September 3 - 9, 2012

myanmartimes
Myanmars first international weekly Volume 33, No. 642 1200 Kyats

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OPINION

Compromise needed on tribunal, hluttaw rift

By Thomas Kean and Sandar Lwin THE vibrant and robust debate in the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw has been one of the most important and surprising developments in Myanmar over the past 18 months. Hluttaw representatives from all political parties should be commended for the manner in which they have applied themselves to developing the parliament as an institution. Their reaction to the Constitutional Tribunals March 28 decision on parliamentary committees is understandable. Parliamentarians worry that it will impair their ability to act as a check and balance on the government and, to a lesser extent, the judiciary. These are valid concerns you only need to look at the countrys trajectory over the past 50 years, when there was no check on the government, to see why. However, you can make the wrong decision for the right reasons. It is time that all involved in this crisis because it is a crisis, albeit one far removed from most peoples lives paused and examined what is potentially at stake if the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw impeaches the Constitutional Tribunal members. Impeaching the tribunal for essentially making a decision that the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw disagrees with could have longterm ramifications for the development of judicial independence. The parliament should not weaken the judiciary simply because it feels its own authority is being undermined. Its also important to note that in the tribunals first two cases concerning the appointment of sub-township judges and the status of state and region ministers for national race affairs it ruled against the government. U Thein Sein and his ministers did not respond to these decisions by pressuring the parliament to impeach the tribunal members. As law researcher Dominic J Nardi, Jr, from the University of Michigans Political Science Department, told The Myanmar Times recently, Early constitutional crises have important long-term effects because they shape judges expectations. If judges believe they will be punished for disagreeing with the president or parliament, this can have a chilling effect. While this might produce favourable decisions in one particular case, it also means that judges will become more reluctant to challenge future violations the constitution. More page 2

Information Minister U Aung Kyi during the interview at the Myanmar Radio and Television offices in Yangon. Pic: Yadana

Daily licences early next year: Minister

A: I agree that by President U this law should Thein Sein on ExcLuSivE not be retained. August 27. I am reviewing U Aung Kyi replaces U Kyaw Hsan, who the draft of Print Media Law, had been Information Minister which includes a provision for since 2002 and was appointed the repeal of the 1962 law. It is Minister for Cooperatives in the understood that when the new media law is enacted, the 1962 reshuffle. The Editor of the Myanmar law will be repealed. Meanwhile, edition of The Myanmar Times, I am considering two courses to make up my mind because I am new to this role and I do not think I should act with haste. That is why I am taking my time. Q: When do you think the Print Media Law will be enacted? A: As I have said, I am giving this matter a lot of thought. If journalists and experts have an opportunity to review the draft law and propose adjustments I hope the end result will be better. To be quite frank I am not happy with the idea of submitting the draft law to the hluttaw before members of the media have an opportunity to review it. I am sincere in wanting to achieve a comprehensive print media law that meets international standards. These are matters that need some thought. That is why I cannot say when the law will be enacted. More page 4

By Zaw Myint INFORMATION Minister U Aung Kyi has spoken in support of abolishing the 1962 Printers and Publishers Registration Law and predicted that daily publishing licences will be issued to the private sector early next year. In a wide-ranging interview, his first since being appointed Information Minister, he also stressed that a proposed media law meet international standards, that a planned press council be self-regulating and of the importance of journalists adhering to a code of practice. U Aung Kyi, the former Labour Minister who had also served as the previous military governments liaison with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi while she was under house arrest, was appointed Information Minister in the reshuffle announced

is belief that daily newspapers Itaremy sincerefor a democratic country. essential

Zaw Myint, spoke to U Aung Kyi in Yangon on September 2. Q: Print media journalists have called for the abolition of the 1962 Printers and Publishers Registration Law, which provides for publications to be penalised if they breach censorship guidelines. What is your response? of action for proceeding with the Print Media Law. One is to submit it to the hluttaw, as originally planned, so it will be enacted as soon as possible. The other is to have it reviewed by journalists and experts to consider possible amendments so that when it is finally enacted it meets international standards. I am yet

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From page 1

Is the end nigh for Dung?

In Depth
with Roger Mitton THE media was awash last week with stories about Vietnams dire economic situation, which, as the Wall Street Journal noted, is going from bad to worse. On August 21, the local Tuoi Tre newspaper revealed that the powerful banking mogul, Nguyen Duc Kien, had been arrested for financial violations. Kien, among Vietnams 20 richest and best-connected businessmen he is close to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, co-founded Asia Commercial Bank (ACB), one of the nations largest. News of his jailing caused Vietnams already moribund stock market to suffer its biggest drop in four years and resulted in panicky depositors mobbing ACB branches to pull out their savings. Some US$400 million was withdrawn over the next two days and the central bank had to dispatch truckloads of cash to prevent commercial banks from running out of funds. A brief semblance of calm was then shattered on August 23 when news outlets like the Agence France-Presse headlined: Second tycoon arrested amid bank run in Vietnam. Ly Xuan Hai, the ACBs chief executive, joined Kien in the slammer for alleged financial irregularities and that led to yet more bank runs and a disastrous $4-billion slide in the stock market. The picture was darkening ominously, as was evident from a front-page New York Times article headlined: In Vietnam, Growing Fears of an Economic Meltdown. Those fears were reinforced when the official Vietnam

AsiAn Focus

News Agency reported midweek that prices had begun to creep up again. Not long ago, in order to curb rampaging inflation which had hit 30 percent, the government radically curtailed credit and restrained growth. It worked and the rate of inflation came down to single digits this year; but the cost was severe. Youth unemployment soared, infrastructure projects were postponed or scrapped, serious power shortages ensued, wildcat strikes spread, and the property market slid into its current comatose state. As the New York Times article reported: Vietnams major cities are now scattered with hundreds of abandoned construction sites. After multiple currency devaluations and rising prices, people also pruned their spending; the sale of produce and general goods in stores, for example, has recently plummeted by 20pc to 30pc. Making matters worse, foreign investment for the first half of this year was only one-quarter the amount during the same period three years ago. As a result, with GDP growth now down to barely 4pc and falling, Vietnam has the regions worstperforming economy and faces the harrowing prospect of an inflationary depression. As Associated Press reported, there are now doubts about the financial stability of a country once seen as an emerging Asian tiger economy. Last months jailings follow the conviction of Pham Thanh Binh, formerly head of state-owned shipbuilder, Vinashin, whose financial misdeeds saddled the company with debts of $4.5 billion. Concurrently, Duong Chi Dung, the ex-boss of

Compromise needed on tribunal, hluttaw rift

Mr Nardi cited the example of when the US Supreme Court faced the threat of impeachment in the 1803 case of Marbury v Madison. President Jefferson restrained the Democratic Party from impeaching the judges, which helped establish the legitimacy of judicial review. By contrast, in 1993, Russian President Boris Yeltsin replaced the entire Russian Constitutional Court just two years after it had been created. Since then, the court has been hesitant to question the president, especially when he undermined the rights of state governments, Mr Nardi said. In their highly acclaimed 2012 book Why Nations Fail, Daron Acemoglu and James A Robinson also detailed how Argentine President Juan Domingo Peron had three of the five members of Argentinas Supreme Court impeached and forced another to resign. This had a farranging impact on the independence of the court, say the authors. Since Peron successfully packed the court, it has become the norm in Argentina for any new president to handpick his own Supreme Court justices. So a political institution that might have exercised some constraints on the power of the executive is gone, they wrote. For lawmakers, the question should now be: Which path do they want to follow? Should they take the United States as their model, or Russia and Argentina? There is also little evidence at this point that the March 28 decision will have a significant impact on the work of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw and its committees. The constitution still gives them the right to call ministers to the parliament to answer questions and discuss proposals and legislation. In its attempts to pressure the tribunals members to resign, the hluttaw has also shown a worrying lack of respect for both the government and the Constitutional Tribunal. Last month, it even defied the March 28 ruling and designated the Rule of Law, Stability and Peace Committee headed by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as a unionlevel body. On August 27, the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw passed a proposal urging the Constitutional Tribunal to declare that its ruling was wrong. Section 324 of the constitution clearly states that the Constitution Tribunals decisions are final. Hluttaw representatives may have legitimate grievances over the March 28 ruling but to invoke a clich two wrongs do not make a right. It was the parliaments much-maligned military MPs who pointed this out during the discussion on whether to proceed with impeachment on August 28, when Lieutenant Colonel Zaw Moe told the Amyotha Hluttaw that rather than repeatedly submit proposals, both sides should set a time limit and work out a solution. This dispute threatens to overshadow the impressive achievements of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw over the past 18 months. However, there is still time to resolve it in a way that is beneficial to the government, judiciary and hluttaw. If that occurs, it will represent another significant milestone in Myanmars democratic development and will be one achievement that all sides can take credit for.

Workers prepare a flower display in Hanoi on August 27 ahead of Independence Day on September 2. Pic: AFP state-owned shipping giant, Vinalines, recently fled into hiding after racking up debts of $2 billion. Both Binh and Dung were political acolytes of senior party men, none of whom have been punished, of course, just as none of the mentors of Kien or Hai have been targeted as yet. But political storm clouds are growing, as discontent over the nations economic mismanagement mounts, even within the ruling Vietnam Communist Party (VCP) itself. PM Dung, whose daughter Nguyen Thanh Phuong partnered Kien in banking endeavours, is openly being challenged by his long-term rival, President Truong Tan Sang. Sang is supported by party boss Nguyen Phu Trong and Deputy PM Nguyen Sinh Hung, which means Dungs days could be numbered. In a devastating article last week, Sang slammed the inefficient state-owned enterprises as well as the corruption, irresponsibility and moral degradation of Dungs government. He could well have aimed his criticism at the party as a whole. To paraphrase Winston Churchill, the economic debacle may not herald the end of the VCP, but it is perhaps the end of the start of the partys demise.

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Reps welcome cabinet reshuffle

By Soe Than Lynn with AFP PARLIAMENTARIANS last week welcomed President U Thein Seins cabinet reshuffle, describing the move as long overdue. It should have been done ages ago, said U Khine Maung Yi, the Pyithu Hluttaw respresentative for Ahlone. Although its late, it appears to be a positive change. There were still non-democratic actors lingering in the executive despite the overall democratic approach being taken. The [reshuffle] is supposed to remedy this situation. U Thein Sein awarded four of his key ministers the joint role of minister of the presidents office in what his aides said was a bid to speed up the reform process. They include Minister for Rail Transportation U Aung Min, who has played a leading role in ceasefire talks with ethnic rebels, as well as Minister for Finance U Hla Tun and Minister for Industry U Soe Thein, both key figures in economic reforms. They will work for the president. So the president will only need to make final decisions and he will have more time to work on the important matters, said a senior government official, adding that their replacements would be announced later. U Khine Maung Yi said the announcement last week of more than 15 new deputy ministers, many of whom have civilian rather than military backgrounds, would also help to rectify misunderstandings between the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw and the executive. Hopefully the misunderstandings between the people and the hluttaw and the hluttaw and the government as will now disappear. Despite the progress the government has made since taking office in March 2011, there have been signs of tensions between reform-minded members of the government and conservatives opposed to rapid political change. Minister for Information Minister Kyaw Hsan has been moved to the role of minister for cooperatives and will be replaced by Minister for Labour U Aung Kyi. On August 28, the Presidents Office also announced that Minister for Electric Power 1 U Zaw Min and Minister for Construction U Khin Maung Myint had been allowed to resign. The moves follow the appointment earlier in August of navy chief Admiral Nyan Tun to replace Thiha Thura U Tin Aung Myint Oo as one of the countrys vice presidents, in a move that was also seen as strengthening government reformers. His predecessor resigned in July ostensibly due to ill health, fanning rumours of a power struggle between regime moderates and conservatives. I see this reshuffle as an essential stage in the democratic transition, said U Khat Htein Nan, an Amyotha Hluttaw representative from Kachin State. The transfers have matched the best people up with the position that is most suited to them. It should be seen as the president delegating power to those who are more competent. For example, Amyotha Hluttaw MP U Than Swe from Dawei was appointed deputy minister for culture. U Than Swe is a winner of the Sarpay Beikman [literary] award and an arts masters degree holder who is well versed in history and culture. This is an example of entrusting a position to one who is competent. More page 4

A volunteer hands out a health education pamphlet to a pilgrim at Taungbyone Nat Festival on August 27. Pic: Phyo Wai Kyaw

NGOs distribute pamphlets, condoms at Taungbyone festival

By Phyo Wai Kyaw and Sithu Lwin INTERNATIONAL and Myanmar non-government organisations last week distributed thousands of condoms and educational pamphlets at the Taungbyone Nat Festival, an annual gathering point for members of the countrys gay community. Representatives from Marie Stopes International, Myanmar Business Coalition on AIDS (MBCA), Care Myanmar and Save the Children also operated a health education centre at the festival site, offering voluntary and confidential counselling and testing. We are going to share 10,000 condoms on August 27, 28 and 29 targeting [men who have sex with men]. The other associations will also participate with their plans under the umbrella of the Myanmar National Aids Program (Mandalay), said MBCA project officer Dr Htay Maung. This is the fourth year [MBCA] has conducted these activities at Taungbyone Nat Festival, he said. He said patrons had been less hesitant to visit the centre than in previous years, with both younger and middle-aged people paying visits. An MBCA staff member said some people were still reluctant to take pamphlets or condoms in public but came and looked around the centre.

Govt takes thousands off blacklist

YANGON Former US secretary of state Madeleine Albright and Daw Aung San Suu Kyis two sons are among hundreds of people who have been removed from Myanmars entry blacklist, according to the presidents office. Others who are no longer banned by the regime include several Western journalists such as awardwinning BBC correspondent Sue Lloyd-Roberts, as well as American John Yettaw, who was briefly jailed for swimming to Daw Aung San Suu Kyis home in 2009. The government said on August 28 it had taken about 2000 people off the immigration blacklist, but about 4000 remained. U Thein Seins office said Daw Aung San Suu Kyis sons Kim and Alexander Aris had been removed from the blacklist. Kim had already been allowed to visit Myanmar twice to see his mother since her release from years of house arrest in late 2010. Several million people fled the country to escape poverty and political repression under army rule, which ended last year. AFP

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Emotional return home for Moethee Zun

By Nan Tin Htwe HUNDREDS of supporters turned out at Yangon International Airport to welcome the former leader of All Burma Students Democratic Front, Moethee Zun, back to Myanmar on September 1. Moethee Zun, who became the head of the ABSDF in 1989, a year after its formation as a student army in the countrys border areas, said he was very happy the government had allowed him to return and would meet all the actors in contemporary Myanmar politics during his trip. Among the crowd waiting for him were members of the 88 Generation, National League for Democracy and Myanmar New Society Democratic Party. After passing through the airport, Moethee Zun and the other members of the group senior ABSDF member U Ko Ko Lay and former ABSDF head U Tun Aung Kyaw proceeded to Shwedagon Pagoda. U Tun Aung Kyaw thanked President U Thein Sein for allowing them to return, saying the country had seen positive changes under the former generals leadership. We need to do more for the development of our country, he told reporters at Shwedagon Pagoda. We have being trying to establish democracy in our country every day and night since 1988. During this trip, I want to hear what the people have to say. However, both Moe Thee Zun and his former ABSDF colleague Dr Naing Aung, who returned on August 31, face accusations from former ABSDF members that they presided over the unjust execution and torture of students in Kachin State in the early 1990s. Dr Kyaw Yin Hlaing, a member of the peace committee, told The Myanmar Times at Shwedagon Pagoda that both Moethee Zun and Dr Naing Aung really love and want to work for their country. They will be another force in building strong peace.

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Former All Burma Students Democratic Front leader Moethee Zun greets a supporter at Yangons Shwedagon Pagoda on September 1. The activist was visiting Myanmar for the first time in 24 years. Pic: Kaung Htet From page 1

Daily licences
Q: Is it possible that private sector publications will be granted daily publishing licences before the Print Media Law is enacted? A: It is my sincere belief that daily [private sector] newspapers are essential for a democratic country. I will do my best to ensure that the private sector publications can launch dailies. But before that happens we need some reforms, especially in terms of the institutional capacity to provide for such a development. These reforms are needed first, not necessarily all, but some. When the institutional capacity exists to provide for daily licences, they will be issued. While we are making the necessary preparations on the government side, those in the media sector should continue with their planning for daily newspapers. In terms of institutional capacity, there are some matters that need to be discussed in detail, including with journalists. For example, if the Pr Media Law comes out late, I think that in the meantime we need to discuss

such issues as a code of practice and professional ethics. We have not yet discussed these matters. But if we make progress on these matters, I anticipate that licences for daily newspapers will be issued early next year. That is my goal but I cannot achieve it alone. It will have to be done in cooperation and coordination with other organisations as well as journalists and media experts. We can expect that this process will result in a lot of different ideas, arguments and debates in the interest of the people. Our focus is to serve the interests of the people and the President has already announced this strategy. It is because the peoples interest has to be taken into account that I cannot say exactly when daily newspaper licences will be granted. But if the necessary preparations are made I estimate they might be granted early next year. Q: Some critical comments were made by the Myanmar Journalists Association, Eleven Media Group and veteran journalists regarding the recently established Myanmar

Core Press Council. What is your response to them? A: One of the main priorities on my mind after I was appointed Information Minister was the issue of the Core Press Council. I am seriously considering ways to ensure that the council is an organisation that is trusted by the people. I want to ensure that the council carries out its functions properly, fairly and honourably. Similar organisations exist around the world and we studied them in 70 countries. A press council should be a self-regulatory organisation. That is why I am considering how I can help the council so that it functions according to international standards. I want the council to function as a self-regulatory body with rules and regulations that are trusted by all. Q: Is there any plan to ensure that media standards in Myanmar match those of other ASEAN countries when Myanmar assumes the chair of the regional grouping in 2014? What arrangements will there be for foreign journalists to be granted visas to enter Myanmar? Does the Ministry of Information

plan to reform the state-run press in terms of publishing more transparent articles? A: My aim is to ensure that our media sector has better standards than those in other ASEAN countries, praiseworthy though they are. We have one and half years to 2014. To achieve the goal of higher media standards, we need to have laws that are of international standard. I have experience in drafting laws from my previous role and I believe that the tasks we will be carrying out on behalf of the media sector during the next one and half years will ensure that the standards of Myanmars media sector are not lower than ASEAN standards. As for foreign journalists, there is no problem in issuing them with entry visas. They are freely coming to our country these days. I am interested in the reform of the state-owned newspapers, and while I cannot say too much at the moment, we are working towards significant changes in those publications in one or two months. These reform moves will involve the private sector.

From page 3

Reps welcome cabinet

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Permitting some ministers to resign is also appropriate. They may even have really requested to resign because they want to retire. They should have been changed at the beginning. Though old blood can be used under a new approach, more new blood should be absorbed. Old people have deeply rooted attitudes that they have picked up over 30 to 40 years and they cannot change overnight. U Thein Nyunt, the Pyithu

Hluttaw representative for Thingangyun, said the reshuffle would add new impetus to the presidents anti-corruption policy. He said parliamentarians appreciate the presidents actions, particularly the promotion of three hluttaw representatives to deputy minister posts in the ministries of information, culture and social welfare, relief and resettlement. Some old people from the cabinet could not adapt to the good governance and clean

government drive, U Thein Nyunt said. I am particularly impressed with choosing deputy ministers from the hluttaw. Absorbing people who are competent and who have goodwill towards the state into the cabinet is very pleasing. There had been speculation that National League for Democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi might be offered a cabinet post but she has played down the possibility because by law she would have to give up

her seat in parliament. But U Thein Nyunt said not all hluttaw representatives would accept a position in the government. If I were assigned to do this duty, I would have to decline because I promised the people from my constituency that I would [represent them]. From when I first got into politics I aimed to do a job where I could check the activities of the government, rather than be a part of the government. Translated by Thit Lwin

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Speaker rejects reps secret voting proposal

By Win Ko Ko Latt THE speaker of the Amyotha Hluttaw last week rejected a proposal to use secret voting for a proposal calling for the impeachment of members of the Constitutional Tribunal. Representative U Thein Swe told the hluttaw on August 28 he wanted the computerised voting system used, after a vote four days earlier on whether to discuss the proposal had used the normal system whereby representatives stand to express their support. All TatmaDaw representatives remained seated on [August 24] when all of the rest of the MPs stood up. That image was not very pretty, said U Thein Swe. My proposal is intended only to smooth the countrys democratisation path, he said. But speaker U Khin Aung Myint rejected the proposal, saying the act of choosing the voting system is the right of the speaker. The proposal was approved 163 to 53. Translated by Zar Zar Soe

MPs pass impeachment motion despite warnings

Tribunal chairman accuses MPs of trying to influence the judiciary
By Win Ko Ko Latt THE head of the Constitutional Tribunal last week warned MPs that impeaching the tribunals members may lead the country to ruin. Tribunal chairman U Thein Soe made the comment on August 28 when he fronted the Amyotha Hluttaw as it discussed a proposal to impeach tribunal members for breaching provisions of the constitution and inefficient discharge of duties. Sixteen representatives, including six from the Tatmadaw, discussed the proposal before it was approved 163 votes to 53 only narrowly achieving the two-thirds majority required to proceed with impeachment. Only seven MPs were absent from the session. All elected MPs voted in favour of impeachment, while all the military MPs present voted against it. But U Thein Soe indicated the tribunal would not go down without a fight. Its obvious that the legislature is trying to influence the judiciary. This is one of the factors that may lead the country to ruin, he told representatives during the discussion session. He said it was unprecedented in democratic countries that parliamentarians decided on whether a legal ruling was correct by putting it to a vote and tantamount to turning a blind eye to the constitution and existing laws. Its simply MPs doing what they want and neglecting the constitution. What the hluttaw is doing now will go down in history. I object to the motion of the proposer as it does not match the constitution. But Amyotha Hluttaw and commissions established by the hluttaws are included in the constitution so they can be designated as union level. Not designating them as union level is contrary to the constitution, said Amyotha Hluttaw representative Dr Aye Maung. He cited section 11(a) of the constitution, which states: The three branches of sovereign power namely, legislative power, executive power and judicial power are separated, to the extent possible, and exert reciprocal control, check and balance among themselves. But appointed military representatives opposed the proposal, with Lieutenant Colonel Zaw Moe telling the hluttaw during the discussion session that the motion should be withdrawn as it was not in conformity with the constitution. Rather than repeatedly submit proposals, both sides should set a time limit and work out a solution to the dispute, he said, adding that MPs should not neglect the law. The ruling of the constitutional tribunal is final. Not following [the ruling] is the same as not following the constitution. Its as if the legislature is trying to position itself above the judiciary, Lt Col Zaw Moe said. Translated by Thit Lwin

Investigation team formed in lower house

By Soe Than Lynn THE Pyithu Hluttaw on August 29 established a 15-member team to investigate the Constitutional Tribunals chairman and members, who face possible impeachment. The Pyithu Hluttaw established the team, headed by deputy speaker U Nanda Kyaw Swar, after receiving notification from the Amyotha Hluttaw that it had on August 28 approved a proposal to impeach the tribunals members, speaker Thura U Shwe Mann said. The letter sent from U Khin Aung Myint, speaker of Amyotha Hluttaw, states that the Amyotha Hluttaw approved the proposal to impeach the tribunals chairman and its members under section 334(a)(ii) breach of any of the provisions under the constitution and 334(a)(ii) inefficient discharge of duties assigned by law and the Pyithu Hluttaw should continue to take action on this issue, Thura U Shwe Mann said. For that reason, we organised an investigation team comprising members of the Pyithu Hluttaw under section 71 and 334 of the constitution. As well as the deputy speaker, the team includes prominent MPs such Thura U Aung Ko, U Win Htein, U Win Myint, and Daw Nan War Nu. Translated by Zar Zar Soe

MPs have a to safeguardduty the constitution not the constitutional tribunal.

representative U Zone Hlei Htan said during the discussion that representatives were working in accordance with the constitution. MPs have a duty to safeguard the constitution not the constitutional tribunal, he said. The motion to impeach tribunal members was proposed by U Zaw Myint Pe of Mandalay Region Constituency 5 on August 24. Three powers are delegated by the constitution. Committees

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Requirements: Bachelor degree in any field with supervisory experience in airlines ground operations and customer service Customer service oriented, and be able to work independently and under pressure Possess excellent leadership, communication and interpersonal skills Good at planning and organizing and decision making. To be responsible for all financial related tasks and ensure good financial control and legal compliance for the office Key Responsibilities: Perform general accounting and passenger / cargo revenue accounting Handle all taxation issues, asset management, and banking and remittance issues To formulate and implement financial control procedures in line with corporate procedures and legal requirement Requirements: Bachelor degree in Accounting or Finance with related experience Good command of written and spoken English and Myanmar Language Strong planning and organizing skill and ability to work independently Proven ability to effectively manage financial resources Proficiency in computer especially Microsoft Excel. To be in charge of all personnel functions including recruitment, training and development, performance management process and to support the Country Manager on all people management issues. The holder of this position also handles payroll, as well as administrative and secretarial duties. Key Responsibilities: Provide secretarial services to Country Manager Myanmar Handle all personnel and administrative tasks Support Country Manager in people development functions Also handle payroll and statutory reports Requirements: Bachelor degree in any field, preferably with working experience in human resources field. Knowledge in local labor law would be an advantage Good communication, interpersonal and people management skill Good command of both written and spoken English and Myanmar Language Proficiency in computer (Word, Excel and PowerPoint)

4. Position : Financial Services Supervisor

received through telephone calls, email, and walk-in passengers To materialize selling opportunities through proactive selling initiatives Requirements: Bachelor degree in any field. Knowledge and experience in airline reservations and ticketing and/or customer service is an advantage. Good command of written and spoken English and Myanmar Language Customer services oriented, committed and dynamic

7. Position : Cargo Sales & Services Officer

2. Position : Airport Services Manager

To manage our airport operations to achieve our operational, service and safety standards and to ensure the airport experience makes a difference for our customers who always feel special, valued and recognized. Key Responsibilities: To be in charge of our airport operations, manage our airport team and oversee handling agents to ensure they provide consistent customer service and achieve our operational and safety standards To co-ordinate with authorities and partners to facilitate smooth service delivery Requirements: Bachelor degree in any field with management experience in airline ground operations and customer services Good command of written and spoken English and Myanmar Language Customer service oriented, and be able to work independently and under pressure Possess excellent leadership, communication and interpersonal skills Good at planning and organizing and decision making

5. Position : Personnel & Administration Officer

To support cargo sales and operations to maximize cargo sales revenue and to achieve cargo service standards Key Responsibilities: Supervise handling agents to handle cargo services to achieve our operational standards Effectively plan for maximum cargo space utilization to maximize cargo revenue Support Assistant Cargo Sales Manager in formulating and implementing cargo sales strategy to generate maximum cargo sales revenue for the company Ensure handling agents to maintain service levels of airline cargo standard Requirements: Bachelor degree in any field preferably with airline or freight forwarding experience Customer services oriented with good communication interpersonal skill and teamwork Possess analytical skill and good at problem solving Good command of written and spoken English and Myanmar Language

8. Position : Messenger /Driver

3. Position : Manager-On-Duty (Assistant Manager Airport)

Support Airport Service Manager to manage overall airport operations to meet our safety and security requirements; and to ensure our customers always feel special, valued and recognized. Key Responsibilities: To supervise handling agents to ensure customer service, airport operations, and safety & security To deputize the Airport Services Manager in his/her absence to be in charge of the airport operations

To perform messenger duty as well as to be driver for Country Manager Myanmar Key Responsibilities: To perform messenger duty for the office e.g. sending documents to/from banking, taxation office or post office To provide reliable and safety driving service the Country Manager Deliver incoming and outing company mails Requirements: Professional driving experience with valid driving license Be able to communicate in English and Myanmar Language Responsible, reliable and willing to outdoor and long hours Interested candidates are invited to submit your application with detailed resume by letter to c/o INJYNN Co. Ltd. , # 19-8, Sein Lai May Avenue, Kabaaye Pagoda Road, Yankin, Yangon. 11081, Myanmar or by email to hr@injynn.com on or before 10 September 2012. 'JOB APPLICATION' on the envelope and in the email caption for easy reference.

6. Position : Reservations and Sales Officer

To handle telephone sales and reservations for passenger and cargo Key Responsibilities: To handle passenger and cargo reservation requests

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NDF forms body to investigate land grab accusations

By Noe Noe Aung A LEADING political party announced last month it had formed a commission to identify farmland ownership disputes that it hopes can be resolved in the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw. The National Democratic Force (NDF), which has eight representatives in the national legislature, established the commission as part of its Farmers Affairs Committee, members said at a press conference in Yangon on August 22. I believe that our country will be truly developed when the working-class people dont have to worry about their survival ... issues that affect farmers affect the country as well and need to make [land rights] a top priority, said U Kyaw Thura, head of the partys Farmers Affairs Committee. Chairman U Khin Maung Swe said the party had formed the commission because under the U Thein Sein government it was possible to speak out about farmland taken illegally. Today farmers can speak out openly about all the illegal land grabs they have experienced. If they tell us, we will file complaints about land grabs whether it is perpetrated by companies or [state entities] and for whatever reason, whether its to implement an industrial zone, extend an army base, build a new road or anything else, he said. U Khin Maung Swe said the commissions aim is to have the farmland taken illegally returned to the farmers. Our efforts will help to support the [hluttaw] in its own investigations of farmland problems, he said, referring to the recently formed parliamentary body tasked with investigating land grabs. Farmers who want to complain about a land grab are required to fill out application forms, which are available from NDF members. The party is trying to expand its network of branch offices not only in Yangon but also other regions and this would make it easier for farmers to get application forms. After a complaint has been filed, party members will investigate and if they believe the land was acquired illegally will forward the case to the partys central committee. After a final review, cases will be submitted to the hluttaw.

From ceasefires to
By Ashley South SINCE late 2011, the government has agreed ceasefires with most but not all non-state armed groups in Myanmar. This peace process represents the best opportunity in half a century to resolve ethnic conflicts. However, unless both the government and non-state armed groups demonstrate commitment to resolving underlying issues, the peace process is in danger of failing. The government and army The peace process is largely dependent on the resilience of reforms at the national level. However, the governments ability to deliver change is hampered by deep-rooted conservative-authoritarian cultures, and limited technical capacities. The president and his team have promised so much that Myanmar may experience a revolution of rising expectations, with its people becoming frustrated if the government is unable to deliver. The reform process can be likened to taking the lid off a pressure cooker. In a society where tensions have been building for more than half a century, grievances can easily spill over with disturbing consequences. One example is the recent violence in parts of Rakhine State and the ethnic hatred it unleashed. Frustration is also acute in other ethnic minority-populated areas of the country, which are characterised by extreme levels of poverty and underdevelopment, and widespread human rights abuses in the context of armed conflict. After decades of fighting, there is very little trust between many ethnic communities and the government. In order to demonstrate its commitment to the peace process the government needs to produce concrete results. Many conflict-affected communities in southeast Myanmar have reported improved security conditions over the past year and greater freedom of movement. Nevertheless, observers question whether the Tatmadaw is prepared to follow the agenda laid down by the governments peace negotiators. For example, clashes have continued to occur across much of central and southern Shan State, even after three rounds of talks with the Shan State Army-South. The inclusion of the Tatmadawsdeputy commander-in-chief and other senior officers in the governments new national peacemaking body is intended to demonstrate the Tatmadaws commitment to the ceasefires. However, while clashes continue in areas where truces have been agreed, many will continue to question the credibility of the peace process. Even more troubling is the conflict in Kachin State, where the outbreak of fighting in June 2011marked the end of a 17-year ceasefire between the government and the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO). As a result of this resumption of armed conflict, thousands of people have died. More than 80,000 people are internally displaced along the border with China, while there are tens of thousands more IDPs in the conflict zones and government-controlled areas. Unless this conflict is resolved, the whole peace process and the larger reform agenda could be jeopardised. Elsewhere, for example in Karen State, confidence in the peace process would be increased if the Tatmadaw was able to withdraw from at least some frontline positions. Another caveat: although the president and his peace envoys are demonstrably sincere and serious in wishing to find a solution to Myanmars ethnic conflicts, they lack an in-depth understanding of the issues. This is hardly surprising given their status as retired Tatmadaw officers and members of the ethnic Burman elite. In order to move the peace process on to a more substantial footing, it will be necessary for Myanmars political leaders to gain a better understanding of ethnic aspirations and grievances. This observation raises a broader concern regarding national reconciliation: while ceasefires and peace agreements between the government and non-state armed groups are necessary, they will not be sufficient to achieve lasting ethnic peace. What is required is a deep and wide-ranging national conversation, and one that involves members of the Burman majority reassessingtheir relationships with their ethnic minority brethren. Nevertheless, the current period represents the best opportunity in many years to resolve ethnic conflicts in Myanmar. As with the reform process more broadly,

MyanMar tiMes

Save the Children is serving as Principal Recipient (PR) of Global Fund Program for AIDS, TB, Malaria (GFATM) for three separate large grants in Myanmar (with a total budget of approximately USD120 million over 5 years), which are performance-based, and will oversee 16 Sub-Recipients (SRs) - all International NGOs. Currently we are recruiting the following two positions. 1. The Compliance Manager-GFATM, a Myanmar national position, will bear the responsibility for, but not limited to, assessment and verification of PRs and SRs financial reports, general ledgers, transactions, documentations, invoices, other reports. Required Qualifications: Minimum three year experience in external audit or internal audit for international organizations (required). Good written and spoken English skills (Prefered). Professional Certification (CPA, chartered accountancy) or post-graduate degree (preferred). Substantial experience working with INGOs (preferred). Ability to analyze and make decisions. Self-starter, pro-active, problem solving, analytical skills, ability to work independently and as part of a team. Ability to link budget and actual expenditures to work plan. Representational and sensitivity awareness skills. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Good IT skills, including Microsoft Excel and Word, and good understanding of automated accounting software. Commitment to understanding of Save the Childrens aims, values and principles. 2. The Sub-Grant Manager-GFATM, a Myanmar national position, will be responsible for SR contractual oversight financial report review and analysis, and partner support. Required Qualifications: Minimum five year experience in grants/sub-grants management for international organizations. University degree in finance, accounting, management, economics, or related fields (required). Good written and spoken English skills (required). Substantial experience working with INGOs (preferred). Ability to analyze and make decisions. Self-starter, pro-active, problem solving, analytical skills, ability to work independently and as part of a team. Ability to link budget and actual expenditures, to work plan, analyze and report budget variances. Representational and sensitivity awareness skills. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Good IT skills, including Microsoft Excel and Word, and good understanding of automated accounting software. Commitment to understanding of Save the Childrens aims, values and principles. Detailed job descriptions for this position will be available at the Save the Children office or www.themimu.info/jobs/index.php. Interested and qualified candidates are requested to send an Application Letter and Curriculum Vitae to Human Resources Department, Save the Children, Wizaya Plaza-First Floor, 226 U Wisara Road, Bahan Township, Yangon, Myanmar (or) kkhtay@ savechildren.org.mm | recruitment.ygnhr@gmail.com | not later than 5 P.M., 14 September 2012 (Friday) Note: Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

General Mutu Saipo (right) of the Karen National Union (KNU) shakes hands with Colonel Tin Win during a break in peace talks at a hotel in Yangon on April 6. Pic: AFP having significant economic interests. Others are more committed to a federalist agenda. These include groups such as the Karen National Union (KNU), historically the countrys most important non-state armed group. The KNU is indicative ofthe characteristics of many armed groups in Myanmar: while it has strong popular appeal in many (particularly Christian) communities, the KNU cannot take the support of all Karen(particularly nonChristian)communities for granted. Furthermore, like as well as less formally organised associations and grassroots networks operating within and between ethnic communities. Last but definitely not least are ordinary citizens and civilians: the ethnic communities who have suffered from decades of armed conflict. This brief review of stakeholders introduces an important aspect of the peace process: so far, discussions have largely been confined to two sets of armed actors: the government (and Tatmadaw)

As the government gains more domestic and international legitimacy, it will become increasingly
however, the new opening is largely dependent on the president and his close advisers. On the side of ethnic nationality communities also, personalised politics predominates. Ethnic actors Myanmars ethnic communities are highly diverse. Among the main stakeholders are non-state armed groups. These include local militias with little or no political agenda, as well as more politically mature organisations. Some of these, such as the United Wa State Army Myanmars largest non-state armed group are striving for local autonomy, with their leaders their counterparts in armed conflicts across the world, personnel within Myanmars non-state armed groups are often motivated by a mixture of genuine social-political grievances and aspirations, in combination with deep-rooted economic agendas greed and grievance motivations. Other key stakeholders among ethnic communities include above-ground ethnic political parties, many of which did well in the 2010 elections but have been largely excluded from the peace process. Another key sector is civil society, including national nongovernment organisations (NGOs) and communitybased organisations (CBOs),

difficult for opposition groups to justify holding arms.

and non-state armed groups. It is important to broaden the process, to include political and civil society actors, and communities affected by conflict. Some non-state armed groups have engaged in consultations with ethnic civil society and political stakeholders. In order to further promote local participation, communities can be mobilised to monitor the ceasefires agreed between the government and armed groups. For example, the May 7 agreement between the Chin National Front and government mandates a network of Chin churchmen and women to monitor the peace agreement; similar arrangements are under

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lasting peace?
demonstrate a willingness to engage on key political questions, it will generate much goodwill among the countrys diverse ethnic stakeholders, ensuring that the peace process continues. The time has come to set the agenda and timeframe for substantive discussions. At present, among ethnic minority politicians, two broad sets of opinion can be discerned. One set of actors believes it is first necessary to agree a comprehensive political settlement, before conflict can come to an end. This is the position of the United Nationalities Federal Council (an alliance of armed ethnic groups). It is also the KIOs position. Most of Myanmars nonstate armed groups are divided between hardliners, who are committed to this all-or-nothing stance, and more pragmatic leaders. The latter seek to engage in peace talks in order to achieve a lasting political settlement. Advocates of this approach consider peace to be something achieved by doing, with both sides moving forward step-by-step as trust is built. According to this approach, peace and political settlement are not things that can be agreed in abstract, before the violence ends. As noted above, actors on all sides of Myanmars armed conflicts are motivated by a combination of political, humanitarian and economic factors. Some armed ethnic groups have become used to controlling populations (including IDPs and refugees) in the border areas. Many among these ethnic communities display strong, but not un-critical, support for the armed groups in question. Nevertheless, there is a fear among the leaderships of some armed groups that by engaging in the peace process they will lose control of client populations as civilians resettle in areas under greater government influence. During the last round of ceasefires in the 1990s, most of the larger non-state armed groups retained their arms, as well as control of sometimes extensive areas of territory where they functioned as de facto local administrations. It remains to be seen whether the present peace process will see armed groups maintain their jungle enclaves or if they will be able to reinvent themselves and re-engage with communities in government-controlled areas. The latter scenario could see some non-state armed groups re-forming as above-ground political actors. Historically, the government has been widely regarded as illegitimate. As a result, armed opposition groups have not been called upon to demonstrate their own credibility. However, as the government gains more domestic and international legitimacy, it will become increasingly difficult for opposition groups to justify holding arms. The tendency in Myanmar and Southeast Asia over the past two decades has been for non-state armed groups to become increasingly marginalised. Therefore, the current opening may represent the last best chance for such organisations to negotiate a settlement. Armed groups must decide whether they will get a better deal from the present government, or from a future National League for Democracy-led administration. The U Thein Sein administration is clearly motivated to settle peace agreements with armed opposition groups. Most current government leaders are unlikely to be in office after 2015. They therefore have another two years to construct their political legacy. In contrast, a future civilian-led government may have high levels of international and domestic legitimacy, putting it in a stronger negotiating position vis--vis armed groups. On this calculation, armed opposition groups may have more leverage over the current government than they will in relation to its successors. Another constraint on both government and non-state armed groups is their weak governance capacities and lack of technical expertise. Key actors lack the skills or political will to regulate extractive and other industries that are likely to make inroads into remote, conflictaffected areas post-ceasefire. Therefore, the future for many ethnic areas may be one of economic exploitation and environmental degradation. Fortunately, such concerns are at least partly offset by the burgeoning civil society networks that exist within and between different ethnic communities. In the future, local NGOs will need to take on an important oversight role in the resource-rich borderlands. Such observations remind us that there are potential losers as well as winners in the peace process. Those who stand to gain most from the end of armed conflict are civilian communities who have suffered decades of civil war. Among those who perceive the peace process as threatening are some exiled activist groups, who are used to dominating the political agenda. Some of these groups and individuals feel threatened by the peace process, as they see diplomatic and donor interest shifting away from the borderlands to focus on what is happening inside Myanmar. Many actors have legitimate concerns regarding the peace process. The government should demonstrate its commitment to peace by initiating political dialogue as soon as possible and bringing the Kachin conflict to a speedy end. (Ashley South is an independent writer and consultant specialising in ethnic politics and humanitarian issues in Myanmar and Southeast Asia.)

