--------------------------------------- Burma media reform hampered by three draft laws 'Discrimination does not exist': U Shwe Mann The Irrawaddy River Is Like a Mother Authority prohibits demonstration in front of Malaysian Embassy KNU in Rangoon for peace talks Myanmar maids finding it hard here Is there a bright future for Myanmar's capital? Mission possible: RNDP and ALD agree to unify UN convoy delivers aid to IDP camps in rebel territory Decades-old bets in Myanmar's tech industry finally reap rewards --------------------------------------- Asian Correspondent Burma media reform hampered by three draft laws By Zin Linn Jun 15, 2013 11:42PM UTC In March of this year, a delegation from the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand convened a meeting with the major Myanmar media associations at Myanmar Media Resource Center in Yangon. There was a discussion about the changing media landscape and the prospect of forming a press club in Yangon. As a consequence, a six-member delegation from Burmas, also known as Myanmar, media realm paid a trip to Thailand and there was a press panel - Myanmar Media Panel: Rejoining the World Journalist Community - on June 12 at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand. There, they shared their views on the rapidly changing media market, the new daily newspapers starting up in the country, online and social media forums and also some hot issues challenging the Interim Press Council of Burma/Myanmar. The speakers on the panel were Kyaw Yin Myint, upper Myanmar bureau chief for Modern, Kumudra, Dana and Warazein newspapers; Chit Win Maung, member of Myanmar Press Council and leading committee member of Myanmar Journalist Union(MJU); Ms. EiEi Myat, executive editor of Agri Business News Journal published by Ministry of Agricultural and Irrigation and a CEC member of Myanmar Journalist Association (MJA); Ms. Theingi Htun, senior reporter for Mizzima; Jimmy Han Htwe Aung, Asahi TV (Tokyo Channel 5); Teza Hlaing, a photojournalist for Irrawaddy News and a freelance video journalist for Radio Free Asia. Six Journalists from Burma made a visit to Bangkok, speaking at the FCCT on 12 June 2013. (Photo: Southeast Asian Press Alliance - SEAPA) In Burma, press freedom is currently at a crossroads, the speakers said. The quasi-civilian government led by ex-general Thein Sein would like to maintain the country under limited or disciplined democracy while the mainstream general public wants a new phase of change. Citizens are demanding freedom of expression and association while the government is rigidly vetoing these basic rights. In the midst of demands for a free press, the Burmese government granted permission for some of the private dailies that began publishing in the first week of April this year. Its really a great risk for the publishers, editors, correspondents and even the distributors of the dailies in such a time of vagueness. Out of the 16 private daily newspapers given permission to publish, four dailies began publishing on 1 April 2013. Burma dissolved the press censorship board officially known as the Press Scrutiny and Registration Division (PSRD) in January. According to the state-run New Light of Myanmar, the termination of PSRD was approved during the cabinet meeting held on 24 January 2013. However, in place of PSRD, the Copyrights and Registration Division will be formed under the Information and Public Relations Department, said the state-run newspapers. Unquestionably, the dissolution of the censorship office was the result of the unity of journalists. The PSRD defended its rigid role up to the last breath. It was a historic and extraordinary event which occurred on 1 August last year that 92 journalists from Myanmar Journalists Association (MJA), Myanmar Journalists Network (MJN) and Myanmar Journalists Union (MJU) wearing black T-shirts decorated with the catchphrase STOP KILLING PRESS launched a demonstration in the former capital Rangoon protesting against the suspension of two journals the Voice Weekly and the Envoy Journal. Again in March 2013, three media groups MJA, MJN and MJU protested against the draft of the new Printing and Publishing Law drawn up by the Ministry of Information (MOI) submitted to Parliament on 27 February, 2013. They protested because MOI did not consult with media stakeholders before it put forward the draft bill to the House. Several journalists, along with the Committee For Freedom of Press (Myanmar), gathered at a media workshop at the Yuzana Garden Hotel in Yangon on 12 March calling on the government to revoke the drafted Printing and Publishing Bill. The MOls draft bill systematically put up the grip of government on the print media freedom. It made certain its supremacy to exploit on license certificates as per