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IS S U E 7 0 0 I O C T O B E R 21 - 27, 2 0 1 3

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SPECIAL REPORT 6

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In Thandwe, Muslims still living in fear

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

Bagan’s horse carts face a two-wheeled threat

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BY MYANMAR TIMES EDITOR THOMAS KEAN

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

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

Protests over proposed us$15m Hpa-an hotel

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

Signing a lease: What you need to know

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

More Reports 3 4 5 20, 22-23

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Me N Ma Girls set to take on the world

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

PHOTO: AFP

A ttacks aim to d eter investors

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

Page 2 2 THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

o nlin e e d ito r Kayleigh Long I kayleighelongragm ail.com

T H E IN S ID E R : The local lowdown & best of the web A IN T N O THIN’ BUT M AM M ALS A fte r w h a t m u s t have been a b u m p e r y e a r fo r ta x id e rm is ts in w e s te rn G erm any, an e x h ib itio n on sex in th e a n im a l kin g d o m has d ra w n to a close. The LW L M use u m o f N a tu ra l H is to ry in M u n s te r's la te s t e x h ib itio n e xp lo re d th e role o f sex in th e a n im a l kin g d o m , w ith s o m e 450 ite m s going on display. The e x h ib itio n shed lig h t on th e lo g is tic s o f a n im a l sex, a llo w in g v is ito rs to b e a r w itn e s s to sce n e s o f m yria d ta x id e rm ie d beasts, in c lu d in g foxes, d e e r and hedge h o g s, in flagrante delicto. The e xh ib itio n also d re w atte ntio n to incidences of hom o se xu a lity in the a n im a l kingdom , and w e n t into som e d e ta il about the g le e fu l abandon w ith

w h ich d o lp h in s approach aquatic re cre a tio n a l lovem aking. The m useum said th e exhibit's m ain fu n ction w as to exam ine e vo lu tio na ry reproductive p a ra lle ls betw een hum ans and an im a ls, and included an a rtis t's in te rp re ta tio n o f a N e a n d e rth a l couple.

SIN G U LA R ITY W ATCH: GOOGLE PATENTS PHYSICAL GESTURES Tech s ite Engadget la s t w e e k u n e a rth e d s o m e in te re s tin g fin d in g s in Google p a te n t a p p lic a tio n s , w ith th e w e b g ia n t having cla im e d s e v e ra l p h ysica l g e s tu re s - p re s u m a b ly fo r th e d e v e lo p m e n t o f its Google G lass s o ftw a re . P u n d its have sp e c u la te d th a t th e

in te n tio n is to rem o ve th e m a n u a l a sp e ct to c a te g o ris in g c o n te n t th a t c u rre n tly e x ists w ith th e p ro d u ct. The co m m a n d s p a te n te d in clu d e fo rm in g a h e a rt shape w ith one's hands, w h ic h co u ld in d ic a te th a t c o n te n t has been " lik e d " and w o u ld th e n see it sh a re d on s o c ia l m ed ia p la tfo rm s su ch as Facebook. S im ila rly , ta k in g a p h o to w ith H eadm o u n te d D evices (HM Ds) co u ld one day be as s im p le as fra m in g and c a p tu rin g an im a ge by o u tlin in g th e c o rn e rs o f a sce n e u sin g th e th u m b s and in d e x fin g e rs . However, th e p a te n t w a s file d in 2011 and th e re is s t ill no in d ic a tio n o f w h e n o r if th e se fu tu ris tic fu n c tio n s w ill e ve r be in te g ra te d .

S E -M E -W E -3 ’S UNLUCKY STR EAK CONTINUES The b e le a g u re d in te rn e t cable s e rv ic in g M yanm ar, S E -M E W E-3, has s u ffe re d a n o th e r blow , w ith M yanm a P osts and T e le c o m m u n ic a tio n s a n n o u n c in g it w ill u n d e rg o re p a irs. "A d is ru p tio n o c c u rre d w ith th e fib e r- o p tic lin k in g w ith in te rn a tio n a l ca b le n e tw o rk s ," The New Light of M yanm ar e xp la in e d However, MPT has o ffe re d its re a s s u ra n c e th a t it s h o u ld soon be b u sin e ss as usual. "T he lin k w ith in te rn a tio n a l n e tw o rk can be n o rm a liz e d as o n land c ro s s -b o rd e r fib e r- o p tic w ill be co n n e cte d to th e u n d e n w a te r ca b le ."

POLICE-CRAFT A p re ss co n fe re n ce w a s h e ld late la s t w e e k by M ya n m a r's po lice force, p re s e n tin g th e ir fin d in g s on th e sp a te o f re c e n t b o m b in g s a cro ss th e co u n try. The s ta te m e n t fro m po lice d e ta ile d p ro g re ss o f th e in v e s tig a tio n , and w a s a cco m p a n ie d by an e x h ib itio n o f s o rts w h ich p re se n te d s t ills fro m CCTV, d ia g ra m s d e p ic tin g th e co n n e c tio n s be tw e en s u s p e c ts , im a g e s o f th e b la s t site s, as w e ll as p h ysica l evidence in c lu d in g th e typ e s of devices used in each a tta ck. The p o lice get an A+ fo r p re s e n ta tio n , w ith th e p ic tu re b o a rd s n o t ju s t d is p la y in g th e above but a lso d e co ra te d w ith rib b o n ro s e tte s and bows.

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

News 3

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US urges

caution, denounces ‘acts ofterror’ TIM MCLAUGHLIN tim othy.m cLaughLin3ragm aiL.com

Alleged bombers wanted to deter investors, tourists

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

Bombers had past links to the Karen National Union but armed ethnic group was not involved, says บ Ye Htut NYAN LYNN AUNG TOE WAI AUNG n e w s ro o m O m y a n m a rtim e s .c o m .m m

THE alleged masterminds of last week’s bombings were seeking to deter foreign investors and tourists, particularly enterprises that would compete with economic interests in Kayin State, the chief of police says. Government officials also ruled out the possibility of the Karen National Union being for­ mally involved, despite a num­ ber of those arrested having links to the organisation, and said the armed ethnic group is assisting the investigation. Eight men have been arrested in connection with six bombings and four attempted attacks in Yan­ gon, Mandalay, Taungoo, Sagaing and Pyu between October 9 and 15 that left two dead and four injured, Police Major General Zaw Win said at a press conference in Yangon on October 18. He said that the men had con­ fessed to organising and carrying out the bombings in order to deter for­ eign investors from entering Myan­

mar and potentially competing with businesses in Kayin State. They also said they wanted to deter tourists, although the reason for this was not immediately clear. “We understand that foreign in­ vestors may be concerned [about the bombings] but we will ensure their security and plan to cooperate more with the International Criminal Po­ lice Organization [INTERPOL],” Pol Maj Gen Zaw Win said. He declined to comment on a series of three explosions that hit Namhkam in northern Shan State on October 16 and 17, saying the investi­ gation is ongoing. In the most high-profile attack, a 43-year-old American woman was injured when a bomb exploded in her hotel room on the ninth floor of Yangon’s Traders Hotel. She was transferred to Yangon General Hos­ pital and has since left the country for further treatment. The first arrest was made on Oc­ tober 15, when Saw Myint Lwin was detained in Bilin township in Mon State. He has been accused of orches­ trating the blasts at Traders Hotel and Western Park II restaurant.

“All cases are similar and all of the mines are homemade,” Pol Maj Gen Zaw Win said. “Saw Myint Lwin con­ fessed that he detonated two bombs in Yangon on the order of Nay Toe.” Saw Myint Lwin had been a mem­ ber of the Karen National Union for five years and left in 2008, while Nay

‘We do not believe the KNU is involved.’ บ Ye Htut D eputy M in is te r fo r In fo rm a tio n

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

Ye Htut emphatically rejected any suggestion the group, which has been in peace negotiations with the government since January 2012, was formally involved. “We do not believe that the KNU is involved, even though one of the bombers is a former member,” he said. “We are cooperating with the KNU and we have agreed to meet a member of their executive commit­ tee ... We firmly believe that despite these challenges we will continue to make progress on the peace process.” On October 17, the KNU’s fifth bri­ gade, which is considered the least supportive of the approach that the group’s leadership is adopting in re­ gard to the peace process, issued a statement condemning the bombings. “We categorically condemn all acts that attempt to disrupt the peace building efforts and reject all kinds of violence aimed at harming or threatening innocent civilians,” the brigade said in a statement, accord­ ing to Karen News. Pol Maj Gen Zaw Win said two men, Zaw Latt Maung and บ Mya Phu, had been arrested “thanks to the cooperation of the KNU”.

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

Bomb Fears Bomb Fears Bomb Fears

Attacks can strengthen A week of attacks Myanmar’s peace efforts

Thirteen bombs between October 9-17 have left three dead

CONTINUED FROM NEWS 1

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

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

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

Oct 15: Two bom bs explode in Sagaing

tow nship: one at Shwe PyieS one H otel at a b o ut 3 a m and a second at Swan Oo Pon Nya Shin Pagoda a t around 5:45am

Oct 11: A bom b explodes a t a gu e st house in Taungoo, Bago Region, k illin g tw o people and in ju rin g one

Defiant response from authorities

AUTHORITIES have responded de­ fiantly to the bomb blast that rocked a Yangon hotel last week, stressing the government’s resolve to continue as normal. As the search for the per­ petrators continued, the public were advised to keep calm and alert during the Thadingyut season. Whatever the motive, the bombings

will not affect the peace process, said deputy information minister and presi­ dential spokesperson บ Ye Htut. “The peace process will take its course ... If the intention of the bombers was to de­ lay the process, they will fail,” he said. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who chairs the Pyithu Hluttaw Rule of Law, Sta­ bility and Peace Committee, called for

“cool heads” and urged people not to fall into the trap set by the bombers. Vice chair of the Union Solidarity and Development Party บ Htay Oo said, “Whoever did this seems to be fa­ miliar with bombs. But whatever their motive, it will not affect the reform process.” - Soe Than Lynn, translation by Thiri M in Htun

Oct 14: A bom b explodes on the

Oct 14: An unexploded bom b is

n inth flo o r of

found u n d e r a table in W estern

Tra d e rs Hotel,

P ark II re s ta u ra n t in A hlone

in ju rin g one

to w n sh ip at about 10am

A m e ric a n citizen

M a รน Wai, 27, accountant, Insein “ I was scared by the bombings, and now I dare not go to crowded places. My parents are worried about me every time I go to work. Now I avoid visit­ ing some places altogether.”

M a Tharaphy, 20, freelance journalist, Latha “For the past year I’ve been earning my living as a freelance re­ porter. I’m afraid because for my job I have to attend press conferences at hotels and restaurants. What happened at Traders Hotel is very scaiy and now I don’t want to go to news conferences or places that are crowded with people.”

บ Soe Min Myo, 35, taxi driver, South O kkalapa “ I'm so scared and worried about the recent bombings. I'm worried one of my passengers might leave a bomb in my taxi. Now people are afraid to go to crowded places because they might be targets.” - Tin Yadanar Htun

M a S u Thandar Hlaing, 20, graduate, Tarmwe “This news frightened me so much that I’ve been avoiding going out. Be­ fore I would go to the cinema or game shop with my friends but now I’ve decided not to go anywhere. My mum also doesn't allow me to go outside.”

Vox Pop Yangon

Bomb Fears Bomb Fears Bomb Fears and 10 injured, including a tourist Oct 16: A bom b explodes at around 10:45pm in Shan S ta te s N a m hka m to w nship

Oct 17: A bom b le ft in a tra sh can in N a m hka m to w nship explodes, k illin g one and in ju rin g tw o people. A n o th e r bom b explodes in N a m hka m , in ju rin g fo u r people

Oct 14: An

PYI TAW

unexploded bom b is found a t Golden Duck R estaurant in M andalay a t about 2pm

Oct 9: An unexploded bom b is found on a bus tra ve llin g from Nyaunglebin to Pyu in Bago Region

Oct 13: A bom b explodes in Thaketa tow nship about 5:45pm , in ju rin g tw o teenage boys

Explosion

Explosive device discovered

GRAPHIC:THEMYANMARTIMES

‘You’re safe with us’: Government seeks to allay security fears

Analysts say they expect little impact on Myanmar’s foreign investment or tourism inflows, which were the two main targets of last week’s blasts BILL O’TOOLE b o to o le l 2 0 g m a il.c o m

AS details emerge about the al­ leged culprits and motives behind recent bombings, questions are being asked about what the vio­ lence could mean for Myanmar’s reform process, particularly with a series of major international events due to get underway in coming months. Officials have been quick to downplay the potential impact on tourism, while also stressing that they already have adequate securi­ ty plans in place to ensure visitors to the Southeast Asian Games in December and ASEAN meetings next year will not be threatened. Asked about security for the SEA Games at a press conference on October 18, Police Major Gen­ eral Zaw Win, the head of My­ anmar’s police force, said steps would be taken to tighten security around the events. He said tighter security regulations would soon be proposed to the parliament. We really do believe that we must keep on doing everything we can [to improve] security,” Pol Maj Gen Zaw Win said. We have formed a National Security Committee including members of all relevant depart­ ments and are ensuring security at all venues. We have spent K6 billion purchasing and installing security equipment.” Similarly, บ Aung Htoo, the deputy director general of the Department of ASEAN Affairs, said he was confident that all nec­ essary security measures are in place to ensure the ASEAN meet­ ings are concluded safely. “We have a security plan for the summits and other ministe­ rial meetings,” he said. “We have already prepared for that.” However, บ Aung Htoo stressed he could not guarantee see security measures would be

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

in place across the country while the ASEAN meetings take place. “We are just preparing for ASEAN summits and other meetings.” A number of analysts con­ tacted last week seemed untrou­ bled by the attacks and said they would do little to deter either tourism or investment. Jeremy Rathjen, vice president of Thura Swiss, a Yangon-based consultancy firm, said that while the casualties from last week’s bombings - three deaths and 10 people injured from 13 attacks - were tragic, they needed to be considered in the context of My­ anmar’s past. “This has happened many times in the past - It’s not a new phenomenon,” he said. “Myanmar IS receiving more international media attention, but it’s nothing new.” While the country will take some sort of “reputational” hit, he said, the bombings are unlikely to affect foreign investment. Simi­ larly tourism will remain on “an upward trend”. Nevertheless the bombings have struck a nerve, prompting some tourists to cancel planned visits (see re la te d coverage page 22). Inside the country, many ur­ ban residents say they are on high

alert and avoiding large gather­ ings and public places. Anthony Davis, a Bangkokbased security analyst with IHS Jane’s, said that the attacks ap­ peared designed to generate fear. “These are low-level, low-tech attacks designed to destabilise the country ... and to a degree they have succeeded,” Mr Davis said last week. He said the main impact will be the light the bombings cast on Myanmar’s ongoing issues with domestic security. “The very num­ ber of possible culprits being put forward ... reflects the serious in­ stability that continues to plague Burma.” Small-scale terrorist acts of the kind seen last week are “al­ most impossible to prevent”, he said. Any push for tighter security restrictions would be constrained by the limited resources of a po­ lice force that is already stretched thin across the nation. Mr Rathjen said Myanmar has a trump card up its sleeve to al­ lay the security concerns of most visitors to the SEA Games and ASEAN meetings: its new capital. “I’ve rarely seen cities as se­ cure as Nay Pyi Taw - there’s military eveiywhere and it’s quite spread out.”

Vox Pop MDY บ Zaw Win, owner, W in W in restaurant I have asked my waiters and waitresses to be more careful at this time, to even check underneath the tables regularly. Just about everyone who comes here are regular custom ­ ers but we need to watch and be careful of unknown people behaving suspiciously. I think that the issue could be connected to politics but because most people are just strug­ gling to make ends meet I think they are not worrying too much about the bombings. บ W in Hlaing, property broker, Aung Thara Phu Estate A gency People need to take care not only when they visit crowded places but also even in their own homes, in their streets and wards and surrounding areas. I am always alert to the potential of danger these days because my house IS situated beside a main road. The bom b blasts have fright­ ened most of us. People are strug­ gling for their living anid this issue just makes things harder because it disrupts their routine. เท the past the political situation was not good but now there is progress and transpar­ ency and it is time to move forward together. We have no idea who did [the bombings] but it should not happen at this time. บ Ko Ko Aung, member, National League fo r D em ocracy The govern­ ment is trying to get peace with armed ethnic groups but there is some way to go before the political situation is smooth. We have many questions about the bomb blasts. Are they related to politics? To religion? We still haven't got answers but one sure thing is that it won't bring any advan­ tages for the country or the people. The country is changing to democ­ racy and the bomb blasts are out of step with that. - Phyo Wai Kyaw

6 News

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

SPECIAL REPORT

After riots, fear stalks Thandwe Muslims

Their mosques shuttered and businesses shunned, Thandwe’s Muslim community is struggling to come to grips with recent violence BILL O’TOOLE b o to o le 1 2 0 g m a il.co m

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

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

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

‘Most Muslim businesses are suffering directly.’ Muslim farm er Thabuchai villa g e

said the curfew is only being applied to Muslim neighbourhoods. In separate interviews, บ Nyi Nyi Shay and several other residents of Thandwe, who all spoke on condi­ tion of anonymity fearing reprisals, estimated that between 30 and 40 Muslims have been arrested in the last week on what they describe as “trumped-up charges” They said the new tension is par­ ticularly disturbing given the Kaman Muslims of Thandwe have historically had peaceful relations with their Bud­ dhist neighbours. “In the past relations were harmo­ nious,” said one Thandwe resident. “Before the riots it was not so bad. There was no discrimination ... Now it’s quite bad and the authorities don’t seem interested in helping.” The resident, who is staying with family in the town, said he feels out­ side groups have upset Thandwe’s

former peace. “Some groups I don’t want to name are bent on worsening the situation.” One organisation that has shot into the spotlight for its members’ alleged involvement in the unrest is the Rakhine Nationalities Democratic Party. Twenty members of the party are be­ ing held for their alleged role in plan­ ning and leading the riots. The fear expressed by Muslim resi­ dents was echoed by the United Na­ tions Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which complet­ ed a fact-finding mission in Thandwe from October 4-6. It warned of the likely economic impact for the town­ ship” particularly on Muslim families that rely on agriculture. “All villagers felt afraid to move outside their villages since the vio­ lence occurred,” the report said. “Over 90 percent of affected families are farmers who are unable to participate

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

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Human trafficking police to open border offices