Employment needed to stop Chin exodus: party leader

U Zo Zam, chairman of the Chin National Party and Chin State Hluttaw representative, on shifting borders and local dictators
By Kyaw Hsu Mon What has the Chin National Party been doing lately? Recently, Ive been struggling with the problem that the border markers between Sagaing Region and Chin State have been shifted about 30 feet from their original place. The markers have moved 30 feet into Chin State and while this is seemingly a small issue it is one I am worried could escalate so I sent our secretary there to solve it. How can we achieve peace when these kinds of issues are still occurring? I wouldnt be surprised if it happened during the time of the military government but this is an elected, civilian government. Im not even sure senior government officials in Nay Pyi Taw know about it. You must get complaint letters from Chin people. Whats the number one issue that people write to you about? Before we got many complaint letters about religious issues but since April those letters have mostly stopped. Recently, near Mount Kennedy in Chin State, there were some soldiers who extorted money from residents and caused conflicts so I got some complaint letters from local people about it. From what Ive been told those soldiers dont want to accept the change that is happening in our country; they want to administer themselves. At the same time, the local authorities dont know how to manage this issue. Another issue is that there still has been no elections U Zo Zam, chairman of the Chin National Party. Pic: Thiri Lu

to choose new local officials and this needs to urgently happen the impact [of not appointing new officials] is the continuation of problems at the community level some local officials who were appointed by the former government have become like little dictators. We dont want these kinds of people. What is Chin State Hluttaw doing then? Hasnt it been working to resolve these issues? The Chin State Hluttaw has no budget. I asked the hluttaw speaker whether he planned to call the hluttaw in the next year and he didnt respond. Many young Chin people head abroad to seek better job opportunities. How can we entice them back? In my parents era, being in the army was considered a good profession; there were many Chin soldiers in military. Then we attended university to have a government job. But during the Burma Socialist Program Party-era, there were no

discussion in the peace talks with the Shan, Kayah and Karen (officially known as Kayin). Peace and conflict agendas Resolving Myanmars ethnic conflicts will require substantial and sustained community participation, and changes in values and identities, including on the part of the Burman majority. Also fundamental to any resolution of ethnic conflict will be a political settlement acceptable to key elements among different stakeholders in particular to leaders of the Myanmar government and army, and non-state armed groups. This is the issue at the heart of the peace process. The government and most of its erstwhile battlefield foes have undertaken initial peace talks. With the important exception of Kachin State, fighting has decreased significantly and in many areas come to a halt. The international community has responded by supporting locally led and owned initiatives to test the peace process, to build trust on the ground and to support the recovery of conflict-affected communities. Without a broad political settlement however, these positive developments will be insufficient to maintain the momentum of peace. The president has indicated his willingness to address some of the key issues of concern to ethnic communities. The question is when serious political talks will start, and how. If the government can

job opportunities, even for graduates. It seemed like Chin people could only become police, teachers or staff in the cooperatives ministry the jobs other nationalities didnt want to do. There were few opportunities for Chin people ... [and today] there are still no jobs for us. Most Chin parents dont have enough money to support their children to go to university. Instead, they send their children overseas to have good job opportunities. The new government talks about poverty reduction and it is a good start. But how do you think we feel when a large five-star hotel in [the Chin State capital] Haka appears but not many of the jobs are for local people? We welcome investment in our Chin State but it needs to create job opportunities for young Chin people. We still have much natural beauty in the Chin hills and that means there is good potential for tourism. I think there are also good opportunities for investment in the garment industry, because Chin are good workers.

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More rain expected for lower Myanmar: DMH

By Aye Sapay Phyu THE Department of Meteorology and Hydrology has forecast more heavy rain in the late monsoon season for parts of lower Myanmar that have been wracked by floods in recent weeks. But little relief is expected for sweltering residents of central Myanmar, where drought-like conditions are forecast to persist. The department also said in its late monsoon outlook, issued on August 28, that the southwest monsoon is expected to leave Myanmar completely by October 10, after withdrawing from northern areas between September 20 and 25 and central areas by the end of September. The Ayeyarwady delta and southern parts of the country can expect monsoon rain to continue until October 5 and 10, the department said. It also predicted weak to moderate overall strength in the late monsoon period, which officially runs from September 1 to the monsoons withdrawal. However, a department official said lower Myanmar, including Ayeyarwady, Bago, Tanintharyi and Yangon regions and Kayin, Mon and Rakhine states, will receive above-average rainfall over the next month until the monsoons withdrawal. It is quite normal that coastal and lower Myanmar areas get heavy rain in the period when the monsoon is withdrawing from the country. There will also be more rain if a low pressure area forms in the [Bay of Bengal], he said. This appears likely, with three low pressure areas forecast for the Bay of Bengal in the late monsoon period, two of which are expected to intensify into depressions. The official said the El Nio weather system, which is forecast to develop in the central equatorial Pacific between July and September, will not have a significant impact in Asia until the end of November. The peak strength of El Nio will be felt in December and we have to monitor the situation, he said, adding that it could result in drier and hotter than average weather conditions between February and May 2013.

Drought hits monsoon planting in Mandalay

By Khin Su Wai ONLY 60 percent of the targeted acreage for monsoon paddy crops had been sown in Mandalay Region to mid-August because of the lack of rain, government agriculture officials said last week. In contrast to the flooding in the delta and Bago Region, many areas of central Myanmar have received little or no rain during the monsoon season, and farmers with no access to irrigation have had little choice but to wait for the rains to begin before sowing their fields. This monsoon season, the targeted acreage for monsoon crops [in Mandalay Region] is 3.5 million but only 2.1 million acres had been cultivated to August 15 because of the weather, said U Khin Mg Lay, deputy manager for Mandalay Region at the Myanma Agriculture Service. Monsoon crops such as paddy, cotton, sugarcane, bean, sesame and pea have all been affected by the drought. Barely 20pc of the 635,112 acres of paddy targeted for the monsoon season had been planted to August 15, U Khin Mg Lay said. Paddy is normally planted from June to September, depending on the region and the start of the monsoon, with the harvest taking place about three months later. This means it is still possible for farmers to plant paddy if rain arrives this month. Farmers should not choose Ma Naw Thu Ka paddy because it takes a long time to cultivate. Instead, they should choose Shwe Thwe Yin or highyield rice varieties like Yar

Seasonal flu cases rise

DANGEROUS influenza viruses are have become more prevalent in Myanmar this year but awareness about vaccination remains low, said Daw Yadanar Kyaw, a medical professor and head of the chest medical unit at Yangons Sanpya Hospital. The two main types of influenza are known as A and B virus and these are responsible for seasonal flu epidemics in humans, she said, adding that influenza B virus has been more prevalent this year. In Myanmar, a vaccination was introduced five years ago and Daw Yadanar Kyaw recommended being vaccinated each May, before the flu season begins in June. At present most of the people who receive the flu vaccine are elderly, cancer patients, people with chronic kidney problems and children under 12. The vaccination prevents about 80 percent of influenza infections but is not 100pc effective because flu strains change every year, she said. We find that influenza infections first occur along the Thai border early in the rainy season and then it spreads quickly and widely across Myanmar. Shwe Yee Saw Myint

Farmers plant paddy in Mandalay Region last month. Pic: Khin Su Wai Nine and Yarshit, U Khin Mg Lay said. Of the 131,160 acres of paddy sown to mid-August, only 16,000 had been in rain-fed fields, while 93,000 had been in irrigated fields and 20,000 in fields with access to river water. Daw Daw from Sakain village in Tada Oo township said she was yet to plant her 32 acres of farmland. My fields are rain fed and I cant afford to use water pumps, so Ill just have to wait for the rain to come, she said. U Soe Myint Aung, assistant director of Mandalays Department of Agriculture and Livestock, said the department had also been forced to delay planting on its 120.3acre site in Patheingyi township. This year we were late to cultivate our paddy fields because water arrived late from the irrigation canal. However, we think we still have enough time to cultivate monsoon crops, he said. But U Win Htay from Nwe Ni village in Patheingyi townhip said he had been able to plant 37 acres of paddy because he had access to irrigation from nearby Sae Taw Gyi dam. Last year our farmland was flooded because of the rain but this year me and my friends have been able to cultivate 70 acres of monsoon paddy, he said. Traders said the weather conditions would likely push up prices, particularly for beans and pulses, which are a popular cash crop and mostly exported to India. Cultivation of paddy and sesame is going well in my region, said U Aung Myo from beans and pulses trading firm Aung Lan, based in Shwebo township, Sagaing Region. But as for the country as a whole, bean cultivation has been badly affected and as a result bean prices will be up next year. U Khin Mg Lay said MAS staff recently met farmers in dry zone townships that have been badly affected by drought, including Myingyan, Nyaung Oo, Meiktila and Kyaukpadaung, to advise them on how they should manage their fields during and after the drought. He said many fields of sesame have already died in the July heat, while other fields are fallow while farmers wait for rain to arrive so they can plant. On our trip we found some fields of sesame that had died because of the heat and lack of rain. Now sesame season is finished so farmers should think about what crops to plant next to replace the sesame. We can find the seeds that the farmers want and we know that based on the forecasts of the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology Mandalay Region is expected to receive rain in September, he said. In those townships we invited farmers, heads of the villages and traders and made face-to-face discussions about what crops to plant and which crops are good for the market. When the rain comes, farmers should plant green gram, saka peanut, sunflower and millet. If their farmland is a little wet, farmers should plant green gram. And for farmland that is quite wet they should choose saka peanut. When it doesnt rain, we suggested they plant sunflower. However, U Khin Mg Lay said the dry weather during the early monsoon period had helped the summer paddy harvest. About 153,460 acres of summer paddy was harvested in Mandalay Region, yielding an average of 96.26 baskets an acre. Mandalay didnt get any rain in July so the farmers were able to harvest summer paddy more easily than last year and this made the yield good. So, as they say, every cloud has a silver lining.

Trade Mark CauTion

V & S Vin & SPriT aB (Publ) a company incorporated in Sweden and having its office at SE117 97 Stockholm, is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following Trade Marks:-

Trade Mark CauTion

CarL JiMuki kaBuSHiki kaiSHa (also trading as CarL ManuFaCTurinG Co., LTd.), of 7-9, Tateishi 3-chome, Katsushika-ku, Tokyo, Japan, is the Owner of the following Trade Mark:-

ABSOLUT
reg.no. iV/1435/1995 reg.no. 4/1436/1995 reg.no. iV/2169/2004 reg.no. 4/2159/2004 reg.no. iV/3495/2007 reg.no. 4/3487/2007 reg.no. iV/8656/2012 reg.no. iV/8657/2012 used in respect of intl Class 33: Spirits. Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said Trade Marks or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. khine khine u, advocate LL.B, d.B.L, LL.M (uk) For V & S Vin & SPriT aB (Publ) #205/5, Thirimingalar Hous; Strand Rd, Yangon. dated. September 3, 2012

reg. no. 8460/2012 in respect of Stationery; Office requisites (except furniture). 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 CarL JiMuki kaBuSHiki kaiSHa P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 3 September 2012

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Pardons for aid workers jailed in Rakhine

By May Sandy PRESIDENT U Thein Sein last week pardoned three aid workers, including two from United Nations agencies and one from a nongovernment organisation, who had recently received prison terms for their alleged roles in the Rakhine State unrest. U Khin Shwe from the World Food Program, U Khin Maung from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Ma Cho Lay Mar from Community Social Services Education Project a UNHCR partner program were pardoned on August 28. U Khin Shwe and U Khin Maung were sentenced to two and three years prison respectively in the Maungdaw District Court. Ma Cho Lay Mar received a six-year sentence at Maungdaw court the same day. According to a statement on the Presidents Office website on August 28, U Khin Shwe had been convicted of stimulating riots in Rakhine State and verbally criticising the government. U Khin Maung had also been convicted of stimulating riots in Rakhine State and verbally criticising the government, as well as illegally holding foreign currency. Meanwhile, Ma Cho Lay Mar had been convicted of stimulating riots in Rakhine State, illegally holding foreign currency, storing fuel to burn a house and burning a house. The pardon comes after five UN and NGO workers were released Sittwe and Buthidaung prisons earlier in August. Five more aid workers, including one from UNHCR, two working for Mdecins Sans Frontires (MSF) and two for Action Against Hunger (ACF), remain in detention, the UN news service IRIN reported on August 30. This is a positive step, but we hope the remaining aid workers will be set free soon, UNHCR regional spokeswoman Vivian Tan told IRIN.

Govt assures UNFPA on census

By May Sandy THE government has assured the United Nations Population Fund that a census planned for 2014 will be all-inclusive, the head of the UN agency said last week during a three-day visit. UNFPA has offered its assistance to the government in conducting the census, which would be the countrys first in 31 years. A pilot census is scheduled for April 2013. We are going to have [an] all-inclusive census; everybody in Myanmar will be counted. Everybody will be accessed and registered and part of the census that was the undertaking that we have [from the government], said Dr Babatunde Osotimehin, the executive director of UNFPA. During his three-day visit, Mr Osotimehin met President U Thein Sein in Nay Pyi Taw on August 27 to discuss UNFPAs support for the census, as well as reproductive healthcare and the policies for the countrys youth. According to Mr Osotimehin, President U Thein Sein said he believed the conflict in Kachin State would be resolved before preparatory work begins for the census. In a meeting with Minister for Immigration and Population U Khin Yi, Mr Osotimehin said he stressed the importance of following UN standards for conducting a UNFPA executive director Dr Babatunde Osotimehin on August 29. Pic: Thiri

census and including all population groups in the count. The minister also explained to us that there is a law being enacted to ensure this process can begin immediately, he said at a press conference on August 29. The laid-down standards include, mapping, education, training, proper enumeration, educating and raising the awareness of people, he said. When we finish, validating what we have done so that the data will have integrity. Mr Osotimehin also visited

the Committee on Population and Social Developments in Nay Pyi Taw to raise the need for a comprehensive national health plan, and for policies, legislation and funding to improve reproductive health care. We suggested to government that UNFPA and all partners build a comprehensive health plan that will be owned by the government and which government uses as a tool to ensure that everybody contributes to development, he said.

President explains cabinet changes

PRESIDENT U Thein Sein last week sent a letter to the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw speaker regarding a recent cabinet reshuffle and planned ministry reorganisation, explaining that the changes would improve implementation of economic reform, defence procedures and peacebuilding efforts. The August 31 letter to U Khin Aung Myint also outlined plans to reduce the number of ministries in the Union Government but increase the overall number of ministers. The ministries of electric power 1 and 2 will be combined into a single Ministry of Electric Power, while the Myanma Industrial Development Ministry will be abolished, leaving 31 ministries. However, the number of ministers will increase as four key individuals were elevated to the Presidents Office on August 27, taking the number of ministers in the office to six. President U Thein Sein said the shift was aimed at speeding up the peace process and encouraging more foreign and local investment. But he said more needed to be done to improve the activities of the 14 region and state governments, and prepare for the 2013 SEA Games and Myanmars turn as ASEAN chair in 2014. The letter is scheduled to be discussed in the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw on September 4. Win Ko Ko Latt

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Property sales dry up in Pyin Oo Lwin

By Phyo Wai Kyaw THE property market in downtown Pyin Oo Lwin has effectively ground to a halt, with buyers unwilling to meet soaring asking prices, property brokers in the colonial-era hill-station said last week. The slowdown, which started in late 2011, came after three years of unprecedented rises that saw many properties double or triple in price, both in urban and rural parts of the township. The prices are so high we have what is known as a call price market, where buyers are rare. The high prices make it difficult for the buyers who really want to settle in Pyin Oo Lwin, said Daw Khin Than of Kaung Hein Sat real estate agency. She cited the example of a 6000-square-foot property on the MandalayLashio Highway in the centre of Pyin Oo Lwin, which was bought in early 2009 for K800 million (US$920,000) but the owner now wanted K1.8-2 billion. Another 11,400square-foot property sold in late 2011 for K1.3 billion, a hefty markup on the K350 million paid for it about 10 years ago. Meanwhile, prices for properties in less desirable locations near downtown, such as narrow side streets, are changing hands for about K300 million to K400 million. Daw Khin Than, who has worked as an agent in Pyin Oo Lwin for about 30 years, said because of the high prices there had been no discernable impact from the governments decision to end a tax break for property buyers on August 12. Prices are still high and market is still cool there are no buyers. We are only seeing enquiries, she said. Its difficult to guess what will happen to the market in the future but I think the owners will just call even higher prices property prices in downtown will almost certainly keep rising because Pyin Oo Lwin is a desirable place to stay and relax, she said. Pyin Oo Lwin, formerly known as Maymyo and on the edge of the Shan plateau in Mandalay Region, is famous for its cool climate and many wealthy Mandalay residents have a second home in the town. Daw Ar Li from Win real estate agency said that the buyers were usually Bamar, Shan or Chinese. They

Motorcycles and cars in the downtown area of Pyin Oo Lwin in Mandalay Region. Pic: Phyo Wai Kyaw are rich and arent really buying as an investment. They intend to stay there, so arent so interested in selling. The property boom has coincided with the appearance of a large Chinese community in the town, several real estate industry sources said. As in Mandalay, there are also Chinese in Pyin Oo Lwin. You can see most Chinese in Thu Mingala ward and near Pyin Oo Lwin Market, said Daw Khin Than. But while few transactions are happening in town, attention has shifted to surrounding rural areas, where prices have risen rapidly. Myain Kyi village in Nawnghkio township has been hot since May 2012 because it is near the Ngwe Ye Pale coal mine and also the TaunggyiNankham road that is under construction. The land prices are cheap, so some bought with about K1 to 2 million and sell again for about 5 million, said broker Daw Kyi Kyi Tun, who has been working in the area for about 15 years. Another place is near to Shwe Myin Thar village in ward 14 [ of Pyin Oo Lwin township]. The market is hot there because three new waterfalls were found. But the ownership documents for those places are not secure so I think the market will slow again there soon. U Swe Myint, a long-time Pyin Oo Lwin resident who lives on Nandar Street, near Kandawgyi Gardens, said the high prices on the main road were reasonable because land in those areas could be used as a hotel or shop. He moved to the area in 1965, when he bought 0.6 acres for K60,000. Land in the area now goes for up to K1 billion. The middle class who want to stay in Pyin Oo Lwin can find still find property at a suitable price, he said. But I doubt whether prices will go up much more than they already have.

TAT pushes for more tourism cooperation

By Zaw Win Than THAILAND is keen to collaborate with Myanmar to promote tourism between the two countries, the chief representative from the Tourism Authority of Thailand said last month. Thailand would like to promote Myanmar as a destination. We have been developing our tourism industry for about 50 years and we believe there is also a need to promote neighboring countries. This will be important in 2015 when ASEAN is promoted as a single destination, Ms Sirigesa-nong Trirattanasongpol, chief of the Market Action Plan section at TAT, said during an annual presentation at Yangons Chatrium Hotel on August 27. Discussions about tourism began recently between the governments of Thailand and Myanmar, while TAT has been working with private-sector organisations in Myanmar for the past five or six years. This is already quite a long period of cooperation, she added. The event included representatives from eight Thai hotels, four tour agencies, two amusement parks and two airlines. Ms Siriges-a-nong said that the number of Myanmar tourists visiting Thailand was slightly increasing each year. Figures from Thailands Ministry of Tourism and Sports show that 53,271 Myanmar tourists visited Thailand between January and May this year, the lowest number of arrivals from ASEAN countries after Brunei. Asked whether Thailand would extend its visa-onarrival program to cover Myanmar tourists, she said it was a decision for Thailands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the countrys embassy in Yangon. However, she said TAT is keen to see Myanmar travellers made eligible for visa-on-arrival and said it could be possible by 2015.

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Vendors boycott festival over fees

By Phyo Wai Kyaw and Sithu Lwin THE crowds at Taungbyone Nat Festival in Mandalay Region were as large and raucous as ever last week but the number of vendors was down by more than one-third, festivalgoers said. Many boycotted the festival, which ended on September 1, because store rental fees at the two markets on the festival site were up to five times higher than last year. Most of my friends did not open their stalls this year because of the high price to rent space. Instead theyll rely on other upcoming festivals like Yadanagu Nat Festival in Amarapura and Kyauktawgyi Festival in Mandalay near Mandalay Hill, said U Htin Linn Oo, who had a clothes shop at the festival. The increase came after trustees auctioned the rights to rent space to stall owners for the first time in 15 years, raising almost K250 million from two private companies. The auction winners set the rental fee for a 24-square-foot space at K400,000, up from K80,000 last year, vendors said. There were no auctions for festival operations since 1997. We just needed to pay the fees to rent a place for our stalls to the person who was in charge of organising the festival and the in-charge worked with pagoda trustees, vendor U Zaw Moe Tun told The Myanmar Times in an earlier interview. But this year, pagoda trustees held an auction sale again. The bidders competed against each other and the winning amount was huge. About 10 auctions were held altogether, for market space, electricity supply, water supply, gold leaf provision, traditional theatres and more. The big market had fewer vendors than the small market because the auction winner refused to negotiate on the rental fees, vendors said. Vendors in the big market were down about half on last year and in the small market about one-third. You could see many empty spaces in the big market, U Htin Linn Oo said on August 28. Vendors said the company that won the right to sell space in the big market also won the electricity supply auction and increased charges significantly. They collected K1850 for a four foot electric lamp for one night, up from K1000 last year. For double electric lamps they collected K2500, whereas it was only K1200 last year, U Htin Linn Oo said. U Kyaw Aye, a vendor who decided not to open a stall at the festival because of the high prices, said the auction system had resulted in losses for both the auction winner and vendors. Because of the high prices we couldnt get any profit this year. Auction winners just want to negotiate [the fee] when the festival drew nearer and by that time most vendors had already decided not to go. We want the auction system to be abolished next year, he said on August 28. Taungbyone Nat Festival takes place annually in Taungbyone village, Madaya township, and this year ran from August 25 to September 1. It is held to honour the nat (animist spirit) brothers Min Gyi and Min Lay and draws tens of thousands of pilgrims from across the country.

A nat medium at Taungbyone on August 29. Pic: Phyo Wai Kyaw

Concern over investment law changes

By Tim McLaughlin MAJOR concerns have been raised over protectionist measures in the most recent draft version of the amended foreign investment law, which some say could deter businesses from entering the country. The highly anticipated amendments to the foreign investment law enacted in 1988 were approved by the Pyithu Hluttaw on August 14, and Amyotha Hluttaw representatives are expected to discuss and vote on them this week. The latest draft differs significantly from an earlier version submitted to parliament. Foreign companies say they are waiting to see whether President U Thein Sein i mme d i a t e l y s i g n s t h e parliament-approved version into law or sends it back to the parliament with suggested amendments. However, two sources with direct knowledge of the law say President U Thein Sein wants to make it attractive to foreign investors and his office has been working behind the scenes to convince lawmakers to ease restrictions introduced by parliament. The law, crucial to foreign investment in one of Asias last frontier markets, has been stuck in the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw for five months. It certainly seems to have a protectionist slant not evident in previous drafts, said Mr Sean Turnell, an economist and expert on the Myanmar economy at Macquarie University in Sydney. Among the latest changes are regulations limiting foreign investors access to 13 key sectors, including agriculture, fisheries and animal husbandry and some types of manufacturing. In these 13 sectors, foreign investment will be capped at 49 percent, with the majority stake going to a Myanmar partner. The proposed legislation would require foreign firms to put up US$5 million to $8 million in start-up capital, while Myanmar partners would have to at least match their capital. A source familiar with the law said the Presidents Office was being kept informed of the work of parliamentary committees tasked with handling the legislation and had relayed to lawmakers concerns about the impact of proposed changes. In consultation with his advisers, U Thein Sein has urged a more flexible approach. That would include dropping the $5 million start-up capital requirement and increasing foreign shares in joint ventures in the restricted sectors, the source said on the condition of anonymity. Mr Masaki Takahara, executive managing director of the Japanese External Trade Organisation in M yanmar , said the $5 million minimum was a huge amount compared to neighbouring countries. He said that the changes had come as a shock to Japanese firms, which have been positioning to invest in Myanmar since last year, particularly in garment and light manufacturing. We are so surprised that so many changes have been made. It is more restrictive and will hamper all of the momentum for those looking for investment opportunities, Mr Takahara said. He said that many Japanese investors he has spoken to feel the changes are the result of lobbying by owners of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) who want to avoid facing foreign competition. However, Mr Turnell warned that attempts to protect SMEs could stunt Myanmars economic growth in the long term. Small to medium businesses are the primary change agents and drivers of economic growth. Mr Turnell said. The big names and projects get the publicity, but if we look at the economic success stories in the West, in Asia, amongst the transition economies it is the small to medium enterprise sector that employs the most people, comes up with the new ideas, adapts to local circumstances and changing market circumstances, and so on. He added that restricting investment could harm the growth of SMEs because it would compound the difficulties they already face in terms of accessing loans. It is precisely this same small to medium sector in Myanmar that is most capital constrained, that find it most difficult to get bank loans, and therefore its the sector that can benefit most by having access to foreign capital, he said. Agriculture and tourism are areas that are both obvious growth engines for Myanmar, but both may be negatively impacted by the more protectionist clauses of the bill. Tourism by the minimal capital requirement, agriculture by sectoral exclusion. Myanmar has drawn significant interest from large foreign companies but most are waiting for more transparency and clearer regulatory framework before making a move into what is still seen as a highrisk country. With Reuters

US criticises China over recent repatriation of Kachin refugees

WASHINGTON The United States last week criticised China after accusations that it forced thousands of refugees from Kachin State back across the border despite ongoing fighting. We indeed remain concerned about the welfare of vulnerable Kachin on the China-Burma border. We have urged China to implement a temporary protection program for those seeking refuge from the conflict, State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said on August 30. The US government believes that the refugees should only return home by their own choice and in conditions of safety and dignity, the diplomat said. According to the Kachin Independence Organisation and Human Rights Watch, China has in recent days forced thousands of Kachin refugees to leave the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan and return to northern Myanmar. Tens of thousands of people have fled the fighting since June last year when a 17-year ceasefire between the government and Kachin Independence Army (KIA) collapsed, with an estimated 5000 seeking refuge in neighbouring China. Chinas foreign ministry refuted allegations of forced returns of refugees, saying they had crossed back by their own volition when the fire had ceased. In recent months, the government has signed ceasefire agreements with several ethnic minority rebel groups but negotiations with the Kachin have so far been unsuccessful. AFP

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Land unrest spreads to Katha township

In Depth
with Soe Sandar Oo THE wave of unrest sweeping the country over land confiscations has spread to Katha District in Sagaing Region, where residents recently staged a legal protest demanding the return of their land or adequate compensation. The August 21 protest in Mounggone village tract home to more than 3000 people in five villages was expected to attract about 100 people, but drew about 500. But a senior official in the region dismissed the protest as a political stunt designed to pressure the companies and government to pay more compensation. As well as calling for the return of their farmland or K10 million an acre compensation, the protesters also called on the authorities to address health, education and security issues related to the confiscation of land. More than 100,000 acres of land has been confiscated around Mounggone village in Sagaing Regions Tigyaing township, said U Sein Hla, a Mandalaybased politician and lawyer who helped organise the protest. Residents said they were unsure about the exact amount confiscated, but said it included sugarcane fields as well as paddy fields. Farmers are going to change from being owners of the land to just being day labourers, blue-collar workers, said U Sein Hla, adding that he has already applied for permission to stage three more protests. I will fight for them until all the factories have disappeared here or they get enough compensation to survive. If they dont take notice of this protest, I will file lawsuits against all of the companies, including the Chinese company doing the contract farming. But a government official from Katha District disputed this figure in an interview with The Myanmar Times. He said that in 2005, Great Wall took about 100 acres for a sugar factory and plantation, while in 2008 Htoo company received 25 land around Mounggone had paid K70,000 an acre compensation, while U Sein Hla said CNMC had paid a similar amount of comensation. I want to get K10 million an acre for my sugar field. After they took our land we faced so many difficulties. We stayed quiet for seven years because we didnt dare speak out but now we have courage because U Sein Hla appeared to lead us, said Daw Down, a 50-year-old resident of Mounggone whose six acres of sugarcane were taken for the jetty operated by Htoo company. But a high-ranking official from Myanmar-registered company Great Wall, which operates the sugar refinery, said its primary concern was the safety of local residents. We donated to them about K170 million since we started building the factory, said the official, who asked not to be named. We gave electricity about 150 days a year. And there are more then 1000 workers in our refinery. He also said the company had no plans to cave in to the residents demands. We have no problems solving this in the courts if the farmers want to file a suit. A high-ranking official from CNMC, who also asked not to be named, said most of the workers at its projects were local residents. We employ locals rather then Chinese. The rate is three Myanmar workers to one Chinese worker. Our projects are not yet operating, so far we havent yet produced anything, he said. Without the sugar and CNMC factories, residents would be facing poverty and unemployment, he said, adding that the companys nickel smelter and mine employed about 700 people. However, Ma Bite, another resident of Mounggone, said CNMC preferred workers who spoke Chinese or were of Chinese descent. If some accidents occur [in their factory], the compensation they pay is different between Myanmar and Chinese workers. And for most people, if they want a job they have to pay K50,000 [to brokers], she said.

Top left, above right: Factories in Katha township. Top right, above left: Farmers from Mounggone village tract stage a protest in Katha township on August 21. Pics: Soe Sandar Oo acres for a jetty. Another Administration Department land acquired in 2005 and were the governments first 36 acres was acquired by said Great Wall also recently 2008 and farmers had priority. All land is taken in Myanmar China Nonferrous applied to the government signed contracts handing accordance with land and M e t a l M i n i n g N i c k e l for more land in the area over their land. I want to solve this forestry laws. We will not (CNMC) to build a jetty to under a law known as La Na/39. If the application is problem in accordance with bow to the farmers political transport nickel products. In 2008, CNMC acquired approved it would allow the law because the farmers pressure. For the most part

for seven years we speak out We stayed quietcourage becausebecause Hla didnt dareto lead us. but now we have U Sein appeared
2000 acres in Sagaing Region and 3000 in Mandalay Region, he said. This was ostensibly for contract farming, although the company operates a mine and smelter in the area. The senior official from the Katha District General land to be used for a purpose other than farming. He said he wanted to solve the dispute through the legal system and added that the residents compensation demands were impossible to meet. He said compensation had already been paid for the want to get impossible compensation. They are asking for K10 million an acre that is simply an impossible amount, the official said. He insisted that the owners of the land had all received fair compensation and that the residents interests this kind of protest benefits politicians and not the farmer. I think the politician standing for farmers has two aims: first he wants to get votes in this area and second he wants to intimidate the business people, he said. Residents said the companies that acquired

WASHINGTON US President Barack Obama on August 29 waived visa restrictions for President U Thein Sein during next months UN summit in a show of support for reforms in Myanmar. President Obama ordered an exception in a visa ban on Myanmars leaders to let U Thein Sein travel freely during the UN General Assembly. U Thein Sein would otherwise have been confined to a narrow area around the UN headquarters in New York. Mr Obama made the decision to signal our

US paves way for president visit Leaders of 10 allied parties meet Indonesian government adviser
interest in engaging more closely with him and his government as they continue to undertake reforms, White House national security spokesman Tommy Vietor said. Burmas progress in undertaking political and economic reform has been facilitated, to a large degree, by our increasing engagement with key reformers in the government, Mr Vietor said. Mr Vietor said that the decision would allow U Thein Sein and reformist ministers to meet US officials and gain a better understanding of democracy and US policy during the visit. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is also due to visit the United States this month a trip that would have been unimaginable a short while ago where she will receive the Congressional Gold Medal, a top US honour. U Thein Sein is expected to visit the United States at roughly the same time. Under a 2008 law, the United States bars visas for Myanmars leaders or military involved in human rights abuses. AFP A SPECIAL adviser to the Indonesian government met leaders of 10 allied minority political parties in Nay Pyi Taw to discuss electoral reform and the situation in Rakhine State. Dr N Hassan Wirajuda met the party leaders on July 29, said U Saw Than Myint from the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party, who took part in the meeting. I think [the Indonesian delegation] mostly wanted to meet the 10 alliance parties because they are interested in what we have proposed to the Union Election Commission about [changing to] a proportional representation (PR) system, U Saw Than Myint said. Though we discussed some issues about Myanmar we mainly talked about the PR system, which is what Indonesia also uses. We requested them to explain more about the PR system they are using in their country. Dr Than Nyein from the National Democratic Force said party leaders told the adviser and his delegation that the byelections were fairer than the 2010 general election. Then we explained about electoral reform by switching to the PR system so that it becomes fairer and more just in the future, he said. U Saw Than Myint said the adviser told the party leaders he had been surprised that the situation in Rakhine State was better than portrayed in foreign media. Naw Say Phaw Waa

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88 Generation, private school hold democracy training

By Yhoon Hnin Phyu THIRTY-FIVE young people from Yangon Region last week took part in the second six-day politics and democracy course at Sandhi Management School in Yangon. The opening ceremony for the free course, which is conducted in cooperation with the 88 Generation student group, was held on August 27. Under the program, 35 students studied subjects including democracy, rule of law, citizenship and human rights, said Sandhi director U Khine Win, who is one of the lecturers along with U Hay Man Oo, who is also a teacher at British Council, and U Patrick from Equality Myanmar. While students for the first class, which was conducted in June, were mostly from Bago Region, last weeks students are from Yangon, said U Khine Win. Sandhi Management School is on Seikkanthar Road in downtown Yangon. 88 Generation leader U Ko Ko Gyi said the classes were aimed at developing the countrys human resources. The candidates are not selected based on their political background. This class is about improving individuals, not about promoting the 88 Generation, he said. Resources are finite. Even the resources that are abundant in our country will not last forever. But creativity is unlimited. Through creativity, we can improve the quality of our products like Singapore, which has developed through its skilled human resources rather than natural resources. This class was opened so that young people who are interested in politics can get a wide range of knowledge about the process of political reform.

Business, FIT arrivals grow 60pc in first seven months

By Zaw Win Than MYANMAR welcomed almost 300,000 foreign visitors in the first seven months of the year, up 37.5 percent on the same period in 2011, figures from the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism show. Arrivals of free independent travellers (FITs) tourists not on package tours and business travellers both rose more than 60pc, while the number of package tourists was up a more modest 15pc, the figures show. From January to the end of July 299,529 foreign visitors passed Yangon International Airport and border crossings, up from 217,837 during the first seven months of last year. Of the total, 280,913 visitors arrived at Yangon airport, with 18,616 entering at border crossings, according to the figures. More than 60pc of visitors were from Asian countries, including about 48,014 from Thailand the largest single group by nationality followed by Japan with 23,242, China with 22,283 and South Korea with 17,799. European nationals accounted for 65,300 visitors, representing 23.3pc of total arrivals. France led the way with 15,094, followed by the United Kingdom (11,124) and Germany (10,077). The figures also showed that FITs made up the single largest group with 118,493 visitors, followed by package tourists (61,661), business travellers (60,979) and social visa holders (20,323). 2013, with industry sources tipping growth of about 30pc during the coming peak season, which runs from October through to April. But there are major questions over whether the industry has the capacity to meet the needs of the more than half a million foreign visitors expected to enter Myanmar in 2012. U Phyoe Wai Yarzar, managing director of All Asia Exclusive Travel and chairman of the Myanmar Marketing Committee (MMC), said planned increases in capacity on both international and domestic air routes would support growth, but further investment in infrastructure was needed. While optimistic about the outlook for coming season, Dr Aung Myat Kyaw, managing director of Orchestra Travel, said the industry was already near capacity and there were growing concerns over the lack of hotels, high room rates and other prices, low transport capacity, poor infrastructure and inefficient booking systems. The tourism industry will need to see more investment to cope with future increases in tourist numbers, said Dr Aung Myat Kyaw, who is also an adviser to MMC.

The tourism industry will need to see more investment to cope with future increases in tourist numbers.

The FIT figure was up more than 60.5pc on the 73,807 at the same time last year, while business travellers were also up 60pc, from 38,108. Package tourists increased 15.31pc from 53,471, while social visitors rose only 3.4pc on the 19,655 recorded in the first seven months of the year. The strong growth is expected to continue into late 2012 and early

Pipeline engineers finish UFL training

By Yhoon Hnin Phyu SIXTY Myanmar engineers recently recruited to work on the Myanmar-China oil and gas pipeline project last week graduated from a Chinese and English training program at the Yangon University of Foreign Languages. The new recruits graduated on August 23 after three months of classes. The UFL program is the first part of a nine-month program that will see the recruits study Chinese at the Southwest Petroleum University of China for three months and then a final three months as a trainee on the pipeline project, a spokesperson for a public relations firm hired by the pipelines financiers said last week. The 60 workers are all men aged 20 to 25 and hold engineering degrees. Employees who undergo the training have to work a minimum of four years on the project. Two further batches of 60 and 80 engineers will also participate in the ninemonth program. The spokesperson said the project employs 4486 Myanmar workers, who make up about 52 percent of the projects total workforce. Most Myanmar workers are employed in production and operation, pipeline management and logistics support roles, the spokesperson said.

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Military to release 42 child soldiers

By Ei Ei Toe Lwin THE Ministry Defence has released about 600 hundred child soldiers over the past eight years and plans to release another 42 underage recruits this week, a senior official said last week. Having raised the awareness of Convention of the Rights of the Child, 600 child soldiers have already been released from the army and reintegrated with their families from 2004 to July 2012, Colonel Maung Maung Shin from the Ministry of Defense said at Danyingone Military Recruitment Centre on August 22, said a press release issued by the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF). We are going to release 42 underage recruits from the army in collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare and the Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting of grave violations of child rights in armed conflict, a coalition of UN agencies and international non-government organisations, said Col Maung Maung Shin. He said the 42 child soldiers would be released on September 3. Col Maung Maung Shin was speaking at the end of a threeday orientation for officials from regional military commands on the agreed procedures on identification, release, discharge and reintegration of underage recruits. The course was conducted by the Ministry of Defense with support from UNICEF. Based on the technical knowhow learned from this orientation, we are committed to do our best for the children of Myanmar, said Col Maung Maung Shin. The orientation is part of the implementation of an action plan the government and the UN signed in late June that is designed to prevent the recruitment and use of children by the Tatmadaw and allow for the release of underage recruits. By signing the plan, the Tatmadaw and government have committed to preventing underage recruitment, as well as identifying, discharging and reintegrating underage recruits. They are also required to raise awareness and build capacity around the issue and discipline violators of the governments recruitment policy. The orientation session was held to improve the technical capacity and knowledge among the recruiters. The commitments made under the action plan by the government, the army and the UN are being closely observed by the United Nations and the wider international community, said Mr Ramesh Shrestha, UNICEFs representative in Myanmar. Signing the action plan sent a clear message to the world that the Myanmar government has zero tolerance for under-18 recruitment in the Tatmataw. This is a message that Myanmar must live up to. Proper implementation of the action plan will also determine Myanmars delisting in the UN Secretary Generals annual report on children affected by armed conflicts, he said. [Implementing the action plan] is a test for Myanmar. On the other hand, it offers an opportunity to release once and for all those in the armed forces who are under 18. UNICEF is coordinating with a number of partner agencies, such as World Vision, Save the Children, the Myanmar Red Cross Society and the Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare Association, on the reintegration of underage recruits released from the Tatmadaw. Some 300 underage recruits have been provided with integration assistance until now, Mr Shrestha said.

Govt and KNU to hold talks in Kayin capital this week

By Ei Ei Toe Lwin GOVERNMENT and Karen National Union officials will meet in the Kayin State capital Hpa-an for peace talks on September 3 and 4, the leader of an nongovernment organisation involved in the meeting said. The talks are expected to focus on the roles of the Tatmadaw and Karen National Liberation Army the armed wing of the KNU and improving security for people in Kayin villages. The talks are a step in the peace process. The two sides need to discuss these issues in more depth, said Daw Susanna Hla Hla Soe, director of the Karen Womens Action Group, which is taking part in the peace talks. We expect to get good results from these talks because the topics that will be discussed on September 3 and 4 are important for both sides. Im very excited, she said. The government negotiating team will be led by U Aung Min, who was last week promoted from minister for rail transportation to a post in the Presidents Office, while Naw Zipporah Sein will head the KNU delegation. The talks will be held at Zwekabin Hotel. The talks are the third between the government and KNU, coming after an initial agreement was signed in Hpa-an in January and a second round of discussions were held in Yangon in April.

