO YANGON
Days

Dep

2
9:20
3,5,6
9:20
DELHI TO YANGON
Days

2
1,5

Dep

9:20
7:00

KOLKATA TO YANGON
Days

AI 227

1,5

Dep

10:35

MUMBAI TO YANGON

AI 675

Days

1,5

Dep

6:10

BANGKOK TO MANDALAY

Flights

Days

Daily

Dep

12:00

SINGAPORE TO MANDALAY

Y5 2234
MI 533

Days

Daily
2,6

Dep

7:20
11:35

DON MUEANG TO MANDALAY

Flights

15:00

FD 244

Arr

Flights

Arr

12:30
10:40

Days

2,4,6
1,5

Flights

Flights

22:30

Dep

INCHEON TO YANGON

Flights

Arr

16:40

1,6
4

AI 235
8M 602

PG 709

Arr

Days

15:40
Arr

14:55
13:05

Days

Daily

Dep

10:50

KUNMING TO MANDALAY

MU 2029

Days

Daily

Dep

13:00

BANGKOK TO NAY PYI TAW

Flights

PG 721

Days

1,2,3,4,5

Dep

17:00

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: 255323 (ext: 107), 09-401539206

Golden Myanmar Airlines (Y5)

Tel: 09400446999, 09400447999
Fax: 8604051

Malaysia Airlines (MH)

Tel: 387648, 241007 (ext: 120, 121, 122)

Fax: 241124

Myanmar Airways International (8M)

Tel: 255260. Fax: 255305

Nok Airline (DD)

Tel: 255050, 255021. Fax: 255051

Qatar Airways (QR)

Tel: 379845, 379843, 379831. Fax: 379730

Singapore Airlines (SQ) / Silk Air (MI)

Tel: 255287~9. Fax: 255290

Thai Airways (TG)

Tel: 255491~6. Fax: 255223

Tel: 371383, 370836~39 (ext: 303)
Tel: 255066, 255088, 255068. Fax: 255086

Airline Codes
3K = Jet Star
8M = Myanmar Airways International

BG = Biman Bangladesh Airlines

CA = Air China
CI = China Airlines
CZ = China Southern

Arr

10:15
14:35

16:30
20:50
14:15

11:00

Air Bagan Ltd.(W9)

Tel: 513322, 513422, 504888. Fax: 515102

AK = Air Asia

Arr

Y5 252
7Y 306

Flights

Arr

Daily

Dep

DHAKA TO YANGON

Flights

Arr

Arr

TOKYO TO YANGON
Days

Arr

00:30+1
23:30

18:10
12:00

AI 235
AI 401

22:35

Dep

22:50
21:45

Arr

22:25
23:25

W9 608
4,7
17:20
PG 723
1,3,5,6
11:05
CHIANG MAI TO YANGON

16:30
19:50
15:05

4
1,2,3,5,6,7

Flights

BG 060
BG 060

16:10
15:05

Days

NH 813

17:00
15:10

W9 607
4,7
14:20
PG 724
1,3,5,6
13:10
YANGON TO CHIANG MAI
Flights

Flights

Tel: 09254049991~3

Vietnam Airlines (VN)

06:25+1

5:55
5:45

Flights

Air Asia (FD)

Arr

3,5,7
20:40
SEOUL TO YANGON

KA 251
KA 251

Tel: 255412, 413

Tiger Airline (TR)

13:25

KE 471
Daily
18:45
0Z 769
3,6
19:50
HONG KONG TO YANGON

All Nippon Airways (NH)

Arr

2,4,7
11:50
DOHA TO YANGON

0Z 770
4,7
0:35
9:10
KE 472
Daily
23:30 07:50+1
YANGON TO HONG KONG

International Airlines

Arr

Arr

12:0
12:30
Arr

12:20
13:20
Arr

13:20
Arr

13:20
Arr

13:20
Arr

16:30
15:00
Arr

12:15

DD = Nok Airline
FD = Air Asia
KA = Dragonair
KE = Korea Airlines
MH = Malaysia Airlines
MI = Silk Air
MU = China Eastern Airlines
NH = All Nippon Airways
PG = Bangkok Airways
QR = Qatar Airways
SQ = Singapore Airways
TG = Thai Airways
TR = Tiger Airline
VN = Vietnam Airline
AI = Air India
Y5 = Golden Myanmar Airlines