News 7

Worker organisations fight resistance from employers FEATURE

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

CHERRYTHEIN t. c h e rry 6 0 g m a il.c o m

POLICE are to intensify their op­ erations on the country’s borders to crack down on human traffick­ ing. They will open new offices at Myawady and Mae Sot by the end of October, the police force’s Anti Trafficking in Persons Division in Nay Pyi Taw has announced. “The aim is to strengthen co­ operation with the Thai police to prevent trafficking by improving communications between both our police forces so they can work together effectively on anti­ trafficking,” Police Captain Min Naing told The Myanmar Times. “When the traffickers cross the border with their victims, they disguise themselves in many ways and it is hard to trace them. Now, police from both coun­ tries can work together to arrest them,” he said. Trafficking cases include fraudulent adoption and mar­ riage, forced labour and medi­ cal treatment. The final destina­ tions are normally Thailand and China, where women can be sold for marriage and there are mar­ kets for internal organs from children. The division, formerly known as the anti-human traffick­ ing taskforce, opened offices in Tachileik and Chinyaing in March 2012 and at Kawthaung and Ranong in August 2012. On the Chinese border, offices are lo­ cated at Muse, Shweli, Loikyawe, Kyanphone, Laukkai and Nahmsan. The police work with the UN anti-trafficking agency UNIAP and local NGOs, offering aware­ ness-raising activities. Training, talks and other events focused on improving education about human trafficking have been or will be held in Nay Pyi Taw, Kyaikto and Mawlamyine”this month, while police are planning anoth­ er event in Pathem township, Ayeyarwady Region, in the second week of November. Pol Cap Min Naing said edu­ cation was likely to prompt an increase in the number of cases being reported but this would not mean more trafficking was taking place. “In the past five years, few cas­ es of trafficking have been report­ ed because of a lack of awareness. Now people are better informed so they tell us and we can take prompt action,” he said. “But it is still important to increase aware­ ness so that the public cooperate against trafficking.” Police Colonel Aye Thein from the division’s Mawlamyine branch said government depart­ ments and members of the pub­ lic are only vaguely aware of the problem. “People called us ‘anti­ smuggling police’ which means they still need more awareness about trafficking,” he said. “We need to increase cooperation with civil society groups and the media to raise awareness.” The division was established in January 2006 to prevent traf­ ficking, protect those vulner­ able, prosecute traffickers and enhance cooperation around the issue.

noenoeag0 gmail.com

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

510 The n u m b e ro fw o rke ro rg a n isa tio n s form ed to the middle of August

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

K " ร 1'ร Workers from Hlaing Tharyar Industrial Zone protest through ' 1 the streets of Yangon on June 9 over wages and conditions in their factories. Photo: Boothee

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

founding member of a worker organi­ sation. After only a few months, however, Ko Aung Htut dissolved the organisa­ tion and quit his job because of pres­ sure from management. “When the law came out, we cam­ paigned to form a labour organisation on our own,” Ko Aung Htut said. “At first, workers were afraid and the man­ agement told us not to do it. When we explained the law to them they relented but later they upset the organisation’s members by cutting their salaries and cutting their bonuses.” Not all employers are opposed to the labour organisations. Some openly admit that conditions in their work­ places need to improve and believe that workers’ representatives can assist in this process. “There should definitely be a work­ er organisation in every factory?’ said บ Khin Maung Myat, managing direc­ tor of the San Kaung factory in Hlaing Tharyar Industrial Zone 2. “Factory owners don’t know about every single problem workers face ... A

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

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Ministry boosts support to rural health centres

SHWE YEE SAW MYINT p o e p w in tp h y u 2 0 1 1 0 g m a il.c o m

HEALTH centre staff numbers in rural areas are to be doubled and centres upgraded, the health min­ istry has announced. Six new staff members are to be trained and de­ ployed in addition to the six or so already working in the rural cen­ tres, said Dr Nwe Ni Ohn, a director of the m inistry’s national planning department. Within 2013-14, the ministry will spend K168.63 billion on the up­ grade project, she said. The ministry plan also entails up­ grading facilities and building new premises, although she conceded that the department may not have the resources to implement it com­ pletely. “Rural health centres are staffed by a health assistant, a nurse and five midwives. We are now adding five supervisory staff trained in dis­ ease control and a security guard, making a total of 13 people” in each rural health centre throughout the country,” Dr Nwe Ni Ohn told The M yanmar Times. Each centre serves up to 20,000 people but staffing the centres can be difficult, as some health workers are reluctant to leave the cities to work in remote locations. Figures from the ministry show that of the 1636 rural health centres, 33 have no health staff and 262 do not have a nurse. “Doctors in particular don’t want to go to the countryside,” said Dr

A volunteer nurse examines an elderly patient In Yangon Region’s Htantabln township. Photo: staff

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

More than 1000 meet to discuss girls’ rights FIONA MACGREGOR n e w s ro o m 0 m y a n m a rtim e s .c o m .m m

MORE than 1000 girls gathered in Yangon and Mandalay last week to call on the government to protect their rights and create a more equal future for young women. Gender equality, the right to free high school education, and protec­ tion from violence and exploitation were the key concerns raised by the adolescent members of the Colorful Girls organisation and discussed by young delegates at the two events. The group said that the statement issued following the events is the first document of its kind in Myan­ mar, having been developed by girls with the aim of highlighting” their and their peers’ concerns and needs. “There are specific laws on violence against women, but not against girls. Girls suffer the highest rate of violence, but they often don’t know [their rights] because of a lack of education. So this statem ent calls on the government to protect girls with specific laws in relation to violence and discrimination and support educational and economic equality,” said Wa Wa Sein, one of the teenagers addressing the meet­ ing in Yangon. Colorful Girls is a Myanmar NGO that works alongside partner Girl Determined to support girls aged 12 to 17 in developing leadership skills to advocate for their own rights. The aim is to establish a future where girls do not face the risks their coun­ terparts currently face, including high school drop-out rates, labour exploitation, violence at home and in their communities, trafficking and gender discrimination. Around 850 girls attended the Mandalay meeting on October 14

and about 400 others met in Yangon on October 18 for the public release of the Teenage Girl statement, which was drafted in March this year at a peace-building summer camp at­ tended by 68 leaders represent­ ing more than 1000 Colorful Girls members. The original draft was then dis­ cussed by Colorful Girls groups around the country leading to the creation of the final statement. The group now plans to meet with members of the hluttaw and other senior government and non­ government figures to further pro­ mote girl-led advocacy. During the meeting the young delegates discussed a number of important issues affecting girls in Myanmar including: exploitation in factories; sexual abuse; verbal and physical violence; and discrimina­ tion in the education system, along with social attitudes that hold girls back from achieving their academic potential. Girl Determined technical advis­ er Brooke Zobrist said she was “so pleased” at the open nature of the discussions that took place during the Yangon meeting. “The girls were so active and honest in their discussions, which I think really brings out the common concerns and hurdles that they face as adolescent girls in Myanmar to­ day,” she said. In bringing all these girls togeth­ er from some of Yangon’s very poor communities, I was also struck by the level of their motivation to im­ prove the quality of their own lives and the lives of others in their com­ munities. Since we started our work here in Yangon, the girls have really taken it in and are now clearly lead­ ing the conversation on girls’ rights.”

ranked among the lowest in the World Health Organization’s listing of the health systems of 190 coun­ tries because of poor infrastructure and low public health expenditure. The major health challenges fac­ ing the country include life expec­ tancy rates as low as 63 years for a man and 67 years for a woman; high morbidity for children under five years (62” per 1000 live births); and high maternal morbidity rate (200 per 100,000 live births). There are an estimated 4-8 mil­ lion people living with malaria, as 75 percent of the population lives in high malaria prevalence areas. There are more than 500,000 cases of tu­ berculosis, as well as widespread poverty, lack of proper sanitation and water supply, malnutrition and poor health awareness. Dr Nwe Ni Ohn said by upgrad­ ing the rural centre the government hopes to increase average life ex­ pectancy to 70 years for both men and women by” 2015, and reduce the number of women who die in childbirth.

Rain to continue despite close of monsoon season AYE SAPAY PHYU ayephyu2OO60gmaiL.com

RAINY weather is likely to per­ sist even after the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon season on October 12, meteorologists warn. The meteorology department an­ nounced last week that the monsoon season had officially ended, two days after its earlier October 10 forecast”. Department director บ Chit Kyaw said that most states and re­ gions received more than their aver­ age rainfall in September. “Yangon and Tanintharyi regions, Kayin and Kayah states had 10 inches (254 mil­ limetres) more rainfall than their average, he said. As of October 14, records showed that rainfall in Kachin, Northern Shan, Rakhine, Kayah, Kayin and Mon states from January 1 to Octo­ ber 14 was greater than their average rainfall for an entire year. Meteorologists warned that storms in the Bay of Bengal would bring post-monsoon rains to much of the country for several more

News?

10

The num ber of inches of rainfall above the average that Yangon Region received in Septem ber

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

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Views___________ Coops and the credibility gap

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

Decades of state control over cooperatives could thwart the government’s efforts to revitalise the sector

m ichael.w o d zickiB co o p scan a d a.coo p

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

President บ Thein Sein attends the launch of the government’s US$100 million cooperative program in Nay Pyi Taw on August 19.

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

TRILLION

$1

The collective assets of the w orld's 300 largest cooperatives

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

members have an equal say in the dem­ ocratic elections of the cooperative’s leadership, no matter what the size of their business with the co-operative. Cooperatives need to succeed in their marketplace; they need business and marketing plans, good accounting and responsible management practices. The global cooperative success story is remarkable. The collective assets of the world’s 300 largest cooperatives are more than $1 trillion. This would make cooperatives and their members the world ร lO01largest economy. Co-op­ eratives provide more than 100 million jobs - at least 20 percent more than multinational corporations. In developing countries, coopera­ tives are changing the agricultural and financial marketplace, in similar ways to what occurred in the United States, Canada and Western Europe 75 years ago. Governments have an important role to play, putting in place tax and financing mechanisms that allow coop­ erative members to take on more risk and grow their business. For all the success, there are many harbingers of cooperative failure. Co­ operatives fail for business reasons, like any private sector actor that competes in the marketplace. They have been used in many countries for political reasons, such as to distribute political favours, and this has destroyed their credibility in the process. Government encouragement for cooperatives cannot become interference in business opera­ tions or undermine member control. Given the success of cooperatives

in developed and developing coun­ tries, the potential of the cooperative model in Myanmar is apparent. The government’s strong political and fi­ nancial commitment to working with and through cooperatives to alleviate poverty has been made clear. The min­ ister of cooperatives has repeated that the government is willing to learn from past mistakes made in Myanmar and how the model is nurtured in other countries, and has invited advice and support in this regard. The fact remains that cooperatives in Myanmar face a credibility gap. Us­ ing them as a bridge to alleviate pover­ ty is commendable, particularly given the striking needs that exist. For this to be done sustainably, it needs to be ac­ companied by capacity building for lo­ cal, regional, and national cooperative structures that prepare them to act as independent and autonomous coopera­ tive businesses. The long-term sustainability of co­ operative businesses in Myanmar will depend on individual members in­ vesting their time and money to make cooperatives work, supported by a regulatory framework that facilitates cooperative growth. This is a long-term process and if done right will go a long way to alleviating poverty and promot­ ing”economic development. Michael Wodzicki is director for market relations at the Canadian Co-operative Association, Canada’s national association of cooperatives.

Press Council criticises media law amendments SOETHAN LYNN so e th a n lyn n ra g m a il.co m

MEDIA watchdogs have complained that a draft law now before the parlia­ ment could weaken their power and risk lowering standards, as well as re­ ducing legal protections for publishers and journalists. Their complaints concern the media bill drafted by the Interim Press Coun­ cil, which is now before the Pyithu Hluttaw after being approved in the Amyotha Hluttaw.

But the Pyithu Hluttaw committee handling the bill has removed two nec­ essary sections - 12 and 32 - from the draft,” Press Council secretary บ Kyaw Min Swe has told TheMyamnar Times. “We protest against the removal of those two sections of the media bill. We included the sections after consult­ ing with legal advisers. These sections are really needed. Section 12 concerns [journalistic] standards and the role of our council. Removing it could weaken the role of the Press Council,” he said. “The council is the only group that

can act on behalf of the media sector under the proposed law,” he said. Section 32 provided legal protec­ tions of publishers and journalists, he said, by stipulating that any search or seizure” of media property, or any pro­ posed ban on a newspaper or publica­ tion should be conducted in accordance with the Code of Criminal Procedure. “I think the hluttaw should have asked the original drafters of the bill for their opinion before they amended it,” said บ Kyaw Min Swe. “The Amyotha Hluttaw Bill

Committee met with us before the draft was submitted to Amyotha Hlut­ taw. The Pyithu Hluttaw hasn’t had any meeting or discussion with us. We heard that they met with the Ministry of Information before amending the bill and they have had regular contact.” บ Kyaw Min Swe added, “Our soci­ ety had”to live under a dictatorship for 50 years. The hluttaw should not allow any room for anxiety and doubt [over protections for the media]. They should at least invite us for negotiations.” - Translation by Thiri Min Htun

Views News 11

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The time for talk is over

Myanmar’s political leaders must stand up to those inciting religious violence ROGER MITTON rogerm itton 0 gmail.com

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

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

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

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

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

Aung San รนน Kyi to get their act to­ gether or else this year’s Southeast Asian Games and next year’s hosting of the group’s annual summit may be jeopardised. Those who spread messages of in­ tolerance and hatred must not go un­ challenged,” said Jim Della-Giacoma, the ICG program director for Asia “Otherwise, this issue may come to de­ fine the new Myanmar.” Instead of repeatedly stressing that the constitution must be amended to allow her to run for president in 2015, Daw Aung San รนน Kyi should concen­ trate on preserving racial harmony at home.

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

12 News

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

Myanmar steps into ASEAN hotseat ANALYSIS

The country will be chair of ASEAN at a crucial time for the 10-member bloc - a challenge that will test its diplomatic skills MCLAUGHLIN t im o t hy. m c la u g h lin 3 0 g m a il.co m

TAKING hold of the ASEAN gavel from Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah on October 10, the normally subdued President บ Thein Sein sported an un­ characteristic grin. He had good reason to smile. For most of the past two decades Myanmar was the outcast of the 10nation bloc. In just a few years it has successfully transformed its image to the extent where Myanmar’s partners have agreed to let it take on the lead­ ership of ASEAN at a time of unprec­ edented change. In 1995, under the rule of former Senior General Than Shwe, Myanmar was an outsider looking in at ASEAN, which was then a seven-nation group. Bolstered by the release of Daw Aung San รนน Kyi from house arrest in July of that year, Myanmar managed to talk its way into the bloc. In 1996, Myanmar joined the ASE­ AN Regional Forum (ARF). It became an official member in July 1997, along with Laos. Cambodia, delayed by in­ ternal political turmoil, would join two years later as the lO01member. Despite its newfound status in the region, Myanmar remained aloof from ASEAN because of perceptions that other member nations were meddling in its domestic affairs. Senior Gener^ Than Shwe almost never attended ASE­ AN meetings, opting instead to send his prime ministers or foreign minister. According to the recently released Sol­ diers and Diplomacy in Burma, by aca­ demic Renaud Egreteau and journalist Larry Jagan, some observers believe Senior General Than Shwe created the prime minister post in 2003 precisely so that he did not need to attend ASE­ AN meetings. Under the ASEAN policy of rotating the chairmanship based on alphabeti­ cal order, Myanmar was finally tapped to lead the bloc in 2006. Howevei, in

President บ Thein Sein receives the ASEAN gavel from Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah in Bandar Seri Begawan on October 10. Photo: AFP

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

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

members. The code is yet to material­ ise, however, and the issue is certain to drag on into 2014. China has been one of Myanmar’s staunchest political and economic al­ lies and บ Kyaw Lin Oo said members of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were conscious of concerns in the region that China would be able to influence its handling of the issue in 2014. Fuelling these fears among some ASEAN members will be memories of 2012, when chair Cambodia was ac­ cused of censoring an ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting communique to remove references to the South China Sea at the behest of China. As the other members refused to issue the amended version, it became the first such meet­ ing to end without an official commu­ nique. The dispute reflected concerns

‘Nay Pyi Taw will walk a careful line [on the South China Sea] and strive not to be seen as Cambodia was last year.’ Nilanthi Samaranayake A n a lyst, CNA s tra te g ic S tudies

that Phnom Penh was using its posi­ tion to push Beijing’s line rather than working as a mediator for its ASEAN counterparts. In an indication of the delicate na­ ture of the South China Sea issue, five members of parliament contacted by The Myanmar Times for comment last week on how Myanmar could handle the dispute declined to comment. One of the few who agreed to com­ ment was Pyithu Hluttaw representa­ tive for Mahlaing บ Aye Mauk, who said he believes President บ Thein Sein will seek to collaborate with both ASE­ AN members and China on the issue. “I hope the president can [man­ age] it successfully because China is one of our neighbours and we have closer ties with them than most of our

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

www.mmtimes.com

Wirathu gets around Sangha ban with new ‘969’group

The Organisation for the Protection of Nationalism and Religion permitted because it also includes laypeople SI THU LWIN s ith u lw in .m m tim e s 0 g m a il.c o m

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

‘The ban [is] only [related] to monk associations.’ บ Wirathu P ro m in e n t sayadaw

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

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

Kayin project a ‘sign of peace’ AUNG KYAW MIN n e w s ro o m O m y a n m a rtim e s .c o m .m m

A PROJECT to install a cable car to ferry visitors to the Buddhist monas­ tery atop Kayin State’s Mount Zwegabin has been hailed as a mark of the renewed stability of the volatile region at a ceremony involving government and ethnic party leaders" Mount Zwegabin is 11 kilometres (7 miles) south of the state capital Hpaan and its peak is 720 metres (about 2362 feet) above sea level. Visitors to the monastery have to undertake a gruelling climb of several hours. In August, monks announced a project to install a cable car the coun­ try’s first to allow easier access to the monastery. Projected to cost US$22 million and funded by donations, the project is a venture between a

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Malaysian company, Special Methods and Engineering Techniques, and the Myanmar Engineering Society, with construction equipment to be import­ ed from Switzerland and Australia. The cable-car committee includes representatives of a number of dif­ ferent organisations, including Phado Tue Tue Lay of the Karen National Un­ ion (KNU)” บ Saw Kyaw Than of the Democractic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), บ Saw Chit Thu of a Kayin Border Guard Force (BGF) and more. At a ceremony earlier this month in Yangon, Phado Tue Tue Lay called the project a “sign of peace” in the wartorn state. บ Saw Khin Maung Myint, an of­ ficial in the state’s Ministry of Trans­ port, told The Myanmar Times that the project will benefit residents, visi­ tors and the tourism industry.

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

14- News

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

Campaign promotes children’s rights with workshops, theatre CHERRYTHEIN t.c h e rry 6 (3 g m a il.co m

A CAMPAIGN is underway to raise awareness of the rights of children, whether in the home, on the street or being illegally traf­ ficked from one place to another. Child on the Move aims to pre­ vent child abuse, domestic vio­ lence, human trafficking and child homelessness, with a particular focus on the issues of those chil­ dren who are in transit or lacking stable accommodation. It brings together United Against Child Trafficking, an organisation based in Mae Sot, Thailand; Equal­ ity Myanmar; and Burma Against Child Trafficking. บ Ye Yint Naung, a member of United ACT, said the Child on the Move campaign is part of a larger movement to address the needs of one of the most vulnerable seg­ ments of the population. “It is not a new issue,” he said. “But part of the principle of the [UN] Convention on the Rights of the Child [CRC] mentions pro­ tecting children on the move. We want to highlight the point.” Preparation for the project be­ gan in June and it was launched m September. Running through to ASEAN People’s Forum, sched­ uled for March 2014, the project includes a training program on the CRC, talks, workshops and seminars in cooperation with gov­ ernment sectors and civil society organisations. Whether looking at forced or voluntary movement, the pro­ gram breaks down the issues fac­ ing children in transit into three areas of study: the child’s starting point, their life on the move, and their final destination. “We need to do more research on the root cause on why children are moving, their struggles and danger on the way, and whether their final destination ends with success or failure. From there we can make better approaches to fix­ ing the problem,” บ Ye Yint Naung said.

