July 2 - 8, 2012

myanmartimes
Myanmars first international weekly Volume 32, No. 633 1200 Kyats

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Parties call for fairer electoral system

By Win Ko Ko Latt A GROUPING of political parties last week called for Myanmars voting system to be changed from first-past-the-post to proportional representation. This will give independent candidates and minor parties a chance of winning seats in the hluttaw, U Khin Maung Swe, cofounder of the National Democratic Force, one of 10 members of the Democratic Friendship Group, said on June 30. He said because Myanmar used the first-past-the-post system, whereby Related story candidates need see page 2 only a simple majority to win a constituency, many people feel that the hluttaw does not represent them or reflect their wishes. And using the proportional representation system wont make the voting system too complex, he said, adding that proportional representation was used in about 90 countries around the world. Under proportional representation, seats are allocated based on the proportion of votes parties receive. The announcement released by the Democratic Friendship Group on June 29 said that using a proportional representation system would mean that ballots were not wasted when people voted More page 4

Families evicted in North Dagon

Homeless people cook food in a temporary communal hut in North Dagon township on June 27. Twelve families living in the area illegally were were forcibly evicted by Yangon City Development Committee on June 25. Full story page 10. Pic: Kaung Htet

Wait for free press set to continue

By Sandar Lwin A SENIOR official from the governments censorship board insisted last week that a planned relaxation of restrictions on news journals would still go ahead after changes promised by June 30 failed to materialise. U Tint Swe, deputy director general of the Ministry of Informations Press Scrutiny and Registration Division (PSRD), had said in mid-May that news publications would no longer have to submit all contents before publication after June 30. But U Myo Myint Maung, director of PSRD, told The Myanmar Times last week that the June 30 date was only a rough estimate and the changeover would likely occur in July instead. In the meantime, news journals will have to continue sending drafts to PSRD under the existing procedures, he said. We will release a specific order when the pre-scrutiny system is cancelled for the remaining two genres: news and religion publications. I believe it will not be too long to wait for that. Generally speaking it might be coming soon but that is also a rough estimate. There will be slight changes depending on the general situation until then, U Myo Myint Maung said. What we said about stopping the pre-scrutiny system at the end on June was also just a rough estimate based on our already announced five-step plan. Eight categories have already changed to the post-scrutiny system under the first four steps. But our censorship relaxation plan will proceed. It is confirmed; we just cant set an exact date. Passing the media law and forming a press council will proceed according to a separate procedure. We are preparing so that the media industry is ready when the law comes out. It will not take long. Under the current scrutiny system, weekly news journals have to send drafts of what they plan to publish to PSRD one week ahead, with updated news sent as an appendix just before publication. With no word from the censorship board about when the proposed changes would be implemented, editors were last week still sending their draft content to PSRD for publication after the original June 30 deadline. We havent got any instruction not to send the drafts. Thats why we sent them yesterday (June 25) for our July 2 issue, said U Kyaw Min Swe, chief editor of The Voice. Since the pre-scrutiny system was supposed to be stopped at the end of June, we expected that we wouldnt need to send the drafts there is still the possibility that the instruction will be announced suddenly at the end of the month, he said. Chief editor of Pyithu Khit (The Peoples Age), U Pe Myint, said he would also send drafts for the journals July 4 edition as normal. We havent got any information on sending drafts. We will have to send them tomorrow (June 27) as normal, he said. More page 4

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Pic: Hein Latt Aung

Is Myanmar using the best voting system?

IF I was advising the Union Solidarity and Development Party how to respond to the results of the April 1 by-elections, among my first recommendations would be to take a close look at the electoral system used in Myanmar. The USDP won about 27 percent of the votes, yet just one of the 45 seats available. Eighteen months earlier, it received slightly over 50pc of votes cast but claimed almost 80pc of seats. Disparities like these are not unusual in firstpast-the-post voting, where the candidate with a simple majority the largest number of votes is declared the winner. While diminishing in popularity globally, the system is still used in many countries, including Britain, India, Canada and the United States. But critics of first-past-the-post argue it can lead to unrepresentative overall results and unfairly favours larger parties. In encouraging a two-party system, it shuts out alternative voices. Other electoral systems exist indeed, they are widely used in many countries including preferential and proportional representation. Proportional voting gives parties seats equivalent to their proportion of the vote. In a preferential system, voters have to rank the candidates in order of preference. The candidate who receives the lowest number of votes is eliminated and their votes distributed to voters second preference. This continues until only two candidates are left and the one with the highest number of votes is declared the winner. Some countries employ a combination of systems: at the national level, Australia uses preferential voting for its lower house and proportional voting to select senators to the upper house. In 1996, New Zealand traded first-past-the-post for mixed member proportional representation, whereby half the seats are awarded based on first-past-the-post voting and the remainder according to the proportion of votes for each party. The effect was dramatic; New Zealand went from basically a two-party system to having representatives from eight parties in parliament at the most recent general election, in 2011. Its never been clear why Myanmar opted for first-pastthe-post voting, although it does have some advantages, primarily simplicity in terms of both voting and vote-counting. This is obviously going to be helpful in a country where most people have little experience with either, and any change to a more complex system would require significant investment in training for the Union Election Commission and education for the broader public. Yet there would be many advantages to electoral reform, even at this early stage of Myanmars democratic development. Based on the results of the by-elections, the USDP, along with small parties,

Nay Pyi Taw residents cast votes to select their Pyithu Hluttaw representative on November 7, 2010. deeply about their vote, ranking candidates from their first to last preference rather than just a single tick for their favourite candidate or party. It also means votes are not wasted if you select a party that has little chance of winning; ultimately, your vote will go to one of the two last candidates standing after those with the least ethnic parties, the Lahu National Development Party and Kokang Democracy and Unity Party, received 3.9pc and 10.97pc of votes respectively. The second, third and fourth preferences of these voters would likely have decided the outcome of the vote and, in turn, encouraged candidates from the larger parties to work to gain their support. But Myanmar would benefit in another major way from electoral reform: stability in the lead up to the 2015 election. While few may be talking openly about it now, the prospect of a massive NLD win at the next general election, perhaps on a par with 1990, could have significant ramifications for how key actors in Myanmar move forward in 2014-15. There is the strong likelihood of partisanship and divisions in parliament as parties and candidates seek to differentiate themselves and their policies ahead of the vote. The uncertainty will also increase the temptation to resort to dirty tricks in the general election. And lets face it: the current hluttaw notwithstanding, a parliament dominated by MPs from a single party is not healthy for democracy. Given Myanmars capacity issues and the scale of the reform effort, both the parliament and government would benefit from the greater plurality that electoral reform is likely to bring. But this also cuts both ways: currently there is only one party that can govern the country on its own, and its not the NLD. That might change over the next few years if the NLD can attract and train more talented young people with the potential to serve as the politicians and policy advisers of the future. While other countries often put electoral reform to a referendum most recently Britain Myanmar would not necessarily have to go down that route. First-past-thepost voting is not enshrined in the constitution but is instead prescribed in election laws released by the State Peace and Development Committee in March 2010. Amending the particular law would only require a simple majority, which the USDP would have as long as it can count on military support. But it shouldnt have to. Reforming voting to make the system more equitable and representative is in the interests of everyone, from parties and politicians to individual voters.

dominated by A parliamentnot healthy forMPs from a single party is democracy.

would probably have the most to gain. Instead of winning one seat on April 1, with proportional representation the USDP would have collected 12 (admittedly, the system is a little more complex than this). Elections are generally more representative and even with some element of either proportional or preferential representation. It would encourage smaller parties that have achieved little success to date to persevere and continue to contest future elections. Preferential voting could also have other benefits for the development of political culture. Voters are forced to think more

votes have been eliminated. In a country where many seem to vote along ethnic or religious lines, this system would likely encourage people to assess the merits of all candidates and parties. Considering how preferential voting could have affected the April 1 by-election in the Amyotha Hluttaw constituency around Lashio is illustrative. The Shan Nationalities Democratic Party, with 29.08pc of the vote, won by an extremely slim margin over both the National League for Democracy and USDP, which both received 28.03pc (the NLD was ahead by 11 votes). Two smaller

The Mail Box

Dear editor, The AFP report Plain language advocates struggle against jargon in the world section of the June 4-10 edition of The Myanmar Times was a very useful one for both the public and private sectors of this country. Dissemination of this kind of news is important in Myanmar. As you should be aware all sectors here need to comprehend at least plain or simple English for daily communication and correspondence. Every public department and segment of the private sector is facilitating short English training, yet it is difficult to reach a practical level of proficiency. If your newspaper could spare a special page or at least a column in that respect for novice writers it would be very beneficial. If possible, publishing a small book or circulating a monthly or fortnightly magazine at an affordable price for students or people of the above said proficiency levels may create a community of plain or simple English speakers here. As the report said, the US has now changed its language policy and is an example for us to follow. It would be good to introduce such a policy here without delay. Educating younger Myanmar in English will make them more confident communicators, improve cultural ties and enhance the sharing of knowledge with people outside. In this regard, The Myanmar Times, as a bilingual newspaper, ought to assist in bridging the gap between Myanmar and English languages. Thank you, Perry Han Shin

Got something to say? We want to hear from you. Address all correspondence to the Editor, The Myanmar Times (English). We endeavour to respond to all correspondence in a timely manner. Address: 379-383, Bo Aung Kyaw Street, Kyauktada township, Yangon. Telephone: (+951) 392-928, 253-642. Fax: (+951) 392-706 Email: your.myanmar.times@gmail.com

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Pro-poor land program unveiled

By Thomas Kean A GROUPING of nongovernment organisations working on agriculture-related issues last week launched a plan aimed at protecting the land use rights of the countrys smallholder farmers. The Land Core Group Program Plan, which was in development for nine months, runs until the end of 2014 and is meant to serve as a framework to guide all agencies and actors seeking to promote pro-poor land reform, according to the group. It takes a multi-pronged approached to improving conditions for the countrys smallholder farmers, from direct and indirect lobbying of MPs, government agencies and political parties to capacity building among farmers and departmental officials, Land Core Group members said at a launch event at Yangons Sedona Hotel on June 27. We see the essential need for work on influencing policy and on policy engagement But at the same time we understand that thats not sufficient, said Mr Tobias Jackson of the Land Core Group. Policy without enforcement or law without enforcement is meaningless there has to be enforcement. And there also has to be work to inform policy so you know policy is not just a few peoples thinking. The Land Core Group is an initiative of the Food Security Working Group, a network of more than 100 local and international organisations. Its plan focuses on four main themes agricultural land, forests, land above 1000 feet and contract farming and identifies four main stakeholders: government and officials, farmers, the private sector, and civil society. Activities in the plan include lobbying decision-makers, documenting cases of landgrabbing, developing policy advice, generating publicity through the media, villagelevel land use planning and

Reforming land laws will take time, says official

A FORMER Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation official recently appointed to a key government committee last week played down a prominent MPs plans to push for amendments to two new land laws. Speaking at an event at Sedona Hotel on June 27, U Tin Htut Oo, the head of the recently established National Economic and Social Development Advisory Committee, said the proposed amendments were possible but unlikely in the short term. He was responding to a question about a report in The Myanmar Times on June 25 in which a leading Union Solidarity and Development Party official, former Yangon mayor U Aung Thein Linn, said that he planned to amend the laws because they contained mistakes, weaknesses and were incomplete. U Aung Thein Linn, the Pyithu Hluttaw representative for South Okkalapa, is also chairman of the Pyithu Hluttaw Reform and Development Monitoring Committee and head of the USDP in Yangon Region. I think it is possible everything can be debated in the parliament but how long it will take, it depends, said U Tin Htut Oo of the proposed changes. The government has enacted the laws and Im sure there are many things that need to be amended and we need a healthy process to achieve our objectives. For the new two laws we still have to wait for the procedures and manuals as to how to implement them. But no matter whether there is a law or not, if you cannot enforce the law, there is no use, it will just be on the books. He said he welcomed debate around the land laws and said there was much work to be done on reforming agriculture-related laws more generally. I think we still have a long way to go to have a complete set of land laws. Because most of the laws we are applying now date back to 1930 or 1940 and all are very interconnected and linked. I think it is necessary to continue the debate, whether it is done through this kind of advocacy group or parliament only then will we get a more effective and systematic legal institution in our country. Now there are a lot of checks and balances that exist so this is a very good and healthy sign for the future improvement of all the laws. Thomas Kean

Farmers from rural Mingalardon township in Yangon Region sit on farmland at the centre of an ownership dispute with construction company Zaykabar in early May. Pic: Ko Taik registration pilot projects, and support for para-legals or barefoot lawyers. Mr Jackson said there was a real opportunity in Myanmar for civil society, the private sector and the government to work together so that the land situation is improved for all the people of Myanmar, including smallholders and the landless. Experiences from other countries in the region tell us we have a short window where this is possible. Land is desired by many people for many reasons. And certainly looking more broadly than Myanmar we see now countries which dont have good policy and good enforcement and a good land regime end up with a very unequal distribution of land, he said. We need to make sure that we grab this opportunity now to make sure that Myanmar has a different future and a different model and I think we can do that. We hope this plan is at least a beginning for that and that this will be something that you want to be part of, that you want to join in with, where we work together. The Land Core Group plan works on the belief that land security for smallholder farmers is essential for sustainable development. In terms of efficiency, some studies, including one done by a Harvard[International Development Enterprise] team a few years ago, concurred that smallholder farmers can be efficient food producers, especially for crops like rice. Small-scale farming can produce more food per hectare than industrial monocrop farms, said Ms Sue Mark, a member of the Land Core Group. Land Core Group chair U Shwe Thein said the group was inviting civil society organisations, the private sector, UN agencies and government department to work together for land reform. U Tin Htut Oo, head of the recently established National Economic and Social Development Advisory Committee, said that the president, in his June 19 speech on economic reform, had reiterated the governments desire for equitable peoplecentred development and the agriculture sector would play a significant role in achieving that. President U Thein Sein also pointed out the need for land use policy, which we still do not have, and land use management. These are necessary to fulfil the needs of the people, U Tin Htut Oo said at the June 27 event. He also pointed out that it is time to undertake land reform through systematic land allocation to the people with proper settlement schemes to avoid illegal intrusion of people into forest land, vacant land and wasteland this relates to the development of smallfarm agriculture as well as commercial production. He said the government was taking steps to address these issues, most recently through the formation of a 13-member Land Allocation and Utilisation Supervisory Committee on June 18 chaired by the minister for environmental conservation and forestry. More page 4

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Airlines to expand connections

By Zaw Win Than MORE international airlines have announced plans to begin flights to Myanmar, including carriers from Europe and East Asia. Meanwhile, existing international operators are eyeing flights to Nay Pyi Taw, Bagan and Mandalay, reports said last week. Thailand-based TTR Weekly reported that Thai AirAsia would start services to Nay Pyi Taw, Bagan and Mandalay in the final quarter of this year. We have asked to fly to Nay Pyi Taw as well as to Mandalay and Bagan. There should not be a problem, it [is] just about documentation, Thai AirAsia chief executive officer, Mr Tassapon Bijleveld, told the industry publication after a press conference on June 26. The carrier should be able to operate a daily service to the capital, but fewer services to Mandalay and Bagan, it reported. Thai AirAsia currently operates a twice-daily service to Yangon. Online publication Travel Daily News reported on June 27 that Myanmar Airways International plans to begin flights between Bangkok and Mandalay by early 2013 at the latest. According to a report by Korean Times on the same day, the countrys national carrier, From page 1

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Budget carrier AirAsia is one of several international airlines planning to add new routes to Myanmar. Pic: AFP Korean Air, plans to launch a four-times-a-week service between Seoul and Yangon from September 13. Japans All Nippon Airways (ANA) also disclosed last week that it intends to launch services to Yangon. ANA, which has not yet set a launch date or frequency for its planned service to Yangon, would offer the first direct link between Japan and Myanmar in 12 years. In May, Qatar Airways announced that it would launch flights between Yangon and Doha by October 3, initially with three flights a week but rising to a daily service from October 28. Both ANA and Qatar previously served Myanmar, with ANA pulling out 12 years ago and Qatar dropping its Yangon From page 3 service in January 2008. Industry sources said there is the possibility of flights between Yangon and the Philippine capital Manila before the end of this year. Meanwhile, German leisure carrier Condor plans to enter the Yangon market from November with a weekly service from Frankfurt to Yangon. The return flight will be via Phuket, Thailand.

Wait for free press

From what I can tell, the plan was announced just orally but not with an official document. And even as we get closer to the end of the month, I cant see how the plan to allow free publication [from June 30] will go ahead at this point, said U Pe Myint. However, some suggested that the coverage of the conflict in Rakhine State could have been a factor, particularly given the minister for informations stated preference for close supervision of publications. On June 10, Yangon Region Chief Minister U Myint Swe called editors from the leading journals to a meeting and warned them that those who published content that incited violence would face charges. Accordingly, the editor of Snapshot, U Myat Khine, was arrested last week under section 505/506 of the Penal Code, after his journal published a photo of the woman who was raped and murdered in Rakhine State on May 28. Some observers said it appeared likely that pre-publication censorship would remain in place until the new publishing law was enacted later this year. The law, drafted by the ministry with limited consultation with outside organisations and input from the private sector, is expected to be submitted to parliament during the fourth session, which begins on July 4. Under the law, publications will be monitored after publication by a press council rather than PSRD. Since President U Thein Seins government came to power in March 2011, it has gradually relaxed censorship on the media industry, with only news publications yet to transition to self-censorship.

Electoral system
for a candidate that did not win. Smaller parties, ethnic parties and independent candidates would also be more fairly represented in the hluttaw and it would bring about a real multi-party democratic system and prevent electoral dictatorship, the group said. The proportional representation system would increase the efficiency of hluttaw representatives, increase the participation of female representatives and support democratic reform, it said. In 1990, National Unity Party (NUP) won about 21 percent of the votes but only won 10 seats, or 2.2pc of all seats up for grabs. If proportional representation was used in 1990, the NUP would have got more than 100 seats and democracy would have arrived earlier, the group said in the announcement. This is not the first time that a change from first-past-the-post has been proposed in Myanmar, U Khin Maung Swe said. Former hluttaw representative Widuya Thakhin Chit Maung was a leading proponent of electoral reform during the parliamentary democracy period, while U Thu Wai now the chairman of the Democratic Party (Myanmar) also proposed abandoning first-past-the-post voting before the 1990 election. It was also suggested that a different system be used after 1990 to defuse tension between the victorious National Leauge for Democracy and the military. We also tried to change the voting system before the 2010 election but were not able to, U Khin Maung Swe said. The Democratic Friendship Group will lobby for proportional representation or the mixed-member proportional system to be introduced before the 2015 general election, he said.

Pro-poor land program

The committee, which also includes the deputy ministers for home affairs, border affairs, agriculture and irrigation and national planning, has been tasked with preparing a land use policy in collaboration with local and international experts. It will also examine existing laws, rules and regulations and recommend and prepare revisions, and conduct a review of the land revenue system. He said civil society had an important role to play both in terms of building capacity of government officials and ensuring that agriculture-related laws were properly enforced, citing the example of vacant land allocated to agribusiness firms. He said that in the past two decades about 1.9 million acres of land had been given to Myanmar companies under the proviso that it was developed within four years or it reverts back to state ownership. Only 29 percent, or 558,000 acres, are developed and planted. The remaining 70pc are still fallow, and Im sure these are over four years now. So how are we going to reallocate this land to the smallholders, the landless people in the rural areas? It is very important to see how these various committees will monitor and supervise land allocation he said. In terms of the [Farmland] Law, what I find is the lack of capability and resources in the agencies, particularly Settlement and Land Records Department, to properly record land ownership and the user rights on the map. And because of the ambiguity of the many land laws, nobody really understands the law. Most [land disputes] arising today are mainly stemming from such things, he said. He also encouraged the Land Core Group and other non-government organisations to consider the role of the private sector in agricultural development and in particular how the government, small farmers and private sector should work hand-in-hand for the development of the unutilised land of our country while benefiting the smaller farmers and enhancing the economy of the country through inclusive growth. But U Win Myo Thu from the NGO EcoDev warned that many farmers could potentially lose their land under two new laws the Farmland Law and Vacant, Fallow and Virgin Lands Management Law because they lacked proper ownership documents. U Win Myo Thu also cited a 2010 survey his organisation conducted of 1040 farmers in Magwe Region and Kachin and Chin states that found almost three-quarters had only a land tax receipt to prove they owned their land. Without considering the land security of these farmers, [we can] forget about the people-centred development that the president is highlighting all the time.

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Briefs
UEC calls on NLD leader to stop using 'Burma'
A POSSIBLE conflict is looming over Daw Aung San Suu Kyis usage of Burma instead of the countrys official name. State media on June 29 carried a statement from the Union Election Commission calling on the leader of the National League for Democracy to stop using the term, imposed by British colonialists in the 19th century during their gradual conquest of the country. The commission, which supervises laws dealing with political parties, cited her repeated usage of Burma during her recent landmark trips to Thailand and Europe. The commission stated that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi used Burma in her speech to the World Economic Forum in Thailand on June 1 as well as in addresses during her Europe tour. The report said that the NLD, in registering as a political party, had pledged to abide by and respect the constitution of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar as prescribed by article 6(c) of Political Parties Registration Law. According to the statement, the commission has informed NLD to write and address the name of the state as prescribed in the constitution for the prevalence of law and order and to show respect for the constitution. Zaw Win Than

Child soldiers plan historic: UN

By Ei Ei Toe Lwin A LEADING United Nations official has hailed an agreement signed with the government on underage recruitment as historic. Ms Radhik Coomaraswamy, the representative of the United Nations Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict, told a press conference in Yangon on June 29 that the action plan on underage recruitment was the result of five years of negotiations. We think it is a really important historic day as the government sent a very clear signal that it will not tolerate and practice [underage recruitment and is] ready to accept international standards and procedures both [at] the high levels and lower levels, said Ms Coomaraswamy. The action plan seeks to prevent the recruitment and use of children by the Tatmadaw and allow for the release of under-age recruits. The plan was signed in Nay Pyi Taw on June 27 by Major General Ngwe Thein, director of the Directorate of Military Strength, Ministry of Defense, and Major General Tin Maung Win, Vice Adjutant General of the Armed Forces on behalf of the government, and UN Resident Coordinator Ashok Nigam and UNICEF representative in Myanmar Ramesh Shrestha. Negotiations with the government were led by was no systematic approach. Now we have a systematic approach, said Ms Radhik Coomaraswamy. She said the action plan commits the government and the Tatmadaw to immediately stopping recruitment and secondly commits them to strengthening the process and procedures to ensure underage recruitment doesnt happen. Thirdly, it requires the identification and registration of children to be released between 45 and 135 days after the plan has been signed. We hope to complete the final action [plan] in 18 months, Ms Coomaraswamy said. She said that while there were no exact figures for child soldiers it was likely to be high if both the Tatmadaw and non-state groups were counted. The taskforce is seeking access to non-state groups, she added. Ms Coomaraswamy said if government did not release child soldiers and continued underage recruitment there was the possibility of sanctions, such as an arms embargo or travel restrictions. She said the UN was confident the government would properly abide by the action plan. During her visit to Myanmar, Ms Coomaraswamy met President U Thein Sein, Minister for Social Welfare U Aung Kyi, Pyithu Hluttaw Speaker Thura U Shwe Mann, representatives from UN agencies and non-government organisations and some former child soldiers.

Ms Radhik Coomaraswamy, the representative of the United Nations Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict, at a press conference in Yangon on June 29. Pic: Ko Taik UNICEF and the Office of the Resident Coordinator on behalf of the Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting of grave violations of child rights in armed conflict (CTFMR), a coalition of UN agencies and international NGOs. Ms Coomaraswamy said the action plan, which was negotiated under the mandate of UN Security Council Resolution 1612, would strengthen the progress already made on tackling underage recruitment. For the action plan, we started five years ago negotiations [but] the government has [already] done something. They set up a committee for the prevention of recruitment of youth and also the ILO complaint system but there

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi returns from European tour

YANGON Hundreds of cheering supporters welcomed democracy champion Daw Aung San Suu Kyi back to Myanmar on June 30 after her triumphant five-nation European tour. The opposition leader arrived in Yangon after an exhausting two-week visit to Europe where she was given a reception normally reserved for heads of state and toasted for her peaceful resistance to dictatorship. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, 67, will now prepare for the re-opening of the parliament in Nay Pyi Taw on July 4 when she will take her place alongside her National League for Democracy colleagues as an elected MP for the first time. The parliamentary session is expected to discuss recent deadly communal violence which flared in Rakhine State, among other issues, and marks the NLDs entry into mainstream politics. AFP

UNICEF expects to visit all military sites

By Ei Ei Toe Lwin and Win Myat Myat THE signing of an action plan with the Ministry of Defense last week will enable the Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting, a coalition of UN agencies and international nongovernment organisations, to more effectively tackle the issue of underage recruitment into the military, officials say. The action plan, which was signed in Nay Pyi Taw on June 27 and should be effective from August, will allow the task force to access child soldiers at all military sites across the country, including training centres, holding places and prisoner detention centers. The agreement also covers access to armed ethnic groups, said Mr Ramesh Shrestha, representative in Myanmar for UNICEF, one of the organisations involved in the task force. We are aiming [in the next couple of months to be able to visit all the military sites and help identify those who are under 18 and help them register, form a database, and then help them to reintegrate, go back to their villages, go back to their families, and possibly go back to school. So we will be looking at both release and reintegration of those who are active in the army at the moment, Mr Shrestha told The Myanmar Times. A detailed work plan is still being drafted and should be completed by August, enabling the agreement to come into effect. At the moment, its a little open end but we will have a detailed plan for about [the next] six months from probably August, he said. The collaboration with the Ministry of Defense involves other UN agencies, including UN Development Program, UN Refugee Agency, UN Population Fund, International Labour Organisation and World Food Program, and non-UN organisations, such as World Vision and Save the Children. Mr Kelland Stevenson, country director of Save the Children, said last week the agreement was a show of commitment from the government that it wanted to eradicate underage recruitment. we need good reporting and accountability mechanisms and the mentality and behaviour of recruiters have to be changed. Despite a 2005 United Nations Security Council resolution demanding that all countries stop the practice of underage recruitment, Mr Shrestha said Myanmar was one of 16 countries where children continued to enter the armed forces, including in six or seven non-state armies. As part of the action plan, the task force hopes to be able to get a better picture of the extent of underage recruitment and the activities that underage recruits are engaged in. Some are likely being used for portering, carrying military service and reintegrate them back into their communities, although Mr Shrestha conceded that it remained difficult to verify whether the children had actually been released. In September 2008, it was able to get permission from the Ministry of Defense to enter four military recruitment centres one each in Yangon, Magwe, Mandalay and Sagaing regions and provide training on topics such as humanitarian law, human rights and children in armed conflict. We continue to push that there is need for proper verification, to make sure screening is done appropriately and they have actually been released, handed over properly to the family. So those details are still missing. There are also difficulties in accessing non-state armed groups, he said, adding that the task force had only been able to visit the United Wa State Army once since 2008. I was allowed to visit four different places where they had children. But I was told that not all of them are trained to fight. They are kept there because theyre orphans and they come from poor families but the fact is that they are under the custody of [the United] Wa State Army, Mr Shrestha said. He said that while underage recruitment was a difficult issue to address the action plan was the result of several years of dialogue the collaboration would benefit both sides. I would say [there has been] successful collaboration between us and the government. And the government also is looking keen to have this problem resolved so there is interest from both sides.

Sky Net to carry NHK

TWO channels from Japanese broadcaster NHK will be available on the Sky Net satellite service from this month, Shwe Than Lwin Media Group announced last week. Sky Net will test broadcast the NHK World and NHK Premium channels in July and will begin officially offering them in August, U Thet Win, general manager of international relations at Sky Net, said at a launch ceremony on June 29. Senior NHK commentator Ms Aiko Doden, who is visiting Myanmar as part of a Japanese government-sponsored sport and culture mission, said the cooperation between Sky Net and NHK would improve ties between the two countries. We hope to provide information to meet that demand because people out there are interested in what is happening in Asia. For the people of Myanmar also the television can be a window to the world. It would be ideal if we all can visit each and every country and meet people. Through television Myanmar people can see what is happening outside Myanmar and outside Asia. May Sandy

for need good In order and this to work, wemechanisms reporting accountability and the mentality and behaviour of recruiters have to be changed.

The government of Myanmar has expressed its desire to be taken off the UN List of shame and this agreement is a show of that commitment, he said on June 26. The implementation of this Joint Action Plan will be our next big challenge. It requires great political will to make these changes and ensure compliance among military personnel in all ranks across the country. Children released from military service will also need to be physically protected, rehabilitated into their communities and in some cases, given psychosocial support. In order for this to work,

supplies from place to place, some are probably used as guards for different locations, and some of them are probably on the front line but there is no way to verify or any proof, Mr Shrestha said. UNICEF has been working on underage recruitment in Myanmar since September 2006. The task force, formed the following year, focuses on not only on the Tatmadaw but also non-state armed groups, such as the Kachin Independence Army, United Wa State Army and Shan State Army-South. Since February 2007, the task force has helped secure the release of more than 500 children from

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Loan network to get boost

By Juliet Shwe Gaung MORE people will soon have access to microfinance following a midJune agreement between a German microfinance institution, a development organisation from the Philippines and two Myanmar NGOs. Germanys Sparkassenstiftung fr Internationale Kooperation, or Savings Bank Foundation for International Cooperation (SBFIC) and the Centre for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD) signed agreements to work on microfinance projects with Mingalar Myanmar and Myanmar Egress in Yangon on June 13 and 14 respectively, said an NGO official. Mingalar Myanmar and Myanmar Egress will help SBFIC and CARD to establish domestic microfinance structures in line with the recently approved Myanmar Microfinance Bill. The project is set to end in December 2013 after the necessary operating licences have been secured. The initial funds will be 200,000 euros (US$250,000), said U Zaw Oo, director of Mingalar Myanmar. The German government is providing the financial support for the project and the signing ceremonies in midJune were attended by Dirk Niebel, the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, a press release said. The aim is to bring the knowledge of the German saving bank to other countries to give financial services to the broader population, said Joerg Teumer, SBFICs representative in Vietnam and Myanmar. Our understanding is that everybody should have access to financial services, microfinance, savings and insurance. Our approach is not to do it for ourselves but to empower local organisations, he said. The project will be confined to Yangon Region and covers the 10 townships of Kamaryut, Ahlone, Kyeemyindaing, Sanchaung, Mayangone, Shwe Pyi Thar, Insein, Hlaing, Hlaing Tharyar and Mingalardon, said U Zaw Oo. Both organisations are now in the process of hiring and training staff and preparing organisational conditions. We want both organisations to be deposittaking microfinance institutions [that will be] like small banks for simple people, Mr Teumer said on June 13. He added that first steps will be getting an operating licence, selecting and teaching staff, market analysis, introducing savings and loans products and setting up a pilot branch. What we do in other countries in Southeast Asia is to help local NGOs and other organisations to build financial institutions that serve the poor population and small businesses, he said. SBFIC will employ an expert to oversee the programs, who will be assisted by two CARD employees. At the beginning, we want to focus on Yangon Regions urban, semi-urban and rural areas. The idea is to build a strong organisation to be able to train the people well and monitor the people. If everything goes well after one year, we want to expand to other regions, he said. Mr Teumer said that he hoped the organisations could one day become a leader in the microfinance field but added that he would like to see more players in the field, especially more local organisations that are also committed in providing professional service. He added that both organisations will be non-profit enterprises; any incomes would be used to expand the networks and reach more people. That means we are not aiming for profits but [to build] strong organisations and socially responsible services. Mr Teumer said that since the microfinance law was passed more institutions had been created to cater to the market and added that the law would protect lenders. The major aim of such a law is to protect clients and make sure they always get their savings, while preventing bad practices. In many countries, including Myanmar, there are money lenders who take high interest rates. But if you have a law like this, it will create a market for financial services and the prices will come down, he said. The microfinance law states that lenders cannot charge monthly interest rates greater than 2.5 percent. However, Mr Teumer said the regulation was a good short-term measure but added that interest rates should not be regulated. Interest rates should be determined by the market. If it is a good market with many players and the organisations behave responsibly, the interest rates will come down. And if there is more competition, the market functions better, he said.

Kachin State floods affects thousands

By Aye Sapay Phyu THOUSANDS of people in Kachin State have been displaced by flooding following heavy rain last week, according to relief organisations. An official from the Myanmar Red Cross Society said that more than 2100 people from 396 households in Myitkyina township were moved to five relief camps on June 25 after the water level of the Ayeyarwady River rose towards its danger level of 1200 centimetres. Flooding occurred in Zee Lun, Myothitgyi, Sitarpu and Rampu quarters in Myitkyina. The water level has since decreased, according to the morning report on June 27, but the people are still living in the camps. The report said the level of the Ayeyarwady River hit a high of 1165cm at about 8am on June 26, she said. A flood bulletin issued by the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology at 1pm on June 29 said the water level of the Ayeyarwady River at Bhamo in southern Kachin State was 10cm about its danger level of 1160cm but was forecast to fall below that mark within 48 hours. An officer from the towns Fire Service Department said that 660 people from three quarters and two villages in Bhamo had been displaced by flooding. People already moved their property and animals to the highland before their houses were flooded. The floodwater reached the roof of some houses in the villages. Township authorities are providing meals, water and healthcare services for the displaced households, he said. The department also said the level of the Ayeyarwady River at Katha had reached its danger point of 1040cm on the afternoon of June 29. It was forecasted to increase another 15cm and stay above its warning point for 48 hours, the department said. Meanwhile, a new rainfall record for June was set at Maungdaw in Rakhine State when 16.61 inches (422 millimeters) fell in the 24 hours to 9:30am on June 27, smashing the old mark 13.46 inches set in 2010. A spokesperson from the State General Administrative Office in Sittwe said that the Buthidaung-Maungdaw road had been temporary closed on the evening of June 26 because of heavy rain but had reopened the following afternoon.

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capping a startling series of developments in recent months which saw the two nations normalise diplomatic relations following democratic reforms in Myanmar. In congratulating Mr Mitchell, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said the diplomat has done an excellent job in his current role as special representative and policy coordinator for Burma. His experience will serve us well in the region as he builds on the strong foundation established by (charge daffaires) Michael Thurston and our embassy team in Rangoon. Washington withdrew its ambassador to Myanmar after a crackdown on a democracy uprising in 1988 and elections won by the National League for Democracy in 1990 that were never recognised by the military government. But a reformist government under President U Thein Sein has freed political prisoners and encouraged the NLD to return to mainstream politics, as he initiated steps designed to break Myanmars isolation. 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, President Obama said in May when he named his new ambassador and announced an easing of investment sanctions. The US decision to ease sanctions could usher in the first major trade and investment between the US and Myanmar for years, and help pry open a backward economy left behind by speeding Southeast Asian development. US law currently requires the president to restrict imports from Myanmar and bans US investment and export of financial services to the country. AFP Earlier report, page 13

US Senate confirms Mitchell appointment

By Michael Mathes WASHINGTON The United States Senate on June 29 confirmed President Barack Obamas nominee to be the first US ambassador to Myanmar in more than two decades, the latest step in greater engagement with the country. Mr Derek Mitchell, a veteran US policymaker on Asia, was confirmed by unanimous consent,

Ministry warns hotels to follow room rate cap Hlaing

By Zaw Win Than THE Ministry of Hotels and Tourism will meet with travel agents in Nay Pyi Taw this week to discuss pricing issues following a recent warning to foreign-owned hotels to observe a new US$150 room rate cap for standard rooms. The cap was put in place because of fears skyrocketing prices were damaging the industry, Minister for Hotels and Tourism U Tint Hsan said. A spokesperson from Union of Myanmar Travel Association (UMTA) said the associations executive committee members and individual agents would attend the meeting in Nay Pyi Taw on July 5. Firstly the ministry only invited the executive committee members of UMTA but today the ministry also invited other interested travel agents to attend the meeting, he said. The meeting comes after U Tint Hsan met representatives from the hotel industry in Nay Pyi Taw on June 26 to announce the price cap. U Tint Hsan told hoteliers the ministry would not accept any situation that had the potential to destroy the image of Myanmar as a tourist destination and severe action would be taken against those that failed to heed the warning. The profiteering, which has seen prices triple to above $250 a night at some well-known business hotels, was a problem not only for the industry but the nation as a whole and could slow down the governments reform efforts, he said. The minister said the ministry would not recommend visa extensions for the general managers of hotels that failed to observe the limit, while lease extensions permitted under the foreign investment law could also be threatened. Action will also be taken against general managers and parent companies of hotels that provide incorrect room and occupancy rates to the ministry, he added. U Tint Hsan told hotel managers they should set prices in line with the market rates in neighbouring countries. While hotel managers have said the high prices are simply because of lack of supply, U Tint Hsan said the ministry had recently sent inspection teams to the hotels and found that not all were 100 percent occupied as they claimed. The meeting also touched on some hotels refusals to sign contracts with travel agents to lock in room rates, with the minister instructing managers and tour company representatives to discuss to reach an agreement on hotel reservations at reasonable room rates. A certain number of

Tharyar squatters plead guilty

By Htoo Aung TWENTY-TWO of 28 people accused of trespassing last week pleaded guilty to the charge in Hlaing Tharyar Township Court. However, they will not face sentencing until the remaining six people who have been charged at the request of Department of Human Settlement and Housing Development (DHSHD) have been located. The people were all living illegally on a block of empty land about 300 feet wide. Residents said DHSHD wanted the land to use as a park but the department was unavailable to comment on the case last week. The court charged us [with criminal trespass] under section 447 but only 22 people attended the court. The judge said they are still finding the other six people. After finding the others the judge will give the sentence. We have to come and sign for our plea, said casual labourer U Maung Soe, 45. Section 447 of the Penal Code relates to punishment for criminal trespass, said lawyer U Nay Min Aung from Kawhmu township. Anyone convicted of criminal trespass faces up to three months in prison, a fine or both, he said. The group represented themselves during the hearing because they couldnt afford a lawyer, U Maung Soe said. The judge asked us whether we were going to hire a lawyer for this case. I replied we are not going to. Of the 22 of us, some dont even have enough for the bus fare to attend the court so hiring a lawyer is impossible we are going to do it by ourselves, he said. U Myint Hlaing, 50, said most of the accused were casual labourers and even giving up a day of work to attend the court was a burden for them. Also, the court documents cost K1000 per day. We couldnt afford to come and give our plea. We are going to explain the situation to the judge, he said, adding that he hoped the case did not take long. If we dont go to work, we dont get any money. How will our families survive? U Maung Soe said he started constructing a hut on the land in April after he could no longer afford the K25,000 a month rent on his previous 8 foot by 12 foot dwelling. After we constructed our hut there, other families came and stayed. There are something like 140 households living in the area at the moment, he said.

