Peaceful Burma (ျငိမ္းခ်မ္းျမန္မာ)平和なビルマ

Peaceful Burma (ျငိမ္းခ်မ္းျမန္မာ)平和なビルマ

TO PEOPLE OF JAPAN



JAPAN YOU ARE NOT ALONE



GANBARE JAPAN



WE ARE WITH YOU



ဗိုလ္ခ်ဳပ္ေျပာတဲ့ညီညြတ္ေရး


“ညီၫြတ္ေရးဆုိတာ ဘာလဲ နားလည္ဖုိ႔လုိတယ္။ ဒီေတာ့ကာ ဒီအပုိဒ္ ဒီ၀ါက်မွာ ညီၫြတ္ေရးဆုိတဲ့အေၾကာင္းကုိ သ႐ုပ္ေဖာ္ျပ ထားတယ္။ တူညီေသာအက်ဳိး၊ တူညီေသာအလုပ္၊ တူညီေသာ ရည္ရြယ္ခ်က္ရွိရမယ္။ က်ေနာ္တုိ႔ ညီၫြတ္ေရးဆုိတာ ဘာအတြက္ ညီၫြတ္ရမွာလဲ။ ဘယ္လုိရည္ရြယ္ခ်က္နဲ႔ ညီၫြတ္ရမွာလဲ။ ရည္ရြယ္ခ်က္ဆုိတာ ရွိရမယ္။

“မတရားမႈတခုမွာ သင္ဟာ ၾကားေနတယ္ဆုိရင္… သင္ဟာ ဖိႏွိပ္သူဘက္က လုိက္ဖုိ႔ ေရြးခ်ယ္လုိက္တာနဲ႔ အတူတူဘဲ”

“If you are neutral in a situation of injustice, you have chosen to side with the oppressor.”
ေတာင္အာဖရိကက ႏိုဘယ္လ္ဆုရွင္ ဘုန္းေတာ္ၾကီး ဒက္စ္မြန္တူးတူး

THANK YOU MR. SECRETARY GENERAL

Ban’s visit may not have achieved any visible outcome, but the people of Burma will remember what he promised: "I have come to show the unequivocal shared commitment of the United Nations to the people of Myanmar. I am here today to say: Myanmar – you are not alone."

QUOTES BY UN SECRETARY GENERAL

Without participation of Aung San Suu Kyi, without her being able to campaign freely, and without her NLD party [being able] to establish party offices all throughout the provinces, this [2010] election may not be regarded as credible and legitimate. ­
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon

Where there's political will, there is a way

政治的な意思がある一方、方法がある
စစ္မွန္တဲ့ခိုင္မာတဲ့နိုင္ငံေရးခံယူခ်က္ရိွရင္ႀကိဳးစားမႈရိွရင္ နိုင္ငံေရးအေျဖ
ထြက္ရပ္လမ္းဟာေသခ်ာေပါက္ရိွတယ္
Burmese Translation-Phone Hlaing-fwubc