revoking or fining. The clause made the journalists angry because of the fact that it is no different from the 1962 Printers and Publishers Registration Law. If passed in its current form, the draft law will essentially replace Burmas old censorship regime with a similarly repressive new one, said Shawn Crispin, CPJs senior Southeast Asia representative. Banning news topics and legalizing the jailing of journalists is utterly inconsistent with the press freedom guarantees that authorities vowed the new law would promote. We urge lawmakers to amend this draft in a way that protects, and not restricts, press freedom. Concerning Burmas press freedom, Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) says in its press freedom report (2013), To date, there is not much tangible proof of media reform, apart from the dissolution of the Press Scrutiny and Registration Division, and the publication of private news dailies that began on 1 April 2013. In such a blurred situation, the Public Service Media (PSM) draft law came out during a press conference at the Printing and Publishing Enterprise on 8 June, 2013. According to the Deputy Information Minister Ye Htut, the PSM draft has the basic principles of representing all citizens. According to Chit Win Maung, member of the Myanmar Interim Press Council, he as well as the council objected to the PSM draft law as it appeared to go up against the private sector in term of market competition and media freedom. The most controversial issue is that 70 percent of the budget for Burmas PSM will have to be provided by the state funds, he said. He also mentioned during the press conference that if the information ministry has to submit the PSM draft law to the parliament, there are altogether three draft laws concerning the media freedom reason. It seems making more complication on press freedom with media ethics. The deputy information minister said that it is true that the PSM draft law is across-the-board, but it does not go against any existing laws. The law is not intended to control private media outlets, Ye Htut insisted. In the interim, the responsibility is on the Interim Press Council to present a well-defined press law bill. So far, no one could say the outcome of the media reform process, as the representatives of the journalists diligently keep on with drafting their press law. http://asiancorrespondent.com/109248/burma-media-reform-mystified-by-three-draft-laws/ ---------------------------------- Myanmar Times 'Discrimination does not exist': U Shwe Mann By AFP | Saturday, 15 June 2013 Myanmar's influential parliament speaker vowed Thursday to press forward with democratic reforms but said the country already had laws against discrimination amid a furor over anti-Muslim violence. Shwe Mann, a former general who is a key architect of reforms and is eyeing the presidency, was visiting Washington, where he said he hoped to study the US democratic system including the separation of government powers. "For the interest of our people and the international community, we wish to see that a continuous democratic system is deeply rooted in Myanmar," he said at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars. Leading a delegation of lawmakers, Shwe Mann said that he hoped to encourage reconciliation in the long conflict-torn nation and also to build a "more inclusive society." But asked whether parliament needed to do more to protect the Rohingya Muslim minority following a wave of violence, Shwe Mann said that "actions will be taken" against anyone who violated existing laws. "According to our law, discrimination does not exist whether you are a Rohingya or whether you call them Bengali, or even in religion," he said. "There are still some weaknesses in terms of the rule of law. Therefore, we are working hard so that the rule of law will prevail in Myanmar," he said. Myanmar's roughly 800,000 Rohingya are considered by the UN to be one of the world's most persecuted minorities. Myanmar does not consider them to be citizens, saying they are illegal migrants from Bangladesh, and local authorities have reimposed a ban on Rohingya having more than two children. Up to 140,000 people -- mainly Rohingya -- were displaced in two waves of sectarian unrest between Buddhists and Muslims in Rakhine state last year that left about 200 people dead. Myanmar has faced strong international criticism over the Rohingya, a stark contrast to the enthusiasm over reforms in recent years over democratic reforms that have included an easing of censorship and freeing of political prisoners. Shwe Mann told Radio Free Asia while in Washington that he plans to run for president in 2015, making him the only declared candidate besides opposition icon Aung San Suu Kyi, who was freed from house arrest in 2010. Shwe