Staff at Yangon's Chatrium Hotel. Pic: Kaung Htet hotel rooms should be reserved for tour companies, he said. A spokesperson for Yangons Traders Hotel said the company was planning to adjust the room rate to meet the conditions outlined by the ministry. We will adjust the price. I dont know how much the standard price will be but we are working on it and we will fix the new rate soon, the spokesperson said. The pricing issue has rocked the industry in recent months, and the June 26 meeting took place after more than 30 leading travel agents signed a petition outlining their grievances with the hotels and sent it to President U Thein Sein. Dr Aung Myat Kyaw, chairman of industry body the Myanmar Marketing Committee (MMC) and managing director of Orchestra Travel, said the profiteering hotels had taken a short-sighted approach in jacking up prices dramatically. This increase was expected but not to that extent. Here we are not only talking about irresponsible pricing but irresponsible practice too, like changing contracts continuously. Some hotels have revised their contracts four times, he told The Myanmar Times. What is happening now is a very short sighted approach to maximise profit but it will have long-term unwanted effects on Myanmar as a tourist destination, he said. The good image, the good reputation of the destination is damaged already, especially for this coming season. I feel this situation shows the need for a proper consumer law to prevent such irresponsible practices that damage the destinations image and the countrys reputation. The high room rates have caused some travel agents to lose bookings because of misunderstandings with partner agents outside Myanmar, said Daw Su Su Tin, managing director of Exotissimo Travel. Before we got a contract for about one year but now we only get it for six months so they can raise the price again and again. Even after they agreed the contract rate for the booking, they increased the rate. This situation is really hard for us and some cancelled their packages because of it. Our partner agents from foreign countries are really fed up with this situation and they said Myanmar is too hard to do business with, she said. Ma Susie Moe Aung, director of sales at The Governors Residence, said the ministrys decision was fair. If further action was not taken, this situation would ruin Myanmar tourism. The actions taken by the ministry are fair I think. We know some [foreign owned] hotels really increased their room rate quite frequently and that made it really hard for the travel agents when they are selling their package tours, she said. She said The Governors Residence had not received any complaints about its pricing because it was transparent about increasing rates. We have a system; for example, we just increase the room rate 5pc or 10pc once a year. We dont change the prices frequently, she said. The ministry also announced it would instruct delayed hotel projects in Yangon to stick to their original completion dates in order to ease the hotel room shortage. According to ministry figures, the hotels sector had received $1.144 billion in foreign investment over 36 properties. Singapore was the major source of investment, accounting for $597.8 million with 12 properties, followed by Thailand with $263.3 million with 11 properties. Meanwhile, figures from the ministry show that the number of foreign visitors arriving in Myanmar through the Yangon gateway increased 36.47pc over the first four months of the year to 175,930, up from 128,910 in the same period. More than half of visitors were from Asian countries, including about 28,852 from Thailand the largest single group by nationality followed by China with 13,689, Japan with 12,319 and Korea with 10,666. European nationals accounted for 50,128 travellers, representing 28.5pc of total arrivals. France led the way with 11,873 visitors, followed by Germany (8197) and the United Kingdom (7973). The figures also showed that foreign independent travellers made up the single largest group with 74,228, followed by package tourists (46,665), business travellers (32,949) and social visa holders (12,386).

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Snap Shot editor bailed over Rakhine coverage

By Nan Tin Htwe THE editor-in-chief of Snap Shot journal was released on bail of K400 million (about US$460,000) last week after being arrested over his journals coverage of the Rakhine State conflict. U Myat Khaing was charged on June 19 with violating sections 505(b) and 505(c) of the Penal Code, which both relate to statements conducing to public mischief, following a complaint from the Yangon Region government. He was asked to appear before Pazundaung Township Court on June 25 and after a 30-minute hearing was granted bail on a K400 million surety on health grounds. While the charges are not normally bailable, lawyers for U Myat Khaing successfully argued that their client should not be remanded in prison because he suffered from diabetes and hypertension, as well as heart disease, and provided medical documents to support their case. The charges were in relation to the June 14 issue of Snap Shot, over a number of issues deemed controversial. Among the infringements, the editors published on page eight a photo of Ma Thidar Htwe, a Rakhine girl who was raped and murdered on May 28, that appeared to have been taken shortly after her death. It was run alongside a photo of the three men accused of the crime. U Myat Khaing told The Myanmar Times shortly

Photo caused tension, fear, says Yangon govt

charges against Snap Shot from Deputy Director of U Aung Kyaw Soe on behalf A LAWYER for the Yangon of Yangon Region Chief Region government last week Minister, U Myint Swe, did argued that the decision of not mention the headline on Snap Shot journals editor- the front page of the June 8 in-chief to publish a photo edition that some speculate of a woman who was raped could also be behind the and murdered in Rakhine charges. Instead, they argued that State subsequently caused tension, fear and hurt the the decision to publish the photo of Ma Thidar Htwe 11 peace. The second day of the hearing days after her death had been at Pazundaung Township a deliberate attempt to create Court, on June 29, ran for tension and conflict between about three hours, during Buddhists and Muslims. The fact that section 144 which the prosecuting lawyer attempted to draw a direct and a state of emergency had link between the publication not been declared in Yangon of the photo of Ma Thidar Region or most parts of the country after Htwe on June the journal 8 and unrest in Yangon in every citizen was published showed its the days after, impact had including a shall be able been limited, protest at Shwedagon to express and he argued. He also Pagoda by publish freely. spoke of the Rakhine on Myanmar June 9. Journalist Shops in some townships closed because Associations request to of the religious tension, some the regional government to students were unable to go withdraw the charges against to school and the regional the Snap Shot editor as the government and township publication has already been general administrative suspended by the Ministry of offices were forced to put Information for one month. He said the incident in place additional security measures, the lawyer for the mainly concerned journalism ethics and cited the 2008 government said. The journals editor-in- constitution, which states chief, U Myat Khaing, has that every citizen shall be been charged under section able to express and publish 505(b) and (c) of the Penal freely their convictions and opinions. Code over the incident. He also said that the court But during the two hours they spent outlining the had not provided the defense governments case, the with the legal document from lawyer and U Min Thura, the chief minister requesting township administrator for charges to be filed against U Pazundaung township, who Myat Khaing. The hearing received the order to file will continue on July 13. By Nan Tin Htwe

Snap Shot editor-in-chief U Myat Khaing outside Pazundaung Township Court on June 25. Pic: Yadanar after leaving the court that he wanted to thank the judge for granting him bail. The president highlighted the role of the media because we are going to democracy. Sometimes we misunderstand each other. Everything is new for all of us. We are not used to it. I think both sides need to help each other. But [charging under] section 505 is too much, he said. He said the charges were alarming for all in the industry, coming just before a planned transition from pre- to post-publication censorship. This is just an example. We need to be more careful. This is alarming for all of us and a reminder that even if censorship is gone, there are still laws. Under section 505(b), whoever makes, publishes or circulates any statement, rumour or report with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public or to any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the state or against the public tranquility faces up to two years in prison, a fine or both. Section 505(c), which relates to publishing with intent to incite, or which is likely to incite, any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community, carries the same punishment. U Thein Than Oo, the law consultant for Snap Shot, said it was the first time since at least 1988 that the editor of a journal had faced section 505 charges.

MPs prepare questions, proposals on Rakhine State

By Ei Ei Toe Lwin BORDER s e c u r i t y , c i t i z e n s h i p a n d immigration are expected to top the agenda when the fourth hluttaw session begins on July 4 in Nay Pyi Taw, representatives said last week. Representatives from Rakhine State are preparing questions and proposals in response to the outbreak of communal violence in the region in early June. We are discussing in our party what kind of issue we will propose in the hluttaw. But we have to inform the hluttaw office what we want to ask 10 or 15 days in advance. Were not exactly sure how much chance well get to discuss the issue, said Dr Aye Maung, chairman of the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party. He said the party was preparing to discuss issues related to the violence and would even call for the election commission to re-examine whether all hluttaw representatives from Rakhine State meet the citizenship criteria for MPs. It is very important that representatives are true citizens, said Dr Aye Maung, an Amyotha Hluttaw representative. I think other representatives will also be willing to discuss the issues we propose. U Khaing Maung Yi, Pyithu Hluttaw representative for Ahlone, said his party, the National Democratic Force, was planning to propose a law concerning security at border gates during the coming session. I dont want to talk about it in detail before we discuss it in the hluttaw, he told The Myanmar Times last week. At present, the army is not allowed to stay in some border areas and we must push to have the army in these areas to ensure security. U Thein Nyunt from the New National Democracy Party said he was prepared to discuss proposals about Rakhine State. I think it is a suitable time to discuss these issues at the hluttaw. Border security issues are happening not only in Rakhine State but also in other places because of the lack of a strong wall or fence. I think the equipment of border guard armies is out of date and we need to update it. Also, the government must strictly control immigration and recheck National Registration Cards in the border areas. Some people have got an NRC by illegal means, he said.

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Waste dump extension leaves 70 homeless

By Noe Noe Aung FAMILIES recently evicted from illegal settlements in North Dagon township have pleaded for assistance from the government, saying they have nowhere else to live and no money to rent a house. Sixty-four people from 12 households were evicted from an empty block near Htawelchaung cemetery by Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) officials early on June 25 following repeated warnings to leave. Another household was ordered to leave by June 28 or face eviction. When The Myanmar Times visited the area on June 27, the remains of destroyed huts were still lying on the ground. Many of the evicted residents were taking shelter from the monsoon rain in a temporary bamboo building that was full of flies due to its proximity to the Htawelchaung rubbish dump. The evictions came following several warnings from YCDC. On June 22, some YCDC people called us and gave us a notice that said we must move from this land as YCDC wants to extend the Htawelchuang dump. That was the third time they advised us, U Win Cho said. We didnt move though because there is nowhere for us to go. House rent is expensive and we dont have enough money to rent or buy houses because we survive by doing odd jobs. We were farmers and we lived in Toekyaungkalay before. But in 1989, the government took our farm lands because they said they were needed for the country. of the rain, there is water everywhere and children are sick from the cold weather. Many children are absent their school, she said. Daw Khin Wine Kyi, an Amyotha Hluttaw representative for the constituency covering North Dagon, East Dagon and North Okkalapa townships, said she was going to lobby the government for help relocate the families. Im going to report a petition to relevant departments in Yangon Region to give them somewhere to live for the time being, I have helped them by buying medicine and some tarpaulins to make a shelter, she said. I think the Yangon Region government should deal with this case gently. Our president is trying to create a new country with improved socio-economic development. If that is the case, helping working class people like these families should be our priority. But U Than Lwin Oo, head of the Pollution Control and Cleansing Department of YCDC, said that the committee did not plan to expand the rubbish dump but just wanted to remove the squatters. All of this land is originally Htawelchaung cemetery land ... but for a long time we have been putting rubbish on the low-lying areas of the cemetery land. YCDC is not planning to extend the [rubbish dump], just remove those squatters, U Than Lwin Oo told The Myanmar Times on June 29. He said that the department had warned the families multiple times that they had to move, most recently on June 8. They didnt obey so the department formed a group to remove the squatters ... and we reported to the Yangon Region government about our intentions. The regional government gave permission and we dont plan to give them anywhere to live, U Than Lwin Oo said. Now we have made a fence around the cemetery land and put signboards up saying it is owned by YCDC. If anyone squats there again we will take action.

NGOs asked to help govt draft by-laws

By Ei Ei Toe Lwin THE Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry has invited four prominent Myanmar nongovernment organisations to help write by-laws and regulations for the recently introduced Environmental Conservation Law. Leaders of the four environmental groups Forest Resources and Environment Development Association (FREDA), Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association (BANCA), Renewable Energy Association Myanmar (REAM) and Ecosystem Conservation and Community Development Initiative (ECCDI) said they had accepted the offer, which was extended in early June. U Ohn, vice president of FREDA, said it was the first time such an offer had been made and called it a good opportunity for the organisations to get involved in influencing legislation. Nothing can be successful if it is implemented by the government alone or by only non-government organisations. All of us are very pleased that the ministry has recognised our status. Well give as much advice as we can on what we believe should be included in the by-laws. However, ECCDI chairman Dr Kyaw Tint said the groups were still in the dark as to when the by-law drafting would take place. I only got a letter inviting us to participate. I still havent got any more information, he said. He said he would take the chance to lobby the ministry to amend and upgrade the Community Forest Instruction to a Community Forest Law to generate greater public interest and better protect against forest degradation. The Environmental Conservation Law was enacted on April 1, based on a draft written in 1998 but never promulgated. While welcoming the introduction of the law, environmental experts were critical of the government for not including them in the drafting process. They also said the punishments for violating the law were not substantial enough to act as deterrents. U Ohn said that NGOs would recommend that the by-laws add further deterrents, including a requirement that foreign investors pay a deposit that would be lost if environmental regulations are violated. He said it was also important that major projects were subject to an environmental impact assessmen t an d soc ial impact assessment. Now many investors from foreign countries are interested in and preparing to invest in Myanmar. We need to prepare [for that investment] and take precautions to ensure our national interests are protected. During a meeting with Myanmar NGOs in May 2011, Minister for Environmental Conservation and Forestry U Win Tun said that his ministry would seek to increase cooperation with outside experts. We cannot be successful in shaping a Myanmar society that is happy, healthy and environmentally friendly on our own. We welcome the participation of local NGOs and experts from different sectors in our activities, he said.

A young woman evicted from her home by Yangon City Development Committee on June 25. Pic: Kaung Htet I have many difficulties. So we were homeless and then we moved here, besides If this happened before the Htawelchaung cemetery, as rainy season I could have this was fallow land. But now managed something. But now it is such a rush and it is we are homeless again. U Tin Soe, a casual labourer raining every day so moving who lives near the 12 other is really difficult. The worst families, said he would leave is that my young daughter the area voluntarily so that who is in Grade 1 had to his home was not destroyed. drop out of school, he said.

need medicine, they Theythey need somewhereneed help. And to live.

My house was not included in those demolished by YCDC on June 25. But YCDC and township officials told me that I have to move on June 28, said U Tin Soe. For U Tin Soe the eviction was a double blow, as he made a living harvesting and selling Eugenia leaves (thabyay pan) from the hundreds of trees around his home. Ma Khine Hnin Wai, 14, said the destruction of her home had made it difficult to attend school. I had an exam on that day [on June 25] but I missed it as my house was demolished in the early morning. Now I have to live in a neighbours house. But I have difficulties to study and live there because it is not my home. Im so sad for my parents, for my family, that I cant study well, she said. The plight of the families has attracted support from local activists and politicians. Daw Naw Ohn Hla, a former political prisoner released under an amnesty in May 2011, said that some children were suffering from diarrhoea because of the weather and the flies from the nearby rubbish dump. They need medicine, they need help. And they need somewhere to live. Because

Trade Mark CauTion

IDA Laboratories Co.Ltd, a company located at 1-9-2 Asakusabashi, Taito-ku, Tokyo is the owner and proprietor of the following Trade Mark and owns the copyright on it;

Myanmar reg . no .4 / 3355 / 2012 (30-3-2012) Used in respect of:- cosmetics, soap , false nails, false eyelashes , adhesives for affixing false eyelashes, cosmetic and toilet utensils, eyelash curlers, edge tools (hand tools), being produced by this company. IDA Laboratories Co.Ltd has officially assigned Shiny & Beauty Co.Ltd having its address sixth floor, room 606, La Pyae Win plaza dagon township as a sole and exclusive sale & delivery representative company in Myanmar. Any fradulent or unauthorized use or imitation of the said mark and, producing and selling the goods like them shall be dealt with according to Law. Anyone importing these goods into Myanmar except shiny & Beauty Co. Ltd, selling and delivering them shall be dealt with according to Law. U Than Maung, Advocate For IDA Laboratories Co. Ltd, C/O Kelvinchia Yangon Ltd. Unit 1509, sakura Tower Bogyoke Aung San Road, Kyauktada Township, Yangon, Union of Myanmar. Dated: 2nd July 2012.

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France will help reform effort, says Hollande

PARIS President Francois Hollande told Daw Aung San Suu Kyi last week that France would do everything possible to back the countrys democratic transition, as she visited Paris for the last leg of a landmark European tour. Mr Hollande told the prodemocracy icon on June 26 that France will support all actors in Myanmars reforms and that Paris was ready to welcome President U Thein Sein if he wanted to visit. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi meanwhile called for investment in her countrys struggling economy, but not at the expense of democratic reforms. I reaffirm here that France will support all the actors in [Myanmar]s democratic transition and will do everything possible with ... the European Union so that this process goes to the end, Mr Hollande said at a joint press conference with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in the Elysee Palace. Asked about U Thein Sein, who Britain last week invited to visit, Mr Hollande said: If he wants to come, he will come. Nobel Peace laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, 67, came to France after warm welcomes in Switzerland, Ireland, Norway and Britain and was treated with honours normally accorded a head of state, including a dinner with Mr Hollande and other top officials. She has used the European tour to call for transparent investment in Myanmar. We need democracy as well as economic development, she said. Development cannot be a substitute for democracy, it must be used to

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi poses for a photo with Paris deputy mayor Anne Hidalgo (right) after receiving an honorary citizen award at the Paris City Hall on June 27. Pic: AFP

Feted Daw Suu ends Euro tour in Paris

PARIS Daw Aung San Suu Kyi ended her triumphant tour of Europe in France on June 28, after being lauded during her visits as a model of peaceful resistance to dictatorship. The Nobel Peace laureate has been cheered by crowds and leaders on her fivenation tour, her first visit to Europe in a quartercentury. In France, she was treated with honours normally reserved for a head of state, dining at the Elysee Palace on June 26 with President Francois Hollande, who pledged support for Myanmars transition towards democracy. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, 67, has in the past two weeks visited Switzerland, Norway, Ireland, Britain and now France, receiving rock star welcomes along the way. The trip allowed her to finally give her 1991 Nobel Peace Prize speech in Oslo, and to thank groups and institutions for awards they have given her. On June 28 she was to visit both houses of Frances parliament the National Assembly and the Senate and talk to students at the Sorbonne university in Paris. The previous day, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi received her 2004 honorary citizen of Paris certificate and was hailed by Mayor Bertrand Delanoe for her tenacity and unshakeable faith in her campaign for democracy in Myanmar. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has enjoyed strong support among rights groups in France and was the subject of a 2011 French-English film biography, The Lady. She also met with Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and planted a tree in the ministrys gardens. For us, you are the lady of human rights, Mr Fabius told her during the ceremony. We are just at the beginning of the road. We need to be extremely careful within the next three years, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said at the ceremony, referring to parliamentary elections due in 2015. But she also said that the hard work needs to be done now. I think we cant wait until 2015 to see how things will emerge, she said in an interview on June 28. It is now that is most important ... the next three years will decide what shape 2015 will take. On June 26, Mr Hollande said France gave its full backing to the transition efforts in Myanmar, and said Paris was ready to welcome U Thein Sein, who also received an invitation from former colonial ruler Britain the previous week. Major Western powers have rolled back or suspended long-standing sanctions against Myanmar, a resource-rich but deeply impoverished country. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has on her tour called for human rights-friendly investment. In the June 28 interview she stressed that whether its investment from China or the West, there should be codes of best practices to ensure that the investments are as beneficial for our people as profitable for the investors. We are very keen on businesses signing up to codes of good practices, especially with regards to financial transparency in the extractive industries, which tend to be the most controversial of all. Her trip has been marred by communal strife in Rakhine State, where more than 80 people have died in clashes between Rakhine and Rohingya this month, the government said. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said the key would be to strengthen the rule of law and citizenship laws to ascertain which Rohingya known in Myanmar as Bengalis and usually characterised as illegal immigrants are legal citizens and which are not. Some of them, Im sure, are in accordance with the citizenship laws, entitled to the rights of citizens, but who these are we have to be able to find out, she said. Communal strife, lack of communal harmony, is usually rooted in cultural and religious differences which take time to sort out. But with rule of law, immediate problems could be minimised. AFP

France support will all the actors in [Myanmar]s democratic transition and will do everything possible ... so that this process goes to the end.

strengthen the foundations of democracy. She said financial transparency in the extractive industries and in fact business in general were essential to investment. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was earlier greeted by wellwishers as she arrived in Paris by train from Britain. AFP

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Unusual find during cemetery excavation

By Phyo Wai Kyaw IT may not be as picturesque as U Beins Bridge, but Amarapura has recently discovered it has another, more macabre attraction: a corpse that has grown hair since it was interred in a tomb 24 years ago. The discovery was made when family members went to move remains from Linzingone Cemetery in Amarapura township, about 10 kilometres south of Mandalay, to Kyarnikan Cemetery on the orders of Mandalay City Development Committee. On June 13, relatives of U Mg Gyi, a well-known jeweller in the area who died 24 years ago, opened the family tomb to discover his body had grown hair, a beard and eyebrows. The find has caused a stir and prompted many Mandalay residents to go and visit the site to get a glimpse of the body. There are 18 of our relatives buried in this tomb. When my uncle, U Mg Gyi, died at 80 years old, we shaved his moustache and beard and entombed him in it. Now, when we reopened it, we found that he had grown hair. It is very strange so people came to see it. We had to leave the body in the tomb because there were so many people, relative U Htin Aung Sein said on June 14. He said the family plans to cremate U Mg Gyi and scatter his ashes along the river in the presence of monks once the interest dies down. Linzingone Cemetery is well known as the last resting place for many monks and Chinese, as well as what is reputed to be the tomb of a Thai king and historian Dr Than Tun. Once the remains have been removed from the cemetery, located near U Beins Bridge, officials plan to build a park on the site. Translated by Thiri Min Htun.

Activists defend role in strikes

In Depth
with Noe Noe Aung OVER the past two months since employees at the Tai Yi shoe factory in Hlaing Tharyar township stopped work on May 2 a strike has occurred every few days in Yangons industrial zones. A few have captured a lot of attention, and many have passed with little notice, the workers demands quickly resolved. For most of the thousands of workers who have stopped work, their main complaint is their extremely low basic salary usually about K8000 a month. But there are other, less well-known reasons for the strikes, namely the environment inside the factory. Many workers have complained during strike negotiations that the managers treat them badly. They are unable to speak during work hours or go to the toilet as often as they need to. Many lose a large proportion of their salary, which is comprised mostly of attendance bonuses, if they take a single day off. It is important to note that this is not the case in every factory, or even necessarily the majority of factories in Myanmar. But these issues have all come to light as a result of the strikes, which have received significant media coverage. At a recent public meeting in Hlaing Tharyar township, U Win Shein, head of the director of Factories and General Labour Laws Inspection Department, warned both local and foreign supervisors and managers that they needed to create a warm environment in their factories. If a worker is sick, please allow them to take leave. If a worker has an accident while working, please take them to a doctor. And dont make unnecessary rules for the factory floor, U Win Shein said at the June 12 meeting. I dont want to see any discipline that is not really needed in the factories. For example, rules that state workers must not go anywhere for the first 30 minutes after they arrive at work, he said. Workers sometimes come from far away to get to the factories so, for example, they might need to go to the toilet when they arrive. But managers command them not to go anywhere for 30 minutes. That kind of rule is simply not needed. We still have many things to do. We should support the forming of worker unions. And I want to tell the management level people here not to scold, abuse and beat workers. And tell the owners who mostly are foreigners what we have instructed you. Dont hesitate to tell the owners. Perhaps the most controversial element of the strikes has been the role of labour rights activists, lawyers and political groups assisting the workers. Many of these people and organisations insist they are just filling the gap before labour organisations, or unions, are established, while some factory owners accuse them of inciting workers to strike.

Workers from the Taw Win Myanmar factory in Hlaing Tharyar township during a strike in June. Pic: Ko Taik P r o b l e m s b e t w e e n develop only the physical are working 14 or 16 hours a day now, they think they workers and owners are aspect of the country, we are lucky if they work 12 like fights between family also have to work hard to members. Regardless of develop our knowledge, U hours a day. So they need somebody how the family members Myint Soe said. He said that it was who can get involved and are discordant, they have help them have a smooth to meet each other. Owners important that workers and conversation with the owner. and workers are the same employers started using Thats how activists first too. Owners cant run their the Settlement of Labour became involved in the business without workers Disputes Law 2012, which and workers cant live w a s a p p r o v e d b y t h e strikes. H e w a r n e d t h a t t h e without owners. We are just Pyidaungsu Hluttaw in March. resolutions reached between advisers, he added. All people who are involved in these cases and helping use We only get involved when workers and factory owners the workers shouldsaid. the law practically, he But things are smoother cant resolve the strikes on their own. than before. At the beginning, only the activists W h i l e w o r k e r s h a v e helped to negotiate between T h e 8 8 G e n e r a t i o n workers and owners were student group has assisted just like temporary solutions greater freedom to air their owners and workers and it in 37 strikes in the past two until laws protecting the grievances than before, there was quite difficult to solve months, said senior member rights of both employers and are still concerns that many [the disputes]. Later, the workers are promulgated. of the strikes are technically Ministry of Labour and U Ko Ko Gyi. In every case, the workers Another requirement is that illegal. While the Labour other departments focus and owners tried to negotiate those implementing the law Organisation Law allows on the cases and solve the workers to strike, it is a problems, so things are themselves first. We were need to be impartial. Worker unions are needed relatively complex process better. Officials and activists only involved in those cases where the owners and now more than ever. And also to get permission and much should cooperate to solve workers couldnt resolve it owners need to be smarter. of the infrastructure, such as these problems. We have been able to They need to understand unions, does not exist yet. on their own, he said. Regardless, few workers resolve many strikes but I Often the workers do not that worker unions are not have enough knowledge. I there to oppose the owners. understand how they can use knew its not a real solution. saw that the workers demand They are just a group that the law to strike legally, said We have to do a lot of things that their working hours will negotiate to solve the U Myint Soe, better known to protect workers rights and to help them get the be set from 7am to 7pm. p r o b l e m s b e t w e e n t h e as Labour Myint Soe. The government is rights that they deserve. But internationally, eight owners and workers. And hours a day is considered us activists will help them trying to improve the country What we are seeing now is in many ways. But we cant just the beginning. reasonable. Because they to get a better future.

Trade Mark CauTion

NOTICE is hereby given that Lison Vision Ltd. a company incorporated in Thailand and having its principal office at 129 Soi PhrachaUtid 72, PhrachaUtid Rd, Tungkru, Bangkok 10140, Thailand is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trademark: -

Trade Mark CauTion

NOTICE is hereby given that Mepha Schweiz aG, a joint stock company duly organized under the laws of Switzerland, Manufacturers and Merchants of at Dornacherstrasse 114, 4147 Aesch, Switzerland is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trademark:-

U Aung San Oo gets share of family home

YANGON A Yangon court has awarded the estranged brother of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi half-ownership of the family home, where she spent 15 years under house arrest, her lawyer said last week. The lakeside property in Yangon has been the subject of a legal battle between Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her elder brother U Aung San Oo since 2000, when he filed a suit for a share of the house, which had been owned by their father, General Aung San. Yangons West District Court on June 23 reversed an earlier court ruling and awarded him halfownership of the home. Daw Aung San Suu Kyis lawyer, U Nyan Win, said on June 25 that his client would appeal the ruling on the grounds that U Aung San Oo is a US citizen and Myanmar law prohibits foreigners from owning land. Her only living sibling has been residing in the US since 1973. Myanmars inheritance law cannot give or cannot allow foreigners to have unmovable goods: land [or] buildings. Now Aung San Suu Kyis brother U Aung San Oo is a foreigner, a spokesman for the National League for Democracy said. DPA

CLoPiMeF
(reg: no. iV/4946/2012) (reg: no. iV/4948/2012) in respect of:- Wet wipes and Cotton Wool Products Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. U Kyi Win Associates for Lison Vision Ltd. P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 2nd July, 2012 in respect of:Pharmaceutical products and substance as well as preparations for health care purposes; medical disinfectants in Class: 5 Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. U Kyi Win Associates for Mepha Schweiz aG, P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 2nd July, 2012

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US senators press for oil investment

By Shaun Tandon WASHINGTON US senators said last week they planned to move quickly to confirm the first US ambassador to Myanmar in two decades, as they pushed to allow investment in the countrys oil and gas sector. President Barack Obama on May 17 nominated Mr Derek Mitchell, a veteran US policymaker on Asia, as ambassador to the country after dramatic reforms including the election of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to parliament. At a hearing on the nomination on June 27, senators across party lines voiced support for Mr Mitchell. Senator Jim Webb, who heads a subcommittee on East Asia, said he hoped to complete Mr Mitchells confirmation by the end of last week. But senators pressed the Obama administration to allow investment by US energy companies as part of its loosening of sanctions on Myanmar, voicing fear that US companies would lose out to foreign competitors. Senator James Inhofe, a Republican from Oklahoma and champion of the fossil fuel industry, said he heard rumours that the administration will exclude oil firms from new rules allowing US investment in the country. This or any other carveout strategy would be a strategic mistake, Mr Inhofe told the hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. I believe that US companies, including the oil and gas companies, can play a positive role in the effort by demonstrating high standards of responsibility, responsible business conduct and transparency including respect for human rights in Burma, he said. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, paying a historic tour of Europe, said in Geneva on June 14 that foreign firms should not partner with the state-owned Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise until her country signs up to international standards such as the IMF code on transparency. In a rare note of discord with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace laureate who is widely respected in Washington, Mr Webb said that the United States does not require countries to endorse this code or other standards as a prerequisite for US investment. Mr Webb, a long-time advocate of engagement with Myanmar, said other countries as diverse as China and New Zealand have also not signed the code. Mr Mitchell said that the administration had not made a decision on oil and gas investment in Myanmar but reiterated concerns about the stateowned company. US engagement with Myanmar must benefit reform and ensure that

US Senator Jim Webb speaks at a press conference in Yangon in April. Pic: Kaung Htet we are contributing to the highest values and that we model the type of behaviour that we like to see, Mitchell said. Not all US lawmakers are enthusiastic about oil and gas investment, with some members of the House of Representatives saying that Myanmars reforms are overblown. Senator John Kerry, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that any further removal of sanctions needed to be handled in a thoughtful, step-by-step process that is contingent upon continued progress. Mr Mitchell, testifying before the committee, warned that reform in Myanmar is not irreversible and raised concerns that hundreds of political prisoners remained locked up. He also expressed worries about human rights in ethnic minority areas, pointing to recent violence between Rakhine and Rohingya in Rakhine State that has left more than 80 people dead. Recent sectarian violence in Rakhine State demonstrates the divisiveness in Burma cultivated over many decades, if not centuries, that will need to be overcome to realise lasting peace and national reconciliation in the country, Mitchell said. But he praised President U Thein Sein, a general turned civilian who took office last year, as a remarkable figure. We should never forget to recognise his extraordinary vision and leadership and the many reformist steps he and his partners in government have taken over the past year, Mr Mitchell said. AFP

Pharmacists prepare for association launch

By Shwe Yee Saw Myint A PHARMACISTS association will soon be formally established to improve professionalism in the sector, sources said last week. A group of pharmacists received permission from the Ministry of Home Affairs to form the association on May 25, after collecting several hundred signatures and petitioning the health ministry, said association chair U Po Kya, a consultant Retired physician U Win said it was very dangerous that pharmacies sold all medication openly without proper guidance for patients. The association should ensure that those working in pharmacies understand how these drugs should be used. With some, such as penicillin, it is very common [for patients] to be allergic, he said. If the association can help to improve the systems in pharmacies and can bring them under the direction of the association there will be many benefits. Pharmacist Daw Htwe Htwe Nge said the storage systems employed at most pharmacies were poor and this reduced the effectiveness of the medication they sold. Officials from the Health Department should examine pharmacies storage systems for drugs, she said. U Myo Zaw Lwin, the business manager of a pharmaceutical wholesaler at Yangons Mingalar Market, agreed storage was an issue. Most pharmacies store tablets and vaccines at room temperature. Many of these shops dont have cold storage for vaccines. Health inspectors check the storage systems and drug quality at pharmaceutical companies once every six months but they dont check small pharmacies, he said. Most pharmacies do not have qualified pharmacists but some sales staff have certificates from private pharmacy training institutes.

The association should ensure that

those working in pharmacies know how their products should be used.

who was formerly director of the Ministry of Industrys Development Center for Pharmaceutical Technology. He said the association aimed to improve the knowledge of those dispensing medication and ensure pharmaceuticals are not used incorrectly and that its activities could have significant benefits for the country. Sources in the industry said there was a definite need to improve standards in Myanmar, where many rely on pharmacists to prescribe medication because they do not have the money to seek treatment at a clinic.

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Refugees in Yunnan are desperate, says HRW

BANGKOK Thousands of refugees who have fled to China from wartorn Kachin State face a humanitarian crisis due to lack of adequate shelter, food, water and healthcare, Human Rights Watch warned last week. The New York-based group accused China of turning back or forcibly repatriating some displaced people to Kachin State, where a 17-year ceasefire between the military and Kachin Independence Army collapsed last June. It urged Beijing to let UN agencies deliver emergency aid to the estimated 7000 to 10,000 ethnic Kachin refugees who have sought refuge in southwestern China since fighting erupted a year ago. Both aid workers and refugees are telling us that their resources are running out, Phil Robertson, HRW deputy Asia director, told a news conference in Bangkok on June 26. We are looking at a real humanitarian crisis for this group. Its a group of refugees in a desperate situation. China has not provided any aid to the refugees, who are surviving on limited assistance from local and international agencies, and has refused access to the UN refugee agency and other major humanitarian organisations, HRW said. The conflict between the KIA and Tatmadaw has displaced tens of thousands of people, with both sides accused of rights abuses such as the use of child soldiers and landmines. Myanmars reformist government has inked ceasefires with several ethnic rebel groups as part of reforms since coming to power last year. But six rounds of talks with the Kachin since November have failed to achieve a breakthrough. Beijing was long a key ally and backer of the military government that ruled Myanmar for decades, and remains close to the countrys military and new authorities, even as Myanmar reaches out for wider international acceptance. Although displaced Kachin have generally been allowed to enter and stay in Chinas Yunnan Province, HRW said it had documented two instances in which an estimated total of 300 people were ordered to return to Myanmar. A number of others have been turned away by China at the border, although it is unclear whether they were isolated cases, according to the rights watchdog. This put the refugees at grave risk and created a pervasive fear of forced return among the Kachin refugees who remain in Yunnan, HRW said. Kachin refugees in China meanwhile have been subjected to arbitrary drug testing, resulting in some being sent to rehabilitation centres where they are forced to work without pay in inhuman conditions, the report said. AFP

Kachin grandmother Mui Hpu Kaw with two of her seven grandchildren inside the La Ying refugee camp in Chinas Yunnan Province. There are more than 7000 Kachin displaced in China, according to the IDPs and Refugees Relief Committee. Pic: IRIN

With little outside assistance, refugees from Kachin State struggle in China
YUNNAN PROVINCE A sea of mud that was once a pathway leads up to Mui Hpu Kaws bamboo hut in the refugee camp of La Ying, in Chinas Yunnan Province, near the Myanmar border. Heavy rain pelts down on the plastic sheeting that serves as a roof of the temporary shelter while she boils a pot of rice on an open fire for her seven grandchildren. I have been living in a displaced persons camp on the Kachin side of the border since last year, said the 66-year-old Kachin grandmother. Her family is among 2000 displaced Kachin living in the La Ying camp. Four of Mui Hpu Kaws sons are Kachin Independence Army (KIA) soldiers who have been fighting against Myanmar government troops across the border in Kachin State since a 17-year-old ceasefire between the two sides collapsed in June 2011. According to recent figures released by the IDPs and Refugees Relief Committee (IRRC), based in Laiza, a large town in Kachin State, there are currently nine official Kachin refugee camps in China housing 7097 people. Another 3000 Kachin civilians are staying with relatives or in unofficial temporary settlements near the Chinese border, the IRRC says. This is in addition to the more than 62,000 people displaced within Myanmar, including 24,000 in government-controlled areas, and close to 40,000 in KIA-controlled areas, the UN estimates. Kachin refugees in Chinas Yunnan Province are isolated, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report released on June 26, and the lack of access to camps in China by international NGOs is creating severe shortages of food and medical supplies. Many of the refugees have been in China for more than a year and their resources are running out. We are sliding into a humanitarian crisis for these people, said the deputy director of HRWs Asia division, Phil Robertson. Its time for China to step up and recognise that it has obligations, after ratifying the refugee convention and its protocol, to not only protect refugees but also to assist and enable others, like the UNHCR [the UN Refugee Agency], to assist them. May Li Aung, of the Wun Pawng Ninghtoi (WPN), an umbrella group of eight Kachin aid agencies working with displaced civilians on both sides of the border, said: Although we still have some basic food supplies like rice and cooking oil, our complimentary foods that are essential in maintaining the health of the youngsters and the old people are no longer available. Since the start of the conflict, most of the food and friends and relatives to support them and treat them like family, he said. However, there is a need for more nurses. Right now, there are very few and they are not experienced. If serious cases happen they have to go to neighbouring towns where there is a proper hospital, said Mr Hayashi. In La Ying camp, La Bang Naw Tarong, 46, now boils his water for a long time after a serious bout of diarrhoea in May. Further along the path from his hut, volunteer workers hammer together a new addition to the camp. We all ran from different locations and have our children with us. Thats why we have to build schools for kindergarten kids, and we have to build a home for the teachers who come to teach our children, said Naw Tarong. I just want to go home, but the soldiers say it is too dangerous. As the displaced continue to live in dire conditions, human rights groups are calling on Beijing to immediately provide temporary protection and allow the United Nations and humanitarian agencies unhindered access to Kachin refugees in Yunnan. I think that the key bilateral partners in China the EU, the US, Canada, Australia, others also need to get behind the UNHCR and support them politically by saying to China that they really need the UNHCR down there [in Yunnan], said Mr Robertson of HRW. But [they should] also be prepared to provide concrete financial support for humanitarian assistance. IRIN

the Many ofhave refugees been in China for more than a year and their resources are running out.

medical supplies in KIAcontrolled areas have been donated by local religious groups, and the Kachin Independence Organisation, the political wing of the KIA. Assistance to governmentcontrolled areas is more readily available, but the UN still has only limited access to KIA-controlled areas. Kouzui Hayashi, 38, a former monk who is now an aid worker for a Japanese Buddhist group, has visited several camps on the Chinese side of the border. Many of the refugees have

TiMESbusiness
By Aye Thidar Kyaw TRADERS and foreign currency earners last week were tipping exchange rates for dollars and Foreign Exchange Certificates to hit K1000 within a couple of months. They said moves by the government to open up car imports were driving demand for dollars and FEC, which had resulted in the exchange values for both jumping by at least 7.5 percent in less than a month to about K880 on the black market on June 28. In early May, dollars and FEC were selling for K815. Economists said the governments decision to ease car import regulations on May 10 by letting anybody with at least US$10,000 in a state-run bank account import a 2007 or later vehicle was a short-term measure aimed at boosting demand for dollars. The Central Bank of Myanmars advisory dollar rate on its website following an early morning currency auction with 11 private banks was K873 on June 27 but black market changers were offering K880 or K885 for FEC. However, both currencies had hit nearly K900 on the evening of June 27, several traders told The Myanmar Times. Several sources said the

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MyanMar tiMes

Forex rates up, and tipped to keep rising

intervene in the market if needed. There should not be any push to manipulate the exchange rate because thats not the essence of the market economy but the CBM should be ready to intervene in the market if required, just like central banks do in other countries, he said. He said he usually urged to government to liberalise imports and expedite trade licensing as a way to boost foreign exchange rates. Economist U Khine Tun said the government needed to plan carefully when working to weaken the kyat. The government has said that they will try to soften the kyat and its about time too, he said. But they have to think first what figure they want, whether that is K900 or K1000, on a cost-benefit analysis, he said. U Khine Tun said he believed the government had released the K10,000 note as part of its efforts to soften the kyat but cautioned that efforts needed to be made to ensure that commodity prices did not soar. Even though Myanmars economy is becoming more open and is getting international attention, actual foreign investment has not dramatically increased yet. But when that investment arrives it will weaken the dollar because those foreign companies will bring in dollars to pay for their projects, he said. U Khine Tun said the government could further strengthen the dollar by liberalising imports, paying interest on foreign currency bank accounts and pave the way for people to enter the international bond market.