Investigation team to make first Rakhine trip this week

By Ei Ei Toe Lwin MEMBERS of the Rakhine Investigation Commission will make their first official visit to Rakhine State later this week, a spokesperson said. We plan to go there on September 7 and we will stay there for nine days. All of us, except two older members, will go there together. Our main objective is to do a pre-survey to help carry out our tasks, said commission secretary Dr Kyaw Yin Hlaing. Were going to meet with affected people from both communities, residents, government officials and other officials during the trip, he said. Following the trip, the commission will establish a research group and recruit and train people to collect data that will inform its investigation. It is important to get the right data and also to ensure the data you collect is secure, he said. We are inviting and choosing young people to participate in this process. We cant do anything without evidence. The commission has also established an email account (rcic.information@ gmail.com) and is encouraging people to send information that may be relevant to its investigation. We will announce an address soon for those who want to send letters or visit in person, said Dr Kyaw Yin Hlaing. The Presidents Office announced the formation of the 27-member investigation commission on August 17 and said its job would be to expose the real cause of incidents that occurred in Rakhine State in May and June. The commission has been instructed to send its report directly to the Presidents Office by the end of November. Soon after the formation of the commission, allegations emerged that some of its members should not have been appointed either because of their alleged involvement in fuelling the conflict or lack of knowledge about Rakhine State. But a spokesperson for the commission said these complaints would not affect how it goes about its tasks. We believe that all members are professionals in their respective fields thats why the government appointed them to this commission, said Dr Kyaw Yin Myint. 88 Generation leader U Ko Ko Gyi, also a member of the team, said: We will cooperate with this team and try to do our best.

A cleaning worker rings a bell on 73rd Street in Mandalay to announce the arrival of a garbage truck. Pic: Phyo Wai Kyaw

MCDC to expand rubbish collection

By Phyo Wai Kyaw MANDALAY City Development Committees Cleaning Department plans to hire 100 to 150 more workers and begin using additional garbage trucks this month to meet the needs of the citys growing population, an official said last week. The department began publishing advertisements calling for applications from job-seekers for the posts in the Mandalay daily newspaper, published by MCDC, on August 25, said department head U Nay Win Myint. We are going to add 70 new garbage trucks in early September as well as 70 new garbage trimotorcycles ( tuk tuks). The motorcycles and 350 new pushcarts will be used in small streets in some wards, he said, adding that the new workers will receive a monthly salary of K75,000. The department currently has 120 trucks, 90 motorcycles and 1400 workers, who collect 470 to 500 tonnes of rubbish a day. The new workers and vehicles will enable the department to expand its reach to 96 wards across six townships, he said. The committees workers collect rubbish from defined spots each morning from 5am to 8am and in the evening from 5pm to 8pm. But U Nay Win Myint said staff would patrol the city until 11pm watching out for residents dumping rubbish illegally. Those caught will face a fine of K15,000, he said. Daw Sann, a 50-year-old housewife from Aungmyaytharsan township, said MCDC services had improved in recent years, particularly in regards to rubbish collection. We can see clearly that MCDC wants the town to be cleaner and is trying more for this. Residents also need to follow the rules. In the past, garbage motorcycles were rare to see but now its normal to see them two or three times a week, she said, before adding: But I still think MCDC should get more vehicles and workers.

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Asia edges towards giant free trade zone: ASEAN

SIEM REAP Sixteen nations home to roughly half the worlds population have agreed in principle to create a free trade area spanning Asia, the secretary general of ASEAN said last week. Trade ministers from 10member ASEAN and their counterparts from China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand will press their leaders to start talks on the trade zone at a regional summit in November, Dr Surin Pitsuwan said on August 31. The move towards establishing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), made during a meeting in the Cambodian tourist town of Siem Reap on August 30, was hailed by Surin as a big achievement. The proposal could transform the region containing around 3.5 billion people into an integrated market with a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of US$23 trillion, a third of the worlds current annual GDP, he said. ASEAN, which groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, already has five separate free trade agreements (FTAs) governing economic cooperation with the six partner countries. This idea of trying to string together all these FTAs in existence into one, in principle now its been agreed, Dr Surin said on the final day of a weeklong gathering of ASEAN economic ministers. The pact will aim to eliminate trade barriers, create a liberal investment environment and protect intellectual property rights, according to the negotiation guidelines. This is a bold move to deepen integration in the most dynamic region in the world, New Zealand Trade Minister Tim Groser said in a statement on his governments website. It shows that despite the economic difficulties in other parts of the world, Asia is actively pursuing trade liberalisation. Progress on the proposed RCEP trade deal, where China will be a dominant power, comes as the United States is leading a push to create a vast trans-Pacific pact with at least 10 other economies, including four ASEAN members. The Trans-Pacific Partnership has emerged as a trade priority for US President Barack Obama, who has cast the mooted pact as a way to boost US exports and jobs while preserving labor and environmental standards. AFP

Workers at Anawrahta Industrial Zone 2 in Hlaing Tharyar township, which is being developed by company Wah Wah Win. Pic: Boothee

Negotiations falter over Yangon industrial zone compensation

By Noe Noe Aung NEGOTIATIONS between a property developer and a group of 72 farmers who had 680 acres of land confiscated for industrial zones in Yangon Region are at a standstill, with the company refusing to meet the farmers demand for 10 percent of the market price of the land. The farmers have negotiated with Wah Wah Win company four times without success, most recently in late August, said U Win Cho, a politician assisting the farmers. We are not defying them deliberately. We just demand 10pc of the land price in the industrial zone as compensation. The company offered K3 million an acre, U Win Cho said last month. But we wont accept any compensation less than 10pc of the land price. Land in the Hlaing Tharyar township industrial zone is valued at about K180 million to K200 million an acre, a company official said. The farmers land was acquired by the Department of Human Settlement and Housing Development (DHSHD) in the 1990s. Some of it was on-sold to Wah Wah Win in 1998 for the 600acre Anawrahta Industrial Zone 2. Development work at the industrial zone got underway in 2010 and is about 90pc complete, Wah Wah Win general manager Daw San San Win said. They can demand what they want but our negotiation wont be successful ... I really want to negotiate for all farmlands, Daw San San Win said. She said the farmers led by U Win Cho were almost the only former landowners in the area that were yet to reach a settlement with the company. We have negotiated successfully with hundreds of farmers nearly 500 acres. If we can negotiate with the farmers led by U Win Cho, we can solve the problem of compensation for the farmlands, she said. Daw San San Win said Wah Wah Win had acquired the land legally from DHSHD, paying the department K4 million to K4.5 million an acre. While it is not obligated to compensate the farmers, she said Wah Wah Win wanted to solve the dispute amicably and in a way that was fair to the original landowners. We didnt grab the land from farmers for the industrial zone project. Many years ago, the government planned to implement industrial zones in rural areas. Many firms had to take responsibility to implement these zones and we were one of them, she said. But while we are implementing the project, the protests happened. Though we didnt grab their land, we have to solve the problem as it happened while the land is in our hands so we decided to give compensation. A senior DHSHD official, who asked not to be named, confirmed that the department took many acres of farmland in Yangon Region for industrial zone projects starting from 1995. But we took them fairly, he told The Myanmar Times on August 27. Companies cant just grab farmland they have no authority to do that. The government did it, or rather DHSHD did it on behalf of the government. But we didnt take the farmland without consideration. The department didnt give cash as compensation. Instead, we gave land somewhere else, he said. However, the compensation was only given to farmers who paid cultivation tax regularly and who were registered as the tenants of the land with the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigations Settlements and Land Records Department. Now [the farmers] told journalists that they didnt get compensation but I can say that the department gave land instead to every farmers who paid tax to the government and who was registered. Some might be lying or some might be the children or grandchildren of farmers [who received compensation] in 1995. If their father or grandfather got land in 1995, theres no more compensation. You cant demand compensation a second time, 16 or 17 years later, he said. But the official also said companies were partly to blame for the recent spate of land protests in Yangons mostly dormant industrial zones. The government told all companies to implement industrial zones and build the infrastructure within three years. But they didnt do anything with the land. In some cases, they didnt even make a fence. Farmers thought the land was empty and some even farmed it and this meant the problem became bigger. If someone has already bought something, it is up to them to maintain it, he said. Despite having vouchers showing they had paid tax, U Win Cho said none of the 72 farmers he is representing received cash or farmland as compensation for their fields being confiscated. He said some farmers received village land from DHSHD but he said this was only large enough to build a house and not equivalent to the farmland they lost. Since they were evicted the farmers have been living in new villages in Hlaing Tharyar township. Most have no farmland and are day labourers, while a few have farmland in Htantabin township, on the eastern fringe of Ayeyarwady Region not far from Hlaing Tharyar.

The British Embassy is part of a world-wide network of 230 Posts, representing British political, economic, Visa and Consular interests overseas. We are currently looking to recruit the following positions to join our dynamic team: Government Liaison Officer Prosperity Officer For more information and details on how to apply, please visit the following links: http://ukinburma.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/our-embassy/ working-for-us/government-liaison-officer http://ukinburma.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/our-embassy/ working-for-us/prosperity-officer Deadline for submission of applications will be 9 September 2012.

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Minister for Finance U Hla Tun and Minister for Industry U Soe Thein, key figures in economic reforms. By surrounding himself with people close to him and loyal former army officers, hes created a kind of mini-cabinet within a wider government, said Mr Renaud Egreteau, assistant professor at the University of Hong Kong. That should allow him to pursue the reform drive, notably on the ongoing economic and ethnic issues. Since taking office last year, U Thein Sein has overseen a number of dramatic changes such as the release of hundreds of political prisoners and the election of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to parliament. But progress has been slower on the legislative front, in part because of a power struggle between the government announced the resignation of two more cabinet members Minister for Construction U Khin Maung Myint and Minister for Electric Power 1 U Zaw Min. The reshuffle came a week after the government said it had abolished prepublication press censorship, which was a hallmark of life under the generals who ran the country for almost half a century until last year. Information ministry insiders, however, were more cautious about the prospect for dramatic change, despite the departure of the man who for a decade oversaw the regimes tight control over the press. They are the same. They are retired military officials. We cannot tell who is more hardline, said an information ministry official, who asked not to be named. The reshuffle also brought a number of civilians into the cabinet, including one key economic adviser, U Set Aung, in what observers saw as another sign of growing political openness. As we can see some new faces, we can assume that its a part of the reforms, said U Khin Maung Swe, chairman of the National Democratic Force. AFP

MyanMar tiMes

Reshuffle aims to reinvigorate reforms

By Hla Hla Htay YANGON President U Thein Sein is striving to put his flagging reform agenda back on track by promoting loyal allies in the first major cabinet reshuffle of the postmilitary era, analysts say. The long-awaited shakeup, announced late on August 27, follows signs of tensions between reformist members of the quasicivilian government and conservatives opposed to rapid political change in the former pariah state. U Thein Sein brought four of his key ministers into the presidents office in what his aides said was a bid to speed up the decisionmaking process, particularly on key issues such as the economy and resolving ethnic conflicts. The concentration of reform-minded ministers at the presidents office is an indication that hes reinforcing his drive for a second wave of reforms, said Aung Naing Oo from the Vahu Development Institute. They including outgoing Minister for Rail Transportation U Aung Min, who has played a leading role in ceasefire talks with ethnic rebels, and departing

From left: Minister for the Presidents Office U Soe Thein; Minister for Information U Aung Kyi and Minister for Cooperatives U Kyaw Hsan. Pics: Myanmar Times Archive investment from overseas. Experts said the move to centralise power in his government aimed to speed up the introduction of stalled legislation such as the foreign investment law, seen as crucial to attracting international firms to the impoverished nation. He said there had been a bit of backsliding and resistance to reform, particularly on the foreign investment law, elements of which have faced opposition from the regimes traditional business cronies. One prominent hardliner who was sidelined in the will replace him, a choice that was welcomed by the opposition. Information Minister U Aung Kyi is an outspoken person. So I think hes a suitable person for the information ministry, said Ohn Kyaing from the National League for

The changes should allow the president to pursue the reform drive.
the government and the parliament, observers say. In June, U Thein Sein vowed to put the economy at the centre of his next wave of reforms, setting a target of annual economic growth of 7.7 percent over the next five years by attracting The presidents circling the wagons and perhaps saying the reforms will continue even though we can see areas of resistance, said Mr Sean Turnell, an expert on the Myanmar economy at Macquarie University in Sydney. reshuffle was U Kyaw Hsan, the long-time minister for information. He was moved to the lower profile role of minister for cooperatives. Outgoing labour minister U Aung Kyi Daw Aung San Suu Kyis official liaison while under house arrest Democracy (NLD). U Aung Kyi and our chairperson Daw Aung San Suu Kyi have good relations. As the information ministry is an important one, I see good potential, he said. In further changes announced on August 28,

Oil and gas blocks set for auction: minister

By Balazs Koranyi STAVANGER, Norway The worlds biggest oil and gas firms want to explore in Myanmar as global sanctions ease and the country will soon launch an onshore and offshore exploration round, its energy minister said on August 27. Myanmar could offer over 10 offshore and around 10 onshore blocks as one of the worlds poorest countries seeks to raise much needed revenue, U Than Htay said an interview. Since the sanctions have been eased by the US, the UK, the western powers, the giant companies are interested; they come to my ministry daily to discuss how they could participate, he said. Shell is inquiring, BG from the UK is also coming to discuss ... There are many giant firms coming. The ministers comments were the closest indication yet about the size of the coming licensing round and the type of interest it was generating. The tender would be the first opportunity in at least 15 years for US oil firms to participate in Myanmars energy sector after Washington relaxed sanctions last month to allow for new investment. Myanmar, one of the worlds first oil producers, has opened up with remarkable speed since a civilian government took office last year following nearly 50 years of military rule, releasing hundreds of political prisoners, permitting greater media freedom, legalising protests and undertaking peace talks with ethnic rebel groups. It also freed opposition leader and Noble Peace Prize laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest last year and permitted her this year to contest and win a seat in parliament. Western powers responded by easing sanctions, hoping to encourage President U Thein Seins government to further dismantle authoritarian rule. The government is seeking to maximise earnings from oil and gas, its number one source of export income. However, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of Myanmars assassinated independence revolution hero Aung San, has warned big oil companies from working too closely with the

TiMESbusiness
Oil and gas concessions in Myanmar
Concession blocks
INDIA CHINA BANGLADESH Onshore Nobel oil Silver Wave CNOOC SINOPEC North Petrol Goldpetrol MPRL SNOG & UPR ESSAR group LAOS Offshore CNPC Daewoo CNOOC KMDC MPRL E&P PetroVietnam & UNOG PTTEP TOTAL THAILAND Ngwe Oil and Gas Petronas Carigali PC Myanmar Twinza Oil Rimbunan & UNOG

September 3 - 9, 2012

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Myanmar has 50 million barrels of proven oil reserves and 283.2 billion cubic metres of natural gas, according to the CIA world factbook
Russia Singapore China China China Indonesia Myanmar Singapore India

China South Korea China South Korea Myanmar Vietnam Singapore Thailand France Singapore Malaysia Hong Kong Australia Malaysia Singapore

Bay of Bengal

Andaman Sea
Unoccupied blocks
Source: MOGE/CIA

state owned Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise because of lack of transparency and accountability.

U Than Htay brushed off the criticism saying Suu Kyi lacked insight, but he promised to revamp licensing

round procedures before this years launch. He said he planned to convene a meeting of interest

groups, political leaders and industry professionals to iron out the rules after Western oil firms were conspicuously absent from last years energy tender. Well listen to their voice and ideas, and only after that meeting well we decide how well launch the coming tender; but we wont take long, he said. Myanmar is still a relatively modest gas producer with 1.475 billion cubic feet of daily production, putting it in 36th place globally. But the lack of exploration work over its decades in political isolation make it an attractive investment target. Western governments are also keen to see oil firms work there as a reward for its rare success in launching a peaceful transition. U Than Htay added that given the costs of exploration and production, Myanmar will continue to rely on oil giants in future tenders. The oil industry is a technology and capital intensive industry, but we are very poor so we need to seek foreign investment and we definitely need to collaborate with the international oil companies and need to seek their investment, he said. Reuters

Telecoms industry to be privatised, says MPT

Long-restricted sector to be opened up in coming months, possibly to foreign companies, official says
By Htoo Aung TELECOMMUCATIONS will soon be privatised, ending six decades of the sector being state-owned, according to a statement from Myanma Posts and Telecommunication (MPT). The public can expect a price reduction in mobile phones and calling rates private telecom operators, while telephone density will increase year upon year, said the principal of the telecommunications and postal training centre, U Kyaw Soe. MPT will implement the reform process in conjunction with four private operators on a step-by-step basis. MPT will be dismantled and reformed as Myanmar Telecom, which will operate without funding from the government. Yatanarpon Teleport will be merged into a new company called Yatanarpon Telecom, he said. Two other operators will also compete in the market, U Kyaw Soe said, adding that these companies could be foreign firms. Myanmar Telecom will no longer receive funding from MPT and will instead generate its own finances, with domestic and international organisations expected to provide loans, technical support and technology, he added. The Department of Posts and Telecommunications will be coordinated by the Ministry of Communications, Posts and Telegraphs, which will tax operators, U Kyaw Soe said. He added that the four operators will be able to offer mobile connections, land-line telephones, a public switchboard telephone network, information technology and internet services. An official from MPT said: [A telecoms corporation] will be established by the end of the year and the rules and regulations for operators will be announced. Once this process is complete, MPT will call for international tenders. The selected operators should be up and running by 2013. Myanmar Investment Commission and the Myanmar Socio-Economic Advisory will participate in the tender process. A telecommunication consultancy group formed by President U Thein Sein and private tender consultant groups will assess every bid in terms of human resources and financing. An official from MPT said: The existing telecom sector in Myanmar is a centralised operating system, which means the public relies on a single operator. We are trying to establish a customer-focused telecommunications system that offers a choice of operators. State-owned newspapers reported on August 27 that U Thein Tun, Minister for Communications, Posts and Telegraphs said on August 25: The public will be able to choose their preferred operator from the four competing in the telecom market. MPT is seeking to upgrade user density from 75 to 80 percent by 2016. In 2013 a process will begin to increase the number of users to a targeted 39.5 million by 2016. Between 2013 and 2014 the target is an increase of 10 million users, while between 2014 and 2015 the target is 14 million and for 2015 to 2016 it is 15.5 million. The MPT announcement stated that only three million people own their own landline or mobile in Myanmar a density of 5.6pc. An official from MPT said a law to privatise telecommunications is required and will be promulgated by the end of the year.

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Beekeeping body bids to ban Chinese honey imports

By Myat Nyein Aye MYANMARS honey industry is facing a sticky problem cheaper competition from China that threatens to overrun embattled domestic producers. A spokesperson for the Myanmar Apiculture Association said members are worried because Chinese honey, which has been banned by the United States and the European Union because of the presence of antibiotics and chemicals, is being imported by some businesspeople. Myanmars honey has an excellent international reputation because of its quality and purity, U Win Sein, vice chairman of the Myanmar Livestock Federation, said on August 21. Some businesses want to import Chinese honey, even though its banned by Europe and the United States because some samples have been found A beekeeper displays bees from a hive. Pic: Supplied

Low-grade Shwebo rice in high demand

By Soe Sandar Oo TRADERS in Sagaing Regions Shwebo township say Chinese buyers are snapping up a type of monsoon rice that the area is famous for in much greater quantities than in previous years. Shwebo township is renowned for its high-grade rice but Chinese buyers are seeking out the lowgrade kun-lay-kun (747 in English) variety, said U San Win from Downyazar Rice Mill. Sales of that kind of rice have increased by about 30 percent compared with last year, he said. Myanmar consumers seldom buy kun-lay-kun rice, he added. U San Win said paddy prices are about 25pc higher than last year, with each tonne selling for K300,000 to K320,000, compared with K230,000 to K250,000 in 2011. Traders are travelling to Shwebo from Mandalay to buy kun-lay-kun and then export it to China. Shwebo is the main rice production area in upper Myanmar, he said. Export-ready bags of rice, which weigh 49 kilograms, are selling for K14,200 to K14,500 each. The price is about 10pc higher than last year but the demand is strong, so were happy to export even if were only making a K50 or K100 profit a bag, said Daw Thin Thin from Myat Thin Kyi Rice Mill in Shwebo township. Our sales have increased by about 20pc from last year and were selling about 10,000 bags a month, she said. She said Chinese kun-laykun buyers were likely using it to make snacks, which could possibly be re-exported back to Myanmar. After being sent to Mandalay, rice is trucked through Bhamo and Muse to China, said rice trader U Htun. China complains that the rice is mixed with broken grains but thats what theyre paying for, he said, adding that each bag contained about 75 ticals (about 1.2 kilograms) of broken grains.

to contain antibiotics or harmful chemicals, he said. He added that the apiculture association had sent a report on the problem to the Myanmar Livestock Federation on August 8, requesting the body halt potential imports. Honey has been legally exported from Myanmar since 2005 and more than 2132 tonnes were sold abroad in 2011-12, earning US$2.13 million. Honey producer Dr Kyi

Lwin said that according to international standards, the water content in honey should be 20 percent of the volume or less, sugar should make up not more than 5pc, while glucose should comprise at least 70pc. U Pyae Phyo Aung, chairman of the Myanmar Apiculture Association, said the industry needed government protection. We need to protect our market here in the face of businesspeople who are trying to make easy profits.

Beekeeping is already a challenging business and many in the industry make small profits, which Chinese imports can possibly destroy, he said on August 24. Beekeeping is commercially practiced countrywide with major producers based in Magwe, Sagaing and Mandalay regions. More than 365 producers who maintain nearly 60,000 hives, were association members in 2010-11, he said.

The business of living life: not always easy as an expat

By Andrew Wood EXPATS living abroad are often surprised at the effort required to manage their affairs. Many long-term expats have made a decision to live outside the country of their birth forever, if possible, and fall into three main categories. The first of the three categories includes those working abroad. Often employed by a multinational corporation (MNC), they tend to move about from country to country as required. Sometimes they settle with a local employer in the country where they are living, rather than with an MNC, and do not expect to move. Second are those who have started their own ventures in business. They are often based in the place where they anticipate their business will meet the most success and where they are comfortable but are usually flexible and will finding housing, schools for children and other services. Life tends to be easier for this group. More effort is required for expats working for a domestic company that might sponsor a work permit and residence visa but rarely helps with other arrangements. When it comes to things like medical insurance, critical illness and life insurance, this category is typically on their own. Finding help with things such as pension planning and opening offshore bank accounts will confuse many expats. And the toughest part is that there is no onestop shop to sort out all of these matters. E xpat ent r epr eneur s starting up in foreign climes are faced with even more concerns. They will often need to structure a company, sometimes in more than one jurisdiction. This requires tax planning, with advice and knowledge of the advantages of legal vehicles to be used. Then there are accounting services, staffing and work permits to assemble before any real work can be done. Category three expats have often chosen to reside in a foreign country or region after retirement having spent many holidays there already. This category has fewer things to worry about than those starting a business, but still face a number of matters that require careful planning and attention. Some purchase properties in their new country of residence only to later find that their acquisition was not structured properly and now face prickly legal issues. There are also insurance issues and ongoing immigration requirements. Retiree expats also need to consider any cultural adjustments and compromises that may be required. Long-term expats will likely find some matters fairly easy to handle but finding good advice for insurance, tax, business strategy, legal advice, pension and investment planning, as well as streetwise advice on how to deal with a practical situation in a strange land, will not be easy. A document that many expats neglect is their will, which is probably the most important legal document most people will ever create. Many expats have not even thought about this let alone attempted to create one. Today there are expert organisations that can direct clients to the appropriate professionals to deal with all these individual matters. These organisations become general consultants that guide people toward the correct professionals to deal with each individual subject. They will also advise on the best approach to most situations to allow clients to manage all their affairs, no matter how simple or complex, from under one roof. Most expats find they have more wealth than they were used to back home. It is often not easy to manage this if you are unaccustomed to successful asset management methods. There is no reason to feel shy about a lack of knowledge of such complex subjects as long term investment strategies, international taxation or pension planning. There are a lot of self-help books and websites around that provide basic advice about how to manage wealth. However, they will not make the reader an instant expert. Would anybody read a medical book, consult a website and then attempt surgery on a loved one? Maybe a given expat has an accountant efficiently dealing with tax returns back home. Can he or she advise you on overall global tax strategies, succession planning and inheritance tax matters? Perhaps a stockbroker can pick the right shares for investments but can he or she advise you how this fits into your overall wealth management investment strategies and structures? No each has their individual strengths and areas of expertise but they are usually incapable of overseeing your entire situation. An independent financial adviser (IFA) is capable of overseeing a clients entire situation and offering advice on all areas of the business of living life. Whether you are a new expat or just feel that you need to be better organised, appointing an IFA expert for the right overall strategy to suit your circumstances is a prudent and wise move. Addressing issues such as the implications of changing citizenship or permanent residency are complex. Careful consideration and execution are required as they may have detrimental knock on effects. Your IFA will be able to give advice on the advantages and disadvantages for you as an individual. Income, capital gains and inheritance taxes are high on the agenda for expats because their affairs often span multiple jurisdictions and are complex. Offshore structures are one excellent solution but if they are set up incorrectly they can end up making your affairs more complicated and expensive. If nothing else it may well be worthwhile to have a complimentary financial health check. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. A good adviser will offer you this free and without obligation. Contact us today. Andrew Wood has been an expat in Asia for 33 years and is executive director of PFS International, which has clients throughout Southeast Asia. He has been writing articles on financial advice for expats for five years. Questions for Andrew can be directed to PFS International on (+66) 2653 1971 or you can contact him by email on enquiriesmyanmar@ fsplatinum.com

Andrew Wood. travel anywhere to complete assignments or projects. Last but not least are financially self-sufficient expats. Often described as retired they are still able to work and will if opportunities arise. A better description for this group would be financially independent. The actual administration of your affairs abroad is easier when you work for an MNC. These employers tend to arrange work permits and residency visas, as well as offering assistance with

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Customers look at Toyota Probox taxis at Best Car showroom in Yangon last week. Pic: Boothee

MyanMar tiMes

Overage car import program, one year on

By Aye Thidar Kyaw WHAT a difference a year makes. Yangons sleepy streets were mainly populated by a mish-mash collection of automobiles where cars from the 1990s were considered new and commanded ludicrously high prices. Now the roads are overflowing with modern Toyotas, Nissans and Mitsubishis as a result of a watershed plan hatched by the Ministry of Rail Transportation and the Road Transport Administration Department (RTAD) that was unveiled to the public on September 11, 2011. The plan allowed owners of older vehicles, beginning with those that had registrations at least 40 years old or older and determined by the Myanmar language prefix, to exchange their vehicle for a permit to import a vehicle made between 1995 and 2005. Successively newer registrations were added to the program, with a few hiccups along the way, ending in pazuatprefix plates that are being taken now. The next plate eligible for import substitution is balachaik, with several car traders telling The Myanmar Times they expect an announcement soon. U Tin Maung Swe, RTAD director for Yangon Region said the substitution scheme would continue through September. Even though we havent received a specific order from the ministries concerned, I think theres no reason to think the scheme will not continue in alphabetical order, despite what some people are saying, he said. He added that some owners in the past have updated their registrations and number plate prefix by paying the department, which meant that some 30- or 40-yearold cars are driving the streets with relatively new registrations. After balachaik, the bagone, la and ah prefix plates are next in line for substitution, he said. More than 48,400 vehicles, including 45,999 passenger cars, were imported and registered with RTAD under the car import substitution between October 1, 2011 and July 21, according to the department. The government will move step-by-step to remove old and badly maintained cars in urban areas but it cant be done immediately because some people will not comply, he said. He added that after cars 20 years and older were removed, the government would eventually move on to 10-year-old vehicles. Brokers at Yangons Hantharwaddy car trading zone said average prices for import permits had fallen to about K7.5 million by August 28, from K8 million in midAugust, following a number of news stories in journals that quoted government officials as saying the import substitution program would continue. The price is unlikely to fall much further if the number of cars being substituted for import permits is lower than demand, said Hantharwaddy dealer U Aye Min. Businessman U Ko Ko, who said he would like to import several newer cars, said: When an announcement is printed in state-run press that balachaik-plate will be accepted for import substitution I hope that prices will come down again. Meanwhile, the state-run New Light of Myanmar reported on August 16 that imported cars will soon be given English language number plates such as AA0000 but U Tin Maung Swe said only taxis would be given these number plates.

Pic: Yadanar The owner of an old car waits in line to swap it for an import permit in September, 2011.

Kia Motors Corp to begin sales in Myanmar: spokesperson

By Tim McLaughlin SOUTH KOREAN auto maker Kia Motors Corporation will begin selling cars in Myanmar on October 1, a company spokesperson said last week. Kia will partner with Super Seven Stars Motors Industry Co Ltd, assuming a distribution agreement in its final stages proceeds as expected. Although we dont have any sales targets set for Myanmar, we feel that it is a market that holds much potential and believe that our small segment cars like Picanto and Rio, along with our K-series light commercial trucks, will fare well in the Myanmar market, the Kia Motors spokesperson said. Headquartered in Seoul, Kia is the sister company of Hyundai Motor Corporation, which owns a controlling 34pc stake in Kia. Together, along with a number of auto parts and logistics companies, Kia and Hyundai make up the conglomerate Hyundai Motor Group. Super Seven Stars was founded in 1993 and is headed by U San Linn. The company currently produces a range of light trucks and multipurpose vehicles, from mostly imported parts that are assembled locally. Both the Picanto and Rio would appear to be good fits for Myanmar where roadspace is at a premium and drivers find themselves jockeying for position with buses, bicycles, trishaws and pedestrians. The Kia Picanto is a fivedoor hatchback model that is considered a city car or subcompact. The Rio, which also falls into the city car/subcompact range, is available in both fiveand four-door models. Due to strict import laws the streets of Yangon were until last year filled largely with aging cars held together with mismatched spare parts and the work of inventive mechanics. However, the unveiling of a wave of car import substitution program (see related story above) in September opened the floodgates that has seen tens of thousands or newer vehicles enter the market. A spokesperson for Hyundai Motor Company said the firm is undergoing feasibilities studies about entering Myanmar.

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Job watch

Website:

www.esearchmyanmar.com

Apply Now!
Sales and Marketing manager (pharmaceutical) Brand manager Sales manager Tour operation Manager Tour operation Assistant Tour Sales manager Sales girl - 30 staff (Fresher) Sales boy- 30 staff (Fresher) Engineers (BE/ME/) Accountants Secretary Human Resources Manager No.851/853, 3rd Floor, Bogyke Aung San Road, Lanmadaw Township, Yangon. Tel: 222963/ 229406/ 229437/ 728261 E-mail: esearch@yangon.net.mm

Above: A worker handles sheets of leather at a factory in Hlaing Tharyar township. Below: a worker removes leather from a dying machine. Pic: Boothee

Leather industry faces development hurdles

By Myat May Zin THE LEATHER production industry in Myanmar cannot expand until technology is updated and infrastructure improved sufficiently for manufacturers to go beyond producing raw or semi-finished leather for the international market, said the chairperson of Myanmar Leather Association, Dr Tin Aung Shwe. The local leather industry is stagnating because most producers can only make the raw material, which some countries consider inferior and choose not to import, he said. Silver Swan is the only company in Myanmar capable of manufacturing semi-finished (30 percent) leather, which is turned into leather sheets by manufacturers in other countries, including China, Thailand and India. Other players in the industry are limited to producing raw leather, which involves preserving the animal skin by salting it. The Chinese government prohibits imports of raw leather from Myanmar because of its potential to carry bacteria that could cause diseases in humans. Nevertheless, it is exported to China illegally across the border at Muse in Shan State. China imports approximately 50 tonnes of the semi-finished leather known as wet blue chrome (WBC) at a cost of about US$150 a tonne, said U Kyin Su, the owner of Silver Swan. U Kyin Su paid an Indian company $5000 to buy the technology needed to make WBC, he said. Myanmars leather industry faces many challenges to expansion. The main issues include a lack of electricity, inadequate water treatment and drainage systems and insufficient space to operate. Because bad smelling fumes are produced during the manufacturing process, it is necessary to keep the tanneries isolated said U Kyin Su. The leather industry was nationalised in 1962 and owners of businesses that continued to operate privately were arrested. Although the government lifted this ban in 1989, developing infrastructure has never been a priority, he added. Myanmar Leather Association was established in June and comprises 20 central executive committee members. The associations aim is to expand the industry by garnering the skills of leather technicians from across the nation and utilising more efficient technology, he said. According to a spokesperson from the association, Myanmars WBC leather sells for less than $1 a square foot, while WBC produced in Italy and India, which are famous for producing the worlds best quality leather goods, generate at least $36 a square foot.

ADB urges Asia to ease rice trade

MANILA Asia should cut rice trade barriers and stabilise prices, the Asian Development Bank said on August 30, as concerns grow of a supply crunch similar to one that led to the 2008 global food crisis. Asians, the worlds top rice consumers and producers, bore the brunt as prices of the cereal spiked in 2007-08 due in part to export limits by producers and panic buying by big importers, the Manila-based bank said. Their governments need to reduce export restrictions, which an ADB study found were to blame for a 149 percent price surge four years ago, said Lourdes Adriano, an agriculture and food security expert at ADB. To enhance resiliency and ensure that rice prices do not jump beyond the reach of the regions poor, policymakers must think and act regionally, she said in a statement. Experts blamed the last food crisis on slowing production growth at a time of rising demand, bad weather, and competition from biofuels, triggering hoarding and export restrictions. The bank study was released after the UNs Food and Agriculture Organisation in early August cut its global 2012 rice output forecast due to low monsoon rainfall in India, a major rice producer. The FAO said global rice production is now expected to reach 724.5 million tonnes, 7.8 million tonnes lower than its original forecast. While this years output is likely to exceed last years, the FAO urged countries to ensure enough stockpiles because high volatile prices are expected to remain. Adriano said that while current rice prices were holding steady, 10-nation ASEAN needed to play a leading role in ensuring adequate supply to the worlds most populous region. ASEAN, which produced 110.5 million tonnes of rice last year, could do this by setting up a rice price index, along with an exchange to trade the grain, she said. This would help ease global price fluctuations while allowing farmers to cut out the middlemen and sell directly to the market at better prices, she added. ASEAN includes the top exporters Thailand and Vietnam, with fellow members Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar seen by the study as having huge potential to expand their rice exports. The group also includes Indonesia and the Philippines, the worlds top rice importers, along with Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore. Thailand and Vietnam could establish domestic commodities exchanges that would help farmers get better prices, the study said. Rice futures and options could be traded in existing exchanges in Hong Kong, China or Singapore based on a regional price index of the most exported grades of rice, the ADB said. AFP

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China, ASEAN seek to boost regional trade

SIEM REAP, Cambodia China and Southeast Asian nations pledged last week to strive for closer economic ties, setting aside regional tensions over a territorial row in the resource-rich South China Sea. Trade between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) jumped to over US$200 billion in the first seven months of 2012, up 9 percent year-on-year, Chinese Commerce Minister Chen Deming said during a meeting with regional economic ministers in the Cambodian tourist hub of Siem Reap. The business relationship between ASEAN and China was particularly important amid global economic gloom, he said, adding that both sides have a solid basis for cooperation and bright prospects. China is ASEANs largest trading partner, while the 10-nation bloc last year overtook Japan as Beijings third-biggest trading partner. China is willing to be ASEANs good neighbour, good friend and good partner, Chen said in his opening remarks. The talks between regional economic ministers mark the first high-level gathering of ASEAN members since a foreign ministers meeting in July ended in acrimony over how to deal with a dispute in the South China Sea, exposing deep divisions within the bloc. The tension that hung over those meetings appeared absent from the cordial gathering in Siem Reap, suggesting that ASEAN members do not want the maritime row to hurt business. Its a completely different ball game, said Southeast Asia expert Carl Thayer, emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales in Australia. The foreign and economic ministers have completely diff er en t ag en das, he added. Friction within ASEAN also eased significantly after Indonesia got the bloc to agree on six key points on the South China Sea following intense diplomatic efforts in the days after the failed ASEAN summit, Thayer said. The ASEAN group, which also includes Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand, saw its economies as a whole grow by 4.7pc in 2011, down from 7.6pc growth in 2010, according to ASEAN data. We recognise the external environment has become more hostile, Malaysian Minister for International Trade and Industry Mustapa Mohamed said, in a nod to the economic troubles of the key eurozone and US markets. Nonetheless, we consider ourselves to be one of the most dynamic regions in the world under the circumstances, he told AFP on the sidelines of the talks. AFP

Canadian trade minister to visit Myanmar

By Aye Thidar Kyaw CANADAs trade minister Ed Fast will visit Myanmar to meet officials and businesspeople to promote trade and investment, Channel Newsasia and Bernama reported last week. The week-long visit, which also covers Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand begins on September 2. Mr Fasts trip marks the 35 th anniversary of relations between Canada and ASEAN. It is intended to further Canadas ties with the region, especially Myanmar, where until recently Canada maintained some of the strictest of international sanctions. A Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry [UMFCCI] official said several businesspeople will accompany the minister on his trip but a larger delegation would visit later to hold business matching for the federations international relations department. They want to find a domestic partner who will actually work for the business, he added. Trade between Myanmar of mainly agricultural products to Canada and received imports of construction materials and other goods worth about $3.8 million. Trade relations between Canada and Myanmar are not extensive because of sanctions, the official said. When we improve our relationship agricultural exports and fisheries products are likely to have the most potential interest, he said. He added that Canada and the United States still banned gem imports from Myanmar. Canadian investment in Myanmar amounted to about $40 million as of June 2012, according to Myanmar Investment Commission data.

talk with They want toofficials and senior Myanmar businesspeople to cooperate in heavy industry.

sessions with UMFCCI. They [Canadian businesspeople] want to talk with senior Myanmar officials and businesspeople to cooperate in heavy industry, said U Htun Shwe, a spokesperson

and Canada is slight, a Ministry of Commerce official said, adding that bilateral trade amounted to US$4.2 million in the 2012-13 fiscal year. He added that Myanmar exported about $400,000

Trade Mark CauTion

Johnson & Johnson, a corporation incorporated in the United States of America, of One Johnson & Johnson Plaza, New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S.A., is the Owner of the following Trade Marks:-

inVeGa CerTaniS
reg. no. 2762/2008

inVeGa Lai
reg. no. 2763/2008

inVeGa STead
reg. no. 2765/2008 reg. no. 2766/2008 in respect of Pharmaceutical preparations (intl Class 5). 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 Johnson & Johnson P. O. Box 60, Yangon. Dated: 3 September 2012

inVeGa SuSTenna

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A man walks in the chilean pavilion of Venices 13th International Architecture Biennale at Arsenal on August 26. Pic: AFP