He said many children mov­ ing from one place to another face physical or emotional abuse whether they are alone or travel­ ling with family. One part of the campaign, called Destination Unknown, will let children’s voices take centre stage - literally. The organisations are seeking 25 interested children to participate in a play designed to spread knowledge about the is­ sues in an entertaining way. Training will be conducted during October, with experienced facilitators sharing information about the CRC as well as leading the children in acting, singing and making decorations. The play will be recorded on video and pre­ sented on a number of significant dates, including International Children’s Day on November 20, International Anti-Human Traf­ ficking Day on December 12 and International Migrant Day on De­ cember 18. The group will also perform live in Yangon in a number of townships, including Shwe Pyi Thar, Hlaing Tharyar, Mayangone, Dawbon and North Dagon. Daw Kyi Phyu of Burma ACT said the activities aim to send a message to government sectors that they must strengthen imple­ mentation of the convention. “We will try to cooperate with government officials in every de­ partment to share awareness on CRC and help to implement it as much as we possibly can. We want them to know that they are responsible for children on the street and [those who are at] risk of human trafficking,” she said. She also said it is not enough to simply round up children from the street for their own protection. “Removing street kids doesn’t mean putting them in prison. It is not the right solution to this issue.” The organisations involved in Child on the Move plan to raise the issue of children’s rights at the ASEAN People’s Forum, to be held in Nay Pyi Taw in March 2014.

MPs call for hurry-up on development budgets

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

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

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

entire amount,” said Daw Nyo Nyo Thin, adding that the time crunch could lead to plans being drawn up in haste. “I don’t want to be just a rubber stamp.”

‘Half the budget year has passed but we haven’t implemented anything yet.’ บ Sai Thiha Kyaw Pyithu H lu tta w re p re s e n ta tiv e

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

UNESCO to assist with overhaul of university journalism program SANDARLWIN s d ls a n d a rf3 g m a il.c o m

THE curriculum for a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism program offered by the National Management College will be completely overhauled with assistance from the United Nations, the college’s principal said last week. “We are planning to use the new curriculum prepared by UNESCO in the coming 2013-14 academic year,” principal บ Than Win said on October 9. The college’s board of studies was to hold a workshop on October 20 to discuss the new curriculum. “The details of the course will only be confirmed after workshop,” he said. According to UNESCO, the cur­ riculum is benchmarked against the UNESCO Model Curricula for Journal­ ism Education and borrows concepts

from curriculums used at institutions in neighbouring countries. The proposed courses in the UNESCO curriculum include Jour­ nalism and Society, Media Laws, Journalism Ethics, Writing News in English, and Translation for Jour­ nalists. The proposed specialised courses are Reporting Diversity, Economics and Business Reporting, and Public Affairs Reporting. The production courses are specialised and cover Newspaper Journalism, Radio Journalism, TV Journalism, Magazine Journalism and Interac­ tive Journalism. The National Management Col­ lege was established in 2007 and introduced its journalism program the same year, accepting up to 50 students each academic year. The college is conducting a journalism education improvement program in collaboration with UNESCO.

www.mmtimes.com IN BRIEF Shan leader praises ‘transparency’ of Kachin talks A Leader o f th e Red Shan e th n ic g ro u p fro m Kachin s ta te has praised th e g o v e rn m e n t and th e Kachin Independence O rganisation fo r in v it­ ing it to observe rece n t peace ta lk s in M yitkyina. บ San Wai, th e patro n o f a Red Shan m ilitia in Kachin S ta te 's Tar Law Gyi v illa g e n e a r M yiktyin a, w as one o f five Shan c o m m u n ity leaders w h o observed th e O ctober 8-10 ta lk s , w h ic h re s u lte d in a sevenp o in t a g re e m e n t. R e p re se n ta tive s fro m tw o Shan p o litic a l p a rtie s, th e T ai-Leng (Red Shan) N a tio n a litie s D e ve lo p m e n t P a rty and th e Shan N a tio n a litie s D e m o c ra tic Party, w e re a lso present. "T h is is th e fir s t tim e I w a s able to p a rtic ip a te as an o b s e rv e r on b e h a lf o f Shan e th n ic people in th e peace ta lk s " betw een th e g o v e rn m e n t and KIO, บ San Wai said. "B e fo re th is , w e never kn e w w h a t th e y are doing, w h a t th e y discussed. We can say th a t th is has b ro u g h t g re a te r tra n s p a re n c y to th e peace ta lk s . We also had th e chance to give advice. I am ve ry pleased to be able to p a rtic ip a te ." He said he w a s p a rtic u la rly pleased at th e pledge to co n tin u e sca lin g back th e c o n flic t. "B o th sid e s co n clu d ed at th e d iscu ssio n th a t th e re had been less fig h tin g betw een th e m ," he said. "They also agreed not to m in e the ra ilw a y and to reopen th e B ham o road w ith in fo u r m o n th s ." - Khin รน Wai

News 15

Hundreds ofthousands enslaved in Myanmar: report BRIDGET DICERTO b rid g e t.d ic e rto O g m a il.c o m

AS many as 400,000 people are trapped in modern-day slavery in Myanmar, a new index estimates. The inaugural Global Slavery Index 2013 released last week said between 360,000 and 400,000 of Myanmar’s estimated 52.8 million residents are hostage to slave-like conditions, placing it ninth out of 162 countries surveyed. Based on these estimates 0.7 per­ cent of the population is enslaved or enduring slave-like practices. India had the highest proportion of its population enslaved at about 1.12pc, the index said. India and Myanmar are among a group of 11 countries that account for 76pc of the world’s 29.8 million peo­ ple in modern-day slavery. Compiled by the Walk Free Foun­ dation, the index estimates absolute numbers of people bonded in slavery and analyses the risk of slavery in a population. In the region Myanmar had the third-highest risk of slavery, behind Papua New Guinea and Afghanistan. Factors or risks considered by the index were anti-slavery policies”, hu­

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

man rights, economic and social de­ velopment, state stability, and wom­ en’s rights and discrimination. “Some countries, such as Myan­ mar, have well drafted laws so the challenge relates to implementation,” the index stated.

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

a weighted ranking to each coun­ try, based on absolute numbers of the population in slavery and risk factors. Myanmar ranked” 42, while Mauritania, which has deeply en­ trenched hereditary slavery, topped the list. “Whether it is called human traf­ ficking, forced labour, slavery or slav­ ery-like practices [a category that in­ cludes debt bondage, forced or servile marriage, and sale or exploitation of children including in armed conflict] victims of modern slavery have their freedom denied, and are used and controlled and exploited by another person for profit, sex, or the thrill of domination,” the index stated. The International Labour Organi­ zation (ILO) lifted all its remaining restrictions on Myanmar in June this year. The ILO in cooperation with the government operates a Forced Labour Complaints Mechanism. This complaints mechanism is designed to allow genuine victims of forced labour, with the assistance of the ILO liaison office, an opportunity to seek redress from the government authorities in full confidence that no retaliatory action will be taken against them, according to ILO documentation.

M inister pushes fo r agriculture co-ops M in is te r fo r A g ric u ltu re and Irrig a tio n บ M yint Hlaing used his address on W orld Food Day on O ctober 16 to ca ll fo r th e e s ta b lis h m e n t of cooperative a g rib u sin e ss a ssociations to boost fa rm in g pro d u ctivity and alleviate r u ra l poverty. บ M yint H laing said th e re is a c le a r need to fo rm agro-based in d u strie s th a t can g e nerate h ig h e r value fin ­ ished p roducts - and in th e process boost fa rm e rs ' incom es - ra th e r than relying on th e c u rre n t p ra ctice of e xp o rtin g m ostly ra w m ate ria ls. We need to create h ig h e r living sta n da rd s and incom es fo r fa rm e rs by p ro m o tin g th e co u n try's a g rib u s i­ ness sector, he said. He added th a t M yan m a r had once been th e w o rld 's highest e x p o rte r of rice and needs to find ways o f again p e n etra tin g th e in te rn a tio n a l m a r­ kets and boosting e xports and e xport earnings. บ M yint H laing added th a t years of low incom e fo r fa rm e rs have pushed m any r u ra l w o rk e rs to find o th e r p ro ­ fessions. - Pyae Thet Phyo, transla­

tion by Zar Zar Soe

Workshop on constitution held Reducing th e role of th e m ilita ry in p olitics, and o th e r aspects of c iv il-m ilita ry relatio n s, w e re am ong th e hot to p ics addressed in a public fo ru m on th e co n stitu tio n . M ore than 300 people, m any of th e m fro m p o liti­ ca l p a rtie s and c iv il society o rg a n isa ­ tio n s, to o k part. Organised by th e People's N e tw o rk on th e C onstitution, th e fo ru m , at Yangon's Royal Rose re s ta u ra n t on O ctober 17, focused on th e process o f am ending th e 2008 co n stitu tio n . O th e r to p ics u n d e r discussion in c lu d ­ ed th e co u n try's fe d e ra l s tru c tu re , hum an rig h ts inclu d in g th e rig h ts of w o m en and w o rk e rs and land rig hts, and th e q u a lific a tio n s o f p re sid e n tia l candidates. Strong s u p p o rt w a s expressed fo r a red u ctio n of th e role o f th e m ilita ry in p o litic s and fo r a g re a te r infusion o f d e m o c ra tic ideals. The People's N e tw o rk on the C onstitution is sponsored p rim a rily by young m em b e rs of the N ational League fo r Dem ocracy and o th e r p a r­ tie s and civil society organisations. It has about 50 m em bers. - Sandar Lwin

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16 News

THE MYANMARTIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

IN BRIEF Dolphins born in protected area Three Irraw addy d o lp h in s born in a protected area in M andalay and Sagaing regions in May are เท good health, th e M in is try of Livestock and F isheries says. บ Han W in, assistant fis h e rie s o ffic e r in th e m in is try 's e n viro n m e n t and endangered aquatic a n im a l conservation unit, said fu rth e r surveys la te r th is m onth could u n ­ cover m ore baby d o lp h in s in th e area. He said th e b irth s w e re im p o rta n t given th a t th e p o pulation o f th e c r iti­ cally endangered Irraw addy dolphin appears to be on th e decline. The th re e baby d o lp h in s born last May are s t ill alive. We w ill find out if th e re are m ore d o lp h in s breeding in fu rth e r surveys th is m o n th ," he said. เท D ecem ber 2005, th e m in is try selected a 7 4 -k ilo m e tre (46-m ile) s tre tc h of th e Ayeyarwady River between M ingun and Kyaukm yaung in M andalay and Sagaing regions as a protected area fo r th e dolphins. - Aye Sapay Phyu

Election commission agrees to review protest law instruction

Parties say decision to force them to apply for permission for political rallies through provisions in peaceful protest law has proved unworkable because township officials are not following the rules El El TOE LWIN e ie ito e lw in O g m a il.co m

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

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

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

‘I decided that everyone should follow the law but I didn’t consider that you might face these problems as a result. I ... w ill review it.’ บ Tin Aye Election C o m m issio n c h a irm a n

National Unity Party’s executive com­ mittee, said parties are also confused about which of their events require prior permission. “Section 2(b) states that people have the right to assembly peacefully in a public area. But the law doesn’t state what a public area is. Sometimes, particularly in rural areas, we use a monastery or private property for par­ ty meetings. We are confused about whether we need to apply for permis­ sion,” he said. “We want to work under the com­ mission and we request the chairman to review the instruction.” A number of political parties are also pushing to amend the peace­ ful protest law to remove section 18, which lists the punishments for breaches. The National League for De­ mocracy plans to submit the proposed changes during the eighth session of parliament, which began on October 1. But บ Kyee Myint, chairman of the Lawyers’ Network, told The Myanmar Times that the government should abolish the law because rules, proce­ dures and penalties for gathering are already included in section 141 of the Penal Code. "This law should not be amended,” บ Kyee Myint said. “The government enacted the law to restrict the freedom of the people.”

Project to map quake risk in Sagaing, Bago, Taungoo AYE SAPAY PHYU ayephyu2006(3gm ail.com

SEISMIC hazard and risk maps now in the works for Sagaing, Bago and Taungoo will make it easier to iden­ tify areas and buildings most vulner­ able to potential earthquakes, an of­ ficial from the University of Yangon’s Department of Geology says. “We are testing soil conditions and properties in those three cities,” lecturer บ Myo Thant said, adding that the maps should be finished by March. The project is a collaboration between the Myanmar Earthquake Committee, the Myanmar Geoscience

Society and the geology department, with funding from the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN­ HABITAT). The two maps - hazard and risk - will cover different data, บ Myo Thant said. The seismic hazard map will include information on soil types, soil properties, the amplification fac­ tor of seismic waves and peak ground acceleration, while possible loss and damages to infrastructure, and social and economic sectors will be covered by the risk map. “The maps can be used in urban planning and infrastructure devel­ opment in the future, as well as ret­ rofitting work to allow constructed

buildings to be made more earth­ quake-resilient. The aim of develop­ ing these maps is to reduce loss and damages by earthquake.” Daw Than Than Myint, a consult­ ant with the Bangkok-based Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, said that disaster and climate risk man­ agement need to be integrated into mainstream planning and not left on the fringes of discussions around development. “Developmental gains achieved by Myanmar are often reversed because of the impact of disasters,” she said. “Skewed development itself increases vulnerability and exposure to natu­ ral hazards. Development should be

New Mandalay electricity m inister appointed The P resident O ffice's last w eek elevated M andalay Region H lu tta w rep re se n ta tive บ Kyaw M yint to the position o f re g io n a l m in is te r fo r e le c ­ tric ity and industry. The incum bent m inister, บ Myint Kyu, has been appointed Mandalay Region m in is te r fo r finance and revenue, fillin g the position vacated on S ep te m b e r 9 w hen บ Phone Zaw Han, a fo rm e r m ayor of Mandalay, w as ap­ pointed to th e Nay Pyi Taw Council. The la te s t a p p o in tm e n ts w e re a n ­ nounced on O ctober 15. บ Kyaw M yint rep re se n ts th e seat of Yam ethin 2 เท th e re g io n a l hluttaw . - Si Thu Lwin,

translation by Zar Zar Soe

Arrested Mandalay jade trader was set up, says fam ily A fa m ily is fig h tin g to c le a r th e name of a m an a rre ste d fo r drug posses­ sion, saying he w as se t up. Jade d e a l­ e r บ Lin Tun Thein, 411w as a rrested on A u g u st 21 at a M andalay karaoke lounge a lle g e d ly in possession o f 200 a m p h e ta m in e ta b le ts concealed in a c ig a re tte packet. He and his fa m ily say th e packet w as placed in his pocket by a p la in -c lo th e d o ffic e r fro m S outhern M andalay s p e cia l d ru g s group. They allege th a t th e police w e re called by a n o th e r m an w ho, they say, provided th e packet. บ Lin Tun Thein, w ho lives in Sa w ard, Pyigyitagun tow nship, has been charged w ith possession and faces t r ia l เท M andalay d is tric t court. At a press conference on O ctober 15, his b ro th e r Ko Aung Tun Ngwe to ld re p o rte rs th a t th e fa m ily has w ritte n to th e president, th e c o m ­ m a n d e r-in -c h ie f and th e m in is te r fo r hom e a ffa irs "dem a n d in g th a t the tru th com e o ut". "If w e get no s a tisfa ction , w e w ill try to a p peal to th e hluttaw . Our fa m ­ ily has c o m m itte d no crim e , and we w ill fig h t fo r o u r dignity," he said. บ Lin Tun Thein s w ife, Ma Aye Mon, said she had no gru d g e against th e police in fo rm a n t, and w anted the tru th to com e out. A lo ca l elder, บ Than Tun Oo, said, "I've lived in th e sam e w ard as th is fa m ily fo r 22 years and I know o f no c rim in a l a ctivity th a t they are involved ” Phyo Wa/ Kyaw, translation by

sustainable, by considering disaster and climate risk management as part of the mainstream process.” At least 90 people died and more than 18,000 were affected by two 6.8-magnitude earthquakes which struck Myanmar in March 2011 and November 2012, according to a Unit­ ed Nations Office for the Coordina­ tion of Humanitarian Affairs. OCHA said that Myanmar is vul­ nerable to a wide range of hazards, including floods, cyclones, earth­ quakes, landslides and tsunamis, and that historical data shows there is a high likelihood of a medium- to largescale natural disaster occurring every เท Thae Thae Htwe couple of years.

News 17

www.mmtimes.com

MMAto vote on headquarters plan in January

YAMONPHUTHIT ya m o n 8 9 0 g m a iL .co m

REPRESENTATIVES from Myanmar Medical Association’s 88 branches will vote on a controversial plan to redevel­ op the association’s Yangon headquar­ ters at a meeting in January, chairman Dr Kyaw Myint Naing said.” The voting will be conducted on January 11, the opening day of the as­ sociation’s 60*11annual medical confer­ ence, which will run from January 11 to 17. A secret vote will be conducted to decide whether the MMA should proceed with a plan to form a joint venture with a private company to redevelop the Thein Byu Road site in Mingalar Taung Nyunt township. Representatives of its 88 branches will cast votes, association general sec­ retary Dr Myint Thaung said. “The official representatives will be elected from each branch by that branch’s members. Their vote's will therefore represent all the members,” he said. The internal dispute over the cen­ tral executive committee’s plan to work with a foreign company on the redevelopment has wracked the asso­ ciation since the plan was announced in Mawlamyine in January.

CEC members said the move would create additional revenue for the as­ sociation and allow it to conduct re­ search, sponsor doctors for further study, improve association facilities for members and expand its public health activities. But the proposal proved controver­ sial among some of the association’s members, who questioned the motives of the central executive committee. In response to the anger, the CEC sched­ uled a vote for July 13 but it was de­ layed because, organisers said, there was not enough time to elect branch representatives. CEC member Dr Tin Aye said on October 15 that the vote would defi­ nitely go ahead and the result would be respected. “It’s all about the result. Whether we do the proposal depends on the re­ sult,” he said. Dr Aung Khin Sint, chairman of the MMA Land and Building Protec­ tion Committee, which was formed by members opposed to the project, said his group is also watching the process carefully to ensure it is fair. “We will observe how transparent the voting is and will continue our work based on the result,” he said. The MMA was established in 1949 and has more than 18,000 members.

88 Generation unveils plan for monument to fight for democracy El El TOE LWIN eieitoeLw inO gm aiL.com

THE 88 Generation is planning a monument - potentially a museum - to the 1988 uprising and all those who have given their lives for de­ mocracy since the advent of military rule in Myanmar. The group is seeking donations for the monument, which leader Min Ko Naing said will be a permanent re­ minder of a time “when people unit­ ed and fought to end oppression and injustice under the military regime”

The group is not yet sure what form the monument could take but hopes it will be similar to a museum, with artifacts from 1988. “We have to continue to move with the ’88 spirit and we want to ensure that future governments don’t act in the same oppressive and unjust way again,” he said on Octo­ ber 14. The monument will honour all those who fought for democracy in Myanmar, said 88 Generation mem­ ber Ko Zaw Thet Htwe. “We consider it not only for the

8/8/88 students but all people who gave up their lives since the 1962 up­ rising, Ko Zaw Thet Htwe said. “So far we’ve really only got the idea and we only have K20 million in our hands ... It’s not enough ... Therefore we want to urge all, both local and international organisa­ tions, to give us as much support as they can. “Anyone can give us ideas about the monument. We want to coop­ erate with everyone because we believe that the 8888 uprising con­ cerned everyone.”

