We'll Fight Fairly To Win 2015 Election,' Says Shwe Mann: Verdict in Journalist's Defamation Case Delayed
We'll Fight Fairly To Win 2015 Election,' Says Shwe Mann: Verdict in Journalist's Defamation Case Delayed
We'll Fight Fairly To Win 2015 Election,' Says Shwe Mann: Verdict in Journalist's Defamation Case Delayed
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U Myo Min Htet (left) and U Tin Ko Ko drink to their marriage at Yangons Excel Hotel on March 2. Attended by many members of the LGBT community, the wedding also sparked a public outcry on social media.
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it would be gauche to suggest consultants with demonstrated expertise in the matter: Indonesia. It would seem the gay couple whose recent union gave way to signicant controversy can breathe a sigh of relief, with Eleven reporting that the police now say they have no intention of investigating or pressing charges. The Voice, 7 Day and Democracy Today all ran with the line that the March 2 ceremony had stirred reactions from Buddhist monks, with online media outlets calling the event illegal and immoral. Had the authorities wanted to rain on their parade, however, section 377 of the Penal Code would have been the relevant legislation under which charges could have been pursued. This section, referred to in the Code as Unnatural Offences (sodomy is referred to euphemistically in Myanmar language as going against nature) reads thus: Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal shall be punished with transportation for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to ne. The law, a relic from British colonial times, reportedly presents signicant problems in terms of gathering evidence and is generally only invoked when a party to the act in question makes a complaint about it. It is not unheard of for a wife to lodge a complaint against her husband if he repeatedly tries to convince her of the merits of going against nature. Most 377-category offences are thrown out of court.
A commission has been formed to draft two controversial new bills focused on conversion and balancing the increasing population according to The New Light of Myanmar which in its roundabout way refers to the mildly alarming push to, in the very least, signicantly complicate the process for those wishing to secure an interfaith marriage. With the proposed bills for what is being called the Patriotic Act having now received the endorsement of President U Thein Sein, the movement has gained some serious traction since its inception as a campaign spearheaded by monks. Front and centre of the proselytising movement is course, U Wirathu, whose crack teams tireless work on the issue saw over 2 million signatures collected a logistical feat that surely must have earned the admiration of those charged with wrangling data collection operations for the impending census. Among the tasks assigned to the commission is to Seek advice from persons and organizations who are experienced in relevant subjects. One cant help but wonder if
Burmese Gays
Deputy Information Minister and prolic Facebook user U Ye Htut posted a YouTube video on his ofcial page last week, accompanied by a somewhat cryptic statement: Something exciting is happening in Myanmar. Whether or not this is true remains to be seen, but the video entitled
HAPPY (We are from Myanmar) appears to be a viral stunt with a local twist, piggybacking on a new single from US artist Pharrell. I say appears to be, because its still buffering and I havent actually watched it yet. The irony of U Ye Htut posting videos as though people would allocate precious bandwidth and time to watching them is rarely lost on his followers, who are often quick to point it out. The length of the video is 3:13 ... it takes 19 minutes to view until the end for me. I am using MPT GSM phone internet. About 16 minutes is wasted because of MPT, commented one Facebook user.
Than Shwe 3D
and is apparently set to enter talks with Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh with a view to collaborating. The ever-cheeky Zarganar told DVB that nding an actor to take on the role of the former dictator shouldnt be too much of an ask as many people in Burma, perhaps unfortunately, bear his likeness. The script for the project is reportedly yet to be eshed out, but one local cinephile said he hopes it will be presented in ashback format, la The Iron Lady starring Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher: long ashbacks interspersed with cut-tos of Than Shwe in his twilight years, shufing around the tunnels of his Nay Pyi Taw bunker. A pointer on the front page of The New Light of Myanmar on March 8
News in brief: Telenor billboard on Sule Pagoda Road a contender for worlds longest Next week: Man laments running
out of business cards at Strand happy hour, describes it as a disaster
Satirist Zarganar is looking to take on the role of assistant director in an upcoming Than Shwe biopic,
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News 3
Nur Ha Tu holds her baby in the doorway of her hut in the Aung Mingalar ghetto in Sittwe, Rakhine State, on March 5. Photo: Fiona MacGregor
Another key area of concern is the potential shortfall in treatments for the Rohingya Muslim population, many of whom face restrictions on movement that limit their access to the state health system. A government statement released on March 2 indicated that the authorities would consider allowing MSF to
say all arrangements have been made for Myanmars rst census in 30 years, a number of observers have cautioned that the census, particularly its questions on race and religion, could iname tensions in some parts of the country, particularly Rakhine State. After the census is completed, the state government will have negotiations with both communities and [maybe] in October or November MSF will be allowed to return. Whether a temporary shutdown will be enough to satisfy hardline Rakhine community leaders is
unclear. Since the MSF closure was announced, a number of other INGOs and UN agencies in Rakhine State have been the target of online threats. Meanwhile, a watch group of civil society representatives has been established in Sittwe to monitor INGO activities. Asked if the banning of MSF would encourage activists to target other international aid organisations, U Aye Nyein said it depend[ed] on the activities of the organisation. They must have transparency about what they are doing for both communities.
4 News
Aung Mingalar resident Rhahim Katu (centre) holds a container that measures an entire days rice rations for her family of nine in Sittwe, Rakhine State, on March 5. Photo: Fiona MacGregor
deteriorate in the days before The Myanmar Times met him in Aung Mingalar on March 5. Three days previously, residents with some medical understanding had urged his family to take him to the hospital in a bid to save his life. But like many in Aung Mingalar, they have no opportunity to work and could not afford the K10,000 required to pay the guards to allow him to leave. Before MSF staff were expelled from Rakhine, they had facilitated the movement of patients who required hospital treatment and had given them the necessary referrals so they could receive treatment at Sittwe General Hospital. By the time enough cash had been raised to get Nazir Ahmed to Sittwe
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General, his family felt it was too late. They said they did not want him to die in a hospital where they believed the Rakhine medical staff would mistreat him because he was Rohingya. We did not want to send him there to die, said his son, Jamal Nasir. He displayed two notebooks with his fathers name and age, 58, written on the front. The notebooks contained Nazir Ahmeds MSF medical notes. The rst date recorded was January 7, 2014. There were no entries after February 28, the date MSF was ordered to cease operations in a move the government said was aimed at preventing further community conict in the region. The decision to evict MSF at the end of last month came amid growing resentment from Rakhine residents who claimed the organisation was giving preferential aid to the Rohingya, and government concerns that the INGOs reports regarding Rohingya patients they had treated following alleged attacks against them were at odds with the authorities accounts. The group had been working in the region for more than 20 years and had 600 staff operating in Rakhine alone, providing vital medical care across the state. They were particularly important in remote communities as well as to those in the IDP camps who had restricted access to state services. INGOs and UN organisations have expressed concern that local health authorities in Rakhine Myanmars second-poorest state do not have the facilities to replicate MSFs services. However, the deputy director general of the Ministry of Health, U Soe Lwin Nyein, has insisted they do and that state health workers will also provide care for those in the Bengali (the term Myanmar officials use to refer to the Rohingya) camps. He has also asserted the ban is temporary, though MSF sources say they have had no conrmation of that. Temporary or otherwise, any reinstatement will come too late for Nazir Ahmed, and very probably for many other vulnerable patients in Rakhine. Five days after the MSF ban had come into effect, as Mr Ahmed lay dying, no one from the Ministry of Health had yet visited Aung Mingalar to ask about the residents medical needs, according to village head Shwe Zan Aung.
In a tiny bamboo hut a few streets away from Mr Ahmeds house, a mother showed off her new baby boy, born the night before without medical assistance. Other mothers soon gathered around to show infants they have given birth to while surviving on the most meagre rations: a tin can full of rice a day to feed a family of nine, a few handfuls of homegrown watercress, and what little extra food they might be able to afford from what is brought into the village by a truck that, after the guards have been paid off, is allowed to leave twice a week to go to a nearby market for supplies. There is little rewood left in the village, so residents have been reduced to cooking over burning rubbish that often produces toxic fumes. Sometimes we just have to eat the leaves from the banana trees, said Zorina Khatu, 45.
Theres a lot of trouble because of the lack of doctors and treatment, and we cannot go out for treatment. I am frightened I will die.
Maung Maung Aung Mingalar IDP camp resident
One young woman appears with twins. They are six weeks old but still tiny. They are lucky: Their grandmother is a traditional midwife. But while the Ministry of Health insists that it can manage vaccinations for all communities without MSFs help, it remains unclear how, when and who will facilitate the provision of polio and other inoculations to these new Aung Mingalar infants. The elderly too fear for their future now that the INGO has been banned. Maung Maung, 63, has diabetes. While village residents say MSF did not usually supply regular diabetes medicines in the area, the INGO was able to do so
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IT should have been an opportunity to build trust between the media and the military. But Senior General Min Aung Hlaings rst press conference has, if anything, cast more suspicion on the militarys commitment to democracy, with journalists being barred from the event and state-controlled media given special treatment. The worst ASEAN-related press conference Ive ever experienced was how one journalist, who has covered ASEAN meetings in Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia since 2009, described the March 5 question-andanswer session following the 11th ASEAN Chiefs of Defence Forces Informal Meeting. We are the ASEAN chair. We need to be more transparent or it will have a serious negative impact on our image, the reporter said. More than 10 reporters, including those from Democratic Voice of Burma, Mizzima and Trade Times, were not allowed to enter, even though they had registered to attend. A colonel told them it was because of seating difficulties in the press room, said Ko Pyae Thet Phyo, a reporter with The Myanmar Times who was also blocked from entering. We were all really angry, he said. We asked how there could be a shortage when we had all pre-registered. Then we saw the state media guys walk into the press room. We asked, Why can they enter and not us? The colonel said it was because they are the state media. Reporters were told on March 3 that they had to register that evening. By the time many found out about the press conference they had already missed the deadline. One of those who registered described the
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing speaks during the ASEAN Chiefs of Defence Forces Informal Meeting on March 5 in Nay Pyi Taw. Photo: Pyae Thet Phyo
form as like answering questions to enlist for cadet training. Journalists were also told that they could only ask questions related to the ASEAN meeting and were ordered to submit them in advance. A reporter allowed into the press conference who asked not to be named said the senior general spoke for barely ve minutes. He answered ve questions, all of which came from state media: Myawady, MRTV and the New Light of Myanmar. Myawady asked the rst question, then handed the microphone to MRTV. When MRTV was done, it was handed to New Light of Myanmar, the reporter said. The event also highlighted the governments failure to introduce proper journalism standards at state newspapers, which churned out pieces about the press conference lauding the militarys achievements. State-run New Light of Myanmar reported on March 6 that more than 40 local and foreign journalists attended the press conference. The Senior General who chaired the 11th ACDFIM answered the questions raised by media persons, it said. The senior general said that
sweeping reforms of the new government brought about by democratisation process which was initiated by Tatmadaw won political achievements in the country and international plaudits, according to the New Light of Myanmar. Myanmar formed with different ethnic minorities is progressing towards a lasting peace, he was quoted as saying. Observers said the press conference highlighted the militarys continued reluctance to adhere to international standards of transparency. We want transparency in every sector of the country and for that it is important that the public have access to news, said U Nyan Win, a spokesperson for the National League for Democracy. Ko Sai Ye Kyaw Swar Myint, cofounder of the Yangon School of Political Science, said the press conference showed the militarys arrogance. Its like they dont need to make any effort to build relations with other [stakeholders] or the public, he said. They think that they dont need to reform because there are no consequences from not reforming.
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CENSUS
News 7
WITH the census less than a month away, fresh doubts have emerged over the ability of enumerators to collect data in areas controlled by ethnic armed groups. Interviews with representatives from the groups and the Ministry of Immigration and Population reveal that key questions remain over several aspects of the process, including who is eligible to carry out the census and which armed groups will agree to participate. Many ethnic civil society groups have called upon the government to delay or amend the census on the grounds its methodology is awed on the question of ethnicity and could be used to strip minorities of their rights. These same concerns are shared by leaders of several prominent armed groups, who told The Myanmar Times they will limit or completely block efforts to collect data in their territories. U La Nan, a spokesperson for the Kachin Independence Army, said the
85,000
Enumerators to be trained for the census groups executive council has not even been contacted by Nay Pyi Taw about the census and it believes the count is being conducted too soon. He said the KIA does not plan to allow enumerators to collect data within its territory on the Myanmar-China border, which contains about 49,000 displaced people alone. Padoh Mahn Mahn, a spokesperson for the Karen National Union, which is based on the Thai border, said government enumerators would only have limited permission to access areas under the groups control. This will likely not include many of the IDP camps on the Thai border or at its headquarters in Hlaingbwe township. He said the KNU leadership wants to cooperate with the government on the census but is concerned over security and the methodology. In
principal the census is important, he said. [But] we want more consultation and conversation with the government before we can give permission. Other armed groups appear to be on board, however. Lieutenant General Yawd Serk from the Shan State Army-South told The Myanmar Times at the groups headquarters in Loi Tai Leng last month that it planned to cooperate. If the way [the government] does it is transparent and fair we will accept them in SSASouth areas, he said. The United Wa State Army, considered by many to be the most powerful of the ethnic armed groups, made headlines several weeks ago by publically agreeing to cooperate. It will even allow enumerators to arrive several weeks early, according to the government. While there is less than three weeks until the census is due to begin, U Nyi Nyi, the director of the census technical team in Nay Pyi Taw, said he remains condent that the ministry can reach agreements in time. He said he does not believe the groups raising concerns over the process represent the views of the majority of people. When I started [this process] more than three years ago, I said the census was essential for the development or the country, he said. Im a technical person; Im not concerned about politics. Im only interested in the development of the country. Meanwhile, the United Nations Population Fund, which is supporting the process, said in a statement last week that master trainers were given instructions on census procedures in Nay Pyi Taw from February 17-21. Starting last week, those trainers returned to their state capitals to train supervisors, who will in turn train the enumerators. The government expects to have 26,000 supervisors and 85,000 enumerators trained by the end of March. Most are local teachers. U Nyi Nyi said using local enumerators would minimise the potential for conict. In most of the country we dont need security, he said. Most of the school teachers are from their own region, and school teachers are respected persons. However, he said the ministry has not yet decided if Muslims will be allowed to serve as enumerators because of perceptions that they cannot be trusted. Even if we have Muslim enumerators, he said, we need assurance that they will follow protocol.
A Muslim man discusses the holding of the census with officials and EU ambassador to Myanmar Roland Kobia during the EU delegations trip to Rakhine State on January 31. Photo: Si Thu Lwin
Im not a local but I was listed as being able to speak Bengali. Most other school teachers are also on the list.
Teacher from Maungdaw township
I would say 95 percent of school teachers dont understand Bengali, said U Win Thein, a Rakhine political activist from Maungdaw township. We are not locals. Weve arrived here as our duty. We dont understand the Bengalis language even the local teachers arent familiar with their language, said a primary school teacher from Maungdaw, who also asked not to be named. At a press conference in Yangon on February 10, Minister for Immigration and Population U
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Lieutenant General Myint Soe (left) from the Ministry of Defence speaks during a meeting with armed ethnic groups in Myitkyina on November 4. Photo: Boothee
AUNG NaING Oo
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COMPROMISE is controversial but it is often a necessary step to end a long-running, deadly conict. This is how we in Myanmar should view any potential compromise aimed at securing an enduring solution to this countrys armed conict. If we genuinely want to nd a way to bring our country together, we should consider compromise a necessity. But it is not easy; compromises require courage and vision. They can also be negative. A lopsided compromise can be forced on one side. Considering the negative consequences of a possible no-deal situation, a weaker side may have to accept a solution that is not what it considers to be optimal. Compromises are particularly difficult when opposing parties are divided by a lack of belief and trust, and different ways of thinking and interests. Compromises may be humiliating. They may compel someone to shake hands with their arch-rivals when they had sworn never to do so. To admit defeat in this manner can be humiliating. Although shaking hands among former enemies is no longer an obstacle in Myanmar, the idea of a compromise is still construed by some as giving in to the enemy. Leaders can lose power, respect, authority and standing for making compromises. It can weaken their negotiating potential and even have fatal consequences. Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was shot dead in November 1995
during a peace march in Tel Aviv. His assassin, Yigal Amir, believed that the prime minister had given too much to the Palestinians in the 1993 Oslo Accord. The agreement lasted only its ve-year mandate. Rabins death perhaps contributed to its demise. Poland presents another example. During a visit to Poland in 2008 at the invitation of the Polish government, my colleague and I were taken, at our request, to Gdansk to meet former Polish President Lech Walesa. I had read about the Polish Solidarity movement and the famous Round Table Talks with the Communist Party. The result of the negotiations was one-sided. One of the key tradeoffs was to hold a free election for 35 percent of seats in the new parliament, while the remaining 65pc were reserved for the Communist Party. The agreement lasted only four years because of the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe. Asked how he felt when he made compromises with General Wojciech Jaruzelski, the then-Communist leader and his counterpart across the negotiating table, President Walesa pointed to his abundant grey hair and told me that there were so many problems in Poland at that time they exceeded the number of hairs on his head. For him it was the Hobsons choice: a free choice in which only one option is offered. Poignantly, he said that while he shaking hands with General Jaruzelski, after an agreement was reached following 59 days of negotiating, he had to strongly resist the urge to punch him with his other, free hand. Compromise can split organisations. It can push existing internal tensions within an organisation to the surface like lava erupting from a volcano. Comrades-in-arms can become
foes overnight. And it is often not easy to implement a compromise agreement if it has not been properly concluded. Rather than be resolved, the situation may deteriorate back into conict. Examples of carelessly considered compromise abound around the world. However, compromise is not all bad. It can be a very effective alternative to utter devastation, such as what we see in Syria. It can prevent costly conicts between opposing groups. Through compromise, a deadly armed conict can be transformed from violence into peaceful co-existence, thus creating the climate in which political solutions can then be explored.
A compromise can transform a polity that is ruled by a handful of people into one of plurality and majority rule.
Critically, compromises can bring about a new polity; for example, from a one-party to multi-party system. Poland is the case in point. It was the rst country in Eastern Europe to turn its back on communism and reinstate a multi-party system. It could not have done it without the compromises made in the Round Table Talks. Similarly, a compromise was made between the African National Congress and the Apartheid regime. During the Conference 2000 event in Prague in 1997, I had the chance
to meet former South African President FW De Klerk. I asked him why he made compromises with the ANC. He said it was the right thing to do. I have read somewhere that it was more difficult for De Klerk to make compromises than Mandela. Obviously, compromises did not end South Africas problems but they ended Apartheid rule and put the rainbow nation onto the path to democracy. Compromises can provide new beginnings and thus enable a country the opportunity to rebuild. Even if the old system does not collapse through compromise, it can no longer act with impunity. Other salient aspects, such as limited liberalisation and rule of law, are likely to be introduced. Most importantly, a compromise can transform a polity that is ruled by a handful of people into one of plurality and majority rule. In any compromise, sacrices have to be made. Organisations and leaders must think of the bigger picture rather than narrow or individual interests. They should be mindful of the fact that spoilers often appear just before compromises are reached and that there are pros and cons to consider in all compromises. The situation in Myanmar has now reached a critical moment. We are at a crossroads and have within our reach what might be the last opportunity to unite our nation, end decades of armed hostilities and launch real, sustained political dialogue. At this juncture, all sides should think of compromises not as defeat but as the only way forward.
Aung Naing Oo is associate director of the Peace Dialogue Program at the Myanmar Peace Center.
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LETTER
Dear editor, As a Burmese citizen who suffered under decades of socialist dictatorship I am aghast about the arrival of Friedrich Ebert Stiftung in Yangon (MTE 719, March 3-9, page 21). This foundation belongs to the socialist party of Germany. In our history we have experienced enough socialism. We do not need any socialist think tank to open shop here. The Burmese Socialist Programme Party and Ne Win have devastated Myanmar, and there is no reason to impose any kind of reformed or improved socialism. What we need is a free market economy with minimal taxes and a limited government. In Germany taxes are over 50 percent, unemployment is over 10pc, immigration is rampant and a socialistic bureaucracy controls peoples lives in many aspects. They would do better to reduce the role of their government and liberate the forces of capitalism than to export an outdated and half-baked ideology. Germany is no role model for us. Myanmar shall aim to follow the examples of capitalist Singapore, Taiwan or South Korea where private entrepreneurship thrives and where people are their own masters, not slaves of a socialist government. We need a leader like Ronald Reagan, Lee Kuan Yew or Margaret Thatcher - not socialists like Erich Honecker or Adolf Hitler. Best regards, Kyaw Shwe
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With his ranting and raving, Gareth misses the real targets
ROGER MITTON
commendably free. Gareths broadside, however, did not only wax indignant about media repression: It was a lock, stock and barrel demolition of every aspect of Hun Sens administration. He opened with the line Cambodias government has been getting away with murder. As always, he was right. Last month, Hun Sen did order his security police to use lethal force against striking garment workers, ve of whom were killed and many others severely injured. However, as I discovered in Phnom Penh last week, despite Gareths tirade being well-founded, many analysts wondered why he chose this moment to issue his splenetic rant. After all, in terms of physical violence, Cambodia is no worse than Thailand or Myanmar or the Philippines, and in terms of political openness, it is hugely ahead of Brunei or Laos or Vietnam. One can only conclude that Gareth dropped his inammatory bombshell at this moment because Cambodia is such an easy hit. He would never, for instance, lash out in that way against Malaysia or Singapore, where authoritarianism, corruption and repression, particularly of foreign workers, continue apace. Gareth raged, For far too long, Hun Sen and his colleagues have been getting away with violence, humanrights abuses, corruption, and media and electoral manipulation without serious internal or external challenge. Replace Hun Sun in that quote with Lee Hsien Loong or Najib Razak and Gareth would not only be equally accurate and truthful, but he would also get a lot more kudos for his selfrighteous outbursts.
News 9
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THE former Australian foreign minister Gareth Evans is always simply called Gareth, both by fellow leaders, diplomats and even blokes in the pub who know less about foreign affairs than the average wombat. Part of the reason he has acquired this rst-name familiarity is because he socialises well and can converse easily, and at length, on almost any subject. Frankly, he is a rather conceited windbag, who could have been a Welsh preacher but instead became foreign minister and lectured all of us about the rights and wrongs of the world. Later on, he became head of the prestigious International Crisis Group (ICG) and continued to sermonise to us. Dear Gareth can be excused, however, because he does at least have his heart in the right place; indeed, he is nothing if not a supreme exponent of all that is liberal and politically correct. He demonstrated this to me in 2003 when the ICG held an event in Washington at which Colin Powell, then the United States Secretary of State, extolled the American invasion of Iraq.
Said Powell, glowing with pride, Already, you see Iraqi kids going to school with little satchels on their shoulders just like American kids. He sounded delusional and I recall thinking: Is that what this is all about - the Americanisation of Iraq? Well, Gareth, God bless him, listened politely as he stood next to Powell and then he launched into blistering castigation of that misconceived and utterly stupid war. Of course, he prattled on for too long, blunted the impact of his apt and brave tocsin, and ended up making many in the audience feel like scolded schoolkids. That is what is so annoying about Gareth: He is invariably right, but his sanctimonious sermonising often just irritates the heck out of people.
Hes just done it again. On February 28, he issued an astonishingly hard-hitting condemnation of the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen in Cambodia. While preserving a democratic faade, Gareth said, Hun Sen has ruled, for all practical purposes, as an autocrat, showing scant regard for rights of free expression and association. The barb about free expression was somewhat negated by the fact that Gareths critical missive was happily published in full in all the Cambodian newspapers. In fact, the press in Cambodia is among the most open in the region - yes, there is intimidation, as there is in Brunei, Hong Kong and elsewhere - but by and large it is
POLITICAL reforms during the past several years have resulted in an inux of foreign brands into Myanmar and an accompanying increase in advertising spending, by both overseas companies and domestic businesses seeking to stay competitive in the local market, industry experts said last week. Research by Nielsen MMRD, a joint venture between US-based Nielsen Holdings and Myanmar Marketing Research and Development, indicates that spending on media advertising in Myanmar increased 13 times from 2001 and 2013, from US$11.7 million to $152 million. The majority of growth occurred
between 2010 and 2013, from $57 million to $152 million, boosted in part by political reforms, the entry of more foreign brands into the market and the launch of 24-hour television stations. Daw Sabei Aung, the assistant general manager of Nielsen MMRD, estimated that advertising spending by both local and foreign companies would total at least $200 million in 2014. The spending momentum will increase in 2014, she said. We expect to see a growth rate of 30 to 50 percent as foreign business rms that have already invested in Myanmar try to penetrate the local market with their respective products as quickly as possible using new marketing strategies. The spending gure for 2013 included advertisements in all media as well as on billboards. Sabei Aung said that about 60pc of the spending went into television, 30pc into print
A model poses at an event in Yangon on March 3 to announce the launch of a new car dealership. Photo: Zarni Phyo
media and 10pc into billboards, although the exact gure varied depending on the type of product. In 2013 foreign companies invested $87.5 million in advertising in Myanmar, up from $28.6 million in 2010. During the same period, spending by domestic companies
grew from $28.4 million to $64.4 million. The top ve categories for advertising investment in 2013 across all media were toothbrushes and toothpaste, followed by coffee mix; shampoos and conditioners; facial skincare products; and mobile phone
units and accessories. Although the number of local brands advertising in all media is 8.5 times higher than the number of foreign brands, the latter accounted for 55pc of advertising spending in 2013, according to Nielsen MMRD. Daw Sabei Aung said foreign rms are also using new methods of advertising that locals have never seen before. They can afford to spend a lot on advertisements, and they have knowledge of very creative methods of advertising, she said. Foreign rms rst study the behaviour of local consumers so they can use advertising methods that puts their products in direct touch with consumers. They dont care how much money it costs to do that. While most domestic businesses cannot match the spending of foreign companies, they are resorting to more creative methods of advertising to capture the attention of consumers. U Zaw Zaw, the assistant general manager of the advertising department at the Naing Family Company, which owns Cherry Oo watch shop, said local rms understand what they need to do to compete with foreign companies but cannot always afford to do so. We have a limited budget for advertising, while foreign companies dont care about that and can focus on attracting the consumers attention, he said. But local businesses are also trying to use new methods of advertising. For example, some companies are now using social media for advertising, and my company has a separate budget for that. U Swan Htet, the account manager at Yangon-based Mango Advertising Agency, said the new advertising scene in Myanmar has prompted local businesses to follow current trends in advertising, such as organising special events to promote products. Such below the line methods include special promotions, events and billboards, as differentiated from above the line approaches such as traditional TV, radio and print media ads. Both local and foreign businesses are using below the line methods more than before, especially to penetrate the markets in small towns and rural areas, where they are more effective than above the line ads, U Swan Htet said. He said domestic companies are also starting to follow foreign rms in conducting market research before launching new ad campaigns. Until two years ago, local companies did not care about market data for their advertising, but now they are asking us to collect such data for them, U Swan Htet said.
AMID the clutter of television advertisements showing celebrities dancing and singing, there are a few that stand out for their creativity. Among them is one for hand sanitizer, which features talking hands complete with eyes and mouths bearing the simple message that people can use their hands to express freedom and playfulness. The advertisement is bright, colourful and eye-catching, and it clearly portrays the product being promoted. Unfortunately, such imaginative approaches are rare in Myanmars advertising industry, according to Jim Torres Abril, the creative director at Yangon-based Mango Marketing Services. At the moment, there are only a small number of advertisements on billboards, television and print that I see as being quite creative, he said. Most advertisements I have seen [in Myanmar] use traditional means of communication, but some products are trying to break the rules and create something new. He cited the example of an advertisement showing a man biting the billboard on which he is depicted to highlight some of the features of the product being advertised. It was a funny, nontraditional billboard I found in Myanmar two years ago. It shows that some people are trying to break with tradition, Mr Abril said. He said that while creativity is an important means through which advertisers can speak directly to consumers, the level of creativity and the type of communication depend on the target audiences understanding and knowledge. For example, if the commercial is too creative or merely relies on a twist, the consumer will feel entertained but will not get a clear message. Some advertisements focus more on creativity and amusement and less on the quality of the product. Thats a problem, Mr Abril said. Some consumers look for products for functional purposes, so it needs to be explained directly.