World architects bring democratic designs to Venice

By Dario Thuburn VENICE, Italy Architects from around the world have converged on Venice for the Biennale show which opened on August 29, showcasing designs aimed at bringing urban designs more in touch with the general public. The renovation of working class areas, designs for times of economic crisis and the reconstruction of cities following natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis have taken centre stage at the worlds largest architecture fair. The designs housed in the spectacular Arsenale an old naval shipyard and military base and the nearby Giardini park on the lagoon include some by leading architects including Norman Foster, Zaha Hadid and Renzo Piano. The crux is to mend the fracture between architecture and civil society, Biennale president Paolo Baratta said. This years theme is Common Ground intended as interaction between architects and the population as well as between designers themselves. The exhibition has been designed by British architect David Chipperfield most famous for his work on Museum Island in Berlin and spreads out over 10,000 square metres (107,600 square feet) with a total of 119 participants. Among the most eyecatching projects is the installation by Japans Kazuyo Sejima for the reconstruction of Mijato-jima island, which was destroyed by the tsunami last year a theme which is echoed by the Japanese pavilion. Chile decked out its pavilion to look like the inside of a salt mine, importing 11 tonnes of salt from the Tarapaca mine especially for the show. Russia went hi-tech with its pavilion, where visitors are handed an iPad to view an exhibition accessible only through barcodes that can be scanned. Italy chose to celebrate its history of innovation with a show that goes back to the work of technology pioneer Adriano Olivetti in the postwar period. The Greek pavilion meanwhile invites visitors to reflect on the transformation of public buildings and spaces during the economic crisis. One of the novelties this year is the Mexican pavilion outside the 16 th century deconsecrated church of San Lorenzo, which has been granted to Mexico as its cultural hub for the next nine years on condition that it pays for repairs. The fair, which runs until November 25, hosts a total of 55 countries taking part including several newcomers like Angola, Kosovo, Kuwait and Peru. Among other renowned architects showcasing their designs are Jean Nouvel from France, Peter Eisenman from the United States and Ai Wei Wei from China. For weary visitors, the architecture collective Urban Think Tank has set up a replica of a typical Venezuela roadside shack with neon signs, pumping salsa music and unfinished walls that serves up genuine Latin American fare. The curator of the official Venezuelan pavilion said she did not approve. It is an interesting idea but it distorts reality because it is a reductive vision, said Adreina Agusti, as she showed off an exhibition of social housing projects planned by the government of President Hugo Chavez. Urban Think Tank is also behind an exhibit on the theme of a vertical favela examining the squatting of the Torre de David in Caracas after it was abandoned by a bank, showing a community full of life and creativity. Festival organisers on August 29 also awarded a lifetime achievement award to Alvaro Siza Vieira, famous for works such as the Boa Nova Tea House and the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art in his home town of Oporto in Portugal. Siza has upheld a consistent production of works at the highest level, yet without the slightest hint of the overt professionalism and promotion that has become part of the contemporary architects machinery, Chipperfield said. Chipperfield said he had encouraged his colleagues to collaborate on designs so as to show that architecture was not just about unique eye-catching projects but more about something created in collaboration with every citizen. The British designer also paid homage to the host city saying: The city shames us by its beauty, reminding us of the real possibilities of architecture, both as individual acts and as part of a greater vision. AFP

US prices post first yearly gain in two years

By Michael A Fletcher WASHINGTON The nations housing market continued its slow climb from the depths of the recession in June with the first annual gain in prices in nearly two years, according to a widely watched real estate measure released on August 28. The S&P/Case-Shiller national composite index was up 1.2 percent in the second quarter over the second three months of last year. Compared to the first quarter of this year, prices were up a robust 6.9pc. The increases in housing prices come after other data showing upticks in sales volumes, housing permits and prices, prompting many analysts to declare that the long-moribund housing market is slowly mending. We seem to be witnessing exactly what we need for a sustained recovery: monthly increases coupled with improving annual rates of change, said David M Blitzer, chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices. The market may have finally turned around. not drop as dramatically as in many parts of the country, prices increased 2.1pc between May and June, according to the index. Over the past year, Washington home prices are up 3.9pc. Locally, sales volumes have continued to climb, and inventories are down to their Nationally, home prices are at early 2003 levels, the report said. Meanwhile, despite other measures showing improvements, some analysts argue that sales volumes remain depressed. Meanwhile, the rate of delinquent mortgages remains far above normal. back half of this year, particularly as the overall monthly sales volume declines. Humphries added that while he thought the period of falling home values is past, the remaining high number of homeowners who owe more on their homes than they are worth and the high rate of foreclosures mean were still a few years away from a normal housing market. Other analysts said that home prices are not headed back to their pre-recession highs anytime soon nor should they be. In general, the market is headed upwards. Everything seems to be going in the right direction, said Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research. But people would be delusional if they think we are going back to 2006 prices and that we are going to see double-digit price increases. Washington Post

be witnessing exactly sustained recovery: We seem toincreases coupled withwhat we need for arates of change. monthly improving annual
The report also showed that all 20 metropolitan areas tracked by the index rose in June from May, the second consecutive time in which every region posted monthover-month gains. Nationally, the 20-city index increased 0.5pc from June 2011, the report said. In Washington, which has one of the nations strongest housing markets and where prices did lowest point since about 2005, according to recent data from Alexandria, Virginia-based Delta Associates. A combination of low prices and rock-bottom interest rates is helping to pump new life into the housing market. But analysts warned that despite the recent gains, the housing sector is a long way from full health. Case-Shillers June numbers further affirm what other indices have already been showing, namely that the overall market is healing, albeit at a frustratingly slow pace, said Stan Humphries, chief economist at the real estate firm Zillow. While we have seen healthy appreciation for the past few months, we do expect declines in the Case-Shiller indices in the

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Old sites could answer low-cost question

By Htar Htar Khin ITS a question that is going to haunt Yangon until expensive infrastructure is built to facilitate the quick movement of large numbers of workers: how to build relatively inexpensive housing in a city with relatively high land prices. Developers say rebuilding vacant government buildings and redeveloping old housing developments might provide a solution in the short- to mid-term but cannot be seen as a longterm fix. In addition to huge tracts of land in far-flung Hlaing Tharyar, South Dagon, Insein and Dagon Seikkan townships, developers say there are underutilised housing developments all around Yangon. These include Lan Thit housing in Lanmadaw township, Wai Lu Wun housing in Sanchaung, U Wisara housing in Dagon, Yankin housing in Yankin, Kandawkalay housing in Mingalar Taung Nyunt and many more. Rumours are circulating in the construction industry that the Department of Human Settlement and Housing Development (DHSHD), under the Ministry of Construction, is going to work with developers to rebuild certain sites. Ive heard rumours that older government buildings and housing projects in Yangon might be redeveloped as low-cost housing sites in future, said one developer, who asked not to be named. Sites such as Kyogyone housing in Insein township and Yankin housing in Yankin township were built many years ago. They are in general disrepair and were badly planned, so the space is used inefficiently, he said. The developer said he welcomes the idea that older housing projects be redeveloped, as it would help to alleviate the shortage of affordable housing and improve the citys image. In some cases I think the government needs to encourage banks and developers to offer hire purchases to allow low- and middle-income earners to buy apartments, he added. However, he said that

A man washes dishes at the Muditar low-cost housing development in Mayangone township last week. Pic: Boothee even if the government made some land available cheaply it would still be a problem for developers. The land price is a major positive step because there is a shortage of apartments available for low- to middleincome people, he said. But it also needs to be low- to middle-cost projects at Dagon Seikkan, Hlaing Tharyar and South Dagon townships, he said. However, U Ko Ko Lay decisive factor stopping low-cost projects, the lack of bank financing is important too, he said. U Lazarus, the managing but said land prices need to be reduced. If we want to offer lowcost housing then it has to mean apartments costing between K10 million and K20 million, he said. I think the government, developers and landowner need to discuss what can be done to solve the shortage of low-cost housing, which society desperately needs. How can developers possibly offer low-cost housing when land prices are as high as they are?

that older government buildings and housing projects Ive heard rumoursbe redeveloped as low-cost housing sites in future. in Yangon might
obstacle in developing lowcost housing its the major cost, he said. He added that low-cost housing developments and high land prices often forced builders to cut costs. Low cost housing is always in demand but its a difficult balance for developers, he said. U Ko Ko Lay, a director of Three Friends Construction in Mingalar Taung Nyunt township, said rebuilding old developments could only be good for the city. I see the rumoured redevelopments as a backed up by loans to allow people to buy and pay their properties off over time, he said. U Ko Ko Lay said the number of low-cost developments already under construction was insufficient for the citys needs. I think Yangon needs about 40,000 new apartments a year but we dont get anywhere near this probably only 300 lowcost apartments a year are built. This huge gap needs to be fixed in coming years. Weve proposed a number of said the price of land is not the only major hurdle stopping low-cost housing developments. Land prices are not the director of Yadanar Shwe Htun Construction in Botahtaung township, said he welcomes the redevelopment proposal

A case in point?
An AnnOUnCEMEnT was posted by DHSHD at Pyi Taw Thar housing in Botahtaung township, a governmentowned housing development, in mid-June stating that the site would be redeveloped by an unnamed builder. The 60-year-old complex comprises seven four-storey buildings with the buzz industry gossip saying either Zaykabar Construction or Htoo Construction would be given the contract to redevelop the site as a low-cost housing project. U Sai Wai Yan, a 38-year-old resident in block four, said he would be happy to see the complex redeveloped. I think a reconstruction would drastically improve living standards here and we would hope to get more spacious apartments in a tidier development, he said. The redevelopment period will be at least 18 months and the developer has said they will pay for our rents elsewhere during this period. The final deadline to leave our apartments is March next year, U Sai Wai Yan said. However, he said he was unsure whether he would be provided an apartment as good as his existing property when the redevelopment is finished. Pa z u n d a u n g tow n s h i p resident Daw Ohnmar, 40, said the downtown area was a difficult place to build low-cost housing. Property prices in Pazundaung are really high, which makes it unattractive to developers who are thinking of low-cost housing. Most low-cost projects are built on the edge of town where the land is much cheaper. In the downtown area developers nearly always build condominiums instead. Htar Htar Khin

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Apple win may reshape tech sector

By Rob Lever WASHINGTON Apples decisive victory in a landmark US patent case against Samsung could reshape the hot sector for mobile devices and slow the momentum of Google and its Android system, analysts say. Apple won more than US$1 billion in the case on August 24, after a California jury found the South Korean electronics giant infringed on dozens of patents held by the iPhone and iPad maker. Although Google was not a party in the case, it makes the Android operating system which was central to the case a system which Apples late co-founder Steve Jobs called a stolen product. Apple has been battling as Samsung and other manufacturers of the free Android system eat away at its share in the sizzling market for smartphones and tablet computers. I think this will force a reset on Android products as they are reengineered to get around Apples patents, said Rob Enderle, a technology analyst and consultant with the Enderle Group. But Enderle said other companies may benefit from the decision, including Microsoft, which has been lagging in the mobile sector, and Blackberry maker Research in Motion, which has been hit hardest by the rise of Android devices. The court ruling, said Enderle, should provide a stronger opportunity for both of Microsofts new platforms Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 because they come with indemnification against Apple, suddenly making them far safer and possibly a faster way to get product to market. The decision also will make RIM far more attractive as an acquisition because RIMs patents are thought to be strong enough to hold off Apple, Enderle said. Both Samsung and Google may make a play for the company, and both Microsoft and Apple may move to block them. In recent months, Android devices have grabbed more than 50 percent of the US smartphone market to around 30pc for Apple, while RIMs shares have slid to around 12pc. The patents at play include software such as the bounceback feature for smartphone users when scrolling and pinch-zooming, which are featured on Android devices. Florian Mueller, a consultant who follows patent and copyright issues, said the August 24 court ruling was a huge breakthrough. The jury essentially concluded that Samsung is a reckless copycat and, since some of the infringement is Googles responsibility, basically agreed with Steve Jobs claim that Android is a stolen product, he wrote on his blog. Still, a lot hinges on what happens next in court, with the case likely to be tied up in appeal for some time. Judge Lucy Koh set a September 20 hearing where she will consider whether to overturn or modify the jury verdict, whether to impose punitive damages which would triple the award and whether to issue injunctions against Samsung. A critical factor will be whether Apple will be able to obtain a permanent injunction, or halt in sales on infringing Samsung devices, and whether this would be enforced during the appeal. AFP

Bomb detectors put Iraqis at risk

BAGHDAD An Iraqi soldier walks past a line of cars at an entrance to Baghdads heavily fortified Green Zone, looking for the silver antenna of the bomb detector he holds to swing left, indicating a threat. But however closely the camouflage-uniformed soldier watches the plastic pistol-gripped detector as he paces slowly past the cars, it will not lead him to any bombs or weapons, except by chance it, like others used at checkpoints across Baghdad and elsewhere in Iraq, is worthless. Evidence that the devices do not work has been available for years, but that has not stopped Iraq from continuing to employ them at checkpoints across the country, including those guarding highly sensitive areas such as the Green Zone, where the Iraqi government is headquartered. Though violence in Iraq is down compared with past years, the country is still plagued by bombings and shootings, which killed 325 people in July, according to official figures the highest monthly toll in almost two years. And attacks during the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which began in July and ended in August, left at least 409 people dead. Faced with such conditions, Iraq cannot afford to rely on non-functioning equipment, but it does, with security forces using the detectors to determine which vehicles need extra scrutiny at checkpoints. The ADE 651 bomb detectors in use in Iraq were made by British firm Advanced Tactical Security & Communications Ltd (ATSC). It made a number of fantastical claims about the devices, including that they could pick up substances ranging from explosives to ivory at up to 1000 metres (yards) on the ground or 3000 metres from the air, using credit card-sized sensor cards. The reality, however, proved to be rather And he criticised the selection of the ADE 651, saying that this device, like any military device, whether it is used in combat or for preventing an explosion, must be known, and must be from a known company. The exaggeration in prices and the procedures under which this contract was completed point to major corruption in this contract, and the investigations that have been conducted revealed some of this corruption in relation to the interior ministry, Turaihi said. Some of those involved in the purchase of the devices were referred to the judiciary and jailed, but this issue is still open, as a joint investigation with Britain is ongoing, he said. Despite all this, the ADE 651 devices are still in use. At a typical checkpoint in Baghdad, a soldier or policeman stands under a metal-roofed shed erected over the road with an ADE 651 pointing parallel to traffic, checking cars as they pass, while one or more others, usually armed with Kalashnikov or M-16 assault rifles, stand by for support. If the devices swivelling antenna points to a car, it is usually directed to a second section of the checkpoint farther down the road, where policemen or soldiers ask for identification and may perform a cursory check of the vehicle, generally limited to looking inside the trunk. But militants in Iraq have years of experience concealing weapons and explosives via more thorough means than putting them in the trunk of a car. And the near-daily shootings and bombings in Iraq are a testament to the failure of the ADE 651s and the checkpoints where they are used, which cause huge traffic jams that inconvenience commuters to stem the movement of explosives and other weapons, and keep Iraqis safe. AFP

An Iraqi security officer holds a bomb detector device equipped with a silver antenna at a checkpoint in alSaadun Street in central Baghdad on August 16. Pic: AFP different. In early 2010, ATSC director Jim McCormick was arrested in Britain, which banned the export of the ADE 651 devices to Iraq and Afghanistan. Britains Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said that tests have shown that the technology used in the ADE 651 and similar devices is not suitable for bomb detection. Following those revelations, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki ordered an investigation into the devices. But government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told AFP about a month later that the inquiry had found that more than 50 percent are good, and the rest we will change, leaving the devices in use. Prosecutors in Britain have meanwhile charged six men, including McCormick, with fraud in connection with various types of fake detectors. I believe that this device contributed, whether intentionally or unintentionally, to the waste of Iraqi blood, to the shedding of Iraqi blood, because it was not effective to the required degree, said Interior Ministry Inspector General Aqil al-Turaihi. He said a report from the Baghdad Operations Command indicated that in one area, the ADE 651, in concert with other security measures, prevented only 19pc of bombing attacks. The interior ministry spent more than 143.5 billion Iraqi dinars (about US$120 million at todays exchange rate) on ADE 651 devices in 2007 and 2008, at a time when there was a semi-civil war in the country and the terrorists were carrying out widespread bombing operations, Turaihi said. There was an attempt to obtain equipment to prevent these explosions, and this device was offered, he said. But American forces presented reports that this device is not effective, while oil ministry and ministry of science and technology studies also showed that the ADE 651 did not work. We started to investigate this issue, and the investigation continued for a long time because many obstacles were put in front of it, Turaihi said, without elaborating. Iraq paid inflated prices for the devices, which it bought through an intermediary company for 45 to 65 million Iraqi dinars (about $37,50054,100) a unit, while they were sold elsewhere for $3000, he said.

Trade Mark CauTion

NOTICE is hereby given that The Gillette Company of One Gillette Park, Boston, MA 02127, United States of America is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trademark:-

Trade Mark CauTion

NOTICE is hereby given that iL YanG PHarM. Co., LTd. a company under the laws of the Republic of Korea and having its principal office at 1824,Hagal-dong Giheung-gu Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trademark: (reg: nos. iV/4793/2009 & iV/4951/2012) in respect of :- Pharmaceuticals; agents affecting digestive organs 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 iL YanG PHarM.Co., LTd. P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 3rd September, 2012

Trade Mark CauTion

CHeVron inTeLLeCTuaL ProPerTY LLC, a company incorporated in U.S.A., of 6001 Bollinger Canyon Road, San Ramon, CA 94583, U.S.A., is the Owner of the following Trade Mark:-

irriTaTion deFenSe
(reg: no. iV/6140/2012) in respect of:- Razors and razor blades, shaving instruments, dispensers, cassettes and cartridges, all containing blades; parts and fittings for all the aforesaid goods Intl Class: 8 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 The Gillette Company P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 3rd September, 2012

noLTeC

BLaCk PearL
reg. no. 2554/1994 in respect of Greases and lubricants. 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 CHeVron inTeLLeCTuaL ProPerTY LLC P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 3 September 2012

TiMESWORLD
Syria, nuclear dispute mar Irans showpiece summit
Briefly
VIENNA North Koreas nuclear program is a matter of serious concern, the UN atomic agency IAEA said in a report released on August 30. DAMASCUS More than 8000 members of the security forces have been killed since Syrias antiregime uprising broke out in March 2011, the director of the capitals Tishrin military hospital said on August 30. WASHINGTON The Pentagon on August 30 threatened legal action against the former Navy SEAL who has written a book recounting his role in the May 2011 raid that killed Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden. Earlier report, P. 29. NEW YORK As many as 125 students at Harvard University are being probed for allegedly cheating in a final exam at the elite institution, administrators said on August 30. AFP TEHRAN A showpiece summit hosted by Iran stumbled as soon as it opened on August 30 when the head of the UN pressed Tehran on its nuclear stand and Egypts new leader publicly sided with Syrias opposition. The double challenge, before the leaders and delegates of the 120-member Non-Aligned Movement, upset Irans plans to portray the two-day gathering as a diplomatic triumph over Western efforts to isolate Tehran. Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei opened the summit with a speech blasting the United States as a hegemonic meddler and Israel as a regime of Zionist wolves. He also said Iran is never seeking nuclear weapons and accused the UN Security Council, under US influence, of exerting an overt dictatorship over the world. UN chief Ban Ki-moon shot back that Iran should boost global confidence in its nuclear activities by fully complying with the relevant Security Council resolutions and thoroughly cooperating with the IAEA, the UNs nuclear watchdog. President Mohamed Morsi making the first visit to Iran by an Egyptian head of state since the 1979 Islamic revolution in turn embarrassed his hosts by voicing support for the Syrian opposition, which is fighting the Damascus regime, firmly backed by Iran. The revolution in Egypt is the cornerstone for the Arab Spring, which started days after Tunisia and then it was followed by Libya and Yemen and now the revolution in Syria against its oppressive regime, Morsi said. That contradicted the line put out by Damascus and Tehran, which assert that the Syrian uprising is a terrorist plot masterminded by the United States and regional countries. The first day of the summit coincided with the release of an IAEA report that said Iran had doubled production capacity at its Fordo nuclear facility. The Vienna-based agency also said that its ability to inspect the Parchin military base where it suspects Iran did nuclear weapons research in the past had been significantly hampered by a suspected clean-up. The IAEA said it was still unable to provide credible assurance about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran, and therefore to conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities. The restricted report, circulated to IAEA member states and seen by AFP, showed that Iran now has about 2000 uraniumenrichment centrifuges installed, compared with about 1000 in May, at Fordo. Enriched uranium can be used for peaceful purposes but also, at highly concentrated purities, for nuclear weapons, and multiple UN Security Council resolutions have called on Iran to suspend enrichment. AFP Earlier report, P. 28

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Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney gestures during his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida, on August 30. Romney vowed to rescue the US economy and create jobs as he accepted the Republican presidential nomination at the climax of a convention that sought to humanise him as a candidate. What is needed in our country today is not complicated or profound. It doesnt take a special government commission to tell us what America needs, Romney said. What America needs is jobs. Lots of jobs. Romney said President Barack Obama had failed to deliver the hope and change he had promised. Related report, P. 29. Pic: AFP

South African miners charged with murder

That is madness. The JOHANNESBURG South African prosecutors on whole world saw police August 30 charged 270 mine kill those workers. The workers with the murder of policemen who killed those 34 striking colleagues shot miners are not in custody, dead by police, in a decision he said. A legal expert also described as madness. Police said they acted questioned the decision to in self defence on August lay charges. In charging the miners 16 when they opened fire on workers at a platinum for the death of miners mine outside Rustenburg, k i l l e d b y t h e p o l i c e , I northwest of Johannesburg, dont see how common killing 34, after a stand- purpose doctrine could be off that had already killed used here, said Vincent 10 including two police Nmehille, a law professor at the University of the officers. The incident was the Witwatersrand, referring worst day of police violence to a so-called common purpose law in South Africa under which since the end of they had been white-minority The whole charged. apartheid rule Meanwhile, in 1994. world saw talks to end Prosecuting the dispute authorities police kill continued with said the 270 mine owners d e t a i n e d those workers. Lonmin and workers would mediators face trial for the murder of their colleagues. o p t i m i s t i c a b o u t a The court today charged breakthrough to end the all the workers with murder, three-week strike over under the common purpose wages. The company wants a law, the spokesman for the prosecutors office Frank peace accord sealed before starting negotiations on Lesenyego said. He did not give details workers wage demands. s a y i n g t h e y w o u l d b e But workers, who say they r e v e a l e d i n c o u r t t h i s earn 4000 rand (US$470) a month and want 12,500 week. Julius Malema, a former rand, insist they will not youth leader with the ruling go back underground until ANC, however, said he was their demands are met. The strike has paralysed dismayed by the decision to charge the miners who operations at Lonmins survived the August 16 Marikana mine since 3000 bloodbath at the Marikana rock drill operators downed tools on August 10. AFP mine.

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Sth Pacific big enough for US and China: Clinton

AVARUA, Cook Islands Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said last week that the South Pacific was big enough for both the United States and China but urged the Asian power to ensure it distributes its growing aid fairly. Clinton vowed that the United States would remain committed to the South Pacific as she became the first US secretary of state to take part in an annual summit in the vast but sparsely populated region. Her visit comes as several island states forge closer ties with China, which Australias Lowy Institute says has pledged more than US$600 million in low-interest and mostly condition-free loans to the South Pacific since 2005. Clinton played down rivalries in the South Pacific during the summit in the Cook Islands. We think it is important for the Pacific island nations to have good relationships with as many partners as possible and that includes China and the United States, Clinton told reporters on August 31. Amid criticism that Chinas open wallet has undermined international pressure for democracy in Fiji and other nations, Clinton said: Here in the Pacific, we want to see China act in a fair and transparent way. Clinton, in an address to the 15-nation Pacific Islands Forum, said that all nations had important contributions and stakes in the security and prosperity of the region. I think, after all, the Pacific is big enough for all of us, she said. Chinese state media have accused Clinton of seeking to contain the rise of the Asian nation through her latest tour of the region. But Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai sounded a conciliatory note during the Pacific Islands Forum, saying on August 30 that China was in in this region not to seek any particular influence, still less dominance. Were here to be a good partner for the island countries, were not here to compete with anyone, he told reporters. Cui said that China was willing to work with other countries but added: It will not mean that China will have to change its foreign aid policy. We are not changing it. Any potential US attempt to contest Chinas role would also be fraught with difficulties as several nations in the region have embraced China, with Samoas leader saying in June that the Asian power was a greater friend. Prime Minister Henry Puna of the Cook Islands welcomed the renewed US interest in the region but made clear the region would not distance itself from China. We have a very close relationship with the Peoples Republic of China and I make no bones about it, he told reporters. Theyve been very good to us, Puna said. There is certainly room for both in the Pacific. Clinton announced $32 million in new aid projects, mostly to help Pacific islands plan ways to adapt to climate change a major concern for low-lying nations that fear being swamped by rising sea levels. We are increasing our investments, she said. And we will be here with you for the long haul. The US ended its main aid programs in the South Pacific in 1994, resuming assistance only recently under President Barack Obama. AFP

50 years later, an apology for thalidomide

LONDON The German firm that made thalidomide has issued its first apology in more than 50 years to the thousands born disabled as a result of the drugs use. Grunenthals chief executive Harald Stock said in a speech on August 31 that his company was very sorry for its silence towards the victims of the drug, which was sold to pregnant women as a cure for morning sickness in the 1950s and early 1960s. An estimated 10,000 children worldwide were born with defects after their mothers took thalidomide before it was pulled from the market in 1961. In a translated copy of the German text published on Grunenthals website, Harald said he wanted to express his companys sincere regrets and deep sympathy to all those affected. We ask that you regard our long silence as a sign of the shock that your fate has caused us, Harald said in the speech. Stock delivered the speech at the inauguration of a special memorial to thalidomide victims in Stolberg, western Germany, where the company is based. The apology was rejected as insufficient by the charity Thalidomide Agency UK, which represents people affected by the drug in Britain. Freddie Astbury, the charitys head consultant, who was born without arms or legs after his mother took the drug, said the company needed to put their money where their mouth is rather than simply express regret. AFP

A mural in Gaza city of the late Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat. Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on August 29 welcomed a decision by French prosecutors to open a murder inquiry into Arafats death in France in 2004 following claims he may have died of polonium poisoning. Polonium is a highly toxic radioactive substance rarely found outside military and scientific circles. It was used to kill former Russian spy turned Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko, who died in London in 2006 soon after drinking tea laced with the poison. Pic: AFP

Syrian forces need more time: Assad

But his foreign minister, DAMASCUS, Aug 30, 2012 (AFP) - President Bashar Laurent Fabius, admitted al-Assad said last week his on August 29 that their forces need more time to implementation would be win the battle in Syria and very complicated and scoffed at the idea of creating require the imposition of buffer zones for displaced partial no-fly zones. Assad also mocked people, as fighting raged regime defectors, saying nationwide. Assads statements, in an their departure amounted interview with pro-regime to a self-cleansing of the Addounia channel on August government firstly and the 29, came a day after a car country generally. Syrias government has bomb rocked a funeral in a Damascus suburb, killing been rattled by several high-profile defections as 27 people. I can summarise in one the conflict has escalated, phrase: we are progressing, including former premier the situation on the ground Riad Hijab and prominent is better but we have not General Manaf Tlass, a yet won this will take childhood friend of Assad. Despite several mistakes, more time, Assad said in there is a the interview strong bond with the the p r i v a t e I can summarise between and regime channel. He also in one phrase: we the Syrian people, Assad rejected an idea proposed are progressing i n s i s t e d , boasting the by Turkey support of the of creating buffer zones within Syria to majority of the population. What is happening is receive those displaced by the conflict so they do not neither a revolution nor a flood across the borders into Spring, it is about terrorist acts in every sense of the neighbouring countries. Talk of buffer zones term, he said. State-run newspaper firstly is not on the table and secondly it is an unrealistic Tishrin said the car bombing of idea by hostile countries a funeral in Damascus was an and the enemies of Syria, indication that the terrorist groups have reached a very he said. Assad also accused the advanced stage of despair and Turkish state of bearing bankruptcy. The bombing took place in a direct responsibility for the spilling of blood inside Jaramana, a mainly Druze and Christian town on the Syria. French President Francois southeastern outskirts of Hollande said on August 27 Damascus that the BritainFrance was working with based Syrian Observatory for its partners on the possible Human Rights has described establishment of such buffer as generally supportive of Assads government. AFP zones.

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Briefs
Trial date set for WikiLeaks suspect
FORT MEADE, Maryland US Army Private Bradley Manning will go on trial on February 4 of next year over charges he aided the enemy by passing a trove of classified documents to WikiLeaks, a judge said on August 30 The proceedings are scheduled to last until March 15, said Colonel Denise Lind during a pretrial hearing at the Fort Meade military base in Maryland. Manning, 24, could be jailed for life over the WikiLeaks allegations the biggest security leak in American history.

Manning broke rules before, says US military

FORT MEADE, Maryland US military lawyers said Wednesday that Army Private Bradley Manning, who is accused of passing secret documents to WikiLeaks, knew his actions were wrong as he had broken similar rules before. A pre-trial hearing for Manning heard that he posted a video about his life on YouTube in 2008, but it was spotted and the corrective training he later received included guidance on how to protect sensitive intelligence files. Manning, 24, who could be jailed for life over the WikiLeaks allegations the biggest security leak in American history used banned military buzzwords including classified and top secret in the video. It was meant to assure his family that he was coping with army life but instead it led to disciplinary action that included Manning having to give a PowerPoint presentation outlining how intelligence leaks could aid US enemies. The military says the YouTube video is evidence that Manning was fully aware of the consequences when he released a huge cache of diplomatic cables and military logs to WikiLeaks, and the prosecution wants the YouTube video and the PowerPoint slides shown to the jury that will decide Mannings fate next year. The publishing by WikiLeaks of the official documents triggered a diplomatic firestorm that hugely embarrassed American officials who were left to deal with the fallout of the disclosures, which also rankled key US allies. Manning was arrested in May 2010 while serving as an intelligence analyst near Baghdad and subsequently charged with aiding the enemy, a charge that could result in a life sentence, and dozens of other counts of misconduct. Mannings defence team argued that if the YouTube video and the PowerPoint presentation was put before a jury there would be a substantial risk of prejudice which could damage their clients right to a fair trial. The defence has consistently maintained that Manning is not guilty of causing actual harm over the WikiLeaks disclosures. AFP

Another arrest in UK hacking case

LONDON The former legal advisor to Rupert Murdochs News International newspaper group was arrested in Britain on August 30 by police investigating alleged phone hacking. Tom Crone, 60, was held at his home in London on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications and was taken for questioning at a police station before being bailed to return on a date in mid-October. He is the 25th person to be arrested under Operation Weeting, the London Metropolitan Polices investigation into allegations of phone hacking.

Ryan lavishes scorn on Obama over economy

TAMPA, Florida Paul Ryan energised Mitt Romneys White House bid on August 29 with a scathing take-down of Barack Obamas economic record as he accepted the vice presidential nomination at the Republican convention. I accept the duty to help lead our nation out of a jobs crisis and back to prosperity. And I know we can do this, Ryan, 42, said, exhibiting little sign of nerves during his 35-minute speech, by far the biggest of his political life. Ryan accused Obama of saddling the US economy with four years of failed big government policies and held up Romney, a 65-yearold former Massachusetts governor, as the man to turn things around with his business acumen. After four years of getting the run-around, America needs a turnaround, and the man for the job is Governor Mitt Romney, he said. Romney was to formally take up the nomination with his all-important acceptance speech to the convention in Tampa, Florida on August 30. Ryan as an e x t r e m e , budget-cutting friend of the rich who would gut beloved social programs. But Republicans have used the selection of the seventerm congressman, whose budget plan is the partys blueprint to fix the flagging US economy, to breathe fresh life into a race that had been in danger of drifting away from Romney. Ryan took his chance in the convention spotlight to assail the presidents record, saying Obamas 2008 promises of hope and change had fallen flat after four years of fiscal recklessness, ballooning debt and joblessness. It all started off with stirring speeches, Greek columns, the thrill of something new, he said. But now, theyve run out of ideas. Their moment came and went. Fear and division are all theyve got left. AFP

Britain, Sweden must rule out extradition to US for Assange: Quito

QUITO Ecuadors president fears Julian Assange would not get a fair trial in the United States and has insisted that Britain and Sweden guarantee they will not extradite the WikiLeaks founder. Assange took shelter in Ecuadors London embassy after exhausting all appeals against his extradition to Sweden for questioning on sex crime allegations, and Quito later granted him asylum, sparking a diplomatic row. The WikiLeaks founder has said he fears Sweden intends to hand him over to the United States, where he could face prosecution over his part in the leaking of hundreds of thousands of secret battlefield reports and embassy cables. Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa said on August 29 in an interview with state-run television that if Assange were to be extradited to the United States, there would be no guarantee of due process. What we want is to insure a fair trial and the right to life for Mr Assange, but there are clear and serious indications of political persecution, he said. The 41-year-old Australian former hacker has denied the sex crime allegations and accused Washington of carrying out a witch hunt aimed at silencing critics of its policies. Assange on August 29 accused Sweden of consigning neutrality to the dustbin of history by taking part in the NATO-led war in Afghanistan and backing last years no-fly zone in Libya, which helped rebels topple Moamer Kadhafi. His remarks were carried in Spanish by Ecuadoran state television, which interviewed him inside the London embassy. Correa said there were three ways to resolve the diplomatic impasse with London: either Britain and Sweden could guarantee that Assange will not be sent to a third country, Swedish prosecutors could question him in the Ecuadoran embassy or British authorities could allow him to leave without arresting him. AFP

US arms sales triple to $66b

WASHINGTON US arms sales to other countries nearly tripled last year to US$66.3 billion, giving America a market share of nearly 80 percent, the Congressional Research Service said on August 27. The US figure for 2011 was the largest for a single year but included a one-off deal with Saudi Arabia for $29.4 billion. Despite a sluggish world economy, global arms sales nearly doubled in 2011 to $85.3 billion, the report said.

Paul Ryan waves to the crowd after his speech at the Republication National convention on August 29. Pic: AFP He lies neck-and-neck with Obama in national polls ahead of a November 6 election that should be the challengers for the taking, given the sour economy and stubbornly high unemployment. Democrats have portrayed

US commandos book tells how bin Laden died

WASHINGTON Osama bin Laden was shot in the head as he peered out of a door and then pumped with bullets as he convulsed on the floor, according to a book by a member of the US commando team that killed him. The Navy SEAL team members version of the al-Qaeda chiefs death differs from previous accounts offered by President Barack Obamas administration and will fuel a debate on the handling of state secrets in the wake of the killing. No Easy Day, to be released this week, offers a first witness account of the May 2011 raid, and describes how a Navy SEAL sat on bin Ladens body in the cramped Blackhawk helicopter that flew out of Pakistan after the operation. Previous official accounts said bin Laden had appeared in a doorway and ducked back into his bedroom, leading the US commandos to suspect he might be retrieving a weapon. But the author, writing under the pseudonym Mark Owen, said bin Laden was shot in the head by the SEAL team when he leaned out of the doorway and was found bleeding from his wound when commandos made their way to his room, according to excerpts cited in media reports and confirmed to AFP by defence officials. Bin Laden was mortally wounded and twitching on the floor as two women cried over his body. The team pushed aside the women and then fired more shots at the al-Qaeda leader, says the book. We fired several rounds, the author wrote in the book. The bullets tore into him, slamming his body into the floor until he was motionless. quarters on the chopper, says the book. US officials insisted there was no display of disrespect, even if the authors description was accurate. The commandos had already lost one helicopter in the operation, which crash-landed at the compound, and this made for crowded conditions on the remaining aircraft, said a defence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Special operations forces crammed into helicopters sometimes have to force could face criminal prosecution if they revealed information that endangered US troops. Obama administration officials appeared anxious to avoid having to defend an operation they deem a major success, while suggesting the book did not shed any new light on the raid. We are not going to rehash the whole thing, said the US defence official. Republican activists and lawmakers have accused Obamas aides of disclosing secrets about the raid to Hollywood filmmakers and reporters to bolster Obamas political standing, a charge the White House denies. The author insisted his book had no political motive and was meant to honour the years of intelligence work and training that led up to the raid. You know, if these crazies on either side of the aisle want to make it political, shame on them. This is a book about September 11th, and it needs to rest on September 11th, not be brought into the political arena, because this this has nothing to do with politics, he told CBS televisions 60 Minutes. AFP

Concern grows over drug-resistant TB

PARIS Researchers on Thursday sounded the alarm over drug-resistant tuberculosis, calling it a curse that was swiftly becoming more difficult and costly to treat. In eight countries they studied, 43.7 percent of TB patients did not respond to at least one second-line TB drug, a strategy used when the most powerful first-line drugs fail. The probe, covering Estonia, Latvia, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, South Africa, South Korea and Thailand, is reported in The Lancet medical journal. AFP

a book about This ishas nothing toSeptember 11th, and it do with politics.
The publisher, Penguin Groups Dutton, moved the scheduled release date from September 11 to September 4, as media coverage has triggered a flood of orders for the book. The Obama administration had said bin Ladens body was treated with dignity and given a Muslim burial at sea. But on the helicopter flight out of Pakistan, a SEAL member sat on bin Ladens chest due to cramped sit on the bodies of their own fallen comrades, the official added. Top officials are reviewing the book to determine whether the author revealed any classified information or secret tactics, which would violate Pentagon rules and trigger legal action. The head of Special Operations Command, Admiral William McRaven, warned in a memo dated August 23 that members of the elite

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A broken worlds role in Syrias agony

COMMENT
by Jaswant Singh
NEW DELHI Syrias agony has generated a variety of unproductive responses: verbal condemnation of the excesses of President Bashar alAssads regime; disagreements about the wisdom of armed intervention; and all-around confusion about the possibility of finding a viable longterm solution. Worse, in this sorry state of affairs, the world may be getting a glimpse of a very ugly future. First, let us try to disentangle some of the cats cradle of ironies and contradictions that are bedeviling efforts to end the violence in Syria. Whereas Syria denies political freedom to its citizens, it tolerates significantly more social freedom than many other Arab countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, which is leading the charge to oust Assad. Governed by minority Alawites (a Shia sect), Syria harbours a kaleidoscope of distinct groups: Arabs, Armenians, Christians, Kurds, Druze, Ismailis, and Bedouin. It is this tolerance of cultural and religious diversity that could be endangered if the Sunni-inspired revolt sweeps the country. That is why Syria simultaneously generates revulsion at the regimes atrocities and fear of what might follow if the regime is defeated. In an ancient land such as Syria, there can be no examination of the problems of the present without reflecting upon the past. History, after all, is always the mother of the present, and geography the progenitor. confused that nosatisfactory answer is now possible. Does that not sound familiar? And is not an updated version of Syrian (and then Iraqi) King Faisals exhortation to Arabs Choose to be either slaves or masters of your own destiny echoed in the political pronouncements of new leaders in Egypt and elsewhere. And let us examine the actions of the West in 1919 and the years that followed. The French, as Fromkin reminds us, shrank Syria, so that they could control it, rewarding their Christian allies by swelling the borders of Mount Lebanon with the Bekaa valley, the Mediterranean ports of Tyre, Sidon, Beirut and Tripoli, andlandnorth of Palestine. Thousands of Muslims [suddenly] belonged to a state dominated by Christians. So, as the Oxford historian Margaret Macmillan argues in her book The Peacemakers, Syrias leaders, remembering these events when Westerners probably did not, took the opportunity presented by the Black September crisis of 1970 to send troops to their countrys lost lands. The combination of ethnic and sectarian fears and rivalries, historical memories, and willful blindness among outside powers seems almost predestined to destabilise the entire Middle East again. Turkey is resurgent yet troubled; Iraq has been invaded and abandoned; Iran is isolated and threatened; Israel is anxious and belligerent; and Afghanistan and Pakistan are internally imbalanced and politically fragile. Indeed, the great arc stretching from Cairo to the Hindu Kush threatens to become the locus of global disorder. Little wonder that Iranian envoy Saeed Jalili, after meeting Assad in Damascus recently, announced that Iran will absolutely not allow the axis of resistance, of which it considers Syria to be a main pillar, to be broken in any way. For Turkey, Syrias plight is a strategic nightmare, because any breakup of Syria implies the possible rise of a greater Kurdistan, which would raise claims to a great swath of Turkish territory. Is there a solution to this grim impasse? Certainly, one will not be found in more United Nations resolutions, which is why US President Barack Obama is now believed to favour a managed transition in Syria that would not fatally erode the existing instruments of the Syrian state. As Michael Ignatieff has wisely observed, Syrias crisis has revealed that this is the moment in which the West should see that the world has truly broken into two. A loose alliance of struggling capitalist democracies is faced by Russia and China. Western countries national interests will no longer determine the moral and political impulses of todays global community. Indeed, whatever the outcome, Syrias agony has underscored a further irreversible weakening of the Wests dominant global role. Project Syndicate (Jaswant Singh, a former Indian finance minister, foreign minister, and defence minister, is the author of Jinnah: India Partition Independence).