Subject to change
without notice

Arr

12:50
Arr

19:00

Day
1 = Monday
2 = Tuesday
3 = Wednesday

4
5
6
7

=
=
=
=

Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday

26 Sport

THE MYANMAR TIMES June 16, 2015

SEA GAMES
FOOTBALL

Singapore
sweeps
floorball in
Games debut

Vietnam fans celebrate victory against Indonesia at the National Stadium. Photo: Singapore SEA Games Organising Committee/Action Images via Reuters

Vietnam takes bronze,

beats Indonesia 5-0
V

ieTnaM sent indonesia

crashing into the international football wilderness with a 5-0 drubbing
in the Southeast asian
(Sea) games bronze medal match
yesterday.
Four first-half strikes, including
a Vo Huy Troan brace, guaranteed
an unhappy send-off for indonesia, who now start an indefinite
suspension from international
competition.
Coach aji Santoso said his team
faced an uncertain future after the
government ousted indonesias troubled football body, prompting a FiFa
ban for political interference.
i think its had an impact on
the mentality of the players, he told

reporters at Singapores national Stadium.

i think thats normal, because after the Sea games they dont know
what they will do, because indonesian football is frozen already.
indonesia enjoyed a heady run in
reaching the Sea games semi-finals,
but they leave Singapore on a low after also losing 5-0 to Thailand in the
last four on June 13.
indonesias football body suspended the top domestic league in
april after a dispute with the sports
ministry, which responded by freezing its activities.
World body FiFa then barred indonesia from international competition late last month, but their under23s were allowed to play the Sea

games which was already under way.

i hope the case of indonesian
football will be cleared as soon as
possible because its very disappointing for the players, Santoso said.
They dont even know what
theyll do after this tournament.
indonesias problems mattered
little to Vietnam, who were smarting
from their 2-1 semi-final defeat and
had an easy start when Hansamu
Yama pranata handled in the box.
Mac Hong Quan tucked away the
penalty on 13 minutes, and Vietnam
did not have to wait long before they
doubled their advantage eight minutes later.
Vo, put through on goalkeeper
Teguh amiruddin, finished with
aplomb and then celebrated by

fishing a Vietnam flag from his socks

and brandishing it to the crowd.
But there was more to come from
Vo, who buried a screamer from 25
yards for his fifth goal of the tournament on 41 minutes.
nguyen Huu Dung finished neatly
with a half-volley in first-half injury
time, before captain Que ngoc Hai
turned in Do Duy Manhs shot on 71
minutes.
While Vietnam can take heart
from their big win and bronze medal,
indonesia will hope for a solution to
their problems hopefully in time
for the next Sea games in 2017.
i dont know how long FiFa will
suspend indonesia. its too early to
talk about the next Sea games, Santoso said. AFP

SEA GAMES

Thousands back gymnast in genitalia row

THouSanDS of people have shown
their support for Malaysian gymnast Farah ann abdul Hadi after
she was criticised for competing in
revealing clothing at the Southeast
asian (Sea) games.
By yesterday, 11,000 people had
liked the Facebook page Farah ann abdul Hadi For Malaysia
which calls for praise and support
for the double gold-medallist.
Last week, some critics in the
majority Muslim country slammed

the 21-year-old, saying they could

see the shape of her aurat (genitalia) in her leotard.
abdul Hadi wrote on the page,
i would just like to express my sincerest gratitude to all of you who
have been supporting me.
it is such an overwhelming feeling to have had such a great and
positive respond from all of you.
abdul Hadi, who won six medals in total at the games in Singapore, has won broad support in the

controversy including from Malaysias youth and sports minister.

in response to her critics, Khairy
Jamaluddin tweeted, in gymnastics Farah wowed the judges and
brought home gold.
in her deeds only the almighty
judges her. not you. Leave our athletes alone.
However, divisions remain and
one Malaysian islamic group reportedly called for guidelines to
help female Muslim athletes stay

compliant with sharia law when

they compete.
Women should not be stopped
from sports, but they must prioritise the islamic codes in sports attire, said roszida Kamaruddin,
head of the female wing of the national Muslim Youth association,
according to the Malay Mail.
Furthermore, there are many
Muslim female athletes who succeed even by covering their aurat.
AFP