Actress Eaindra Kyaw Zin films a television advertisement for shampoo in 2008. Photo: Douglas Long
Sometimes, too much creativity is not functional. Balancing creativity and functionality is a challenge for advertisers. He said most television and billboard advertisers still prefer the old style of using celebrities who are instantly recognisable to Myanmar audiences. But using celebrities is not always good, he said. When viewers see one of their favourite actresses on a television advertisement, their minds will be occupied by her dancing, not by the product. And if they see the same celebrity on many different advertisements, they will remember the celebrity, not the products. Its a challenge to break free from overuse of celebrities in commercials. He said coffee companies in particular tend to focus their ads on famous faces. I feel thats the easy way to put an ad on a billboard, he said. Such an approach is still very effective in rural areas, where consumers are more likely to try a new product if it is associated with a celebrity whom they admire. Mr Abril added good advertising delivers a promise to consumers and
emphasised that advertisers need to remain truthful about what theyre promoting. If a customer tries a product and doesnt like it, he will change to a different brand and learn the lesson that advertising is not good, he said. There are a lot of advertisements that mislead consumers into believing the product is high-quality. But the advertiser breaks the trust of the consumer and damages the image of the product when the consumer nds out they are lying. They will nd different ways to look for products, like listening to their neigbours or friends. Film director U Aung Ko Latt, who has shot a number of television commercials, said he has become more cautious about choosing his clients ever since someone told him that the product shown in one of his ads was not as good as the advertisement made it seem. Since then, I have become very choosy about the products I shoot ads for. If the product is not goodquality, I wont create the advertisement if Im asked, he said. U Aung Ko Latt lived in Japan in the early 1990s and started shooting ads upon his return to Myanmar in
1995. At that time, TV commercials were limited to showing celebrities dancing to music and planting kisses on the product irrelevant activities that failed to illustrate anything about the product itself. For years, the theme of most advertisements was trapped in a vicious cycle of dancing and kissing the product, U Aung Ko Latt said. In Japan, I learned that the bedrock of advertising is concept. When I arrived back in Myanmar, I was commissioned to create an advertisement using a celebrity. I told the advertiser that I would study the product rst
For years, the theme of most advertisements was trapped in a vicious cycle of dancing and kissing the product.
Aung Ko Latt Film director
and develop a strategy, but the client didnt accept this approach. Subsequently, he was out of work for nearly two years. Fortunately, I was nally commissioned to create a concept-based advertisement for Ajinomoto seasoning powder. At that time the commercial represented a big departure from the conventional approaches of other advertisements, and it met with great success, U Aung Ko Latt said. He said one reason he avoided using celebrities was because they could not make the time commitment necessary to shoot a conceptbased advertisement. I used new faces as more work came in. From the 2000s onward, concept-based advertisements become more popular, but TV ads in their traditional form, like music and dance-based commercials, remain dominant, he said. Film director Win Lwin Htet said Myanmar consumers are becoming increasingly knowledgeable and sophisticated. Most of the television advertisements I see these days are memorable. In the past, the audience didnt even remember what product was being advertised after they saw a commercial. People used to change the channel or turn the page when they saw the same celebrities over and over again, he said. Now the focus is on making sure the audience remembers the product, so we can say the commercial industry is improving. But Mr Abril said he has not seen much development in approaches to advertising during the four years he has spent in Myanmar. But some people are trying, so its a hopeful sign for future, he said. There are a lot of international brands coming in now, and local brands have to compete with them. Its a challenge, and theyre getting competitive. Mr Abril added that the success of a product depends not only on the cleverness of the advertisement but also on good distribution. When I visited Ngapali Beach last month, there werent many foreign brands for sale. The beach is a tourist attraction, but products should be made available where the targets consumers are. Otherwise they risk losing the money they invested in advertising.
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FEATURE
News 13
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A 37-TONNE jade boulder found in Hpakant township made headlines recently when it turned out to be a normal stone. But while Hpakant is often in the news, few people know about the nancial mess arising from the redevelopment of Hpakant-Moegaung road. The main personality involved is the Kachin State chief minister but it is also connected to the president. It raises several questions, including how the situation arose and whether there was any abuse of authority or partiality on the part of government officials. During Vice President Sai Mauk Khams visit to Kachin State in August 2013, locals requested that he arrange for the upgrading of the Hpakant-Moegaung road. He subsequently instructed the Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Mines to carry out the project. However, chief minister La John Ngan Sai proposed to the president in November that he and the states mining entrepreneurs would take responsibility for repairing the road. The president approved the plan and gave some instructions for the project. The chief minister, however, had presented the idea without discussing it rst with the entrepreneurs. This is where the problems began. The K10 million ultimatum The chief minister invited jade and gem entrepreneurs to a meeting on December 7 to discuss the road project. The chief minister, the deputy minister for mines, and officials from the Ministry of Construction and Kachin government attended the meeting. While there are more than 500 gem companies, only 23 were represented at the meeting. Officials from the head office of the Myanmar Gems and Jewellery Entrepreneurs Association also attended. During the meeting, businesses were asked to contribute K10 million for each mining concession they hold toward the upgrading of the 100-kilometre (60-mile) road. Basically, the more concessions a company holds, the larger their requested contribution. The private sector representatives at the meeting were surprised at the proposal because they have been forced to stop mining activities due to conict between the government and the Kachin Independence Army. Over the past two years, they have not only seen mining stop but also their machinery has been destroyed, their warehouses burned and their excavated stones sto-
Workers dig for jade at a mine in the Seng Tawng quarter of Hpakant in Kachin State. Photo: Kaung Htet
len. Given they have no income, the governments request actually more like a demand was baffling. Another problem is the way the government proposed to calculate their contribution. The concessions they have been awarded are not only for excavating jade. Some are for transporting excavated soil, some are for disposing of the soil and others are for machinery and warehouses. The amount requested is also extremely high. There are more than 16,000 jade mining plots, so the chief minister is seeking to collect K160 billion (US$163.3 million). Unsurprisingly, none of them agreed to the proposal. However, the government pushed on regardless and set the fee at K10 million per concession. It set a deadline of
January 15 for the rst installment of K3.3 million to be paid. State government threats No gem companies have submitted the K3.3 million to the designated bank account. But the issue hasnt stopped there. Fearing the government may revoke their concessions, the Myanmar Gems and Jewellery Entrepreneurs Association, headed by U Tay Za of Htoo Group of Companies, held several meetings to discuss the issue. When no one contributed by January 15, the chief minister told officials from the association to come and meet him. Association representatives met the chief minister on February 13. During the meeting, the entrepreneurs explained the difficulties they faced in paying K10 million for each plot. Instead, they proposed using a Build-Operate-Transfer system for the construction of the road, which is an important artery for many kinds of businesses, including gems and jewellery. They also said the association would take responsibility for the project if it was assigned to do so. However, the chief minister rejected all of their proposals and demanded the money be paid. He said he would lead the project and planned to conduct a tender. One vice chair of the association
$163
US MILLION
asked whether demanding money from entrepreneurs was in accord with the by-laws or government policy. The minister responded that although it was not, there were several ways in which he could stie the gem and jade industry if the entrepreneurs fail to pay up. He said those who dont pay the rst installment will lose their concessions and will not be given permission to transport jade through the state. The association said it has more than US$30 million raised through a 1pc sales tax, of which $18 million is in the hands of the committee overseeing the holding of the gem emporiums. The chief minister asked for $35 million to be put into the road project. The association objected, saying they didnt know whether this would be possible because the funds are connected to both the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry
of Mines, and have been set aside for the emporium and other projects. The chief minister then asked for $15 million. The latest situation Some entrepreneurs gave submitted complaints about the issue to the president, while others have asked U Ye Tun, the Pyithu Hluttaw representative for Hsipaw, to raise it in parliament, but this has not happened yet. When the gem emporium organising committee asked about it, the Ministry of Mines only gave permission for $2 million to be reallocated to the road project. The Kachin State chief minister dismissed this gesture, complaining that $2 million isnt enough to do anything. Recent reports suggest U Tay Za has met President U Thein Sein to discuss the issue. So far, however, U Tay Za hasnt shared the results of the meeting with other members of the entrepreneurs association. Many people question why Myanmar remains poor despite its wealth of resources. If ever there was a good example to illustrate the answer, it is the tangled nancial dealings behind the reconstruction of the HpakantMoegaung road. Translation by Zar Zar Soe
The chief minister said those who dont pay the rst installment will lose their concessions.
14 News
ORCHID raiders are putting entire species of the rare owers at risk, specialists say. For the past 20 years, illegal traders have been looting native wild orchids from the countrys forests. U Saw Lwin, orchidologist and plant tissue culturist, said orchid numbers have fallen signicantly since 1988 because of illegal trading to foreign countries, especially China.
Tonnes of orchids seized by the Nature and Wildlife Conservation Division in 2012-13
4.8
Both legal and illegal border trade between Myanmar and China increased after 1988. The Myanmar native orchid is not widely used in traditional medicine here, but orchids have been widely used in
Chinese medicine for centuries. The dendrobium orchid has been exported to Chinese extensively since 1988, he said. In Myanmar, dendrobium orchids are mostly found in Chin, Shan and Kachin states, he said, adding that over-collection has resulted in nearextinction for some species. Others are similarly at risk; the orchid type pazun or nilone was once plentiful in Chin State but has been decimated. Now, you would nd only two plants a day, with luck, U Saw Lwin said. According to the Nature and Wildlife Conservation Division of the Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry, seven cases of illegal orchid trading were recorded last year. More than 3000 viss, or almost 5 tonnes (one viss equals 1.6 kilograms or 3.6 pounds), of orchids were seized in 2013, mostly in Chin and Shan states. Native wild orchids are protected under the Protection of Wildlife and Protected Areas Law (1994), and those found guilty of removing, collecting or destroying specimens without permission can face ve years in jail, a ne of K30,000 or both. Orchid expert U Nyan Tun, from Taunggyi in southern Shan State, said orchids are also at risk because of deforestation, hillside cultivation and logging. But the main factor is over-collection by humans. Some species, like paphiopedilum
and dendrobium, are only rarely seen these days. Collectors take owers of all ages, and some small plants are rejected by the buyers, he said. I have spoken out against the picking of young plants but its hard to control the collection of wild orchids if people have no other job opportunities. U Saw Lwin agreed poverty reduction is essential for conservation efforts to succeed, but added that conservation itself could generate income. Now more tourists will come for eco-tours, and orchids could be exported through legal channels. Better airline links would also help promote the legitimate orchid business, he said.
U Saw Lwin said Thailand received about US$150 million last year from the export of articially produced orchids, while wild Myanmar orchids collected illegally could fetch from K30,000 to K100,000 a viss, depending on the species. Myanmar has 841 known orchid species. Public awareness should be raised to strengthen control over the illegal orchid trade, U Saw Lwin said, while the development of articial species from parts of original plants could help to reduce pressure on wild populations. Conservation cant be successful without public participation; the government alone cant stop illegal trade over the long border with China.
We have not given due consideration on activities which would destroy our environment.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi NLD leader
I visited Chin State in 2006 and 2007 and saw a lot of orchids had been extracted, propagated by local people and sent to Mandalay to be sold to China, he said. A lot of local people in Chin State rely on collecting orchids because they cant grow crops like in lowland areas. Natural resources are the main source of income for them but, unfortunately, there is no conservation.
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News 15
MORE than 2500 members of Myanmars nine recognised Buddhist orders will meet in May to review the rules that the countrys monks must abide by. The 5th All Orders Sangha Meeting, the rst of its kind in almost 19 years, will take place at Maha Pasana Cave at Yangons Kabar Aye Pagoda from May 11 to 13.
The State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee should be changed and reformed.
U Nyanissara International Theravada Buddhist Missionary University student
Some sections of Myanmars clergy have drawn criticism from both local and international observers for taking on a prominent role in political affairs, which is currently forbidden under monastic rules. But government officials remain tight-lipped on what changes are likely to result from the meeting. At a recent meeting to discuss details of the 5th All Order Sangha Meeting, Minister for Religious Affairs U San Sint said only that it would seek to amend inappropriate Sangha rules. U Zar Ni Win, deputy director general of the Department of Religious Affairs, agreed that some of
the current rules are defective. Rules will be changed in accordance with the current customs, times and circumstance. Some rules and regulations of the Sangha will be tightened up, while others will be loosened, he said. Suggested changes will be invited from state and region Sangha bodies before the end of March, he said. We will also invite the suggestions from Sangha who propagate [Buddhism] in other countries. He said the meeting aimed to bring about cooperation between the different orders but added that unlawful monks will face action. Penalties for violations of the rules are likely to be increased to reect Myanmars rampant ination, with those currently set at K50 likely to rise to K50,000, he said. Observers said signicant changes were needed to the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee, which oversees all monks in Myanmar, as it has been ineffective at resolving disputes and taking action against rule-breaking monks. The Sangha rules are quite perfect. What needs to be amended is the policy for those who are not obedient because [the state committee] cant resolve controversial cases and situations that arises from a failure to follow the rules, said U Nyanissara, a second-year student from the International Theravada Buddhist Missionary University. In some cases, the committee has made incorrect judgments ... These cases are normally related to money. The State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee should be changed and reformed ... Decisions should be made with the consent of all Sangha through voting, he said. Myanmar has nine Buddhist orders, the largest of which are Thudhamma and Shwekyin. The rst all-orders meeting was convened in 1980, and subsequent meetings were held every ve years to 1995.
Daw Soe sits in a chair at the Chan Mya Thukha aged care facility in Mandalay. She has lived at the home since she was hit by a motorbike and broke her leg last year.. Photo: Than Naing Soe
FOLOTYN
Reg. No. 14745/2013
Reg. No. 14746/2013 in respect of Class 05: Pharmaceutical preparations for the treatment of cancer. Fraudulent imitation or unauthorised use of the said Trade Marks will be dealt with according to law. Win Mu Tin, M.A., H.G.P., D.B.L for Allos Therapeutics, Inc. P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 10 March 2014
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News 19
IN PICTURES
President U Thein Sein presses a button to open a new convocation hall at Yezin University of Agriculture in Nay Pyi Taw on March 2. Construction work began on the hall at the Zayarthiri township institute in March 2012. Pyae Thet Phyo
THE government says it is moving ahead with plans to build a memorial to commemorate the victims of the 1983 Martyrs Mausoleum bombing that killed 17 South Korean nationals. The bombing was an assassination attempt on South Korean President Chun Doo-hwan. He was scheduled to take part in a wreathlaying ceremony at the mausoleum on October 9, 1983, when a series of bombs, planted by North Korean agents, ripped through the monument. Chun Doo-hwan had not yet arrived at the site but Deputy Prime Minister Suh Seok-jun, Minister for Foreign Affairs Lee Beom-seok and ambassador to Myanmar Lee Gyecheol were all killed. Other victims included South Korean government officials and a journalist, while four Myanmar journalists were also killed.
Three North Korean agents were identied as the perpetrators of the attack. One was killed in a shootout with Myanmar soldiers, while the other two were captured. One was hanged and the other, Kang Min-chul, was given a life sentence after confessing his connections to Pyongyang. He died in Insein Prison of cancer in 2008. North Korea has never accepted responsibility for the attack, which prompted General Ne Win to sever diplomatic ties immediately. It would be 25 years until a Myanmar foreign minister again visited Pyongyang. Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs U Thant Kyaw said the monument will be constructed along Thwe Sykan Ring Road, beside the
Number of South Korean nationals killed in the 1983 bombing at Martyrs Mausoleum in Yangon
17
entrance to Martyrs Mausoleum, which was built to honour General Aung San and other leaders assassinated in 1947. The new monument will consist of a 1.5-metre-high wall inscribed with the names of the South Korean victims. A rendering of the monument published on March 6 in state-run media showed a black wall set in a small, tree-lined park. Talk of the monument has grown since May 2012 when President Lee Myung-Bak became the rst South Korean head of state to visit Myanmar since the attack. The incident was again in the spotlight in October 2012 when South Koreas Chosun Ilbo newspaper released graphic and previously unpublished photos of the aftermath of the event taken by an official government photographer. An agreement on the monuments construction was signed on December 31, according to U Thant Kyaw. The announcement comes shortly after a visit to Seoul by Myanmars Minister for Foreign Affairs U Wunna Maung Lwin and the signing of a regional development agreement between the two countries in Nay Pyi Taw on March 5.
IN BRIEF
Shwedagon entrance fees to change to kyat
Visitors to Shwedagon pagoda will have to pay the entrance fee in Myanmar kyat instead of US dollars from April 1, the pagoda trustees website has announced. Many tourists pay the $8 fee raised from $5 last October in used or torn notes, which are then hard to exchange with banks. To resolve the problem, the Central Bank of Myanmar recommended that the fee be changed to kyat. It will be K8000. U Tint Naung, managing director of Golden Express Tours, said the policy was positive and should be introduced at other sites. Entrance fees should be in local currency throughout the whole country. More than 60,000 tourists visited Shwedagon in February. Ei Ei Thu
Income generated by a riverside beach in Ayeyarwady Regions Nyaungdon township will be used to build a new city hall in the town, ofcials say. Known as Nyaung Chaungtha, after the popular beach on the Bay of Bengal, the site has become a popular day trip destination for Yangon residents over the past four years. On March 2, it was formally established by the local government, which has auctioned the right to collect parking and rental fees at the site. U Khin Maung Nyo, secretary of the Nyaungdon City Development Committee, said some of the income will be spent on improving safety at the beach. The rest will go toward the construction of the city hall, which is expected to cost K120 million. The beach is 56 kilometres (35 miles) from Yangon at the conuence of the Ayeyarwady and Pan Hlaing rivers. Shwegu Thitsar
Yangon sightseers now have more options for river cruising, with the launch of a new vessel late last month. Royal Green River Baby, launched by local company Royal Green River on February 27, can take up to 12 passengers and is 12 metres (40 feet) in length. Rosie
22 News
TAXI drivers hoping to work in Yangon with cars registered elsewhere are being threatened with steep nes. They also say they were duped into buying the cars as they were never informed they could not be used in Yangon. City police say under current rules cars registered in other states and regions are not permitted to do business in Yangon. Rarely enforced until recently, the rule was recently reaffirmed by the Yangon Region Supervisory Committee for Traffic Rules Enforcement, which published a public notice in state newspapers on February 14. Most taxi owners affected by the rule say they bought their vehicles from Yangon car sales centres without knowing they could not use them in the city. Cars from other regions are about K1.5 million cheaper than Yangon-registered vehicles but the taxi owners said they were told by showrooms that they would face no problems driving in Yangon. When I bought the car, I didnt know it could only be used as a taxi in other states and regions. The government said nothing about this before. What should I do? We bought the cars with a legal licence, said taxi driver U Kyi Win, who bought a Toyota Probox registered outside Yangon for K9.7 million. He said there are rumours that businesspeople are pushing the government to enforce the rule so they can buy the cars back at a discount,
A taxi driver washes a car registered in Ayeyarwady Region in downtown Yangon last week. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing
20%
and that many of the cars that ended up in the hands of taxi drivers were actually given to region and state government ministers, who later resold them through sale centres. Drivers who bought cars say the law is pointless and should be changed. Nobody would buy a car with a regional licence if they knew it could not be used in Yangon. Were prepared to pay a reasonable tax, but we want to use our vehicles, said another taxi driver, U Than Aye, who bought a Suzuki Wagon R+ registered in Ayeyarwady Region for K7 million. But traffic police said they plan to enforce the rule, enacted in 1964, despite the complaints. Vehicles registered with the Road Transport Administration Department can be driven legally throughout the country whether the number plate is red or black. But under local by-laws, they cannot register with Yangon City Development Committee to operate the vehicle as a taxi, said Police Lieutenant Win
Lwin from No 2 Deputy Traffic Police Force, Yangon. The rule was put in place, he said, because Yangon authorities do not earn revenue from cars registered outside Yangon Region. They are also concerned about cars registered elsewhere ooding the city and exacerbating its traffic woes. A captain from the traffic police force said a crackdown was conducted from February 1 to 20 and of the 3525 vehicles checked, 704, or 20 percent, were registered in another state or region. Offenders can be ned up to K500,000, a YCDC official said. According to statistics as of January, of the 531,985 vehicles in the country, 351,985 are in Yangon Region. Of the 157,265 commercial vehicles in the country, 109,560 are in Yangon Region. When contacted last week, Road Transport Administration Department officials could not say whether it was possible to change the place of registration to Yangon. Four car showrooms contacted by The Myanmar Times also declined to comment.
Five United Wa State Army (UWSA) leaders visited Nay Pyi Taw and met Thura U Shwe Mann on March 3. Representatives from the Shan State Army-North and the National Democratic Alliance Army, also known as the Mong La group, also participated in the meeting. Thura U Shwe Mann told them he hoped they would participate in the parliament in the future. U Kyin Wan said it was the rst visit to Nay Pyi Taw by representatives of the UWSA, and he believes it will lead to improve relations with the government. In mid-2013, the UWSA called on the government to change the status of the Wa special region from Wa selfadministered region, as it is currently described in the constitution, to Wa self-administered state. The UWSA has also refused to take part in peace talks with other ethnic armed groups, conducting only bilateral talks with the government. It failed to send representatives to ethnic meetings in Laiza in late 2013 and Hlaingbwe earlier this year. Translation by Thiri Min Htun
Business
EU and Myanmar get set to ink new intl arbitration agreement
BILL OTOOLE botoole12@gmail.com NEGOTIATIONS have begun for an EU investor protection agreement with Myanmar that would imbed international arbitration as the preferential dispute mechanism, although observers said such a clause could ultimately be detrimental for the country. The EU Commission and the Myanmar Ministry of Finance began negotiations for the agreement last week a move that would encourage European investor condence in new Myanmar markets, EU Ambassador Roland Kobia said. By creating legal certainty and predictability for companies, investment protection will help to attract and maintain FDI to underpin Myanmars economy. We hope that this bilateral agreement will be swiftly concluded, Mr Kobia said in an email to The Myanmar Times. The main reason for having an ISDS [investor-state dispute settlement] mechanism is because in many countries international agreements are not directly enforceable in domestic courts and therefore an investor cannot nd relief in domestic court, Mr Kobia said. Investor-state dispute settlements allow a private corporation to sue a state in international arbitration in the event of a trade agreement breach. The mechanism is often a trade prerequisite for multinationals investing in foreign jurisdictions. Negotiations for the investor protection agreement come on the back of the EU including Myanmar on its General System of Preferences last year. The countrys current investment framework leaves some questions unanswered with respect to investor protection, Mr Kobia said. In addition, some events under previous governments of Myanmar (nationalisations, etc) have had a profound negative impact on European companies. Myanmar has already signed seven such agreements with its Asian neighbours and acceded to the New York Convention on international arbitration in 2013, said U Aung Naing Oo, adding that the government would continue enacting investor protection agreements that allowed international arbitration. Pietje Vervest, a fellow at the New York and Netherlands-based social justice NGO Transnational Institute, said the language of such treaties is typically very broad, allowing investors the right to sue the government over any and all policy that will be deemed to hurt their prots. [International arbiters] are usually just a group of three people deciding whats in the public interest, she said, adding the proceedings effectively gave a blank check to big business. Ms Vervest pointed to the ongoing case of Uruguay vs Philip Morris Tobacco, where the cigarette manufacturing giant launched international arbitration proceedings against the South American countrys government over legislation requiring larger health warnings on tobacco products. Likewise, Swedish energy multinational Vattenfall took the German government to international arbitration in 2009 over stricter environmental restrictions on coal powered plants. Both lawsuits were made possible under bilateral trade agreements. Even if the nations win in these disputes, they still lose, said Ms Vervest, pointing out that arbitration battles often require millions from the public budget. According to World Bank data, the average cost of an international arbitration suit is US$8 million, while the total number of cases have increased 35pc since the global nancial crisis hit world markets in 2008. Baker & McKenzie managing partner Christopher Hughes agreed investor-state disputes could be resource intensive and potentially divert muchneeded government resources. However, on balance, given the condence that foreign investors will gain from the availability of investor-state dispute mechanism and the lowering political and regulation change risks in investing in emerging markets, we think that the benets to Myanmar outweigh the potential disadvantages associated with such treaties, Mr Hughes said by email, adding that such arbitration was usually only a last resort for private players. Hence, we do not expect to see a urry of such disputes, said Mr Hughes.
Jewellers dem
SU PHYO WIN suphyo1990@gmail.com BRIDGET DI CERTO bridget.dicerto@gmail.com LOCAL jewellers are calling for the government to privatise their multibillion dollar a year industry and allow for individual traders to export rare commodities directly under a more favourable tariff scheme. Jewellers said that a limitation on exports of raw and polished precious stones to sales at government-run emporiums and selected markets was strangling the sector. We go to the [government-run] exhibitions and only display our products there, but we want to secure bigger contracts for mass production and export, said Daw Thet Thet Khaing, owner of local jeweller, Golden Palace and Forever Gems. Our consumers are spreading all over the world, so it would be better to export our jewels to the place where they can easily buy our products. There is no direct export for any kinds of gemstones raw or polished allowed, she said, adding that other ministries are adapting their export policies in order to promote local businesses. Currently, jewelers are only able to sell their wares to Myanmar residents and to foreign citizens who attend government-sponsored emporiums, which are held no more than three times a
A cargo ship carrying foreign goods arrives at Yangon Port. Photo: Staff
25
Buying
K1345 K290 K765 K29.3 K970
Selling
K1355 K299 K775 K30.5 K973
Venders sell precious stones at a makeshift market in Mogoke, Mandalay Region. Photo: Yadana Htun
THE government of the United Kingdom has awarded a US$2 million grant to assist Myanmar in the regulation and management of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in the industrial sector, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB). According to a statement released last week, Myanmars reform efforts have been undermined by a piecemeal approach to public-private partnerships that would otherwise have yielded more benefits to the economy as a whole. Given the countrys significant development needs, overwhelming private sector interest, and limited government capacity, PPPs have been evaluated on an ad hoc basis,
making it difficult to determine if projects will achieve value for money. Initially, contractors will work with the government in the development of fair, transparent, and balanced terms for private sector investments that serve the public interest as well as training them to identify and develop mutually beneficial public-private partnerships, especially in large-scale power generation projects. The goal of the Technical Assistance team is to create a sustainable regulatory system by 2018. The government urgently needs to take control of this process to be confident that PPPs meet the countrys needs, said Grant Hauber, a specialist with the ADB, which is administering the grant. Private sector involvement in Myanmars development can help promote rapid growth, but projects must be set up and managed properly to ensure theyre successful.
$320
Current price of per tonne of 25pc broken rice
26 Business
BUSINESS prOFiLe
Reg. No. 11625/2013 in respect of Class 29: Fruit pulp; vegetable juices for cooking; fruit jellies. Class 32: Non-alcoholic drinks, mineral and aerated waters, fruit drinks, fruit juices, fruit drink concentrates, syrups and other preparations for making beverages. Class 33: Alcoholic fruit extracts; cider; alcoholic beverages containing fruit. Class 43: Services for providing food and drink. Fraudulent imitation or unauthorised use of the said Trade Mark will be dealt with according to law. Win Mu Tin, M.A., H.G.P., D.B.L for Co- Ro Food A/S P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 10 March 2014
SUNQUICK
Baker & McKenzie managing partner Christopher Hughes. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing
Reg. No. 4816/1995 in respect of Articles of clothing, including knitted and woven garments, outer-garments and undergarments, stockings, hoisery, articles for sun bathing and beachwear, swimsuits, trunks and sports clothing, lingerie, roll-ons, bodices, corsets, corselettes, girdles, suspender belts and brassieres.
AMOURETTE
Bee Dees
Reg. No. 4817/1995
DOREEN
Reg. No. 4814/1995
MAMABEL
Reg. No. 4824/1995
SLOGGI
Reg. No. 4821/1995 Reg. No. 4822/1995 in respect of Articles of clothing.