Central Bank of Myanmar employees handle bank notes in Yangon last week. Pic: AFP government was trying to weaken the kyat in advance of an expected injection of foreign investment and cash. Senior economist Dr Mg Aung said: Its unlikely that the foreign exchange rates will jump at once, even though the government is trying to soften the kyat. He added that the rising exchange rate would bring benefits for export sectors such as agricultural products and fisheries, which were unable to compete internationally when the kyat was too strong. However, he warned that the softening kyat would likely increase inflation. Dr Mg Mg Lay, a vice president of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, recommended that big business avoids speculating on the exchange rate too much because while it helped exporters when the kyat was weak, importers suffered. The government should carefully monitor the floating rate to ensure it was fair for many sectors, he said. U Than Lwin, a consultant and former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Myanmar, said the Central Bank should be prepared to

Central Bank tipped to gain independence

YANGON Myanmars Central Bank is poised to win independence to set monetary policy, its deputy governor said, in what would be a major economic reform by a government seeking to attract foreign investors. If we have monetary stability, investors can be encouraged to enter the country with greater confidence, U Maung Maung Win told AFP in an interview. An independent central bank is seen as a hallmark of a modern free-market economy. The move is not expected to come overnight, however, and the Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) needs to recruit more staff to expand its capacity, U Maung Maung Win said. A new draft of the central bank law is now with the Attorney Generals Office waiting to be reviewed, and must pass parliament before the institution can break free from government control over monetary policy. The CBM law would be amended to become more relevant for a system of an independent central bank, said U Maung Maung Win, one of two CBM deputies. The CBM is seeking overseas help to train its staff. Earlier this month it signed a memorandum of understanding with Thailands central bank on technical cooperation. The status of independence could not be given immediately as the bank needs to meet the requirements, including infrastructure, to become independent, said U Maung Maung Win. In a report published in May, the International Monetary Fund noted that the CBM is a department within the finance ministry and does not have a monetary policy framework. It added: The CBM should be given full operational autonomy and proper accountability, with the clearly defined primary objective of domestic price stability. According to the CBMs website, the main objective of its monetary policy is to maintain macroeconomic stability in the economy while promoting domestic savings, using interest rates as its main instrument. The Central Bank Rate currently stands at 10 percent. President U Thein Sein this month vowed to put the economy at the centre of his next wave of reforms, following a series of dramatic political changes. In the new governments most radical economic reform yet, the country in April began a managed flotation of its currency, overhauling a complex foreign exchange system in a bid to facilitate trade and investment. AFP

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The June 16 announcement carried a veiled warning for owners of older vehicles to make use of the current regulations because they might be changed later. However, the Directorate of Road Transport only began accepting pazaut-prefix plated cars in June and had not begun taking balachaikprefix plates. Car broker U Thein Win said: I heard that the new substitution program would not begin until early September. The taxes for the imported cars are imposed by the Ministry of Commerce as customs duty and commercial tax. However, the CIF value of cars with 1350cc and smaller engines has been set at US$5000, assuming they were made from 2007 or later, presumably to encourage people to buy smaller vehicles. The Ministry of Commerce uses its own guidebook to determine CIF values of other cars but taxes engines 2000cc in capacity and smaller at 30pc, and 40pc for those larger than 2000cc. The taxes imposed by different departments and ministries are so complicated that normal people rarely understand, he said.

MyanMar tiMes

Tax cuts fail to aid overage car owners

By Aung Kyi OWNERS of cars with license plates older than 20 years say recent tax deductions intended to ease their situation have done little to help. In early May, the Directorate of Road Transportation turned on its head a program to encourage owners of older cars to scrap their vehicles in exchange for import permits by announcing that anybody with sufficient foreign currency in a state-run bank account was eligible to import a car made in 2007 or later. Up to that point, import permits had a market value of about K13 million, which propped up prices for cars wearing pazaut-prefix plates that were eligible for the program. The early-May announcement sent those prices into freefall and those permits now trade for K5 million, although buyers are scarce, say car import agents and brokers. But a June 16 announcement published in state-run newspapers from the Ministry of Railway Transportation said owners of overage cars with older number plates up to pazaut, would receive a 40 percent tax reduction from the road licensing fee of 100pc of the cars free on board (FOB) value imposed by the Directorate of Road Transport. Prior to June 16 car owners were giv e n r e d u c t i o n s from 15-30pc based on the condition of the vehicle being submitted for scrapping.

Men walk past a Toyota Corolla with a pazauk-prefix number plate at the Hantharwaddy car trading zone in Yangon recently. Pic: Yadanar The announcement also added balachaik-prefix number plates to the cars eligible for import substitution. Balachaik and later plates will receive 60pc tax reductions. The program would also include cars auctioned by the government that have newer plates, while taxis would receive 80pc reductions but only if the newly imported car was used as a taxi. The tax reduction is so slight that overage cars eligible for substitution are only worth K5 million and demand is minimal, said U Thein Win, a car broker in Tarmwe township. When the overage car import substitution started few of the owners could afford to import a newer car, and most sold their cars or permit to businesspeople. But owners who did not sell or could not because the program had not reached their number plate yet are finding it hard to locate buyers because people dont want a 1995-2006-model car, said U Thein Win. He said the best option for owners was to try to seek somebody looking to import an older vehicle with a larger engine, which attracts less import tax under the overage import program. U Kyaw Than Aung, a director of Luxury Auto services company, said: There are very few people who are interested in buying overage cars because the tax reduction was only worth from K1-2 million. He added that prices would continue to fall because there was no demand for the cars. The difference is only 1025pc, or K1 to K1.5 million, for each vehicle, U Kyaw Than Aung said. The 40pc and 25pc taxes charged as customs duty and commercial tax have not changed, he said. The tax reduction is only made by the Directorate of Road Transportation. The customs duty and commercial tax should also be reduced to persuade overage cars owners to submit their old cars, said U Win Aung, a car broker at Hantharwaddy car market in Yangon. He said prices of overage cars had fallen by more than 50pc to about K5 million.

Falling farm yields a concern for other industries: MFF

By Soe Sandar Oo DECLINING agricultural production has key players in the fisheries industry worried. The fisheries industry relies on commodities such as bran, which is a key ingredient in fish feed, so any slowdown in agricultural production can have an impact on the sector, said U Win Kyaing, general secretary of the Myanmar Fisheries Federation. Lowered production of bran is a great difficulty for the livestock and fisheries industries because we get at least half of our bran from paddy, he said. Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation U Ohn Than said during a Commodities Supervising Committee meeting in Nay Pyi Taw on June 11 that rice production had declined by about 160 million tonnes from last year, including 127 million tonnes of monsoon paddy and 31 million tonnes of summer paddy. This years reduced production was partly the result of a delayed monsoon. As a result 390,000 acres of paddy have been planted this year, compared with 580,000 acres last year, he said. The amount of land being used to grow monsoon paddy has fallen by 14,000 acres compared with last year, he added. The average regular cultivating in Myanmar is 17 million acres for monsoon paddy, which produces about 1250 million tonnes. About 3 million acres of summer paddy are normally planted, which results in 250 million tonnes of rice, he said. The deputy minister displayed a graph showing that agricultural production rates have been falling for the past four years. He added that a key reason for the decline is that farmers have not generated sufficient profits from previous harvests to invest the following year. However, there are other factors worrying those in livestock and fisheries sectors. U Ko Ko Gyi, an edible oil producer based in Mandalay Region, said that local mills cannot get enough raw groundnut (or peanut) because traders were exporting the product to China through border trade. Exporting large amount of beans and pulses to China has reduced the amount of edible oil we can produce, as well as feed that we can make for farmers, he said. Waste products made during oil milling are also important ingredients in animal feed, he added. U Than Lwin, a fish farmer from Yangon Region, said falls in paddy farming and available stocks of oilseed was sure to place additional pressure on the livestock and fisheries industries. On the other hand, he said consumer spending power was low and people could not afford to pay high commodity prices, so producers were unable to raise their prices. The Myanmar Paddy Producers Association presented a report at the meeting in Nay Pyi Taw that detailed how farmers were not motivated to farm because their profits were uncertain, the faced adverse weather conditions and could not afford adequate inputs. However, the price of one of the most expensive inputs, fertiliser, had declined by 30pc compared with last year, the report said.

Business
July 2 - 8, 2012
Diplomatic Mission seeks Interpreter
Basic Function of Position: To simultaneously interpret in real time for the Chief of Mission and others as needed. Interpretation will take place in meetings with senior government officials up to the President. Translate press articles, economic and commercial reports, and other documents. Qualifications Required: 1. College or University studies. 2. Must have at least three years of professional experience interpreting between Myanmar and English languages. 3. An ability to translate between written English and Myanmar in a concise manner. 4. Fluent speaking/reading/writing/ English and Myanmar. 5. Must have the ability to do basic research and analysis in a variety of technical subject matter fields in order to become familiar with the technical terminology involved in each subject matter field in which required to translate. 6. Must have basic knowledge of MS Office applications such as Word, Excel and MS outlook Eligible candidate may submit application to Human Resources Office, P.O. Box 521, GPO, Yangon not later than July 11, 2012.
the

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The Ministry of Transport is seeking investors to develop a new international airport near Bago to take strain off Yangon (pictured here). Pic: Thet Htoo

Govt seeks help for Bago airport

YANGON Myanmar is looking for investors to develop a second international airport for the commercial capital, Yangon, on the site of an old Japanese-built air strip from World War Two, state media said on June 28. Yangons existing airport was one of the busiest in the region in the late 1950s, before successive military governments made the country an international pariah. It is bustling again, but may soon be struggling to cope with an influx of tourists and business travellers as a 15month-old government opens up the country to the outside world. The Ministry of Transport would like to cooperate with local and foreign investors for the development of Hantharwaddy International Airport, and for upgrading and modernising some other domestic airports, the Department for Civil Aviation under the Ministry of Transport said in an announcement published in the state-run Kyemon newspaper. The notice, which did not appear in the English-language New Light of Myanmar daily newspaper, invited interested parties to attend a meeting at the Civil Aviation Training Institute at the Yangon International Airport on Monday, July 2 from 10am. Hantharwaddy would be built on a disused airfield near the town of Bago, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Yangon in Bago Region. A South Korean firm had planned to build an airport there in 1994 but the project was abandoned soon after a ground-breaking ceremony, for obscure reasons. Designs for that airport show it would be able to handle 10 million people a year. Yangon International Airport, which was renovated in 2007, can handle 2.7 million passengers a year, although only 1.45 million passed through in 2011, Ministry of Transport figures show. Myanmar also has international airports in the administrative capital, Nay Pyi Taw, and Mandalay. Passenger and flight arrivals at all three international airports are increasing speedily, especially at Yangon International Airport, a senior ministry official said. The new international airport for Yangon is essential since the present Yangon International Airport will have reached its full capacity in terms of handling flights and passengers by the end of this year, said the official, who declined to be identified. Fourteen international airlines fly into Yangon. Four more would be flying in soon and some existing ones wanted to increase their flights, the official said. Reuters

Diplomatic Mission seeks Economic Specialist

Basic Function of Position: Collects, maintains, and analyzes information on all aspects of Myanma economy from published and unpublished sources, including a broad range of contacts. Researches and prepares macroeconomic reports and reports on sectors at own initiative or as requested. Performs designated briefing, public diplomacy, advisory, and coordination functions. Qualifications Required: 1. Bachelor's degree in economics, commerce, public policy, business or public administration, mathematics or statistics. 2. Three-five years of progressively responsible experience in economic research, policy or program analysis, or closely related field. 3. Fluent speaking/reading/writing/ English and Burmese. 4. Solid working knowledge of neoclassical micro and macroeconomic principles, public finance and trade theory; working knowledge of the formal and informal structures of Myanma economy and government, and of the Myanmar government's foreign and domestic economic policy; functional knowledge of the structure of the US government, of USG interests in Myanmar, and of USG policy toward Myanmar. 5. Must have basic knowledge of MS Office applications such as Word, Excel and MS outlook and functional mastery of softwarebased database and quantitative analysis techniques. Eligible candidate may submit application to Human Resources Office, P.O. Box 521, GPO, Yangon not later than July 11, 2012.

Laos halts new investment, land concessions

HANOI Laos will not allow any new investments in mining or grant further land concessions for rubber plantations until 2015 at the earliest due to concerns about land encroachment, state media said on June 26. The government will examine existing investment policies and assess ongoing projects, the Vientiane Times said, adding that authorities would also review the environmental and social impact of major development projects. We approved large plots of land without looking into the details, like what land belonged to the state and which belonged to local people, the paper quoted Minister of Planning and Investment Somdy Duangdy as saying. Inadequate land surveys ahead of major development projects have led to a rash of complaints over encroachment of villagers land, and also created a range of environmental problems, he said. We will now inspect all approved investment projects, he said. In future, before approving any more projects, we will ensure that a thorough survey and allocation of land is undertaken, he said. The move was welcomed by land rights activists, including the Land Issues Working Group (LIWG), a network of Lao civil society organisations, which hailed the halt on new concessions as an important step. However, this is not the first moratorium on concessions, and the previous ones have not been enforced, LIWG coordinator Hanna Saarinen told AFP by email. Several concessions have been documented to undermine national laws, as well as food security and well-being of communities, she added. The government must ensure that investments benefit the Lao society as a whole. Local people should be given the right to choose whether or not to have a land concession in their area. According to the Vientiane Times, since 1998 the government has approved nearly US$25 billion of investment mostly foreign and concentrated in the mining, hydropower and agricultural sectors. The presence of foreign, particularly Chinese, investors in Laos, a landlocked communist country of about six million people, has raised increasing local concern despite bringing much needed foreign cash. AFP

UNFPA Vacancy Notice

No.2012/006
Position Title Grade Duty Station Issue Date Closing Date Duration of Appointment : : : : : : FInAnCE ASSISTAnT (Operations) SC - 5 Yangon, Myanmar 25 June 2012 13 July 2012 (5:00 pm) 1 Year, with possible extentions

Applications are invited from interested Myanmar nationals for the post of Finance Assistant (Operations). Applications should be addressed to UNFPA Representative. Attention : Operations Manager Room A07, UNFPA, No.6, Natmauk Road, Yangon. Email : myanmar.office@unfpa.org For details on duties and responsibilities, educational and other requirements, please see the vacancy announcement posted at UNDP billboard. No.6, Natmauk Road, Yangon and UNFPA website (http://myanmar.unfpa.org) Applications will be considered only when meeting all requirements set in detailed in vacancy announcement.

nTT Communications is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world.(ranked 31st in the Fortune Global 500 list of 2011), is seeking individuals for the following candidates are encouraged to apply. Position Title : Sales staff- 1 position 1) Working experience in sales or pre-sales 2) Working with Telecommunications company or related 3) Good command in Japanese would be advantage 4) Basic Computer literacy especially MS Office software. Position Title : Admin Staff- 1 position 1) Working experience in sales, administration, or accounting 2 Good command in Japanese would be advantage 3) Basic Computer literacy especially MS Office software. Please submit your application letter with CV with a recent photo and copies of educational certificates to; NTT Communications(Thailand) Co., Ltd 6th floor, Dusit Thani Bldg., 946 Rama IV Road, Silom, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand E-mail: sakurai.me@ntt.co.th

Job Vacancy

Apple launches iTunes across Asia

SINGAPORE Apple launched its iTunes Store in 12 Asian markets on June 27, giving consumers access to millions of songs and movies, but regional giants China, India and Indonesia were not on the list. The move by California-based Apple, which has sold more than 16 billion songs worldwide on the online store, enables it to make more money from digital content in markets where its devices have become hugely popular. Asian musicians would also benefit from having a secure new platform to sell their work to local fans in a region rife with intellectual piracy. What took them so long? said Chen Wei Li, a 28-year-old Singaporean who owns an iPhone, iPad and MacBook Pro laptop. I personally am looking to download some music off the iTunes store, he added. The iTunes Store is now open to consumers with credit cards issued in Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. It was already available in Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Customers will now be able to choose from more than 28 million songs, including hits by Asian stars. They will also be able to rent or buy movies from studios such as 20th Century Fox, Paramount, Universal, Disney and Warner Brothers. We know that people will pay for content if they are able to access good services, said Jasper Donat, the Hong Kong-based president of Music Matters, an annual gathering of executives from the music industry in the Asia-Pacific region. Having promoted the Asian music industry around the world for nearly eight years, we are genuinely excited about todays iTunes announcement and look forward to welcoming more digital entertainment platforms and services to the region soon. But China, India and Indonesia the three most populous Asian countries were notable omissions from the June 27 launch. Were always working to bring the iTunes Store to more customers around the world, as conditions permit, Apple said in a written reply to AFP when asked why China and India, which have a combined population of 2.5 billion, were not yet included. AFP

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MyanMar tiMes

CNOOC offshore auction illegal: VN

HANOI Vietnam has denounced Chinas opening of offshore oil blocks to foreign companies in contested areas of the South China Sea as illegal, as territorial tensions grow between the communist neighbours. On June 23, the China National Offshore Oil Corporation announced that nine offshore blocks were available for exploration, and said it was seeking bids from foreign companies. Vietnams foreign ministry said in a statement late on June 26 that the blocks lie entirely within Vietnams 200-mile exclusive economic zone. This is absolutely not a disputed area. [CNOOCs move] is illegal and of no value, seriously violating Vietnams sovereignty, it said, blaming the bid invitation for causing tension in the South China Sea. On June 29, Vietnams state-owned oil company, PetroVietnam, called on international companies to boycott the illegal and wrongful bid invitation, saying the nine blocks lie deeply on the continental shelf of Vietnam. PetroVietnam requests international oil companies not to participate in the bidding for the nine blocks, the companys general director, Do Van Hau, said at a press conference on June 27. The blocks, which cover an area of more than 160,000 square kilometres (64,000 square miles), overlap blocks that PetroVietnam is already in the process of developing with its own foreign partners, Hau said. PetroVietnam will send an official letter of protest and request the cancellation of the Chinese tender, he said, adding they would also protest until the end any companies who signed contracts with CNOOC in the area. On June 23, CNOOC announced the nine blocks were available for international exploration and development cooperation between CNOOC and foreign companies. The tender was normal business activity, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a regular news briefing on June 26. We hope Vietnam will respect these agreements and avoid taking any action that may complicate the matter, he said. China and Vietnam are locked in a long-standing territorial dispute over the South China Sea, and frequently trade diplomatic barbs over oil exploration, fishing rights and the Spratly and Paracel Islands, which both countries claim. A fortnight ago, Vietnam angered China by adopting a law that claims sovereignty of the mineral-rich islands, prompting Beijing to summon Vietnams ambassador to oppose the illegal and invalid move. China says it has sovereign rights to the whole South China Sea, believed to sit atop vast oil and gas deposits. The sea is also claimed in whole or part by Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, and the Philippines. AFP

VNs first half growth slows

HANOI Vietnams economic growth slowed to 4.38 percent in the first half of 2012, its most sluggish rate for three years as the government prioritises fighting inflation, data released on June 29 showed. The figure from the General Statistics Office (GSO) falls short of the 5.63pc growth achieved over the same period last year and lags a government target of 6-6.5pc growth for the whole of 2012. Vietnam posted a record 8.4pc growth in 2005 but economic expansion has edged down since with businesses struggling to combat high inflation and a weak currency. Industrial growth was sluggish at 3.81pc while agriculture was also weak at 2.81pc after a virus affected pigs, the GSO said. Economic growth in the first half is low due to difficulties in several sectors, especially in industrial production, the GSO report said. Government efforts to curb inflation have been successful so far with consumer prices slowing to their weakest pace in more than two years in June, reaching 6.9pc year-on-year. AFP

DICA opens a branch office in Yangon

THE Directorate of Investment and Company Administration opened a Yangon Region branch office in Yangon last week. The office, at 1 Thitsar Road in Yankin township, was officially opened on June 25 with a ceremony, a DICA consultant said. The new office will provide detailed information on the laws governing foreign and domestic investment, investment duration periods, services such as information on visas for foreign technicians, labour information, immigration and revenue services, said U Kyaw Dun, a DICA consultant. We have opened this office to help businesspeople to seek information from us in Yangon without needing to travel to Nay Pyi Taw, he said. He added that efforts were underway to open branch offices in other cities, such as Mandalay. Aye Thidar Kyaw

ADB official visits

MANILA, Philippines The Asian Development Banks vice president for East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, Stephen Groff, travelled to Myanmar last week. Mr Groffs visit was the first extended visit by ADB senior management since the country began undertaking reforms earlier this year. As Myanmars pace of change accelerates, more foreign investors and tourists arrive, and development assistance is offered, it is crucial that we gain a first-hand understanding of Myanmars goals and priorities, Mr Groff said. ADB is beginning the process of reengagement with Myanmar and joining other development partners in helping lay the foundations for a brighter future in the country. ADB News

Trade Mark CauTion

Zentaris iVF GmbH, a company organized and existing under the laws of Germany, of Weismuller Str. 50, 60314 Frankfurt am Main, Germany, is the Owner of the following Trade Mark:-

CeTroTide
reg. no. 3235/2009 in respect of Class 5: Pharmaceutical preparations for gynaecological purposes, including treatment of human infertility and/or pharmaceutical preparations for oncological and/or urological purposes. Fraudulent imitation or unauthorised use of the said Trade Mark will be dealt with according to law. Win Mu Tin, M.A., H.G.P., D.B.L for Zentaris iVF GmbH P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 2nd July, 2012

ProPerty
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Land prices deter investors

By Victoria Bruce HIGH land prices could prove a deal breaker for potential foreign investors, especially in the competitive manufacturing industry, experts said last week. Tony Picon, associate director of research with Colliers International, a Thailandbased real estate consulting and brokerage firm, said high land prices could slow Myanmars economic development. Land prices could become a big issue, Mr Picon said. If land is too highly priced it could hold back the development of the country. A Hong Kong-based businessman in the manufacturing industry, said the countrys high land prices were a deal breaker for his company. Initially, we thought Myanmar was very interesting for manufacturing because it has an abundance of raw materials, labour and land, he told The Myanmar Times at a foreign investment summit in Yangon last week. But the high price of land, coupled with extremely limited infrastructure and restrictive regulations, make it an unattractive option for us to set up shop, especially candidate at Australias Macquarie University who is studying Myanmars economy, said the country needed to be careful not to fall victim to the resource curse. Over the past decade Myanmars inward foreign direct investment [FDI] has become heavily concentrated in the extractive and power sectors, while investment in manufacturing, services and other secondary and tertiary sectors has been almost nonexistent, Mr Bissinger wrote in his latest journal article, titled Foreign Investment in Myanmar, published in Contemporary Southeast Asia earlier this year. He said Australia was an example of a booming resource economy with high labour costs that in turn placed pressure on manufacturing and other industries that compete internationally. Resources can boom and other sectors of the economy can be hurt, Mr Bissinger said. The dangers are [that] you get a lot of resource investment which drives up the currency and can make it difficult for someone to come here and start up a manufacturing facility. Alessio Polastri, managing partner of Yangon-based law firm P&A Asia, said high land prices was a major concern among the foreign investors who contacted his company. The high price of land is a major deterrent to potential investors, particularly in the real estate and manufacturing industries, Mr Polastri said. Mr Picon warned Myanmars high land prices could result in potential foreign investors choosing neighbouring Bangladesh or Cambodia as a cheaper alternative to relocate their manufacturing projects. Myanmar isnt the only game in town for those sorts of projects, he said, adding that land owners needed to drop prices to a more reasonable level in order to attract manufacturing projects.

As tax deadline looms, agents worry about falling sales

By Htar Htar Khin REAL estate agents say the approaching deadline for a tax holiday on property sales is unlikely to greatly impact the market, which has recently seen a sales slowdown. The holiday, which has been in place for five years, is set to expire on August 11 and caps sales tax to 15 percent for properties sold for less than K5 billion, and 12pc for properties worth more than K5 billion. Before the tax break was instituted in 2007, the sales tax was 50pc for any sale where the buyer was unable to show evidence of their income. U Sai Khung Noung, the managing director of Sai Khung Noung real estate agency in Tarmwe township, said the impending deadline did not appear to be affecting the market. The [sales] market is really cool and demand for properties worth about K300 million has fallen. However, sales in the K100-K150 million range for properties in Yangons outskirts are strong, U Sai Khung Noung said. Our agency is seeing about 50pc less sales than we did at this time last year, he said. U Sai Khung Noung predicted that the amended Foreign Investment Law, which would be reintroduced to parliament on July 4, would also have little impact on high-end property demand. U Khin Maung Aye, the owner of Shwe Kan Myay real estate agency Tarmwe township, said his company was seeing few sales. Sales are really poor and I definitely hope for an increase in sales in June and July. Wed be happy if our sales were even only half of what they were in those months last year. The sales that were brokering are for properties in the K200-K300 million range, U Khin Maung Aye said. U Than Oo, the managing director of Mundine real estate agency in Kyauktada township, said mid-year sales were significantly below previous years. In recent years the months of June and July are a period when sales increase but that has not been the case this year and I expect that trend will continue, U Than Oo said. He added that his agency was brokering sales of properties worth about K150 million at East Dagon, South Dagon, North Dagon, Dagon Seikkan, South Okkalapa and Thaketa townships. A spokesperson for Yangon Regions Tax Department said the department had not yet received any instructions regarding the upcoming deadline. However, a real estate agent, who did not want to be identified, said many people in the industry were expecting sales tax to be increased to at least 30pc to boost government revenues and cool land prices. Ko So Wunna, the general manager of Shining Star real estate agency in Ahlone township, said he expected sales would plummet if the tax holiday was ended. If the sales tax increased, I would think the number of sales would fall. People are predicting that whenever the amended foreign investment law is passed it will lead to more sales but foreigners will only be able to lease properties. I do think there will be a rise in sales of industrial plots but I dont believe that will affect other parts of the market, he said.

Delegates attend an investment seminar in Yangon last week. Pic: Ko Taik compared with Cambodia or Vietnam. Mr Picon said a well functioning manufacturing industry would contribute to the growth of the country and give much-need employment to the population. Manufacturing is where sustainable growth will come from because it feeds into service industries and becomes a self-supporting cycle, Mr Picon said. U Maw Htun, an independent researcher of foreign investment, said the government needed to focus on attracting foreign investment in sectors that benefited the community, such as manufacturing. The government should consider how much people will directly benefit from the foreign investment coming inside Myanmar, U Maw Htun said. For example, there is substantial investment in the extractive industries but we need to consider how much employment comes from oil and gas and downstream compared to the manufacturing and services industries, he said. Mr Picon said oil and gas investment could be a good thing for Myanmar but an over-dependence on extractive industries would hurt the economy. Myanmar needs to develop the oil and gas industry to support its internal growth, but the country should take care not to become resource dependent, Mr Picon said. Jared Bissinger, a PhD

CauTionary noTiCe
She Blends Holding B.V., of Catharinastraat 21 F, 4811 XD Breda, The Netherlands, is the sole Owner and Proprietor of the patent entitled:-

environmentally improved motor fuels

(Corresponding to european patent application no. 08150972.1 and international patent application no. PCT/nL2009/050044) in respect of The use of a combination of ethanol and water in an amount of water between 1 and 10wt.% on the basis of the weight of ethanol, in gasoline based motor fuel for keeping the internal and external environment of internal combustion engines cleaner than when using gasoline or ethanol-gasoline blends, having the same ethanol-gasoline ratio. A Declaration of Ownership of the said Patent has been registered in the Office of the Sub-Registrar of Deeds and Assurances, Yangon being No. 3239/2009. The said Owner claims all rights in respect of the above patent and will take all legal steps against any person, firm or corporation infringing their rights to the said patent in Myanmar. Win Mu Tin, M.A., H.G.P., D.B.L for She Blends Holding B.V P. O. Box 60, Yangon. E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 2nd July, 2012

teChnology
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India readies upgrade of cheapest tablet

MUMBAI India is set to release an upgrade of its ultra-low-cost computer tablet, the Aakash-2, for US$40 after the first edition was criticised for its quality and distribution. The device was unveiled last year as the computer for the masses in India, where millions struggle to fund their education, but as yet the tablet has failed to live up to the hype and reached only a tiny number of colleges. The Aakash-2 comes with improved features including a longer battery life, a faster processor at 800Mhz and a better quality touch screen, according to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, which is testing the device. Distribution of 100,000 new tablets to engineering colleges will begin next month, IIT Bombay spokeswoman Jaya Joshi told AFP on June 26. The device, which has a price tag of 2263 rupees ($40), is designed to allow students to interact in video lectures, submit assignments, complete online quizzes and write and run programs. In coming years, Aakash is likely to become a ubiquitous tool in the hands of students, at all levels of their education, said Professor Deepak Phatak, heading up the project, in a press release from IIT Bombay. The original Aakash, dubbed the worlds cheapest tablet, was launched in October 2011, but a Right to Information request filed by digital media blog MediaNama showed that only 572 tablets were distributed to just 19 colleges. Forbes India magazine also slammed the project last week. To put it mildly, the prototype was a disaster. Some phones in the market worked faster than this contraption, it said. Similar computing devices with superior capabilities are being brought out of Chinese factories by the thousands. India seems to have lost the plot. Speaking via video link at a symbolic launch of the upgraded device on June 25, Indias IT Minister Kapil Sibal said there had been a sea change in the confidence of the project since IIT Bombay took over three months ago. Unfortunately, there was some delay in taking this project forward for reasons that I dont want to go into now, he said. AFP

South Korean models holding the companys latest smartphone, the Galaxy S3, during its unveiling for the domestic market in Seoul on June 25. Pic: AFP/Samsung Electronics

Samsung eyes 10m mark for S3 by August

SEOUL South Koreas Samsung Electronics, the worlds largest smartphone maker, said on June 25 it expects to have sold 10 million of its newest Galaxy S3 model by the end of July, two months after its launch. JK Shin, head of the mobile communications division, said robust sales of the model would help Samsungs mobile business post a second-quarter profit bigger than the first three months. Were getting more positive reviews for Galaxy S3 than the previous Galaxy S1 and S2 since the release in Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia beginning May 29, Shin said at an event to mark the phones domestic release on June 25. He estimated that global sales of the new phone currently available in 147 countries would surpass 10 million next month, including about a million to be sold at home. Were doing fairly well in emergingeconomy markets ... I think our secondquarter earnings will be better than the first quarters, despite the difficult economic situation in Europe, Shin said. The company, the worlds biggest technology firm by revenue, posted a record net profit for all its divisions of 5.05 trillion won (US$4.44 billion) in the first quarter, thanks largely to strong smartphone sales. The third version of the Galaxy S series offers face-recognition technology and improved voice-activated controls as well as a more powerful processor that lets users watch video and write emails simultaneously. It also has a 4.8-inch (12.2-centimetre) screen that is 22 percent larger than the S2, while it can detect eye movements and override the automatic shutdown if the user is looking at the screen. Samsung shipped 44.5 million smartphones in the first quarter, exceeding the 35.1 million of US arch-rival Apple, according to market researcher Strategy Analytics in April. Samsung, embroiled in patent lawsuits in 10 nations with Apple, is pinning its hopes on the S3 to further erode its rivals market share before the expected new version of Apples iPhone 5 this year. In a rare victory for the South Korean firm, a Dutch court a fortnight ago ruled in favour of Samsung and ordered the US giant to pay unspecified damages for patent infringement. AFP

Smartphones put pressure on paid texts

By Martin Abbugao SINGAPORE Text messaging, the simple telecoms service that turned into a global phenomenon, is under threat from free smartphone services and operators need to find alternative revenue streams, analysts say. The short message service, or SMS, started as a way to use spare telecoms capacity but has become a key cash generator for operators, while offering users a cheap way to keep in touch with friends and family and avoid the expense of voice calls. But the surge in internet-enabled smartphones in recent years has led to the rise of free voice, video and text messaging applications that are threatening to send SMS into oblivion. According to technology research firm Ovum, SMS contributed about 57 percent of non-voice revenues for telecom companies globally in 2009 but this is projected to fall to 47pc this year. Ovum estimates the rise of alternative messaging services has slashed US$8.7 billion from the revenues of telecom operators worldwide in 2010 and $13.9 billion in 2011. SMS in the next few years will contribute less and less to nonvoice revenue for operators, said Neha Dharia, a consumer telecoms analyst at Ovum. Consumers now have the ability to send text messaging through a variety of ways, such as instant messaging [IM], messaging apps, social networks and so on, she said. These products offer greater features and are competitively

A model displays a mobile phone showing a stream of text messages on its screen in Singapore on June 21. Pic: AFP priced or even free. SMS is a more expensive option in certain markets and the interface is not as user friendly or intuitive as other messaging products in the market. The surge in mobile internet, driven by the explosion in smartphones and tablet computers, was a major topic at the four-day CommunicAsia fair that ended in Singapore on June 22. Mobile devices are on track to replace conventional computers as the primary means to connect to the internet, speakers said, and offer access to the likes of Yahoo, Google and Facebook, among others, with their own instant messaging features. At the same time applications such as WhatsApp, Viber, Tango and the iPhones Facetime offer free voice and video calls and message services when there is wireless connection. The changeover has already begun. Data from Singapores Infocomm Development Authority showed users in the tech-savvy city-state sent and received a record 2.46 billion SMSs in September 2011 but the number has since been falling and was down to 2.21 billion in March. I use it [SMS] a lot less these days, said Joscelyn Tan, 35, a corporate marketing specialist for an electronics company in the city-state. WhatsApp is so convenient. Plus its free and a lot more fun with all the emoticons. I used to have to pay for extra SMS, not anymore, she added. But it remains a slow process in some of Asias biggest telecommunications markets. In a Pew Research Centre survey of mobile phone users in 21 countries last year, Indonesians reported the heaviest SMS usage, with 96pc saying they regularly send texts. The vast majority of Indonesias 240 million people cannot afford smartphones and buy old-model Nokia handsets, which can cost as little as $15, making text messaging a primary means of

communications. But even so the country is also one of the worlds biggest BlackBerry markets in large part because of its wildly popular instant messaging services. With a mobile phone penetration rate of nearly one handset for every Filipino, SMS messaging has become an important part of Philippine culture and politics. Official data shows an average of 15 text messages a mix of jokes, chain messages, political or showbiz rumours, uplifting quotes and invitations are sent daily by each user, making Filipinos among the worlds biggest users. As well as being harnessed to organise people power political protests, text messaging also allows Filipinos to communicate cheaply with relatives who are part of the nine million-strong work force abroad. Maurie Dobbin, managing director at TeleResources Engineering, said SMS is likely to decline as people increasingly switch to smartphones. When the smartphone penetration in these Asian markets comes up ... we will see a dramatic impact on SMS traffic, Dobbin told AFP on the sidelines of CommunicAsia. Smartphones represented only 12pc of all mobile phones in use globally last year, but accounted for 82pc of data traffic, said Dobbin, adding that telecom operators needed to adjust as revenues from SMS decline. They do need to be more than a dumb pipe, Dobbin said. They need to be providing value to their customers ... their business model needs to change and they need to introduce new products into that. AFP

TiMESWORLD
WASHINGTON President Barack Obama claimed a victory for all Americans on June 28 after the Supreme Court upheld his reforms to extend health insurance to another 32 million US citizens. Obama said the ruling, which prescribes how health care will be delivered in the United States for decades to come, went beyond politics as he urged a divided America to get behind a law that was in the interests of all. Whatever the politics, todays decision was a victory for people all over this country whose lives are more secure because of this law and the Supreme Courts decision to uphold it, Obama said. But Republicans vowed to repeal the law. Obamacare was bad policy yesterday. Its bad policy today, said Republican White House challenger Mitt Romney, who vowed to repeal the law on his first day in office if elected president. The key provision that underpinned the overhaul, an individual mandate requiring almost every US citizen from 2014 to take out health insurance or be subject to a fine, was upheld by a nail-biting 5-4 vote. John Roberts, the conservativeleaning chief justice often viewed as a bete noire by Democrats, was the unlikely hero for liberals as the key swing vote. The ruling offers new ammunition to Republicans trying to fire up the conservative base and get out the

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Health care ruling a victory for all Americans: Obama

vote in November, but it was also a huge win for Obama that boosts his claim to be a transformative president. It is as big an act as killing Osama bin Laden in terms of giving his presidency a temporary boost, Stephen Ryan, former general counsel of the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, told AFP. In another sign of the bitter political climate, Obamas top justice official, Attorney General Eric Holder, was on June 28 held in contempt by the House of Representatives for withholding documents related to a botched gun-running operation. The White House dismissed the move the first time in history such a censure had happened as a transparently political stunt. Although the United States is the worlds richest nation, it is the only industrialised democracy that does not provide health care coverage to all its citizens. AFP

China issues warning over territorial row

BEIJING China said last a n d t h e P h i l i p p i n e s Asia-Pacific goes against week it would resolutely both accusing China of t h e w o r l d s p u r s u i t o f o p p o s e a n y m i l i t a r y increasingly flexing its peace, development and provocation in its territorial military muscle in the cooperation, as well as waters, remarks which region, despite a pledge trust among nations in the appeared to be directed at from all claimants to avoid region, he said. The Philippines said on the United States, Vietnam actions that could further June 28 it was committed stoke tensions. and the Philippines. Both the Philippines and to defuse the tension Chinas military has established routine naval Vietnam have also sought to with China over a disputed patrols in the South China shore up relations with the shoal, despite the continued Sea, indisputable territory United States to counter presence of Chinese ships of the nation and a matter Chinas increasingly vocal in the area. While we continue to of national sovereignty, assertions over the region defence ministry spokesman that also includes key assert our sovereignty over international shipping (the shoal) and sovereign Geng Yansheng said. rights over the waters We will resolutely oppose routes. surrounding it, any military we are committed provocations, the Geng said in We will resolutely oppose any to ndefusing t h e te sion in statements posted area through on his ministrys military provocations. diplomatic website on June discussions and 28. Geng downplayed the consultations, Department The determination and will of Chinas military U S - s p o n s o r e d m u l t i - of Foreign Affairs Raul t o s a f e g u a r d n a t i o n a l national military exercises, H e r n a n d e z s a i d i n a sovereignty and territorial but voiced concerns over statement. We urge everyone Washingtons recent integrity is unwavering. Gengs remarks came as announcement to deploy to refrain from making the United States launched more of its naval forces to statements that would tend to re-escalate the situation the largest Rim of the the Pacific Ocean. Frankly speaking, we do in the area, the statement Pacific naval exercises in Hawaii, involving 22 not believe that this (the added. China says it has nations, including the US, multilateral exercises) is India, Russia, Australia such a big matter and it sovereign rights to the is not worth being upset whole South China Sea, and the Philippines. China was not invited to about, said Geng, who believed to sit atop vast oil participate or observe the was speaking at a media and gas deposits. The sea b r i e f i n g o p e n o n l y t o is also claimed in whole or exercises. part by Taiwan, Vietnam, Tensions in the South Chinese journalists. B u t d e p l o y i n g m o r e Brunei, Malaysia, and the China Sea have intensified recently with Vietnam m i l i t a r y f o r c e s i n t h e Philippines. AFP

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaking in Ankara on June 26 when he described Syria as a clear and imminent threat after the downing of a Turkish warplane the previous week. Pic: AFP

Bombs shatter Syrian capital

DAMASCUS Deadly violence raged across Syria on June 28 with a twin bombing in Damascus two days before a crucial international meeting that seemed threatened by Russian objections. Turkey reinforced its volatile border with Syria with missile batteries as world powers prepared for talks in Geneva on ways to end the raging conflict and to discuss a plan by peace envoy Kofi Annan for an interim government. But UN-Arab League envoy Annan was battling to save the meeting after Russian objections to his proposed transition plan, diplomats said at the United Nations. Violence on June 28 killed at least 91 people, including 59 civilians, after one of the bloodiest days of the 15-month revolt left at least 149 dead on June 27, a watchdog said. The heaviest toll on June 28 was in the northern Damascus suburb of Douma where 30 people were killed, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. More than 15,800 people have been killed since the uprising broke out in March 2011, including nearly 4700 since April 12, when a UN-backed ceasefire was supposed to have taken effect, the Observatory says. Turkey has sent missile batteries, tanks and troops to the border as a security corridor after Syria shot down a Turkish warplane on June 22, media reports said. State-run TRT television showed dozens of military vehicles reportedly heading for the border, in a convoy that included air defence systems. The Turkish Phantom F-4 jet was downed by Syria over the eastern Mediterranean in what Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called a heinous attack over international waters. AFP Earlier reports, P. 23.