Singapore won the first Southeast

asian (Sea) games golds in the littleknown sport of floorball as they kept
within touching distance of Thailand
on the medals table on June 14.
The host nations men beat Thailand 9-0 and their women won a
penalty shoot-out against the Thais in
front of a packed crowd on day nine of
the regional olympics.
Singapore picked floorball, a type
of indoor hockey, to debut at the Sea
games, where the host nation is at
liberty to tailor the schedule to suit its
strengths.
and the choice paid off as Singapores men strolled to victory and the
women, after being held 3-3 in regular
time, won 2-1 on penalties.
Hopefully after this win Singaporeans and others in Southeast asia
will see how fast-paced and exciting
floorball is, Singapore womens captain Wynne Tang told aFp.
The double triumph helped keep
Singapore only five golds back from
Thailand (87) on the medals table late
on June 14, with two days of competition to go.
The hosts also won three sailing
golds and the team rhythmic gymnastics title, along with titles in bowling
and martial art pencak silat.
eleven-year-old Malaysian aaliyah
Yoong, already the youngest champion
at this Sea games, made it a double
triumph when she added overall

Hopefully after this

win Singaporeans
and others in
Southeast Asia
will see how fastpaced and exciting
floorball is.
Wynne Tang
Singapore womens captain

wakeboarding gold to her tricks title

won earlier.
Her ex-racing driver brother and
TV commentator alex, 38, took overall
mens silver.
Malaysias Koi Sie Yan and Shasangari S nagarajan, both 16, shared
individual all-around rhythmic gymnastics gold when they were awarded
identical scores of 60.250.
and Malaysian cyclist Mohd Harrif Saleh, who earlier overcame food
poisoning to win the mens criterium,
picked up another gold in the mens
road race.
in tennis, Warit Sornbutnark beat
indonesias David Susanto to win the
mens singles 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 as Thailand
took four titles out of five in the sport.
Thailand also won the womens doubles June 14, a day after claiming the
mens doubles and the womens singles
through noppawan Lertcheewakarn.
But philippines duo Denise Dy and
Treat Huey stopped Thailand winning
all five tennis titles when they beat
peangtarn plipuech and Sonchat ratiwatana to win the mixed doubles.
Thailand also celebrated victories
in rowing, wakeboarding, pencak silat
and taekwondo as they reached their
total of 87 gold medals late June 14
Thailands womens volleyball team
beat indonesia 3-1 in the semi-finals,
ending a turbulent appearance after
calls for a gender test on their player
aprilia Manganang. AFP

Sport 27

www.mmtimes.com

VOLLEYBALL

Volleyballers
lose 3-0 to
Vietnam, take
bronze
KYAw ZIN HLAINg
kyawzinhlaing.mcm@gmail.com

F
IN PICTUREs
Myanmars womens doubles sepak takraw pairing of Than
Phyu Phyu and Wai Khin Hnin went down to Thailand 2-0
(14-21, 10-21) in Singapore yesterday.
Photo: Singapore SEA Games Organising Committee/
Action Images via Reuters

or a second event running

Myanmar fell at the semifinal stage of the mens
Southeast Asian Games
volleyball competition, succumbing to a 3-0 defeat (25-21, 25-17,
25-21) at the hands of Vietnam.
I want to apologise to our fans,
said Myanmar volleyballer Kyaw
Kyaw Htway. But we must be happy
to come away with a bronze medal after 2013 when we left with nothing.
In Nay Pyi Taw 2013, Vietnam
were the victors over Myanmar in
the play-off for third place. owing
to a rule change this year, Myanmar
picks up a medal despite losing the
semi-final.

Myanmar coach Nyi Nyi Lwin

told The Myanmar Times that the
side will come back stronger.
our players did not have their
best day on court today and we
failed to cover Vietnams attacking prowess. We brought a young
and inexperienced squad with
many athletes from the Asian U23
Championships to these games,
he said.
Well begin our preparations
for whatever our next international tournament may be. our first
chance will be the Asian Cup [in
2016] but whether we will enter is
yet to be confirmed.
Weve gathered experience
from this tournament and well go
back and work on our weaknesses,
said Kyaw Kyaw Htway.