TRI-ACTION
Fraudulent imitation or unauthorised use of the said Trade Marks will be dealt with according to law. Win Mu Tin, M.A., H.G.P., D.B.L for TRIUMPH INTERNATIONAL AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 10 March 2014
In Myanmar, new tax developments to arrive for the next financial year
SEbAsTIAN PAwLITA sebastian@pwplegal.com NAN KHIm KHAm nan@pwplegal.com MARCH 2 saw the publication of the draft 2014 Tax of the Union Law. If the draft becomes law, income and commercial tax rates will be xed by parliament. This is a remarkable change from present-day practice where the tax rates are set by the Ministry of Finance. However, the tax rates contained in the draft are the same as the rates already contained in the various Ministry of Finance notications. The draft greatly compresses the seven schedules of the Commercial Tax Law. If enacted, all services will be subject to commercial tax with the exception of those that are on an exemption list from the Ministry of Finance (still to be published). This is a sweeping change from the present situation where only certain types of services specically listed in schedule 7 to the Commercial Tax Law are taxed. Like all other amendments envisaged in the draft, this new rule is to come into effect on April 1. The draft does not treat trading activities (the purchase of goods in order to resell them) as services any more, but as a separate business activity subject to commercial tax. This has an impact on how input tax can be set off with output tax if special goods such as alcoholic beverages and cigarettes are traded, potentially making them more expensive. Domestic beer manufacturer A purchases raw materials from X, a trader in agricultural products, for 105 (net price 100 plus 5 percent commercial tax). A produces the beer and sells it to wholesaler B for 330 (net price 220 plus 50pc commercial tax). B resells it to supermarket C for 378 (net price 360 plus 5pc commercial tax). C sells the beer to its customers for 505 (net price 481 plus 5pc commercial tax). The sale of the beer by A to B is subject to 50pc commercial tax (instead of the usual 5pc) because beer is classied as a special good. If the draft is enacted, manufacturer A can offset commercial tax paid to X with commercial tax collected from wholesaler B, which is not now possible. However, according to the draft, B cannot offset commercial tax paid to A with commercial tax collected from supermarket C, and the supermarket cannot offset commercial tax paid to B with commercial tax collected from its customers. At present, such offsets are allowed within certain limits. Petrol, diesel oil and jet fuel are not classied as special goods in the draft. The commercial tax rate on the domestic sale by reneries and on imports is consequently reduced from 10pc to 5pc. The draft exempts the import of certain essential goods (in particular agricultural products) from commercial tax. According to the income tax chapter of the draft, 10pc tax shall be levied on income used for purchasing, building or acquiring any xed asset. The meaning of this section is not clear. It would be wonderful if this section were to mean that reinvested prots are to be subject to only 10pc instead of the usual 25pc income tax.
Sebastian and Nan are consultants with Polastri Wint & Partners Legal & Tax Advisors.
www.mmtimes.com
Business 27
SAN FRANcIscO
CHICKPEA exports are likely to continue declining this year as demand from India remains at on a supply surplus from the importing country, traders said. The price for chickpeas has dropped 20 percent year-on-year to K40,000 per bag (one bagis the equivalent of 49 kilograms) on supply increases from India, the largest importer of Myanmar chickpeas, said U Thet Tun, owner of Lu Yi Chon Mill in Mandalay. Demand from India for both split and raw seed chickpeas is down and seems unlikely to revive any time soon as their crops are now cheaper than ours, he said, adding that farmers will not make the price of their chickpeas any cheaper as it will make production unprotable. Last year, the price of chickpeas rose to around K50,000 per bag because of a production decline, but prices began decreasing gradually
due to the winter-season increase in crops over there, he said. At the beginning of the season in midFebruary, the price of B2 peas was K48,000 a bag and fell by K4000 because of new supply. The price is not likely to rise because new supplies will arrive after
Thingyan even though there is moderate demand from traders for stockpiling, he said. On March 3, the price of B2 was K44,500 a bag, with Mandalay consuming between 2000 and 3000 bags a day, traders said. Translation by Zar Zar Soe
$929
MILLION
100
The international show, which is also Indias largest display ofengineering products and services, will help participating firms find local partners, not only for importing products from India but also for possible joint ventures, he said. Indian investors were looking at energy, telecommunications and tourism in particular, with possible JVs on the horizon in the agriculture sector, including rice and sugar mills and cotton ginning, he said, as well as a variety of commercial products.
PATH is an international, nonprofit organization that currently seeks qualified candidates for Administration & Finance Manager (Tracking code: #5925) in our Yangonbased office. The Administration & Finance Manager will serve as the operations lead for PATHs program in Myanmar, ensuring efficient office financial and administrative systems and processes in compliance with PATH policies and procedures. Responsibilities include monitoring all financial transactions and bank accounts, preparing payroll and monthly financial reports to PATH headquarters, all aspects of office management and logistics, consultant and vendor contracting, and supervision of administration and finance assistant. Knowledge, skills and experience required: A minimum five years' relevant experience with an international organization or NGO including a supervisory role. Bachelors degree in accounting or equivalent; Strong accounting and financial management skills. Excellent word processing and database skills; Proven communication and interpersonal skills, organizational skills, and ability to work effectively in a team; Excellent written and spoken Myanmar and English. For full position description and information on the application process, please visit the jobs section of the PATH website (www.path.org).
IN PICTUREs
Workers unload bananas and coconuts from a boat at a jetty in Yangon. Photo: AFP
cONTINUED fROm bUsINEss 24 export market could help defeat illegal trade of precious stones. We are in Sagaing Region, and it mostly seems that illegal gem trade is occurring on the China-Shweli border, she said. It the government allowed export, and kept tight restrictions at the borders, there will not be as much of an illegal gems trade. The largely unregulated border trade areas are riddled with merchants who smuggle raw jade and gems to countries such as China, Thailand and India, who rene then sell nished goods to international markets. Thailand is very famous for polished rubies and sapphires. China is famous for jade and India is very famous for diamonds. This success is related to their government policies, said Daw Thet Thet Khaing of Golden Palace and Forever Gems. Sanctions [on Myanmar] are lifted and the market is opening up, but we cant open our door and go outside. Internal barriers are huger than external ones. She said barriers were not only legislative, but political. A lack of support to develop the sector with increased training and institutions supporting polishing and
production in-country meant the sector was suffering. To get our products to a world class standard we need market access, technology, nancing and technical assistance, as well as capacity building, she said. To develop SMEs [small and medium-sized enterprises] we need to build institutions to fulll the needs to develop our industry or we will leave. U Maung Maung San, owner of Maung Maung San Gems and Jewelry Co Ltd, said local players have repeatedly asked the government to revise the regulations, but to no avail. We have requested to change the policies made by the Ministry of Mining many times,
TONNES
Marketing manager Sales and distribution manager Brand manager Logistic officer Medical doctor Project manager Sales engineer Site engineer Chief Accountant Accountant HR Manager HR Executive Legal executive Secretary Passenger service agent ( airline) Receptionist Customer service
43,185
Jade exported legally during the 2011-12 scal year
but its still unchanged, he said. They just allowed exporting wares but not the stones. They said that preventing the export of precious jetwels to other countries helps stop illegal activity. U Win Htein, director general at the Department of Mines, said the government has been debating amendments to the 1995 Myanmar Gemstones Law and associated policies for over a year and welcomes feedback from jeweller associations, though he did not indicate if and the when rules would be revised. The law mentions that the countrys resources are not allowed to go outside the country and are restricted to production and consumption for Myanmar nationals, U Win Htein said of the purpose of the export limitation. As far back as 2006, President U Thein Sein, then-chairperson of the Leading Committee for Development of Myanmar Gems Industries, voiced his desire to see a developed nished gem industry in Myanmar. U Tun Hla Aung, joint secretary general of the Myanmar Gems & Jewelry Entrepreneurs Association, said the 30pc commercial tax was prohibitive to the sector. At government-run emporiums and at the airport the tax for retail sales is only 10pc.
The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in Myanmar is inviting qualified candidates to apply for the following positions: Sr. 1. 2. 3. 4. Title and level Finance Assistant, Reporting (LICA-3) Public Health Officer (Tuberculosis)(LICA-7) Monitoring and Evaluation Officer(Malaria)(LICA-7) Duty Station Yangon Yangon Yangon Position National National National National Deadline 11 March 14 13 March 14 13 March 14 20 March 14
The benefit package for the above positions includes an attractive remuneration, 30 days annual leave and 10 holidays per year, medical insurance learning and development opportunities and a challenging work environment with 250 national and international colleagues. All applications must be made through the UNOPS E-recruitment System. Please go to https://gprs.unops.org and click on the post that you are interested in applying for. If you do not have access to the internet, please contact UNOPS directly on the numbers below. For any quires please do not hesitate to contact UNOPS at 95 1 657 281-7 Ext: 147
No. 851/853 (A/B), 3rd Floor, Room (7/8), Bogyoke Aung San Road, Lanmadaw Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: (951) 229 437, 09 49 227 773, 09 730 94007 Email: esearch@yangon.net.mm, esearch.myanmar@gmail.com www.esearchmyanmar.com www.facebook.com/esearchmyanmar
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TOKYO
Business 29
cOmment
FRANKfURT
$1.3
BILLION
Reg. No. 14739/2013 in respect of Spa services. Fraudulent imitation or unauthorised use of the said Trade Mark will be dealt with according to law.
Win Mu Tin, M.A., H.G.P., D.B.L for Best Western International, Inc. P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 10 March 2014
Property
Metal scaffolding taking hold
TIN YADANAR HTUN yadanar.mcm@gmail.com IN a sign of maturing for Myanmars property market, more efficient metal scaffolding is replacing the traditional bamboo scaffolding in development projects in Yangon as buildings get higher and bamboo becomes more expensive, construction experts said. Though it is still common to see partly constructed buildings swathed in a framework of wooden scaffolding poles tied with coconut-bre rope, metal is proving a far safer option for contractors as it is more convenient, longer-lasting and even cheaper, said U Ko Thawdar Swe, a supervisor with local contractor Net Ray company. Metal scaffolding is easy to use and light to transport and it is safer than bamboo. It can be used for exterior painting as well as construction, he said. Erecting wooden scaffolding for a ve-storey, 1200-sq-ft building takes seven workers one week, while removing the scaffolding takes two days, he said, adding that it would require 200 pieces of bamboo to get the job done at a cost of K200 each, plus K30,000 worth of coconut-bre rope and a K150,000 charge. If we buy one set of metal scaffolding, it costs only K30,000, and if we hire it out we ask for only K500 per piece per day with an advance, said Ko Thawdar Swe. With projects getting bigger and modern development standards becoming more of an issue, metal scaffolding is increasingly used in the construction of hotels, condos and buildings higher than six storeys, he said. Bamboo has also become rarer and more expensive. If the bamboo is new, it is safe, but scaffolding can break if it has been used more than three times, he said, adding that metal scaffolding can last up to 30 years if properly maintained. U Min Aung, a supervisor with Yangon-based Kyawe Phyu construction, said that safety is also an issue when determining what kind of scaffolding to use. Many workers are injured or even killed when bamboo scaffolding collapses under them. Metal is preferable, he said. U Than Naing, a contractor with a local development rm said that most workers are not insured and would have to go out of pocket in the event of an accident, something that is difficult on a low salary. If theres an accident, we get no support or life insurance. We just get daily wages, he said.
A fruit vender sorts through stock at his Yangon shop. Local shopkeepers admit they are in danger of losing their businesses due to increasing rents. Photo: AFP
IN BRIEF
Home building pushed US construction spending higher in January despite bad winter weather, government data released last week showed. January construction spending rose 0.1 percent, the Commerce Department said. That surprised analysts, who on average expected it to fall 0.1pc. Residential construction in the private sector led the increase, surging 0.9pc from December. Compared with a year ago, construction spending was up 9.3pc and private spending on home building gained 13.9pc. AFP
RETAIL space rents are increasing as much as 50 percent year-on-year, squeezing not only small and medium enterprises, but also big business, out of protable areas in Yangon, local businesses and experts said last week. The rental market in Yangon increases year to year, including for the retail market that faces huge difficulties with rent, said Daw May Zin Soe Htet, marketing manager at City Mart Holdings Co Ltd and City Express convenience stores, adding that the popular supermarket chain had also felt the pinch of rising rents. If the rentals continue growing like this there will be a lot of difficulties for businesses to survive in this market. It will be a deterrent for new retailers. The Myanmar Timespreviously reported that rising rents are threatening traditional retail hubs. In February,retail shop owners at Yangons
Yuzana Plaza said that they have led a letter with parliament complaining that they would likely lose their business if the plaza enforces a substantial increase in rent slated for March. Currently, average downtown rent for a 15 by 12 by 50-foot retail space is between K1 million and K1.5 million per month (US$1000 to $1500), property insiders said. In the popular townships of Botahtaung, Kyauktada, Latha, Pabaedan and Lanmadaw these rents rise as high as K10 million per month for 1250 square foot ground-oor premises. The rent for a convenience store has gone up K500,000 to K1.5 million in just four years, said ABC convenience store chain managing director Daw Wai Thit Lwin. On top of rental expenses, a tenant will have to pay the outtting costs of rented space, a cost that is not recouped from the landlord even for permanent xtures upon vacating of the premises. Daw Wai Thit Lwin said that of the total start-up cost for opening a store, monthly rent accounted for 40pc of the total expenditure. Increasingly foreign companies or
If the rentals continue growing like this there will be a lot of difficulties for businesses to survive in this market.
Daw May Zin Soe Htet Marketing Manager at City Mart Holdings Co Ltd
joint ventures are entering the highend retail space, pushing old tenants out, U Khin Mg Aye from Shwe Kan Myae real estate said. As local businesses are squeezed out of popular downtown locations, retail hubs are forming in Kyauk Myaung, Tarmwe, Sanchaung, Hlaing and Kamaryut where demand has pushed rents up 50pc year-on-year to a K1 million average monthly fee. In South Okkalapa and Thingangyun townships retail rental prices had jumped to K5 million per month on the back of businesses moving out of downtown and ocking to nearby townships. New retailers are worried about investing in the market because of the high rents that mean they cannot spend money on modern shop ttings like air con or CCTV, Ko Min Min Soe senior agent at Mya Pann Thakin Real Estate Agency said. Retail tenants also have to pay lump sum rent upfront upon signing a lease, making it difficult for start-ups to enter the market, Ko Min Min Soe said. Traditional retail space inside markets is also rising as demand from businesses being pushed out of downtown increases. Daw Yandanar, a shop owner in Mingalar Mon Market in the Mingalar Taung Nyunt retail hub, said her rent had risen 200pc in two years. My shop sells kitchen electrical goods and is on the ground oor of the New Mingalar Mon market. When I re-signed my rental contract the rent is now K200,000 per month. It was K100,000 last year and K10,000 before that, she said. Even though the rent
is high, we have to pay to stay here. Last year a group of retailers formed the Myanmar Retailers Association in an effort to provide a vehicle for retailers to protect their rights. We are trying to draft the retailer rights for retails, Daw Win Win Tint, chairperson of the new association toldThe Myanmar Times. Retailer rights are wrapped into the consumer protection law, but are very limited in scope and power, she said. The association has begun work to draft a campaign document geared toward enshrining a more sophisticated set of rights in legislation, she added.
50%
As well as being lumped with all shop-tting expenses and being vulnerable to drastic rent hikes upon contract renewal, tenants are also defenceless against eviction. The group is scheduling a member meet this month to discuss eviction threats retailers face as they see their traditional shops slated for demolition, remodelled to office space or repriced with spiraling rents.
New retailers are worried about investing in the market because of the high rents.
Ko Min Min Soe, senior agent at Mya Pann Thakin Real Estate Agency
PHNOm PENH
Bayon Temple in Angkor Wats Archaeological Park in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Photo: Philip Heijmans
32 Property
JERUsALEm
IN PICTUREs
Workers labour at a construction site as commercial buildings and residentials are seen covered by haze in Ampang, in the suburbs of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Haze shrouded Malaysias capital and its surroundings last week, causing unhealthy air quality due to res from a drought that has led to water rationing. Photo: AFP
SYDNEY
2534
New settlement housing units being built by Israel in the West Bank
IN BRIEF
A row over US$1.6 billion in cost overruns on construction to widen the Panama Canal has been resolved, the parties said last week, ensuring completion of the massive project. The Panama Canal Authority and the consortium Grupo Unidos por el Canal (GUPC) announced a nal agreement in principle after intense talks to resolve a two-month-long standoff. The plan here is that we would enter into commercial operations in January 2016, said Jorge Quijano, the canal administrator. Under the original schedule, the canal expansion was supposed to have been ready this year. AFP
Panama City Deal reached resolving Panama Canal row, construction to begin soon
World Vision International - Myanmar is one of Myanmars most long serving Christian (Global) Humanitarian Organizations. Our commitment is to work with needy communities and to serve the most vulnerable people of Myanmar.
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WASHINGTON
X-box Car Steering This model steering-wheel that can be used in X-box 360. The gear and breakpedal accesories make it perfect for serious fans of driving games Price: K 85000
150
MILLION
Bluetooth Headset for PS3 A headset that can connect with the PS3 via Bluetooth. Perfect for people who game at home and dont want to disturb house-mates Price: K 25000
These things were living with giant plant-eating dinosaurs, or sauropods, Burnham explained, herbivores too big for other common Jurassic predators, like the allosaurus, to attack. But if the estimates of the new Torvosaurus are right, he said, the carnivore was certainly big and fast enough to catch a small sauropod. The blade-like teeth of Torvosaurus are particularly nasty since they would seem to indicate a slashshred strategy, he added. The new species is also of interest to geologists, because it gives a more detailed picture of land connections between North America and Europe at the time. AFP
Logitech Attack3 Flight Stick for PC It is ight stick that connects with a PCm , it is high quality and easy on the hands. Price: K 38000
PS3 Gun This plastic mock-gun connects to the PS3. Expect awless connection with in-game movement. Price: K 70000
Available : Beno Sony Game Enterprise Ltd., No. 259, Barr Street (Upper Block), Kyauktada Township, Yangon. Phone : 01256417, 098622744
World
WASHINGTON
A BABY treated for HIV within hours of birth is free of the virus nearly a year later, in the second case that has raised hopes about early treatment, doctors said last week. The approach mirrored that taken for a Mississippi baby, who has been off treatment for 21 months and still has no detectable virus in her system. The latest research on the two young girls was presented at the annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Boston. The newest case involves a Los Angeles baby was born to a mother infected with HIV and who had not been taking her medications, making her at high risk for transmission, said Yvonne Bryson, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. Audra Deveikis, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Miller Childrens Hospital Long Beach, where the baby was born, tested the infant and gave her high, treatment-level doses of antiretroviral drugs before even knowing if she was HIV-positive, Bryson told AFP by phone from the conference. The way it works is you test and you treat before you know
SIMEROPOL
The baby is still being treated with antiretroviral drugs, and researchers are cautious not to udder the word cure
the results because it takes several days to get the results, explained Bryson, a consultant on the case. Treatment started at four hours of age, even earlier than the Mississippi child. Eventually, the tests came back positive for HIV. But by six days of age, the virus was undetectable. The remarkable thing about this particular baby is that the virus disappeared so quickly, said Bryson. The baby is still being treated with antiretroviral drugs, and researchers are cautious not to utter the world cure or even remission just yet. Now aged 11 months, the child is doing well and continues to see doctors while under the care of a foster family. She has no detectable viral load, nothing since six days of age. That is the earliest ever, Bryson said. Once she turns two, doctors may decide to stop suppressive therapy to see if she is in remission, or if the virus would re-
bound. The only way we would know if the baby is in remission is to stop therapy, explained Bryson. Also at the conference, Deborah Persaud of Johns Hopkins University presented the latest on the Mississippi baby, who was given ART at 31 hours of age. Now, the three-year-old is considered in remission from HIV, after drug treatment was stopped 21 months ago and no viral rebound has been observed. Bryson said the Los Angeles team is optimistic that their baby will do just as well. The fact that it was a very fast reduction in the virus to undetectable levels makes us very hopeful that this baby might follow in the footsteps of the Mississippi [case] which is still being followed, said Bryson. We are learning a lot now and it is exciting for the future. There is no known cure for AIDS, which has infected some 70 million people around the world and killed 35 million, according to the World Health Organization. AFP
Pro-Ukrainian activists attend a rally in the center of the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharki
IN PICTUREs
A magazine entitled My Pope (Il mio papa) -- billed as the rst weekly in the world dedicated to Pope Francis was launched on March 5 by Silvio Berlusconis publishing group Mondadori. The 60-page gossip-style magazine boasts tantalizing details on the Holy Fathers week and is stuffed full of photographs of the 77-year-old Argentine at work, capturing instants such as the moment his skullcap ew off in the wind or he was hugged by a child who climbed on his papal chair. Photo: AFP
35
WASHINGTON
The Dalai Lama visits with members of the United States Senate. Photo: AFP
The Dalai Lama, whose meeting on February 21 with President Barack Obama was angrily condemned by China, separately told lawmakers that one of his main goals was preservation of Tibetan culture. Offering advice as a longtime friend of the United States, the Dalai Lama said that he considered the nation to be really a champion of democracy, freedom. These traditional values are, I think, very, very relevant in todays world. After all, you are the leading nation in the free world, So, [show] self-condence, the Dalai Lama said. The Dalai Lama sat between House Speaker John Boehner, who said he wanted to show bipartisan support for the Buddhist monk, and the Republican leaders often bitter rival Nancy Pelosi, a longtime activist on the Tibetan cause. He later met top senators. What is happening in Tibet is a challenge to the conscience of the world, said Pelosi, the leader of Obamas Democratic Party in the House of Representatives. More than 120 Tibetans have set themselves on re in recent years to protest what they describe as a stiing Chinese control over
their religious, cultural and political freedoms. Obama called for the protection of Tibetans rights in a statement after his meeting with the Dalai Lama. In contrast to his meeting with Obama, which the White House took pains to portray as private, the Dalai Lama was accompanied in his talks at Congress by Lobsang Sangay, who was elected in 2011 as the prime minister of Tibetans in exile. The Dalai Lama told the lawmakers that he had transferred his political role to the elected leader. While the globe-trotting monk has been instrumental in throwing a worldwide spotlight on Tibet, he has increasingly been looking ahead to the future of the movement without him. The Dalai Lama appeared to reect on his own mortality as he served as the guest Senate chaplain. Offering prayers to the Buddha and all other gods, the Dalai Lama recited what he described as my favorite prayer, which he recites daily for inner strength. As long as space remains, as long as sentient beings remain, until then may I too remain to help dispel the misery of the world, he said. AFP
NEW YORK
Obama also authorised freezing the assets of officials involved in ordering Russias military manoeuvres in Crimea. European leaders split between hawkish eastern European states many of which were under Kremlins zone of inuence during the Cold War and big western European powers that want to limit the damage to their economic relations with Russia renewed a commitment to sign an EU association accord with Ukraine by May. Ousted Ukrainian President Vik-
36 World International
BEJING
RIO DE JANEIRO
A man walks next to full trash cans on Ipanema beach during a strike by some garbage collectors in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo: AFP
It is our position that the right to seek compensation for war-time damages doesnt exist after issuance of the 1972 JapanChina joint Communique.
Yoshihide Suga Chief Cabinet Secretary
KABUL
The coalition knows the location of every Afghan outpost... How can such incidents happen?
Abdul Wali Head of Logar Provincial Council
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SYDNEY SYDNEY
International World 37
This is not a hunch of alarmistrhetoric ... it is the conclusion of the worlds most qualied experts
Ove Hoegh-Gulberg University of Queensland researcher
SEOUL
KERRY
(Reg: No. IV/11590/2013) in respect of :- Class 35: Retail merchandising and marketing services; market price monitoring for others; compilation of information into computer databases; accounting; drawing of statements of accounts; advertising; advertising by mail order; dissemination of advertising material; business management assistance; professional business consultancy; business information; business management and organization consultancy; business research; cost price analysis; computerised compilation of order lists; distribution of samples; efficiency experts; import-export agencies; marketing research; public relations; commercial or industrial management assistance; inventory management; order processing, the bringing together, for the benefit of others, of a variety of goods, enabling customers to conveniently view and purchase those goods from a general merchandise catalogue by mail order or by means of telecommunications, and through a discount store; advisory services relating to customer services; sales promotion for others; business management relating to logistic services; advisory, information and consultancy services relating to all the foregoing; all included in Class 35 Class 39: Messages or merchandise courier services; computerised distribution planning relating to transportation; delivery of goods; delivery of goods by mail order; freight forwarding; freight brokerage; air transport; railway transport; boat transport; road transport; providing transportation and storage warehousing information via global computer networks; arranging travel, transport and information therefor, all provided on-line from a computer database or the Internet; transport; packaging and storage of goods; travel arrangement; transport reservation; rental of storage containers; storage information; transportation information; vehicle rental; warehousing; wrapping of goods; in-store transport; placing goods on shelves in-store; advisory, information and consultancy services relating to all the foregoing; location of freight-cars by computer; warehouse management services; all included in Class 39 Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. U Kyi Win Associates for Kuok Registrations Limited P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416
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Sacremento
International World 39
Reg.No.IV/ 15104 /2013 in respect of Pest control services. Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said Trade Mark or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. Khine Khine U, Advocate LL.B, D.B.L, LL.M (UK) For Orkin Expansion, Inc. #205/5, Thirimingalar Housing, Strand Rd, Yangon. Dated. March 10, 2014
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, last week. Photo: AFP
74%
water technology. Were in the midst of a mega drought, Brown said. Israel has demonstrated how efficient a country can be and this is a great opportunity for collaboration. North of San Diego, Israels IDE Technologies Ltd is helping to build what it says will be the largest seawater desalination plant in the western hemisphere. The facility in Carlsbad, when nished in 2016, will be able to provide 50 million gallons of potable water a day. Three smaller plants already operate in California, and 15 more have been proposed. Israel has been dealing with such conditions throughout its history. The climate has forced the country to go to unusual lengths to lower consumption and raise supply, methods it now uses as a matter of routine. Our rainfall has dropped by half in the 65 years of Israels existence, our population grew 10-fold and our economy grew 70 times, Netanyahu said on Bloomberg TV. How come we dont have a water problem? Because we use technology to solve it.