Mann met Tuesday with Deputy Secretary of State William Burns and discussed various topics including human rights and legal reform, a State Department official said. http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/7123-discrimination-does-not-exist-u-shwe-mann.html ----------------------------------- The Irrawaddy River Is Like a Mother By KYAW PHYO THA / THE IRRAWADDY| Saturday, June 15, 2013 | Prominent environmentalist Devi Thant Cin at her Rangoon home. A painting of her great-grand parents, King Thibaw and his wife, hangs in the background. (Photo: Jpaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON Had things turned out differently, Devi Thant Cin might have been a doctor. It was her childhood dream. But looking back nearly six decades later, she feels happy with the path she has chosen instead. It was just my childhood fantasy, the 66-year old said with a smile. Now Im a conservationist by choice. As Burmas reformist government opens up to international investors who eye its rich natural resources, environmental and social concerns are increasingly coming to the fore. But with the new space for civil society, the countrys environmental movement is also gaining momentum, and Devi Thant Cin has become one of its leading activists. She is one of a handful of female campaigners who have been spearheading nationwide activities to protect Burmas environment in recent years. Most prominent among their activities has been a campaign aimed at shutting down the controversial Myitsone hydropower dam. The Chinese-backed proposal would dam the Irrawaddy at a site in northern Burma, blocking the flow of water and migrating fish species on the countrys largest river, which is a life line to millions of people downstream. The environmental campaigns against the dam led to a nationwide public outcry, prompting President Thein Sein to suspend the project in 2011 until 2016, when his presidential term expires. Devi Thant Cin speaks with reverence of the Irrawaddy River. I want the Irrawaddy flows freely. The river is like a mother who feeds Burmas citizens, she said. If anyone tries to resume the project, I will continue to protest. Although she is best known for being an environmentalist, she is also a princess and a direct descendant of King Thibaw, the last monarch of Burma of the Koung Boung Dynasty. Her father is the son of the kings third princess. She said that her father, who earned the nickname the Red Prince for his belief in Marxism, taught her not be arrogant because of her royal blood, but to stand up for the poor and serve the people instead. I still believe in those basic ideologies and found out that they fit with environmental conservation, Devi Thant Cin said, arguing that although the whole of society is vulnerable to the effects of climate change, the poor at the grass-roots level will be hardest-hit. The green movement, she added, helps protect them against these environmental risks. So being a conservationist gives me a chance to work for people, she said during an interview in the small living room of her Rangoon house, which she shares with two other royal descendant families. On the walls of the house, only a faded oil-painting of her great-grand parents and a black-and-white group photo of her great-aunts in full regalia serve as faint reminders of the familys royal background. Devi Thant Cin first started writing about environmental awareness in the early 2000s, when few in Burma had heard of these issues. She also began travelling through the country to give talks to farmers about the risk of using chemical fertilizers, while she spoke with students to inform the younger generation of environmental concerns. Although she could have used the lingering public reverence for Burmas last kings to aid her work, Devi Thant Cin has never done so. Its embarrassing to tell my audience that Im a great grand-daughter of King Thibaw. Let them find about it by themselves, she said. What Im doing is as important as who I am. In 2007 she began publishing Burmas only environmental magazine Aung Pin Lae, enlisting the help of friends and fellow activists to keep the struggling publication afloat in order to inform the public of the global green movement and environmental degradation in the country. Environmental conservation is her life, said Min Chit Naing, who has been the magazines editor since early 2012. Min Chit Naing, who previously worked as an environmental reporter at a local weekly, said he has known Devi Than Cin for several years, adding that her dedication was unwavering. She even puts her family affairs on the back seat when it comes to the environment, he said. When public concerns over the Myitsone dam project intensified in 2011 and protests against the project became more frequent, Devi Thant