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ISSUE 721 | MARCH 17 - 23, 2014 NEWS 3

New impetus for peace

Leaders of armed ethnic groups say recent peace talks in Yangon have left them more optimistic about the prospects of signing a ceasere.

NEWS 5

Special rapporteur mandate likely to stay

The European Union says it plans to submit a new resolution to the UN Human Rights Council proposing the special rapporteur post be maintained.
BUSINESS 23

Taxes to fall in new push to combat evasion

But experts say reductions and incentives approved by parliament are unlikely to change widespread culture of tax evasion and illegal trade.

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34
PHOTO: AFP

Missing plane was steered off course intentionally

Malaysias Prime Minister Najib Razak said on March 15 that vanished ight MH370 had been deliberately redirected toward the Indian Ocean and search efforts would now focus in that region. A skilled pilot is believed to have been in control of the airliner at the time, but the PM said there was no conrmation whether or not the plane had been hijacked.

PROPERTY 30

Cinemas fade to black

Private rms that bought cinemas from government in privatisation auctions take the wrecking ball to historic properties.

War of words over soap factory

Army-run Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited draws re from arbitrator in dispute over a soap factory for summarily terminating proceedings by locking officials out of hearings and removing furniture from meeting rooms. BUSINESS 22

2 THE MYANMAR TIMES MARCH 17 - 23, 2014

Page 2
THE INSIDER: The local lowdown & best of the web
When I say the rst thing you have to deal with in regards to the situation in the Rakhine is rule of law, people say Ive said nothing about the situation because for them talking about rule of law is tantamount to talking about nothing.
Aung San Suu Kyi gives a characteristically circuitous response to a question on Rakhine State at the East West Media Conference

online editor Kayleigh Long | [email protected]

Page 2 review: Top Gear takes the Burma Road

The rst episode in the twopart season nale of motoring show Top Gear has broadcast and is now available for illegal download. The episode, lmed in late 2013, sees hosts Clarkson, Hammond and May issued with a challenge to drive from Yangon across the border into Thailand in ramshackle trucks. Its standard, formulaic Top Gear fare. The trio blunder their way through the streets of Yangon, their impractical vehicles taking an even less practical route through town when hilarity ensues their oversized vehicles systematically destroy the power grid of a downtown side street while a confused crowd of urban poor look on. But never fear, once they are done knocking over street vendors apple carts and making fun of elderly pedestrians, they eventually (after what feels like about four hours) nd their way to the road and resume normal programming: that is, any and all plans going hilariously awry and Clarkson the slightly-posh everyman emasculating the short guy. If you can deal with the shows now-tired schtick, then it makes for an interesting watch, but I must confess: they lost me somewhere on the highway out of Nay Pyi Taw. One star.

Authorities move to clamp down on heavy petting zoo

Yangon City Development Committee has moved to instate a ban on young couples in Happy Zone Natural World at Peoples Park, as their canoodling seems to be discouraging its target demographic families with small children from attending. 7 Day Daily reported the management was sick of the young lovebirds sitting around in the theme park and holding hands, taking up valuable space that could have been occupied by more paying visitors. Similarly, it was reported, families felt less inclined to expose their young children to such scandalous behavior. It is a good decision. This is because we have an exclusive

park like this to have full-time with our children. The couples dominate all the time, a 50-year-old mother told 7 Day. Fortunately there are still a number of options for those looking for a venue for some hanky-panky. While Kandawgyi is an already-popular spot for illicit sub-umbrella handholding action, Happy World at the base of Shwedagon also hosts its fair share of dates. Based purely on observations made during one day trip, though, the United Races Village seems to be the venue of choice for slightly raunchier antics.

Plane sight

Once was Burma...

Archival material provided by Pansodan Gallery

Comedy comic book Swallow on the Rainbow , 1980 by Khin Aye Han, illustrations by Min Hlaing Bwa

At the time of printing, the apparent hijacking of the MH370 ight has been the subject of much speculation and collective head-scratching, with no real answers forthcoming and authorities broadening the scope of the search as far aeld as the Kazakhstan border. While no answers are immediately apparent, the rst ve days of searching in the very least could be said to have been a heartwarming show of cooperation in the South China Sea. Since then, focus has been redirected toward the Andaman. The Department of Civil Aviation acquiesced to Malaysian requests to search Myanmar territory, but was not actively participating in the search. Online, theories about just what had happened to the aircraft and its occupants were thrown around with abandon. The members of Reddit.coms conspiracy theory forum pointing the nger at Uighur terrorists, the Rotheschilds, an Illuminati job, a revenge attack for Anwar Ibrahims sentencing, Putin, North Korea and on a Myanmar-related note an alleged Chinese listening post

Khin Nang Htike for NOW! magazine. Photo: Htet Aung Kyaw (studio HAK)

Style

Statement

in the Coco Islands. While the nature of this alleged outpost is based on news stories of dubious origin and has been pretty neatly dismantled on several occasions by respected pundits, Greater Coco does have a runway and thats fun to think about.

504,000
The number of Staedtler Norica 2B pencils attained through an international procurement process for the census. The number of clipboards being distributed is 110,000. Source: UNFPA

Next week:

Founder of YEC-promoted Trishaw tness club concedes it was a dumb idea after expat sideswiped by 1940s Hino bus

www.mmtimes.com

NEWS EDITOR: Thomas Kean | [email protected]

News 3

Constitution amendment body takes military veto off the table

Committee members argue heatedly over whether to propose changes to section 436 of constitution

Myanmar aids hunt for lost plane

ZAW WIN THAN [email protected] AS part of the wide-ranging efforts to locate Malaysia Airlines ight MH370, the Department of Civil Aviation last week gave permission for search operations for the missing plane to take place in southern Tanintharyi Region. DCA deputy director general U Win Swe Tun said the regional aviation control centre in Kuala Lumpur had requested permission to search Myanmars waters around Kawthoung on March 11 and had been granted approval by the government. On March 15 the search moved to the Indian Ocean after new evidence suggested the plane had been deliberately piloted in that directions for hours after disappearing from main radars. However government chiefs conrmed previously that Myanmar had given its backing for the search to go ahead in its waters.

EI EI TOE LWIN
[email protected]

THE Constitutional Amendment Implementing Committee has decided not to focus on changing the process of amending the constitution, members have told The Myanmar Times. The decision not to focus on section 436(a) was taken at the committees fourth meeting, a number of committee members conrmed

on condition of anonymity. We reached agreement on this after arguing severely, the member said. MPs who attended the meeting said military representatives, who hold seven of the 31 positions on the committee, proposed keeping section 436(a) as it currently stands. The section gives the military, which holds 25 percent of all seats, an effective veto over constitutional change, as it states that amendments need the support of at least 75pc of MPs to be approved. Section 436(a) lists sections of the constitution in which a 75pc majority and approval at a national referendum are required for an amendment to be

passed, while under section 436(b) all other sections require only a 75pc majority. The military MPs argued against reducing the 75pc threshold on the grounds that they plan to gradually reduce the number of seats assigned to military personnel, although they gave no indication when this would begin taking place. They argued that amending section 436(a) could result in the threshold for constitutional change being set too low. They want to keep the 75pc requirement whether military MPs are in the parliament or not. Finally, we accepted the idea that if we reduce

it below 75pc some may keep trying to reduce it further, one committee member said. Instead, the military MPs said they can negotiate with us to reach an agreement when MPs put forward proposed amendments ... It is very important that we negotiate with them so that they accept the points that we want to change, he said. However, some MPs who are not on the committee said they did not accept the idea. They argued that this system would still leave constitutional change in the hands of the military. MORE ON NEWS 4

New momentum for ceasefire after Yangon talks

YE MON [email protected] ETHNIC leaders have declared themselves very satised with the latest round of informal talks, particularly the increased role played by representatives of the Tatmadaw. The military sent six representatives to the talks and they proposed having a nationwide ceasere agreement signed by August. We proposed to them that we need to sign it by August 1, and [ethnic leaders] told us they will try to sign it before then, said Lieutenant General Kyaw Swe from the Tatmadaw. The ethnic groups were represented by the Nationwide Ceasere Coordination Team (NCCT) at the March 9-10 meeting at Myanmar Peace Center. NCCT members reached an agreement with the government to form a joint working group to create a new draft ceasere. Currently, both the government and ethnic
Tatmadaw and ethnic minority delegates shake hands at the conclusion of peace talks in Yangon on March 10. Photo: Thiri

People on-board ight MH370 when it disappeared on March 8, one hour after leaving Kuala Lumpur for Beijing

239

The Tatmadaw representatives ... seemed very eager to discuss political dialogue, so we are very satised.
Salai Hlyan Hmon Sar Khaung Ethnic peace negotiator

groups have their own drafts. NCCT leader Naing Han Thar said the working group would have 18 members, with nine from each side. The nine government members will comprise three representatives from the Union Government, three from the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, or parliament, and three from the Tatmadaw. At the moment we have two drafts so this makes it hard to reach an agreement. We need a new, single draft and we agreed it would only have seven sections, he said. NCCT member Colonel Khun Ok-

kar said the six Tatmadaw officials who participated in the talks had each been allocated an area of responsibility in relation to the discussions. Each ofcial mostly focused only on the subjects that concern them. This was an important development for our discussions. Previously there were only one or two Tatmadaw members [involved in the talks], he said. Salai Hlyan Hmon Sar Hkaung, another NCCT member who took part in the talks, said he was pleased with how the meeting had played out. The Tatmadaw representatives

studied our proposed ceasere agreement and seemed very eager to discuss political dialogue, so we are very satised, he said. The next meeting was also scheduled at the talks, with NCCT members expected to meet government peace negotiators at the end of March in Yangon. The Tatmadaws lead negotiator, Lieutenant General Myint Soe from the Commander-in-Chiefs office, said he was optimistic a deal can soon be reached. We are truly achieving peace with the ethnic armed forces, he said.

The regional control centre requested us on March 11 to permit search and rescue operations for MH370 in Myanmar airspace and Myanmar territorial waters in Kawthoung and nearby regions. In our aviation agreements we are to provide help and support if something like this happens so we already informed them that we allow them to do search operations, he told The Myanmar Times. It was not expected the Myanmar Search and Rescue Team would be required, he said at the time, as Myanmars role would be limited to helping facilitate [the search] in terms of communication and air trafc control. In a press conference on March 15, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak conrmed that the Andaman Sea had been part of the search. He also said new evidence pointed to deliberate action from someone on the plane. MORE ON WORLD 34

IN BRIEF
HRW slams peacekeeping offer
Human Rights Watch has condemned the United Nations for inviting the Myanmar government to send troops to participate in United Nations peacekeeping operations, arguing it would undermine UN standards. Vijay Nambiar, the UN Secretary Generals special adviser on Myanmar, extended the invitation to Senior General Min Aung Hlaing during a January 23 meeting. But the New York-based rights group said the move would put the UNs reputation at risk of grave damage. The Burmese militarys poor record on rights and civilian protection is profoundly at odds with the standards that UN peacekeepers are expected to defend around the world, executive director Kenneth Roth said in a statement on March 13. Wa Lone

4 News
CONTINUED FROM NEWS 3 If we dont amend the 75pc rule, we will always have to discuss [changes] with military representatives. I think the process will be delayed if they do not change the 75pc rule and we will always fail if the military dont agree with us, said Pyithu Hluttaw representative Daw Dwe Bu. In my personal opinion it would be better if we reduce it to 60pc or even 70pc because we wouldnt need to negotiate with them on every single point that we want to change. On February 16, the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) released a statement saying it would cooperate with the 88 Generation to amend section 436. While the statement did not reveal the nature of the cooperation, opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said it was important to study how constitutions can be amended in other countries. However, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi told reporters on March 13 that the committee should start rst with sections of the constitution that are easy to change. Its not sure we can get 100pc of what we want. The nal decision will rest with the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, she said. The Constitutional Amendment Implementing Committee was formed on February 3 to implement the ndings of a 108-member review committee that submitted its nal report to parliament on January 31. On February 18, Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Speaker Thura U Shwe Mann instructed the committee to submit a bill to amend the constitution to parliament no less than six months before elections scheduled for late 2015. The speaker told MPs that the committee should make chapter 12 of the constitution, which outlines the process for amending the document and includes section 436, its top priority. He also said the bill should ensure the Tatmadaws role conforms to democratic norms and gives more autonomy to states and regions. Committee members said they were unsure what the implications of their recent decision to avoid section 436 would be given the speakers instructions. Im not sure whether the decision of the committee contradicts the speakers guidelines, one member said. Whatever the committee decides, it still has to be approved by the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw.

THE MYANMAR TIMES MARCH 17 - 23, 2014

OPINION

Can we trust the Maungdaw probe?

GABRIELLE PALUCH [email protected] WHEN the Du Chee Yar Tan Investigation Commission presented its nal report last week into the alleged killings in Maungdaw township, the groups leader appeared genuinely offended at having to answer probing questions from the media on the investigation. Im not biased, Im not incompetent, U Tha Hla Shwe said. Why dont you trust us? U Tha Hla Shwe was asking the wrong question. Its not a matter of trust. The media are there to ask questions about the report and the commission is expected to give reasonable, rational answers. The commission occupies the most unenviable of positions, caught between the government and all the groups that dont trust it. Maintaining independence is key to walking such a tightrope. Yet the commission is not independent. One example is the manner in which the commission stood by the governments refusal to even acknowledge that the Muslims of northern Rakhine State self-identify as Rohingya. Their insistence on the use of Bengali and hostility to those who disagree is perceived as disrespectful by the very people with whom the commission says it wants to build trust. While previous investigation commissions at least tried to justify this by saying it was done to avoid problems, no such effort was made last week. A number of the reports ndings suggest that the commission was dismissive of testimonies given by Muslims. The commission said it saw no evidence of the deaths of Muslims in Du Chee Yar Tan because witnesses failed to produce evidence in the form of corpses. Although 88 percent of Muslims interviewed conrmed there had been killings, and 26pc could state the precise number of deaths, this was deemed insufcient evidence. The the testimony of Daw Mahanayatu, who said her three-month-old child was taken from her while they were sleeping side by side and killed, was disregarded. The question of the whereabouts of other missing Muslims was never addressed. However, the death of Police Sergeant Aung Kyaw Thein is not questioned, despite the fact that his body has yet to be recovered. Full credence was given to one witness in police custody who claimed he heard Pol Sgt Aung Kyaw Thein cry out in pain. The commission appears to have shown a bias toward testimonies that support the governments version of events. The collection of testimonies that the United Nations presented to the government was published in the Myanmar-language version of the report, despite being labelled condential. The commission nevertheless blames the UN and international NGOs for inaming tensions by reporting unconrmed information. Gaps in the report, beyond the aforementioned, are glaring. Whether these are the result of bias or incompetence is irrelevant: They should be pointed out openly. Among the commissions recommendations for building trust is to prioritise Rakhine State in the citizenship verication process. Should the 1982 citizenship law be applied, the citizenship status of Muslims who identify as Rohingya would rest on the evaluation of a government body relying on village elders. Ideally, a transparent verication process will lead to genuinely eligible Muslims, regardless of how they describe their ethnicity, being awarded citizenship a key step toward reconciliation. In the best-case scenario, this recommendation from the investigation team demonstrates true courage and the right balance of political verve. In the worst-case scenario, the recommendation condemns the Rohingya to a future without access to the rights associated with citizenship. It appears that the commission is trying its best to work from within the system to change it, and in this sense they should be commended. They have the power to create the political will needed to resolve the conict. But its job was to uncover the truth about what happened in Du Chee Yar Tan. While the commission might win favour for publishing a report that downplays a crisis, it wont build the trust needed to start moving down the path of reconciliation.
Gabrielle Paluch is a journalist based in Southeast Asia. She worked for The Myanmar Times in 2009.

Investigation team and INGOs of inf l

WA LONE
[email protected]

AN INVESTIGATION team appointed by the government has refuted allegations that up to 48 Muslims were killed in northern Rakhine States Maungdaw township in January and accused the international community of inaming tensions. Commission head U Tha Hla Shwe said at a press conference on March 11 that the team found no evidence that killings had taken place in the Muslim village of Du Chee Yar Tan during eld assessments conducted between February 15 and 21. We didnt see any evidence of murder and we didnt nd a place where bodies were buried so we cant say many people were brutally killed, said U Tha Hla Shwe, who is also chair of the Myanmar Red Cross Society. The commission said in its report to President U Thein Sein that it believed the only person killed in Du Chee Yar Tan was Police Sergeant Aung Kyaw Thein. While his body has not been recovered, the commission said he was likely murdered by Du Chee Yar Tan residents on January 13. The commission report said that the Du Chee Yar Tan incident became inated from the murder of a policeman, to rising inter-ethnic tensions and accusations of atrocities due to the actions of international media and the international organisations who disseminated unchecked reports. The government has come under international pressure to conduct a transparent and impartial investigation into the Du Chee Yar Tan allegations. The commissions report is unlikely to satisfy many observers, who allege that the results were a foregone conclusion, and it could be raised at a United Nations Human Rights Council meeting on March 17. Speaking at a press conference last month, United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar Toms Quintana said he had received information that human rights violations took place, including the brutal killing of men, women and children,

Members of the Du Chee Yar Tan investigation

sexual violence against women, and the looting and burning of properties. He said that the domestic investigations have failed to satisfactorily address these serious allegations but would wait and see the commissions report before making a nal judgement. He warned, however, that if it fails to meet international standards he will push the Human Rights Council to establish a credible investigation

It is impossible [residents] burned their own houses but it was also not the police.
U Tha Hla Shwe Investigation commission chair

www.mmtimes.com

News 5

am accuses media No changes likely for special rapporteur role laming conflict
TIM MCLAUGHLIN [email protected] THE European Union plans to table a new Human Rights Council resolution on Myanmar that would likely continue the current mandate, including the appointment of a special rapporteur for human rights. Myanmar has been pushing for the ending of the special rapporteurs mandate from May, when Toms Quintanas term expires. Roland Kobia, the EU ambassador to Myanmar, told The Myanmar Times that the specic language of the resolution is still being drafted but it will be tabled as an item 4 resolution, as in previous years, rather than item 10, which would see the special rapporteurs role downgraded or even abolished. Mr Kobia said that the resolution would be forward-looking and balanced but would also look at the remaining challenges including the situation in Rakhine State, the issue of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights [presence], as well as the mandate of the [special rapporteur]. The comments will be welcomed by rights groups, which earlier this week called on the EU to maintain the resolution during the current regular session of the Human Rights Council, which is taking place in Geneva. On March 11, Burma Partnership issued an open letter signed by 47 Myanmar civil society groups that said it was clear the special rapporteur plays a vital role in monitoring what is happening inside Myanmar/Burma. It is disingenuous to make the argument that Myanmar/Burma no longer requires a special rapporteur mandate based only on incomplete reforms in certain areas, such as the release of political prisoners, the letter said. A separate statement issued on March 10 by European Burma Network accused the government of continuing to deny that human rights abuses take place. The government has shown that it is not willing to take the steps necessary to end human rights abuses, the groups said. Human rights organisations have expressed concern that the resolution and mandate renewal could be tabled under item 10, which would shift the mandate from a less critical reporting role to one that focused on technical assistance and capacity building, according to UN guidelines. Item 4 dictates that the human rights situation in Myanmar still requires[s] the councils attention. A major sticking point is Nay Pyi Taws continued reluctance to establish a United Nations OHCHR office within the country. Sources say the special rapporteur position was being used as a bargaining chip and may have been done away with or continued under item 10 if the office was allowed to open. However, Myanmar has given no indication that it has immediate plans to sign an agreement that would enable the office to open. The position of special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar has existed since 1992. It is nominated by the UN secretary general and mandated by the UN Human Rights Council. Since then special rapporteurs have operated with varying degrees of access and success. Rajsoomer Lallah held the position from 1996 to 2000 but was never allowed inside Myanmar. Mr Quintana, who will deliver his nal report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva on March 17, has visited Myanmar nine times since his May 2008 appointment.

commission answer questions at a press conference on March 11. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing

Civil society organisations that signed an open letter calling for the full special rapporteurs mandate to be extended for at least one year

47

to uncover the truth of what happened in collaboration with the Myanmar authorities. At the press conference, held at the Myanmar Peace Center, investigation commission members also rejected accusations that local police, who are ethnic Rakhine, were involved in any violence against local residents. Police might have been more rough or aggressive than necessary when searching their houses after [Pol Sgt Aung Kyaw Thein] had disappeared but we cant accuse the police of actually destroying the villagers houses, commission secretary U Kyaw Yin Hlaing said. He made the comment in response to a question from an Irrawaddy reporter who has visited the village as to why many houses in Du Chee Yar Tan had been destroyed, many belongings were stolen and people were missing shortly after Pol Sgt Aung Kyaw Thein disappeared. U Kyaw Yin Hlaing said residents had ed Du Chee Yar Tan because they were scared of the police and do not trust them. They generally remain in hiding all day, and he said

this highlighted the lack of security in Maungdaw. However, the commissions views on the burning of homes in the village differed from that of the Ministry of Information and senior government officials, who have repeatedly accused Muslims of burning their own homes. The largest re occurred on January 28, when 16 homes were destroyed. State media said the Muslim residents ran away after setting re to their houses. On March 9 there was another re in the village, with the state-run New Light of Myanmar quoting unnamed eyewitnesses as saying some villagers burnt their own houses. It also rejected allegations police were involved, saying instead that the homes were probably burned by an organisation for political prot. It is impossible [residents] burned their own houses but it was also not the police, so we conclude that some organisation must have been involved, U Tha Hla Shwe said. We cant say for sure whether it was a Rakhine or Bengali organisation though.

Rakhine violence may be crimes against humanity: Quintana

BRIDGET DI CERTO [email protected] VIOLENCE in Rakhine State may constitute crimes against humanity, United Nations special rapporteur Toms Quintana has warned in his nal report on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. Mr Quintana said that based on the information and allegations he received the pattern of widespread and systematic human rights violations in Rakhine State may constitute crimes against humanity as dened under the Rome Statute of the International Court. The Argentine lawyer was referring to widespread allegations of extrajudicial killing, rape and other forms of sexual violence, arbitrary detention, torture and ill-treatment in detention, and denial of due process and fair trial rights in Rakhine State. As time passes without clear action at the state and union level to address the widespread discrimination and human rights violations occurring there, the situation continues to worsen from an already dire state, Mr Quintana said. This history of impunity for military and political authorities remains the most important challenge for Myanmar to tackle, he said. Ordinary Rakhine Buddhists have a genuine and legitimate desire to have their economic, social and cultural rights respected, promoted and protected after years of neglect, Mr Quintana said. However, the special rapporteur is concerned that inuential community, political and religious groups are propagating an agenda to rid Rakhine State of the estimated 1 million Rohingyas that live there. The Myanmar government has already hit back against Mr Quintanas ndings. [The] report contains wrongful conclusions alleging that the pattern of widespread and systematic human rights violations in Rakhine State may constitute crimes against humanity, the government said in a communication to Mr Quintana. This is too pessimistic a view ... These observations by the special rapporteur are obviously prejudiced.

6 News

THE MYANMAR TIMES MARCH 17 - 23, 2014

Penang Sayadaw asks president to resolve monastery dispute

Monk disputes claim that State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee owns Yangons Mahasantisukha monastery

Questions over waste from YCDC electricity project

SANDAR LWIN [email protected] A PLAN to turn Yangons trash into electricity has hit a snag, with Yangon City Development Committee still unsure how to manage the potentially dangerous residual ash from two planned incinerators. YCDC invited proposals from companies interested in generating electricity from municipal waste in 2012. South Korean company Chasson International won the tender for methane extraction, while local rm Zeya & Associates received the contract for garbage incineration. Under the latter project, Zeya & Associates will build two incinerators at Dawai Chaung in Yangons North Dagon township and generate electricity by burning 600 tonnes of rubbish a day. The process will leave behind about 10 percent of that gure, or about 60 tonnes a day, as residual ash. While the contract has already been signed and the plant is expected to begin operations in October, no instructions have been given for managing the waste product. Yangon City Development Committee will instruct us how we have to manage that issue, said U Pyi Sone Aung, the assistant managing director of Zeya & Associates. The assistant chief of the committees Environment Protection and Cleaning Department, U Aung Myant Maw, said the committee is still planning how to manage the leftover ash. Ash from organic trash is safe but that of heavy metals is dangerous, said U Aung Myant Maw, who is also the departments chief engineer.

AUNG KYAW MIN

[email protected]

A PROMINENT Buddhist monk has asked the government to intervene in a dispute over control of a Yangon monastery. U Pannavamsa, widely known as Penang Sayadaw, wrote to President U Thein Sein last month asking him rather than the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee to resolve the conict over Mahasantisukha Buddha Sasana Center in Tarmwe township, according to U Uttara, the general secretary of the International Burmese Monks Organisation. Videos, photos and copies of other documentary evidence proving U Pannavamsas ownership of Mahasantisukha, including the monastery land grant, have also been sent to the president. The dispute dates to 2004, when the monastery was conscated by the military government and put under the control of the State Sangha Committee. The State Sangha Committee ruled at a meeting in March 2013 that it legally owned the monastery and would not give it back to U Pannavamsa. However, on October 1 President U Thein Sein issued a notication returning Mahasantisukha to the Penang monk. This prompted a dispute with the minister for religious affairs, U San Sint, who said it would be against Buddhist doctrine to take the monastery from the committee. Even though we want to, it would be a breach of the teachings of the Buddha if we give [the monastery] back, so we cant let it happen, U San Sint said in November. U Pannavamsa responded by threatening legal action, but this latest letter

The Mahasantisukha Buddha Sasana Center in Yangons Tarmwe township. Photo: Zarni Phyo

to President U Thein Sein indicates he believes the government may adhere to the October 2013 notication. [The government] said it was given to the State Sangha Committee as an offering so it cant be transferred to us under the Sangha rules. But the decision was made by the previous government, not by the monasterys owners, U Uttara said. In the letter, U Pannavamsa said the State Sangha Committee should not be allowed to decide the case because of the clear conict of interest. This could create consequences such as disunity and anger between the people and the Buddhist monks, U Uttara warned.

On February 18, 2004, then Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt wrote to U Pannavamsa to advise that the government had asked the State Sangha Committee to manage the monastery for its sustainable future. However, according to U Uttara, the prime minister said the government had not conscated the monastery and would give it back to U Pannavamsa when he returned to Myanmar. U Pannavamsa, 86, has spent much of his life abroad conducting missionary work in Malaysia, Sri Lanka and India. In 1970 he was appointed by the government to succeed the sayadaw at the Dhammikarama

Burmese Temple in Penang. After founding Buddhist temples in Los Angeles, Chicago, Sydney, Toronto and Singapore, he established Mahasantisukha Buddha Sasana Center in 1999 to train missionaries. According to journalist Bertil Lintner, U Pannavamsa is the main spiritual director of the IBMO, an organisation set up in October 2007 a month after Tatmadaw soldiers killed and persecuted Buddhist monks protesting in Myanmar against military rule to raise international awareness about Burmas political struggles. He returned to Myanmar in February 2013 and is residing at Mahasantisukha.

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News 7

Govt, hluttaw submit rival education laws

Speaker rules the two laws will be considered together but it remains unclear whether they will be merged
EI EI TOE LWIN [email protected] DRAFT education bills submitted by the government and a parliamentary committee will be considered by MPs in combination rather than separately, the speaker has ruled. The National Education bills were submitted to parliament by Pyithu Hluttaw Education Promotion Committee chair U Chan Nyein and Minister for Education Daw Khin San Yi on March 14. The main disparity in the different bills is on the management of educational institutes, MPs said, but it remains unclear whether they will be combined into a single law, or introduced in parallel like the new media laws. Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Speaker Thura U Shwe Mann said he agreed to consider the bills together at the request of the deputy attorney general. I believe [a national education] law is very important to promote the education system, Thura U Shwe Mann said, adding that it should be enacted before 2015. If we cant do it before the end of our term, it will make us look stupid. Both bills were written based on discussions between government bodies, NGOs and civil society organisations, including the National Network for Education Reform founded by the National League for Democracy. They focus on ensuring state education is inclusive through a range of measures, including non-formal education, opening community learning centres in remote and conict areas, increased use of ethnic minority languages, training programs to improve the skills of teachers and policies to oversee the private education sector. Daw Khin San Yi said she was not opposed to the two bills being considered together. The ministry has the right to submit a bill and the parliament also has the same right, she said. U Chan Nyein, a former minister for education, said it was up to the bill committee whether the two drafts are combined into a single piece of legislation. The main difference in the drafts is in terms of management, he said. But I cant speak in detail until they are discussed in the hluttaw.
A boat driver operates a sampan in front of the Pansodan-Dala ferry in Yangon. Photo: Zarni Phyo

New ferries to arrive in September

SHWEGU THITSAR [email protected] THREE new ferries for the PansodanDala river crossing are expected to arrive in late September, officials say. The ferries have been donated by Japan at an estimated cost of US$4 million each. The new boats will be of a similar size to the existing Kyansitthar ferries and will be able to carry up to 1000 passengers each. Japan considered which route they should help with and after conducting a study they chose [Pansodan to Dala] It is the busiest route, said U Win Phay, managing director of Inland Water Transport. While the frequency of services is not likely to increase, U Win Phay said the addition of a third vessel would benet passengers because a ferry will always be on standby in case of mechanical problems. This means there will be no delay in services if one of them is not working properly, he said. The two ferries currently in use will be reassigned to service other short routes, most likely in the Ayeyarwady delta. The Pansodan-Dala ferry service carries more than 30,000 passengers a day, making between 40 and 42 crossings of the Yangon River. Each crossing takes about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, Japan International Cooperation Agency is also providing nancial support for the upgrade of jetties used for the Pansodan-Dala route on both sides of the river. Translation by Hein Htet Aung

Estimated cost of the three ferries to be donated by Japan

$12

MILLION

8 News
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Lessons from one students crusade against conflict

AUNG NaING Oo
[email protected]

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THE MYANMAR TIMES MARCH 17 - 23, 2014

United Nations special rapporteur Toms Quintana speaks at a press conference at Yangon International Airport in February. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing

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THROUGHOUT my involvement in the cycle of conict here in Myanmar, including the current attempts to make peace, I often think I have seen it all. But there are little stories that give me pause and make me wonder what else can be done to bring peace besides dealing with the substantive issues of ceaseres and political negotiations. Here is one such story with larger policy implications. In 2008, a student from Kayah State attended the Community Development & Civic Empowerment Program, a development course for NGOs and development workers from Myanmar that my colleagues and I jointly founded with the Faculty of Social Sciences at Chiang Mai University in northern Thailand. At the time I was the programs deputy director and one of the lecturers. All students were required to work on development proposals, which were presented and evaluated at the end of the course. As her nal submission this particular student presented a project to establish a library in the town of Demoso in her home state. Like all students she worked hard to nish it with the new tools and methods she learned. However, both her written proposal and subsequent oral presentation lacked the required features to justify what she was advocating: logic, donor interest and the reasons why her library project was important. Following the presentation, critical questions followed from both her professors and her fellow students. The professors probed and she tried to answer them. Her fellow students pointed out discrepancies in her proposal. But her responses were elusive. The allotted time was running out and the professors were getting impatient. Eventually, I stepped in as the academic adviser of the course. I told her that her project was not worth supporting, probing further with more criticisms. Then suddenly before I nished, she burst into tears. She stunned the whole class with her crying; we did not know what to do other than to watch the drama unfold. Between sobs, and with some difficulty, she nally revealed her hidden agenda to the audience. Her project was a desperate attempt to prevent the young people in her town from leaving for the border and joining armed ethnic groups ghting for autonomy. With the potential of the library to offer books, a communal gathering space, perhaps language training such as English and community development initiatives, the student had hoped young people would be persuaded to remain in their communities and make a different contribution to society one that did not require them to join the ght. Library versus armed conict. A small idea versus a deep-seated and costly war.

I did not understand why she did not openly state the true idea behind the project in her proposal straight away but I recognised it as one young girls crusade against the armed conict: a poignant story reecting the consequences of a civil war in its seventh decade. Her cries were felt in the classroom. I for one still feel them today. Whether it was out of sympathy from her professors or the fact she was nally able to reveal the most important reasons why her project was worth supporting, she was awarded the prize for the second best project proposal. It was a happy ending and her project received a small seed grant. I was not one of the judges so I could not participate in the decision. But I was happy for her. I have often wondered if such a library could have had such a huge impact despite the student winning over the hearts of the professors. It seemed like a desperate attempt. Would she succeed? Was it granted funding out of the possibility of success rather than the probability of producing concrete results? Was there anything else that could persuade young people in her area not to leave and join the ethnic armed groups? It seems unimaginable that a library project alone could be used to deter youths from joining an armed struggle. There are many lures and temptations to explain why the young people leave for border areas to join armed groups, or search for adventures beyond. Yet many crucial lessons can be drawn from this story. It demonstrates a personal commitment to peace and to deter violence. It shows that this commitment can compel individuals in conict areas to do anything in their power to oppose the war. Though far from being an earthshattering story, it demonstrates how ordinary people desire a peaceful life in ethnic areas and how important it is to incorporate their desire into peacemaking efforts in Myanmar. It also makes one wonder if community projects and small innovations can help make peace in conict areas. Without doubt, there are many such stories out there about people trying to make a difference. However, these do not often register in the minds of policymakers. These little stories should be retold and emulated. Thinking of the bigger picture, the story also has a deeper meaning and salient policy implication in our current search for a tenable solution to resolve the ongoing conict with Myanmars ethnic groups. What can deter war? Do we need more meaningful jobs and education opportunities in conict areas? What else is there besides formal negotiations that can contribute to ending the war? All these questions should be examined as we traverse the treacherous waters of peacemaking. On this journey, we should remember that there was a Kayah girl with her dream of a library in Demoso.
Aung Naing Oo is associate director of the Peace Dialogue Program at the Myanmar Peace Center.

An open letter from 47 Myanmar civil society organis Council calling on the council to maintain a resolutio
e, a diverse range of civil society organizations from Myanmar, are writing to you in advance of the upcoming 25th regular session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva to express our serious concerns about the lack of progress made regarding the situation of human rights in Myanmar, and to urge the council to maintain the resolution on the situation of human rights in Myanmar under agenda item 4 of the council in its upcoming session. It is vital to maintain pressure on the Myanmar government to ensure that it continues with its reforms, and addresses grave ongoing issues such as constitutional reform, inter-communal violence, the lack of rule of law, repressive legislation, land conscation and progress made in some areas. As Mr Quintana said, For the time being, the military retains a prevailing role in the life and institutions of Myanmar. State institutions in general remain unaccountable and the judiciary is not yet functioning as an independent branch of government. Moreover, the rule of law cannot yet be said to exist in Myanmar. Tackling the situation in Rakhine State represents a particular challenge which, if left unaddressed, could jeopardise the entire reform process. A critical challenge will be to secure ceasere and political agreements with ethnic minority groups, so that Myanmar can nally transform into a peaceful multi-ethnic and multireligious society. In other areas, such as the release of prisoners of conscience, the opening up of space for freedom of expression, the development of political freedoms, and important progress in securing an end to ghting in the ethnic border areas, reforms are in danger of backsliding. Second, it is clear that the special rapporteur plays a vital role in monitoring what is happening inside Myanmar, presenting his ndings to the council and submitting recommendations for action. It is disingenuous to make the argument that Myanmar no longer requires a special rapporteur mandate based only on incomplete reforms in certain areas, such as the release of political prisoners. Set among the spread of unsavoury issues on Myanmars plate, such reforms are little more than garnish intended to make Myanmar palatable to the international community. Not only is a special rapporteur still entirely necessary, the rapporteur should have a full monitoring mandate under agenda item 4 of the council to ensure there is continued monitoring and reporting to the council on human rights developments in Myanmar. At the same time, the need for the establishment of a UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) presence in Myanmar is indicated by the litany of

Not only is a special rapporteur still entirely necessary, the rapporteur should have a full monitoring mandate.
gross human rights abuses in ethnic areas as a matter of extreme urgency. These concerns were also raised by the United Nations special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Toms Ojea Quintana, at the conclusion of his nal mission to Myanmar. His end-of-mission statement, issued at Rangoon International Airport on February 19, provides a thematic summary of the most pressing human rights issues that Myanmar currently faces. Mr Quintanas statement highlights two salient points. First, the human rights situation in Myanmar is still very serious, with little or no

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News 9

Why the special rapporteur is needed as much as ever

Malaysias opposition faces judicial crackdown

said, Malaysias authorities are opening themselves up to international ridicule for prolonging their political case against opposition leader Anwar. And the hypocrisy stinks. There are senior Front gures, including at least one current minister, who are known to have engaged in homosexual activity and yet they remain unpunished. Aside from which, the charges against Anwar remain inconclusive; the High Court found him innocent in 2012, but the government appealed and overturned his acquittal. As with Karpal, the result means Anwar is likely to be disqualied from parliament and thus the oppositions most visionary and eloquent leader will be banished from political life for ve years.

[email protected]

RoGEr MITToN

sations to member states of the UN Human Rights on on the human rights situation in Myanmar
human rights concerns. Anything less than an office with a full promotion and protection mandate cannot currently be justied. We understand that the UN and the Myanmar government are currently at an impasse regarding the establishment of an OHCHR office, with the Myanmar government unwilling to accept an office with a full mandate. We further understand that the Myanmar government is trying to negotiate, as part of such discussions, a reduction in the mandate of the special rapporteur to a mandate under agenda item 10 which entails only technical cooperation or the abolition of the special rapporteur mandate altogether. Direct action by the UN and international institutions is essential, and your commitment to achieve peace, democracy, human rights, equality and rule of law for all people of Myanmar is crucial. Failure to do so will only perpetuate long-standing human rights abuses, entrenched impunity, armed conicts, and political and humanitarian crises faced by the people of Myanmar. We thank you for considering our requests in the upcoming Council session. Yours sincerely, Burma Partnership, Equality Myanmar, Human Rights Defenders and Promoters, and All Kachin Students and Youth Union

THERE is always one rule for the high and mighty and another for you and me. That is why those in power get away with murder, while we suffer grievous penalties for minor transgressions. It happens most often when leaders feel threatened in some way, especially if they have grown accustomed to holding power for years, if not decades, and fear they may be about to lose it. Recently, long entrenched governments in Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam have displayed this trait, but none has done so in a more barefaced and brutal way than Malaysia. Using its state-aligned judiciary, the ruling National Front government, led by Prime Minister Najib Razak, has launched a systematic persecution of the opposition in order to try to stem its own precipitous loss of support. It is perhaps understandable, given that the Fronts performance in last Mays general election, when it lost the popular vote and dropped seven more seats, was the worst since 1969. As well, the opposition Peoples Alliance, led by former Deputy PM Anwar Ibrahim, retained the nations two richest states of Penang and Selangor, despite Najibs promise to win back pivotal Selangor. Recent soundings indicate even greater negative sentiment toward the Front and if that trend continues, Najib is likey not only to lose the next election but to be defeated in a landslide.

Jailed Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. Photo: AFP

Seeking to prevent that, Najib has decided to forget niceties and use the rules that power brings to emasculate the opposition; in short, if he cant beat them at the ballot box, hell beat them in the courtroom. The process is now well under way and was manifested on March 7 when opposition leader Anwar was sentenced to ve years in jail for alleged consensual homosexual relations with a former aide. Three days later, Karpal Singh, another veteran opposition leader and champion of the common man, was convicted of sedition and ned US$1250 - a sentence likely to disqualify him from parliament. In truth, Anwar has long been suspected of same-sex inclinations, while Karpal did potentially transgress when he criticised the royalty, namely the Sultan of Perak, for dismissing the states opposition chief minister. But are these grounds for using the biased judiciary to crucify two of the nations most industrious and most popular politicians? Apparently, if you belong to a threatened species, like the members of Malaysias ruling National Front, the answer is yes no matter how shocking and unethical it might be. That Anwar, a married man with six children, should be jailed and politically vilied for allegedly engaging in gay sex is a terrible indictment of Najibs government in this day and age. As Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch,

Najib has decided to forget niceties and use the rules that power brings to emasculate the opposition.