In Israel, desalination now provides about one-quarter of the countrys water supply. Each of IDEs three plants in Israel provides roughly double the output anticipated from the Carlsbad facility, according to closely held Poseidon Resources Corp, which is developing the $922 million plant with IDE. In reverse-osmosis desalination, the most popular desalination method, treated seawater is sent through a series of ltration membranes that remove salt and other impurities. About half of the seawater becomes drinking water. The rest is returned to the ocean with higher concentrations of salt and other minerals. In Israel, 75 pc of the countrys sewage is recycled, the highest percentage in the world, according to Mekorot, Israels national water company. More than 50 pc of water used in agriculture comes from treated sewage, according to the Israel Water Association. Medjool dates grown in Israel with recycled wastewater are among the most coveted in U.S. food stores. Washington Post
TIMBERLAND
Reg. No. 727/2001 in respect of Polishes, creams, cleaning preparations and other preparations for the care of footwear. Fragrances, cosmetics, toilet preparations, soaps and lotions. Eyeglass frames, eyeglasses, sunglasses, eyeglass cases, eye shades, eyeglass chains, eyeglass cords, protective eye wear and eye wear for sports; protective gloves. Watches and other horological and chronometric instruments; jewelry including jewelry made of precious and non-precious metals; key rings. Books, book covers, appointment books and address books, check book covers (not made of leather), albums, calendars, planners, document holders, portfolios and organizers for stationery; writing instruments, printed matter and stationery items, wrapping paper, ribbons, bows, desk pads, inking pads, writing instrument holders, pencil sharpeners, coin holders, desk organizers, globes, maps and playing cards. Carrying cases, bags, travelling bags and shoulder bags; backpacks and other strap-on packs; luggage, suitcases, attache cases and brief cases; handbags and purses; wallets, credit card cases, key cases, identification tags, portfolios, appointment books, address books and check book covers, all made of leather; travel kits made of leather for toiletries; umbrellas. Furniture, furniture frames, doors for furniture, furniture moldings, bumper guards for furniture, fitted fabric furniture covers; cupboards; drawers; cabinetwork; wood carvings; filing cabinets; coatstands; umbrella stands; fire screens for domestic use; fireplace bellows; infant cradles; cribs; picture frames and picture frame moldings; magazine racks; tea carts; mirrors; cushions; curtain rods, curtain rails and curtain rings; cots; air mattresses for use when camping; sleeping bags; pillows; wood barrels; wood boxes; woodknobs; sign boards; sales and display counters; non-metal ladders; goods (not included in other classes) of wood, cork, reed, cane, wicker, horn, bone, ivory, whalebone, shell, amber, mother-of-pearl, meerschaum, and substitutes for all these materials, or of plastic. Footwear; clothing including headgear; gloves and belts; baby buntings. Retail store services; retailing services via a telecommunications network. Fraudulent imitation or unauthorised use of the said Trade Marks will be dealt with according to law. Win Mu Tin, M.A.,H.G.P.,D.B.L. for TBL Licensing LLC P.O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 10 March, 2014
Administrator sought to begin in March 2014 The Pre-Collegiate Program is a 16-month bridging program to help students win scholarships, thrive at university and return home to develop Myanmar. See us on Facebook and at www.precollegiate.org Brief Job Description Take care of all details in the daily running of the Program Manage the administrative side of college applications Participate in selecting new students and faculty members Handle all financial matters Arrange the logistics for all travel Participate in planning institutional development Option of participating in frequent field trips Essential Qualifications Lumbini Academy Fluent in Myanmar and English 2/A Thamardi 4 St. Thingangyun Skill in MS Office and Adobe Kyaikasan Paya Rd off of Yadana Rd Prefer 5 years experience or over age 30 Be proactive as the only admin staff Call Dorothy Guyot at 09 730 79 846 Bachelors degree Send an inquiry letter and a resume to Enjoyment in learning new skills precollegiate@gmail.com Sense of humor
40 World International
KUALA LUMPUR
Supporters of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim shout slogans outside the court of appeals in. Photo: AFP
Prime Minister Najib Razaks Barisan Nasional coalition won a parliamentary majority, even though it secured just 47 percent of the popular vote. Anwars own party and another made up mainly of ethnic Malays did worse than the previous election in 2008 while his ally, the mostly ethnic-Chinese Democratic Action Party, improved its fortunes. This trial was all about knocking Anwar Ibrahim out of politics, said
Phil Robertson, deputy director of the Asia division at Human Rights Watch. Anwar and his family appear caught in a never-ending nightmare of his political adversaries making. Anwar was former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamads deputy in the late 1990s during the Asian nancial crisis. As nance minister he gave speeches citing Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeters theory of
creative destruction. In the case of Southeast Asia, that meant countries would emerge stronger from the nancial downturn, Anwar said. Mahathir disagreed. In 1998, he red Anwar, pegged the currency and imposed capital controls. Within a month, Anwar was arrested. He spent the next six years in prison on convictions for abuse of power and sodomy. AFP
BEiJING
GETZ PHARMA
Reg.No. IV/7872/2007 Reg.No. IV/9160/2010 Reg.No. IV/ 13499 /2013 in respect of Pharmaceuticals. Fraudulent imitation or unauthorized used of the said Trade Marks or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. Khine Khine U, Advocate LL.B, D.B.L, LL.M (UK) For Getz Bros. Co. Ltd. #205/5, Thirimingalar Housing, Strand Rd., Yangon. Dated. March 10, 2014
Xinjiang Communist Party Secretary Zhang Chunxian (middle) and other delegates discuss violence in Xinjiang. Photo: AFP
OPTIPATCH
Reg.No. IV/ 1425 /2014 (Swiss Trademark Registration 646174 dated. 11 June 2013 Priority claim) in respect of Class 5: Pharmaceutical and veterinary preparations, plasters, materials for dressings; medical plasters. Fraudulent imitation or unauthorized used of the said Trade Mark or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. Khine Khine U, Advocate LL.B, D.B.L, LL.M (UK) For Acino Pharma AG #205/5, Thirimingalar Housing, Strand Rd., Yangon. Dated. March 10, 2014
42 World International
OUIDAH
TALIKA
(Reg: No. IV/13640/2013) in respect of :- Soaps, perfumery, essential oils, cosmetics, hair lotions. Intl Class: 3 Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. U Kyi Win Associates for DANIELLE ROCHES P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416
(Reg: No. IV/7989/2013) In respect of:- goods in Classes 07, 09, 11 & 12. Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark will be dealt with according to law. U THAN WIN, B.Com, B.L. for LOTTE ALUMINIUM CO., LTD. By its Ageless IP Attorneys & Consultants P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 10th March, 2014
LOTTE
Cameroonian and Nigerian artist Samuel Fosso guides children through an art exhibition . Photo: AFP
(Reg. Nos. IV/4281/2003, IV/2566/2008 & IV/5837/2013) in respect of: - Optical apparatus and instruments; spectacles and sunglasses; parts and fittings for all the aforesaid goods; spectacle frames and sunglasses frames; spectacle cases, sunglasses cases Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. U Kyi Win Associates for Charmant Inc. P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416
It was the rst time I saw young people from Benin coming to admire my work ... I was so moved.
Romuald Hazoume Benini artist
The Villa Ajavon, an expansive cream-coloured home built in 1922 by a Togolese trader, drew Zinsou to Ouidah, a town of 60,000 people some 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Cotonou. When we found out this sublime building was available, we jumped at the chance, said Zinsou. Its style is very symbolic, very specic to this region, she said. The slave trade monument in
(Reg: No. IV/3053/2009) in respect of:- Balloons, toys, dolls, games, block (toys), and all kinds of goods Intl Class: 28 Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. U Kyi Win Associates for Mr. Somkiat Somsakraksanti P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon Phone: 372416
the pulse
A pristine paradise, Myanmars MacLeod Island in the Myeik Archipelago offers adventurous travellers unique dives, treks and a glimpse of a disappearing culture
PASSAGE TO EDEN
By Amaury Lorin
WO opposite temptations gripped me after my rst visit to MacLeod Island (also known as Khayin Khwa Island): jealously keep the secret of its existence, or share it with readers? After a second visit eight months later and several days of intense thought, I decided to pursue the second. Among the new tourist destinations revealed since Myanmars recent political opening after decades of military rule, MacLeod Island is a diamond in the rough among 800 uninhabited islands belonging to the remote and unspoiled Myeik Archipelago in the Andaman Sea, in Myanmars most southern region. Without being emphatic, it is a dazzling and sumptuous surprise. Closed until recently (including to Myanmar people), the labyrinth archipelago leading to it remains tightly controlled by a large military naval base and a very strict regional immigration office. Indeed, the Myeik Archipelago is strategically situated at the crossroads intersection between Myanmar, India (Andaman Islands), Indonesia (Sumatra) and Thailand. The relative difficulty of reaching McLeod Island, though an inconvenience for some tourists (too bad for them), has helped preserve its stunning natural beauty. Flying southwards over tens of kilometers of virgin white-sand beaches from Yangon to Kawthaung (with two stops in Dawei and Myeik) in Tanintharyi Region conrms, if
any doubt was still possible, Myanmars great tourism potential. The charmless port town of Kawthaung is the mainland gateway to McLeod Island. Signboards advising locals to Warmly Welcome and Take Care of Tourists were recently erected on the quay of the citys harbour. A new speedboat will bring you, hair ying loose, to McLeod Island in a couple of hours. On the way, you will see some amazing colourful boats with long lamplights used for calamari shing by night. You can also visit a pearl oyster farm. The magic starts when the boat reduces its speed and approaches McLeod Island. The splendid horseshoe-shaped bay of the island offers an almost troublesome symmetry. Where is the expected resort? Hidden in the lush jungle falling down to the beach, it remains almost invisible until arrival. The feeling that you are Robinson Crusoe setting foot in a tropical paradise gets even stronger as the basic bamboo dock is pulled with a rope up to the pristine beach, where hundreds of hermit crabs run away in every direction. Opened in 2005, Myanmar Andaman Resort is the only man-made construction on the island. The presence of a natural source of fresh water was the most critical piece in the decision to establish a human presence there. This means that MacLeod Islands whole territory, though wild, is virtually at the disposal of visitors. The resort, however, is more a sustainable eco-lodge than a luxury getaway. Dont expect to nd a night club, a gym centre or any hi-tech equipment there. Still, a good balance is reached between authen-
The Salone still lead a peaceable semi-nomadic life without any technology, living from dive shing and collecting shells.
ticity and comfort: 22 wooden eco-bungalows (eight 40-square-metre beachfront chalets and 14 26-square-metre cottages behind) are equipped with all that one needs on vacation on such an island. That is to say: not much. Since his arrival to McLeod Island two years ago, Adrian Zdrada, Myanmar Andaman Resorts very talented and receptive 39-year-old sales and marketing director, has successfully saved the island from becoming a second Phuket. The proximity of more than 25 spectacular dive spots, among the nicest ones in the world, is one of MacLeod Islands greatest appeals. Renato Ticozzi, the Italian dive master qualied by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) and 45 years of experience, and his Indonesian wife, Lisa, offer underwater explorations in the best conditions, especially through submarine caves, valleys and arches covered with surrealistic purple seaweed. Although dynamite shing has dramatically destroyed the coral, you can dive among colourful banks of cuttlesh, parrot sh, clown sh, angel sh, sea horses, anemones, crab-spiders and sharks. You will discover a submarine fauna specic to these waters at a 25-metre depth, in safety conditions equivalent to the ones in the Maldives or Seychelles. Kayaking around the island and snorkeling are also great despite possibility of very strong streams. For the sportiest visitors, a slippery, muddy and narrow trekking trail through the deep, humid jungle leads to the islands highest point. Fixed ropes on rocks permit ascent of the steepest parts. Bringing a survival knife might
be useful. The 360-degree view of all sides of the island from the 173-metre-high peak, over which majestic eagles y, is spectacular. Lizards, squirrels, butteries and more complete the picture of MacLeod Islands unique eco-reserve, as well as insects (sandy bites can be itchy and painful), snakes, rats and spiders all things that come with access to a genuine tropical island. Some luxury catamarans, cruising through the Andaman Sea from neighbouring Ranong (northern Thailand), are allowed to drop anchor in MacLeod Islands bay and stay there overnight. Their crew sometimes appear at the Myanmar Andaman Resorts bar just before dinnertime. The resort must close during the six-month southwestern monsoon from the end of April (after the Water Festival) until the end of October. Heavy rain, blustery winds and 3-metre swells make the crossing to McLeod Island rough and potentially dangerous during these months. Nature is not, though, the only interest of MacLeod Island. The wide Myeik Archipelago hosts a couple of hundred sea gypsies belonging to the Southeast Asian Salone ethnic group, who migrated from southern China about 4000 years ago on traditional wood-sheltered boats. They still lead a peaceable semi-nomadic life without any technology, living from dive shing and collecting shells. But the maritime existence of this fascinating and traditionally animist group of anthropological interest is endangered today, according to Jacques Ivanoff, a French expert on Salone people who speaks their language. The 2004 tsunami hit the people hard, and the popu-
lation of their last two villages is only about 300. The prestigious German weekly magazine Die Zeit published an article entitled Gold fever at Paradise about McLeod Island last month: Will that sound its death knell? Condential McLeod Island is still an address accessible only to the initiated travellers, off the beaten path and denitely off the highly frequented YangonMandalay-Inle-Bagan tour. Almost no advertising is done to promote it: The fame of the place, spread by word of mouth, is enough to ll the resort several months in advance. Is Myanmars Myeik Archipelago to become the new frontier for Asian tourism, competing with neighbouring Thailand? Millions of international tourists could certainly be welcome there in the near future if these exceptional islands are developed by Myanmars authorities. This prospect, however, does not seem to be an immediate priority. But how long the worlds biggest and wealthiest tour operators will let this miraculously unexploited jewel alone is another very uncertain question. Dont disclose the secret before they nd it!
Amaury Lorin is a French Yangon-based historian, journalist and consultant. He is the author of Nouvelle histoire des colonisations europennes (XIXe-XXe sicles) (France University Press, 2013) and the founder of Myanmar Challenge.
Q & A
yANgoN
Photo: Supplied
when I was devastated I went to this Bondi Beach near Sydney and it didnt cure me. I said, Im going back to Burma. I told myself my oldest son would be there, my two sisters and Shwedagon. Bondi Beach cannot replace Shwedagon. I always enter from the north entrance, and it calms me down and I can let go of everything. What is the the greatest challenge facing this country? You know, this Ivanhoe copper mines? I used to do the safety, health and environment report [photography] every year and I stayed like seven or 10 days, and there was dust in the air so you couldnt breathe, but the Aussies were so good in the way they maintained the waste and all that. I would do the annual report and they had to show me everything. I did that for seven years. Now the Chinese dont give a shit. The waste is leaking and it destroys the trees, the children are born deformed. The Chinese asked me to do their report this year, for $15,000, but Im not going to do it. And Im not rich. I love this country. What is your most treasured possession? The eye. The way I see things is different. This is one thing you cannot teach. You have it or dont have it. Im fortunate. Its in my blood. I see things as photographs. No need to crop them. Theyre cropped already. What is your favourite motto? My mother used to tell me, Where theres a will, theres a way, and I believe that.
To be a photographer you need the drive. I got up at 3am to get back at the right time and get the shot. For one photo I drove from Yangon to Nyaung Don.
Zaw Min Yu | Photographer
MoRe oN Pulse
48
Myo Min Htet (left) and Tin Ko Ko drink to their marriage, on March 2. Photo: Boothee
y A N g o N
From left to right: Hla Yin Kyae, Christina Kyi, Zenn and Nann Wai Wai Htun. Photo: Whitney Light
HRISTINA Kyi is under pressure. Its mid-February and shes been writing seven days a week, hustling to finish the script for Mudras Calling, a narrative feature film thats already seen two months of pre-production. The picture is supposed to start shooting in midMarch, at Bagan, Inle Lake, Mandalay and Taunggyi, and be in postproduction by mid-April. Thats slow for Myanmar. Its fast in the international world, said Mona Strassburg, Kyis producer at House of Media and Entertainment, a Yangonbased production company. For Kyi, who moved to the United States as a teenager and returned to Myanmar in 2009, the film is a chance to push forward her emerging career as a director. For Strassburg, its a business venture that has the potential to promote the country and the local film industry as a destination for foreign productions. Success, for both, would be carving out even a small path for other local filmmakers to follow. Anything, they said, would be more sophisticated than the current norms of what Strassburg calls uniformly bad pictures. In a country that produces about 900 straight-to-DVD films a year, on shoestring budgets of US$9000 to $15,000, its not unusual for crews without permits to take over streets for a matter of hours; to make films directed without scripts, shot lists, or locations scouted in advance; and to
cast as actors stars who have been pre-selected based on celebrity appeal and connections rather than auditions or fitness for their roles. To Kyi who quickly lists off The Godfather, Gandhi and Blue Valentine as films that opened her eyes to what films could be as a film student at Gibbs School in New York thats no way to make a film. The audiences suspension of disbelief is the main thing, she said in an interview at Traders Hotel, her piercing dark eyes seeming to amplify her decisive voice of a contender. When you watch a Burmese film, you
After an open casting call, Kyis husband, Zenn, will play the male lead, Hla Yin Kyae the female lead and Nann Wai Wai Htun the supporting actress. Recently the three started intensive training with an internationally recognised acting coach, Thierry Bleu, whos also worked with the stars of the forthcoming major picture about Bogyoke Aung San. While its not the most original storyline, Kyi is well aware of that. She said shed rather introduce a film with wide appeal to Myanmar audiences instead of making an experimental flop. A simple, well-shot love story is still
I thought it would be easy to come back, but its not. Some people here think we are from different worlds.
Christina Kyi | Writer and director, Mudras Calling
lose attention because the dialogue is so bad. The actors have the same hair for 100 films. When he cries, he cries the same. When he loves, he loves the same. They have no clue what character they are playing. By contrast, Kyi aims for art. In Mudras Calling, which uses 70 percent English dialogue, a young BurmeseAmerican man visits Myanmar to do research for a masters project about traditional music. He meets a beautiful, proud Myanmar dancer who along with her cheerful sidekick and chaperone accompanies him around the country in his quest to learn about the culture and discover his roots.
quite a leap forward compared with much of whats on offer. Since government censorship has been relaxed, filmmakers today have much more freedom than in the days of the military regime. But right now producers are doing all kinds of movies with girls in short skirts on the dance floor, said Myat Noe, another director whos recently returned to Myanmar, after 15 years in Los Angeles. Theres nothing risky in terms of creativity. Its more like skin flicks. The idea behind Mudras Calling has been germinating for 10 years, since Kyi practised traditional dance for community shows in the United States.
I wanted to promote the country through my dance and music, but at that time we were young and kind of silly, and to promote the country no one even knew about Burma at that time! They would mistake it with Bahamas, she said. Strassburg, who moved to Yangon from the US about a year ago, was looking for a project just like this one. Shed fallen in love with the country soon after arriving and had experience producing a public-access television program for the Burmese community in Los Angeles, where shed seen how crude contemporary Myanmar movies were. The station screened films five days a week. Strassburg figures she watched at least 100. Someone would get stabbed and it would look like someone drew on the lens to suggest blood, she said. Strassburg also felt it important to make something different from the guerrilla-style documentary films that have shown international audiences Myanmar poverty but not much else. A friend introduced Strassburg to Kyi, who made her pitch without even having written a synopsis. A few samples of her recent directing work on small films for Myanmar TV was enough to win Strassburgs confidence, and Kyi got down to writing. The resulting 150-page script is the longest shes done though shes written 90-120 pages before and one of her professors from film school, the Emmynominated script editor Susan Sojourna Collier, agreed to edit it. The writing hasnt been easy, Kyi said, mostly because some of the cultural subjects she wants to cover are difficult to research. For example, there are no libraries in Yangon in which to find the kind of music the film will
feature, she said, and she wants to get it right. So does Strassburg. My fear is that a Burmese person sees it and thinks, Who did this film? They clearly dont know anything about our country. There are other hurdles. Booking the best crew poses a challenge, since they are few and in high demand. And because most local gigs pay so little, people are anxious to get shooting over with quickly no breaks in order to move on to the next set. This is part of the current film cycle Strassburg hopes to help break. Mudras Calling is budgeted at about $40,000, with a plan to book hotels on location in advance and schedule days of rest. On top of this, Kyi and Strassburg both said theyve already weathered a lot of naysaying about the project. I thought it would be easy to come back, but its not. Some people here think we are from different worlds: Ive got an education, so Im not part of them, she said. As such its been difficult to break into a scene where projects are fixed with established directors and actors, with distribution agreements predetermined two to three years in advance. The elder statesmen of the industry, Kyi said, dont respect me as a filmmaker, and its assumed Im a housewife or whatever. She refused to tell me her age, for fear it would taint her standing even more. Entering the final stages of scriptwriting, however, Kyi is taking an optimistic, and aggressive, view of things. I wouldnt be able to write if people were so nice to me. Maybe I wouldnt take it seriously. Now its a big challenge for me, Kyi said. I didnt talk like this before. It changed me.
The article said that police were starting an inquiry into the wedding, and that the newly weds could face a charge under Article 377 of the criminal code, which prohibits intercourse against the order of nature. The maximum sentence is 10 years in prison. However, Tin Ko Ko said on Thursday that they had not been contacted by police. Nonetheless, Colour Rainbow, a gay rights organisation, said that as soon as they saw the reports they started to prepare legal paperwork in defence of the couple. So far, police have told Colour Rainbow that they were not told to investigate by any senior officers, said a representative of the organisation. Still, the inaccurate press reports caused images from the wedding to
spread widely on social networking websites, attracting harsh criticisms from the public and causing the couple fear for their personal safety. In general, marriage between a man and a woman is held in high regard in Myanmar, but most people still hold conservative views against gay marriage. Human rights advocate Aung Zaw Htwe, who attended the wedding, said he was proud of the couple for their bold public appearance. At the wedding, we [the crowd] felt great. For the gay community this is not unusual. In the human world, love is nature and love is blind. Phyo Thit Lu, program coordinator at Colour Rainbow, said that Article 377 oppresses minorities. It makes them live in secret, he said.
On the positive side, he continued, If many more gay marriages are celebrated in Myanmar, the government may think of amending the law. He noted that in fact the recent wedding was not the first gay marriage. A gay and transgendered man married in Mon State three months ago, and their wedding also attracted much public condemnation. According to the National AIDS Program, there are about 240,000 LGBT people living in Myanmar. But only just over 100,000 live openly, said Nay Oo Lwin, program manager at Population Service International. The remaining live in secret because they fear negative responses from parents and friends. They fear societal rejection.
Universal Crossword
Edited by Timothy E. Parker
SUDOKU PACIFIC
DILBERT
BY SCOTT ADAMS
PEANUTS
BY CHARLES SCHULZ
BY BILL WATTERSON
PUZZLE SOLUTIONS
Laugh all the way to the bank when you rent this space.
The tea break page is being re-formatted in readiness for our move to a daily cycle. It may look something like this in the future. Our market research shows that a page like this attracts a large number of readers, who loyally read it every day. Ring Marketing Department to book this space permanently and laugh all the way to the bank with the extra business coming in your door.
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the pulse
51
food
MEXICAN-FUSION barbecued seafood inspired this weeks dish. While it seems to involve a lot of grilling of this and that, actually it is quite simple. Place everything on the barbie. Keep an eye on it while grilling. Then chop and mix. Its a nice menu for a dinner party. Use fresh prawns, which will be sweeter and more flavourful after plain barbecue cooking. Grill the corn on an open fire to give it a smokier taste. I love grilled corn with a bit of a dark burn on it. The
flavour becomes more intense and complements the other ingredients. Green tomatoes are a bit sour for eating alone, but theyre great for salad and salsa. You dont need a lot of lime juice. Salt will improve the flavour. All very simple, but the final product is a delicacy. BBQ PRAWNS AND CORN SALSA SERVES 4 450-500g tiger prawns 3 medium corn ears 2 bunches asparagus 4 tbsp vegetable oil 2 2 tbsp lime juice 1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sugar 1 medium onion 3 cloves garlic 1 red or green chilli (more for hot and spicy lovers) Handful fresh mint or coriander Cut the legs off the prawns and rinse. Without removing the head, push the tip of some scissors into the back of the head slowly. Then snip the shell carefully along the back of the prawn. Discard the black vein. Peel the corn husks and remove the hairs. Wash and dry the cobs. Snip the crunchy parts of the
asparagus. Wash and dry. Grill the corn on medium heat, on a charcoal or gas stove. Either works. Keep turning the corn over a direct flame to cook them evenly. Then cool and set aside. Grill the asparagus. Turn them to cook evenly. Brushing a little bit of oil on them will make them crunchier and quicker to grill. When corn and asparagus is cooked through, set aside. Cover with aluminum foil. Grill the prawns on an open flame for about 3 minutes, or longer if theyre big. When theyre orange, turn over and grill another 3 minutes. Leave on heat for another
30 seconds, then remove. Cover with aluminum foil. When the corn is cool enough to handle, cut the niblets onto a plate. Dice the onions finely. Cut the chillies in half and discard the seeds, then dice. Crush the garlic. Cut the asparagus into bite-size pieces. For the dressing, combine lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, oil, onion and garlic in a bowl and mix well. Arrange corn and asparagus in a salad bowl and pour over the dressing. Mix well. Garnish with chopped coriander or mint. Lay the prawns on a plate and serve with the salsa.
Restaurant Review
HE 365 Caf is
Chefs at 365 Cafe serve up meals 24/7. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing
simple in its dcor, but simple at its best comfortable lighting and seating and modern black-and-white dcor. Its also open 24 hours, a rarity in Yangon. My dining companion and I went there in the early evening, when there were few diners in the shop. Id seen it busier in the middle of the afternoon. We chose a table for two in the corner. The waiter promptly delivered our menu, and I ordered the Korean-style BBQ noodles with chicken (K3900) while my friend ordered the hot basil sauce with rice and chicken (K3800) from a long list of menu options. We waited only about five minutes for the food to arrive perhaps alarmingly quick. But the smell and presentation of the dish made me want to dive in. I wasnt disappointed: The noodles were soft and I could taste the sweetness of the chicken soup. The vegetables, not generous but includes carrots and greens, were fresh. Overall, a nice enough dish, but too sweet for me. The basil sauce and chicken was also good, spicy and tasty enough to order another time. Again the presentation was beautiful and colourful with reds and greens and bits of yellow fried egg. Asian, North American and European foods are available at
365, but with some items priced up to K28,000, it struck us as a little expensive given the quality. Most dishes seem thrown together from pre-prepared soups and sauces. Its borderline fast food, but then again thats just the thing which would taste great at 3am. The service is average. R&B songs play on the stereo, not a musical selection well-suited to the shop. Luckily I wasnt annoyed because my thoughts were focused on tasting the food. We were too full for a big dessert, but I ordered yogurt with honey (K1500), and my friend ordered a blueberry smoothie (K2850). These drinks were great, leaving us with a favourable impression of the restaurant. There are also a variety of other cold drinks, coffee, beer and wine on the menu. For a daytime lunch or dinner, you can get better food elsewhere for less, but for a place thats open 24 hours, its pretty good. Go there for a midnight snack after clubbing and the food will seem delicious.
365 Caf
5 Alan Pya Pagoda Street
U Tun Tun
Chu Nu Khin Ko Aung Myo Oo, Ma Mya Myitzu and Ko Zayar Phyo
Student
Mr John Hann
Student
Mr Joseph Charles
TCL party
Student
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the pulse
53
Warehouse History
Mingalabar! fans of Socialite. Last week I had a lot of fun at a childrens party and The Myanmar Times staff party. The weather got hotter but it didnt stop me from going out. Socialite kicked off her week on February 27 with Cosmobeaute Myanmar 2014 at Traders Hotel. On February 28, she appeared at the opening of a Samsung store, and then she attended the ALBA annual party at Kandawgyi. The same day, she was at a gathering of members of Myanmar Tourism Marketing at Chatrium Hotel. On March 1, she attended the Championship Bee contest at Total Learning Academy, and then she enjoyed the Times staff party. The next day, she attended the PEP family photo contest.
Ko Fuji
Dr Maung Win
Teacher Thandar
Mr Joel Kearney
Student
Jack
Thiri
Maung Tin
Domestic Airlines
Air Bagan Ltd. (W9) Air KBZ (K7)
Tel : 513322, 513422, 504888, Fax : 515102
YANGON TO SIT T WE Days 1,5 Daily 1,3,5,6,7 4,6 Dep 10:30 11:15 11:30 14:30 Arr 12:05 13:15 12:55 15:55
Tel : (Head Ofce) 501520, 525488, Fax: 525937. Airport: 533222~3, 09-73152853. Fax: 533223.
Tel: 951 515261~264, 512140, 512473, 512640. Fax: 951 532333, 516654
SIT T WE TO yANGON Days 1,5 Daily 4,6 Dep 12:05 13:35 16:15 Arr 13:55 15:00 17:40
Yangon Airways(YH)
Tel: (+95-1) 383 100, 383 107, 700 264, Fax: 652 533.
YANGON TO MyEIK Days 1,3,5,7 1,3,5,6,7 Dep 7:00 7:45 Arr 9:15 9:45
Domestic
6T = Air Mandalay W9 = Air Bagan YJ = Asian Wings K7 = AIR KBZ YH = Yangon Airways FMI = FMI AIR Charter Y5 = Golden Myanmar Airlines
YANGON TO ThANDWE Flight W9 141 6T 351 YH 511 YH 505 6T 605 YH 505 Days Daily 1,2,3,4,6,7 1,5 3,4,6,7 Daily 2 Dep 6:15 6:30 10:30 10:30 11:15 11:30 Arr 9:35 10:00 13:05 13:10 12:10 14:10
MANDALAy TO YANGON Flight YJ 901 YH 909 Days 2,4,5,6,7 1,3,4,6,7 Dep 7:50 7:40 Arr 9:55 9:45
NyAUNG U TO YANGON Flight YJ 891 YH 917 Days Daily 1,3,4,5,6,7 Dep 7:35 7:45 Arr 10:15 10:45 Flight W9 141 YH 910
HEhO TO YANGON Days Daily 2 Dep 8:35 8:40 Arr 10:40 10:55
www.mmtimes.com/thepulse
the pulse
55
YANGON TO BANGKOK Days Dep Daily 7:15 Daily 8:40 Daily 9:50 Daily 10:30 Daily 14:55 Daily 15:20 Daily 16:30 Daily 18:20 Daily 18:05 Daily 19:45
Arr 9:30 10:25 11:45 12:25 16:50 17:15 18:15 20:15 19:50 21:40
Flights FD 2761
MANDALAY TO DON MUENG Days Dep Arr Daily 12:50 15:15 MANDALAY TO KUNMING Days Dep Daily 14:40 NAYPYIDAW TO BANGKOK Days Dep 1,2,3,4,5 19:45 BANGKOK TO YANGON Days Dep Daily 11:55 Daily 8:00 Daily 8:50 Daily 13:00 Daily 13:40 Daily 16:45 Daily 17:50 Daily 19:20 Daily 20:00 Daily 21:10 DON MUENG TO YANGON Days Dep Daily 6:30 Daily 7:15 Daily 11:35 Daily 16:20 1,2,3,4 19:35 Daily 19:25 SINGAPORE TO YANGON Days Dep Daily 7:55 Daily 9:10 Daily 13:25 1,6,7 13:10 Daily 14:20 2,3,4,5 15:00 Daily 15:35 2,3,5 17:20 5,6,7 19:25 1,2,6,7 22:10 BEIJING TO YANGON Days Dep 2,3,4,6,7 8:05
BANGKOK TO MANDALAY Days Dep 1,2,4,6 7:45 3,5 17:30 Daily 12:05
Flights MU 2030
Arr 17:20
DON MUEANG TO MANDALAY Flights Days Dep Arr FD 2760 Daily 10:55 12:20
Flights MU 2029 Flights PG 721
ART
MARCH 14 Changing Roles of Women seminar, with a reading of The Roadmap by Daw Ma Thida and a performance of Inside the Dollhouse by The New Yangon Theatre Institute, Institut Franais de Birmanie, 340 Pyay Road, 6pm FEBRUARY 20MARCH 19 Aye Kos solo exhibition, Bahan Art Gallery, 70 Nat Maut Lane (1), Bahan MARCH 9-12 Tin Mar Lin solo exhibition, featuring fish images on acrylic, Lokanat Gallery, first floor, 62, Pansodan Street, Kyauktada, 9am-5pm MARCH 1-15 Win Pe 1 , Beikthano Gallery, 113/3(b) Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Bahan, 9am-5pm
Flights PG 722
Arr 22:45
KUNMING TO MANDALAY Days Dep Daily 13:55 BANGKOK TO NAYPYIDAW Days Dep 1,2,3,4,5 17:15
YANGON TO DON MUENG Flights Days Dep DD 4231 Daily 8:00 FD 2752 Daily 8:30 FD 2756 Daily 12:50 FD 2754 Daily 17:35 FD 2758 1,2,3,4 20:55 DD 4239 Daily 21:00 YANGON TO SINGAPORE Days Dep 1,2,6,7 0:25 Daily 8:00 5,6,7 14:00 Daily 10:10 Daily 10:25 Daily 11:40 Daily 16:40 1,6,7 15:10 2,3,4,5 17:10 2,3,5 19:30
Flights MI 509 8M 231 8M 233 Y5 233 SQ 997 3K 586 MI 517 TR 2827 TR 2827 3K 588
Arr 5:00 12:25 18:25 14:40 14:45 16:20 21:15 19:35 21:35 00:10+1
Flights 8M 336 TG 303 PG 701 TG 301 PG 707 PG 703 TG 305 8M 332 PG 705 Y5 238
Arr 12:40 8:45 9:40 13:45 14:30 17:35 18:45 20:05 21:15 21:55
The Four 2 3D. Directed by Gordon Chan and Janet Chun. Four detectives use their unique skills to help Master Zhuge solve crimes and punish criminals.