Tel ะ +95 1378975 (Ext:103) E-mail ะ [email protected] [email protected]

18 News

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

FEATURE

Moving with the times: Bagan^ horse carts face a new threat

For years the horse cart was the only option for visitors to Bagan but tourists are increasingly exploring temples on electronic bikes El El THU 91 .e ie ith u 0 g m a il.c o m

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

‘More tourists are coming than last year but we are still sitting beside the road.’ Ko Ye Bagan h o rse c a rt d riv e r

I

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

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

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

of 17 bicycles and five e-bikes. A day’s rental of an e-bike brings in K8000 compared to K3000 for a regular bi­ cycle, but electric bikes are a much bigger investment, costing nearly K400,000 to purchase. And despite the fact that they bring in more income, บ Than Soe said they can be more costly to maintain than horse carts. “E-bikes are very heavy to carry when their batteries run out. If that happens they are more trouble than horse carts. They need four batteries. Each costs K25*000, which is more than horse feed, he added. บ Khin Maung Htwe, secretary of the Myanmar Restaurant Asso­ ciation’s Bagan branch, said e-bikes are suited to the Bagan terrain. They don’t emit exhaust like motor­ cycles, he said, and yet they’re small enough that they won’t cause traffic jams on the area’s narrow roads the

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

support from both the MMA and Max Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady Foun­ dation. But its work is only just be­ ginning, Dr Aung Lin said. “We need to increase public

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

Medical association trials new emergency ambulance hotline YAM0NPHUTHIT yam on89ragm aiL.com

“1830”: That will soon be the num­ ber to call if you need an ambu­ lance, the president of the Myanmar Medical Association says. Dr Kyaw Myint Naing said the number will summon ambulances at any hour of the day and replaces a series of tough-to-remember nine­ digit numbers. “The new hotline is more con­ venient than the previous numbers, which were difficult to memorise and were not widely known,” he said. Emergency ambulance services commenced operating in Yangon in October 2012. The service provides free pre-hospital care and trans­ portation services for emergencies, which include but are not limited to traffic accidents and natural or man-made disasters.

“People in emergencies suffer shock and have difficulty remem­ bering anything,” he said. “So the fewer the digits in our hotline the easier it is to memorise.” In August, Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Speaker Thura บ Shwe Mann urged the Ministry of Communica­ tions, Posts and Telegraphs to issue a three- or four-digit number for the ambulance services following a recommendation from the medical association. Speaking during the seventh ses­ sion of parliament, Thura บ Shwe Mann said the long phone numbers currently in use made it harder for people to access help in an emer­ gency. Ambulance service general man­ ager Dr Aung Lin told The M yanmar Times that the four-digit hotline is being trialled and will be formally launched “soon”. In the meantime, phone calls to the hotline will be

answered and ambulances des­ patched as necessary, he said. Operating from MMA’s head office in Mingalar Taung Nyunt township, the service runs five am­ bulances. In the past 12 months the ambulances have been sent to render assistance to more than 460 people, of whom 66 were injured in traffic accidents, Dr Aung Lin said. He added that access to the hot­ line is critical because ambulance service operators also provide trau­ ma guidance before the ambulance arrives. “When we receive a call, we first ask what the problem is and provide what advice we can before the am­ bulance arrives,” he said. “If the patient is unconscious, we advice his or her companion to turn the patient on his or her side and check that the patient’s airway is not blocked.” The service was established with

News 19

www.mmtimes.com

Car dealers accuse Mandalay company of $3.1m fraud

THAN NAING SOE thennaingsoeragm aiL.com

A GROUP of car dealers in Mandalay who say they were “duped” out of K3 billion (US$*3.1million) by a local im­ port firm have appealed to President บ Thein Sein and the Mandalay Region government for justice. The group, which sent request let­ ters on September 28, has also threat­ ened to report the Chan Aye Thar San township company to police and is consulting with lawyers about possible criminal and civil charges. The company, Lin Kabar, allegedly sold about 150 luxury cars to the deal­ ers at a slight discount to the market

price for registered vehicles. Other buyers were told to contact While the cars arrived in Mandalay, car companies in Yangon to arrange the company failed to arrange the reg­ the registration for the vehicles. These istration of the cars - leaving the own­ companies, however, said the process ers with no licence plates, owner books or other registration documents. “We are now negotiating a settle­ ment. If no agreement can be reached, we will press charges against the com­ pany” car dealer Ko Aung said. “We paid the full price for the cars on contract. But [the company’s own­ ers] suddenly disappeared when the cars were in our hands.” Ko Aung The dealers said they have worked M an d a la y-b ase d ca r d e a le r with the company for the past 10 years and never had problems. “But now they have swindled us,” Ko Aung said.

‘We paid the full price for the cars on the contract... They have swindled us.’

Taxi drivers push YCDC for clarity on registrations

would cost K3 million for each vehicle and require a car import permit val­ ued at K11.5 million, said Ko Aung Na­ ing Win, one of the aggrieved buyers. “So now we are left having to pay an additional K14.5 million,” he said. “The companies in Yangon are ask­ ing us for more money [to arrange the registration],” confirmed another cheated dealer, บ Win Naing. “If we don’t pay the money we will have to sell the cars at a loss as unlicensed vehicles.” Most of the car dealers involved in the dispute are from Mandalay, but others from nearby towns such as Madaya, Singu, Sagaing and Pakkoku are also involved.

“I bought five cars. Buyers, includ­ ing me, want to know when they will hwe vehicle licences for their cars,” said บ Maung Maung from Singu township. A spokesperson for the import com­ pany declined to comment. However, m September, one of the two partners in the business, Ko Aung Ye Lin, pub­ lished a notice in state-run newspapers revealing that his other partner, Ko Kyaw Khaing Soe, had disappeared af­ ter selling the cars to the dealers. Ko Aung Ye Lin said he was no longer connected with Ko Kyaw Kha­ ing Soe but was trying to resolve the dispute with those who were cheated. - Translation by Zaw Winn

A planned handover of taxi registration responsibilities to Ma Hta Tha never took place - but drivers say they are Still in the dark about the registration process NYEIN WIN a yen ye inw in.m cm rag m a il.co m

YANGON’S taxi drivers are asking the city’s municipal and traffic authorities to improve their communication fol­ lowing a debacle over taxi registrations. Drivers say confusion over which body is in charge of handling registra­ tions is costing them money, and have asked that future announcements be made through state-run newspapers and on television so that everyone gets the message. Taxi driver บ Maung Maung said it is easy for the city’s cabbies to not know about new notifications - and end up paying for it in the form of fines. “The relevant department should announce new rules and regulations for taxi drivers in newspapers and on television,” he said. “The notices should have a start and end date for the regu­ lation, and there should be an educa­ tion period where we are not penalised if we re in the wrong.

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

S y d n e y H a r b o u r B o a t b u ild e r s (Y a n g o n )

B u ild in g S e r v ic e s • H o u s e & A p a r t m e n t R e n o v a t io n • N e w W e s t e r n s t a n d a r d K itc h e n s • N e w B a t h r o o m s / T ilin g • P a in t in g & E le c tr ic a l • T im b e r D e c k in g / F lo o r in g • C u s t o m F u r n it u r e • C o m m e r c ia l F it o u t s • S ta in le s s s t e e l F a b r ic a t io n F ix e d P ric e Q u o t e s »

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F u ll W e s t e r n S e r v ic e P ro je c t M a n a g e m e n t A ll W o r k G u a r a n t e e d

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

only found out that YCDC remains in charge of registrations when we are fined.” บ Nyi Nyi Oo, deputy head of YCDC’s Revenue Department, admit­ ted that the committee had erred in not better publicising the decision to keep taxi registration m-house. "We planned to shift taxi registra­

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

tion of paying an agent to complete the registration for them, paying from K20,000 to K30,000. “This is the first time I’ve needed to register my taxi and I didn’t want to do the process myself,” said taxi driver บ Myint Oo Naing. “I hired an agent who got it done in a day. It cost me K30,000. If you do it yourself it is K10,500.”

20 News

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

Speaker pushes govt to stabilise, develop Rakhine

IN BRIEF Nok A ir to begin YangonBangkok service Thai c a rrie r Nok A ir w ill Launch flig h ts between Yangon and Bangkok's Don Mueang In te rn a tio n a l A irp o rt on N ovem ber 1, an o ffic ia l from the Thai em bassy in Yangon said Last week. Charge d'affaires Chainarong Keratiyutw ong said the expansion was m ade possible by the governm ent's e ffo rts to encourage m ore airlin e s to e n te r the m a rke t to m eet demand from business tra ve lle rs and foreign to u rists. However; he said Thailand "want[s] to see m ore com petition" in Myanm ar's skies, adding that th is w ould bring bet­ te r quality services, reasonable prices and m ore choice fo r consum ers. The new a irlin e w ill s ta rt w ith fo u r flig h ts a w e e k from Yangon to Don Mueang. A ll services w ill use a Boeing 747-800 w ith 189 seats. The a irlin e began services between Yangon and the Thai b o rder tow n of Mae Sot on O ctober 1 using a SAAB 340B a irc ra ft w ith 34 seats. - Wa Lone

WIN KO KO LATT w in k o la tt2 0 1 2 0 g m a il.c o m

UNESCO launches peace education in Rakhine State Education fo r peace - th a t is the aim o f a US$300,000 program th a t w ill tra in teachers in c o n flic t-h it Rakhine State. The UNESCO project w ill o p e r­ ate in 40 schools in Maungdaw, B u th idaung and Rathedaung tow nships, and planning is already underw ay. The M in istry of Education an ­ nounced its approval of th e schem e on S e p te m b e r 21 - the In te rn a tio n a l Day o f Peace. "The project has sta rte d o p e ra ­ tio n s and is in its in itia l design phase," said Daw Khin Khin Lwin, a program o ffic e r at UNESCO Myanmar. The aim is "p ro m o ting education fo r a ll and providing access to all", she said. The program w ill tra in 350 basic ed­ ucation school teachers, reactivate 40 p a re n t-te a ch e r associations and set up th re e c o m m u n ity learning centres in each tow nship. UNESCO said the project w ould also help fa cilita te civic dialogues on in te r-c u ltu ra l awareness and peaceful co-existence. In itia l funding is being provided by th e Belgian governm ent, and funding is likely to be increased as various foreign donors show interest in the project, said Daw Khin Khin Lwin. - Sandar L win

Sagaing residents to appeal trespassing ja il term Three people w ho lived on vacant land in Sagaing Region w ith perm ission from local officia ls fo r m ore than 10 years have been given a o n e-m onth ja il te rm fo r trespassing. T he ir s u p ­ po rte rs have sent an appeal to Nay Pyi Taw against the verdict, w hich was handed down on O ctober 10. บ Kyaw Kyaw, head of H tu t Khaung village, said th e 1.15-acre site was fo rm e rly used fo r a failed castor oil plantation. "People living th e re are not sq u a t­ ters. The fo rm e r heads of the village allowed them to live th e re ... m ore than 10 years ago," he said. "The o f­ fic ia ls w ho charged them d id n 't even com e to look at the villa g e ... The re si­ dents should not be sentenced to one m on th 's im p riso n m e nt. The villa g e rs w ill send a co m p la in t le tte r to Nay Pyi Taw because it is not fair." เท 2011, residents applied to the to w nship S e ttle m en ts and Land Records D epartm ent fo r perm ission to live pe rm a n e ntly on the land. Later, a nunnery from Sagaing also applied to use the land. Local a d m in istra to rs, however, asked the d e p artm en t to is­ sue the p e rm it to the residents. - Hlaing KyawSoe

Correction The a rticle "Despite violence, M uslim s to press on w ith Eid festivities th is w eek", published in the October 14­ 20 edition (No 699) of The Myanmar Times, said บ Myo Win is a m e m b e r of Yangon's Isla m ic Centre. บ Myo Win is no lo n g e r associated w ith the centre. We regret the error.

Confrontation looming over riverside homes

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

PHYO WAI KYAW p w kya w O g m a il.co m

HLAING KYAWSOE h la in g ky a w s o e 8 5 0 g m a il.c o m

FAMILIES living in temporary huts and houses along the Ayeyarwady River in Mandalay’s Chan Aye Thar San township are petitioning the municipal authorities not to follow through with a threat to evict them. In the first week of October, Man­ dalay City Development Committee sent notifications to residents in the area ordering them to move by the end of the month. It also warned that those who refuse to leave will face le­ gal action under municipal laws. Residents, however, say they are doing everything they can to make their presence permanent. “We’ve sent petitions to the may­ or, the office of the chief minister of Mandalay Region and other relevant

officials asking them to take into ac­ count the fact that we rely on the riv­ er for our livelihoods ... We will get into trouble if we have to move from here,” said resident Ma Kay Thwe. Thousands of people live illegally along the Ayeyarwady River bank, with the area between Nyaungkwal and Kywalsun ports the most densely populated. The majority earn their living as casual labourers carrying goods from ships that dock along the river. The Myanmar Times contacted the deputy head of the cleaning de­ partment, บ Soe Tint Aung, for com­ ment but he said he did not know about the eviction order. Some residents said they have lived legally in the area for the past two decades by paying land tax to MCDC. “Beside the riverbank it’s easier for us to earn money,” said one female

labourer, as she carried a bag of char­ coal to the shore. “We have children attending the local school so it is hard to move. We have been warned countless times to move ... If we have to go somewhere else we will just return again because we’ll be destitute in any other place.” The threat rings true: After the committee’s Cleaning Department and local government officials de­ molished illegal homes in the area in June 2011, evicted families promptly returned to the site. “In 2011, officials evicted us from this site as part of a plan to beautify Strand Road,” said the 45-year-old owner of a roadside restaurant, who asked not to be named. “There are 90 huts around my shop. Those people are really poor so they will live here as long as they can.” - Translation by Zar Zar Soe

PYIDAUNGSU Hluttaw Speaker Thura บ Shwe Mann has urged President บ Thein Sein to stabilise unrest-hit Rakhine State by better implementing the rule of law, preventing illegal im­ migration and bringing socio-econom­ ic development. Thura บ Shwe Mann said devel­ opment would decrease poverty and must be considered a priority to end the communal violence in the state, he wrote in a letter to the president dated October 15. “[The] hluttaw will also promptly implement the cases [that are pre­ sented] to it,” the letter states. His letter comes following a meet­ ing in Yangon on September 29 at which Thura บ Shwe Mann prom­ ised “support” for Rakhine efforts to safeguard the country’s borders from illegal immigrants. The meeting was attended by more than 500 people and touched on a range of issues, including stability, security, develop­ ment, the rule of law - and a propos­ al to form a local militia in Rakhine State. The speaker promised partici­ pants that he would forward the is­ sues raised to the government. บ Zaw Aye Maung, a minister for Rakhine affairs in the Yangon Region government, said last week Thura บ Shwe Mann s letter also touched on the need to find ways to solve the conflict “in a democratic manner”. บ Zaw Aye Maung thanked the speaker for sending the letter to the president and particularly for high­ lighting the issue of illegal migra­ tion. He estimated there are more than 500,000 illegal immigrants in Rakhine State. A meeting concerning poverty and development in Nay Pyi Taw in Sep­ tember 2012 suggested the formation of industrial zones in Rakhine State could help to develop the state and al­ leviate widespread poverty. - Transla­ tion by Thin M in Htun

Multiple false alarms as fear rises after bombings PHYO WAI KYAW SI THU LWIN TOE WAI AUNG n e w s ro o m O m y a n m a rtim e s .c o m .m m

POLICE have investigated a string of suspicious objects amid heightened anxiety over a series of blasts and unexpioded devices found in Yangon, Mandalay and Sagaing. At least 12 explosive devices were detonated, discovered or defused be­ tween October 9 and October 16, but several more suspected bombs turned out to be false alarms. On October 16, a cardboard box was spotted in an external corridor on the first floor of Mandalay’s Zaygyo Market. After a careful examination, police con­ firmed it was empty. “It’s just a symptom of people’s anxiety at this time,” a senior police official from Chan Aye Thar San township said. The potential impact of an explo­ sion in the Zaygyo Market, particu­ larly in the lead-up to a festival like Thadingyut, when there is a higherthan-normal number of customers, could be devastating. “Business could be hurt if people

think the market is not safe so officials should handle these frightening inci­ dents carefullyf said the 55-year-old owner of a wholesale slipper shop in the market. Similarly, a suspicious cardboard box was found in Pyinmana’s Myoma Market at about 11am on October 15. “The box contained sand and sheets of cardboard,” a spokesperson from the market said. A similar scare occurred on October 15 on Yangon’s Mahabandoola Road, a busy shopping street, when a leather bag was found discarded in a rubbish bin in front of a computer shop. Police removed the bag, which is not thought to have contained explosives. “It was first noticed at about 10am and we informed the police station be­ cause we were unsure about it,” said one resident of 37s Street. “Police set up sandbags and tyres around it and then called an engineer unit. They used their sniffer dogs to investigate the bag. After checking I t... they took it away’ Other incidents were also reported in Yangon, where social media fuelled rumours of further bombings. Ko Aung Soe from Thaketa township, where a

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

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

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

News 21

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

Gangaw residents oppose Myitthar dam plan THAN NAINGSOE thennaingsoeragm aiL.com

In Magwe, a village under threat WALONE walone140g mail, com

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

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

‘Every tim e the bank collapses it takes 15 to 20 houses with it. This has been going on since 1997.’ Ko Htain Oo R e sident o f Shid Ein Dan

Conservation Association (FREDA), said the erosion and landslides were due to deforestation and the chang­ ing climate. “It’s about the deforestation of tid­ al areas and 80 percent deforestation along the Ayeyarwady River,” he said. villagers were expecting a visit from Magwe Region Chief Minister บ Phone Maw Shwe on October 3 but it was later cancelled. The regional au­ thorities had promised to dig two 500foot (152-metre) sluiceway pools to reduce erosion but instead are investi­ gating other, more “modern” measures

to stem the erosion, a local water re­ sources department official said. “We don’t have an emergency res­ cue committee for erosion and land­ slide areas, but our regional depart­ ment is taking steps to deal with this problem on an urgent basis,” he said. But village administrator บ Thaung Htay said the regional government was hampering local efforts to resettle the displaced. “The village and township level administration have agreed to reset­ tle the villagers, but there is a dispute at the regional level over where they should go,” he said. “Our villagers have been suffering a decline in their social and economic conditions as the river bank has col­ lapsed, and we need support from the regional authorities.” บ Khay Meinda, a Buddhist monk, said most residents have been reluc­ tant to leave until right before their homes topple into the river. “Some villagers can afford to buy land else­ where,” he said. “But they have lived with the threat of this natural disaster for many years because they wanted to save their village.”