It is a travesty. And it is unlikely to stop at Anwar and Karpal. At least seven other Malaysian political activists and opposition leaders have sedition charges pending against them, said Evelyn Balais-Serrano, director of the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development. Her organisation regards the judicial decisions as politically motivated and part of an ongoing systematic crackdown on dissent in Malaysia and that is exactly what the are. When you are under threat and you have the power to bend the rules and manipulate the judges, it is hard to resist. And Najib has never been able to resist temptation.

10 News

THE MYANMAR TIMES MARCH 17 - 23, 2014

Citing security concerns, govt bans Time reporter

SHWE YEE SAW MYINT WA LONE [email protected] THE government rejected Time magazine reporter Hannah Beechs request for a visa because it was concerned that it could affect the East-West Centers International Media Conference, spokesperson U Ye Htut said. Ms Beech, who has covered Myanmar for several years, drew the ire of the government and many Buddhists for her July 1, 2013, cover story on Buddhist extremism. She applied to attend this conference but we do not think it is an appropriate time for her to visit because some people are very angry at her and this will not only affect her but also affect this international conference, Deputy Minister for Information U Ye Htut said on March 10. Of the more than 300 foreign journalists and media experts who applied for a visa, Ms Beech was the only one to have her request denied, U Ye Htut said. The minister made the comments in response to questions from journalists after delivering the keynote address on Myanmars media reforms. Amy McCombs, the Lee Hills chair in free-press studies at Missouri School of Journalism and a moderator at the conference, said the singling-out of one journalist does not seem fair. I dont know the reasons why he decided to deny it based on security

Deputy minister denies new visa policy linked to coverage

TIM MCLAUGHLIN [email protected] A RECENT tightening of the governments visa policy for foreign journalists in Myanmar is not linked to coverage of sectarian violence, government spokesperson U Ye Htut insists. U Ye Htut, who is also a deputy minister for information, defended the governments decision to shorten visas issued to journalists from three months multiple-entry to one month single entry as a necessary adjustment. He said the change was not a rollback of reforms but was needed because a large number of journalists had overstayed their visas following last years World Economic Forum and Southeast Asian Games. We are just adjusting the policy, U Ye Htut told journalists gathered in Yangon for the EastWest Centers International Media Conference on March 10. The deputy minister was speaking in response to a question from Robin McDowell, from the Associated Press Yangon bureau, who said she had been told by members of the government that her agencys visa issues were due to its reporting on communal conict in northern Rakhine State, an allegation U Ye Htut denied. Last month the Ministry of Information announced that visas for foreign journalists would be shortened to as little as one month, down from three to six months. Under the new system, journalists would also have to complete a longer questionnaire, including questions about what they plan to report on.

A panellist speaks at a session of the East-West Centers International Media Conference in Yangon on March 10. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing

We are just adjusting the [visa] policy.

U Ye Htut Deputy Minister for Information

Obviously [Ms Beech] wanted to come and she felt safe and so thats the reason I felt that it was unfortunate that her visa was denied, Ms McCombs told The Myanmar Times. Many journalists all over the world have come here to learn from the conference, to spend time in Myanmar, and to single out one journalist does not seem fair. So for all the reasons we wanted to be here, Im sure those were the reasons she wanted to attend. Conference organisers declined to comment directly on the issue but several Myanmar journalists said they agreed with the governments decision to reject Ms Beechs visa request. Zaw Thet Htwe, a spokesperson for the Myanmar Journalist Union,

said the government had to weigh up the potential that her appearance could cause instability versus the damage to press freedom from denying her a visa. [The government] has the right [to refuse a visa] for a limited time if it is necessary to stop more religious and racial conict but it shouldnt use that as an excuse to deny journalists a visa forever, he said. But freelance journalist U Sithu Aung Myint, a regular contributor to The Myanmar Times and other Myanmar publications, said he agreed with U Ye Htuts reason for banning Ms Beech from visiting Myanmar. We have to remember our country is not a European-style democracy yet, he said.

The change in policy came shortly after the government criticised international coverage of the alleged killings of Rohingya Muslims in Maungdaw township, Rakhine State, prompting questions over whether they were linked. This theory was given further weight after the state-run mouthpiece New Light of Myanmar published an article on January 18 with the headline AP, Irrawaddy falsely reports violence occurred in Rakhine State.

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that ROLEX SA a company organized under the laws of Switzerland and having its principal office at 3-5-7, rue Franois-Dussaud, Geneva, Switzerland is the owner and sole proprietor of the following trademarks:-

(Reg: Nos. IV/2735/2008, IV/9174/2010 & IV/11176/2013) in respect of :- Clock-hands (clock- and watch-making), anchors (clock- and watch-making), rings (jewellery), pendulums (clock- and watch-making), barrels (clockand watch-making), jewellery, clock cases, watch cases, earrings, buckles of precious metal (jewellery), buckles (clock- and watch-making, namely for watch bands), cuff links, bracelets (jewellery), watch bands, charms (jewellery), brooches (jewellery), dials (clock- and watchmaking), sundials, chains (jewellery), watch chains, chronographs (watches), chronometers, chronometrical instruments, jewel cases of precious metal, necklaces (jewellery), control clocks (master clocks), diamonds, cases for watches (presentation), pins (jewellery), ornamental pins, cases for clock and watch-making, threads of precious metals (jewellery), clocks, atomic clocks, electric clocks and watches, medallions (jewellery), watches, wristwatches, movements for clocks and watches, ornaments (jewellery), silver ornaments, pearls (jewellery), semi-precious stones, precious stones, watch springs, watch glasses. Intl Class: 14

Computer assisted marketing research services; marketing services by mail; dissemination of advertising matter, marketing research and studies, provision of information for consumers through pre-recorded telephone messages, advertising by mail order, in particular advertising by electronic mail, through computer networks, including a world wide web such as the Internet, including in the form of electronic catalogues and mail for online sale International class 35 Telecommunications, notably through electronic pages (for example web pages on networks such as the Internet) and through electronic mail, providing and commercializing telecommunication services, communication through terminal computers, interactive downloading of electronic data and programs, computer aided transmission and communication of commercial data (messages, images, sounds), notably through computer networks; services of electronic mail for advertisement and mail order International class 38 Design and creation of computer software and programs, of websites on the Internet; providing and leasing of access time to a centre of computer database; reception on Internet websites, providing and leasing of access time on a network, such as the Internet, leasing of access time to a server of data base; consultancy and consulting in the field of computer software and hardware; online maintenance and updating of computer software and hardware, licensing of intellectual property; leasing of access time to a computer for data processing International class: 42 (Reg: Nos. IV/4197/2008, IV/9173/2010 & IV/11178/2013) in respect of:- Jewellery, clock- and watch-making, namely watches, wristwatches, constituting parts of clocks and watches and accessories for clocks and watches, alarm clocks, clocks and other chronometric instruments, chronometers, chronographs (watches), apparatuses for sportive timekeeping, apparatuses and instruments for time measuring and time indicating; dials (clock- and watch-making), clock cases, watch cases, cases for watches (presentation) and cases for jewellery (presentation) International class: 14

ROLEX

Retail services for clock- and watch-making products and jewellery articles; advertising for buying and sale of clockand watch-making and of jewellery. Computer assisted marketing research services; marketing services by mail; dissemination of advertising matter, marketing research and studies, provision of information for consumers through pre-recorded telephone messages, advertising by mail order, in particular advertising by electronic mail, through computer networks, including a world wide web such as the Internet, including in the form of electronic catalogues and mail for online sale International class: 35 Repair, overhaul, maintenance, polishing of clock and watch making articles and jewellery articles - International class: 37 Telecommunications, notably through electronic pages (for example web pages on networks such as the Internet) and through electronic mail, providing and commercializing telecommunication services, communication through terminal computers, interactive downloading of electronic data and programs, computer aided transmission and communication of commercial data (messages, images, sounds), notably through computer networks; services of electronic mail for advertisement and mail order International class: 38 Design and creation of computer software and programs, of websites on the Internet; providing and leasing of access time to a centre of computer database; reception on Internet websites, providing and leasing of access time on a network, such as the Internet, leasing of access time to a server of data base; consultancy and consulting in the field of computer software and hardware; online maintenance and updating of computer software and hardware, licensing of intellectual property; leasing of access time to a computer for data processing International class: 42 Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademarks or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. U Kyi Win Associates for ROLEX SA P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416

(Reg: Nos. IV/1281/2008, IV/9175/2010 & IV/11177/2013) in respect of:- Watches, watch servicing and repair watch parts International class 14 & 37

Dated: 17th March, 2014

TRADE MARK CAUTION

Best Western International, Inc., of 6201 North 24th Parkway, Phoenix, Arizona 85016, United States of America, is the Owner of the following Trade Mark:-

12 News

THE MYANMAR TIMES MARCH 17 - 23, 2014

BHUVANA SPA LITE

Reg. No. 12843/2013 in respect of Class 44: Spa services. Fraudulent imitation or unauthorised use of the said Trade Mark will be dealt with according to law. Win Mu Tin, M.A., H.G.P., D.B.L for Best Western International, Inc. P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: [email protected] Dated: 17 March 2014

Relief as meteorologists forecast mild summer

Extra moisture in the air in early March leads to foggy mornings in most regions

AYE SAPAY PHYU

[email protected]

TRADE MARK CAUTION

Sigma-Tau Rare Diseases S.A., of Rua dos Ferreiros, 260, 9000082 Funchal, Madeira, is the Owner of the following Trade Mark:-

ONCASPAR
Reg. No. 10438/2011 in respect of Pharmaceutical preparations including chemotherapeutic agents; veterinary and sanitary preparations. 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 Sigma-Tau Rare Diseases S.A. P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: [email protected] Dated: 17 March 2014

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that LOTTE CHILSUNG BEVERAGE CO., LTD. of 1322-1, Seocho-dong, Seocho-ku, Seoul, Republic of Korea is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trademark:

(Reg. No.: IV/6731/2013) In respect of:- goods in Class 33. Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark will be dealt with according to law. U THAN WIN, B.Com, B.L. for LOTTE CHILSUNG BEVERAGE CO., LTD. By its Ageless IP Attorneys & Consultants P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 17th March, 2014

LOTTE

SUMMER temperatures are expected to be about average this season, weather forecasters say. The inuence of the harsh winter in the northern hemisphere will help Myanmar avoid excessive heat, U Kyaw Lwin Oo, deputy director of the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, said earlier this month. Current daytime temperatures are still normal and there is no signicant high temperature yet. Night temperatures are still cool. There is also rain in upper Myanmar because of the westerly wind caused by the northern winter. This situation is expected to last for the next two weeks, he said. He said international weather forecast centres were predicting summer rain. No El Nio effect had been detected as of the end of February. El Nio is characterised by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacic. La Nia, on the other hand, is characterised by unusually cool ocean temperatures. Both events can last for several months and are associated with signicant changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation in various regions. According to the World Metrological Organization, the tropical Pacic continues to be ENSO-neutral (neither El Nio nor La Nia). Model forecasts and expert opinion suggest that neutral conditions are likely to continue into the second quarter of 2014. Current model outlooks further suggest an enhanced possibility of a weak El Nio around the middle of the year. The National Weather Service of

Two women look out at a fog-shrouded ship on the Yangon River earlier this month. Photo: Zarni Phyo

the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the United States forecast on March 6 that the ENSO- neutral state is expected to continue through the northern hemisphere spring, with about a 50-percent chance of El Nio developing during the summer or autumn. The DMH forecast that daytime temperatures would be about normal in upper Sagaing and Tanintharyi regions and Kachin, Shan and Chin states, and above normal in the remaining regions and states. U Kyaw Lwin Oo said moisture in the air in the rst week of March resulted in heavy fog around the country, especially in coastal and hilly regions, that would last until mid-month. There was heavy fog in Yangon in the morning around 6am last

weekend, said U Maung Maung, a retired government official. I couldnt even see Shwedagon Pagoda from U Wisara Road because of thick fog. But the weather is quite nice for walking. Fog is expected for about 11 to 13 days in upper Sagaing Region, Kachin, Shan and Chin states, and about eight to 10 days in Rakhine, Kayah, Kayin and Mon states. The remaining states and regions can expect ve to seven days. The meteorology department also warned of possible isolated rain or thundershowers accompanied by strong winds of up to 40 miles (64 kilometres) per hour, hail, thunder and lightning in the afternoon or evening due to the rising daytime temperature in the whole country during March to mid-May.

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI)

The UMFCCI is seeking motivated and qualified candidates to apply for the positions of Myanmar Business Forum Coordinator of the Secretariat and Assistant to the Secretariat. Position: MBF Coordinator The MBF Coordinator will lead the Secretariat the UMFCCI is establishing to coordinate Forum activities. The MBF Coordinator will be responsible for (a) coordinating private sector engagement in the Forum (b) establishing the dialogue process between the government and the private sector (c) advocacy for reforms that emanate from the MBF (d) communicating outcomes to relevant stakeholders. The candidate should have Good understanding of the Myanmar business environment and the operations of the government At least five years experience working for the private sector, government or NGO sector Direct experience engaging high level representatives in the public or private sector Excellent communication skills and an ability to articulate complex ideas clearly Strong interpersonal and organizational skills and Fluency in Myanmar and an excellent command of English Position: MBF Assistant Under the direction of the Coordinator of the Secretariat, the assistant will provide logistical and operational support for MBF meetings. The ideal candidate should have Good organizational skills and the ability to work effectively under pressure Excellent computer skills, especially MS Office products Highly motivated and flexible A team player who with demonstrated interpersonal skills At least two years of relevant work experience Fluency in Myanmar and a strong command of English With knowledge of Myanmars business environment is an advantage Interested and qualified candidates are requested to send a CV, a one-page cover letter explaining how your experience is relevant to the position and the names of two referees and their complete contact details (i.e. names, position title, organization, phone, fax, email). Attention to Secretary General, UMFCCI and send the application to: UMFCCI Office Tower: No.29, Min Ye Kyaw Swa Street, Lanmataw Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Only short-listed applicants will be contacted for interview. Closing Date: 28th March, 2014 (Friday), 5:00 pm.

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that FABINNO CO., LTD. of Rm # 901, AT Center 232 Yangjae-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 137787, Republic of Korea is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trademark:

RIPSTOPPER
(Reg: No. IV/6766/2013)

In respect of goods in Class 24. Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark will be dealt with according to law. U THAN WIN, B.Com, B.L. for FABINNO CO., LTD. By its Ageless IP Attorneys & Consultants P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 17th March, 2014

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News 13

CRIME IN BRIEF
Yangon police seize 1 million ATS tablets
Mingalar Taung Nyunt police have seized 100 kilograms of amphetamine-type stimulant, or ATS, tablets, with an estimated value of K5 billion. About 1 million tablets in all were uncovered in the March 8 raid. Police said a joint team from the Anti-narcotics Task Force and Yangons western district police stopped a blue Corolla van on Mya Yar Gone Street at about 6pm and found 200,000 tablets. Two men, one aged 26 and the other 33, were detained and interrogated. Within an hour police found another 800,000 tablets, in four bags, at the home of one of the men. the man on Bayinnaung road at about 2:30am on March 3. They say he was stopping motorists and demanding money from them. Ofcers were suspicious of the man because while he was wearing a police uniform he did not have the proper hat or shoes. After questioning the Insein township resident, they discovered that he was not a police ofcer. Police seized K7700 that he had allegedly taken from unwitting motorists and charged him with impersonating an civil servant. Toe Wai Aung, translation by Thiri Min Htun

Ayeyarwady Somali pirate gang grounded

THAN NAING SOE
[email protected]

Convicted thief accused of smuggling drugs into prison

Student allegedly abducts 41-year-old university lecturer

A man is in hot water with police after attempting to smuggle drugs into prison. Ko Zin Min Naing, 25, received a prison sentence from the Bahan township court for theft on January 21. While being searched by police before being transported to prison, ofcers discovered he had allegedly hidden 182 cough medicine pills in his armpit, in an apparent attempt to smuggle them into the facility. Bahan township police charged him on March 2 for drug possession.

Police impersonator nabbed in Kamaryut township

A man has been charged with impersonating a civil servant after allegedly forcing unsuspecting motorists to pay bribes in Kamaryut township. Kamaryut police ofcers found

Police are investigating allegations a Yangon schoolboy has abducted a female university lecturer 26 years his senior and absconded to Mandalay, according to media reports. The parents of the 41-year-old Yangon University lecturer contacted police in North Dagon after their daughter failed to return home from work on March 10, the 7Day Daily newspaper reported on March 14. A police ofcer from North Dagon was quoted as saying that the student, who attends Yangons exclusive Basic Education High School Dagon 1, contacted his parents from Mandalay on March 11 and admitted abducting the lecturer but told them not to worry. We are working together with Mandalay police to nd out where they are, the police ofcer said. The abduction occurred a day before the student was due to begin his matriculation exams. Staff

NINETEEN members of a gang accused of stopping and robbing vessels on the Ayeyarwady River have been arrested south of Mandalay, regional police said last week. The groups acts over the past three years have earned it the name Ayeyarwady Somali, a reference to the Somali pirates that prowl the Indian Ocean. Despite the groups notoriety, regional police only learned of its existence last month, they said, because victims were too scared to come forward. Police arrested 10 men and nine women, all alleged members of the gang, near Amarapura townships Shangalay Kyun village on March 7. The group generally operated between midnight and 5am, police said,

People arrested for theft pose for a photo with their alleged booty. Photo: Supplied

Members of a gang of alleged river pirates arrested on March 7

19

using boats equipped with Honda outboard motors to overtake and stop vessels on the river. The small security contingents on the vessels were generally no match for the gang, whose members hid during the day in secluded, forested areas along the riverbank. Following a lengthy investigation, police identied two hideouts: one on a stretch of riverbank near Sintebo monastery, northwest of Shangalay Kyun, and another on a nearby sandbank. More than 100 police officers took part in the raid on the hideouts. Those arrested have been charged with theft. The operation was the result of collaboration between district police

forces from Mandalay, Kyaukse and Sagaing, said Police Major Khin Aung from Mandalay Region police force. Police are still searching for some gang members who are believed to be at large. Nevertheless, the arrests has brought relief to panic-stricken boat owners. While the gang was at large we dared not speak out even when we saw them stealing our neighbours boat, said U Wai Phyo Paing, who owns a vessel running between Mandalay and Htigaing. If we told someone, the next day they would put a hole in the bottom of our boat. Translation by Thiri Min Htun

14 News

THE MYANMAR TIMES MARCH 17 - 23, 2014

No response to Peoples Forum invitations

AUNG KYAW MIN [email protected] ORGANISERS of the ASEAN Peoples Forum 2014 said they have invited President U Thein Sein, National League for Democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh from Vietnam to speak at the event, scheduled to be held in Yangon from March 21 to 23. But Daw May May Pyone, the president of the ASEAN Peoples Forum Committee, said she was not sure whether any of the leaders would attend because they have not yet replied to the invitations. If they attend, the forum will be more effective and useful. And I believe the forum will help Myanmar during the transition period, she said. Daw Khin Ohnmar, another member of the organising committee, said they are negotiating with the government to allow ASEAN representatives to get visas-on-arrival for the event. The ASEAN Peoples Forum will be held in conjunction with the ASEAN Civil Society Conference at the Myanmar Convention Centre in Yangon. The three-day event which will include 27 workshops on topics ranging from peace, human rights, equality and democracy is expected to attract 1200 participants. Translation by Thae Thae Htwe

Govt seeks jail for employers who break labour dispute law
EI EI TOE LWIN [email protected] NOE NOE AUNG [email protected] EMPLOYERS who fail to abide by arbitration body rulings could soon face jail terms of up to three months if MPs agree to request from the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security. The ministry on March 12 told MPs it wanted jail terms to be added to the Settlement of Labour Dispute Law because some employers are openly ignoring arbitration rulings designed to resolve labour disputes. The ministry said employers have been particularly reluctant to reinstate workers who were red for labour activities. The law was enacted on March 28, 2012, and the by-laws introduced on April 26. The heaviest punishment that can be handed down for violating an arbitration ruling is a ne of K30,000. If we add imprisonment as a potential punishment employers will be more likely to follow the law than before. It can force them to follow the law. Thats the purpose of this amendment, Deputy Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security U Htin Aung said on March 12, the day the amendment bill was submitted to the Pyithu Hluttaw. MPs are expected to discuss the proposed amendment this week. Labour activists and workers

Workers from the Home Shin factory protest in Yangon in September 2013. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing

expressed mixed views about the proposed change, with U Chit Oo Maung from the Labour Rights Clinic warning that punishments alone would not change the attitudes of employers. He said jailing a business owner is also not going to be a good result for their employees, as the business may close down. I dont consider adding imprisonment to the law as a good thing ... As an activist who is trying to protect the rights of workers, I want employers to change their mindset through education, not to make

them change by force, he said. He also expressed doubt over whether the judiciary would apply the law evenly. The law should apply to every employer, whether they are a big company or not. If the employers close to the government body can freely break the law it will be unfair and imprisonment will only be a threat to owners of small- and medium-sized enterprises, he said. But Ko Maung Maung Thet, who lost his job at the Taw Win timber factory because he took part in a pro-

test against his employer, said that the amendment would be good for workers. They should be protected from the unfair behaviour of employers. Even when the workers ask for their rights by protesting and the arbitration council decides in their favour, the employers ignore it, he said. In the end, at Taw Win we lost our jobs for nothing. Maybe employers wont like the amendment but I think its good news for workers, he added. Translation by Thiri Min Htun

IN BRIEF
MCDC allows 33 Thingyan pandals
Water festival fans in Mandalay will be able to set up pandals around the citys historic moat, local authorities have agreed. Mandalay City Development Committee has allowed 33 Thingyan pandals around the moat for next months festivities. The lucky winners were selected by lot from 270 applicants last week. We allowed 15 pandals on 26th Street south of the moat and 15 on 66th Street east of the moat. There will be just one pandal at the north end and two at the west. The biggest pandals will be about 90 metres [300 feet] wide, an MCDC ofcial said on March 13. The two biggest pandals will be the Alpine stage on 26th Street and the SIR Music Band stage on 12th Street. Applicants must pay a K500,000 premium and can spray water from 7am to noon and 3-6pm from April 13 to 16, ofcials said. Phyo Wai Kyaw and Hlaing Kyaw Soe President U Thein Sein signed an agreement between Myanmar and the EU on emergency response during his visit there last year. Pyae Thet Phyo, translation by Thiri Min Htun

Literary award cash prizes to rise

Crisis response centre set to open

Top security ofcials say they are better prepared for emergencies thanks to the new Myanmar Crisis Response Centre. Police Brigadier General Win Naing Tun said at police headquarters on March 12 that MCRC can contact the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance or similar regional crisis response bodies when emergencies occur. We can offer help 24/7 and can directly contact senior ofcials ... up to the president, he said. MCRC was established with assistance from the European Union to gather information to support effective emergency responses, to strengthen collaboration between international and local teams, and to issue disasterrelated warnings. This will become an important and reliable centre, said Pol Brig Gen Win Naing Tun. About 40 ofcials attended a twoday course on March 12 and 13 in Nay Pyi Taw on the centres operations.

Cash prizes for literary award winners are set to rise in coming years, a deputy minister for information says. Winners of the National Literature Award and Sarpay Beikman Manuscript Award are likely to increase by two or three times current levels in 2014-15, U Pike Htwe said. He made the comment in response to a question from Pyithu Hluttaw representative U Khine Maung Yi, who said on March 12 that he believed the K1.5 million given for a lifetime achievement award should be increased by four or ve times. U Pike Htwe said it was a very appropriate suggestion but could not occur this year as the prize money for 2014-15 has already been set. It would be good news for literary experts, who play important role in the development of Myanmar literature, the deputy minister said. We will consider increasing it to that level in future. National literature awards were rst handed out in 1947. Ei Ei Toe Lwin, translation by Zar Zar Soe

Second Ayeyarwady forum held

Local residents who live around the Ayeyarwady River basin discussed the social, economic and environmental issues affecting their lives at the second Public Ayeyarwady Forum on March 11 at Mandalays Dhamma Tharla Hall. This forum highlights what residents are worried about on the basis of a six-month survey conducted along the river basin, said U Maung Maung Oo, secretary of environmental organisation Sein Yaung So. The rst Public Ayeyarwady Forum was held in Yangon in December. Than Naing Soe, translation by Zar Zar Soe

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News 15

IN BRIEF
Steam train to return to Myanmars rail network
Get set for a journey back in time. State-run Myanma Railways is overhauling a nearly 70-year-old steam locomotive to carry tourists between Mandalay and Bagan, an ofcial has told The Myanmar Times. Transportation manager for Mandalay Region U Kyaw Soe Linn said the train will be targeted only to tourists. There will be four coaches and will run to Bagan, Kyaukpadaung and Mt Popa. We are making preparations and expect to launch the service soon, he said on March 3. The steam locomotive is being repaired at Thazi township in Mandalay Region. A test run between Mandalay and Bagan on February 24 went smoothly, U Kyaw Soe Linn said. Ticket prices and service frequencies have not yet been announced. The locomotive was made in 1945 in England and runs on furnace oil, which makes it cheaper to operate than diesel locomotives. Maung Zaw, translation by Thiri Min Htun

Inle Lake not ready for boom in tourism

ZAW WIN THAN [email protected] INLE Lake is not well prepared for expected growth in tourism, international experts say, following a rapid rise in visitor numbers to the site over the past few years. To help manage growth, the Institute for International Development (IID) in Yangon and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, based in Kathmandu, Nepal, have developed a tourism management plan for the greater Inle Lake region, with support from the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism and the government of Luxembourg. At least 100,000 international tourists visited the area in 2012, combined with a similar number of domestic visitors to the lake, giving a minimum base of 200,000 visitors annually, the organisations say. Through our research, which included extensive consultations in the Inle region, we found people, environment and infrastructure quite unprepared for this rapid increase in tourism. So there should be more focus on providing training and employment for local people, IID director Joern Kristensen said last week. An open group discussion took place on March 17 in Nyaungshwe, the main gateway to the lake, with participants from the local tourism sector. Other activities will include developing a visitor forecast model, preparation of guidelines for sustainable tourism development, training in tourism planning and conducting the rst detailed survey of tourists in the region. Minister of Hotels and Tourism U Htay Aung said the ministry was optimistic about the programs prospects for success and the long-term sustainability of the lake. The regional tourism destination management plan will also include a proposal for the establishment and funding of a permanent tourism management body at the lake.

A migrant from Myanmar works at a construction site in Chiang Mai in July 2012. Photo: Kaung Htet

Shan cultural group urges census cooperation

Thai govt shutdown delays worker deal

BILL OTOOLE
[email protected]

The Shan Literature and Culture Association has urged its members to help enumerators conduct the national census scheduled to get underway later this month. We want to help take the census because we want to know the exact number of people in our country and how many Shan there are, vice chair U Sai Aung Saing said on March 6 following the groups 12th annual meeting. He said the association also plans to register under Myanmars new Association Registration Law. With the new policy introduced under the new government, we need to renew our associations registration to keep up with the times, he said. The association also released a statement urging all township-level Shan literature and culture organisations to align themselves with the central body. It also called on the government to ensure that all Shan who are listed on national identity documents as Bamar can amend their ofcial ethnicity if they wish. Representatives from 41 township-level Shan literature and culture organisation attended the two-day meeting. Than Naing Soe, translation by Thiri Min Htun

A NEW policy to enable migrant workers in Thailand to extend work visas will have to wait until the political conict gripping Bangkok subsides, a Thai government official has conrmed. But labour rights activists in both Thailand and Myanmar say the migrant worker visa problem was clear long before the crisis in Bangkok, and accused the Thai government of making excuses for a deeply corrupt system. Thai law enforcers enjoy easy opportunities to extort and abuse these now completely vulnerable workers, said Phil Robertson, Asia Pacic director at Human Rights Watch and coauthor of several studies on migrant abuse. There are more than 1 million registered migrant workers in Thailand, the vast majority of whom come from the border states of eastern Myanmar. Under an agreement signed by both the Thai and Myanmar governments that came into effect in 2009, Myanmar workers were able to attain work permits valid for up to four years. However, the agreement did not specify how or when migrants could renew their permission to work in

Thailand. The rst batch of these passports began to expire in August 2013, leaving thousands with the difficult choice of staying in the country illegally or returning to a life of poverty in Myanmar. The governments have so far been unable to agree on a new system and migrants caught overstaying have been forced to pay as much as 20,000 baht (US$620) a day, a number of sources said. On March 4 The Bangkok Post quoted Department of Employment director general Prawit Khiengpol as saying his department would cooperate with the Department of Immigration and Thai police to relax the penalties for overstaying pending the formation of a new government. The article quoted Poj Aramwattananont, the director of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, as saying that the business sector is satised with the measures, which will do until the next government takes shape. But migrant rights activists said the riots and demonstrations that have crippled Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatras administration did not begin until December 2013, a full three months after visas began expiring.

The old Thai saying that when you cant dance, blame the ute and drums is applicable here for the Ministry of Labour, Mr Robertson said. Photo: Kaung Htet From day one, they have mismanaged the migrant labour registration process and now they are looking for someone to blame. Pronom Somwong, a Chiang Maibased program officer with the Migrant Action Program, said that it should be simple for the Thai authorities to allow work permit extensions even with the current situation in Bangkok. She said that while she appreciated the ministers comments on overstay nes, his words will likely carry little weight. [The announcement] was a good thing. But sometimes [the government] have a good policy, but the reality on the ground is different Extortion is still happening. It happened even before the work permits expired. Mr Robertson was more critical, saying the governments requests to the police and immigration to not arrest migrant workers are not worth the paper they are written on. Representatives from the Thai Department of Labour and the Ministry of Labour in Nay Pyi Taw could not be reached for comment.

TRADE MARK CAUTION

Connors Bros. Clover Leaf Seafoods Company, of 80 Tiverton Court, Suite 600, Markham, Ontario L3R 0G4, Canada, is the Owner of the following Trade Mark:-

16 News
A child whose family was evicted from Thamee Kalay village in Hlegu township stands in the doorway of a school on March 6. Photo: Zarni Phyo

THE MYANMAR TIMES MARCH 17 - 23, 2014

Reg. No. 5166/1998 in respect of Class 29: Canned Fish. 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 Connors Bros. Clover Leaf Seafoods Company P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: [email protected] Dated: 17 March 2014

TRADEMARK CAUTION NOTICE

Fabory Nederland B.V., a company organized under the laws of the Netherlands, carrying on business as a limited liability company operating in the field of distribution and trade of fasteners and related industrial products and logistics services and having its principal office at Zevenheuvelenweg 44, 5048 An Tilburg, the Netherlands is the owner and sole proprietor of the following Trademarks:Reg. Nos. 4/8817/2009 & 4/7908/2012 for Intl Class 6, 4/8818/2009 & 4/7909/ 2012 for Intl Class 8, 4/ 8819/2012 & 4/7910/2012 for Intl Class 20

FABORY

ille
Recent evi misguided and
ing was subsequently called to discuss reasonable resolutions but there appears to have been no consensus. Col Tin Win has told journalists that the regional government has no plans for the squatters. He argued that if the government allocated land to them in a particular area, unless there were nearby job opportunities they would sooner or later sell the land and squat somewhere else. Certainly those whose homes are destroyed cant afford to build a new house or buy a new apartment. Instead, a lucky few might be able to live with friends or relatives. Most are migrants, so some may return to their former homes in other parts of the country. Many others will simply be put out on the street. They may be forced to commit criminal acts to survive, to beg or become sex workers. Simply evicting them is no answer; in fact, it will likely cause greater negative consequences for our society. The authorities see that there are two options: give the squatters replacement land to entice them to leave, or drive them out. They fear the rst option because the number of squatters may increase when people hear they can receive land allocations. As mentioned, the government also does not believe they will live for long on the newly allocated land, defeating the point of the program. But the other option is equally as daunting. If they thought it would be easy to clear the squatters, the authorities were misguided in their optimism. A survey must be conducted to work out where residents came from, how long they have lived at their current address, what their job is, how many family members they have and so on. Only after evaluating the results can the government ascertain what kind of steps should be taken. For example, illegal residents who just arrived the day before the survey should be easy to move on. But if they have lived there for a long time for example, 10 or 20 years the authorities should create temporary shelters or set up new settlements.

Reg. Nos. 4/8820/2009 & 4/ 7911/2012 for Intl Class 6, 4/8821/2009 & 4/7912/ 2012 for Intl Class 8, 4/8822/2012 & 4/7913/ 2012 for Intl Class 20 Used in respect of: Common metals and their alloys; metal building materials; trasportable buildings of metal; materials of metal for railway tracks; non-electric cables and wires of common metal; small items for metal hardware; hinges and locks, screws, nuts, bolts, plugs, fasteners, spring rings, clamping plates, wire tracks, threaded rods, concrete screw caps, pins, nails, rivets, clamps, wires, steel bender work, gauze, stretchers, link bars, chains, split pins, stretching rods, clamping brackets of metal, either or not plastified; zincplated tubular poles covered with plastic, metal garden gated covered with plastic, hoses, flanges and fittings for pipes. (International Class 6) Hand tools and instruments. (International Class 8) Fastening materials and hinges and locks not included in other classes; not of metal. (International Class 20) Any unauthorised use, imitation, infringements or fraudulent intentions of the above marks will be dealt with according to law. Tin Ohnmar Tun & The Law Chambers Ph: 0973150632, Email:[email protected] (For. Frank International Limited, Thailand) Dated. 17th March, 2014

ANALYSIS
certain date. According to a 2013 report by the Yangon Region Hluttaw Legal Affairs Committee, 10 percent of the citys total population about 600,000 people altogether lives in illegal homes, while 20pc of the citys buildings were illegally built. These are not insignicant numbers. Removing these homes may be necessary in some cases. But we need to think rst how this should be done. The governments present modus operandi is to give notice of eviction, pull down houses by force after the deadline and drive out the residents like animals. Of the forced evictions to date, the worst was at Thamee Kalay village. After the village was destroyed, people had to live beside a nearby road in tents. The government drove them away again. They moved to Bago Region, where they were evicted again. Then they shifted to the compound of a local monastery, where they lived in

[email protected]

SITHU AUNG MYINT

T was with sadness that I recently read about the government and military demolishing illegal homes with force. The numbers affected are vast; the issue concerns not just a single house, ward or village: thousands of homes have been destroyed. Tens of thousands are now homeless, living out on the streets. But why is this happening now? Why are the government and the military using force to remove the homes, and what are the likely consequences? Finally, is there another way to manage the evictions? The rst thing we should think about is how many people have been hurt by this crisis and how many more are likely to be affected. In recent months, thousands of homes were destroyed in Hlaing Tharyar township, Yangon Region. The government has started undertaking weekly campaigns to pull down houses that have been in Inseins railway yard for more than 20 years. Another prominent case is that of Thamee Kalay village in Hlegu township, where thousands of people were evicted by the military. The government has also announced that it is planning to take action to clear the remaining squatters. In early March, Yangon Region Minister for Security and Border Affairs Colonel Tin Win said there are an estimated 58,000 illegal homes in Yangon, of which 5000 have already been destroyed. The government had at that time given notice to the remainder that they had to leave by a

The governments present modus operandi is to drive out the residents like animals.
roughly pitched shelters. Once again they were forced by the government to leave. What is clear is that the government has shown no mercy to these people. Its actions are more akin to a crackdown on insurgents and the case, which was highlighted in the media, has undoubtedly tarnished the governments image. After the Thamee Kalay incident came to light a cabinet meet-

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News 17

Decision time looms for evicted residents of Thamee Kalay

KYAW PHONE KYAW
[email protected]

Our policy failure on legal homes

ctions that have left thousands of residents homeless are show a worrying lack of sympathy for the citys poorest

600,000
Estimated number of people living in illegally built homes in Yangon The government needs to take advice from experts, including urban planners. Government ministries need to cooperate to nd solutions and even allocate budget funding to the issue if necessary. New residential areas and lowpriced apartments must be created. It

is absolutely essential that these have better infrastructure and basic amenities in order to lure new inhabitants. There is much to consider, and many things to do. Much responsibility rests with each tier of the administration, for this is a serious social issue that affects the lives of thousands of our citizens. Considering the government has shown itself unable to smoothly resolve even the issues with roadside vendors, there are few reasons to be hopeful that it will have any more success with illegal residents. Both issues highlight the shortcomings of the countrys executive and its failure to implement policy with goodwill toward its citizens. Translation by Zar Zar Soe

ON February 4, the sound of noisy machinery and fearful voices spread around the small village of Thamee Kalay. Within hours, 160 homes were destroyed. If you travel about 25 kilometres north along the Yangon-Nay Pyi Taw Highway, turn off to the right at a red dirt road and drive for 20 minutes, you can still see the ruined bamboo cottages. Thamee Kalay was the largest of eight villages that were destroyed that day by the authorities, on the grounds they had been built illegally on military-owned land. It was like hell, said Ko Kyaw Soe Naing, 29, as he recalled the destruction of their homes. Before the eviction notice arrived on January 27, residents earned a living by collecting gingerwort, bamboo shoots and other plants, working on rubber plantations or shovelling sand for construction companies. When the notice came, everybody was afraid in their hearts, said Daw Thaung Thaung, 42. They stayed because they had nowhere else to go. Eight days later the machines arrived to destroy their homes. They packed up their belongings and ed on foot. However, they encountered difficulties almost immediately, according to U Agga Dahma, the sayadaw of Thamee Kalay monastery, because they crossed into Bago Region, where officials were less than welcoming. The villagers gathered in Bago Region ... but the Bago authorities didnt want them, he said. They then took refuge at Aung Theik Di monastery near Alaing Ni Dam in Bago Region. Again, the village authorities told them to leave, although so far they have refused. Their plight has attracted signicant attention, and much of the debate has focused on whether they are opportunists seeking compensation or evicted villagers genuinely deserving of sympathy. The local National League for Democracy MP, U Phyo Min Thein, told journalists that Thamee Kalay was established only in

2013 and was not recognised by the government. The villagers, however, show planning documents for nearby Lagunbyin Dam from 2000 that clearly show the village marked. I dont want to hear even the name of Phyo Min Thein, was how Thamee Kalay village administrator U Tin Myint responded to the allegations. Aged over 50, U Tin Myint said he was born and raised in Thamee Kalay. He said homes in the village were built without any kind of planning until 2011, when a road, monastery, medical clinic and administrators office were constructed. He said their homes were de-

[The authorities] have forced us to leave and we think we will have to take whatever we can get, whether it is good or bad.
Ma Nilar Win Thamee Kalay resident

stroyed while their application for village status was being processed by the government. He had even asked U Phyo Min Thein to help him get the village designated. An MP from the rival Union Solidarity and Development Party, U Hla Than, has stepped into the breach. He told The Myanmar Times that he has helped arranged a new site for the displaced residents, about 32km from Thamee Kalay, with the permission of the Yangon Region government. The Thamee Kalay villagers were

expected to move there by March 17. They are divided over the proposal, however. The new site is on a oodplain, and the rainy season is just months away. There are no roads to nearby villages, no jobs and no drinking water. They have been allocated 2400-square-foot plots, but it remains unclear how they will build homes. About 50 families, or one-third of the total, have so far refused to leave the monastery, despite promises that a well will be dug soon in the new village and a road will be built to connect it to nearby Wayar Gone. The people who dont want to go are worried about the lack of jobs. Here they know how to survive for a living. But there, maybe we have to work for a rubber plantation and grow paddy during the rainy season. The works might be okay after some time but at rst it wont be easy, said Ma Nilar Win, 29. Her husband works as a mason. They have decided to move with their three children to the new village. We cant stay at our old village. [The authorities] have forced us to leave and we think we will have to take whatever we can get, whether it is good or bad, she added. U Tin Myint, the former administrator, said he planned to move with his family, although he has no idea how they will survive. He tries to put on a brave face. We cant starve because the good spirits will ensure our mouths can eat. He perhaps has more reason for optimism then some. Those who refuse to go have no idea what the future holds; while they are not allowed to continue staying at the monastery indenitely, they also cannot return home. But in the uproar surrounding Thamee Kalay, residents of the other villages destroyed on February 4, which have from 20 to 40 households each, have largely been overlooked. For now, they make their homes beside bamboo thickets.

