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THE INSIDER: The local lowdown & best of the web
Threat of attacks from the north Air squadrons across the border in Chinas northwestern Shaanxi province have claimed 21 lives so far this year, in an unprecedented offensive experts are attributing to favourable, warmer weather conditions. The killer wasps, thought to be Vespa mandarinia or Asian giant hornets, can grow to 2.2 inches in length and have prompted Chinese regional authorities to establish a 24-hour emergency response team. Able to travel at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour and armed with a sting that can bring about acute renal failure, a swarm of the wasps descended on a school in Guanxi province in September. The attack saw 30 people injured, including 23 primary school children between the ages of six and eight. The body of a victim whose life was claimed in a separate incident presented 200 individual stings, doctors said. The more you run, the more they want to chase you, a victim whose kidneys were ravaged by the venom told CNN. Last summer, some Asian giant hornets were spotted in Illinois. Wasp season in China runs from May to November. Mysterious wild monkey captured in Nay Pyi Taw The state-run New Light of Myanmar reported a possibly exciting development in the ecological taxonomy of central Myanmar, in their piece entitled Rare monkey caught in Zabuthiri Township. A monkey was successfully caught by employees of the township agriculture department and farmers at the 500-acre educative farm in Nyaunggyibinsu Village in Nay Pyi Taw Council area. The creature, described as three feet long gray monkey has white colour at its face, baffled experts from the agriculture department. We saw domestic monkey species at Yangon Zoological Gardens and Nay Pyi Taw Safari Park. But I have never seen this monkey. Indeed, it is too wild,, the New Light quoted a worker as saying. Arrangements are reportedly being made to hand the monkey over to the department concerned. Russia not ready to do battle in space, Moscow officials say It has been revealed that Russias Aerospace Defence troops are not equipped for intergalactic battle just yet, following a media conference at the Titov Main Test and Space Systems Control Centre near Moscow, Russias main satellite control centre. A journalist posed the question of extraterrestrial security and received a surprising answer from the centres deputy chief Sergey Berezhnoy. So far we are not capable of that. We are unfortunately not ready to fight extraterrestrial civilisations, RT Online quoted him as saying. Our centre was not tasked with it. There are too many problems on earth and near it, he added. Goodbye, Silk Road Online drug marketplace Silk Road has been taken down by the FBI, with its 29-year-old operator Ross William Ulbricht set to face charges of drug trafficking conspiracy, computer-related fraud and conspiracy to launder money. Allegations have also emerged of Ulbricht, web alias Dread Pirate Roberts, attempting to use the site to carry out two hits one of which was a setup by undercover operatives. Details on the second assassination order are murky, and is reportedly tied to an extortion attempt where a Silk Road user threatened to reveal private information of those on the site. The Silk Road was accessible only on the deep web, using an encryption service such as the TOR network. The fallibility of such services, intended to provide users with anonymity online, has come under fire in light of the busts. The Silk Road shutdown comes just weeks after its direct competitor Atlantis went offline.
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Chit Snow Oo for NOW! magazine. Photo: Pyay Han (Colormax)
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RAKHINE VIOLENCE
News 3
CONTINUED FROM NEWS 1 It was in the afternoon and more Rakhine were coming up again to burn more homes. We left our mothers body. All we know is that it was taken to the hospital in the evening by the authorities. We still havent been back to our house yet. The trauma of being targeted by the deadly mob has already become clear. I cant sleep and I cant eat. I cant be at peace in my mind when I think about how they killed a sick woman who was almost 100 years old, Daw Zaw Lay Kha said. The violence, Muslims said, was far from spontaneous. Only Muslim houses were burned. It was very easy to see which house was Muslim because Buddhists hung their religious flags in front of their homes a few days before it happened, said Daw Aye Kyis granddaughter, Daw Mi Mi Khaing. Unable to move quickly, the elderly represented easy prey for attackers. U Adu Samat, 89, was also among the dead. He lived together with his youngest son, said U Myo Win, another of his sons. When it happened, my father was alone at home. He tried to escape but he couldnt run like everyone else because of his age and poor health. He was caught and killed. We found his body in the evening. Father-of-three U Myint Lwin, 48, was the youngest victim of the mob. He [U Myint Lwin] urged us to run away when the outbreak started, said his wife, Daw Tin Tin Lay, 48. As we were fleeing, he hurried back on his own to set our cattle free. We didnt see his body. Someone else found it and told us [he] had been killed as he was leaving the house. The family home is now little more than a pile of ashes and the tense situation makes it dangerous to go near their farmland. We found nothing left. Everything was burned. We havent found our cattle yet. Now we are staying in our relatives house in another part of the village, Daw Tin Tin Lay said. Our farms are in the other side of our village, close to a Rakhine village. My eldest son just passed the matriculation exam this year and our younger two daughters are still at school. I dont know what do. Another Muslim farmer, U Adu Miyar, was also killed in Thabuchai violence. We were having lunch at that time, said his daughter, Ma Yin May Than, 24. Our father urged all of us to run away. He was alone and they stabbed him with a sharp pole.
THE tranquil beaches for which Thandwe is famed were as pristine as ever last week, the waves continuing to lap the golden sand. But just miles inland the atmosphere was anything but peaceful. The township has become the latest setting for brutal violence between Buddhists and Muslims. A September 28 quarrel sent Buddhist mobs on a rampage through the town and nearby villages, such as Pauktak, Shwe Hlay and Thabuchai, where they torched 90 homes and killed five people including a 95-year-old woman and an 89-year-old man leaving another four wounded. A Mosque and an Islamic school were among the buildings destroyed. The violence was mostly under control by the time President U Thein Sein flew in on October 2, on the last day of his first official visit to the state as Myanmars leader. But in a final warning shot, Rakhine Buddhists torched the house of a Muslim in Thandwe as the president rested just 5 kilometres (3 miles) away at Ngapali. Government officials including President U Thein Sein were quick to blame outsiders for the rapid escalation in violence.
[The police] fired above us, stopping us from defending ourselves. Then they let Rakhine people burn our homes.
U Nay Win Thabuchai village resident
In a speech at Annawa Hall in Thandwe on October 3, the president noted the violence broke out just prior to his visit and said he was suspicious of the motives of those who turned a trivial argument and ordinary crime into racial and religious clashes. External motives instigated violence and conflicts. According to the evidence in hand, rioters who set fire to the villages are outsiders, he said. Participation of all is needed to expose and arrest those who got involved in the incident and those instigating the conflict behind the scene.
Only then can [the] root cause of the problem be addressed ... Action will be taken in accord with the law, without discrimination on the grounds of race and religion. Six people have been arrested so far, including the head of the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party (RNDP) office in Thandwe township. Thandwe is normally always such a quiet place, Rakhine State Chief Minister U Hla Maung Tin told The Myanmar Times in Thabuchai village on October 3. I think the outbreak occurred because of outside stimulation. We have to find out whether political parties were deliberately involved. But Muslims in Thabuchai, where five people were killed on October 2, accused some local police of being complicit in the violence. We were afraid not only of Rakhine people but also the police. They fired above us, stopping us from defending ourselves. Then they let Rakhine people burn our houses, said U Nay Win, 53. They accused political parties of inciting the violence. Parties are using religious and ethnic ideology as a stepping stone on their political journey. [The parties] have been active for the past few months there have been new religious and ethnic [Rakhine] movements developing in Thandwe, said schoolteacher U Myo Win, whose 89-year-old father was killed on October 2. The violence in Thabuchai left 180 people homeless, including 42 Muslim households whose homes were
destroyed, and 11 Rakhine families who fled fearing reprisals. High-ranking officials from the regional government and Ministry of Defense visited Thabuchai village on October 3 and warned that residents could face legal action. But they rejected any suggestion that police had been complicit in the violence. There are no members of our police force who would fail to do their duty in that way, Police Lieutenant Colonel Kyaw Tint, the head of Thandwe police, said in response to the accusations. They are just accusations. If any police official is found to be involved in the violence, they will be punished. The six arrested people were taken to the local court on October 3. Police have refused to release details of the charges and stopped journalists from taking photos. The detainees are being held at Thandwe prison. A police colonel based in Thandwe told The Myanmar Times on October 4 that the investigation into the violence is
being handled by a special unit he described it as a secret mission from the regional police force. There are indications, however, that the unrest may be far from over. Following the court hearing, Democratic Voice of Burma quoted a spokesperson from the RNDP office in Thandwe as saying that it would respond seriously if the six arrested people are not released within 24 hours. Media reports quoted the partys chairman, U Aye Maung, calling on the government to release details of the charges against the six people and questioning whether the government had broken the law in suppressing those details. The situation in Thandwe was quiet but tense as The Myanmar Times went to press. [The charges] are a sore point for Rakhine people. The authorities didnt charge Muslims for insulting our religion and ethnicity, said one Buddhist Rakhine resident from Thandwe, before warning, This issue cannot stop here it will go on.
4 News
OPINION
I lost two of my brothers-in-law but no criminal has been arrested, U Aung Win said. There are no investigations. I have heard nothing about any [person being] arrested for [the deaths] of my brothers-in-law. Police, they just stand and stare when these things happen. The father-of-three said restrictions on freedom of movement have separated him from his children and his own father.
Police, they just stand and stare when these things happen.
U Aung Win Muslim resident of Sittwe
The recent outbreak of violence in Thandwe, an area of Rakhine State with few Rohingya, shows the conflict has made all Muslims in the state a potential target for Buddhist extremists. U Nyi Nyi, a Kaman Muslim, told
The Myanmar Times he now lives in fear for his life. Many Kaman [Muslims] are now in hiding in the forest. There are not even enough security forces for us to collect the dead, U Nyi Nyi said from Kaung Kin Thitsar village in Thandwe township. While there have been widespread allegations of security forces not properly protecting Muslims, U Nyi Nyi said he had not personally witnessed any bias from the police. He said, however, that the security forces were too thinly spread to provide proper protection. Rakhine government spokesperson U Win Myaing defended the actions of the states security forces, saying that wild mobs overwhelmed police stations and police officers on the streets. This is because of democracy that people are acting like this. They can demonstrate and now people think they can do as they wish, U Win Myaing said, adding that inflammatory media reporting also played a part in stirring up extremism. The Myanmar media reported that the Organisation of Islamic [Cooperation] was coming to Rakhine, and then the [people] make trouble.
6 News
UNITED States ambassador to Myanmar Derek Mitchell has warned that the international community will not ignore the plight of Muslims affected by communal violence in Myanmar, which he said threatens the countrys economic development and reform efforts. Mr Mitchell told The Myanmar Times in Yangon on October 2 that the unrest is causing instability and damage to the countrys reputation that could deter foreign firms from entering and investing in Myanmar. I think [the violence] is holding the country back as it is harming the
countrys reputation. It is affecting the development of the country and affecting businesses, he said. He emphasised that the international community will not turn a blind eye to the violence directed at Muslims and called for greater accountability for those responsible. About 250 people have been killed and more than 140,000 left homeless since the first oubreak of violence in June 2012. We are deeply disturbed by the continuing violence against the Muslim community and we see there needs to be much more [done] in terms of security and in terms of responsiveness by local authorities, by the government, and hope people are held strictly accountable for these actions, he said. [I]nternational organisations will not look away from [the impact of the
violence] and we will not ignore [it]. [I]n Rakhine State in particular we still have people living in terrible conditions in IDP camps, without livelihoods and increasing difficulties for international organisations to bring them humanitarian assistance.
There needs to be much more done in terms of security and responsiveness by local authorities.
Derek Mitchell US ambassador to Myanmar
He called on political, religious and civil society leaders to work harder to counter extremist voices. There need to be more powerful voices from civil society, the government and religious leaders to oppose this [violence] unconditionally and hold people accountable, he said. I think it is a very deep-seated problem There is a question over whether [the violence] is an organised effort or [has an] organisation behind it. For many, the 969 movement has become the public face of anti-Muslim extremism. Mr Mitchell acknowledged it is a sensitive issue but said the international community is concerned that the movement preaches an exclusive view of Buddhism [that is] intolerant of other faiths. We recognise that 969 is deeply felt as the representation of Buddhist faith. We respect people cherishing
and celebrating the Buddhist faith. I think there has to be clarification from the leaders of that movement and others who celebrate Buddhism how [969] connects to the broader ethics of this country, which is tolerance and coexistence. There is no way this country, a new Myanmar, will succeed if that sense of tolerance and coexistence [disappears]. Mr Mitchells Indian counterpart, Gautam Mukhopadhaya, said people in Rakhine State must find a way to settle their problems peacefully. I think the message of Gandhi is very clear, he said on the sidelines of a ceremony in Yangon for International Day of Non-Violence, which marks the 144th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi. All violence is abhorrent and if there are issues we should find a way of settling them without resorting to violence.
UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Foreign Minister U Wunna Maung Lwin shakes hands with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon before their meeting at the UN headquarters in New York on October 1. Photo: AFP
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News 7
EI EI TOE LWIN
eieitoelwin@gmail.com
PARLIAMENTARY speaker Thura U Shwe Mann has praised ethnic Rakhine people for safeguarding Myanmars western border, as Rakhine representatives called for temporary ID cards to be scrapped and the right to form a peoples militia. During a meeting with members of the Rakhine community in Yangon on September 29, Thura U Shwe Mann said parliamentarians have a responsibility to support the Rakhine people. Its not enough to praise [Rakhine people] with words. Lets cooperate to carry out our duties for the development of Rakhine State, and to physically and mentally support the people, Thura U Shwe Mann said. He also urged respect for the efforts of the Rakhine people to safeguard the countrys land and maritime boundaries. Its not an easy task to take care of national sovereignty, territorial integrity, culture, traditions, customs and religion, he said. I appreciate the attempts of the Rakhine people to protect Myanmar ... despite the difficulties. Rakhine representatives used
the meeting to explain the difficulties and challenges they face in regard to security, the rule of law, immigration, education and health. They also said that parts of the state, particularly Maungdaw, Buthidaung and parts of Sittwe township, have been occupied by illegal immigrants. Illegal immigrants are using boats to enter Rakhine State
I appreciate the attempts of the Rakhine people to protect Myanmar ... despite the difficulties.
Thura U Shwe Mann Pyidaungsu Hluttaw speaker
through creeks and rivers before the national census in 2014, said lawyer U Bo Min Phyu. He urged the speaker to take action by bolstering the states security forces and scrutinising individuals holding temporary identity cards, also known as white cards. White cards were not provided for in the 2008 constitution, nor
were they released in 1982, the lawyer said. White cards are unlawful. Furthermore, Rakhine representatives called for the establishment of a peoples militia to protect the state themselves. Well guard against all, making ourselves safe, said Sittwe lawyer U Thar Pwint. Its fair for us to defend ourselves and our country in our own right. He also called on Thura U Shwe Mann to do all he could to solve the unrest that has wracked Rakhine State since the outbreak of communal violence in June 2012. The parliamentary speaker promised to submit a report outlining all of the concerns raised at the meeting to the Presidents Office and parliament. He conceded that there is still no rule of law or peace in Rakhine State. If [someone] asks if there is an atmosphere of peace, tranquillity or rule of law in Rakhine State [the answer is] no, Thura U Shwe Mann said. He also promised to take action against officials failing to follow the law, or violating it. I believe that inviting us to this meeting means that you trust and rely on both me and members of parliament, he said. Our country was left behind for many years because we didnt trust each other and lacked cooperation. Lets build trust, cooperate and work together for the development of the state.
Thura U Shwe Mann speaks at a meeting with Rakhine civil society leaders in Yangon on September 29. Photo: Boothee
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A soldier stands guard outside Thandwe Airport as President U Thein Sein arrives on October 2. President U Thein Sein is greeted on arrival at Thandwe Airport on October 2. Relatives of 48-year-old U Myint Lwin daughter Htet Htet Lwin (left) and wife Daw Tin Tin Lay explain how he was killed by a Buddhist mob in Thabuchai village on October 2. Soldiers deploy in Thandwe township on October 2. A man examines the remains of a Muslim school, or madrassa, in Thabuchai village that was destroyed by a mob on October 2. An elderly resident of Thabuchai village looks on as government officials, including Rakhine State Chief Minister U Hla Maung Tin, speak to them about the violence on October 3. A resident of Thabuchai stands beside the destroyed madrassa. Muslim residents of Thandwe townships Lin Thee village stand inside their homes on October 2. Daw Zaw Lay Kha (left) describes how her mother, Daw Aye Kyi, 95, died on October 2, as another relative breaks down in tears. Photos: Kaung Htet
10 News BRIEFS
Weather warning SMS service on the way
Weather forecasts and early warnings about severe weather will be distributed to the public via short message system, or SMS, by end of the year, a Department of Metrology and Hydrology official said last week. Director U Chit Kyaw said the free subscription service is a collaborative project between the department and the Myanmar Red Cross Society and American Red Cross that will advance disaster risk reduction efforts in Myanmar. We are planning to implement that project between October and December. Storm news, earthquake news and information about how to be safe before, during and after a disaster will help the public, he said. The user will also be provided with a link to the department website where they can find other useful information. U Chit Kyaw said the SMS messages will be in the Myanmar language. Aye Sapay Phyu
Representatives turned the spotlight on city development issues in the seventh session of the Mandalay Region Hluttaw, which was held between September 12 and 26. Of the 201 questions put by members during the session, 64 concerned city issues such as street cleaning, the maintenance of roads and bridges, construction issues and squatting. The relevant ministries answered the questions, saying they would meet the concerns expressed in accordance with their budget, said U Thein Hla, representative for Pyigyitagun 2. During the session, bills relating to gem cutting and polishing and animal breeding were passed, and revised budget estimates were approved. Out of 12 proposals, 10 were passed and the remainder recorded in the hluttaw, Mandalay Region Hluttaw Speaker U Win Maung said. Si Thu Lwin, translated by Zar Zar Soe
Yangons Southern District Court heard details concerning the murder of a woman by decapitation on July 15. The suspects were charged on August 14 over the murder of Daw Sein Than in a betel nut plantation in the Southern District Court. Police allege that the three suspects, who were arrested on July 17, were hired by another man for K5 million to murder Daw Sein Than following a dispute over the ownership of farmland. Aung Kyaw Min
25%
HelpAge has piloted grassrootsbased elderly empowerment projects in 200 locations that have opened a window of opportunity for both rural and urban older people to regain dignity and financial independence.
Police in 44 townships in Yangon Region distributed pamphlets door to door in an effort to help people protect themselves against crime, a Yangon Region spokesperson for the force said. The handouts included warnings about how to recognise and take precautionary measures against those who pose a threat to society, such as the mentally unstable, the greedy, the licentious and the hostile. Women were cautioned to keep their doors locked, to not let strangers into their homes and to never stay alone in a house. The October 1 campaign was part of Myanmar Police Force Day. - Aung Kyaw Min
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News 11
It is very important to get an agreement so that [political] dialogue can be held starting in early 2014.
U Hla Maung Shwe Peace facilitator
and ethnic armed groups, have been invited as observers. U San Aung, a member of Peacetalk Creation Group based in Myitkyina, said the government should be prepared to offer the KIO guarantees of political dialogue. The KIO dont trust the government. The government has to try to build trust, or I dont think the KIO will sign a ceasefire agreement, he said. The long-running conflict is thought to have displaced more than 100,000 people since fighting broke out in June 2011.
Former residents of Mee Kyaung Kan ward protest in downtown Yangon on October 2. Photo: Zarni Phyo
Lawyer U Phoe Phyu is assisting farmers in Ayeyarwady Region in a civil suit against representatives of an agricultural company. Photo: Christopher Davy
HUNDREDS of demonstrators camping opposite downtown Yangons High Court building ended a roundthe-clock demonstration on October 5, after MPs agreed to raise their land confiscation complaint with the military. The demonstrators agreed to call off their protest, launched on October 2, after a three-hour meeting with the Pyithu Hluttaw representatives for South Okkalapa and Ahlone, U Aung Thein Linn and U Khine Maung Yi. The MPs are both members of a land dispute investigation commission set up by the parliament. They promised us that they are going to discuss [our complaint] with military officials as soon as possible and will give us a solution, demonstrator U Sein Than told The Myanmar Times on October 5. Thats why we agreed to cancel our protest today. Police had earlier warned that the demonstrators would likely face charges under section 18 of the peaceful protest law for their protest, which was held without prior permission. The demonstrators, who are evicted residents from Mee Gyaung Kan ward in Thingangyun township, had refused to disperse until authorities acted on their land-grab claims. As they are protesting without permission, we are going to take action
against them under section 18, Yangon Region Minister for Border Affairs General Tin Win said. We told them to cancel their protest and solve the problem by peaceful means. We invited them to show proof for their claims, such as grants for the lands when they lived in Mee Gyaung Kan. But no one has come to us with documents, he said. Asked about rumours of a possible police crackdown on the demonstrators, the minister responded that police would resolve this in accordance with the peaceful assembly and peaceful protest law. We will decide to arrest them or to charge them under section 18 depending on their response. We have already explained what the possible consequences of their illegal protest are. We told them to go home, show us their documents and wait for our answers, General Tin Win said. Police Colonel Thet Lwin denied rumours that the police were contemplating dispersing the camp by force. Most of the protesters are women and older people. We would not use force against a group like that, Pol Col Thet Lwin. There were still some casualties in the demonstrators camp. An elderly woman suffered a stroke after spending the night at the site and is in hospital. Six other people are also receiving medical treatment, protesters said. The Yangon Region authorities have stationed two ambulances near the camp and are providing medicine to the protesters, police said. While the protesters say they were
forcibly evicted without compensation, Daw Khin May Aye, deputy director of the Department of Human Settlement and Housing Development, said compensation was paid for the land 20 years ago. The disputed lands were owned by the Ministry of Railways initially. We took over the lands from the ministry and transferred them to the military in 1990. DHSHD has no documentation to show that these people owned the land, she said. If they have such documents, they can show them to us. We can solve this problem only when they come to us. But one protester, U Kyaw Lwin, told The Myanmar Times on October 4 that the government was trying to turn back the clock by claiming that the demonstrators have not approached them. We showed the authorities our documents right at the beginning. We started protesting in January because they did not respond. We protested seven times without response, which is why we have made a permanent protest, he said. There was no invitation from the authorities to provide documents, and there was no discussion about our protest. All they have done is just to order us to cancel our protest. That was kind of threatening. No one has come to us to solve the problem. We dont want to wait anymore, U Kyaw Lwin said. If we listen to them and go home, they will report our case to higher and higher levels and it will take a long time. When will we get a solution?
we had been paying tax. We had to because of the officials from Settlements and Land Records Department. And a year later, they evicted us from our plantations and farmlands, saying we were farming them illegally, said U Ba Khway, 65, of Watawkwin village.
The number of farmers involved in the civil suit against representatives of Myo Kyaw Lin company
88
No one got any compensation. And they evicted us while we were farming at that time, said U Zaw Naing from Myoe Gone village. But state hluttaw MP U Thein Tun said he was not involved in the land grab. In 2006-07, I was head of the township administration office. A township administrator does not have the authority to seize the land. I am not involved in the dispute they mention. I did not grab their lands and I dont have [an agriculture] business, said U Thein Tun. The managing director of Myo Kyaw Lin declined to comment when contacted by The Myanmar Times last week.