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RESIDENTS of four villages in Magwe Region’s Gangaw town­ ship said they will not move from their settlements to make way for the proposed Myitthar hydroelec­ tric dam project until they receive sufficient compensation. The government is prepar­ ing planning for a new town - Sanpya Myitthar Myothit - to house those due to be resettled from Sabei, Panan, Yinmar and Sinpone villages. A total of 5788 acres, including more than 1600 acres of farmland, will be includ­ ed in the dam’s floodway. However, the residents said the new town does not have enough farmland and lacks the basic features of a town. Residents are yet to receive information about how much money they will be compensated for their lost houses and land. “We have yet to negotiate about compensation,” said บ Than Swe from Panan village. Residents have demanded that the new town include a monastery, school, hospital, cre­ matorium, playground, roads and other basic amenities. The Myitthar dam project was announced in the 2001-02 financial year, with an installed capacity of 40 megawatts. It will also be used to irrigate 12,000 acres of farmland, official docu­ ments for the dam project show. Residents, however, say they are sceptical the dam will be able to fulfil its intended function. “The Myitthar River typi­ cally runs dry in the summer but floods in the wet season,” said บ Shwe Ko from Panan village. “It’s impossible that the dam can ir­ rigate 12,000 acres of farmland given the geography of this area.” Other residents said the dam’s spillway collapsed in 2006, and its temporary dyke was breached in 2007 and 2008 during floods. - Translation by Zar Zar Soe

22 THE MYANMARTIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

B u s in e s s

Bomb fallout hits touris

Hotel bomb takes toll on business

AYE THIDAR KYAW

ayethidarkyaw O gm aiL.com

THE bombing at Traders Hotel that injured one American national has already tarnished the Yangon staple’s business, a hotel director said. Daw Yin Mar Nyo, director of sales and marketing at the Shangri-Laowned luxury hotel, said while the hotel is operating as usual, there had been a small number of cancellations from concerned tourists. “We are still getting regular cus­ tomers in check-in and check-out, and in the restaurant as well,” she told The Myanmar Times, declin­ ing to comment in detail about the cancellations. Due to the ongoing investigation, Daw Yin Mar Nyo said she could not speculate about the series of bomb­ ings that rocked Yangon last week. “A few of our customers worry about that, but the issue is in many places at the moment, not just [at Traders],” she said. She said the explosion that oc­ curred in a 9“ level hotel room is “un­ der investigation”. “The local authorities and ShangriLa International Hotel Management Limited, which sent additional secu­ rity personnel from Hong Kong, have both cleared, swept and secured the building. In addition, the analysis of the hotel’s CCTV footage and profiling by the police assisted the arrest of a suspect,” she said in a later statement emailed to The Myanmar Times. “In line with advice from our security experts and the prevailing situation, the hotel is supplementing its exist­ ing comprehensive security surveil­ lance systems and will deploy en­ hanced security controls in the form of specialised technical equipment.”

AYE THIDAR KYAW

El El THU

HOTEL and tourism-reliant business­ es have begun to feel the fallout from the bombings in Yangon and across the country last week, including one at Traders Hotel, while others in the pri­ vate sector are concerned about last­ ing damage to tourism as the country approaches the high season. With a dozen bombs found or ex­ ploded last week, several embassies have already issued travel warnings advising against travel to Myanmar as the government has alluded that some of the attacks were aimed at foreigners. Parkroyal Hotel marketing man­ ager Ma Michelle Win said her hotel has already experienced cancellations and would likely see more in coming weeks due to the high-profile bombing at Traders Hotel. “We have experienced bombings [in Yangon] before, but not in a hotel. This is the first time in a hotel and we are quite concerned. “We have attended emergency meetings about the impact on tour­ ism and we have increased [the num­ ber of] security guards, checking all guests’ bags. The only thing hotels can do is to increase security’ she said. “Tourists [coming to Yangon] should insist that security guards are check­ ing their bags and their rooms.” Governor’s Residence sales coordi­ nator Ma Shwe Sin also said there has been some cancellations at the hotel. “We have had a group tour cancel,” she told The Myanmar Times. “We have had some cancellations from people who were supposed to come in December or even next year.” But, perhaps the most heavily im­ pacted business is the high-end Trad­ ers Hotel, where an American tourist was injured by a bomb blast October

14. The blast made international head­ lines and the hotel issued a statement online to allay fears over hotel safety. Ministry of Hotels and Tourism di­ rector general บ Aung Zaw Win said the explosions in hotels in Yangon and other towns were the result of weak­ nesses in CCTV security and hotel housekeeping. Speaking at a televised press con­ ference October 15, the director gener­ al said the focus of the ministry would be ensuring the safety of the 33 hotels in Yangon and other towns that will be linked to the SEA Games visitors in

December. บ Aung Zaw Win said the min­ istry held concerns that the image of Myanmar’s tourism sector would be tarnished in the minds of foreign visitors and that increased hotel secu­ rity vigilance would be seen across the country. The” bombings come on the cusp of Myanmar’s tourism high season, which also boasts several major festi­ vals, as well as the SEA Games. Myanmar Travel Association union secretary บ Naung Naung Han said he believed”the nation’s tourism industry

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

Go Further ford-myanmar.com

BUSINESS EDITOR: Philip Heijmans I pheijmans130gmaiLcom

23

Exchange Rates (October 19 close)

Rubber exports to double

Signing a lease: know your rights

รท! sector BUSINESS 25

said that while other ASEAN coun­ tries experienced bombings, such as in Thailand’s volatile south or in Indone­ sia, Myanmar’s speedy and transpar­ ent government announcements on the situation would help to ease tour­ ists’ worries. “The important thing is how gov­ ernment and authorities handle and investigate [the bombings], raise secu­ rity precautions and make transparent and timely announcements to the me­ dia,” he said. The Myanmar Restaurant Associa­ tion also held briefings for members,

PROPERTY29

investment, the ministry said. Spokesperson บ Win Myint added that trade regulations governing re­ AN internationally backed export mittance services and interest rates support program will be implement­ would be required. ed next month to help reduce the country’s trade deficit, the Ministry of Commerce says. The program will MILLION follow completion this month of the National Export Strategy Workshop called to discuss the export deficit Myanmar has run up over the past two years. Norway, Germany, Japan and Chi­ na will provide financial and techni­ cal assistance, said commerce minis­ Value of exports thus far this year try spokesperson บ Win Myint. “We know how to solve the problems of the lack of capital and technology in our domestic market through the workshop,” he said. “We will announce in November what the solutions are,” he said. The deficit has occurred since Total trade volume in the current export credits were abolished two year is more than US$11 billion, of years ago, ending a practice by which which exports amount to $5.4 billion, importers bought the credits, which leaving a $500 million trade deficit, were priced 10 percent higher than mainly because of the import of ve­ the US dollar value, to buy products, hicles and construction materials for he said. AYE THIDAR KYAW

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K31.50 K972

Firms face financial accuracy issues ahead of bourse launch

educating restaurateurs on correct procedures for bomb location and re­ AYE THIDAR KYAW moval inside a dining environment. a y e th id a rkya w O g m a il.co m “We don’t hold legal authority like the police so we have been educating MYANMAR companies might not be members on what to do in a situation ready for the scheduled launch of the where there is a suspicious person in country’s stock exchange in 2015, of­ the restaurant,” บ Nay Lin, vice chair­ ficials and experts are warning. The man of the association, told The M y­ lack of transparency and accounting anmar Times. efficiency on the part of firms wish­ The governments of Australia, Brit­ ing to develop initial public offerings ain, France and the United States all could contribute to the slowdown of the issued travel alerts in the wake of the much-anticipated launch, they say. bombings, which killed two people Last month, officials developing the and injured four others. exchange said they were facing delays All travel alerts urged vigilance, due to being unable to get a legai frame­ but stopped short of advising against work up and running. travel to the country. Even with an operational stock ex­ Outside of Yangon, other tourism change, firms are still a long way from operators were reporting business as being able to list because they have not usual. been subjected to modern auditing “We are not affected in any way,” practices, the full and accurate disclo­ said Ma Thin Sande, marketing man­ sure of their finances or pressure to of­ ager with Air Mandalay. “The passen­ fer investor-oriented business planning, gers are only worried about staying in Myanmar Securities Exchange Centre Yangon hotels,” she said, adding that executive director บ Soe Thein told The the airline had not seen a drop m res­ Myanmar Times. ervations or increased cancellations. “Public companies should begin of­ An unattributed op-ed in the gov­ fering accurate financial statements ernment-run New Light of Myanmar and to avoid [being seen as not] paying newspaper last Thursday aimed to taxes, or tricking their auditors and fi­ dispel fears. nancial regulators,” he said. All the hotel rooms have been He added that even with a regula­ booked. The airports have been busy tory framework in place, there has been with tourists flooding into the country little in the way of enforcement to pre­ which has just woke up from a night­ vent illicit activity. “Law enforcement is mare to see a beautiful morning,” the not effective and most public compa­ op-ed read. nies do not follow the rules and regula­ “The recent blasts suggested that tions,” he said. the bombers targeted tourist spots, in­ During a press conference in cluding hotels and a pagoda parking lot in Sagaing, a town with abundant temples, pagodas and tourist spots near Mandalay.” The newspaper also issued a call from police for anyone with in­ formation about the bombings or named suspects to come forward to authorities. The tourism industry generated about US$956 million m the 2012-13 fiscal year, Ministry of Hotels and Tourism statistics showed. - Additional reporting by Bridget Di Certo

New trade program on way

C urren cy Euro

September, Deputy Finance Minister Maung Maung Thein expressed simi­ lar thoughts and voiced doubt as to whether any company had the capacity to restructure the way it does business in just two years. “Stock exchanges historically took many years to set up in other coun­ tries ... but we’ve just started and I can’t say we will complete ours” in time, he said. Tatsuo Murao, founder of CAST Consulting, a firm that helps Japanese firms invest in local businesses, said in­ efficient accounting and transparency practices stemmed from a lack of skilled professionals able to bring businesses up an international standard. “Human resources staff equipped with the required financial skills need time to develop, so it would be difficult for Myanmar to be fully prepared for the start of the new stock exchange,” he said. Water and soda manufacturing con­ glomerate Loi Hein plans to open its books next March to the Daiwa Insti­ tute of Research, which is providing IT support to help develop the exchange, said the company’s chairman Sai Sam Htun. ‘We will face some problems and we have to be sure of the strength of our funding through exchange rate fluc­ tuations and other issues. The bigger a public company is, the bigger those im­ pacts are,” he said. “At this point, it is too early to say whether we would be able to achieve

Sai Sam Htun. Photo: staff

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

24- Business

Protests held over proposed hotel at Aung San speech site

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

Demand for energy will double, ADB

WALONE

PHILIP HEIJMANS

w a lo n e l 4 0 g m a il.c o m

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

ENERGY demand in Myanmar is ex­ pected to double by 2035 as economic progress continues, according to a re­ port issued last week by the Asian De­ velopment Bank. Energy demand is expected to rise at an annual rate of 3 percent on the heels of a growing need for electricity throughout the country, according to the regional report Energy Outlook for Asia and the Pacific. As of 2010, energy consumption in Myanmar per capita was among the lowest in the region, at just 0.29 tonne of oil equivalent (toe), compared to a regional average of 0.92toe! The gov­ ernment has stated that only about 30pc of Myanmar’s population has ac­ cess to electricity. “While Myanmar is on the way to developing its potential, the country is expected to see soaring demand for electricity, which is a fundamental input to every modern economy,” the report states. Of the total amount of energy con­ sumed, the residential, commercial, agricultural and fisheries industries will see a decline from 82.9pc in 2010 to 64.6pc as energy will be utilised elsewhere, the report states, adding that transportation is expected to ac­ count for 23.4pc of total energy con­ sumption in 2035. “Income growth will boost the country’s motorisation, which entails fast growth of energy demand in the transport sector at a rate of 7.5pc per year,” it continues.

IN BRIEF

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

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

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

Kyauktan shrimp farmers consider quitting

Google shares soar past $1,000 on strong earnings

MYAT NYEIN AYE

Shares of Internet search and advertis­ ing titan GoogLe soared m ore than 13 percent to pass the US$1,000 m a rk for the firs t tim e at the cLose of the w eek a fte r a strong earnings report. The earnings dem onstrated that GoogLe w as smoothLy buiLding its pres­ ence in the mobiLe area.

IT’S hard to see where it has gone all gone wrong: 7000 acres of prime aquaculture farmland only 30 miles or (48 kilometres), from the coun­ try’s biggest city and market, Yan­ gon, but nearly half of the zone’s farmers are giving up. The zone, at Mayan Zwebar vil­ lage in Kyauktan township in Yan­ gon Region, includes nearly 50 farmers, but 22 say they must soon stop working because they are not making money. The Myanmar Fisheries Federa­ tion (MFF) says it will do what it can to provide technology and at­ tract foreign investment, said the body’s vice president, บ Kyee Ngwe. “This is a good place for farming because we can farm prawn and ma­ rine fish species such as long-finned eel [ngalin ban], giant seabass (ka ka tit) and crab,” he said. “All of

France’s Dumex pledges change afte r China bribery claims French baby formuLa m ake r Dumex has pLedged discipLinary action and m anagem ent changes เท China a fte r state m edia accusations surfaced recentLy that sta ff offered heaLthcare w o rk e rs bribes to prom ote its products. State teLevision reported Last m onth that Dumex employees made payments to doctors and nurses at hospitals in the northern city of Tianjin to provide Dumex formuLa to newborn babies.

- AFP

m ya tn ye in a ye l 1092Sgm aiL.com

those species can fetch good prices locally and internationally. But to do so we need good infrastructure and some capital.” Tiger prawns are selling for be­ tween K15,000 and K20,000 a viss (1.6 kilograms or 3.6 pounds), while long-finned eel trades for about K24,000 a viss and giant seabass sells for about K10,000 viss. บ Kyee Ngwe added that farmers face high production and transport MILLION

K1 PossibLe earnings fo rs h rim p farm ers per acre during a good year

• •^ ) jg j' UNFPA Vacancy Notice Want to be part of ล team bringing positive impact directly to families within Myanmar? Join นร and you will too, because at UNFPA, everyone counts. Applications are invited from interested Myanmar Nationals for the following positions. Sr. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

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

Title and Level National GBV Field Officer, Kachin (SC- 9) National GBV Field Coordinator, Yangon (SC-9) National RH Field Officer, Kachin (SC-9) National GBV Field Officer, Rakhine (SC-9) Programme Assistant, Kachin (SC-5) Programme Assistant, Rakhine (SC-5)

Type o f C ontract Service Contract Service Contract Service Contract Service Contract Service Contract Service Contract

D uty Station Myitkyina Yangon Myitkyina ร ittwe Myitkyina ร ittwe

Deadline 4 November 2013 4 November 2013 4 November 2013 4 November 2013 4 November 2013 4 November 2013

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

costs, and do not have the capital needed to improve their operations. “There are no good highway roads and no electricity, which makes life difficult for farmers,” he said. “And farmers cannot upgrade their farms. Only about 700 acres of the zone can be said to have really good production.” When farmers sell their produce nearby they are unable to get the best prices because the goods must be transported to Yangon, said บ Thein Kyaw Nyunt, owner of a 200acre prawn farm. “We cannot sell our products in Yangon markets because transport and freezing is expensive,” he said. “Ice sells for K1000 a pound in Yan­ gon but it’s K3000 here.” He said that farmers must in­ stead accept lower prices, up to K2000 a viss, and sell to traders who transport to markets in town. บ Thein Kyaw Nyunt said farmers need to invest K500,000 an acre and

in a good year when shrimp prices are high might earn K1 miilion an acre. Most farms produce yields of between 20 and 50 viss an acre. A Myanmar Shrimp Association spokesperson said farms that used technoiogically advanced farm­ ing techniques could significantly increase yields but the cost of pro­ duction could be 30 times higher when the capital investment was included. Current plans to attract foreign investment are based on government-to-government assistance pro­ grams or direct joint ventures be­ tween companies, said บ Kyee Ngwe. “If other countries want to assist the ministry, we will help that pro­ cess. Currently Japan, Vietnam and Indonesia are interested in invest­ ing,” he said. บ Han Htun, MFF executive vice president, said an efficient prawn farming zone in Yangon could supply the nation’s needs.

Petronas to begin exploration in Pakokku and Myaing blocks MALAYSIA’S Petronas Carigali plans to drill ex­ ploration wells in January at the two onshore blocks it acquired in a 2011 block tender, the company’s general manager, Ahmad Lutpi Haron, said last week. The RSF-2 and -3 blocks are located in upper Myanmar, he said. “We have already finished early exploration and geophysical analysis and we can soon start drilling exploration wells early next year,” he said. “We might be operating the blocks by 2018.” Petronas has exported 400 million cubic feet of natural gas through Thailand’s PTTEP com­ pany from the Yetagun offshore block, which the

company started operating with the government via a joint venture in 1997. “We don’t know exactly how long we can ex­ tract gas from the Yetagun block but we have signed a 30-year production sharing contract,” said Petronas manager Edward Zan. The company also won the right on Octo­ ber 10 to explore for oil and gas at two onshore blocks that were part of an 18-plot tender an­ nounced in January. But Ahmad Lutpi Haron told The Myanmar Times on October 17, “We haven’t received any official letter yet. When we get one, we will sign immediately.” - Nyan Lynn Aung

www.mmtimes.com

Garment sector faces challeges

NYAN LYNN AUNG 29.nyanLynnaungragmaiL.com

BURSTING order books and an influx of big-name manufacturers are boost­ ing the fortunes of the country’s gar­ ment industry. Myanmar is attractive to investors as wages rise in China, factory fires taint the reputation of Bangladesh and investors in Cambodia face political problems. But factory owners also face a range of obstacles, including unreliable elec­ tricity, expensive transportation and workers’ demands for more pay and rights. The apparel boom in Myanmar be­ gan when the European Union lifted sanctions in April last year, ushering in major European brands, including Spain’s Zara, to join the Japanese and Korean companies already established here, said บ Myint Soe, chairman of the Myanmar Garment Association. Longshuttered local firms could also reopen. Speaking to The Myanmar Times, บ Myint Soe said, “Japan and Korea oc­ cupy most of the market, but now the EU is next. Major Western factories are starting to place orders here.” According to the MGA, 283 garment factories are operating in Myanmar, of which 25 have opened recently, includ­ ing 16 foreign direct-investment compa­ nies, mostly based in Japan, Korea, the EU, China and Singapore. Since sanc­ tions were lifted, nine local companies have been launched. ‘We can’t take any more orders un­ til March next year because our books are full. All the garment factories have a heavy workload,” said บ Myint Soe.

283 N um ber of garm ent factories operating in M yanm ar

But problems abound. “Our main challenge is labour. Skilled workers leave to earn more money, or demand higher wages and more rights,” said Ma Khine, a staffer at Apt Land Garment Manufacturing. “Our garment industry faces great opportunities said,” บ Myint Soe. “We’re getting lots of orders, but we also have to contend with shipping bottlenecks, bad transportation, unreliable electric­ ity and port congestion. Ports are the main obstacle. The country doesn’t have a proper port for shipping. And we have to pay as much to transport goods from the factory to the port as it costs to ship from Myanmar to Singapore.”