TRADE MARK CAUTION

KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, also trading as TOSHIBA CORPORATION, a Company incorporated in Japan, of 1-1, Shibaura 1-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan, is the Owner of the following Trade Marks:-

Reg. No. 5883/2013 in respect of Water mills; wind mills; AC generators; DC generators; photovoltaic panels; batteries; computer program for transportation system; computer program for water supply system; computer program for energy management system; computer program for healthcare; computer program; modular data center; computer servers. 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 KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: [email protected] Dated: 17 March 2014

Smart Ninja

Reg. No. 5882/2013

18 News

THE MYANMAR TIMES MARCH 17 - 23, 2014

KTV bars, stage shows told to close during exams

SI THU LWIN
[email protected]

KTV bars and stage show restaurants in Mandalay have been ordered to close their businesses during matriculation exams so that students are not distracted from their studies. Citing noise and safety concerns, administrators ordered the ban from March 12 to 22. In Mandalay, almost 85,000 students will sit their matriculation exams over the 11-day period. Ward administrators have already issued orders to the public not to make too much noise while the exams are taking place, one township administrator in Mandalay said last week. We also told KTV bars and restaurants that run stage shows to close during the exam week, he said.

Staff at KTV bars said owners were largely complying with the order from the local authorities. Our shop has to close because of the matriculation exams; we were told to close 24 hours, said Ma Kye Zin, who works at a KTV bar on Theikpan Road in Chan Mya Thar Si township. I plan to make the most of it and take a long holiday, and go back to my hometown. The order attracted some criticism from residents, who questioned why the government allowed the KTV bars and stage shows to open in the rst place. They are regularly a front for prostitution, which is illegal under Myanmar law. If you say that these kinds of shops must close during the exams, it basically means you are saying they are running legally, said U Mya Aye, a resident of 59th Street in Chan Mya Thar Si township. Anyway, I guess we should be happy that theyll be closed, even if its only for the exam period. Translation by Thiri Min Htun

IN PICTURES

PHOTO: ZARNI PHYO

A mother hands a folder to her daughter at a high school in Yangon last week. Matriculation exams got underway for more than half a million students across the country last week. Students will sit their exams at 1287 exam centres, including 15 outside Myanmar. Exams began on March 12 and run to March 22.

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News 19

MPs approve changes to anti-money laundering bill

EI EI TOE LWIN [email protected] AN anti-money laundering bill passed by the Pyidaungsu Hlttaw last week could help Myanmar improve its global image, attract investment and avoid further international sanctions. The law was approved after a strong request from an international body set up to counter money-laundering. The parliament had approved an earlier version on February 12 but instead of signing it President U Thein Sein sent the draft back suggesting that the proposed penalties be lightened. The hluttaw complied with this request on March 13, amending the draft to provide for a minimum prison sentence of one year, rather than the three years contained in the version passed on February 12. is seeking foreign investment. The Anti-Money Laundering Law was submitted in conjuction with an Anti-Terrorism Law, which was debated in the Amyotha Hluttaw last week but has not yet been approved. The FATF was formed in 1989 after the G7 Summit to combat money laundering and the nancing of terrorism, and its recommendations are compulsory on all countries. It maintains a list of Non-Cooperative Countries and Territories (NCCT), and it takes countermeasures against countries that do not improve their anti-laundering systems. Myanmar has been on the list since 2001, and was subjected to counter-measures in 2003, being placed under US nancial sanctions. While it was removed from the list in October 2006 and the FATF has acknowledged its progress on the issue, the international body has also urged the government to take specic extra steps to tackle money laundering. In a statement following the February 14 meeting, the FATF said that while Myanmar has taken steps to combat money laundering and the nancing of terrorism it has not made sufficient progress in addressing the deciencies in its anti-money laundering strategy. The FATF encourages Myanmar to address the remaining deciencies and continue the process of implementing its action plan, the organisation said. These recommended steps include criminalising terrorist nancing; ensuring a fully operational and effectively functioning Financial Intelligence Unit; enhancing nancial transparency; and strengthening customer due diligence measures. U Thein Tun Oo from the parliaments Joint Bill Committee said he believed the law would go a signicant way toward meeting FATF concerns about money laundering in Myanmar. The law is very important for the development of our country and will have a positive impact on our international image, he said last week.
Students hold library cards at the opening of the Daw Khin Kyi Foundation mobile library on March 11. Photo: Pyae Thet Phyo

Mobile library opens in Nay Pyi Taw

PYAE THET PHYO [email protected] A MOBILE library established in the name of Daw Aung San Suu Kyis mother, Daw Khin Kyi, has begun operating in Nay Pyi Taw. Project director U Thant Thaw Kaung said the Daw Khin Kyi Foundation project aims to build reading habits in the 20 villages in Pobbathiri township. This is a free service. For the most part libraries cant reach out to the public. But a mobile library means people dont need to come and makes it more convenient for them to read, he said on March 11. We chose Pobbathiri township in Nay Pyi Taw because it has many villages. We will see how it goes in Pobbathiri and then consider extending it to other townships. The mobile library has more than 8000 books, including ction and non-ction. The service was launched in Daw Aung San Suu Kyis constituency on July 27, 2013, and currently visits 33 villages. Translation by Thiri Min Htun

The law ... will have a positive impact on our international image.
U Thein Tun Oo Joint Bill Committee member

The law empowers the Customs Department to arrest people accused of failure to declare earnings, money laundering, concealment or suspicious related cases involving money and transferrable instruments or valuables. Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Brigadier General Kyaw Zan Myint told the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw on January 22 the law should be amended before the next meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which was held in Paris in February. He warned that failure to do so could result in international sanctions that would damage the economy at a time when Myanmar

TRADE MARK CAUTION

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www.mmtimes.com

News 21

Taxi drivers count cost of policy change on CNG conversions

AYE NYEIN WIN
[email protected]

TAXI drivers are demanding information from the government about when or if they will be authorised to switch to compressed natural gas. The drivers swapped their old CNGequipped vehicles for newer imports under a government scheme, but say nobody can tell them when they can convert their new taxis to CNG use. Under the vehicle substitution scheme, the owners of old vehicles could replace them with a new one. If the old vehicle used CNG, the Ministry of Energy was supposed to issue a permit to enable the owner to convert

the new vehicle to use gas. Frustrated drivers said last week they have been waiting for up to 11 months for approval. We applied to the Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise [MOGE] last April, expecting an answer within two months. Now we want to know if we will get permits or not, said taxi driver Ko Kyaw Hlaing Soe.

Months some car owners have been waiting for permission to convert their vehicles to CNG

11

He said he had spent about K4 million securing a permit to convert a new vehicle to CNG after legally changing the ownership documents. We submitted all the papers with ofcial stamps. But were still waiting for an answer, he said, adding that about 150 taxis were still awaiting authorisation. U Ko Lay, general manager of the MOGE, said the plan was suspended in mid-2013 by order of Yangon Region Chief Minister U Myint Swe. The chief minister stopped the program because owners of small buses, such as Dyna and Hilux models, were handing in their vehicles for substitution but importing cars to be run as taxis. U Ko Lay said the chief minister was concerned that allowing taxis to change to CNG would lead to a lack of buses running on the fuel and cause problems for the public.

A taxi driver sits on the bonnet of a CNG-equipped car. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing

But driver Ko Oak Soe said this had never been communicated to those shelling out money for permits from the ministry. We are not asking for CNG for free from the government, said Ko

Oak Soe. If they stopped the plan, they should have announced it before they did it. If there is no response within two weeks we will submit complaints to the president and protest against the Ministry of Energy.

Day-care schools fret over new law

New taxes to be levied under Early Child Care and Development Law could lead to the closure of small day-care nursery schools, owners and teachers warn
MG ZAW [email protected] ABOUT 80 percent of residential daycare nursery schools could close as a result of a new law on child care, experts have warned. The law tightens conditions for the registration of residential nursery schools, and the owners of unlicensed schools could go to prison for up to six months and/or be ned up to K1 million. The Early Child Care and Development Law was passed on February 6, but has not yet come into effect. The law sets out minimum sizes While the amounts will be set by regional governments and are not yet known, smaller schools fear they will not be able to afford the cost of registering. Even now we are struggling to compete with high-class day-care centres. Residential day-care nurseries will disappear if we have to pay tax. This school is both a hobby and a source of income for me, said nursery teacher Daw Thin Thin Moe of Shwe Yin Pyan ward. Our nurseries teach children basic lessons to help prepare children for primary school. But we cant teach them additional lessons like big preschools do because we cant hire extra teachers, she added. I think the number of preschools will decrease if the tax rate is too high, agreed nursery teacher Daw Myo Myo Than of Mahar Myaing 2 ward. Ko Zaw Min Tun, a trainer from Htate Tan Education Service Group, which gives training courses on early child care in Mandalay, said about 80 percent of residential-based day nurseries could close as they are family businesses rather than officially established in accordance with the law. I assume this law is intended to bring the system here into line with international standards, he said. A spokesperson for the Department of Social Welfare said the new law aimed to develop standards for preschools or day centres, and the department intended to meet with school owners to explain its provisions. This law can bring more discipline to preschools, and its good for children and parents. We dont know yet when will it come into effect, so we cant say when we will start taking action [against those not in compliance], he said. In Mandalay, there are two department-owned preschools, 68 self-reliant preschools, 24 private preschools and an unknown number of residential-based day nurseries. Translation by Zar Zar Soe

Even now we are struggling to compete ... Residential daycare nurseries will disappear if we have to pay tax.
Daw Thin Thin Moe Teacher at a day-care nursery in Mandalays Shwe Yin Pyan ward

for schools based on the number of students and also contains childteacher ratios, including one teacher for every three children under two years old, six children aged from two to three and 15 children aged from three to ve. The head of a preschool must be a university graduate aged over 25 with a recognised child-care qualication. In addition, the law will introduce a registration fee and annual renewal fee where currently most schools do not have to pay taxes, according to the Department of Social Welfare.

22 THE MYANMAR TIMES MARCH 17 - 23, 2014

Business
Further delays for airport as firms recalled to submit bids
Talks with Incheon consortium fall apart as government set to offer development assistance
another consortium comprising of Singapores Changi Airport Planners,YongnamHoldings Ltd and consortiums from Frances Vinci and Japans Taisei airports selected as backups. However, negotiations between the Incheon consortium and the DCA never materialised and the government later decided to grant the project official development assistance (ODA), which would have given the private contractor an unfair advantage, said U Win Swe Tun, deputy director general of the DCA. As well as the original winner, the ministry also invited the three other consortiums to re-enter the bidding with strong financial proposals in order to be fair, he told The Myanmar Times, adding that the new submission deadline is April 22. They dont need to resubmit their existing technical proposals on design, construction, operation and maintenance. With negotiations with the Incheon consortium falling apart, the DCA also said that it would now be impossible to meet the scheduled completion date of December 2016 as they must work out the details of the ODA. For these reasons, the December 2016 completion date cannot be met. The project starting date and completion date will be announced in the near future after selection of the winning consortium, he said. Located on a 9000-acre (3642-hectare) site about 48 miles (77 kilometres) northeast of Yangon, Bago, Hanthawaddy airport first began in March 1994 but halted construction October 2003. Despite its distance from the city, the site was considered the most suitable among a shortlist of nine. Hanthawaddy is said to be capable of handling up to 10 million passengers a year once completed. With the new airport nowhere in sight however, passenger traffic will continue to be handled at Yangon International Airport, which will increase its capacity from 2.7 million passengers per year to 3.5 million in 2015, and 6 million a year by 2019, said U Win Swe Tun. Pioneer Aerodrome Services, a Myanmar company linked to the conglomerate Asia World, won the tender to renovate the airport, again with the Yongnam-CAPE-JGC consortium following as the backup. Mandalay International Airport, meanwhile, is slated to be renovated by Japans Mitsubishi Corporation sometime in the near future, though that agreement has yet to be finalised, he said.

ZAW WIN THAN

[email protected]

FOUR international consortiums that once vied for a US$1 billion contract to build the new Hanthawaddy Airport in Bago have been asked to once again submit bids for the tender, further delaying construction, a spokesperson for the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) confirmed last week. South Koreas Incheon Airport consortium won the tender for the contract to build the much anticipated new airport in August, with

A vendor sells bars of Padomar soap at Nyaung Pin Lay Market in Yangon last week.

Arbitor slams UME

Military-run conglomerate resorts to physically locking officials
BRIDGET DI CERTO [email protected] SANDAR LWIN [email protected] A LOCAL arbitrator presiding over a dispute between military-backed Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited (UMEHL) and a commerical partner has publically accused the conglomerate of deliberately sabotaging the suit through a number of stunts geared toward terminating the proceedings. In a notice published inthe staterun New Light of Myanmaron March 12, the arbitrator handling a commercial dispute between UMEHL and TAG Company Limited over a joint-venture soap factory accused UMEHL of physically locking the arbitrator and TAG Co representatives out of the arbitration chamber ahead of a scheduled meeting as well as removing furniture from an arbitration room. The arbitrator, U Maung Maung Ohn Myaing, said in the statement that UMEHL ignored summonses by the arbitrator as well as intentionally breached the dispute resolution terms of its own commercial agreement with TAG Co, that leases the Padomar Soap factory in Mon State from UMEHL. Colonel Win Kyi (Retd) [representative of UMEHL] and his Advocate U Hla Kyi were absent and did not appear before the Arbitral Tribunal again and

An artists impression of the proposed Hanthawaddy International Airport, to be built near Bago. Photo: Supplied

BUSINESS eDiTOR: Philip Heijmans | [email protected]

23

Tax department admits fault in public disclosure

BUSINESS 25

Yangons historic cinemas face extinction

PROPERTY 30

Exchange Rates (March 14 close)

Currency
Euro Malaysia Ringitt Singapore Dollar Thai Baht US Dollar

Buying
K1340 K285 K757 K29 K961

Selling
K1350 K295 K767 K30 K966

New tax law sees marked rate reductions for 2014-2015

[email protected]

AYE THIDAR KYAW

Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing

EHL over foul play

out of hearings, removing furniture from meetings over failed suit
remove[d] chairs, tables and furniture from the Arbitral Tribunal chamber in advance with the intention to terminate the Arbitration, U Maung Maung Ohn Myaing wrote in his summons. They did not appear before Arbitral Tribunal and already locked main doors of such Arbitral Tribunal Chamber so that Arbitrator U Maung Maung Ohn Myaing [and TAG Company representatives] were standing in front of such locked chamber. Such performances of Colonel Win Kyi and his Advocate U Hla Kyi were carried out with the intention to terminate such Arbitral Tribunal and against provisions of the Arbitration Act. U Maung Maung Ohn Myaing, one of two arbitrators appointed to the case, had ruled against injunctive action proposed by UMEHL because the respondent had failed to pay money it owed the rm and subsequently the commercial giant led a motion of no condence in U Maung Maung Ohn Myaing and sought to terminate the proceedings. A second arbitrator, which had initially ordered injunctive relief in favour of UMEHL, later withdrew from the case. Such letters meaning is [a] one sided cancellation of the existing [agreement]. But the existing laws MORE ON busINEss 28

PARLIAMENT has approved changes to the tax law for the 2014-2015 year that will see many tax rates lowered and new tax breaks introduced as an incentive to reign in endemic tax evasion and illegal trade, officials said. However industry insiders believe the lower rates will not be enough to change current practices. On March 11, Pyidaungsu Hluttaw approved a draft on income and commercial tax rates as part of the 2014 Union Tax Law that aims to increase the tax to GDP ratio from between 3 and 4 percent to 4.5pc, a tax widening trend the government says will continue year on year. The 2014 Union Tax Law, incorporating the revised rates, was then submitted to the Presidents Office for passage into domestic law onApril 1. DFDL deputy managing director William Greenlee said that the amendments are aimed to encourage Myanmar citizens and companies to comply with the tax laws and to minimize risks of tax evasion. According to the new law, rst-time property buyers will now be subject to a 5pc commercial tax for property valued up to K50 million, 10pc for up to K150 million, 20pc for up to K200 million and 30pc for property valued above K300 million. Nevertheless, taxpayers would be able to reduce tax payable on property by deducting taxes already paid from the value of the property, National Planning and Economic Development Minister U Soe Thar said last week from Nay Pyi Taw during a speech announcing the new law. We hope these proper rates for government employees and other ordinary people will help people to know the system and participate in tax collection. High-income earners will have a monthly tax bill, although the new laws raise the cut-off for paying monthly tax from people earning K120,000 per month to K160,000 per month. Commercial tax for luxury teak and

hardwood logs, pieces and nished products was halved from 50pc to 25pc, while the same tax on jade and polished precious gems was also halved from 30pc to 15pc, soothing in part the concerns of gems dealers who claimed the previous tax was making the trade unprotable. U Than Maung, a jade and gem trader in Yangons Tarmwe Township, said reducing illegal trade of precious commodities could garner millions of extra kyats in government annual revenue though he reiterated that more reforms were necessary to liven the sector. The government should also try to ensure taxpayers get benets from paying regular taxes, he added. We dont get any benets even though we comply with tax. Commercial sales of raw stones and gems however remain the same, currently taxed at 30pc, while taxes on tobacco and alcohol products will remain the same despite an attempt by lawmaker Daw Khin San Hlaing to raise these taxes to 200pc. The current tax brackets of 100pc for cigarettes and 50pc for tobacco products and alcoholic beverages is already

problematic, industry insiders said. U Thein Gha, owner of a liquor shop in Dagon Seikkan township, said Yangon retailers regularly avoided paying taxes on commercial sales of alcohol. Almost all shops in this township dont pay tax, he said, adding the system did not reward those who abided by it. Instead, regular taxpayers would be driven out of business by competitive non-taxpaying prices elsewhere. Minister for Finance U Win Shein said on state television that the current tax framework is riddled with weaknesses and that the tax law would be annually revised. This is the rst time reforming [tax regulation] since parliament started, he said. However, it will take more than tax breaks to get good cooperation from citizens and tax collectors alike, economist U Khine Htun said. The taxation system still needs many changes such as ethics between staffs and payers and a system to trace tax evaders, he said. Other areas such as banking system also need reform. Additional reporting by Hsu Hlaing Tun and Bridget Di Certo

2014 Union Tax Law

5 tax changes you need to know
1. Commercial tax on luxury timber nished products halved to 25pc 2. Commercial tax on polished precious stones products halved to 15pc 3. The highest bracket for income tax is 20pc on annual earnings exceeding K20million, the lowest is 1pc for annual earnings of K500,000 or below 4. The tax law will now be revised yearly along with the annual budget 5. Commercial tax on rst-time property purchases is now tiered from 5pc to 30pc

Asahi to enter Myanmar in new soft-drinks deal

TIm McLAuGHlIN [email protected] Beverage manufacturer Loi Hein is to partner with the Japan-based Asahi group to form a major new softdrinks company in Myanmar. Subject to approval by the Myanmar Investment Commission, Loi Hein would take 49 percent of the company, in which Asahi would invest about 2.3 billion (US$22 million) to acquire a controlling 51pc share. U Sai Sam Tun, who founded Loi Hein in 1992, said he expected MIC approval within weeks. Loi Hein will continue to produce its Blue Mountain brand of carbonated soft drinks initially, but plans to diversify into Asahis brand Calpis as well as tea and coffee over the next ve years. Asahi has no plans to begin producing beer in Myanmar, citing the arrival of Carlsberg and Heineken, both of which are building breweries outside Yangon. U Sai Sam Htun said he would sign similar joint venture agreements within the year with other foreign companies to bolster the portfolio of energy drink brand Shark, Alpine water and Tip Top natural juice line. Alpine is Myanmars bestselling water brand. We will have new names, new brands, new ideas. We will not stop here, U Sai Sam Htun said. Tip Top is the companys newest brand and an attempt to compete in a juice market that is largely dominated by imports from Thailand. If all four joint ventures are signed, Loi Hein expects that it will add an additionally 1300 employees, bringing the total workforce to about 4000. U Sai Sam Htun had previously told The Myanmar Times that he was concerned when soft-drink giants Coca-Cola and Pepsi announced plans to enter the Myanmar market, but said that his fears had disappeared after strong growth of 40pc from Blue Mountain in 2013.

24 Business The Fine Print

Legal & tax insight

THE MYANMAR TIMES MARCH 17 - 23, 2014

On convertible loans in a market like Myanmar

AlEssIO POlAsTRI [email protected] SEbAsTIAN PAWlITA [email protected] INVESTORS have asked us whether convertible loans are feasible in Myanmar, as they have proved to be in other emerging markets. A convertible loan entitles the lender to swap it, partially or entirely, for equity (stocks, ordinary shares, preference shares, etc) of the borrower by a certain deadline and at a pre-agreed conversion rate. A convertible loan has two purposes. The rst is nancing. If the borrower then defaults, it can pay the lender back using its own shares. This is the worst-case scenario for both lender and borrower, but has some appeal as long as the question of debt security in Myanmar is still complicated and enforceability is questionable. However, shareholders in locally owned companies cannot transfer shares to foreigners, and it is uncertain such a company would be allowed to increase its capital to allow foreigners in. The second purpose is when international investors try to penetrate industries that are currently off-limits to foreigners. The investor lends to a company active in a certain sector in the hope that the sector will be liberalised in the future. The loan agreement allows the investor to recover the loan in shares of the local company instead of cash once foreign ownership restrictions have been lifted. Interest payments on the loan by the local company could be made dependent on profits. Such convertible loans have been used in other emerging markets as an interim step to foreign ownership while market access was restricted. One of the problems in this scenario is the conversion mechanism. If a lender cannot convert the loan from a debt position to equity, it is nothing more than an unsecured loan. For example, an inter-bank convertible loan does not make sense as foreigners cannot own or operate banks in Myanmar. A foreign bank (the lender) therefore cannot switch the debt (the loan) into an equity stock of the local bank (the borrower). Micronance institutions may be penalised as well, since it is a common practice in this industry. This has indirect consequences, as local banks are not in a position to inject large amounts of capital into the economy. As to the second scenario, a foreign investor wishing to invest through a convertible loan may have difficulty nding local businesspeople familiar with the concept. Furthermore, it is unknown whether Central Bank approval could be obtained.
Alessio Polastri is managing partner and Sebastian Pawlita is a partner at Polastri Wint & Partners

Reforms could put govt at risk of arbitration suits

BRIDGET DI CERTO BIll OTOOlE EFFORTS by the European Union to push forward with an investor-state international arbitration agreement with the Myanmar government may backre in the form of costly arbitral suits arising from new policies implemented on the back of the countrys expeditious reform agenda, experts said. As of the start of the year, parliament announced it was moving forward with an ambitious schedule to debate some 40 legal acts and ancillary policies and by-laws, many of which are aimed at modernising business rules across all sectors, while simultaneously approving new amendments to existing legislation. political change currently underway here. During this process of transition, many of the laws and policies governing foreign investment will change, Mr Bonnitcha said. For example, new environmental regulations will be introduced, and the terms of investment contracts awarded by the previous government will need to be renegotiated on an arms-length basis, he said These are the types of government actions that have led to investor-state arbitral claims in the past. Trade analyst Christopher Knight, CEO of Singapore-based commercial consulting rm Everett Knight, said that Myanmars vulnerabilities under an investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanism could be controlled by careful wording of such agreements. In general, an ISDS mechanism for Myanmar could be excessive given Myanmars current legal infrastructure and legal reforms, Mr Knight U Thein Sein said the project would not resume during his tenure. At the time, the president of the staterun China Power Investment corporation president Lu Qizhou warned halting the dam could lead to legal action. In an interview with the China Daily at the time, Mr Lu said he was astonished when he heard news of the suspension as there had been no discussions between Myanmar and China before U Thein Seins announcement. In February this year, Myanmars Prime Minister urged us to accelerate the construction when he inspected the project site, so the sudden proposal of suspension now is very bewildering. If suspension means construction halt, then it will lead to a series of legal issues, Mr Lu was quoted as saying at the time. U Thein Sein ew to Beijing shortly after to negotiate with the Chinese government. While legal action has not yet eventuated, community groups complain that small-scale work continues at the dam and on January 3 the Chinese Peoples Daily published a special report calling for the contractually agreed-upon dam to be resumed. It is this kind of policy back-ip that could land the government on the receiving end of lengthy litigation, Mr Bonnitcha said. Investors have been successful in many of these claims, which often run into the billions of dollars, he said. Even where a state successfully defends a claim, the cost of legal fees is normally several million dollars. Ultimately, investors can not strike condence in an investor-state dispute mechanism alone, said Mr Knight of Everett Knight. Investor condence and a stable FDI arena was best bolstered by strengthening the domestic legal framework, he said. For investors, despite Myanmars lack of legal infrastructure, FDI continues in Myanmar, so I dont see that an ISDS mechanism would be essential in facilitating increased trade and investment, Mr Knight said. For protecting investments, the priority should be given to the ongoing legal reform and creating a legal infrastructure that is predictable, transparent, and functional, he said. An ISDS isnt necessary in addressing those issues, and could actually counter it.

Investors have been successful in many of these claims, which often run into the billions of dollars.
Jonathon Bonnitcha International Institute for Sustainable Development

Malay firm gets partner JV for new rubber plant

TIN YADANAR HTuN [email protected] MALAYSIAN agribusiness rm Felda Global Ventures Holdings Berhad Co and locally based Pho La Min Trading Ltd (PLM) have entered into a jointventure agreement to build a rubber processing plant in Taninthar yi Region, the two rms announced last week. The rms will spend an initial US$10 to $15 million on the plant, which will be built in Myeikand once nished will be able to produce a total 24,000 metric tonnes of rubber annually, said PLM chair, U Tun Tun Win, said during the announcement on March 8. This agreement will help us produce quality rubber for export to Malaysia and China. Later we can build a tire factory, he said, adding that the joint venture will later construct another plant in Mon State over a total of 40,000 hectares of land. We certainly have high ambitions for this company to excel as a big player in Myanmar in the rubberrelated industry, said Mohd Emir Mavani Abdulla, group president and CEO of FGV. Under the agreement, FGV would own 51 percent of the new rm, while PLM would acquire the remaining 49pc stake.

The danger of the system is that it exposes a government to the risk of claims arising from legitimate legal and policy changes, said Jonathon Bonnitcha, a legal adviser in Yangon at the International Institute for Sustainable Development. In other countries, foreign investors have used investor-state arbitration to demand compensation for new environmental regulations, tobacco control measures and for losses resulting from bank bailouts during nancial crises. The government is negotiating an investment agreement with the EU that would include international arbitration for investor-state disputes. While the EU has stressed the importance of the clause for investor condence, Mr Bonnitcha said that the ongoing and dramatic policy changes of President U Thein Seins government could land it in hot water. Myanmar is particularly at risk because of the process of legal and

said by email. Depending on the details of the ISDS mechanism, there could be a potential that it could stie the legal reforms through investors challenging legislation. However, this risk could be mitigated by the details of ISDS, and Myanmar could include some provisions that create exclusions on how the mechanism is used. One example of an investment that could potential trigger an international legal battle is the Myitsone Hydropower Dam project, as evidenced by 2011 comments by the Chinese partner companys president. In September 2011 President U Thein Sein halted the Myitsone Dam project, being built by Myanmar government contractors and a state-run Chinese company, on the back of public pressure over environmental impact concerns. Environmental groups and experts had criticised the opaque and low-bar environmental impact reporting.

www.mmtimes.com

Business 25

Tax disclosure computer error: IRD

AYE THIDAR KYAW
[email protected]

THE Internal Revenue Department (IRD) has publically disclosed the names more than 10,000 local businesses guilty of tax evasion in the 201213 scal year, though the government agency now admits that some of those listed were made in error, an official said last week. The list, which was published on the IRD website on March 6, includes a total of 10,670 local companies, included local tycoon Tay Zaws Asia Green Development Bank Ltd (AGD Bank), A1 Garment Co Ltd, Serge Puns Yoma Strategic Holdings Ltd, Small&Medium Industrial DevelopmentBank and six other names published erroneously due to a computer error, IRD Director U Tin Htun Naing announced during a press conference held jointly between the IRD and AGD Bank in Yangon. We want to speak to those companies that are in touch or reorganising themselves who do have plans to pay taxes as our staff mistakenly listed such rms, he said, adding that the nine rms have since been dropped from the list of offenders. The conference comes following

AGD Bank managing director U Ye Min Oo speaks during joint press conference last week. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing

several reports in the local media over the alleged misconduct. The IRD has since withdrawn the list. I assume that the media misunderstood banking procedures as banks

ling procedures are not the same as other companies because we are working with money, said U Ye Min Oo, managing director of AGD Bank. He said that the banks are required

to report daily nancial earnings reports to the Central Bank, as opposed to other rms that are only required to do so every six months. The government and Central Bank

[of Myanmar] are very strict on us, he said. The original list included a statement demanding that the rms pay the back taxes by March 20.

WTO trade talks begin in Geneva

[email protected]

ZAW HTIKE

A GOVERNMENT delegation led by deputy commerce minister U Pwint Sann met with officials from the World Trade Organization in Geneva last week to discuss how to bring Myanmars trading practices into line with the rest of the world, an official said. U Maung Aung, an economic adviser to the ministry, said the delegation considered a range of ideas for reforms in banking, taxation, money transfers, the protection of small and medium-sized enterprises and antidumping measures.

Myanmars current trading practices would not allow it to join the WTO.
U Hla Maung Independent economist

We need a better trade policy to promote the economy in the long term, he said, adding that he expects the country to have fully adopted international standard practices in ve years time. Reviewing trade policy is very important and has implications for investment and development. U Hla Maung, an independent economist and retired official of the Ministry of Commerce, said laws dating back to the colonial era should be revised and new legislation brought in to cover such matters as intellectual property and franchises. Myanmars current trading practices would not allow it to join the WTO because they do not meet international standards, he said.

26 Business

THE MYANMAR TIMES MARCH 17 - 23, 2014

In the chair
Talking to United Overseas Bank economist Suan Teck Kin
AuNG SHIN [email protected] UNITED Overseas Bank (UOB), a leading Singapore bank, signed nancing deals for two natural-gas-red power plants in Myanmar last week and organised a foreign direct investment symposium. The Myanmar Times talked to UOB senior economist Suan Teck Kin. Q: UOB has been in Myanmar since 1994. How do you see this country today? A: Yesterday, I walked from Parkroyal Hotel to Shwedagon Pagoda. In some places there was no pavement and in some places no street lighting. I saw teashop customers crowding around a TV. It was like Singapore 40 years ago. This country has a lot of catching up to do. Proper policies must be put in place and companies must be able to take advantage of the situation right now. There is a lot of demand for investment. Q: Apart from the challenges, what impression do foreign investors have coming to Myanmar? A: Obviously there is so much interest in Myanmar. We expected only 100 participants in our symposium, but about 300 are requesting registration. The foreign investors point of view is very positive. Myanmar is the last emerging market. Q: Reforms have been under way for three years now, but foreign investment is still lower than expected and big investors are not coming yet. Why? A: Investments have been promised, but not delivered yet because the system cannot take it. It takes time. But you need people to come rst, and development and more investment will follow. Q: Current foreign direct investment gures are higher than actual capital inows. How is it concentrated? A: The Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) said FDI stood at US$44 billion. Chinese investment, meanwhile, is about $16 billion or so, but

BUSINESS prOfile

Suan Teck Kin. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing

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the concentration is mostly in oil and gas, and mining. That is why the government has really to be careful about infrastructure development and to set its own priorities and plan accordingly. Q: Some people worry about the political track and the 2015 election. Can political change affect economic reform? A: Denitely, politics is very important. Investors dont want to nd their investment has been suddenly nationalised. Strong institutions are needed. Q: Do we have strong institutions? A: You are starting to. These things dont happen overnight. They take time, and experience. Q: Do you think ASEAN integration will happen or not? A: The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) will bring trade of goods and ser-

vices, an integrated market, free movement of labour and investment. The ofcial start date is 2015, but the free ow of goods, investment, capital and skilled labour has already started within ASEAN, though the free ow of services is still behind schedule. Im talking about mobile banking, transport, insurance, legal services and accounting. Foreign lawyers cannot practise here because of the language barrier and the difference in legal systems. These kinds of barriers are not simple. But ASEAN is well integrated compared to the EU or the US or elsewhere. Q: How about the development of the nancial sector? A: One thing you have to look out for is competition. There should be enough competition between companies, or some institutions will have too much power, and the people cannot benet.

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

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in Myanmar is inviting qualified candidates to apply for the following positions: Sr. 1. 2. 3. 4. Title and level M& E Officer, Malaria (LICA-7) Procurement Assistant (LICA-3) Senior Strategic Advisor Rural Development(IICA-3) Rural Development Specialist (LICA-7) Duty Station Yangon Yangon Naypyitaw Naypyitaw Position National National International National Deadline 20 March 2014 24 March 2014 24 March 2014 25 March 2014

The benefit package for the above positions includes an attractive remuneration, 30 days annual leave and 10 holidays per year, medical insurance (only for national positions), learning and development opportunities and a challenging work environment with 250 national and international colleagues. All applications must be made through the UNOPS E-recruitment System. Please go to https://gprs.unops.org and click on the post that you are interested in applying for. If you do not have access to the internet, please contact UNOPS directly on the numbers below. For any quires please do not hesitate to contact UNOPS at 95 1 657 281-7 Ext: 147

No. 851/853 (A/B), 3rd Floor, Room (7/8), Bogyoke Aung San Road, Lanmadaw Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: (951) 229 437, 09 49 227 773, 09 730 94007 Email: [email protected], [email protected] www.esearchmyanmar.com www.facebook.com/esearchmyanmar

www.mmtimes.com
PHNOm PENH

Business 27

Cambodians struggle on corruption

CORRUPTION is weighing on businesses, and the avenues to address it are limited, according to Cambodias leading employer association. At a joint conference with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Cambodian Federation of Employers (CAMFEBA) in Phnom Penh last week, the employer representative called on the government to provide greater protection for company whistleblowers, and to spearhead a review into corruption within the courts so companies feel they are operating on a level playing eld. It is quite well known that there is quite a lot of corruption in the judicial system, said Matthew Rendall, a CAMFEBA board member who spoke at the conference. One of the areas of concern is that inequitable access to the judiciary is impeding business. Cambodias Anti-Corruption Unit, a government body, is the only organisation that has the mandate to complete such a review of the judiciary, Mr Rendall added. The ACU, responsible for cracking down on government graft, has targeted some court officials in its investigations. A spokesperson declined to comment about the proposed review. Ith Sam Heng, the Minister of Labour and Vocational Training, told reporters after the conference that the investment and business climate has to be transparent in order to ensure progress and development. CAMFEBA called for whistleblower protection provisions to be written into anti-corruption laws and for the broader promotion of the laws, which would encourage people to come forward. In lieu of protections, CAMFEBA established its own mechanism last year for collecting condential reports of corruption and bribery from businesses that they are then able to collate and send to the ACU. Using their own reports, the ILO and CAMFEBA yesterday both shared similar data from a business survey the groups carried out together. The employer representative then made its policy recommendations. The ILO estimate that 10

Rice exports to double in 5 years

Though in order to do so, the government will need to introduce new subsidies while FDI in the sector will need to pick up

ZAW HtIkE
[email protected]

EXPERTS believe that rice exports will double to reach at least 3 million tonnes in the next ve years despite posting underwhelming results thus far in the 2013-14 scal year. With Myanmar expected to gain access to new markets with the lifting of tariffs, rice farmers are likely to begin diversifying where they choose to export goods, creating more sustainability in an industry currently challenged by smugglers in China, said Myanmar Rice Federation secretary general U Ye Min Aung. Myanmar is at the turning point of rice trading with the international market. For the past three or four years we have exported about a million tonnes of rice, he said, adding that new markets will create demand for Myanmar rice that will see that gure will double by 2020. He said that with new trade policies in place, Myanmar will also need to build the appropriate infrastructure to sustain such a high volume of exports, including all-season ports, high-capacity warehouses and rice reprocessing plants, while increased foreign investment will bolster other needs such as irrigation, education and processing. If we can solve those four

A rice trader empties bags of rice into a pile in a warehouse outside of Yangon. Photo: Kaung Htet

MILLION

Tonnes of rice experts predict will be exported from Myanmar to other countries by 2020

problems, by about 2019 or 2020 we will be able to export about 3 million tonnes of rice easily, he said. Economists agree that the 3-million-tonne target is indeed plausible, but will require both circumstances to trade as well as additional government funding to farmers currently struggling to turn a prot. There is a big demand for Myanmar rice. We have chance to export 1 million tonnes of rice to China alone, but we need to produce much more quality rice and then need to meet specications demanded by the in-

ternational market, said independent economist Hla Maung. About 60 percent of Myanmars rice is exported to China through Shan States Muse border with many Chinese importers illegally smuggling stocks into their country to avoid paying tariffs. In dealing with such traders, local farmers have been known to receive higher prices, though buyers have recently begun withholding stocks importers are now offering less. Rice exports for the 2013-14 scal year will likely reach just 1.1 million tonnes, falling well short of the 1.6

million tonnes exported last year. Myanmar produces between 12 to 13 million tonnes of rice each year, of which about 10 million tonnes are consumed domestically. Nevertheless, the countrys agriculture sector has seen a lack of funding, both from international investment and government subsidies, and many rice farmers are forced to take out costly loans that neutralise most prots, said MRF chairperson U Chit Khaing. To develop agribusiness, we need public-private partnerships, he said.

TRADE MARK CAUTION

Kabushiki Kaisha Kaminomoto Hompo, a Company incorporated in Japan, of 3-25, 3-chome, Kumochibashidori, Chuo-ku, Kobe-shi, Hyogo-ken, Japan, is the Owner of the following Trade Mark:-

It is quite well known that there is quite a lot of corruption in the judicial system.
Matthew Rendall CAMFEBA board member

per cent of GDP is lost annually to corruption, an issue they say is the largest constraint for businesses. And despite improvements over the past decade, 30pc of businesses believe that policy is set by those with powerful government connections. But, it takes two to tango, said ILO senior economist, Farid Hegazy. While there are some in the private sector creating their own codes of conduct or training employees on how to deal with corrupt officials, when faced with graft, most companies operating in Cambodia take no action, the survey revealed. The Phnom Penh Post

Reg. No. 858/1993 in respect of Hair tonic, hair growth preparation, hair cream, pomade, hair oil, hair dye, skin cream, skin lotion, dentifrices, shampoo, toilet soap, perfume. 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 Kabushiki Kaisha Kaminomoto Hompo P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: [email protected] Dated: 17 March 2014

28 Business
cOmment
NEW YORK

THE MYANMAR TIMES MARCH 17 - 23, 2014

Expat basics: planning offshore investments

ANDREW WOOD enquiriesmyanmar@fsplatinum. com FOREIGNERS wont need reminding that an offshore bank account is almost essential to life in Myanmar. Offshore banks are familiar with international transactions, including receipts and payments, in a variety of currencies to and from almost anywhere in the world. Most offshore banks issue ATM cards. There are also investment choices available which give you a greater degree of condentiality and higher growth with safety of your investment. These investments are meant for the longer term. Your offshore bank is ideal for day-today transactions rather than asset management. difference between buying and selling, rather like changing money at the bank. There are sophisticated investment vehicles available for expats. Run by substantial investment institutions in tax havens they offer a variety of options. Minimum investment amounts are relatively small, offering the choice of buying and selling a multitude of holdings. Not only that but you will also be afforded investor protection of 90pc of the value of your investment should the institute nancially fail. The investment vehicles are multijurisdictional, usually only available to expats and can be started from almost anywhere in the world. They may only be arranged in person by authorised independent nancial advisers (IFAs). Thus you will need to engage an IFA to discuss the possibilities and start your investment vehicle off. Offering substantial exibility on when and how much you input, they offer the option to invest a lump sum and make additions or a mixture of regular contributions and lump sums to suit your budget and requirements. With the vast array of investments available today, a professional adviser can assist with management of your investments. There is also generally no bid/offer spread when buying and selling individual holdings. Wrapped in whole-of-life insurance policies, they afford total condentiality. As your circumstances grow more complex you may need to write your investment vehicles into a trust. This can also easily be arranged by your professional adviser.
Andrew Wood is Executive Director of Bangkok-based firm Platinum Financial Services Limited.