12 News
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Children and soldiers participate in a candle-lighting ceremony for peace in Manila on September 28. Photo: AFP
ITS a strange world. Over the past fortnight, front-page headlines have focused on a brutal terrorist attack at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenyas capital. Al Shabab guerrillas, fighting to set up an Islamist state in neighbouring Somalia, infiltrated the shopping centre and murdered more than 70 civilians. Of course, it was shocking and deserved to be covered at length in the worlds press. But a similar episode, which began three weeks ago and still continues in the southern Philippine city of Zamboanga, has rated fewer headlines and yet wreaked far greater death and destruction. Whatever the reason for the skewed coverage, the carnage in Zamboanga has more significance for this region, especially for countries like Myanmar and Thailand, which also have large and disaffected Muslim communities.
The Zamboanga siege began when hundreds of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) fighters landed by boat and stormed into the city, taking hostages and occupying several waterfront districts, which they still hold today. More than 150 people have been killed, buildings have been torched and destroyed, and about 120,000 residents have been forced to seek refuge elsewhere. Parts of the city, a major port and trading centre with a population of nearly 1 million, remain a war zone where bodies are left to rot on the streets. The stench is said to be unbearable. Last week, another Muslim rebel group, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, assaulted Midsayap, a town in central Mindanao. Again, hostages were taken and gun battles and deaths followed. Yet the worlds media still paid scant attention. That may change, however, if not only Zamboanga and Midsayap but also other cities go up in flames. What now looks sure to go up in flames is Philippine President Benigno Aquinos framework agreement to grant the Muslim region greater autonomy and thus bring peace and stability.
Unfortunately, this agreement, signed last October with the most powerful Muslim group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), has had the opposite effect carnage and discord have ensued. The problem is that Aquino dealt only with the dominant MILF, thinking the other dissident groups were in decline and could be marginalised. He was mistaken. And now, with their assaults on Zamboanga and Midsayap and elsewhere, and the miniinvasion of Sabah earlier this year, they are proving him wrong. Aquino belatedly sought to draw the others into the peace process, but it was too late and anyway the more assertive MILF would have resisted such a move. Its chief negotiator, vice chairman Ghazali Jaafar, is an astute operator, as I discovered when spending time with him at his base just outside Cotabato City. After inking the agreement with Aquino, Ghazali said, We are very happy. We thank the president for this. And why not? They got the whole pie and have no intention of giving any of it up. So what to do? The rebel groups
are all heavily armed and their men are seasoned veterans who have been waging secessionist campaigns for decades and who will not easily be brought to one table. The sad prospect is for more Zamboanga-style bloodshed and mass destruction that will make Kenyas Westgate Mall tragedy seem a rather petty affair. After all, consider the relatively minor attack on Midsayap. It was the work of a group that split from the MILF for the same reason as the MILF split from the MNLF because they would not settle for limited autonomy. Ghazalis men wanted more, and they got it under the agreement with Aquino, but it was still limited in that national security and foreign policy will remain under Manilas control. Muslim hardliners cannot stomach that, and wanting nothing less than full independence, they broke away and formed the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and began their own violent campaign. So its a mess. And Aquinos much lauded peace agreement, which has ended up causing havoc and bloodshed, is now sadly destined to bite the dust.
LETTERS
Dear Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, I hope you had a pleasant and fruitful stay while you were here in Singapore. Your visit appears to have been a busy one, meeting the Burmese diaspora, giving lectures, going on official visits and meeting the city-states leaders. Your recent visit to the island has all the markers of a state visit, with the Singapore government playing host. But I am certain that you are aware of the fact that for years, the administration that had been warm and gracious toward you is also the administration that had propped up the State Peace and Development Council government while the latter was carrying out atrocious acts against its citizens, including yourself. Singapores support of the repressive regime in Burma has today borne fruit. The latter is opening up your resource-rich country for investment. The Singapore government is authoritarian and non-transparent. It has arrested, tried, bankrupted and jailed dissenting voices for decades. It has taken away fundamental freedoms from the individual, such as that of peaceful public assembly and expression, in order to achieve the living standards that you alluded to on your visit here. Singapore was the main proponent of the ASEAN Way, which called for non-interference, informality, minimal institutionalisation, consultation and consensus, non-use of force and non-confrontation of ASEAN members. These principles provided some ASEAN governments with the ideal excuse not to speak out against your house arrest and other gross human rights violations committed in Burma. In contrast, opposition leaders in the region, such as Cambodias Sam Rainsy, Malaysias Tian Chua, Hong Kongs Martin Lee and Singapores Chee Soon Juan, have all lent their voices to advocating for change in Burma, especially for the release of political prisoners. Four of my colleagues from the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) and I were arrested in 2007 during the Saffron Revolution for protesting against the Singapore governments involvement in Burma. I have no doubt that the liberty, justice and equality that Burmese citizens have been struggling for the same freedoms that advocates living in Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Malaysia are striving for are still your highest priorities. Thus, I humbly ask that you join those of us who have been speaking up for Burma to speak up for all. Sincerely yours, Chee Siok Chin Alliance for Reform and Democracy in Asia (ARDA), Singapore
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A refugee from the Mae La camp on the Thai-Myanmar border. Photo: AFP
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News 13
THE Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and communitybased organisations working on Myanmar refugee issues have not always seen eye to eye. Community-based organisations in the past have criticised the UNHCR for not being transparent about its discussions with the governments of Myanmar and Thailand over their plans for the refugees. The community groups also believe it has not recognised the important role they can play in the planning and decision-making processes leading to the eventual return of refugees to Myanmar. These community groups are comprised of refugees themselves and are the best allies the agency can have to fulfil its mandate effectively and efficiently. But CBOs perform a number of additional valuable functions. They have taken the lead in raising awareness about the rights of refugees and international standards for voluntary repatriation, while also highlighting the importance of inclusiveness and transparency. They are in a position to advocate with the Myanmar government, which is more likely than the Thai government to attempt larger informal involuntary repatriation in the name of pilot projects. They can also communicate information from non-state armed groups, who also support voluntary repatriation and whose role will be significant when repatriation occurs, but who cannot be identified as official parties in the UNHCR framework. Finally, CBOs can also help identify partner organisations in areas within Myanmar to which refugees are likely to return. How will repatriation work? When the process eventually begins, the UNHCR will be party to a tripartite agreement signed with the governments of Myanmar and Thailand. All three core stakeholders say they uphold the principle of voluntary repatriation, and have agreed not to attempt to accelerate the process of repatriation or pressure refugees into
returning to Myanmar. All stakeholders agree in principle that now is not the time for the estimated 160,000 refugees on the Thailand-Myanmar border to be repatriated, as no one is confident that such an ambitious process can be safely undertaken at present. In the meantime, the UNHCRs mandate is to protect the rights of refugees and to continue advocating for voluntary repatriation. It plays a vital role in preventing both governments from acting unilaterally and this role will become even more important once the tripartite agreement is signed. However, activities that directly or indirectly undermine the principle of voluntary repatriation have occurred. For instance, there have been reports of Thai army officials visiting Nu Po refugee camp and asking refugees informally to return home to Burma, promising that they would ensure that the Tatmadaw doesnt come to those areas.
The UNHCR should try to listen to all relevant voices, including the full spectrum of community groups.
Another attempt was made by a Tatmadaw commander, who said that housing would be built for families returning to his area of control. The offer came shortly after Myanmar police from Tachilek in Shan State visited Koung Jor, a Shan refugee camp in Thailands northern Chiang Mai province. Such informal attempts by authorities on both sides of the border to repatriate refugees generally isolated incidents that occur without broad consensus by relevant parties must be halted immediately. Refugees rely upon the UNHCR to highlight these incidents as part of its mandate. The UNHCR must not fear upsetting the apple cart: Its role is to speak out against infringements or irresponsible activities by the governments or armies of Thailand and
Myanmar. Instead, it has been CBOs who have spoken out. However, recent progress has been made as a result of cooperation between UNHCR and community groups. These groups efforts to advocate for voluntary repatriation have been enhanced by the UNHCRs limited but improved recognition of their role in the process. The UNHCR has recently introduced a channel for accommodating the input of community groups in the form of stakeholder meetings involving not only CBOs and the UNHCR but also non-government organisations, refugee committees and camp committees. This forum was held for the fourth time in Mae Sariang on August 21 and has enabled community groups to ensure that their role is officially recognised in the UNHCR coordination mechanism for voluntary repatriation. While these stakeholder meetings are a fruitful initiative and represent positive collaboration, they have been undermined by a variety of challenges. These include not only logistical issues, such as language barriers, travel restrictions and CBOs lack of resources, but also a lingering lack of trust and understanding between different stakeholders. The UNHCR should try to listen to all relevant voices, including the full spectrum of community groups working on refugee issues, and be transparent in terms of its own activities. These are early days and the fact that coordination attempts are happening at all is testament to a growing recognition of the role that each party plays. Both the UNHCR and CBOs should appreciate that they are working for the same cause namely, advocating for voluntary repatriation, acting as a check and balance on the Myanmar and Thai authorities and, most importantly, protecting refugees and will be more effective if they support each other. If they do, both parties can expect to build on the recent rapprochement to the benefit of the most important stakeholder: the refugees themselves.
Khin Ohmar is the coordinator of Burma Partnership, a network of regional and Myanmar civil society organisations supporting the collective efforts of all peoples working towards democracy, peace, justice and human rights in Myanmar.
BARELY a year after his historic trip to Myanmar last November, United States President Barack Obama was scheduled to be have been back in Southeast Asia this week for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Indonesia and the East Asia Summit in Brunei. That trip is now off due to a budget impasse and continued gridlock in Washington. Regardless of his troubles back home, Obama would no doubt have been welcomed with the appropriate respect and ceremony that Asian hospitality and diplomatic protocol would dictate for any American head of state. However, Asian views on American leadership have not necessarily been positive of late given flip-flops on Syria and a failure to negotiate a budget deal that would have prevented the partial shutdown of the US federal government. That does not bode well for the so-called pivot to Asia the rebalance in US foreign policy toward the region. This is a region where there remains tremendous respect for not just thoughtful but also strong and decisive leaders. Singapore statesman Lee Kuan Yew, who as prime minister oversaw dramatic economic development in just a few decades and who recently celebrated his 90th birthday, is a leading example. But with Obamas on-again, offagain approach to Syria dominating the headlines, as well as his ongoing struggles and face-off with Congress, one can well understand some Asian leaders quiet concerns about Americas attention span and focus, particularly in the context of Chinas rise. Even as Obama scaled back and then cancelled his presidential trip, Chinese President Xi Jinpingwas beginning with great fanfare his own first trip to Southeast Asia since taking office as Chinas leader in March. Ironically, as foreign businesspeople continue to take steps to understand Chinas shifting landscape and the implications of recent leadership changes in the worlds second largest economy, Obama has provided an unfortunate teaching moment about what is arguably, along with money and power, one of the three great motivators in modern China. That is the concept of face, or mianzi, according to Scott D Seligman, a historian, former Fortune 500 business executive and author of Chinese Business Etiquette. In Chinese, as in English, the definition of face includes that space between a persons forehead and chin ones eyes, nose and mouth. But as Seligman explains, for the Chinese and many others in Asia, face also describes a somewhat intangible concept that is tied to notions of personal dignity and respect. Losing face in Asia can have a lot more consequence than a bit of momentary embarrassment. People think of you differently. Credibility erodes. Power, prestige, influence and even expectations of your abilities can decline. Just more than a year ago, Obama drew his red line in the sand. We have been very clear to the Assad regime, but also to other players on the ground, that a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of
chemical weapons moving around or being utilised, Obama said. That would change my calculus. That would change my equation. So what happened? Chemical weapons were used and Obamas bluff was called. A non-response would have been a huge loss of face to the US president. But as the American public and numerous members of the US Congress made clear, the president had failed to make a strongenough case for military action. And so, the president did an about-face on whether or not he needed to have Congress authorise what seemed to be a potential strike of ever-shrinking size. That was before he changed his mind again and welcomed a decision to delay a possible vote. All of this may well have been seen by Obama and his defenders as a face-saving way out of a dilemma of his own making but the view from Asia was of a leader who was far from decisive. Russia has shrewdly stepped into the breach by proposing an agreement that would avert a US military strike. Make no mistake though. Russian President Putin was not practising the Chinese concept of giving face described by Seligman as the practice of enhancing someone elses esteem through compliments, flattery or a show of respect. Putin was helping to keep Assad in power in the near term and reassert Russian influence in the Middle East.
One can quite understand some Asian leaders concerns about Americas attention span and focus.
If the US can be outmanoeuvred by Russia when it comes to Syria, what about by an increasingly assertive China in Southeast and East Asia? As much of the region comes to terms with Chinas economic and military growth, a US that moves beyond issues of face and complements defence and diplomacy with greater commercial, educational and cultural engagement would be welcome in Asia. The concept of face, Seligman says, is the reason why a Chinese manager will stick stubbornly to an announced policy, even when subsequent events prove it to have been irretrievably misguided and a Western boss would have long since reversed it. In the case of Obama and Syria, we may well have the worst of East and West stubborn insistence by Obama that he does have a consistent, well-planned policy when the world sees otherwise. Seligman writes that no one can say how much money has been wasted, how many people toppled from power or how many friendships have been destroyed over the abstract concept of face. But as those of us who work in Asia know, and the people of Syria may well ultimately find out, face can also be deadly serious business.
Curtis S Chin served as US ambassador to the Asian Development Bank under presidents Barack Obama and George W Bush, and is managing director of advisory firm RiverPeak Group, LLC.
14 News
DECADES of conflict between government forces and local armed groups have taken a terrible toll on the residents of Kachin State. A recent conference in Yangon has drawn attention to one particular group of victims whose right to safety and demands for accountability is often overlooked: women. Women are not sexual servants. Women are human, Daw Shwe Shwe Sein Latt of the Womens Organization Network told more than 400 participants at the Myanmar Womens Forum, which was organised by the network and the Womens League of Burma and held from September 20 to 22. Network member Daw Susanna Hla Hla Soe said that many women in embattled Kachin State have in addition to losing family members and homes suffered sexual abuse during the course of the conflict, which is often described as the worlds longest civil war. While the top priority must be stopping the conflict itself, Daw Susanna Hla Hla Soe said the next step should be to investigate offenders and bring them to trial before a court of law, and also to ensure victims stories are heard. We need criminal justice to bring relief to the victims, the women who have suffered terrible pain in the civil war, she said. It has been 64 long years of suffering for women because of criminal violence in the Kachin conflict area. Womens groups at the forum called for, at minimum, public confessions and apologies from those found to have abused women. But they also said that shining a light on these crimes is difficult because political parties are reluctant to delve into the military governments past actions. Our people have got in the habit of forgetting their pain easily. But [it] is not easy [for the victims] to forget,
because it is something they will be dealing with for their whole lives, Daw Susanna Hla Hla Soe said. According to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2016, which was adopted in June, those who commit offences against women during civil war must face prosecution in the International Criminal Court (ICC); the government in power must create truth commissions at the community level to find the truth about past incidents; and apologies must be given to victims. But article 43 of Myanmars constitution bans laws aimed at redressing past wrongs. No Penal law shall be enacted to provide retrospective effect, it states, adding that government officials cannot be punished for acts committed in the past.
We need criminal justice to bring relief to the victims, the women who have suffered terrible pain in the civil war.
Daw Susanna Hla Hla Soe Womens Organization Network
In the balancing act that is the current political system, no party has appeared willing to pursue the issue of retroactive punishment. Public discussions surrounding proposed amendments to the 2008 constitution have steered well clear of changes to section 43. The government doesnt want to go back into the past, said Daw Nyo Nyo Thin, an MP in the Yangon Region Hluttaw. She said political parties are also wary because of the current political situation but many in parliament disagree with section 43 and want it to be amended. If or when that will happen, however, is unclear. In my opinion, a truth commission cannot be established until 2015 in this country because opposition parties do not want to force the
government to establish them, Daw Nyo Nyo Thin said. Daw Nan War Nu, a Pyithu Hluttaw representative of the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party, agreed that it is not yet possible to pursue retroactive justice for victims. This is not the right time to call back past criminal cases of the former government, she said. The countrys leading light of democracy and justice has also been silent on the issue. In a speech to Yale University students one year ago on how the country can move forward while at the same time recognise crimes that may have gone unpunished in the past, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said she wants restorative justice rather than retributive justice. Past crimes aside, even pursuing justice for recent attacks proves difficult for those working on behalf of victims in Kachin State. Representatives of ethnic womens organisations at the forum said that when they try to help women in conflict areas file criminal charges against their assailants, the authorities refuse to accept the case if a soldier was involved. They said that while not all cases of rape or other violence against women are committed by soldiers, the military nonetheless provides a safe haven for those who such crimes. Civilian perpetrators who find out they are under investigation often join border guard forces to avoid prosecution, as they know they will then gain immunity once in the military system. A spokesperson for the Kachin Womens Association Thailand (KWAT) told The Myanmar Times this loophole leaves victims and those working on their behalf helpless. We cant do anything except write a report about the criminal case to document the case for posterity and the attention of international authorities, she said. Daw Susanna Hla Hla Soe said it was essential that the military no longer be complicit in rights abuses against women. The military cannot avoid criminal cases when the perpetrators are soldiers They should take responsibility and find truth through fair justice.
Maday Island residents protest outside Kyaukpyu District Court on September 26. Photo: Supplied/Snow
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News 15
AFTER months of discussion, the Telecommunications Law has been approved and will be enacted this week. Approved during the seventh session, the bill was returned to the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw by President U Thein Sein, who recommended five changes. MPs on October 3 accepted three of those changes, which mostly focused on definitions within the law. Representatives rejected the presidents suggestion to change section 3( j), which defines telecommunications apparatus, and section 64, which concerns an appeal tribunal set up under the law. While the original bill listed pieces of telecommunications equipment, MPs changed it so that the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology would be responsible for issuing an order with a list of equipment. MPs voted against reverting back to the original wording on the recommendation of the Joint Bill Committee, which said the new definition was better because it did not mean the law would have to be amended when new [equipment] appears due to technological advances. The president had also argued that section 64, which MPs had added to clarify the term of an appeals tribunal from the day it is formed to when its final decision report is sent to the Union Government
should be cancelled because the tribunal is a long-term body. But the Bill Committee argued that section 64 is necessary because section 59 of the bill makes clear that the tribunal is not a permanent body. The other three amendments suggested by the president were approved. In regard to section 52(c), which states that If a person is not satisfied with the decision of the ministry, he or she can appeal to the appeals tribunal within 45 days according to the procedure, the president said the law needs to clearly state when the 45 days begins. The Joint Bill Committee agreed with the remark and MPs agreed to add the sentence, A dissatisfied person can appeal within 45 days starting from the day a decision is made. The President recommended that section 63 should clarify which department should cover the costs of the chairperson of the appeals tribunal and its members. At the suggestion of the Bill Committee, MPs agreed to add that costs would be covered by the department nominated by the Union Government. The president recommended cancelling section 88(c) because it is repeated elsewhere, to which the Bill Committee and MPs agreed. The same day the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw also approved the Farmers Rights Protection Law and the Union Judiciary Law, which had been sent back to the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw by the president with seven and five proposed changes respectively. Translated by Thiri Min Htun
A migrant worker from Myanmar takes a break from sorting fish at a port in Pattani in southern Thailand in September. Photo: AFP
questioned the efficacy of this policy, describing it as impractical and warning that it could leave migrants open to exploitation when they apply to renew their passports. Sai Kawng, who runs migrant outreach programs in the Chiang Mai area, said that migrant workers often make less that 300 baht (US$10) a day and the cost of travel to the centres would be a major burden. Phil Robertson, Asia director for Human Rights Watch, echoed Sai Kawngs concern. If youre going to issue Burmese passports in Thailand, why not do it in Bangkok rather than making everyone travel all the way up to the border? He also questioned the logic of making the migrants leave Thailand, even for a single day.
Sending migrant workers out of Thailand to Myanmar to complete this procedure will jack up the costs for sure since people have to navigate two corrupt bureaucracies instead of one, and [they] also have to dodge the various brokers, ethnic militias and other profit-seekers and exploiters targeting migrants on the Burmese side of the border. A source in the Thai government, who asked not to be named, said he was unsure if it would be possible to reach an agreement on the program by October 11. The source said there are still many details that the two governments disagree on, including how the fees collected from the workers will be shared by the various agencies involved.
16 News
Men walk through floodwater in Sagaing Regions Kalay township last week. Photo: Chinworld
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EXCLUSIVE
News 17
Men arrested over the September 19 raid on We Gyi village sit in Kyitaungkan police station on September 28. Photo: Pyae Thet Phyo
Police Lieutenant Colonel Thura said the villages had surrendered following negotiation between officials, a Buddhist leader and a local National League for Democracy MP. The sayadaw and [Pyithu Hluttaw representative] Daw Sandar Min mediated between the accused villagers and the police, Pol Lt Col Thura said, adding that the inves-
tigation would be conducted in a transparent manner. The district station where the case will be investigated has security cameras so everyone has the right to watch the police interview. The 10 have been remanded in custody for 15 days as the bail can not be considered under the charges. Translated by Zar Zar Soe
18 News
LETPADAUNG
EI EI TOE LWIN
eieitoelwin@gmail.com
THE controversial Letpadaung mining project in Monywa is ready to resume despite continuing protests from villagers, half of whom rejected compensation offers that expired on September 30. We are ready [to resume the project] now, said Liu Xiaopum, public relations manager for Myanmar Wanbao Company, the main investor in the project. We are awaiting permission from the government and the completion of land compensation payments. Wanbao launched the Letpadaung copper mine project in November 2011 in cooperation with army-owned Union of Myanmar Economic Holding Limited (UMEHL), planning to invest US$997 million to produce about 100,000 tonnes of copper a year. But the project was suspended in 2012 due to a protest campaign by local residents amid concerns about land-grabbing, profit-sharing contracts, and the negative social and environmental impact. Following repeated violent clashes in which hundreds were injured, including monks, President U Thein Sein set up a commission of investigation led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The panel made a number of recommendations, including a review of the contract, additional compensation for the villagers, and a social, economic and environmental assessment about the project. We have implemented all the recommendations of the commission led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. And now we have assembled all the necessary equipment and machinery to resume the project, Mr Liu told The Myanmar Times on September 30. Mr Liu added that the company had already completed the final
A man carries containers next to pools at a mining waste dump near the Letpadaung mine in Sagaing Region. Photo: AFP
draft of an environmental and social impact assessment in cooperation with an Australian company, Knight Piesold. We sent the report to the government at the end of August, and the government has already approved it. We hope the report can be published soon, said Mr Liu. A revised contract concluded in July allots 51 percent of the profit to the Myanmar government, with the remaining 49pc to be shared by Wanbao and UMEHL. Wanbao says it has also been paying villagers additional land compensation since March based on the commissions
recommendations. However, villagers say they have received inadequate support from the company and rejected its compensation offer. The government subcommittee on land compensation says the villagers have refused compensation for half the total area of the land involved, despite offers of K500,000 to K1.5 million an acre. Today is the final day for the villagers to accept compensation. According to our list we can compensate 50.36pc of them, Sagaing Region Minister for Mining U Than Htike said on September 30. He added that some residents,
particularly in Moegyopyin Alae, Saetal and Tone villages, were afraid to accept compensation because of politics.