IN BRIEF Magnate Batista sells 65pc stake in Brazil iron port EmbattLed BraziLian tycoon Eike Batista says he has soLd a 65 percent stake in an iron ore port fo r US$400 miLLion to an Abu Dhabi fund and a Dutch firm . เท a statem ent Last week, Batista's MMX m ining company said it ceded controL of the port, Located in Rio de Janeiro state, to Abu Dhabi sovereign weaLth fund MubadaLa Development Co and to Trafigura, a Dutch com m odity trading company. The $400 miLLion w ill be invested in Porto Sudeste Ltda, an iron ore port currentLy under construction and due to begin operations next year.

- AFP

Business 25

Rubber exports set to double ร บ PHYO WIN suphyo1990ragm aiL.com

RUBBER exports are set to soar, and could even double within three years, say some industry experts. Plans to diversify the rubber market and im­ prove the quality and added value of the product are being studied follow­ ing a national export strategy work­ shop held from October 7 to 9. But Myanmar is far from posing a threat to the world’s top rubber pro­ ducer, Thailand. The rubber sector has been growing rapidly since 2005, but still needs to improve the quality of its product and to develop export strate­ gies, said บ Khaing Myint, secretary general of the Myanmar Rubber Plant­ ers’ and Producers’Association. “I think production could double by 2016. But we exported only 160,000 tonnes last year, while Thailand ex­ ported 3.7 million tonnes,” he said. About 70 percent of Myanmar’s rubber exports go to China, Malaysia,

160,000 Tonnes of rubber exported by M yanm ar Last year

1 !M •A *' J < ■ ' “14 Rubber trees grow on a plantation near Lamine village in Mon state. Photo: Tin Moe Aung

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

and Malaysian markets. Its product was too low-grade and needed diver­ sification. ‘We’re looking at how we can up­ grade and add value to the product. Thailand is more diversified m terms of both products and market,” he told The Myanmar Times. Because of its quality, the price of Myanmar rubber is far lower than the

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

26 Business

E-shopping slowly taking hold

THE MYANMARTIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

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ONLINE retailing is beginning to take hold of young consumers in My­ anmar thanks to a growing awareness of social networking websites as well as a growing taste for the finer things. For 20-year-old student Ma รน Thandar Hlaing, shopping online is the cheapest and best way to get cut­ ting edge goods. I started using online shopping websites last year,” she said. “I always buy shoes, bags and accessories from shopping websites. I like shopping online because I can get the newest items and imports.” E-commerce cuts the overhead costs of traditional shops but comes with its own challenges, including low internet penetration, an unso­ phisticated payments system and high Yangon delivery cost, shop own­ ers say. Although online retailing has be­ come big business in many markets around the world, domestic online shop owners said internet-based commerce is still in its infancy in My­ anmar and most run the business on a part-time basis. “People can purchase anything they want after reading the descrip­ tions by simply clicking,” said บ Pyae

‘People can purchase anything they want after reading the descriptions by simply clicking.’ บ Pyae Phyoe O w ner o f Yangon OnLine s to re

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

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

HSalientEprovisions B B Iof theH The Fine Print

telecommunications law

ALESSIO POLASTRIAND KARINA PENG aLessio0pwpLegaL.com karinaOpwpLegaL.com

WITH the promulgation of the Telecom­ munications Law of October 8, 2013, Myanmar is seeing through its plan for wider economic development through the liberalisation of its telecommunica­ tions sector. The Telecommunications Law provides a broad-based framework governing the conduct of telecommunications-related activities in Myanmar. This article looks at several salient pro­ visions of the Telecommunications Law.

Licence categories

No entity shall be permitted to provide, “network facilities” or “network ser­ vices” in Myanmar unless a licence has been obtained from the Union Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT). “Network facilities” means “any element or combination of such elements of infrastructure, used for the provision of network services” “Network services” means services per­ taining to the “transmittal of informa­

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

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

TWO Japanese companies have bought tion by any means of communication” control of Finnish computer game maker Supercell for 1.1 billion euros Obligations of licensees (US$1.5 billion), the Helsinki-based Apart from compliance with applicable firm said on its website last week. laws, procedures and conditions upon The Japanese investors SoftBank which a licence has been granted, the and GungHo have bought 51 percent of licensee shall be obliged, among other Supercell, known for its game Clash of things to (a) comply with the radio fre­ Clans. quency spectrum plan approved under The transaction, which one source the Telecommunications Law; (b) apply said doubled the value of Finland’s for a licence/permission to provide ad­ game industry overnight, is aimed at ditional services or to cooperate with exploiting synergies that can help both other licensees; and (c) abide by MCIT’s sides expand globally. instructions for network suspensions. “This new partnership will acceler­ ate Supercell towards our goal of being Spectrum and interconnection the first truly global games company MCIT shall determine a national fre­ the company’s chief executive Ilkka quency spectrum plan and shall pre­ Paananen said in a statement announc­ scribe rules and regulations on matters ing the sale. concerning access to and interconnec­ The objective is for Supercell to have tion of network facilities. a strong foothold in both the West and the East, including Japan, South Korea Disputes settlement and China, he said, suggesting the com­ The Telecommunications Law provides pany could become a new Nintendo. for a disputes settlement mechanism by which licensees may refer disputes arising from the operation or the provi­ sion of telecommunications services or network facilities or services to MCIT. A right of appeal against MCIT’s decision to a tribunal to be formed at the Union government level is also provided.

80%

A lessio Polastri, M anaging Partner and Karina Peng, Partner, Polastri W int & Partners.

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

vent further expansion. Daw Myint Myint Wai said deliv­ eries are slow and expensive given the heavy traffic in Yangon, which is home to the majority of the country’s online shops. Payments also present a chal­ lenge” with online transfers rare, inefficient and deemed unreliable. As a result, shops rely on the same person-to-person method used to de­ liver goods. However, there are hopes that electronic payments will improve in future. Co-operative Bank media and marketing manager บ Thein Myint said online shopping is slowly catch­ ing on, adding that customers can make payments through the bank with MasterCard and Visa. บ Kyaw Aye Naing added another issue, although one that is common everywhere: Customers often com­ plain that the products they receive do not match the descriptions online, despite the firm’s attempts to explain details clearly. “I prefer traditional shops because I can see and touch the things I want to buy,” said 20-year-old Ko Ye Min Htut. Traditional shop owners say the marketplace is changing in Myanmar. Pinky Fashion shop m busy Mingalar Market has contemplated offering online sales to complement its tra­ ditional street-front operations, said manager Ma Nilar. “So far it seems too expensive to create an online presence due to de­ livery costs, difficulty making pay­ ments and ensuring that products meet customer’s demands,” she said. However, if these barriers are ad­ dressed, Ma Nilar said it is likely the firm will move at least partly online. “If online shopping keeps on de­ veloping, I will use online shopping as my secondary business, but it’s a ways away from” becoming my main business.”

SoftBank's side of the financing for the new SuperceLL investment

I

over the globe,” he added. While Supercell, a relatively new start-up from 2010, aims to expand into new Asian markets, its new investors see an opportunity to grow globally. “In our quest to become the no. 1 mobile Internet company, we scour the globe in search of interesting opportu­ nities and right now some of the most exciting companies and innovations are coming out of Finland,” said the founder of SoftBank, Masayoshi Son, in a statement. SoftBank said it provided 80pc of the financing for the investment and GungHo the rest. The deal follows SoftBank’s move earlier this year to secure a controlling stake in number three us mobile car­ rier Sprint. - AFP Finnish game company Supercell CEO and founder Ilkka Paananen poses for a photographer at the company’s head office in Helsinki. Photo: AFP

“We want [people to] look back in 30 years and talk about all the great games that we developed and the im­ pact they had on people’s lives, the same way I personally feel about Nin­ tendo, for example,” he said. The Japanese investment provides “a massive selection of strategic re­ sources” which will help Supercell with the distribution of its games to “hun­ dreds of millions of new consumers all

IN BRIEF Chinese Lenovo m ulls buying BlackBerry: report shows Chinese com puter and phone m aker Lenovo is considering a counter bid to buy aLL of Canadian sm artphone m anu­ fa ctu re r BLackBerry, the WaLL Street JournaL reported Last week. The newspaper, citing unnamed sources d o s e to the matter, said that Lenovo had signed a confidentiaLity agreem ent to access BLackBerry's accounts. - AFP

Business 27

www.mmtimes.com

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

Shares fall for Louis Vuitton

PARIS

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

.

FRENCH luxury goods giant LVMH fought off a plunge in its shares last week, reassuring that Chinese consumers were still hun­ gry for goods from the key Louis British luxury fashion group Burberry Vuitton part of the business where last week said its chief executive sales flagged. officer Angela Ahrendts will step down The pnce of shares in the global to take up a new position with Apple. group was showing a fall of 6.42 Photo: AFP percent in an overall French market down 0.7pc. Burberry’s share price slumped 6 Analysts at Bank of America-Merpercent at the open in reaction to the rill Lynch lowered their investment surprise announcement. It later stood down 4.23pc on London’s FTSE 100 in­ dex, which was 0.65pc higher. Apple said Ms Ahrendts would over­ see the “strategic direction, expansion and operation” of its retail and online stores. “I am thrilled that Angela will be joining our team,” said Apple chief ex­ ecutive Tim Cook. “She shares our values and our fo­ cus on innovation, and she places the same strong emphasis as we do on the customer experience. She has shown herself to be an extraordinary leader throughout her career and has a proven track record.” Ms Ahrendts will have been chief ex­ ecutive of Burberry for about eight years by the time of her departure in 2014. The London-listed firm, famous for its trademark red, camel and black check design on clothes and handbags, has undei^one huge expansion into emerging markets m th Ms Ahrendts at the helm! Mr Bailey, who has been at Burb­ erry since 2001 and chief creative of­ ficer for the past six years, said he was “profoundly moved and humbled to be asked to take on the CEO role” Burberry chairman John Peace de­ scribed the appointment as “a natural progression” Separately last week, Burberry re­ ported sales of £1.03 billion (US$1.65 billion) in the group’s first half, up 14pc compared with the six months through to the end of September 2012. -AFP

IN BRIEF International tribunal prevents Laos from seizing property M em bers of an in ternational a rb itra l trib u n a l have ordered the govern­ m ent of Laos not to seize assets o r take o th er adverse actions that w ould aggravate a dispute between Netherlands-based Lao Holdings, NV and Laos, pending resolution of that dispute. The award of provisional measures against Laos prevents the Lao govern­ m ent from seizing a resort hotel and casino in Savannakhet, Savan Vegas; from fu rth e r interfering w ith the busi­ ness operations of Lao Holdings; and from im plem enting a new, confiscatory 80 percent tax on gross casino revenue.

-AFP

ฯ&พิรรริ

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

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

Yahoo holds onto Alibaba

SAN FRANCISCO

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

28 THE MYANMARTIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

Property Job watch Department for International Development Job Vacancy The Departm ent for International Development (DFID) is currently looking to recruit 02 (two) highly m otivated and energetic individuals to join our team as Programme

O fficers. DFID is based at the British Embassy, Yangon. For more inform ation and details on how to apply, please visit the link below:

https://w w w .ao v.u k/a ove rnm e nt/w orld /o raa nisa tion s/ british-em bassv-ranaoon/about/recruitm ent Deadline for submission o f applications will be on 25 O ctober 2013.

Save th e C h ild re n Save the Children is one o f the two designated Principal Recipients (PR) for M yanm ar’s three successful Round 9 Global Fund (GFATM ) proposals in HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Save the Children is seeking to recruit the Procurem ent & S upply Management (PSM) O fficer for GFATM (PR). Sum mary o f Key Tasks • Conduct local procurem ent activities • Review shipping docum ents and prepare necessary docum ents for receiving cargo • Keep update procurem ent filing system and send weekly report • Develop and foster relationships with partners and suppliers

Detailed jo b de scrip tions fo r th is position w ill be available at the Save the C hildren office or w w w .them im u.info/jobs/index.php. Interested and qualified candidates are requested to send an Application Letter, Curriculum Vitae and Clearance o f Criminal Record to: Human Resources Department, Save the Children, W izaya Plaza-First Floor, 226 บ W isara Road, Bahan Township, Yangon, M yanm ar(or) recruitm ent.m vanm ar@ savethechildren.ora not later than 5 P.M., 25 Oct 2013 (Friday)

N Korea gets new Kaesong venture

SEOUL

Deal involves partnership with foreign investors for new hightech industrial zone NORTH Korea has agreed with an international con­ sortium to develop a new high-tech district in Kae­ song, close to the newly reopened industrial zone it operates with the South, state media said last week. The jointly run Kaesong industrial zone was shut in April amid high cross-border tensions. Seoul and Pyongyang agreed last month to reopen the park, but relations have since soured again. The North’s announcement of a new international deal came after South Korea said October 14 it had postponed a planned investment road show aimed at drumming up foreign interest in Kaesong. Seoul said the move reflected a recent downturn in relations and slow progress at talks aimed at re­ suming full operations at the complex. Pyongyang’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the North had reached an agreement on build­ ing a “high-tech development district” in Kaesong with a consortium of East Asian and Middle Eastern companies including Singapore’s Jurong Consultants and OKP Holdings, and Hong Kong’s P&T Architects & Engineers Ltd. “They will soon enter the implementation phase of the project,” it said, adding that the consortium also agreed to enter a joint venture with the North to build a highway linking Pyongyang’s airport to the city. South Korea’s Unification Ministry spokesman said it had no official comment, but stressed the pro­ ject had “nothing to do with the existing Kaesong zone”. The firms named by KCNA were also tight-lipped about their participation. OKP Holdings said its involvement was “in the preliminary stages”, while Jurong and P&T both de­ clined to comment. -AFP

Phone: 375 791, 375 801, 375 739, 375 796, 375 747, 537 387, 536 732, 537 092 Ext: 106,129 Note: O nly short-listed candidates w ill be contacted

W hich is why more than 500,000

readers choose the two newspapers that have the nation covered 24 hours a day. 7 days a week. 365 days a year. Advertising & Subscription Hotline: +951 392 928 email: advertising® myanmartimes .com.mm circulation® myanmartimes.com.mm Myanmartimes

Signing a leas

Whether it is high rent, substandard living conditions or bad BRIDGET Dl CERTO B rid g e t.d ic e rto 0 g m a il.c o m

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

• UN OPS

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 sta tio n

P osition

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National National

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Deadline 22 October 2013 28 October 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 environ­ ment with 200 national and international colleagues. All applications must be made through the UNOPS E-recruitment System (https://gprs.unops.org) and click on the post you are interested in applying for. If you have fu rth e r queries, please con tact 95 1 657 281-7 Ext: 149

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

Examining the lease with a trusted set of eyes

Associates. “Devious brokers are out to cream you, and landlords who don’t appreci­ ate complaints about dirt, breakages and rats” are just some of the prob­ lems foreigners face while renting in Yangon, the lawyer told The Myanmar Tiines via email” Choosing a broker you trust is im­ portant when “things go south” บ Moe Lwin said. “Look at 10-plus sites be­ fore you decide. You will gain experi­ ence and start noticing patterns - and

Urbanisation BILL 0T00LE b o to o le l 2 0 g m a il.c o m

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

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

BUSINESS EDITOR: Philip Heijmans I pheijmans130gmail com

70% construction increase in Israeli territories PROPERTY 30

29

Plane crash in Laos kills 49

Property bounces back in Dubai

WORLD 34

PROPERTY 30

e: What you need to know

landlords, it is essential for you to cover your bases when it comes time to sign a new lease on an apartment or house no responsibility for problems later.” Given the unsophisticated state of the residential rental market in Yan­ gon and other major cities, there are no official channels for dispute resolu­ tion and the matter often falls to the intervention of a diplomatic real es­ tate agent. “In transactions between local land­ lords and local renters, the landlords’ care for the apartment is negligible and they don’t always follow the rental agreement. Renters are responsible for [upkeep],” said บ Robin Saw Naing. Despite this custom, landlords are slowly modernising their approach to rental arrangements. Ample negotiation and discussion of rental terms between a lessor and a lessee can ward off much trivial wran­ gling over responsibilities down the line, he added. Foreigners may want to include an early termination-of-lease clause that provides for the transfer of the remaining rental period and/or the refund of rent already paid. This is particularly important for foreigners, who cannot stay here forever,” said บ Robin Saw Naing. In 2008, renters discovered a will help protect you from possible scams. Photo: staff

beware of [agents or brokers] who don’t speak much English.” Standard rental agreements are loaded against foreign tenants, บ Moe Lwin said. Under the standard contract the tenant is “fully and absolutely respon­ sible” for all repairs, which must be “an exact replica” of anything broken or damaged, the lawyer said. “Normally you can buy [a contract] at a local photocopy shop and fill in the blanks and you are good to go.

[But] some sorry, poor, street-mouse lawyer probably 'wrote it up for a cup of tea and now it’s used throughout [the country].” บ Robin Saw Naing agreed the choice of agent and contract could make a sweeping difference in a for­ eigner’s rental experience. “It’s very important for a foreigner to choose an agency that is a registered company [for renting an apartment]. My advice is to not choose a broker from the street corner as they will take

on UN-HABITAT agenda

critical and often overlooked rental term. When Cyclone Nargis wreaked havoc on the country, renters found themselves stranded in unlivable properties with landlords unwilling to begin repair work or refund advance rental payments. “It must be in the contract that in the event of natural disasters, it is the owner’s responsibility to repair imme­ diately - just like with wear and tear,” he said. Sky Bridge Real Estate’s Ko Thurane Win agreed that as Myan­ mar continued reforming, logistics for residential renting would continue to streamline, including the process for foreigners registering with the local authorities. “You need to register as a foreigner, but the landlord as well as the agent themselves would register for you as a duty of real estate policy,” Ko Thurane Win said adding that he expected reg­ ulation of foreign visitors’ accommo­ dation in Yangon to be relaxed. “There are not too many disputes between tenants and landlords. The main dif­ ferences occur when the rent goes up by lOpc or 15pc from one year to the next.”