Cin founded the Myanmar Green Network (MGN). She brought environmental campaigners and engineers together to provide scientific and technical evidence that would back up the protestors demand and show that cancellation of the project is justified. In 2012, when another Chinese-backed project, the Letpadaung copper mine in northwestern Burma, sparked a huge local protest, MGN took the initiative to conduct local soil and water tests to determine how the mines run-off was affecting the local communitys health and environment. The network submitted the results and experts suggestion on the project to the president, relevant authorities and a project investigation commission led by opposition leader and lawmaker Aung San Suu Kyi. I take my hat off for her, for she is very serious when it comes to environmental conservation, said U Ohn, the chairman of MGNs Forest Resource Environment Development and Conservation Association. In spite of her royal background, she is not arrogant and is the one who fully drives the MGN. Asked if she is concerned about, or perhaps opposes, the rise in foreign investment in Burma, Devi Thant Cin says, We have to welcome FDI, but at the same time we have to be aware of its exploitative nature. Thats why we keep repeating that we need to have strong rules and regulations for our environment, while welcoming foreign investors. Burmas green movement has grown much stronger in the past decade, in no small part through Devi Thant Cins efforts. Public interest continues to rise, green networks are being set up (MGN has connected with more than 50 environmental groups), and Burmas government finally established a Ministry of Environment in 2011. Devi Thant Cin therefore, is confident that the movement can make a difference and protect Burmas rich and diverse natural environment. A conservationist must be patient. We believe everything is possible, she said. What we need is time. http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/37552 -------------------------------------- Narinjara Online June 16, 2013, 9:36 am Authority prohibits demonstration in front of Malaysian Embassy ( Yangon, 16 June 2013) : The Burmese authority has prohibited any protest programme in front of the Malaysian Embassy in Yangon for the time being. Myanmar Social Development Network (MSDN) applied for the permission to lodge a protest, which was rejected by the authority on Friday. Red-Roses-at-Malaysia-Embassy-YangonKo Thet Naing of MSDN informed that the police superintend of Dagon township police station did not allow to hold the protest programme against the Malaysia government staging demonstrations in front of their embassy in the former Burmese capital. Responding to the MSDN application, the police officials asserted that the protest programme would be ill-timed, as some high ranking Burmese administrators including deputy foreign minister U Zin Yaw and deputy social security minister Daw Win Maw Tun are visiting Malaysia to solve the problem related to the migrant Burmese in that country. It is understood that at least seven Burmese migrants have been killed and 10 others got injuries, when local gangs started attacking the migrants in different parts of Malaysia since May 30 this year. We wish the Burmese migrants taking shelter in Malaysia also get equal rights as the other foreigners (in Malaysia) enjoy there. Our (Burmese) people should also get the security as the other do. That is why we wanted to stage a peaceful protest in front of their embassy in Yangon, said the MSDN leader Thet Naing. The protest programe was scheduled to start at 10:30 am on Saturday (June 15), but the plan was cancelled after the police denied permissions. Few youths came to the front of the Malaysian Embassy with an aim to join in the protest, but soon they left the location, a witness said. Another MSDN activist Ko Nay Myo Zin argued that the condition of Burmese people living in Malaysia remains pathetic and it would only deteriorate in future if proper initiatives are not taken on time. http://www.narinjara.com/main/index.php/authority-prohibits-demonstration-in-front-of-malaysian-embassy/ ---------------------------------------- KNU in Rangoon for peace talks June 15 , 2013: Author: S'Phan Shaung (KIC) A Karen National Union delegation, led by its chairman, Saw Mutu Say Poe, left yesterday for Rangoon to meet with government officials for a new round of peace talks. Padoh Thaw Thi Bwe, the organisations joint secretary confirmed with Karen News that a KNU delegation, led by Chairman Saw Mutu Say Poe, is schedule to meet government Minister, U Aung Min, from the president office today, June 15. The KNU delegation will meet the governments delegations in Rangoon to discuss the current political situation and to progress the peace