49.6%
Households affected by the Letpadaung mine expansion which refused compensation
The minister also denied rumours that the amount of compensation might be increased. We can pay the amount fixed by the Daw Aung San Suu Kyi commission, said U Than Htike. The commissions report recommended the project continue, despite widespread opposition from local communities. Residents said last week they plan to continue their campaign to have the project cancelled I havent accepted any compensation yet. We are still demanding the closure of the project, said Ko Nyi, a resident of Tone village. Others, who accepted compensation because their land had already been destroyed by the company, said their lives in new model villages built for displaced residents are much more difficult. U Myo Win, 40, was relocated from Kantaw village in 2011 after losing 26.37 acres of farmland. He said Wanbao had broken its promises to residents. We now live in a poor-quality house on a small plot of land. It is very hard to earn a living, he said. The company promised to create more jobs before we moved, but they didnt do it. Now I have no farm and no job. How am I supposed to live? The company says it has employed 1300 people from the local community to work on the project and set up a job-creation scheme that will see more hired when the project resumes. Once our machines are running, we can create more job opportunities for the local residents, said Zhang Dong Song, chairman of Myanmar Wanbao. Company officials told The Myanmar Times they want to ensure good relations with residents who, they said, appreciate the benefits of the project. The compensation program will end today, Mr Liu said. We hope the government will soon declare a date to restart the project.
The marchers were blocked by a large force of police in Sagaing. But the officials finally agreed to the protesters demands.
U Myint Hlaing Sagaing Region hluttaw representative
hall of the venerable Ledi Sayadaw is located. Ledi Sayadaw is famous for his many religious writings and his efforts to spread the dhamma, or teachings of Buddha, to every level of society. He is also credited with
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20 News
A PLANNED land-use policy will help avoid a recurrence of the widespread land disputes that have wracked Myanmar over the past two years, a senior government official says. Minister for Environmental Conservation and Forestry U Win Tun said the policy is being drafted in cooperation with land expert groups from abroad and should be finished by April 2014. A major focus is to ensure that ownership disputes are avoided and that land is used in a way that boosts the living standards of a broad swath of the population, he said at a press conference in Nay Pyi Taw on September 27. In the past, there was no proper land use policy so sometimes we even had to stray from legal procedures, such as in the demarcation of forest reserves. This regularly caused problems for the people so we need to lay [out] clear and orderly land use policies, the minister said. Tobias Jackson, an adviser to the Land Core Group, a network of civil society groups working on land-related issues, said the development of a national land-use policy as absolutely essential but stressed the need for an inclusive drafting process. Rural communities, smallholder farmers, the fishing industry, civil society organisations, ethnic groups and the private sector should all be consulted so that the policy is able to balance the many competing needs of all its peoples for land and resources. The policy must not focus more on the needs of one interest group over another. Since the 1990s, land use policy where it has existed has been biased toward the needs of large-scale companies and agri-businesses with close links to government, he said. The needs of smallholder farmers were ignored and this must not continue with the new policy. The absence of a land-use policy has created uncertainty and confusion, with farmers unwilling to invest in land that could be taken from them at any time. The often-exploitative relationship between farmers and authorities has resulted in a massive erosion of trust. It is hoped that the forward-looking, reform-minded elements in government will have the stronger voice in development of a national land-use policy and this will ensure that smallholder farmers and fishers receive the land tenure security they require. For the government, however, a major focus of the policy will be its ability to facilitate foreign investment.
With this land use policy, we can properly manage land allocations which land is to be used for mining, or oil and gas, or for plantations, for example, U Win Tun said. We can instantly show how many vacant lots there are when foreign investors come to look for opportunities. Even though we have many vacant areas, foreign investors always face difficulties in finding land. Land disputes One concern for prospective foreign investors is the threat of land disputes with displaced farmers. Since U Thein Seins government took office in March 2011, hundreds of land disputes have emerged across the country, the majority resulting from decisions by the previous military government. A parliamentary commission was set up to investigate the issue and examined 745 disputes. Earlier this year it issued a set of recommendations on how they should be resolved. As The Myanmar Times reported last month, on September 16 the government established a committee to
oversee the implementation of the investigation commissions three reports within the next 12 months. Vice President U Nyan Tun will head the central committee, with the ministers for home affairs and agriculture and irrigation as his deputies. The committee also includes five other ministers defence, environmental conservation and forestry, industry, mining, and construction as well as the chairman of Nay Pyi Taw Council and chief ministers of the 14 state and region governments. This committee features sub-committees for each region or state, as well as at the district, township and ward or village-tract levels. U Win Tun said the committee represents a genuine effort on the part of the government to correct the injustices of previous regimes and declared, We have changed our attitude. Our ambition is to serve the public until they are pleased with their government. People will see it soon through our honest and transparent actions [on the land dispute issue], he said. Land must be given back to the
original owners if there is not irrefutable evidence from those who took the land [that they did so fairly]. At least compensation will have to be given to the original owners if it is not possible to give back the land. There may be delays in giving back the land to the right people We
With this land use policy, we can properly manage land allocations which land is to be used for mining, or oil and gas, or plantations.
U Win Tun Minister for Environmental Conservation and Forestry
will carry out our tasks transparently. However, his comments were soon contradicted at the same press conference by the deputy minister for home affairs, Brigadier General Kyaw Zan Myint, who said the military would only return land to those who had irrefutable evidence of prior ownership. Of the disputes examined by the investigation commission, more than three-quarters involved land grabs by military bodies. Brig Gen Kyaw Zan Myint said 38,000 of the 240,000 acres taken by the military and referred to the commission have already been returned to their original owners. Pyithu Hluttaw representative and land commission member Thura U Aung Ko said one year was more than enough to resolve the disputes. Actually it is too long, he said. That means only two need to be solved each day and it should happen faster because the state and region governments can work on different disputes at the same time. Its not like it is one body tackling all 745 disputes one by one. Additional reporting by Thomas Kean, translation by Zar Zar Soe
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News 21
Ko Thar Moe Kyi Aung speaks at a press conference in Yangon. Photo: Wa Lone
It was the headline a repeat of Ko Htin Kyaws quote about taking U Eik Lin to the police station that got him fired. Ko Thar Moe Kyi Aung said the journals owners should take responsibility rather than using him as a scapegoat. I was not solely responsible for this news the chief executive officer is also responsible. He plans to submit a complaint to the Interim Press Council if the journal does not accede to his demands. Unity CEO U Tint San said last week he is unrepentant about firing Ko Thar Moe Kyi Aung and taking out the advertisements blaming him for the dispute. We will not apologise for what we did, U Tint San said. He said the newspaper has to
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News 25
OBITUARY
CHERRY THEIN
t.cherry6@gmail.com
THE leading teacher of Vipassana, or insight, meditation passed away on September 29 in Mumbai, India, at the age of 90. Credited with bringing the traditionally monastic practice of meditation to the layperson and in later years to the West through his teachings and writings, Satya Narayan Goenka founded 172 Vipassana meditation centres in countries all over the world, as well as the Global Vipassana Pagoda in Mumbai. Better known as SN Goenka or, to generations of students in Myanmar, Sayagyi, he passed away from natural causes at his home. A funeral was held October 1. Born in 1924 in Mandalay, he initially took up a career in business. He suffered serious headaches until he started practising meditation under the guidance of teacher U Ba Khin in
1955. Vipassana focuses on developing mindfulness by paying attention to the sensations of body and mind, observing them as they arise and noting their transitory nature as they pass. It is through this meditation that practitioners believe insight into the universe is attained. In 1969 he moved to India to pay respect to his parents, who were of Indian descent. While there, with the blessing of U Ba Khin, he began giving 10-day meditation courses to his parents and relatives, then to the general public. He opened his first meditation centre at Igatpuri, India, in 1976 and then began travelling the world and opening more centres. He returned to Myanmar in 1991 and taught Vipassanna in Yangons Daw Dhammathi nunnery, in North Okkalapa township. In 1993 he opened Dhamma Joti International Vipassana Meditation Centre in Bahan township. Today there are 20 meditation centres in Myanmar, in Yangon, Hlegu, Bago, Maubin, Mawlamyinegyun, Mandalay, Mogok, Pyin Oo Lwin, Monywa and Thanbyuzayat. He received awards from both the Indian and Myanmar governments in recognition of his work.
Dhamma Joti International Vipassana Meditation Centre member U Thein Tun told The Myanmar Times that students of dhamma, or Buddhist teaching, gathered on September 30 to meditate together and offer alms to monks as a way of paying tribute to the influential teachers memory. Sayagyi is a son of Mandalay. He
always felt proud to be born here, the country where he learned about Vipassana meditation. He always said India owed Myanmar for sustaining pure dhamma, and the global pagoda [in Mumbai] is one of his ways of showing respect and gratitude [to the tradition], U Thein Tun said. SN Goenka planned the Global Vipassana Pagoda in honour of U Ba Khin, who had preserved the Vipassana meditation method in Myanmar. While it originated in India, it had long disappeared on the subcontinent. Built on 11 acres in Mumbai at a cost of about US$30 million, the pagoda is about 80 percent complete. It is modelled after Shwedagon Pagoda but will be built slightly shorter than the 98-metre (321-foot) Yangon landmark out of respect for the original. U Thein Tun said he hoped all those who benefit from Vipassana teachings would continue SN Goenkas work by helping others to learn about dhamma. He is no more but he started the wheel of dhamma, he said. If we appreciate and respect his gratitude, we all need to keep the wheel going.
BCI Asia is the #1 Building and Construction Media Company in Asia-Pacific with operations in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines and Australia. We are seeking qualified candidate to fill in a position: Research Consultant (Bangkok office) Responsibilities: 1. Construction Research information 2. Update and ensure on-going validity and accuracy of quality leads & projects 3. Achieving key performance indicators and research targets 4. Handle inbound client enquiries within given time frame 5. Database management Occasional field research, attend forum and seminar Requirements: 1. Energetic, Meticulousand Motivated Graduate 2. Excellent interpersonal, persuasive and communicative skills 3. 1-2 years of experience in construction industry is added advantage 4. Fresh graduates in real estate/building/architectural related fieldsare encouraged to apply /Good spoken and written skill in English and Burmese required. 5. Willing to relocate to Bangkok, Thailand Submit your application by 30/November /2013to: Email: s.kheng@bciasia.com, dater@bciasia.com BCI Asia Construction Information Pte Ltd, www.bciasia.com (Only shortlisted candidates will be notified)
Business
Govt assessing property below market value
MYAT NYEIN AYE
myatnyeinaye11092@gmail.com
MYANMAR officials have deliberately fixed Yangon property assessment values below market prices as a strategy to encourage tax payment, according to U Kyaw Kyaw, director of the Ministry of Finances Regional Revenue Department. Yangons property market saw sales volumes drop off following government comments in August suggesting efforts to curb price increases were in the works, but commentators said the market has returned to normal following the September unveiling of the assessment values. A Yangon-wide assessment of property values was finished last month with the aim of standardising values for transfer tax on property sales that can range as high as 37 percent if the buyer cannot show a legitimate source for their capital. Until the government assessment was conducted there was little recourse for the tax collectors if a buyer claimed a lower value on the property in an effort to avoid paying tax. The government based assessments on current property values, but with Yangon land and house prices increasing quickly some areas were outdated before the whole assessment was complete, said U Kyaw Kyaw. Values had also been deliberately fixed below market prices to make the changes more palatable to
would-be tax payers, U Kyaw Kyaw said. People would face difficulties if taxes increased by a huge amount on top of rising property prices, he said. Many property buyers already stretched their budgets to own houses and land, and too sharp a tax increase would be unfair, he continued. We hope we have fixed the amounts fairly so everyone can afford to pay their taxes, he said. Ko Min Min Soe, senior agent of Mya Pan Thakin real estate agency, said the assessment values are a fair level that will encourage tax payments. He pointed to examples such as Pyay Road, where market prices are about K800,000 to K1 million per square foot at present, but the government assessment fixed values at K275,000. The assessment values are at a fair standard for customers as the prices are quite different from market prices, he said. Daw Moh Moh Aung, general secretary of Myanmar Real Estate Service Association, echoed calls that the assessments had been fairly priced, adding the government stands to benefit from additional revenue generated from the transaction taxes. It is good for the government to receive more tax revenue than in the past, but it is also important that it uses tax revenues correctly for the public good, she said. The new government-created assessment values on October 1 officially replaced the previous system of buyers declaring the property value in Yangon.
Modern retail outlets are growing, but also facing reluctance from locals, who prefer to shop at traditional markets. Photo: Ko Taik
27
Buying
K1300 K295 K775 K31 K967
Selling
K1320 K300 K780 K31.50 K970
FORD Motors launched its Yangon showroom last week on the heels of Ministry of Commerce guidelines written to provide guidance for companies looking to import new cars to the country. Industry observers said they welcomed the notice, which was obtained by The Myanmar Times last week, from the ministrys Directorate of Trade outlining parameters for distributors to sell new cars in Myanmar though some added it is at most a first step and further clarification is required. Ford became one of the first among other global car makers to successfully plant their flag in Myanmar. Others including Nissan, Mazda, Mercedes Benz and Hyundai are currently expanding their presence in the country. The ministrys notice on Procedures for Importing, Selling and Distributing Brand New Cars through a Showroom System states that new car imports are now limited to distributors with an agreement directly with the manufacturer, and outlines conditions, including a maximum inventory of 100 vehicles at a time, that the distributor must provide warranties and a service centre, and must hold a license for a showroom. Ministry of Commerce director of the Directorate of Trade, U Than Aung Kyaw, said some 220,000 new and used vehicles have been imported to Myanmar since reforms in the sector began in September 2011, adding the ministry notice governing new vehicle distribution are based on the 3S principles sales, service, and spare parts.
A model shows off vehicles during the launch of the US auto giants first dealership in Yangon. Photo: Boothee
100
regulations laid out by the Ministry of Commerce. We see it as a chance for international brands to set up and do business here, but not every [distributor] will meet the requirements, he said. He said in practice foreign companies are beginning to distribute certain finished products in Myanmar ahead of the ASEAN Free Trade Area in 2015, when the barrier on distributing finished products is slated for removal. He added that some distributors have indirect arrangements with the manufacturer through intermediaries, which may cause problems as this is not specifically allowed for under the new rules, but added Jardines deals directly with Mercedes.
Distributors with an extensive sub-dealer network may face challenges, as U Than Aung Kyaw told The Myanmar Times, because the 100 vehicle limit is not for each subdealer but for the distributor. In that case, a distributor with 15 domestic sub-dealers would only have a handful of cars on hand at each location. However, U Khin Tun, managing director of Ford distributor Capital Automotive, said the firm supports the government rules as they provide protection for consumers, who often do not have experience purchasing new vehicles. It has been possible to order from the factory, but local customers from Myanmar arent familiar with this and
often they want to visit a showroom and see the cars in person, he said. He highlighted provisions allowing for consignment-based imports as a step which would increase consumers choice in Myanmar. Ford is finding success early on the Myanmar market, having sold about 100 vehicles since its soft launch two months ago, said the firms Asia Pacific emerging markets manager David Westerman. Among its rotation of vehicle models Ford will offer in Myanmar are the popular Ranger, Explorer and Taurus. They will not be inexpensive however, with an imported Ford Explorer costing about $105,000. The Thai-made Ford Single Cab Ranger has a far cheaper price tag at just $22,000.
Possible first wind farm Indias Tata to develop coal Korean firm power plant in Pathein building locations announced sheet metal factory
AUNG SHIN koshumgtha@gmail.com YANGON and Ayeyarwady regions, as well as Rakhine State, may be among the countrys first locations to receive windmill-generated electricity after power producers from China and Thailand announced their continued progress to develop wind farms, officials said. Chinas Three Gorges Co and Gunkul Engineering Public Co of Thailand each signed a pair of agreements with the government dating from 2011 that would launch wind power projects in nine locations in Myanmar, U Khin Maung Win, deputy director general of Electric Power under the Ministry of Electric Power, told The Myanmar Times. He said Three Gorges Co is now surveying in Chin and Rakhine states as well as Ayeyarwady and Yangon regions, while Gunkul Engineering is assessing the feasibility of wind power in Mon, Kayin, Shan and Kayah states and Tanintharyi Region. They are surveying based on worldwide and regional weather patterns, he said, adding that the whole process could take a year, but that construction could begin as soon as it is finished. They have to study wind speeds 24 hours a day and throughout the year continuously. Gunkul Engineering estimated that it would build wind power plants capable of generating 2930 megawatts, while Three Gorges Co aims to have a capacity of 1102MW at its plants, said U Khin Maung Win. These figures are just estimates according to an initial study. It will take at least two years to know the actual capacity in those regions, he said. Gunkul has stated that it hopes to have farms operational by 2015 before reaching maximum capacity by 2018. Although it is too early to tell how much investment it would take to meet their goals, the projects will not come cheap. Construction of one 150-metre-high wind turbine would cost about US$1 million to install, according to earlier government estimates. Only 30 percent of Myanmars population has access to electricity. AUNG SHIN koshumgtha@gmail.com INDIAN power producer Tata Power has reached an agreement with the government to build a new coal-fired plant in Ayeyarwady Region, officials said. Deputy minister for electric power U Aung Than Oo told The Myanmar Times that the two sides had agreed in April in general terms on a contract to build at least one 660-megawatt plant in Nganyoutkaung, a sub-township of Pathein. A feasibility study has already begun, he said. I cannot say when it will be finished or how much investment it will require. That will be agreed on next. Although details are unclear, Tata has said it could build two 660-mw coal-fired plants in Myanmar that would become operational before 2020. The deal comes after the firm won a US$1.8 billion contract in June to build two 660-mw thermal power plants in Vietnam. U Ko Ko Naing, a deputy chief engineer for Ayeyarwady Region, said that the first phase would probably include two turbines capable of generating 330 mw each. I think we will only get 500 megawatts of electricity from those turbines at first, he said. The power plant will be developed with clean coal technology, which has less of an environmental impact. When operational, the plant would consume coal imported from Indonesia through Patheins planned $5.5 billion deep-sea port, he said. Sunil Seth, country representative for Tata Power in Myanmar, said the feasibility study being conducted near the Nganyoutkaung seaport would take between six and eight months to complete. HTAR HTAR KHIN htar29@gmail.com SOUTH Koreas Posco C&C began work on its US$14 million sheet metal factory in Yangons Mingaladon township last week. The factory is the first Myanmar investment for the Korean conglomerate, aiming to first produce sheeting by the end of October 2014 and finalise its product quality by 2015. Posco C&C vice president Choi Sung-Hwan said the factory, 70 percent owned by Posco and the remainder by military-run Myanmar Economic Co, will produce sheeting under the Green Star brand. Our plan is to build a factory for manufacturing quality coloured sheets and distributing them locally, as well as exporting, he said. He added some of the companys production could be used in home appliances as well.
660
28 Business
OPINION
WASHINGTON
BRIEF
Myanmar, Japan firms team up to build rice plants
The government has approved a joint venture between Japans Mitsui & Co and Myanmar Agribusiness Public Corporation (MAPCO) to manufacture rice and rice products in Myanmar, officials said. The new company, called Myanmar Rice Industry Co Ltd, will spend up to US$100 million to build four rice manufacturing plants, two of which will be in Twantay and Yangon Region, said president of the Myanmar Rice Federation and MAPCO U Chit Khaing. Su Phyo Win
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WASHINGTON
Business 29
THE fight over the government shutdown quickly moved last week to a bigger showdown over raising the nations debt ceiling, as the first White House talks to solve the fiscal standoff failed to make any progress toward a deal. President Barack Obama and business leaders warned that the clash has raised the chances of a historic default on the national debt, which would occur if the US Congress does not agree to raise the $16.7 trillion debt limit later this month and could cause a new recession. Mr Obama said investors should take more seriously the threat of a potential default, which global markets have brushed off for months as Washingtons usual partisan theatrics. This time, I think Wall Street should be concerned, Mr Obama said on CNBC. When you have a situation in which a faction is willing to default on US obligations, then we are in trouble. On Capitol Hill, senior Republicans began to suggest that a broad agreement to overhaul entitlements and the tax code could be used as a resolution to both the shutdown and the debt-limit dispute. But Democrats view that approach as hostage-taking and say Congress must reopen the government and authorise additional borrowing before serious negotiations can occur. At the White House, Mr Obama joined the Republican and Democratic leaders of Congress in a oneand-a-half-hour-long meeting that Republican Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky called cordial but unproductive. Leaders of both parties said afterward that Republican demands to defund or delay Obamas signature healthcare law, which helped lead to this weeks shutdown, remain a critical obstacle to any agreement. US House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said the president reiterated tonight he will not negotiate. Weve got divided government. Democrats control the Senate; Republicans control the House, he said. All were asking for here is a discussion and fairness for the American people under Obamacare.
Despite the federal shutdown, a few tourists on Tuesday still came to Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington to look at the White House. Photo: The Washington Post
ing its debt. Last week, there was growing realisation on both sides of the aisle that
lawmakers will likely have to deal with resolving the debt ceiling issue at the same time as the government
shutdown. Some senior Republicans said they are ready to enter a more far-reaching discussion over entitle-
When you have a situation in which a faction is willing to default on US obligations, then we are in trouble.
Barack Obama US President
But Senate Majority leader Harry Reid said the president was unbending, calling him strong, strong, strong. He added, One thing we made very clear in that meeting: We are locked in tight on Obamacare. The back-and-forth on October 3 came on the second day of a partial government shutdown that has furloughed 800,000 federal workers and appears likely to remain for an extended period of time. The next crucial deadline comes on October 17, the last day the US Treasury Department estimates that the federal government is certain to have enough money to pay all its bills. Investors have also been demanding higher interest rates for US Treasury bills in recent days, a sign of concern that the federal government could have trouble servic-
30 Business
Job watch
MYANMAR LEGAL SERVICES LIMITED
BUSINESS LAWYERS
Ideal qualifications: Myanmar nationals with LLM or more advanced law degree minimum 5-year work experience in a law firm or government entities foreign travel and education sport(s) and/or civic activities English to and from Myanmar translation competence Above average English language skills Interested lawyers should email a letter and cv to kckyi@mlslyangon.com Shortlisted applicants will be asked to provide evidence of qualifications. www.myanmarlegalservices.com
Myanmar Health Sector Coordinating Committee Call for Sub-Recipient Proposal Concept Note forMyanmar component of the Regional Artemisinin Initiative (RAI) Grant The Myanmar Health Sector Coordinating Committee (M-HSCC) has successfully secured funding from the Global Fund under the New Funding Model for Mekong RAI for the period of 2014 to 2016. In support of the newly signed Malaria grants, the M-HSCC is seeking organizations to implement services and activities as follows: Active case detection, diagnosis and treatment Early and appropriate treatment using quality antimalarial Raising the community awareness on early diagnosis and quality treatment on malaria Increasing the use of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLIN) The members of the review panel will review and rate applicants based on a set of criteria. These criteria and other documents can be viewed on the M-HSCC website: http://www.MyanmarHSCC.org Alternatively the Secretariats of the TSG can be contacted directly for more information:Dr Krongthong Thimasarn, WHO Email: thimasarnk@SEARO.WHO.INT; krongtho95@ yahoo.com Tel: +95-1-650 405, 650 406, 650 416 Submission Deadline and Location One hard copy of the Concept Note will need to be submitted in the specified format, following the eligibility criteria. The Concept Note must be received in a sealed envelope by 4pm on 18 October 2013 at: Proposal Collection Desk M-HSCC Secretariat Office c/o UNAIDS, 137/1, Thanlwin Road, Yangon, Myanmar
JOHANNESBURG
Delegates attend the opening ceremony of the first national Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) summit on October 3, 2013, in Midrand, South Africa. Photo: AFP
100 top companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Africas biggest bourse. The government has set a target for blacks to hold 25pc of the locally owned shares by 2017. Mr Zuma said the development of small enterprises was key to job creation and skills development in the economy.