‘Devious brokers are out to cream you, and landlords who don’t appreciate complaints about dirt, breakages and rats are just some of the problems foreigners face while renting in Yangon.’ Moe Lwin S e n io r c o n su lta n t, Moe & Tun A sso cia te s

Upgrades forpublic housing KYAEMONEWIN kyaym o n e w in ra gm a il.co m

A SIXTY-YEAR OLD public housing project is to be redeveloped in a joint project by government and developers, and the homes rented out to civil serv­ ants. The Department of Human Settle­ ments and Housing Development in Mandalay Region has announced that work will begin next month to upgrade the city’s Sate Ta Ya Mahi complex. “Once redevelopment is complete, we will let the rooms at a fixed rent to the civil servants already living in the apartments. The government will keep it as public rental housing and has no plans to sell,” said the spokesperson. The redevelopment will feature el­ evators and an underground car park. The housing official told The My­ anmar Times that the complex will be completely rebuilt within one year, and the entire redevelopment is projected to be finished within two years. Demolition will start on November 1 and soil studies will be conducted on November 25. The Sate Ta Ya Mahi redevelopment project drew 13 bidders, including pub­ lic developers. Myanmar Mandalay, United Pacific, New Innovation, New Starlight and MGW won the govern­ ment auction. “This redevelopment project in­ cludes six condo buildings, five eightstorey public residential buildings and one commercial five-storey building. The rooms will be shared 48 percent to private companies and 52pc to the housing department. This will be first condo project for MandalayT said บ Than Win of Myanma Mandalay Com­ pany. - Translation by Zar Zar Soe

HOUSE OF THE WEEK

One size fits all This b eautiful w h ite m odern house w ith long w indow s is lo ­ cated in Mayangone tow nship. Not too close to downtown, th is 7650-square-foot p rivately located tw o -sto re y home contains a renovated and lovely in te rio r com plete w ith a winding staircase, very high ce ilings and a subtle yet e l­ egant chandelier. Altogether, this home contains six double bedroom s, two kitchens and two s m a ll maid rooms, but the m ain a ttra ctio n is in the living room. Long, w hite cu rta in s drape over 20-fo o t-ta ll glass w indow s above refined w o o d ­ en floors, creating the feeling of a grand ballroom . - Ei Thae Thae Naing

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

several government ministries, in­ cluding the ministries of forestry and construction, although he said no specific initiatives were discussed. He did, however, advise on inter­ im policy changes that could provide some relief in overcrowded Yangon, including limiting the number of ve­ hicles on its roads as well as quickly expanding the number of residential homes in order to accommodate a rapidly increasing population. “The infrastructure can’t cope with the elevated population of this city. We need to try to see the possi­ bility of the government planning the

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

Contact

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30 Business Property

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

70%rise in construction in disputed territories

JERUSALEM

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

86%

Proportion of new developments being carried out w ithout tenders

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

INPICTURES

Chinese firm in $1.2๖ British airport deal

BEIJING

CHINESE construction giant Beijing Construction Engineering Group (BCEG) has signed a deal with Brit­ ish firms to develop a business dis­ trict around Manchester airport, the companies involved in the project announced on October 13. The development of Britain’sthird busiest airport - described as one of the largest construction pro­ jects in the United Kingdom since the 2012 London Olympics - will cost £800 million (US$1.27 billion). MAG, the operator of Manchester airport; GMPF, a pension fund; and the British construction group Carillion will work alongside BCEG in the joint project, a statement released by the companies said. A breakdown of each company’s investment in the business district, dubbed “Airport City’; was not given in the statement. British finance minister George Osborne, who is currently on a trip to China hoping to boost trade ties between the two nations, wrote on his verified Twitter account that the development is “one of the largest” in Britain since the Olympics, and would eventually create 16,000 jobs for the region. The deal comes at a time when Britain is seeking to bolster trade

$100 BILLION

Expected bilateral trade between Britain and China by 2015

with China, with both nations agree­ ing in 2010 to double their trade to $100 billion by 2015. London Mayor Boris Johnson was also in Beijing Sunday in what Chinese state media said was a “campaign to lure Chinese sovereign funds, banks and developers to fund an overhaul of the British capital in the years to come” ‘‘Our mayor’s interest is about new infrastructure,” a member of the delegation was quoted by state news agency Xinhua as saying. “The mayor identified 33 areas across the city where we will be intensifying the density of [housing] and putting in new infrastructure. Kit Malthouse, the London dep­ uty mayor for business, told Xinhua that London officials were hoping to attract “lots and lots of capital to help the city deal with population growth. Chinese investment in Britain rose to $4 billion in 2012, up 80 percent from a year ago, Xinhua reported. Deals such as that struck over Manchester’s Airport City are seen as “an extension of the memorandum of understanding between China and the UK where we have been looking to further explore joint in­ frastructure opportunities for some time,” Xing Yan, managing director of BCEG, said in the statement an­ nouncing the agreement. Charlie Cornish, chief executive of MAG, added, “The inclusion of BCEG is significant because as a Group, we have been keen to forge greater links with the Far East and this gives us an opportunity to strengthen vital business links with China.”

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

Property bounces back in Dubai, fears remain

DUBAI

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

‘We have a lot of people moving to Dubai. Dubai is back in business, and I’m not really worried about speculations.’ Ali Lootah C h a irm a n o f N a kh e e l

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

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

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

MCM

These 8 have more than 50 years of experience working with us. KAY KHINE 00 Sales & Marketing Representative

AUNG TUN - Image Setter Operator, Printing Factory 5 years & 11 m onths

6 years & 6 m onths

'I'm proud of the quality of the newspaper we produce. We have always embraced technology and I hope soon to be training on new s ta te -o f-th e -a rt equipm ent.'

We are the engine room of the paper and keep it fed by selling advertising. That's im portant and I take my jo b very seriously.'

MOETHUZAR Finance Department

บ THANT ZIN - DTP Operator 12 years & 7 m onths

11 years & 4- m onths ’I ’m happy at my jo b and I enjoy working with so many people for such a long tim e now. Even those who have left the company never forget it. They always come back to visit u s.'

'I've seen the company grow from 30 people to more than 300. Everyone gets paid w ell and on tim e at The M yanm ar Tim es.'

KHINE รบ YIN Deputy HR Manager

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6 years & 7 m onths 7 started in the distribution departm ent, then became an editorial secretary and now I ’m a deputy m anager in HR. I love w orking at The M yanm ar Tim es.'

THOMAS KEAN - Editor 5 years & 6 m onths 'I've chronicled the changing face of M yanm ar through The M yanm ar Times. We have been at the forefront of publishing here for a long tim e now a n d you could say that we have been a benchm ark for the se cto r That is quite an achievement.'

NAN TIN HTWE-Reporter 3 years

u KO KO - Senior Translator 7 years & 1 month

'My career is moving forward rapidly and I am now a senior rep o rte r ’

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Science & Technology 33

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Toxic bomb’ ticks on Maldives isle

DESCENDING by plane into the Mal­ dives offers a panoramic view of azure seas and coral-fringed islands, but as the tarmac nears, billowing smoke in the middle distance reveals an envi­ ronmental calamity. Thilafushi Island, a half-hour boat trip from the capital, is sur­ rounded by the same crystal clear waters and white sand that have made the Indian Ocean archipelago a honeymoon destination for the rich and famous. But no holidaymaker sets foot here and none could imagine from their plane seats that the rising smoke is the waste from residents and previous visitors being set alight by men like 40-year-old Fusin. A migrant from Bangladesh, he is one of several dozen employees on “Rubbish Island” - the biggest waste dump in the country where he’s paid US$350 a month for 12-hour shifts, seven days a week. With no safety equipment bar a pair of steel-capped boots, he clambers over a stinking mountain of garbage, eyes streaming and voice choked af­ ter four years’ exposure to thick, toxic fumes. Beneath his feet lie the discards of the cramped capital Male and the lo­

cal tourism industry that has helped turn the collection of more than 1000 islands into the wealthiest country in South Asia. Bottles of beer - illegal for local Muslims but ubiquitous on tourists’ islands - lie scorched next to piles of half-burnt hotel forms requesting speed boat transfers. A discarded plastic diving mask lies in a heap of packets of juice, plas­ tic bags and rotting vegetables that awaits Fusin’s attention. “Before we used to separate card­ board and glass, but now the company is not so strong,” says site manager Islam Uddin, a friendly man who has worked here for 16 years. He complains of neglect from suc­ cessive governments and laments that a privatisation deal signed in 2008 with a German-Indian waste manage­ ment company has stalled as a result of local political upheaval. Only plastic bottles, engine oil, met­ als and paper are collected, with the waste sent by boat to India, forming the biggest export from the Maldives to its giant neighbour to the northeast. All of the rest, including electronics that escape the attention of hundreds of human scavengers and batteries, go up in flames - with no sign of the high-

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

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

capital Male through door-to-door col­ lection and recycling will also help to reduce environmental damage, says a city councillor from the capital, Ahmed Kareem. “The project that is going ahead will monitor air pollution and also the sea pollution near Thilafushi Island and so no further expansion by waste will be done for Thilafushi,” Mr. Ka­ reem told AFP. The Maldives Association of Tour­ ism Industry declined repeated inter­ view requests from AFP seeking com­ ment on efforts of resorts to reduce their environmental impact. -AFP

Kenya to microchip all rhinos to stop poachers NAIROBI

This new picture from the VLT Survey Telescope (VST) at ESO’s Paranal Observatory released on October 14, 2013, shows the remarkable super Star cluster Westerlund 1 (esol034). This exceptionally bright cluster lies about 16,000 light-years from Earth in the southern constellation of Ara (The Altar). The biggest known Star in the cosmos is in its death throes and will eventually explode, astronomers said on October 16, 2013. Photo: AFP

Private browsing: Redlink to expand service in joint venture operation AUNG KYAW NYUNT z e e ze e 3 8 3 0 g m a il.co m

INTERNET provider Redlink says it has big plans to expand its business as soon as the laws allow private compa­ nies to offer online access independ­ ent of state-run Yadanarpon Teleport. “Now, Redlink Company is giv­ ing service [in a joint venture] with Yadanarpon Teleport,” said บ Thein Than Toe, the company’s vice chair­ man and co-founder in a workshop at October 4.

He said, “We will expand our cur­ rent service, and we will try to get an ISP [Internet Service Provider] licence at the same time.” Once granted an ISP licence, Redlink said, it will build more tow­ ers in the three cities it already services -Yangon, Mandalay and Bagan.The company plans to have over 50 towers total by the end of 2013, said บ Myo Myint Nyunt, assistant general manager of sale's and marketing. บ Myo Myin Nyunt said the extra towers will help bring better signals in

crowded urban spaces where signals are often blocked by buildings. “After we have got an ISP license and the law [allowing private internet providers] has been enacted, we will offer Wi-Fi service in public areas such as parks, shopping centres, Yangon University, the University of Foreign Languages, the University of Medicine ... the railway station and the airport,” บ Myo Myint Nyunt said. Redlink also announced plans to expand its service to other cities in the future.

KENYA will place microchips in the hom of every rhino in the country in a bid to stamp out a surge in poaching the threatened animals^ wildlife offi­ cials said Wednesday. “Poachers are getting more sophis­ ticated in their approach,” Paul Udoto, spokesman for the Kenya Wildlife Ser­ vice (KWS), told AFP. “So it is vital that conservation ef­ forts also follow and embrace the use of more sophisticated technology to counter the killing of wildlife.” Kenya has just over 1000 rhino, and the tiny chips will be inserted and hid­ den in the horn, which is made of kera­ tin, the same material as fingernails or hardened hair. The World Wildlife Fund donated the chips as well as five scanners at a

cost of US$15,000 (11,000 euros), al­ though tracking the rhino to dart them and fit the device will cost considerably more. However, it will boost the ability of police to prosecute poachers or traf­ fickers, allowing for all animals to be traced and providing potential vital in­ formation on poaching and smuggling chains. “Investigators will be able to link any poaching case to a recovered or confiscated hom, and this forms crucial evidence in court, contributing towards the prosecution’s ability to push for sentencing of a suspected rhino crimi­ nal,” KWS said in a statement. Poaching has risen sharply in Africa in recent years. Elephants and other large mamlmels are also targeted.-AFP

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34 THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

W o r ld

W O R L D ED ITO R: B rid g e t Di C e rto I b r id g e t.d ic e r to 0 gm a iL c o m

17 bodies found after

Rebels kill top officer, Syria says peace talks possible

PAKSE

WAR-TORN Syria says peace talks could be possible next month amid international efforts to push for a con­ ference in Geneva as a top military in­ telligence officer was killed in clashes with rebels. Syrian state television announced on Thursday that Major General Jamaa Jamma “was martyred while carrying out his national duties to de­ fend Syria and its people and pursuing terrorists in Deir Ezzor” Mr Jamaa was in charge of military intelligence in the eastern province, where jihadist forums said he was killed in clashes with radical Islamist fighters. The peace process will get a re­ newed push from us Secretary of State John Kerry, who will travel to London next week for a meeting of the core countries making up the Friends of Syria, the State Department said. “We are trying to move the process forward. I’ll have meetings next Tues­ day in London with the support group of the [Syrian] opposition,” Mr Kerry said. “We’re working towards this Gene­ va conference, not that we know what the outcome is,” he said in an us radio interview. In Moscow, Syrian Deputy Prime Minister Q&dri Jamil said a proposed peace conference in Geneva could take place November 23-24, saying, ‘We are closer than ever to holding the Geneva 2.” Both the Russian foreign ministry and the United Nations said the date of the conference would be decided by UN chief Ban Ki-moon. “When it is time for an announce­ ment, the secretary general will make one,” UN spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters in New York. “And I would remind you and eve­ rybody that it is the secretary general who will be convening the conference and it will be the secretary general who invites the different parties to attend.” Russia and Western nations have been pushing since May for new talks between the Syrian regime and re­ bels on a negotiated solution to the conflict, which has killed more than 115,000 people since March 2011.

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

DAMASCUS

The Syrian opposition is divided on attending the conference, and Presi­ dent Bashar al-Assad’s regime says his removal from office will not be on the table at any talks. The National Coalition, the oppo­ sition umbrella group, said it would hold internal discussions next week culminating in a vote on whether to attend the gathering. But Mr Jamil said there was “no al­ ternative” to the peace conference and that the absence of parts of the Syrian opposition would not affect the timing or format. The international community has renewed its push for the Geneva conference following a deal under which Syria will turn over its chemical arsenal for destruction. The agreement, enshrined in a UN Security Council resolution, staved off threatened us military action against the Assad regime after an August 21 sarin attack outside Damascus that killed hundreds. Under the resolution, a team from the United Nations and the Organisa­ tion for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has been in Syria overseeing the destruction of its chemical arms. On Thursday, the OPCW, which was awarded the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize, said nearly half its inspections of the arsenal were complete. “We have done nearly 50 percent of the verification work of the facilities that have been declared to us,” Malik Ellahi, a political advisor on Syria for OPCW, told journalists in The Hague. Despite the progress, Mr Ellahi said security remained a concern for the unprecedented mission in wartorn Syria, with mortar and car bomb attacks taking place in areas near to the inspectors’ Damascus hotel. “There have been a number of inci­ dents over the last few days which gives some cause for concern,” Mr Ellahi said. So far Damascus has won praise for its cooperation with the inspectors, but the United Nations has stressed that key deadlines be met. Inspectors have until June 30 next year to complete the destruction of Syria’s chemical arsenal. -AFP

“We have to investigate about the cause of the accident but initially I think it was caused by bad weather,” he said. A large Laos naval vessel, several smaller Thai and Laos rescue boats, dinghies and a jet ski were seen on the waters on Friday. Thai Transport Minister Chatchat Sitthipan said that the rescue opera­ tion was being led by local authorities with the support of the Thai navy, air­ force and volunteer rescue teams. ‘We stand ready to support Laos with

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

Russia says diplomat’s apartment broken into in The Hague MOSCOW

RUSSIA said Friday that unknown intruders had broken into the apart­ ment of one of its embassy staff in The Hague, in the latest incident to spike tensions between the two countries. The break-in occurred on Thurs­ day evening at an apartm ent com­ plex housing foreign dignitaries lo­ cated outside the Russian embassy’s grounds, the foreign ministry said in a statement. “Returning home from work, Russian embassy staff in The Neth­ erlands ... discovered traces of an illegal entry into one of the apart­ ments,” the Russian ministry state­ ment said. “The apartm ent is occupied by a staff member of the embassy’s administrative-technical personnel, who is currently on vacation.” The statement added that Rus­ sia expected “the Dutch authori­ ties to take exhaustive measures in

order to establish the culprits of this crime”. The statem ent came just three days after a senior diplomat at the Dutch embassy in Moscow was beaten up at his home residence in the Russian capital by unknown at­ tackers. Relations between Russia and The Netherlands have deteriorated recently over Moscow’s arrest of the 30-member crew of a Dutch-flagged Greenpeace ship and an earlier de­ tention of a Russian diplomat in The Netherlands. The deputy head of the Dutch mission in Moscow was approached at his home on Tuesday by two men who presented themselves as electri­ cians and then beat him up. The 60-year-old diplomat was not A police officer stands guard on October 17 outside a building in The Hague, that was broken into. Photo: AFP badly harmed and did not seek medi­ cal attention. accusations he was mistreating his for breaching the Vienna Conven­ arrest, but said police had acted out Last week, police in The Hague two young children. tion on diplomatic relations, which of professional responsibility when detained a Russian diplomat over The Netherlands later apologised grants diplomats immunity from detaining the diplomat. - AFP

35

Dalai Lama professes support for medical marijuana use

NSA survelliance feeding CIA attacks

Rare RioTinto pink diamonds fetch record price

WORLD 37

WORLD 35

WORLD 33

Laos air crash

Ex-Khmer Rouge leaders ‘killed for power’

PHNOM PENH

FORMER Khmer Rouge leaders on tri­ al for crimes against humanity “spilt blood for power” in their quest to make the country a slave state, Cam­ bodia’s UN-backed war crimes court heard last week. “Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan killed for power. They spilt blood for it. They brutalised and dehumanised their own people and kept spilling blood for power,” prosecutor William Smith said m closing statements at the court. But he said the two leaders ordered others to do “their very dirty work” for them. “Seeing your victim’s eyes makes it hard to kill,” Mr Smith said. “If you look close enough you see your own humanity in their eye's. Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan chose not to see the eyes of their victims. They chose not to see their own humanity’ More than three decades after the country’s “Killing Fields” era, the UN­ backed court is moving closer to a ver­ dict in their complex case, which has been split into a series of smaller trials.

The first trial has focused on the forced evacuation of people into rural labour camps and the related charges of crimes against humanity. The evacuation of Phnom Penh in April 1975 was one of the largest forced migrations in modern history. More than 2 million people were expelled from the capital at gunpoint and marched to rural labour camps as part of the regime’s plan to forge an agrarian Utopia. Mr Smith said Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan were prepared to do whatever it took to realise their radical vision of Cambodia as “a slave state”. “Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan and their criminal partners were the masters and the Cambodian popula­ tion were their slaves. They were dic­ tators who controlled Cambodians by brutal force and fear,” he added The defendants deny charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Other allegations are due to be heard in later hearings al­ though no date has yet been set. - AFP

IN BRIEF R IY A D H

Saudi turns down UN Security Council membership Saudi Arabia on Friday turned down m em bership in the United N ations Se­ cu rity Council, accusing the pow erful body of "double standards" a day a fte r it won a seat on it. "Therefore Saudi Arabia ... has no o th er option but to tu rn down Security Council m em bership u n til it is reform ed and given the means to accom plish its duties and assume its responsiblities in preserving the w o rld ร peace and security," the Saudi foreign m in istry said in a statem ent.

PARIS French mayors can’t refuse to m arry gay couples, court says F rances top court ruled on Friday last w eek th a t m ayors cannot refuse to conduct sam e-sex m arriages on the ground it goes against th e ir religious o r m o ra l beliefs. The C onstitutional Council's ruling followed an appeal by m ayors and registrars opposed to pathbreaking legislation legalising gay m a r­ riage on May 18. A five-page jud g e m e n t said th e ir contention was not valid as the "freedom of conscience" clause they evoked as a constitutional rig ht was not present in the legislation.