$50,000
Minimum single investment in some international monetary funds for offshore banking Expats have access to a number of different types of investment, ranging from equities in almost any market in the world, to any of the 8000 funds available worldwide. Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are also becoming popular. However, if you select a single fund the minimum investment could be from $50,000 to 1,000,000, which limits the number of choices available. You will also suffer bid/offer spread charges which range from 3 to 7 percent. This charge is the price

A person in Lille, northern France, plays on his tablet with Candy Crush Saga games developed by British King Digital Entertainment. Photo: AFP

Candy Crush maker sees IPO valuation up to $7.6b

THE maker of the addictive mobile game Candy Crush hopes to raise as much as US$532.8 million in a New York IPO that would value the company at up to $7.6 billion. King Digital Entertainment, the British developer behind the hit game, led new documents on its much-awaited initial public offering that showed plans to sell 22.2 million shares at between $21 and $24 a share. That would give the company a market capitalization of between $6.6 billion and $7.6 billion. That is a substantial payoff for a simple game that is rooted in the decades-old Tetris sweets and bon bons tumble from the top which the player needs to match in groups to advance. But the addictive qualities of the Candy Crush Saga, and the companys ability to monetise that by users on computers, tablets and cellphones paying extra to help them advance through its 500 levels, underpin the sky-high valuation. The company says its games, which also include Farm Heroes and Pet Rescue, are installed on 600 million mobile devices, and played over 1.4 billion times a day more than 1 billion alone for Candy Crush. That has driven a sharp climb in revenues, from $22 million in the rst quarter of 2012 to $602 million in the fourth quarter of last year, the company said in its ling with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Prots in the fourth quarter reached $159 million. Our focus is to provide a highly engaging, differentiated entertainment experience where the combination of challenge and progress drives a sense of achievement, King Digital said. We believe we have a repeatable and scalable game development process that is unparalleled in our industry. A key principle for King is that no individual game session should take more than a few minutes, chief executive Riccardo Zacconi said in the IPO statement. We call it bitesize brilliance the perfect way to spend three minutes of free time. The IPO, announced last month, could test the US markets stomach for high valuations of technology stocks after its strong ve-year bull run. Stocks have paused in recent weeks with investors seeking more signs of economic and corporate strength to push them higher; the S&P 500 is up less than 1 percent so far this year. The huge listings of Facebook and Twitter in the past two years have proven successful despite early worries of overpricing. But Zynga, the company behind the hit online game FarmVille, was valued at $7 billion when it entered the market in December 2011, and has since lost 40pc of that value. Silicon Valley analyst Rob Enderle told AFP he viewed the King IPO price as very ambitious and risky and warned it might not hold up after the shares begin trading. This is a game company and game companies are only as good as their popular games, he said. Folks tend to tire and switch with most game classes, and the casual game class has a ton of competition. That said, he added, the market is funding well beyond what I think are reasonable amounts so they actually could get the money. AFP

TRADEMARK CAUTION
Amorepacific Corporation, a company incorporated in the Republic of Korea and having its registered office at 181, 2-ka, Hangang-ro, Yongsan-ku, Seoul, Republic of Korea, is the owner and proprietor of the following Trademark:

Reg. No. 4/692/2014 (21 January 2014) In respect of Cosmetics; Make-up foundations; Lipsticks; Eye shadows; Cosmetic preparations for skin care; Skin lotions; Solid powder for compacts [cosmetics]; Shampoos; Dentifrices; Shampoos for animals in International Class 3; Commercial intermediary services in the field of cosmetics; Sales arranging of cosmetics; Cosmetics procurement services for others (purchasing cosmetics for other businesses); Sales promotion of cosmetics; Advertising services in the field of cosmetics; Sales promotion; Import-export agencies; Business organization consultancy; Marketing services; Procurement services in the field of cosmetics for others through on-line in International Class 35; and Dentistry; Surgery; Medical services using oriental medicines; Veterinary hospitals; Spa services; Health spa services; Massage services; Consultation services in the field of pet grooming; Beauty salons for pets in International Class 44. Fraudulent or unauthorised use or actual or colourable imitation of the Mark shall be dealt with according to law. U Than Maung, Advocate For Amorepacific Corporation C/o Kelvin Chia Yangon Ltd., th #1505-1508-1509, 15 Floor, Sakura Tower, Yangon, The Republic of the Union of Myanmar. Dated 17 March 2014 [email protected]

cONTINuED FROm busINEss 23 do not allow it, U Maung Maung Ohn Myaing wrote in his summons, which served as the second and nal summons before the arbitral tribunal continues proceedings exparte. U Khin Maung Myint, assistant to Colonel Win Kyi (Retd), head of the production department at UMEHL and the commercial conglomerates representative in the arbitration said UMEHLs actions were driven by bad faith dealings of the TAG Company Ltd and the arbitrators in the proceedings. We [UMEHL] are planning to respond to the advertisement in accordance with the law, U Khin Maung Myint said of the summons printed in the New Light of Myanmar. Originally they [TAG Company Ltd.] did play unfair and thats why we formed the arbitral tribunal to solve that. U Khin Maung Myint said the dispute stemmed from the TAG Company Ltds failure to pay rent and other costs from its management of the factory. During the arbitral tribunal process, they tried to make arbitrary onesided decisions. And we found that the tribunal could not solve the problem, U Khin Maung Myint said. Thats why

we dissolved it, but they do not want to accept it. We consulted our lawyers, we dissolved [the arbitration] and now we led the case at Yangon Region court against them. He said the civil suit was scheduled to be heard in Yangon Regional Court on March 18 and that UMEHL had no intention to participate in any further arbitral proceedings. TAG wants to avoid the court and that is why they keep trying to hold a tribunal, he added. When The Myanmar Times visited the site of the arbitration for the dispute, the chamber was locked and no representatives were present. The seemingly bad faith actions by the parties highlight weaknesses in Myanmars domestic arbitration system, which is based on the 1944 Arbitration Act. DFDL deputy managing director William Greenlee said that by its very age, the law is an outdated system. However, Myanmar does recognise the need to reform its arbitration system, especially for foreign investment purposes, Mr Greenlee said. Notably, the 2012 Foreign Investment Law provides implicitly that any type of dispute settlement, including foreign arbitration, can be used by foreign

investors. In 2013 Myanmar acceded to the New York Convention a multilateral treaty articulating the parameters for international arbitration as a mode of commercial dispute resolution. However, the government has not yet implemented the treaty into national law. The 2012 Export Import Rules provide the governments commercial policies including a requirement for domestic and foreign-domestic commercial dispute resolution through arbitration under the 1944 Act. Thus, until Myanmar implants regulations from the NY Convention, it appears that the 1944 Arbitration Act is still the operative arbitral regime, Mr Greenlee said. Last year, MEHL initiated international arbitration proceedings against Singaporean F&B giant Fraser and Neave in an effort to wrest back 100pc ownership of Myanmar Brewery after F&N sold its shareholding to companies linked to Thai billionaire Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi. The Myanmar Times was unable to contact U Maung Maung Ohn Myaing or representatives from TAG CompanyLtd for this story. - Additional reporting by Bill OToole

30 THE MYANMAR TIMES MARCH 17 - 23, 2014

Property
MYAt NYEIN AYE
[email protected]

BUSINESS eDiTOR: Philip Heijmans | [email protected]

Picture not perfect for cinemas

Once the heartbeat of culture, a drop in local movie production and expensive upgrades see cinemas fade out

Low-cost housing bids in

MYAT NYEIN AYE [email protected] THE Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) has received its rst applications from would-be homeowners looking to buy apartments in Yangons soughtafter Bo Min Yaung housing development project, officials said. The 800 apartments, housed in a complex of 25 buildings located on Bo Min Yaung Road, in North Dagon township, comprise one of ve such developments to be built by the YCDC. U Nay Win, deputy director of the YCDC engineering department, said they are receiving some 20 applications per day and expects that the project will begin to ll out with the March 31 deadline around the corner. Not so many people have applied yet, but we expect more nearer the deadline, he said. Another new housing project looking for tenants in Yangon, Bo Ba Htoo housing, has already generated about 14,000 applicants for the 448 apartments available, he said.

YANGONS historic cinemas are quickly becoming a thing of the past as private rms that acquired ownership of the once governmentrun theatres are now opting to demolish them in favour of more lucrative new development projects, officials said. Of the 20 military rule-era cinemas that once existed throughout the city, half have been shut down or demolished, while others yet have begun building condominiums and retail space, where cinemas once stood. We cant make enough prot from the theatre anymore. Thats why cinema owners are building condos, said U Thet, a manager at Shwe Man Cinema. Years ago, our cinema had 900 seats and regularly lled them all, but for the past 10 or 15 years the house was rarely larger than 200 to 300, he said, adding that many cinemas in town are unable to pay for the necessary equipment to upgrade the outdated facilities. Costing only K1000 per lm in many cinemas, the seats remain largely empty with as little as two or three dozen people buying tickets per screening. Outside, illegal DVD vendors sell pirated local and foreign lms to own from between K400 to K1500 a piece, undermining the age- old tradition of cinemas. The cinema business is doing badly and now there is a shortage of local lms, said U Htay Aung, chair of Myanmar Cinema Committee. Until 2011, Bogyoke Aung San

Makeshift seating fills the interior of an abandoned cinema in downtown Yangon. Photo: Boothee

Road had as many as ve cinemas the largest concentration in the city though only one stands currently, while others, including Shwe Gone and Myoth Ma, Su Htoo Pan and Bayin (King) Cinema have been abandoned. Prior to military rule in the 1960s, Myanmar found success in a burgeoning lm industry with a slew of movies made in the 1920s. Some local lm stars were even able to travel abroad to act in other regional movie-making hubs such as Japan and India. Under junta rule, however, strict rules were implemented of what could be made and how, and the industry endured a decades-long

drought. It never recovered and in the 2000s the government opted to privitise the industry, selling off the historic theatres.

Aung, chair of Myanmar Cinema Committee and owner of Waziyar Cinema. Upgrading the cinemas to the

We cant make enough prot from the theatre anymore. Thats why cinema owners are building condos.
U Thet Shwe Man Cinema manager

Cost to purchase larger apartment units in the Bo Min Yaung housing project.

K374

MILLION

A pedestrian walks past a now empty cinema. Photo: Boothee

When cinema was not in demand, business people were not interested. Some theatres were converted into warehouses, said silver screen star Grace Swe Zin Htaik. Some of Yangons old cinemas date back to the colonial period and have antiquated seating arrangements and equipment. U Thet said that the Myanmar Motion Picture Enterprise (MMPE) has lobbied developers to contain plans for new cinemas, though the effort has fallen short in most cases. To make matters worse, the MMPE has ruled old cinemas to be unsafe and has instructed traditional cinema operators to upgrade to international standards, giving them until the end of this year to do so or be shut down, said U Htay

standard digital format, plus renovation costs, redecoration and air conditioning, would cost about K300 million, he said, adding that most traditional theatre owners are unable to afford the overhaul. But with the decline of traditional cinemas comes the rise of new ones. Daw Wha Wha Win Shwe has plans to completely rehabilitate Su Htoo Pan Cinema on Bogyoke Aung San Road after recently purchasing the building. We are trying to rebuild it by the end of this year, but complying with all the regulations takes time, she said, adding that she bought the cinema after 13 years leasing the property. Our plan is to build a high-rise with apartments, a shopping mall and a new cinema.

Winners will be selected by lot by Yangon Region government and applications not selected will be automatically registered for Bo Min Yaung, said U Nay Win. Applicants need a family income of about K300,000 to cover the monthly installment costs, he added. Bo Min Yaung apartments have 160 apartments at 961.5 sq ft (86 sq m), and 640 ats at 618 sq ft (56 sq m), pricing out at K37.4 million and K25.5 million respectively. If successful, applicants retain the option of paying off the cost in three installments of 30pc and will receive a residential permit from YCDC after the nal payment of 10pc once the building is complete. Bo Ba Htoo and Bo Min Yaung are expected to be completed in May 2015 with the YCDC already pledging to develop three additional complexes in the near future.

QuOte Of the WeeK

31

When cinema was not in demand, business people were not interested. Some theatres were converted into warehouses.
Local film actress Grace Swe Zin Htaik

Election threat to Syrias peace talks

WORLD 36

Singapore firm wins Kyaukpyu consultancy

New consultancy contract for Special Economic Zone worth US$2.4 million, with building costs for the privately managed site expected to top $277 million

HOUSE OF THE WEEK

NYAN LIN AUNG

[email protected]

SINGAPORE-based consortium Creative Professional Groups (CPG) has been selected to consult on the awaited Kyaukpyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Rakhine State, an official said. The contract, worth US$2.4 million, gives CPG the right to advise the supersizing SEZ Bid Evaluation and Awarding Committee (BEAC) on selecting developers for the $277 million project as well as dealing with land issues, said the committees vice president, U Maung Maung Thein. Kyaukpyu is different from other SEZs like Thilawa and Dawei. It will be run on a businessto-business basis, rather than a government-to-government basis,

he said. Nina Yang, executive director of CPG, said that one of the biggest challenges facing the project will be resolving ongoing land disputes with local residents in the area. As a consultancy rm, we are concerned about whether people [affected residents] will cooperate with us, she said. With such concerns threatening to scare off potential investors,

$277
Expected cost to build the Kyaukpyu Special Economic Zone

MILLION

officials tied to the project have pledged to protect shareholders from any risk connected with the inter-communal violence that has scarred Rakhine State. CPG was selected from among about 31 companies from China, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, India, Spain, Germany and the United States. The SEZ committees vice president, U Myint Thein, who is also deputy minister at the Ministry of Rail Transportation, said that electricity for the project would initially be provided by a nearby power station slated for completion in 2015 with two additional plants expected for later on. At 1000 acres (400 hectares), the construction site of the SEZ includes 40 acres (16 ha) of agricultural and residential land, though U Myint Thein said they would contract another 80 acres (32 ha) in case it was necessary to relocate farmers and villagers currently residing in disputed areas.

Creature comforts
An exciting downtown location is the biggest draw for this fth-oor threebedroom apartment in busy Sanchaung township. Convenient both for the Dagon Centre and for Shwedagon Pagoda, the elevator building was completed last year and has on-site security. Ideal for a medium-sized family, the 1680 sq ft apartment comes fully furnished and recently redecorated. It features four air conditioners, a telephone land line and car parking. Myat Nyein Aye Location : Myay Nu Condo, Sanchaung township Price : K2.5 million a month Contact : Estate Myanmar Real Estate Agency Phone : 09-43118787, 09-73114860

32 Technology
JERusAlEm BEIjING

THE MYANMAR TIMES MARCH 17 - 23, 2014

Israel court rules settler ownership of West Bank building

AN Israeli court last week ruled that Jewish settlers were the lawful owners of a long-disputed building in the heart of the occupied West Bank city of Hebron. The Supreme Court ruling brings an end to a legal dispute lasting nearly seven years, after the Palestinian Rajabi family said its fourstorey building had been taken over by Israeli settlers. Israeli settlements on occupied land the Palestinians want for their future state have been a major source of tensions in US-brokered peace talks relaunched last year. The building is near a contested holy site known to Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque and to Jews as the Cave of the Patriarchs in a tightlycontrolled Israeli enclave where many streets are off-limits to Palestinian cars. The settlers were evacuated in 2008, and the court verdict said they would not be allowed to move back in until they get defence ministry approval. The structure was sold in 2004 by its Palestinian owners to settlers through a non-Jewish straw man, according to court documents. When settlers moved into the structure in 2007 the Palestinians charged they had been tricked and said the purchase was invalid, lodging complaints with the police and petitioning the court. Palestinians view the selling of property in occupied territory to Jewish settlers as a betrayal of their national cause, so such purchases are nearly always conducted in secret or through middlemen, increasing the potential for disputes. The case was debated in the Jerusalem district court, which in 2012 ruled in favour of the Jewish organisation behind the purchase. Neria Arnon, a spokeswoman for the Hebron settlers, told AFP the decision proved the purchase was legitimate and legal. Were happy the court conrmed this, and are waiting for the nal approval of the defence minister, to do what is necessary to enable us to settle the building, she said. The head of the left-wing Meretz party, Zehava Galon, called on Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon to refrain from letting the settlers in due to the severe security and diplomatic ramications of such a move. One must keep in mind there are 500 [extremist] Israelis in Hebron making the life of 145,000 Palestinians miserable, backed up by the army and police, she said in a statement. A spokesperson for Yaalon said he was learning the topic. The ashpoint city of Hebron, home to nearly 200,000 Palestinians, also comprises some 80 settler homes in the centre of town housing about 700 Jews who live under Israeli army protection. AFP

Street-level view of Chaoyang District in Beijing. Authorities are pushing for more transparency in the government by requesting officials disclose property holdings. Photo: Wiki Commons

Officials want property disclosure in Beijing

BEIJING is taking a step toward requiring local government personnel to disclose their property holdings, a top city official told media last week, a move critics say would tackle endemic graft. China has launched a much-publicised anti-corruption drive since President Xi Jinping ascended to power a year ago, but systemic reforms have been lacking. Beijing vice mayor Li Shixiang said the city was studying a requirement for municipal officials to register details of their real estate holdings, including their size, type and location, the Beijing News reported. But it did not indicate whether the information would be retained by the authorities or made more widely available. The move comes amid intensifying public outrage over rising home prices and a real estate market that critics say is rife with abuse by corrupt government officials, some of whom have sought to hide their wealth by illegally amassing dozens of homes under false identities. In one high-prole case last year, Gong Aiai, vice president of a bank in Shaanxi and a delegate to the local legislature, was sentenced to three years in prison after she was found to have purchased more than 40 properties under multiple identities. A police chief and local Communist Party official in Guangdong, Zhao Haibin, was sacked last year following reports that he owned 192 houses in several cities. Public disclosure of assets has been a top cause of many activists in China, but with the Communist Party seeking to handle the issue on its own terms, some who have campaigned on the issue have been jailed. One of the leading such voices, Xu Zhiyong, was sentenced in January to four years in prison for his role in spearheading a loose-knit network of activists who unfurled banners calling for officials to disclose their wealth. AFP

200,000
Palestinians estimated to be living in Hebron

TRADE MARK CAUTION

United Overseas Bank Limited, a company incorporated in Singapore of 80 Raffles Place, UOB Plaza, Singapore 048624, is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following Trademarks:-

(the above mark consists of the lettersUOB and a logo) Myanmar Reg. No. IV/3368/2011

(the above mark consists of the letters UOB) Myanmar Reg. No. IV/3369/2011

(the above mark consists of the words UOB bank and logo) Myanmar Reg. No. IV/3370/2011 in respect of Banking, financial, investment, credit and insurance services; credit card services; debit card services; real estate affairs; brokerage services; factoring; internet banking services; phone banking services; all included in Class 36. Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said Trademarks will be dealt with according to law. U Nyunt Tin Associates International Limited Intellectual Property Division Tel: 959 4500 59247, Email: [email protected] For United Overseas Bank Limited Dated: 17 March, 2014.

Science & Technology

Gadget Reviews

33
For the spy who has everything ...
H.264 DVR This DVR can record the feeds of up to 16 different security cameras installed in your home or office. Price : K60000 for 8 channels and K75000 for 16 channels

A lone customer at Cyber Shine Internet cafe in Yankin Township. Photo: Zarni Phyo

Internet cafes losing patrons

AuNG KYAW NYuNT [email protected] ONCE a popular haunt for high-techoriented youngsters, Yangons internet cafes are withering away. Some owners report losing more than half their customers since last year. The culprit is improved internet connection and the spread of inexpensive mobile phones and SIM cards, a process that will only intensify as the new telecoms providers, Ooredoo and Telenor, start releasing more cards. U Aung Win Thu, owner of Cyber Shine internet cafe, Yankin township, said, As mobile internet use has spread, people are losing interest in internet cafes because they get better access at home. He said his monthly income had fallen from K1.1 million last year to K400,000 so far in 2014. Connection is very slow in the shops, so I will buy the operators SIM cards because they have the best connection, said U Myo Ko, who uses K1500 CDMA SIM cards. I will buy two of the operators SIM cards for the internet and communication. I hear they will give better connection and voice quality, said Ma Aye Myat, mobile phone user. Gamers are also vanishing from the internet cafe scene, said Daw Than Ei, owner of Exact internet cafe, North Dagon township. Another owner, U Aung Win Thu, said the number of gamers who came to his establishment has fallen from 10 to ve a day since last year. Internet cafes will still be needed in the countryside, but not in Yangon, he added.

GSM+ PIR MP Alert This alarm system connects directly to your phone. Insert a SIM card, and then use your mobile to communicate directly with the device. The infared sensor will alert you when a person or an animal enters your home or office. It even allows to eavesdrop on a 10-metre radius straight from you mobile. SIM card not included. Price : K 95,000

Cloths Hook Spy Camera It may look like a clothes hanger, but look again! This camera is easy to mount in an office, shop or bedroom. Battery storage is 320mAh, and includes a charging wire. The full battery can be used for two and a half hours. You can record video and audio. SD card is not included. Price : K28000

Flashlight Spy Camera Hidden in the middle of this pocket-sized ashlight is a camera lens, for late-night snooping. You can see the pictures by connecting with your computer or laptop. Includes a built-in rechargeable lithium battery Price : K38000

Myo Satt

Available: Beno Sony Game Enterprise Ltd. No. 259, Barr Street (Upper Block), Kyauktada Township, Yangon. Ph: 01- 256 417, 09-8622744

34 THE MYANMAR TIMES MARCH 17 - 23, 2014

World
KUAlA LUMPUR

WORLD EDITOR: Fiona MacGregor

Missing plane piloted off course deliberately

A LOST Malaysian aircraft was own for hours in a fashion consistent with deliberate action after dropping off primary radar, but hijacking could not be conrmed, the countrys prime minister said on March 15. Final satellite communication with the Boeing 777 came more than six-anda-half hours after it vanished from civilian radar at 1:30am on March 8, Prime Minister Najib Razak told a nationally televised press conference. The movement of the plane in the interim period, during which it changed direction and passed back over the Malaysian peninsula toward the Indian Ocean, was consistent with deliberate action by someone on the plane, Mr Najib said. He added that Malaysia was ending a search in the South China Sea for the vanished jetliner after investigations indicated the missing plane likely turned far to the west. We are ending our operation in the South China Sea and reassessing the deployment of our assets, Mr Najib told reporters. Investigators believe the jet was commandeered by a skilled, competent yer who piloted the plane for hours, a senior Malaysian military ofcial said ahead of the Prime Ministers address. Speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, the official cited Malaysian military radar data that investigators believe indicated the Boeing 777 may have radically changed course and headed northwest toward the Indian Ocean. It has to be a skilled, competent and a current pilot, the official said. He knew how to avoid the civilian radar. He appears to have studied how to avoid it. The planes intended ight path for the Kuala Lumpur-Beijing journey was to be north over the South China Sea and Vietnam. The new information, coupled with multiple corroborative but unconrmed reports, suggests the investigation into the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines ight MH370 is increasingly focusing on something going wrong in the cockpit. Analysts have said that could include a sudden loss of cabin pressure or other mechanical event that incapacitated the pilots, catastrophic pilot error, or more sinister possibilities such as the plane being commandeered by a hijacker or rogue member of the ight crew, or pilot suicide. All signs so far point to a controlled, deliberate act, not a mechanical failure, said Scott Hamilton, managing director of US-based aviation consultancy Leeham Co. The Boeing 777, with 239 passengers and crew on board, vanished on March 8 over waters between Malaysia and southern Vietnam. The night was clear and no distress signal was received. The hunt had initially focused on the South China Sea but has shifted dramatically given the absence of any ndings, and following the indications the plane altered course. For distraught relatives of the passengers and crew, the expanded search offered no immediate relief from the anguished frustration of a week tainted by false leads and rumours. Right now, anything is possible, said a middle-aged Chinese woman in Beijing who had a relative on the ight and complained of a lack of information. We keep hoping there will be some good news, but its not going well. AFP

Washington warns response as Crimea

TENSIONS between the US and Russia were at their highest in decades as Crimea prepared to vote on March 16 on secession from Ukraine. Ahead of the referendum that has sparked the biggest East-West showdown since the Cold War, US Secretary of State John Kerry visited London on March 14 for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as bloodshed returned to the streets of Ukraine. As news broke that a man had been stabbed to death in clashes between pro-Moscow and pro-Kiev supporters in the eastern city of Donetsk, the atmosphere around Ukraine was a tinderbox. More than 8000 Russian troops were staging drills near its border in the east, while NATO and US reconnaissance craft and ghters patrolled the skies of the ex-Soviet states EU neighbours to the west. Mr Kerry has warned Moscow that Washington and Europe could announce a very serious response as early as March 17 if Moscow does not pull back its troops who seized control of Crimea days after a proKremlin regime fell in Kiev. Russia however has shown little willingness to negotiate and refuses to recognise the legitimacy of the Western-leaning team that has taken power in Kiev, a move that threatens to shatter President Vladimir Putins dream of rebuilding vestiges of the Soviet empire.

LONDON

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak speaks to press about the vanished jet in a hotel near Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 15. Photo: AFP

If other measures do not work then NATO should intervene like in Kosovo
Mustafa Dzhemilev Tatar community leader

The diplo.matic drama played out before a global audience at the United Nations on March 13 when Ukraines new Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk turned to Moscows UN representative Vitaly Churkin and asked him directly:,Do

the Russians want war? Mr Churkin replied that Russia did not. But he also repeated Mr Putins argument that Mr Yatsenyuk and his allies had conducted the forceful overthrow of Moscowbacked President Viktor Yanukovych that created a government of victors and not of the democratic majority of Ukraine. On the ground, deadly violence returned to Ukraine for the rst time since nearly 90 were killed in a week of carnage before the fall of the pro-Kremlin regime, when a proKiev protester was stabbed to death in the mostly Russian-speaking city of Donetsk. The local health service said one 22-year-old man was killed and 16 others wounded in clashes that erupted when pro-Kiev demonstrators were attacked by proMoscow protesters. Footage on Ukranian television showed mass stghts breaking out and clubs wielded as a much smaller presence of helmeted riot police stood in the middle of the melee and seemed incapable of separating the crowds. The March 16 vote gives residents

35
New, scaled-down Tyrannosaur found in Alaska
Tyrannosaurus rex

The popes rst year in ofce is hailed as a success

woRld 39

Triad gangs linked to brutal Hong Kong editor attack

woRld 42

This smaller version of the species was adapted to the different environment Skull reconstructed from just 4 fragments

Nanuqsaurus hoglundi
1 2

Experts say the skull remains are of a new species of the predator
Barrow Teshekpuk Lake

Scientists discover mini tyrannosaurs once stalked Alaska

Tyrannosaurus remains are normally found in the low- to mid-altitudes of North America or Central Asia.

WoRld 43
Ocean Point

10 cm

Kikak-Tegoseak Quarry
Umiat
50 km

IN PICTURES

NEW YORK

Alaska
Source: plosone.org

C o l v ill e

River

Still hope for survivors after Manhattan gas explosion

RESCUERS scouring the rubble of two Manhattan apartment buildings leveled in a gas explosion on March 12 found the body of an eighth victim nearly 36 hours after the disaster, as city chiefs vowed the search for survivors would go on. An unspecied number of people remain missing after the building collapse in East Harlem, which sparked inevitable reminders for some New Yorkers of the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001 that brought down the Twin Towers. The New York Police Department told AFP that ve women and three men were killed, and 68 others injured. Mayor Bill de Blasio said he hoped survivors might still be found. He also praised the exemplary job of the 100 rescue personnel. We are continuing rescue operations hoping to nd others still alive, he said. Let me caution everyone here these rescue operations will continue for an open-ended period of time. AFP

PHOTO: AFP

A tourist outside a mall in Kuala Lumpur offers a prayer after writing a message expressing wellwishes for passengers onboard missing Malaysia Airlines (MAS) ight MH370 on March 13. The hunt for the airliner, which vanished on March 8, spread to the vast Indian Ocean on March 14 after new information indicated it had been deliberately own for hours in that direction after dropping off the radar and changing course from its original ight plan.

GENEVA

Violence and chaos on Venezuelas streets

IN total 28 people have been killed and 365 injured in anti-government protests rocking Venezuela, the countrys top prosecutor announced on March 13, lamenting an atmosphere of violence and chaos. In all there have been 28 deaths since the protests rst erupted in early February, Luisa Ortega Diaz said on the sidelines of the UNs Human Rights Council in Geneva. What began in Venezuela as a peaceful demonstration has been transformed into violence and chaos, she said, speaking a day after some 3,000 students marched in Caracas and similar numbers gathered in other cities to mark a month since the rst deaths in weeks of demonstrations. On March 12, police red tear gas and water cannon at scores of rock-hurling students in the capital, as a student and civilian died in the countrys third city Valencia and a member of the Bolivarian National Guard died in clashes in the nearby city of Naguanagua. Speaking to a conference organised by the Venezuelan government on the countrys progress and achievements in the area of human rights, Ms Ortega Diaz said a prosecutor and three members of the national guard were among the dead. One hundred and nine members of the national guard or Venezuelan national police force were also among the 365 injured, she said. The right to demonstrate is not absolute, she told the conference, insisting that citizens have the right to demonstrate peacefully and without weapons. Since the protests began, opposition leaders and students, as well as government authorities, have accused each other of backing radical groups that attack demonstrations with rearms. The anti-government protests rst erupted on February 4 in the western city of San Cristobal, and reached Caracas on February 12 when three people were killed in clashes with security forces. The demonstrations have been fuelled by public fury over deteriorating living conditions in the oil-rich South American country. Violent crime, shortages of essential goods and ination have combined to create the most serious challenge yet for leftist President Nicolas Maduro. At the March 13 conference, US deputy assistant state secretary for human rights, Scott Busby, took the oor to criticise the Venezuelan government. The governments arbitrary detention and excessive use of force against protesters and journalists, lack of due process, and the shutdown of foreign media and nternet, endanger human rights, he said, calling for a thorough investigation into the violence. A number of other diplomats meanwhile spoke out in support of Venezuela, including representatives of Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Russia and China. AFP

s of very serious ea goes to the poll

of Crimea a Russian-speaking region that has housed tsarist and Kremlin navies since the 18th century only two choices: joining Russia or the signicant strengthening of their autonomy within Ukraine. The regions self-declared pro-Kremlin leader has already predicted an easy victory and the region is largely expected to vote in favour of joining Russia despite discontent from the Muslim Tatar minority that makes up 12 percent of Crimeas total population of 2million. Tatar community leader Mustafa Dzhemilev told AFP on March 14 that NATO should intervene in Crimea to avert a massacre of his people by the Russians. If other measures do not work, then NATO should intervene like in Kosovo, he said while arranging meetings in Brussels with NATO officials. But Washington and its European allies are instead far more likely to come down with more severe sanctions against top Russians should the Kremlin fail to scale down its military involvement in Crimea and open direct dialogue with Kiev. If there is no sign of any capacity to be able to move forward and resolve this issue, there will be a very serious series of steps on Monday [March 17] in Europe and here with respect to the options that are available to us, Mr Kerry told lawmakers in Washington. The European Union will debate travel bans and asset freezes against Russian officials held responsible for threatening Ukraines territorial integrity. The White House has been moving toward punitive measures faster than its European allies their nancial and energy sectors intertwined tightly with Russia and has already approved visa restrictions and nancial penalties on Moscow officials. But US President Barack Obama told Mr Yatsenyuk after talks in the Oval Office that Washington was willing to move much further still if Mr Putin failed to soften his stance immediately. Ukraine on March 13 created a new National Guard of 60,000 volunteers who could supplement a conventional army of 130,000 soldiers that is dwarfed by a 845,000-strong Russian force that is backed by nuclear arms. Russias tanks and artillery units were training that day across three regions neighbouring Ukraine while 4000 paratroopers began performing drills in the central region of Rostov. The Russian defence ministry said it was increasing the intensity of eld training exercises that involve more than 8000 artillery and an undisclosed number of other soldiers. Moscow also conrmed sending six ghters and three transport jets to Belarus in response to NATOs decision to start ying reconnaissance aircraft over Poland and Romania in attempts to monitor the movement of Russian troops. The tangible danger of war breaking out on the EUs eastern frontier prompted German Chancellor Angela Merkel to tell Putin his country faced long-term political and economic damage unless he showed an immediate willingness to compromise. AFP

An anti-government activist is arrested by national police during a protest against Venezuela President Nicolas Maduros government in Caracas on March 13. Photo: AFP

36 World International
UNITED NATIONS

THE MYANMAR TIMES MARCH 17 - 23, 2014

Election threat to Syrias peace talks

THE international mediator on Syria has warned that any presidential election held in Damascus in the coming months would imperil efforts to negotiate an end to the three-year civil war. If there is an election, my suspicion is the opposition, all the oppositions will probably not be interested in talking to the government, UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said on March 13. Damascus has not officially announced a presidential election but Bashar al-Assad is expected to seek a new seven-year term in the middle of this year despite the raging conict. The war has killed more than 140,000 people and displaced millions since the unrest began in March 2011. Mr Brahimi briefed the UN Security Council on March 13 on the conict and the collapse in February of a second round of peace talks between the Syrian government and the opposition in Geneva. Mr Brahimi broke off the talks, known as Geneva II, to give the government and opposition an opportunity to take stock, and without setting a date for another round of negotiations. We would like the help of the Council and all those who can help to make sure that if and when we have a third round it will be a little bit more productive than the second one, he said. Russia and the United States have been at odds for years over Syria and with both countries now at loggerheads over Ukraine, Western diplomats fear Moscow is in no mood to further pressure Damascus as they bet on a military victory for the Syrian regime. Mr Brahimi refused to be drawn by reporters on whether he had made a specic appeal to Russia. He said he briefed the Council, of which Russia is a permanent member, on the situation and that it was up to them to see if they can do something. The three-hour session ended with the Council unable to agree on a joint press statement, said Luxembourg ambassador Sylvie Lucas, whose country holds the bodys rotating presidency. She said there had been some discussion about Mr Brahimis view that plans to hold presidential elections in the coming months would be incompatible with the Geneva process. Council members expressed full support for a resumption of talks in Geneva and in Mr Brahimis efforts, Ms Lucas added.

If there is an election my suspicion is ... all the oppositions will probably not be interested in talking to the government.
Lakhdar Brahimi UN-Arab League envoy

A rebel fighter fires at pro-regime fighters, during clashes in the eastern Syrian town of Deir Ezzor on March 13. Photo: AFP

Diplomats have said there cannot be a third round of peace talks unless both sides agree on the agenda and approach. At Geneva II, Damascus insisted

on prioritising terrorism while the opposition wanted to put in place a transitional government that would strip Mr Assad of all or part of his powers. AFP

TRADE MARK CAUtION

Notice is given that Caterpillar Inc. (a corporation organised under the laws of Delaware, USA) of 100 N.E. Adams Street, Peoria, Illinois 61629, United States of America, is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following Trade Marks:-

used in connection with:- Electrical and electronic apparatus and instruments; apparatus for recording, transmission, or reproduction of sound or images; magnetic data carriers; data processing equipment; measuring and testing apparatus and instruments; monitoring apparatus and displays; diagnostic apparatus and instruments; weighing apparatus and instruments; pressure and temperature indicators, gauges and meters; computer hardware and software; control units; operator interfaces; security equipment; GPS equipment; equipment for remote operation, control, and monitoring of earth moving, earth conditioning, material handling, construction, mining, paving, agricultural and forestry vehicles, equipment, and machinery, engines, and power generation equipment, and off-highway trucks; batteries and battery chargers; cables, conduits, switches; radios; telecommunications equipment; eyeglasses; sunglasses; CD-ROM games; parts and fittings for all of the aforesaid goods included in class 9. Business management and consultation; provision of business information, product distribution and operations management services; logistics consulting services, including supply chain design and management; marketing services; compilation and systemization of information into computer databases; management and compilation of computerized databases; retail rental store services; on-line retail store services; retail store services; providing searchable computer databases, websites, and on-line information services relating to purchasing, renting, financing, repair, and maintenance of earth moving, earth conditioning, material handling, construction, mining, paving, agricultural, and forestry vehicles, equipment, and machinery, engines, and power generation equipment. Financing services; financial management services; issuance of debt securities; investment services; insurance services; credit services; warranty services. Service, maintenance, and repair of earth moving, earth conditioning, material handling, construction, mining, paving, agricultural and forestry vehicles, equipment, and machinery,

engines, and power generation equipment; and control units for the aforementioned; machinery installation, maintenance and repair; rental of earth moving, earth conditioning, material handling, construction, mining, paving, agricultural and forestry vehicles, equipment, and machinery, engines, and power generation equipment; remanufacturing of engines, transmissions, power train components, power generation units, land vehicles, earth moving and conditioning machinery, material handling machinery, agricultural machinery, paving and construction equipment, electronic components of the foregoing, and consumer electronics. Transport; freight brokerage; transport brokerage; freight forwarding; storage of goods; packaging of goods; provision of storage and transportation information; warehousing; travel arrangement; vehicle rental. Computer services; engineering and technical consultation; computer programming; providing online non-downloadable software; design of computerized information systems; testing and inspection of engines and machinery; testing, control, diagnosis, calibration, and monitoring of earth moving, earth conditioning, material handling, construction, mining, paving, agricultural, and forestry vehicles, equipment, and machinery, engines, and power generation equipment, jobsites, machinery fleets, trucks, trucking fleets, and the operation of machinery via computer networks and the internet; remote control and operation of earth moving, earth conditioning, material handling, construction, mining, paving, agricultural, and forestry vehicles, equipment, and machinery, engines, and power generation equipment via computer networks and the internet; data acquisition and analysis via computer networks and the internet; troubleshooting of computer hardware and software. Declarations of Ownership of the said Marks have been registered in the Office of the Sub-Registrar of Deeds and Assurances, Yangon being the following: 4/4353/2007 4/4358/2007 4/4354/2007 4/4360/2007 4/4355/2007 4/4361/2007 4/4356/2007 4/4359/2007 4/5104/2007 4/5106/2007 4/4357/2007 4/4362/2007 WARNING is hereby given that any fraudulent imitation or unauthorised use of the said Trade Marks in any manner whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. Win Mu Tin, M.A.,H.G.P.,D.B.L. for Caterpillar Inc. P.O. Box 60, Yangon Dated: 17th March, 2014

PHNOM PENH

Thai forces blamed for killing loggers

CAMBODIAS military has accused Thai troops of killing 15 villagers who illegally crossed the border to log for valuable timber. Twelve loggers were shot dead on March 5 followed by three more a week later after entering Thailand from Cambodias northern province of Preah Vihear to cut rosewood, Cambodian military intelligence officer Preap Thoeurth said by telephone on March 14. However a Thai official denied the allegation. Authorities have educated the people not to cross the border to log, but rosewood is very expensive, he said. Pen Song, a Cambodian military commander in the province, conrmed the incidents. We have asked them (the Thai military) not to kill Cambodian loggers, but to arrest them or to ne them, but they still keep killing. We dont know what to do, he said. But Major General Prawit Hookaew, a regional spokesman for the Thai army, rejected the accusation, saying it was impossible for so many Cambodians to have been killed without a formal protest by Phnom Penh. Cambodian loggers are routinely caught sneaking into Thailand, often in search of rosewood, which fetches thousands of dollars per cubic metre and is in strong demand in China and Vietnam. Years of rampant illegal felling in Cambodia have devastated the countrys own luxury timber stocks. Cambodian officials, including Prime Minister Hun Sen, have repeatedly urged Thailand to arrest trespassers instead of ring at them. The border between the two countries has never been fully demarcated, in part because it is littered with landmines left over from decades of war in Cambodia. Thai forces allegedly shot dead at least 69 Cambodian loggers last year for illegally crossing the border, according to information released by Cambodias interior ministry last month. AFP

www.mmtimes.com

International World 39

Popes first year ends on a high

AngUS MAcKinnon POPE Francis celebrated one year in ofce on March 13 swaddled in a blanket of approval world leaders would die for and most of his predecessors could only dream of. But he also knows that there is more to being pontiff than good PR. Bigger challenges lie ahead as Pope Francis seeks to engineer a renaissance of his Church after years of scandals caused by paedophile priests and corruption and intrigue within the Vatican bureaucracy. Spreading the word of God via Twitter, posing for seles, paying his own hotel bills and washing the feet of young offenders. All have proved to be inspired moves for the erstwhile Jorge Mario Bergoglio. Humble, modest, approachable and modern, after 12 months, the @Pontifex brand is thriving.
New Audit in progress Members

The 77-year-old is not only lovable, hes also cool sufficiently so for his rst year to have been marked by appearances on the covers of an unlikely trio of US magazines. He was Times person of the year for 2013. Esquire declared him their bestdressed man and Rolling Stone just decided: He rocks. Church attendances are said to be rising across the world and pilgrims are ocking to Rome in unprecedented numbers. A UN report accusing the Catholic Church of having covered up for tens of thousands of child-abusing priests failed to dent the impression that Francis is serious about reshaping the Church in his own open and forgiving image. Questions raised at the time of his appointment over whether he might have done more to oppose the 1970s military junta in his native Argentina

Power in the Vatican

G8

consults
8

Pope Francis
Powers:

Consultative council of cardinals

consults

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga Honduras Coordinator

legislative executive directs judicial

Secretariat

Roman curia
Administration 22 dicasteries (ministries)

2,800

reform

Most influential
Secretary of State Vatican N 2 Presides over the church government Pietro Parolin 300 Italy

Secretariat for the economy

Controls ministry spending

directs

15
consults
Synod council
Represents bishops

George Pell Australia IOR Vatican Bank APSA Other economic Administers and administrative Holy See bodies property

15
Secretary General Lorenzo Baldisseri Italy

Clergy Beniamino Evangelisation Stella of Peoples Italy Fernando Filoni Italy Religious Joao Braz de Aviz Brazil

Doctrine of the Faith Gerhard Muller Germany Bishops Marc Ouellet Canada

also seem to have melted away. Overall, things could hardly be rosier. Or could they? Within the walls of Vatican City, Pope Franciss popularity is not universally acclaimed as a positive sign amongst traditionalists suspicious of the new popes desire to reach out to believers who have abandoned regular interaction with the Church. That has involved striking a more compassionate, understanding tone on the vexed issues of the Churchs attitudes to homosexuality and its treatment of divorced people. Pope Francis made waves early in his papacy by telling journalists, If someone is gay and seeks the Lord with good will, who am I to judge? More than any other, that remark helped secure the Time man of the year accolade. But Vatican insiders insist it would be wrong to infer from it that Pope Francis is bent on breaking with established doctrine on this or any other issue. Instead, his approach consists of nding practical ways to enable the Church to overcome the many chasms that have opened up between what it officially teaches, on an issue such as contraception for example, and what, in practice, most of its followers believe. That will be the focus for a major synod on the family which the pope has called for later this year and which some observers have billed as potentially dening his papacy. The synod has been preceded by an unprecedented process of consultation of ordinary Catholics around the world. Traditionalists have seen this as potentially opening the door to an a la carte version of Catholicism in which the faithful are allowed to buy into or opt out of parts of official doctrine, as long as they keep turning up for mass. Not true, says one of the popes closest counsellors, the German Cardinal Walter Kasper.