Challenges facing the economy, including rampant strikes and protests over poor service delivery by government, are creating social tensions. The International Monetary Fund warned South Africa last week to implement reforms to shore up the sluggish economy, which is vulnerable to external shocks. AFP
BRASILIA
PATH is an international nonprofit organization that transforms global health through innovation. Having just recently opened an office in Myanmar, PATH currently seeks qualified candidates looking for an opportunity to make a positive impact on the health of people in Myanmar. The followine available position, Country Manager, will be based in our Yangon office. The Country Manager (Tracking code: #5750) will be primarily responsible for ensuring high quality programmatic, administrative and financial management of all of PATHs work in Myanmar; facilitating the start-up of country operations in a new office; and, overseeing all project teams. The successful candidate will also be expected to lead strategic interactions with PATHs Headquarters in the United States and Europe, in-country partners, and provide mentoring to staff and teams as they join the organization. Knowledge, skills and experience required: Demonstrated project and staff management skills; expertise in handling complex partner relationships; ability to represent PATH effectively with government and other partners in Myanmar; knowledge of public health and health systems issues (particularly related to maternal and child health, nutrition and immunization); excellent written and spoken English skills. Applicant must have an advanced degree in public health, business, management, or related field plus a minimum of 10 years of relevant work experience; or 12 years of NGO experience with increasing responsibility; or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Multi-country experience highly desirable. To apply for the position of Country Manager (#5750), please visit the jobs section of the PATH website (www. path.org) and apply on-line. Applications for this position will not be accepted via email.
BRIEF
The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in Myanmar is inviting qualified candidates to apply for the following positions: Sr. Title and level Duty Station Position Deadline 1. Off-Farm Income Generation Officer (LICA 6) Yangon National 7-10-2013 2. Programme Officer (Contract Management) (LICA 6) Yangon National 7-10-2013 3. Team Assistant (Directors Office) (LICA2) Yangon National 9-10-2013 4. Administrative Assistant (Transport Management) (LICA3) Yangon National 9-10-2013 5. Driver (LICA1) Yangon National 11-10-2013 6. Administrative Assistant (Facility Management) (LICA3) Yangon National 14-10-2013 7. Monitoring and Evaluation Officer (Data Management) (LICA7) Yangon National 15-10-2013 The benefit package for the above positions includes an attractive remuneration, 30 days annual leave and 10 holidays per year, medical insurance, learning and development opportunities and a challenging working environment with 200 national and international colleagues. For details please visit UNOPS website https://gprs.unops.org and click on the post you are interested in applying for. All applications must be made through UNOPS E-recruitment system. For Sr.5 applicants are kindly requested to submit by manual application (paper) to HR Unit, UNOPS Myanmar at No. 12(O), Pyithu Lane, 7 Mile, Mayangone Township, Yangon.
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Property Business 31
HOUSE OF THE WEEK
MILLION
$350
Cost of Mitsubishis possible mixed-use real estate development. demolishing the Grand Mee Ya Hta serviced apartments to make way for the development. The former Burma Railways Headquarters will also be transformed into a Peninsula Hotel by Yoma, though Mitsubishi will not be involved in this aspect of the project, the press release said. Company officials pegged the total cost at US$350 million in an interview with the Myanmar Times last year. Yoma is a Singapore-listed but Myanmar-focused firm, chaired by prominent entrepreneur Serge Pun.
LONDON
white leather sofas and large beds. With three double-bedrooms in the upper floor and a large living room, there is also lots of space outside for gardening and parking. Wood is the name of the game in this house with a hand carved staircase and doorframes, a kitchen filled with lacquered cabinets and matching dining room table. Ei Thae Thae Naing
Tarmwe Township
32 Business Property
LOS ANGELES
pact, Mr Walters said in a telephone interview from Detroit. But the longer it goes on, the more impact therell be. Kris Wilson, senior loan officer at Fairway Independent Mortgage, said the Madison, Wisconsin-based lender is planning to delay until after closing the requirement for a tax transcript in most cases. Other lenders may be more reluctant. It is a risk, Mr Wilson said. But we are unwilling to disappoint customers in that way. Loans that conform to guidelines set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will not be affected directly by the shutdown, because the governmentcontrolled mortgage aggregators fund operations through fees collected from private lenders, not taxpayers, according to Stan Humphries, Zillow Incs chief economist. The two mortgage finance companies are responsible for the majority of new loans while the FHA and US Department of Veterans Affairs account for about one in four new mortgages. The US Department of Agriculture, which offers low, down-payment mortgages to rural borrowers, has canceled loan closings during the shutdown, according to its website. A short-term disruption of some FHA loans while certainly detrimen-
tal, shouldnt have much long-term impact on either demand or housing affordability, Mr Humphries said in a September 30 blog post. Only 67 of the FHAs 2972 workers are working through the shutdown, including 29 employees dealing with
The last thing we need is anything that shakes the confidence in a softly recovering housing market.
David Stevens Chief executive officer of the Mortgage Bankers Association
loan endorsements and preservation of properties, HUD spokesman Jerry Brown said. Theres a skeleton crew, he said in a telephone interview. We still intend on processing FHA loans. The smaller staff will take longer to
process loans with low down payments that need mortgage insurance, a signoff required for lenders that dont have so-called direct endorsement authority. About 20pc of FHA loans would require such a manual review after the loans close. There would be a handful of people managing the whole country for the direct endorsement backlog and it will probably be very slow, Stevens said. A partial federal shutdown will cost the US at least $300 million a day in lost economic output at the start, according to Lexington, Massachusettsbased IHS Inc. While thats a fraction of the countrys $15.7 trillion economy, the effects probably will grow over time as consumers and businesses defer purchases and expansion plans. The furloughs will first affect spending in metro areas where federal employees make up more than 10pc of the workforce, such as Washington; Virginia Beach, Virginia; Dayton, Ohio; and Honolulu, according to Jed Kolko, chief economist for Trulia Inc, a real estate website. If the shutdown persists, local economies and housing demand could be hurt especially in markets where people depend more on federal paychecks, he said in a September 30
note. At the other extreme, just 1 pc of local wages in New York and San Jose come from federal paychecks. Builders most at risk of slowing sales because they cater to buyers using FHA financing include DR Horton Inc, Lennar Corp and KB Home, according to Jay McCanless, an analyst with Sterne Agee & Leach Inc in Nashville, Tennessee. Unless the shutdown turns into weeks rather than days, we do not expect a decrease in demand since the FHA stoppage should delay rather than cancel closings, Mr McCanless wrote in a September 30 note. DR Horton, the largest US builder by revenue, fell 0.3pc on October 1 to $19.38 as nine of the 11 companies in an index of builders rose. The gauge has slumped 21pc since May 14 when interest rates began rising more than a percentage point after the Federal Reserve signaled it could start curbing stimulus measures. HUD counselling for homeowners with payment difficulties wont be directly affected by the shutdown, said Tom LaFleur, executive director of Pacific Community Services Inc, a government-approved counselling center in Pittsburg, California. Most HUD counseling agencies were grossly underfunded already, Mr LaFleur said in a telephone interview. We got a $14,000 grant for a program that needed about $80,000. Thats typical. Funding wont stop at federal construction projects, such as courthouses, military facilities, dams and levees, according to Brian Turmail, a spokesman for the Association of General Contractors of America, a trade organisation based in Arlington, Virginia. Delays may occur if contractors cant get answers for unforeseen questions or change orders in a project, and new contracts wont be awarded, he said. Were not huge fans of Obamacare, but we want to see the federal government proceed, Mr Turmail said. A bigger concern for the economy than the shutdown would be Congresss inability to raise the debt ceiling by October 17, which could lead to a default on US debt obligations. Mortgage rates would probably rise sharply, making homes unaffordable for many buyers, according to Stuart Gabriel, director of the Ziman Center for Real Estate at the University of California, Los Angeles. All bets are off and the downside economic impact will be grave, Mr Gabriel said in a telephone interview. All aspects of the debt markets would be adversely affected. It would have serious and egregious effects on the US economy. Bloomberg News
LONDON
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cafes to phones. Once I played games at internet cafs with my friends. Now, I dont go to the internet cafe because I am using the internet on my mobile phone. Phone charges aside, he also feels hes saving money by going online either on his phone or his home PC. Once if I went to the internet cafe, I lost time and spent more money for food. So I am using the internet at home at present.
As internet access spreads from the hub of the local cafe to the wireless world of homes, restaurants and even on the street, only higher connection speeds offered by cafes continue to lure in customers periodically. If I want to chat with my friends, I make an appointment with them at night because the internet connection is best at night, Kyaw Myo Htut said. If I have to meet with them urgently, I go to internet cafes.
koror
Shopping lists could include height, eye colour, and muscle development
The language of the patent was much broader than the technology to support the calculator, the company said in a blog on its website. At the time 23andMe filed the patent, there was consideration that the technology could have potential applications for fertility clinics, so language specific to the fertility treatment process was included, it said. The company never pursued the concepts discussed in the patent beyond our Family Traits Inheritance Calculator, nor do we have any plans to do so. AFP
the hague
With a single stroke, new app turns Van Gogh fans into art detectives
AMSTERDAMS Van Gogh Museum on Thursday launched a new app for tablets allowing users to turn art detective when looking at the Dutch masters paintings. The Touch Van Gogh app for Android and iPad tablets allows users to explore the secrets behind some of Van Goghs best works including The bedroom, View from Theos apartment and Daubignys garden. The app ... uses multitouch features that make it easy and entertaining to explore the information concealed in and under the paint, the museum said in a statement. People can discover the secrets of Van Goghs painting techniques and learn more about his working methods, added museum director Axel Rueger. For instance, with the swipe of a finger an old layer of varnish can be digitally recover how a painting looked before restoration, exactly why it was painted, where the paint has become discoloured and how the composition is con-
Users can unravel the mysteries of Vincent Van Goghs paintings at their own pace.
Van Gogh Museum press release
moved from The bedroom to revealed a restored painting, or the top layer of View from Theos apartment can be rubbed away to reveal how Van Gogh reused his canvasses. The app allows users to dis-
structed, the museum said. Like a detective, users can unravel the mysteries of Vincent van Goghs paintings at their own pace, gradually learning more about the life and work of this famous
artist, it added. The Van Gogh Museum last month unveiled a long-lost painting by the Dutch master, thought for years to have been a forgery. Sunset at Montmajour, a large oil landscape from 1888, was authenticated by experts as genuine after spending decades in a Norwegian attic. The museum reopened its doors to the public in early May with a stunning new display of some of the Dutch masters greatest works, completing a trio of renovations of the citys most famous museums. It is located on Amsterdams historic Museumplein where many other Dutch art treasures like Rembrandts Night Watch can also be found at the recently reopened Rijksmuseum. AFP
(Reg: No. IV/531/2013) in respect of goods in Class 25 Clothes; Underwear; Swimming suit; Brassieres; Pajamas; Bath robes; Underpants; Skirts; Pants; Shoes; Hats; Hosiery; Cold weather gloves; Aprons [clothing]; Scarfs. 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 Esoniee International Co., Ltd. By its Attorneys Ageless P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 7th October, 2013
World
DAMASCUS
IN PICTURES
A Buddhist monk paddles a boat through a flooded temple in Ayutt Prevention and Mitigation Department reported last week that 25 p rains brought by Typhoon Wutip. Photo: AFP
BRUSSELS
25,000
Number of refugees drowned in the Mediterranean Sea in the past 20 years EU states last year agreed to 102,700 requests for asylum against 84,300 in 2011. Some two-thirds were registered in four countries Germany (22,000), Sweden (15,300), Britain (14,600) and France (14,300). While there are only 52,000 Syrians registered in Europe now, the trickle is beginning to grow. Italy is among the most affected, with 3000 refugees arriving in August alone, according to UN refugee agency data. AFP
The Gate of Europe, a monument that pays tribute to migrants arriving on the Italian island of Lampedusa. Photo: AFP
35
WASHINGTON
In Rock Creek Park ... cars made their morning commute along a well-travelled parkway while hikers were prohibited to walk.
assessments on companies like Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb. The US Patent and Trademark Office, which has said it can operate for at least four weeks, has been funded by user fees since 1993. The Federal Highway Administration is funded by taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel, not income taxes, so its 2914 employees are on the job. Other agencies can keep operating with multiyear funding or reserves. Visitor centres and public facilities at US Fish and Wildlife Service refuges are closed, while construction and land acquisition continues because those activities have long-term funding. The Saint Lawrence Seaway agency is using a revolving account containing US$12.8 million to stay fully operational. Closures can seem arbitrary as For the soldiers and their families, thats very difficult, he said. The Andrews Air Force Base golf course is funded through user fees, and thats why it remains open, said Air Force Captain Lindy Singleton, chief of public affairs for the 11th Wing at Andrews. In Rock Creek Park, the urban forest in Washington where Theodore Roosevelt used to ride his horse, cars made their morning commute along a well-travelled parkway while hikers were prohibited to walk. Numbers of furloughed employees vary dramatically from agency to agency. The Agriculture Department is furloughing 84pc of its staff, while the Veterans Affairs Department is keeping 96pc of its workers on the job. Bloomberg News
haya, north of Bangkok, on October 3. Thailands Disaster provinces were flooded and 27 people had died due to heavy
NUSA DUA
There is the real risk of geopolitics spilling over into commerce and integration in East Asia.
Shiro Armstrong Australian National University
Meanwhile, China is looking to push ahead with a rival mega-trade pact grouping 16 countries in the region, potentially opening up a new front in the struggle between the world powers for dominance in the Asia-Pacific. There is the real risk of geopolitics spilling over into commerce and integration in East Asia in ways that will damage and diminish economic benefits, Shiro Armstrong, an economist at the Australian National University, wrote recently in the East Asia Forum about the rival pacts.
Reg. No. 5302/2013 in respect of Intl Class 5: dietetic foods adapted for medical purpose; dietetic drinks adapted for medical purpose; supplements. Intl Class 30: tea; coffee and cocoa; ice; confectionery, bread and buns; ice cream mixes; sherbet mixes; cereal preparations; almond paste; instant confectionery mixes; flour for food; gluten for food. Intl Class 32: beer; carbonated drinks; nonalcoholic fruit juice beverages; isotonic beverages; extracts of hops for making beer; whey beverages. 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 Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 7 October 2013
36 World Asia-Pacific
KUALA LUMPUR BANDAR LAMPUNG
This still from video footage released on October 2 shows a Sumatran rhino in a mudpool in the forests of Indonesian Borneo. Photo: AFP
This finding represents the hard work of many parties and will hopefully contribute to achieving Indonesias target of 3 percent per year rhino population growth. He urged officials and environmentalists to come up with a scientific estimate of the Sumatran rhino population in Indonesian Borneo. The research was unveiled at the start of an international meeting on efforts to protect rhinos in Bandar Lampung on Indonesias western island of Sumatra, with governments from Bhutan, Indonesia, India,
Malaysia and Nepal represented. There are estimated to be fewer than 275 Sumatran rhinos remaining in the wild, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. There are only a few substantial populations still in existence, most of them in Sumatra. Poaching is considered the main reason for the dramatic decline in numbers, with the rhinos horn and some of its other body parts considered highly valuable in traditional Chinese medicine. AFP
PHNOM PENH
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HANOI
Asia-Pacific World 37
Reg. No. 403/1974 in respect of all kinds of clothing and dress accessories for men, women and children. 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 THE B.V.D. LICENSING CORPORATION P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 7 October 2013
B.V.D.
ESCIZEN ESOMEGRIX
Reg. No. 1678/2013
Activists wave pictures of Vietnamese activist lawyer and blogger Le Quoc Quan in Hanoi on October 2. Photo: AFP
range of sensitive topics including civil rights, political pluralism and religious freedom, has been in detention since last December. His lawyer Ha Huy Son told the court that there were no grounds to prosecute the popular blogger over tax evasion, and said police had ordered tax authorities to cook up the charges. Shouting Free Le Quoc Quan and waving signs calling for his release, several hundred people blocked a key intersection in the capital as his trial got under way, causing rush-hour traffic chaos. Poor treatment for political prisoners Once in jail, the Vietnamese authorities are always strict with prisoners who do not admit their guilt, said one activist who spent five years in prison in the past. They fear they will influence other prisoners and cause problems, he said. Criminal and political prisoners are held separately and treated in very different ways, he said on condition of anonymity. Criminal prisoners in Vietnamese jails can buy anything food, tobacco, heroin, he said, but political prisoners are often denied books or writing paper and held in cells on their own. Vietnams authoritarian government does not allow independent inspections of jails, but experts said arbitrary periods of solitary confinement another measure used against political detainees could constitute torture under the Convention Against Torture, which Vietnam has said it will ratify this year. The reports that weve received indicate that it is a standard practice and that decisions to send someone to solitary confinement are arbitrary, based on the discretion of jail officials, said HRW deputy Asia director Phil Robertson. Isolate the activists Former political prisoners and their relatives interviewed by AFP described intense harassment of families, from pressuring friends to cut contact to denial of business licences needed to make a living. The treatment is designed to isolate the political activists and scare family, friends, the formerly detained activist said. They find other ways to control, persuade or discredit [activists], the activist said. The pressure exerted on families and friends means many dissidents end up isolated from normal Vietnamese life which
I will continue my fight against corruption, attacking bureaucracy and stagnancy that are undermining our country.
Le Quoc Quan Vietnamese blogger
often makes them even more determined. Difficult people are the ones prepared to make a stand and then they get ostracised, and that makes them act even more stubbornly, said Bill Hayton, author of Rising Dragon, who is banned from Vietnam. The excessive reaction by authorities is counterproductive, said Huong Nguyen, a Vietnamese student living in exile in the United States. Families [of activists] learn a lot about the nature of the political regime, she said, adding that many relatives turn dissident themselves. Ms Nguyen, whose fianc was jailed in 2010, said the Vietnamese consulate in Washington refused to renew her passport unless she promised to give up her dissident activities. She refused and was recently granted political asylum. Fighting from behind bars Branded an enemy of the internet by Reporters Without Borders, Vietnam bans private media, and all newspapers and television channels are state-run. Even so, the internet and social media are changing the nature of the battle. Facebook is sporadically blocked but wildly popular among Vietnamese users. Social media connectivity and more broad and experienced activist networks are making sure that the word from prisons gets out far and wide, said Mr Robertson. In June, after authorities refused to respond to a formal complaint and attempted to put him in solitary confinement for three months, Mr Cay embarked on a hunger strike. He is trying to light up the real fate of political prisoners of Vietnam, which is now in the darkness, his son said. Separately, in May, imprisoned legal activist Cu Huy Ha Vu the son of a revolutionary leader also refused to eat for 25 days. Eventually, both detainees called off their hunger strikes after receiving key concessions a tactic seen by some as part of the communist rulers strategy to manage dissent. China and the USSR, they purged ruthlessly their competitors, killing many, sending them into exile, said the formerly detained activist. The Vietnamese Communist Party is cunning, wise. They do not see killing and imprisonment as the best solution [but] the last resort. Therefore their power may last longer. AFP
Reg. No. 1679/2013 in respect of Class 05: Pharmaceutical preparations. 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 SANOFI P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 7 October 2013
VALGRIX
Crystal Ice
Reg. No. 8847/2013 Reg. No. 8848/2013
I will continue my fight against corruption, attacking bureaucracy and stagnancy that are undermining our country. The 42-year-old, who appeared in the dock looking tense and unhappy, was also given a $59,000 fine after a half-day trial. The US Embassy in Hanoi said it was deeply concerned by the verdict. The use of tax laws by Vietnamese authorities to imprison government critics for peacefully expressing their political views is disturbing, it said in a statement, calling for the release of all prisoners of conscience. When the ruling was announced, Mr Quan shouted I object before the television feed into the observation room where an AFP correspondent was sitting was cut off. Mr Le Quoc Quan, who blogged on a
Vitamin Factory
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 Mitsubishi Electric Corporation P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 7 October 2013
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NEW DELHI
Asia-Pacific World 39
Sondi (right) sits with friends from Maharashtra State in a women-only carriage on a train from New Delhis Nizamuddin Station destined for Gondwana on September 19. Photo: The Washington Post
26%
Percentage of women in India with their own bank account And the government announced plans for a US$161 million banking system exclusively for women. The Bhartiya Mahila Bank will have a predominantly female staff and 25 branches across the country. It is set to be launched November 19, the birthday of Indira Gandhi, the former prime minister and the countrys most revered female icon. A spokesman for the finance ministry, DS Malik, said that the new bank is a major step toward correcting the gender inequity in credit and banking in India, where only 26pc of women have a bank account, compared with 44pc of men. But some womens scholars and advocates dont believe segregating the sexes is empowering, saying it could have a negative impact in the long run. The attempt is to shrink women into limited spaces, said Ranjana Kumari, the
(Reg: No. IV/7333/2013) The above eight trademarks are in respect of: Color Cosmetics: brush on, eye brow, eye liner, eye shadow, foundation, lipstick, make up set, mascara, nail polish, powder Skin care: body moisturizer, body cleanser, body fragrance, body scrubs-mask massage, body special care, sun care, anti-wrinkle, anti-aging, acne, face cleansers, face scrubs-mask-massage, face skin care, lip balm, hand & foot care, hair special care, shampoo& treatment Accessory: beauty tools, brush & case, eye lash, cotton bud, sharpener, oil control paper, sponge Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademarks or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. U Kyi Win Associates for Beauty Community Public Company Limited P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 7th October, 2013
The attempt is to shrink women into limited spaces. Women still have to come out and walk on the same streets and work in the same offices and shop in the same markets as men.
Ranjana Kumari Centre for Social Research in New Delhi
40 World International
WASHINGTON TRIPOLI
Photo: AFP A car that was destroyed by demonstrators on October 2 sits outside the Russian Embassy in Tripoli.
SANAA
(the above mark consists of the corporate logo of the Bank) Myanmar Reg. No. IV/5638/1995
(the above mark consists of the corporate logo of the Bank, together with English words UNITED OVERSEAS BANK and the Chinese characters which are equivalent to the English words United Overseas Bank) Myanmar Reg. No. IV/5639/1995
(the above mark consists of the Chinese characters which are equivalent to the English words United Overseas Bank) Myanmar Reg. No. IV/5640/1995
analyses (financial-); appartment house management; apartments(renting of-); appraisal(real estate-); administration of mutual funds; bail-bonding; banking; brokerage; capital investment; charitable fund raising; clearing (financial); clearing-houses (financial); collections (organization of-); credit bureaus; customs brokerage, debt collection agencies; deposits of valuables; estate agencies (real-); estate management (real); exchanging money; factoring; fiduciary services; financial analysis; financial clearing-house; financial loans; financing of loans; financial management; financial valuations; financing valuations; financing services; fire insurance underwriting; fiscal assessments; fiscal valuations; fund investments; guarantees; health insurance underwriting; housing agents; instalment loans, instalment loan financing; insurance brokerage; insurance underwriting; investment (capital-); issuing of travellers cheques; lease-purchase financing; leasing of farms; leasing of real estate; lending against security; life insurance underwriting; loans (financing); management (financial-); marine insurance underwriting; mortgage banking; mutual funds; organization of collections; real estate (leasing of -); real estate agencies; real estate appraisal; real estate brokers; real estate management; renting of apartments; renting of flats; safe deposit services; sale on credit; savings banks; securities brokerage; stocks and bonds brokerage; surety services; travellers cheques (issuing of-); trusteeship; valuables (deposits of-); valuations (financial-); valuations (fiscal-); trustee services. Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said Trademarks will be dealt with according to law. U Nyunt Tin Associates International Limited Intellectual Property Division Tel: 959 4500 59247-8, 951 375754, Fax: 951 254321 Email: info@untlaw.com For : United Overseas Bank Limited Dated: 7 October, 2013.