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Breaking the cycle of inequality

is no choice but to rely on fiscal policy. Fortunately, well-designed spending can lead simultaneously to more By Joseph Stiglitz employment, growth and equality. Further investments in education, especially aimed THE United States is in at the poor and middle, would the midst of a vicious cycle stimulate the economy, of inequality and recession: improve opportunity and inequality prolongs the increase growth. Spending downturn and the downturn a fraction of the money the exacerbates inequality. federal government gave to Unfortunately, the austerity the banks to help underwater agenda advocated by homeowners or extending conservatives will make unemployment benefits for matters worse on both those who have long searched counts. but failed to find a job The seriousness of would simultaneously ease Americas growing problem the burden of those suffering of inequality was highlighted from the recession and help by Federal Reserve data bring the recession to an released in June showing the end. recessions devastating effect This higher growth would, on the wealth and income of in turn, lead to higher tax those at the bottom and in revenue, improving our the middle. The decline in fiscal position. Plenty of median wealth, down almost investments would pay for 40 percent in just three years, themselves. wiped out two decades of Professor Joseph Stiglitz speaks at a Yangon seminar in February which explored ways By contrast, if America goes wealth accumulation for most of achieving equitable and sustainable development in Myanmar. Pic: Stuart Deed down the path of austerity, it Americans. If the average should be done, but nothing such as replacing low- lead to more student debt, will risk entering a doubleAmerican had actually was. The Fed refused to use skilled checkout clerks with more profits for bankers dip recession, especially if the shared in the countrys the authority to regulate machines. In this way, the but more pain at the bottom European crisis worsens. At seeming prosperity the past the mortgage market that Fed may still be contributing and middle. Some, seeing the very least, our downturn two decades, his wealth, Congress gave it in 1994. to a jobless recovery, when we the consequences of their would be likely to last years instead of stagnating, would parents debts, wont be longer than it otherwise After the crisis, as the Fed finally do recover. have increased by some Matters may get worse. willing to take on the levels of would. Our growth in the lowered interest rates in three-fourths. a predictably futile attempt The austerity advocated by debt necessary to get a college future will be weaker. But In some ways the data to stimulate investment some Republicans will lead education, condemning them perhaps most important, confirmed what was already our country will increasingly it ignored the devastating to higher unemployment, to a life of lower wages. known, but the numbers still E v e n i n t h e m i d d l e , become divided, and we will effect that these rates would which will lead to lower shocked. We knew that house pay a high economic prices the principal price for our source of saving for growing inequality most Americans h a d d e c l i n e d Inequality is greater in the United States than in any other advanced country. a n d d e c l i n i n g opportunity. The precipitously consequences will and that trillions of dollars in home equity macroeconomic performance. have on those Americans wages as workers compete for incomes have been doing be even harder on our had been wiped out. But Before the crisis, the Fed who had behaved prudently jobs. Less growth will mean miserably; for male workers, democracy, our identity as a unless we understand the paid too little attention to and invested in short-term lower state and local tax inflation-adjusted median nation of opportunity and fair link between inequality and inequality, focusing more on government bonds, as well revenue, leading to cutbacks incomes are lower today than play, and our society. The Washington Post economic performance, we inflation than on employment. a s t h e m a c r o e c o n o m i c in services important to they were in 1968. (Joseph Stiglitz, winner Opportunity in America risk pursuing policies that Many of the fashionable effects from their reduced most Americans (including models in macroeconomics consumption. Fed officials the jobs of teachers, police already the country with the of the 2001 Nobel Prize in will worsen both. America has excelled in said that the distribution of hoped that low interest rates officers and firefighters). It least equality of opportunity economics, was chairman inequality since at least the income didnt matter. Fed would lead to high stock will force further increases among the worlds advanced of President Bill Clintons beginning of the millennium. officials belief in unfettered prices, which would in turn in tuition data published in nations, where a childs Council of Economic Advisers. Inequality is greater in the markets restrained them induce rich stock owners June shows that the average prospects depend more on A former chief economist of United States than in any from doing anything about to consume more. Today, tuition for a four-year public the income and education the World Bank, he is most other advanced country. the abuses of the banks. Even persistent low interest university climbed 15pc of his parents then even in recently the author of The The data remind us how a a former Fed governor, Ed rates encourage firms that between 2008 and 2010, while ossified Europe will decline Price of Inequality: How Todays Divided Society combination of monetary, Gramlich, argued in a forceful do invest to use capital- most Americans incomes and still further. If we want recovery, there Endangers Our Future.) fiscal and regulatory policies 2007 book that something intensive technologies, wealth were falling. This will have contributed to these outcomes. Market forces play a role, but they are at play in other countries, too. Politics has much to do with the difference in outcomes. The Great Recession has made this inequality worse, which is likely to prolong the downturn. Those at the top spend a smaller fraction of their income than do those in the bottom and middle who have to spend everything today just to get by. Redistribution from the bottom to the top of the kind that has been going on in the US lowers total demand. And the weakness in the US economy arises out of deficient aggregate demand. The tax cuts passed under President George W. Bush in 2001 and 2003, aimed especially at the rich, were a particularly ineffective way of filling the gap; they put the burden of attaining full employment on the Fed, which filled the gap by creating a bubble, through lax regulations and loose monetary policy. And the bubble induced the bottom 80pc of Americans to consume beyond their means. The policy worked, but it was a temporary and unsustainable palliative. The Fed has consistently failed to understand the links between inequality and

Comment

Will small be beautiful for Mitt Romney or Barack Obama?

DURHAM, New Hampshire Tiny New Hampshire has only four of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House, but late on November 6, small might be beautiful for Mitt Romney or Barack Obama. With both campaigns predicting a cliffhanger election, even diminutive swing states can add up to far more than the sum of their parts. Had Democrat Al Gore, for instance, captured New Hampshire in 2000 he lost the state by about 7000 votes he would have won the White House and the presidency of George W. Bush would have been stillborn. Obama signaled the importance of a northeastern battleground known for flinty independence, by flying in for a campaign rally on June 25, before heading to Boston to cram more Democratic dollars into his war chest. Four more years chanted a rowdy crowd of 1200 jammed into a humid high school gym in the town of Durham, as Obama, shirt sleeves scrunched up at his elbows, hopped on stage in front of a banner bearing his new slogan Forward. New Hampshire this election is your chance to break the stalemate, said Obama, wiping sweat from his brow with a white handkerchief, as he wound up into his stump speech positioning him as a warrior for the middle class. Republican Romney is also fighting hard in the state, where he has a home and local bona fides after governing neighbouring Massachusetts, and has visited four times in the last six weeks. Definitely it is going to be close, a senior Romney advisor told AFP. Dante Scala, a political science professor at the University of New Hampshire, agrees. New Hampshire once again is showing bellwether tendencies and it is fully expected to be a swing state, maybe with a slight Democratic tilt to it. Obama captured New Hampshire by nearly 10 percentage points in his thumping 2008 win over Republican John McCain, but mirroring the national race, the Granite state is expected to be closer this time. The latest American Research Group poll had Obama up 51pc to 43pc in New Hampshire, a state which does not vote a hard party line. The current governor, John Lynch, is a Democrat. In recent years, the state has sent two women to the Senate one from each party. The Granite state swings in presidential races too: in 2004 it went Democratic, but Bush won in 2000, Democrat Bill Clinton won twice, as did Republican Ronald Reagan. Neither campaign can thus be certain of victory so a multi-million avalanche of negative advertising will engulf long-suffering New Hampshire television viewers in the coming months. Obama got a rude welcome from a front page editorial in the conservative Manchester Union Leader newspaper on June 25. This man has been an utter disaster for America, wrote the papers publisher Joseph McQuaid. Never has this writer heard from more people, stranger and acquaintance alike, who say they hope for their children and their countrys sake that Barack Obama is a one-termer. Wedged between Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine and the Canadian border, New Hampshire has fared better than many areas in the halting economic recovery. Unemployment was at five percent in May, three points below the national average. Home foreclosure rates are also better than most US states. But Scala said that although the presidential election is a series of state-by-state races voters tend to take the national economic pulse. That is where Romneys opening lies, as he peddles his national message that Obama is a failed leader, who is clueless about creating jobs. As I look around at the millions of Americans without work, the graduates who cant get a job, the soldiers who return home to an unemployment line, it breaks my heart, Romney said in New Hampshire in mid-June. This does not have to be. The New Hampshire race may boil down to a clash between two political machines Romneys steeped in New England politics, and Obamas, humming along since his narrow 2008 primary loss in the state to Hillary Clinton. Obamas camp thinks it is well positioned citing recent polls, and argues that since Romney is so well known in New Hampshire and won the Republican primary in January he should be doing much better. The more people see of Mitt Romney, the less they like him, an Obama campaign official said on condition of anonymity. A senior Romney advisor however told AFP that Obamas big spending, big government approach and Obamacare health reform did not sit well with the Live Free or Die spirit of New Hampshire. It will be a very stark choice for voters in the fall. AFP

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Briefs
Assange snubs surrender notice
LONDON British police on June 28 served an extradition notice on Julian Assange, but the WikiLeaks founder indicated he was staying put in the Ecuadorian embassy, where he is seeking asylum. Scotland Yard said it had served a surrender notice on Assange, requiring him to attend a police station, adding that failure to do so would make him liable to arrest. Asked if he would leave the embassy, he told BBC television: Our advice is that asylum law both internationally and domestically takes precedence over extradition law, so almost certainly not. Earlier report, P. 25.

In Northern Ireland, a symbolic handshake

BELFAST Queen Elizabeth II shook hands with former Irish Republican Army commander Martin McGuinness on June 27 in a highly symbolic moment in the Northern Ireland peace process. The first handshake between the queen and McGuinness, who is now deputy first minister of the British province, took place behind closed doors in a Belfast theatre. The two shook hands a second time for the cameras as the queen left the building. McGuinness held the monarchs hand for a few moments and she smiled as he spoke to her in Irish, telling her the words meant: Goodbye and God speed. The handshake is seen as an important milestone in Anglo-Irish relations after three decades of sectarian violence, known as The Troubles, which largely ended with the Good Friday peace agreement in 1998. A spokesman for British Prime Minister David Cameron said the McGuinness handshake had taken relations between the two countries to a new level. It came on the second day of the queens visit to the Adams said the meeting had brought the process of relationship building onto a new plane. The first handshake came in a brief meeting when they were joined by Prince Philip, Northern Irelands unionist first minister Peter Robinson, Irish President Michael Higgins and his wife Sabina. In their meeting, McGuinness reportedly commented on the queens May 2011 visit to Dublin and the remarks she made then expressing her sympathy for victims on both sides of the conflict. A Sinn Fein spokesman said: He emphasised the need to acknowledge the pain of all victims of the conflict and their families. Higgins said the meeting marked another important step on the journey to reconciliation on this island. Britains Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Paterson said the event signalled a shared future, noting that a few years ago none of this could have happened. This is a moment in Northern Irelands history that will shine in our collective memory, he added. AFP

Latvia makes it 100 for Clinton

RIGA US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton touched down in Latvia on June 28, the 100th country she has visited since becoming the US top diplomat less than four years ago. The State Department said Clinton has embarked on 70 foreign trips, spent 337 days on the road and logged over 73 days on a plane. Clinton has visited more countries than any of her 66 predecessors, say officials. Beginning with Japan in 2009, Clinton has visited countries as diverse as Angola, Papua New Guinea and Finland.

Britains Queen Elizabeth II and Northern Irelands Deputy First Minister and former Irish Republican Army commander Martin McGuinness shake hands in Belfast on June 27. Looking on are Northern Irelands First Minister Peter Robinson and Prince Philip (right). Pic: AFP province, which on June 26 took her to Enniskillen, the scene of a notorious 1987 IRA bombing which killed 11 people. McGuinness was a senior commander in the IRA when the paramilitary group killed the queens cousin, Louis Mountbatten, in 1979 by bombing his boat while he was on holiday in County Sligo in the Republic of Ireland. His Sinn Fein party, the political wing of the nowdefunct IRA, continues to reject British rule of Northern Ireland. In the eyes of republicans, the queen is commanderin-chief of an army that killed 13 people during a civil rights march in 1972, an event known as Bloody Sunday. Sinn Fein president Gerry

Egypts Morsi begins work with round of consultations

CAIRO Egypts president-elect Mohamed Morsi pushed ahead on June 27 with selecting a government, after a court delivered a blow to the ruling military by suspending its powers to arrest civilians. Egypts first civilian president, and its first elected leader since an uprising ousted president Hosni Mubarak in February 2011, still has to contend with the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. The SCAF, which took control after Mubarak resigned, will retain broad powers even after it formally transfers control to Morsi at the end of June. Media reports said Morsi has been holding consultations with a crosssection of Egyptian society ahead of appointing a prime minister. The president-elect has met Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, the head of SCAF, a delegation from Al-Azhar, the highest authority in Sunni Islam, as well as from the Coptic Christian church, whose members have voiced concern over the election of an Islamist president. On the political front, Morsi has to contend with the fact that the countrys top court earlier this month ordered the Islamist-dominated parliament to be disbanded. The military subsequently assumed legislative powers and also formed a powerful national security council that is headed by the president but dominated by generals. The military also reserves the right to appoint a new constituent assembly should the one elected by parliament be disbanded by a court decision expected on September 1. But the Muslim Brotherhood has insisted that only parliament can appoint the assembly. Morsi was the Brotherhoods presidential candidate, but he resigned from the movement in order to take the top job, pledging to represent all Egyptians. All these details are on the table for discussion, a senior aide to Morsi said on June 26 of the militarys powers. Nothing has been settled yet, and no decision has been taken. Another aide said Morsi was holding talks to appoint an independent national figure as his premier. Most of the cabinet will be technocrats, he added. Egyptian media on June 28 widely quoted a Morsi aide as saying the president-elect was working on reaching some compromises on various issues so that all the parties are able to work together. A court ruling on June 27 pushed back the reach of the military in a ruling welcomed by human rights groups. Egypts administrative court suspended a justice ministry decision that had empowered the military to arrest civilians, responding to an appeal by 17 rights groups against the controversial June 13 decree. The decree infuriated activists and protesters, who for years had campaigned to end to the state of emergency, which granted police wide powers of arrest and during the Mubarak era was often used to curb dissent. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on June 28 congratulated Morsi but said the election that brought him to power was just a step towards true democracy. We have heard some very positive statements so far, Clinton said, noting Morsis pledge to honour international obligations, which would, in our view, cover the peace treaty with Israel, signed in 1979. AFP

Americans prefer Obama if aliens invade, poll finds

WASHINGTON Nearly two in three Americans think President Barack Obama is better suited than Republican rival Mitt Romney to deal with an alien invasion, found a survey released on June 27. National Geographic Channel contacted 1114 adults throughout the United States in May for its fanciful opinion poll ahead of its new cable television documentary series Chasing UFOs. Thirty-six percent of respondents said they were certain that unidentified flying objects exist. Eleven percent were confident they had spotted a UFO, and 20 percent said they knew someone who claimed to have seen one. With Obama facing reelection in November, 65pc said Obama would be more adept than Romney to respond to an alien invasion, with women and younger Americans more likely than men and over-65s to agree with that prospect. National Geographic Channel said the results of the email and online Aliens Among Us survey dovetailed with the research underpinning Chasing UFOs, with Texas and Colorado residents describing their encounters with mysterious flying objects. The poll had a margin of error of 2.9pc. AFP

Carter laments rights abuses

WASHINGTON Former president Jimmy Carter warned last week that the United States is losing its moral authority on human rights by engaging in targeted assassinations and other widespread rights abuses. Writing in The New York Times on June 25, Carter charged that US counterterrorism policy was in violation of 10 of the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his work in resolving conflicts since leaving office in 1980.

US daily launches website in Chinese

NEW YORK The New York Times said on June 27 it was launching a Chineselanguage news website to deliver high-quality coverage of world affairs, business and culture to readers in China. In a statement, the US daily said it was launching a beta version of a new online Chinese-language edition designed to bring New York Times journalism to China. The site was launched on June 28. AFP

Mubarak suffering depression, says official

CAIRO Egypts ailing former strongman Hosni Mubarak is slipping in and out of a coma and his morale has plunged after news of Mohamed Morsis victory in the presidential polls, officials told AFP on June 27. The former president has been greatly affected by the news of Morsis presidential victory, said one of the officials at a Cairo military hospital where Mubarak was transfered a week earlier. According to medical reports, Mubaraks morale has worsened. He is in depression and slips in and out of coma, the official who declined to be named told AFP. His medical team is carrying out all sorts of tests on his brain and heart, the source added. Morsi, candidate of the formerly banned Muslim Brotherhood in the June 1617 election, was confirmed as Egypts first democratically elected civilian president on June 24, succeeding Mubarak. Mubarak was transferred from jail, where he is serving a life sentence, to the military hospital in Cairo amid uncertainty over his health. On June 20, a medical source told AFP that the 84-year-old former president was in a coma and the doctors are trying to revive him. Mubarak was taken to a Cairo prison on June 2, after a court handed down a life sentence against him over his involvement in the deaths of protesters during the 2011 uprising that ousted him from power. AFP

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What billionaires tell us about a nation

By Ruchir Sharma AFTER nearly two decades of investing in emerging markets, much of the time travelling from the gritty alleys of Bihar to the rooftop helipads of Sao Paulo in search of opportunity, Ive developed an unusual rule of the road: watch the changes in the list of top billionaires, learn how they made their billions and note how many billions they made. Changes in the list and the size and source of the fortunes, can provide a quick indicator of how well positioned emerging nations are to compete in the global economy. If a country is generating too many billionaires relative to the size of its economy, this concentration of wealth can lead to stagnation. Take China. A healthy economy produces great wealth in a competitive environment and by that measure China is still strikingly healthy. Turnover among its top 10 billionaires is high and few have ever amassed a fortune of more than US$10 billion; indeed, there is reason to believe Beijing is enforcing an unwritten rule that caps total wealth. In the past 15 years, China has generated much more overall wealth than any other country, but its richest man is worth about $10 billion, far less than the billionaires in much smaller economies, including India, Mexico, Russia and Nigeria. It is also telling that two men who in the past decade held the title of richest man in China are now in jail on corruption charges of one kind or another. This is not to say that the charges were baseless, only that in Chinas freewheeling business culture, the authorities seem to pay particularly close attention when the dealmaking generates fortunes approaching $10 billion. Deng Xiaoping declared that its glorious to be rich, but the message now is, not too rich. The government appears intent on generating competitive churn at the top, in part to contain social resentments. Now look at Russia, where 100 billionaires control fortunes worth an astonishing 20 percent of national GDP. Russia has nearly as many billionaires as China, but they control twice as much total wealth in an economy one-fourth the size. Just as striking, Russia is missing not only a middle class but also a millionaire class; Boston Consulting Group says China ranks third in the world for number of millionaires, while Russia is not even in the top 15 for millionaires. The growing business influence of the state is reflected in the fact that 69 of those billionaires live in Moscow, the largest concentration for any city in the world. Protected by their patrons, the richest face little competition. Eight of the top 10 are holdovers from 2006. More than 80 percent of the wealth of Russian billionaires comes from nonproductive industries, such as real estate, construction and especially commodities, namely oil and gas, in which political ties can sustain fortunes indefinitely. In no other developing nation is this share greater than 35pc. the US, where the average fortune of the top 10 richest is $31 billion. But the overall billionaire share of GDP (10.5pc) is about average by emerging-market standards. Americas billionaires have also survived the financial crisis relatively unscathed. Whereas the Japanese tycoons who preceded them were felled as a group by Japans crisis in the early 1990s, the top US billionaires rose to dominate the global top 10 in the past 20 years and they held those positions despite the American-born crisis of 2008. This suggests that the Americans were much better at adapting to catastrophic global upheaval. Indeed, what stands out on the US list is that the greatest and most stable fortunes have been generated by independent and innovative leaders who founded exactly the kind of productive companies (particularly Microsoft, Berkshire Hathaway and Wal-Mart) that would make any economy, developed or emerging, more globally competitive. The billionaire lists are likely to grow more useful over time as the sample for emerging markets grows. Its clear what to look for: The number of billionaires should be proportionate to GDP, billionaires should face competition that generates turnover and limits their share of the economy, and billionaires should emerge primarily from productive new industries, not patronage. Creative destruction lies at the heart of a prospering capitalist society and because well-connected incumbents have everything to gain from the established order, they are the enemies of capitalism. The Washington Post (Ruchir Sharma is head of emerging markets at Morgan Stanley Investment Management. This essay was adapted from his book, Breakout Nations: In Pursuit of the Next Economic Miracles.)

The Microsoft display at a Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, in January 2009. A list of US billionaires highlights the fortunes generated by independent and innovative leaders who founded productive companies such as Microsoft, Berkshire Hathaway and Wal-Mart, says Ruchir Sharma. Pic: AFP If billionaires are prospering by cultivating political connections, rather than new industries, it could feed the kind of revolt that toppled President Suharto in Indonesia in the 1990s. India is still closely associated in the global media with its technology entrepreneurs, but lately these dynamic moguls are getting replaced on the billionaire list by a new group: provincial tycoons who have cut deals with state governments to corner the market in location-based industries, such as mining and real estate. With no wealth or inheritance taxes, India has long been top-heavy with billionaires, but this class is exploding, perhaps faster than in any other country. In 2000 there were no Indian tycoons among the worlds top 100 billionaires; by 2011 there were seven, a number topped only by the United States, Russia, and Germany. In 2012, due to the poor performance of the Indian stock market, this number had fallen to four. Comparing the billionaires of India and China reveals how differently each economy is developing. India lags only Russia and Malaysia in the wealth of its billionaires as a share of the economy, now at 17pc. Turnover at the top has been slowing. All of the top 10 Indian billionaires on the latest Forbes list are holdovers from the 2006 list, while the 2006 list had only five holdovers. In contrast, Chinas billionaires account for barely three percent of the economy, and only four of the top 10 are holdovers. Despite these signs of stagnation, many of Indias super-rich still inspire national pride, not resentment. The contrast to Latin America, where the super-rich ride around in bulletproof cars and try to lie low, is striking. The billionaire lists are not only a negative indicator. The relatively low concentration of national wealth in the billionaire class is one reason why the prospects of nations at the bottom of the billionaire index are relatively bright in a slowing world economy. Many of these nations also have few holdovers among the 2011 top 10, with just five in South Korea and two (out of six) in the Philippines. It can be misleading to compare a developed nation like the United States to younger, faster-moving economies, but a quick scan of the US billionaire lists does reveal interesting developments. You expect to see larger, more established fortunes, and you do in

Trade Mark CauTion

ToMBoW PenCiL Co., LTd., a company incorporated in Japan, of 10-12, Toshima 6-chome, Kita-ku, Tokyo, Japan, is the Owner of the following Trade Mark:-

reg. no. 65/1997 in respect of Stationery; Adhesives for Stationery; Paint Brushes; Office Requisites (Intl Class 16). Fraudulent imitation or unauthorised use of the said Trade Mark will be dealt with according to law. Win Mu Tin, M.A., H.G.P., D.B.L for ToMBoW PenCiL Co., LTd. P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 2nd July, 2012

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Putin urges role for Iran in talks on Syrian crisis

DEAD SEA, Jordan Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week that Iran should be invited to an international meeting on the Syria conflict in Geneva due to be held in Geneva on June 30. But the United States swiftly rejected the Russian proposal. It is better to involve Iran in the settlement (of the Syrian crisis), Putin told a news conference after talks with Jordans King Abdullah II on the shores of the Dead Sea on June 26. In any case it would complicate the process (if Iran is ignored). Wrapping up a oneday visit to Jordan, on a Middle East tour that had already taken him to Israel and the West Bank, Putin said Irans support was needed. The more Syrias neighbours are involved in the settlement process the better. Ignoring these possibilities, these interests would be counterproductive, as diplomats say, he added. It is better to secure its Putin said in Jordan. During his visit to Israel, his first since returning to the Kremlin for a historic third term in May, Putin was urged to act on Irans controversial nuclear program. The Iranian problem is not a simple one but still I proceed from the fact that it can and should be solved through absolutely peaceful means, by way of a negotiation process and on the basis of respect of the right of the Iranian people to the peaceful use of energy, Putin told reporters. With absolute guarantees provided to the world community that the realisation of this program would not lead to the emergence of nuclear weapons in this country and will not facilitate the nuclear proliferation in the world. The international community has been pursuing talks with Tehran, but three high-level meetings the most recent in Moscow have failed to produce any breakthrough. AFP

Sectarian killings on rise in Syria: report

GENEVA Growing numbers of victims of the conflict in Syria are being targeted on account of their religion while gross violations of human rights are occurring on a regular basis, UN investigators said on June 27. The report from a commission of inquiry (CoI) said that violence has been escalating in Syria since May despite the Assad regimes agreement to implement a peace plan the previous month. The commission, which delivered its report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, also said that it believed many of the victims of a massacre in the central town of Houla in May were killed by pro-government forces. The findings of the report triggered a walkout by the Syrian delegation after it was read out at the rights councils headquarters in Geneva. We will not participate in this flagrantly political meeting, said Syrian ambassador Faisal Khabbaz Hamoui before leaving the hall. The walkout came as the commission told the council that the unrest was taking on an increasingly sectarian basis. Where previously victims were targeted on the basis of their being pro or antigovernment, the CoI has recorded a growing number of incidents where victims appear to have been targeted because of their religious affiliation, said the report. At the request of the rights council, the CoI focused on the massacre in Houla where at least 108 people were killed in a 24-hour period on May 25-26. The commission said it was unable to identify the perpetrators but said it suspected forces loyal to Assad of many of the deaths. The CoI is unable to determine the identity of the perpetrators at this time, nevertheless the CoI considers that forces loyal to the government may have been responsible for many of the deaths, the report said. The commission noted the large number of children being killed by snipers and also multiple reports of rape and sexual assault after government forces entered the Baba Amr neighbourhood of Homs in February. The fear of rape and sexual assault has restricted the freedom of movement of women and young girls, the report said. AFP

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at a media briefing in Jordan on June 26 after opening a guesthouse for Christian pilgrims from Russia. Pic: AFP support, said Putin. The United States rejected the call for Iran to take part. Given its support for the regime and its continued behaviour visa-vis Syria, we just dont see it as able to make a helpful contribution right now, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters in Washington. In Jordan, Putin opened a guesthouse for Christian pilgrims at the site in the Jordan Valley, where many Christians believe Jesus was baptised. He arrived in Jordan from the West Bank, where he met Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas during a brief visit to Bethlehem, a day after talks in Israel with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres. I did not set myself a task to negotiate a personal meeting between the two leaders, but I am under the impression that agreement is possible, between Israel and the Palestinian leaders,

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UN report highlights drug abuse misery

VIENNA Some 27 million people worldwide are problem drug users, with almost one percent every year dying from narcotics abuse, a UN report showed on June 26. Heroin, cocaine and other drugs continue to kill around 200,000 people a year, shattering families and bringing misery to thousands of other people, insecurity and the spread of HIV, director Yury Fedotov said as he presented the 2012 World Drug Report of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Global production and use of illegal drugs remained relatively stable last year, the report found. However, this masked shifts in trafficking and consumption that were significant and also worrying... because they are proof of the resilience and adaptability of illicit drug suppliers and users, the UNODC warned. Cannabis remained the most widely used drug, with up to 224 million users worldwide, the agency said. Opium production in Afghanistan, the worlds biggest producer with 90 percent of the global share, meanwhile jumped by 61pc in 2011 to 5800 tonnes from 3600 tonnes in 2010, when the crop was hit by disease. In Southeast Asia, opium cultivation expanded by 16pc in 2011, with Myanmar still the second largest producer behind Afghanistan. Only a small share of this made it to Europe and North America, where opiate use was stable or dropping. Instead, 70pc of users were in Africa and Asia, the report found. Cocaine use was also stagnating or falling in Europe and North America, but this was offset by growing use in South America and Australia, as well as parts of Africa and Asia. Synthetic drugs including methamphetamine and ecstasy pills were meanwhile on the increase, with a recent rise in seizures indicating the drugs continued popularity, the UNODC said. Some 230 million people, or five percent of the global population aged 15-64, used illegal drugs at least once in 2010, the last year for which data was available, the report found. AFP

Salvage crews from US firm Titan Salvage and Italian firm Micoperi work on the Costa Concordia cruise liner near Giglio Porto in Italy on June 25. The crews were preparing to refloat the half-submerged vessel in the biggest salvage operation of its kind. The Costa Concordia capsized off the Tuscan island of Giglio after hitting rocks on January 13, leaving 30 people dead and two still unaccounted for. Pic: AFP

Flu killed 250,000, study finds

PARIS The A(H1N1) swine flu 2009 pandemic probably claimed over a quarter of a million lives 15 times more than the 18,500 reported, a paper in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal said on June 26. The elevated toll underlined the need for better planning and vaccine distribution, said a team of epidemiologists and physicians who made a statistical model based on population and infection estimates to present what they believe is a more accurate picture of the pandemics reach. This study is one of the first to provide a global estimate of deaths caused by the 2009 H1N1 virus, lead author Fatimah Dawood of the US governments Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told AFP in an email exchange. Unlike most other mortality estimates for the 2009 pandemic, this study includes estimated mortality for countries in southeast Asia and Africa where surveillance data on influenza-associated mortality are limited. Some 18,500 deaths had been reported to the World Health Organisation from confirmed laboratory test results, but the international researchers believe this number to be a gross underestimation. The team estimated there were 284,500 deaths from swine flu in the 12 months from April 2009. The researchers said 51 percent of swine flu deaths were estimated to have occurred in southeast Asia and Africa, which account for 38 percent of the worlds population. The team hoped the work would help improve planning and surveillance, as well as boost vaccine production and delivery, especially to Africa and southeast Asia, ahead of future pandemics. Dubbed swine flu, the virus affected some 214 countries and territories after it was uncovered in Mexico and the United States in April 2009. AFP

Drug laws help spread AIDS: panel

LONDON A pressure group that includes six former presidents called last week for the United Nations to acknowledge that repressive drug law enforcement was driving an HIV/AIDS pandemic. The global war on drugs was forcing users away from treatment and into environments where the risk of contracting HIV was high, said the Global Commission on Drug Policy (GCDP). In a report published on June 26, the panel urged the UN to acknowledge and address the causal links between the war on drugs and the spread of HIV/AIDS and drug market violence. It also presented evidence that aggressive law enforcement policies created barriers to HIV treatment. The GCDP is a panel of politicians, writers and businessmen that advocates decriminalising drug use by those who do no harm to others. The increased availability of drugs worldwide proved that the strategy was failing, the report said. The war on drugs has failed, and millions of new HIV infections and AIDS deaths can be averted if action is taken now, it said. AFP

Trade Mark CauTion

NOTICE is hereby given that aisin Seiki kabushiki kaisha (also trading as aisin Seiki Co., Ltd), a Japanese joint stock company, of 2-1 Asahi-machi, Kariya-shi, Aichi-ken, Japan, is the Owner of the following Trade Marks:-

in respect of Class 7: Clutches, clutch discs and clutch covers (all other than for land vehicles). Class 12: Clutches, clutch discs and clutch covers for automobiles; clutches, clutch discs and clutch covers for motorcycles; clutch shaft couplings or connectors for land vehicles; main drive shafts for clutches for land vehicles; ring gears for clutches for land vehicles; clutch operation devices for land vehicles.

(reg: no. 4396/2006) in respect of Class 7: Hydraulic pumps for land vehicle engines; hydraulic motors for land vehicle engines; hydraulic cylinders for land vehicle engines; hydraulic door openers and closers (parts of machines). Class 12: Hydraulic circuits for vehicles; hydraulic shock absorbers for land vehicles; clutch master cylinders for land vehicles; clutch release cylinders for land vehicles; reservoir tanks for land vehicles.

(reg: no. 4391/2006) in respect of: - Class 7: Clutch discs (other than for land vehicles). Class 12: Clutch discs for automobiles; clutch discs for motorcycles.

(reg: no. 4393/2006) in respect of Class 7: Clutch covers ( other than for land vehicles). Class 12: Clutch covers for automobiles; clutch covers for motorcycles (reg: no. 4395/2006) in respect of Class 7: Water pumps for land vehicle engines. Fraudulent imitation or unauthorised use of the said Trade Marks will be dealt with according to law. Win Mu Tin., M.A., H.G.P., D.B.L. for aisin Seiki kabushiki kaisha P.O. Box 60, Yangon. Dated: 2nd July, 2012

(reg: no. 4392/2006)

(reg: no. 4394/2006)

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concern that the controversial check your papers provision had not been invalidated, saying: No American should ever live under a cloud of suspicion just because of what they look like. Opponents of the law took heart from the fact that the Supreme Court abolished three quarters of the provisions and the fourth element perhaps has only a temporary reprieve because the legislation is yet to be implemented. The Arizona law has aroused intense controversy because of a particular provision, 2(B), that requires police to demand proof of citizenship of anyone they stop and suspect of being illegal, even without probable cause. In a victory for Obamas Republicans opponents, justices unanimously refused to strike down the key clause, as they said it was unclear, before the laws actual implementation, that it raised constitutional concerns. The ruling leaves the matter open to future challenges. Justices rejected a series of other provisions, including those that would have criminalised immigrants for failing to register with the federal government or for seeking work or working without proper documents. They also struck down a clause that would have allowed police to arrest those suspected of being deportable without a warrant. Obamas Republican challenger for the White House in November, Mitt Romney, used the ruling to attack the president for making broken immigration promises. As candidate Obama, he promised to present an immigration plan during his first year in office. But four years later, we are still waiting, Romney said in a statement. Obamas so far unfulfilled 2008 vow to bring more than 10 million illegal immigrants out of the shadows, which is opposed by conservatives, is emerging as a key issue in the 2012 election, as he courts vital Hispanic voters. AFP

MyanMar tiMes

Top US court backs states right to immigration checks

WASHINGTON The US Supreme Court struck down most of Arizonas new immigration law on June 25 but let stand a key provision requiring police spotchecks that critics say amounts to racial profiling. Arizonas Republican governor Jan Brewer hailed a legal victory and said the highest court in the land had ruled that the heart of the draconian law was constitutional and could now be enforced. President Barack Obama voiced

event Lawyers for 9/11 mastermind Pentagon panelpride celebrates gay seek UN torture investigation
WASHINGTON Lawyers for self-confessed September 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed said on June 26 that they have asked the UN to investigate their clients alleged torture at the Guantanamo Bay military jail. On the UNs International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, Mohammeds defence team said they had sent a Letter of Allegation to Juan Mendez, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture. The letter was sent on May 5 from Guantanamo, on the eve of Mohammeds arraignment on charges for which he faces the death penalty. The first confessions of the Pakistani national, alias KSM, who has claimed responsibility for the 2001 attacks, were obtained under torture, after 183 instances of waterboarding and 7.5 straight days of sleep deprivation in a secret CIA (against Torture). After subjecting Mr Mohammed to torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment following his capture on March 1, 2003 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, the US government has silenced top secret, the letter adds, inviting Mendez to meet the most famous detainee at Guantanamo. The US government seeks to close this painful and dark chapter in our Nations history by killing Mr Mohammed after a show trial, it claims. No human being should be tortured, wrote Captain Jason Wright, a military lawyer assigned to Mohammed, wrote in the letter. In the period since 9/11, the US has misplaced its moral compass. Through accountability, we can hopefully find our way again, and pursue a path of rediscovery and redemption. AFP WASHINGTON The Pentagon for the first time celebrated gay pride in a modest but emotional ceremony on June 26, less than a year after the US military lifted a ban on homosexuals serving openly in uniform. In a packed hall, a top defence official said the repeal of the prohibition has gone ahead without any major problems and a panel of gay service members spoke about how much had changed after years of having to hide their sexual orientation under the former Dont Ask, Dont Tell law. The Defence Departments top legal counsel, Jeh Johnson, said the end of the ban had freed troops in uniform from the burden of hiding their sexual orientation.

the period since 9/11, the US Inmisplaced its moral compass. has
prison, according to a US intelligence report. The letter asks that the special UN rapporteur initiate a full, fair and impartial inquiry into both US conduct and that of any other potentially complicit state party to the Convention him, reads the letter, a copy of which was obtained by AFP. No one without a top secret security clearance is allowed to meet with him or speak to him. His defense attorneys are told to treat his every word as presumptively

They no longer have to live a lie in the military, Johnson said. Since the ban on openly gay troops was rescinded in September, he said, within each service, there have been isolated incidents, but almost no issues or negative effects associated with repeal on unit cohesion, including within war fighting units. Unlike typical gay pride festivities in major cities, the Pentagons event was an understated affair, with a panel discussion instead of parades, concerts or outlandish costumes. Johnson said that other civilian government agencies have held gay pride events for years, including the Central Intelligence Agency, which organised its first event 12 years ago. AFP

Documents win for WikiLeaks suspect

FORT MEADE, Maryland A US military judge has ordered prosecutors to show they are not withholding evidence from WikiLeaks suspect Bradley Manning after defence lawyers accused them of hiding documents that could potentially help their clients case. The June 25 ruling at a pre-trial hearing was a victory for Manning, 24, whose defence team has argued for months that prosecutors are delaying requests for government files that could prove crucial in the trial of the Army private. Judge Denise Lind ruled that prosecutors would have to turn over reports from the CIA, the FBI, the State Department and the Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive that assessed the impact of the leaks. Mannings lawyers believe the assessments will show the disclosures had no major effect on the countrys national security and did not aid the enemy as the government alleges. Under Linds decision, the prosecution will have to give a detailed account showing it met legal obligations to share all pertinent evidence with the defence. The prosecutors would have to show when they obtained documents, why they were not shared with the defence and to what extent they had queried dozens of agencies about relevant papers, she said. AFP

10,000 emails back asylum bid

QUITO The Ecuadorian embassies in the United States and Britain have received over 10,000 messages in support of political asylum for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, Ecuadorian authorities said on June 26. More than 10,000 emails have been received at the moment, Ecuadors Minister of Foreign Affairs said in a public statement from Quito. Thousands of people asking the Ecuadorian government to accord asylum to Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks, sent a steady stream of messages saying why they support him, the statement added. Quito received a demand for asylum from the Australian national, who took refuge in Londons Ecuadorian embassy on June 19, escaping extradition to Sweden, where he has been charged with two cases of sexual assault. Assange worries that from Sweden, he will be extradited to the United States to face possible espionage charges, after releasing more than 250,000 American diplomatic cables on the Wikileaks site. A letter in favour of the request for asylum was also addressed to Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa by Just Foreign Policy, a US civil liberties group. Among the signatures on the petition were those of film directors Michael Moore and Oliver Stone, actor Danny Glover and philosopher Noam Chomsky. Maintaining that Assanges only crime was doing journalism, the authors of the letter denounced what they believe to be an attack on freedom of the press and the publics right to know the truth about American foreign policy. Correa responded to the call for asylum on June 26, saying that Quito must first analyse the judicial process in Sweden and that these things take time. Its not that simple. That same day, Correa met his ambassador to Britain, Anna Alban, and Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino to discuss Assanges request. Correa, a leftist leader critical of Washington, has already expressed sympathy for the Wikileaks founder and said that his country will not accept instances of political persecution. AFP The death on June 24 of Lonesome George, pictured in Ecuadors Galapagos National Park on April 19, has left the world one subspecies poorer. Lonesome George, who was estimated to be more than 100 years old, was the only remaining Pinta Island giant tortoise and a celebrated symbol of conservation efforts in the Galapagos Islands, about 1000 kilometres off the coast of Ecuador. Pic: AFP

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Briefs
Chinese astronauts return to Earth
BEIJING Three Chinese astronauts returned to Earth on June 29 after achieving Chinas first manual docking in orbit, a milestone in the countrys effort to build a space station by the end of the decade. The trio, including the countrys first female astronaut, landed in a remote area of northern China. A manual space docking is an essential manoeuvre for building a space station which Beijing aims to do by 2020.