Mingalar 2 Cinema, at Dagon Center 2, Myaynigone, Sanchaung 3AM Part 2. In 3D. Directed by Patchanon Tummajira, Kirati Nakintanon and Isara Nadee. A short Thai horror film. Shae Shaung Cinema 1, Sule Pagoda Road, Kyauktada Pompeii. In 3D. Directed by Paul WS Anderson. While Mount Vesuvius erupts, a gladiator must save his lover, who is betrothed
manufactured self to help stop a LEGO tyrant from gluing the world together. MARCH 13 Image of Women film screenings and filmmaker discussions. Institut Franais de Birmanie, 340 Pyay Road, 6pm
International Airlines
Air Asia (FD)
Tel: 251 885, 251 886.
MISC
MARCH 10 Pub quiz, 50th Street Bar, 9/13 50th Street, Botahtaung, 8pm MARCH 11 Social mixer, everyone welcome, Pansodan Gallery, 286 Pansodan Street, Kyauktada, 7-11:30pm MARCH 12 Pub quiz night, Cuba Bar, 66 Yae Kyaw, Pazundaung, 7:30pm
YANGON TO KUALA LUMPUR Flights Days Dep 8M 501 1,3,5,6 8:55 AK 1427 Daily 8:30 MH 741 Daily 12:15 MH 743 Daily 16:00 AK 1421 Daily 19:05 YANGON TO BEIJING Days Dep 2,3,4,6,7 14:15
Flights CA 906
Arr 21:55
Flights SQ 998 3K 585 8M 232 TR 2826 MI 518 TR 2826 Y5 234 3K 587 8M 234 MI 520
Arr 9:20 10:40 14:50 14:30 15:45 16:30 17:05 18:50 20:50 23:35
Dragonair (KA)
YANGON TO GAUNGZHOU Flights Days Dep 8M 711 2,4,7 8:40 CZ 3056 3,6 11:35 CZ 3056 1,5 17:40 YANGON TO TAIPEI Days Dep 1,2,3,5,6 10:50 YANGON TO KUNMING Days Dep 1,3 12:20 Daily 14:40 2,3,4,6,7 14:15
Flights CA 905
Arr 13:15
MUSIC
MARCH 10 Live blues guitar, Mojo Bar, 135 Inya Road, Bahan, 8:30-11:30pm MARCH 12 Pizza and jazz night. Enjoy live music, pizza specials and happy hour cocktails. 50th Street Bar, 9/13 50th Street, Botahtaung, 7-10:30pm MARCH 13 Jazz and cocktails, presented by the International
Flights CI 7916
Arr 16:15
KAULA LUMPUR TO YANGON Flights Days Dep AK 1426 Daily 6:55 MH 740 Daily 10:05 MH742 Daily 13:50 8M 502 1,3,5,6 14:00 AK 1420 Daily 17:20 GUANGZHOU TO YANGON Flights Days Dep CZ 3055 3,6 8:35 CZ 3055 1,5 14:40 8M 712 2,4,7 14:15 TAIPEI TO YANGON Days Dep 1,2,3,5,6 7:00 KUNMING TO YANGON Days Dep 1,3 8:25 2,3,4,6,7 13:00 Daily 13:30
Silk Air(MI)
YANGON TO CHIANG MAI Flights Days Dep W9 9607 4,7 14:30 YANGON TO HANOI Days Dep 1,3,5,6,7 19:10
Arr 16:20
Flights CI 7915
Arr 9:55
Flights VN 956
Arr 21:25
YANGON TO HO CHI MINH CITY Flights Days Dep Arr VN 942 2,4,7 14:25 17:10 YANGON TO DOHA Days Dep Daily 7:30
International
FD & AK = Air Asia TG = Thai Airways 8M = Myanmar Airways International Y5 = Golden Myanmar Airlines PG = Bangkok Airways MI = Silk Air VN = Vietnam Airline MH = Malaysia Airlines CZ = China Southern CI = China Airlines CA = Air China KA = Dragonair Y5 = Golden Myanmar Airlines IC = Indian Airlines Limited W9 = Air Bagan 3K = Jet Star AI = Air India QR = Qatar Airways KE = Korea Airlines NH = All Nippon Airways SQ = Singapore Airways DE = Condor Airlines MU=China Eastern Airlines BR = Eva Airlines DE = Condor AI = Air India BG = Biman Bangladesh Airlines
MarcH 10 - 16
Got an event? List it in Whats On! | Email: whatsonmt@gmail.com
Friendship Group. Tickets K25,000 support the IFG. 132 University Avenue Road, 7pm MARCH 14 Friendship Fridays with live classic rock and DJs, 50th Street Bar, 9/13 50th Street, Botahtaung, 8-11:30pm to a corrupt Roman senator. Shae Shaung Cinema 2 3AM Part 2. In 3D. Junction Square Cineplex, Kamayut Jai Ho. Directed by Sohail Khan. An ex-army officer advocates social responsibility among the citizenry and crosses a political family. Mischief Night 2. Directed by Richard Schenkman. A girl with psychosomatic blindness must protect herself and her loved ones from a mysterious intruder. Junction Maw Tin Cineplex, Lanmadaw The Lego Movie. In 3D. Directed by Chris Miller, Phil Lord. An ordinary LEGO figure must summon powers beyond his
Flights QR 619
Arr 11:15
CHIANG MAI TO YANGON Flights Days Dep W9 9608 4,7 17:20 HANOI TO YANGON Days Dep 1,3,5,6,7 16:35
Arr 18:10
YANGON TO PHNOM PENH Flights Days Dep 8M 403 1,3,6 8:35 YANGON TO SEOUL Days Dep 4,7 0:50 2,3,4 23:35 YANGON TO HONG KONG Days Dep 1,2,4,6 01:10 YANGON TO TOKYO Days Dep Daily 22:10 YANGON TO SIEM REAP Days Dep 1,3,6 8:35 YANGON TO GAYA Days Dep 1,3,5,6 9:00 YANGON TO DHAKA Days Dep 1,4 19:30
Arr 12:30
Flights VN 957
Arr 18:10
HO CHI MINH CITY TO YANGON Flights Days Dep Arr VN 943 2,4,7 11:40 13:25 DOHA TO YANGON Days Dep Daily 21:15 GAYA TO YANGON Days Dep 1,3,5,6 11:20
MARCH 12 Black Party. A gay social mixer for expats and locals. Flamingo Bar, Yangon International Hotel, 330 Ahlone Road, Dagon, 9-11:30pm MARCH 15 Shamrock the Boat , St Patricks Day party cruise with beer, cocktails and snacks from Yangon Bakehouse. Tickets K20,000 at the door. Contact yangonboatparty@ gmail.com. Wardan Jetty Pier, Yangon River, 4pm boat opens, 5:30pm departure MARCH 15 Sewing a New Life discussion on changing local womens lives through entrepreneurship, with fashion event and performance. Institut Franais de Birmanie, 340 Pyay Road, 8pm
Flights QR 618
Arr 06:29+1
Flights KA 251
Arr 05:35
Flights 8M 602
Arr 14:30
FILM
Start times at Mingalar 2, Shae Shaung (1, 2) and Nay Pyi Taw cinemas are 10am, noon, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm and 8pm. Start times at Junction Square and Maw Tin are 10am, 1pm and 4pm daily and 7pm and 9:30pm on Friday and Saturday. Nay Pyi Taw Cinema, near Sule Pagoda
Flights NH 914
Arr 06:45+1
PHNOM PENH TO YANGON Flights Days Dep 8M 404 1,3,6 13:30 SEOUL TO YANGON Days Dep 2,3,4 18:30 3,6 19:30 TOKYO TO YANGON Days Dep Daily 11:45
Arr 14:55
Flights 8M 401
Arr 10:45
Flights 8M 601
Arr 10:20
Flights BG 061
Arr 20:45
Flights NH 913
Arr 17:15
MANDALAY TO BANGKOK Flights Days Dep TG 2982 1,2,4,6 9:50 TG 2984 3,5 19:35 PG 710 Daily 14:15
HONG KONG TO YANGON Flights Days Dep KA 250 1,3,5,7 21:50 DHAKA TO YANGON Days Dep 1,4 16:15
Arr 23:45
Flights BG 060
Arr 18:30
WEEKLY PReDICTIONS
LeO | July 23 Aug 22 Life never stops teaching us what we already know. Your optimism can somehow change your life for the better, and believing in yourself will help you believe in others. Know that timing is everything and everything comes in its time. Love is something shared not owned. You should keep the relationship both harmonious and balanced. A cordial smile will charm you soon.
Good fortune will make sure your exuberance doesnt get you in trouble. You will require magical imagination and will power to ever get your life off the ground. Accept any social argument that can teach you wisdom and you cannot go wrong with old friends. Know that useful attainments in your minority will procure riches in maturity.
PISCeS | Feb 19 March 20 Always listen to new ideas and love to visit new places. Secrets of nature will unleash your extroverted energy and lead you to spirituality and wisdom. Make sure that in your relationships with Leo and Libra you maintain your sense of self. Encourage yourself to form a bond beyond bonds but never let the love get dull.
VIRgO | Aug 23 Sept 22 Your virtue and gentleness are powerful counters to the strength of destruction. Keep your idea of yourself in mind at all times whenever you are challenged by social interference. Beware of your opponents assurances that everything will be all right. Make sure youre not creatively blocking yourself. Improve your self-image by focusing on your positive aspects.
The geographic distribution of Japanese encephalitis. Photo: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
ARIeS | Mar 21 Apr 19 Dont be in a hurry, or it will be over before it begins. Savour each moment without any question. If you have to do too much too fast it will prove risky and unacceptable. You can be impatient from time to time and are never on a regular ground of stability and tranquility. Your receptive nature may become too susceptible in social and emotional affairs.
LIBRA | Sept 23 Oct 22 How much will today mean to you tomorrow? Do not dwell too deeply on the past and its possibilities. Power (unless it be the power of intellect or virtue) has the greatest attraction for the lowest of natures. The emotional ripple in your heart yearns to create a beautiful dream of love. A compatible nature has a simple heart.
TAURUS | Apr 20 May 20 Sharing a strong optimism, you can open the window for some fresh air on your love that will please both of you. Know that possibilities are endless, if you can pay the price. Never hesitate to take time out of your busy schedule for a special occasion. You will love the excitement of a different activity, but you should try to have a long life of peace and stability. Look and see your rainbow in the distance.
SCORPIO | Oct 23 Nov 21 Keeping your word is everything. Finding the humour in today will get you through tomorrow, and remember that everything cannot happen today. Time is life. All you need is time, and time will show the way that you deserve to go and win. Love of beauty and beauty in the heart will inform intellectual decisions.
GeMINI | May 21 June 20 Be condent and enthusiastic to follow the principles of justice and never change your given promise for a whim. Waiting is the hard part of success, sometimes. Keep a level head at all times and you will do ne. See the value of the free will, and watch each of your actions and each of your words so that they remain harmonious.
SAgITTARIUS | Nov 22 Dec 21 No soul is desolate as long as there is a human being for whom it can feel trust and reverence. Whenever you can show respect for yourself is a success. As soon as you can say for yourself what is sure, and not what some other person has taught you, you will be on your way to being a remarkable person. Friendship and love life must be the entwining of two souls.
In climates such as ours in Myanmar, virus transmission tends to increase in the rainy and winter seasons but is possible yearround.
vaccine that can prevent it. How do we decide who should get it? We know that Japanese encephalitis is endemic in Myanmar and that it occurs mostly in rural areas, although peri-urban cases have been recorded. The United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) notes that outbreaks have occurred in Shan State and older World Health Organization (WHO) data that I found shows cases in Karen State, Rakhine State and Bago and Yangon regions. Based on this information, the CDC recommends vaccination for long-term travellers and expatriates who will be frequent visitors to rural or agricultural areas. Meanwhile the WHO states, Vaccination is recommended for travellers [and expatriates] with extensive outdoor exposure depending on the formulation. I recommend calling your clinic to ask if a vaccine is available and then making an appointment with your doctor to further explore these issues. Currently it costs approximately US$30 per dose at my clinic in Yangon. Choosing vaccination for you and your family ultimately depends on your socioeconomic access to healthcare services and the degree of Japanese encephalitis exposure created by your lifestyle.
CANCeR | June 21 July 22 Taking things from moment to moment will make it easier. Be wise to accept when you are given something in surprise. Know that the most pleasant things in the world are pleasant thoughts. The great art of life is to have as many of them as possible. Make fewer disruptions in your family, but show strong solidarity with understanding.
CAPRICORN | Dec 22 Jan 19 Every day is not the same without you. Know that timing is essential, from the best day of the week to the best day of the month. Thinking positive thoughts is a ne way to train yourself to be positive. Letting go is allowing life to ow accordingly. Humility is both the source of spiritual peace and a means of union with powers higher than your own.
................................................................... Christoph Gelsdorf is an American Board of Family Medicine physician who has a health clinic in Yangon (www. gelsdorfMD.com). He is a member of the GP Society of the Myanmar Medical Association. Reader inquiries are welcomed.
AUNG MYIN KYAW 4th Floor, 113, Thamain Bayan Road, Tarmwe township, Yangon. Tel: 09-731-35632, Email: williameaste@gmail.com
The Essentials
EMBASSIES Australia 88, Strand Road, Yangon. Tel : 251810, 251797, 251798. Bangladesh 11-B, Than Lwin Road, Yangon. Tel: 515275, 526144, email: bdootygn@ mptmail.net.mm Brazil 56, Pyay Road, 6th mile, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 507225, 507251. email: Administ. yangon@itamaraty.gov.br. Brunei 17, Kanbawza Avenue, Golden Velly (1), Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 566985, 503978. email: bruneiemb@ bruneiemb.com.mm Cambodia 25 (3B/4B), New University Avenue Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 549609, 540964. email: RECYANGON @ mptmail.net.mm China 1, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. Tel: 221280, 221281. Danmark, No.7, Pyi Thu St, Pyay Rd, 7 Miles, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 01 9669520 - 17. Egypt 81, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. Tel: 222886, 222887, Egyptembassy86@ gmail.com France 102, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. Tel: 212178, 212520, email: ambaf rance. rangoun@ diplomatie.fr Germany 9, Bogyoke Aung San Museum Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 548951, 548952, email: info@rangun. diplo.de India 545-547, Merchant St, Yangon. Tel: 391219, 388412, email: indiaembassy @ mptmail.net.mm Indonesia 100, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Rd, Yangon. Tel: 254465, 254469, email: kukygn @ indonesia.com.mm Israel 15, Khabaung Street, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 515115, fax: 515116, email: info@ yangon.mfa.gov.il Italy 3, Inya Myaing Road, Golden Valley, Yangon. Tel: 527100, 527101, fax: 514565, email: ambyang. mail@ esteri.it Japan 100, Natmauk Rd, Yangon. Tel: 549644-8, 540399, 540400, 540411, 545988, fax: 549643 Kuwait 62-B, Shwe Taung Kyar St, Bahan Tsp. Tel : 01-230-9542, 2309543. Fax : 01-230-5836. Lao A-1, Diplomatic Quarters, Tawwin Road, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 222482, Fax: 227446, email: Laoembcab@ mptmail. net.mm Malaysia 82, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. Tel: 220248, 220249, email: mwkyangon@ mptmail.net.mm Nepal 16, Natmauk Yeiktha, Yangon. Tel: 545880, 557168, fax: 549803, email: nepemb @mptmail.net.mm Norway, No.7, Pyi Thu St, Pyay Rd, 7 Miles, Mayangone Tsp,Yangon. Tel: 01 9669520 - 17 Fax 01- 9669516 New Zealand No. 43/C, Inya Myaing Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 01-2305805 Netherlands Diplomatic Mission No. 43/C, Inya Myaing Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 01-2305805 North Korea 77C, Shin Saw Pu Rd, Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 512642, 510205 Pakistan A-4, diplomatic Quarters, Pyay Rd, Yangon. Tel: 222881 (Chancery Exchange) Philippines 50, Sayasan Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 558149-151,Email: p.e. yangon@gmail.com Russian 38, Sagawa Rd, Yangon. Tel: 241955, 254161, Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia No.287/289, U Wisara Rd, Sanchaung. Tel : 01-536153, 516952. Serbia No. 114-A, Inya Rd, P.O.Box No. 943, Yangon. Tel: 515282, 515283, email: serbemb @ yangon.net.mm Singapore 238, Dhamazedi Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 559001, email: singemb_ ygn@_ sgmfa. gov.sg South Korea 97 University Avenue, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 5271424, 515190, fax: 513286, email: myanmar@mofat. go.kr Sri Lanka 34 Taw Win Road, Yangon. Tel: 222812, Switzerland No 11, Kabaung Lane, 5 mile, Pyay Rd, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 534754, 507089. Thailand 94 Pyay Rd, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 226721, 226728, 226824 Turkish Embassy 19AB, Kan Yeik Thar St, Mayangone Tsp,Yangon. Tel : 662992, Fax : 661365 United Kingdom 80 Strand Rd, Yangon. Tel: 370867, 380322, 371852, 371853, 256438, United States of America 110, University Avenue, Kamayut Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 536509, 535756, Fax: 650306 Vietnam Bldg-72, Thanlwin Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 511305 UNITED NATIONS ILO Liaison 1-A, Kanbae (Thitsar Rd), Yankin Tsp, Tel : 01-566538, 566539 IOM 318 (A) Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp, Yangon.Tel 01-210588, 09 73236679, 0973236680, Email- iomyangon@iom.int UNAIDS 137/1, Thaw Wun Rd, Kamayut Tsp. Tel : 534498, 504832 UNDCP 11-A, Malikha St, Mayangone tsp. Tel: 666903, 664539. UNDP 6, Natmauk Rd, Bahan tel: 542910-19. fax: 292739. UNFPA 6, Natmauk Rd, Bahan tsp. tel: 546029. UNHCR 287, Pyay Rd, Sanchaung tsp. Tel: 524022, 524024. UNIAP Rm: 1202, 12 Fl, Traders Hotel. Tel: 254852, 254853. UNIC 6, Natmauk St., Bahan, tel: 52910~19 UNICEF 14~15 Flr, Traders Hotel. P.O. Box 1435, Kyauktada. Tel: 375527~32, unicef.yangon@unicef. org, UNODC 11-A, Malikha Rd., Ward 7, Mayangone. tel: 01-9666903, 9660556, 9660538, 9660398. email: fo.myanmar@unodc.org UNOPS Inya Lake Hotel, 3rd oor, 37, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Mayangone Tsp. Tel: 951657281~7. Fax: 657279. UNRC 6, Natmauk Rd, P.O. Box 650, TMWE Tel: 542911~19, 292637 (Resident Coordinator), WFP 5 Kan Baw Za St, Shwe Taung Kyar, (Golden Valley), Bahan Tsp. Tel : 2305971~6 WHO No. 2, Pyay Rd, 7 Mile, Mayangone Tsp, Tel : 6504056, 650416, 654386-90. ASEAN Coordinating Of. for the ASEAN Humanitarian Task Force, 79, Taw Win st, Dagon Tsp. Tel: 225258. FAO Myanma Agriculture Service Insein Rd, Insein. tel: 641672, 641673.
General Listing
ACCOMMODATIONHOTELS
Green Paradise Hotel 7, Yeik Tha (1) St, Waizayandar Housing, Tamwe Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 01-566727, 1222635 09-4200-33335, 09-4200-33337. Email : greenparadisehotel myn@gmail.com www.greenparadisemyn. com Hotel Yangon 91/93, 8th Mile Junction, Tel : 01-667708, 667688. Inya Lake Resort Hotel 37 Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd. tel: 662866. fax: 665537. MGM Hotel No (160), Warden Street, Lanmadaw Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. +95-1-212454~9. www. hotel-mgm.com
YANGON No. 277, Bogyoke Aung San Road, Corner of 38th Street, Kyauktada Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : (951) 391070, 391071. Reservation@391070 (Ext) 1910, 106. Fax : (951) 391375. Email : hotelasiaplaza@gmail.com Avenue 64 Hotel No. 64 (G), Kyitewine Pagoda Rd, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 09-8631392, 01 656913-9 Chatrium Hotel 40 Natmauk Rd, Tarmwe. tel: 544500. fax: 544400.
happy homes
REAL ESTATE & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Tel: 09-7349-4483, 09-4200-56994. E-mail: aahappyhomes@ gmail.com, http://www. happyhomesyangon.com Marina Residence 8, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Mayangone Tsp. tel: 6506 51~4. fax: 650630.
No.7A, Wingabar Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : (951) 546313, 430245. 09-731-77781~4. Fax : (01) 546313. www.cloverhotel.asia. info@cloverhotel.asia Clover Hotel City Center No. 217, 32nd Street (Upper Block), Pabedan Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 377720, Fax : 377722 www.clovercitycenter.asia Clover Hotel City Center Plus No. 229, 32nd Street (Upper Block), Pabedan Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 377975, Fax : 377974
www.clovercitycenterplus.asia
No. 205, Corner of Wadan Street & Min Ye Kyaw Swa Road, Lanmadaw Tsp, Yangon. Myanmar. Tel: (95-1) 212850 ~ 3, 229358 ~ 61, Fax: (95-1) 212854. info@myanmarpandahotel .com http://www. myanmarpandahotel.com PARKROYAL Yangon, Myanmar 33, Alan Pya Pagoda Rd, Dagon tsp. tel: 250388. fax: 252478. email: enquiry.prygn@ parkroyalhotels.com parkroyalhotels. com.
17, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Yankin Tsp. Tel: 650933. Fax: 650960. Email : micprm@ myanmar.com.mmwww. myanmar micasahotel.com
Reservation Ofce (Yangon) 123, Alanpya Pagoda Rd, Dagon Township Tel : 951- 255 819~838 Royal Kumudra Hotel, (Nay Pyi Taw) Tel : 067- 414 177, 067- 4141 88 E-Mail: reservation@ maxhotelsgroup.com
Confort Inn 4, Shweli Rd, Bet: Inya Rd & U Wisara Rd, Kamaryut, tel: 525781, 526872
Royal White Elephant Hotel No-11, Kan Street, Hlaing Tsp. Yangon, Myanmar. (+95-1) 500822, 503986. www.rwehotel.com Savoy Hotel 129, Damazedi Rd, Kamayut tsp. tel: 526289, 526298, Sedona Hotel Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Yankin. tel: 666900. Strand Hotel 92 Strand Rd. tel: 243377. fax: 289880. Summit Parkview Hotel 350, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp. tel: 211888, 211966. Traders Hotel 223 Sule Pagoda Rd. tel: 242828. fax: 242838. Winner Inn 42, Than Lwin Rd, Bahan Tsp. Tel: 503734, 524387. email: reservation@winner innmyanmar.com Windsor Hotel No.31, Shin Saw Pu Street, Sanchaung. Yangon, Myanmar. Ph: 95-1-511216~8, www. hotelwindsoryangon.com Yuzana Hotel 130, Shwegondaing Rd, Bahan Tsp, tel : 01-549600 Yuzana Garden Hotel 44, Alanpya Pagoda Rd, Mingalar Taung Nyunt Tsp, tel : 01-248944
RESORTS
Emergency Numbers
Ambulance tel: 295133. Fire tel: 191, 252011, 252022. Police emergency tel: 199. Police headquarters tel: 282541, 284764. Red Cross tel:682600, 682368 Trafc Control Branch tel:298651 Department of Post & Telecommunication tel: 591384, 591387. Immigration tel: 286434. Ministry of Education tel:545500m 562390 Ministry of Sports tel: 370604, 370605 Ministry of Communications tel: 067-407037. Myanma Post & Telecommunication (MPT) tel: 067407007. Myanma Post & Tele-communication (Accountant Dept) tel: 254563, 370768. Ministry of Foreign Affairs tel: 067-412009, 067-412344. Ministry of Health tel: 067-411358-9. Yangon City Development Committee tel: 248112. HOSPITALS Central Womens Hospital tel: 221013, 222811. Children Hospital tel: 221421, 222807 Ear, Nose & Throat Hospital tel: 543888. Naypyitaw Hospital (emergency) tel: 420096. Workers Hospital tel: 554444, 554455, 554811. Yangon Children Hospital tel: 222807, 222808, 222809. Yangon General Hospital (East) tel: 292835, 292836, 292837. Yangon General Hospital (New) tel: 384493, 384494, 384495, 379109. Yangon General Hospital (West) tel: 222860, 222861, 220416. Yangon General Hospital (YGH) tel: 256112, 256123, 281443, 256131. ELECTRICITY Power Station tel:414235 POST OFFICE General Post Ofce 39, Bo Aung Kyaw St. (near British Council Library). tel: 285499. INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Yangon International Airport tel: 662811. YANGON PORT Shipping (Coastal vessels) tel: 382722 RAILWAYS Railways information tel: 274027, 202175-8.
No. (356/366), Kyaikkasan Rd, Tamwe Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Ph: 542826, Fax: 545650 Email: reservation@ edenpalacehotel.com
Reservation Ofce (Yangon) 123, Alanpya Pagoda Rd, Dagon Township. Tel : 951-255 819-838 Hotel Max (Chaung Tha Beach) Tel : 042-423 46-9, 042-421 33. Email : maxhotelsreservation@ gmail.com
M-22, Shwe Htee Housing, Thamine Station St., Near the Bayint Naung Point, Mayangone Tsp., Yangon Tel : 522763, 522744, 667557. Fax : (95-1) 652174 E-mail : grandpalace@ myanmar.com.mm
ADVERTISING
WE STARTED THE ADVERTISING INDUSTRY IN MYANMAR SINCE 1991
M A R K E T I N G & C O M M U N I C AT I O N S
A D V E R T I S I N G
No. 12, Pho Sein Road, Tamwe Township, Yangon Tel : (95-1) 209299, 209300, 209343, 209345, 209346 Fax : (95-1) 209344 E-mail : greenhill@ myanmar.com.mm
SAIL Marketing & Communications Suite 403, Danathiha Center 790, Corner of Bogyoke Rd & Wadan Rd, Lanmadaw Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: (951) 211870, 224820, 2301195. Email: admin@ advertising-myanmar.com www.advertising-myanmar. com
CAR RENTAL
MYANMAR EXECUTIVE LIMOUSINE SERVICE
CO WORKING SPACE
FITNESS CENTRE
AIR CONDITION
The First Air conditioning systems designed to keep you fresh all day Zeya & Associates Co., Ltd. No.437 (A), Pyay Road, Kamayut. P., O 11041 Yangon, Tel: +(95-1) 502016-18, Mandalay- Tel: 02-60933. Nay Pyi Taw- Tel: 067-420778, E-mail : sales.ac@freshaircon. com. URL: http://www. freshaircon.com
YANGON La Source Beauty Spa 80-A, Inya Rd, Kamayut Tsp. Tel: 512380, 511252 Beauty Bar by La Source Room (1004), Sedona Hotel, Tel : 666 900 Ext : (7167) LS Salon Junction Square, 3rd Floor. Tel : 95-1-527242, Ext : 4001 MANDALAY La Source Beauty Spa No. 13/13, Mya Sandar St, Chanaye Tharzan Tsp. Tel : 09-4440-24496. www.lasourcebeautyspa.com
HOT LINE: 09 - 402 510 003 01-646 330 First Class VIP Limousine Car Rental. Professional English Speaking Drivers. Full Insurance for your Safety and comfortable journey Call us Now for your best choice www.mmels.com
Dent Myanmar Condo C, Rm 001, Tatkatho Yeikmon Housing, New University Avenue Rd, Bahan. Ph: 09-8615162.