Women walk past the covered body of a Free Syria Army fighter outside a hospital in Aleppo, Syrians second largest city, on August 28. The great arc stretching from Cairo to the Hindu Kush threatens to become the locus of global disorder, writes Jaswant Singh. Pic: AFP. In his history of the Arab world in the aftermath of World War I, A Peace to End all Peace, David Fromkin suggests that the Middle East today reflects the failure of the European powers to consolidate the political systems that they imposed. Britain and its allies destroyed the old order, smashing Turkish rule of the Arabic-speaking Middle East. But then they created countries, nominated rulers, delineated frontiers, [and introduced] a state system that would not work. But, in the wake of the American-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the intervention in Libya, is not the same experiment being repeated almost a century later? That is the question that realistic policymakers should be asking themselves as they ponder what to do in Syria. In August 1919, British Foreign Minister Arthur Balfour summarised the essence of the problem that is now confronting policymakers. The unhappy truth, he wrote, is that France, England, and America have got themselvesso inextricably

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The astronaut who was down to earth

By Joel Auerbach NEIL Armstrong was genuinely modest. He never boasted of his accomplishments. He didnt regale people with his heroism in finding a way to land the Eagle amid the boulders of an alien world with his fuel running out. But he didnt have ice water in his veins. His pulse hit 156 during the moon landing. And he wasnt completely silent. I have proof. When I heard that Neil Armstrong died, I drove to the office and rifled through a drawer where I keep really special stuff that I dont want to get lost amid the clutter of my journalistic existence. Found it: a printout of an email from the first man on the moon. He actually sent me a couple of them. The first came after I blogged about Armstrong and fellow Apollo astronauts when they criticised the Obama administrations plans to kill the Constellation program, the successor to the space shuttle. That email was cordial but firm. He annotated my blog item paragraph by paragraph, disagreeing with various points I made. Obviously I was thrilled and astonished. Jaded journalist turns to mush with email from one of his heroes. Armstrong said he wasnt interested in seeing it published. So Ill respect that. I wrote him earlier this year, on another subject related to space policy. He wrote back at length but said he hadnt carefully thought it through and didnt want it published. So, again, itll just stay in my files. The fact is, he wasnt always taciturn. He just didnt like public attention. Particularly as of late, he seemed to take seriously the idea US astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first person to set foot on the moon, in an undated image released by NASA after he died on August 25, aged 82. Armstrong set foot on the moon after arriving there with fellow Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin on July 20, 1969. Pic: AFP/NASA

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that he needed to lobby for space exploration. He strongly favoured a return trip to the moon as part of a broader exploration strategy. He was greatly upset by the decision

to cancel Constellation. He believed in aerospace engineering. There was passion there, even if he never showed it much in public. The Washington Post

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Australia to link its carbon tax scheme to European Union

SYDNEY Australia announced on August 28 it will link its hard-fought carbon pricing scheme, aimed at combating climate change, with the European Unions from mid-2015. Australia introduced the first stage of its plans to put a price on carbon dioxide pollution in July with a socalled carbon tax, which charges big polluters A$23 (US$23.81) a tonne for their emissions of the gas. The go v e r n me n t h as always said it would move to an emissions trading scheme after three years with a floating price set by the market. Climate Change Minister Greg Combet said this would be linked to the EUs scheme from 2015. This means that from July 1, 2015, Australias carbon price will effectively be the same as that that operates in our second largest trading bloc, he told reporters. A full two-way link in which there would be mutual recognition of carbon units between the two cap and trade systems would begin no later than July 1, 2018, he added. The minister said a previous commitment to set a floor price of A$15 a tonne for the first three years to avoid price shocks would be scrapped. We now look forward to the first full inter-continental linking of emission trading systems, European Commissioner for Climate

In grim milestone, sea ice melts to record Arctic low

WASHINGTON The sea ice in the Arctic Ocean has melted to its smallest point in a milestone that may show that worstcase forecasts on climate change are coming true, US scientists said on August 27. The extent of ice observed on August 26 broke a record set in 2007 and will likely melt further with several weeks of summer still to come, showed data from the National Snow and Ice Data Center and the NASA space agency. The government-backed ice centre, based at the University of Colorado at Boulder, said in a statement that the decline in summer Arctic sea ice is considered a strong signal of long-term climate warming. The sea ice fell to 4.10 million square kilometers (1.58 million square miles), some 70,000 square kilometers (27,000 square miles) less than the earlier record charted on September 18, 2007, the centre said. Scientists said the record was all the more striking as 2007 had near perfect climate patterns for melting ice, but that the weather this year was unremarkable other than a storm in early August. Michael Mann, a lead author of a major UN report in 2001 on climate change, said the latest data showed losing about 155,000 square kilometers (60,000 square miles) of ice a year, the equivalent of a US state every two years, said Walt Meier, a scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center. It used to be the Arctic ice cover was a kind of big block of ice. It would melt a little bit from the edges but it was pretty solid, Meier told reporters on a conference call. Now its like crushed ice, he said. The planet has charted a series of record temperatures in recent years, with 13 of the warmest years on record taking place in the past decade and a half, along with extreme weather ranging from severe wildfires in North America to major flooding in Asia. Researchers have also reported a dramatic melt this summer on the ice sheet in Greenland, which could have major consequences for the planet by raising sea levels. Scientists believe that climate change is caused by human emissions of carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions. But efforts to regulate emissions have faced strong political resistance in several nations including the United States, where industry groups say regulations would be too costly for the economy. AFP

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillards popularity has been affected by the carbon tax. Pic: AFP Action, Connie Hedegaard, said in a joint statement with Combet. Combet said he was confident of Australian government modelling, which predicts a A$29 a tonne carbon price in 201516. The current EU price is below A$10. The issue of a carbon tax has been hotly debated in Australia, among the worlds worst per capita polluters due to its reliance on coal-fired power and mining exports. Prime Minister Julia Gillards popularity has sunk since she announced plans for the carbon tax in early 2011 after pledging before her 2010 election that it would not be introduced by a government she led. AFP

that scientists who were criticised as alarmists may have shown perhaps too great a degree of reticence. There are a number of areas where in fact climate change seems to be proceeding faster and with a greater magnitude than what the models predicted, said Mann, director of the Earth System Science Center at Penn State University. The sea ice decline is

perhaps the most profound of those cautionary tales because the models have basically predicted that we shouldnt see what were seeing now for several decades, he added. Arctic ice is considered vital for the planet as it reflects heat from the sun back into space, helping keep down the planets temperatures. The Arctic region is

Pussy Riot file appeal on sentence

MOSCOW Pussy Riot lawyers last week filed an appeal against the jailing of three of the Russian band members for their punk prayer call for Vladimir Putins ouster ahead of his election to a new presidential term. The decision to contest this months controversial ruling came as news emerged that two other singers in the group had fled Russia out of fear of being arrested. Defence lawyer Violetta Volkova said Pussy Riots appeal against the twoyear imprisonment was filed with the Moscow City Court on August 27. The unusual case sparked a worldwide celebrity and pop star campaign for Pussy Riots freedom that has enlisted the likes of Bjork and Madonna as well as Paul McCartney and Sting. Moscow investigators responded to the global pressure by launching a hunt for two other members of the group who took part in the protest stunt but managed to avoid arrest in the subsequent months. AFP

Ecuador rejects extradition bid

QUITO Ecuadors Supreme Court has denied an extradition request from Belarus over dissident blogger and former soldier Alexander Barankov, wanted by Minsk for alleged fraud. The denial on August 28 came in the wake of a diplomatic row with Britain over Quitos offer of asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The court said it was unable to approve the extradition request for Barankov because he had been declared a refugee by the foreign ministry. Barankov, 30, a former army captain, fled to Ecuador in 2009 after being charged with fraud, allegations he says were trumped up after he blogged about widespread corruption linked to people close to Belarus authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, often referred to as Europes last dictator. Ecuador granted him asylum in 2010 after he argued that he faced the death penalty for treason in Belarus, but imprisoned him for 52 days later that year after an extradition request from Minsk that was eventually rejected. The European Union and the United States have accused Belarus of detaining dissidents and committing other human rights abuses and tightened sanctions in the wake of a disputed election in December 2010 that handed another term to Lukashenko, in power since 1994. The Barankov case reemerged following a visit by Lukashenko to Ecuador in June, when he signed several military and other accords with President Rafael Correa, a leftist leader who has moved to strengthen ties with US foes. Rights groups and press freedom organisations have meanwhile roundly criticised Correa for targeting opposition media with libel suits, accusing Ecuador of having one of the worst records on press freedom in Latin America. AFP

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Court upholds Tymoshenko conviction

KIEV Ukraines high court on August 29 upheld former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenkos conviction and seven-year jail sentence for abuse of power linked to a disputed 2009 gas deal with Russia. The judicial panel has ruled that the appeal filed by Tymoshenko is not subject to approval, judge Olexander Elfimov told the court. The judicial panel found no grounds for the appeal, the judge said. The ruling by Ukraines highest court means that Tymoshenko has now exhausted her domestic legal recourse and is free to lodge an appeal before the European Court of Human Rights. About 100 supporters of the 2004 prodemocracy Orange Revolution co-leader waved Tymoshenkos Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) party flags during a quiet rally outside the Kiev courtroom. Both the defence and most Western nations view the charges as politically motivated and have urged President Viktor Yanukovych to take measures that would lead to his rivals release. Tymoshenko struck the gas deal during a cut in Russian deliveries that came in the middle of a winter prices dispute. Yanukovych argues that Tymoshenko overstepped her authority in agreeing the deal without required consultations and says he is only waging a campaign for clean government. AFP

(reg: no. iV/5278/2012) (reg: no. iV/5279/2012) The above two trademarks are in respect of:Scientific, nautical, surveying, photographic, cinematographic, optical, weighing, measuring, signaling, checking (supervision), life-saving and teaching apparatus and instruments; apparatus and instruments for conducting, switching, transforming, accumulating, regulating or controlling electricity; apparatus for recording, transmission or reproduction of sound or images; magnetic data carriers, recording discs; automatic vending machines and mechanisms for coin-operated apparatus; cash registers, calculating machines, data processing equipment and computers; fire-extinguishing apparatus.- Cl: 9 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 uL LLC P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 3rd September, 2012

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Minister speaks out on discrimination

ISLAMABAD Blasphemy allegations against Christians in Pakistan are not just a religious issue, says the countrys top Christian politician they also show that the old feudal caste system has not gone away. The position of the Christian minority in the overwhelmingly Muslim nation has come under the spotlight in the recent weeks with the arrest of Rimsha, a young Christian girl accused of blasphemy for allegedly burning papers containing Koranic verses. Anti-terrorist police with automatic rifles guard the large Islamabad home of Paul Bhatti, the Minister for National Harmony whose brother and predecessor Shahbaz was gunned down last year for speaking out against Pakistans strict blasphemy laws. Bhatti, the only Christian cabinet minister in Pakistan, where the population is 97 percent Muslim, felt a rush of fear on August 16 when Rimsha was arrested in a poor Islamabad suburb. When furious Muslims threatened Christians in the area the next day after Friday prayers, Bhatti contacted imams to try to calm things down, saying if they had encouraged the worshippers, it would have been possible to have another Gojra. Seven people died in the Punjab town of Gojra in 2009 when a Muslim mob burned Christian houses after a rumour that a Koran had been desecrated during a wedding service. From Gojra to the 2011 murders of Shahbaz Bhatti and Punjab governor Salman Taseer, who also backed reform of the blasphemy law, and the death sentence handed to Christian woman Asia Bibi in 2010, blasphemy cases have multiplied in recent years. What is happening is the misuse of this law, said Bhatti. changed, allegations of blasphemy provoke such visceral fury that people would take the law into their own hands. In July a mob of 2000 snatched a mentally unstable man from a police station in Punjab and beat him to death after he was accused of burning pages from the Koran. Liberals in Pakistan are concerned that people use the law to make false accusations to satisfy their bigoted religious impulses or settle personal scores. This is a very difficult time for Pakistan, there is sectarian violence, there is extremism, there is terrorism, said Bhatti. The people who want to destabilise the country, they can use easy victims. And many times, easy victims are Christians like in this case. But the cases are not solely a matter of religion, he said. The fact that most of Pakistans three million or so Christians are also poor and stuck in menial, dirty jobs is not total chance: many originally came from the lowest ranks of the old caste system. It is not just a religious problem. Its a caste factor, because it is a certain group of people who belong to the poorest and most marginalised people, Bhatti said. Unfortunately they are Christians and this caste system creates lots of problems. Christians are by no means the only victims of religious violence in Pakistan, where attacks by radical Sunni Muslim groups on minority Shiites and Ahmadis are on the rise. No-one has ever been executed for blasphemy in Pakistan, but the National Commission for Justice and Peace, a group formed by the Pakistan Catholic Bishops Conference, said that since 1990 18 Christians, 16 Muslims, two Ahmadis and a Hindu have been killed on suspicion of blasphemy. AFP

Pakistans Minister for National Harmony, Paul Bhatti, speaking during a visit to Paris on May 26. Bhatti, the only Christian member of the Pakistani cabinet, says the countrys blasphemy law is being misused. Pic: AFP Under the legislation, insulting the prophet Mohammad can be punished by death, while desecrating the Koran can earn a life sentence. Bhatti said even if the law were

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Indian politician convicted of murder

AHMEDABAD, India An Indian court on August 29 convicted a former state minister of murder for her involvement in a massacre of Muslims during religious riots in Gujarat in 2002, a prosecutor said. Maya Kodnani, who served as a minister in Gujarats Hindu nationalist state government from 20072009, was found guilty over the killing of 97 Muslims in the Naroda Patiya suburb of the city of Ahmedabad. Prosecution lawyer Shamshad Pathan told AFP that, as well as murder, Kodnani was also convicted of conspiracy. Of 61 people facing charges including murder, criminal conspiracy and causing grievous hurt with deadly weapons, 32 had been found guilty and 29 acquitted, he added. Kodnani, who served as child and human development minister under Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi until her arrest in 2009, broke down in tears when she was found guilty, the lawyer said. The violence in Gujarat was triggered by the deaths of nearly 60 Hindu pilgrims in a February 2002 train fire that was at first blamed on a mob. Hindus hungry for revenge rampaged through Muslim neighbourhoods across Gujarat in an orgy of violence that human rights groups say left more than 2000 people dead, mainly Muslims. Modi a prominent figure in the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and a possible future candidate for prime minister was widely criticised for failing to stop the riots. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. An inquiry by Modis Gujarat government concluded that the train burning which sparked the clashes was a conspiracy, but a federal probe later said it was an accident. AFP

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In respect of Acceptance of deposits of valuables (including issuance of bonds in substitution for deposits), and acceptance of timed deposits; Loaning of funds and discounting of bills; Domestic exchange settlement; Surety services for debts and bills; Securities lending; Arranging of credit; Safe deposit of securities, precious metals, and other articles; Currency exchange; Transactions relating to financial futures; Underwriting services relating to money in trust, securities in trust, credits in trust, personal estate in trust, land or buildings thereon in trust, or surface rights or land-leasing rights in trust; Bond brokerage services; Foreign exchange services; Issuing letters of credit; Intermediary services relating to hire-purchase; Providing information relating to housing loans; Agencies for collecting gas or electric power utility payments; Life insurance brokerage; Life insurance underwriting; Agencies for non-life insurance; Claim adjustment for non-life insurance; Non-life insurance underwriting; Insurance premium rate computing; Real estate management; Intermediary services relating to the leasing of buildings; Leasing of buildings; Buying and selling of buildings; Intermediary services relating to the trading of buildings; Real estate appraisal services relating to buildings or land; Intermediary services relating to the leasing of land; Leasing of land; Buying and selling of land; Intermediary services relating to the buying and selling of land; Providing information relating to real estate affairs in Class 36; Construction work; Construction consultancy; Installation, maintenance and repair of building equipment; Repair or maintenance of water pollution control equipment in Class 37; Architectural design; Designing; Computer programming; Computer software design; Maintenance of computer software; Computer system design; Maintenance of computer system in Class 42; and Providing temporary accommodation; Accommodation bureaux (brokering reservations for hotels, boarding houses or the like); Providing food and beverages in Class 43. Fraudulent or unauthorized use, or actual or colourable imitation of the said Trademarks shall be dealt with according to law. u Than Maung, Advocate For daiwa House industry Co., Ltd., C/o kelvin Chia Yangon Ltd. Room 1508-1509, 15th Floor, Sakura Tower Bogyoke Aung San Road, Kyauktada Township, Yangon, The Republic of the Union of Myanmar. dated 3 September 2012 utm@kcyangon.com

Australia suffers deadliest day of war in Afghanistan

SYDNEY Five Australian troops were killed in two separate incidents in Afghanistan in what Prime Minister Julia Gillard described on August 29 as the nations deadliest day in combat since the Vietnam War. The deaths, which included three killings in an insider attack by an Afghan solider, brought to 38 the number of Australian lives lost in the conflict. This is a very big toll... this is our single worst day in Afghanistan, said Gillard, who cut short a trip to the Pacific Islands Forum to return home and deal with the fallout. Indeed this is the most lost in combat since the days of the Vietnam War. Australias acting defence chief Air Marshal Mark Binskin said the first incident occurred inside a patrol base near Tirin Kot in the restive southern Uruzgan province where about 1500 Australian troops are deployed. In the second, two Australian special forces soldiers were killed when their helicopter crashed in Helmand province. Three Australian soldiers from the 3RAR task group were shot and killed when an individual wearing an Afghan National Army uniform opened fire with an automatic weapon from close range, he told reporters. The dead soldiers were aged 40, 23, and 21 and were relaxing at the end of the day when the Afghan opened fire, he added. General Abdul Hamid Hamid, an Afghan army commander in the south of the country, suggested it may have been a case of mistaken identity. Hamid said Australian troops had wanted to enter an Afghan army camp in Chora district in Uruzgan province but had been fired on by an Aghan soldier on guard duty who thought they were enemy forces. NATO has struggled to counter the socalled green-on-blue attacks in which uniformed Afghans turn their weapons against their international allies. The assaults have spiked this year, with more than 30 attacks claiming the lives of 45 coalition troops, comprising about 14 percent of the overall death toll in the war for 2012, according to ISAF. The latest deaths are the third green-onblue incident involving Australian soldiers. Gillard admitted the spate of insider attacks was making it difficult to build trust between Australians and the Afghans they are training. It is really difficult for our soldiers in the field, she said, but insisted she still had faith in the progress Australian troops were making in Afghanistan. Our strategy is well-defined, our strategy is constant, and we cannot allow even the most grievous of losses to change our strategy, she told reporters in the Cook Islands. We went there for a purpose and we will see that purpose through. Australia is a close ally of the United States and its Afghan deployment began in 2001. Canberra later pulled out, only to redeploy in 2005. Australia announced this year that it would begin withdrawing its forces in 2013, earlier than planned due to significant security gains and as Canberra has faced increased pressure over the long-running Afghan campaign. AFP

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Briefs
Hopes fade for asylum seekers
MERAK, Indonesia Hopes were fading fast on August 31 for more than 100 asylum seekers missing from a boat that sank off Indonesia two days earlier. The Australia-bound wooden boat carrying about 150 people including children sent a distress signal early on August 29 when it was off Java. Alerted by Australia, Indonesia sent out a rescue team but 10 hours later abandoned the search. Australian authorities took it up again and 54 people had been pulled from the water by late on August 30.

Bionic eye implant a world first: surgeon

SYDNEY Australian scientists said on August 29 they had successfully implanted a world first bionic eye prototype, describing it as a major breakthrough for the visually impaired. Bionic Vision Australia (BVA), a government-funded science consortium, said it had surgically installed an early prototype robotic eye in a woman with hereditary sight loss caused by degenerative retinitis pigmentosa. Described as a prebionic eye, the tiny device is attached to Dianne Ashworths retina and contains 24 electrodes which send electrical impulses to stimulate her eyes nerve cells. Researchers switched on the device in their laboratory in July after Ashworth had fully recovered from surgery and she said it was an incredible experience. I didnt know what to expect, but all of a sudden, I could see a little flash it was amazing, she said in a statement. Every time there was stimulation there was a different shape that appeared in front of my eye. Penny Allen, the surgeon who implanted the device, described it as a world first. Ashworths device only works when it is connected inside the lab and BVA chairman David Penington said it would be used to the brain interprets this information, said Rob Shepherd, director of the Bionics Institute which was also involved in the breakthrough. The team is working towards a wide-view 98electrode device that will provide users with the ability to perceive large objects such as buildings and cars, and a high-acuity 1024-electrode device. Penington said the early results from Ashworth had fulfilled our best expectations, giving us confidence that with further development we can achieve useful vision. The next big step will be when we commence implants of the full devices, he said. AFP

Pic: AFP/Bionics Institute An illustration of a bionic eye prototype released last week by Bionic Vision Australia. explore how images were built by the brain and eye. Feedback from the device will be fed into a vision processor allowing doctors to determine exactly what Ashworth sees when her retina is subjected to various levels of stimulation. The team is looking for consistency of shapes, brightness, size and location of flashes to determine how

Abhisit testifies over unrest death

BANGKOK Former Thai prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva testified in court on August 30 for the first time in connection with dozens of protest deaths in 2010. Abhisit, now opposition leader, told an inquest at the Bangkok Criminal Court into the death of a taxi driver during the unrest that the authorities were trying to reclaim areas occupied by demonstrators. I repeated to officials that all actions must avoid any losses (of life), he said, adding that a series of grenade attacks were caused by militants armed with M79 launchers.

Morsi visits China to seek investment

BEIJING Egypts president met his Chinese counterpart in Beijing last week, seeking in his first state visit outside the Arab world to win badly needed investment and expand diplomatic ties. Mohamed Morsi took over in June as Egypts first freely-elected civilian and Islamist leader after protests toppled his long-ruling, USallied predecessor Hosni Mubarak. But he faces tough economic challenges in the wake of the uprising, which severely affected foreign investment. Egypt still receives US$1.3 billion a year in aid from the United States, but most of that goes to the military. Trade with China, whose Communist leaders were rattled by the wave of mass protests that swept the Arab world last year, reached $8.8 billion last year, up 40 percent from 2008, said the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. Chinese President Hu Jintao told Morsi in talks on August 28 that selecting China for his first official trip outside the Arab world showed a commitment to build ties. Since taking office, Mr President has chosen China as one of his first countries to visit and this fully shows that your country attaches great importance to the desire to develop relations, Hu said. After the talks, the two countries signed several agreements, including a pledge by Beijing to provide police cars to Egypt and an accord for the China Development Bank to offer $200 million in credit to the National Bank of Egypt. Other agreements signed covered agriculture, the environment, telecommunications, tourism and science. Egypts assistant planning minister has said that planned agreements for the visit included a power

Kuala Lumpur rules out changes to internet law

KUALA LUMPUR A Malaysian minister said on August 29 that the government will not change a legal amendment that has drawn protests from critics who call it an attempt to stifle free expression on the internet. Prime Minister Najib Razak pledged earlier in August to review the measure after NGOs, bloggers and opposition parties staged a oneday Internet blackout protest, replacing their homepages with blackened screens. Critics say that under the amendment to the Evidence Act any web host, wi-fi network provider, or ordinary user of a computer or mobile device can be punished for defamatory or harmful content sent via their systems. It was passed in April. De facto law minister Nazri Aziz said the cabinet discussed the issue in a meeting with Najib on August 28. The cabinet has decided that there is not going to be any change... We need this to ensure that we can effectively fight cybercrime, he told AFP. But opponents have called it an assault on internet freedom by the ruling coalition government that has been in power for more than five decades. Najib must call elections by next year and he faces a formidable political opposition that relies heavily on the internet for publicity because of a government stranglehold on traditional media. Its definitely intended to be protecting the interests of the authorities, of the government, Tian Chuah, a senior official with the opposition Peoples Justice Party, said of the amendment. To me, it seems to be very repressive. AFP

Dam would threaten tigers, says WWF

BANGKOK A proposed dam that would flood part of a national park in western Thailand represents a significant new threat to the kingdoms tigers, wildlife group WWF warned on August 29. It said the success of conservation efforts in the area near the border with Myanmar had been highlighted by new video footage of a tigress and her two cubs filmed by camera traps near the proposed dam site. Years of successful conservation efforts will be washed away if the dam construction goes ahead, said WWF conservationist Rungnapa Phoonjampa.

Self-immolation toll rises as two more Tibetans die

Chinese President Hu Jintao and his Egyptian counterpart, Mohamed Morsi, at a ceremony in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on August 28. Pic: AFP station, a desalination plant, industrial bakeries and internet development. Morsis spokesman Yasser Ali said the two leaders also discussed the violence in Syria. There is an understanding from both sides that we have to work together to stop (the) bleeding in Syrias streets, he told reporters, adding neither Egypt nor China would accept foreign military intervention in Syria. Chinas state-run media have also highlighted Morsis decision to make Beijing his first official trip outside the Arab world, which Egypt expert Peter Mandaville said marked a willingness to expand diplomatic ties beyond the countrys historic ally, the United States. The symbolism of it is important in terms of that broader effort by Egypt to signal that its going to diversify its portfolio of relationships, said Mandaville, a professor at George Mason University in the United States. In the short term I think its absolutely the case that Egypt, given its own economic situation, is pretty desperate to attract some lucrative Chinese investment. Unlike Chinese economic support, US aid to Egypt comes with conditions a sore point for many Egyptians, Mandaville said. AFP BEIJING Two Tibetan men have died after setting fire to themselves in China, a US broadcaster and two overseas pressure groups said on August 28, taking the number of such protests to more than 50 since 2009. Lobsang Kalsang, 18, a Buddhist monk, and former monk Damchoe, 17, died in hospital on August 27 after setting themselves on fire in southwest Chinas Aba town. The two men shouted slogans condemning Chinese policies in Tibet as they set themselves alight, Radio Free Asia said, citing two India-based monks with contacts in Aba, Sichuan province. They protested near Abas Kirti monastery, which has been under heavy security since a monk self-immolated there in March 2011, beginning the wave of the dramatic protests. The latest deaths take the number of ethnic Tibetans to have self-immolated since 2009 to 51, according to tallies by overseas-based pressure groups. China has accused the Dalai Lama who fled Tibet following a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959 and is vilified as a separatist by Communist authorities of encouraging the protests. The Dalai Lama has himself condemned self-immolations, which many Buddhists believe are contrary to their faith, but blamed them on hardline Chinese rule of Tibetan-populated areas. Tibetans say Beijing has curbed religious freedoms and their culture is being eroded by an influx of Han Chinese, the countrys main ethnic group. Beijing, however, says that Tibetans enjoy religious freedom and have benefited from improved living standards brought on by Chinas economic expansion. AFP

New fish species named in Vietnam

HANOI A new species of fish with a penis on its head has been identified in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, researchers said on August 29. Phallostethus cuulong is the newest member of the Phallostethidae family small fish found in Southeast Asian waters that are distinguished primarily by the positioning of the male sexual organ under the throat. AFP

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Time out
Wathann Filmfest starts this week
By Nyein Ei Ei Htwe THE second Wathann Film Festival will be held at Maha Santi Sukha Buddhist Centre, Tarmwe township, Yangon, from September 5 to 9. The festival will feature a competition for best short film and best documentary. A total of 20 films by local directors have been selected for the competition from 45 applications. The winners will be announced and their films screened at the closing ceremony on September 9. Yarhular, and a film about the lives of widows in Kachin State. Ma Thu Thu Shein said this years festival attracted more film submissions from young directors than last year. The value and tempo of each short film and documentary has improved more than we expected this year. As organisers of the event, we are happy to see this. We hope to see even more of a focus on quality rather than quantity among applicants in the future, she said. This years competition will be judged by National University of Arts and Culture professor U Myint Thein Pe; scriptwriter and director U Nyein Min; U Win Nyein, the chief editor of Ray of Light journal; artist Htein Linn; Mr Vit Janecek, a documentary filmmaker and chair of FAMU International University in Czech Republic; and media artist Mr Keiko Sei. Screenings of short films and workshop presentations by master students from FAMU (Film and TV School of Academy Performing in Art) will be held on September 6 and 7 starting at 3pm. Ma Thu Thu Shein said organisers are also speaking with the MRTV-4 and Skynet about broadcasting live from the film festival, but no official announcement has been made. Tickets for the films are available for free at Chindwin Hall in Maha Santi Sukha Buddhist Centre until 15 minutes before the screenings. By Zon Pann Pwint FOR political prisoners with a thirst for writing, the lack of opportunity to put pen to paper during their incarceration could be a particularly insidious source of torment. The constant search for ways to alleviate this need while in prison was challenge enough, and upon their release they found that although writing materials were now readily at hand, censorship of the press was another thorn in their side. The recent relaxation of media restrictions has helped a growing number of people in Myanmar quench their thirst to express themselves freely on the printed page, and not least among them are several former political prisoners who have recently published books of their own. Pe o p l e w h o s p e n t many years under solitary confinement had a hunger to speak to other people, and to find channels of communication, former political prisoner U Min Ko Naing told The Myanmar Times on August 28. The desire to meet others is fulfilled when we are freed, but the hunger for communication will be relieved through writing and receiving a response from the people. U M i n Ko N a i n g , 5 0 , launched his first novel, Naut Kyi Hman (Rearview Mirror), in July. The novel, which U Min Ko Naing wrote when he was 26 years old, tells the story of a student who flees from university to join an underground political movement, and who then falls in love with a woman while living in a village. Writing has been my hobby since I was young,

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The Myanmar Times September 3 - 9, 2012

Ex-political prisoners quench thirst for writing

modern, including 10 that were originally posted in his City I Dropped Down blog. When I was in Singapore [in 2007] I wrote stories online. At that time, blogging was very popular so I created my own blog. Though I didnt receive pay for my stories, there was no censorship or editor, he said. One strength of blogging is that it can establish a connection between writers and readers because I received helpful comments on my work from readers. He said he started again writing for print media after serving time in prison from 2008 to 2012. I wrote stories while I was in prison, where there was a quiet atmosphere for me to concentrate on my work. Writing is a real outlet, but its not officially allowed in prison, Nay Phone Latt said. I felt an incredible sense of relief after writing because we can express our feelings through writing like we are bursting to tell someone how we feel. So I think writing should be officially allowed in prison. Another leader of the 88 Generation Student Group, Ko Ko Gyi, launched his book Pyaw Chin Lo Pyaw Khae Dar Twe (Free Expression) on August 28. It contains a selection of political interviews published in a number of local journals. The shelf-life of a local journal is too short, less than one week. But with this book all of my interviews are collected together, U Ko Ko Gyi said. He added that three of his short stories, written for his father, mother and little brother, will soon be translated into English and published in book form. The stories originally appeared in Yananthit magazine.

on quality rather than quantity among applicants in the future.

We hope more of a to see focus

Pic: Zon Pann Pwint Ko Ko Gyi signs a copy of his book Pyaw Chin Lo Pyaw Khae Dar Twe (Free Expression) at House of Media and Entertainment in Yangon on August 28. said U Min Ko Naing, who was complain at our office about imprisoned twice for a total their difficulties, said U Min Ko Naing, referring to his of 20 years. The feeling of loneliness position as one of the leaders in prison often compelled of the 88 Generation Student me to write with whatever Group. A great deal of time is was at hand. Sometimes I cleaned the timber floor of required to helping solve my cell and wrote using a their worries, and I cant just ignore them to prioritise sharp spike. He said one of his friends, my writing. At the moment comedian U Zaganar, taught Im unable to write another him another method of novel, but I satisfy my lust writing in prison: sticking for creativity by making plastic sheets on the lime- background paintings for coated walls and writing fundraising events organised on them using a piece of by our group. Former political prisoner bamboo, so that the words would appear scratched into and blogger Nay Phone Latt said his first story was the lime. I became accustomed to published in a local magazine using this method, U Min in 2004. But it was such a hassle Ko Naing said. But for long novels, I used my memory trying to get my stories and wrote in head. I have published in print media, written many stories in my that I nearly gave up because head. I just need to publish many of my stories were rejected by the censors, them. However, he said that now he said. His book Kya Taw Lut Kya that he has more freedom to write what he wants, much Khae Tae Myo Taw, which of his time is taken up with he translates as The City I Dropped Down, was other issues. Everyday I have to deal launched on August 2. It with the social problems contains 16 short stories of people who come and that he describes as post-

Also included in the festival will be special screenings under the themes of Memory and Women in Film, and film workshops will also be held. Women in Film will feature short films and documentaries by Myanmar women directors Kyi Phyu Shin, Shin Davi, Wai Mar Nyunt, Lay Thida and myself, on September 7 from 10am to12pm, said Ma Thu Thu Shein, the festivals event director. The screenings will include Ma Thu Thu Sheins five-minute film River, Ma Shin Davis Untitled Life about artist

Russia to censor Itchy and Scratchy

MOSCOW A Russian national channel said last week it would censor The Simpsons cartoon series to comply with a new law banning scenes of violence, drinking and smoking before a late evening watershed. The 2x2 channel, aimed at young adults, said it would cut scenes where the Simpsons family watches a spoof ultra-violent cartoon called The Itchy & Scratchy Show after the law came into force on August 31. Under the new law we cannot show The Itchy & Scratchy Show from The Simpsons before 11pm, said general director Lev Makarov. We will retouch in an ironic way all the programs where there are scenes that fall under the new law. For example we will blackout the screen and write a jokey message in a rolling caption. Makarov added that the channel would move all its showings of another US cartoon, South Park, to after the watershed because of a recurring joke about one of the characters being murdered each episode. All the scenes from South Park where they killed Kenny should disappear until 11pm. So South Park will air after 11 pm, he said. The wide-ranging law on protecting children from information causing harm to their health and development says that scenes encouraging children to try drugs, tobacco or alcohol or justifying violence must not be shown until 11pm. It won wide criticism from Russias internet companies with amendments signed into law by President Vladimir Putin in July that allow the state to create a blacklist of websites and enforce their closure. It is not the first time that the 2x2 channel has faced legal difficulties over its cartoons. In 2008, Moscow prosecutors charged 2x2 with extremism over a Christmas-themed episode of South Park after a complaint was filed by members of a conservative group, but the charges were eventually thrown out. AFP

timeout
September 3 - 9, 2012
the

38
MyanMar tiMes

Solo comedians chart unfamiliar territory

By Nyein Ei Ei Htwe THE House of Media and Entertainment (HOME) in Yangon launched a monthly stand-up comedian series on August 26, with a twohour show featuring five comedians. While comedy shows in Myanmar traditionally consist of groups of jokers taking the stage at the same time, program founder U Zaganar said he wanted to create a venue for Westernstyle performances, where comedians go onstage to deliver solo stand-up routines. I had watched solo stand-up performances by comedians from Western countries, and for the past five years Ive wanted to introduce this format to audiences in Myanmar, U Zaganar said. I couldnt make this desire come true while I was in prison, but while in jail I read a lot about stand-up comedy, he said. I worried that some people would think that Myanmar jokers cant be funny without helpers, so when I was freed from prison I discussed by idea with friends, other comedians and performers. They didnt agree with my idea. They were worried that stand-up comedy would not be understood by audiences because it is not our custom. But in early 2012 he met a group of local jokers who, d e s p i t e b e i n g i n v ol v e d in more traditional-style shows, were intrigued by the idea of solo stand-up performances. They accepted the idea of stand-up comedy and we started planning a show. I just gave them some guidelines, but they wrote their own jokes. This is the first time such a show has been organised for local audiences, U Zaganar said. The performance on August 26 featured five comedians presenting routines on specific topics: Buu Khar on animals, Kyae Kyae on his relatives, Thar Cho on life, Suu Suu on dreams and Wah Wah on journalism. Kyae Kyae said performing stand-up was very different from traditional group comedy, and quite a bit more difficult to present to the audience. We had several rehearsals for the show at HOME, but it was difficult to prepare Pic: Yadanar said he enjoyed the show, but added that it would take time for such comedians to become famous and for audiences to accept the new format. Their jokes are very different from those of traditional performers, so it gives us a new format for comedy. The jokes of traditional performers are very similar and repetitive, and we can usually guess the punch line as soon as they start a sentence, he said. But it will take time for stand-up comedy to be widely accepted, especially by older people. Ko Sat Naing also said that while many of the jokes at the HOME show were humorous, the comedians needed to take care that their jokes were clean. Sometimes they were just saying bad things about other people. Such jokes were not funny, when they just seemed to be blaming others, he said. The House of Media and Entertainment is located at Bo Aung Kyaw Road (lower block). For more information about the next performance, which will feature the same five comedians, call 01-380272 and 380-301 during office hours.

Zaganar (centre) poses with five comics who participated in a stand-up comedy performance at the House of Media and Entertainment in Yangon on August 26. to perform in front of an audience. If we make jokes as a group, other performers can cover our mistakes and weaknesses. But with standup comedy, we alone are responsible for our own jokes, he said. However, he said that if someone wanted to hire the five comedians for a standup show, they are ready to perform. For this first show we joked a lot about the politics of our country, but for next month there will be other topics, Kyae Kyae said. One of the audience members, 26-year-old Ma Phyu Pyar from Sanchaung township, said she preferred the standup show to traditional group performances. I didnt know about standup comedy and Ive never seen comedians performing onstage alone. When my friend called me to watch the show, I went there expecting an orchestra and a group of performers, but I saw something completely different, she said. Some of the jokes were very funny, especially those about journalism and the Ministry of Information. But other jokes were taken from Facebook, and most people already knew them. Ma Phyu Pyar welcomed the new HOME program, and added that some of the solo comedians were able to make jokes that reflected the current situation in Myanmar. I think this kind of comedy is good because it can help people release their stress, she said. Ko Sat Naing from Thingangyun township also

Musicians hold long-delayed election Scripts sought for TV

By Nuam Bawi AFTER many delays, the Myanmar Music Association has finally managed to hold an election to select a new executive board. The ballots were cast at the associations headquarters in Tarmwe township, Yangon, from August 20 to 24. The outgoing executive board has been in place for six years, overseeing an association organised into five subdivisions: historical traditional music, modern traditional music, contemporary music, production and technical work. The newly elected board, consisting of 59 members, will now administer an association to which a sixth subdivision has recently been added called khit thit (new age), which will promote the participation of young people in the music industry. The board is divided into two sections, with 32 people working under the Central Executive Committee (CEC). Among them are committee president U Tin Oo Lay; vice presidents U Thein Han Gyi, Ko Lwin Myint and Hay Mar Nay Win; and general secretary Phyu Phyu Kyaw Thein. The remaining 27 elected officials will work under the second section, the Executive Committee (EC). The current executive board will hand over duties to the new board on September 15. The new members will hold their positions for five years. Among those who participated as candidates in the election are members of the music collective Skulls in Ribcage (SIR) which includes the rock bands Big Bag, Wanted, Idiots and Reason. Kyar Pauk (Han Htue Lwin) from Big Bag was elected to serve as foreign communication officer (2) under the CEC, working alongside foreign communication officer (1) Daw Nweh Yee from the contemporary music subdivision. Tut Pee, the front man of Idiots, was named auditor (2), and he commented that he must change his habits now that he will be working with older people. The important thing I need to do is change some of my habits. Rather than

adaptation of novel

By Nuam Bawi MOE San Pan Media is inviting scriptwriters to take part in a competition to adapt a serialised novel by writer Khin Khin Htoo into a television series. Khin Khin Htoos novel Ma Eain Kan originally appeared in monthly instalments in the Myanmar-language literary magazine Shwe Amutetay from June 2007 to April 2010, gaining a wide readership at the time. Min Khite Soe San, a novelist and scriptwriter who is helping organise the competition, said he would like to promote the emergence talented young scriptwriters. If this contest results in the discovery of a few gifted scriptwriters, we can use them for future projects whenever we need someone, he said. He also said they were looking for a new scriptwriter because writing the television series requires much more time than working on a normal film, and most established writers are unable or unwilling to make the required commitment. The drama series will require at least 300 scenes, and the writer needs to work closely with the director to continuously adjust the scenes while filming is underway, he aid. They cannot just write the script and give it to the director like we do in movies. If something needs to be changed during the filming, the scriptwriter needs to be available. So we only want a scriptwriter who can give

Singer Aye Thin Cho Swe casts her vote on August 23 to select a new Myanmar Music Association executive board. Pic: Boothee acting freely, I need to start behaving myself while working with older people. Now that I have more responsibility, I need to be dutiful, he said. Its not the time to say I have no confidence, or that I cant do this or that. Now I will try my best to fulfil my duties. U Zaw Htoo Aung, a member of the outgoing executive board who has also been elected to the new board, said he was very happy that young people are now involved in the administration of the Myanmar Music Association. Everyone is working for the sake of the music industry, so Im happy to see young people involved in the executive board. And when the young people who were elected came to the meeting today and looked very active, it also made me happy to see, he said, speaking at a meeting at the associations headquarters on August 27. He urged everyone to work together and join hands in unity. For the young people working at the executive level in this association, it might be like embarking on an adventure. But they will quickly learn from [the more experienced members], U Zaw Htoo Aung said. We will answer them whenever they ask questions, and we will teach them even when they dont ask because we need to join hands and work together. Young people have fresh ideas but we cant work well with only one idea. So we can get better results when we combine our ideas. The association currently has 6851 members, of whom 2335 voted in the election. The association has also reformed as a nongovernmental organisation, which many members expect will help Myanmars music industry forge a brighter future. Hip-hop singer Bobby Soxer was among those who professed high hopes for the associations new direction. I was able to vote for who I wanted, so Im very satisfied with the election. The experienced singers who were elected will know what kind of difficulties we singers face, and theyll have a better idea of how to solve our problems, she said. I expect that our senior members will do their best and that Ill be satisfied with what they accomplish.

the time and who can work closely with the director for this project. Applicants must submit a manuscript covering 30 of the novels 36 chapters, with each chapter consisting of 10 scenes. The scripts must be submitted to No 386 Innkyin Myaing (3) Street, Thuwunna, Thingangyun township. The deadline is September 30, and the prize for the first place is K2 million. Ma Eain Kan tells the story of the title character, focusing on her perseverance and force of personality, combined with details about Myanmar history and culture. Elements of the story are based on novelist Khin Khin Htoos home village of Zaung Chan Kone near Myingyan in Mandalay Region. Khin Khin Htoo said she did not want her story to be made into a movie, but readily accepted Moe San Pan Medias offer to adapt it as a television series. This novel is strong in the structure, and if they made it onto a movie they would have to cut many parts. But when Moe San Pan suggested making it into a longer TV series, I accepted their offer, she said. Khin Khin Htoo added that she thought the television version of Ma Eain Kan would be better if the director and scriptwriter were familiar with the details of village life in Myanmar. I wrote this novel based on life in a village, so well see how it works out, she said. Min Khite Soe San said the producers were still looking for a TV channel to broadcast the series.