Stalemate in Australia over asylum seekers

SYDNEY The Australian Senate on June 28 rejected a bill to send boatpeople offshore for processing, leaving the divisive issue of asylumseekers at a stalemate after a series of deadly incidents. The bill had passed the lower House of Representatives the previous day after an emotional debate sparked by another crowded asylumseeker boat sinking off the remote Australian territory of Christmas Island, near Indonesia. Some 130 people were rescued, one body was recovered and three people went down with the vessel. The June 27 incident came just days after another boat capsized, with 110 people saved but an estimated 90 killed. But the bill was always doomed to fail in the upper house, with the conservative opposition and the Australian Greens vowing to block it. It was defeated 39 votes to 29. The opposition supports o f f sh o r e p r o c e s si n g i n principle but refuses to back any option the government puts forward, seizing it as a potential opportunity to derail Labors fragile coalition, which holds a oneseat voting majority. The left-leaning Greens, on whom the government relies for its rule, are opposed to any offshore processing. I very much regret that after 24 hours of impassioned, sincere and at times very moving debate, the parliament has come to this deeply unsatisfactory impasse, said opposition leader Tony Abbott. We have not a solution, but a stalemate. Prime Minister Julia Gillard said that with the bills failure, there would be no effective message of deterrence to peoplesmugglers. What it will mean is people will (still) get on boats, she said. With few options left, Gillard announced that she had commissioned an urgent expert review of asylumseeker policy led by former defence force chief Angus Houston. (He will) provide a report to me and to the nation about the best way forward for our nation in dealing with asylum-seeker issues, she said, adding that she expected the report by the time parliament sits again in six weeks. The Australian media have been scathing of the politicians inability to find a compromise, with the Sydney Morning Herald blaring Paralysis in Parliament on its front-page. The Australian parliament is failing us. It is putting politicking ahead of human life, it said. AFP

Minister quits over graft case

NEW DELHI An Indian cabinet minister resigned on June 26 after a state court charged him with corruption, in a further embarrassment for Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs scandal-tainted government. The move came a day after a court in Himachal Pradesh charged Virbhadra Singh, the minister for micro, small and medium industries, and his wife with conspiracy and corruption in a 23-year-old case related to one of his five terms as chief minister of the northern state. The couple has denied all the charges.

Key suspect in Mumbai terror raids held in India

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India Indias home minister said on June 27 that a key suspect in the 2008 Mumbai attacks arrested earlier last week had provided information confirming Pakistani state support for the deadly assault. Abu Hamza, also known as Sayed Zabiuddin, an Indian-born member of the Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, was detained at Delhi international airport on June 21 when he arrived from the Middle East. Indian police believe he was one of the handlers based in the Pakistani city Karachi, who issued orders by telephone to 10 Islamist gunmen as they stormed two luxury hotels, a Jewish centre, a restaurant and a train station in Mumbai. The November 2008 attacks, which India has blamed on Lashkar-e-Taiba, left 166 people dead and more than 300 wounded. Home Minister P. Chidambaram, speaking to reporters in the southern state of Kerala, said police interrogation of Hamza had confirmed Indian accusations that Pakistani state actors were also involved. When I say, state actors, at the moment, I am not pointing my finger at any particular agency, Chidambaram said. But clearly there was state support or state actors support for the 26/11 massacre, the home minister said. Pakistan, which has firmly denied allegations that state actors were involved in the attacks, has asked India to share information on Hamza and has urged New Delhi to refrain from blaming Islamabad India should supply details about Abu Hamza, enabling us to take action, Pakistans advisor on interior affairs, Rehman Malik, told a news conference in Islamabad. Pakistan can respond only after India shares information and we see Abu Hamzas statement, Malik said. Let us end the blame game... We have to fight terrorism together, Malik said. AFP

Mukherjee files for presidency

NEW DELHI Indias former finance minister Pranab Mukherjee filed nomination papers on June 28 to contest this months presidential election. The 77-year-old politician was selected in May as the ruling coalitions nominee to succeed Indian President Pratibha Patil, despite some clashes between various coalition partners as to whom would make the best candidate. He will face off against former parliamentary speaker P.A. Sangma in the July 19 election.

A toddy tapper uses ropes tied between coconut trees to collect the sap needed to make palm wine, or toddy, at Wadduwa in Sri Lanka late last month. Toddy is a popular beverage throughout much of South Asia and Southeast Asia, but the sap is usually collected by climbing individual trees. Pic: AFP.

Pakistan's new premier gets ultimatum on graft cases

ISLAMABAD Pakistans Supreme Court on June 27 gave the new prime minister two weeks to indicate whether he would ask Swiss authorities to reopen corruption cases against the president. The move indicates that the judiciary is unwilling to end a showdown with the government that could force elections before February 2013, when the administration would become the first in Pakistan to complete a full five-year mandate. The court on June 19 dismissed Yousuf Raza Gilani as prime minister after convicting him of contempt in April for refusing to reopen the multimillion-dollar cases. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) coalition elected Raja Pervez Ashraf as premier on June 22, after judges issued an arrest warrant for its first suggested replacement. Five days later, Justice Nasir ul Mulk directed the attorney general to find out how the government intended to deal with the Swiss cases and report back on July 12. The new prime minister was elected last week and we trust that he will honour the direction given by this court, Mulk said. In the meantime we direct the attorney general to obtain instructions from the prime minister and inform the court... on the next date of the hearing on July 12, he said. The allegations against Zardari date to the 1990s, when he and his late wife, former premier Benazir Bhutto, are suspected of using Swiss bank accounts to launder US$12 million allegedly paid in bribes by companies seeking customs inspection contracts. The Swiss shelved the cases in 2008 when Zardari became president. The government insists the president has full immunity. But in 2009 the Supreme Court overturned a political amnesty that had frozen investigations into the president and other politicians, ordering that the cases be reopened. Ashraf faces his own corruption allegations from his tenure as water and power minister, and many believe he will be forced out soon either by elections or the judiciary. AFP

Population dips in northern Sri Lanka

COLOMBO Sri Lankas first national census in 30 years has shown a dramatic 20 percent drop in the population of the Jaffna peninsula, the long-time base of Tamil rebels during the islands ethnic conflict. A preliminary census report released on June 27 said the population in Jaffna, which the rebels once ran as a de facto separate state in the northeast, had fallen from 734,000 in 1981 to 583,000. The census put the national population at 20.27 million, about 600,000 down on estimates based on a sample survey carried out in 2001. AFP

Anti-Taliban militia leader found shot dead

PESHAWAR The bullet-riddled bodies of an anti-Taliban militia commander and three of his associates were dumped in Pakistans northwestern city of Peshawar on June 27, police said. The bodies of Fahimud Din, 50, chief of a 1500-strong vigilante force in Bazidkhel on the outskirts of Peshawar, and three of his associates were found in a Toyota Land Cruiser on the citys ring road at about 7am local time, police said. The Taliban claimed responsibility. We killed Fahimud Din and his colleagues. They raised a militia against us and wanted to defeat us, Ehsanullah Ehsan, spokesman for Pakistans main Tehreek-e-Taliban faction, told AFP by telephone from an undisclosed location. Anybody who rises up against us will face the same fate, Ehsan added. Police said Din survived at least three suicide bombings and several roadside bomb attacks blamed on the Taliban and warlord Mangal Bagh who leads the Lashkar-e-Islam militia in the adjoining Khyber tribal district. On June 12, two of his bodyguards were killed in a suicide attack that targeted his vehicle. Din survived because he was not been in the car. In the last five years, attacks blamed on Islamist bombers have killed more than 5000 people in Pakistan, according to an AFP tally. AFP

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Malaysian minister denies graft claims

KUALA LUMPUR Malaysias defence minister last week denied allegations that a classified ministry report was sold to a French firm to land a controversial submarine deal. Prime Minister Najib Razak has previously dismissed graft allegations linked to the US$1.1-billion submarine purchase in 2002, when he was defence minister, saying it is an opposition-backed attempt to smear his image. But in recent months, Malaysias online media have been aflutter with new evidence that opposition-leaning rights group Suaram and its lawyers say has been uncovered by French judges probing the case. The claims come at a sensitive time for Najib, who is preparing for elections, which he is expected to call soon. They include an allegation that a classified Malaysian defence ministry report on the countrys naval needs was sold to submarine maker Thales, possibly to help the French firm land the $1.1 billion deal. Malaysian Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, responding to opposition allegations of abuse, told parliament on June 26 that no confidential information leaked out, and the deal was done through direct negotiations in accordance with procurement procedures. To the best knowledge of the ministry, up to now there is no information detected to have been taken out of Malaysia, he said. The ministry has never paid any commission directly or indirectly to any companies in the procurement of the Scorpene submarines. At the request of Suaram, French judicial officials opened an investigation in March 2010 into the sale of the two Scorpene submarines, which were made by French shipbuilder giant DCNS. Suaram alleges DCNS, which is partowned by Thales, paid a commission of 114 million euros ($142 million in current terms) to a company called Perimekar, which is linked to Abdul Razak Baginda, an associate of Najibs. On June 25, Asia Sentinel published 133 documents, obtained from the French inquiry, which showed securing the deal has resulted in a long tangle of blackmail, bribery, influence peddling, misuse of corporate assets and concealment, among other allegations, the news portal said. It also alleged top French and Malaysian officials, including then foreign minister Alain Juppe and former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, appear to have known of some of the misdeeds based on the documents. The Malaysian government has long maintained that the submarine deal, brokered when Najib was defence minister, was free of graft and that Perimekar had not improperly benefited. Abdul Razak, Najibs associate, has also been acquitted of charges of abetting the 2006 murder of his mistress, Mongolian interpreter Altantuya Shaariibuu, which the opposition has also been trying to link to Najib. But Najib has denied any link to that case. Two Malaysian policemen have been convicted for the murder and sentenced to death. AFP

Day-old Sumatran rhinoceros Andatu with her mother, Ratu, at a sanctuary in the Way Kambas National Park at Lampung on Indonesias Sumatra Island, in a photo taken on June 24 and released the next day by the Indonesian Forestry Ministry. Pic: AFP/ Indonesian Forestry Ministry

Sumatran rhino a gift from God

JAKARTA A critically endangered Sumatran rhinoceros, which on June 23 became only the fourth born in captivity in more than a century, was last week named a gift from God. Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan said he had picked the name Andatu for the male calf, which was born at an Indonesian sanctuary, on the southern tip of Sumatra island. Andatu combines parts of its parents name, Andalas the father and mother Ratu, and refers to Anugerah Dari Tuhan, or Gift from God in Indonesian, he told a news conference. Andatu is the most appropriate choice he said. His birth is a milestone in the conservation of Sumatran rhinos and will build public confidence of rhino conservation efforts in our country, he added. Ratu and Andalas were paired in 2009 at the sanctuary, two years after Andalas was brought from the United States at the Cincinnati Zoo in Ohio for a breeding program. Andalas was born in September 2001, making him the first Sumatran rhino delivered in captivity in 112 years. Before Andalas, the last Sumatran rhino born in captivity was in the Calcutta Zoo in India in 1889, said the Rhino Resource Center, a British reference website. Sumatran rhinos have suffered a 50 percent drop in population during the past 20 years and there are believed to be fewer than 200 in the wild in Southeast Asia. AFP

Trade Mark CauTion

NOTICE is hereby given that PiaS CorP., a joint stock company duly organized under the laws of Japan, Manufacturers and Merchants of 19-3, Toyosaki 3-chome, Kita-ku, Osaka, Japan is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trademarks:-

Sobriety tests introduced for Manila traffic cops

MANILA After reports of boozing on the job, traffic police in the Philippine capital will be required to undergo breathalyser tests, an official said on June 28. The new policy covering the 1400 Metro Manila traffic enforcers was imposed following complaints about some personnel, said Yves Gonzales, director of Manilas traffic discipline office. We got complaints that there were enforcers who were drinking on duty. Just three days ago, we received a complaint via Twitter that one enforcer smelled of liquor, he told AFP. He said the tests would be conducted at random as the enforcers reported for duty. But if the city authority received reports of a traffic cop drinking, the discipline office would deploy breath checkers to have the officer tested. Those caught face a suspension of between one and six months for the first offence and dismissal for the second, he added. Traffic enforcers help to unclog the roads, especially when traffic lights fail or when vehicles get caught by a red light in the middle of a junction. AFP

COVERMARK
(reg: no. iV/2391/1998) (reg: no. iV/2392/1998) The above three trademarks are used in respect of:Bleaching preparations, and other substances for laundry use; cleaning, polishing, scouring and abrasive preparations; soaps; perfumery, essential oils, cosmetics, hair lotions; dentifrices

(reg: no. iV/2389/1998)

Trade Mark CauTion

Vandex international aG, a company incorporated in Switzerland, of Rotistrasse 6, 4500 Solothurn, Switzerland, is the Owner of the following Trade Marks:-

Singapore pastor charged for $19m breach of trust

SINGAPORE The founder of one of Singapores richest churches was charged in court on June 27 for allegedly syphoning off nearly US$19 million of the congregations money to support his wifes singing career. Pastor Kong Hee, 47, faced three charges of criminal breach of trust relating to the misuse of the funds of the City Harvest Church, one of Singapores biggest with a membership of over 30,000. Kong was accused of dishonestly misappropriating monies from the churchs building fund over several years to support the career of his wife, Ho Yeow Sun, who had tried to become a music star in the United States. The church, which has affiliates in neighbouring Malaysia and other countries, is known for services that resemble pop concerts. The pastors wife, in her early 40s, was hoping international stardom would help spread the churchs message, said previous reports in the Singapore media. Four other church executives were charged on June 27 before a district court for aiding Kong and faced other charges for allegedly attempting to misappropriate millions of dollars from the churchs funds. Kong and the four others were arrested on June 26 by the Commercial Affairs Department, a police unit set up to fight financial crime, and could face life imprisonment as well as a fine if convicted. They have been suspended from their church positions and are out on bail of S$500,000 each, with their passports impounded. On June 26, officials overseeing charities estimated that Kong was involved in misappropriating S$23 million ($18 million) in church funds but in the charge sheet filed on June 27, the total was raised to S$24 million. City Harvest is a Christian group listed as a charity. The arrests came after a twoyear police investigation. AFP

VandeX
reg. no. 1715/1994

ACSEINE
(reg: no. iV/6258/1997)

(reg: no. iV/6259/1997) The above two trademarks are used in respect of:Soaps, perfumes, essential oils, cosmetics, hair lotions, dentifrices Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademarks or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. U Kyi Win Associates for PiaS CorP. P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 2nd July, 2012

KESALAN PATHARAN

reg. no. 1716/1994 in respect of Class 1: Preservatives (not being paints) and waterproofing preparations, protective chemicals and adhesive substances, all for the building industry and civil constructions. Class 17: Packing, stopping and insulating materials. Class 19: Cement for building, mortar; non-metallic preparations (not in the nature of paint) for use in cementing and filling cracks, cavities and like defects in surfaces and for use as surfacing material in the building industry and civil constructions; non-metallic building materials. Fraudulent imitation or unauthorised use of the said Trade Marks will be dealt with according to law. Win Mu Tin, M.A., H.G.P., D.B.L for Vandex international aG P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 2nd July, 2012

Time out
By Nyein Ei Ei Htwe ON a rainy afternoon in late June, only a handful of people can be seen enjoying the fresh air at Pansodan Jetty in downtown Yangon. One group of men plays chinlon under the open sky, while a few others sit beneath the jetty roof, quietly chatting. Not far away is a throng of ferryboat pilots, waiting for passengers near a concrete pathway that crosses the mudflats from the parking lot to the water. Among them is U Myat Kyaw, helmsman of the small, outboard-motor-driven Yar Paye ferryboat. He appears to be lost in thought, staring into the distance at the triangular confluence of the Yangon River, Bago River and Pazundaung Creek. He is in fact listening to announcements from the loudspeaker at the ferryboat stand, waiting for his boat number to be called, indicating that its his turn to carry passengers across the Yangon River. U Myat Kyaw said business is slower than usual during the monsoon season. During these rainy season days, we sometimes have to wait three hours to get passengers to take across the river in the afternoon, which is the slowest time of day, he said. When our boats number is called we get K100 for one passenger, so if we take 10 passengers we get K1000 for one trip. But if its raining heavily, we take only seven people for K150 each. He said that during winter season he can usually earn more than K4000 a day, but monsoon earnings are closer to K3000. In rainy season our income is very low. There are only a few passengers who live on

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Yangon ferrymen suffer monsoon blues

Another helmsman, Ko Zaw Khine Win, said the passenger fee should be doubled from K100 to K200 so that he and his colleagues could earn a living wage. I used to work as a food maker in teashop, and after that I spent three years working at the jetty announcing which boat was next in line to take passengers. But that job pays only K3000 a day, whereas on a good day its possible to make a bit more as a helmsman, he said. He added that crossing the river several times a day was more exciting than standing at the jetty. Ive never seen a ferryboat accident. Our boats are designed to withstand heavy rain and wind, he said. We dont travel as fast as some fishing boats, and we take care to avoid getting entangled in their nets. There are also no problems with ocean-going vessels: They blare their horns at us, and we have a rule not to approach within 500 yards in our small boats when theyre moving. However, the arrival in Yangon of big vessels is often a boon from the helmsmen, as the seamen call for ferries to take them to the shore. Ko Zaw Khine Win said the work of ferrymen is more complicated during monsoon season, partly because the rain washes more rubbish into the river. The trash can get caught in the blades of outboard motors, causing them to stop or break. As he spoke, another complication arose, as a late afternoon squall started dumping heavy, wind-driven rain over the Yangon River. The helmsmen and potential passengers alike ran for shelter under a nearby rooftop, everyone muttering in disappointment over the delay.

Ferry passengers hunker down for departure from Pansodan Jetty. Pic: Ko Taik I hire a boat for K2000 for I dont know any other the other side of the river and work in Yangon, and job, and I dont think Id be a day, and I need to spend even fewer who want to able to do any of them well about K3300 a day on petrol. cross the river from Yangon anyway, U Myat Kyaw said. Then I pay the ferry stand But things are easier for me announcer K800 a day, plus to visit Dala on the other than they used to be because K100 for a place to park my side, he said. The small boats are an two of my children are old boat at night, he said. I always pray for the price alternative to the bigger enough to earn money for Inland Water Transport the family, so I make enough of petrol to go down so I can vessels that run back and for the youngest one who is a earn more money. With my expenditures, even if I earn forth across the river all day fourth grade student. He claims to be one of the K10,000 in a day, I actually long. Although the IWT ferries cost only K50, the smaller most experienced helmsmen make only a little more than boats can leave whenever at Pansodan Jetty, having K3000. Ko Z a w Tu n , a n o t h e r the passengers are ready, worked at the job for 30 and they can travel far more years. He starts his day at helmsman who has worked at 5am by travelling across the Pansodan Jetty for more than quickly across the river. There are several stands river from his home in Dala 10 years, agreed that it was tough to earn a living piloting for small ferries along the township. He said he learned the trade ferryboats across the river. Yangon River including at Bohtataung, Maw Tin, Nyaung by piloting some of his friends He said the growing number Pin Lay Zay and Kyeemyindaing boats, during a time when of boats in recent years has jetties but with its 180 or so there were not many rules added to the difficulty. In the past there were only boats, Pansodan is the busiest. for helmsmen to follow. Despite three decades at 120 ferryboats at Pansodan With all the competition, it also means that the helmsmen the job, U Myat Kyaw said Jetty, with about 80 of them must often wait hours for their he still cant afford to buy working on any given day. Now there are 180, and the his own boat. turn to take passengers.

wait is much longer to get passengers, he said. We asked the heads of the jetty to divide the boats into two groups of 90, with each group working two days and then taking one day off, but they didnt accept our suggestion. Ko Zaw Tun said it was no problem finding passengers between Pansodan Jetty and Dala in the morning and evening, but the afternoon was a fairly idle time for most helmsmen as they waited their turn. He said he became a ferryman just like his parents before him. I cant read much and I cant work other jobs. If I could save some money Id like to open a small business selling some products, but my income of K3000 is just enough to fill my familys stomachs, he said.

Thai artist shows wire sculptures in Yangon

By Zon Pann Pwint AN exhibition by Thai artist Narongyot Tongyoo, who creates wire sculptures of famous people including Myanmar personalities, will be held at Lokanat Gallery in downtown Yangon from July 3 to 7. International subjects of Mr Narongyots wire portraits include Albert Einstein, Andy Warhol, Mohandas Gandhi and Pablo Picasso. Among the Myanmar studies are Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Bogyoke Aung San, U Thant and writer Ludu Daw Amar. The exhibition has been organised by artist U Nay Myo Say, who often exhibits his work at Suvannabhumi Art Gallery in Chiang Mai. I met Narongyot Tongyoo in Chiang Mai. He is very friendly towards Myanmar artists who visit Suvannabhumi Art Gallery, U Nay Myo Say said He says he loves Myanmar, and he says he was a Myanmar in a previous life. He lets us sit before him as he quickly twists the wire to make portraits. U Nay Myo Say added: Displays of wire sculptures are very infrequent in Yangon, so I hope visitors will be interested in them. Mr Narongyot said he has come to know many famous Myanmar artists and poets while working as a freelance artist at Suvannabhumi Art Gallery. I appreciate them very much, and I learn from these professional artists, he said. About 50 of his wire portraits Tin Maung Oo and U Aung Myint, Mr Narongyot said. He later figured out how to affix eyeglasses to his sculptures, allowing him to expand his repertoire to include people who wear glasses such as artist and writer Ma Thanegi, and former UN secretary general U Thant. He said he takes pleasure in volunteering at Suvannabhumi Art Gallery and helping to hang the paintings of Myanmar artists, as well as setting the lighting for their exhibitions. I do feel as if I am their relative. I feel as if I was a fallen soldier in a battle between Myanmar and Thai people, and I was born again here to be friendly with Myanmar again, he said. Mr Narongyot said that many of his sculptures are based on photographs of famous people rather than live sittings. I have never seen Paw Oo Thett but I was inspired to create his portrait after seeing his paintings hung at the gallery. I like Myanmar artists because they are very humble and sincere even though they are famous, he said. Lokanat Gallery is located at No 62 Pansodan Road.

are very humble and sincere even though they are famous.

I like Myanmar artists because they

will be displayed at the Yangon exhibition. When I have free time, I pick up spare pieces of wire that are discarded after framing paintings in the gallery. First I tried to make small sculptures from the recycled wire, then I started making portraits of famous people. Later I made sculptures of Myanmar artists such

Thai artist Narongyot Tongyoos wire portrait of Albert Einstein. Pic: Supplied

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Photo sales help Kachin refugees

more fundraising exhibitions. The more that people are given the chance to donate, the better. People are busy ANOTHER exhibition of with their daily lives, and once photographs was held in a ceasefire is announced well Yangon last week with the all forget about Kachin State, aim of raising funds to help but for now, when there are refugees in Kachin State. battles every week, we should The Northern Myanmar 2012 help the refugees be as safe as exhibition, held at Myanmar possible, Ko Thu Rein said. Ink Art Gallery from June 24 He said that during the to 26, featured photographs trip he shot thousands of taken by Ko Thu Rein in photographs every March during a trip day, but he chose to Kachin State with to exhibit only 21 the Manaw A Hla Gita Once a ceasefire is black-and-white Nya donation group. The group was announced well all forget images.atThey were priced K300,000 established in January by Kachin about Kachin State, but for each, and the ones that did not sell will singers to raise funds for refugees in now, when there are battles be shown again at a future exhibition. northern Myanmar, I have a lot of manage donations every week, we should help to refugee camps the refugees be as safe as photos that show miserable scenes and and organise live the difficulty of life concerts in the possible. in the camps, but for region. Northern Myanmar On June 30, Ko Thu Some visitors to my 2012 I chose to show portraits Rein turned over all income generated from sales of the exhibition even blamed me and childrens photos. The photos at the exhibition to for showing my photos. They idea was to raise money, and said it was like a seasonal I thought those images would the donation group. Before I even went to event, and they said that be better for display in offices Kachin State I had planned when there was peace nobody or peoples houses, he said. to organise an exhibition would buy my photos. But in with the photos from the reality the people there refugee camps, but after I are in big trouble now, and saw the trouble they were in, people who dont go there I decided to donate all the themselves dont have the income from the exhibition, chance to see whats really happening, he said. Ko Thu Rein said. He added that contrary to When I arrived in Kachin State I heard news that what some people felt, he the people were very safe thought there should be even By Nyein Ei Ei Htwe and that they could even live peacefully in the city, but when I went with the donation group to the camps the next day, I saw that the situation was very different. There were uncountable camps in forest, he said. Ko Thu Rein conceded that some people were getting tired of seeing so many photo exhibitions about refugees in Kachin State.

Ko Thu Rein poses with some of his photographs at Myanmar Ink Art Gallery in Yangon. Pic: Boothee

Filmfest extends entry deadline

THE submission deadline for the second edition of the Wathann Film Festival has been extended to July 10. The festival is scheduled to be held from September 5 to 9 at Mahar Sanni Thuka Buddhist Centre, Tarmwe township, Yangon. The festival will include the first screening of the feature-length documentary Nargis: When Time Stopped Breathing, directed by Pe Maung Same and The Maung Naing. Among the retrospective movies to be shown will be the 1973 film Chay Phawar Taw Nu Nu (Delicate Sole), directed by Maung Wunna. There will also be a special screening of films by women directors including Kyi Phyu Shin, Shin Daewe, Laythida and Thu Thu Sein followed by a panel discussion. Wathann Film Festival event director Thu Thu Shein said these movies will be shown with the aim of promoting the role of women in Myanmars film industry. I noticed that more women are making films nowadays, especially documentaries. The panel discussion will focus on current womens issues, for example the topic of Lay Thidas film about Chin women being sent to other countries for trafficking purposes, she said. The Wathann Film Festival Board also has a new office, located at No 15 (3B), Obo Road (near Shwe Phone Pwint Pagoda), Pazundaung township, Yangon. Anyone interested in participating in the festival can stop by the office or visit the website (www. wathannfilmfest.net) for more information. May Sandy

Hump day tickets

TICKETS for Englebert H u m p e r d i n c k s J u l y 1 1 concert at the National Theatre in Yangon are now on sale, priced at K70,000, K100,000 and K150,000. Tickets can be reserved online at www.myasiaticket. com and picked up at various venues around Yangon, i n c l u d i n g t h e M RT V- 4 Showroom on Pyay Road and the National Theatre. Mr Humperdinck, known as The King of Romance, is an Anglo-Indian pop singer who achieved his greatest popularity in the 1960s and 1970s. His most famous songs include Release Me, The Last Waltz, A Man Without Love and After the Lovin.

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Yo u n g s t e r s , o f t e n unemployed and idle, easily related to the hard-hitting lyrics and ear-splitting sounds. It struck an instant chord with them and that got passed on to the next generation. Music is in our blood now, said Konsam, who has converted an outhouse of his bungalow into a smart session space available to rent. Konsam has been organising rock festivals in Imphal and has seen their popularity grow with each edition. When we started out a couple of years ago, there were just two or three local bands. Now that number has swelled to about 20. Attendance at these concerts has also been growing to several hundred, he said. But it is not easy in a city like Imphal, which closes down by 7pm every evening and has just a handful of cinemas showing old Manipuri films due to threats by separatist rebels to attack screenings of Bollywood movies. Alvina Gonson, a tribal Christian and one of the rock pioneers of the state, said she had to fight against officialdom to get her singing career on track. There are two parallel governments in Manipur the Indian government and the rebels. We are caught in between, said the 30-yearold, whose talent and blonde good looks have made her a local star, defying cultural barriers. There are a lot of restrictions on women here. People dont appreciate women stepping out of their homes and mingling with the opposite sex. Singing rock is not considered lady-like, she said. It is not safe for women to hang around alone after dusk. Manipurs situation is complicated by the fact that myriad rebel groups are largely formed on tribal or ethnic lines with rival agendas that regularly erupt into bloody internecine disputes. Gonson, who was brought up by her single mother and writes and composes her own songs in English, said she refuses to fear anyone. I can stop them but they cant stop me. She began by performing for close friends and family. Word soon spread and she was invited by schools and colleges to perform for their functions. Then, in 2006, she was asked by rebels to give a performance at their jungle hideout. I was scared at first but decided to go. I took my mom with me. The rebels loved my performances, they danced with guns in their hands and kept asking for more. No rebel group has tried to harm me ever since, said Gonson, adding that she also performs for soldiers in army barracks. I understand the feelings of both sides, she said. I pray for eternal peace for my motherland. AFP

MyanMar tiMes

Remote Indian state becomes rock hub

By Abhaya Srivastava IMPHAL, India In the far northeast of India, cut off from the rest of the country except via a narrow land bridge, perhaps the only way to make yourself heard is loud, really loud, rock music. For White Fires drummer E l a n g b a m Ku m a r, t h a t explains why their cover version of the Guns NRoses s o n g We l c o m e To T h e Jungle has become an anthem for the band and a big hit with their fans in the remote state of Manipur. The state, which is 1600 kilometres (1000 miles) from the capital New Delhi, borders on Myanmar and has struggled for decades with separatist violence, a society divided among competing tribes and grinding poverty. It is also an unlikely hub for rock and heavy metal music, boasting a burgeoning festival scene and local stars who have defied social and cultural boundaries to pursue their music. All my pain and angst found an outlet in this genre of music. It is the attitude and the lyrics which are

Rock band White Fire rehearses in Imphal, India, on February 20. Pic: AFP/Manjunath Kiran the biggest draw for us, said 32-year-old Kumar, his tattooed biceps bulging out of a tight T-shirt. Kumar first started playing music at college in the city of Bangalore, where he watched MTV and hung out with students from across India who were into the head-banging style of the West. There is something raw, rebellious and pure a b o u t r o c k . Yo u c a n express yourself freely, he explained, adjusting drums in his makeshift practice room decorated with posters of US heavy metal bands Coal Chamber and Slipknot. Life here is so frustrating with all the restrictions on us. The entire system makes me angry. The army can stop you on any pretext, unemployment is so high, and we lag behind other states in every way. Kumars passion reflects the feelings of many young Manipuris, who often leave to go to bigger cities for higher education and jobs but then tend to drift back to their home state. For them, rock music is a statement against Indias mainstream culture, which seems alien and imposed by national authorities. The backstreets of the state capital Imphal are packed with small recording studios and music shops. Many Manipuris feel that the concept of being of India in any meaningful sense is one they find difficult to entertain with a sense of isolation that is not just geographical, but also ethnic, linguistic, economic and political. Such alienation is common in a number of the Seven Sisters the group of northeastern states encircled by four other countries and connected to the rest of India by a sliver of land that arches over Bangladesh. The earliest rock influences arrived in Manipur via Thailand and the rest of southeast Asia over the border into India from Myanmar. Back in the early 1980s, the gateway to the world lay to the east, remembers Vivek Konsam, who runs Riverboat, an eventmanagement company in Imphal. Second-hand copies of Rolling Stone magazine, a few tapes of bootlegged concert videos and pirated audio cassettes made their way in through Myanmar, he said.

soCialite
July 2 - 8, 2012
Fuji Japanese Restaurant Opening
the

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MyanMar tiMes
LAST week was a relatively quiet one for Socialite, with the first event the awards ceremony for the Pampers photo contest at Parkroyal Hotel not occurring until June WITH NYEIN EI EI HTWE 22. The next day she attended the Samsung Galaxy III launch ceremony at Junction Square, followed in the evening by the U Po Sein 130th Anniversary Photo Exhibition at the National Theatre. June 24 turned out to be the busiest day of the week for Socialite, with stops at the new product launch for Rambaxy Company at Strand Hotel, the Northern Myanmar 2012 Photo Exhibition at Myanmar Ink Art Gallery, and the Fuji Japanese Restaurant opening in Kamaryut township.

SOCIALITE

U Zaw Zaw

U Ye Wint and Ma Khine Thet Mon

Ko Sammes and Ma Yamin Calvin Min

Rambaxy New Product Launch

Models

Ms Rawiwan Tanaka

Aunty Nan and husband

Staff members

U Kyaw San Mr kenji Tanaka, Mr Awnaj Tanaka and authority

Samsung Galaxy III Launch

Mr Jayant Ghosh and Dr Aye Mya That Moh Moh Myint Aung Yadana Mai

Model

Model

Ko Henry

Chit Thu Wai

Models

Moe Hay Ko

Noe Noe K

Htar Htar Htet, Nan Khin Zayyar and Aye Chan Moe

Pampers Photo Contest Prize Ceremony

Ma Mo Mo Phone Maw Ko Win Htut, Ma Zar Phyu Pwint and Phone Thu Win Htut Khan Khan and Ma Ar Lwal

Khon Pyae Eaindra and Ma July Chan Thiri Phyu and Ma Sein Lae Aung

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July 2 - 8, 2012
International Baccalaureate Diploma Program Seminar

MyanMar tiMes

Mr Sener Topcular Ma Ohmar, Ma Khine Myat Wai and Ma Cho Zin

Attendees

Great U Po Sein 130th Anniversary Photo Exhibition

IB Diplomas Old Students

Northern Myanmar 2012 Photo Exhibition

U Nay Win San

Thu Tae Thi U Maung Maung U Toe Hla

Ma Aye Thet Pyae Phyo Aung

Ko Thu Rain and Mr Cap

Ma Phyu Sin

Panasonic New Product Launch

Panasonic representatives

Panasonic representatives

travel
Days Flight Dep Arr Days Flight Dep Arr
TUE W9 009 AW 902 AW 892 6T 402 YH 910 W9 011 YH 812 6T 802 W9 251 W9 150 AW 762 K7 224 YH 730 6T 502 08:30 08:35 08:35 08:55 09:25 09:25 13:25 13:30 13:35 16:20 16:35 16:45 17:20 17:20 08:30 08:35 08:45 08:55 09:35 14:10 15:35 16:40 17:10 17:50 17:20 18:20 08:30 08:35 08:45 08:50 08:55 13:10 14:10 16:00 16:45 17:15 17:20 08:30 08:35 08:45 08:50 08:55 09:35 13:35 16:30 17:10 17:20 17:35 17:45 18:20 08:00 08:35 08:55 09:25 10:50 13:10 15:35 16:40 16:45 17:15 17:20 08:30 08:35 08:35 08:55 09:25 09:35 11:20 13:10 13:30 16:00 17:10 17:20 06:00 06:15 06:15 06:30 06:30 07:00 15:00 06:00 06:15 06:15 06:30 06:30 15:00 09:30 10:00 10:30 10:55 10:50 11:10 14:50 14:55 15:00 17:45 18:40 20:00 18:45 19:25 09:30 10:30 10:10 10:55 11:45 15:10 17:00 18:45 18:35 19:15 19:25 19:45 09:30 10:30 10:10 10:15 10:55 14:35 15:10 17:25 20:00 18:45 19:25 09:30 10:30 10:10 10:45 10:55 11:45 15:00 17:55 19:25 19:25 19:00 19:10 19:45 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:10 12:15 14:35 17:00 18:05 20:00 18:45 19:25 09:30 10:00 10:30 10:55 11:10 11:45 12:45 14:35 14:55 17:25 18:35 19:25 07:20 07:35 07:50 07:50 08:05 08:20 18:20 07:20 07:35 07:35 07:50 08:05 18:20

38
www.mmtimes.com/2012/flight/flight.pdf

July 2 - 8, 2012

DOMESTIC FLIGHT SCHEDULES

Days Flight Dep Arr
FRI AW 891 06:15 07:35 W9 009 06:30 07:25 6T 401 06:30 07:50 YH 917 06:30 08:05 K7 222 07:00 08:20 SAT AW 891 06:15 07:35 6T 403 06:15 08:30 W9 009 06:30 07:25 6T 401 06:30 07:50 YH 917 06:30 08:05 6T 801 10:30 11:50 K7 224 15:00 18:20 SUN W9 143 06:00 07:20 AW 891 06:15 07:35 YH 909 06:15 07:50 W9 009 06:30 07:25 6T 401 06:30 07:50 YH 917 06:30 08:05 K7 222 07:00 08:20

Days Flight Dep Arr

TUE K7 826 07:00 08:15 6T 801 08:00 10:20 W9 115 11:00 12:10 AW 761 11:00 12:10 YH 811 11:15 12:40 6T 501 15:00 16:10 YH 731 15:00 16:25 K7 224 15:00 17:20 WED AW 911 06:30 08:40 K7 222 07:00 10:10 W9 119 11:00 12:10 YH 737 11:00 12:25 AW 791 14:30 15:40 6T 501 15:00 16:10 YH 731 15:00 16:25 THUR K7 826 07:00 08:15 AW 761 11:00 12:10 AW 201 11:00 12:10 YH 811 11:00 12:25 W9 109 14:30 15:25 6T 501 15:00 16:10 YH 731 15:00 16:25 K7 224 15:00 17:20 FRI K7 222 07:00 10:10 AW 211 11:00 12:10 W9 109 14:30 15:25 6T 501 15:00 16:10 YH 731 15:00 16:25 SAT K7 826 07:00 08:15 AW 751 11:00 12:10 W9 119 11:00 12:10 YH 811 11:00 12:25 6T 501 15:00 16:10 YH 731 15:00 16:25 K7 224 15:00 17:20 SUN K7 222 07:00 10:10 AW SPL 07:30 08:40 AW 751 10:30 11:40 W9 115 11:00 12:10 YH 811 11:00 12:25 6T 501 15:00 16:10 YH 731 15:00 16:25 YH 737 11:00 12:25

Days Flight Dep Arr

SUN AW SPL 08:55 10:05 AW 892 09:20 10:30 YH 918 09:35 10:45 W9 011 09:40 10:35 6T 402 09:45 10:55 K7 223 10:30 11:45 AW 752 16:45 17:55 W9 116 16:45 17:55 YH 738 17:20 18:35

YANGON TO MANDALAY
MON AW 891 6T 405 AW 911 6T 401 K7 222 W9 011 6T 801 AW 761 6T 351 K7 824 AW 791 K7 224 6T 501 TUE K7 228 YH 909 6T 405 AW 891 AW 901 W9 251 6T 401 6T 801 YH 729 AW 761 K7 622 K7 224 6T 501 06:15 06:15 06:30 06:30 07:00 07:30 08:30 11:00 11:30 12:30 14:30 15:00 15:00 06:00 06:15 06:15 06:15 06:15 06:30 06:30 08:00 11:00 11:00 13:30 15:00 15:00 06:15 06:30 06:30 07:00 07:00 10:45 11:00 11:00 12:30 13:30 13:30 14:30 15:00 15:00 06:15 06:15 06:30 06:30 06:30 07:00 10:30 11:00 13:30 15:00 15:00 15:00 06:15 06:30 06:30 06:30 07:00 07:00 11:00 11:00 12:30 15:00 15:00 06:00 06:15 06:15 06:15 06:30 06:30 10:30 10:45 11:30 13:30 15:00 15:00 16:15 06:15 06:15 06:30 06:30 07:00 08:00 11:00 11:00 13:30 15:00 08:35 08:35 08:55 09:35 10:50 13:20 14:10 16:30 16:35 16:45 17:20 18:20 08:20 08:20 07:55 08:35 09:15 08:30 09:55 12:55 12:55 13:55 15:55 16:25 17:00 07:25 07:55 08:20 08:20 08:20 07:55 08:35 09:25 12:40 12:55 14:55 16:25 17:00 08:20 07:50 08:35 08:25 09:15 12:10 12:10 13:10 13:55 14:55 14:55 16:25 17:10 17:00 07:55 08:20 08:35 08:35 08:55 08:25 13:30 12:55 14:55 16:25 17:00 17:10 08:20 07:55 08:35 08:50 08:25 09:15 12:25 12:55 13:55 17:00 17:10 07:25 07:40 07:55 08:20 07:50 07:50 13:30 12:10 12:55 14:55 16:25 17:00 08:20 08:30 08:20 08:35 08:55 09:15 09:25 12:25 12:25 14:55 17:00 10:00 10:30 10:55 11:45 12:15 14:45 15:10 17:55 18:00 20:00 19:25 19:45

Making pe of differing
By Michael Luongo IN Nablus, being a good Samaritan is something locals take literally. Thats because some are. Im on Mount Gerizim, meeting Samaritan Museum director Husney Kahen. Hes wearing a long traditional robe and rounded hat, his grey eyes shimmering. People dont believe that Samaritans exist, that it is a story in the Bible, he says. People are surprised to find that there are actually such people. Until visiting the West Bank city of Nablus, once a centre of violence during the second intifada, the Palestinian uprising against Israel that broke out in December 2000, I also thought Samaritans were a fable. Their religion mirrors Judaism, though Samaritans believe Mount Gerizim, rather than Jerusalem, was where the Temple Mount existed and Abraham was to sacrifice Isaac. Christian ideology states that Jesus met a Samaritan woman in Nablus at Jacobs well, marked now by a Greek Orthodox church. The story emphasises making peace with people whose beliefs differ from your own. I think without peace here in the Holy Land, there is not peace in all the world, Kahen says. There is no winner or loser in the war. Everyone is a loser. Samaritans should know. Millennia of violence have shrunk them to about 700 adherents. The city of Nablus, originally Neopolis, or New City, is ancient, its history stretching back at least 4000 years. Even the building housing my hotel, the Yasmeen, is more than 600 years old, nestled within the Old Citys souk. With sites holy to Islam, Christianity and Judaism, Nablus feels like Jerusalem, minus the tourists. Yet there are odd adornments in the Old City: discomforting posters of young men killed in the intifada, terrorists or martyred freedom fighters, depending on your view. Theres a hope that conflict is slipping into the past. Im taken around by 27-year-old Nizar Abuzant, raised in the Old City with nine family members crowded into two rooms. He delights in guiding foreigners, part of his work with the Canadian nongovernmental organisation Project Hope. We visit the Basil Break spice shop, almost sardonically named for its owner, and redolent of zaatar, cinnamon and coffee. Old City landmarks range from crumbling Ottoman palaces to an olive-soap factory, producing one of Nabluss most famous products. Cleanliness seems to be a civic virtue. We look at an ancient hammam, or bath, Al-Shifa, one of two still operating in Nablus, down from 10 in the Ottoman era. Owner Hazem Marea claims the building was originally Roman, which would make it among the worlds most ancient operating hammams. Despite feeling welcome, I am often the only foreigner. Its the same several miles away at one of the West Banks grandest archaeological sites, the still largely unexcavated Sebastia. Here I meet smiling, suited Hafez Kayed at his restaurant Holy Land Sun, near the ruins. When I ask how many people came to visit that day, he saddens. Usually, we have pilgrims, from Italy, from other places, he says. Today, only you. We enter the ruins through a colonnaded procession route, stumbling into a forum where kids play soccer within the columns. Long gone are the acropolis temples, but marble ledges hold column bases perhaps 5 feet across, hinting at their scale. Below, I see Palestinian farms in a valley, outlines of unexplored ruins texturing the landscape. I cast my glance in another direction to an Israeli military base. As layers of civilisation under my feet attest, occupation and conflict have always been here. Later we visit living Sebastia, itself thousands of years old, where one building has a Roman column embedded in a Crusader-era wall and sports an Ottoman roof.