No. (6), Lane 2 Botahtaung Pagoda St, Yangon. 01-9010003, 291897. info@venturaofce.com, www.venturaofce.com
DUTY FREE
Balance Fitnesss No 64 (G), Kyitewine Pagoda Road, Mayangone Township. Yangon 01-656916, 09 8631392 Email - info@ balancetnessyangon.com
Get the Best Pure Natural Gemstones and Jewellery No. 44, Inya Road, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 01-2305811, 2305812. email : info@bestjewels myanmar.com, Bestjewelsmyanmar.com
Lemon Day Spa No. 96 F, Inya Road, Kamaryut Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 514848, 09-732-08476. E.mail: lemondayspa.2011 @gmail.com
Car Rental Service No. 56, Bo Ywe St, Latha Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 01-246551, 375283, 09-2132778, 09-31119195. Gmail:nyanmyintthu1983@ gmail.com,
Duty Free Shops Yangon International Airport, Arrival/Departure Tel: 533030 (Ext: 206/155) Ofce: 17, 2nd street, Hlaing Yadanarmon Housing, Hlaing Township, Yangon. Tel: 500143, 500144, 500145.
Life Fitness Bldg A1, Rm No. 001, Shwekabar Housing, Mindhamma Rd, Mayangone Tsp. Yangon. Ph: 01-656511, Fax: 01-656522, Hot line: 0973194684, natraysports@gmail.com
Japan-Myanmar Physiotherapy Clinic. Body Only - 7000 Ks Foot Only - 6000 Ks Body & Foot - 12,000 Ks No.285, Bo Aung Kyaw Rd, Kyauktada Tsp, Yangon. OPEN Daily 09:00 AM - 09:00 PM Tel : 09-8615036
COFFEE MACHINE
ENGINEERING
illy, Francis Francis, VBM, Brasilia, Rossi, De Longhi Nwe Ta Pin Trading Co., Ltd. Shop C, Building 459 B New University Avenue 01- 555-879, 09-4210-81705 nwetapintrading@gmail.com
Air Con Sales & Service No. 2/1, Than Thu Mar Rd, Thuwunna Junction. Tel : 09-4224-64130
BARS
50th Street 9/13, 50th street-lower, Botataung Tsp. Tel-397160.
No. 52, Royal Yaw Min Gyi Condo, Room F, Yaw Min Gyi Rd, Dagon Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: 09-425-307-717
CONSTRUCTION
BOOK STORES
Lobby Bar PARKROYAL Yangon, Myanmar. 33, Alan Pya Phaya Road, Dagon Tsp. tel: 250388. Zamil Steel No-5, Pyay Road, 7 miles, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. Tel: (95-1) 652502~04. Fax: (95-1) 650306. Email: zamilsteel@ zamilsteel.com.mm
One-stop Solution for Sub-station, M&E Work Design, Supply and Install (Hotel, High Rise Building Factory) 193/197, Shu Khin Thar Street, North Okkalapa Industrial Zone, Yangon. Tel: 951-691843~5, 9519690297, Fax: 951-691700 Email: supermega97@ gmail.com. www.supermega-engg.com
No. 20, Ground Floor, Pearl Street, Golden Valley Ward, Bahan Township, Yangon. Tel : 09-509 7057, 01220881, 549478 (Ext : 103) Email : realtnessmyanmar @gmail.com
www.realtnessmyanmar.com
FLORAL SERVICES
Diamond Palace Jewelry Shop (1) - No. 663/665, Mahar Bandoola Rd, Yangon. Tel : 01-371 944, 371 454, 371 425 Shop (2) - No.1103/1104/ 1105, Ground Fl, Taw Win Center, Yangon. Tel : 01-8600111 ext :1103, 09 49307265 Shop (3) - No.B 020, Ground Fl, Junction Square Shopping Center, Yangon. Tel : 01-527 242 ext : 1081, 09 73203464 Shop (4) Ground Fl, Gamonepwint Shopping Mall, Kabaraye Pagoda Rd, Yangon. Tel : 01-653 653 ext : 8205 09 421763490 info@seinnandaw.com www.seinnandaw.com www.facebook.com/ seinnandaw
24 Hours Laboratory & X-ray, CT, MRI, USG Mammogram, Bone DXA @ Victoria Hospital No. 68, Tawwin Rd, 9 Mile, Mayangon Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: (951) 9 666141 Fax: (951) 9 666135
24 Hrs International Clinic Medical and Security Assistance Service @ Victoria Hospital No.68, Tawwin Rd, 9 Mile, Mayangon Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: +951 651 238 +959 495 85 955 Fax: +959 651 398 www.leomedicare.com Myittar Oo Eye Hospital 499, Pyay Rd, Kamayut Tsp. Ph: 09-527381.
ENTERTAINMENT
Strand Bar 92, Strand Rd, Yangon, Myanmar. tel: 243377.fax: 243393, sales@thestrand.com.mm www.ghmhotels.com
150 Dhamazedi Rd., Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 536306, 537805. Email : yangon@ monument-books.com 15(B), Departure Lounge, Yangon Intl Airport. #87/2, Crn of 26th & 27th St, 77th St,Chan Aye Thar Zan Tsp, Mandalay. Tel : (02) 24880. MYANMAR BOOK CENTRE Nandawun Compound, No. 55, Baho Road, Corner of Baho Road and Ahlone Road, (near Eugenia Restaurant), Ahlone Township. tel: 212 409, 221 271. 214708 fax: 524580. email: info@ myanmarbook.com
CONSULTING
Shwe Hinthar B 307, 6 1/2 Miles, Pyay Rd., Yangon. Tel: +95 (0)1 654 730 info@thuraswiss.com www.thuraswiss.com
Learn to dance with social dancing 94, Bogalay Zay St, Botataung T/S, Yangon. Tel : 01-392526, 01-1221738
Floral Service & Gift Shop No. 449, New University Avenue, Bahan Tsp. YGN. Tel: 541217, 559011, 09-860-2292. Market Place By City Mart Tel: 523840~43, 523845~46, Ext: 205. Junction Nay Pyi Taw Tel: 067-421617~18 422012~15, Ext: 235. Res: 067-414813, 09-49209039. Email : eternal@ mptmail.net.mm
sales@manawmaya.com.mm www.manawmayagems.com
Ruby & Rare Gems of Myanamar No. 527, New University Ave., Bahan Tsp. Yangon.
COURIER SERVICE
DTDC Courier and Cargo Service (Since 1991) Yangon. Tel : 01-374457 Mandalay. Tel : 09-43134095. www.DTDC.COM, dtdcyangon@gmail.com Door to Door Delivery!!! Sein Shwe Tailor, 797 (003-A), Bogyoke Aung San Rd, MAC Tower 2, Lanmadaw Tsp, Yangon, Ph: 01-225310, 212943~4 Ext: 146, 147, E-mail: uthetlwin@gmail.com Floral Service & Gift Centre 102(A), Dhamazaydi Rd, Yangon.tel: 500142 Summit Parkview Hotel, tel: 211888, 211966 ext. 173 fax: 535376.email: sandy@ sandymyanmar.com.mm.
Marina Residence, Yangon Ph: 650651~4, Ext: 109 Beauty Plan, Corner of 77th St & 31st St, Mandalay Ph: 02 72506
The Lady Gems & Jewellery No. 7, Inya Rd, Kamayut Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 01-2305800, 09-8315555
No.(68), Tawwin Street, 9 Mile, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. Hunt line: +95 1 9666 141, Booking Ext : 7080, 7084. Fax: +95 1 9666 135 Email: info@witoriya hospital.com www.victoriahospital myanmar.com, Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/ WitoriyaGeneralHospital
GENERATORS
HOME FURNISHING
Foam Spray Insulation No-410, Ground Fl,Lower Pazuntaung Rd, Pazun taung Tsp, Yangon.Telefax : 01-203743, 09-5007681. Hot Line-09-730-30825.
GIFT PRODUCT
Bldg-D, Rm (G-12), Pearl Condo, Ground Flr, Kabaraye Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp. Tel: 557448. Ext 814, 09-730-98872.
Worlds leader in Kitchen Hoods & Hobs Same as Ariston Water Heater. Tel: 251033, 379671, 256622, 647813
Tel: 01-374851, 394360 Stores:Coreana @ Junction Square / Mawtin, UNIQHAN @U Wisara Rd; MBICenter. No.16, 87th st.
HEALTH SERVICES
European Quality & Designs Indoor/ Outdoor Furniture, Hotel Furniture & All kinds of woodworks No. 422, FJVC Centre, Ground Floor, Room No. 4, Strand Road, Botahtaung Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: 01-202063-4, 09 509-1673 E-mail: contact@ smartdesignstrading.com www.royalbotania.com, www.alexander-rose.co.uk
Yangon : A-3, Aung San Stadium (North East Wing), Mingalartaungnyunt Tsp. Tel : 245543, 09-73903736, 09-73037772. Mandalay : No.(4) 73rd St, Btw 30th & 31st St, Chan Aye Thar Zan Tsp. Tel : 096803505, 09-449004631.
98(A), Kaba Aye Pagoda S.B. FURNITURE Road, Bahan Township, Yangon. Tel: 553783, 549152, 09-732-16940, 09-730-56079. Fax: 542979 Email: asiapacic. myanmar@gmail.com.
S.B. FURNITURE
No-001-002, Dagon Tower, Ground Flr, Cor of Kabaraye Pagoda Rd & Shwe Gon Dine Rd, Bahan Tsp. Tel: 544480, 09-730-98872.
REAL ESTATE
Singapore Cuisine Super One Super Market, Kyaikkasan Branch, No. 65, Lay Daung Kan Rd, Man Aung Qtr, Tamwe Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 01-542371, 09-501-9128
SANITERY WARE
a drink from paradise... available on Earth @Yangon International Hotel, No.330, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 09-421040512 GROHE Bath Room Accessories 79-B3/B3, East Shwe Gone Dine, Near SSC Womens Center, Bahan. Tel : 01-401083, 0973011100, 09-73056736 Made in Japan Same as Rinnai Gas Cooker and Cooker Hood Showroom Address
Water Heater
Real Estate Agent Agent fees is unnecessary Tel : 09 2050107, 09 448026156 robinsawnaing@gmail.com
WATER SOLUTION
SERVICE OFFICE
Company Limited
Aekar
Bldg-A2, G-Flr, Shwe Gabar Housing, Mindama Rd, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. email: eko-nr@ myanmar.com.mm Ph: 652391, 09-73108896
For House-Seekers
No.430(A), Corner of Dhamazedi Rd & Golden Valley Rd, Building(2) Market Place (City Mart), Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 01-523840(Ext-309), 09-73208079.
Monsoon Restaurant & Bar 85/87, Thein Byu Road, Botahtaung Tsp. Tel: 295224, 09-501 5653.
Tel : 01-4413410
Water Treatement Solution Block (A), Room (G-12), Pearl Condo, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp. Hot Line : 09-4500-59000
WATER TREATMENT
Easy access to CBD Fully furnished facility Company setup for $1,000 Office available from $360 only
REMOVALISTS
Top Marine Show Room No-385, Ground Floor, Lower Pazundaung Road, Pazundaung Tsp, Yangon. Ph: 01-202782, 09-851-5597 Ocean Center (North Point), Ground Floor, Tel : 09-731-83900 01-8600056
Bld-A2, Gr-Fl, Shwe Gabar Housing, Mindama Rd, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. email: eko-nr@ myanmar.com.mm Ph: 652391, 09-73108896
Relocation Specialist Rm 504, M.M.G Tower, #44/56, Kannar Rd, Botahtaung Tsp. Tel: 250290, 252313. Mail : info@asiantigersmyanmar.com
Quality Chinese Dishes with Resonable Price @Marketplace by City Mart. Tel: 01-523840 Ext.109 Edo Zushi 290-B,U Wisarya Rd, 10 Ward, Kamaryut Tsp, Yangon. Tel : (09)259040853 Open daily 11:00~23:00
Media & Advertising All the way from Australia. Design for advertisement is not easy, reaching to target audience is even harder? We are equipped with great ideas and partners in Myanmar to create corporate logo, business photography, stationery design, mobile advertisement on public transport and billboard/ magazine ads. Talk to us: (01) 430-897, (0) 942-0004554. www.medialane. com.au
Sole Distributor For the Union of Myanmar Since 1995 Myanmar Golden Rock International Co.,Ltd. #06-01, Bldg (8), Myanmar ICT Park, University Hlaing Campus, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 654810~17.
Crown Worldwide Movers Ltd 790, Rm 702, 7th Flr Danathiha Centre, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Lanmadaw. Tel: 223288, 210 670, 227650. ext: 702. Fax: 229212. email: crown worldwide@mptmail.net.mm
Delicious Hong Kong Style Food Restaurant G-09, City Mart (Myay Ni Gone Center). Tel: 01-508467-70 Ext: 114 UnionBarAndGrill 42 Strand Road, Botahtaung, Yangon. Tel: 95 9420 180 214, 95 9420 101 854 www.unionyangon.com, info@unionyangon.com
Commercial scale water treatment (Since 1997) Tel: 01-218437~38. H/P: 09-5161431, 09-43126571. 39-B, Thazin Lane, Ahlone.
WEB SERVICE
Heaven Pizza 38/40, Bo Yar Nyunt St. Yaw Min Gyi Quarter, Dagon Township. Tel: 09-855-1383
No. 36-38 (A), Ground Flr, Grand Myay Nu Condo, Myay Nu St, Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon. Tel: +95 (01) 230 60 67~71, Tel: +95 (0) 9 250 294 669 Email: sales@sbocyangon.com www.sboc-yangon.com
OFFICE FURNITURE
TOP MARINE PAINT No-410, Ground Floor, Lower Pazundaung Road, Pazundaung Tsp, Yangon. Ph: 09-851-5202
Legendary Myanmar Intl Shipping & Logistics Co., Ltd. No-9, Rm (A-4), 3rd Flr, Kyaung St, Myaynigone, Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 516827, 523653, 516795. Mobile. 09-512-3049. Email: legandarymyr@ mptmail.net .mm www.LMSL-shipping.com
World famous Kobe Beef Near Thuka Kabar Hospital on Pyay Rd, Marlar st, Hlaing Tsp. Tel: +95-1-535072
1. WASABI : No.20-B, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Yankin Tsp,(Near MiCasa), Tel; 09-4250-20667, 09-503-9139 Myaynigone (City Mart) Yankin Center (City Mart)
No. (6), Lane 2 Botahtaung Pagoda St, Yangon. 01-9010003, 291897. info@venturaofce.com, www.venturaofce.com
*Web Design *Web Marketing People are searching for YOUR business & services online, stop missing out on all this business, get a website & get it visible ONLINE! Australian web company based in Yangon. Call Today! Alex: 0925 402 5238 email: info@imevolutions. com www.imevolutions.com
STEEL STRUCTURE
Web Services All the way from Australia. World-class websites, come with usability and responsiveness. Our works include website, web apps, e-commerce, forum, email campaign and online advertisement. Plus, were the authorised reseller for local and international domain names. So, put your worries aside and let us create the awesomeness you deserved online. (01) 430-897, (0) 942-0004554. www.medialane. com.au
SCHOOLS
Enchanting and Romantic, a Bliss on the Lake 62 D, U Tun Nyein Road, Mayangon Tsp, Yangon Tel. 01 665 516, 660976 Mob. 09-730-30755 operayangon@gmail.com www.operayangon.com
Open Daily (9am to 6pm) No. 797, MAC Tower II, Rm -4, Ground Flr, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Lamadaw Tsp, Yangon. Tel: (951) 212944 Ext: 303 sales.centuremyanmar@ gmail.com www.centure.in.th
PLEASURE CRUISES
Schenker (Thai) Ltd. Yangon 59 A, U Lun Maung Street. 7 Mile Pyay Road, MYGN. tel: 667686, 666646.fax: 651250. email: sche nker@mptmail.net.mm.
Horizon Intl School 25, Po Sein Road, Bahan Tsp, tel : 541085, 551795, 551796, 450396~7. fax : 543926, email : contact@horizonmyanmar. com, www.horizon.com
Design, Fabrication, Supply & Erection of Steel Structures Tel : (+95-1) 122 1673 Email : Sales@WECMyanmar.com www.WEC-Myanmar.com
TRAVEL AGENTS
home outdoor ofce Decorum Showroom, 99 Condo, Ground FLoor, Rm (A), Damazedi Rd, Kamayut Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 09-2504-28700 inof@decorum-mm.com
Moby Dick Tours Co., Ltd. Islands Safari in the Mergui Archipelago 5 Days, 7 Days, 9 Days Trips Tel: 95 1 202063, 202064 E-mail: info@islandsafari mergui.com. Website: www. islandsafarimergui.com
Bo Sun Pat Tower, Bldg 608, Rm 6(B), Cor of Merchant Rd & Bo Sun Pat St, PBDN Tsp. Tel: 377263, 250582, 250032, 09-511-7876, 09-862-4563.
22, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp. tel 541997. email: leplanteur@ mptmail.net.mm. http://leplanteur.net
Pre School and Primary years (Ages 2 to 10) No. 695, Mahabandola Road, (Between 19th & Sint Oh Dan Street), Latha Township, Yangon. Tel :01-382213, 395816 www.imecedu.com
Asian Trails Tour Ltd 73 Pyay Rd, Dagon tsp. tel: 211212, 223262. fax: 211670. email: res@ asiantrails.com.mm Shan Yoma Tours Co.,Ltd www.exploremyanmar.com
RESTAURANTS
Furniture Showroom Blk-90, BB2/A, No.2 High Way Road, Mya Ya Mon Housing, 26 Quarter, South Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 09-2500-68186 09-4500-41804 Email : sale.desmark@ gmail.com. Road to Mandalay Myanmar Hotels & Cruises Ltd. Governors Residence 39C, Taw Win Rd, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel: (951) 229860 fax: (951) 217361. email: RTMYGN@mptmail.net.mm www.orient-express.com
G-01, City Mart (Myay Ni Gone Center). Tel: 01-508467-70 Ext: 106
WATER HEATERS
Yangon Intl School Fully Accredited K-12 International Curriculum with ESL support No.117,Thumingalar Housing, Thingangyun, Tel: 578171, 573149, 687701, 687702. Get your Visa online for Business and Tourist No need to come to Embassy. #165. 35th Street, Kyauktada Tsp, Yangon. Tel: +951 381200, 204020 travel.evisa@gmail.com
Good taste & resonable price @Thamada Hotel Tel: 01-243047, 243639-41 Ext: 32
The Global leader in Water Heaters A/1, Aung San Stadium East Wing, Upper Pansodan Road. Tel: 01-256705, 399464, 394409, 647812.
FREE
General
Computer Education
Montessori Myanmar (English Education Center). Accredited by IMC Bangkok (Since 1991), Our Montessori curriculum includes: Practical Life Exercises. Sensorial Training. Language Development. Mathematics. Cultural Studies. Botany & Zoology. History. CreativeArt. Music and Movement. Cooking. Physical Development. Social & Emotional Development. Learning through play. 55(B), Po Sein Rd, Bahan, Yangon, Tel: 546097, 546761. Email: imm.myn@gmail. com EngLIsh for Young learners : Build confiden ce in commu nicating in English. Build strong foundation in English for further education. Introducing reading with variety of books. Using Int'l syllabuses such as Oxford, Collins & Cambridge ,etc. Lesson will be conducted in English. Taught by qualified & internationally experience teacher.English for Adults Speak fluently in various situations. Improve your pronunciation and increase your vocabulary. Communicate effectively in everyday situations. English for social, study, overseas travel and work purposes. Teacher Yamin - Ph : 291-679, 292176, 09-250-136695 LITeraTUre study for IB and SAT up to 12 Grade , it is right to enjoy reading classic and persuded writing ,caritical thinking and world culture External students can also be inquired to sit on SAT. If you had tried as much as you can to follow the lesson and you will get good experiences and skill .This program will help you capability and fill your luck of knowledge..Beginners and Intermediate French and Spanish can also be learnt here. U Thant Zin, ph 09 5035350 , 01 547442 : No 28-3 B , Thatipahtan St, Tamwe Tr.KaUng MyaT : For International School, Guide & Lecturer, Special for Maths, Geometry, Algebra I&II, Calculus. Ph:09-731-42020. geometry500@gmail. com STUDy gUIDe and home visit for LCCI level 1,2 and 3. Ph : 09-4311-0463 NPNG study coach 10th standard specialist. Ph: 09-2506-96329. Email: npngfc@gmail.com "SchoLar Teaching Organization" founded with ME,BE and Master Degree holder with 12 years experience in teaching field.Role & Responsibility: Making the students develop problem solving skills, critical thinking skills & I.Q & E.Q enriching skills, Int'l school (ILBC, Total, MISY, ISY, PISM, ISM, network, CISM, MIS, MLA, ES4E, DSY, IISY, RV). All grades, All Subjects Singapore MOE Exams (AEIS,AEIS exam), SAT, IGCSE, IELTS, TOFEL... Tr.Daniel Caulin : 09-2150-075, Tr.Bryan :09-4200-70692. FOR PRIMARY Student: English, Maths, Myanmar, Geography, History, Science, Social, English Language. If you need to coach your child. Please do contact at Teacher Caroline : caroline.zita@ gamil.com
By FAX : 01-254158 By EMAIl : classied.mcm@gmail.com By MAIl : 379/383, Bo Aung Kyaw St, Kyauktada Township, Yangon.
Property
Graphic 1GB Just like new condition HP Core i3 Third generation Ram 2GB HDD 500 Graphic 1GB - 300000 Acer Core2Dua -170000. Ph: 09-3177-5707 HUaWeI C8813 (CDMA 800 MHZ) Black Colour with full accessories and original box . 2 months used only very good condition with 2 covers . Price 75000 Kyats. Ph: 09-7300-4430. CAR, Mazda RX 8 [Sport Type] [2007 Model] [pearl white] (PS, PW, AC, SRS, ABS, HDD TV, Security System, Cyclone Engine) Ph: 09-3300-2898.
Rent/Sale
MAYANGONE, Kabaaye Gamone Pwint Condo, Rm 4GH, 4th Flr, 3650 sqft, 3 MBR, 2 BR, 1 line Phone, Full furniture, Hot & Cold water, Teak Parquet Floor. Ph: 401285, 553823, 09-2561-17979, 09531-2027.
Web DeveLoPmenT with Drupal CMS Monday to Friday: 6:00-8:00pm Saturday & Sunday: 8:00-10am/6:00-8:00pm Contact: 09421144937 ComPUTer Services : Software services, Web site services. Ph: 09-420109050.
Expert Services
OWner want to rent (or) sale. Call Maureen: 09518-8320.
For Rent
DaILy (or) hourly Alphard, Mark-X, Crown (2006), Suzuki Car for rent. Maureen: 09-518-8320.
sTUDy Guide: You can be an honor roll student too! Sometimes, Schoolwork is tough, but with a little help you can accomplish great things. I can ensure that you have that extra time and attention you need to succeed academically. I am a qualified tutor, with fourA's inALevels and four years of experience. I tutor students of Grade 5-12, O Levels, A Levels, PreUniversity Level and SAT and SAT Subject Tests. To contact me, please call me at 09-519-0543 and we will set up a meeting to discuss your academic needs. Cindy: 09-519-0543. BA (Eng) Dip in English (YUFL) Int'l school, private school, KG to Primary 4 for Home Guide. Ph: 094200-3613. Igcse, Secondary 2, 3, 4, Physics, Mathematics B & Pure Mathematics, Practice with 20 years old question. Allow individual or section. Only 5 students for one section. Near Hledan Sein Gay Har. Ph: 09-4500-25213, 524617. gIve your child the best possible start to life at International
For Sale
GSM SIM CarD, 09-
Language
LangUage Proficiency: Effective & Scientific way. Tutor/ Translator/ Interpreter. (Such language: Hindi/ Sanskrit/ Bengali/ Nepali/ English & Myanmar), R.S. Verma. B.Sc., (Bot), Yangon. (UFL-English), Yangon. Email: rs verma. myanmar@gmail.com Phone: 09-730-42604, 09-2501-41473.
Travel
GLobaL AsIa Myanmar Travels&TourCo.,Ltd:167, 1st Flr, 38th St (Middle), Kyauktada Tsp, Ph : 391619, 09-430-67325, 09-4925-5980. Email : global asiamyanmar@ gmail.com, www. globalasiamyanmar.com. mm
51........., Ph : 09-250137955. MacbooK Pro (2012 Model ) Intel Core i5 Ram 4GB H.D.D 500GB Mac OS 10.9 + Window 7. Price : 920000. Ph: 094200-50651 LaPToP Lenovo Core i3 Ram 2gb HDD 500 GB like new condition HP Core i5 (Third Generation) Ram 4GB 500HDD
Training
Web Development & Design Training Sat&Sun 1:00pm-3:00pm. Contact: 09-4211-44937
BAHAN, (1) New University Avenue Rd, 3Flr, 1500 sqft, 1MBR, 2BR, Ph, 3A/C, Fully furnished US$ 1500. (2) New University Ave Condo, 1500 sq.ft, 4A/C, 1 Flr, US$ 3500. Maureen: 09-518-8320. (3)New University Avenue Rd, 2 Flr, 2500 sqft, 3MBR, Ph, 4A/C, US$ 1800 Maureen: 09518-8320 OFFIceHUb : Serviced Office, Virtual Office, Business Services, Hot Desking No. 129, 36th Street, KyauktadaTsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: +(95) 1 387947 www. officehubservices,com RoyaL Cherry VILLa, on Mindamma Rd, Compound: 80' x 80' , 2 1/2 storied building, 40' x 60, 4 MBR, 1 BR, 1 living room, party corrider, designed varrandah, 2 common wc, office hall, sun burn room, bar counter, stabalizer, dry & wet kitchen, laundry, water heater, 1 maid room, recreation water pond, 11 CCTVs, PABX 3 line ph with 11 extensions, MATV 3 satellites, 9 Aircon, car garage, 38KVA Disel Generator, one 3 phase power meter & one single phase lighting meter, back up tube well, vertical blinds etc..Rental Fees: 10000USD per month. Ph: 09-514-0334, 094480-23483, 09-8601000 conDo for Rent: 4th Floor, Thiri Avenue, Taw Win Street, 1500 Sq-ft, Fully Furnish, Yearly Contract, Pls contact to owner direct, Ph: 200581, 09-500-0621. hoUse For Rent: Good Location, Nice Houes (2Rc), Fully Furnished, Fully Aircon, Fair Price, Contact Number: 09731-33100, 09-5167655, 09-4200-57735. OFFIce sPace to Let Executive Office Space In the Heart of Yangon. Available in May 2014 5 floors available 5,683.3 ft per floor 84, Pan Hlaing St, Sanchaung, Yangon. For further info: office@ uniteam-yangon.com (1)NeaR UNDP office 1200 Sqft , 1 MBR, 2 SR, fully furnish 1500 USD. (2)Near Taw Win center, 1250 Sqft, 1 MBR, 2 SR, part of furnish, 1500 USD (3) Near Park Royal hotel , 1800 Sqft, 1 MBR, 2 SR, fully furnish , 4500 USD. (4)NearAung San stadium, 1500 Sqft, 1 MBR, 2 SR , part of furnish , 1500 USD. (5) Pansotan St, Myanmar gon yee condo, 1500 Sqft, 1 MBR, 2 SR. part of furnish , 1500 USD. Ph: 09-4921-4276, 094201-14749. (conDo For Rent in University Avenue St), 1MBR, 2SBR, 4AC, Full Fun:, 1350 sqft, 16 Lakhs, Call-01-569448, 09-432-00669. 9 mILe conDo Mayangone, 1350 sqft, M2, S1, A/C4, Ph 1, fully furniture - 16 Lakhs, Contact: 09-432-00669. War Dan St, Lanmadaw, (25x50), RC 3, S3, Ph, AC 3, 65 Ls, Ph: 569448. LanmaDaW 40/46, Lanmadaw 1 St, Ground Floor, Hong Kong Type, 15' x 50'. with yearly contract. Ph : 09-73181708.