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

News & Articles on Burma-24 September 2012-uzl

News & Articles on Burma 24 September 2012 ---------------------------------------- Suu Kyi optimistic Burma will have a happy ending Aung San Suu Kyi Calls for Reconciliation in Burma A Voice From Myanmar, Worthy of a Heros Welcome 13 Peace Activists Charged in Burma Burma President Thein Sein bids to regain Chinas trust Thein Sein to Address UN, Meet Clinton in New York Hard lines, red lines and green lines Suu Kyi to speak at Yale Myanmar leader stalls investment law Friedman: Why not truly honor the lady from Myanmar? Kachin Silence to Avoid Worsening Crisis: Suu Kyi Thein Sein Concludes China Visit Myanmar's parliamentarians, business delegates visit Singapore ----------------------------------------- Suu Kyi optimistic Burma will have a happy ending Date: September 24, 2012 Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi awarded Global Citizen Award for dedication to humanitarian rights. NEW YORK: Just after midnight on Saturday, a crowd began gathering on a narrow stretch of footpath at Queens College. The people came from all over New York and as far away as Miami and North Carolina, but originally, they and their families were from Burma. They stood in line overnight to see Aung San Suu Kyi, in New York as part of her first visit to the US in about 40 years. Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's opposition leader and Nobel Peace Price winner, at Queens College in New York. No hint of bitterness Aung San Suu Kyi accepts the applause at Queen's College in New York, and below, some of the hundreds of Burmese in the audience. Photo: The New York Times ''As soon as I heard she was coming, I decided I had to be here,'' said Aung Kaung Myat, 25, a Burmese man living in Buffalo. ''I got in line at 1am.'' Advertisement Now leader of the opposition and a member of the Burmese parliament, Ms Suu Kyi, 67, spent 15 years under house arrest and has long been an international symbol of personal sacrifice and the struggle for human rights. Yet there was no hint of bitterness from Ms Suu Kyi as she was lauded by New York politicians, was questioned by students and spoke to Burmese immigrants as if to a room full of old friends. ''Dissidents can't be dissidents forever,'' she said in response to a question from a Queens College student about serving in Burma's government after so many years as its most prominent opponent. ''I don't believe in professional dissidents; it's just a phase, like adolescence.'' Ms Suu Kyi's release, her visit and her role in parliament are all steps the Burmese government, headed by former general President Thein Sein, has taken from its authoritarian past. In Washington last week, she urged the easing of US sanctions on Burma, saying they had played their political role. But on Saturday she made it clear that much work remained. ''While we are started on the path, we are not yet anywhere near our goal of a truly democratic society,'' she said. Ms Suu Kyi's schedule also included a discussion at Columbia University moderated by journalist Ann Curry. There, Ms Suu Kyi spoke of how Burma's economic troubles had pushed the country towards openness and how she made the most of her time under house arrest with a strict daily schedule of meditation, reading, listening to the radio, and exercising. ''I'm not going to give them the satisfaction of knowing that I've become less disciplined and that I've dissipated those years under detention,'' she said. ''I think I was the healthiest prisoner of conscience in the world.'' Ms Suu Kyi, a slight woman in an emerald green outfit and red flowers in her hair, spoke comfortably in English and her native tongue to the crowds and frequently drew laughs. She spoke about the role of discipline and duty in her own life; of Burma's young people, put at a disadvantage by a crumbling education system; and of the country's movement towards a more open government. At one point, someone asked her about Private Bradley Manning, the army intelligence analyst accused of passing archives of classified documents to WikiLeaks. Ms Suu Kyi said one must balance rights with responsibilities, and that she had been dismayed to learn that some of the leaks revealed information about dissidents, and that might put them in danger in their own countries. From the past hardships and present challenges, she projected optimism about the future: ''We were a country of hope in our part of the world, and we want to become that kind of country again,'' she said. ''A country that proves that there can be such things as happy endings. ''And when that happy ending arrives,'' Ms Suu Kyi said, ''I hope I will be able to welcome all of you into Burma.'' The New York Times Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/suu-kyi-optimistic-burma-will-have-a-happy-ending-20120923-26f2w.html#ixzz27OQX3FEA ---------------------------------------- Aung San Suu Kyi Calls for Reconciliation in Burma Carolyn Presutti September 23, 2012 Burmese democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi is in the United States on a 17-day visit. She spoke Saturday at a college in New York on the fifth day of her tour. Burmese Americans waited in line for more than six hours to see their heroine - the woman they call Mommy Suu, greeting her with chants of be healthy. Aung San Suu Kyi was released two years ago after serving nearly 19 years of her life under house arrest by Burmas military government. The country is rich with ethnic diversity which has also been a source of violent conflict. But in New York, different ethnic groups handed her gifts. And, she offered advice. Don't focus on the conflict. Focus on the reconciliation, she said. It's a different concept in a country where transparency is foreign and compromise is new. Filmmaker Robert Lieberman can attest to that. He spent for years in Burma secretly shooting the documentary They Call It Myanmar, for which he also interviewed Aung San Suu Kyi. She's probably right now the only person who can hold this country together, says Lieberman. At another location, on campus at New Yorks Queen College, Aung San Suu Kyi tailored her speech to students. She told them to appreciate their freedoms. "I hope you will all understand what it is like to struggle for human rights and democracy and human rights in Burma. It is just the way you have heard about it. It may seem to you not quite real until you meet it face-to-face. And then you know what it's really like. Sapna Chhatpar Considine protested on Burma's behalf for years and was on site to see Aung San Suu Kyi. Considine said she discovered her passion for human rights as a college student. I think that type of message resonates on campuses all over the world and she knows that. She knows the power of the student groups. She's seen it in Burma. She's seen it throughout the world. Aung San Suu Kyi, now 67, will not be able to run for president when the next elections are held in Burma in three years because of restrictions in the countrys constitution. She says she wants the youth to direct the future of Burma, saying that they have the freedom to question their lawmakers and to demand change -- something she was punished for time and time again in her country. http://www.voanews.com/content/during-new-york-visit-aung-san-suu-kyi-calls-for-reconciliation-in-burma/1513262.html ------------------------------------------- The Day September 24, 2012, 9:15 amComment A Voice From Myanmar, Worthy of a Heros Welcome By CLYDE HABERMAN Long ago, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi lived for a few years in New York. On her arrival in the late 1960s, she was surprised to find a city that was exactly as she had pictured it, skyscrapers and all. I thought, Oh, it looks just like a postcard, Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi said on Saturday. Somehow, I never really believed it would be quite like that. Years later, she said, she thought of New York when she was packed off to prison by the thugs in uniform who had taken control of her country, then called Burma and now officially Myanmar. It was the start of what would turn into many years of house arrest stretched across two decades. Not that this city resembled a prison, she said, a disclaimer that brought laughter from hundreds of people listening to her at Queens College. What came to mind was the same sense of surprise at discovering that some things are indeed what one had been told they were. It was a five-star residence by Burmese prison standards, Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi said. Still, they shut the door. It was an iron door, and there was this clank, and there were all these bars on the windows. And I suddenly thought: This is prison. Its just like in the books. There was a lesson in this for her audience as well. I hope youll all understand what it is like to struggle for human rights and democracy in Burma, she said. It is just the way you heard about it. The way we have heard about it, and feel it, is that Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, 67, embodies the never-ending struggle for human dignity and decency, everywhere. In Myanmar, where the generals have at long last eased the worst of their repression, she has emerged from house arrest to become the opposition leader in Parliament. She is now visiting the United States, and is supposed to appear later this week at the United Nations, where she worked during her years in New York. If ever a word has suffered from serial abuse, it is hero. Genuine heroes emerge only now and again. New Yorkers knew one such moment in 1990 when Nelson Mandela arrived here soon after his jailers in apartheid South Africa freed him from a 27-year imprisonment. This visit by Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi is an echo of that experience. The city threw a ticker-tape parade for Mr. Mandela. Maybe if many Burmese lived here, officialdom might have thought about organizing a similar event for Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi. But their numbers are small, only 6,200, according to the best estimates of the Department of City Planning. During Mr. Mandelas visit, this newspaper said in an editorial that he reflected the power of positive heroism. The same words easily apply to the visitor from Burma. She is elegant and brave, thoughtful and witty attributes amply displayed at Queens College, where she was introduced by Representative Joseph Crowley, a major supporter of hers in Congress. She appeared before two groups, speaking in English to one audience, then in Burmese to about 2,000 of her countrymen and women, who sat spellbound. One of them was Minn Dylan Tun, now an American citizen living in Astoria, Queens. He had intended to be in Luxembourg on Saturday, to start graduate school studies there in banking and finance. But when he heard about the scheduled appearance of Daw Suu, as he called her, he changed his travel plans. How could he not? he said; this was so exciting. Daw Suu means Aunt Suu. Some in her country refer to her as Amay Suu, or Mother Suu. In the hall where the Burmese gathered, many after having waited hours in line, a young man in the back led a rhythmic chant in his native language. Mother Suu, he cried. Long live, the crowd shouted back. The audiences heard appeals from Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi to uphold democratic virtues. But hers was an idealism wrapped in obligation and braced with pragmatism. Duty, I think, is considered a very boring word by some young people, she said, but actually it is not. You cannot take for granted the tools of liberty, like voting in free elections, she admonished students: You must use your democratic rights. Otherwise, theyll fade away. She found scant value in dissent for its own sake I dont believe in professional dissidents. I think its just a phase, like adolescence and she spoke of an absolute need to balance rights with responsibilities. Those words rang of themes in an essay, Freedom From Fear, that she wrote in 1991. An excerpt was read by the actress Anjelica Huston. It spoke of free people, how they are the ones, even under oppression, who keep striving to make themselves fit to bear the responsibilities and to uphold the disciplines which maintain a free society. The essay put it this way: Saints, it has been said, are the sinners who go on trying. http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/24/a-voice-from-myanmar-worthy-of-a-heros-welcome/ -------------------------------------------- 13 Peace Activists Charged in Burma By NYEIN NYEIN / THE IRRAWADDY| September 24, 2012 | Thirteen peace activists in Burma have been charged by police and could face jail time for leading marches to mark the UNs International Peace Day without official permission. The protest leaders have been charged under Article 18 of the countrys penal code for staging a public gathering without official permission. Nine of the 13 were involved in Fridays peaceful demonstration in Rangoon where up to 500 people marched from the City Hall to Inya Lake to protest the ongoing civil conflicts in Kachin State and other ethnic areas. Four other activists were similarly charged for organizing an unauthorized protest in Taunggyi, the capital of Shan State. Marches were also held in Mandalay, Moulmein and other townships across the country, though no reports have surfaced of charges being brought against protesters. The nine activists in Rangoon say they are astonished at the chargesthey reportedly face trial and a maximum sentence of one year imprisonment and 30,000 kyat (US $35) fine. However, as they are being charged on 10 accounts of breaking Article 18due to the fact that they allegedly broke the law in each of the 10 townships that the demonstration passed throughthey appear to be facing a maximum sentence of 10 years. All nine activists have been ordered by each of the 10 township police stations to sign a pledge guaranteeing that they will appear before a judge if called upon. One alleged organizer, Jaw Gum, from the Kachin Peace Network, told The Irrawaddy on Monday that he and fellow activist May Sapae Phyu have spent all day going from one police station to another signing police documents relating to their charges. Speaking from Pazundaung Township police station on Monday afternoon, he said, We have been to see the police chiefs of Sanchaung, Botahtaung and Tamwe townships [all in central Rangoon], and were told that we are being charged under Article 18 in each township. On Friday evening, Rangoons chief of police Myint Htwe told reporters at a press conference that, following the march to Inya Lake, those who led the protest will be charged with breaking Article 18 of the Assembly and Procession bylaw enacted in July. One of the more prominent activists that was charged, Nay Myo Zin, a National League for Democracy (NLD) member and social worker who was formerly a political prisoner, told The Irrawaddy on Monday that he was obliged to sign pledges on Sunday at five police stations: Pazundaung, Botahtaung, Tamwe, Kyauktada and Mingalar Taung Nyunt townships. The other activists charged in Rangoon were named as: Moe Thway, Khin Sandar Nyunt, Phway Yu Mon, Kyaw Bo Bo, Win Co and Wai Lu. The six said they were called on by police to sign pledges at 10 police stations: Kyauktada, Botahtaung, Tamwe, Pazundaung, Bahan, Sanchaung, Kyimyintai, Mingalar Taung Nyunt, Kamaryut and Hlaing townships, all in the central district of Rangoon. Three of the other four activists who have been chargednamed as Nay Myo, Bo Bo Han and Maung Maung of the 88 Generation Students group in Shan Statehave been detained in Taunggyi at an unknown location since Friday, an 88 Generation spokesman, Zaw Min, told The Irrawaddy. A fourth activist, Aung Thu, an NLD member in Taunggyi, told The Irrawaddy that he too had been similarly charged with breaking Article 18 as one of the organizers of the Taunggyi protest, however he had not been detained like the other 88 Generation students activists in Taunggyi. Irrawaddy reporter Kyal Pyar contributed to this article. http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/14780 ------------------------------- Burma President Thein Sein bids to regain Chinas trust By Zin Linn Sep 24, 2012 12:11AM UTC President of Burma Thein Sein will make visit the United States after concluding his current China trip. He has been visiting China for a trade fair since 18 September. It is Thein Seins second trip to China since he became head of state in March 2011. President Thein Sein is attending the 9th China-Asean Expo and the China-Asean Investment Summit. The 9th Expo in Nanning aims to promote economic cooperation between China and ASEAN. Burma was named the trade fairs Country of Honor this year and the President spoke at the opening ceremony on behalf of the ASEAN-member states to launch the event, which runs from September 21 to 25. Relation between China and Burma (Myanmar) has become a little strained recently as Burma moves closer to the US. However, according to Reuters News, during a meeting on the sidelines of a trade fair in southern China, Thein Sein said Beijing should not worry. Myanmar is at present in a transitional phase, but Myanmar pays great attention to developing relations with China, and its policy of seeing China has a true friend has not changed, Chinas foreign ministry cited Thein Sein as telling Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping. In the wake of the postponement of the controversial Myitsone dam in Burma, China Power Investment Corp. President Lu Qizhou said the projects suspension by the Burmese government in September 2011 was an upset. It will lead to a series of legal issues, he said. According to Chinese media, CPI representatives have repeatedly met with Burmese officials to lift the dam suspension and in April CPI visited relocated villagers to assure them that the dam will be beneficial. CPI is the project implementer for a series of seven dams on the Irrawaddy and its tributaries in war-torn Kachin State to sell electricity to China, Kachin Development Networking Group said. Ahead of the 9th Trade Fair in Nanning, President Thein Sein visited Yanglin Northwest Agriculture & Forest University of Yanglin High Tech Agriculture Sector Demonstration District on September 19, according to The New Light of Myanmar daily. Prof Sun Quxin Confers Doctoral Degree to U-Thein-Sein Mr Sun Quxin conferred the honorary doctoral degree on the President Thein Sein on 19 September 2012 at the Yanglin University. (Photo: http://www.president-office.gov.mm) Rector of Yezin Agriculture University of Burma Dr Tin Htut and Mr. Sun Quxin signed a MoU for cooperation between the two universities and exchanged documents in the presence of President Thein Sein and party. As a symbol of greeting, Mr Sun Quxin conferred the honorary doctorate degree on the President. The President said in his acceptance speech that he thanked the University for conferring the honorary doctorate degree on him for his poverty eradication efforts through rural development tasks undertaking in Myanmar (Burma) and he was encouraged by it. It looks as if China has been trying to keep Burma within its influential sphere since the ASEAN-member country has also been seeking to join in the US-led Cobra Gold military exercise in the Pacific. A senior Thai army officer was quoted by Japans Kyodo News saying that Burma expressed an interest in joining the Cobra Gold annual military exercises in the future. China may be concerned about military relations between Burma and the US. http://asiancorrespondent.com/89815/china-persuades-burma-to-maintain-the-status-quo/ ---------------------------------- Thein Sein to Address UN, Meet Clinton in New York By LALIT K JHA / THE IRRAWADDY| September 24, 2012 | Burmese President Thein Sein arrives in New York this week to address the annual session of the UN General Assembly, meet world leaders and brief them on the reform process that has been unleashed by his quasi-civilian administration. Thein Sein will deliver a speech at the 67th annual session of the UN General Assembly on Thursday to become the first Burmese President to address the world body in many years. Recently, it has instead fallen to the Burmese foreign minister to address the meeting. In his speech, Thein Sein is expected to inform the world body on the steps his government has been taking on democratic and economic reforms. At the same time, 67-year-old is likely to appeal for the lifting of Western sanctions by highlighting the steps he has already taken to address the concerns of the international community. On Wednesday, Thein Sein is expected to sit down with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who has already met main opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Washington last week. Besides holding as series of meetings with other world leaders gathered in New York on the sidelines of the General Assembly, the former general will make his first public appearance at the Asia Society where his speech on Myanmar in Transition: Opportunities and Challenges will be followed by questions from the audience. The Permanent mission of Burma to the United Nations declined to comment on the presidents visit to the United Nations when approached by The Irrawaddy by email. Meanwhile, in an interview with the popular Charlie Rose Show on the United States PBS news network, Suu Kyi termed the ongoing reforms as a beginning of the path to democracy. Ive often said that this is something that well have to construct for ourselves. Its not there smooth and waiting; its something that we have to build up as we go along because we have been given a chance to do it. Previously, we were not given the chance even to start building the path. We had been struggling for the opportunity to start out on such a path, she said. Observing that politics is always a delicate balance, the Nobel Laureate said that the present government shares her view that the country should move towards democracy. I think they have discovered that the previous military regime form of government did not really work well, she said. I think we have to look at the whole of the government now, not just at the executive. We must look at the executive and we must look at the legislature. I dont mention the judiciary, because thats very weak in Burma at the moment and thats what were trying to build up. But I think we have to look at both the executive and the legislature and then we can come to the conclusion how far we are proceeding towards democracy. I can speak more for the legislature, because I happen to be in it. And I think its going in the right direction. Suu Kyi called being described as an icon embarrassing. Perhaps Im shyer than you think I am, she added. I have tried to keep my sense of responsibility quite apart from peoples opinion of me. If you let peoples opinions of yourselfwhether favorable or unfavorableimpact on your sense of responsibility, then its not as firm as it ought to be. Responding to questions, she praised her relationship with the Burmese president but noted that China has some concerns regarding her nations warming relationship with the United States. I think China has its concerns about the engagement of the United States in Burma because people talk about the strategic distrust between the United States and China because we are a very close neighbor, just across the border from China, obviously they will be concerned about whats going on within our country, she said. But I do not think that we should look upon Burma as a bone of contention. I would like to think of Burma as an area where China and the United States can strengthen their understanding of one another, added the National League for Democracy chairwoman. In New York, Suu Kyi urged the corporate world to invest in Burma in a responsible fashion. I want investment in Burma, but in the right way. Im not just saying, invest in Burma. What Im saying is, invest in Burma in the right way, she said. The right way is what I call democracy-friendly, human rights-friendly investment. If you ask me, it has to begin with transparency. We want to know what kind of people are investing in Burma and for what reason and whether in the long run it will be as beneficial for our people as for the investors themselves. Of course, they must benefit from the situation.http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/14789 ---------------------------------------- 24 September 2012 | last updated at 10:15PM Hard lines, red lines and green lines By Thomas L. Friedman FEAR OF LOSING POWER CORRUPTS: It's time US emulates The Lady ON Wednesday, Myanmar's democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, came to Washington and was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal at a ceremony in the Capitol. I was not there, but I read the transcript and was deeply impressed by the emotional tribute delivered by Senator John McCain, who thanked "'The Lady', for teaching me at my age a thing or two about courage". In closing, McCain quoted Suu Kyi's famous dictum that "it is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it, and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it". I love that line: it's not power but the fear of losing power that corrupts. It is deeply true and relevant today, when so few leaders now dare to throw caution and polls to the wind and tell people the truth about anything hard or controversial. Suu Kyi gave up 20 years of her life for her country. Many leaders today won't even give up a news cycle. You see it everywhere: Muslims go on a rampage against the United States embassy in Cairo because of a despicable and juvenile anti-Islam video on YouTube, and Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, from the Muslim Brotherhood, at first refuses to condemn them or even properly protect America's diplomatic mission. Only a blistering phone call from President Barack Obama, who no doubt hinted that Egypt wouldn't get another penny of foreign aid if Morsi didn't act, prompted the Egyptian leader to condemn the attack. Muslim Brotherhood officials "explained" that Morsi was torn between the demands of diplomacy and not wanting to alienate his base or be outflanked by even more hardline Salafist Muslims. Sorry, to lead is to choose. Not a good sign. But you know what they say about people in glass houses. In July, Republican Michele Bachmann started a bogus campaign against Muslims in the US government, including a top aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Bachmann wrote to the leaders of US national security agencies questioning whether the Muslim Brotherhood had infiltrated the federal government. Both McCain and House Speaker John Boehner chastised Bachmann for her politically inspired witch-hunt, but not Eric Cantor, the House majority leader. The ambitious Cantor saw a chance to get a little political edge with the Republican base, against his rival Boehner, and told Charlie Rose of CBS News that we should understand Bachmann: "I think that her concern was about the security of the country." Yes, right, Cantor, and I suppose that was all Senator Joe McCarthy was concerned about, too. Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu of Israel has been loudly demanding that America publicly draw a "red line" in respect to Iran's nuclear programme that would delineate exactly when the US would launch a strike against Teheran. Bibi is Winston Churchill when it comes to demanding that the US draw red lines, but he is a local party boss when America asks him to draw a "green line" delineating where Jewish settlements in the West Bank will stop and a Palestinian state might start. Oh, no! Can't do that, Bibi tells American officials. "I would lose my coalition." So, America is supposed to risk a war with Iran, but Bibi won't risk anything to advance a deal with the Palestinians that might create a little more global legitimacy and sympathy for Israel, and America, in the event of a war with Iran. Thanks a lot. Obama made every mistake in the book in trying to negotiate a "grand bargain" on taxes and spending last year with Boehner. But I've always had one question: Boehner said that he walked away after Obama, at the 11th hour, asked for US$400 billion (RM1.2 trillion) more in taxes to bring along more Democrats. Why did Boehner just walk away and not call Obama back and say, "Here is my deal -- no US$400 billion more -- take the original bargain or leave it." He didn't do that because he was afraid Obama might take it -- and Boehner knew he could not deliver his Tea Party base or would lose his speakership trying. So he didn't try. As for Obama, he's been at his best when he has dared to lead without fearing the politics: taking out Osama bin Laden, securing healthcare without a public option, racing to the top in education and saving the banks rather than throwing all the bankers in jail, which they deserved. And he has been at his worst when he's put politics first: spurning Simpson-Bowles, doubling down on Afghanistan for fear of being called a wimp and dropping "climate change" from his speeches. My gut tells me that this deficit of global leadership can't last. For one thing, the world is getting so interdependent that weak leadership in one country now deeply impacts so many others. Think euro crisis, Israel-Iran or Chinese pollution. And, for another, I don't believe the two most powerful disciplining forces on the planet -- the market and Mother Nature -- will sit idle for another decade and let us keep building these huge financial deficits and carbon surpluses without one day delivering some punishing blows that will require Herculean leadership to deal with. So let's honour The Lady from Myanmar, not just with a medal, but in a way that really matters -- with emulation. NYT Read more: Hard lines, red lines and green lines - Columnist - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnist/hard-lines-red-lines-and-green-lines-1.147528#ixzz27O9BjjjP ------------------------------------- Suu Kyi to speak at Yale AP / September 24, 2012 NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) Aung San Suu Kyi, whose struggle for democracy and human rights in Myanmar earned her a Nobel Peace Prize, is coming to Yale University to give a talk. The Myanmar opposition leader is scheduled to give a public speech on Thursday. Suu Kyi was elected to parliament after 15 years of house arrest and chairs the National League for Democracy in the Southeast Asian nation also known as Burma. She waged a peaceful struggle against Myanmars generals over more than two decades. Suu Kyi will visit Yale under the auspices of the Chubb Fellowship, one of the highest honors accorded to a visiting speaker. Chubb Fellows have included former U.S. presidents and prominent figures in government, industry and the arts.end of story marker Copyright 2012 Globe Newspaper Company. http://www.boston.com/news/local/connecticut/2012/09/24/suu-kyi-speak-yale/l2ou9ojfez1vEdTYvDCmbN/story.html ------------------------------------- Myanmar leader stalls investment law Posted: 24 September 2012 1659 hrs Myanmar President Thein Sein. (AFP/File - Tomohiro Ohsumi) YANGON: Myanmar's president has delayed an eagerly-awaited foreign investment bill, an official said on Monday, asking for amendments to the law that aims to open up the long-isolated nation to overseas trade. Thein Sein returned the draft law to parliament at the weekend "with remarks", according to Zaw Htay in the presidential office. "The president wanted to amend some of the provisions in the bill, which was approved by the Parliament," he told AFP. Myanmar is seen by many investors as the next regional frontier market as businesses eye its huge natural resources, large population and strategic location between China and India. A spate of reforms have seen the international community roll back many of the tough sanctions imposed during military rule, which was replaced by a quasi-civilian regime last year. Global corporate giants from Coca-Cola to General Electric have already begun to vie for a share of an expected economic boom in the impoverished nation. But observers had expressed concern over so-called protectionist measures in the law, including that foreign firms would only be able to own up to a 50-per cent stake in joint ventures with local partners. - AFP/xq http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific_business/view/1227740/1/.html -------------------------------------- Friedman: Why not truly honor the lady from Myanmar? Sunday, September 23, 2012 WASHINGTON - On Wednesday, Myanmar's democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, came here and was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal at a ceremony in the Capitol. I was not there, but I read the transcript and was deeply impressed by the emotional tribute delivered by Sen. John McCain, who thanked "the lady, for teaching me at my age a thing or two about courage." In closing, McCain quoted Aung San Suu Kyi's famous dictum that "it is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it, and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it." I love that line: It's not power but the fear of losing power that corrupts. It is deeply true and relevant today, when so few leaders now dare to throw caution and polls to the wind and tell people the truth about anything hard or controversial. Aung San Suu Kyi gave up 20 years of her life for her country. Many leaders today won't even give up a news cycle. You see it everywhere: Muslims go on a rampage against the U.S. Embassy in Cairo because of a despicable and juvenile anti-Muslim video on YouTube - and the new Egyptian president, Mohammed Morsi, from the Muslim Brotherhood, at first refuses to condemn them or even properly protect America's diplomatic mission. Only a blistering phone call from President Barack Obama, who no doubt hinted that Egypt wouldn't get another penny of foreign aid if Morsi didn't act, prompted the Egyptian leader to condemn the attack. Muslim Brotherhood officials "explained" that Morsi was torn between the demands of diplomacy and not wanting to alienate his base or be outflanked by even more hard-line Salafist Muslims. Sorry, to lead is to choose. Not a good sign. But you know what they say about people in glass houses. In July, Rep. Michele Bachmann started a bogus campaign against Muslims in the U.S. government, including a top aide to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Both McCain and the House speaker, John Boehner, chastised Bachmann for her politically inspired witch hunt - but not Eric Cantor, the House majority leader. The ambitious Cantor saw a chance to get a little political edge with the Republican base, against his rival Boehner, and told Charlie Rose of CBS News that we should understand Bachmann: "I think that her concern was about the security of the country." Yes, right, Cantor, and I suppose that was all Sen. Joe McCarthy was concerned about, too. Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu, of Israel, has been loudly demanding that America publicly draw a "red line" in respect to Iran's nuclear program that would delineate exactly when the U.S. would launch a strike against Tehran. Bibi is Winston Churchill when it comes to demanding that the U.S. draw red lines, but he is a local party boss when America asks him to draw a "green line" delineating where Jewish settlements in the West Bank will stop and a Palestinian state might start. Oh, no! Can't do that, Bibi tells American officials. "I would lose my coalition." So America is supposed to risk a war with Iran, but Bibi won't risk anything to advance a deal with the Palestinians that might create a little more global legitimacy and sympathy for Israel, and America, in the event of a war with Iran. Thanks a lot. Obama made every mistake in the book in trying to negotiate a "grand bargain" on taxes and spending last year with Boehner. But I've always had one question: Boehner said that he walked away after Obama, at the 11th hour, asked for $400 billion more in taxes to bring along more Democrats. Why did Boehner just walk away and not call Obama back and say, "Here is my deal - no $400 billion more - take the original bargain or leave it." He didn't do that because he was afraid Obama might take it - and Boehner knew he could not deliver his tea party base or would lose his speakership trying. So he didn't try. As for Obama, he's been at his best when he has dared to lead without fearing the politics: taking out Osama bin Laden, securing health care without a public option, racing to the top in education and saving the banks rather than throwing all the bankers in jail. And he has been at his worst when he's put politics first: spurning Simpson-Bowles, doubling down on Afghanistan and dropping "climate change" from his speeches. My gut tells me that this deficit of global leadership can't last. For one thing, the world is getting so interdependent that weak leadership in one country now deeply impacts so many others. Think euro crisis, Israel-Iran or Chinese pollution. And, for another, I don't believe the two most powerful disciplining forces on the planet - the market and Mother Nature - will sit idle for another decade and let us keep building these huge financial deficits and carbon surpluses without one day delivering some punishing blows that will require herculean leadership to deal with. So let's honor The Lady from Myanmar, not just with a medal, but in a way that really matters - with emulation. Friedman is a columnist for the New York Times and a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner. http://www.chron.com/news/article/Friedman-Why-not-truly-honor-the-lady-from-3887803.php ---------------------------------------- Kachin Silence to Avoid Worsening Crisis: Suu Kyi By LAWI WENG / THE IRRAWADDY| September 24, 2012 | Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi said that she will always condemn human rights abuses and acts outside the rule of law but would not criticize any side in the ongoing Kachin State conflict in order not to exacerbate the fighting. Speaking to members of the Burmese community at Queen College in New York on Sunday, Suu Kyi said, There are people who criticized me when I remained silence on this case. They can do so as they are not satisfied with me. But, for me, I do not want to add fire to any side of the conflict. The Nobel Laureate told hundreds of Burmese diaspora in the United States that to solve one conflict means being calm and considering the roots of the problem, instead of pointing fingers and blaming each other. There are times when you have power, but there are also times when you do not have power, said Suu Kyi. When you think that you have the power to dominate other people, this is not a solution that can last for a long time. Observers have urged Suu Kyi to participate in the Peacemaking Working Committee to solve the Kachin conflict as they believe neutral figures must mediate between the government and rebels to build trust and find a solution. Suu Kyi chairs the Lower House of Parliaments Rule of Law Committee but has not had a chance to participate in solving the Kachin conflict. Some critics have condemned the 67-year-old for staying silent on Kachin as well as the sectarian violence between Arakanese Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims in western Burma. When one audience member submitted a question regarding the Kachin conflict, Suu Kyi replied that her National League for Democracy party is not in power. The government is running the peace process and so it is not for her party to score political points, but if people see bad things happening then they must speak out, she said. We should remove such fear and hate in order that all of us can live with unity, said Suu Kyi, referring to the climate of fear which characterized the previous half-century of military dictatorship. Burma is a union where there are different ethnic people and all the different minorities make the country stronger, she added. Meanwhile, the BBC (Burmese Version) reported on Sunday that serious abuses are ongoing in Kachin State where fighting between government troops and the ethnic rebel Kachin Independence Army continues unabated during Suu Kyis visit to the US. Ma Hka, a Kachin lawyer representing the families of four alleged torture victims, told the BBC that he sent letters to President Thein Sein, Northern Regional Command and also the UN Human Rights Commission on Sept. 20 to demand a thorough investigation of serious sexual and physical abuse committed to his clients under interrogation. The victims were burned by candles if they refused to perform homosexual acts and this is the main issue that we want the authorities to take action about, he told the BBC. Two victims from Myitkyina and two from Thar Law Gyi Village in Waingmaw Township were captured by government troops from Light Infantry Battalion 37 based nearby. Military Intelligence officers are accused of torturing the villagers who were suspected of being Kachin rebels. The four were detained in June around the one-year anniversary of resumed hostilities after a 17-year ceasefire broke down in 2011. Humanitarian groups report that around 90,000 civilians have so far been displaced by the fighting in northernmost Burma. http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/14767 ---------------------------------------- Thein Sein Concludes China Visit By PATRICK BOEHLER / THE IRRAWADDY| September 24, 2012 | Burmas President Thein Sein on Saturday concluded his second visit to China since taking office in March 2011. The five-day trip through four Chinese provinces focused on encouraging investment in Burma and included a meeting with the man most believe will be Chinas next president, Xi Jinping. However, the trip did not result in any major announcements. The older leadership generation created and cultivated a deep friendship between China and Burma, he told a provincial Communist Party official on Friday, according to a Guangxi Autonomous Region state-media release. We will continue to uphold this tradition. China is Burmas largest investor. By August, Chinese direct investment amounted to US $14.1 billion, according to figures cited by the Burmese president in a speech on Friday. Bilateral trade in the first half of the year reached $3.5 billion. Thein Seins visit comes just days after he received Wu Bangguo, a Chinese Communist Party Politburo member who is at the helm of the countrys rubber-stamp parliament, in Naypyidaw. Wus visit was the highest of a Chinese official in a decade. The president departed from Naypyidaw on his second trip to China last Tuesday. In transit at Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province, Thein Sein met with the provincial party secretary Qin Guangrong and governor Liu Jiheng. Yunnan is Chinas province bordering Burmas Kachin State where an ongoing civil war has provoked Chinese concern. Yunnan also hosts the headquarters of the joint security force fighting piracy and drug trafficking along the Mekong River. Thein Seins visit came a couple of days ahead of the murder trial of Burmese militiaman, Naw Kham, at a court in Kunming. Party Secretary Qin stressed Yunnans interests in the construction of economic co-operation zones which were previously discussed near the provinces border hub Ruili and elsewhere. [Yunnan Province] wants to contribute in the construction of the Kyaukpyu Special Economic Zone, Qin was quoted as saying by the provincial government mouthpiece Yunnan Daily. Kyaukpyu is in Burmas Arakan State and is the base for operations for two massive oil and gas pipelines under construction which lead to Yunnan. The Burmese president continued his trip to Xian, the capital of the central province Shaanxi, where his visit focused on agricultural matters. He also received an honorary doctorate from Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, which has set up a scholarship program for five Burmese students per year, and visited the Yangling Agricultural Hi-tech Industries Demonstration Zone, a hub for agricultural research in China. He also held talks with governor Zhao Zhengyong, and visited a Buddhist temple and the grave of Chinas first emperor. On Thursday, Thein Sein visited Shenzhen, Chinas first special economic zone, which borders Hong Kong. We invite Shenzhen investors to join in the construction of Burmese ports, telecommunications equipment and other infrastructure projects, he told Shenzhen mayor Xu Qin, according to a local television broadcast of the meeting. His visit coincided with a visit by Khin Aung Myint, the speaker of Burmas Upper House of Parliament, to Shenzhen to participate in a regional conference by the Chinese Peoples Association for Peace and Disarmament. On Friday, Thein Sein met with Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping in Nanning, the capital of Guangxi autonomous region. Xi, who made headlines earlier this month by canceling several meetings, including with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for purported health reasons, is widely expected to succeed Hu Jintao as the Chinese head of state later this year. Xi last met a senior Burmese figure in May when ruling Union Solidarity and Development Partys secretary general Htay Oo visited Beijing. A report by the Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua quoted Xi asking for both sides to focus on ensuring the smooth implementation of major cooperation projects. Thein Seins suspension last year of the Myitsone dam project, a Chinese-run hydropower plant in Kachin State, raised concerns among Chinese investors over the willingness of the new civilian government to back deals agreed upon by the former military regime. Also on Friday, Thein Sein inaugurated the 9th Asean-China Trade Expo in Nanning, which focused on Burmese agricultural, jade and wood products. The Burmese president along with Minister of Commerce Win Myint participated in a roundtable discussion with representatives of major Chinese companies. We welcome foreign direct investment on condition that it doesnt harm the peoples interests and the environment, Thein Sein said, according to a transcript. Tang Yi, the CEO of China National Technology Import & Export Co., a state-owned trader of industrial technology, revealed that the company had invested $200 million in Burma in hydro-energy, construction and agriculture. The other panelists represented the leading fields of Chinese investment in Burma: the state-owned construction contractor China Machinery Engineering Corp.; the defense contractor with mining investments in Kachin State Norinco; Tianjin Great Wall Garments Group; and telecommunications equipment and services provider Huawei. Traveling with the Burmese president were Minister for Foreign Affairs Wunna Maung Lwin, Minister of Religious Affairs Thura Myint Maung, Minister of Presidents Office Soe Thein, Minister of National Planning and Economic Development Kan Zaw, Minister of Finance and Revenue Win Shein, Minister of Transport Nyan Tun Aung, Minister of Commerce Win Myint, and two deputy ministers. Lt-Gen Aung Than Tut, the head of the Bureau of Special Operations 2 of the Ministry of Defence, who is in charge of military operations in the area bordering China and the Golden Triangle, was also part of the delegation. In a lighter moment before returning to Naypyidaw on Saturday, Thein Sein confessed a fondness for Chinese television dramas. Since childhood, I have been watching Chinese television, the president told China Radio International. Thein Seins visit to the worlds second largest economy concluded two days before he embarked on a historic visit to the United States on Monday. http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/14709 --------------------------------------------- Myanmar's parliamentarians, business delegates visit Singapore By S. Ramesh | Posted: 24 September 2012 1958 hrs SINGAPORE: Myanmar's Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament, Thura U Shwe Mann, is in Singapore for a four-day visit. On Monday, Mr Shwe Mann called on Singapore's Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, reaffirming the warm relations between both countries. Mr Goh was in Myanmar in June this year, and noted Myanmar has the opportunity to become the new regional economic powerhouse if the country can succeed in its political and economic reforms. Mr Goh added that both Singapore and Myanmar can complement each other for mutual benefits. Singapore is Myanmar's fourth largest trading partner, with bilateral trade amounting to some S$1.6 billion last year. Mr Shwe Mann is accompanied by five Members of Parliament, officials and business representatives from Myanmar. Earlier in the day, Mr Shwe Mann and his delegation called on Singapore's Speaker of Parliament Michael Palmer, who hosted them to lunch and a tour of Parliament House. - CNA/de http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1227758/1/.html __._,_.___Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post | Start a New Topic Messages in this topic (727)