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timeout
September 3 - 9, 2012

MyanMar tiMes

Back from US, designer steps into the local scene

By Htar Htar Khin THE young and talented interior designer Ma Mya Myitzu has returned to Myanmar to establish her own company after spending nearly 10 years honing her skills in the United States. Ma Mya Myitzu told The Myanmar Times that she has been heavily involved in the arts community since childhood because of her natural enthusiasm for creativity. I received excellent results in a foreign exam on sculpture given in Yangon, which is one reason why I was asked to take part in a mixed-media sculpture exhibition at International Business Centre on Pyay Road in May 2002, just before I went to the US, she said. The 29-year-old attended California Lutheran University near Los Angeles, where she majored in political science and minored in fine arts. Ma Mya Myitzu also attended night classes at Otis College of Art and Design. Her commitment paid off when she landed a highly coveted position at Kelly Wearstler Interior Design, which is famous for having a number of Hollywood celebrities among its clients. Ma Mya Myitzu also received an honourable mention in Ms Wearstlers 2009 book Hue. The designer returned to Myanmar in 2011 and opened M Interiors earlier this year. From what I can see, interior design in Myanmar is quite weak, and I want to take what I have learned overseas and apply it here, Ma Mya Myitzu said. She said that due to a lack of public awareness about interior design and the scarce number of people working in the industry, the majority of Yangons residential and commercial premises have exteriors that do not match the interiors. Ive noticed there is a tendency towards either very traditional design or something very modern. While I appreciate the skill involved in both,

Work, mahjong and tea: HKs longevity secrets

By Beh Lih Yi HONG KONG Covered in smog and cramped apartment towers, Hong Kong is not usually associated with a healthy lifestyle. But new figures show that Hong Kongers are the longest-living people in the world. Hong Kong men have held the title for more than a decade and recent data show women in the southern Chinese city overtaking their Japanese counterparts for the first time, according to the governments in Tokyo and Hong Kong. Hong Kong womens life expectancy rose from an average 86 years in 2010 to 86.7 years in 2011, while Japanese womens longevity w a s h i t b y l a s t y e a rs earthquake and tsunami, falling to 85.9 years, census figures reveal. So what is Hong Kongs secret to a long life? Experts say there is no single elixir, but contributing factors include easy access to modern healthcare, keeping busy, traditional Cantonese cuisine and even the centuries-old Chinese tile game of mahjong. I love travelling, I like to see new things and I meet my friends for yum cha every day, Mak Yin, an 80-year-old grandmother of six says as she practises the slow-motion martial art of tai chi in a park on a Sunday morning. Yum cha is the Cantonese term to describe the tradition of drinking tea with bitesized delicacies known as dim sum. The tea is free and served non-stop, delivering a healthy dose of antioxidants with the meal. My friends are in their 60s they think Im around their age too, although Im much older than them, Mak laughs. Maks favourite food is steamed vegetables, rice and fruit. Cantonese food is famous for steamed fish and vegetables dishes that use little or none of the cooking oils blamed for heart disease, obesity and high cholesterol. But before Mak enjoys her afternoon tea, she joins a group of elderly people for her morning exercise of tai chi, an ancient Chinese practice said to have benefits including improving balance and boosting cardiovascular strength. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in February found that tai chi reduces falls and appears to reduce balance impairments in people with mild-to-moderate Parkinsons disease. Another factor behind Hong Kongers longevity, experts say, is work. While others long for the day they can retire and kick up their heels, many people in Hong Kong work well into their 70s and even 80s. Hong Kong does not have a statutory retirement age and it is common to see elderly people working in shops, markets and restaurants alongside younger staff. Many old people in our city remain working, that contributes to better psychological and mental health, says Hong Kong Association of Gerontology president Edward Leung. For older people, a lot of them are stressed because they have nothing to do and they develop emptiness syndrome. This causes mental stress. Fishmonger Lee Woo-hing, 67, says he could not bear to sit at home and do nothing. His inspiration is local tycoon Li Ka-shing, Asias richest man, who still runs his vast business empire in his 80s. If Li Ka-shing continues working at the age of 84, why should I retire? asks the father-of-four during a break from his 14-hour shift at a bustling market in central Hong Kong. If I just sit at home and stare at the walls, Im worried that my brain will degenerate faster. Im happy to chat with different people here in the market. Hong Kongs cramped living conditions are famously unhealthy, fuelling outbreaks of disease and viruses including bird flu and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) that have killed dozens of people. But in the day-to-day habits of ordinary people, experts say Hong Kong is a great place to grow old. A popular local way of keeping busy and meeting friends is mahjong a mentally stimulating tile game which can help delay dementia, according to aging expert Alfred Chan, of Hong Kongs Lingnan University. It stimulates the parts that control memory and cognitive abilities. It helps old people with their retention of memory, he says. The complex rules and calculation of scores make mahjong, also known as the Chinese version of dominoes, mentally demanding. But the social aspects of the four-player game are just as important. In mahjong you need to play with three other people. It is a very good social activity, you have to interact with each other constantly, says Chan, who has studied the games effects on the well being of elderly people. It is also a self-fulfilling game because if you win whether you play with money or not it gives you a sense of empowerment. Mahjong parlours are popular in Hong Kong, and mahjong tables are a must at Chinese wedding banquets. Im in semi-retirement. I work in the morning and hang out with my friends by playing mahjong in the afternoon, says 67-year-old tailor Yeung Fook, on the sidelines of a game in his modest garment shop. Im happier when I work. Its boring to just sit at home. AFP

Ma Mya Myitzu. Pic: Supplied unfortunately its rare to see anything between the two extremes, she said. I hope to apply what I learned abroad to create a wider, more eclectic range of styles. When I designed Bar One 4 [in Golden Valley] and Vanilla [on Inya Road], I used a thematic approach, and the interiors reflects the purpose of the buildings, she said. Ma Mya Myitzu described the over-use of composite panels for high-rise buildings in downtown Yangon as gaudy, but added that she believes the citys overall design standards are improving as more and more construction work gets underway. She also said that in Yangon in particular, an increasing number of people are hiring interior designers or coming up with their own ideas. She considers the city a leader in terms of innovative architectural trends. Ma Mya Myitzu said that establishing a design council in Myanmar would have farreaching benefits for the fledgling industry, in terms of analysing trends, developing higher levels of professionalism and creating more diversity. This would in turn encourage the next generation to consider interior design as a profession, she said. M Interiors is located at 63 Kanyeiktha Road, and can be contacted by phone (09-4200-63000) or email (m.interiors.ygn@gmail. com), or on Facebook (www.facebook.com/m. interiorsandlifestyle).

Theatrical association to reorganise

By Nyein Ei Ei Htwe THE Myanmar Theatrical Association will undergo a major reorganisation following the Myanmar Nationalities Performance Art Competition, which is scheduled to be held in Nay Pyi Taw later this month. More than 280 members of the theatrical association met with Ministry of Culture officials in Nay Pyi Taw on August 16 to discuss the reorganisation, and a mutual decision was made to delay any elections until after the national competition. The 19th competition program will be different from previous events because they changed Traditional to Nationalities in the title, and we thought this would be very important for all the ethnics groups of Myanmar. So we agreed to hold elections after that, said U Moe Min, general secretary of the association. He added that the association is not in a very bad situation, but they wanted to reorganise following the death of the chairman, U Sein Mar Din, two months ago. To facilitate the election and the counting of votes from all members of the association, we will choose supervisors from each township via a voting system. Members had until August 30 to send in votes for supervisors, and we will announce the names later this month, U Moe Min said. There are about 80,000 association members throughout the country, including about 15,000 in Yangon, 15,000 in Mandalay and 12,000 in Mawlamyine in Mon State. U Moe Min said the elected supervisors will be responsible for solving problems in their own townships, helping arrange the overall election, selecting committee members who are bright and hardworking, developing the association at all levels, and providing opportunities for all members to study theatre with experts. After selecting the supervisors, they will start planning the election for the whole association. We are reorganising the association from two directions at once, from the centre out to the townships, and from the townships back toward the centre, he said. Many townships have a lot of members, and we need people to make sure the elections are clean and fair. The supervisors will take care of that. He added that the associations leaders in each township must be experts not only on theatrical subjects but also in management tactics.

soCiAlite
the

40
September 3 - 9, 2012
Nepal embassys tourism promotion at Sedona MMA Election Day

MyanMar tiMes
Artist Mg Mg Theik Memorial Ceremony

May Kha Lar

Naing Zaw

Ko Zay Phyo and U Myint Lwin (right)

Union Minister Thura U Myint Maung with Nepal Embassy officials at Sedona

Phoe Kar

Kaung Myat

Poe Ei Phyu Sin Daw Tuu Tuu Myint Thein Nepal Ambassdor Paras Ghimire and wife

Maung Thway Thit

Artist Kyaw Thaung

U Khaing Tin

Dr Khin Maung Nyunt

Gamers Magazine Press Conference

Way 2 B NY Shop Opening

Htet Min Zaw, Chan Myae Aung, Kyaw Thyu Aung and U San Lin

Gamers founders

Schwarzkopf Essential Looks Product Launch

Mr Wiwat Kasemamron demonstrating

Kar Yan Cho Mya, Poe Kyar Phyu and One Thiri Phyo Phone Myat Kyaw, Yon Mi Mi Phyu, Ma Thit Thit Sein and Ma Su Pyae Sone Aung Mr Wongwat Boonma, Mr Yepachai Sandhyananda, Ko Aung Thura @ John and Mr Wiwat Kasemamron

GR Hip-Hop Concert

Jet San Htun Khin Yu Pa Chit Snow Oo Yu Thandar Tin Yoon Wati Lwin Moe Hlwan Paing Htet Htet Snare

41
the

soCiAlite
September 3 - 9, 2012
15th Sedona Staff Party

MyanMar tiMes

He` Lay and family

Aye Myat Thu

Sedona Hotel staff

Management team and outstanding staff members

Sai Sai Kham Leng

SOCIALITE launched her week on August 22 at the Schwarzkopf Essential Look product WITH NYEIN EI EI HTWE launch at Junction Square, followed by the Myanmar Music Association election. She attended artist Mg Mg Theiks memorial reception at Orchid Hotel on the evening of August 24, and despite the heavy rain continued on to join the staff of Sedona Hotel for their 15th staff party. After resting at home for a day, she dropped by the GR Hip-Hop Concert at Myanmar Convention Centre on August 26. Socialite attended Nepal embassys tourism promotion at Sedona Hotel on 26 August. It was a gathering of 200 people plus some monks. Other happening events during the week included the Way 2 B NY fashion shop opening, a hair and make-up creation show at Taw Win Centre, and the press conference for the launch of Gamers magazine.

SOCIALITE

Taw Win Hair And Make-Up Creation Show

contestant

contestant contestant

trAvel
Days Flight Dep Arr Days Flight Dep Arr
WED 6T 402 K7 223 W9 144 W9 012 W9 262 W9 120 W9 212 YH 738 YJ 752 YJ 752 THUR 6T 402 K7 223 W9 144 W9 012 YH 726 W9 256 W9 016 YJ 202 W9 212 YJ 762 YH 730 FRI 6T 402 K7 223 W9 144 W9 012 W9 256 W9 212 YH 728 W9 110 YJ 752 YJ 752 K7 223 6T 402 08:48 08:48 08:50 08:50 14:50 15:50 16:10 17:10 17:50 17:50 08:48 08:48 08:50 08:50 12:25 15:45 15:50 16:00 16:10 16:35 17:40 08:48 08:48 08:50 08:50 15:45 16:10 16:30 17:05 17:50 17:50 10:53 10:53 10:15 10:35 18:15 17:25 18:15 18:35 19:15 19:15 10:53 10:53 10:15 10:35 13:50 17:10 17:35 17:25 18:15 18:00 19:05 10:53 10:53 10:15 10:35 17:10 18:15 17:55 18:05 19:15 19:15

42
www.mmtimes.com/2012/flight/flight.pdf

September 3 - 9, 2012

DOMESTIC FLIGHT SCHEDULES

Days Flight Dep Arr
SUN YJ 891 YJ 891 6T 401 K7 222 W9 143 YH 917 W9 211 MON W9 144 YJ 902 6T 342 W9 212 K7 225 YH 732 YJ 792 TUE W9 144 6T 342 YJ 762 W9 212 YJ 792 K7 225 YH 732 06:15 06:15 06:20 06:20 06:30 06:30 14:30 08:05 08:25 16:30 16:55 17:25 17:25 18:10 08:05 16:30 16:45 16:55 17:25 17:25 17:25 08:05 08:25 16:30 16:55 17:25 17:25 18:10 08:05 16:30 16:55 17:25 17:25 08:05 16:30 16:55 17:25 17:25 17:25 08:05 16:30 16:55 17:25 17:25 08:05 16:30 16:55 17:25 17:25 17:25 07:35 07:50 07:40 07:40 07:50 07:50 16:40 10:15 09:45 17:50 18:15 18:45 18:45 19:30 10:15 17:50 18:05 18:15 18:45 18:45 18:45 10:15 09:45 17:50 18:15 18:45 18:45 19:30 10:15 17:50 18:15 18:45 18:45 10:15 17:50 18:15 18:45 18:45 18:45 10:15 17:50 18:15 18:45 18:45 10:15 17:50 18:15 18:45 18:45 18:45

Days Flight Dep Arr

THUR W9 011 07:30 09:20 YJ 201 YJ 761 K7 224 11:00 12:10 11:00 12:25 14:00 15:15 YH 729 11:00 12:10

Days Flight Dep Arr

TUE W9 307 07:00 08:25 6T 607 07:30 08:55

YANGON TO NAY PYI TAW

MON 6T 111 FRI FRI 6T 112 6T 112 07:00 07:55 17:05 18:00 16:00 16:45 08:15 09:00 06:00 06:20 06:20 06:30 07:30 10:15 10:30 11:00 14:30 15:00 06:20 06:20 06:30 07:00 07:00 07:30 14:30 15:00 06:00 06:20 06:20 06:30 07:30 10:15 10:30 11:00 14:30 14:30 15:00 06:20 06:20 06:30 07:00 07:30 11:00 11:00 11:15 14:30 15:00 06:20 06:20 06:30 07:30 11:00 14:15 14:30 15:00 06:20 06:20 06:30 06:30 07:00 07:30 10:30 11:00 11:30 14:30 15:00 06:15 06:20 06:20 06:30 06:30 07:00 07:30 11:15 14:30 15:00 07:40 08:25 08:25 08:35 08:30 11:25 15:35 12:25 15:55 16:45 08:25 08:25 08:35 08:25 08:25 08:30 15:55 16:45 07:40 08:25 08:25 08:35 08:30 11:55 15:35 12:25 15:55 16:25 16:45 08:25 08:25 08:35 08:25 08:30 12:55 12:25 13:00 15:55 16:45 08:25 08:25 08:35 08:30 12:25 15:40 15:55 16:45 08:25 08:25 08:10 08:35 08:25 08:30 15:35 12:25 12:55 15:55 16:45 07:40 08:25 08:25 08:10 08:35 08:25 08:30 13:00 15:55 16:45

Tailor-made s
By Marian Smith Holmes SHOPPING? My husband, Glenn, supine and shaded by a thatched umbrella, looks at me incredulously. You want to leave this beautiful beach and go shopping? He has a point. The unspoiled turquoise waters and white sands of Da Nangs legendary China Beach, a popular R&R spot for American soldiers during the Vietnam War, have more appeal than ever today. A string of luxury resorts lines the stunning South China Sea coastline. With infinity pools, gourmet dining and state-of-theart golf courses nearby, the 30-kilometre (20-mile) beachfront attracts visitors from all over the world. But midway through our three-week travels in Vietnam, Im lured to a more traditional spot about 25 kilometres (15 miles) south: Hoi An, a centuriesold trading town that 200 years ago was a bustling Southeast Asian emporium for tea, spices, porcelain, lacquerware, paper, sulphur, silk and other goods. Silk is still big business there, and the towns dressmakers and tailors are renowned for turning out fine custommade garments overnight. I tell Glenn that Ive heard that men can have suits made for a fraction of the price theyd pay in Washington. He considers that prospect for a moment, then adjusts his beach chaise and waves me off. Sweetie, its too hot to go shopping, but you have fun. As I step out of an airconditioned shuttle van a half-hour later in Hoi An, Im quickly besieged by smiling sales clerks from a shop opposite the stop. Would you like to have some clothes made, madam? a woman asks, handing me a frosty bottle of water. Shes wearing an ao dai, the Vietnamese national dress, which consists of a snug-fitting silk tunic over silk trousers. Her longsleeved, full-length tunic is slit high enough on the sides to reveal an inch or so of her slim waist. Apparently this flash of bare midriff, adding a soupcon of daring to an otherwise modest outfit, is a popular way to wear the ao dai, also the school uniform of Vietnamese high school girls. My name is Phoung, she says, pointing to her name tag and leading me into Viettown Silk, a shop a few steps away. It seems to be a well-run establishment, with mannequins in pretty dresses, jewel-coloured silk blouses and versatile blazers deployed strategically around the room. Bolts of fabrics in bold colours, subtle hues, prints and florals reach from floor to ceiling. Several women, probably British or Australian from their accents, sit at a large wooden coffee table sipping cold bottled water and flipping through fashion books. The genial sales assistants have mastered the art of hovering nearby in case you need them, without appearing too aggressive. Do you have anything in mind, madam? Phoung asks me. From the bottom of my roomy purse, I extract my favourite pair of black pants, which Ive brought thousands of miles for this moment. Can your tailors copy these? I ask. The silk and linen blend trousers are nearly a decade old and getting threadbare, but I cant find the straight-leg style in a similar fabric, I tell her. She shows me several grades of black silk, explaining the weave and suitability for my request and invites me to feel the material as she drapes it around me. Prices per metre are written on the bolts, but the sales people can quickly calculate an estimate for a garment. About US$50 for the pants, she says. Though I dont find the ideal fabric, I tentatively settle on one and set my sights on a lustrous silk top to complete the ensemble. Sizing me up, Phoung pulls a few styles off the mannequins for me to try on. Even though theyre marked S, my usual blouse size, theyre too small. Phoung joins me in the fitting room, studies the ill-fitting angles of the top, pulling here, adjusting there, then runs her tape measure up and down and around my body. Ive been shopping about an hour, and Im pleased with the service Im getting at Viettown, but Hoi An has dozens of tailoring shops and hundreds of tailors. Phoung graciously agrees to hold my preliminary order, and I join the throngs of tourists in the ancient streets.

NAY PYI TAW TO YANGON

MANDALAY TO NAY PYI TAW NAY PYI TAW TO MANDALAY
MON 6T 111 MON YJ 901 6T 401 K7 222 W9 143 W9 011 YJ 911 W9 119 YJ 201 W9 211 W9 109 TUE 6T 401 K7 222 W9 143 W9 251 YH 725 W9 011 W9 211 W9 109

WED W9 307 07:00 08:25 6T 611 07:30 08:55

YH 731 14:30 15:40 W9 015 15:15 12:10 FRI W9 011 07:30 09:20 YJ 751 YJ 751 K7 224 YJ 791 YJ 601 SAT 11:00 12:10 YH 727 11:00 12:10 11:00 12:25 14:00 15:15 14:30 15:55 15:00 16:25

THRU W9 315 07:00 08:25 6T 611 FRI 07:30 08:55

NYAUNG U TO YANGON

W9 307 07:00 08:25 6T 611 07:30 08:55 07:30 08:55

YANGON TO MANDALAY

SAT

6T 611

SUN W9 307 07:00 08:25 6T 611 K7 426 07:30 08:55 15:30 16:50

YH 731 14:30 15:40 W9 109 15:00 15:55

SITTWE TO YANGON
MON W9 308 08:40 10:05 6T 608 TUE 09:55 11:20

W9 011 07:30 09:20 W9 119 10:30 11:40 YJ 761 YJ 761 11:00 12:10 11:00 12:25 YH 729 11:00 12:10 YH 731 14:30 15:40

W9 308 08:40 10:05 6T 612 09:15 10:40

WED W9 144 YJ 902 6T 342 W9 212 YH 732 K7 225 YJ 792 THUR W9 144 6T 342 W9 212 K7 225 YH 732 FRI W9 144 6T 342 W9 212 K7 225 YH 732 YJ 792 W9 144 6T 342 W9 212 YH 732 YJ 602

WED W9 308 08:40 10:05 6T 612 09:15 10:40

SUN W9 011 07:30 09:20 YH 737 11:00 12:10 YJ 761 K7 224 11:00 12:25 14:00 15:15

THUR W9 316 08:40 10:25 6T 612 FRI SAT 09:15 10:40

W9 308 08:40 10:05 W9 316 08:40 10:25 6T 612 09:15 10:40

WED YJ 901 K7 222 6T 401 W9 143 W9 011 YJ 911 W9 119 W9 281 W9 211 YJ 791 W9 109 THUR 6T 401 K7 222 W9 143 YH 725 W9 011 YJ 201 W9 255 W9 015 W9 211 W9 109 FRI 6T 401 K7 222 W9 143 W9 011 W9 255 6T 111 W9 211 W9 109 6T 401 K7 222 YJ 911 W9 143 YH 725 W9 011 W9 119 W9 281 YJ 601 W9 211 W9 109

YH 731 14:30 15:40 W9 015 15:15 12:10

SAT

08:48 10:53 08:48 10:53

HEHO TO YANGON
MON YJ 892 YJ 892 09:20 10:30 09:20 10:30

SUN W9 308 08:40 10:05 6T 612 K7 427 09:15 10:40 17:05 18:25

W9 144 08:50 10:15 W9 012 08:50 10:35 YH 726 12:25 13:50 W9 262 14:50 18:15 W9 120 15:50 17:25 YJ 602 YJ 762 SUN K7 223 6T 402 16:10 17:35 16:35 18:00 08:48 10:53 08:48 10:53 W9 212 16:10 18:15 YH 730 17:40 19:05 SAT

YH 918 09:35 10:45 W9 012 09:40 10:35 6T 402 K7 223 09:43 10:53 09:43 10:53

YANGON TO MYEIK
MON K7 319 6T 707 06:30 08:35 09:00 11:05 YH 633 07:00 09:00 W9 333 11:00 13:05 TUE K7 319 YJ 301 6T 707 06:30 08:35 07:00 09:10 11:00 13:05

W9 120 15:05 17:15 W9 110 16:15 18:05 TUE YJ 892 YJ 892 09:20 10:30 09:20 10:30

W9 144 08:50 10:15 W9 012 08:50 10:35 YJ 222 11:30 12:55 W9 252 14:05 15:30 W9 016 15:50 17:35 W9 212 16:10 18:15 YH 738 17:10 18:35 YJ 762 17:50 19:15

SUN W9 144 6T 342 W9 212 K7 225 YH 732 YJ 792

YH 918 09:35 10:45 W9 012 09:40 10:35 6T 402 K7 223 09:43 10:53 09:43 10:53

W9 333 11:00 13:05 WED K7 319 06:30 08:35

YH 633 07:00 09:00 W9 031 11:15 13:05 THUR K7 319 6T 707 YJ 301 FRI K7 319 YJ 301 6T 707 06:30 08:35 11:00 13:05 13:00 15:10 06:30 08:35 07:00 09:10 09:00 11:05

W9 110 16:15 18:05 WED W9 009 09:20 10:30 YJ 892 YJ 892 09:20 10:30 09:20 10:30

YANGON TO MYITKYINA
TUE W9 251 07:00 09:55 K7 622 13:30 16:30 13:30 16:30

WED K7 622

YH 918 09:35 10:45 W9 012 09:40 10:35 6T 402 K7 223 09:43 10:53 09:43 10:53

YANGON TO NYAUNG U
MON YJ 891 YJ 891 6T 401 K7 222 06:15 07:35 06:15 07:50 06:20 07:40 06:20 07:40

THUR YJ 201 06:30 09:35 W9 255 11:00 13:55 FRI SAT W9 255 11:00 13:55 K7 622 13:30 16:30

YH 633 07:00 09:00

W9 120 15:05 17:15 THUR YJ 892 YJ 892 09:20 10:30 09:20 10:30 SAT

SAT

W9 333 11:00 13:05 K7 319 06:30 08:35

YH 917 06:30 07:50 W9 143 06:30 07:50 W9 211 14:30 16:40 TUE YJ 901 YJ 891 YJ 891 6T 401 K7 222 06:15 07:35 06:15 07:35 06:15 07:50 06:20 07:40 06:20 07:40

SUN YJ 211 06:30 09:35 W9 251 07:00 09:55 K7 622 13:30 16:30

YH 918 09:35 10:45 W9 012 09:40 10:35 6T 402 K7 223 09:43 10:53 09:43 10:53

W9 031 11:15 13:05 SUN K7 319 6T 707 06:30 08:35 11:00 13:05

MYITKYINA TO YANGON
TUE W9 252 12:35 15:30 K7 623 16:50 19:50 16:50 19:50 FRI

W9 016 16:40 17:35 6T 306 YJ 892 YJ 892 09:10 10:20 09:20 10:30 09:20 10:30 TUE

MYEIK TO YANGON
MON K7 320 6T 708 11:00 13:05 11:35 15:40 YH 634 11:25 13:25 W9 334 15:20 17:25 K7 320 YJ 302 6T 708 WED K7 320 11:00 13:05 11:10 13:05 15:35 17:40 11:00 13:05

WED K7 623

W9 143 06:30 07:50 YH 917 06:30 07:50 W9 211 14:30 16:40 WED YJ 891 YJ 891 6T 401 K7 222 06:15 07:35 06:15 07:50 06:20 07:40 06:20 07:40

SUN YH 909 6T 401 K7 222 YJ 211 W9 143 W9 251 W9 011 W9 015 W9 211 W9 109

THUR YJ 202 09:35 12:25 W9 258 14:15 17:10 FRI SAT W9 258 14:15 17:10 K7 623 16:50 19:50

YH 918 09:35 10:45 W9 012 09:40 10:35 6T 402 K7 223 09:43 10:53 09:43 10:53

W9 143 06:30 07:50 YH 917 06:30 07:50 W9 211 14:30 16:40 THUR YJ 891 YJ 891 6T 401 K7 222 06:15 07:35 06:15 07:50 06:20 07:40 06:20 07:40

SUN YJ 222 09:35 12:55 W9 252 12:35 15:30 K7 623 16:50 19:50

W9 334 15:20 17:25

W9 110 16:15 18:05 SAT YJ 892 YJ 892 09:20 10:30 09:20 10:30

YANGON TO HEHO
MON W9 011 W9 119 YH 727 YJ 761 K7 224 YH 731 W9 109 YJ 791 TUE W9 011 YH 729 YJ 761 YJ 763 K7 224 YJ 791 YH 731 W9 109 K7 826 07:30 10:30 11:00 11:00 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:15 07:30 11:00 11:00 11:00 14:00 14:30 14:30 15:00 17:30 07:30 10:30 11:00 11:00 11:00 14:00 14:30 15:15 09:20 11:40 12:10 12:25 15:15 15:40 15:55 16:40 09:20 12:10 12:10 12:25 15:15 15:55 16:10 15:55 08:05 09:20 11:40 12:10 12:10 12:25 15:15 15:40 16:40

YH 918 09:35 10:45 W9 012 09:40 10:35 6T 402 K7 223 09:43 10:53 09:43 10:53

YH 634 11:25 13:25 W9 032 13:25 14:35 6T 708 THUR K7 320 YJ 302 FRI K7 320 6T 708 YJ 302 SAT K7 320 15:35 17:40 11:00 13:05 17:10 19:05 11:00 13:05 11:35 15:40 17:10 19:03 11:00 13:05

MANDALAY TO YANGON
MON 6T 402 K7 223 W9 144 W9 012 6T 112 W9 120 YJ 202 W9 212 YH 728 YJ 762 W9 110 TUE 6T 402 K7 223 W9 012 W9 144 YH 726 W9 252 W9 212 W9 110 YH 730 YJ 764 08:48 08:48 08:50 08:50 09:20 15:50 16:00 16:10 16:30 16:35 17:05 08:48 08:48 08:50 08:50 12:25 14:05 16:10 17:05 17:40 17:10 10:53 10:53 10:15 10:35 10:45 17:15 17:25 18:15 17:55 18:00 18:05 10:53 10:53 10:35 10:15 13:50 15:30 18:15 18:05 19:05 18:35

W9 120 15:05 17:15 SUN YJ 892 YJ 892 09:20 10:30 09:20 10:30

YH 917 06:30 07:50 W9 143 06:30 07:50 W9 211 14:30 16:40 FRI YJ 891 YJ 891 6T 401 K7 222 06:15 07:35 06:15 07:50 06:20 07:40 06:20 07:40

YH 614 11:25 13:25 W9 334 15:20 17:25

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

YH 918 09:35 10:45 W9 012 09:40 10:35 6T 402 K7 223 09:43 10:53 09:43 10:53

Asian Wings (YJ)

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

W9 016 16:40 17:35

W9 032 13:25 14:35 SUN K7 320 6T 708 11:00 13:05 15:35 17:40

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

YH 917 06:30 07:50 W9 143 06:30 07:50 W9 211 14:30 16:40 SAT YJ 891 YJ 891 6T 401 K7 222 06:15 07:35 06:15 07:50 06:20 07:40 06:20 07:40

YANGON TO SITTWE
MON W9 307 07:00 08:25

YH 917 06:30 07:50 W9 143 06:30 07:50 W9 211 14:30 16:40

WED W9 011 W9 119 YJ 751 YH 737 YJ 751 K7 224 YH 731 YJ 791

Domestic
6T = Air Mandalay W9 = Air Bagan YJ = 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,

43
September 3 - 9, 2012
www.mmtimes.com/2012/flight/flight.pdf
DAyS Flight
MON PG 706 8M 335 TG 306 FD 3771 TG 304 PG 702 TG 302 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 TUE PG 706 8M 335 TG 306 FD 3771 TG 304 PG 702 TG 302 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 WED PG 706 8M 335 TG 306 FD 3771 TG 304 PG 702 TG 302 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 THUR PG 706 8M 335 TG 306 FD 3771 TG 304 PG 702 TG 302 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 FRI PG 706 8M 335 TG 306 FD 3771 TG 304 PG 702 TG 302 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 SAT PG 706 8M 335 TG 306 FD 3771 TG 304 PG 702 TG 302 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 SUN PG 706 8M 335 TG 306 FD 3771 TG 304 PG 702 TG 302 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773

shopping in Hoi An
We stop at a tourist information kiosk to buy admission tickets to some of the 15 or so historic heritage buildings. Brilliantly hued silk lanterns decorate the entrances of many of the weathered but sturdy wooden structures. On the 14 th day of the lunar month, under the full moon, Hoi An streetlights are turned off and the city is lit solely by lanterns. Some of the tiled-roofed, low-slung houses feature elaborately carved dark woods and mother-of-pearl inlaid panels and open to pretty courtyards. In the Tan Ky house, built by a wealthy merchant in the late 1700s, a guide serves tea and introduces us to a woman who is a descendant of the original owner. We also linger on the Japanese Covered Bridge, an iconic symbol of Hoi An, and tour the sprawling, ornate Fujian Chinese Assembly Hall, a complex decorated with statues of deities, murals and fountains. Huge spiralling joss sticks that burn for weeks hang from the temple ceiling, perfuming the air. When eat dinner at a restaurant called Mango Rooms, and I dive into fusion-inspired duck and shrimp dishes with gusto. Seated on a tiny second-story balcony, we have a view of the Thu Bon River, its far bank aglow with coloured lights in the darkening evening. Laughter and lively conversation float up from the street, mixing with our small talk with the French and British couples seated so close by that our knees touch. Finally, we head to the shops to see what the tailors have wrought. I emerge from the fitting room at Viettown wearing the cotton summer dress of my very own design, and Glenn gives me a nod of approval. The silk blouse is also spot-on. Alas, when I return to AoBaBa, I find that the trousers, while deftly copied, are too baggy and require a few more nips and tucks. No problem, Barbara tells me, but they must be sent back to the tailors and wont be ready until the next morning. Another buyer caveat: Allow sufficient time for final alterations. Sometimes even Hoi Ans bespoke tailors need a do-over. The Washington Post

trAvel
INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT SCHEDULES
DAyS Flight
SAT 8M 231 MI 511 8M 6232 3K 586 MI 517

Dep Arr
07:15 09:30 07:35 09:20 07:45 09:40 08:30 10:20 09:50 11:45 10:55 12:50 14:55 16:50 16:30 18:15 16:40 18:35 18:05 19:55 07:15 09:30 07:35 09:20 07:45 09:40 08:30 10:20 09:50 11:45 10:55 12:50 14:55 16:50 16:30 18:15 16:40 18:35 18:05 19:55 07:15 09:30 07:35 09:20 07:45 09:40 08:30 10:20 09:50 11:45 10:55 12:50 14:55 16:50 16:30 18:15 16:40 18:35 18:05 19:55 07:15 09:30 07:35 09:20 07:45 09:40 08:30 10:20 09:50 11:45 10:55 12:50 14:55 16:50 16:30 18:15 16:40 18:35 18:05 19:55 07:15 09:30 07:35 09:20 07:45 09:40 08:30 10:20 09:50 11:45 10:55 12:50 14:55 16:50 16:30 18:15 16:40 18:35 18:05 19:55 07:15 09:30 07:35 09:20 07:45 09:40 08:30 10:20 09:50 11:45 10:55 12:50 14:55 16:50 16:30 18:15 16:40 18:35 18:05 19:55 07:15 09:30 07:35 09:20 07:45 09:40 08:30 10:20 09:50 11:45 10:55 12:50 14:55 16:50 16:30 18:15 16:40 18:35 18:05 19:55

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

DAyS Flight
MON TG 301 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 8M 336 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 8M 332 PG 705 TUE TG 301 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 8M 336 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 8M 332 PG 705

Dep Arr
01:00 07:15 07:55 09:15 10:40 15:00 16:50 17:50 19:15 19:15 20:15 01:00 07:15 07:55 09:15 10:40 15:00 16:50 17:50 19:15 19:15 20:15 01:00 07:15 07:55 09:15 10:40 15:00 16:50 17:50 19:15 19:15 20:15 01:00 07:15 07:55 09:15 10:40 15:00 16:50 17:50 19:15 19:15 20:15 01:00 07:15 07:55 09:15 10:40 15:00 16:50 17:50 19:15 19:15 20:15 01:00 07:15 07:55 09:15 10:40 15:00 16:50 17:50 19:15 19:15 20:15 01:55 08:00 08:50 10:05 11:25 15:50 17:35 18:45 20:00 20:00 21:30 01:55 08:00 08:50 10:05 11:25 15:50 17:35 18:45 20:00 20:00 21:30 01:55 08:00 08:50 10:05 11:25 15:50 17:35 18:45 20:00 20:00 21:30 01:55 08:00 08:50 10:05 11:25 15:50 17:35 18:45 20:00 20:00 21:30 01:55 08:00 08:50 10:05 11:25 15:50 17:35 18:45 20:00 20:00 21:30 01:55 08:00 08:50 10:05 11:25 15:50 17:35 18:45 20:00 20:00 21:30

DAyS Flight
WED MI 512 3K 585 8M 6231 8M 232 MI 518 THUR MI 512 8M 232 MI 518 MI 520 8M 234 FRI MI 512 3K 585 8M 6231 8M 232 MI 518 MI 520 MI 512 3K 585 8M 6231 8M 232 MI 518 MI 520

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

YANGON TO BANGKOK

BANGKOK TO YANGON

SUN 8M 231 MI 511 8M 233 MI 517 WED 8M 401 SAT 8M 401

YANGON TO SIEM REAP

08:50 11:25 08:50 11:25 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 11:20 15:50 08:40 13:15 11:20 15:50 08:40 13:15 11:10 04:35 11:10 04:35 11:10 04:35 11:10 04:35 09:40 12:50 09:40 12:50 14:15 17:35 09:40 12:50 14:15 17:35 09:40 12:50 14:15 17:35 09:40 12:50 14:15 17:35 09:40 12:50 14:15 17:35

YANGON TO KUALA LUMPUR

MON 8M 501 MH 741 AK 851 TUE 8M 501 MH 741 AK 851

SAT

WED 8M 501 MH 741 AK 851 THU MH 741 AK 851 FRI 8M 501 MH 741 AK 851 8M 501 MH 741 AK 851

A sales clerk at AoBaBa in Hoi An shows the shops rainbow collection of silks. Pic: Marian Smith Holmes/ The Washington Post Despite the crush, a relaxed, unhurried vibe predominates as people stroll or pedal bikes down the narrow lanes of Hoi Ans Old Town section. Cars are prohibited in the area, but one must be alert for motorbikes sharing the streets. Traffic here, however, is mild compared with the white-knuckle experience of crossing a busy street in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. Eventually I arrive at a silk shop housed in a large, beautifully restored wooden house. Attired in uniform green ao dai, the saleswomen are standing at attention or assisting customers. As I enter AoBaBa, a staffer greets me with a cold bottle of water and a cold towel. Barbara (her Vietnamese name is too difficult for foreigners to pronounce, she says) takes up the challenge of matching the fabric of my much-loved old silk pants. We head to the second floor. At the top of the stairs I nearly stumble over a young woman sleeping on a mat. As I look around the room, I notice four or five other women employees sprawled on the floor, their colourful silk ao dai swirled around them like butterfly wings. Its their nap time, Barbara whispers. Barbara soon finds an excellent silk for my pants. She takes my measurements and publicly announces them in Vietnamese to a fellow worker. In addition, she uses a huge scanner, which reminds me of airport screeners, to create a full body image of me to send to the shops tailors, who work offsite overnight. Back at Viettown, I finalise the order for a collarless, cap-sleeved silk blouse in a dazzling shade of blue and cancel the order for the slacks. Thumbing through the fashion books, I spot a dress with a shirred waist. Its a good basic style, and with Phoungs advice on the many options cotton or chiffon, A-line or bias cut, V-neck or round, sleeves or sleeveless it becomes a oneof-a-kind summer dress that no one else in Washington will be wearing. While browsing among the shops, Im repeatedly distracted from the hunt by the charm and beauty of ancient Hoi An. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the town lies on the Thu Bon River and is a living museum of picturesque, intact 18th and 19th century buildings. Diminutive in scale compared with Western architecture, the temples, residences, trading houses and pagodas reflect influences of Japan and China, two nations that established headquarters in Hoi An during its trading port heyday. When I tell Glenn how lovely the town is despite the glut of shopaholics and vendors, he accompanies me to pick up my new clothes, and we embark on a walking tour.