(Reg: Nos. IV/422/1999 & IV/4187/2010) in respect of:- Vehicles; apparatus for locomotion by land, air or water Intl Class: 12 Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. U Kyi Win Associates for Kia Motors Corporation P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 7th October, 2013
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ROME
International World 41
Italys Prime Minister Enrico Letta shows the V for victory sign after a speech at the lower house of parliament in Rome on October 2. Photo: AFP
Reg. No.5307/2013 in respect of Intl Class 3: soaps and detergents; dentifrices; tissues impregnated with cosmetic lotion ; soap in sheet form; shampoos; cosmetics and toiletries; perfumery; fragrances and incenses (other than perfumes used as cosmetics or toiletries); incenses and fragrances; false nails, false eyelashes. 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 Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 7 October 2013
Berlusconis political life, Mr Marramao said. Mr Letta had earlier urged lawmakers to vote for him, saying Italians were tired of pointless wrangling. Italians are crying out that they cannot take any more blood in the arena, with politicians who slit each others throats and then nothing changes, said Mr Letta, a 47-year-old moderate leftist.
Italy runs a risk that could be a fatal risk. Seizing this moment or not depends on us, on a yes or a no. Several key figures from Mr Berlusconis People of Freedom Party (PDL) broke ranks with the billionaire media mogul after his
decision to call time on the government and pull his ministers from the cabinet on September 29. Roberto Formigoni, a PDL senator who broke ranks, said, We were not traitors but pioneers. We were pioneers who showed the way forward that the PDL ended up following. We are proud of that because the government had to continue. He said he and others would break away in parliament from Mr Berlusconis party. A letter doing the rounds in the Senate just before Mr Berlusconi spoke had 23 signatures of PDL senators willing to defy their leader. A similar document in the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house, had the signatures of 26 PDL lawmakers. Tensions within Italys coalition have spiked since Italys top court upheld a tax fraud conviction against Mr Berlusconi in August. These are likely to increase later this month as the Senate moves to expel the former prime minister over his conviction and bar him from the next elections. A judge is also due to rule on whether Mr Berlusconi should serve his one-year sentence for the fraud as house arrest or community service. AFP
Soylution
Reg. No. 5303/2013 Reg. No. 5304/2013 in respect of Intl Class 5: pharmaceutical preparations; lacteal flour for babies; food for babies; beverages for babies; dietetic foods adapted for medical purpose; dietetic beverages adapted for medical purpose; supplements. Intl Class 29: milk products; frozen vegetables; frozen fruits; processed vegetables and fruits; tofu: soya milk(milk substitute); curry; stew and soup mixes; raw pulses. Intl Class 30 : tea; coffee and cocoa; ice; confectionery, bread and buns; ice cream mixes; sherbet mixes; cereal preparations; almond paste; instant confectionery mixes; flour for food; gluten for food. Intl Class 32: beer; carbonated drinks; non-alcoholic fruit juice beverages; isotonic beverages; extracts of hops for making beer; whey beverages. 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 Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 7 October 2013
ATHENS
Golden Dawn lawmaker Ilias Kasidiaris arrives at an Athens court on October 2. Photo: AFP
42 World International
NOSY BE MOSCOW
Our activists have been charged with a crime that did not happen.
Kumi Naidoo Greenpeace International
British Foreign Secretary William Hague has met with Greenpeace executive director John Sauven to discuss the arrest of six British nationals, his office said on October 3. Mr Hague has raised the issue with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, it said. We would remain in close contact with all other nations whose citizens were involved, Mr Hague was quoted as saying. Greenpeace spokesman Ben Ayliffe said one of the British activists had been taken ill prior to the October 3 hearing.
The September 18 protest saw several activists scale the oil platform in the Barents Sea to denounce Russias plans to drill in the Arctic. Russian border guards then lowered themselves onto the Dutch-flagged Arctic Sunrise from a helicopter, locked up the crew and towed the ship to Murmansk nearly 2000 kilometres (1200 miles) north of Moscow. Among those charged on October 3 was Russian freelance photojournalist Denis Sinyakov, a former AFP and Reuters staff photographer. The Kremlins council on human rights, an advisory body, said it was extremely concerned that the journalist covering the protest for a Russian online portal had been accused of piracy. We unambiguously consider the arrest and the laying of the piracy charges against Denis Sinyakov as pressure on the media, it said. Leading Russian media last month blacked out photographs on their websites in protest at his detention. Investigators on October 2 also charged a British freelance videographer. Those charged on October 3 included the ships captain, American Peter Willcox. He was the captain of Greenpeaces Rainbow Warrior ship, which bombed by French agents in New Zealand in 1985. AFP
BANJUL
Reg. No. 5318/2013 in respect of Intl Class 5 - dietetic foods adapted for medical purpose; dietetic drinks adapted for medical purpose; supplements. Intl Class 32 - beer; carbonated drinks; non-alcoholic fruit juice beverages; isotonic beverages; extracts of hops for making beer; whey beverages. 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 Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. P.O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 7 October 2013
CHEMLAB
Contact to 09420010788,09420010789,09420100178,01534644 Email: thetsuwai9@gmail.com, pcy2860@gmail.com
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Feature World 43
BENI SUEF
An Egyptian boy rides a donkey in the village of Maymonia, Egypt, on September 19. Maymonia is one of many villages where Muslim Brotherhood charities helped poor people. Photo: The Washington Post
If the military-backed interim government follows through with the recent court-ordered ban, it would mean that authorities are willing to go even further than former president Hosni Mubarak did to crush the group. The ruling was written broadly and appears to apply not only to the Brotherhoods political and religious work but also to the empire of hospitals, schools and charities that has been the basis of its support among millions of poor Egyptians for decades. This is our social capital, said a worried local official with the Brotherhoods Freedom and Justice Party, who at first gave his name but later pleaded that it not be published because, he said, security forces were investigating him. We are afraid they will remove our people from these charities and bring others instead, he said. The situation is very sensitive. Only a year ago, he was part of the Brotherhood network swept into power as voters in this agricultural governorate elected Mr Morsis Islamist allies to 14 out of 18 parliamentary seats. They also gave Mr Morsi two-thirds of their votes in the first presidential election following the 2011 ousting of Mr Mubarak. Now the official sleeps in a different place nearly every night to avoid local security forces that have arrested dozens of local Brotherhood members. Among those arrested were wealthy individuals who funded charities, doctors who helped treat the poor, teachers who instructed kids in the Koran, and engineers who repaired houses, power lines and sewer systems in the poorest neighbourhoods and villages, he said. The Brotherhood, meanwhile, preemptively shuttered its most visible projects, including a program to deliver school supplies.
The people here need a lot of help, said the official. He suggested visits to what he described as a local charity that was picking up the slack in the Brotherhoods absence and to a Brotherhoodaffiliated school. The official got into his car and drove down a dirt-packed road to a building where the corridors were filled with hundreds of kids and moms clamouring for school supplies, families that normally would have been helped by the Brotherhood, he said. Please dont mention the name of the Brotherhood, he cautioned, walking into office of the charity director. Just say, maybe, What kind of work do you do? The advice didnt matter because
There is a lot of fear right now. Anything with the Islamic name is under suspicion.
Official at Dawa al-Islamiya school
the director refused to say anything. Nearby was the allegedly Brotherhood-affiliated school, called Dawa al-Islamiya, which local residents said was raided recently by security forces claiming there were weapons inside. Several teachers were arrested. Now workers were sweeping its outdoor walkways, and administrators were preparing for the start of the school year. Asked about the raid, the arrests and the implication that it was a
Brotherhood school, the deputy principal was adamant: This is not right at all, he said stiffly. This school is under supervision of the Ministry of Education. Outside, another school official whispered a slightly different explanation; he said the ministry had pushed out many Brotherhood officials and taken control of the school. There is a lot of fear right now, he said. Anything with the Islamic name is under suspicion. After a while, the Freedom and Justice Party official suggested it might be easier to find people willing to talk in a nearby village. And in scruffy Maymonia, where cabbage leaves and plastic bottles blew along dirt roads, it was. Many locals said the Brotherhood used to offer lots of help but that more recently, the rice and oil and gifts for kids came as part of campaigns for political candidates. They were also helping themselves, said Mahmoud Sayed Abdulla, 40, sitting on a stoop in front of his juice shop. He and others pointed across the street to the office of a former Muslim Brotherhood parliamentarian, Mohamed Shaker el-Deeb, who used to help people with money for weddings and funerals. Since Mr Morsi was ousted, Mr Deeb had disappeared, and the office was closed. Mohamed Saad, a businessman from a wealthy local family, said Mr Deeb had been widely respected, but the Brotherhoods reputation as a whole has suffered. They used to work very well here, but after they reached the chair, he said, referring to the presidency, they lost it. Asked who might take up their work, Mr Saad pointed to an elderly man sweeping the street with a short broom. We will, he said. The Washington Post
BRIEFS
Bogota Colombian ambassador quits over sex claims
Mr Amador insisted the allegations were a hoax fabricated by groups with political interests that want to destroy me and finish me. Mr Amador said he was returning to Bogota to confront the ghosts who were behind the claims, which he described as overwhelming. He did not provide details of the allegations. victims of cyber espionage and suggested the US National Security Agency may be to blame. Recent revelations by former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden have exposed the NSAs far-reaching electronic surveillance of phone records and internet traffic. This news does not surprise us. On the contrary, it confirms what we have been saying, the rebels said. We have been the victims of sabotage and espionage for a long time, especially when it comes to using virtual communications to express our ideas and reasons to fight.
Colombias ambassador to Russia, Rafael Amador, said on October 2 he has resigned in order to fight allegations accusing him of sexual blackmail. Mr Amador told Caracol radio station from Moscow he was stepping down after two years to return to Colombia to challenge the claims against him. Its very difficult to respond to these allegations while performing my duties as ambassador, Mr Amador told Caracol as he explained his decision.
Some 300 indigenous protesters tried to force their way into Brazils Congress on October 2 to demand respect for their land rights but were thwarted by police. Police tightened security around the legislature and even used pepper spray as the natives adorned with feathers and traditional garb, and carrying spears and arrows raced to try to get inside. There were about 300 indigenous people in the protests outside Congress. They tried to break in
but were stopped by police who had to use pepper spray, a military spokesman said. The protesters later regrouped near the Congress building and blocked traffic. Hundreds of indigenous people from across the country travelled to Brasilia last week to protest against bills that they said would jeopardise recognition of their ancestral lands to the benefit of powerful white landowners. Indigenous people represent 1 percent of Brazils population of more than 200 million and occupy 12pc of the national territory, mainly in the Amazon. AFP
U
GE T
GERS O N I F N
IT
miss
2013
Moe Set Wine has secured the title of Miss Universe Myanmar 2013. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing
universe
myanmar
YO
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the pulse 45
Tension and nerves show backstage as contestants prepare to take part in the Miss Universe Myanmar 2013 beauty pageant. Photos: Ruben Salgado Escudero
S the nervous young contestants traipse onto the stage on stilt-like heels, they begin to remove the sarongs wrapped over their swimsuit-clad bodies. There is a pause and a hushed silence as audience members digest what they are seeing, forgetting to clap in encouragement. Then, slowly, a few claps help start the applause and set the contestants on their way down the catwalk. Scenes of scantily-clad bodies parading in swimwear havent been seen in Myanmar for more than five decades. The crowd at the Miss Universe Myanmar 2013 contest may have been encouraging, but the competition rounds of recent pageants in
the country havent been welcomed by everyone. Khun Sint Nay Chi, an actress who herself was a beauty contestant in local pageants during her younger years, says the re-emergence of beauty contests in the country may be influencing young women in the wrong way. While she encourages a more open society where woman feel they can wear what they want, she says the competition is too image-driven. Myanmar women are traditional curvy, she said. They are not always tall either, and we are trying to compete internationally. The girls are slimming down too fast and look weak rather than toned and healthy. She said that in her youth the focus was on elegance and confidence as much as it was on beauty. And intelligence was key.
I had to wear a longyi and a blouse, our traditional Myanmar costume, she said. But we also had to study general knowledge and show off our language skills not like now. Khun Sint Nay Chi said health and fitness training were also lacking for this years Miss Myanmar Universe competition. I accept that being slimmer these days is more attractive than the curves that I grew up thinking were beautiful, but the girls just dont appear anywhere near as confident as they should. There seems to be a lot of pressure. She added that contestants should also be given training to mentally prepare for the level of competition waiting for them on the international circuit.
Continued on page 49 A disappointed contestant notifies her family she hasnt won. Photos: Ruben Salgado Escudero
46 the pulse
A festival showcasing artists and performers with disabilities will celebrate some hidden talents and draw attention to the challenges faced by those with physical disabilities in the lead-up to the ASEAN Disability Arts Festival 2014
NUAM BAWI hknuambawi@gmail.com A FESTIVAL showcasing the work of disabled artists will be held later this month, with organisers saying it will serve as preparation for a larger international event to be held in Myanmar next year. Anegga Yaung Sin (Immeasurable Spectrum) runs October 17 to 19 at Yangons Myanmar Convention Center. Its being organised by the Department of Social Welfare along with the Myanmar Independent Living Initiative (MILI), a locally based NGO. Events will include singing, dancing, music, painting and sculpting competitions. Representatives from every state and region will participate, and the winners will receive extra training ahead of the ASEAN Disability Arts Festival, which Myanmar will be hosting as ASEAN chair mid-2014. Organisers said they regularly mark International Day of Disabled Persons on December 3 but the festival happening later this month is the first time anything has been done on such a large scale. U Aung Tun Khaing, deputy director general of the Department of Social Welfare, told The Myanmar Times that the festivals size makes it an achievement in itself, though its also something of a stepping stone to next years even larger event. Myanmar will be the host for the ASEAN Disability Arts Festival in the middle of 2014, so this will be practice and preparation for that festival. He said both gatherings will give disabled artists a much-needed venue to display their best work. And this will be training for them for the leading role [in next years festival], U Aung Tun Khaing said. Ko Aung Lwin is one of the participants, wholl be performing a comedy act. Im very happy to participate as Ive wanted to perform on stage for a long time now, but I was never given the opportunity before, he said. An injury as a ten-year-old in 1990, caused one of his eyes to become blind. Over the years, the sympathetic nerve in his other eye also deteriorated and lost vision. He has been working as an audio editor, with the help of the Myanmar Independent Living Initiative, and says while he is capable in his job, daily life can be challenging. Ive been living in the dark for a long time, so I have learnt to cope with most things. But I still face difficulties if I want to go out, he said. I always need someones help. U Aung Tun Khaing also said that disabled people face many unnecessary limitations because of their physical environment and cultural biases that still linger in Myanmar. In the past, when a family has a disabled child, we had a concept that the family is very unlucky and they are bearing and suffering the consequences of past sins. And people looked at disabled people as pitiful people, he said. He said beliefs have improved but society still has work to do in removing barriers for all disabled people. For example, a person who uses a wheelchair will need to have access to buildings and sidewalks. These issues are prioritised internationally, but in Myanmar we still have barriers for disabled people everywhere. Its still not barrier-free.
CHIT SU suwai.chit@gmail.com
LONE in his whitewashed cell, he yearned for colour. Jailed for 35 years at the age of 24, Ko San Zaw Htwe was a poet, not a painter. But during his life behind bars he learned to make best of what was available. He created artwork made of garbage. I imagined talking to the colours, he said simply. He had nothing else to do. Born in 1974 as the youngest of
six children, Ko San Zaw Htwe was the only one to attend university, where he studied history. His offence was taking part in a demonstration in favour of forming a parliamentary democracy. He was eventually released after 13 years in the amnesty proclaimed by President U Thein Sein in 2011. I used to hang a basket in front of my cell where other prisoners would put old packaging materials and rubbish, he said. Next he needed glue and scissors. Metal objects with sharp points are not readily available in prison.
I got the scissors in exchange for instant coffee mix, which we used for currency, and kept them well hidden, he said. He had to hide his pictures too, under his bed or under the other prisoners beds. The prison authorities destroyed any artwork they found, including those he tried to send back home. In prison, I was afraid of becoming brain-dead because there was nothing to do. I wrote poems at first. Then I tried to paint. Finally, I decided to create recycled art when I could not get hold of watercolours,
oil paints and canvas. I got the idea from reading about Ko Htain Linns recycled art show while I was in prison. He creates by recycling paper and painting on it. I created pictures from colourful packaging materials, he said. After a change of governor, the authorities became more lenient toward his art. They asked me to make pictures for the prison library. I made two. After that, they let me do more, he said. Survival in Prison, the documentary about Ko Sann Zaw Htwe by director Yee Nann Thike, was
awarded the Aung San Suu Kyi prize for human rights and human dignity (in June this year). I found his creation in a gallery at the British Club in Yangon in December 2012 and decided to make the documentary, said Ko Yee Nann Thike. Ko Sann Zaw Htwes works are currently displayed at the Pansodan Gallery. Some of his pictures are formed from plastic bags; others feature the wings of white ants. I think recycling helps us take fewer resources from nature, he said. He is now teaching art at the Network International School in Yangon.
ZON PANN PWINT zonpann08@gmail.com OR visitors from other countries, Myanmar is a place of beautiful and sometimes bewildering habits. Its impossible to take everything in with only one visit: Indeed, you can live here for years, as some foreigners do, and still be surprised to learn of a tradition or ritual which, for those born here, may simply seem like common sense. With habits being passed down orally from generation to generation, outsiders observing local customs may sometimes find it difficult to parse whats going on without pulling aside a local confidante who is patient enough to explain things. Fortunately, a new book published in English last week is the perfect guide for those less interested in hitting tourist hotspots and more interested in delving into the countrys real heart: its people. Culture & Beyond: Myanmar, by first-time Yangon author Meiji Soe, is a comprehensive survey of birth, death and everything in between even beyond, with chapters covering Buddhist reincarnation, nat spirits and even ghosts. Originally intended for her own children, the book is also ideal for foreigners, whether visiting briefly or living here long-term. And no doubt even Myanmar people will learn something from it they didnt know, or be reminded of something they had forgotten. Culture and superstition are often inseparable in the country, Meiji Soe writes in the foreword. Nonetheless, she divides the book into two sections, with the first written in a straightforward guidebook style about essential cultural knowledge, and the second
Originally intended for her own children, the book is also ideal for foreigners, whether visiting briefly or living here long-term
saw an advertisement in The Myanmar Times in which Sarpay Beikman formerly the Burmese Translation Society and now part of the Ministry of Informations Printing and Publishing Enterprise put out a call for cultural manuscripts by local authors writing in English. The competition was just the inspiration Meiji Soe needed to finish up the book. I was much encouraged by the news. As my collection grew, I started to edit and add in the history of the cultural heritage such as a brief history of Shwedagon Pagoda, the origins of mythical creatures on the pagoda platform, and Myanmar customs, proverbs and ritual ceremonies. The book, which took three years to research and write, won third prize in the 2011 Sarpay Beikman Manuscript Awards, and was published last week by Myanmar Consolidated Media. The teachings and sayings of elders never die, she said. But she also added that the process of writing about them has been a long and unexpected journey. One of my elders once said if you are in a hurry, use the old road. It means the new road is not familiar to us and delays may occur.
Meiji Soe writes explains Myanmars cultural idiosyncracies in her book, Culture and Beyond Myanmar . Photo: Supplied
As a Myanmar writer, I wrote about our culture from the bottom of my heart
Meiji Soe, author
bringing in personal experiences (and hearsay) to illustrate the role that superstitions and beliefs play in daily life. The result is a lively mix of information and anecdote in other words, a perfectly Myanmar style. Id listened to old people talk about beliefs and superstitions since I was young, Meiji Soe said, when asked how the book came to be. As I grow older, I become aware that some of these have been true in my life. Because the superstitions and beliefs that her elders passed on to her have played a positive role in her life, she started to write them down from memory and collect them from others so that her children will know of them when they get old. As I grow older, I gain more and more respect for what the elders pass down. I take it seriously. I believe what they say is true, she said. Over three years, she dug deeper into beliefs and superstitions among the Myanmar people. The project kept growing, with her own experiences reinforcing the importance of getting it all down on the page. Whenever remarkable coincidences happened in my life, a wish to record these incidences appeared in
my mind. And I was afraid my poor memory would forget it all one day so I had to document it straight away. She said she learned many new things herself while researching the book. Most people dont know why these two big lions are sitting at pagoda gates. They think they are placed as decoration. But they [the chin-theik] have a grief-stricken history and I felt sad as I wrote about them. There have been books written in the past about Myanmar customs by foreigners, particularly the British, some of whom were eager to document the local customs they encountered during the colonial era. When I read cultural books Englishmen wrote, I found their angles very interesting. They wrote about some things Myanmar readers dont even notice. Her own book, however, is very
much written from inside the culture. As a Myanmar writer, I wrote about our culture from the bottom of my heart, after feeling them and being involved in them as a Myanmar, Meiji Soe said. For example, one popular belief in Myanmar is that if a tea stem is left standing up in the tea cup, a visitor will drop in at your house. This once happened to Meiji Soe when she saw a tea stem standing up and later that day a long-lost friend dropped by to see her. Other topics covered in the book include superstitions related to pregnancy, childbirth, bridges and railways, trips and travelling, pagodas and heavenly beings, prosperity and poverty, making an oath, death and burial, and even dream interpretation. She said she didnt think of the project as a published book until she
the temperature drops, Daw Thi Thi Oo added. In the singing contest component, students from the State School for the Blind and the Yangon Education Center for the Blind in Mayangone township took part. One of the students, Htin Lin Aung, was born blind, and is considered a musical prodigy, having won a
singing contest organised by MRTV in the past. His disability hasnt deterred him from being ambitious and he is grateful for the talent that he has. I want to be a singer, keyboard player and a computer technician, Htin Lin Aung said. I love singing and I think my good voice is a blessing from God. Zon Pann Pwint
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SONG that celebrates Myanmars diverse population and culture has been chosen to represent the 2013 SEA Games. Younsone Ooyin (The Colourful Garden) written by Linn Htet and
sung by two well-known, local singers Htoo Al Lynn and Sone Thin Par was picked to be the official song of the 27th SEA Games, to held this December in Myanmar. The song is a mix of pop and rock that incorporates the use of several traditional instruments, a choir and a band into its melody. Songwriter Linn Htet said winning the prize has been a huge personal achievement, as he began writing the song with only K30,000 (US$30) in his pocket. The [production] cost was
nearly K100,000, Linn Htet told The Myanmar Times. At that time, the studio owner U Than Win Aung let me record for free and said that I could consider it a prize for myself . Im really thankful to him and the success of this song does not belong to me alone. Its all because of the people who helped me at that time, he said. The Colourful Garden beat out five other finalists. More than 300 songs were submitted to the committee as part of the competition. The six finalists will be included
in the album, We Love SEA Games, which will be distributed this coming October prior in anticipation of the event. Minister for Sport, U Tint San, said that organisers tried to make the contest as open as possible to people of all ages and backgrounds. We built the Song Selecting and Creating Committee with senior musicians and we selected the theme songs step by step, U Tint San said. The Colourful Garden, he said, scored the highest points from both
the committee and the public, who were able to vote via telephone. U Myint Moe Aung, one of the committee members said there was a lot of responsibility weighing on their shoulders to get the public relations aspect right. Were taking as much care as possible to make sure that we dont offend anyone and choose something that people will think is inappropriate, he said. And if things go wrong, Im sure there are many people who would want to blame us for it.