Read More...

Sunday, July 22, 2012

News & Articles on Burma-Saturday 21 July 2012-UZL

News & Articles on Burma Saturday 21 July 2012 ---------------------------------------- Visa, MasterCard for 2013 SEA Games US envoy says too early to end all Myanmar sanctions Heavy rain is causing flooding in Hpakant A Ride Around Rangoon 10 missing, 1 dead in Myanmar ferry accident Myanmar looks to S'pore model to develop skilled workforce 92 Thai Detainees To Be Sent To Myanmar Court Kachin State govt works on gem law ----------------------------------------- Visa, MasterCard for 2013 SEA Games By MAY LAY / THE IRRAWADDY| July 21, 2012 | The introduction of MasterCard should boost tourism in Burma. (Photo: FEMA Photo Library) Burmese high street banks are preparing to offer credit card transactions to facilitate smooth money transfers in time for the 2013 Southeast Asian Games, claim financial experts. Foreigners will not need to bring money in a bag. They just need to bring their cardsVisa or MasterCard, said Zaw Linn Htut, managing director of Kanbawza Bank. Currently, national banks must register for the right to have an acquiring cards system, which allows transactions with foreign credit cards, and an issuing cards system, in order to provide domestic customers with their own cards. We have to do many steps to reach the level of introducing issuing cards, said Phey Myint, managing director of the Cooperative Bank. We have to try to produce debit and credit card systems first. After that we will try for an acquiring card system. We want to have not only an acquiring card system for foreigners but also issuing cards for local people. The vast majority of countries around the world permit the use of Visa and MasterCard but Burma is lagging behind due to its antiquated financial system and decades of Western economic sanctions. Burmas Central Bank will be in charge of organizing the arrival of Visa and MasterCard with implementation by local banks through the Myanmar Payment Union. Observers say the move will provide a huge boost to Burmas fledgling yet potentially massive tourism industry. Currently foreigners must bring all funds for their visit with them in flawless notes of US or Singapore dollars or euros which are then changed for local kyat at banks or exchange counters. The slightest crease, smudge or blemish makes foreign currencies unacceptable to official Burmese banks and only possible to exchange at black market lenders at a lower rate. ATMs can be found in big commercial centers but do not accept foreign cards at the present time. Kanbawza run ATMs in Yangon, Pyin Oo Lwin, Naypyidaw and Mandalay. In fact, we have to do many steps to develop a financial system. We have to extend ATMs to run at all branches of Kanbawza, said Zaw Linn Htut. Burma is currently undergoing economic reform including the establishment of a stock exchange, passing updated investment legislation and the introduction of foreign currency bank accounts. Without using credit cards, it will be difficult to do business in Burma. How will we move money quickly? asked Anthony Nelson, associate director of the US-Asean business council at a press conference on Monday. It is one of the essential things for a developed business environment. http://www.irrawaddy.org/?slide=visa-mastercard-for-2013-sea-games ---------------------------------- US envoy says too early to end all Myanmar sanctions Published on 20 July 2012 - 4:02pm The new US ambassador to Myanmar said Friday that it was too soon to abolish all sanctions against the former pariah, as Congress considers extending a ban on imports from the impoverished country. "We have said in the past, and I have said, that we endorse continuing to keep in place many of the authorities -- the sanctions authorities -- in Congress," said Derek Mitchell, who took up his new post earlier this month. Keeping some measures in place was "an insurance policy for the future in case things reverse," he told reporters, noting the fast pace of reforms since the end of decades of military rule last year. "We're talking about a rapid process. It's only really been a little over a year and there are still some questions about the future," he said, adding that the import ban could be revisited later if the reform process continues. A US Senate finance committee on Wednesday backed prolonging the ban on goods made in Myanmar for three years, while preserving the government's right to waive or scrap the measures. The extension still needs full Congressional approval. It came a week after the United States gave the green light to US companies to invest in Myanmar including in oil and gas, in its broadest and most controversial easing yet of sanctions on the country formerly known as Burma. US companies have been pressing the Obama administration to end restrictions on investment, fearing they will lose out to European and Asian competitors that already enjoy access to the potentially lucrative economy. Mitchell said that investment, "done according to traditional US corporate principles and values," could serve the long-term interests of the Myanmar people. The veteran policymaker is the first US ambassador to Myanmar since Washington withdrew its envoy after a crackdown on a pro-democracy uprising in 1988 and elections won by the opposition in 1990 that were never recognised by the junta. ANP/AFP http://www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/us-envoy-says-too-early-end-all-myanmar-sanctions ---------------------------------------- Heavy rain is causing flooding in Hpakant In News Post 21 July 2012 Last Updated on 21 July 2012 By KNG Heavy rain has raised the Uru Hka River water levels causing heavy flooding in the homes near jade mining operations in Hpakant township in Kachin State, northern Burma. A resident said the flooding which started on July 16 is making life hard for everyone involved. Some people had to move to their relatives home who have a second floor in order to escape water levels which has flooded the ground levels, said the resident. The flooding has forced schools to close and affected about 50 homes in Mashi Kahtawng and 50 homes in Hpakant. Classes at a school in Seng Tawng village have been suspended because its too dangerous to cross the suspension bridge over the Uru Hka River. Food prices are also rising. The Uru Hka River typically floods every four or five years. However debris from the governments jade mining operations in the surrounding area have raised the rivers bottom. Flooding is now occurring every year. The Burmese military ordered all jade mining companies to suspend work in the area in May following heavy fighting with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in the areas surrounding Hpakant. But the environmental damage to the river has already been done after years of careless mining operations. The Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) is still allowing mobile jade operations in the area. Hpakant residents are worried about more flooding if the rain continues. http://kachinnews.com/news/2356-heavy-rain-is-causing-flooding-in-hpakant.html ---------------------------------------- A Ride Around Rangoon By STEVE TICKNER / THE IRRAWADDY| July 21, 2012 | If you are familiar with Asian cities, one of the first things that will strike you in Rangoon is the complete absence of motorcycles in the streets. A strictly enforced ban on motorbikes and mopedsthe first choice of transport in virtually every Asian citygives the citys road system a strange appearance of calm and order; though it apparently does little to relieve the serious gridlock during peak-hour traffic. For a visitor to the city, the most practical option is to flag down one of the city taxis, which range from dilapidated wrecks to an occasional newer compact model. The drivers are usually friendly, chatty and helpful, though they face the significant problem of a saturated market and frequently complain about competitiveness leading to serious price undercutting. Fares are relatively cheapnormally around one to three US dollars within the city center. However, the low fares do come at a price. Very little revenue is re-invested in maintenance, air conditioning is rare, and windows and even doors often dont work or simply dont exist. In a Rangoon taxi, it seems, you pay your dollar and take your chances. For the local population the most practical alternative is the bicycle, an option to warm the heart of any Western environmentalist, while for the elderly or less energetic there are numerous rickshaws available for local journeys. For Rangoon residents, longer trips are a different matter altogether. Both the bus and rail systems are antiquated, insufficient and strained to maximum capacity. The local rail system is particularly run-down and consists mostly of one circular route around the city, leaving significant areas without any access to a local rail network. The carriages are positively ancient, with wooden benches for seats, heavily rusted and seemingly held together by numerous coats of colourful paint. For a visitor wanting to take a leisurely look at urban Rangoon, a round-trip will last about three hours and offers a wonderful insight into Rangoon life. The more common option is a smoke-billowing ancient bus jammed tight with passengers. But good news is nighthe rickety old buses may be on their way to the scrapyard since a Japanese company announced it was exporting a fleet of 3,000 new buses for public transport use in Rangoon under a joint venture with Burmas Ministry of Transportation. There are several river optionslook out for the smaller traditional Burmese boats known as ngyet, meaning bird, so named for the boats distinctive winged stern. These birds work the waters of the Rangoon River. Cross-river ferry services are available for workers going to and from the city and its outlying areas. Unlike Bangkoks Chao Phraya River which is a vital and well-used part of that citys transport system, this water-borne potential seems largely under-exploited in Rangoon, remaining utilized mainly as a port of trade and commerce. However, it does play a role as a cool and relaxing place for tourists to spend a few hours. Then of course, there is walking, though the citys high humidity can make this a less appealing option for most, not to mention the citys drivers apparent total disregard for pedestrian safety, and the awful pot-holed sidewalks. Many Burmese enjoy a quiet stroll around pastoral places such as Inya Lake, also a popular spot for jogging and exercise. In the cooler evenings, young romantically inclined couples stroll the shores and watch the sunset. http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/9690 ---------------------------------------- Jul 21, 12:32 AM EDT 10 missing, 1 dead in Myanmar ferry accident YANGON, Myanmar (AP) -- Five university football players and their coach are among at least 10 people missing after a passenger ferry accident in northern Myanmar that left at one person dead. The New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported Saturday that 73 people were rescued in the accident in the Irrawaddy River in Kachin state. It said the ferry developed engine trouble, drifted through rapid waters under heavy rain and hit some docked vessels before sinking Friday. The football team members had been travelling to the Kachin state capital of Myitkyina for an inter-university tournament. People living along Myanmar's major rivers and in the vast southern delta region often travel and transport goods by boat because of the lower cost and the inaccessibility of many areas by road. 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_MYANMAR_BOAT_ACCIDENT?SECTION=HOME&SITE=AP&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT ------------------------------------- Myanmar looks to S'pore model to develop skilled workforce By Qiuyi Tan | Posted: 21 July 2012 1521 hrs YANGON: Authorities in Myanmar are looking to the Singapore model as the country ramps up efforts to develop a skilled workforce. They are working with educational institution Singapore Polytechnic to set standards for skills training. At a training centre in Yangon, young men are learning the basics of welding and electrical work. But when they complete the course, their training certificate won't exactly meet national standards. Not because they're not qualified - but because national standards are still in the making for Myanmar. Yin Yin Aye, who heads the Swiss training centre, said a multitude of organisations offer vocational training in the country, and all offer different qualifications. "Sometimes there's good in diversity, but if we have nationalised certification, and we all know the same standards, the (training) quality and their (workers') skill level will be more... enhanced." Deputy Labour Minister U Myint Thein said the country is gearing up for an influx of foreign investment, and also for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' target of having a free flow of skilled labour by 2015. "Myanmar workers will go overseas, and many workers will also come to Myanmar. For this free flow of labour, it is important to have a set of national skills standards, which is a form of quality assurance for employers," he said. Setting national standards is part of the government's extensive reform of its dated labour laws from the 1950s. It is an effort to increase the mobility of skilled workers, and in turn, raise the wages of the Myanmar workforce. With a grant from Temasek Foundation, Singapore Polytechnic is lending its technical expertise to this process. Polytechnic principal Tan Hang Cheong said: "SP has been helping many countries in the region to upgrade their technical and vocational training. I think we should have the experience now." Temasek Foundation CEO Benedict Cheong said: "All across Asia, there's this group of middle and technical managers that you need to build up within your communities. You can't just have leaders from universities and higher education institutions, you need a group of equally trained, equally skilled people at different levels." A skilled workforce won't just benefit the country. The Deputy Labour Minister said Myanmar's neighbours also stand to gain from the golden land's skilled manpower exports. - CNA/cc http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1214881/1/.html ----------------------------------------- July 21, 2012 19:41 PM 92 Thai Detainees To Be Sent To Myanmar Court BANGKOK, July 21 (Bernama) - Thai officials said Saturday the 92 Thai nationals detained in Myanmar since early this month for alleged land encroachment are expected to be sent to court next week, Thai News Agency reported. The officials said according to Myanmar authorities, investigations into the case have been completed and the detainees would likely be charged for entering Myanmar illegally and encroaching a Myanmar forest. Each detainee is expected to receive a six-month imprisonment, similar to a previous verdict imposed on three Thai intruders in 2009, Xinhua news agency quoted the officials as saying. The 92 Thais were arrested by Myanmar authorities on July 4 after entering an area opposite Kra Buri district in Thailand's southern Ranong province in order to plant rubber trees. --BERNAMA http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v6/newsworld.php?id=682332 ----------------------------------------- Kachin State govt works on gem law Friday, 20 July 2012 13:53 Mizzima News Upon the approval of a first draft of a state-level bill covering gem production and trade in Kachin State, officials with the Myitkyina Gem Trade Association (MGTA) said they were happy with the results. Burma's annual gem emporium is held in Naypyitaw, the capital. Photo: Mizzima Burma's annual gem emporium is held in Naypyitaw, the capital. Photo: Mizzima "We have had a lot of success because we were able to meet in person to discuss and debate it, said an official. The first draft is perfect because we all worked hard together. He said the chairman of the Kachin State Parliament, Dr. Daw Yi Yi Win; a professor of law from Myitkyina University; legal department representatives; officials with the state-level mining ministry and MGTA representatives met in June and July to work out the details of the bill. The draft stipulates all gem work in Kachin State must be recorded in detail, that all gem work is subject to taxes, and any work not reported is against the law and individuals may be prosecuted for violations. The new draft, which is based on the gem chapter in the 2008 Constitution, was designed to be flexible, said officials. The draft will first be submitted to the state-level government, and then be sent to the Union government for approval before it can become law. In March, Mizzima reported that a bill that allowed local processing, cutting and polishing of jade had been passed by the Kachin State Assembly. When enacted, lawmakers said many new jobs would be created in the state. In the 2008 Constitution, states were given powers to pass legislation in defined areas of energy, electricity, mining and forestry. Before the new law, when jade stones were mined in Kachin State they had to be sent to Naypyitaw for cutting and polishing work, which increased the final cost of the products. The bill's passage benefited both jade merchants and local people in Kachin State, said La Awng, vice chairman of the Jade and Gemstones Merchants Association in Myitkyina. The livelihood of local people will be better. The jade market will provide opportunities for more local people, he told Mizzima. Late last year, Mizzima reported that because of greater demand from China and higher prices, the amber market in Kachin State had risen sharply. However, despite higher prices, its still cheaper than jade. Kachin State produces many gems including jade, quartz and amber. Most of the buyers are Chinese, an amber trader in Myitkyina told Mizzima. However, other buyers come from Thailand and Tibet. Tanai is the main amber production area in Kachin State. Amber is used in both jewelry and sculptures. Many people wear amber in the form of an amulet. Colours are transparent orange, transparent yellow, dark red, clear and golden. Golden amber is the most expensive. Many Chinese believe that amber amulets can help to improve blood circulation and protect against misfortune, according to a Chinese woman who spoke with Mizzima. Most of the amber miners in Kachin State are Lisu. Besides Tanai and Sumprabum in Kachin State, Hkamti Township in Sagaing Region and some townships in Shan State also produced amber. http://www.mizzima.com/business/7572-kachin-state-govt-works-on-gem-law.html

Read More...