Pope Francis I waves from the window of St Peters Basilicas balcony after being elected the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church on March 13, 2013 at the Vatican. Photo: AFP

Cardinal Kasper, 81, was the oldest member of the Conclave that elected Pope Francis a year ago but he is rmly on the modernising side of debates raging in the Holy See. Seeking new solutions to issues that have become a barrier between the Church and its followers does not amount to an attack on doctrine, the cardinal said this week in an interview with Italian daily La Repubblica. Rather it is about a realistic adaption of doctrine to the current situation. The Church must never judge as if it had a guillotine at the ready, rather it must always leave the door of mercy open, a way out that allows everyone a new start. The issue has split the cardinals. Marriage, for all of them, remains an indissoluble sacrament, but many are acutely aware that those whose marriages have failed cannot be excluded from a Church that wants to prosper. When love fails, as often it does fail, we must feel the pain of this failure and accompany those who have known

it. Do not condemn, the Pope himself said at the end of last month. Cardinal Kasper acknowledged that some cardinals were opposed to the debate taking place at all, and there are those who fear Franciss honeymoon period could be headed for an acrimonious end. There have been open exchanges, but I am not afraid of that, Pope Francis conded to another Italian daily, Corriere della Sera, last month. The approach to divorced believers is similar to that envisaged on the gay issue. Talking to NBC in the United States, Timothy Dolan, the conservative cardinal of New York, revealed that Pope Francis wanted to understand, why so many countries had legalised same-sex unions. But he was also at pains to stress the Pope had never expressed any kind of approval of them. One year in, it is evolution not revolution that is on the menu in Rome. AFP

TRADE MARK CAUTION

Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical Co., Inc., a company incorporated in Japan and having its registered office at 408, Tashirodaikan-machi, Tosu-shi, Saga 841-0017 Japan, is the Owner of the following Trade Mark:-

40 World International
TOKYO

THE MYANMAR TIMES MARCH 17 - 23, 2014

Reg. No. 842/1999 in respect of Int. Class 5: Pharmaceutical, veterinary and sanitary preparations; Dietetic substances adapted for medical use, food for babies; Plasters, materials for dressings; material for stopping teeth, dental wax; Disinfectants; Preparations for destroying vermin; Fungicides, herbicides. 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 Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical Co., Inc. P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: [email protected] Dated: 17 March 2014

AIR SALONPAS

Thousands sue nuclear giants over Fukushima

A CLASS action lawsuit against nuclear suppliers General Electric, Toshiba and Hitachi has ballooned to more than 4000 claimants who are seeking damages over the Fukushima atomic disaster, the lead lawyer has said. The claimants, hailing from Japan and 32 other countries including the United States, Germany and South Korea, want the US and Japanese nuclear power plant suppliers to pay compensation, lawyer Akihiro Shima told media in Tokyo on March 12. His comments came one day after the third anniversary of the worlds worst nuclear disaster in a generation. The ling which asks for a largely symbolic 100 yen (US$1) per claimant was described by Mr Shima as the rst lawsuit to be brought against nuclear power-plant suppliers over the 2011 accident. It alleges that the rms did not make necessary safety updates to the stricken site, which was swamped by an earthquake-sparked tsunami. Embattled plant operator Tokyo Electric Power is facing massive lawsuits and compensation costs. General Electric, Toshiba and Hitachi failed to implement safety improvements to the four-decades-old boiling water reactors at the Fukushdamage claims in the event of an accident. It is not our policy to comment on pending legal actions, GEs Japanese unit said in a statement when contacted by AFP. But it added that the plant, which GE helped design, has performed reliably for more than 40 years. It also cited a Japanese government report which concluded that the accident was caused by the tsunami, and the resulting loss of seawater pumps and all electrical power, not reactor design. Toshiba and Hitachi both declined to comment. On March 11, 2011, a 9.0-magnitude undersea earthquake sent a massive tsunami barrelling into Japans Pacic coastline, sweeping away more than 18,000 victims and destroying coastal communities. The huge waves swamped cooling systems at the Fukushima plant, sparking reactor meltdowns and explosions that spewed radioactive materials across the vast farm region. Although no one died as a direct result of the atomic accident, at least 1656 Fukushima residents died due to complications related to stress and other conditions. Tens of thousands were forced to evacuate the area and may never be able to return home. AFP

TRADE MARK CAUTION

Kao Kabushiki Kaisha (also trading as Kao Corporation), a company 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:-

Akihiro Shima, chief attorney for a lawsuit against nuclear power plant suppliers, speaks to journalists during a press conferende at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Tokyo on March 12. Photo: AFP

Reg. No. 592/1999

ima Dai-ichi power plant, a statement issued on March 12 alleged. The lawsuit is intended to bring attention to the system that protects the nuclear industry around the world, it added. The lawsuit was rst led in Tokyo District Court in January with just over 1000 claimants, but many more have joined as word has spread. Under Japanese law, nuclear plant suppliers are usually exempt from

MANILA
Reg. No. 593/1999 in respect of Intl Class 1: Surface-active chemical agent, industrial chemicals, agricultural chemicals (except fungicides, weedkillers, herbicides, insecticides and parasiticides), chemical preparations for scientific purposes other than for medical or veterinary use, chemicals for forestry (except fungicides, herbicides, insecticides and parasiticides), fertilizers, chemical substances for preserving foodstuffs, horticulture chemicals (except fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, and parasiticides), chemical preparations for use in photography, plasticizers, adhesives for industrial purposes, unprocessed plastics, unprocessed artificial resins, tanning substances, foundry binding substances.

South China Sea food drop raises tensions

THE Philippine military said it has evaded a Chinese sea blockade by using an airplane to drop food to soldiers on a tiny and remote South China Sea shoal claimed by both countries. The incident, announced on March 13, was the latest to escalate tensions between the Asian nations over their conicting claims to parts of the South China Sea, a major sea lane and rich shing ground that is believed to hold vast mineral resources. We confirmed there was an airdrop of food to our troops, Defence Department spokesperson Peter Paul Galvez said. He added the airdrop was via airplane, but did not say when it occurred nor give further details. The incident took place at Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly island group, which is around 200 kilometres (125 miles) from the western Philippine island of Palawan and which Manila insists is part of its continental shelf. The shoal is more than 1000 kilometres from Hainan island, the closest Chinese landmass, but China claims nearly all of the South China Sea based on what it says are historical records. A tiny unit of Filipino marines live on the BRP Sierra Madre, a decrepit, beached former World-War-II US navy transport ship that was transferred to the Philippine navy and run aground on the shoal in the 1990s. China has long demanded the Philippines pull out the vessel and the marines. The Philippine government has accused China of becoming increasingly aggressive in asserting its claims to the sea. Last year it initiated United Nations arbitration to settle the dispute, but China refused to participate. AFP

COFFRET DOR BLEND COLOR

Reg. No. 2296/2008 in respect of Intl Class 3: Soaps; perfumery; essential oils; cosmetics; hair lotions; dentifrices. 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: [email protected] Dated: 17 March 2014

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that Mr. Vichai Kulwuthivilas, of 48/68-70, Village No.5, Wongwaen Robnok Road, Bang Bon Sub-District, Bang Bon District, Bangkok, Thailand is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trademarks:-

42 World International
HONG KONG

THE MYANMAR TIMES MARCH 17 - 23, 2014

(Reg: No. IV/2357/2002) (Reg. No. IV/1842/2004) The above two trademarks are in respect of :Shampoo, hair conditioner, fragrant soap, deodorant, hair-dye, lipstick, facial powder, facial cream, tooth paste, nail coating, cotton buds, cleaning lotion, anti-acne and anti-blemish cream, skin lotion Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademarks or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. U Kyi Win Associates for Mr. Vichai Kulwuthivilas P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416

Triad link to HK journalist attack

POLICE investigating a brutal knife attack on a veteran journalist in Hong Kong have arrested 11 people including two suspects from the Chinese mainland with links to triad organised crime gangs. The Hong Kong force arrested a man and a woman on March 13, a day after it announced the arrest of nine men, including those linked to the gangs. Kevin Lau, a former editor of the liberal Ming Pao newspaper, was hacked with a cleaver in broad daylight last month by two men who ed the scene on a motorbike. Police further arrested a 55-yearold man and a 37-year old woman in the small hours of today, city police said in a statement on March 13. Hong Kong police commissioner Andy Tsang told reporters the two triad-linked suspects had been arrested in the city of Dongguan, some 100 kilometres (60 miles) across the border. Seven other accomplices were arrested across Hong Kong, he said. Mr Lau remains in hospital following the assault on February 26, in which he was struck six times on the back and legs with a cleaver, leaving wounds including a 16-centimetrelong (6-inch) gash. The attack came just weeks after Mr Lau was sacked from the top job at Ming Pao and replaced with an editor widely seen as pro-Beijing. His overthrow triggered protests over media freedom in Hong Kong, with concerns mounting that Beijing is seeking to tighten control over the semi-autonomous region. But Mr Tsang said on March 12 that police had yet to nd a motive or establish a connection between the attack and Mr Laus journalism. His refusal to draw a direct link with Mr Laus work sparked an angry reaction from Hong Kong journalists. Varying interpretations makes it seem like [Mr Tsang] appeared to have ruled out the possibility of the attack being related to news-related work, said Eric Cheung, a Hong Kong University law professor and friend of Mr Laus. It would be best if he could clarify it. Mr Lau himself issued a statement on March 13 saying he was certain he was targeted because of his journalism, and that it was bewildering that police had said they had so far found no evidence of a direct link. He added that his family are not engaged in any nancial or personal disputes that could provide another motive, and that he has stated this to police. The South China Morning Post, citing a source inside Guangdongs Public Security Bureau, reported that the two triad-linked suspects were part of the Shui Fong criminal gang and were paid HK$1 million ($129,000) each to carry out the attack. The money should have been enough for them to live on the mainland for a year, the source told the Post, adding that the pair were told not to kill Mr Lau. Mr Lau was moved out of intensive care and onto a private ward earlier this month. He remains in hospital and is currently unable to walk. AFP

Dated: 17th March, 2014

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that Japan Tobacco Inc. a company organized under the laws of Japan and having its principal office at 2-2-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan is the owner and sole proprietor of the following trademark:(Reg: No. IV/12294/2013) in respect of :- Tobacco, whether manufactured or unmanufactured; smoking tobacco, pipe tobacco, hand rolling tobacco, chewing tobacco, snus tobacco; cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos; substances for smoking sold separately or blended with tobacco, none being for medicinal or curative purposes; snuff; smokers articles included in Class 34; cigarette papers, cigarette tubes and matches. Class: 34 Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. U Kyi Win Associates for Japan Tobacco Inc. P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 17th March, 2014

THE MEVIUS WAY

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that Federal-Mogul Corporation, of 26555 Northwestern Highway Southfield, Michigan 48034, United States of America, is the owner and sole proprietor of the following Trade Mark:-

Hong Kong Commissioner of police Tsang Wai-hung addresses the media during a press conference in Hong Kong on March 12 over the attack on Hong Kong editor. Photo: AFP Photo: AFP

Reg. No. 534/1960 used in connection with Class 12: Bearings and seals, subassemblies thereof, and parts of each, including shaft and face seals, comprising grease and oil retainers for shafts, journals, valve stems, pistons, piston rods and the like, shims, gaskets and o rings. Any person who copies, imitates, or in any other way whatsoever infringes the rights of the said Federal-Mogul Corporation in the Trade Mark will be proceeded against in accordance with the Laws in force to prevent the imposition of fraudulent Marks on merchandise. Win Mu Tin, M.A., H.G.P., D.B.L for Federal-Mogul Corporation P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: [email protected] Dated: 17 March 2014

www.mmtimes.com

International World 43
New, scaled-down Tyrannosaur found in Alaska
Tyrannosaurus rex This smaller version of the species was adapted to the different environment Skull reconstructed from just 4 fragments Tyrannosaurus remains are normally found in the low- to mid-altitudes of North America or Central Asia.

Mini T.rex preyed on arctic dinosaurs

Small but deadly tyrannosaur stalked the ice in darkness
A PINT-SIZED tyrannosaur braved the frigid Arctic and feasted on fellow dinosaurs 70 million years ago, a report on a new species identied from fossilized skull bones in Alaska has revealed. Scientists have crowned the erce creature the polar bear lizard, or Nanuqsaurus hoglundi, and they say it stood as tall as a modern man but was half the size of its very close cousin, T. rex, the lizard king, according to the report released on March 12. An analysis of several skull bones and teeth are described in the journal PLoS ONE by Anthony Fiorillo and Ronald Tykoski of the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Texas. Roving across land that was dark for half the year and prone to rainy, snowy and frigid spells, the miniature tyrannosaur is likely to have had a strong sense of smell and may also have had sharp vision to hunt prey at night. It was also just as big as another common meat-eating dinosaur found in Alaska, the Troodon, Mr Fiorillo told AFP. To us that is a really cool thing because it is telling us, we think, that there is something about the Arctic environment of 70 million years ago that selected for an optimal body size for a successful predator. The bones were found on a bluff above the Colville River in northern Alaska. Remains of the much larger T. rex have typically been found further south, scattered across the western United States where the climate would have been warmer. The area inside the Arctic Circle where the dinosaur bones were found was not as cold 70 million years ago, and was probably on par with modern day Seattle, USA, or Calgary, Canada. The tyrannosaurs skull fragments were found in a hole along with a horned dinosaur it likely killed and tried to eat, based on the tooth-size gashes in the plant-eaters bones, researchers said. At the time of publication, researchers had four bone pieces, some of which were crucial because they showed the head growth of an adult, rather than a juvenile, and allowed scientists to estimate the overall skull size. Since then, more fragments have been unearthed, Mr Fiorillo said. We have a pretty complete picture

WASHINGTON

Nanuqsaurus hoglundi
1 2

Experts say the skull remains are of a new species of the predator
Barrow Teshekpuk Lake

10 cm

Kikak-Tegoseak Quarry
Umiat
iver le R

Ocean Point

3 4
50 km

Alaska
Source: plosone.org

C o l v il

We can see this animal also had a well-developed sense of smell.

Anthony Fiorillo Perot Museum of Nature and Science

of the skull roof now. The beauty of that is that the sediment that lled it in preserves the shape of the brain and we can see that this animal also had a well developed sense of smell. University of Chicago paleontologist Paul Sereno, who was not involved in the research, described the jaw and skull fragments as pretty exciting. When fossils of dinosaurs were rst found in the Arctic three decades ago, they were initially mistaken for whale bones. Early on, some experts believed the dinosaurs may have migrated, or that juveniles would have been unable to survive there, but more

recent discoveries have debunked those ideas. We couldnt get ourselves to believe that they lived up there in the darkness, Mr Sereno said, adding that recent discoveries have changed that way of thinking. They must have been managing somehow. We know that reindeer change their diet to eat all sorts of strange things. The new species name, Nanuqsaurus hoglundi, is a nod to the Inuit name for polar bear, Nanook, and the natural gas tycoon Forrest Hoglund who helped fund the Texas museum where Arctic dinosaur bones are displayed. AFP

SEOUL

Ex-dictators art collection sold off to pay fines

ARTWORKS conscated from the family of former South Korean dictator Chun Doo-Hwan have been auctioned to pay multi-million-dollar nes imposed for bribes the disgraced military strongman received in office. Two auction houses said on March 13 they had raised 7.2 billion won (US$6.7 million) from the sale of 600 artworks since December. The gure raised still falls far short of the 167.2 billion won Mr Chun has been ordered to pay. Lee Sang-Gyu, the head of K-Auction, said the last batch of 97 items sold on March 12 fetched 1.36 billion won, more than twice their estimate. Among the works were three pieces of calligraphy written by Mr Chun himself which went for between 1 and 5 million won each. Succumbing to pressure from prosecutors, Mr Chuns family in September agreed to put their assets including a large house in Seoul where Mr Chun and his wife live up for sale. Mr Chun, now 83, seized power after the 1979 assassination of longtime military ruler Park Chung-Hee. His eight-year rule was noted for the corruption of his administration and mass pro-democracy protests. In a judgement conrmed by the Supreme Court in 1997, Mr Chun was convicted of insurrection and corruption and ordered to pay 220 billion won in restitution to the state. He only returned a small portion of the sum, arguing that he did not possess the necessary cash or assets. President Park Geun-Hye, the daughter of Park Chung-Hee, has chided her predecessors for not pushing Mr Chun hard enough to pay the rest of his nes. Mr Chuns son and his brother-inlaw were both given suspended jail sentences last month after being convicted of tax evasion. AFP

Get your finger on it

the pulse

AN HOUR TO CHaNGE a LIFE

Doctors at a temporary clinic in Rakhine perform repairs on cleft lips, palettes and burns, giving parents hope that their children will face the world with a fair chance
By Fiona MacGregor and Shwe Yee Saw Myint
O be a child and to approach the world innocently only to be greeted with disgust and contempt because no one sees your heart, just the horror of your deformed face, is a misery most of us struggle to imagine. But for those born with the relatively common birth defect of a cleft lip and/or palette (around one in 700 births worldwide) and without access to skilled medical repair, the usual human hopes for friendship, acceptance and, later, work opportunities and intimate relationships can be remote possibilities. The volunteer surgeons and staff of Interplast, who recently visited Sittwe General Hospital in Rakhine State to carry out surgery on young patients with cleft lips and palettes as well as burns and other disgurements, understand that. In a project organised by the Myanmar Chef Association branch of World Chefs Without Borders, in conjunction with the doctors of Interplast Germany, as well as other INGOs and community organisations and a local Buddhist monastery, the medical staff carried out roughly 100 life-changing plastic surgery operations over two weeks. Even when viewed through eyes of compassion and understanding, some cleft-lip disgurements are shocking. With incomplete lips to hold gums, teeth can end up protruding far out of gaping mouths, turning childish laughs into unintentional snarls and grimaces.

It only takes an hour or so to change a face completelyto turn a baby [perceived as] a little monster of whom other people are scared into a normal handsome child, said Dr Caius Radu, head doctor on the project, as he waited for the anaesthesia to take effect on his next young patient so he could start his next transformation. The Interplast surgeons said a combination of genetics and external factors, including foetal exposure to smoking, alcohol and various other external pollutants, can play a part in the development of cleft lips and palettes, which begins as early as the fourth week of pregnancy. According to Dr Radu, cleft lip and palette surgery is one of the best-regarded facial surgeries. It is extremely rare to see an older child or adult in Europe who has not had the condition treated. In the West it is usually repaired when a child is around three months old and weighing the 5kg required for anesthesia to be safe. But in Southeast Asia, where malformations can be twice as prevalent as in Europe averaging 1 in 500 per births compared to 1 in 1000 many families are unable to access or afford surgery, which is where Interplast comes in. The organisation describes its aims this way: We exist to repair bodies and rebuild lives. The intent might be simple, but to a non-medical person watching the surgeons at work, their intricate moves seem anything but. A baby, around ve months old, laid sleeping on an operating table. He had a complete bilateral cleft wide slits running from each nostril creating aps of esh and gummy gaps

Ma Khine Mo Shwe with her son, Tu Cha Aung, after surgery. Photo: F MacGregor

THE MYANMAR TIMES | MARCH 17 - 23, 2014 | www.mmtimes.com/thepulse

Photos: Fiona MacGregor

where a top lip would normally lie. The surgeon took a soft toy rabbit from beside the now-unconscious child as another doctor covered the infant with an operating sheet until only his mouth was visible. The surgeon worked with a head-lamp around his forehead: In Rakhine, electricity supplies are notoriously unreliable. First he inked tiny temporary tattoos along the parts of the mouth to be repaired, then with intricate cuts tidied and reshaped the esh. Finally, with delicate sutures, he brought the aps together to form a recognisable top lip. Stitch by tiny stitch the incomplete is made whole, and the reviled becomes acceptable to the public gaze. A few minutes later, bandages in place, staff moved the baby to the less-than-pristine corridor outside the operating theatre and onto the crumpled sheets of a trolly bed beside a woozy toddler who was also recovering from surgery. The surgeon placed the toy rabbit back in the babys hands. The infant wriggled, starting to wake from the operation that saved him from a life of ostracisation and shame. His newly connected tissues couldnt quite form a smile yet, but in the recovery wards on the oor below proud parents grinned as they ushered in passersby to show off their babies new faces. Ma Khin Mo Shwe, 38, showed off her 11-month-old little boy, Tu Cha Aung. A narrow red line and a few black sutures are the only remaining evidence of his former cleft lip. Soon the stitches will be gone and the line just a small scar. Ma Khin Mo Shwe, somewhat overcome with excitement and delight, spoke rapidly in her native Rakhinese: I did not ever imagine hed be able

to have this operation, gushed the mother of ve from Sabatha Village. Before he was born I just wanted a beautiful boy, and then when I saw what he looked like I felt very sad, and when I thought that he wouldnt be normal in the future I was concerned, she said. After the operation I feel very happy, because he is normal, beautiful, she said proudly holding him up for photographs. Back in the operating theatre, more plastic surgery continued. With just two weeks to undertake around 100 operations the surgeons had little time for rest.

Stitch by tiny stitch the incomplete is made whole, and the reviled becomes acceptable to the public gaze.
Childhood burns are common in a region where open res rage frequently and hands and faces often come to close to the ames. In one operating theatre a 13-yearold boy underwent surgery on a badly burned right hand. The accident happened years ago and the skin on his thumb and ring nger contracted as it healed, pulling them inward across

his palm so that the hand was virtually unusable. His little nger was entirely fused to the hand and the surgeon decided it must be amputated. In a practical feat of medical recycling the skin from the amputated nger helped cover the wounds made by freeing the thumb. We discussed the amputation with the boy and his parents before this and they agreed, said the surgeon. The loss of one nger is a comparatively small price to pay, they all decided, for regaining functional and pain-free use of the rest of the hand. It is remarkable to see: esh released, bone removed, skin excised, patched, repaired, and mobility returned so a disabled child will soon be able to reach out and grasp the future with both hands again. Asked whether the patient would require physiotherapy and, if so, how that would be possible in his poor and remote home village, the surgeon explained that in his experience young people, particularly those living traditional lifestyles, are far quicker to adapt than adults in more developed regions. Children have good [body] sense. If that were not so (and physio was necessary) I would not operate, he said.Of course a new adaptation is necessary, but these children adapt extremely quickly. Outside the operating theatre, nervous parents waited in the corridor. Every time the door opened and a person appeared garbed in surgical robes they leapt up anxiously hoping for news of their children. Wai Ma Oo, 35, however, was not worried. She trusts the surgeons, she said, and just wants to see her

11-month-old son Aung Ton Kyas face when he comes out from the operation on his cleft lip. I have ve children and they are all boys. When this last one was born and I saw his face I was so disappointed. None of the other children in my family were like that, and it made me very sad.

We are a very poor family and make our living from farming. The older children in the village make fun of him and say he looks like an animal. Inside the operating area, the surgeons had already worked their magic. No one can say Aung Ton Ja looks like an animal any more.

THE MYANMAR TIMES | MARCH 17 - 23, 2014

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In the market, selling fish for a living and a degree

Most young villagers like Su Myat Moe dont get much chance for higher education, but shes striving to change that one weekend at a time
By Zon Pann Pwint
[email protected]

yAnGon

Morning at a fish market in Pazundaung, Yangon. Photo: Whitney Light

S dawn broke, the Sittaung Avenue wet market burst into life. Two women pushed their ramshackle bicycle along the narrow lane, navigating between the vegetable and ower kiosks that lined each side. They parked the bicycle at their usual place, and the younger woman retrieved a basket of raw sh from the basket xed on its front wheel. She strode towards a row of shmongers, leaving her sister-in-law to unroll plastic carpet on the ground on which to lay roselle, pumpkin leaves and watercress.

Su Myat Moe, 17, and her sister-inlaw, Khin Mar Cho, cross Bago River by boat to sell green vegetables that are grown in their neighbours plantation. Intermittently throughout the year, Su Myat Moe sells fish that her father catches in a basin near their home. She earns K2000 to K5000 a day, depending on the size of the days catch. Unlike other sellers in the market, however, the young woman has been leading a double life. At the days end she gives the money to her parents, who manage the funding of her university study. On weekdays she works the markets, but on weekends she studies on campus. A young but formidable woman, she is fighting her way to a university degree, while too many others like

her struggle in poverty without much hope of attaining higher education. I grew accustomed to working while in school, she said. I have never considered my situation a hindrance. At age 14, a student in eighth standard, she started to sell seasonal farm products. Now shes often found in the early morning removing the skin and heads of small fry. Customers describe her as a painstakingly good seller: She spends hours removing the scales and chopping the flesh into perfect cubes. But most know her only as a fishmonger and would be surprised to know how she spends her free time. With blood-stained clothes and calluses on her palms, she doesnt look like a typical college kid. Su Myat Moe is a first-year zoology student, taking distance learning at East Yangon University. In 2013, she matriculated from state school, having supported herself on earnings from the market. Now every Friday she packs a bag with finer clothes and new textbooks and gets on her brothers bicycle. He takes her to the bus stand at Kalaway village. Then she takes two buses to reach her aunts house in Tawa, near the university. That she has persisted this far in education is quite a remarkable achievement. There is only a primary school in Su Myat Moes village. Secondary students must go to a school in Tha Pyay Kone village and then to Tha Pyay Kan village for high school. According to the Ministry of Education, the education budget for the 2013 fiscal year was 5.43 percent of the national budget K908 billion (about US$935 million). By

contrast, Thailand spends roughly 20pc of its budget, or about US$15 billion. The previous financial year, the ministry inaugurated free compulsory primary education, which included the distribution of free textbooks. Its a help, but just a small beginning in the struggle to improve access to education. In addition to travelling long distances to attend classes, students like Su Myat Moe typically have had little exposure to or opportunity to study English, the language of most school curriculums. It was 9am one morning early this year when she first walked across the campus across any campus filled with tall conifers. She took quick steps towards the classroom full of wood tables with attached chairs. I enjoy studying there more than I ever thought I would, she said. There are not many educated people in my village. There are no educated people in my family. I want to make a break. I want to pave the way for changes for the fellow villagers who are my age.

People have a deep-seated concept of education. Most don't think a person should go to college after nishing school.
Su Myat Moe | Student

Thats my simple desire. It will likely prove less than simple to fulfil. People have a deep-seated concept of education, Su Myat Moe continued. Most people dont think a person should go to college after finishing school. In part, the problem is that the skills taught in school seem impractical. The lessons are in rote memorisation rather than critical or creative thinking, she said. U Than Htike Aung, an assistant lecturer in the history department of East Yangon University and chair of the University Teachers Union, agreed. A certificate is nothing unless a student gains knowledge by self-learning. A student shouldnt expect to become educated after finishing school unless he or she learns outside the college lecture hall, he said. In the end, most students do like Su Myat Moes 23-year-old elder sister, Phyu Sin Win: She opened a local grocery shop. The residents in the village depend on farming and breeding for their livelihood. When a child grows up, she helps her parents, she said. Phyu Sin Win grew up in Sekone village, east of Bago River, accessible only from a cycle track that takes 45 minutes to ride from Bago River Road. About 100 households live in the village. Only two villagers her age have been to college. Su Myat Moe, the youngest daughter in her family, is the first among six siblings to attend. After I matriculated, I felt so inclined to study at college, Su Myat Moe said. My village is inaccessible except by bike, and I cant go to university every day, and I cant help my parents for their living if I live in my aunts house on weekdays. So I

decided to take a distance-learning program on weekends. Daw Thet Thet Khine, vicepresident of the Myanmar Women Entrepreneurs Association, is concerned for underprivileged youth like Su Myat Moe and her siblings. But for the ones who do struggle to earn money for schooling, she also sees an element of advantage. When a poorer student doesnt have the support of parents, she has to put in more effort to fulfil family and academic responsibilities at the same time, and therefore that student stands head and shoulders above the richer students when they are on their own journey through life, she said. In rainy season, Su Myat Moe and her sister-in-law grow ladyfingers and legumes and breed pigs and chickens to make a living. One of her brothers works in Yangon while another is a stevedore. Her father is a seasonal vegetable grower. All her elders got married. They couldnt continue to study. They earn to support their families, Khin Mar Cho said. They must do so, one way or another. Khin Mar Chos mother makes steamed bean-and-banana rice snacks. When Su Myat Moe wakes at 4am, her sister-in-law is already in the steamfilled kitchen, wrapping the snacks in a plastic bag. These days, we cant go to the market because vegetables are out of season. Therefore, we steam rice snacks and deliver them to Yangon, Khin Mar Cho said. As Su Myat Moe makes the journey across the river to the market, she dreams of the books and the friends that await her on the weekend.

www.mmtimes.com/thepulse

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the pulse

47

Reclaiming Myanmar identity with Thai food

Thazin Wah runs a small restaurant in Botahtaung she hopes will affirm local culture in a way her 14 years in Thailand did not
By Whitney Light
[email protected]

HAZIN Wah Bo to friends and customers, and her customers are always her friends arrives for work at 7am and leaves at 11pm. As the owner and sole employee of her small Thai restaurant, Green Gallery, which opened last November on 52nd Street, just steps from Maha Bandoola Road, the hours are long but necessary, and they bring their own rewards. For Thazin, the job is a dream beginning to take shape. After 14 years living under a secret identity in Thailand, in April 2013 the 28-year-old returned to her native Myanmar a path many others have and will follow. About 80 percent of the roughly couple million migrant workers in Thailand intend to return to Myanmar in the coming years, according to a December report of the International Organization for Migration. The promise of economic opportunity, social acceptance and perhaps the

chance to contribute to the countrys renewal outweigh the risk still hanging over any venture here. But when she left Balugyun, Mon State, at age 14, to stay with an aunt in Bangkok, Thazin didnt look back. I thought Id live in Thailand forever, she said, despite the fact that for most of her time there she never told anyone where she was from. Instead she learned to speak English and Thai, still her strongest language, and held her tongue when even good friends made racist remarks about the perceived Burmese infiltration of their country. If Thai people know youre Burmese, they fuck you up, she said. It hurt. I would say Im from Bangkok. I was just waiting for my time. She got a job at an Italian restaurant, then at a Chinese one, then at a hotel, then at an English pub, working as service, reception and supervisor. Later she started selling crystals the kind in which a custom three-dimensional image can be etched into the glass to tourists. She also sold genuine leather wallets at night markets and T-shirts in the street. I did that for a long time, she said. But all the Thai people hate Burmese so much, I thought, Why am I staying here? I

want to do something for the Burmese. Returning posed its own difficulties. Thazins exploratory trip to Yangon in March 2012 turned out to be a lessthan-pleasant experience. I was so tired and I just wanted a place to rest and eat some good food, but you couldnt find anything, she said. After returning to Thailand, she began to dream of the kind of oasis shed been hoping to find but hadnt. Then she began to think about building it herself, in the hectic, grease-curryfuelled heart of Botahtaung. She hadnt actually worked as a chef before, but she enjoyed cooking for friends. And shed noticed, too, that those around her had started taking a more positive view of Burmese people since Myanmars fortunes had risen. One longtime friend, Laddawan Shomelor, had experience as a restaurateur and offered to teach Thazin to cook Thai salads, curries and soups, from recipes passed down from her father. She told me her plans to open a restaurant in Myanmar, Shomelor said, but I didnt take her seriously. Until, that is, they started an informal weekend cooking boot-camp. That was when, Shomelor said, I realised she meant business. I was sad, of course, because she was a really good friend moving away, but I also thought, She can do it. With photocopies of handwritten recipes in hand, Thazin moved to Yangon. She knew, however, that learning to cook wouldnt be half the battle. I lived in a hotel for about five months, looking for a place every day, she said. Her mother would have preferred to see the daughter she named after a variety of orchid (the thazin flower is a de facto symbol of Myanmar) married with children rather than

Thazin Wah opened Green Gallery restaurant in November. Photos: Whitney Light
courting corruption as an entrepreneur, but nonetheless agreed to loan some money to help Thazin start a business. But after running up a number of false starts being shown unworkable places, agents not showing up and, one time, paying an agents fee only to be denied access by the landlord as well as a hotel bill of K25,000 per day, Thazin worried she might run out of funds before she even found a place. She stumbled across the white door of her current location one day while being shown another spot across the street. The owner happened to be a Mon also, from Mawlamyaing, and agreed to an initial one-year rental agreement. Going for a country home atmosphere, Thazin had wooden chairs made, hung photographs of Aung San Suu Kyi and Myanmar people, and settled on a name Green for the trees in Yangon and Gallery for the city as living history museum. The restaurant opened in November. Thazin started out sleeping in the kitchen, like so many homeless busboys do, but in January she was able to move in with some friends. And after four months business is picking up. She is now hiring a couple of cooks. Most days bring new, curious local customers and steady lunchtime regulars. Green Gallery has also become something of a hangout for young expats working or studying in Yangon. I want to see foreigners wearing longyis in here, Thazin said. I want Burmese to see that they dont have to change their culture. Some days, she said, she meets new Burmese customers who look on with some hopeful amazement that a young woman like herself could establish her own shop. Other days, the cherootsmoking restauranteuse with boyishly short hair and rolled-up shirt-sleeves is all too aware that her blossoming business doesnt look quite like others on the block. I know it will take time. This year I just hope I can make the [restaurants] name and enjoy meeting the people who come, she said. I always knew I could do better than selling. I always told myself that. Its Myanmar time. I came back for Myanmar.

THE MYANMAR TIMES | MARCH 17 - 23, 2014

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Greg Hamilton speaks

HEN Greg Hamilton first discovered chinlone, Myanmars national sport, in a Toronto park in 1981, he fell in love with the beauty of the games moves and non-competitive, teamwork-building principles, the challenge of keeping up the small rattan ball and the meditative, spiritual rhythm of play. The initial fascination led to multiple stays in Myanmar, meetings with expert players and coaches, the production of a film, Mystic Ball (2006), and a lifelong passion to share chinlone with people around the world. At home in Canada, he still spends an hour or three practising each day in a park behind the Art Gallery of Ontario, sometimes straight through the snowy winter. In December, however, Hamilton was on a plane to Myanmar again, where he performed with teams at local festivals, presented a one-day Myanmar-Canada friendship festival in Mandalay on January 15 with the Canadian Embassy and spent free time striking up chinlone games with his hotel doorman and whoever else would play. The Myanmar Times caught up with Hamilton in downtown Yangon on March 12.

their shirts and passing has to be done in numerical order with compulsory elements. I think that competition has become rampant in the West and its turned into a sickness. You have competitive singing and dancing and eating and plastic surgery. Its bizarre. These things arent natural or good for humans; theyre good for TV ratings and selling things. A lot of sports, because of commercialism and professionalism, are getting further away from their essence. So I have a strong feeling that chinlone can be sort of an antidote. It has a message that people can take away even if they dont play chinlone, which is that there is another way for us to relate and play and interact and it doesnt involve having a winner and loser, and yet there can still be striving for excellence and challenge and creativity and beauty. I read that when you came here for the first time in 1986, chinlone was considered a low-prestige village sport. How much has that changed? Before 2001, chinlone had never been on television. Since that time chinlone has had more and more coverage in the media. And obviously because of the SEA Games chinlone got a lot of exposure, internationally to some degree. But I would still say that for a lot of people, if not most, in the country, chinlone doesnt have much status. It doesnt have the kind of glamour that soccer has with international star players. It doesnt have the kind of money involved. If someone has money, chinlone is the last sport they would play. Theres golf. Theres tennis. Its status is growing, but I hope it doesnt grow in the direction of becoming too competitive because it would lose something of its essence. Have you found more chinlone players in Canada, or tried to popularise the sport there at all? The film has played in 35 festivals, and I get emails from people all

around the world inspired by chinlone and by my personal journey. I play in a small park behind the Art Gallery of Ontario and a lot of people see me playing and come ask me about it everyday. I get people who want to try it hacky-sack players and soccer players. The hardest thing there is that its very difficult for people, especially young guys, to have a group-mind attitude. Hacky-sack players always want to do moves, but chinlone, I think one of the things I love best about it is that its a process. Its a game that involves unconditional support and you try to take care of the other players well. If everyone has the same mindset, then you can have a good game. It's been my experience in Toronto that people will go to a certain point, and then they dont do the discipline thats necessary for a higher level of control to support the other players. But I have a few players there, and there are groups that play in different spots in Toronto. Have you worked in the school system at all, trying to introduce chinlone to students? Ive done some programs with students and theyve loved it. Just yesterday I did a few hours at the International School of Yangon with grade nine students. Unlike some other sports, its a steep learning curve in the beginning. With soccer, you can take small kids and they can start playing that day. But with chinlone, you have to have the basic skill to keep the ball up if you want to do team play. Thats hard. So even yesterday, the grade nine students, some had played before a bit, but without having some skills to control the ball it turns chaotic very quickly and balls are flying around. But there were two groups of girls and two groups of guys and one of the groups of girls did really well.

When you first came here in 1986, what were your impressions of the people and the place? It was quite dark. The cars were old British ones. I had no Burmese language and the coach didnt have English, and the drawings [of chinlone moves] you saw in the film, after I left here, I couldnt make sense of them. I was living in Indonesia at that time, playing with people who had no idea how to play this style. This style is very specialised, like Cuban music. Even if you can keep a ball up, or play music but not Cuban music you cant really do it.

Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing

Are games similar to chinlone elsewhere? All through Southeast Asia they have similar games. Thailand used to have a game like chinlone played with a net. Before that they had a circle style, which has to a great degree disappeared now. But the Thai style even in a circle was different than chinlone. It wasnt as intimate or spiritual. In Indonesia there are circle styles, but they arent similar to chinlone really. I think in a lot of ways its easier for people to get their minds around competing. Youve heard about chinlone in the SEA Games, so there is a competitive form. Like diving and skating are not competitive activities, weve put competition on top of it. Its very difficult. Its quite complex. For example, the people have numbers on

This interview has been edited and condensed. Read the long version at www.mmtimes.com.

ART
MARCH 15-17 Part of History Myint Maung Kyaw solo exhibition of graphic design and artwork, including illustrations for novels and book covers. Gallery 65, 65 Yaw Min Gyi Road, Dagon 10am-6pm MARCH 15-25 Unity in Diversity: Cooperation, Collaboration and Friendship in Multi-faith Myanmar photo exhibition. Myanmar Deitta, 3rd floor, 4A Parami Road, Mayangone MARCH 19-21 Beauty of Colorful Yangon photo contest and exhibition. City Hall, 1st floor, Maha Bandoola Garden Street next to Sule Pagoda 10am-5pm

FILM
Start times at Mingalar 2, Shae Shaung (1, 2) and Nay Pyi Taw cinemas are 10am, noon, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm and 8pm. Start times at Junction Square and Maw Tin are 10am, 1pm and 4pm daily and 7pm and 9:30pm on Friday and Saturday. Nay Pyi Taw Cinema, near Sule Pagoda The Four 2 3D. Directed by Gordon Chan and Janet Chun. Four detectives use their unique skills to help Master Zhuge solve crimes and punish criminals. Mingalar 2 Cinema, at Dagon Center 2, Myae Ni Gone, Sanchaung 3AM Part 2 3D. Directed by Patchanon Tummajira, Kirati Nakintanon and Isara Nadee. A short Thai horror film. Shae Shaung Cinema 1, Sule Pagoda Road, Kyauktada 300: Rise of an Empire 3D. Directed by Noam Murr. Based on Frank Millers graphic novel Xerxes, a Greek general tries to unite all Greece by leading a charge that changes the course of the war. Shae Shaung Cinema 2, Sule Pagoda Road, Kyauktada Pompeii 3D. Directed by Paul WS Anderson. A gladiator must save his true love, who is betrothed to a corrupt Roman senator. Junction Square Cineplex, Kamaryut Machete Kills. Directed by Robert Rodriguez. An ex-Federal agent hired by the president must take down a madman revolutionary and an eccentric billionaire bent on spreading anarchy across the globe. The Lego Movie 3D. Directed by Chris Miller, Phil Lord. An ordinary LEGO figure must summon powers beyond his manufactured self to help stop a LEGO tyrant from gluing the world together. Junction Maw Tin Cineplex, Lanmadaw Machete Kills

Moe Satt, Face n Fingers, photo-document, video and performance. On show through April at Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing. Photo: Supplied

MUSIC
MARCH 19 World music concert presented by Live4Music, the British Council and the Ministry of Culture. Free. National Theatre of Yangon, Myoma Kyaung Street, Dagon 7pm MARCH 19 Rock the Night. Live bands cover English hit and classics. Flamingo Bar, Yangon International Hotel, 330 Ahlone Road, Dagon 9-11:30pm

MISC
MARCH 17 Pub quiz. 50th Street Caf, 9/13 50th Street, Botahtaung 8pm MARCH 18 Comedy open mic. 50th Street Caf, 9/13 50th Street, Botahtaung 8pm

MARCH 17 - 23
Got an event? List it in Whats On! Email: [email protected]

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Women artists speak their mind

Image of Women, a forum for art and ideas, prompts frank discussions of womens oppression and gender discrimination
By Nyein Ei Ei Htwe
[email protected]

yAnGon

Phyu Mon's artwork concerns the destructive effects of chemical fertilisers. Photo: Thiri Lu

N display were unconventional portraits of nude women, traditional dolls covered over with sentences about womens rights, and images of women farmers faces obscured by flowers and black vegetables. These were some of the artworks on show at Institut Franais in conjunction with the 102nd International Womens Day on March 8. Seventeen female artists presented work in the exhibition titled Image of Women. Artist Phyu Mon, 53, who exhibited the installation of black vegetables, explained that her work is about the destruction some chemical fertilisers do to soil and produce. At the same time, it is about the weak state of women rights and gender discrimination in Myanmar compared to other countries, she said. I think this situation concerns traditional customs. In other countries, women can speak out for their rights and against others, but they are accepted as activists who have a right to speak. But in Myanmar, people get very angry when they are criticised. So women have to keep their words, and when that becomes a habit, there are few dissenting voices, Phyu Mon said. To her mind, only quality and effort matter. Discrimination based on gender should stop. People say cooking is an art when it's men who are cooking. But for women who have to cook every day for their family, no one praises their creations, arts and efforts, Phyu Mon said. She said she was encouraged to see that this years Womens Day exhibition brought together more young artists and activists than had been involved in the 2005 event. I see so many young women who are studying hard, supporting each other, and working very hard on NGO projects for womens rights, disaster relief and social welfare. Theyre not seeking fame, but they work with all their hearts, Phyu Mon said. As in other countries, Myanmar women study just as hard as men, but there are still fewer chances to put their learning to use, she added. In Asia, its a womans duty to be a good housewife and a mans duty to lead the family and earn money. Women must handle childrens education, social life and the household chores. So, when they try to pursue their careers, they arent free to work as well as men are. Though some men share their wives work, there should be more men who understand womens feelings, Phyu Mon said.

Artist Khin Than Phyu, 64, also said the era of gender discrimination and womens misery must end. Then she discussed her painting, a pale-coloured image of trees without leaves. My painting corresponds to a short poem that basically says if you are a tree without leaves dont fall down because you still have your roots and they will help you to survive. I made it for the women dont

have the option of self-reliance, Khin Than Phyu said. She said shed never felt any disappointmet for being a female, and she believes theres no work that women cant do like men, except for some traditional customs at parts of pagodas where women are not allowed. A single mother, she said people should know by looking at the world outside their borders that women

can work on par with men. The time when women hid in the home is over, though that doesnt mean artist-mothers like herself have it easy. People think that women who have to work in their house cant work in the arts. But if we work with a plan, everything will be okay, Khin Than Phyu said. Artist Sandra Win Tun agreed with Khin Than Phyus words and

said if women have a plan and work systematically, no one can criticise them based on gender difference. Her installation included sculptures of white dogs in a white house with photos of vagrant children. I dont want to say women are always better than men," Sandra Win Tun said. Because I dont want to fight. But if we focus on what we want and make a hard effort we can make our creations stand out.

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L A t e f o R N o w H e R e

Journey below the surface of the Earth

A visit to Hten San Cave in southern Shan State reveals an array of supernatural beliefs among locals, as well as a violent history that until last year kept the area closed to foreigners

Pa-O cadets take a break from playing football next to the road between Hten San Cave and the hilltop monastery of monk Shin Borida. Photo: Douglas Long

Our guide pointed out the barred and locked entrance to the forbidden third cave where the "spirits and souls" from Hten San now live. "It is very bad luck to enter and disturb the spirits," he said.
A few attractive shrines are placed at strategic points throughout the Hten San Cave but without detracting from the natural beauty of the subterranean environment. Photo: Douglas Long

By Douglas Long
[email protected]

O enter a cave is to abandon the easily recognisable waypoints that provide clues as to where in the world you are. There are no familiar hills or trees, no stars in the sky, no reassuring architecture with which to get your bearings. Its no coincidence that caves are commonly associated with otherworldly experiences. They are, in countless stories both ancient and modern, the realm of monsters, oracles and eccentric hermits. Hten San Cave, located 42 kilometres (26 miles) east of Taunggyi in southern Shan States ethnic Pa-O country, is no exception. According to local lore, the cavern was found by a 10-year-old novice named Shin Borida. For a long time he kept his discovery secret, using it as a place for meditation and sharing it only with the spirits who lived there. Eventually the monk asked these spirits whether he could open the cave to the public. The restless souls assented but on the stipulation that a ritual be held to aid in their relocation to another nearby cavern, where they would take up residence and where humans would be forbidden to enter. The ceremony was held by Shin Borida and other monks, and ghost-

free Hten San Cave was opened to the public on February 12, 2009, to mark Union Day. But it wasnt until early 2013, when the nearby town of Hopong was removed from the governments blacklist of areas off-limits to foreigners, that the cave was made accessible to international travellers. I visited the cave earlier this month with my wife, driving from Taunggyi on a bumpy, madly twisting road through a landscape of sunburned hills and cave-riddled limestone outcroppings. Upon arrival at Hten San, we were dumbfounded to find that the entry fee was a rapacious US$20 for foreigners, which the Pa-O ticket-taker agreed was too much. He acknowledged that the famous Pindaya Caves north of Aungban could be seen by foreigners for a mere $3, but he added that he dared not question the pricing scheme put in place by the caves board of trustees. At busy times Hten San Cave has only three or four foreign visitors a week, but sometimes we get only one foreigner in a month, he told me. I think more would come if the fee was lower. I asked if a souvenir stalactite was included in the price. He said no, but he offered to guide us through Hten San and afterward take us to another cave that had not yet been opened to the public. Two caves for the price of six: How could I resist? We plunged into the underworld. Hten San turned out to be much superior to Pindaya, the latter of which suffers because its natural beauty is concealed behind thousands of garishly

painted Buddha images. At Hten San, several attractive shrines have been placed at strategic points, but the unembellished subterranean environment is also given plenty of space to simply exist for its own sake. Our guide explained that the entire cave system was about 6000 feet (1818 metres) long, but so far only about onethird of that has been made accessible. Originally, water flowed across the tunnel floor, but a dam was built to divert its course and gravel was put down to create a walking path for visitors. Some water still trickles through, and pilgrims believe that splashing it onto one's skin will bring good luck. We re-emerged into the sunlight and walked to the second cave. Along the way, our guide pointed out the barred and locked entrance to the forbidden third cave where the spirits and souls from Hten San now live. It is very bad luck to enter and disturb the spirits, he said. Meanwhile, the second grotto, known as Meditation Cave, was even better than Hten San. There were no shrines, and we had it all to ourselves. We enjoyed the glittering rocks, narrow passageways and stalagmite forests, all shrouded in eerie silence. Our guide said the trustees planned to maintain the cave in its natural state, aside from a small swimming pool under construction on a high ledge and intended for use by a resident angel named Nan Lu Hyawm, from whom the extraordinarily beautiful Pa-O women of the surrounding villages were thought to have descended.

The girls work in the fields but still have fair skin and good body structure, our guide said. One village has seven or eight girls who are very tall and light-skinned like Koreans. As we returned to the surface, he admitted that although he was a devout Buddhist, he didnt really believe most of the supernatural stories associated with the caves. He did, however, fill us in on some history, describing how during World War II Japanese soldiers eluded the Allies by ducking into Hten San Cave and escaping through a back exit; how 30 years ago Meditation Cave was used by Pa-O dacoits to store the corpses of their murder victims; and how the area was riddled with bottomless sinkholes into which the aforementioned dacoits were thrown whenever they were captured by Pa-O villagers. Hopong village, meanwhile, had been a flashpoint for vicious fighting between the Myanmar army and Pa-O rebels until peace deals were forged in the early 1990s. The area is now at peace, and Shin Borida has a huge following among locals, many of whom emulate him in adhering to a strict vegetarian diet. He is even said to possess special powers, including the ability to read peoples thoughts and determine whether they harbour good or evil in their hearts. Its said that one of his fingers grew back after being cut off. When we visited Hten San Cave, a number of pilgrims awaiting the monks daily appearance were hanging out at a nearby pavilion where free

vegetarian meals were served. He didnt show up at his usual time, so we drove to his hilltop monastery a few kilometres from the caves. On the way we passed a big house that Shin Boridas devotees had built for his mother, and we stopped to photograph a group of pre-adolescent Pa-O cadets who were dressed in camouflage gear and playing football. At the monastery we were told that the revered monk had just left for Hten San Cave perhaps he had passed by while we were taking photos of the cadets. Resigned to having missed out on meeting him, we took time to enjoy the sweeping view from the hilltop but declined an invitation to eat vegetarian food at the monastery. Our driver had told us about a place in Hopong famous for its fried chicken and rice, and we were keen to give it a try. Had we met Shin Borida, and had he used his powers to probe my mind, he would have detected a small amount of consternation over the $20 entry fee, as well as profanely un-vegetarian thoughts of sinking my teeth into some mouthwatering Hopong fried chicken. But mostly he would have sensed my contentment at having found my way into another extraordinary, formerly war-torn but now peaceful corner of Myanmar.

Read more of Douglas Long's writing on Myanmar and sometimes beyond at latefornowhere.wordpress.com.

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food

A stealthily healthy breakfast

Mashed bananas make quick dishes appealing to toddlers and adults alike

BANANA AND HONEY bUTTER

Serves 2 2 medium bananas (ripe) 2 tbsp honey 2 tbsp butter 1 cup muesli (any kind) tsp ground cinnamon Peel the bananas and mash them in a bowl with a fork. Add honey and mix well. Add muesli and roasted pumpkin seeds to the bowl. Mix again. Meanwhile, take the butter out of the fridge and let it soften. Add butter and cinnamon to the bowl and mix well to combine. Cut strips of ungreased wax paper. Spread the mixture on the paper and roll up. Chill or store in the freezer. Good on toast or biscuits.

Phyos cooking adventure

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THIS week I bring you a breakfast menu. The main ingredient is banana, which Ive covered before and keep returning to for its nutritional and economical value. I made this recipe for my little sweet-pea daughter, Thirisu, trying to find new ways of feeding her muesli a new combination for each day of the week. As her vocabulary grows, she is demanding this and that as well as complaining. I want her to eat lots of fruit and fibre, so I came up with this toddler-friendly dish. Its easy to make, so I hope some other mums out there will try it out. It works for adults as well if you want to save ripe bananas from the trash bin. Im also including a banana and honey butter recipe for toast. My mother-in-law used to make different spreads, and Ive been inspired to keep exploring mixing herbs and things into butter. I'll share some more of these recipes in the near future.

Banana and muesli balls. Photo: Phyo

BaNaNa aND mUEsLI baLL

Serves 2 2 medium bananas (ripe) 2 tbsp honey 1 cup muesli (any kind) 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds

Peel the bananas and mash in a bowl with a fork. Then add the honey and mix well. Add the muesli and roasted pumpkin seeds to the bowl. Mix again. Use two spoons to scoop up bits of mixture and form into balls. Lay the balls on a baking tray,

ungreased or lined with wax paper. Put in the freezer to solidify. Thaw slightly before serving. It will make nice cold muesli with milk or yoghurt. It could be a snack too. I have used phee gyan bananas in this recipe and organic muesli, which has less sugar.

New bakery and cafe offers a taste of Paris

Restaurant Review

Chit Su
[email protected]

y A n G o n

La Tartine will satisfy your craving for macaroons, creamy flans and more. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing

A Tartine, in French, refers to a sandwich topped with spreadable ingredients. At Pearl Condo, on the corner of Kabar Aye Pagoda Road and Sayar San Road, La Tartine is a bakery offering about 25 kinds of French cakes and breads made with ingredients imported from France. Opened just two weeks ago, when I visited it was already full of customers. The small space makes take-away a more attractive option. But there are a few wood chairs and tables and simple dcor, and the cozy red walls are conducive to striking up an appetite for pastry. Cakes and breads are priced from K2000 to K10,000. Among the breads are traditional baguettes and ciabatta. The bakerys specialty, however, is a big chocolate macaroon (K4500). It is quite clearly a customer favourite. Its delicious. Small macaroons are also available in a variety of flavours. Six go for K7000. The lemon-flavoured macaroon is the best choice for a not-so-sweet tooth. Maxi Flan (K4000) is as decadent as it sounds. One piece is enough to feel full. The Red Fruit Reflet (K3000), strawberry flavour, is a little sour and slightly different from the flan. There are three layers: sour cream, sweet cream and cake.

Complimenting the bakery items is a selection of Malongo coffee, an organic, French fair-trade variety. Cappuccino, espresso, latte and Americano are all available. There are few other drink options besides a few soft drinks. Unfortunately, there were just two staff to handle the cash and tables, so service was a little slow. The bakery also offers Wi-Fi, but the connection was poor when I tried it. Soon delivery service will be available to addresses around Yangon. In the short term, there is also a plan to serve breakfast and lunch. Overall, La Tartine will satisfy customers who dont care much about prices, but do care for good French cuisine.

La Tartine Bakery
Pearl Condo A, Corner of Kabar Aye Pagoda and Sayar San roads, Bahan, Yangon

Restaurant Rating Food 8 Beverage 7 Service 6 X-factor 8 Value for money 7

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53

Mingalabar! fans of Socialite. She hopes youre in a great mood. Last week she didnt attend many formal events, but there were many exciting moments all the same. On March 2, she visited the Catrice Cosmetics product launch at Traders Hotel. On March 6, she attended the launch of a new Samsung air-con product at Park Royal Hotel, and on the same day she went to Sane Lan So Pyay Garden for the launch of Today Magazines website. The following day, staff from The Myanmar Times visited Ngwe Saung beach to de-stress, and they share their smart and fun photos with you here, readers.

Catrice Cosmetics product launch

Ma Pont, Kay Khine Myint, Thet Mon Myint and Kyin Mya

Lin Lin, Khin San Win, R Zarni, One and Pokar

Samsung new air-con launch

Hnin Yu Swe

Anuaek Prasandee

Mr Wuitchai

Myint Thein

Today Magazine website launch

Nyein Thaw Htoo

Phyu Lae Mon

Myo Thae and Ei Maung

THE MYANMAR TIMES | MARCH 17 - 23, 2014

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DOMESTIC FLIGHT SCHEDULES

YANGON TO NAy PyI TAW Flight FMI A1 Y5 777 FMI A1 FMI B1 FMI A1 FMI C1 Days 1,2,3,4,5 1,2,3,4,6 6 1,2,3,4,5 7 1,2,3,4,5 Dep 7:30 7:45 8:00 11:30 15:30 16:30 Arr 8:30 8:25 9:00 12:30 16:30 17:30 YJ 891 YH 918 6T 402 YH 918 W9 201 W9 144 Y5 132 K7 267 K7 823 NAy PyI TAW TO YANGON Flight FMI A2 FMI A2 FMI B2 FMI A2 Y5 778 FMI C2 Days 1,2,3,4,5 6 1,2,3,4,5 7 1,2,3,4,6 1,2,3,4,5 Dep 8:50 10:00 13:00 17:00 17:30 18:00 Arr 9:50 11:00 14:00 18:00 18:10 19:00 YH 834 YH 832 K7 643 6T 808 6T 808 YJ 212 YJ 212 YJ 202 YJ 762 YANGON TO MANDALAy Flight YH 909 YJ 891 YJ 891 K7 282 YJ 901 YH 917 Y5 234 6T 401 YH 833 YH 831 W9 201 K7 266 K7 642 8M 6603 YJ 751/W9 7751 YJ 761 K7 844 YJ 211 YJ 201 YJ 601/W9 7601 YH 737 YH 727 YH 729 W9 251 YJ 003 6T 807 6T 807 K7 226 W9 129 YH 731 6T 501 W9 211 Days Daily 1,2,3,4,5,7 6 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 2 4,6 Daily Daily Daily 2,4,7 5,7 1,2,4,6 Daily 5,7 2,3,4 6 3,5,7 1 2,4,6 2,5 3 7 1 2,4,6 Daily Daily Daily Daily Dep 6:00 6:00 6:30 6:30 6:10 6:10 6:15 6:20 7:00 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 10:30 10:30 11:00 11:00 11:00 11:15 11:15 11:15 11:15 11:15 11:30 11:30 12:00 13:00 15:00 15:00 15:30 15:30 Arr 7:40 8:05 8:35 8:40 7:35 8:30 7:30 8:25 8:40 8:40 8:55 10:05 12:20 10:10 12:25 12:25 14:10 12:25 12:25 12:40 13:25 13:25 14:15 12:40 12:55 12:55 13:25 14:25 16:55 17:10 17:30 16:55 NyAUNG U TO YANGON Flight YJ 891 YJ 891 Arr 9:55 9:45 9:25 10:15 YH 918 W9 141 YH 910 YJ 901 W9 144 Days 1,2,3,6 4,5,7 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Dep 7:35 8:05 7:45 7:50 8:25 8:35 8:50 Arr 10:15 10:45 10:45 10:40 9:45 9:55 10:10 HEhO TO YANGON Flight W9 141 6T 352 YJ 891 YJ 891 YH 918 6T 402 Days Daily Daily 1,2,3,4,5,7 6 Daily Daily Dep 8:35 9:00 9:05 9:35 9:35 9:35 Arr 10:40 11:10 10:15 10:45 10:45 10:45 YANGON TO NyAUNG U Flight YJ 891 YH 909 YH 917 YJ 901 W9 141 6T 401 K7 282 YJ 891 6T 351 W9 143 YJ 601/W9 7601 YH 731 W9 211 6T 501 Days 1,2,3,4,5,7 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 6 1,2,3,4,6,7 Daily 6 Daily Daily Daily Dep 6:00 6:00 6:10 6:10 6:15 6:20 6:30 6:30 6:30 7:15 11:15 15:00 15:30 15:30 Arr 7:20 8:25 7:45 8:20 7:35 7:40 7:50 7:50 7:50 8:35 13:20 17:55 17:40 18:20 YJ 602/W9 7602 W9 120 YH 728 YH 738 K7 227 W9 129 YH 732 W9 211 8M 6604 YJ 752/W9 7752 YH 738 6T 502 YJ 004 YH 730 6 Daily Daily 2 Daily Daily 3,5,6,7 Daily 2,4,7 2 4,6 Daily 7 1 5 7 2,3,4 1,2,4,6 6 1,3,6 1 5 2,4,7 Daily Daily Daily 2,4,7 5,7 3,7 Daily 3 2 8:50 8:30 8:45 9:10 9:10 9:20 9:30 10:20 11:25 12:00 12:30 12:35 13:15 13:45 15:00 15:00 15:30 16:05 15:55 16:30 16:45 16:50 16:50 17:10 17:10 17:10 17:20 17:20 17:25 17:50 18:00 18:00 10:45 10:45 10:45 11:05 11:05 10:45 10:30 12:25 14:25 13:55 13:55 16:25 15:15 15:45 16:25 16:55 16:55 17:30 17:20 17:55 18:10 18:45 18:15 18:35 19:15 19:15 18:30 18:45 18:50 19:55 19:25 19:25 Flight YJ 891 YH 917 W9 141 6T 401 YJ 891 6T 351 K7 282 W9 201 K7 828 K7 822 K7 266 YJ 751/W9 7751 YJ 761 YH 505 YH 505 K7 844 YH 737 YH 727 W9 203 W9 119 6T 807 6T 807 W9 129 YH 731 6T 501 YANGON TO HEhO Days 1,2,3,4,5,7 Daily Daily Daily 6 1,2,3,4,6,7 Daily Daily 1,3,5 2,4,7 Daily 5,7 1,2,4,6 3,4,6,7 2 Daily 3,5,7 1 Daily 1,3,6 7 1 Daily Daily Daily Dep 6:00 6:10 6:15 6:20 6:30 6:30 6:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 8:00 10:30 10:30 10:30 11:00 11:00 11:15 11:15 11:00 11:15 11:30 12:00 15:00 15:00 15:30 Arr 8:50 9:35 8:20 9:20 9:20 8:45 9:30 9:40 8:45 10:20 9:15 11:40 11:40 11:55 12:25 15:00 12:40 12:40 12:10 12:25 13:50 14:20 16:10 16:25 16:40 Flight YH 634 K7 320 6T 708 Flight YH 633 K7 319 6T 707 MyITKyINA TO YANGON Flight YH 834 YH 832 YH 834 YJ 202 K7 643 W9 252 Days 2 4,6 2 2,3,4 Daily 2,5 Dep 10:35 10:35 12:55 14:05 14:05 16:05 Arr 13:55 13:55 15:20 16:55 16:25 19:00 YANGON TO MyITKyINA Flight YH 833 YH 831 K7 642 YJ 201 W9 251 Days 2 4,6 Daily 2,3,4 2,5 Dep 7:00 7:00 8:30 11:00 11:15 Arr 10:05 10:35 10:50 13:50 14:10 K7 283 6T 351 W9 211 YH 732 6T 502 Daily 5 Daily Daily Daily 10:40 10:50 17:55 17:55 18:35 12:00 13:55 19:15 19:15 19:55 YH 918 K7 283 W9 201 K7 267 YH 506 W9 204 YH 506 K7 829 6T 808 6T 808 K7 845 W9 120 YJ 762 YJ 212 YH 728 YH 738 W9 129 YH 732 6T 501 YH 738 YH 730 Daily Daily Daily Daily 3,4,6,7 Daily 2 1,3,5 7 1 Daily 1,3,6 1,2,4,6 7 1 3,7 Daily Daily Daily 5 4 9:35 9:45 9:55 11:10 11:55 12:25 12:25 13:50 14:05 14:35 15:15 15:45 15:20 15:45 16:00 16:40 16:25 16:25 16:55 17:35 17:35 10:45 12:00 11:05 12:25 14:00 13:35 14:30 15:05 15:15 15:45 18:10 17:55 17:30 16:55 18:10 18:50 18:35 19:15 19:55 18:45 18:45 ThANDWE TO YANGON Flight W9 141 6T 632 6T 605 6T 632 YH 512 YH 506 YH 506 W9 307 W9 309 K7 422 Days Daily 1,2,3,4,6,7 Dailys 5 1,5 3,4,6,7 2 2,4 1,3,5,6,7 Daily Dep 9:50 10:15 12:25 13:00 13:05 13:10 13:40 14:05 14:05 14:40 Arr 10:40 11:10 15:00 13:55 13:55 14:00 14:30 14:55 14:55 17:00

Domestic Airlines
Air Bagan Ltd. (W9) Air KBZ (K7)
Tel : 513322, 513422, 504888, Fax : 515102

Tel: 372977~80, 533030~39 (Airport), Fax: 372983, Hot Line: 373766

YANGON TO SIT T WE Flight YH 511 6T 605 W9 309 K7 422 6T 611 Days 1,5 Daily 1,3,5,6,7 Daily 4,6 Dep 10:30 11:15 11:30 13:30 14:30 Arr 12:05 13:15 12:55 15:25 15:55

Air Mandalay (6T)

Tel : (Head Ofce) 501520, 525488, Fax: 525937. Airport: 533222~3, 09-73152853. Fax: 533223.

Asian Wings (YJ)

Tel: 951 515261~264, 512140, 512473, 512640. Fax: 951 532333, 516654

SIT T WE TO yANGON Flight YH 511 6T 606 K7 423 6T 612 Days 1,5 Daily Daily 4,6 Dep 12:05 13:35 15:40 16:15 Arr 13:55 15:00 17:00 17:40

Golden Myanmar Airlines (Y5)

Tel: 95 9 400446999, 95 9 400447999, Fax: 01 860 4051

Yangon Airways(YH)

Tel: (+95-1) 383 100, 383 107, 700 264, Fax: 652 533.

YANGON TO MyEIK Days 1,3,5,7 Daily 1,3,5,6,7 Dep 7:00 7:00 7:45 Arr 9:15 9:05 9:45

FMI Air Charter - Sales & Reservations

Tel: (95-1) 240363, 240373 / (+95-9) 421146545

Domestic
6T = Air Mandalay W9 = Air Bagan YJ = Asian Wings K7 = AIR KBZ YH = Yangon Airways

MyEIK TO YANGON Days 1,3,5,7 Daily 1,3,5,6,7 Dep 11:25 11:30 12:10 Arr 13:25 13:35 14:10

YANGON TO ThANDWE Flight W9 141 6T 351 YH 511 YH 505 YH 505 6T 605 W9307 W9 309 K7 422 Days Daily 1,2,3,4,6,7 1,5 3,4,6,7 2 Daily 2,4 1,3,5,6,7 Daily Dep 6:15 6:30 10:30 10:30 11:00 11:15 11:30 11:30 13:30 Arr 9:35 10:00 13:05 13:10 13:40 12:10 13:50 13:50 14:25

FMI = FMI AIR Charter Y5 = Golden Myanmar Airlines

MANDALAy TO YANGON Flight YJ 901 YH 910 Y5 233 YJ 891 Days Daily Daily Daily 1,2,3,4,5,7 Dep 7:50 7:40 8:10 8:20

Subject to change without notice

Day 1 = Monday 2 = Tuesday 3 = Wednesday 4 = Thursday 5 = Friday 6 = Saturday 7 = Sunday

www.mmtimes.com/thepulse

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the pulse

55

INteRNatioNal FLIGHT SCHEDULES

Flights PG 706 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 TG 302 PG 708 8M 331 PG 704 Y5 237 TG 306

MARCH 17 - 23, 2014

Arr 9:00 13:25

WEEKLY PReDICTIONS
LeO | July 23 Aug 22 Repetition forms a habit, and cultivating good habits takes mental power. You should allocate time according to your priorities, and simplify your way of life. Establish the habit of doing things at the proper time. Dont put off anything you can do immediately. Say nothing about your wants but about new ideas of love.

YANGON TO BANGKOK Days Dep Daily 7:15 Daily 8:40 Daily 9:50 Daily 10:30 Daily 14:55 Daily 15:20 Daily 16:30 Daily 18:25 Daily 18:15 Daily 19:45

Arr 9:30 10:25 11:45 12:25 16:40 17:15 18:15 20:20 20:05 21:35

MANDALAY TO DON MUENG Flights Days Dep FD 2761 Daily 12:50 MANDALAY TO KUNMING Flights Days Dep MU 2030 Daily 14:40 NAYPYIDAW TO BANGKOK Days Dep 1,2,3,4,5 19:45 BANGKOK TO YANGON Days Dep Daily 8:00 Daily 8:50 Daily 11:55 Daily 13:00 Daily 13:40 Daily 16:45 Daily 17:50 Daily 19:20 Daily 20:00 Daily 21:05

Arr 15:15

Flights TG 2981 PG 709

BANGKOK TO MANDALAY Days Dep 1,2,4,6 7:45 Daily 12:05

AQUARIUS | Jan 20 Feb 18 Loving people throughout your life will make you believe in yourself and enjoy true self-love. Believe in yourself and you will realise you can do what you set your mind to. Never drive people away from you, but try to accept what others share, even a negative concept or a superstitious attitude. Manage emotional challenges with one you love.

Arr 17:20

DON MUEANG TO MANDALAY Flights Days Dep FD 2760 Daily 10:55 KUNMING TO MANDALAY Days Dep Daily 13:55 BANGKOK TO NAYPYIDAW Days Dep 1,2,3,4,5 17:15

Arr 12:20

Flights PG 722

Arr 22:45

Flights MU 2029

Arr 13:50

YANGON TO DON MUENG Flights Days Dep DD 4231 Daily 8:00 FD 2752 Daily 8:30 FD 2756 Daily 12:50 FD 2754 Daily 17:35 FD 2758 Daily 21:30 DD 4239 Daily 21:00 YANGON TO SINGAPORE Days Dep 1,2,6,7 0:25 Daily 8:00 5,6,7 14:00 Daily 10:10 Daily 10:25 Daily 11:40 Daily 16:40 1,6,7 15:10 2,3,4,5 17:10 2,3,5 19:30

Arr 9:45 10:20 14:40 19:25 23:15 22:55

Flights MI 509 8M 231 8M 233 Y5 233 SQ 997 3K 586 MI 517 TR 2827 TR 2827 3K 588

Arr 5:00 12:25 18:25 14:40 14:45 16:20 21:15 19:35 21:35 00:10+1

Flights TG 303 PG 701 8M 336 TG 301 PG 707 PG 703 TG 305 8M 332 PG 705 Y5 238

Arr 8:45 9:40 12:40 13:45 14:30 17:35 18:40 20:05 21:15 21:55

Flights PG 721

Arr 19:15

International Airlines
Air Asia (FD)
Tel: 251 885, 251 886.

PISCeS | Feb 19 March 20 You have the freedom to form your own estimate of yourself and decide how to develop. You can be greater than you believe you are at present. Face up to the most important challenge of your life. Know that lack of self-love affects the physical organism. You need time to observe the quality of the one who interests you.

VIRgO | Aug 23 Sept 22 Condition yourself to focus on the tasks at hand. Never give way to discouragement. You should remind yourself that all your efforts and energy will always meet another challenge. Always carry a high image of yourself. Remember that the world is not interested in the weak and ineffective person. Your heart needs the harmony of wisdom.

DON MUENG TO YANGON Flights Days Dep DD 4230 Daily 6:30 FD 2751 Daily 7:15 FD 2755 Daily 11:35 FD 2753 Daily 16:20 FD 2757 Daily 20:15 DD 4238 Daily 19:25 SINGAPORE TO YANGON Days Dep Daily 7:55 Daily 9:10 Daily 13:25 2,3,4,5, 15:00 Daily 14:20 1,6,7 13:10 Daily 15:40 2,3,5 17:20 5,6,7 19:25 5,7 22:10 BEIJING TO YANGON Days Dep 2,3,4,6,7 8:05

Air Bagan Ltd.(W9)

Arr 7:15 8:00 12:20 17:05 20:55 20:15

Tel : 513322, 513422, 504888, Fax : 515102

Air China (CA) Air India

Tel : 666112, 655882.

Tel : 253597~98, 254758. Fax: 248175

YANGON TO KUALA LUMPUR Flights Days Dep 8M 501 1,3,5,6 8:55 AK 1425 Daily 8:30 MH 741 Daily 12:15 MH 743 Daily 16:00 AK 1421 Daily 19:05 YANGON TO BEIJING Days Dep 2,3,4,6,7 14:15

Arr 12:55 12:45 16:30 20:15 23:20

Flights CA 906

Arr 21:55

Flights SQ 998 3K 585 8M 232 TR 2826 MI 518 TR 2826 Y5 234 3K 587 8M 234 MI 520

Arr 9:20 10:40 14:50 16:30 15:45 14:30 17:10 18:50 20:50 23:35

Bangkok Airways (PG) Condor (DE)

Tel: 255122, 255 265, Fax: 255119

Tel: + 95 1 -370836 up to 39 (ext : 810)

Dragonair (KA)

ARIeS | Mar 21 Apr 19 A deep sense of self-worth is essential to selfcondence. Remember that the greatest power in the world is the power of belief. A big man can be shriveled into a tiny man under the stress of hatred, anxiety and depression. A negative emotional reaction must be managed before you express yourself to others. A positive attitude is the key to winning love.

LIBRA | Sept 23 Oct 22 A doubter cannot be a great doer. Know that doubt and fear of failure are the greatest enemies of mankind. Never harbour thoughts of inferiority. Regard yourself as a Person of Density. You can become autonomous and successful only by accepting responsibility. Condence and a winning attitude will make your way easy. Your mind needs emotional strength to enjoy love.

Tel: 95-1-255320, 255321, Fax : 255329

Golden Myanmar Airlines (Y5)

Tel: 95 9 400446999, 95 9 400447999, Fax: 01 860 4051

YANGON TO GAUNGZHOU Flights Days Dep 8M 711 2,4,7 8:40 CZ 3056 3,6 11:35 CZ 3056 1,5 17:40 YANGON TO TAIPEI Days Dep 1,2,3,5,6 10:50

Arr 13:15 15:55 22:05

Flights CA 905

Arr 13:15

Malaysia Airlines (MH)

Tel : 387648, 241007 ext : 120, 121, 122 Fax : 241124

Flights CI 7916

Arr 16:15

KAULA LUMPUR TO YANGON Flights Days Dep AK 1426 Daily 6:55 MH 740 Daily 10:05 MH742 Daily 13:50 8M 502 1,3,5,6 14:00 AK 1420 Daily 17:20 GUANGZHOU TO YANGON Flights Days Dep CZ 3055 3,6 8:35 CZ 3055 1,5 14:40 8M 712 2,4,7 14:15 TAIPEI TO YANGON Days Dep 1,2,3,5,6 7:00 KUNMING TO YANGON Days Dep 1,3 8:25 2,3,4,6,7 13:00 Daily 13:30

Myanmar Airways International(8M)

Arr 8:00 11:15 15:00 15:00 18:25

Tel : 255260, Fax: 255305

Silk Air(MI)

Tel: 255 287~9, Fax: 255 290

Thai Airways (TG)

YANGON TO KUNMING Flights Days Dep MU 2012 1,3 12:20 MU 2032 Daily 14:40 CA 906 2,3,4,6,7 14:15 YANGON TO CHIANG MAI Flights Days Dep W9 9607 4,7 14:20 YANGON TO HANOI Days Dep 1,3,5,6,7 19:10

Tel : 255491~6, Fax : 255223

Arr 18:20 18:00 17:35

Arr 10:35 16:40 15:50

Vietnam Airlines (VN)

TAURUS | Apr 20 May 20 Never lose touch with reality and know not only where you stand but where others stand also. Avoid being self-centred. You have a distinctly romantic streak that you often cant manage and yet cannot escape. Dont mistake a wild infatuation for love. You may have to make false starts before you nd the truly exciting life for you.

SCORPIO | Oct 23 Nov 21 Persistence and determination are omnipotent whenever you can deny the power of difculties to throw you off course. Dont be discouraged or downcast when you suffer a blow. Do not confuse rigidity with hard choices. You should learn to change gears and try new paths to a moral life. A sympathetic nature has the power of love.

Fax : 255086. Tel 255066/ 255088/ 255068.

Qatar Airways (Temporary Ofce)

Tel: 379845, 379843, 379831, Fax: 379730 Tel: 371867~68, Fax: 371869.

Arr 16:10

Flights CI 7915

Arr 9:50

Biman Bangladesh Airlines (BG)

Flights VN 956

Arr 21:25

YANGON TO HO CHI MINH CITY Flights Days Dep VN 942 2,4,7 14:25 YANGON TO DOHA Days Dep Daily 7:30 YANGON TO PHNOM PENH Days Dep 3,6 8:35 YANGON TO SEOUL Days Dep 4,7 0:50 2,3,4 23:35

Arr 17:10

Flights MU 2011 CA 905 MU 2031

Arr 11:40 13:15 14:00

International
FD & AK = Air Asia TG = Thai Airways 8M = Myanmar Airways International Y5 = Golden Myanmar Airlines PG = Bangkok Airways MI = Silk Air VN = Vietnam Airline MH = Malaysia Airlines CZ = China Southern CI = China Airlines CA = Air China KA = Dragonair Y5 = Golden Myanmar Airlines IC = Indian Airlines Limited W9 = Air Bagan 3K = Jet Star AI = Air India QR = Qatar Airways KE = Korea Airlines NH = All Nippon Airways SQ = Singapore Airways DE = Condor Airlines MU=China Eastern Airlines BR = Eva Airlines DE = Condor AI = Air India BG = Biman Bangladesh Airlines

CHIANG MAI TO YANGON Flights Days Dep W9 9608 4,7 17:20 HANOI TO YANGON Days Dep 1,3,5,6,7 16:40

Arr 18:10

GeMINI | May 21 June 20 The spark of an idea ignites decisions. Know that a successful decision depends entirely on the information, and that success is a continuous phenomenon. Keeping yourself well informed is an art that has to be constantly upgraded. A human cannot be graceless and loveless and be happy. Step into emotional harmony.

SAgITTARIUS | Nov 22 Dec 21 Success in any endeavour depends on your own efforts. Nobody can pull you really very high. Self-help is an ally of competence. Things cannot always be the best for all of us at all times, but it may be near when it seems far. Arrange everything to take the right challenges and dont cause social interference. Your emotional understanding deserves to win love.