YANGON TO SITTWE
MON 6T 611 11:15 12:40 W9 309 13:00 14:45 TUE 6T 611 11:15 12:40 W9 309 13:00 14:45 WED 6T 611 09:00 10:25 W9 309 13:00 14:45 THUR 6T 611 11:15 12:40 W9 309 13:00 14:45 FRI 6T 607 11:15 12:40 W9 309 13:00 14:45 K7 426 15:00 16:20 SAT 6T 611 11:15 12:40 W9 309 13:00 14:45 SUN 6T 611 11:15 12:40 W9 309 13:00 14:45 K7 426 15:00 16:20

WED W9 009 AW 892 6T 332 6T 402 K7 223 W9 021 6T 802 AW 792 YH 738 AW 752 6T 502 K7 825 THUR W9 009 AW 892 6T 332 AW 902 6T 402 YH 812 W9 021 AW 202 K7 224 YH 730 6T 502 FRI W9 009 AW 892 6T 332 YH 918 6T 402 K7 223 W9 251 AW 212 YH 731 6T 502 W9 232 YH 728 K7 825 6T 404 AW 892 6T 402 W9 011 W9 262 YH 812 6T 802 AW 602 K7 224 YH 730 6T 502

NYAUNG U TO YANGON
MON K7 222 08:40 11:45 AW 792 17:50 19:10 W9 109 17:25 18:20 YH 732 17:55 19:15 6T 502 18:05 19:25 K7 225 18:40 20:00 TUE YH 910 08:40 10:00 AW 762 17:20 18:40 W9 109 17:25 18:20 AW 792 17:25 18:45 6T 502 18:05 19:25 YH 732 18:10 19:30 K7 225 18:40 20:00 WED K7 222 08:40 11:45 W9 109 17:25 18:20 AW 792 17:25 18:45 YH 732 17:55 19:15 6T 502 18:05 19:25 THUR YH 910 08:40 10:00 W9 109 17:25 18:20 YH 732 17:55 19:15 6T 502 18:05 19:25 K7 225 18:40 20:00 FRI K7 222 08:40 11:45 W9 109 17:25 18:20 YH 732 17:55 19:15 6T 502 18:05 19:25 SAT YH 910 08:40 10:00 6T 404 08:45 10:05 W9 109 17:25 18:20 YH 732 17:55 19:15 6T 502 18:05 19:25 K7 225 18:40 20:00 SUN K7 222 08:40 11:45 YH 910 08:40 10:00 W9 109 17:25 18:20 YH 732 17:55 19:15 6T 502 18:05 19:25 TUE

WED AW 891 AW 911 6T 401 6T 331 K7 222 6T 801 AW 751 YH 737 K7 824 K7 622 W9 261 AW 791 YH 731 6T 501 THUR YH 909 AW 891 AW 901 6T 401 W9 255 6T 331 YH 729 AW 201 K7 226 K7 224 6T 501 YH 731 FRI AW 891 W9 251 6T 401 YH 917 6T 331 K7 222 AW 751 AW 211 K7 824 6T 501 YH 731 W9 271 6T 403 YH 909 AW 891 AW 911 6T 401 YH 729 6T 801 AW 601 K7 622 K7 224 6T 501 AW 891

SITTWE TO YANGON
MON 6T 612 12:55 14:20 W9 310 15:00 16:45 TUE 6T 612 12:55 14:20 W9 310 15:00 16:45 WED 6T 612 10:40 12:05 W9 310 15:00 16:45 THUR 6T 612 12:55 14:20 W9 310 15:00 16:45 FRI 6T 608 12:55 14:55 W9 310 15:00 16:45 K7 427 16:40 18:00 SAT 6T 612 12:55 14:20 W9 310 15:00 16:45 SUN 6T 612 12:55 14:20 K7 427 16:40 18:00

HEHO TO YANGON
MON W9 143 09:05 10:15 AW 892 09:20 10:30 YH 918 09:35 10:45 W9 011 09:40 10:35 6T 402 09:45 10:55 K7 223 10:30 11:45 AW 792 16:55 19:10 K7 225 17:40 20:00 AW 892 09:20 10:30 YH 918 09:35 10:45 W9 011 09:40 10:35 6T 402 09:45 10:55 W9 116 16:45 17:55 K7 827 11:15 12:30 K7 225 17:40 20:00 WED W9 143 09:05 10:15 AW 892 09:20 10:30 YH 918 09:35 10:45 6T 402 09:45 10:55 K7 223 10:30 11:45 THUR W9 143 09:05 10:15 AW 892 09:20 10:30 YH 918 09:35 10:45 6T 402 09:45 10:55 K7 827 11:15 12:30 K7 225 17:40 20:00 FRI W9 143 09:05 10:15 AW 892 09:20 10:30 YH 918 09:35 10:45 6T 402 09:45 10:55 K7 223 10:30 11:45 SAT AW 911 08:55 11:05 W9 143 09:05 10:15 AW 892 09:20 10:30 YH 918 09:35 10:45 6T 402 09:45 10:55 K7 827 11:15 12:30 AW 752 17:15 18:25 K7 225 17:40 20:00

SAT

YANGON TO MYEIK
MON K7 319 07:00 09:10 6T 707 11:30 13:30 TUE AW 301 07:00 09:05 K7 313 07:00 09:10 6T 707 11:30 13:30 WED K7 313 07:00 09:10 6T 707 11:30 13:30 THUR K7 319 07:00 09:10 6T 707 11:30 13:30 AW 301 12:45 14:50 FRI AW 301 07:00 09:05 K7 319 07:00 09:10 6T 707 11:30 13:30 SAT K7 319 07:00 09:10 6T 707 08:00 10:00 SUN K7 319 07:00 09:10 6T 707 11:30 13:30 AW 301 12:45 14:50

SAT

SUN W9 009 YH 910 AW 892 6T 402 W9 011 K7 223 W9 256 YH 812 6T 802 AW 212 YH 738 6T 502 MON W9 143 AW 891 YH 633 6T 401 YH 917 K7 222 K7 224 TUE W9 143 AW 901 AW 891 6T 401 YH 917 K7 224

YANGON TO MYITKYINA
MON W9 255 06:30 09:25 TUE W9 251 06:30 09:25 K7 622 13:30 16:30 WED K7 622 13:30 16:30 THUR AW 201 06:30 09:20 W9 255 06:30 09:25 FRI SAT W9 251 06:30 09:25 K7 622 13:30 16:30 W9 255 06:30 09:25 K7 622 13:30 16:30

MYEIK TO YANGON
MON K7 320 11:50 14:00 6T 708 15:55 17:55 TUE K7 314 09:30 11:40 6T 708 15:55 17:55 AW 302 17:15 19:20 WED K7 314 09:30 11:40 6T 708 15:55 17:55 THUR AW 302 11:30 13:35 K7 320 11:50 14:00 6T 708 15:55 17:55 FRI SAT K7 320 11:50 14:00 6T 708 15:55 17:55 K7 320 11:50 14:00 6T 708 12:25 14:25

YANGON TO NYAUNG U

SUN AW 211 06:00 08:50

SUN YH 909 AW 891 6T 401 W9 255 K7 222 6T 801 AW 211 AW 751 K7 622 6T 501 MON YH 634 AW 892 6T 402 K7 223 W9 262 6T 802 W9 021 YH 728 AW 762 K7 224 6T 502 K7 825

MYITKYINA TO YANGON
MON W9 256 09:45 12:40 TUE W9 252 12:05 15:00 K7 623 16:50 19:50 WED K7 623 16:50 19:50 THUR AW 202 09:35 12:25 W9 256 09:45 12:40 FRI SAT W9 252 12:05 15:00 K7 623 16:50 19:50 K7 623 16:50 19:50

Domestic Airlines
Air Bagan Ltd.(W9)
56, Shwe Taung Gyar Street, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 513322, 513422, 504888, Fax : 515102 652754 (Airport Office), Fax: 525 937

MANDALAY TO YANGON

WED W9 143 06:00 07:20 AW 891 06:15 07:35 6T 401 06:30 07:50 K7 222 07:00 08:20 YH 917 06:30 08:05 AW 781 15:00 17:10 THUR AW 891 06:15 07:35 W9 009 06:30 07:25 AW 901 06:30 07:50 6T 401 06:30 07:50 YH 917 06:30 08:05 K7 224 15:00 18:20

Asian Wings (AW)

No.34(A-1), Shwe Taung Gyar Street, Bahan Township,Yangon. Myanmar. Tel: 951 516654, 532253, 09-73135991~3.Fax: 951 532333

SUN W9 256 09:45 12:40

SUN K7 320 11:50 14:00 6T 708 15:55 17:55 AW 302 17:15 19:20

Air KBZ (K7)

33-49,Corner of Bank Street & Maha Bandoola Garden Street, Kyauktada Tsp,Yangon, Myanmar Tel: 372977~80, 533030~39 (Airport) Fax: 372983

YANGON TO HEHO
MON K7 222 07:00 10:10 W9 119 11:00 12:10 AW 761 11:00 12:10 YH 727 11:00 12:25 6T 501 15:00 16:10 YH 731 15:00 16:25 K7 224 15:00 17:20

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

Yangon Airways(YH)
166, MMB Tower, Level 5, Upper Pansodan Rd, Mingalar Taungnyunt Tsp, Yangon. Tel: (+95-1) 383 100, 383 107, 700 264, Fax: 652 533.

Subject to change without notice

Air Mandalay (6T)

146, Dhamazedi Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon Tel : 501520, 525488 (Head Office) 720309, 652753,

39
July 2 - 8, 2012
www.mmtimes.com/2012/flight/flight.pdf
Days Flight Dep Arr Days Flight
SAT 8M 231 MI 511 8M 6232 MI 517 SUN 8M 231 MI 511 8M 233 MI 517

eace with people views in Nablus

travel
INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT SCHEDULES
Dep Arr
07:55 12:25 10:10 14:45 11:30 16:05 16:40 21:15 07:55 12:25 10:10 14:45 13:20 17:50 16:40 21:15 TUE

DAyS Flight

Dep Arr

Days Flight
THUR MI 512 8M 232 MI 518 MI 520 8M 234 FRI MI 512 8M 6231 8M 232 MI 518 MI 520 SAT MI 512 8M 6231 8M 232 MI 518 MI 520 SUN MI 512 8M 232 MI 518 MI 520 8M 234

Dep Arr
07:55 09:20 13:25 14:55 14:20 15:45 15:20 16:40 18:50 20:20 07:55 09:20 09:10 10:40 13:25 14:55 14:20 15:45 15:20 16:40 07:55 09:20 09:10 10:40 13:25 14:55 14:20 15:45 15:20 16:40 07:55 09:20 13:25 14:55 14:20 15:45 15:20 16:40 18:50 20:20

YANGON TO BANGKOK
MON 8M 335 FD 3771 TG 304 PG 702 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 TG 306 TUE 8M 335 FD 3771 TG 304 PG 702 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 TG 306 WED 8M 335 FD 3771 TG 304 PG 702 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 TG 306 THUR 8M 335 FD 3771 TG 304 PG 702 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 TG 306 FRI 8M 335 FD 3771 TG 304 PG 702 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 TG 306 SAT 8M 335 FD 3771 TG 304 PG 702 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 TG 306 SUN 8M 335 FD 3771 TG 304 PG 702 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 TG 306 07:35 09:20 08:30 10:15 09:50 11:45 10:55 12:50 16:30 18:15 16:40 18:35 17:40 19:25 19:45 21:40 07:35 09:20 08:30 10:15 09:50 11:45 10:55 12:50 16:30 18:15 16:40 18:35 17:40 19:25 19:45 21:40 07:35 09:20 08:30 10:15 09:50 11:45 10:55 12:50 16:30 18:15 16:40 18:35 17:40 19:25 19:45 21:40 07:35 09:20 08:30 10:15 09:50 11:45 10:55 12:50 16:30 18:15 16:40 18:35 17:40 19:25 19:45 21:40 07:35 09:20 08:30 10:15 09:50 11:45 10:55 12:50 16:30 18:15 16:40 18:35 17:40 19:25 19:45 21:40 07:35 09:20 08:30 10:15 09:50 11:45 10:55 12:50 16:30 18:15 16:40 18:35 17:40 19:25 19:45 21:40 07:35 09:20 08:30 10:15 09:50 11:45 10:55 12:50 16:30 18:15 16:40 18:35 17:40 19:25 19:45 21:40

BANGKOK TO YANGON
MON FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 8M 336 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 8M 336 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 WED FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 8M 336 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 THUR FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 8M 336 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 FRI FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 8M 336 FD 3772 PG 703 TG 305 8M 332 SAT FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 8M 336 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 SUN FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 8M 336 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 07:10 07:55 07:55 08:50 09:15 10:05 10:40 11:25 15:00 15:50 16:25 17:10 17:50 18:45 19:15 20:00 07:10 07:55 07:55 08:50 09:15 10:05 10:40 11:25 15:00 15:50 16:25 17:10 17:50 18:45 19:15 20:00 07:10 07:55 07:55 08:50 09:15 10:05 10:40 11:25 15:00 15:50 16:25 17:10 17:50 18:45 19:15 20:00 07:10 07:55 07:55 08:50 09:15 10:05 10:40 11:25 15:00 15:50 16:25 17:10 17:50 18:45 19:15 20:00 07:10 07:55 07:55 08:50 09:15 10:05 10:40 11:25 16:25 17:10 15:00 15:50 17:50 18:45 19:15 20:00 07:10 07:55 07:55 08:50 09:15 10:05 10:40 11:25 15:00 15:50 16:25 17:10 17:50 18:45 19:15 20:00 07:10 07:55 07:55 08:50 09:15 10:05 10:40 11:25 15:00 15:50 16:25 17:10 17:50 18:45 19:15 20:00

YANGON TO SIEM REAP

WED 8M 401 SAT 8M 401 08:50 11:25 08:50 11:25

YANGON TO KUALA LUMPUR

MON 8M 501 MH 741 AK 851 TUE 8M 501 MH 741 AK 851 WED 8M 501 MH 741 AK 851 THU MH 741 AK 851 FRI 8M 501 MH 741 AK 851 SAT 8M 501 MH 741 AK 851 SUN MH 741 AK 851 09:00 13:00 12:15 16:30 18:50 23:05 09:00 13:00 12:15 16:30 18:50 23:05 09:00 13:00 12:15 16:30 18:50 23:05 12:15 16:30 18:50 23:05 09:00 13:00 12:15 16:30 18:50 23:05 09:00 13:00 12:15 16:30 18:50 23:05 12:15 16:30 18:50 23:05

KAULA LUMPUR TO YANGON

MON MH 740 8M 502 AK 850 TUE MH 740 8M 502 AK 850 WED MH 740 8M 502 AK 850 THU MH 740 AK 850 FRI MH 740 8M 502 AK 850 SAT MH 740 8M 502 AK 850 SUN MH 740 AK 850 10:05 11:15 14:00 15:00 15:40 16:45 10:05 11:15 14:00 15:00 15:40 16:45 10:05 11:15 14:00 15:00 15:40 16:45 10:05 11:15 15:40 16:45 10:05 11:15 14:00 15:00 15:40 16:45 10:05 11:15 14:00 15:00 15:40 16:45 10:05 11:15 15:40 16:45

YANGON TO GAUNGZHOU
WED CZ 3056 THUR 8M 711 SAT CZ 3056 11:20 15:50 08:40 13:15 11:20 15:50 08:40 13:15

An image of Jesus stares down at St. Photina Church, built over the site of Jacobs Well in Nablus in the West Bank of Palestine. Pic: Bloomberg News/ Michael Luongo Nearby is a tomb said to be that of St. John the Baptist. Locals prefer to focus on historys peaceful aspects. Jesus walked from Nazareth to Jerusalem to Bethlehem to Jenin to Nablus. We hope the road will be re-opened the way that Jesus walked it, says Khaled Tamem, in charge of festivals and events for Nabluss tourism office. Hes referring to intifada days, when fighting and roadblocks decimated tourism. Checkpoints are largely gone, but only companies serving the heartiest Christian pilgrims have returned. I learn of plans to revitalise the Old City for tourism from Naseer Arafat, director of the Civil Society of Nablus Governorate. Folding o p e n a b o o k detailing a 13-point master plan, he explains the architectural richness of Nablus, once the West Banks largest city. Amid palaces and biblical sites, Arafat points out a caravanserai with 150 rooms built 400 years ago for camel-riding merchants who traipsed through the deserts. This is a long-term plan that needs a lot of money, but it is a good shot because here you have a framework, he says. His office, within a restored Ottoman building with kaleidoscopic windows and ornate columns, screams potential. One Nablus mountain is commanded by Beit Falastin, or the Palestine House, the Palladian mansion of Munib Masri, one of Palestines wealthiest men. Hes chairman of Padico, the Palestine Development & Investment Co, building tourism properties including the Moevenpick hotel in Ramallah. Look up, you see God, and after God, you see Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Mohammed, says Masri as our voices echo in the artfilled rotunda. So you see we are all together. Thats something Masri says he explains to Americans and Israelis alike, although he voices frustration. Tourism with the occupation, it doesnt work; you have to have an independent state, he says. We are angry at the world, because they dont understand the situation. Masris time in the United States as a young man inspired his mansion, based on the Palladium, a grand Chicago restaurant. We know lots about America, but the Americans, they know very little about us, he says. He also wants Israeli tourists to visit and learn about their Palestinian neighbours. The people who dont know anything at all are the Israelis. They know nothing and they are a few metres away. Bloomberg News

SUN 8M 711

YANGON TO TAIPEI
MON CI 7916 WED CI 7916 FRI CI 7916 14:00 19:25 14:00 19:25 14:00 19:25

GUANGZHOU TO YANGON
WED CZ 3055 THUR 8M 712 SAT CZ 3055 08:50 10:30 14:15 15:50 08:50 10:30 14:15 15:50

YANGON TO KUNMING
TUE CA 906 14:15 17:35 14:15 17:35 14:15 17:35 14:15 17:35 14:15 17:35

WED CA 906 THUR CA 906 SAT SUN CA 906 CA 906

SUN 8M 712

TAIPEI TO YANGON
MON CI 7915 WED CI 7915 FRI CI 7915 09:55 12:45 09:55 12:45 09:55 12:45

YANGON TO KOLKATA
Mon FRI IC734 IC734 13:30 16:40 13:30 16:40

KUNMING TO YANGON
TUE CA 905 12:35 13:15 12:35 13:15 12:35 13:15 12:35 13:15 12:35 13:15

YANGON TO CHIANG MAI

THUR W9 9607 SUN W9 9607 12:00 13:30 12:00 13:30

WED CA 905 THUR CA 905 SAT SUN CA 905 CA 905

YANGON TO HANOI
MON VN 956 WED VN 956 FRI SAT VN 956 VN 956 19:10 21:30 19:10 21:30 19:10 21:30 19:10 21:30 TUE

YANGON TO SINGAPORE
MON 8M 231 MI 511 8M 6232 MI 517 TUE 8M 231 MI 511 8M 233 MI 517 07:55 12:25 10:10 14:45 11:30 16:05 16:40 21:15 07:55 12:25 10:10 14:45 13:20 17:50 16:40 21:15 07:55 12:25 10:10 14:45 11:30 16:05 16:40 21:15 07:55 12:25 10:10 14:45 13:20 17:50 16:40 21:15 07:55 12:25 10:10 14:45 11:30 16:05 16:40 21:15

SINGAPORE TO YANGON
MON MI 512 8M 6231 8M 232 MI 518 MI 512 8M 232 MI 518 8M 234 WED MI 512 8M 6231 8M 232 MI 518 07:55 09:20 09:10 10:40 13:25 14:55 14:20 15:45 07:55 09:20 13:25 14:55 14:20 15:45 18:50 20:20 07:55 09:20 09:10 10:40 13:25 14:55 14:20 15:45

KOLKATA TO YANGON
Mon FRI IC733 IC728 10:00 14:55 15:50 16:40

YANGON TO HO CHI MINH

TUE VN 942 14:25 17:10 14:25 17:10 14:25 17:10

CHIANG MAI TO YANGON

THUR W9 9608 SUN W9 9608 14:30 15:00 14:30 15:00

International Airlines
Air Asia (FD)
33, Alan Pya Pagoda Rd, Ground Flr, Parkroyal Hotel, Yangon. Tel: 251 885, 251 886.

THUR VN 942 SUN VN 942

HANOI TO YANGON
MON VN 957 WED VN 957 FRI SAT VN 957 VN 957 16:35 18:10 16:35 18:10 16:35 18:10 16:35 18:10

Bangkok Airways (PG)

Air Bagan Ltd.(W9) Air China (CA)

#0305, 3rd Fl, Sakura Tower, 339, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Kyauktada Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 255122, 255 265, Fax: 255119

Silk Air(MI)

339, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, 2nd Floor, Sakura Tower, Kyauktada Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: 255 287~9 , Fax: 255 290

WED 8M 231 MI 511 8M 6232 MI 517 THUR 8M 231 MI 511 8M 233 MI 517 FRI 8M 231 MI 511 8M 6232 MI 517

YANGON TO PHNOM PENH

WED 8M 401 SAT 8M 401 15:15 17:40 15:15 17:40

56, Shwe Taung Gyar Street, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 513322, 513422, 504888, Fax : 515102 Building (2), corner of Pyay Rd and Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Hotel Yangon, 8 miles, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 666112, 655882.

Malaysia Airlines (MH)

335/357, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Pabedan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 387648, 241007 ext : 120, 121, 122 Fax : 241124

Thai Airways (TG)

#11-01, Sakura Tower, 339, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Kyauktada Tsp, Ygn. Tel : 255499 Fax : 255490

International
FD & AK = Air Asia TG = Thai Airways 8M = Myanmar Airways International PG = Bangkok Airways MI = Silk Air VN = Vietnam Airline MH = Malaysia Airlines CZ = China Southern CI = China Airlines CA = Air China IC = Indian Airlines Limited W9 = Air Bagan 3K = Jet Star

HO CHI MINH TO YANGON

TUE VN 943 11:40 13:25 11:40 13:25 11:40 13:25

Subject to change without notice

Air India

Myanmar Airways International(8M)

Vietnam Airlines (VN)

THUR VN 943 SUN VN 943

75, Shwe Bon Thar St, Pabedan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 253597~98, 254758. Fax: 248175

08-02, Sakura Tower, 339, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Kyauktada Tsp, Ygn. Tel : 255260, Fax: 255305

#1702, Sakura Tower 339, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Kyauktada Tsp, Yangon. Fax 255086. Tel 255066/ 255088/ 255068.

PHNOM PENH TO YANGON

WED 8M 402 SAT 8M 402 18:40 20:05 18:40 20:05

tea Break
July 2 - 8, 2012
the

40
MyanMar tiMes

Napa wineries tap into Chinese market

By Michael Thurston NAPA, California The global downturn hit Doug Hills family-run Napa Valley winery hard. But the third-generation California farmers hopes for recovery are strong fuelled by heady growth in China. Its a long way from his sundappled vineyards north of San Francisco to pollution-shrouded Beijing and Shanghai, but thats where his Hill Family Estate bottles have been heading since last year. Were cautiously optimistic about it, said Hill, who visited China last September and was struck first by the smog My first impression was, wheres the sky? but then by the phenomenal signs of growth and wealth. Theres an upwardly mobile class of people we believe could afford to drink our wines. It wouldnt take a very large percent of the 1.3-1.6 billion people there to create a good market, he added. China was the fifth largest export destination for US wine last year, raking in some US$62 million a fraction compared for example to the $400 million worth of French Bordeaux sold annually to the Asian giant. But that US export figure was nearly 30 percent up on 2010, and that trend is expected to continue, according to the Wine Institute, which advocates on behalf of more than 1000 wineries in the western US state. China was granted Permanent Normal Trade Relations with the US a decade ago, and the wine was just a trickle back then, said Wine Institute communications manager Gladys Horiuchi. Now its the fifth largest market and obviously, it will continue to grow just because of the huge potential there, the growing middle class, she said. That potential was highlighted last year when retired National Basketball Association (NBA) star Yao Ming launched his own Napa Valley winery, Yao Family Wines. these are real farm families or small winemaking families, that are doing this, and this is the real thing, its not counterfeit, said Hill. His September visit convinced him, even if the sun-tanned Californian admitted to being shocked by the pollution in Beijing, and elsewhere. We took a high-speed train 1500 kilometres down to Shanghai, and I never saw blue sky once. Five hours, at 300 kilometres per hour. And it was Oh my God, this entire country has a level of pollution Ive almost never seen before, he said. But the evidence of economic growth was eye-popping. The other thing that I saw, during the five hours I spent on the train, I saw more construction cranes than the previous 59 years of my life, he said. Hills son Ryan, who visited China himself in March, said exports to the country were already 10 percent of the companys business. Were looking for tremendous growth. I think we can only go up, because were just now exposing a product in a market that is totally unsaturated. Its like being an actor, going to LA and only having five people there. But consultant Sculatti still thinks Napa is missing a huge opportunity, and needs to make a coordinated marketing and branding push to compete with the history of French winemakers who have been in China for generations. All the efforts that are being made are by a very few wineries who are spending their own capital to develop the market in Asia. Theres no cohesive effort that I see as working, he said. The quality is definitely there, but what Napa Valley hasnt done yet is really show the prestige, the quality and the story to the Asians. Thats the biggest misstep thats happening. He stressed: Napa Valley has an opportunity because of its rarity, as far as acres [of vineyards]. If it just figured out how to brand itself [it] could really catch the attention of the Chinese better. AFP

Hill Family Estate proprietor Doug Hill (left) examines grapevines with a vineyard worker in Napa Valley, California, on June 4. Pic AFP/Kimihiro Hoshino The company named after Shanghai-born Yao, who at 2.28 metres (7 feet 6 inches) was the tallest player in the NBA, launched its inaugural Yao Ming 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon in mainland China, before selling in the US this year. While there is clearly a Californian wine push into China, some say Napa Valley will never rival the French or even Australian success in the Chinese market, unless its winemakers get serious about marketing. The opportunity is tremendous, but Napa Valley is not working seriously enough to capture consumers in China, said Mario Sculatti, a wine consultant and trader based in Saint Helena, in the heart of the Napa Valley. He added: The Bordelais and the Burgundians and basically all the regions in France, especially Bordeaux, are pouring government dollars into marketing wines in Asia. Napa Valley is asleep at the wheel. Countries like Australia and France are dominating the trade over there. Back in the vineyards, Doug Hill whose son Ryan is taking on the fourth generation of Hill Family Estate business recounted how he first stumbled on the idea that China might help them recover from the 2008 financial crash. It was challenging to sell wine, especially during the initial stages of the recession. Mostly restaurants were having a really challenging time in America, he said. Certain distributors, their market just came to a standstill unless the price points were really low. And that was lower than what was commercially viable for us in a lot of areas. Then last year, Hill heard about a Chinese-born businessman based in Oregon, just up the US West Coast, offering to buy wines from California, Oregon and Washington state, and sell directly in China. Best of all, the middle-man could deal with Chinese customs bureaucracy in a way that small Californian winemakers would find impossible. A key issue in counterfeit-plagued China was proving the wine is authentic. If you look at the cultural values in China, there are some real challenges doing business there, he said. The middle-man has been determined to build a very credible business, that says, Look

YOUR STARS
By Astrologer Aung Myin Kyaw Aquarius
Encourage yourself to avoid living an isolated lifestyle that provides no chance to tap into the swift current of social change. A radical, unbidden thought can change your life for the better; be sure to share your new insight with those around you. You will get good results from your attempts to forge a closer relationship with your partner. Develop individualism through self-awareness.

find that people will avoid you because of your silent plotting. Communication means showing your social adaptability as you move toward realising your vision. Love will give you the extra energy necessary to face risks and challenges.

acquaintances. Dont upset everyones digestion for the sake of fulfilling your own personal hunger.

Libra

Gemini

Jan 20 - Feb 18

Dont limit yourself to being a fine conversationalist, but rather strive to be a person of great intellect working at all times to make the world a more beautiful place. Reinvent yourself to be available in a wider social circle, and understand the effort required to attain emotional breakthroughs and wisdom. Although logic can prevent you from allowing yourself new experiences, now is the time to be flexible and to break free. Live in love, and love will welcome you.

May 21 - June 20

A persons success depends as much on the ability to talk as it does on the professional and technical know-how to do the job. Your language is the magic key to success. Getting accurate information about the desires of others is an essential element in avoiding errors while facing social challenges. Encourage yourself to accept love on its own terms.

Sept 23 - Oct 22

Scorpio

Pisces

Dont allow your emotional suffering to lead you into self-deception and gullibility. Introspection will allow you to feel empathy for others, and will also help you maintain proper mental balance and clarity of vision. Good health requires constant care. Look down on nobody. Your friends and professional colleagues are important agents for getting news and making new connections that will progressively increase your communication network.

Feb 19 - Mar 20

Cancer

Strive to avoid neglecting key aspects of your life, as well as important people. You will soon be forced to make substantial changes in response to the stresses of your life. Encourage yourself to expand your imagination beyond the old boundaries and harness the power of your visions. Dont let self-doubt smother your confidence. The more rigid you are, the harder you will be hit by unexpected events.

June 22 - July 22

Project the power of your personality by making others feel important and by feeding their egos. The first few words you utter in any situation are more important than the next several thousand. Make a good first impression that will linger in the minds of others for a long time to come. Refresh love by giving your partner your undivided attention.

Oct 23 - Nov 21

Sagittarius

Aries

Your self-serving tendencies threaten to alienate others who could be allies in the pursuit of your ambitions. You must be considerate of the feelings of others rather than intimidating people as you strive for your goals. Learn to be a bit more flexible in your lifestyle. A flair for dramatising your methods can be good, but do not fail to notice how this approach can to be burden on those you love and on those who love you in return.

March 21 - April 19

Leo

Keep looking ahead and be assured that you will succeed if you continue to work with integrity. Take all the time necessary to overcome difficult obstacles. You might be headed for a position of honour, and keep in mind that partnerships can profoundly impact social relationships. Focus on slow growth, which will outlast sudden gains. Unexpected good fortune will lead to happiness in love.

July 23 - Aug 22

Listen to the exhortations of the seer, and be clever in taking action in pursuit of your goals. Know that as light and darkness cannot coexist, so too, non-violence and fear cannot have a common locus. Try to forge a long life of progressive growth and deep love with your partner. Risk and competition will pose challenges, but you can move forward by relying on strength and stability.

Nov 22 - Dec 21

Capricorn

Taurus

The need to survive at all costs is such an overwhelming drive for you, one that serves to restrain, confine and limit you from developing any versatility. Open yourself up or you will eventually

April 20 - May 20

Virgo

Convincing yourself that today will be the best day of your life is the first step toward ensuring that it will become so. Get in the habit of starting the day off right. Treat your associates at work as close friends of long standing, rather than just casual

Aug 23 - Sept 22

Credibility is an important issue. Be aware of any prejudice you might have and how others are likely to colour your response. Your reputation is based on how you are viewed by others, not on how you perceive yourself to be. Communication is an exchange of information that requires trust. Offer your lover emotional security. For a personal reading contact Aung Myin Kyaw, 4th Floor, 113 Thamain Bayan Road, Tamwe Township, Yangon. Tel: 0973135632, Email: williameaste@gmail.com

Dec 22 - Jan 19

Business
INSuRANCE Business Get a backup for your property, car, home, etc... Even if youve face a loose accidentally, you dont lose it really for Insurance company restore your property. For more details,Ko nyi ph:09 4480 13031 email: konyimia@ gmail. com Agent no.1394 Myanmar Insurance.

Computer
COmPuTER for Kids , Basic Accounting for Job I-Office, Advanced Excel Course, DTP Course, MYOB Software, Peach Tree Software, Window Shortcut Course, Email&Internet Course Mp3, Mp4, Video Editing , Multi-media Course. Ph: 094440-11279 SYNERGY System Care & Advanced network Solutions : 14, U Lun Maung St, 7 mile, Mayangone, Yangon. Tel: 09-492-10533, 09-43070449, 09-861-3363. Our Services: Computer Maintenan-ce, Upgrade, Trouble-shooting, OS/ Applicat-ion Software Installat-ion, System Admini-strations, Server Management & Policies Configuration, Data Integrity, Security, Backup & Lost Data Recovery. Storage Server (nAS, RACK Server, RAID) Installation & Configuration. network Installation (Cabling Management, Trunking, Fiber Optic). Advanced Configuration (Internetwork, Switching, Routing, Fire-wall, VPN, Wireless Access Point). CCTV, IP Camera (Watching & Monitoring System) Installation. Internet Connectivity, LAN, WAN Exchange system Installation. Regular Maintenance Contract SHWE SA KAR : Computer for Kids , Basic Accounting for Job I-Office , Advanced Excel Course, DTP Course MYOB Software, Peach Tree Software, Window Shortcut Course, Email & Internet Course Mp3, Mp4, Video Editing, Multimedia Course. Ph: 09-4440-11279 COmPuTER Services (On Call) networking & CCTV installation ph: 09-430-52564 , 09730-85511 CLICK (Computer System). Window Installation, Software Installation, virus cleaning, Game Installation, network Installation, wire & wireless Installation, Configuration, server Installation Contract for factory, office, Company & Internet shop (weekly & Monthly) We will offer training & services everywhere. Ph: 09-73248398, 09-493-21642.

Keeping & Accounts) Series 4/2012 (For Nov: 2012 Exam) Add: 181, 5th Flr, Lower Kyi Myintine Rd, Ahlone, Yangon. PROGRAmmING Course (basic to advanced with JAVA, VB.NET,C#. nET,Web), Microco Ntroller Projects / Thesis, Assignment guide for international IT schools students. ph: 09-73220344, 09-421-78857. Ko Htut. SCHOLAR Teaching and Guide Association founded with ME, BE & Master Degree holder with 12 years experience in teaching & guide field. Role & Responsibility: Making the students develop problem solving skill, critical thinking skill and I.Q & E.Q enriching skill.Do teaching with the student approaching method. Student who can contact : from Public & International School (Total, ILBC, CISM, YIUS, Horizon, ISM) Higher level: SAT, IGCSE, IELTS, TOFEL, Saya Bryan (M.E IT) ph: 09-4200 706 92 Saya Min Aung - ph:09-421110832 Saya |Htet- ph: 09-215-0075 Native American & Korean teachers also available. NEw WORLd English School. KG to Gr-8, Mon to Fri 9 am to 3 pm, IELTS, SAT (Eng), SAT (Maths). 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 Tuition+Guide, 25-A, Ywama Kyaung St (Hlaing), Ph: 09-8620094, 09-515-6310. EXPERIENCEd Myanmar Teacher of Foreign Students If you would like to be fluent in Myanmar language, contact Saya , Min Thu on Email: l u c k y b o y. s t a r @ gmail.com (or) ph: 01-7313 8659. Saya Min Thu has 3 years experience teaching Myanmar to foreign students from over 10 different countries. References are available upon request. STudY GuIdE for Secondary Students (International School) Ph : 09 4200 31866

Electrical Engineering Services (Installation, Repairing & Servicing) Add; 30, Oat Tha Phayar St, Kyaik Kasan Qt,Bahan.Tel; 09731-10321, 586-509 Email; aes.august@ googlemail.com LINuX (Server/Admin) Professional Home Tuition Teaching ph: 09-731-81642 GENERATOR: 24 hour Services. MESS Engineering. Ph: 09-73058252, 09-507-8426.

Language
SPANISh Classes/ Spanish Tour Guide Trainer: Teacher Mr. Mario (MSc.), native Speaker Group / oneto-one classes available. Contact: 09-731-61393, 09-504-0648. mYANmAR Language Progressive myanmar language private classes for foreigners who live in Myanmar. Private home classes are available. For details , please contact to 09-423 668 824. AFTER SCHOOL & SuNdAY Academic English and IELTS Preparation classes. Limited seats (6) only. Shwe Gone Daing, Bahan, Yangon. Teacher from the Philippines with masters degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and have been teaching graduate English courses in Yangon for two summers. Over 9 years of teaching experience in an internationalc o m m u n i t y . Classes start on August 6. Contact Alex Dugan. Ph:09-851-6735 , Email:pinoytesol @ gmail.com FOR EmBASSY family and others : When you stay in Myanmar, do you want to ask to your children to learn Myanmar language? Call: 09-5146505 (Christine) HOmE TuTION : japanese language regular course (basic, inter) jpn going course, Myanmar language for japanese. Ph: 09-420055323. LANGuAGE Proficiency (A) Effective & Scienti-fic way, (B) Intensive Class, (C) Interpreter - part time/ Full time (Under mentioned languages), (D) Hindi/ Myanmar/ English (Basic Advance for Embassy staff/ Foreigner/ A group single / Kids + Teens / NGO InGO personal/ (Special rate for national peoples) by an Expert Tutor. (1) Home tuition available in groups or single. (2) Translation of English/ Hindi/Sanskrit/Bengali/ nepali & Myanmar are also available. (3) Business Guide &Agency Services. (4) Partnership business welcome. Rs. Verma. B.Sc., (Bot), Yangon. (UFL-English), Yangon. Email: rsverma. maynamar@gmail.com, Ph: 09-730-42604, Add: 125, 43rd St, 5th Flr (R), Botahtaung.

Expert Service
HOTEL Management, Consultants, Available Please contact : 09512-3260 KAYAH Pin Min (Since 1967) (Washing, Bleaching and Dyeing) Our Laundry Services established since 1967, which can be made Washing, Bleaching and Dyeing with fully satisfaction and fair price for Hotel, Motel, Inn, Guest House and Restaurants also. Pls call us 09-731-31387. no.621, Khay Mar Thi Rd, Za Myin Zwe ward, N/Okkalapa, Yangon. IOLAR Translation Service Phone: 09 4200 31866 / 01 - 229 301 Email: iolar.translation @ gmail.com . REAL ESTATE or Landhousing investment in Myanmar. We coordinately invite Myanmar citizens or nons to cooperate with us as we will take responsibilities with our citizenship scrutiny For those who interest and want to cooperate with us may contact Saya Bryan (Engineer): 09-420-070692, Saya Htet (Engineer) :09-21500 75. AUGUST Engineering Service : Aircondition &

Education
IGCSE, Secondary 2,3,4 Physics, Mathematics B & Pure Mathematics, Practice with 15 years old questions. Near Hledan Sein Gay Har. Ph: 09-4500-25213, 09858-1761. WOuLd YOu like to apply for scholarships? College admission essay and personal statement writing. U Thu Ya - 09506-6913 dAW mYO THIdA WIN B.Sc(Phys) DA (LCCI, UK), ACCA (Part I) LCCI Level 1 & 2 (Book-

For Rent
OFFICE SPACES for rent at Pearl Condominium. No Agent. Please call 0973250368.