Saturday, July 21, 2012

News & Articles on Burma-Friday 20 July 2012-UZL

News & Articles on Burma Friday 20 July 2012 Myanmar pays tribute to Suu Kyi's hero father US outlines two-pronged sanction path in editorial Myanmar general to visit India 'Only solution' unacceptable Dawei Tops Agenda for Thein Seins Thai Trip 23rd clash after ceasefire pact Local enterprises call for better access to credit, tax incentives US Senate pushes to extend ban on Burmese imp Myanmar reforms renews Thai interest in Burmese language classes Burmese Firms Prepare for 2015 Funding shortage cuts Mae Tao Clinics patient referrals -------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------ ---- Bangkok Post Myanmar pays tribute to Suu Kyi's hero father Published: 20/07/2012 at 01:48 AM Online news: Asia Myanmar honoured democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi's father and eight other slain independence heroes at an official ceremony Thursday that underscored the political changes sweeping the country. Myanmar people take part in a parade in honour of independence hero General Aung San. Myanmar honoured democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi's father and eight other slain independence heroes at an official ceremony Thursday that underscored the political changes sweeping the country. Vice president Sai Mauk Kham led the memorial for General Aung San and others killed on July 19, 1947, by political rivals while they were holding a meeting as part of their struggle to win independence from Britain. The high-level presence at the Martyrs' Mausoleum in the former capital marked a departure from recent years when the Rangoon mayor was the official representative at low-key ceremonies to mark the anniversary. The event was broadcast live on state television in another sign of change in the country formerly known as Burma, which is emerging from decades of military rule. President Thein Sein, a former general, has overseen dramatic political changes over the past year, including the release of hundreds of political prisoners and the election of Suu Kyi to parliament. After the ceremony, the 67-year-old opposition leader paid homage at the mausoleum with three baskets of flowers, followed by relatives of the other late independence heroes as well as diplomats and members of the public. Later Suu Kyi addressed supporters at her party offices, calling on youth members to embrace the spirit of the martyrs. "The martyr spirit is a noble spirit. We should respect the martyr leaders in order to increase the noble spirit of our country," she said. The veteran dissident, who spent much of the last two decades under house arrest and was released in late 2010, last year attended the remembrance ceremony for the first time in nine years. The Nobel Peace Prize winner was only two years old when she lost her father, who is widely hailed as the architect of Myanmar's liberation from British rule but who died a year before the colonial era ended in 1948. Often referred to simply as Bogyoke, or General, Aung San remains a potent symbol of pride in Myanmar, but for years his image was rarely seen in public under a junta anxious not to draw attention to its incarceration of Suu Kyi. Pictures of the father and daughter are now widely seen in one of the most visible signs of change under the reformist regime. http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/303392/myanmar-pays-tribute-to-suu-kyi-hero-father ------------------------------------------- US outlines two-pronged sanction path in editorial Friday, 20 July 2012 12:51 Mizzima News An editorial labeled Encouraging Further Change In Burma appeared on the US governments Voice of America website on Friday, noting that while direct investment sanctions were removed on July 11 to allow US businesses to invest in the country and to take part in Burmas economic development, other underlying sanction authorities remain in place, including direct trade with the country. The president has also signed a new executive order expanding the ability of the U.S. government to target sanctions against those individuals who violate human rights or threaten the peace, security and stability of Burma, said the editorial. Further, U.S. business interests wont be allowed to invest in entities owned by Burmas Ministry of Defense or other state or non-state armed groups. Investors also will be required annually to file detailed, public reports on their activities as a way to promote greater transparency and encourage civil society there to partner with our companies toward responsible investment, it said. It said the US would call for further progress in democratization, a halt to hostilities in ethnic minority areas, the unconditional release of political prisoners and a cessation of Burmas military trade with North Korea Burma has made progress since the formation of its new government in the spring of 2011. The beginning of a transition to civilian rule from a military-dominated system, holding of a more inclusive and credible Parliamentary by-election this April, the easing of some media restrictions and the freeing of more than 500 imprisoned political activists were important steps in the nations democratic transformation, and a sign that Burmese leaders have embarked on a path of greater openness, transparency and reform, said the editorial. It said, The participation of American businesses in the Burmese economy has the potential to set a model for responsible investment and business operations, as well as encourage further change, promote economic development and contribute to the welfare of the Burmese people. The US Senate next week is expected to approve a three-year renewal of trade restrictions with Burma. US officials said President Obama could rescind the restrictions at any time. http://www.mizzima.com/business/7568-us-outlines-two-pronged-sanction-path-in-editorial.html -------------------------------------------- Myanmar general to visit India By IANS - NEW DELHI 20th July 2012 04:03 PM Continuing with its efforts to forge strong ties with Myanmar, India will on August 1 welcome its neighbour's top military general, when the two sides are expected to discuss furthering their cooperation in the defence and security sectors. General Min Aung Hlaing, the Myanmar armed forces commander-in-chief, will be here on a week-long stay till August 8 when he is scheduled to meet with Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony, navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma, air force chief Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne and army chief General Bikram Singh. He will also visit Buddhist pilgrim centres like Bodhgaya. India's Kolkata-based Eastern Command, which is responsible for security in the northeast bordering Myanmar, will host the visitor and so would the Visakhapatnam-based Eastern Naval Command. The Myanmar general's visit comes just two months after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited the country, the first such trip by an Indian prime minister in a quarter of a century. India now has robust bilateral ties with Myanmar, which transitioned into democracy in 2010 after several decades of military rule. It has also steadfastly supported Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, whom Manmohan Singh met in Yangon, the former capital, during his visit. During this decade, India has supplied military equipment to Myanmar such as an Islander maritime patrol plane apart from 105mm light artillery guns, naval gunboats, mortars, grenade launchers and rifles. http://newindianexpress.com/nation/article572443.ece --------------------------------------- BANGKOK POST/ EDITORIAL 'Only solution' unacceptable Published: 20/07/2012 at 01:51 AM Newspaper section: News Myanmar President Thein Sein has finally fixed the dates of his first official visit to Thailand. The country will welcome the leader of our western neighbour for three days beginning on Sunday. The lead-up to Thein Sein's trip was confusing, to say the least. Twice, he was supposedly coming, and twice he did not arrive. The delays to the trip were curious, made even more so because of the unconvincing effort by both nations to claim that nothing was wrong. Clearly, the delays in Thein Sein's trip had a reason. Because of the official secrecy, there has been intense speculation that the warm welcome given to the unofficial and popular opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was the reason. Whatever the recent past, Thein Sein comes to Thailand as the head of a government which has made impressive reforms in the past eight months. The world's biggest companies now are lining up to look over investment opportunities. Last week, the giant General Electric re-opened US business in Myanmar with the sale of X-ray machines. But the country and its leader still have a long way to travel to catch up on its 48 years as a cruel, violent military dictatorship. The recent ethnic clashes in western Myanmar have thrown off the facade of a united country. President Thein Sein uttered some of the most distressing statements heard from a reform government in recent memory. He told the United Nations last week that the million Rohingya people in Rakhine (formerly known as Arakhan) state are simply not welcome in Myanmar. They would be placed in camps or, preferably, deported. They are ethnically different from the Burman majority, and they are religiously Muslim, he said. The "only solution" is to hand them over to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees or resettle them in third countries that are willing to take them. "Burma will take responsibility for its ethnic nationalities but it is not at all possible to recognise the illegal border-crossing Rohingyas who are not an ethnic [group] in Burma," said Thein Sein according to his office's website. These are not tough words, but unacceptable ones. The Rohingya _ the word itself was invented and introduced during the military regimes _ have rights, too. They may have migrated into Myanmar at one time, but most were born in the western provinces of the country. Thein Sein may consider them as a nuisance, but the solution is for Myanmar to adapt to its circumstances. The existence and problem of Rohingya should be raised during Thein Sein's visit. Thailand and other neighbours are all too aware of the plight of these people. Many have fled their homeland in Myanmar, and used Thailand as a stepping stone to travel further abroad. They have found no welcome in Thailand _ to the occasional shame of our officials _ but the root of the problem lies in Myanmar. The shocking language of the Myanmar president may be excused briefly after his country's long isolation from the real world, enforced at the army's gunpoint. But Thein Sein must be disabused of the notion that he will find sympathy, let alone help as he seeks a solution to his problem with Myanmar people. If his words are disagreeable, he must know that any action to back them up will be unacceptable. Myanmar is emerging from a long, dark history of violence. It is entering a new world, with norms that are quite different from 50 years ago. Thein Sein's statements about the Rohingya appear racist, malicious and threatening. They must not stand unchallenged. http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/303354/only-solution-unacceptable -------------------------------------------- Dawei Tops Agenda for Thein Seins Thai Trip By LAWI WENG / THE IRRAWADDY| July 20, 2012 | Thai PM Yingluck Shinawatra, left, shakes hands with Burmese President Thein Sein on her first trip to Burma in October. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) The burning issue of the future of the Dawei (Tavoy) deep-sea port and industrial zone in southern Burma is due to be the main subject of discussion when Burmese President Thein Sein visits Thailand at the weekend. Thein Sein will arrive in the Kingdom for three days on Sunday for a twice-postponed trip to Burmas second biggest trading partnerbilateral trade with Thailand amounted to US 6.1 billion in 2011 and was only beaten by China. The development of the Dawei deep-sea port and industrial zone in Myanmar will be a major topic of discussion during the official visit of the Myanmar President, said a statement issued by the Thai government. In May, the Thai government approved a 33.1 billion baht ($1 billion) budget allocation for infrastructure to link with the Dawei megaproject. However, its future remains in doubt following the rejection by Naypyidaw of a coal-fired power plant in the area and one of the biggest investors, Max Myanmar Company, pulling out earlier this month. The Dawei port complex, across the border from Thailands Kanchanaburi Province, is being developed by Thailands largest construction company Italian-Thai Development PLC. The $8.6 billion project was agreed with the former Burmese junta in 2008. In order to aid bilateral economic development between the two countries, Thailand also will propose opening another border checkpoint in Kanchanaburi with an access road towards Dawei. However, humanitarian groups have long voiced human rights concerns regarding the megaproject with particular reference to land seizures by the construction zone. Other subject to be discussed include the 92 Thai citizens who were detained in Kawthaung Township, southern Burma, early last week for alleged illegal logging and illegally crossing the border. The Thai government will no doubt bring up the fate of those arrested with Thein Sein during his visit. Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged the Thai government in a letter on Thursday to use Thein Seins visit to press for immediate and concrete steps towards addressing serious human rights violations in Burma. Prime Minister Yingluck should use Thailands leverage as one of Burmas major political and economic partners and a core member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to help improve respect for human rights and promote political reform in the country, said the advocacy group. The Burmese governments record on human rights remains poor, despite recent signs of change, said Brad Adams, Asia director at HRW. As a neighbor long affected by Burmas abysmal rights record, the Thai government should not miss this opportunity to press Thein Sein to end army abuses against ethnic minorities and protect the basic rights of all people in Burma. Thein Sein was due to attend the World Economic Forum on East Asia in Bangkok from May 30 to June 1, but canceled his trip apparently after hearing opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was booked to address the event. The former general also postponed a subsequent visit on June 4-5 ostensibly to tackle domestic crises including power shortage protests and sectarian violence in Arakan State, but rumors abounded that he was irked by the Nobel Laureates performance in the Kingdom. http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/9631 ------------------------------------------ 23rd clash after ceasefire pact Friday, 20 July 2012 14:43 S.H.A.N. The Shan State Progress Party / Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA) had just fought the 23rd engagement against a Burma Army column that had trespassed on the territory under its control on Wednesday, 18 July, according to local sources. The fight took place east of Na Piem village, Hsipaw township, 16:15-16:45 between the SSAs First Brigade, commanded by Maj Hseng Fa, and the Burma Armys Infantry Battalion 41, based in Lashio. The Burmese column was said to have suffered at least 10 killed and 15 wounded. Sai Mawng, 22, who was forced to serve as a guide for the Burmese column was among those killed. Hsaw Kianghai, 38, of Hsai Liang village, who was tending buffaloes near the battlefield was also taken into custody by the column as a suspect. He is yet to be released, said a fellow villager. We fear he wont be coming back at all. According to the SSA, its liaison officer in Lashio was informed by the regional command in at advance that the column would only go as far as Na Piem and not beyond it. It remains to be seen how the regional command would respond to the clash that had taken place. The two sides had recently fought for the possession of two strategic hills in Monghsu, south of Lashio. It was the SSA that had retreated on both occasions. The meeting of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), the umbrella organization of which the SSPP/SSA is an active member, held on the Thai-Burmese border, 17-18 July, noted that 3 of its members that had reached ceasefire agreement with Naypyitaw were still being forced to fight: SSA (Shan State Army) 23 times KNU (Karen National Union) 2 times KNPP (Karenni National Progressive Party) 1 time As for the KIA that has yet to reach agreement, it has already fought 1,640 times since the 1994 ceasefire was violated by the Burma Army on 9 June 2011, reported Irrawaddy. The Restoration Council of Shan State / Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA), the sister organization of the SSPP/SSA, that had also fought 24 times, noted that the reason the clashes that have taken place even after ceasefire agreements were signed, was because the Burma Army did not cease its military activities, especially area clearing and area control operations. The UNFC is made up of 11 member organizations: 5 of which have ceasefire status with Naypyitaw (KNU, KNPP, SSPP/SSA, Chin National Front and New Mon State Party) and 6 that have yet to reach agreement (KIA, National United Front of Arakan, Wa National Organization, PaO National Liberation Organization, Lahu Democratic Union and Palaung State Liberation Front).http://www.english.panglong.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4816:23rd-clash-after-ceasefire-pact&catid=86:war&Itemid=284 ------------------------------------------- Local enterprises call for better access to credit, tax incentives By KATE KELLY Published: 20 July 2012 Local companies could be set to receive similar tax breaks and incentives as foreign firms under the Burmese governments new foreign investment law, as the government seeks ways to even up the playing field, said the leading industry body on Wednesday. The locals who are currently doing wholesale/retail do not have the privilege of having these tax holidays, said Dr Maung Maung Lay, vice president of the Union of Myanmar Federated Chambers of Commerce and Industry, an organisation representing Burmas private sector. But the government have said they are thinking about granting them such tax holidays in order that the playing field will be equal, he said. One of the private sectors central concerns include allowing international firms to open shop with 100 percent foreign ownership, and other tax incentives such as five year tax holidays, said Maung Maung Lay. Previously, local businesses have spoken out against these sections of the governments proposed foreign direct investment law, said UMFCCIs vice president, explaining these terms would put local enterprises, which lack the capital and technology to compete effectively, at a competitive disadvantage against foreign firms. The private sector feels that currently the playing field is not level and the government is too generous to the foreigners, said Maung Maung Lay. In that sense, our mom and pop shops will all suffer and become overwhelmed by these potential investors. The proposal to extend the current three-year holiday to a five-year tax holiday for foreign businesses was a sticking point for domestic companies, said Jared Bissinger, a PhD candidate at Macquarie University studying Burmas economy. This part of the new FDI law is certainly creating the biggest bones of contention so far and domestic business doesnt like it, said Bissinger.You want to create a level playing field for all business so theres no need to prejudice one over the other. According to Myat Thu Winn, managing director of Shwe Minn Tha Enterprises Co Ltd, Burmas small to medium enterprises (SMEs) still struggle to access sufficient credit from the countrys weak banking sector to grow their business and will suffer if forced to compete against sophisticated and well-financed foreign companies. There are many challenges for the local businessman, he said. Our country is very poor and we need foreign investment, not only to provide capital, but to provide new infrastructure and techniques. So as a normal Burmese citizen, I welcome foreign investment, but as a businessman I think all companies need to have an equal chance at profitability. Local firms wanted to access the same benefits as foreign companies, without having to sacrifice their firms independence, explained Maung Maung Lay, saying hed encountered mutual reluctance from the private sector and foreign investors on the topic of joint ventures. Local businesses are concerned they will have to sell their companies, or joint venture, or be overwhelmed, said Maung Maung Lay. One local battery manufacturing company said it needed additional capital to expand and compete more effectively against an influx of cheap Asian brands, but due to current banking sector constraints, the only way it could access fresh capital was through a joint venture partnership. We are ready to play on the fair ground with foreign investors but we need better access to finance, said Ohn Lwin, the managing director of Toyo Battery. So if we can get an industrial long-term loan with a low interest rate from the government then wed be very happy. Then we wouldnt need to look for a joint venture to provide capital. Better access to credit and receiving tax incentives on par with what foreigners are entitled to would help boost local firms, says Ohn Lwin. If they give the incentives to the foreigners, say a five year tax break, then we should also be granted five years, that would be fair, said Ohn Lwin. The government has not officially announced new tax incentive plans to even up the playing field for local firms, but according to UMFCCIs vice president the issue has been discussed at government meetings and within his organisation, which acts as a bridge between the private sector and the state. -Kate Kelly is a pseudonym for a journalist working inside Burma. http://www.dvb.no/news/local-enterprises-call-for-better-access-to-credit-tax-incentives/22979 ------------------------------------------ US Senate pushes to extend ban on Burmese imports By PETER AUNG Published: 20 July 2012 The US Senates Finance Committee on Wednesday voted to maintain a ban on Burmese imports for three additional years. By reauthorizing the import sanctions for three years, we maintain pressure on the Burmese government to undertake reforms, said US Senate Finance Committees Chairman Max Baucus. The decision came as the USs 2003 Burma Freedom and Democracy Act was due to expire at the end of this month. The extension requires approval from the Senate and House of Representatives as well as a signature from the president, who last week eased investment sanctions on Burma. Shan Nationalities Democratic Partys parliamentary representative Nan Wah Nu earlier in the week submitted a proposal urging whoever can get the sanctions lifted as quickly as possible to work with the house. The parliamentarian told DVB yesterday the extension of the sanctions would impede the countrys reform process. A reform process must go step by step. I would like not just the United States of America but also other nations to provide positive help, said said Nan Wah Nu. I think it is necessary for everyone to cooperate to bring a democratic system in the country, US senator Mitch McConnell, who sponsored the Burma Freedom and Democracy Act, was cited on the US Campaign for Burmas website as saying: The Burmese government still has not met all the necessary conditions to justify a complete repeal of all existing sanctions. Despite the unmistakable progress made by the Burmese government, now is not the time to end our ability either to encourage further governmental reform or to revisit sanctions if necessary. As Suu Kyi herself has cautioned, the situation in Burma is not irreversible. Serious challenges need to be addressed. Prior to the Senates voting on the bill, Mitch McConnell called Suu Kyi to discuss the sanctions. http://www.dvb.no/news/us-senate-pushes-to-extend-ban-on-burmese-imports/22984 ------------------------------------------ Myanmar reforms renews Thai interest in Burmese language classes By Anasuya Sanyal | Posted: 20 July 2012 1545 hrs BANGKOK: There has been a big spike in interest in learning the Burmese language in Thailand, as political reforms in Myanmar lead to more investment and tourism opportunities. Daw Than Than Myint, who has been teaching Burmese at Chulalongkorn University for over two decades, is elated at all the enthusiasm. She said that in the past, it was hard to get even enough students for a level one class. "Very recently, there has been a quite number of people who are waiting for me to open a new course but still I am still with this project. So I still can not open it yet but most probably I will doing so within this month, maybe," Daw Than Than Myint said. The 30-hour course was split into sections for children and adults. The students say they know it will be useful when doing business in either Thailand or Myanmar. Mr Preecha Lertpreechapakdi, a used cars and auto parts seller, said: "As a businessman, I heard that Thailand is the first destination where rich Burmese are going to visit. "They plan to bring at least US$20,000 or about 600,000 Thai baht to spend here. What they are looking for are kitchenware like stainless pans and pots in the Sampeng area. Those are really rare in Myanmar." The students are also hoping that more classes are offered to further their studies. Ms Juthathip Lertpreechapakdi, a businessperson in Yaowarat, said: "The teacher taught me simple communication in Burmese and I was given this textbook. I need to find a more advanced course should I want to study the language further." Based on the success of the course so far, the director of the programme is hoping to launch it nationwide. - CNA/wm http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/southeastasia/view/1214690/1/.html ----------------------------------------- Burmese Firms Prepare for 2015 By MAY LAY / THE IRRAWADDY| July 20, 2012 | A worker at the Myanmar Securities Exchange Centre in Rangoon writes on a white board. (Photo: Reuters) Burmas businesspeople say they are preparing for the realization of the Asean Economic Community (AEC) in 2015 by setting up public limited companies in the belief that the countrys stock exchange will drive economic development. Economics experts in the former pariah state say that 96 percent of businesses in Burma are SMEs (Small and Medium Entrepreneurs), which will not be able to survive once the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) law is put in place. The stock market is main engine that will drive economic development without having to borrow from banks. It follows therefore that public companies are essential, said economist Hla Maung. Speaking to The Irrawaddy, a major shareholder in the Myanmar Agribusiness Public Corporation (MAPCO), said, Assuming the FDI is followed by mass investment, local businesspeople have only three options: to sell off their businesses; to change industries; or to cooperate. I am guessing that setting up new public companies is the right way to complete the move to real economic development. According to a Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) spokesperson, there were no more than 21 public limited companies in the country before the 2011-12 fiscal year. In the last year, seven new firms have gone public, a 33 percent increase. They are: MAPCO; Myanmar Citizens Bank; Myanmar Agricultural & General Development; Myanmar Edible Oil Industrial and General Development Public Ltd; FMI Company; and Gold Industrial. The authorized capital cost to set up a public limited company is 500 million kyat (US $560,000), he said. Publicly traded companies first appeared in Burma in 1990. However, according to official data from the MIC, only one percent of them are privately owned companies. http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/9588 ------------------------------------------------ Funding shortage cuts Mae Tao Clinics patient referrals July 19 | Author: Poe Kwa Lay (KIC) The Thai-Burma border based Mae Tao Clinic has cut the number of its patients for referral due to budget shortages for the year 2012, according to senior staff at the clinic. Mae Tao Clinic also known as Dr. Cynthias Clinic, treats as many as 150,000 cases a year, most of its patients are from Burma or migrant workers. U Aung Pe, a senior staff at the Mae Tao Clinic told Karen News, that due to budget shortfalls they could not afford to refer to Mae Sot Hospital patients in need of advance treatment. In past years, we could refer patients who were in need of emergency care or who needed specialist operations. But now, we have to prioritize referrals, as our funding is limited. We wont refer patients for treatment beyond what we can afford, but we will try to treat them here at the clinic as much as we can. According to Mae Tao Clinics annual report for 2011, it referred 709 In-patients to Mae Sot Hospital with 60% of them coming from inside Burma. U Aung Pe pointed out that the funding cuts by some donors to Mae Tao Clinic might be due to the perceived reforms in Burma. We can say there are some changes in Burma. Donors might think the Clinic can now go back and open in Burma. Many donors are also channeling their money to inside Burma and their support to the border is decreasing. The Clinic sent out a funding appeal to try to offset the funding shortage they have of around 18 million baht [$600,000USD] for 2012. Staff at the Clinic say the budget shortage not only affects the referral department, but it also has impacts on other areas such as the reproductive health department, the eye department, the child protection program, the out-patient department and the T.B department. To meet some of the budget shortage, 20% of the Mae Tao Clinic staff stipends have been cut. Naw Taw Gay Moo, a health worker at the Clinic said that the situation is hard on their living, but she said that everyone is helping one another. For a health worker like me, we face difficulties in our livelihood, but it is not only me who face the problem. Every health worker here is affected the same. Everyone who works here are working on their goodwill. http://karennews.org/2012/07/funding-shortage-cuts-mae-tao-clinics-patient-referrals.html/

Read More...