L Khun Yee, deputy chairwoman of Myanmar Women Sports Federation, wants international beauty pageants to fall under the sporting body, so they can help physically train the women. Sporting events have very strict rules around diet and exercise, she said. We should be involved with providing the right information. But while L Khun Yee is an advocate for health and fitness, shes criticised the controversial decision to parade in swimwear. She says while it may be appropriate on an international scale, the decision to do it publicly in Myanmar was the wrong one. There was scandal last month when Khin La Pyae Zaw, the Myanmar contestant in Miss Tourism Queen International 2013, turned up to a press launch on September 21 in just her bikini and acquired crown. While her role as Miss Tourism Queen International would be to highlight tourism and leisure in Myanmar and around the region probably some of which would include destinations at the beach turning up in a two-piece proved too much for some. As a direct result of the reaction from audiences to the Miss Tourism press launch, the Miss Universe pageant organisers at Hello Madam decided the bikini was too risqu, and opted for the one-piece in the end. Yet even thats causing a stir.
Who would dare to wear a swimsuit out as a local? L Khun Kee asked. In Myanmar, were used to wearing clothing when we swim. So its difficult for us to suddenly accept this. As a former judge in local beauty contests, she agrees with Khun Sint Nay Chi that the contestants need more general knowledge and public speaking training. Myanmar women are honest and theyve never had to experience this [public questioning] before, she said. Its difficult for them to answer questions so directly. Myanmar Academy Awardwinning actress, Khin Zar Chi Kyaw, says she feels sorry for those whove had to bare their skin to judges and audiences throughout the competition. Its difficult to be so publicly exposed and I cant imagine anyone would want to do this so readily, she said. Its totally acceptable internationally but it is all very new here. But she also felt some parts of the competition carried positive messages which could help broaden peoples frames of reference and show Myanmars cultural development. The styles are changing, of course, she said. As Myanmar is starting to push forward and make changes, not everyone will accept them but there should be an understanding that some women may want to break through the social boundaries.
Mya Hnin Yee Lwin in the controversial cover of 8 Days. Photo: Boothee
ment with an apology from her to the audience, which was not what she had requested. Im prepared to complain to Myanmar Press Council about this, she said. Ma Mya Hnin Yee Lwin had posed in the photograph for photographer Ko Aye Zaw Moe in Hlaw Ka National Park in Mingaladon, Yangon, the week before the image was published. I shot a lot of photos that day with
Mya Hnin, said Ko Aye Zaw Moe. I took the pictures at noon and she was in a hurry to get back, so she didnt look her pre-photos. But the journal chose the unseemly one as a cover photo. I know that was unseemly from a traditional point of view. A spokesperson for Celebrities 8 days said the journal did not publish edited photos.
SUDOKU PACIFIC
DILBERT
BY SCOTT ADAMS
PEANUTS
BY CHARLES SCHULZ
BY BILL WATTERSON
PUZZLE SOLUTIONS
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batch of fresh green peppercorns caught my eye this week while shopping for groceries. I love green peppercorns for their taste, which isnt overpowering, but offers just a subtle hint of heat. Fresh peppercorns are better than the pickled variety from a jar. The pickled peppercorns are a bit too sour and dont have that lovely heat to them. In Cambodia, green peppercorns are very popular and are often used when cooking crab because of its delicate flavours. Green peppercorns also pair well with other seafood and white meats, like chicken and pork. This week, I have prepared a dish that is fragrant, warm and peppery. STIR-FRIED PRAWNS WITH GREEN PEPPERCORNS (SERVES 4) 8 tiger prawns 45-50 grams green peppercorns 3 cloves garlic, crushed teaspoon brown sugar 2 teaspoons Japanese soy sauce 1 tablespoons vegetable oil A handful of coriander leaves Salt
PREPARATION Take the prawn heads off, and deshell and de-vine the prawns. Rinse and drain well. On a medium heat, heat the vegetable oil in a wok. When the oil is hot, fry the garlic until the garlic becomes a golden colour. Add prawns, green
peppercorns, soy sauce and sugar. Increase the heat to high, stirring the wok constantly. Salt to taste, although it may be salty enough with the soy sauce. After 6-7 minutes of frying, the prawns should become opaque and curve into a semicircle, meaning they are ready to serve. Garnish with coriander on top.
Wine Review
Penfolds Koonunga Hill 2011, Semillon Sauvignon Blanc
W W HIT IN E E
Fresh apples, sorbet and citrus. This is a well balanced and mediumbodied wine that bubbles slightly on the tongue. It would be paired well with seafood and most Asian dishes.
Score
8/10
K
17,500
R W ED IN E
Spiced oranges and plums. This wine transports me to beaches and souks of North Africa. Full-bodied, and deep vibrant red in colour, the wine can be savoured on its own but would be better with a dish such as a tagine.
Score
9/10
K
25,000
Total Score:
8/10
Mayonnaise, crab meat, cucumber and egg are rolled in rice and topped with an avocado slice. It arrived with the familiar smell and taste, but the pulp of avocado was not quite soft enough, so it wasnt quite up to my high expectations. Of course, its not avocado season: I have the same experience when I buy them from the market for the kitchen. I decided Id better order more dishes to really put the new location through its paces. Next up was an order of nigiri moriawase (K5800), rice rolls topped with seafood such as prawn, squid, salmon and fish egg. While avocado maki is my go-to dish, this is my husbands favourite. We both prefer it to sashimi: The portion served up at Hello came out, as always, just as large and as fresh as you could want. We finished our appetizers just as the main dishes arrived. Ramen dishes are half-price until October 20, so I took advantage by ordering soyu ramen (K1500) mixed with bamboo
shoots, vegetables and pork. Served as a soup, the noodles smelled delicious, but the taste became a bit cloying after the bowl was half-finished. Again, however, my husband had better luck. He smiled delightedly in between bites of his tonkatsu set (K3800), breaded fried pork slices dipped in tonkatsu sauce. The rest of the table was filled with steamed rice, miso, potato salad, shredded cabbage salad with mayonnaise, and sweetand-sour kimchi. One thing we didnt order was drinks, but after we turned down the opportunity, Hellos staff brought us two cups of green tea, which they attentively refilled each time we emptied them. Quibbles aside, the food is top-notch and the friendly staff make for a dining experience worth repeating. I know Ill definitely be returning and likely before October 20. Theres a spicy ramen Ive got my eye on for next time. Translated by Thiri Min Htun
Mr Gaurav Bhansali and Ko Tin Aye Ko Zaw Moe Aung, Ko Tun Myint Oo, Mr Thomas, Ko Zarni Win Htet, Ma Moe Thu Zar, Ko Ko Kyaw, Hlwan Paing Mi Sandi
Staffs
Models
Yokoyama
U Lwin Moe
Mr Gandhi
Albert Linn
M Drive opening
Angela
Wang Li Jun
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nyeineieihtwe23@gmail.com
SOCIALITE has been a bit worried of late that all her long nights and partying are contributing toward a growing spare tyre around her waist. But after promising to hit the gym the next day, she made her way to the Yangon Culinary Chefs Competition on September 26 where she was able to appreciate the skills and commitment of young chefs in fine-tuning their art. The following day, she didnt quite make it for that workout shes been promising herself, instead heading to the re-launch of the recently revamped Space Bar. The following day was slightly more relaxing after a visit to the opening ceremony of the La Source Beauty Bar at the Sedona and also a Kodak products launch at Parkroyal Hotel. Socialite finished her week off at the GEMS cocktail party, promising shed make an appearance at the gym next week.
Dr. Sai
Ma Theingi
Han Thi
Melody
Emperor, backstage
EUSHIDO
Sann Yee Soe, Thazin Hnin Phyu, Emma Jabrim and May Than Oo
NAY PYI TAW TO YANGON Flight FMI A2 FMI A2 FMI B2 FMI A2 FMI C2 Days 1,2,3,4,5 6 1,2,3,4,5 7 1,2,3,4,5 Dep 8:50 10:00 13:00 17:00 18:00
Domestic Airlines
Air Bagan Ltd. (W9) Air KBZ (K7)
Tel : 513322, 513422, 504888, Fax : 515102 Tel: 372977~80, 533030~39 (Airport), Fax: 372983
Tel : (Head Office) 501520, 525488, Fax: 525937. Airport: 533222~3, 09-73152853. Fax: 533223.
Yangon Airways(YH)
Tel: (+95-1) 383 100, 383 107, 700 264, Fax: 652 533.
Domestic
6T = Air Mandalay W9 = Air Bagan YJ = Asian Wings K7 = AIR KBZ YH = Yangon Airways FMI = FMI AIR Charter Y5 = Golden Myanmar Airlines
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International Airlines
Air Asia (FD)
Tel: 251 885, 251 886.
YANGON TO DON MUENG Flights Days Dep FD 2752 Daily 8:30 FD 2756 Daily 12:15 FD 2754 Daily 17:50 YANGON TO SINGAPORE Flights Days Dep MI 509 1,6 0:25 8M 231 Daily 8:00 Y5 233 Daily 10:10 SQ 997 Daily 10:25 8M 6232 Daily 11:30 3K 586 Daily 11:30 MI 517 Daily 16:40 TR 2827 2,3,4,5,7 19:05 TR 2827 1,6 15:35 YANGON TO KUALA LUMPUR Flights Days Dep 8M 501 1,3,6 7:50 AK 1427 Daily 8:30 MH 741 Daily 12:15 MH 743 Daily 15:45 Flights CA 906 YANGON TO BEIJING Days Dep 2,3,4,6,7 14:15
ITALY
DON MUENG TO YANGON Flights Days Dep FD 2751 Daily 7:15 FD 2753 Daily 16:35 FD 2755 Daily 11:10 SINGAPORE TO YANGON Flights Days Dep SQ 998 Daily 7:55 3K 585 Daily 9:20 8M 6231 Daily 9:10 8M 232 Daily 13:25 MI 518 Daily 14:20 Y5 234 Daily 15:35 MI 520 5,7 22:10 TR 2826 2,3,4,5,7 17:00 TR 2826 1,6 13:15 Flights CA 905 BEIJING TO YANGON Days Dep 2,3,4,6,7 8:05
Tel : 513322, 513422, 504888, Fax : 515102 Tel : 666112, 655882. Tel : 253597~98, 254758. Fax: 248175
OLIVIER MORIN
Tel: 255122, 255 265, Fax: 255119 Tel: + 95 1 -370836 up to 39 (ext : 810)
Dragonair (KA)
YANGON TO GAUNGZHOU Flights Days Dep 8M 711 2,4,7 8:40 CZ 3056 3,6 11:20 CZ 3056 1,5 17:40 Flights CI 7916 Flights MU 2012 MU 2032 CA 906 YANGON TO TAIPEI Days Dep 1,2,3,4,5,6 10:50 YANGON TO KUNMING Days Dep 1,3 12:20 2,4,5,6,7 14:40 2,3,4,6,7 14:15
KAULA LUMPUR TO YANGON Flights Days Dep AK 1426 Daily 6:55 MH 740 Daily 10:05 8M 502 1,3,6 12:50 MH742 Daily 13:30 GUANGZHOU TO YANGON Flights Days Dep CZ 3055 3,6 8:40 CZ 3055 1,5 14:45 8M 712 2,4,7 14:15 Flights CI 7915 Flights MU 2011 CA 905 MU 2031 TAIPEI TO YANGON Days Dep 1,2,3,4,5,6 7:00 KUNMING TO YANGON Days Dep 1,3 8:20 2,3,4,6,7 12:40 2,4,5,6,7 13:30
Silk Air(MI)
YANGON TO CHIANG MAI Flights Days Dep W9 9607 7 14:20 Flights VN 956 YANGON TO HANOI Days Dep 1,3,5,6,7 19:10
International
FD & AK = Air Asia TG = Thai Airways 8M = Myanmar Airways International Y5 = Golden Myanmar Airlines PG = Bangkok Airways MI = Silk Air VN = Vietnam Airline MH = Malaysia Airlines CZ = China Southern CI = China Airlines CA = Air China KA = Dragonair Y5 = Golden Myanmar Airlines IC = Indian Airlines Limited W9 = Air Bagan 3K = Jet Star AI = Air India QR = Qatar Airways KE = Korea Airlines NH = All Nippon Airways SQ = Singapore Airways DE = Condor Airlines MU=China Eastern Airlines BR = Eva Airlines DE = Condor AI = Air India
CHIANG MAI TO YANGON Flights Days Dep W9 9608 7 17:20 Flights VN 957 HANOI TO YANGON Days Dep 1,3,5,6,7 16:35
YANGON TO HO CHI MINH CITY Flights Days Dep Arr VN 942 2,4,7 14:25 17:10 Flights QR 619 YANGON TO DOHA Days Dep 1,4,5 8:15 Arr 11:15
HO CHI MINH CITY TO YANGON Flights Days Dep Arr VN 943 2,4,7 11:40 13:25 BANGKOK TO MANDALAY Flights Days Dep TG 781 2,3,5,6,7 7:25 PG 709 1,3,5,7 12:00 Flights QR 618 Arr 8:50 13:20
YANGON TO PHNOM PENH Flights Days Dep Arr 8M 403 3,6 16:50 19:15 Flights 0Z 770 KE 472 YANGON TO SEOUL Days Dep Arr 4,7 0:35 9:10 Daily 23:35 08:05+1 Arr 06:00
ROM the vineyards clinging to seaside cliffs to a unique cellar of sparkling wine stored on the seabed, the off -the-beaten-track wine region of Liguria in northern Italy offers an array of spectacular sights. But as he plucked grapes from his terraced vineyard at the end of harvest, Cesare Scorza said the traditions are in danger because of the higher cost of farming on 60-degree slopes and keeping stone walls intact. Grape pickers made their way through the vineyard as if suspended between sky and sea, walking up and down wooden ladders and across along the walls. The crates of juicy grapes are carried up the slopes on a special lift driven like a tractor along a monorail track one of dozens in this region. This type of farming is expensive, said Scorza, who has two hectares (five acres) in Manarola, a colourful cliff-top village in the Cinque Terre National Park. The labourers cost more than in the valley and you are always having to repair the walls. There arent many young people with a passion for this! Despite the difficulties of cultivation, Liguria was for centuries a flourishing wine region that supplied wealthy merchants in the nearby port of Genoa. Mass transport eventually made wine from other regions like Piedmont or Tuscany much more competitive, but fans say the sea breeze gives the Ligurian wines a distinctive taste that cannot be found elsewhere. Ligurian producers have also managed to find an up-market niche for the most prized products of the steepslope vineyards like Sciacchetra, a dessert wine that can sell for upward of 70 euros (US$90) a bottle. One particularly imaginative local grower has even invented what he calls the Wine of the Abyss. Pierluigi Lugano, a former art
history teacher, stores thousands of bottles of his wine at the bottom of the sea near the glamorous seaside town of Portofino and the unusual idea is proving wildly popular. Lugano said the inspiration came from his interest in marine archaeology and the recovery of Roman amphoras from shipwrecks that still contained remains of wine or olive oil that had been preserved by the sea water. The darkness and constant temperature of 15 degrees are valuable and there are also conditions that you do not have in a normal cellar like the external pressure on the bottles which helps the perlage, Lugano said, referring to the bubbles created in the wine. The twisting of the bottles to produce sparkling wine a process known as remuage occurs naturally due to sea currents and the absence of oxygen ensures a hermetic seal to help the wine mature, he said. Bottles are stored in large cages on the seabed at a depth of 60 metres (197 feet) and Lugano even uses an actual shipwreck a 100-year-old yacht that once belonged to the Rothschild banking family. When they are brought out, the bottles are covered in molluscs and other sea life a distinctive characteristic that has helped attract extra customers. They look like something out of science fiction, he said. Lugano started out in 2010 with 6500 bottles under the sea, and now stores 15,000 bottles more than 10 percent of his annual production. He now plans to expand further after this harvest. It is a labour of love for Lugano, who said he hoped this type of initiative could help save seaside vineyards like his that are at risk of extinction. The vineyard terraces have been gradually abandoned. Older generations have not been replaced by younger ones. But I believe in recovery. AFP
YANGON TO HONG KONG Flights Days Dep KA 251 1,2,4,6 01:10 Flights NH 914 Flights AI 228
PHNOM PENH TO YANGON Flights Days Dep Arr 8M 404 3,6 20:15 21:40 Flights KE 471 0Z 769 Flights NH 913 Flights KA 250 Flights AI 227 SEOUL TO YANGON Days Dep Daily 18:40 3,6 19:50 TOKYO TO YANGON Days Dep Daily 10:30 HONG KONG TO YANGON Days Dep 1,3,5,7 21:45 KOLKATA TO YANGON Days Dep 1,5 10:35 Arr 22:30 23:25 Arr 15:30 Arr 23:30 Arr 13:20
YANGON TO TOKYO Days Dep Arr Daily 21:45 06:50+1 YANGON TO KOLKATA Days Dep 1,5 14:05 Arr 15:05 Arr 11:55 16:35
MANDALAY TO BANGKOK Flights Days Dep TG 782 2,3,5,6,7 9:30 PG 710 1,3,5,7 14:10
MANDALAY TO DON MUENG Flights Days Dep Arr FD 2761 Daily 12:45 15:00
Seep cliffs like these in Portofinos harbour are home to a unique wine culture. Photo: Stan Shebs, WikiMedia
WEEKLY PREDICTIONS
LEO | Jul 23 - Aug 22 You can be certain that a quiet mind is the foundation of inner peace and inner peace translates into outer peace. Train your mind to be still and quiet before your decisions are made. Stillness can be incorporated into your daily life, making you less reactive, irritable and giving you a greater perspective to see all things as small stuff rather than as a series of emergencies. Nothing would get done at all if you cannot find fault with yourself. VIRGO | Aug 23 - Sep 22 Your intellectual investment must be free from emotional needs and wants. Dont make staying within a comfortable and secure environment easier for yourself. Expending your circle of acquaintances may be uncomfortable but it will reveal a new idea, prompt you to see things from different point of view and this will help generate ideas of your own. Love is not easy this week with regard to social communication. LIBRA | Sep 23 - Oct 22 You must have your own set of ideas to evaluate life and the real challenge is to see your struggle as a test. Take a look around today at all the enlightened people and their manner and social language to compare with you own to get ideas about your social change. Seek first to understand that it isnt about whos right or wrong but observing a philosophy of effective communication, in social and personal situations. SCORPIO | Oct 23 - Nov 21 Righteousness is not merely about avoiding temptation and it is not an absolute either. If you really want to do the right thing, the meaning of righteousness can go beyond your knowledge. Do not be afraid of seeming overly dramatic or of being overly emotional and dont let any negative fear hold you back. Secret love is dangerous. SAGITTARIUS | Nov 22 - Dec 21 In the presence of hope, faith is born. In the presence of faith, love becomes a possibility! In the presence of love, miracles happen! Dont trust your doubt. Doubt is a subconscious defence mechanism fabricated by an insecure troubled mind, which will keep you away from reality and truth. We all agree that forgiveness is a beautiful idea until we have to practice it. CAPRICORN | Dec 22 - Jan 19 Surprise yourself with a meal of generosity. You should be lost sometimes in a cause that of research and study about yourself. Keep a be happy attitude which will endure so you can live and build a reputation as a beautiful child of God. Unless you can maintain an honourable reputation you will not have the kind of popularity that leaves you with a wholesome and healthy sense of self-esteem.
HE final episode of Breaking Bad drew the cult US television shows biggest-ever ratings with 10.3 million viewers tuning in, figures released September 30 showed. But there were also more than 500,000 illegal downloads of the Sunday night finale of the series, with Australia topping the illicit rankings with nearly 1 in 5 of copies viewed. The show, about chemistry teacher turned drug lord Walter White, ended its fifth and final season a week after winning the best drama award at the Emmys, televisions version of the Oscars. The long-awaited final episode drew 3.7 million more viewers than the penultimate one a week before, which itself had set the series record at 6.6 million, according to ratings tracker Nielsen cited by industry journal Variety. The record ratings were less than the biggest season finale of The Walking Dead on 12.4 million, but more than twice the biggest audience for advertising drama Mad Men which drew 3.5 million for the first show in its fifth series, according to Variety. The figures pale in comparison with classic TV shows of the past, before the TV and media world became so fragmented in the digital era.
You must have a big heart and a broad mind to understand everything about what your future will bring during a good transition. Sharing of thoughts, feelings and knowledge is indispensable and necessary in your relationship, but nothing is ever good enough to be acceptable. Write off perfecting those around you as a bad idea. The less you try to control, the more youll notice how wonderful your life really is. PISCES | Feb 19 - March 20 Seeing the innocence in life is a powerful tool for your social transformation, and yourself. When not frustrated by the actions of others, its a lot easier to stay focused on the beauty of life. Youll be lucky with an official promotion regarding a golden post you wish to experience. Educational learning opportunities that improve your knowledge is not in balance with your emotional suffering. You must keep your emotions in check. ARIES | Mar 21 - Apr 19 People with high self-esteem are more willing to take emotional risks. You are no more likely to be fooled than insecure people and others who are judged to be less intelligent. Have confidence in your ability to be better than others at reading people. Give others the same consideration you give yourself. Build people up through encouragement and give people credit by acknowledgment. TAURUS | Apr 20 - May 20 The beauty of doing nothing will teach you to clear your mind and relax and you will be able to make the right decisions for hidden social problems. Start trusting your intuitive heart today and youll see a world of difference in your life. Reminding yourself of whats really important to say and do will help you keep your priorities straight. Pay close attention and care to an important test of love. GEMINI | May 21 - June 20 Keeping and minding your own business goes far beyond simply, avoiding the temptation to try to solve other peoples problems, which can disturb your mind and cause stress. Your thinking will always come back to you as being aware of inner conflicts and you should learn to maintain point-to-point relationships. Know that money does can corrupt people. CANCER | Jun 21 - Jul 22 Understand the link between your expectations and your frustration levels and dont expect your day to be free of problems. See your problems as a potential opportunity for an awakening a chance to practice being patient and to learn. Love has such a transformational power and unconditional love can bring forth peaceful feelings in both the giver and the receiver. Lighten up your entire life without frustrations.