For Sale
hD Game, app) install iPhone, iPod touch 6000ks, iPad 8000ks, iTunes account open (free game, app down-

load) Gmail account open , All iDevices iOS 5.1.1 version upgrade full untethered jailbreak (power off) , Android Game,app install 5000ks, contact : 09-450-017770, 09-5147480 VOLVO 740 GLE (1990 Model) [ new Body with WRTA ] [ 4u/ ] [ ABS, AC, PS, PW, MP3 Player ] [ Mileage : 53000 Km ] Contact : 09-44-8006520 hUAwEI S7 Slim : Tablet with original leather bag, internal memory 8G, micro SD 16G, Bluetooth 1. Price: K 200,000/. Ph: 09-505-4649. PSP Go built in 16GB (2 month used) Full game install, already modified with cover, screen guard Condition - Almost original good Fixed Price : 155,000, Ph: 09-73903193 (Mandalay) mIdORI TRAdE LINK CO., Special offer for year 2007 (1300 cc) Cars. All in price: Mazda Demio : 129 Lakhs. Nissan March 129 Lakhs. Nissan AD Van : 139 Lakhs Probox Van : 159 Lakhs. Contact Us at: 25 A-3, new University Avenue Bahan. Ph: 543139, 09-731-53678. Email: midoritradelink@gmail. com SAFE, LEECO Digital Safe, Model No.702 PL, Made in Thailand, Ph: 09-504-1875. hD Game, app (install) iPhone, iPod touch 6000ks, iPad 8000ks, iTunes account open (free game, app download) Gmail account open , All iDevices iOS 5.1.1 version upgrade full untethered jail-break (power off) . contact : 09-450-017770, 09514-7480 CDMA 800 MHz Mobile Phone: A few months used. Internetconnected. Link-ToSD software installed (able to install more applications). Micro SD 4GB. With over 600 App & Game. Already rooted. Myanmar Font installed *Ready to use for people who loves nice-condition smart phone* Ph: 09- 731-30288 Email: myomyintrit7@gmail. com, myomyint2359@ yahoo.com AN ELEGANT, grand and ancient teak bed for sell. For more information after 6 pm Myo Thura Tin Aung: 09-431-79637, 09-492-23231 AdSL(Bagan/MPT), WiMax (Bagan), McWill Contact : 09-44 800 6520 TOYOTA HIACE Super Custom Limited [ 1995 Model ] Ph : 09-49275744 SPECIAL SALES : (Alvarion Brand) Internet Broadband Accessories. Indoor Units (2.4 & 3.5 ) - with Int'l Warranty. Original UDP Cables & Adaptors. Outdoor Units (2.4 & 3.5) - with Int'l Warranty. Original UDP Cables & Adaptors. Several kinds of ADSL Modem (for MPT & Yatanarpon Teleport). Braodband (Yatanarpon) 1 Line. Investor (UPS) Feature, used 2 No. Ph: 09-73017406, 09-731-00976, 09-516-6976. uSEd NIKON D80 kit with 18-55 mm lens. Telephoto zoom lens 80-200 mm lens and 8gb memory card included. Bag, charger, cleaning kit and extra battery included. Used

with care. Call 095454554. HR Software Package: Price 200,000. Modules: Employee Management, Time Attendance, Payroll. (Available : FingerPrint /Card). POS Software Package: Price 150,000. Modules: Inventory Control, Purchase, Sale, Account Payable (Available :Barcode Printer/ Scanner). Contact Ph: 09-5042775, 09-506-2812 GENERATOR (Japan) 25 KVA sound proof, 3 phase , running condition Ph: 09-507- 1454 WOOd working machines BEST German second hand reconditioned machinery from single unit to complete line of production or full factory Very attractive price - Machines in stock - Assistance Hp: 09-513-6419 E-mail: dsavariau@ gmail.com ELECTRONIC Piano, Roland MII, With Stand & Stool. Ph: 09-43141889. BLACK PLAYSTATION 3 slim 160GB. Bought in the USA. Used very lightly. About 6 months old. In great condition almost new. 1 controller, HDMI cable, HDMI to DVI converter cable, AV cable, USB cable and one original game included (PES 2012). Owner is moving abroad. Serious buyers only. Call 095454554

designed for busy executives. 12 subjects; only two seminars per month; foreign trainer (PhD); courses delivered in English; easy payments spread over 17 months. New course (Leading OrganizationalChange followed by Project Management) will start on July 8, 2012. For more information, inquiries or enrollment pls contact the Corporate Learning Academy (CLA) : 5 MeilikhaRd, Mayangon Tel: 650329, 664397. E-mail: cla@myanmar. com.mm BASIC CONCEPTS and Applications of Statistics Using SPSS software : 30-6-2012 (Saturday) to 29-7-2012 (Sunday). 159, Thukha Myaing 3rd St, Ward (8), Hlaing. (near Thukha Bus-stop on Innsein Rd.) Sat & Sun, 8:00 am to 10:30 am . 10 days ( five weeks). 25 hrs for Ks 50,000/- U Zaw Win, Ex-Lecturer, Dept. of Statistics, Yangon Institute of Economics. Research Manager at an InGO. Hp: 09-501 7691, Email: zawwineco@gmail. com

PROPERTY
HousingforRent
BAhAN, No. 7 C Wingabar Rd, next to Clover Hotel & Japanese Embassy. Brand new condo, whole 5th Flr. 2220 sqft. $1200/MAmerican/ International standard, 2 Bed, 2 Bath, Beautifully designed by USA Firm. Contact jeffreyatint@yahoo.com or jeffreyatint@ gmail. com Local ph # 09-73108503. APARTmENT (Double Slab) US$ 300/- (Per Month). Building 123, Cherry St, 4th Flr, Air Con 2, Setty, TV, Dining Table 1, Gas Store 1, Contact Add: A-17, Padaetharpin St, FMI City, Hlaingtharyar , Yangon. Ph: 680699, 687666, 09-730-74542. Office Time. BAhAN : New University Avenue Lane, Condo, 7 Flr, 1500 Sqft , Fully Furnished, Fully Furniture, 3 A/C, 1 MBR, 2 SBR ,1PH, 6.5 Lakhs, (Suitable to Rent for Foreigner), Ph:09-43200669 BAhAN: Golden Valley, 2 Story Building, Fully Furnished, Fully Furniture, 2MB, 2SB, Ph, A/C, Good Neighborhood, 25 Lakhs, Foreigners welcome. Ph: 09-432-00669 BAhAN,(1)0.5 acre land, 1 & half storey, 2 MBR, Ph line, 5 Aircons, 2 Single Rm, Generator, nice Garden, Fully Furnished, US$ 3500 per month. (2) Inya Rd, 0.45 acre land, 11 Aircons, 3 Storey new house, nice Garden, 5 MBR, 3 BR, US$ 8500 per month, (3) Thanlwin Rd, 0.23 acre land, 3 Storey new house, Ph line, semi furnished, 5 MBR, nice lawn, US$ 8000 per months, Ph: 09-513-7670 NORTH dAGON, Shwe Pin lone Housing, Good Estate, 80' x 80', 2 MB, 2SB, Without Furniture, Fully Furnished Good neighborhood, near Pinlone hospital, Foreigner welcome 4.5 Lakhs, Ph: 09432-00669 or email : nicerealproperty@ gmail. com BAhAN, Thakhathoyeikmon Condo, 7F, 1500 Sqft, Fully Furnished, Fully Furniture, 3 A/C, 1 MBR, 2 SBR ,1Ph, 6 Lakhs, Ph : 09-73135900 VIRTuAL OFFICE Have your office at the prestigious Central Towers for only 39,000 kyats a month. Pls call 09-516-6859, 09-49247013, 01-377151 Ext: 80643 for more details about the facilities and services offered. KAmAYuT, Attia Rd, Big compound, 2 Storey, 4MB, 2 Living room, .027 acre land, Foreigners welcome, call. E-mail: star85ster @gmail.com Ph: 389706, 09-2004467.

Housing for Sale

SANChAUNG , (1) near CityMart & Yuzana Super Market) Condo 32 ft x 52 ft, 6 Flr, MB (1) SB (2) renovated/ Lift. 1600 lakhs (2) Panchan st, new building, 15 ft x 50 ft, high 12 G Flr, 700 lakhs) Ph: 09-731-10110 09-508-0880 BAhAN, Natmaut Yeiktha Lane, 0.22 Acre, RC 1 1/2 storey, Ph: 543350, 09-508-3097. No broker pls. N/dAGON, No.17, (Rose Garden) shwe pinlon, 8325 sq ft, land & building , 2RC price : 4500 lakh ph: 09-503-5522. HLAING , Near Yangon Insein Rd For more information K Khaing Kyaw : 09-518-2894 LASHIO : Ward 12, 2Acres Land including the main house and 2storey building. In downtown and Very Good place for business. Price: negotiable. Ph: 09-5171377, 09-515-8738 NAYPYIdAW, 15 acres of land near naypyidaw Highway 20 miles. Ph: 09-512-3186.

Want To Buy
USED Laptop, Notebook, Netbook, MacbookPro, Macbook Air, Samsung Galaxy Tablet, External Hardisk, External R/W, Used Phone Nokia Blackberry Motorola LG HTC Sony Ericsson Samsung Galaxy S2 Galaxy note Galaxy Nexus, Huawei C8500 C8600 C8800 C8810 Ipod Touch 4G Iphone 3gs iphone 4, 4s handset Ipad Ipad2 New Ipad. Ph: 09-5178391, 01-376420 uSEd PHONE nokia Blackberry Motorola LG HTC Sony Ericsson Samsung Galaxy S2 Galaxy note Galaxy Nexus, Huawei C8500 C8600 C8800 C8820 Ipod Touch 4G Iphone 3gs iphone 4, 4s handset Ipad Ipad2 new Ipad Used Laptop, Notebook, Netbook, MacbookPro, Macbook Air, Samsung Galaxy Tablet, External Hardisk, External R/W Ph:-376427, 376420 AdSL, WiMax, McWill Contact : 245 415

For Sale/Hire
ISUzU Trooper (1999 model) Left Hand Drive, 4X4. Ph: 09-500-9450

General
mOBILE CLASSIC Alluminium, Stainless Steel, Composite & Iron Work. Office :No-10-Ground Flr ,Bo Moe St, Myae ni Gone, Sanchaung. Ph: 09-431-79764, 09-43195286. Email: goodwill 303164@gmail.com NYOON Book Dealing: Various kinds of Books regarding Business Management, Business & Investing, Accounting, Briefcase Series, Interview skills, English Language can be available at Innwa Book Store, A Yone Thit Book Store, TAB Book Centre (Taw Win Centre), Yar Pyae (Mandalay) Book Store & Tun Oo (Mandalay) Book Store: 214, 4th Flr, Corner of Anawrahta Rd & 32nd St, Pabedan, Yangon. Email: nyoon. bookdealing@gmail. com. Ph: 386693, 09504-6769. CLARION International - Sandar@Sonia : Managing Partner : Ph: 09-43122557. ISO 9001-2008 certification Event Management, Travel & Tourism, Matrimony Services, Training & Placement, Education.

Want to Hire
RESIdENCE needed (independent house) Three-four bed rooms with attached baths, a living room with a bath room attached,dining kitchen and a maids room. Within 1 or 2 kilometers of Eyes Hospital (natmauk Yeiktha Road). Pls contact9:30am~5:30pm. Ph: 545884

Travel
NYAN mYINT THu: Car Rental Service. Ko nyan Myint Win Kyi. Address: No.56, Bo Ywe St, Latha, Yangon. Ph: 246551, 375283. 09-645-0599, 09-2132778.

Training
I N T E R N AT I O N A L LY accepted Diploma in Management, a 17-month program

Employment
INGO Position
SOLIdARITES Int'l (SI) is seeking Logistics manager in Bhamo/ Kachin State: 4 years of professional experience in Logistics field with InGO/ nGO. University Degree or Diploma (preferably in Logistics Or related proven experience in similar area). Know-ledge of IT manage-ment & MS office (excel, word, power point and networking). Fluent spoken / written English & Myanmar (Kachin & Chinese will be a plus). Good writing & communication skills. Pls submit application (CV, cover letter, references) to: Win Htay, Logistics Coordinator - Solidarites Int'l Office : 44-A, Tharyarwaddy Lane, Sayar San Ward, Bahan, Yangon or per email: hr.solidarites. mm @gmail. com & cc to ygn. log. coordo@ solidaritesmyanmar. org. mALTESER Int'l is seeking Driver - 1 post in Yangon : Good knowledge of Yangon, UN & InGO facilities, High school level, Valid Vehicle driving license is a must, 3 years experience in Driving cars, Knowledge of mechanical skills are preferable, Experience with nGO/Un as a driver. Good interpersonal skills and honest character, Pls submit : Cover letter explaining how their education, skills and experience meet the requirements for the position; (CV) including dates and detailed descriptions of all current and previous work, education and training experiences and reference contact details, with 1 recent photo; Copies of work & educational certifi-cates; Copy of national ID card; Reference letters from previous supervisors. to : 14/15, 6F, Pyi Taw Aye Yeik Thar St, Yakin, Yangon. Email: hr.co. malteser @gmail. com Closing date: 5th July, 2012 MEDECINS du Monde (MDM) is looking for Liaison/ Administration Officer - 1 post: Graduate diploma in social or behavioral sciences. 1 year experience with similar liaison, administration & communication duties. Excellent communication & interpersonal skills, good command of spoken / written English. Good knowledge of MS Office especially MS Word & MS Excel. Pls submit CV & cover letter to MDM Country Coordination Office, Yangon : 47-B, Po Sein St, Bahan. Ph: 542830, Email: admi. pyapon. mdmmyanmar@gmail. com mYANmAR Red Cross Society is looking for (1) Branch Project Officer, 2 posts: Relevant university degree (publichealth, development related discipline or Management). 3 years experience in health related field. Good analytical & report writing skills. Good mastering of spoken & written English in addition to high level Myanmar language skills. Computer literate. Red Cross volunteer experience is an added advantage. Closing date:12.7.2012 (2) Admin & Finance Assistant 4 posts: Relevant educational background (accounting, finance, administration or equivalent). 2 years experience in a similar position. Knowledge of English in speaking and writing is an advantage. Computer literate. Understanding of, commitment & willingness to actively promote, the Red Cross Red Crescent Fundamental Principles. Closing date: 10.7.12 (3) Head of Communication Division, 1 post: Myanmar nationality. Completion of higher education, preferably a Masters degree in Comunication, Business Administration, Internal relations or similar. Superior communication skills in English & Myanmar launguages are essential. Good Knowledge of information technology including publication & presentation software. Academic background in journalism, literature, pedagogic studies or a relevant field of Communication/public Relations will be an asset.Pls submit a letter of application, relevant documents & CV, Copy of Recommendation letter from township police station, labor registration card & health certificate and one passport photo (Cover letter & CV documents only need to be sent via e-mail to mrcshrrecruit ment@ gmail.com, U Khin Maung Hla, Executive Director, Myanmar Red Cross Society, Nay Pyi Taw before 12th July 2012, WORLd Vision Myanmar is seeking design, monitoring & Evaluation Specialist: Bachelor Univesity Degree in any discipline. Bachelor Degree in Social Science or Computer Studies is desirable. 3 years of progressive experience in programme/ project monitoring & evaluation. Report writing skills in English and also teaching and training experiences are essential. Competent in use of Microsoft Office Word, Excel & PowerPoint. Good command of Myanmar & English. Please submit your resume by post to HR Department, World Vision Myanmar or in person to application drop-box at (18), Shin Saw Pu Rd, Ahlone, Sanchaung PO or send to myajobapps@wvi. org Closing date: July 4, 2012. WORLd Vision Myanmar is seeking (1) Credit Facilitator Trainee (Micro Finance Program) in Pyigyitagon Tsp, Mandalay & Hlaingtharya, Yangon : University Bachelor Degree in any discipline with some desired focus in Finance, Accounting and/ or Development studies. 1 year of field experience in Community Development and/ or Microfinance would be an advantage. Must have good computer skills in Microsoft office word and excel. Good command of Myanmar & English in listening, reading, speaking and writing. (2)Community Development Facilitator (Food Program) is Konkyan, northern Shan State: University Bachelor Degree in any discipline. Demonstrated commitment to World Vision values, philosophy & capacity to engage with the broader community in living these values. Able to provide a clean criminal background & reference check. Pls submit resume by post to HR Department, World Vision Myanmar or in person to application drop-box at (18), Shin Saw Pu Rd; Ahlone, Sanchaung PO or send to myajobapps @wvi. org not later than July 11, 2012. AMDA is seeking (1) Administrative / Financial Officer - 1 post Myit Chay Field Office : University degree in Accounting/ Financing with 2 years experiences (InGO experience would be an asset). Strong analytic & accounting skill; Strong computer skill (excel, word, etc.); Good written and oral communication skill in Myanmar & English; Have a strong aspiration & interest in humanitarian & community development works. (2) Agriculture Training Specialist for Livelihood Improve-ment Program at Meiktila Field Office, Meiktila Tsp, Mandalay : Have a degree of Bachelor of Agricultural Science. Preferable on trainer experience for relevant training. Good communication, facilitation, & supportive interperso-nal skills. Have a strong aspiration & interest in humanitarian & com-munity development works. (3) Guard (1 position) in Meiktila Field Office. Pls enclose a C.V., copies of testimonials (references) & photograph (passport size) & send it to Senior Officer, Admin/Finance Unit, AMDA Myanmar Country Office : 19 B, Thukhawaddy Rd, Yankin , Yangon. Tel: 578353. Email:amda @ mptmail. net.mm 9thJuly 2012. WORLd VISION Myanmar is seeking (1) Protection Specialist: University Bachelor Degree in a appropriate discipline & academic background in Law or Human Rights is desirable. 3 years experience in community development. Must have good understanding of Protection/ Child Protection and Gender & Disability. Must have good interpersonal, communication, facilitation & leadership skills. Must have good verbal & written English skills. Good knowledge in Microsoft Office . (2) design, monitoring & Evaluation Specialist: Bachelor Univesity Degree in any discipline. BachelorDegreeinSocial Science or Computer Studies is desirable. 3 years of progressive experience in programme/ project monitoring & evaluation. Report writing skills in English and also teaching and training experiences are essential. Competent in use of Microsoft Office Word, Excel & PowerPoint. Good command of Myanmar & English. Pls submit resume (clearly identify the post you apply) by post to HR Department, World Vision Myanmar or in person to application drop-box at 18, Shin Saw Pu Rd, Ahlone, Sanchaung PO or send to myajobapps @wvi. org not later than July 4, 2012. MEDECINS du Monde (MDM) is looking for Field Nurse - 2 posts: (diploma, degree, specific certificates) nursing Diploma or midwife.B.n.Scordegree in Public Health (Health Assistant). Interested & qualified applications should submit CV & a cover letter to MDM Country Coordination Office: 47-B, Po Sein St, Bahan, Yangon. Ph: 542830, Email: hr. mdmmyanmar@gmail. com WELTHuNGERHILFE Myanmar Deutsche Welthungerhilfe (formerly German Agro Action/GAA) is looking for HR manager for our country office in Yangon : University degree in human resources management, public administration,industrial psychology or other related field. At least 3 years practical working experience in human resource management. Past working experience with InGO and/or int'l organization is an asset.Very good communication and interpersonal skills. Excellent knowledge in English (written & spoken). Very good skills in computer operation (MS office package). Pls send application to: Welthungerhilfe HR Manager: 29(A),Thirimin- galar Avenue, Yankin. Ph: 662908 Email: whh. hrm@gmail. com, co. mmr. ygn. hr@ welthungerhilfe.de WELTHuNGERHILFE Myanmar Deutsche Welthungerhilfe (formerly German Agro Action/GAA) is looking for Night Guard for the country office in Yangon : Matriculation passed/ secondary Education. 1 year experience as a night guard. Prepare to work had with flexible working hours. Reliable & required to be honest. Pls send application to: Welthungerhilfe - HR Manager : 29(A), Thirimingalar Avenue, Yankin. Ph: 662908 Email:whh.hrm@gmail. com Prefer to MBA, Good in English 4 skills, 5 years experiences in Trade Documentation & Int'l Trading, Preferable banking knowledge. (4) Relationship manager / marketing manager - M/F 5 Posts: MBA/ DMA, Diploma in Marketing, Good in English (4 skills), 5 years experiences in Sales & Marketing field. (5) HR manager - M/F 5 Posts : Any graduate, Prefer to MBA/DMA, MPA, Good in English (4-skills), Computer literate, 5 years experiences in HR Management field. Age 35 ~ 45, Able to travel. Pls submit an application letter with updated CV,a passport size recent photo, copy of labor registration card & nRC card & other supportive documents to : 520 (A/4), Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Bahan, Yangon. Ph : - 018603009~18 (HR Dept.) or email: uabhohr@ unitedamarabank. com BANGKOK Airways Asias Botique Airline is looking for Reservation & Ticketing Officer to join Yangon Station team - M/F: age under 25. Myanmar nationality. Good communication skills. Good command of written & spoken English. Computer literate. Pls apply a comprehensive CV and submit application letter to: Bangkok Airways Co., Ltd. #0305, 3rd Flr, Sakura Tower No.339, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Kyauktada , Yangon. Closing date: 10 July 2012 CITY VIVA Travel Co.,Ltd is seeking Office staff M/F (2) Posts : Strong communication skills in English. Ability to communicate with Customers and Staff in a professional & efficient manner. Cheerful and outgoing personality. Good computer skills. Good organizational skills. Able to work with minimum supervision. Able to take direction and complete tasks required with accuracy in a timely manner. Willingness to take initiative & enthusiasm in learning and gaining experience. Fast leaner. Interested candidates should apply with detailed resume, contact details and expected salary to: 162(C), 2nd Thiri Yeik Thar, Lower Kyeemyindine Rd, Ahlone, Yangon before 15 Jul 2012 VACANCY for mechanical Engineer, 4 - 5 years experience, with knowledge of Machinery Foundation & Installation. Workable English. To submit CV, contact 01 376458 / 401093. PRISTINE Group is seeking : (1) Business developmentmanager - M/F 1 post : Any Graduate or higher degree (MBA is preferable). Age 35 ~ 45. 5 years experiences & 3 years direct experience in Business development fields. (2) Senior Executive(Commercial) - M/F 2 posts : Working experience in Commercial Fields (Export, Import documentation). Age under 35. 3 years experience. Chinese is preferable. (3) Business Development Executive - M/F 1 post : Any Graduate. Age under 35. 2 years experiences in Business development & Tender field. (4) Senior Executive Officer - M/F 1 post : Any Graduate (MBA is preferable). Age under 35. 5 years experiences in Cooperative multiple tasks will all concerning department. (6) Chief Acocunt - F 1 post : B.Com or CPA. Age under 35. 5 years experience. Chinese is preferable. For 1 ~ 6: Good command of English & computer literate .(7) Sale Executive - M 1 post : BE (Mechanical) Age 23 ~ 35. Must be skillfull in Computer. Pls submit an application letter, with full CV detailing experience, knowledge & skills. Pls include the names & contact details of referees to the HR Department by email to hrd1@pristinemyanmar. com, within 2 weeks. (1) OVERSEA Procurement Assistant manager - M/F 3 Posts: MBA or DMA or Any graduated with management diploma. 2 ~ 3 years experience in Oversea Procure-ment & Trading. English 4 skills language proficiency must be needed. Age 30 ~ 40. Advance computer literate with e-mail & internet. (2) Secretary F 1 Post : Any graduate, Age above 25. Good personality. 2 years experience in similar job. Must be use computer (Microsoft Word, Excel, Page-maker & Outlook...). Excellent in 4 skills English. Pls submit an application letter, CV with detailed experiences to : (22/24), 4th & 5th Flr, Pansodan Rd (Bet: Strand Rd & Merchant Rd), Kyauktada. WE ARE well known International Law Firm looking for Office Assistant - F : Age 25~30, Any Graduate, preferred Business Management. Must have 3 years experience in related field (Admin/ office) Must have good English skills for Foreign firm Computer skills (Microsoft office) Submit CV to suhlaing07@gmail.com Tel: 556692, 556407 iNowave Myanmar is currently looking for (1) Software Engineer 1 Post : Degree in IT / Computer Science or equivalent. 3 years of C#/VB.net experience required. Proficient in SQL SERVER 2005/2008. Experience in using Crystal Report or other reporting tools. Knowledge on php is an added advantage. Able to lead a team with good interpersonal and communication skills. (2)Software Developer - 2 Posts : -Diploma or Degree in IT / Computer Science or equivalent. 1 years of C#/VB.net experience required (Fresh gradua-tes with academic software projects can apply too). Proficient in SQL SERVER 2005/2008. Pls send resume with current / last drawn salary, expected salary and available date to nyinyi@i nnowavemyanmar.com closingdate:17.7.12. ESTABLISHEd Singapore multinational Co is seeking qualified candidate for the below position; (1).Business developmentmanager - Imports (Food Stuff & correlated areas ) - M/F 1 post (2).Business developmentmanager - Imports (Construction items, metals & correlated areas ) - M/F 1 post . Key require-ments for (1) & (2) : Experienced, self starter, market know-ledge, motivated, willing to travel, Qualification:Graduate or M.B.A. Good pay. Should be able to communicate well in English. Pls submit the resume along with relevant documents to sandarstar@gmail.com or call 09-512-4850. ThE KMA Hotel Group is urgently looking for (1) marketing manager - 1 post. Graduate, 2 or 3 years experience (preferable within the hospitability industry) as Marketing Manager. Proficiency in computer skills. Fluent in spoken/ written Myanmar & English. (2) Reservation Officer - 1 post. Graduate, 2 years experience. Proficiency in computer skills. (3) Graphic Artist - 1 post : Graduate, 3 years experience. Must be familiar with the designing soffware. Understand the principles of graphic design. Pls submit application with a resume to the HR Department of KMA Hotels Group Office at Sayar San Plaza at the corner of Sayarsan Rd & new University Avenue Rd, Ph: 401480~1. wE are seeking for the following candidates. Graduate (Economics, Finance, Business and related degrees preferred). 3-5 years professional experience (Market research, Banking, Accounting, Sales and Marketing & other related fields). Fluency in Myanmar & English (4 skills). Competitive pay. We are a Myanmar based investment firm and focused on identifying investment projects in a number of sectors. The person who interested can apply by sending CV to: noble.yga@ gmail.com wE are seeking two local English Teachers for part time hours. Candidates must be experienced teaching 4 skills and Business English to different levels. Course materials provided. Pls send C.V tobig.daz.s@gmail.com REQuIREd Native English Teacher, Part time or Full time. Ph: 09-504-1653. wANTED a driver English speaking, non alcoholic, no betel quid eater, honest and quiet in Yangon. Contact; 09439-33844 SmART Group of Companies is seeking (1) Project Coordinator - M 3 posts : Bachelor Degree. Computer literate (MS office, email & internet). Fluent in English (speaking, writing & reading) (Foreign language is a plus advantage). (2) Secretary to President - F 1 Post : Bachelor Degree or Master Degree holder (Prefer English major or abroad education). Fluent in English (writing & reading). 2 years experience in Secretary field & abroad working experience. (3) Invoicing manager - F 1 Post : B.Com or Diploma in Accounting (LCCI Level 3). Good in English (reading/ writing). (4) Assistant Accountant - F 1 Post : Age under 35. B.Com or LCCI Level 2 or 3. Must Chinese speaking (4 skills preferred). 2 years experience. (5) Operation Assistant M 1 Post: Any Degree with F & B background or Diploma in Hospita-lity & Management. Fluent in English (reading/writing). 1 year experience. (6) Driver M 2 posts : Must have driving license (black or red). 1 or 2 years experience. Pls send CV, 2 passport photos, copy of nRC card, academic transcripts (copy) & testimonial documents to City Bank Building 4th Flr, Banyardala Rd, Mingalar Taung Nyunt , Yangon within 2 weeks. SummIT PARKVIEW Hotel is seeking (1). Income Auditor - F 1 Post : 3 years experience in Hotel accounting. B.Com / Graduated in any discipline & LCCI Level III. Computer literate in Micros Fidelio (FO) System. F&B outlet POS System, Microsoft words & excel. Fluent in English (written/spoken) (2). health Club Instructor - M (1) Post : Graduate in any discipline. 1 year experience. Good communication skills. Proficiency in English. (3). Receptionist - M/F 2 posts:Age under 25, Must have good personality. Proficiency in English. Good communication skills. Computer literate. (4). Porter/driver - M 2 Posts: 1 year in related field is more preferable. Good communication skills. Good ability to speak in English. (5). Room Attendants - M/F 2 Posts : Must have good communication skills. Room services Experience in Hotel is more preferable. (6). PA Attendants/ General worker - M/F 2 Posts: Must have good communication skills. PA services Experience in Hotel is more preferable. Pls submit an application letter, C.V with a recent photo, copies of nRC & Labour registration card, Educational certificate and others testimonials to HR Department not Later than 7 July, 2012. EduLINK Australia is currently recruiting more English language teachers. If you know of any teachers with a CELTA or TEFL who are native speakers of English and would like to teach in Yangon, pls ask them to send an email to: info@ edulinkaustralia. com with the subject: Potential English language teacher. TEACHERS of English/ Chinese: BA/ MA (English/ Chinese), BEd. / MEd.- Must be fluent and proficient in language. Any interested degree holders who are proficient in English/ Chinese will be considered too. Specialisation in Early Years Teaching in Child Psychology & Methodo-logy. Have an in-depth knowledge & under-standing of Early years Education. 1 year experience in teaching early years. Valid certificate for Early years teachers training. Age under 40. Salary: negotiable. Apply with C.V & one recent photo, attached with relevant certificates. P.O. Box 451 C.P. Yangon Co., Ltd. is running the agriculture business starting since 1995 at Myanmar is seeking (1) Accountant - M 4 posts (Yangon). (2) Accountant - M 4 post (Taung Gyi). For position 1 & 2 : A Degree preferable is B.ECom, B.Com (Commerce). B.Act. Any Degree plus LCCI Level III or DA also acceptable. (3) Agricul-turalist - M 4 posts (Able to travel) : A Degree preferable is B.Ag, B.Sc (Botany), Diploma in Agriculture. Good in spoken & written English. Good interper-sonal & communi-cation skills Experience in the usage of computer. Pls submit CV with 2 photos, copies of relevant qualifications, labor registration, copy of NRC to : (25/B), Thukhawady St, Yangon Ph: 577407, 703808. within 3 weeks.

Local Position
m u LT I - TA L E N T E d Australian Seeks Employment in Myanmar. Mr Craig Hodges has 20 years experience in the Media, Events and Trouism industries. He is currently touring the country looking for new opportunities Resume available on request. Contact: australianinmyanmar@hotmail.com MDs Assistant for a new Insurance company Graduated female fluent in English, knowledge in French (if possible), good presentation, with previous experience in the insurance business. please contact: dsavariau@gmail.com VISION INTERIORS renowned internationally, is starting its operations in Yangon & require eligible and efficient candidate for each of the following post: (1). draftsmen: Should have min. 5 years of experience in both residential & commercial designs, must be well versed with Auto-Cad / 3D Max, can draft/ sketch designs manually, responsibi-lities include site visits & supervision. * Must speak, read & write English fluently. (2). Carpenter: Should have min. 10 years of experience in carpentry, musthaveateamofskilled labor.(3). Contractor Cum Site Supervisor: should have min. 5 years experience in the required field, must have a technical know-ledge & good network among coworkers: civil engineers, painters, electricians, masons etc. Eligible applicants must send in CV to visioninteriors@ gmail. com or contact 09420087374 during office hours (10AM - 6PM, Mon-Sat) (1) dIRECTOR/Gm (Finance) - M/F 2 Posts : B.Com, CPA, ACCA, A strong knowledge of Finance & Accounting related to banking, Age (40 ~ 50) , Good in English 4 skills, 20 years of relevant experience, Comprehensive knowledge of Banking Operation. (2) Branch manager/deputy manager - M/F 15 Posts : Any Graduate, Age 28 ~ 55, Able to travel, Experiences in Manager /Deputy Manager level in Local Banking (3) manager (Import & Export) - M/F 2 Posts : Any graduate,

Job Wanted
SOCCER and Fitness Coach : Very eager to work in Myanmar as Soccer or Fitness Coach at FCs, sports clubs and schools. Have considerable amount of experiences in Singapore & overseas. Please feel free to contact Joseph Ronald for further enquiry at josephronald@yahoo. com

The Essentials
EMBASSIES Australia 88, Strand Road, Yangon. tel : 251810, 251797, 251798, 251809, 246462, 246463, fax: 246159 Bangladesh 11-B, Than Lwin Road, Yangon. tel: 515275, 526144, fax: 515273, email: bdootygn@mptmail.net. mm Brazil 56, Pyay Road, 6th mile, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon. tel: 507225, 507251, 507482. fax: 507483. email: Administ.yangon@ itamaraty.gov.br. Brunei 317/319, U Wizara Road, Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon. tel: 526985, 524285, fax: 512854 email: bruneiemb@ bruneiemb.com.mm Cambodia 25 (3B/4B), New University Avenue Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. tel: 549609, 540964, fax: 541462, email: RECYANGON @mptmail. net.mm China 1, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. tel: 221280, 221281, 224025, 224097, 221926, fax: 227019, 228319 Egypt 81, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. tel: 222886, 222887, fax: 222865, email: egye mbyangon@mptmail. net.mm France 102, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. tel: 212178, 212520, 212523, 212528, 212532, fax: 212527, email: ambaf rance. rangoun@ diplomatie.fr Germany 9, Bogyoke Aung San Museum Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. tel: 548951, 548952, fax: 548899 email: info@rangun. diplo.de India 545-547, Merchant Street, Yangon. tel: 391219, 388412, 243972, fax: 254086, 250164, 388414, email: indiaembassy @mptmail. net.mm Indonesia 100, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. tel: 254465, 254469, 229750, fax: 254468, email: kukygn @indonesia.com.mm Israel 15, Khabaung Street, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon. tel: 515115, fax: 515116, email: info@ yangon.mfa.gov.il Italy 3, Inya Myaing Road, Golden Valley, Yangon. tel: 527100, 527101, fax: 514565, email: ambyang.mail@ esteri.it Japan 100, Natmauk Road, Yangon. tel: 549644-8, 540399, 540400, 540411, 545988, fax: 549643 Embassy of the State of Kuwait Chatrium Hotel, Rm: No.416, 418, 420, 422, 40 Natmauk Rd, Tarmwe Tsp, Tel: 544500. North Korea 77C, Shin Saw Pu Road, Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon. tel: 512642, 510205, fax: 510206 South Korea 97 University Avenue, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. tel: 527142-4, 515190, fax: 513286, email: myanmar@mofat.go.kr Lao A-1, Diplomatic Quarters, Tawwin Road, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. tel: 222482, fax: 227446, email: Laoembcab@ mptmail. net.mm Malaysia 82, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. tel: 220248, 220249, 220251, 220230, fax: 221840, email: mwkyangon@mptmail. net.mm Nepal 16, Natmauk Yeiktha, Yangon. tel: 545880, 557168, fax: 549803, email: nepemb @mptmail.net.mm Pakistan A-4, diplomatic Quarters, Pyay Road, Yangon. tel: 222881 (Chancery Exchange) fax: 221147, email: pakistan@ myanmar. com.mm Philippines 50, Sayasan Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. tel: 558149-151, fax: 558154, email: p.e. yangon@gmail.com Russian 38, Sagawa Road, Yangon. tel: 241955, 254161, fax: 241953, email: rusinmyan@mptmail .net.mm Serbia No. 114-A, Inya Road, P.O.Box No. 943Yangon. tel: 515282, 515283, fax: 504274, email: serbemb@ yangon.net.mm Singapore 238, Dhamazedi Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. tel: 559001, fax: 559002, 559922, email: singemb_ ygn@_ sgmfa. gov.sg Sri Lanka 34 Taw Win Road, Yangon. tel: 222812, fax: 221509, email: slembassy. yangon@gmail.com, info@slembyangon.org, www.slembyangon.org Thailand 94 Pyay Road, Dagon Township, Yangon. tel: 226721, 226728, 226824, fax: 221713 United Kingdom 80 Kanna Road, Yangon. tel: 370867, 380322, 371852, 371853, 256438, 370863, 370864, 370865, fax: 370866 United States of America 110, University Avenue, Kamayut Township, Yangon. tel: 536509, 535756, 538038, fax: 650306 Vietnam Building No. 72, Thanlwin Road, Bahan Township, Yangon. tel: 511305, fax: 514897, email: vnemb myr@ cybertech.net.mm Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia No.287/289, U Wisara Rd, Sanchaung Tsp. tel : 01-536153, 516952, fax : 01-516951 UNITED NATIONS ILO Liaison Officer Rm (M1212~1220), 12 Fl-A, Traders Hotel. 223, tel: 242 393, 242811. fax: 242594. IOM 12th Flr, Traders Hotel, 223, tel: 252560 ext. 5002 UNAIDS Rm: (1223~1231), 12 Fl, Traders Hotel. tel: 252361, 252362, 252498. fax: 252364. UNDCP 11-A, Malikha St, Mayangone tsp. tel: 666903, 664539. fax: 651334. UNDP 6, Natmauk Rd, Bahan tel: 542910-19. fax: 292739. UNFPA 6, Natmauk Rd, Bahan tsp. tel: 546029. UNHCR 287, Pyay Rd, Sanchaung tsp. tel: 524022, 524024. fax 524031. UNIAP Rm: 1202, 12 Fl, Traders Hotel.tel: 254852, 254853. UNIC 6, Natmauk St., BHN tel: 52910~19 UNICEF 14~15 Flr, Traders Hotel. P.O. Box 1435, KTDA. tel: 375527~32, fax: 375552 email: unicef.yangon@unicef. org, www.unicef.org/myanmar. UNODC 11-A, Malikha Rd., Ward 7, MYGN. tel: 666903, 660556, 660538, 660398, 664539, fax: 651334. email: fo.myanmar@unodc.org www. unodc.org./myanmar/ UNOPS Inya Lake Hotel, 3rd floor, 37, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Mayangone Tsp. tel: 951657281~7. Fax: 657279. UNRC 6, Natmauk Rd, P.O. Box 650, TMWE tel: 542911~19, 292637 (Resident Coordinator), fax: 292739, 544531. WFP 3rd-flr, Inya Lake Hotel, 37, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd. tel: 657011~6 (6-lines) Ext: 2000. WHO 12A Fl, Traders Hotel. tel:250583. ASEAN Coordinating Of. for the ASEAN Humanitarian Task Force, 79, Taw Win st, Dagon Township. Ph: 225258. FAO Myanma Agriculture Service Insein Rd, Insein. tel: 641672, 641673. fax: 641561.