CLASSIC STRAND condo. Brand new 3 bed 2 bath. $3250/month. Marble/hardwood fitting, modern layout. Near strand hotel/union bar. jasonwongjp@gmail. com, 09-4211-02223. 6 beD, 4 bath duplex. 3900 sqft, can be used as residence, office or both. bar. jasonwongjp@ gmail.com, 09-421102223. BAHAN , (1)New University Avenue Rd, New Condo, 1500 sqft, f.f US$ 3500 (2)Shwe Taung Gyar Rd, 60' x 60, 2 RC storey, f.f US$ 3500 (3)New University Ave Rd, 2 Flr, 44' x 55' , 3 MBR, Ph, f.f, 25 Lakhs Maureen : 09-518-8320. N/OKKaLar, (1)Thit Sar Rd, RC 3 storey house, US$ 3000 (2)Kamayut, Sanyeiknyein Rd, RC 2 storey house, 35 Lakhs Maureen : 09-518-8320. MYANGONE,MiniCondo, 2nd flr, 3 bed room, 1 big living room, 1 Dinning room and Kitchen, 3 verandas Full furnished, 2 bath rooms, 3 aircons. Internet, 50'x40', Quiet, 8 mile, Pyay Rd, A-One Compound. Contact Ko Thant Zin: 09-73069754, 653005. Mayangone, 8 th Mile, Primrose Condo 3Flr,1MBR, 2SBR, Living Room, 1 Maid Room, Fully Furnish, Own Car Parking, Two Elevator, Security Card System, Contact: 09-511-1485.
FREE
Employment
Evaluation Officer Possible Duty Station: 1 post based in Bhamo, Kachin State : Experience in database management and data analysis. Experience in development and health programs is an asset. strong computer skills (Windows office package, especially Excel & Access). CV & cover letter only to be sent to: cesviapplication@ gmail.com or hard copies to be sent to, CESVI Country Office - 111A, University Avenue, Kamayut, Yangon. Closing date: 14.3.2014. PLan is seeking Project Officer MNCH & Nutrition : Citizen of Myanmar. 3 years of demonstrated professional experience in MNCH (& preferably) nutrition) development projects & working with THD. Knowledge of MNCH and nutrition national guidelines and concepts. Degree in nursing or midwifery. Interested candidates who meet the above requirements are required to submit a cover letter, CV & details of at least 2 referees via E-mail only to: Myanmar. CO@plan-international. org. Hotel Family with total properties of 4195 hotels all over the world, is seeking: (1). Sales Manager - F 1 Post (2). Reservation Manager - M/F 1 Post (3).Chief Engineer - M 1 Post (4). Security Manager - M 1 Post (5). Reservation Agent - M/F 2 Posts (6). Sales Executive - M/F 1 Post (7).Credit Officer - M/F 1 Post (8).Guest Relations Officer - F 1 Post (9).F&B Supervisor - M 1 Post (10).F&B Cashier - M 2 Posts (11).Bartender - M 1 Post (12).Waiter/ Waitress - M/F 2 Posts (13).Hostess - F 1 Post (14). IT Staff - M 1 Post (15).Canteen Cook - F 1 Post (16).Gardener M 1 Post. Kindly apply before 8 March, 2014 to 12, Pho Sein Rd, Tamwe Tsp, Yangon. Ph: 209 299, 209300 Email: hr@ greenhillhotel.com.mm; admin@greenhillhotel. com.mm (1) MechanIcaL Engineer - 5 Posts, (2) Civil Engineer - 5 Posts - We are seeking for the self energetic and motivated engineers Graduate in Bachelor of Engineering English Literate, Computing skills in Microsoft Office, Auto CAD, willing to travel and stay in remote areas any interested candidates can apply CV with 3 recent photos, Degree Certifiate and othee Qualification Certificate, Labour Card, NRC Card, Recommendation from police station, Family member list to the United Engineering Co., Ltd. Corner of Wayzayantar & Yadanar Rd, Thingangyan Tsp, Tel :571878, 571877, 571321. MeDIcaL OFFIcer Positions for working at MALAYSIA Require ments : Age under 58 , 5 years experienced (apart from Housemanship service) with M.B.,B.S holder. Regcognized Universities with the Malaysian Medical Council (UM 1, UM2 & UMM). Knowledge to Malay language is advantage. Positions are on contract basis for one (1) year from 1/4/2014 to 31/3/2015 . Medical Officer post available for male doctors and (1) post for female doctor. Location: Prisons in Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Johor (MALAYSIA) Salary (after deduction for Tax) will be RM 7,600.00 (Equavalent to around 22 Lakhs) Note: To get all complete information, Pls contact to Dr. Yan : 09-250458803, (he is not Agent) or send email to dockidoc@hotmail.com or call ( +60193577237 ). Second week of March, there will be Interview in Yangon.
Ingo Positions
InT'L Rescue Committee - Myanmar is seeking Operation Officer - 1 post in Loikaw Tsp, Kayah State : University Degree or Diploma in related field and/or related training course. Prior work experience for 2 years (preferably at Int'l Organization). Computer skills in Microsoft Office; Excel & Strong computer skill. Fluent in English. Pls submit a cover letter & CV to the HR Department Closing date : 14th March 2014. Applications will be accepted by email at: MaiMyaMyintZu.Tin@ rescue.org. cesvI is seeking Data
Encoder 1 post based in Pale Tsp, Sagaing Region :Bachelor Degree or Master possibly in Computer or related Computer Studies. Prefer for Local people from Pale Tsp, Sagaing Region. 2 years experience in Microsoft Office, Data Entries & Databases. Fluency in English & Excellent Computer skills. CV & Cover letter only to be sent to: cesviapplication@gmail. com or hard copies to be sent to CESVI Country Office - 111-A, University Avenue, Kamayut, Yangon, Closingd date: 16 March, 2014. cesvI is seeking Monitoring &
Local Positions
BesT WesTern Green Hill Hotel, a member of (Best Western Int'l, Inc.) The Worlds Largest
JOB VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT (009/2014) Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a German federal enterprise and offers workable, sustainable and effective solutions in political, economic and social change processes. Most of our work is commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). However, GIZ also operates on behalf of other German ministries and public and private bodies in Germany and abroad. GIZ operates throughout Germany and in more than 130 countries worldwide. We have more than 17,000 staff members around the globe, some 70% of whom are employed locally as national personnel. GIZ is operating since October 2012 in Myanmar and is supporting sustainable economic development. The Private Sector Development Project (PSD) aims at strengthening capacities for sustainable private sector development with focus on improved services for SMEs in Myanmar. The Technical and Vocational Education and Training Project (TVET) concentrates on sustainably orienting the TVET system towards the needs of the labour market within a dynamic society. The Financial Sector Development Project (FSD) aims at supporting Myanmar stakeholders in creating an inclusive and stable banking sector. For the overall coordination of its activities GIZ is using the GIZ Office Yangon. For the TVET project of in Yangon, GIZ Myanmar is seeking for an appropriate candidate for following Position Location Contract Period : Finance Assistant : Yangon, Myanmar : asap December 2015
Job VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT (010 / 2014) (Junior) National Expert The Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a federal enterprise with worldwide operations. It supports the German Government in international cooperation for sustainable development and in international education work. Most of our activities are commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). GIZ also operates on behalf of other German ministries and other public and private sector clients both in Germany and abroad. These include the governments of other countries, the European Commission, the United Nations and the World Bank. GIZ operates in more than 130 countries. GIZ employs approximately 17,000 staff members worldwide, some 70 % of whom are local personnel. GIZ has been present in Myanmar since 2012 and is expanding its activities in the country aiming at sustainable economic development. The three projects are: 1. Private Sector Development, 2. Technical and Vocational Education and Training, as well as 3. financial sector development. For the project on financial sector development, GIZ is focusing especially on: 1. supporting the Central Bank in their role as regulator and supervisor of the banking sector, 2. supporting the human capacities development in the banking industry, 3. assisting the banking sector to offer appropriate financial services for SME, and 4. supporting the accounting and audit framework in Myanmar The GIZ project on financial sector development is seeking applications from highly motivated professional candidates for the following position : Position Location Contract Period Major Responsibilities : The (Junior) National Expert will report directly to the Head of Project. He will support and assist the GIZ FSD-team to plan and conduct activities with stakeholders and counterparts like Central Bank of Myanmar and the Parliament. His/her major responsibilities include: Planning and coordination of capacity building activities and stakeholder workshops Assisting in the provision of specific technical input and assistance to partner institutions Providing support to other GIZ experts: Desk research, Assisting in impact monitoring and reporting General coordination and support Assist as an interpreter and facilitator during meetings, workshops and conferences Coordinating national and international consultants Minimum requirements: Academic background: Academic degree in Economics/Finance/Business is a must; Working experience: Minimum 2 years of relevant work experience; Sound understanding of the financial and especially banking sector is desirable. International background: International academic and / or work experience is preferred IT-Skills: Confident with MS-Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) and Internet Language-Skills: Fluent in English and Myanmar language Ability to work in cross cultural setting preferred Teamwork and partner orientation: Strong interpersonal skills and; ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with people in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity, and with high level stakeholders (Government Ministries and Agencies, banks, international donors). Ability to identify partners needs and appropriate solutions; Self-reliance: Ability to act independently with limited supervision. Can-do attitude Quick learner GIZ offers a competitive salary and a social benefits package. Application procedure : Applications are accepted until 30 March 2014, Qualified candidates shall send their application letter along with their non-returnable recent CV and contact detail of two referees to the following address: Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH No 35 (B) / 15 New University Avenue Yangon, Myanmar OR E-Mail: giz-myanmar@giz.de Note: Please mark the application with: Application for Junior National Expert (010 /14). Only short listed candidates will be contacted. : (Junior) National Expert : Yangon : May 2014 until December 2015
A. Responsibilities The finance assistant is responsible for seeing that the service in the programme is provided correctly and in accordance with GIZ financial management and accounting procedures The project assistant performs the following tasks: B. Tasks 1. Financial services The Finance Assistant assists with reconciliation of local subsidies and agreements with national appraisers prepares transfers and checks these before execution makes all payments and transactions (cash and bank) and optimises these ensures that project accounting is according with GIZ rules and regulations ensures that cash handling is in line with GIZ rules and regulation ensures high quality of receipts and vouchers and that all financial documents are valid, accurate and complete in line with GIZ rules and regulations follows up on advance payments and their timely settlement books all voucher in Winpaccs Cash/Bank book calculates private mileage fees and other GIZ income as arising 2. General services The Finance Assistant Supports financial aspects related to house/apartment rentals by GIZ international staff Files all financial documents promptly 3. Other duties/additional tasks The Finance Assistant photocopies and scans documents as needed reports without delay to the person responsible for accounting on all problems in financial administration and compliance with rules is responsible for filing financial administration documents and treating information confidentially performs other duties and tasks at the request of management C. Required qualifications, competences and experience Qualifications diploma or comparable qualification from a commercial academy (accounting) Professional experience at least 2 years professional experience in a comparable position Other knowledge, additional competences in-depth knowledge of accounting software good working knowledge of ITC technologies (related software, phone, fax, email, the internet) and computer applications (e.g. MS Office) very good command of written and spoken English, ideally a knowledge of German willingness to up skill as required by the tasks to be performed corresponding measures are agreed with management GIZ offers a competitive salary and a social benefits package. Application procedure: Applications are accepted until 17 March 2014, 17.00 Qualified candidates shall send their application letter along with their non-returnable recent CV and contact detail of two referees to the following address: Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH No 35 (B) / 15 New University Avenue Yangon, Myanmar OR E-Mail: giz-myanmar@giz.de Note: Please mark the application with: Application for Project Assistant TVET (005/14). Only short listed candidates will be contacted.
62 Sport
LONDON
NGLAND manager Roy Hodgson drew encouragement from his younger players performances after seeing his side edge Denmark 1-0 in their nal game before he selects his World Cup squad. Hodgson handed a debut to 18-year-old Southampton left-back Luke Shaw and saw 19-year-old Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling named man of the match in the March 5 friendly at Wembley Stadium. Adam Lallana, 25, and 23-year-old Danny Welbeck also impressed after coming on in the second half, with the former teeing up 24-year-old Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge to head home an 82nd-minute winner. England nished the game with six players aged 25 or under on the pitch and Hodgson believes that their displays against an obdurate Denmark side augur well for the World Cup in Brazil. You couldnt get me to say anything negative about any of the young players on show today [March 5], he said. At one stage we only had Gary Cahill, Joe Hart, Glen Johnson and Steven Gerrard who would consider themselves seniors. The others were nding their way, and yet we still didnt give Denmark a sniff at our goal. One player who did not feature was Frank Lampard, but Hodgson dismissed suggestions that either he or his Chelsea teammate Ashley Cole, who gave way for Shaw at half-time, had slipped down the pecking order. Asked if Lampards position in the squad was vulnerable, Hodgson replied, No. No more vulnerable than anybody else. Frank will have to accept [not playing], in the same way that I didnt play Michael Carrick tonight either. As far as Im concerned, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole are two people who are still very much in the reckoning for a place and Ill have to make a decision one day.
SYDNEY
England midfielder Raheem Sterling (white) takes on Denmark midfielder William Kvist (red) during their match at Wembley Stadium in London on March 5. Photo: AFP
Arsenal midelder Jack Wilshere gave England an early moment of alarm when he collapsed in apparent agony after a challenge with Denmark captain Daniel Agger, but Hodgson said he appeared to have escaped serious harm. I was a bit concerned when he went down. It was a nasty one. It was a 50-50 and they both went for it, Hodgson said. I hoped it was a bruise rather than anything more serious, and it
was. Im hoping when he goes back to the Arsenal tomorrow hell be ne. Wilsheres Arsenal team-mate Nicklas Bendtner endured an unrewarding evening at the tip of the Denmark attack and coach Morten Olsen warned him that he will have to leave north London if he is to continue to spearhead the team in their Euro 2016 qualiers. Hes not performing enough. Of course hes not playing [for
Arsenal], but if hes not nding a club and playing, we cannot use him, Olsen said. We saw it at the European Championship in 2012, when he was one of the best strikers, but he has to play every weekend. Olsen also had jocular words of encouragement for England, who will face Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica at the World Cup, signing off his press conference by saying, I wish you good luck. You need it! AFP
It took until the last half-hour of the last session, but Australia nally banished the demons of Adelaide.
Jesse Hogan Fairfax Media reporter
INDIANAPOLIS
Kurt Busch, driver of the #41 Haas Automation Chevrolet, makes a pit stop during the CNBC 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on March 2. Photo: AFP
Harris, who nished with 4-32, will head home to have an operation on his knee that he delayed to play this series, he added. The victory gave captain Michael Clarke seven wins from eight Tests following a 5-0 whitewash of England, and moved Australia to second on the International Cricket Council rankings ahead of India. Clarke later tweeted, Not really sure how to describe the last 6 months!!! Thank you to the Aussie Team, Staff, Family, Friends and all of our supporters. @darren_lehmann we did it coach!!!! The Sydney Daily Telegraphs Malcolm Conn said he was concerned that South Africa may repeat its Adelaide great escape of last (southern) summer, when they lasted more than nine hours and kept out 148 overs to nish on 8-248. Hogan added, Australias hopes of claiming victory surged after it removed the two stonewallers of Adelaide in 2012, AB de Villiers and [Faf] Du Plessis, at either end of the second session to ensure the Proteas tail was exposed for the entire last session. It took until the last half-hour of the last session, but Australia nally banished the demons of Adelaide with a stunning victory in Cape Town. AFP
www.mmtimes.com
Sport 63
SYDNEY
LYMPIC champion Mathew Belcher was last week named as skipper of Australias Americas Cup entrant as the country looks to win the prestigious Auld Mug for the rst time since 1983. The 2012 London Games gold medallists appointment was announced along with Team Australias rst boat a new AC45 catamaran on the shores of Sydney Harbour. Americas Cup racing represents a big challenge for Belcher, 31, who is more accustomed to sailing small two-person dinghies than the larger and faster catamarans. Im not alone in doing this, Belcher, who insisted he can successfully balance the twin pressures of skippering an Americas Cup challenger and winning gold again at the 2016 Rio Olympics, said on March 6. A lot of the Australian guys did it last year, including Tom Slingsby and Nathan Outteridge. So Ill use that as guidance. It can be done. Slingsby won Laser class gold at the London Olympics before serving as tactician aboard Oracle Team USA for its come-from-behind Americas Cup victory over Team New Zealand last year, while Outteridge won gold in the 49er skiff with crewmate Iain Jensen.
Team Australias new AC45 catamaran and US yacht Oracle speed over the water during the AC45s first outing on Sydney Harbour on March 6. Photo: AFP
Slingsby agreed that Belcher could be successful in both disciplines. It is a juggling act but I believe Mat will do just ne and hes already ahead of the pack in the Olympic stuff, so I wish him the best, Slingsby said. Belcher is regarded as one of the worlds best sailors, with four 470 class
world titles to go with his London Olympics gold. He won a record 18 successive regattas between 2011 and 2014, with former crewmate Malcolm Page and current partner Will Ryan. The Americas Cup boat and its crew will spend the next few days training with Oracle Team USA, led by Slingsby, in Sydney Harbour. The 35th Americas Cup is due
to be staged in 2017, but a series of challenger events staged around the world in the years beforehand. Australia is trying to win the event for the rst time since its historic 1983 triumph when Australia II, skippered by John Bertrand, defeated Americas Liberty to end the New York Yacht Clubs 132-year stranglehold on the race. AFP
Sport
64 THE MYANMAR TIMES mArCH 10 - 16, 2014
RIO DE JANEIRO
RAZIL celebrated wildly after being chosen to host the World Cup, a chance for the sleeping giant of 200 million to show its growing sporting, but also economic, prowess. Seven years on, with just 100 days left till kick-off, the host nation is racing against the clock to be ready for the greatest sporting show on Earth starting June 12. Stadium delays and security concerns fuelled by protests at corruption and poor public facilities have served to dampen the initial enthusiasm both of Brazilians fans and government alike and FIFA. For former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, hosting the extravaganza for the rst time in 64 years was a dream ambition a chance to erase
the nightmare of a 1950 nal loss to Uruguay. But just as importantly he saw it as a chance to project the country onto the forefront of the world stage. Fast-forward to the nal frenetic months of preparations and Brazil is straining every sinew to be ready after FIFA president Sepp Blatter slammed the hosts for starting preparations too late. Brazil has come to realise that they started [preparations] too late. They are the country who are the most delayed since I have been at FIFA, Blatter told Swiss newspaper 24 Hours in early January. Yet they are the only country who have had such a long time seven years to prepare. Half of the 12 stadiums missed FI-
FAs December 31 deadline to be ready and three suffered fatal accidents and ve have still to be delivered. A huge revamp of Brazils chronically saturated airports and transport upgrades has also fallen way behind schedule in a country known for a sunny disposition where things happen late if they happen at all. Add threats of fresh public protests against the cost of staging the event around US$11 billion and there is no shortage of negative headlines for current President Dilma Rousseff in what she hopes is a reelection year. One of the negatives regarding the organization of the World Cup in Brazil is improvisation, says Jose Carlos Marques, professor of Sao Paulo Universitys (Unesp) Sports Observatory. Its a cultural issue to believe that everything can be done at the last minute, without planning, but that all will be resolved through Brazilian hospitality and warmth, Marques told AFP. The protests at the cost of the event have seen marchers chanting there will be no Cup in the streets as they demand more public investment instead in areas such as transport and education. Last year saw more than a million people hit the streets in Brazils biggest demonstrations in a generation. Recent protests have been smaller, albeit sometimes violent. Brazilians dream of their team landing a sixth World Cup triumph on July 13 but public support for the event has fallen from 79 percent in 2008 to 52pc now, a Datafolha poll last week showed. Seeking to counter anarchists such as the Black Bloc grouping who have given recent demonstrations a radical edge, the government hopes to pass legislation banning the wearing of masks at protests. Brasilia says it will send in the
IN PICTURES
Silver and gold: Former Manchester United great Andy Cole (center) holds the Barclays Premier League trophy at Shwedagon Pagoda on March 4. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing
army if necessary to keep order and could deploy ninja police-experts in martial arts such as ju-jitsu, a tactic already tested at a recent protest in Sao Paulo. Lulas and Rousseff s Workers Party is hard at work selling a positive image of the World Cup, tweeting under the hashtag #VaiterCopa (there will be a Cup). Given the myriad delays which have accompanied preparations Brazil has nally stepped up the pace. FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke hopes they can cope with the change of gear. We are at 200 kilometres per hour. We are far, far beyond the normal limit speed you can have on a road, said Valcke last month. He cited a lot of things to do, and
we are working full speed. Curitiba was almost axed from the venue list but saved after FIFA accepted it was getting back on track. There also remains work to do at the Sao Paulo stadium that will host the June 12 opening match between Brazil and Croatia, and also Cuiaba. Rousseff and most Brazilians nonetheless are condent the country will be ready come the start of the event. According to the president, what she terms the Cup of Cups will be a sporting event, yes ... but also an opportunity for Brazil to show itself off to the world, to show the strength and vitality of the Brazilian nation, Brazilians happiness to receive all their guests from around the world. AFP
It drives industry; it brings production to a halt. It links remote villages to the modern global village; it leaves families homeless when lands are taken for facilities. It is a jackpot for investors in oil and natural gas; it is a drain for those buying charcoal or firewood. It is a way out of poverty; it's what keeps so many in poverty. its about cleaner sources; its about environmental devastation. Its about long-term investments; its about daily struggles. Its plentiful; it's rare. It's low-cost; its too much to afford.
Energy in Myanmar is a national issue. For too many, however, It's also very personal. No other single topic is as broad or far-reaching. While everyone complains about the insufficient supply, though every attempt to fix the issue higher prices to boost funding, expanding facilities to boost supply seems to bring on further controversies. One thing is certain: The situation is changing every day. The grid is expanding; investment is pouring in; plans are being made. While its impossible to gather comprehensive statistics in such a fast-changing environment, in these pages weve set out to summarise the facts at a glance. And in the pages that follow, we look at how people at all levels of society are working to see their way forward to a brighter future.
A composite image assembled from data acquired by the Suomi NPP satellite in April and October 2012 shows Myanmar and surrounding countries at night. Photo: NASA Earth Observatory/NOAA NGDC
Population of Myanmar with reliable, consistent access to electricity1 Population without any access to electricity at all1 Global population without any access to electricity at all, as of 20091 UN's goal for universal energy access worldwide1 Spending required yearly for Myanmar to reach this goal - 1/10th its GDP1
The grid the developing choice Percentage of population on national grid in 2013 13% Percentage of villages on the grid (4550 of 65,000) 7% lectricity generated that is lost in transmission and distribution due 25%
1 1
Planned growth per year of the national electricity grid, according to national targets1 Estimated cost per household of national grid connection1 Installation of nations rst digital electricity meters, in Nay Pyi Taws Lewe township2 Analogue electricity meters in Myanmar, August 20122
Hydroelectricity the long-term choice Estimated achievable hydroelectric potential realised so far <1% Electricity generated by hydroelectric in 2012, vs 1995 when 50% of 71%
1
20%
Solid fuel the no-other-choice Population depending on solid fuel such as wood, rice husks, 95%
charcoal for cooking and heating1
50% 60% 70%
Global population depending on solid fuel for cooking in 20091 Hours each year an average rural resident spends collecting rewood1 Acres of forest lost each year due to logging exceeding reforestation1 Increase in rewood price in Yangon, 1988-20041 Increase in charcoal price in Yangon, 1998-20041
Other 39%
Yangon 45%
Writers Soe Myint, Sandar Lwin, Aung Shin, Mya Kay Khine Soe, Wade Guyitt, Rosie, Myo Lwin, Hein Htet Aung, Aung Kyaw Nyunt For feedback and enquiries wadeguyitt@gmail.com myolwin286@gmail.com Photography Kaung Htet, Boothee, Zarni, Aung Htay Hlaing, Wade Guyitt
Mandalay 16%
Mya Kay Khine Soe Design Khin Zaw, Ko Htway, Zaw Naing Soe Cover photo Aung Htay Hlaing
Oil the crude choice Date Burma exported its rst barrel of oil, making it among the 1853
worlds oldest oil exporters4
53 52 50m
Coal the dirtier short-term choice Tonnes of coal produced in 2011, 52% used by industry1 692,000 Natural gas the cleaner short-term choice Nations natural gas production happening at Yadana and Yetagun, 95%
with nearly all being sent to Thailand
$106b $424b
Value of known reserves of 20 trillion cubic feet at current prices10 Value of speculated reserves of 80tcf at current prices10
Nuclear the abandoned choice Agreement with Russia to build nuclear research reactor near 2007
Yangon1
2011
[The program] stopped because it did not have sucient resources and worried that the international community would misunderstand. - Minister for Science and Technology U Aye Myint, to Pyithu Hluttaw, September 232
Off-grid the alternative choice Households in Myanmar dependant on diesel lamps, batteries and 70%
candles for lighting1
Average household monthly spending on candles and batteries, out of an average monthly income of $401 Months before solar-powered lanterns and torches pay for themselves1 Cost of mini hydro facility to power 50-100 o-grid homes1 Percentage of the estimated 1200 biogas facilities nationwide which are no longer in operation1 Cost of community biogas facility to support 300 houses1
Demonstrators arrange candles into a map of the country around a note saying "Give the whole nation of Myanmar electricity", on May 23, 2012. Photo: Ko Taik
SOURCES
1. Accelerating Energy Access For All In Myanmar, United Nations Development Programme, 2013. Online: http://www.mm.undp.org/content/myanmar/en/home/ library/environment_energy/publication_1/ 2. The Myanmar Times. Online: http://www.mmtimes.com 3. http://www.slideshare.net/VikasSharma128/myanmar-electricity-industrydec2013 4. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_EN_NewEnergyArchitecture_Myanmar_2013.pdf 5. http://www.kpmg.com/MM/en/IssuesAndInsights/ArticlesPublications/Documents/ Infrastructure-in-Myanmar-update-29Oct.pdf 6. Electrical Industry of Burma/Myanmar: Online Compendium, 4th edition, April 2012. Online http://en.convdocs.org/docs/index-18543.html?page=167 7. http://www.dvb.no/news/pttep-plans-us3-3-billion-oil-and-gas-investment-in-burmaburma-myanmar/37774 8. http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2013-10/20/content_17046790.htm 9. http://dupress.com/articles/asia-pacic-economic-outlook-february-2014-myanmar 10. http://countingpips.com/forex-news/2014/02/myanmars-untouched-natural-gasreserves/ Photos: Sta, except where noted; 11 AFP
Foreign investment the necessary choice World Banks planned investment in Myanmars power sector $1b 5-year investment, equalling 20% of total expenditure, by Thailand's $3.3b
2
Growth projected in industrial power consumption for 2014 in Guanxi, one of 3 provinces in China fed by new 2520km Shwe pipeline from Myanmar8 Tonnes of crude oil heading to China annually via Shwe pipeline, over 10 times the amount staying in Myanmar8
11
Shwe project gas pipelines to China are laid down over Daw-na Mountain in Rakhine State in late 2012. Photo: Ko Taik
What's to come
and what to do in the meantime
Thirty shortlisted bidders mostly from the US, Canada, Europe, India and Australia are in the running for 11 shallow- and 19 deepwater blocks, with winners to be announced any day now. But a deepwater discovery could take 5-7 years, and shallow-water blocks could take 3-5 years. So while additional natural gas reserves will become available, it won't be until 2020-25 or beyond. The shortfall of natural gas in the meantime calls for either orere expedited onshore exploration or for alternative fuels other than natural gas to be developed in order to meet the shortfall. Energy planners will have to give serious consideration to this timeframe when planning the nation's future electricity generation mix.