Aaron Paul (left) and Bryan Cranston star in cult television show, Breaking Bad. Photo: AFP
M. A.S.H., for example, scored nearly 106 million viewers for its finale in 1983, while Cheers drew 80.4 million a decade later and the last episode of Seinfeld was watched by 76.3 million people in 1998. In the current media landscape talent shows regularly get much bigger audiences than that of Breaking Bad: The Voice got 14.7 million for its latest series debut. While AMC, the cable channel which broadcasts Breaking Bad, will be happy with the ratings, they
will be less pleased at the number of people who watched the final episode through illicit means. The show was illegally downloaded more than half a million times within 12 hours of the first illegal copy appearing online, according to online piracy news website TorrentFreak. Australia had the biggest number of illegal downloads with 18 percent of the total, followed by the United States with 14.5pc, Britain with 9.3pc, India with 5.7pc and Canada 5.1pc, it reported. AFP
They cant complain when there is no proof ... and they need to be brave to speak out
The industry continues to grow very quickly, while weve been surprised by its reach worldwide, said Busan festival director Lee Yong-Kwan. A record 98.5 million admissions were collected over the first half of 2013, a year-on-year rise of 18.3pc driven by local productions. Included among the box office hits to be screened in Busan is
AUNG MYIN KYAW 4th Floor, 113, Thamain Bayan Road, Tarmwe township, Yangon. Tel: 09-731-35632, Email: williameaste@gmail.com
The Essentials
EMBASSIES Australia 88, Strand Road, Yangon. Tel : 251810, 251797, 251798, 251809, 246462, 246463, fax: 246159 Bangladesh 11-B, Than Lwin Road, Yangon. Tel: 515275, 526144, fax: 515273, email: bdootygn@ mptmail.net.mm Brazil 56, Pyay Road, 6th mile, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 507225, 507251, 507482. fax: 507483. email: Administ.yangon@ itamaraty.gov.br. Brunei 17, Kanbawza Avenue, Golden Velly (1), Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 566985, 503978, fax: 512854 email: bruneiemb@ bruneiemb.com.mm Cambodia 25 (3B/4B), New University Avenue Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 549609, 540964, fax: 541462, email: RECYANGON @ mptmail.net.mm China 1, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. Tel: 221280, 221281, fax: 227019, 228319 Danmark, No.7, Pyi Thu St, Pyay Rd, 7 Miles, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 01 9669520 - 17, Fax 01- 9669516 Egypt 81, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. Tel: 222886, 222887, email: egye mbyangon@ mptmail. net.mm France 102, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. Tel: 212178, 212520, email: ambaf rance. rangoun@ diplomatie.fr Germany 9, Bogyoke Aung San Museum Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 548951, 548952, email: info@rangun. diplo.de India 545-547, Merchant St, Yangon. Tel: 391219, 388412, email: indiaembassy @ mptmail.net.mm Indonesia 100, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Rd, Yangon. Tel: 254465, 254469, 229750, fax: 254468, email: kukygn @ indonesia.com.mm Israel 15, Khabaung Street, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 515115, fax: 515116, email: info@ yangon.mfa.gov.il Italy 3, Inya Myaing Road, Golden Valley, Yangon. Tel: 527100, 527101, fax: 514565, email: ambyang. mail@ esteri.it Japan 100, Natmauk Rd, Yangon. Tel: 549644-8, 540399, 540400, 540411, 545988, fax: 549643 Embassy of the State of Kuwait Chatrium Hotel, Rm: 416, 418, 420, 422, 40 Natmauk Rd, Tarmwe Tsp, Tel: 544500. North Korea 77C, Shin Saw Pu Rd, Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 512642, 510205 South Korea 97 University Avenue, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 5271424, 515190, fax: 513286, email: myanmar@mofat. go.kr Lao A-1, Diplomatic Quarters, Tawwin Road, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 222482, fax: 227446, email: Laoembcab@ mptmail. net.mm Malaysia 82, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. Tel: 220248, 220249, email: mwkyangon@ mptmail.net.mm Nepal 16, Natmauk Yeiktha, Yangon. Tel: 545880, 557168, fax: 549803, email: nepemb @mptmail.net.mm Norway, No.7, Pyi Thu St, Pyay Rd, 7 Miles, Mayangone Tsp,Yangon. Tel: 01 9669520 - 17 Fax 01- 9669516 Pakistan A-4, diplomatic Quarters, Pyay Rd, Yangon. Tel: 222881 (Chancery Exchange) fax: 221147, email: pakistan@ myanmar.com.mm Philippines 50, Sayasan Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 558149-151, fax: 558154, email: p.e. yangon@gmail.com Russian 38, Sagawa Road, Yangon. Tel: 241955, 254161, fax: 241953, email: rusinmyan@mptmail .net.mm Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia No.287/289, U Wisara Rd, Sanchaung Tsp. Tel : 01-536153, 516952, fax : 01-516951 Serbia No. 114-A, Inya Rd, P.O.Box No. 943, Yangon. Tel: 515282, 515283, email: serbemb @ yangon.net.mm Singapore 238, Dhamazedi Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 559001, email: singemb_ ygn@_ sgmfa. gov.sg Sri Lanka 34 Taw Win Road, Yangon. Tel: 222812, fax: 221509, email: slembassy. yangon@gmail.com The Embassy of Switzerland No 11, Kabaung Lane, 5 mile, Pyay Rd, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 534754, 512873, 507089. Fax: 534754, Ext: 110 Thailand 94 Pyay Rd, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 226721, 226728, 226824 Turkish Embassy 19AB, Kan Yeik Thar St, Mayangone Tsp,Yangon. Tel : 662992, Fax : 661365 United Kingdom 80 Strand Rd, Yangon. Tel: 370867, 380322, 371852, 371853, 256438, fax: 370866 United States of America 110, University Avenue, Kamayut Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 536509, 535756, Fax: 650306 Vietnam Bldg-72, Thanlwin Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 511305 email: vnemb myr@ cybertech.net.mm UNITED NATIONS ILO Liaison 1-A, Kanbae (Thitsar Rd), Yankin Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 01-566538, 566539 Fax : 01-566582 IOM 12th Flr, Traders Hotel, 223, Tel: 252560 ext. 5002 UNAIDS 137/1, Thaw Wun Rd, Kamayut Tsp. Tel : 534498, 504832 UNDCP 11-A, Malikha St, Mayangone tsp. tel: 666903, 664539. fax: 651334. UNDP 6, Natmauk Rd, Bahan tel: 542910-19. fax: 292739. UNFPA 6, Natmauk Rd, Bahan tsp. tel: 546029. UNHCR 287, Pyay Rd, Sanchaung tsp. tel: 524022, 524024. fax 524031. UNIAP Rm: 1202, 12 Fl, Traders Hotel.tel: 254852, 254853. UNIC 6, Natmauk St., Bahan, tel: 52910~19 UNICEF 14~15 Flr, Traders Hotel. P.O. Box 1435, Kyauktada. tel: 375527~32, fax: 375552 email: unicef. yangon@unicef. org, www.unicef.org/myanmar. UNODC 11-A, Malikha Rd., Ward 7, Mayangone. tel: 01-9666903, 9660556, 9660538, 9660398, 9664539, fax: 651334. email: fo.myanmar@unodc.org www.unodc.org./myanmar/ UNOPS Inya Lake Hotel, 3rd floor, 37, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Mayangone Tsp. tel: 951657281~7. Fax: 657279. UNRC 6, Natmauk Rd, P.O. Box 650, TMWE tel: 542911~19, 292637 (Resident Coordinator), fax: 292739, 544531. WFP 3rd-flr, Inya Lake Hotel, 37, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd. tel: 657011~6 (6-lines) Ext: 2000. WHO 12A Fl, Traders Hotel. tel:250583. ASEAN Coordinating Of. for the ASEAN Humanitarian Task Force, 79, Taw Win st, Dagon Tsp. Ph: 225258. FAO Myanma Agriculture Service Insein Rd, Insein. tel: 641672, 641673. fax: 641561.
General Listing
ACCOMMODATIONHOTELS
Hotel Yangon 91/93, 8th Mile Junction, Tel : 01-667708, 667688. Inya Lake Resort Hotel 37 Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd. tel: 662866. fax: 665537. Golden Hill Towers 24-26, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp. tel: 558556. ghtower@ mptmail.net.mm. Marina Residence 8, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Mayangone Tsp. tel: 6506 51~4. fax: 650630. MiCasa Hotel Apartments 17, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Yankin Tsp. tel: 650933. fax: 650960. Sakura Residence 9, Inya Rd, Kamaryut Tsp. tel: 525001. fax: 525002. The Grand Mee Ya Hta Executive Residence 372, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Pabedan Tsp. tel 951-256355 (25 lines).
YANGON No. 277, Bogyoke Aung San Road, Corner of 38th Street, Kyauktada Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : (951) 391070, 391071. Reservation@391070 (Ext) 1910, 106. Fax : (951) 391375. Email : hotelasiaplaza@gmail.com 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.
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.
No.7A, Wingabar Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : (951) 546313, 430245. 09-731-77781~4. Fax : (01) 546313. www.cloverhotel.asia. info@cloverhotel.asia Clover Hotel City Center No. 217, 32nd Street (Upper Block), Pabedan Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 377720, Fax : 377722 www.clovercitycenter.asia Clover Hotel City Center Plus No. 229, 32nd Street (Upper Block), Pabedan Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 377975, Fax : 377974
www.clovercitycenterplus.asia
Royal White Elephant Hotel No-11, Kan Street, Hlaing Tsp. Yangon, Myanmar. (+95-1) 500822, 503986. www.rwehotel.com MGM Hotel No (160), Warden Street, Lanmadaw Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. +95-1-212454~9. www. hotel-mgm.com Savoy Hotel 129, Damazedi Rd, Kamayut tsp. tel: 526289, 526298, Sedona Hotel Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Yankin. tel: 666900. Strand Hotel 92 Strand Rd. tel: 243377. fax: 289880. Summit Parkview Hotel 350, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp. tel: 211888, 211966. Traders Hotel 223 Sule Pagoda Rd. tel: 242828. fax: 242838. Winner Inn 42, Than Lwin Rd, Bahan Tsp. Tel: 503734, 524387. email: reservation@winner innmyanmar.com Windsor Hotel No.31, Shin Saw Pu Street, Sanchaung. Yangon, Myanmar. Ph: 95-1-511216~8, www. hotelwindsoryangon.com Yuzana Hotel 130, Shwegondaing Rd, Bahan Tsp, tel : 01-549600 Yuzana Garden Hotel 44, Alanpya Pagoda Rd, Mingalar Taung Nyunt Tsp, tel : 01-248944
Reservation Office (Yangon) 123, Alanpya Pagoda Rd, Dagon Township. Tel : 951-255 819-838 Hotel Max (Chaung Tha Beach) Tel : 042-423 46-9, 042-421 33. Email : maxhotelsreservation@ gmail.com
Confort Inn 4, Shweli Rd, Bet: Inya Rd & U Wisara Rd, Kamaryut, tel: 525781, 526872
Reservation Office (Yangon) 123, Alanpya Pagoda Rd, Dagon Township Tel : 951- 255 819~838 Royal Kumudra Hotel, (Nay Pyi Taw) Tel : 067- 414 177, 067- 4141 88 E-Mail: reservation@ maxhotelsgroup.com
AIR CONDITION
Emergency Numbers
Ambulance tel: 295133. Fire tel: 191, 252011, 252022. Police emergency tel: 199. Police headquarters tel: 282541, 284764. Red Cross tel:682600, 682368 Traffic Control Branch tel:298651 Department of Post & Telecommunication tel: 591384, 591387. Immigration tel: 286434. Ministry of Education tel:545500m 562390 Ministry of Sports tel: 370604, 370605 Ministry of Communications tel: 067-407037. Myanma Post & Telecommunication (MPT) tel: 067407007. Myanma Post & Tele-communication (Accountant Dept) tel: 254563, 370768. Ministry of Foreign Affairs tel: 067-412009, 067-412344. Ministry of Health tel: 067-411358-9. Yangon City Development Committee tel: 248112. HOSPITALS Central Womens Hospital tel: 221013, 222811. Children Hospital tel: 221421, 222807 Ear, Nose & Throat Hospital tel: 543888. Naypyitaw Hospital (emergency) tel: 420096. Workers Hospital tel: 554444, 554455, 554811. Yangon Children Hospital tel: 222807, 222808, 222809. Yangon General Hospital (East) tel: 292835, 292836, 292837. Yangon General Hospital (New) tel: 384493, 384494, 384495, 379109. Yangon General Hospital (West) tel: 222860, 222861, 220416. Yangon General Hospital (YGH) tel: 256112, 256123, 281443, 256131. ELECTRICITY Power Station tel:414235 POST OFFICE General Post Office 39, Bo Aung Kyaw St. (near British Council Library). tel: 285499. INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Yangon International Airport tel: 662811. YANGON PORT Shipping (Coastal vessels) tel: 382722 RAILWAYS Railways information tel: 274027, 202175-8.
No. (356/366), Kyaikkasan Rd, Tamwe Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Ph: 542826, Fax: 545650 Email: reservation@ edenpalacehotel.com
M-22, Shwe Htee Housing, Thamine Station St., Near the Bayint Naung Point, Mayangone Tsp., Yangon Tel : 522763, 522744, 667557. Fax : (95-1) 652174 E-mail : grandpalace@ myanmar.com.mm
The First Air conditioning systems designed to keep you fresh all day Zeya & Associates Co., Ltd. No.437 (A), Pyay Road, Kamayut. P., O 11041 Yangon, Tel: +(95-1) 502016-18, Mandalay- Tel: 02-60933. Nay Pyi Taw- Tel: 067-420778, E-mail : sales.ac@freshaircon. com. URL: http://www. freshaircon.com
BARS
50th Street 9/13, 50th street-lower, Botataung Tsp. Tel-397160.
No. 12, Pho Sein Road, Tamwe Township, Yangon Tel : (95-1) 209299, 209300, 209343, 209345, 209346 Fax : (95-1) 209344 E-mail : greenhill@ myanmar.com.mm
HAPPY HOMES
REAL ESTATE & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
co working space
Strand Bar 92, Strand Rd, Yangon, Myanmar. tel: 243377.fax: 243393, sales@thestrand.com.mm www.ghmhotels.com
Fully maintained operating leases (self drive) NEW Left Hand Drive Pickup Trucks Commercials Trucks Refrig. Trucks www.fleet24seven.com
MYANMAR EXECUTIVE LIMOUSINE SERVICE
Advertising
WE STARTED THE ADVERTISING INDUSTRY IN MYANMAR SINCE 1991
No. 52, Royal Yaw Min Gyi Condo, Room F, Yaw Min Gyi Rd, Dagon Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: 09-425-307-717
No. (6), Lane 2 Botahtaung Pagoda St, Yangon. 01-9010003, 291897. info@venturaoffice.com, www.venturaoffice.com
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
ENTERTAINMENT
Foam Spray Insulation No-410, Ground Fl,Lower Pazuntaung Rd, Pazun taung Tsp, Yangon.Telefax : 01-203743, 09-5007681. Hot Line-09-730-30825.
HOT LINE: 959 - 402 510 003 First Class VIP Limousine Car Rental. Professional English Speaking Drivers. Full Insurance for your Safety and comfortable journey Call us Now for your best choice www.mmels.com
Cooper Valves
M a r k e t i n g & c o mm u n i c a t i o n s
A d v e r t i s i n g
SAIL Marketing & Communications Suite 403, Danathiha Center 790, Corner of Bogyoke Rd & Wadan Rd, Lanmadaw Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: (951) 211870, 224820, 2301195. Email: admin@ advertising-myanmar.com www.advertising-myanmar. com
Spa Paragon Condo B#Rm-106, Shwe Hinthar Condo, Corner of Pyay Rd & Shwe Hinthar St, 6Mile, Yangon. Tel: 01-507344 Ext: 112, 09-680-8488, 09-526-1642.
Exotic Alloys for Severe Service, Myanmar Sales Representative mlwin@coopervalves.com www.coopervalves.com
Dance Club & Bar No.94, Ground Floor, Bogalay Zay Street, Botataung Tsp, Yangon.Tel: 392625, 09-500-3591 Email : danceclub. hola@gmail.com
(Except Sunday)
Worlds leader in Kitchen Hoods & Hobs Same as Ariston Water Heater. Tel: 251033, 379671, 256622, 647813
24 hours Laboratory & X-ray No. (68), Tawwin Street, 9 Mile, Mayangone Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : (951) 9 666141 Fax : (951) 9 666135
Construction
Engineering
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.
BOOK STORES
Car Rental Service No. 56, Bo Ywe St, Latha Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 01-246551, 375283, 09-2132778, 09-31119195. Gmail:nyanmyintthu1983@ gmail.com, 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
Marina Residence, Yangon Ph: 650651~4, Ext: 109 Beauty Plan, Corner of 77th St & 31st St, Mandalay Ph: 02 72506
150 Dhamazedi Rd., Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 536306, 537805. 15(B), Departure Lounge, Yangon Intl Airport. 45B, Crn of 26th & 68th St, Mandalay. Tel: (02) 66197. Email : yangon@ monument-books.com #87/2, Crn of 26th & 27th St, Chan Aye Thar Zan Tsp, Mandalay. Tel : (02) 24880. MYANMARBOOKCENTRE Nandawun Compound, No. 55, Baho Road, Corner of Baho Road and Ahlone Road, (near Eugenia Restaurant), Ahlone Township. tel: 212 409, 221 271. 214708 fax: 524580. email:info@ myanmarbook.com
coffee machine
Zamil Steel No-5, Pyay Road, 7 miles, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. Tel: (95-1) 652502~04. Fax: (95-1) 650306. Email: zamilsteel@ zamilsteel.com.mm
24 Hour International Medical Centre @ Victoria Hospital No. 68, Tawwin Rd, 9 Mile, Mayangon Township, Yangon, Myanmar Tel: + 951 651 238, + 959 495 85 955 Fax: + 959 651 398 24/7 on duty doctor: + 959 492 18 410 Website: www.leo.com.mm One Stop Solution for Quality Health Care
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
La Source Beauty Spa (Ygn) 80-A, Inya Rd, Kamayut Tsp. Tel: 512380, 511252 La Source Beauty Spa (Mdy) No. 13/13, Mya Sandar St, Between 26 x 27 & 62 & 63 St, Chanaye Tharzan Tsp, In ning Mandalay. Ope ugust A Tel : 09-4440-24496. La Source Beauty Spa Sedona Hotel, Room (1004) Tel : 666 900 Ext : (7167) LS Saloon Junction Square, 3rd Floor. Tel : 95-1-527242, Ext : 4001 www.lasourcebeautyspa.com
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communication
NS BlueScope Pte Ltd Diamond Condo Bldg A, Rm 301, Pyay Rd, Kamayut Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 95 11221343 95 9448018719 email : khin.thu@ bluescopesteel.com www.bluescopesteel.com
FITNESS CENTRE
Ruby & Rare Gems of Myanamar No. 527, New University Ave., Bahan Tsp. Yangon.
Duty free
International Calling Card No.004, Building (B), Ground Floor, Yuzana St, Highway Complex Housing, Kamayut Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 01-230-4379, 09-731-74871~2 Email : info@vmg.com mm, www.vmgtelecoms.com, www.ytalk.com.mm
Balance Fitnesss No 64 (G), Kyitewine Pagoda Road, Mayangone Township. Yangon 01-656916, 09 8631392 Email - info@ balancefitnessyangon.com
sales@manawmaya.com.mm www.manawmayagems.com
No. (68), Tawwin Street, 9 Mile, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : (951) 9 666141 Fax : (951) 9 666135 Email : info@witoriyahospital.com Website : www.witoriyahosptial.com
Home Furnishing
CONSULTING
Shwe Hinthar B 307, 6 1/2 Miles, Pyay Rd., Yangon. Tel: +95 (0)1 654 730 info@thuraswiss.com www.thuraswiss.com
Duty Free Shops Yangon International Airport, Arrival/Departure Tel: 533030 (Ext: 206/155) Office: 17, 2nd street, Hlaing Yadanarmon Housing, Hlaing Township, Yangon. Tel: 500143, 500144, 500145.
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
The Lady Gems & Jewellery No. 7, Inya Rd, Kamayut Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 01-2305899, 09-8315555 www.thelady-gems.com Email : theladygems@ gmail.com
GENERATORS
Bldg-D, Rm (G-12), Pearl Condo, Ground Flr, Kabaraye Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp. Tel: 557448. Ext 814, 09-730-98872.
No. 20, Ground Floor, Pearl Street, Golden Valley Ward, Bahan Township, Yangon. Tel : 09-509 7057, 01220881, 549478 (Ext : 103) Email : realfitnessmyanmar @gmail.com
www.realfitnessmyanmar.com
No. 589-592, Bo Aung Kyaw St, Yangon-Pathein highway Road. Hlaing Tharyar tsp. Tel: 951645178-182, 685199, Fax: 951-645211, 545278. e-mail: mkt-mti@ winstrategic.com.mm
FLORAL SERVICES
HEALTH SERVICES
FloralService&GiftShop No. 449, New University Avenue, Bahan Tsp. YGN. Tel: 541217, 559011, 09-860-2292. Market Place By City Mart Tel: 523840~43, 523845~46, Ext: 205. Junction Nay Pyi Taw Tel: 067-421617~18 422012~15, Ext: 235. Res: 067-414813, 09-49209039. Email : eternal@ mptmail.net.mm
98(A), Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Bahan Township, Yangon. Tel: 553783, 549152, 09-732-16940, 09-730-56079. Fax: 542979 Email: asiapacific. myanmar@gmail.com.
S.B. FURNITURE
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
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. One Stop ENT Center No. (68), Tawwin Street, 9 Mile, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : (951) 9 666141 Fax : (951) 9 666135 Email : info@witoriyahospital.com Website : www.witoriyahosptial.com
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.
LEGAL SERVICE
U Min Sein, BSc, RA, CPA.,RL Advocate of the Supreme Court 83/14 Pansodan St, Yangon. tel: 253 273. uminsein@mptmail.net.mm
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
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
The Ritz Exclusive Lounge Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon 40, Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp, Ground Floor, Tel: 544500 Ext 6243, 6244
Top Marine Show Room No-385, Ground Floor, Lower Pazundaung Road, Pazundaung Tsp, Yangon. Ph: 01-202782, 09-851-5597
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
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.
Kohaku Japanese Restaurant Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon 40, Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp, Lobby Level, Tel: 544500 Ext 6231
SERVICE OFFICE
The Emporia Restaurant Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon 40, Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp. Lobby Level, Tel: 544500 Ext 6294
Tel : 01-4413410 Enchanting and Romantic, a Bliss on the Lake 62 D, U Tun Nyein Road, Mayangon Tsp, Yangon Tel. 01 665 516, 660976 Mob. 09-730-30755 operayangon@gmail.com www.operayangon.com 1. WASABI:No.20-B, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Yankin Tsp,(Near MiCasa), Tel; 09-4250-20667, 09-503-9139 Myaynigone (City Mart) Yankin Center (City Mart) UnionBarAndGrill 42 Strand Road, Botahtaung, Yangon. Tel: 95 9420 180 214, 95 9420 101 854 www.unionyangon.com, info@unionyangon.com www.facebook.com/ UnionBarAndGrill
REAL ESTATE
OFFICE FURNITURE
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.
No. (6), Lane 2 Botahtaung Pagoda St, Yangon. 01-9010003, 291897. info@venturaoffice.com, www.venturaoffice.com
WATER SOLUTION
Company Limited
Aekar
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
Real Estate Agent Agent fees is unnecessary Tel : 09 2050107, 09 448026156 robinsawnaing@gmail.com
TRAVEL AGENTS
Shan Yoma Tours Co.,Ltd www.exploremyanmar.com
RESTAURANTS
22, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp. tel 541997. email: leplanteur@ mptmail.net.mm. http://leplanteur.net
Water Treatement Solution Block (A), Room (G-12), Pearl Condo, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp. Hot Line : 09-4500-59000
WATER TANK
G-01, City Mart (Myay Ni Gone Center). Tel: 01-508467-70 Ext: 106 No. 5, U Tun Nyein Street, Mayangone T/S, Yangon. Tel : 01-660 612, 011 22 1014, 09 50 89 441 Email : lalchimiste. restaurant@gmail.com
Asian Trails Tour Ltd 73 Pyay Rd, Dagon tsp. tel: 211212, 223262. fax: 211670. email: res@ asiantrails.com.mm
PE WATER TANK
WATER TREATMENT
Bldg-A2, G-Flr, Shwe Gabar Housing, Mindama Rd, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. email: eko-nr@ myanmar.com.mm Ph: 652391, 09-73108896
Sai Khung Noung Real Estate Co., Ltd. Tel : 541501, 551197, 400781, 09-73176988 Email : saikhungnoung 1995@gmail.com. www.saikhungnoung.com
G-05, Marketplace by City Mart. Tel: 01-523840 Ext: 105 a drink from paradise... available on Earth @Yangon International Hotel, No.330, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 09-421040512
Car Rental with English Speaking Driver. (Safety and Professional Services). Tel : +95 9 2050107 robinsawnaing@gmail.com
Bld-A2, Gr-Fl, Shwe Gabar Housing, Mindama Rd, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. email: eko-nr@ myanmar.com.mm Ph: 652391, 09-73108896
Monsoon Restaurant & Bar 85/87, Thein Byu Road, Botahtaung Tsp. Tel: 295224, 09-501 5653.