SAT

SUN MH 741 AK 851 WED CZ 3056 THUR 8M 711 SAT CZ 3056

WED TG 301 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 8M 336 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 8M 332 PG 705 THUR TG 301 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 8M 336 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 8M 332 PG 705 FRI TG 301 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 8M 336 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 8M 332 PG 705 TG 301 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 8M 336 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 8M 332 PG 705 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 8M 336 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 8M 332 PG 705

SUN MI 512 8M 232 MI 520 MI 518 8M 234 MON MH 740 8M 502 AK 850 TUE MH 740 8M 502 AK 850

KAULA LUMPUR TO YANGON

10:05 11:15 14:00 15:00 17:10 18:20 10:05 11:15 14:00 15:00 17:10 18:20 10:05 11:15 14:00 15:00 17:10 18:20 10:05 11:15 17:10 18:20 10:05 11:15 14:00 15:00 17:10 18:20 10:05 11:15 14:00 15:00 17:10 18:20 10:05 11:15 17:10 18:20 08:40 10:30 14:15 15:50 08:40 10:30 14:15 15:50 07:15 10:10 07:15 10:10 07:15 10:10 07:15 10:10 08:40 09:00 08:40 09:00 12:40 13:15 12:40 13:15 08:40 09:00 08:40 09:00 12:40 13:15 08:40 09:00 12:40 13:15 08:40 09:00 12:40 13:15 10:00 12:45 10:00 12:45 17:20 17:50 16:35 18:10 16:35 18:10 16:35 18:10 16:35 18:10 16:35 18:10 11:40 13:25 11:40 13:25 11:40 13:25 18:40 20:05 18:40 20:05

YANGON TO GAUNGZHOU

WED MH 740 8M 502 AK 850 THU MH 740 AK 850 FRI MH 740 8M 502 AK 850 MH 740 8M 502 AK 850

SUN 8M 711 MON CI 7916 TUE CI 7916

YANGON TO TAIPEI

SAT

WED CI 7916 FRI CI 7916

YANGON TO KUNMING
MON MU 2032 TUE MU 2032 CA 906

SUN MH 740 AK 850 WED CZ 3055 THUR 8M 712 SAT CZ 3055

GUANGZHOU TO YANGON

WED MU 2032 CA 906 THUR MU 2032 CA 906 SAT MU 2032 CA 906 CA 906

SUN 8M 712 MON CI 7915 TUE CI 7915

SAT

TAIPEI TO YANGON

SUN MU 2032

WED CI 7915 FRI CI 7915

YANGON TO KOLKATA
MON A1 228 FRI A1 228 15:50 16:45 15:50 16:45

KUNMING TO YANGON
MON MU 2031 TUE MU 2031 CA 905

YANGON TO CHIANG MAI

THUR W9 9607 14:20 16:10

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

SUN TG 301

01:00 01:55 07:15 08:00 07:55 08:50 09:15 10:05 10:40 11:25 15:00 15:50 16:50 17:35 17:55 18:45 19:15 20:00 19:15 20:00 20:15 21:30

WED CA 905 MU 2031 THUR MU 2031 CA 905 SAT MU 2031 CA 905

WED VN 956 FRI SAT VN 956 VN 956

YANGON TO SINGAPORE
MON 8M 231 MI 511 8M 6232 3K 586 MI 517 TUE 8M 231 MI 511 8M 233 07:55 12:25 10:10 14:45 11:30 16:05 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 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 11:30 16:05 16:40 21:15

SUN MU 2031 CA 905 Mon A1 227 FRI A1 227

YANGON TO HO CHI MINH

TUE VN 942 W9 9607 SUN VN 942 W9 9607 14:25 17:10 14:25 17:10 14:35 16:05 14:25 17:10 14:35 16:05 THUR VN 942

KOLKATA TO YANGON

SINGAPORE TO YANGON
MON MI 512 3K 585 8M 6231 8M 232 MI 518 TUE MI 512 8M 232 MI 518 8M 234 07:55 09:20 09:10 10:40 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

CHIANG MAI TO YANGON

THUR W9 9608 MON VN 957 TUE VN 957

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

HANOI TO YANGON

YANGON TO PHNOM PENH

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

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)

MI 517 WED 8M 231 MI 511 8M 6232 3K 586 MI 517 THUR 8M 231 MI 511 8M 233 MI 517 FRI 8M 231 MI 511 8M 6232 3K 586 MI 517

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

WED VN 957 FRI SAT TUE VN 957 VN 957 VN 943

YANGON TO GAYA
MON A1 234 13:30 14:15

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)

Room No. 1101, Sakura Tower, 339, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Kyauktada Tsp, Ygn. Tel : 255491~6 Fax : 255223

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

THUR VN 943 SUN VN 943 WED 8M 402 SAT 8M 402

Subject to change without notice

Air India

Myanmar Airways International(8M)

Vietnam Airlines (VN)

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

GAYA TO YANGON
MON A1 233 11:45 14:45

teA BreAk
September 3 - 9, 2012
the

44
MyanMar tiMes

Craft beers boom in Italy despite ailing economy

By Ljubomir Milasin BORGOROSE, Italy With oyster, tobacco and watermelon flavoured brews, Italys craft beers are flourishing despite a punishing recession that is putting thousands of other businesses out of work. From just seven craft breweries in 1996, there are now more than 445 challenging wines traditional dominance and experts say there is scope for more growth in a country where tastes for beer are still being shaped. Creativity and experimentation are the current characteristics of the world of craft beer in Italy, said Luciana Squadrilli from Birra del Borgo brewery in the tiny town of Borgorose some 100 kilometres (62 miles) from Rome. The brewery, which was a pioneer in the sector when it opened in 2005, produces around 30 different types of beer every year. It was set up by Leonardo di Vicenzo, a biologist who decided to turn his hobby into a business. At the time we had a total production capacity of 500 litres per cycle of production. Now we have 2500 litres, said chief brewer Andrea Lecchini, also a biologist who holds a Masters in brewing. I think consumers like the variety, the chance of combining typically Italian ingredients to make unusual

YOUR STARS
By Astrologer Aung Myin Kyaw Aquarius
Disappointment and hope always share space on the platform of social construction. Learning to cultivate some degree of indifference will make it easier to continue your journey to spirituality. Perform your share in the common bond of relationships. Change the norms and roles of morality for yourself, toward the goal of breaking out from the circle of greed. Look for someone with a similar outlook to your own, with whom to build a love life.

Jan 20 - Feb 18

Pisces

Friendships must enter into an alliance best built by mutual understanding. You need a strong social network to pass through upcoming difficulties and take advantage of new opportunities. Make no attempt to delve into the mysteries of the human mind. Find the value of human nature and know that social compatibility is the golden bridge to success. Create love through mutual satisfaction.

Feb 19 - Mar 20

Aries

Life is a social circle within different cycles of constructive and destructive energy. Be clever in managing your strong impulsive streak as a subjective emotion. A me-first attitude is not an asset in a relationship that is fighting for survival, and learning to give and take will help achieve a happy union. However, too much emotional happiness can make you tired in your love life.

March 21 - April 19

A customer looks at bottles of beer at the small craft brewery of Eataly in Rome on August 22. Pic: AFP drinks, especially in a country where there is no tradition of beer making which would have pre-determined tastes. The brewery employs 15 people in everything from production to administration to bottling whose average age is around 30, which is very young for a company in Italy where the workforces tend to be older. A report by Assobirra, the association of Italian brewers, said 71 percent of Italians drink beer and that it is quickly catching up with wine with 28.8pc saying it is their favourite drink compared to 37pc for wine. The authors of the report said beer was the most democratic drink as it could be drunk at all occasions and was cheaper. Craft beers have a higher price tag, however, with a 0.75-litre bottle of Birra del Borgo selling for around 10 euros (US$12). Five or 10 years ago we could only have dreamt that the future could look so rosy, said Brooks Carretta, a brewer at Eataly, a temple to Italian gastronomy that opened in Rome this year and includes a small craft brewery. A 0.5-litre bottle at Eataly can sell for as much as 25 euros ($30). We produce around 1000 litres per week and now we are going to bring out beers with watermelon and papaya flavours, said Carretta, a young Italian-American who is currently working on a beer with lemons from Amalfi. Craft beers currently make up around 2pc of Italys beer market but the share is growing in double-figures every year as the trend catches on. Carretta said he did not think there was any conflict with wine as the two drinks are two separate worlds and their paths cross only rarely. I like discovering the novelties, knowing that there are now major differences between the beers in Italy depending on where they come from. AFP

Taurus

Your tendency to use your excess energy to help others is a positive virtue, but be sure to bottle some up and save it to help you achieve some of the projects you have been meaning to pursue. Tranquillity can easily be distorted into laziness and sloth. Refrain from criticising the weaknesses of others, even when you know something is wrong.

April 20 - May 20

Gemini

Every person has two educations: one that is received from others, and the more important one that he gives himself. Use your powerful intellect is to become a leader by making sharp, bright and constructive decisions for the benefit of humanity. Gain knowledge of the difference between contradiction and negotiation. Take steps to ensure stability in your love life.

May 21 - June 20

Cancer

A spiritual philosophy is a hidden treasure to embed within your soul for living in purity. Pride, physical strength and property are never guaranteed; the law of impermanence ensures that that they are often disabled by nature. Great men prefer to take responsibility; believe in yourself as a person who can be of service to the world.

June 22 - July 22

Leo

Salad snobs push food fundamentalism

By Catherine Marciano NICE, France Add corn and theyre scandalised. Shallots are a sacrilege. Green beans and potatoes, unacceptable. Meet the defence committee for Frances Salade Nicoise possibly the worlds most ubiquitous salad dish after Caesar salad that purists are tired of seeing tossed the wrong way. In a country that loves cooking, but not necessarily change, the group is not only serious but is supported and partly subsidised by Nice city hall. When we come back from holidays, we talk about our experiences around France, like the time I was served Salade Nicoise with mayonnaise. I was horrified! said Renee Graglia, 78, a native of the posh Riviera city where the dish originated. She is president of the Cercle de la Capelina dOr, a group devoted to teaching, defending and promoting traditional cuisine from the region around Nice, a magnet for French and foreign tourists alike. Originally, our cooking was simple food for poor people, Graglia said. At first, Salade Nicoise was made only with tomatoes, anchovies and olive oil. A local variation is pan bagnat meaning bathed or wet bread in the Nice dialect Nissard. Bread was baked only every three weeks so it got hard, Graglia said, and the juicy salad and a bit of water helped soften it enough to eat. But like the salad, pan bagnat has also morphed wildly. Once known as the County of Nice, this area, near the Italian border, has a distinct cultural and historical heritage that can be traced back to the Middle Ages. We want to maintain tradition because there are limits, said Graglia, a retired teacher from the respected Hotel School of Nice, an establishment that trains professionals in the food and hotel industry. And Salade Nicoise with corn? No! Some even put in lemon and shallots, no, no! she said. Graglia, from a generation when rules counted, authenticity was sacred and variation could border on the profane, even takes to task Auguste Escoffier, the legendary chef and culinary writer renowned for modernising French menus and cooking methods. Escoffier, who was born in a town close to Nice in 1846, is credited with what Graglia views as the questionable idea of adding the boiled potatoes and green beans often found in Salade Nicoise today. He wasnt even a Nicois, she scoffed. Graglia and her 10 or so sentries in the Cercle de la Capelina dOr, which has been going strong for 40 years, hold annual cooking competitions and inspect restaurants to see if theyre worthy of bearing the label cuisine Nissarde. To do so, the establishments must serve properly at least three of 15 regional specialities such as raviolis a la daube, or raviolis in a Provencal beef stew; tourte de blettes sucree, a sweetened Swiss chard tart, or ratatouille, the muchloved melange of cooked zucchini, bell peppers, eggplant and tomato. We have thoroughly consulted many cookbooks and dug up the most representative recipes, with only a few variations, said Graglia of her group. And they are categorical about the composition of a Salade Nicoise: tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, salted anchovies, tuna, spring onions, small black Nice olives and basil. And if the season suits, you can add young, tender broad beans out of the pod, young, raw artichokes and thin green peppers. You must rub the bowl with garlic and season the salad only with olive oil and salt though the Cercle de la Capelina dOr will allow a bit of pepper and a few drops of vinegar. Purists, however, add no salad other than a bit of mesclun, or tender young greens. Last January, a photograph in the big local daily Nice Matin of a Salade Nicoise with a hefty portion of green beans and potatoes the way its served in most of France caused an outcry among traditionalists. The old Nice residents were behind us, they urged us to remind everyone of the rules! Graglia said. To make amends, the newspaper organised a contest for the best Salade Nicoise. Christian Plumail, a Michelin-starred chef and Nice native, was part of the jury but took it all with a grain of salt. Its good to codify these recipes, but I refuse any gastronomic fundamentalism, he said. For me, recipes are alive, not static. They should be thrown out if they become repetitive. But he was quick to concede that he approaches local specialities with great prudence in his Nice restaurant. I tremble, he said. Here, they always have someone in the family who does it better. AFP

Man is essentially selfish and evil, and therefore education and culture are needed in order to be good. Derive the principles of virtue from your learning and knowledge. Your diplomatic and communication skills will see you through difficult challenges on your way to a great position. Pay more attention to the small things that are important to your lover.

July 23 - Aug 22

Virgo

Your good deeds will help make your life more comfortable and easier at the present and in the future. Bestow an honour on yourself by remaining honest and loyal. Avoid arguing with those who insist on giving advice, and quietly learn from observing the body languages of others. Criticism is a dangerous spark in the wrangling world. Colourless love demands nothing but your heart and soul.

Aug 23 - Sept 22

Libra

Make your living by what you get, and make your life by what you give. Take notice that the world sometime likes to laugh with you and sometimes at you, just as it sometimes stands for you and sometimes against you. Never switch into reverse gear, but instead steer cleverly and at reasonable speed. Love within you changes nothing, but good change will happen in a relationship.

Sept 23 - Oct 22

Scorpio

Respect is an important ingredient in life, and everyone deserves respect and to be treated well. Avoid pointing out the mistakes of others, a habit that can turn ugly by opening wounds and causing sorrowful feelings. Good travel will make you happy. Spiritual contemplation will change your way of thinking and help you make the right decisions. Your emotional needs will be fulfilled wonderfully.

Oct 23 - Nov 21

Sagittarius

An environment and climate for success will be forged through your own efforts, with a little help from others. Encourage friends to expand their thought patterns, and dont neglect to follow your own advice in this regard. Try a personalised technique or use a passage from your chosen scriptures to convince yourself of your own worth.

Nov 22 - Dec 21

Capricorn

The more you dwell on your worries, the more you weaken your power to resist them. A negative attitude provides energy for the realisation of precisely those things that you do not want to happen. In your quest for a new relationship, take the time to observe and understand the behaviour of others in your social circle. Control your sexual impulses before taking action. Dont be crazy in your love life. 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

Computer
BASIC COURSE, i office Course, DTP Course, Graphic Design, Internet & Email, Peachtree Accounting Ph: 09-448003402 COMPUTER Services (On Call) Networking & CCTV installation 09-430-52564, 09- 73085511 GMAIL, facebook new account. Pls contact : 09-730-45025 I OFFICE COURSE DTP Course Graphic Design Course Internet & Email Peachtree Accounting 2005/2010. Ph : 09-448003402 START MAkInG FREE video calls on your iPhone, Android, WP7, or PC! Tango works over all networks and across many devices. Download Tango at http://www.tango.net/r/a , or search for Tango in your app marketplace. SOFTwARE developer & PC Technician special training : From fundamental to advanced level (1) C++, Visual Basic, VB.NET & C#.NET (2) A+ hardware and networking PC-One Computer training center. 39, 30th st. (1st flr.) Pabedan. 09-420-0 90167, 09-509-0350

Education
SPECIAL Teaching (Individual Or Group). Mathematics for GCE, Edexcel GCSE & Edexcel IGCSE (O-Level & A-Level). Mathematics for SAT (Grade 8, 9, 10, 11, 12). Mathematics for Matric Exam. Ph: 09731-48725. MAThEMATICS If your child (KG to Grade 9) from YIS, ISM, ISY, Yangon Academy and all international schools is weak in Maths or doesnt know how to think and solve the problems, Pls contact. Daw Naing Naing Aung, B.Com (Q) No.(6), Thuketa St, Baukhtaw, Yankin. Ph: 544594, 09-500-4993. SChOLAR TEAChInG & Guide Association founded with ME, BE & Master Degree holder with 12 years experience in teaching Public & Int'l School (Total, ILBC, CISM, YIUS, Horizon, ISM) Higher level : SAT, IGCSE, IELTS, TOFEL, Saya Bryan (M.E IT) ph: 09-4200 70692, 09- 215-0075, Saya Min Aung ph: 09-421110832 Native American & Korean teachers also available. FOR PRIMARy LEvEL International School Subjects English , Math, History , Science Geography, Social English Language Myanmar Language Dance Lessons C o n t a c t : candlelight295@ gmail. com Ph: 9190133 calling time 8:00 pm

IELTS GCSE Basic, .5 &I ( 7 & Above), (Phy; Chem; Eng), Business English; We are hero-makers; Teacher Solomon: Ph09-541-7781. kAnT kAw Education Centre is now accepting applications for its October Term. Limited fee waivers are available so apply now! Available courses eneral nglish :G E (Level I & II) IELTS (Level I & II) Academic Reading & Writing Civic Education Advanced English for Communication Conversation Club Study Abroad skills Building Deadline for applications: September 7, 2012. Address: (605/A), San Yeik Nyein 6th St, Kamaryut, Yangon. Ph: 01 502 884. Email: info@ kantkaw.com MyAnMAR Aabedama if you would like to ask any question about Myanmar Tradition You are welcome to contact Mg Htoo Pyae Sone Tun: 09-420109629, 09-732-46462 TEAChInG Guide For Primary Student for International Schools Subjects English, Math Geography History, Social Sceince English Language Ph : 9190133 LOGFRAME/ROjECT Proposal / Report Writing & for IELTS/ TOEFL/SAT essay Contact Teacher Maisie, 8th Mile Ph: 09-501-1952, 660-413, 667-082 TEAChInG combination of Foreign & Myanmar Style/ Skillful Teachers, Teachers who have got Teaching experience in Singapore Study Guides for Grade 10, 11 & Int'l School, GCSE, SAT, IELTS, OEFL, merican T A Native English Teacher Tr. Albert c/o 09-420070 692 Sayar Bryan, ME (IT) 09-420070692, Sayar Htet Ph; 09-215 0075, Sayar Min Aung (B.E,IT):09-42111 0832, Korean Native Maths Teacher Tr.Kim c/o 09420070692, EnGLISh Grammar for 9th and 10th Standards Ph: 09-541-3847. kAUnG MyAT B.E (petro) Grade IX, X & XI Special for Maths. Ph: 09-731-42020. gmail: K a u n g M y a t O o 2 5 1 @ gmail.com, Facebook: KaungMyatOo.

your online presence SMART !!! -3 types of Service Package with 60% money back guarantee. Ph:09-4311 5202 (zinzae@gmail. com) IF yOU wAnT us to service from international driving licence to Myanmar driving licence and Myanmar driving licence to international driving licence. Give me only pass post copy, visa copy, licence original and copy, id photo 3 copy and FEC 60 & services fee 35000 ks. Call us 0973008426

SPOkEn MyAnMAR: Progressive Myanmar Language Private Classes for Foreigners. Effective Teaching Program will be supported. For details, pls contact to +959- 423 668 824.

For Rent
BED ROOM for Rent : Foreigner only. 1 or 2 person. Ph: 526707, 09-517-2256. LEFT hAnD Drive Car for rent (Expat use in Yangon) Contact : 09730-33776. MARK II, 1999 Model, Pearl White, 2.0 Gasoline, 111000 km, 2D/3000, Grade 4.5, Kyat 8 Lakh per month (minimum 3 month rent), Ph: 09-731-15378.

Language
ThE GREAT nEwS and proud to announce (foreigners), this Myanmar language class is help to gain Myanmar local peoples speaking style & habits.We can teach advance to every students, mean systema tically.Also we can teach at the students home.If you want to try our Myanmar language class, pls join as soon as possible. Teachers Sithu & Cho Zin Enroll now! Ph: 09-4210 37619, 09-4210 74658. call and enjoy students. SPOkEn MyAnMAR - Effective Myanmar language home visit classes for Foreigners. Progressive Program would be supported.For details, pls contact to keencentre@gmail.com EnGLISh class at Chantha Gonyaung Condo, Tamwe . Pre reading (Phonics), Reading (Oxford reading program) Creative writing, Grammar (EFL/ESL), 4 skills (IELTS) Also available Math & Science (Singapore syllabus/ IGCSE) Call 09-5062283. FOREIGnERS for those who would like to learn Myanmar language. 10000 Kyats per hour. Ma Zar Chi Lwin, B.A (English) UFL, 09-49588579. EnGLISh Language Guide. Ph : 9190133 C/O Teacher Chaw Chaw InnOvIA - Language Solutions Baisc Myanmar language for foreigners : speaking/ reading & writing for foreigners - (From basic to advanced) one to one home teaching & classroom teaching. Call to book your class. Teach by more than 10 years of Int'l experien-ced & teaching experienced teachers. New Classes commence 1st September 2012. Ph: 09-43197761, 09401603454. Email: innovia. myanmar@ gmail.com FOR EMBASSy family and others: When you stay in Myanmar, do u want to ask to your children to learn Myanmar language? Call: 09-5146505 (Christine)

For Sale
GET-ARCADE Handheld Gaming Device for sell. Can play NES, Sega Genesis, Arcade,SNES, GBA games very well. 100 + games included. Very good condition with original box. Battery - 3.5 hour of gameplay guarentee. Price - 25,000 Kyats 09 5079980 (Aung Thu Hein) DELL LAPTOP (3 weeks used) - InspironN40501103 - Processor (Intel* Core i5-2450M 2.5GHz) -RAM (4GB DDR3)HDD (500GB5400rpm)D V D R / W - A M D Radeon HD6470-1GBBluetooth-HDwebcamWifi-6cellBattery. K 480,000. Ph:09-420037876. (1).CANON NP6416 copier (new condition) (2).Canon FAX-B150 (3). CHIGO air-con KF72LW (sigle) Floor Type (2) unit. Ph: 511663,09-73082783. ko poe zaw nISSAn (Bluebird sss) 1986 Air con Very Good Wheel - New Shock absorber - New 65 Lakhs Ph: 09-73110110. ACER LAPTOP. Processor: Intel (R) core (TM)2. Solo CPU U3500. 1.40 Ghz. Memory 4 GB. Windows vista. Model: Aspire 4810T. 64 bit OS. Service Pack 1. Price: 130000. Ph: 09514-8155. (90% nEw) Used Apple IpodTouch 4G 32GB Black With all original accessries and box Price - 150000, Nokia N8 with all original accessries and box price - 150000 Ph : 09-517-8391 COMPOSITE Showcase 6 No for sale. Ph: 0973005836, 09-5095505. LAPTOP Acer Aspire 4810T Processor: Intel Core 2 Solo CPU U3500, 1.40 GHz Memory: 4 GB 64 bit OS, Service Pack 1 Windows Vista. Price 130000. Ph: 09-514-8155. 6 MOnTh USED Apple IpodTouch 4th Generation 32 GB Black with all original

Accessories and box very good condition price - 150000, 6 Month Used Phone Nokia N8 with all original accessories and box price - 150000 Ks 095178391. GEnERATOR : (1) Denyo(Disel) 45KV, 1 No : Ks 10,000,000 (2)2DC Family (Disel) 25 KV, 1 No : Ks 3,000,000. Ph : 09-5073295, 01200133. PSP Go built in 16GB (2month used) Full game installed, with cover Condition Almost original good. Ph: 09-739-03193 (Mandalay) ChILDREn Dictionary, Encyclopedia size, Vol: 1 to 8, Good Conditions, Reasonable Prize, Contact: 09-730-53353, C/O 01-689545. A D S L ( B a g a n / M P T ) , WiMax (Bagan), McWill Ph : 09-44-800-6520 FOR SOFTwARE SALE : Travel & Tour Software System (booking), Golf Management System for Green fees, Make for Customized Software System contact: 09-73075931, Email: zinmyintzx @ gmail. com InTERnET Y-max. Ph: 09-731-75878. CDMA 800 MHz Mobile Phone (Huawei c8650), A few months used, Internet-connected, Link-To-SD 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 nicecondition smart phone* Ph: 09-731-30288 Email: myomyintrit7@ gmail.com, myomyint 2359@yahoo.com

(Excellent Training Teacher). 142, 47thSt, st 1 Flr, Bota-htaung. Ph: 09-730-17729, DAnCE CLASS Special Attention Dance Teacher ; Hamjit Great experience teacher for dancing hip hop, rap & Tango Contact : 9190133 C/O Chaw Chaw nURTURE Intellegence in music. Professional Piano Education. Piano lesson, any level, with Teacher Christie, from the Philippines. Part-time pianist at International School Yangon. After school and Sunday classes. Delta Plaza, Shwe Gone Daing Rd, Bahan. One-to-one class. Limited students only. Ph:552-609. PROjECT Management Course will start on August 5, 2012. Four sessions on Sunday morning, ideal for busy executives who dont have time to attend regular classes. For more information, inquiries or enrollment please contact the Corporate Learning Academy (CLA) 5 Meilikha Rd, Mayan-gon. Ph: 650329, 664397 Email: cla@ myanmar.com.mm BASIC ART: Drawing & Painting (Taught in Burmese); July 30 - Sept 21; Call YWAMA (in Hledan) today! 09861 3748

PROPERTY
HousingforRent
CONDO : IT's a most suitable ready made condo for office opening facilities Chairman room :1, MD room, Director room, Meeting room, Reception Counter : 2, Staff cabinet :18 No, CCTV Camera, Internet ph line : 4 , Full AC, Full AC, Full furniture, Full curtains service, 2200 sqft, US$ 2500 per month. Ph: 09-5155241. BAhAN : An apartment in Pearl Condominium, 12th flr, 1700 sqft. designed and furnished in European style. Most modern interior decoration. Fully furnished & air conditioned. Best for foreigners. Rent expected USD 2100 per month. Call owner (English speaking 09508-2244) or ( Myanmar speaking 09-73567890) BAhAN : (1) New University Avenue Lane, Condo, 7Flr, 1500sqft , Fully furnished & furniture, 3 A/C, 1 MBR, 2 SBR, 1Ph, 8 Lakhs (2) Golden valley, 2 Story Building, Fully furnished & furniture, 2MB, 2SB, Ph,A/C,Good neighbor hood, 30 Lakhs, (Suitable to Rent for Foreigner), Ph: 09-43200669 (1)kAMAyUT, Inya Rd, 1 acre land, 2RC colony style, big lawn, 4 master rooms, (2) Near Pyay Rd, 0.25 acre land, 2 storey new house, phone line, nice lawn, 5 master bed rooms, (3) Bahan , golden valley, 60x120', 2 storey, 3 master bed rooms, phone line, fully furnished, US$ 3200 per month, Ph: 09448015380. Highly sought after home. Click here to view additional information www. realtorhomedepot. com/secure/ ThInGAnkyUn,120, Pyi Taw Aye St, Lay Daung Kan Word, Ph: 09-730-95600 (Kyaw Sein Lwin) Third Flr (130 Lakhs) (Back of Main St) 9 MILES, 5minutes walk from Main Road (Pyay Road), Bonyarna Lane (50"x 70") garden with including house, Can travel all seasons (Especially Rainy Season), (3500 Lakhs) no agent please. Ph: 09-73028726 , 09-421029911. MOnywAR , 1 Lot no.11/10,block no.90/92, 15 st, Thanlar, 2 between 2 & 4 st, Kywar nyo st, Pyi tharyar Qt, Meikhtilar . Ph 09 - 492-31696, Email: goodwill303164 @ gmail.com DELTA PLAZA 2nd flr, corner unit, 1680 sqft 2 MBR, 1 Single Rm. all rooms windows, aircon, water heaters, ph. Pls contact: 09-5079048, 09-514-1195 ( 1 ) S / O k k A L A R PA Land 30' x 56' at Corner of Damma Date Htan St & 37 St, 13 Yat Quat, (Price 1200 Lakhs) (2) Lake kan St, (Near to Yae Kyaw Rd)Corner Ground Flr Shophouse, 18' x 40', (Plus covered side lane 12' x 30') (Price 850 Lakhs) Ph: 09 5002133 ThInGAnGyUn : Freehold Land 41' x 130' Price 2500 Lakhs Tel : 09 5002133 ThInGAnGyUn : Land suitable for Hospital 85' x 130' , Freehold. Price : 5800 Lakhs o.n.o Tel : 09 5143339 SOUThOkkALAPA, Min Khaung Rd, 40 x 60. Ph: 09-730-00485 C L A S S I C COnDOMInIUM 27th St x Marchant St, 1st Flr, 1756 sqft, (34' x 46'), 14' High, Price 4000 Lakhs Ph: 09 42 007 0692 DAGON, 840/42, Corner Blk, Dagon Shwe Hmyar 1st St, Near Bohmu Ba Htoo St. Ph: 09-73135746. PABEDAn, 27th St x Marchant St, 1st Flr, 1756 sqft, (34' x 46'), 14' High, Price 4500 Lakhs Ph: 09-4200-70692

Public Notice
TTA TRADING Co., Ltd. Your Trusted Hotel Supplies Partner:174/176, 51st Upper , Pazun-daung , Yangon. (New office address) Ph: 9000448, 397757, Hp: 09-5214535, Fax: 9000448, Email: ttatrading@gmail. com STyLIST if you want to change your style with one glance you are welcome to contact : Mg Htoo Pyae Sone Tun: 09-73246462, 09-420-109629

General
MOBILE hOUSE : Sales & Service center : 161,Latha St, Upper, Latha. Ph: 250880. InT'L hAIRSTyLE Chanin Store : 144, Latha St, Middle, Latha.Ph:095055508, 253414. ORGAnIC FOLIAR Spray for hotels, family gardens and indoor flower plants. Door to door service. Call 09-420080585. TTD COnCRETE professional goods (Made in Thailand) : Vibrating Truss screeds, Vibrating beam screeds, Walk-behind trowels, Floor hardener, Riding trowerls, Steel trowels, Channel float (pipe), Blade, Pan. Sole Agent: DAVINCI Group Co., Ltd: 9, Bayintnaung Rd, Shwe marlar , Kamayut. Ph: 512239, 512249.

Housing for Sale

FAnTASTIC opportunity to purchase this 5 bedroom, 3.5 bath-room, well-priced home in east lake forest. Stately brick home, just one block from lake side. 9 foot ceilings on ground floor with hard wood floors in formal rooms. Grand living rooms with volume ceilings and fireplace. Family room ideally situated off of kitchen. Library with pine paneling.

Want To Buy
USEDPhOnE-Samsung, Huawei, Iphone Nokia HTC Sony Ericsson Ipod Ipad Laptop, Notebook Netbook, MacbookPro, Macbook Air, Samsung Galaxy Tablet, External Hardisk. Ph:376420l.

Expert Service
IFyOU wAnT to send letter or parcel to Naypyitaw & Mandalay call me, Kaung Htet Mail Services with 09-730-08426. 1 letter for Naypyitaw 2500ks, Mandalay 3500ks. SMART LInk (Online Marketing & Branding Services) We are offering great services with reasonable price for you. Not just advertising & promotion , We make Branding Market Surveys Customer relationship & Engagement We make

Training
SMART (Body Fitness); Welcome to all of customer. To reduce your over weight body (Above 200lb). To get smart and healthy body. To get a healthy life. Available to discuss with experts