In the pipeline
A former director general of the Energy Planning Department charts the past and the future of Myanmars oil and natural gas industries
SOE MYINT soemyint108@gmail.com
rilling for oil is a part of Myanmar's heritage. People have searched for oil here and used it as either a preservative or a lubricant since at least the reign of King Min Khwe Chay in Bagan during the 11th century. Until the early 19th century, drilling rights passed down between 24 twinzayo 18 men and 6 women who formed a hereditary monopoly controlling the principal oil-bearing area near Yenangyaung in Magwe Region. But following the establishment of the Burmah Oil Company, a UK company, in 1886, more than a dozen Anglo-Indian, Chinese and Indian companies followed suit. Together, these foreign companies took production away from local control, but also launched a ourishing modern petroleum industry that powered the British empire. In 1954, the then-government became a 33-percent shareholder in the BOC (1954) Co Ltd; in 1961 it acquired a 51pc share; and on January 1, 1963, it bought out the BOCs remaining local assets for K62.5 million. The oil industry became a national heritage industry once more, staffed with and run by Myanmar nationals under the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE). During its heyday from 1963 until 1985-86, the MOGE expanded on the BOC's legacy, employing as many as 15 geological eld parties, 4 gravitymagnetic survey parties, 3 seismic survey parties and 45 drilling outts in the quest to discover new energy sources beneath the nations feet. Natural gas in the mix New discoveries followed: Mann, Htaukshabin/Kanni, Thargyitaung and Kyaykkwet/Letpando in central Myanmar; Pyay, Myanaung and Shwepyitahr; and Payagon, Nyaungdon and Aphyauk in the delta. Production reached heights of 32,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) in 1985, as well as 180 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of natural gas in 1998. But afterward onshore production began to dwindle, with yields measuring only 6000bpd of oil and 60mmcfd of natural gas. The nation needed to look offshore. In the early 1970s, Myanmar invited foreign companies to conduct offshore petroleum exploration and production (E & P). The bid was unsuccessful, so in the 1980s Myanmar went offshore itself. Funded by a loan from Japan, the endeavour led to the 1983 nd of the Yadana natural gas eld. At rst, low initial gas reserves estimates of 2.6 trillion cubic feet (tcf) and changes in government policy retarded the development of Yadana by the MOGE. But in the early 1990s Myanmar again invited foreign companies for E & P both on- and offshore. Offshore discoveries were made of natural gas at Yadana by Total Myanmar E & P, and at Yetagun by Texaco/Premier. Onshore efforts were less successful. A round of petroleum E & P in the early 2000s, however, was another huge success, with nds in the Shwe gas eld by Daewoo, the Zawtika gas eld by PTT and the Aung Thein Kha gas eld by PTT in 2011 (rst yields expected by early 2018). Current prospects Recent calls for on- and offshore E & P saw an inux of international interest, from the USA, Canada, Australia and European nations among others. For onshore, 18 contracts are to be signed with 10 companies, in addition to the existing 11 contracts. For offshore, in addition to 12 contracts for producing gas elds and E & P blocks, several deepwater and shallow-water blocks are to be awarded soon. Opportunities for local companies to become E & P players are now wide open. The future of offshore Myanmar already has three gas elds producing offshore. The Yadana gas eld has reserves of gas-in-place 6.5 trillion cubic feet (tcf) and Total is pursuing the eastern part of the eld. But Yadana is already halfway through its lifespan, having been producing since 1998. Exploration is underway in the satellite areas of the Yetagun gas eld, with gas-in-place reserves of 3.2tcf. Yetagun started its gas export in 2000 and is almost halfway through its eld life. The Shwe gas eld, with gasin-place reserves of 4.5tcf, started commercial gas production in June 2012. The contracted Daily Contract Quantity is 500mmcfd but is still ramping up, producing 200mmcfd. Myanmar is siphoning about 200 mmcfd from Yadana for domestic use and will be taking 100mmcfd when Shwe starts producing 500mmcfd. Yetagun does not have an obligation to supply to the domestic market, according to the Export Sales Gas Agreement. Zawtika, with gas-in-place reserves of 1.2tcf, will soon produce 300mmcfd, one-third of which will be allocated for the domestic market. Aung Thein Kha, with over 1tcf, is scheduled to have its rst gas by 2018, aruond 100mcfd, all for the domestic market. Future offshore potential from existing nds could come from CNOOC's gas discovery at M-10 and MPRLs announcement of a gas nd in Pyithar. Both should yield production around 2020, beyond which Myanmar can likely expect further nds from new shallow-water and deepwater blocks.
2018:
2020: 100 mmcfd from M-10 (must negotiate with CNOOC for early development or relinquish)
The government allows partnerships with foreign companies for onshore and offshore shallowwater blocks, and is not restricting the balance of shares between local and foreign parties. This unprecedented opportunity will allow a few lucky local companies of the more than 160 to carry on Myanmar's national heritage of oil operations, just as the twinzaya families did in the olden days.
The future of onshore From 1963 to 2013. the MOGE's onshore nds amounted to about 1.8b barrels of oil equivalence in the Central Myanmar Basin, the Pyay Embayment and the Delta Basin. Yet production came to just 432mboe, or 24 percent. Recovery factors still have much room for improvement. Efficiency aside, to date the MOGE has identied and investigated some 14 sedimentary provinces onshore with the potential to generate and accumulate petroleum, with more favourable provinces yet to be investigated. And among those investigated, not a single province has yet been comprehensively explored. Many more investigations are yet to be made with more advanced techniques and better drilling technology, which will allow exploration of ultradeep and/or high pressure/high temperature wells. Myanmar already has evidence of huge oil deposits in Yenangyaung, Chauk, Mann and Htaukshabin/ Kanni, as well as signicant onshore natural gas deposits in Payagon, Aphyauk and Nyaungdon. Future oil seekers, armed with geological studies and advanced technologies, are bound to make more discoveries.
U Soe Myint joined the Ministry of Energy as a geologist in 1962. He served as Director General for the Energy Planning Department from 1995 until 2008. He is now Executive Directorof Machinery & Solutions Co Limited and also serves as president of the Myanmar Geosciences Society.
Vox pop
The buzz over electricity
U Wai Lin
Technician, Eskala Hotels otels in Ngwe Saung use generators for power. Most hotels have two generators, as well mechanics ready to repair them. But also villages in Ngwe Saung have individual generators. About one in 20 houses uses a solar panel system. The Fire Department trains hotel sta to prevent res. Some hotels hire trainers from private security companies to train their sta. Hotels drive generators for 24
ost shocks come from service wires and home meter boxes. They can be dangerous if not repaired by skilled mechanics. I have seen ve electricians die during my career. When repairing power lines, the main board should be turned o, to halt the ow, because we cant see when its owing just by looking.
ve served on ships three times, and each time saw beautiful lights in other countries when our ships reached ports. Power is important for a country because most criminal cases occur when it is dark. If lighting is not good enough, crimes can happen more, because criminals love darkness. For crime to be eradicated, power is essential.
SANDAR LWIN
pit. While the exact measurements for Htein Pin werent available from company officials, who had returned to South Korea and were not able to respond by press time, U Aung Myint Maw said more than half the existing space is available. Htein Pin garbage collection site is 150 acres wide, and 70 acres of this has been used. The pit will be dug in the remaining 80 acres. He added that the biological make-up of most trash here makes it well-suited to the process.
its contract YCDC has to send 800 tonnes of garbage to Htein Pin and 600 tonnes to Dawai Chaung each day. Plastic, which wont break down the way organic waste does, will be handpicked from the mixed rubbish before the waste is dumped into the pit. The plastic will be recycled into polyethylene seeds onsite at a separate special facility. Then the remaining garbage is thrown into the pit and
be seen through the glass wall of the control room. When we have built the plant, we will invite observers and the media to visit, said assistant general manager U Pyi Sone Aung. The contracted 600 tonnes a day will be carried in by YCDC trucks, weighed and then thrown into four pits of around 1000 square metres (10,800 square feet) each. The garbage will be lifted with a hook and transferred to the tank where it will be washed with water
How the proposed waste-to-energy incineration facility will operate at Dawai Chaung, North Dagon township. Photo: Supplied
According to Myanmar peoples eating habits, 78 percent of the garbage is organic. Thats very good for micro-organism proliferation. Without any special treatment, the garbage pile will reach a temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit [20 Celsius] and produce methane, U Aung Myint Maw said. First the pit will be covered with a special layer called a Geo Membrane to protect it from polluting groundwater. Then, once the gas-collecting tubes and pipelines are set up along with the processing equipment required for collecting and cleaning leached materials, the process can begin. First of all, the truck-load of garbage is weighed, U Aung Myint Maw said. Weighing the garbage is important because according to cafs use generators. And with condo buildings being nished, we see more demand for big generators. Not small ones, though: A year ago demand was 100 per weekend, but now its only 10. For rural residents, solar electric things are more in demand now, so they dont have to pay for fuel. Currently our business is focused not on generators but on construction machines, because there is more power. By Aung Kyaw Nyunt, translation by Mya Kay Khine
compressed by compactor trucks which drive to and fro across the pile. At a suitable thickness of garbage, a layer of soil is added, and then more garbage, until the pit is lled up layer by layer. Gas is collected as it's produced by the garbage's natural decomposition. When the pit is full, it is covered with a thicker layer of topsoil on top. At this point, its safe for reuse for public re-use, for elds or even golf courses. At Dawai Chaung, in north Yangon, Zeya & Associates Co Ltd, along with partner rm Hyundai Rotem and other international investors, will build two incinerators and electricitygenerating plants. And while many companies claim to be transparent in their operations, this facility plans to take that literally. All the machines and steps can
to remove earth and compost. A huge amount of water is needed and we will use underground water, U Pyi Sone Aung said. The wet garbage is the poured into the incinerators big funnels.
Inside, shaking sieves will separate the trash step by step, as people in Yangon throw away waste without separating items by material rst. For intermediate-level technology, trash needs to be sorted into types, such as bottles, glass, metal, plastic and so on. Later, advanced technology will allow everything to be incinerated together. Even iron can be incinerated," U Pyi Sone Aung said. As the trash is mixed, our partner Korean experts had to seek new procedures to incinerate them. Thats why the cost of the project gets high, up to US$100 million. But the experts said that the wastes power productivity is very good, he said. The raw heat generated will be used to drive a steam turbine generator. Ash, and anything else that cant be burned, will be collected at the end of the process. Ash is about 10 percent of the garbage and we will manage it according to YCDCs instruction, U Pyi Sone Aung said. The dirty water that washed the garbage is treated so its clean and will be released into the nearby stream. The smoke also will be treated with several lters, he said. Once both projects come online, the incineration-driven steam turbines will produce around 15.4 megawatts per hour, while the methane from the decomposing landll will generate about 12MW/ hr for rst year and 10MW/hr in the second and third years. The electricity produced at both will be added to the national grid.
e used to have more demand for generators but right now the demand is dropping. People dont buy generators if the power is o only one day per week. But lighting shops, photocopy shops and internet
mya.simpley@gmail.com
HEN I lived in Nay Pyi Taw in 2007, there was no Water Fountain Garden, no Zoological Gardens, no Safari Park. But there was one thing that made me love it: the lighting. Before 6pm, the sidewalks were like a desert, but once the workday ended the roads were crowded with pedestrians. Things were brightly lit, making everyone feel safe. And the rows and rows of streetlights made for a relaxing sight after a long day.
power is supplied systematically, but many places are not, he says. If the power supply was better in Yangon also, it would be incredibly beautiful. But he adds that to light all of Yangon like Nay Pyi Taw would present special challenges. Starting fresh is not same as repairing. Creating new streets and lighting starts systematically and is very easy. But when repairing a street you can encounter some restrictions. If one road has to be rebuilt, its going to damage surrounding places. We must recognize these issues and study them to understand them fully.
Lit by bulbs powered by a nearby generator, customers shop at Yangon's 38th Street market. Photo: Zarni
deal K500 for two. I bring the lightbulbs and then at around 5pm I start to place the wires all over the bazaar. The bulbs hang from two-foot poles he provides. The wire system is safe because I put the wires above the ground, he says. Its very convenient, says Ma Phyo Chit, who sells sh jerky and rents a bulb for her stall. Before Kyaw Kyaw, we just had to use our own battery-powered lightbulbs. In Yangon, it is not easy to use such batteries. U Kyaw Kyaw says his earnings cover the cost of a gallon of fuel K4500, lasting two nights and also allow some prot. His fellow venders agree. Daw Win Mar used to use candles, she says, but they made her vegetables appear dim and didn't show off their true colours. Now, thanks to U Kyaw Kyaws bright idea, her displays gleam just as they should.
What's the state of the sector today? In recent onshore bidding, the government awarded 16 blocks to 12 companies. Now everybody is waiting for the announcement of the winners of the historic offshore bidding rounds. We have big national oil companies (NOCs) and international oil companies (IOCs), all aggressively competing for both shallow-water and deepwater blocks. Bangladesh and India started open bidding after Myanmar, but Im told theyve attracted few international players.This is the time for Myanmar's oil and gas to regain former glory in a big way. In 2009, exploration spending alone was around US$300 million. Last year it was almost $1 billion. With the new wave of investment, we expect the market will grow into the multiple billions, making Myanmar a key regional player in the upstream sector. Yours is one of the few local companies involved in oil and gas business. Can you tell us about competing with fellow nationals as well as foreign giants? Locally, we have a very limited number of players spearheaded by the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE). But we are quite far behind in terms of technology and project management. The only way to catch up is to encourage local companies to form joint ventures with foreign companies, to build capacity and transfer technology and knowhow. Until then, local companies are focussing on less value-added segments such as logistics, catering, local support etc. They compete aggressively, but for less than 5 percent of the market. If Myanmar companies can capture the value-added segments
There are 5 bilateral power grids trading over 2500MW in ASEAN, and 11 bilateral gas pipelines. Asia currently commands 28pc of world GDP, and it will command an estimated 52pc by 2030. More than half the worlds energy demand will come from Asia after 2030. But locally only 30pc of the population has access to grid electricity. Sufficient and reliable electricity is critical for the industrial sector and for foreign
In a recent ranking of generosity among the countries [World Giving Index 2013; available https://www. cafonline.org/publications/2013publications/world-givingindex-2013.aspx], America ranked highest, followed by Myanmar which tied for second place. I believe we can score even better. Myanmar people are famous for giving even when they don't always know what they'll be having for breakfast tomorrow, but Western people score better in term of making their donations sustainable. We need to learn from the West how to donate responsibly and make sure our CSR works benet society in a sustainable way. At Parami Energy, we try to avoid ceremonial donations and don't channel aid through brokers. Instead we engage. We invest heavily in education through our rural monastic schools program where we help rural kids who are the poorest of the poor get an education. We bring access to clean water for hospitals. We also engage in green activities. We are committed to planting 500,000 trees by 2015. That energy enables us to overcome the challenges we are facing now. What would you like to advise foreign energy companies about doing business here responsibly? First of all, Myanmar is not just hype. Myanmar has strong fundamentals for any business to come and invest. But success has two major ingredients. The rst is getting a good local partner who understands the system and the people. The second is thinking long-term and investing in society. Those with long-term views will nd great successes here. Around 90pc of Totals workforce here are locals.Daewoo helps build roads and schools. PTTEP helps people with training and education, and by building schools. Petronas puts Myanmar students through university. There are still lots of opportunities to be CSR role models in Myanmar, such as training local businesses on compliance and ethics. A competent workforce will help you achieve sustainable success.
More than half the world's energy demand will come from Asia after 2030 ... Sufficient and reliable electricity is critical.
them to make good decisions, acquire capabilities through tech transfer and knowhow, and manage joint ventures with world-class companies. We want to build pride in Myanmar for the way it is gaining respect internationally. How will other nations energy needs affect Myanmar? Myanmar is surrounded by energyhungry economies and regional blocs. With Shwes South East Asia Oil & Gas pipelines (SEAOP/SEAGP) to China and the Zawtika project, Myanmar becomes the largest exporter of gas in Southeast Asia, followed by Indonesia. The question is how the country can balance income from exports with energy independence for current and future generations. direct investment (FDI). We should focus on improving efficiency in generation and transmission while at the same time pushing for onshore exploration and development. I also believe privatepublic partnership arrangements will lead to less costly and more effective solutions. We also think the electricity law should be approved as soon as possible in order to address the issues properly. In the longer run, Myanmar can potentially become an electricityexporting country from hydropower and gas-red power generation. What issues need to be addressed urgently? It is important to execute the energy sector reform process inan inclusive, fair and transparent suspend it, given Myanmars great relationship with superpower China. But in this case a very large number of Myanmar people were badly affected, because social and poverty analysis was not done properly. So we need to come up with an agreement that is less one-sided. Now it falls to the environmentalists, professional bodies, multilaterals, various stakeholders and local society to argue the case against the project. I personally think that if the environmental and social costs far exceed the economic benets, any projects should be put under suspension. Can you describe your companys corporate social responsibility (CSR) work and tell us why you do what you do?
Approximate investment in Myanmar in 2013 on energy exploration alone, not counting development
$1
BILLION
Rays of hope
Indigo Energy is a recent startup bent on bringing low-cost electricity to homes in the delta, one solar panel at a time
HEIN HTET AuNg dragon.hein@gmail.com NERGY in Myanmar is often talked about in terms of billions of dollars, but some of the most exciting projects are happening on a smaller scale, where lives are changed in person one by one. While the government works to expand the national grid a massive undertaking, particularly in remote areas some smaller companies are instead focusing on what they call microgrids. By hooking up their houses or villages to sustainable sources of energy generated right in their own backyards, people can enjoy the benets of electricity immediately, without having to wait for the infrastructure of the national grid to reach them. Of course, these microgrids need to be self-sustaining. Thats where eco-friendly solutions from organisations like Indigo Energy come into play. Indigo Energy is a sustainable energy company started in September 2012 by young entrepreneur, engineer and managing director, Allen Himes. Its a small organisation just ve foreign and local employees, plus an intern but together the team members are using their skills to bring electricity to residents in the Ayeyarwady delta. Thanks to their projects, those who would otherwise rely on batteries or rewood are able to use solar power instead, freeing up their time, money and effort for other priorities. Originally from rural Mississippi, Himes a trained electrical engineer was living in Hong Kong when he decided to move to Myanmar. Everyone said its exciting and new, he said, remembering his decision to come. I was reading about Myanmar in the newspaper, and I was like, Ill go check it out and see whats happening. Assessing the country's energy shortfall, Himes originally intended to set up multi-megawattproducing wind power projects to generate electricity. In a country where hydropower and solid fuel generate most of the electricity, and where international money is pouring into lucrative oil and natural gas projects, sustainable resources like wind power are somewhat overlooked, and require relatively unfamiliar technologies for locals. But while the skill set was there, he said, securing the funding proved impossible, especially for such a small start-up company. Wind power for a solo entrepreneur is much more expensive than what we are doing right now. When I came here, I didn't really understand that. He says no matter how good your ideas or intentions are, its the nancial factor that sometimes determines your way forward. "I think I found my way to starting my business when I was reading a book about John D Rockefeller, Himes said, explaining how the famous American oil baron of the late 1800s always bought stock in his own companies, even when others wouldnt. That's the way I look at it. I think if I'm really condent, I should put in my own money. But it was convincing others that proved to be the problem. When you go visit the government, and you say, Hey, I want to do a big project, the rst thing they ask you is, How much money do you have and where does it come from? Being an entrepreneur, the point is that you can't really develop a project for nothing if you didn't bring any investors. Himes hasnt ruled out wind power entirely if I had the right partner then I would denitely be open to it but in the short term he's concentrating on a more affordable option: solar panels. Solar seems a natural t for Myanmar. It brings power access to those not on the grid and homes
can be hooked up quickly. Indigo has so far installed two solar projects, both in villages in the Ayeyarwady delta. The lowcost agreements allow residents to light their homes and charge their phones cheaply, saving them time and effort as well as money that would otherwise be spent on batteries or solid fuel sources a model Indigo hopes to spread. We want to work in the Ayeyarwaddy because we have pretty good relationships so far. We are also interested in Yangon Region, because it's pretty close, and probably upper Myanmar and going to the dry zone area. Is Indigo committing solely to solar? Not at the moment, but I would like to develop hydroelectric energy," Himes said, "because hydro has a couple of issues. One is that in the summer the water goes off, especially in the dry zones. Also we need enough water in the rst place, and many many places don't have water. This is the problem we are having and we need elevation to do that. Listing rocky Chin State as a possibile site for future work, he said the future for sustainable energy remains an uphill struggle. It is denitely possible to develop sustainable energy in Myanmar, but it's denitely not going to be easy. What we nd with the government is that they are quite enthusiastic about the world of electrication, but they don't really know how to help. Data sometimes takes six months to obtain, and that slows progress. There are also technical problems to solve. The team recently made a trip back to the delta to x one of its projects, which was only producing two-tothree hours worth of electricity, instead of the expected ve. Still, villagers are enjoying the new energy source, Himes said. And with Indigo looking to expand to other areas, the future seems bright for all concerned.
No money to burn
Unable to afford electricity, many rely on solid fuels such as charcoal instead
rosie.hanaint@yahoo.com
N the early morning I have to cook for my family, before they go off to work and to school, says Daw Shirley, 69. But if the electricity goes out, how can I do that? In the dark, I have to nd the candles and cant nish the cooking in time. Electricity in Yangon costs too much, Daw Shirley says and thats if its consistent. Usually, especially in the summer,it isnt. If the power goes out when she or anyone else in a country where less than 1 percent of the population receives consistent, reliable electricity is cooking, the halfboiled rice will be ruined. Thats why she chooses something else. Cooking with charcoal is better suited for me, Daw Shirley says. Charcoal wood heated without oxygen so its doesnt burn down costs around K5000 in Yangon for a 10-viss bag (16 kilograms, or 36 pounds). Thats enough to last ROSIE Daw Shirley and her family for more than a month, and costs less than the K9000 or K10,000 she estimates shed need for electricity each month. After cooking, she can also take the leftover hot coals, load them into her charcoal iron and press the familys clothes for the day. But not everyone can afford to buy in bulk. Many buy 1-viss bags instead. Even then, the price depends on what grade of charcoal they are buying. To make up the smaller portions, charcoal sellers break down a 10-viss bag, picking out the best pieces for one price range, the second-best for another, and then nally pouring out the tiny leftover bits to be sold to those who cannot afford larger pieces. Even though I use charcoal I cant buy the high-quality one, says Daw Thandar Moe, 33. So I buy the cheapest one, the lowest standard of charcoal. Its nearly dust. Still, she says, its only K200 or K250 per viss. Some who buy these cheaper bags pour off the water from their rice during cooking, mixing it with the dust to mould it into small bricks. Once it dries, it holds together almost like a new piece. Cooking with the charcoal is less smoky, and its a lower cost for me, says Daw Aye Aye Myint, 47. I have to cook for my children to have the food ready in time for them to go to school. Cooking with the charcoal is very useful and quick for me to cook. For some, neither option works. To be safe from a ow of electric current, you have to buy a good quality stove, said Daw Myint Myint, 55. Electricity is too much for me. Nor can she afford charcoal except on rare occasions, because her grown son has learning disabilities and neither of them can go out to work. Instead, each summer she harvests dried branches from trees that have sprouted on her compound since the previous year. I am cooking with wood, Daw Myint Myint says.
Charcoal sellers in Yangon sort different grades for different prices. Photo: Staff
AST November the Ministry of Electric Power announced the country would need 2370 megawatts (MW) during the 2014 hot season of March, April and May. "Currently," the ministry said, it produces "only 1655MW in maximum production." With only 26 percent of the country electried; with demand growing by 15 percent each year; and with nationwide consumption estimated to reach 10,000MW in 2020, there's just one question: Where is this electricity going to come from? Currently, Myanmar relies on hydropower plants for 75pc of its electricity. But hydro projects are major undertakings and cannot be completed in only a few short years. Until further hydroelectric dams are ready, the answer has to come from elsewhere. In the short term, two possible sources emerge: natural gas-red power plants and coal-red power plants. And since burning coal is an environmentally destructive act, widely condemned by environmentalists and the public at large, one one option is left: taking Myanmar's vast reserves of natural gas and turning them into the electricity needed to power the country into a new age. Gas-red power plants currently produce something less than one-quarter of total production. But the governments 10 existing gas-red power plants are ageing. While they're under survey for renovatations, and some are either ready or have had deals signed recently for repairs that will increase their output, it's clear that these 10 facilities can't go it alone nor can the government afford to simply build more. At least, not on its own. On March 6 The Myanmar Times visited one of the operational gasred power plants in the Yangon area. There are four governmentowned gas-red facilities nearby: Hlawga, Ywama (Insein), Thaketa and Ahlone. The latter is situated on the riverbank in Ahlone township, next to Strand Road and close to the citys downtown. The compound is quite big: Attached to it is a power transmission station, which sends the electricity generated at the plant out to homes and business. As you approach it you can see smokestacks rising from a distance, as if drilling into the sky;
Photo: Boothee Workers and technicians build parts of a new Toyo-Thai gas turbine power plant in Yangon's Ahlone township last week.
24MW maximum. Still, the aging turbines need proper maintenance to live up to their potential. At the end of last year, minor adjustments were made to the three gas turbines, bringing them up to about 110MW combined. But U Khin Maung Myint said the facility has put in a request for permission to have more maintenance carried out. The turbines, he says, are running all the time, and to keep it operating day and night requires nearly 100 employees working in shifts. Lately, though, the noise of the turbines has been blending with a different noise from the same compound: construction. Next to the government-owned turbines, a new gas-red power plant facility is partly complete at Ahlone. Its being built by ToyoThai, a joint venture between Italian-Thai Development and Toyo Engineering from Japan. Toyo-Thai has been granted a 30-year concession to the land, U Khin Maung Myint said, as part of a BOT (Build, Operate and Transfer agreement with the MOEP, U Khin
Maung Myint said. While the exact details of the power purchasing deal are unclear, the new privately run turbines at Ahlone are being fuelled just like their government-owned neighbours: by natural gas piped in from offshore. The capacity of Toyo-Thai's two turbines they're American-made, a product of General Electric (GE) combines to nearly three times that of their three ageing neighbours. The two turbines generate 84MW of electricity, said a Thai official from the site, adding that another steel turbine with a capacity of 24MW is still under construction. As with all steel turbines, that 24MW will be a bonus: The main prize, the two core turbines, are already in operation. In addition to the Toyo-Thai plant, four more private gas-red plants are set to go up in the Yangon area soon. With a combined US270 million invested by one local and three foreign companies, each has installed capacities of
The government-run gas turbine power plant in Ahlone township has been running for 15 years. Photo: Boothee
300MW. The turbines are currently ready to generate 240MW, but production is waiting on a power purchasing agreement to be worked out with the MOEP. While Ahlones existing gasred power plant belongs to the Myanmar Electric Power Enterprise (MEPE) under the Ministry of Electric Power, the nation's energy needs cross multiple government jurisdictions. We have to negotiate with the MOGE [Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise] for the gas supply. We handle the turbine loading in accordance with the gas supply from the MOGE, said one engineer. And while Ahlone's turbines are working 24/7 to meet the citys aggressive electricity demands, even then, the engineer said over the din, there are periods of slowdown. The electricity production of the turbines depends on the volume of the natural gas supply. Sometimes the volume goes lower due to some problems in the pipeline or at the offshore site. Then the turbines cannot re continuously. Production is stable when the natural gas comes in at a stable volume. In 2013, demand for natural gas for domestic use measured 700mmcfd. But less than half of that 300mmcfd could be supplied. And this year the MOE estimates domestic demand will rise to 425mmcfd. So while new gas turbines facilities have sprung up quickly under government guidance, and while the private facilities offer dramatic improvements in production, whether or not they will be able to bridge the nations energy gap until hydroelectric is ready to take over in the long term will come down to a classic case of economics. While more turbines will expand the potential for cheap, stable electricity, they will be dependent on efficient extraction of natural reserves. An actual boost to the national grid and a resulting decrease on electricity prices, for public, commercial and industrial use will therefore depend on factors further up the pipeline. Will the supply be there? One things for certain: There is no shortage of demand.
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HESE photos were taken at Htankhine and Da Hut Pin oil elds in Minhla township, Magwe Region. Private prospectors drill 15 to 300 metres (50 to 1000 feet) below the surface and use a valve system to extract whatever oil they can nd, selling it in 50-gallon (227-litre) drums for K118,000-K180,000 each. Oil wells have operated in the area for more than 100 years, and private contractors continue to ply their trade using old-fashioned methods in spite of giant multinational interests moving into Myanmars energy market. About 100,000 people have moved to Htakhine since it became operational in 2006, while 400,000 have been drawn to Da Htut Pin since it started operations early last year. In both cases, most of the new arrivals are from Mandalay, Magwe and Ayeyarwady regions. They rent land from farm owners who lease up to 100 plots per acre for K500,000-K1.2 million (US$500-$1200) each. Some drillers are losing money, but others say they are doing well. Satellite businesses have also bubbled up alongside the oil, with meat, fruit and vegetable markets, and even KTV and massage parlours, turning brisk prots in these shanty communities.
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