B E IJIN G

China summons Japan ambassa­ dor over Yasukuni visit

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

aircraft was new and had been deliv­ ered in March. Witnesses recounted seeing the plane in trouble before it came down. “I heard a boom, a sound like a bomb going off. There was smoke and flames before it crashed,” local village chief Buasorn Kornthong, 37, told AFR Founded in 1976, Lao Airlines serves domestic airports and destina­ tions in China, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Impoverished Laos has seen 29 fatal air accidents since the 1950s.-A F P

Philippine earthquake death toll rises to 172

TAGBILARAN

THE death toll from a 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck the central Philippines rose to 172 on Friday last week as authorities warned the num­ ber of dead would probably climb even higher. The tourist island of Bohol, which was the epicentre of Tuesday’s quake, suffered the most with 160 people dead, the civil defence office for the region said. Twelve others were killed on other central islands. Bohol police commander Senior Superintendent Dennis Agustin said 22 people were missing on the island, including five children who were play­ ing by a waterfall when the quake hit. It was unlikely many of them would be found alive, he warned. “It looks doubtful. “This is the fourth day since the quake. It is an [extremely unlikely]

possibility they will be recovered alive,” he said. “Some are believed bur­ ied under landslides, some are under fallen structures. We will likely get more reports of deaths.” Bohol, an island of about a million people around 600 kilometres (370 miles) from Manila, is known for its beaches, its rolling “Chocolate Hills” and tiny tarsier primates. It suffered huge landslides, fallen bridges, shattered roads and collapsed structures during the quake. Government and aid groups have been rushing to deliver assistance to the affected areas, but travel has been hampered by the bridges and roads that have been rendered impassable by the quake. Fearing the many aftershocks could cause their homes to collapse, many Bohol residents have been living in tents. - AFP

This April 17,1975 picture shows people leaving Phnom Penh after Khmer Rouge forces seized the capital. PHOTO: AFP/Documentation Centre of Cambodia.

China sum m oned Tokyo's am bassador Friday to protest over visits by a Japa­ nese cabinet m in is te r and scores of parliam entarians to the controversial Yasukuni w a r shrine, Beijing's foreign m in istry said. "Vice Chinese Foreign M inister Liu Zhenm in has sum m oned the Japanese am bassador to China fo r a solem n protest and a strong condem nation," spokeswom an Hua Chunying said. The visit "is a blatant attem pt to w h ite ­ w ash Japanese m ilita ris m 's history of aggression and to challenge the outcom es of the Second W orld War", Hua added. -A F P

36 World International

THE MYANMAR TIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

Bushfires ravage southeast Australia

WINMALEE

RESIDENTS faced scenes of dev­ astation Friday after bushfires rav­ aged communities and destroyed “hundreds” of homes in southeast­ ern Australia, leaving one man dead with dozens of blazes still out of control. Cooler tem peratures and a drop in wind offered firefighters some relief after an intense battle Thurs­ day but nearly 100 fires were still raging across the state of New South Wales. NSW Rural Fire Services Com­ missioner Shane Fitzsimmons said the situation was still “very active, very dynamic, very dangerous”. “We are going to ... continue to save life and to protect as much property as possible, but at the same time slowly take advantage of the weather conditions that are more favourable than was oth­ erwise presented yesterday,” he said, adding that 91,000 hectares (224,000 acres) had been burnt out so far. Several major blazes fanned by high, erratic winds in unseasonably warm weather ripped through com­ munities in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney on Thursday with whole streets razed. One fatality has been reported so far. A 63-year-old man died from a heart attack as he defended his home on the Central Coast, north of Sydney. “That’s the worst that anyone wants to happen and we send” our sympathy to his family,” said NSW

state Premier Barry O’Farrell, add­ ing that two firefighters were in hospital with one undergoing an operation. The Central Coast blaze was described as “apocalyptic” by resi­ dents, with at least five histori­ cal buildings in the seaside town of Catherine Hill Bay reduced to charred ruins or badly damaged. “It was huge, strong southerly winds and flames as high as trees,” said long-time Catherine Hill Bay resident Wayne Demarco. Hundreds of residents spent the night in evacuation centres in the Blue Mountains and awoke Friday morning to confront the extent of the disaster. Ron Fuller was one of those who lost his home in Winmalee, a town with a population of about 6000 located 80 kilometres (50 miles) in­ land from Sydney. “We’ve had a num ber of fires through here before but this was an extraordinary fire. The speed was extraordinary. It just raced through this whole area, took out some houses, left other ones stand­ ing,” he said. Blue M ountains Mayor Mark Greenhill said the enormity of the catastrophe was only now being fully realised. “I think people who lost their homes yesterday are hitting reality today,” he told ABC radio. “You can see the devastation on their faces. It’s very, very difficult.” The Rural Fire Service said in

a tweet that crews were assessing the damage across the state street by street. “It appears there may be hun­ dreds of homes destroyed,” the ser­ vice said. Prime M inister Tony Abbott, him self a volunteer firefighter, visited some of the worst-affected areas, warning “there has already been loss of life, and we fear more”. “Australia is a country that is prone to natural disaster but eve­ ry time it strikes it hurts, and we grieve for those who are now hurt­ ing because of what has happened in New South Wales,” he said while authorising disaster recovery pay­ ments to help people get back on their feet. Mr O’Farrell praised the re­ sponse from fire crews, many of whom are local volunteers battling the blazes as their own homes go up in flames. “I think the planning, prepara­ tion and response has been some of the best we ve seen,” he said, call­ ing the fires “some of the worst we have experienced around Sydney in living memory”. “We’re in for a long, tough sum­ mer,” he added. Wildfires are common in Aus­ tralia’s summer months between December and February, and au­ thorities are expecting a”rough fire season this year due to low rainfall throughout the w inter and fore­ casts of hot, dry w eather ahead. -A F P

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SYDNEY

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

Asia-Pacific World 37

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Second orangutan dies at Indonesian ‘death zoo’

SURABAYA

AN endangered Borneo orangutan died Thursday at Indonesia’s “death zoo”, the latest in a series of suspicious animal deaths prompting calls to close the notori­ ous facility. Fifteen-year-old Betty the orangutan had difficulty breathing before she died, Sura­ baya Zoo spokesman Agus Supangkat said, adding she had just undergone a week of intensive treatment. “Based on her medical records, she was suffering from inflammation of the lung.” Mr Supangkat said the inflammation was caused by “extreme hot weather that has hit Surabaya city” The ape’s death comes two weeks after a 12-year-old Borneo orangutan named Nanik died from an intestinal tumour and liver problems. Orangutans typically live between 50 and 60 years. Mr Supangkat denied any negligence by the zoo, saying the orangutans lived m a leafy outdoor enclosure and were given healthy di­

ets of fruit, milk and multivitamins. The Surabaya Zoo is Indonesia’s largest and has been dubbed a “death zoo” as hun­ dreds of animals have died prematurely or suffered abuse there in recent years. In July last year a 15-year-old endan­ gered orangutan at the zoo named Tori was forced to quit smoking. Management had allowed visitors to throw lit cigarettes at her for 10 years, making the smoking oran­ gutan the zoo’s star attraction. Also last year a 30-year-old male giraffe died at the zoo with a 20-kilogram (44 pound) beachball-sized lump of plastic in Its stomach from food wrappers thrown into its pen by visitors. Animal welfare groups have been cam­ paigning for the zoo’s closure. There are an estimated 45,000 to 69,000 Borneo orangutans left in the wild. They are native to the vast island of Bor­ neo,” shared among Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. -AFP

BANGKOK

Rhianna tweets lead cops to Thai sex show THAI authorities last week ar­ rested the owner of a sex show visited by pop icon Rihanna the latest crackdown inadvert­ ently triggered by the singer’s tweets. The bar owner on the island of Phuket has been charged in connection with the lewd per­ formance, local district chief Veera Kerdsirimongkol told AFP, following an operation in­ volving undercover officials. “It was the result of the visit by Rihanna. The authorities will be more strict towards in­ appropriate shows or wildlife attractions,” he said. Thai tourist officials were left red-faced after Rihanna’s tweets last month drew world­ wide attention to the kingdom’s seedier side. “Either I was phuck wasted lastnight, or I saw a Thai wom­ an pull a live bird,2 turtles, razors, shoot darts and ping pong, all out of her pu$$y, she

wrote in a message in Septem­ ber to her more than 32 million followers on Twitter. “The birds feathers were all damp! Lol. Only in ^Thailand,” she added. “And THEN she tried to turn water into coke in her $!! Uhh yea, all I’m saying is water went in and soda came out! I’m trau­ matized!!!” It is the second time the pop diva has unwittingly helped to clean up Phuket, one of Thai­ land’s top tourist destinations. Last month two men were arrested for possessing a pro­ tected slow loris after Rihanna posted a picture of herself with the primate on a night out dur­ ing the same visit to the island. The image - captioned “Look who was talkin dirty to me!” - generated outrage from wildlife activists about ram­ pant exploitation of animals m Thai tourist areas. Use of the slow loris and other protected species for tourist snaps - while common in Thai tourist resorts - is offi­ cially illegal. According to wildlife pro­ tection campaigners, mother lorises are often killed while the young are stolen. The primates’ teeth are also removed due to their toxic bite. Local tourist police volun­ teers warn against venturing into strip clubs offering “pingpong shows” due to the risk of overpriced drinks and threats of violence against people who refuse to pay the exhorbitant bills. - AFP '

MOPAR

Reg. No. 3152/1991 in respect of “Motor vehicles, parts and accessories thereof’.

Win Mu Tin, M.A., H.G.P., D.B.L for Chrysler Group LLC P. o. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: [email protected] Dated: 21st October, 2013

TRADE MARK CAUTION Four-month-old orangutan Rlzkl Is seen Inside his cage at the Surabaya zoo. Photo: AFP

Rio Tinto pink diamonds fetch record prices from established markets Japan and Aus­ tralia and emerging markets China and India. The highlight was the Argyle Phoenix, a 1.56 carat gem and one of three Fancy Red diamonds on offer, which sold for more than $2 million to a Singaporebased jeweller, the highest per carat price

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

Fraudulent imitation or unauthorised use of the said Trade Mark will be dealt with according to law.

SYDNEY

THE annual sale of Rio Tinto’s rare pinkhued diamonds attracted unprecedented interest with at least two of the stones fetching record prices of over US$2 mil­ lion, the mining giant said last week. The 2013 Argyle Pink Diamonds Ten­ der of 64 red, pink and blue stones drew a record number of bids over $1 million

TRADE MARK CAUTION

paid for any diamond ever produced from Rio’s Argyle mine in Western Australia. The exact price was not disclosed due to client confidentiality. Another record was set for the Argyle Dauphine, a 2.51 carat Fancy Deep Pink diamond, which also sold for more than $2 million, to a US-based dealer. - AFP

TRADE MARK CAUTION

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

COFFRET D’OR

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

CYTODINE

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

PEG-INTRON Reg. No. 9449/2005

in respect of “Class 5: long-acting broad spectrum antiviral and immunomodulating agent”. Fraudulent imitation or unauthorised use of the said Trade Mark will be dealt with according to law. Win Mu Tin, M.A., H.G.P., D.B.L for Schering-Plough Ltd. P. o. Box 60, Yangon. Email: makhinkyi.law @mptmail.net. 111111 Dated: 21st October, 2013

TRADE MARK CAUTION

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

IMPLANON NXT Reg. No. 744/2010

in respect of “Int’l Class 1: Chemical preparations for use in the manufacture of cosmetic products”.

(IMPLANON NXT Logo) Reg. No. 745/2010 in respect of “ Class 5: Medicines and pharma­ ceutical preparations for human use, among which contraceptives; contraceptive pharmaceutical pre­ parations contained in or released from contraceptive sub-dermal implant. Class 10: Sub-dermal implant”.

Fraudulent imitation or unauthorised use of the said Trade Marks will be dealt with according to law.

Fraudulent imitation or unauthorised use of the said Trade Marks will be dealt with according to law.

Win Mu Tin, M.A., H.G.P., D.B.L for Kao Kabushiki Kaisha P. o. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law @mptmail.net. 111111 Dated: 21st October, 2013

Win Mu Tin, M.A., H.G.P., D.B.L for MSD Oss B.v. P. o. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: [email protected] Dated: 21st October, 2013

Reg. No. 5963/2010

CARNI-VITAL Reg. No. 5964/2010

38 World International

THE MYANMARTIMES OCTOBER 21 - 27, 2013

Pacific man bids to become the world’s first climate change refugee A PACIFC islander is attempting to be­ come the world’s first climate change refugee in New Zealand as rising seas threaten his low-lying homeland, the man’s lawyer said fast Thursday. Ioane Teitiota, 37, launched an ap­ peal this week against a decision by New Zealand immigration authorities to refuse him refugee status and deport him to Kiribati in the central Pacific, lawyer Michael Kitt said. Mr Kitt acknowledged Mr Teitiota’s New Zealand visa had expired but said he should not face deportation because of the difficulties he would encounter in Kiribati, which consists of more than

30 coral atolls, most only a few metres above sea level. He said rising seas had already swamped parts of Kiribati, destroying crops and contaminating water. Fresh water is a basic human right. The Kiribati government is unable, and perhaps unwilling, to guarantee these things because it s completely beyond their control,” Mr Kitt told Radio New Zealand. He said Mr Teitiota’s case had the potential to set an international prec­ edent, not only for Kiribati’s 100,000 residents but for all populations threat­ ened by man-made climate change.

As the environmental problem earlier this year, immigration authori­ worsens a new class of refugee emerg­ ties argued that he could not be con­ ing that is not properly covered by ex­ sidered a refugee because no one in his isting international protocols, Mr Kitt said. “It’s a fluid situation. Eventually the courts and legislatures are going to have to make a decision on how we deal with this,” he said. Mr Kitt said deporting Mr Teitiota to Kiribati was like forcing a gay person to return to a country where they faced Thousand Kiribati island inhabitants persecution or a domestic violence vic­ threatened by clim ate change tim to go somewhere which offered no protection of women’s rights. In refusing Mr Teitiota’s application

100

homeland was threatening his life if he returned. Mr Kitt countered by arguing that the environment in Kiribati was effec­ tively a threat to Mr Teitiota and the three children he fathered in New Zea­ land, who will have to return with him if he is deported. “Mr Teitiota is being persecuted pas­ sively by the circumstances in which he’s living, which the Kiribati govern­ ment has no ability to ameliorate,” he said. A decision from the Auckland High Court is expected to be released before the end of the month. - AFP

TRADE MARK CAUTION

Carbonated drinks; Non-alcoholic beverages; Fruit juices; Vegetable juices; Mineral water; Whey beverages; Soybean NOTICE is hereby given that M orinaga Nyugyo beverages; Syrups for beverages” Kabushiki Kaisha ( also trading as Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd.) a company organized and existing under the laws of Japan and having its principal office at 33-1, Shiba 5-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trademarks:(Reg: No/ IV/6759/2013) in respect of:- “Powdered milk for babies, infants and children, powdered milk for pregnant and nursing women, pharmaceutical preparations, veterinary preparations, sanitary preparations for medical purposes, dietetic food m o r in a g a and substances adapted for medical use, food for babies, dietary supplements for humans and animals, powdered (Reg: No. IV/6758/2013) milk for middle-aged people and elderly people for medical in respect of:- “Powdered milk for babies, infants and use, medicated confectionery, liquid food supplements for children; Powdered milk for pregnant and nursing women; humans and animals, nutritional additives for medical use, Powdered milk for middle-aged people and elderly people dietetic food for pregnant and nursing women for medical for medical use; Pharmaceutical preparations; Veterinary use, dietetic beverages for babies, infants and children for preparations; Sanitary preparations for medical purposes; medical use, dietetic beverages for pregnant and nursing Dietetic food and substances adapted for medical use; Food women for medical use, dietetic beverages for middle-aged for babies; Dietary supplements for humans and animals; people and elderly people for medical use, food for infants Medicated confectionery; Liquid food supplements for and children for medical purposes, additives to fodder for humans and animals; Nutritional additives for medical use; medical purposes, chemical reagents for medical or veterinary Dietetic food for pregnant and nursing women for medical purposes, chemical contraceptives, chemical preparations use; Dietetic beverages for babies, infants and children for for the diagnosis of pregnancy, diagnostic preparations for medical use; Dietetic beverages for pregnant and nursing medical purposes, medicated baby care products, bacteria for women for medical use; Dietetic beverages for middle- medical use, antiseptics, fungicides, disinfectant bactericides, aged people and elderly people for medical use; Food detergents for medical purposes, disinfectants for hygiene for infants and children for medical purposes; Additives to purposes, germicides, lotions for pharmaceutical purposes, fodder for medical purposes; Chemical reagents for medical cattle washes, disinfectants for chemical toilets, animal or veterinary purposes; Chemical contraceptives; Chemical washes, biocides, soil-sterilizing preparations, germicides preparations for the diagnosis of pregnancy; Diagnostic for agriculture purposes” - Class:5 preparations for medical purposes; Medicated baby care “Milk drinks with honey flavors and tastes, milk drinks with products; Bacteria for medical use; Antiseptics; Fungicides; vanilla flavors and tastes, milk drinks with chocolate flavors Disinfectant bactericides; Detergents for medical purposes; and tastes, milk drinks with strawberry flavors and tastes, Disinfectants for hygiene; purposes; Germicides; Lotions for milk, milk beverages, lactic acid bacteria drinks, cream, pharmaceutical purposes; Cattle washes; Disinfectants for whipped cream, whipped cream, cheese, butter, buttercream chemical toilets; Animal washes; Biocides; Soil-sterilizing powdered milk (except for infants), powdered milk for preparations; Germicides for agriculture purposes; Milk; middle-aged people and elderly people, powdered milk as Milk beverages; Milk drinks with honey flavors and food supplements, condensed milk, yoghurt, yoghurt drinks, tastes; Milk drinks with vanilla flavors and tastes; Milk yoghurt-based beverage, milk products, margarine, soya drinks with chocolate flavors and tastes; Milk drinks with milk(milk substitute), tofu, soup mixes” - Class:29 strawberry flavors and tastes; Lactic acid bacteria drinks; “Black tea [English tea], Japanese green tea, oolong tea Cream; Whipped cream; Cheese; Butter; Buttercream; [Chinese tea], coffee, coffee-based beverages, cocoa, Powdered milk(except for infants); Powdered milk for chocolate-based beverages, confectionery, ice candies, middle-aged people and elderly people; powdered milk ice cream, sherbets, frozen yoghurt, pudding, jelly, instant as food supplements; Condensed milk; Yoghurt; Yoghurt pudding mixes, cookies, biscuits, crackers, cones for drinks; Yoghurt-based beverage; Milk products; Margarine icecream chocolate, doughnuts, instant ice cream mixes, ; Soya milk(milk substitute); Tofu ; Soup mixes; Black instant sherbet mixes, instant soft cream mixes, instant soft tea [English tea]; Japanese green tea; Oolong tea [Chinese cream mixes, processed food” Class: 30 tea]; Coffee; Coffee-based beverages; Cocoa ; Chocolate- “Milk drinks with honey flavors and tastes, milk drinks with based beverages; Confectionery; Ice candies; Ice cream; vanilla flavors and tastes, milk drinks with chocolate flavors Sherbets; Frozen yoghurt; Pudding; Jelly; Instant pudding and tastes, milk drinks with strawberry flavors and tastes, mixes; Cookies; Biscuits; Crackers; Cones for icecream; carbonated drinks, non-alcoholic beverages, fruit juices, Chocolate; Doughnuts; Instant ice cream mixes; Instant vegetable juices, mineral water, whey beverages, soybean sherbet mixes; Instant soft cream mixes; Processed food; beverages, syrups for beverages” Class: 32