building process. The KNU delegation includes its Defense Department head, Padoh Saw Roger Khin, the Karen National Liberation Armys Chief of Staff, General Johnny and Major Dee Kwe. A separate group of KNU delegates, led by one of its Central Executive member, Padoh Saw Tadoh Moo, is also in Rangoon to discuss issues related to the current ceasefire arrangement with the government. Delegates include, Padoh Saw Aung Win Shwe from the KNUs Foreign Department, Padoh Saw Eh Kalu Say, from the KNU Justice Department, Saw Ta Mla and Major Ta Mla Thaw. A KNU press statement said the KNU delegation led by Padoh Tadoh Moo is schedule to meet with officials at the Myanmar Peace Center to discuss the ceasefire Code-of-Conduct that both the Burma Army and the KNLA have to obey. These trips were arranged following a three-day meeting with the KNU Central Executive Committee on June 10 in a undisclosed location in the KNLAs Brigade 7. http://karennews.org/2013/06/knu-in-rangoon-for-peace-talks.html/ -------------------------------------- Myanmar maids finding it hard here More are running away from employers; some agents stepping in to smooth transition Published on Jun 16, 2013 8:05 AM By Amelia Tan Unable to please their employers, more Myanmar maids are giving up and running away, so much so that some agents are trying to improve matters themselves by conducting home visits and training. A total of 51 maids have sought shelter so far this year at a migrant worker's group, which expects this to continue if employment conditions do not improve. The Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home) sheltered 64 runaway maids from Myanmar last year, 29 in 2011 and 13 in 2010. The figures reflect the increase in the number of Myanmar women who now come here to work as maids. There are more than 27,000, and more are expected as a shortfall in Indonesian maids persists. http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/myanmar-maids-finding-it-hard-here-20130616 ------------------------------- Is there a bright future for Myanmar's capital? Achara Deboonme achara_d@nationgroup.com Through the floor-to-ceiling wall of Nay Pyi Taw International Airport, you see no plane outside. "We are inviting you to the capital of Myanmar. Nay Pyi Taw welcomes visitors. Everything is beautiful and sophisticated. You'll be pleased and relaxed." This is part of a song specially written to promote Myanmar's new capital city, about 300 kilometres north of Yangon. Sung by famous vocalist Ni Ni Khin Zaw, the video is played over and over on a small TV screen at the international airport's departure lounge, just opened for outsiders for the first time last week. Some of the 900-odd participants at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on East Asia 2013 were transported to the capital on chartered flights, mostly from Bangkok. Certainly, first-time visitors will be surprised at the large, modern airport. They will also be surprised at the new city's many facilities: two shopping malls, a planetarium, zoo, gardens, the Hluttaw (parliamentary) Building, and a sports village (for the SEA Games, which will take place later this year in the city). Generally, the city is quiet. Aside from the buses and vans shuttling between the Myanmar International Convention Centre (MICC) and hotels, there are few vehicles on the eight-lane road that runs through the city straight to Yangon. Once in a while, a public bus appears. Don't expect to see many taxis. They are found at shopping malls and at hotels, but you need to make a reservation - which costs a staggering 15,000 kyats (about Bt450) per one-hour service. Most at the shopping malls go by foot, some with flashlights in their hands as not all roads are sufficiently lit at night. Junction Centre is the biggest shopping mall, with a department store that features some brand products. Its supermarket is big, offering thousands of items, including many from Thailand. Thai cuisine is popular here. In the basement, where there are only three restaurants, two offer Thai food. Bangkok Sky is the most popular. It's a real Thai restaurant with a long list of authentic food including Sukhothai noodles. The staff members communicate in broken English and are enthusiastic. Most WEF participants spent three or four days at the MICC, where the meetings took place. Only a few could make a half-hour trip to the Uppatasanti Pagoda, an identical twin of the famous Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. While the original is believed to have been built by the Mon people between the 6th and 10th centuries, this one was built by the government and is about seven metres shorter than the original. However, like the original, it is also covered in gold leaf. Unlike the original, which is surrounded by big