Flights QR 919

Arr 11:15

Flights VN 957

Arr 18:10

Flights 8M 401

Arr 12:30

HO CHI MINH CITY TO YANGON Flights Days Dep VN 943 2,4,7 11:40 DOHA TO YANGON Days Dep Daily 21:15 GAYA TO YANGON Days Dep 1,3,5,6 11:20

Arr 13:25

Flights 0Z 770 KE 472

Arr 8:50 07:45+1

Flights QR 618

Arr 06:29+1

YANGON TO HONG KONG Flights Days Dep KA 251 1,2,4,6 01:10 YANGON TO TOKYO Days Dep Daily 22:10 YANGON TO SIEM REAP Days Dep 1,3,6 8:35 YANGON TO GAYA Days Dep 1,3,5,6 9:00 YANGON TO DHAKA Days Dep 1,4 19:30 MANDALAY TO BANGKOK Days Dep 1,2,4,6 9:50 Daily 14:15

Arr 05:35

Flights 8M 602

Arr 14:30

Flights NH 914

Arr 06:45+1

PHNOM PENH TO YANGON Flights Days Dep 8M 402 3,6 13:30 SEOUL TO YANGON Days Dep 2,3,4 18:30 3,6 19:30 TOKYO TO YANGON Days Dep Daily 11:45

CANCeR | June 21 July 22 The same re that melts butter also hardens the boiled egg. Make yourself the focus of decisionmaking, and motivate people without using pressure. Never make your importance known to others, and dont live in a paradise of your mind. Youre good at generating ideas for long-term effectiveness, but it wont be easy to nd a life partner that ts you.

CAPRICORN | Dec 22 Jan 19 Life is unpredictable with its twists and turns. Keep your action in harmony with your beliefs, and use your thinking faculties to create a new image of yourself. You should not live in a social vacuum. Be honest with yourself in relationships to form a bridge of communication. Understand love is the highest power of human beings.

Arr 14:55

Flights 8M 401

Arr 10:45

Flights KE 471 0Z 769

Arr 22:30 23:40

Flights 8M 601

Arr 10:20

Flights NH 913

Arr 17:15

Flights BG 061

Arr 20:45

HONG KONG TO YANGON Flights Days Dep KA 250 1,3,5,7 21:50 DHAKA TO YANGON Days Dep 1,4 16:15

Subject to change without notice

Day 1 = Monday 2 = Tuesday 3 = Wednesday 4 = Thursday 5 = Friday 6 = Saturday 7 = Sunday

Arr 23:45

Flights TG 2982 PG 710

Arr 12:00 16:40

Flights BG 060

Arr 18:30

AUNG MYIN KYAW 4th Floor, 113, Thamain Bayan Road, Tarmwe township, Yangon. Tel: 09-731-35632, Email: [email protected]

THE MYANMAR TIMES | MARCH 17 - 23, 2014

. .. ... .... ..... .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Get your finger on it

Universal Crossword
Edited by Timothy E. Parker

SUDOKU PACIFIC

THIS ONE IS HARD By Henry Quarters

ACROSS 1 Dolls comment, often 5 Shoelace piece 10 Tart taste 14 Early space explorer Shepard 15 Watts of Hollywood 16 English horn, e.g. 17 Reporters challenge 20 Aloha! 21 Mark with grooves 22 Green emotion 25 Wistful exhalation 26 Humble dwelling 29 Make watertight 31 Cascades peak 35 112.5 degrees away from S 36 Gave employment to 38 Blenders sound 39 Solid venture 43 Ripped 44 Twig used in grafting 45 Cause of team dissension 46 Pilfers 49 Roll call response 50 Bookcase locale, often 51 Presidential caucus state 53 Icy coating 55 Bottom of a chest 58 Start for structure or red 62 Excellent thing to build on 65 Solo for opera stars 66 Bombastic 67 Change copy 68 Faculty head 69 Caught some Zs 70 Something to play DOWN 1 It has its pluses and minuses 2 Skin cream ingredient 3 Wound by clawing 4 Camera view 5 Santa __, Calif. 6 One of the three states of matter 7 Bottom-line bummer 8 Sends forth 9 Baghdads river 10 Native American weapon 11 Help, as a prankster 12 Alls alternative 13 18 19 23 24 26 27 28 30 32 33 34 37 40 41 Attain Chief Japanese island Close by, in poetry Its often removed from shrimp Football-field units Tests the weight Knot-tying result ___ firma Parasitic creature ___ away from (was timid) Bit of color Vacuum-tube gas Beauty-shop device Happening at noon Singer/songwriter Amos 42 47 48 52 54 55 56 57 59 60 61 62 63 64 Iron deficiency Chevrolet rival Swallow kin Run ___ of the law Type in Additional amount Russian skater Kulik See red Generic name for a dog Stir up Pay to join the hand Insufficient, as an excuse Cold-day feature Banned insecticides letters

DILBERT

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Telephone us now on +951 392 928

The Essentials
EMBASSIES Australia 88, Strand Road, Yangon. Tel : 251810, 251797, 251798. Bangladesh 11-B, Than Lwin Road, Yangon. Tel: 515275, 526144, email: bdootygn@ mptmail.net.mm Brazil 56, Pyay Road, 6th mile, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 507225, 507251. email: Administ. [email protected]. Brunei 17, Kanbawza Avenue, Golden Velly (1), Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 566985, 503978. email: bruneiemb@ bruneiemb.com.mm Cambodia 25 (3B/4B), New University Avenue Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 549609, 540964. email: RECYANGON @ mptmail.net.mm China 1, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. Tel: 221280, 221281. Danmark, No.7, Pyi Thu St, Pyay Rd, 7 Miles, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 01 9669520 - 17. Egypt 81, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. Tel: 222886, 222887, Egyptembassy86@ gmail.com France 102, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. Tel: 212178, 212520, email: ambaf rance. rangoun@ diplomatie.fr Germany 9, Bogyoke Aung San Museum Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 548951, 548952, email: info@rangun. diplo.de India 545-547, Merchant St, Yangon. Tel: 391219, 388412, email: indiaembassy @ mptmail.net.mm Indonesia 100, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Rd, Yangon. Tel: 254465, 254469, email: kukygn @ indonesia.com.mm Israel 15, Khabaung Street, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 515115, fax: 515116, email: info@ yangon.mfa.gov.il Italy 3, Inya Myaing Road, Golden Valley, Yangon. Tel: 527100, 527101, fax: 514565, email: ambyang. mail@ esteri.it Japan 100, Natmauk Rd, Yangon. Tel: 549644-8, 540399, 540400, 540411, 545988, fax: 549643 Kuwait 62-B, Shwe Taung Kyar St, Bahan Tsp. Tel : 01-230-9542, 2309543. Fax : 01-230-5836. Lao A-1, Diplomatic Quarters, Tawwin Road, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 222482, Fax: 227446, email: Laoembcab@ mptmail. net.mm Malaysia 82, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. Tel: 220248, 220249, email: mwkyangon@ mptmail.net.mm Nepal 16, Natmauk Yeiktha, Yangon. Tel: 545880, 557168, fax: 549803, email: nepemb @mptmail.net.mm Norway, No.7, Pyi Thu St, Pyay Rd, 7 Miles, Mayangone Tsp,Yangon. Tel: 01 9669520 - 17 Fax 01- 9669516 New Zealand No. 43/C, Inya Myaing Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 01-2306046-9 Fax : 01-2305805 Netherlands Diplomatic Mission No. 43/C, Inya Myaing Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 01-2305805 North Korea 77C, Shin Saw Pu Rd, Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 512642, 510205 Pakistan A-4, diplomatic Quarters, Pyay Rd, Yangon. Tel: 222881 (Chancery Exchange) Philippines 50, Sayasan Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 558149-151,Email: p.e. [email protected] Russian 38, Sagawa Rd, Yangon. Tel: 241955, 254161, Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia No.287/289, U Wisara Rd, Sanchaung. Tel : 01-536153, 516952. Serbia No. 114-A, Inya Rd, P.O.Box No. 943, Yangon. Tel: 515282, 515283, email: serbemb @ yangon.net.mm Singapore 238, Dhamazedi Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 559001, email: singemb_ ygn@_ sgmfa. gov.sg South Korea 97 University Avenue, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 5271424, 515190, fax: 513286, email: myanmar@mofat. go.kr Sri Lanka 34 Taw Win Road, Yangon. Tel: 222812, Switzerland No 11, Kabaung Lane, 5 mile, Pyay Rd, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 534754, 507089. Thailand 94 Pyay Rd, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 226721, 226728, 226824 Turkish Embassy 19AB, Kan Yeik Thar St, Mayangone Tsp,Yangon. Tel : 662992, Fax : 661365 United Kingdom 80 Strand Rd, Yangon. Tel: 370867, 380322, 371852, 371853, 256438, United States of America 110, University Avenue, Kamayut Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 536509, 535756, Fax: 650306 Vietnam Bldg-72, Thanlwin Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 511305 UNITED NATIONS ILO Liaison 1-A, Kanbae (Thitsar Rd), Yankin Tsp, Tel : 01-566538, 566539 IOM 318 (A) Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp, Yangon.Tel 01-210588, 09 73236679, 0973236680, Email- [email protected] UNAIDS 137/1, Thaw Wun Rd, Kamayut Tsp. Tel : 534498, 504832 UNDCP 11-A, Malikha St, Mayangone tsp. Tel: 666903, 664539. UNDP 6, Natmauk Rd, Bahan tel: 542910-19. fax: 292739. UNFPA 6, Natmauk Rd, Bahan tsp. tel: 546029. UNHCR 287, Pyay Rd, Sanchaung tsp. Tel: 524022, 524024. UNIAP Rm: 1202, 12 Fl, Traders Hotel. Tel: 254852, 254853. UNIC 6, Natmauk St., Bahan, tel: 52910~19 UNICEF 14~15 Flr, Traders Hotel. P.O. Box 1435, Kyauktada. Tel: 375527~32, unicef.yangon@unicef. org, UNODC 11-A, Malikha Rd., Ward 7, Mayangone. tel: 01-9666903, 9660556, 9660538, 9660398. email: [email protected] UNOPS Inya Lake Hotel, 3rd oor, 37, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Mayangone Tsp. Tel: 951657281~7. Fax: 657279. UNRC 6, Natmauk Rd, P.O. Box 650, TMWE Tel: 542911~19, 292637 (Resident Coordinator), WFP 5 Kan Baw Za St, Shwe Taung Kyar, (Golden Valley), Bahan Tsp. Tel : 2305971~6 WHO No. 2, Pyay Rd, 7 Mile, Mayangone Tsp, Tel : 6504056, 650416, 654386-90. ASEAN Coordinating Of. for the ASEAN Humanitarian Task Force, 79, Taw Win st, Dagon Tsp. Tel: 225258. FAO Myanma Agriculture Service Insein Rd, Insein. tel: 641672, 641673.

General Listing
ACCOMMODATIONHOTELS
Green Paradise Hotel 7, Yeik Tha (1) St, Waizayandar Housing, Tamwe Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 01-566727, 1222635 09-4200-33335, 09-4200-33337. Email : greenparadisehotel [email protected] www.greenparadisemyn. com Hotel Yangon 91/93, 8th Mile Junction, Tel : 01-667708, 667688. Inya Lake Resort Hotel 37 Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd. tel: 662866. fax: 665537. MGM Hotel No (160), Warden Street, Lanmadaw Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. +95-1-212454~9. www. hotel-mgm.com

ACCOMMODATION Long Term

Golden Hill Towers 24-26, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp. tel: 558556. ghtower@ mptmail.net.mm.

YANGON No. 277, Bogyoke Aung San Road, Corner of 38th Street, Kyauktada Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : (951) 391070, 391071. Reservation@391070 (Ext) 1910, 106. Fax : (951) 391375. Email : [email protected]

Asia Plaza Hotel

Happy Homes
REAL ESTATE & PrOpErTY MANAGEmENT

Avenue 64 Hotel No. 64 (G), Kyitewine Pagoda Rd, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 09-8631392, 01 656913-9 Chatrium Hotel 40 Natmauk Rd, Tarmwe. tel: 544500. fax: 544400.

Tel: 09-7349-4483, 09-4200-56994. E-mail: aahappyhomes@ gmail.com, http://www. happyhomesyangon.com Marina Residence 8, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Mayangone Tsp. tel: 6506 51~4. fax: 650630.

No.7A, Wingabar Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : (951) 546313, 430245. 09-731-77781~4. Fax : (01) 546313. www.cloverhotel.asia. [email protected] Clover Hotel City Center No. 217, 32nd Street (Upper Block), Pabedan Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 377720, Fax : 377722 www.clovercitycenter.asia Clover Hotel City Center Plus No. 229, 32nd Street (Upper Block), Pabedan Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 377975, Fax : 377974
www.clovercitycenterplus.asia

No. 205, Corner of Wadan Street & Min Ye Kyaw Swa Road, Lanmadaw Tsp, Yangon. Myanmar. Tel: (95-1) 212850 ~ 3, 229358 ~ 61, Fax: (95-1) 212854. info@myanmarpandahotel .com http://www. myanmarpandahotel.com ParkroYal Yangon, Myanmar 33, Alan Pya Pagoda Rd, Dagon tsp. tel: 250388. fax: 252478. email: enquiry.prygn@ parkroyalhotels.com parkroyalhotels. com.

17, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Yankin Tsp. Tel: 650933. Fax: 650960. Email : micprm@ myanmar.com.mmwww. myanmar micasahotel.com

ACCOMMODATIONHOTELS (Nay Pyi Taw)

(Nay Pyi Taw)

Reservation Ofce (Yangon) 123, Alanpya Pagoda Rd, Dagon Township Tel : 951- 255 819~838 Royal Kumudra Hotel, (Nay Pyi Taw) Tel : 067- 414 177, 067- 4141 88 E-Mail: reservation@ maxhotelsgroup.com

Confort Inn 4, Shweli Rd, Bet: Inya Rd & U Wisara Rd, Kamaryut, tel: 525781, 526872

Royal White Elephant Hotel No-11, Kan Street, Hlaing Tsp. Yangon, Myanmar. (+95-1) 500822, 503986. www.rwehotel.com Savoy Hotel 129, Damazedi Rd, Kamayut tsp. tel: 526289, 526298, Sedona Hotel Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Yankin. tel: 666900. Strand Hotel 92 Strand Rd. tel: 243377. fax: 289880. Summit Parkview Hotel 350, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp. tel: 211888, 211966. Traders Hotel 223 Sule Pagoda Rd. tel: 242828. fax: 242838. Winner Inn 42, Than Lwin Rd, Bahan Tsp. Tel: 503734, 524387. email: reservation@winner innmyanmar.com Windsor Hotel No.31, Shin Saw Pu Street, Sanchaung. Yangon, Myanmar. Ph: 95-1-511216~8, www. hotelwindsoryangon.com Yuzana Hotel 130, Shwegondaing Rd, Bahan Tsp, tel : 01-549600 Yuzana Garden Hotel 44, Alanpya Pagoda Rd, Mingalar Taung Nyunt Tsp, tel : 01-248944

resorts

For more information about these listings, Please Contact - [email protected]

Emergency Numbers
Ambulance tel: 295133. Fire tel: 191, 252011, 252022. Police emergency tel: 199. Police headquarters tel: 282541, 284764. Red Cross tel:682600, 682368 Trafc Control Branch tel:298651 Department of Post & Telecommunication tel: 591384, 591387. Immigration tel: 286434. Ministry of Education tel:545500m 562390 Ministry of Sports tel: 370604, 370605 Ministry of Communications tel: 067-407037. Myanma Post & Telecommunication (MPT) tel: 067407007. Myanma Post & Tele-communication (Accountant Dept) tel: 254563, 370768. Ministry of Foreign Affairs tel: 067-412009, 067-412344. Ministry of Health tel: 067-411358-9. Yangon City Development Committee tel: 248112. HOSPITALS Central Womens Hospital tel: 221013, 222811. Children Hospital tel: 221421, 222807 Ear, Nose & Throat Hospital tel: 543888. Naypyitaw Hospital (emergency) tel: 420096. Workers Hospital tel: 554444, 554455, 554811. Yangon Children Hospital tel: 222807, 222808, 222809. Yangon General Hospital (East) tel: 292835, 292836, 292837. Yangon General Hospital (New) tel: 384493, 384494, 384495, 379109. Yangon General Hospital (West) tel: 222860, 222861, 220416. Yangon General Hospital (YGH) tel: 256112, 256123, 281443, 256131. ELECTRICITY Power Station tel:414235 POST OFFICE General Post Ofce 39, Bo Aung Kyaw St. (near British Council Library). tel: 285499. INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Yangon International Airport tel: 662811. YANGON PORT Shipping (Coastal vessels) tel: 382722 RAILWAYS Railways information tel: 274027, 202175-8.

No. (356/366), Kyaikkasan Rd, Tamwe Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Ph: 542826, Fax: 545650 Email: reservation@ edenpalacehotel.com

Reservation Ofce (Yangon) 123, Alanpya Pagoda Rd, Dagon Township. Tel : 951-255 819-838 Hotel Max (Chaung Tha Beach) Tel : 042-423 46-9, 042-421 33. Email : maxhotelsreservation@ gmail.com

M-22, Shwe Htee Housing, Thamine Station St., Near the Bayint Naung Point, Mayangone Tsp., Yangon Tel : 522763, 522744, 667557. Fax : (95-1) 652174 E-mail : grandpalace@ myanmar.com.mm

AdVertising
WE STARTED THE ADVERTISING INDUSTRY IN MYANMAR SINCE 1991

M A R K E T I N G & C O mm U N I C A T I O N S

A D V E R T I S I N G

No. 12, Pho Sein Road, Tamwe Township, Yangon Tel : (95-1) 209299, 209300, 209343, 209345, 209346 Fax : (95-1) 209344 E-mail : greenhill@ myanmar.com.mm

SAIL Marketing & Communications Suite 403, Danathiha Center 790, Corner of Bogyoke Rd & Wadan Rd, Lanmadaw Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: (951) 211870, 224820, 2301195. Email: admin@ advertising-myanmar.com www.advertising-myanmar. com

THE MYANMAR TIMES mARCH 17 - 23, 2014 ADVERTISING & MEDIA car rental
MYANMAR EXECUTIVE LIMOUSINE SERVICE

co working space

FITNESS CENTRE

Gems & Jewelleries

Media Relations, Event Management & Strategic Communications Hotline : 09 730 81 787 Email : tharapa.myanmar @gmail.com

AIR CONDITION

The First Air conditioning systems designed to keep you fresh all day Zeya & Associates Co., Ltd. No.437 (A), Pyay Road, Kamayut. P., O 11041 Yangon, Tel: +(95-1) 502016-18, Mandalay- Tel: 02-60933. Nay Pyi Taw- Tel: 067-420778, E-mail : sales.ac@freshaircon. com. URL: http://www. freshaircon.com

Yangon La Source Beauty Spa 80-A, Inya Rd, Kamayut Tsp. Tel: 512380, 511252 Beauty Bar by La Source Room (1004), Sedona Hotel, Tel : 666 900 Ext : (7167) LS Salon Junction Square, 3rd Floor. Tel : 95-1-527242, Ext : 4001 Mandalay La Source Beauty Spa No. 13/13, Mya Sandar St, Chanaye Tharzan Tsp. Tel : 09-4440-24496. www.lasourcebeautyspa.com

HOT LINE: 09 - 402 510 003 01-646 330 First Class VIP Limousine Car Rental. Professional English Speaking Drivers. Full Insurance for your Safety and comfortable journey Call us Now for your best choice www.mmels.com

Dent Myanmar Condo C, Rm 001, Tatkatho Yeikmon Housing, New University Avenue Rd, Bahan. Ph: 09-8615162.

No. (6), Lane 2 Botahtaung Pagoda St, Yangon. 01-9010003, 291897. [email protected], www.venturaofce.com

Duty free

Balance Fitnesss No 64 (G), Kyitewine Pagoda Road, Mayangone Township. Yangon 01-656916, 09 8631392 Email - info@ balancetnessyangon.com

Get the Best Pure Natural Gemstones and Jewellery No. 44, Inya Road, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 01-2305811, 2305812. email : info@bestjewels myanmar.com, Bestjewelsmyanmar.com

Lemon Day Spa No. 96 F, Inya Road, Kamaryut Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 514848, 09-732-08476. E.mail: lemondayspa.2011 @gmail.com

Car Rental Service No. 56, Bo Ywe St, Latha Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 01-246551, 375283, 09-2132778, 09-31119195. Gmail:nyanmyintthu1983@ gmail.com,

Duty Free Shops Yangon International Airport, Arrival/Departure Tel: 533030 (Ext: 206/155) Ofce: 17, 2nd street, Hlaing Yadanarmon Housing, Hlaing Township, Yangon. Tel: 500143, 500144, 500145.

Life Fitness Bldg A1, Rm No. 001, Shwekabar Housing, Mindhamma Rd, Mayangone Tsp. Yangon. Ph: 01-656511, Fax: 01-656522, Hot line: 0973194684, [email protected]

Japan-Myanmar Physiotherapy Clinic. Body Only - 7000 Ks Foot Only - 6000 Ks Body & Foot - 12,000 Ks No.285, Bo Aung Kyaw Rd, Kyauktada Tsp, Yangon. OPEN Daily 09:00 AM - 09:00 PM Tel : 09-8615036

coffee machine

Engineering
illy, Francis Francis, VBM, Brasilia, Rossi, De Longhi Nwe Ta Pin Trading Co., Ltd. Shop C, Building 459 B New University Avenue 01- 555-879, 09-4210-81705 [email protected]

Air Con Sales & Service No. 2/1, Than Thu Mar Rd, Thuwunna Junction. Tel : 09-4224-64130

BARS
50th Street 9/13, 50th street-lower, Botataung Tsp. Tel-397160.

No. 52, Royal Yaw Min Gyi Condo, Room F, Yaw Min Gyi Rd, Dagon Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: 09-425-307-717

CONSTRUCTION

BOOK STORES
Lobby Bar Parkroyal Yangon, Myanmar. 33, Alan Pya Phaya Road, Dagon Tsp. tel: 250388. Zamil Steel No-5, Pyay Road, 7 miles, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. Tel: (95-1) 652502~04. Fax: (95-1) 650306. Email: zamilsteel@ zamilsteel.com.mm

One-stop Solution for Sub-station, M&E Work Design, Supply and Install (Hotel, High Rise Building Factory) 193/197, Shu Khin Thar Street, North Okkalapa Industrial Zone, Yangon. Tel: 951-691843~5, 9519690297, Fax: 951-691700 Email: supermega97@ gmail.com. www.supermega-engg.com

No. 20, Ground Floor, Pearl Street, Golden Valley Ward, Bahan Township, Yangon. Tel : 09-509 7057, 01220881, 549478 (Ext : 103) Email : realtnessmyanmar @gmail.com
www.realtnessmyanmar.com

FLORAL SERVICES

Diamond Palace Jewelry Shop (1) - No. 663/665, Mahar Bandoola Rd, Yangon. Tel : 01-371 944, 371 454, 371 425 Shop (2) - No.1103/1104/ 1105, Ground Fl, Taw Win Center, Yangon. Tel : 01-8600111 ext :1103, 09 49307265 Shop (3) - No.B 020, Ground Fl, Junction Square Shopping Center, Yangon. Tel : 01-527 242 ext : 1081, 09 73203464 Shop (4) Ground Fl, Gamonepwint Shopping Mall, Kabaraye Pagoda Rd, Yangon. Tel : 01-653 653 ext : 8205 09 421763490 [email protected] www.seinnandaw.com www.facebook.com/ seinnandaw

24 Hours Laboratory & X-ray, CT, MRI, USG Mammogram, Bone DXA @ Victoria Hospital No. 68, Tawwin Rd, 9 Mile, Mayangon Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: (951) 9 666141 Fax: (951) 9 666135

24 Hrs International Clinic Medical and Security Assistance Service @ Victoria Hospital No.68, Tawwin Rd, 9 Mile, Mayangon Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: +951 651 238 +959 495 85 955 Fax: +959 651 398 www.leomedicare.com Myittar Oo Eye Hospital 499, Pyay Rd, Kamayut Tsp. Ph: 09-527381.

ENTERTAINMENT

Strand Bar 92, Strand Rd, Yangon, Myanmar. tel: 243377.fax: 243393, [email protected] www.ghmhotels.com

150 Dhamazedi Rd., Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 536306, 537805. Email : yangon@ monument-books.com 15(B), Departure Lounge, Yangon Intl Airport. #87/2, Crn of 26th & 27th St, 77th St,Chan Aye Thar Zan Tsp, Mandalay. Tel : (02) 24880. MYANMARBOOKCENTRE Nandawun Compound, No. 55, Baho Road, Corner of Baho Road and Ahlone Road, (near Eugenia Restaurant), Ahlone Township. tel: 212 409, 221 271. 214708 fax: 524580. email:info@ myanmarbook.com

CONSULTING

Myanmar Research | Consulting | Technology

BEAUTY & MASSAGE

Shwe Hinthar B 307, 6 1/2 Miles, Pyay Rd., Yangon. Tel: +95 (0)1 654 730 [email protected] www.thuraswiss.com

Learn to dance with social dancing 94, Bogalay Zay St, Botataung T/S, Yangon. Tel : 01-392526, 01-1221738

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

[email protected] www.manawmayagems.com

Ruby & Rare Gems of Myanamar No. 527, New University Ave., Bahan Tsp. Yangon.

FASHION & TAILOR

Tel: 549612, Fax : 545770.

courier SerVice
DTDC Courier and Cargo Service (Since 1991) Yangon. Tel : 01-374457 Mandalay. Tel : 09-43134095. www.DTDC.COM, [email protected] Door to Door Delivery!!! Sein Shwe Tailor, 797 (003-A), Bogyoke Aung San Rd, MAC Tower 2, Lanmadaw Tsp, Yangon, Ph: 01-225310, 212943~4 Ext: 146, 147, E-mail: [email protected] Floral Service & Gift Centre 102(A), Dhamazaydi Rd, Yangon.tel: 500142 Summit Parkview Hotel, tel: 211888, 211966 ext. 173 fax: 535376.email: sandy@ sandymyanmar.com.mm.

Marina Residence, Yangon Ph: 650651~4, Ext: 109 Beauty Plan, Corner of 77th St & 31st St, Mandalay Ph: 02 72506

The Lady Gems & Jewellery No. 7, Inya Rd, Kamayut Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 01-2305800, 09-8315555

No.(68), Tawwin Street, 9 Mile, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. Hunt line: +95 1 9666 141, Booking Ext : 7080, 7084. Fax: +95 1 9666 135 Email: info@witoriya hospital.com www.victoriahospital myanmar.com, Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/ WitoriyaGeneralHospital

GENERATORS

Home Furnishing

Foam spray Insulation

No. 589-592, Bo Aung Kyaw St, Yangon-Pathein highway Road. Hlaing Tharyar tsp. Tel: 951645178-182, 685199, Fax: 951-645211, 545278. e-mail: mkt-mti@ winstrategic.com.mm

22, Pyay Rd, 9 mile, Mayangone Tsp. tel: 660769, 664363.

Foam Spray Insulation No-410, Ground Fl,Lower Pazuntaung Rd, Pazun taung Tsp, Yangon.Telefax : 01-203743, 09-5007681. Hot Line-09-730-30825.

GIFT PRODUCT

Bldg-D, Rm (G-12), Pearl Condo, Ground Flr, Kabaraye Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp. Tel: 557448. Ext 814, 09-730-98872.

GAS COOKER & Cooker Hoods

Sole Distributor of Red Ginseng from Korea Ginseng Corporation

Worlds leader in Kitchen Hoods & Hobs Same as Ariston Water Heater. Tel: 251033, 379671, 256622, 647813

Tel: 01-374851, 394360 Stores:Coreana @ Junction Square / Mawtin, UNIQHAN @U Wisara Rd; MBICenter. No.16, 87th st.

HEALTH SERVICES

European Quality & Designs Indoor/ Outdoor Furniture, Hotel Furniture & All kinds of woodworks No. 422, FJVC Centre, Ground Floor, Room No. 4, Strand Road, Botahtaung Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: 01-202063-4, 09 509-1673 E-mail: contact@ smartdesignstrading.com www.royalbotania.com, www.alexander-rose.co.uk

Yangon : A-3, Aung San Stadium (North East Wing), Mingalartaungnyunt Tsp. Tel : 245543, 09-73903736, 09-73037772. Mandalay : No.(4) 73rd St, Btw 30th & 31st St, Chan Aye Thar Zan Tsp. Tel : 096803505, 09-449004631.

98(A), Kaba Aye Pagoda S.B. FURNITURE Road, Bahan Township, Yangon. Tel: 553783, 549152, 09-732-16940, 09-730-56079. Fax: 542979 Email: asiapacic. [email protected].

S.B. FURNITURE

No-001-002, Dagon Tower, Ground Flr, Cor of Kabaraye Pagoda Rd & Shwe Gon Dine Rd, Bahan Tsp. Tel: 544480, 09-730-98872.

THE MYANMAR TIMES mARCH 17 - 23, 2014 housing Paint

Worlds No.1 Paints & Coatings Company Rentals at Pun Hlaing Service Apartment Homes and Apartments PHGE Sales & Marketing, Hlaing Tharyar Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 951-687 800, 684 013 [email protected] www.punhlainggolfestate.com Edo Zushi 290-B,U Wisarya Rd, 10 Ward, Kamaryut Tsp, Yangon. Tel : (09)259040853 Open daily 11:00~23:00

Water Heaters

Marine Communication & NaVigation

Sole Distributor For the Union of Myanmar Since 1995 Myanmar Golden Rock International Co.,Ltd. #06-01, Bldg (8), Myanmar ICT Park, University Hlaing Campus, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 654810~17.

Crown Worldwide Movers Ltd 790, Rm 702, 7th Flr Danathiha Centre, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Lanmadaw. Tel: 223288, 210 670, 227650. ext: 702. Fax: 229212. email: crown [email protected]

Delicious Hong Kong Style Food Restaurant G-09, City Mart (Myay Ni Gone Center). Tel: 01-508467-70 Ext: 114 UnionBarAndGrill 42 Strand Road, Botahtaung, Yangon. Tel: 95 9420 180 214, 95 9420 101 854 www.unionyangon.com, [email protected]

Easy access to CBD Fully furnished facility Company setup for $1,000 Office available from $360 only

The Global leader in Water Heaters A/1, Aung San Stadium East Wing, Upper Pansodan Road. Tel: 01-256705, 399464, 394409, 647812.

Heaven Pizza 38/40, Bo Yar Nyunt St. Yaw Min Gyi Quarter, Dagon Township. Tel: 09-855-1383 Legendary Myanmar Intl Shipping & Logistics Co., Ltd. No-9, Rm (A-4), 3rd Flr, Kyaung St, Myaynigone, Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 516827, 523653, 516795. Mobile. 09-512-3049. Email: legandarymyr@ mptmail.net .mm www.LMSL-shipping.com

Tel: + 95 1 374851 Email : [email protected] www.jkmyanmar.com (ENG) www.3ec.jp/mbic/ (JPN)

Made in Japan Same as Rinnai Gas Cooker and Cooker Hood Showroom Address

Water Heater

Top Marine Show Room No-385, Ground Floor, Lower Pazundaung Road, Pazundaung Tsp, Yangon. Ph: 01-202782, 09-851-5597

TOP MARINE PAINT No-410, Ground Floor, Lower Pazundaung Road, Pazundaung Tsp, Yangon. Ph: 09-851-5202

World famous Kobe Beef Near Thuka Kabar Hospital on Pyay Rd, Marlar st, Hlaing Tsp. Tel: +95-1-535072

Office Furniture

PLEASURE CRUISES
Schenker (Thai) Ltd. Yangon 59 A, U Lun Maung Street. 7 Mile Pyay Road, MYGN. tel: 667686, 666646.fax: 651250. email: sche [email protected].

1. WASABI:No.20-B, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Yankin Tsp,(Near MiCasa), Tel; 09-4250-20667, 09-503-9139 Myaynigone (City Mart) Yankin Center (City Mart)

No. (6), Lane 2 Botahtaung Pagoda St, Yangon. 01-9010003, 291897. [email protected], www.venturaofce.com

Water solution

Company Limited

Aekar

STEEL STRUCTURE

Water Treatement Solution Block (A), Room (G-12), Pearl Condo, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp. Hot Line : 09-4500-59000

Water Treatment
Design, Fabrication, Supply & Erection of Steel Structures Tel : (+95-1) 122 1673 Email : [email protected] www.WEC-Myanmar.com

Enchanting and Romantic, a Bliss on the Lake 62 D, U Tun Nyein Road, Mayangon Tsp, Yangon Tel. 01 665 516, 660976 Mob. 09-730-30755 [email protected] www.operayangon.com

SCHOOLS

Open Daily (9am to 6pm) No. 797, MAC Tower II, Rm -4, Ground Flr, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Lamadaw Tsp, Yangon. Tel: (951) 212944 Ext: 303 sales.centuremyanmar@ gmail.com www.centure.in.th

Moby Dick Tours Co., Ltd. Islands Safari in the Mergui Archipelago 5 Days, 7 Days, 9 Days Trips Tel: 95 1 202063, 202064 E-mail: info@islandsafari mergui.com. Website: www. islandsafarimergui.com

Home Outdoor Ofce 99 Condo, Ground Floor, Room (A), Damazedi Rd, Kamayut Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 09-2504-28700 [email protected]

Furniture Showroom Blk-90, BB2/A, No.2 High Way Road, Mya Ya Mon Housing, 26 Quarter, South Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 09-2500-68186 09-4500-41804 Email : sale.desmark@ gmail.com.

Road to Mandalay Myanmar Hotels & Cruises Ltd. Governors Residence 39C, Taw Win Rd, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel: (951) 229860 fax: (951) 217361. email: [email protected] www.orient-express.com

Bo Sun Pat Tower, Bldg 608, Rm 6(B), Cor of Merchant Rd & Bo Sun Pat St, PBDN Tsp. Tel: 377263, 250582, 250032, 09-511-7876, 09-862-4563.

22, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp. tel 541997. email: leplanteur@ mptmail.net.mm. http://leplanteur.net

Horizon Intl School 25, Po Sein Road, Bahan Tsp, tel : 541085, 551795, 551796, 450396~7. fax : 543926, email : contact@horizonmyanmar. com, www.horizon.com

SUPERMARKETS
Capital Hyper Mart 14(E), Min Nandar Road, Dawbon Tsp. Ph: 553136. City Mart (Aung San) tel: 253022, 294765. City Mart (47th St Branch) tel: 200026, 298746. City Mart (Junction 8) tel: 650778. City Mart (FMI City Branch) tel: 682323. City Mart (Yankin Center Branch) tel: 400284. City Mart (Myaynigone) tel: 510697. City Mart (Zawana Branch) tel:564532. City Mart (Shwe Mya Yar) tel: 294063. City Mart (Chinatown Point) tel: 215560~63. City Mart (Junction Maw Tin) tel: 218159.

Commercial scale water treatment (Since 1997) Tel: 01-218437~38. H/P: 09-5161431, 09-43126571. 39-B, Thazin Lane, Ahlone.

WEB SERVICE

RESTAURANTS

G-01, City Mart (Myay Ni Gone Center). Tel: 01-508467-70 Ext: 106

Pre School and Primary years (Ages 2 to 10) No. 695, Mahabandola Road, (Between 19th & Sint Oh Dan Street), Latha Township, Yangon. Tel :01-382213, 395816 www.imecedu.com

REAL ESTATE

Good taste & resonable price @Thamada Hotel Tel: 01-243047, 243639-41 Ext: 32

*Web Design *Web Marketing People are searching for YOUR business & services online, stop missing out on all this business, get a website & get it visible ONLINE! Australian web company based in Yangon. Call Today! Alex: 0925 402 5238 email: info@imevolutions. com www.imevolutions.com

G-05, Marketplace by City Mart. Tel: 01-523840 Ext: 105

Tel : 01-9000712~13 Ext : 330 09-4200-77039. [email protected]

Real Estate Agent Agent fees is unnecessary Tel : 09 2050107, 09 448026156 [email protected]

a drink from paradise... available on Earth @Yangon International Hotel, No.330, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 09-421040512

Singapore Cuisine Super One Super Market, Kyaikkasan Branch, No. 65, Lay Daung Kan Rd, Man Aung Qtr, Tamwe Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 01-542371, 09-501-9128

Yangon Intl School Fully Accredited K-12 International Curriculum with ESL support No.117,Thumingalar Housing, Thingangyun, Tel: 578171, 573149, 687701, 687702.

TRAVEL AGENTS

SANITERY WARE

For House-Seekers Bldg-A2, G-Flr, Shwe Gabar Housing, Mindama Rd, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. email: eko-nr@ myanmar.com.mm Ph: 652391, 09-73108896

Asian Trails Tour Ltd 73 Pyay Rd, Dagon tsp. tel: 211212, 223262. fax: 211670. email: res@ asiantrails.com.mm

with Expert Services In all kinds of Estate Fields [email protected]

Tel : 09-332 87270 09-2541 26615 (Fees Free)

REMOVALISTS

No.430(A), Corner of Dhamazedi Rd & Golden Valley Rd, Building(2) Market Place (City Mart), Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 01-523840(Ext-309), 09-73208079.

Monsoon Restaurant & Bar 85/87, Thein Byu Road, Botahtaung Tsp. Tel: 295224, 09-501 5653.

Bath Room Accessories 79-B3/B3, East Shwe Gone Dine, Near SSC Womens Center, Bahan. Tel : 01-401083, 0973011100, 09-73056736

Web Services All the way from Australia world-class websites/ web apps for desktop, smartphone & tablets, online shopping with real-time transaction, news/magazine site, forum, email campaign and all essential online services. Domain registration & cloud hosting. Talk to us: (01) 430-897, (0) 942-000-4554. www.medialane.com.au

VISA & IMMIGRATION

KAMY Group Intl Co., Ltd. International Transport and Logistics No. 363-D, Ground Floor, Bo Aung Kyaw St (Upper), Kyauktada Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 951 245491, 09-4202-87291. Fax : 951 245491 Email : [email protected] www.kamygroup.com Shan Yoma Tours Co.,Ltd www.exploremyanmar.com

serVice office

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

Relocation Specialist Rm 504, M.M.G Tower, #44/56, Kannar Rd, Botahtaung Tsp. Tel: 250290, 252313. Mail : [email protected]

Quality Chinese Dishes with Resonable Price @Marketplace by City Mart. Tel: 01-523840 Ext.109

Ocean Center (North Point), Ground Floor, Tel : 09-731-83900 01-8600056

Executive Serviced Ofces

www.hinthabusinesscentres.com

Tel : 01-4413410

Get your Visa online for Business and Tourist No need to come to Embassy. #165. 35th Street, Kyauktada Tsp, Yangon. Tel: +951 381200, 204020 [email protected]

HOW TO GET A FREE AD

FREE
General
Business
am a qualified tutor, with four A's in A Levels and four years of experience. I tutor students of Grade 5-12, O Levels, A Levels, Pre-University Level and SAT and SAT Subject Tests. To contact me, please call me at 09-5190543 and we will set up a meeting to discuss your academic needs. Cindy: 09-519-0543. BA (Eng) Dip in English (YUFL) Int'l school, private school, KG to Primary 4 for Home Guide. Ph: 09-42003613. igcse, Secondary 2, 3, 4, Physics, Mathematics B & Pure Mathematics, Practice with 20 years old question. Allow individual or section. Only 5 students for one section. Near Hledan Sein Gay Har. Ph: 094500-25213, 524617. give your child the best possible start to life at International Montessori Myanmar (English Education Center). Accredited by IMC Bangkok (Since 1991), Our Montessori curriculum includes: Practical Life Exercises. Sensorial Training. Language Development. Mathematics. Cultural Studies. Botany & Zoology. History. Creative Art. Music and Movement. Cooking. Physical Development. Social & Emotional Development. Learning through play. 55(B), Po Sein Rd, Bahan, Yangon, Tel: 546097, 546761. Email: imm. [email protected] English for Young learners : Build confiden ce in commu nicating in English. Build strong foundation in English for further education. Introducing reading with variety of books. Using Int'l syllabuses such as Oxford, Collins & Cambridge ,etc. Lesson will be conducted in English. Taught by qualified & internationally experience teacher. English for Adults Speak fluently in various situations. Improve your pronunciation and increase your vocabulary. Communicate effectively in everyday situations. English for social, study, overseas travel and work purposes. Teacher Yamin - Ph : 291-679, 292176, 09-250-136695 Tr.Kaung Myat : For International School, Guide & Lecturer, Special for Maths, Geometry, Algebra I&II, Calculus. Ph:09-73142020. geometry500@ gmail.com Study guide and home visit for LCCI level 1,2 and 3. Ph : 09-4311-0463 NPNG study coach 10th standard specialist. Ph: 09-2506-96329. Email: [email protected] "Scholar Teaching Organization" founded with ME,BE and Master Degree holder with 12 years experience in teaching field.Role & Responsibility: Making the students develop problem solving skills, critical thinking skills & I.Q & E.Q enriching skills, Int'l school (ILBC, Total, MISY, ISY, PISM, ISM, network, CISM, MIS, MLA, ES4E, DSY, IISY, RV). All grades, All Subjects Singapore MOE Exams (AEIS,AEIS exam), SAT, IGCSE, IELTS, TOFEL... Tr.Daniel Caulin : 092150-075, Tr.Bryan :094200-70692. LCCI, Level I,II &III, MYOB. Ph : 09-5200974. EDUCATION Guiding Primary Student for primary level English, Maths, Science, Geogra phy, History, English language. gmail: caroline.zita@gmail. com FOR IGCSE (Edexcel & Campridge) & Secondary level Regular tuition classes Home tuition Exam preparation classes All subjects available Contact: 09508-8683. TEACHERS who have got Teaching experience in Singapore, Intl School (primary & seconday levels) AEIS, PSLE, GCSE, SAT, IELTS, TOEFL, English Myamar speaking class for company, Sayar Bryan (ME) 09-4200-7 0692 SPECIAL IGCSE for Scholarships, English, Physics, Chemistry, Math, IELTS; SAT 1 & 2; Teacher Solomon + 3 experts. Ph:09-5417781.