Thursday, July 12, 2012

News & Articles on Burma-Wednesday, 11 July 2012-uzl

News & Articles on Burma Wednesday, 11 July 2012 ---------------------------------------- Kill the Constitution Burmese Protest Thai Takeover of Monastery Karen civil group criticizes Norway Peace Initiative Myanmar: Japan makes up for lost time Marubeni awarded gas turbine overhaul for CCPP in Myanmar EXCLUSIVE - U.S. to demand disclosures as it eases Myanmar sanctions War in Kachin State: A political quagmire of Burma? Burmas Irresponsible New Media S'pore Red Cross pledges S$2.5m to support Myanmar projects PT Telkom eyes stakes in Myanmar, Vietnam telcos US poised to allow investment in Myanmar oil, gas in biggest rollback yet of sanctions First US envoy in 22 years arrives in Myanmar US poised to allow new investment in Myanmar Myanmar aims to bring mobile and Internet to masses ASEAN Hoping for Removal of Burma Sanctions --------------------------------------- Kill the Constitution By BAMAGYI| July 11, 2012 |THE IRRAWADDY| Recently, Lower House Speaker Shwe Mann met with business leaders in Rangoon to discuss what lawmakers should be doing to help Burma move forward after decades of stagnation. He has also held talks with leaders of the 88 Generation Students group, who were generally positive about their encounter with the powerful ex-general. It is doubtful, however, that any of Shwe Manns recent interlocutors mentioned the one issue that surely stands as the most important if Burma is finally to takes its rightful place as an equal in the community of nations. That issue is the 2008 Constitutionor rather, the need to scrap it in favor of a genuinely democratic charter. Of course, not everyone really wants to see an end to the status quo. Many of the businessmen who met with Shwe Mann, for instance, were notorious cronies of the former regime who would like nothing more than to see the country follow the well-worn path of past. With the exception of this handful of excessively privileged individuals, however, everyone else in Burmas business community knows that the country needs sweeping change, not just a fine-tuning of the established order. The current government has done some things right. It has allowed opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to travel abroad to shore up international support for Burmas nascent democratic transition. And by meeting with former political prisoners such as the 88 Generation leaders, it has signaled a major shift in its thinking about political dissent. But none of this has much meaning, because under Burmas military-drafted Constitution, the opposition is effectivelyand permanentlypowerless to challenge the political primacy of the ruling clique. Many saw the electoral landslide by Suu Kyis National League for Democracy (NLD) in April 1 by-elections as a triumph in the long struggle to restore democratic rule in Burma. But the NLD is still vastly outnumbered in Parliament, and even if it wins a huge majority when the country goes to the polls again in 2015, it will not be able to amend the Constitution without the support of military appointees, who hold 25 percent of seats in the national legislature. In any case, what Burma needs is not amendments to the current Constitution, but a whole new charter. It will take nothing less than this to begin to tackle the corruption and cronyism that have long been a blight on Burmas economy. Only by taking the levers of power out of the hands of ex-army personnel and giving the job of running the country to those who are fully qualified and duly elected to do so can we even begin to realize our potential as a nation. And the only way to put power where it belongsin the hands of the peopleis by completely rewriting the Constitution. Foreign governments are watching the situation in Burma carefully, waiting for some clear sign that it is ready to absorb the capital and know-how that it will need to make its long-awaited leap into modernity. But if Burma wants to attract this money and technology, it will have to show that it also has something to offer besides easily exploited resourcesnamely, guarantees that its government will act accountably and with respect for the rule of law. So far, unfortunately, the signs are not good. While President Thein Sein has made conciliatory moves toward the opposition, he also has a cabinet full of relics of the rotten past, handpicked by former junta leader Snr-Gen Than Shwe, who was also the mastermind behind the 2008 Constitution and efforts to foist it on a captive country. This team does not stand a chance of winning if the 2015 polls are free and fair. So unless the government plans a repeat of the farcical 2010 election, which the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) won through vote-rigging and other dirty tricks, the party is heading for another a humiliating defeat like the one it suffered in April. Many would be happy to see this happen, but even if the USDP is decisively beaten and the NLD does take power, the prospects for the country still look grim. This scenario would set the stage for a protracted period of paralysis, with the NLD unable to enact any new laws because of obstruction from the military camp. Thein Sein has already made clear that he will not be running for office in 2015, but this does not mean that Burmas future is not his problem. If he wants to guarantee for himself an honorable place in his countrys historyworthy, some would argue, of a Nobel Peace Prizehe should use all the influence he can muster to rid Burmas political system of the double deadweight of military hardliners and a deeply undemocratic Constitution. While it is clear that some of the worst elements of the old regime are still alive and well, both in the cabinet and behind the scenesthe nomination of Myint Swe, a hardliner, to replace the ultra-corrupt and ailing Tin Aung Myint Oo as vice-president has Than Shwe written all over itThein Sein and other leaders such as Shwe Mann can still make a difference by parting ways with them and recognizing the need for a new charter. This may seem like wishful thinking, but at this decisive juncture in Burmas political evolution, it will take nothing less than leaders of real vision to extricate the country from the trap set by its former rulers. And who better to do this than those who are intimately familiar with the mindset of Burmas military dead-enders? http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/8879 ---------------------------------------- Burmese Protest Thai Takeover of Monastery By THAN HTIKE OO / THE IRRAWADDY| July 11, 2012 | The gate of the Wat Sai Moon monastery in Chiang Mai. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) The gate of the Wat Sai Moon monastery in Chiang Mai. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) Around 150 Burmese residents of Chiang Mai protested on Monday against plans by Thailands Department of Religion (DOR) to hand over the Wat Sai Moon monastery to a Thai abbot. The monastery, which has been a cornerstone of the local Burmese community for generations, has had a long succession of Burmese abbots. According to its record book, the last 10 abbots have been Burmese. The latest, U Arthaba, died last year. U Arthaba resided in the monastery for about 65 years, Ashin Wathyhta, a monk from Wat Sai Moon, told The Irrawaddy. On Monday, over 150 Burmese, including Wat Sai Moon trustees, staged a peaceful protest calling on the Thai authorities to let a Burmese abbot take care of the monastery. Soe Win, the chairman of the Buddhist Association in Chiang Mai, said that the protest was organized because DOR officials and Thai monks are preparing to replace the late U Arthaba with a Thai abbot in accordance with Thai law. This is the last Burmese monastery in Chiang Mai. Where would Burmese here go if we lost it? We are worried, said Soe Win. According to Thai law, a Thai monk can be appointed to succeed as abbot in the event of the death of his Burmese predecessor. Only one monastery in Thailand, located in the northern Thai city of Lampang, is officially recognized as a Burmese monastery. It will be much easier for Burmese if we have a monastery taken care of by a Burmese abbot. We can enjoy more freedom if we have a Burmese monastery. We can go there on holidays without any hesitation, so it becomes part of our social community. Thats why we are trying to protect Wat Sai Moon, explained Soe Win. He added that properties belonging to the monastery16 apartments, two million baht (US $63,000) deposited in the bank and some vehiclesare under the care of its Thai trustees. I cant accept it at all if this suddenly becomes a Thai monastery. I have been in Thailand for over 10 years and this is the only monastery I regularly come to, Kan Chon, a regular donor to Wat Sai Moon, told The Irrawaddy. After a three-hour discussion on Monday, DOR officials and Thai monks reportedly agreed to meet again in order to talk about the proposal submitted by the Burmese community with regard to the appointment of a Burmese abbot to the monastery. An official from the DOR told The Irrawaddy that the next meeting date is still undecided, but local Burmese will be informed one week in advance after it has been fixed. He said investigations will be carried out with regard to the monastery-related properties. Nearly 50 Thai police with three prison trucks arrived at the protest scene on Monday, but no arrests were reported. If they [Thai officials and monks] want to administer the monastery they can do so, but we dont want a Thai abbot to reside here. They can administer it from a distance. We are trying to contact upper-level authorities since we dont expect this issue can be resolved locally. I think it will be settled only if the Thai and Burmese governments cooperate, said Soe Win. In recent months, the Burmese community in Chiang Mai reportedly sent two requests to the Burmese government and the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee, a government-appointed body of high-ranking Buddhist monks that oversees and regulates the Buddhist clergy in Burma, to mediate in the Wat Sai Moon dispute. http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/8897 ------------------------------------------ Karen civil group criticizes Norway Peace Initiative Wednesday, 11 July 2012 16:09 Mizzima News A Karen community-based organization says the Norway Peace Initiative process to help achieve a long-lasting peace in Burma may be fueling added tensions in the region. A fundamental issue, he said, is the lack of trust between the ethnic groups and the government. Left to right, Norways Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Torgeir Larsen (in red Karen traditional dress), Khin Yi and Colonel Tu Tu Lay at the peace talks between the Burmese government and Karen National Union on May 28, 2012. Photo: Mizzima Saw Paul Sein Twa, the director of the grassroots Karen Environmental and Social Action Network (Kesan), told Karen News, There is no transparency, they dont disclose information, or their agreements with the government, or with the cease-fire groups. Saw Paul said some people continue to question how a top-down approach will benefit the poor and powerless in Burma. They approach only the government and the parties involved in the conflict, he said. It is a lack of parallel discussion and participationthey exclude the involvement of civil society their aid money and program is top down, and goes to the military-linked elite, he was quoted as saying. He said information about the Norwegian plan for peace was only obtained from a leaked document. On May 30 in Chaing Mai, the Norwegian government defended its plan and efforts, saying its peace initiative would channel aid into conflict-affected regions in Burma despite criticism that it risks coercing ethnic and civil society groups into joining the plan. Norways Deputy Foreign Secretary Torgeir Larsen tried to counter activists and NGO concerns that the multi-million dollar plan could upset the fragile peace process in eastern Burma. Moving from a cease-fire to real peace is what we are aiming at, said Larsen. Its a delicate and long-term process and this is the first phase. Its about testing out the way. Sources close to the Karen National Union (KNU) also said the Norwegian-led peace initiative had only approached a few KNU leaders about their plan. Saw Htoo Klee of The Karen Office of Relief and Development (Kord) told Karen News, They [KNU leaders] told us that the issue is political so they cannot carry out consultations with related community groups. Saw Htoo Klee said his organization does not know the whole process of the internally displaced people resettlement program supported by the Norwegians. The process should not go like this. The related groups need to know the process, all related sectors need to be included, he said. Saw Paul said he was worried that the Norwegian groups plan might parallel the groups experience in Sri Lanka, where, he said, They used humanitarian aid to support the peace process but because of a lack of transparency, their program became politicized. When the government carried out programs in the Tamil Tiger areas, the Tamil leaders became suspicious that the government was using aid to extend their powerboth sides lost trust and the conflict restarted again. In the Sri Lanka lesson, they start development programs after the cease-fire without solving the core political issues. It did not lead to peace but incited further war, he said. We need the peace building process to have transparency, with formal consultations [with] community based organizations, KNU leaders and other ethnic groups to reach a common decision for the peace building process, he said. It is important for the local sectors to design their own peace process and then be supported. Community-based organizations agree that the political peacemaking process must go forward, but he said humanitarian aid should not be allowed to become a block to the political process. http://www.mizzima.com/news/inside-burma/7500-karen-civil-group-criticizes-norway-peace-initiative.html ------------------------------------------ The Financial Times Myanmar: Japan makes up for lost time July 11, 2012 8:45 am by Ben McLannahan After the debt, the deluge? Three months after Japan agreed to waive much of the money owed to it by Myanmar, clearing the way for normalised economic relations after a 25-year lending freeze, Japanese companies are beginning to make up for lost time. On Tuesday Marubeni, Japans fifth largest trading house, said it had been awarded a contract to overhaul a gas-fired power plant it built seven years ago, before tighter Western sanctions took hold. Marubeni described the award to upgrade the creaking Ywama plant as the first infrastructure order to a Japanese company since the government of president Thein Sein took over in March 2011, ushering in democratic reforms. Myanmar depends on hydropower for about 70 per cent of its electricity, making the economy highly vulnerable to the vagaries of weather. When water levels at hydroelectric dams fall during the dry season that runs from November to April, blackouts plague the country. In a report published in May, the IMF identified inadequate infrastructure as one of the main factors limiting GDP growth last year to 5.3 per cent, and to a projected 5.5 per cent this year. Marubeni, which relies on power projects for one-eighth of net income the third highest earner behind metals and energy is now aiming to get involved in more brownfield and greenfield projects in Myanmar, according to Hirohide Sagara, senior operating officer in the companys power, projects and infrastructure division. Marubeni launched a liaison office in the capital city of Naypyidaw in January, intending to develop stronger relationships with government officials in anticipation of Aprils resolution of the debt problem. It has maintained an office in the port of Yangon, the former capital once known as Rangoon, since 1942. Plenty of other Japanese companies have similar ideas. Most of the countrys biggest trading companies have followed Marubeni in setting up offices in the capital this year. The Japan Bank for International Co-operation, the state-owned lender specialising in supporting Japan-led infrastructure projects, has included Myanmar as a key destination in what it calls the Southern Economic Corridor, extending from Vietnam to India through Cambodia and Thailand. Keidanren, the powerful business lobby, last month urged the government to position Myanmar as one of several targets for infrastructure exports, and to take effective policy measures to support them. Foreign minister Koichiro Gemba is doing his bit: last week the Nikkei newspaper reported that Gemba met his counterpart in Myanmar to propose the setting up of a Japan-Myanmar Joint Initiative, with the aim of clearing barriers to direct investment. The hope is to do for Myanmar what a similar body did for Vietnam now one of the biggest recipients of Japanese investment from the early 1990s. Also pitching in is All Nippon Airways, which on Tuesday said it would begin offering three business-class flights a week between Tokyos Narita airport and Yangon. If the service begins as planned in October, it would mark the first direct connection between Japan and Myanmar since March 2000. No more layovers in Bangkok. Its opening up, bit by bit, said an executive at a rival trading house. There is a huge deficiency in expertise in Myanmar. Whether its electricity, roads or water, theyre not there yet. http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2012/07/11/845741/#axzz20JhOF4MB --------------------------------------- Gas-to-Power Journal, 2nd Floor, 8 Baltic Street East, London, EC1Y 0UP, UK | Marubeni awarded gas turbine overhaul for CCPP in Myanmar Japanese Marubeni Corporation has won a contract to carry out a gas turbine overhaul for the Ywama combined cycle power plant (CCPP) in Myanmar from Myanma Electric Power Enterprise (MEPE). Hitachi will supply the parts needed for the overhaul works. The overhaul works at the plant will improve the reliability of power supply and will help recover electricity loss by approximately 34,000 kW, Marubeni said. The Ywama project is the first power plant upgrade project in Myanmar since civilian rule was newly established in March, 2011. Marubeni had built the Ywama CCPP in 2005. In January 2012, Marubeni opened a liaison office in Naypyitaw, in addition to its branch office in Yangon, with the aim of close follow-up of business in Myanmar. Marubeni said it sees business potential in Myanmar, where it can contribute to the economic development of the country by building and enhancing power plants. It has filed a proposal including a rehabilitation program of existing CCPPs as well as the construction of new power plants. Marubeni's supply record of power plants in Myanmar includes the Baluchang Hydro Power Plant and the Ywama/Tharkayta/Ahlone/Hlawga Combined Power Plants located adjacent to the Yangon area, which mostly cover its power demands. http://gastopowerjournal.com/index.php/projectsafinance/item/641-marubeni-awarded-gas-turbine-overhaul-for-ccpp-in-myanmar --------------------------------------- EXCLUSIVE - U.S. to demand disclosures as it eases Myanmar sanctions - Arshad Mohammed Story Dated: Wednesday, July 11, 2012 12:0 hrs IST By Arshad Mohammed VIENTIANE (Reuters) - The United States plans to ease sanctions this week to allow its companies to invest in and provide financial services to Myanmar but will require them to make detailed disclosures about their dealings, sources briefed on the matter said on Wednesday. The unusual reporting requirement aims to promote greater transparency in the country -- among the world's most corrupt according to watchdog Transparency International -- as it emerges from nearly half a century of authoritarian military rule. The sources, who spoke on condition that they not be named, said the U.S. Treasury Department was expected to issue two so-called general licenses, one giving general permission for investment in Myanmar and the other allowing financial services The moves would fulfill a May 17 announcement made by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to ease U.S. sanctions on investment and financial services in recognition of Myanmar's startling political reforms over the last 15 months. While carving out exceptions to allow U.S. companies to work in Myanmar, also known by its British colonial name Burma, the moves would leave the sanctions laws on the books -- giving Washington leverage should Myanmar start to backslide on its reforms. ANNOUNCEMENT COULD COME WEDNESDAY Myanmar's reformist, quasi-civilian government took office in March 2011, ending five decades of military rule, and has started overhauling its economy, easing media censorship, legalizing trade unions and protests and freeing political prisoners. The United States has responded with diplomatic and economic gestures, sending Hillary Clinton to Myanmar last year as the first U.S. secretary of state to visit in more than 50 years, as well as tentatively easing sanctions this year. One source said the long delay between Clinton making her announcement and the Treasury issuing the licenses -- which could come as early as on Wednesday -- was partly because of a debate among officials over how much disclosure to require. In a land of widespread poverty but rich in timber, gems, and gas, Myanmar's crony capitalists -- a clique of fewer than 20 families -- grew rich with help from Than Shwe, a military dictator who ruled from 1992 until his retirement last year. SUNLIGHT ON MURKY BUSINESS PRACTICES The Obama administration hopes the reporting requirements will shed some light on Myanmar's notoriously murky business practices and, over time, improve them. "The central point of all of this is to focus on transparency, the theory being that the more information the greater the incentive to comply with responsible norms and practices," he said. This source said that some disclosures would be to the public while others would be in confidence to the U.S. government to protect proprietary business information. The sources said one idea under consideration was to have a public comment period for the private sector to study the reporting requirements and to flag any problems. The latest step in easing sanctions comes as Derek Mitchell, an Asia expert with long think tank and Pentagon experience, travel led to Myanmar this week to present his credentials as the first U.S. ambassador to the country in decades. The target for formalizing the U.S. sanctions relief was Friday, allowing Clinton to trumpet the new business opportunities in a speech to executives in Siem Reap, Cambodia. A spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department declined all comment on the matter, as did an official at the U.S. Treasury Department. (Reporting By Arshad Mohammed, Editing by Jonathan Thatcher) http://www.