trees and other, lower, buildings, this one stands on a hill, clear of other construction, overlooking the beautiful mountains that border the Shan State. Much of the construction work in the city started only in 2006, but there are now over 15 hotels and more are being built. Some can match five-star hotels in other cities in terms of design, decoration and service. The MICC itself is large, with meeting rooms named after different states in the country - Shan, Rakhine, Kachin and Ayeyarwady. Near the main roads here, you could wonder where on earth you are. The modern architectural designs give the impression of a big city. Yet, where are the nearly one million inhabitants said to live here? They could possibly be at the fresh produce market, where local food products are sold in a very genuine environment. I imagine a lot of flies too. Generally, Nay Pyi Taw will remind you of the big cities that are mushrooming across China. Infrastructure exists here, except a rail network, which is too costly for the country at this stage, and the general impression is of Myanmar embracing modernisation in a big way. To both the WEF host and participants, the forum served as a test on whether Myanmar will be ready to assume the role of Asean chair next year. Over 100 meetings are scheduled throughout the year, mostly to take place in the capital, as Asean gears up towards the advent of Asean Economic Community in 2015. One local businessman here, Serge Pun, is pushing for the development of new hotels ahead of 2014. Personally, I would push for better transport services. Many WEF participants went straight back to their hotels after the meetings at the MICC, as there was no way to get to shopping malls or other venues unless you arranged your own transport. It was also annoying that, sometimes, buses left before scheduled times. If Thais are famous for their "krengjai" (consideration), Myanmar people seem more impatient. If only a few passengers were on a bus, they were soon ready to tell the driver to leave the venue, oblivious to other passengers who might want to catch the same bus. With better shuttle services to other places, Myanmar could have encouraged more spending. Myanmar people are proud of their achievements. As seen on the MICC Facebook page, many photos were uploaded and attracted numerous "likes". That's impressive given the low Internet penetration in the country. A challenging future lies ahead, though. How the hotels in this quiet city will be kept busy after all the big events are over remmains to be seen? How the current pace of development will benefit locals also remains to be seen? With direct flights to other destinations in Myanmar, how many future visitors will come to the capital city? As we left, the airport looked so empty, without any food shop where you could find water or snack to kill the waiting. Hopefully, this will change when athletes descend here for the SEA Games. History suggests that all cities get bigger. But how will Nay Pyi Taw grow in the coming decades? Well, visit the city and share your thoughts. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Is-there-a-bright-future-for-Myanmars-capital-30207962.html ------------------------------------- Narinjara Online June 15, 2013, 9:36 am Mission possible: RNDP and ALD agree to unify ( Yangon, 15 June 2013) : Two major political parties of Arakan region in western Burma have today agreed to unify for a single party. It was decided in a meeting held in Rangoon, the former capital of Burma, to merge the Rakhine National Development Party (RNDP) and the Arakan League for Democracy (ALD) into one party with an aim to fight for the cause of Arakanese people. The delegates representing both the parties have agreed to emerge both RNDP and ALD into a single political party in todays meeting, informed Dr Aye Maung, the president of RNDP. The unification meeting on Saturday have arrived in three important agreements including 1) to combine two parties as a solo party to lead Arakanese people effectively, 2) to emerge accordance with Burma election commission rules and principals and 3) to form an unification committee by the delegates representing both parties. We will continue our meeting tomorrow to discuss about the unification process between the two parties. We will also discuss and resolve the policy, strategy and tactic in the meeting. Need not to be mentioned that we are interested to carry out the unification process effectively and without any delay, added Dr Maung. The unification meeting started at 9 in the morning in the office Rakhine Thahaya Association, where six delegates from each party attended. The meeting was also graced by over 20 prominent Arakanese senior citizens representing various social groups as observers. U Aye Tha Aung, the