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Property
Generation) Ram 4GB 500HDD Graphic 1GB Just like new condition HP Core i3 Third generation Ram 2GB HDD 500 Graphic 1GB 300000 Acer Core2Dua -170000. Ph: 09-31775707 Near Myay Ni Gone City Mart, Shin Saw Pu Pagoda St. Tel: 09 4200 30 782 Teaching English for adults Near Myay Ni Gone City Mart, Shin Saw Pu Pagoda Street. 09 4200 30 782 FOR FOREIGNERS Want to learn Myanmar Speaking at your home? Contact : 09-517-9125, 09-861-1052 WITHIN 24 hours can make you confidient in Myanmar language speaking and scripts! Teacher Phyu Phyu Khin 09-4930-8926, phyuporcupine@gmail. com, No.56 I, Thiri Marlar Lane, 7.5 mile, Pyay Road, Yangon. ENGLISH Grammar for all classes. Ph: 09-5413847. CHINESE for all grades. Ph: 09-541-3847. MYANMAR for Foreigners, Ph: 092501-50791. ENGLISH for Adults &Young Learners 100 % face to face classroom based lessons, Small classroom sized, limited seats, Variety of learning resources Experienced, internationally qualified teacher who get the best out of you, whatever your level. Offer courses that build your confidence for practical situations and improve important areas such as Speaking and Listening in English. English for young learners : Teacher Yamin - Ph: (01) 291679, 09-250136695.

Rent/Sale
MAYANGONE, Kabaaye Gamone Pwint Condo, Rm 4GH, 4th Flr, 3650 sqft, 3 MBR, 2 BR, 1 line Phone, Full furniture, Hot & Cold water, Teak Parquet Floor. Ph: 401285, 553-823, 092561-17979, 09-5312027.

singaPore Business men is looking for business opportunities in Myanmar UKE WISE in Singapore. Any queris contact me suresh fpdko std/hob.net.sg Business Growth Consultancy: Helping Your Business Grow Faster and Slaughtering Your Competition. Our Strategies and Tactics will upgrade your business to a whole new level which you never imagined possible before. For further information, pls visit to www.chawzang. com and mail to hawzangconsultancy@ gmail.com.

Expert Services
EFFective English Marketing Do you want to produce an effective marketing or advertising campaign in English but lack the English skills and marketing ideas to do so. I can help you to achieve this. I have a background in successful English marketing andadvertising, including the internet, in the United Kingdom. I will work with you so that your company produces eye-catching marketing and advertising that attracts customers attention. The result being increased sales. I can also help you design marketing strategies for reaching new customers. For more details contact us either by email: Kensington. [email protected] or phone: 09250790200 'Want to create that professional marketing campaign in English but lack the English skills to do so? Straight from England, our marketing man will do this for you''. Tel: 09 250790200 or email: n.setterington@ gmail.com Owner want to rent (or) sale. Call Maureen: 09518-8320. Prime Engineer Co., Ltd. Building (A), Room (501), Yuzana Housing Compound. New Yaetarshae Rd, Bahan, Yangon, Myanmar, Office (+95) 9 31337444, Email: primeengineering @outlook.com Service OFFice you can trust. Business Service for foreign investors. 905, 9F, Panchan Tower, Corner of Dhamazedi Rd & Bagayar Rd, Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 01503895, Email :yangon_ [email protected], http:// www.v2m.jp

Housing for Rent

Bahan, Kanbawza Avenue, 2 Storey building on 0.25 acre, 4 Bedrooms attached with Bathroom, Tube Well, Phone, Voltage Regulator, Contact: 535985, 513193 (Only Office Hours). OFFice sPace , 8000 sqft in MICT park. Fiber internet, large international conglomerates. Also for sale if interested buyer. Please contact us for details. jasonwongjp@ gmail.com 09-8421102223 Classic strand Condominium, 2200 sqft commercial/residence for sale. 3rd floor, wide open space. 14 ft ceilings. Gym, cafe, facilities. Prime downtown location, close to strand hotel/ union bar. jasonwongjp@ gmail.com Classic Strand, 3 bed 2 bath, modern design/decor, wide open layout, 1550 square feet, 8th floor corner unit river view. $3800/month. Strand Road, 5min walk to Hilton/CenterPoint offices.jasonwongjp@ gmail.com, 09-421102223 OFFice or AppartmentGolden View Condo: room facing to Kandaw gyi Lake & Shwedagone Pagoda, 2400 sqft, fully furnished, 2MBR, 2BR, Linving room, lobby, dinning, kitchen (4500 US$ per month), Contact - 09-513-3958 Kamayut , Blazon Condo, 2000 sq/ft, 3 Bed, 2 Baths, 5 AC, Internet, Parking, Fully Furnished, Shwedagon Pagoda View. 09-2542-17560 MAYANGONE, Mini Condo, 2nd Flr, 3 bedrooms, 1 Big livinig room , Dinning Room and Kitchen , 3 warandas, Full Furnitures, 2 bath rooms, 3 air cons, Internet & 50' x 40 ', 8 1/2 Mile U Mg Mg Soe Lane A-1 Compound Yangon Contact , Ko Thant Zin 09-730-69754, 653005 BAHAN, (1)University Avenur Rd, 2000 Sqft, fully furnish, 2 MBR, 1 SR , 3500 USD. (2) Shwe gondine Rd, 1200 Sqft, 1 MBR , good for office , 1200 USD (3) Inyar Rd, 400 Sqft, 2 Flat, good for shop.2700 USD. (4) Near Kandawgyi hotel & City mark, 800 Sqft, 1 MBR, 3 SR , fully furnish 900 USD. Ph: 09-49214276. SANCHAUNG, Near Asia Royal hospital, 1250 Sqft, 1 MBR, 2 SR, 1600 USD. (2)Kamayut, Diamond condo, near Hlae Tan St, 1500 sqft, 2 SR, 1 MBR, fully furnish, 1500 USD. Ph: 09-49214276. BAHAN, (1) New University Avenue Rd, 3Flr, 1500 sqft, 1MBR, 2BR, Ph, 3A/C, Fully furnished US$ 1500. (2) New University Ave Condo, 1500 sq.ft, 4A/C, 1 Flr, US$ 3500. Maureen: 09-518-8320. (3)New University Avenue Rd, 2 Flr, 2500 sqft, 3MBR, Ph, 4A/C,

Computer
WeB DeveloPment with Drupal CMS Monday to Friday: 6:00-8:00pm Saturday & Sunday: 8:00-10am/6:00-8:00pm Contact: 09421144937 ComPuter Services : Software services, Web site services. Ph: 094201-09050.

Education
Literature study and world history for IB and SAT up to 12 Grade , it is right to enjoy reading classic principle of written English and critical thinking If you had tried as much as you can to follow the lesson and you will get good experiences and skill. This program will help you capability and fill your luck of knowledge.. Middle school students can study in a small class for literature and language art. Beginners, Intermediate Spanish and French can also be inquired.U Thant Zin, 28, 3 B, Thatipahtan St, Tarmwe. Ph: 09-31021314, 09-503-5350. study Guide: You can be an honor roll student too! Sometimes, Schoolwork is tough, but with a little help you can accomplish great things. I can ensure that you have that extra time and attention you need to succeed academically. I

Huawei C8813 (CDMA 800 MHZ) Black Colour with full accessories and original box . 2 months used only very good condition with 2 covers . Price 75000 Kyats. Ph: 09-7300-4430. CAR, Mazda RX 8 [Sport Type] [2007 Model] [pearl white] (PS, PW, AC, SRS, ABS, HDD TV, Security System, Cyclone Engine) Ph: 09-3300-2898.

Language
English Teaching Coming from England I offer top quality English teaching and English coaching so that given time and practice you will speak and write English like native English speakers do. You need to have a reasonable knowledge of English to start with as I do not speak Myanmar. My teaching involves a mixture of face face teaching and correspondence teaching. For more details contact us either by email: Kensington. [email protected] or phone: 09-2507-90200 4 sKills Myanmar Language course for (Reading, Speaking, Writing, Listening) contact:09-4211-74595 language Proficiency: Effective & Scientific way. Tutor/ Translator/ Interpreter. (Such language: Hindi/ Sanskrit/ Bengali/ Nepali/ English & Myanmar), R.S. Verma. B.Sc., (Bot), Yangon. (UFL-English), Yangon. Email: rs verma. [email protected] Phone: 09-730-42604, 09-2501-41473. Teaching Myanmar language for foreigners

Travel
GloBal Asia Myanmar Travels & Tour Co., Ltd: 167, 1st Flr, 38th St (Middle), Kyauktada Tsp, Ph : 391619, 09-430-67325, 094925-5980. Email : global asiamyanmar@ gmail.com, www. globalasiamyanmar. com.mm

Training
WeB Development & Design Training Sat&Sun - 1:00pm3:00pm. Contact: 094211-44937 Decent Myanmar Training School Personal Management & Business Management Trainings Basic English Grammar IELTS preparation English for Specific Purpose-ESP. (1) Spoken English (2) Business Writing (3) Business English (4) English for Marketing (5) English for HRM (6) English for Media (7) English for IT (8) English for Law (9) English for Marine Engineering (10) English for Medicine 29/ B, Rm 7, Myay Nu St,

For Rent
Daily (or) hourly Alphard, Mark-X, Crown (2006), Suzuki Car for rent. Maureen: 09-5188320.

US$ 1800 Maureen: 09518-8320 OFFiceHuB : Serviced Office, Virtual Office, Business Services, Hot Desking No. 129, 36th Street, KyauktadaTsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: +(95) 1 387947 www. officehubservices,com Royal Cherry Villa, on Mindamma Rd, Compound: 80' x 80' , 2 1/2 storied building, 40' x 60, 4 MBR, 1 BR, 1 living room, party corrider, designed varrandah, 2 common wc, office hall, sun burn room, bar counter, stabalizer, dry & wet kitchen, laundry, water heater, 1 maid room, recreation water pond, 11 CCTVs, PABX 3 line ph with 11 extensions, MATV 3 satellites, 9 Aircon, car garage, 38KVA Disel Generator, one 3 phase power meter & one single phase lighting meter, back up tube well, vertical blinds etc.. Rental Fees: 10000USD per month. Ph: 09-5140334, 09-4480-23483, 09-8601-000 condo for Rent: 4th Floor, Thiri Avenue, Taw Win Street, 1500 Sqft, Fully Furnish, Yearly Contract, Pls contact to owner direct, Ph: 200581, 09-500-0621. house For Rent: Good Location, Nice Houes (2Rc), Fully Furnished, Fully Aircon, Fair Price, Contact Number: 09731-33100, 09-5167655, 09-4200-57735. OFFice sPace to Let Executive Office Space In the Heart of Yangon. Available in May 2014 5 floors available 5,683.3 ft per floor 84, Pan Hlaing St, Sanchaung, Yangon. For further info: office@ uniteam-yangon.com (condo For Rent in University Avenue St), 1MBR, 2SBR, 4AC, Full Fun:, 1350 sqft, 16 Lakhs, Call-01-569448, 09-43200669. 9 mile condo Mayangone, 1350 sqft, M2, S1, A/C4, Ph 1, fully furniture - 16 Lakhs, Contact: 09-432-00669. war Dan St, Lanmadaw, (25x50), RC 3, S3, Ph, AC 3, 65 Ls, Ph: 569448. shwe Pin Lone Houseing, North Dagon, (75 x 105), RC2 M1, S3. Ph: 569448.

For Sale
GSM SIM Card, 0951........., Ph : 09-250137955. MacBooK Pro (2012 Model ) Intel Core i5 Ram 4GB H.D.D 500GB Mac OS 10.9 + Window 7. Price : 920000. Ph: 09-4200-50651 LaPtoP Lenovo Core i3 Ram 2gb HDD 500 GB like new condition HP Core i5 (Third

Housing for Sale

SANCHAUNG, Moe Myint San Condo, Ma Kyee Kyee St, 2100 sqft, 2nd flr, 2MB, 2SB, Fully furnished. Ph:09-73027267, 09-730-52266 Condo, Strand Rd, Ahlone, 1300 sft, 1 MBR, 2BR, Living, Kitchen (MMK 3000 Lakhs),Ph: 09- 513-3958 NORTH Dagon, 37, Near Pyi Htaung Su main Rd, new house RC, ready for stay. Price: Kyat 1500/- lakh - 40 'x 60' land, 23 x 58 house,2 bed room, 1 living room, kitchen, bath room, toilet. plaster cornic, Floor tile (finished), - permit land contact: 09-731-52327 owner Dagon TSP, Ground Floor, 24' x 50'. No. 66/B, Room - (7/B), Yawmingyi Street, Dagon. Ph : 249196, 249427, 09540-8575.

Want To Buy
AKAMAYUT, At Diamond Condo (A) face to Pyay Rd, Maureen: 09-5188320.

THE MYANMAR TIMES mARCH 17 - 23, 2014

FREE
Employment
m y a n m a r. c o m . m m or reservation@ grandpalacehotel.com. mm ONE oF the Marketing Group for Pharmaceuticals products in Myanmar has urgently requested following positions in Yangon. (1) Team Leader - M/F 1 post : More than one year experience in related field. (2) Medical Representatives - M/F 5 posts : B. Pharm, B.Sc (or) any graduated, Experience candidate is more perfer to welcome, Willing to traveling aroud the area, Active & self motivation, Good personality. Any candidate who interested, pls contact urgently on Ph: 09: a Bachelor Degree of law; Be granted a Certificate of Lawyer Profession, Have a thorough grasp of legal theory and widely practicable knowledge, 4 years of experience as an admitted lawyer, working at professional law firm(s) in a similar position,Good command of English in writing and speaking legal English is preferable, Good skills in reasoning, legal analysis, communication & negotiation, Businessoriented, independent mind with a good ability of risk analyzing in reviewing business transactions, Work independently & professionally; & Strong sense of responsibility, self confident, cautious, upright &highly motivated personality. Admin Head of Hotel English is fluent (Japanese speaking is plus), 5 years of experience in Admin Head, or the same position at Hotel, Management skills is very good, Active, careful, smart, truth person, Can work with agencies for service in Hotel, Can work well as Sales Manager in Hotel. (4) Receptionist : Good at English, Graduated high school or higher, Having experience of working as receptionist is plus 60 A, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha St, Dagon Tsp,Yangon. 01-218223 ngocvt8@ fpt.com.vn, theingi2@ fpt.com.vn Best Western Green Hill Hotel, a member of (Best Western Int'l, Inc.) The Worlds Largest Hotel Family with total properties of 4195 hotels all over the world, is seeking: (1).Sales Manager - F 1 Post (2). Reservation Manager - M/F 1 Post (3).Chief Engineer - M 1 Post (4).Reservation Agent - M/F 2 Posts (5).Sales Executive - M 2 Posts (6).F&B Captain - M 1 Post (7).F&B Cashier M 1 Post (8).Bartender - M 1 Post (9).Waiter/ Waitress - M/F 3 Posts Kindly apply before 21 March, 2014 to 12, Pho Sein Rd, Tamwe Tsp, Yangon. Ph: 209 299, 209300 Email: hr@ greenhillhotel.com.mm; admin@greenhillhotel. com.mm a PhotograPher working in South Dagon Tsp, at a hospital. I need someone who can understand english well and can translate my questions in Burmese. I will be working from 6 AM to 8 PM. (1) I need the translater to give instructions to the people who I photograph in Burmese. (2) I need him/her to stay untill I am done with the photo session. (3) I need him/ her to tell me in English what my subject is saying. (4) I will pay 10-15 USD on more for entire day. (5) Price can be negotiated based on the skill in English. (6) Female applicants will be preferred. (7) Must here the understanding that she/he is working with sick dying people. (8) Work will continue not more than 7 Days. Hobiba Noanose - Ph : 09-439-44890. MARRYBROWN Myanmar is seeking (1)Chief Accountant F 1 post (2)Operation Manager - F 1 post (3) Assistant Restaurant Manager - M 1 post (4) Cashier Crew - M/F 10 posts (5)Kitchen Crew - M/F 10 posts (6)Floor Crew - M/F 10 posts. Pls submit CV, Photo with necessary documents to No.9, Lay Daunt Kan Main Rd, Shwe Kainary Shop House, Thingangyan. Ph: 01-566522, 566260. Closing date : 23.3.14 A well -established company is looking for highly-motivated person to fill in the position of Account : LCCI Level 3 Certificate, Good command of written & spoken English 2 years experience as accountant. Able to handle multi-currency accounting. Able to prepare balance sheets and statement of account. Hard-working & adaptable.Age under 35 years. Pls submit application form along with the C.V & recent photo graph to : Rm(2/C), Shwe Padauk Condominium, 99-A, Myay Nu St, Sanchaung, Tel : 525748. ( 1 ) M echanical Engineer - 5 Posts, (2) Civil Engineer - 5 Posts - We are seeking for the self energetic and motivated engineers Graduate in Bachelor of Engineering English Literate, Computing skills in Microsoft Office, Auto CAD, willing to travel and stay in remote areas any interested candidates can apply CV with 3 recent photos, Degree Certifiate and other Qualification Certificate, Labour Card, NRC Card, Recommendation from police station, Family member list to the United Engineering Co., Ltd. Corner of Wayzayantar & Yadanar Rd, Thingangyan, Tel : 571878, 571877. (1) FO Supervisor 2 posts (2)HR Manager 1 post(3) HR Assistant 2 posts(4) Receptionist 4 posts(5) Opeartion Executive 1 post(6) Electrical Engineer (EP) 2 posts(7) Aircon Asst; 2 posts(8) FME Casher 2 posts(9) Waiter 4 posts(10) Waitress 2 posts(11) IT Staff 2 posts. Pls submit to Asia Plaza Hotel, HR Department -277, 38 St, Corner of Bogyoke Rd, Kyauktada. Ph:391070 Ext 110 (1)ChieF Engineer M 1 Post (2)Architect - M/F 1 Post (3)Asst; Architect (Draftman) - M/F 1 Post,(4) Q S Engineer - M/F 1 Post(5) Asst; Engineer or Site Engineer - M/F 1 Post, (6) Sale & Marketing Manager - M/F 2 Posts, (7) Sales Executive M/F 2 Posts, (8) Driver M 3 Posts, (9) General Worker - M 5 Posts. Pls submit CV, Photo with necessary documents to Pandora Trading Co., Ltd. (B-202), Aung Chan Thar Housing, Shwe Gondine Rd, Bahan Ph: 09-5000088, 09-312-80038, withing 10 days. Legendary Myanmar is seeking : Export & Import (1).Customer Service Manager- M/F 1 post (2). Export & Import Staff - M/F 3 (3). Sales & Marketing - M/F 2 posts (4). Custom Clearance M/F 2 (5).Operation (packer) - M/F 5 posts (6).Senior Accountant - F 1 post (7) Cashier F 1 post. Travel & Tour : (1).Tour Operation Manager- M/F 1 post (2). Tour Operation Staff in bound - M/F 3 posts (3). Local Tour Operation Staff - M/F 2 posts (4).HR Manager - M/F 1 post. Pls submit to No. 9, Rm (A-4) 3 Flr, Kyaung St, Myaynigone Sanchung, Yangon. Ph: 523653, 516795. Email :hr. legendarymyanmar@ gmail.com Closing date: 21st March'14 gloBal Pharma is seeking (1) Sales & Marketing 5 Post. (2) Medical Rep : 5 Post. (3) F.D.A 5 Post. Pls submit to (2.D), Thamada Condo, Yaw Min Gyi Ward, Dagon Tsp, Contact: Ph: 09731-61128, 387623, 386672. golden Spirit Co., Ltd is seeking Site Engineer : (1) B.E (Civil) 1 Post. (2) G.T.C (Civil) 1 Post. (3) B.E (Engineering) 1 Post. (4) G.T.C (Engineering) 1 Post. Pls submit to (2.D), Thamada Condo, Yaw Min Gyi Ward, Dagon Tsp. Ph: 09-731-61128, 387623, 386672. ParKway Cancer Centre is seeking Medical Doctor - F 1 post : M.B,B.S Graduate with SA MA registration, 2 years experience in medical field, Good communication in English, Must be able to use computer, internet and Microsoft application with excellent skills, We welcome the candidates who are trust worthy, self-motivated with positive working attitude. Pls submit: CV with relevant certificates, documents, recommendation letter attach and documents, & expected salary to Rm. (G-07), G Flr, Diamond Center, Pyay Rd, Kamayut. Tel : 532 438, 532 447, 09-5136584, 09-431-19729 Required 1 personal Instructor for Taekwondo martial art to train in my home. Pls contact to Ph: 09-250277047.

Embassy
We are looking for a qualified Official Driver for Foreign Mission. All interested applicants must be non alcoholic, non smoker, non drug addict, self motivate. For more information, please call 01-527142~144 in office hours.

Ingo Positions
CSSEP/CFSI islookingfor (1) Community Services & Development Centres (CSDCs) / Training Supervisor (CTS) in Maungdaw, Buthidaung, Rathedaung Tsps: 25 years old; University graduate with relevant experience preferably, Proficient communication skills in English, Myanmar & one locally spoken language in Rakhine State. (2)Education Supervisor (ES) in Maungdaw, Buthidaung, Rathedaung : 25 years old; University graduate preferably in Education or Liberal Arts or Nursing / Midwifery with relevant experience preferably. Strong communication skills in English, proficiency in the Myanmar language, & one locally spoken language in Rakhine State; Pls submit CV to The Project Director, CSSEP / CFSI 3-Mile, Maungdaw, Rakhine State c/o luisma. [email protected] / cssep rakhine@gmail. com /cssepygn@gmail. com Closing date: 17 March 2014 CSSEP / CFSI is looking for : ADM. / Finance Assistant in Maungdaw, Rakhine State : University degree preferably in Business Administration, Accounting, Economics, Banking and Finance or Liberal Arts; Priority to be given those with LCC Level III training / CCA Certifications, 3 years relevant experience of progressive respon sibility in the fields of actual accounting, finance, or auditing. Pls submit CV to The Project Director CSSEP / CFSI Rm.207, Bldg-A, Highway Complex Housing, Lane 1, Hnin Si St, (Near KZB Sin Ma Like Bank) Kamayut, Yangon, c/o [email protected]; [email protected]; cssep.rakhine@gmail. com Closing date :17 March 2014 (Rakhine State Applicants) 23 March 2014 (Yangon and/or Other Areas of Myanmar Applicants) (1)Program Coordi nator - 1Post (2) EOC Officer - 1Post (3) Assistant Cook - 1 Post (4)Security Guard - 1 Post. Pls send application letter, CV & related documents to Myanmar Red Cross Society (Head Office) Yazatingaha Rd, Dekkhinathiri, Nay Pyi Taw. Ormrcshrrecruit [email protected] For more information & application, pls visit to www.myanmarred crosssociety.org Pls mention Position Title in subject if you apply.

presentation skills. Used to work with a computer (basic computer know ledge). Good command in written & spoken English. Able to work under stressful situation. Strong teamwork skills and able to work independently. We offer up-to-date salary & a comfortable work atmosphere. Submit an application letter with CV, recent passport photo & Copy of relevance documents to the reception counter or by email before 19th March 2014. Contact: 3rd Flr, MRCS Bldg.42, Strand Rd, Botahtaung, Yangon. Ph: 383676, 09-731-66206, Email: hrcvtmyanmar@gmail. com, cvt.2001.2009@ gmail.com

Local Positions
the Center for Vocational Training, with school facilities & office in Yangon provides vocational training according to the dual apprenticeship model in Switzerland, which combines Practice with Theory. CVT works closely with a wide range of training companies in Yangon. We are recruiting the teacher for the General Business Education Teacher 1 Post : Degree from Institute of Economics or related business degree. Good communication &

Pandora Trading Co., Ltd seeking for local jobs who are enthusiastic & dynamics person for the following posts. (1) Chief Accountant - M/F 1 post : Age 30 ~ 45. B.Com, M.Com (or) CPA, (or) Bachelor Degree with ACCA Part II (or) Accounting Diploma. 3 years experiences in multinational companies. Can draw final account including with manufacturing accounts. Must have accounting concept; manage income & expense, stock control. Can able to use accounting software and Micrsoft advance excel. Initiative & Team Working. (2) Accountant - M/F 1 post :Age 23 ~ 25. B.Com (or) Any Degree with LCCI Leval 3. 1 year experience in related field. Must have accounting knowledge with ledger, cash book & stock control. Can able to use Microsoft Excel & software. Pls applied within 1 week from this advertisement at Pandora Trading Co., Ltd. Rood, B (202), New Aung Chan Thar Housing Compound. Near SSC Hospital, Bahan, 018603782, 09-31280028. eastern Shining Star Travels & Tours is seeking Int'l & Domestic Air Ticketing. Hotel Reservation (Local/ International). Tour Guide/ Interpreter Services/ Meditation Tours. Car Rental/ Boat Rental/ River Cruises. Visa Application. Package Tours/ Individual Tours (FIT)/ Tailor Made Tours/ Festival Tours. Balloon Over Bagan. Golf Tours No.284(B), First Flr, 40th St, Upper Block, Kyauktada, Yangon, Ph: 01-392685, 09-73157452. Grand Palace Hotel is seeking : (1) HR Manager - M/F 1 Post, (2) Reservation Clerk - M/F 1 Post, (3) F&B Supervisor - M/F 1 Post, (4) F&B Captain - M/F 2 Posts, (5) Waiter - M 2 Posts, (6) IT Staff M 1 Post, (7) Room Attendant - M/F 3 Posts, (8) Security Guard - M 3 Posts. Kindly apply before 15 March, 2014 to M-22, Shwe Htee Housing, Thamine Station St., Nayangone Tsp. Ph: 522744, 522763. Email: grandpalace@

4224-86379, 09-250648414, closing date : 30th March, 2014. FPT Myanmar Co., Ltd. is seeking (1)ICT Sale : 3~5 years experience about one of technology such as Telecom, Software, ERP, Banking, IT Service, Graduate from ICT University, interested in ICT fields, English is fluent, Japanese is plus (2) Business Executive for Hotel : 3 ~ 5 years experience in Sales for Hotel, Motel, Interested in Sales for Hotel, Ability to manage living area, Ability to take care Customer, Good conversation at Japanese and English (3) Legal Consultant

Vacancy
Job Title Job Location Deadline : General Manager : Journeys Adventure Travel (Myanmar-Yangon) : Monday, 31 March 2014

Journeys Adventure Travel, a joint Venture PEAK DMC, a global leader in Adventure Travel is seeking a General Manager to join in with the team to maintain and grow the DMC business. The GM will manage the company in Myanmar, including the long term development and the management of the day to day business of the Company. The GM will provide leadership to enable the company to achieve its goals, by promoting business profitability, monitoring performance, developing new business and effectively utilizing resources. The GM reports to the Regional General Manager, South East Asia and will report to the Journeys Adventure Travel board on company performance. The GM shall have significant financial/commercial experience, experience in reviewing and implementing improved processes and developing a team of people. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE Degree qualification; Tertiary management qualifications preferred Minimum of middle level management experience; Company management experience preferred. Excellent written and spoken English; local language skills advantageous Considerable travel experience in the destination (ideally to have lived or worked there) Knowledge of the Adventure Travel Industry advantageous Eligible for work visa in location specified and business visa for Australia OTHER SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES Ability to work strategically on the business and also operationally in the business Significant people management and change management experience Knowledge/experience in financial and commerical management Understanding and commitment to international standards of compliance Understanding of adventure travel industry & fit to values & culture Understand the country and have a genuine love for its people, culture and environment Travel industry experience advantageous Excellent interpersonal and communication skills across a variety of cultures Demonstrate leadership and ability to foster teamwork Ability to deal with uncertainties and a fast changing business environment Experience in a multi-national business group advantageous Interested candidates are encouraged to send your Resume and cover letter by covering the Application Questions below to [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]. No-53, Nagayon Pagoda Lane, Mayangon, Yangon, 11061, Myanmar. Tel: +951 656259, +951 656307, + 951 664275, +951 660104, +951 663261. Fax: +951 664451

62 Sport

THE MYANMAR TIMES MARCH 17 - 23, 2014

From the Gold

Yangon United manager Eric Williams has turned the

MATT ROeBUCk [email protected] RIC Williams is the manager of Yangon United Football Club, the most successful team in the history of the edgling Myanmar National League (MNL), formed in 2009. His work and accomplishments with both the clubs rst team as well as players that have advanced from the clubs youth academy makes him arguably the most important positive inuence on the standard of Myanmar football over the past ve years. Yet due to the relative lack of interest in the MNL, most football fans are still more likely to be familiar with his sons. His eldest, Rhys Williams, 25, is captain of Middlesborough FC, centre back for the Australian national side and, had he not suffered a serious achilles injury last January, a player who would now likely be a feature of Premier League football at Swansea FC. Rhyss younger twin brothers, Ryan and Aryn, 20, are also on the professional circuit. Ryan is under contract as a junior winger at Premier League outt Fulham FC, currently on a season long loan at Oxford United and recently represented the Socceroos in the FIFA Under-20s World Cup. Aryn Williams was until the end

Eric Williams speaks during an interview. Photo: Matt Roebuck

of last season playing his football with Championship side Burnley FC but when his contract ran out he opted against accepting an offer from Swindon Town in favour of returning home to Australia. He now plays for Floreat Athena in the Football West Premier League. I meet Eric as he stands in front of a whiteboard at Yangon Uniteds training facility. His players have just been through their recovery session and hes now performing the debrief relating to their disappointing efforts on March 7. The team that had stuck ve past Malaysian champions Kelatan in AFC Cup plays only a week before had failed to score against Chin States GFA United, a winless team languishing at the bottom of the MNL. He speaks through an interpreter, Myo Min Tun, but Eric can never be quite sure how much of the message has been understood. Sometimes I only say a couple of words and it takes forever to translate though I worry more when I speak for a long time and it translates as a single sentence, Williams said. This years team features a Macedonian, two Brazilians and a Japanese footballer, further complicating the language barrier. Its only 9am but the training session, held in the morning to avoid the heat, is over and we move on to a caf for an all-day breakfast.

Williams grew up in Kent, England, and rst played for his hometown of Canterbury in the Southern League, earning three caps for the England under 18s amateur team in the process. After trials with professional sides including Gillingham and Queens Park Rangers, I thought Id made it," he says, "but they didnt work out and I found myself in a little trouble. Williams told the Football Association he was available for a transfer and landed in Brisbane where he stayed for three years. Williams briey returned to the UK and found himself playing football at the weekends but down the mines and all too regularly on the picket lines during the weekdays of 1970s Britain. It was this that made up his mind to return to Australia. In the early 1980s his playing career peaked, advancing from the Australian state leagues to represent Newcastle KB United in the 1980 National Soccer League. From there Williams moved on to Division 1 of the Hong Kong League and played the 1981 season with the Po Chai Pills, a team named after their pharmaceutical benefactors. At the end of that season Williams returned to Australia with plans for a road trip but he could not afford the petrol. The car was sold, ight tickets to

www.mmtimes.com

Sport 63

Coast to the Golden Land

Lions into a MNL power and shaped some of the country's most talented young players
Perth were bought and that is where he found himself spending the next 20 years with his rst wife and mother of Rhys, Ryan and Aryn. I wouldnt say Im journeyman. I enjoyed the travel but ultimately not having a trade I had to go where there was the possibility of work. It wasnt just a question of 'Id like to play for you', but rather 'can you get me a job'? Ive had a range in my time but one of the worst was pouring concrete. It may be this experience of the unpampered environment found at the lower end of professional football in the 1970s and 80s that means when Williams is asked what some of his immediate future priorities are, his rst thoughts are of his players. Id like to do more in a managerial capacity, to provide more to off-eld support players, to reduce their stress so they can focus on their performance. This makes sense for a man whose coaching philosophy prioritises consistent performance and professionalism above all else. This was clear to all at the recent AFC Cup game against Kelatan. While the Malaysian opposition substitutes lazily kicked the ball across a half-length of the eld, Yangons bench were practicing a dynamic warm-up and skills drill in a conned area of the pitch. In the press conference after the game Williams spoke of the importance he placed in a goalkeeper and he reiterated this over breakfast. A good goalkeeper communicates to those in front of him. This gives the defence condence. And, its been said before but while strikers win you games, its a defence wins you the league. It is this ethic that Williams rst began introducing to Myanmar football in 2009, when he was invited to build the structure of the new academy to accompany Uniteds impressive training facility on Insein Road. After this success he was invited to lead the team that would play in Myanmars rst-ever reserve league and ultimately provide United with their rst taste of silverware. At rst I said no, I had to go back to Indonesia. I was getting married [to his second wife] but they said, 'Go get married and come back for the season.' Williams started his coaching career in Australia when looking to supplement his playing salary. He held a range of positions for teams across the Western Australian football leagues. He eventually took the reins of the Western Australia under-19s squad, a role for which he now holds a place in the West Australian Football hall of fame. It was Williams 2002 move to Indonesia, following the break-up of his rst marriage, which really made his name for establishing effective youth set-ups. He moved to develop a national under-17s program from scratch and led that team to impressive victories against older more established programs. It was this and successive work in Indonesia that would catch the eye of Peter Butler, the man who would become Yangon Uniteds technical director in the inaugural 2009 season. Many of these players that benetted from Williams' rst spell at the club that now form the backbone of both his and the national squad, like Kyi Lin, David Htun and captain Khin Maung Lwin. Players that were considered physically too small in stature to compete on such a stage have improved their passing, movement and consistency to become some of the nations most exciting prospects. Even with this past success Williams knows that nothing is guaranteed. He and Yangon United have parted ways once before, in 2012; he found himself out of work after what he now puts down to miscommunication. However, Williams has no plans to return to the factory jobs when his managerial career ends for good. He is now working with his eldest son to establish the Rhys Williams Foundation for under-privileged children in Indonesia with the hopes that football can change their lives like it did his. Ive seen so many kids with great talent who cant afford the boots to play, he says.

Eric Williams leads a debrief at Yangon United's training centre on Insein Road. Photo: Matt Roebuck

Sport
64 THE MYANMAR TIMES MARCH 17 - 23, 2014

SPORT EDITOR: Tim McLaughlin | [email protected]

Yangon United coach shares his story

SPORT 63

Aussie sensation sets sights on Olympics

EENAGE sensation Minjee Lee said she is in no rush to follow New Zealands Lydia Ko by turning professional as she plots a path to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The 17-year-old Australian has assumed Kos former crown by becoming the worlds top-ranked amateur and making waves with her performances at professional events. Last month, Lee won the Victorian Open by six strokes and was runner-up to Tiger Woodss niece Cheyenne at the Australian Ladies Masters. She tied for fourth in a star-studded eld at last weeks World Ladies Championship in China and was then invited to her rst major, next months Kraft Nabisco Championship in California. Its a run which, together with warm praise from the likes of world number one Park In-Bee, could tempt Lee to leap into the professional ranks at the rst opportunity. But the level-headed Lee, who comes from Perth, said she is not about to abandon her plan to turn professional late this year and build towards the next Olympics. Theres no rush, she said at Mission Hills Haikou, during the World Ladies Championship. I am happy with my game but I still feel I have a lot to learn. The aim is to get my card at the end of the year and turn pro then. Ko has started her rst professional season in solid if unspectacular fashion as she makes the big adjustment to life on tour and a new coaching and management set-up. And Lee said this year, she plans to restrict herself to a handful of professional events and the top amateur tournaments before taking the plunge into full-time golf. She said the ultimate goal is Rio 2016, where golf will return to the Olympic program for the rst time in more than 100 years. Well, youd be representing your country and what else could you hope for as an athlete? said Lee. Going to the Olympics, playing for your country and playing the sport that you love it doesnt get better than that. At the US$600,000 World Ladies Championship, Lee was only out-scored by three women, all top 10 players and major-winners: Park, Suzann Pettersen and Ryu So-Yeon. Paired with Park over the rst two days on Mission Hillss Blackstone course, she was a study in concentration, following the world number ones every move. [This event] denitely gives me condence that I can mix it with the pros and compete with them, said Lee, who learned the game at the Royal Fremantle Golf Club. I feel like I have got a chance in any tournament I play now. She added, I want to keep learning and gaining experience and tournament such as this are giving me the opportunity to do that. I am learning every round I play. I think I can keep up with my long game, its just my short game that needs to keep improving. Lees talent and composure wasnt missed by eventual winner Park, who predicted great things ahead for the teenager. She has the game, theres no doubt about that, said the 25-year-old South Korean. And the way she handles herself shows she is doing all the right things. She has a big future in the game for sure. AFP

HAIKOU

Minjee Lee tees off during a practice round for the World Ladies Championship golf tournament at Mission Hills Hainan in Haikou on March 13. Photo: AFP

Well, you'd be representing your country and what else could you hope for as an athlete?
Minjee Lee Australian golfer

AFC Cup standings

Group G
Team Vissai Ninh Bnh Yangon United Kelantan South China Pld 2 2 2 2 W 2 1 1 0 D 0 0 0 0 L 0 1 1 2 GF 6 7 5 1 GA 3 6 5 5 GD +3 +1 0 -4 Pts 6 3 3 0

Nay Pyi Taw FC down Tampines Rovers for rst AFC Cup victory
KyAw ZIN HlAINg [email protected] NAY Pyi Taw FC recorded their rst victory in this years AFC Cup campaign with a convincing win over Singaporean club Tampines Rovers FC on Wednesday. Nay Pyi Taws Italian striker Michele Di Piedi scored the opening goal in the 39th minute to put the home team up 1-0 at Paung Lang Stadium in the capital. Korean midelder Joon Yoon-sik netted a second-half goal to extend the lead to 2-0. Tampines Rovers striker Aleksandar Duric was able to put the Singapore League champions on the board in the 70th minute, but it proved to be too little too late. The Singaporean side remains at the bottom of Group H without a point after two games. Nay Pyi Taw FC, last years Myanmar National League runners-up, are now tied at four points with Group H leaders Hong Kong side Kitchee. We prepared very well for this match because this is a home game and we were playing in front of our own fans. My players played exactly how I instructed them for this match, said Myo Hlaing Win, Nay Pyi Taw coach. We actually started slowly in the rst half but we were in good form after 30 minutes. I specially prepared our attacking play for this match and that is why we won, he said. Salim Moin, Tampines Rovers coach, said that he was disappointed with his sides effort, but blamed some of the teams issues on the weather. We are very tired because we had to come from Yangon to play this game and the game started at 4:00pm so it was really hot, he said. My players could not cope with this situation and they look tired and could not play with their full energy. It was really hard game for us and while our strikers had good chances to score, we were not the lucky team today. Yangon United was also in action on March 12. The reigning MNL champions took on Vietnamese club Vissai Ninh Binh, but fell 3-2 in Vietnam.

Group H
Team Kitchee Nay Pyi Taw Pune Tampines Rovers Pld 2 2 2 2 W 1 1 0 0 D 1 1 2 0 L 0 0 0 2 GF 7 5 4 1 GA 2 3 4 8 GD +5 +2 0 -7 Pts 4 4 2 0