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/contentView.do?contentType=EDITORIAL&channelId=-1073753405&programId=1080132918&contentId=11974756&tabId=1 ---------------------------------------- War in Kachin State: A political quagmire of Burma? Wed, 2012-07-11 01:59 editor Article By - Zin Linn As a result of civil war that has taken place for more than six decades has left Burma, one of the most impoverished countries in the world. Burma gained its independence from British colonial rulers in 1948. Unfortunately, the country lost its freedom in 1962 since the military led by the late dictator Gen. Ne Win seized power and smashed all democracy institutions in Burma. Furthermore, consecutive military regimes slaughtered thousands and thousands of their own citizens and displaced millions in conflict areas, whereas intentionally oppressed the democratic political practice in the country under their rule. Currently, heavy fighting and governments armed forces expansion keep on mainly in ethnic areas, especially in Kachin State. Burma Army continues a brutal warfare on the ethnic Kachin people. It is the practice of government armed forces using landmines, attacking ordinary civilians, using rape as war weapon, taking hostages for forced labor, destructing citizens properties, sustenance and agricultural farms and burning the ethnic villages etc. However, latest developments of the governments endeavors have included letting political space for opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her NLD party to run and win by-elections. The scenario seems more frankness and less restriction concerning press freedom. Besides, Governments current ceasefire talks with many ethnic groups are also expected to be positive endeavors. President Thein Sein, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Central Committee for Progress of Border Areas and National Races, gave an address at 1/2011-Meeting held at the President Office in Naypyitaw in April. President emphasized in his speech peace and stability should be essential in building a developed country. Thein Sein also said that without national unity, the country with over 100 national races cannot enjoy peace and stability. So, the government has to prioritize the national unity, he said. If the local people realize governments goodwill policies and objectives and join hands together for development of their own region, all measures for progress of border areas and national races will be successful, Thein Sein said. In contrast, Burma army has been intensifying its strength in Shan, Kachin and Karen States planning to crack down the ethnic armed forces defending their self-determination. President Thein Seins words and his armys movements are too different. Existing war upon ethnic population launched by Burma Army produces more and more internal displaced people plus refugees from various villages in Shan and Kachin States. Additionally, this war forces ethnic people to flee from the country. These war-victims escaped into the neighboring countries as political exiles, illegal migrants and refugees. To keep his goodwill words, the first thing President has to do is to control his armed forces and bring them under his control. Then, he should persuade the soldiers to follow his dream for national unity, peace and stability. Ethnic people may not trust the President if his armed forces do not stop committing crimes against humanity in the undeveloped war-torn ethnic neighborhoods. Political analysts and observers have been deeply concerned about widespread war in Kachin State. Now, people have been blaming the Thein Sein government for breaking the ceasefire agreement with ethnic KIO. As a latest news report by the Kachin Nws Group (KNG), following meeting with Burmese peace negotiating team twice last month in Kachin Independence Organization controlled territory, the KIO has rejected the governments invitation to meet later in July inside government controlled town Bhamo in Kachin State or Muse in Shan State, referring Kachin officials. During both unofficial meetings, at the beginning and end of June in Mai Ja Yang, the KIO repeatedly insisted on the withdrawal of the government troops from Kachin Independence Army (KIA) front lines. Last months meetings produced no solution as the two peace-teams adamantly cling on to a similar attitude exposed in previous political negotiations held in Ruili (Shweli) in Yunnan, China in November, January and March, KNG said. The government wants the KIO to sign a ceasefire before they discuss withdrawal of troops from the front lines. However, the KIO firmly said that it will not talk about the idea of ceasefire until the Burmese armed forces leaves KIO territories. Moreover, the KIO wants the participation of an international independent body like the UN to get involved in any such agreement. So far, both sides have not accepted to make an agreement on the most fundamental terms. Meanwhile, over 1,500 Myitkyina residents joined one of its largest protest against arbitrary detention of Kachin civilians on July 6 in Myitkyina., according to the Kachinland News . The protest shows growing displeasure of grave human rights abuse against Kachin civilians and support for ongoing struggle against Burmas quasi-civilian government which is led by former military generals. The protestors also demand for immediate release of Lahtaw Brang Shawng who was taken from an IDP camp of Jan Mai Kawng Kachin Baptist Church and still being detained at Myitkyina prison for connection with KIO. Brang Shawngs lawyer Mahka said his defendant was badly traumatized by continuous beating and even made a false confession because of tortures. The regimes miscalculation of managing the Kachin question seems to be pushing the country into an appalling misfortune. Burmas new military offensives on the ethnic armed groups will lead the nation into a harsh political quagmire that will smash the Presidents reform dream. - Asian Tribune - http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2012/07/10/war-kachin-state-political-quagmire-burma ---------------------------------------- Burmas Irresponsible New Media By ASIA SENTINEL| July 11, 2012 | A man reads about the 2010 World Cup in a sports journal at a market in central Yangon on 22 June 2010. (Photo: Reuters) A man reads about the 2010 World Cup in a sports journal at a market in central Yangon on 22 June 2010. (Photo: Reuters) The emergence of free media in Burma after six decades of oppression is not going the way anybody expected just weeks ago, and the trend is ominous. The new publications are openly partisan, nationalist and aiding a deadly war against the already disenfranchised Rohingya minority in the troubled Arakan state alongside the government, nationalist ethnic Rakhines and Buddhist Burmese. Chiang Mai University in Thailand is organizing a forum for Thursday on Burmas evolving media landscape, featuring as speakers Aung Zaw, the chief editor of The Irrawaddy, and Mon Mon Myat, co-founder of Yangon Press International. It should be just in time to take on some profoundly disturbing questions about the course the media is taking. Ironically the newly freed media, especially domestic and Burmese language journals, are saving the domestic image of the infamous military by framing the Arakan conflict as the nation versus foreign invaders Rohingyas, although they have existed in the area for hundreds of years. That is leading Burmas citizenry to call upon the military to protect race, religion, and nation, regardless of the militarys 60 years of oppressive rule. At the outset, it should be mentioned that the media started calling the Rohingyas Bengali, foreign invaders and illegal immigrants as soon as the conflict broke out on June 8. It started framing the conflict as an attack on the nation by Bengali foreigners, placing everyone on the same side vis-୶is the Rohingyas. Since day one of the conflict, domestic Burmese journals have competed with each other to update the news, often with little basis in fact. The most prominent agencies are The Weekly Eleven, The Voice Weekly, The Yangon Media group, 7Days News, and Popular Myanmar News. The Dhaka-based Narinjara news has been crucial in the anti-Rohingya campaign. Their reporting is contradictory to international standards. The International Federation of Journalism is opposed to discrimination against any race and religion. It condemns the use of the media as a tool for propaganda, or for promoting intolerance and conflict. The Burmese media rather have done completely the opposite: they have fueled the conflict. On their Facebook pages, they distribute information that is neither confirmed nor substantiated. For example, The Voice Weekly, a publishing arm of the popular scholarly institution, Myanmar E-gress, posted one sentence-information that there was a bell ring in front of a Buddhist temple; its online audience were anxious to know what just happened. It also posted unconfirmed information that Rohingyas had poisoned a water pond. The audience was upset and commented, Kill them all. The journal consistently refers to Rohingyas as Bengali Rioters. Almost every 5 to 10 minutes, the media update news indicating how many Rakhine villages have been burnt, how many people have been beaten and killed by Rohingyas who are foreigners, illegal immigrants and invaders. Every single piece of news reported is exclusively about the victimhood of Buddhist Rakhines. The media never quote Rohingya sources, which say scores of people men, women and children are being killed, and that houses and mosques were being burnt down. The media also distributes reports indicating that the security forces have successfully prevented groups of Rohingya trying to enter towns and cities. There was no clarification over whether these groups were refugees running away from the riots or were engaging in violence. The legitimizing idea of their position is based on nationalism and national security that Bengali invaders are attacking western Burma and ethnic brothers and sisters. When photos are posted, they are about Rohingya youth attacking their neighbors. Photos of Rakhines even burning down huts and holding swords are shown as simply self-defense. The media has also attempted to provide nationalistic coverage to international communities. The Weekly Eleven, the most nationalist media outlet at the forefront of the anti-Rohingya campaign, distributed its English news to international agencies. The Journal reportedly celebrated upon Asian News Networks publishing of its news. The Weekly Eleven also accuses foreign media as presenting biased reports on the clashes between Rakhine people and Bengali Rohingyas to destroy the image of Myanmar and its people. Thomas Fuller, however, responded in the New York Times that In one sign that passions are running high, the Website of the Eleven Media Group, a publisher of one of the countrys leading weekly newspapers, displayed a string of hateful comments about Muslims from readers. The conflict in Arakan state puts more internationalized media such as the Burmese services of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Voice of America (VOA), and Radio Free Asia (RFA), as well as The Irrawaddy and Democratic Voice of Burma in a difficult position. Many of their reporters are against the Rohingyas. Yet, bounded by international standards, they cannot support anti-Rohingya campaigns openly, which leads anti-Rohingya campaigners to accuse these organizations as corrupt and selling the country to foreigners. But who won the seat in this conflict? The government and the military are gaining popularity among many hundreds people who are being delusional. This is reflected in the activities of Hmuu Zaw, an ex-Major and currently a senior staff from the Presidents Office. Since the riots are taking place in the remote areas of the country where journalists cannot reach immediately, he is one major player feeding negative narratives to the media. He frequently updated the Arakan situation on his Facebook account. The Burmese journals quoted them. Quickly earning popularity, Hmuu Zaw effectively distributes government agenda and motivating messages among his 9,909 subscribers and 5,004 friends on his Facebook. The very idea Hmuu Zaw is propagating is all about national security. His explicit messages indicate that without acting effectively, the countrys sovereignty will be undermined. The government is trying its best not to let that happens. During his visit to the US on 4 July, 2012, he wrote: Today meeting with Human Rights Watch, Burmese delegation gave the clear message, if some countries including US, can accept Rohingya (Stateless people), we can transport them by ships or others. We can understand the human rights but we need to emphasize the National Security. People wrote comments, supporting and praising him. Up to 10 July, 921 people like this status. Earlier, one reporter from Yangon-based weekly Kumudra Journal, named HinnYadana Zaw who won National Press Awards, posted on her wall that she completely supports, likes and encourages Hmuu Zaw. At a more institutional level, the Burmese government including the military and police is gaining popularity. In the name of protecting the nation and sovereignty, the military has been called upon to take control of the burning state. One Facebook user commented to Hmuu Zaws above status, The government has already fulfilled the very desire of the entire Burmese. Its ok not to have electricity for 24 hours, not having low consumer prices, or not getting rich yet. Its already the most loved government for kicking out dog Bengalis. To sum up, the Arakan riot is like a Burmese saying killing two birds with one stone. Not just two, but three birds: Rohingyas are down, the military is back in, and foreign and internationalized media are portrayed as unreliable. The author is a Burmese freelance reporter in Burma. http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/8862 -------------------------------------- CHANNEL NEWS ASIA S'pore Red Cross pledges S$2.5m to support Myanmar projects Posted: 11 July 2012 1634 hrs SINGAPORE: The Singapore Red Cross on Wednesday signed a wide-ranging memorandum of cooperation for six direct-impact projects which are expected to benefit thousands in Myanmar over the next two years. Valued at S$2.5 million, the projects include enhancing digital connectivity for seamless relief coordination; restarting an emergency ambulance service; rolling out a first aid and safety campaign for community leaders; lending support to an emergency management fund; shelters and student kits for internally displaced people (IDPs); and a series of construction projects. At the signing ceremony in the Myanmar Red Cross Society office, Mr Tee Tua Ba, Chairman of Singapore Red Cross (SRC) inked the agreement with Dr Tha Hla Shwe, President of Myanmar Red Cross Society (MRCS). The occasion was witnessed by Mr Benjamin William Jeyaraj, Secretary General SRC and Mr U Khin Maung Hla, Executive Director MRCS, in the presence of Mr Tadateru Konoe, President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Mr Tee said: "The Singapore Red Cross has carefully chosen projects with lasting impact to reflect the spirit of friendship between our countries, and our hope for a better future. It is a new era for Myanmar and we are glad to be able to contribute in a small way. We remain steadfast in our mission to improve the lives of the vulnerable." Dr Tha said: "This bilateral partnership is different from others as it is the first ever cooperation agreement that provides full ownership to Myanmar Red Cross to address its needs through an organisational development approach to strengthen, empower and sustain its humanitarian services on the ground. I do appreciate Singapore's contribution and the Singapore Red Cross' commitment and support." To date, the Singapore Red Cross has received about S$12 million in donations for the Myanmar Cyclone Relief Fund, post-Cyclone Nargis in 2008. The humanitarian organisation has since committed S$7.3 million to the construction of homes, hospitals, schools and an orphanage, in addition to the emergency aid of water purification kits, food, medicine, clothes, shelters and boats. Whilst continuing to identify more projects to channel the remaining S$2.2 million, the Singapore Red Cross is currently studying the possibility of providing psycho-social support for the IDPs. - CNA/wm http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1212915/1/.html ------------------------------------- PT Telkom eyes stakes in Myanmar, Vietnam telcos By Linda Silaen, Dow Jones Newswires Wednesday 11 July 2012 CEO Arif Yahya says company mulling whether to acquire direct stakes or form a consortium. PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia still has plans to buy stakes in communications and information-technology companies in Myanmar or Vietnam in spite of the scrapping of a plan to buy into Asian undersea cable firm Pacnet Ltd., Telkom's Chief Executive Officer Arif Yahya told Dow Jones Newswires in an interview Wednesday. "We are going to selectively acquire a cellular-phone operator and an information-technology company (geographically) not far from Indonesia, such as Myanmar and Vietnam," Mr. Yahya said. The acquisitions are intended to boost revenue, he said without elaborating. Click here to find out more!"We are now studying if we will directly acquire the stakes in the (targeted) companies or set up a consortium," he said without naming the targets or the size and cost of the acquisitions. Vietnam has several telecommunication companies, including Vietnam Mobile Telecommunication Services and Nhat Minh Telecommunication Co. In Myanmar there is state-owned Myanmar Post & Telecommunication and Myanmar Teleport. Telkom will use cash on hand and bank loans to finance these deals, he said. Telkom had around IDR11 trillion ($1.2 billion) in cash as of March 