president of ALD, while speaking to Narinjara over phone expressed happiness at the outcome. He personally welcomes the decision related to the unification of RNDP and ALD. Our final aim is to unify all Arakanese political parties into a single entity. We are struggling hard for long time to achieve the goal of unification among all Arakanese groups. I must say all the Arakanese people living inside Burma and abroad would welcome the outcome of todays meeting, revealed Tha Aung. http://www.narinjara.com/main/index.php/mission-possible-rndp-and-ald-agree-to-unify/ -------------------------------- UN convoy delivers aid to IDP camps in rebel territory By DAVID STOUT Published: 14 June 2013 A ten-truck UN convoy with humanitarian assistance for more than 5,000 people arrived in displacement camps behind rebel lines in Kachin state on Friday for the first time in more than a year. Since a 17-year ceasefire broke down between the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) and the government in 2011, Naypyidaw has consistently prevented the UN and international aid groups from accessing the population of internally displaced persons (IDPs) living outside of government territory. Following lengthy negotiations with the government, UN representatives in Rangoon said they aimed to send additional humanitarian aid to the more than 100,000 people who have been displaced during fighting that broke out in Kachin state two years ago. Now we have the agreement of all sides, said UN spokesperson Aye Win, adding that a recent seven-point agreement signed by the KIO and Naypyidaw in late May likely helped push the government to allow international aid groups to enter rebel territory. Its raining hard and these people are in dire need of assistance. We certainly hope that we will be able to continue the assistance. Relief workers on the ground said officials would be hosting workshops at camps in Majayang tonight and would begin distributing aid on Saturday. According to the statistics published by the UNs Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, approximately 60,000 IDPs are living in territory outside of the governments control in Burmas far north. In the past two years, the population has largely had to rely on support provided by community-based organisations, which often lack the financial support and distributional capacity to address the needs of the tens of thousands of displaced residents. The cross-line convoy represents a positive step forward by the government to help all people in need across Kachin state. It is crucial for this convoy to be the first of many, and that regular and unimpeded access to all people displaced in Kachin state is sustained, said UN Humanitarian Coordinator Ashok Nigam in a report published by the agency on Friday. While rights groups lauded the UNs tenacity in pressing the government to allow aid groups access to the IDP camps behind KIO lines, analysts said it would take more than one convoy for Naypyidaw to prove they are willing to start abiding by basic humanitarian principles. The government has allowed the Burmese military to play games with humanitarian aid, that is the bottom line here, said Phil Robertson, deputy-Asia director of Human Rights Watch (HRW) during an interview with DVB. Now, the government needs to prove to the international community that theyre prepared to fully comply with the international human rights practice of [providing] assistance to all, wherever they happen to be, according to their needs and nothing else. Although the recent deal signed by the KIO and government-backed peace negotiators in May sought to reduce fighting between the two sides, the Kachin have refused to sign an official ceasefire with Naypyidaw until the countrys ethnic minorities are granted greater political autonomy. During the talks chief peace negotiator Aung Min said President Thein Sein is planning on hosting a summit later this summer with all of the countrys armed groups to commence a political dialogue aimed at ending the myriad civil wars that have plagued Burma since independence. http://www.dvb.no/news/un-convoy-delivers-aid-to-idp-camps-in-rebel-territory/28809 ------------------------------------ Decades-old bets in Myanmar's tech industry finally reap rewards Saturday, June 15, 2013 4 comments It may have taken almost two decades, but Tun Thura Thets investment in one of Asias poorest countries is finally paying off. Ive been waiting here for 17 years to have this moment, he said, sitting at his office in Yangon, Myanmar. After 10 or 12 years, we almost gave up. Tun Thura Thet is CEO of Myanmar Information Technology (MIT), one of the few software companies that managed to survive under the countrys military rule. But after years of facing a stagnant business