General Listing
ACCOMMODATIONHOTELS
Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon 40 Natmauk Rd, Tarmwe. tel: 544500. fax: 544400. Summit Parkview Hotel 350, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp. tel: 211888, 211966. fax: 227995. Thamada Hotel 5, Alan Pya Phaya Rd, Dagon. tel: 243639, 243640, 243641. Traders Hotel 223 Sule Pagoda Rd. tel: 242828. fax: 242838. Winner Inn 42, Than Lwin Rd, Bahan Tsp. tel: 535205, 524387. email: winnerinnmyanmar @gmail.com Yangon YMCA 263, Mahabandoola Rd, Botataung Tsp. tel: 294128, Yuzana Hotel 130, Shwegondaing Rd, Bahan Tsp, tel : 01-549600, 543367 Yuzana Garden Hotel 44, Alanpya Pagoda Rd, Mingalar Taung Nyunt Tsp, tel : 01-248944

ACCOUNTANTS AND CONSULTANTS

Charted Certified, Certified Public Accountants. tel: 09-5010563. drtinlatt@matglobal.com

AIR CONDITION
Chigo No. 216, 38 Street (Upper), Kyauktada Tsp, tel : 373472

No.7A, Wingabar Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : (951) 546313, 430245. 09-731-77781~4. Fax : (01) 546313. www.cloverhotel.asia. info@cloverhotel.asia Confort Inn 4, Shweli Rd, Bet: Inya Rd & U Wisara Rd, Kamaryut, tel: 525781, 526872 Golden Aye Yeik Mon Hotel 4, Padauk Lane, 4th Word, Aye Yeik Mon Housing, Hlaing. tel: 681706. Hotel Yangon No. 91/93, 8th Mile Junction, Mayangone. tel : 01-667708, 667688. Inya Lake Resort Hotel 37 Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd. tel: 662866. fax: 665537. Orchid Hotel 91, Anawrahta street, Pazundaung Township, Yangon, . Tel: 399930, 399990, 901061~65. E-mail: orchidhotel@ myanmar.com.mm.

ACCOMMODATIONHOTELS (NAy PyI TAw)

The First Air conditioning systems designed to keep you fresh all day GUNKUL Engineer supply Co., Ltd. No.437 (A), Pyay Road, Kamayut. P., O 11041 Yangon, Tel: +(95-1) 502016-18, Mandalay- Tel: 02-60933. Nay Pyi Taw- Tel: 067-420778, E-mail : sales.ac@freshaircon. com. URL: http://www. freshaircon.com General 83-91, G-F, Bo Aung Kyaw St, Kyauktada Tsp, tel : 706223, 371906

Reservation Office (Yangon) 262-264, Pyay Road, Dagon Centre, A# 03-01, Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 95-1-501937, 536255, 09-520-0926.
The Oasis Hotel (Nay Pyi Taw)

ASTROLOGER
Saya Min Thoun Dara Astrologer No(2), Maha Wizaya Pagoda North Stairway, Dagon Tsp. tel: 296184

Tel: 95-67-422088, 422099

ACCOMMODATION LONG TERM

No. 205, Corner of Wadan Street & Min Ye Kyaw Swa Road, Lanmadaw Tsp, Yangon. Myanmar. Tel: (95-1) 212850 ~ 3, 229358 ~ 61, Fax: (95-1) 212854. info@myanmarpandahotel .com http://www. myanmarpandahotel.com Panorama Hotel 294-300, Pansodan Street, Kyauktada Tsp. tel: 253077. PARKROYAL Yangon, Myanmar 33, Alan Pya Pagoda Rd, Dagon tsp. tel: 250388. fax: 252478. email: enquiry.prygn@ parkroyalhotels.com Website: parkroyalhotels. com. Savoy Hotel 129, Damazedi Rd, Kamayut tsp. tel: 526289, 526298, Seasons of Yangon Yangon Intl Airport Compound. tel: 666699. Sweet Hotel 73, Damazedi Road, San Chaung Tsp, Ph: 539152 Sedona Hotel Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Yankin. tel: 666900. Strand Hotel 92 Strand Rd. tel: 243377. fax: 289880. Easy Expat Accommodation Specialist in Yangon. Tel: 09-730-33776. Eco-Apartment Fully Furnished Ga 21, Pearl Centre (Pearl Condo), Bahan Tsp. Tel: 557488. Espace Avenir No 523, Pyay Rd, Kamaryut Tsp. tel: 505213-222. Golden Hill Towers 24-26, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp. tel: 558556. ghtower@ mptmail.net.mm. Marina Residence 8, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Mayangone Tsp. tel: 6506 51~4. fax: 650630. MiCasa Hotel Apartments 17, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Yankin Tsp. tel: 650933. fax: 650960. Sakura Residence 9, Inya Rd, Kamaryut Tsp. tel: 525001. fax: 525002. The Grand Mee Ya Hta Executive Residence 372, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Pabedan Tsp. tel 951-256355 (25 lines). fax: 951-256360. email: gmer@ mptmail.net.mm, www. grandmeeyahta.com Yangon City Villa (Residence) Pyay Rd, 8 Mile Junction, MYGN, tel: 513101

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

Green Garden Beer Gallery Mini Zoo, Karaweik Oo-Yin Kabar.

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

INYA1 Resturant & Bar No.(1), Inya Road, Kamayut Tsp. Tel: 01-527506 email: inyaone@gmail.com www.inya1.com

Strand Bar 92, Strand Rd, Yangon, Myanmar. tel: 243377.fax: 243393, sales@thestrand.com.mm www.ghmhotels.com

Lobby Bar PARKROYAL Yangon, Myanmar. 33, Alan Pya Phaya Road, Dagon Tsp. tel: 250388.

mt QuiCk guide
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ADvERTISING
WE STARTEd THE AdVERTISING INduSTRY IN mYANmAR SINCE 1991

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ENTERTAINMENT
Room - 4021, 3rd Floor, Taw Win Centre. Ph: 8600111 (Ext:4021), 09-803-2581. La Brasserie (International) PARKROYAL Yangon. 33, Alan Pya Phaya Road, Dagon Tsp. tel : 250388.

GAS COOKER & COOKER HOODS

24 hours Cancer centre No. 330, Yangon International Hotel, Ahlone Road, Dagon Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: (951) 218388, 218292 Fax: (951) 218389

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

La Source Beauty Spa 80(A), Inya Rd, Kamayut. tel: 512 380, 511 252. Sedona Hotel, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd. tel: 666 900 My Way Diamond Condo, Bldg(A), Rm (G-02), Pyay Rd, Kamayut Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 52717, 09 51 70528

Zamil Steel No-5, Pyay Road, 7 miles, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. Tel: (95-1) 652502~04. Fax: (95-1) 650306. Email: zamilsteel@ zamilsteel.com.mm

Dance Lessons Mon-Fri 12:00 to 23:00. Sat-Sun 10 am to 8 pm Fun dancing Friday nights with Filipino musicians 4, U Tun Myat St, Tamwe. Tel: 01-541 550 The Uranium Dance Studio Pearl condo Bldg (C), 2nd flr, Bahan Tsp. Tel: 09731-42624, 09-514-0404.

INYA1 Resturant & Bar No.(1), Inya Road, Kamayut Tsp. Tel: 01-527506 email: inyaone@gmail.com www.inya1.com Traders Caf Traders Hotel, Yangon. #223, Sule Pagoda Rd. Tel: 242828 ext: 6519

DOMAIN

Yangon : A-3, Aung San Stadium (North East Wing), Mingalartaungnyunt Tsp. Tel : 245543, 09-730-37772. Mandalay : Room No.(B,C) (National Gas), 35th St, Btw 80th & 81st, Chanayetharzan Tsp. Tel : 09-6803505, 02 34455, 36748, 71878.

GEMS & JEWELLERIES

.biz.mm .per.mm .com.mm .org.mm

FITNESS CENTRE
Espace Avenir 523, Pyay Rd, Kamayut Tsp, Tel : 505214, 505222 FIT Club - Rm 101~3, Marina Residence, 8, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Mayangone Tsp, Tel : 650634, 650651 Ext:102 Parkroyal Fitness & Spa Parkroyal Yangon. 33, Alan Pya Phaya Road, Dagon Tsp. Tel: 250388.

BEAUTY & MASSAGE

BATTERY

CHOCOLATE
A Little Dayspa No. 475 C, Pyi Road, Kamayut, Yangon. Tel: 09-431-28831.

No. (8), Panchan Tower, Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 951-516891~3 sm@mtg.biz.mm, www.mtg. biz.mm, www.mmnic.biz.mm.

DUTY FREE
ISO 9001:2008 (QMS)

Natural Gems of Myanmar No. 30 (A), Pyay Road (7 mile), Mayangone Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: 01-660397, 654398~9. E-mail: spgems.myanmar @gmail.com

24 hours Medical centre No. 330, Ground Flr, Yangon Intl Hotel, Ahlone Road, Dagon Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. 24 hour Call Centre : (951) 218 445 Clinic : (959) 4921 8159 Office : (951) 218 446 Fax : (951) 218 389 www.leomedicare.com

HOME FURNISHING

Traders Hotel, 5th Floor Tel: 242828,Ext: Coreana. Sedona Hotel, Mandalay Ground Fl. Tel: 02-36488, Ext: Coreana

Proven Technology Industry Co., Ltd. No. FS 14, Bayintnaung Rd, Shwe Sabai Yeik Mon, Kamayut Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 951-951-701719~20, 527667, 531030, 531041, 530694. Fax: 527667, 531030. http//www. toyobatterymyanmar.com.

G-A, Ground Floor, Pearl Center, Kabaraye Pagoda Road, Yangon. Tel: 09 500 6880 Email: chocolateheaven. sale@gmail.com

GENERATORS

COLD STORAGE

BOOK STORES

Duty Free Airport Shopping Yangon International Airport Arrival/Departure Tel: 662676 (Airport) Office: 17, 2nd street, Hlaing Yadanarmon Housing, Hlaing Township, Yangon. Tel: 500143, 500144, 500145.

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

HOTEL MANAGEMENT
Mr. Betchang No.(272), Pyay Rd, DNH Tower, Rm No.(503), 5th flr, Sanchaung Tsp, Tel: 095041216 The Yangon GYM Summit Parkview Hotel 350, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp. tel: 211888, 211966. Traders Health Club. Level 5, Traders Hotel Yangon#223 Sule Pagoda Rd, Tel: 951 242828 Ext: 6561 Winning Way No. 589-592, Bo Aung Kyaw St, Yangon-Pathein highway Road. Hlaing Tharyar tsp. Tel: 951645178-182, 685199, Fax: 951-645211, 545278. e-mail: mkt-mti@ winstrategic.com.mm

EDUCATION CENTRE
Est. 1992 in Myanmar Cold Storage Specialist, Solar Hot Water Storage Solutions. Tel: 09-504-2196, 09-73194828. E-mail: gei.ygn2@ gmail.com, glover2812@ gmail.com MHR Business & Management Institute 905, 9th floor, Modern Iron Market(Thanzay Condo) Lanmadaw St. Tel: 707822. NLEC 82 Anawrahta Rd, Corner of 39 St, Kyauktada Tsp. Tel: 250225.

Hotel ManagementConsultants (Singapore) Yangon Office Tel. : 09-516-6400 Email: info@univel.com.sg

Inya Day Spa

16/2, Inya Rd, Kamayut Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: 537907, 503375.

Innwa Book Store No. 246, Rm.201/301, GF, Pansodan Street (Upper Block), Kyauktada Tsp. Tel. 389838, 243216, 374324, 514387 MYANMAR BOOK CENTRE Nandawun Compound, No. 55, Baho Road, Corner of Baho Road and Ahlone Road, (near Eugenia Restaurant), Ahlone Township. tel: 212 409, 221 271. 214708 fax: 524580. email: info@ myanmarbook.com

HEALTH SERvICES

LANGUAGE

FLORAL SERvICES

CONSTRUCTION

ELECTRICAL

Lemon Day Spa No. 96 F, Inya Road, Kamaryut Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 514848, 09-732-08476. E.mail: lemondayspa.2011 @gmail.com Saw Peter Foot Reflexology Oil Massage, Body Massage, Foot Massage. Any time you want at your place. Tel : 09-518-8047.

CAFS
Cafe de Angel No.24, Baho Rd, Ahlone Tsp. Tel : 703449.

From Singapore, one-stop construction service No.22, U Chit Mg Housing, U Chit Mg Road, Tamwe Township, Yangon. Tel: +951554046 Fax: +951554048 Email: cnqcmyanmar@ gmail.com

Est. 1992 in Myanmar Electrical & Mechanical Contractors, Designers, Consultants. Tel: 09-504-2196, 09-73194828. E-mail: gei.ygn2@ gmail.com, glover2812@ gmail.com

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

81, Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Bahan Township, Yangon. Tel: 548022, 542979, 553783, 09-8030847, 09-730-56079. Email: asiapacific. myanmar@gmail.com.

No. 8, Panchan Tower, Dhamazedi Rd, Myaynigone, Sanchaung Tsp., Yangon. Tel: 539581, 539582. nexus@kyaukseinnwe.com www.nexusmyanmar.com www.facebook.com/Nexus. English.Language.Learning. Centre

English Language Learning Centre

Agent Office, 5th Floor, Junction Centre (Maw Tin), Lanmadaw Township, Yangon. Myanmar. Ph: 09-731-56770, 09-5117584, Fax: 01-516313, myanmarmeditour@gmail. com

LEGAL SERvICE
U Min Sein, BSc, RA, CPA.,RL Advocate of the Supreme Court 83/14 Pansodan St, Yangon. tel: 253 273. uminsein@mptmail.net.mm

Floral Service & Gift Centre 102(A), Dhamazaydi Rd, Yangon.tel: 500142 Summit Parkview Hotel, tel: 211888, 211966 ext. 173 fax: 535376.email: sandy@ sandymyanmar.com.mm.

MARINE COMMUNICATION & NAvIGATION

Acupuncture, Medicine Massage, Foot Spa Add:No,27(A),Ywa Ma Kyaung Street, Hlaing Township, Yangon. Tel: 01-511122, 526765. Piyavate Hospital (Bangkok) Myanmar Represent ative (Head office) Grand Mee Yahta Executive Residences. No.372, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, PBDN. Ph: 256355, Ext: 3206. Hotline: 09-73777799. Email: piyavate@cnt. com.mm, piyavate.cnt@ gmail.com, Website: www. piyavate.com PHIH-Specialist Clinic FMI Centre (4th Floor) #380, Bogyoke Aung San Road, Pabedan Tsp. tel: 243 010, 243 012, 243 013

Foral Service & Gifts shop No.2, Corner of Khay Mar St & Baho Rd (Near Asia Royal Hospital), Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon. email: yangonflorist@ myanmar.com.mm. Tel: 01-510406, 09-73184714.

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

Media & Advertising

FOAM SPRAY INSULATION

Foam Spray Insulation No-410, Ground Floor, Lower Pazuntaung Road, Pazuntaung Tsp, Yangon. Telefax : 01-203743, 09730-26245, 09-500-7681. Hot Line-09-730-30825.

FURNITURE
NatRay Co., Ltd. Rm 807, La Pyayt Wun Plaza. tel : 01-370833, 370836

24 hours Laboratory & X-ray No. 330, Ground Flr, Yangon Intl Hotel, Ahlone Road, Dagon Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: (951) 218388, (951) 218292 Fax: (951) 218389

Intuitive Design, Advertising, Interior Decoration Corporate logo/Identity/ Branding, Brochure/ Profile Booklet/ Catalogue/ Billboard, Corporate diary/ email newsletter/ annual reports, Magazine, journal advertisement and 3D presentation and detailed planning for any interior decoration works. Talk to us: (951) 430-897, 553-918 www.medialane.com.au 58B Myanma Gon Yaung Housing, Than Thu Mar Road, Tamwe, Yangon.

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Streamline Education 24, Myasabai Rd, Parami, Myangone Tsp. tel: 662304, 09-500-6916. No. 105/107, Kha-Yae-Bin Road. between Pyi Daung Su Yeik Tha (Halpin) and Manawhari Road/Ahlone Road, Dagon Tsp. Tel/Fax: 538895, Tel: 09730-29973, 09-540-9469.
padonmar.restaurant@ gmail.com. www.myanmarrestaurantpadonmar.com

MyanMar tiMes

MARKET RESEARCH
House of Memories Piano Bar & Restaurant Myanmar Cuisine & International Food 290, U Wizara Rd, Kamaryut Tsp, Yangon. tel: 525 195, 534 242. e-mail: houseofmemories 9@gmail.com

MMRD Research BLDG C, New Mingalar Market, 10-story BLDG, 8 & 9 flr, Coner of Mill St & Banyardala Rd, Mingalar Taungnyunt Tsp. Tel: 200326, 200846, 201350. Fax: 202425.

OFFICE FURNITURE

Legendary Myanmar Intl Shipping & Logistics Co., Ltd. No-9, Rm (A-4), 3rd Flr, Kyaung St, Myaynigone, Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 516827, 523653, 516795. Mobile. 09-512-3049. Email: legandarymyr@ mptmail.net .mm www.LMSL-shipping.com

1. WASABI : No.20-B, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Yankin Tsp,(Near MiCasa), Tel; 666781,09-503-9139 2. WASABI SUSHI : Market Place by City Mart (1st Floor). Tel; 09-430-67440 Myaynigone (City Mart) Yankin Center (City Mart) Junction Mawtin (City Mart)

No.35(b), Tatkatho Yeik Mon Housing, New University Avenue, Bahan Township, Yangon. Tel: 951-549451, 557219, 540730. www.yangon-academy.org

SOLAR SYSTEM
The Brightest AC CFL Bulb 21, 9th St, Lanmadaw Tsp. Ph: 212243, 216861, 216864. spsolarstation@ gmail.com. www. spsolarstation.com

SCHOOLS
INYA1 Resturant & Bar No.(1), Inya Road, Kamayut Tsp. Tel: 01-527506 email: inyaone@gmail.com www.inya1.com Phoenix Court (Chinese) PARKROYAL Yangon. 33, Alan Pya Phaya Road, Dagon Tsp. tel: 250388. Royal Garden Nat Mauk Road, Kandaw Gyi Natural Park, Bahan Tsp. tel: 546202 Signature Near U Htaung Bo Round, about Bahan Tsp. tel: 546488, 543387. Summer Palace (Chinese) Restaurant Level 2, Traders Hotel, #223, Sule Pagoda Road. tel: 242828. ext:6483 Target Bldg B, 1-fl, Rm F-23, Pearl condo. Bahan tsp. Tel: 09-513-5924, 09-5048750. TG Bar & Restaurant The Grand Mee Ya Hta Executive Residences (2nd Flr), Bogyoke Aung San Rd. Tel: 385101, 256355. Horizon Intl School 25, Po Sein Road, Bahan Tsp, tel : 541085, 551795, 551796, 450396~7. fax : 543926, email : contact@horizonmyanmar. com, www.horizon.com ILBC 180, Thunandar 9th Lane, Thumingalar Housing, Thingungyung.tel: 562401.

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

Schenker (Thai) Ltd. Yangon 59 A, U Lun Maung Street. 7 Mile Pyay Road, MYGN. tel: 667686, 666646.fax: 651250. email: sche nker@mptmail.net.mm.

STEEL CONSTRUCTION

PLEASURE CRUISES
Bo Sun Pat Tower, Bldg 608, Rm 6(B), Cor of Merchant Rd & Bo Sun Pat St, PBDN Tsp. Tel: 377263, 250582, 250032, 09-511-7876, 09-862-4563. Kohaku Japanese Restaurant Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon 40, Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp, Lobby Level, Tel: 544500 Ext 6231 KSS Setyone Rd, Mingalar Taung Nyunt. tel: 203320.

PEB Steel Buildings 60 (A), Halpin Road, Yangon. Tel: 01-218223, 218224. Fax: 218224. marketing@pebsteel.com. mm www.pebsteel.com.mm

SUPERMARKETS
ILBC IGCSE SCHOOL No.(34), Laydauntkan Road, Tamwe Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 542982, 545720, 549106,545736,400156 Fax: 541040 Email: info@ilbc.net.mm www.ilbcedu.com ISM Intl School W 22/24, Mya Kan Thar Housing, Hlaing Tsp. tel:530082, 530083. International School Yangon 20, Shwe Taung Kyar St, Bahan Tsp. Tel: 512793. Asia Light 106, Set Yone Rd.tel: 294074, 294083. Capital Hyper Mart 14(E), Min Nandar Road, Dawbon Tsp. Ph: 553136. City Mart (Aung San Branch) tel: 253022, 294765. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (47th St Branch) tel: 200026, 298746. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (Junction 8 Branch) tel: 650778. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (FMI City Branch) tel: 682323. City Mart (Yankin Center Branch) tel: 400284. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (Myaynigone Branch) tel: 510697. (9:00 am to 10:00 pm) City Mart (Zawana Branch) tel:564532. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (Shwe Mya Yar Branch) tel: 294063. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (Chinatown Point Branch) tel: 215560~63. (9:00 am to 10:00 pm) City Mart (Junction Maw Tin Branch) tel: 218159. (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) City Mart (Marketplace) tel: 523840~43. (9:00 am to 10:00 pm) City Mart (78th Brahch-Mandalay) tel: 02-71467~9. (9:00 am to 10:00 pm) IKON Mart IKON Trading Co., Ltd. No.332, Pyay Rd, San Chaung P.O (11111), Yangon,

Myanmar. Tel: 95-1-535783, 527705, 501429. Fax: 95-1-527705. Email: salesikon@myanmar.com.mm Junction Mawtin Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Cor of Wadan St. Lanmadaw Tsp. Tel: Junction Square Pyay Rd, Kamayut Tsp. Tel: Ocean Supercentre (North Point ), 9th Mile, Mayangone Tsp. Tel: 651 200, 652963. Pick n Pay Hyper Market Bldg (A,B,C), (14~16), Shwe Mya Yar Housing, Mya Yar Gone St, Mingalartaungnyunt Tsp. Tel: 206001~3, Fax: 9000199 Sein Gay Har 44, Pyay Rd, Dagon Tsp. Tel: 383812, 379823. Super 1 (Kyaikkasan) 65, Lay Daunt Kan St, Tel: 545871~73 Super 1 (Shwe Bonthar) 397, Bogyoke Aung San St, Pabedan. Tel: 250268~29 Victoria Shwe Pone Nyet Yeik Mon, Bayint Naung Rd, Kamaryut Tsp. Tel : 515136.

Moby Dick Tours Co., Ltd. Islands Safari in the Mergui Archipelago 4 Days, 6 Days, 8 Days Trips Tel: 95 1 202063, 202064 E-mail: mobydicktours@ gmail.com. Website: www. moby-dick-adventures.com

TRAvEL AGENTS

RESTAURANTS

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

24 hours open. 5, Alan Pya Phaya Rd, Dagon Tsp, inside Thamada Hotel. tel 243640, 243047, Ext: 32.

Asian Trails Tour Ltd 73 Pyay Rd, Dagon tsp. tel: 211212, 223262. fax: 211670. email: res@ asiantrails.com.mm Htoo Travels 209/c, first flr, Shwe Gonedaing Rd, Bahan. Tel: 548554, 548039. Sun Far Travels & Tours 27, Ground flr, 38th st, Kyauktada Tsp. Tel: 380888.

Enchanting and Romantic, a Bliss on the Lake 62 D, U Tun Nyein Road, Mayangon Tsp, Yangon The Ritz Exclusive Lounge Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon 40, Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp, Ground Floor, Tel: 544500 Ext 6243, 6244

Lunch/Dinner/Catering 555539, 536174

PAINT
No.430(A), Corner of Dhamazedi Rd & Golden Valley Rd, Building(2) Market Place (City Mart), Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 01-523840(Ext-309), 09-73208079. Black Canyon Coffee & International Thai Cuisine 330, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp. Tel: 0980 21691, 395052. email: blackcanyon@ yangon. net.mm. Feel 164/168, War Tan St, Lanmadaw Tsp, Yangon, Ph: 223697, 09 511 8415, 09 50 14288

Tel. 01 665 516, 660976 Mob. 09-4210-34875 operayangon@gmail.com www.operayangon.com

Admissions Office: No. 44, Than Lwin Road, Bahan Township, Yangon. Tel: 535433, 09-850-3073. Email: rviacademygn@ rvcentre.com.sg

WATER HEATERS

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

22, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp. tel 541997. email: leplanteur@ mptmail.net.mm. http://leplanteur.net Little Tokyo Japanese Fine Dining No.168 (C), Dhamazedi Rd, Bahan Township, Yangon. Ph: 09-731-85168, 09-731-78946 Tiger Hill Chinese Restaurant Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon 40, Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp, Lobby Level, Tel: 544500 Ext 6253 Traders Gourmet Corner Level 1, Traders Hotel, #223 Sule Pagoda Road, Kyauktada Tsp. Tel : 242828 ext : 6503 Traders Gallery Bar Level 2, Traders Hotel, #223 Sule Pagoda Road. tel: 242 828. ext: 6433 Traders Lobby Lounge Level 1, Traders Hotel, #223 Sule Pagoda Road. tel: 242 828. ext: 6456 Western Park Thakhin Mya Park, Ahlone. Tel: 225143 YKKO 28, Saya San Road, Bahan Tsp. tel:01-541998

RELOCATION

95, Anawrahta Rd. Tel:296552, 293754. 336, Pyay Rd, Sanchaung Tsp. Tel: 526456. New University Avenue, 551521, 551951, 553896. U Wisara Rd, Tel: 524599, 501976.

The Global leader in Water Heaters A/1, Aung San Stadium East Wing, Upper Pansodan Road. Tel: 251033, 09-730-25281.

Same as Rinnai Gas cooker and cooker Hood Showroom Address

Water Heater

Relocation Specialist Rm 504, M.M.G Tower, #44/56, Kannar Rd, Botahtaung Tsp. Tel: 250290, 252313. Mail : info@asiantigersmyanmar.com

WEB SERvICES

Monsoon Restaurant & Bar 85/87, Thein Byu Road, Botahtaung Tsp. Tel: 295224, 09-501 5653. Pansweltaw Express Cafe: 228, Ahlone Rd, Ahlone Tsp. Tel: 215363 (1)-Rm-309, 3rd flr, Ocean, East Point Shopping Center, Pazundaung Tsp. Tel: 397900 Ext: 309. (2)G-Flr, Ocean North Point Shopping Center. Tel:652959, 652960, Ext: 133. www.pansweltaw.com E-mail: pansweltaw@ myanmar.com.mm

REMOvALISTS
Italian delicatesse & Ice-cream No.150, Dhamazadi Rd, Bahan Tsp. (Monunent Book Shop) Open Daily 9:00am to 7:00pm. Italian Ice-cream, Pasta, Pizza & Bar (2) G/F, City Mart, Myaynigone Centre. tel : 508469, 508470 ext. 113 Open Daily 9:00am to 10:00pm.

Crown Worldwide Movers Ltd 790, Rm 702, 7th Flr Danathiha Centre, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Lanmadaw. Tel: 223288, 210 670, 227650. ext: 702. Fax: 229212. email: crown worldwide@mptmail.net.mm

Yangon International School Fully Accredited K-12 International Curriculum with ESL support No.117,Thumingalar Housing, Thingangyun Township, Yangon. Tel: 578171, 573149 www.yismyanmar.net Yangon International School New Early Childhood Center Pan Hlaing Golf Estate Housing & U Tun Nyo Street, Hlaing Thar Yar Township, Yangon. Tel: 687701, 687702

World-class Web Services Tailor-made design, Professional research & writing for Brochure/ Catalogue/e-Commerce website, Customised business web apps, online advertisement and anything online. Talk to us: (951) 430-897, 553-918 www.medialane.com.au 58B Myanma Gon Yaung Housing. Than Thu Mar Road, Tamwe, Yangon.

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July 2 - 8, 2012
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Nadal crashes out of Wimbledon

By Dave James LONDON, June 28, 2012 (AFP) - Rafael Nadal crashed to his worst Grand Slam defeat in seven years on June 28 when Czech journeyman Lukas Rosol, the world number 100, pulled off one of the greatest upsets in Wimbledon history. Rosol, whose previous five visits to Wimbledon had ended in first round losses in qualifying, stunned the 2008 and 2010 champion, and 11-time Grand Slam title winner Nadal, 6-7 (9/11), 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in the second round. It was a stunning upset as Nadal slumped to his earliest exit at a major since the same stage of the 2005 Wimbledon championship when he was beaten by Luxembourgs Gilles Muller. Its painful to lose tonight, Im not very happy but it was just the second round, I was a long way from the final, said Nadal. The last four months have been great for me. I lost a tennis match tonight, its not a tragedy. There are more important things. The June 28 drama was also eerily similar to Nadals stunning 2009 French Open fourth round loss to Robin Soderling when the Swede unleashed a barrage of destructive free-swinging tennis to destroy the Spanish star. Its like a miracle for me. So many emotions. Hes a superstar, I am sorry for that. I played unbelievable. I guess Nadal is only human, said Rosol, who played the match at a breath-taking speed. He is also the lowestranked player ever to beat Nadal at a Grand Slam and has now matched his best ever performance at a major, having reached the third round at the 2011 French Open. A dramatic evening of Centre Court action, which saw a 45-minute delay as the roof was closed to allow the fifth set and the match to be completed, will go down in history as one of the sports biggest shocks. Nadal had played in the last five Grand Slam finals and was fresh from a recordbreaking seventh French Open triumph which had confirmed his status as one of the sports greatest players. But Rosol put on an awesome display of sustained, big-hitting that left Nadal stunned and bewildered. Nadal, the champion in 2008 and 2010, and arriving at Wimbledon having captured a record seventh French Open title, had taken the first set on a tieSpains Rafael Nadal reacts during his loss to Czech Republics Lukas Rosol in their second round mens singles match on day four of the 2012 Wimbledon Championships in London, on June 28. Pic: AFP

Banker gets 8.5 years for F1 bribery

MUNICH, Germany A German court sentenced a former bank boss to eight and a half years in prison on June 27 for receiving tens of millions of euros in bribes from Formula One mogul Bernie Ecclestone. The Munich regional court found 54-year-old Gerhard Gribkowsky, a former chief risk officer for the state-owned German bank BayernLB, guilty of taking nearly US$44 million (35 million euros) in bribes and failing to pay tax on the money. In a shock revelation last week, Gribkowsky had admitted to the court that the charges against him were essentially true. He was accused of receiving the cash from Ecclestone in 2006 and 2007 in connection with the sale of Formula One rights to CVC, the private equity investor which owns most of the multi billiondollar sport. But presiding judge Peter Noll had promised a lighter sentence of between seven years and 10 months and nine years if he confessed. Ecclestone faces no charges and denies having bribed Gribkowsky to make sure that Formula One was sold to CVC. The Formula One boss meanwhile offered to stump up 35 million ($54.5 million) to stage a grand prix in London, the Times reported on June 28. The 3.2 mile (5.1 km) route is yet to be unveiled, but would take in landmarks including Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square, the report said. Think what it would do for tourism, Ecclestone told the paper. It would be fantastic, good for London, good for England a lot better than the Olympics, he added. AFP From page 48

breaker before his campaign unravelled. After Rosol had levelled the tie and taken a 2-1 lead on a break in the third, it was clear that the Czech was getting under the Spaniards skin. Nadal complained to the umpire over his 26-yearold opponents constant skipping around on the baseline and his distracting habit of swishing his racquet from side to side as he was preparing to serve. He was broken to trail 2-1 and the players were

involved in a shouldercharge at the changeover. When Nadal went long to drop the third set, the historic upset was on the cards, especially with Rosol regularly hitting returns at 85 mph. But Nadal dominated the fourth set, stretching to a 4-2 lead with a break and securing it 6-2 with a combination of stirring defence and thrilling counter-attacks. All England Club officials insisted the match should be finished so the Centre Court

roof was closed which meant a 45-minute delay before the conditions were right for a fifth set. On the resumption, Rosol, playing a five-set match for just the third time in his career, broke in the first game and then held his nerve. He sent down his 21st ace to go to match point and then claimed his historic win with a 22nd to take his place in the record books. Rosol will face German 27th seed Philipp Kohlschreiber for a place in the last 16. AFP

Farah warms up for Olympics

HELSINKI Britains Mo Farah became the first man to defend his European 5,000 metres title on June 27 on the opening day of the 2012 championships. The London Olympic hope and reigning world 5,000m champion comfortably took gold for the second successive European championships in a time of 13min 29.91sec. The 29-year-old beat home Germanys Arne Gabius and Polat Kemboi Arikan of Turkey. Farah, who is also the defending European 10,000m champion, hit the front with five laps remaining. At the bell signalling the last lap Farah pulled away to win by almost two seconds in what was his last 5000m appearance before the Olympics. The race went well, the reason I went to the front early on was because there were too many guys there, we were running very slow and off that anybody could kick, Farah said. I wanted to run fast (for the last lap), someone told me it was 53 seconds, but my aim was to run hard without pulling anything. Farah, who had been accused of being disrespectful to his fellow competitors in the 1,500m heats at last weekends trials for celebrating 100m from the line and then withdrawing from the following days final, defended his behaviour. I got a little bit of stick for it but I didnt intend to disrespect anyone, Farah said after his Helsinki win. Sometimes you get carried away and do a celebration. I didnt do the 1,500m final but it was just to save my legs and to come out here and get a good race and see where I am. The Somali-born Farah won double gold in the 5,000 and 10,000m at the European championships in Barcelona in 2010 but opted out of defending his 10,000m title on June 29 although he is targeting both in London 2012. AFP

US team gets high-tech help to reach London

By Jim Slater EUGENE US athletes look to technological advances to boost their chances ahead of the London Olympic games next month. Computer simulations set against videos of athletes efforts allow coaches examine their preOlympic workouts. The simulations show athletes just where time or distance is lost in technique or positioning that is off from the perfect form needed to maximize speed or distance. Ive learned a lot about my technique over the years, said shot putter Jill Camarena-Williams, who was third last year at the world championships in Daegu, South Korea. Something I lost in my technique I was able to get back through fractional movement, little things that have really helped. When I went to Daegu, my whole throw made sense, one great cog. With advances in video uploads, athletes can have workouts filmed at the US training camp in Manchester, England, and uploaded onto the internet and viewed by coaches back in the United States who can offer feedback in short order to make adjustments quicker. Until two or three years ago, we werent taking advantage of real-time feedback, USA Track and Field sport performance chief Benita FitzgeraldMosley said. And the day might soon be here where coaches can download videos of an athletes Olympic leap or throw into a device while seated in the stands and advise their pupil on how to improve while awaiting another chance to perform. We havent been able to use that yet, CamarenaWilliams said. It would help because from where hes going to be hes not going to be able to see very well. After in-depth study of films of athlete movement, the program identified 30 percent of athletes as likely to be more susceptible to injury and provided an exercise program that could help combat the chances of such a setback. That opens the door for a USA Track and Field program that allows athletes to pay only US$100 and have topflight medical treatment at an Indianapolis hospital, both to repair injuries and remove pain that keeps athletes from maximizing their potential but also to offer nutritional and mental help. There are so many opportunities we have to run better now, said sprinter Wallace Spearmon. I appreciate the options. We have come a long way. AFP

Vocal fans lift U-22

Myanmar also wasted a good chance after Kyi Lin sent a high in-swinging pass from the right on 76 minutes. South Korean keeper, Yang Hanbeen, could only push the ball outside the box and a flurry of Myanmar players took it in turns to shoot, but were repeatedly denied by stout defending. South Korea had the last chance of the game on 90 minutes, with a shot from the forward Kang Jong Guk, which bounced off the ground and sailed high over the bar. The match was Myanmars third in Group G, having already given the Philippines a 5-1 drubbing on June 23 and then beating Vietnam 3-1 on June 25. The run has put Myanmar in a strong position to emerge as runners-up and secure qualification after group leaders South Korea. Myanmars last group game is on July 3 against Malaysia.

Britains Mohammed Farah celebrates winning the mens 5000m final of the 2012 European Athletics Championships in Helsinki on June 27. Pic: AFP

tImESsPORt
Water polo floats again
By Aung Si Hein WATER polo is seeing an unlikely comeback in anticipation of next years Southeast Asian Games to be hosted by Myanmar with a first tournament to be held in years at the national swimming pool in Yangon on June 23-25. The sport is being revived from the dead in the hope of boosting Myanmars medal chances for the upcoming games as well as a stipulation for the host country. One of the qualifications for hosting the SEA Games is that the host country must be able to hold football, athletics and swimming competitions, said U Cho Maung, organiser of the water polo competition. Swimming is, after athletics, the sport offering the most medals, with 42 available. If we want to gain a high tally of medals, we need to have good participation in swimming games. Water polo is one of those, he said. Water polo had suffered years of decline that saw it become solely a military pursuit between regiments. The country has not competed i n t e r nationally for over 40 years, lacking a civilian programme for the sport, and was even dropped by the military four years ago. Revived again for last months competition, four teams participated, including two from the Ministry of Defence, Defence A and Defence B, and two privately sponsored teams, T No Sports and Ayeyawaddy. The tournament winners, Defence A, netted a cool K1,500,000, while runnersup Defence B took home K1,000,000 and T No Sports, coming in third, received K500,000. The tournament was followed by a selection of twenty one players to make up a team for the SEA Games, with training to begin in July. U Myo Wanna Tun the secretary of Myanmar Swimming Federation also outlined ambitious plans to promote the sport and make Myanmar a serious regional player. We are going to train our players with a foreign coach. We are searching for a foreign coach to hire, he said. In south-east Asia, Singapore is the best in water polo so we will conduct a joint training with them in Singapore. We are also planning to make this sport widely played across the country.

July 2 - 8, 2012

Myanmars Kyaw Ko Ko takes a shot at goal during their AFC U-22 group qualifying match against South Korea at Thuwunna Stadium on June 28. Pic: Boothee

Vocal fans lift U-22 team

By Aung Si Hein MYANMAR'S Under-22 team boosted their chances of securing qualification for the AFC U-22 Championship 2013 with a hard fought draw against strong favourites South Korea at Yangons Thuwunna Stadium on June 28. Thousands of Myanmar football fans flooded the stadium to cheer the team in spite of the torrential rain. Kim Tae Young, South Koreas coach, expressed surprise at the number and vocal support of the home fans present at the stadium. We didnt know that Myanmar had such a large number of football fans, we were amazed. Both the supporters and players performance made it difficult for us even though we prepared well. I am disappointed with the result, but as I have said, we will play our best for every game, Kim Tae Young said. Myanmars coach, Park Seong Hwa, also gave credit to the fans for helping the team grind out the result. Although [South] Korea are very strong, we achieved the draw because our players worked hard and also the cheering from the Myanmar spectators, he said. [The team] also executed the training preparations to good effect as we were playing against such a strong team. And yet I would say we did not aim to play for a draw but to get a win, Park Seong Hwa said. Myanmar came out in a defensivelooking formation, with star striker, Kyaw Ko Ko, alone up front hoping to make the most of quick counterattacks. [South] Korea U-22 team is much better than us. We watched previous matches of theirs on video and held meetings to learn how they play and search for a strategy to counter their formation, said Kyaw Ko Ko. In the match we were able to play our game and trouble their formation. But we did not play for a draw, we competed well and the game ultimately resulted in a draw. It is still a result for us, he said. However, the game was not without controversy and Kyaw Ko Ko questioned the Japanese referee, Iida Jumpei, who he felt was biased in favour of the South Koreans. Park Seong Hwa also expressed frustration at what he saw were a number of incorrect decisions by the referee. First half play was mostly tentative as Myanmar looked too cautious to run with the ball into the Korean half, while the visiting team did not seem inclined to make the most of their so far clinical strikeforce, seemingly unable to deliver a decent ball into Myanmars penalty area. A free kick from South Korean defender, Pak Kwangil, on three minutes found forward Hwang Ui Jo, who missed a good header. Then on 10 minutes, Myanmar midfielder, Kyi Lin, went on a run with the ball after a pass from Kyaw Ko Ko but decided to shoot from a distance that ricocheted off a Korean defender for a corner. Kyaw Ko Ko took on the last defender on 35 minutes, but hastily sliced a shot that soared high above the crossbar. A South Korean corner late in the half was poorly delivered and Korean midfielder, Lee Jong Sung, loitering dangerously in the area could only send it beyond the far post. The second half saw more attacking intent from both sides, and another free kick for South Korea on 65 minutes was not cleared by the Myanmar defence, allowing a South Korean player to pounce, directing the ball toward the right corner of goal that the keeper, Kyaw Zin Phyo, did well to save. Park Seong Hwa looked for more attacking edge and substituted team captain Kyaw Zayar Win for attacking midfielder Nanda Lin Kyaw Chit on 63 minutes. However his only real chance came on 87 min with a distant shot that the South Korean keeper comfortably saved. More page 46

Water polo players vie for the ball during a tournament held at the national swimming pool in Yangon on June 23. Pic: Yadanar