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Sport
28 THE MYANMAR TIMES JunE 16, 2015

SPORT EDITOR: Matt Roebuck | matt.d.roebuck@gmail.com

Vietnam routs Indonesia to

take football bronze
SPORT 26

FOOTBALL

Top-shelf Thais break

Myanmar hearts to win gold
MATT ROEBUCk
matt.d.roebuck@gmail.com

PLUCKY Myanmar side

was eventually outclassed
3-0 by a polished Thai
outfit that won gold in the
Southeast Asian Games
football final at the National Stadium
in Singapore last night.
Myanmar will have to wait another
two years for its next opportunity to
resurrect its golden age and win a first
Southeast Asian Games football title
since 1973.
For Thailand, the victory represents the 15th time the nation has
finished top in the SEA Games; 14 of
these wins have come in the 21 tournaments since Myanmar completed five
successive gold medals.
Myanmars defence was bolstered
by fine work from goalkeeper Kyaw
Zin Phyo, who held firm until the 54th
minute, when a Tanaboon Kersarat
strike gave Thailand the lead.
Thai forward Chananan Pombubpha added a second goal on the 64th
minute, while Pinyo Inpinit ended
all hopes of an unlikely comeback
when he scored a third goal in the 77th
minute.
Having demolished opponents
throughout the tournament, including
a 5-0 semi-final win over Indonesia,
Thailand went into the final as overwhelming favourites, with even the
stadium announcer describing Myanmar as plucky underdogs in his pregame introduction.
But Myanmar knew it could count
on its legion of fans to play 12th man,
with thousands of White Angels followers packing the stadium nearly
two hours before kick-off. In Yangon,
thousands of supporters gathered to
watch the match on big screens, while
the streets were unusually hushed.
Keeper Kyaw Zin Phyo continued
a strong tournament and was key to
Myanmar ending the first half at parity with Thailand. On 7 minutes he
stopped a near-certain goal when he
flung out a hand to stop a close-range
shot from Chananan Pombubpha, despite being wrongfooted.
Whether it was nerves or inexperi-

Thailands Chananan Pombubpha runs the ball past goalkeeper Kyaw Zin Phyo to secure a 2-0 lead at the National Stadium in Singapore yesterday. Photo: Singapore
SEA Games Organising Committee/Action Images via Reuters

ence both teams looked a little overzealous to command the game, with
late, albeit generally innocuous, challenges a regular occurrence.
This trend extended into attack
and both sides had their chances in
the first half-hour but often wasted
opportunities to penetrate in favour of
weak, long-distance shots.
On the occasions that the Thai attack did find its way into the Myanmar
box they were repeatedly frustrated by
the stalwart Kyaw Zin Phyo.

That Thailand spent more time

on the attack was to be expected as
Myanmar focused on its defence,
hoping to catch the favourites on
the break. And in the 44th minute
that nearly happened as wing-back
Sithu Aung ran on to a cross behind
the Thai defence, only to be brought
down by keeper Chanin Sae-ear, in
what was adjudged to be a legal challenge by the referee.
The second half opened up to a
renewed cauldron of noise with Thai-

land, having faced little resistance in

this competition, keen to impose itself
on the game. In the opening 10 minutes Thai players failed to latch onto a
series of dangerous through-balls before Chananan forced Kyaw Zin Phyo
to push the ball behind the goal for
what turned out to be a succession of
corner kicks.
That succession ended in the 53rd
minute, when Myanmar failed to fully
clear the ball, which bounced to Tanaboon 10 yards out to volley home.

Thailand continued to threaten

through Chananan, who after a series
of failed one-on-one attempts finally
made good when he was played onside
by Hein Thiha Zaw to slot the ball past
the keeper in the 63rd minute.
The result means Myanmar finish
the multi-sport festival with only 12
gold medals and in seventh place on
the medal table well short of its stated 50-gold target. Myanmars medal
haul finishes at 12 gold, 26 silver and
31 bronze, for a total of 69.

IN PICTURES

Myanmars mens doubles team poses with their gold

medals after beating the Philippines two sets to one in
a tight final. Philippines claimed the first set 22-20 but
Myanmar roared back into the fray and won the next
two sets 21-13 and 21-16. Photo: Singapore SEA Games
Organising Committee/Action Images via Reuters