environment, Myanmars tech industry is starting to tap into opportunities brought on by the nations move toward democracy. MIT, founded in 1997, is a maker of enterprise software and expects to ride high on the reforms ushered in by the countrys new civilian government. Last week, the company gained global attention when it became Microsofts major supplier for its software products in the nation. Making the deal possible was the decision by the U.S. to lift trade sanctions on the country, Tun Thura Thet said. The company is also helping local banks pave the way for modern financial services, including establishing Myanmars first ATMs. Just last month we launched mobile banking for one of the banks, he said. This is one of the things we are very excited about. In Myanmar, we can always be the first to do these things. In other countries, you dont have this chance. It marks a major contrast from over a decade ago, when Tun Thura Thet was unsure his company would succeed under the countrys military rule. Home to 60 million people, Myanmar represents one of the last untapped markets in Asia and its tech industry has struggled to grow. Even now, Internet penetration in the country is only at 1 percent and electricity can be scarce. Most people cannot afford to buy mobile phones, let alone purchase a PC. The tech market here has been small, said Tun Thura Thet, whose company employs 300 people but is considered large by local standards. Only about 10 local software firms operate in the country, he estimated. MIT was able to thrive by selling enterprise software to Myanmar banks. But following the countrys banking crisis in 2003, the company resorted to going abroad, and expanded to Singapore in 2005 as an offshoring provider. The countrys past censorship of the Internet was another obstacle that threatened to derail his business. So in 2001, MIT and several other tech firms banded together to form a government-approved technology park in Yangon, with better access to the Internet. The company was lucky to survive under such conditions, he said. Tun Thura Thet remembers the frustration. Why am I here? Im wasting my time, he recalled thinking. Im wasting everything, my youth, my innovation, my opportunities, everything. But again, what brought me back is the people. If youre a leader you have to work hard until theres a transformation. Others in Myanmars tech industry are also reaping the benefits of that same transformation. Thaung Su Nyein is managing director of Information Matrix, an IT and media company also based in Yangon. Like Tun Thura Tet, he also made a decade-old bet on Myanmars tech industry stretching back to 1999 when he decided to leave New York and return to his home country. I wanted to be the next Yahoo! in Myanmar, he remembered. I wanted to be that pioneer. But his business plan quickly collided with Myanmars attempts to control the Internet. After arriving, Thaung Su Nyein learned that local authorities had detained several people for starting email services in the country. The government had also made it illegal to offer any kind of private Internet service. Politics was really bad at that time. Basically you were providing this outside gateway out of the governments hands, he said. This was really dangerous in the eyes of the government. But for the IT business guys, they didnt even think about that. It forced Thaung Su Nyein to scale back his business plan, and instead try to start an offline cyber cafe. At the cafe, PCs would be loaded with pre-downloaded Web content imported on CDs shipped from Singapore. But authorities were quick to intervene, and shutdown his business. The leadership didnt like the word Internet, he recalled. But despite his business plans failure, Thaung Su Nyein found success in print media, and began releasing a publication covering technology. His company now publishes several weekly journals, in addition to operating online portals, and running a web development business. Since Myanmars new government took power in 2011, a sea of change has occurred in the country, he said. The government has ended the strict online censorship, and wants Internet and telecommunications to play a major role in developing Myanmar, Thaung Su Nyein added. In addition, the government reforms are expected to open up Myanmars mobile Internet market, potentially bringing a flood of online users to Thaung Su Nyeins publications. By 2016, Myanmar wants mobile penetration in the nation to reach between 75 and 80 percent. We could get tens of thousands of reader on our mobile apps, Thaung Su Nyein said. Thats something we are looking forward to. Source: PC World http://www.myanmar-business.org/2013/06/decades-old-bets-in-myanmars-tech.html
Thursday, June 20, 2013
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