SUPERMARKETS
Capital Hyper Mart 14(E), Min Nandar Road, Dawbon Tsp. Ph: 553136. City Mart (Aung San Branch) tel: 253022, 294765. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (47th St Branch) tel: 200026, 298746. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (Junction 8 Branch) tel: 650778. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (FMI City Branch) tel: 682323. City Mart (Yankin Center Branch) tel: 400284. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm)
Commercial scale water treatment (Since 1997) Tel: 01-218437~38. H/P: 09-5161431, 09-43126571. 39-B, Thazin Lane, Ahlone.
WATER HEATERS
For House-Seekers
PAINT
Worlds No.1 Paints & Coatings Company
REMOVALISTS
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.
No. 372, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Pabedan T/S, Yangon. Tel : 01-380 398, 01-256 355 (Ext : 3027) Email : zawgyihouse@ myanmar.com.mm
SCHOOLS
The Global leader in Water Heaters A/1, Aung San Stadium East Wing, Upper Pansodan Road. Tel: 01-256705, 399464, 394409, 647812.
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.
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
Delicious Hong Kong Style Food Restaurant G-09, City Mart (Myay Ni Gone Center). Tel: 01-508467-70 Ext: 114
TOP MARINE PAINT No-410, Ground Floor, Lower Pazundaung Road, Pazundaung Tsp, Yangon. Ph: 09-851-5202
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
Heaven Pizza 38/40, Bo Yar Nyunt St. Yaw Min Gyi Quarter, Dagon Township. Tel: 09-855-1383
Indian Fine Dining & Bar Bldg No. 12, Yangon Intl Compound, Ahlone Road. Tel: 01-2302069, 09-43185008, 09-731-60662. sales@corrianderleaf.com
Yangon International School Fully Accredited K-12 International Curriculum with ESL support No.117,Thumingalar Housing, Thingangyun Township, Yangon. Tel: 578171, 573149 www.yismyanmar.net Yangon International School New Early Childhood Center Pan Hlaing Golf Estate Housing & U Tun Nyo Street, Hlaing Thar Yar Township, Yangon. Tel: 687701, 687702
Made in Japan Same as Rinnai Gas Cooker and Cooker Hood Showroom Address
Water Heater
SANITERY WARE
Get your Visa online for Business and Tourist No need to come to Embassy. #165. 35th Street, Kyauktada Tsp, Yangon. Tel: +951 381200, 204020 travel.evisa@gmail.com
Bath Room Accessories 79-B3/B3, East Shwe Gone Dine, Near SSC Womens Center, Bahan. Tel : 01-401083, 0973011100, 09-73056736
FREE
General
Education
through play, 55(B), Po Sein Rd, Bahan, Tel: 546097, 546761, Email: imm.myn@gmail.com EXPERIENCE SAT English teacher, who can come to home, needed for two International school students. Pls contact 09-501-4443, Between 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM. IGCSE, Secondary 3, 4 Physics, Maths B, Pure Maths Practice with 15 years old questin. Ph: 09-4500-23213. Garaphic 2GB Price : 435000. Ph : 09-5016694 SAMSUNG Galaxy S3 LTE (3G/4G LTE Network) 1.5 GHz Processor Quad Core 8MP LED Flash Camera & Camcorder Android 4.1 Jelly Bean 4.8" To u c h s c r e e n - S u p e r AMOLED Plus Display Very good internet speed Brand New. Good Price: 440000 Ks. Negotiable. Ph:09-507-4152. for the Study of Human Development. Contact : Miss Marlar - Program Manager, Wisdom Management Center : 8, (6A), Chan Thar St, San Chaung. Ph: 09- 73002705, 09- 537-0230
BY FAX : 01-254158 BY EMAIL : classified@myanmartimes.com.mm, advertising@myanmartimes.com.mm BY MAIL : 379/383, Bo Aung Kyaw St, Kyauktada Township, Yangon.
Employment
Ingo Positions
RELIEF International is seeking Head of Rakhine Response Programme in Sittwe Rakhine State. Qualifications & requirements: Higher education degree from an accredited institution of higher education in a relevant field of study. Minimum of five years field program experience including at least 3 years of management. Strong verbal and written skills as well as ability to multi-task effectively. Excellent oral communication skills and writing ability in English. Burmese language ability is a plus Interested candidates should send their cover letter, CV and names of three referees to Relief International at hla.oo@ri.org quoting Head of Rakhine Response Programme in the subject line. The deadline for submission of applications is not later than 9.00 am Myanmar time on 31 October 2013. Only short listed candidates will be notified. WORLD VISION Myanmar is seeking (1) Community Develop ment Facilitator - 2 post in Hlaing Bwe, Kayin State: University Bachelor Degree in any discipline. Competent in used of Microsoft Word, Excel & Power Point. Good command of Myanmar & English. Demonstrated commit ment to World Vision values, mission, vision. Must provide a clean criminal background.(2) Operations Assistant (Coastal Zone) in Dawei, Tanintharyi Region: University Bachelor Degree in any discipline. 2 years experience in the field of Job Evaluation & Grading. Excellent computer aptitude & experience with word processing, database management & spread sheet software. Must provide a clean criminal background. Pls submit resume (clearly identify the post you apply) by post to HR Department, or in person to application drop-box at No (18), Shin Saw Pu Rd, Ahlone, Sanchaung PO or send to myajobapps@wvi.org Closing date : October 9, 2013. SOLIDARITES is seeking HR Officer 1 post in Sittwe, Rakhine State : Any University degree. Fluent in English & Myanmar. Good computer skill. Preferable have the knowledge of Homere software (HR software of Solidarites int'l) acceptable who can learn quickly. Pls submit application (CV, cover letter, references) to : Solidarites Int'l office : 44-A, Tharyarwaddy Lane, Bahan, Yangon or per email: hr.recruitment. mm@gmail.com, cc: to rks.admassist.stw@ solidarites-myanmar. org, Closing date: 11st October, 2013. 510972. A NEW established boutique public relation company is seeking a young and energetic staff to join the team. Office Secretary - F 1 Post : Need good English and able to translate Myanmar to English in general. 1 year experience in the similar position. Able to use Words, Excel, Power Point and Email. Able to work with team, multitasking and work under pressure with minimum supervision. Excellent interpersonal skills. Office hour 9 am to 5 pm (Only week days). If you are interested in growing your experience with us please send an application nicluding CV with expected salary to phyo.spark@gmail.com not later than 8 October 2013. COUPLE in Pearl Condo looking for lady cleaning and cooking (foreigner food), Free Sunday. Call : 09-516-32 03. LEGENDARY Myanmar Co., Ltd. Export/ Import Department: (1) Customer Clearance M/F 2 Post. Travel & Tour Department: (2) Tour Operator - F 2 Posts. (3) Office Staff - M/F 2 Posts. Requirements: 1 year experience. All applicants must be University Graduate, Spoken & written English, Excellent interpersonal skill and good computer knowledge. Pls apply CV with 2 recent photo, NRC copy, Labour registration card, Police recommendation letter & other document to, 9, Rm (A-4), 3rd Flr, Kyaung St, Myaynigone, Sanchaung. WE ARE currently inviting the dynamic applications for highly motivated specialists and individuals, with a passion for excellence, for the following positions; Translator cum Site Coordinator 2 Posts at Oil & Gas Sites in Sagaing Division. Function: Translation. Main Specifications: Translate and convert from written words from Russian to Myanmar or English and vice versa. Coordinate logistics functions at sites accordingly. BA in Russian or advance level course in Russian or Russian tour guide. Skill Set: Incumbent should be fluent in Russian, English and Burmese language. Precious experiences in translating Russian to Myanmar, Russian to English and vice versa. Skills in MS office suite and able to handle multi tasks. Able to stay and work at both sites in Saging Division. For all the above-mentioned posts, all candidates must be: Independent, well-organized, selfmotivated & team-player; Good interpersonal and communication skills; Collaborative, hands on & dynamic personalities. Pls send full CV, detailing Skills, knowledge & experience with recent color passport photo to yogsmyanmar@gmail. com by email or submit hard copy to room 1406, 14th Flr, Sakura Tower. Closing date : 15thOctober 2013 (or) until suitable candidate is defined. SAVOY HOTEL, Yangon is urgently looking for (1) Guest Relation Manager - 1 post, Must have at least 3 years experience in related field, Very good English skill & interpersonal skill. (2)Driver - M 2 posts (1 post as personal driver, 1 post as hotel driver) must have at least 3 years experience, must be able to speak English. Application letter by email to savoy. hra@gmail.com or 129, Dhammazedi Rd, Yangon. Tel: 526298, 526289. INT'L SCHOOL (YIS) is seeking (1).Secretary to Athletic Director (M/F) : Pleasant personality & have experience in secretarial work & good communication skills (2).Maintenance Supervisor (M/F) : Experiences in supervising the maintenance needs of housing, hotel or school. This includes supervision of electrical, AC, plumbing, and carpentry needs. For all posts :A university graduate. Fluent in English & Myanmar. Good IT skills (Knowledge of word, excel, power point). Ability to work with others as a team, work under pressure and also work independently when necessary. More than 2 years of work experience. Pls send application with updated CV, educational credentials & references to james@yismyanmar. com YIS, 117, Thumin galar Lannmagyi, Thumingalar housing, Thingangyun, Ph: 578171, 09-420163769, Closing date : October 8, 2013. WE ARE seeking(1) Accountant - M/F 1 Post : Age above 26 , Good in English, 3 years relevant experience, Able to prepare & handle full set of accounts, Maintain and supervise accounting procedures, Good knowledge of Microsoft Advanced Excel & Accounting Software. (2)Admin/ Accounts Assistant 1 Post : Age above 23, Good in English, 2 years experience, Good organizational skills, Computer literate: MS Word/Excel/Email. Pls contact : 09-506-9346, 09-512-8164. A WELL -established company is looking for highly-motivated engineers. Successful candidates will be employed as service engineers for installation & maintenance of advanced medical equipments including CT scanner. Candidates must: Have a Bachelor Degree in Electronic or equivalent. Good command of spoken English. Willing to travel within and abroad Myanmar. Previous working experience is preferable, but not a necessity as the company will provide the necessary training. Pls submit application form along with the C.V & recent photograph to Rm 2-C, Shwe Padauk Condominium, 99/A, Myay Nu St, Sanchaung, Yangon within 2 weeks.
TEACHERS who have got Teaching experience in Singapore,Intl School (primary & seconday levels) AEIS, PSLE, GCSE, SAT, IELTS, TOEFL, English-Myamar Speaking Class for company, Sayar Bryan, (ME) 09-4200-7 0692 TEACHING ENGLISH: English for Young LearnersandHighSchool Graduates Qualified and experienced teacher. Using International Syllabuses. Available for small groups or Individual. Ph: 01- 291679 , 09-250-136695. TEACHERS who have got Teaching experience in Singapore, Int'l School (primary & seconday levels) AEIS, PSLE, GCSE, SAT, IELTS, TOEFL, EnglishMyamar Speaking Class for company, Sayar Bryan, (ME) 09-4200-7 0692. "SCHOLAR Teaching Organization" founded with ME,BE & Master Degree holder with 12 years experience in teaching field. Role and Responsibility: Making the students develop problem solving skills, critical thinking skills and I.Q & E.Q enriching skills, Int'l School (ILBC, Total, MISY, ISY, PISM, Horizon, ISM, network, M, MIS, MLA, ES4E, DSY RV). All grades, All Subjects .....Singapore MOE Exams (AEIS, S-AEIS, IGCSE, IELTS, TOFEL..Tr.Daniel Caulin : 09-215-0075. Tr.Bryan :09-4200-70692. GIVE your child the best possible start to life at International Montessori Myanmar (English Education Center), Accredited by IMC Bangkok (Since 1991), Our Montessori curriculum includes: Practical Life Exercises, Sensorial Training. Language D e v e l o p m e n t , Mathematics, Cultural Studies, Botany & Zoology, History, Creative Art, Music and Movement, Cooking, Physical Development, Social & Emotional Development, Learning
Travel
PROFESSIONAL English Speaking Tour Car Driver Mr. SONNY Car Rental Service[Maw @ AUNG (Mya Mya Aung) Guide or English translator/Interpreter] : Mr. Sonny: 09-420048040. MONTHLY PAYMENT BELTA CAR RENTAL RATE with Professional English Speaking Tour Car Driver Sort of Car : BELTA: Tour grade with filly aircon, Saloon 3 Seater, 2008 Model, 1000CC, 550000 Ks/ month (Car fees 450000 +Driver fees 10000 only) VIRGIN LAND Tours :Visa Services, Worldwide Air Ticketing, Worldwide Hotel Reservation, All Kind Transportation Rental, Inbound & Outbound Tour Operator, Tour Guide Services , Ph: 01-8610252, 09512-3793, 09-520-2643 GREAT ESCAPE Travels & Tours Our services : FIT tour & Group tour package, Hotel reservation, Guide services, Chinese to Mynamar to Chinese translation service, Car rental service, Visa Application. Contact person : Kelly Dong : 09-4301-8077 FUTURE WINGS Travels & Tours Co., Ltd, Akhoon Int'l Trading Co., Ltd. Authorized Money Changer : 25, Konzaydan St, Pabedan Tsp. Ph: 243441, 249189, Email : akhoon.maneychanger @gmail.com NYAN MYINT THU Car Rental Service : Ko Nyan Myint Win Kyi (MD) - 56, Bo Ywe St, Latha, Yangon, Myanmar. Ph : 01-246551, 01-375284. Hp:09-2132778. il:nyanmyintthu1983@ gmail.com, nmt@nyan myintthucarrental. com, colwinkyi@ gmail.com. Web:www. nyanmyintthucarrental. com
Expert Services
AUNG Professional Translation Professional Translation from Myanmar to English and English to Myanmar. For Legal translation, Technological, Diplo matic, Contract, Advertis ing, Movie, Literature, etc. With various services on paper, electronic file, recording & other relevant matters, both regular & express with expert service. 139, 2nd Flr, Bargayar Rd, Sangyoung, Yangon. Ph: 09-732-11907, aung. translation@gmail.com
Language
BZM English language center. English speaking, listening & grammar class. Only 6 students for one section. Students comfortably can learn in the cozy atmosphere classroom with air-conditioning, sophisticated classroom facilities & lecture chairs. 3 to 5 pm, except saturday. 3 days a week for one section. Also allow one- to - one (home tuition).Teacher Zin Mar Myint (got certificate from British council & TKT certificate from cambridge) Ph:094302-6789. Shwe ohn pin villa (new), Yanshin Rd, Yankin. MCP English Classes (taught by native speakers) Fees: 25000 ks. Duration: 10 weeks per level. Add: 277, BPI Rd, Insein Ph:01646474,646397, 09400534734. email: mcp. lifeskill@gmail.com. (Enroll now for October)
Local Positions
TRAVELS & TOURS Co., Ltd. is seeking (1) Tour Operation Manager - M/F 1 Post : 3 years experience in travel & tours company. Perfect English language. Perfect able In-bound and Out-bound tours. Strong sales and customer service focus. Above to handle group & individual tour, package & highly motivated & resourceful. (2)Tour Reservation International/ Domestic M/F 1 Post :Any graduate. 1 year experience in tourism related field. Strong sales & customer service focus. Good communication in English. (3) Tour Operation Staff - M/F 1 Post : 1 year experience in tourism related field. Excellent interpersonal skills & communication skills. Possess computer proficiency: Microsoft Word, Excel & Outlook. Strong attention to detail while working in fast paced environment. Good in English. Pls send a detailed resume with recent photo & other relevant documents to HR Manager in person at 140(B) Damazadi Rd, Bahan, Yangon. Ph:
For Sale
ORIGINAL 3DS Game Cartridges & accessories - Spirit Camrea: The Cursed Memoir (with box and user guide booklet) - 20000 Kyats, Rabbid Rumble (with box & user guide booklet) - 20000 Kyats, Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition (with box and user guide booklet) - 24000 Kyats, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (with box & user guide booklet) - 30000 Kyats, - Project X Zone (with box and user guide booklet) - 30000 Kyats, 3DS Game Cartridge Holder (24 Slots) - 17000 Kyats, Circle Pad Pro for 3DS XL - 30000 Kyats. Prices are negotiable. Ph: 09-507-9980". 9% NEW SAMSUNG Series 5 Ultra Book Intel Core i5 Ram 8GB H.D.D + SSD Display 13.3 1 Year 6 Month International Warranty. Price : 650000. Ph : 094200-50651 ASUS A42J Intel Core i7 Ram 4GB H.D.D 500GB
Public Notices
NEW PROGRAM at Wisdom Management Centre : Business Psychology & Manage ment, Level : Advanced Certificate, Duration : 12-Week, Fees : 95,000 Ks. Start Date : October 6, 2013 (Sunday) Day : Sunday (9:00 AM 12:30 PM), Trainer: Dr. Myo Min Oo: Ph.D. (New Orleans), D.Min. (Indiana), M.S.B. (Notre Dame), Professor, Christian Theological Seminary. Principal, Wisdom Management Centre Advisor, Gracious Life Ministry International Training Director, Centre
62 Sport
ZURICH
PTANQUE
PTANQUE has been an ever present fixture at the Southeast Asian Games since its debut at the Kuala Lumpur Games of 2001. Nay Pyi Taw 2013 will be its seventh appearance. Where does it originate? Often referred to as French boules, ptanque is actually just one specific and modern variant of that umbrella term for a variety of target games played by throwing metal or wooden balls. Ptanque can therefore trace its lineage back to games played by centurions across the Roman Empire. That said, in its current format ptanque only dates back to 1907 when the game of jeu de provenal, from the same said region of Southeast France was adapted to create a game where the players deliver the ball (or boule) from a stationary position. This unique feature of the game is reflected in its name, ptanque, derived from an adaptation or corruption of the local Occitan phrase for feet anchored. Whats it all about? This December, singles, pairs or teams of three will play in direct competition against their opponents. Their simple aim is to get their heavy metal balls closer to the smaller, lighter target ball than the opposition manages. Achieving said aim will acquire points; first to 13 points wins the game. The SEA Games will also include a shooting version of the game. This skills test removes the strategic side of the game and instead presents the competitor with a series of standardized challenges. How do you play? Legs together, knees bentsome say ptanque is the only game you can play squatting. Players take turns standing in a small circle from which they toss a metallic ball that they hold palm-down in order to exert backspin and control on the ball. Unlike in other similar sports, there must be no weighting or bias to the ball. The balls are thrown between 6 and 10 metres towards the jack (or cochonnet), a smaller wooden ball that acts as the moveable target. The team that threw the jack delivers the first ball before the opposition looks to put their ball closer. If they fail then they must continue to play until they manage the feat and hold point. If a team runs out of balls then the opposition will have free shots at the target without any fear of response. If you win an end then youll throw the cochonnet the next time. This means that youve not only won the points but you now have the chance to dictate the game and gather momentum. If the jack is knocked from the gravel court (or terrain), then neither team will score any points, unless only one team has boules left to play, in which case theyll get a point for every ball remaining. How do you win? A team will generally begin with a player known as a pointer, a specialist who is more likely to use finesse to manoeuvre the ball close to the target. Tactics and strategy will come into play but should the need for a more direct route become apparent then they will turn to the shooter. This player is more aggressive in their approach and their delivery is most often focused toward removing their opponents ball from the reckoning. Teams will generally look to
Ptanque players compete in Bryant Park, New York City, in April 2011. Photo: Marek Rygielski
MATT ROEBUCK
newsroom@myanmartimes.com.mm
Our bluffers guide to the SEA Games focuses on those sports that may never make it to the Olympics but whose elite will get their chance to compete for international gold this December. Many of these sports grew up in Southeast Asia, but this week our attentions turn to a sport that may have originated in Europe but has been fervently adopted across the region, particularly in those with a French colonial past.
Championships in 2007 and in 1997 was joined by Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam as founder members of the Asian Ptanque and Sports Boules Confederation (APSBC) in 1997. Myanmar only joined the IFPP this year but commentators have likened the sport to a traditional Myanmar marble game and so hope to adapt well. How many medals are available? There will be 11 golds up for grabs this year. Males and females compete in individual competitions as well as pairs, triples and a shooting contest. There will also be three mixed events, including a pair format, and two forms of mixed triples, one made up from two males and one female and the other reversing the ratio. Whats the betting? At the last SEA Games there were only 6 events, with male and female versions of the singles, doubles and shooting competitions. Thailand secured three of the medals with the mens singles, shooting and womens doubles. The Laotian women tasted success by claiming the other female gold medals and the Cambodian male doubles completed the list of victors. This year with so many more events, including the mixed competition, there may be chance for a few surprises. Dont rule out Vietnam, particularly in the mixed events as at the 2011 games they found themselves on the podium in every event. Myanmars federation is young and so its competitors are likely to be inexperienced but they have been in intensive training over the last months. Theyve held joint training camps with Thailand and Laos, as well as attending a tournament in Brunei. A lot of work has gone into the developing of this team and in their home games they will surely be hopeful of securing a medal or two. Where will it all happen? The ptanque will be hosted in Nay Pyi Taw, with the action getting under way on December 12 and concluding on December 21. Matt Roebuck is a sports writer and sports development consultant based in Yangon. He is the author of the book The Other Olympics, published in 2012.
combine a mixture of abilities but an individual player must of course be able to function as an all-rounder. Whatever the tactics dictate, its a matter of getting your or your teams balls closest to the jack and being the first to 13 points. In singles and doubles each player has three balls; in triples each player has two. What should you be saying? Il est fanny (hes fanny) or Il a fait fanny (he made fanny). When a player has lost without scoring a point, they have said to have mettre fanny and therefore must kiss the bottom of a girl called Fanny. That was an excellent carreau. This should be used when a shooter knocks the opponents ball out of the way while leaving his boule at or very near the point of impact. For those in the shooting competition, this is their constant aim. Where is it played? The International Federation of Ptanque and Provenal game (IFPP) has over 600,000 individuals registered in 94 countries as licensed to participate in official competitions, whilst the number of casual participants is likely in the tens of millions. Obviously popular in France, the sport has developed across the Francophone world and notably Southeast Asia. Thailand hosted the World
A member of Building and Wood Workers International (BWI) and Swiss Unia unions holds the red card reading A red card for FIFA, no World Cup without labour rights in Zurich on October 3. Photo: AFP
Sport
64 THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 7 - 13, 2013
YANGON
MANCHESTER
ANAGER Pep Guardiola watched his Bayern Munich team outclass Manchester City 3-1 and then warned the rest of Europe that the Champions League holders can get even better. Bayern produced a display of dizzying control at the Etihad Stadium on October 2, dominating possession of the ball and attacking in relentless waves that threatened to engulf Manuel Pellegrinis side. At 3-0 up, the visitors began to exchange passes with almost disdainful ease, before a goal from Alvaro Negredo gave a measure of respectability to the scoreline as City mustered some belated resistance. Guardiola has been given the unenviable task of improving a team that won the Champions League, the Bundesliga and the German Cup under Jupp Heynckes last season, but he says he is relishing the challenge. Im lucky to be here, to be train-