31, he added. Telkom called off the $1 billion Pacnet acquisition in May because "it doesn't have any added value," Mr. Yahya said without elaborating. Telkom will from 2013 start rolling out services in Timor Leste after the government there recently awarded the company an operating license, Mr. Yahya said. "I think the 1 million-subscriber market in Timor Leste has the potential to add to Telkom's revenue in the future," he added without revealing the size of its investment there. Telkom expects 2012 revenue to increase by up to 8% from IDR71.25 trillion at the end of 2011 owing to higher subscriber growth and lower operating costs. The company intends to spend up to $1.7 billion in capital expenditure this year--compared with $1.5 billion a year earlier--to support revenue growth. This includes spending for expanding its network to more subscribers across Indonesia, and for acquisitions. Telkom is 51.19% owned by the Indonesian government. http://www.totaltele.com/view.aspx?ID=474901 ---------------------------------------- US poised to allow investment in Myanmar oil, gas in biggest rollback yet of sanctions Associated PressBy Matthew Pennington, The Associated Press | Associated Press 5 hrs ago WASHINGTON - The United States is poised to allow U.S. companies to invest with Myanmar's state oil and gas enterprise as the Obama administration takes its biggest step yet to roll back sanctions, marking a rare break from pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi (ahng sahn soo chee). Suu Kyi, who has been the guiding force on U.S. policies toward Myanmar, last month advised against investment by foreign companies with that enterprise because of concerns over its accountability and transparency. Her comments reflected the growing disagreement between human rights groups and business advocates over how the U.S. should proceed in easing restrictions to reward Myanmar's shift from five decades of authoritarian rule. The administration is expected to announce this week a general license, opening all sectors of Myanmar's economy to American companies. http://news.yahoo.com/us-poised-allow-investment-myanmar-oil-gas-biggest-070729911.html ------------------------------------------ CHANNEL NEWS ASIA First US envoy in 22 years arrives in Myanmar Posted: 11 July 2012 1843 hrs NAYPYIDAW: The first US ambassador to Myanmar in over two decades arrived to take up his post Wednesday as Washington prepares to reward reforms in the formerly army-run nation by further easing sanctions. Derek Mitchell, a veteran US policymaker on Asia, met President Thein Sein in the capital Naypyidaw, a Myanmar government official told AFP, marking the latest olive branch from the US as relations between the two countries warm. Mitchell was nominated to the role by President Barack Obama, who has pursued a policy of greater engagement with Myanmar as the Southeast Asian nation emerges from decades of junta rule, which ended last year. Washington this week indicated it could ease more of its strict sanctions against the country, following a tentative loosening of economic and financial embargoes after April by-elections saw Aung San Suu Kyi elected to parliament. An official briefing on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's ongoing visit to Asia said she was expected to make an announcement on sanctions this week in Cambodia, where she will meet regional leaders. "She will also be laying out... plans for how the process of sanctions easing will proceed, and she will be engaging with members of the American business community who are anxious and interested in the prospect of participating in the economic opening," said an official quoted on the State Department website on Monday. The official said the US would be working "very closely" with Myanmar in the coming months, but conceded that "enormous challenges" remained in the country. "It was only a year ago that we essentially had absolutely no contact with this country, almost no interaction. And now we're working with them on so many different areas." Mitchell arrived in Naypyidaw days after Suu Kyi -- whose democracy struggle saw her locked up for 15 of the last 23 years by the generals -- made her debut in parliament, lending legitimacy to a legislature that remains dominated by the army and its political allies. "He not only has an interest in Myanmar, but he knows a lot about the country so it is good that he has become the ambassador," Suu Kyi said of Mitchell in remarks to AFP on Wednesday. Washington withdrew its ambassador to Myanmar after a crackdown on a democracy uprising in 1988 and elections won by Suu Kyi's democracy party in 1990 that were never recognised by the junta. But a recent slew of positive changes from Thein Sein's quasi-civilian government, which took power last year, have surprised the West and driven hopes of a democratic future for the country. Key US demands have been answered to a certain extent by the reforms, which have included the release of hundreds of political prisoners, the seeking of ceasefires with ethnic rebels and the ushering of Suu Kyi's party into mainstream politics. "As an iron fist has unclenched in Burma, we have extended our hand, and are entering a new phase in our engagement on behalf of a more democratic and prosperous future for the Burmese people," Obama said in May when he named his new ambassador and announced an easing of investment sanctions. US law currently requires the president to restrict imports from Myanmar and bans US investment and export of financial services to the country. But American businesses are pushing for a further relaxation of punitive measures against the impoverished but resource-rich country, which is seen as a major potential growth market for international investors. Myanmar's parliament is currently considering a new investment law and a series of other measures aimed at liberalising the economy, which was left in tatters by decades of mismanagement, cronyism and isolation under the junta. At Mitchell's confirmation hearing in June, senators pressed the Obama administration to allow investment by US energy companies, voicing fears that they could lose out to foreign competitors. Human rights groups have voiced concerns that the oil and gas industry has fuelled abuses like forced labour in the country. - AFP/wm http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1212936/1/.html ------------------------------------ US poised to allow new investment in Myanmar Published July 11, 2012 Associated Press WASHINGTON The United States is poised to allow U.S. companies to invest with Myanmar's state oil and gas enterprise as the Obama administration takes its biggest step yet to roll back sanctions, marking a rare break from democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace laureate who has long been the guiding force on U.S. policies toward Myanmar, last month advised against investment by foreign companies with the state Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise, or MOGE, because of concerns over its accountability and transparency. Her comments reflected the growing disagreement between human rights groups and business advocates over how the U.S. should proceed in easing restrictions. While Suu Kyi has cautiously supported suspending sanctions as a reward for Myanmar's shift from five decades of authoritarian rule, she and other democracy advocates are wary about investment in MOGE, which had been an economic lifeline for the former ruling junta. But doing business with MOGE is the only way to gain access to Myanmar's potentially lucrative energy resources and U.S. companies fear they will lose out to foreign competitors if the restrictions aren't lifted. Recognizing continuing concerns over corruption and rights abuses in Myanmar, the administration is expected to require U.S. companies to report on their investments in the country, which is also known as Burma. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in May that U.S. companies would be allowed to invest in all sectors of Myanmar's economy, though not firms owned or operated by the military. She also announced the suspension of a ban on the export of U.S. financial services, seen as vital for starting to do business there. The administration is expected to take the next step this week, when it announces the issuance of a general license that finally opens the door for American firms to operate in one of Asia's last untapped markets. Clinton is currently traveling through Southeast Asia, a trip centered on a meeting in Cambodia of the region's foreign ministers but also underscoring U.S. efforts to deepen trade and investment ties with a region of rising prosperity and importance as an export market. An announcement on easing sanctions would also coincide with the arrival in Myanmar of Derek Mitchell, the first U.S. ambassador to the country in 22 years, as Washington normalizes its diplomatic relations with a former pariah state. In a further sign of U.S. efforts to forge closer ties, Robert Hormats, under secretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment, and Francisco Sanchez, under secretary of commerce for international trade, will travel to Myanmar his weekend to promote economic and business engagement. Western governments are eager to reward reformist President Thein Sein for reconciling with Suu Kyi, who has been elected to parliament after spending 15 years under house arrest. The investment sanctions, in place since 1997, have contributed to Myanmar missing out on the region's economic boom. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and some U.S. lawmakers have been pressing the administration to expedite the general license, so American companies can compete with those from Asia and Europe already free to operate there. A senior administration official said Monday that when Clinton is in Siem Reap, Cambodia, accompanied by a U.S. business delegation, she will be laying out plans of how the process of sanctions easing will proceed. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to brief reporters traveling with Clinton, said she will engage with U.S. businesspeople "who are anxious and interested in the prospect of participating in the economic opening." Advocates argue that allowing investment would give a valuable boost to Thein Sein in winning over military hardliners to his reform agenda. U.S. companies also face more legal constraints on their foreign operations than Asian and European firms and could have a positive influence in opening up the nation's crony economy. But human rights groups and many Myanmar activists argue that the administration is moving too fast to reward Myanmar and will lose leverage in pressing for more reforms. The country is still plagued by ethnic and communal violence. Despite the releases of hundreds of political prisoners in the past year, hundreds more reportedly remain in detention. Aung Din, executive director of the U.S. Campaign for Burma, who opposes allowing new U.S. investment and has been briefed by the administration during its deliberations, said he expected it would allow investment in all sectors, including with MOGE. A likely caveat is that companies would be required to submit official reports on their business dealings in Myanmar, particularly those working with MOGE. Lisa Misol, a senior researcher on business issues at the New York-based group Human Rights Watch, said if the U.S. government allows "across-the-board investment" it could undercut reforms and potentially fuel rights abuses and corruption. "Requiring disclosures by companies would be better than nothing, but greater transparency isn't enough and certainly doesn't justify opening the floodgates to business in a country with Burma's track record," she said. _____ Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/07/11/us-poised-to-allow-new-investment-in-myanmar/#ixzz20JZVTUz1 ----------------------------------------- Myanmar aims to bring mobile and Internet to masses AFP Myanmar fired the starting gun in the process of liberalising its communications networks in a move that could finally bring mobile and Internet access to the masses and drive international investment. "(We) have started working on a reform plan to provide telecommunication services to the people at an international standard and at a cheap price," Thein Tun, Myanmar Post and Telecommunication Minister, told parliament. Officials this week issued a call for consultants to help organise a planned telecoms bidding process that would open the nascent market to foreign businesses eager to tap the fast-reforming country's huge growth potential. Communications are seen as a key obstacle to development in Myanmar, one of the poorest countries in the world where few can afford mobile phones costing hundreds of dollars and the Internet is mainly the preserve of the urban elite. But the situation is seen as a major opportunity for international firms to provide mobile phones those without them -- an estimated 96 percent of the country's near 60 million population. Thein Tun said the state-owned telephone operator Myanma Posts and Telecommunications, and Internet provider Yatanarpon Teleport, plan to form joint ventures after a tender process involving "local and overseas companies that have experience in international telecommunication services". "After negotiations between consultancy groups and officials, we will continue our (reform of the) telecommunication service by calling an international tender," he said, adding that the ministry was also planning a new communications law. Companies are hungrily eyeing Myanmar after a number of international sanctions were eased this year, while parliament is currently considering a new foreign investment law as it seeks to invigorate an economy ravaged by decades of military rule and mismanagement. Last month President Thein Sein said a new "privatisation commission" would be set up in an attempt to increase the role of the private sector in industries such as telecommunications, energy, forestry, education and health. In a report in March, analyst firm Nomura Research said Myanmar was "one of the last untapped telco markets in the region", with government plans to increase mobile penetration by 50 percent by 2015. Prices -- ranging from $45 to $600 for a handset, plus $150 to $200 for sim card registration fees -- would have to be lowered with clearer policies outlined, it said, warning the market would "remain challenging". But it compared the country's potential to its much more affluent neighbour Thailand, where the market capitalisation of the top three firms was $23 billion. http://news.yahoo.com/myanmar-aims-bring-mobile-internet-masses-152701095.html ------------------------------------------ VOANews: Tuesday, 10 July 2012 ASEAN Hoping for Removal of Burma Sanctions ASEAN countries' foreign ministers join their hands during a photo session at the 45th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Plus three Meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Tuesday, July 10, 2012. ASEAN wants the sanctions against Burma removed, because it discriminates against one of its members." PHNOM PENH, Cambodia As senior ministers in Southeast Asia meet for a high-level summit in Cambodia this week, some observers are already looking ahead to 2014. That is when Burma, also known as Myanmar, will be taking its place as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. In an interview with VOA, ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan said the regional bloc deserves credit for encouraging reforms in Burma. He also expressed frustration that international sanctions have not been removed altogether. International sanctions When ASEAN leaders gathered in Phnom Penh in early April, the questions surrounding Burma focused on when, rather than if, international sanctions would be lifted. Burma had just staged key by-elections, during which opposition figure Aung San Suu Kyi emerged victorious. The feeling from ASEAN officials was that Burma, should be rewarded. The international community responded. The United States, Australia, the European Union all announced a relaxation of their sanctions. But, for ASEAN, the goal is to have sanctions completely removed. Although there has been little public discussion about Burma during ministers meetings this week, ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan says the regions leaders are still paying attention. I think the U.S. and the EU are adopting two separate strategies," said Surin. "The EU is suspending sanctions, meaning anything can go, but it can be imposed again. The U.S. is relaxing it step by step, so two strategies. We appreciate that. But we hope that the pace will be quick and that evolution inside Myanmar will warrant a serious reconsideration of the measures put in place for the sanctions. Friction Surin rejects suggestions that the international communitys reluctance to completely remove sanctions, is causing friction with ASEAN. I call it a sense of frustration, that things are not moving faster. But as I say, in the end, we have to live with it," said Surin. "It's the sovereign right of those dialogue partners, those major countries and groupings, to decide. But what we can do is we can demonstrate to them, as far we are concerned, things are moving in the right direction. We are confident that it's not going to be reversed. The government of Myanmar, the people of Myanmar, deserve a certain degree of relaxation. The process should move fast. However, some observers have a more blunt assessment. ASEAN wants the sanctions against Burma removed, because it discriminates against one of its members," said Carlyle Thayer, a specialist on ASEAN affairs at the University of New South Wales. "They see the reforms as going positively. The European Union, the United States and Australia, Norway, which have lifted or suspended their sanctions but not ended them, still want to keep them in place so if there's any backsliding, they can be re-imposed. Complexity Thayer says one problem is that ending sanctions is much more complicated than imposing them in the first place. Sanctions are so complex because you have to have unanimity in the EU, and in the United States you have congressionally imposed sanctions and U.S. presidential executive orders," said Thayer. "So in both areas it's a huge maze. Its easier to suspend, than it is to get complete unanimity. For now though, Surin says he is looking ahead to 2014, when Burma will take the ASEAN chair. It was our encouragement, that if you want to chair ASEAN, which is both the responsibility and the prestige and the honor, you will have to do a lot of things, and ASEAN I think has been instrumental," said Surin. "Now we are helping them. We are opening up opportunities for them. They come and observe meetings like this, meetings like in Indonesia. Working their way into 2014. Although ASEAN has a large stake in ensuring Burmas chairmanship is as trouble-free as possible, Burmas government, too, stands to benefit domestically from becoming chair. General elections are planned for just a year later, in 2015. Chairmanship Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a political analyst at Kyoto University, says, if Burma is serious about staging truly free and fair elections this time around, chairing ASEAN could go a long way to boosting the governments image, within its own borders. I think 2014 is such a crucial year for both Burma and ASEAN. 2014, it would be just only one year before the general election in Burma," said Pavin Chachavalpongpun. "The fact that the Burmese leadership want the ASEAN chairmanship so much is because this could legitimize the regime so as to be able to win the election in 2015. People might not think it's important but it's very important in the context of Burmese politics. To be able to open up the country, to bring a lot of potential ASEAN investors including the ASEAN dialogue partners, this would be a time to showcase Burma. So it would be very much important for Burma. Pavin says, by the same token, ASEAN will be just as eager to ensure that Burmas chairmanship runs smoothly. And, that may mean the priorities for other issues, like human rights, may fall by the wayside. http://www.voanews.com/khmer-english/news/ASEAN-Hoping-for-Removal-of-Burma-Sanctions--161938925.html __._,_.___ Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post | Start a New Topic Messages in this topic (665)

Read More...