Employment
UN Position
(ThE UnITED nATIOnS World Food Programme Myanmar) WFP Myanmar is seeking - Field Monitor Assistant. GradeSC-4. Duty StationLaokai. No.of post- 1. Minimum qualifications & experience: Secondary school education, supplemented with experience or additional education in related field. At least 3 years of prograssively responsible support experience including at least one year in the field of statistics, refugee operations, or another related field. Fluency in English/ Myanmar and ability to communicate with Chinese/ Kokhant ethnic Language. Pls send applications with UN P-11 form to WFP HR Unit, 3rd Flr, Inya Lake Hotel, 37 Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Yangon, P.O. Box 650 (or) email to Myanmar. vacancy@ wfp.org COB 16 September 2012. ThE UnITED nATIOnS Office on Drugs & Crime (UNODS) is seeking Field Officer (SC-7) XSPK2 6 Project - 1 Post in Loilen, Southern Shan State. A relevant academic or a professional university degree in social sciences and/or development studies. 5 years experience in Agriculture, Livestock, Community Develop-ment, health etc. Good social communication skills, experience of working with local authorities and ethnic groups. Experience working in remote areas. Fluency in spoken & written English. Knowledge of a local language of the region would be an asset. Candidates should clearly indicate the Post Title in their application. Applicat-ion must include a cover letter, current CV, copies of relevant academic qualification certificates & a recent passport sized photograph to UNODC, 11A, Maylikha Rd, Mayangone, Yangon, (or) C/O UNDP, POBox (650), Yangon, Myanmar. solidarites-myanmar.org or hr. solidarites.mm@ gmail. com, Closing date:15th September 2012. A COnSORTIUM of international and national organizations comprising HelpAge International, The Leprosy Mission International, Network Activity Group, Myanmar YMCA and Golden Plain has received funding from Livelihood and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT) for a 3-year livelihood /food security project entitled REVEAL Reducing Economic Vulnerabiity through an Equitable/Inclusive Approach to Livelihoods to be implemented in 15 villages each in Ayartaw Township in Sagaing Region and Mahlaing Township in Mandalay Region. We are seeking qualified & experience Myanmar national for the following position: Job Title: Field Facilitator Location: Project office in Mahlaing Township with regular visit to project villages Qualifi-cations and compe-tencies Minimum BEHS level of education. Experience in community facilitation/ community organizing using participatory methods. A sincere desire tohelpsmallscalefarmers, livestock farmers and landless families. 3 years community mobi-lization/ facilitation work with INGO at the community level or equivalent experience is helpful. Strong familiarity with participatory development approaches. Good problem solving and organizational skills. Understanding of village level problems. Knowledge about agriculture, fisheries, livestock/small scale income generation activities helpful. Interested & qualified candidates are requested to send a Cover Letter & CV to Human Resources Unit of HelpAge Int'l Myanmar Country Office: 10 Kanbawza Avenue,Shwetaungaya Ward No. 1, Bahan , Yangon OR by email to hr.helpagemyanmar@ gmail.com no later than 5 p.m., 4 September 2012. wELThUnGERhILFE (formerly known as GAA) islooking for an Administrative & Office Assistant (Myanmar national) for our project office in Pauk, Magway Division : University Degree, Fluent in English (spoken / written) Very good skills in computer operation. Domination of MS word, excel & typing in Myanmar font are obligatory. Pls submit application letter, CV with 1 picture. copy of NRC registrat-ion. copy of graduation documents. Work references. Name & address of at least 2 referees. Pls send applications to HR Department : 29 (A), Thirimingalar Avenue, Yankin. Ph: 662908, 09 8614873 Email:co. mmr. ygn.hr@ welthungerhilfe. de & paukwhh.pm@ gnmail.com MyAnMAR Red Cross Society is looking for (1) Disaster Risk Reduction Education Training Officer (DRR Field Team), 1 Post: University degree or diploma related to the position. 2 years experience in teaching or children support programme according-ly. Communicative English languages skills (written & oral). Know how in Computer literacy & finance. (2)Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction Training Officer - 1 Post: University degree holder , 3 years experience in technical activities such as community based activities, DRR, community preparedness, etc. Computer literate in MS Office pack. Strong reporting skills (activities report in Myanmar & English). Intermediate English language skills. (3)Branch Capacity Building Training Officer (DRR Field Team). 1 Post. Qualifications and skills profile required: University degree or diploma related to the position (management, organizational development Capacity building..). 2 years experience. Must have very good computer literacy in MS Office pack (word, excel, powerpoint, Outlook express..). Basic English langauge skills. Pls submit to U Khin Mg Hla : Executive Director, mrcshrrecuritment@ gmail. com, Nay Pyi Taw. MEDECInS du Monde (MDM) is seeking harm Reduction Officer - 1 post in Myitkyina: University Degree. Significant working experience in the field of Harm Reduction, HIV/ AIDS, Public Health minimum 2 years. Fluency in English (oral & written). Fluency in Kachin language (Jingpaw). Pls submit CV & a cover letter to MDM Country Coordination Office, Yangon : 47-B, Po Sein St, Bahan, Yangon. Ph: 542830, 09-73171002. Email: hr. mdm myanmar@gmail. com SOLIDARITES Int'l (SI) is looking for Senior Logistician: 3 years of professional experience in Logistics field with INGO/ NGO. University Degree or Diploma (preferably in Logistics or related area). Or related proven experience in similar area. Knowledge of IT management & MS office (excel, word, powerpoint & networking). Fluent in English & Myanmar (spoken/ written). Good writing & communication skills. Pls submit application (CV, cover letter, references) to : Win Htay, Logistics Coordinator : 44 A, Tharyarwaddy Lane, Bahan or per email: recruitment @solidarites-myanmar. org and cc to ygn.log. coordo@solidaritesmyanmar.org (thanks to use basic excel, word or PDF format). Closing date: 15.9.2012 Specialist. (3) Medical representative. (4) Sales & Promotion representative. 5) Clerk. ( (6) Driver. Requirement: Need experience for respective post. Graduate (for position 1 to 3 preferably science, chemistry and biology). Understanding basic English. Willing to work hard. Computer knowledge.Sendapplication to : 20, Shwe Ponne Nyet Yeik Mon Housing, Ba Yint Naung Rd, Kamaryut by 11. Sept. 2012. Ph: 531140, 538227, wE ARE premium Interior Design company with offices in Singapore & Myanmar Interior Designer / Draft man (Kitchen & wardrobe Specialist) Responsibilities: We are looking for an experienced Interior Designers who can design dazzling commercial & residential designs. The designer must be able to produce AUTO CAD, 3D Max renders with ease, as well as, accurate construction /on drawings. Requirements :Diploma/Degree in Interior Design or Architecture. 2 years of ID experience but fresh graduates are welcome. Good CAD, 3D rendering & Photoshop skills. Experienced in production drawings is a must. Able to work independently. Basic English. Projects manage the timely delivery of jobs. Others: Good Salary. Work with International Design Team. Great experience. This is a great opportunity. Good team and good career growth awaits the successful candidate. Pls apply via email to info@agop.asia with an updated resume (with a recent passport size photo) and pictures with description of completed projects. Pls indicate your last drawn salary & your availability to commence work. URGEnTLy Required! Computer Technician F/M (3) Posts : in experience with: Hardware Installation and Repairing. System Integration (Windows Server & Desktop, Linux), Microsoft Active Directory, MS Exchange, Email & Internet Servers. Structured Networking . PABX , CCTV Installat-ion & Programming.Attractive salary will be offered to the right candidates. Pls send CV with recent photo, labour registration, expected salary & other relevant documents to 70-B Tharthana Yeiktha St., Bahan, Yangon . Closing date: 15-9-12. Ph: 541351, 552729, e-mail: info@ netsmartdomain. com wEBSITE Trainer (HTML, CSS, JS, DW, XML) M/F 2 posts, Network & A+ Trainer M/F 1 post. Pls submit to BLDG 5, Rm 4, MICT Park. Email: m3wi.ats @ gmail.com,Ph:652288. GOEnkA BAnDOOLA Group Ltd :(1)Market Manager:Should have min. 10 years of experience in Tractors & Agricultural Mechanization sectors. Duties include overall operaions & marketing of the product.Must be able to speak, read & write English fluently. (2) MarketingExecutive: 5 years experience in marketing tractors & other agricultural equipments. Applicants with experience in marketing generators, various inductrial equipments & other vehicles can also apply. Eligible applicants must send in their CVs before 7th September 2012 to E-mail- gbg.tractors@ gmail.com (or) you contract us on Mobile :09 4200 87374. EnGLISh Language teachers - 3 posts wanted: For English language learning centre, Min 2 years English language teaching experience, Must have bachelor degree,Must be 30 years old and over More details contact: tun.john@gmail.com or 09 524 1687. yAnGOn AIRwAyS is currently seeking for : Traffic Assistant - M/F Motivated, efficient & good interpersonal skill Graduate in any degree Basic Computer literacy Be able to communicate in English. Interested candidates are invited to submit application with detailed resume by letter to: Yangon Airways Ltd., MMB Tower, 5th Flr 166, Upper Pansodan Rd, Mingalar Taung Nyunt . Closing date: 15th September 2012. Job application on the envelope for easy reference. InyALakeHotel,Yangonis seeking (1) Accountant: Good Communication in English. Basic Computer Knowledge. (2) Storekeeper: Good Communication in English. Basic Computer Knowledge. Interested applicants may submit detailed CV in English with relevant documents, a recent photo, labour registration card, and contact details to the Human Resources Department 37, Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Yangon. Tel: 662866/5759. Closing Date of Application can apply within one week. CREATIOn (Myanmar) Co., Ltd is seeking (1) Marketing Manager 2 Posts. (2) Marketing Executive - 2 Posts. (3) Merchandising Executive - 2 Posts. (4) Frontline Manager 2 Posts.(5)Asst: Frontline Manager - 2 Posts. (6). Asst: Frontline Manager -1 Post. (7) warehouse Executive - 1 Post. All Candidates above the lists must have good communication & Analytical skill. Initiative skill. Willing-ness to Travel and Work in difficult Setting. Able to work as Gracefully Under Pressure. Be Proficient in both English & Myanmar. Computer literate. Pls send CV with Copies of academic certificates, Original & update police clearance form, a copy of family registration form (10), 1 passport photo & a copy of NRC to HR Manager, Business Development Team:15~18, Thamain Bayan Rd, Myitar Yeik Mon Housing, Tarmwe., Hp: 09-202-7605, email: bdthr manager@ goldenland. com.mm LEGEnDARy Myanmar Co., Ltd. (1) Office Staff (Export/ Import) - F 2 Pax. (2) Tour Operator (Travel & Tours) - F 1 Pax. (3) Office Staff (Travel & Tours) - F 2 Pax. Requirements: 1 year experience in Office. All applicants must be University Graduate, Spoken & Written English, must have excellent interpersonal skill and good computer knowledge. Please apply the CV with one recent photo, other certificate NRC copy, Labour registration card, Police recommendation letter to:9, Rm (A-4), 3rd Flr, Kyaung St, Myaynigone, Sanchaung. Ph: 523653, 516795, Closing Date: within 2 weeks. ShwE SA BwE Hotel & Restaurant Training Center is looking for (1) Restaurant ManagerAny Bachelor degree. 5 years experience in International Hotel & Restaurant. Able to train & guide the students. Fluent in English (2) Second Cook - Any Bachelor degree. 3 years experience in Int'l Hotel & Restaurant. Able to train & guide the students. Fluent in English. Pls submit application including CV & related documents to 20, Malika St., Mayangone. Tel: 661983, 09-516-3598. PART TIME Car Driver At Saturday & Sunday, Do your family have to get emergency part time car driver, I can drive various kind of cars. Pls call: 09-421-057645 ACADEMIC Institute Management Institute of Myanmar - MIM (1) Receptionist (2) Lecturers for Accounts (LCCI I, II, III, MYOB, Other Accounting related Software). (3) Lecturers for Computer Studies. Lecturers for English, Chinese & other languages. Pls submit CV with cover letter plus 3 passport size photos. 2 years experiences. Recom-mendation letter if possible. Supporting Certificates & docu-ments (academic results & marks). National Identity Card plus National Family Members Registration to: Block 5, 2nd Flr, Cor of Daw Thein Tin Rd & Thein Phyu Rd. Ph: 394214, 399096. ExOTISSIMO Travel Myanmar is currently looking for French Tour Operator to correspnd with overseas tour operator, travel agents, individual clients. Prepare & submit tailor make itineraries & take care of all travel arrangements as necessary. 2 years work experience in tourism related field. Should have strong sales and customer service focus. Must possess computer proficiency and good communication in English & French. Pls send a detailed C.V with recent photo, expected salary & other relevant documents to: HR Manager, 12th Flr, MMB Tower, No 166, Upper Pansodan St. Email: memecho@exotissimo. com wE are seeking enthusiastic experienced (1) M & E Designer - M/F 1 Post : BE (or) AGTI (Electrical), 5 years experience, Hotel construction field is prefer. Able to design & estimate. (2) Project Engineer (M & E) - M 1 Post: BE or AGTI (Electrical), 5 years experience, Hotel construction field is prefer. Able to take initiative, coordinate with related fields. Pls provide reference projects list, expected salary & C.V to mail: supermega97@ gmail. com (or) Super Mega Engineers Group Co., Ltd. Plot 193/197, Shu Khin Thar St., North Okkalapa Industrial Zone. Closing date: 31st August, 2012. FIRST TOP Group is now seeking or angon Office f Y & Mandalay branch. (1) General Manager - M 1 Post (Head Office)- Any Graduate or higher Degree (MBA is more preferable). Age 35 ~ 50, 5 year experience at Senior Management Level in Distribution. (2) Sales Manager M/F 2 Post (YGN 1/ MDY 1): Any Graduate or higher Degree (CIM, DMM, DMA, BBA, MBA is more preferable). Age 35 ~ 45, 3 years experience as manager in Sales & Distribution team of FMCG products. (3)Salesmen/ Sales Representative - M 10 Posts (YGN 5/ MDY 5), Any Graduate, Age 22 ~ 30. Holding in update driving license. Pls submit application letter with CV, educational certificate, 2 recent photograph & documents, describe working experience,testimonies & expected salary to : U Aung Myo Nyein. 1st Flr, 47/48, Bahosi Housing Complex, Lammadaw . Ph: 09-431-43322, 094440-15404, Closing date: 22nd September, 2012. njC General Services Co., Ltd is seeking (1) Marketing (2) hR & Administration. (3) Credit Control & Credit Management. (4) IT system. (5) Finance & Accounting - M/F : Myanmar. Bachelors Degree up in Major Law or Marketing or Finance or Accounting or related. 5 years in either Law or Marketing part or experience of Working at the Bank or Micro finance. Good command in English Japanese language is the most advantage. Proficiency in Standard of Microsoft Office: ord, xcel, ower w e p point. Others: Energetic, Confident & Challenging Person, Fast Learner, Good Management skills & good presentation. All Pls submit applications in English language, with CV or Resume, photograph, personal information, educational & occupational backgrounds & others, to :17/A3-B, Pyi Htaung Su St, Bahan. Ph: 544735. 09-730-24431. Closing date: 15 September, 2012 A nEwLy established company is seeking energetic person to join our team. Office Assistant (Female) Our expectations are: Graduate. Able to communicate in written & verbal nglish. omputer E C proficient in Word, Excel, Power Point etc. Able to use email. Work hours, week days only Monday to Friday. Pls forward your CVs pls send to myanmar.slt@ gmail. com And dont forget to tell us why we should interview you! kELvIn ChIA Yangon Ltd., a foreign legal consultancy firm based in Yangon, is now looking for highly motivated Administrative Executive with strong English language skills. Any graduate may apply. Applicants may email chw@kcyangon. com. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. ThE wEDDInG Planner Good remuneration for high calibre person. (1). Personal Assistant M/F 1 post : Age above 21. 1 year experience. Ability to travel overseas, computer literate (microsoft word proficient in English 4 skills. proficiencyin Chinese is an advan-tage. (2). Brand Manager - M/F (1) post : diploma or bachelor degree relating to marketing, good public relation skills, 3 years in marketing field. (3). Accountant - M/F 1 post : (4). Sales Executive M/F 1 post: passion in fashion, sweet s miling face, ability to sell, 1 year experience in sales. Pls send resume with one colour photo (1"x1.5") toviviennewang. vw@ gmail.com or 127(A), Sane Lei Kanthar Rd, Kamayut, Yangon. (in front of UFL University Avenue Rd) Ph: 514 325. BUSInESS Development Manager - M 2 Posts : Any Graduate. Age above 30. Willing to travel for over sea training 6 months to 12 months. Must work independently and self motivate. 2 ~ 3 years experience.Understand communication in English & prefer if candidate have knowledge in speaking Chinese language. Pls submit resume detail to: 51, Shwe Hinthar Tower (A), Rm 202, 6 miles, Pyay Rd, Hlaing . Ph: 09732-44378, 502286 SECRETARy Wanted : English 4 skills, Training / Marketing experience 5 + years priferred. Driver lic. Male only 30 ~ 40 years old, Must be deligent. Call in Eng. 250K+/mo. Ph: 09-420020876. Mr. Cliff. SMART GROUP of Companies is seeking (1) Secretary to President (Attractive Salary) - F 1 Post : Bachelor Degree or Master Degree Holder (Prefer English Major or Abroad Education). Fluent in English. 2 years experience & abroad working experience (2) Administrator - M 1 Post : Age under 30, Bachelor Degree in Administration or Management, Must have good English, 2 years experience. (3) Asst: Internal Auditor -F (1) Post : B.Com or Diploma in Accounting, Good in English (4) Event Coordinator M/F 1 Post : Age 25 ~ 30, Bachelor Degree, Fluent in English (5) Asst: Accountant - F 1 Post: Any Graduate, Diploma in Accounting or LCCI Level 3, (4)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) and testimonial documents to City Bank Building 4th Flr, Banyardala Rd, Mingalar Taung Nyunt , Ph : 09-861-6730, 09861-6731 InCEPTA Pharmaceuticals Ltd. is seeking(1) Medical Promotion Officer - 6 Posts : graduate from any discipline (science graduate with 1-2 year experience will be preferred). (2) Product Executive - 2 Posts: MBBS/B.Pharm, 2 ~ 3 years experience will be preferred. Pls submit updated resume/ CV to 92/94, Rm#3B, 52nd St, Pazundaung , Ph: 294859, 09-4210-72068, or email: rakib. incepta@ gmail.com, Closing date: 30.9.12. MARkETInG Staff - M: Age 22 ~ 30, Computer literate, Fluent in English, Willing to work, energetic , motivated & hard working (2) Office Manager (for Tour and Related Business)- M : Age 20 ~ 30, Any graduate, Computer literate, Proficient in English, Experience in marketing will be of advantage, Able to work secretarial procedure, hotel reservation and buying of air ticket, Able to use Email, Internet. Salary: Negotiable. Apply with CV & 1 recent photo, attached with relevant certificate E-mail: preschool. ygn @gmail.com Tel: 09505-7367 ShInSUnG Tongsang Int'l., Co. Ltd is seeking hR Manager - 1 Post : over 5 years (garment factory experience preferable). Any Bachelor degree. Fluent in English. Salary over 300,000 kyat (2) Chief Accoun-tant - 2 Posts: Over 5 years experience. CPA preferable. Fluent in English. Salary around 300,000 yat 3). eneral k ( G Manager : over 10 years expe-rience (garment factory experience). Any Bachelor degree. Fluent in English. Salary over 700,000 kyat. Pls submit CV with other documents to plot nos 20~23, 32~36, Kanaung Min Thar Gyi Rd, 14st, Shwepaukan Industrial Zone North Okkalapa. Ph:09-43132872, 695607

INGO Position
SOLIDARITES Int'l(SI) is seekingAdministrative & Finance Manager in Kanpelet, Chin State: University level or equivalent in accounting/ management/ administration. 2 years experience in a similar position with NGO. Excellent knowledge of word & excel, know-ledge of accounting softwares SAGA & HR software HOMERE is a plus. Knowledge of logistics procedures. Fluent spoken & written English & Myanmar. Good writing & commu-nication skills. Pls submit application (CV, cover letter, references) by email to: hr. solidarites. mm@gmail. com,sol. ygn.hr@gmail. com. hr.solidarites.chin. mm@ gmail.com, Closing date: 15th September 2012 SOLIDARITES Int'l is seeking Liaison Officer in Bhamo/ Myitkyina (Kachin State) : Graduate University or Bachelor degree,1 year professional experiences in similar roles, speaking English & Kachin languages as advantages, Good writing & reporting skills have well knowledge understanding of government procedures, good relation-ships & communication with other stake holders. Pls submit application (CV, cover, letter, references) to HR Department Solidarites Int'l/ Or drop application on an envelope at Solidarites Int'l office in angon:44(A), Y Tharyar- waddy St, Saya San Ward, Bahan or email to:bmo.admin@

Local Position
ThET PAInG SOE Co., Ltd. seek to recruit an experienced person, talented and motivated employees for the positions mention below; (1) Graphic Designer - M/F 1 post: Possess a Diploma/ Degree in Graphic Design. 2 years experience in graphic designing. Expert Proficiency in design software such as Illustrator & Photoshop. Excellent organizational, presentation & communication skills. Pls submit a current resume or curriculum vitae with recent photo, labor registration card, NRC card copy and expected salary, Any other documentation such as copies of Degree earned; awards etc. should be attached together to MS WORD or PDF Format via: ict@ thetpaingsoe.com.mm For faster processing, please indicate the below information in your resume: Current & Expected salary. Reason(s) for leaving. Availability to commence work. Recent photo to 45, Pyay Rd, 7-1/2 Miles, Mayangone. Tel: 660923, 662749. within 3 weeks. A REPUTABLE pharmaceutical and medical distribution company is looking for the following candidates; Position: (1) Marketing Manager. (2) Product

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: 503734, 524387. email: reservation@winner innmyanmar.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

(Nay Pyi Taw)

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

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

BARS ACCOMMODATION LONG TERM

Espace Avenir No 523, Pyay Rd, Kamaryut. tel: 505213-222. 50th Street 9/13, 50th street-lower, Botataung Tsp. Tel-397160.

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.

Happy Homes
Real estate & PRoPeRty ManageMent

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.

Tel: 09-7349-4483, 09-4200-56994. E-mail: aahappyhomes@ gmail.com, http://www. happyhomesyangon.com 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). Yangon City Villa (Residence) Pyay Rd, 8 Mile Junction, MYGN, tel: 513101

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
September 3 - 9, 2012
ADvERTISING
wE STARTED ThE ADvERTISInG InDUSTRy In MyAnMAR SInCE 1991

48
the

MyanMar tiMes

ELECTRICAL
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

M a r k e t i n g & c o M M u n i c at i o n s

A d v e r t i s i n g

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

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

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

CONSULTING

ENTERTAINMENT

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

Myanmar Research | Consulting | Technology

BEAUTY & MASSAGE

BATTERY

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

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

DOMAIN

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.

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

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

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

GENERATORS

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

FITNESS CENTRE
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

COLD STORAGE

DUTY FREE

BOOK STORES

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

No. 214. 1st Floor-Right, Waizayanter Road, Thingangyun Tsp, Yangon. Email: vibhavadimyanmar @gmail.com, Website: www.vibhavadi.com/web/ myanmar.php. Hot line: 09-2011-772, 09-731650-45, 09-86-250-86

HOME FURNISHING

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

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

CONSTRUCTION

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.

HEALTH SERvICES

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

LANGUAGE
81, Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Bahan Township, Yangon. Tel: 548022, 542979, 553783, 09-73216940, 09-730-56079. Email: asiapacific. myanmar@gmail.com.

FLORAL SERvICES

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.

EDUCATION CENTRE
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 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.

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

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

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

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

Flora Service & Gift Shop No.173(B), West Shwegonedaing Rd, Bahan Tsp, YGN. Tel: 09.731 800 30 No.75/77, Yaw Min Gyi St. Dagon Tsp, YGN. Tel: 09.431 432 34. Home: 01-577 387, Email: rosanafloral.ygn@ gmail.com

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

MARINE COMMUNICATION & NAvIGATION

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

Media & Advertising

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.

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.

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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REAL ESTATE
Black Canyon Coffee & International Thai Cuisine 330, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp. Tel: 0980 21691, 395052. email: blackcanyon@ yangon. net.mm. 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 Streamline Education 24, Myasabai Rd, Parami, Myangone Tsp. tel: 662304, 09-500-6916. 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 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.

MyanMar tiMes

MARKET RESEARCH

Win
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. Real Estate Agency Tel: 09-501-8250, 09-732-02480. E-mail: realwin2012@ gmail.com

REMOvALISTS

OFFICE FURNITURE
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

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

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

SCHOOLS
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

STEEL CONSTRUCTION

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

PAINT

PEB Steel Buildings 21/5, Thirimingalar Avenue, Kabaaye Pagoda Rd, Yankin Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 653410, 09-7325-7042, 09-5150332, 09-4016-01948. marketing@pebsteel.com. mm www.pebsteel.com.mm

Bangkok Phuket Yangon www.paintfx.asia

Kan Yeik Tha Road Mingalar Taung Nyunt Tsp. Yangon, Myamar.

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

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.

French Restaurant Tel: 299255~9, Ext: 7776 Fax: 382917 reservation@ kandawgyipalace-hotel. com www.kandawgyipalacehotel.com

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.

SUPERMARKETS
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,

TRAvEL AGENTS

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.

PLEASURE CRUISES

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: info@islandsafari mergui.com. Website: www. islandsafarimergui.com

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

Kohaku Japanese Restaurant Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon 40, Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp, Lobby Level, Tel: 544500 Ext 6231

The Ritz Exclusive Lounge Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon 40, Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp, Ground Floor, Tel: 544500 Ext 6243, 6244

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

WATER HEATERS

RESTAURANTS
Enchanting and Romantic, a Bliss on the Lake The Emporia Restaurant Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon 40, Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp. Lobby Level, Tel: 544500 Ext 6294 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

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.

62 D, U Tun Nyein Road, Mayangon Tsp, Yangon Tel. 01 665 516, 660976 Mob. 09-4210-34875 operayangon@gmail.com www.operayangon.com

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

WEB SERvICES

RELOCATION

Lunch/Dinner/Catering 555539, 536174

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

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

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

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

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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Strauss resigns as England captain

By Julian Guyer LONDON Andrew Strauss resigned as Englands Test captain and annnounced his retirement from professional cricket with immediate effect on August 29. After much thought over the last few weeks, I have decided to step down as England test captain and announce my retirement from all forms of cricket, Strauss said in an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) statement issued ahead of a news conference at Lords. It has clearly been a tough decision to make, but I believe that it is both in the best interests of the England cricket team and myself to step down at this stage, the 35year-old, who played exactly 100 tests, added. The driver to all this is I havent batted well enough for a long time. I wasnt going to improve battingwise, Ive run my race, Strauss later told the news conference. Its one of these decisions when you know when your time is up. It is important for a captain to not be a passenger and that people are not speculationg whether you should be in the side. Alastair Cook, already Englands one-day captain and Strausss opening partner in the five-day about retiring before the Kevin Pietersen situation reared its head. His last test was a 51-run defeat by South Africa at Lords, his Middlesex home ground where he made his test debut in 2004, earlier this month that saw England surrender their number one test ranking to the Proteas. Strauss scored 21 hundreds one shy of Englands all-time record and led England to the top of the world Test rankings, a run that included home and away Ashes wins in 2009 and 2010/11. Cooks first test as captain will be the first of a four-match series in India in November. The 27-year-old paid tribute to Strauss by saying: Andrews contribution to England cricket in recent years is evident to everyone who follows the sport but only those of us who have been lucky enough to share a dressing room with him are fully aware of his immense contribution to our success. He has been a fantastic captain, has led from the front for threeand-a-half years and is a true ambassador for the game. I know this cant have been an easy decision for him and everyone in the dressing room will be sad to see him go. Im very excited by this new challenge, it is a huge honour to be appointed test captain. ECB chief executive David Collier said: On behalf of the ECB and everyone involved in cricket Id like to thank Andrew Strauss for his outstanding contribution to the game. Andrews calmness and authority when dealing with some of the most difficult moments in our sport in recent times should be applauded and I have no doubt that his contribution as an ambassador for the game will be recognised by anyone who has had an opportunity to spend time with him. Strauss has enjoyed modest returns with the bat in recent years and his 122 against the West Indies in May was his first test century since November 2010. He followed up with another century, at trent Bridge, but averaged just 17.83 in six innings against the South Africans. Englands form in 2012 has been poor, with six defeats in 11 tests culminating in a 2-0 series loss to South Africa, their first home reverse in four years. Strauss was the third England skipper to be seen off in as many tours of England by South Africa captain Graeme Smith after Nasser Hussain in 2003 and Michael Vaughan in 2008. AFP

Pic: AFP Former England cricket captain Andrew Strauss during a press conference at Lords Cricket ground in London, on August 29. game, was announced as the new skipper of the test team. Strauss insisted his retirement had nothing to do with the ongoing England exile of star batsman Kevin Pietersen. England dropped Pietersen, who hasnt played international cricket in any format since making 149 in the drawn second test at Headingley, after he admitted sending provocative texts to South African players. Some of these were alleged to have been critical of Strauss, who succeeded South Africa-born and raised Pietersen as England captain in 2009. Strauss said hed spoken to England coach Andy Flower

Asian major within five years: new tour CEO

By Talek Harris SINGAPORE The Asian Tour is in talks to set up an iconic golf event to rival the majors as early as 2015, its new chief executive has revealed. Mike Kerr, who took up his post in March, made the statement as he laid out an ambitious vision which sees the circuit expanding to match the current size of the European Tour in the next 10 years. Yes, I think we can have an iconic event in Asia. There are some plans that we have that were already in the market talking about, he said at the Asian Tour offices in Singapore. Were working on it ... lets say definitely within the next three to five [years]. The so-called fifth major is considered the next frontier of Asian golf after years of rapid growth brought new, world-class tournaments and pumped up prize money and standards. Both the WGC-HSBC Champions in China, with a purse of US$7 million, and the $6 million Singapore Open, have been informally touted as Asias major. Golfs majors the US Masters, US Open, British Open and the PGA Championship - have slightly larger purses, but also prestige and tradition built up over generations. The majors are not going to move. I think I can say that for certain, said Kerr, in his first interview with an international press agency since joining the tour. Im not sure whether it would ever be confirmed as a major or supported in that way but I think there certainly is room for an iconic event in Asia that would be at a similar level to a major event, which the players can support and which we can build up over time. Golf is still in its infancy in this part of the world. The majors have hundreds of years of tradition, which is what sets them apart from every other event. The former ESPN Star Sports TV executive said Asia was not burdened by the old boys network in Europe and America, enabling it to do things differently including for example a tournament where all players wear shorts. He predicted the Asian Tour would be offering similar total prize money to the European Tour in a decade, rising from 26 to about 40 tournaments a year with potential new partnerships in the Middle East and the former Soviet bloc. But he did not expect friction with the European and PGA tours, despite their increasing focus on Asia. I think theres plenty of opportunity and I dont foresee that theres going to be a major crisis or conflict between us and the two major tours in the world, Kerr said. And he dismissed the challenge of rival circuit OneAsia, which sprang up in 2009 bringing together the Chinese, South Korean and Australasian tours, and lists 15 events on its schedule for this year. I dont think that their fundamentals are sound, I dont think that they have the right foundation and I dont think theyre a long-term, ongoing proposition. The Asian Tour is, said Kerr. OneAsia itself ... is a commercial venture, nothing more than that, he added. Kerr said the Asian Tour also stands to benefit from golfs reintroduction to the Olympics in 2016, when players will gain entry through their world rankings. He said not only does the Asian Tour have more events than OneAsia, but they also carry more rankings points. The only way to get into the Olympics is to gain worldranking points. And the only realistic way to gain enough world-ranking points in the Asia-Pacific market is to be involved with the Asian Tour, he said. There is simply no other way to do it ... It just seems practically impossible to get to the Olympics without playing on the Asian Tour. This could smooth the Tours attempts to renew ties with Asias biggest market, China, which is under OneAsias remit. The CGA [China Golf Association] have basically refused to cooperate with the Asian Tour over the past couple of years, said Kerr. However, we will continue to talk with the CGA and Im certainly very confident that we will be back in China. He was unimpressed by the latest headline-grabbing golf show in China, where Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy will face off in a one-day matchplay event in October. I think it helps to profile golf, but does it help Asia? Does it help China? No, he said. But he said the regions sheer weight of numbers meant that the next Woods or McIlroy was likely to come from Asia. I think youll probably find that we will get that Asian McIlroy. I think the next Rory McIlroy probably will come from this part of the world, said Kerr. AFP

Clijsters sent into retirement by British teen

By Jim Slater NEW YORK British teen Laura Robson ended the singles career of three-time US Open champion Kim Clijsters on August 29 with an emotional 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/5) victory in the second round of the US Open. Clijsters, whose Grand Slam title haul also includes last years Australian Open, had not lost at the US Open since falling to compatriot Justine Henin in the 2003 final on the same Arthur Ashe Stadium court. That just made her shock downfall all the more poignant. This feels like the perfect place to retire. I just wish it wasnt today, Clijsters said. I gave it all and just wasnt good enough at the end of the match. Robson snapped the Belgians 22-match US Open win streak, smacking a tricky forehand winner on the line on the penultimate point and firing a service winner to claim the victory on her third match-point chance. I was just trying to play as hard as I could because I knew if I didnt Kim would dominate because shes such an aggressive player, Robson said. I just went out there to keep getting the ball back and work my butt off. On a day when Wimbledon and Olympic winner Serena Williams turned her left ankle in a doubles match and Britains third-seeded Andy Murray became the first man to reach the third round, nothing topped Clijsters saying goodbye. Clijsters, 29, made her final bow on the same court where she won her first Grand Slam title in 2005 and followed it up with crowns in 2009 and 2010. She had said she was leaving the sport for more time as a wife and mother. One of my biggest dreams came true in 2005 winning here, Clijsters said. Every time I came back I was so inspired by the enegry that was out on this court and I played some of my best matches on this court. It has all been worth it. But I look forward to having the next part of my life coming up. Robson, who was age five when Clijsters first played here, paid tribute to Clijsters. Thanks to Kim for being such a great role model to me for so many years, Robson said. AFP

Pic: AFP Asias golfing future: Thirteen-year-old Lydia Ko of New Zealand teeing off during the final round of the Womens Australian Open golf trophy in Melbourne on February 6, 2011.

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September 3 - 9, 2012
Madrid were quick out of the blocks and goalkeeper Victor Valdes made a superb block from Higuain on seven minutes to stop a certain opener. Again Higuain found himself in space and this time he slotted home. Marcelo went close before Ronaldo doubled Madrids lead on 18 minutes. Again it was a long ball out of defence that troubled Barca. This time Gerard Pique failed to clear a Sami Khedira ball and the Portuguese star pounced on the loose ball to advance on goal and finally, after a quick checkback, beat Valdes with a low shot to claim Madrids second of the evening. It got worse for Barca when Adriano received his marching orders on 27 minutes for a trip on Ronaldo, who was running on to another long ball out of defence. Barca made their first real attack of the evening in the 36 th minute, but nobody was able to connect with Andres Iniestas dangerous cross. Messi then struck with a perfectly curled free-kick to reduce Madrids lead. The second half could not continue at the same pace and, as Barca gained more possession and settled into a more comfortable passing game, chances became rare. Pedro Rodriguez came close to levelling for Barca on 62 minutes, latching onto a long ball only for Iker Casillas to stop brilliantly with his feet. At the other end, Valdes saved from Khedira but Barca were controlling the game, despite the numerical disadvantage, and the home crowd was getting restless. Those nerves were not helped on 79 minutes when Higuains shot agonisingly drifted to the foot of the post after beating a retreating Valdes. Modric was then introduced to a standing ovation for his first taste of life as a Madrid player, Alex Song having earlier entered the fray to do the same for Barca. What they both experienced was a frantic finish. Messi came close to taking the title back to Catalunya in injury time with a shot that flashed wide from the edge of the box, but Madrid held on to trigger joyous celebrations in the Spanish capital. AFP

MyanMar tiMes

Madrid take first scalp

By Dermot Ledwith MADRID Gonzalo Higuain and Cristiano Ronaldo struck firsthalf goals as Real Madrid beat 10-man Barcelona 2-1 to lift the Spanish Super Cup before a full house at the Santiago Bernabeu on August 30. With last weeks first leg at Camp Nou having e n d e d in a 3-2 Barca victory, Madrid took the title on away goals after a 4-4 aggregate draw. All the action came in an exciting first half, where Lionel Messi replied with a brilliant free-kick for Barcelona, who had previously lost Adriano to a straight red card for a last-man foul on Ronaldo. It was a timely success for Madrid, who have already fallen five points behind arch rivals Barca in La Liga after a draw and a loss in their first two league games. The team went out well from the start and created chances, got the goals and then they [Barcelona] went down to 10 men, said Madrid assistant coach Aitor Karanka. After all that, the result was a lot closer than we expected, but were happy to lift the trophy. We got a reaction from our players and thats the important thing. Barca coach Tito Vilanova said he was pleased with his players response after a difficult start. I congratulate Madrid on their win, but I felt proud of our performance with only 10 men, especially in the second half, where we had five good chances to level the game, he said. With the tie finely balanced, both sides started with near fullstrength teams. Madrid coach Jose Mourinho kept faith with Higuain, who had scored in consecutive league games, leaving Karim Benzema to start on the bench with Luka Modric, who made his first appearance for Madrid after signing on August 27. Barca, however, had to cope with a problem just before kickoff when Jordi Alba replaced Dani Alves, who seemed to pick up an injury in the warm-up.

US basketball exchange adds local resonance

By Tim Mclaughlin A group of exhausted local basketball players, standing with hands on knees at centre court found enough energy to applaud Rich Chos Myanmar language greeting of mingalabar. They had reason to be tired after spending two hours running through drills in Myanmars stifling heat but equally excited as, Mr Cho, a Yangon native, returned as part of a US Department sports envoy to his hometown. When his speech finished players gathered around for photos. One brought a basketball and pen, seeking an autograph from the first Asian American general manager in National Basketball Association (NBA) history. It has been great to be back, Mr Cho said, I have only been back one time, in 2004. Although I grew up in the states I have a lot of pride in being Burmese. Mr Cho and his family left Myanmar in 1968 when he was just three years old. They first lived in Fort Wayne, Indiana before settling in the Pacific Northwest in Washington sate. Mr Cho graduated from Washington State University and landed his first job in the NBA with the Seattle SuperSonics (who were later rebranded as the Thunder) while studying law at Pepperdine University in 1995. In 2010, after helping to orchestrate the Thunders first playoff appearance in franchise history, Mr Cho was named general manager of the Portland Trailblazers a first for an Asian American in the NBA. After less than a year with the Trailblazers Cho was let go but quickly hired by the Charlotte Bobcats in June 2011. Mr Cho was returning as part of a sports envoy sponsored by the US Department of States Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in conjunction with the NBA and Womens National Basketball Association (WNBA). The program has sent nearly 50 NBA and WNBA players, coaches and officials to over 20 countries since its inception in 2004. I think its terrific, Mr Cho said of Myanmars recent steps towards democratization and openness, anything that we can do from a sports standpoint to help the game grow here and grow it from a grass roots level. Get some excitement going around basketball and sports in general. While in host countries the NBA and WNBA representatives pass on techniques and training methods to both coaches and players. They also get a chance to see how their skills translate to lesser-known local sports, in the case of Myanmar the rattan ball game chin lone. O thers joining him on the inaugural trip to Myanmar were ex-NBA player and current Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Darvin Ham, former NBA player Marty Conlon, and former WNBA player Allison Feaster. The importance of the experience for Mr Cho and the timing of the trip were not lost on Mr Conlon. This is a country that is in the news a lot in the United States the last year. So for me to be part of this trip, especially with Rich coming to the place where he was born, with the success he has had in the NBA, it is very exciting, Mr Conlon said. Mr Conlon was an NBA journeyman spending eight seasons with as many teams starting in 1992 before heading to Europe in 2000. He retired from playing in 2005 but has found a second career as a globetrotting ambassador for the game through a position with the NBAs Basketball Operations International. Each one is very exciting, Mr Conlon said of the clinics he has been part of in countries including Uzbekistan, India and Jordan, but especially here (Myanmar) because of what has happened here in the last few years. Absolutely, agreed Mr Ham of the positive impact such outreach projects have on the game. Whenever you can come share the game with these kids who knows? Like Rich Cho, born here in 1965 and now hes a general manager in the NBA. You never know what types of seeds youre planting but it is good to get out here and plant them. Mr Ham has also embraced his role as a spokesperson for basketball in his post playing days. He became a widely recognisable face of the game during the 1996 NCAA Tournament when he shattered the backboard on a powerful dunk while playing for Texas Tech. The moment was captured on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine under the headline, Smashing! And 16 years later Mr Ham is shocked to find a poster-sized printout of the magazine cover hung on the wall of the Myanmar Basketball Federation court. No, this is crazy man, Mr Ham replied when asked if he ever expected to see the image in a place like Myanmar, Im going to have someone take a picture of it and email it to me.

Pic: AFP Real Madrids cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring a goal against Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu on August 29. However, three minutes later he could do nothing in a similar situation after Javier Mascherano had misjudged the flight of a long ball out of defence from Pepe.

Drogba, Anelka futures in China in doubt

SHANGHAI Superstars Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka may have already played their last games for Chinas Shanghai Shenhua, a report said August 29, as a boardroom power struggle puts their futures in doubt. Shenhuas billionaire chairman Zhu Jun is threatening to withhold foreign players salaries unless other shareholders grant him majority control, an unnamed senior executive told Chinas Titan Sports. If Zhu Jun cannot get the majority stake, he can only pay for foreign players based on his own stake, the club executive told Titan. Drogba, Anelka and [Colombian midfielder Giovanni] Morenos salary cannot be guaranteed in future, and they may not be able to attend future matches. Shenhua are bankrolled by Zhu, a colourful online gaming tycoon, and the signings of the ex-Chelsea players for reported salaries in excess of US$300,000 a week made headlines around the world. Their arrival highlighted a dramatic revamp of the corruption-plagued Chinese Super League (CSL), which has spent big on overseas talent including World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi, who joined Guangzhou Evergrande. A showdown could come as early as Shenhuas next game, at home to Liaoning Whowin in just over two weeks. Whether Drogba can play on September 15 remains a question, and we dont have the answer now, the executive was quoted as saying. According to Titan, Zhu wrote to Shenhuas big stakeholders, who are all state-owned companies, asking them to make good on an agreement to hand over majority control due to his heavy investment in the club. The newspaper said he has not received any replies. The executive added: The key is whether Drogba can play on September 15, not other matters. Speculation that Shenhua may apply for bankruptcy if Zhu Jun cannot get the stake is nonsense. Reports say that under a 2007 deal, Zhus 28.5 percent stake would rise to 70 pc if he invested more than 150 million yuan ($23.6 million) in the club. Zhu has reportedly spent about 600 million yuan. Club officials were not available for comment. The two ex-Chelsea players both scored in Shenhuas last match, a 3-3 draw with Shandong Luneng. But Chinese media said Moreno missed the game because Shenhua had failed to stump up the $7 million transfer fee for his former team, Racing Club of Argentina. Despite their new signings, Shenhua lie just 10 th in the Chinese championship, which wraps up in November. AFP

Former NBA player Marty Conlon directs a basketball drill at NBF Stadium in Yangon on August 28. Pic: Yadana

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Chelsea, United spared as City get fiendish draw
MONACO Fate largely smiled on Manchester United and holders Chelsea in the Champions League draw on August 30, but Manchester City found themselves drawn into a daunting group with Real Madrid, Ajax and Borussia Dortmund. Chelsea, who beat Bayern Munich on penalties in last seasons final to claim the trophy for the first time, were drawn in Group E alongside Italian champions Juventus, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Danish debutants Nordsjaelland. Juventus will be appearing in the Champions League for the first time since the 200910 season and are likely to present the strongest challenge to Roberto di Matteos side. United found themselves in similarly benign surroundings in Group H, having been pitted against Portugals SC Braga, Galatasaray of Turkey and Romanians CFR-Cluj in the draw in Monaco. However, manager Sir Alex Ferguson did not need reminding that it was from a similarly straightforward group containing Benfica, FC Basel and Clujs domestic rivals Otelul Gelati that the three-time champions failed to progress last season. We have the experience of playing against Galatasaray in the past and we will always remember the Welcome to Hell banners, Ferguson told manutd.com. Obviously, weve never played Cluj before but, after the experience of last year, we dont want to make any stupid errors this time. We will play our strongest team to make sure we get through. United, beaten 3-1 by Barcelona in the 2011 final, are appearing in the group phase for a record 18 th time. As in 2011, this seasons final will also take place at Londons Wembley Stadium, to mark the 150th anniversary of the English Football Association. Citys pool, Group D, unites the reigning champions of England, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands, with the Manchester club the only team never to have won the Champions League. Roberto Mancinis side were drawn in a similarly taxing group last season and failed to reach the knockout phase, with Bayern Munich and Napoli finishing above them on their first appearance in the Champions League. City defender Joleon Lescott refused to be discouraged by the draw, tweeting: Group D highlights the fact why its called Champions league. #TitleWinnersOnly Along with Spain, England are one of only two countries with four teams in the group phase and their fourth representatives, Arsenal, will face Schalke, Olympiacos and debutants Montpellier, the French champions, in Group B. Another newcomer, Malaga, were drawn in Group C with Zenit Saint Petersburg, Anderlecht and seven-time champions AC Milan, who will have been relieved to avoid a more difficult group after a summer in which they lost a glut of leading players. Barcelona, finalists in two of the last four seasons, landed in Group G, where they will have fellow former champions Benfica and Celtic for company, as well as Spartak Moscow. Big-spending Paris SaintGermain, meanwhile, will fancy their chances of qualifying from a group that also includes FC Porto, Dynamo Kiev and Dinamo Zagreb Last seasons beaten finalists Bayern Munich were placed in Group F alongside Valencia, they team they beat on penalties in the 2001 final, as well as Lille of France and Belarusian outfit BATE Borisov. The opening batch of group matches is scheduled for September 18-19. AFP

September 3 - 9, 2012

Members of the British delegation parade during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on August 29. Pic: AFP

Paralympians look to skies

By Robin Millard LONDON The London 2012 Paralympics began on August 29 with a vibrant opening ceremony led by Stephen Hawking that paid tribute to human endeavour, enlightenment and the quest to understand the universe. Paralympians soared through the air above the 80,000-seater Olympic Stadium while Hawking, the worlds most famous living scientist, urged people to look to the stars for inspiration. In a spectacular finish, a British marine who lost both his legs in an explosion in Afghanistan brought the flame into the stadium on a zip wire from the Orbit tower. Britains Queen Elizabeth II declared the Games open after a joyous athletes parade that saw competitors from a record 165 nations take their bow. The show began with a spectacular flypast as a plane, lit electric blue and trailing golden sparks from its wings, circled overhead. British theoretical physicist Hawking, paralysed and in a wheelchair much of his life due to a rare form of motor neuron disease, kicked off the show by speaking of the challenge of working out how the universe works. Ever since the dawn of civilisation, people have craved for an understanding of the underlying order of the world. Why it is as it is, and why it exists at all. The umbrella was used as a motif throughout the show, in a light-hearted nod to Britains gloomy weather. A glowing, celestial sphere descended into the middle of a giant central umbrella, igniting the Big Bang signifying the creation of the universe. Some 600 performers with umbrellas that lit up radiated out from the centre. The ceremonys artistic directors Bradley Hemmings and Jenny Sealey said their show was a tribute to human endeavour. We hope that you will join with us in celebrating the empowering possibilities of ideas, science and creativity, through which we can realise our full potential: who we are and who we aspire to be, they said. Led by the three competitors from Afghanistan, the athletes paraded to a soundtrack mixed by Orbital. Each countrys name was written atop an umbrella in the London Underground font. Every nation was given a warm reception, something that was a feature of the Olympics just a few weeks ago. Taking pictures and waving to the crowd, some on crutches, others in wheelchairs pushed by their teammates, the athletes revelled in the moment. The Mexicans, wearing sombreros and colourful woollen ponchos, shook their rattles, while Belgian sprinter Marieke Vervoort had her labrador Zenn upright on her lap. The Ghanaian delegation danced their way round, while the North Koreans looked overjoyed as they waved their national flag. Great Britain were welcomed in last with a deafening roar, David Bowies Heroes, and a blast of gold and silver ticker tape. London Games chairman Sebastian Coe said: It is my great honour to say welcome home to the Paralympic Games, as the event turned to its ceremonial conclusion. Everything sport stands for, were going to see right here, right now. These will be Games to remember. Prepare to be inspired; prepare to be dazzled; prepare to be moved by the Paralympic Games of London 2012, he said. Queen Elizabeth, who was joined by her grandson Prince William, his wife Catherine and other senior royals, then declared the Games open, heralding the start of 11 days of Paralympic sport. What can be more special than that there is no boundary? asked Hawking. There should be no boundary to human endeavour. After the flames dramatic entrance, the cauldron was lit by 84-year-old Margaret Maughan, Britains first gold medallist from the inaugural 1960 Paralympic Games in Rome. Singer Beverley Knight closed the show with a rendition of I Am What I Am as fireworks exploded across the Olympic Park. AFP